(NEW YORK) — Here are today’s In Crisis headlines:
House passes stimulus check increase; overrides Trump defense bill veto
The House of Representatives Monday narrowly passed a bill that would increase pandemic relief payments to qualifying Americans from $600 to $2,000. President Trump over the weekend approved the package with the original $600 amount after holding the bipartisan COVID-19 relief legislation hostage for several days, demanding that the payment amount be increased to $2,000. Monday’s final vote tally was 275-134, receiving the two-thirds majority it required under the expedited vote, with 44 Republicans voting with Democrats. The bill’s fate in the Senate remains uncertain, but Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says he’ll try to bring it to a vote today. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as of Tuesday morning hasn’t commented publicly on the issue.
Also Monday, the House overwhelmingly voted to override President Trump’s veto of the $740.5 billion National Defense Authorization Act. The final vote on the sweeping defense policy bill was 322-87, receiving the two-thirds majority it required to override the veto, with 109 Republicans voting to rebuke the president and 20 Democrats voting to sustain the president’s veto. The Senate is expected to hold its own veto override vote this week. Trump vetoed the bill in part because it includes provisions to rename military installations named after Confederate officers, and lacks provisions to revoke broad immunity for internet businesses regarding user content published on their platforms.
Police officer who shot and killed Andre Hill fired
Adam Coy, the white Columbus, Ohio police officer who shot and killed 47-year-old Black man Andre Hill, has been fired. Columbus Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Ned Pettus Jr. wrote in the decision Monday that “known facts do not establish that this use of deadly force was objectively reasonable.” Pettus also said Coy, a 19-year police veteran, didn’t try to deescalate the situation before shooting Hill, and after the shooting he didn’t render aid or ensure that others did. Hill was shot December 22 after officers were dispatched to a “non-emergency” disturbance call from a neighbor who allegedly saw a man sitting in an SUV for an extended period of time turning his car on and off, according to the Columbus Department of Public Safety. After Hill emerged from a garage, with a phone in his left hand and his right hand obscured, Coy opened fire. Coy then approached Hill and ordered that he show his hands and roll over, before asking a colleague if medics were called. Footage shows Coy didn’t administer aid. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident.
COVID-19 numbers
Here’s the latest data on COVID-19 coronavirus infections and deaths.
Latest reported numbers globally per Johns Hopkins University
Global diagnosed cases: 81,392,589
Global deaths: 1,777,287. The United States has the most deaths of any single country, with 335,051.
Number of countries/regions: at least 191
Total patients recovered globally: 46,106,404
Latest reported numbers in the United States per Johns Hopkins University
There are at least 19,312,568 reported cases in 50 states + the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. This is more than in any other country.
U.S. deaths: at least 335,051. New York State has the greatest number of reported deaths in the U.S., with 37,548.
U.S. total people tested: 243,784,420
The greatest number of reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is in California, with 2,199,594 confirmed cases out of a total state population of 39.51 million. This ranks first in the world. England is second in the world, with 1,999,728 cases. Maharashtra, India, which has 1,922,048 cases, ranks third, while Texas is fourth, with 1,700,549 confirmed cases out of a total state population of 29 million.
US sets new single-day COVID-19 hospitalization record; CDC posts New Year’s celebration guidance
The U.S. on Monday set a new single-day COVID-19 hospitalization record, with 121,235 people receiving inpatient treatment, according to the Covid Tracking Project. Monday also saw a new record seven-day hospitalization average, with 119,089. The Covid Tracking Project also notes data may be incomplete due to the holidays.
The U.S. early Tuesday also surpassed 335,000 COVID-19 deaths, with 335,051 reported, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, which is just under 19% of total reported global fatalities and remains the highest coronavirus death toll of any nation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently forecasting that the U.S. will see between 378,000 to 419,000 COVID-19 deaths by the week ending January 16. The CDC on Monday also posted guidance on how to safely celebrate New Year’s Eve amid the pandemic. The guidance is similar to that which the CDC issued for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and strongly advises against holiday travel and in-person celebrations.
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