Social media users are misrepresenting a Vermont Supreme Court ruling , claiming that it gives schools permission to vaccinate children even if their parents do not consent. The ruling addressed a lawsuit filed by Dario and Shujen Politella against Windham Southeast School District and state officials over the mistaken vaccination of their child against COVID-19 in 2021, when he was 6 years old. A lower court had dismissed the original complaint, as well as an amended version. An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was filed on Nov. 19. But the ruling by Vermont's high court is not as far-reaching as some online have claimed. In reality, it concluded that anyone protected under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, or PREP, Act is immune to state lawsuits. Here's a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: The Vermont Supreme Court ruled that schools can vaccinate children against their parents' wishes. THE FACTS: The claim stems from a July 26 ruling by the Vermont Supreme Court, which found that anyone protected by the PREP Act is immune to state lawsuits, including the officials named in the Politella's suit. The ruling does not authorize schools to vaccinate children at their discretion. According to the lawsuit, the Politella's son — referred to as L.P. — was given one dose of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination clinic held at Academy School in Brattleboro even though his father, Dario, told the school's assistant principal a few days before that his son was not to receive a vaccination. In what officials described as a mistake, L.P. was removed from class and had a “handwritten label” put on his shirt with the name and date of birth of another student, L.K., who had already been vaccinated that day. L.P. was then vaccinated. Ultimately, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that officials involved in the case could not be sued. “We conclude that the PREP Act immunizes every defendant in this case and this fact alone is enough to dismiss the case,” the Vermont Supreme Court's ruling reads. “We conclude that when the federal PREP Act immunizes a defendant, the PREP Act bars all state-law claims against that defendant as a matter of law.” The PREP Act , enacted by Congress in 2005, authorizes the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to issue a declaration in the event of a public health emergency providing immunity from liability for activities related to medical countermeasures, such as the administration of a vaccine, except in cases of “willful misconduct" that result in “death or serious physical injury.” A declaration against COVID-19 was issued on March 17, 2020. It is set to expire on Dec. 31. Federals suits claiming willful misconduct are filed in Washington. Social media users described the Vermont Supreme Court's ruling as having consequences beyond what it actually says. “The Vermont Supreme Court has ruled that schools can force-vaccinate children for Covid against the wishes of their parents,” reads one X post that had been liked and shared approximately 16,600 times as of Tuesday. “The high court ruled on a case involving a 6-year-old boy who was forced to take a Covid mRNA injection by his school. However, his family had explicitly stated that they didn't want their child to receive the ‘vaccines.’” Other users alleged that the ruling gives schools permission to give students any vaccine without parental consent, not just ones for COVID-19. Rod Smolla, president of the Vermont Law and Graduate School and an expert on constitutional law, told The Associated Press that the ruling “merely holds that the federal statute at issue, the PREP Act, preempts state lawsuits in cases in which officials mistakenly administer a vaccination without consent.” “Nothing in the Vermont Supreme Court opinion states that school officials can vaccinate a child against the instructions of the parent,” he wrote in an email. Asked whether the claims spreading online have any merit, Ronald Ferrara, an attorney representing the Politellas, told the AP that although the ruling doesn't say schools can vaccinate students regardless of parental consent, officials could interpret it to mean that they could get away with doing so under the PREP Act, at least when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines. He explained that the U.S. Supreme Court appeal seeks to clarify whether the Vermont Supreme Court interpreted the PREP Act beyond what Congress intended. “The Politella’s fundamental liberty interest to decide whether their son should receive elective medical treatment was denied by agents of the State and School,” he wrote in an email to the AP. “The Vermont Court misconstrues the scope of PREP Act immunity (which is conditioned upon informed consent for medical treatments unapproved by FDA), to cover this denial of rights and its underlying battery.” Ferrara added that he was not aware of the claims spreading online, but that he “can understand how lay people may conflate the court's mistaken grant of immunity for misconduct as tantamount to blessing such misconduct.” John Klar, who also represents the Politellas, went a step further, telling the AP that the Vermont Supreme Court ruling means that “as a matter of law” schools can get away with vaccinating students without parental consent and that parents can only sue on the federal level if death or serious bodily injury results. — Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck .Chad Chronister, Donald Trump’s pick to run the DEA, withdraws name from consideration

