'Ted Lasso' cast visits White House, Bidens to talk mental health

Coach Ted Lasso would never believe he was going to the White House.

But that's exactly where the cast of Apple TV+'s Emmy-winning "Ted Lasso" found itself Monday, meeting President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden to promote mental health awareness.

"It is truly an honor to have Coach Lasso here with us today," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at the White House press briefing Monday, referring to actor Jason Sudeikis. "There's a real message around mental health. And (Sudeikis and his 'Ted Lasso' castmates) are meeting with the president and the first lady … on this important topic."

Sudeikis, co-creator and star of the series, along with many of his co-stars, met with the Bidens on Monday to "discuss the importance of addressing your mental health to promote overall well-being."

A White House official told the Associated Press that the Bidens had seen some of the show about an enthusiastic American football coach managing a British soccer team in London, and are familiar with its "message of positivity, hope, kindness and empathy."

What to know about 'Ted Lasso' Season 3:Where are Rebecca, Nate and Roy?

Watch 'Ted Lasso' cast speaking at White House

Jason Sudeikis says mental health struggles unite people

Sudeikis took to the podium following Pierre's opening remarks and spoke about the universality of mental health.

"No matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter who you voted for … we all know someone – or had been that someone ourselves actually – that's struggled, that's felt isolated, that felt anxious, that’s felt alone," Sudeikis said. "It's actually one of the many things that, believe it or not, that we all have in common as human beings."

Sudeikis also told reporters gathered in the press room about the importance of the show's theme of inclusivity when it comes to its mental health messaging.

"We encourage everyone, and this big theme of the show, is to check in with your neighbor, your co-worker, your friends, your family, and ask how they're doing and listen sincerely," Sudeikis said. “I mean, you all ask questions for a living but you also listen for a living, so I’m preaching to the choir."

Mental wellness in Washington:An emotional Selena Gomez explains why mental health is 'personal' at White House event

Jason Sudeikis takes question from 'Ted Lasso' character

A familiar face was also in attendance during the "Ted Lasso" cast's White House visit. Sudeikis took a question from "Ted Lasso" journalist Trent Crimm (James Lance), who asked how Sudeikis felt about Kansas City, Missouri, being named one of the host cities for the 2026 World Cup.

"'I'm very excited to be told," said Sudeikis, who hails from Kansas. "I love this town. What I am genuinely worried about is once we get all these folks from all over the world to come to Kansas City and see our city, eat our food, meet our people, you're going to have a lot of folks who won’t want to move away."

As he was exiting the briefing room, Sudeikis was asked about reprising his role as Joe Biden, whom he played on "Saturday Night Live."

"You got the real one here now," he responded. "I need fake teeth and (to be) injected with a lot more chutzpah."

'Ted Lasso' Season 3:It took forever, but Jason Sudeikis promises fans 'it's all on the screen'

President Joe Biden teases 'Ted Lasso' cast visit with 'Believe' sign

Biden tweeted a picture of the iconic "Believe" sign seen on "Lasso" taped outside the Oval Office on Sunday night with the simple caption, "Tomorrow."

Season 3 of the comedy premiered on Apple's streaming service last week to critical acclaim (new episodes stream Wednesdays). The series has tackled mental health extensively in its run so far, including anxiety, depression and grief. Title character Ted (played by Sudeikis) suffers from panic attacks and began going to therapy in Season 2 as he recovered from a tough divorce.

Other "Lasso" cast members in attendance included Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca Welton), Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent), Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard, and a series co-creator) and Toheeb Jimoh (Sam Obisanya).

Biden has called on both Democrats and Republicans to expand resources to address the "mental health crisis" in the U.S. as part of his "unity agenda." The White House has increased funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and expanded school mental health professionals.

Review:Don't worry, 'Ted Lasso' Season 3 will bring a bright light to your dark world

Contributing: Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

UN climate report, Biden's veto, China in Russia, Trump's arrest ...

"Urgent" actions are needed to counter human-caused climate change, says a report released by the United Nations. Also in the news: There is no confirmation yet if former President Donald Trump will be indicted Tuesday, despite his claims he will be arrested. The United States and Japan will face off tonight in the World Baseball Classic final.

🙋🏼♀ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. 2023 Women of the Year Honoree Nicole Mann spoke to USA TODAY from the International Space Station (!).

Here's Tuesday's headlines.

Major UN report calls for action to combat climate change

The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published a report this week which says climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health – and the window to do something about it is closing fast. “Humanity is on thin ice – and that ice is melting fast,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

This report is the culmination of an eight-year-long series of climate science papers, the sixth assessment since the IPCC was established in 1988.

The report says human activities , principally through greenhouse emissions, have unequivocally caused global warming, driving widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere.

, principally through greenhouse emissions, have unequivocally caused global warming, driving widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere. The key question facing the globe is whether the global average temperature increase, now warming at 0.2 degrees a decade, can be held to 1.5 degrees. Experts say that has become increasingly unlikely.

is whether the global average temperature increase, now warming at 0.2 degrees a decade, can be held to 1.5 degrees. Experts say that has become increasingly unlikely. There's a way forward: Rapid and sustained mitigation and faster movement toward adaptation in this decade would reduce losses and damages and deliver many co-benefits, especially for air quality and health.

Read USA TODAY's recap of the report here and how the USDA is combating wildfires caused by climate change.

Biden's first veto

President Joe Biden issued his first veto Monday after Congress voted to block a Labor Department rule allowing retirement plans to weigh the long-term impacts of social factors and climate change on investments — a move Republicans say is a "woke" policy that hurts retirees' pockets. "I just signed this veto because the legislation passed by the Congress would put at risk retirement savings of individuals across the country," Biden said in a video posted to Twitter. Read more

More news to know now

🌤 What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Chinese leader welcomed in Russia

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a visit eyed warily by the U.S. and Western allies. Xi's first visit since Russia invaded Ukraine would appear to show support for Putin, who needs trade deals and bullets as he faces pressure from economic sanctions and reports that his military is running low on ammunition and fighting equipment. The trip comes days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of war crimes in Ukraine. Read more

Why would Trump get arrested?

Former President Donald Trump has predicted Tuesday will be the day he is indicted as an investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney's office comes to a close. Though there is no confirmation the indictment will come Tuesday, Trump may face charges for his alleged role in making a $130,000 hush-money payment to an adult film actress just before the 2016 presidential election to silence her about a past affair. Trump's indictment would be the first time in American history a former president faces criminal charges. Read more

Here are the possible charges against Trump in the New York investigation.

against Trump in the New York investigation. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy discourages protest if Donald Trump is indicted.

discourages protest if Donald Trump is indicted. DeSantis says he's steering clear of Trump, Stormy Daniels ''circus.''

Just for subscribers:

These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here.

Japan faces USA in World Baseball Classic final

Japan pulled off a dramatic victory Monday in the World Baseball Classic: A walk-off 6-5 victory over Mexico, with Shohei Ohtani triggering the comeback. Now Ohtani is the player to watch in Tuesday night's final as he faces Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout. Ohtani, who’s eligible for free agency after the season, and risking perhaps $500 million simply by playing in the WBC, is here to win it all. Read more

One more thing

Photo of the day: 'Ted Lasso' in the White House

The cast of Apple TV+'s Emmy-winning "Ted Lasso" found itself meeting President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden to promote mental health awareness Monday,. "We encourage everyone, and this big theme of the show, is to check in with your neighbor, your co-worker, your friends, your family, and ask how they're doing and listen sincerely," actor Jason Sudeikis said. Read more about the visit.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

The British royal family line of succession explained | CNN

CNN —

Charles has become Britain’s new King following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at the age of 96.

The Queen became the sixth female to ascend to the British throne in February 1952, after the death of her father, King George VI. She was the longest-reigning monarch in British history, serving for more than 70 years.

Charles, the Queen’s eldest son, immediately ascended to the throne as King, putting his elder son, William, first in line for the throne.

Here’s what we know about the British royal family’s line of succession.

King Charles III

Charles, the Prince of Wales, poses for an official portrait in November 2008. He became King after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Hugo Burnand/Anwar Hussein Collection/WireImage/Getty Images Charles was born at Buckingham Palace in London on November 14, 1948. His mother was Princess Elizabeth at the time. Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Princess Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, sit on a lawn with their children Prince Charles and Princess Anne in August 1951. Eddie Worth/AP Charles attends his mother's coronation in 1953 with his grandmother, left, and his aunt Margaret. Hulton Deutsch/Corbis Historical/Getty Images Charles, right, shakes hands with Sir Gerald Creasy, the governor of Malta, as he and the rest of the royal family visit Malta in May 1954. Paul Popper/Getty Images Charles rides with his mother and grandmother as they travel to Westminster Abbey for the wedding of Princess Margaret in May 1960. Keystone-France//Getty Images Charles prepares for takeoff during a flying lesson in 1968. In 1971, he earned his wings as a jet pilot and joined the Royal Navy. Hulton Archive/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II presents Charles to the people of Wales after his investiture as the Prince of Wales in July 1969. Popperfoto/Getty Images Charles walks at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1970. He was the first royal heir to earn a university degree. Hulton Deutsch/Getty Images Charles, left, rides go-carts with his brother Prince Edward and his sister, Princess Anne, circa 1969. Keystone-France\Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images Charles meets US President Richard Nixon during a private visit to Washington in July 1970. Popperfoto/Getty Images Charles attends a conference with his father in November 1970. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Charles goes on a safari in Kenya in February 1971. William Lovelace/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Charles prepares to fire a bazooka while visiting military barracks in West Berlin in October 1972. Popperfoto/Getty Images Charles fishes with a wooden spear circa 1975. Serge Lemoine/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Charles poses for sculptor David McFall in December 1975. Keystone-France/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images Charles smokes a peace pipe during a visit to Canada in July 1977. Anwar Hussein/Getty Images Charles rides a horse during an equestrian event in Cirencester, England, in April 1978. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles, as colonel-in-chief, visits the Cheshire Regiment in Canterbury, England, in November 1978. He served in the Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976, and in 2012 his mother appointed him honorary five-star ranks in the navy, army and air force. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles are seen together circa 1979. They dated in the 70s and would eventually marry in 2005. It was the second marriage for both. Their first marriages ended in divorce. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles poses outside the Taj Mahal in India in 1980. Anwar Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images Charles kisses his first wife, Lady Diana Spencer, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in July 1981. Their wedding ceremony was televised. Bettmann Archive/Getty images Charles and Princess Diana leave a London hospital with their first child, William, in July 1982. Anwar Hussein/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Charles and Diana dance together at a formal event. Tim Graham/Corbis Historical/Getty Images Charles shares a playful pie in the face while visiting a community center in Manchester, England, in December 1983. David Levenson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Charles walks with natives on a visit to Papua New Guinea in 1984. Anwar Hussein/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Charles and Diana sit together in Toronto during a royal tour in October 1991. A year later, they were separated. Charles' affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles became public in 1993. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles, Diana and their two sons, William and Harry, gather for V-J Day commemorations in London in August 1995. The couple divorced one year later. Johnny Eggitt/AFP/Getty Images Charles visits a mosque in London in March 1996. Tim Graham/Getty Images South African President Nelson Mandela talks with Prince Charles in London in July 1996. David Thomson/AFP/Getty Images Charles poses with the Spice Girls in 1997. Tim Graham/Corbis Historical/Corbis/Getty Images Charles and his sons spend time together at the Balmoral Castle estate in Balmoral, Scotland, in August 1997. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles, second from right, and Princess Diana's two sisters meet in Paris after Diana was killed in a car crash there in August 1997. She was 36 years old. Jayne Fincher/Getty Images Charles and his sons follow Diana's hearse in London in September 1997. Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty Images Charles stands beside his grandmother's coffin while it lies in state at Westminster Hall in London in April 2002. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images Charles carries a specially painted football through the streets of Ashbourne, England, in March 2003. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles watches a parachute regiment during a D-Day re-enactment in Ranville, France, in June 2004. Chris Ison/AFP/Getty Images Charles married Camilla Parker-Bowles in April 2005. Hugo Burnand/Pool/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II presents Charles with the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honor during a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show in London in May 2009. WPA Pool/Getty Images Charles and Camilla were on their way to a performance at the London Palladium when their car was attacked by angry student protesters in December 2010. The students were protesting a hike in tuition fees. Matt Dunham/AP Charles and Queen Elizabeth II were among those on the Buckingham Palace balcony after Prince William wed Kate Middleton in April 2011. James Devaney/FilmMagic/Getty Images Charles reads the weather while touring BBC Scotland's headquarters in May 2012. Andrew Milligan/AP Charles meets with US President Barack Obama in the White House Oval Office in March 2015. Chris Radburn-Pool/Getty Images Charles and Camilla react as Zephyr, the bald-eagle mascot of the Army Air Corps, flaps his wings at the Sandringham Flower Show in July 2015. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Members of the royal family pose for a photo at Buckingham Palace in December 2016. From left are Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Charles; Queen Elizabeth II; Prince Philip; Prince William; and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images Charles visits the Italian town of Amatrice in April 2017, after an earthquake had hit. Alessandro Bianchi/AFP/Getty Images Charles and Camilla ride on a raft while visiting the island of Borneo in November 2017. Mohd Rasfana/AFP/Getty Images Charles leads three cheers for his mother as the Queen celebrated her 92nd birthday at a London concert in April 2018. Andrew Parsons/AFP/Getty Images From left, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Duchess Camilla and Queen Elizabeth II watch a Royal Air Force flyover in July 2018. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Charles accompanies his future daughter-in-law, Meghan Markle, as she is married to Prince Harry in May 2018. Jonathan Brady/AP Charles lays a wreath at the Cenotaph in London to commemorate Remembrance Day in November 2018. It was also the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Charles poses with family members for an official portrait to mark his 70th birthday. He's holding his grandson Prince George as Camilla sits next to his granddaughter, Princess Charlotte. In the back row, from left, are his grandson Prince Louis; his daughter-in-law Catherine; his son Prince William; his son Prince Harry; and his daughter-in-law Meghan. Chris Jackson/PoolAP Charles speaks at an event in London in March 2020. Later that month, it was announced that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images In pictures: Britain's King Charles III Prev Next

Born: November 14, 1948

What to know: Charles was the longest serving British monarch-in-waiting; he was the heir apparent since the age of three.

President of The Prince’s Trust and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and president or patron of more than 400 charitable organizations, Charles was the first royal heir to earn a university degree.

More key relatives: Diana, Princess of Wales, to whom he was married from 1981 to 1996. They had two children together: Princes William and Harry.

