August 24th, 2021

What A Week   (8/16- 8/22)

Intro: (Cue intro music) 

Hey everyone, welcome back to What a week!, I’m your host, Olivia Lee, here to deliver your weekly dose of the news. Let’s get started!

In Local News: 

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2021/08/demonstrators-congregate-at-portland-waterfront.htmlhttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/23/portland-oregon-clashes-protests-proud-boys-antifascistThis past sunday, a rightwing protest in Portland turned into a gunfight, when antifascist demonstrators returned fire at a man who shot at them with a handgun in a downtown street. The firefight took place in the heart of downtown Portland, soon after 6pm on Sunday night. Portland police bureau confirmed that a man had been arrested over the shooting but did not have any information on any injuries. The incident came after a day of protest descended into running clashes involving hundreds of protesters and counterprotesters. This past Sunday’s planned gatherings were spurred by a similar event one year ago where right-wing demonstrators, including some affiliated with the Proud Boys, faced off against anti-fascist counter-demonstrators in downtown Portland. The two groups pelted each other with paintballs, mace and rocks as Portland police stayed mainly out of the way.

In-state news:

https://www.koin.com/news/health/coronavirus/oregon-surpasses-sad-milestone-of-3000-covid-19-deaths/Last Friday, the Oregon Health Authority reported 19 new COVID-related deaths, raising the state’s death toll to 3,012. OHA Director Patrick Allen in a statement said, “Today, we mark another sad milestone in the pandemic: Our 3,000th COVID-19 related death. Our sadness is deepened by the realization that these deaths are increasingly preventable. We know that the available vaccines provide a reliable protective shield against serious illness and death from COVID-19. These vaccines are saving lives every day and I urge every Oregonian who has not yet received the vaccine to please make a plan to be vaccinated.” end quote.https://katu.com/news/local/oregon-reports-4700-new-coronavirus-cases-24-more-covid-deaths-over-the-weekendOregon health officials reported more than 4,700 new coronavirus cases and 24 COVID-19 related deaths over the span of this past weekend as the delta variant and hospitalizations continue to surge across the state. The Oregon Health Authority has identified 257,644 presumptive and confirmed coronavirus cases since the pandemic started. 

In National News:

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/08/23/1030251410/pfizer-covid-vaccine-fda-approvalLast week, The Food and Drug Administration formally approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. The widely anticipated decision replaces the emergency use authorization granted by the agency last December. The vaccine, developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech, is the first COVID-19 vaccine to be subject to a full review by the U.S. regulator and to get an approval that puts the vaccine on par with other marketed vaccines. The full approval could make it easier for employers, the military and universities to mandate vaccination and may reassure some people who are still undecided about getting the vaccine. https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/08/18/1028798003/covid-19-booster-shots-roll-out-september-moderna-pfizerThe country’s top health officials announced last Wednesday that COVID-19 booster shots of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are set to become available for all U.S. adults beginning next month. Dr. Vivek Murthy, the surgeon general, spoke on this announcement at a White House briefing saying quote,  "We know that even highly effective vaccines become less effective over time. It is now our clinical judgment that the time to lay out a plan for COVID boosters is now.”  

 

In International News: 

​​https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/23/china/china-zero-case-delta-intl-hnk/index.htmlLast week China reported no new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases for the first time since July, according to its National Health Commission (NHC), as authorities double down on the country's stringent zero-Covid approach. China has been grappling with the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant since July 20, when a cluster of Covid-19 infections were detected among airport cleaning staff in the eastern city of Nanjing. Since then, it has catapulted into the worst outbreak China has seen since 2020, spreading to more than half of the country's 31 provinces and infecting more than 1,200 people. The surging cases driven by Delta were seen as the biggest challenge yet,  to China's uncompromising zero tolerance virus policy. Local authorities responded by placing tens of millions of residents under strict lockdown, rolling out massive testing and tracing campaigns and restricting domestic travels. The strict measures appear to be working as  daily infections have fallen steadily over the past week into single digits, down from more than 100 from its peak two weeks ago.

Lastly here is the wildcard news for the week:

https://www.npr.org/2021/08/20/1029633740/rain-fall-peak-of-greenland-ice-sheet-first-climate-changeGreenland saw rain at the highest point of its ice sheet for the first time since scientists have been making observations there. According to the U.S. National Snow & Ice Data Center, rain fell for several hours on an area 10,551 feet in elevation on Aug. 14, an unprecedented occurrence for a location that rarely sees temperatures above freezing. It was also the latest date in the year scientists had ever recorded above-freezing temperatures at the National Science Foundation's Summit Station. The rainfall coincided with the ice sheet's most recent "melt event," in which temperatures get high enough that the thick ice begins to melt.

 

Closing:  Well that wraps up What a Week! Stay safe and see you guys next week.