Wednesday,  Sept. 9th, 2020

The British government bans gatherings of more than six people in England starting September 14, with some exceptions, amid a rise in cases, which hit nearly 3,000 on Sunday. (ABC Australia)

American company Pfizer and German company BioNTech announce that their vaccine could be ready for approval mid-October or early November. (The Hill)

Nine vaccine companies sign a pledge that they won’t submit vaccine candidates for review by the Food and Drug Administration until their safety and efficacy is shown in large clinical trials. (NPR)

Phase III clinical trials for AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s vaccine are paused after a participant suffers an illness requiring investigation in the United Kingdom. (BBC)

AstraZeneca says that they might resume vaccine trials next week. This comes after the vaccine trial was put on hold due to a suspected adverse reaction the day before. (Financial Times)

The number of new cases registered in the Netherlands surges to 1,140 in the last 24 hours, the highest daily total since April. (Reuters)

Protesters and police clash near the Portland City Hall in Oregon. Portland Police Bureau announce that 11 arrests have been made. (The Star-Tribune)

According to a report from Brown University’s “Costs of War” project, over 37 million people have been displaced by the wars fought by the United States since the September 11 attacks. (The New York Times)

Arizona reports 81 cases, the lowest in the state since late March. This also marks the first time the state reported fewer than 100 cases since April 10. (The Arizona Republic) (KTAR)

The total number of children infected with COVID-19 in the United States since the pandemic began there in mid-March surpasses 500,000. (MSN)

American company Pfizer and German company BioNTech announce that their vaccine could be ready for approval mid-October or early November. (The Hill)

Nine vaccine companies sign a pledge that they won’t submit vaccine candidates for review by the Food and Drug Administration until their safety and efficacy is shown in large clinical trials. (NPR)

Phase III clinical trials for AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s vaccine are paused after a participant has an adverse reaction in the United Kingdom. (BBC)

Russia summons the German ambassador to Moscow over statements by the German government concerning Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny. Foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Germany of “bluffing”. (Reuters)

AstraZeneca pauses COVID-19 vaccine trial after volunteer falls ill AstraZeneca on Tuesday announced it has temporarily suspended global trials of a possible COVID-19 vaccine after a volunteer experienced a “potentially unexplained illness.” The pharmaceutical company is testing the Oxford vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford, in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, and South Africa. It is one of three potential coronavirus vaccines now in Phase 3 trials in the U.S. It is standard procedure for experimental trials to pause in order to determine if the vaccine is causing serious reactions in volunteers. AstraZeneca said in a statement that during large trials, “illnesses will happen by chance but must be independently reviewed to check this carefully. We are working to expedite the review of the single event to minimize any potential impact on the trial timelines.”  Source: CNN

 

Rochester police chief, top leaders resign after protests over Daniel Prude’s death Rochester, New York’s police chief and the two other top leaders resigned Tuesday amid protests against the police killing of Daniel Prude. Prude, a Black man, was killed in March, and protests began last week after body camera footage of the incident went public. Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren suspended the seven officers involved in Prude’s death, and she promised reforms to the police department. Rochester Police Chief La’Ron Singletary, Deputy Chief Joe Morabito, and Deputy Chief Mark Simmons all resigned. Singletary, who is Black, condemned an “attempt to destroy my character and integrity” in his resignation letter, seemingly referencing suggestions he helped “cover-up” Prude’s death. Prude died of asphyxiation after Rochester police put a spit bag over his head and held his face to the ground for two minutes; his death was ruled a homicide.  Source: Democrat and Chronicle

McConnell says Senate will vote on coronavirus relief bill this week Lawmakers begin returning to Capitol Hill on Tuesday for a short session before the November election, with dim prospects for agreement on a new coronavirus relief package. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the Senate would vote sometime this week on a much smaller bill than previously debated with top Democrats. Talks between Democrats and the White House stalled last month, and Democrats and Republicans remain far apart on how much to spend in the package. House Democrats initially proposed a $3 trillion-plus package, while Senate Republicans’ proposal would have cost around $1 trillion. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has since said Democrats would accept a $2.2 trillion package. McConnell is reportedly moving forward with an even smaller package in an effort to put Democrats on the defensive.  Source: The Associated Press

Keeping Up With the Kardashians to end after Season 20 Keeping Up With the Kardashians will air its 20th and final season in early 2021, the Kardashian-Jenner family and E! announced Tuesday. “After what will be 14 years, 20 seasons, hundreds of episodes, and numerous spin-off shows, we are beyond grateful to all of you who’ve watched us for all of these years — through the good times, the bad times, the happiness, the tears, and the many relationships and children, we’ll forever cherish the wonderful memories and countless people we’ve met along the way,” Kim Kardashian West tweeted on Tuesday. Keeping Up With the Kardashians‘ 19th season will begin on Sept. 17. The show premiered on Oct. 14, 2007, and launched 12 spin-offs, including Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami, I Am Cait, and Life of Kylie. Source: E! News

 

