Tag Archives: start

Health

Utah will start vaccinating people over age 65, and with some health conditions, on March 1

Leave a comment

Utah’s next wave of COVID-19 vaccinations will start March 1, Gov. Spencer Cox announced Thursday — with people 65 and older, and people with some severe and chronic health conditions, next in line to get their shots.

Those groups make up about 400,000 Utahns, Cox said at the state’s weekly COVID-19 media briefing, and the state should be ready for that influx when increased shipments of the vaccine arrive from now through April.

The federal government announced Tuesday that it would be shipping an additional 5% of its current vaccine allocation to Utah — on top of the 16% increase announced last week, Cox said. That’s a total of about 42,000 doses this week, he said, plus another 8,000 doses the state got back from federal partners.

Utah is planning on receiving another 33,000 doses of the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine per week by late March, Cox said. Another 84,000 per week of the AstraZeneca version of the vaccine could be arriving by April, Cox said.

That volume “just changes the ballgame for all of us and that’s what we are planning for,” he said. “That’s what we are preparing for.”

The state will spend the rest of February, Cox and state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn said, getting doses out to people already eligible for the vaccine — mainly people 70 years old and older.

As of Thursday morning, Cox said, about 35% of Utahns in that age group have received their shots. “That’s about 84,000 of you, and that’s just in a couple weeks, so we are well on our way, again, to getting those that are most at risk vaccinated and saving lives,” Cox said.

Cox assured Utahns that people over 70 who are struggling to get a vaccination appointment “will be able to get theirs” in the coming weeks.

Cox also implored people in the 65-and-up group, and people over 18 with the specified underlying health conditions (see the list below), not to call their county health departments just yet. More information will be coming from the Utah Department of Health and local health departments in the next few weeks, he said.

Who gets the vaccine next?

Utahns 65 and older, and those over 18 with certain severe and chronic health conditions, will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on March 1. Here is a list of those qualifying health conditions, according to the Utah Department of Health:

• Solid organ transplant recipients.

• Certain cancers.

• People who are immunocompromised (have a weakened immune system) from blood, bone marrow or organ transplants; HIV; use of corticosteroids long-term, or use of other immune-weakening medicines long-term.

• Severe kidney disease or dialysis, or with stage 4 or 5 chronic kidney disease.

• Uncontrolled diabetes.

• Severe obesity (body mass index over 40).

• Chronic liver disease, including chronic hepatitis B or C.

• Chronic heart disease (not including hypertension).

• Severe chronic respiratory disease (other than asthma).

• Neurologic conditions that impair respiratory function, including Down’s syndrome, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy, quadriplegia or hemiplegia.

• Stroke and dementia (Alzheimer’s, vascular, frontotemporal).

• Asplenia, including splenectomy or a spleen dysfunction, including sickle cell disease.

As the state ramps up its vaccination distribution, Cox said, “there will be scheduling issues.”

“In every state, in every country in the world, there’s going to be a little chaos in making this happen,” Cox said. “We are going to embrace that chaos, we’re going to solve that chaos, and we’re going to get shots in arms within seven days of getting that vaccine and we are going to save lives.”

Once that broader eligibility opens up March 1, Dunn said, the state will be relying on the honor system. “If you don’t fall in those categories … don’t seek a vaccine,” she said.

The quicker the state can get through high-risk populations, the quicker people who are lower risk can get a vaccination, Dunn added.

Utah reached an “important milestone” in its vaccine rollout on Thursday, Cox said: More vaccine doses have been given to people than the number of Utahns who have tested positive for COVID-19.

A total of 362,701 doses of vaccine have been given to Utahns, as of Thursday, according to UDOH’s report. That’s 194,393 people who have received the first doses, and 84,154 who have received both doses.

As of Thursday, 351,273 Utahns have tested positive for COVID-19. The rate of positive COVID-19 tests in Utah has been holding steadily around 16%, or more than three times the rate state health officials have said indicates the virus is under control.

“We are trying to be more viral than the virus and it’s happening,” Cox said.

Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson said 29 Smith’s pharmacies and 18 Walmart locations will be receiving vaccine doses in Utah starting Feb. 11. Only Utahns over 70 will be able to get vaccines through those locations for now.

“The state actually has control over who is eligible” to get the vaccines through Walmart and Smith’s, Henderson said.

People who have appointments through their health department should keep those appointments, she said, rather than trying to get one through Smith’s or Walmart.

There will be more information on how Utahns can volunteer to help with the vaccine distribution in the coming days, Henderson added.

Dunn touted the importance of Johnson & Johnson’s version of the vaccine, which the federal Food and Drug Administration could approve for emergency use as soon as this month. She said comparisons made in national media between the effectiveness of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and those made by Pfizer and Moderna have been “misinformed.”

Johnson & Johnson trials have proven the vaccine to be effective at protecting 72% of U.S. individuals against COVID-19 infection and is 85% effective against severe disease, Dunn said.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines reported efficacy rates of above 94% — but, Dunn said, it’s a bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison. Pfizer and Moderna tested their vaccines for symptomatic infection resulting from COVID-19, while Johnson & Johnson tested its vaccine for preventing moderate to severe illness, she said.

“It’s very important that once the vaccine becomes available, when it becomes our turn to take the vaccine, we all get the vaccine,” regardless of the company that produced it, Dunn said.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires only one dose, where the Pfizer and Moderna versions require two doses, weeks apart. That, Dunn said, makes the Johnson & Johnson version ideal for inoculating people experiencing homelessness. Plans are in the works, she said, to get vaccines to those groups when they become available.

Read original article here

US

Pentagon chief purges advisors for fresh start after Trump overhaul

Leave a comment

  • Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin called for an “immediate suspension” of the department’s advisory committee operations.
  • The secretary has also ordered the “conclusion of service” for all advisory board members.
  • The advisory boards are comprised of civilians appointed to provide bipartisan counsel.
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called for an “immediate suspension” of the department’s advisory committee operations as it conducts a top-down review and ordered the removal of all advisory board members by mid-February, an internal memo said.

Austin, who was nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the US Senate in late January, said that the Defense Department’s review was being conducted to “align with our most pressing strategic priorities and the National Defense Strategy.”

“Advisory committees have and will continue to provide an important role in shaping public policy within [the Department of Defense],” Austin said in his memo to the department. “That said, our stewardship responsibilities require that we continually assess to ensure each advisory committee provides appropriate value today and in the future, as times and requirements change.”

