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July 22, 2022

Major Update on Biden’s Health

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY…
1306: King Phillip the Fair, orders expulsion of Jews out of France.

President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday morning, the White House announced.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden is taking Paxlovid and experiencing “very mild symptoms.” He “will isolate at the White House while continuing to carry out all of his duties fully,” Jean-Pierre said.

Biden, 79, provided an update on his status in a video message posted to Twitter.

“Hey folks, I guess you heard, this morning I tested positive for COVID,” Biden said. “But I’ve been double vaccinated, double boosted. Symptoms are mild. And I really appreciate your inquiries and concerns. But I’m doing well, getting a lot of work done. Going to continue to get it done. And in the meantime, thanks for your concern. And keep the faith. It’s going to be okay.”

The announcement comes a day after the White House shut down speculation that Biden had revealed a new cancer diagnosis during a speech.

“That’s why I, and so damn many other people I grew up with, have cancer,” Biden said during a speech in Massachusetts. “For the longest time, Delaware had the highest cancer rate in the nation, but that’s the past.”

When asked for clarification, White House officials pointed media outlets to a tweet from Washington Post columnist Glenn Kessler.

“Check out Biden’s medical report. Before he became president, he’d had non-melanoma skin cancers removed,” Kessler said.

“It is well-established that President Biden did spend a good deal of time in the sun in his youth. He has had several localized, non-melanoma skin cancers removed with Mohs surgery before he started his presidency,” the medical report read. “There are no areas suspicious for skin cancers at this time.”

By T. Thompson
July 21, 2022

NBA Champion Regrets Getting COVID-19 Vaccine

Andrew Wiggins, the Golden State Warriors forward who was an All-star nominee for the 2021-2022 season, said he regrets getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I still wish I didn’t get [vaccinated], to be honest with you,” Wiggins told FanSided’s Mark Carman. “But you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”

“I did it, and I was an All-Star this year and champion, so that was the good part, just not missing out on the year, the best year of my career,” he said.

“But for my body, I just don’t like putting all that stuff in my body, so I didn’t like that and I didn’t like that it wasn’t my choice. I didn’t like that it was either get this or don’t play,” Wiggins added.

Wiggins initially resisted the NBA’s vaccine mandate and filed for a religious exemption. He ultimately got the vaccine after his exemption request was denied.

Despite his mixed feelings, Wiggins told Fox News Digital that he loves the Golden State organization.

“Steve [Kerr] is a great coach. A player’s coach,” Wiggins said. “He’s going to put everyone in a position to do well. He gives all his players confidence, and when you’re on the court, he lets you play your game. Whatever your game is, he lets you play it.”

“He keeps his team motivated. He keeps his team going, and he holds everyone accountable,” he said. “I love Golden State. I love the organization. They treat me and my family so well. I love it.”

By T. Thompson
July 20, 2022

Health Experts Quit Over “Bad Science”

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are facing staffing shortages due to “bad science.”

“It’s like a horror movie I’m being forced to watch and I can’t close my eyes,” an unnamed senior FDA official told Common Sense. “People are getting bad advice and we can’t say anything.”

An unnamed NIH scientist told the outlet: “They have no leadership right now. Suddenly, there’s an enormous number of jobs opening up at the highest level positions.”

The publication noted that the people they spoke with agreed to be quoted anonymously, for fear of professional repercussions.

“I used to be proud to tell people I work at the CDC. Now I’m embarrassed,” a scientist at the CDC said.

What’s causing the embarrassment? According to Dr. Marty Makary, a top public-health expert at Johns Hopkins University, “In short, bad science.”

Makary continued:

“The longer answer: that the heads of their agencies are using weak or flawed data to make critically important public health decisions. That such decisions are being driven by what’s politically palatable to people in Washington or to the Biden administration. And that they have a myopic focus on one virus instead of overall health.”

Last month, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC director, said that everyone six months or older should receive the mRNA covid vaccines.

But some health experts are alarmed by the recommendation.

“The public has no idea how bad this data really is. It would not pass muster for any other authorization,” a high-level FDA official said.

Makary said the data submitted by Pfizer and Moderna to receive emergency approval for their COVID-19 vaccines was lacking. Pfizer’s trial included under 1,000 children and didn’t show any efficacy against infection, he said. Moderna’s trial included roughly 6,000 children and reported a 4% reduction in infection.

