January 1, ‘Unexplained Illness’ Pauses Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine

This Day in History | 1999

The Colorado grand jury investigating the case of child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey, who was murdered in December 1996 is dismissed and the Boulder County district attorney announces no indictments will be made due to insufficient evidence.

Good morning Middle Americans, 

Researchers at Johnson and Johnson point to an unexplained illness in one of the volunteers, as the reason why they are pausing their trials for their COVID-19 vaccine. The news is the latest in a string of setbacks for drug makers working on a permanent solution, also known as a cure for the disease. And it’s easy to see why hope might  be fading for a vaccine when you look at the president’s quick recovery after his COVID diagnosis.  He claims the drugs he took were a “cure”. Doctors still consider them “therapeutics”. But consider this – when you have the president of the United States on stage at a rally saying he wants to walk through the crowd kissing everyone, man and woman alike,  while also saying he feels “powerful” – well, you might understand why people feel less vulnerable to the coronavirus than they did a few months ago. 

Meanwhile, Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett will face senators’ questions over her approach to health care, legal precedent and even the presidential election during a second day of confirmation hearings on track to lock in a conservative court majority for years to come, according to the Associated Press. This while Politico reports that  – conservative groups that would normally pour their attention and money into GOP races this fall are focused squarely on one seat, inside the Supreme Court. If conservative groups are putting their money behind the candidates, Trump supporters seem to be picking up the slack. Team Biden might want to fire the advance man, who allowed a band of Trump supporters to get within ear shot of Biden’s campaign stop in PA yesterday. We continue to look at the polls vs. “voter enthusiasm” in crucial swing states like PA and FL. 

Read All About it.

-Fraser Dixon

Johnson & Johnson Pauses Covid-19 Vaccine Trial After ‘Unexplained Illness’

(CNN) – Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson said Monday it has paused the advanced clinical trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine because of an unexplained illness in one of the volunteers.

“Following our guidelines, the participant’s illness is being reviewed and evaluated by the ENSEMBLE independent Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) as well as our internal clinical and safety physicians,” the company said in a statement. ENSEMBLE is the name of the study.

(Bloomberg) – Johnson & Johnson halted clinical trials of its Covid-19 vaccine after a participant fell ill, the second time that a front-runner developer has paused testing in the race to create a viable immunization against the virus.

The participant’s illness is being evaluated, the New Brunswick, New Jersey-based company said late Monday, adding that it would share information after further investigation. J&J shares fell 2.4% in trading before U.S. exchanges opened. The vaccine is undergoing tests in as many as 60,000 volunteers from Peru to South Africa.

Trump: ‘Powerful’ on Campaign Trail After COVID Recovery

(Reuters) – President Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail on Monday for the first time since he announced his COVID-19 diagnosis, touting his management of the pandemic as opinion polls showed him losing more ground to Democratic rival Joe Biden.

(WESH) – After having to leave the campaign trail because of a diagnosis of COVID-19, President Donald Trump held a rally Monday evening in Sanford. 

Trump spoke at Orlando Sanford International Airport in front of a large crowd that drew supporters to the venue more than 24 hours before he was set to take the stage. The thousands of supporters stood shoulder-to-shoulder, many of them not wearing masks.

Barrett to Face Senators on Health Care, Legal Precedent

(AP) — Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett will face senators’ questions over her approach to health care, legal precedent and even the presidential election during a second day of confirmation hearings on track to lock in a conservative court majority for years to come.

(Politico) – Conservative groups that would normally pour their attention and money into GOP races this fall are focused squarely on one seat, inside the Supreme Court.

Trump Supporters Pour Out for Biden Event While Chanting, ‘Four More Years!’

(Washington Examiner) – Supporters of President Trump were recorded chanting, “Four more years,” while the Democratic presidential nominee held a campaign event in Toledo, Ohio.

“Dozens of Trump supporters were loudly chanting a mix of ‘Four more years,’ ‘Trump’ and ‘USA’ throughout the event, growing louder anytime @JoeBiden mentioned the president,” NBC News Marianna Sotomayor tweeted, accompanied by footage of the event.

Are You Better Off Than You Were For Years Ago?

Gallup: 54% Say Yes

Biden: ‘If You Think So, Don’t Vote for Me’

(WKRC) – During an interview with Cincinnati’s WKRC Local 12 on Monday, reporter Kyle Inskeep cited the Gallup poll and asked the Democratic nominee, “Why should people who feel that they’re better off today under a Trump administration vote for you?”