Wayne Byers Show – Morning – Dec 10

CSi Weather…

 

REST OF TODAY…Partly sunny. Colder. Highs in the upper 30s. North winds 15 to 20 mph.

.TONIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower 20s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.

.FRIDAY…Cloudy in the morning then clearing. Patchy fog in the

morning. Highs in the lower 30s. Northeast winds around 5 mph.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Increasing clouds. Lows 15 to 20. Northeast winds

5 to 10 mph.

.SATURDAY…Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 20s. East winds

around 10 mph.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Decreasing clouds. Lows around 15.

.SUNDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 30s.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows 10 to 15.

.MONDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 20s.

.MONDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows 5 to 10 above.

.TUESDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 20s.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows 5 to 10 above.

.WEDNESDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 20s.

Jamestown  (CSi)  Stutsman County Sheriff, Chad Kaiser reported on Wednesday afternoon that the Stutsman County Narcotics Task Force conducted two large drug arrests over a two days period in Jamestown.

He says on December 7, 2020, the Task Force conducted a search at 1010 Western Park Village in Jamestown. During the search officers located approximately two pounds of meth, several grams of THC products, approximately a half pound of marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms and several pieces of drug paraphernalia  for the use and distribution of controlled substances.

On December 8 a substance search was conducted at 502 13th Street, Southeast apartment number seven. During the search officers located an additional 2.5 pounds of meth, approximately a half pound of marijuana, and several pieces of drug paraphernalia.

Officers seized approximately $93,000 in U.S. currency  during the searches.

The amount of meth has a street value of approximately $200,000.

Arrested and charged with possession of meth with the intent to deliver, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, possession of THC, possession of Psilocybin, and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia was 57 year old Joni Scherer.

65 year old, Miles Scherer was arrested and charged with possession of meth with intent to deliver, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, possession of THC and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Bond was set at $100,000, each.

The Stutsman County Narcotics Task Force was assisted by the North Dakota Bureau of Investigation, the Stutsman County Sheriff’s Office, North Dakota Parole and Probation, and the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

 

Bismarck (CSi)  Governor Doug Burgum held his COVID-19 News Briefing on Wednesday afternoon, in Bismarck.  Burgum was joined by Molly Howell, NDDoH Immunization Program Manager.

 

He pointed out the growing national positive cases, with the indoors winter months, plus with the holidays coming the numbers are expected to grow.

He said North Dakota’s positive cases per capita have been reduced, recently ranked 16^th in the nation.

He added that North Dakota’s hospitalizations are currently declining.

He thanked residents for reducing contacts over the Thanksgiving holiday. Although reports have shown some individuals attending larger gatherings that were infected.

He said those 65 years of age and older and with underlying health conditions should not be in public indoors spaces without wearing a mask.

He pointed out COVID-19 testing sites, that are available in the state, and those planning to attending Christmas gatherings to start isolating now, before being tested.

ND Covid Stats

Wed. Dec 9, 2020

11:00-a.m.

Barnes County

 

New Positives:  8

Total Positives: 1141

Active:  85

Recovered:  1049

 

Stutsman County

NEW DEATHS 3

• Man in his 80s
• Man in his 70s
• Woman in her 90s

TOTAL DEATHS 59

New Positives: 20

Total Positives: 2813

Active:  155

Recovered:   2599

Totals include both PCR tests and antigen tests combined.

 

COVID-19 Test Results 
The results listed are from the previous day. Additional data can be found on the NDDoH website.

Thank you for your patience! Antigen tests (BinaxNOW, etc.) will be live on the website shortly.

A couple of things to note:

• The NDDoH is following the guidance from the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) – the independent professional body that determines case definitions for the country. CSTE guidance and the CDC indicate that someone who has a positive antigen test for COVID-19 should be considered a probable case. Probable cases receive the same level of case investigation and follow-up as cases confirmed using a PCR test.
• PCR tests and antigen tests are displayed separately on the first page of the dashboard and are broken out into daily and cumulative totals on the second page. For the rest of the graphs and maps, totals include both PCR tests and antigen tests combined.
• Antigen tests are not taken into account in the percent positivity. Some testing facilities are not reporting all antigen testing. As a result, we do not know the total number of negatives and total tests completed to be able to calculate a positivity rate.
• 1,922 positive antigen tests have been added to the totals. The past positive antigen tests and 12 deaths reported yesterday are reflected on the dashboard on the actual day they were resulted. So, the daily new positives reported today are the PCR tests and antigen tests reported from yesterday, as is usually done.