“It seems criminal that we put out the recommendation to give mRNA covid vaccines to babies without good data. We really don’t know what the risks are yet. So why push it so hard?” a CDC physician said.

“A more honest announcement would have been: ‘We approved the vax for babies & toddlers based on very little data. While we believe its safe in this population, the study sample size was too low to make a [conclusion] about safety. Note that studies were done in kids without natural immunity,” Makary told DailyMail.com.

By T. Thompson
July 2, 2022

US Government Makes $3.2B Deal with Pfizer

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY…
1776: Continental Congress resolves, “these United Colonies are and of right ought to be Free and Independent States.”

Pfizer Inc. and its partner BioNTech SE announced a new $3.2 billion deal with the U.S. government for 105 million doses of its updated COVID-19 vaccine.

The companies will receive $3.2 billion from the U.S. government “upon receipt of the first 105 million doses,” Pfizer said in a press release. The Biden administration also has the option to purchase up to 195 million additional doses — a total of 300 million doses.

“Vaccines have been and will remain critical to protecting people of all ages against COVID-19,” Pfizer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said in a statement. “We remain proud of our long-term partnership with the U.S. government in helping to address this pandemic, and of the ongoing impact of vaccination efforts in the U.S. and around the world.”

Under the new lucrative deal, the average price per dose is more than $30 — a roughly 65% increase from the $19.50 per dose price the U.S. government paid Pfizer in its initial contract.

According to Reuters, Pfizer has forecast COVID-19 vaccine sales of $32 billion this year, and the new contract should boost that number.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows that the U.S. government has distributed roughly 450 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine since December 2020.

By T. Thompson
April 9, 2022

White House COVID Outbreak: Is Biden at Risk?

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY…
1865: Confederate General Robert E. Lee and 26,765 troops surrender at Appomattox Court House to US Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant ending the Civil War in North Virginia.

The White House has waved off concerns that President Joe Biden is at risk of contracting the coronavirus after being in close-contact with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) the day before she tested positive for the virus.

“The way a close contact is defined, it’s not arbitrary, it’s not something made up by the White House, it’s CDC guidelines, and how they define it is being within six feet for a cumulative total of 15 minutes over a 24-hour period. They were not. All of their interactions were publicly available, I think you saw them, and that’s how that assessment is made,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Images taken at Wednesday’s White House event show Biden kissing Pelosi on the cheek. A reporter asked Psaki how that interaction would not qualify as close contact, and she reiterated the CDC’s 15 minute guideline.

“The way that it is defined is by the … CDC and their definition of it is 15 minutes of contact within a set period of time within six feet. It did not meet that bar,” Psaki said. “It does not mean that no one will get COVID around the world who have a close contact, it just means we are defining for all of you whether the president and their interaction met the definition of the CDC of a close contact.”

The White House did eventually acknowledge that Biden could contract COVID-19, but stressed his vaccinated status.

“We take every precaution to ensure that we keep him safe, we keep the vice president safe, the first lady, the second gentleman, our staff here. But it is certainly possible that he will test positive for COVID, and he is vaccinated, he is boosted and protected from the most severe strains of the virus,” White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said on Friday.

Source:

White House dismisses COVID-19 risk for Biden

By T. Thompson
April 7, 2022

White House Extends COVID-era Measure

The White House has once again extended the pause on federal student loan payments until August 31.

“To enable Americans to continue to get back on their feet after two of the hardest years this nation has ever faced, my Administration is extending the pause on federal student loan repayments through August 31st, 2022. That additional time will assist borrowers in achieving greater financial security and support the Department of Education’s efforts to continue improving student loan programs,” President Joe Biden said.

The pause was set to expire on May 1, but Biden faced mounting pressure from congressional Democrats as the date loomed.

The measure was first put into place by former President Donald Trump in March 2020, pausing payments and the accrual of interest on federal student loans.

According to the Department of Education, the student loan moratorium has cost the federal government more than $100 billion.

Some Republican lawmakers have criticized Biden’s decision to extend the pause.

“President Biden’s perpetual student loan payment moratorium is an insult to every American who responsibly paid debts,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said. “There’s no free lunch: this reckless move puts taxpayers on the hook for billions.”

