Increase in the debt limit; The Richmond Folk Festival returns; Mostly cloudy, partly sunny

RICHMOND, Virginia (WWBT) – Take a look at our top headlines before you go out.

Partly sunny afternoon

We are still monitoring the risk of rain this weekend. The latest trends show an increasing likelihood of showers from Saturday to Sunday.

Today it will be mostly cloudy and the afternoon will be partly sunny. An isolated sprinkler or shower possible but unlikely.

Peaks in the upper 70s.

Senate dodges debt disaster

The Senate dodged a U.S. debt disaster Thursday night, vote to expand government borrowing power in December and temporarily avert an unprecedented federal default that experts say would devastate the economy and hurt millions of Americans.

The Democratic 50-48 party line vote in favor of the bill to raise the government’s debt ceiling by nearly half a trillion dollars brought instant relief to Washington and far beyond . However, it only offers a reprieve.

Assuming the House agrees, which it will do, Republican and Democratic lawmakers will still have to address their deep differences on the issue before the end of the year.

Pfizer vaccines for children

Pfizer on Thursday called on the US government to allow the use of its COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 5 to 11 in what would be a major expansion that could tackle an alarming rise in serious infections among young people and help schools stay open.

If regulators give the green light, reduced-dose injections for children could begin within weeks for the estimated 28 million children in this age group.

Many parents and pediatricians are calling for protection for children under 12, the current age limit for COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States

The Food and Drug Administration will need to decide whether the injections are safe and effective in school-aged children. A group of independent experts will publicly debate the evidence on October 26.

Vaccination clinic in Richmond Raceway

COVID-19 mass vaccination sites are back in Virginia, with the Richmond Racecourse location set to reopen Tuesday, October 12.

This so-called “Community Vaccination Center” (CVC) will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 7:30 pm after the initial opening date.

This comeback is the result of what the state expects to see in the coming weeks due to the FDA’s conversations about these vaccines.

Capital One postpones its reopening

Capital One announced the company will not reopen its offices in the United States until 2022.

This is the second time the company has pushed back its reopening date since it was completely removed at the start of the pandemic.

Capital One says that due to the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, a specific reopening date has yet to be set.

Employees will be given 30 days notice prior to the reopening.

Mail problems across Virginia.

US Senator Mark Warner says messaging problems start to appear across Virginia.

Warner says the problem is particularly severe in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, but he’s now seeing problems in places like Richmond and Fredericksburg.

The senator says his team is working on the issue on the ground.

Warner says the problems stem from changes made by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to the postal service amid COVID-19 and a national election.

Police respond to fox concerns

Hopewell Police say a fox was found on a road in Hopewell has “distemper”, not rabies. Police have responded to misleading information they say is circulating on social media about a rabid fox.

Animal control officers were called to Smithfield Avenue on October 7 regarding a fox on the road that was not moving.

Police said the fox exhibited all of the symptoms consistent with distemper.

The fox was taken to a local vet to be euthanized.

Kroger will hire thousands

Kroger is organize a “hiring event” on October 13, as part of a campaign to hire approximately 11oo employees across Virginia.

Virtual and on-site interviews are included from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET.

The Grocer is looking to hire for retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, supply chain, merchandising, logistics, corporate, pharmacy and healthcare positions.

Click here to see what’s available and register for the hiring event.

Ready for the Richmond Folk Festival ?!

The Richmond Folk Festival is returning for an in-person event this year in October and now the full schedule of performances has been released.

This will be the 17th anniversary of the festival which showcases a variety of American cultures through music, dance, traditional crafts, storytelling and food.

Hosted by Venture Richmond and other partners, this free event will feature six stages around the Richmond Riverfront.

Click on here to consult the complete program of events.

Final thought

The fear of death arises from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is ready to die at any time – Mark Twain

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