Month: April 2021

Categories
World News

European Union Guarantees Additional Covid-19 Vaccine Doses From Pfizer

European Union Promises Extra Covid-19 Vaccine Doses From Pfizer

The European Union will receive an additional 50 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech this month, accelerating its efforts to accelerate vaccination amid difficulties with vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

The announcement by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, is part of the European Union’s tough pivot for mRNA vaccines like Pfizer, which is basing its future coronavirus response on it.

The measures come a day after Johnson & Johnson suspended rollout of its vaccine in the European Union and the block continued to suffer from the restrictions of the AstraZeneca vaccine after reports of extremely rare but serious potential side effects from both.

The 27-nation bloc has also started negotiations with Pfizer for the delivery of 1.8 billion new doses of vaccine – including booster shots to extend immunity and new vaccines to combat emerging variants – in 2022 and 2023, Ms. von der Leyen said .

In another setback for AstraZeneca, Denmark became the first country to permanently stop administering the company’s vaccine on Wednesday. The potential side effects are significant enough to do so, given that the pandemic was under control and two other vaccines could be used. from Pfizer and Moderna.

The European Union has not canceled its existing orders for the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, but has signaled that they will no longer be placing.

The European Medicines Agency, the bloc’s top medicine agency, goes on to say that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine far outweigh the risks of a dangerous but extremely rare blood disorder for most people. On Wednesday, the agency said it was accelerating its investigation of “very rare cases of unusual blood clots” in recipients of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and is expected to issue a recommendation next week.

During the ongoing evaluation, the Agency reiterated its view that it will reap the benefits Vaccine also outweigh the risks.

The European Union’s move away from AstraZeneca follows troubled months as relations between the company and the bloc deteriorated due to late deliveries and unpredictable deliveries. And since then, concerns about possible side effects have heightened skepticism about vaccines, which was already dangerously high in Europe.

These problems have contributed to the fact that Europe has lagged seriously behind vaccination campaigns in the US and UK. The block hopes the new Pfizer broadcasts will help it catch up and meet its goal of fully vaccinating 70 percent of its adult population, roughly 255 million people, by the end of the summer.

Pfizer’s commitment to move ahead with deliveries of the 50 million cans originally planned for the end of the year means the company will deliver a total of 250 million cans to the block by the end of June.

“We now have to concentrate on technologies that have proven themselves: mRNA vaccines are a clear example of this,” said Ms. von der Leyen.

Monika Pronczuk contributed to the reporting.

Categories
Health

States Wrestle With Vaccine Pause as Federal Officers Reassure Public

States Struggle With Vaccine Pause as Federal Officials Reassure Public

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci sagte am Donnerstag, er hoffe, dass die Nation bald wieder in der Lage sein werde, den Johnson & Johnson-Impfstoff zu verwenden, als eine „Pause“, die nun auf unbestimmte Zeit droht, die Impfbemühungen in Übersee und in einigen der am stärksten ausgegrenzten Länder anzukurbeln Gemeinden in den Vereinigten Staaten.

Dr. Fauci, Präsident Bidens oberster medizinischer Berater für die Pandemie, äußerte sich während einer Anhörung des House Select-Unterausschusses zur Coronavirus-Krise, in der er und andere hochrangige Gesundheitsbehörden des Bundes die Amerikaner anflehten, sich weiterhin impfen zu lassen, und versuchten, die Nation zu beruhigen dass alle drei staatlich zugelassenen Impfstoffe sicher sind.

“Hoffentlich werden wir bald eine Entscheidung treffen, ob wir mit diesem sehr wirksamen Impfstoff wieder auf Kurs kommen können oder nicht”, sagte Dr. Fauci dem Gremium. Angesichts der zunehmenden Fälle im Mittleren Westen, fügte er hinzu, befindet sich die Nation in einer „prekären Situation“, und es ist unbedingt erforderlich, „so viele Menschen so schnell und so schnell wie möglich zu impfen“.

Es wurde jedoch zunehmend klarer, dass eine Suspendierung, die ursprünglich zwei bis drei Tage dauern sollte, erheblich länger dauern würde, da die Beamten mit Berichten über mindestens sechs seltene Fälle von Blutgerinnung bei Frauen rangen, die mit dem Schuss von Johnson & Johnson immunisiert worden waren. Die Gesundheitsbehörden des Bundes versuchen zu entscheiden, ob sie den Ärzten empfehlen sollen, den Impfstoff wieder aufzunehmen, möglicherweise mit neuen Einschränkungen.

Der Impfstoff war kein wesentlicher Bestandteil der Impfkampagne der Biden-Regierung. Ungefähr 7,7 Millionen Amerikaner haben den Schuss von Johnson & Johnson erhalten, was weniger als 4 Prozent der mehr als 198 Millionen Dosen entspricht, die im ganzen Land verabreicht werden.

Obwohl diese Zahlen gering sind, sind viele der Menschen, gegen die der Impfstoff gerichtet ist, gefährdet: Obdachlose in Baltimore, Bewohner des District of Columbia, Arme und Nichtversicherte in Massachusetts, Landbewohner in einer Reihe von Bundesstaaten. Alle Populationen sind mit einer Einzeldosis leichter zu erreichen als das Zwei-Dosis-Regime der Impfstoffe Pfizer und Moderna.

Etwa 10 Millionen Dosen, die in die Staaten verschifft werden, stehen jetzt in den Regalen und warten auf eine Entscheidung. Und viele Menschen, die möglicherweise keinen Schuss suchen, aber mit mobilen Kliniken und einer konzertierten Kontaktaufnahme hätten erreicht werden können, könnten zumindest vorerst zurückgelassen werden.

„Alle unsere Impfstoffe, Anbieter im ganzen Bundesstaat und unser Team im Gesundheitsministerium von Minnesota arbeiten intensiv daran, die Dinge zu planen und zu verschieben. Es handelt sich offensichtlich um eine Reihe von Dominosteinen “, sagte Jan Malcolm, Minnesotas Gesundheitskommissar. “Wir bedauern sehr die Kliniken, die wegen der Pause bei J & J kurzfristig abgesagt werden mussten, und das wird auch in den kommenden Wochen ein Problem sein.”