Princess Diana remains a beloved figure more than 20 years after her untimely death. See more photos of the British icon and the legacy she left behind. Terence Donovan/Camera Press/Redux Diana, seen here on her first birthday, was born Diana Frances Spencer on July 1, 1961. She was born into a noble family in Sandringham, England. Her father, John, was Viscount Althorp before becoming the 8th Earl Spencer in 1975. Hulton Archive/Getty Images Diana circa 1965. Growing up, she attended private schools in England and Switzerland. Central Press/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Diana poses with her brother, Charles, in 1968. She also had two sisters, Sarah and Jane. Anonymous/AP Diana, far right, is photographed with her father, John, and her three siblings circa 1970. Sarah is on the far left and Jane is next to Diana. When Diana was 7 years old, her parents divorced and her father was given custody of the children. Keystone/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images A teenage Diana receives a "kiss" from her pony, Scuffle, in 1974. A year later, she became Lady Diana after her grandfather died and her father became the 8th Earl Spencer. Hulton Archive/Getty Images After finishing school, Diana worked various jobs, including cook, nanny and kindergarten teacher. Here she is in 1980 with two children she looked after as a nanny. Hulton Archive/Getty Images Diana and Camilla Parker-Bowles visit the Ludlow racecourse in October 1980, where Prince Charles was competing as a jockey. Diana and Charles would be engaged just a few months later. Prince Charles admitted in 1994 to a relationship with Parker-Bowles while still married to Diana; Charles and Camilla wed in 2005. Express Newspapers/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Diana looks startled after stalling her new car outside her London apartment in November 1980. Tom Stoddart Archive/Premium Archive/Getty Images Diana is surrounded by photographers shortly before it was announced that she was engaged to Prince Charles. Ian Tyas/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Diana and Charles pose at Buckingham Palace after the announcement of their engagement on February 24, 1981. Hulton Deutsch/Corbis Historical/Getty Images Diana and Charles arrive at Goldsmith Hall in London for a charity recital in March 1981. PA/AP The couple poses with Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in March 1981. Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images The royal wedding was held July 29, 1981, at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. It was estimated that more than 700 million people watched the ceremony on television. Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Charles and Diana kiss on the Buckingham Palace balcony after being married. Tim Graham/Getty Images During their honeymoon, Charles and Diana leave Gibraltar on the royal yacht Britannia. Tim Graham/Getty Images The couple spends part of their honeymoon in Scotland. Serge Lemoine/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Charles and Diana attend the Grand National horse race in April 1982. Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images In June 1982, Diana gave birth to her first child, William. Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana greets a child while visiting Wrexham, Wales, in November 1982. David Levenson/Corbis Historical/Getty Images Charles, William and Diana pose for a photo at Kensington Palace in February 1983. Tim Graham/Tim Graham Photo Library/Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana gave birth to a second son, Harry, in September 1984. David Levenson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Charles kisses his wife after a polo match in Cirencester, England, in June 1985. Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana watches her boys play at the piano in Kensington Palace in October 1985. Tim Graham/Tim Graham Photo Library/Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana helps William with a puzzle in October 1985. Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana attends a polo match that her husband played in Palm Beach, Florida, in November 1985. Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Diana dances with actor John Travolta at the White House in November 1985. Dancing behind Travolta are US President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan. A few years ago, Diana's blue velvet dress -- nicknamed the "Travolta dress" -- was auctioned for 240,000 British pounds ($362,424 US). Anwar Hussein/WireImage/WireImage Diana holds up Harry in the garden of Highgrove House, a royal residence in Gloucestershire, England, in July 1986. Tim Graham/Getty Images William rides a miniature pony at Highgrove House. Tim Graham/Getty Images Prince Harry shows a bit of his personality on the Buckingham Palace balcony in June 1988. Steve Holland/AP Diana and her two boys walk outside the Wetherby School in London in April 1990. Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Diana and her sons go skiing in Lech, Austria, in April 1991. Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana and Charles sit together during a royal tour of Toronto in October 1991. Tim Graham/Getty Images Diana visits Egypt in May 1992. Tim Graham/Getty Images Charles and Diana attend a memorial service during a tour of South Korea in November 1992. A month later, it was announced that they had formally separated. PA/AP Diana and her sons visit Thorpe Park, a theme park in Surrey, England, in April 1993. Julian Parker/UK Press/Getty Images Diana arrives at the Serpentine Gallery in London in June 1994. Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images A police officer holds back a photographer as Diana walks by in July 1996. It had just been announced that Diana and Charles had divorced. Martin Godwin/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Diana talks to amputees in Angola, where she traveled in January 1997 to bring attention to the anti-land mine campaign of the International Red Cross. Sitting on her lap is Sandra Thijica, a 13-year-old who lost her left leg to a land mine. JOAO SILVA/ASSOCIATED PRESS Diana wears protective gear as she visits minefields in Angola in January 1997. Antonio Cotrim/EPA/Redux Diana visits Cape Town, South Africa, and meets with South African President Nelson Mandela in March 1997. Premium Archive/Gallo Images/Getty Images Diana holds hands with Mother Teresa after they met in New York in June 1997. Anwar Hussein/Getty Images This photo, taken from surveillance video, shows Diana arriving at the Ritz Hotel in Paris on August 30, 1997. It is one of the last photos of her alive. Handout/PA Wire/PA Photos/AP Diana is seen in a Ritz Hotel elevator with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed. After leaving the hotel, the couple was killed in a high-speed car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris. PA Wire/PA Photos/AP Wreckage is lifted away after the car Diana was in crashed into a pillar on August 31, 1997. Fayed and driver Henri Paul died at the scene. Diana died at a Paris hospital a few hours later. A French investigation concluded that Paul was legally drunk at the time and responsible for the accident. In 2008, a British coroner's jury found that Diana and Fayed were unlawfully killed because of the actions of Paul and pursuing paparazzi. PIERRE BOUSSEL/AFP/Getty Images On the eve of Diana's funeral, the Queen and Prince Philip look at floral tributes left outside Buckingham Palace. More than 1 million bouquets of flowers were left at Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace and St. James's Palace in the wake of Diana's death. Rex Features/Shutterstock Diana's coffin is carried into London's Westminster Cathedral in September 1997. Watching at the bottom, from left, is Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Charles Spencer, Prince William and Prince Philip. JOHN GAPS III/AP POOL/ASSOCIATED PRESS Princess Diana: Her life and legacy Prev Next

Diana died in 1997 following a car accident in Paris, along with boyfriend Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul.

In 2005, Charles married Camilla, the Queen Consort.

Prince William, Prince of Wales

As the first-born child to Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, Prince William has never been far from the public eye. Richard Stonehouse/Getty Images Prince Charles and Princess Diana leave the hospital with newborn William on June 22, 1982. Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images Prince William is watched by his parents as he takes his first steps in public at Kensington Palace in 1983. Anwar Hussein/Getty Images William is accompanied by nanny Barbara Barnes as he leaves St. Mary's Hospital in London in 1984. He was visiting his mother and his newborn brother, Prince Harry. PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo From the balcony of Buckingham Palace, a young Prince William watches the Trooping of the Colour in 1985. He is joined by Lady Gabriella Windsor, left, and Lady Zara Phillips. PA Photos/Landov Prince William waves from a carriage en route to the wedding of his uncle Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986. Sahm Doherty/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images William attends his first day at Wetherby School in 1987. Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images Charles and his family visit Spain in 1988. Anwar Hussein/Getty Images William and Harry ride bicycles with their parents while on vacation in the Isles of Scilly in 1989. PA Images/Getty Images William shovels sand onto his mother while playing on a beach in 1990. Rob Taggart/Reuters/Alamy William and Harry wave from the deck of the Royal Yacht Britannia in 1991. Anwar Hussein/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Princess Diana and Prince William wait for Prince Harry after attending an Easter Sunday church service at Windsor Castle in 1992. Dylan Martinez/Reuters Prince William grimaces after riding Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World in Florida in 1993. He was with friends of the royal family on a three-day vacation. Bob Pearson/AFP/Getty Images Prince William accompanies his mother to a tennis match at Wimbledon in 1994. Adam Butler/PA Images/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William and Prince Charles attend a service commemorating V-J Day outside Buckingham Palace in 1995. Andrew Winning/AFP/Getty Images Prince Charles and Prince Harry, at left, stand for anthems as Prince William, right, looks around during the Five Nations rugby championship in 1996. Ben Radford/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Prince William and his brother bow their heads after their mother's funeral at Westminster Abbey in 1997. Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris. William was 15 at the time, and Harry was 12. Adam Butler/AFP/Getty Images Prince William receives flowers from an adoring crowd in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1998. He was on a weeklong vacation with his father and brother, though they also made time for official engagements. Kim Stalknecht/AFP/Getty Images Britain's Queen Mother joins Prince Charles and his sons during an occasion marking her 99th birthday in 1999. Ken Goff/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images Prince William hammers a log while helping construct walkways in a remote village in Chile in 2000. Toby Melville/AFP/Getty Images William, left, and Harry take part in an exhibition polo match in Gloucestershire, England, in 2001. Anthony Harvey/Getty Images Members of the royal family stand vigil besides the Queen Mother's coffin in 2002. Prince William, right, stands alongside Prince Harry, Princess Anne and Sophie of Wessex. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images A London office worker licks a first-class stamp that was issued to mark Prince William's 21st birthday in 2003. Commemorative coins were also minted for the occasion. Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images Prince William makes his water polo debut for the Scottish national universities squad during the annual Celtic Nations tournament in April 2004. William was attending the University of St. Andrews. Barry Batchel/AFP/Getty Images Prince William celebrates his 30th birthday in June 2004. AFP/Getty Images William graduates from St. Andrews University in 2005. He earned a degree in geography. Bruno Vincent/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II glances up at William, right, as she inspects the parade at the Royal Military Academy in 2006. William graduated as an Army officer and later went on to receive his Royal Air Force pilot's wings. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images Prince William and Prince Harry speak on stage with Elton John, far left, during a concert they put on to celebrate Princess Diana in 2007. The event fell on what would have been their mother's 46th birthday. Getty Images Prince William sports a beard for the first time in public at a Christmas Day church service in 2008. He was clean-shaven by early January. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Prince William walks with a group of homeless people during a 2009 hike with Centrepoint, the United Kingdom's largest youth charity for the homeless. William became the patron of the organization in 2005. ohn Giles/WPA Pool/Getty Images During an official overseas visit in 2010, Prince William is welcomed to Sydney with a traditional smoke ceremony. Eddie Mulholland/Pool/Getty Images Prince William kisses his wife, Catherine, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding on April 29, 2011. The two met while attending the University of St. Andrews. Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images William and Catherine meet with US President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama while the Obamas visited Buckingham Palace in May 2011. Charles Dharapak/Pool/AP William throws a foam javelin during a visit to Nottingham, England, in 2012. He and his wife were in the city as part of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee tour, marking the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne. Phil Noble/AFP/Getty Images William and Catherine depart St. Mary's Hospital in London with their newborn son, George, in July 2013. Scott Heavey/Getty Images William and Catherine sit in front of the Taj Mahal while on a royal tour of India in April 2016. Ian Vogler/Pool/Getty Images Prince William and Prince Harry try out "Star Wars" lightsabers during a tour of the movie sets in Iver Heath, England, in April 2016. Adrian Dennis/WPA Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine join from left, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Charles; Queen Elizabeth II; and Prince Philip at a Buckingham Palace reception in December 2016. Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images William and Harry are joined by Peter Phillips, left, during a ceremonial procession at the funeral of Prince Philip in April 2021. Alastair Grant/Pool/AP William and Harry unveil a statue they commissioned of their mother on what would have been her 60th birthday in July 2021. Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince William sits by the Imperial State Crown during the opening of Parliament in May 2022. Ben Stansall/Pool/AFP/Getty Images William and Catherine stand with their children -- from left, Louis, Charlotte and George -- on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the Trooping the Colour parade in June 2022. Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images This photo of Prince William and his children in Jordan was released by Kensington Palace in June 2022. Kensington Palace/Getty Images William is seen driving Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, as they arrive at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on the day Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images The heir apparent: Britain's Prince William Prev Next

Born: June 21, 1982

What to know: William, Prince of Wales is first in line to the throne. He has achieved the highest educational degree – Master of Arts – of any member of the royal family. He served in the military from 2006 to 2013, participating in more than 150 helicopter search and rescue operations.

More key relatives: Catherine, Princess of Wales, whom he married in 2011. The couple have three children together: Prince George, 9; Princess Charlotte, 7; and Prince Louis, 4.

Britain's Prince William and his wife, Catherine, walk with their three children -- from left, George, Charlotte and Louis -- in Norfolk, England. The photo was featured on the family Christmas card in December 2022. Matt Porteous/WPA Pool/Shutterstock Prince Louis is pushed in a wheelbarrow by his mother in Windsor, England, in April 2023. The photo was released by Kensington Palace to mark Louis' fifth birthday. Millie Pilkington/The Prince and Princess of Wales/AP William and Catherine meet a boy dressed as a royal guard while visiting Boston in December 2022. The royal couple was in Boston to attend the Earthshot Prize Awards that William founded two years prior. Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images William and Catherine walk with Prince George and Princess Charlotte at the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. WPA Pool/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images William and Catherine arrive with George, Louis and Charlotte at a school in Bracknell, England, in September 2022. Jonathan Brady/Pool/Getty Images Prince Louis holds his hands over his ears as jets roar over Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade in London in June 2022. From left are Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Charles; Queen Elizabeth II; Louis; Catherine; Charlotte; George; and William. Chris Jackson/Getty Images This photo of Prince William and his children in Jordan was released by Kensington Palace to celebrate Father's Day in June 2022. Handout/Kensington Palace/Getty Images William and Catherine play drums while visiting the Trench Town Culture Yard Museum in Kingston, Jamaica, in March 2022. They were on a royal tour of the Caribbean. Chris Jackson/Getty Images This image provided by Kensington Palace made the family's Christmas card in 2020. Matt Porteous/The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge/Kensington Palace/Getty Images William and Catherine visit an air squadron in London in April 2021. During the visit, the squadron paid tribute to William's late grandfather, Prince Philip , who served as Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Air Training Corps for 63 years. Ian Vogler/WPA Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine attend the funeral service of Prince Philip in April 2021. Yui Mok/WPA Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine visit Westminster Abbey, where a Covid-19 vaccination center had been set up in London in March 2021. Aaron Chown/WPA Pool/Getty Images William, Catherine and their children arrive for a pantomime performance at the London Palladium Theatre in December 2020. They were there to thank key workers and their families for their efforts throughout the pandemic. Aaron Chown/Pool/AFP/Getty Images William watches Catherine pour a tray of bagel dough into a container during a visit to a London bakery in September 2020. Justin Tallis/Pool/AFP/Getty Images The royal family meets with naturalist David Attenborough at Kensington Palace in September 2020. This was after a private screening of Attenborough's latest environmental documentary, "A Life On Our Planet," which focuses on the harm that has been done to the natural world in recent decades. Twitter/KensingtonRoyal Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, follow William and Catherine after attending the annual Commonwealth Service in London in March 2020. Phil Harris/Pool/AFP/Getty Images William and Catherine visit a settlement of the Kalash people in Chitral, Pakistan, in October 2019. Samir Hussein/Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine escort Princess Charlotte -- accompanied by her brother, Prince George -- as Charlotte arrives for her first day of school in September 2019. Aaron Chown/Pool/AFP/Getty Images The family is photographed during Trooping the Colour, the Queen's annual birthday parade, in June 2019. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Catherine shows William and Queen Elizabeth II around the "Back to Nature Garden" that she helped designed as they visit the Chelsea Flower Show in London in May 2019. Geoff Pugh/AFP/Getty Images Prince William kisses his son Louis as they pose for a photo in Norfolk that was taken by Catherine in 2019. The Duchess of Cambridge/Kensington Palace/Getty Images From left, William, Catherine, Meghan and Harry arrive for a Christmas Day church service in 2018. Stephen Pond/Getty Images Catherine holds Prince Louis after arriving for his christening service in London in July 2018. Dominic Lipinski/Pool/AFP/Getty Images Catherine holds their newborn baby son Louis outside a London hospital on April 23, 2018. Tim Ireland/AP Prince William holds the hands of George and Charlotte as they visit the hospital to meet their new brother. DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images Harry, Meghan, Catherine and William attend the Royal Foundation Forum in London in February 2018. Chris Jackson/Getty Images William and Catherine attend the BAFTA Awards in London in February 2018. Chris Jackson/WPA Pool/Getty Images Catherine is escorted to dinner by Norwegian King Harald V during a visit to Norway in February 2018. William is escorted by Norway's Queen Sonja. Chris Jackson/Getty Images This image of William, Catherine, George and Charlotte was used for the family's 2017 Christmas card. Chris Jackson/Kensington Palace/Getty Images Paddington Bear dances with Catherine during a charity event in London in October 2017. Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images The royal family arrives at the airport in Berlin for a three-day visit in Germany in July 2017. Steffi Loos/AFP/Getty Images This photo of Charlotte was taken in April 2017 by her mother. HRH The Duchess of Cambridge via Getty Images Charlotte is held by her mother as her family ends an eight-day tour of Canada in October 2016. At left is her brother George and her father. Mark Large/Getty Images William and Catherine released new photos of Prince George to mark his third birthday in July 2016. Here he plays with the family's pet dog, Lupo. Matt Porteous/Kensington Palace Members of the royal family gather on a balcony in June 2016 during celebrations marking the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. Catherine is holding Charlotte. Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images Kensington Palace released four photos of Princess Charlotte ahead of her first birthday in May 2016. Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge/AP US President Barack Obama talks with Prince William as Catherine plays with Prince George in April 2016. The President and first lady Michelle Obama were visiting Kensington Palace. Pete Souza/Kensington Palace/Ap Prince George gets a boost from some foam blocks for a special family photo in April 2016. The portrait, featuring the four generations of the House of Windsor, was commissioned by the Royal Mail and would be featured on a series of stamps to commemorate the Queen's 90th birthday. Ranald Mackechnie/Royal Mail via AP William and Catherine pose with their children during a trip to the French Alps in March 2016. John Stillwell/Pool via AP The family poses for a Christmas photo in December 2015. Chris Jelf/PA/PA Princess Charlotte plays with a stuffed dog in this photo taken by her mother in November 2015. HRH DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE/Getty Images William and Catherine pose with their children at Charlotte's christening in July 2015. Mario Testino/Art Partner/Getty Images Princess Charlotte is seen with her big brother for the first time in this photo released by Kensington Palace in June 2015. HRH The Duchess of Cambridge William and Catherine present their newborn daughter as they leave a London hospital in May 2015. LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images The royal family celebrates Prince George's first birthday with a trip to the Natural History Museum in July 2014. John Stillwell/AFP/Getty Images The royal family waves to a crowd before boarding a plane in Wellington, New Zealand, in April 2014. They went on a three-week tour of Australia and New Zealand. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images The royal couple attends the Tusk Conservation Awards at the Royal Society in London in September 2013. Danny E. Martindale/Getty Images William and Catherine start an ultra-marathon in Holyhead, Wales, in August 2013. It was Catherine's first public appearance since the birth of Prince George. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images The couple are pictured with their newborn boy, Prince George, in 2013. The new parents released two family photographs taken by Michael Middleton, Catherine's father. MICHAEL MIDDLETON via AFP/Getty Images William, Catherine and their newborn son depart St. Mary's Hospital in London in July 2013. John Stillwell/WPA-Pool/Getty Images In April 2013, Harry, Catherine and William visit the set used to depict Diagon Alley in the "Harry Potter" films. Paul Rogers - WPA Pool/Getty Imagesa William and Catherine attend a St. Patrick's Day parade as they visit Aldershot, England, in March 2013. Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Images In September 2012, the couple drank coconut milk from a tree that Queen Elizabeth II planted decades ago in the South Pacific nation of Tuvalu. Arthur Edwards - Pool/Getty Images Catherine and William celebrate during cycling events at the Olympic Games in London in August 2012. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II, William and Catherine stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June 2012. Stefan Wermuth - WPA Pool/Getty Images As part of their charity work, the couple attended a "healthy living cookery session" in London in December 2011. Ben Stansall-WPA Pool/Getty Images The newly married royal couple watches a rodeo demonstration at a government reception in Calgary, Alberta, in July 2011. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Catherine shovels soil during a tree-planting ceremony in Ottawa in July 2011. Lionel Hahn - Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine attend a Snowbirds air show during Canada Day celebrations in July 2011. Chris Jackson/Getty Images The Obamas meet with the royal couple at Buckingham Palace in May 2011. Charles Dharapak - WPA Pool/Getty Images The newlyweds walk hand in hand from Buckingham Palace the day after their wedding in April 2011. John Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty Images After their wedding on April 29, 2011, the couple drove from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House in a vintage Aston Martin. Chris Radburn - WPA Pool/Getty Images William and Catherine kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their wedding ceremony in London. John Stillwell-WPA Pool/Getty Images The pair returned to their alma mater in St. Andrews, Scotland, in February 2011. They launched a fundraising campaign for a new scholarship. Andrew Milligan -WPA Pool/Getty Image The couple poses for photographers to mark their engagement in November 2010. Catherine received the engagement ring that belonged to William's late mother, Diana. BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images The couple cheers on the English rugby team during the Six Nations Championship match in London in February 2007. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images The couple takes a photo after graduating from the University of St. Andrews in June 2005. They met at school and even shared a house with others while students. Middleton Family/Clarence House/Getty Will and Kate's royal family Prev Next

The family live in Adelaide Cottage, a four-bedroom property on the grounds of Windsor Castle, Berkshire, about 25 miles from London. Their London residence, Kensington Palace, will remain the family’s principal residence, however, a royal source told CNN in August.

