Airlines weighing whether to unblock middle seats soon - Arkansas Online

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, some airlines blocked selling middle seats to allow passengers to socially distance while flying. Now, one of those airlines is rolling back the policy. Southwest Airlines will start filling planes Dec. 1, before the Christmas and New Year's travel period.

In an explanatory eight-part Twitter thread, Southwest said the "decision was not made lightly" to unblock middle seats. The airline pointed to scientific sources in changing its policy. For example, it cited an International Air Transport Association report that said just 44 cases of covid-19 transmission -- out of almost 1.2 billion passengers who have traveled since the beginning of 2020 -- were linked to flying.

Delta Air Lines, however, went the other way. "We're extending one of our key health and safety protocols this winter holiday season by blocking the selection of middle seats and limiting the number of customers per flight through at least Jan. 6, 2021," an airline news release said.

Delta's policy works like this: If a person is traveling solo or with one other person, then the middle seat will remain unsold. If three or more people are traveling together, then they'll be able to book the middle seat.

Hawaiian Airlines, which announced late last month that it would resume nonstop daily flights from Long Beach, Calif., to Honolulu starting Dec. 16, will continue to block middle seats through Dec. 15. Alaska Airlines promised to block middle seats, except when large families need them, and limit the number of passengers onboard its planes through Jan. 6.

JetBlue said it would "sell less than 70% of seats" on any flight through the holiday season.

The coronavirus that causes covid-19 is spread in droplets when people talk, cough and sneeze, and in smaller aerosol particles that may travel farther. The droplets may cause infection via the mouth or nose. For that reason, major air carriers require passengers to wear masks during flights.

According to the "Risk of COVID-19 During Air Travel," published Oct. 1 by the Journal of the American Medicine Association, the risk of contracting covid-19 on an airplane is low. It gave high marks to on-board air quality (a mix of fresh air from outside and air recycled through filters) and noted that passengers have little face-to-face contact.

The report advises passengers not to travel if they feel ill, to always wear a mask while on a plane and to wash or sanitize hands frequently. "If there is an overhead air nozzle, adjust it to point straight at your head and keep it on full," the report said. "Stay seated if possible, and follow crew instructions."

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A pet owner’s nightmare: She says dog was struck right in front of her by speeding car - SILive.com

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The Blumberg family lost an important member recently — their dog Apollo.

And they say their beloved pet would still be alive if it wasn’t for a reckless driver.

On Wednesday, Oct. 9, Joany Blumberg took Apollo for a walk and stopped briefly by a park on Van Duzer Street, close to Broad Street. Blumberg says she never took Apollo off his leash.

As the pair was walking home, they crossed Van Duzer near Shelterview Drive.

At that location, there are no are stop signs or traffic lights. Knowing drivers tend to drive recklessly in the area, Blumberg said she took extra precautions when crossing the street.

She says she doubled checked to make sure no cars were coming.

Once the road was clear, Blumberg and Apollo crossed the street. The pair made it to the middle of the road as a sports car hurtled toward them. As Blumberg was pulling Apollo back to where they were originally standing, the driver struck the pet, the owner said.

He died on impact.

The car didn’t even stop after it hit Apollo, she said. Not even to make sure Blumberg wasn’t hurt.

“The guy kept going” she stated. “That’s what hurt me the most.”

The Blumberg family called the police to see if they could do anything regarding Apollo’s death. Unfortunately, Van Duzer Street does not have any cameras.

Apollo, a Shih Tzu, was only a year and 10 months old. On Dec. 7, the family would have celebrated his second birthday.

Blumberg described the incident as “the worst day of my life.”

HITTING A PET IN N.Y.

In New York State, a motorist who strikes and injures a cat, dog, horse or any animal classified as cattle must report the incident to either the animal’s owner, custodian, police, or any other officer in the area.

The driver must take the appropriate action to make sure the animal gets the necessary help it needs, according to Section 601, Article 22 of the Vehicle and Traffic codes.

