No Agenda Episode 1409 - "Viral Blizzard"

  No Agenda Episode 1409 - "Viral Blizzard"
    "Viral Blizzard
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  Credits
    "Viral Blizzard"
    Executive Producers:
      Joe
      Wouter van Diepen
      dennis price
      Dustin Saner
      Adam Carter
      Devin Wood
      Tom Davies
      Elizabeth Guiot
      Brandi Rink
    Associate Executive Producers:
      Barron Finch
      Sir Vesa of the backside of Pike's Peak
      Mike Supko
      That Larry Show
      Dame Kenny-Ben Keeper of the Carins
    Become a member of the 1410 Club, support the show here
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    Knights & Dames
      John Taylor -> Sir Vesa of the Backside of Pike's Peak
      Kendra - > Dame Kenny-Ben Keeper of the Carins
    Art By: Nessworks
    End of Show Mixes: Sound Guy Steve - Tom Starkweather
    Engineering, Stream Management & Wizardry
      Mark van Dijk - Systems Master
      Ryan Bemrose - Program Director
    Back Office Aric Mackey
    Chapters: Dreb Scott
    Clip Custodian: Neal Jones
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  Cover Art
    Art By: Nessworks
  Shownotes
    Mandates and Boosters
      Covid brought back the qr code
      Sixth circuit reinstate OSHA ets
        So, this is an emergency order for stay of enforcement of the mandate. This
        is now going to go up on emergency appeal to the Supreme Court. But just on
        the order for stay. My guess is that Kavanaugh is going to either decline
        to reimpose the stay or defer it to the court who may reject an emergency
        stay. Both Barrett and Kavanaugh seem hesitant to enforce emergency docket
        stays, so on institutional grounds it may be pushed back down on the merits
        to the 6th circuit for now. But that doesn't mean the rule will make it
        through either the sixth circuit panel (1 Obama appointee, 1 GW Bush
        appointee, 1 Trump appointee), or SCOTUS.
        Link
      People don't know their bodies
        Trust doctors like car mechanics
        Diagnose and prescribe/replace
      New email dump showing Anthony Fauci and Francis Collins coordinating a propaganda campaign to attack the Great Barrington declaration last October
      Dutch health minister
        Why booster if same stuff
        Rona same, with diff jacket
        Why
        Great question
        We don't know
      Victoria Police HQ Protest
        Victorians protest outside a heavily guarded Police HQ in Melbourne, Australia (18.12.21). The protesters are chanting “you serve us”, as one organiser is allowed into the police precinct to inform the police of why they are there.
      CDC’s miscalculated jab data poses risk as winter looms — RT USA News
        The US Centers for Disease Control has overcounted the number of Americans who have received Covid-19 vaccines, recording numerous second doses and boosters as first shots, state officials told Bloomberg.
        While the CDC’s data suggests some 240 million Americans have received at least one shot, the statistics claim just 203 million are fully vaccinated, a statistic which would suggest 37 million Americans started - but did not finish - their course of injections.
        However, state and local officials who spoke to Bloomberg on Saturday found those numbers “improbable,” suggesting instead that the government had incorrectly recorded Americans’ vaccine data on a grand scale, mis-counting second doses and booster shots as first doses and thus overestimating the number of vaccinated Americans altogether.
        Link
      Vaccine Opponent Robert Kennedy Jr.'s Guests Reportedly Told To Get COVID-19 Shots
      NFL Ends Weekly Testing For Asymptomatic Vaxxed Players–Unvaxxed Will Still Be Tested Daily
      UK Government report admits there are 23.5 Million people in England who have NOT had a single dose of a Covid-19 Vaccine – The Expose
    Mass Formation
      Forwarded Massenbildung.com to the show!
      Ivermectin prophylaxis used for COVID-19 reduces COVID-19 infection and mortality rates in Brazil
        Link
      Scott Adams is a trained hypnotist - have you seen his wife?
      I have a degree form the Connecticut School of Brodcasting
      Scott Adams Intro
        I'm disappointed, but not surprised
        He is in fact himself trapped in Mass Formation
        I think I can explain the Professor's thesis
        Didn't do the research or read De Smet's actual Theory - BIG MISTAKE
        The thesis is not that 4 elements CAUSE mass formation
        THEN you introduce a way out and SOCIAL COHESION - MASKS
        Remember that 'LEADERS' get much more Myopic
        AND we must NOT trust him, just like he said of McCullough
    Testing to Stay
      Switch from Vaxx to Home [proctor]Testing for 'Passport' credentials
        “ OK so now, what is eMed? It is a digital testing platform, founded and
        led by Dr. Patrice Harris , which
        has partnered with Abbott, maker of the BinaxNOW rapid test, and offering
        online supervision and verification of the test. This fills a need because
        home tests have been potentially problematic because a) people sometimes
        didn’t do them right and b) they aren’t accepted in some cases because you
        can’t really prove that the test you upload is yours. With eMed, a
        technician walks you through the process, watches you take the test and
        waits for the results and verifies it.”
    Freedom Passports
      SAGE calls for WFH and vaccine passports in face of Omicron wave | Daily Mail Online
      Canadian Government wants to track location by cell phones
    Statistics and Models
      Maskless Wheeler- keeper angry over grandpas death!
        My girlfriend spent the last 12 hours by her grandpa’s bed in hospital. He sadly died when they were with him. He was 95 had liver failure and dementia. So
        basically poor old boy was just worn out. No mention of covid.
        Two days later hospital ring..
        yep, you guessed…
        “he has tested positive now, ..he died of covid. “
        Family just sucking it up, getting tested.
        My girlfriend (Gem) “He didn’t die of fuckin covid!!”
    Pfizer Marketing
      Moderna COVID-19 shot likelier to cause heart inflammation than Pfizer's: study | Reuters
    2022 - Trump
      House Covid committee assigns blame for ‘botched’ pandemic response — RT USA News
        Link
        Full Report
        Members | House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis
    VAERS
      Brits warned over 'Christmas Tree Syndrome' that could prove deadly
        A type of festive allergy known as "Christmas Tree Syndrome" can aggravate the lungs and trigger asthma attacks, according to leading charity Asthma UK
        Link
      COVID-19 Vaccine-Induced Radiation Recall Phenomenon - PMC
    Going Direct Reset
      Fed Prepares to Go Direct with Liquidity
      What is SOFR?
        The Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) is intended to replace the US dollar London Interbank Rate (US LIBOR) in future financial contracts. SOFR was selected by the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (ARRC) chaired by the New York Federal Reserve in 2017.
        SOFR is the average rate at which institutions can borrow US dollars overnight while posting US Treasury bonds as collateral. Similar to a mortgage rate, SOFR is a secured borrowing rate in the sense that collateral is provided in order to borrow cash. SOFR differs from US LIBOR in that the latter is a rate for unsecured borrowing (where no collateral is posted).
        Major central banks globally have taken on similar reforms to replace their US LIBOR equivalents with more reliable rates.
        Link
      cbdc 2025 - Neeva
    Lawlessness Top and Bottom
      Car trunks open in SF to combat theft
        NY in the 80's
        No radio.
    Fact Check Fakse
      British Medical Journal criticizes Facebook over "inaccurate, incompetent and irresponsible" "fact-check" used to censor
    Elites
      PM's wedding: Billionaire's homestead venue, Lorde to sing
    BLM LGBBTQQIAPPK+ Noodle Boy
      Lupron, used to halt puberty in children, may cause lasting health problems
    Epstein
      People are fooled by Jizzlane
        Bias gets inthe way . WOMEN can lie and be evil too!
        She is probably the Black Widow in the middle of the web and has a dead man's switch
    Afghanistan
      Taliban NPR Interview - Disrespect
        The complete lack of understanding on culture during the interview is insulting!
        Boys in the culture are raised to NOT look or stare at women that are not an immediate relative. Senior leaders may be murderous assholes and will encourage stoning for infidelity, but if a woman is walking down a street, he will give way and not look at her.
        The Pashtun referenced didn't look out of courtesy and respect, not disrespect. Many of the women I know from that region they may seem demure, but under those burkas are knives and Glocks and men know it. Men will kill brothers and nephews over insults, but only a father can kill a daughter if she leads a corrupt lifestyle. A "bad" woman protected by her family is usually left alone and protected by pardah customs that keep them separate anyway.
        Not meeting eyes was respect toward that woman. Western women often take eye avoidance as a sign of their strength while tribal men believe is demonstrates their strength and discipline of being polite and reserved by NOT staring at them.
        Ask men who served - they exchanged dark glasses for yellow sniper glasses to reduce suspicion of soldiers staring at the women.
    China
      US Accuses China Of Developing Brain Control Technology | ZeroHedge
        The Biden administration said Thursday it imposed trade restrictions on more than 30 Chinese research institutes and entities over human rights violations and the alleged development of technologies, such as brain-control weapons, that undermine U.S. national security.
        The Commerce Department accused China’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences and 11 of its research institutes of using biotechnology “to support Chinese military end uses and end users, to include purported brain-control weaponry,” according to a notice in the Federal Register.
        The Washington Post had these interesting comments.
        “The scientific pursuit of biotechnology and medical innovation can save lives,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement. “Unfortunately, [China] is choosing to use these technologies to pursue control over its people and its repression of members of ethnic and religious minority groups. We cannot allow U.S. commodities, technologies, and software that support medical science and biotechnical innovation to be diverted toward uses contrary to U.S. national security.”
        The State Department has deemed as “genocide” China’s repression of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, which includes the use of forced labor and sterilization. The U.S. intelligence community has said that China has established a “high tech surveillance system” across Xinjiang “as part of its apparatus of oppression,” said a senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity.
        Link
    The Purge
      Project Veritas Names CNN Producer Involved in Wednesday’s Tragic Story | Project Veritas
      FBI Investigation Into Alleged Michigan Governor Kidnapping Plot Got Complicated
    Climate Change
      German power Company rwe warns: outages ahead
        Natural Gas shortages
      France shuts down nuclear plants - gas and power prices shatter records
    OTG
      Google Drive could soon start locking your files | TechRadar
    Big Pharma
      F.D.A. Will Permanently Allow Abortion Pills by Mail - The New York Times
    Iraq
      US air defenses respond to rockets targeting Baghdad’s Green Zone — RT World News
    STORIES
      FBI Investigation Into Alleged Michigan Governor Kidnapping Plot Got Complicated
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sun, 19 Dec 2021 16:03
        When federal officials announced, on Oct. 8, 2020, that they had foiled a plot by militant extremists to kidnap Michigan's governor, it was quickly hailed as one of the most important domestic terrorism prosecutions in a generation. They didn't mention FBI agent Jayson Chambers by name, but those who had worked the case knew that his role helping to run a central informant had been crucial.
        There was, however, something about Chambers that some colleagues might not have known: 18 months earlier, he'd incorporated a private security firm and had spent much of 2019 trying to drum up business '-- in part by touting his FBI casework. The bureau won't say if Chambers had gotten permission to set up his new venture, as agents would be required to do, but just five days after BuzzFeed News revealed its existence this August, federal prosecutors announced that he would not be on the list of witnesses testifying in the upcoming trial.
        A continuing BuzzFeed News investigation reveals new information about how Chambers' business, along with an array of issues involving other FBI agents and informants, has bedeviled the prosecution. Those issues may well affect the course of the trial. But beyond the integrity of the case, the problems are serious and widespread enough to call into question tactics the FBI has relied on for decades '-- and to test the public's trust in the bureau overall.
        That situation is complicated by the fact that the case has become a political lightning rod, with right-wing commentators calling it a prime example of government overreach. Some even baselessly assert that the Michigan investigation was a test run for what they claim was a false flag operation conducted on Jan. 6.
        Meanwhile, the challenges facing the prosecution mount: A second FBI agent, who had served as the case's public face, was charged with beating his wife when they returned home from a swingers party. He was fired soon thereafter. A third agent was accused of perjury. A state prosecutor in a related case was reassigned and then retired in the face of an audit into his prior use of informants.
        And an informant whose work was crucial to the investigation was indicted on a gun charge and is now under investigation for fraud. Interviews, court records, and other documents reveal repeated instances of apparent lawbreaking by Stephen Robeson, who, while working with the government, identified and recruited potential targets in multiple states and who organized many of the events where prosecutors say the alleged kidnapping plan was hatched. Robeson's apparent crimes took place under the nose of his FBI handlers.
        The reporting also uncovers significant new details about how Jayson Chambers attempted to parlay his FBI work hunting for terrorists into a private moneymaking venture. The business, called Exeintel, sought contracts in some cases worth millions of dollars to help institutions identify violent threats. A Twitter account linked to Chambers' business appeared on at least two occasions to be privy to the workings of Chambers' ongoing FBI investigations before they were made public and to have tweeted about the Michigan case before arrests were made.
        The Justice Department declined to comment for this article, citing the ongoing criminal case. The FBI also declined to comment. Chambers did not respond to a request for comment.
        Defense attorneys, who have hired private investigators to look into the background and activities of the agents and informants in the case, will likely bring out all this and more to argue that the defendants were entrapped by an overzealous and compromised investigation.
        The 14 men accused of involvement in the alleged plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have been charged in three separate courts. Six people '-- Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Daniel Harris, Adam Fox, Brandon Caserta, and Kaleb Franks '-- were indicted by a federal grand jury for kidnapping conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of life. Garbin eventually pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against the others. Eight more people were charged in Jackson and Antrim county courts with providing material support to terrorism, in cases being prosecuted by the Michigan attorney general. Many of the men were members of an armed extremist group called the Wolverine Watchmen, and on Monday a Michigan state judge will hold a hearing on a motion filed by three of them who claim they were the victims of entrapment.
        Kent County Sheriff via AP Images; The Bradley Bennett Show via YouTube; Department of JusticeTop row, from left: Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Daniel Harris. Bottom row, from left: Adam Fox, Brandon Caserta, Kaleb Franks
        The FBI has long relied on undercover agents and confidential informants '-- civilians, some of them paid for their service '-- to infiltrate closed groups, from the Black Panthers to the Weather Underground. Officially, these agents and informants are supposed to blend in and report back, not to directly steer the group's actions '-- and certainly not to push them to commit crimes the groups would not otherwise have contemplated. But over the years, this approach has prompted many questions about the line between effective casework and entrapment. This was especially so during the years after 9/11, when numerous Muslim defendants, under scrutiny for links to terrorism, said that investigations had crossed a line. Defense attorneys and civil liberty champions raised concerns, but in general the public did not object.
        Chambers worked on several such cases for the FBI involving young Muslim men who argued, without success, that they had been entrapped.
        In the Michigan kidnapping case, at least a dozen confidential informants, as well as two or more undercover FBI agents, helped gather evidence against the 14 men who were charged. This time around, the defendants are not part of a stigmatized minority; they are white, working-class men from rural America '-- part of a large and vocal constituency that has a powerful hold on the nation's politics. And their anti-government, pro''Second Amendment stance is one that millions of Americans share. Law enforcement tactics that have long been tolerated, and even celebrated, when used against marginal groups are getting a very different reception this time around.
        ''The whole story was a farce '-- insulting, really,'' Tucker Carlson told his millions of viewers on his show in June. ''Nearly half the gang of kidnappers were working for the FBI.''
        Seth Herald / ReutersWolverine Watchmen inside the Michigan Capitol
        When the Michigan kidnapping trial begins on March 8, federal prosecutors will have a mountain of evidence to draw from: hundreds of hours of clandestine recordings, as well as thousands of text messages and encrypted chats from militaristic training exercises, bomb-making sessions, and graphic discussions of violence against police and politicians.
        The defendants built and detonated bombs, twice surveilled Whitmer's vacation home, talked about trying and executing her, and practiced forcibly entering structures they called ''kill houses."
        At the center of much of that action was Stephen Robeson, an informant who had a long history of criminal behavior.
        Robeson, a burly concrete and asphalt layer from Wisconsin, founded a branch of the anti-government group Three Percenters. But he also has a rap sheet stretching back to the early 1980s that includes fraud, assault, and sex with a minor '-- and a long and secret history of working as a confidential informant.
        Robeson had first cooperated with local authorities on a motorcycle gang murder case in Wisconsin in the 1980s, and had done so on at least one other occasion in the 2000s.
        Most recently, he was working for the FBI, identifying and recruiting potentially violent extremists on social media platforms. He urged people to attend gun rallies and other protest events, organized meetings in multiple states, and, some attendees say, used government funds to pay for their meals and hotel rooms. Prosecutors claim that one of those meetings, in Ohio in June 2020, was where the plot against Gov. Whitmer originated.
        His involvement in the case now poses a challenge for prosecutors, both because of the lengths he went to shape the events in question and because of his own extensive and ongoing brushes with the law.
        In one instance, he held court in a private room at a Delaware tavern said to have been a gathering place for the Founding Fathers, according to one attendee, who like many others interviewed for this article spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern that they could be charged with a crime, among other reasons. After dinner, Robeson ushered many of his guests to nearby hotel rooms, where he got them to vent their anger about governors who enacted COVID-19 restrictions, according to separate interviews with a half-dozen participants who attended.
        He also urged people to plan violent actions against elected officials and to acquire weapons and bomb-making materials. Some of those contacts say he called them nearly every day.
        But as busy as he was engaging with targets of the investigation, it turns out he was involved in a number of questionable activities on his own time.
        In August 2020, as the FBI's investigation in Michigan was heating up, Robeson allegedly convinced a Wisconsin couple to buy an SUV and donate it to a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting human trafficking.
        The problem was that the charity, ''Race to Unite Races,'' didn't exist. Robeson, far from using the truck to save children, simply sold it and kept the cash, according to court records.
        He also had a problem with guns. As a person convicted of multiple felonies, Robeson, 58, is not legally allowed to own a firearm, but on as many as five occasions, he allegedly bought, borrowed, handled, or fired guns ranging from pistols to AR-15 style rifles, according to court records and interviews with four people, including one person who observed him acquiring and handling two of the weapons.
        In early March, federal prosecutors took the unusual step of securing an indictment against their own informant, accusing him of illegally buying a high-powered sniper rifle from a man he met at church and then reselling it for a profit. Robeson acquired the gun on Sept. 26, just 11 days before the FBI's takedown in the kidnapping case.
        Robeson testified that the FBI had given him some leeway to carry a gun if it helped him keep his cover, but he admitted he knew he wasn't allowed to have the sniper rifle, and that he had ''violated the rules and procedures'' of his work with the FBI.
        Federal prosecutors cut him a remarkable deal, given his prior record: no prison time, two years of probation, and a $100 fine. Judge William Conley warned him not to waste the opportunity. ''Mr. Robeson, I'm not sure I've ever had anyone in front of me before who I need to emphasize this more than you: You're under a set of terms of conditions for your supervised release,'' he said. ''If you're ever in doubt, I would strongly advise you to contact your probation officer to make sure any conduct you're engaged in is consistent with those requirements.''
        Despite that advice, last month, his probation officer informed the court that Robeson had violated his probation. He had failed to mention that he had been questioned as part of a criminal investigation '-- which was recently referred to the district attorney's office for fraud charges '-- into the SUV sale.
        Robeson, who is due to be sentenced in early February, could not be reached for comment and his attorney did not respond to multiple requests on his behalf.
        Even before Robeson was indicted on the gun charge, prosecutors appear to have gone to some lengths to keep his involvement out of the kidnapping case's public record. The original charging papers, for example, cite a different informant who attended a June gathering of militants in Dublin, Ohio, but make no reference to the fact that Robeson had helped organize the event or that he was in the meetings as well.
        As part of their trial strategy, defense attorneys in the kidnapping case plan to call Robeson as a witness. They say he can shine a light on what the government did to drag targets into the alleged plot and on the FBI's conduct overall.
        If that happens, his testimony could put prosecutors in the unusual and awkward position of having to discredit their own confidential informant.
        Joel Bissell / @MLiveRichard Trask
        It wasn't just the informant who could present challenges to the case. Members of law enforcement who worked on the investigation, and a team attorney involved in prosecuting it, brought their own considerable baggage.
        In May, Gregory Townsend, one of two assistant attorneys general overseeing the Michigan state prosecution, was abruptly taken off the case. Officials had launched an investigation into the use of jailhouse informants in at least one murder case he'd previously prosecuted. In September, the state vacated the murder conviction at the center of that investigation, of a man who was charged with starting a fire that killed five children.
        Then came the domestic violence charge for the FBI agent who had been the public face of the case.
        On July 18, special agent Richard Trask and his wife came home after a night out at a swingers party. According to a statement she made to local police, they had an argument that culminated with him choking her and bashing her head against a nightstand. Later that night, he was found in his wife's car in a grocery store parking lot, where he was arrested and later charged with felony assault.
        A longtime agent specializing in counterterrorism, Trask had been assigned to track the alleged ringleader of the Whitmer kidnapping conspiracy, Adam Fox. In October and January, he took the stand in federal court to argue that the defendants in the case should remain behind bars pending trial.
        Prosecutors later divulged that Trask had also posted an obscenity-laden tirade against former president Donald Trump on his Facebook page.
        It emerged in September that Trask's employment with the FBI had been terminated. He is expected to enter a plea on the assault charge in state court on Monday. He declined to comment for this story.
        Another agent on the case, Henrik Impola, testified for two days in state court earlier this year, noting that he was one of two investigators who handled the other principal informant, an Iraq war vet known as Dan. Even as Impola took the stand, defense attorneys were learning that he had been accused, in an unrelated case, of perjury.
        Jackson County District CourtHenrik Impola
        According to a defense attorney on that case, Impola had lied on the witness stand about the circumstances of an interview he conducted with a suspect, and the suspect's lawyer filed a letter of complaint with the FBI and the Justice Department. ''Why has such a blatant violation of the Federal perjury statute by an eight-plus-year veteran of the FBI not been referred for prosecution,'' the lawyer asked the FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility in February 2020.
        Impola referred a request for comment to the FBI, which declined to answer questions.
        To date, the government has not responded to the perjury allegations. Three legal experts contacted by BuzzFeed News said that Impola's actions, which concern statements about a search warrant affidavit, were far from composing a clear-cut case of perjury. Nevertheless, defense attorneys in the kidnapping case raised the issue in court and could do so before a jury during a trial, complicating any plans to put Impola on the stand.
        The perjury allegation against Impola '-- however thin '-- and the assault charges against Trask could give defense attorneys a chance to undermine the jury's confidence in the conduct and credibility of the FBI agents.
        And then there was special agent Jayson Chambers and his side hustle.
        Chambers helped to oversee Dan, the Iraq War vet who was a confidential informant in the case. Dan infiltrated the Wolverine Watchmen, rose to become the group's second-in-command, and, under the direction of his FBI handlers, repeatedly encouraged its members to attend trainings and activities where violent schemes were allegedly concocted.
        When his connection to Exeintel was revealed, defense attorneys claimed that Chambers may have ''used the investigation to promote his company and its services.''
        BuzzFeed News has found no evidence that Chambers planned to use the Michigan case in that capacity, but a review of emails and other documents shows he has trumpeted past investigations as a selling point for his services.
        In the r(C)sum(C) he shared with potential clients, Chambers identifies himself as a counterterrorism specialist who has used ''online undercover techniques'' to investigate al-Qaeda, ISIS, Hamas, and other groups. In marketing materials distributed by Chambers, Exeintel is described as ''a unique cyber-intelligence team'' that uses ''undercover online personas'' and other methods to identify threats, including terrorism, for clients.
        In a business proposal from November 2019, Chambers pitched security services with prices ranging as high as $6 million.
        The FBI has declined to comment on Chambers or his company, Exeintel. But bureau policy generally prohibits agents from owning or operating businesses that may present a conflict of interest.
        Beyond the potential conflict, Exeintel raises questions about Chambers' operational security as an FBI agent '-- which is crucial to protecting the integrity of ongoing investigations.
        The Twitter account @ravagiing, which identified itself as belonging to the CEO of Exeintel and linked to the company's website, appears to have had advanced knowledge of '-- and tweeted about '-- sensitive information about two separate cases Chambers worked on.
        In January 2019, three months before Chambers incorporated Exeintel LLC in New Mexico, that account crowed about a terrorism investigation involving a trio of Somali American men who were accused of providing material support to ISIS.
        In the tweet, which was posted two days after the men were arrested, @ravagiing wrote that Exeintel ''had been tracking this group since last year,'' adding that the ''agents handling this case are INCREDIBLE!''
        The tweet included screenshots of what appear to be encrypted messages sent the prior October '-- when the case was still secret '-- in which two parties discuss two of the men who were later charged.
        ''Is this the other tango,'' reads one message, using military slang for ''target'' and including a screenshot of one suspect's Facebook page. Another message said yes and named one of the suspects while linking to the Facebook page for the man's cousin.
        The name of one of the participants in the chat was blurred by whoever posted the screenshot, but the other was listed as ''Skai,'' which is the screen name for the @ravagiing handle on Twitter.
        Then the account began tweeting about Michigan.
        On Sept. 24, 2020, just two weeks before the takedown, @ravagiing tweeted, ''Soon'....MICHIGAN Soon.'' Then just hours before the Oct. 7 takedown, it tweeted again: ''Don't worry Michigan I told ya A LOT more coming soon.''
        In response to a motion from the Whitmer kidnapping defendants that mentioned the tweets, Assistant US Attorney Nils Kessler wrote on Aug. 31 that ''neither the FBI nor SA Chambers ever controlled the account'' that posted them.
        In response to questions directed to the @ravagiing account, someone who asked not to be named out of concern for his family's privacy said in a statement that Chambers did not control the Twitter account and had no relationship to the company at the time that the Michigan case was unfolding. The statement also said that BuzzFeed News took @ravagiing's Oct. 7 tweet about the Michigan case ''out of context.''
        Chambers started work at the FBI in 2010. In an email sent to a business associate in April 2019 and obtained by BuzzFeed News, he indicated that he planned to leave the bureau if his new business took off.
        Over the following months, Chambers was in contact with potential clients for Exeintel, setting up meetings with executives for several different companies, emails, marketing materials, and business proposals reviewed by BuzzFeed News show.
        The statement from Exeintel said that the company never got any business. Chambers stayed with the FBI, and in March 2020, he began work on what would become the Michigan kidnapping investigation.
        That case carried over many of the tactics that were successfully used against young, disaffected Muslims in cases that Chambers had helped bring, at times over the strenuous objections of defense lawyers.
        In one instance, a 21-year-old man in Detroit was approached online by two undercover operatives pretending to be Muslim women looking for love, one of whom repeatedly attempted to convince him to consider martyring himself in an act of terrorism.
        In a second investigation, three young Somali American men were contacted on Facebook and other platforms by a series of people posing as ISIS recruiters, converts to Islam, individuals in Somalia, and flirtatious women, among other personas. After nearly two years, one of the men agreed to travel to Somalia using money provided by an undercover agent and was arrested at the airport.
        All the men eventually pleaded guilty and received lengthy prison sentences.
        Whether the government will be successful in the Whitmer case will depend not only on the strength of the evidence and how it plays before a heartland jury, but also whether the prosecution can withstand the questions raised by the conduct of so many people involved in making the case '-- and whether there could be more to come.
        Amanda Keller, whose former fianc(C), Adam Fox, is accused of leading the kidnapping plot, said she alluded to that possibility in an interview with an FBI agent this fall.
        Keller, who attended some of the events organized by Robeson but has not been charged with any crimes, has been interviewed by the FBI numerous times since late last year. She said she mostly spoke to Impola and Trask, and once met with Chambers.
        But when the FBI called her in again more recently, none of those agents were there.
        After all the damaging material that had emerged about them, she said she asked the new agent sitting across the table '-- only half-kidding '-- ''So what are we going to find out about you?'' '—
      Members | House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sun, 19 Dec 2021 16:00
        Connect with the SubcommitteeTwitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
        2157 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-4400
      SAGE calls for WFH and vaccine passports in face of Omicron wave | Daily Mail Online
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sun, 19 Dec 2021 15:13
        No10's scientists have called for the introduction of vaccine passports and work-from-home guidance to counter the spread of the super-mutant Omicron Covid variant, advice published today shows.
        Documents released by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and subgroup Nervtag warned the highly evolved strain could cause a surge in cases 'similar or even larger' than previous waves.
        The expert panel admitted that the jury is still out on whether the variant will cause more or less severe illness, with conflicting reports coming out of the epicentre in South Africa, where doctors insist most cases are mild but hospital admissions seem to be rising.
        In the minutes from SAGE's 97th meeting on Covid on Monday, the group said the emergence of Omicron meant vaccine passports and reducing social contacts through working from home were 'highly relevant'.
        The meeting, chaired by England's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty and Chief Science Officer Sir Patrick Vallance, concluded that the strain's infectiousness was undisputed but evidence of its effect on vaccines is still murky.
        In a separate meeting of SAGE's modelling subgroup Spi-M, scientists also warned that coronavirus would likely put pressure on the NHS for a further five years at least before becoming endemic '-- weakened to the point of a common cold thanks to jabs and natural immunity.
        They said continued monitoring and 'active' measures would be required until 2026, although they did not stipulate what these may involve.
        But they conceded that despite the threat posed by, there is not enough evidence yet to suggest its 32 mutations making it significantly more vaccine evasive.
        Scientist won't know the full scale of Omicron's infectiousness, vaccine evasiveness or lethality for another two or three weeks, when they can isolate the virus in a lab and study its biology and test it against the blood of previous-infected or vaccinated people.
        But the variant appears to now be spreading domestically in England even though only a few dozen cases have officially been confirmed.
        Official data shows that the proportion of positive Covid tests with a mutation synonymous with the highly-evolved strain is on the rise. Like Alpha, or the 'Kent variant', Omicron has a specific alteration which means it can be detected through PCR tests without the need for genomic sequencing.
        The proportion of positive tests in England with this so-called S-gene dropout has risen from 0.1 per cent in the past week to 0.3 per cent, the equivalent of one in 330. Scientists said the increase in S-gene dropouts suggests there could be hundreds of Omicron cases that are flying under the radar currently.
        Meanwhile, a major British study in booster vaccines found that both Moderna and Pfizer triple the level of T cells in double-jabbed people, which the scientists said made them confident boosters will give very high protection against Omicron. Some 134 cases have been confirmed in Britain so far.
        It comes as public health officials in Gauteng, the epicentre of South Africa's outbreak, estimate the province's R rate has surged from less than one to 3.5 in just a month '-- suggesting that every 10 infected people are passing the virus onto 35 others.
        Some 134 cases of Omicron have been confirmed in the UK so far. Twenty-nine infections have been spotted in England, including three in Westminster and two in each of Barnet, Buckinhamshire, Camden, Lewisham and South Northamptonshire. And Scotland's cases today increased by 16 to 29. The first 13 infections were divided between Lanarkshire and the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. Today, two more cases were spotted in Lanarkshire, five more in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, while three were identified in the Highlands, one in Grampian and five in Forth Valley. And Wales announced this afternoon that its first case has been found in Cardiff
        In the minutes from SAGE's 97th meeting on Covid held on Monday, the group said the emergence of Omicron meant bringing in vaccine passports and the return of work-from-home guidance were 'highly relevant'
        Papers released by subgroup Nervtag warned the highly evolved strain could cause a surge in cases 'similar or even larger' than previous waves
        In a separate meeting of SAGE modelling subgroup Spi-M, scientists also warned that coronavirus would likely cause misery in Britain for a further five years at least before becoming endemic
        Official data shows that the proportion of positive Covid tests with a mutation synonymous with the highly-evolved strain is on the rise. Like Alpha, or the 'Kent variant', Omicron has a specific alteration which means it can be detected through PCR tests without the need for genomic sequencing. The proportion of positive tests in England with this so-called S-gene dropout has risen from 0.1 per cent in the past week to 0.3 per cent, the equivalent of one in 330. Scientists said the increase in S-gene dropouts suggests there could be hundreds of Omicron cases that are flying under the radar currently
        Covid booster vaccines are likely to offer good protection against the Omicron variant, experts behind a Government-funded new study say. Graph shows: The number of T-cells per 10^6 peripheral blood mononuclear cells in people who have had two doses of the AstraZeneca after a third dose of the Pfizer (red bars) and Moderna (blue bars) vaccines
        First sign of Omicron spreading in England: Official chart shows slight uptick in positive tests with hallmarks of super-variant The super-mutant Omicron variant appears to now be spreading domestically in England even though only a few dozen cases have officially been confirmed, a new chart suggests.
        Official data shows that the proportion of positive Covid tests with a mutation synonymous with the highly-evolved strain is on the rise. Like Alpha, or the 'Kent variant', Omicron has a specific alteration which means it can be detected through PCR tests without the need for genomic sequencing.
        The proportion of positive tests in England with this so-called S-gene dropout has risen from 0.1 per cent in the past week to 0.3 per cent, the equivalent of one in 330. Scientists said the increase in S-gene dropouts suggests there could be hundreds of Omicron cases that are flying under the radar currently.
        While the variant is likely only making up a small number of cases in the UK '-- where 50,000 people on average are testing positive each day, most with Delta '-- it is feared the country could be on the brink of a fresh wave.
        It comes as public health officials in Gauteng, the epicentre of South Africa's outbreak, estimate the province's R rate has surged from less than one to 3.5 in just a month '-- suggesting that every 10 infected people are passing the virus onto 35 others.
        The Omicron strain has triggered a meteoric rise in cases in South Africa, mostly concentrated in Gauteng, since the country that first alerted the world about the highly-evolved virus on November 24.
        Nationally, cases there soared to 11,535 on Thursday marking a 370 per cent rise in a week, and up a third on around 8,500 yesterday. It has become the dominant strain in the country in little over a week since it was officially discovered, making up 75 per cent of sequenced samples.
