Recent coronavirus updates
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Japan and South Korea, increasingly powerful nations, have reached an important agreement with far-reaching positive implications.
ATLANTA – The state House of Representatives gave final passage Thursday to legislation that would prohibit government agencies from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination to access government facilities or services. Last year, the General Assembly enacted a measure barring the use of a person’s COVID vaccine status to prevent access to government facilities, services or licenses. […]
Todd Jones
“Disarmament … is a continuing imperative.”
That public statement is not from an ideologue on the left, but rather President Dwight D. Eisenhower in his farewell address.
On March 3, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of united Germany visited with President Joe Biden at the White House.
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• Butts County School System Updated Coronavirus Information and Guidance
• CDC (COVID-19) Situation Summary (updates at noon Monday through Friday)
• CDC Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Communities
• Georgia Department of Public Health COVID-19 page
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“The Red Balloon” is the title of a classic popular film from France that can serve as a metaphor for the alleged Chinese balloon menace. This whimsical fantasy of a boy and his balloon appeals to our need for companionship and our urge to escape routine existence, a desire hardly limited to children.
The tremendous devastation in Syria and Turkey as a result of the Feb. 6 earthquakes is an ongoing important focus of world action.
The large balloon launched by China, which drifted at a leisurely pace over North America until shot down by a U.S. F-22 fighter, is definitely an odd addition to international relations.
Bilal al-Sudani is not exactly a household name, which is all the more reason to highlight the fact that this dangerous terrorist leader has been removed.
The Vietnam War ended officially on Jan. 27, 1973 with signing of the Paris Peace Accords.
United States government officials specializing in trade began important, in-depth negotiations with counterparts from Taiwan on Jan. 14 in Taipei, the capital of the island.
By custom and habit, this writer regularly – though not always – devotes a column relatively early in the New Year to positive and encouraging economic, political, social and other trends in our world.
“An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth…,” is a useful starting place for discussion of the influence of Pope Francis, who is proving to be a remarkably active and activist leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The holidays are an excellent time for reflection.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine is ending 2022 in a strong and highly visible manner. On Dec. 21, he addressed both houses of the United States Congress and received multiple standing ovations. Time magazine has named him Person of the Year.
Christmas includes the anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, the largest land battle fought by the United States. This was hell on earth.
“Without justice, courage is weak,” Ben Franklin wrote.
Release of celebrity athlete Brittney Griner from a Russian prison is welcome worldwide. What of the other half of that exchange equation?
President Emmanuel Macron of France and his wife Brigitte have just completed a formal state visit to the United States hosted by President and Mrs. Joe Biden. The polished public events smooth over policy conflicts, which is of course their purpose.
Florida Republicans, including Gov. Ron DaSantis, have just won big in the election but also just suffered a major loss in court. Citing “1984,” George Orwell’s classic novel of totalitarian repression, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker has blocked portions of FL HB 7 (22R), Individual Freedom Act, also termed the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act.”
Thanksgiving means actual, not contrived, inclusiveness. President Abraham Lincoln profoundly demonstrates this fundamental point.
On Monday, Nov. 14, Presidents Joe Biden of the United State and Xi Jinping of China met in Bali, Indonesia. This provided an opportunity for direct though informal interchange between the heads of the governments of two very powerful nations.
ATLANTA – A new report looks at how Georgia’s schools are using the influx of nearly $6 billion in federal COVID relief funds that have flowed to districts across the state since 2020. While 10% of the funds were earmarked for the state Department of Education, the other 90% went directly to school districts. The […]
With little media notice, the United States plans to deploy up to six B-52 strategic bombers to Northern Australia. This imposing, and enormously capable, long-range strategic bomber is one of the most durable and respected military aircraft in history.
TORONTO (CTV Network) -- Cases of respiratory infections are on the rise across Canada as the country faces what health officials are calling the "triple-threat" of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
"Big Brother is watching you."
That was the pervasive punch line in British writer George Orwell's novel “1984.”
Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, after considerable conflict, gives the colorful capitalist an opportunity to change the notoriously dictatorial social media giant.
Rishi Sunak has been elected leader of the Conservative Party, and become the next prime minister of the United Kingdom (Britain plus Northern Ireland). This follows the incredibly brief and tumultuous tenure of hapless Prime Minister Liz Truss.
Putin warned in his speech that the Ukraine War represents an effort by the United States and other Western nations to expand influence in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Rationalizing Russia’s invasion as self-defense is a lie.
Toronto, Ontario (CTV Network) -- A new Western University-led study has shed more light on the impacts of COVID-19, suggesting patients may experience short- and long-term cognitive impairments following infection, which can be similar to those caused by sleep deprivation.
“Give ‘em hell Harry.”
