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Stacey Abrams launched a campaign for Georgia governor

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12/02/2021

According to AJC, Stacey Abrams launched a campaign for Georgia governor Wednesday with a pledge to fight for economic equality and expand health care access, setting up a potential rematch against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in one of the nation’s most competitive political battlegrounds.

Abrams lost to Kemp by less than 1.4 percentage points in 2018, the closest Georgia gubernatorial election in decades, and her refusal to concede defeat because of what she called an “erosion” of voting rights made her an icon to many Democrats and a villain to conservatives.

The Democrat announced her campaign with a video that highlighted her work in the state since her narrow 2018 defeat to Kemp, along with a message that “opportunity and success in Georgia shouldn’t be determined by your ZIP code, background or access to power.”

Her decision, long expected by local Democrats, clears the way for what could be a titanic showdown between two longtime political rivals. That is, if Kemp survives a fight for the GOP nomination first.

She’s running in a tough political environment. Despite statewide victories in the last election cycle, Georgia Democrats will be on the defensive during the 2022 midterms, when U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock is also on the ballot. Abrams’ campaign countered by noting Democratic gains in this year’s mayoral elections, including flips of several Republican-held seats this week.

Kemp might as well have ripped a page from his 2018 playbook with his reaction to her announcement, which repeated a stark warning that Abrams’ “far-left agenda” doesn’t reflect Georgia’s values.

“Next November’s election for governor is a battle for the soul of our state,” he said. “I’m in the fight against Stacey Abrams, the failed Biden agenda and their woke allies to keep Georgia the best place to live, work and raise a family.”

If Abrams prevails, she would become the first Black governor in Georgia and the first Black woman elected governor in U.S. history. She would also end a string of Republican victories in gubernatorial contests dating to Sonny Perdue’s upset win in 2002 over Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes.

Wall Street’s jolting roller-coaster ride is back up

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12/01/2021

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The latest move in Wall Street’s jolting roller-coaster ride is back up, as stocks, oil and bond yields climb in early Wednesday trading to recover some of their sharp losses from the day before.

According to AP, the S&P 500 was 1.1% higher, following a dizzying sequence where it sank 2.3% on Friday for its worst loss since February, only to rise 1.3% and then fall 1.9%.

Stocks also rose across Europe and Asia amid the uncertainty about how powerful omicron’s punch will be.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.4% even as the country further tightened restrictions by asking international airlines to stop taking new reservations for all flights heading there until the end of the year.

South Korea’s Kospi jumped 2.1%, while Germany’s DAX returned 1.8%.

The wild movements are partly the result of investors struggling to handicap how much damage the newest coronavirus variant will do to the economy. With few concrete answers about omicron, investors have been groping and sending markets back and forth as minor clues dribble out.

Another weight dropped on Wall Street Tuesday when the head of the Federal Reserve said that it may halt its immense support for financial markets sooner than expected given the persistently high inflation sweeping the world.

But since climbing out of its early 2020 collapse caused by the first wave of COVID-19, one hallmark of the stock market’s powerful run has been the continued willingness by bargain-hunting investors to buy following any dip in prices. That lasting habit has helped the S&P 500 set 66 all-time highs so far in 2021, the second-most on record for a year, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.

It also helped the Dow Jones Industrial Average to rise 248 points, or 0.7%, to 34,732, as of 9:57 a.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite was 1.1% higher.

Longer-term Treasury yields also recovered some of their sharp drops from the day before triggered by worries about slowing economic growth.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 1.47% from 1.44% late Tuesday, when it fell from 1.52%.

Some better-than-expected data on the economy helped. A report from payroll processor ADP said that non-government employers hired more people in November than economists expected. That could raise expectations for Friday’s more comprehensive jobs report from the U.S. government, though the ADP report doesn’t have a perfect track record predicting it.

A stronger economy would burn more fuel, and crude oil prices regained some of their sharp recent losses. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 2.8% to $68 per barrel after briefly dropping below $65 the day before. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 2.9%.

A measure of fear on Wall Street also eased, falling 12%. But the VIX, which shows how worried investors are bout upcoming drops for the S&P 500, is still well above where it was before omicron walloped markets worldwide after Thanksgiving.

Omicron: tourism businesses are being rattled again

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12/01/2021

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Omicron: tourism businesses are being rattled again

Tourism businesses that were just finding their footing after nearly two years of devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic are being rattled again as countries throw up new barriers to travel in an effort to contain the omicron variant.

