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COVID-19

UVA Alum Harmeet Dhillon Nominated For Prestigious DOJ Role In Trump Administration UVA Alum Harmeet Dhillon Nominated For Prestigious DOJ Role In Trump Administration
UVA Alum Harmeet Dhillon Nominated For Prestigious DOJ Role In Trump Administration A Virginia legal luminary with deep ties to the Commonwealth has been tapped for a high-profile role in the Trump administration, authorities announced Monday. Harmeet K. Dhillon, a University of Virginia Law School alumna and former editorial board member of the Virginia Law Review, has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the US Department of Justice. Dhillon butted head with Virginia officials repeatedly about COVID-19 matters inclucing issues such as PPP funding, face masks, and other policies that were put in place du…
Trump Taps Congressional Ally Elise Stefanik For UN Ambassador Post, Picks Border Czar Trump Taps Congressional Ally Elise Stefanik For UN Ambassador Post, Picks Border Czar
Trump Taps Congressional Ally Elise Stefanik For UN Ambassador Post, Picks Border Czar President-elect Donald Trump has picked one of his strongest allies in Congress to serve as United States ambassador to the United Nations and a former member of his first administration as border czar. Rep. Elise Stefanik, age 40, was first elected to New York's 21st District in 2014 and is the House Republican Conference Chair, the youngest woman to hold that post. "Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter," Trump said in a statement to CBS News. CNN first reported the news late Sunday, Nov. 10. Trump also decided on another native New Yorker for a…
TGI Fridays Files For Bankruptcy Weeks After Sudden Closures Of At Least 12 Restaurants TGI Fridays Files For Bankruptcy Weeks After Sudden Closures Of At Least 12 Restaurants
TGI Fridays Files For Bankruptcy Weeks After Sudden Closures Of At Least 12 Restaurants Casual dining chain TGI Fridays has filed for bankruptcy several weeks after at least 12 of its restaurants suddenly closed. The company filed the Chapter 11 petition on Saturday, Nov. 2, in Texas, near its Dallas headquarters. Founded in New York City in 1965, TGI Fridays has 95 restaurants in the US, 39 of which the company owns and operates. The other 56 are independent franchises not involved in the bankruptcy petition. The company said that all those locations will remain open. According to the TGI Fridays website and other reports, the following locations are now listed as permanent…
DMV Native Noah Lyles Wins Bronze In 200-Meter Olympic Final While Battling COVID-19: Reports DMV Native Noah Lyles Wins Bronze In 200-Meter Olympic Final While Battling COVID-19: Reports
DMV Native Noah Lyles Wins Bronze In 200-Meter Olympic Final While Battling Covid-19: Reports Virginia native Noah Lyles sprinted his way to a bronze medal in his signature race and was wheeled out after revealing a COVID-19 diagnosis. Lyles earned the medal in the 200-meter race before laying on the track and motioning for water on Thursday after the race.  The Alexandria resident - who notoriously suffers from asthma - then had to be helped off the track in a makeshift wheelchair.  He later revealed that he tested positive for the virus two days earlier and has been hydrating and quarantining until the race. Lyles finished the race milliseconds after gold medalist Lets…
Biden Withdraws From 2024 Presidential Race, Endorses VP Kamala Harris To Be New Nominee Biden Withdraws From 2024 Presidential Race, Endorses VP Kamala Harris To Be New Nominee
Biden Withdraws From 2024 Presidential Race, Endorses VP Kamala Harris To Be New Nominee President Joe Biden has just announced he is pulling out of the 2024 race against Republican nominee Donald Trump. In a letter to "My Fellow Americans" released just before 2 p.m. Sunday, July 21, Biden said: “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president. “And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.” The news comes amid concerns over the 81-year-old Biden's health, which were loudly …
Death Of Detoxing Inmate At Maryland Detention Center Was Due To COVID, Sheriff Says Death Of Detoxing Inmate At Maryland Detention Center Was Due To COVID, Sheriff Says
Death Of Detoxing Inmate At Maryland Detention Center Was Due To COVID, Sheriff Says The detoxing 33-year-old woman who died at the Harford County Detention Center earlier this year was due to natural causes, nothing nefarious, according to the Office of the State Medical Examiner's Office. In May, Brittani Ugrotzi was found unresponsive in her cell, and she was later pronounced dead after being treated by staff members and paramedics. On Saturday, July 20, the Harford County Sheriff's Office announced that her death was determined to be "of natural causes with contributing factors of COVID-19 pneumonia with dehydration complicated by opioid withdrawal." Ugrotzi was booked…
Fully Vaxxed, Boosted President Biden Gets COVID-19 Again Fully Vaxxed, Boosted President Biden Gets COVID-19 Again