In the memo, Austin says that “conclusion of service” for all advisory board members will take place no later than Feb. 16.

News of the changes to the department’s advisory committees was first reported by The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday afternoon. The latest news follows a report last week from Politico that the Pentagon had halted all appointments to the boards.

The various Pentagon advisory boards are comprised of civilians appointed by a defense secretary to provide bipartisan counsel on matters that range from business to military policy.

The intended nonpartisan goals of the committees were heavily scrutinized after acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller — who was appointed by then-President Donald Trump after he fired his defense secretary following the November election — purged the boards and installed a number of loyalists in the final weeks of the administration.

After Miller abruptly emptied out most of the Defense Policy Board, he cleared out much of the Defense Business Board. Changes to other boards then followed. He then selected loyalists like Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and deputy campaign manager David Bossie to fill the vacancies.

Some of the loyal individuals the administration sought to install on the boards included people who have been surrounded by controversy.

Scott O’Grady, a retired US Air Force F-16 pilot, was appointed to the Defense Policy Board in December. The war hero promoted several conspiracy theories in support of Trump’s baseless claims that the presidential election was stolen.

O’Grady recently shared a tweet saying that ” suggesting that martial law is not a bad idea when there is an attempted coup against the president,” according to CNN, which also reported that O’Grady shared other debunked theories about the election, insulted former military officials, and retweeted at least one pro-QAnon hashtag.

Ret. US Army Gen. Anthony Tata, who was also appointed as an advisor, previously drew criticism for his characterization of former President Barack Obama as a “terrorist leader” with “Islamic roots.”

As the Trump administration quickly moved to overhaul the advisory boards, an advisor on the Defense Business Board who survived the purge resigned in protest. In his resignation letter, Steve Blank wrote that by purging advisory boards and filling them with Trump allies, the Trump administration had “put the nation’s safety and security at risk.”

Speaking to the press Tuesday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the “frenetic activity” at the end of the Trump administration “deeply concerned” Austin and was a driving factor in his decision to clean out the boards and start over.



Read original article here

Science

NASA Ready to Start Building Its Asteroid-Bound Psyche Spacecraft

Leave a comment

Psyche Out

NASA’s Psyche mission, an uncrewed expedition to an unusual asteroid of the same name, is entering the final stages of preparation.

After years of testing and development for the scientific instruments that will analyze the metallic asteroid, NASA is ready to send individual components to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). There, engineers will begin to integrate and assemble the full spacecraft, according to a JPL press release.

“It’s really the final phase, when all of the puzzle pieces are coming together and we’re getting on the rocket. This is the most intense part of everything that happens on the ground,” Psyche principal investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton said in the release.

Hitting Deadlines

If all continues to go well, the spacecraft will be ready well in advance of its planned launch in August 2022. NASA expects that final testing and assembly will last until spring 2022, when it will eventually be sent down to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

“The project has made tremendous progress, particularly given the world around us and COVID-19 and dealing with the constraints that imposes,” Psyche project manager Henry Stone said in the press release. “We’re in very good shape. We’re on track and have a plan to go forward to make launch.”

Poking Around

During its 21-month orbit around Psyche, NASA’s spacecraft will take images of the asteroid while also studying its surface and — if it finds one — its magnetic field.

The asteroid seems to have a much higher metal content than a typical space rock, prompting scientists to suspect that it’s really the exposed core of a planet that broke apart. Depending on what the mission finds, NASA’s spacecraft may reveal new information about how our planet formed as well.

READ MORE: NASA’s Psyche mission moves forward, passing key milestone [NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory]

More on Psyche: NASA Hires SpaceX to Launch Mission to Giant Metal Asteroid

Read original article here

Health

Houston to start reaching out to communities where it may be more difficult to get COVID-19 vaccine

Leave a comment

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — As the efforts to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine continue, Houston’s mayor and health officials are reminding people to keep practicing prevention protocols to slow the spread of the virus.

On Monday, Mayor Sylvester Turner, along with medical health experts, held a news briefing to give an update on the city’s response to the virus and the vaccine rollout.

According to Turner, the city’s health department received 41,950 first COVID-19 vaccine doses and so far has administered 33,839 first doses. When it comes to second doses, the Houston Health Department received 18,600 doses and has administered 2,300. He added the health department has 971 appointments scheduled for this week for people to get their second vaccine dose.

The briefing comes days after a partnership with Houston’s HOPE Clinic helped vaccinate high-risk and low-income residents. Over the weekend, the clinic planned to provide 500 doses of the vaccine on Saturday, according to Turner. By noon, 250 of those doses had been given out.

SEE ALSO: Houston’s HOPE Clinic vaccinates those who may need them most

Thousands of doses have been given across the city, despite some glitches in booking recently. Hundreds of people were sent home disappointed earlier this month after the Houston Health Department announced it ran out of COVID-19 vaccine doses at the public mega site at Minute Maid Park.

During Monday’s briefing, Turner said their strategy will be to continue moving forward with focusing on getting the vaccines to communities of high-risk and low-income.

As the demand continues to exceed supply, Houston Health Department Director Stephen L. Williams said they expect things to get better as more vaccine doses are on the way.

“This week, our health department is distributing over 9,00 first doses to the most vulnerable. We’re prioritizing approximately 5,300 doses for our area agency on aging, 2,400 for providers in vulnerable communities, and 1,300 for previously scheduled appointments,” he said.

SEE ALSO: Action 13: Connecting your COVID-19 vaccine questions with answers

Williams added the health department will be pausing additions to its waitlist until further notice. The reason behind this is they are working on setting up a link for people to begin scheduling their own appointments for second doses, which could be announced as soon as Tuesday.

While more and more people getting the vaccine, Turner reminded the public to help keep the virus from spreading.

“The focus on vaccine does not mean we can stop focusing on preventing and testing,” Turner said. “I want to remind people that the virus is still very much within our community.”

Turner announced Monday that the Houston Health Department reported 1,089 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total case count for the city of Houston to 158,751.

According to Dr. David Persse with the city of Houston’s health department, data from the Texas Medical Center showed hospitalizations have leveled off and are slightly decreasing. He believes the city may be at the beginning of the downside of the second wave, but he also urged people to not let their guard down.

“This is not the time to take our foot off the brake, we need to continue to have our masks on social distance, wash your hands, and get tested frequently,” Persse said.

Persse is also encouraging people who have received their COVID-19 vaccine dose to still get tested for the virus, as studies did not show if people who have been vaccinated still got sick.

