Senate confirms Murthy as surgeon general
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed, 57-43, President Joe Biden’s pick to be surgeon general, setting up Vivek H. Murthy for his second turn at the post.
Murthy’s nomination for surgeon general of the Public Health Service and medical director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service received bipartisan support.
Murthy served as surgeon general under former President Barack Obama and was an adviser to the Biden campaign and transition. He’s been a prominent figure in several of the administration’s COVID-19 briefings with reporters.
Murthy will play a key role in guiding the nation’s pandemic response and vaccination efforts as the nation’s top public health messenger. One of Murthy’s challenges will be to combat COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. During his Senate confirmation hearing, he pledged to combat vaccine skepticism by relying on science and focusing on each community’s individual needs. He repeatedly said that instilling vaccine confidence is not a one-size-fits-all solution.
Murthy also told senators that he wants the government to expand access to naloxone and medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction. He’d also like the government to invest in addiction prevention, especially in schools. Under Obama, Murthy helped lead the nation’s response to the opioid epidemic.
When Murthy was confirmed in 2014, he faced Republican criticisms about his views on gun control and his support for the Affordable Care Act.
Now, the Biden administration is looking to expand upon that law.
— CQ-Roll Call
COVID-19 rates rising across NY
NEW YORK — Coronavirus infection rates and hospitalizations are slowly rising again across the state, with New York City still grappling with more contagious variants of the virus, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday.
New York state recorded 6,801 new coronavirus cases and 4,681 people hospitalized with the virus — both figures a modest tick up from the previous day, the governor said.
Fifty-three New Yorkers died Sunday from COVID-19, a dreadful toll that has been slow to decline from its recent peak in early January.
”We’re working toward a future in which COVID is left behind and we can settle into the new normal,” Cuomo said in a statement. “(But) we have a ways to go until that happens.”
The statewide positivity rate stood at 4.7%, according to the data released Tuesday. That’s a hefty increase from the seven-day average of 3.3%, suggesting that infections are increasing rapidly.
New York City and the surrounding suburbs seem to be regaining their unwanted title as the epicenter of the pandemic in the state.
Of the 53 deaths, at least 35 were people living in the five boroughs. Another six were from Long Island and seven were from northern suburbs, according to Tuesday’s data.
The positivity rate has soared over 4% in all the boroughs except Manhattan. Long Island and the northern suburbs also recorded rates above 4%.
— New York Daily News
It’s official: Andrew Yang drops off petition signatures to get on NYC mayoral ballot
NEW YORK — The “Yang Gang” descended on the New York City Board of Election office on Tuesday, cheering on their hero as he dropped off signatures to get on the mayoral primary ballot.
“We did it through volunteer energy and passion and dedication,” Andrew Yang told supporters as he showed off about 9,400 petition signatures outside the BOE office in lower Manhattan. “I am so proud of the fact that we got it done through all of you, through the passion of volunteers on this campaign!”
Coming off a series of polls that place him as the front-runner, Yang also took a shot at rivals in the packed Democratic primary, set for June 22.
“As far as we can tell, the other campaigns did not have this kind of energy. So you know what they did? They paid someone,” he said, though he did not name names.
The candidate at one point burst out in song, crooning, “How many signatures could you get in a year?” to the tune of “Seasons of Love” from the musical “Rent.”
Yang rose to national prominence during his unsuccessful run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 and along the way, created the active online group of supporters known as the “Yang Gang.” He boasted of having “over 4,000″ volunteers for his mayoral run.
— New York Daily News
Iowa inmate kills 2 in attack on penitentiary staff at infirmary
A nurse and a correction officer died Tuesday after an inmate attacked several staff members in the infirmary of Anamosa State Penitentiary in Iowa before being restrained.
“At 10:15 a.m., multiple staff members were assaulted at the Anamosa State Penitentiary,” the Iowa Department of Corrections said in a statement. “A department nurse and a correctional officer have died as a result of their injuries.”
The victims’ identities were being withheld as next-of-kin were notified, the department said, promising more details as the investigation unfolded.
“What the department can confirm is that an inmate attacked multiple staff members and inmates in the prison’s infirmary,” the department said. “Additional security staff arrived and restrained the inmate. Staff began attempting lie-saving first aid on the injured until paramedics arrived.”
The Iowa Department of Corrections and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, under the auspices of the Iowa Department of Public Safety, are investigating, the statement said.
The maximum- and medium-security prison holds about 950 inmates and 321 staff, the Des Moines Register noted. About 70% of the inmates were convicted of violent crimes and the average sentence being served is more than 25 years, the newspaper said, citing the prison’s website.
— New York Daily News
Fire destroys Long Beach’s rainbow lifeguard tower, a symbol of LGBTQ pride
LOS ANGELES — Long Beach’s rainbow lifeguard tower — painted by lifeguards in June in honor of Pride month — was destroyed in a fire early Tuesday, authorities said.
Firefighters who responded to the blaze just after midnight found the tower, which overlooked the shoreline near 12th Place, engulfed in flames. An investigation is underway, Long Beach Marine Safety Chief Gonzalo Medina said.
“The tower served as a symbol of our strong support for diversity within our ranks and the LGBTQ community who call Long Beach home,” Medina said. “The tower will be replaced and repainted by lifeguards.”
For years, Long Beach has been ranked by the nonprofit Human Rights Campaign Foundation as a top city for LGBTQ-friendly laws and policies.
Mayor Robert Garcia wrote on Twitter that he has little doubt the fire was an act of hate.
“To whoever committed this act, we will rebuild it better and brighter,” he wrote.
— Los Angeles Times
