Nebraska to end nearly all social distancing restrictions
LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts will end nearly all of his state’s social-distancing restrictions on Monday even as the number of new coronavirus cases has trended upward over the last few months.
The new rules will still limit the size of large indoor gatherings, such as concerts, meeting halls and theaters, but will drop all other state-imposed mandates in favor of voluntary guidelines, as other conservative states have done.
“We are loosening the restrictions further on Sept. 14,” Ricketts said at a news conference.
State officials said they made the decision based on the availability of hospital beds and ventilators, in keeping with the Republican governor’s goal of not overwhelming medical facilities.
“The goal has always been to protect hospital capacity and capacity remains stable,” said Ricketts spokesman Taylor Gage.
Nebraska’s hospitals have 36 percent of their regular beds, 31 percent of their intensive care unit beds and 81 percent of their ventilators available, according to the state’s online tracking portal. Those numbers have changed little in the last few months.
The new rules will apply statewide except in Lancaster County, which includes the state capital of Lincoln, home to the University of Nebraska’s flagship campus. They’ve already been in effect in 27 of Nebraska’s 93 counties, but those areas are overwhelmingly rural and have seen few confirmed cases.
Nebraska will also allow smaller indoor facilities, such as bars, restaurants, churches, gyms and hair salons, to operate with no formal restrictions. State guidance still recommends limiting crowd sizes, but those guidelines aren’t enforceable.
Under the new rules, larger indoor venues such as concert halls can allow gatherings of up to 75 percent of their rated capacity, up from 50 percent. Additionally, Ricketts said people who want a gathering of 500 people or more will have to get approval from their local public health director.
The state’s shift won’t affect mask requirements in Omaha and Lincoln. Both cities still require people to wear face coverings in most indoor spaces when they aren’t able to stay at least 6 feet apart.
Lincoln-Lancaster County Public Health Director Pat Lopez has said her county won’t ease its restrictions this month because of a recent increase in cases driven by returning college students and the reopening of Lincoln Public Schools, the state’s second-largest school district.
“This is the time not only to stay the course but also to redouble our efforts in Lancaster County,” Lopez said. “We need to do what is best for our community to overcome the impacts of this virus.”
Nebraska has confirmed 36,917 coronavirus cases and 421 deaths since the pandemic began, according to the state’s tracking portal.
Nebraska saw a sharp spike in cases on Tuesday and Wednesday, but that was the result of a glitch that slowed the reporting of test results. For several days before that, the state’s public health data system wasn’t receiving results even though laboratories were processing tests.
Even so, the number of confirmed cases has trended upward since early July. Nebraska ranks 15th highest in the rate of positive cases as of this week, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.
Neighboring Iowa and South Dakota have seen even higher rates. On Sunday, the White House coronavirus task force sent a report saying Iowa had the third-highest rate of new cases in the country over the previous week. A week earlier, Iowa had the nation’s steepest rate of new cases.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/09/11/nebraska-to-end-nearly-all-social-distancing-restrictions/
Photo Credit: AP
For 13 years, this FL city banned saggy pants. Now, officials have voted to repeal the law
(CNN) — Officials in a south Florida city have voted to repeal a law banning low waistbands in public spaces as a step toward providing fairer policies to its citizens.
On Wednesday, Opa-locka city commission members repealed saggy pants ordinances from 2007 and 2013 in a 4-1 vote, officials said in a statement Thursday.
The original 2007 city ordinance said that men could receive civil citations for wearing saggy pants with exposed underwear in city buildings and parks.
In 2013, the law was expanded to include women and public spaces, Vice Mayor Chris Davis told CNN.
“Since its inception, this law disproportionately affected certain segments of our population, including Black and brown men and women,” the city said in a statement. “The Commission agreed to repeal the law opting for a less aggressive approach of educating our constituents to encourage proper dress.”
Four of the five city commissioners sponsored the repeal. Davis, who proposed the repeal, said he never supported the law.
In the city commission’s virtual meeting on Wednesday, Davis said the law was originally created with the intent to encourage young individuals — specifically young Black males and males in general — to dress to certain standards in the community.
The 2013 ordinance also came with a fine of up to $500.
The lack of enforcement data and the city moving in a new direction of policing led him to sponsor a repeal, the vice mayor said in the video on Tuesday.
“You can’t pass a law to target any segment of a population. It has to be equitable,” Davis told CNN.