“The reason for that is we know that studies that were done looking at the vaccine efficacy, look for people who had a clinical illness that they went to their doctors and wound up getting diagnosed with COVID-19 because they were symptomatic and ill,” Persse said. “The studies did not look to see if people who have been vaccinated still got the virus, and were, therefore, able to spread it but had no symptoms. So we don’t know yet. Those studies are ongoing as we speak. You should go ahead and continue to get tested periodically, even if you don’t have symptoms.”

The latest mask mandate, in which the CDC stated travelers must wear masks on all forms of public transportation, was also addressed during Monday’s conference. According to Turner, violators could face civil penalties if they refuse to follow the mandate.

SEE ALSO: CDC says travelers must wear masks on all forms of public transportation to slow spread of COVID-19

“The mandate is being enforced by the Houston Airport System. All people at our airports over two years of age must wear a face covering that goes over your nose and mouth,” Turner said. “The federal mandate is necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19. Anyone who refuses to comply with this federal mandate may face civil penalties, including being immediately escorted out of the airport.”

Copyright © 2021 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.



Read original article here

Sports

MLBPA rejects proposal for delayed 154-game 2021 season, expanded playoffs; MLB says season to start on time

Leave a comment

The Major League Baseball Players Association has rejected a proposal from MLB to shorten the 2021 season to 154 games. MLB recently proposed the changes and offered to pay the players for the usual 162 games in exchange for an expanded 2021 postseason. In response to the union’s rejection, MLB now says the 2021 season will start on time and as planned. 

The union released the following statement on Monday night: 

“Late last week, the MLBPA for the first time this offseason received a proposal from MLB to delay Spring Training and Opening Day by approximately one month.

Under the proposal, the end of the season would be delayed one week, the regular season would be shortened to 154 games and all thirty teams would be required to play several doubleheaders. Players would also be required to accept previously rejected proposals that link expanded playoffs with expansion of the designated hitter.

Although Player salaries would not be initially prorated to a 154-game regular season, MLB’s proposal offers no salary or service time protections in the event of further delays, interruptions, or cancellation of the season.

The MLBPA Executive Board and Player leadership reviewed and discussed the owners’ proposal throughout the weekend and today. The clear-cut result of these deliberations is that Players will not accept MLB’s proposal, will instead continue preparations for an on-time start to the 2021 season, and will accept MLB’s commitment to again direct its Clubs to prepare for an on-time start. 

We do not make this decision lightly. Players know first-hand the efforts that were required to complete the abbreviated 2020 season, and we appreciate that significant challenges lie ahead. We look forward to promptly finalizing enhanced health and safety protocols that will help Players and Clubs meet these challenges.”

MLB subsequently responded with its own statement: 

“On the advice of medical experts, we proposed a one-month delay to the start of Spring Training and the regular season to better protect the health and safety of players and support staff.  A delay of the season would allow for the level of COVID-19 infection rates to decrease and additional time for the distribution of vaccinations, as well as minimizing potential disruptions to the 2021 season that currently face all sports. 

“The offer included starting the regular season on April 29th and playing a 154-game schedule that would pay players in full as if playing 162 games.  We also proposed two changes from the 2020 season that were overwhelmingly popular with our fans – for this season only, featuring a modified expanded Postseason (seven teams per League) and the universal designated hitter rule. 

“This was a good deal that reflected the best interests of everyone involved in the sport by merely moving the calendar of the season back one month for health and safety reasons without impacting any rights either the players or the Clubs currently have under the Basic Agreement or Uniform Player’s Contract for pay and service time.  

“In light of the MLBPA’s rejection of our proposal, and their refusal to counter our revised offer this afternoon, we are moving forward and instructing our Clubs to report for an on-time start to Spring Training and the Championship Season, subject to reaching an agreement on health and safety protocols. Our 2020 season taught us that when the nation faces crisis, the national game is as important as ever, and there is nothing better than playing ball.  We were able to complete a 2020 season through Herculean efforts and sacrifices made by our players, Club staff and MLB staff to protect one another.  We will do so again, together, as we work towards playing another safe and entertaining season in 2021.”

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, a number of players believe it is too late in the offseason to revise the schedule, which explains in part the reasoning behind the union’s rejection. The two sides could revisit the idea of expanded playoffs and the universal DH, but the union remains opposed to the idea of expanded playoffs, according to Rosenthal.

David Samson broke down the latest MLB/MLBPA negotiations on the latest episode of Nothing Personal with David Samson. Listen below:

It should be noted the MLBPA recently rejected an offer that would have given them the universal DH in exchange for an expanded postseason. The new 154-game season proposal is essentially the same offer, only with eight fewer games and a delayed start. 

Under the league’s plan, spring training would’ve begun March 22, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney, and Opening Day would have been moved back to April 28. The Wall Street Journal‘s Jared Diamond adds the expanded postseason would have included 14 teams, not 16 like the 2020 season.

MLB’s proposal seems reasonable enough on the surface, though the MLBPA would not be getting anything nearly as valuable as the expanded postseason is to the owners. An expanded postseason equals tens of millions in additional revenue to MLB. The union is already entitled to full pay for 2021, which means they wouldn’t have been getting much out of the rejected proposal.

As much as delaying the season would make sense for health and safety reasons, it comes down to money. MLB wants to play as many games as possible with fans in the stands, and delaying the season would help it do that now that vaccination distribution has begun. The MLBPA wants full pay regardless of season length.

Spring training camps are scheduled to open in mid-February and Cactus League and Grapefruit League play will begin Feb. 27. The regular-season opener is scheduled for April 1. To hear both sides now tell it, that’s the schedule they’ll stick to.

