Rep. Bobby Rush Statement on testing positive for COVID-19

U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.) released the following statement after testing positive with a breakthrough case of COVID-19:

“Today, after being notified of a recent exposure, I tested positive with a breakthrough case of COVID-19. Fortunately, I am fully vaccinated and recently received my booster shot. I am feeling fine and currently have no symptoms. I will be quarantining and following the latest guidance from the CDC and the Chicago Department of Public Health. As COVID-19 cases rise and the Omicron variant spreads throughout the nation, I encourage everyone who has not yet done so to get vaccinated and get boosted as soon as possible.”

Tuskegee Airmen Clifton Brooks Sr. dies at 99

Cliffton E. Brooks Sr., who served as a cryptologist with the famed all-Black Tuskegee Airmen, passed away Friday night at the age of 99.

He was the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen in the state of West Virginia.

Many who knew Brooks in his post-military years knew him as a community fixture - dedicating time to Washington Smith Post 152 American Legion, serving as a Mason in Potomac Lodge 41 and a member of Keyser Moose Lodge 662, and keeping active as a member of Janes United Methodist Church in Keyser.

Most recently, Brooks has been the recipient of several honors in his hometown, including Mineral County Day citations from the West Virginia Senate and House of Delegates, Black History Month honors from WVU Potomac State College, and having the South End Park - where his children often played when they were growing up - renamed the Clifton E. Brooks Sr. Park.

The barrier-breaking Tuskegee Airmen Squadron was formed in 1941 as a result of pressure by various civil rights groups, and included pilots, navigators, bombardiers, and maintenance and support staff, including the cryptologists who coded and deciphered top secret messages.

Howard University delays spring semester due to COVID-19 surge

Howard University has made a statement via it's website that it is delaying the start of its spring classes until Jan. 18 as a result of an uptick in COVID-19 infections in the Washington region.

Read that statement below:

December 27, 2021

Dear Howard University Community,

We are continuing to monitor the surge in COVID-19 cases locally and throughout the region. The significant increase in cases is, in part, due to the spread of the omicron variant, which is more easily transmissible than the delta variant. So far, it has resulted mainly in mild to moderate symptoms among vaccinated individuals. Our public health team continually monitors COVID-19 transmission data and the changing local and federal public health guidance. We have also consulted with academic institutions in the D.C. consortium of universities. Further, the CDC predicts a potential peak in COVID-19 cases in January. 

As a result, we will delay the start of the Spring 2022 semester for undergraduate and graduate students until Tuesday, January 18, 2022. Face-to-face courses will begin on that date. University administrative operations will begin on January 3, 2022. Students in professional programs will receive specific guidance from their schools to accommodate accreditation and licensure requirements.

Vaccinations, mask usage and regular testing were integral to our successful operations during the Fall semester. We previously announced that all faculty, staff and students will be required to receive a COVID-19 booster by Monday, January 31, 2022, if you are already eligible for a booster, or within 30 days after becoming eligible. 
 
Approved medical and religious exemptions will continue to be granted. Booster vaccines are available on campus on the first floor of the Howard University Hospital, Freedmen’s Hall, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., with no appointment necessary. Students should continue to upload vaccine documentation in Med+Proctor, and employees should upload vaccine documentation in Workday. We will continue to require mask usage indoors and in group settings outdoors.
 
Breakthrough cases of COVID-19 will continue to occur. We know that individuals who have received a booster shot of mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) have significantly more antibodies in their system than individuals who have not yet received booster shots and even more than those who are unvaccinated. These increased antibody levels result in greater effectiveness of the vaccines, reducing severe illness or hospitalization. The bottom line is that you are more protected if you are vaccinated.

We are also requiring that everyone returning to campus from Winter Break for the Spring 2022 semester will be required to provide proof of a negative PCR test within four days prior to arrival.
 
Students in residential housing will return to campus beginning Friday, January 14, 2022 between 7:00am-9:00pm. While administrative operations will resume on January 3, 2022, meetings will be conducted virtually wherever possible, and units with approved telework authority may continue to implement that flexibility. Your cabinet officials will provide specific guidance to each unit.

A virtual town hall will be scheduled to discuss more details and answer any questions we receive prior to the start of classes. Updates will be communicated via email, and general updates will be shared on Howard’s Twitter page. 

Our highest priority is the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff. These steps will help us maintain as safe an environment as possible in order to provide the best educational experience to our students. As we continue to navigate the pandemic, we are leveraging our collective knowledge and experience to adapt our community to the many changes in the virus and the pandemic.

We thank you for your patience and flexibility. We will continue to get through this most recent challenge together as a Bison family. Thank you.

Excellence in Truth and Service,

Anthony K. Wutoh, Ph.D., R.Ph.                     
Provost & Chief Academic Officer    

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Bison S.A.F.E.

True Story #1 streaming series on the Nielsen Top 10 Chart

Netflix’s True Story landed atop Nielsen’s latest U.S. ranking of streaming original series.

The limited series starring Kevin Hart and Wesley Snipes amassed 943 million minutes viewed across its seven episodes, which for the week of Nov. 22 was good for No. 1.

Nielsen notes that the audience for True Story was predominantly African American, with 53 percent of its viewership from Black households.

TRUE STORY SYNOPSIS:

In True Story, Kevin plays Philadelphia-based actor and comedian, The Kid, a successful stand-up comic who goes on tour but takes a stop in his hometown, meeting up with his older brother Carlton (Wesley Snipes).

The pair go on a heavy night out but it ends in disaster when they wake up with a woman in their room who overdoses. The brothers then decide what to do, and The Kid is forced to decide how far he'll go to protect what he has.

Here’s Nielsen’s Top 10 SVOD Programs chart for the frame:

1. Red Notice (Netflix), 1 episode, 954 million minutes viewed

2. True Story (Netflix), 7 episodes, 943M

3. Hawkeye (Disney+), 2 episodes, 853M

4. CoComelon (Netflix), 15 episodes, 797M

5. NCIS (Netflix), 353 episodes, 666M

6. Wheel of Time (Amazon), 4 episodes, 663M

7. Bruised (Netflix), 1 episode, 654M

8. Cowboy Bebop/2021 (Netflix), 10 episodes, 629M

9. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Disney+), 1 episode, 613M

10. Jungle Cruise (Disney+), 1 episode, 611M

Barack Obama statement on the passing of Desmond Tutu

Former United States President, Barack Obama released the following statement via Twitter on the Passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu:

Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a mentor, a friend, and a moral compass for me and so many others. A universal spirit, Archbishop Tutu was grounded in the struggle for liberation and justice in his own country, but also concerned with injustice everywhere.

He never lost his impish sense of humor and willingness to find humanity in his adversaries, and Michelle and I will miss him dearly.