From shopping districts in Japan and tour guides in the Holy Land to ski resorts in the Alps and airlines the world over, a familiar dread is rising about the renewed restrictions.

Meanwhile, travelers eager to get out there have been thrown back into the old routine of reading up on new requirements and postponing trips.

According to AP, less than a month after significantly easing restrictions for inbound international travel, the U.S. government has banned most foreign nationals who have recently been in any of eight southern African countries. A similar boomerang was seen in Japan and Israel, both of which tightened restrictions shortly after relaxing them.

While it is not clear where the variant emerged, South African scientists identified it last week, and many places have restricted travel from the wider region, including the European Union and Canada.

For all the alarm, little is known about omicron, including whether it is more contagious, causes more serious illness or can evade vaccines.

Still, governments that were slow to react to the first wave of COVID-19 are eager to avoid past mistakes. The World Health Organization says, however, that travel bans are of limited value and will “place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods.” Other experts say travel restrictions won’t keep variants out but might give countries more time to get people vaccinated.

London-based airline easyJet said Tuesday that renewed travel restrictions already appear to be hurting winter bookings, although CEO Johan Lundgren said the damage is not yet as severe as during previous waves. The CEO of SAS Scandinavian Airlines said winter demand was looking up, but now we “need to figure out what the new variants may mean.”

Travel executives argue that government decisions about restrictions should wait until more is known about omicron, but they admit it’s a difficult call.

“If you wait, by the time you have all the data it’s probably too late to stop community spread because (the virus) is already here,” said Robert Jordan, the incoming CEO at Southwest Airlines. “If you jump ahead, you run the risk of the measures being more impactful than the actual cases.”

Japan stops taking new reservations for all flights

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12/01/2021

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Japan stops taking new reservations for all flights

According to AP, Japan has asked international airlines to stop taking new reservations for all flights arriving in Japan until the end of December as the country further tightens its border controls against a new coronavirus variant, the transportation ministry said Wednesday.

It said the request is an emergency precaution amid growing concern over the spread of the new omicron variant.

Those who have already made reservations are not affected, although flights may be canceled if there are insufficient passengers, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said. Transit passengers are also unaffected, it said. Japan is a major transit hub for flights to and from Asia.

The move comes as Japan confirmed a second case of the omicron variant in a person who arrived from Peru via Doha, one day after it reported its first case in a Namibian diplomat.

The second patient, who was fully vaccinated, tested positive for the coronavirus upon arrival on Sunday and was isolated while genetic sequencing was conducted. He was initially asymptomatic but has since developed a fever and sore throat, officials said.

All the remaining 114 passengers on the flight tested negative and are being monitored by health authorities, most of them at a government-designated facility.

Japan banned all foreign visitors starting Tuesday. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the step is an emergency precaution against the new variant. The ban tentatively extends through the end of the year. The government is also requiring Japanese citizens arriving in the country to quarantine for up to 14 days.

The World Health Organization warned Monday that the global risk from the omicron variant is “very high” based on early evidence, saying it could lead to surges with “severe consequences.”

15 years old boy shoots, kills 3 at his Michigan high school

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12/01/2021

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15 years old boy shoots, kills 3 at his Michigan high school

According to AP, a 15-year-old sophomore opened fire at his Michigan high school, killing three students, including a 16-year-old boy who died in a deputy’s patrol car on the way to a hospital, authorities said.

Eight other people were wounded, some critically, including a 14-year-old girl who was placed on a ventilator after surgery. Investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the shooting Tuesday at Oxford High School, located in a community of about 22,000 people roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Detroit, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a statement her office expects to issue charges quickly and that an update would be given Wednesday.

The three students who were killed were 16-year-old Tate Myre, 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, and 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin. Bouchard said Myre died in a patrol car as a deputy tried to get him to an emergency room.

A teacher who received a graze wound to the shoulder has left the hospital, but seven students ranging in age from 14 to 17 remained hospitalized through the night with gunshot wounds, he said.

The gun the boy was carrying had seven more rounds of ammo in it when he surrendered, Bouchard said.

The boy’s father on Friday bought the 9 mm Sig Sauer used in the shooting, Bouchard said. He didn’t know why the man bought the gun, which his son had been posting pictures of and practicing shooting, Bouchard said.

Authorities didn’t immediately release the boy’s name.