Prince George

Prince George attends the memorial service for the Duke Of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey on March 29, 2022. Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images

Born: July 22, 2013

What to know: If all goes as planned and he becomes King after the reigns of his grandfather Prince Charles and his father Prince William, George – now second in line – will be the 43rd monarch since William the Conqueror.

But for now, he’s still brushing up on his education: George currently attends Lambrook School near Windsor along with his younger sister, Princess Charlotte and his younger brother, Prince Louis.

Princess Charlotte

Princess Charlotte, in a photo taken by her mother, appears before her seventh birthday on May 2, 2022. The Duchess of Cambridge/Handout/Getty Images

Born: May 2, 2015

What to know: Third in line to the throne, Princess Charlotte was born into a more equitable era: In 2011, the British monarchy abolished a rule that gave preference to male heirs over their sisters in the line of succession.

Prince Louis

Prince Louis ahead of his fourth birthday on April 23, 2022. The photograph was taken earlier in April in Norfolk by his mother. The Duchess of Cambridge/Getty Images

Born: April 23, 2018

What to know: Prince Louis, fourth in line to the throne, arrived during a busy season for the royal family; he was born just weeks before the 2018 wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

As is tradition, a golden easel bearing a framed notice announcing the birth was placed on display in front of Buckingham Palace that afternoon. The practice of posting a bulletin on the occasion of a royal birth goes back to at least 1837, when Buckingham Palace became the British monarch’s official residence.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

"Every picture has a back story," says Jackson. This one was shot in Nepal in 2016. "We were spending a night in a village up in the foothills and watching the sunrise. That was an amazing moment for me, and I'm sure it was for Prince Harry as well... A lot of the pictures are quite energetic and that's great, but this is more of a rarity and quite pensive." Leorani, Nepal, March 2016. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Meghan first appeared alongside Harry at the Invictus Games in Canada in September last year. "No one knew that was going to happen," Jackson says. "It was a nice surprise for everyone." Toronto, Canada, September 2017. Chris Jackson/Getty Images "Things happen quite quickly with Harry," says Jackson. After presenting a Norwegian wheelchair rugby player with a gold medal at last year's Invictus Games, Harry spontaneously kissed him on the head. "That was a great moment -- and it makes a great picture," says Jackson. Toronto, Canada, September 2017. Chris Jackson/Getty Images "I always love going on a Prince Harry tour," says Jackson. "There are elements of formality as well as more relaxed moments." Surama, Guyana, December 2016. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry meets medical alert dog Jasmine as he visits venues ahead of the opening of the 2016 Invictus Games. Orlando, US, May 2016. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry posed with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a trip to Toronto in 2016. "Formality and ceremony are very much part of your job as a royal. It's not always relaxed," says Jackson. "(Harry) seems to have a strong bond with Trudeau. It was nice to photograph these two together." Toronto, Canada, May 2016. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry (back right) watches the annual "Trooping the Colour" parade with other members of the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. "That's one of few times we see the whole royal family out on the balcony," says Jackson. "It's great to capture these relaxed moments." London, UK, June 2015. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry performs a "hongi" (traditional Maori greeting) while on a trip to New Zealand. Wanganui, New Zealand, May 2015. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry plays touch rugby with schoolchildren during a trip to New Zealand. Palmerston North, New Zealand, May 2015. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry "connects with (kids) in a very unique way," says Jackson. "He gets stuck in with whatever they're doing." On this occasion, the prince was visiting the Thuso Centre in Lesotho for children living with multiple disabilities. Butha-Buthe, Lesotho, December 2014. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry was visiting Oman in 2014 when Jackson took this picture. "The chap was showing him a sword dance and offered him a sword and shield," he says. "He's got a real sense of humor and he's not just going to stand there. It makes a great picture and makes my job a lot easier." Muscat, Oman, November 2014. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry and his older brother William share a joke with their father Charles during the Invictus Games in 2014. London, UK, September 2014. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Alongside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry watches for the riders at the finish of the first stage of the 2014 Tour de France. The three young royals "seem to get on very well," says Jackson. Harrogate, UK, July 2014. Chris Jackson/Getty Images There's a "huge amount of respect" between Harry and his older brother William, says Jackson. "From what I've seen, they work very closely." Cirencester, UK, July 2013. Chris Jackson/Getty Images During a visit to Jamaica, Prince Harry challenged world-class sprinter Usain Bolt to a race. "I remember it so clearly," says Jackson. "Prince Harry sprinted off leaving Bolt trailing in his wake. That caught me by surprise... That's the kind of thing that happens with Harry. You've got to learn to always be ready." Kingston, Jamaica, March 2012. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Harry has been a keen polo player for many years. This shot, one of Jackson's earliest as royal photographer for Getty Images, was taken during a match against Virginia State polo in 2005. Cirencester, UK, July 2005. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Prince Harry through the lens of Getty royal photographer Chris Jackson Prev Next

Born: September 15, 1984

What to know: Fifth in line to the throne, Prince Harry also trained in the military. In 2008, the British Ministry of Defense announced that Harry had secretly been serving in Afghanistan with his Army unit on a four-month mission since December 2007.

He was quickly withdrawn for security reasons, but later returned as an Apache helicopter pilot in 2012. In 2015, after nearly a decade of service, he announced he was leaving the armed forces.

The Duke of Sussex is also the founder of the Invictus Games, an international sporting competition for injured servicemen and women. The first games were held in London in 2014.

More key relatives: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, whom he married in 2018. The couple welcomed their first child, son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, in May 2019. Their daughter, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born in June 2021.

Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor

In early 2020, the pair announced that they were stepping back from their roles as senior members of the British royal family. They now live in the US.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex tend to Archie Mountbatten-Windsoron September 25, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Toby Melville - Pool/Getty Images) Toby Melville/Pool/Getty Images

Born: May 6, 2019

What to know: In a significant milestone across the Commonwealth and within British society, baby Archie made history by becoming the first biracial British child in the royal family.

When he was born – at which point he became seventh in line – he didn’t immediately qualify for the title of prince, and Buckingham Palace told CNN at the time that his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, had chosen not to use any title at all for their son.

Now that Charles has become King, Prince Harry’s son – who is now sixth in line – will be eligible to become His Royal Highness Prince Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

Lilibet ‘Lili’ Diana Mountbatten-Windsor

Born: June 4, 2021

What to know: Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born in Santa Barbara, California, in June 2021 following the decision of her parents, Harry and Meghan, to step back from royal life in the UK and move to the US.

Her unusual name is a tribute to her great-grandmother, the Queen – Lilibet was her childhood nickname. Baby Lili’s middle name, Diana, “was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced in a statement.

Seventh in line to the throne, the Queen’s 11th great-grandchild is the most senior royal in the line of succession to have been born overseas.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York

Prince Andrew is seen in August 2017. Julian Finney/British Athletics/Getty Images Prince Andrew was born February 19, 1960, as the second son to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. -/AFP via Getty Images Prince Andrew sits on his father's lap during a holiday in Scotland in September 1960. At left is his sister, Princess Anne. At right, next to the Queen, is his brother Prince Charles. Associated Press The royal family poses for photos in 1968. Prince Andrew is at bottom right. He is joined by his parents and his three siblings, including his younger brother, Prince Edward. Associated Press The Queen looks at a photo album with Andrew, left, and Edward in 1971. Hulton Archive/Getty Images From left, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew attend an equestrian event in 1972. Dieter Klar/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images Prince Andrew is photographed on his 18th birthday in 1978. Associated Press Prince Andrew receives a Green Beret award at an event in 1980. He served in the British Royal Navy for 22 years and was a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War. Associated Press Prince Andrew is second from right in this photo taken at the 1981 wedding of his brother Prince Charles. BIPNA/Associated Press Prince Andrew poses next to a helicopter in 1982. Keystone/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images Girls line up to give flowers to Prince Andrew as he arrives in Portsmouth, England, for an event in 1983. Press Association/AP The prince is face to face with a cow during a royal tour of Canada in 1985. James Gray/Daily Mail/Shutterstock In July 1986, Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson. They were the ultimate "It" couple of the late 1980s. Their wedding drew a TV audience of hundreds of millions. Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images Prince Andrew and his wife, Sarah, visit Canada in 1987. Ferguson, a commoner, was said to bring a breath of fresh air to the royal family. John Shelley Collection/Avalon/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of York pose during their Canadian holiday in 1987. Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images The couple holds their first child, Beatrice, in 1988. They had two children together before their high-profile divorce in 1996. Associated Press Prince Andrew holds hands with his two daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, after arriving for a dinner in London in 1997. Dave Caulkin/Associated Press The prince lines up a putt during a celebrity golf tournament in 1998. Tim Ockenden/PA Images/Getty Images Prince Andrew attends a party with girlfriend Aurelia Cecil in 1999. Richard Young/Shutterstock Prince Andrew poses with Donald Trump and Trump's future wife, Melania, at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2000. Davidoff Studios Photography/Archive Photos/Getty Images The prince attends a Formula 1 party in London in 2000. Richard Young/Shutterstock Prince Andrew visits the Royal Hospital School in Holbrook, England, in 2006. Mark Cuthbert/UK Press/Getty Images Prince Andrew, back left, poses with his parents and his siblings for a family photo in 2007. Anwar Hussein Collection/ROTA/Getty Images Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein walk through New York's Central Park in 2011. The Sun/MEGA The prince was installed as chancellor of the University of Huddersfield in 2015. Lynne Cameron/PA Wire/Press Association Images/AP Prince Andrew and his parents watch horse racing in Epsom, England, in 2016. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Princess Eugenie is accompanied by her father during her wedding in 2018. Yui Mok/AFP/Getty Images Prince Andrew talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance, which took place in London in November 2019. Chris Jackson/AP In pictures: Britain's Prince Andrew Prev Next

Born: February 19, 1960

What to know: Prince Andrew is the third of the Queen’s four children, and eighth in line to the British throne. He served in the British Royal Navy for 22 years and was a helicopter pilot during the Falklands War.

In 2019, the prince announced that he was going to step back from public duties after a controversial interview in which he denied allegations that he had sex with an underaged woman who said she had been trafficked by sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew, who has been under intense scrutiny for his decades-long friendship with Epstein, said in a statement announcing his decision that the association became “a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support.”

While he’s still a prince, Andrew no longer has an official role.

More key relatives: Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, whom Andrew married in 1986.

Sarah and Andrew had two children together – Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie – before a high-profile divorce in 1996.

Princess Beatrice

Princess Beatrice arrives for the wedding of Princess Eugenie on October 12, 2018. (Steve Parsons/Pool via Reuters) Steve Parsons/Pool via Reuters

Born: August 8, 1988

What to know: Princess Beatrice, ninth in the line of succession to the British throne, married real estate specialist Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a private ceremony in July 2020. The wedding was a significantly pared-back event attended by the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and close family to ensure compliance with Covid-19 guidelines at the time.

In September 2021, she gave birth to daughter Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi, who became the 10th in line to the throne.

Beatrice, 34, has a royal title but works a regular, full-time day job as vice president of partnerships and strategy at tech company Afiniti.

Princess Eugenie

Britain's Princess Eugenie of York and her husband Jack Brooksbank emerge from St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on Friday, October 12 after their wedding ceremony. STEVE PARSONS/AFP/Getty Images Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank travel in the Scottish State Coach at the start of their carriage procession following their wedding at St. George's Chapel, Windsor. ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank wave at the start of their carriage procession. DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank leave St. George's Chapel after their wedding. TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS Sarah Ferguson, Princess Beatrice and the bridesmaids and page boys, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, wave as the bride and groom depart from the chapel. TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank kiss on the steps of St. George's Chapel. TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip wait for the arrival by open carriage of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank following their wedding. Alastair Grant/Pool via REUTERS British model Cara Delevingne leaves after the ceremony. MATT CROSSICK/AFP/Getty Images Sophie, Countess of Wessex, left, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William leave after the wedding. Gareth Fuller/AP The newlyweds walk down the aisle. JONATHAN BRADY/AFP/Getty Images Dean of Windsor David Conner presides over the wedding ceremony. JONATHAN BRADY/AFP/Getty Images Britain's royal family is seen attending the ceremony. OWEN HUMPHREYS/AFP/Getty Images Nicola and George Brooksbank are seen before the start of the wedding ceremony. Jonathan Brady/AP Princess Eugenie walks down the aisle with her father, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. POOL/X80003/REUTERS Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attend the wedding. OWEN HUMPHREYS/AFP/Getty Images Prince Andrew walks his daughter Princess Eugenie of York down the aisle. Danny Lawson/WPA Pool/Getty Images The bridesmaids and page boys, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, arrive for the wedding. Yui Mok/Pool via REUTERS Princess Eugenie and her father Prince Andrew make their way up the steps at St. George's Chapel. Toby Melville/Reuters Princess Eugenie pauses on her way into the chapel. NEIL HALL/EPA/EPA-EFE Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, wait for the ceremony to begin. Danny Lawson/AP Princess Charlotte of Cambridge is serving as a bridesmaid. Toby Melville/Reuters Princess Eugenie arrives by car. DARREN STAPLES/X90183/REUTERS The bride's mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, and Princess Beatrice of York wave from outside St. George's Chapel. STEVE PARSONS/AFP/Getty Images Ricky Martin arrives. Will Oliver/EPA/Rex/Shutterstock Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, head into the chapel. Adrian Dennis/Pool via Reuters Naomi Campbell arrives. Gareth Fuller/WPA Rota/REUTERS Singer Robbie Williams and film and television star Ayda Field, his wife, arrive ahead of the wedding. Gareth Fuller/Pool via AP Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, arrives for the royal wedding. TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS Eric Buterbaugh and Demi Moore make their way to the ceremony. Gareth Fuller/WPA Pool/Getty Images Stephen Fry and his husband Elliott Spencer walk toward the chapel.. Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images Guests assemble at Windsor Castle. Adrian Dennis/AP Chelsy Davy, left, arrives. Matt Crossick/AP Musician George Barnett and model Pixie Geldof outside Windsor Castle. Gareth Fuller/AP A fan of the royal family takes up a position outside Windsor Castle. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Royal supporters get into position holding the Union Jack outside the castle. Leon Neal/Getty Images In photos: Princess Eugenie's royal wedding Prev Next

Born: March 23, 1990

What to know: The younger York sister is 11th in the line of succession, and, after her cousin Prince Harry, was the second royal to throw a massive wedding in 2018.

She wed Jack Brooksbank, a brand ambassador for Casamigos tequila, which was founded by George Clooney and Rande Gerber, husband of supermodel Cindy Crawford. Like her sister, Princess Eugenie has a fairly everyday job: she works as the director of the Hauser & Wirth art gallery in London.

In February 2021, she gave birth to her son August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, who is the 12th in line to the throne.

