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WASHINGTON, D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), and Congressman Anthony Brown (D-MD) announced today that their District of Columbia National Guard Home Rule Act, which would give the D.C. mayor control over the D.C. National Guard (DCNG), has been included in the chairmans mark of the fiscal year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), released today. Currently, the President controls the DCNG, while the governors of the states and territories control their National Guards. The House Armed Services Committee will mark up the chairmans mark on Wednesday.

The District of Columbia mayor is the chief executive for our jurisdiction and has the best knowledge and most reliable expertise about when to deploy our own National Guard, Norton said. The D.C. National Guard Home Rule Act, which I had introduced for years before the January 6th insurrection, simply gives the Districts chief executive the same authority afforded to governors of states and territories over their Guards. This bill would have ended the insurrection hours earlier on January 6th and would afford D.C. a critical element of home rule as we simultaneously fight for statehood. Today's inclusion of our bill in the fiscal year 2022 NDAA is another step toward granting full equality to D.C. on our road to statehood. I thank House Committee on Armed Services Chairman Adam Smith, who is a strong supporter of D.C. statehood, for including the bill in the NDAA."

Given the unprecedented attack against our hallowed halls of Congress on January 6, we must ensure that the Mayor of the District of Columbia is granted the appropriate authorities to mobilize and deploy the National Guard, said Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney. It is past time that D.C.s local elected officials have the same tools that every other state executive official has to protect public safety during emergencies, and I applaud the House Armed Services Committee for including this important amendment.

On January 6th, our nation witnessed an unprecedented assault by a violent mob at the U.S. Capitol in the District of Columbia. While death and destruction unfolded as the insurrectionists made their way through the city, the Mayor of D.C. was unable to deploy the D.C. National Guard herself. All fifty states and four U.S. territories can operate their National Guard units under the command of local leaders yet the District of Columbia cannot, Carper said. As a former Governor, I recall numerous instances in which I called on the Delaware National Guard to respond to emergency situations, such as floods, blizzards, ice storms, drought, and more. I know the importance of being a Commander-in-Chief of my states National Guard, and the valiant work that our civilian soldiers have done for decades to protect our citizens and property. That is one of the reasons why I have worked for years with Congresswoman Holmes Norton to admit Washington, D.C., as our 51st state and provide equal rights to the Americans who call the District home. Im glad to see that the House Armed Services Committee will include this important and long overdue measure.

On January 6th, as a violent mob of insurrectionists attacked the Capitol, District of Columbia officials were left hamstrung, as the Department of Defense took hours to approve the deployment of the National Guard a delay it has never adequately explained. Its clear that the District must have complete authority over its National Guard to protect its own safety and security and that of our nations capital. Im glad to see the House Armed Services Committee include this vital measure in their proposed National Defense Authorization Act, and Ill continue pressing my colleagues in the Senate to follow suit, said Senator Van Hollen.

Last year, we witnessed the Trump Administrations unacceptable order for the D.C. Guard to use force against peaceful protestors and delay preparation and response to the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol. In doing so, the previous administration put the lives of D.C. residents in jeopardy and undermined our national security, said Congressman Anthony Brown. I commend Congresswoman Nortons tireless advocacy for the rights of her city, our neighbors, and all those who live in Washington, D.C. By giving the D.C. mayor the same authority as state and territorial governors over its Guard, well take another important step toward full statehood and ensure both safety and emergency responsiveness in our nations capital.

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Norton, Van Hollen, Maloney, Carper, and Brown Announce Their Bill to Give D.C. Mayor Control Over D.C. National Guard Included in National Defense...

Harrisburg, PA - With a focus on protecting students and keeping them in classrooms, Governor Tom Wolf joined the departments of Health, Human Services and Education today to discuss the current stateof COVID-19 and a newSecretary ofHealthorderrequiring masks to be worn inside K-12 school buildings, early learning programs and child care providers. Theordertakes effect12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Sept.7, 2021.

My office has received an outpouring ofmessages from parentsasking the administration to protect all children by requiring masks in schools, said Gov. Wolf.The science is clear.The Delta variant is highly transmissible and dangerous to the unvaccinated, many of whom are children too young to receive the vaccine. Requiringmasksin schools will keep our students saferand in the classroom,where we all want them to be.

