Smallpox Vaccine: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (2003)

Tuesday,  January 25th, 2022 

U.S. puts 8,500 troops on ‘heightened alert’ in Ukraine crisis Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin put 8,500 U.S. troops on “heightened alert” and President Biden is considering sending American forces to Eastern Europe to help NATO allies brace for a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Pentagon said Monday. “The decision has been made to put these units on higher alert and higher alert only,” Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said in a news briefing. “No decisions have been made to deploy forces from the United States at this time.” NATO said it was putting forces on standby and sending more ships and fighter jets to reinforce its military resources in Eastern Europe in response to Russia’s massing of 100,000 troops near its Ukraine border. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reiterated Monday that U.S. citizens in Ukraine “should leave now.” Moscow denounced the Western reaction as “hysteria.”  REUTERS 

Study shows Pfizer booster remains effective against Omicron for 4 months Antibodies capable of blocking the Omicron coronavirus variant remain effective four months after a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, according to a new study. The laboratory study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, suggests that a fourth shot (a second booster) will not be necessary just yet, as some people have speculated. “That really shows that at least up to four months, post-dose three, there is still substantial neutralizing activity against Omicron,” said Pei-Yong Shi, a microbiologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, whose team tested antibodies in the blood of vaccinated people.  Antibodies fade in the months after vaccination. Omicron evaded protection from a second vaccine dose even in the month after it was administered, but a third shot restored strong immune protection. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Biden administration’s free N95 masks begin arriving at pharmacies The first free N95 masks sent out by the Biden administration started arriving in pharmacies around the country on Monday. The administration is distributing the high-quality masks as part of an effort to increase protection and testing to help slow the spread of the highly infectious Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which is fueling a wave of new COVID-19 cases. The arrival of the first of 400 million N95 masks the government is providing for the public came as free COVID-19 tests are arriving through the mail to people who ordered them. “Last week masks began shipping and arriving at pharmacies and grocers around [the] country. We expect that throughout the week the number of stores and N95s arriving to scale up significantly,” an administration official said. CNN 

Sarah Palin tests positive for COVID, delaying Times defamation trial Sarah Palin’s defamation lawsuit against The New York Times was delayed on Monday after the former Alaska governor tested positive for the coronavirus. “She is, of course, unvaccinated,” Judge Jed Rakoff said. Rakoff rescheduled the start of jury selection to Feb. 3. Palin was tested for COVID-19 ahead of the trial. The 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee wants to attend jury selection in person, and plans to testify in the trial. Palin is suing the Times over a 2017 editorial linking an ad by her political action committee to a mass shooting that left six people dead and then-Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) severely injured. The Times issued a correction and apologized, saying there was no established link. A judge dismissed the case but an appeals court revived it. CNN 

Webb telescope arrives at its observation point  The James Webb Space Telescope reached its intended position beyond the moon Monday after a month-long journey that started with a launch from French Guiana on Dec. 25. From its point of observation nearly a million miles from Earth and beyond the moon, the space observatory will be able to examine the universe in new ways, and look into the atmosphere of exoplanets. Webb’s orbit will keep it behind Earth as it orbits the sun, shielding it from heat and keeping it cool so it can observe the universe in infrared light, allowing it to detect faint, distant objects. The telescope, a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency, is expected to transmit its first images this summer. CNN 

U.S. stocks bounced back from early Monday plunge, but volatility continues Markets fell dramatically early Monday but rallied later in the day, closing with modest gains. The S&P 500 fell briefly into correction territory, defined as 10 percent below its recent high, but closed up by 0.3 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.3 percent, its first positive day in seven. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell by 4.9 percent early Monday but ended the day up by 0.6 percent. Some analysts predicted that the market turbulence could continue as investors brace for more fallout from the Omicron coronavirus wave and rising interest rates. JPMorgan strategist Marko Kolanovic said the “recent pullback in risk assets appears overdone, and … we could be in the final stages of this correction.” U.S. stock futures fell early Tuesday. CNBC 

