NYC sucker punch suspect says he 'blacked out' during the attack and is not a 'violent person'

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

A convicted sex offender accused of putting a New York City man in a coma with a vicious sucker punch says he "blacked out" during the attack and claimed he is not a "violent person."

"That sh– don’t make no sense," 55-year-old Van Phu Bui told the New York Post in a jailhouse interview.  "He’s alive. He’s not dead. I thank God he survived. I didn’t want to hurt him that bad. I just hit him once." "I can’t really remember anything," Bui added. "I was so mad. I blacked out." New York Post reported that Bui expressed the sentiment in the interview that he didn’t belong in jail and said he would help pay for the victim’s medical bills. NYC SUCKER-PUNCH SUSPECT RE-ARRESTED AFTER DOWNGRADED ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE FACES PAROLE VIOLATION HEARING

Bui Van Phu seen on the left in his New York State Sex Offender Registry photo, and on the right, in surveillance video of a sucker-punch knock out attack.  (New York State Sex Offender Registry/NYPD)

"The judge told me don’t talk to him and stay away from him," Bui said. "But If I could see him, I’d apologize and tell him I’m sorry. If he wants me to pay the medical, I don’t mind paying his medical (bills)." Bui insisted that he has "never done anything like that before." NYC SUCKER-PUNCH SUSPECT BACK AT RIKERS ISLAND AFTER RELEASE ON NO BAIL FOR DOWNGRADED ATTEMPTED MURDER

Signage for the New York City Police Department. (New York Police Department)

"That was my first time (hitting someone)," Bui, a homeless Vietnamese refugee, claimed. "I’m not a violent person. I’m not like that. I wouldn’t do it again." Bui, who spent two decades in prison for sexually abusing a 17-year-old girl, was freed without bail immediately following the attack in the Bronx last month that left 52-year-old Jesus Cortes hospitalized with a fractured skill, broken cheekbone, and brain bleed. Bui was later rearrested for a parole violation following public outrage.

NYPD released video of an Aug. 12 unprovoked assault that unfolded at approximately 10:45 p.m. in front of 163 E 188 St in the Bronx. The allegedly attacker, Bui Van Phu, 55, was arrested Friday for a parole violation, authorities said.  (NYPD)

Bui allegedly approached Cortes just before 11 p.m. Aug. 12 and assaulted him as he was standing with a group after leaving a restaurant.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

From behind, he allegedly delivers a hard blow to Cortes’ head, lying him out on the concrete. Police said the two had no interaction beforehand and that there’s no indication the alleged attacker and victim knew each other.

Andrew Mark Miller is a writer at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.

#NYC #sucker #punch #suspect #blacked #attack #violent #person https://www.globalcourant.com/nyc-sucker-punch-suspect-says-he-blacked-out-during-the-attack-and-is-not-a-violent-person/?feed_id=19969&_unique_id=6313fa6992ca1

Man dies in shootout with Milwaukee police; bystander hurt

MILWAUKEE -- A man was killed by Milwaukee officers after he led them on a chase into a busy downtown bar district, then got out of his vehicle and opened fire on them, police said.

One bystander, a 22-year-old Hudson woman, was hit by gunfire in the Friday night shootout, police said. Authorities said they did not immediately know if she was shot by police or by the man; police said her injuries were not life-threatening and she was treated at a local hospital. No officers were hit by gunfire.

Police said the 47-year-old Milwaukee man was wanted in a homicide and police had spotted him in a vehicle and tried to stop him at about 11 p.m. Friday when he fled. When the chase ended downtown, police said, the man got out of his vehicle and “fired several shots at officers.” Several officers shot back, killing him, police said.

A video circulating on social media shows at least five police cars chasing a pickup truck before multiple shots are heard. In another video, multiple people can be seen standing on the sidewalk as police cars drive by with lights and sirens, then they scatter as gunshots ring out.

Police have not released the names of the man or the injured bystander, who they say was not involved. Police said the man’s firearm was recovered, but they did not release details about what kind of firearm it was.

The eight officers involved have been placed on administrative duty, as is routine in police shootings. The officers range in age from 22 to 47, and have from more than three years to more than 12 years of experience with the Milwaukee Police Department.

The Oak Creek Police Department is leading the investigation and said Saturday that they had no additional details to release, citing the ongoing investigation. A message left with the Milwaukee Police Department on Saturday was not immediately returned.

#Man #dies #shootout #Milwaukee #police #bystander #hurt https://www.globalcourant.com/man-dies-in-shootout-with-milwaukee-police-bystander-hurt/?feed_id=19857&_unique_id=6313b41f808f2

Trump FBI raid documents about Mar-a-Lago search unsealed

FBI agents found four dozen empty document folders marked "CLASSIFIED" during their raid last month of former President Donald Trump's residence at his Mar-a-Lago club, a newly unsealed court file revealed Friday. Agents found 43 of those empty folders marked classified in Trump's office, according to the Department of Justice's inventory of the seized items, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The remaining five empty folders with that marking were found in containers in a storage room. The FBI also found another 42 empty folders marked "Return to Staff Secretary/Miliary [sic] Aide," during the Aug. 8 raid, which was authorized to search for government documents removed from the White House when Trump left office in Jan. 2021, the filing said.

Documents seized by FBI from Mar-a-Lago Source: Department of Justice

Twenty-eight of those empty folders were found in Trump's office, while another 14 were in a storage room elsewhere, the document shows. And FBI agents found more than 10,000 government documents and photographs without classification markings, the filing shows. Among those were hundreds of photos and news articles, along with gifts, clothing, and books. The bombshell revelations raise the prospect that the DOJ has not yet recovered the documents that would have been in the empty folders. The DOJ is investigating possible crimes related to the removal of those and other government documents from the White House when Trump left office in Jan. 2021. By law, such records must be turned over to the National Archives and Records Administration.