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, meets young recipients of the award during the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award presentations at Buckingham Palace on May 22, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Yui Mok - WPA Pool/Getty Images) WPA Pool/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images

Born: March 10, 1964

What to know: The youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Prince Edward is 13th in line to the British throne. He’s currently a full-time working member of the royal family. Prince Edward previously trained as a cadet in the Royal Marines and worked as a theater and TV producer.

More key relatives: Sophie, Countess of Wessex, whom Prince Edward married in 1999. The couple have two children together, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.

James, Viscount Severn

James, Viscount Severn and Lady Louise Windsor during Trooping The Colour, the Queen's annual birthday parade, on June 8, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson Collection/Getty Images

Born: December 17, 2007

What to know: Despite being younger than his sister Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, the Viscount Severn is ahead of her in the line of succession because of the previous rule that saw the British monarchy favor male heirs over their sisters. He is 14th in line to the throne.

Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor

Lady Louise Windsor during Trooping The Colour on the Mall on June 9, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson Collection/Getty Images

Born: November 8, 2003

What to know: The oldest child of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor is now 15th in line to the throne. Her parents chose more subdued royal titles and, with the permission of the Queen, gave their children titles in the style of an earl rather than prince and princess.

Anne, the Princess Royal

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal attends the Commissioning Ceremony of HMS Queen Elizabeth at HM Naval Base on December 7, 2017 in Portsmouth, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Born: August 15, 1950

What to know: The second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Anne was third in the line of succession at birth – but today she’s No. 16, behind her brothers and their children and grandchildren.

Picture taken on February 26, 1970 showing Prince Charles and Princess Anne of the royal family. (Photo by CENTRAL PRESS PHOTO LTD /AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images

Widely known as an expert horsewoman, the Princess Royal competed as an equestrian in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal – just two years after surviving a kidnapping attempt. Today she’s part of the International Olympic Committee in addition to serving various charitable organizations.

More key relatives: Capt. Mark Phillips, the Princess Royal’s first husband, with whom she has two children: Peter and Zara. Phillips, an army officer, was a commoner who declined to receive a royal title; Anne also declined her mother’s offer to give titles to Peter and Zara.

Olympic mission — Having given birth to her first child in January, Zara Phillips has since returned to competition and helped Great Britain qualify for the 2016 Olympics with her performance at August's FEI World Equestrian Games. Alex Livesey/Getty Images Mother and daughter — Queen Elizabeth II's eldest granddaughter gave birth to Mia Grace Tindall on January 17, 2014. Mia is 16th in line for the British throne. Matthew Horwood/Getty Images Sporting couple — Mia's father is rugby star Mike Tindall, who married Phillips on July 30, 2011. Dylan Martinez/AFP/Getty Images Family ties — In September 2014, Phillips and her husband took part in a wheelchair rugby exhibition match during the Invictus Games for war veterans organized by her cousin Prince Harry (pictured behind). Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images for Invictus Games/file London success — After missing out in 2004 and 2008 due to her horse Toytown sustaining injuries, Phillips had to wait until 2012 before she participated in her first Olympics, in which she won a silver medal in the team equestrian event. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images In the family — She was presented her medal by her mother, Princess Anne, who participated in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal as a member of Britain's equestrian team. Alex Livesey/Getty Images Golden heritage — Her father Mark Phillips, left, was part of Britain's gold-medal-winning eventing team at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and he also won silver at Seoul '88. McCabe/Express/Getty Images/file Champion of the world — The 33-year-old Zara is a former world champion, taking gold in 2006, and won European titles in 2005 and 2007. JOCHEN LUEBKE/AFP/Getty Images Zara Phillips eyes Olympic gold Prev Next

Anne and Phillips divorced in 1992, and the Princess Royal went on to marry Royal Navy officer and equerry to the Queen, Timothy Laurence, that same year.

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What we learned from the second part of Harry and Meghan's Netflix ...

CNN —

The last three episodes of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix documentary series were released Thursday.

The first three episodes, released last week, touched on the early days of the couple’s relationship, the relentless media attention they’ve faced and what Harry referred to as “unconscious bias” within the royal family.

These latest installments see Harry detail rifts with his relatives, the toll the last few years has taken on the couple and their new life in California.

Buckingham Palace reiterated on Thursday that it will not comment on the documentary, and royal engagements are continuing.

Here are 11 things we learned from the second part of the show:

Meghan grateful for relationship with Queen Elizabeth

The duchess spoke about her first royal engagement alongside Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, shortly after the couple’s wedding.

“It was great,” she said, describing how the Queen put a blanket over both of their knees on a car journey.

Meghan was glad to have a grandmotherly figure after being so close with her own grandmother.

“I treated her as my husband’s grandma,” she said. “We laughed.”

Queen Elizabeth II (left) with Meghan during their first shared royal engagement on June 14 2018. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Popularity causes tensions with other royals

The couple said their popularity with the public caused issues within the royal household, with their tour in Australia being described in the documentary as a turning point.

Harry said Meghan’s popularity in particular caused problems at the palace, recalling similarities with his mother Diana, who married into the royal family and was beloved by the public.

“The issue is when someone who’s marrying in, who should be a supporting act is then stealing the limelight or is doing the job better than the person who is born to do this. That upsets people. It shifts the balance,” Harry said.

The couple recalled how media coverage started to turn negative, with Meghan increasingly associated with racist tropes such as drugs, criminality or terrorism.

Harry and Meghan pictured during their tour of Australia in October 2018. Phil Noble/Reuters

Meghan contemplated suicide

Doria Ragland, Meghan’s mother, recounted how her daughter told her she had thought about taking her own life after being constantly “picked at by these vultures” in the media.

“That she would actually think of not wanting to be here … That’s not an easy one for a mom to hear,” said Ragland.

Harry said he “never thought that it would get to that stage,” and the fact it did left him feeling “angry and ashamed.”

Meghan said she wanted to get help but was prevented from doing so amid concerns that it could affect the image of the institution.

The duchess later discussed her struggles in an official royal documentary, thanking a journalist who asked her how she’d been feeling. “Not many people have asked if I’m OK,” she said.

More controversy around Archie’s birth

The couple recalled how their desire to keep some privacy around the birth of their first child caused a significant backlash.

“The amount of abuse we got … for not wanting to serve our child up on a silver platter was incredible,” said Harry.

A narrative developed that the couple were being selfish for not doing a traditional photo call shortly after the birth of a royal baby, and Harry remembers seeing a post on social media of a couple walking either side of a chimpanzee alongside the caption: “Royal baby leaves hospital.”

Meghan ‘fed to the wolves’

The duchess said she did everything she could to make the royal family “proud,” but at one point “the bubble burst” and there was a flood of negative media coverage.

“I realized that I wasn’t just being thrown to the wolves, I was being fed to the wolves,” she said.

Harry said he believes that the press understood that the palace wasn’t going to protect Meghan, and once that happens “the floodgates open.”

Duchess received death threats

The documentary touches on how a hate campaign against the couple built on social media, with the primary focus on Meghan.

“The seriousness of what has happened to her and what … happened to us, and what continues to happen to her, that needs to be acknowledged,” said Harry.

Meghan recalls how the family’s security team has a protocol for when a tweet such as “Meghan just needs to die” is spotted online.

“That’s, like, what’s actually out in the world because of people creating hate. And I’m a mom,” she said. “That’s my real life.”

“And that’s the piece when you see it and you go, ‘You are making people want to kill me,’” added the duchess. “It’s not just a tabloid. It’s not just some story. You are making me scared. Right?”

‘Terrifying’ row at Sandringham

Harry recalled how he traveled to the royal residence Sandringham for a meeting to discuss the couple’s future role in the family.

“It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me and my father say things that simply weren’t true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in,” said Harry.

And the relationship between the two brothers continued to worsen.

“The saddest part of it was this wedge created between myself and my brother so that he’s now on the institution side,” said Harry.

Harry spoke about a joint statement issued in January 2020, in which the brothers denied a newspaper story alleging that a rift in the royal family was caused by William’s “bullying attitude.”

In this Netflix episode, Harry claims he was not aware of the statement. “No one had asked me permission to put my name to a statement like that,” he said.

“They were happy to lie to protect my brother and yet for three years they were never willing to tell the truth to protect us,” he added.

Media coverage blamed for miscarriage

Harry blamed the media for placing undue stress on his wife.

Meghan recounted how she suffered a miscarriage in July 2020 after moving to Santa Barbara, California, recalling how she was stressed about how UK newspaper the Mail on Sunday had published a private letter to her father, Thomas Markle.

“I was pregnant. I really wasn’t sleeping. The first morning that we woke up in our new home is when I miscarried,” said Meghan.

“I believe my wife suffered a miscarriage because of what the Mail did,” Harry added. “I watched the whole thing.”

“Now, do we absolutely know the miscarriage was created, caused by that? Course we don’t. But bearing in mind the stress that that caused, the lack of sleep, and the timing of the pregnancy, how many weeks in she was, I can say, from what I saw, that miscarriage was created by what they were trying to do to her,” he added.

CNN has contacted the Mail on Sunday and its publisher Associated Newspapers Limited for comment.

Hollywood move meant six weeks without press coverage

Harry said it took reporters six weeks to find out that the couple had moved into director and screenwriter Tyler Perry’s home in Hollywood, before eventually publishing the location of their new home.

He also recalled measures taken to prevent paparazzi from snapping photos of the couple.

“These large poles are basically the construction of a fence to stop paparazzi from taking photographs from three, four hundred meters away,” said Harry. “And as ridiculous and as absurd as this is, you kind of have to laugh about it, because it is madness.”

Perry then claims the fence around the property would be cut, people would sneak in and there were “helicopters 24/7.”

‘No accountability’

Harry talks about going home for his grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021.

While Harry says that neither he nor the rest of the family wanted to talk about the situation around Harry and Meghan that day, he did discuss it with his father and brother. He said Prince William and King Charles were “focused on the same misinterpretation of the whole situation.”

“I’ve had to make peace with the fact that we’re probably never going to get genuine accountability or a genuine apology,” said Harry.

California is now ‘home’

Harry reminds viewers that Archie spent only the first five months of his life in the UK before the family relocated to California, and daughter Lilibet was born in the US.

“This is home to him, this is home to Lili, and this is our home,” said Harry, who added that life is very different for the family in the US. “I get to do things with our kids that I would never be able to do in the UK.”

Their virus symptoms were minor. Then they had long Covid. | CNN

CNN —

Linda Timmer wanted to practice what she preached.

While working at a domestic violence nonprofit in Arizona during the height of the Covid-19 summer wave in 2020, Timmer wrote pandemic policies for her workplace, encouraging her colleagues to wear masks and, if they had been exposed to the coronavirus or had symptoms, get tested.

Timmer herself was not aware of being exposed or having any Covid-19 symptoms, such as cough or fever, but she started experiencing some unusual moments when she felt fatigued or forgetful, along with several episodes of confusion.

“They weren’t really putting that in the list of symptoms to go get tested for,” said Timmer, now 64.

That August, “the brain confusion was so unusual for me that I just thought, ‘I’m telling everyone to wear masks and follow these policies; I better go get tested, too,’ ” Timmer said. She decided to get tested for Covid-19 at a drive-up site.

“I never expected to be positive,” she said, adding that she was “devastated,” because she did not want to miss work.

Not only did she test positive, that was just the beginning of a long battle.

Emerging research suggests that a small portion of people who now live with long Covid may have showed no Covid-19 symptoms at all when they were initially infected – or their symptoms were mild or unusual, similar to what Timmer had.

‘This was my most terrifying time in my life’

Within about two weeks, Timmer had recovered from acute Covid-19 infection. But as she returned to work, she still felt unusual, with problems like overheating, confusion, loss of taste, sound hallucinations and breathlessness.

“I realized the more I tried to walk or return to normal, my symptoms worsened severely, and I would end up in bed with pain and fatigue for weeks,” Timmer said.

“This was my most terrifying time in my life,” she said.

Linda Timmer, 64, with her son in Michigan. Courtesy Linda Timmer

Timmer retired early – before her illness, she had not made plans to retire – and moved to New Mexico in November 2020 to live with her sister while she sought treatment for her ongoing symptoms. In February 2021, she moved to Michigan to live with her son.

Some people with long Covid have said that they noticed their symptoms ease after they got vaccinated against Covid-19. Research also shows that vaccines not only reduce the risk of severe disease and hospitalization, they can lower the odds of long-term Covid-19 symptoms.

Timmer was originally diagnosed with Covid-19 before vaccines became available in the United States. Once they were authorized for her age group, she got vaccinated – and boosted. She felt good after the first vaccine dose, but her long Covid symptoms persisted.

Timmer still has “debilitating” symptoms from long Covid, and she is not alone.

One preprint paper, posted last year to the server MedRxiv, featured an analysis of more than 1,400 medical records in California for people who tested positive for Covid-19. It found that roughly 32% of those reporting long-haul symptoms more than 60 days following a Covid-19 diagnosis had no symptoms at the time of their initial Covid-19 test.

“I’ve seen similar stuff in clinic, as well. Patients coming in with either no symptoms or some very mild symptoms like sore throat, cough, maybe some sneezing, and a few weeks later, debilitating headaches, inability to get up in the morning or just unrelenting fatigue and weakness. And before we knew that long Covid was really a phenomenon, we didn’t know what to do,” said Dr. Ali Khan, who specializes in internal medicine at Oak Street Health in Chicago.

In some people, “we are seeing the coronavirus itself interact with almost every single part of the human body, which is just so atypical for most diseases, particularly most viruses. So we see that in some people – even in people whose initial infections were silent – it can work in the bloodstream to cause you to be more likely to get a blood clot,” he said. “For other people, that coronavirus is attacking the nerves, and it’s causing nerve pain; it’s causing headaches; it’s causing longstanding sciatica that many of my patients are dealing with.”

‘Even people who did not have COVID-19 symptoms … can have post-COVID conditions’

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes long Covid, or “post-Covid” conditions, as a wide range of new, returning or ongoing health problems four or more weeks after acute Covid-19 infection.

“Even people who did not have COVID-19 symptoms in the days or weeks after they were infected can have post-COVID conditions,” according to the CDC. “These conditions can present as different types and combinations of health problems for different lengths of time.”

The consensus in the medical field is that Covid-19 is an “acute illness” and long Covid is a “subacute chronic illness,” said Dr. Adupa Rao, a pulmonologist with the University of Southern California’s Keck Medicine who sees long Covid patients through Keck Medicine’s COVID Recovery Clinic.

“In the medical world, acute illnesses usually mean a week to two weeks of illness. Subacute means anywhere from two to four weeks and chronic means anything from four to six weeks on that is persistent,” Rao said. “So, the chronic long Covid symptoms are usually people that don’t return to their baseline or close to their baseline after the initial infection – and being able to diagnose long Covid is quite difficult.”

Estimates of long Covid’s incidence range from about 30% to more than half of people who have recovered from acute Covid-19 infection. Women and older adults appear to be more likely to have it than men and younger adults.

Even though the risk of long Covid-19 appears to increase with the severity of acute Covid-19 infection, almost a third of people who had mild symptoms when they were originally diagnosed may still have symptoms months later, according to some estimates.

“We do know that even a mild or relatively asymptomatic acute infection with Covid can eventually cause long Covid,” said Dr. Gerald Harmon, a family medicine specialist and president of the American Medical Association.

“Anywhere from 10% to 30% of patients can experience symptoms of Covid after apparently recovering, even if they weren’t sick in the first place,” he said. “And it’s a wide range of new, returning or ongoing health problems that we typically have put into three different categories.”

The first category, Harmon said, includes people who have direct cell damage that was caused by the coronavirus during the initial infection and takes a long time to recover from. Examples include acute kidney damage, acute lung damage, a big infection of pneumonia in the lung or a blood clot in the brain.

The second category describes people hospitalized with Covid-19 who may have long-term complications from being bed-bound for weeks, such as neurological damage, lung damage or muscle weakness.

Experts are “probably more concerned with” the third category, Harmon said. It includes anyone who recovered from an initial Covid-19 infection that wasn’t severe but then had symptoms.

“And they’re thinking, ‘My goodness, is this a recurrence of the Covid infection? Is it delayed? Is it a new something that’s masquerading as Covid? Or is it Covid masquerading as something more common, such as pneumonia?’ ” Harmon said.

One review paper analyzed 11 studies published between December 2019 and September 2021 on people with asymptomatic or mild forms of Covid-19. The analysis suggests that long Covid develops on average in about 30% to 60% of patients, with fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, or loss of taste and smell as the most common symptoms.

Many studies on long Covid tend to lump together people who initially had asymptomatic or mild infections, Dr. Linda Geng, co-director of Stanford Health Care’s Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome Clinic, wrote in an email.

For instance, one of that review paper’s findings was that presence of anosmia, or loss of smell, during an asymptomatic or mild course of the disease can be “predictive factors” for the development of long Covid. If there is anosmia, then someone is not completely asymptomatic, Geng wrote.

