VOLUME 6 ISSUE 50 |
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022
White House science adviser resigns over treatment of staff Washington, D.C. President Joe Biden’s top science adviser Eric Lander resigned, hours after the White House confirmed that an internal investigation found credible evidence that he mistreated his staff, marking the first Cabinetlevel departure of the Biden administration. An internal review found evidence that Lander, the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and science adviser to Biden, bullied staffers and treated them disrespectfully. The White House initially signaled he would be allowed to remain on the job, but press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden had accepted Lander’s resignation hours later. The White House said Biden did not request Lander’s resignation. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Taste for imports drives 2021 trade gap to record $859B Washington, D.C. The U.S. trade deficit soared to a record $859.1 billion last year as Americans splurged on foreign-made electronics, toys and clothing. The trade gap — the difference between what the United States sells and what it buys from foreign countries — surged 27% last year from $676.7 billion in 2020. U.S. exports rose 18% to more than $2.5 trillion. But imports rose more, climbing 21% to nearly $3.4 trillion. Imported goods soared 21% last year to $2.9 trillion. Imported goods from China rose 16% to $506.4 billion last year, and the goods trade deficit with the Chinese rose nearly 15% to $355.3 billion. Overall, the U.S. ran a $1.1 trillion deficit in the trade of goods with the rest of the world, the first time the gap has cracked $1 trillion. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Australia to open borders to vaccinated travelers on Feb. 21 Canberra, Australia Australia will open its borders to vaccinated tourists and business travelers from Feb. 21 in a further relaxation of pandemic restrictions. Australia imposed some of the world’s toughest travel restrictions on its citizens and permanent residents in March 2020. When the border restrictions were relaxed in November in response to an increasing vaccination rate among the Australian population, international students and skilled migrants were prioritized over tourists in being welcomed back to Australia. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
31M Americans to bet on Super Bowl, gambling group estimates Atlantic City, N.J. A record 31.5 million Americans plan to bet on this year’s Super Bowl, according to estimates released Tuesday by the gambling industry’s national trade group. The American Gaming Association forecasts that over $7.6 billion will be wagered on pro football’s championship game set for Sunday. Both the amount of people planning to bet (up 35% from last year) and the estimated amount of money being bet (up 78% from last year) are new records. “The growth of legal options across the country not only protects fans and the integrity of games and bets, but also puts illegal operators on notice that their time is limited,” said Bill Miller, the group’s president and CEO. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Canadian trucker protest continues
Police man a barricade in front of vehicles parked as part of the trucker protest, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022 in Ottawa’s downtown core. Canadian lawmakers expressed increasing worry about protests over vaccine mandates other other COVID restrictions after the busiest border crossing between the U.S. and Canada became partially blocked.
Budd overtakes McCrory in quarterly fundraising By Matt Mercer North State Journal
N.C. Commission for Public Health taps brakes on 17-yearold COVID vaccination request NCDHHS calls changes ‘premature,’ says should be considered ‘at a later date’ By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
categories to being vaccinated. However, I do strongly believe in people’s personal freedoms.” Riccobene continued, “I have chosen not to vaccinate my children. I think every parent and adult should have the right to choose whether or not they receive the COVID vaccine. I do not think it is in the best interest of the public to take away that right.” Dr. Doug Sheets remarked that he had contacted the medical society and said that “the feeling” of their board of directors was they “could not currently support any COVID vaccine mandate for minors.” During the earlier discussion, the commission’s counsel, John Barkley of the N.C. Department of Justice, laid out the rule-making process and cited the authority of the commission to decide for K-12 students. Appalachian State University professor Stella Anderson, one of the petitioners, was also given a chance to speak prior to discussion by commission members. Anderson claimed there are other states where state institutions were requiring vaccination of college students. “From our perspective, the vaccine requirement for North Carolina’s four-year college and university students is actually overdue,” said Anderson. She said that perspective is “shaped by our first-hand experience with voluntary vaccine uptake.” Anderson said some areas have high rates of vaccination of college students, but that is not the case in other parts of the state. She said her campus started the year at a 52% fully vaccinated rate and complained it took “five months for us to get to 70.” Anderson then said that as of January, her school was at 80%. “So, we speak from personal experience as educators that the vaccine is needed for general safety and because in its absence it’s extraordinarily disruptive to all campus operations,” Anderson said. “It is crucial to our ability to remain on campus with students residing in dorms and
