AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN

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FOX NEWS

"Kyrsten Sinema a 'traitor' to John Lewis for supporting filibuster, New York Democrat says"


By Brie Stimson | Fox News

14 JANUARY 2022

U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., is a "traitor" to the legacy of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis after reaffirming her support for the filibuster, a New York Democrat asserted Thursday.

U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman shared his views in a Twitter message in which he retweeted a photo that Sinema had posted of herself with Lewis, who died in July 2020 at age 80.

She had captioned the post "My hero."

"Hero: a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities."

"Traitor: a person who betrays a friend, country, principle, etc.," Bowman wrote.

"John Lewis is a hero, you [Sinema] are a traitor to his legacy, your constituents and our democracy."

Democrats have been advocating for lowering the 60-vote filibuster threshold to more easily pass their federal voting rights bill.

Biden in a fiery speech on the voting bill on Tuesday expressed support for the first time for changing the filibuster.

Bowman wrote another tweet about Sinema on Thursday, saying, "When big money takes precedence over the needs of people, it's a problem."

"Sen. Sinema should stop obstructing progress and help save democracy."

He linked the tweet to a Washington Post story that said five veterans on her advisory council had quit, accusing her of being one of the "principal obstacles to progress."

Sinema and fellow moderate Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., have taken the brunt of frustration from progressives over Biden’s stalled agenda.

Earlier Thursday, Sinema had defended her stand regarding the filibuster.

"There's no need for me to restate my longstanding support for the 60-vote threshold to pass legislation," Sinema said Thursday.

"There's no need for me to restate its role in protecting our country from wild reversals of federal policy."


"This week's harried discussions about Senate rules are but a poor substitute for what I believe could have and should have been a thoughtful public debate at any time over the past year."

Bowman, 45, a progressive, was elected in 2020 to represent New York's 16th Congressional District, which includes parts of the Bronx borough of New York City as well as parts of suburban Westchester County.

Sinema, 45, has been a U.S. senator since January 2019 after previously serving in the U.S. House from Arizona's 9th Congressional District.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kyrste ... k-democrat
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REUTERS

"U.S. Democrats set voting rights showdown with no clear path to victory"


By Andy Sullivan

Reuters home

January 18, 2022

WASHINGTON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's Democrats took their push to protect U.S. voting rights to the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, where legislation is roundly expected to fail in the face of united Republican opposition.

Democrats argue the legislation, backed by civil rights groups, is needed to counter a Republican-led drive to make it more difficult to vote at the state level, especially for Black and other minority voters.

Republicans on Wednesday or Thursday are expected to block passage of the sweeping legislation, arguing the package is a partisan effort that would undermine local control of elections.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer cited the urgency of what he called an onslaught of new state limits to poll access.

He said a showdown vote on a bill establishing new minimum standards for federal elections administered by states would be held sometime this week.

"Democrats are prepared to fight on this issue until we succeed," Schumer said, adding, "We have not reached the place where every person can vote easily and openly and honestly."

Democrats are scrambling to act while they narrowly control both chambers of Congress.

Republicans are favored to take a majority in at least one in the Nov. 8 elections.

With other elements of Biden's domestic agenda stalled on Capitol Hill, Biden has called the vote a significant moment for a U.S. democracy facing crisis.

A Republican vote to block the legislation would trigger an attempt to change the Senate's filibuster rule so that a simple majority of the 100-member Senate, instead of 60 votes, would be needed to pave the way for passing the bill, Schumer said.

The rules change, possible if backed by all 50 Democratic votes and Vice President Kamala Harris as the tie breaker, is also likely to fail amid opposition from at least two Democratic senators.

The two conservative Democrats, Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin, met Biden to discuss the matter on Thursday, but have since given no indication their opinion has shifted.

If the effort fails, the Senate could attempt to cobble together a far narrower election-reform bill, as some Republicans say they would like to avoid a repeat of the chaos that followed the 2020 U.S. presidential election when then-President Donald Trump falsely claimed he lost due to fraud.

The legislation now before the Senate would expand access to mail-in voting, tighten campaign finance rules, and strengthen federal oversight of elections in states that have a history of racial discrimination.

Lawmakers in 19 U.S. states have passed dozens of laws since Trump's defeat limiting voting times and mail-in ballots and raising voter-ID requirements.

