Staff reports | As the number of deaths from COVID-19 topped 1 million this week, South Carolina’s number of COVID-19 cases is rising again, according to the latest weekly data released by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) on Tuesday.
The agency reported 5,566 total new cases of COVID-19 — an increase over last week’s 4,458 cases – and 10 total new deaths, compared to last week’s four. More: Charleston City Paper, The Post and Courier, The New York Times.
In other recent news:
McMaster signs early voting into law. Gov. Henry McMaster signed into law on Wednesday no-excuse early voting ahead of the June primaries. Voters can get out and vote two weeks ahead for every election in South Carolina. Early voting for the June 14 primaries begins May 31.
- McMaster signs transgender sports ban. S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster quietly signed into law a bill that would ban transgender students from playing girls’ or women’s sports in public schools and colleges.
Two charities receive money after a S.C. senator sat on the checks. State grant checks mysteriously disappeared for two charities in the care of Sen. Karl Allen, D-Greenville. Allen had originally been entrusted to deliver a combined $75,000 to those charities. The money was originally planned to be used to pay for an afterschool program for underprivileged children and a fitness park for low-income seniors.
CONGRESS: Scott, 3 others in GOP seek to stop student loan forgiveness bill. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., is one of four senators looking to stop a progressive proposal. Scott is joined by Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah; Bill Cassidy, R-La.; and Thom Tillis, R-N.C.; The four introduced the Student Loan Accountability Act on Wednesday.
- Haley, Scott plan Iowa visits, fueling 2024 speculation. Two prominent South Carolina Republicans are headed to Iowa next month, ramping up speculation that the two are planning a bid for the presidency in 2024.
- Mace votes against baby formula bill. U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace voted against the Infant Formula Supplemental Appropriations Act Wednesday. The bill provides $28 million in emergency funding to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for resources to increase the number of FDA inspection staff, prevent fraudulent formulas from being sold and protect against future shortages.
Columbia Starbucks on strike to unionize. Employees at a Columbia-area Starbucks are on strike following the announcement that a Starbucks in Greenville confirmed its unionization. The employees at the Starbucks claim to have received backlash from the company for trying to unionize, which they started in March.
S.C. ranks No. 11 for DUI-related incidents. South Carolina ranked No. 11 in a recent Zutobi report measuring DUI-related metrics such as arrests and fatalities. According to the report, 29% of all road fatalities in South Carolina were DUI-related while nationwide, drunk driving accounted for 30% of all road fatalities.
S.C. ranked 4th in Great Resignation. A new study from WalletHub examined statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2022 and found that South Carolina had a 4% rate of quitting in April.
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We Can Do Better, South Carolina!