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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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The Pandemic in Pop Culture Trends

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The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic was both a universal and incredibly personal experience. While not everyone’s life in the first year of the pandemic looked the same, there have been some common joys, struggles, and tragedies. And there have been stories that have helped get us through the first year of pandemic. The global COVID-19 pandemic is not over, but it has hopefully reached a turning point. Multiple vaccines protecting against the worst of the virus have been developed and have begun to be (unevenly) distributed around the world, with Israel, the U.K., Chile, and the U.S. currently with the greatest percentages of their populations having received at least one dose. As we hopefully move into a less deadly phase of the pandemic, we’re taking a moment to look back at the TV series, games, movies, and other pop culture moments that brought comfort, distraction, critique, and catharsis for many in the pandemic’s first year, as well as some of the major trends and news stories that shaped the industry itself between March 2020 and February 2021.

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March 2020

NBA To Suspend Season Following Tonight's Games pic.twitter.com/2PTx2fkLlW

— NBA (@NBA) March 12, 2020

The NBA Suspends the Season (March 11th)

Many use the NBA’s March 11th announcement that the 2019-2020 season would be suspended until further notice as an unofficial start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The season would continue four months later in the “NBA Bubble,” but no one could know what the future would look like, only that things were indeed very serious for the billions-dollar professional basketball and media industry to shut down.

Everyone Watches Contagion

Though Steven Soderbergh’s pandemic thriller came out in 2011, Contagion jumped from Warner Bros.’ 270th most digitally rented movie in December 2019 to their second most rented one in February, and that trend would only continue into March. As the pandemic continued, we would see audiences turning towards more “escapist” fare, but, in the early days of this international crisis, people turned towards this matter-of-fact, fictional imagining of how a global pandemic might play out to help process their new and frightening reality.

Movie Theaters Essentially Go Dark

In addition to the immense loss of human life the COVID-19 pandemic has caused, there has also been an economic cost that will no doubt continue to impact human health and livelihood in the coming years. On March 17th, the movie theater chains Regal and AMC announced their temporary closures, an early sign of just how bad the pandemic would be for the movie theater business.

Movies in Theaters Begin Going to VOD

With movie theaters closed, studios needed to get creative about how best to distribute their movies still “in theaters.” Universal Pictures was the first to make the decision to move its new releases to a video on-demand model, bringing The Invisible Man, The Hunt, and Emma to VOD on March 20th.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is Released (March 20th)

On March 20th, Nintendo released Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Nintendo Switch, allowing players (most of whom where stuck at home) to digitally move to an island and nurture their own community. The fifth game in the Animal Crossing series, New Horizons would go on to major commercial success. It broke the console game record for most digital units sold in a single month, became the 15th best-selling video game in history, and the second best-selling game of all time in Japan. It was also the most blogged-about subject on Tumblr in 2020!

Tiger King Drops on Netflix (March 20th)

Netflix remains the largest streaming service worldwide, with over 200 million global subscribers and roughly 74 million of those subscribers in the U.S. Because of this, when a Netflix Original becomes a hit, it usually becomes a major part of online discourse, especially in the United States. This was the case for Tiger King, the true crime (and truly wild) documentary series that dropped on Netflix on March 20th. With most watchers stuck at home, the online discourse around the show felt even more intense than usual. For a few weeks, you couldn’t throw a stone without hitting a Tiger King meme.

April 2020

Quibi Launches (April 6)

While not necessarily pandemic-specific (did Quibi ever really stand a chance?), 2020 saw the launch (April 6th) and death (December 1st) of Quibi, Jeffrey Katzenberg’s short-form streaming platform that squandered $1.75 billion in investment capital and star power like Sophie Turner, Kiefer Sutherland, Idris Elba, Chrissy Teigen, Karlie Kloss, and Laura Dern before bowing out in December.

Trolls World Tour Becomes First Movie to Break Theatrical Window (April 10)

Remember when it was radical for a movie to break its theatrical window? Yeah, that was in April, when many media professionals were shocked with Universal’s decision to release Trolls World Tour, the computer animated musical comedy sequel to 2016’s Trolls, as both a limited theatrical release and via video on demand services. The move led AMC Theatres to temporarily announce that they would no longer be distributing Universal films, but the two companies quickly came to an agreement shortly after.

Extraction was a Thing (April 24)

Honestly, every week in 2020 felt like its own lifetime. Remember when Extraction, the Chris Hemsworth-helmed action-thriller, became the most watched original film in Netflix’s history? Directed by Sam Hargrave and written by MCU vet Joe Russo, the film follows a black ops mercenary who must rescue the kidnapped son of an Indian drug lord in Bangladesh. As self-reported by Netflix, the movie was watched by 99 million households in its first month of release.

May 2020

TikTok Pops

TikTok was already firmly a thing heading into 2020, but the pandemic was when more people found it—especially the olds… by which I mean millennials. In October 2019, TikTok had almost 40 million U.S. users (and 507 million global users in December 2019). By June 2020, that number was at almost 92 million in the U.S. (and 689 million globally by July 2020). This was part of a larger trend over the course of the pandemic that saw people spending more time on their mobile devics than ever before: According to a report from mobile app intelligence agency App Annie (via Social Media Today), by the end of 2020, Americans spent more time on TikTok than they did on Facebook, and the average American now spends more time per day on their mobile device (4 hours) than they do watching TV (3.7 hours).

Avatar: The Last Airbender is Released on Netflix (May 15th)

In many ways, the pandemic has been an accelerant of global processes, and this applies to pop culture as well. While we were already seeing the rise in more foreign-language TV, including anime, and the return to some major nostalgic properties due to broader and easier accessibility because of platforms like Netflix, the pandemic really ramped that process up. When all three seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender became available on Netflix in May, the American animated TV series that originally aired on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008, was discovered or re-discovered by millions of viewers, becoming one of the top Tumblr fandoms of 2020. It was indicative of a larger trend of old shows becoming new again through release on major global streaming platforms.

Avatar: The Last Airbender – What Can We Expect From the New Avatar Studios?

By Shamus Kelley

Avatar: The Last Airbender Co-Creators Exit Netflix Live-Action Series

By Shamus Kelley

June 2020

Buffy Lands on All4 (June 1st)

In a year where what’s old was necessarily new again, all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer came to UK streaming platform All4, and were broadcast on E4 every weeknight at 11pm. Elsewhere in the UK streaming market, the BBC iPlayer saw its best-ever quarter from April to June with 1.6 billion requests, an increase of 59% on the same quarter last year (according to a BBC press release).

Staged Premieres (June 10th)

As it became apparent that TV and film production would not be going back to normal anytime soon, many creators got, well, creative and began making things in lockdown. One of the best and most high-profile examples was BBC’s Staged, in which David Tennant and Michael Sheen play fictionalized versions of themselves, trying to rehearse a performance of Six Characters in Search of an Author via video chat, alongside director Simon Evans. The low-budget, high-charisma series is filmed in the actors’ real-life homes but, unlike some celebrity efforts during the pandemic (see March), strikes the right tonal note in relation to its subjects’ privilege.

July 2020

Ray Fisher Speaks Up About Alleged Abuse on the Justice League Set (July 1st)

Actor Ray Fisher raised his voice on July 1st in a tweet, calling out director Joss Whedon for alleged abuse on the Justice League set, and WB execs Geoff Johns and Jon Berg for “enabling” that alleged behavior.

Joss Wheadon’s on-set treatment of the cast and crew of Justice League was gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable. He was enabled, in many ways, by Geoff Johns and Jon Berg. Accountability>Entertainment

— Ray Fisher (@ray8fisher) July 1, 2020

Later, in December, Fisher would add WB exec Walter Hamada’s name to that list, following a December 11th announcement by WarnerMedia that their investigation connected to Justice League “has concluded and remedial action has been taken.”

Hamilton Blows Us All Away (July 4th)

One of the deepest cultural cuts during lockdown was the necessary elimination of live, in-person theater, which is probably one of the reasons why Hamilton, the Pulitzer Prize-winning stage musical that originally came to Broadway in 2015, made such a splash when it became available in its filmed format via Disney+. Even without a pandemic, Hamilton (and all Broadway theater) is only accessible to a select group of people, making the addition of the pop culture phenomenon in a more accessible form so very important.

From Bridgerton to Hamilton: A History of Color-Conscious Casting in Period Drama

By Amanda-Rae Prescott

Movies

Hamilton: Thomas Jefferson Controversy Explained

By David Crow

Host Becomes the Most Zeitgesty Movie of 2020 (July 30th)

Another particularly impressive entry into the “filmed from lockdown” genre that sprouted up during the first year of the pandemic was British found footage horror film Host. Written and made over 12 weeks in a pandemic and based around a haunted Zoom call, few pandemic-made stories managed to nail the balance between both frighteningly topical and escapist quite so well.

The NBA Bubble Begins

Professional sports went into their bubbles, aka tightly controlled settings in which pro sports players live, practice, and play their respective seasons—to varying degrees of success. The NBA’s Disney World bubble went into effect on July 22nd for exhibition scrimmages, before launching into the final eight games of its regular 2019-2020 season and then the 2020 NBA playoffs. Twenty-two of the NBA’s 30 teams were invited to participate and ended the bubble in October with no recorded cases of COVID-19 amongst its participating players. The MLB bubble was… less successful.

SDCC @Home: WTF Was That? (July 22)

San Diego Comic-Con is one of the most important and lucrative pop culture events of the year, bringing hundreds of thousands of people into downtown San Diego to celebrate and discuss some of the largest franchises in the world. SDCC was one of the many in-person conventions that attempted to transfer its programming online in 2020 and… it didn’t really work. Part of the fun of Comic-Con is in the excitement of the crowd and the exclusivity of the events. (Though not on Thanksgiving, thank you very much.) There is nothing quite like getting to be part of a major Hall H announcement, and watching via video chat is just not the same.

August 2020

Tenet Comes Out in the UK (August 26th)

In what was largely a year without theatrical cinema in the U.S. and the U.K., a brief respite in COVID-19 cases and therefore lockdown meant a proper theatrical release for Christopher Nolan’s latest in August 2020. Sci-fi blockbuster Tenet hit U.K. theatres on August 26th, bringing in $5.3 million domestically in its first week of release and marking the first major studio release since the pandemic began.

American Sports Leagues Go on Strike to Protest Jacob Blake Shooting

Many professional sports in the U.S. came to a temporary halt when some players and teams refused to take the field or court following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black American who was shot in the back and paralyzed by a police officer in front of his sons on August 23rd in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The incident re-ignited ongoing protests over racism and police brutality, with which many players and teams stood in solidarity. The NBA, WNBA, MLB, and MLS all postponed games as players protested Jacob Blake’s shooting.

Chadwick Boseman Passes Away (August 28th)

In a devastating loss to American culture, Chadwick Boseman, the star of Black Panther and many other films, passed away due to complications from colon cancer, a condition with which he had been living and working since a 2016 diagnosis. Boseman was one of the most successful Black actors and creators working today.

“He … knew that his voice was now strong and people were listening and paying attention,” wrote Kelley L. Carter in The Undefeated. “And he knew that even as this moment was victorious, Hollywood still needed to be called to task on the things that make this industry problematic, even as it was in the infant phases of creating a groundbreaking blockbuster with a mostly Black cast.”

September 2020

Tenet Flops in the U.S., Hollywood Abandons Ship for Fall 2020 (September 3)

While Tenet may have been a hit in the U.K., the Nolan blockbuster flopped upon its release in the U.S., where many theaters remained closed or empty through the summer and fall. The film would make around $58 million in the U.S. and Canada, prompting Hollywood studios to further push back major releases slated for the fall.

Mulan Becomes First Disney “Premier Access” Release (Sept. 4)

After several pandemic-caused release delays, Disney’s much-anticipated, live-action adaptation of Mulan became the first “Premier Access” release for Disney+, causing a bit of a stir. In the U.S. and in some other markets, Disney forwent releasing Mulan in theaters, instead offering a “Premier Access” window on Disney+ that viewers could access for an additional fee of $29.99. While the film received middling reviews from western critics, it was not received well in China. Additionally, a #BoycottMulan movement, which started out as a response to social media comments star Liu Yifei made in support of the Hong Kong police in their (sometimes violent) suppression of pro-democracy protestors, gained some traction in the lead up to the release.

Movies

How Mulan Maintains The Animated Film’s Queerness

By Natalie Zutter

Movies

Mulan: Disney Plus Grosses Exceed $200 Million? (Report)

By David Crow

I’m Thinking of Ending Things Makes People Go “Whaaa?” (Sept. 4)

As our Rosie Fletcher wrote in the “Ending Explained” for I’m Thinking of Ending Things: “[this story is] a movie, and a book, which really requires you to watch/read twice to actually fully understand.” It’s a gloriously confusing movie, and many in September dove right into the mystery chiller adapted by Charlie Kaufman from a novel by Iain Reid. As Fletcher put in her review, the film is “a perfect storm of philosophy, ambiguity and wankery.” What’s not to love?

October 2020

Trial of the Chicago 7 Debuts on Netflix (Oct. 16)

However you may feel about Aaron Sorkin, the man knows how to make a taut political drama. Trial of the Chicago 7 is a dramatic retelling of (as it says on the tin) the 1969-70 trial of the Chicago Seven, a group of anti–Vietnam War protesters charged with conspiracy and crossing state lines with the intention of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The movie has an all-star cast of dudes, and is both written and directed by Sorkin. It made many critics’ best-of-the-year lists and made a cultural splash when it dropped on Netflix in October, after a summer of American and global protests ignited by the killing of George Floyd and other Black Americans.

Borat 2 Makes (a Bigger) Fool Out of Rudy Giulilani (October 23rd)

Rarely do the paths of pop culture and politics so explicitly intersect as they did in Borat 2. The mockumentary comedy sequel came out in October, in the long, plateau-ed height of the lead up to the presidential election, and featured a scene in which Republican politician Rudy Giuliani puts his hand into his trousers in front of actress Maria Bakalova, who is impersonating a conservative journalist. While Giuliani attempted to spin the event in both the lead up to and following the release of the film on Amazon Prime, Sacha Baron Cohen told Good Morning America in an interview after the film’s release: “It is what it is. He did what he did.”

Movies

Maria Bakalova is Ready to Do Borat 3 in ‘Five Minutes’

By David Crow

Movies

Borat 2: Sacha Baron Cohen Reveals Dangerous Deleted Scene

By David Crow

The Queen’s Gambit Turns Everyone into a Chess Player (Oct. 23)

Odds are that, in October 2020, you either knew someone or were someone who watched The Queen’s Gambit and then fell hard into the world of chess. The Netflix period miniseries tracks the highs and lows of fictional chess prodigy Beth Harmon (the brilliant Anya Taylor-Joy), from her upbringing in a Kentucky orphanage in the 1950s to her time at the top of the competitive chess world in the 1960s. In its first month of release, The Queen’s Gambit became Netflix’s most-watched scripted miniseries, and sent chess set sales soaring—yet another sign of just how commercially and culturally powerful Netflix has become.

November 2020

PlayStation 5 Alleges Launches, But No One Can Get Them (Nov. 12)

Even if you aren’t a gamer, you probably heard about the release of the PlayStation 5. Though the PS5 technically became available in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North America, Singapore, and South Korea on November 12th (and worldwide a week later), the limited supply of the console made it almost impossible to find.

As Matthew Byrd wrote in his November article on the subject: “We know that the initial PS5 shortage can at least partially be attributed to a shortage of the console’s chips (as well as distribution and manufacturing problems caused by the complications related to the COVID-19 pandemic), but as we’re already seeing in Europe where some who pre-ordered a PS5 were warned they may not receive their console until 2021, Sony faces some notable additional issues moving forward.”

This is partially a story of supply and demand, and the growth of gaming in general. According to a report by market researcher SuperData (via Venture Beat), the game industry grew 12% (to $139.9 billion) in 2020, with console games revenues up 28% from 2019. While growth is expected to be slower in 2021, as fewer people will hopefully be stuck at home, more people than ever are gtting their story fix in the world of gaming.

Games

PlayStation Bets on Big Games as Game Pass Slowly Wins a Console War

By Matthew Byrd

Games

Why PlayStation Store Closing on PS3 Should Matter to You

By Matthew Byrd

December 2020

WB Announces HBO Max Release Hybrid Model (Dec. 3)

In a move that seems to be paying off, in December, Warner Bros. announced that it would be moving to a release hybrid model through 2021, putting its entire 2021 film slate on HBO Max. As David Crow explained in our film section: “The move will put all 17 of WB’s scheduled 2021 films on a ‘hybrid’ model where films will premiere on HBO Max the same day as their theatrical release in the U.S. Technically speaking, the films will still be playing in theaters, particularly in international markets without HBO Max as a streaming option, but for the first (and most lucrative) month of their release, they’ll also be available on WarnerMedia’s streamer.”

People Actually Get to Play Cyberpunk 2077, Immediately Realize It’s Broken (Dec. 10)

Hooboy, Cyberpunk 2077. In December, after literal years of anticipation, CD Projekt released action RPG video game Cyberpunk 2077 to disastrous results. While the narrative and design of the game is ambitious and has its rewards, the rollout was plagued by performance issues (particularly in the console versions) that led to player backlash and actual lawsuits.

Games

Cyberpunk 2077 Lawsuits Explained

By Matthew Byrd

Games

Cyberpunk 2077 Roadmap Proves the Game Should Have Been Delayed to 2021

By Matthew Byrd

The Mandalorian Finale Breaks the Internet (Dec. 18)

Um, spoilers.

The second season of The Mandalorian may not have technically been the most-watched series of 2020, but it certainly felt like the most-talked-about, proving that, even in the era of streaming, there’s still such a thing as appointment television. This all came to a culmination with The Mandalorian Season 2 finale, “The Rescue,” which featured an appearance from Luke Skywalker himself.

Could Durge’s Star Wars Return Lead to a Role in The Mandalorian or Book of Boba Fett?

By Joseph Baxter

How The Mandalorian Challenges Star Wars’ History of Bad Dads

By Lacy Baugher

Wonder Woman 1984 Premieres (Dec. 25)

Wonder Woman 1984 dropped on Christmas Day in the United States, and quickly became the most-watched straight-to-streaming title of 2020 (knocking Disney+’s Hamilton out of the top spot), despite its middling reviews. In the U.S., it would be the first of WB’s “hybrid model” releases, getting a simultaneous release in theaters as well as on HBO Max.

Movies

Wonder Woman 1984 Star Connie Nielsen Defends Patty Jenkins’ Vision

By Don Kaye

Movies

Does Zack Snyder’s Justice League Set Up Wonder Woman 3?

By David Crow

Bridgerton Gets Saucy (Dec. 25)

Bridgerton, Netflix’s deliciously addicting period romance based on the Julia Quinn novels, also dropped on Christmas Day, and went on to become the streamer’s most watched series ever, reaching #1 in 76 countries. The Shondaland produced drama made leading man Regé-Jean Page a global star, so much so that the announcement that he would not be returning for Season 2 (as each season focuses on a different romantic pairing featuring a member of the Bridgerton family) into a bit of a meltdown. Bridgerton has already secured another three seasons—a post-Season 1 announcement that is unprecedented for a Netflix original.