CNBC Politics

Read more of CNBC's politics coverage:

It was signed by Miami U.S. Attorney Juan Gonzalez, and Jay Bratt, the chief of the counterintelligence and export control section of the national security division of the Justice Department. "The seized materials will continue to be used to further the government's investigation, and the investigative team will continue to use and evaluate the seized materials as it takes further investigative steps, such as through additional interviews and grand jury practice," that notice says. "It is important to note, 'review' of the seized materials is not a single investigative step but an ongoing process in this active criminal investigation," the document says. Trump's spokesman in a series of tweets about the inventory of the seized items again criticized the raid. "The new 'detailed' inventory list only further proves that this unprecedented and unnecessary raid of President Trump's home was not some surgical, confined search and retrieval that the Biden administration claims, it was a SMASH AND GRAB," wrote the spokesman, Taylor Budowich. "These document disputes should be resolved under the Presidential Records Act, which requires cooperation and negotiation by NARA [National Archives and Records Administration], not an armed FBI raid," Budowich added.

Trump in a lawsuit filed in late August asked Cannon to appoint an independent watchdog, known as a special master, to review the items seized in the search before the DOJ is allowed to continue using the documents in the investigation. Trump's lawyers have said a special master could check to see if some documents would be prohibited from being used in the probe because they are protected by either attorney-client privilege or executive privilege. The DOJ has opposed the appointment of a special master, saying that it would delay the investigation, and that Trump does not own the documents. Cannon, during a court hearing in Florida on that dispute Thursday, said she will issue a ruling on the special master request in "due course."

Cannon, a Trump appointee, previously shared her "preliminary intent" to grant Trump's request for a special master. The judge suggested in Thursday's hearing that she is still considering that appointment, news outlets reported.

#Trump #FBI #raid #documents #MaraLago #search #unsealed https://www.globalcourant.com/trump-fbi-raid-documents-about-mar-a-lago-search-unsealed/?feed_id=19577&_unique_id=6312e08c77a91

Brazil president Bolsonaro launches personal attack on female journalist during election debate with rival Lula

"I think you go to sleep thinking about me. You have a crush on me," Bolsonaro told Vera Magalhães after she asked him about Brazil's Covid-19 vaccination rate. "You are a disgrace to journalism in Brazil," he said. Magalhães later said Bolsonaro's attitude was "absolutely out of control, unnecessary, and... harmful to himself." She said she believed Bolsonaro "doesn't like to be questioned by women." Bolsonaro's insulting comments to Magalhães came after he faced criticism for his attitudes towards women. The far-right leader defended his government's support for laws in favor of women and claimed "a large part of women in Brazil love me" because he opposes legalizing drugs. Bolsonaro and former president Lula joined four other candidates in what was the first televised debate ahead of the October presidential election. The debate focused on a range of issues including the economy, climate change, and the government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, but was peppered with personal attacks.

Bolsonaro was forced onto the defensive over his handling of the economy, the climate crisis and the pandemic. The president claimed the Brazilian economy was "booming," despite record unemployment under his administration. Meanwhile, Lula, the most popular candidate according to recent opinion polls, denied accusations of corruption and defended his innocence. Lula was convicted of corruption in 2017 and surrendered to federal authorities in April 2018 to begin serving a 12-year prison sentence. However, in 2021, the Supreme Court annulled the conviction, allowing him to run for president again. "I was arrested so you could be elected president but then I was found not guilty. But I'm going to win now to see in one stroke what you want to hide so badly!" Lula said in reference to Bolsonaro's alleged efforts to conceal information and weaken transparency since he took office.

Senator Simone Tebet, of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party and a member of the country's Covid-19 parliamentary commission, accused Bolsonaro of delaying Covid-19 vaccines and spreading fake news about the virus, a claim which the president denied. The three other candidates who took part in the debate were Soraya Thronicke of the Brasil Union Party, former finance minister Ciro Gomes of the Democratic Labour Party and political scientist and writer Luis Felipe D'Avila from Novo party. This will be Lula's sixth run for the presidency with the Brazilian Workers' Party (PT). He served in the role from 2003 to 2011 and left office with an approval rating of 90% after millions of Brazilians were lifted out of poverty during his time in power. However, his good fortune did not last long. After surviving throat cancer in 2011, da Silva was convicted of corruption and money laundering six years later, charges stemming from a wide-ranging investigation into the state-run oil company Petrobras. The first round of Brazil's presidential vote is scheduled for October 2 and officials have warned the highly contested election could spark unrest.

The country's Superior Electoral Court Minister Edson Fachin said in June that there was a risk of unrest "more severe" than the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol.

Bolsonaro, who is behind Lula in opinion polls, has repeatedly cast doubt on the country's electoral process and criticized in particular the use of electronic ballots -- a system that has been in place in 2000. He has also called for the military to perform a parallel "public" count of the votes.

Fachin said that election authorities would not accept interference from the federal government or the Armed Forces, and added that the Organization of the American States (OAS) has agreed to be an observer in the Brazilian elections.

CNN's Camilo Rocha and Marcia Reverdosa reported from Sao Paulo and Ivana Kottasova wrote from London.
#Brazil #president #Bolsonaro #launches #personal #attack #female #journalist #election #debate #rival #Lula https://www.globalcourant.com/brazil-president-bolsonaro-launches-personal-attack-on-female-journalist-during-election-debate-with-rival-lula/?feed_id=19486&_unique_id=631299d4ac828

California state AG refuses to crack down on illegal fireworks causing wildfires, damage

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office has declined to take action in response to requests from several cities to enforce the state's fireworks possession laws.