Der Pressesprecher des Weißen Hauses, Jen Psaki, kalibrierte erneut das Versprechen von Präsident Biden, bis Ende Mai genügend Impfstoffe für alle amerikanischen Erwachsenen zu beschaffen. Jetzt betont das Weiße Haus, dass alle Erwachsenen, die einen Impfstoff wollen, einen bekommen werden.

“Das bedeutet, dass bis Ende Mai für etwa 80 Prozent der Bevölkerung, bis Ende Juli etwa 90 Prozent der Bevölkerung”, sagte Frau Psaki gegenüber Reportern.

In Lexington, Kentucky, wurde eine Johnson & Johnson-Klinik für Freitag abgesagt, sodass rund 400 Personen ohne Termin waren. Allen wurde eine Last-Minute-Option angeboten, um einen Moderna-Impfstoff zu erhalten, aber nur etwa 65 nahmen das Angebot an, sagte Kevin Hall, ein Sprecher des Gesundheitsministeriums von Lexington-Fayette County.

“Dies war ein großer Erfolg für unsere Planung”, sagte Hall, dessen Agentur den Johnson & Johnson-Impfstoff bereits für Insassen und Obdachlose verwendet hatte und geplant hatte, in den kommenden Wochen Nachbarschaftskliniken anzubieten. “Die Logistik für den Abzug einer Klinik für die erste und zweite Dosis wird sehr viel schwieriger.”

Dr. Letitia Dzirasa, die Gesundheitskommissarin in Baltimore, sagte, die Stadt habe bisher nur etwa 1.400 Dosen des Johnson & Johnson-Impfstoffs erhalten, aber viele seien auf obdachlose Bewohner ausgerichtet. Die Stadt muss möglicherweise ihre Pläne für Pop-up-Kliniken im Freien überdenken und sich bemühen, die Bewohner des Heimatlandes diesen Sommer mit dem Impfstoff mit einer Dosis zu erreichen, sagte sie.

“Wir dachten, J & J wäre der ideale Kandidat, um diese Arbeit zu unterstützen”, sagte sie.

In Washington, DC, verzögern Beamte ein Programm, um mit Johnson & Johnson-Schüssen heimatgebundene Bewohner zu erreichen. Die Stadt hat diese Woche Termine für etwa 1.200 Personen abgesagt, aber inzwischen sollten alle eine Einladung zu einem neuen Termin für einen der beiden anderen von der Bundesregierung zugelassenen Impfstoffe erhalten haben, die von Pfizer-BioNTech und Moderna entwickelt wurden.

Andere staatliche und lokale Gesundheitsbehörden sagten, sie würden mit diesen beiden Impfstoffen auskommen. In der Region Flint, Michigan, die einige der höchsten Fallraten des Landes in jüngster Zeit aufweist, gaben Beamte an, dass sie alle geplanten Kliniken auch ohne den Impfstoff von Johnson & Johnson abdecken konnten.

“Bisher war es reibungslos”, sagte Dr. Pamela Hackert, die medizinische Gesundheitsbeauftragte des Gesundheitsministeriums von Genesee County, in einer E-Mail.

Aktualisiert

15. April 2021, 16:49 Uhr ET

Am Des Moines Area Community College in Iowa konnten Administratoren diesen Monat drei Kliniken auf dem Campus einrichten, in denen die Studenten einen Impfstoff mit zwei Dosen erhalten können. Rob Denson, der College-Präsident, sagte, er sei erfreut und überrascht über seine Fähigkeit, diese zukünftigen Kliniken so schnell zu organisieren.

“Ich denke, wir werden in relativ kurzer Zeit mit Impfstoffen überflutet sein”, sagte er.

Eine längere Unterbrechung der Verfügbarkeit von Johnson & Johnson wird sich jedoch allmählich verschlechtern, insbesondere in ärmeren Staaten mit schwer erreichbaren Bevölkerungsgruppen. Eine Sprecherin von Dr. José Romero, dem Gesundheitsminister in Arkansas, sagte: „Die Pause sollte ausreichend lang sein, um Sicherheitsfragen zu beantworten, aber nicht länger als nötig verlängert werden.

“Seine Sorge ist, dass eine überlange Pause das Zögern erhöht und das Vertrauen verringert”, sagte die Sprecherin Danyelle McNeill. Dr. Romero leitet das Beratungsgremium zu den Zentren für die Kontrolle und Prävention von Krankheiten, die letztendlich empfehlen werden, wie mit dem Johnson & Johnson-Impfstoff verfahren werden soll.

Die Suspendierung in den Vereinigten Staaten kann tiefgreifendere Konsequenzen in Übersee haben, wo bisher nur ein Bruchteil der übrigen Welt geimpft wurde. Dr. Luciana Borio, eine ehemalige amtierende Chefwissenschaftlerin der Food and Drug Administration, die auch im Nationalen Sicherheitsrat des Weißen Hauses von Trump tätig war, sagte, der Impfstoff von Johnson & Johnson sei ein entscheidendes Instrument, um die Ausbreitung des Virus auf der ganzen Welt zu stoppen .

“Es ist ein Impfstoff, der schnell in sehr großem Maßstab hergestellt werden kann und viel einfachere Verteilungsverfahren hat”, sagte sie. “Die Welt braucht mehr Unternehmen wie J & J, die ihren Impfstoff liefern.”

Die Beamten zählten sowohl auf Johnson & Johnson als auch auf einen anderen leicht zu verteilenden Impfstoff von AstraZeneca, um Impfungen in schwer zugängliche Teile der Welt zu bringen. Jüngste Berichte über seltene Blutgerinnsel bei Empfängern des AstraZeneca-Impfstoffs haben jedoch eine Reihe von Nationen dazu veranlasst, seine Verwendung zu überdenken.

Einige Regionen beschlossen, zu Johnson & Johnson zu wechseln. Vor zwei Wochen hat die Afrikanische Union 400 Millionen Dosen erhalten, obwohl sich wohlhabendere Nationen gescheut haben. Die Europäische Union sagte, sie werde nicht mehr von Johnson & Johnson kaufen, und Australien kündigte an, keine Dosen zu kaufen.