In other studies, “some of the patients who were labeled ‘asymptomatic’ may have had some symptoms that were not brought to medical attention or captured” in their electronic health records, Geng wrote.

“Some patients didn’t think they had COVID until getting tested and thought instead that it was just some allergies or something else. All that to say it can be hard to make clear conclusions from studies due to certain limitations and complexities. We need further study in this area,” she said. “Regardless, it is clear that you do NOT need to have severe acute COVID to develop Long COVID.”

‘She didn’t want to live in a wheelchair’

Los Angeles-based filmmaker Nick Guthe says his wife, screenwriter Heidi Ferrer, was among those who did not initially have a severe Covid-19 infection but still developed debilitating long Covid symptoms.

In April 2020, Ferrer showed signs of Covid toes – which involves discoloration and swelling – “and that concerned her because she had been reading about Covid, and she had some very mild GI symptoms that were a slightly upset stomach for a day or two. That made her think that she should get tested,” Guthe said. “So she didn’t have the serious pulmonary issues that some people have, where their breathing is really messed up.”

Guthe and Ferrer visited a drive-through Covid-19 testing site at the University of California, Los Angeles. They both had their cheeks swabbed and tested negative.

But within six weeks, Ferrer’s Covid toes had worsened, making it excruciating to walk. The woman who used to walk for 90 minutes a day could barely go 100 feet without stabbing nerve pain in her feet – similar to diabetic neuropathy.

On May 28, 2020, “I remember her birthday at my mom’s house very distinctly because she had to sit with her feet on a pillow and she couldn’t wear sneakers anymore. They were too painful. She had to basically wear them just to walk on pavement and then take them off whenever she got in the house, and she put her feet on pillows,” Guthe said. “It was her 49th birthday.”

As Ferrer’s symptoms progressed, Guthe said, she had severe gastrointestinal issues, exhaustion, a racing heartbeat from just getting out of bed, brain fog, changes in vision, intense tremors and internal vibrations, which led to weeks of insomnia.

“She had tremors in her upper torso and shoulders and upper extremities, but they weren’t in the legs yet, but that’s where she thought she was going to end up,” Guthe said. “And she didn’t want to live in a wheelchair.”

'There is a tsunami coming': Widower warns of Covid 'long haulers' plight 06:56 - Source: CNN

Even though Ferrer did not initially test positive for Covid-19, she had a cytokine panel done at a long Covid clinic in the San Francisco Bay area early last year to look for clues behind her symptoms, searching for inflammation and signs of long Covid.

When the results came back, Ferrer’s practitioner felt comfortable referring her to a long Covid clinic at Cedars-Sinai, Guthe said, but a mixup meant that referral letter arrived about 10 days later than intended.

It finally came on May 21, 2021 – a day before Ferrer took her life.

“I often wonder if it had arrived for her on the correct day – 10 days previous – would that have made a difference for her, because she would have felt some level of hope,” Guthe said. “But, I mean, hindsight is 20/20.”

Guthe hopes the medical community can learn from his wife’s story.

How to get help In the US, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also provide contact information for crisis centers around the world.

In the ER, on the day Ferrer died, Guthe said the doctor asked, ” ‘How long has your wife been depressed?’ And I said, ‘She wasn’t depressed. She was in excruciating pain from long Covid.’ And he said, ‘What’s long Covid?’ I said, ‘You’re kidding, right?’ And he said, ‘No, I don’t know what it is.’ ”

Guthe told the doctor to “just Google it.”

“May 22nd will be the anniversary of my wife’s suicide, and in some ways, it’s been extremely frustrating to see how little changed this year,” Guthe said. “The only thing that has changed is the public’s awareness of long Covid.”

Pulling back the curtain on long Covid

Although physicians know more about Covid-19 now than they did two years ago in the early days of the pandemic, the medical community still doesn’t “have all the answers” when it comes to the disease – and especially long Covid, said the American Medical Association’s Harmon.

The association held a special meeting of its House of Delegates in June at which delegates adopted a policy to show support for the development of specific medical codes for doctors to use when diagnosing and treating “post-acute sequelae of Covid-19,” or long Covid.

In October, a diagnostic code was announced to specifically document post-acute sequelae of Covid-19 rather than active infection.

Currently, there is no lab test that can definitively distinguish long Covid symptoms from other medical problems. But specific medical codes for long Covid can help health care providers when diagnosing and treating someone with a history of Covid-19 who has long Covid symptoms – or a completely different medical concern.

“It may have zero to do with your recent Covid infection or remote Covid infection,” Harmon said. “So if you’re having some symptom that you’re not sure about, talk to your doctor. You might simply have a different infection. You could have a pneumonia infection; you could be having had a tick bite and have a tickborne illness. You could have strep throat. You could have the flu.”

After all, “many things can masquerade as Covid, and unfortunately, post-Covid can masquerade as many things,” he said. “Right now, there’s no diagnostic tests per se – say, ‘let’s do a strep throat test; let’s do a flu test to see if you’ve got long Covid or not.’ There is no one test, so it becomes what we would call a diagnosis of exclusion.”

In other words, “you need to exclude other potential conditions that can cause those symptoms before attributing it directly to COVID,” Stanford Health Care’s Geng wrote in her email.

It is still “very difficult” for doctors to confirm when people who initially had asymptomatic or mild Covid-19 develop long Covid symptoms, Dr. Zijian Chen, medical director for Mount Sinai’s Center for Post-COVID Care, wrote in an email.

“We definitely have patients who have mild to no symptoms during a patient’s acute infection who then go on to develop long covid,” Chen said.

“The best we do is to evaluate the patient, and look for occult causes that are not covid. If we do not find another cause, and the covid infection happens relative to when the symptoms begin, we can say that it is likely the infection led to the patient developing symptoms,” Chen wrote, adding that “we do comprehensive evaluation to make sure there is not another cause.”

‘No one should be left behind’

Even though there is now a diagnostic code in the United States to help identify post-Covid symptoms, long Covid remains a mystery in medicine.

While spending time with her son in Michigan, Timmer often thinks about long Covid and how it manifests in her body. Sometimes, the exhaustion becomes overwhelming, her body aches, short-term memory loss makes conversations difficult, gastrointestinal issues are unrelenting, and there has been a constant, disruptive ringing in her ears.

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There is still much to learn about Covid-19, and Timmer wants members of the medical community to know that they can and should listen to those with long Covid when seeking answers.

During her journey with Covid-19, she has “constantly” felt the need to defend her symptoms, and it’s “exhausting.”

“Long-haul asymptomatic people are unique in their awareness that these long haul symptoms are not normal and the fact medical procedures and tests do not reveal any issues for people,” Timmer said. “I hope the medical research continues and every long-haul survivor has the help needed to move forward, such as more clinics specializing in long-haul, medical insurance and transportation. No one should be left behind in the research of all things related to Covid-19.”

Opinion: The culture wars have come to the classroom. Now what ...

Editor’s Note: This roundup is part of the CNN Opinion series “America’s Future Starts Now,” in which people share how they have been affected by the biggest issues facing the nation and experts offer their proposed solutions. The views expressed in these commentaries are the authors’ own. Read more opinion at CNN.

CNN —

There are many problems roiling America’s public schools, including culture wars that have found their way into the classroom, school libraries and school board meetings over the past several months. But some challenges are more endemic, the product of decades of low pay and lack of appreciation for the service that administrators and teachers perform. CNN Opinion gathered the views of nine experts in the field of education about the problems they feel should be most urgently addressed in the classroom – and what solutions might be viable in our tumultuous political times.

Shaun Harper: Conservatives reject any mention of race in the classroom. We must counter by teaching truth

Shaun Harper Bradford Rogne

Last year, Democratic Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe lost his reelection campaign, at least in part because his Republican opponent, Glenn Youngkin, repeatedly declared that McAuliffe’s reelection would lead to the widespread teaching of critical race theory in schools across the Commonwealth. Simply put, attacking critical race theory helped the now-governor of Virginia secure his win.

Critical race theory is a set of concepts seeking to explain the structural underpinnings of inequality and racism in the United States. But the term has been attacked by its critics as unfairly pinning blame on White Americans for some of society’s most pernicious ills.

Classroom discussions about race, and what I like to call “truth teaching,” haven’t been as much of a talking point as they were a year ago, and critical race theory isn’t being debated as much in this year’s midterm campaigns. It doesn’t have to be. For the most part, conservatives have already succeeded in banishing talk about racism from the classroom.

After a campaign of intentional misinformation and fear mongering, critical race theory quickly became one of our nation’s most contested and misunderstood education issues. Conservative strategists successfully convinced millions of Americans, including concerned parents of school-aged children, that it was being taught in K-12 districts across the country. No evidence exists to confirm that this was actually the case.

As of last month, elected officials in 42 states have introduced legislation that broadly aims to ban the teaching of racial and social justice topics in public schools, according to data compiled by Education Week. Similar bills have passed in 17 of those states. Many more school boards have enacted local bans. In addition, books about race have been banned in numerous districts.

The campaign to eliminate critical race theory succeeded mostly because White parents and state lawmakers were led to believe that White school children were being made to feel badly about being White. Where’s the proof that teachers, nearly 80% of whom are White, were doing this? They weren’t, certainly not in any widespread fashion.

With no credible evidence of an actual problem and no opportunity to vote on the issue, citizens who recognize the value of teaching our children the truth about America’s racial past and present won’t have a voice in the upcoming election.

There’s at least one state where voters will decide this fall what gets taught in the classroom. West Virginians will consider a ballot question known as the Education Accountability Amendment, which if passed, would amend the state constitution to give the majority-Republican legislature more control over just about every aspect of public schooling.

Until bans on truth teaching are lifted, our democracy will become increasingly susceptible to the exacerbation of the racial tensions, inequities, injustices and violent acts of racism that have always kept America from reaching its full potential. Educators, meanwhile, will have unchecked authority to lie to school children about race. One recent example of this is educators’ failed attempt to change slavery to “involuntary relocation” in Texas schools.

Those who truly care about the advancement of our democracy must insist that its full truth be taught. Unfortunately, we may have to wait a while before that discussion resumes in our public schools.

Shaun Harper is a professor at the Rossier School of Education and the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. His research focuses primarily on race, gender and equity in the classroom and in the workplace. He tweets @DrShaunHarper.

Valerie Wolfson: Teachers deserve trust and respect

Valerie Wolfson Courtesy Valerie Wolfson

I’m a middle school social studies teacher in New Hampshire and an avid supporter of public education. Having taught for over 20 years, my greatest joy is participating in a democratic institution that is for everyone.

I stand for all my students by committing myself to perpetual learning and growth. I continue to update instructional strategies, let go of old projects that no longer serve my current students and adapt my curriculum and language to ensure my approaches are culturally sensitive.

I teach well-rounded history to the best of my ability as I continually strive to keep my background knowledge robust. I am here to hold space for all my students regardless of their identity, political positions or other affiliations. To do this, I must rigorously and regularly examine my biases, consider what and whom I am centering and why.

That’s why it was so disheartening to see laws like House Bill 2 (sometimes referred to as the “divisive concepts” law) pass in New Hampshire. The disrespect and lack of trust it communicates to the hundreds of honorable educators I know and work with cannot be overstated.

The measure, formally known as the Right to Freedom from Discrimination in Public Workplaces and Education bill, was written with the mistaken idea that discrimination is somehow endorsed or practiced in public spaces and classrooms.

The new law bars educators from teaching that any particular group is inherently racist, sexist or otherwise oppressive. It purports to promote teaching about people without regards to their race, gender, disability or other differences. But the language is so vague that it discourages teachers from having classroom conversations about race, racism and discrimination.

Legislation like HB2 and similar laws in other states are obstacles to growth, student well-being and compassionate practices. HB2 prohibits schools in New Hampshire from creating mandatory equity training for faculty because someone might “feel bad.”

Because I teach social studies, I’ve developed a healthy resilience around complex conversations and divergent opinions. My entire career has been centered around navigating one tricky topic or another. I’ve mediated dialogues around presidential elections, the events of September 11, different wars and conflicts, and facilitated a variety of debates.

Through it all, I’ve dedicated myself to building a foundation of trust, joy, understanding, respectful discourse, care and acceptance in my classroom. Some of us are finding that harder to achieve under the new legislation. For example, a colleague who teaches in a nearby school district was told that if she openly said slavery was a “bad practice,” she must make it clear to her students that she is expressing an “opinion.” It’s an experience other teachers in my state have spoken about as well.

At what point did we decide it’s divisive to take a stance on cruel and dehumanizing activities? Who are we harming by taking a hardline on the concept of slavery? Our silence is an endorsement. That is our ethical crisis. That is what fear-mongering yields.

Teachers deserve better: Shame and blame have been imposed upon a profession that is filled with loving, kind, compassionate and principled people. Choosing a career in education is almost always driven by a heart-centered desire to make a positive difference. I have never encountered a teacher in four districts, two states and 22 years who displayed devious political intentions.

The conflation of equity and inclusion work with “critical race theory” has led to wildly inaccurate and unfounded accusations. This “threat” has taken seed in the imaginations of some legislators and families.

Future voters must understand that disagreement is normal and healthy. Changing your mind in light of new evidence is logical and admirable. Nothing could be more American, patriotic or democratic than striving for a more just society.

Feeling discomfort and dissonance often accompanies growth and learning; this is something I strive to normalize for my students. Teachers teach critical thinking and analysis by asking students to wrestle with challenging ideas and evidence. At some point, we have confused feeling uneasy with a lack of safety. There is a crucial difference.

Poorly constructed laws were drafted to stop good, productive work under the guise of being “anti-critical race theory” and have resulted in the oppression of free thought, critical thinking and children. I know we can do better.

My message to lawmakers? Trust teachers. Asking them to be thoughtful, sensitive and inclusive is always reasonable. You’ll find that’s what they generally already are.

Valerie Wolfson, a middle school social studies teacher, was named the 2020 New Hampshire Social Studies Teacher of the year.

Neal McCluskey: American schools have a diversity problem

Neal McCluskey Neal McCluskey

Public schooling struggles with diversity. From early battles over the Bible to current fights over race, gender identity, prayer and more, public schooling – in which all must fund a single system of government schools – inevitably pits people with diverse values, needs and backgrounds against each other.

But why are conflicts burning especially hot now?

Covid-19 set the conditions, creating clashes over in-person instruction and masking that many saw as having literally life-and-death stakes.

The murder of George Floyd added fuel, prompting many public school officials to target systemic racism – discrimination built into American institutions – and conservatives to demand colorblindness and an emphasis on America’s basic goodness. Graphic novels, such as “Gender Queer,” with graphic depictions of sexual activity, and other books on hot-button topics sparked dueling accusations of “hate” and “indoctrination.”

This all happened amid rapid demographic and social change.

In 2000, the US population was 71% non-Hispanic white. By 2020, that was down to about 58%. Gay marriage support skyrocketed from 27% of Americans in 1996 to 77% in 2021, while the share of people belonging to a church, synagogue or mosque plummeted from 70% in 1999 to 47% in 2020.

What can deescalate education politics?

Not “parents’ rights,” a term that can encompass useful things like requirements that districts share curriculum information, but sometimes seems invoked so that just one group of parents will get what it wants.

Giving parents more say does nothing to change a system that forces diverse people, including parents, to fund – and fight to control – government-run schools.

Freedom is the answer: Attach money to students – as many other countries do – and let families choose among diverse options. This can be accomplished through universal education savings accounts, such as Arizona recently enacted, scholarship tax credits and other choice vehicles.

Regardless of how it is done, the goal of choice is to enable diverse families to access education they think is right rather than forcing neighbor to defeat neighbor to control public schools.

Neal McCluskey directs the Center for Educational Freedom at the Cato Institute and is the author of “The Fractured Schoolhouse: Reimagining Education for a Free, Equal, and Harmonious Society.”

Denise Forte and Randi Weingarten: How we can recover ground lost to Covid-19 closures

Denise Forte Courtesy Denise Forte

Randi Weingarten AFT

American students’ steady progress in reading and math has become the latest casualty of the Covid-19 era.

In the first results since the pandemic began, the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed steep declines in the math and reading scores of fourth- and eighth-grade students. It’s not hard to see why. The pandemic has disrupted three years of students’ lives.

More than 200,000 children in the United States are grieving the loss of at least one parent to Covid-19. The economic fallout of the pandemic exacerbated food and housing insecurity. People were, and still are, stressed and scared. And remote learning has always been an inadequate substitute for in-person instruction, although NAEP results show comparable drops in student performance in school systems that were quicker to reopen.

Some critics see this as a chance to point fingers and to use kids as political pawns. We see it as an urgent call to institute short-term and long-term investments and proven strategies to support students’ emotional development and to accelerate learning, especially for Black and Latino students and students from disadvantaged backgrounds, who were underserved and behind their peers prior to the pandemic.

What we must not allow is for students and educators to be dragged into bad-faith battles over bathroom access and participation on sports teams as an unwelcome distraction from ensuring that every student receives a great education and the supports needed to thrive academically and socially.