In June, three California municipalities — Sacramento, San Jose and Santa Clara — penned letters to the California Department of Justice, urging the agency to crack down on illegal fireworks trafficking coming from out of the state, namely Nevada, and potentially out of the country.  Bonta's office, though, hasn't taken the requested actions, instead responding only to confirm it had received the cities' requests. "We certainly have seen an increase in the use of illegal fireworks," Don Nottoli, chairman of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, told Fox News Digital in an interview. "That's backed up by the calls for service. The fire departments have tracked some of this." CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL 'FAILED' CITIZENS WITH SOFT-ON-CRIME STANCE, PRIMARY CHALLENGER SAYS "The potential for fire — I think the heightened awareness about that, obviously — the drought, also massive fires in forest areas of our wildland areas of our state. The parkway certainly is not immune to fire, either," he continued, adding that traffickers have shipped large quantities of fireworks into the state using large moving trucks.

A burned structure is seen during a wildfire in Yucaipa, California. The fire was sparked by fireworks at a gender reveal ceremony in 2020. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File)

Nottoli wrote to Bonta on behalf of the Sacramento Board of Supervisors on June 6, asking the attorney general to more aggressively prosecute the illegal fireworks trade. The letter asked Bonta to notify more than a dozen sellers in Nevada, where much of the fireworks have originated, that they may not unlawfully supply, import or facilitate unlawful fireworks trafficking into California. Officials in San Jose and Santa Clara made similar requests to the attorney general, according to letters shared with Fox News Digital. CRIME IN SPOTLIGHT AS CALIFORNIANS HEAD TO THE POLLS IN KEY RACES GRABBING NATIONAL ATTENTION "I urge you to exercise your authority to help protect all Californians against the importation of illegal fireworks from the State of Nevada," Cindy Chavez, a Santa Clara County supervisor, wrote to Bonta on June 22.  "I respectfully request your office immediately notify the following Nevada fireworks stores, and their principals and/or owners, that if these stores are found to be supplying or facilitating the importation of illegal fireworks … your office will prosecute those businesses to the fullest extent of the law," Chavez added.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks at a news conference in Sacramento. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Sarah Zarate, director of the San Jose Office of Administration, Policy and Intergovernmental Relations, told Bonta in a separate letter dated June 28 that the sale of illegal fireworks "has reached epidemic proportions." The California Department of Justice responded saying safety was important, but declined to take further action. CRIME ROCKS CALIFORNIA BUT LIBERAL POLITICIANS CAN'T ADMIT TRAGIC RESULTS OF PROGRESSIVE POLICIES Weeks after Nottoli's letter, Special Assistant Attorney General Michael Redding responded on behalf of Bonta, saying safety was the attorney general's "top priority," but that it wasn't the agency's policy "to send letters to anyone alerting them to the contents of the California Penal Code." In addition, a spokesperson for San Jose's city manager said Bonta's office responded only to confirm receipt of the original letter after the city sent a follow-up. "In July, the City of San Jose followed up with Attorney General Bonta’s office to see if they had a response to the initial letter," the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "They did not, aside from saying that they received and appreciated the letter."

Dozens of structures were threatened by fires in Contra Costa County, California, on July 4, 2020, as many launched fireworks to celebrate the holiday. (Contra Costa County Fire Protection District )

In response to a request for comment, Bonta's office declined, citing an ongoing investigation. Certain types of fireworks — including skyrockets, bottle rockets, Roman candles, firecrackers and fireworks that "explode, go into the air, or move on the ground in an uncontrollable manner" — are banned under California state law. It is illegal to sell, transport or use such fireworks. "Illegal fireworks are illegal for a reason," Nathan Hochman, the Republican candidate running to unseat Bonta, told Fox News Digital in an interview. "The attorney general has been put on notice that this is a large and growing problem of Californians." "Attorney General Bonta, like he has done on many different issues ranging from human trafficking to fentanyl poisonings, has stayed mute or is missing in action, or gives good press conferences then takes no concrete steps to address the problem," he continued. "If given the chance to be the attorney general, we would front-burner this issue." CALIFORNIA SECURITY SURVEILLANCE COMPANY CURBS CRIME THROUGH AI, REAL-TIME HUMAN INTERVENTION, CEO SAYS Hochman, who previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in California and an assistant attorney general during the Bush administration, added that it was hypocritical for Bonta to make climate change a priority while looking the other way on the illegal fireworks trade. Fireworks have sparked wildfires, widespread damage and caused air quality issues across California, according to multiple media reports. "Each year we have hundreds of fires caused by fireworks, many of which are wildfires," Daniel Berlant, deputy director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's community wildfire preparedness and mitigation unit, told Fox News Digital. Berlant added that he was concerned about the proliferation of illegal fireworks in the state. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In 2020, fireworks at a Los Angeles gender reveal party caused a massive wildfire spanning more than 20,000 acres and killing one firefighter, while a 2021 incident involving fireworks in Vallejo sparked a large brush fire. Fire officials have previously blamed fireworks on hundreds of fires and millions of dollars in property loss from wildfires in California. 

