USA News Live: Over 900,000 US kids to get first Covid-19 shot by end of Wednesday, says White House – Times of India

Cuba accuses US of organizing new protest demonstrations

The Cuban Foreign Ministry summoned hundreds of foreign diplomats to a meeting on Wednesday and accused the US government of instigating a planned opposition demonstration that local authorities have banned.

Mandates drive up vaccinations at colleges, despite leniency

Universities that adopted Covid-19 vaccine mandates this fall have seen widespread compliance even though many schools made it easy to get out of the shots by granting exemptions to nearly any student who requested one. Facing pockets of resistance and scattered lawsuits, colleges have tread carefully because forcing students to get the vaccine when they have a religious or medical objection could put schools into tricky legal territory. For some, there are added concerns that taking a hard line could lead to a drop in enrollment. Still, universities with mandates report much higher vaccination rates than communities around them, even in places with high vaccine hesitancy. Some universities have seen nearly complete compliance, including at state flagship schools in Maryland, Illinois and Washington, helping them avoid large outbreaks like those that disrupted classes a year ago.

US sues Uber over alleged discrimination against disabled

The US Justice Department on Wednesday sued Uber Technologies Inc over allegations of overcharging people with disabilities, asking a federal court to order the company to comply with disabilities law and pay a civil penalty. The department is also asking the court to order Uber to modify its wait time fee policy to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and to pay monetary damages to those subjected to illegal wait time fees. Representatives for the company could not be immediately reached for comment.

Chinese climate envoy says US and China have agreed to increase cooperation on climate change in joint statement

Macron tells Harris France-US cooperation ‘critical’ in new era

Heavy burden for consumers as holidays near: Soaring prices

A worsening surge of inflation for such bedrock necessities as food, rent, autos and heating oil is setting Americans up for a financially difficult Thanksgiving and holiday shopping season. Prices for US consumers jumped 6.2% in October compared with a year earlier, leaving families facing their highest inflation rate since 1990, the Labor Department said Wednesday. From September to October, prices jumped 0.9%. Inflation is eroding the strong gains in wages and salaries that have flowed to America’s workers in recent months, creating a political threat to the Biden administration and congressional Democrats and intensifying pressure on the Federal Reserve as it considers how fast to withdraw its efforts to boost the economy.

Houston mayor: 3 still in critical condition from Astroworld

Three concertgoers remain in critical condition following a massive crowd surge during a Travis Scott performance that left eight people dead and hundreds more injured at the Astroworld music festival, Houston’s mayor said Wednesday. Mayor Sylvester Turner did not provide details about the conditions of the fans who have been hospitalized since the rapper’s headliner performance Friday night. But the family of a 9-year-old boy who attended the concert with his father has said the child is in a medically induced coma after sustaining injuries to his heart, lungs and brain.

US airlines and Amazon join push to reduce aircraft emissions

Major US airlines and Amazon.com’s aviation unit are joining an effort to speed development and use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) to decrease emissions in air transport. The Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) said Amazon Air, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, and United Airlines are joining the effort, which includes major corporate airline customers, to help drive greater SAF production, price cuts and technological advancements.

Updated lawsuit against BAPS alleges use of forced labour at more temple sites across US: report

The Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) is facing new allegations in an updated lawsuit that it forced hundreds of workers to work for little pay at its temple sites across the United States. In May this year, a group of Indian workers had filed a lawsuit in US District Court alleging violations of human trafficking and wage law against BAPS, saying they were confined and forced to work for about USD 1 on constructing the massive Swaminarayan temple in New Jersey.

World at risk of measles outbreaks as Covid-19 disrupts infant shots, report says

The risk of measles outbreaks is high after more than 22 million infants missed their first vaccine doses during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned.

Russia will not take part in US-organized Ministerial Meeting to combat pandemic

Russia will not take part in a virtual ministerial meeting convened by the United States to combat the Covid-19 pandemic due to the organizational difficulties and tight schedule of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and wishes the participants success, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

SpaceX launching four astronauts to International Space Station

After a series of delays, SpaceX is set to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station on Wednesday night on the “Crew-3” mission. Read full story

Americas facing impending crisis in routine vaccinations: PAHO

China and US to make joint statement at COP26 climate summit

China and the United States will make a joint statement later on Wednesday at the COP26 climate summit, a spokeswoman for the Chinese delegation said.

China and US to make joint statement at COP26 climate summit

Biden signs bill calling for more sanctions, pressure on Nicaragua

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed into law a bill calling for more sanctions and other punitive measures against the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who extended his grip on power in an election that Washington has denounced as a sham, the White House said.

Wooing France: Kamala Harris to meet Macron after sub spat

Kamala Harris is honoring America’s wartime alliances with France and meeting President Emmanuel Macron as she tries to smooth French feathers ruffled after a diplomatic drama. Read full story

The seven-day average of daily deaths fell 11% to around 1,000 per day

The seven-day average of total Covid-19 cases in the US was flat at about 73,300 over the past week, she said, with the hospitalization rate also flat at 5,000 a day