Dickens will become Atlanta’s 61st mayor

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12/01/2021

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Dickens will become Atlanta’s 61st mayor

With most of the precincts reporting, Dickens held a strong lead over Moore, the current council president, throughout much of the city. The Associated Press called the race for Dickens at 10:30 p.m.

Dickens will succeed Keisha Lance Bottoms, who did not run for a second term and endorsed Dickens to replace her as mayor, a job Dickens said he has wanted since he was a teenager.

Running a campaign focused on public safety and restoring the “soul of Atlanta,” Dickens overcame early low name recognition and polling numbers to secure a runoff spot with just 600 more votes than former mayor Kasim Reed.

Moore was considered the frontrunner going into the runoff after getting 41% of the vote in the general election, but Dickens quickly gained momentum, fresh big-name endorsements and a fundraising advantage.

While Moore performed well in Buckhead, Dickens dominated in southwest Atlanta and made up ground on the Eastside, beating Moore in precincts she won three weeks ago. She called for Buckhead residents to work with the new administration.

Throughout the condensed runoff period, Dickens pitched himself as a progressive leader with bold plans to move the city forward by utilizing technology and instituting new city departments.

A Mays High and Georgia Tech graduate, Dickens, 47, is also the chief development officer for TechBridge, a nonprofit that offers technology and workforce training to organizations.

CDC is in the process of strengthening COVID testing rules

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12/01/2021

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CDC is in the process of strengthening COVID testing rules

As more is learned about the omicron variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is in the process of strengthening its protocols for international travel.

Currently the viral test can be done up to three days before departure for fully vaccinated passengers. But that’s set to change to one day before departure, to increase the likelihood of identifying a positive case.

The CDC continues to recommend travelers get a COVID test 3-5 days after arrival.

Already in place is a requirement that international travelers coming to the U.S. get a COVID-19 test before flying, and show a negative result to the airline.

CNN suspended anchor Chris Cuomo

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12/01/2021

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CNN has suspended Chris Cuomo — the host of Cuomo Prime Time and one of its top-rated anchors — after newly-released documents revealed the extent of his involvement in the defense of his brother, scandal-plagued former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James released thousands of documents on Monday showing that Cuomo used contacts to dig into the former governor’s accusers and consulted with gubernatorial sources in an effort to help his brother manage an ongoing sexual misconduct scandal. (The former governor resigned in August and now faces criminal charges in New York, as well as potential civil suits.)

Cuomo previously said on-air that he had offered advice to the governor, but CNN said in a statement that the new documents “point to a greater level of involvement in his brother’s efforts than we previously knew.” The network had declined to discipline Cuomo when his involvement first came to light in May but is now suspending him indefinitely pending further evaluation.

This reversal shows the power of documentary evidence, The Washington Post‘s Sarah Ellison told Morning Edition: Cuomo had insisted to investigators that he wasn’t a part of his brother’s defense team, but these new documents and text messages show he actively sought to join it. In doing so, he breached journalism norms of conduct. As Ellison put it, you can be a journalist or a political advisor, but not both.

Ossoff met Korean -Americans of Atlanta

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Eugene Lee

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12/01/2021

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Having a meeting to explain the results of Ossoff’s visit to Korea

Sharing opinions on the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula, the job shortage, and the hiring of AAPI staff

(Atlanta) by Eugene Lee, Asian News Today

On the 22nd, U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff had a meeting with Korean-Americans at the Atlanta office to talk on visiting South Korea, and share opinions.

Korean attendees included Roger Kim, Chairman of the Atlanta Comfort Woman Statue Establish Committee, the Mission Agape’s Pastor James Song, Lee Eun-ja, vice president of Mission Agape, Jong-won Lee, Esquire, Ms. Stephanie Min, and Michelle Kang, Korean-American Voter Director of the Asian American Action Fund.

Senator Jon Ossoff (D, Georgia), who visited Korea in early November, met with two South Korean presidential candidates Jae-myung Lee and Seok-yeol Yoon. And he visited the DMZ, and experienced Korean politics, economy, and culture all the way to every corner of town of Itaewon.

He shared his five-day visit to S.Korea with the attendees and strengthened lasting ties with the Korean-American community in Atlanta.

He explained that he wanted to be able to strengthen the alliance, and met South Korean youth, business leaders, and major political and military officials.

Sen. Ossoff and the attendees exchanged opinions on how Korean-American of Georgia view peace on the Korean Peninsula.

