SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home was reportedly vandalized over night, according to TMZ.
Vandals wasted no time with the new year as they left Pelosi's home with fake blood and a pig's head.
Some messages were also left for the speaker as it appears the vandals were upset with the failed $2,000 government stimulus checks.
"Cancel rent!" and "We want everything!" were seen in big black letters on Pelosi's garage.
BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: @SpeakerPelosi’s house VANDALIZED with red paint, PIGS HEAD & spray-painted message “$2K (crossed out)... CANCEL RENT... WE WANT EVERYTHING”. City called to clean up at 3am & police attempting to stop photos of scene. Media SILENT. pic.twitter.com/LD1jfZIvco
COVENTRY, R.I. (WPRI) — Members of the Coventry Fire Department in Rhode Island refused to let the coronavirus pandemic stop them from participating in a long-standing New Year’s Day tradition.
Coventry Fire Chief Frank Brown said members of the department have been taking part in the Special Olympics Rhode Island Penguin Plunge for 19 years.
This year, Special Olympics was forced to cancel the in-person event, which typically draws thousands to Roger Wheeler State Beach for a brief, icy swim.
So instead of jumping into the freezing ocean, Coventry firefighters got creative so they didn’t have to miss out on the department tradition.
Friday, more than a dozen firefighters and their families ran through a stream of frigid water, suspended by one of the department’s ladder trucks.
“It’s just a different venue and something that everybody that plunges with us will always remember it,” Brown said. “We did it and didn’t put it behind us and it’s pretty special.”
Brown said the water stream was about 42 degrees, just like it would’ve been if they’d jumped into the ocean.
“It was actually not that bad,” he said, adding that they lowered the water pressure to ensure everyone’s safety. “It was easier than going into the water down in Narragansett.”
Brown said this year, the department raised $10,000 for Special Olympics Rhode Island. Since they began participating in 2002, they’ve raised $300,000.
“That’s what it’s all about,” Brown said. “Family and giving back.”
Brown said while 2020 was a tough year, he’s optimistic that this year will be much better.
“We’ve had sick firefighters,” he said. “We deal with it every day on the truck. There’s been a lot of heartache and I think that’s why we needed to do it. We had to look past what’s going on and look to a brighter future. So, to get out here and do this and keep the tradition going, it warms my heart.”
JACKSON, Miss. (NewsNation Now) — It's been an ongoing debate since the start of the pandemic: should schools remain open?
Across the country — some school districts like Los Angeles and Chicago — made the decision to switch to virtual learning as coronavirus cases rose in those areas.
Some of the nation's top health officials say kids can go to school in-person, and safely.
President-elect Joe Biden unveiled out his goal to open most K-8 by the end of his first 100 days in office.
Now, a new study out of Mississippi suggests students who have tested positive for the virus might not necessarily have contracted it in classrooms.
The bottom line of this study: Children are more likely to be infected by a family member who doesn't take the proper safety measures, than at school.
That's because children have a lower rate of infection and transmission, the author of the study said.
Children are more at risk from contracting COVID-19 at a holiday party or family gathering, than they are from being in the classroom, or in child care, according to the study led by the University of Mississippi Medical Center, in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Children who tested positive were more likely to have attended family gatherings and have visitors at home and their parents and guardians were less likely to report wearing masks.
Dr. Charlotte Hobbs, a mother and professor of pediatric infectious diseases, led the study.
"This echoes what we've seen in adult studies with household transmission," Hobbs said.
Hobbs said they also found that children who attended school or daycare and tested positive reported that other children or staff members were not taking safety measures like masking, social distancing or hygiene.
The researchers interviewed about 400 parents and pulled a list of children who had taken COVID-19 tests.
She said because the disease tends to be less severe in children, it has been studied less, and as a result children are suffering.
"If at school appropriate mitigation efforts are being [observed], being at school is actually in fact perhaps much lower of a place where a child would have the risk of contracting COVID as opposed to having contact with an adult who is infected," Hobbs said.
"Transmissions among and from younger students to students is simply not common," Newsom said.
He hopes to be back on track by the spring, with distance learning still an option.
Randy Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, said she believes kids should be in school, too, but only if funding is available and assurances are made to take the proper safety measures.