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ANKARA Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday said he thinks US President-elect's Donald Trump incoming administration will review its relationship with the PKK terror group. "I think the Trump administration will review its relationship with the PKK (terror group). Because we convey to them at every opportunity how serious we are about this issue," Fidan said during his meeting with journalists in Ankara. On Trump's potential policies after taking office in January, Fidan said: "The impression I got from Trump is that, on certain issues, he will continue his rhetoric but initially leave critical matters to unfold on their own. "He may not make too many radical decisions." On a question about Trump's strategy in Syria and relations with Türkiye, Fidan said: "There are currently not many signs of what Trump will do in Syria. "However, based on some of his approaches during his first term, there are predictions about what he might do today, but I believe that relying solely on this wouldn’t be the most accurate way to think." "As long as the US continues its cooperation with the YPG/PKK (terror group) in Syria, the strategic issue with Türkiye will obviously persist. The US, which follows a security-driven foreign policy, needs to be in the best position to understand Türkiye," he said. Fidan, pointing out that Türkiye will make its stance clear on this issue both through diplomatic moves and its position on the ground, recalled that during Trump’s first term, the US wanted to withdraw from Syria and even attempted to do so. However, he added, the US system at that time did not heed or accept this. "The US sees that we are ready to take every step necessary to ensure our own security in the region. It also sees that we expect a change in their stance on certain issues," the foreign minister said. Fidan emphasized the importance of Türkiye being prepared for every scenario, arguing that his country prefers to address its issues with the Syrian regime in a more structured and diplomatic manner. Recalling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's advanced diplomatic proposal to Syria, Fidan said: "The Syrian side does not seem very willing or open to discussing certain issues, especially during this process." 'We do not want governorship under influence of PKK' Fidan explained that Türkiye has been closely following the situation in Iraq's northern Kirkuk province and is opposed to population and demographic changes. Türkiye has serious contacts with the Iraqi Turkmen Front, he said. Referring to the issue of selecting the governor of Kirkuk, Fidan said: "We do not want to see a governorship in Kirkuk that will be under the influence of the PKK (terror group)." Fidan emphasized that, regardless of the outcome, the rotational governorship agreement and the continuation of Kirkuk’s original components living in the way they have mutually agreed upon must be upheld. In response to a question about whether Iraq is attempting to play a facilitating role in Türkiye-Syria relations, Fidan replied that Iraq does have such an intention. He added that Türkiye would appreciate these efforts and, if Iraq wishes to host such initiatives, Türkiye would be open to it. Türkiye prefers to pursue solution in Cyprus with UN, not EU About the Cyprus issue, Fidan said the EU made a historic mistake on the dispute, and for this reason Türkiye has been compelled to take a position on the matter. He emphasized that Ankara prefers to pursue a solution with the UN and not the EU. Fidan said Türkiye is open to good intentions and seeks a solution that reflects the current practical realities on the island. Nuclear risk in Ukraine war Regarding the Russian president's statements on Ukraine and the country's updated nuclear doctrine, Fidan recalled that Vladimir Putin's mention of a global war is a situation Türkiye has been constantly warning about. He said the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have deepened, and polarization has increased. Fidan said North Korea has become an active party to the war by sending troops, and reminded that the US and Europe have openly taken sides in the conflict by sending weapons. ICC's decision 'historic event' Responding to claims regarding Hamas political bureau's relocation to Türkiye, Fidan said: "As Türkiye, we have denied these rumors." Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman clarified the movement's political bureau had not been moved to Türkiye, adding that Qatar also denied such rumors. Fidan said the US is pressuring Hamas, but current conditions put forward for a cease-fire in Gaza have not yet been accepted by Hamas. Regarding the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Fidan said: "The decision made by the ICC is a historic event." About the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Fidan said an international initiative should be launched to deliver food to the blockaded enclave. *Writing by Muhammed Enes Calli in IstanbulDonald Trump said he can’t guarantee that his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers and he suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned.