        SAGE said bringing back face coverings in all indoor public settings '-- including restaurants and bars '-- remained a 'highly relevant' way of countering the variant.
        They said: 'Past SAGE advice on measures to reduce transmission remains highly relevant, including but not limited to advice around ventilation, face coverings, hand hygiene, reducing contacts (e.g. by working from home), vaccination certification, and the importance of effective testing, contact tracing and isolation.'
        No10 introduced new rules on Monday to make face masks compulsory on public transport and in shops, hairdressers and beauty salons in England.
        But it stopped short of bringing back the rules in bars, cafes and restaurants '-- unlike in Scotland, which has already brought them in.
        Vaccine passports at large public events and the return of work from home guidance formed the two other key areas of the Government's winter 'Plan B', which ministers said would be 'enacted if the data suggests further measures are necessary to protect the NHS'.
        Cases in the UK have been increasing for the last two days after a further 10 cases of the variant were picked up in England yesterday, taking Britain's total number to 44.
        But hospitalisations and deaths have continued to fall for weeks, with the increase in cases so far limited mostly to younger, less vulnerable age groups and booster vaccines limiting severe disease in the elderly.
        However, members of the Department of Health's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) claimed the onset of Omicron could trigger a wave of infections 'even larger' than previous ones.
        Nervtag said: 'The subgroup concludes that if introduced into the UK, B.1.1.529 would likely be capable of initiating a new wave of infections.
        'We cannot exclude that this wave would be of a magnitude similar, or even larger, than previous waves.'
        That could lead to levels of hospitalisation and death similar to last January if the strain proves to be as evasive as some experts' worse fears.
        But SAGE insisted the extent to which the variant stops jabs working as they should is still not clear, with data from South Africa proving difficult to assess given the country's low vaccination rate compared to the UK.
        More than 80 per cent of eligible Brits (46.4million) have had two doses of a Covid vaccine, compared to just over half of that in proportion in South Africa, where around 43 per cent have had both jabs.
        They suggested booster vaccines are still likely to protect Brits against severe disease, hospitalisation and death with the variant and backed the Government's move to increase booster coverage across Britain.
        Boris Johnson announced No10's new strategy to give boosters to every adult in the country by the end of January in an effort to reduce the burden on the NHS caused by the variant.
        Data in South Africa shows the R-rate has soared to over three per cent in recent weeks as Omicron took hold in Gauteng province
        New images of the Omicron variant's 32 mutations (left) were released yesterday by the Covid Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK). They show the variant's three mutations '-- H655Y, N679K, and P681H, located in the lower right of the image '-- that could help the virus sneak into the body more easily
        'Keep calm and carry on with your Christmas plans': Oliver Dowden attempts to end confusion over festive advice Tory Party chairman Oliver Dowden today insisted people should 'keep calm and carry on' with their Christmas plans and parties despite Omicron - but Britain's pubs, hotels, restaurants and clubs already set to lose billions say 'the damage is already done' as the cancellations continue.
        Mr Dowden insisted the Government had been clear in its guidelines - despite a plethora of ministers offering contradictory and confusing advice - and said: 'There's a Conservative Party Christmas party still planned'.
        He also said that providing Britons abide by mask rules on public transport and in shops, they can kiss anyone they like under the mistletoe.
        Boris Johnson has urged businesses not to cancel office parties and proceed with caution when his ministers either told people to cancel, wear masks, take tests and not snog strangers - none of which are in the Government guidelines.
        Mr Dowden told Sky News: 'The message to people, I think, is fairly straightforward - which is keep calm, carry on with your Christmas plans. We've put the necessary restrictions in place, but beyond that keep calm and carry on.
        'I understand that people have concerns around the new variant. That's why the Government has taken the sort of measures that we've already outlined ... we think those are sufficient at this stage and, beyond that, people should continue with their plans as intended.'
        Amid confusion about what to do, many of Britain's biggest employers including the NHS, banks and tech firms have axed festive bashes completely or taken them online. It is now said to be a 50/50 split.
        The group said: 'Booster vaccinations have been shown to produce very strong antibody responses and are likely to provide protection against severe disease, hospitalisation and death from most variants at least in the short term, with protection against severe disease remaining higher than protection against infection.
        'Increasing coverage of booster vaccinations '-- as well as increasing coverage of primary courses '-- is therefore an important defence.'
        They continued: 'Other vaccine strategies, such as updated vaccines, may also need to be considered depending on the degree of immune escape.
        'Companies are already pursuing both multivalent vaccines and Omicron specific vaccines.'
        A Government-funded trial today showed the body's T-cell immune response after a third dose suggests vaccines will continue to protect against hospitalisation and death from the new strain.
        T-cells are thought to provide longer lasting and broader protection than antibodies which deliver an initial higher boost of protection but also see that defence fade faster over time.
        Professor Saul Faust, trial lead and director of the NIHR Clinical Research Facility at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'Even though we don't properly understand its relation to long-term immunity, the T cell data is showing us that it does seem to be broader against all the variant strains, which gives us hope that a variant strain of the virus might be able to be handled, certainly for hospitalisation and death if not prevention of infection, by the current vaccines,' Professor Faust said.
        He said T cell response was not just focused on the spike protein but 'are recognising a much broader range of antigens that might... be common to all of the variants.'
        Asked specifically about Omicron, he said: 'Our hope as scientists is that protection against hospitalisation and death will remain intact.'
        Despite the hopes afforded by boosters, the SAGE papers today suggested Britain will not be coronavirus-free for at least another five years.
        Experts suggested some form of measures will be needed for the next half a decade, with constant monitoring required to prevent future waves after Omicron has finished.
        SAGE said: 'SARS-CoV-2 will continue to be a threat to health system function and require active management, of which vaccination and surveillance are key, for at least the next five years.'
        Britains vaccines minister Maggie Throup last night told Brits they 'probably will' have to get a coronavirus booster jab every year.
        Ms Throup pointed to the Government's latest vaccine purchase of 114million new doses which are due to be delivered in 2022 and 2023 as she said 'it would be wrong of us not to be prepared'.
        The comments on the BBC's Question Time programme came after the boss of Pfizer, Dr Albert Bourla, said annual vaccinations 'are likely to be needed'.
        The Government announced earlier this week that it had agreed to buy 114million extra doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to be delivered over the next two years.
        That purchase sparked speculation that Brits could be offered a fourth and even a fifth jab in the coming years.
      US air defenses respond to rockets targeting Baghdad's Green Zone '-- RT World News
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sun, 19 Dec 2021 15:04
        Several rockets hit Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone hosting the US-led military coalition's facilities as well as the US embassy. One rocket was shot down by the US-installed defense systems.
        Two rockets were launched towards the Green Zone on Sunday morning local time, Iraqi security forces have confirmed.
        "The Green Zone in Baghdad was the target of two Katyusha rockets. The first was shot down in the air by C-RAM defence batteries, the second fell in a square, damaging two vehicles," they said in a statement as reported by AFP.
        Footage posted on social media purportedly shows the moment one of the projectiles was intercepted by the air defense systems, scrambled to respond to the threat.
        One of the two rockets reportedly landed merely 500 meters (1,640 feet) from the US embassy, AFP reported, citing security sources.
        The new rocket attack comes as the December 31 deadline for US combat troops to withdraw from the country inches closer. Last month, Baghdad denied reports that Western troops would be allowed to stay beyond that date, dismissing speculation of the deadline extension as ''inaccurate''
        Upon the end of the combat mission, the remaining coalition forces will switch to training, advising, and assisting Iraqi troops.
        While the change in the US-led coalition's role in the country has been billed as a withdrawal, Reuters reported last week, citing security officials, that the formal conclusion of the mission will make ''little difference'' on the number of US troops stationed in Iraq.
        Last week, the top US commander for the Middle East, Marine General Frank McKenzie, revealed that the Pentagon does not plan to put a lid on its military operations in Iraq, saying that US forces will provide air support for the Iraqi troops taking on the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) militants.
        McKenzie predicted that Washington's intention to keep the 2,500 troops it currently has in Iraq on the ground is likely to trigger a response from ''Iran-backed militias'' as the deadline looms.
        He insisted, however, that the US won't budge. ''They actually want all U.S. forces to leave, and all U.S. forces are not going to leave.''
      UK Government report admits there are 23.5 Million people in England who have NOT had a single dose of a Covid-19 Vaccine '' The Expose
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sun, 19 Dec 2021 13:10
        Breaking NewsFor months the British public have been deceived with tales that there are just 5 million people in the United Kingdom who have refused to take up the offer of a Covid-19 vaccine. But today we can reveal that this is a lie.
        It is a complete fabrication that has no doubt been used to make those who have refused the jab feel as if they are part of a minority, because an official UK Government report proves that in England alone there are approximately 23.5 million people who have not had a single dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
        It was back in September that the British public were told there were 5 million Brits who had so far refused the experimental jabs. Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK's Chief Scientific Advisor and former president of GlaxoSmithKline, announced in a televised Covid-19 briefing that ''There are five million or so people who are eligible for vaccines now who haven't been vaccinated,''.
        Well it turns out the ''or so'' make up approximately another 10.3 million people in England alone as of December 17th 2021, bringing the grand total of people eligible to have the Covid-19 jab to 15.3 million, and 23.5 million when including all children under the age of 12.
        The population of England is approximately 56 million, and according to 'Statista' the 2020 figures show that approximately 3.23 million of those are aged 4 and under, and a further 3.54 million are aged between 5 and 9.
        The Statists site also states that approximately 3.44 million are between the ages of 10 and 14, so if we divide that number equally by five and then times by two we can roughly work out the number of 10 and 11 year old children and work out the total population of England eligible for a Covid-19 injection, which is of course everyone over the age 12.
        That equation totals 1.38 million, therefore in England, there are approximately 8.2 million children under the age of 12, and 47.8 million eligible for Covid-19 vaccination.
        Which brings us to the UK Health Security Agency Week 50 Vaccine Surveillance Report.
        The UK Health Security Agency recently replaced Public Health England and is sponsored by the Department for Health and Social Care and headed by Dr Jenny Harries.
        Within their weekly Vaccine Surveillance Report they publish a section on 'Population impact' of the Covid-19 vaccines, and it interestingly states that 'by 12th December 2021, the overall vaccine uptake in England for dose 1 was 67.9% and for dose 2 was 62.2%.'
        The report also clearly states that uptake for dose 3 was 31.4%.
        Here's how those percentages translate in terms of the actual population of England ''
        As we can see from the above according to the UK Health Security Agency report, 32.4 million people have had a single dose, 29.7 million people have had a second dose, and 15 million people have had a third dose as of December 12th 2021.
        This means there are 23.5 million people who have refused to partake in the largest real-world experiment ever conducted, not just 5 million that has been claimed for months and used to write discrimatory articles such as this one from journalist Andrew Neil ''
        Source''There are still 5 million unvaccinated British adults, who through fear, ignorance, irresponsibility or sheer stupidity refuse to be jabbed. In doing so they endanger not just themselves but the rest of us.'' wrote Andrew Neil for the Daily Mail.
        ''If they contract Covid, it is they who will put the biggest strain on the NHS, denying the rest of us with serious non-Covid ailments the treatment that is our right. We are all paying a heavy price for this hard core of the unvaccinated''.
        Not only is Andrew Neil peddling the lie that there are just 5 million unvaccinated Brits, he's also peddling the lie that they are putting the biggest strain on the NHS.
        Because official data found within several UKHSA Vaccine Surveillance reports shows that it is the vaccinated population who have accounted for the majority of Covid-19 hospitalisations since at least 16 Aug 21
        According to the following reports ''
        COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report '' Week 37 (Covers Week 33-36)COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report '' Week 41 (Covers Week 37-40)COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report '' Week 45 (Covers Week 41-44)COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report '' Week 49 (Covers Week 45-48)Between Aug 16 and Dec 05, the unvaccinated population accounted for 11,767 Covid-19 hospitalisations. But the vaccinated population accounted for nearly double the amount, recording 19,730 hospitalisations, with 18,406 of those being among the 2/3 dose vaccinated population. This means the vaccinated population have accounted for 63% of Covid-19 hospitalisations since August 2021.
        It gets even worse for the vacinated population when it comes to deaths though.
        Between 16 Aug 21 and 05 Dec 21 there were 3,070 Covid-19 deaths among the unvaccinated population in England, compared to 12,058 deaths among the vaccinated population during the same time frame. That is a 293% difference.
        The public are being fed lie, after lie, after lie.
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        Categories: Breaking News, Did You Know?, Latest News, The Expose Blog, World News
      NFL Ends Weekly Testing For Asymptomatic Vaxxed Players''Unvaxxed Will Still Be Tested Daily
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sun, 19 Dec 2021 12:43
        The NFL is changing its COVID testing policy.
        It will now not test asymptomatic vaccinated players weekly.
        They will be the subject of ''targeted'' testing.
        Unvaccinated players are still going to be tested daily.
        In short: Unvaccinated individuals will continue to be tested daily. Fully vaccinated individuals will be subject to ''targeted'' testing, as well as if they show symptoms and if they have a high-risk contact with a vaccinated individual '-- but not a regular weekly test.
        '-- Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 18, 2021
        From Fox News:
        Only unvaccinated players and those experiencing possible symptoms of COVID-19 will be tested, starting Sunday, under the NFL's revised protocols.
        Also, higher risk players have until 2 p.m. Monday to send written notice if they choose to opt out, according to a memo sent to clubs on Saturday and obtained by The Associated Press. The players will not be paid and the notice is irrevocable.
        ''Medical information strongly indicates that this variant is significantly more contagious but possibly less severe than prior variants, particularly for people who are fully vaccinated and have received a booster shot,'' NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in another memo sent to clubs. ''Our experience with the omicron variant is fully consistent with this expectation '' while more players and staff are testing positive, roughly two- thirds of those individuals are asymptomatic, most of the remaining individuals have only mild symptoms, and the virus appears to clear positive individuals more rapidly than was true with the delta or earlier variants. In many respects, omicron appears to be a very different illness from the one that we first confronted in the spring of 2020.''
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      Operator-based Location Data and Services for Public Health Mobility Analysis (1000236419) - Buyandsell.gc.ca
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        Sun, 19 Dec 2021 12:42
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      PM's wedding: Billionaire's homestead venue, Lorde to sing
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        Sun, 19 Dec 2021 12:22
        A billionaire's rural luxury estate awaits Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford on their wedding day.
        And global chart-topper and Grammy Award-winner Lorde is also understood to be on hand to entertain the couple's loved ones and friends.
        The Herald on Sunday understands the couple will be tying the knot at the farm homestead at Nick's Head Station at Muriwai, near Gisborne.
        The property is owned by hedge fund billionaire John Griffin and his wife Amy, who reportedly also own the most expensive townhouse in New York worth USD$77.1 million (NZD$113 million).
        But not everyone is impressed; with the owner of the original planned wedding venue saying he was set to issue the couple with another invoice for a $5000 cancellation fee.
        The farm homestead is in the process of being renovated for the second time in a matter of months ahead of the wedding.
        The work was recently completed by Virginia Fisher, an accomplished interior designer famously known for her work at Huka Lodge, Kinloch Manor, Millbrook, and Wharekauhau.
        A source who didn't want to be named said the Griffins had "ripped up" the earlier work.
        Nick's Head Station in Gisborne. Photo / Supplied
        "The PM's wedding team came to check everything out and asked if the house would be done in time. It's looking very rough right now. The Griffins came out in February and were stuck here for the first lockdown last year after the house had been finished. They lived in the house for a couple of months, didn't like the design and decided to redo the house," the source said.
        Fisher had no idea the homestead was being renovated again.
        The source also understood award-winning singer-songwriter Lorde was performing for the nuptials. Universal Music, who represents Lorde, declined to comment.
        A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said: "This is a private event for the couple and their families. We hope everyone respects that and we won't be commenting on any plans or details."
        John Griffin, his wife Amy, and their four children, Jack, Gracie, Gigi and Julian spend three months a year at Nick's Head Station.
        A Gisborne local said the Griffin family fly into Gisborne Airport on their private jet along with an entourage of chefs, nannies, teachers and tennis coaches.
        He described Griffin's houses as having the "wow" factor with "amazing" interiors and "stand-out" attention to detail. The homestead is an old wooden building that's been renovated and extended a few times with a guest wing.
        Amy and John Griffin's homestead at Young Nick's Head is the wedding venue for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford. Photo / Getty Images
        The local says he is confident the second renovation - which is under construction by builders from Queenstown - will be ready for Ardern and Gayford's wedding which is understood to be taking place in late January.
        Griffin employs full-time staff at Nick's Head Station including groundskeepers, pest control, farmers, orchardists and digger drivers.
        "That property has been built so it can be rented out to the 'rich and famous'. There are multiple ground keepers, you could walk into that place any day of the year and it would look as though the Griffins are about to arrive - it is immaculate.
        "They have been generous to the Gisborne community with donations to various causes and helping out wherever they can.
        "The wildlife they have created out there on Nick's Head is absolutely incredible, tuatara behind a predator-proof enclosure on the peninsula on the head itself. There have been millions of native trees planted and fenced off, it's the sort of stuff every New Zealand landowner would love to be doing more of. This is one of their favourite houses in the world, they like the solitude, the large coastal environment, fishing, diving, and hiking - what the locals get into."
        Residents in the small rural community of Muriwai had seen a number of helicopters circling around the property recently. It is understood there is a no-fly zone put in place for the wedding.
        Lorde is understood to be on hand to entertain the couple's loved ones and friends. Photo / Getty Images
        Another source described John Griffin as "very private". Griffin bought the coastal property in 2002. It has 3000 acres (1214ha) of land with sheep and cattle and a citrus orchard. He wasn't surprised the house was being rebuilt.
        "It was a major project but it doesn't surprise me. It seems John has a 'bottomless' bank account and an attention span of about five seconds. He has a lovely wife and four children and they bring friends out from time to time from the States. The talk is they are going to have high-end accommodation for paying guests a bit like Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs. I have heard that's where the grand wedding is going to be," he said.
        John Griffin, 56, founded Blue Ridge Capital in 1996, which reached upwards of $12 billion in assets under management at its peak in 2013. He closed the fund in 2017 citing the hedge fund industry as a "humbling business". Griffin also worked alongside famed investor and founder of Tiger Management Corp, Julian Robertson, and is considered one of the "Tiger Cubs".
        The billionaire is known for his philanthropic projects. Griffin is particularly focused on inner-city poverty in New York City. He is the founding chair and board member of iMentor, a programme for high-school students in low-income communities, and Blue Ridge Labs at Robin Hood, a programme that supports startup social tech ventures.
        Amy Griffin was a marketing manager at Sports Illustrated magazine. She has her own companies G9 ventures and Social Studies, a personal party-planning rental business. The powerhouse couple socialise with the Hollywood elite including Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey and Gwyneth Paltrow.
        Meanwhile, Robin Pierson, the owner of Bushmere Arms, says he hasn't been paid the $5000 cancellation fee. Ardern and Gayford booked Pierson's wedding venue two years ago but talks broke down after a stoush over catering by Kiwi celebrity chef Peter Gordon.
        "I am about to send them another bill. If she goes ahead and has the wedding at John Griffin's she is supporting one of the wealthiest Americans when New Zealand hospitality is on its knees," Pierson said.
      British Medical Journal criticizes Facebook over "inaccurate, incompetent and irresponsible" "fact-check" used to censor
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        Archived Version
        Sun, 19 Dec 2021 12:15
        The editor of The British Medical Journal (BMJ), one of the world's oldest and most respected medical journals, has written a letter to Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg to bring to his attention an ''incorrect'' fact-check on one of its reports.
        The report was titled: ''Covid-19: Researcher blows the whistle on data integrity issues in Pfizer's vaccine trial.''
        A former employee at Ventavia, a research company that helped with the trials of the Pfizer Covid vaccine, provided The BMJ with dozens of internal documents, photos, email, and recordings, that revealed ''a host of poor clinical trial research practices occurring at Ventavia that could impact data integrity and patient safety,'' according to the letter.
        ''We also discovered that, despite receiving a direct complaint about these problems over a year ago, the FDA did not inspect Ventavia's trial sites,'' the letter, written by BMJ editor Fiona Godlee, further claims.
        Related: Facebook says it's not liable for false fact checks used to censor, because they're ''protected opinion''
        The BMJ hired an investigative reporter to write the story, which was published on November 2. The article had been peer reviewed, legally reviewed, and subjected to The BMJ's high editorial standards.
        However, starting November 10, Facebook users started reporting problems when trying to share the article. Some said they were unable to share, others said their posts were flagged with a warning saying, ''Missing context'... Independent fact-checkers say this information could mislead people.'' Others were warned about the consequences of repeatedly sharing ''false information.''
        The BMJ's article was fact-checked by Lead Stories, a Facebook contractor. The BMJ described the fact-check performed by Lead Stories as ''inaccurate, incompetent and irresponsible.''
        The letter adds:
        It fails to provide any assertions of fact that The BMJ article got wrong.It has a nonsensical title: ''Fact Check: The British Medical Journal Did NOT Reveal Disqualifying And Ignored Reports Of Flaws In Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Trials.''The first paragraph inaccurately labels The BMJ a ''news blog.''It contains a screenshot of the article with a stamp over it stating ''Flaws Reviewed,'' despite the Lead Stories article not identifying anything false or untrue in The BMJ article.It published the story on its website under a URL that contains the phrase ''hoax-alert.''The BMJ contacted Lead Stories about the issue, but they allegedly refused to change their fact-check.The medical journal also contacted Facebook directly about removing the fact-check.The editors also noted that this was not the first time a credible article by an authoritative source of medical information has been censored by Meta. Instagram censored an article by Cochrane, which provides high quality reviews of medical evidence.
        The letter concluded by urging Zuckerberg to ''act swiftly'' to correct the error relating to The BMJ's article and to review the processes that led to the error.
      Biden and Omicron: Inside the meeting that led to the president's stark warning about the winter - CNNPolitics
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        Archived Version
        Sun, 19 Dec 2021 03:58
        By Kevin Liptak and Jeremy Diamond, CNN
        Updated 6:48 PM EST, Sat December 18, 2021
        (CNN) President Joe Biden's top health officials came to an afternoon briefing at the White House Thursday with a warning -- and a request.
        Sitting at the head of his long conference table surrounded by top members of his Covid response team, Biden listened intently as the officials laid out the contours of a looming coronavirus surge that could accelerate rapidly, swamp hospitals and send the country into another bleak winter.
        Yet Biden's team also came to the evergreen-bedecked Roosevelt Room with potentially more positive news: Many of those cases will remain mild or even asymptomatic in vaccinated people -- particularly those who have gotten booster shots.
        It was a message the officials urged Biden to deliver to the public in the clearest terms possible, according to people familiar with the session. Only by laying out the stark difference in outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated infections could the gravity of the moment come through.
        So Biden and his team -- which included Dr. Anthony Fauci, two top vaccine experts from the National Institutes of Health, White House Covid response coordinator Jeff Zients and his deputy Natalie Quillian -- set to work writing out by hand the grave warning he would deliver later when cameras were ushered into the room.
        Biden opened his appearance by declaring he wanted to deliver a "direct message" to the American people.
        "For the unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death for the unvaccinated -- for themselves, their families and the hospitals they'll soon overwhelm. But there's good news: If you're vaccinated and you have your booster shot, you're protected from severe illness and death," the President said.
        He'd determined ahead of time that his message would be muddled if he answered any questions afterward, so he sat uncharacteristically silent as reporters peppered him on their way out.
        The emergence of the Omicron variant has thrust the nation -- and the White House -- back into an uncertain pandemic reality, posing both public health and political challenges for a leader whose ultimate success depends almost entirely on his ability to contain the virus.
        Already, cases and hospitalizations are surging in some parts of the country, leading to a 31% increase in cases and a 20% increase in hospitalizations from two weeks ago.
        Yet Biden and his team have all but ruled out new lockdowns, and behind the scenes, administration officials have been debating how to shift public attention from the total number of cases -- which appear likely to surge, even if many are mild -- toward the number of severe infections that are overloading health systems and causing interruptions to normal life.
        A shift toward focusing on severity instead of case numbersSome of Biden's advisers are encouraging the administration to begin discussing publicly how to live alongside a virus that shows no signs of disappearing, a potentially stark shift in messaging for a White House that once touted "freedom from the virus."
        Steering public attention away from the total number of infections and toward serious cases only -- as some Biden advisers have encouraged -- could prove a challenge after nearly two years of intense focus on the pandemic's every up and down. It is a part of a growing conundrum that Biden faces as the Covid-19 pandemic refuses to abate.
        "We're getting to the point now where ... it's about severity," said Xavier Becerra, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, in a meeting with reporters this week. "It's not about cases. It's about severity."
        Becerra said the issue recently arose during a meeting at the White House with Biden's Covid response team. Other officials also said the issue of how to refocus the public away from total cases toward the severity of illness has been an ongoing subject of discussion within the administration.
        "There's a degree of difficulty that now comes in trying to decide what means it's severe and what you have to do to stay out of that threshold of severity," Becerra said. "But I think that's where we're heading, is to try to be able to tell the public that."
        Administration officials acknowledge the Omicron surge will likely rip through the country, a psychological setback for a population that's become highly attuned to the pandemic. In some places where vaccination rates lag, the consequences will be debilitating, administration officials fear. But in areas where most people have received their initial shots and boosters, the effects could be minimal.
        "You have a Delta surge now that, even if we didn't have Omicron, would be a real challenge for the unvaccinated people. ... That's the ingredients of a perfect storm," a senior administration official said. "That's the reason why the message has to be, 'Get vaccinated -- and if you are vaccinated, get boosted.' "
        That is the imperative Biden conveyed in the remarks he crafted with his team in the Roosevelt Room on Thursday. For the President, how to proceed with a new surge is a question not only of public health but also of politics. Biden and his team have long asserted that ending the pandemic and returning the economy to normal is the cure for his political woes. A spike in cases over the summer due to the Delta variant, paired with renewed restrictions and mask requirements, coincided with a softening of his approval ratings.
        Things are different this time, Biden's aides insist, noting that more Americans are now vaccinated and citing critical lessons taken from the experience battling Delta.
        "We have the tools to fight this virus, including Omicron, and we're in a very different and stronger place than we were a year ago and there is no need to lock down," Zients said this week.
        Still, the emergence of Omicron has caused the White House to begin contemplating all of its options ahead of a potential surge. Officials said their priorities include making sure hospitals have the resources to deal with a potential influx of patients, particularly in areas where vaccination rates remain low. The administration has deployed public health surge teams to states experiencing rising cases and hospitalizations. And officials plan to put renewed emphasis on the importance of masking in public places.
        "They have to be prepared for any scenario, even if it turns out the disease is less severe," one official said.
        Becerra said during the meeting with reporters that the administration may need to ask Congress for more funding to combat the pandemic, citing the unknowns of the new variant.
        "Are we going to have more than $10 billion worth of needs and costs on Covid, especially in regards to testing?" Becerra said. "There's a strong chance we will, depending on where Omicron takes us."
        'Tell that quarterback he's got to get the vaccine!' Biden's stark warning this week came two days after officials from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presented various models showing the trajectory of the virus during a call with state and local health officials. The modeling, along with data from Europe, indicated the number of Covid-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant has the potential to double every two days.
        "When you think about that this virus has the potential to double every two days, then in a couple of weeks we're going to be facing a lot of cases of Omicron," said Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief executive officer of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, who was on part of Tuesday's call.
        "That modeling implies that sometime in January, we will be at a different stage of recognizing Omicron, maybe as even a predominant virus. However, we still are learning about the severity, transmissibility," Freeman said. "The data is emerging from around the world."
        There are hints from South Africa, where the variant was first identified, that cases could be less severe. And early research suggests vaccinations plus a booster shot continue to protect against severe disease, even if the number of overall cases spikes.
        "When you look at the early data, it does appear that there is a diminution in the severity as expressed by hospitalization," Fauci told CNN this week. "The real question is, is that an inherent diminution of virulence of the virus or is it because there are so many people in the population who have already been infected?"
        Still, concrete information about the severity of disease caused by Omicron remains something of a mystery. And less severe cases will still require widespread vaccination, which remains elusive in the United States, despite Biden's efforts.
        White House officials recently announced new steps to promote vaccination and booster shots, including family clinics that make it convenient for all eligible age groups to receive doses. Yet other aspects of the President's plan to expand vaccinations have stalled. Two major vaccine mandate requirements -- one dealing with federal contractors and another aimed at companies with 100 or more employees -- have been halted by courts.
        They haven't only faced legal scrutiny. The mandates have also proved politically difficult for some Democrats, including two senators who voted with Republicans last week to overturn the rule on private businesses. Some Democratic governors have also expressed unease at the mandate, including Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer, who is otherwise a close ally of the White House.
        Biden himself has spared few opportunities to encourage Americans to get vaccinated. Traveling this week in Kentucky -- one of the most conservative pockets he's visited so far as President, and one where only 53.5% of residents are fully vaccinated -- he encountered a woman named Angela wearing a Green Bay Packers hat.
        "God love you!" Biden exclaimed, before issuing a light rebuke of Aaron Rogers, the Green Bay player who's refused to get a shot: "Tell that quarterback he's got to get the vaccine."
        Problematic pandemic politics Biden's aides attribute a softening in his approval ratings that began over the summer with the persistent pandemic, which gained steam as the Delta variant spread across the country. A CNN poll conducted by SSRS released this week found the President's overall approval rating holding about even from a previous survey at 49% approve to 51% disapprove. Those ratings are similar to recent polls from AP-NORC and Reuters/Ipsos.
        The only issue tested where Biden's rating exceeds his overall reviews is his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which 54% approve of. But that is far lower than in April, when 66% said they approved of his handling of Covid.
        A renewed surge of Covid also threatens to overwhelm a presidential agenda that suffered another setback this week, when Democrats signaled they would punt Biden's sweeping spending plan to next year after failing to reach an agreement with Sen. Joe Manchin, the West Virginia Democrat who is now the President's chief negotiating counterpart on the plan.
        At the White House, the pandemic has dampened another holiday season, despite efforts to maintain normalcy surrounding the festivities. The first lady's office decided to dramatically scale back the usual roster of holiday parties, opting instead for smaller open house-style events.
        Guests attending the 30-minute walk-throughs are required to take Covid-19 tests within 48 hours prior to their visits if they cannot attest to being fully vaccinated. Typically, the President and first lady can host several dozen events during the holiday season, sometimes making appearances at more than one per day. At some, they can stand for hours taking photos and shaking hands.
        This year, Biden chose instead to thank supporters at a holiday reception at a nearby hotel. Speaking at a cocktail reception there Tuesday evening, he didn't avoid his disappointment at another Christmas made less merry by the raging pandemic.
        "I had hoped by now each one of you, who helped us get to where we are, would have had full access to the White House," he said. "We had all kinds of plans. ... We hoped people had moved on to getting all their vaccines."
        Despite the imminent surge, he held out hope that things would soon return to normal: "Next year -- and this year, before it's over -- in the White House. In the White House," he said.
      Jack Dorsey and the Unlikely Revolutionaries Who Want to Reboot the Internet - WSJ
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        Archived Version
        Sun, 19 Dec 2021 03:48
        Members of the tech elite are banding together to bring the Web back to its idealist origins. They call their vision 'Web3.'
        Dec. 18, 2021 12:00 am ETThe internet hasn't turned out the way it was supposed to.
        In its earliest incarnation, before some Wall Street Journal readers were born and the rest had fewer automatically renewing digital subscriptions, it was supposed to be distributed, user-controlled and, in a word, democratic.
        Then came Big Tech and the attendant centralization, windfall...
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        The internet hasn't turned out the way it was supposed to.
        In its earliest incarnation, before some Wall Street Journal readers were born and the rest had fewer automatically renewing digital subscriptions, it was supposed to be distributed, user-controlled and, in a word, democratic.
        Then came Big Tech and the attendant centralization, windfall profits, culture wars, misinformation campaigns, Congressional hearings, EU rulings, antitrust battles and techno-nationalism that have characterized the past decade.
        What if there was another way?
        What if, to take but one example, users of social networks collectively owned them, or at least could vote on how they were run and what kind of speech they allowed? And what if similar questions could be asked of just about any tech company whose primary product is software and services'--whether financial, cloud computing, or even entertainment-related?
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        These are the questions investors, engineers and more than a few starry-eyed tech dreamers are asking themselves'--among them former Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey, whose interest in these questions helps explain his sudden departure from Twitter.
        The answers are taking the form of services and apps that are the first outlines of what their creators hope will someday eat the internet completely: a distributed, democratically ruled ''Web 3.0'' or ''Web3'' that will rise like a phoenix of 1990s-era Web 1.0-idealism from out of the ashes of the corporation-controlled Web 2.0 that all of us currently inhabit.
        Here's the basic idea: New technologies like blockchain present the opportunity to loosen the centralized stranglehold that companies and governments have over everything from internet platforms to intellectual property to the creation and distribution of money. These technologies operate by spreading responsibility or ownership among a group of users, who, for example, use their computing power to electronically fabricate'--or ''mine'''--cryptocurrency, or record transactions for digital art.
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        These technologies represent an evolution of cryptocurrency beyond bitcoin'--which some in crypto communities now deride as mere ''digital gold.'' In addition to monetary value, the ''tokens'' that make up these systems are each also encoded with information that has some other use, whether it's membership in a club, the right to vote on how a company conducts itself, or even just data.
        The blockchains that underlie all this are just ledgers of information stored on many different computers at once. This lets any given blockchain be resistant to control by a government or corporation, and lets people exchange tokens on that blockchain securely and transparently.