While reporting the incident, the driver must include his or her insurance card, name, residence, license number, insurance identification information and insurance carrier.

Violation of this law can result in a minimum fine of $100 for the first offense.

2

Apollo's Memorial

On Sunday, Oct. 11, the Blumberg family and neighbors held a special memorial for Apollo. They gathered together to hang up signs and place his favorite toys under the display.

In tears, Blumberg lamented “I will never forget him, he was my everything”

The Blumberg family wants other Staten Islanders to be careful when crossing the street, especially with children and animals. They encourage everyone to double-check the road when crossing.

Most importantly, the family wants to honor Apollo’s memory.

“We miss him and he will never be forgotten by our family," Blumberg said. “He will forever be in our hearts. He was my baby. He was very special to me.”

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Trump Says He Will 'Cut Middle Class Taxes' as GOP Plans Increase Next Year - Newsweek

President Donald Trump promised on Saturday that he would cut taxes on the middle class even further if he's elected to a second term on November 3. Tax cuts have long been part of his pitch to voters.

Trump told a campaign rally in Bucks County, Pennsylvania that if he secures a second term, middle class taxes will be further reduced, but critics charge Republicans in Congress intend to do the exact opposite.

"With your vote, I will cut middle class taxes even more," Trump said. "I mean, we cut them at the highest level in the history of our country. Even more. You saw what it did."

"That's why we're coming back so quick because we have a strong foundation, a base. And I will always defend and promote Pennsylvania energy and there will be no more lockdowns," Trump went on.

"We're not gonna have lockdowns."

Despite the president's claims, the 2018 tax cuts were not the biggest in history in absolute terms or as a measure of GDP.

While Trump has repeatedly touted further tax cuts for middle class Americans, the Republican tax reforms will mean tax increases for most Americans between 2021 and 2027.

As Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz pointed out in The New York Times on Saturday, tax increases had already been approved by Congress in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

"The law they passed initially lowered taxes for most Americans, but it built in automatic, stepped tax increases every two years that begin in 2021 and that by 2027 would affect nearly everyone but people at the top of the economic hierarchy," Stiglitz wrote. "All taxpayer income groups with incomes of $75,000 and under — that's about 65 percent of taxpayers — will face a higher tax rate in 2027 than in 2019."

Stiglitz accused Republicans of having "hoodwinked" Americans with "stealth tax increases" which will also see most people who earn over $100,000 a year getting a tax cut.

"You might well ask: Why didn't Mr. Trump just give everyone a tax cut?" Stiglitz asked. "The Republicans — who suddenly lost their grasp on their self-described fiscal conservatism when they came into office in 2017 — saw a chance to give their rich friends and corporations a big thank you for campaign contributions."

These aren't the only criticisms of Trump's tax reforms. Others have pointed to the fact that people are no longer able to deduct their state and local taxes. This deduction was capped at $10,000 and so was of greater benefit to Americans on middle and lower incomes.

Former Vice President Joe Biden has also made tax reform a part of his campaign. Speaking in Texas on Friday, the Democrat said he "will not raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 a year — period. But I will make big corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share."

U.S. President Donald Trump dances after speaking to supporters during a rally on October 31, in Montoursville, Pennsylvania. Trump is currently trailing his opponent Joe Biden in most national polls. The president has promised tax cuts for the middle class. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images

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Golf Podcast 347: How to Get Your Hands in Front of the Ball - Golficity

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If you want to make clean, crisp contact like the pros you need to learn how to get your hands out in front of the golf ball at impact.

This week on The Golf Podcast we’re diving into a few ways to get your hands in the right position as you make impact with the ball. Plus a whole lot more.