In den Vereinigten Staaten schlugen Mitglieder des CDC-Beratungsgremiums am Mittwoch vor, dass es eine Woche bis 10 Tage dauern würde, bis sie über genügend Informationen verfügen, um die Risiken des Impfstoffs zu bewerten und eine Entscheidung über seine Zukunft in den Vereinigten Staaten zu treffen. Dr. Fauci und zwei weitere Beamte – Dr. Rochelle Walensky, der CDC-Direktor, und Dr. David Kessler, der die Impfbemühungen der Biden-Regierung leitet – forderten die Amerikaner auf, sich weiterhin impfen zu lassen.

“Ich hoffe, wir können alle zusammenkommen und diese Botschaft senden”, sagte Dr. Kessler, insbesondere angesichts der Verbreitung besorgniserregender Varianten, und fügte hinzu, dass die drei vom Bund zugelassenen Impfstoffe “ein ausgezeichnetes Sicherheitsprofil” haben.

Was Sie über die Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Pause in den USA wissen müssen

    • Am 13. April 2021 forderten die US-Gesundheitsbehörden eine sofortige Unterbrechung der Verwendung des Einzeldosis-Impfstoffs Covid-19 von Johnson & Johnson, nachdem sechs Empfänger in den USA innerhalb von ein bis drei Wochen nach der Impfung eine seltene Erkrankung mit Blutgerinnseln entwickelt hatten.
    • Alle 50 Bundesstaaten, Washington, DC und Puerto Rico, haben die Verwendung des Impfstoffs vorübergehend eingestellt oder von empfohlenen Anbietern unterbrochen. Das US-Militär, staatlich geführte Impfstellen und eine Vielzahl privater Unternehmen, darunter CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart und Publix, pausierten die Injektionen ebenfalls.
    • Derzeit werden weniger als eine von einer Million Johnson & Johnson-Impfungen untersucht. Wenn tatsächlich ein Risiko für Blutgerinnsel durch den Impfstoff besteht – das noch ermittelt werden muss -, ist dieses Risiko äußerst gering. Das Risiko, in den USA an Covid-19 zu erkranken, ist weitaus höher.
    • Die Pause könnte die Impfbemühungen des Landes in einer Zeit erschweren, in der viele Staaten in neuen Fällen mit einem Anstieg konfrontiert sind und versuchen, das Zögern des Impfstoffs anzugehen.
    • Johnson & Johnson hat auch beschlossen, die Einführung seines Impfstoffs in Europa zu verzögern, da Bedenken hinsichtlich seltener Blutgerinnsel bestehen, was dem Impfschub in Europa einen weiteren Schlag versetzt. Südafrika, das von einer dort auftretenden ansteckenden Virusvariante am Boden zerstört wurde, stellte die Verwendung des Impfstoffs ebenfalls ein. Australien kündigte an, keine Dosen zu kaufen.

Die Berichte über Blutgerinnsel waren der zweite Schlag gegen den Johnson & Johnson-Impfstoff. Anfang dieses Monats hat eine Verwechslung von Inhaltsstoffen in einer Produktionsstätte in Baltimore, die Emergent BioSolutions gehört, bis zu 15 Millionen Dosen des Impfstoffs ruiniert. Die FDA inspiziert nun die Anlage, um festzustellen, ob dort hergestellte Dosen der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich gemacht werden können.

Während einer mehr als zweistündigen Anhörung fragte jedoch nur ein Gesetzgeber – der Vertreter Mark E. Green, Republikaner von Tennessee, der Arzt ist – nach dem Impfstoff von Johnson & Johnson. Er forderte die Ärzte auf, vorsichtig zu sein, wenn sie über die Ermittlungen sprachen, und sagte, er befürchte, dass sie Ängste schüren würden, die die Menschen davon abhalten würden, sich impfen zu lassen.

Und es gibt frühe Beweise dafür, dass die Besorgnis gut aufgenommen wird. Eine am Donnerstag vom Boston Children’s Hospital veröffentlichte Umfrage unter Survey Monkey ergab, dass die Bereitschaft, den Schuss von Johnson & Johnson zu erhalten, bei Amerikanern, die sich impfen lassen wollten, innerhalb von zwei Tagen um 26 Prozentpunkte zurückging. Laut der Umfrage, einem Projekt der Outbreaks Near Me-Initiative des Krankenhauses, einem Crowdsourcing-System zur Überwachung von Infektionskrankheiten, betrug der Rückgang bei Frauen, die sich impfen lassen wollten, 31 Prozentpunkte.

“Jedes Mal, wenn auf Bundesebene Bedenken oder rote Fahnen gehisst werden, wird dies die breite Öffentlichkeit beunruhigen”, sagte Dr. Dzirasa.

Die Sitzung am Donnerstag hatte den Untertitel „Ein wissenschaftlich fundierter Ansatz zur schnellen und sicheren Beendigung der Pandemie“. Aber was auch immer über Wissenschaft diskutiert wurde, wurde von parteipolitischer Haltung und Streit überschattet.

Demokraten machten sich Sorgen um den Fox News-Moderator Tucker Carlson, der seine Show genutzt hat, um fälschlicherweise zu behaupten, dass die Impfstoffe nicht funktionieren.

Die Republikaner, die gerade erst an der Südgrenze des Landes waren, nutzten die Sitzung, um den Umgang der Biden-Regierung mit der Einwanderungskrise anzugreifen. Sie winkten mit Fotos von Migranten, die unter beengten Verhältnissen lebten, und beschwerten sich über Testregeln für diejenigen, die in das Land einreisen.

Der Vertreter Jim Jordan, Republikaner von Ohio, und Dr. Fauci wiederholten ihren hitzigen Zusammenstoß, als Dr. Fauci das letzte Mal vor dem Panel im Juli aussagte.

“Sie schimpfen wieder”, sagte Dr. Fauci an einer Stelle.

“Ich schimpfe nicht”, antwortete Herr Jordan.

“Ja, das sind Sie”, beharrte Dr. Fauci.

