THE CAPE CHARLES MIRROR SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 AT 9:47 PM
Paul Plante says:
And staying with the timeline here, precisely because timelines in this case are quite important in determining how this whole COVID train went off the tracks subsequent to 8 January 2020, the date the CDC activated the Health Alert Network to put state and local health officers, state and local epidemiologists, state and local laboratory directors, public information officers, HAN coordinators, and clinician organizations on notice that COVID was on its way and to get prepared for it, something that never happened, let’s go to a press release by Democrat governor of New York Andy Cuomo, a politician, not a public health professional, as well as being a Biden Elector on the Electoral College, on January 24, 2020, sixteen (16) days after the 8 January 2020 CDC Health Network Alert about COVID, and thirty-eight (38) days before Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin issued a press release entitled “Rensselaer County Officials Working with State and Federal Officials on Coronavirus Issue” on 3/2/20 informing people therein that with confirmed cases of coronavirus in the nation and the state, Rensselaer County health officials had taken part in calls with the Centers for Disease Control and the New York State Department of Health regarding the issue, and at that time, there were no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the county, and that Federal and state health officials had termed the spread of the illness nationally and in the state as “isolated” cases so that there was no need for undue concern or worry and that Rensselaer County officials had been informed that New York State remains at a low risk for coronavirus, this just before New York state became the epicenter for the COVID outbreak that killed 54,271 people in the state with 12,913 COVID cases in Rensselaer County alone, where we have as follows:
Albany, NY
Governor Cuomo Outlines State Response to First Two Confirmed Cases of Novel Coronavirus in United States
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, “This virus is being carefully monitored at federal, state and city levels to ensure the public’s health and safety, and while awareness is important, the current risk to New Yorkers is low.”
end quotes
And how wrong he was.
Why?
Thereafter, on January 26, 2020, governor Cuomo issued another press release entitled “Governor Cuomo Announces State’s Continued Response to Novel Coronavirus as Three More Individuals are Identified for Testing in New York State” wherein was stated as follows concerning COVID:
“While the experts still believe the risk of catching this novel coronavirus is currently low in New York, I want all New Yorkers to know we are prepared and continue to take all necessary steps to keep people informed and safe,” Governor Cuomo said.
“I have directed the Department of Health and other state agencies to continue working closely with the CDC, the World Health Organization, our local and federal government partners, and New York’s healthcare providers to ensure we stay ahead of this situation.”
end quotes
But as subsequent events make incandescently clear, not only did they not stay ahead of the “situation,” they got way behind the eight ball and people died as a result!
But Andy was on a roll, trying to reassure people that he was in charge, so he issued yet another press release on January 27, 2020 entitled “Governor Cuomo Issues Update on Novel Coronavirus as Two More New Yorkers Identified for Testing Bringing Total to Nine” where he stated as follows:
“While the risk for New Yorkers is currently low, we are still working to keep everyone informed, prepared and safe.”
end quote
On January 28, 2020, Andy issued yet another press release entitled “Governor Cuomo Issues Update on Novel Coronavirus as One More New Yorker is Identified for Testing Bringing Total to 10” where the people were informed as follows:
So far, there are no confirmed cases in New York State.
“While we continue to closely monitor the spread of this novel coronavirus, I have directed our Department of Health to continue communicating with and providing updates to our local communities, healthcare providers, colleges, universities and New York companies with locations or business interests in China,” Governor Cuomo said.
“My message to New Yorkers is: take this coronavirus seriously, take proper precautions, stay informed, but also feel confident that our Health Department and this administration are prepared and ready.”
end quotes
And then another press release on January 30, 2020, entitled “Governor Cuomo Provides Update on Novel Coronavirus While Reminding New Yorkers Flu is Still Prevalent” as follows:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today advised New Yorkers that State and local health departments and healthcare partners are remaining vigilant and have a high state of readiness to protect New Yorkers from novel coronavirus.
“New York does not have one single confirmed case of the novel coronavirus, but we are taking every necessary precaution to protect against its spread into our state.”
“We have been here before, and I want to remind New Yorkers that it is much more likely that they will be exposed to the influenza virus than to the coronavirus,” Governor Cuomo said.
end quotes
That was followed by yet another Cuomo press release on February 2, 2020 entitled “Governor Cuomo Issues Update on Novel Coronavirus and Announces New Hotline Staffed by State Health Department Experts” wherein was stated as follows:
There are no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in New York State.
“In situations like this, we take every precaution necessary to ensure the safety of New Yorkers,” Governor Cuomo said.
“At the same time, perspective is key – and I want to remind people that New York currently has zero confirmed cases of this virus.”
“We want all New Yorkers to know that the State and its agencies and authorities are on top of this situation and we will continue doing everything we can to keep people safe.”
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, “We are working hand in glove with our federal, state and local partners, as well as healthcare providers all over the state to ensure the health of New Yorkers.”
“Bottom line, as this public health response evolves, we continue to be prepared.”
end quotes
Except they weren’t prepared at all and as a result, people died, which takes us to yet another in a seemingly endless progression of press releases by Democrat Andy Cuomo that were self-serving in that they touted his leadership, this one on February 4, 2020, entitled “Governor Cuomo Issues Update on Novel Coronavirus,” wherein was stated as follows:
“Even though there are no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in New York State, we continue to take every precaution necessary to ensure the health and safety of all New Yorkers,” Governor Cuomo said.
“While the risk to New Yorkers is still low, we urge everyone to remain vigilant, stay informed, follow the recommended steps to protect themselves and their families, and call our coronavirus hotline if you still have questions or concerns.”
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, “As this situation continues to evolve, the State Department of Health remains in close contact with our federal, state and local partners to protect the health of all New Yorkers.”
“It is important for people to take appropriate precautions, just as they should to protect themselves against the flu, and have confidence that we are prepared to handle this public health issue.”
end quotes
Yeah, right, Howie!
The next press release to come along was on February 7, 2020, this one entitled “Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on Novel Coronavirus and Urges Continued Awareness While Flu is Still Prevalent” wherein was stated as follows:
“While we do not have a confirmed case of the novel coronavirus in the state, we are continuing to take every necessary precaution to protect New Yorkers from this dangerous virus,” Governor Cuomo said.
“I also want to remind New Yorkers they are more likely to be exposed to the influenza virus than the coronavirus, and urge everyone to take commonsense precautions to protect against both, such as regular hand washing and avoiding close contact with people who are sick.”
On January 3, the State Department of Health issued a statewide health advisory alerting healthcare providers to the dramatic increase in flu activity across New York State.
Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, “While New York does not have a confirmed case of coronavirus, the flu is here and can be very serious.”
“Taking simple preventive steps such as washing hands often, covering a cough or sneeze with your arm and staying home when experiencing flu-like symptoms will help prevent the spread of the flu.”
“These same actions will help protect New Yorkers against the novel coronavirus.”
end quotes
The next press release to come along was dated February 13, 2020 anbd entitled “Governor Cuomo Reminds New Yorkers That Flu Cases Continue to Increase, as Flu Season Expected to Set Record-High Levels,” which press release carried this message, to wit:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today reminded all New Yorkers to take recommended precautions to protect themselves from the flu as new numbers released today show flu activity still has not reached its peak this season.
Flu cases in New York this season are expected to set record-high levels since the New York State Department of Health began tracking flu cases during the 1998-99 season.
“As flu season has not yet peaked across New York, I urge everyone to remain vigilant and take simple precautions to protect themselves and their families,” Governor Cuomo said.
“I encourage all New Yorkers older than six months to get their flu shot – it’s not too late.”
The latest influenza surveillance report for the week ending February 8th shows seasonal flu activity continues to be widespread across New York State for the eleventh consecutive week.