        This future, a second chance to use technology to upend traditional power structures, is being trumpeted by silver-tongued hype-people of every stripe, from venture capitalists to armchair oracles on social media.
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        Others see the entire enterprise as worse than a waste of time. They view bitcoin as a currency with an outsize (and, many argue, completely unnecessary) energy and carbon footprint. And they see crypto broadly as a classic, doomed to fail techno-solutionism (the belief that technology can solve any problem) Ponzi scheme pushed by latter-day medicine-show hucksters eager to exit their investments in unregulated securities before the market collapses or the Securities and Exchange Commission gets around to regulating them.
        Mr. Dorsey, no quack, is clearly in the believers' camp'--and is, indeed, one of its most prominent members. In July he told investors bitcoin would be a big part of Twitter's future, and in August he tweeted that it would unite the world.
        His departure from Twitter reflects the allure that Web3 has for many of those in the tech elite. Mr. Dorsey is now full-time at Block'--the new name he gave to Square, his digital payments company, where he is enthusiastically championing cryptocurrency.
        Block'--the name was inspired partly by the blockchain'--owns Cash App, which allows users to buy and send bitcoin. It also created a patent alliance to share crypto-related intellectual property and funds Spiral, an independent team of open-source bitcoin technology developers whose most recent promo video includes a muppet version of Mr. Dorsey answering the question ''When did you know something was wrong with our financial system?''
        Other famed tech seers are excited about Web3, too. In June 2021, Andreessen Horowitz, the venture-capital firm co-founded by
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        Marc Andreessen, announced a $2.2 billion fund'--its third'--to invest in blockchain and crypto-related startups. Globally, investment in blockchain startups in 2021 has shattered all previous records, topping $15 billion so far this year, a 384% increase from total investment in all of 2020,
        according to CB Insights.
        Almost every company with ''Web3'' or ''blockchain'' in its pitch deck describes its mission as a user-centered quest to empower'--and just as often, enrich'--its users, making them owners and investors as much as customers.
        DeSo'--which, confusingly, is simultaneously a not-for-profit foundation, a blockchain and a cryptocurrency token, but explicitly not a traditional for-profit corporation'--is in many ways typical of the form. The idea behind DeSo is that everyone should be able to create their own social media service, but also that they could be interconnected in ways that, say, Facebook and Twitter would never be'--including shared accounts and other shared data.
        ''The thesis behind DeSo is that if you can mix money and social, you can create new ways for creators to monetize,'' says Nader Al-Naji, founder and head of the DeSo foundation. ''Instead of creators monetizing from ads, they can monetize from DeSo coins.''
        DeSo has created a new cryptocurrency (named DeSo) that, for example, could be used to ''tip'' other users for their posts, replacing likes with actual money'--or at least DeSo tokens that can be traded for dollars on the usual cryptocurrency exchanges. Like other next-generation cryptocurrencies, inspired by Ethereum, these tokens also can store the data that actually makes up a social network, such as the text of posts (one of Ethereum's inventors, Vitalik Buterin, was involved with bitcoin early on and in 2013 proposed the Ethereum protocol in part because he wanted to create a world in which no single company could control digital assets). This dual function illustrates the inspired weirdness that is Web3: If money can become code, then money can be way more than a means of exchange; it can also do anything that other software can do.
        This core insight, a sort of E = mc² equivalence between money and software, is why true believers in Web3 think it could have such a huge impact. Suddenly every activity humans engage in, from buying and selling a house to liking a post on social media, can be made part of a token-based financial system of a scale and complexity that makes today's look like an antique.
        Paul Meed, CEO of Moonbounce, one of the startups building an app with DeSo, thinks that using crypto to create new kinds of exchange between creators and their fans on social media will ultimately work, but that it's still early days for the idea and technology. Making every interaction between friends on a social network into a monetary transaction still feels strange for most people, and he sees a great deal of pushback from young people and fans of creators whenever the idea comes up.
        ''I have a friend with a couple million subscribers, and he made one test video on YouTube where talked about NFTs, and it was his most downvoted video of all time,'' he adds.
        Rather than funding DeSo in the traditional manner'--by creating a startup and asking the wealthy mandarins of venture capital to part with money in exchange for partial ownership'--DeSo instead sold early investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, some of its crypto tokens. Any social media service or app built atop the DeSo blockchain'--there are more than 200 of them so far, all of them tiny'--must use the DeSo token. The more people and groups build, the more valuable the DeSo token could become. That's the company's business model, rather than charging licensing fees or selling advertising.
        Analogies fail in corporate arrangements as novel as these, which is one reason blockchain startups remain obscure to most investors. Critics claim such obfuscation is deliberate, and is as much about hiding suspect financial and technical engineering as it is a consequence of any supposed innovation in business models.
        ''The current blockchains are like woefully underpowered computers that can only do a very, very small amount of transactions, and the things they can do are shockingly limited,'' says Stephen Diehl, a programmer in London whose frequent essays about the pitfalls of blockchain technology and Web3 have made him one of Web3's most visible and cogent critics.
        Even many of the longer-standing attempts to refashion the internet into Web3 are still too inchoate to tell if they'll ever amount to anything. Before Mr. Dorsey's obsession with crypto reached its current apotheosis, he announced in 2019 a project begun by Twitter, called Bluesky, to ''develop an open and decentralized standard for social media.''
        The goal was to make Twitter or some new service into a flexible and easily accessed repository for things known as tweets, which people could sort and view in a variety of new apps built by outside companies. Bluesky'--which is to be independent of Twitter, though it currently has no partners other than Twitter'--would be more like a service for developers, a role like that of Amazon Web Services. In this way it would be different than a consumer-facing company with the implicit responsibility for everything that happens on it and the ability to ban current presidents, as Twitter did on Jan. 8 to then-president Donald Trump.
        Bluesky was spearheaded by Twitter's current CEO, Parag Agrawal, but appears to have made little progress since it was announced. Twitter is hiring for BlueSky and remains committed to the project in the long term, said a Twitter spokeswoman. Blockchain could be integral to how the project is made real, she said.
        Twitter's halting attempts to reinvent itself, and its co-founder's abandonment of it in search of new ways to reinvent the internet with blockchain at Block, illustrate the promise and pitfalls that drive much of the interest in this technology. ''Everybody sees the problems with the malign influence of social media these days, and Web3 has become the messiah technology that's going to fix all these things,'' says Mr. Diehl.
        Grand promises notwithstanding, it's not yet clear whether Web3 and its supporting technologies will be soon-to-be-forgotten vaporware, or the next world-wide web.
        In the future everyone might be able to mint a new crypto ''coin'' at will, whether they're using it to raise capital for a business, monetize the popularity of social-media creators, or collect money for their school's PTA. Or it's possible regulators, who this month called crypto startup CEOs to appear before Congress, will decide that the downside of companies issuing what can look like securities outweigh the opportunities for new kinds of financial and technical engineering they might enable.
        Whatever happens in the coming years, the torrent of money and interest flowing into Web3 companies and projects, and the mainstreaming of blockchain technologies by Block and its competitors, are a measure of just how dissatisfied even many of those who built the current internet have become with it'--not to mention how much they think they can profit from solving the very problems they created.
        Write to Christopher Mims at christopher.mims@wsj.com
      Lupron, used to halt puberty in children, may cause lasting health problems
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        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 19:15
        F or years, Sharissa Derricott, 30, had no idea why her body seemed to be failing. At 21, a surgeon replaced her deteriorated jaw joint. She's been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease and fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition. Her teeth are shedding enamel and cracking.
        None of it made sense to her until she discovered a community of women online who describe similar symptoms and have one thing in common: All had taken a drug called Lupron.
        Thousands of parents chose to inject their daughters with the drug, which was approved to shut down puberty in young girls but also is commonly used off-label to help short kids grow taller.
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        The drug's pediatric version comes with few warnings about long-term side effects. It is also used in adults to fight prostate cancer or relieve uterine pain and the Food and Drug Administration has warnings on the drug's adult labels about a variety of side effects.
        More than 10,000 adverse event reports filed with the FDA reflect the experiences of women who've taken Lupron. The reports describe everything from brittle bones to faulty joints.
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        In interviews and in online forums, women who took the drug as young girls or initiated a daughter's treatment described harsh side effects that have been well-documented in adults.
        Women who used Lupron a decade or more ago to delay puberty or grow taller described the short-term side effects listed on the pediatric label: pain at the injection site, mood swings, and headaches. Yet they also described conditions that usually affect people much later in life. A 20-year-old from South Carolina was diagnosed with osteopenia, a thinning of the bones, while a 25-year-old from Pennsylvania has osteoporosis and a cracked spine. A 26-year-old in Massachusetts needed a total hip replacement. A 25-year-old in Wisconsin, like Derricott, has chronic pain and degenerative disc disease.
        ''It just feels like I'm being punished for basically being experimented on when I was a child,'' said Derricott, of Lawton, Okla. ''I'd hate for a child to be put on Lupron, get to my age and go through the things I have been through.''
        In the interviews with women who took Lupron to delay puberty or grow taller, most described depression and anxiety. Several recounted their struggles, or a daughter's, with suicidal urges. One mother of a Lupron patient described seizures.
        Such complaints have recently come under scrutiny at the FDA, which regulates drug safety.
        ''We are currently conducting a specific review of nervous system and psychiatric events in association with the use of GnRH agonists, [a class of drugs] including Lupron, in pediatric patients,'' the FDA said in a statement in response to questions from Kaiser Health News and Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting.
        The FDA is also reviewing deadly seizures stemming from the pediatric use of Lupron and other drugs in its class. While there are other drugs similar to Lupron, it is a market leader and thousands of women have joined Facebook groups or internet forums in recent years claiming that Lupron ruined their lives or left them crippled.
        But the FDA has yet to issue additional warnings about pediatric use, and unapproved uses of the drugs persist.
        Meanwhile, pediatricians and industry researchers are criticizing doctors for using Lupron to help kids with normally timed puberty grow taller, an ''off-label'' practice that was shown more than a decade ago to cause harm. Off-label prescribing is legal and common, but means doctors are using drugs in ways the FDA did not determine to be safe and effective.
        A jaw X-ray from one of Derricott's many surgeries sits on the table at her parents' home. Nick Oxford for KHNIn 2009, an international consortium of pediatricians had warned against such use. Among them was a pediatric endocrinologist, Dr. Erica Eugster, whose research found that puberty-delaying drugs are widely used off label, even though the safety of such prescribing is unproven.
        The health problems described by more than a dozen women in interviews could illustrate long-range effects of pediatric use and warrant further investigation.
        ''That's what you have to ask, 'Is this the tide rising?''' said Dr. Alan Rogol, a University of Virginia Medical School professor emeritus in pediatrics who said he prescribed the medication for decades. ''None of us can answer that.''
        AbbVie Inc., the company that now makes the drug, said Lupron safety studies were submitted to the FDA before it approved the medication for Central Precocious Puberty in 1993. The drug's label defines the condition as the onset of sexual characteristics before age 8 in girls and before 9 in boys.
        ''Uses beyond those contained in the approved label are considered unapproved uses,'' company spokesman Morry Smulevitz said in an email.
        Federal records show that the FDA official who led the drug approval process two decades ago was troubled by the two studies he reviewed. In a 1993 letter obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, former FDA medical officer Dr. Alexander Fleming wrote in a memo for the drug approval file that it was ''regrettable'' that the panel approved the drug after minimal study.
        One study followed 22 children for just six months, Fleming said. He described the other study as a ''free for all'' review that made it difficult to determine what dose was best for children of different sizes. Still, he suggested long-term tracking of the drugs' effects and favored approval ''in the absence of any better approach.''
        The study Fleming referred to as the ''free for all'' concluded in 1992, according to a summary submitted to European authorities. Fleming had no further comment when contacted recently.
        A different drugmaker-sponsored study, completed long after Fleming's letter, looked at children who had taken Lupron for precocious puberty from 1991 to 2009. The 2010 study, which was submitted to the FDA, reported that seven of 55 kids had suffered serious side effects, but said the only serious side effects possibly related to Lupron were the growth of a preexisting tumor, deteriorating vision, and severe asthma exacerbation.
        According to the National Institutes of Health repository of clinical research, which lists adverse effects discovered in studies, there are two serious side effects of Lupron that aren't mentioned in the drugmaker's 2010 study: a bone disorder and a disease-caused fracture, an omission which looks ''puzzling'' to Dr. Ned Feder, a staff scientist at the Project on Government Oversight.
        ''It does seem to me that that is certainly a point of criticism,'' Feder said. ''What are they doing? Is this an accident?''
        Derricott waits to renew her prescriptions to treat several conditions she says have plagued her since taking Lupron at a young age. Nick Oxford for KHNSmulevitz and the author, Dr. Peter A. Lee of the Penn State College of Medicine, did not answer specific questions about the report. The 2010 study Lee wrote was sponsored by Abbott Laboratories, and is not published in a peer-reviewed journal.
        Abbott, which was once part of a joint venture that made Lupron, said in a statement that Lupron and the rest of its pharmaceutical business were transferred to AbbVie in 2013.
        AbbVie paid the author, Dr. Lee, $157,066 from 2013 through 2015 for traveling and speaking about Lupron across the nation, according to publicly available Medicare data. Lee did not respond to questions about his financial relationship with the drug company.
        Smulevitz, the company spokesman, said AbbVie ''regularly monitors and reports to [the] FDA (as well as other regulatory agencies) new safety information on an ongoing basis to ensure that our label contains accurate and up-to-date information to assist prescribers and patients.'' He said prescribers are referred to other Lupron warning labels to review adverse events.
        The FDA, in its statement, said it continues to review post-marketing reports of Lupron and other drugs in its class, monitors adverse-event reports, and informs the public of safety concerns.
        If the FDA reaches any conclusions, Derricott would like to know. She says she took Lupron from age 5 to 12 to shut down early puberty. At 30, she's among the first patients who took the drug '-- even before it was approved for pediatric use. She says now that she's had more surgeries than her 79-year-old father, and suffers from a blood disorder and bone and joint problems.
        ''Excuse my language, but it's hell,'' she said.
        Lupron's historyWhen drugs like Lupron were discovered in the 1980s, it was like a miracle to pediatric endocrinologists like Rogol.
        Lupron and drugs in its class were a solution to a rare but troubling problem: Toddler, preschool, and kindergarten-age girls were developing breasts and unexpected body hair. The drug works in the brain to shut down estrogen flow, essentially halting the body's progress toward puberty. Once the injections cease, the process of puberty resumes.
        Experts estimate that boys represent about 10 percent of the kids taking Lupron, many because of tumors or other conditions triggering early puberty.
        In the years since the drug was first approved for children, Lupron usage has come under broad review.
        Initially approved in 1989 to treat prostate cancer, Lupron works by cutting off the hormones that exacerbate conditions such as prostate cancer and excessive uterine growth. Its effect of chemically castrating men represented an advance over the option men faced previously '-- surgical castration. Obstetricians and urologists have relied on the drug for decades.
        A nonprofit representing 90 percent of the nation's fertility clinics says many doctors use the drug off-label to prepare women for in-vitro fertilization. Yet, the Lupron label warns of birth defects in rodents and advises against using the drug when one is considering pregnancy.
        As with many drugs, side effects have long been a problem. More than 20,000 adverse-event reports have been filed with the FDA in the last decade. Women have reported to the FDA hundreds of cases of insomnia, depression, joint pain, and more than 100 cases of blurred vision. About 900 reports cite side effects that children below age 13 have suffered, mostly within months of taking Lupron. Those reports frequently note injection-site pain but also include dozens of cases of bone problems, such as pain or disorders, and the inability to walk.
        Among men who take Lupron, its label warns of increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and sudden death. Drug labels are developed jointly by the FDA and the companies involved.
        Adverse event reports are effective at flagging simple conditions that doctors recognize as an immediate consequence of taking a drug, such as vomiting or nausea. They are less prone to be filed and less effective at identifying longer-range problems, according to critics of the FDA's oversight of approved drugs.
        ''As a parent, I kick myself,'' says Jeanne Walsh, a Temecula, Calif., resident who filed an adverse event report years ago, as did several other mothers interviewed recently for this story because their children took Lupron. Walsh's daughter took Lupron for precocious puberty and now struggles with fibromyalgia and has had jaw-joint surgery. ''What was I thinking?''
        In 1999, the FDA examined 6,000 adverse-event reports about Lupron filed by doctors, patients, and researchers. Although the FDA couldn't locate its 1999 report on the matter, a court document that summarized the findings of the report said it found ''high prevalence rates for serious side effects'' including depression, joint pain, and weakness, and noted similar effects in men and women with very different ailments suggested the drug was causing the problems rather than underlying medical conditions.
        The FDA made no major change, but reviewed the drug labels to determine whether the side effects were covered.
        The drug made headlines two years later. Justice Department officials announced a civil and criminal settlement with Lupron's then-maker. Prosecutors said the Lupron sales team rewarded doctors prescribing the drug for prostate cancer with ski trips, golf outings, and bribes. In a court document, one gynecologist said a salesperson told him he ''could earn $100,000 annually'' by treating the women in his practice with Lupron.
        The settlement resulted in a corporate guilty plea for conspiracy to violate prescribing laws and one of the largest fines at the time '-- $875 million.
        Derricott prepares her afternoon medication at her parents' home. She's been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease and fibromyalgia. Nick Oxford for KHNLupron was back in the courtroom in 2008, when patient Karin Klein sued the drugmaker, which was previously TAP Pharmaceutical Products, Inc., a joint venture of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. and Abbott Laboratories, after she took the drug as a teen to treat endometriosis. Klein alleged that she was not adequately warned of the drug's effects and after taking the drug as a teen for a uterine condition, developed degenerative disc disease, jaw-joint dysfunction, and bone thinning, court records show.
        According to a court record in her case, a report by Dr. John Gueriguian, a former FDA medical officer serving as an expert witness for Klein, said the drug causes ''irreversible side effects and permanent severely disabling health problems.''
        ''When a drug's risks outweigh the drug's benefits, a drug should be banned and pulled from the market,'' Gueriguian wrote. Reached recently, he said he had no further comment.
        Attorneys for the drugmaker said Klein's problems were not caused by the drug. Klein lost the case before a Las Vegas jury and was denied appeals up to the Supreme Court over what her attorneys argued were unfair limits on the expert reviews, scientific studies, and adverse-event reports that could be shown to jurors.
        Lupron, which is marketed globally, has been a highly successful pharmaceutical product. Its current maker, AbbVie, reported 2015 Lupron sales of $826 million.
        Perils of off-label useBrooklyn Harbin said she received Lupron after she started her menstrual cycle at age 10. The chance to slow her puberty had passed but she hoped to add a few inches to her 4-foot 9-inch frame before her body matured any further.
        According to medical research, doctors prescribe the puberty blocking drug to short kids to essentially give them more time to get taller, since puberty culminates with the body's long bone growth ending.
        Medical researchers have repeatedly warned against such off-label usage. A 2003 study in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that some kids on drugs like Lupron developed osteopenia and lost too much bone density during a three-year course of treatment to justify the therapy. In other words, the lifetime risk of breaking a bone outweighed the reward of growing a bit taller.
        Still, Harbin said she began getting shots of Lupron in 2006. Soon afterward, she said her physical problems began.
        At 10, after her 10th shot of Lupron, she said she collapsed during a Wal-Mart shopping trip with family. She could feel nothing from the knee down. Harbin said she spent six months in a wheelchair before she regained her strength and could walk again. She had to give up cheerleading, basketball, gymnastics and karate because of her low bone density.
        By seventh grade, she said she spent a month at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota learning to cope with chronic pain.
        FDA records obtained via a public records request show that her pediatric specialist reported that a pharmacy erroneously gave her grandmother an extended-release, 3-month formula of the medication, instead of a monthly dose at the same strength. It remains unclear whether the dosing error impacted her health.
        Harbin said she was diagnosed at 11 with osteopenia, a thinning of the bones milder than osteoporosis. Although her bone density returned to a normal range at 16, her chronic pain has forced her to reconcile her dreams with her physical limitations.
        ''I felt like little pieces of my life were just taken away from me and no one wanted to own up to it,'' said Harbin, who is now 20 and lives in South Carolina. ''Suicide became very, very real for me.''
        ''As a parent, I kick myself'... What was I thinking?''
        Jeanne Walsh, whose daughter took Lupron
        Eugster, director of pediatric endocrinology at the Indiana University School of Medicine, has written that far too many doctors confronted with parents' concerns about a short child reaching puberty too soon are inclined to ''do something,'' even though the safety of off-label prescribing ''can't be inferred to exist.''
        And the puberty-delaying drugs are expensive '-- $20,000 to $40,000 for two years of treatment, Eugster reported in The Journal of Pediatrics in 2015.
        In another 2015 study, Eugster reviewed the records for 260 kids prescribed Lupron or a similar drug and concluded that 27 percent of them didn't meet the definition of Central Precocious Puberty. More than half who were treated off-label were prescribed the drug in the hope of increasing their height, according to the report in the journal Endocrine Practice.
        Another group of researchers also urged restraint in prescribing drugs to children to improve height in a 2011 article in The Journal of Pediatrics. Led by a pediatric radiology researcher, the research physicians found that even minor delays in puberty reduce children's bone density, ''stressing the need for caution in the use of treatments aimed at prolonging the growth period.''
        The FDA approval documents for pediatric Lupron say Central Precocious Puberty affects an estimated 2,000 US children each year, something considered an ''orphan disease'' because of its rarity. Yet doctors wrote 24,000 prescriptions for the medication in 2015, at an average cost of $8,300 for a 3-month long-acting prescription of the drug, according to IMS Health, a medical research firm.
        Twice as many prescriptions were written for the drug in 2011, according to IMS Health, though that was before the long-acting dose was used more routinely.
        Living with long-term problemsValerie Ward, 25, who lives outside of Pittsburgh, said she took Lupron for precocious puberty from age 9 to 12. Like Derricott, Ward said she sees a carousel of medical specialists for excruciating muscle and bone pain, depression, weakness, and fatigue.
        The symptoms mystify each woman's doctors. Yet they sound all too familiar to Chandler Marrs, a researcher who has studied Lupron's side effects in adult women under treatment for uterine disorders.
        Marrs, an endocrine specialist who studies women's health, said she was surprised by the severity and duration of Lupron's side effects, so she posted a survey aimed at getting more information. With little funding to do outreach, more than 1,000 surveys came back.
        The women reported a wide range of symptoms: 30 percent cited severe joint pain, 29 percent, severe body aches; 26 percent, cracking teeth; and 20 percent reported osteoporosis. More than half reported moderate to life-threatening depression. Fifteen percent of the women rated their suicidal thoughts as life-threatening to severe.
        Marrs believes a uniting factor explains the diverse and severe range of symptoms. Lupron cuts off a woman's estrogen, eliminating a key hormone called estradiol that regulates the energy centers of the cell, the mitochondria. She said the missed connection between the hormone and cellular powerhouse will hurt each woman where her body is most vulnerable.
        ''If your mitochondria break down, your nerves start to break down; if your nerves start to break down, your muscles break down. It's the cascade of effects,'' said Marrs, chief executive of the Nevada-based Lucine Health Sciences research firm.
        At 20, Ward says she felt like her health was failing. She had muscle weakness so severe that she could barely lift her arms to wash her hair. Debilitating pain coursed through her body. Doctors puzzled over her blood disorder. She's been hospitalized after feeling suicidal and depressed.
        Last year, at 25, she suffered a seizure that resulted in a cracked vertebra.
        ''It was the most intense pain I felt in my entire life,'' Ward said.
        Then came another diagnosis: osteoporosis.
        The condition would come as little surprise to anyone familiar with Lupron's use in adults. Adult women using the drug to induce menopause after uterine disorders are warned on the drug's adult label not to take an initial course longer than six months to avoid serious bone density loss. They are also encouraged to take hormonal ''add-back'' drugs to soften the side effects.
        A Journal of Clinical Oncology study published in 2005 of men who take Lupron for prostate cancer found that it ''significantly increased'' the risk of fractures, with prolonged use raising the risk. Yet the impact on kids' bones is still up for debate.
        In interviews, several pediatric endocrinologists pointed to studies showing that kids' bones do thin while they're on Lupron, but then they bounce back to normal. One 2009 study by Italian researchers examining 66 girls found that bone density was significantly lower after treatment, but within about 10 years, returned to a level comparable to women who served as study controls. A German study concluded there was no harm to bones, even though seven of 41 women studied, or 17 percent, had osteopenia several years after their treatment ended, according to the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
        Other studies published in international medical journals reached different conclusions. Researchers in Taiwan found ''a possible major side effect'' when they studied 11 girls who started Lupron at around age 8 and continued treatment for about 5 years. When the women were about 20, they performed bone scans and found that 45 percent of the women had lower-than-average bone density and merited a diagnosis of osteopenia.
        Another study by researchers in Turkey concluded that treatment with Lupron for precocious puberty ''may have adverse effect on bone health'' due to severe vitamin D deficiencies. Their study, published by the West Indian Medical Journal, found that 13 children on Lupron for precocious puberty had serious vitamin shortcomings, compared to two children in a control group.
        Canadian researchers also identified five children who developed the same bone problem within years of taking a puberty-delaying drug, according to a 2013 study in Hormone Research in Paediatrics, a medical journal. The children each suffered from slippage in the long bone of the leg, near the hip, due to ''a lack of adequate sex hormone exposure at a 'critical period' of bone formation.''
        The FDA considers the drug's impact on children's bones an unanswered question, according to a statement: ''The effects of bone density in children whose central precocious puberty is arrested with a GnRH agonist are considered 'unknown' as they have not been studied.''
        By and large, though, the US doctors who dispense Lupron to children are not in a position to see problems that may emerge a decade later, said E. Kirk Neely, a Stanford professor and pediatric endocrinologist. He noted that studies done in Europe haven't identified long-term joint dysfunction or depression as problems.
        ''I'm concerned. There's a very fundamental problem. We treat these kids, they disappear, and we never see them again,'' Neely said. ''We don't have good follow up, particularly in the US.''
        Whether Lupron is causing the women's' long-term problems, ''the answer is I don't know.''
        This story was originally published by Kaiser Health News and Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting.
      Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR)
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        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 18:46
        Latest SOFR rateSOFR is published by the New York Federal Reserve every business day for the previous business day, the latest is:
        0.05% on December 16, 2021
        This was based on $0.9 Trillion of repo transactions where 98% of them used rates between -0.01% and 0.15%.
        The resulting overnight LIBOR fallback rate for December 16, 2021 is 0.05644% using the fixed 0.00644% overnight fallback spread.
        The latest published SOFR 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month Averages are for December 17, 2021:
        TermSOFR AverageFallback SpreadFallback Rate30-day0.05000%0.11448%0.16448%90-day0.04923%0.26161%0.31084%180-day0.04962%0.42826%0.47788%The latest published SOFR Index is for December 17, 2021: 1.04236086
        SOFR rate history (90-day)Loading...
        What is SOFR?The Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) is intended to replace the US dollar London Interbank Rate (US LIBOR) in future financial contracts. SOFR was selected by the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (ARRC) chaired by the New York Federal Reserve in 2017.
        SOFR is the average rate at which institutions can borrow US dollars overnight while posting US Treasury bonds as collateral. Similar to a mortgage rate, SOFR is a secured borrowing rate in the sense that collateral is provided in order to borrow cash. SOFR differs from US LIBOR in that the latter is a rate for unsecured borrowing (where no collateral is posted).
        Major central banks globally have taken on similar reforms to replace their US LIBOR equivalents with more reliable rates.
        Press releasesFirst ever SOFR security issued by Fannie Mae (July 26, 2018)First ever Supra Sovereign Agency SOFR security issued by the World Bank (August 14, 2018)London Clearing House (LCH) completes transition from Fed Funds to SOFR discounting (October 20, 2020)Guide on the Endgame for USD LIBOR from the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (ARRC) (December 4, 2020)UK FCA announcement on future cessation and loss of respresentativeness of the LIBOR benchmarks (March 5, 2021)IBOR Fallback Spread Fixings (March 5, 2021)
      Fed Prepares to Go Direct with Liquidity
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        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 18:44
        May 21, 2021 | Back in 2019, we published a post in The Institutional Risk Analyst called ''Nationalizing the Federal Funds Market,'' that talked about the increasingly overt actions of the Federal Open Market Committee in the market for short-term funding. Then as now, we view the actions of the FOMC as slowly destroying the private money markets in the US and preparing to very visibly push the big banks out of the transmission chain of monetary policy.
        One reader of The IRA asked yesterday:
        ''Brother maybe you can help me understand: reverse repo 351BN 5th largest ever. What is going on? Any thoughts? No rush but I haven't heard anyone talking about this. I don't get with all the excess why banks need to be doing this. Haven't seen it since march 2020.''
        Now that is the right question. As we told Keith McCullough at Hedgeye recently, the Fed's primary concern is not employment or inflation, but rather keeping the market for Treasury securities functioning. In this we agree entirely with our friend Ralph Delguidice, who has believed for several years now that the Fed is preparing to take direct control over the market for Treasury securities. He wrote in a recent missive for Pavilion Global Markets:
        ''Before the Fed can even think about thinking about raising rates or tapering the pace of QE, they have a suite of urgent repairs to make to the wholesale financial infrastructure supporting the US capital markets. In the year-end 2020 report to Congress, the Financial Services Oversight Council (FSOC) highlighted several specific areas of ongoing systemic concern. The first'--and by far most pressing'-- is the problem in the Repo markets, AKA 'The Usual Suspects,' which failed disastrously in the fall of 2019.''
        Ralph and many other colleagues who trade the short-term money markets in the US have long identified a basic structural problem that has existed since the passage of Dodd-Frank in 2010 and also the many changes to the Basle bank capital framework. What problem? That the big banks sometimes step back from the money markets and deny liquidity to nonbank clients. For the Fed the worry is not the small nonbanks, but the resulting market volatility as they scramble for liquidity.
        In 2019 and 2020, for example, there were periods when the FOMC was adding liquidity to the markets, but the top wholesale banks led by JPMorganChase (NYSE:JPM) essentially folded their arms and went no bid. This refusal on the part of the large banks to participate cost many smaller participants months' worth of profits due to a sudden, unanticipated lack of liquidity. Some firms almost failed, including several large mortgage lenders.
        Thus we come back to the reader question: Why did the Fed feel the need to absorb $351 billion in cash yesterday via reverse repurchase (RRP) transactions when the banks are seemingly awash in cash? Is there a shortage of collateral? Maybe Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen needs to issue some T-bills?
        A: The cash liquidity inside the banks is actually retarding lending activity, as evidenced by the fact that bank lending continues to fall along with bank assets. The largest banks are desperately trying to shed short-term liquidity as rapidly as possible even as loan portfolios shrink.
        If you've been following the conversation on Twitter, Delguidice has outlined three basic changes that are coming to the US money markets, changes that have implications for banks, cryptos and anything else that interacts with the world of dollar liquidity.
        First, the FOMC is going to make permanent the RRPs, essentially accepting the proposal by the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis to create a standing repo facility for banks and nonbanks alike. This means that funds, REITs and especially smaller dealers are going to be able to go direct to the Fed of New York and finance collateral, breaking the monopoly control of the big primary dealer banks. H/T to George Selgin at Cato Institute.
        Second, and this change is already in process, ''swing pricing'' for money market funds and corporate bond funds will allow the Fed and the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) to manage liquidity. For investors, this means that the Fed and FSOC will be able to suspend immediate cash redemptions on money market and corporate bond funds in time of liquidity stress. The message here is simple: ''We'll get back to you.''
        By imposing a global ''time out'' for conventional funds, the FOMC no longer need provide liquidity support for funds. During 2019 and 2020, during times of liquidity contagion, the Fed essentially had to provide liquidity to MMFs and corporate funds in order to avoid a market break. Now the onus shifts onto investors. The winners here are the exchange traded funds (ETFs), which have shown superior performance during periods of market stress, and independent dealers.
        Third and most significantly for the large banks, the Fed and FSOC are going to push for central clearing of all Treasury securities, killing the predominantly bilateral market for US debt and also eviscerating the monopoly of the primary dealers on financing collateral.
        ''This gives the Fed direct control over leverage,'' Delguidice tells The IRA. ''Today, 80% of the bond market trades bilateral. The Fed has decided rightly that the market for Treasury debt is too important to leave up to the whim and caprice of the large primary dealers. Many of these banks will get out of providing repo financing once the Fed steps into the market.''
        In the world of asset financing, having the Fed always ready to provide liquidity to counterparties with Treasury or agency collateral will smooth volatility and make a repeat of year-end 2018 or April 2020 less likely. Many smaller dealers, nonbank lenders and REITs would welcome such a change.
        Yet these developments also mark a major, historical change in how the US money markets operate and particularly the central role of the money center banks, a quaint but increasingly dangerous point of failure in the vast market for US government debt. Think of the post-COVID period in US history as marking the end of the old Anglo model of finance.
        Having JPM decide it does not care to add liquidity to the markets in times of stress is a policy challenge to the FOMC that cannot be tolerated if the Us central bank ever hopes to taper QE, much less raise the target rate for federal funds. But the changes outlined by Delguidice and also echoed by many market traders, changes that we agree are inevitable if not immediate, will present a huge challenge to the major US banks as time goes on.
        We'll be outlining the impact of those issues on banks and nonbanks in greater detail in a future comment for the Premium Service of The Institutional Risk Analyst.
      As Inflation Looms, the Fed Discontinues Velocity of Money Data
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        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 16:46
        President Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus package is on its way to those in need and many who will save or invest their checks. This is the third stimulus package, and Washington has now allocated about $6 trillion in aid '-- almost one-fourth the size of the economy.