require.config({"baseUrl":"https://sportsfly.cbsistatic.com/fly-135/bundles/sportsmediajs/js-build","config":{"version":{"fly/components/accordion":"1.0","fly/components/alert":"1.0","fly/components/base":"1.0","fly/components/carousel":"1.0","fly/components/dropdown":"1.0","fly/components/fixate":"1.0","fly/components/form-validate":"1.0","fly/components/image-gallery":"1.0","fly/components/iframe-messenger":"1.0","fly/components/load-more":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-article":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-scroll":"1.0","fly/components/loading":"1.0","fly/components/modal":"1.0","fly/components/modal-iframe":"1.0","fly/components/network-bar":"1.0","fly/components/poll":"1.0","fly/components/search-player":"1.0","fly/components/social-button":"1.0","fly/components/social-counts":"1.0","fly/components/social-links":"1.0","fly/components/tabs":"1.0","fly/components/video":"1.0","fly/libs/easy-xdm":"2.4.17.1","fly/libs/jquery.cookie":"1.2","fly/libs/jquery.throttle-debounce":"1.1","fly/libs/jquery.widget":"1.9.2","fly/libs/omniture.s-code":"1.0","fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init":"1.0","fly/libs/jquery.mobile":"1.3.2","fly/libs/backbone":"1.0.0","fly/libs/underscore":"1.5.1","fly/libs/jquery.easing":"1.3","fly/managers/ad":"2.0","fly/managers/components":"1.0","fly/managers/cookie":"1.0","fly/managers/debug":"1.0","fly/managers/geo":"1.0","fly/managers/gpt":"4.3","fly/managers/history":"2.0","fly/managers/madison":"1.0","fly/managers/social-authentication":"1.0","fly/utils/data-prefix":"1.0","fly/utils/data-selector":"1.0","fly/utils/function-natives":"1.0","fly/utils/guid":"1.0","fly/utils/log":"1.0","fly/utils/object-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-vars":"1.0","fly/utils/url-helper":"1.0","libs/jshashtable":"2.1","libs/select2":"3.5.1","libs/jsonp":"2.4.0","libs/jquery/mobile":"1.4.5","libs/modernizr.custom":"2.6.2","libs/velocity":"1.2.2","libs/dataTables":"1.10.6","libs/dataTables.fixedColumns":"3.0.4","libs/dataTables.fixedHeader":"2.1.2","libs/dateformat":"1.0.3","libs/waypoints/infinite":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/inview":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/jquery.waypoints":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/sticky":"3.1.1","libs/jquery/dotdotdot":"1.6.1","libs/jquery/flexslider":"2.1","libs/jquery/lazyload":"1.9.3","libs/jquery/maskedinput":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/marquee":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/numberformatter":"1.2.3","libs/jquery/placeholder":"0.2.4","libs/jquery/scrollbar":"0.1.6","libs/jquery/tablesorter":"2.0.5","libs/jquery/touchswipe":"1.6.18","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.draggable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.mouse":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.position":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.slider":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.sortable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.touch-punch":"0.2.3","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.autocomplete":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.accordion":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.menu":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.dialog":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.resizable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.button":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tooltip":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.effects":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.datepicker":"1.11.4"}},"shim":{"liveconnection/managers/connection":{"deps":["liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4"]},"liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4":{"exports":"SockJS"},"libs/setValueFromArray":{"exports":"set"},"libs/getValueFromArray":{"exports":"get"},"fly/libs/jquery.mobile-1.3.2":["version!fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init"],"libs/backbone.marionette":{"deps":["jquery","version!fly/libs/underscore","version!fly/libs/backbone"],"exports":"Marionette"},"fly/libs/underscore-1.5.1":{"exports":"_"},"fly/libs/backbone-1.0.0":{"deps":["version!fly/libs/underscore","jquery"],"exports":"Backbone"},"libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs-1.11.4":["jquery","version!libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core","version!fly/libs/jquery.widget"],"libs/jquery/flexslider-2.1":["jquery"],"libs/dataTables.fixedColumns-3.0.4":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"libs/dataTables.fixedHeader-2.1.2":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js":["https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js"]},"map":{"*":{"adobe-pass":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js","facebook":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js","facebook-debug":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all/debug.js","google":"https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js","google-platform":"https://apis.google.com/js/client:platform.js","google-csa":"https://www.google.com/adsense/search/async-ads.js","google-javascript-api":"https://www.google.com/jsapi","google-client-api":"https://apis.google.com/js/api:client.js","gpt":"https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js","newsroom":"https://c2.taboola.com/nr/cbsinteractive-cbssports/newsroom.js","recaptcha":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js?onload=loadRecaptcha&render=explicit","recaptcha_ajax":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/js/recaptcha_ajax.js","supreme-golf":"https://sgapps-staging.supremegolf.com/search/assets/js/bundle.js","taboola":"https://cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/cbsinteractive-cbssports/loader.js","twitter":"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js","video-utils":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js"}},"waitSeconds":300});



Read original article here

Entertainment

2021 WWE Royal Rumble predictions, matches, card, start time, date, PPV preview, location

Leave a comment

The annual Royal Rumble event, one of the most anticipated annual events on the WWE calendar and a company staple in the month of January, takes center stage on Sunday as the road to WrestleMania 37 opens up. The victors of the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches will, as usual, earn world championship opportunities at WrestleMania 37 in April.

In addition to the two Royal Rumble matches, there are two world title matches currently confirmed for the event. Roman Reigns will defend the universal championship against Kevin Owens in a Last Man Standing match, and the legendary Goldberg will return to the ring for the first time since WrestleMania 36 to challenge WWE champion Drew McIntyre.

The Royal Rumble will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 31, with the show expected to last anywhere from 3-4 hours, not counting the kickoff show, which starts one hour prior to the main card at 6 p.m. CBS Sports will be with you the entire way on Sunday with live results, highlights and analysis.

For now, let’s take a look at how our experts believe the Royal Rumble will play out this Sunday. 

2021 WWE Royal Rumble predictions

Women’s Tag Team Championship: Asuka & Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax

It was ridiculous to put the titles on Asuka & Flair in the first place, and given that each are embroiled in separate singles storylines, it makes even less sense to keep the straps on them. Baszler & Jax were operating perfectly fine as champions and had a nice storyline setup with Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke. With the muscle friends now healthy and back in action, it would be hysterical — albeit depressing — for WWE to flip the titles back to the heels, but I think that’s exactly what they are going to wind up doing, completely eliminating any value from the champions’ current title run. Pick: Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler win the titles — Adam Silverstein (also Brent Brookhouse)

SmackDown Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks (c) vs. Carmella

Carmella has done a good job in her current heel run, and there’s no denying that she has improved as a performer. All that said, Banks is finally enjoying a title reign where she has managed to actually defend the title. It’s hard to see her run coming to an end against Carmella in what has been her first real storyline after winning the belt from Bayley. Banks is an appealing champion heading into WrestleMania, and a match featuring her in the champion role feels like a bigger deal than one with Carmella. It doesn’t feel like there’s much mystery to this one. Pick: Sasha Banks retains the title — Brookhouse (also Silverstein)

Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens (Last Man Standing match)