As indicated in the report, there were 17,233 laboratory-confirmed flu cases reported to the State Department of Health, the second highest weekly total since the 1998-1999 flu season.
The most lab-confirmed influenza cases reported during a single week in a flu season was 18,252 in 2017-18.
There have been a total of 106,824 lab-confirmed cases reported in New York State this season, with three flu-associated pediatric deaths.
Last week, 1,993 New Yorkers were hospitalized with lab-confirmed influenza.
So far this season, there have been 15,541 flu-related hospitalizations.
Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, “While flu activity is higher than usual this season and it has not yet peaked, taking basic preventive steps such as washing hands often, covering a cough or sneeze with your arm, and staying home when experiencing flu-like symptoms, will help prevent the spread of the flu.”
On January 3, the State Department of Health issued a statewide health advisory alerting healthcare providers to the dramatic increase in flu activity across New York State.
end quotes
Now, things start to get interesting as we see from the next press release on February 26, 2020, forty-nine (49) days after the 8 January 2020 CDC Health Network Alert about COVID, this one entitled “Governor Cuomo Announces $40 Million Emergency Appropriation to Support DOH Staffing and Equipment to Respond to Potential Novel Coronavirus Pandemic,” as follows:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a $40 million appropriation for the New York State Department of Health to hire additional staff, procure equipment and any other resources necessary to respond to the potential novel coronavirus pandemic.
The Governor will also propose legislation to grant authority to DOH Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker to ensure local health departments and public and private hospitals statewide take certain actions and measures in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak as needed.
DOH will convene local health departments and hospitals statewide to review protocols, best practices and procedures to help ensure they are prepared to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“As we are seeing the novel coronavirus spread to new countries around the world, in New York we are continuing to take all necessary precautions to protect New Yorkers from this dangerous virus,” Governor Cuomo said.
“While there are still no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in New York, these aggressive actions including $40 million in emergency funding will help ensure our healthcare system is equipped with the necessary staff, supplies and equipment needed to respond to any emergency situation that may arise in the future.”
end quotes
That should say New York’s for-profit healthcare system, which failed us greatly, which takes us to yet another Cuomo press release on February 29, 2020 entitled “Statement from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Coronavirus,” as follows:
“When I spoke to Vice President Pence, I urged him to approve New York State’s Coronavirus test — we just received word that our test has been approved by the FDA.”
“New York State will begin testing immediately at Wadsworth Lab.”
“This approval will expedite wait time and improve New York’s ability to more effectively manage the Coronavirus situation as it unfolds. ”
end quotes
Vice president Pence?
What on earth did he have to do with New York’s COVID response, besides nothing at all?
So why was Andy asking Mike Pence to give an approval to New York’s Coronavirus test?
What would Mike Pence know about coronavirus tests?
And see what I have been saying about the wheels coming off because of the involvement of politicians with no medical experience or public health qualifications in matters they had no business meddling in?
Things now start to change in the next press release on March 1, 2020, entitled
“Governor Cuomo Issues Statement Regarding Novel Coronavirus in New York” where he stated as follows:
“This evening we learned of the first positive case of novel coronavirus — or COVID-19 — in New York State.”
“There is no cause for surprise — this was expected.”
“As I said from the beginning, it was a matter of when, not if there would be a positive case of novel coronavirus in New York.”
“Last week I called for the Legislature to pass a $40 million emergency management authorization to confront this evolving situation — I look forward to its swift passage.”
“There is no reason for undue anxiety — the general risk remains low in New York.”
“We are diligently managing this situation and will continue to provide information as it becomes available.”
end quotes
Yes, people, take it from a real expert – "nothing to see here, folks, nothing to be concerned about, now get back in your basements and stay there!”
Keeping the flow of press releases touting Andy’s prowess as governor coming, we go to March 2, 2020, and a press release entitled “At Novel Coronavirus Briefing, Governor Cuomo Announces State is Partnering with Hospitals to Expand Novel Coronavirus Testing Capacity in New York,” where Andy told us as follows:
“We have the best health-care system in the world, and we are leveraging that system to help contain any potential spread of the novel coronavirus in New York,” Governor Cuomo said.
“This isn’t our first rodeo – we are fully coordinated, we are fully mobilized, and we are fully prepared to deal with the situation as it develops.”
The Governor will also propose legislation to clarify authority for governor to take certain statewide actions and measures in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak as needed.
end quotes
And yes, people, this is all about promoting Andy Cuomo, not protecting the public’s health, and as of today, New York state ranks third in the nation in COVID deaths behind front runner New Jersey and second-place finisher Mississippi, and let’s stop there for a moment to let that all sink in before we get back to Joe Biden, so stay tuned.
http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/news/o ... ent-423777
AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
REUTERS
"U.S. Senate panel may force Afghanistan answers from Biden administration"
By Patricia Zengerle and Doina Chiacu
September 14, 2021
WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee threatened on Tuesday to subpoena Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and other officials if necessary to make them testify to Congress about the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
"A full accounting of the U.S. response to this crisis is not complete without the Pentagon – especially when it comes to understanding the complete collapse of the U.S.-trained and funded Afghan military," Democratic Senator Bob Menendez said at the second congressional hearing in two days, which included testimony from Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"I expect that the Secretary (Austin) will avail himself to the Committee in the near future."
"If he does not, I may consider the use of the Committee’s subpoena power to compel him and others over the course of these last twenty years to testify," Menendez said.
A Pentagon spokesman responded that Austin was unable to appear because of "conflicting commitments" and added that Austin would testify at the end of September before the Senate and House of Representatives Armed Services Committees.
Menendez told MSNBC after the hearing that he nonetheless wanted Austin to appear before the foreign policy panel.
Lawmakers - President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats as well as Republicans - peppered Blinken with questions and criticism during the 3-1/2 hour hearing about the messy end last month to America's longest war and why the administration did not delay the withdrawal to allow more people to be evacuated.
Menendez blasted the exit as "clearly and fatally flawed."
Blinken said U.S. officials had not expected the Taliban's lightning advance and the "11-day collapse" of U.S.-backed Afghan forces.
"That's what changed everything," Blinken said.
U.S. forces had been in Afghanistan since toppling the Taliban in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks which they say were masterminded by al-Qaeda leaders based in the country.
Senator Jim Risch, the committee's top Republican, said he worried the administration was seeking to normalize relations with the Taliban and called plans to restart humanitarian aid "deeply, deeply concerning."
He described the militant group as "one of the best-armed terrorist organizations on the planet," now that it controls military equipment left behind by U.S. forces.
"There is not enough lipstick in the world to put on this pig to make it look any different than what it actually is," Risch said.
Members of Congress, which is narrowly controlled by Biden's fellow Democrats, have pledged to investigate since the collapse of the Kabul government and takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban last month.
Representative Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced after Monday's House hearing with Blinken that he had hired a former CNN reporter to investigate the withdrawal.
Blinken, and many Democrats, repeatedly noted that Republican former President Donald Trump had negotiated the withdrawal agreement with the Taliban.
Several Democrats accused Republicans of hypocrisy for supporting Trump's planned withdrawal but opposing Biden's action.
Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Doina Chiacu; additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Idrees Ali; Editing by Alistair Bell
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-sen ... 021-09-14/
"U.S. Senate panel may force Afghanistan answers from Biden administration"
By Patricia Zengerle and Doina Chiacu
September 14, 2021
WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee threatened on Tuesday to subpoena Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and other officials if necessary to make them testify to Congress about the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
"A full accounting of the U.S. response to this crisis is not complete without the Pentagon – especially when it comes to understanding the complete collapse of the U.S.-trained and funded Afghan military," Democratic Senator Bob Menendez said at the second congressional hearing in two days, which included testimony from Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"I expect that the Secretary (Austin) will avail himself to the Committee in the near future."