Fully Vaxxed, Boosted President Biden Gets Covid-19 Again Despite being fully vaccinated and boosted, President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 — again, White House officials announced on Wednesday, July 17. The 81-year-old Biden has tested positive for COVID while in Las Vegas, Nevada ahead of the DNC, officials with the White House explained. His symptoms are mild. His doctor noted that he presented with upper respiratory symptoms, such as a runny nose, a non-productive cough, and "general malaise," as stated in the release.  Since his condition did not improve throughout the day, a COVID test was conducted on Wednesda…
COVID-19: Change In Isolation Guidelines For Those Infected With Virus Announced By CDC COVID-19: Change In Isolation Guidelines For Those Infected With Virus Announced By CDC
Covid-19: Change In Isolation Guidelines For Those Infected With Virus Announced By CDC New isolation guidelines for those infected with COVID-19 or other respiratory infections have just been announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency said there is no longer a need to isolate for five days before returning to work or school in a statement issued Friday, March 1. The CDC said it's making updates to the recommendations now because the US is seeing "far fewer hospitalizations and deaths associated with COVID-19 and because we have more tools than ever to combat flu, COVID, and RSV." Three "core prevention tips" were also detaile…
Man Who Attacked Asian-Owned Businesses Over Mask Requirement In Maryland Gets Life In Prison Man Who Attacked Asian-Owned Businesses Over Mask Requirement In Maryland Gets Life In Prison
Man Who Attacked Asian-Owned Businesses Over Mask Requirement In Maryland Gets Life In Prison The Baltimore man who attacked three Asian-owned businesses over their masking requirements during the COVID pandemic is heading to prison for life. Darryl Doles was sentenced to life in prison with all but 30 years suspended for two counts of attempted murder, assault, and hate crime, Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates announced on Wednesday, Feb. 7. Doles pleaded guilty to the charges in September 2023. Court documents detail Doles' May 2, 2021 "rampage" after he was denied entry to two Asian-American businesses for refusing to wear a mask indoors. It began at Linden Discount …
Surge In COVID-19, Flu, RSV Hospitalizations Leads To Winter Virus Warning By CDC Surge In COVID-19, Flu, RSV Hospitalizations Leads To Winter Virus Warning By CDC
Surge In Covid-19, Flu, RSV Hospitalizations Leads To Winter Virus Warning By CDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is sounding the alarm, warning that low vaccination rates for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) could strain healthcare systems across the nation in the weeks ahead. Hospitalizations among all age groups in the last month increased by 200 percent for influenza, 51 percent for COVID, and 60 percent for RSV, the CDC said. Meanwhile, coverage for the seasonal 2023-2024 flu shot is low in all age groups compared with the same period of the 2022–2023 season. Just 17 percent of adults had received the updated COVID vac…
Jury Finds Marilyn Mosby Complicit In Illegally Claiming COVID-19 Funds Jury Finds Marilyn Mosby Complicit In Illegally Claiming COVID-19 Funds
Jury Finds Marilyn Mosby Complicit In Illegally Claiming Covid-19 Funds A former top prosecutor in Maryland will face prison time after crying wolf about financial "hardships" during the COVID-19 crisis, authorities announced. On Thursday, a federal jury convicted embattled former Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby on two founds of perjury in connection to her withdrawing of funds from the city's Deferred Compensation Plan, citing a shortfall during the pandemic while she was still in office. Prosecutors said that between May 2020 and December 2020, Mosby submitted claims for both a $40,000 and $50,000 withdrawal from the Compensation Plan, though at the …
Former State Employee, Brother Guilty Of Profiting From Pandemic In Maryland: AG Former State Employee, Brother Guilty Of Profiting From Pandemic In Maryland: AG
Former State Employee, Brother Guilty Of Profiting From Pandemic In Maryland: AG A former state employee in Maryland who conspired with his brother to profit from the COVID-19 pandemic will have time to ponder his decisions behind bars, the Attorney's General Office announced. James DiPino, 62, and Paul DiPino, Jr., 56, were sentenced to 10 years in prison with all but one year and one day suspended after admitting to bribery charges in connection to their procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said that in the spring of 2020, right as the the pandemic was becoming a national concern, James DiPino …
Caretaker Who Left Dementia Patient Bedridden Before Death In Maryland Sentenced: AG Caretaker Who Left Dementia Patient Bedridden Before Death In Maryland Sentenced: AG