Across the U.S., fireworks sparked more than 17,000 outside fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Thomas Catenacci is a politics writer at Fox News Digital

#California #state #refuses #crack #illegal #fireworks #causing #wildfires #damage https://www.globalcourant.com/california-state-ag-refuses-to-crack-down-on-illegal-fireworks-causing-wildfires-damage/?feed_id=19395&_unique_id=631253688197b

WP Welcomes Back Managing Editor of ST Publishing, Inc. Tom Law Thursday, September 1, 2022

You may recognize him as "Racing's Regular Guy." For ten years, John Engelhardt hosted the informative and sometimes irreverent handicapping show from his base at River Downs in Cincinnati, Ohio. He developed a passion for thoroughbred racing as a youngster at Saratoga, and has been able to make his love of the sport his life's calling. Engelhardt, a native of Syracuse, New York is a graduate of the University of Dayton. His professional career in racing began as the track photographer at Beulah Park in 1983 and he has worked in racing ever since. John produced "The Stretch Run" for eight years, which aired on the CBS affiliate WCPO-TV in Cincinnati. For four years Engelhardt co-hosted "The Regular Guy Handicapping Show on HOMER 1530-AM in Cincinnati with former "Winning Ponies" host Ed Meyer. John served as the President of the Turf Publicists of America in 2009 and 2010, after serving several years as the Midwest Vice-President of that organization. He is currently a consultant for Pinnacle Entertainment handling publicity, public relations, marketing, advertising and special events for River Downs. Under the "nom-de-course" of Heart of an Angel Stable, he has bred and owned thoroughbreds for 18 years. "Racing's Regular Guy" has been exposed to racing on many levels and greets the sport with enthusiasm and well-rounded knowledge. Tune in Thursdays at 5PM PT, as he welcomes nationally recognized guests, who will help you find those "Winning Ponies.”

#Welcomes #Managing #Editor #Publishing #Tom #Law #Thursday #September https://www.globalcourant.com/wp-welcomes-back-managing-editor-of-st-publishing-inc-tom-law-thursday-september-1-2022/?feed_id=19087&_unique_id=63117fadd9046

U.S. health officials brace for another fall Covid surge, but with fewer deaths

People walk past a COVID-19 walk up testing site on July 28, 2022 in New York City. Liao Pan | China News Service | Getty Images

Fall is on the horizon and public health officials are again bracing for another wave of Covid cases. Over the past two years, fall and winter have brought devastating Covid surges that took hundreds of thousands of lives and pushed hospitals to the breaking point. But U.S. health officials say the nation is in a much different place today due to the arsenal of tools doctors now have to fight the virus. "We are in a much, much better place. We are in a better place because people have gotten vaccinated and boosted. We've got treatments that are widely available," Dr. Ashish Jha, White House Covid response coordinator, said in an August interview with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a report published in early August, said high levels of immunity in the U.S. population from vaccination and infection have substantially reduced the threat of hospitalization and death from Covid. The CDC ended its quarantine recommendations for people exposed to the virus last month. Public health officials are calling on people to stay up to date on their vaccines, but are largely leaving it up to individuals to decide what other precautions they should take based on their health history, risk tolerance and how much Covid is spreading in their communities. The CDC is taking a more targeted approach that focuses on making sure those at the highest risk of severe illness have access to vaccines, antiviral treatments and other therapeutics to protect their health.

CNBC Health & Science

Read CNBC's latest global health coverage:

Many people haven't had a vaccine dose in months, which means their immune protection against the virus is waning off with some studies showing three shots of the original vaccines were just 19% effective at preventing Covid infection after five months. At the same time, more transmissible omicron subvariants are spreading. It's creating a perfect storm ahead of the cold weather months and holidays that force people indoors in close proximity to each other and a highly contagious airborne pathogen. Even with all the tools the U.S. has available, Covid infections, hospitalizations and deaths have plateaued at stubbornly high levels over the summer.

The U.S. is gearing up for a booster campaign after Labor Day with reformulated vaccines that target both the original strain of the virus that emerged in Wuhan, China, in 2019 and omicron BA.5, the dominant variant in circulation. Public health officials believe the reformulated boosters will provide more durable protection against infection and help avert a major surge that taxes hospitals. "It's going to be really, really important for people to get this updated, new, very specific Covid vaccine because I think it's going to help a lot in preventing infections, and I think it is going to help a lot in keeping people out of the hospital," Jha said. The U.S. has so far secured 171 million doses of Pfizer's and Moderna's new boosters shots that target omicron.

New boosters

The reformulated boosters could reduce infections by 2.4 million, hospitalizations by 137,000 and deaths by 9,700 from August through May of 2023 if a new variant doesn't emerge, according to a projection by a team of scientists who forecast the trajectory of the pandemic, called the Covid-19 Scenario Modeling Hub. But the projection is based on optimistic assumptions about booster coverage and efficacy, according to the scientists. The model assumes that the shots will prove 80% effective at preventing illness, the vaccination campaign will ramp up quickly and the public will broadly embrace the new boosters. But many people in the U.S. still haven't gotten their first booster with the old vaccine yet, and it's not clear that these individuals will be more willing to take the new shots. About 76% of people ages 12 and older have received their first two vaccine doses, according to CDC data. Out of those people, about half have gotten their third shot. It's also not clear how effective the new omicron boosters will be in the real world yet. The Food and Drug Administration authorized the shots on Wednesday without results from human trials on the BA.5 shots. But Dr. Peter Marks, head of the FDA office responsible for reviewing vaccines, said the available data suggests the shots will provide substantially better protection. Public health officials are working under the assumption that the U.S. will face some version of omicron in the fall, which is why the new vaccines target BA.5. But there is always the risk that a new variant outside the omicron lineage will emerge that can evade the new shots. If Covid mutates in a way that gives life to a new, dominant variant and boosters are slow to get out to the public, the U.S. could suffer 1.3 million hospitalizations and 181,000 deaths over the next nine months, according to the scientists' most pessimistic scenario. But Michael Osterholm, director of Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said the reality is that nobody really knows what will happen in the fall. "We don't know," he said.

Most Americans have antibodies

Ali Mokdad, an epidemiologist at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, said his group is predicting a rise in Covid cases, deaths and hospitalizations this fall. "But the rise in mortality and hospitalization will not be similar to what we have seen before, simply because most people have some kind of immunity against illness," Mokdad said. About 95% of people ages 16 and older in the U.S., in fact, have Covid antibodies of some sort — either from vaccination or prior infection, according to a CDC survey of blood donor data. This means more people in the U.S. have at least some protection against severe disease and death from Covid than at any other point in the pandemic. Previous infection, vaccination alone and vaccination plus infection didn't necessarily keep people from getting sick, but they all showed more than 70% effectiveness against developing a really severe case or dying from omicron BA.2 , according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine by Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar. The study examined the medical records of 100,000 individuals in Qatar from December 2021 through February 2022.