"If he does not, I may consider the use of the Committee’s subpoena power to compel him and others over the course of these last twenty years to testify," Menendez said.
A Pentagon spokesman responded that Austin was unable to appear because of "conflicting commitments" and added that Austin would testify at the end of September before the Senate and House of Representatives Armed Services Committees.
Menendez told MSNBC after the hearing that he nonetheless wanted Austin to appear before the foreign policy panel.
Lawmakers - President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats as well as Republicans - peppered Blinken with questions and criticism during the 3-1/2 hour hearing about the messy end last month to America's longest war and why the administration did not delay the withdrawal to allow more people to be evacuated.
Menendez blasted the exit as "clearly and fatally flawed."
Blinken said U.S. officials had not expected the Taliban's lightning advance and the "11-day collapse" of U.S.-backed Afghan forces.
"That's what changed everything," Blinken said.
U.S. forces had been in Afghanistan since toppling the Taliban in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks which they say were masterminded by al-Qaeda leaders based in the country.
Senator Jim Risch, the committee's top Republican, said he worried the administration was seeking to normalize relations with the Taliban and called plans to restart humanitarian aid "deeply, deeply concerning."
He described the militant group as "one of the best-armed terrorist organizations on the planet," now that it controls military equipment left behind by U.S. forces.
"There is not enough lipstick in the world to put on this pig to make it look any different than what it actually is," Risch said.
Members of Congress, which is narrowly controlled by Biden's fellow Democrats, have pledged to investigate since the collapse of the Kabul government and takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban last month.
Representative Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced after Monday's House hearing with Blinken that he had hired a former CNN reporter to investigate the withdrawal.
Blinken, and many Democrats, repeatedly noted that Republican former President Donald Trump had negotiated the withdrawal agreement with the Taliban.
Several Democrats accused Republicans of hypocrisy for supporting Trump's planned withdrawal but opposing Biden's action.
Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Doina Chiacu; additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Idrees Ali; Editing by Alistair Bell
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-sen ... 021-09-14/
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORTS
"Judge Blocks Medical Worker Vaccine Mandate in NY State - A federal judge has temporarily blocked New York state from forcing medical workers to be vaccinated after a group of health care workers sued, saying their Constitutional rights were violated."
By Associated Press
Sept. 14, 2021, at 5:31 p.m.
UTICA, N.Y. (AP) — A federal judge temporarily blocked the state of New York on Tuesday from forcing medical workers to be vaccinated after a group of health care workers sued, saying their Constitutional rights were violated because the state's mandate disallowed religious exemptions.
Judge David Hurd in Utica issued the order after 17 health professionals, including doctors and nurses, claimed in a lawsuit Monday that their rights were violated with a vaccine mandate that disallowed the exemptions.
The judge gave New York state until Sept. 22 to respond to the lawsuit in federal court in Utica.
If the state opposes the plaintiffs' request for a preliminary court order blocking the vaccine mandate, a Sept. 28 oral hearing will occur.
The state issued the order Aug. 28, requiring at least a first shot for health care workers at hospitals and nursing homes by Sept. 27.
Hazel Crampton-Hays, press secretary to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, said in a statement that the state was considering all of its legal options.
“Governor Hochul is doing everything in her power to protect New Yorkers and combat the Delta variant by increasing vaccine rates across the State."
"Requiring vaccination of health care workers is critical to this battle,” Crampton-Hays said.
Messages seeking comment also were sent to lawyers for the Thomas More Society who filed the lawsuit.
In their lawsuit, health care professionals disguised their identities with pseudonyms such as “Dr. A.,” “Nurse A.,” and “Physician Liaison X.”
They cited violations of the U.S. Constitution, along with the New York State Human Rights Law and New York City Human Rights Law, because the state Department of Health regulation requiring workers to get the vaccine provided no exemption for “sincere religious beliefs that compel the refusal of such vaccination.”
The court papers said all of the available vaccines employ aborted fetus cell lines in their testing, development or production.
But religious leaders have disagreed over the issue and the Vatican issued a statement last year saying the vaccines were “morally acceptable.”
The lawsuit said the plaintiffs wanted to proceed anonymously because they “run the risk of ostracization, threats of harm, immediate firing and other retaliatory consequences if their names become known.”
The plaintiffs, all Christians, included practicing doctors, nurses, a nuclear medicine technologist, a cognitive rehabilitation therapist and a physician's liaison who all oppose as a matter of religious conviction any medical cooperation in abortion, the lawsuit said.
It added that they are not “anti-vaxxers” who oppose all vaccines.
https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/ar ... 3A28%20p.m.
"Judge Blocks Medical Worker Vaccine Mandate in NY State - A federal judge has temporarily blocked New York state from forcing medical workers to be vaccinated after a group of health care workers sued, saying their Constitutional rights were violated."
By Associated Press
Sept. 14, 2021, at 5:31 p.m.
UTICA, N.Y. (AP) — A federal judge temporarily blocked the state of New York on Tuesday from forcing medical workers to be vaccinated after a group of health care workers sued, saying their Constitutional rights were violated because the state's mandate disallowed religious exemptions.
Judge David Hurd in Utica issued the order after 17 health professionals, including doctors and nurses, claimed in a lawsuit Monday that their rights were violated with a vaccine mandate that disallowed the exemptions.
The judge gave New York state until Sept. 22 to respond to the lawsuit in federal court in Utica.
If the state opposes the plaintiffs' request for a preliminary court order blocking the vaccine mandate, a Sept. 28 oral hearing will occur.
The state issued the order Aug. 28, requiring at least a first shot for health care workers at hospitals and nursing homes by Sept. 27.
Hazel Crampton-Hays, press secretary to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, said in a statement that the state was considering all of its legal options.
“Governor Hochul is doing everything in her power to protect New Yorkers and combat the Delta variant by increasing vaccine rates across the State."
"Requiring vaccination of health care workers is critical to this battle,” Crampton-Hays said.
Messages seeking comment also were sent to lawyers for the Thomas More Society who filed the lawsuit.
In their lawsuit, health care professionals disguised their identities with pseudonyms such as “Dr. A.,” “Nurse A.,” and “Physician Liaison X.”
They cited violations of the U.S. Constitution, along with the New York State Human Rights Law and New York City Human Rights Law, because the state Department of Health regulation requiring workers to get the vaccine provided no exemption for “sincere religious beliefs that compel the refusal of such vaccination.”
The court papers said all of the available vaccines employ aborted fetus cell lines in their testing, development or production.
But religious leaders have disagreed over the issue and the Vatican issued a statement last year saying the vaccines were “morally acceptable.”
The lawsuit said the plaintiffs wanted to proceed anonymously because they “run the risk of ostracization, threats of harm, immediate firing and other retaliatory consequences if their names become known.”
The plaintiffs, all Christians, included practicing doctors, nurses, a nuclear medicine technologist, a cognitive rehabilitation therapist and a physician's liaison who all oppose as a matter of religious conviction any medical cooperation in abortion, the lawsuit said.
It added that they are not “anti-vaxxers” who oppose all vaccines.
https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/ar ... 3A28%20p.m.
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
FOX NEWS
"Top Intelligence officials say al Qaeda could rebuild in Afghanistan in one to two years - Officials say that members of the terrorist group have already started to return to Afghanistan"
By Michael Lee | Fox News
14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Al Qaeda could rebuild in Afghanistan and again become a threat to the U.S. homeland in one to two years.
"The current assessment probably conservatively is one to two years for al Qaeda to build some capability to at least threaten the homeland," said Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency Lt. Gen. Scott D. Berrier during Tuesday's National Security Summit.
