McMaster names lawyer to chair South Carolina’s health board
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has named a Columbia-area attorney to become the next chair of the state’s health board.
Author: Associated Press
Arbery killers get life in prison; no parole for father, son
By Russ Bynum
Three white men who chased and killed Ahmaud Arbery have been sentenced to life in prison, with a judge denying any chance of parole for the father and son who armed themselves and initiated the deadly pursuit of the 25-year-old Black man.
Hospitalizations skyrocket in kids too young for COVID shots
Hospitalizations of U.S. children under 5 with COVID-19 have soared to unprecedented levels, a worrisome trend in youngsters too young to be vaccinated.
Teen in Michigan school shooting waives key court hearing
A teenager charged with killing four students at their Michigan high school has waived a key court hearing. The decision means Ethan Crumbley’s case moves straight to a trial court in suburban Detroit.
South Carolina Republicans want judge off redistricting case
South Carolina Republican legislative leaders want to toss a judge from a lawsuit over redistricting plans. Attorneys for House Speaker Jay Lucas argue in papers filed Thursday that U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel can’t fairly consider the case in part because of similar prior legal work.
US unemployment sinks to 3.9% as many more people find jobs
The nation’s unemployment rate fell in December to a healthy 3.9%, a pandemic low, even as employers added a modest 199,000 jobs, evidence that they are struggling to fill jobs with many Americans still reluctant to return to the workforce.
Supreme Court weighs vaccine rules affecting more than 80M
The justices on the conservative-oriented court are hearing arguments Friday about whether to allow the administration to enforce a vaccine-or-testing requirement that applies to large employers and a separate vaccine mandate for most health care workers.
Men convicted in Ahmaud Arbery killing face life sentences
Three white men convicted of murder in the deadly chase and shooting of Ahmaud Arbery are due back in court for sentencing. A Georgia jury in November found father and son Greg and Travis McMichael and their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, guilty of murder and other crimes in the February 2020 killing of the 25-year-old Black man.
FDA shortens timing of Moderna booster to 5 months
U.S. regulators are shortening the time that people who received Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine have to wait for a booster – to five months rather than six.
Boston leads No. 1 South Carolina past No. 13 LSU, 66-60
Aliyah Boston had 19 points and 18 rebounds, and top-ranked South Carolina beat No. 13 LSU 66-60 on Thursday night, ending the Tigers’ 13-game winning streak.