Ford stops taking orders for Maverick pickups, citing high demand Ford is cutting off orders for its new Maverick pickup because of overwhelming demand. The company told dealers in a memo Monday that it would resume taking orders for the 2023 Maverick this summer. “We didn’t want to take more orders than we could build,” Dean Stoneley, general manager of Ford trucks, told The Wall Street Journal in an interview. “We’re getting customers who would have perhaps bought a used car and are now buying the Maverick because it is so affordable.” Prices for the Maverick start at about $20,000. Ford unveiled the new pickup last fall, as car prices were broadly rising. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Fed leaders head into 2-day meeting expected to signal March rate hike Federal Reserve policymakers on Tuesday start a two-day meeting that analysts expect to end Wednesday with a signal that the central bank plans to raise interest rates in March to fight high inflation. The Fed is expected to indicate that it plans to start tapering the asset purchases that, along with near-zero interest rates, it has been using to support the recovery from the economic damage of the coronavirus pandemic. The expectations of higher interest rates have roiled stocks recently, dragging down shares of tech companies and other high-growth stocks expected to be hit hardest by higher borrowing costs. U.S. Treasury yields rose early Tuesday ahead of the start of the Fed meeting. REUTERS 

Unilever unveils plan to cut 1,500 management jobs Consumer goods giant Unilever on Tuesday said it would cut about 1,500 management jobs globally as it restructures in response to investor jitters over its failed $67 billion bid to acquire GlaxoSmithKline’s consumer healthcare business. Unilever, which makes products from Dove soap to Magnum ice cream, has about 149,000 employees. The company said it would re-organize itself by creating five divisions focused on beauty and wellbeing, personal care, home care, nutrition, and ice cream, resulting in management-chain changes. “Moving to five category-focused business groups will enable us to be more responsive to consumer and channel trends, with crystal-clear accountability for delivery,” Unilever CEO Alan Jope said.  BBC NEWS 

Prosecutor says 3 ex-officers did nothing to help George Floyd Lawyers gave opening arguments Monday to start the federal trial of three former Minneapolis police officers accused of violating the civil rights of George Floyd by failing to prevent their former colleague, Derek Chauvin, from killing him. Samantha Trepel, a federal prosecutor, said the three men — Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng — ignored their duties by failing to stop Chauvin from kneeling on Floyd’s neck until he stopped breathing. “They watched as Mr. Floyd suffered a slow and agonizing death,” Trepel said in her opening statement. Defense attorneys said Floyd’s death after he was detained on suspicion of buying cigarettes with a counterfeit bill was a tragedy, but they argued that their clients committed no crime. One defense lawyer said Chauvin was the senior officer and “called all the shots.” NPR 

Monday,  January 24th, 2022 

Evan Rachel Wood alleges Marilyn Manson raped her on music video set Evan Rachel Wood reportedly details some disturbing new allegations against rock star Marilyn Manson in a new documentary. Phoenix Rising, a documentary about the Westworld star, premiered Sunday at the Sundance Film Festival, and in it, Wood alleges that Manson raped her during the production of his music video that she appeared in. During what was supposed to be a simulated sex scene, he “started penetrating me for real” without consent. “I was coerced into a commercial sex act under false pretenses,” Wood alleges. “That’s when the first crime was committed against me and I was essentially raped on camera.” Wood also says Manson instructed her to claim that “we had this great, romantic time” making the video, when in reality, this was the “beginning of the violence that would keep escalating over the course of the relationship.” THE GUARDIAN 

The United Kingdom begins withdrawing staff and their dependants from its embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, amid fears of a Russian invasion. Around half of all staff are being withdrawn, according to a statement from the Foreign Office. (The Guardian) 

A fire at a nightclub in Sorong, Indonesia, following a brawl kills at least 18 people. (AFP via France24) 

A COVID-19 vaccine pass that requires people over the age of 16 years to be fully vaccinated or show proof of recovery in order to enter bars, restaurants, and other public spaces, and to use inter-regional transport takes effect in France. (Euronews) 

Russia reports a record for the fourth consecutive day of 65,109 new COVID-19 cases, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 11,173,300. (The Moscow Times) 

China lifts its month-long lockdown for 13 million people in Xi’an as the number of COVID-19 infections decreases in the city. (AP) 

Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights suspects former Regent of Langkat, a regency in Sumatra, Indonesia, practicing modern slavery after KPK, in a sting operation, finds jail-like facility to house the workers. (Tempo English) 

Voting for the election of the President of the Italian Republic begins, with the process expected to take multiple days. (ANSA) 

In the first round of voting, two-thirds of electors cast blank ballots. (Euronews) 

The James Webb Space Telescope, a collaboration among NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency, successfully enters orbit at its target destination, located near the Sun–Earth L₂ Lagrange point about 1.5 million kilometers (930,000 mi) from Earth. (AFP via Manila Standard) 

The End Tuesday 

The U.S. State Department orders its diplomats’ families to leave Ukraine, and authorizes voluntary departure of non-essential embassy staff in Kyiv. “Due to the continued threat” of a Russian invasion on Ukraine, American citizens are also urged to leave the country. (France 24) 