Officials say that members of the terrorist group have already started to return to the country amid the Taliban takeover, speeding the timeline for which the group could begin to pose a renewed threat.
While both al Qaeda and ISIS-K have a presence in Afghanistan, only al Qaeda has an established alliance with the Taliban.
It is still unclear how much effort the Taliban will put into keeping the terrorist group in check, though they pledged during the peace agreement with the U.S. to not allow the country to become a haven for terrorist groups, a pledge some officials do not trust the Taliban to keep now that U.S. forces have departed Afghanistan.
Deputy director of the CIA David S. Cohen said the agency is watching "some potential movement of al Qaeda to Afghanistan" but noted it is hard for the CIA to assess a timeline for when they or ISIS-K would "have the capability to go to strike the homeland" before the agency could detect the threat.
Without a ground presence in the country, the officials will be looking to develop "over the horizon" methods of collecting intelligence.
"We will also look for ways to work from within the horizon, to the extent that is possible," Cohen said.
Berrier stressed that any over-the-horizon intelligence ability in Afghanistan will have to be developed alongside a new push to monitor rivals such as Russia and China.
"We’re thinking about ways to gain access back into Afghanistan with all kinds of sources," Berrier said.
"We have to be careful to balance these very scarce resources with this pivot to China, and to Russia."
Michael Lee is a writer at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter @UAMichaelLee
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/top-in ... -two-years
"Top Intelligence officials say al Qaeda could rebuild in Afghanistan in one to two years - Officials say that members of the terrorist group have already started to return to Afghanistan"
By Michael Lee | Fox News
14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Al Qaeda could rebuild in Afghanistan and again become a threat to the U.S. homeland in one to two years.
"The current assessment probably conservatively is one to two years for al Qaeda to build some capability to at least threaten the homeland," said Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency Lt. Gen. Scott D. Berrier during Tuesday's National Security Summit.
Officials say that members of the terrorist group have already started to return to the country amid the Taliban takeover, speeding the timeline for which the group could begin to pose a renewed threat.
While both al Qaeda and ISIS-K have a presence in Afghanistan, only al Qaeda has an established alliance with the Taliban.
It is still unclear how much effort the Taliban will put into keeping the terrorist group in check, though they pledged during the peace agreement with the U.S. to not allow the country to become a haven for terrorist groups, a pledge some officials do not trust the Taliban to keep now that U.S. forces have departed Afghanistan.
Deputy director of the CIA David S. Cohen said the agency is watching "some potential movement of al Qaeda to Afghanistan" but noted it is hard for the CIA to assess a timeline for when they or ISIS-K would "have the capability to go to strike the homeland" before the agency could detect the threat.
Without a ground presence in the country, the officials will be looking to develop "over the horizon" methods of collecting intelligence.
"We will also look for ways to work from within the horizon, to the extent that is possible," Cohen said.
Berrier stressed that any over-the-horizon intelligence ability in Afghanistan will have to be developed alongside a new push to monitor rivals such as Russia and China.
"We’re thinking about ways to gain access back into Afghanistan with all kinds of sources," Berrier said.
"We have to be careful to balance these very scarce resources with this pivot to China, and to Russia."
Michael Lee is a writer at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter @UAMichaelLee
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/top-in ... -two-years
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
THE CAPE CHARLES MIRROR SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 AT 8:15 PM
Paul Plante says:
As to why the for-profit healthcare system dropped the ball here and was woefully unprepared despite the warnings from the CDC in January 2020, that answer is quite simple: the bean counters didn’t have a pandemic built into their financial model.
I wonder if people are clued to the fact that in a for-profit healthcare system, there are stockholders, and it is to those stockholders that the corporations running the healthcare system are responsible to, providing them with ROI, or return on investment.
No ROI, they bail, plain and simple.
That’s why Andy issued his February 26, 2020 press release, forty-nine (49) days after the 8 January 2020 CDC Health Network Alert about COVID, this one entitled “Governor Cuomo Announces $40 Million Emergency Appropriation to Support DOH Staffing and Equipment to Respond to Potential Novel Coronavirus Pandemic,” as follows:
“While there are still no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in New York, these aggressive actions including $40 million in emergency funding will help ensure our healthcare system is equipped with the necessary staff, supplies and equipment needed to respond to any emergency situation that may arise in the future.”
end quotes
Except they weren’t and people died as a result, and where did the $40 million in taxpayer money end up going?
Nobody really knows!
http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/news/o ... ent-424382
Paul Plante says:
As to why the for-profit healthcare system dropped the ball here and was woefully unprepared despite the warnings from the CDC in January 2020, that answer is quite simple: the bean counters didn’t have a pandemic built into their financial model.
I wonder if people are clued to the fact that in a for-profit healthcare system, there are stockholders, and it is to those stockholders that the corporations running the healthcare system are responsible to, providing them with ROI, or return on investment.
No ROI, they bail, plain and simple.
That’s why Andy issued his February 26, 2020 press release, forty-nine (49) days after the 8 January 2020 CDC Health Network Alert about COVID, this one entitled “Governor Cuomo Announces $40 Million Emergency Appropriation to Support DOH Staffing and Equipment to Respond to Potential Novel Coronavirus Pandemic,” as follows:
“While there are still no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in New York, these aggressive actions including $40 million in emergency funding will help ensure our healthcare system is equipped with the necessary staff, supplies and equipment needed to respond to any emergency situation that may arise in the future.”
end quotes
Except they weren’t and people died as a result, and where did the $40 million in taxpayer money end up going?
Nobody really knows!
http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/news/o ... ent-424382
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
CNBC
"Moderna releases new data on Covid breakthrough cases it says supports need for booster shots"
Berkeley Lovelace Jr. @BERKELEYJR
PUBLISHED WED, SEP 15 2021
KEY POINTS
* The U.S. drugmaker shared a new analysis that showed the incidence of breakthrough Covid cases was less frequent in people who were more recently vaccinated.
* The findings suggesting immunity for earlier groups had started to wane.
Moderna on Wednesday released more data on so-called breakthrough cases it says supports the push for wide use of Covid-19 vaccine booster shots.
The U.S. drugmaker shared a new analysis from its phase three study that showed the incidence of breakthrough Covid cases, which occur in fully vaccinated people, was less frequent in a group of trial participants who were more recently inoculated, suggesting immunity for earlier groups had started to wane.
There were 88 identified breakthrough cases out of 11,431 people vaccinated between December and March, the company said in a release, compared with 162 breakthrough cases out of 14,746 trial participants vaccinated in July through October of last year.
There were also fewer severe cases of Covid-19 cases in the group that received the vaccine more recently, according to a manuscript of the results shared by the company.
Three Covid-19 related hospitalizations occurred in the group that got the shots early on, resulting in two deaths, according to the data.
There were no hospitalizations or deaths in the group that recently received the vaccine, although the finding on severe cases was not statistically significant.
“There’s a large debate, we all know, about whether or not vaccine boosters are going to be necessary into the fall,” Moderna President Stephen Hoge said in a phone interview.
“That debate, what makes it really hard is it’s not really about whether the vaccine worked last month."
"It’s really about whether it’s going to work this winter.”
The analysis hasn’t been peer-reviewed yet.
The new data comes two days before a key Food and Drug Administration vaccine advisory committee meeting, when a panel of outside experts will debate whether there is enough data to support widely distributing booster shots across the U.S.
The group, called the agency’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, is scheduled to debate administering third doses of Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine as federal health regulators say they need more time to review Moderna’s application for extra doses.
The data shows that “we do see a significant increase in the risk of Covid-19 for those who are vaccinated a year ago versus six months ago,” Hoge said.