Why Bridgerton Had to Let Regé-Jean Page Go

By Amanda-Rae Prescott

Will Bridgerton Become the Next Game of Thrones?

By Kayti Burt

Soul Brings on the Feels (Dec. 25)

Called Pixar’s “most ambitious movie in years” by Den of Geek film editor David Crow, Soul was another Christmas release that brought solace to people stuck at home, many without their families, for the holidays. Directed by Pixar vet Pete Docter (Up, Monsters, Inc., Inside Out) and co-directed by Kemp Powers (One Night in Miami, Star Trek: Discovery), the film follows middle school music teacher and pianist Joe Gardner as he seeks to reunite his soul and his body after they are accidentally separated, just before his big break as a jazz musician.

January 2021

The Little Things Kicks Off WB’s 2021 Film Slate on Streaming (Jan. 29)

Fans of crime thriller and/or Denzel Washington and Rami Malek flock to HBO Max and theaters for the hybrid release of The Little Things, the first of WB’s planned 2021 slate.

Movies

The Little Things is Better Than a Seven Copycat

By Don Kaye

Movies

The Little Things and the Mystery of Denzel Washington’s Character Explained

By David Crow

February 2021

WandaVision Ensnares Us

Stop hogging the zeitgeist, Marvel!

In February, Disney+ released its first MCU show, WandaVision, and it broke the internet. The miniseries, created by Jac Schaeffer and starring Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, wowed audiences with its clever use of the sitcom format and superhero tropes to tell a story about grief that, for all of its fantastical elements, was oh so relatable.

How WandaVision’s Doctor Strange 2 Connection Evolved

By Joseph Baxter

WandaVision: The Unanswered Questions From the Marvel Series

By Gavin Jasper

Judas and the Black Messiah Debuts (Feb. 12)

Daniel Kaluuya and Lakith Stanfield lead an all-star cast in this 1960s period piece that follows the real life story of Black Panther Party chairman Fred Hampton, who was the victim of a targeted assassination by the FBI. In a year that saw an increased mainstream awareness of Black trauma, the Oscar-nominated Judas and the Black Messiah shone a cinematic light on yet another state-led historical injustice against Black Americans.

Charisma Carpenter Speaks Her Truth

In February, actress Charisma Carpenter came forward with allegations about Joss Whedon’s alleged abuses of power during her time on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, inspired by Ray Fisher’s own efforts to seek justice and systemic reform for Whedon’s alleged behavior on Justice League.

My truth. #IStandWithRayFisher pic.twitter.com/eNjYcJ6zwP

— charisma carpenter (@AllCharisma) February 10, 2021

— Ray Fisher (@ray8fisher) July 1, 2020

Pokemania Returns

Many older millennials have spent their time during quarantine reconnecting with their childhood faves. This culminates with a massive renewed interest in Pokemon cards to the point where McDonald’s Happy Meals with Pokemon cards as toys sell out instantly.

Sponsored

Why Pokémon Has Endured For 25 Years

By Alec Bojalad

Did we miss anything? What have been the stories and pop culture trends that have helped get you through the pandemic so far? Let us know in the comments below.

The post The Pandemic in Pop Culture Trends appeared first on Den of Geek.

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hindieducation · 4 years ago

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Coronavirus and Its Impact on Education System in India

Coronavirus and its Impact on Education System in India. The freezing and the extraordinary effect of COVID-19 has shaken the world to its center. Extra, the higher a piece of the Governments over the globe have immediately shut scholarly foundations making an endeavor to involve the unfurl of the COVID-19 pandemic. In India as adequately, the government as an aspect of the cross country lockdown has shut every scholastic establishment, as a result of which, students going from school-going children to postgraduate understudies, are influenced.

These cross country terminations are influencing over 91% of the universes' student people. Various distinctive worldwide areas have applied confined terminations influencing a tremendous assortment of additional students. UNESCO is supporting global areas of their endeavors to relieve the fast effect of workforce terminations, especially for extra frail and denied networks, and to encourage the rationality of preparing for all through removed contemplating. The UNESCO report gauges that the Covid pandemic will unfavorably affect more than 290 million understudies all through 22 worldwide areas. The UNESCO appraises that cycle 32 crores understudies are influenced in India, joining these in resources and resources.

Subsequently, the legislature has give you e-learning program. Many ed-tech organizations have attempted to use the event by giving free on-line exercises or drawing in limits on e-learning modules. These measures have been met with overpowering reaction by understudies with some new organizations seeing as exorbitant as 25% uptick in e-learning. Removed considering seems a suitable answer for school kids all through this time as they give convenient, on – the-go and sensibly evaluated section to classes. E-adapting also comes as an eye catching and intelligent different as in correlation with study hall instructing.

Be that as it may, Covid-19 has provoked masters to reexamine the conventional method of preparing. Advanced preparing is by all accounts a practical answer for compensate for inside the deficiency for homeroom preparing for a timespan to 4 months while restricting the probabilities of any a contamination to undergrads until courses continue. Extra significantly, it has also presented the up to this point fringe issue of advanced preparing in India to the center stage. Going ahead, computerized preparing is bound to be implicit into standard preparing. This may permit comprehensive preparing by empowering concentrating all through different geologies in India. Moreover, it will introduce an open entryway for teachers to furnish you with hand crafted reading answers for every understudy.

A whole insurgency inside the technique we be instructed right now has been accomplished by Know-how. Each student will engage with a first class preparing, which isn't clear to present by the conventional white chalk and blackboard strategy for instructing. This new contemplating is additional eye catching, redone and lovely. A huge open on-line course (MOOC) is a web course pointed toward boundless interest and open passage by method of the net. India is considered to be the biggest commercial center for MOOCs on the planet after the USA. For the explanation that assortment of occupants in India is huge, enormous open on-line course (MOOC) is asserted to open entryways for a huge load of Indians with regards to bringing a scholastic unrest. On-line killed considering bundles give a marvelous function to income awesome concentrating with the help of web network.

Advanced learning has many advantages in itself like computerized learning has no actual limits, it has more learning commitment ability moderately than the customary examining, furthermore it is clever and understudies will be instructed inside the bounds of their typical change of commonality. In any case, computerized learning isn't with out its limitations and difficulties, since up close and personal transaction is generally seen as the ideal kind of correspondence as in examination with the moderately impersonalized nature of far off learning. Around the world, on-line preparing has met with some achievement. Because of India, we even have far to go sooner than advanced contemplating is viewed as standard preparing, because of undergrads living in metropolitan space have the comforts to determine on computerized preparing, all things considered, provincial space understudies don't have the necessary framework nor are financially solid to benefit the sources needed for computerized preparing. The development of the computerized training foundation by the Government of India by and by is by all accounts inconvenient as a result of nonattendance of value range. Extra, in any event, when the computerized framework is created, preparing must be given to the teachers to utilize the advanced framework to offer veritable and right, continuous and consistent preparing to the researchers. Distant finding out increasingly more relies upon the trustworthy energy deftly and normal Web network which can be a fantastical factor for Tier 2 and Tier 3 urban communities in India.

One other issue is that e-learning comes all through as impressively conflicting and indifferent skill. Also, e-learning is bound to observe an over the top dropout charge because of nonappearance of climate for assessing. Undergrads may are probably going to get occupied by gaming supports, electronic media at abiding and potentially won't generally feel a method of network though taking on-line exercises. Beneficial gracefully of preparing can likewise be in inquiry because of concentrating on the level of upper preparing and concentrating on the kindergarten/advanced education could be totally unique. Computerized preparing can't be used the indistinguishable at every level of preparing.

On the off likelihood that we extra up the daylight on the instructive material, advanced preparing might have a restricted degree as conversely with the composed and valuable materials which is provided in a scholastic foundation. Moreover, the validation of the scholastic materials is in question. E-learning will reliably furnish the understudies with totally unique information in various habits. Accordingly, the legitimacy of the instructive material ought to be inspected sooner than these provisions are circled with the researchers. Making of substance material, dispersal of substance material and examination of substance material ought to be performed. Mixed preparing needs to restore straight on and separation preparing ought to go related on the hip right now. Instructional information coursed in on-line ought to be accurately kept up. Because of in the end these computerized scholastic course exercises can even bring about hacking methods and interlopers coming in. The computerized security issue will remain in all spots though giving preparing.

In light of the episode of the pandemic, the work from home (WFH) culture is impacting in India. As social isolating is recommended as the ideal method to manage the unfurl of COVID 19, companies are defied with an exceptional issue of making certain it's undertaking as incessant in any event, when everybody is by all accounts working distantly. In this manner, not just finance managers or new enterprises in India have selected a web stage like Zoom App to remain related with their staff who're working from their homes however additionally the scholastic foundations have picked different computerized stages to encourage reading for their understudies. In any case, essentially instructive establishments in metropolitan regions can introduce these pleasantries. Again the inquiries are brought for the students up in country zones, the instructive frameworks in commonplace regions and their development.

With so different ways to deal with characterize e-learning and the instructive methodologies that might be taken in these considering conditions, many resources and further scholastic arrangement movement exercises have started utilizing the mastery. By method of purposes, for example, Zoom, totally various resources especially designing and planning resources of Pune have attempted the task of showing understudies by means of video conferencing. Unfazed by the wellbeing issues which such video conferencing purposes may represent, these objects are extensively utilized and have end up being valuable and with a huge load of advantages. There's a picture, sound clarity which makes presenting of data and learning powerful for each the educator and the understudy.

Also, in any case, there's a prominent downside as tests should be delayed. Assessments can't be completed on-line. It isn't just scarcely the question of allowing fixed and continuous concentrating all through the flare-up of COVID 19 pandemic yet also presumably the main issue for the instructor is to focus in on the general components of an all around grew course. Growing a deliberate and very much characterized on-line course, which supports the instructor and student, implies giving the appropriate time and installing the pertinent course parts into the e-learning environmental factors. Using ability, we will, if not present a solid different to the conventional preparing framework, alleviate and make up for the obstructions acted and bother provoked like an outcome of COVID 19 pandemic to the preparation framework and students by augmentation. Examining, as they state, is a steady and ever-advancing course of. The instructive establishments in India, from resources to colleges, can utilize this current misfortune as a surprisingly beneficial development and make advanced preparing a significant aspect of the instructive course of for all students later on.

#coronavirus #Education System in India

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sqursol · 4 years ago

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Mental Health and Covid-19

Introduction:

The current pandemic due to the novel Coronavirus (SARS-COV-2), COVID-19, has resulted in considerable stress to the health systems throughout the world. COVID-19 pandemic has left in its wake an unprecedented challenge for mental health services across the world. With almost all affected, mental health service delivery to address the psychological consequences at the individual level has become near impossible. Pandemics, like other natural disasters, negatively affect the mental health of the community in general and those with pre-existing mental illness in particular. While natural disasters also result in significant stress and strain to the health systems, the relative non-involvement of other regions allows one to divert the health resources from other regions.

As the focus during a disaster is on stress and anxiety-related disorders, there needs to be literature on the specific needs of people with severe mental illness during pandemics. Considering that a considerable proportion of patients with severe mental illness require continued management even during a pandemic, strategies to continue the care need to be developed. Otherwise, disruption to or absence of access to care can have serious negative consequences in patients with severe mental illness.

Different aspects:

The existing health services are at its breakpoint to control the spread and reduce the mortality of COVID-19. Policymakers though aware of the mental health consequences are prioritizing the capacity building of the health services and attempting to reduce the socio-economic hardships of communities following COVID-19.

Mental health issues noted in (biological) disaster zones including COVID-19 can be classified into an acute phase during the outbreak (approximately 2-6 months) and long-term phase after the control of the outbreak (>6 months).

a) Acute Phase (during the outbreak) – Issues to be dealt with include immediate mental health impacts such as fear, denial, anxiety, insomnia, dissociative symptoms, depressive symptoms, suicidal ideas/attempts, substance withdrawal, and relapse of pre-existing mental health problems. Besides, stress-related issues of the health care providers and frontline personnel need to be addressed.

b) Long-term phase (after the control of the outbreak) – Issues commonly presenting include grief, survivors’ guilt, depression, substance use, relapses of pre-existing mental illness, PTSD, and somatization disorders. The major stressor during this period will be the direct and indirect socio-economic impact of COVID-19. Along with the diagnosable mental health issues, the affected community also harbors a large number of the worried well. Mental health professionals should be aware of this phenomenon and restrain themselves from labeling this population with mental disorder and treating them aggressively with medications.

In addition, all health care and frontline personnel should be aware that mental health issues post-COVID-19 (or any disaster), represent the emotional reactions of normal people in abnormal situations and for a majority these symptoms are self-limiting.

Case Finding:

There are possibly three streams for case-detection/identification of mental health issues that need to be focused in the acute phase of COVID-19.

1. Case Identification by front-line medical and non-medical personnel (including police officers, Members of Local Self Government, Community/health workers)

- Points of entry into the country/state –Airport/Railway Station/State borders etc.

- Home quarantine visits

- Other Medical Emergencies

2. Case Identification by health care professionals (non-psychiatric)

- Hospital quarantine/isolation

- Routine out-patient assessment for other illness

3. Self-referral/Walk-ins to mental health professionals

4. Identification of frontline medical and non-medical personnel in need of help/support for stress management or burnout

5. Screening of the high-risk (vulnerable) population once Community Transmission is established

Who are the most Vulnerable?

· Children

· Senior citizens

· Pregnant women

· Persons with disability

· Homeless individuals, Poor social support & lower economic status

· Marginalized communities

· Life-threatening chronic medical conditions like cancer, chronic renal failure, liver diseases, asthma/COPD, immunocompromised patients

· History of severe mental illness and wandering mentally ill

Mental Health Issues:

1. Mental Health Issues of Home Quarantine:

Quarantine is defined as the separation of people who have been exposed to a contagious disease to ascertain whether they become sick, thereby reducing the risk of them infecting others. Presently governments across the world and in India are using a combination of measures to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. While considered essential under the present circumstances, quarantine can be a taxing and distressing experience for many. Based on studies from previous epidemics/ pandemics we shall identify some of the mental health concerns which people in quarantine face and propose solutions/remedial measures for the same. It must be acknowledged at the outset that we could not find any intervention studies which have examined the effectiveness of the various remedial measures. Rather, these measures are proposed based on the problems people in quarantine had faced in previous epidemics.

2. Mental Health Issues in Hospital Quarantine/Isolation:

Quarantine is done for the larger interest of the community by curtailing the right of the individual. The quarantine can lead to physical, psychological, emotional, and financial stress due to fear of contracting the illness, boredom, loneliness, loss of personal freedom, a new set of daily routine, and lack of social togetherness.

The mental health issues following the hospital quarantine period can be

a. New-onset mental health problems

b. Exacerbation of pre-existing mental health problems.

3. Mental Health Issues in Children and Adolescents Children:

All of us, children included, are trying to make sense of the overwhelming uncertainty in front of us due to the global pandemic caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Children and adolescents have already been at home – with schools being shut early – for over three months in several parts of India. Their regular schedules have been disrupted, with no clear idea of when they will be restored. Children may experience a range of psychological issues such as anxiety, fear, worry, depression, difficulty sleeping, and loss of appetite.Quarantine and isolation may also lead to an acute stress disorder, PTSD, and grief in many children. Children with various physical and mental disabilities – and especially mental health disorders – are more vulnerable during this trying time.

Social isolation may worsen the living situation of children in abusive environments as well as children with special needs. Children may even go through loss and grief at this time.

4. Addressing Mental Health Issues among Pregnant and Postpartum Women during COVID-19:

Positive mental health is particularly important during pregnancy and postpartum. Currently, available literature has consistently shown an association between depression, anxiety during pregnancy, and small for gestational age, low birth weight, and preterm delivery. During the postpartum period around 10-15% of women experience depression and anxiety.

It has also been observed that postpartum depression is one of the reasons for poor bonding with their babies. In the current period of COVID-19 pandemic, even routine visits to health care facilities for antenatal care and infant immunization are likely to create a great sense of anxiety in mothers about their health and that of their unborn or newborn baby. It is thus a matter of priority to address these concerns to ensure positive mental health and early interventions for perinatal mental health issues.

Ø Symptoms of anxiety and psychological distress during the perinatal period related to COVID-19:

· Excessive worry about getting the infection even when all precautions are being taken and even after reassurance

· Lack of sleep because of anxiety

· Focusing excessively on social media messages about COVID-19

· Getting anxious about infection control procedures in family members

· Excessive worrying about missing work

· Feeling sad and angry because of isolation and not being able to meet family and friends

· Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge

· Not being able to stop or control worrying

· Trouble relaxing

· Being so restless that it's hard to sit still

· Becoming easily annoyed or irritable

· Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen

5. Suicidality in the context of COVID-19 Pandemic:

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic worldwide has been increasingly associated with suicides. Instances of suicide in the context of the pandemic have been reported among individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 infection, those who have suffered severe financial setbacks. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significantly increased levels of stress at the community, family, and individual levels with a consequently increased vulnerability to suicide.

6. Counseling for home quarantined using telephone helplines and telepsychiatry:

For subject’s in-home quarantine, supportive counseling can be provided by telephone helplines and telepsychiatry platforms. These have an important advantage over the face to face counseling, as they provide specialist services, which can be accessed from the convenience of peoples' homes without endangering the health personnel and the larger community.

Telepsychiatry Video Consultations (VC)

In the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, advancements in digital communication (telepsychiatry) has meant that there are means to overcome this to a great extent. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it may be a safer alternative to provide infection-proof consultations from both the user (patients and their family) and the provider (psychiatrists).

What is telepsychiatry?

It means that patient care is provided by the psychiatrist to the service users employing digital technology.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, considering the possible higher risk of contracting the infection, patients with severe mental illness requires special attention. Continuation of community-based treatment is essential to prevent relapse or worsening of the severe mental illness which can add additional burden to the stressed health infrastructure. Technology platforms need to be widely used for teleconsultations to achieve the same.

Quarantine, isolation, and social distancing in the times of a raging pandemic can be psychologically distressing for many people. However, there are simple and effective actions that you can take as a health care provider. Psychological issues following the pandemic are likely to be common. Most affected will require only brief assessments and immediate support. Given the lack of knowledge base, a clinical decision needs to be made and treatment for COVID-19 needs to be individualized in patients with severe mental illness.

#mentalheathawareness #mental health #assignment #covidー19 #staysafestayhealthy #staysafe #stayhealthy

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awesomeshefalimulye-blog · 5 years ago

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5 best international destinations to visit post COVID – 19

The COVID – 19 pandemic has devastated humanity as never before. With multiple countries under strict lockdowns or restricted movements. It has caused a severe blow to the economics of many countries. Multiple businesses and industries worldwide have been badly affected (though some continue to prosper even through this pandemic). One of the worst hit is of course the tourism industry comprising of airlines, hotels and other hospitality related services such as transporters, embassies and visa related services, restaurants and many other ancillary service partners. Having said that tourism is resilient and will bounce back for sure just as it did post the SARS in 2013. The biggest question is what will one’s travel itinerary in the future look like and which regions in the world will be safe to travel in the future? Some of the factors which will perhaps determine this will be – proximity to home, airline capacity, especially to bring back home in case of any eventuality, destinations which were less impacted and/or have better health facilities and also insurance covers.