Caretaker Who Left Dementia Patient Bedridden Before Death In Maryland Sentenced: AG An employee at a Maryland nursing home will spend years behind bars for her role in the death of a 75-year-old longterm healthcare patient who died after being knocked down, the Maryland AG announced. Obiageriaku Iheanacho, 36, of Batlimore, was sentenced to 25 years in prison, with all but seven suspended after she admitted to her role in the assault and death of Ellsworth Johnson-Bey, a dementia patient, last year. According to prosecutors, Iheanacho was a Geriatric Nursing Assistant (GNA) assigned to the Autumn Lake Health Care Post Acute Care Center in Baltimore when she was caught…
Republicans Slam Mask Mandate For Kindergarteners Amid Maryland Classroom COVID Outbreak Republicans Slam Mask Mandate For Kindergarteners Amid Maryland Classroom COVID Outbreak
Republicans Slam Mask Mandate For Kindergarteners Amid Maryland Classroom COVID Outbreak Some elected officials are coming after a Maryland school district that is taking precautions after several Kindergarteners tested positive for COVID-19 in Montgomery County. The Rosemary Hills Elementary School in Silver Spring issued an alert about precautions that are being put in place after several people tested positive for the virus in the past 10 days. In response, the district announced that additional KN95 masks were distributed to students and staff in certain classes, which will be required through at least Friday, Sept. 15, except while eating or drinking. Masks will then aga…
COVID-19: These Are Most Likely Symptoms Of New Pirola Variant Identified In Five States COVID-19: These Are Most Likely Symptoms Of New Pirola Variant Identified In Five States
Covid-19: These Are Most Likely Symptoms Of New Pirola Variant Identified In Five States The most likely symptoms of a new COVID-19 variant with around 30 mutations are expected to be similar to the highly contagious Omicron strain based on reports so far. COVID-related hospitalizations have increased in the US for six straight weeks, with a 19-percent increase reported in the most recent week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The BA.2.86 strain, known as Pirola, has now been identified in five states: New York, Texas, Michigan, Virginia, and Ohio. The strain was first detected in Israel around Sunday, Aug. 20, and cases have also been identif…
COVID-19: First US Case Of Pirola Variant With 30 Mutations Confirmed COVID-19: First US Case Of Pirola Variant With 30 Mutations Confirmed
Covid-19: First US Case Of Pirola Variant With 30 Mutations Confirmed The first case of the newly identified COVID-19 variant with 30 mutations has been identified in the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) upgraded BA.2.86 to a “variant under monitoring," citing the "large number of mutations it carries." BA.2.86, which has now been nicknamed "Pirola," was first detected in Israel, and cases have also been identified in the United Kingdom and Denmark. The initial case in the US has been detected in Michigan. The patient, an older person with mild symptoms, is from Washtenaw County, the Michigan Department of Health and Hu…
Here Are The Best, Worst Times To Get Out Of Town For Memorial Day Weekend In The DMV Here Are The Best, Worst Times To Get Out Of Town For Memorial Day Weekend In The DMV
Here Are The Best, Worst Times To Get Out Of Town For Memorial Day Weekend In The DMV Travelers in the DMV region looking to get out of town for the long Memorial Day Weekend may want to hit the road as AAA anticipates near record-high travelers for the holiday. With the COVID-19 pandemic truly i the rearview mirror, AAA is projecting that 42.3 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles away from home, representing a possible 7 percent increase over 2022, marking the beginning of the busy summer travel season. In the region, those looking to get away for the weekend are being advised to leave before noon on Friday, May 26, if they hope to avoid gridlocks and headaches …
Do Not Use These COVID-19 At-Home Tests Due To Bacteria Concerns: FDA Do Not Use These COVID-19 At-Home Tests Due To Bacteria Concerns: FDA
Do Not Use These Covid-19 At-Home Tests Due To Bacteria Concerns: FDA Americans have been advised by federal officials to stop using and dispose of specific COVID-19 at-home tests that could have potentially harmful bacteria inside the kits. SD Biosensor, Inc. announced on Friday, May 5, that the company is requesting that consumers stop using “Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Tests” due to contaminants found in the tube with liquid inside, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The tube with the liquidFDA The affected tests can be identified by the lot number on the outer packaging (see below) and should be discarded in the trash. The liquid should n…
COVID-19: Highly-Infectious 'Arcturus' Variant Detected In Maryland COVID-19: Highly-Infectious 'Arcturus' Variant Detected In Maryland
Covid-19: Highly-Infectious 'Arcturus' Variant Detected In Maryland A new COVID-19 variant first detected in New York in January has now been identified in 27 states, including Maryland. The so-called Arcturus strain — officially known as XBB.1.16 — is believed to be one of the most infectious versions of Omicron to date.  Shortly after the World Health Organization began monitoring the variant in late March, cases had been reported in about two dozen countries. The WHO says Arcturus is a "recombinant" of COVID subvariants BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75. In addition to New York, XBB.1.16 has also been confirmed in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virgi…
