Day: August 23, 2021

U.S. to begin offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots in September

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U.S. to begin offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots in September

The U.S. government said on Wednesday it plans to make COVID-19 vaccine booster shots widely available starting on Sept. 20 as infections rise from the coronavirus Delta variant, citing data indicating diminishing protection from the vaccines over time. U.S. officials are prepared to offer a third shot to Americans who completed their initial inoculation in two-dose COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) and by Pfizer Inc(PFE.N) and BioNTech AG (22UAy.DE) at least eight months ago, the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. Initial booster doses…

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Three US senators test positive for Coronavirus

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Three US senators test positive for Coronavirus

Three senators — Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Angus King (I-Maine) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) — announced separately Thursday they tested positive for COVID-19. All three have been fully vaccinated. Wicker’s office said in a statement that the congressman tested positive Thursday morning after experiencing “mild symptoms.” He is isolating and in “good health,” according to the office. King’s office said he began feeling “under the weather” Wednesday, after which he took a COVID-19 test as a precaution. In a statement, King listed the measures he has taken throughout the pandemic…

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DAILY DEATHS TOP 1,000: War over masks deepens in South where COVID-19 cases are highest

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DAILY DEATHS TOP 1,000: War over masks deepens in South where COVID-19 cases are highest

Florida’s largest school district on Wednesday imposed a mask mandate in defiance of the state’s governor, the latest chapter in the coronavirus political battle in the southern United States where new infections are highest. At a day-long meeting that grew contentious at times, the Miami-Dade County School Board voted to require most of the district’s 360,000 students, as well as staff, to wear face coverings when classes begin on Monday. Governor Ron DeSantis previously placed a ban on local mask mandates. “While I am a very, very strong advocate, and…

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US jobs gets marginally better as hiring strengthens

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US jobs gets marginally better as hiring strengthens

The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell last week for a fourth straight time to a pandemic low, the latest sign that America’s job market is rebounding from the pandemic recession as employers boost hiring to meet a surge in consumer demand. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims fell by 29,000 to 348,000. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, also fell — by 19,000, to just below 378,000, also a pandemic low. The weekly pace of applications for unemployment aid has fallen more…

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IBM temporarily closes its New York office due to rise in Covid-19

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IBM temporarily closes its New York office due to rise in Covid-19

International Business Machines Corp. is temporarily closing its offices in New York City amid rising Covid-19 cases in the Big Apple, but the company stopped short of delaying plans to reopen other U.S. locations by September. Employees were notified on Wednesday that New York City offices will be open for essential staff only, an IBM spokeswoman said in a statement, citing “current clinical conditions” that “do not meet IBM’s health and safety protocols.” IBM’s decision comes as the delta variant spurs companies to re-evaluate return-to-work plans as infections spike across…

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US dollar will still control Afghanistan even after US troops pull out

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US dollar will still control Afghanistan even after US troops pull out

The Taliban may have swept Afghanistan, but they haven’t yet conquered its financial system, big parts of which rest on support from outside the country. The U.S. has a heavy hand in the multilateral organizations that dictate the flow of international aid upon which this shaky economy relies. Americans may be evacuating, but the dollar’s influence will remain. The International Monetary Fund, whose largest shareholder is the U.S., denied the Taliban access to reserve assets Wednesday, days before Afghanistan was set to receive almost $500 million. That came a day…

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