I am listing down some international destinations that maybe explored post COVID – 19 taking into account multiple factors that work in favour of these destinations. For those who are ‘travellers’ and are looking at continuing to travel once airline services resume and it is safer to travel, here goes –

Country Total cases Active Cases Deaths

New Zealand 1499 45 21

Taiwan 440 35 7

Vietnam 324 61 0

Thailand 3031 118 56

Hong Kong 1056 27 4

New Zealand:

As on date New Zealand has reported 1499 active COVID – 19 cases with around 21 deaths and 93% of the infected cases have recovered successfully. New Zealand has a definite advantage over many other countries. Constituting 268,000 kms of total land area and a population of approximately 48 lakhs spread out between the North and South Island and any neighbouring inhabited island – It is not a large country and is fairly sparsely populated and yet has the comforts of being a developed country.

Ø Known for its surreal natural beauty, few destinations can boast of so many natural wonders and experiences packed into such a small area. Snow capped peaks, rain forests, coastal glaciers, large geothermal areas in Rotorua with bubbling mud ponds and hissing streams – New Zealand has it all. Queenstown is a hotspot for adrenaline filled sports such as white-water rafting, luging, jet boat riding, skydiving, hiking, mountain biking, heli hiking, bungy jumping at the Bloukrons Bridge (one of the highest bungy jumps in the world)– the list of outdoor activities is endless.

Ø With options of self - drive vacations as well as seat in coach holidays, one can find a wide variety of accommodations ranging from budget to luxury as well as quaint bed and breakfasts.

Ø For the sports lovers, the cricket season in New Zealand will start from July with matches with West Indies followed by ICC T20 on Oct which could be something to plan for. Oct onwards is a good time to travel to New Zealand right through till the beginning of March, to experience summer in New Zealand.

Ø With simplified e visa processes, correct documentation and timely application of visas, obtaining the New Zealand visa can be a breeze.

Ø Well connected with multiple airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, Thai Airways, Air New Zealand and Emirates as well as low cost airlines such as Jet Star, it is a destination which can combined with a stopover in a South East Asian hub as well.

Ø Considering the size of the country and its population, social distancing should not be a challenge when travelling through New Zealand.

Ø New Zealand has around 40 public hospitals spread across the country in cities and larger towns. Both public as well as private health care in the country is excellent.

Ø All the major insurance companies offer multiple type of travel insurance products for New Zealand and are expected to offer products inclusive of COVID -19.

Ø Best time to visit: September to November (Spring) with temperatures averaging between 13 – 20 degrees, December to February (Summer) with temperatures averaging between 19 – 25 degrees

Taiwan:

Considering its geographical (not to mention lack of political) proximity to China, Taiwan has done an exemplary job of managing COVID 19 and its implications. While relatively unknown. Taiwan offers wondrous vistas, lively traditions and cultures. This year in 2020. Taiwan celebrates ‘the year of mountain tourism’.

Ø Shaped like a leaf, the island covers 36,000 square kms with 23 million people living in it. Though not a very large country and while it is fairly densely populated, its immediate action and advanced deployment, sufficient availability of PPE for medical personnel and effective use of technology has helped the country tremendously in successfully handling this global pandemic far more effectively than most other countries.

Ø Some of the popular ways of discovering Taiwan are trekking in the magnificence of the cliffs at Taroko Gorge; taking a ride on the Alishan Forest Railway and experiencing the breathtaking sunrise and sea of clouds; hiking up to the summit of Northeast Asia's highest peak, Yu Mountain (Yushan). You can also soak up the sun in Kending (Kenting), Asia's version of Hawaii; stand at the edge of Sun Moon Lake; wander through the East Rift Valley; or visit the offshore islands of Kinmen and Penghu – overall a lot of fun family activities after being confined to our homes for so long.

Ø For true shoppers at heart, Taipei offers many night markets where you can combine a very satisfying shopping tour with a street food tour and try some amazing local fare and even a unique shrimp fishing experience.

Ø You can enjoy a cycle tour near Sun Moon Lake as well a sample local wines and tea made from pure spring water.

Ø Well connected with many airlines’ ex India such as Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Airlines and low-cost airlines like Air Asia, connectivity is easily possible from many Indian cities though fares are a little towards the expensive side.

Ø Taiwan has emerged as a hotspot for medical tourism with sophisticated medical technology, well-trained medical professionals, strategic geographical location, stress-free VISA process and most importantly affordable cost-effective quality treatment. With a wide range of government and private hospitals spread across the country, makes it an ideal destination to travel to even as we wait for a vaccine for COVID – 19.

Ø Popular among both business and leisure travellers, Indian nationals can now travel to Taiwan with a free visa, which can be applied online, thus simplifying visa processes.

Ø Best time to visit Taiwan: November or the first half of April. The weather is cooler in November while in April you will get to see nature in its full bloom.

Vietnam:

Vietnam has been another interesting statistic in so far as battling Coronavirus is concerned. With only 288 cases and no deaths till date, inspite of a relatively weak healthcare system and a low budget for combating the virus, Vietnam is a case study in how this virus can be beaten against all odds. Effective 23rd April 2020, Vietnamese government has lifted social isolation rules and allowed opening of many non- essential services including restaurants. Domestic flights have resumed operations as well. Though Vietnam has limited and not necessarily international level medical facilities, I have still continued to include the same in my list on account of close proximity to India especially for those on a relative budget and looking for a short break. Vietnam boasts a variety of experiences for families as well as couples and can be an expensive luxury holiday or a relatively basic holiday if looking for a budget one, though airfares can be a little bit of a deterrent sometimes even if booked well in advance

Ø Vietnam follows a very simple, inexpensive online e visa process for Indians, which is not complex and does not need to be planned weeks in advance.

Ø One of the most underrated destinations in Asia, Vietnam is popular for its amazingly beautiful beaches some of them relatively unexplored, national parks, historical monuments and bustling nightlife. Cities as vibrant as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh , overnight on a junk boat at the dazzling UNESCO World Heritage site of Halong Bay, hiking through Cat Ba Island, visiting and staying with locals in some of the most spectacular rural villages in North of Vietnam, visit the world’s largest cave in Pho Nha National Park, enjoy relaxing cycling expeditions in Hue or Ninh Binh as you walk around or drive past karst peaks and sail pas Tam Coc’s rice fields, meet up with local tribes in Sapa or find romance in its love market, see the recently opened Golden Hands Bridge in Da Nang and enjoy its French flavours or head on a food trail in one of the cities in Vietnam – the list of experiences is endless.

Ø Combining a trip to neighbouring Cambodia is also a wonderful option as you will get to see the massive and most important archaeological site in South East Asia – Angkor Wat temples.

Ø The best medical care in Vietnam is in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, though most medical concerns can be treated competently in many smaller towns and cities. ... SOS International has clinics in Vung Tau, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City, providing good but expensive outpatient medical care

Ø All major insurance companies offer multiple products that cover Vietnam.

Ø The best time to visit Vietnam is during December through February when temperatures are milder and rain is minimal. Vietnam's long, narrow shape means that the three primary regions (north, central, and south) experience different types of seasons and weather events throughout the year.

Thailand:

Thailand is perhaps the most ‘been there, done that’ destination in this list. Nonetheless I am including the same as I feel that the destination has great potential on account of a lot of unexplored experiences it has to offer.

Ø Fantastic connectivity PAN India with option of more expensive full service carriers as well as budget LCC carries combined with amazingly tourist friendly and well organised seat in coach as well as private service and a wide range of accommodation options, gives one a wider price range to choose from depending on budget.

Ø Apart from the pristine, dreamy beaches, ancient monasteries and coral reefs, food trails that are a treat for your taste buds, adventurous water sports, historical sites and of course a flourishing night life– there is still a lot undiscovered by many Indian travellers.

Ø Bangkok, the capital, in central Thailand, is regarded as a modern hub of various cultures, faiths and experiences. Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai to the north cater to those looking the quiet countryside and to spend time in the wild. Down south, beach destinations such as Phuket, Krabi and Koh Samui and island resorts in Khao Sok or Koh Yao Yai and many others, offer some of the best tropical experiences by the sea. On the western end, the Hua Hin region is popular for resorts where one can relax luxuriously. Finally, towards the east, Ubon Ratchathani is a spiritual and historical escape where one can immersively learn about Buddhist and Thai culture.

Ø Generally speaking, the standard of medical care in Thailand is good. Thailand has world class international standard hospitals in the larger urban centres, with reasonably good medical facility in rural Thailand.

Ø Normally I do recommend Thailand as a year- round destination as the countryside is stunningly beautiful in the monsoons and though it rains, it will not disrupt your plans largely. Having said that if you are looking for a perfect weather to travel in, then November through till April is a dry season with temperatures ranging from 29 degrees to 34 degrees.

Ø Before the COVID- 19 pandemic, Thailand was offering free e visa on arrival. Butan update is awaited on the same from the Thailand embassy. The process of obtaining visa before departure is fairly hassle free and does not take more than 3- 4 working days under ordinary circumstances.

Hong Kong:

Considering its proximity and accessibility to China, this is another country that has done a remarkable job of managing the pandemic. One of the 1st countries to be hit by the same, Hong Kong is today one of the most ‘almost COVID – 19 free’ countries on the list. What makes this remarkable further is that the city-state has achieved this without the kind of de facto police-state curfew that India has resorted to. While people did work from home and some of the theme parks as well as attractions are closed to avoid community transmission, eventually restaurants opened, people continued to go to parks and favourite hiking routes but nearly everyone wears a mask and maintain social distancing.

Ø Bustling streets, mouth-watering authentic cuisines, nature reserves and teetering tower blocks, old world markets amidst neon jungles, diversity in its various contradictions - Hong Kong is by far one of the most dynamic, overwhelming city I have ever has the opportunity to visit, A great pick for a family destination, Hong Kong offers a wide range of attractions for all age groups combined with all the privileges and comforts one can enjoy in any well-developed country. Apart from child friendly attractions such as Ocean Park and Disneyland, this multi culture destination also hosts many world class sports events especially rugby and horse racing.

Ø It is only an hour’s ferry ride from Macau, a mecca for those interested in casinos and night life and Las Vegas style hotels on ‘The Strip’ with internationally acclaimed shows. Just perfect for those who cannot make it to Las Vegas as yet!

Ø Hong Kong is extremely well connected to many major airports in India. The airfares as well as hotels are a little on the higher side and I would recommend booking the same early.

Ø Critically, Hong Kong has one of the world’s best public healthcare systems, experienced at dealing with challenges such as the avian flu in 1997 to the H1N1 in 2009.

Ø Once again, an all year-round destination, the best time to visit Hong Kong is from October till April. For those who enjoy cultural experiences and local festivals and food, I would recommend considering a trip to Hong Kong in January & February though.

COVID – 19 is not yet a thing of the past globally nor is it an issue we can ignore, So it is time we start working around it and figuring out solutions to stay safe when travelling. Airlines, hoteliers, transporters – everyone involved in the business of hospitality are figuring out solutions in terms of contactless travel, regular sanitisation, norms of social distancing and many other issues which are likely to come up once all of them are allowed to operate as usual. There is definitely a new ‘normal’ that we all need to adjust to while travelling in the future. In a business where human touch and conversation is all about hospitality, be it on land or in air, we may be looking at reduced human touch just to be able to stay safe and travel. So be it then!

#stay safe #stay healthy

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kiki202201 · 3 years ago

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Is extreme tobacco control really beneficial?

Illegal cigarettes increase sharply due to heavy tax laws in India India is a big tobacco country. The country has a population of about 1.39 billion, of which about 70% are over the age of 15. Of the adult population, 28.6% used tobacco (including combustible and smokeless tobacco products); 10.7% used multiple tobacco products, and about 4% used cigarettes only. Like many other countries, India's illicit tobacco problem is growing. India ranks among the top five in the world in a ranking of the illicit cigarette trade by global research firm Euromonitor International. According to Euromonitor International, 28.1 billion illicit cigarettes will be sold in India in 2020, accounting for 27.6% of the tobacco product market. This is mainly due to India's heavy taxation of tobacco and its extreme tobacco control regulations, which have led to an incredible increase in illicit tobacco products, especially illicit cigarettes , in the country. Until July 2017, cigarettes were subject to specific federal excise rates, and states had their own ad valorem taxes. From 1 July 2017, the ex-factory price of cigarettes will be taxed at the top GST rate of 28%. In addition, the GST Compensation Tax (GSTCC) has been added, which consists of a flat rate and an ad valorem tax. In addition, there are Basic Excise Tax (BED) and National Disaster Contingency Tax (NCCD). The current tax system has put a strain on India's cigarette industry. Clearly, the tax burden will eventually be passed on to the end consumer, allowing illegal operators to engage in illegal activities more rampant, resulting in a 44% surge in the number of illegal cigarettes in the country. Indian cigarettes are usually sold in packs of 10 or 20 but are also often sold individually. Local economy illicit cigarettes sell for as little as INR 1-2 per stick, and well-known smuggled brands sell for INR 10 per stick. While the minimum retail price for legitimate economy brands is INR 4 per stick, and the retail price for legitimate and well-known international brands is INR 15 per stick. The price difference between illegal and legal products is stark. In addition, since April 2016, India requires that cigarette packages must be printed with pictorial health warnings, and they must occupy 85% of the front and back of the tobacco product package. In contrast, the average area of warnings on cigarette packages worldwide is less than 45%. Interestingly, a survey conducted by the Indian Market Research Bureau (IMRB) shortly after the new rules on health warnings came into effect showed that consumers turned to buy smuggled cigarettes without such health warnings. Evidently, smokers are staying away from legal products, while illicit operators have found business opportunities, smuggling large quantities of cigarettes into the country, packaged without unpleasant graphic warnings and attractive. To make matters worse, criminal gangs have profited, and will continue to, to some extent, as the pandemic has disrupted the supply chains of legitimate manufacturers around the world. The extent of the surge in the illicit tobacco trade can be seen in national and state newspapers. Reports of smuggling cases across India's long, loose borders and warehouses are almost daily, and smuggling tobacco is staggering. Clearly, the work of law enforcement agencies in their efforts to curb illicit trade is very commendable. But given the total volume of illicit tobacco products, it still seems like an uphill battle. Regrettably, enforcement can be hampered by India's lengthy and cumbersome court procedures, with violators often getting away with "symbolic punishment".

#cigarettes

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seniorcarehomes · 3 years ago

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Omicron Variant: Should you Cancel Your Holiday Travel?

Will Omicron Variant Affect Your Holiday Travel Plans?

The most wonderful time of the year is finally here! With the previous lockdowns and minimal social gatherings since the pandemic started, everyone’s been so eager to travel and reunite with friends and families this holiday season. However, with the new Covid variant known as the Omicron, holiday travel just got more complicated.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that the Omicron Variant is already in the U.S. The Coronavirus cases has been increasing due to the Delta and Omicron variants. Just when we thought things are starting to go back to normal, new coronavirus variants keep emerging. This only shows that the pandemic is far from over.

What Do We Know About the New Covid Omicron Variant?

According to CDC, the newly identified Covid Variant, known as Omicron has been detected last November 11, 2021 in Botswana. It was then reported to the World Health Organization on November 24, 2021. The first known case in the U.S has been detected in California on November 30, 2021.

The Omicron variant is new and still needs a lot of research data. Due to the small number of reported cases, the severity of Omicron remains unclear. It will probably take another two weeks or so for the Government and health officials to provide more details about infection and spread.

One of the biggest questions right now for travelers is – With the new Omicron variant circulating worldwide, should you cancel your holiday travel plans or not? This is difficult to answer. The best thing to do for right now, is to stay updated with the latest news and health guidelines. Check CDC’s website regularly for any travel guidance and advice.

Here are important things to consider so you can make the best-informed decision for you and your family’s safety.

1. Your Destination

Where are you going? Be sure to check Domestic and International travel protocols. Entry and Exit requirements vary per country so be sure to check before making travel arrangements. Keep in mind too that if you are planning to travel outside of the U.S, you will now need to test negative for Covid within 24 hours before you can re-enter the U.S. This includes U.S Citizens and permanent residents. It would be wise to check the news, stats and any updates about covid cases in the areas you are planning to visit.

2. Vaccination Status

Have you and all the members of your travel party been fully vaccinated? Did you remember to get your booster shot before leaving? The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly recommends getting fully vaccinated and booster shots before traveling internationally. Per health officials it is the best way to protect yourself and your family against all the Covid variants, including the Omicron.

3. Access to Covid Testing Sites

Do you have access to Covid Testing sites before and after your holiday travel? President Biden has announced: “Effective, December 6, all air travelers entering the United States regardless of citizenship or vaccination status, will be to be required to show a negative pre-departure COVID-19 viral test taken the day before they board their flight to the United States.” This means that if you travel internationally, there is no guarantee that you will be allowed back to the U.S unless you test negative for covid the day before you arrive. With the new Entry and Exit requirements, you need to make sure that you can get tested before and after your travel to avoid any travel delays.

4. Wearing a Mask and Social Distancing

Are you comfortable wearing a mask? Will it be possible to observe social distancing? Be sure to wear a mask in public areas especially when you’re indoors. It is important to continue social distancing from other people who are not in your travel party.

Deciding to continue with your holiday travel:

If you decide to continue with your travel plans this holiday season, make sure you are vaccinated and have gotten the booster shot. Always wear a mask and social distance. Most importantly, stay updated with any health advisories and follow all safety recommendations at your destination.

Health experts have predicted that Coronavirus is not going away anytime soon. It’s here to stay. Therefore, we must make the necessary adjustments and learn how to live with it. Have a safe holiday season and hope you can find meaningful ways to celebrate with your loved ones safely.

#memorycarefacility #seniorcommunitiesinarizona

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mautlan · 3 years ago

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Historic Discovery in Herpes Treatment Options Threatens To Be Buried By COVID-19 Pandemic

The Shadow-Banned Cure: For decades, scientists have been working to find a herpes cure. To date, only one company has succeeded. Synergy Pharmaceuticals, a multinational organization with operations in Australia, created its Herpes Treatment from five organic ingredients. These ingredients apparently work together to create T cells and macrophages, which help break down herpes’ viral envelope. Synergy states that this process causes the virus to weaken, prevents cell-to-cell infection, and eventually eradicates it.

According to Synergy’s clinical research trials, a significant proportion of subjects with genital herpes who took the Combination Herpes Treatment for 4 to 6 months had negative blood test results for herpes (both HSV-1 and HSV-2). These subjects were previously infected for years, but they are now witnessing no outbreaks or other herpes-related symptoms. The teams conducted follow-up blood tests that showed no recurrence of the virus. This left people thinking Could this be a cure?

The trial concluded that Combination Herpes Treatment is more effective than any antiviral medication currently on the market. It has succeeded at what vaccine experts failed to do.

Therefore, has Synergy Pharmaceuticals been able to do what no one else could: create a holistic treatment for a virus that previously had no cure.