U.S. urges all U.S. citizens to leave Ukraine The State Department on Sunday recommended that all U.S. citizens leave Ukraine due to the threat of invasion by Russia, which has massed 100,000 troops near its border with Ukraine. “Our recommendation to U.S. citizens currently in Ukraine is that they should consider departing now using commercial or privately available transportation options,” a senior State Department official told reporters. The State Department earlier told the families of embassy personnel to leave. Russia in 2014 seized and annexed Crimea, a peninsula on the Black Sea that the United Nations recognizes as Ukrainian, and Britain said over the weekend that Moscow is now plotting to install a pro-Russian regime in Ukraine. A U.S. National Security Council spokesperson called the alleged plot “deeply concerning.” Moscow called the allegation “ridiculous.” CNBC 

The United Kingdom begins withdrawing staff and their dependants from its embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, amid fears of a Russian invasion. Around half of all staff are being withdrawn, according to the Foreign Office. (The Guardian) 

Global stocks fall as Russia invasion threat looms in Ukraine Stocks fell around the world on Monday as concern about a possible Russian invasion in Ukraine steered investors away from riskier assets. The State Department over the weekend told families of embassy personnel to leave Ukraine, and The New York Times reported that President Biden is considering sending up to 5,000 troops to Eastern Europe, as Britain warns Moscow is plotting to install a pro-Russia regime in Ukraine. The Euro STOXX fell 1.3 percent, hitting its lowest point since Dec. 20. Indexes in London, Paris, and Frankfurt were down by about 1 percent, with tech stocks leading losses. Stock futures in the U.S. were slightly lower early Monday following the S&P 500’s worst week since March 2020. REUTERS 

French ‘vaccine pass’ rule takes effect France on Monday started enforcing a new law requiring people to show a COVID-19 “vaccine pass” to enter restaurants, bars, tourist sites, and sports venues. The rule exempts those who recently recovered from the virus. It is a key part of the French government’s strategy for curbing infections during an unprecedented COVID-19 wave driven by the highly infectious Omicron coronavirus variant. France has Europe’s highest-ever daily coronavirus infections, and many of its hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID patients, although the number requiring intensive care has declined recently. The country’s parliament and Constitutional Council approved the vaccine pass last week. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

A COVID-19 vaccine pass that requires people aged above 16 years to be fully vaccinated or showing proof of recovery from the disease in France takes effect as the replacement of health pass to enter bars, restaurants, inter-regional transport and other public spaces. (Euronews) 

Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy tests positive for the COVID-19 for the second time. (El Periódico) 

Anti-vaccine-mandate protesters march in Washington Protesters marched along the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Sunday in opposition to government-mandated COVID-19 vaccinations. Organizers of the rally said they were protesting mandates, not the vaccines themselves. “Since the vaccines do not stop people from getting sick, why should we impose them as a requirement to keep one’s job or to enjoy the freedoms that we have always enjoyed such as eating at a restaurant, going to a concert, or attending school or the university?” said Louisa Clary, an organizer, in an email to The Wall Street Journal. The demonstration came as the Biden administration is calling for more Americans to get vaccines and booster shots to help curb the spread of the highly infectious Omicron coronavirus variant, which has made so many workers sick that many businesses are struggling to stay open. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Fauci says Omicron wave has peaked, but warns against overconfidence Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s top medical adviser on COVID-19, said Sunday that the COVID-19 wave fueled by the highly contagious Omicron coronavirus variant was peaking nationally, but he warned Americans not to “get overconfident.” Fauci said on ABC’s This Week that he hoped that in a few weeks the level of infection would fall below the “area of control,” where the virus will still be around but it won’t “disrupt society.” Daily new infections have started falling in the Northeast and Midwest. Nationwide totals are declining, although they remain more than double last winter’s peak. Hospitalizations and deaths appear to be leveling off, although there could be “a bit more pain and suffering with hospitalizations” in areas with low vaccination and booster rates. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Israel says 4th COVID vaccine dose increases resistance to severe illness  A fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose made people over 60 in Israel three times more resistant to serious illness than people in the same group who had received three shots, Israel’s Health Ministry said Sunday. Those who got a fourth shot — the two initial doses and two boosters — were twice as resistant to infection than those who had received just one booster. A preliminary study published Monday by Israel’s Sheba Medical Center said the fourth shot increased antibodies but “probably” not enough to completely resist the highly infectious Omicron coronavirus variant. Israel earlier this month started offering people over 60 a fourth dose as Omicron drove a surge of infections. REUTERS 