Reporting by Andy Sullivan, Richard Cowan and David Morgan; Editing by Heather Timmons, Paul Simao and Howard Goller

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-dem ... 022-01-18/
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RIGZONE

"Oil Rally Continues to Seven Year High"


by Bloomberg | Julia Fanzeres

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Oil surged to the highest level in seven years as robust demand and strained supplies make physical markets run hot in the world’s largest consuming region.

Futures in New York closed up at $85.43 a barrel, the highest since October 2014.

Traders are paying higher and higher premiums for cargoes in Asia, as fears fade over the demand impact from omicron, while supplies are tightened by a range of outages from Libya to North America.

Meanwhile, a drone attack on oil facilities in the United Arab Emirates on Monday flared geopolitical risks.

Adding to bullish indicators, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its Brent forecasts through 2022 and 2023, and predicted $100 oil in the third quarter.

Robust fundamentals have reversed last year’s price slump, keeping the market in a surprisingly large deficit, it said.

“Oil was already vulnerable to price spikes as the market was tight before the recent wave of headlines,” said Ed Moya, Oanda’s senior market analyst for the Americas.

“With optimism that the demand outlook is still going to improve, energy traders are ready to pump up oil prices.”

Oil’s rally poses a challenge for consuming nations and central banks as they try to stave off inflation while supporting global growth.

In particular, it’s a headache for U.S. President Joe Biden as his efforts to tame gasoline prices by tapping emergency stockpiles -- and by cajoling OPEC -- fail to yield results.


Crude has made a red-hot start to the year with outages at producers including Libya adding to the bullishness brought about by strong demand.

There are upbeat signals from across the oil complex, from diesel to jet fuel, which is soaring in Europe as air travel withstands the omicron impact.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said in its monthly report that it expects global oil markets to remain “well-supported” this year by robust demand.

The group also reiterated its forecast from last month that “the impact of the omicron variant is projected to be mild and short-lived” -- a projection that has so far remained true.

Prices

West Texas Intermediate for February delivery, which expires Thursday, rose $1.61 from Friday’s close to settle at $85.43 in New York.

Brent for March settlement rose $1.03 to $87.51 a barrel.

The prompt timespread is 73 cents a barrel in backwardation, compared with 64 cents a week earlier

The physical-market strength has been compounded by renewed tension in the Persian Gulf, home to about 40% of the world’s seaborne oil.

Yemen’s Houthi fighters claimed to have launched a drone strike on the United Arab Emirates that caused an explosion and fire on the outskirts of the capital Abu Dhabi.

The nation is the third-largest producer in OPEC.

Low crude stockpiles mean there is no supply cushion for potential outages in producing countries, leaving the market susceptible to price increases, Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst at Energy Aspects, said in a Bloomberg TV interview.

“When you have buffers, small outages like what we have seen over December and January matter a lot less, but we don’t have that luxury,” Sen said.

Meanwhile in Washington, the White House plans to continue monitoring prices in the context of global growth and hold discussions with OPEC+ countries as needed, National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said in a statement on Tuesday.

Increased gasoline prices have been a major driver of inflation during Biden’s term, and the White House has sought to contain costs for motorists.


https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/oil_r ... 4-article/
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REUTERS

"U.S. home builder sentiment dips; New York state factory activity plummets"


By Lucia Mutikani

January 18, 2022

Summary

* Homebuilder sentiment slips in January

* New York state factory activity slumps


WASHINGTON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Confidence among U.S. single-family homebuilders slipped in January after four straight monthly increases, and builders called for a new softwood lumber agreement with Canada to ease shortages and lower prices, a survey showed on Tuesday.

Other data showed factory activity in New York state slumped this month amid surging COVID-19 infections, but manufacturers remained upbeat about business conditions over the next six months.

The reports supported views that the economy started the year on a soft note because of high inflation, shortages and raging coronavirus cases, driven by the Omicron variant.

"This is a reminder that COVID still holds sway over the recovery," said Oren Klachkin, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics in New York.

"U.S. supply chain dynamics didn't improve at the end of 2021, and early data suggest they've only worsened in 2022."

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market index dipped one point to 83 this month.

A reading above 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor.

"NAHB analysis indicates the aggregate cost of residential construction materials has increased almost 19% since December 2021," NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke said in a statement.