As fun as a swerve Owens win would be, it just feels entirely unrealistic to expect WWE to cut off Reings’ run ahead of WrestleMania. Reigns has been the best attraction in the company since returning at SummerSlam and Owens has provided a good foil in recent months, but he’s never really seemed a threat to beat Reigns for the title. A Last Man Standing match does provide some outs to keep Owens strong (interference from Jey Uso), but he’s not leaving as universal champion. Pick: Roman Reigns retains the title — Brookhouse (also Silverstein)

WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Goldberg

Fans were rightly enraged when Goldberg emerged on Legends Night to challenge McIntyre, particularly given the fact that the storyline to create the match did not make a shred of sense. With McIntyre out two weeks due to COVID-19, the temperature of fan resentment cooled down but so did any actual interest in this match. Though Goldberg has defeated heel Kevin Owens and “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt for the universal title twice — and WWE is building this championship as the lone world title Goldberg has never conquered — it would make absolutely zero sense to put him over the company’s top male babyface that it has spent the last year building. This should be a short match with McIntyre overcoming an early barrage of offense from Goldberg to retain the title and keep it at least until WrestleMania. Pick: Drew McIntyre retains the title — Silverstein (also Brookhouse)

Women’s Royal Rumble match

There are plenty of viable options to win the match, but none that accomplish what a Belair win would. She’s a big time talent who just needs the right storyline to fully break through to being a main event player. Belair showing off her strength and athleticism again in the Rumble while outlasting every other woman immediately establishes her in the title picture far better than her current awkward rivalry with Bayley. Pick: Bianca Belair wins — Brookhouse (also Silverstein)

Men’s Royal Rumble match

If there’s one thing WWE loves to do, it’s give legends main spots at the biggest PPV events of the year. That’s why Goldberg is facing McIntyre, that’s why Goldberg held a world title ahead of last year’s WrestleMania, that’s why The Rock’s name was tied to Reigns for WrestleMania before the lack of a sellout live crowd seemed to tank that. Edge wasn’t returning to be a full-time talent, but it seemed he was ready to be in big spots throughout the year. If WWE wants to take a big swing on an underdog to face Reigns at WrestleMania, Edge would tick a lot of the boxes they’re looking for. Daniel Bryan would also nicely fit the bill, but there’s an itch in the back of my mind saying Edge gets the feel-good moment and the Mania slot. Pick: Edge wins — Brookhouse

Edge announcing his return to WWE and entry into the Royal Rumble on Raw felt like a wasted surprise moment even if that’s what we got last year at this very event, but it did add a level of intrigue to the match because Edge (as predicted above) would make a ton of sense as a Royal Rumble winner and future McIntyre challenger. However, prior to Edge’s announcement, I believed that WWE would move in its best possible booking direction, which is putting Bryan over in the match as the WrestleMania challenger of Roman Reigns. There is a ready-made storyline between Bryan and Reigns dating back to 2014 when Bryan made his long-awaited return at the Royal Rumble only to unceremoniously be eliminated as Reigns went on to win the whole thing. Fans revolted, and that moment was the catalyst to continued dissatisfaction with Reigns as a face.

Seven years later, with Reigns now a heel, WWE can easily reach back and play off that storyline. We saw interactions between Bryan, Reigns and Jey Uso a couple of months ago, and I believe those were planting the seeds for the Road to WrestleMania. There are other legitimate possibilities to win this match, but Bryan makes the most sense by far. He could still earn a shot at Reigns through the Elimination Chamber, but why waste the perfect storyline? Pick: Daniel Bryan wins — Silverstein

require.config({"baseUrl":"https://sportsfly.cbsistatic.com/fly-133/bundles/sportsmediajs/js-build","config":{"version":{"fly/components/accordion":"1.0","fly/components/alert":"1.0","fly/components/base":"1.0","fly/components/carousel":"1.0","fly/components/dropdown":"1.0","fly/components/fixate":"1.0","fly/components/form-validate":"1.0","fly/components/image-gallery":"1.0","fly/components/iframe-messenger":"1.0","fly/components/load-more":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-article":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-scroll":"1.0","fly/components/loading":"1.0","fly/components/modal":"1.0","fly/components/modal-iframe":"1.0","fly/components/network-bar":"1.0","fly/components/poll":"1.0","fly/components/search-player":"1.0","fly/components/social-button":"1.0","fly/components/social-counts":"1.0","fly/components/social-links":"1.0","fly/components/tabs":"1.0","fly/components/video":"1.0","fly/libs/easy-xdm":"2.4.17.1","fly/libs/jquery.cookie":"1.2","fly/libs/jquery.throttle-debounce":"1.1","fly/libs/jquery.widget":"1.9.2","fly/libs/omniture.s-code":"1.0","fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init":"1.0","fly/libs/jquery.mobile":"1.3.2","fly/libs/backbone":"1.0.0","fly/libs/underscore":"1.5.1","fly/libs/jquery.easing":"1.3","fly/managers/ad":"2.0","fly/managers/components":"1.0","fly/managers/cookie":"1.0","fly/managers/debug":"1.0","fly/managers/geo":"1.0","fly/managers/gpt":"4.3","fly/managers/history":"2.0","fly/managers/madison":"1.0","fly/managers/social-authentication":"1.0","fly/utils/data-prefix":"1.0","fly/utils/data-selector":"1.0","fly/utils/function-natives":"1.0","fly/utils/guid":"1.0","fly/utils/log":"1.0","fly/utils/object-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-vars":"1.0","fly/utils/url-helper":"1.0","libs/jshashtable":"2.1","libs/select2":"3.5.1","libs/jsonp":"2.4.0","libs/jquery/mobile":"1.4.5","libs/modernizr.custom":"2.6.2","libs/velocity":"1.2.2","libs/dataTables":"1.10.6","libs/dataTables.fixedColumns":"3.0.4","libs/dataTables.fixedHeader":"2.1.2","libs/dateformat":"1.0.3","libs/waypoints/infinite":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/inview":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/jquery.waypoints":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/sticky":"3.1.1","libs/jquery/dotdotdot":"1.6.1","libs/jquery/flexslider":"2.1","libs/jquery/lazyload":"1.9.3","libs/jquery/maskedinput":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/marquee":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/numberformatter":"1.2.3","libs/jquery/placeholder":"0.2.4","libs/jquery/scrollbar":"0.1.6","libs/jquery/tablesorter":"2.0.5","libs/jquery/touchswipe":"1.6.18","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.draggable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.mouse":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.position":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.slider":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.sortable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.touch-punch":"0.2.3","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.autocomplete":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.accordion":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.menu":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.dialog":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.resizable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.button":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tooltip":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.effects":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.datepicker":"1.11.4"}},"shim":{"liveconnection/managers/connection":{"deps":["liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4"]},"liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4":{"exports":"SockJS"},"libs/setValueFromArray":{"exports":"set"},"libs/getValueFromArray":{"exports":"get"},"fly/libs/jquery.mobile-1.3.2":["version!fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init"],"libs/backbone.marionette":{"deps":["jquery","version!fly/libs/underscore","version!fly/libs/backbone"],"exports":"Marionette"},"fly/libs/underscore-1.5.1":{"exports":"_"},"fly/libs/backbone-1.0.0":{"deps":["version!fly/libs/underscore","jquery"],"exports":"Backbone"},"libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs-1.11.4":["jquery","version!libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core","version!fly/libs/jquery.widget"],"libs/jquery/flexslider-2.1":["jquery"],"libs/dataTables.fixedColumns-3.0.4":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"libs/dataTables.fixedHeader-2.1.2":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js":["https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js"]},"map":{"*":{"adobe-pass":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js","facebook":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js","facebook-debug":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all/debug.js","google":"https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js","google-platform":"https://apis.google.com/js/client:platform.js","google-csa":"https://www.google.com/adsense/search/async-ads.js","google-javascript-api":"https://www.google.com/jsapi","google-client-api":"https://apis.google.com/js/api:client.js","gpt":"https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js","newsroom":"https://c2.taboola.com/nr/cbsinteractive-cbssports/newsroom.js","recaptcha":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js?onload=loadRecaptcha&render=explicit","recaptcha_ajax":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/js/recaptcha_ajax.js","supreme-golf":"https://sgapps-staging.supremegolf.com/search/assets/js/bundle.js","taboola":"https://cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/cbsinteractive-cbssports/loader.js","twitter":"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js","video-utils":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js"}},"waitSeconds":300});



