While you were sleeping, we compiled the biggest stories of the day in one place. Each story has a quick and easy summary, so you're prepared for whatever the day brings. Just click on the links if you want to know more!
1. US inflation soared 7% in past year, the most since 1982
Inflation jumped at its fastest pace in nearly 40 years last month, a 7% spike from a year earlier that is increasing household expenses.
A significant portion of inflation is still being driven by pandemic-driven mismatches between demand and supply. Used car prices have soared more than 37% over the past year because new car production has been limited by shortages of semiconductors. New car prices jumped 1% in December and have soared 11.8% in the past year.
Most economists expect inflation to moderate once the omicron wave fades and as Americans shift more of their spending to services such as travel, eating out and movie-going. That would reduce the demand for goods and help clear supply chains, which are showing some signs of untangling.
2. How to help as Red Cross declares national blood crisis
The American Red Cross has declared a national blood crisis for the first time in its history.
The Red Cross says it accounts for 40% of the nation's blood supply, but that the COVID-19 pandemic has severely hampered donation efforts in the last two years.
The American Red Cross has a partnership with One Blood which has locations throughout Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast. To set up an appointment and donate blood, click here.
3. Corey Johnson to be sentenced for fatal stabbing of 13-year-old at sleepover
Corey Johnson, 21, was convicted of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder in November for fatally stabbing a 13-year-old boy during a 2018 sleepover in Palm Beach Gardens.
He was initially scheduled for sentencing earlier this week, but Judge Cheryl Caracuzo delayed it to today because Johnson was in COVID-`19 quarantine. It’s unknown if Johnson tested positive for the coronavirus or if he was exposed.
Johnson stabbed Jovanni Sierra to death at a home in BallenIsles Country Club on March 12, 2018.
4. 2021 was deadliest year for police
Looking at all the ways officers died on duty in 2021, the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund says last year was the deadliest for U.S. law enforcement in history with 458 total fatalities.
COVID-19 was by far the leading killer of law enforcement officers in 2021, accounting for 65% of total fatalities.
While COVID-19 killed almost 5 times as many officers as firearms-related incidents, gun deaths also jumped this year. Sixty-two police officers were killed with a gun, a 38% rise compared to 2020.
5. Trump slams politicians who won't say they got booster shots
Former President Donald Trump Trump, who was booed last month by supporters after revealing he had gotten a booster shot, has become increasingly vocal in calling out those who have questioned the vaccines’ efficacy and safety.
“Well, I’ve taken it. I’ve had the booster,” Trump said in the interview. “I watched a couple of politicians be interviewed and one of the questions was, ‘Did you get the booster?’ .... And they, ‘Oh, oh,’ they’re answering it — like in other words, the answer is ‘Yes,’ but they don’t want to say it. Because they’re gutless.”
Trump did not name names, and his spokespeople did not immediately respond to questions about which politicians he was referencing. But Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a rising star in the Republican Party who is often mentioned as a possible 2024 presidential contender, has notably declined to say whether he has received a booster.
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On This Day In History
Douglas Wilder, the first African American to be elected governor of an American state, takes office as Governor of Virginia on January 13, 1990. Wilder broke a number of color barriers in Virginia politics and remains an enduring and controversial figure in the state's political scene.
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