The good news is that we know what works from research and experience, and there is historic federal funding to accelerate learning and to start to remedy long-standing inequities. Resources from the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund can be directed so students have better access to experienced, diverse and certified teachers, high-quality summer and after-school programs, engaging and relevant curriculums and mental health supports.

Both our organizations are engaged in longer-term strategies to address the needs of kids, families and communities, but there are interventions that can help students right now.

In the short term, targeted, intensive tutoring has large positive effects on both math and reading achievement. Teachers tend to be the most consistently effective tutors; however, recent studies have found that paraprofessionals (teaching assistants), AmeriCorps volunteers and others who are trained to support student learning can be just as effective when tutoring one-on-one or in small groups.

Many states are using state and federal funds to invest in strategies to increase the diversity of the workforce. Access to a racially and culturally diverse teacher workforce is beneficial for all pre-K-12 students, particularly for students of color, who often thrive in classrooms led by teachers who share their racial and cultural background.

The pandemic’s impact on children cannot be measured by assessments alone. But we hope that the alarm over the steep drop in NAEP scores creates urgency to address the conditions that contributed to the decline, many of which far predate the pandemic.

Educators didn’t need to see declines in test scores to know what to do right now: focus like a laser on helping our kids recover and thrive.

Safety was required to return to in-person teaching and learning. Now is the time to double down on proven strategies, using the resources we are fortunate to have, to deliver on a promise the US has not yet fulfilled—providing every child access to a high quality public education, without exception.

Denise Forte is the CEO at The Education Trust. Randi Weingarten is president of the American Federation of Teachers.

Jay Richards: The battle over parents’ rights in education is just getting started

Jay Richards The Heritage Foundation

It should come as no surprise that parents have been fighting for their rights so vociferously when it comes to public education. They’re fighting because they sense that those rights are under attack.

It started with the lockdowns in 2020. For the first time, many parents suddenly saw, courtesy of online conferencing apps like Zoom, what their kids were being taught. And they didn’t like it: Toxic and divisive ideas about race – disguised as lessons on slavery and racism – contradicted the belief in racial equality that most Americans – whatever their politics – shared with civil rights leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

But critical race theory is far less shocking than the radical gender ideology that seems to have overtaken our nation’s schools. It teaches children that “some people are boys, some people are girls, some people are both, neither, or somewhere in between”’ – as one popular children’s book puts it.

Schools are promoting the notion that some kids – perhaps many kids if recent trends continue – are born in the wrong body. Suddenly, from Florida to Texas to Wyoming, parents are discovering that schools are teaching, seemingly across the curriculum, that an internal sense of gender trumps biological sex. Worse, some schools are changing, at their students’ request – but without their parents’ knowledge or consent – their students’ names and pronouns to conform to a child’s surprising new “gender identity.”

When parents come to school board meetings to complain, far too many are met with silence or risible accusations that they are politicizing education. Parents have the primary right and responsibility to raise and teach their children.

Many parents delegate part of the teaching task to schools, in an act of trust. Rather than acting as faithful stewards of that trust, too many schools have decided that it’s their job to alienate kids from “regressive” views of their parents.

Is it any wonder that this has proved controversial?

We could dissipate some of the heat by increasing the rights of parents over their children’s schooling. States should connect school money to children, rather than to school buildings. Universal school choice for everyone – rich and poor, conservative and liberal – would not just make schools better and more competitive. It would make them less of an arena for the culture war that is otherwise roiling our culture.

Jay Richards is the William E. Simon Senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, where he is also director of the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Life, Religion, and Family.

Akilah Alleyne: The education investments we need to make

Akilah Alleyne Akilah Alleyne

Book bans and censorship debates have always existed, but America’s children are facing an unprecedented moment in history. Today, school resources are stretched thin, schools are facing teacher and staff shortages and districts are still grappling with the long-term effects of the pandemic on student learning, as individuals’ rights to quality education are under increasing threat.

Important investments toward providing more supports for teachers, classroom aid and salary increases – such as by passing the RAISE Act – are needed now more than ever. That measure would provide teachers tax credits totaling as much as $15,000 each year.

Rather than addressing the real challenges facing teachers, many MAGA extremists have taken aim at books, racial and gender inclusion and more. Defunding the Department of Education, an ongoing federal level tactic among other changes in public school funding, should not be a topic of debate. However, it has also been central to MAGA Republicans’ federal policy agenda and could have devastating consequences for students nationwide.

While parents are working with teachers and librarians to ensure that every child is acknowledged in school curricula and has a chance to thrive in school, regardless of who they are or where they live, far-right MAGA extremists are increasingly running for vacant school board seats or for reelection to gain control and power over decision-making at all levels of government.

Students and teachers want safer schools that reflect the diversity of their families and teach truthful history. They can be best supported through policy making that increases equity and understanding in our school systems by supporting their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights, not denying them.

Akilah Alleyne is the director for K-12 Education at the Center for American Progress, a think tank in Washington, DC.

Ross Wiener: Restoring trust in public schools should be a national priority

Ross Wiener Courtesy Ross Wiener

Public schools educate approximately 90% of young Americans. The society we are, and the one we will become, is profoundly shaped by public education.

It has made America more inclusive, improving outcomes across lines of race, gender and ability status. The result has been overwhelming bipartisan support for public schools over generations.

But the evidence of a crisis in our public schools is overwhelming: Hundreds of thousands of students have disappeared from school rolls, derailing their futures and foreshadowing budget woes when emergency Covid-19 relief funds expire. The Nation’s Report Card reported historic declines in reading and math scores, not surprising given pandemic disruptions.

What’s more, educator morale is low, exacerbating staff shortages. Classrooms are targets in the culture wars, leading to book bans and speech codes that never end well. Young people report epidemic levels of anxiety and depression.

The pandemic and broader turmoil afflicting the nation have left public education in peril. Every one of us has a stake in reversing this decline because, whether we’re talking about growing the economy or strengthening democracy, every path to redeeming the promise of America runs through public schools. Addressing lost learning is important, and so is addressing the lack of trust in public education.

Public education has played an enormous societal role: In the 19th century, common schools forged shared identity when government of the people, by the people, for the people was a novel idea. In the 20th century, universal high school fueled the growth of the middle class.

Over the last several decades, the broad vision that propelled America’s public schools has dwindled into a narrow, technocratic policy frame.

“A Nation at Risk,” a major report on education released by the Reagan administration in 1983, used fear-based arguments to argue that reading and math test scores were essential for national security. This logic eventually transformed test scores from one critical indicator (which they are) to the very purpose of public schools (which they are not).

Early accountability reforms led to gains among low-income students and students of color, but progress plateaued a decade ago. Test-and-accountability reforms over-promised and under-delivered and no longer command broad bipartisan support.

Renewing the promise of public education starts by rebuilding trust. Local education leaders were left holding the bag on school closings that should have been shared with health officials and political leaders.

Schools were expected to arrange meals, computers and broadband access – burdens they often shouldered alone. This was thrust on school systems where teachers already felt beleaguered and disrespected; in truth, our schools have operated in a low-trust environment for years. This led to schools being closed for far too long with continuing consequences, not only in diminished learning but also in diminished public support.

We must recommit to the mission of public education.

The Aspen Institute recently convened a bipartisan group of state policymakers to ask: What do we want to be true about the opportunities our public schools offer? After reflecting on values and reviewing research, these policymakers authored “Opportunity to Learn, Responsibility to Lead.” The principles they developed refocus attention on the core purposes of education in a diverse democracy and market-driven economy. It presents an evidence-informed vision for schools as engines of opportunity, which could galvanize the political middle to coalesce around a more positive approach.

State leaders should call for a public conversation about the future of their state and the role of public education in realizing that future. Unspent federal Covid-19 relief can be a perfect catalyst for this work. Grants to community-based organizations and PTAs, after-school providers, 4-H Clubs and faith-based youth groups can support stakeholders in articulating what they want to be true about their public schools and identifying opportunities in their communities. Universities, chambers of commerce and other civic organizations can use their own resources to sponsor similar inquiries.

Experience demonstrates there is much common ground to be found in efforts to strengthen public schools. Channeling Americans’ shared commitment to opportunity is the ideal antidote to the cynicism and division currently plaguing the policy and politics of public education.

Ross Wiener is executive director of the Education & Society Program at the Aspen Institute and the author of “We Are What We Teach.”

Elisa Villanueva Beard: We can fix America’s teacher shortage

Elisa Villanueva Beard Teach for America

Teacher shortages are not new, especially in schools serving predominantly students from low-income backgrounds, who are disproportionately young people of color. Yet cracks in the system before the pandemic have become gaping crevasses: In February 2022, there were nearly 600,000 fewer educators in public schools than there were in January 2020, and National Center for Education data showed less than half of schools serving majority Black and brown students were fully staffed.

The organization I lead, Teach For America, has 33 years of experience attracting talented individuals early in their careers to teach in rural and urban classrooms. Our research into the priorities of current college students finds that they want to have an impact on what matters most in the world, and the issue of quality education for all children is in their top five.

However, they also want to preserve their mental health and have financial stability, and the teaching profession’s low pay and structures that challenge work-life balance are deterrents – especially when the average student-loan debt is nearly $30,000 and many other professions offer flexible schedules and remote work options. This disconnect affects the profession at large, which has been struggling for years. Between 2008 and 2019, the number of graduates from traditional teacher education programs fell by more than a third.

We can tackle these issues in a number of ways: by increasing teacher pay; creating financial incentives for effective educators to teach in schools serving low-income communities; expanding student loan forgiveness for teachers, especially in hard-to-staff schools and subjects; ensuring teachers’ have sufficient resources and planning time, proper administrative help and the support of counselors and nurses; and fostering educator wellbeing by offering mental health supports and addressing sources of occupation-related stress.

These policies and practices will make teaching more desirable and accessible and will work to increase the racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the teaching workforce, a move that research shows has a positive impact for students.

As essential as these efforts are, they are not sufficient to address teacher shortages in the long term. Our country must think boldly at this moment about another problem that needs solving: What if the real issue is not that young adults don’t want to teach, but that the purpose of education has changed drastically and our education system has not kept up? What if we’ve reached the limits of this outmoded system and the conventional role of the teacher?

It’s time to expand the traditional definition of learning to include all the skills and mindsets that students want and need to thrive in our 21st century world and careers of the future: qualities like developing empathy, sustaining mental health and wellbeing, building relationships and applying learning to solve real-world problems.

Redefining learning opens the door to a more diverse set of adult leaders to work alongside educators and students: professionals in various fields who can support the development of students’ workplace skills; college students who can support digital literacy and serve as tutors and mentors; and any number of community leaders who can support students’ sense of belonging.

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For example, technology could allow expert educators to teach multiple classes virtually while a colleague who is expert in creating productive learning spaces – where every student is valued and feels they belong – focuses there. Many teachers excel at both roles – we just don’t have enough of them to staff every classroom in our country. This shift is not only about making teachers’ jobs more sustainable, but also about positioning teachers to further develop their areas of greatest expertise.

Fundamental changes of this magnitude don’t happen quickly. But, for too long, we’ve expected teachers to carry the weight of an outmoded education system. We can’t just replenish this system. We must redefine what and how students learn and reimagine the role of the teacher to inspire a new generation of purpose-driven young people to get involved and reinvent the system for a stronger, more equitable future.

Elisa Villanueva Beard is the CEO of Teach For America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving educational access, opportunity and outcomes for young people in low-income communities. She tweets @VillanuevaBeard.

Gingrich: GOP really doesn't want to repeal Obamacare

Jayne O'Donnell

USA TODAY

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich doesn't think Obamacare should be repealed, and congressional Republicans who say they want to repeal it really don't want to either, he told a Washington, D.C. health conference Wednesday.

Instead, he thinks more minor parts of the law that aren't working will be addressed because the core parts of the law have broader support than is often acknowledged.

House and Senate GOP leaders will soon start getting things done on a bi-partisan basis, Gingrich predicted, and he said they have been hampered by a far less cordial dynamic with the White House than when he led the House.

"Congress will get a lot done on a bi-partisan basis but that's a very different question than how you work with the president'," said Gingrich, who served in the House for 20 years until he resigned under an ethics cloud in 1999. "You cannot compare my relationship with Bill Clinton with Boehner's relationship with Obama."

During his bid for the Republican nomination for President in 2012. Gingrich said he had helped save Medicare from bankruptcy with the budget measure known as the "sustainable growth rate" formula. This reduced payments to physicians to balance the budget. Gingrich's boast was premature because Congress has passed legislation for 17 years known as the "doc fix" that overrides the SGR cuts.

"You can't cut reimbursements if you don't find a way to cut costs," he said.

Congress, under pressure from physician groups, appears poised to pass the first permanent "doc fix" as part of a broader Medicare overhaul. Thursday, the House passed the legislation overwhelmingly and it now must be voted on by the Senate. The bill moves Medicare more towards paying for quality over quantity when it comes to medical treatment and continues funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Gingrich, who runs a consulting firm with 10 employees and writes books, has favored alternatives to Medicaid financing over the years, especially block grants to states to control costs. He has represented health care clients but insists he's never acted as a lobbyist.

He told the 2015 World Health Care Congress that existing problems with Medicaid, namely its high cost and challenges some patients have finding doctors, could be better addressed by states. His preference would be to "voucherize it," giving money to the poor to buy their own healthcare, which he says would be cheaper over time.

"Having insurance with no doctor may not be any better than having a doctor with no insurance," he said. "If you know you don't have a solution, it's better having 50 states working on it."

Liz Cheney is already looking beyond 2022 | CNN Politics

CNN —

Liz Cheney didn’t come right out and say she expects to lose her primary next month. But in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” on Sunday, it was pretty easy to read between the lines of the Wyoming Republican’s answers.

“I am working hard here in Wyoming to earn every vote,” Cheney said at one point. “But I will also say this. I’m not going to lie. I’m not going to say things that aren’t true about the election. My opponents are doing that, certainly simply for the purpose of getting elected.

“If I have to choose between maintaining a seat in the House of Representatives or protecting the constitutional republic and ensuring the American people know the truth about Donald Trump, I’m going to choose the Constitution and the truth every single day,” she said at another.

Asked by Tapper whether her service as vice chair of the House select committee investigating January 6 will have been worth it even if she loses next month, Cheney responded that it was “the single most important thing I have ever done professionally.”

If it sounds to you like Cheney is framing her August 16 primary for Wyoming’s at-large House seat as a sort of fait accompli, and as not the end of the story but as a part of a broader narrative, well, then, you are right.

The simple fact is that Cheney is very unlikely to beat Harriet Hageman in next month’s primary. Hageman has the support of former President Donald Trump, as well as a number of top Republicans including, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

While Cheney has tried to recruit Democrats to cross party lines and support her – and some undoubtedly will – it’s hard to see that making a real difference in the outcome of the race in such an overwhelmingly Republican state.

Simply put: Cheney looks likely to lose – and she knows it.

What she also knows is that, at least in her mind, this isn’t the end of her political career.

Here’s how Cheney answered a question from Tapper on whether she is interested in running for president in 2024:

“I haven’t really – at this point, I have not made a decision about 2024. …

“… But I do think, as we look towards the next presidential election, as I said, I believe that our nation stands on the edge of an abyss. And I do believe that we all have to really think very seriously about the dangers we face and the threats we face. And we have to elect serious candidates.”

Which tells you everything you need to know about Cheney and 2024. She isn’t an announced candidate. But when you hear a politician talking about the country “standing on the edge of an abyss” and the need to elect “serious candidates,” well, it doesn’t take an astrophysicist to figure out what’s going on there.

The real question seems to be then not whether Cheney runs – she sounded to all the world like that decision is mostly made – but rather whether she would have any sort of impact on the 2024 race.

If Cheney runs as a Republican, it will, undoubtedly, be a very tough road for her.

Trump is the clear frontrunner in all polling conducted on the Republican presidential primary and seems very likely to run. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is widely seen as the only serious alternative to Trump at the moment – and he has positioned himself as a representative of Trumpism without Trump.

There is no potential candidate garnering any serious support in hypothetical 2024 primary polls who is running expressly against Trump and his four years in office. The Republicans, aside from Cheney, who are signaling an interest in running that sort of campaign – Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan being perhaps the most prominent – barely register in polls.

Could Cheney somehow coalesce the anti-Trump vote within the Republican Party? Sure. But even if she was to do so, there’s scant evidence that bloc of voters comprise anything close to a majority of likely Republican primary voters.

The other – and perhaps more plausible – path for Cheney is to run as an independent in 2024. Assuming Trump is the Republican nominee, such a candidacy could skim off enough votes to potentially hamstring the former President’s chances of winning. (Presumably Cheney, who is conservative on most issues, would appeal more to Republicans than Democrats.)

Even under that scenario, however, Cheney would function as a spoiler – trying to keep Trump from the White House – rather than as a viable candidate to be president. Which, given what she told Tapper Sunday, might be enough for her.

“I’m fighting hard, no matter what happens on August 16, I’m going to wake up on August 17 and continue to fight hard to ensure Donald Trump is never anywhere close to the Oval Office ever again,” said Cheney.