I preferred for local school boards to make this decision. Unfortunately,an aggressive nationwidecampaignisspreading misinformationabout mask-wearing andpressuring and intimidatingschool districtsto reject mask policies that will keep kids safe and in school.As we see cases among children increase in Pennsylvania and throughout the country, this is especially dangerous and challenging as we seek to keep kids in school and maintain a safe and healthy learning environment.

ActingHealth Secretary Alison Beam was joined at a press conference today byGovernor Tom Wolf, Education SecretaryNoe Ortega,Human Services Acting Secretary Meg SneadandPresident of thePennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of PediatricsDr.TrudeHaecker.

The reality we are living in now is much different than it was just a month ago, said Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam.With case countsincreasing,the situation has reached the point that we need to takethisaction to protect our children,teachers and staff. The science is clear. If we want to keep our schools open, maintain classroom learning and allow sports and other activities to continue, masking significantly increases our chances of doing so.

Universal masking in schools, which theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) and theAmerican Academy of Pediatrics recommend, reduces therisk that entire classrooms will need to quarantine due to a positive COVID-19 case. This orderensures Pennsylvanias children are participating in classroom learning without the constant disruptions.

The Delta variant has been a driving force of the pandemic since the end of the previous school year. The variant is more contagious than the original strain of the virus, accounting for more than 92 percent of current COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania. Since July when schools first began discussing health and safety plans, Pennsylvanias COVID-19 caseload has increased from less than 300 a day to more than 3,000 a day with casesamongschool aged childrenincreasingby more than 11,000 in the last month, and by more than 79,000 from January 2021 to August 2021.

Additionally, new cases of COVID-19 among children enrolled in licensed child carefacilitieshave increased significantly in recent months, according to data reported to DHS by child care providers. For example, on June 4, child care providers reported eight cases of COVID-19 among children in the previous week. On August 27, the number of new COVID-19 cases among children in child care the previous week was 162.

The Wolf Administration continues to urge eligible Pennsylvanians to get vaccinated, asitisthebest defense at stopping the spread of the virus. However, there is currently no vaccine approved for children under 12 years old. For eligible adolescents in Pennsylvania, 18.2 percent of children ages 12-14 are fully vaccinated and 38.3 percent of children ages 15-19 are fully vaccinated.

After months apart, students and educators are eagerly returning to classrooms across Pennsylvania for the new school year, said Secretary of Education Noe Ortega. Unfortunately, weve already seen schools across the nation close because of COVID-19. Wearing masks is a proven strategy that will help Pennsylvanias schools reduce the spread of COVID-19, protect their communities, and keep our students and educators where we know its vital for them to be teaching, learning and growing together safely in their classrooms.

An early childhood education experience can shape a childs educational, social and emotional development throughout their lives. Science has shown us that the first five years of life are critical to brain development, influencing the trajectory of an individuals life for many years after, DHS Acting Secretary Meg Snead said. A thriving child care industry is also foundational to the rest of our economy, and this industry and the dedicated educators who show up every day to help our children grow will be essential for our recovery from this pandemic. Simply put, without access to safe child care and early learning programs, many parents cannot work.

Acting Secretary Beam signed the order under her authority provided by the Disease Prevention and Control Law.

The Order applies to everyone indoors at K-12 public schools including brick and mortar and cyber charter schools, private and parochial schools, career and technical centers (CTCs), and intermediate units (IUs). The order also applies to early learning programs and child careprovidersfor children ages 2 and older, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The order outlines the situations when a mask must be worn and includes limited exceptions to the face-covering requirement. The order does not apply to school sports or outdoor activities.

Failureto implement or follow theOrder maysubjecta persontopenaltiesunder theDisease Prevention and Control Law of 1955andexposuretopersonal liability.

Last week, the governor sent a letteraskingRepublican legislative leaders to immediately collaborate with him to pass legislation requiring mask wearing in schools andatchild carefacilities. Because the Republican leaders declined to act, theacting secretaryis taking action tohelp keep studentsin classrooms, which is the best place for them to learn.

The departments also provided an initial series ofanswers tofrequently asked questions about the Secretary of Healths masking order.