But the Qatar study may not translate well to the U.S. population, which has a large elderly population and many people with preexisting medical conditions, like obesity or diabetes. Qatar on the other hand has a very young population — only 9% of its residents are age 50 or older compared with more than a third of all Americans. Omicron has also continued to evolve into more transmissible and immune-evasive subvariants. The BA.5 subvariant became dominant this summer, pushing out BA.2. Though BA.5 has not been associated with more severe disease, it is more effective at evading immunity and infecting people who are vaccinated or who have recovered from Covid. "BA.5 is the most contagious, certainly the most immune evasive variant we've seen," Jha told NBC News in July. "That means if you were infected earlier this you're still at very high risk of reinfection. It means if you've not been vaccinated recently you have a very high risk of having a breakthrough."

Waning immunity

While the CDC previously thought that infection provided about 90 days of protection, Jha told reporters in July that breakthrough infections have become more common and are happening earlier with BA.5. He said it's unclear how long immunity lasts after recovering from a BA.5 infection. Osterholm said the pandemic has entered another unprecedented period. Previously, infections have surged to high peaks and then steeply declined before the next wave. But for the past three months, infections, hospitalizations and deaths have plateaued at a high level with no sign of another variant displacing BA.5, he said. "We're seeing now more and more people are on their second and third episodes of this," Osterholm said. "What is the interaction between increasing vaccination, natural infection and immunity related to infection? We just don't know," he said. It's unclear whether the current pattern of transmission will continue or if the U.S. will face another wave, Osterholm said. Right now, the U.S. is averaging more than 88,000 new infections daily, which is likely a vast undercount because people testing positive at home isn't picked up by the official data. More than 32,000 people total are hospitalized across the U.S. with Covid right now, and an average of nearly 400 people are still dying every day from the virus, according to data from the CDC and the Health and Human Services Department. That's a significant improvement from the peak of the outbreak in the winter of 2021 when more than 3,000 people died a day on average. Though milder today than those early days of the pandemic, Covid is still killing at four or five times the fatality rate of the flu, Jha told the Chamber. "If everybody was up to date on their vaccines and people got treated with Paxlovid as they're supposed to deaths would go to close to zero across America," Jha said. Hospitalizations are down 75% and deaths are down 85% from the peak of last winter's omicron surge. But if deaths remain at their current level through next year, more than 140,000 people would succumb to the virus, which would still make Covid one of the 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. "Will we continue to see this kind of activity maintained for some time? People will say it can't go on endlessly because people will be infected and develop immunity. But what happens with waning immunity?" Osterholm said.

Focus on the vulnerable

Many elderly people and individuals with weak immune systems remain vulnerable to the virus. The rate of hospitalization and death from Covid has increased among those ages 65 and older since April despite high levels of vaccination in this age group, according to CDC data. Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Brown University School of Public Health, said she is worried about the elderly and those with weak immune systems who are not up to date on their vaccines heading into the fall. Nuzzo said the public health response this fall should be laser focused on making sure these people are protected. "I have some worry that unless we put that at the top of our list, our efforts are just going to be diluted, spread out over a number of different areas," Nuzzo said. "If we fail to make sure the highest risk people are fully protected, that's when we're going to see the deaths and that's the most important thing we could try to prevent." Although 92% of those ages 65 and older received the first two doses of the vaccine, many of them have not stayed up to date with their boosters. About 70% received their third dose and only 40% have gotten their fourth shot since the FDA authorized it in February. People ages 50 and older who received a second booster dose were 14 times less likely to die from Covid than the unvaccinated, and three times less likely to die than people who had one booster dose, according to CDC data. Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious disease expert at Children's Hospital Philadelphia, said people ages 75 and older, people with serious medical conditions and those with compromised immune systems would benefit the most from getting a booster right now. Deaths from Covid have risen in particular among people ages 75 and older, according to CDC. The CDC has also emphasized the importance of using therapeutics to protect people who simply cannot mount a strong immune response to the virus even with vaccination. Nearly 3% of U.S. adults have compromised immune systems, or about 7 million people ages 18 or older, according a survey published in 2016 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The CDC has emphasized the importance of administering an investigational antibody therapy called Evusheld for people ages 12 and older with moderate and severely compromised immune systems. Evusheld is administered as two injections, before Covid infection, every six months to prevent severe illness, according to the FDA. But only 450,000 courses of the medicine have been administered so far, according to the health and Human Services Department.

"The goal moving forward here for this year, next year, five years and 10 years down the road is protecting the vulnerable," Offit said.

#U.S #health #officials #brace #fall #Covid #surge #deaths https://www.globalcourant.com/u-s-health-officials-brace-for-another-fall-covid-surge-but-with-fewer-deaths/?feed_id=18884&_unique_id=6310f2abef427

Beto O'Rourke returning to campaign trail in Texas after bacterial infection

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke, an underdog trying to unseat incumbent Republican Governor Gregg Abbott, will return to the campaign trail on Friday after being diagnosed with a bacterial infection three days ago. 

The former El Paso Congressman is hosting an event at the Laredo Firefighters Union Hall as part of his "Drive for Texas" campaign, in which he aims to travel 5,600 miles and visit 75 communities throughout the state. 