        History shows large increases in money often lead to inflation.
        To many economists, inflation is simply too much money chasing too few goods '-- this is a simplistic view of the problem, but it requires complex models to define whether there is too much money or too few goods. Whenever there are complex models, economists develop indicators to help them confirm the model's output.
        One of the indicators of inflation is the velocity of money.
        Velocity defines how fast money is spent. During inflationary periods, velocity rises as consumers race to spend money before it loses value. This can be seen in the chart below, which shows the velocity of MZM, the broadest measure of the money supply.
        The Fed Discontinues MZM
        Velocity and Inflation Spikes Are Still MeasurableVelocity spiked along with inflation in the 1970s, and both peaked in the early 1980s.
        In the chart above, data on velocity dates back to 1959. In the last year, velocity fell to a record low. It looks like it bottomed at the end of last year, but we may never know for sure.
        As noted in red at the top of the chart, the Fed discontinued this data series.
        Conspiracy theorists might wonder why the Fed made that decision right as inflation seems ready to rise. Rational economists might wonder why the data would disappear when it's most needed.
        The Fed does discontinue data at times. However, the timing of this decision does leave much to be desired. We can use other data series to find similar information. But we'll never know why the Fed decided to hide the original data from the public.
        P.S. I've been telling my readers that someone could double their money in a year with this. By the end of 2020, I proved that to be true. My ''One Trade'' strategy has never had a losing year across 12 years of back testing. And last year's live results were even better. Click here to see how it all works.
        Michael Carr'¯is a Chartered Market Technician for'¯Banyan Hill'¯Publishing and the Editor of'¯One Trade,'¯Peak Velocity Trader'¯and Precision Profits. He teaches technical analysis and quantitative technical analysis at the New York Institute of Finance. Mr. Carr is also the former editor of the CMT Association newsletter,'¯Technically Speaking.
        Follow him on Twitter'¯@MichaelCarrGuru.
      Vanaf zondag alles dicht, harde lockdown tot zeker 14 januari | Binnenland | Telegraaf.nl
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 16:45
        Door Onze parlementaire redactie
        Updated 35 min geleden2 uur geleden in BINNENLAND
        ''¸ ANP/HH
        Den Haag - Bijna alles dicht vanaf zondag. Dat is de boodschap die premier Rutte en zorgminister De Jonge brengen tijdens de persconferentie van zaterdagavond 19 uur. 'žHetzelfde recept als precies een jaar geleden'', meldt een betrokkene. Het betekent een schrale kerst, zonder bezoek aan restaurant, caf(C), casino, museum, modezaak, bioscoop of zelfs maar aan de kapper. De middelbare scholen en het hoger onderwijs sluiten een week eerder.
        ''¸ ANP/HH
        De maatregelen gaan al zondagochtend om 5 uur in en duren zeker tot 14 januari. Het dringende advies is om thuis maar twee bezoekers per dag te onvangen van ouder dan 13 jaar. Met kerst geldt een uitzondering, dan mogen er vier mensen op bezoek komen. Voor essentile winkels en diensten komt een uitzondering. Ook voor topsport, zoals de Eredivisie, geldt een uitzondering. De klassieker tussen Ajax en Feyenoord kan zondag dus gewoon gespeeld worden, zij het in een lege Kuip.
        Supermarkten, bakkers, drogisten, apotheken, banken en hypotheekverstrekkers mogen de komende weken blijven draaien. Ook blijft afhalen mogelijk in restaurants en cafetaria.
        Rutte en De Jonge worden tijdens de persconferentie bijgestaan door Jaap van Dissel, hoofd infectieziektebestrijding van het RIVM en voorzitter van het Outbreak Management Team (OMT). Dat had na de vergadering van vrijdag het kabinet geadviseerd tot strengere maatregelen om de opkomende omicronvariant te kunnen afremmen. Het is niet gebruikelijk dat Van Dissel aanwezig is bij de persconferentie.
        Zaterdag kwamen de meest betrokken ministers in spoedberaad bijeen om het OMT-advies te bespreken. Komende week debatteert de Tweede Kamer over de ingreep van het kabinet.
        De omicronmutant is veel besmettelijker dan de deltavariant en lijkt zich voor z'n verspreiding weinig aan te trekken van opgebouwde immuniteit door ziekte of vaccinatie. Wel beschermen de vaccins nog tegen ernstig ziek worden. Een extra prik, de zogeheten booster, helpt de verspreiding tegen te gaan, zo leren gegevens uit het Verenigd Koninkrijk.
        Het aantal infecties met omicron verdubbelt nu elke twee dagen. Het betekent dat de verpleegafdelingen en de intensive cares zich weer schrap moeten zetten voor een nieuwe golf coronapatinten, een golf die mogelijk groter is dan eerder. Van Dissel hield afgelopen week de Tweede Kamer voor dat omicron kan leiden tot 600 ziekenhuisopnames per dag, waarvan 100 tot 125 op de ic.
        Lunch UpdateDagelijks tijdens de lunch een update van het belangrijkste nieuws.
        Ongeldig e-mailadres. Vul nogmaals in aub.
        Lees hier ons privacybeleid.
        Bekijk meer van09:27Binnenland
        Vermoedelijk zaterdag nog persconferentie van Rutte en De JongeVermoedelijk zal er zaterdag al een persconferentie zijn waarop het demissionaire kabinet nieuwe maatregelen tegen het coronavirus bekendmaakt. Die kans is volgens een ingewijde 'zeer aanwezig'. Het OMT heeft geadviseerd om de maatregelen aan te scherpen, wat neerkomt op een harde lockdown.
        Column: Rutte IV start met een risicovol beleidDe economen Willem Vermeend en Rick van der Ploeg menen dat de nieuwe coalitie van start gaat met een beleid dat gekenmerkt wordt door extra overheidsuitgaven die gefinancierd worden met geleend geld. Ze wijzen op de risico's die dit beleid met zich meebrengt als de toekomstige economische groei teg...
        Ook Rutte IV vreest strenge asielpolitiekVerwacht niet dat Rutte IV het asielbeleid zal hervormen. De paragrafen daarover in het akkoord tonen weinig ambitie en urgentie. Ze zijn vaag en omslachtig geformuleerd. Wellicht wil de nieuwe regering zich progressief profileren door luchtig over migratie te doen. Maar er is niets progressiefs aan...
        17 dec.Binnenland
        Rutte: geen harde afspraken over man-vrouwverdeling nieuw kabinetDe nieuwe coalitie heeft volgens aanstaand premier Mark Rutte 'geen afspraken' gemaakt over een man/vrouw-verdeling in het nieuwe kabinet. Maar de VVD-leider voorziet wel een 'diverser team dan de vorige kabinetten'. Dat team moet in de tweede week van januari op het bordes staan.
        Omzien en vooruitkijken, maar gaat er ook nog eens iemand iets d"(C)n?Pandemische paraatheid is de nieuwe toverspreuk van Mark Rutte. In het debat over het regeerakkoord strooide hij kwistig met deze door een getalenteerde spindoctor bedachte kreet. Pandemische paraatheid is voortaan de oplossing voor alles.
        17 dec.Praat Mee
        Passen opa en oma op jouw kind(eren) tijdens de vervroegde kerstvakantie?De scholen gaan een week eerder dicht, waardoor de kerstvakantie verlengd is, lees je in De Telegraaf. Dit kan problemen veroorzaken voor ouders die gewoon naar hun werk moeten, want er wordt geadviseerd de kinderen niet bij hun grootouders te droppen. Passen opa en oma op jouw kind(eren) tijdens de...
      Massachusetts Becomes a No Egg Zone as of January 1st, 2022, Wokeness Gone Wild | DJHJ Media
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        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 16:29
        The voters of Massachusetts automatically vote for the most extreme measure, without considering the consequences and so it was with a referendum on chicken cruelty. The referendum requires all eggs sold in Massachusetts to come from chickens with a minimum of 1.5 square feet of floor space.
        The measure was passed in 2016 by the voters to take effect on January 1st, 2022. The problem is it adds a lot to the cost to egg farms. It makes more sense for them to sell their eggs elsewhere.
        The new law means that the state will see a drop of 90% in the number of eggs for sale in the state. The effects will be far-reaching. Breakfast restaurants will see a drop-off and how many bakeries will close? Bread will have to be imported from out of state, but only if they have the capacity to do so. And if they don't, Massachusetts' residents will have to do without.
        Of course, there are always plant-based egg substitutes. Yum yum. Egg substitutes are eggs in the same way prohibition near beer was a substitute for a good draft. My father once told me that the man who invented near beer was a poor judge of distance. Wokeness could still come into play.
        Farmers who raise the plants used to make the egg substitutes may see their efforts encumbered by political correctness. For example, they may not be allowed to pull the weeds themselves. They could be required to call Plant parenthood to remove them so that the farmer does not have to deal with a man in a back alley with a rusty coat hanger.
        From The Blaze
        According to the Boston Globe, egg industry representatives such as the New England Brown Egg Council are predicting that the new rules will decrease the state's current egg supply by approximately 90%.
        The council's general manager, Bill Bell, told the Globe that ''retailers are in a huge quandary,'' adding, ''you're looking at just a huge shortage.''
        ''It'll be egg Armageddon if they don't fix the law,'' warned Steve Vendemia, president of Hillendale Farms in Connecticut, which boasts about 2 million chickens that produce eggs sold in Massachusetts supermarkets. Under the new rules, he won't be able to sell the product.
        VIDEO OF THE DAYIdiots Twerk On Ambulance After Shooting In Oakland, CA
        Brad Mitchell, head of the Massachusetts Farm Bureau, told WCVB-TV that the new rules will make it impossible for egg producers to keep up with the state's demand since, on average, chickens lay one egg per day and each resident eats one egg per day.
        ''We've got about 300,000 to 400,000 egg-laying chickens in Massachusetts. We've got about 7 million people, so do the math,'' Mitchell explained.
        The new standards, which apply to all egg products, cover eggs imported from other states, as well.
      OSHA vaccine-or-test rule for 84 million workers is back after court lifts stay : NPR
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        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 16:06
        At a White House event on October 14, President Joe Biden encouraged states and businesses to support vaccine mandates to avoid a surge in cases of Covid-19. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption
        toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images At a White House event on October 14, President Joe Biden encouraged states and businesses to support vaccine mandates to avoid a surge in cases of Covid-19.
        Drew Angerer/Getty Images A Biden administration rule that requires workers at companies with 100 or more employees to be vaccinated against Covid or undergo weekly testing is back on.
        The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a stay on the rule Friday evening. The rule was blocked on Nov. 6, just one day after it was formally issued by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
        In dozens of lawsuits around the country, Republican-led states, businesses, religious groups and some individuals charged the Biden administration with overreach. Among their arguments: OSHA does not have the legal authority to issue a rule regarding a society-wide health concern that goes far beyond the workplace. Even if reducing the risk of Covid is compelling, it is not necessarily a "grave danger," as OSHA has declared it to be, they said. In addition, they argued that complying with the rule would be costly and could lead to worker shortages.
        A three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit found these injuries asserted by the petitioners to be "entirely speculative," and the costs of delaying implementation of the rule to be comparatively high.
        "Fundamentally, the [rule] is an important step in curtailing the transmission of a deadly virus that has killed over 800,000 people in the United States, brought our healthcare system to its knees, forced businesses to shut down for months on end, and cost hundreds of thousands of workers their jobs," wrote Circuit Judge Jane B. Stranch, an Obama appointee.
        "The harm to the government and the public interest outweighs any irreparable injury to the individual petitioners who may be subject to a vaccination policy," she said.
        As expected, by Saturday morning, dozens of business groups and religious organizations had asked the Supreme Court for a new emergency stay.
        The National Retail Federation said it would continue to prepare its members to comply with this "onerous mandate," but added it would not be feasible for employers to do so during the holiday season.
        The White House welcomed the appeals court's decision, reiterating that the rule will ensure businesses will enact measures to protect employees.
        In a statement, the White House pointed out that the highly transmissible Omicron variant makes it "critical we move forward with vaccination requirements and protections for workers with the urgency needed in this moment."
        Just before midnight, the Labor Department announced that OSHA would not issue citations for noncompliance with the testing requirement before Feb. 9, "so long as an employer is exercising reasonable, good faith efforts to come into compliance" with the rule.
        OSHA had estimated that the vaccine-or-test rule could save more than 6,500 lives and prevent over 250,000 hospitalizations in the six months that it would be in effect.
        In addition to the vaccine and testing requirements, the rule requires companies to determine who among their workers are vaccinated and who are not, and to enforce a mask mandate for unvaccinated workers. The new deadline for those steps is Jan. 10.
        The ruling is a big victory for the Biden administration vis a vis private employers.
        Earlier this year, companies that implemented vaccine mandates on their own saw a dramatic uptake of vaccinations among their workers. Tyson Food and United Airlines reached vaccination rates of more than 95%. Neither offered their employees a testing option.
        The Biden administration's attempts to similarly mandate vaccines for health care workers and federal contractors are currently held up in courts. Its mandate covering health care workers at facilities that receive Medicaid or Medicare funding remains blocked in about half the states, while its mandate for federal contractors remains blocked nationwide. Those cases could also end up at the Supreme Court.
      U.S. blacklists 34 Chinese entities over human rights abuses, brain-control weapons
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 16:05
        Chinese and U.S. flags flutter outside a company building in Shanghai, China November 16, 2021.
        Aly Song | Reuters
        WASHINGTON '' The Biden administration said Thursday it imposed trade restrictions on more than 30 Chinese research institutes and entities over human rights violations and the alleged development of technologies, such as brain-control weapons, that undermine U.S. national security.
        The Commerce Department accused China's Academy of Military Medical Sciences and 11 of its research institutes of using biotechnology "to support Chinese military end uses and end users, to include purported brain-control weaponry," according to a notice in the Federal Register.
        The notice does not elaborate further on the alleged brain-control weaponry.
        "The scientific pursuit of biotechnology and medical innovation can save lives. Unfortunately, the PRC is choosing to use these technologies to pursue control over its people and its repression of members of ethnic and religious minority groups," U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo wrote in a statement referring to the People's Republic of China and human rights abuses in China's far-west region of Xinjiang.
        The State Department has previously described the abuse of Uyghurs and members of other Muslim minorities as in the Xinjiang region as "widespread, state-sponsored forced labor" and "mass detention."
        Earlier this month, the White House announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, citing "ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses."
        Beijing denies that it has abused religious and ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.
        The Commerce Department listed four additional Chinese corporations to its Entity List for their role in modernizing China's military, which runs contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.
        The department also added five other Chinese companies for allegedly "acquiring or attempting to acquire technology from the United States to help modernize the People's Liberation Army."
        U.S. officials have long complained that Chinese intellectual property theft has cost the economy billions of dollars in revenue and thousands of jobs. They have also said that it threatens national security. Meanwhile, Beijing maintains that it does not engage in intellectual property theft.
        Later Thursday, the Treasury Department announced sanctions on eight Chinese tech entities for "biometric surveillance and tracking of ethnic and religious minorities in China, particularly the predominantly Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang."
        The entities cited by Treasury are: Cloudwalk Technology, Dawning Information Industry, Leon Technology Company, Megvii Technology, Netposa Technologies , SZ DJI Technology, Xiamen Meiya Pico Information and Yitu.
        The Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., dismissed the U.S. moves as "unwarranted suppression" of Chinese entities.
        "The facts and truth on Xinjiang-related issues are very clear. China's development of biotechnology has always been for the well-being of mankind. The relevant claims of the US side are totally groundless," embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said in a statement provided to CNBC.
        The Commerce Department also took action against entities located in Georgia, Malaysia and Turkey for allegedly "diverting or attempting to divert U.S. items to Iran's military programs."
        "Specifically, these entities are a part of a network used to supply or attempt to supply Iran with U.S-origin items that would ultimately provide material support to Iran's defense industries, in violation of U.S. export controls," the notice said.
        In total, the Commerce Department took action against 34 entities in China, three in Georgia, one in Malaysia and two in Turkey.
      How Disastrous Would Disconnection From SWIFT Be for Russia? - Carnegie Moscow Center - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
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        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 15:49
        Seven years after threats were first made to cut Russia off from SWIFT, how well is Russia prepared to cope with disconnection from Western payment systems?
        The April 29 resolution passed by the European Parliament on excluding Russia from the SWIFT international payment system should its troops invade Ukraine may be legally nonbinding, but it did not go unnoticed by the Kremlin. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a potential cutoff was a serious threat, and that its implementation could not be ruled out.
        Calls to exclude Russia from SWIFT are not new. In August 2014, the UK appealed to European leaders to consider such an option. Alexei Kudrin, Russia's former finance minister, then forecast that such a move could cause Russia's GDP to shrink by 5 percent. Ultimately, the pressure campaign was dropped. Cutting Russia off from SWIFT was considered to be a major escalation, or, as then prime minister Dmitry Medvedev put it, tantamount to ''a declaration of war.''
        Since then, the likelihood of this nuclear option being implemented has remained low. Russia's high level of interconnectedness with the West has worked as a shield. The United States and Germany would stand to lose the most if Russia were disconnected, because U.S. and German banks are the most frequent SWIFT users to communicate with Russian banks.
        Still, Moscow has taken steps to secure its domestic financial system, with the case of Iran serving as a cautionary tale: after Iranian banks were disconnected from SWIFT, the country lost almost half of its oil export revenues and 30 percent of foreign trade. The impact on the Russian economy would be equally devastating, particularly in the short term. Russia is heavily reliant on SWIFT due to its multibillion exports of hydrocarbons denominated in U.S. dollars. The cutoff would terminate all international transactions, trigger currency volatility, and cause massive capital outflows. Since 2014, therefore, several countermeasures have been introduced to minimize the risks and potential economic damage to Russia.
        If Russian banks are disconnected from the Visa and MasterCard payment systems, all domestic transactions could be done through the National Payment Card System. Performing international transfers, however, would be an arduous task.
        In April 2014, a number of Russian banks were blacklisted by the United States. Both Visa and MasterCard suspended the targeted banks' services and blocked them from using their payment systems. The following month, the Russian government passed a new law introducing the National Payment Card System, later known as Mir (''World''). Fully owned by Russia's central bank, the card system operates as a clearing center for processing card transactions within Russia.
        Since 2014, Mir's share of operations has grown to 24 percent of all domestic card transactions, with more than 73 million cards using the Mir system issued. Its rapid growth stems largely from the fact that in Russia, bank cards are generally issued by the employer (or the state in the case of benefits), and Mir cards are now standard issue for pensioners, public sector employees, and others in receipt of public funds.
        Making payments outside of Russia is still far from easy with a Mir card, however. Full services are only available in Armenia and the Russia-backed breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Some operations are possible in Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. By using cards co-branded with the international Maestro system, Chinese UnionPay, and Japanese JCB, some transactions can be conducted abroad. But it is hardly the global card that its name suggests.
        In the medium term, SWIFT could be replaced for domestic purposes with the Russian equivalent System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS), which was set up by the central bank in 2014 and which aims to replicate the functions of the Brussels-based interbank transfer system.
        In 2020, SPFS traffic doubled to almost 13 million messages, but the system still pales in comparison with SWIFT. More than 400 financial institutions have joined the Russian alternative, most of which are Russian banks, but key banks operating in Russia such as the foreign UniCredit, Deutsche Bank, and Raiffeisen Bank, and the domestic Tinkoff and Vostochny banks have yet to join. To attract new members, the central bank has resorted to both carrots'--slashing the system's tariffs to about half of SWIFT's charges'--and sticks: in 2019, the Accounts Chamber proposed obliging all banks operating in Russia'--including the subsidiaries of foreign banks'--to connect to the Russian analogue.
        Currently, 20 percent of all domestic transfers are done through SPFS. The central bank seeks to increase this share to 30 percent by 2023. To become an attractive alternative for commercial actors, however, the system would still need to resolve its technical limitations. Operations are limited to weekday working hours, unlike SWIFT, which works 24/7, and the system limits the size of messages to 20 kilobytes.
        Internationally, the Russian analogue has had a hard time picking up foreign members to compete with SWIFT's network of more than 11,000 members, despite Russian officials' efforts.
        Due to the constraints of the Russian SPFS, the Chinese Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) has often been suggested as a more realistic alternative for Russian banks in the event of disconnection. The presumption is that due to China's economic clout, the renminbi has more potential than the ruble to become a rival currency to the dollar internationally.
        There is still a long way to go, however, before CIPS could serve as a substitute for SWIFT. The share of the renminbi in international financial markets is marginal: less than 2 percent of global payments, compared with the whopping 40 percent share the U.S. dollar holds, and far behind the euro, the British pound, and the Japanese yen. As a result, the CIPS payment system remains very small: about 0.3 percent of the size of SWIFT. The internationalization of the renminbi is handicapped by the strict capital controls imposed by Beijing out of concern over financial volatility.
        Nevertheless, CIPS could become a regional alternative to SWIFT: in Eurasia, for example. The fundamental question is whether Chinese CIPS and Russian SPFS will collaborate on a joint solution, or whether the Chinese messaging system will make the Russian analogue fully redundant. Twenty-three Russian banks have joined CIPS, while just one Chinese bank'--Bank of China'--is currently connected to SPFS.
        Another option advocated for by Oleg Deripaska'--one of the Russian businessmen hit by U.S. sanctions'--is for the Russian government to speed up the introduction of the digital ruble to ensure cross-border transactions. The introduction of the digital ruble was approved by the central bank in October 2020. Unlike decentralized cryptocurrencies, central bank digital currencies bring back control right where the Russian authorities want it to be: with the state. The first prototype of the digital ruble is scheduled to be ready in late 2021, and is due to be tested in Crimea, which is isolated by international sanctions. Other central banks across the world have similar plans for a government-led digital currency, but Russia has greater motivation: it aims to reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar, boost the ruble globally, and minimize the risk of sanctions.
        Yet the extent to which central bank''controlled digital currencies can help to reduce the dollar's hegemony and mitigate the risk of sanctions is questionable. The digital ruble will be as toxic as the analogue version, and will not be accepted easily as a means of payment outside the country. Digital payments between U.S. competitors and adversaries like Russia, Iran, and Turkey are possible, but would remain on a regional scale.
        The ability to fully sidestep U.S. sanctions with the use of digital currencies is also limited. Since March 2018, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control has not differentiated between normal monetary transactions and digital currency transactions when it comes to sanctions compliance. That means dealing with a sanctioned entity or person would still be prohibited. The OFAC has also been exploring new technology-related tools to analyze and track blockchain-based transactions to gather attribution information.
        Finally, Russia's drive to reduce reliance on U.S.-centered payment systems could profit from Europe's latest efforts to push back against U.S. dominance on the financial markets. Dissatisfied with Washington's reimposition of sanctions on Iran, the EU launched the Instrument for Supporting Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) as an alternative to SWIFT. INSTEX is currently confined to humanitarian trade, which is permissible under U.S. sanctions. But the desire to counter the pressure of unilateral U.S. sanctions means others are watching the EU's further steps closely. In the future, the EU plans to improve the effectiveness of INSTEX, and countries like Russia and China have already offered to collaborate on it. The EU is also looking to reduce reliance on dollar-dominated clearing houses and payment cards such as Visa and MasterCard. Much work would need to be done before these initiatives could become viable alternatives. With secondary sanctions, the United States can easily weaponize its financial power against European companies, but the mere idea that the EU is emboldened to create a parallel channel to conventional, U.S.-connected routes is a welcome message for Moscow and Beijing.
        This article was published as part of the ''Relaunching U.S.-Russia Dialogue on Global Challenges: The Role of the Next Generation'' project, implemented in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy to Russia. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Embassy to Russia.
        By:
        Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
      Putin, Xi running circles around Biden's hybrid war, by Pepe Escobar - The Unz Review
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 15:45
        Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin spent an hour and 14 minutes in a video conversation on Wednesday. Geopolitically, paving the way for 2022, this is the one that really matters ' much more than Putin-Biden a week ago.
        Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov, who generally carefully measures his words, had previously hinted that this exchange would be 'extremely important.'
        It was obvious the two leaders would not only exchange information about the natural gas pipeline Power of Siberia 2. But Peskov was referring to prime time geopolitics: how Russia-China would be coordinating their countercoups against the hybrid war/Cold War 2.0 combo deployed by the US and its allies.
        While no substantial leaks were expected from the 37th meeting between Xi and Putin since 2013 (they will meet again in person in February 2022, at the start of the Beijing Winter Olympics), Assistant to the President for Foreign Policy Yuri Ushakov did manage to succinctly deliver at least two serious bits of information.
        These are the highlights of the call:
        Moscow will inform Beijing about the progress, or lack thereof, in negotiations with the US/NATO on security guarantees for Russia.Beijing supports Moscows demands on US/NATO for these security guarantees.Putin and Xi agreed to create an 'independent financial structure for trade operations that could not be influenced by other countries.' Diplomatic sources, off the record, say the structure may be announced by a joint summit in late 2022.They discussed the Biden-hosted 'Summit for Democracy,' concluding it was counterproductive and imposed new dividing lines. Of all of the above, the third point is the real game-changer ' already in the works for a few years now, and gaining definitive momentum after Washington hawks of the Victoria 'F**k the EU' Nuland kind recently floated the idea of expelling Russia from SWIFT ' the vast messaging network used by banks and other financial institutions to make money transfer instructions ' as the ultimate sanctions package for the non-invasion of Ukraine.
        Putin and Xi once again discussed one of their key themes in bilaterals and BRICS meetings: the need to keep increasing the share of the yuan and ruble in mutual settlements ' bypassing the US dollar ' and opening new stock market avenues for Russian and Chinese investors.
        A 100 yuan bill and Russian 10 ruble coins. Photo: AFP / Demyanchuk /Sputnik
        Bypassing a SWIFT mechanism 'influenced by third counties' then becomes a must. Ushakov diplomatically put it as 'the need to intensify efforts to form an independent financial infrastructure to service trade operations between Russia and China.'
        Russian energy businesses, from Gazprom to Rosneft, know all there is to know not only about US threats but also about the negative effects of the tsunami of US dollars flooding the global economy via the Feds quantitative easing.
        This Russia-China drive is yet another dimension of geoeconomic, geostrategic and demographic power rapidly shifting towards Eurasia and possibly foreshadowing the advent of a new world system related to other matters Putin-Xi certainly discussed: the interconnection of Belt and Road with the Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU), the expanded reach of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the coming Chinese presidency of BRICS in 2022.
        The US ' with US\$30 trillion in debt, 236% of its militarized GDP ' is virtually bankrupt. Russia-China have already experimented with their alternative payment systems, which will inevitably integrate.
        The most important banks in both countries will adopt the system ' as well as banks across Eurasia doing business with them, and then vast swaths of the Global South. SWIFT, in the long run, will be used only in exceptional cases if China and Russia have their way.
        Maidan redux
        Now to the heart of the geopolitical puzzle.
        Ushakov confirmed that the Russian Federation has submitted proposals on security guarantees to the US. As Putin himself had confirmed even before talking to Xi, its all about 'indivisible security': a mechanism that has been enshrined all across the territory of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe since a 1975 summit in Helsinki.
        Predictably, under orders of the powers that be, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg already rejected it.
        Both Xi and Putin clearly identify how Team Biden is deploying a strategic polarization gambit under good old divide-and-rule. The wishful thinking at play is to build a pro-American bloc ' with participants ranging from the UK and Australia to Israel and Saudi Arabia ' to 'isolate' Russia-China.
        Thats whats behind the narrative thunderously splashed non-stop all across the West ' to which Bidens Summit for Democracy was also tied. Taiwan is being manipulated against Beijing while Ukraine is being literally weaponized against Russia. 'China aggression' meets 'Russian aggression.'
        Russian and Chinese soldiers take aim in a 2018 joint military exercise. Image: Twitter
        Beijing has not fallen into the trap but has asserted at different levels that Taiwan will eventually be integrated into the mainland motherland, without any ludicrous 'invasion.' And the wishful thinking that massive American pressure will lead to cracks inside the Chinese Communist Party is also likely generating zero traction.
        Ukraine is a much more volatile proposition: a dysfunctional nightmare of systemic instability, widespread corruption, shady oligarchic entanglements and poverty.
        Washington still follows the Zbigniew Brzezinski-concocted Maidan plan laid out for cookie distributor Nuland in 2014. Yet seven years later, no American 'strategist' managed to understand why Russia would fail to invade Ukraine, which has been part of Russia for centuries.
        For these 'strategists', its imperative that Russia faces a second Vietnam, after Afghanistan in the 1980s. Well, its not going to happen because Moscow has no interest whatsoever in 'invading' Ukraine.
        It does get more complicated. The ultimate fear dictating all US foreign policy since the early 20th century is the possibility of Germany clinching a new version of Bismarcks 1887 Reinsurance Treaty with Russia.
        Add China to the combination and these three actors are able to control just about the entire Eurasian landmass. Updating Mackinder, the US would then be turned into a geopolitically irrelevant island.
        Putin-Xi may have examined not only how the imperial hybrid war tactics against them are floundering against them, as well as how the tactics are dragging Europe further into the abyss of irrelevance.
        For the EU, as former British diplomat Alastair Crooke points out, the strategic balance is a disaster: 'The EU has virtually ruptured its relations with both Russia and China ' at the same time. Washingtons hawks wanted it. A European Brzezinski certainly would have advised the EU differently: never lose both in tandem ' you are never that powerful.'
        No wonder the leadership in Moscow-Beijing cant take anyone in Brussels seriously ' be it assorted NATO chihuahuas or the spectacularly incompetent Ursula von der Leyen at the European Commission.
        A faint ray of light is that Paris and Berlin, unlike the Russophobic Poland and the Baltic fringe, at least prefer having some sort of negotiation with Moscow over Ukraine as opposed to slapping on extra sanctions.
        Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (left) meets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on March 23, 2021. Photo: AFP / Russian Foreign Ministry / Handout / Anadolu Agency
        Now imagine Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov explaining the ABCs of foreign policy to a clueless Annalena 'Grune' Baerbock, now posing as German foreign minister while displaying a fresh mix of incompetence and aggressiveness. She actually placed the phone call.
        Lavrov had to meticulously explain the consequences of NATO expansion; the Minsk agreement; and how Berlin should exercise its right to pressure Kiev to respect Minsk.
        No leaks about it should be expected from Ushakov. But its fair to imagine that with 'partners' like the US, NATO and the EU, Xi and Putin should conclude that China and Russia dont even need enemies.
        Follow Pepe Escobar on Twitter: @RealPepeEscobar
      Announcement: RFK Jr. as America's #1 HIV/AIDS Denier and The Sounds of Media Silence, by Ron Unz - The Unz Review
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 15:40
        Peter Duesberg wrote about the 'HIV causes AIDS' hoax in his 1990s book, ''Inventing the AIDS Virus.''
        So did Harvard researcher John Lauritsen in his ''The AIDS War.''
        Michael Fumento concurred with both in his ''The Myth of Heterosexual AIDS.''
        The culprit at the center of the HIV/AIDS hoax and current Covid hysteria: Tony 'The Truth-Kibosher' Fauci.
        Then as now, he fudges facts.
        Duesberg et alia claimed that what caused AIDS was not HIV but (1) the gay 'lifestyle' and (2) Faucis recommended treatment.
        If anal sex had been the cause, most straight porn stars would have died. They didn't. Because unlike gays, they didnt haunt bathhouses nightly to have anonymous sex with multiple strangers. Nor did most porn normies get little sleep and/or take drugs.
        Gays literally made themselves walking petri dishes: human sites for opportunistic diseases. How? By living la vida loca (the crazy life).
        The real 'band that played on'' was led by gay advocates. They ignored traditional pandemic protocols. They refused to be quarantined or contact-traced. Instead, they continued sharing dirty needles and ingesting amyl nitrate 'poppers'...which mutated their cells. Theyd also cover themselves in bathhouses with towels soaked in drugs, creating the tell-tale signs of Kaposi Sarcoma.
        If diagnosed with HIV, they should have been told to stop ''partying'' so much...and start getting more sleep and better nutrition. They werent advised to do so.
        Instead, to avoid being ''shamed,'' gays tried to scare straights into thinking they were at risk, too.
        Fauci agreed, proclaiming that heterosexuals would die at rates equal to gays. They didnt.
        During that sad, needless gay tragedy, Fauci mocked actual remedies.
        Today he similarly mocks Ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, and other Covid treatments. Hes abetted by MSM and social media giants who censor any doctors contradicting/challenging Fallacious Fauci.
        Gays sick with HIV were told that only AZT worked. Alas, it was a cancer-killer that also killed healthy cells. Gays were like sick people in the past who, already weak, were told to go to barbers/doctors and get 'bled.' Bleeding/AZT just made the weak weaker, more likely to die.
        When straight Magic John's magic 'johnson' contracted HIV for him, Earvin refused AZT treatment. Instead he changed his lifestyle. He ate better, exercised more, slept more, and boinked fewer bimbos.
        He lived.
        Then as now, Fauci spread terror while quashing actual cures. Mass media meat-heads and government goons have his back.
        [MORE]When AIDS hysteria finally died down (after gays changed their ways!), the focus shifted to Africa. AIDS was then repeatedly redefined to include symptoms identical to usual ''wasting diseases' (caused by the lack of potable water and general unhealthy conditions in war-ravaged lands). Pharmaceutical companies jumped in, offering money to African leaders who ''discovered'' AIDS clusters'...which, mirabile dictu'...were always found.
        Today, Covid is similarly kept going by adding an endless ''fraternity'' of variants: delta, omicron, kappa, epsilon, sigma, and so on. Sis boom bah!