Naturally, finding treatment was the most amazing news that individuals with herpes had ever heard! They can finally be cured of a virus that is embarrassing, limiting, and at times, painful. However, vaccine businesses did not like what they heard—they did not like it one bit.

COVID-19 vaccines have gone through an expedited means to get approval from the FDA through Guidance Document (2020) and through the help of Accelerated Approval (2018), whereas other equally important findings, such as the one developed by Synergy Pharmaceutical, apparently have a hard time passing.

COVID-19 has occupied the headlines since late 2019. Almost 2 years later, this new variant of coronavirus has certainly become one of modern history’s most virulent and deadly pandemics, causing the death of more than 3 million and affecting 176 million worldwide.

Continuously informed of the presence of a lethal worldwide epidemic constricting every aspect of society every time we turn on the television or access just about any other media channel. Researchers have been working nonstop to develop a vaccine. Since then, several countries, medical communities, and researchers have successfully invented a vaccine, with Beijing-based Sinovac, Pfizer-BioNTech, and AstraZeneca leading the charge. American biotech company Moderna has also successfully created its version of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Synergy explained that those who have worked in the medical field know that developing an effective vaccination can take anywhere from 10 to 15 years, including clinical trials and testing. Even being able to complete it in five years is a rare occurrence. Although this dedication to discovering a vaccine is great, the medical community's resources have been diverted to the COVID-19 fight. Other industries have suffered as a result. Leaving them resourceless and without media coverage, such as in the case of HSV.

Synergy Pharmaceuticals insisted on giving a brief background of the herpes simplex virus, explaining that herpes results from infection with HSV. It causes sores or blisters to form in or around the mouth or genitals, as well as other symptoms. Herpes has been around since the early 18th century. It has been proven repeatedly to be contagious. However, for some reason, it doesn’t attract the same degree of exposure as to other communicable diseases (COVID-19 as an example).

The pharmaceutical company further clarified that there are two main types of herpes: HSV-1, which causes oral herpes and usually affects the mouth and surrounding areas, and HSV-2, which causes genital herpes and is usually sexually transmitted. Individuals with an HSV infection will have it for the rest of their lives. However, some people never develop symptoms. If symptoms occur, they reflect the type of HSV.

Synergy pointed out that only a handful of scientists have worked to find a cure for herpes (because of various reasons, including lack of support and awareness), stating that even in 2021, despite the recent strides in medical treatments as a whole, the treatment of herpes has stalled and has barely changed.

This is somewhat concerning because HSV carries with it a stigma. In an ideal world, scientists would work to come up with a cure to this disease and remove the stigma.

Synergy described the current situation as one in which scientists easily throw opportunities to the wayside even when these chances present themselves. This stigma has allowed too many experts to ignore what is occurring right under their noses in a time that is famously grappled by a global pandemic.

Synergy further lamented that the ongoing stigma and lack of medical access have consequences, saying, In particular, four out of five of the 12% of Americans who have contracted HSV-2 have not been officially diagnosed. They are afraid to be tested and even more afraid to tell the people in their lives that they have herpes. They are especially afraid of what herpes will mean for their romantic lives. As an NPR-profiled patient, Adrial Dale said in an article in 2015, “herpes is a death sentence to my love life.” Moreover, patients experience shame, anger, and depression in the first few weeks of receiving a herpes diagnosis. They are in shock, and frankly, only a few resources are available to make them feel better.

This stigma is counterproductive in treating herpes; that is, it enables the virus to thrive in individuals that are living with it because they refuse to acknowledge that they have it. Therefore, the need for a cure has been highly desired. As a cure can silence critics and can provide relief to those living with the scarlet letter of today.

And so the pharmaceutical company expressed their contempt to how disenchanted it is, to unearth a cure that is being silenced instead.

When Money Is Prioritized Over Comfort: Although the suppression of COVID-19 is indeed a pressing matter and controlling it is for the benefit of the public, the process involved in vaccine approval should be applied equally to all kinds of discoveries similarly situated.

The multinational company suggested that there could be several reasons why COVID-19 vaccine approval was accelerated. Revealing that aside from the obvious medical reasons, it is important to pause for a moment and realize that the global vaccine market is worth $59.2 billion. These vaccines are certainly important and critical to the management of a global populace. However, corporate giants know how important these vaccines are; thus, they are often the ones manoeuvring the puppet strings behind the scenes. At present, these corporations are fixated on the potential of owning the COVID-19 vaccine. It would make them unbelievably rich.

Synergy implied that perhaps this situation is the reason why their cure for herpes has not received widespread attention. Elucidating that the treatment threatens to undermine the potential COVID-19 profits that every company is lining up to claim today.

Nevertheless, Synergy has started what can only be described as a groundbreaking moment in the world of medicine, refusing to be discouraged the company stated boldly and optimistically that, “We refuse to allow COVID-19 to overshadow what has been unearthed for the herpes community. When this information is suppressed, tens of millions of people worldwide are being denied access to life-changing medication. They deserve access to an outbreak-free life, and we are ready to provide it to them.”

References

US Food and Drug Administration. 2020. “Guidance Document: Development and Licensure of Vaccines to Prevent COVID-19.” Content current as of June 30, 2020. https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/development-and-licensure-vaccines-prevent-covid-19.

US Food and Drug Administration. 2018. “Accelerated Approval.” Content current as of January 4, 2018. https://www.fda.gov/patients/fast-track-breakthrough-therapy-accelerated-approval-priority-review/accelerated-approval.

Contact Information:

Name of Business: Synergy Pharmaceuticals

Website:

www.synergy-pharmaceuticals.com

Email is:

[email protected]

Address: Collins Square Tower Five, 727 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3008. Australia

Phone number: 03 8692 0025

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swifterm · 3 years ago

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Unleashing Ecommerce Pet Marketing Strategies

Unleashing Ecommerce Pet Marketing Strategies. Surges in sales. Immunity from the pandemic’s financial downturn. And an ecommerce market share outpacing online retail as a whole. By every metric, the pet industry in 2021 represents one of the most lucrative opportunities for online brands. Every metric … except one. Despite strong numbers, it’s a dog-eat-dog world with the biggest of the big devouring far more than their fair share.

Intense competition among retailers marks the pet food, pet care, and pet supplies landscape — especially mass merchandisers who are privy to high-volume sales, the luxury of lower margins, and scale. The top two US players, PetSmart and PETCO, account for nearly half of all online pet product revenue there. (UK data available from Statista here) Amazon’s debut into white-labeled pet-food challenges start-ups lacking methods to address variable costs like supply-chain logistics and shipping.

What’s more, traditional retail giants like Walmart and Target are expanding their online presence — redefining the pet market and shoppers’ expectations.

How can DTC catch up with the pack? Good news: there’s plenty of hope

With real numbers and tested strategies, this guide provides an overview into the state of the pet industry broken into two parts along with tactical lessons from ecommerce brands doing it right.

Pet Industry Trends: Growth & Statistics in 2020, 2021, and Beyond

Mapping data across the pet industry is notoriously difficult. Unlike fashion marketing, health and wellness, and the beauty industry, no single source of market research exists.

Globally, the pet care market has grown from $216 billion in 2020 to $232 billion in 2021. An estimated 6.1% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR), will catapult that figure to $350 billion by 2027.

While North America and Western Europe are mature, they still offer possibilities for an uptick in consumer purchases relative to the growth experienced worldwide.

Space exists for the development of new products and especially new channels: an advantageous lifecycle stage for emerging brands to enter and thrive.

Within the ecommerce sector especially there is significant room for maturation, as customer preference for shopping for pet products on ecommerce sites is estimated to grow at 9.4% — a sizable increase over its already 13% market share.

1. The Boom of Ecommerce’s Pet Market

While retail stores have seen a slow increase in buying, the online pet market has nearly quadrupled since 2013.

With pet ownership rates continuing to rise, the target market for the industry as a whole will expand, allowing new penetration points.

Yes, the big-box pet stores are experiencing good fortune. But, to fear the competition is to miss the way forward.

For entrepreneurs eager to penetrate new markets, pet food and pet supplies are the second and third biggest ecommerce CPG categories across the industry. The promise of prosperity is acutely high within the natural foods, animal care, and supply sectors.

Whether it’s a rise in the number of household pets or diversified shopping platforms — the result is an expansion of the global pet market. No surprise, the area of opportunity for businesses looking to expand market share in the pet industry is online.

2. Pet Ownership Demographics and Preferences

No longer do Baby Boomers represent the largest portion of pet owners; that title now belongs to Millennials. Pet brands who will win the future of the industry must understand how Millennials differ from the other generations.

Digital purchasing power cannot go without emphasizing the importance of marketing within that space. Millennials nearly double baby boomers in relation to time spent on social media — 90.4% of millennials are active social media users compared to 48.2% of Baby Boomers (eMarketer, 2019).

By nature of how users natively wield social, the pet category seamlessly fits within the realm of sharable content. Thus, retailers who meet millennials where they’re at, can be a make or break difference for brands looking for competitive channel advantage.

In addition, competitive pricing, convenience, and personalization are blowing the brick-and-mortar house down.

The response: dual-channel retailing, faster fulfillment, improved cost controls, and advances in home delivery. Demand for high-quality products from millennials further attributes to industry profit because of the generally higher mark-ups of premium products.

Making this data actionable for means examining ecommerce trends and statistics within three segments, each with its own unique value propositions …

3. Data on Three Verticals within the Industry(1) Pet Food Market

At $91.1 billion worldwide, pet food represents the single largest niche within the larger space. Within the United States’ 2020 market volume of $30.9M, most revenue is generated by the food segment, which also includes treats and supplements.

Add to this the potential for premium pet food products within the market segment. Natural and organic food products tend to come at a higher price tag, affording operators to earn greater markups.

An increasing penetration of retail sales has augmented the growth of the pet food market. At the same time, availability of pet food on ecommerce platforms entices consumers with convenience and the stripping away of physical shopping constraints.

(2) Pet Care & Services

The pet services market includes grooming, boarding, training, and care.

Over the past five years, it has been the fastest-growing product segment under the industry umbrella. With more and more owners considering their pets as family, it’s rise is driven by interest in pampering and specialty services for furry family members.

Alongside it is the veterinary care industry, which has undergone growth as a result of mass household penetration.

Rising per capita income and growing pet adoptions for companionship lend to an increase in spending on pet care which will continue to boost the market.

Regardless of the distribution channel, brands within the pet care industry that offer premium services may see further gains.

Because households are obtaining higher incomes, they are able to afford premium discretionary service. It also affects the lifestyle of pet owners, affording them more ability to travel, thus increasing the importance of the boarding services segment.

(3) Pet Products & Supplies

With food and pet care holding the top two spots in terms of industry sales, there are more promising prospects within the pet supply market because it is slower growing and encompasses niche products like clothing, food bowls, collars, and carriers.

A key driver for this industry will be the wide range of availability of fashionable and multifunctional pet accessories.

Pet supplies are a leading industry category in the United States, with sales of approximately 4.54 billion U.S. dollars and positive sales growth of 2.7%.

Its share of revenue also spread due to the “pet parenting” trend, in which pet owners treated their pets as family members and started supplying them with complementary products. This segment accounts for an estimated 40.6% of total industry revenue in 2019.

Of those buying pet products, approximately 17% reported buying pet products online in 2017, up from approximately 13% in the previous year.

Pet supplies and accessories sold by retailers also encounter mounting competition not only from mass merchandisers but by smaller outlets because there are no regulations that limit their sales.

For online retailers, favorable economic conditions in the pet supply segment can be complimented through product innovation. Since mass-market brands offer goods with little differentiation, the spike in exclusive niche products will help diversify the current price competition.

In this way, niche product marketing will become mandatory to success for brands positioning themselves apart in the space.

4. Pets Stores, Retail, and Pop-Ups: Don’t Bite the Hand That Feeds You

PetSmart and Petco still hold the largest market share. Two retailers account for ~40% of the landscape, compared to more fragmented verticals like the home furnishings industry where 13 control 55%.

According to Pet Business’ Top 25 Retailers list for 2019, while PetSmart added a net total of 48 stores (versus more than 100 in 2017), Petco added a net total of 10 stores (versus 39 in 2017).

“Despite mounting competition from supermarkets, mass merchandisers and online retailers that offer similar products at greater convenience and competitive prices –traditional brick-and-mortar establishments have successfully positioned themselves as pioneers and exclusive providers of high-quality food and service offerings, such as grooming or daycare,” states the IBIS World Industry Report.

Meanwhile, digitally native pet brands are steadily gaining more market share.

Their success reflects how advances in technology within the human consumer retail market are driving change in the companion animal market as well.

None illustrate this shift more than …

5. Amazon: The Elephant Great Dane in the Room

With Amazon’s main website and third-party sellers taking up 35% of the online market share, pet startups are left to fight over the remaining food in the bowl.

oupled with the launching of Amazon’s first private-label pet brand Wag, might have traditional retailers with their tail in between their legs. The Wag brand offers dry food, the highest moving categories within pet, exclusively to its Prime members.

While Amazon’s scale and market share might seem daunting, it does offer a glimpse of hope for brands looking to enter the online pet space. Amazon’s success shows that there is money to be made in the ecommerce space for the pet industry.

It further affirms pet brands need to take things digital in order to succeed and gain more market share.

We hope you enjoyed this article, intended to help improve our client’s profitability. It reflects the care SwiftERM offer. If you haven’t already done so, then please enjoy a FREE month’s trial of our predictive personalisation software on your site, and let us know what you think.

, call us on 0207 998 3901, book a call with us

https://calendly.com/swifterm/15min

Zoom ID 964 515 7464

Other articles of interest below: (Index to all articles here)

#ecommerce #marketing #business #petfood #retail

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newstfionline · 4 years ago

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Saturday, May 8, 2021

Govcoins (The Economist) Government digital currencies, or “govcoins”, are a new incarnation of money. They promise to make finance work better but also to shift power from individuals to the state, alter geopolitics and change how capital is allocated. Instead of holding an account with a retail bank, you would hold one directly with a central bank, through an interface resembling apps such as Alipay or Venmo. Rather than writing cheques or paying online with a card, you could use the central bank’s cheap plumbing. And your money would be guaranteed by the full faith of the state, not a fallible bank. Over 50 monetary authorities, in America, the EU, Britain and elsewhere, are exploring digital currencies. China is experimenting and the Bahamas has already issued its own. Governments and financial firms need to prepare for a shift in how money works that is as momentous as the leap to metallic coins or payment cards—a shift that promises a vast spectrum of opportunities, but also real dangers.

Health Advocate or Big Brother? Companies Weigh Requiring Vaccines. (NYT) As American companies prepare to bring large numbers of workers back to the office in the coming months, executives are facing one of their most delicate pandemic-related decisions: Should they require employees to be vaccinated? For the country’s largest companies, mandatory vaccinations would protect service workers and lower the anxiety for returning office employees. That includes those who have been vaccinated but may be reluctant to return without knowing whether their colleagues have as well. And there is a public service element: The goal of herd immunity has slipped as the pace of vaccinations has slowed. But making vaccinations mandatory could risk a backlash, and perhaps even litigation, from those who view it as an invasion of privacy and a Big Brother-like move to control the lives of employees. “While legally in the United States, employers can mandate vaccines while providing accommodations for religious and for health reasons, socially, in terms of the social acceptability of these decisions, it’s much more tenuous,” said Laura Boudreau, a professor of public policy at Columbia University. “And so the reputational risks to these companies of getting this wrong are really high.”

Biden plans to add $600 billion to the U.S. ‘care economy’ (Reuters) President Joe Biden’s $4 trillion plan to rebuild the U.S. economy aims a flood of cash at something millions of women in America do for low pay or no pay at all: taking care of other people. Biden’s “American Jobs Plan” would boost an existing government program with $400 billion more over a decade, to give more elderly and disabled people basic care they need, while his “American Families Plan” creates free universal ‘pre-Kindergarten’ and adds other childcare to the tune of $200 billion. The White House’s team of economists and economic advisers, many of them women, argue that this influx of government cash is essential to fix and grow the U.S. economy. It will get women back into the workforce who left because of the coronavirus, allow other stay-at-home caregivers to take jobs, and pay the people who do care-giving work as a job a more livable wage. The entire premise, though, is proving to be one of the most controversial parts of Biden’s plans. Republicans and some Democrats question why taking care of children, the elderly and disabled should be counted as infrastructure, should be funded by the government, or whether women want this aid at all.

Battlefield Colombia (Foreign Policy) Clashes between protesters and security forces paralyzed Colombia this week, leaving at least 23 protesters and one police officer dead. Another 87 people were reported missing. These are dramatically high totals for a democracy, and they point to skyrocketing discontent with President Iván Duque’s government. They also offer a warning to other Latin American nations: Passing the bulk of pandemic debt bills onto the poor and middle class could lead to significant pushback in the streets. Colombia’s more than eight days of on-and-off protest originally focused on a proposal to hike taxes on utilities while introducing new income taxes for both lower and higher earners, among other measures. Duque said the changes would allow the government to continue offering financial support to those affected by the pandemic, but 80 percent of Colombians opposed them. When Duque had introduced an earlier tax hike in late 2019, it became one of many sparks for mass protests that November and December. Protests this week, too, featured a mix of grievances. As news spread of security forces firing live ammunition at protesters, the outcry increasingly focused on police and military abuse in the country.

Chernobyl smolders (Sciencemag.org) Thirty-five years after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine exploded in the world’s worst nuclear accident, fission reactions are smoldering again in uranium fuel masses buried deep inside a mangled reactor hall. “It’s like the embers in a barbecue pit,” says Neil Hyatt, a nuclear materials chemist at the University of Sheffield. Now, Ukrainian scientists are scrambling to determine whether the reactions will wink out on their own—or require extraordinary interventions to avert another accident. Sensors are tracking a rising number of neutrons, a signal of fission, streaming from one inaccessible room, Anatolii Doroshenko of the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants (ISPNPP) in Kyiv, Ukraine, reported last week during discussions about dismantling the reactor. “There are many uncertainties,” says ISPNPP’s Maxim Saveliev. “But we can’t rule out the possibility of [an] accident.” The neutron counts are rising slowly, Saveliev says, suggesting managers still have a few years to figure out how to stifle the threat.

Afghans Fleeing Home Are Filling the Lowliest Jobs in Istanbul (NYT) In a derelict house in one of the oldest quarters of Istanbul, a group of Afghan migrants were welcoming new arrivals—two teenagers who had survived the perilous two-month journey on the migrant trail from Afghanistan. They said they had just arrived overnight in Istanbul after a 60-hour trek over the mountains from Iran into Turkey. The number of Afghans arriving in Turkey has soared over the last seven years as the United States and NATO forces have wound down their military presence. More than 200,000 Afghans were caught entering Turkey illegally in 2019, many of whom were deported back to Afghanistan. But despite a reduction of overall numbers in the last year because of the pandemic, Afghans still represent by far the largest migrant group making the dangerous crossing by sea or land to Greece. And their numbers are set to grow as the Taliban take control back home.