“If you take that number, which in the paper is roughly 28 cases per 1,000 person, and you extrapolate that across the 60 million Americans who’ve received that vaccine."
"The incremental number of cases of Covid-19 that would happen between here and the hospitals is about 600,000, more than half a million cases of Covid-19,” he said.
Earlier Wednesday, FDA scientists declined to take a stance on whether to back booster shots of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine, saying U.S. regulators haven’t verified all the available evidence.
The FDA appears to be skeptical about some of the data provided, including efficacy numbers out of Israel, where researchers there have released observational studies showing the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine against infection waned over time.
It sets the stage for a tense meeting Friday as the Biden administration has said it wants to begin offering booster shots to the general public as early as next week, pending authorization from the FDA.
The move is part of President Joe Biden’s broader plan to confront a higher number of Covid cases fueled by the fast-spreading delta variant.
The administration has cited three studies, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that showed the vaccines’ protection against Covid diminished over several months.
The White House’s plan calls for people to get a third dose eight months after they got their second shot of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
Scientists and other health experts have repeatedly criticized the plan, saying data the federal health officials cited wasn’t compelling and characterizing the Biden administration’s push for boosters as premature.
A leading group of scientists published a paper Monday in the journal The Lancet that argued booster shots are not needed at this time for the general public.
While Covid vaccine effectiveness against mild disease may wane over time, protection against severe disease appears to persist, the scientists said.
Widely distributing booster shots to the general public is “not appropriate” at this time, the authors, including two senior FDA officials and multiple scientists from the World Health Organization, wrote in the journal.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/15/covid-b ... doses.html
"Moderna releases new data on Covid breakthrough cases it says supports need for booster shots"
Berkeley Lovelace Jr. @BERKELEYJR
PUBLISHED WED, SEP 15 2021
KEY POINTS
* The U.S. drugmaker shared a new analysis that showed the incidence of breakthrough Covid cases was less frequent in people who were more recently vaccinated.
* The findings suggesting immunity for earlier groups had started to wane.
Moderna on Wednesday released more data on so-called breakthrough cases it says supports the push for wide use of Covid-19 vaccine booster shots.
The U.S. drugmaker shared a new analysis from its phase three study that showed the incidence of breakthrough Covid cases, which occur in fully vaccinated people, was less frequent in a group of trial participants who were more recently inoculated, suggesting immunity for earlier groups had started to wane.
There were 88 identified breakthrough cases out of 11,431 people vaccinated between December and March, the company said in a release, compared with 162 breakthrough cases out of 14,746 trial participants vaccinated in July through October of last year.
There were also fewer severe cases of Covid-19 cases in the group that received the vaccine more recently, according to a manuscript of the results shared by the company.
Three Covid-19 related hospitalizations occurred in the group that got the shots early on, resulting in two deaths, according to the data.
There were no hospitalizations or deaths in the group that recently received the vaccine, although the finding on severe cases was not statistically significant.
“There’s a large debate, we all know, about whether or not vaccine boosters are going to be necessary into the fall,” Moderna President Stephen Hoge said in a phone interview.
“That debate, what makes it really hard is it’s not really about whether the vaccine worked last month."
"It’s really about whether it’s going to work this winter.”
The analysis hasn’t been peer-reviewed yet.
The new data comes two days before a key Food and Drug Administration vaccine advisory committee meeting, when a panel of outside experts will debate whether there is enough data to support widely distributing booster shots across the U.S.
The group, called the agency’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, is scheduled to debate administering third doses of Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine as federal health regulators say they need more time to review Moderna’s application for extra doses.
The data shows that “we do see a significant increase in the risk of Covid-19 for those who are vaccinated a year ago versus six months ago,” Hoge said.
“If you take that number, which in the paper is roughly 28 cases per 1,000 person, and you extrapolate that across the 60 million Americans who’ve received that vaccine."
"The incremental number of cases of Covid-19 that would happen between here and the hospitals is about 600,000, more than half a million cases of Covid-19,” he said.
Earlier Wednesday, FDA scientists declined to take a stance on whether to back booster shots of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine, saying U.S. regulators haven’t verified all the available evidence.
The FDA appears to be skeptical about some of the data provided, including efficacy numbers out of Israel, where researchers there have released observational studies showing the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine against infection waned over time.
It sets the stage for a tense meeting Friday as the Biden administration has said it wants to begin offering booster shots to the general public as early as next week, pending authorization from the FDA.
The move is part of President Joe Biden’s broader plan to confront a higher number of Covid cases fueled by the fast-spreading delta variant.
The administration has cited three studies, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that showed the vaccines’ protection against Covid diminished over several months.
The White House’s plan calls for people to get a third dose eight months after they got their second shot of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
Scientists and other health experts have repeatedly criticized the plan, saying data the federal health officials cited wasn’t compelling and characterizing the Biden administration’s push for boosters as premature.
A leading group of scientists published a paper Monday in the journal The Lancet that argued booster shots are not needed at this time for the general public.
While Covid vaccine effectiveness against mild disease may wane over time, protection against severe disease appears to persist, the scientists said.
Widely distributing booster shots to the general public is “not appropriate” at this time, the authors, including two senior FDA officials and multiple scientists from the World Health Organization, wrote in the journal.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/15/covid-b ... doses.html
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
CNBC
"Rap artist Nicki Minaj faces backlash after tweeting inaccurate information about Covid vaccines"
Robert Towey @ROBERTTOWEYCNBC
PUBLISHED TUE, SEP 14 2021
KEY POINTS
* Minaj skipped this year’s Met Gala, which enforced a vaccine mandate, saying she was generally avoiding public events because she has a new baby at home.
* Minaj said a family friend developed swollen testicles and impotency after getting the Covid vaccine shots.
* Doctors were quick to point out that whatever Minaj’s relative’s friend was suffering from weren’t known side effects from getting the shots.
Nicki Minaj faced public backlash after tweeting that a friend of her cousin developed swollen testicles and impotence after getting vaccinated against Covid-19.
In a series of tweets Monday, the 10-time Grammy-nominated rap artist told fans she would only get immunized once she did enough research and recommended that they wear masks and get the shots if they’re required to for work.
Minaj skipped Monday’s Met Gala, which enforced a vaccine mandate, saying she was generally avoiding public events because she has a new baby at home.
Minaj said she was shooting a video and preparing for the Video Music Awards, which aired Sunday, when she caught Covid earlier this year and had to quarantine away from her infant son for a week.
Most people, however, seized on her comments about her cousin’s friend, which many people criticized as spreading false information.
MSNBC host Joy Reid criticized Minaj: “You have 22 million followers on Twitter."
"For you to use your platform to encourage our community to not protect themselves and save their lives, by God sister, you can do better than that.”
Minaj lashed out at Reid over Twitter, sharing the news clip and using a racial slur to insult the MSNBC host of “The Reidout,” who is also Black.
Doctors were quick to point out that whatever Minaj’s relative’s friend was suffering from weren’t known side effects from getting the shots.
“We are all human, and we tend to associate things,” Dr. Arturo Casadevall, chair of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told CNBC.
He noted that swollen testicles and impotence aren’t side effects of the vaccine.
“So oftentimes, things that are not related get associated, and to that person, that association is very strong."
"But this is why we have science.”
Casadevall said the symptoms experienced by Minaj’s cousin’s friend were “almost certainly” not connected to the vaccines, and the timing was just a coincidence.
Minaj skipped the Met Gala in New York City, which enforced a vaccine requirement for guests.
She replied to a fan who noted Minaj had not made a public appearance for over a year, saying that she was avoiding travel to protect the health of her infant son.