BY THE NUMBERS

6,085 – Total Tests from Yesterday*

1,199,933 – Total tests completed since the pandemic began

473 – Positive Individuals from Yesterday*****

415 – PCR Tests | 58 antigen tests
86,149 – Total positive individuals since the pandemic began

7.49% – Daily Positivity Rate** 

 

4,554 – Total Active Cases

-220 Individuals from Yesterday

666 – Individuals Recovered from Yesterday (531 with a recovery date of yesterday****)

80,515 – Total recovered since the pandemic began

284 – Currently Hospitalized

-44 – Individuals from yesterday

 

16 – New Deaths*** (1,080 total deaths since the pandemic began)

INDIVIDUALS WHO DIED WITH COVID-19

• Man in his 90s from Burleigh County.
• Woman in her 90s from Burleigh County.
• Woman in her 90s from Burleigh County.
• Man in his 80s from Burleigh County.
• Man in his 70s from Dickey County.
• Woman in her 80s from Grand Forks County.
• Woman in her 80s from McKenzie County.
• Woman in her 80s from Ramsey County.
• Man in his 80s from Ramsey County.
• Man in his 80s from Stutsman County.
• Man in his 70s from Stutsman County.
• Woman in her 90s from Stutsman County.
• Man in his 60s from Traill County.
• Woman in her 90s from Walsh County.
• Man in his 80s from Ward County.
• Man in his 50s from Ward County.

COUNTIES WITH NEW POSITIVE CASES REPORTED WEDNESDAY

• Adams County – 1
• Barnes County – 8
• Benson County – 3
• Bottineau County – 3
• Burke County – 1
• Burleigh County – 52
• Cass County – 116
• Cavalier County – 1
• Dickey County – 7
• Divide County – 1
• Dunn County – 3
• Eddy County – 2
• Foster County – 2
• Golden Valley County – 3
• Grand Forks County – 51
• Griggs County – 2
• Hettinger County – 1
• Kidder County – 2
• LaMoure County – 2
• Logan County – 5
• McKenzie County – 4
• McLean County – 7
• Mercer County – 6
• Morton County – 15
• Mountrail County – 2
• Nelson County – 3
• Oliver County – 1
• Pembina County – 4
• Pierce County – 1
• Ramsey County – 11
• Ransom County – 3
• Renville County – 1
• Richland County – 23
• Rolette County – 17
• Sargent County – 4
• Sioux County – 1
• Stark County – 13
• Steele County – 1
• Stutsman County – 20
• Towner County – 6
• Traill County – 13
• Walsh County – 6
• Ward County – 18
• Wells County – 2
• Williams County – 25

 

* Note that this includes PCR tests and does not include individuals from out of state.

**Individuals who tested positive divided by the total number of people tested who have not previously tested positive (susceptible encounters). Antigen tests (positive or negative) are not included in the calculation.

*** Number of individuals who tested positive with a PCR or antigen test and died from any cause while infected with COVID-19. There is a lag in the time deaths are reported to the NDDoH.

**** The actual date individuals are officially out of isolation and no longer contagious.

*****Daily positive numbers include people who tested with a PCR or antigen test. Totals may be adjusted as individuals are found to live out of state, in another county, or as other information is found during investigation.

For descriptions of these categories, visit the NDDoH dashboard.

For the most updated and timely information and updates related to COVID-19, visit the NDDoH website at www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus, follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

 

With the North Dakota mask mandate, Burgum’s previous order requires people wear masks and limits the size of gatherings and earlier business closing.  Burugm’s  order expires Sunday December 13. North Dakota has dropped from first to 16th in the country for new cases per capita in the last two weeks.

Yesterday, Burgum said, the mask mandate will be extended to January 18, 2021. He said by that date residents will have started the first round of getting vaccines.  The mandate for restrictions on bars restaurants and other hospitality industries will be extended to Friday January 8^th.  Local political subdivisions Emergency Orders with similar restrictions can be adjusted by each city.

With sports, the suspension of sports games will be allowed to expire on December 14.

NDDoH Immunization Program Manager, Molly Howell said,

North Dakota has been working for months and is ready to take action as soon as the vaccine is is available, beginning in North Dakota as soon as this weekend, or next Monday with Pfizer, 6825 doses available .  13,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine availability will follow soon after. for healthcare workers, and long-term care residents and staff with the top priority.