"In hospitals, you have those safeguards in place, or people are asked to leave," Weingarten said. "And in schools, particularly when you’re working with kids, you have to be extra careful. What is ironic these days, is that young kids actually are following the rules, whereas older kids are not, and we actually thought it was going to be the opposite. But there’s no excuse for treating anybody as expendable, and this either-or question is wrong."
Hobbs also said even though COVID-19 vaccines are becoming available, now is not the time for parents, families and schools and child care centers to let down their guard and remember one of the available vaccines is only approved for those 16 and older, the other is for those 18 and older.
NEW YORK (NewsNation Now) — The curtains have finally closed on 2020, and cities across the U.S. celebrated like never before.
With canceled or scaled back celebrations, many swapped crowds for comfort on New Year's Eve.
Here's how major cities around the country rang in the near year:
NEW YORK CITY, NY
The ball dropped, but the entrance to 2021 was unique for New York City.
Times Square remains the center of American revelry this New Year's Eve, but only virtually. Physically, it was closed. The only spectators witnessing the ball-drop in person were performers — part of the show, pre-screened for COVID-19.
Police had promised to vigorously enforce a ban on gatherings of any kind in New York City Thursday night, especially at its most famous intersection.
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 1: The New Year's Eve ball drops in a mostly empty Times Square on January 1, 2021, in New York City. On average, about one million revelers are drawn to the Crossroads of the World to watch performances and celebrate the New Year. This year a limited live audience of about 40 first responders and essential workers were allowed to watch the New Years' ball drop from a secure area in Times Square. (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 1: The New Year's Eve ball drops in a mostly empty Times Square on January 1, 2021, in New York City. On average, about one million revelers are drawn to the Crossroads of the World to watch performances and celebrate the New Year. This year a limited live audience of about 40 first responders and essential workers were allowed to watch the New Years' ball drop from a secure area in Times Square. (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 1: The New Year's Eve ball drops in a mostly empty Times Square on January 1, 2021, in New York City. On average, about one million revelers are drawn to the Crossroads of the World to watch performances and celebrate the New Year. This year a limited live audience of about 40 first responders and essential workers were allowed to watch the New Years' ball drop from a secure area in Times Square. (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
The Times Square Ball waits to drop to a mostly empty Times Square for New Year's Eve in New York City, December 31, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by COREY SIPKIN / AFP) (Photo by COREY SIPKIN/AFP via Getty Images)
This aerial view shows revelers sit in their pods in Times Square on New Years Eve on December 31, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Gary Hershorn / POOL / AFP) (Photo by GARY HERSHORN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Confetti flies around the ball and countdown clock in Times Square during the virtual New Year's Eve event following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., January 1, 2021. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
Confetti flies around the ball and countdown clock in Times Square during the virtual New Year's Eve event following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., December 31, 2020. Picture taken December 31, 2020. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
“My message to those ringing in the New Year,” said NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan, “Please stay at home.”
“Don’t come. Watch it at home. It’ll be a spectacular television show. Next year, we’ll all gather together and fill Times Square. But this year, don’t even attempt to come down there to watch it.”
Different right down to the confetti. 2,000 pounds of it released at midnight Thursday included the printed wishes of people from all over the country — their hopes and dreams for 2021.
LAS VEGAS, NV
Despite pleas from Nevada's governor to reconsider going out to celebrate New Year's Eve, thousands of revelers visited the casino-lined Las Vegas Strip Thursday night.
While shopping, gambling, drinking yard-long frozen cocktails and gawking at the sights and lights, most everyone who went out in Sin City was wearing a face mask, though some wore them only half-covering their face.
Amer Zah and Rayif Bah, both 22-year-old college students from Louisiana State University, had been on a cross-country road trip and after visiting Seattle, and decided to head south to Las Vegas to ring in 2021.
“We wanted somewhere to spend New Year’s and Vegas seems like the perfect place,” Zah said.
FILE- IN this Jan. 1, 2020 file photo, fireworks for New Year's Eve erupt over the Strip as viewed from the VooDoo Rooftop Nightclub & Lounge at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino on in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP, File)
But with most of the clubs still closed, live entertainment canceled and a signature fireworks show scuttled, they weren't sure how they would spend the rest of their evening, but both said they felt safe and had seen few people not wearing masks.
