Arkansas' GOP governor wants to undo ban on mask mandates
CBSN
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson says he wishes a bill banning state and local mask mandates hadn't become law, months after he signed the bill. Now, he's asking state leaders to reconsider the ban so local school districts have the flexibility to require masks when children return to the classroom.
Hutchinson said he signed the bill in April because cases in his state were at a low point, and because he knew his veto would be overridden by the legislature anyhow. The governor reinstated the state's public health emergency last week, and is calling a special session for the state legislature to change the mask mandate law so schools can impose mask requirements if they choose. According to Arkansas Secretary of Health Jose Romero, almost 19% of COVID-19 cases are currently among children under 18. "Yes, in hindsight, I wish that it had not become law. But it is the law, and the only chance we have is either to amend it or for the courts to say that it has an unconstitutional foundation," Hutchinson said during a press conference Tuesday.Almost four out of every 10 people in the United States live in a place where air pollution is considered bad enough to put their health at risk, the American Lung Association warned in its latest "State of the Air" report released on Wednesday. That proportion of people — about 39% of the population — had risen sharply since earlier rounds of pollutant data were analyzed for the annual report last year, and the trends were especially pronounced in certain parts of the country.
Between now and 2030, about 10,000 Americans will turn 65 every single day, highlighting a growing concern about the nation's preparedness for elder care often falling on the shoulders of their adult children. This has given rise to a term known as the "sandwich generation," defined as adults who find themselves caring for their aging parents while still raising their own children.
Washington — The Supreme Court is set to consider Thursday whether former President Donald Trump is entitled to sweeping immunity from federal prosecution for conduct that occurred while he was in the White House, thrusting the justices into election-year politics in a historic case with significant ramifications for his legal and political future.
A bottlenose dolphin was found shot to death on a Louisiana beach last month and now authorities are offering a $20,000 reward for information that aids their investigation into the incident. NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement said the dead dolphin was found on West Mae's Beach in the state's Cameron Parish with multiple bullets lodged in its brain, spinal cord and heart.