To view photos and video from today's event, please visitPACast.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lyndsay Kensinger, Governors Office, ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov

Mark ONeill, Health, ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov

Kendall Alexander, Education, kenalexand@pa.gov

Erin James, Human Services, ra-pwdhspressoffice@pa.gov

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Wolf Administration Requires Masking in Schools, Early Learning and Child Care Settings to Keep Students Safely in Classrooms and Delta Variant Out -...

An 86-year-old man has died while attempting to rescue his disabled daughter from a canal.

Lawrence Casey went into Bude canal in north Cornwall to rescue his daughter Jessica after she suddenly lost control of her mobility scooter and plunged into the water.

The young woman, thought to be in her 20s, was pulled out of the water by members of the public, but Casey was confirmed to have died at the scene.

His family praised members of the public who went to help during the incident on Wednesday afternoon.

We are deeply shocked of course but I am so incredibly heartened by those who helped, they said. [We] would like to express our deep gratitude for all those involved.

They told the BBC that Casey had dedicated his life to Jessica. He was devoted to the care of his disabled daughter and his final act of love as a father was to sacrifice his life to save hers.

A Devon and Cornwall police spokeswoman said the emergency services were called at 5.20pm to Bude canal after public concern over the welfare of two people in the water.

A woman in her 20s was pulled from the water by members of the public and was taken to hospital by land ambulance. A man in his 80s was confirmed deceased at the scene. His next of kin have been informed.

Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious and a file would be prepared for a coroner.

PA Media contributed to this report

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Father, 86, dies trying to rescue disabled daughter from canal - The Guardian

It was fun while it lasted.

The European Union recommended member states reinstate travel restrictions on U.S. visitors that were lifted as recently as June, according to multiple media reports.

Plans for the move, first reported by Reuters, arose amid a Covid-19 surge fueled by the delta variant and a lack of reciprocity from American officials, who have not lifted the U.S. entry ban on EU citizens earlier this year.

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Now that restrictions are renewed, Americans traveling to the bloc's 27 member nations might be subject to measures such as Covid testing, quarantine upon arrival and a halt to all non-essential travel. The EU recommendation is non-binding, however, and member states retain control over their own border restrictions vis-a-vis Covid.

According to published reports, the EU is also removing five other nations from its nonbinding list of 23 nations exempted from travel restrictions: Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro and North Macedonia. Countries reportedly retaining least restrictive status include Canada, Japan, Qatar and Ukraine.

The EU maintains a website detailing developments on international visitor access at Reopen.europa.eu/en.

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EU recommends reinstating travel restrictions on U.S. travelers - CNBC

Over the past two decades, the Afghan broadcaster Tolo has been known for provocative programs like Burka Avenger, in which an animated superheroine uses martial arts to vanquish villains trying to shut down a girls school.

Millions of Afghans have also tuned in to its racy Turkish soap operas, its popular 6 P.M. News and the reality show Afghan Star, featuring female singers dancing energetically on Afghanistans version of American Idol.

Since the Taliban captured Afghanistans capital, Kabul, on Aug. 15, however, Tolos usual lineup has been supplemented by something else: educational programming about Islamic morality. Whether its menu of pop music and female television hosts survive in the Talibans new Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will be a barometer of the insurgents tolerance for dissenting views and values.

To be honest, Im still surprised we are up and running, said Saad Mohseni, Tolos co-owner, an Australian-Afghan former investment banker who started Moby Group, which owns Tolo, in 2002. We know what the Taliban stand for.

Keen to gain international legitimacy, the Taliban have been seeking to rebrand themselves as more moderate since they stormed Kabul, offering former rivals amnesty and urging women to join the government. They have vowed to support media freedom, on the condition that outlets subscribe to Islamic values. A Taliban spokesman even appeared on a Tolo news program hosted by a female anchor just days after the group captured Kabul.

But journalists and human rights advocates say there are ominous signs that a violent media clampdown is underway.

Taliban fighters hunted a journalist from the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle who had already left the country, fatally shooting a member of his family and seriously injuring another, according to the broadcaster.

Ziar Khan Yaad, a Tolo journalist, and a cameraman were beaten by five Taliban fighters at gunpoint while out reporting last week.

The Taliban have also barred at least two female journalists from their jobs at the public broadcaster Radio Television Afghanistan. And the woman who hosted the Taliban spokesman on a Tolo news program is no longer at the network.

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Can Afghanistans leading broadcaster survive the Taliban? - The New York Times