India’s disaster hangs over countries facing COVID-19 surges (AP) Countries worldwide wrestling with new coronavirus surges are trying to ensure they aren’t hit by an India-style disaster. They face many of the same risks, including large populations and fragile health systems shaken under the strain. In a province along the Nile in southern Egypt, hospitals have been flooded with COVID-19 patients, a main hot spot in a third spike swelling across the country. Doctors in Sohag province warn the health system there could collapse, even as the government rushes in new supplies. “My estimate is that there is no family in Sohag that does not have a corona case,” said Dr. Mahmoud Fahmy Mansour, head of the province’s doctors’ union. “We lost five physicians in one week.” Egypt isn’t alone in seeing mounting new infections. Worldwide, more cases have been reported in the past two weeks than in the entire first six months of the pandemic, World Health Organization director general Tedros Adhanom said. India and Brazil accounted for a large part of that, “but there are many other countries all over the world that face a very fragile situation,” he said.

China trade surges as global demand recovers from pandemic (AP) China’s trade with the United States and the rest of the world surged by double digits in April as consumer demand recovered, but growth appeared to be slowing. Global exports rose 32.3% over a year ago to $263.9 billion, in line with March but down from the explosive 60.6% rise in the first two months of 2021, customs data showed Friday. China’s trade gains look especially dramatic due to comparison with a year ago, when global economies shut down to fight the coronavirus. Despite the jump in April’s headline figures, exports are leveling off. The trade outlook is overshadowed by a tariff war with Washington. President Joe Biden has yet to say what he might do about reviving talks aimed at ending the trade war.

Hong Kong’s Continuing Crackdown (The Guardian) On Wednesday, a Hong Kong district court judge convicted three 20-something activists on riot charges and sentenced them to lengthy jail terms. The judge said even though there was no evidence the trio were involved in any rioting, their presence at the rally in October 2019 encouraged other protesters. The harsh sentences were required as a deterrent, he said, and under the “joint enterprise” principle, the accused must face the same punishment as those who broke the law. In a separate case, democracy activist Joshua Wong, who has been arrested and jailed numerous times, was sentenced to an additional 10 months incarceration, this time for breaching Covid restrictions by participating in an unauthorized vigil on June 4, 2020 that commemorated the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Well over 50 pro-democracy activists, former legislators, social workers, and academics have been arrested on subversion and other charges under the National Security Law, effectively quashing any pro-Beijing opposition.

Three Months After Coup, Myanmar Returns to the ‘Bad Old Days’ (NYT) Every night at 8, the stern-faced newscaster on Myanmar military TV announces the day’s hunted. The mug shots of those charged with political crimes appear onscreen. Among them are doctors, students, beauty queens, actors, reporters, even a pair of makeup bloggers. Some of the faces look puffy and bruised, the likely result of interrogations. As the midnight insects trill, the hunt intensifies. Military censors sever the internet across most of Myanmar, matching the darkness outside with an information blackout. Soldiers sweep through the cities, arresting, abducting and assaulting with slingshots and rifles. The nightly banging on doors, as arbitrary as it is dreaded, galvanizes a frenzy of self-preservation. Residents delete their Facebook accounts, destroy incriminating mobile phone cards and erase traces of support for Myanmar’s elected government. As sleep proves elusive, it’s as if much of the nation is suffering a collective insomnia. Little more than a decade ago, the most innocuous of infractions—owning a photograph of pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi or an unregistered cellphone or a single note of foreign currency—could mean a prison sentence. For the better part of 60 years, the military’s rule over Myanmar was animated not by grand ideology but by fear. Today, with much of the population determined to resist the coup-makers, a new junta is consolidating its grip by resorting, yet again, to a reign of terror. “Myanmar is going back to the bad old days when people were so scared that their neighbors would inform on them and they could get arrested for no reason at all,” said Ko Moe Yan Naing, a former police officer who is now in hiding after opposing the coup.

Locked down during Cambodia’s virus outbreak, people are running out of food (Washington Post) Thea is worried that he will go hungry. He hasn’t left his home in Phnom Penh since April 15, when Cambodia’s government imposed a citywide lockdown. As Western countries gradually conquer the virus through mass vaccination, the pandemic is flaring up again in some poorer regions of the world, including Southeast Asia. In Cambodia, which had avoided the worst of the pandemic, a surge in cases has led authorities to resort to an extreme lockdown that some residents say has pushed them toward eviction or starvation. On Friday, officials announced 558 new cases, bringing the total to 18,179 with 114 deaths. While the government eased restrictions in some places this week, high-risk areas remain under lockdown. The most draconian measures apply to neighborhoods deemed “red zones,” where no one is permitted to leave home, not even to buy food. Officers patrol the streets at all hours and are authorized to fine or arrest anyone moving around without a permit. In some cases, police officers have beaten people with sticks for violating the rules—punishment the government considers “necessary” to enforce stay-at-home orders, according to Phay Siphan, a government spokesman.

European powers tell Israel to stop settlement expansion amid tension in Jerusalem (Reuters) France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain urged Israel on Thursday to halt settlement-building in the occupied West Bank. The joint statement came as tensions mounted in East Jerusalem ahead of a hearing that could see Palestinian families evicted from Sheikh Jarrah, a neighbourhood where Jewish settlers backed by an Israeli court have taken over some homes. “We urge the government of Israel to reverse its decision to advance the construction of 540 settlement units in the Har Homa E area of the occupied West Bank, and to cease its policy of settlement expansion across the Occupied Palestinian Territories,” the European nations said. If implemented, the decision to advance settlements in Har Homa, between East Jerusalem and Bethlehem, will cause further damage to the prospects for a viable Palestinian State.” Jerusalem, which contains sites sacred to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

#headlines #news

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coralkittytimetravel · 4 years ago

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Credit Report Repair News: Digest for May 04, 2021

Credit Report Repair News

ANTI-STATE • ANTI-WAR • PRO-MARKET

Table of Contents

Will Special Interests Finally Allow America's 'Longest War' To End?

A Pandemic of Fear

Vaccinated People Shedding and Spreading Genetic Disaster to Unvaccinated Women?

The 2020-21 Worldwide Corona Crisis: Destroying Civil Society, Engineered Economic Depression, Global Coup d'État, and the 'Great Reset'

Forced Masking

A Vaxxing Question

Why This Frenchman Regrets Buying an Electric Car

Highly Cited Covid Doctor Comes to Stunning Conclusion: Gov't 'Scrubbing Unprecedented Numbers' of Injection-Related Deaths

The Camp of The Saints Is Upon Us

Biden Family Justice

A Software Company Comes Up With a Brilliant Corporate Speech Policy

CDC Officially Recommends Covid Jab for Pregnant Women

Will Special Interests Finally Allow America's 'Longest War' To End?

Monday 03 May 2021 11:01 PM UTC-05

Even if "won," endless wars like our 20 year assault on Afghanistan would not benefit our actual national interest in the slightest. So why do these wars continue endlessly? Because they are so profitable to powerful and well-connected special interests. In fact, the worst news possible for the Beltway military contractor/think tank complex would be that the United States actually won a war. That would signal the end of the welfare-for-the-rich gravy train.

In contrast to the end of declared wars, like World War II when the entire country rejoiced at the return home of soldiers where they belonged, an end to any of Washington's global military deployments would result in wailing and gnashing of the teeth among the military-industrial complex which gets rich from other people's misery and sacrifice.

Would a single American feel less safe if we brought home our thousands of troops currently bombing and shooting at Africans?

As Orwell famously said, "the war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous." Nowhere is this more true than among those whose living depends on the US military machine constantly bombing people overseas.

How many Americans, if asked, could answer the question, "why have we been bombing Afghanistan for an entire generation?" The Taliban never attacked the United States and Osama bin Laden, who temporarily called Afghanistan his home, is long dead and gone. The longest war in US history has dragged on because…it has just dragged on.

So why did we stay? As neocons like Max Boot tell it, we are still bombing and killing Afghans so that Afghan girls can go to school. It's a pretty flimsy and cynical explanation. My guess is that if asked, most Afghan girls would prefer to not have their country bombed.

Indeed, war has made the Beltway bomb factories and think tanks rich. As Brown University's Cost of War Project has detailed, the US has wasted $2.26 trillion dollars on a generation of war on Afghanistan. Much of this money has been spent, according to the US government's own Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, on useless "nation-building" exercises that have built nothing at all. Gold-plated roads to nowhere. Aircraft that cannot perform their intended functions but that have enriched contractors and lobbyists.

President Biden has announced that the US military would be out of Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of the attacks of 9/11. But as always, the devil is in the details. It appears that US special forces, CIA paramilitaries, and the private contractors who have taken an increasing role in fighting Washington's wars, will remain in-country. Bombing Afghans so that Max Boot and his neocons can pat themselves on the back.

But the fact is this: Afghanistan was a disaster for the United States. Only the corrupt benefitted from this 20 year highway robbery. Will we learn a lesson from wasting trillions and killing hundreds of thousands? It is not likely. But there will be an accounting. The piper will be paid. Printing mountains of money to pay the corrupt war profiteers will soon leave the working and middle classes in dire straits. It is up to non-interventionists like us to explain to them exactly who has robbed them of their future.

The post Will Special Interests Finally Allow America's 'Longest War' To End? appeared first on LewRockwell.

A Pandemic of Fear

Monday 03 May 2021 11:01 PM UTC-05

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself-nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance" Franklin Delano Roosevelt Inaugural Address

"Hell is empty, and all the devils are here." William Shakespeare, The Tempest

We have now clocked 14 months and counting since the "temporary emergency" (two words that send chills up any libertarian spine) lockdown orders to prevent our nation's hospitals from being unduly stressed by the Covid 19 virus. Without denying Covid's transmissibility or infectiousness, especially for the elderly and at risk individuals with one or more co-morbidities, I think we can all agree that we have careened from fear to fear over this period of time. Fear over hospitalizations gave way to fear over the infamous death counts displayed 24/7 by mainstream media. As death rates subsided last summer, fear of death gave way to fear over cases accompanied by an almost manic counting of tests administered. And, finally, the obsession with test and case counts has been displaced by how many have gotten their Covid shots. Fear, as FDR intoned in his famous inaugural address, is often unreasoning and unjustified. It elevates the flight or fight syndrome, causes the suspension of disbelief and leads to emotional, panic-driven decisions. At each of these four stages of Covid engendered fear, one could have raised objective counters to the prevailing narrative. To wit, very few hospitals were overcrowded. Most Covid deaths, by the CDC's own admission are with Covid not from Covid with the latter constituting 6% of the total reported. The case counts were likely drastically overinflated as a result of faulty and overly sensitive testing methodologies. And the vaccines may not be a magical cure all preventing transmission or infection, but, if safe and effective, may minimize adverse symptoms should one contract Covid. Big pharma is already mentioning the need for annual booster shots.

Raising any of these counterpoints to the prevailing narrative is unlikely to be countered by rational, calm debate, but most assuredly will get one tagged as being a Trumpian anti-vaxxer, classic ad hominem attacks hardly deserving response. But, to set the record straight, this writer is neither a Trumpian nor an anti-vaxxer. Over time my philosophic journey has evolved from an initial belief that government was a necessary evil to thinking that is mainly evil. Few politicians are for me exemplars of moral courage or intellectual honesty. President Kennedy is one exception in my lifetime as his moral courage to avert nuclear war and dismantle the national security state very well may have cost him his life at the hands of political enemies. Before Kennedy, I have to retreat to Grover Cleveland, who had the courage time after time to uphold the Constitution, earning him the sobriquet of Mr. Veto for his repeated nays to Congressional attempts to create powers not enumerated. And saying that I am anti-vaxxer is a pejorative slight implying that I substitute superstition for medicine and science when in fact, like many, I am trying to make my own informed decision about my own health and treatment or prophylactic options.

Someone recently asked me about the origins of my love of individual liberty and how I came to embrace the non-aggression axiom at the heart of libertarian philosophy. I initially responded that after college, I followed Mark Twain's advice never to let my schooling interfere with my education so I embarked on my own course of self-education, devouring all the classics by Rand, Rothbard, Hayek, Block, Hoppe, von Mises as well as political philosophers diametrically opposed to their love of liberty and individual responsibility. But, upon further reflection, I realized that my libertarian roots may have been present as a toddler. One of my earliest memories is my parents growing frustrated with my endless use of the word why! I guess I simply never liked being told what to do or what to think, and I think this skeptical predisposition to question authority was the fertile soil for building my set of political and moral beliefs.

So, in the spirit of being the why (and hopefully wise) guy, I have just a few questions I would like to pose to the CDC and the vaccine manufacturers before I dutifully line up to take the shots. If they can answer these fully to my satisfaction, my consent to get the shots will be informed and voluntary; if not, my submission will only occur because legal mandates will make it impossible to enjoy life on acceptable terms.

Here is my list:

Why is the partnership of government and 4 major vaccine manufacturers exempt from the usual harms of crony capitalism present in other industries where government and big business are allied? Bailouts and subsidies in other industries create moral hazard, socialize risk, and tend to result in high prices and/or poor product quality as the removal of market-based penalties for failure is weakened. Where many glorify Operation Warp Speed and are eager to announce Mission Accomplished much as Bush the younger did in the early days of the forever Iraq war, I have a gnawing sense of discomfort that a product is being rushed to market without full and extensive testing. The government can posture as savior. The vaccine manufacturers, who are granted legal immunity under their private/public partnership and have been provided enormous subsidies to develop the vaccines, have a pure profit opportunity with legally constrained limits on loss or reprisal. This is not meant to ascribe improper motives to either government or corporate entities as the efforts to abate the pandemic may indeed be totally humanitarian. But, zero liability and skewed risk/reward structures create incentives which leave me uneasy.

Are the vaccines safe and effective? If so, why are many government officials still recommending that the vaccinated wear mask(s), socially distance and otherwise put their lives on hold? Does not this public messaging do more to undercut the incentive to get a vaccine than any anti-vaxxer could create?

If the vaccines are so effective, how do you account for the occurrence from December 14, 2020 through last Friday of almost 120,000 adverse events in the US reported to VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) including over 3500 deaths?

While these may statistically indeed be a small percentage of total vaccines administered to date, is it likely that the systematic underreporting to you under VAERS is on the order of just one to ten percent of all adverse events? If that is so, then do you consider the likely true number of adverse vaccine events of 1.2 to 12 million to be material?

And, for certain segments of the population (namely anyone under the age of 30) for whom the odds of contracting Covid and/or debilitating symptoms may be close to zero, how do you justify taking an injection which is admittedly still experimental? Is this risk/reward logical?

If the "vaccines" are so desirable, why have you resorted to classic propaganda techniques (including frequent public servant announcements, photo ops of athletes, politicians and movie stars getting their shots, nonstop social messaging) to encourage their acceptance? Do you think the average citizen is too infantile to provide informed consent?

Why are you threatening the use of vaccine passports and a legal nether world of the unvaccinated to coerce getting the shots? Do you think the average citizen is too infantile to provide informed consent?

Do you think that employers and colleges mandating these vaccines at your behest is consonant with the key elements of the Nuremberg Code and its strictures regarding the scope of and moral underpinnings of medical experimentation?

Why have dissenting views by other scientists and/or vaccine safety organizations been greeted with silence and/or censorship?

I look forward to receiving complete answers to my list of questions. In the meantime, I fully recognize and respect the decision of any individual who chooses to mask up, isolate from society and get vaccinated. It is your right and prerogative. Your body is your choice. I do not respect or recognize your ability to mandate that my individual health decisions are subject to your dictates, which, by and large, I find inhuman, inhumane and unconstitutional. I search in vain for a pandemic exception to the Bill of Rights, which were adopted with a devastating smallpox scourge in the founders' rear view mirror. To compel that I abide by your dictates so that we can all get back a way of life that was unnaturally and unconstitutionally obliterated strikes me as morally obtuse.

The post A Pandemic of Fear appeared first on LewRockwell.

Vaccinated People Shedding and Spreading Genetic Disaster to Unvaccinated Women?

Monday 03 May 2021 11:01 PM UTC-05

MANY women are posting reports of disrupted and unusual menstrual cycles, heavy bleeding, and miscarriages.

What's more, some of these women haven't received the COVID vaccine, but they've been in close contact with others who have been vaccinated—leading to the question:

Can the COVID vaccine (which is actually an experimental genetic treatment) "shed" something harmful that can be passed from person to person?

Perhaps that sounds impossible, but in the world of genetics, much can go wrong.

In fact, for the past 25 years, we've had an illustration of shedding right in front of our eyes: GMO crops.

If you recall, Monsanto assured one and all that these crops—genetically engineered to survive the sprayed herbicide Roundup—would flourish, while weeds would succumb to the chemical.

So what actually happened? The weeds were resistant and became super-giants. And the Monsanto genes drifted from farm to farm, contaminating crops that were never meant to be engineered.

The Monsanto genes were "shed" and they spread.

This spread was not only the result of obvious cross-pollination. Bacteria in the soil, and in human digestive systems, also picked up and incorporated the Monsanto genes.

Why couldn't "shed and spread" occur with a genetic COVID vaccine?

The COVID injection contains a piece of RNA. The RNA nanoparticles enter human cells, forcing those cells to manufacture a protein similar to a protein in the purported SARS-CoV-2 virus. The immune system mounts a neutralizing attack against that protein, thus "rehearsing" to defeat the virus if it comes along later.

That's the hypothesis.

In practice, who knows how many different dangerous and harmful processes can be detonated in the human body—plus the drifting of those genetic effects from person to person, whether vaccinated or not.

Yes, I know the experts will point out the difference between inserting genes into crops and inserting them into humans. They'll say the GMO crops are supposed to hold on to those new genes long-term, but the COVID injection only has short-lived genetic effects.

Supposedly, this is true. Supposedly.

The universe of genetic experimentation, however, is rife with problems, mistakes, unintended consequences, as well as efforts to make weapons that attack life at basic levels.

Consider, for example, gene drive technology, which asks the question: what species should we make extinct today?

Why are Bill Gates and the US military involved in forwarding that technology?

A gene-drive scientist says, "I have a plan. By manipulating genes, we can make invasive rodents extinct, on an island where humans are living."

In the next fraction of a second, a flurry of questions pops up.

The overarching question is: Does this mean genetic manipulation can make ANY species extinct?

Here is a passage from Gene Drive Files, a vital site with an enormous amount of referenced information on the subject:

"Gene drives are a gene-editing application that allows genetic engineers to drive a single artificial trait through an entire population by ensuring that all of an organism's offspring carry that trait. For example, recent experiments are fitting mice with 'daughterless' gene drives that will cascade through mouse populations so that only male pups are born, ensuring that the population becomes extinct after a few generations."

"Proponents have framed gene drives as a breakthrough tool for eradicating pests or invasive species. However, the Gene Drive Files reveal that these 'conservation' efforts are primarily supported by military funds."

Gene drive technology could be deployed to wipe out troublesome plant-parasites, weeds, crops, animal pests, animals, and…humans. Mull that over with your morning coffee.

Several years ago, certain UN member nations were considering a recommendation to call a moratorium on the use of gene drives. However, Bill Gates showed up to try to squash the moratorium.

