Hospitalizations skyrocket in kids too young for COVID shots
Hospitalizations of U.S. children under 5 with COVID-19 soared in recent weeks to their highest level since the pandemic began, according to government data released Friday on the only age group not yet eligible for the vaccine. The worrisome trend in children too young to be vaccinated underscores the need for older kids and adults to get their shots to protect those around them, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since mid-December, as the highly contagious omicron variant has spread furiously around the country, the hospitalization rate in these youngest children has surged to more than 4 in 100,000 youngsters, up from 2.5 per 100,000. That compares with a current rate of about 1 per 100,000 for children ages 5 to 17, according to CDC data. In a statement, Walensky said that while children still have the lowest rate of hospitalization of any age group, “pediatric hospitalizations are at their highest rate compared to any prior point in the pandemic.” At a briefing, she said the numbers include children hospitalized because of COVID-19 and those admitted for other reasons but found to be infected. She noted that just over 50% of children ages 12 to 18 are fully vaccinated and only 16% of those 5 to 11 are fully vaccinated. As of Tuesday, the average number of children and teens admitted to the hospital per day with COVID-19 was 766, double the figure reported just two weeks ago. At a White House briefing this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said many children hospitalized with COVID-19 have other health conditions that make them more susceptible to complications from the virus. That includes obesity, diabetes, and lung disease. Fauci and Walensky have emphasized that one of the best ways to protect the youngest children is to vaccinate everyone else. Data suggest booster shots offer the best protection against omicron, and CDC this week recommended them for kids as young as 12. Among older ages already eligible, just 34% have received them. The surge in hospitalizations only heightens the concerns of parents worried about how to keep their infants and toddlers safe. Emily Hojara and Eli Zilke of Sawyer, Michigan, are being extra protective of their daughter Flora, who turns 2 in May. They limit her contact with other children, and no visitors are allowed in the house unless masked, not even grandparents. “It’s been a struggle, and now with this new variant, I feel it’s knocked us back,” Hojara said. She said the new hospitalization data “just reminds you that that anxiety is hovering really close.’’ “It’s scary that she can’t be vaccinated,” Hojara said of her daughter. Dr. Jennifer Kusma, a pediatrician with Chicago’s Lurie Children’s Hospital, said she has seen increasing numbers of kids hospitalized with omicron, and while most aren’t severely ill, she understands parents’ worries. “As a pediatrician, I really wish we already had that vaccine for these young kids,” Kusma said. But she added that what may seem like a long wait should reassure parents that vaccine testing is not being rushed. Many had hoped the new year might bring a vaccine for young children, but Pfizer announced last month that two doses didn’t offer as much protection as hoped for in youngsters ages 2 to 4. Pfizer’s study has been updated to give everyone under 5 a third dose, and data is expected in early spring. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Richard D. Kauzlarich: U.S. natural gas is critical to strengthening America’s national security
In recent months, European gas prices have risen as much as 700%, leaving millions of citizens vulnerable to a dangerously unstable grid and burdened with high electricity costs heading into this winter. Disruptions from this energy crisis have been felt by households and many industries that rely on affordable power to provide goods and services. Until the recent escalation of Russia’s confrontation with NATO over Ukraine, the Biden administration’s solution to Europe’s energy crisis had been to implore Russia to send more gas to Europe. EU member states are already dependent on Moscow for roughly 40% of their gas supply. Initially, the White House made a deal with Germany, letting the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline move forward. As part of an effort to repair relations with Germany, this decision allows Russia to tighten Putin’s grip over European energy security at the expense of our strategic partner Ukraine. Fortunately, German regulators refused to approve the pipeline, effectively delaying the certification of the project before July 2022. As part of the growing confrontation with Europe and the U.S. over Ukraine, Russia has further cut gas exports to Europe. Thus, geopolitics and energy security in Europe is front and center of the U.S. national security interests. We need a multi-phase strategy to protect U.S. interests while supporting our European allies in their time of need. The Administration should champion liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. We are in a military face-off with Russia regarding Ukraine that worsens by the day. Moscow has upped the pressure by repeatedly using energy as an economic weapon. This signal would create certainty in the global market by providing predictability of supply while also providing geopolitical and national security benefits. As the world’s premier energy producer, America has enormous potential to impact both national and international