"Policymakers need to take action to fix supply chains."


"Obtaining a new softwood lumber agreement with Canada and reducing tariffs is an excellent place to start."

According to the NAHB, higher material costs and shortages were adding weeks to typical single-family home construction times.

The economy is struggling with high inflation, mostly the result of the pandemic, which has snarled supply chains.

The United States last November nearly doubled the duties on imported Canadian softwood lumber to 17.9% after a review of its anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders.

The Trump administration initially imposed 20% duties on Canadian softwood lumber in 2018 after the collapse of talks on a new quota arrangement, but reduced the level in December 2020 to 9%.

President Joe Biden's administration had stuck to those duties until the Commerce Department's November review.

The NAHB survey was conducted during the first two weeks of January and does not fully reflect the recent jump in mortgage interest rates.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.45% during the week ending Jan. 13, up from 3.22% in the prior week, according to data from mortgage finance agency Freddie Mac.

More expensive building materials and higher mortgage rates could make housing less affordable, especially for lower-income groups and first-time home buyers.

The dollar was trading higher against a basket of currencies.

U.S. Treasury yields rose, weighing on Wall Street stocks.

THE OMICRON EFFECT

The NAHB survey's measure of current sales conditions was steady at 90, but its gauge of sales expectations over the next six months dropped two points to 83.

The component measuring traffic of prospective buyers also fell two points to 69.

A separate report from the New York Federal Reserve on Tuesday showed its "Empire State" index of current business conditions plunged 32.6 points to a reading of -0.7 this month.

This was the first negative reading since June 2020.

A reading below zero signals a contraction in the New York manufacturing sector.


New York has been slammed by a vicious winter wave of coronavirus infections which has severely disrupted business activity.

The survey offered an early read of Omicron's impact on the economy.

There are signs that infections have peaked in some regions, including New York.

"It is possible that the recent weakening is related to the surge in virus spread over the past several weeks and/or persisting supply issues and price pressures," said Daniel Silver, an economist at JPMorgan in New York.

"We will see if other January manufacturing surveys released this week and beyond reinforce the downbeat message from the Empire State survey."

Manufacturers reported a sharp decline in orders.

The survey's new orders index tumbled 32 points to a reading of -5.0.


There were also decreases in shipments and unfilled orders measures, though not of the same magnitude as the plunge in new orders.

Factories continued to wait long periods for supplies to be delivered, keeping prices elevated.

But manufacturers were generally optimistic about the outlook for the next six months.

The index for future business conditions dipped 1.3 points to a reading of 35.1 this month.

The capital expenditures index climbed two points to 39.7, a multi-year high, suggesting that firms plan significant increases in capital spending in the months ahead.

Reporting By Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Andrea Ricci

https://www.reuters.com/business/us-hom ... 022-01-18/
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CNBC

"Janet Yellen is willing to let the economy run hot: RBS chief US economist"


Tom DiChristopher @TDICHRISTOPHER

PUBLISHED FRI, JUN 3 2016

Federal Reserve policymakers may not raise interest rates in June because Chair Janet Yellen would rather let the economy overheat than hike too soon, financial professionals said Friday.

Investors are bracing for a summer rate increase after minutes from the Fed’s April meeting showed Federal Open Market Committee members are likely to move in June if data show second-quarter growth in the U.S. economy.

Key economic data are coming Friday morning with the May employment report.

Still, Yellen remains fundamentally cautious, especially with a referendum on the U.K.’s European Union membership scheduled just one week after the FOMC’s June 14-15 meeting.

“If they don’t go in June and we have Brexit, or something else that prevents them from going in July, I don’t think Janet Yellen is going to say, ’Darn, I should’ve taken the opportunity,” RBS chief U.S. economist Michelle Girard told “Squawk Box.”

“If I’m Janet Yellen, listen to what she said."

"She wants to be cautious."

"She wants to make a mistake of going too long."

"Let it run hot,” she said.


Girard, who calls herself a hawk, said low rates have caused misallocation of resources, which has in turn restrained economic growth.

The Fed would not be in a bind had it raised rates earlier, but the case for a rate hike is less compelling today than it was a year or two ago, she added.

Jason Trennert, managing partner at Strategas Research Partners, said he also believes Yellen is OK with allowing the economy to heat up and wage inflation to continue on its upward path.