        Yesteryear, gays refused to ''follow the science' that told them (like their bodies did) that is was time to slow down and change ways. So they died.
        Today, pols, pundits, and putzy Fauci similarly refuse to ''listen to the science.' That science says Covid-19, like all Covids, is a flu: not very deadly, but slightly more contagious. It tends to target the VERY unhealthy: the frail elderly and those younger with co-morbidities. Outside those cohorts, most infected live.
        Kids are almost totally immune.
        USA survival rates (from the CDC): 0-19 years: 99.997% 20-49 years: 99.98% 50-69 years: 99.5% 70+ years: 94.6%
        Fauci should have quarantined the very old, cautioning the obese, diabetic, and emphysema-stricken to take extra precautions. Schools, businesses, churches, etc. should never have been closed.
        The damage, done internationally, is huge.
        Perhaps permanently so.
        Media should have ignored infection rates, too, focusing solely on deaths. And confirm that the deceased died FROM Covid-19, not WITH it.
        Masks were'...and are...mostly useless (save to show how docile and sheeplike people are). Aside from most being worn too long (getting dirty), the material is just too loose. The virus acts like a small pea shot through a basketball net.
        ''Social distancing'' was not just useless, it prevented ''herd immunity'' from forming. Kids who get mildly sick in kindergarten among peers quickly recover and grow strong, more resilient.
        Note, too, that its never called 'physical distancing.'
        Adults should have mingled more, not less. Isolating was cruel and unusual and unnecessary.
        Mask mandates were/are not about science/medicine. Theyre used to get humans to comply. Masks are the modern version of WWII 'Stars-of-David' sewed on clothes.
        Entire nations bought into Covid insanity. They willfully crushed their economies and frayed social connections. The hoax kept kids out of classrooms, lovers from meeting, employees from gathering after work in pubs, the living from burying the dead, friends from attending weddings, and students from graduating en masse, live, with each other.
        Horrible, needless pains.
        Of course, Amazon and other online services grew immensely while local stores went bankrupt.
        IT'S ALL BEEN NONSENSE!
        If Covid was routinely deadly, politicians wouldn't have gathered maskless in posh restaurants. And BLM/antifa rioters would all be dead from 'mass spreading.'
        No one needed a test to know if they had the bubonic plague. Streets were filled with the dead. Yet go on any public transport today. Most require masking. People onboard buses, trolleys, and trains clump together, bump into each other, and so on. No employee boards at each stop to disinfect seats, straps, rails, steps, etc. Yet no one dies.
        Again: IT'S ALL A LIE!
        Cui bono?
        Globalists who want compliant citizens isolated, the better to prevent them organizing to resist diktats.Big Pharma, Amazon, Uber Eats, and mega-stores like Walmart.Governments who need people dependent on them a la Chinas 'social credit' system ('We see you watchee Pornahubba, comrade. No lo mein for you nexta month!')Mask makers.Disinfectant makers.Etc.
        Lockdowns that were to last 2 weeks have lasted over 2 years. Some places, like Australia, lost their dignity, minds, souls, and balls.
        Meanwhile, Covidoholics continue to freak out over 'cases.' If they cite deaths, they never mention co-morbidities. Or time-frames. Instead of the normal 6-monty flu season (October-April), they tally 24+ months to make the accumulated deaths seem H-U-G-E.
        In sum: Fauci caused gays to die 30 years ago. The he funded a lab in China to increase 'gain of function' for a normal virus. He also condoned the torture of dogs. Who knows what other dark deeds hes committed. Yet he rakes in \$417,608 a year...more than any other government employee, including the President.
        Why isnt he in prison?
      Bureau of Justice Statistics has canceled its "Homicide Trends in the United States" report. Why would you want to be well-informed about Homicide Trends, citizen?, by Steve Sailer - The Unz Review
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 15:37
        The federal Bureau of Justice Statistics (which sounds like where Batman's nerdy cousin works) has published 86 reports so far this year on a broad array of topics concerning crime and law enforcement. For instance, here's an interesting recent tweet from them promoting their November report ''Suicide in Local Jails and State and Federal Prisons:''
        The average suicide rate for white inmates in local jails was 93 per 100,000 during the 5-year period of 2015-19, which is 5 times the rate for black inmates (18 per 100,000) and more than 3 times the rate for Hispanic inmates (26 per 100,000). https://t.co/VldWtixTQi #BJSstats
        '-- Bureau of Justice Statistics (@BJSgov) November 5, 2021
        For example, BJS has published five reports so far in 2021 with the word ''hate'' in the title.
        But two words no longer ever appear in the titles on BJS reports: ''murder'' (not since 2001) and ''homicide'' (not since July 2014). Here are all the BJS reports of this century with ''homicide'' in the title.
        The Nation's Two Measures of Homicide
        July 2014
        Homicide in the U.S. Known to Law Enforcement, 2011
        December 2013
        Homicide Trends in the United States, 1980-2008
        November 2011
        Homicide Trends in the United States
        July 2007
        Suicide and Homicide in State Prisons and Local Jails
        August 2005
        Homicide Trends in the United States: 2002 Update
        November 2004
        Homicide Trends in the United States: 2000 Update
        January 2003
        Policing and Homicide, 1976-98: Justifiable Homicide of Felons by Police and Murder of Police by Felons
        March 2001
        Homicide Victimization and Offending Rates
        February 2001
        Homicide Trends in the United States: 1998 Update
        March 2000
        There used to be a standard report updated intermittently called ''Homicide Trends in the United States.''
        It included useful graphs such as in the 2011 update:
        A document entitled ''Homicide Trends in the United States'' kinda sounds like an interesting and important report for the Bureau of Justice Statistics to inform the public about on a regular basis, right?
        Apparently not. The last full update was published over ten years ago and a less informative version in 2013, when the Obama Administration removed all the information about the demographics of known murder offenders and instead just reported victim demographics.
        After all, what is less important to keep the public well-informed about than ''Homicide Trends in the United States''?
        In case you are wondering, the word ''homicides'' last appeared in the title of a BJS report in 1999 and the word ''murders'' never.
        This is not to say that the diligent researcher can't find numbers about homicide trends somewhere in the hundreds of reports issued over the last decade by the BJS. But putting them together in one easy-to-find document is Just Not Done Anymore.
        Note that I first complained about what the Obama Administration BJS was up to back in 2013, when I pointed out that the BJS used to have a website devoted to making it super easy to look the Homicide Trends graphs, with separate URLs for each topic, which was very convenient for online comments and debates.
        Then the Obama Administration took down the website and left up only the lengthy PDF for you to download and look through.
        Then in 2013 it stopped publishing in the newest PDF the radioactive data on known homicide offenders to coddle black fantasies that the reason Gun Violence Descends on black neighborhoods so much is due to all the white murderers killing blacks.
        Then it stopped updating the Homicide Trends report at all and the Trump Administration did zero about it. I don't expect the Biden Administration to bring it back either.
        I apologize if my coverage of the demographics of homicide trends over the years and decades may seem repetitious and pedantic to my long-suffering readers. But, during the national insanity from May 25, 2020 to who knows when it will end, you have to admit that the powerful have succeeded in persuading a large fraction of the public to not notice what's in front of their noses. What goes unsaid eventually goes unthought and then we start destroying our civilization because we can't even conceive of the truth anymore.
        I've taken on the role of the kid who points out the emperor has no clothes. But, it turns out, Hans Christian Andersen didn't quite get it all right. Instead of suddenly realizing the truthteller is right, people tend to get mad at him, or at least wish he'd stop making such a fuss about such a minor matter as murder.
        Fortunately, some people do get it, and to you I'm immensely grateful for your psychological and financial support.
        Thanks to everybody who has contributed so far to the current triennial iSteve fundraiser. For those who haven't yet, here are eight ways for you to contribute to the December fundraiser:
        First: Most banks now allow fee-free money transfers via Zelle.
        Zelle is really a good system: easy to use and the fees are nonexistent.
        If you have a Wells Fargo bank account, you can transfer money to me (with no fees) via Wells Fargo SurePay/Zelle. Just tell WF SurePay/Zelle to send the money to my ancient AOL email address steveslrAT aol.com -- replace the AT with the usual @). (Non-tax deductible.) Please note, there is no 2.9% fee like with Paypal or Google Wallet, so this is good for large contributions.
        Zelle contributions are not tax deductible.
        Second: if you have a Chase bank account (or even other bank accounts), you can transfer money to me (with no fees) via Chase QuickPay/Zelle (FAQ). Just tell Chase QuickPay/Zelle to send the money to my ancient AOL email address (steveslrATaol.com -- replace the AT with the usual @). If Chase asks for the name on my account, its StevenSailer with an n at the end of Steven. (Non-tax deductible.) There is no 2.9% fee like with Paypal or Google Wallet, so this is also good for large contributions.
        Third, Zelle might work with other banks too. Heres a Zelle link for CitiBank. And Bank of America.
        Fourth: You can use Paypal (non-tax deductible) by going to the page on my old blog here. Paypal accepts most credit cards. Contributions can be either one-time only, monthly, or annual. (Monthly is nice.)
        Fifth: You can mail a non-tax deductible donation to:
        Steve SailerP.O Box 4142Valley Village, CA 91617
        Sixth: You can make a tax deductible contribution via VDARE by clicking here.
        Please dont forget to click my name at the VDARE site so the money goes to me: first, click on 'Earmark your donation,' then click on 'Steve Sailer:'
        VDARE has been kiboshed from use of Paypal for being, I dunno, EVIL. But you can give via credit cards, Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin, check, money order, or stock.
        Note: the VDARE site goes up and down on its own schedule, so if this link stops working, please let me know.
        Seventh: send money via the Paypal-like Google Wallet to my Gmail address (thats isteveslrATgmail .com -- replace the AT with a @). (Non-tax deductible.)
        Eight: You can send me Bitcoin. Bitcoin payments are not tax deductible.
        Heres my Bitcoin address:
        1EkuvRNR86uJzpopquxdnmF23iA3vzdDuc
        Heres the OCR
        Please let me know if this works, ideally by sending me Bitcoin. Or let me know what else youd like to send me.
        If youre sending to a crypto address that belongs to another Coinbase user who has opted into Instant sends in their privacy settings, you can send your funds instantly to them with no transaction fees. This transaction will not be sent on chain, and is similar to sending to an email address.
        Learn more about sending and receiving crypto.
        Send off-chain funds Mobile
        Tap at the bottomTap SendTap your selected asset and enter the amount of crypto youd like to sendEnter the Receivers crypto address or scan their crypto QR code to see if the address belongs to a Coinbase user Computer
        Sign into Coinbase.com
        Click Send at the top right
        Click your selected asset and enter the amount of crypto youd like to send
        Enter the Receivers crypto address or scan their crypto QR code to see if the address belongs to a Coinbase user
        Obsolete: Below are links to two Coinbase pages of mine. But these dont work anymore. I will try to fix them. This first is if you want to enter a U.S. dollar-denominated amount to pay me.
        Pay With Bitcoin (denominated in U.S. Dollars)
        This second is if you want to enter a Bitcoin-denominated amount. (Remember one Bitcoin is currently worth many U.S. dollars.)
        Pay With Bitcoin (denominated in Bitcoins)
        –²–¼Ninth: I added Square [which is now Block] as a fundraising medium, although Im vague on how it works. If you want to use Square, send me an email telling me how much to send you an invoice for. Or, if you know an easier way for us to use Square, please let me know.
        Thanks.
      House Covid committee assigns blame for 'botched' pandemic response '-- RT USA News
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 14:52
        Former US President Donald Trump and his administration undermined America's Covid-19 response for the sake of political gain, a Democrat-led House committee involving some of the ex-president's fiercest opponents said.
        The Trump administration's ''persistent political interference'' is to blame for the botched coronavirus response that has seen more than 800,000 Americans dying from the disease so far, the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis said in a report on Friday. It placed the blame for what it called ''one of the worst failures of leadership in American history'' squarely on the 45th president and his administration.
        The report published by the Democrat majority on Friday is a year-end review of the lengthy inquiry, which saw the subcommittee reviewing hundreds of thousands of pages of various documents, conducting a dozen interviews with ''key officials,'' and holding 14 hearings and public briefings to supposedly get to the bottom of America's shortcomings in fighting the pandemic.
        Read more
        The document focused almost entirely on the ''failures'' of the Trump administration, while also naming companies that ''profited during the pandemic'' at the expense of public health. The list of alleged failures ranges from blocking public briefings of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and sidelining the CDC in finalizing certain Covid-19 health guidance, to pressuring the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) into authorizing ''ineffective'' treatments like hydroxychloroquine.
        The ex-president and his administration were also accused of favoring a ''dangerous herd immunity strategy'' and taking steps to limit Covid-19 testing to supposedly conceal the speed with which the virus spread throughout the US.
        Another allegation directly accused Trump and his administration of ''neglecting the pandemic response'' to fully focus on his re-election and ''the Big Lie that the election results were fraudulent.''
        Republicans denounced the report as a partisan product of a ''sham subcommittee'' aiming to ''politicize the pandemic.''
        ''President Biden promised to 'shut down the virus,' but more Americans have died this year from COVID than the previous year. He promised to follow the science, but he allowed union bosses to dictate policy that tags parents as domestic terrorists and effectively keeps schools shuttered,'' Rep. Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana), who sits on the panel, said in a statement on Friday.
        Read more
        The subcommittee was led by Rep. James Clyburn (D-South Carolina), a prominent Democrat, who accused Trump of attempting to start a ''race war'' in the wake of the US Capitol riot on January 6. Clyburn was also one of the key supporters of the current president, Joe Biden, whose emotional endorsement during the primaries led to him being branded 'kingmaker' in the race.
        Other Democrats on the panel are also known to be among Trump's most vehement critics, including Maxine Waters of California, Trump's ''lead impeachment manager'' Jamie Raskin of Maryland, and active impeachment supporters Bill Foster of Illinois and Carolyn B. Maloney of New York.
      Project Veritas Names CNN Producer Involved in Wednesday's Tragic Story | Project Veritas
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 14:38
        [WASHINGTON, D.C. '' Dec. 17, 2021]
        There have been many requests from other journalists and media outlets to name the subject in Wednesday's tragic story involving a CNN producer.
        After ensuring the family involved is safe, Project Veritas has made the decision to release the name, Rick Saleeby.
        Saleeby is a producer on The Lead with Jake Tapper.Project Veritas reached out to CNN multiple times for comment, but as of this writing, they are yet to respond.
        The mother of the children involved in this story sent Project Veritas the following heartfelt note. We have redacted some parts, to further protect their identity, and request everyone give them privacy during this difficult time:
        ''I wanted to reach out to sincerely thank you again. I am very grateful toward you guys and everything you've done for me and my children. Our world has just been completely flipped upside down, but none of that matters. We are all safe. I'm hoping, praying, and pushing for charges to be brought against him, so he can never do this to another child/family again.
        I want the public and any predators to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I will go to the absolute ends of the earth to protect my babies. And I am tremendously grateful that you guys have saved us all from him.
        Despite the hardships ahead, I am going to continue to sit with these feelings of gratitude toward you guys and the woman who provided you with the information. Gratitude will get us through to the other side of all this. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and Merry Christmas. ''¤¸''
        About Project Veritas
        James O'Keefe established Project Veritas in 2010 as a non-profit journalism enterprise to continue his undercover reporting work. Today, Project Veritas investigates and exposes corruption, dishonesty, self-dealing, waste, fraud, and other misconduct in both public and private institutions to achieve a more ethical and transparent society and to engage in litigation to: protect, defend and expand human and civil rights secured by law, specifically First Amendment rights including promoting the free exchange of ideas in a digital world; combat and defeat censorship of any ideology; promote truthful reporting; and defend freedom of speech and association issues including the right to anonymity. O'Keefe serves as the CEO and Chairman of the Board so that he can continue to lead and teach his fellow journalists, as well as protect and nurture the Project Veritas culture.
        Project Veritas is a registered 501(c)3 organization. Project Veritas does not advocate specific resolutions to the issues raised through its investigations.
      Judge allows Michael Flynn relatives to proceed with suit against CNN - POLITICO
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 14:34
        ''Whether the Flynns were QAnon followers, and in particular, whether the Flynns were 'followers' as that word is understood in the context of CNN's publication, is a highly fact-intensive inquiry,'' wrote Woods, an appointee of President Barack Obama.
        The Flynns flatly denied being followers of QAnon, a popular online conspiracy theory that claimed elites were sexually abusing children and that former President Donald Trump was planning to declare a national emergency to strike back at the shadowy figures engaged in the abuse.
        Lawyers for CNN argued that tweets from Jack Flynn showed that he espoused key tenets of QAnon, but Woods said those messages couldn't properly be considered by the court at this stage of the case.
        ''Even though the tweets express support for QAnon and are therefore evidence that the Flynns were QAnon followers, the Court cannot weigh evidence in deciding a motion to dismiss,'' the judge wrote. ''Instead, the Court's task is to assess the legal feasibility of the complaint.''
        Woods also said it wasn't clear that the tweets established to a certainty that the Flynns were QAnon followers.
        ''The Flynns' tweets do not conclusively contradict their factual allegations,'' the judge wrote.
        Jack and Leslie Flynn filed suit against CNN in March, seeking $75 million in damages and claiming that they were defamed by CNN stories and social media postings. A Twitter post on a network account in February showed Michael Flynn standing next to his brother Jack and sister-in-law Leslie, raising their hands and reciting an oath popular with QAnon adherents: ''Where we go one, we go all.''
        An onscreen graphic that appeared below a screen-grab image of the Flynns said: ''CNN goes inside a gathering of QAnon followers.'' Similar imagery appeared on CNN TV programming.
        Woods' ruling did not discuss whether Jack and Leslie Flynn should be considered public or private figures. Magistrate Judge Sarah Cave ruled they were private figures, although she suggested the issue might be revisited later in the case. If the Flynns remain classified as private figures, they may only be required to show negligence on CNN's part. A higher standard applies to suits from public figures, who must show the news outlet knew its statements were false or acted in reckless disregard of evidence that would undercut their truth.
        Spokespeople for CNN did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ruling.
        CORRECTION: A previous version of this report misstated the name of Michael Flynn's sister-in-law. Her name is Leslie.
      Ex-Pro Calls For Investigation Into Footballers Suffering Heart Problems '' Summit News
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 14:24
        Former England footballer Matt Le Tissier has called for an investigation into the spate of sportsmen and athletes collapsing with sudden heart problems, asserting that he is not an ''anti-vaxxer'' and just wants more information.
        As we previously highlighted, three more soccer players in the space of one week experienced chest pains or shortness of breath and had to leave the field of play.
        Manchester United's Victor Lindelof, Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski, and Martin Terrier of French club Rennes were all sidelines with heart and breathing disorders.
        ''It's been very concerning for me watching the sport that I love and I played for 17 years'...in all that time that I played I never once saw any footballer leave the pitch because of heart issues,'' said Le Tissier.
        ''Now I'm sorry, but if anybody can look at what's happening now in the world of sport and say it's normal for all of these people to be having heart issues, in football matches, cricket matches, basketball matches, any sport you wish, these people, the amount of people that are suffering is going through the roof,'' he added.
        'It might not be because of the vaccine, but let's have an investigation to find out what it is. Even saying that deems you to be some kind of anti-vaxxer, which is absolutely disgusting.'
        Ex-footballer Matt Le Tissier wonders why footballers are suffering from heart problems. pic.twitter.com/qlYAXI62iY
        '-- GB News (@GBNEWS) December 16, 2021
        Le Tissier says he is calling for an investigation with the caveat, ''It might not be to do with the vaccine, it may not be, but let's have an investigation to find out what it is.''
        ''Even saying that deems you to be some kind of anti-vaxxer, which is absolutely disgusting,'' said Le Tissier, referring to the treatment of people who dare raise the issue.
        ''I want just some information, I want people to take a look at what is happening in football, have a proper investigation and give us some answers as to why so many sports people are suffering with heart issues '' it's not difficult,'' he concluded.
        During a viral podcast with Joe Rogan which was subsequently censored by YouTube, Dr. Peter McCullough warned that soccer players collapsing could be linked to vaccine-induced myocarditis.
        McCullough warned that myocarditis has become at least 50% more common than predicted by US public health 'experts.'
        However, other health experts have insisted that high profile football players suddenly collapsing with heart problems in the middle of games is just a ''coincidence.''
        According to a report by Dr. Yaffa Shir-Raz, there has been a ''5-fold increase in sudden cardiac deaths of FIFA players in 2021.''
        As we previously highlighted, when one ex-pro dared to suggest a connection to vaccines during a live radio broadcast, he was censored in real time.
        Just out of curiosity @talksport why did you shut down Trevor Sinclair's question about John Fleck's collapse? pic.twitter.com/fEP5I6XkNB
        '-- Totally Fake 'President' James Delingpole (@JamesDelingpole) November 25, 2021
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      Fentanyl overdoses become No. 1 cause of death among US adults, ages 18-45: 'A national emergency' | Fox News
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 14:24
        Fentanyl overdoses have surged to the leading cause of death for adults between the ages of 18 and 45, according to an analysis of U.S. government data.
        Between 2020 and 2021, nearly 79,000 people between 18 and 45 years old '-- 37,208 in 2020 and 41,587 in 2021 '-- died of fentanyl overdoses, the data analysis from opioid awareness organization Families Against Fentanyl shows.
        Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be deadly even in very small amounts, and other drugs, including heroin, meth and marijuana, can be laced with the dangerous drug. Mexico and China are the primary sources for the flow of fentanyl into the United States, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
        Comparatively, between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 15, 2021, there were more than 53,000 COVID-19 deaths among those between the ages of 18 and 49, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
        "This is a national emergency. America's young adults '-- thousands of unsuspecting Americans '-- are being poisoned," James Rauh, founder of Families Against Fentanyl, said in a statement. "It is widely known that illicit fentanyl is driving the massive spike in drug-related deaths. A new approach to this catastrophe is needed."
        TEXAS SEIZED ENOUGH FENTANYL TO KILL 200 MILLION PEOPLE THIS YEAR ALONE, OFFICIALS SAY
        Rauh, who lost his son to an overdose, added that "declaring illicit fentanyl a Weapon of Mass Destruction would activate additional and necessary federal resources to root out the international manufacturers and traffickers of illicit fentanyl and save American lives."
        The DEA on Thursday announced a surge in the sale of fake prescription pills containing deadly opioids on social media platforms like Snapchat.
        A man living on the streets displays what he says is the synthetic drug fentanyl. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
        Experts believe there is a correlation between the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the recent increase in fentanyl overdoses.
        WHAT IS NARCAN? THE LIFESAVING TREATMENT THAT CAN REVERSE OPIOID OVERDOSE SYMPTOMS
        More adults between 18 and 45 died of fentanyl overdoses in 2020 than any other leading cause of death, including COVID-19, motor vehicle accidents, cancer and suicide. Fentanyl also killed more Americans in general in 2020 than car accidents, gun violence, breast cancer and suicide, according to the analysis of CDC data from Families Against Fentanyl.
        Fentanyl deaths doubled from 32,754 fatalities to 64,178 fatalities in two years between April 2019 and April 2021.
        In the first five months of 2021 alone, more than 42,600 fentanyl overdose deaths were reported, which represents an increase of more than 1,000 fentanyl deaths per month compared to the same time period in 2020.
        ARKANSAS WOMAN SPEAKS OUT ON 'AMERICA'S NEWSROOM' ON OPIOID CRISIS AFTER LOSING BROTHER TO ADDICTION
        "Fentanyl has been found in all the drug supply. That's why anyone using drugs, not just opioids, should carry naloxone," Dr. Roneet Lev, emergency physician and former chief medical officer of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), said in a statement. "The only safe place to obtain drugs is the pharmacy."
        Overall drug overdose deaths are expected to surpass 100,000 in 2021, according to preliminary CDC data, representing a 28% increase between April 2020 and April 2021.
        Firefighters and paramedics with Anne Arundel County Fire Department wear enhanced PPE during the coronavirus pandemic as they treat a patient in cardiac arrest as a result of a drug overdose May 6, 2020, in Brooklyn, Maryland. (ALEX EDELMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
        President Biden on Wednesday issued an executive order authorizing sanctions against any foreigner engaged in illicit drug trafficking or production.
        "I find that international drug trafficking '-- including the illicit production, global sale and widespread distribution of illegal drugs, the rise of extremely potent drugs such as fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, as well as the growing role of internet-based drug sales '-- constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States," Biden's order states.
        CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
        Fentanyl drug seizures at the border have reached record highs in 2021, according to data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as the Biden administration faces a continuing crisis at the southern border.
        Border authorities have seized more than 11,000 pounds of fentanyl so far in fiscal year 2021, with less than one month to go, dwarfing the 4,776 pounds seized in fiscal 2020. CBP seizures of other drugs, including marijuana, cocaine and heroin have generally decreased since 2018.
        Experts recommend people who use any kind of drug carry Narcan, a lifesaving medicine also known as naloxone, which has the ability to reverse symptoms of an overdose and potentially save lives, according to Family First Intervention.
        Fox News' Adam Shaw and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
      Cabal leaders go to Antarctica to surrender to Extraterrestrials & Earth Alliance >> Exopolitics
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Sat, 18 Dec 2021 13:55
        Written by Dr Michael Salla on December 16, 2021. Posted in Deep State, Featured
        [Important Update Below] News has recently emerged of global elites (aka cabal) going to Antarctica for a secret meeting. We know from public tweets that Claus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, and Cristina Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank attended a secret Antarctica meeting. Two others present were Brad Garlinghouse and David Schwartz, respectively the President and Chief Technical Officer of Ripple Labs, a computer software company specializing in online payment systems.
        The four tweets by the above elites, which began with Lagarde tweeting back in July 2021 that she was going to attend a meeting in Antarctica, has generated much speculation. To learn more about the Antarctica meetings, I contacted Elena Danaan to find out if her off-planet sources could supply answers to what was really happening in Antarctica.
        Elena received answers from Thor Han Eredyon, a Commander with the Galactic Federation of Worlds, and Oona from the Intergalactic Confederation (aka the Guardians). The answers were stunning. It appears that a major turning point has been reached and global elites are being summoned to Antarctica to meet a delegation of extraterrestrial races and Earth Alliance leaders to negotiate the terms of their surrender.
        Antarctica was chosen for the meeting because it contains a portal that can transport global elites to a distant world in another galaxy where they will be well provisioned, but forever banished.
        Prior to leaving for the new world, however, they have to first help the transition of the global financial system, and to undo much of the black magic that has been cast to keep humanity and the Earth itself in bondage.
        Here is the first message Elena (E) received from Thor Han (TH) on December 14 about what transpired at the Antarctica meeting.
        TH: By the decision of the High Council of the GFW, following the recent agreements set on Jupiter between the Earth Space Alliance and the Galactic Federation of Worlds, the Council of Five and the Zenatean Alliance.
        The Terran elites under enemy leadership complied to meet on the southern continent, with our representatives, in order to hand over to the Earth Alliance their powers upon the global financial system. This ancient system is to be replaced by the new system that is to be put in place by the Earth Alliance. They are being offered, in exchange, a life off-world with all commodities.
        E: Why are they not just judged for their misdeeds and sentenced accordingly?
        TH: They only can unwind the dark web they created, for they cast into the foundations of your societies the anchors of great immorality. It was decided with the Terran high hierarchy of the Earth Alliance, that no greater chaos would unfold from these transfers of power, as an economic collapse would add even more suffering to these challenging times for the Terran people, already greatly wounded. The GFW and the Earth Alliance are making sure that this transition will cause the least damage as possible.
        E: Does this concern only changes in the financial system?
        TH: Industrial domains are interdependent with the financial system. Be prepared to witness surprising changes in the matter of new energy systems and the rolling out of technologies in many sectors.
        E: Why were you on Jupiter these last days? And just back on the very same day when these meetings in Antarctica are leaked?
        TH: I told you there were meetings on Jupiter. The dark elites weren't there, they would not be tolerated in the Shari facility (Ashtar GC). The dark ones met on Antarctica's land with our envoys. The latest meetings on Jupiter were about those I just mentioned, with the leadership of the Earth Alliance only. These meetings were completed today, Terran time. This is the statement I can give to you, with my superiors' blessings. Did Oona contact you?
        E: Yes, she did.
        TH: Then she knows more details than I do, at least for now. I shall speak to you again in the coming hours. You can of course tell Dr. Michael, and give him my fond salutations.
        E: I surely will, thank you, Thor Han.
        Thor Han's message gives us a clear idea of what really transpired in Antarctica. The global elites summoned there met with a delegation of leaders from different extraterrestrial organizations and the Earth Alliance that participated in the Jupiter Accords signed in July 2021. The elites were required to come up with a plan for a smooth economic transition to a more equitable monetary system and prevent a global financial collapse.
        This is supported by the tweets by the two senior officials from Ripple Labs, Schwartz and Garlinghouse. Their presence and expertise signaled that what was being negotiated in Antarctica involved a new online payment system.
        Could this be linked to a Quantum Financial System (QFS) that has been a topic of much speculation? According to one source, Nigel Matte, the coming QFS would be linked to a quantum internet that will be created through the Starlink Satellite system being created by Elon Musk's SpaceX. Schwartz and Garlinghouse would have the necessary expertise to help plans for a smooth transition from the current global financial system to a QFS linked to quantum cloud computing.
        Thor Han pointed out that the implications for multiple industries will be enormous starting with the energy sector. Indeed, abandoning fossil fuels is the key to unleashing a multitude of alternative energy technologies that have been suppressed since the early 1900s. Similarly, many other suppressed technologies such as electromagnetic and holographic healing modalities will be also released, thereby replacing the soon to be discredited pharmaceutical industry, as a result of national populations rebelling against mandatory vaccine policies and big pharma support for these.
        It's worth keeping in mind that there are currently over 5900 patents that are suppressed in the US alone due to national security orders imposed by the intelligence community. The bulk of these suppressed patents involve alternative energy and healing technologies. When in January 2017, President Donald Trump issued a Top Secret Memorandum for the release of 1000 of these patents over the next two years, he was ignored by the intelligence community, and his administration subsequently targeted.
        Interestingly, the cabal was not allowed to travel to the headquarters of the Ashtar Galactic Command where the Jupiter Accords were first negotiated between 14 spacefaring nations led by the US, with representatives of the Galactic Community. This is a big indicator of how the situation in our solar system has dramatically changed with the expulsion of the Ciakahrr (Draconian) Empire and Orion (Gray) Collective forces, and Earth's cabal being isolated from their former patrons.
        After his first response, Thor Han sent additional information to Elena about the meetings he was attending on Jupiter:
        TH: Another aspect of my presence on Jupiter was to discuss this phenomenon which very recently occurred in the vicinity of your star system: a collapse of the 3rd Density continuum. This occurs in pockets in the fabric of space and your star system is entering one of these on its trajectory through this arm of the galaxy. More 3rd Density collapsing will occur, as a bridge to the 5th Density. The enemy and the dark ones know about it, they knew it was happening and it is one of the reasons why they knew for a long time that they had lost this star system. I will tell you more later.
        Thor Han's message corroborates that our solar system has entered a region of space which possesses a galactic anomaly that greatly impacts third density space. In 2014, scientists confirmed that our solar system was about to enter a large interstellar cloud called ''the local fluff'', which is approximately 30 light-years wide and held together by a very large magnetic field.
        According to various researchers, this interstellar cloud was first observed back in 1961 around the Pleiades constellation and called a 'photon belt''--due to the white halo it projected. One of the ''Photon Belt'' advocates was Noel Huntley, Ph.D., who wrote an article in 2010 titled ''The Photon Belt Encounter'' where he described its existence and great interest to extraterrestrials:
        What is this electromagnetic cloud, this golden nebula, sometimes referred to as the radiant nebula by ETs? Its more universal designation is 'photon belt' or 'photon band ', consisting of many bands, and any encounter with this belt is recognized by extraterrestrials as of great import.
        According to Thor Han's information, Dr. Huntley was correct and the region of space we have entered will accelerate consciousness from a materialistic third density existence to a fifth density existence. According to the Law of One material, ''fifth density is perhaps best described as extremely white in vibration.'' Therefore the ''photon belt'' is not an inaccurate description of this 5th density region despite what many critics have to say about the term.
        If humanity's collective consciousness was not sufficiently developed to accommodate fifth density frequencies, it would implode in a self-induced global calamity. If humanity's consciousness evolved, however, a golden age of wisdom, love and peace would begin.
        Thor Han is making clear that the global elites understood that the battle for Earth had been lost, and they wanted no part of what was coming. Hence their willingness to cooperate in the transition to a new Earth in order to be able to use the Antarctica portal to leave forever to another planet.
        In a second follow up message sent on December 14, Thor Han communicated with Elena and shared more information about this ''photon belt'' (aka local fluff) and how the Jupiter Accords gave the global elite five months to surrender to the Earth Alliance. Thor Han said:
        TH: I am going to talk about this natural phenomenon occurring in the vicinity of your star system. This is not an isolated phenomenon; as your star system moves throughout the grid of this galaxy, composed of fluctuating waves of frequencies, you encounter pockets of higher vibrational density of matter. What does it mean: the physical laws binding the atoms together oscillate at a faster rate. It is not about time, do you understand, the time rate doesn't change, only the perception you have of it, because your rate changes. It is not about time but only about the physicality of the fabric of space that shifts. As the universal laws of physics function, it happens that this phenomenon occurs progressively, unless the pocket of higher density is as big or bigger than the said star system. The limit of a density zone is not sharp but fuzzy. You enter into it progressively, by encountering ''bubbles'' until you completely merge into the new area.