Texas Democrat gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks at a primary election gathering in Fort Worth, Texas, Tuesday, March 1, 2022.  (AP Photo/LM Otero)

O'Rourke lost to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in the 2018 Senate election before launching a failed bid for presidency in 2020.  He received antibiotics at a hospital in San Antonio on Sunday and has been hosting virtual events this week before getting back on the trail for in-person events.  BETO O’ROURKE FAULTS DEMS FOR DIP IN HISPANIC SUPPORT, CALLS ABBOTT MIGRANT BUSES TO DC 'PUBLICITY STUNT' O'Rourke has sought to make gun control a key issue in the race against Abbott following the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 children and two teachers dead. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a news conference in Uvalde, Texas Wednesday, May 25, 2022.  (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A Real Clear Politics average of recent polls gives Abbott a 6.8-percentage-point lead over O'Rourke about two months out from the election. 

Paul Best is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Paul.best@fox.com and on Twitter: @KincaidBest. 

#Beto #ORourke #returning #campaign #trail #Texas #bacterial #infection https://www.globalcourant.com/beto-orourke-returning-to-campaign-trail-in-texas-after-bacterial-infection/?feed_id=18569&_unique_id=63101edb40e02

Florida father charged with murder after 5-year-old found in 'pool of blood'; 2nd child fighting for life

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

A father in Florida is being charged with murder after deputies found his 5-year-old daughter in a "pool of blood" in their townhome and his 8-year-old is "fighting for his life."

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said the incident happened at Armature Gate Townhome in Tampa, Florida on Monday night shortly after the children's mother returned home from dinner, according to FOX 13. After the mother tucked her children to sleep, she heard gunshots, the sheriff said. "While she goes to the bathroom, she heard several gunshots," Chronister said during a press conference. "She initially thought it happened right outside the residence." FLORIDA DEPUTIES FIND BODY IN POND NEXT TO HOOTERS RESTAURANT

A father in Florida is being charged with murder after deputies found his 5-year-old daughter in a "pool of blood" in their townhome and his 8-year-old is "fighting for his life." (FOX 13)

The sheriff said that the mother then realized that the gunshots came from inside the residence and went outside, where she saw a neighbor on the phone with 911. "She takes over the phone call and starts talking to her 911 dispatcher," Chronister said. Jermaine Lavanda Bass, who was identified as the husband, then came outside while carrying the couple's 8-year-old son, who officials say he was "cradling"  when law enforcement arrived. GEORGIA WOMAN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED WHILE TAKING A SHOWER AT LA FITNESS

Jermaine Lavanda Bass (FOX 13)

Bass, according to Chronister, told deputies that "It was an accident. I don't know how the gun went off. I accidentally shot my son." After deputies asked Bass if anyone else was in the home, the husband said that their 5-year-old daughter was in her room. The daughter was found in a "pool of blood" by officials after entering her bedroom, Chronister said, adding that the children had 3-4 gunshots to their heads. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Our 5-year-old victim has been pronounced deceased. Our 8-year-old is fighting for his life," Chronister said. "The 8-year-old went into surgery." Bass faces charges of premeditated murder, aggravated child abuse, and premeditated attempted murder.

The mother is speaking with detectives and providing them with details, Chronister said.

Adam Sabes is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Adam.Sabes@fox.com and on Twitter @asabes10.

#Florida #father #charged #murder #5yearold #pool #blood #2nd #child #fighting #life https://www.globalcourant.com/florida-father-charged-with-murder-after-5-year-old-found-in-pool-of-blood-2nd-child-fighting-for-life/?feed_id=18457&_unique_id=630fd821c3bc4

Jackson, Miss., in water crisis as treatment plant fails

Comment

More than 150,000 residents of Jackson, Miss., remained without access to safe drinking water Tuesday, a day after officials announced that the city’s main treatment plant had failed, creating an emergency that could last “indefinitely.”

State and local leaders scrambled to address the crisis, which will require an unprecedented mobilization effort to provide water for flushing toilets, cooking and bathing. Officials have promised to distribute bottled water across the city, and to identify water reserves for the fire department.

In a news conference, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba (D) said his administration would work with a “coalition of the willing” to “improve the system that has been failing for decades.”

But he also highlighted the years of neglect that led to the disaster, arguing that his city deserved better. “We’ve been going it alone for the better part of two years when it comes to the Jackson water crisis,” Lumumba said, adding that it was never a “matter of if our system will fail but when.”

Jackson, which is 82 percent Black, had been under a boil-water advisory for the past month, after trouble with the main pumps at the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant. The situation escalated this week, after heavy rainfall and near-record flooding on the Pearl River completely knocked out service at the city’s primary water treatment plant.

As of Tuesday morning, some neighborhoods in Jackson had no running water. Jackson Public Schools said that starting Tuesday, all of its schools would shift to virtual learning.

Experts say this crisis was years in the making, a result of inadequate funding for essential infrastructure upgrades and tension between leaders of this majority-Black, Democrat-led city and the White Republicans who run the state.

Mukesh Kumar, who ran Jackson’s Department of Planning and Development from 2017 to 2019, said the seeds of the water crisis were planted in the 1960s, when White residents left the city in droves after federal courts mandated the integration of the city’s schools.

As the city shrunk, there was less money to fund schools and other resources. Middle-class Black families left as a result, leaving Jackson without the tax revenue it needed to upgrade its century-old water system.

State investment would have helped close the gap, Kumar said. But state officials repeatedly declined to fund improvements, leaving the city to fend for itself, he added.

“It sounds like they’re still fighting the same kind of battles with the same lines drawn instead of starting to prioritize what the people of Jackson need,” said Kumar, who has since left Jackson to run the Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization in Texas.

Gov. Tate Reeves (R) did not respond to interview requests from The Washington Post. On Tuesday, Reeves declared a state of emergency and activated the Mississippi Guard.