That was the preeminent statement applied to President Harry S. Truman, and accurately sums up his political and more general style while in the White House, and thereafter for the rest of his life.
October is the scary month, and not just because of Halloween. Six decades ago, the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to the very brink of nuclear holocaust. During Oct. 22-28 1962, Washington and Moscow sparred on the edge of thermonuclear war.
The enormous mass public demonstrations in Iran could bring a change in regime. The fundamentalist Islamic rulers of the nation must be worried. A large number of cities across the country are experiencing the ongoing protests, though estimates of just how many vary.
Korea is in the news on several fronts, with even more noteworthy developments than usual.
PALMETTO — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm received the updated COVID-19 vaccine during a visit to a vaccination clinic run by YourTown Health at the Palmetto Community Center. In addition to receiving the updated COVID-19 vaccine, Palm toured the he…
Japan, one of the world's last major holdouts during the pandemic, is dissolving its Covid-19 restrictions and opening the door back up to mass tourism.
The death of Queen Elizabeth II, preceded by husband Prince Philip last year, is generating worldwide condolences. They personified continuity of important institutions, and relationships, in a turbulent time. Most personally, they were married for 70 years.
WASHINGTON — COVID-19 boosters shots are on track to become as frequent as the annual flu shot, though high-risk people may need more than one dose per year, Biden administration officials said this week.
“A riddle, wrapped in an enigma, inside a mystery.”
That is how Winston Churchill, the great wartime leader of Great Britain, described the difficulty of dealing with Russia. He spoke the words in 1939, shortly after the outbreak of World War II in Europe.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest COVID-19 infection rates in Georgia using data from U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
The war in Ukraine continues, with no decisive victory and no conclusion yet visible. The greatest lesson so far is the unpredictability of war, a durable truth frequently ignored.
ATLANTA—Gov. Brian Kemp announced Tuesday he is allocating around $250 million to help low-income Georgia communities improve parks, sidewalks, recreation facilities, and healthy food access. A statement from the governor’s office said investment in infrastructure like parks and sidewalks has been connected to better health and decreased mortality from COVID and other illnesses. “Though we […]
Predictably, North Korea has rejected an offer from the South Korea government of economic aid in return for nuclear disarmament. South Korea’s new President Yoon Suk-yeol initially made the suggestion during his inauguration in May. On Aug. 15, he advanced the proposal in a speech.
This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.
ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp HAS announced more than $37.4 million in Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds will be awarded to various organizations around the state to support learning recovery initiatives and programs as educators and students continue to confront the learning lo…
Thankfully, Salman Rushdie survived the vicious knife attack in New York. The severely wounded author faces long recuperation and may lose an eye.
On Aug. 3, the United States Senate overwhelmingly approved Finland and Sweden joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The vote was 95 to 1, far more than the two-thirds required for approval. This supports expansion in the strategically vital Arctic, which will significantly extend Russia’s borders with NATO members.
ATLANTA - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams has tested positive for COVID-19, her campaign announced Wednesday.
Toronto, Ontario (CTV Network) -- Since the beginning of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout across the globe, many menstruating people began to report changes in their cycle. While reports remained anecdotal, new evidence is emerging to better understand the correlation between menstrual cycles an…
(CTV Network) -- A new study has found children who suffer from headache disorders have been experiencing more frequent pain and worse anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Toronto, Canada (CTV Network) -- A new Dutch study has found as many as one in eight adults exposed to COVID-19 will develop long-term symptoms.
The tense relationship between China and Taiwan is in the news again.
On July 22, warring nations Russia and Ukraine, along with Turkey and the United Nations, signed an important agreement to allow grain exports to resume from Ukraine. Moscow had blocked the shipments. Turkey announced the agreement on July 21.
President Joe Biden’s trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia highlights the stark contrasts between two very different, very important nations in the Mideast. The former, our closest ally in the region, is a democracy with tremendous assets.
TORONTO (CTV Network) -- A study looking at the effectiveness of fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccines, run by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has found that a second booster shot of an mRNA vaccine has significant effectiveness against severe illness with some Omicron…
ATHENS — Building on research by others, a new study by UGA virologist Malak Esseili points to the reasons that some patients have gastrointestinal issues with COVID-19 and others do not.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned as Conservative Party leader on July 7, but is not out of power. Characteristically, he seems to be maneuvering to cling to office as head of the British government as long as he can.
ALBANY — Democrat Stacey Abrams likens Gov. Brian Kemp, her Republican opponent in the Georgia gubernatorial race, to a slick used car salesman.
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On Sunday, it was time for our clocks to "spring forward," lessening the night's sleep by one hour. While it may not seem too significant, Daylight Saving Time can definitely throw everyone for a loop. How do you handle it?