        E: What happens when Earth will cross through one of these higher density zones, or bubbles?
        TH: Nothing near a dramatic event, such as many Terrans imagine with fear could happen. It manifests as a change in consciousness as the perceptions, mental and physical, shift into a higher range. Physical symptoms can occur, those who have prepared their mind openly follow the wave but for those who are not ready and resist it, it translates for them by physical and mental suffering. The vision changes, the perceptions change, especially the perception of linear time, that is perceived as faster. But you know, this process, entering through this new area in Nataru, is inevitable. So Terrans need to truly let go of any resistance, such as the greatest, that is fear.
        Thor Han has here confirmed that our solar system's movement into the ''photon belt'' (''local fluff'') is not something that heralds physical destruction, but instead signals a speeding up of consciousness. Those individuals sufficiently prepared emotionally and mentally will be able to surf the coming galactic waves and manifest a new reality'--the proverbial Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Those that are not prepared will do the opposite, and experience more great stress and turmoil in their personal and collective lives.
        Thor Han continued his second follow up message as follows:
        E: Going back to Antarctica, what else can you tell me? I don't like these guys, they are the embodiment of evil. They have caused so much suffering.
        TH: They won't anymore. When the Jupiter agreements took place, they received a warning that we would meet in five months and they would have to prepare to surrender. So they knew this and that is why they are pushing all their agendas at once, with despair. But your people is starting to see that.
        E: Wait, why give them five months?
        TH: For the transition. This meeting is a turning point for them, and for you. If we had suppressed them all at once, the financial and economical systems on Terra would have imploded in a terrible chaos. There are better ways. They are summoned to transfer to the Alliance their keys and tools, in order to make the transition as smooth as possible for the population.
        Something else that is worth mentioning, is that they have been taught dark aetherical arts and the spells need to be undone. This will undo their power. It is powerless that they will leave this world. Because they will leave. You know, when I mentioned transition, I meant to say that Terrans need to see the faces of their enemy, in order to open their consciousness to the truth. However painful this process is, it is necessary.
        E: It reminds me what the Nine told me recently, that every sentient being has a role to play in the games of the evolution of the universe.
        Th: That is exact. You know, when I stayed in the Himalayan base, four years ago, I witnessed great plans being prepared for the awakening of the Terrans. The time war was the main concern. Imagine a time war like a multi layered chess board. There is no better way to describe it to you.
        Thor Han's reference to the global elites use of the ''dark aetherical arts and the spells'' is very significant. He is referring to a little understood aspect of the global elite's control system which is the use of black magic to undergird all their activities. Thor Han is confirming here what several researchers have revealed in the past, the cabal routinely uses black magic as part of their global control system.
        A good example is how the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) routinely used magical symbols for the public Space Program as documented by Richard Hoagland and Mike Bara in their best selling 2009 book, Dark Mission: The Secret History of NASA.
        What we also learned from President Vladimir Putin and a military intelligence group associated with the Q movement (a movement linked to the 17th letter of the alphabet) was that the global elite are practicing 'Satanists' who conjure up the power of demonic and other negative entities to subjugate humanity and the spirit of the planet. In this regard, what Putin effectively said in his 2013 State of the Nation Address was ''the New World Order Worships Satan.''
        These dark magic ceremonies are routinely held at different energy vortexes or 'sacred sites' around the planet as revealed by many occult researchers such as Fritz Springmeier in his book series, Bloodlines of the Illuminati. More recently, Brad Olsen, a highly competent researcher and author, also revealed many of these black magic/Satanist practices in his book series Beyond Esoteric:
        There is a complete control over the human race, and to think that black magic could be used to control the masses is disturbing. The occult is employed in a new kind of fascism today among some of the elite globalists, who completely control almost every aspect of our lives, from health and finance to politics and education'.... Research indicates that occult ceremonies and rituals at the upper levels go far beyond what anyone can imagine'.... Why is it so hard to believe that occult practices are a real tool for control? (p. 55).
        Importantly, Thor Han pointed out the explicit connection between the Jupiter Accords signed in July and the Antarctica meetings held five months later. A provision of the Accords was the surrender of the global elite by December 2021. This timeline is corroborated by Christine Lagarde's July tweet that meetings were to be held in Antarctica in December. Her tweet is compelling evidence that the cabal had indeed been given five months to prepare to hand over their power, without collapsing the world financial system as a condition for their leaving Earth through the Antarctica intergalactic portal.
        This negotiated surrender and departure of the cabal signals an incredible new time lies ahead as the world transitions to new financial, political, health, and energy systems that will revolutionize life. The message from Oona, one of the Guardians, provides yet more details into the incredible planetary transitions we are soon about to witness. I will analyze her message in Part 2 of this series.
        A video version of this article is available on YouTube & Rumble
        I wish to thank Elena Danaan for permission to publicly release Thor Han's messages. Her website is here.
        (C) Michael E. Salla, Ph.D. Copyright Notice
        Dec 16, 2021 Update: The original source for the four twitter posts cited in the above article has been found. The four tweets first appeared on the twitter account of XRP the Standard Productions on December 3. They were then reposted in an article published on The Void on December 7, which I used as my source for the above article. Two of the tweets were then posted by Ben Fulford on his site on Dec 13, 2021. Joseph Farrell cited the Void article and referred to Klaus Schwab tweet on Dec 13. I posted the above article discussing the four tweets on Dec 16. The XRP site posts satirical stories, and takes pride in misinforming people. Unfortunately, regarding the four Antarctica tweets, this does cast considerable doubt on their authenticity. However, disinformation is designed to muddy the waters about real events, and something did genuinely happen in Antarctica as one of the four sources, David Schwartz, is actively posting about his recent trip there. So we know one of the four twitter sources did go to Antarctica. Did Klaus Schwab and Christine Lagarde also go there? Now we don't know. This unfortunate development does not diminish the accuracy of the information relayed by Elena Danaan from her source Thor Han about what has recently happened in Antarctica. All it does is cast confusion and misdirection in an already difficult field to research. While I did conduct some due diligence on the four twitter posts, it plainly wasn't good enough. Lesson learned. I will do better next time. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice '...
        Michael Salla, Ph.D.
        Related Podcasts and Articles
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        Tags: Antarctica, Cabal, Earth Alliance, Elena Danaan, Klaus Schwab, Thor Han Eredyon
      The White House on Twitter: "We can't shout 'get your booster' from the rooftops of the White House, so we asked @PTXofficial to do us one better. Find a booster or vaccine appointment near you at https://t.co/S2DQV6MlBv. https://t.co/r1jwgbHEZ2" /
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Fri, 17 Dec 2021 22:12
        The White House : We can't shout 'get your booster' from the rooftops of the White House, so we asked @PTXofficial to do us one bette'... https://t.co/ObLQXhNAfD
        Fri Dec 17 19:30:14 +0000 2021
        Daniel Thorpe : @WhiteHouse @PTXofficial Yea, got covid again. It's nothing but a bad case of the flu for me.
        Fri Dec 17 22:12:33 +0000 2021
        Shinjobi : @WhiteHouse @PTXofficial How about you try shouting about your handling of student loans? I'd love to hear some loud unforced errors.
        Fri Dec 17 22:11:39 +0000 2021
        Short, Dark, and Handsome : @WhiteHouse @PTXofficial Funny how some parts of the world have little to no access to vaccines while in others peo'... https://t.co/BhLofQ3Xks
        Fri Dec 17 22:10:54 +0000 2021
        Joe Schmidt : @WhiteHouse @PTXofficial WTF is this gonna do
        Fri Dec 17 22:10:27 +0000 2021
        Dwayne_The Ron_Swanson : @WhiteHouse @PTXofficial If I was ever considering getting a booster this video just guaranteed that I never will. Shame on you @PTXofficial
        Fri Dec 17 22:10:22 +0000 2021
        Yaniza Creamer : @WhiteHouse @PTXofficial Okay now let's sing about canceling student loan debt
        Fri Dec 17 22:10:18 +0000 2021
        artie fufkin (polymer records) : @WhiteHouse @PTXofficial free testing kits please https://t.co/JVu2H8YQHB
        Fri Dec 17 22:10:03 +0000 2021
        Matt_Trades : @WhiteHouse @PTXofficial How many boosters will satisfy you? Stop this propaganda machine
        Fri Dec 17 22:10:00 +0000 2021
      TORNADO | Climate Etc.
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Fri, 17 Dec 2021 21:59
        by Judith Curry
        Politics versus the data versus communicating science.
        On December 10 and 11, a catastrophic tornado outbreak slammed the Mississippi Valley, with catastrophic impacts particularly in Kentucky. One tornadic storm traveled more than 200 miles, and more than 100 people may have died. An excellent overview of the storm was written by Bob Henson [link]. Preliminary analysis indicates that the maximum tornado strength was EF4, with winds estimated as high as 190 mph.
        Tornadoes and global warming
        <begin quote from Henson's article>
        The links between tornadoes and climate change are more nuanced than for phenomena such as heat waves or extreme rainfall.
        Fortunately, there is no sign that the number or intensity of the most violent tornadoes (EF3+) is increasing. However, tornadoes are becoming more tightly packed within outbreaks, and there are longer stretches in between, leading to more variability from quiet to violent periods and vice versa. Prior to Friday, the U.S. tornado death toll for 2021 was only 14, the third lowest in data going back to 1875. (The lowest on record was 10, set in 2018.)
        There's also been a distinct multi-decadal trend for recent outbreaks to shift into and east of the Mississippi Valley, particularly over the Mid-South, as opposed to the more traditional territory of the southern and central Great Plains.
        As for seasonal timing, it's never been impossible to get a violent tornado in December, even as far north as Illinois. At least two F5/EF5 tornadoes are on the record books for December: one in Vicksburg, Mississippi on Dec. 5, 1953, that killed 38 (the deadliest December tornado on record up to this year), and one on Dec. 18, 1957, that struck Sunfield, Illinois, as part of the state's most severe outbreak on record so late in the year.
        This December has been strikingly mild across most of the United States, and warm, moist surface air streamed into Friday's tornadic storms, fueling their power. It's not hard to imagine the springtime peak and the autumn second-season peak of tornado season edging closer to winter as greenhouse gases continue to warm our climate globally, nationally, and regionally. Such a shift in tornado timing has been difficult to confirm thus far, though.
        <end quote>
        What does the IPCC AR6 have to say about tornadoes and global warming?
        ''trends in tornadoes'... associated w/ severe convective storms are not robustly detected''
        ''attribution of certain classes of extreme weather (eg, tornadoes) is beyond current modelling & theoretical capabilities''
        ''how tornadoes'... will change is an open question''
        Politics
        President Joe Biden made these statements in an interview:
        Q Mr. President, does this say anything to you about climate change? Is this '-- or do you conclude that these storms and the intensity has to do with climate change?
        THE PRESIDENT: Well, all that I know is that the intensity of the weather across the board has some impact as a consequence of the warming of the planet and the climate change.
        The specific impact on these specific storms, I can't say at this point. I'm going to be asking the EPA and others to take a look at that. But the fact is that we all know everything is more intense when the climate is warming '-- everything. And, obviously, it has some impact here, but I can't give you a '-- a quantitative read on that.
        Here is what Michael Mann has to say [link]:
        Meteorologist Michael Mann of Penn State told USA Today: ''The latest science indicates that we can expect more of these huge (tornado) outbreaks because of human-caused climate change.''
        In another interview [link]:
        We speak to climate scientist Michael Mann about the role of climate change in the storms and climate denialism among Republican leaders. ''Make no mistake, we have been seeing an increase in these massive tornado outbreaks that can be attributed to the warming of the planet,'' says Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Penn State University.
        And then to top it off, there is this tweet '' data 'denial' at its 'finest':
        The 'deceptive' graph comes from a plot that is on the NOAA website [link] through 2014, which was updated by AEI thought 2018. NOAA's explainer of the data can be found [here].
        The data
        Chris Martz, an undergraduate meteorology student at Millersville University, provides the following plots of NOAA's tornado record
        Here are the plots of December tornadoes from NOAA data:
        The US FEMA administrator says December tornadoes are the 'new normal' [link]. It seems that 1963 is the only year on record with no US tornadoes during December.
        With regards to normalized U.S. damage from tornadoes, Roger Pielke Jr provides this graph [link]:
        Greg Goodman's analysis
        Historical data of tornado events in USA is often dismissed as unreliable because of changes in observational techniques affecting reliability and consistency of reporting. IPCC SREX claims: ''There is low confidence in observed trends in small spatial-scale phenomena such as tornadoes and hail because of data inhomogeneities and inadequacies in monitoring systems.''
        One of the main factors in such inhomogeneity was the development and deployment of Doppler RADAR starting in the mid 1980s, though deployment is an ongoing process in the decades since. Other factors are the spread of urbanised areas into rural areas and facility of reporting by non technical persons due to hand held devices and ready access to global communications. RADAR observations record many smaller events which would not have been seen or recorded previously. Historically, many events were recorded by insurance claims when they affected property or crops and this meant many minor events would go unreported unless they caused injury or significant damage. However large, powerful events are unlikely to be missed.
        Tornadoes are classed according to the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale). Examination of the available data from 1950 to end 2019 shows more powerful events ( classified EF2 or greater ) display consistent progression over time and it is just the lower magnitude EF0 and EF1 which are boosted in recent years by better, more comprehensive reporting.
        Method
        The archive of individual tornado events lists each event by date and provides several data such as location, force rating and fatalities. The number of events of each force rating in each calendar year were calculated, then each time series was standardised (subtracting the mean and dividing by the standard deviation ) to see the relative progression of each category over time.
        Analysis
        After the strongest year in the record, 1975, there was a marked reduction in tornado activity in all categories. With the exception of a few lesser peaks, activity remained below average ever since. EF2, EF3 and EF4 categories all show very similar progression over time in both individual years of activity and long term trends. It is very unlikely that massive tornadoes would go unnoticed and unreported, so the similarity in the temporal evolution of each category indicates that reporting, down to EF2 is consistent over time. The data are coherent and self consistent between categories, which gives confidence that there are no major reporting induced biases present.
        The period from 1950 '' 1975 shows a steadily rising level of activity reaching a climax in 1975. After that there was a sudden and marked decline with no sign of a reversing increase since. All three categories are strikingly similar, which indicates there is no tendency towards a greater proportion of more power or less powerful storms over this period.
        The post 1975 period marks the beginning of the late 20th century warming which IPCC has attributed mainly to anthropogenic effects ( AGW ). If there is a need to hypothesise a link between ''global warming'' and the frequency or intensity of tornadoes in USA, it would be that there have been less events in all major categories during this warming period. There has been no significant change in the distribution in storm severity as temperatures rise and recent warmer decades have seen notably less activity than the earlier post-WWII cooling period.
        The 'messaging'
        Marshall Shepherd wrote a good article in Forbes entitled How Climate Messaging Spun Out Of Control During the Tornado Outbreaks.
        <begin quote>
        The good news is that climate change is being discussed with greater vigor. The bad news is that some of that discussion is cringe-worthy. Recent tornado outbreaks sparked a frenzy of coverage about connections to climate change. In my view, some of the messaging spun out of control.
        I reached out to Professor Allen for his thoughts on messaging in the aftermath of the December tornadoes. The Central Michigan University scholar told me, ''There is a philosophical point where I think we have to be careful to know the limits of our expertise and capability when agreeing to interviews.'' I am a scientist who receives media requests frequently. There are so many media outlets these days that content is at a premium and so are ''talking heads.'' Relative to the audience, I probably can speak to a range of weather, climate, and Earth science topics. Though my degrees are in meteorology, I get asked about wildfires, tsunamis, meteors, and other basic topics, and it is usually ok.
        However, we all have limits. Allen goes on to say, ''While we might be able to talk about other fields at a basic level, for most of the science (particularly regarding climate change), it is often the nuance which defines what we are able to say '' and familiarity with the latest developments in the field tends to be where this is exposed most.'' Such nuances can be even more challenging for an ''expert'' speaking without firm meteorological or climate science grounding.
        Expert saturation is another problem. In the midst of events like the December tornado outbreak, journalists are seeking input from experts. Many of the experts become overwhelmed by the requests. It is a double-edged sword. Scholars like Trapp, Brooks, Gensini, and Allen have achieved a certain level of credibility and become ''go to'' sources. However, when the expert pool ''saturates,'' there can be a tendency to move to other options. Often, those options are mostly just fine. However, some choices end up being cringe-inducing. Professor Victor Gensini, an expert at Northern Illinois, told me the saturation thing is real. He has done over 50 interviews in the past week and referred 30 others. He wrote, ''Honestly, I share a very similar sentiment to you'....I think the real issues arise when 'fringe field' experts come in and try to apply their perspective and research to the question of the day.''
        At the end of the day, there are multiple messages and messengers out there. This is not going to change. How can we deal with conflicting narratives in real-time, poor science grounding by some talking heads, or the saturation problem. I am not sure.
        <end quote>
      OMT adviseert harde lockdown: sluit alles behalve essentile winkels | Binnenland | Telegraaf.nl
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Fri, 17 Dec 2021 21:45
        Updated 4 min geleden28 min geleden in BINNENLAND
        ''¸ ANP/HH
        DEN HAAG - Het Outbreak Management Team (OMT) adviseert om alle sectoren te sluiten, met uitzondering van essentile winkels zoals supermarkten, apotheken en drogisterijen. Dat bevestigen ingewijden. Met zo'n strenge lockdown moet de opmars van de omicronvariant van het coronavirus worden afgeremd.
        ''¸ ANP/HH
        Het OMT adviseert het kabinet daarom zoveel mogelijk sectoren weer volledig te sluiten, zoals de horeca, detailhandel en cultuursector. Ook de middelbare scholen en het hoger onderwijs zouden weer moeten sluiten. Essentile winkels als supermarkten en apotheken mogen openblijven. De maatregelen zouden dit weekend of maandag al kunnen ingaan.
        Zaterdag is er een spoedoverleg van het kabinet over het OMT-advies waarin besluitvorming wordt verwacht. Dat is een dag eerder dan gepland. Waarschijnlijk is er begin volgende week een persconferentie. De Kamer komt volgende week terug van reces om over extra maatregelen te debatteren, waarschijnlijk woensdag.
        Of het demissionaire kabinet het advies opvolgt, moet zaterdag blijken. Dan komen de betrokken bewindspersonen bij elkaar om het advies van het OMT te bespreken. Premier Mark Rutte zei al wel eerder 'žniet hoopvol'' te zijn over de ontwikkelingen rond de nieuwe variant, die veel besmettelijker lijkt te zijn dan de deltavariant die tot nu toe dominant was.
        Demissionair minister Hugo de Jonge (Volksgezondheid) zei vrijdag na afloop van de ministerraad dat het kabinet zich 'žgrote zorgen maakt'' over de nieuwe virusvariant. 'žAls het nodig is nemen we de maatregelen'' die passen, aldus De Jonge.
        Lunch UpdateDagelijks tijdens de lunch een update van het belangrijkste nieuws.
        Ongeldig e-mailadres. Vul nogmaals in aub.
        Lees hier ons privacybeleid.
      Moderna COVID-19 shot likelier to cause heart inflammation than Pfizer's: study | Reuters
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Fri, 17 Dec 2021 20:18
        A healthcare worker holds a vial of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine at a pop-up vaccination site n Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., January 29, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Segar
        Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comCOPENHAGEN, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Moderna's (MRNA.O) COVID-19 vaccine is up to four times more likely to cause inflammation of the heart muscle, a very rare side effect, than its rival vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech (PFE.N), , according to a Danish study published in the British Medical Journal late on Thursday.
        The study, in which almost 85% of Danes, or 4.9 million individuals, aged 12 and older participated, investigated the link between mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines and heart inflammation, also known as myocarditis or myopericarditis.
        Earlier studies from Israel and the United States have indicated an increased risk of heart inflammation after inoculation with the mRNA-vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
        Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"Vaccination with mRNA-1273 (Moderna's vaccine) was associated with a significantly increased risk of myocarditis or myopericarditis in the Danish population," the study said.
        However, the overall risk of getting heart inflammation from the vaccines, both of which are based on mRNA-technology, was low, according to the study, conducted by researchers from Denmark's Statens Serum Institute.
        "In general, the rate of myocarditis or myopericarditis was about threefold to fourfold higher for mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccination than that for BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccination," the study said.
        The researchers found only 1 case per 71,400 vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech and 1 case per 23,800 vaccinated with Moderna. Most of the cases had been mild, the study said.
        Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine was only associated with a higher risk of heart inflammation among women, the study said, contrasting with the results of the studies from Israel and the United States.
        The authors said the discrepancy could be explained by the average age of the vaccinated population, time span between the first and second shot or because fewer Danes had tested positive for COVID-19.
        "Our findings do not generally overshadow the many benefits that come with being vaccinated," study author Anders Hviid said in a statement.
        "One must keep in mind that the alternative of getting an infection with COVID-19 probably also involves a risk of inflammation in the heart muscle," Hviid said.
        Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Nikolaj Skydsgaard; Editing by Giles Elgood
        Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
      Brits warned over 'Christmas Tree Syndrome' that could prove deadly - Mirror Online
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Fri, 17 Dec 2021 16:07
        A type of festive allergy known as "Christmas Tree Syndrome" can aggravate the lungs and trigger asthma attacks, according to leading charity Asthma UK
        Both real Christmas firs and fake trees can aggravate the lungs and pose a real risk to asthma sufferersChristmas trees could trigger fatal asthma attacks during the festive season, according to a leading charity.
        Brits putting up the festive fir in the corner of the living room could be putting themselves at risk of an allergic condition called "Christmas Tree Syndrome".
        The Yuletide centrepiece can harbour mould spores which are launched into the air and can aggravate the lungs - irritating airways and causing inflammation and tightening.
        But opting for a plastic imitation doesn't solve the issue as they're usually left in attics for the majority of the year, picking up dust - another irritant for asthma sufferers, Wales Online reports.
        Charity Asthma UK has urged Brits to be vigilant this Christmas period, fearing the syndrome could spur serious attacks and hospital stays.
        It estimates that 40 per cent of asthma sufferers suffer attacks as a result of mould and fungi.
        Turning up the heating to get cosy on Christmas Day also gives dust mites room to thrive - another leading cause of attacks.
        Leading charity Asthma UK has urged sufferers to be vigilant during the Christmas periodThe charity also warned that smoke from roaring fires or scents from fragrant candles can also trigger incidents.
        The most recent data shows that 8,113 people were admitted into hospital after suffering an asthma attack in December in the UK.
        Natalie Hough, 40, from Lancashire, found her asthma symptoms intensified around Christmas time.
        But it took eight years before she realised it was the dust and mould from her tree and decorations as well as reactions to some of the foods she ate that was causing it.
        She said: ''I started having really bad asthma attacks around Christmas and was using my inhalers a lot more.
        "I was sent to see an immunologist and we began keeping a diary to see what the potential triggers might be and whether it was a pollen or allergen response.
        "But it turned out to be both and linked to the decorations and food and drink I was having around Christmas time.
        ''Once, I was walking home a few days before Christmas when I had such a bad attack I collapsed and was rushed to the doctors and put on a nebuliser.
        Natalie Haugh, 40, said she started noticing her asthma getting worse around Christmas time"I'd just been in a shop where there were trees and decorations. I was so out of it I couldn't remember a thing.
        "It was scary to think Christmas goods could cause me to have such a severe attack.
        ''From then on, I swapped real trees for wooden and metal ones at home, storing them in plastic containers to prevent them gathering dust while in storage.
        "I also made sure all baubles and other decorations were stored in airtight containers and were properly cleaned before being put out.
        "My partner Nick and I made food from scratch too, so I could avoid any sulphites.
        ''Having asthma doesn't mean you have to cancel Christmas though or that you can't enjoy it '' you just have to be a bit mindful and make a few adjustments.'' Dr Andy Whittamore, Clinical Lead at Asthma UK and a practising GP, said: ''Every person with asthma will have a different pattern of symptoms and triggers.
        "Understanding your own personal triggers and keeping an eye out for symptoms can help you to keep on top of your asthma symptoms so that it doesn't get in the way of your Christmas.
        ''This time of year, the cold weather and viruses are a major trigger but there are things closer to home that we can do something about.''
        Read More
        Read More
      Selected Adverse Events Reported after COVID-19 Vaccination | CDC
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Fri, 17 Dec 2021 14:03
        CDC has updated its recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines with a preference for people to receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna). Read CDC's media statement.
        Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines
        Some people have no side effects. Many people have reported side effects that are generally mild to moderate and should go away within a few days.
        What You Need to KnowCOVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.CDC recommends everyone ages 5 years and older get vaccinated as soon as possible to help protect against COVID-19 and the related, potentially severe complications that can occur.Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history.CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other federal agencies are monitoring the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.Adverse events described on this page have been reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) external icon .VAERS accepts reports of any adverse event following vaccination.Reports of adverse events to VAERS following vaccination, including deaths, do not necessarily mean that a vaccine caused a health problem.Serious adverse events after COVID-19 vaccination are rare but may occur.
        For public awareness and in the interest of transparency, CDC is providing timely updates on the following serious adverse events of interest:
        Anaphylaxis after COVID-19 vaccination is rare and has occurred in approximately 2 to 5 people per one million vaccinated in the United States. Anaphylaxis, a severe type of allergic reaction, can occur after any kind of vaccination. If it happens, healthcare providers can effectively and immediately treat the reaction. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) after Johnson & Johnson's Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19 Vaccination is rare. TTS is a serious, but rare, adverse event that causes blood clots with low platelets. As of December 8, 2021, more than 16.9 million doses of the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine have been given in the United States. CDC and FDA identified 57 confirmed reports of people who got the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine and later developed TTS. VAERS reports have identified nine deaths that have been caused by or were directly attributed to TTS following J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccination. Women ages 18-49 years, especially, should be aware of the rare but increased risk of this adverse event. There are other COVID-19 vaccine options available for which this risk has not been seen. Learn more about the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine and TTS.To date, three confirmed cases of TTS following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination (Moderna) have been reported to VAERS after more than 458 million doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines administered in the United States. Based on available data, there is not an increased risk for TTS after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination.Guillain-Barr(C) Syndrome (GBS) in people who have received the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine is rare. GBS is a rare disorder where the body's immune system damages nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. Most people fully recover from GBS, but some have permanent nerve damage. CDC and FDA are monitoring reports of GBS after J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccination. After more than 16.9 million J&J/Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine doses administered, there have been around 278 preliminary reports of GBS identified in VAERS as of December 8, 2021. These cases have largely been reported about 2 weeks after vaccination and mostly in men, many ages 50 years and older. CDC will continue to monitor for and evaluate reports of GBS occurring after COVID-19 vaccination and will share more information as it becomes available.Myocarditis and pericarditis after COVID-19 vaccination are rare. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis is inflammation of the outer lining of the heart. Most patients with myocarditis or pericarditis who received care responded well to medicine and rest and felt better quickly. As of December 8, 2021, VAERS has received 1,908 reports of myocarditis or pericarditis among people ages 12-29 years who received COVID-19 vaccines. Most cases have been reported after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), particularly in male adolescents and young adults. Through follow-up, including medical record reviews, CDC and FDA have confirmed 1,106 reports of myocarditis or pericarditis. CDC and its partners are investigating these reports to assess whether there is a relationship to COVID-19 vaccination. Learn more about myocarditis and pericarditis, including clinical considerations, after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination.Reports of death after COVID-19 vaccination are rare. FDA requires healthcare providers to report any death after COVID-19 vaccination to VAERS, even if it's unclear whether the vaccine was the cause. Reports of adverse events to VAERS following vaccination, including deaths, do not necessarily mean that a vaccine caused a health problem. More than 485 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the United States from December 14, 2020, through December 13, 2021. During this time, VAERS received 10,483 reports of death (0.0022%) among people who received a COVID-19 vaccine. CDC clinicians review reports of death to VAERS including death certificates, autopsy, and medical records.
      Google Drive could soon start locking your files | TechRadar
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        Archived Version
        Fri, 17 Dec 2021 05:18
        Google has announced a new policy for cloud storage service Drive, which will soon begin to restrict access to files deemed to be in violation of the company's policies.
        As explained in a new blog post, Google will take active steps to identify files hosted on its platform that are in breach of either its Terms of Service or abuse program policies.
        These files will be flagged to their owner and restricted automatically, which means they can no longer be shared with other people, and access will be withdrawn from everyone but the owner.
        ''This will help ensure owners of Google Drive items are fully informed about the status of their content, while also helping to ensure users are protected from abusive content,'' the company explained.
        New Google Drive policyAccording to Google, the motive behind the policy change is to shield against the abuse of its services. This broad catchall encompasses cybercriminal activity (like malware hosting, phishing etc.), hate speech, and content that might endanger children, but also sexually explicit material.
        ''We need to curb abuses that threaten our ability to provide these services, and we ask that everyone abide by [our policies] to help us achieve this goal,'' states Google in its policy document.
        ''After we are notified of a potential policy violation, we may review the content and take action, including restricting access to the content, removing the content, and limiting or terminating a user's access to Google products.''
        However, separating legitimate files from content in violation of abuse policies will be far from clear cut. In the policy document, Google explains that it may make ''exceptions based on artistic, educational, documentary or scientific considerations,'' which suggests there will be some element of editorializing involved in the process.
        It's easy to imagine a scenario whereby users' files are rendered inaccessible without due cause. And it's also unclear whether intimate photos of oneself, for example, are in breach of the abuse policy, or whether they fall under the ''artistic'' exception.
        As explained in the latest blog post, there is a system to request a review of a decision if someone feels a file has been restricted unfairly, but it's unclear how the process will be handled on Google's end and how long it might take.
        TechRadar Pro asked Google for comment on the potential for the new policy to cause disruption to regular users and for clarification over the review process. The company provided the following statement:
        "Google Drive is constantly working to protect the security and safety of our users and society while always respecting privacy. Similar to how Gmail has long kept users safe from phishing and malware attacks, bringing these same protections to Google Drive is critical in ensuring Drive remains as safe as possible for all users.''
        However, no information was forthcoming on the potential for content to be misclassified.
        If cloud backup isn't your cup of tea, check out our lists of the best external hard drives and best portable SSDs
      F.D.A. Will Permanently Allow Abortion Pills by Mail - The New York Times
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        Archived Version
        Fri, 17 Dec 2021 04:41
        The decision will broaden access to medication abortion, an increasingly common method, but many conservative states are already mobilizing against it.
        Lifting the restrictions on mifepristone would make medication abortion more accessible, but in 19 states that have already banned telemedicine visits for abortion pills, women would probably need to travel to states that allow it. Credit... Jeff Roberson/The Associated Press Dec. 16, 2021 Updated 7:37 p.m. ET
        The federal government on Thursday permanently lifted a major restriction on access to abortion pills. It will allow patients to receive the medication by mail instead of requiring them to obtain the pills in person from specially certified health providers.
        The decision, by the Food and Drug Administration, comes as the Supreme Court is considering whether to roll back abortion rights or even overturn its landmark 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade that made abortion legal nationwide.
        The F.D.A.'s action means that medication abortion, an increasingly common method authorized in the United States for pregnancies up to 10 weeks' gestation, will become more available to women who find it difficult to travel to an abortion provider or prefer to terminate a pregnancy in their homes. It allows patients to have a telemedicine appointment with a provider who can prescribe abortion pills and send them to the patient by mail.
        Earlier this year, for the duration of the pandemic, the F.D.A. temporarily lifted the in-person requirement on mifepristone, the first of two drugs used to end a pregnancy. The decision to make this change permanent is likely to deepen the already polarizing divisions between conservative and liberal states on abortion. In 19 states, mostly in the South and the Midwest, telemedicine visits for medication abortion are banned, and these and other conservative states can be expected to pass other laws to further curtail access to abortion pills.
        Yet other states, like California and New York, which have taken steps in recent years to further solidify access to abortion, are expected to increase the availability of the method and provide opportunities for women in states with restrictions to obtain abortion pills by traveling to a state that allows them.
        ''It's really significant,'' said Mary Ziegler, a law professor at Florida State University. ''Telehealth abortions are much easier for both providers and patients, and even in states that want to do it, there have been limits on how available it is.''
        Groups that want to outlaw abortion issued strong statements against the decision.
        ''The Biden administration today moved to weaken longstanding federal safety regulations against mail-order abortion drugs designed to protect women from serious health risks and potential abuse,'' said a statement from the group Susan B. Anthony List. ''The Biden administration policy allows for dangerous at-home, do-it-yourself abortions without necessary medical oversight.''
        The F.D.A. did not issue a formal statement on Thursday, but it updated a web page to reflect the decision and sent letters about the change to the two companies that make mifepristone and to medical groups that had sued over the requirement.
        ''The agency conducted a comprehensive review of the published literature, relevant safety and adverse event data, and information provided by advocacy groups, individuals and the applicants to reach this decision,'' an F.D.A. spokeswoman said.
        The F.D.A. did not ease two other elements of its restrictions on mifepristone, which fall under a program called Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy. One restriction requires patients to sign an agreement acknowledging that their provider has informed them about the drug. The other requires it to be prescribed by a specially certified health provider.
        ''F.D.A. has determined that certain restrictions continue to be necessary to ensure the safe use of the drug,'' the spokeswoman said.
        The agency did say Thursday that pharmacies could begin dispensing mifepristone if they became certified by the drug's manufacturers and if they received the prescription from a certified health provider. Reproductive health experts said they expected further details about pharmacies' role to be worked out in the coming weeks.