Listen to This Week’s Show

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Thanks to this Week’s Sponsors

• Titleist is committed to ensuring that every golf ball delivers superior quality and consistency.  From ball to ball, dozen to dozen we should expect our golf ball to perform exactly the same way, shot after shot. That’s why Titleist owns the design, the technology and the manufacturing to make sure consistency spot on every time. They even conduct all the testing and quality checks to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.  Titleist is the #1 ball for every player and the #1 ball in golf.  Choose the best for your game and find out more at Titleist.com.
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WEATHER WHIPLASH! Turning cold and windy behind today’s cold front - WSLS 10

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ROANOKE, Va. – Good Sunday morning! We’re tracking a strong cold front to the west that will have a big impact on our weather for the next 24-36 hours.

Ahead of the front, we’re seeing scattered showers move in from the south. Look for the rain mainly in the morning and midday today, with lower chances to the west by afternoon.

Today's rain chances (WSLS)

A southwest wind will allow temperatures to rise to the upper 50s and low 60s by 1 or 2 p.m. That’s when the front is expected to pass through the area, causing the wind to shift and strengthen and temperatures to fall.

The National Weather Service office in Blacksburg has issued a wind advisory to begin at 3 p.m. for areas along and west of the Blue Ridge. It will last until 1 p.m. Monday.

Wind alerts through 1 p.m. Monday (WSLS)

It wouldn’t be surprising for some tree limbs to come down and isolated power outages to materialize as the wind will gust to 35 to 45 mph tonight.

Actual temperatures fall to the upper 20s and low 30s overnight. The areas that have not seen a hard freeze yet this season are under a freeze warning tonight. This covers areas along and east of the Blue Ridge.

Tonight's cold weather alerts (WSLS)

When you couple the strong winds with the cold temperatures, the “feels like” temperatures (or wind chills) will fall into the teens and 20s by Monday morning! Be sure you’re bundled up as you get the new work week started.

Monday is expected to be the coldest day of the season so far. We’re only expecting highs in the 40s to near 50.

There is some good news in our medium-range forecast for warmer weather fans! As a large area of high pressure shifts eastward, we’ll see temperatures gradually warm up. Look for highs near 60 on Election Day and near 70 by Friday.

Afternoon high temperature trend (WSLS)

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Police pepper spray anti-racism protesters in front of Confederate monument in Graham - WRAL.com

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By Maggie Brown, WRAL multipaltform producer

Graham, N.C. — Police used pepper spray on a crowd of people who paused to kneel in the street during a march to the polls in Graham.

Video shows hundreds of people kneeling in a traffic circle in front of the Alamance County historic courthouse, where a large confederate statue stands.

According to a spokesperson for the City of Graham, law enforcement used a "pepper spray-based vapor," and only sprayed it onto the ground. Officials used the spray when the crowd stopped to kneel the traffic circle, which they had described as a "prohibited activity" to the organizer ahead of the event.

The Associated Press reports eight people were arrested. At least two Elon University students were taken into police custody, according to a statement from the university.

Law enforcement said that they commanded crowd to clear the roadway and move to the permitted area.

"When the crowd failed to disperse after several verbal commands, officers with the Graham Police Department utilized a crowd control measure that consisted of spraying a pepper based vapor onto the ground," said a City of Graham spokesperson.

But people at the scene describe a different experience. They were confused as to why they were being pepper sprayed, as police had escorted them during the march. Protesters were surprised by the use of the spray.

Gwen Frisbie-Fulton wrote on Twitter, "Moments after we were done kneeling a police officer started to yell that we had to be off the street. Folks were confused because we had been escorted there and had a permit. I moved my child up onto the sidewalk. They started pepper spraying us. My child couldn't run because he was wearing his Halloween costume."

Belle Boggs, author and director of Creative Writing at NC State University, was at the protest with her 6-year-old daughter. She said they were both pepper sprayed.

City officials said that the crowd was given an order to disperse with a five minute warning. Warnings were issued at the tree minute mark, two-minute mark, and a final warning was issued after five minutes had passed.

The warning said that if people had failed to disperse, force would be used and they would be subject to arrest.

Officials said, "At no time during this event did any member of the Graham Police Department directly spray any participant in the march with chemical irritants."