Source:

White House to extend student loan moratorium once again

By T. Thompson
March 15, 2022

Pfizer: Fourth Booster Shot ‘Necessary’

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that a fourth COVID-19 shot is “necessary.”

“Right now, the way that we have seen, it is necessary, a fourth booster right now. The protection that you are getting from the third, it is good enough, actually quite good for hospitalizations and deaths,” Bourla said during an appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation.

“It’s not that good against infections but doesn’t last very long. But we are just submitting those data to the FDA [Food and Drug Administration], and then we will see what the experts also will say outside Pfizer.”

Bourla said Pfizer aims to create a vaccine effective against all variants of COVID-19 for longer periods of time.

“We are working very diligently right now … to make not only a vaccine that will protect against all variants, including omicron, but also something that can protect for at least a year,” he said. “And if we be able to achieve that, then I think it is very easy to follow and remember so that we can go back to really the way used to live.”

On Saturday, Bourla told CNBC that his company plans to submit data for a fourth COVID-19 dose.

“It’s clear that there is a need in an environment of omicron to boost the immune response,” he said during an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box.

Source:

Pfizer planning to submit data on 4th Covid shot soon, while working on vaccine for all variants

By T. Thompson
March 8, 2022

Florida Recommends Against COVID Shots for Healthy Kids

Florida’s Department of Health is recommending against COVID-19 vaccinations for “healthy children,” officially contradicting the official guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

State surgeon general Joseph Ladapo said Florida “is going to be the first state to officially recommend against the COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children.”

Ladapo’s comments came at the end of a roundtable discussion on the coronavirus response. He did not provide details on what qualifications would determine a healthy child.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was sitting next to Ladapo, added that there has been “a failure to weigh costs and benefits, whether that’s lockdowns, whether that’s school closures, or whether that’s even something about whether a healthy seven-year-old kid should get the COVID vaccines.”

The CDC recommends the coronavirus vaccine for everyone aged 5 and older.

Later, during a press briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked if the Biden administration considers Florida’s move sound policy.

“Absolutely not,” Psaki replied.

“Let me just note that we know the science. We know the data and what works and what the most effective steps are in protecting people of a range of ages from hospitalization and even death. The FDA and CDC have already weighed in on the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines for those 5 and older,” she said.

Source:

Florida to advise against COVID-19 vaccine for healthy kids, contradicting CDC

By T. Thompson
March 7, 2022

NFL Suspends All COVID Protocols

The National Football League (NFL) and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) have suspended all COVID-19 protocols.

The NFL will no longer conduct mandatory surveillance testing of any players or staff. Masks are also no longer required around the team facility, regardless of vaccination status. The move marks a drastic change from when fully vaccinated individuals were required to test weekly and unvaccinated individuals daily.

Both organizations cited “encouraging trends regarding the prevalence and severity of Covid-19” and evolving guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We will continue to prioritize the health and safety of the players, coaches and staff, as we have throughout the pandemic,” the NFL said.

“Should there be a reason to reimpose aspects of the Protocols or to take other measures, we will work closely with clubs, the NFLPA and our respective experts, and local, state and federal public health officials to continue to safeguard the health of the NFL community.”

The league added that teams must remain “in compliance with state and local law and are free to continue reasonable measures to protect their staff and players.”

Source:

The NFL and the NFL Players Association have agreed to suspend all Covid-19 protocols

By T. Thompson
March 6, 2022

COVID Cases Continue to Fall

The U.S.’s COVID case rates continued a sharp drop over the last two weeks with the seven-day rolling average falling to roughly 59,000 cases a day.

The nationwide average is roughly 18 cases per 100,000 people over two weeks.

The lowest case rates were seen in Nebraska with six cases per 100,000 people, followed by Delaware and Maryland.

Meanwhile, Montana and Alaska had the highest rates at 49 cases per 100,000 people and 47 cases per 100,000, respectively. 

Given the significant drop in cases in recent weeks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has loosened its mask guidance.

The Biden administration has also announced taking steps to promote a return to some semblance of pre-COVID normal.

COVID deaths nationwide dropped 18% from a seven-day rolling average of more than 2,300 per day, but they still average roughly 1,900 daily.

Source:

COVID cases continue steep decline in U.S.

By T. Thompson
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