“Everyone, I think, is taking it seriously,” Bah said.
Typically, New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest parties Las Vegas sees all year, with more than 330,000 revelers, almost all hotel rooms booked and hundreds of millions of dollars pumped into the local economy.
But this year, New Year’s Eve was scaled down.
The fireworks show was canceled, replaced by a virtual celebration, implosion of a “2020” sign and a pyrotechnic show 15 minutes before midnight on www.VisitLasVegas.com.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority would not forecast what visitor numbers or room occupancy might be this year, with casinos-resorts limited to 25% capacity and public gatherings capped at 50 people. Las Vegas police said they too were unable to estimate what the turnout might be but guessed it could be as many as 200,000.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
For some San Francisco residents, 2020 went out with a whimper instead of a bang.
Large crowds usually fill the city's streets to watch the annual fireworks show, but the event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, NewsNation affiliate KRON reported.
The city's Rec and Park Department also turned off the holiday lights exhibit in Golden Gate Park to discourage crowds.
Police added extra patrols in areas where people normally gather, such as the Embarcadero, the Market Street Corridor and Union Square. Officers warned the people would be cited or arrested if they didn't comply with the health order.
Coronavirus concerns meant no crowded restaurants or bars, and even fireworks weren't set off downtown.
But those roughly 30 miles south of the city in Castle Rock were able to enjoy a big display to welcome 2021, NewsNation affiliate KDVR reported.
Castle Rock's Festival Park is typically busy with families around this time of year, but only a few showed up Thursday night.
Natalia Scepuyga and her family enjoyed food and drinks around a fire pit.
“This year is different and actually why we are here. Usually for the new year, we celebrate at home, but this year because of all this virus stuff and everything else around, we decided to get together outside,” she said, “It’s a safe place to see each other.”
NEW ORLEANS, LA
New Orleans adjusted their New Year's Eve celebrations to prevent spread of the virus.
“The streets seem very quiet and kind of lonely,” said Caroline Ramirez, who’s visiting New Orleans from Texas.
Jackson Square was locked up, and indoor bar service was closed, along with access to many streets.
“It is a shame that we can’t do these things, but we are in a pandemic and we have to be responsible about these things,” said Caleb Hunton, who’s visiting from Atlanta.
Caroline Ramirez and Jamie Hollander said they prefer the quieter spirit.
“It is nothing like you see in TV or in movies here right now. I like that. I wouldn’t want to be somewhere that is overcrowded,” Ramirez said.
“I’m grateful to tour the city and see more of a historical perspective,” Hollander said.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) - A San Francisco business owner is on a mission to get long-term funding for small businesses and residents across the country.
The owner of Cassava in the Outer Richmond District recently wrote a letter to Congress and started a petition saying the government is failing to adequately compensate people during this financial crisis.
The owner, Yuka Ioroi believes her restaurant was targeted by thieves as a consequence.
Yuka's restaurant Cassava was hit by thieves last week and instead of placing blame on the suspects, she's directing her anger and frustration towards the government for putting people in these desperate situations.
“If you're going to take the livelihood of the people, you need to adequately compensate for the loss,” Ioroi said.
Ioroi says it's common sense but something local, state and federal governments aren't doing.
As a restaurant owner in the city, Ioroi feels the impact of the pandemic in multiple ways. First, by the restaurant dining closures and then by becoming a victim of burglary.
“They targeted our key box outside so they broke that and used the key to come inside and stole all our iPads, the delivery tablets, and also we, later on, learned they got checkbook and credit card for the company,” Ioroi said.
But Ioroi doesn't blame the thieves, instead, she says she's frustrated by the government for putting people in these desperate situations.
“We learned that the credit card was used in only two locations, the supermarket and the other one was Ross and we were like oh my god, they just went to byu food and clothes,” Ioroi said.
Ioroi says this is just one example that reinforces her letter to Congress and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
She recently started a petition for the federal government to provide long-term pandemic relief for all residents and businesses.
“What we're asking is for all residents to have rent or mortgage plus $1000 per resident a month plus $500 per child for 6 months at least and for all businesses to have the fixed cost and payroll covered for 6 months,” Ioroi said.