COVID-19: New Study Reveals How Long 'Durable Protection' May Last After Catching Virus COVID-19: New Study Reveals How Long 'Durable Protection' May Last After Catching Virus
Covid-19: New Study Reveals How Long 'Durable Protection' May Last After Catching Virus A past COVID-19 infection provides "durable" but temporary protection against getting severely sick no matter the variant, according to a brand-new study. Researchers from the University of Washington say it's the most comprehensive data compiled so far showing national immunity protection against the virus. The findings were released Thursday, Feb. 16 in the peer-reviewed journal, The Lancet. The research identified and analyzed 65 studies from 19 different countries.  "Our meta-analyses showed that protection from past infection and any symptomatic disease was high for (COVID-19) an…
Longtime Maryland Politician Diagnosed With Cancer; Plans To Continue Working Longtime Maryland Politician Diagnosed With Cancer; Plans To Continue Working
Longtime Maryland Politician Diagnosed With Cancer; Plans To Continue Working Cancer won't keep a Maryland congressman down as he plans to continue working after being diagnosed with a treatable form of Lymphoma. Congressman Jamie Raskin, who represents the 8th District from the border of northern Washington, DC to the Pennsylvania suburbs in the north, announced on Wednesday, Dec. 28 that after several days of testing, he has been diagnosed with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma. The 8th Congressional District includes parts of Montgomery, Carroll, and Frederick counties. The 8th Congressional District in Maryland.Wikimedia Commons The lawmaker called it “a seriou…
ABC News Producer Dax Tejera Dead At 37 ABC News Producer Dax Tejera Dead At 37
ABC News Producer Dax Tejera Dead At 37 ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" producer Dax Tejera died suddenly on Friday, Dec. 23. He was 37 years old. The Chevy Chase native is survived by his wife, Veronica, and their daughters, Sofia and Ella. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dax Tejera (@daxtejera) Tejera joined the ABC News team in 2017 and worked as a senior producer in Washington DC. He helmed the Sunday show since just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, Tejera was the executive producer of Jorge Ramos' program with ABC-Univision and worked fo…
COVID-19: Here's How You Can Now Order More Free At-Home Tests COVID-19: Here's How You Can Now Order More Free At-Home Tests
Covid-19: Here's How You Can Now Order More Free At-Home Tests Are you running low on COVID-19 tests? American households may now order a fourth round of free at-home COVID test kits courtesy of the federal government just as the winter season arrives. Each kit includes four separate tests. The new round of tests became available on Thursday, Dec. 15, and now may be ordered through covidtests.gov. The last period in which tests were available began six months ago. Related story - COVID-19: Recall Issued For Brand Of Over-Counter Tests That Could Give False Negative Results
CDC Tracking More Immune-Evasive COVID-19 Variant Growing In Northeast CDC Tracking More Immune-Evasive COVID-19 Variant Growing In Northeast
CDC Tracking More Immune-Evasive Covid-19 Variant Growing In Northeast With more than 300 COVID-19 Omicron sublineages circulating around the globe, a new potentially more contagious variant called XBB is being closely monitored by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). XBB is considered more immune-evasive than other Omicron variants, Chief White House medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said last week. But government officials said they don't think XBB will become a threat at the level of Omicron, which first emerged on the global scene almost exactly a year ago. Though XBB now accounts for just over 3 percent of new cases in t…
Virginia Attorney Who Won Under Trebek, Jennings, Back For 'Jeopardy!' Tournament Of Champions Virginia Attorney Who Won Under Trebek, Jennings, Back For 'Jeopardy!' Tournament Of Champions
Virginia Attorney Who Won Under Trebek, Jennings, Back For 'Jeopardy!' Tournament Of Champions An attorney from Virginia has secured his spot in the latest “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions, where he will match wits with some of the game show's greatest players of recent years. Zach Newkirk, an attorney from Alexandria, will be back on the big blue "Jeopardy!" stage for the Tournament of Champions, which kicks off its first quarterfinal matchup on Monday, Oct. 31. The Virginia native's tournament begins a week later, on Monday, Nov. 7, when he will square off against Jessica Stephens, a statistical research specialist from Nashville, and Sam Buttrey, an associate professor of opera…