security. The U.S. is set to become the world’s largest LNG exporter by the end of 2022, an impressive milestone for a nation that began exporting just six years ago. Calcasieu Pass and Sabine Pass Train 6, based in Louisiana and Texas respectively, will soon come online and export LNG to many nations. Poland is an ally on the front lines of the military confrontation with Russia. It is also committed to reducing its dependence on Russian gas. Poland will soon import over a third of its gas supply from the U.S. and no longer fear that Russia will shut off its energy supply as it has done in the past. Other European nations have also signed supply contracts with U.S. producers to diversify their gas supply. Fortunately, the U.S. is already moving in this direction. Gas has generated considerable income in 2021 for U.S. oil and gas producers. This positive trend will be necessary for a successful energy transition. Now is not the time to undermine this progress by restricting U.S. LNG exports. Providing our allies with an alternative to Russia and Qatar strengthens U.S. national security. Notably, the price of U.S. LNG can encourage lower prices from other gas producers. From a climate point of view, less U.S. LNG on the market means higher global prices and increased global use of coal plants to produce electricity. U.S. LNG exports influence geopolitics beyond Europe. The U.S. has recently become China’s second-largest LNG supplier. Despite geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing, China has recently committed to a significant volume of long-term supply contracts of U.S. LNG, lowering the US trade deficit with China. Finally, U.S. LNG can reduce global carbon emissions – an important international and national security policy objective. A 2020 ICF International study examined U.S. LNG exports to Germany, China, and India and calculated the climate benefits. For these three countries, the study found that “using U.S. LNG or imported pipelined gas for electricity generation produces on average 50.5 percent lower GHG emissions than electricity from coal.” Therefore, the transition from coal to natural gas overseas provides a proven climate solution to meet energy demand while addressing the risks of climate change. Some disagree, but I believe that curtailing U.S. LNG exports would set back, not advance, the U.S.’s climate goals. This process will not be easy: first, U.S. LNG exports may drive up domestic U.S. gas prices if supply and demand for gas do not synch carefully, depending on how energy markets respond to price changes. Second, producers, transporters, and owners of U.S. natural gas have a responsibility to develop plans for a low-carbon, clean energy future. Climate change is real. Renewable energy must play a more significant role in reducing carbon emissions. The public and shareholders alike believe the US private sector should be doing all it can to reduce carbon emissions and significantly minimize methane emissions. Fortunately, while the private sector has made progress in dealing with gas leaks, more can be done throughout the supply chain. The U.S. is blessed with abundant natural gas and oil. Soaring energy costs for our allies require policies that support – not hinder – the safe and responsible production, transportation, and export of American natural gas. Richard D. Kauzlarich, former U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the co-director of the Center for Energy Science and Policy at George Mason University.
Dick Cheney: an unlikely bridge to partisan Congress divide
On a somber day of remembrance at the U.S. Capitol, it was the most unlikely of receiving lines: Democrats lining the floor of the House, waiting for their chance to greet Dick Cheney. Yet there he stood, the former Republican vice president that Democrats have fiercely opposed and frequently reviled, sharing warm moments after the House held a moment of silence to commemorate the deadly violence of one year ago in a building where he once served. That Cheney was the catalyst for rare bonhomie between Republicans and Democrats was a clear measure of how far his party has veered from the traditional GOP orthodoxy into the decidedly unorthodox grip of former President Donald Trump. Cheney and his daughter, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. were the only two Republicans to attend a pro forma session of the House on the anniversary of last year’s riot at the Capitol. They sat together in the front row on the Republican side of the chamber as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi thanked the U.S. Capitol Police for defending them on January 6 and allowing Congress to “defeat the insurrection.” Republican leaders were absent. The former vice president, who served in leadership in the House as a congressman from Wyoming in the 1980s, took note. “Well, it’s not a leadership that resembles any of the folks I knew when I was here for ten years,” Cheney told reporters afterward. Cheney’s daughter, Liz, has been ostracized by her fellow House Republicans for her criticism of Trump and her support for his impeachment after the insurrection. In May, the House GOP dumped her from the No. 3 leadership post for her persistent repudiation of Trump’s election falsehoods. Asked if he was disappointed by it, Dick Cheney replied: “My daughter can take care of herself.” Democrats this summer invited Liz Cheney to join the congressional committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, further angering Republican colleagues, and she quickly became a driving force as the panel’s vice-chair. She’s found common cause with Democrats like Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat on the panel who led Trump’s first impeachment. He was among those greeting the Cheneys on the floor. “I was talking to Liz, and she said, ‘this is my father.’ I didn’t recognize him with a mask on.” “We were discussing what a sad moment this is in the country, what a trying time it is, and the fact that things are more at risk in terms of our democracy now than a year ago. I told him how courageous his daughter had been and how much respect we have for her.” Other Democratic lawmakers also lined up to shake the former vice president’s hand. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., spoke with the Cheneys at length. “I told him, thank you for being here, how proud I am of his daughter, and I know he is as well, for having the courage to stand up for truth,” Hoyer said. “We were appreciative of the fact he’s here supporting his daughter in what is otherwise a very significant minority position in the Republican Party, which is very sad,” Hoyer said. Pelosi also spoke with Cheney briefly in the House chamber. The two have waged scores of political battles over the years. She became the first female House speaker during President George W. Bush’s second term, and she sat on the dais next to the vice president as Bush proclaimed in 2007 that it was his pleasure to become the first president to begin a State of the Union address with the words “Madam Speaker.” “I was happy to welcome him back and to congratulate him on the courage of Liz Cheney,” Pelosi said. Dick Cheney also issued a formal statement after the House session, saying the importance of January 6 as a historic event cannot be overstated. “I was honored and proud to join my daughter on the House floor to recognize this anniversary, to commend the heroic actions of law enforcement that day, and to reaffirm our dedication to the Constitution,” Cheney said. “I am deeply disappointed at the failure of many members of my party to recognize the grave nature of the January 6 attacks and the ongoing threat to our nation.” Schiff said the appearance of the former vice president was a reminder of a different political era. “That was a time when there were broad policy differences, but there were no differences when it came to both parties’ devotion to the idea of democracy. And that seems like such a quaint time now.” “I look forward to the day when we get back to a Republican Party that’s once again a party of ideas and ideologies.” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Kay Ivey running for re-election in 2022
Republican Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has qualified to run for re-election to the state’s highest office in 2022. Making the announcement via the official governor’s Facebook page, Ivey said she “enjoyed visiting with supporters” at the state Republican Party headquarters where she “qualified to run in the 2022 Republican Primary for Governor” Tuesday morning. “I look forward to asking Alabamians for their support so we can continue to deliver results to the people of our state,” Ivey said in the post. “I am proud to be your Governor and would be honored to serve Alabamians for a second term. We have accomplished a lot, but there is more that needs to be done. The primary election is scheduled for May 24. Ivey completed the paperwork and also paid the qualifying fee of $2,491.28 to run for the office. Before being elected governor, Ivey served as lieutenant governor from 2011 to 2018 and served as Alabama treasurer from 2003 to 2011. Ivy is a graduate of Auburn University, Duke University’s Governor’s Center for Public Policy, Alabama Banking School, and the University of Colorado School of Banking. She has worked as a high school teacher, a bank officer, and was Assistant Director of the Alabama Development Office. According to BallotPedia, Ivey could potentially have five other party members to beat out to win the party’s nomination. Potential opponents in the primary include Lynda Blanchard, Stacy George, Tim James, Dean Odle, and Jim Zeigler. The website names Christopher Countryman and Chad Chig Martin as candidates in the Democratic primary. William Califf, who runs Ivey’s campaign, told Yellowhammer News, that the governor has “been a fighter for Alabamians” and “has consistently delivered strong results to the people of this state. “Governor Ivey has achieved the lowest unemployment rate in Alabama history, created over 44,000 new jobs, secured record funding for our schools with record pay for our teachers, and banned transgender athletes from competing in school sports,” Califf told the news outlet. “She made substantial improvements to our state’s infrastructure, signed the strongest pro-life bill in the country, strengthened the integrity of our elections, banned vaccine passports, and the list goes on.” By Brent Addleman | The Center Square Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Larry Hogan named co-chair of Appalachian Regional Commission