The  vaccine will be available from pharmacies, public health and private health care providers.

Thrifty White Drug is the North Dakota pharmacy handling the local immuizations.

The general public will be able to get the vaccine, this spring, with the exception of children and pregnant woman.

She said the vaccine is showing 82 percent effectiveness after the first dose, but a booster is required a few weeks later.

Two companies, Moderna and Pfizer, recently applied to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize the vaccine for emergency use in the U.S.

The North Dakota COVID-19 Vaccination Ethics Committee, which includes a physician, ethicist, local public health representative, representative of the Department of Human Services and a representative of the Department of Health, has prioritized who should receive the limited, initial supplies of vaccine.

Both vaccines displayed about 95% efficacy, which means they will prevent a person from getting the infection up to 95% of the time.  .Both vaccines showed excellent protection against severe COVID disease.  This level of protection would put them among the very best vaccines we currently have.

Burgum pointed out the BinaxNow rapid testing is now available in North Dakota, in addition to COVID-19 antigen testing.

The Hospitality Economic Resiliency Grant PLUS application is Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. CST and will close on Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. CST.

The Hospitality Economic Resiliency Grant PLUS expands the Hospitality Economic Resiliency Grant (HERG) to provide funding for the accommodation sector which includes hotels, motels, lodges and resort establishments. The Hospitality Economic Resiliently Grant PLUS is intended to assist the state’s hotels, motels and lodging businesses who have been impacted by loss of revenue due to low occupancy rates as a result of the pandemic.

Burgum said, “These businesses serve a pivotal role in our communities, not only for visitors and tourism, but also for the local workforce and supporting businesses that rely on consistent occupancy rates. Expanding the HERG program will provide much-needed relief for this vital sector of our economy.”

The grant is not intended for private vacation rentals or bed-and-breakfasts who rent rooms, apartments, condos or homes to the traveling public through online marketplaces. Extended stay hotels that offer rooms for an ongoing nightly basis are eligible but, those who only serve long-term stays defined as 30 days or more are not eligible.

Eligible facilities may apply for up to $40,000. Applicants with more than one facility may apply for up to $80,000 with maximum of $40,000 to be used per location.

Funds must be used to reimburse eligible entities for costs in operations, like payroll, rent, utilities, and other expenses that comply with CARES Act federal and/or CDC guidelines. Eligible expenses must have been incurred on or after March 27, 2020, and no later than date of application.

Applications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Funding will be approved if the application meets all criteria and funding is available. Additional information is available at https://belegendary.link/PHERG.

For more North Dakota news and information, go to www.NDCommerce.com.

The ND Dept of Transporation reminds customers that all driver licenses, which expired after March 1, are due for renewal by December 31.

The December 31 deadline aligns with Governor Burgum’s executive order which extended certain expiration dates. If your license is not renewed by this date it will be considered invalid.

The NDDOT continues to provide driver license services by appointment only. No walk-in services are available at this time.

Customers need to schedule an appointment ahead of time by visiting our website at dot.nd.gov to complete an online request or by calling 1-855-633-6835.

In other state news…

The North Dakota Medical Expense Assistance Program (MEAP) applications are scheduled to opened Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 10:00 AM CST and will close at 5:00 pm on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020 CST.

The MEAP is a new program designed for first responders and frontline healthcare workers and provides financial assistance for COVID-19 related expenses. Eligible applicants may qualify to receive funding up to $5,000.

Burgum says, “Healthcare workers and first responders are on the front lines of our fight against the coronavirus, and this program provides another measure of relief for those who become COVID- We’re  deeply grateful for their tireless service and critical roles in saving lives and caring for our citizens during this pandemic.”

To be eligible for MEAP, an applicant must:

• be a first responder or frontline healthcare worker infected with COVID-19 (employee or volunteer) per Executive Orders 2020-12 and 2020-12.2, and
• have received a positive COVID-19 medical diagnosis, and
• have been denied a claim, or have not applied, for workers’ compensation benefits from WSI for COVID-19.

Applicants may be eligible for $1,000 award if they meet the eligibility requirements. They may be eligible for an additional $4,000 if they did not have private health insurance coverage at the time they received treatment for COVID-19.

Applications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Funding will be approved if the application meets all criteria and funding is available. Contact MEAP Hotline at meap@nd.gov or 701-328-6004 with questions.

 

Valley City  (CCHD)  Valley City’s City County Health Officer, Dr. James Buhr has issued a News Release, regarding the importance of masking up to contain the spread of the COVID-19 Virus.