“The state is marshaling tremendous resources to protect the people of our capital city,” Reeves said in a statement. “It will take time for that to come to fruition. But we are here in times of crisis, for anyone in the state who needs it.” Reeves said the state was prepared to distribute water from alternative sources for “as long as we have to.”

But he also highlighted the complexity of the task facing officials. “Replacing our largest city’s infrastructure of running water with human distribution is a massively complicated logistical task,” he said in a statement.

Don’t be ‘squeamish’ about drinking reused wastewater, U.K. official says

In a news conference Monday night, Reeves appeared to suggest that Lumumba had kept state officials in the dark about the status of the water treatment plant, suggesting that the city had been unable to provide the state with a timeline of when the plant would be in “proper” operating condition. Lumumba, who was elected to a second term last year, was not at the briefing.

At a Tuesday news conference, Lumumba said his administration had been transparent with state officials.

Jackson has struggled for years with water issues. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan toured the city’s main plant last year to highlight what his agency called “long-standing environmental justice concerns in historically marginalized communities.”

In March, the agency issued an emergency order stating that the city’s water system presented “imminent and substantial endangerment” to residents and could contain E. coli bacteria. Last year, as President Biden campaigned for his infrastructure legislation, he said that “never again can we allow what happened in Flint, Michigan, and Jackson, Mississippi.”

Heavy rains caused Mississippi’s Pearl River to swell and crest at more than 35 feet on Aug. 29, just shy of the major flood stage. (Video: Reuters)

But Reeves and other officials have repeatedly opposed efforts to fund water treatment upgrades.

State lawmakers sunk efforts by the city to raise infrastructure funds through a sales tax increase. During winter 2021, when at least 40,000 Jackson residents went weeks without running water, Reeves told city leaders that they needed to do a better job “collecting their water bill payments before they start going and asking everyone else to pony up more money.” (In 2020, Reeves vetoed bipartisan legislation that would have provided relief to poor residents with past-due water bills, calling the idea “free money.”)

A 2021 bill that would have authorized a bond issuance to assist Jackson with making repairs and improvements to water and sewer systems died in the Republican-controlled state House Ways and Means committee.

In the wake of the water crisis, Democratic state officials have called on the state to take action.

“The state, with unprecedented money in the bank, must step up and invest in Jackson, and save a system that serves almost one-tenth of all Mississippians,” David Blount, a Democratic state senator whose district includes parts of the city of Jackson, said in a statement, adding, “We need to act now.”

Kumar worries that the situation in Jackson is a harbinger of other crises if cities are left to deal with the effects of climate change.

“Building a resilient infrastructure system is not something that a poor city of 150,000 people will be able to magically just build very quickly,” he said.

Kumar said that money from Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, passed earlier this year, could also help address those urgent needs. But some experts warn that it might not be so easy.

“Anyone who thinks Mississippi will change the very consistent practice of not investing in Black people — they’re delusional,” Andre M. Perry, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told The Post late last year. “If you’re the president of the United States and you have an equity agenda, you have to be worried that this money going to statehouses will not actually get to places like Jackson.”

Griff Witte contributed to this report.

#Jackson #water #crisis #treatment #plant #fails https://www.globalcourant.com/jackson-miss-in-water-crisis-as-treatment-plant-fails/?feed_id=18170&_unique_id=630f045d103d4

Biden touts law enforcement plan while attacking 'MAGA' lawmakers

President Joe Biden had a message for lawmakers who defended the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol as he touted his Safer America Plan Tuesday. "Let me say this to my 'MAGA Republican' friends in Congress," the president said, referring to former President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan. "Don't tell me to support law enforcement if you won't condemn what happened on the sixth." "For God's sake, whose side are you on?" Biden said. Biden admonished the lawmakers as he called for more funding for police before a crowd at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Investments in community policing and crime prevention are key policy components of his Safer America Plan, and the president urged communities to use federal funds to supplement local police as early as May. Biden also chided Trump's supporters in the GOP for claiming the mantle as the "law and order" party while defending the insurrectionists who attacked police officers in Washington, D.C., last year. "You can't be pro-law enforcement and pro-insurrection," he said. "You can't be a party of law and order and call the people who attacked the police on Jan. 6, patriots. You can't do it." Biden recently slammed the "MAGA philosophy" as "like semi-fascism," which angered the Republican National Committee. RNC spokesperson Nathan Brand called the president's remarks "despicable."

Biden also renewed his commitment to banning assault weapons, saying America's lax gun laws contributed to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Newtown, Connecticut; and Buffalo, New York, among other locations. "It's time to hold every elected official's feet to the fire and ask them, 'Are you for banning assault weapons? Yes or no?' The answer's no, vote against them," he said. Biden ended his speech by asking the crowd to vote for Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. and Democratic senatorial candidate, John Fetterman. Fetterman is running against Trump-endorsed candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz in a highly publicized Senate race.

The president is scheduled to return to Pennsylvania Thursday for a prime-time speech on the "continued battle for the soul of the nation" at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia.

#Biden #touts #law #enforcement #plan #attacking #MAGA #lawmakers https://www.globalcourant.com/biden-touts-law-enforcement-plan-while-attacking-maga-lawmakers/?feed_id=18072&_unique_id=630ebda922106

Mississippi governor declares emergency amid Jackson water crisis

An SUV rests in flood waters in this northeast Jackson, Miss., neighborhood, Monday, Aug. 29, 2022. Rogelio V. Solis | AP

Residents of Jackson, Mississippi, the state's capital and largest city, do not have access to reliable drinking water for the near future after the city's main water treatment facility failed on Monday. The state has issued a state of emergency for Jackson and has activated the Mississippi National Guard. It's also distributing drinking and non-drinking water to up to 180,000 people until the system is fixed. Gov. Tate Reeves said during an emergency briefing Monday night that the city would be without "reliable running water at scale" indefinitely and that there isn't enough water to flush toilets or fight fires. "Do not drink the water. In too many cases, it is raw water from the reservoir being pushed through the pipes," Reeves warned residents. "Be smart, protect yourself, protect your family." Officials blamed the problem on longstanding issues at the O.B. Curtis water treatment plant, which has been in crisis for years due to old infrastructure and inadequate resources to update it. The city also said that recent rainfall and flooding of the Pearl River caused complications at the plant. City officials said the flooding had created issues at the plant, which is located near a reservoir that flows into the Pearl River. City residents have been subject to a boil-water notice since last month after tests found cloudiness in water samples. The water problem grew worse this week when businesses and homes endured little to no water pressure and officials warned that the water from the taps was untreated. Officials on Monday said the water shortage is likely to last the next couple of days.