Die Repräsentantin Maxine Waters, Demokratin von Kalifornien, deren Schwester an Covid-19 gestorben ist, sagte zu Dr. Fauci: „Ich liebe dich“ und sagte zu Herrn Jordan: „Halt den Mund.“

Noah Weiland, Rebecca Robbins und Sharon LaFraniere trugen zur Berichterstattung bei.

Categories
Business

CBS Information Names 2 Outsiders to Succeed Its President

CBS News Names 2 Outsiders to Succeed Its President

Two years ago, CBS selected the ultimate insider to lead its broadcast news division: Susan Zirinsky, whose tenure on the network spanned decades into the days of Walter Cronkite.

Now the network is turning to two outsiders – one from the world of newspaper and digital publishing – to restore the fate of a news company that has lagged its rivals at ABC and NBC.

CBS said Thursday that Neeraj Khemlani, a vice president of Hearst publishing house, and Wendy McMahon, a former ABC executive, would succeed Ms. Zirinsky. The two will serve as presidents and co-directors of CBS News, a division that is being expanded to include local broadcasters on the network.

In the gossip world of television news, no executive has been rumored to be a candidate for the top CBS role.

Mr. Khemlani worked for CBS News from 1998 to 2006 as a producer on “60 Minutes”. He moved to Yahoo’s news division before taking on a number of executive positions at Hearst in 2009.

Like CBS, Hearst is a giant of the last century’s media empires, and Khemlani’s tenure has included digital partnerships and other efforts to modernize the company. Ms. McMahon is more into the broadcast business. In her last role, she oversaw ABC local broadcasters and newsrooms.

In business today

Updated

April 15, 2021, 6:56 p.m. ET

“These are non-traditional decisions for non-traditional times,” said Andrew Heyward, President of CBS News from 1996 to 2005, in an interview.

Thursday’s announcement surprised many CBS News employees. George Cheeks, the executive director of CBS Entertainment Group who led the double appointment, made it clear in a memo on Thursday that he was aiming for some sort of transition.

“This is an opportunity to create a news and information structure that positions CBS for the future,” he wrote.

The two new executives contrast with Ms. Zirinsky, an experienced producer. As the first woman to run CBS News, she installed a new evening newscaster, Norah O’Donnell. the morning landlady Gayle King signed a new contract; and urged her team to chase shovels. Ratings haven’t shrunk too much during her tenure, but they haven’t grown too much either: CBS still ranks third on the morning and evening news.

Ms. Zirinsky is expected to take on a new production role in the network this year. Mr. Khemlani and Ms. McMahon are starting next month.

“I don’t think CBS News needs any help with journalism,” said Heyward, who is now a professor at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “CBS will benefit from new thinking on how to reinvent itself for a new generation of news consumers with new consumer habits.”

Mr. Cheeks, who rose to his role as head of the CBS entertainment group in March 2020, marks the first time a vaunted news operation is being shaped. He is also trying to address a scandal that recently hit the CBS television group. Two top executives, Peter Dunn and David Friend, were put on administrative leave in January after accused of creating a hostile work environment and making derogatory remarks to black and female colleagues. Both were fired last week.

Journalists and producers from CBS News will now be reporting to two leading companies on both coasts. Mr. Khemlani will be based in New York, which is where the news division’s headquarters are located, and Ms. McMahon will be based in Los Angeles, although she is expected to work in both cities, a CBS spokesman said.

Mr. Cheeks believes in sharing top positions between executives and he has firsthand experience with this arrangement. He was named co-president of Universal Cable Productions with Dawn Olmstead in early 2018, and later that year he was named co-chair of NBC Entertainment with Paul Telegdy.

Categories
Politics

White Home Warns Russia on Bounties, however Stops Wanting Sanctions

White House Warns Russia on Bounties, but Stops Short of Sanctions

WASHINGTON – The Biden administration warned the Kremlin Thursday of the CIA’s conclusion that Russia had covertly offered militants payments to encourage more killings of American and coalition forces in Afghanistan, and issued the diplomatic admonition than Moscow over sanctions Hacking and electoral influence.

However, the government has stopped sanctioning Russian officials for the alleged bounties, clarifying that the available evidence of what happened – especially what Afghan detainees told the interrogators – still does not definitively prove that Russia paid for the reward of attacks paid.

The intelligence community, a senior government official told reporters, “rates with low to moderate confidence that Russian intelligence officers have attempted to encourage Taliban attacks against US and coalition personnel in Afghanistan in 2019 and possibly earlier, including through financial incentives and compensation. “

The New York Times first reported the existence of the CIA’s assessment last summer and that the National Security Council had been running an inter-agent process to develop a range of response options – but those months had passed and the Trump White House had not approved a response. not even a diplomatic protest.

The Times also reported that the available evidence for this assessment centered on what detainees believed to be part of a Taliban-affiliated criminal-militant network reported to the interrogators, along with suspicious travel patterns and financial transfers that the CIA medium placed confidence in his conclusion.

However, it was also reported that the National Security Agency, which focuses on electronic surveillance, placed less confidence in the assessment, citing the lack of electronic listening devices for smoke guns. Analysts from two other consulted agencies, the National Counterterrorism Center and the Defense Intelligence Agency, are also believed to have split, the former supporting the CIA and the latter supporting the National Security Agency.

Former intelligence officials, including in testimony on the subject before Congress, have stated that in the murky world of intelligence, it is rare to have evidence in the courtroom without a reasonable doubt about what an adversary is doing in secret.

President Biden’s administration re-examining the available evidence had uncovered nothing new and significant that could bring more clarity to this murky intelligence portrait, leaving disagreement over the level of confidence, an official familiar with internal reasoning said.

The Biden official’s statement to reporters was consistent with this report.

Intelligence agencies, said the official, “have little to moderate confidence in this verdict, also because of the reporting of detainees and the challenging operating environment in Afghanistan.”

“Our conclusion,” the official continued, “is based on information and evidence of links between criminal agents in Afghanistan and elements of the Russian government.”

The officer did not explain. One problem with the evidence available, however, The Times reported last year, was that the leader of the suspected criminal-militant network believed to have interacted directly with Russian intelligence officials, Rahmatullah Azizi, fled to Russia – possibly connected to a Russian spy agency using a passport.

