Virginia vaccination coordinator steps down from his job

By The Associated Press
January 9, 2022 | 4:19 PM

RICHMOND, Va. — Dr. Danny Avula has stepped down from his position overseeing Virginia’s vaccination efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that Avula said he has taken on other responsibilities in the Virginia Department of Health and returned to his position as director of the Richmond City and Henrico County health districts.

Christy Gray, the Virginia Department of Health’s Director of the Division of Immunization, will now oversee vaccinations in Virginia.

A year ago, Virginia was behind other states in vaccine distribution. Now Virginia is ranked ninth in percentage of residents fully vaccinated.

South Korean police seek indictment of K-pop mogul behind BTS

By The Associated Press
September 4, 2026 | 2:29 AM

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean police are pushing for an indictment of music tycoon Bang Si-Hyuk, the chairperson of the agency behind K-pop supergroup BTS, over alleged investor fraud. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency referred Bang to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office on Thursday, asking him to be indicted on a charge of violating the capital markets act, according to the police agency and the prosecutor’s office. Police have been investigating Bang, the billionaire founder and chairperson of Hybe, over allegations that he misled investors in 2019 by indicating that Hybe had no immediate plans to go public, prompting them to sell their shares to a private equity fund shortly before the company proceeded with an initial public offering. Police earlier said that the fund may have paid Bang somewhere around 200 billion won ($147 million) in a side deal that promised him 30% of post-IPO stock sale profits.

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