From USA TODAY Network and wire reports
Alabama
Montgomery: After COVID-19 disrupted two school years, lawmakers on Monday voted to delay an upcoming state requirement for third graders to pass a reading test before moving up to the fourth grade. The House of Representatives voted 68-27 for the bill by Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, that would delay the promotion requirement, now set to take effect next year, by two years. The bill now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey. The high-stakes promotion requirement is set to take effect at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, but supporters argued it would be unfair to force the requirement on students who were out of the traditional classroom for long stretches during the pandemic. The bill would move the implementation to the 2023-2024 school year. “These kids have had 14 months of not normal schooling. All they are asking for is a little compassion,” said Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile. “I have never ever had a bill where I’ve had
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The number of South Dakota residents receiving an initial dose of a COVID-19 vaccination has slowed dramatically in recent weeks, prompting medical experts and community leaders to turn to personal conversations to battle misinformation around getting a shot.
Just over 4,000 people statewide received their first shot last week, according to the Department of Health a big drop-off from the end of March, when the state recorded a high mark of over 26,000 people receiving their first shot in a week.
At that point, vaccine sites were doing brisk business and the state seemed to defy a trend of skepticism around COVID-19 shots in states dominated by Republican politics. South Dakota had boasted one the highest vaccination percentage rates in the nation; just weeks later, its ranking has tumbled to 24th.
Clinics for kids, ban on pens, changes to benefits: News from around our 50 states From USA TODAY Network and wire reports
Alabama
Montgomery: After COVID-19 disrupted two school years, lawmakers on Monday voted to delay an upcoming state requirement for third graders to pass a reading test before moving up to the fourth grade. The House of Representatives voted 68-27 for the bill by Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, that would delay the promotion requirement, now set to take effect next year, by two years. The bill now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey. The high-stakes promotion requirement is set to take effect at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, but supporters argued it would be unfair to force the requirement on students who were out of the traditional classroom for long stretches during the pandemic. The bill would move the implementation to the 2023-2024 school year. “These kids have had 14 months of not normal schooling. All they are asking for is a little c
As COVID-19 shots slow, doctors turn to 1-on-1 conversations msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.