Maryland’s governor has been appointed co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission. Gov. Larry Hogan announced in a news release that after being nominated in October 2021 to the post, he was officially chosen to serve as co-chair for 2022 on Monday. “It’s a great honor to be the first Maryland governor in 30 years to serve as co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission,” Hogan said in the release. “The commission is a unique partnership, and this is a particularly critical time for us to work together across state and party lines to advance the economic growth and vitality of the region. I look forward to working closely with Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin and all my colleagues on the Commission.” The Appalachian Regional Commission is a conglomerate of 13 states operating in a federal-state partnership. The organization’s goals are to invest in economic growth across 423 counties in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. Hogan, according to the release, replaces Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam as co-chair, working with federal co-chair Manchin. Hogan is the state’s first co-chair since 1992 when Gov. William Donald Schaefer held the post. The commission invested more than $162 million in the region, according to the release, in FY21. The investment was designed to capture an additional $1.04 billion in private investments to retain almost 21,000 jobs. In addition, the investments trained more than 25,000 students, workers, and leaders to learn new skills. The organization’s 2022-26 Strategic Plan seeks investments in highway development, job training, higher education supports to train workers for careers and building businesses while creating job growth with quality, high-paying jobs. Manchin, who was sworn in as the commission’s federal co-chair in May 2021, said she was honored to welcome Hogan as the co-chair. “I look forward to collaborating with him and all of our Appalachian governors as we work toward the shared mission of bringing opportunity, hope, and economic parity to all 26 million of our Appalachian neighbors,” Manchin said in the release. “On behalf of the Commission, I also want to thank Virginia Governor Ralph Northam for his work during his tenure as states’ co-chair in 2021.” By Brent Addleman | The Center Square Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
House GOP backs end of handgun permit requirement
Republicans in the Alabama House of Representatives said Wednesday that abolishing the permit requirement to carry a concealed handgun will be among their top priorities in the upcoming legislative session. The Alabama House Republican Caucus announced a legislative agenda that includes the so-called “constitutional carry” legislation that does away with the requirement to get a permit to carry a concealed handgun in public. The backing increases the chances of approval for the proposal that has failed for several years in Montgomery under opposition from state sheriffs. The House GOP agenda for the final session before May primaries also includes anti-critical race theory legislation, the creation of a felony crime for assaulting a first-responder and pay raises for state employees and teachers. Rep. Shane Stringer, R-Citronnelle, introduced legislation to do away with the requirement to get a permit — which requires a person to undergo a background check — to carry a concealed handgun in public or a loaded handgun in their car. “I am a firm believer that law-abiding citizens should not be punished and forced to get a permit to carry a firearm when the criminal element is not,” Stringer said. Similar legislation has been introduced in Montgomery for the last five years. State sheriffs and other law enforcement officials have opposed the bills, arguing that the permits provide a crucial tool to combat crime and enhance public safety. “There are those who do not need to be carrying concealed weapons in our restaurants, clubs, and sports bars,” Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran told the Mobile County Commission last month, according to al.com. “The biggest thing is safety of our citizens and officers.” A telephone message left with the Alabama Sheriffs Association was not immediately returned. Stringer, a former captain with the Mobile County sheriff’s office, said the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is developing a database, authorized by a state law creating a lifetime concealed carry permit option, that should flag people not legally entitled to carry a handgun. The proposal drew condemnation from a gun safety group. “I don’t understand how these lawmakers can claim to support law enforcement in one breath, and then, in the next, push an extremist policy like permitless carry that law enforcement has clearly and vehemently spoken out against,” said Paula Wilson, a volunteer with the Alabama chapter of Moms Demand Action. “If this bill passes, there’ll be more unvetted people carrying concealed, loaded handguns in public places with no training and no questions asked,” Wilson said. This is the first year House Republicans put the item on their session agenda. Stringer said the authorization of the database has eased opposition to the bill among some GOP lawmakers. The lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association says 20 states do not require such permits. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also said Wednesday he will push for a new state law that will loosen requirements to carry a handgun in public in that state. State Sen. Gerald Allen, who introduced similar legislation unsuccessfully for at least five years, said this might be the year it succeeds. “You should not have to pay a fee to fulfill your constitutional right — for the right to protect your life, your family, your property,” Allen, R-Tuscaloosa, said. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