“The CDC continues to remind people that COVID-19 can be spread by people who do not have symptoms and do not know that they are infected. That’s why it’s important for everyone to practice social distancing (staying at least 6 feet away from other people) and wear masks in public settings. Masks are essential to help prevent the respiratory droplets from traveling in the air and onto other people.

What type of face mask should I use during the COVID-19 pandemic? The CDC recommends that members of the public use simple cloth face coverings (3 layers thick) or a paper mask (sometimes known as a surgical mask) when in a public setting to slow the spread of the virus, since this will help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. Neck gaiters with a single layer of fabric that can be pulled up over the nose and mouth are not adequate.

How are face masks effective during the COVID-19 pandemic? Masks absorb droplets when we sneeze or cough, but face shields do not. If you do choose to wear a face shield over a face mask, you will need to sanitize it frequently. Research has found that this virus likes to live on plastic a lot better than it lives on porous materials like cloth, paper or cardboard.

Should you wear a mask over your nose to protect against COVID-19? Masks must be worn over your mouth and nose. Yes, breathing through a mask can take some getting used to, but don’t lower your mask to breathe through your nose. When you don’t have the mask over your nose, you are breathing or sneezing potentially infectious particles into the air around you.

Does a plastic face shield help? The CDC does not recommend the use of face shields for normal everyday activities or as a substitute for masks. They remind us that anything made of clear plastic is not a mask. This makes sense, since the air has to move into your mouth and to get there simply has to flow around the shield, not get filtered through it as it does through a mask.

Face shields are used liberally along with masks by health care workers when there is a possibility of body fluids splashing into the workers’ eyes, because our eyes can take in virus particles. Even wearing glasses is possibly helpful, and for people that worry about protecting themselves as much as possible, a cloth mask plus a face shield makes sense.

We need to continue all our efforts–mask wearing, distancing, hand washing, avoiding crowds. Remember, the CDC does not recommend use of face shields for normal everyday activities or as a substitute for masks.

For more information on COVID-19 go to www.health.nd.gov and click on coronavirus (more information) or call their hotline at 1-866-207-2880 or contact City County Health District about any concerns or needs that you may have (845-8518). If you or your family would need a cloth mask, they can be obtained at City County Health District.”

James B. Buhr, MD, County Health Officer, City County Health District.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  Continuing through the COVID-19 pandemic SAFE  Shelter in Jamestown is meeting challenges, modifying operations while  serving victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

SAFE Shelter Director, Lynn Talley says the uncertainty of the pandemic can be overwhelming for victims, many feeling trapped at home by their abusers, while staying home, more during the pandemic.

Through the pandemic challenges include trying to keep the staff and volunteers safe, while still being available to victims reaching out for help.

She says currently the staff alternates working remotely and working in the office, so one advocate is there most of the time.   The 24 hour crisis line is still staffed to meet the needs of victims and their children.

Lynn says while services have not been cut, she worries about what the future may hold.

Like other non-profit organizations, SAFE Shelter’s funding has been impacted by the pandemic with donations down, in part due to not being able to hold fundraising events to help meet their budget.

Those able to make a donation, planning on year end contributions, are asked to consider SAFE Shelter, and Mary’s Place in your plans.  Lynn says any dollar amount will help.

Those wishing to make a financial contribution may do so by:

Going to their website, www.SafeShelterJamestown.org and click on the donate button.

Going to their Facebook page, and click on the donate button.

Texting, HELPSS to 41444.

Sending a check to P.0. Box 1934, Jamestown, ND 58402.

 

Jamestown  (NDFU)   – North Dakota Farmers Union President Mark Watne made the following statement Wednesday on President-elect Joe Biden’s expected nomination of Tom Vilsack for U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

 

“Family farmers and ranchers have a great leader in their corner in Tom Vilsack. Throughout this transition process, Farmers Union has encouraged President-elect Joe Biden to choose a secretary who understands North Dakota agriculture. Tom Vilsack clearly recognizes the challenges our family farmers and ranchers face.

 

“With his expansive knowledge and experience as USDA chief in the Obama administration, he’ll be able to hit the ground running on Day 1. We look forward to working side-by-side with him to restore competition in the food and agriculture supply chain, establish stable access to international markets, strengthen the farm safety net, and promote development of biofuel markets.”