Tuesday,  Sept. 8th, 2020

The Florida Department of Health reports 1,838 cases in 24 hours, the state’s lowest since June 15. (The Miami Herald)

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces a deal with CSL Limited to secure access to the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and receive the first batches of the potential vaccine in January. (HuffPost)

Russia says that they will to begin phase 3 clinical trails of its Gam-COVID-Vac vaccine in India later this month. (India.com)

Saudi Arabia issues final convictions for eight people for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. (NBC News)

 

As U.S. coronavirus death toll nears 189,000, new cases rise in 22 states As of Monday evening, at least 188,983 Americans have died of the coronavirus, The New York Times reports, and the number of new cases is on the rise in 22 states. Public health authorities warned that Labor Day crowds increased the risk of new infections. Most of the states reporting rising infections are in thinly populated parts of the Midwest and South, Reuters reports. South Dakota showed the largest increase on a percentage basis, with 3,700 new cases over the past two weeks, a 126 percent increase compared to the previous two weeks. Some of the new cases were linked to the massive annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, which attracted hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists in August. Nationwide, the increases were offset by falling new infections in the heavily populated states of California, Florida, and Texas. Source: Reuters

 

Monday, Sept. 7th, 2020

The number of hospitalizations in New York drops to 410, their lowest since March 16. (Times Union)

Hundreds of people protested against police violence and racial injustice in Portland, Oregon in demonstrations that have now lasted over 100 days since George Floyd was killed. Molotov cocktails were thrown in the street sparking a large fire and prompting police to declare a riot. Tear gas was again deployed to clear protesters. (CP24)

The fourth night of protests in Rochester, New York, over the death of Daniel Prude, becomes the largest so far, and again it ends with pepper balls, tear gas, and fireworks. Rochester Police Department arrests nine people, including two on felony charges. Three officers are also treated at the hospital for injuries. A U-Haul truck is set on fire in a parking lot before firefighters arrive to put it out. (The Democrat & Chronicle)

The End 

 

Tuesday,  Sept. 8th, 2020

According to a report from Brown University’s “Costs of War” project, over 37 million people have been displaced by the wars fought by the United States since the September 11 attacks. (The New York Times)

Arizona reports 81 cases, the lowest in the state since late March. This also marks the first time the state reported fewer than 100 cases since April 10. (The Arizona Republic)

The total number of children infected with COVID-19 in the United States since the pandemic began there in mid-March surpasses 500,000. (MSN)

The Florida Department of Health reports 1,838 cases in 24 hours, the state’s lowest since June 15. (The Miami Herald)

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces a deal with CSL Limited to secure access to the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and receive the first batches of the potential vaccine in January. (HuffPost) (The Straits Times)

Russia says that they will to begin phase 3 clinical trails of its Gam-COVID-Vac vaccine in India later this month. (India.com)

Saudi Arabia issues final convictions for eight people for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. (NBC News)

As U.S. coronavirus death toll nears 189,000, new cases rise in 22 states As of Monday evening, at least 188,983 Americans have died of the coronavirus, The New York Times reports, and the number of new cases is on the rise in 22 states. Public health authorities warned that Labor Day crowds increased the risk of new infections. Most of the states reporting rising infections are in thinly populated parts of the Midwest and South, Reuters reports. South Dakota showed the largest increase on a percentage basis, with 3,700 new cases over the past two weeks, a 126 percent increase compared to the previous two weeks. Some of the new cases were linked to the massive annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, which attracted hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists in August. Nationwide, the increases were offset by falling new infections in the heavily populated states of California, Florida, and Texas. Source: Reuters

 

The End 

 

Monday, Sept. 7th, 2020  – Labor Day

Monday, Sept. 7th, 2020

The number of hospitalizations in New York drops to 410, their lowest since March 16. (Times Union)

Hundreds of people protested against police violence and racial injustice in Portland, Oregon in demonstrations that have now lasted over 100 days since George Floyd was killed. Molotov cocktails were thrown in the street sparking a large fire and prompting police to declare a riot. Tear gas was again deployed to clear protesters. (CP24)

The fourth night of protests in Rochester, New York, over the death of Daniel Prude, becomes the largest so far, and again it ends with pepper balls, tear gas, and fireworks. Rochester Police Department arrests nine people, including two on felony charges. Three officers are also treated at the hospital for injuries. A U-Haul truck is set on fire in a parking lot before firefighters arrive to put it out. (The Democrat & Chronicle)

Harris predicts scientists, health experts won’t have last word on vaccine efficacy In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash that’s set to air Sunday, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), the Democratic vice presidential nominee, was asked if she would receive a coronavirus vaccine approved before the November election. Harris responded by saying she “would not trust Donald Trump and it would have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and the reliability of whatever he’s talking about.” The senator added that she doesn’t think scientists and public health experts will have the last word on a vaccine’s efficacy. “If past is prologue than they will not, they’ll be muzzled, they’ll be suppressed, they will be sidelined,” she said. “Because [Trump’s] looking at an election coming up in less than 60 days and he’s grasping to get whatever he can to pretend he has been a leader on this issue when he is not.” Source: CNN