However, a photo taken by Anthony Crider, a photographer and professor at Elon University, shows a member of law enforcement spraying into the air above the crowd, as the crowd ducks to avoid it.

Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement on Twitter: "This incident is unacceptable. Peaceful demonstrators should be able to have their voices heard and voter intimidation in any form cannot be tolerated."

The city spokesperson said they did originally have contact with the organizer, Reverend Greg Drumwright and tried to work with him to plan the event. Police said he had the opportunity to petition for a road closure, which would have possibly allowed for the gathering in the street, but he missed his deadline.

The area has been the center of controversy for years, but recent Black Lives Matter protests and counter protests have increased the tension.

Alamance County government officials said that the protest was lawful, but became unlawful when "items that were not allowed per the permit were brought on scene."

There has been official no word on what those items are.

A flyer for Saturday's protest online showed that Brooke Williams, the niece of George Floyd, was at the protest.

Attorney Ben Crump, who represents Floyd's family and the family of Breonna Taylor, was supposed to attend the protest, according to the flyer.

Activists called the incident voter intimation, saying that police prevented Black people from voting in Alamance County.

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said that he visited Graham that evening to make sure that no voter intimation had taken place.

"All eligible voters in North Carolina have a constitutional right to cast their vote safely and securely, without threats or intimidation," Stein said on Saturday.

"After today’s troubling events in Alamance County, I went to the courthouse in Graham and all is calm now. I reached out to the State Board of Elections and was informed that the events appear not to have impacted voting at the early voting location. The site there was calm, and the voters got in line and voted. I have also reached out to the Alamance County Sheriff but have not yet connected. I will update when I learn more," he said.

Over the summer, the Sheriff's office had put a ban on protesters on courthouse grounds, steps and sidewalks. A federal judge ruled in August that the Alamance County sheriff and local officials cannot prohibit protesters near the Confederate monument on the historic courthouse grounds.

Dozens of local political, education and business leaders in Alamance County have signed on to a letter asking that the Confederate monument that stands outside the courthouse in Graham be moved.

WXII reports that the Alamance County Commissioners said under current state law the County would have to get legislative approval to relocate the statue, and it would have to be placed in an area of similar prominence. That option does not include a museum or cemetery.

Several commissioners also voiced concerns about a new location being offensive.

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A look at trick-or-treating in the middle of a pandemic - WKYT

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Going table to table, rather than door to door this year.

“Most places I go, I see people wearing their masks, so I know we’ve got to do our part to get the numbers down.”

Like many of his neighbors Jeffery Mitchell and his family aren’t physically handing out candy this year. Rather, it’s set up on a table for trick-or-treaters to take themselves.

“I saw it on Fayette County’s website, that that’s what they recommend people do,” said parent, Alyssa Olinger.

State leaders issued a Halloween guidance, including, placing individually wrapped candies on a table outside, trick-or-treating with your family only, staying in your neighborhood and also wearing a face covering under your Halloween mask.

Trick-or-Treaters are making the rounds in Lexington! A lot of people are opting to put individually wrapped candies on tables in their yards like this, instead of having kids come up to ring the doorbell this year. pic.twitter.com/X3QClZDw3X

— Grason Passmore WKYT (@GrasonWkyt) October 31, 2020

“We saw another neighbor use PVC pipe to distribute candy to the trick-or-treaters. A very good idea and a safe way to social distance,” Olinger said.

The concern of COVID even inspiring a few costume changes.

“This plastic helping shield my breath from getting on to other people," said trick-or-treater Jackson Congleton from inside a blow up dragon costume.

Many neighbors willing to make the safety changes in hopes of a few more treats, and less tricks, for the rest of the year.

“I think it’s been a very successful COVID Halloween,” said Mitchell.

The Kentucky Department of Public Health Commissioner did recommend people find other ways to celebrate the holiday.

Through things like pumpkin carving, staying in with your family or close circle or even virtual costume contests.

Copyright 2020 WKYT. All rights reserved.

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