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Federal investigators say pilot error most likely caused the 2018 crash of a medical plane in North Dakota that killed all three people on board. The National Transportation Safety Board’s final report attributed the Bismarck Air Medical crash in Morton County to “the pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane in dark night conditions.” It said that resulted in “an in-flight positive overload failure of the wings and the subsequent in-flight breakup of the airplane. Bismarck Air Medical pilot Todd Lasky, Metro Area Ambulance paramedic Chris Iverson and CHI St. Alexius Health nurse Bonnie Cook died in the crash.

Update

WEST FARGO, N.D. (AP) — The search is resuming for a woman who authorities say apparently drowned in the Sheyenne River in West Fargo. Firefighters and police responded to the river late Wednesday afternoon about 4:30-p.m., on a report of a woman who had entered the water. Firefighters and the Valley Water Rescue team searched the river and its banks. Drones from the Southeast Regional UAS team and search dogs were also used but were not successful in finding the victim. Officials say the current in that part of the river is strong and that it’s unusual at this time of year that the river is not frozen over.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Police say one of two men wanted on an attempted murder charge in a Bismarck shooting has been arrested. Eighteen-year-old Dayson Lawrence is in custody at the Burleigh Morton Detention Center. Police say Lawrence and 18-year-old Chaseon Stagl, of Grand Forks, drove to a residence Dec. 2 after Stagl argued with a man on the phone. Authorities say Stagl fired shots while at the residence. The man who was fired upon followed them as they drove off, and Lawrence allegedly fired shots when the man’s vehicle pulled next to them.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved a budget early Thursday that will shift about $8 million from the police department toward violence prevention and other programs — but will keep the mayor’s targeted staffing levels for sworn officers intact. Mayor Jacob Frey had threatened to veto the entire budget if the council went ahead with its plan to cap police staffing. He said Thursday that the vote was a defining moment for the city, which has experienced soaring crime rates amid calls to defund the police since the May 25 death of George Floyd.

 

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s extraordinary effort to overturn Joe Biden’s win in Wisconsin is returning to the courtroom. Hearings are scheduled Thursday in both his federal and state lawsuits that seek to invalidate hundreds of thousands of ballots and to give the GOP-controlled Legislature the power to name Trump the winner. Trump’s attorneys are urging the courts to act quickly so he can appeal any adverse ruling before members of the Electoral College meet on Monday and cast Wisconsin’s 10 votes for Biden. Attorneys for Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and the state elections commission say the cases are without merit and should be dismissed.

In sports…

Valley City (vcsuvikings.com) – The Valley City State University basketball  schedule changes have been announced.

The VCSU men’s and women’s basketball games on Friday and Saturday against Presentation College and Mayville State have  been postponed. Both doubleheaders will be rescheduled, probably for the end of January.

Games are now scheduled versus Dickinson State this weekend. The women will host the Blue Hawks on Saturday, December 12, at 3 p.m. The Viking men will host Dickinson State on Sunday, Dec.ember 13, at 3 p.m., in conference games, having been postponed from December 5.

It was also announced, that VCSU will allow up to 150 spectators for each contest. Each team is allotted 30 spots for parents and family members. The remaining 90 spots will be on a first-come, first-serve basis at the games and are open to the general public. Cost is $8 for adults and $4 for students. VCSU students, employees and Century Club members will be admitted for free with their passes.

 

NDAPSSA Class A Basketball Polls

Preseason poll

(First-place votes in parenthesis)

Boys

Team Rec. Pts.

1. Jamestown (9) 0-0 77
2. W.S. Sheyenne (6) 0-0 71
3. Bismarck (1) 0-0 57
4. Fargo Davies (2) 0-0 43
5. Bismarck Legacy 0-0 15

Others receiving votes: West Fargo, Bismarck Century, Mandan.

Girls

Team Rec. Pts

1. Bis. Century (16) 0-0 88
2. Fargo Davies (1) 0-0 66
3. Bis. Legacy (1) 0-0 57
4. West Fargo 0-0 29
5. Bismarck 0-0 12

Others receiving votes: Fargo Shanley, Devils Lake.

 

Minneapolis  (WCCO)  The St. Paul Saints baseball operation will become the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.

WCCO Radio reports that Twins senior vice president and general manager Thad Levine, says, “It’s going to open a world of opportunities for collaboration with our minor league and major league coaching staff.  It will give us the opportunity to rehab some of our players in our own backyard.  It’s something that we’re extremely excited about.  We started it last year, using CHS Field as our alternate site.