In a subsequent tweet, Minaj said she was “sure” she’d eventually get vaccinated in order to go on tour.
Attempts to reach Minaj’s representatives were unsuccessful.
Vaccine hesitancy is common nationwide, a recent CNBC/Change Research poll found, and it’s a major obstacle to achieving the herd immunity that experts say is necessary to prevent Covid surges in the U.S.
The poll reported that 34% of unvaccinated respondents said they were worried about the vaccine’s side effects, while another 34% said their suspicion of the federal government made them reluctant to vaccinate.
Debunking misinformation through conversations with the vaccine hesitant is essential to building public trust, Casadevall said.
“These vaccines are extremely safe,” Casadevall said, noting that the risks of the side effects from the vaccines are significantly lower than the health risks posed by the virus.
“Covid, on the other hand, is deadly, unpredictable.”
And for anyone like Minaj seeking more research on the available vaccines before scheduling an appointment to immunize, Casadevall suggested turning to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration for guidance.
“I don’t think doing research on the internet, or reading Twitter posts or something like that, is research,” Casadevall said.
“Research means that you have a systematic way to look at the problem.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/14/rap-art ... cines.html
"Rap artist Nicki Minaj faces backlash after tweeting inaccurate information about Covid vaccines"
Robert Towey @ROBERTTOWEYCNBC
PUBLISHED TUE, SEP 14 2021
KEY POINTS
* Minaj skipped this year’s Met Gala, which enforced a vaccine mandate, saying she was generally avoiding public events because she has a new baby at home.
* Minaj said a family friend developed swollen testicles and impotency after getting the Covid vaccine shots.
* Doctors were quick to point out that whatever Minaj’s relative’s friend was suffering from weren’t known side effects from getting the shots.
Nicki Minaj faced public backlash after tweeting that a friend of her cousin developed swollen testicles and impotence after getting vaccinated against Covid-19.
In a series of tweets Monday, the 10-time Grammy-nominated rap artist told fans she would only get immunized once she did enough research and recommended that they wear masks and get the shots if they’re required to for work.
Minaj skipped Monday’s Met Gala, which enforced a vaccine mandate, saying she was generally avoiding public events because she has a new baby at home.
Minaj said she was shooting a video and preparing for the Video Music Awards, which aired Sunday, when she caught Covid earlier this year and had to quarantine away from her infant son for a week.
Most people, however, seized on her comments about her cousin’s friend, which many people criticized as spreading false information.
MSNBC host Joy Reid criticized Minaj: “You have 22 million followers on Twitter."
"For you to use your platform to encourage our community to not protect themselves and save their lives, by God sister, you can do better than that.”
Minaj lashed out at Reid over Twitter, sharing the news clip and using a racial slur to insult the MSNBC host of “The Reidout,” who is also Black.
Doctors were quick to point out that whatever Minaj’s relative’s friend was suffering from weren’t known side effects from getting the shots.
“We are all human, and we tend to associate things,” Dr. Arturo Casadevall, chair of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told CNBC.
He noted that swollen testicles and impotence aren’t side effects of the vaccine.
“So oftentimes, things that are not related get associated, and to that person, that association is very strong."
"But this is why we have science.”
Casadevall said the symptoms experienced by Minaj’s cousin’s friend were “almost certainly” not connected to the vaccines, and the timing was just a coincidence.
Minaj skipped the Met Gala in New York City, which enforced a vaccine requirement for guests.
She replied to a fan who noted Minaj had not made a public appearance for over a year, saying that she was avoiding travel to protect the health of her infant son.
In a subsequent tweet, Minaj said she was “sure” she’d eventually get vaccinated in order to go on tour.
Attempts to reach Minaj’s representatives were unsuccessful.
Vaccine hesitancy is common nationwide, a recent CNBC/Change Research poll found, and it’s a major obstacle to achieving the herd immunity that experts say is necessary to prevent Covid surges in the U.S.
The poll reported that 34% of unvaccinated respondents said they were worried about the vaccine’s side effects, while another 34% said their suspicion of the federal government made them reluctant to vaccinate.
Debunking misinformation through conversations with the vaccine hesitant is essential to building public trust, Casadevall said.
“These vaccines are extremely safe,” Casadevall said, noting that the risks of the side effects from the vaccines are significantly lower than the health risks posed by the virus.
“Covid, on the other hand, is deadly, unpredictable.”
And for anyone like Minaj seeking more research on the available vaccines before scheduling an appointment to immunize, Casadevall suggested turning to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration for guidance.
“I don’t think doing research on the internet, or reading Twitter posts or something like that, is research,” Casadevall said.
“Research means that you have a systematic way to look at the problem.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/14/rap-art ... cines.html
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
CNBC
"FDA staff declines to take stance on Pfizer’s Covid vaccine booster shots, citing lack of verified data"
Berkeley Lovelace Jr. @BERKELEYJR
PUBLISHED WED, SEP 15 2021
KEY POINTS
* The FDA staff declined to take a stance on whether to back booster shots of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine, saying U.S. regulators haven’t verified all the available data.
* “Overall, data indicate that currently US-licensed or authorized COVID-19 vaccines still afford protection against severe COVID-19 disease and death in the United States,” they wrote in a 23-page document.
* The staff report is meant to brief the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, which meets Friday to review Pfizer’s request to approve Covid booster doses for the general public.
The staff of the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday declined to take a stance on whether to back booster shots of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine, saying U.S. regulators haven’t verified all the available data.
“There are many potentially relevant studies, but FDA has not independently reviewed or verified the underlying data or their conclusions,” they wrote in a 23-page document published on the agency’s website.
“Some of these studies, including data from the vaccination program in Israel, will be summarized during the September 17, 2021 VRBPAC meeting.”
The staff said some observational studies have suggested declining efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine over time against symptomatic infection or against the delta variant, while others have not.
“Overall, data indicate that currently US-licensed or authorized COVID-19 vaccines still afford protection against severe COVID-19 disease and death in the United States,” they wrote.
The data the FDA is looking at includes efficacy numbers out of Israel, where researchers there have released observational studies showing the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine against infection waned over time.
Pfizer says Israel data shows third Covid shot restores protection from infection to 95% as it makes case to FDA for boosters
In separate documents released Wednesday, Pfizer argued a third dose of the Covid vaccine six months after a second shot restores protection from infection to 95%.
FDA staff appeared to take a skeptical tone on the data, as observational studies don’t adhere to the same standards as formal clinical trials.
“It should be recognized that while observational studies can enable understanding of real-world effectiveness, there are known and unknown biases that can affect their reliability,” agency staff said.
“Furthermore, US-based studies of post-authorization effectiveness of BNT162b2 may most accurately represent vaccine effectiveness in the US population.”
The staff report is meant to brief the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, which meets Friday to review Pfizer’s request to approve Covid booster doses for the general public.
The documents published offer a glimpse of the agency’s view on third shots.
The Biden administration has said it wants to begin offering booster shots to the general public as early as next week, pending authorization from the FDA.
The move is part of President Joe Biden’s broader plan to confront a higher number of Covid cases fueled by the fast-spreading delta variant.
Scientists and other health experts have repeatedly criticized the plan, saying data the federal health officials cited wasn’t compelling and characterizing the administration’s push for boosters as premature.
There is currently not a consensus in the biomedical community on boosters for the general public, said Dan Barouch, an immunologist at Harvard Medical School.
“There are senior experts who fall on different sides of the debate,” he said.
“Right now, it’ll be interesting to see where the debate goes, but obviously it is known that the Biden administration has suggested that boosters are needed.”
The Biden administration has cited three studies, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that showed the vaccines’ protection against Covid diminished over several months.