The new Washington

Updated

April 15, 2021, 6:10 p.m. ET

As a result, the detainees who told the interrogators what they had been told about the alleged agreement were not in the room for talks with Russian intelligence officials themselves. Even without electronic interception, there was a sample of evidence that corresponded to the assessment of the CIA, but no explicit eyewitness account of the interactions.

The Russian government has denied having covertly offered or paid bounties to fuel attacks on American and coalition forces in Afghanistan.

The public disclosure of the CIA’s assessment – and months of inactivity by the White House in response – sparked bipartisan turmoil in Congress. President Donald J. Trump defended the inaction, calling the coverage a “joke”. His White House denied it had been reported and tried to dismiss the intelligence service rating as too weak to be taken seriously.

In fact, it was included in his written briefing at the end of February 2020 and was more widely disseminated to the intelligence community in early May.

However, it was also true that analysts from the CIA’s National Security Agency disagreed on how much confidence should be placed in the agency’s conclusion, based on the incomplete set of evidence available. The Trump administration has played this split.

Michael J. Morell, a former acting CIA director, denied a White House testimony before Congress, suggesting that such an assessment must be unanimously supported by intelligence agencies in order to be taken seriously.

In previous administrations, he said last July, officials would have immediately told both the president and the congressmen of this ruling and any disagreement if the intelligence services had evaluated such information at any level of confidence. If the confidence level were low, an administration would seek more information before acting, while a medium or high confidence rating would most likely result in a response.

“You never have certainty in intelligence,” added Mr. Morell.

Mr Trump never addressed the issue of bounty education in his talks with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin. But after the CIA’s assessment was made public, senior military and diplomatic officials, including then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, warned their colleagues.

“If the Russians offer money to kill Americans or other Westerners, there will be an enormous price. I shared that with Foreign Minister Lavrov, ”said Pompeo during a trip to the Czech Republic in August. “I know our military has also spoken to their senior leaders. We won’t bear that. We will not tolerate that. “

In testimony to Congress and in other statements, senior Pentagon officials said being trapped between a desire not to tighten the White House and a desire not to be indifferent to the safety of the troops, would be indignant when the CIA assessment would be correct, but also hadn’t seen definitive evidence.

“It is not closed because we never complete investigations that involve threats or potential threats to US forces,” said General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., head of Pentagon Central Command late last year when he asked about the status of the Investigation was asked. “We’re looking at it very carefully.”

Meanwhile, as a presidential candidate, Mr Biden attacked Mr Trump for failing to counter the CIA assessment, portraying it as part of a strange pattern of respect that Mr Trump had shown towards Russia. Mr Biden mentioned the matter in his speech accepting the Democratic nomination and brought it up in his first call as President to Mr Putin.

While the sanctions imposed on Thursday were based on suspected Russian misdeeds other than suspected bounties, the senior administration official said that diplomatic action on the information available “is a burden on the Russian government to explain its actions and take action to address this disruption address patterns of behavior. “

The official added: “We cannot and will not accept our staff’s orientation in this way.”

Julian E. Barnes and Eric Schmitt contributed to the coverage.

Categories
Entertainment

This Ain’t No Disco: Alone in a Crowd on the Armory

This Ain’t No Disco: Alone in a Crowd at the Armory

Earlier this week, I sat with my laptop open on the floor of my living room in the small room that had contained so much of my physical activity last year: YouTube yoga, Zoom Pilates, Instagram live dance classes. This time around, I was watching an instructional video with other people on how to dance in a much larger area – the 55,000 square foot drill hall on Park Avenue Armory.

While the live indoor performance is slowly returning to New York, the Armory is hosting “SOCIAL! the Social Distance Dance Club ”, which started a sold out run on Tuesday. The event is known as an “interactive and experience-oriented movement piece” and a “shared moment of cathartic liberation” and is basically a sophisticated means of making music with strangers in a large room.

As the last year has taught us, we should not take such an opportunity for granted. But for me “SOCIAL!” never really started, at least not in catharsis territory. Conceived by choreographer Steven Hoggett, set designer Christine Jones, and dance-obsessed musician David Byrne – a trio with many Broadway credits – the show invites 100 attendees to groove in their own two-meter-diameter spotlights from 12 to 12 15 feet apart throughout the drilling hall. (The creative team also included choreographer Yasmine Lee and DJ Natasha Diggs.)

Via an easy-to-dance playlist that jumps from Daft Punk to James Brown to Talking Heads, Byrne’s recorded voice provides a steady stream of verbal cues: Move like you would on a New York City sidewalk (“Don’t step on that pizza”) ; now like a zombie; Now slow it down, hands in the air.

When I entered the drilling hall on Tuesday, I found the first glimpse of the “dance circles” – rows on colorful rows on the huge floor – intoxicating and full of possibilities. But being confined to her for an hour of casual teaching dance was less so. Oddly enough, the experience sometimes felt no more liberating than dancing alone in my cramped, creaky living room.

Perhaps it was the tight control at every step of the event – a perhaps inevitable aspect of institutional live performance for the foreseeable future – that hampered letting go. The part in the drilling hall was only half of the logistically complicated evening that started with a temperature check and a quick coronavirus test in the backstage corridors of the armory. the issue of a numbered “passport” for each participant, which must be worn around the neck with a lanyard; and a waiting time of approximately one hour for test results in rooms near the main hall.

While we waited, a compilation of (unfortunately uncredited) popular dance videos played, apparently from YouTube, to prepare us for the move: a flash mob at a train station; a freestyling guard at Buckingham Palace; a soul line dance class. The message: Everyone can dance! Yes, you too. These alternated with the instructional video pre-sent to ticket holders, in which Byrne, an inviting imperfect dancer himself, demonstrates a series of simple movements – a random hip wobble, a gesture to stop traffic – for all of us Can dance in unison at the end of the show.