The Gene Drive Files reports: "Documents received under Freedom of Information requests reveal that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation paid a private agriculture and biotechnology PR firm $1.6 million for activities on Gene Drives. This included running a covert 'advocacy coalition' which appears to have intended to skew the only UN expert process addressing gene drives…"

"Following global calls in December 2016 from Southern countries and over 170 organizations for a UN moratorium on gene drives, emails to gene drive advocates received under a Freedom of Information request by Prickly Research reveal that a private public affairs firm 'Emerging Ag' received funds from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to co-ordinate the 'fight back against gene drive moratorium proponents'."

There's more from the Gene Drive Files. It involves the military:

"A trove of emails (The Gene Drive Files) from leading U.S. gene drive researchers reveals that the U.S. Military is taking the lead in driving forward gene drive development."

"Emails obtained through a freedom of Information request by U.S.–based Prickly Research reveal that the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has given approximately $100 million for gene drive research, $35 million more than previously reported, making them likely the largest single funder of gene drive research on the planet. The emails also reveal that DARPA either funds or co-ordinates with almost all major players working on gene drive development as well as the key holders of patents on CRISPR gene editing technology."

"These funds go beyond the US; DARPA is now also directly funding gene drive researchers in Australia (including monies given to an Australian government agency, CSIRO) and researchers in the UK. The files also reveal an extremely high level of interest and activity by other sections of the U.S. military and Intelligence community."

As I've shown in past articles, the latest and greatest gene-editing tools (e.g., CRISPR), which are used for gene drives, are far from slam-dunk precise, despite official assurances.

For example, Nature Communications, May 31, 2017, "CRISPR/Cas9 targeting events cause complex deletions and insertions at 17 sites in the mouse genome." That's UNINTENDED genetic "deletions and insertions."

And how about this study? It was published in Genome Biology on June 14, 2017, and is titled, "CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing induces exon skipping by alternative splicing or exon deletion." An exon is "a segment of a DNA or RNA molecule containing information coding for a protein or peptide sequence." So you can see that exon skipping or deletion is a very bad outcome.

In other words, ANY gene editing done on ANY species opens the door wide to all sorts of errors and unforeseen consequences. Doomsday genetic warfare and mutually assured destruction are the far shore of insanity…but closer in, where more limited experiments are taking place, there is no safety zone, either. Insanity reigns there as well.

Read what adorers of genetic experimentation have gushed:

"I went to Monsanto, and I spent a lot of time with the scientists there, and I have revised my outlook, and I'm very excited about telling the world. When you're in love, you want to tell the world." (Bill Nye, the Science Guy)

"I know it's a long shot and people would say it's 'too absurd'… but I'm doing this with hopes of making a Mickey Mouse some day." (Arikuni Uchimura, quoted in "Japan bio-scientists produce 'singing mouse’", The Independent, 21 December 2010.)

On the other hand, there is this: "Genetic engineering is to traditional crossbreeding what the nuclear bomb was to the sword." (Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of Center for Food Safety)

So…we have a new COVID vaccine, based on experimental technology that delivers genetic instructions to cells of the body—instructions to create a protein that would otherwise never be created.

We're told nothing can go wrong.

We have many examples of genetic technology going very wrong.

Farms that were supposed to be protected from Monsanto gene-drift turned into GMO Monsanto farms. So why couldn't unvaccinated people turn into vaccinated people, through "shed and spread," without ever receiving the COVID injection?

The problem is, the officials and experts who would answer that question for us are riddled with conflicts of interest; and they pretend to know what they don't know; and they're afraid of losing their jobs if they contradict the party line; and they're experienced professional liars.

They've rewritten the old fable, The Boy Who Cried Wolf. These professionals NEVER cry wolf, no matter what disasters are brewing.

So we can never believe what they say.

Now let's consider a key Pfizer document titled: "A PHASE 1/2/3, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED, RANDOMIZED, OBSERVER-BLIND, DOSE-FINDING STUDY TO EVALUATE THE SAFETY, TOLERABILITY, IMMUNOGENICITY, AND EFFICACY OF SARS-COV-2RNA VACCINE CANDIDATES AGAINST COVID-19 IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS."

On page 67, we find a warning about potential adverse effects of the vaccine. The abstruse term "study intervention" pops up. It surely means "vaccination." "Environmental exposure" means contact with elements of the vaccine other than by injection.

Warning of adverse effect: "A female is found to be pregnant while being exposed or having been exposed to study intervention due to environmental exposure. Below are examples of environmental exposure during pregnancy:"

"A female family member or healthcare provider reports that she is pregnant after having been exposed to the study intervention by inhalation or skin contact."

"A male family member or healthcare provider who has been exposed to the study intervention by inhalation or skin contact then exposes his female partner prior to or around the time of conception."

These warnings, from the vaccine manufacturer, Pfizer, are shocking. They imply that women can be harmed by breathing in, or contacting by skin, the vaccine as it moves from person to person. Which would be "shedding."

And what is being transferred from person to person? What is in the vaccine? Genetic material. RNA.

—There is a Coda to this whole business. I write it because I don't believe in ringing lots of alarm bells and leaving people with nothing but fear.

From personal experience, and 83 years of living, I know that people have an extraordinary ability to outlast elite insanity, no matter what.

Our faith, desire for freedom, creative force, resistance, outrage, immortal refusal to give in; these are the core of a story that has been unfolding for centuries and millennia.

This story goes beyond the forces arrayed against us. Regardless of the machinations brought to bear on humanity; regardless of claims that "there is no way out," we find ways.

We're told: WELL, NO ONE CAN REMAIN HEALTHY IN THE FACE OF THAT. "That" is the latest psychotic experiment in which we are the non-voluntary subjects.

But many people do retain their strength, through their inner resources and their overriding faith, and their absolute refusal to knuckle under.

Believe that, don't believe it; it's real.

Permanent victimhood is not our destiny.

It never was, it never will be.

Sitting at the big table, shove in all your chips on that decision.

If you do, you're in a community that has strengths no technocrat or secret society can begin to conceive of.

It's not over. It's never over. Time is very long.

We are the cure.

This is the war.

Reprinted with permission from Jon Rappoport's blog.

The post Vaccinated People Shedding and Spreading Genetic Disaster to Unvaccinated Women? appeared first on LewRockwell.

The 2020-21 Worldwide Corona Crisis: Destroying Civil Society, Engineered Economic Depression, Global Coup d'État, and the 'Great Reset'

Monday 03 May 2021 11:01 PM UTC-05

This E-book consists of a Preface and Ten Chapters.

We are dealing with an exceedingly complex process.

In the course of the last twelve months starting in early January 2020, I have analyzed almost on a daily basis the timeline and evolution of the Covid crisis. From the very outset in January 2020, people were led to believe and accept the existence of a rapidly progressing and dangerous epidemic.

I suggest you first read the Highlights (below), the Preface and Introduction before proceeding with chapters II through X.

Alternatively you may wish to View the Global Research Video entitled: The 2021 Worldwide Corona Crisis (released in February 2021), which provides a 25 minutes summary.

Each of the ten chapters provides factual information as well as analysis on the following topics: What Is Covid-19, what is SARS-CoV-2, how Is it identified, how is it estimated? The timeline and historical evolution of the Corona Crisis, the devastating economic and financial impacts, the enrichment of a social minority of billionaires, how the lockdown policies trigger unemployment and mass poverty Worldwide, the devastating impacts on mental health.

The E-book also includes analysis of curative and preventive drugs as well as a review of Big Pharma's Covid-19 mRNA vaccine which is an "unapproved" and "experimental" drug affecting the human genome. (It is a dangerous drug. See Chapter VIII)

Also analyzed are issues pertaining to the derogation of fundamental human rights, censorship of medical doctors, freedom of expression and the protest movement. The last chapter focusses on the unfolding global debt crisis, the destabilization of national governments, the threats to democracy including "global governance" and the World Economic Forum's "Great Reset" proposal.

This E-Book is made available free of charge with a view to reaching out to people Worldwide.

Please help us in this endeavor. Kindly forward to family, friends and colleagues, within your respective communities.

If you wish to make a donation click here, that would be much appreciated.

All Global Research articles including the E-Book can be read in 51 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). Please forward to friends and colleagues in foreign countries (while pointing to the translation plugin).

Readers can reach Prof. Michel Chossudovsky at [email protected]

Video

click the lower right corner to access full-screen

Highlights

We are at the crossroads of one of the most serious crises in World history. We are living history, yet our understanding of the sequence of events since January 2020 has been blurred.

Worldwide, people have been misled both by their governments and the media as to the causes and devastating consequences of the Covid-19 "pandemic".

The unspoken truth is that the novel coronavirus provides a pretext and a justification to powerful financial interests and corrupt politicians to precipitate the entire World into a spiral of mass unemployment, bankruptcy, extreme poverty and despair.

More than 7 billion people Worldwide are directly or indirectly affected by the corona crisis.

The COVID-19 public health "emergency" under WHO auspices was presented to public opinion as a means ("solution") to containing the "killer virus".

If the public had been informed and reassured that Covid is (according to the WHO definition) "Similar to Seasonal Influenza", the fear campaign would have fallen flat. The lockdown and closure of the national economy would have been rejected outright.

The first stage of this crisis (outside China) was launched by the WHO on January 30th 2020 at a time when there were 5 cases in the US, 3 in Canada, 4 in France, 4 in Germany.

Do these numbers justify the declaration of a Worldwide public health emergency?

The fear campaign was sustained by political statements and media disinformation.

People are frightened. They are encouraged to do the PCR test, which is flawed. A positive PCR test does not mean that you are infected and/or that you can transmit the virus.

The RT-PCR Test is known to produce a high percentage of false positives. Moreover, it does not identify the virus.

From the outset in January 2020, there was no "scientific basis" to justify the launching of a Worldwide public health emergency.

In February, the covid crisis was accompanied by a major crash of financial markets. There is evidence of financial fraud.

And on March 11, 2020: the WHO officially declared a Worldwide pandemic at a time when there were 44,279 cases and 1440 deaths outside China out of a population of 6.4 billion (Estimates of confirmed cases based on the PCR test)..

Immediately following the March 11, 2020 WHO announcement, confinement and lockdown instructions were transmitted to 193 member states of the United Nations.

Unprecedented in history, applied almost simultaneously in a large of number countries, entire sectors of the World economy have been destabilized. Small and medium sized enterprises have been driven into bankruptcy. Unemployment and poverty are rampant.

The social impacts of these measures are not only devastating, they are ongoing under what is described as "A Second Wave". There is no evidence of a "Second Wave". Amply documented the PCR estimates are flawed.

The health impacts (mortality, morbidity) resulting from the closing down of national economies far surpass those attributed to Covid-19.

Famines have erupted in at least 25 developing countries according to UN sources.

The mental health of millions of people Worldwide has been affected as a result of the lockdown, social distancing, job losses, bankruptcies, mass poverty and despair. The frequency of suicides and drug addiction has increased Worldwide.

"V the Virus" is said to be responsible for the wave of bankruptcies and unemployment. That's a lie. There is no causal relationship between the (microscopic) SARS-2 virus and economic variables.

It's the powerful financiers and billionaires who are behind this project which has contributed to the destabilization (Worldwide) of the real economy. And there is ample evidence that the decision to close down a national economy (resulting in poverty and unemployment) will inevitably have an impact on patterns of morbidity and mortality.

Since early February 2020, the Super Rich have cashed in on billions of dollars.

Amply documented it's the largest redistribution of global wealth in World history, accompanied by a process of Worldwide impoverishment.

Preface

The fear campaign has served as an instrument of disinformation.

Media lies sustained the image of a killer virus which initially contributed to destabilizing US-China trade and disrupting air travel. And then in February "V- the Virus" (which incidentally is similar to seasonal influenza) was held responsible for triggering the most serious financial crisis in World history.

And then on March 11, a lockdown was imposed on 193 member states on the United Nations, leading to the "closure" of national economies Worldwide.

Starting in October, a "second wave" was announced. "The pandemic is not over".

The fear campaign prevails. And people are now led to believe that the corona vaccine sponsored by their governments is the "solution". And that "normality" will be restored once the entire population of the planet has been vaccinated.

The SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine

How is it that a vaccine for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which under normal conditions would take years to develop, was promptly launched in early November 2020? The mRNA vaccine announced by Pfizer is based on an experimental gene editing mRNA technology which has a bearing on the human genome.

Were the standard animal lab tests using mice or ferrets conducted?

Or did Pfizer "go straight to human "guinea pigs."? Human tests began in late July and early August. "Three months is unheard of for testing a new vaccine. Several years is the norm."

Our thanks to Large and JIPÉM

This caricature by Large + JIPÉM explains our predicament:

Mouse No 1: "Are You Going to get Vaccinated",

Mouse No. 2: Are You Crazy, They Haven't finished the Tests on Humans"

And why do we need a vaccine for Covid-19 when both the WHO and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed unequivocally that Covid-19 is "similar to seasonal influenza".

The plan to develop a vaccine is profit driven. It is supported by corrupt governments serving the interests of Big Pharma. The US government had already ordered 100 million doses back in July and the EU is to purchase 300 million doses. It's Big Money for Big Pharma, generous payoffs to corrupt politicians, at the expense of tax payers.

In the following chapters, we define the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the controversial RT-PCR test which is being used to "identify the virus" as well establish the "estimates" of the so-called "positive cases".(Chapter III)

In Chapter II, we examine in detail the timeline of events since October 2019 leading up to the historic March 11, 2020 lockdown.

We assess the broad economic and social consequences of this crisis including the process of Worldwide impoverishment and redistribution of wealth in favour of the Super Rich billionaires.(Chapter IV and V).

The devastating impacts of the Lockdown policies on mental health are examined in Chapter VI.

Big Pharma's vaccination programme which is currently being imposed on millions of people Worldwide is reviewed in Chapter VIII.

Chapter X concludes with an analysis of the World Economic Forum's proposed "Great Reset" which if adopted would consist in scrapping the Welfare State and imposing massive austerity measures on an impoverished population.

This E-Book is preliminary. There is a sense of urgency. People Worldwide are being lied to by their governments.

A word on the methodology: our objective is to refute the "Big Lie" through careful analysis consisting of:

A historical overview of the Covid crisis, with precise data.

Quotations from official documents and peer reviewed reports. Numerous sources and references are indicated.

Scientific analysis and detailed review of "official" data, estimates and definitions,

Analysis of the impacts of WHO "guidelines" and government policies on economic, social and public health variables.

Our objective is to inform people Worldwide and refute the official narrative which has been used as a pretext and justification to destabilize the economic and social fabric of entire countries.

This crisis affects humanity in its entirety: 7.8 billion people. We stand in solidarity with our fellow human beings Worldwide. Truth is a powerful instrument.

I remain indebted to our readers, our authors and the Global Research team.

Reprinted with permission from Global Research.

The post The 2020-21 Worldwide Corona Crisis: Destroying Civil Society, Engineered Economic Depression, Global Coup d'État, and the 'Great Reset' appeared first on LewRockwell.

Forced Masking

Monday 03 May 2021 11:01 PM UTC-05

Writes a friend:

Like many others, I am against forced masking. I have attended rallies and contacted lawmakers. I have never worn one outside of my job, where I have little (no) choice in the matter. I am a public school teacher.

I recently wrote the letter below to my school board members and superintendent. I took out names lest I reveal the district for which I work. I wrote it as a parent with a child who attends the district. I have a beautiful daughter who is forced to wear a mask. I have told her many times that she does not have to. I will take her to our incredible local doctor and will get an exemption. That offer always results in her begging me not to: she is terrified that she will be ostracized and targeted. I have even offered to let her "learn virtually," a term which I use lightly. Fortunately, we are near the end of the school year. I wanted to share this letter with you because of nine people to whom I wrote, I received one response. One. Perhaps some of your readers have had similar experiences as they have attempted to make their voices of reason heard.

Dear, (redacted),

On April 12th, the (redacted) members voted to keep a mask mandate which required students and teachers to be fully masked at all times when six feet of distance could not be maintained. One of the primary factors in this determination appeared to include the requirements of unmasked students and teachers to quarantine when possible exposure to Covid-19 occurred. It was made clear that virtual instruction during quarantine can in no way equal the quality of instruction that can be provided in a face to face learning environment, a fact with which I am certain nearly all teachers, students, and parents would agree. On April 19th, however, the board reconvened in an emergency meeting where they declared that masks would no longer be required in outdoor settings such as sporting events. Quarantine measures, however, had not been lessened. Unmasked students, teachers, and coaches exposed to Covid-19 in an outdoor environment would still be at risk of quarantine. This decision was made in distinct opposition to the viewpoints offered at the previous meeting: we wear masks so we do not have to quarantine. Now, with the passing of SB590 (now Act 1002) we see an obvious acknowledgement of the political theater that forced masking has always been. Recent action by lawmakers clearly supports a disagreement with forced masking, while inaction by the governor in regards to SB590 appeared to me a silent statement of admission to his original overreach that began in the summer of 2020. Now, because of the failure to pass an emergency clause which would put an immediate end to this overreach, SB590 (now Act 1002) will not go into effect until July, thus failing to protect our children from the continuance of overreach despite a clearly worded decision from our board on April 19th. The decision of April 19th (7 days after the meeting where the board voted to keep all mask requirements) indicated that with any change in Arkansas law our students would be allowed to remove their unsanitary, unsightly, uncomfortable, and ineffective facial coverings.

As a parent, it hurts my heart each day to see my beautiful daughter shroud her face. It angers me to see her gasp for breath and struggle with headaches and eye strain as she is forced to breathe in her own exhalations and stare at the top of her ridiculous mask each day. It makes me question the moral integrity of our leaders as I see her forced to cover God’s countenance that we as Christians have been instructed to show.

Members of the board, this is no longer about the safety of our students and staff members. Covid-19, a virus which I will not digress to argue the validity of, is not a virus which negatively impacts most children. Masks, however, are a direct contributor to learning problems, struggles in social interactions, increased headaches and asthma, anxiety, and overall discomforts. Members, I see only a forcible push to show sovereignty and authority: the board members demand compliance from the superintendents, who in turn must demand begrudging compliance from administrators, who in turn must demand compliance from tired teachers, who in turn must demand compliance from fed up students. As a parent, I am livid that my child continues to be treated in this manner. This is reprehensible, disturbing, and totally unnecessary. I ask, as it is no secret that I have asked before: please unmask our children. I am under no misconception that my lone voice will incite change, however, I cannot sit in silent acceptance of the maltreatment that my child is experiencing by being forced to cover her nose and mouth on a daily basis. If a parent is concerned about the safety of their own children, then they should require that their own children be masked. They should not, however, impose their own fears upon all the children of the district. They should not require our kindergarteners to smother themselves. They should not require our teenagers to long to commit immature acts of rebellion involving arriving to school en-masse without facial coverings. They should not make our children yearn for learning yet detest entering a school building.

Many thanks to the members of the board who have been vocal and active in taking a stand for what is right: removal of the imposition of the 14th amendment rights of our children. It is a pity that our children continue to be punished by the (muffled) voices of those who wish to see our children masked in the useless rags of insanity.

The post Forced Masking appeared first on LewRockwell.