U.S. Sen. Ossoff was already aware that there are different perspectives on unification and peace on the Korean Peninsula through this visit to Korea. In addition, Korean -American participants shared their experiences with separated families who are in North Korea, and stressed the need for permanent peace settlement on the Korean Peninsula.

And they also discussed how Sen. Ossoff and the Korean-American community in Georgia can maintain a close relationship.

Meanwhile, Chairman Roger Kim thanked Senator Ossoff’s mother, Mrs. Heather Fenton, for her work as a member of the Atlanta Comfort Woman Statue Establish Committee, and asked about the solution Ossoff thinks to solve the labor shortage as a business owner. Ossoff explained that he has supported the immigration law, saying that it could be a way to solve the shortage.

Mission Agape Chairman James Song, Vice Chairman Eunja Lee, and Attorney Jongwon Lee thank him for sharing food boxes together as a candidate of Senator on Thanksgiving Day in 2020. said he wished for.

Korean-American Voter Director Michelle Kang has experience working for Ossoff during the last Senate runoff.

Director Michelle Kang suggested that Ossoff meets with people from the AAPI (Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders) community, an important voter group in Georgia and an ever-growing population, as well as a dedicated staff representing the AAPI community in the Atlanta office. asked to hire

On the other hand, Sen. Ossoff had a meeting with Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun during a visit to Hyundai Kia Namyang R&D Center in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do considering Georgia is Korea’s important trading partner, and also met with SK Group Chairman Anthony Chey. He also had a meeting with Koo-Young Lee, CEO of Hanwha Q CELLS, which has the largest solar panel manufacturing plant in Georgia.

Also, on the 10th, he toured the DMZ(demilitarized zone) and encouraged US and ROK troops, and on the 11th he patrolled the US Army Base at Humphreys, giving special thanks to the soldiers protecting the allies of the ROK and the US.

On the 12th, he met with two presidential candidates of South Korea, Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Seok-yeol, respectively.

Sen.Ossoff, the youngest U.S. Senator to be elected since Biden, works with locals in Atlanta as well as Augusta, Columbus and Savannah to hear and represent their needs.

U.S.Sen. Ossoff’s office provides a number of services for Georgia residents, more information can be found on their website. https://www.ossoff.senate.gov

Omicron spread wider earlier than thought

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11/30/2021

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Omicron spread wider earlier than thought

In a world is already unnerved by the more contagious delta variant that filled hospitals again in many places, even in some highly vaccinated nations, the latest developments underscored the need for the whole globe to get their hands on vaccines.

“We have vaccination rates in the United States, in Europe of 50, 60, 70 %, depending on exactly who you’re counting. And in Africa, it’s more like 14, 15 % or less,” Blinken said.

“We know, we know, we know that none of us will be fully safe until everyone is.”

According to AP, new findings about the coronavirus’s omicron variant made it clear Tuesday that the emerging threat slipped into countries well before their defenses were up, as two distant nations announced their first cases and a third reported its presence before South African officials sounded the alarm.

The Netherlands’ RIVM health institute found omicron in samples dating from Nov. 19 and 23. The World Health Organization said South Africa first reported the variant to the U.N. health agency on Nov. 24. Meanwhile, Japan and France reported their first cases of the new variant that has forced the world once again to pinball between hopes of returning to normal and fears that the worst is yet to come.

It remains unclear where or when the variant first emerged or how contagious it might be — but that hasn’t stopped wary nations from rushing to impose travel restrictions, especially on visitors coming from southern Africa. Those moves have been criticized by South Africa and the WHO has urged against them, noting their limited effect.

The latest news though made it increasingly clear that travel bans would struggle to stop the spread of the variant. German authorities said they had an omicron infection in a man who had neither been abroad nor had contact with anyone who was.

The WHO warned Monday that the global risk from omicron is “very high” and that early evidence suggests it may be more contagious. Others sent more reassuring messages, like European Medicines Agency chief Emer Cooke, who insisted that the 27-nation European Union was well prepared for the variant. While it is not known how effective current vaccines are against omicron, Cooke said the shots could be adapted within three or four months if need be.

But nearly two years after the virus first held the world in its grip, the current response echoed in many ways the chaos of the early days, including haphazard travel bans and a poor understanding of who was at risk and where.

Many officials tried to calm fears, insisting vaccines remain the best defense and that the world must redouble its efforts to get the shots to every part of the globe.

The latest variant makes those efforts even more important, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, noting as many have before that “as long as the virus is replicating somewhere, it could be mutating.”

In the face of the new variant, some introduced new measures aimed at mitigating the spread.