However, the economic stimulus effect of the Fed’s easy money policy has been “sterilized” by over-regulation under the Obama administration, he added.


https://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/03/janet-y ... omist.html
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REUTERS

"Another midterm worry for Biden White House: probes and impeachment attempts"


By Jeff Mason and Jarrett Renshaw

January 17, 2022

WASHINGTON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. midterm elections are some 10 months away, but President Joe Biden's administration and allies already foresee a possible scenario in which Republicans take the House of Representatives, the Senate, or both, and launch a series of investigations and attempts to impeach the president.

Lawmakers, congressional staffers and strategists predict a slew of investigations targeting the Biden administration, particularly if Republicans loyal to former President Donald Trump gain important committee seats in Congress.

Those seeking to pursue investigations include House Republicans Matt Gaetz, who pledged in a podcast to target the Department of Justice until "sphincters tighten," Bob Gibbs, who has been pushing to impeach Biden since September over the Afghanistan pullout, and James Comer, a hopeful to become head of the House Oversight Committee.

Comer's targets include the president's son Hunter Biden, the administration's handling of supply chain issues and vaccine mandates, and its removal of Trump military academy appointees, his office said.

The White House has already taken small steps that will help shield the administration from aggressive probes.

It hired a special advisor, former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, to oversee implementation of the $1 trillion infrastructure law, which Republicans would likely scrutinize in search of fraud.

The White House also bolstered the legal counsel's office with a longtime Democratic communications official to help with fallout from the chaotic U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan last year.


Biden's transition team after his 2020 election win formed the White House counsel's office in anticipation of Republicans winning the Senate and pursuing investigations, one team member said.

The January 2021 runoff elections in Georgia left control of the body to Democrats instead but the counsel's office still has that legal firepower.

"We had every reason to believe that it was going to be a Republican Senate," said Andy Wright, director of legal policy for the transition team.

"That was built into the original planning."

That planning included having Jonathan Su, who has experience handling investigations in the Obama White House years, serve as Biden's deputy counsel.

The Biden White House may hire new researchers, lawyers and communications officials to focus on the probes, strategists said.

Ben LaBolt, a former Obama spokesman, said the Clinton and Obama White Houses assembled teams of roughly the same size and expertise as congressional committees pursuing investigations.

“You need to have a parallel structure at the White House that's capable of anticipating those attacks, responding to those attacks,” he said.

Biden plans to travel to states with key political races this year, an adviser said, and the White House hopes Democrats will maintain majorities in Congress on the back of its COVID-19 vaccination rollout and legislative achievements.

The Democratic National Committee is expected to spend heavily in contested races in states such as Wisconsin and Pennsylvania that will also be important in 2024.

If the Republicans do win in November, they are "going to run the same play they did in 2011 but it will be even more unhinged and less credible," said Eric Schultz, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama who was brought in as a spokesman in the Obama White House to deal with investigations then.

"They’ll subpoena everything under the sun," said Richard Painter, former associate counsel under Republican President George W. Bush.

Among the issues, Republicans could look into the Justice Department's investigation of the deadly Jan. 6 riot on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters and thwart the congressional investigation into the attack if it is still ongoing.

“We are going to go after this administrative state, and we are going to start at the Department of Justice and the FBI,” Gaetz said, referring to Jan 6.

Outlays from the COVID-19-related $1.9 trillion "American Rescue Plan" and the infrastructure law, both unpopular with Republicans despite some bipartisan support for the latter, also would likely be scrutinized.

"There’s no doubt Republican lawmakers are going to pour over documents and all this spending will see unprecedented scrutiny,” said Amy Koch, a Republican strategist in Minnesota who helps state and federal candidates get elected.

IMPEACHMENT AND HUNTER BIDEN

Some Republicans have already signaled an appetite for impeaching Biden, with a group of four led by Gibbs filing articles of impeachment over immigration on the U.S. border with Mexico and for the way U.S. troops were removed from Afghanistan.

Gibbs is joined by House Republicans Andy Biggs, Brian Babin and Randy Weber.

Separately Marjorie Taylor Greene, a pro-Trump firebrand, filed articles of impeachment the day after Biden was sworn into office.

"There will be a lot of pressure on Kevin McCarthy, if he’s speaker, to pursue impeachment of Biden from day one."