“In Opa-locka, we’re a predominately African-American and Hispanic community. When you pass laws like that, they can seem predatory if not carefully implemented.”
As the country faces a climate of protest against police brutality, Davis said he believes the repeal of the city’s saggy pants law is an opportunity to implement the type of positive change needed to establish fair and impartial policies in the city.
The vote was a first reading of the repeal. The item will need to be approved again at the next commission meeting before it becomes official.
Photo Credit: City of Opa-locka
Chicago suburb’s police chief fired over Facebook post of “black looters” with caption “when free housing, free food, free education, and free phones just aren’t enough”
The police chief of a Chicago suburb has been fired for posting a meme on his personal Facebook page that was “in incredibly poor taste,” local officials said.
Longtime Orland Hills police chief Thomas Scully was dismissed Wednesday after sharing an image of black looters with the text “when free housing, free food, free education, and free phones just aren’t enough,” the local NBC affiliate reported.
“We hold all of our public officials to the highest standards in their personal and professional lives in Orland Hills,” the village said in a statement.
“This social media post is in incredibly poor taste. It does not reflect the values of the people of our community, and we will not tolerate such behavior from any of our public officials.”
Scully served as chief for 15 years.
Orland Hills’ deputy chief, Michael Blaha, will take over until the village finds a permanent replacement for Scully.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/09/10/chicago-suburbs-police-chief-fired-over-facebook-post/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
11-year-old girl shot in the face answering door at Pennsylvania home
An 11-year-old Pennsylvania girl was shot in the face by a masked gunman when she answered the door at a home in Bethlehem, according to police.
The unidentified child responded to a knock on the door at the Fairland Avenue home shortly before midnight Wednesday when she was shot, Bethlehem police said in a statement on Facebook.
The girl suffered “significant facial trauma” in the attack but is expected to recover, police said.
“We do not believe this to be a random act, although the victim was likely not the intended target,” the statement said. “Although we are asking Bethlehem residents to be extra vigilant and to report any suspicious sightings, we do not believe there is any increased danger to the public at large.”
The shooter is believed to be a man and could have been wearing a face covering, cops told the Express-Times.
“Fireworks, that’s all that ever happens here that’s alarming,” neighbor Marcie Lightwood told the outlet. “People are friendly, people are nice. It’s a quiet, nice neighborhood.”
Another neighbor said an elderly couple lived in the home and had their granddaughter visiting.
Asked if they believed the gunman went to the wrong address, police said they “are not ruling anything out.”
via: https://nypost.com/2020/09/10/girl-shot-in-the-face-answering-door-at-pennsylvania-home/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
Mom falls through ceiling during daughter’s audition, video goes viral on TikTok
A freshman at a Big Apple dramatic arts college was recording herself as she practiced for a school audition – but was upstaged by her own mom, who came crashing down through the ceiling.
Liz San Millan, who attends the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, was facing the camera as she sang “Kindergarten Boyfriend” from “Heathers: The Musical,” when she heard a crash in her parents’ home in Denison, Texas.
The shocked student turned around to the sight of her mother’s leg dangling through a hole in the ceiling – along with a chunk of insulation and pieces of drywall.
“There was a loud noise … I turn around and all of a sudden, my mom’s leg is through the ceiling,” Liz told “Good Morning America.”
“My dad said, ‘Did you just fall through the ceiling?’ and [my mom] said, ‘You’re not going to ask if I’m OK?’ She was a little sassy about it, actually,” added the student, who posted the hilarious clip on TikTok, where it went viral.
“We laughed for like 30 minutes straight,” she told ”GMA.” “She was not against posting it, and thought it was hilarious.”
The musical theater student, who recently moved to the city, told BuzzFeed News she was recording herself as practice for placement auditions when her mom tripped in the attic while looking for luggage.
“Right before she fell, you can see the irritation in my face due to her banging around while she knew I was filming,” Liz told the outlet. “There are wooden beams in the attic that you’re supposed to step on, but she tripped and stepped right into my ceiling.”
She added: “She was shocked at first, which is why she didn’t make any noise or move around, but she is completely fine! Not even a scratch.”
Her dad, Lance, has been working on filling the big hole.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the responses to my video,” Liz told BuzzFeed. “My mom has absolutely loved reading the comments and watching the duets.”