The radio station adds, that news of the agreement comes almost one month after the Twins cut ties with their former Triple-A affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings, the past 18 years.

In addition to St. Paul becoming a AAA franchise, the Twins will move their AA team to Wichita after leaving Pensacola, Fla.

The Twins are keeping Class A teams in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Ft. Myers, Fla.

Major League Baseball’s realignment of the minor leagues calls for 120 affiliated teams, eliminating 40 clubs that had been part of the system.

 

In world and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden is heading to Georgia to campaign for the Democratic candidates in the state’s two critical U.S. Senate runoffs. Biden says he’ll travel to Atlanta on Tuesday to support Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock in the Jan. 5 runoffs, which will determine which party controls the Senate at the outset of his presidency. Ossoff faces Republican Sen. David Perdue. Warnock faces GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler. Republicans need one seat for a Senate majority. Democrats need both to make Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote. President Donald Trump used a weekend rally in Valdosta, Georgia, to push supporters to turn out for Perdue and Loeffler.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine faces one final hurdle before an expected decision to greenlight the shot for use in millions of Americans. Food and Drug Administration advisers meet Thursday to scrutinize the company’s data for any red flags or oversights. The public review comes as U.K. regulators investigate two apparent cases of allergic reaction to the vaccine. Safety will be top of mind for the panel of medical experts, who will vote on whether to endorse the vaccine. They will also address unknowns about the vaccine’s effectiveness in certain groups. A final FDA decision and the first shots could follow within days.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers are embracing a one-week extension of government funding to buy time for more COVID-19 relief talks. The House on Wednesday easily passed a temporary funding bill that sets a Dec. 18 deadline for Congress to wrap up both a virus relief measure and a $1.4 trillion government spending bill. The Senate is expected to easily pass the bill before midnight Friday to avert a partial government shutdown. Meanwhile, negotiations continue over another round of virus aid. Leaders are in agreement about helping small businesses and preserving extra unemployment benefits, but disagree over the details of the package.

 

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Africa’s top public health official says “it will be extremely terrible to see” rich countries receiving COVID-19 vaccines while African countries go without. This comes as a second surge in cases begins on the continent of 1.3 billion people. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, spoke to reporters as the world watches mass vaccinations begin in Britain. He urged the United Nations to summon a special session to discuss the ethical, fair distribution of vaccines. He has warned that the coronavirus could become endemic in Africa if vaccinations take too long.

 

BEIJING (AP) — China says it is imposing restrictions on travel to Hong Kong by some U.S. officials and others in retaliation for similar measures imposed on Chinese individuals by Washington. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson says U.S. diplomatic passport holders visiting Hong Kong and nearby Macao will temporarily no longer receive visa-free entry privileges. She says U.S. officials, congressional staffers, employees of non-governmental organizations and their immediate family members will face “reciprocal sanctions.” The U.S. has barred certain Chinese and Hong Kong officials from traveling to the U.S. or having dealings with the U.S. financial system over their roles in enforcing a sweeping National Security Law passed this summer that ushered in a crackdown on free speech in Hong Kong.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is investigating the finances of President-elect Joe Biden’s son, including scrutinizing some of his Chinese business dealings and other transactions. That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday. The revelations put a renewed spotlight on questions about Hunter Biden’s financial history, which dogged his father’s successful White House campaign and were a frequent target of President Donald Trump and his allies. They also come at a politically delicate time for the president-elect, who is weighing his choice to lead an agency that is actively investigating his son.

 

ROME (AP) — The World Food Program will receive its Nobel Peace Prize on Thursday in a different way from the pomp-filled traditional celebration in the Norwegian capital, because of the coronavirus outbreak. In Oslo, the head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee will give a webcast statement while David Beasley, the U.N. agency boss, will give an acceptance speech from Rome, where it is based. The body got the prestigious award for efforts to combat hunger. There are 12 Nobel laureates this year. All but the Peace Prize have been awarded over the past days at low-key ceremonies across Europe and the United States.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — An Associated Press investigation has identified at least six sexual misconduct allegations involving senior FBI officials over the past five years, including two new claims brought this week by women who say they were sexually assaulted by ranking agents. The AP found several of the accused FBI officials were quietly transferred or retired, keeping their full pensions even when probes substantiated the sexual misconduct claims. Beyond that, federal law enforcement officials are afforded anonymity even after the disciplinary process runs its course, allowing them to land on their feet in the private sector or even remain in law enforcement.