        So far this year, presumably in anticipation of such a decision, six states banned the mailing of pills, seven states passed laws requiring pills to be obtained in person from a provider, and four states passed laws to set the limit on medication abortion at earlier than 10 weeks' gestation, said Elizabeth Nash, the interim associate director of state issues for the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights.
        Susan B. Anthony List said in its statement that next year, at least seven additional states were likely to enact laws restricting the method.
        The current practice is that women who live in states that don't allow telemedicine for abortion must travel to a state that does '-- although they don't have to visit a clinic. They may be in any location within that state for their telehealth visit, even a car, and may receive the pills at any address in the state.
        But legal experts said they expected supporters of abortion rights to try to find ways to make the pills available without requiring a patient to travel, including possibly filing legal challenges to state laws banning telemedicine for abortion.
        ''There's going to be plenty of people who try to use them in states where they're illegal without traveling out of state, legal ramifications aside,'' said Professor Ziegler. She said such efforts might include clearinghouses that would try to allow ''fudging where people's addresses are to receive it'' and a ''black market'' that might emerge.
        In data released last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42 percent of all abortions '-- and 54 percent of abortions before 10 weeks '-- occurred with medication in 2019, the most recent year for which C.D.C. data is available. (The report represents most of the country, but does not include data from California, Maryland and New Hampshire.)
        In 2020, in some states, including Indiana, Kansas and Minnesota, the method accounted for a majority of abortions, according to state health department reports.
        The C.D.C. also reported that 79 percent of all abortions occurred before 10 weeks' gestation, suggesting that there are many more women who might choose abortion pills over an in-clinic procedure if they could.
        Mifepristone was approved in the United States in 2000. The F.D.A. imposed restrictions on the drug, which blocks progesterone, a hormone necessary for pregnancy to develop. The rules allowed patients to take mifepristone in their homes or anywhere they chose once they got it from the certified provider, making it the only drug that the agency required to be obtained in person from a medical provider but that did not need to be taken in the presence of a provider, medical experts say.
        The second medication, misoprostol, which causes contractions similar to a miscarriage and is taken up to 48 hours later, has long been available with a typical prescription.
        Mainstream medical organizations and abortion rights groups have long urged the government to ease restrictions on mifepristone, citing data indicating that mifepristone is effective and safe, including when dispensed by mail.
        For example, a research program that the F.D.A. allowed to provide telemedicine consultations and send pills by mail reported that 95 percent of the 1,157 abortions that occurred through the program between May 2016 and September 2020 were completed without requiring any follow-up procedure. Patients made 70 visits to emergency rooms or urgent care centers, with 10 instances of serious complications, the study reported.
        In 2020, medical groups filed a lawsuit asking that the in-person dispensing requirement be lifted because the pandemic meant that patients faced greater risk of being infected with the coronavirus if they needed to visit clinics to obtain abortion pills. A judge granted the request that summer, but, after a challenge by the Trump administration, the Supreme Court reinstated the restriction.
        In March, medical organizations tried again, writing to President Biden and Vice President Harris. In April, the F.D.A. decided not to enforce the in-person requirement for the duration of the pandemic, allowing pills to be mailed. The new F.D.A. decision makes the suspension permanent.
        The experience since April suggests that more women will seek medication abortion if they do not have to visit a provider for the pills. Abortion on Demand, which formed this spring as one of several organizations that operate websites to arrange telemedicine consultations and to mail pills, has seen steadily increasing interest, said Leah Coplon, Abortion on Demand's director of clinical operations.
        The TelAbortion Project, the research program authorized by the F.D.A. to conduct telemedicine appointments and mail pills, also heard from more women, said Elizabeth Raymond, senior medical associate at Gynuity Health Projects, which runs the program. She said that of 2,083 abortions provided under the program between July 2016 and October 2021, more than a third '-- 715 '-- occurred during the pandemic.
        Kirsten Moore, director of the Expanding Medication Abortion Access Project, said abortion rights supporters had hoped that the F.D.A. would also lift the other two restrictions related to mifepristone, especially the requirement that providers be certified, because it means that women won't necessarily be able to get the pills from their regular doctor or clinic.
        Still, Ms. Moore said she hoped that the increased availability of medication abortion would help open up appointments for women who need surgical abortions by creating ''more room in the abortion ecosystem for patients who need to get into a clinic.''
      Can Coronavirus Cause Hair Loss?
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        Archived Version
        Fri, 17 Dec 2021 04:37
        We're currently in the middle of a pandemic due to the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. This virus causes the disease COVID-19.
        People who become ill with COVID-19 can have a wide variety of symptoms. Hair loss has been reported in people who have recovered from COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes hair loss as a potential long-term effect of COVID-19 that's currently under investigation.
        Below, we'll discuss whether a SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to hair loss, other symptoms to look out for, and when to talk with your doctor.
        Many reports of hair loss following COVID-19 have been seen in case studies. Because of this, how often it occurs in the larger population is currently unknown.
        A November 2020 study investigated late-onset symptoms of COVID-19 in a small group of 63 participants. For the 58 participants included in the analysis, 14 (24.1 percent) reported hair loss.
        In this study, the average time from COVID-19 symptom onset to noticeable hair loss was 58.6 days.
        Hair loss resolved in five of the 14 participants. However, nine participants were still experiencing hair loss at the time they were interviewed.
        The hair loss that's seen following COVID-19 is consistent with a condition called telogen effluvium (TE). People with TE report hair loss that comes on suddenly. Hair typically falls out in large clumps, often while brushing or showering.
        Most people who develop TE have noticeable hair loss 2 to 3 months after a triggering event. This typically affects less than half of the scalp and lasts for 6 to 9 months. After this period, most people find that the lost hair regrows.
        How does this relate to COVID-19? One of the potential triggers for TE is an acute illness with fever. People who've become ill with COVID-19 often experience fever as one of their symptoms.
        Stress is another potential trigger for TE. Certainly, experiencing an illness like COVID-19 can cause both physical and emotional stress. In fact, TE has also been observed in some people due to the stresses of quarantining.
        What's the mechanism of TE?Hair has different growth phases. TE happens when a stressor causes a large amount of hair to stop growing and enter into the resting (telogen) phase.
        In the telogen phase, hairs rest for 2 to 3 months before being shed from your scalp to allow for new hair growth. This is why hair loss due to TE happens so long after a triggering event, such as an illness or highly stressful period.
        We all naturally shed hair on a daily basis. In fact, it's common for a person to shed 50 to 100 hairs per day.
        However, sometimes the hair that's shed isn't replaced with new hair, eventually leading to hair thinning and bald patches. This is called hair loss.
        We often think of hair loss as affecting only the scalp. However, it can occur on other parts of the body too.
        The medical term for hair loss is alopecia.
        Is hair loss associated with severe COVID-19?It's possible that hair loss may be associated with severe COVID-19. However, the extent to which this is the case and the biological mechanism behind it is unclear at this moment.
        A May 2020 study evaluated 175 people hospitalized with COVID-19. Researchers observed that a high amount of participants (67 percent) had androgenic alopecia. It's important to note that there was no control group in the study.
        A July 2020 study compared balding patterns in 336 men hospitalized for COVID-19 and 1,605 men hospitalized without COVID-19. It found that men with the most pronounced pattern of baldness were more likely to test positive for COVID-19.
        A November 2020 population study surveyed 43,565 people on topics like amount of hair loss, underlying health conditions, and COVID-19 status or outcome. It was found that hair loss was independently associated with more severe COVID-19 illness.
        It's important to reiterate that research on this topic is currently limited. Further investigation is needed to determine how hair loss may be associated with COVID-19 risk.
        The most common cause of hair loss is androgenic alopecia. You may also see this referred to as male or female pattern baldness.
        This type of hair loss is hereditary, meaning that you can inherit it from your parents. Androgenic alopecia occurs gradually as you age and has predictable patterns for men and women.
        Additional causes of hair loss can include:
        hormonal changes, including those that occur during pregnancy and menopause, or due to thyroid conditionsunderlying health conditions, like alopecia areata, hair-pulling disorder (trichotillomania), or scalp ringwormstressors, as observed with telogen effluviumiron deficiency or other nutritional deficienciessome medications or therapies, such as those used to treat cancer, depression, and high blood pressuregrooming practices that pull on your hair (traction alopecia) or are harsh to your hair Often, hair loss naturally occurs as you age. But sometimes it can indicate an underlying health condition.
        To determine whether hair loss is happening due to a health condition, your doctor will:
        take your medical history, which can include questions about:your family historyany preexisting health conditionswhat medications you're takinghow you groom your hairyour dietperform a physical examination, which may include a pull test on a few dozen hairs to help determine how much hair is falling outexamine samples of your hair under a microscopeorder blood tests, which can help identify health conditions that may cause hair loss There are several potential treatments that your doctor may recommend for hair loss depending on its cause.
        If an underlying health condition is causing hair loss, working to treat the condition may slow or stop your hair loss.
        If medications are causing hair loss, your doctor may switch your medication or suggest that you stop using it for a few months.
        Your doctor can prescribe some medications or procedures to treat androgenic alopecia. These are:
        Finasteride (Propecia). Finasteride can be used by men to slow the rate of hair loss and stimulate new growth.Spironolactone (CaroSpir, Aldactone). Spironolactone can be used in women to help slow hair loss and improve hair thickness.Corticosteroid injections. Injecting corticosteroid medication into areas of thinning hair or baldness may be helpful for some types of hair loss, such as alopecia areata.Hair transplants. During a hair transplant, a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon removes hair from one part of your head and transplants it to an area of baldness. There are also some things you can do at home to help treat hair loss. Remember to always talk with your doctor before using any at-home treatment or supplement.
        Lifestyle changesSome grooming practices can contribute to hair loss. Aim to avoid things that are harsh on your hair, including:
        pulling or tugging on your hair while brushingwearing hairstyles that pull on hair, such as ponytails, hair extensions, and tight braidshaving hair treatments that can damage hair, such as perms and hot-oil treatmentsMinoxidil (Rogaine)Minoxidil is available over the counter (OTC). Both men and women can use it to help regrow hair or to slow hair loss. You can find it in stores as a shampoo, liquid, or foam.
        DevicesThings such as microneedling devices and laser combs or caps are available for at-home treatment of hair loss. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that trials have shown promising results, but more research is needed into their effectiveness.
        Alternative treatmentsMany alternative treatments for hair loss have been explored. While some show promise, more research is needed into their effectiveness. A few examples of alternative hair loss treatments are:
        amino acidsvitamin Dfish oilonion juicerosemary oilsaw palmettoIt's always a good idea to talk with your doctor before trying any supplements. Some supplements can interact with medications you may be taking.
        Make an appointment with your doctor if you're worried or distressed about your hair loss.
        There are some signs that indicate an underlying health condition that needs treatment may be causing hair loss. See your doctor if you experience hair loss that:
        comes on suddenlycauses hair to fall out in clumpsleads to patchy baldnessis accompanied by scalp itching or tenderness It's important that you get tested for the coronavirus if:
        You're currently experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.You've recently been in close contact with someone with confirmed COVID-19, which means you were less than 6 feet away from them for 15 minutes or more.Your healthcare provider asks you to get tested.Visiting your state or local health department's website can help you find a testing location. If you have any questions or concerns about finding a testing location, talk with your healthcare provider.
        There are two types of tests that can detect an active coronavirus infection. These are referred to as diagnostic tests and include:
        Molecular test. This test uses a technology called RT-PCR to detect viral nucleic acids in a sample collected from a nasal or throat swab. Saliva samples may also sometimes be used.Antigen test. This test detects viral proteins in a sample collected by a nasal or throat swab. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these tests return results faster but are less accurate than the molecular test.How long it takes to get results can depend on the type of test used. Keep in mind that if there's a high testing volume in your area, it may take longer to get results.
        The new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets. These can be produced when someone who has an infection coughs, sneezes, or talks. Less commonly, it's spread through contact with contaminated surfaces.
        You can take several steps in your daily life to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Some of these include:
        frequent handwashingpracticing physical (social) distancingwearing a cloth mask when around other peoplecleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces in your homeCDC guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19The CDC also has many specific guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19. Some of these are:
        Handwashing. Use soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water aren't available, you can use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. It's especially important to wash your hands:after being in publicbefore touching your face, mouth, or noseafter blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughingafter taking care of someone who's currently sick with COVID-19after using the restroom or changing a diaperafter handling a mask or potentially contaminated laundrybefore eating or handling foodPhysical distancing. When outside your home, keep 6 feet between yourself and others. Avoid crowded places, large gatherings, and indoor spaces. Choose low-contact options for errands like curbside pickup or delivery.Masks. Use a cloth mask to cover your nose and mouth. This is largely recommended for everyone ages 2 and over. Mask wearing is important when you're:going out in publicspending time with others outside of your householdsick with COVID-19 and are around others, such as in a household settingcaring for someone who's currently sick with COVID-19Cleaning and disinfecting. Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces on a daily basis. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a list of disinfectants to use for the new coronavirus. Examples of high-touch surfaces are:doorknobslight switchesfaucet handlestabletops and countertopsappliance handlesphones and tabletsremotes and video game controllerskeyboards and mice If you become sick with COVID-19, there are several different treatment options.
        Which of them your doctor recommends will depend on the severity of your illness, and if you have health conditions that put you at risk of serious illness.
        Rest. Resting can help your immune system manage the infection.Fluids. Be sure to get enough fluids to avoid dehydration. If you're hospitalized, fluids may be given by IV.OTC medications. Medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can ease symptoms like fever, headache, and aches and pains.Oxygen therapy. You may be given supplemental oxygen to help ensure that your body is receiving enough oxygen.Remdesivir. Remdesivir is currently the only FDA approved antiviral drug to treat COVID-19. It inhibits the ability of the virus to multiply.Dexamethasone. Dexamethasone is a steroid medication that can help calm an overactive immune response.Monoclonal antibodies. Two monoclonal antibodies are approved by the FDA for emergency use in people at risk of serious illness. They attach to the virus, helping your immune system more effectively respond.Learn more about where exactly we are with vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 here.
        Some people may experience hair loss after being sick with COVID-19. This often occurs several weeks after other symptoms disappear.
        Hair loss due to COVID-19 is likely due to a condition called telogen effluvium. Things like stress and being sick with a fever can trigger it. Most people with telogen effluvium regrow hair that's been lost.
        You can take several steps in your day-to-day life to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These include frequent handwashing, practicing physical distancing, and wearing a mask.
      COVID-19 Vaccine-Induced Radiation Recall Phenomenon
        Link to Article
        Archived Version
        Fri, 17 Dec 2021 04:34
        Journal List Elsevier Public Health Emergency Collection PMC7930806 Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2021 Jul 15; 110(4): 957''961.
        Viacheslav Soyfer'—Department of Radiation Oncology, Division of Oncology, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, affiliated with Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University
        Orit Gutfeld'—Department of Radiation Oncology, Division of Oncology, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, affiliated with Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University
        Sivan Shamai' Unit of Soft Tissue and Bone Oncology, Division of Oncology, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, affiliated with Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University
        Albert Schlocker'—Department of Radiation Oncology, Division of Oncology, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, affiliated with Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University
        Ofer Merimsky' Unit of Soft Tissue and Bone Oncology, Division of Oncology, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, affiliated with Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University
        '—Department of Radiation Oncology, Division of Oncology, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, affiliated with Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University
        ' Unit of Soft Tissue and Bone Oncology, Division of Oncology, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, affiliated with Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University
        '—Corresponding author: Viacheslav Soyfer, MD
        Received 2021 Feb 11; Revised 2021 Feb 22; Accepted 2021 Feb 23.
        Copyright (C) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
        Since January 2020 Elsevier has created a COVID-19 resource centre with free information in English and Mandarin on the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The COVID-19 resource centre is hosted on Elsevier Connect, the company's public news and information website. Elsevier hereby grants permission to make all its COVID-19-related research that is available on the COVID-19 resource centre - including this research content - immediately available in PubMed Central and other publicly funded repositories, such as the WHO COVID database with rights for unrestricted research re-use and analyses in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for free by Elsevier for as long as the COVID-19 resource centre remains active.
        This article has been
        cited by other articles in PMC.
        AbstractRadiation recall phenomenon (RRP) is an uncommon, late occurring, acute inflammatory skin reaction that emerges in localized areas coincident with previously irradiated radiation therapy (RT) treatment fields. RRP has been known to be triggered by a number of chemotherapy agents. To the best of our knowledge, this report is the first description of RRP after administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for COVID-19, or any other currently available vaccine against COVID-19. Acute skin reactions were observed in 2 RT patients with differing timelines of RT and vaccinations. In both cases however, the RRP presented within days of the patient receiving the second dose of vaccine. For each RT course, the treatment planning dosimetry of the radiation fields was compared with the area of the observable RRP. RRP developed within the borders of treatment fields where prescription dose constraints were prioritized over skin sparing. Our observation is currently limited to 2 patients. The actual incidence of RRP in conjunction with Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine or any other vaccine against COVID-19 is unknown. For patients with cancer being treated with radiation with significant dose to skin, consideration should be given to the probability of RRP side effects from vaccinations against COVID-19.
        IntroductionRadiation recall phenomenon (RRP) is a late effect, acute skin reaction associated with therapeutic irradiation, triggered by something other than radiation. It usually appears more than 1 week after the completion of radiation therapy (RT) and is typically localized to the RT field entry points. The RRP is frequently wrongly misinterpreted as radiosensitization if the skin reaction appears within 7 days after radiation treatment.1
        Radiation recall syndrome was first described by D'Angio et al in 1959.2 Though oncologists are generally aware of RRP, little is known about its pathophysiology. Burris and Hurtig3 summarized hypotheses regarding RRP. The increased sensitivity of the stem cells in the field of radiation may result in an acute reaction to subsequent chemotherapy and idiosyncratic drug hypersensitivity reactions.1 The level of inflammation-mediating cytokines induced by radiation may be upregulated by chemotherapeutic agents.4
        Although the development of RRP is usually associated with cytotoxic drugs, several noncancer treatments can evoke this syndrome.5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Although RRP mostly presents in a mild form, in just under 10% of cases symptoms can be severe and include moist desquamation in areas other than skin folds, and bleeding can be induced by minor trauma or abrasion.1 The decision to use systemic cancer treatments in conjunction with RT is frequently limited by the risk of developing devastating skin reactions. To decrease the risk of severe RRP, a greater time interval between RT and the start of chemotherapy is usually recommended.10
        The regulations imposed for the COVID-19 pandemic are challenging for a wide community of patients with cancer, often requiring isolation and restricted visitation. Clinical oncologists who deal with the administration of multiple systemic treatments and RT must now factor COVID-19 vaccination into their treatment paradigms. The official website of the American Society of Clinical Oncology states that "At this time, patients undergoing treatment may be offered vaccination against COVID-19 as long as any components of the vaccine are not contraindicated. Strategies such as providing the vaccine in between cycles of therapy and after appropriate waiting periods can be used to reduce the risks while maintaining the efficacy of vaccination.''11 The evolving dramatic changes in view of COVID-19 are beyond the discussion of this report. The RRP we observed associated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was reported to the management of the Tel Aviv Medical Center following a process regulated by the Israel Ministry of Health.
        Methods and MaterialsIn our RT department, we observed 2 patients who developed acute skin reactions in previously irradiated areas after receiving 2 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The reactions were diagnosed as RRP.
        Case presentation'--patient no. 1A 68-year-old otherwise healthy male had a metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (unclassified spindle cell sarcoma) involving the soft tissues of the posterior chest wall and 1 lesion in the right lung. Preoperative radiation therapy of 50 Gy in 25 fractions with electrons (mixed 9 and 12 MeV) prescribed to the 90% isodose level with a 0.5 cm bolus over the entire field was delivered to his back ( Fig. 1 a).
        (a) Posterior chest wall treatment plan (Patient 1). (b) Acute skin reaction after COVID-19 vaccination (Patient 1).
        Over the last 2 weeks of the electron course, the patient received stereotactic body radiation therapy, 50 Gy in 5 fractions to a lesion in the right lower lobe. Two months after the RT, the patient underwent a complete resection of the residual disease in the posterior chest wall. This was followed by an additional course of stereotactic body radiation therapy to 2 other lesions, 45 Gy in 5 fractions ( Fig. 2 ). The patient did not receive any systemic chemotherapy during the observed period, nor any therapeutic drugs known to cause RRP.
        Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) dose distributions for lung treatments (Patient 1).
        Six months after the initial RT to the posterior chest wall, the patient received his first COVID-19 vaccination, followed by a second shot 21 days later. This sequence of RT and vaccinations is detailed in the timeline ( Fig. 3 ).
        Five days after the second shot of the vaccine, an acute skin reaction developed, associated with pain, burning sensation, redness, and mild skin exfoliation in the area of the posterior chest wall electron field ( Fig. 1 b). It can be seen that the electron port shape closely resembles the erythematic area. The RRP was treated symptomatically with topical steroids and painkillers. The reaction resolved within a few days. No pulmonary symptoms were reported, and no RRP developed in areas other than described.
        Case presentation'--patient no. 2A 64-year-old otherwise healthy male with metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (solitary fibrous tumor) received radiation to 2 treatment sites: lumbar vertebrae after surgery for spinal cord compression and subsequent palliative RT to a painful metastatic lesion in the right chest wall. The lumbar spine was treated by 2 posterior oblique 6 MV photon fields ( Fig. 4 ), which provided partial skin sparing. The chest wall tumor was treated with 2 tangential 6 MV photon fields with 0.5 cm bolus covering the treatment area, resulting in coverage of the target with high but tolerable skin dose ( Fig. 5 a).
        Lumbar spine treatment plan'--oblique fields (Patient 2).
        (a) Anterior chest wall treatment plan (Patient 2). (b) Acute skin reaction after COVID-19 vaccination (Patient 2).
        The first shot of vaccine was administered 5 days before the conclusion of the RT. The second dose of vaccine followed 21 days later, approximately 2 weeks after cessation of RT. This sequence is detailed in the timeline ( Fig. 6 ). Six days after the second vaccination, an acute skin reaction was noted, manifested by skin redness and itching sensation. No local therapy or painkillers were needed. The reaction faded slowly within the following week ( Fig. 5 b).
        RRP was not observed on the skin covering the lumbar spine.
        DiscussionOne of the promising ways to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic is through recently developed vaccines. For some RT patients, receiving the highly effective vaccination will supersede any low-risk RRP side effects that may occur from concurrent or prior RT. To the best of our knowledge, our clinical observations are the first RRP reported after administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for COVID-19. The real incidence of this phenomenon is unknown. We cannot make any conclusions or predictions on the time needed between RT and administration of the COVID-19 vaccine to avoid RRP. Notably, in 1 of our patients the RRP erythema appeared 6 months after the radiation exposure, whereas the other occurrence was only shortly after the cessation of RT. Similarly, the determination of a radiation dose threshold for RRP cannot be estimated from this small observation.
        ConclusionsFor patients with cancer, recommendations regarding vaccination are evolving. We observed in our clinic the development of RRP in 2 patients with varying courses of RT, seemingly triggered by the COVID-19 vaccine. Reasonable considerations should be applied to decisions regarding vaccination of on-treatment RT patients. Patients and physicians should be aware of the potential for the RRP side effect after COVID-19 vaccination.
        FootnotesDisclosures: none.
        Data sharing statement: Research data are stored in an institutional repository and will be shared upon request to the corresponding author.
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      NANCY on Twitter: "The FDA approves the FIRST EVER oral blood thinning medication for children. Just months later 5-11yr-olds were approved for ''EMERGENCY USE ONLY'' C@viD vaxxx A vaxxx that just HAPPENS to induce blood clots and strokes in a number of
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        NANCY : The FDA approves the FIRST EVER oral blood thinning medication for children.Just months later 5-11yr-olds were ap'... https://t.co/n6ZvtjRi4R
        Thu Dec 16 20:59:56 +0000 2021
        nana-07 : @AmericaWatch1 @doo_001 Culling the children too!
        Fri Dec 17 03:51:51 +0000 2021
        CDM : @AmericaWatch1 @BubbleCovfefe Made necessary by forcing the jabberwabber on them.
        Fri Dec 17 01:51:31 +0000 2021
      Congress Passes $2.5 Trillion Debt Ceiling Increase - The New York Times
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        Thu, 16 Dec 2021 16:11
        The measure would allow the government to continue borrowing to finance its obligations without further action by Congress until after the 2022 midterm elections.
        ''The American people can breathe easy and rest assured there will not be a default,'' said Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader. Credit... Stefani Reynolds for The New York Times Dec. 14, 2021
        WASHINGTON '-- Congress gave final approval early Wednesday to legislation that would raise the debt ceiling by $2.5 trillion, moving over nearly unanimous Republican opposition to stave off the threat of a first-ever federal default until at least early 2023.
        Democrats were united in support of the measure, which passed the Senate 50 to 49 along party lines on Tuesday afternoon and then cleared the House in a 221-to-209 vote shortly after midnight on Wednesday. Republicans opposed the legislation en masse, with only one, Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, voting in favor. The bill now heads to President Biden, who was expected to quickly sign it.
        The swift action came a week after party leaders announced a deal to establish a one-time fast-track process to increase the debt ceiling with a simple majority vote, instead of the 60 votes needed to move most legislation through the Senate.
        The votes occurred with little time to spare before a potential default, which would be catastrophic for the national economy. The Treasury Department had warned that it would be unable to pay the nation's bills soon after Wednesday, and the agency is currently using so-called ''extraordinary measures,'' a series of fiscal tools to delay the threat of a default.
        ''The full faith and credit of the United States should never be questioned,'' Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said before the House vote. ''The health of our economy should never be threatened. The financial security of our families must never be gambled.''
        Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, said on Tuesday that the $2.5 trillion figure would be enough to punt the threat of a default past the midterm elections next year, an assessment shared by the Treasury Department, according to a person familiar with its internal estimates. The debt limit, which covers debt incurred by administrations from both parties, is currently set at $28.9 trillion.
        ''The American people can breathe easy and rest assured there will not be a default,'' Mr. Schumer said in a speech on the Senate floor. He thanked Republicans, including Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, for their help in setting up the process and resolving a must-pass piece of fiscal legislation before the end of the year.
        A handful of Republicans, while opposed to the debt limit increase, ended their party's monthslong blockade of debt limit legislation by voting last week to create the expedited process. Republicans had spent months refusing to allow Democrats to take action on long-term legislation raising the debt ceiling, using the filibuster to stall any action.
        ''The way this Congress has been polarized, I don't know if I expect Republican votes for lunch, never mind on something like this,'' said Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, the chairman of the Rules Committee.
        For Democrats, addressing the debt limit gives senators more time to focus directly on muscling their marquee $2.2 trillion social safety net, climate and tax package through the Senate before Christmas, even as some senators acknowledged that such a timeline might not be feasible.
        But even as they eyed other legislative ambitions, some Democrats argued that the contortions to raise the debt ceiling demonstrated why Congress should dispose of the process altogether, rather than periodically running up against potentially catastrophic fiscal cliffs, only to set up new ones in the future.
        ''I think it's very clear that this debt ceiling process has got to go,'' said Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon and the chairman of the Finance Committee. ''It is now a tool for politicians for political purposes, and it just defies common sense.''
        Other Democrats suggested that the convoluted workaround was further evidence that the filibuster itself should be scrapped, or that similar exceptions should be made for other Democratic priorities.
        ''We have decided that we must do it for the economy, but not for the democracy,'' Senator Raphael Warnock, Democrat of Georgia, said in a speech on the Senate floor. Mr. Warnock argued that a similar special process should be created for passing voting rights legislation that has been filibustered by Republicans.
        But creating such a process would take the support of at least 10 Republicans, and only one has been willing to join Democrats in support of taking up a voting rights measure. By contrast, 14 Republicans joined Democrats last week in voting to allow the Senate to take up a bill permitting the debt limit to be raised with a simple majority vote.
        On Tuesday, Republicans were eager to have Democrats go on the record in support of the increase. Republicans could cite those votes in the future as they seek to criticize Democrats for excessive spending and adding to the national debt.
        ''Since taking control of the House, the Senate and the White House at the beginning of this year, the majority has made repeated decisions to spend massive amounts of taxpayer dollars with only Democratic votes,'' said Representative Tom Cole, Republican of Oklahoma. ''With that power also comes responsibility to effectively govern, and the majority has failed to do so.''
        Understand the U.S. Debt Ceiling Card 1 of 4What is the debt ceiling? The debt ceiling, also called the debt limit, is a cap on the total amount of money that the federal government is authorized to borrow via U.S. Treasury bills and savings bonds to fulfill its financial obligations. Because the U.S. runs budget deficits, it must borrow huge sums of money to pay its bills.
        When will the debt limit be breached? The Treasury had warned that the government would have become unable to pay its bills in mid-December. In the early hours of Dec. 15, Congress passed legislation to raise the limit by $2.5 trillion and stave off the threat of default until 2023. The bill now goes to President Biden, who is expected to sign it.
        Why does the U.S. limit its borrowing? According to the Constitution, Congress must authorize borrowing. The debt limit was instituted in the early 20th century so the Treasury did not need to ask for permission each time it needed to issue bonds to pay bills.
        What would happen if the debt limit was hit? Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Congress that inaction on raising the debt limit could lead to a self-inflicted economic recession and a financial crisis. She also said that failing to raise the debt ceiling could affect programs that help millions of Americans, including delays to Social Security payments.
        In a floor speech on Tuesday, Mr. McConnell made no mention of the deal he struck with Mr. Schumer to allow the increase to occur, but he noted that the debt ceiling would be raised solely with Democratic votes in the Senate. He also denounced Mr. Biden's social safety net, climate and tax package, warning that it would exacerbate inflation and lead to the accumulation of more debt.
        ''If they jam through another reckless taxing and spending spree, this massive debt increase will just be the beginning,'' Mr. McConnell said. ''More printing and borrowing to set up more reckless spending to cause more inflation, to hurt working families even more.''
        But Mr. McConnell has also fielded criticism from his right flank for allowing Democrats to steer the country away from a fiscal catastrophe.
        ''I'm sure this vicious tactic, the one used here, has not seen its last use '-- far from it,'' said Senator Mike Lee, Republican of Utah. ''With a blank check and a new special procedure, Democrats are able to raise the debt ceiling by whatever amount they deem necessary to accommodate their destroy America bill.''
        Former President Donald J. Trump railed against Mr. McConnell in a series of statements over the weekend, charging that the senator ''didn't have the guts to play the debt ceiling card, which would have given the Republicans a complete victory on virtually everything.''
        Mr. Trump continued to urge Republicans to remove Mr. McConnell from his leadership role.
        On Monday, Kelly Tshibaka, a hard-line conservative challenging Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, pledged that she would not support Mr. McConnell if elected in 2022, citing his role in the debt ceiling process.
        Ms. Murkowski voted to set up the fast-track maneuver, and she appeared unbothered by the prospect of having it used against her.
        ''I've just got to do the best thing that I can for the country,'' she told reporters. ''And this is the best thing for the country '-- to avoid a default.''
        Alan Rappeport contributed reporting.
    ALL VIDEOS
      VIDEO - Desmond Swayne attacks 'extraordinary extrapolations' of Covid modelling - YouTube
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      VIDEO - Learn ENGLISH ENGLISH Episode 15 York Anti Vaccine Mandate Protest December 2021 - YouTube
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        Sun, 19 Dec 2021 13:09
      VIDEO - Brits COULD be hit by miserable Xmas lockdown warns Sajid Javid despite PM ruling out restrictions
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        Sun, 19 Dec 2021 13:08
        BRITS could be plunged into Christmas misery after Sajid Javid refused to rule out further restrictions next week.
        The Health Secretary warned there are "no guarantees" when asked about a festive clampdown - despite Boris Johnson insisting he would not shut the country down.
        5
        Sajid Javid told BBC's Andrew Marr show he could not rule out further Covid restrictions before Christmas Credit: BBCEngland was last night warned it faced an abrupt Covid crackdown after Boxing Day under new plans being drawn up in Whitehall.
        The suggestion was people would be free to enjoy next week's festivities before limits are imposed.
        But in a gloomy response to whether restrictions could be brought in sooner, the Health Secretary today insisted nothing could be ruled out.
        Speaking on BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Sajid Javid said: "There are no guarantees in this pandemic.
        "At this point we just have to keep everything under review."
        He added: "We are assessing the situation, it's very fast-moving. We've seen with Omicron there's a lot that we still don't know about Omicron.
        "That's the truth of the matter. The reality is there's a lot of uncertainty."
        The Sun is urging readers to sign up to the Jabs Army campaign to make the rollout as smooth and fast as possible.
        A booster shot is the best protection against Omicron, with early data suggesting it pushes efficacy back up to 75 per cent.
        Dr Jenny Harries, UKHSA Chief Executive said: ''Once again, we urge everyone who is able to get a booster jab to come forward and do so. It is the best defence we have against this highly transmissible new variant."
        This morning, the Health Secretary warned it was "time to be more cautious" as he urged people to keep testing regularly while getting their third jab.
        But he said it was currently up to each individual to decide how much they socialise in the build up to Christmas.
        "We know this thing is spreading rapidly," Mr Javid said.
        "We know already now that in London, it's around 80% of infections, in England it's around 60% of infections."
        There are no guarantees in this pandemic. At this point we just have to keep everything under review.
        Sajid Javid Health Secretary The surge in Omicron cases now threatens staffing levels in the NHS, fire services and police, with fears up to 50,000 NHS workers could be off sick with Omicron by Christmas.
        Further restrictions discussed in Whitehall could see a return to limits on households mixing and numbers in shops, and table-only service in pubs.
        But Boris Johnson insisted on Friday: "We are not closing things down."