Something that other nations are already doing.
For example, in Canada a new budget plan will provide more aid to businesses in hard-hit industries, that's on top of its ongoing subsidies for workers, including $2,000 a month for those who lost jobs or income due to the pandemic.
“The richest country in the world should not operate like this. The conversation should be pay us to stay home or stay closed so this can end,” Ioroi said.
Ioroi hopes her letter will help change the conversation and political leaders will take more responsibility to adequately compensate the people they serve.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) - On this New Year's Eve, the health care system in Santa Clara County is stretched to the limit.
Close to 30 available ICU beds, and on any given day as many as 60-patients waiting in emergency rooms for beds. Health officials are also reporting some good news.
The good news is COVID-19 vaccinations are moving along in Santa Clara County. A cautionary tale on this New Year's Eve with the county experiencing 50 or more cases per 100,000 people every day.
"A light at the end of the tunnel for us. Some hope in the coming year,” Dr. Martin Fenstersheib said.
The last COVID-19 update of 2020 from the county of Santa Clara Health Department focused on vaccinations.
To date, the county has received from Pfizer and Moderna a combined total of 95,000 doses. The distribution will go according to CDC phased guidelines.
Santa Clara County is currently in phase 1a which includes health care personnel and residents in long-term care facilities.
"People are certainly asking when is it my turn? After we finish the health care personnel we will move to phase 1b. That includes people over the age of 75 and it will include some of the essential frontline workers such as teachers, such as law enforcement. People working in places like grocery stores. In phase 1c we will expand vaccinations again to include people who are between 64 and 74 and all those people between 16 and 64 that have any chronic conditions and the rest of the essential workers. The last phase, phase 2 will be everybody else,” Fenstersheib said.
“The good news, if there is any to be had, is that the additional pressure that was put on after Christmas was not as great as we saw after Thanksgiving,” Dr. Ahmad Kamal said.
This being New Year's Eve, the health department is urging residents to exercise some of the more of that holiday vigilance to take the strain off hospital ICU capacity which is teetering at the limit.
"It is the summation of our individual and collective decisions and actions that decides where this pandemic goes,” Kamal said.
The first vaccine dose for the phase 1a group went out in mid-December. The second dose for that group is scheduled to begin the first week of January 2021.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) -- 2020 is a year that few of us will likely ever forget.
And while leaving this year in the dust is definitely cause for celebration, San Francisco public officials held a virtual news conference to remind people of the rules of the health order.
Big crowds would normally come out to the streets of San Francisco to watch the annual fireworks show. But because of the pandemic, that and other similar celebrations are canceled.
When the ferry building clock strikes midnight tonight, 2020 is going out with a whimper instead of a bang. That's because the annual epic fireworks display that normally helps ring in the new year have been cancelled because of the virus that has already ruined most of this year.
San Francisco public safety officials held a news conference to remind the public that big parties were held in past New Year's Eve celebrations isn't allowed this year in order to keep out hospitals from being overrun with COVID-19 patients.
That means no gathering with anyone outside your household. SFPD is boosting patrols and will have extra resources in spots people normally gather, like the Embarcadero, the Market Street Corridor and Union Square to name a few.
As to how they will enforce the health order...
"We will begin with warnings and then admonishments which are official warnings which will be documented in police reports," SFPD Officer Robert Rueca said. "If those admonishments are not heated then people can be cited and or arrested for not complying with the health order or other criminal violations."
The City's Rec and Park Department is going to turn off the holiday lights exhibit in Golden Gate Park in order to discourage crowds. The Marina Green, Stern Grove and Ocean Beach parking lots will be shut down until 5 a.m. Friday.
"It'd be nice to have fireworks but I also understand playing it safe and stuff," one woman said. "I'm just gonna enjoy stuff with my flat mate, just dance in my house and have that kind of thing you know."
One other note -- those public safety officials also want to remind people that fireworks of any kind -- even safe and sane ones are illegal in the city and county of San Francisco.
They ask that anyone calling to report fireworks or any kind of other noise complaint to call 311 and save 911 for police fire and medical emergencies. And of course, you really shouldn't be driving anywhere, but if you do don't do it while impaired.
Maggie VandenBerghe