RALEIGH — A body with the ability to alter immunization requirements has tapped the brakes on adding COVID-19 vaccination requirements for students 17 and up. The N.C. Commission for Public Health (NCCPH) is the only other body in the state besides the legislature which can alter immunization requirements for K-12 public school students. The NCCPH is housed within the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDDHS). The NCCPH voted unanimously to deny the petition. The motion made included directions for the commission’s staff and legal counsel to draft a letter of denial which will be circulated to the other members before being sent. Prior to the vote, members Dr. Gene Minton and Dr. Michael Riccobene both voiced support for denying the petition. “I think that based on the fact there is an especially high incidence of adverse effects in children and adolescents – particularly myocarditis and those type things – that we would really be making a not wise choice to require the least affected population of this country, which would be students… adolescents and children…to have the most stringent requirement,” Minton said. Minton added he is a strong proponent of vaccinations for those who need it and restated that they should not be requiring it of those who least need it. He also noted there are no longterm studies on the adverse effects of the vaccines on kids. “I am a 52-year-old with hypertension and high cholesterol and I am a frontline healthcare worker and I have chosen to be vaccinated and boosted and I believe I have acquired natural immunity,” said Riccobene. “I am a proponent of people in high-risk See HEALTH page A3
U.S. REP. TED BUDD outraised former Gov. Pat McCrory in the final quarter of 2021, boosting his bid in the highly competitive Republican U.S. Senate primary, which increasingly looks like a two-way battle. Budd added nearly $1 million in the final three months of the year, topping McCrory by $200,000. McCrory’s campaign reported a total of $745,000. Both candidates entered 2022 with similar cash-on-hand figures. “My campaign has been leading in the polls and in grassroots organization, and now we’re leading in fundraising,” said Budd in a statement. “NASCAR is starting again in just a few weeks, and I’ve got what every NASCAR driver wants, all the momentum and a clear path to Victory Lane. Amy Kate and I appreciate everyone who has invested in a better tomorrow by supporting our fight for America First policies that protect and
promote American jobs.” Elsewhere in the field, newcomer candidate Marjorie K. Eastman, who has invested heavily in digital advertising, reported a total amount raised of $423,000. That is more than twice the amount U.S. Rep. Mark Walker reported. Walker, who eschewed an endorsement from former President Donald Trump to run for a U.S. House seat, instead remaining in the Senate race, reported $145,000 and spent more than he raised during the period, distributing $179,000. He entered the new year with $571,000 on hand. The four candidates have ramped up activity – and attacks – as the race steadily attracts more attention statewide. Walker has been the most visible, often teaming with McCrory to go after Budd’s support from the Club for Growth, a Washington, D.C.-based conservative nonprofit. Walker and McCrory both acSee BUDD, page A2
As NC grows, 2022 to see major transportation projects across state By David Larson North State Journal RALEIGH — Between 2010 and 2020, North Carolina gained around 904,000 residents to 10,440,000 residents, and to keep up with this 9.5% increase in population, the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has had to ramp up infrastructure projects across the state. The State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) is responsible for choosing and executing these projects, and the 2020-2029 STIP plan contains 1,718 active projects. The vast majority of these projects (1,319) are in the highway category. The next highest category is bicycle/pedestrian projects, of which there are 234. Not all projects are made equal, though, with the DOT listing 27 as “high-profile projects.” Many of these are in the state’s three largest metro areas of Charlotte, the Research Triangle and the Piedmont Triad. But there are also major projects in the mountains and at the coast, both of which are popular tourist destinations. In the Charlotte area, Phase 1 of Gateway Station is underway, which is described as a “multi-modSee PROJECTS, page A2