A Vaxxing Question

Monday 03 May 2021 11:01 PM UTC-05

In 1956 German pharmaceutical company Chemie Grünenthal GmbH, licensed a new experimental drug designed to treat colds, flu, nausea and morning sickness. Known as Distaval in the UK, Distillers Biochemicals Ltd declared the drug could 'be given with complete safety to pregnant women and nursing mothers without adverse effect on mother or child' – a basic pre-requisite for licensing a drug.

While forty-nine countries licensed the drug under multiple different names, the then head of the FDA Dr. Frances Kelsey, a physician-pharmacologist with a profound interest in fetal development, refused authorization for use in the US market due to her concerns about the lack of evidence regarding the drug's safety.

The drug was also known as Thalidomide.

Sixty-five years on and the stringent safety measures brought in to avoid another scandal on the scale of Thalidomide have been swept aside in order to fast track the approval of experimental mRNA vaccines. This is in spite of concerns voiced by (among others) Dr Wolfgang Wodarg and Dr Michael Yeadon who petitioned the European Medical Agency (EMA) with a Administrative/Regulatory Stay Of Action in regard to the BioNtech/Pfizer study on BNT162b – not just in regard to concerns about pregnant women, the foetus and infertility – but also in regard to the effect of the mRNA vaccines on those with prior immunity, for whom immunization could lead to a hyperinflammatory response, a cytokine storm, and a generally dysregulation of the immune system that allows the virus to cause more damage to their lungs and other organs of their body.

No previous research into treating illness or disease with messenger RNA or mRNA vaccines has been successful and this is the first time mRNA vaccines have been used on humans.

The concerns of Yeadon, Wodarg and others appear to be borne out by data from the King's College Zoe app that records adverse events from the mRNA vaccines. Taken from a pool of 700,000, data reveals that 12.2% of those vaccinated with the Pfizer jab experienced adverse events or side effects, a number which tripled to 35.7% for those with prior immunity. Adverse events from the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab were already high at 31.9% but increased to 52.7% for people with immunity.

Ellie Barnes, professor of hepatology and immunology at Oxford University and a member of the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium referred to the discovery – that when you've had a COVID-19 infection your T-cells become activated and become memory T cells – as 'emerging' as though this was something revelatory. Yet the dangers of over-immunization had been flagged up multiple times and well before vaccine rollout.

It gets worse.

In spite of additional research from New York's Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Maryland which indicated that those who had previously developed Covid-19 were effectively already immune and wouldn't need a second dose (arguably they didn't need the first dose if they already had immunity), Eleanor Riley, professor of infectious diseases at Edinburgh University said that 'Incorporating this into a mass vaccination program, may be logistically complex', adding 'it may be safer overall to ensure everyone gets two doses'.

May be safer? Many in the study group had already had an adverse event from the first dose, so how could it be 'safer' when second doses have been shown to increase the adversity of an event.

And how is it logistically complex to notify those who have already experienced an adverse event? The medical data of the 700,000 patients has already been logged into the Zoe App system, otherwise the Zoe App wouldn't be able to differentiate between those with or without prior immunity. Therefore, those with prior immunity from having had Covid-19 – or those for whom an adverse event would perhaps indicate prior immunity – can be notified that there is no need for a second dose.

Moreover, why on earth aren't people tested for prior immunity before taking any vaccination considering the concerns associated with over-immunization?

Alarming data is also emerging from the Yellow Card Scheme.

Read the Whole Article

The post A Vaxxing Question appeared first on LewRockwell.

Why This Frenchman Regrets Buying an Electric Car

Monday 03 May 2021 11:01 PM UTC-05

Mayday! Mayday!! A Miller's tale from La Belle France !!Â Allez le diesel !!!

Here's a guy who bought an electric car! (Article from the Spectator).

He starts out really enjoying his new car, but then… ____________

Why I regret buying an electric car

I bought an electric car and wish I hadn't. It seemed a good idea at the time, albeit a costly way of proclaiming my environmental virtuousness. The car cost 44,000 Euros, less a 6,000 Euro subsidy courtesy of French taxpayers, the overwhelming majority poorer than me. Fellow villagers are driving those 20-year-old diesel vans that look like garden sheds on wheels.

I order the car in May 2018. It's promised in April 2019. No later, promises the salesman at the local Hyundai dealer. April comes and goes. No car. I phone the dealership. No explanation. The car finally arrives two months late, with no effort by Hyundai to apologise. But I Iove it. It's quiet, quick and with the back seats down, practical with plenty of room for the dogs. It does insist on sharply reminding me to keep my hands on the steering wheel, even when they're on it. And once alarmingly slamming on the brakes for no discernible reason.

I've installed a charger in my driveway so I plug the car in. It works first time! Then the boss turns on the kettle and every fuse in the house trips. The car is chargeable, but only if you don't cook, wash clothes or turn on the dishwasher at the same time.

First road trip. Off to the centre of France with the horse-obsessed boss to watch a three-day equestrian event. I consult an app that promises an high-speed charger half way to my destination. We arrive and hunt and ultimately find the charger. It doesn't work. Range anxiety? More like a panic attack.

We make it to the next charger on the motorway with the battery practically empty and my marriage in peril. It works! But subsequently, EDF, the French electric utility, simply shuts down its entire motorway network after discovering the chargers are not just unreliable but dangerous. In Britain, meanwhile, the Department for Transport has, I read, granted an exclusive contract to install rapid chargers at motorway service areas to a company glorying in the name Ecotricity. These turn out to be equally unreliable and very costly to use. Social networks are rapidly bombarded with complaints.

Back in France, after a two-month wait, EDF upgrades my home electricity supply. Rejoice! We can finally cook dinner and charge the car simultaneously. The little Kona is still mostly performing well. It's fast. I could beat a sports car from a traffic light, except we have none in my corner of La France Profonde. It's eerily quiet. But much as I attempt to defend my choice, I'm having doubts.

I meet a British couple in the supermarket car park, down for the summer, loading groceries into their electric Nissan. How was the trip down? I ask. "A nightmare" of broken charging points, they reply, bitterly. A 10-hour trip took 18 hours, with lengthy stops at low-speed chargers, often miles off the highway.

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Highly Cited Covid Doctor Comes to Stunning Conclusion: Gov't 'Scrubbing Unprecedented Numbers' of Injection-Related Deaths

Monday 03 May 2021 11:01 PM UTC-05

One of the world's most prominent medical doctors with expertise in treating COVID-19 has gone on the record with a scathing rebuke of the U.S. government's approach to fighting the virus. He says the government's strategy, carried out in cooperation with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the United Nations World Health Organization, has resulted in tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths and is now being followed up with thousands more deaths caused by a mass-injection program.

Dr. Peter McCullough, in a 32-minute interview with journalist Alex Newman, said if this were any other vaccine it would have been pulled from the market by now for safety reasons.

McCullough holds the honor of being the most cited medical doctor on COVID-19 treatments at the National Library of Medicine, with more than 600 citations. He has testified before Congress and won numerous awards during his distinguished medical career.

Between Dec. 14 and April 23, there were 3,544 deaths reported to the CDC's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System [VAERS], along with 12,619 serious injuries.

One might expect these numbers would trigger an exhaustive investigation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But the opposite has occurred. According to McCullough, the government has taken what amounts to a passing glance at the alarming numbers and dismissed them with a bare minimum of scrutiny.

"A typical new drug at about five deaths, unexplained deaths, we get a black-box warning, your listeners would see it on TV, saying it may cause death," McCullough said. "And then at about 50 deaths it's pulled off the market."

The U.S. has a precedent for this. In 1976 during the Swine Flu pandemic the U.S. attempted to vaccinate 55 million Americans, but at that point the shot caused about 500 cases of paralysis and 25 deaths.

"The program was killed, at 25 deaths," McCullough said.

Compare that type of response to the government's reaction to much higher reported death numbers related to the Moderna and Pfizer shots and the contrast is alarming, McCullough said, especially when the shots have not even been granted full FDA approval and are only being allowed on the market under an Emergency Use Authorization.

"In the U.S. today [as of late March] we have approximately 77 million people vaccinated for COVID and we have 2,602 deaths reported, so it's unprecedented how many deaths have accrued," he said.

"Then on March 8 the CDC announced on their website with very little fanfare, that they had reviewed about 1,600 deaths with unnamed FDA doctors and they indicated not a single death was related to the vaccine," he added. "I think that was concerning in the academic community."

McCullough said he knows from first-hand experience that doing a thorough investigation into 1,600 potentially vaccine-related deaths would have taken months to complete.

"I have chaired and participated in dozens of data safety monitoring boards and sat on those committees and I can tell you that this type of work would have taken many months to review all the labs, the death certificates and all the circumstances of an event. It is impossible for unnamed regulatory doctors without any experience with COVID 19 to opine that none of the deaths were related to the vaccine."

Previous studies, including one from Harvard University, estimate that only 1 to 10 percent of all vaccine-related deaths get reported to VAERS. So in all likelihood, there are more people dying than even gets reported, yet the FDA can't come up with a single death related to the Moderna and Pfizer shots.

"Reporting a death requires a healthcare worker to enter it into the system," he said. And if the death does not occur within the normal 15-minute monitoring period they often go unreported. Most deaths occur within 72 hours of the shot. "They pile up on day one, two and three," he said.

As a matter of comparison: There are 20 to 30 deaths reported every year to VAERS related to the flu shot. That's with 195 million receiving flu shots. Compare that to the COVID shot, which resulted in 2,602 reported deaths through 77 million vaccinations.

That's a stunningly high ratio of deaths to vaccinations, the highest for any vaccine in U.S. history, and yet no major media outlet has launched an investigation. Independent journalists and researchers such as Alex Newman, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Leo Hohmann have been ruthlessly censored.

"So the U.S. government has made a decision, along with the stakeholders – the CDC, NIH, FDA, Big Pharma, World Health Organization, Gates Foundation – they have made a commitment to mass vaccination as the solution to the COVID pandemic and we are really going to be witness to what's going to happen in history. We're sitting on, right now, the biggest number of vaccine deaths, there's been tens of thousands of hospitalizations, all attributable to the vaccine, and going strong."

McCullough testified before the U.S. Senate on Nov 19, 2020.

"I estimated at that time we could have saved half of the lives lost," he told Newman. "There are now current estimates that we are up to about 85 percent of all lives lost could have been saved with something called sequenced oral multi-drug therapy."

But instead, the government and its "stakeholders" in Big Pharma chose to focus on vaccines. At the same time, news organizations were recruited to present only one side of the vaccine story.

Mainstream outlets have agreed to not allow any news critical of the shots to reach the American people. This corrupt collusion falls under the Trusted News Initiative, a global collaboration signed onto by Big Tech social-media giants and many of its corrupt corporate media "partners."

The partners signed onto the Trusted News Initiative to date are: Associated Press, AFP; BBC, CBC/Radio-Canada, European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Facebook, Financial Times, First Draft, Google/YouTube, The Hindu, Microsoft, Reuters, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Twitter, The Washington Post. The New York Times has also participated in the past.

Reporting facts related to the dark side of the experimental mRNA vaccines is considered "dangerous disinformation" by the globalist media elites behind the Trusted News Initiative.

Dr. McCullough describes 'whitewash of historic proportions'

"So I think this was effectively a scrubbing, like we've seen elsewhere. There is a Trusted News Initiative, which is very important for Americans to understand, this was announced Dec. 10, and this is a coalition of all the major media and government stakeholders in vaccination, where they are not going to allow any negative information about vaccines to get into the popular media because they're concerned about vaccine hesitancy, that if Americans got any type of fair, balanced coverage on safety events then they simply would not come forward and get the vaccine."

"The Trusted News Initiative is really troublesome," he continued, "because we're now at record numbers of deaths, they continue to occur every day."

Confirming a LeoHohmann.com report from earlier this month, McCullough said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, while it does have issues with blood clots, is actually the safest of the three vaccines now being offered to Americans.

"In my professional opinion, the safest vaccine on the market was the J&J vaccine. And that was pulled for very rare blood-clotting events. We had seven million people vaccinated but the estimates are for the other two vaccines available, the blood-clotting rates are probably 30 times that of J&J, and these others are going strong."

McCullough suggested that there is an incestuous relationship between the U.S. government and certain elements within Big Pharma, which causes regulators to look the other way when confronted with safety issues.

"A lot of Americans don't understand how tight these stakeholders are. Keep in mind the NIH [National Institutes of Health] is a co-owner of the Moderna patent, so they have a vested financial interest in keeping these vaccines going," he said.

More than 15 months into the COVID nightmare, the evidence is beginning to suggest the U.S. government colluded from the outset with the Gates Foundation, CDC, FDA, the United Nations World Health Organization and Big Pharma to make the vaccines the central focus of the global COVID response effort. They started promoting the vaccines before they were even out of clinical trials, McCullough said, which is against U.S. regulatory law.

Read the Whole Article

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The Camp of The Saints Is Upon Us

Monday 03 May 2021 11:01 PM UTC-05

The national disintegration of France is progressing precisely as Jean Raspail predicted in his novel. Those who see the disintegration and urge its halt are the ones punished exactly as in the novel.

The situation in the United States is far more serious than in France. In the United States the authorities have brainwashed themselves with their belief in "American exceptionalism." Consequently, warnings are not even acknowledged. I have been pointing out the ongoing American collapse for years, and it has never produced a debate.

It is too late for France and the US. If you read The Camp of the Saints, you will be brought face to face wth your own fate. The Democrats, the media, the woke "intellectuals," the universities, and the public schools are hard at work preparing our doom. The United States are now the Disunited States. The blue states believe in white guilt, critical race theory, systemic racism, identity politics, and that all products of Western civilization, even mathematics, are symbols and devices of white supremacy. The red states do not have an understanding of the ideological assault that has been mounted against them. Their president was removed from office in a stolen election that was in every sense a coup, and the Red States accepted the removal of their president. The red states still believe in America even though America has ceased to exist. White people in general have been infused with a sense of guilt and are weakened in their own defense by self-doubt. Their monuments are removed, their history rewritten, their art and music denounced as racist, and their children turned against them in public schools and universities.

If you require more evidence of American collapse and the generalized collapse of Western civilization, read the last three chapters of Andrei Martyanov's book, Disintegration: The Coming American Collapse. Actually, the collapse has already arrived. We just haven't yet recognized it.

Martyanov and I have reached the same conclusion: "The American belief system as it exists today is incapable of accepting empirical evidence, because evidence destroys American exceptionalism's extreme confirmation bias and most modern American intellectuals on both the nominal left and the nominal right cannot deal with it." US policymakers base their actions in emotions, not in rational thought. No sophistication of any kind any longer can be found in Washington's foreign policy which rests on barbaric immaturity. Martyanov gives the example of Brookings Institution senior fellow Benjamin Wittes, who professes to be a martial artist like Putin and challenges Putin to a fight "in single combat in a location where he can't have me arrested." Wittes writes that former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, State Department policy planning chief Anne-Marie Slaughter, and big name US presstitutes agree that "Putin needs to man up" and meet Wittes in a fight.

This infantile challenge epitomizes the violent character of US "diplomacy."

The Disunited States are a multicultural calamity. While white liberals create an anti-white system of caste privileges, Washington pursues conflict with Russia, China, and Iran. Are demonized white Americans going to fight for a country that is abusing them and turning them into second class citizens? As Judge Robert Bork warned 25 years ago, "American culture is Eurocentric, and it must remain Eurocentric or collapse into meaninglessness. Standards of European and American origins are the only possible standards that can hold our society together and keep us a competent nation. If the legitimacy of Eurocentric standards is denied, there is nothing else. . . . We are, then, entering a period of tribal hostilities. Some of what we may expect includes a rise in interethnic violence, a slowing of economic productivity, a vulgarization of scholarship (which is already well under way.)"

American students are not enculturated into their civilization and neither are Europeans. In place of education there is anti-white indoctrination. University reading lists consist of compilations of rants by ideologues describing the horrors of slavery, which is said to be unique to Western civilization. National consciousness is being stamped out along with scholarly and artistic standards. As Bork warned, the destruction of Western legitimacy means only interethnic violence remains. In Raspail's novel, the guilt-ridden French never reach this conclusion and experience genocide. It remains unclear whether insouciant white Americans will understand before it is too late for them.

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Biden Family Justice

Monday 03 May 2021 11:01 PM UTC-05

If you want to grok the awesome failure of authority these Fourth Turning crack-up years in America, start with the lawlessness at the Department of Justice and its sociopathic step-child, the FBI, along with a demonic host of intel agencies seeded throughout the national government: the CIA, the NSA, the DIA, the DHS, and even the lowly crypto-public US Postal Service, lately enlisted to spy on US citizens' social media posts.

Who is supposed to rein-in these freewheeling rogues? I'll tell you: the courts and the judges appointed to them. The problem is especially acute in the federal courts where, for instance, Judge James Boasberg allowed the FBI to lie repeatedly on warrant applications to his FISA court, and Judge Emmet G. Sullivan hung General Mike Flynn out to dry even after the DOJ had to admit misconduct in his prosecution — and the DC Court of Appeals failed to enforce the DOJ's reluctant decision to finally drop charges.

The campaign of false witness against US citizens went into overdrive when Donald Trump strutted onto the scene and "seventeen agencies of the Intel Community" conspired with The New York Times and other news media to manufacture the RussiaGate hoax. No top official across the boards has been taken to law for the stupendous cavalcade of false accusations and deceitful investigations associated with that venture in sedition, and the nation is still waiting for the apparition known as Special Counsel John Durham to make a peep. In fact, since 2017 much of the publicly-reported activity around the DOJ and FBI has demonstrated only their attempts to suppress their own felonious misdeeds — cover-ups on top of cover-ups.

Now comes the curious case of Rudy Giuliani, whose apartment was raided on a warrant last week by the FBI seeking his computers and cell phones. The probable cause remains murky — something to do with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) in representing Ukrainian clients in the US? So, the DOJ wants Rudy's files, emails, and memoranda on that? Of course, Rudy was acting as the President's lawyer in impeachment No. 1 over a telephone call to Ukraine, and what was that about? Hunter Biden's grifting activities, his cumulatively receiving millions from the Burisma Company, of which Hunter's dad was due to receive at least his usual ten percent cut? And concerning which activity, Joe Biden threatened former Ukraine President Poroshenko in withholding US aid, unless an investigation into Hunter's Burisma grift was dropped.

It might be helpful to the current occupant of the Oval Office to know what kind of evidence Rudy has acquired on all that and more over the years — yes? But then, there's plenty of evidence about it and much much much more on Hunter's wayward laptop. Perhaps hundreds of millions in wide-ranging grifts beyond lowly Ukraine all the way to China, where to this day Hunter retains active and substantial financial connections through his Skaneateles LLC financial company. And it has become known that the FBI was in possession of Hunter's laptop from at least one month prior to the commencement of impeachment proceedings in December of 2019. And nobody was informed about that… not least the president's lawyer?

Don't Christopher Wray and William Barr have some 'splainin' to do about how such a crucial trove of evidence was withheld during the impeachment? After all, Mr. Trump's fateful phone call to Ukraine was about the influence-peddling operations of the Biden family in foreign lands. A whole other year passed before the existence of Hunter's laptop was even acknowledged in the fall of 2020, and then the sole reportage about it from The New York Post was suppressed in a coordinated campaign between the social and news media — in the midst of a national election, with Joe Biden standing for president. Funny how that worked.