As soon as we were in the drill hall and were determined not to leave our designated circles, we orientated ourselves to the glamorous person in the center: the dancer Karine Plantadit in the role of DJ Mad Love, who presides over two laptops on a raised platform . Along with “dance ambassadors” scattered around the room – dancers who knew what they were doing and didn’t hold back – it provided a visual and energetic anchor, someone to follow when we got lost. As an introduction, the voice of performance artist Helga Davis tried to reassure us that we might feel shaky in this unfamiliar experience, but that was fine.

When Byrne’s voice took over and we started a hand sanitizing dance (rubbing palms together, snapping imaginary excess from fingers), I tried to relax and have a good time. I looked at the people around me. Some blocked; others, like the man who stood still with thumbs in his pockets for the whole show, weren’t. I ended up somewhere in between, with bursts of inspiration swallowed up by disappointment and even sadness.

Unfortunately, dancing 15 feet away from people you don’t know doesn’t fill the void of a year without dancing together. And the show’s attempts at some sort of healing – when Byrne acknowledged “we all had a loss” or declared that “we will be resurrected” – ended up being mundane and lukewarm against the emotional complexities of the past year.

It was also hard not to brave his assertion, during one of the armory’s brief opening stories, that “what was once a social club for the elites is now available to all”. In this case, after a year of heated and necessary talks about Justice in the Arts, “anyone” was someone with $ 45 (plus fees) who grabbed one of the few tickets for the privilege of safely dancing indoors.

In the end, Byrne told us we were all VIP members of the Social Distance Dance Club. Surely this was meant to be welcoming and easy. But it didn’t get me any closer to those who were there, and I just felt further removed from those who weren’t.

SOCIAL! the Social Distance Dance Club

Until April 22nd in the armory, armoryonpark.org

Categories
Business

Former Vice President Pence will get pacemaker implanted, expects full restoration

Former Vice President Pence gets pacemaker implanted, expects full recovery

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence announces the Trump administration’s plan to create the U.S. Space Force by 2020 during a speech at the Pentagon on August 9, 2018 in Arlington, Virginia.

Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images

Former Vice President Mike Pence had surgery to have a pacemaker implanted after “symptoms related to a slow heart rate,” his office said Thursday, NBC News reported.

The “routine operation” was successfully carried out on Wednesday, according to Pence’s office, according to which the 61-year-old former vice president is “expected to recover fully and return to normal activity in the coming days.”

The statement stated that Pence’s medical history included a diagnosis of asymptomatic left bundle branch block. He’s had symptoms for the past two weeks and consulted his doctors before undergoing the procedure at the Inova Fairfax Medical campus in Falls Church, Virginia.

“I am grateful for the prompt professionalism and care of the excellent doctors, nurses and staff at Inova Heart and Vascular Institute, including Dr. Brett Atwater and Dr. Behnam Tehrani,” said Pence in the statement.

“I also appreciate the advice of my longtime Indiana doctors, Dr. Michael Busk and Dr. Charles Taliercio of Ascension St. Vincent. My family has been truly blessed by the work of these dedicated health professionals,” said Pence.

Kevin McCarthy, minority chairman of the House of Representatives, R-Calif., Tweeted a message of support to Pence later Thursday.

Pence is widely rumored to be laying the groundwork for a possible 2024 presidential election. However, a candidate’s health and medical history can often have a significant impact on a political campaign.

For example, former President Donald Trump’s state of health underwent an in-depth review in the final months of his re-election bid when he was hospitalized with the coronavirus. Critics had already accused Trump, who is overweight and known to have poor diet, of having misled his medical records.

Campaigns themselves can also be physically and mentally demanding. In 2016, for example, the impotent episode of then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton dominated the headlines at an anniversary ceremony on September 11th.

Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Had a heart attack while running for president in October 2019. He returned to campaigning later that month.

Categories
Health

Airline executives solid doubt with borders nonetheless closed

Airline executives cast doubt with borders still closed

An Airbus A330neo or A330-900 from Delta Air Lines with Neo engine option from the European aircraft manufacturer, as seen on the final approach at Amsterdam Schiphol AMS EHAM after a long-haul transatlantic flight.

Nicolas Economou | NurPhoto | Getty Images

Are you hoping to have a European vacation this summer? You may be out of luck.

In much of Europe, the borders for most US citizens have been closed for more than a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, and vice versa. Airline executives said Thursday they didn’t expect it to open in time for midsummer time.

Travel industry leaders have urged the Biden government on a plan to reopen the borders, including standards for health documentation such as evidence of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Ed Bastian, Delta Air Lines CEO, said on a quarterly call that the company is focused on lifting restrictions that have hampered travel between the US and the UK but other popular destinations may take longer.

The White House did not respond immediately.

The UK eased its lockdown restrictions this week, allowing pubs, hairdressers and retail stores to reopen. France and Italy reintroduced temporary bans last month to contain new Covid-19 infections, and vaccine distribution across Europe has been slow.

“When you think of other parts of Europe, there may be occasional markets opening this summer based on leisure traffic in the southern Mediterranean that people will be interested in,” Bastian said on the conference call. “But I don’t think continental Europe will open in any meaningful way until later in the year. We’re likely to miss out on much of the summer for most of continental Europe, unfortunately.”

Delta and competitors like American Airlines and United Airlines have stated that domestic travel has bounced back strongly from the depths of the pandemic, but international travel, which is still facing a web of entry restrictions and a delay in vaccinations, remains weak.

Delta announced Thursday that domestic passenger revenue in the first quarter was 66% lower than the same period in 2019 to $ 2.3 billion. However, transatlantic sales were 87% lower at $ 142 million, while trans-Pacific sales were down 89% at $ 62 million.

Naples, Italy versus Naples, Florida

American airlines have geared their once sprawling global networks towards domestic destinations, particularly those that offer outdoor attractions like beaches and mountains. The airlines have expanded tourist hotspots in Florida, Wyoming, and Montana. You’ve also seen a surge in demand for beach destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico.

American Airlines announced on Wednesday, for example, that it would bring its domestic flight schedule for the summer to almost the level of 2019.

Brian Znotins, vice president of network planning for American Airlines, told CNBC that even if the borders open in the coming season, demand for European summer vacation will be hard to generate.

“Usually a European vacation is planned months in advance,” he said. “If people want to go on a getaway this summer today, which many people are, they don’t feel very sure about booking a trip to Rome, so they’re going to make that hotel reservation in Jackson Hole or Honolulu or Cancun.

