(FREE) PAINE IN THE MORNING: 12 things you need to know this Wednesday – January 5, 2022

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Teachers unions across country cite COVID surge to demand halt to in-person learning – Teachers unions in multiple states are pushing for a return to remote learning due to a surge in coronavirus cases, setting the stage for further conflict between educators, politicians and parents.

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) in Massachusetts recently argued that teachers would not be returning to safe environments. – READ MORE

3,200-Plus Schools Closed for Omicron Despite Low Risk – Over 3,200 schools will be closed or condemned to remote learning this week as officials fear the low-risk omicron variant of the coronavirus.

School districts across the country are grappling with how to move forward with coronavirus protocols as it appears clear that new variants will continue to come and virtual learning and mask mandates are extremely detrimental to the education, social development, and mental health of children. – READ MORE

Chicago Teachers Union on verge of strike for virtual teaching during COVID-19 surge –Most schools nationwide are supposed to return students to the classroom this week as Christmas break ends. But Chicago teachers could upend the city’s plans for in-person learning with a strike over what they say are unsafe working conditions because of a surge of coronavirus cases.

The Chicago Teachers Union will vote Tuesday on whether its more than 25,000 members will refuse to go to work in person on Wednesday and demand that they be allowed to phone in to their jobs virtually. According to WBEZ-FM, 80% of the 8,000 members who attended a CTU virtual town hall Sunday evening did not want to work in person in Chicago Public Schools under current conditions. – READ MORE

New York Teacher Arrested After Allegedly Giving Teenager COVID-19 Vaccine Without Parental Consent Or Medical Background – A New York teacher has been arrested after reportedly administering a 17-year-old boy a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine despite not being legally allowed to do so and lacking parental consent. NBC News reported that Laura Russo, 54, was arrested on New Year’s Eve in Sea Cliff, New York, for allegedly giving the shot to the unnamed teenager.

“According to the department, the 17-year-old boy had visited Russo’s home, where she administered what was believed to be a Covid vaccine to him,” NBC News reported. “It is unclear how she came to obtain the vaccine.” – READ MORE

Rally Against Lockdowns Sees 100,000 Germans Protest, Ruling Party Demands Clampdown – More than 100,000 took to the streets in Germany on Monday night to protest the nation’s lockdown rules, as eastern members of the ruling Free Democratic Party demand a clampdown.

A number of protests have taken place in Germany, with estimates putting the number of anti-lockdown protesters attending events at over 100,000 in total nationwide. According to reports, 50,000 turned out in Baden-Wurtemburg, “tens of thousands” in Saxony, and 17,000 in Thuringia. – READ MORE

Government report: 95% of omicron cases are among vaccinated! – A German government report found more than 95% of reported cases of the omicron COVID-19 variant in the country were in vaccinated individuals.

Only 186 people in a sample of 4,206 individuals who contracted the new variant were unvaccinated, according to a Dec. 30 report by the Robert Koch Institute, the National Pulse reported. – READ MORE

Democrat Governor Admits COVID Hospitalization May Be Inflated By 50%, Makes Move To Change Count – Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) admitted Monday that hospitalizations in New York are likely being over counted by as much as 50%.

Speaking in Rochester, the Democrat noted that people who are admitted to a hospital for something like a car accident might test positive for COVID. These people are not being treated for the virus, but for their injuries from the accident, yet they are being counted in their COVID hospitalization totals. – READ MORE

25K Chicago public school COVID tests rendered ‘invalid’ as shipping issues mount –Thousands of coronavirus tests taken by children within the Chicago Public Schools system were deemed “invalid” after the tests piled up at FedEx drop boxes.

“We don’t even know if they’re going to make it through, or if they’re going to be compromised just sitting here unattended,” Chicago Public Schools parent Lorena Paredes told CBS Chicago. – READ MORE

United Airlines Reportedly Outsourcing Work To Unjabbed London Flight Attendants –According to a recent report from Breitbart News, United Airlines is reportedly allowing London-based unjabbed flight attendants to work alongside American employees who’ve taken the jab, all the while having placed American employees who’ve avoided the COVID jab on unpaid leave.

In the modern era where some company positions have been “no jab, no job,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby had placed approximately 2,000 U.S.-based United Airlines employees on unpaid leave. Those individuals are currently working to obtain either medical or religious exemptions to the COVID jab. – READ MORE

United Airlines Outsources Work to Potentially Unvaccinated London Flight Attendants –United Airlines is allegedly allowing potentially unvaccinated London-based flight attendants to work alongside vaccinated American staff as it grapples with staffing shortages, cofounder of Airline Employees 4 Health Freedom Captain Sherry Walker exclusively told Breitbart News on Thursday.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has placed roughly 2,000 unvaccinated U.S.-based employees who obtained religious and medical accommodations on unpaid leave in the name of “safety.” That number includes approximately 900 flight attendants, according to Walker, who said her organization is currently undergoing an audit to confirm the exact numbers of United employees placed on unpaid leave and their positions. – READ MORE

1 million COVID-vaccine injuries now reported on CDC’s database – The number of adverse events due to COVID-19 vaccines reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website has surpassed 1 million.

The Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, known as VAERS, reports that as of Dec. 24, there were 21,002 COVID vaccine deaths and 110,609 hospitalizations along with a total of 1,000,227 COVID vaccine adverse events. The figures are summarized on the independent site OpenVAERS. – READ MORE

Chicago Alderman Wants People to Blow Whistles, Run at Armed Robbers – Chicago Alderman Michele Smith (D-Ward 43) wants her constituents to wear whistles, which they can blow while running towards armed robbers, should they witness a crime taking place.

CWBChicago reported that Smith is bringing back the “WhistleStop Program,” which existed in Lincoln Park in the 1970s. – READ MORE

Manhattan DA closes probe into nursing home deaths without charging Cuomo: attorney – The Manhattan district attorney’s office is closing its investigation into former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s handling of nursing home COVID-19 deaths without bringing charges against Cuomo, according to the former governor’s attorney.

“I was contacted today by the head of the Elder Care Unit from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office who informed me they have closed its investigation involving the Executive Chamber and nursing homes,” Elkan Abramowitz, a former federal prosecutor who had been hired to represent Cuomo, said Monday. “I was told that after a thorough investigation — as we have said all along — there was no evidence to suggest that any laws were broken.” – READ MORE

Cuomo won’t be prosecuted for sexual misconduct allegations, Albany DA announces –The Albany County district attorney has declined to prosecute disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on a sexual misconduct charge, the District Attorney’s (DA) office announced Tuesday.

“While many have an opinion regarding the allegations against the former Governor, the Albany County DA’s Office is the only one who has a burden to prove the elements of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt,” District Attorney David Soares said in a statement. “While we found the complainant in this case cooperative and credible, after review of all the available evidence we have concluded that we cannot meet our burden at trial. As such we have notified the Court that we are declining to prosecute this matter and requesting the charges filed by the Albany County Sheriff be dismissed.” –  READ MORE