The administration’s plan, outlined by senior health officials, calls for people to get a third dose eight months after they got their second shot of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
Biden has said scientists were reviewing whether to move the third shot up by three months.
When the administration announced the plan in August, senior health officials said they worried protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death “could” diminish in the months ahead, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout.
A group of scientists, including two senior FDA officials and the World Health Organization, published a paper Monday in the journal The Lancet that argued booster shots are not needed at this time for the general public.
While Covid vaccine effectiveness against mild disease may wane over time, protection against severe disease appears to persist, the scientists said.
On Tuesday, WHO officials called again for wealthy nations to stop distributing Covid vaccine booster doses in hopes of making more shots available for poorer countries with lagging immunization rates.
“There are countries with less than 2% vaccination coverage, most of them in Africa, who are not even getting their first and second dose,” Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing.
“And starting with boosters, especially giving it to healthy populations, is really not right.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/15/covid-b ... -data.html
"FDA staff declines to take stance on Pfizer’s Covid vaccine booster shots, citing lack of verified data"
Berkeley Lovelace Jr. @BERKELEYJR
PUBLISHED WED, SEP 15 2021
KEY POINTS
* The FDA staff declined to take a stance on whether to back booster shots of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine, saying U.S. regulators haven’t verified all the available data.
* “Overall, data indicate that currently US-licensed or authorized COVID-19 vaccines still afford protection against severe COVID-19 disease and death in the United States,” they wrote in a 23-page document.
* The staff report is meant to brief the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, which meets Friday to review Pfizer’s request to approve Covid booster doses for the general public.
The staff of the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday declined to take a stance on whether to back booster shots of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine, saying U.S. regulators haven’t verified all the available data.
“There are many potentially relevant studies, but FDA has not independently reviewed or verified the underlying data or their conclusions,” they wrote in a 23-page document published on the agency’s website.
“Some of these studies, including data from the vaccination program in Israel, will be summarized during the September 17, 2021 VRBPAC meeting.”
The staff said some observational studies have suggested declining efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine over time against symptomatic infection or against the delta variant, while others have not.
“Overall, data indicate that currently US-licensed or authorized COVID-19 vaccines still afford protection against severe COVID-19 disease and death in the United States,” they wrote.
The data the FDA is looking at includes efficacy numbers out of Israel, where researchers there have released observational studies showing the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine against infection waned over time.
Pfizer says Israel data shows third Covid shot restores protection from infection to 95% as it makes case to FDA for boosters
In separate documents released Wednesday, Pfizer argued a third dose of the Covid vaccine six months after a second shot restores protection from infection to 95%.
FDA staff appeared to take a skeptical tone on the data, as observational studies don’t adhere to the same standards as formal clinical trials.
“It should be recognized that while observational studies can enable understanding of real-world effectiveness, there are known and unknown biases that can affect their reliability,” agency staff said.
“Furthermore, US-based studies of post-authorization effectiveness of BNT162b2 may most accurately represent vaccine effectiveness in the US population.”
The staff report is meant to brief the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, which meets Friday to review Pfizer’s request to approve Covid booster doses for the general public.
The documents published offer a glimpse of the agency’s view on third shots.
The Biden administration has said it wants to begin offering booster shots to the general public as early as next week, pending authorization from the FDA.
The move is part of President Joe Biden’s broader plan to confront a higher number of Covid cases fueled by the fast-spreading delta variant.
Scientists and other health experts have repeatedly criticized the plan, saying data the federal health officials cited wasn’t compelling and characterizing the administration’s push for boosters as premature.
There is currently not a consensus in the biomedical community on boosters for the general public, said Dan Barouch, an immunologist at Harvard Medical School.
“There are senior experts who fall on different sides of the debate,” he said.
“Right now, it’ll be interesting to see where the debate goes, but obviously it is known that the Biden administration has suggested that boosters are needed.”
The Biden administration has cited three studies, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that showed the vaccines’ protection against Covid diminished over several months.
The administration’s plan, outlined by senior health officials, calls for people to get a third dose eight months after they got their second shot of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
Biden has said scientists were reviewing whether to move the third shot up by three months.
When the administration announced the plan in August, senior health officials said they worried protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death “could” diminish in the months ahead, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout.
A group of scientists, including two senior FDA officials and the World Health Organization, published a paper Monday in the journal The Lancet that argued booster shots are not needed at this time for the general public.
While Covid vaccine effectiveness against mild disease may wane over time, protection against severe disease appears to persist, the scientists said.
On Tuesday, WHO officials called again for wealthy nations to stop distributing Covid vaccine booster doses in hopes of making more shots available for poorer countries with lagging immunization rates.
“There are countries with less than 2% vaccination coverage, most of them in Africa, who are not even getting their first and second dose,” Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing.
“And starting with boosters, especially giving it to healthy populations, is really not right.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/15/covid-b ... -data.html
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
REUTERS
"U.S. House Democrats advance tax-hike plan as rifts open over Biden spending bill"
By David Lawder and Ahmed Aboulenein
September 15, 2021
WASHINGTON, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Legislation to raise taxes on the wealthy and corporations advanced out of a U.S. House of Representatives committee on Wednesday to help fund President Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion social spending plan, but a provision to slash drug prices stalled elsewhere on Capitol Hill.
Many elements of Democrats' sweeping "reconciliation" bill remain in flux due to the competing demands of the party's centrists and progressives.
Biden met with two influential moderate Senate Democrats on the legislation at the White House.
The Democratic-led House Ways and Means Committee voted 24-19 to approve the tax-related portions of the bill, which include raising the top income tax rate to 39.6% from 37% and the top corporate tax rate to 26.5% from 21%.
The plan boosts the capital gains tax rate to 25% from 20% for Americans with taxable income above $400,000 and adds a 3% surtax on income above $5 million.
The committee's work will be treated as recommendations to House and Senate leaders as they craft final versions of the massive tax and spending bill in coming weeks.
Representative Stephanie Murphy was the lone Democrat to vote against the tax plan, as did all Republicans on the panel.
Murphy said she supported some elements such as tax breaks for green energy.
"But there are also spending and tax provisions that give me pause, and so I cannot vote for the bill at this early stage," she said in a statement, adding the final version can be "fiscally responsible."
Democrats, who aim to pass the bill without the support of Republicans using budget reconciliation rules, cannot afford to lose more than three votes in the House and any votes in the Senate.
MEDICARE DEADLOCK
Rifts between Democratic moderates and progressives also were on display at the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where a 29-29 vote blocked a provision that would allow the Medicare healthcare program for seniors to negotiate lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies.
Three Democrats sided with Republicans in opposing the measure, long sought by progressives to beat back healthcare costs, but opposed by drugmakers as stifling innovation.
A spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the provision "will remain a cornerstone of the Build Back Better Act as work continues" on a final version.
The drug pricing plan could be reinstated due to the House Ways and Means Committee approving identical language in its legislation.
The House Rules Committee could also add it to a final version ahead of a floor vote.
MANCHIN, SINEMA LEVERAGE
Biden met separately with moderate Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema on Wednesday to discuss Democratic-backed domestic spending legislation, the White House said.
Democrats hold a razor-thin majority in the Senate, making Manchin and Sinema essential to the $3.5 trillion bill's prospects.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters the purpose of the meetings was to discuss a “path forward” on Biden’s legislation.
Sinema spokesman John LaBombard said: "Today’s meeting was productive, and Kyrsten is continuing to work in good faith with her colleagues and President Biden as this legislation develops."
LaBombard did not provide details of the conversation.
Manchin was scheduled to discuss the wide-ranging spending and tax bill on Wednesday evening, Psaki indicated.