“Always love the background dancers,” one TikTok user wrote.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/09/10/mom-crashes-through-ceiling-during-daughters-audition-on-video/
Photo Credit: TikTok
Boy dies at suburban Chicago hotel after granite tabletop falls on his head at wedding reception
A five-year-old boy died in a hotel outside of Chicago last week when a granite tabletop fell on him during a wedding reception.
Luca Berlingerio, of Glenview, Illinois, was killed during the tragic accident while he was with his family at the Drake Hotel in the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook on Sept. 4, according to the Oak Brook Police Department.
Police said surveillance video from the hotel shows Berlingerio lying across a table with a granite top, which was positioned against the back of a sofa where other children were playing at the time.
As Berlingerio tried to slide off the table, he grabbed its edge to stabilize himself. But as he descended, the stone tabletop fell on his head, according to police.
Berlingerio suffered severe head injuries and was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
“Our team is heartbroken about this terrible accident,” said Lee Hoener, Drake Hotel’s general manager, in a statement. “We wish to share our condolences with the family and friends affected. To respect their privacy, we aren’t able to share the specifics of the incident.”
A GoFundMe was launched to support the child’s mother, Simone Berlingerio. The site has set a goal to raise $10,000 for the family and has collected more than $2,800 over two days.
Photo Credit: GoFundMe
New photos of man who allegedly wiped vomit on 42 clothing items at Wyoming Valley Mall
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE CO. (WOLF) — Well- you may have thought we’ve heard it all.
One man is now being charged after he wiped his vomit all over clothing at the Wyoming Valley Mall H&M store yesterday.
According to police, the man entered the store and started throwing up then stood up and wiped the vomit on 42 clothing items before leaving.
The man was allegedly last seen leaving the parking lot in a black Acura.
Cost in damages is $859.58.
Photo Credit: fox56
Salon Owner Won’t Allow Customers to Wear Masks Because ‘Covid Doesn’t Exist’
A beauty shop called Skin Kerr Aesthetics banned customers from wearing face masks during salon treatments for this reason, and it sent customers and onlookers into a frenzy. The shop, located in Bootle, England, put up a controversial window sign that explicitly states a few things about the virus…or as they might say “alleged” virus.
A photo of the sign, published by the Liverpool Echo, reads:
- Covid Free Salon
- No Masks
- We Take Cash
- Covid Talk Is Banned
- You Can’t Catch What Doesn’t Exist
It’s followed by a new hashtag that reads #voodoovirusisbulls*** and #wedonotconsent. Another line asks readers and patrons to respect the rules.
English salons reopened in July. Some services, which require face-to-face contact, like brow waxing, were only allowed to resume in salons in August.
The United Kingdom has seen over 350,000 confirmed coronavirus cases since the illness’ conception in late 2019. 279,000 of those cases have been in England. Of those cases, nearly 40,000 people have died of the disease.
Skin Kerr could not be contacted by Newsweek for further comment.
Original article ???????????????????????????????????????????????????? https://www.newsweek.com/salon-owner-wont-allow-customers-wear-masks-because-covid-doesnt-exist-1530351
Tamron Hall Talks ‘Heartbreaking’ Interview with Former Fla. Political Star Found Drunk in Hotel Scandal
Andrew Gillum will be alright. Remember Marion Barry?
Tamron Hall says an upcoming interview with disgraced former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum and his wife was “one of the most difficult” in her 27-year career as a journalist.
Gillum and his wife, R. Jai Gillum, sat down with Hall for their first interview since the Florida politician was caught in the middle of a scandal in Marchthat led to him to enter rehab and therapy and retreat from his once-promising career.
The sit-down interview will air during Tamron Hall‘s second season premiere on Monday. An exclusive clip was shared with PEOPLE, above.
“It was intense, and at moments it was heartbreaking, upsetting and it was disorienting,” Hall, 49, tells PEOPLE. “I’m only there because they’ve agreed, but I still felt like I was prying. They agreed to talk with me, but as a journalist there’s moments where you wonder: How far are we really supposed to go?”
Gillum, who narrowly lost Florida’s 2018 gubernatorial race to now-Gov. Ron DeSantis by 32,000 votes, made headlines this spring when he was found drunk in a hotel room with another man who may have overdosed on drugs and was treated by responders, according to local police.
Gillum, 41, said then that he “had too much to drink” but had not taken meth, which authorities suspect was in the room with the men. The other man identified himself as an escort through the website Rent Men, according to a local TV news article. He told the Miami New Times that he and Gillum had been “friends for a while.”