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Israeli strikes without warning in central Beirut kill at least 15 as diplomats push for cease-fire BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Lebanese officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 15 people and injured dozens in central Beirut as the once-rare strikes in the heart of Lebanon’s capital continue without Israeli warning. Diplomats are scrambling to broker a cease-fire but describe the disputed issues that remain. The current proposal calls for a two-month cease-fire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. Lebanon’s Health Ministry says Israeli bombardment has killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon in the months of fighting that have turned into all-out war. Trump raced to pick many Cabinet posts. He took more time to settle on a treasury secretary WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump launched a blitz of picks for his Cabinet, but he took his time settling on billionaire investor Scott Bessent as his choice for treasury secretary. The Republican not only wanted someone who jibes with him, but an official who can execute his economic vision and look straight out of central casting while doing so. With his Yale University education and pedigree trading for Soros Fund Management before establishing his own funds, Bessent will be tasked with a delicate balancing act. Trump expects him to help reset the global trade order, enable trillions of dollars in tax cuts, ensure inflation stays in check, manage a ballooning national debt and still keep the financial markets confident. Voters rejected historic election reforms across the US, despite more than $100M push JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Election reform advocates had hoped for a big year at the ballot box. That's because a historic number of states were considering initiatives for ranked choice voting or to end partisan primaries. Instead, voters dealt them big losses in the November elections. Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and South Dakota all rejected proposed changes to their voting systems. In Alaska, a proposal to repeal ranked choice voting appears to have narrowly fallen short. The losses in many states came even though election reform supporters raised more than $100 million, easily outpacing opponents. Supporters say they aren't giving up but plan to retool their efforts. The week that upped the stakes of the Ukraine war KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — This past week has seen the most significant escalation in hostilities Ukraine has witnessed since Russia's full-scale invasion and marks a new chapter in the nearly three-year war. It began with U.S. President Joe Biden reversing a longstanding policy by granting Kyiv permission to deploy American longer-range missiles inside Russian territory and ended with Moscow striking Ukraine with a new experimental ballistic weapon that has alarmed the international community and heightened fears of further escalation. Storm dumps record rain in Northern California, while US Northeast deals with winter storms HEALDSBURG, Calif. (AP) — A major storm continues to drop heavy snow and record rain in California, causing small landslides and flooding some streets. Meanwhile on the opposite coast blizzard or winter storm warnings were in effect Saturday for areas spanning from the Northeast to central Appalachia. The storm on the West Coast arrived in the Pacific Northwest earlier this week, killing two people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands, before moving through Northern California. Forecasters predicted that both coasts would begin to see a reprieve from the storms as the system in the northeast moves into eastern Canada and the one in the West heads south. Even with access to blockbuster obesity drugs, some people don't lose weight Most people taking popular drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight have shed significant pounds. But obesity experts say that roughly 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not see robust results with the new medications. The response to the drugs varies from person to person and can depend on genetics, hormones and differences in how the brain regulates energy. Undiagnosed medical conditions and some drugs can prevent weight loss. Experts say it can take experimentation to help so-called nonresponders find results. Fighting between armed sectarian groups in restive northwestern Pakistan kills at least 37 people PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A senior Pakistani police officer says fighting between armed sectarian groups in the country's restive northwest has killed at least 37 people. The overnight violence was the latest to rock Kurram, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and comes days after a deadly gun ambush killed 42 people. The officer said Saturday that armed men torched shops, houses and government property overnight. Gunfire is ongoing between rival tribes. Although Sunnis and Shiites generally live together peacefully in Pakistan, tensions remain in some areas, especially Kurram. These Peruvian women left the Amazon, but their homeland still inspires their songs and crafts LIMA, Peru (AP) — Many Shipibo-Konibo craftswomen migrated from their Indigenous communities in the Amazon to Peru's capital, Lima, in the past few decades. Their ancestors' legacy remains present through their songs and techniques, and some of them have managed to make a living out of their crafts. Textiles, jewelry and paintings convey the culture, worldview and beliefs from the lands where they were born. Doctor at the heart of Turkey's newborn baby deaths case says he was a 'trusted' physician ISTANBUL (AP) — The Turkish doctor at the center of an alleged fraud scheme that led to the deaths of 10 babies says he was a “trusted” physician. Dr. Firat Sari is one of 47 people on trial accused of transferring newborn babies to neonatal units of private hospitals, where they were allegedly kept for prolonged and sometimes unnecessary treatments in order to receive social security payments. Sari said patients were referred to him because people trusted him and he did not bribe anyone involved with Turkey’s emergency medical phone line. Sari, said to be the plot’s ringleader, faces up to 583 years in prison. Hydrate. Make lists. Leave yourself time. And other tips for reducing holiday travel stress Travel, especially during the holiday season, can be stressful. But following some tips from the pros as you prepare for a trip can make for a smoother, less anxious experience. One expert traveler suggests making a list a week before you go of things you need to do and pack. Cross off each item as you complete it during the week. Another tip is to carry your comfort zone with you. That could mean noise-canceling headphones, playlists meant to soothe airport travelers, entertainment and snacks from home. Carry a change of clothes and a phone charger in case of delays. Stay hydrated. Leave extra time. And know your airline's rules. Downloading the airline's app can help with that.