Opinion: Who is at fault for America's soaring gun violence? Experts ...

Editor’s Note: This roundup is part of the CNN Opinion series “America’s Future Starts Now,” in which people share how they have been affected by the biggest issues facing the nation and experts offer their proposed solutions. The views expressed in these commentaries are the authors’ own. Read more opinion at CNN.

CNN —

Concerns about violent crime and guns remain top of mind for American voters, polls show time and again. These issues certainly stick with Kathy Pisabaj, of Chicago, who was 19 in 2018 when she was shot by a stranger and nearly died.

“We believed that if we stayed away from gangs, we would not get hurt,” she wrote. “Gun violence continues to tear apart communities and devastate lives like mine every single day.”

We asked experts working in various fields what they think needs to be done – what can reasonably be done – so that all of us can feel a bit safer.

Ricky Aiken: ‘Real change happens when the people who need it, lead it’

Ricky Aiken Inner City Innovators

I grew up in the Tamarind Avenue corridor of West Palm Beach, which is notorious for poverty, drug abuse and violent crime. It’s just a few miles from what was the “Winter White House,” or Mar-a-Lago.

Summer is typically a deadly time of year for communities like ours. Young people are out of school with nothing to do and have easy access to firearms. And when gun violence happens in our communities, it’s not outsiders tearing up our communities. It’s insiders.

In 2015, the rate of violent crime in West Palm Beach was the same as Chicago. That summer, my cousin and I were lamenting the fact that every time we turned on the news, someone we knew had been shot or someone we knew was the suspect in a shooting. We decided to try to do something about it.

I was 26 and working the graveyard shift at an emergency shelter for displaced youth. My cousin, then 28, was a maintenance worker at a local nonprofit. Together, we went on to create Inner City Innovators, a nonprofit with three initiatives.

One of them is our Hope Dealer mentoring program, which combines individual and peer-to-peer mentoring, leadership development, community service and social-emotional learning. We prioritize giving youth (13+) someone to talk to.

Our anti-violence workshops go into schools, community centers, anywhere with kids. We talk about how to reduce their chances of being victimized by gun violence.

And then through community engagement activities we walk the streets to let the community know we’re here. We respond to shootings when youth are involved, hoping to connect with families to support them and reduce retaliation.

We also do court advocacy. A lot of young men get gun charges early on, at 15 or 16. Once they’re in that kind of trouble, no traditional mentoring program accepts them. We build partnerships with public defenders and judges working with juveniles to give these young men a second chance.

Any young man in our program gets help with job placement and therapy. If he is having trouble keeping food in the house, we fill up his refrigerator.

Our goal is simple: to keep every young man in our program free and alive through age 25. Most offending starts around 13, and 25 is when they say the brain is finished developing. We want to capture and stabilize them when this demographic is known to struggle the most.

We don’t want to just keep them alive physically. We want to keep them alive spiritually and emotionally as well. We introduce them to yoga, mindfulness, out-of-the-hood experiences. When you’re born and raised in a community of constant disadvantage, you think everywhere is like that. We want to inspire them to do more.

Lack of education, poverty of community, brokenness of home – those aren’t sources of shame. Those are sources of power. I want them to use these things to make better decisions in their lives.

We give them space to be involved and space to lead. When you challenge a young person who’s been through hard times, they want to stand up and show you they’re capable.

We’ve built a culture that accepts goodness, and we’re expanding. We have a playbook we want to send to other places.

We can’t stop all shootings. But of the young men who’ve been involved in our Hope Dealer mentoring program and have firearm charges, most stay on the path we put them on and leave activities that require picking up firearms behind them.

Ricky Aiken is the founder and executive director of Inner City Innovators, a nonprofit based in West Palm Beach, Florida, that combats crime rates and gun violence by empowering and inspiring inner-city youth through mentoring programs, anti-violence workshops and community engagement. This piece was adapted from an interview with CNN’s Jessica Ravitz Cherof.

Charlie Dent: Stopping lawlessness takes political will

Charlie Dent CNN

Earlier this year, I wrote about the alarming incidents of violent crime in Philadelphia. I recounted the city’s record-breaking homicide rate and shared how crime affected my two children.

A college classmate of my son’s was murdered during an attempted carjacking. My daughter, a physician in residency, was assaulted. In the eight months since I wrote that piece, circumstances haven’t changed.

My son’s friends, living in his former apartment, were robbed at gunpoint during a home invasion. My daughter scolded me recently for wearing an Apple Watch while walking two blocks to dinner because she feared I would be mugged.

America has a crime problem, and it weighs heavily on the minds of people who live in those high crime jurisdictions and those who care for them. Even if crime polls lower than issues like inflation or abortion among voters’ concerns, no one should underestimate the potency of crime as a political issue.

While most crime is prosecuted at the state and local levels, the political implications at the federal level are palpable. Republican congressional candidates are deploying the crime issue effectively against Democrats because it resonates with base and swing voters. As a matter of damage control, House Democrats recently passed a package of four police funding bills in an attempt to shore up support among voters who believe them to be too soft on crime or in support of defunding the police.

While these funding bills no doubt will be welcomed, they do not address the underlying issues driving up crime rates. It feels like police have been placed on the back foot. The era of proactive policing has come to an end, and violent crime has soared. A new wave of progressive district attorneys bent on criminal justice reform, in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, have run into the hard wall of angry residents demanding public safety.

At this point, the most important thing that can be done to address the crime problem is for local district attorneys, mayors and council members to demonstrate publicly their support for law enforcement officers and allow them to do what needs to be done, with reasonable oversight and accountability, to restore order. Morale is low in too many police departments and district attorney offices throughout the country, leading to dangerously high turnover rates while leaving behind understaffed and less experienced police officers and prosecutors.

Finally, Republicans need to move more on gun safety. I give credit to Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas and Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut for their leadership on gun safety with the recent enactment of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. But more needs to be done. Universal firearm background checks, red flag laws, bump stock bans and raising the age for most long-gun purchases to 21 will not infringe on the rights of law-abiding gun owners.

It’s long past time to address the blatant lawlessness in communities across the country. There is no reason we can’t do it. It just takes political will.

Charlie Dent is a former Republican congressman from Pennsylvania who served as chair of the House Ethics Committee and chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies. He is a CNN political commentator.

Aditi Bussells: Don’t underestimate the ‘magic of local government’

Aditi Bussells courtesy Aditi Bussells

We’re all tired of the state of politics in our country today. Tired of the tweets, the bickering and the polarization. And so, when people ask why I decided to run for city council as a public health researcher, I remind folks that the local level is where we can really make change and impact our community.

Like many other parts of the country, Columbia, South Carolina, has seen an uptick in gun violence over the last several years.

With our hands tied by preemption laws, which allow state laws to preempt what local governments can do, and the challenges of South Carolina’s deep red political climate, we’ve had to get creative and develop relationships across the spectrum of viewpoints around gun violence to be successful.

We started with Columbia’s “Lock it Up Campaign,” to increase safe firearm storage. We partnered with our police department and local community groups to launch a robust gun safety campaign. We handed out informational materials and gun locks to help address unintentional injuries and deaths caused by firearms. The National Crime Prevention Council reports that 89% of unintentional shooting deaths of children happen in the home, when children play with loaded guns.

The campaign was so successful, we ran out of gun locks within an hour. Our state gun armory took notice and donated another 150 locks and helped us spread the word. This campaign wasn’t going to solve the entire problem of gun violence, but it made the statement that our city will do its part. And that mattered to our citizens.

Next, I led efforts to pass the first law in South Carolina to require citizens in the city to report a lost or stolen gun within 24 hours of knowing the gun is gone, given that South Carolina is third in the country for guns stolen out of vehicles.

I engaged some of our most conservative legislators in the state house, submitted the ordinance to the state attorney general’s office in its draft stage and even talked to the NRA. This approach was a first for our city. We ended up with a law that had unanimous support and, most importantly, a law that can play a role in preventing future gun violence and keep our city safe.

This is the magic of local government. We can build momentum for change quickly and effectively. We can bring people together to have conversations about our communities. We can offer hope to our neighbors who seek a safer world, free of violence.

Aditi Bussells, who holds a PhD in public health, is the city councilwoman at-large in Columbia, South Carolina. She is the first South Asian woman to be elected to local government in the history of South Carolina.

Quinton Lucas: ‘Gun reform cannot solve our violence problem alone’

Mayor Quinton Lucas City of Kansas City

Two years ago, Kansas City lost 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while sleeping, after a shooter opened fire on his father’s home. LeGend should still be alive, and so should the thousands of other children, particularly Black and brown youth, taken too soon by gun violence in our country.

Today, the leading cause of death of young people in America is gun violence – not cancer, not car accidents, but preventable gun tragedies.

Mayors across the country are dealing with the flood of illegal guns on our streets and lax gun regulations more than ever before. This year’s midterm election will be critical for electing those who champion common-sense gun reforms to avoid the slaughter of our babies in their school classrooms.

But gun reform cannot solve our violence problem alone. Good investment in housing and social services is essential to public safety. When people are housed and their needs are met, there’s less crime. These investments need to be embedded in candidate conversations about public safety.

In Kansas City, we continue to make historic progress in housing access. Funding from the new Kansas City Housing Trust Fund will create nearly 500 affordable housing units and a bond measure to go before voters next month, should it pass, will generate thousands of more affordable housing units. We’ve also launched Zero KC, a plan to end homelessness in our city in five years.

We’ve fought back against gun violence through municipal ordinances when our state refuses to act, making it a locally enforceable violation for domestic violence offenders and minors to carry firearms. We’ve expanded violence prevention outreach, intervening with those who may be at risk for engaging in gun violence and retaliation.

In 2020, my administration sued Jimenez Arms, a gun manufacturer that provided guns to felons, allowing illegal guns to flood our streets and causing significant harm to our community. But the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted a deficient investigation before granting a new license to the operators of Jimenez Arms. Because of ATF’s refusal to act, we sued the agency, too, and eventually shut down Jimenez Arms, keeping their weapons of war off our streets.

While we make progress, we’re rowing against the political headwinds of our state, the US Supreme Court and the US Congress. The bipartisan gun safety bill, signed into law this summer, is a start; it provides some common sense gun violence solutions, but it should embolden us to do more and continue to act.

In this fall’s midterm elections, vote for people who care about your kids’ lives. If your candidate cannot ensure your children will be safe at school every day, or ensure you’ll be safe going to the grocery store, question whether they are the best candidate for your community.

Keeping people in our cities alive is more important than anything and is not about rhetoric. If people and kids are dying preventable deaths, we are failing.

Democratic Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, elected in 2019, is chairman of the US Conference of Mayors Criminal and Social Justice Committee and is co-chair of Everytown for Gun Safety’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Zirui Song: Reducing firearm injuries is good for health – and business

Dr. Zirui Song Courtesy Dr. Zirui Song

As members of the public, we tend to hear about gun violence through the tragedy of innocent lives lost. But those shot who survive are often quickly forgotten.

It is easy to think that survivors will be OK. But though they may be fortunate, in many ways they are not OK.

Survivors of gun violence face not only the pain of the physical injury, but a 51% increase in mental health disorders and 85% increase in substance use disorders. The former includes depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and more. The latter includes alcohol and drug misuse, sometimes addiction to the very opioids used to treat the pain of the gunshot wound.

These effects persist at least a year after injury. While the world has moved on – at times to the next mass shooting – survivors are still learning how to walk again, battling demons to go outside again and suffering through their personal, slow-moving tragedies out of the public eye. This is the quiet base of the proverbial iceberg – not the tip that captivates attention.

And its ripple effects are profound.

Loved ones are not unscathed. Family members of survivors, despite not being shot themselves, also experience a 12% increase in mental health disorders in the year following the survivor’s injury.

Community members are not unscathed. Trauma, anguish and survivor guilt await.

Society is not unscathed. Every nonfatal firearm injury costs employers and insurers $30,000 in direct medical spending in the first year. This pays for emergency rooms, hospitals, doctor visits, procedures, imaging and tests, among other services. Ultimately, this comes out of everyone’s taxes or wages, with the victims paying 4% of it out-of-pocket themselves. So whether in health or economic terms, we all share in the pain of gun violence.

With somewhere around 85,000 survivors of firearm injuries each year – a number our nation is not sure about due to a shortage of data – society thus pays an estimated $2.5 billion for direct medical care in the first year alone. Imagine the other societal needs that $2.5 billion could help address.

But even that severely undercounts the economic toll. Employers lose an estimated $535 million in revenue and productivity each year, with the rate of employees and dependents getting shot rising four-fold from 2007 to 2020. Add that to quality-of-life costs to victims and families, police and criminal justice costs, and health care spending, gun violence as a whole is estimated to cost the US $557 billion each year, or roughly 2.6% of the nation’s economy.

So while the health case for reducing gun violence has long been with us as people die and get hurt, and the moral case weighs heavily as guns are now the leading cause of death among kids and adolescents in our country, the business case is growing more obvious.

This was echoed in a letter from CEOs for Gun Safety to US senators, which was publicized in June, urging lawmakers to pass gun safety legislation. Hundreds of company executives signed the letter, calling gun violence a “public health crisis” that “[o]n top of the human toll” has a “profound economic impact.” Moreover, they stated, “Communities that experience gun violence struggle to attract investment, create jobs, and see economic growth.”

The voice of the business community is important for public health. Indeed, the private sector has been a partner in public health before, from addressing the tobacco epidemic, to combating the opioid epidemic, to expanding health insurance.

Increasingly, preventing firearm injuries is not only good for health, but good for business. And, ultimately, the business case may rest not on minimizing the cost side of their ledger, but rather on an alignment of values with consumers that drives the revenue side.

Shoppers, notably young people, are increasingly devoting their dollars to businesses that resonate with their values. As the sheer number of people affected by gun violence grows and their demand for change mounts, companies that do something about it may be better off than those that do not.

Dr. Zirui Song is an associate professor of health care policy and medicine at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Charmaine McGuffey: Bring back concealed carry license requirements

Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey Provided by Charmaine McGuffey

For 35 years, I’ve worn a uniform for Ohio’s Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. I started as a young officer and moved up the ranks. Over the years, I’ve worked as a self-defense instructor, trained officers on firearm safety and ran the corrections training academy for the Sheriff’s Office.

Law enforcement officers must complete countless hours of firearm training prior to being certified – and even we are less accurate in a crisis situation. I’m 95% accurate on a good day, when I’m stationary in front of a target. But introduce loud noises, sirens, the darkness of night, lots of people and someone running at me, my skill level – despite all my training – will go down. And the likelihood that I, or any trained officer, will hit something we don’t intend to hit goes up. This has been known in law enforcement for decades.

Training creates an awareness of your immense responsibility in carrying a firearm. To carry a weapon with no training makes us all less safe.

That’s part of the reason I spoke out last year against Ohio SB215, which was signed into law and went into effect in June. The bill removed the concealed carry license requirement which mandates eight hours of training and background checks. It also eliminated the requirement of citizens to announce to a deputy that they have a concealed weapon if stopped.

By removing these requirements, law enforcement officers are more in danger – and so is everyone else.

Today, the state of Ohio allows virtually anyone 21 years of age or older to conceal carry a firearm without a license that requires a background check to determine any criminal records. I, as the Sheriff of Hamilton County, now have no oversight over who carries a concealed weapon. Prior to this bill being passed, I rescinded last year some 200 concealed carry permits from those charged with crimes such as domestic violence or assault. Now, I can’t do that, and those 200 people can conceal carry without the benefit of law enforcement oversight.

To those politicians who claim to be all about law and order – and pro-police – I want to say, “Really? How are you sticking by this?”

The bipartisan gun safety bill that was signed into law this summer is an absolute band-aid. It doesn’t address my concerns about the safety of law enforcement officers, citizens and children. It’s a way that politicians can placate the various sides on this issue, but it doesn’t go nearly far enough. It’s a way of saying, “Here’s a little something we agree on,” but I think we agree on a lot more than that. Most importantly, in a poll of Ohio residents, 90% were in favor of background checks for anyone purchasing a weapon. This bill does not include that basic element.

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Ohio residents should have the opportunity to vote on age limits and strict background checks for anyone who is purchasing a firearm and for those who conceal carry.

What we’re now concerned with is our own training, how to work around this flawed legislation and how to keep ourselves safe. We’re going to keep an accounting of what goes wrong, point out what could have been prevented and pay attention. We’ll continue to fight to rescind this law, and we’ll continue to offer and encourage licenses and training.

All of us, as citizens of this great nation, have a responsibility to help prevent gun violence. I’ll continue to speak out and advocate for sensible gun legislation. Anyone who has an avenue to talk to lawmakers needs to talk to them, too.

Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey is a lifelong Cincinnatian, a 35-year veteran of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and the first woman elected to serve in her position.