Read original article here

Technology

GeForce laptop makers who don’t explicitly state their target TGP levels would be withholding vital performance information from potential customers and we’re going to start calling them out for it

Leave a comment

, , , , , ,

search relation.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

Read original article here

Sports

3 observations after Joel Embiid shakes off slow start, produces another huge game in Sixers’ win over Timberwolves

Leave a comment

As he so often has this season, Joel Embiid led the way for the Sixers on Friday night in Minnesota. By late in the third quarter, the team didn’t need him to do any more work.

Embiid was able to watch comfortably from the bench for the final 14:04 after recording 37 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in the Sixers’ 118-94 win over the Timberwolves at Target Center. 

The 14-6 Sixers will next play Sunday night against the Pacers.

Sixers head coach Doc Rivers began his pregame media availability by sharing his admiration for Hall of Fame coach and Philadelphia basketball icon John Chaney, who died Friday at 89 years old. 

“I just loved him as a man,” Rivers said. “I loved how he carried himself, I loved how he fought for his team, his players but also just the institution in a lot of ways. He was so much more than a basketball coach. He really was a teacher, and a teacher of life. We don’t have a lot like that anymore. He’ll be missed.”

Here are observations on the Sixers’ win Friday:

Weathering early shooting struggles  

Embiid’s status was in question throughout the day because of back tightness, but he was in the Sixers’ starting lineup. It was an appealing matchup for him on paper against veteran Ed Davis as Minnesota was without big men Karl-Anthony Towns (health and safety protocols) and Naz Reid (right wrist sprain).

However, Embiid misfired early on the mid-range jumpers he’s been sinking so frequently this season. He missed his first five shots and the Sixers were 2 for 14 as a team on mid-range attempts in the first period, according to Cleaning the Glass. Ben Simmons started 0 for 5, too. 

 

The Sixers managed to score at something resembling a normal rate by drawing plenty of free throws, though, and Embiid was the standout as usual in that category. With his 16-for-18 night at the foul line, Embiid has now made 152 free throws. 

That’s second in the league behind Trae Young despite Embiid having sat out four games, and one factor that bolsters the notion of the Sixers being capable of beating the Eastern Conference’s elite in the postseason. He’s seemingly a lock for double-digit free throw attempts every game at this point.

While it’s likely necessary for players like Seth Curry, Danny Green and Shake Milton to make open jumpers for the Sixers to excel in the postseason, Embiid’s foul drawing and general 1-on-1 brilliance mitigates the harm of any shooting problems, as we saw Friday. His sharp early-season work against double teams is also a positive sign when considering the big picture for the Sixers. 

“It’s just dominance on his part,” Tobias Harris said. “I think he’s figured it out, and he’s done such a great job of creating plays for other guys out of the post. Tonight they had to guard him straight up. He’s continuing to figure that out, continuing to be dominant out there and it’s a pleasure to be able to be on the floor with him when he has that demeanor and he’s going like that. It makes us a really great team.”

Tyrese Maxey chipped in six key second-quarter points at a stage when the team’s second unit also wasn’t experiencing much offensive success or rhythm. 

Avoiding a bad pattern from last season 

A troubling trend for the 2019-20 Sixers on the road was the team’s frustration with its offensive woes leaking into shoddy defense.

“You just can’t live on your offense,” Rivers said during training camp. “And that’s not just our team, but teams that don’t do well. Your offense will let you down. … That’s being human; that happens. But you can still win the game. If we can get that type of confidence that we’re going to win whether we make shots or not, it would make us a heck of a force.” 

Friday night’s game was an excellent example of Rivers’ point. It would’ve been easy (and understandable) for the Sixers to lose focus and intensity defensively. Logic suggested their superior talent would win out at some point, but no team is good enough to survive a ghastly shooting stretch simply by hoping it’ll start hitting jumpers eventually. The Sixers needed to compete on defense, and they deserve credit for doing so. 

 

Matisse Thybulle had an especially strong defensive evening, picking up three of the Sixers’ 11 steals. Rivers said the Sixers have been asking Thybulle to focus on being “solid” defensively, since he doesn’t need to gamble much in order to get deflections and steals. 

“He had 12 deflections by himself in the one quarter,” Rivers said. “And Joel was amazing, but if I was giving a game ball out it would probably be Matisse, or we would split it with those two, because I thought he was a difference-maker.