"He may not have much of a choice if he wants to retain the title,” a Republican congressional staffer with ties to leadership said.

McCarthy is in line to succeed Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi if Republicans take over control of the chamber.

During the 2020 election, Biden's son, Hunter, became a target of Trump and Republicans, who alleged wrong-doing when he served on the board of a Ukraine energy company.

A Ukraine review found no evidence.

“There will be a lot of this Hunter stuff, and a lot of it is going to be unfair to Biden, and a lot of it is going to be personal,” Painter predicted.

House Democrats twice impeached Trump, once over Ukraine and again for his actions ahead of the Jan. 6 riot, but he was acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate both times.

Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw and Jeff Mason; additional reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Heather Timmons and Alistair Bell

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/anothe ... 022-01-17/
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GOTHAMIST

by Raphael Pope-Sussman on Feb. 1, 2017

Hundreds of New Yorkers braved freezing temperatures Tuesday night on Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza at a rally calling upon U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to take a firm stand against the Trump administration.

The rally was the latest in a series of weekly gatherings poetically dubbed “What the F*ck, Chuck?” outside the senator’s Brooklyn home on Prospect Park West and his offices in Midtown.

As a series of speakers stood on a platform and shouted over a mobile PA system, protesters cheered and jeered as they held signs with slogans like “Buck Up Chuck”; “Resisting Trump Is Your Primary Duty”; and “Filibuster Filibuster Filibuster.”

Hae-Lin Choi, of the Democratic Socialists of America and Resist Trump NY, took the stage first, announcing herself as an immigrant and telling the crowd why organizers had called for the protest.

“We planned this rally to Schumer’s home to help him find the spine and maybe some of the other body parts he needs to grow,” she said, citing Schumer’s early “yea” votes on Trump’s nominees to lead Defense, Homeland Security, and the Central Intelligence Agency.

Choi said organizers were encouraged by Schumer’s announcement in recent days that he would vote no on eight more nominees, but that they see this as a bare minimum, and they intend to keep up the pressure.

“Senator Schumer must be bold and stand with the working class,” she cried over the loudspeaker.

“He has to champion the resistance or get out of the way and we’ll find someone that will.”

As Choi spoke, the crowd chanted, “Stand up, or get out of the way.”

REUTERS

"Biden blasts Republicans, asks party to name what it stands for"


By Alexandra Alper

January 19, 2022

WASHINGTON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday accused Republicans of blocking his legislative agenda for political purposes, saying the party is more interested in defeating his presidency than doing things for the American people.

During a news briefing marking the one-year anniversary of his presidency, Biden said he did not overpromise on his agenda, but did underestimate Republican opposition.

"I did not anticipate that there would be such a stalwart effort to make sure that the most important effort was to make sure President Biden didn't get anything done," he said.

Biden added: "Name me one thing they're for."

Reporting By Alexandra Alper and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Chris Reese and Jonathan Oatis

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden- ... 022-01-19/
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REUTERS

"Biden says Fed should 'recalibrate' policy as prices rise"


Reuters

January 19, 2022

WASHINGTON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday said it was appropriate for the Federal Reserve to recalibrate the support it provides to the U.S. economy, in light of fast-rising prices and the strength of recovery.

"Given the strength of our economy and recent price increases, it's appropriate, as ... Fed Chairman (Jerome) Powell has indicated, to recalibrate the support that is now necessary," Biden told a news conference.

"The critical job of making sure that the elevated prices don't become entrenched rests with the Federal Reserve, which has a dual mandate: full employment and stable prices," the president said.

At the same time, he said, the White House and Congress could help contain inflation by moving to fix supply chain failures, encourage competition, and pass his Build Back Better spending bill that he says would cut childcare and other costs for families.

Fed policymakers have signaled they will raise interest rates several times this year, likely starting in March, to try to rein in inflation that's rising at its fastest pace in nearly 40 years.

A reduction in the Fed's $8 trillion balance sheet could soon follow.

At his renomination hearing earlier this month, Powell told lawmakers that he would not allow inflation to become "entrenched," and said a tighter policy stance was necessary to keep the economy growing.

Biden also called on the U.S. Senate to confirm his recent nominations for key roles on the Federal Reserve Board "without any further delay."