“You don’t expect demand to show up until the day after a country opens, especially from a leisure perspective,” he said.

Categories
Business

Vaccines Gained’t Shield Hundreds of thousands of Sufferers With Crippled Immune Methods

Vaccines Won’t Protect Millions of Patients With Crippled Immune Systems

Dr. Howard Wollowitz has been at the monastery for the most part at his Mamaroneck, NY home for more than a year

As chief of emergency medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, 63-year-old Dr. Wollowitz eager to treat patients when the coronavirus raged in town last spring. However, cancer treatment in 2019 had wiped out his immune cells, leaving him defenseless against the virus. Instead, he arranged for his employees to be managed through Zoom.

A year later, people return to Dr. Wollowitz’s life returned to a semblance of normalcy. His wife, dancer and choreographer, is preparing to work for the Austrian National Ballet Company. His vaccinated friends meet, but he only sees them when the weather is nice enough to sit in his back yard. “I spend very little time in public areas,” he said.

Dr. Wollowitz, like his friends, was vaccinated in January. But he wasn’t producing antibodies in response – and he hadn’t expected it either. He is one of millions of Americans with weakened immune systems whose bodies cannot learn to use immune fighters against the virus.

Some immunocompromised people were born with missing or faulty immune systems, while others, like Dr. Wollowitz, have illnesses or have received therapies that wipe out their immune defenses. Many of them make little to no antibodies in response to a vaccine or infection, which makes them susceptible to the virus. If infected, they can suffer from prolonged illness, with a death rate of up to 55 percent.

Most people who have lived with immunodeficiency for a long time are probably aware of their vulnerability. However, others have no idea that drugs could put them at risk.

“They’ll be walking around outside thinking they’re protected – but maybe not,” said Dr. Lee Greenberger, scientific director of the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, which funds research into blood cancer.

The only recourse for these patients – other than housing until the virus is withdrawn – may be to regularly infuse monoclonal antibodies, which are mass-produced copies of antibodies obtained from people who have contracted Covid-19 have recovered. The Food and Drug Administration has approved several monoclonal antibody treatments for Covid-19, but some are now also being tested to prevent infection.

Convalescent plasma or gamma globulin – antibodies distilled from the blood of healthy donors – can also help immunocompromised people, although a version of the latter that contains antibodies to the coronavirus is still months away from being available.

“It is a clear area where the need cannot be met,” said Hala Mirza, a spokeswoman for Regeneron, who made their monoclonal antibody cocktail available to a handful of immunocompromised patients through a compassionate application program. (Regeneron released experimental results this week showing the cocktail reduced symptomatic infections by 81 percent in people with normal immune systems.)

It is unclear how many immunocompromised people do not respond to coronavirus vaccines. But the list seems to include at least blood cancer survivors, organ transplant recipients, and anyone taking the widely available drug Rituxan or the cancer drugs Gazyva or Imbruvica – all of which kill or block B cells, the immune cells that develop antibodies – or Remicade, a popular one Drug used to treat irritable bowel disease. It can also include some people over the age of 80 whose immune responses have stalled with age.

“We are extremely concerned and interested in finding out how we can help these particular patients,” said Dr. Elad Sharon, an immunotherapy expert at the National Cancer Institute.

As the pandemic spread, doctors who specialized in treating blood cancer or caring for immunocompromised people expected at least some of their patients to encounter difficulties. Dr. Charlotte Cunningham-Rundles, an immunologist at the Icahn School of Medicine on Mount Sinai in New York, has about 600 patients who rely almost exclusively on regular doses of gamma globulin to protect against pathogens.

Nevertheless, 44 of their patients became infected with the coronavirus; four died and another four or five had long-term illnesses. (Chronic infections can give the virus the opportunity to develop into dangerous variants.)

Steven Lotito, 56, one of Dr. Cunningham-Rundles, was diagnosed with a condition known as common variable immunodeficiency when he was 13 years old. Before the pandemic, he had an active lifestyle, exercised, and ate well. “I’ve always known that I take special care of my body,” he said. This included infusions of gamma globulin every three weeks.

Despite careful precautionary measures, Mr Lotito caught the virus from his daughter in mid-October. He had a fever for almost a month and spent a week in the hospital. Convalescent plasma and remdesivir, an antiviral drug, provided relief for a few weeks, but his fever returned. After another infusion of gamma globulin that sweated through four shirts, he finally felt better.

Updated

April 15, 2021, 2:02 p.m. ET

Nevertheless, after almost seven weeks of illness, Mr. Lotito no longer had any antibodies to show. “I still have to take the same precautions that I took a year ago,” he said. “It’s a little daunting.”

People like Lotito-san rely on those around them to get vaccinated to keep the virus at bay, said Dr. Cunningham-Rundles.

“They hope that all of your family members and all of your close co-workers will go out and get a shot, and they will protect you with herd immunity,” she said. “You have to start with that.”

Dr. Cunningham-Rundles has tested their patients for antibodies and has registered some for Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody cocktail. However, many other people with these conditions are unaware of their risks or treatment options.

The Leukemia Lymphoma Society has set up a registry to provide information and antibody tests to people with blood cancer. Several studies are looking at the response to coronavirus vaccines in people with cancer, autoimmune diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, or in patients taking drugs that suppress the immune response.

What You Need To Know About The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Break In The United States

    • On April 13, 2021, U.S. health officials called for an immediate halt to use of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose Covid-19 vaccine after six recipients in the U.S. developed a rare blood clot disorder within one to three weeks of vaccination.
    • All 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico have temporarily suspended use of the vaccine or suspended from recommended vendors. The U.S. military, government-run vaccination centers, and a variety of private companies, including CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart, and Publix, also paused the injections.
    • Fewer than one in a million Johnson & Johnson vaccinations are currently being studied. If there is indeed a risk of blood clots from the vaccine – which has yet to be determined – the risk is extremely small. The risk of contracting Covid-19 in the United States is much higher.
    • The hiatus could complicate the country’s vaccination efforts at a time when many states are facing spikes in new cases and are trying to address vaccine hesitation.
    • Johnson & Johnson has also decided to delay the launch of its vaccine in Europe amid concerns about rare blood clots, which is taking another blow to the vaccine surge in Europe. South Africa, devastated by a contagious variant of the virus found there, also stopped using the vaccine. Australia announced that it would not buy cans.