Also, note the connections between Rep Adam Schiff's House Intel Committee, where the first impeachment hearings were staged, especially the committee's Chief Counsel, one Daniel Goldman, and William Barr's DOJ. Mr. Goldman was a former US Attorney in the Southern District of New York (2007 -2017). Do you suppose he knows people in Main Justice — like, just about everybody? Was he apprised formally or otherwise of the existence of Hunter's laptop in possession of the FBI at the time of the hearings? Or Did Mr. Wray and Mr. Barr leave him in the dark about what was on it? (Personally, I doubt it.)

It has come out lately that the FBI secretly hacked its way into Mr. Giuliani's iCloud data storage account without a warrant in the fall of 2019, when Mr. Schiff's Intel Committee held its hearings preliminary to impeachment and Mr. Giuliani was the president's lawyer. Did Mr. Wray and Mr. Barr or others funnel info about what was on the president's lawyer's private iCloud files to Mr. Goldman and Mr. Schiff? And was that info known to then Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire? Or Intel Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, who allowed the bogus complaints of CIA "whistleblower" Eric Ciaramella and National Security Council officer Alexander Vindman to be manufactured into an impeachable "crime?" Do these seem to be esoteric issues? I don't think so. Will they ever be adjudicated? And will our country pay a price for allowing all that to happen?

It has also been imputed in media coverage of the Giuliani raid that the president's lawyer was somehow nefariously involved in advising Mr. Trump to fire US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. In fact, ambassadors to foreign lands serve at the pleasure of the chief executive. He can fire them for any reason. And his lawyer has every right to advise him to do it. Does the news media not know that?

Does the DOJ aim to mount an indictment against Rudy Giuliani? Well, if they do, of course, they open the door to evidentiary discovery — like, who gave the order to hack into the President's lawyer's iCloud account during the 2019 impeachment? Anything funny going on with that? It happens that Mr. Giuliani's personal lawyer is one Bob Costello, who served as head of the Southern District's criminal division when Rudy ran the DOJ's SDNY. Mr. Costello might know something of the workings in Main Justice. He could possibly root something interesting out.

To return to my original point: who and where are the authorities who will hold high public officials accountable for the things they've been doing? Do you wonder why Americans increasingly lack faith in their government? Do you wonder why, for example, so many want to avoid "vaccine" shots, endorsed by government officials as "safe and effective?" Do you note the contrast between what's taken ultra-seriously in the BLM hoopla over police shootings of perps obviously resisting arrest and fighting with them, and the awesome depravity at the highest levels of the US justice system? Oh, by the way, the Arizona ballot recount and voting machine forensic inquiry goes on. Maybe soon you will start putting together the reasons why your country is cracking up.

Reprinted with permission from Kunstler.com.

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A Software Company Comes Up With a Brilliant Corporate Speech Policy

Monday 03 May 2021 11:01 PM UTC-05

Basecamp is remote work software that provides a single online environment in which workers on a single project can consolidate everything they do on that project. No matter where you are, there’s a virtual meeting space in cyberspace. That’s pretty cool. What’s really cool about Basecamp, though, is its CEO’s new rule: people may not discuss politics at work. With that single announcement, a third of the workforce quit. Other American corporations should follow suit.

After “a contentious all-hands meeting,” the Basecamp CEO and one of its founders, Jason Fried, posted a lengthy statement online detailing the new policies that he and David Hansson, a Basecamp founder and partner, had reached. (Note: As a private corporation, Basecamp can impose speech policies on its employees.) Here are the core parts (and except for the first sentence, bolded emphasis is mine):

1. No more societal and political discussions on our company Basecamp account. Today’s social and political waters are especially choppy. Sensitivities are at 11, and every discussion remotely related to politics, advocacy, or society at large quickly spins away from pleasant. You shouldn’t have to wonder if staying out of it means you’re complicit, or wading into it means you’re a target. These are difficult enough waters to navigate in life, but significantly more so at work. It’s become too much. It’s a major distraction. It saps our energy, and redirects our dialog towards dark places. It’s not healthy, it hasn’t served us well. And we’re done with it on our company Basecamp account where the work happens. People can take the conversations with willing co-workers to Signal, Whatsapp, or even a personal Basecamp account, but it can’t happen where the work happens anymore. Update: David has shared some more details and more of the internal announcement on his HEY World blog.

(I urge you to read David’s blog post, because it’s an excellent statement about how free speech should work in America.)

In addition to banning political talk in the workplace or over the workplace communication system, the company is turning away from the Silicon Valley trend of turning every workplace into an amusement park for overgrown children (except for the first sentence, bolded emphasis is mine):

2. No more paternalistic benefits. For years we’ve offered a fitness benefit, a wellness allowance, a farmer’s market share, and continuing education allowances. They felt good at the time, but we’ve had a change of heart. It’s none of our business what you do outside of work, and it’s not Basecamp’s place to encourage certain behaviors — regardless of good intention. By providing funds for certain things, we’re getting too deep into nudging people’s personal, individual choices. So we’ve ended these benefits, and, as compensation, paid every employee the full cash value of the benefits for this year. In addition, we recently introduced a 10% profit sharing plan to provide direct compensation that people can spend on whatever they’d like, privately, without company involvement or judgement.

Lastly, in the sixth numbered item, Fried reminds the employees that Basecamp’s purpose is to make “project management, team communication, and email software. We are not a social impact company. Our impact is contained to what we do and how we do it.” As far as Basecamp leadership is concerned, “We don’t have to solve deep social problems, chime in publicly whenever the world requests our opinion on the major issues of the day, or get behind one movement or another with time or treasure.”

There are three other changes, but they’re very work-related, so they’re not relevant to this post.

Read the Whole Article

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CDC Officially Recommends Covid Jab for Pregnant Women

Monday 03 May 2021 11:01 PM UTC-05

The beyond conflicted U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has struck again: Pregnant women are now urged to get the COVID-19 gene manipulation jab, based on preliminary findings.

The postmarketing surveillance data, published in The New England Journal of Medicine,1 found "no obvious safety signals" among the 35,691 pregnant women who got either the Moderna or Pfizer shots between December 14, 2020, and February 28, 2021. The women ranged in age from 16 to 54 years old. CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky issued a statement saying:2

"No safety concerns were observed for people vaccinated in the third trimester or safety concerns for their babies. As such, CDC recommends pregnant people receive COVID-19 vaccines."

Can Self-Reported Data Be Trusted?

There is more than one reason to be suspicious of this green-lighting for pregnant women. First of all, as noted by Jeremy Hammond in a recent Tweet:3

"This was NOT a randomized placebo-controlled trial. There is no data from clinical trials showing that it is safe for pregnant women to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Postmarketing surveillance is NOT a sufficient substitute for proper safety studies."

The authors themselves state that data on mRNA "vaccines" in pregnancy are limited, and that without longitudinal follow-up of large numbers of women, it's not possible to determine "maternal, pregnancy and infant outcomes."4

Secondly, all postmarketing surveillance data are preliminary, so it seems incredibly foolhardy to make a blanket recommendation for all pregnant women at this early stage. Thirdly, this data is solely based on voluntary self-reporting to one of two sources:

The Vaccine Safe (V-Safe) After Vaccination Health Checker program,5 a vaccine safety registry set up specifically for the monitoring of COVID-19 "vaccine" side effects

The U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)

By using voluntary self-reporting, we have no way of knowing how many side effects have gone unreported and cannot confirm that the data present an accurate picture. Historically, we know that voluntary reporting of vaccine side effects range from less than 1%6,7 to a maximum of 10%,8 so it's likely we're not getting the full story.

A hint that an enormous amount of data concerning pregnancy outcomes are being overlooked or hidden can be discerned by the fact that the paper only looked at 11% of the total number of pregnancies reported to V-Safe. While they state that a total of 35,691 pregnant women were included in the analysis, they actually only looked at 3,958 of them. Here's how the paper reads:9

"A total of 35,691 v-safe participants 16 to 54 years of age identified as pregnant … Among 3,958 participants enrolled in the v-safe pregnancy registry, 827 had a completed pregnancy, of which 115 (13.9%) resulted in a pregnancy loss and 712 (86.1%) resulted in a live birth (mostly among participants with vaccination in the third trimester)."

If there were 35,691 pregnant V-Safe participants, why are they looking at just 11% of them?

Experimentation of the Worst Kind

Giving pregnant women unlicensed COVID-19 gene therapies is reprehensibly irresponsible experimental medicine, and to suggest that safety data are "piling up" is pure propaganda. Everything is still in the experimental stage and all data are preliminary. It'll take years to get a clearer picture of how these injections are affecting young women and their babies.

Pregnancy is a time during which experimentation is extremely hazardous, as you're not only dealing with potential repercussions for the mother but also for the child. Any number of things can go wrong when you introduce drugs, chemicals or foreign substances during fetal development.

The CDC has absolutely no way of gauging safety for pregnant women and babies as of yet, so to do so is reprehensible beyond words, in my opinion — especially seeing how women of childbearing age have virtually no risk of dying from COVID-19, their fatality risk being a mere 0.01%.10

Contrast this to the potential benefits of the vaccine. You can still contract the virus if immunized and you can still spread it to others.11,12,13,14 All it is designed to do is lessen your symptoms if or when you get infected. Pregnant women simply do not need this vaccine, and therefore any risk is likely excessive. I have little doubt we'll end up with a second Nuremberg Trial over this at some point in the future.

Are These Miscarriage Ratios 'Normal'?

Getting back to the NEJM study, the authors report the following findings, based on data collected from VAERS and V-Safe:15

"Among 3,958 participants enrolled in the v-safe pregnancy registry, 827 had a completed pregnancy, of which 115 (13.9%) resulted in a pregnancy loss and 712 (86.1%) resulted in a live birth (mostly among participants with vaccination in the third trimester). Adverse neonatal outcomes included preterm birth (in 9.4%) and small size for gestational age (in 3.2%); no neonatal deaths were reported.

Although not directly comparable, calculated proportions of adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in persons vaccinated against COVID-19 who had a completed pregnancy were similar to incidences reported in studies involving pregnant women that were conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among 221 pregnancy-related adverse events reported to the VAERS, the most frequently reported event was spontaneous abortion (46 cases)."

So, in VAERS, the miscarriage rate was 20.8% (46 of 221 reports), and in V-Safe (looking at just 11% of pregnant participants), the miscarriage rate was 13.9% (115 of 827). Again, these data were reported between December 14, 2020, and February 28, 2021.

The combined miscarriage and preterm birth rate, per V-Safe, was 23.3% (13.9% + 9.4%). As of April 1, 2021, 379 VAERS reports16 had been filed by pregnant women, 110 of which involved miscarriage or premature birth, giving us an updated rate of 29%. In other words, it appears the rate of miscarriage and premature births is rising as more reports come in.

According to the authors of the NEJM report, these ratios are comparable to the miscarriage rate normally seen among unvaccinated women, while admitting that the data is "not directly comparable."

I find that dubious, seeing how sources17 reviewing statistical data stress that the risk of miscarriage drops from an overall, average risk rate of 21.3% for the duration of the pregnancy as a whole, to just 5% between Weeks 6 and 7, all the way down to 1% between Weeks 14 and 20.

And, while the NEJM study18 report that 92.3% of spontaneous abortions occurred before 13 weeks of gestation, it specifies that very little is as yet known about the effects of the injections when given to women during the periconception period and the first and second trimesters, as "limited follow-up calls had been made at the time of this analysis."

Now, if the miscarriage rate is normally 5% and declining after Week 6, then miscarriage rates of 13.9%, 20.87% or 29% before Week 13 is clearly excessive. As for the preterm birth rate, 9.4% does appear relatively "normal" based on historical data, which in 2019 ranged from 7.28% to 18.8% depending on the region, with an average right around 10%.19

Time will tell whether that percentage will remain within the norms as the outcomes of pregnant women are entered into databases. If preterm birth rates do rise above the norm, then that too is a significant public health issue, as the impact of premature birth on society is enormous, averaging at $26.2 billion annually, as is.20

Toxicology Expert Calls for End to mRNA Experiment

The featured video at the top of this article is the recording of a public comment by Janci Chunn Lindsay, Ph.D., director of toxicology and molecular biology for Toxicology Support Services LLC, given to the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), April 23, 2021.

Lindsay's expertise is analysis of pharmacological dose-responses, mechanistic biology and complex toxicity dynamics. In her comment, Lindsay describes how she aided the development of a vaccine that caused unintended autoimmune destruction and sterility in animals which, despite careful pre-analysis, had not been predicted.

She calls for an immediate halt to COVID-19 mRNA and DNA vaccines due to safety concerns on multiple fronts. She notes there is credible concern that they will cross-react with syncytin (a retroviral envelope protein) and reproductive genes in sperm, ova and placenta in ways that may "impair fertility and reproductive outcomes."

I've touched on this in previous articles, including "How COVID-19 Is Changing the Future of Vaccines" and "Pfizer Bullies Nations to Put Up Collateral for Lawsuits." Not a single study has disproven this hypothesis, Lindsey notes.

Another theory of how these injections might impair fertility can be found in a 2006 study,21 which showed sperm can take up foreign mRNA, convert it into DNA, and release it as little pellets (plasmids) in the medium around the fertilized egg. The embryo then takes up these plasmids and carries them (sustains and clones them into many of the daughter cells) throughout its life, even passing them on to future generations.

It is possible that the pseudo-exosomes that are the mRNA contents would be perfect for supplying the sperm with mRNA for the spike protein. So, potentially, a vaccinated woman who gets pregnant with an embryo that can (via the sperms’ plasmids) synthesize the spike protein according to the instructions in the vaccine, would have an immune capacity to attack that embryo because of the “foreign” protein it displays on its cells. This then would cause a miscarriage.

"We could potentially be sterilizing an entire generation," Lindsey warns. The fact that there have been live births following COVID-19 vaccination is not proof that these injections do not have a reproductive effect, she says.

Lindsay also points out that reports of menstrual irregularities and vaginal hemorrhaging in women who have received the injections number in the thousands,22,23,24 and this too hints at reproductive effects.

I agree with her conclusion that we simply cannot inject children and women of childbearing age with these experimental technologies until more rigorous studies have been done and we have a better understanding of their mechanisms.

Rare Blood Clotting Disorders Being Reported

Lindsay also points out there have been hundreds of reports of rare blood clotting disorders following all COVID-19 "vaccines" among people with no underlying risk factors, including immune thrombocytopenia25,26,27,28 (ITP), a rare autoimmune disease that causes your immune system to destroy your platelets (cells that help blood clot), resulting in hemorrhaging. Serious blood clots are also occurring at the same time.

Here, she points out the obvious: COVID-19 has been found to cause blood clotting disorders due to the virus' unique spike protein. The COVID-19 "vaccines" instruct your body to make that very spike protein. Why would one assume that this spike protein cannot have similar effects when produced by your own cells?

One hypothesis that has been presented is that platelet-antagonistic antibodies are being formed against the spike antigen.29 Another novel hypothesis30 is that the lipid-coated nanoparticles, which transport the mRNA, may be carrying that mRNA into the megakaryocytes in your bone marrow.

Megakaryocytes are cells that produce platelets. According to this hypothesis, once the mRNA enters your bone marrow, the megakaryocytes would then begin to express the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, which would tag them for destruction by cytotoxic T-cells. As your platelets are destroyed, thrombocytopenia sets in.

Avoid This Risky Milk-Sharing Practice

Women who have received the COVID-19 jab are also making what I believe is a huge mistake by sharing breast milk in a misguided effort to inoculate unvaccinated mothers' babies. As reported by The New York Times:31

"Multiple studies32,33 show that there are antibodies in a vaccinated mother's milk. This has led some women to try to restart breastfeeding and others to share milk with friends' children."

Again, there's scarcely any data on what these gene therapies might do to infants, which is reason alone not to experiment. So far, only one suspected case34 of an infant dying has been attributed to breastfeeding. A 5-month-old infant died with a diagnosis of thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura within days of his mother receiving her second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.35,36

But while fact checkers roundly dismiss the idea that the child could have developed thrombocytopenia from mRNA-contaminated breast milk,37 it's important to realize they have no evidence for that. It's pure opinion.

At present, all we can confidently say is that short-term harmful effects of COVID-19 vaccines are being reported at a staggering rate, and that the long-term effects are completely unknown.

As of right now, we have no idea how or why the infant developed this rare blood disorder, but it would be premature and irresponsible to say that nursing children cannot be affected and that there is no risk at all. In addition to that lethal case, there are at least 20 other cases where children have had an adverse reaction to breast milk from a vaccinated mother.38

At present, all we can confidently say is that short-term harmful effects of COVID-19 vaccines are being reported at a staggering rate, and that the long-term effects are completely unknown.

In addition to the more immediate effects already discussed, there are mechanisms by which COVID-19 "vaccines" may actually worsen disease upon exposure to the wild virus, as detailed in "How COVID-19 Vaccine Can Destroy Your Immune System," "Will Vaccinated People Be More Vulnerable to Variants?" and several other articles.

As noted in a February 4, 2021, New England Journal of Medicine paper39 reporting on the safety and effectiveness of the mRNA-1273 vaccine developed by Moderna, "Whether mRNA-1273 vaccination results in enhanced disease on exposure to the virus in the long term is unknown."

Sources and References

1, 4, 9, 15, 18 NEJM April 21, 2021 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2104983

2 CNBC April 23, 2021

3 Twitter Jeremy Hammond April 23, 2021

5 CDC V-Safe

6 AHRQ December 7, 2007

7 The Vaccine Reaction January 9, 2020

8 BMJ 2005;330:433

10 Annals of Internal Medicine September 2, 2020 DOI: 10.7326/M20-5352

11 Harvard Health March 25, 2021

12 CDC April 2, 2021

13 NBC Chicago April 8, 2021

14 The Defender April 6, 2021

16 The Defender April 9, 2021

17 Medical News Today January 12, 2020

19 CDC.gov Preterm births by state 2019

20 March of Dimes, the Impact of Premature Birth on Society

21 Molecular Reproduction and Development 73(10):1239-46

22 MSN April 10, 2021

23 UK Gov Yellow Card Report Unspecified Brand March 28, 2021 (PDF)

24 Life Site News April 19, 2021

25 Hopkins Medicine ITP

26, 29 The Defender April 13, 2021

27 The Defender February 9, 2021

28 New York Times February 8, 2021, Updated February 10, 2021 (Archived)

30 Medium March 19, 2021

31 New York Times April 8, 2021 (Archived)

32 Fox 4 April 7, 2021

33 Healio April 19, 2021

34, 35 Twitter Alex Berenson April 23, 2021

36 Twitter VAERS detail

37 USA Today April 9, 2021

38 Medalerts.org 4/16/2021 VAERS data

39 NEJM 2021; 384:403-416

40 The Defender January 25, 2021

The post CDC Officially Recommends Covid Jab for Pregnant Women appeared first on LewRockwell.

from https://youtu.be/GuUaaPaTlyY May 04, 2021 at 02:00AM

#Credit Report Repair News: Digest for May 04 #2021

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brewermaine · 4 years ago