Reservoir police observe the water release from the Ross Barnett Reservoir Spillway onto the Pearl River, Sunday, Aug. 28, 2022, in Rankin County, Miss. Rogelio V. Solis | AP

The governor said the exact cause of failure was unknown, adding that the treatment plant had been inadequately staffed and operated for years. Reeves said the plant's two primary pumps had stopped working, which left the system to depend on unreliable backup pumps. "It's not operating anywhere near capacity," Reeves said of the plant. "We might find out [Tuesday] it's not operating at all. We'll find out." The water crisis is affecting the roughly 150,000 people who live in Jackson and the 30,000 who live in surrounding communities that rely on the same water treatment facility. Jackson is about 82% Black, according to U.S. Census data. In addition to the unreliable water system, the city has been grappling with crime and problematic infrastructure.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is distributing water to residents and the state is overseeing efforts to begin emergency repairs and maintenance to get the water system up and running, the governor said.

#Mississippi #governor #declares #emergency #Jackson #water #crisis https://www.globalcourant.com/mississippi-governor-declares-emergency-amid-jackson-water-crisis/?feed_id=17974&_unique_id=630e76ecc8d08

Alabama man's execution was botched, advocacy group alleges

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Alabama corrections officials apparently botched an inmate's execution last month, an anti-death penalty group alleges, citing the length of time that passed before the prisoner received the lethal injection and a private autopsy indicating his arm may have been cut to find a vein.

Joe Nathan James Jr. was put to death July 28 at an Alabama prison for the 1994 shooting death of his former girlfriend. The execution was carried out more than three hours after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request for a stay.

“Subjecting a prisoner to three hours of pain and suffering is the definition of cruel and unusual punishment,” Maya Foa, director of Reprieve US Forensic Justice Initiative, a human rights group that opposes the death penalty, said in a statement. “States cannot continue to pretend that the abhorrent practice of lethal injection is in any way humane.”

The Alabama Department of Forensic Science declined a request to release the state's autopsy of James, citing an ongoing review that happens after every execution. Officials have not responded to requests for comment on the private autopsy, which was first reported by The Atlantic.

At the time of the execution, Alabama Corrections Commissioner John Hamm told reporters that “nothing out of the ordinary” happened. Hamm said he wasn't aware of the prisoner fighting or resisting officers. The state later acknowledged that the execution was delayed because of difficulties establishing an intravenous line, but did not specify how long it took.

Dr. Joel Zivot, a professor of anesthesiology at Emory University and an expert on lethal injection who witnessed the private autopsy, said it looked like there were numerous attempts to connect a line.

Zivot said he saw “multiple puncture sites on both arms” and two perpendicular incisions, each about 3 to 4 centimeters (1 to 1.5 inches) in length, in the middle of the arm, which he said indicated that officials had attempted to perform a “cutdown,” a procedure in which the skin is opened to allow a visual search for a vein. He said the cutdown is an old-style medical intervention rarely performed in modern medical settings, and that it would be painful without anesthesia. He also said he saw evidence of intramuscular injections not in the vicinity of a vein.

The Alabama Department of Corrections prison system issued a written statement in which it noted that “protocol states that if the veins are such that intravenous access cannot be provided, the team will perform a central line procedure,” which involves placing a catheter in a large vein. “Fortunately, this was not necessary and with adequate time, intravenous access was established,” the statement said.

Alabama does not allow witnesses from news outlets to watch the preparations for a lethal injection. They get their first glimpse of the execution chamber when an inmate is already strapped to the gurney with the IV line connected.

A reporter for The Associated Press who attended the execution observed that James did not respond when the warden asked if he had final words. His eyes remained closed except for briefly fluttering at one point early in the procedure.

Lawyers who spoke with James by telephone said they were disturbed by his reported lack of movements and raised questions about what happened before the lethal injection. Hamm said James was not sedated.

“That wasn’t the Joe that I knew. He always had something to say. He always wanted to be in control," said James Ranson, the attorney who helped James file his appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court. "The fact that he did not give any sort of reaction ... and that he didn’t open his eyes, tells me something was up,” Ranson said.

John Palombi, a federal defender who spoke with James twice on the day of his execution, said James, “was certainly alert" earlier in the day.

The Atlantic quoted a friend of James as saying that the inmate had planned to make a final statement.

Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, a national nonprofit organization that analyzes issues concerning capital punishment, said the delay between the Supreme Court’s go-ahead and the execution, combined with the autopsy, points to a "botched execution, and it is among the worst botches in the modern history of the U.S. death penalty.”

“This execution is Exhibit A as to why execution secrecy laws are intolerable," Dunham wrote in an email to the AP. “The public is entitled to know what went on here — and what goes on in all Alabama executions — from the instant the execution team begins the process of physically preparing the prisoner for the lethal injection until the moment the prisoner dies.”

#Alabama #mans #execution #botched #advocacy #group #alleges https://www.globalcourant.com/alabama-mans-execution-was-botched-advocacy-group-alleges/?feed_id=17673&_unique_id=630da21d0580d