Charlotte doctors urge COVID shots + Cawthorn warns of more ‘bloodshed’

Happy Tuesday! Kristen here, looking ahead to fall. Are you ready for colorful leaves, too? Reds, oranges and yellows could start to adorn the trees in Western North Carolina as soon as Labor Day, according to the 2021 Fall Foliage Prediction Map from SmokyMountains.com. However, the colors won’t appear in most mountain towns until October. Check here to find out when Charlotte — and any other areas you frequent — will enjoy fall tree colors.

Don’t forget: tonight at 6:30 p.m., join journalists Carli Brosseau, Julia Wall and others for an online panel discussion about the News & Observer and ProPublica project Sound of Judgment, which offered a view into the Black Lives Matter movement and opposing forces in small-town America. Register and submit your questions here.

Now, let’s talk about today’s news:

1. Charlotte doctors urge COVID shots with delta cases rising

As new data show how dangerous the delta variant is for those who aren’t vaccinated against COVID, Charlotte doctors are urging shots, as reported by the Observer’s Alison Kuznitz.

“This remains a COVID surge of the unvaccinated spilling into the vulnerable vaccinated,” said Dr. David Priest, Novant’s chief safety, quality and epidemiology officer.

By the numbers at Novant:

• At intensive care units across Novant Health hospitals, 92% of coronavirus patients are unvaccinated, said Priest, and 94% of those patients on ventilators are unvaccinated.
• The average age of unvaccinated coronavirus patients requiring hospital-level care is 49.
• The average age of those who are vaccinated and end up hospitalized for coronavirus-related complications is 78.
• Less than 1% of vaccinated people end up in Novant hospitals with severe infections and die of COVID.

At Atrium Health hospitals, 94% of the COVID-19 patients on ventilators are unvaccinated, according to Dr. David Callaway, director of operation’s and disaster medicine — that’s 144 out of 153 patients currently on ventilators.

In other COVID news, half of NC is now fully vaccinated. Learn more with the N&O’s Ben Sessoms.

2. Cawthorn warns of more ‘bloodshed’ to follow Capitol riot

Madison Cawthorn, during an event at the Macon County Republican Party headquarters in Franklin, predicted that “bloodshed” would follow another “stolen” presidential election.

The freshman representing North Carolina’s 11th district called the arrested Capitol rioters “political prisoners” and mentioned efforts to “try and bust them out,” according to video clips from a Democratic congressional staffer and news reports.

Asked about a return to Washington following a question about the Jan. 6 riot, he told supporters: “We are actively working on that one.”

So, are these comments protected under the First Amendment? According to Wake Forest University law professor Wilson Parker, yes. Learn more with the Observer’s Will Wright.

3. What the West End community says about CATS’ new streetcar

On Monday morning, the Charlotte Area Transit System unveiled Phase 2 of CityLYNX Gold Line, a 2.5-mile extension that connects Historic West End with the Elizabeth neighborhood through the uptown Charlotte Transportation Center.

The extension was originally supposed to open August 2020, and after multiple delays, it’s finally up and running. It will operate every 20 minutes from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day. Rides will be free until January.

“I feel like it’s going to be booming really big over here,” said Marquise Allen, who manages Jet’s Pizza, one of three minority-owned businesses at Five Points Center. It’ll draw more business and “bring a little bit more life into this area,” he said.

“There’s been excitement about the ability to use the train, but not just to go to work, but to play and get to other areas within our city,” Charlotte Area Transit System CEO John Lewis said during a ceremony Monday.

Learn more about what people think about the new extension with the Observer’s Jonathan Limehouse.

4. Today’s football update

The New England Patriots have cut former Panthers QB and NFL MVP Cam Newton by Jonathan M. Alexander

• The Patriots released Cam Newton ahead of Tuesday’s cut deadline, according to multiple media reports.

• Charlotte native QB Will Grier was also released by the Panthers, as Alaina Getzenberg reports.

Analysis from Scott Fowler: Cam Newton suddenly is free. Should the Panthers think about him as a backup QB?

• Cam Newton got fired by the New England Patriots Tuesday. Fans may wonder: Should the Panthers hire Newton back as a backup? After all, he was the 2015 NFL Most Valuable Player.

• In a word? No, Fowler says.

Ultimate guide to Charlotte 49ers football season. Huge games and high expectations from correspondent Hunter Bailey

• Will Healy enters his third year as head coach of the Charlotte 49ers, who are aiming for their second bowl appearance in three years.

• “To say I’m ready for 2021 is an understatement,” Healy says.

Find the rest of our football and sports reporting here.

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This story was originally published August 31, 2021 at 3:52 PM.