'Dancing With the Stars': The competitors

Bryan Alexander and Bill Keveney

USA TODAY

Season 17 starts Monday on ABC at 8 ET/PT

Series will air one night a week instead of two

Contestants come from music%2C reality TV%2C science and sports fields

It doesn't take a scientist to conclude that celebrities are going to clash when Season 17 of ABC's Dancing With the Stars kicks off Monday (8 p.m. ET/PT).

But contestant Bill Nye, "the science guy," insists his 11 competitors make for an overwhelming physical force.

"I'm in to win. But whether I can is another story," he says. "Look at the cast: Corbin Bleu is a professional dancer. Elizabeth Berkley had great success as a dancer. Even Snooki is working it. What am I doing here? I may get eliminated the first week."

Executive producer Conrad Green says the cast for the new one-night-a-week format has no weak links.

"The quality of dancing may well be the best across the board that we have had," Green says. "Even the people that have never done any real dancing before, they are looking extremely good from what I have seen. There's a very consistent quality. I'm intrigued by all of them."

Of course, it takes much more than dance skills to take home the coveted Mirror Ball trophy. Each contestant brings emotional story lines, legions of fans and Twitter followers, as well as big personalities, to each dance.

A breakdown on who is strutting what on and off the dance floor:

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi

Age: 25

Pro dance partner: Sasha Farber

How we know her: MTV's Jersey Shore and Snooki & JWoww (third season premiere, Oct. 22, 10 p.m. ET/PT); author of A Shore Thing, Confessions of a Guidette and Gorilla Beach; operates Snooki Couture; parodied on Saturday Night Live.

Dancing experience: "It's just like very karaoke. I used to go to the clubs. I would dance and do stuff like that, but I never took dance lessons or anything."

After all the rehearsing, what hurts? "Everything. My feet hurt because I have to dance in heels for four hours a day. My feet are killing me, my legs are killing me. It's a good workout, but I'm dying."

Biggest obstacle: "Probably just how I have to rehearse all the time but then still be a mom (to 1-year-old Lorenzo) and clean and do all that stuff, juggling everything. It's a little bit tiring, but I feel like I'm making it work."

Team name: None yet. "We're actually asking all the fans to see what they come up with and if we like something, maybe we 'll use it. I asked (first-time partner Farber) if we could be Team Shorty because we're short, we're the shortest couple to compete, but he didn't really like that because he considers himself to be tall."

Good luck charm: Lorenzo. "I feel like my son is going to help me do good. I just want to make my family proud and my fiancé (Jionni LaValle) proud and my parents proud. I just want to at least get through a couple of rounds. I don't want to be the first one to go home."

Brant Daugherty

Age: 28

Pro dance partner: Peta Murgatroyd

How we know him:Pretty Little Liars, Army Wives, Days of Our Lives

Dancing experience: "Limited to the stage at my high school doing musicals. I really just wasn't that good at it, so I wanted to develop my skills here a little bit."

Expectations: "I was pretty cocky initially, and then when the rehearsals started and I started to see what we were actually doing, they knocked me down a couple of pegs. Peta has been reassuring me at every step that I'm ahead of the game, so I think we're going to do well. I think we can win. I don't know if we will, but I think we have it in us."

Biggest fear: "That I'm going to get hurt and won't be able to continue. I don't do the sidelines well. If I get hurt and can't do it, I know I'm going to still want to and I won't be able to, and that terrifies me."

Biggest obstacle: "Just getting my hips to move the right way. I grew up across the street from a cornfield in Ohio and now they want me to have these Latin hips. I have Midwestern cornfield hips. But we've been doing exercises to loosen me up and they're going pretty well."

What hurts: "My feet, definitely. They were pretty sore the first week. They're getting better now. They had me putting them in ice baths at the end of rehearsal every time."

Team name: "There are some terrible ones being thrown around: Daughatroyd, Team Breta and Team Pant. I don't like any of them. We've got to come up with something better."

Jack Osbourne

Age: 27

Pro dance partner: Cheryl Burke

How we know him: MTV's The Osbournes, with rocker dad Ozzy; mom, Sharon, a TV personality; and sister Kelly, who finished third on Dancing in 2009. Co-anchor of Fuse News, host of Syfy's Haunted Highway.

Dance experience: "If I'm rating myself, I'm awesome, but I don't know how universally I rate. I think I'm OK. Cheryl seems to think we have something to work with."

Why he did it: "A large part was talking with my family, including my sister, who had such a good time, and my wife (Lisa Stelly) really loving the show. ... Kelly will be there. She's probably going to be secretly hoping I don't do better than she did."

Positive message: "Having been diagnosed with (multiple sclerosis), I saw it as an opportunity to keep awareness on people's minds. Although there is treatment for it, we're no closer to a cure. I'm trying to raise awareness that way."

The challenge: "Touch wood right now, I'm fine, but herein lies the different thing with MS. I'm fine one minute and you wake up the next day and your legs might not work."

Not-so-secret weapon: His two-time winning partner. "Cheryl is awesome. I couldn't have landed a better dance partner. We have a similar sense of humor. She keeps the mood light, which is always a good thing."

Corbin Bleu

Age: 24

Pro dance partner: Karina Smirnoff

How we know him: Disney Channel's High School Musical and Jump In; One Life to Live; Broadway's Godspell and In the Heights; albums Another Side and Speed of Light.

Dance experience: "Anybody who knows me knows High School Musical, so they know I can move, but I've never done ballroom dancing before. Most of my dance training has been in tap and ballet."

Expectations: "Of course I want to win. I will do everything I can. I will work my (butt) off. And I will be creative. I want to have fun, though."

Reaction to early-favorite status: "Beautiful and, yet, at the same time, you get a target on your back at the beginning. That only makes me want to work harder. I want to just show them that whatever you may be expecting, I want to go above and beyond that."

What hurts: The "better question is what doesn't. I'm in shock right now. I'm athletic and I work out on a daily basis," he says. But after rehearsals, "I go to bed and it's that restless feeling – my arms, my back, my legs, my (butt), my feet – everything is just 'woooof!' (I use a) heating pad and ice and just mental distractions to try to tell myself, 'We're good. Keep going.' "

Biggest challenge: "Partly because Karina and I are such workhorses, we've already pushed ourselves to some maxes. We were trying to do an intense lift and fell, and we had a close call with Karina's leg. The first day I already popped my thumb out of my socket. Just risk of injury alone is really nerve-wracking, especially because it's the first week. Is your body going to hold up all the way through if you make it to the end?"

Bill Engvall

Age: 56

Pro dance partner: Emma Slater

How we know him: Blue Collar Comedy stand-up tour, TBS's The Bill Engvall Show, Blue Collar TV, Designing Women, Delta and The Jeff Foxworthy Show. His first album, Here's Your Sign, went platinum.

Dancing experience: "As far as this kind of dancing goes, zero … When I grew up in Texas, we learned the Texas Two-Step, but you had your girl on one arm and a beer in the other hand. It wasn't like this kind of dancing."

Expectations: "I would love to win this thing. I got the news that of the favorites, I'm the last." The odds are 67-1, "which is worse than I was in the American Century golf tournament. … Realistically, if I could last seven or eight weeks, I'd be ecstatic. I'm out there to have fun."

Good luck charm: Daughter, Emily, 27. "One of the reasons I'm doing this is that the only time I ever danced with my daughter was when she was about 7. And the only dance we could dance to was the chicken dance. She's getting married (next) Aug. 31 and I told her she's always been my little Cinderella and that one night I want to be her Prince Charming and have a wonderful father-daughter dance with her."

Biggest obstacle: "Not getting too excited. In (standup comedy), I use the audience to get me jazzed and juiced up for the show. I'm going to do that with this show, but you've got to temper it because everything is on a beat. I can't get too jacked up and get ahead of the music and then all of a sudden, you're like, 'What step was this?'"

Team name: "There were two we came up with. One was Billemma, like dilemma, but bill and emma, and the other one was Engvallator: We'll Be Back. I think we're going to go with Billemma because every week we have some kind of dilemma, which is usually, 'How do I get Bill to do this move?' "

Bill Nye

Age: 57

Pro dance partner: Tyne Stecklein

How we know him: Scientist, educator and host of Bill Nye, the Science Guy

Dance experience: Nye is an avid swing dancer, but insists the bad habits he picked up in his beloved pastime only hurts him on the highly structured ballroom dance floor. "The social dancing has been a liability. Swing dancing is my thing where bad posture and being pigeon-toed is not a problem. In these judged events, you are supposed to look good. God, I have horrible posture."

Secret weapon:DWTS fans might not know his newbie partner Stecklein, but she's eye candy who can motor. "She is extraordinary. A patient, clear and succinct instructor. And she's stunning. I hope people will be looking at her instead of me for a lot of it. I defy any man to stand next to this woman and not feel some heat."

Odds of winning: "They are close to one in four. Our chances are awfully good because Tyne is so remarkable."

Geek power: The Twitter-verse exploded when Nye was announced as a dancer. He aims to marshal his followers and worldwide geeks to victory. "It is to be hoped that they will follow. But I cannot let them down."

Team name: HotKnowledge. And he's just one half of the "knowledge" part. "You can warm your hands from across the room with Tyne. And I think she is smarter than I am."

Shirtless bonus: Nye is getting in shape to take it off during the show. "It is not off the table. (My trainer) said that in three weeks you could do it. I am modifying my diet to burn off that little bit of fat. I have to do the diet thing. I think I have the discipline to do it. And we have to actually not get kicked off the show." And he'll spray-tan. "Bring it on. I'm in to win. If that's what it takes, I'm in."

Bowties survive: Nye will continue to show off his signature bow ties on the dance floor, they'll just be a little flashier. "There will be a bow tie every week. These wardrobe people are artists."

Keyshawn Johnson

Age: 41

Pro dance partner: Sharna Burgess

How we know him: The Super Bowl winner for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was an All-Pro wide receiver and is now an ESPN football analyst.

Dance experience: "Zero. I didn't even celebrate or dance even when I scored touchdowns. My buddy said, 'I've known Keyshawn for 20-plus years and I have never even seen him bob his head.' Which is true. People are surprised I'm doing it. I don't go out and dance."

What hurts: "I hurt for the first couple of days because my legs were really, really tight. Now I am fine." But he did knock Burgess in the nose with a wild arm swing. "I didn't swing my arm the right way. And it kind of caught her nose. I was like, 'Oh, I think I broke her nose.' But it was a little bit of a bruise and she's OK now. I'll try not to do it again."

Goal: "To help Sharna win the thing. I want her to win or advance a very long way. And it's up to me to get that accomplished."

Peer reaction: "The people at GameDay think I'll be back in a week and a half. They're like. 'We'll see you in two weeks.'"

Any fear? "If I couldn't dance and get it together, I wouldn't do it. I have too much pride. And I fear no one. I worry about me."

Leah Remini

Age: 43

Pro dance partner: Tony Dovolani

How we know her: CBS' The King of Queens, former co-host of The Talk.

Dance experience: "None and zero. I try to follow my husband when he's dancing salsa and I look down to keep time and hold on for dear life. That's about it."

What hurts: "My feet and my back. I have 15,000 blisters. I have black and blue areas and I don't know why. When I come home, my family gives me the face of sympathy and I crawl up the stairs to take a bath for three hours. I probably own stock in Epsom salts now."

Secret weapon: Jennifer Lopez has watched her dance, but Remini insists she only got tips from Lopez's 5-year-old, Max. "He gave me some points. Max kept saying, 'You're doing it wrong. Get back on the stage.' "

Why now? Remini insists she has turned the show down three or four times. But a high-profile break with the Church of Scientology was one motivator. "Considering what I have been through this year, I am really at a vulnerable place in my life. But I want to come from a place of strength. That's why I want to do it. I want to come out and celebrate my life and that I am doing something scary and new. And it's fun."

Weight-loss bonus: "I am losing weight. I don't weigh myself because I don't need to be depressed every day. So I go to the jeans. Everyone has their fat jeans, their medium-fat and their fighting-weight jeans. I'm in my medium-fat jeans now."

Goals: "I'm not going to hate on a sequin-bejeweled ball, because that is my time -- disco. It's not that I don't want the ball. But I am excited to just be there."

Christina Milian

Age: 31

Pro dance partner: Mark Ballas

How we know her: Actress, singer-songwriter and social-media correspondent for The Voice.

Dance experience: Milian insists her stage and music moves won't help. "When you dance for a music video you use moves from a basic hip-hop class. It's definitely not ballroom. It's all new for my body. I have to reset my mind."

What hurts: "Everything. My hamstrings, my thighs, my back. It's definitely a combo. I had to get a major massage the other day. Deep, deep tissue. And we hit on areas that were hurting."

Biggest fear: "To mess up on the live show. I don't want to black out in the middle of the dance. When that happens during a concert it's easy to get back to the choreography. But this is judged on doing the full choreography from start to end."

Team name: MilianBallas. "As in Million Dollars. It's great. Our fans came up with that one." Her pro partner is worth that much. "He has an amazing mind when it comes to coming up with choreography. And he's not too hard on me. I have instantly built a lot of trust in him."

Skin bonus: Milian looks good and will flaunt it. "I am going to do it in a classy way, tastefully. I've seen the outfits they wear and they are revealing in a way that's satisfying to the fans. I won't overdo it. But I'll definitely have a good time. I just have to make sure nothing pops out and that there are no wardrobe malfunctions."

Secret weapon: A killer smile which she'll show off after her first dance. "When I give that smile, it's all for you, those pearly whites."

Valerie Harper

Age: 74

Pro dance partner: Tristan MacManus

How we know her: Four-time Emmy winner as Rhoda Morgenstern in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda; sitcom Valerie and as Tallulah Bankhead in Looped on Broadway. Earlier this year, Harper was in the news for having three months to live because of cancer, but she's had a great response to treatment.

Why do it: "I used to be a dancer, 50 years ago on Broadway, but I haven't danced in decades. It would be like starting over. And I've had weight gain and I thought, 'Oh, do I want to get up there with those girls in those cute little costumes? What am I doing at 74?' And my husband (Tony Caciotti) said, 'Because you have cancer, that's why. Because you have it and because it has not stopped you and because your doctors say it's fine.' So why can't I dance around with handsome Tristan MacManus?"

Cause for concern: Her doctors found cancer in a membrane around the brain that stemmed from an earlier bout with lung cancer, but they've encouraged exercise. "As long as I feel this good, why sit and watch dancing, when I could be up there dancing, even poorly? I'll be up there trying."

Expectations: "I want to make it through the first dance and not fall. If I don't fall, it's a win. And I don't mean fall out of weakness, I mean out of klutziness."

Biggest fear: "I've made a fool of myself before, so I'm not worried about that. If I don't fall in the ballroom, that's good.

What hurts: "I have a knee that's hinky, but I'll get through it. Dancers have pain all the time."

Amber Riley

Age: 27

Pro dance partner: Derek Hough

How we know her: Plays Mercedes Jones on Fox's musical comedy Glee (she'll have a lighter workload this season).

Dancing experience: "I took a little ballet when I was a lot younger, but I stopped dancing around 12. Nothing too rigorous, definitely not ballroom. What we do on Glee is more stepping and turning and staying in one place and trying not to fall, so it's a little bit different."

Biggest fear: "The more I go to rehearsal, my fears kind of fade away. I try to go in with a great attitude because Derek is four-time champ and I definitely want to make him proud and I want to prove to myself that I can push past what I thought my limit was."

Post-rehearsal treat: "We went to a spa where I did an ice plunge. It kind of shocks the body and it makes the blood go everywhere. It heals the swelling. You do get swollen ankles. … It was just what my body needed. I felt so rejuvenated when I left."

Team name: "We are Roughley. That's Riley and Hough put together."

Supporters: "My parents are going to be there, both of my sisters, my brother-in-law. My castmates are coming. … They have been really supportive. It makes me nervous, but it's also going to be inspiring, because I know they're rooting for me."

Elizabeth Berkley Lauren

Age: 41

Pro dance partner: Valentin Chmerkovskiy

How we know her: Jessie Spano in Saved by the Bell and Nomi Malone in Showgirls

Life update: She took on the last name of her husband, Greg Lauren, and gave birth to son Sky Cole a year ago. "For the last year I have been in new-mommy mode. My inspiration is my son and my husband. I use that to fuel me."

Dance experience: "I danced as a kid. I did a little dancing in Saved By the Bell, which was just cute. And I did some dancing in Showgirls. That's a whole other kind of dancing. But I haven't danced since then. It is like someone who did Little League baseball and suddenly they were invited to join the majors."

What hurts: "Each day there's some new muscle that's saying 'Hello. Did you forget about me?' Epsom salts bath and ice packs are my new best friends."

What we'll learn: "Most of the characters I have played are so far from who I am. America will get to know all my sides -- my sense of humor, my willingness to be self-deprecating, my work ethic. I'm living, breathing and dreaming the choreography and music. I've been known to dance in my kitchen and the hallways. It doesn't stop."

Why do it: "It's pushing me out of my comfort zone. I believe in meeting your fears and walking through them. That's what courage is."

No Showgirls redux: "Val and I have winks to certain things that make sense. But obviously this is a whole different thing. None of that choreography applies here."