Food shortages could last weeks as workers call in sick due to Omicron Food shortages in many supermarkets could persist for weeks as record numbers of workers at processing plants and grocery stores call in sick due to the wave of COVID-19 cases fueled by the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus variant, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. In Arizona, for example, one produce company had 10 percent of its processing plant and distribution employees out sick recently. Food-industry experts said the crunch could continue for weeks or months, even if the number of new cases falls nationwide. Early in the pandemic, COVID-19 lockdowns prompted panic buying that resulted in shortages of meats, baking supplies, and paper goods, including toilet paper. But the shortages in the latest wave have been broader, as the lack of workers creates even more supply problems. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Trial begins in Palin’s defamation lawsuit against the Times Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s defamation lawsuit against The New York Times goes to trial on Monday. Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, has accused the Times of falsely linking her to the 2011 Arizona mass shooting that left six people dead and then-Rep. Gabby Giffords seriously wounded. The Times said in a 2017 editorial that Palin’s political action committee had incited the violence. Palin says the Times and former editorial page editor James Bennet defamed her. She is requesting unspecified damages and has argued in court papers that the editorial caused $421,000 in damage to her reputation. To win, Palin has to show that the editorial was written with “actual malice” toward her. REUTERS 

Jan. 6 committee has spoken with former Attorney General William Barr Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chair of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, said Sunday that investigators had spoken with former Attorney General William Barr. Thompson was asked on CBS’ Face the Nation about a draft executive order given to then-President Donald Trump seeking to have the Defense Department seize voting machines following Trump’s loss to President Biden in the 2020 election. “We are concerned that our military was part of this big lie on promoting that the election was false,” Thompson said. “So, if you are using the military to potentially seize voting machines, even though it’s a discussion, the public needs to know.” Several news outlets reported on the draft order last week. It was among the Trump White House documents the National Archives handed over after the Supreme Court turned down Trump’s request to keep the documents secret. CBS NEWS 

The United Arab Emirates Armed Forces intercepts two ballistic missiles over the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi. The Yemen-based Houthis claim responsibility for the attack. American troops stationed at Al Dhafra Air Base near the capital took shelter in bunkers during the attack. (ABC News) 

The process for the election of the President of the Italian Republic begins. The process is expected to take multiple days. (ANSA) 

Troops detain President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré amid reports of gunfire overnight in the capital Ouagadougou. The access to internet has reportedly been disrupted nationwide. It is the fourth coup to take place in West Africa in the past year. (BBC) 

Armenia’s president resigns over lack of power Armenian President Armen Sarkissian resigned on Sunday, saying the country’s constitution didn’t give him enough authority to enact policies to address a national crisis. “The roots of some of our potential problems are hidden in the current Basic Law,” he said in a statement. Sarkissian feuded last year over the dismissal of the head of the armed forces and other issues. The prime minister has had more power than the president since a December 2015 referendum making the country a parliamentary republic and limiting presidential authority. The leadership change comes as Armenia faces a border crisis with Azerbaijan, whose forces entered eastern Armenia in May 2021. THE HILL 

Cruise ship diverts from Miami after judge approves vessel’s seizure A cruise ship, Crystal Symphony, changed course over the weekend and sailed to the Bahamas instead of docking in Miami after a U.S. judge granted a request to have the vessel seized over $4 million in unpaid fuel. “We all feel we were abducted by luxurious pirates!” passenger Stephen Heard Fales posted on Facebook. Some passengers were sent by ferry to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Sunday. The cruise ship can carry 848 passengers but it was not immediately clear how many were on board. About 400 crew members don’t know when they will get off the ship, or whether they remain employed, said Elio Pace, a musician who has toured on the Crystal Symphony. “This is about people and their jobs,” Pace said.  THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Activist investor pushes for Peloton CEO to go Activist investor Blackwells Capital is pushing exercise equipment maker Peloton to fire its CEO and consider selling itself following a sharp drop in its stock price, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. Peloton shares soared earlier in the pandemic as people started exercising more at home and demand spiked for Peloton’s stationary bikes and treadmills with livestreamed workouts. But the stock fell by 24 percent last week after a report it was pausing production due to falling demand. The shares have plunged by 84 percent in the last year as gyms reopened. Blackwells, which has a stake of less than five percent in Peloton, blames Peloton co-founder and CEO John Foley, and says the company would make a good acquisition for a larger tech or fitness company. Peloton declined to comment on the reports about Blackwells’ plans. FOX BUSINESS 