In one such study, British researchers tracked nearly 7,000 people with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis from 90 hospitals across the country. They found that less than half of the patients who took Remicade had an immune response after contracting coronavirus infection.

In a follow-up, the scientists found that 34 percent of people who took the drug were protected after a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine and only 27 percent after a single dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. (In the UK, the current practice is to delay second doses to increase vaccine availability.)

Likewise, another study published last month showed that fewer than 15 percent of patients with blood or immune cancer and fewer than 40 percent of patients with solid tumors produced antibodies after receiving a single dose of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine.

And a study published last month in the journal JAMA reported that only 17 percent of the 436 transplant recipients who received a dose of the Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna vaccine had detectable antibodies three weeks later.

Despite the small likelihood, immunocompromised people should receive the vaccines because they may produce some immune cells that protect, even antibodies in a subset of patients.

“These patients should likely be prioritized for optimally balanced two doses,” said Dr. Tariq Ahmad, gastroenterologist with the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust who was involved in the infliximab studies.

He suggested that doctors routinely measure antibody responses in immunocompromised people even after two doses of vaccine to identify those who may also need monoclonal antibodies to prevent infection or a third dose of the vaccines.

Wendy Halperin, 54, was diagnosed with a condition known as common variable immunodeficiency when she was 28 years old. She was hospitalized with Covid-19 in January and stayed there for 15 days. However, the coronavirus caused unusual symptoms.

“I had trouble walking,” she recalled. “I just lost control of my limbs like I couldn’t walk down the street.”

Since she was being treated for convalescence plasma for Covid-19, Ms. Halperin had to wait three months for the immunization and has made an appointment for April 26th. However, despite her condition, her body managed to produce some antibodies against the initial infection.

“The takeaway message is that everyone should try to get the vaccine,” said Dr. Amit Verma, oncologist at Montefiore Medical Center.

Gambling has settled in Dr. Wollowitz’s case not paid off. With no antibodies in his system to protect him, he still works from home – a privilege he is grateful for. He was an avid mountain biker and advanced skier, both of which were at risk of injury, but he is playing it safe with the coronavirus.

In anticipation of a return to his normal lifestyle, Dr. Wollowitz his bicycles. But he said he had foreseen he would live like this until enough other people are vaccinated and the number of infections in the city drops.

“I’m not exactly sure what that date is,” he said. “I’m really waiting to get out again.”

Categories
World News

Market hits an all-time excessive after blowout financial information and powerful financial institution earnings

US stocks rose to record levels Thursday after major companies reported strong gains and new economic data suggested a rebound in consumer spending and the labor market.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 300 points to hit an all-time high. The S&P 500 gained 0.9% and also reached an intraday record. The Nasdaq Composite gained 1.1%.

Technology stocks rallied as bond yields fell. Netflix, Facebook, and Alphabet each rose more than 2%, while Amazon, Microsoft, and Apple each gained at least 1%. The 10-year government bond yield fell 9 basis points to 1.54%. Higher rates tend to undermine future profits for growth-oriented companies.

Retail sales rose 9.8% in March as additional incentives boosted consumer spending, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. That number beat the Dow Jones estimate of 6.1%.

A separate report dated Thursday showed that initial unemployment insurance claims had dropped to their lowest level since March 2020. The Department of Labor reported 576,000 new jobless claims for the week ending April 10. The economists polled by Dow Jones expected a total of 710,000.

Shares of UnitedHealth, a Dow member, rose 4% after results beat predictions on the road and health insurer raised its guidance for 2021.

Pepsi stock rose 0.3% after the snacks and beverages maker posted a nearly 7% increase in sales in the most recent quarter, beating estimates.

The market has continued to improve in recent sessions, given the economic reopening and trillion dollar incentives to hit new records. The S&P 500 was up nearly 10% in 2021, with Energy and Finance being the most recent year to date.

“I am incredibly optimistic about the markets and you are right to be concerned about our shortcomings,” said Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, in an interview on Squawk Box. “If we don’t have sustained economic growth that is sustainable for the next 10 years, our deficits will play a role and raise interest rates … I believe, due to monetary incentives, tax incentives and cash on the verge of profits, markets are fine. The Markets will continue to be stronger. “

Citigroup shares erased previous gains, most recently trading 0.4% lower. The bank posted results that exceeded analysts’ estimates for first quarter earnings, with strong investment banking revenues and a higher than expected release of loan loss provisions.

Bank of America stocks rose as profits spilled over the last quarter on booming trade and investment banking results and the release of credit risk reserves. However, stocks fell 2%.

The new public crypto exchange Coinbase gained 1.7% in volatile trading after it was revealed that Ark Invest’s Cathie Wood was charged on the first day of trading.

On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration called for a break in J & J’s Covid-19 vaccine administration after six people in the United States developed a rare blood clot disorder. The announcement sparked a sell-off when the Games reopened earlier this week, but is not expected to have a material impact on the pace of U.S. vaccine rollouts.

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Categories
Politics

Trump marketing campaign chief Paul Manafort worker Kilimnik gave Russia election knowledge

Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort employee Kilimnik gave Russia election data

Konstantin Kilimnik as he appears on an FBI poster.

Source: FBI

A long-time employee of former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign manager, Paul Manafort, gave Russian intelligence services “sensitive information about election and campaign strategy” during this year’s elections, the US Treasury said on Thursday.

Manafort staffer Konstantin Kilimnik “also tried to further the narrative that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US presidential election,” the Treasury Department said as the Biden government launched new sanctions against Russia, Kilimnik and others announced.

These sanctions relate in part to alleged efforts by Russia to influence the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election.

Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort arrives in the U.S. District Court in Washington on June 15, 2018 to be indicted on a third superseded indictment against him by special adviser Robert Mueller for witness manipulation.

Jonathan Ernst | Reuters

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