Photos from the scene also circulated in corners of the internet, including one of an unconscious Gillum “on the floor … literally lying in my own vomit,” as he told Hall.
After news of the incident spread, Gillum announced he would be stepping back in order to “seek help, guidance and enter a rehabilitation facility.”
Now, for the first time, the former mayor of Tallahassee and his wife are talking about the situation and his recovery.
“It’s one of the most difficult interviews I’ve ever conducted because you have someone who — the level of shame that he is feeling, the level of heartbreak and humiliation that his wife has been exposed to, reaches a depth of pain that I cannot imagine,” Hall says.
“The truth is, is that, Tamron, everyone believes the absolute worst about that day,” Gillum tells Hall. “At this stage I don’t have anything else to have to conceal. I literally got broken down to my most bare place, to the place where I wasn’t even sure that I wanted to live. Not because of what I had done, but because of everything that was being said about me.”
Gillum says that he has cried “every day” since the incident.
According to a police report obtained by The Miami New Times in March, Miami Beach officers arrived to the Mondrian South Beach hotel on a Friday night that month and found Gillum in a room with Travis Dyson, who was being treated by emergency responders for a “possible drug overdose.” The police report stated that officers found three bags of what they suspected to be crystal meth on the bed and on the floor of the room.
Authorities told PEOPLE at the time that the incident was not being treated as a criminal matter and Gillum was not charged with any crime.
He said this summer on social media that he was “working” on himself in recovery and taking time to “deal with some issues I was having,” including alcoholism.
“I had totally underestimated the impact that losing the race for governor had had on my life and on the way those impacts started to show up in every aspect of my life,” Gillum said in an Instagram video in July.
Hall, who co-hosted the Today show for three years before leaving NBC in 2017, says she first reached out to Gillum after she heard about the hotel scandal on social media.
Eventually, he and R. Jai agreed to a joint interview after weeks of texting about how the conversation would take place.
“He and his wife had refused many, many requests from so many shows — both news and entertainment,” Hall says. “I think what the breakthrough was, at least what they told me, was that I wanted her to be a major part of the story, not just the spouse on the side meant to prop you up or meant to shield you from the incoming criticism, but what’s your story as well?”
Andrew Gillum LYNNE SLADKY/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK
Hall says R. Jai is “tough as nails” and “defiant” during the interview, saying R. Jai tells her she doesn’t want the incident to define their marriage.
“She’s incredibly protective of their three children, as you can imagine, but she’s also very protective of Andrew,” Hall says. “She’s very forthcoming about their relationship, about decisions they made within their relationship that she never expected to be discussing publicly — nor did she want to and now she is.”
As for details of the conversation, Hall says that Gillum and his wife “addressed it all.”
“They went into great detail on their history, on their marriage, on what R. Jai described as their ‘personal covenant,’ ” she says, adding that “a grenade went of inside their marriage and inside their lives” and that she doesn’t believe they know yet what the future holds for Gillum.
The politician was seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party who received an endorsement from President Barack Obama during the 2018 race.
Gillum has stepped back from politics since March, though he has still used social media to show support for Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the general election.
“We discussed that: Can he return to politics? Does he even want to?” Hall says. “We know that on both sides of the isle, politicians have returned from scandals that people were certain would end it all for them. I think with Andrew he’s first focused on his children, his wife, and his career is very important to him.”
Original article ?????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????https://people.com/politics/tamron-hall-talks-andrew-gillum-interview/
Arkansas man gets 2 life terms, 835 years for killing off-duty police officer
WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. (AP) — An Arkansas man has been sentenced to two life terms plus 835 years in prison for the fatal shooting of an off-duty police officer in northeast Arkansas.
Demarcus Donnell Parker, 27, was convicted Tuesday by a Crittenden County jury of first-degree murder, illegally shooting a weapon from a vehicle and 21 related charges in the April 2018 shooting death of Forrest City officer Oliver Johnson, according to court documents.
An attorney for Parker did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Wednesday.
Prosecutors have said Parker was shooting at rival gang members outside Johnson’s home in West Memphis when the officer was struck by a stray bullet. Investigators have said Johnson was likely not the target of the gunfire.
Trial on similar charges is pending against a co-defendant in the shooting, George Henderson, who has pleaded not guilty.
Photo Credit: Crittenden County Jail via AP