The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that Iran has stockpiled 2,105 kilograms (4,641 lb) of enriched uranium, violating the 300 kilograms (660 lb) limit under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. (DW)

The death toll in Iran exceeds 22,000. (Al Arabiya)

Hawaii County closes their beaches and shoreline parks through September 19 in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

South Africa is expected to begin a trial of the NVX-CoV2373, a vaccine candidate produced by Novavax. Around 2,904 volunteers are expected to be selected, who are aged from 18 to 64 years. (MyJoyOnline)

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla says that the vaccine trials for Pfizer might have results by October. (CNBC)

GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi announces that they will start vaccine trials. (BBC)

The government designates 28 mainland and overseas departments as “red zones” as the nation’s test positivity rate increased to 4.7 per cent. (CNA)

The United Kingdom reports 2,988 cases, their highest since May 23. (Reuters)

Evacuations are issued in San Diego County, California after the Valley Fire, which was ignited southeast of Alpine, reaches 4,000 acres and consumes 10 structures. (East Bay Times)

Protests continue in Portland, Hong Kong, Belarus, Israel A myriad of protests continued or are set to continue this weekend both in the United States and across the world. In Portland, Oregon, demonstrations against police brutality continued for the 100th consecutive day. Portland police declared a riot Saturday night after protesters hurled Molotov cocktails in the street, sparking a fire. In Hong Kong, demonstrators returned to the street Sunday to protest the city’s national security law and the government’s decision to delay Legislative Council elections for a year. At least 90 people were arrested. Meanwhile, thousands of Israelis on Saturday again gathered outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official residence, calling for his resignation over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and corruption charges. And, in Belarus on Sunday, despite a show of force from authorities, protesters set out to pressure President Alexander Lukashenko to step down after his disputed re-election. Source: The Associated Press

New York AG to set up grand jury in Daniel Prude case New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Saturday that she would set up a grand jury to consider evidence in the death of Daniel Prude, a 41-year-old Black man who suffocated in Rochester, New York, after police officers placed a hood over his head and pinned him to the ground during an arrest in March. Prude’s family has accused officials of trying to cover up the death, and protests have erupted in Rochester since the case garnered public attention last week. The county medical examiner determined the death a homicide caused by asphyxiation in a prone position, but police treated the death as a drug overdose for months, pointing to PCP found in Prude’s system. Now, James says, her office, which became aware of Prude’s death in April, “will immediately move to empanel a grand jury as part of our exhaustive investigation into this matter.” Source: The New York Times

Jacob Blake shares video message from hospital bed Jacob Blake delivered a video message to the public from his hospital bed Saturday night as he recovers from injuries he sustained after he was shot seven times by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August. The shooting left Blake paralyzed from the waist down. In the video, which was posted to Twitter by Blake’s attorney Ben Crump, Blake said he has staples in his stomach and back and is in constant pain, adding that it hurts to breathe, sleep, eat, and move side to side. “You do not want to have to deal with this,” he said, noting that his case exemplifies how people’s lives can be drastically altered in an instant. He went on to urge people to “change your lives out there” and “stick together, make some money, make everything easier for our people.” Source: CNN

The End

September 7th in History

1191 – Third Crusade: Battle of Arsuf: Richard I of England defeats Saladin at Arsuf.

1228 – Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II lands in Acre, Israel, and starts the Sixth Crusade, which results in a peaceful restoration of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.^[1]

1652 – Around 15,000 Han farmers and militia rebel against Dutch rule on Taiwan.

1812 – French invasion of Russia: The Battle of Borodino, the bloodiest battle of the Napoleonic Wars, was fought near Moscow and resulted in a French victory.

1857 – Mountain Meadows massacre: Mormon settlers slaughter most members of peaceful, emigrant wagon train.

1864 – American Civil War: Atlanta is evacuated on orders of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman.

1911 – French poet Guillaume Apollinaire is arrested and put in jail on suspicion of stealing the Mona Lisa from the Louvre museum.

1921 – In Atlantic City, New Jersey, the first Miss America Pageant, a two-day event, is held.

1927 – The first fully electronic television system is achieved by Philo Farnsworth.

1936 – The last thylacine, a carnivorous marsupial named Benjamin, dies alone in its cage at the Hobart Zoo in Tasmania.

1940 – World War II: The German Luftwaffe begins the Blitz, bombing London and other British cities for over 50 consecutive nights.

1953 – Nikita Khrushchev is elected first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

1977 – The 300-metre-tall CKVR-DT transmission tower in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, is hit by a light aircraft in a fog, causing it to collapse. All aboard the aircraft are killed.

1978 – While walking across Waterloo Bridge in London, Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov is assassinated by Bulgarian secret police agent Francesco Gullino by means of a ricin pellet fired from a specially-designed umbrella.

1979 – The Chrysler Corporation asks the United States government for US$1.5 billion to avoid bankruptcy.