A shooting incident occurred in a lecture hall at the New Campus of the University of Heidelberg in Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg, Germany. Multiple injuries were reported, while the assailant shot himself. (Evening Standard) 

French adventurer dies at 75 while rowing solo across Atlantic French adventurer Jean-Jacques Savin was found dead over the weekend in the boat he was attempting to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. If he had succeeded, Savin, 75, would have been the oldest person ever to accomplish the feat. But he sent out distress signals on Friday in what his daughter, Manon Savin, said was a sign of “great difficulty.” The Portuguese coast guard found Savin’s boat overturned near Portugal’s Azores archipelago. Savin left Portugal on Jan. 1, and celebrated his 75th birthday at sea on Jan. 14 as he pursued what he had described as his “last challenge at sea.” Savin successfully crossed the Atlantic in 2019 in a bright orange barrel-shaped vessel. “Unfortunately, the ocean this time was stronger than our friend,” his team said in a statement posted on Facebook. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Javier Bardem jumped out of a cake in drag on Daniel Craig’s birthday No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to … make a wish! Skyfall co-stars Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem chatted as part of Variety‘s Actors on Actors series, and they reminisced about that time Bardem jumped out of a cake in drag for the 007 actor’s birthday. This apparently happened during their joint birthday party, and the story came up after Craig asked Bardem if he had any musical experience prior to singing as Desi Arnaz in Being the Ricardos. “Well,” Bardem said, “apart from coming out of birthday cakes dressed like a Bond girl, not much!” Bardem recalled singing “Happy Birthday” to Craig, busting out his “best Marilyn Monroe impersonation.” Other highlights of the discussion included Bardem pointing out at the very end that Craig had been bleeding from his forehead the entire time without realizing. Craig joked, “No wonder I get f—ing injured every time I do a movie!”  VARIETYTHE WEEK 

Chris Evans cast in Dwayne Johnson’s new ‘holiday event film’ Is Dwayne Johnson’s new thing going to be starring in forgettable streaming films with red in the title? After Red Notice, The Rock is working on a “holiday event film” called Red One, and Captain America star Chris Evans has now joined its cast. The film was described as a “globe-trotting, four-quadrant action-adventure comedy,” which will introduce a “whole new universe to explore within the holiday genre.” Yes, a holiday film cinematic universe appears to be the goal here. A previous announcement declared that “this unique concept represents a property that could encompass not only a tentpole film, but could reach beyond entertainment across multiple industries and businesses,” whatever the heck that means, though nobody has really explained what the allegedly unique concept is. Clearly, having grand plans for an entire film universe before the first entry even comes out never goes wrong, as the folks behind Tom Cruise’s The Mummy could tell you.  DEADLINE 

Taylor Swift rips Damon Albarn for claiming she doesn’t write her songs Taylor Swift officially has bad blood with Damon Albarn. On Monday, Swift said she’s no longer a fan of the Gorillaz musician after he claimed to the Los Angeles Times that “she doesn’t write her own songs.” Albarn said “there’s a big difference between a songwriter and a songwriter who co-writes,” adding that he prefers Billie Eilish to Swift because her music is “just darker” and “less endlessly upbeat.” Ah yes, who could forget Swift’s famously upbeat Folklore? Swift fired back, tweeting directly at Albarn, “I write ALL of my own songs. Your hot take is completely false and SO damaging.” The Red singer also said Albarn doesn’t “have to like my songs” but that “it’s really f—ed up to try and discredit my writing” — and in a follow-up tweet, she clarified, “PS I wrote this tweet all by myself in case you were wondering.” You know what they say: say it in the street, that’s a knock-out, but you say it in a LA Times interview, that’s a cop-out.  LOS ANGELES TIMES 

‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ fires star after investigation into his conduct Exit stage right. Actor James Snyder, who played Harry Potter in Broadway’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, has been fired from the show after an investigation into his conduct. Diane Davis, who plays Harry’s wife Ginny, filed a complaint “regarding the conduct of fellow cast member James Snyder” in November, producers said. After “an independent investigation by a third party,” the producers decided Snyder “should not return to the production and terminated his contract.” Details about Snyder’s conduct weren’t released. He and Davis both joined the cast of the Broadway show in 2019 to replace the original cast, and producers said Davis has made the personal decision to take a “leave of absence.” Add this one to the seemingly endless list of controversies related to the possibly cursed franchise.  VULTURE 

The End