The legislation - opposed by Republicans - aims to supplement a separate bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill and would focus on matters including education, childcare and climate-related projects.
Manchin said over the weekend he would not back a $3.5 trillion package and urged a slimmer version, putting him at odds with other Democrats backing the larger bill to tackle the party's major policy goals while they maintain a narrow hold on Congress.
Reporting by David Lawder, Ahmed Abouleinen and Richard Cowan; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Trevor Hunnicutt and Susan Cornwell; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Peter Cooney
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden- ... 021-09-15/
"U.S. House Democrats advance tax-hike plan as rifts open over Biden spending bill"
By David Lawder and Ahmed Aboulenein
September 15, 2021
WASHINGTON, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Legislation to raise taxes on the wealthy and corporations advanced out of a U.S. House of Representatives committee on Wednesday to help fund President Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion social spending plan, but a provision to slash drug prices stalled elsewhere on Capitol Hill.
Many elements of Democrats' sweeping "reconciliation" bill remain in flux due to the competing demands of the party's centrists and progressives.
Biden met with two influential moderate Senate Democrats on the legislation at the White House.
The Democratic-led House Ways and Means Committee voted 24-19 to approve the tax-related portions of the bill, which include raising the top income tax rate to 39.6% from 37% and the top corporate tax rate to 26.5% from 21%.
The plan boosts the capital gains tax rate to 25% from 20% for Americans with taxable income above $400,000 and adds a 3% surtax on income above $5 million.
The committee's work will be treated as recommendations to House and Senate leaders as they craft final versions of the massive tax and spending bill in coming weeks.
Representative Stephanie Murphy was the lone Democrat to vote against the tax plan, as did all Republicans on the panel.
Murphy said she supported some elements such as tax breaks for green energy.
"But there are also spending and tax provisions that give me pause, and so I cannot vote for the bill at this early stage," she said in a statement, adding the final version can be "fiscally responsible."
Democrats, who aim to pass the bill without the support of Republicans using budget reconciliation rules, cannot afford to lose more than three votes in the House and any votes in the Senate.
MEDICARE DEADLOCK
Rifts between Democratic moderates and progressives also were on display at the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where a 29-29 vote blocked a provision that would allow the Medicare healthcare program for seniors to negotiate lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies.
Three Democrats sided with Republicans in opposing the measure, long sought by progressives to beat back healthcare costs, but opposed by drugmakers as stifling innovation.
A spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the provision "will remain a cornerstone of the Build Back Better Act as work continues" on a final version.
The drug pricing plan could be reinstated due to the House Ways and Means Committee approving identical language in its legislation.
The House Rules Committee could also add it to a final version ahead of a floor vote.
MANCHIN, SINEMA LEVERAGE
Biden met separately with moderate Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema on Wednesday to discuss Democratic-backed domestic spending legislation, the White House said.
Democrats hold a razor-thin majority in the Senate, making Manchin and Sinema essential to the $3.5 trillion bill's prospects.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters the purpose of the meetings was to discuss a “path forward” on Biden’s legislation.
Sinema spokesman John LaBombard said: "Today’s meeting was productive, and Kyrsten is continuing to work in good faith with her colleagues and President Biden as this legislation develops."
LaBombard did not provide details of the conversation.
Manchin was scheduled to discuss the wide-ranging spending and tax bill on Wednesday evening, Psaki indicated.
The legislation - opposed by Republicans - aims to supplement a separate bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill and would focus on matters including education, childcare and climate-related projects.
Manchin said over the weekend he would not back a $3.5 trillion package and urged a slimmer version, putting him at odds with other Democrats backing the larger bill to tackle the party's major policy goals while they maintain a narrow hold on Congress.
Reporting by David Lawder, Ahmed Abouleinen and Richard Cowan; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Trevor Hunnicutt and Susan Cornwell; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Peter Cooney
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden- ... 021-09-15/
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
FOX NEWS
"Blinken admits US doesn't know who was killed in Kabul airstrike, review ongoing"
By Ronn Blitzer | Fox News
14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted Tuesday that he does not know whether a person killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul was a member of ISIS-K or an aid worker, and that the Biden administration is still looking into the matter.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., grilled Blinken on the matter during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Afghanistan withdrawal.
"The guy the Biden administration droned, was he an aid worker or an ISIS-K operative?" Paul asked, referencing a New York Times report that found that the vehicle struck was driven by U.S. aid group worker Zemari Ahmadi, one of 10 people the Times said died in the attack.
"The administration is of course reviewing that strike and I’m sure that a full assessment will be forthcoming," Blinken said, leading Paul to press the issue.
"So you don’t know if it was an aid worker or an ISIS-K operative?" the senator asked.
When Blinken said he could not speak to that in the setting they were in, Paul asked, "So you don’t know or won’t tell us?"
"I don’t know because we’re reviewing it," Blinken admitted.
Paul slammed the administration's failure to be aware of who they had targeted.
"You’d think you’d kind of know before you off somebody with a Predator drone whether he’s an aid worker or an ISIS-K," he said, before accusing past administrations of exhibiting similar behavior.
Paul had earlier chastised the administration for its failures in the withdrawal from Afghanistan and evacuation of Americans and allies trying to get out.
"Never in my worst nightmares could I have imagined that an administration would leave and leave $80 billion worth of weaponry to the Taliban," Paul said.
"Dozens of planes and helicopters, thousands of armored carriers, hundreds of thousands of automatic weapons, and worst of all, 13 of our brave young men and women."
"Never in my worst nightmares did anyone conceive of such a colossal incompetence."
Paul said the U.S. abandoning Bagram Air Field will be viewed as "one of the worst military decisions in our history."
Blinken then claimed that much of the planes and helicopters were inoperable or soon would be due to lack of maintenance.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/blinke ... was-killed
"Blinken admits US doesn't know who was killed in Kabul airstrike, review ongoing"
By Ronn Blitzer | Fox News
14 SEPTEMBER 2021
Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted Tuesday that he does not know whether a person killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul was a member of ISIS-K or an aid worker, and that the Biden administration is still looking into the matter.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., grilled Blinken on the matter during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Afghanistan withdrawal.
"The guy the Biden administration droned, was he an aid worker or an ISIS-K operative?" Paul asked, referencing a New York Times report that found that the vehicle struck was driven by U.S. aid group worker Zemari Ahmadi, one of 10 people the Times said died in the attack.
"The administration is of course reviewing that strike and I’m sure that a full assessment will be forthcoming," Blinken said, leading Paul to press the issue.
"So you don’t know if it was an aid worker or an ISIS-K operative?" the senator asked.
When Blinken said he could not speak to that in the setting they were in, Paul asked, "So you don’t know or won’t tell us?"
"I don’t know because we’re reviewing it," Blinken admitted.
Paul slammed the administration's failure to be aware of who they had targeted.
"You’d think you’d kind of know before you off somebody with a Predator drone whether he’s an aid worker or an ISIS-K," he said, before accusing past administrations of exhibiting similar behavior.
Paul had earlier chastised the administration for its failures in the withdrawal from Afghanistan and evacuation of Americans and allies trying to get out.
"Never in my worst nightmares could I have imagined that an administration would leave and leave $80 billion worth of weaponry to the Taliban," Paul said.
"Dozens of planes and helicopters, thousands of armored carriers, hundreds of thousands of automatic weapons, and worst of all, 13 of our brave young men and women."
"Never in my worst nightmares did anyone conceive of such a colossal incompetence."
Paul said the U.S. abandoning Bagram Air Field will be viewed as "one of the worst military decisions in our history."
Blinken then claimed that much of the planes and helicopters were inoperable or soon would be due to lack of maintenance.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/blinke ... was-killed