Biden earlier this month nominated former Fed Governor Sarah Bloom Raskin for the Fed's top regulatory post and two Black economists, Lisa Cook and Philip Jefferson, to round out the Fed's seven-member Board.

Late last year Biden renominated Powell to lead the Fed for another four years, and nominated Fed Governor Lael Brainard to serve as Fed Vice Chair.

The picks would remake the Fed Board to be the most diverse in the central bank's 108-year history.

Reporting by Alexandra Alper; writing by Andrea Shalal; editing by Cynthia Osterman and Richard Pullin

https://www.reuters.com/business/biden- ... 022-01-19/
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THE DAILY CALLER

"CDC Says Natural Immunity Outperformed Vaccines Against Delta Strain"


Dylan Housman

19 January 2022

Natural immunity from prior infection granted stronger levels of protection against the Delta variant of COVID-19 than vaccination alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a study released Wednesday.

Before Delta became dominant, individuals who had natural immunity were experiencing higher case rates than individuals who were only vaccinated, the study found, but after Delta took hold, those with natural immunity caught COVID-19 less frequently than those who were only vaccinated.


The study examined four categories of people — unvaccinated and vaccinated who survived a previous COVID-19 infection, and unvaccinated and vaccinated who had never been infected — in California and New York between May and November 2021.

The highest case rates were among those who had neither been vaccinated or previously infected.

The most protection against infection and hospitalization was in those who had both been vaccinated and survived an earlier bout with the virus.

The agency cautioned that the data in question only measured results against the Delta variant and that Omicron may present new challenges that alter the calculus of natural immunity versus vaccination.

Biden administration officials and some public health experts have repeatedly downplayed the effectiveness of natural immunity against COVID-19, but this study is only the latest to indicate that recovery from prior infection can at least rival, if not surpass, that offered from vaccination alone.

Most research has shown that for maximum protection against reinfection or severe illness, those who were previously infected should still get vaccinated.

Many legacy media outlets covered the study by minimizing the finding the natural immunity outperformed vaccines and emphasizing that a combination of both provided the best protection.

Headlines from the New York Times, Associated Press, CNN and others claimed that vaccination offers the “best” or “safest” protection according to the study.


In a press call Wednesday, the CDC’s Dr. Benjamin Silk, an epidemiologist that co-authored the study, did not elaborate on the increased protection natural immunity provides and repeated the administration line that every American should get vaccinated.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medica ... d=msedgntp
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OILPRICE.com

"White House Ready To Deploy 'Tools' For Oil Price Control"


By Irina Slav

Jan 19, 2022, 11:00 AM CST

* National Security Council: White House is ready to deploy 'tools' to address oil price increase

* Biden Administration continues to work with oil-producing countries and continues to 'monitor' prices in the context of global economic growth


The Biden administration stands ready to deploy its tools to address the latest increase in oil prices, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council said this week.

"We continue to work with producer and consumer countries and these steps have had real effects on prices and ultimately tools continue to remain on the table for us to address prices," Emily Horne said, as quoted by Reuters.


"We will continue to monitor prices in the context of global economic growth and engage our OPEC+ partners, as appropriate," Horne also said.

Last year, President Biden called on OPEC to increase production in response to rising crude prices, but the cartel declined.

A harder stance followed, in which the White House said OPEC and Russia were contributing to higher bills for the American working class and again insisted that the extended oil cartel boost production by more than its originally agreed 400,000 bpd monthly.

"I do think that the idea that Russia and Saudi Arabia and other major producers are not going to pump more oil so people can have gasoline to get to and from work, for example, is not, is not, right," President Biden said in November.

"Gas prices, of course, are based on a global oil market."

"That oil market is controlled by a cartel."

"That cartel is Opec," Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in November.

"So that cartel has more say about what is going on."

The next tool the White House employed when all else failed was the decision to release up to 50 million barrels of crude from the strategic petroleum reserve — a move many analysts said would not have much of an impact on prices.

Part of the amount has already been released.

OPEC and its partners, meanwhile, are facing an uphill battle to boost production even as much as necessary to fulfill their current quotas.

Only a few OPEC members, notably Saudi Arabia, have the spare capacity to boost production much further, while others, including Russia, are having trouble with increasing crude production.

This trouble is one of the reasons for the latest oil price rally, according to analysts.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/ ... ntrol.html
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