“I thought he frustrated (Ricky) Rubio, and then I thought he was phenomenal on (D’Angelo) Russell. He’s just a hell of a defender. He’s got his legs under him now, he knows what we expect of him and he’s been terrific.”

With this win, the Sixers are 4-5 on the road, meaning they need eight more victories to match last season’s total. 

Waiting on Scott’s return 

Mike Scott missed his seventh consecutive game with right knee swelling. Though that might not appear very significant in isolation, Rivers has mentioned several times that Scott’s absence narrows the Sixers’ options and increases the importance of Simmons and Harris staying out of foul trouble. 

When Scott is available, how might Rivers’ rotation change? Perhaps Furkan Korkmaz’s minutes will be trimmed, although the Sixers seem determined to help him find a rhythm. 

There should be a little less of a burden on players like Harris, who played a team-high 34 minutes Friday.

“I like one of the three — Joel, Tobias or Ben — on the floor at all times,” Rivers said. “I don’t like how we’re doing it right now, because we’re extending one of their minutes every night. I don’t like that. Without a four, we literally don’t have a choice in doing it.

“We played Furk — or whoever wants to claim the four … I think Matisse called himself the four tonight at one stretch. You play the right team, a bigger team, that’s really difficult. So I do like one of those three on the floor at all times. I think it’s good for us. We’re deep enough not to, but most games I’ll have one on the floor.” 

One also wonders how Dwight Howard will be impacted. Rivers used Simmons as a small-ball center in the first half of Wednesday’s win over the Lakers and acknowledged before Friday’s game that Howard has had a subpar run recently. The veteran had three points, 10 rebounds and four fouls in 17 minutes against Minnesota. 

“I’m not that concerned by it,” Rivers said. “He hasn’t played great. That happens in life, it just does, and he’ll get through it. He’s been around long enough. I thought the Lakers adjusted and went small for a second on him, which affects him. Detroit did the same thing. You can either stay big, which I do often, or sometimes you can have an adjustment. Our problem, obviously, is with Mike Scott out, we don’t have a lot of adjustments we can go to right now and that has absolutely limited us, for sure.”

 

Simmons at center surely won’t become the norm, although Rivers said, “it’s a look that I like.” He’s looking forward to working on it, noting the Sixers should have a rare opportunity to practice early next week. 

Read original article here

Health

COVID-19 vaccinations for K-12 teachers to start next week in Johnson County, Kansas

Leave a comment

COVID-19 vaccinations for K-12 teachers to start next week in Johnson County, Kansas

Health officials say school districts will identify staff members to be immunized



THAT’S RIGHT HERE ON KMBC 9 NEWS AT NINE. TONIGHT 168 NEW CASES COVID-19 AND 7 DEATHS REPORTED IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI. THAT IS OUT OF MORE THAN 400 CASES ACROSS OUR NINE COUNTY AREA. THE AVERAGE OF NEW HOSPITALIZATIONS CONTINUES TO DECLINE, FEWER CASES, DEATHS, AND HOSPITALIZATIONS AS RYAN JOHNSON LOOKS AT WHAT LABS ON THE FRONT LINES ARE NOW SEEING AND WHAT IS DIVING THE TREND. — >> VERY FEW PEOPLE IN OUR METRO HAVE RECEIVED THE SECOND COVID-19 VACCINE STILL, DAILY NEW COVID-19 CASES ARE DOWN 27% FROM ONE WEEK AGO, ACCORDING TO THE MID-AMERICA REGIONAL COUNCIL. >> MORE PEOPLE ARE GETTING TESTED, MORE PEOPLE KNOW THEIR STATUS, AND THEY’RE DOING THE RIGHT THING ONCE THEY FIGURE OUT WHAT THEIR STATUS IS. >> ROBERT THOMPSON IS THE CEO OF CLINICAL REFERENCE LABORATORY IN LENEXA. HE SAYS WITH VACCINES COMING, MORE PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO FOLLOW SAFETY RULES. >> PEOPLE ARE BEING, LIKE, ‘ ’WELL, ALL I GOTTA DO IS BE WELL BEHAVED FOR A COUPLE MORE MONTHS’. >> IT’S POSSIBLE LOCAL SUPER BOWL PARTIES COULD SLOW OR REVERSE THAT TREND. >> ANYTHING THAT ENCOURAGES LARGE GROUP GATHERINGS, WE USUALLY SEE A LITTLE BUMP UP. HIS LAB DOESN’T SEQUENCE FOR VARIANTS OF COVID-19. THE CDC DOES, BUT HE SAYS THEY DON’T SHARE THAT DATA. >> WHERE WE’RE HEADED IS THEY’LL PROBABLY, LIKE THE FLU SHOT, WE’LL GET A BOOSTER EVERY YEAR THAT COVERS THE THE VARIANTS THAT WE SEE. >> FOR NOW, HE’S HOPEFUL EVERYONE WHO WANTS THE VACCINE CAN GET IT BY MAY. >> IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, WE’VE DEFINITELY SEEN AN ACCELERATION. >> IN THE MEANTIME, HE ENCOURAGES SOCIAL DISTANCE, MASKS AND TESTING. >> SO IF THERE’S ANY QUESTION THAT YOU THINK MAYBE YOU WERE EXPOSED, GO GET A TEST. HALEY: THOMPSON SAYS MASK MANDATES WILL EVENTUALLY END, BUT IT’S POSSIBLE SOME PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE WEARING THEM TO PREVENT ILLNESS. SOMETHING THAT’S A COMMON PRACTICE IN ASIA. JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS WILL KEEP RESTRICTIONS ON BARS AND RESTAURANTS THROUGH THE END OF MARCH. THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS VOTED 5 TO 2 TODAY TO EXTEND ITS ORDER ON COVID RESTRICTIONS. IT WAS SET TO EXPIRE SUNDAY. IT LIMITS GATHERINGS TO 50 PEOPLE OR HALF A VENUE’S CAPACITY, AND REQUIRES BARS AND RESTAURANTS TO CLOSE AT MIDNIGHT. MASKS ARE STILL REQUIRED UNDER A SEPARATE ORDER. HEALTH LEADERS SAY THE RESTRICTIONS COULD BE STRONGER BUT THESE ORDERS WILL HELP CURB THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS ESPECIALLY AS FEARS GROW OVER NEW VARIANTS. SOME JOHNSON COUNTY TEACHERS WILL START GETTING VACCINATED NEXT WEEK. THE CLINICS WILL BE RUN BY CHILDREN’S MERCY HOSPITAL. THE FIRST VACCINATION CLINIC WILL BE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS. THE NEXT CLINIC WILL BE FOR SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WHO ARE 65 AND OLDER AND THOSE WHO HAVE AN ADA ACCOMMODATION. THE PLAN IS TO HOLD THESE CLINICS UNTIL EVERY SCHOOL EMPLOYEE WHO WANTS A VACCINE CAN GET ONE. DISTRICTS WILL REACH OUT TO EMPLOYEES DIRECTLY TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. MISSOURI HAS ONE OF THE LOWEST COVID VACCINATION RATES IN THE COUNTRY BUT GOVERNOR PARSON SAYS THERE’S MORE TO THE STORY. THERE HAVE BEEN 26 MILLION VACCINES ADMINISTERED NATIONWIDE. THAT’S NEARLY EIGHT PEOPLE VACCINATED OUT OF EVERY 100. BUT IN THE STATE OF MISSOURI IT’S ONLY SIX OUT OF EVERY 100 PEOPLE. MISSOURI RANKS 52ND AMONG ALL STATES AND TERRITORIES. GOVERNOR PARSON SAYS THIS IS A REPORTING ERROR. >> THEY ARE REPORTING THREE DAYS BEHIND ACTUAL TIME. WE WERE ACTUALLY COMPETING WITH STATES THAT WERE UP-TO-DATE BUT OURS WAS THREE-DAY BEHIND — DAYS BEHIND, AGAIN I QUESTION EVERYBODY WHEN THEY LOOK AT THAT — IF YOU USE ONE METRIC, YOU CAN USE ONE STORY YOU WANT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT ALL THE DATA TO DO THAT. HALEY: THE GOVERNOR SAYS THE STATE HAS TALKED WITH THE WHITE HOUSE ABOUT THAT DISCREPANCY. CVS IS RESPONDING TONIGHT AFTER GOVERNOR PARSON ANNOUNCED THE STATE WILL TAKE UNUSED VACCINES FROM PHARMACIES AND DISTRIBUTE THEM TO OTHER SITES. CVS SAYS THE GOVERNOR’S DECISION HELP ENSURE DOSES ARE PUT TO THE BEST USE AND THE COMPANY LOOKS FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO PARTNER WITH THE STATE TO VACCINATE MORE THAN 600 — 600 LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. NEW DETAILS TONIGHT ON HOW KANSAS WILL SPEND ITS FEDERAL COVID-19 RELIEF MONEY. THE SUNFLOWER STATE EXPECTS TO GET $1.1 BILLION FROM THE LATEST RELIEF PACKAGE ABOUT HALF-FULL GO TO K-12 SCHOOLS, HIGHER EDUCATION, AND CHILD CARE GRANTS. AROUND 168 MILLION WILL GO TOWARD COVID TESTING, TRACING AND MITIGATION. ANOTHER 26 MILLION FOR VACCINE DISTRIBUTION.PTHIS IS ALL ACCOR