        The plan has yet to be presented to ministers but it could impact New Year celebration plans.
        A source said: ''A set of proposals is being worked on that would let people celebrate Christmas, but then the handbrake would be pulled.''
        However, former Cabinet minister David Jones said last night: ''Ministers will need compelling evidence and firm data before any decisions are made. We need to take account of people's wellbeing and the economy.''
        Boris Johnson has called a Cobra meeting today about the disruption and response to the Omicron variant, which has a doubling time of between 1.5 and three days.
        ðŸ--µ Read our Covid-19 live blog for the latest updates
        Meanwhile, thousands of hospital workers are reportedly isolating at home as health bosses NHS 'hold their breath, waiting for the storm', reports The Mirror.
        The British Medical Association has warned as many as 50,000 staff could be struck down with Covid and forced to self-isolate by Christmas Day.
        And yesterday, a further 90,418 daily Covid cases were reported '-- with Omicron cases up another 10,059 to 24,968 in total.
        Ministers have been warned that hospital admissions could reach 3,000 a day without new measures.
        But Britain is on the verge of a million vaccinations a day as centres open at stadiums and racecourses. More than 800,000 jabs were recorded yesterday.
        A major incident was declared in London where mayor Sadiq Khan said he was ''incredibly concerned'' by infection levels.
        Meanwhile, papers from a Sage meeting on Thursday claimed the number of hospitalisations could be ''one tenth of the true figure''.
        The science body advisers have recommended returning to measures from earlier this year including banning indoor mixing '-- seen as the biggest risk of virus spread.
        Other curbs could see reducing group sizes, increasing distancing, reducing duration of contacts and closing high-risk premises, said the advisers.
        Their papers add: ''The timing is crucial. Delaying until 2022 would greatly reduce the effectiveness of such interventions and make it less likely that these would prevent considerable pressure on health and care settings.''
        But they stressed there were many uncertainties.
        Another group of advisers said in documents released yesterday that restrictions ''similar to the national lockdown'' were needed to keep hospitalisations below previous peaks.
        Ministers announced £22million of spending to encourage the uptake of booster jabs in 60 areas with low uptake. Nine hundred people will form ''street teams'' visiting 21 areas including Liverpool One shopping centre and London's King's Cross station up to Christmas Eve.
        Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: ''We're in a race between the virus and vaccine and doing everything in our power to get jabs in arms.''
        A government spokesman last night said that it will ''continue to look closely at all data and keep our measures under review''.
        5
        There are fears thousands of NHS workers could fall ill with Omicron over Christmas Credit: Alamy 5
        A surge in the strain also threatens staff levels in the the fire services and police Credit: Alamy 5
        PM Boris Johnson will hold a Cobra meeting today about the disruption and the response to the fast-spreading variant Credit: Getty Firms plea for more aid
        BUSINESSES will fail unless the Treasury steps in to support them amid rising Omicron cases, bosses said yesterday.
        The CBI, the Federation of Small Businesses and the British Chambers of Commerce put the plea to Rishi Sunak after he arrived back from the US.
        They have called for the Chancellor to revert VAT for hospitality and tourism back to the emergency rate of five per cent. Demands have also been made to reinstate 100 per cent business rates relief and for additional grants.
        BCC director Hannah Essex said they want answers on what should have been one of the year's busiest weekends. She added: ''Doing nothing is not an option right now or we will see businesses fail.''
        5
        Lockdown protestors scuffle with cops in Westminster leaving officers 'injured' as anti-vax demonstration turns violent We pay for your stories!
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      VIDEO - Omicron forces wave of closures nationwide as Biden warns winter of 'death' encroaching | Fox News
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        Published December 18, 2021
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        The omicron variant is touching every corner of American lives, with many schools and businesses making operational changesAs the omicron variant of the coronavirus is poised to become the new leading variant in the United States, many schools and businesses are closing their doors over what President Biden is predicting to be a winter of "severe illness and death."
        President Biden has previously claimed he would "shut down the virus," and added he would not "shut down the economy" or "shut down the country." Biden is set to speak to the country on Tuesday to outline additional steps he will take to combat the spread of the virus.
        Across the country, schools are beginning to shift to remote learning, restaurants are closing their doors to the public, and events are once again being canceled as a result of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus.
        Several colleges and universities such as Harvard University and Stanford University have announced they will begin the spring 2022 semester with remote learning for most students. Pennsylvania State University announced on Friday that students should "be prepared to alter plans" if the university needs to start the spring semester remotely.
        Georgetown University, for example, is restricting all indoor campus dining to a "grab-and-go" model, where students pick up their food in a dining hall and eat in their private room. The university is also closing fitness centers, and has canceled all events if they cannot be held outdoors or online.
        US SCHOOLS BRING BACK REMOTE LEARNING AMID COVID-19 RISE, CHALLENGING BIDEN GOAL OF KEEPING THEM OPEN
        CAMBRIDGE, USA - APRIL 2, 2018: view of the historic architecture of the famous Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. (iStock)
        Public schools across the country are announcing shifts to remote learning as well. On Friday, the Prince George's County Public Schools near Washington, D.C., announced that students will shift to virtual learning until mid-January, citing a "stark rise" in coronavirus cases.
        Officials with Georgia's Clayton County Public Schools said due to staffing shortages, a shift to remote learning was made for Thursday and Friday.
        Evanston Township High School in Illinois announced an "adaptive pause" from Dec. 17 through Dec. 23 and all students will "transition to e-learning during this period," according to an announcement by the school. The school also canceled all field trips and non-essential events.
        In New York, Oswego City School District announced they would be will be moving to virtual instruction from Dec. 17 through Dec. 23 due to "rapid spread of COVID-19."
        University Park Elementary School (Credit: Prince George's County Public Schools) ((Credit: Prince George's County Public Schools))
        The disruptions are not limited to schools, as many restaurants and businesses are also making changes due to the omicron variant.
        AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES REIMPOSE COVID RESTRICTIONS OVER OMICRON VARIANT: 'REMINISCENT' OF MARCH 2020
        Nite Nite, a bar and restaurant in New York City closed their doors on Dec. 17 due to a surge in coronavirus cases, then announced on Saturday that the establishment would remain closed until Dec. 28, but did not disclose if the closure was due to a rise in cases.
        Another restaurant in New York City, Cozy Royale, closed for a short period of time due to coronavirus exposures within their staff.
        Maketto, a Taiwanese and Cambodian restaurant in Washington, D.C. decided to close their doors for the rest of the year, announcing in an Instagram post that they will re-open in 2022.
        COVID-19 OMICRON AND DELTA VARIANTS BRING US A DOUBLE SURGE
        Due to "increasing challenges" stemming from the pandemic, the Rockettes decided to cancel their "Christmas Spectacular" shows for the rest of the year.
        Meanwhile, audience members settled in to watch "Moulin Rouge!" at the Al Hirschfeld Theater Thursday night when an announcement informed them that a "late-in-the-day" positive test would force the company to cancel the show, the Daily Voice reported.
        Saturday Night Live announced just hours before its final show of the year it would not have a studio audience and would go on with "limited cast and crew."
        FILE - Broadway posters hang outside the Richard Rodgers Theatre during Covid-19 lockdown in New York on May 13, 2020. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
        The new omicron variant and a number of football players testing positive for the coronavirus have also forced the National Football League to make several operational changes, including postponing multiple games. Because of this, games are now scheduled throughout the week.
        Fox News' Julia Musto, Peter Aitken, and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
      VIDEO - Police say smashed jewelry cases mistaken for gunshots at Barton Creek Mall | KXAN Austin
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        AUSTIN (KXAN) '-- Austin police said a robbery at a jewelry store inside the Barton Creek Mall Saturday night led shoppers to mistake the sound of smashed jewelry cases for gunfire, prompting a chaotic scene and people running for safety.
        Police said the robbery happened at the mall's Helzberg Diamonds store, which may have involved three suspects smashing the glass and taking several items. Officers have yet to make any arrests, though they are reviewing security camera footage to develop suspects and gather more information.
        Police said they got the initial call about the robbery at about 8:33 p.m. Saturday, but that response escalated when someone else reported seeing a gun in the mall. First responders surged resources to the building, leading them to activate their ''active attack'' plan. They also evacuated the mall as a precaution after chaotic scenes of people running from the building because of the reported gunfire.
        However, police said they located no victims after their search nor found evidence of a gun being seen or fired.
        Austin police posted on social media that Barton Creek Mall has now been ''cleared and is safe.'' Police also shared that anyone still inside the mall can now come out and exit safely.
        Video shared with KXAN from the Twisted Cork Wine Bar showed the moments when dozens of people started running quickly through the mall.
        Outside the mall, Marco Chavez told KXAN that he did not hear any gunshots, but saw people running inside. He described what happened as ''traumatizing'' and ''very scary.''
        ''I just ran inside a store, and they let us inside,'' Chavez said. ''We just stayed there, and we were in lockdown for a bit.''
        Another witness, Luis Santana, said he and his mother sat down to eat dinner at the mall when they started seeing people sprinting through the building. He said they began running, too, after hearing a woman scream, ''Run! There's a shooter!''
        Santana said they hid in the back of a mall store with employees who shepherded them to safety before police arrived to tell them to leave the building.
        ''It's terrifying. I never expected to be in this. I'm speechless,'' Santana said.
        Police are asking anyone who may have gotten video of the Helzberg Diamonds store when the robbery happened to please contact the department.
        Police also said the mall is closed for the evening and will reopen Sunday.
      VIDEO - Jewish Deplorable on Twitter: "Isn't she lovely? https://t.co/quKptKbiH2" / Twitter
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        Jewish Deplorable : Isn't she lovely? https://t.co/quKptKbiH2
        Sat Dec 18 23:21:29 +0000 2021
        Buster : @TrumpJew2 People who have to demand respect, usually don't deserve it
        Sun Dec 19 00:49:03 +0000 2021
        Jay : @TrumpJew2 Puke
        Sun Dec 19 00:47:48 +0000 2021
      VIDEO - Cities hire private weather forecasters amid climate change : NPR
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        After an unprecedented year in natural disasters, cities like Hoboken and New York City, pictured here after Hurricane Ida, say better weather forecast can save lives. David Dee Delgado/Getty Images hide caption
        toggle caption David Dee Delgado/Getty Images After an unprecedented year in natural disasters, cities like Hoboken and New York City, pictured here after Hurricane Ida, say better weather forecast can save lives.
        David Dee Delgado/Getty Images Last week, Hoboken, N.J. became the latest American city to hire a private company to provide the weather forecasting needed to guide life-saving disaster management work. Until now, Hoboken, like much of the country, mainly got its guidance on extreme weather from the National Weather Service, a federal agency.
        Hoboken is following in New York City's footsteps, which also announced a similar move in September. The cities' decisions are a response to the flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Ida, which killed 50 people in New Jersey and in New York, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the flooding was a wakeup call.
        "What we're realizing now is, even with the information we get from the National Weather Service, we're going to have to be much more cautious because the warnings we get are not sufficient," de Blasio said in a press conference after the floods. "Appreciate the federal government, but they're going to have to make a lot more investments."
        The hurricanes had some unprecedented effects. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued its first-ever flash flood emergency warning for New York City during Hurricane Ida. The subway system flooded, but fatalities occurred when people drowned in basement apartments around the city.
        Hoboken and New York hope that by using private forecasters, they can have a clearer understanding of the weather and its severity, and get specific warnings out to the public faster. This could save lives and property '' without recreating what federal dollars already do.
        A free and public serviceThe NWS is staffed by meteorologists and scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the lead federal agency responsible for monitoring weather and climate. Through hundreds of offices around the United States, the NWS collects observational data by using tools like the Doppler radar, buoys, weather balloons and satellites.
        The NWS and the National Hurricane Center, which NOAA also operates, take the information and create a body of public (meaning free) data and feed it to meteorologists around the world. When you open your smartphone to check the weather or tune into your local meteorologist on TV, those forecasts are built on NWS data. But local leaders say, despite those efforts, they still need additional help.
        And people like Shimon Elkabetz, the CEO & Co-Founder at the forecasting firm Tomorrow.io, agree.
        "Everyone is experiencing different weather and climate-related challenges," Elkabetz says. "Until recently, the forecasts we see everywhere, it's all basically a repackaging of the forecasts that the governmental agencies are publishing daily or hourly."
        He said companies like Tomorrow.io could do more. Tomorrow.io has plans to launch their own satellites to collect data, giving business and cities a chance to get a second opinion on weather, something that leaders at Hoboken were intrigued by.
        Aug. 2021 Tropical Storm Henri in the Atlantic Ocean. According to Caleb Stratton, chief resilience officer for the City of Hoboken. "Seventy percent of the city flooded" during Hurricanes Ida and Henri. NOAA via AP hide caption
        toggle caption NOAA via AP Aug. 2021 Tropical Storm Henri in the Atlantic Ocean. According to Caleb Stratton, chief resilience officer for the City of Hoboken. "Seventy percent of the city flooded" during Hurricanes Ida and Henri.
        NOAA via AP "For us, minutes count."Caleb Stratton is the chief resilience officer for the City of Hoboken. He goes to work every day thinking about how natural disasters could affect the city '' one-square-mile along the Hudson River, with a population of about 60,000 people. (The same density as Midtown or the West Village in New York City.) This year, he said, between the hurricanes and flooding, he knew his city would need more support.
        "For us, minutes count," he says.
        For emergency managers like Stratton, more extreme weather brings new challenges '' like flooding '' that historically had not been a problem. And the effects were visible. "Seventy percent of the city flooded," during Hurricanes Ida and a few weeks later later, Henri, Stratton said.
        "Homeowners had flooding from rooftops, from backyards, from the street. Garden apartments flooded. It was severe but different in that there was just so much water. And it occurred over a time span that was so brief," Stratton says. "It impacted our emergency operations. It impacted our communications. It impacted residents and businesses."
        In New York City, there's a different kind of problem: the sewer system was never built to deal with flooding from rainfall. Meteorologists like Greg Jenkins, a professor at Penn State, say these are the kind of hyperlocal issues that the federal government might not be equipped to handle. "The weather service warned that [flooding] was possible, but they couldn't tell you if your street was going to flood," Jenkins said.
        Susan Buchanan, a spokesperson with NOAA, agrees. She told NPR that while the agency's work is the backbone of the weather industry, federal services alone can't create public safety.
        "It takes a broad range of partnerships across federal, local, state governments and even the general public and the private weather sector," Buchanan says.
        The private weather sector says it has a solutionAt Tomorrow.io, they use public and private data to help the NFL cancel games because of lightning, for example, or JetBlue cancel flights because of storms.
        Tomorrow.io's agreement with the City of Hoboken is a more ambitious version of work it already does for other cities. Tomorrow.io has contracts with cities in Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey to help them decide when to put salt on the roads before it snows '' in an effort to cut down on labor and materials costs.
        Interest in companies like the four-year-old Tomorrow.io is also driving growth in the sector. This month, they announced a merger with Pine Technology Acquisition Corp., a move which made Tomorrow.io a public company on the stock exchange. The deal puts the two companies' value at $1.2 billion.
        Samantha Montano, an emergency management professor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, says that while private companies might be doing good work in emergency management, it's unclear what could or should happen if lives are lost due to an inaccurate private forecast.
        "Are we giving these million-dollar contracts to these private companies where there isn't really much accountability, and we don't really know what they're capable of doing?" Montano says.
        After extreme events, Montano said that there is always pressure to "recreate the wheel" of emergency management. Any new services should enhance local expertise, she said. But many cities lack even the basics of emergency management, and private companies could take advantage of that.
        "Most communities, particularly rural communities, poor communities across the country, have a part-time emergency manager, where it's the fire chief doubling as the emergency manager. They don't have the budget for [a full-time emergency manager]," Montano says, adding that emergency management is generally underfunded across the U.S.
        In New York City, the NWS issued its first-ever flash flood emergency warning during Hurricane Ida. The subway system flooded, but a lot of people drowned in basement apartments around the city. The city hopes that by using private forecasters, they can have a clearer understanding of the weather and its severity, and get specific warnings out to the public faster. David Dee Delgado/Getty Images hide caption
        toggle caption David Dee Delgado/Getty Images Success for Hoboken in a world affected by climate changeFor Hoboken, the success of its year-long contract with Tomorrow.io will be based on accuracy, Stratton said.
        "Not performative and not financial, but simply providing the community with very accurate pieces of information for them to inform their decision making," Stratton says. "We know that Hoboken floods when it rains more than eight inches per hour."
        Stratton said city leaders will be looking at whether Tomorrow.io can help predict the exact time of impact to deploy barriers before floods strike, as opposed to sending emergency responders after the storm hits. "[A storm impacts] a lot of different people in a lot of different ways, some as severe as flooding in their lower basement unit," Stratton said "Losing your car is really bad, too, or driving through floodwaters and not having been informed or understanding what those risks are."
        Tomorrow.io's contract is estimated to be around $90,000 a year or $7,500 a month, Stratton said. But the expense is outweighed by the chance to save people from drowning at home or in their vehicles, he said.
        "There's no proof that it's going to be a productive use of money," he said. "But we have to try something, you know? You have to give it a shot."
      VIDEO - Breaking911 on Twitter: "During commencement at South Carolina State University, Biden says, ''You're going to see us traveling commercially in the next 20 years at 12-to-15 thousand miles an hour'--subsonic speed.'' https://t.co/o2gHlReSX5" / T
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      VIDEO - Mr. M on Twitter: "European Parliament Croatian MP Ivan Vilibor Sincic answers Von Der Leyen about "compulsory vaccination". https://t.co/vChluQWcdF" / Twitter
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        Mr. M : European ParliamentCroatian MP Ivan Vilibor Sincic answers Von Der Leyen about "compulsory vaccination". https://t.co/vChluQWcdF
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      VIDEO - FDA Issues New Warning Over Johnson Vaccine; CDC Panel Advises Against Johnson | Facts Matter - YouTube
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      VIDEO - US Coronavirus: A Covid-19 'viral blizzard' is about to hit the US, expert says - CNN
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        (CNN)The coronavirus will hit millions of Americans in a "viral blizzard" within a few weeks as infections from the Omicron variant pile on top of Delta, an expert predicts.
        Already,
        hospitalizations are rising as the holiday season gets into full swing. Long lines for Covid-19 testing formed Thursday in metro areas, including New York, Boston and Miami.
        The Delta variant remains a problem. And Omicron, with its
        high transmissibility, could strike millions more soon, said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
        "We're really just about to experience a viral blizzard," Osterholm told CNN's Erin Burnett on Thursday. "In the next three to eight weeks, we're going to see millions of Americans are going to be infected with this virus, and that will be overlaid on top of Delta, and we're not yet sure exactly how that's going to work out."
        The Omicron variant has been identified in at least 40 states, in addition to Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, according to public statements from hospital systems and state officials in their respective states.
        It's been just 17 days since the US detected its first case of Omicron.
        Omicron will cause a
        serious strain on the health care system as more workers will likely get sick, Osterholm said, even though
        most cases from Omicron seem to be mild.
        "What you have here right now is a potential perfect storm," Osterholm said. "I've been very concerned about the fact that we could easily see a quarter or a third of our health care workers quickly becoming cases themselves."
        Other signs include:
        New Orleans says it will require kids ages 5 to 11 be vaccinated before entering public schools, restaurants and other businesses.Colleges and universities are returning to online learning.Sports leagues are postponing games due to players testing positive.Broadway shows are canceling performances.CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Friday the Omicron coronavirus variant is "increasing rapidly" and expected "to become the dominant strain in the United States as it has in other countries in the coming weeks."
        Andy Slavitt, a former senior pandemic adviser to President Joe Biden, said that while tools such as vaccines are
        now available rather than during last winter's surge, "a very rough January" lies ahead due to Omicron.
        "For the health care workers, the hospitals, for people who are sick, even sick with things other than Covid, that represents a real danger and a real threat," Slavitt told CNN's Don Lemon on Thursday.
        Two indicators are up about 40 percent in the last month, according to data from Johns Hopkins University: the seven-day average of new cases topped 120,000; and the total number of hospitalizations stands at more than 68,000.
        The seven-day average for deaths was 1,286 as of Thursday, an 8% increase from a month ago, the data show.
        Getting vaccinated or boosted remains key as millions of Americans get ready for holiday travel.
        Recent lab studies of blood taken from vaccinated people and exposed to Omicron showed the variant can evade some protection offered by two doses of Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine, but a booster dose restores much of that immunity,
        researchers reported Wednesday. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has shown
        similar results.
        On Thursday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its recommendations for Covid-19 vaccines to make clear that shots made by
        Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech are preferredThe daily rate of vaccinations is up around 22% from a month prior,
        according to CDC data, with more than half being booster doses. At the current pace, it will take more than two months for at least half of adults to get a Covid-19 booster, according to a CNN analysis of CDC data.
        Biden said Thursday that vaccinations and boosters are essential to keeping businesses and holiday gatherings safe.
        "For the unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death," he said. "But there's good news if you're vaccinated and you have your booster shot, you're protected from severe illness and death."
        Vaccines still the best way to fight Covid-19, officials say
        Even with the
        potential spread of the Omicron variant, former Obama White House health policy adviser Dr. Zeke Emanuel said the US has tools to fight Covid-19, unlike during its onset.
        "In March 2020, we didn't understand a lot about coronavirus. Second of all, we have vaccines now. We have the ability to change those vaccines. We're getting oral therapeutics. We have much better tests and test availability. None of that's perfect, but it's much better than it was in March 2020," Emanuel told CNN's Michael Smerconish on Thursday.
        Continued research into
        additional drugs to fight coronavirus is ongoing.
        Merck's Covid-19 antiviral, molnupiravir, lowers the risk of hospitalization or death in high-risk unvaccinated adults by 30%, according to a statement issued after publication of its
        clinical trial data in the New England Journal of Medicine.
        Among people who got the treatment, the risk of hospitalization and death was 6.8%, compared with 9.7% among people who got a placebo, the study said. There was one death in the treatment group, compared with nine deaths in the placebo group.
        While successes are being found in some treatments pre- and post-infection, the rates of severe disease and death for those vaccinated continue to prove much lower even with
        data showing vaccines' reduced effectiveness against certain variants.
        "Given the increased risk related to the Delta and Omicron variant, it is important to increase uptake of primary vaccination and booster doses in all eligible populations," said Heather Scobie, a member of the CDC's Enhanced Surveillance Epidemiology Task Force Covid-19 Emergency Response.
        People can travel safely with precautions, Fauci says
        Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he is certain Omicron will become the dominant variant relatively soon.
        "It has what we call a doubling time of about three days. And if you do the math on that, if you have just a couple of percentage of the isolates being Omicron, very soon it's going to be the dominant variant," he told ABC's "Good Morning America."
        Yet as long as people get vaccinated and utilize precautions such as mask-wearing, Fauci said, lockdowns seen last year may not be needed and
        traveling for a Christmas with other vaccinated people can be done safely.
        "If you are vaccinated, and particularly if you are boosted, you're going to have to wear a mask on the plane anyway. That's a regulation. But be prudent and careful. When you go to the airport, particularly, that's an indoor congregate setting," Fauci told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
        "I believe that if people follow the recommendations of the CDC about indoor masking, take the advice of getting vaccinated and getting boosted, we should be fine for the holidays, and we should enjoy it with our family and our friends."
        New Orleans to require vaccinations for children 5 to 11
        Beginning on January 3, children ages 5 to 11 will be required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test before entering bars, restaurants and other businesses, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced in a press conference Thursday.
        "Children ages 5-11 will be required to show proof of at least one vaccine dose. Beginning in February, the requirements will expand to two doses," she said.
        The mandate will also be extended to children in New Orleans public schools starting Feb. 1.
        Friday, Walensky said new evidence shows that "test-to-stay," which involves testing -- instead of quarantining -- students who may have been exposed to the virus at school, works to keep children in school safely, even if they have been exposed to the coronavirus.
        "Test-to-stay is an encouraging public health practice to keep our children in school," Walensky said during a virtual White House briefing.
        In the past few months, the CDC has collaborated with certain school districts to evaluate test-to-stay programs. Two of the communities that collaborated with the CDC are Lake County, Illinois, and Los Angeles County, California.
        CNN's Jen Christensen, Maggie Fox, Deidre McPhillips, Jacqueline Howard, Naomi Thomas, Virginia Langmaid, Allie Malloy, John Bonifield, Katherine Dillinger, Amy Simonson and Kay Jones contributed to this report.
      VIDEO - Ep 82 Osterholm Update COVID 19: A Viral Blizzard - YouTube
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      VIDEO - Fauci pushes for universal coronavirus vaccine
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        Fri, 17 Dec 2021 14:04
        The scientific quest for a universal coronavirus vaccine received a boost Wednesday, as three top federal researchers, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, outlined a path to develop new vaccines that could tackle a variety of ailments including Covid-19, some common colds and future viruses.
        Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Fauci and two colleagues said the virus that causes Covid-19 is unlikely to be eliminated, and current vaccines are too limited to prevent the emergence of new variants. Other coronaviruses are also likely to spill over from animals to become future pandemic threats, they wrote.
        To overcome these problems, the authors argue the research world should ''fully commit'' to developing a ''second-generation'' of coronavirus vaccines that would provide broad protection across the genetic spectrum of coronaviruses. They suggest forming an international effort to collect animal coronavirus samples worldwide and developing ethical challenge trials for coronaviruses, among other measures.
        During the past two decades, the world has seen four deadly coronavirus outbreaks, including two bouts with SARS in the early 2000s, the emergence of MERS in 2012 and now Covid-19, which has killed more than 800,000 Americans.
        The commentary offers no quick fix for the pandemic. But Fauci's endorsement of the universal vaccine approach could serve as a clarion call and blueprint for scientists.
        ''It's good as a roadmap,'' Pablo Penaloza-MacMaster, a viral immunologist and assistant professor at Northwestern University, said of the paper. ''It creates some scientific clarity: What are the specific hurdles for developing universal vaccines?''
        Researchers have been chasing so-called universal vaccines for years. Scientists have been testing universal vaccines against influenza for more than a decade, with the goal of providing long-lasting protection that wouldn't require a yearly flu shot. The first human clinical trial for a universal influenza vaccine began in 2019; a vaccine has yet to reach the market.
        The new paper isn't the first instance in which Fauci has mentioned the importance of a universal vaccine for coronaviruses. But the emergence of highly mutated variants like omicron, which could compromise the level of protection offered by available vaccines, has made the chase for a long-term solution more urgent.
        The National Institutes of Health in September announced that it had invested more than $36 million in university efforts toward vaccines that could neutralize many coronaviruses.
        ''We are certainly making it a high priority,'' Fauci told The Washington Post this month. ''There are fundamental scientific challenges before you can actually make a full-court press on this. It isn't as if you have a clear pathway into a product and all you have to do is dump more resources into it.''
        To develop a universal vaccine, Fauci, Dr. David Morens and Dr. Jeffery Taubenberger, suggest creating a collaborative international effort to collect samples from animals like bats, palm civets and raccoon dogs, which are frequent hosts, or reservoirs, of coronaviruses that could jump to people.
        Sequencing the genomes of such viruses could help researchers identify new threats and discover commonalities between coronaviruses that a new vaccine could then target.
        The authors -- who are all high-ranking doctors at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) -- also suggest more research into other coronaviruses suspected of causing pandemics long ago, before they became permanent fixtures that cause common colds.
        Scientists should also find cellular targets common to many coronaviruses that vaccines could help attack, identify vaccine candidates that spur long-term immune responses and figure out how best to test in animals, the paper says.
        Testing universal vaccines in human challenge studies will be important, too, the authors argue. That type of research could accelerate vaccine development, but it's ethically complicated because it involves intentionally infecting people to test a vaccine.
        While many scientists view human challenge studies for Covid-19 as unethical because it is so severe, it might be possible to design responsible studies for viruses that cause colds or another proxy. Researchers have conducted challenge studies in influenza trials.
        Developing a universal coronavirus vaccine ''seems to be feasible,'' said Penaloza-MacMaster. His own research has indicated that existing vaccines could protect mice against coronaviruses that weren't the original target.
        But achieving a universal coronavirus vaccine could take years, Penaloza-MacMaster said. It could also require more than one vaccine to cover different families of coronavirus, he said, because the mice received more protection against viruses that were more genetically similar.
        The paper's proposal is ambitious.
        Collecting viral samples from bat caves, animal markets and people who interact with these creatures ''requires a lot of work'' and needs strong biosafety precautions to ensure the virus can't accidentally jump to humans.
        ''You have people going into the caves where bats are. You don't want spillovers,'' Penaloza-MacMaster said.
        At least a half-dozen research groups are already evaluating universal vaccine candidates and searching for the best parts of coronaviruses to target, he said.
        The current coronavirus vaccines made by Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson take aim at the spike protein, which Penaloza-MacMaster calls the ''Achille's heel'' of the virus, though it's also a part that's likely to mutate and evolve.
        Penaloza-MacMaster's lab is working on a vaccine that targets proteins ''at the guts of the virus,'' he said, while other labs are evaluating a nanoparticle vaccine, which features multiple spike proteins from different viruses.
        ''It's kind of like throwing the kitchen sink'' for the immune system to recognize, Penaloza-MacMaster said.
        He added that he hopes Fauci's endorsement of a universal vaccine pushes the effort forward and spurs more government support.
        ''In the face of an imminent pandemic, it's good to have eggs in different baskets. Not every approach will work out,'' he said.
      VIDEO - Woke Teacher Tells Class She's Lesbian - YouTube
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      VIDEO - Turkish central bank cuts rates, sending lira to record low
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        Fri, 17 Dec 2021 05:30
        Published Thu, Dec 16 2021 6:06 AM ESTUpdated Thu, Dec 16 2021 10:18 AM EST
        Inflation in the country of 84 million is now at more than 21% and has climbed steadily as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has refused to raise rates, meaning purchasing power for Turks earning local salaries has plunged. The lira has lost 50% of its value against the dollar year to date.Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses the media after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Turkey, December 8, 2021.
        Murat Cetinmuhurdar | Reuters
        Turkey's central bank voted on Thursday to cut the country's key interest rate, the one-week repo rate, to 14% from 15%, sending the lira to a new record low of 15.5 to the dollar immediately following the news.
        The currency had already breached 15 to the dollar in the hours before the decision as markets anticipated a rate cut. The lira was trading at around 15.51 to the dollar just after 2 p.m. in Istanbul.
        Inflation in the country of 84 million is now at more than 21% and has climbed steadily as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has refused to raise rates, meaning purchasing power for Turks earning local salaries has plunged. The lira has lost 50% of its value against the dollar year to date.
        Investors and economists have been desperately calling for Erdogan to reverse course, but he's so far stuck to his unusual conviction that higher rates worsen inflation, rather than cooling it, as is the widely accepted economic principle.
        The bank's statement alongside its decision suggested it would pause the monetary easing cycle early next year and monitor its effects in the coming three months.
        But even so, says Jason Tuvey, senior emerging markets economist at Capital Economics, "the lira will remain under pressure and capital controls are likely."
        "Today's move provides further evidence, if any were needed, that macro developments are playing little role in the CBRT's policy formulation," Tuvey wrote in a note Thursday, noting that the lira has tanked 36% against the dollar since the start of November alone. Inflation is expected to jump to as high as 30% in the coming months.
        "But President Erdogan has continued to dictate to the heavily-purged CBRT to test out his unorthodox view that lower interest rates are needed to bring inflation down," Tuvey said.
        The decision follows a long series of rate cuts from the central bank, which is seen by markets as not independent from Erdogan, who has called interest rates "the mother of all evil." He has fired several central bank officials, including three central bank governors in the last two years, over policy differences. Interest rates have now come down by a total of 500 basis points since September.
        Turkey's central bank previously announced it was intervening directly in the foreign exchange market on Monday, selling dollars to prop up the lira. But given its already low FX reserves, analysts doubt the strategy will be effective.
        Analysts are calling the current lira rout the second currency crisis for Turkey in three years. In the first half of 2018, investors were already sounding the alarm at the central bank's lack of independence from Erdogan as the lira breached what was, at the time, a record low of 4 and then 5 lira to the dollar. To imagine the currency falling through 15 to the dollar was at the time unfathomable.
        And the speed of the drop has been almost exponential; the drop from 3 lira to the dollar to 4 took two years beginning in 2016, while the currency plummeted from 10 to 15 to the dollar in about six weeks beginning in November.Arda Tunca, an economist and columnist at Turkish news site PolitikYol, told CNBC that while currency depreciation can help increase export volumes, FX volatility can hurt businesses far more.
        "Under the industrial structure of Turkey, high FX volatility causes businesses to lose control over their costs. If costs are not controlled, the reaction from businesses is to stop manufacturing and quoting prices on the sale side," Tunca said. "In other words, pricing mechanism becomes frozen, a fact which has a great potential of causing [a] sudden stop at both the microeconomic and macroeconomic level."
        As far as the lira's future is concerned, Tunca says Turkey created the crisis itself: "Under current conditions, it is impossible to guess at which level the currency depreciation is going to end. As long as the government's trial continues, the sky is the limit for the Turkish lira."'--CNBC's Seref Isler contributed to this report.
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      VIDEO - Lagarde speaking after the ECB's latest rate decision
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        European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is giving a press conference after the bank's latest monetary policy decision.
        The ECB further cut its bond purchases on Thursday but vowed to continue its unprecedented monetary policy support for the euro zone economy into 2022.
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      ABC News Live Prime - anchor Deirdre Bolton - Dr Alok Patel some PCR test dont detect the variant.mp3
      ABC GMA - anchor Victor Oquendo - 3-5 million test a day by Jan-Feb.mp3