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Tests Positive For COVID-19 Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Tests Positive For COVID-19
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Tests Positive For Covid-19 Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is reportedly in good spirits and feeling well after testing positive for COVID-19, his office announced. The Republican governor got a trick not a treat on Halloween, as he issued an alert on Monday, Oct. 31 advising the public that he contracted the virus and will be temporarily working from home. Just wanted to let Marylanders know that after testing positive for COVID-19, I am working from home. Fortunately, I’m up to date on my boosters and my symptoms are minimal. To find a vaccine clinic near you, visit https://t.co/MjHeoZ5E5J. — Governor Larry Hogan (@G…
Federal Judge Schedules Hearing After Marilyn Mosby Files To Move Perjury Case Out Of Baltimore Federal Judge Schedules Hearing After Marilyn Mosby Files To Move Perjury Case Out Of Baltimore
Federal Judge Schedules Hearing After Marilyn Mosby Files To Move Perjury Case Out Of Baltimore A federal judge has reportedly scheduled a hearing in December to hear arguments on State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby's motion to move her perjury and mortgage fraud trial out of Baltimore, reports CBS News. The hearing has been scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 15 after Mosby's team filed a motion to move her trial out of Baltimore last week. Mosby is accused of committing perjury to illegally obtain a withdrawal from her retirement account. The government argues that Mosby lied about adversely being impacted by COVID-19 in order to take out money without penalty while she continued to work on a sa…
Maryland Inmate Hospitalized With COVID-19-Related Illnesses Dies At Hospital: Officials Maryland Inmate Hospitalized With COVID-19-Related Illnesses Dies At Hospital: Officials
Maryland Inmate Hospitalized With Covid-19-Related Illnesses Dies At Hospital: Officials An inmate being held at a Maryland detention center died after coming down with COVID-19-related illnesses, authorities announced on Friday, Sept. 23. Tina Marie Billings, 44, of Whiteford, died at the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center of natural after being transported from the Harford Detention Center for treatment of an illness. Billings was being treated at the detention center shortly before 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21, when the medical staff determined she should be transported to the hospital for further care. White in the hospital, police said that Billings…
COVID-19: Here's What New Booster Vaccine's Called, What To Know About It, How To Schedule Shot COVID-19: Here's What New Booster Vaccine's Called, What To Know About It, How To Schedule Shot
Covid-19: Here's What New Booster Vaccine's Called, What To Know About It, How To Schedule Shot Health experts are recommending the use of updated COVID-19 booster vaccines to protect people from the most prevalent subvariants of the virus currently circulating. The newly-approved boosters are officially named "bivalent vaccines" that target the original strain of COVID-19 and what is now the predominant subvariant of Omicron, BA.5., according to a report from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center with Dr. David Tweardy, the head of the Department of Infectious Diseases. “The updated COVID-19 boosters are formulated to better protect against the most recently circulating C…
Jehovah's Witnesses Resume Trademark Door-Knocking For First Time Since Pandemic Jehovah's Witnesses Resume Trademark Door-Knocking For First Time Since Pandemic
Jehovah's Witnesses Resume Trademark Door-Knocking For First Time Since Pandemic Who's there? Jehovah's Witnesses will resume their trademark door-to-door ministry after a two-and-a-half-year suspension due to COVID-19. The Sept. 1 launch kicked off with a global campaign featuring an interactive program for Bible study. The decision to resume their door-to-door ministry marks the complete restoration of all pre- pandemic in-person activities for the nearly 1.3 million Jehovah’s Witnesses in the 12,000 congregations in the United States.  “We believe that the early decision to shut down all in-person activities for more than two years has saved many lives,” s…
Judge Rules DC Mayor's COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate For District Employees Unlawful Judge Rules DC Mayor's COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate For District Employees Unlawful
Judge Rules DC Mayor's Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate For District Employees Unlawful D.C. Superior Court Judge Maurice Ross ruled that Mayor Muriel Bowser's COVID-19 Mandate was unlawful, officials said. The mandate requiring district employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 is illegal, according to Ross. Judge Ross said that any loss of benefits, rights, or wages, related to the unethical mandate, should be appropriately expunged, according to the D.C. Police Union.