COVID-19 vaccinations for K-12 teachers to start next week in Johnson County, Kansas

Health officials say school districts will identify staff members to be immunized

The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment said Thursday it will begin the process of vaccinating K-12 teachers starting next week.The health department is working with Children’s Mercy to start vaccinating school employees. The school districts are in charge of identifying staff members to be immunized in waves.JCDHE said it has about 1,900 doses to vaccinate K-12 staff. Among the first to get the vaccine will be special education teachers and the staff at the School of the Deaf, health officials said.Educators are encouraged to reach out to their school’s administration for more information.Teachers are in the same Phase 2, Tier 1 with people over age 65, child care workers and first responders.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment said Thursday it will begin the process of vaccinating K-12 teachers starting next week.

The health department is working with Children’s Mercy to start vaccinating school employees. The school districts are in charge of identifying staff members to be immunized in waves.

JCDHE said it has about 1,900 doses to vaccinate K-12 staff. Among the first to get the vaccine will be special education teachers and the staff at the School of the Deaf, health officials said.

Educators are encouraged to reach out to their school’s administration for more information.

Teachers are in the same Phase 2, Tier 1 with people over age 65, child care workers and first responders.

Read original article here

Sports

Cactus League Informs MLB Of Desire To Delay Start Of Spring Training

Leave a comment

Less than a month before players are set to report to Spring Training, Arizona’s Cactus League has submitted a formal request to commissioner Rob Manfred asking that the start of Spring Training be delayed due to the Covid-19 infection rate in Maricopa County (Twitter link via Brahm Resnick of 12 News in Arizona). The Cactus League itself does not have the authority to delay the start of Spring Training, but its formal request figures to elicit a response from the commissioner’s office.

“Amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the Cactus League has formed a task force to ensure that our 10 spring training facilities are prepared to host the 2021 spring training season in a manner that is safe for all involved,” executive director Bridget Binsbacher wrote in a letter co-signed by nine other key members of the Cactus League. “We stand ready to work with you on the final preparation and outcome to begin the season. … But in the view of the current state of the pandemic in Maricopa County — with one of the nation’s highest infection rates — we believe it wise to delay the start of spring training to allow for the Covid-19 situation to improve here.”

The county’s appeal, however, doesn’t figure to have an effect on policy unless the players change their position – and on this issue they have been clear. In response to the letter from the Cactus League, the MLBPA released its own statement, reiterating their desire (and insistence) to start on time. “Although we have not received any communication directly, the MLBPA is aware of a letter that has been distributed today by the Cactus League Association,” the letter begins. It goes on to say, “The letter correctly notes that MLB does not have the ability to unilaterally make this decision.”

In negotiating the rules and conditions for the 2021 season, the MLBPA has been staunch in their desire to play a full season, which logistically necessitates a regularly-scheduled spring session under most if not all scenarios under consideration. For there to be any movement on the players’ part, owners and the league would have to account for the money that players would lose by delaying and truncating the season. This may be the players’ greatest point of leverage, and it’s not one they appear willing to compromise without considerable concessions on the league’s part. For what it’s worth, the NHL is currently active in Glendale with fans in the stands, notes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Glendale was one of the cities to sign the letter sent to the league.

There are basically two scenarios that could result in a delayed Spring Training. The first would be the local health crisis growing dire enough such that health officials mandate restrictions that conflict with the league’s ability to open camps. Considering the already-dire nature of the crisis at present, this isn’t considered a particularly likely outcome. The other possibility is the MLB and the MLBPA deciding together that a delay of camp is the proper course of action.



Read original article here