thetennesseestar--2020-12-11--Georgia Secretary of State Backs Out of Testifying Before Georgia House Committee Hearing on Electio

Georgia Secretary of State Backs Out of Testifying Before Georgia House Committee Hearing on Election Fraud Due to Legal Advice

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger declined to testify before the Georgia House of Representatives about potential fraud in the 2020 general election on Thursday .
The House Governmental Affairs Committee oversaw the hearing .
Many of the claims presented during the hearing resembled those offered during the State Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing last week .
The secretary of state ’ s office reportedly declined to attend that hearing as well .
Raffensperger hasn ’ t issued an explanation as to why he didn ’ t attend .
However , Voting Systems Manager Gabriel Sterling tweeted a response to the breaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hearing .
Sterling explained that they ’ d been advised by legal counsel to not appear before the General Assembly .
“ We were advised by our attorneys not [ to ] attend because of pending litigation , ” he tweeted .
“ They invited the Giuliani team which is pushing continuing disinformation .
That disinformation is endangering lives.
” Sterling didn ’ t clarify what he meant by “ endangering lives , ” though it ’ s likely he was referring to his remarks during a press conference nearly two weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers accused of voter fraud had received death threats .
It is unclear as to whether there have been additional threats reported to the secretary of state ’ s office since that time .
Attorney Rudy Giuliani appeared virtually for the committee hearing due to his recovery and quarantining from COVID-19 .
Attorney Lin Wood tweeted the news , noting that Raffensperger couldn ’ t be subpoenaed unless a special session were called .
“ Brad Raffensperger @ GaSecofState was scheduled to appear & testify tomorrow before GA House Committee about 11/3 election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not be subpoenaed unless special session is called , ” Wood tweeted .
“ @ BrianKempGA refuses to do so .
How convenient .
DEMAND ANSWERS Patriots.
” During the committee hearing , House Speaker David Ralston ( R-Blue Ridge ) also proposed a change to the selection process for the Georgia Secretary of State by amending the Georgia Constitution .
Instead of the voters electing an individual , Ralston proposed that the General Assembly exercise that power .
Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and the Star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-11--Northam Imposes Curfew, New Mask Requirement, Updated Gathering Limits for Virginia

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued increased statewide restrictions during a press briefing Thursday afternoon to combat rising coronavirus numbers in the Commonwealth as the Christmas holiday approaches .
Starting at 12:01 a.m. on Monday , December 14th , a modified stay-at-home order will be in place with a curfew for all Virginians from midnight to 5 a.m .
The only exceptions are getting food and goods , seeking medical attention as well as traveling to and from work .
“ As a reminder , you should stay home whenever you can during the rest of the day , but from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay home , ” Northam said .
“ If you don ’ t need to go out , go home .
This is just plain common sense.
” The measures include an expansion of the state ’ s mask requirement , in accordance with new guidelines released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Now , Virginians aged five and up are required to wear masks while in indoor settings shared with other people and outdoors when six feet of distancing can not be followed .
Under these restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside , are limited to 10 people or less – down from the previous mandate of 25 .
The new limit does not apply to religious services , employment settings or schools , however .
Restaurants and retail businesses are not impacted by these measures , but will continue to operate under past mandates imposed by the governor , including on-site alcohol sales ending at 10 p.m. , and Northam said enforcement will be stepped up .
Lastly , spectators for recreational sports are limited to 25 people per field/court for indoor contests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events , and anyone who is able to work from home is strongly encouraged to do so .
The executive action , which incorporates two previous orders , is temporary and will be in effect until January 31st , 2021 , Northam said .
“ I want everyone to understand this upfront , ” the governor explained .
“ We don ’ t want to extend [ these measures ] , but we may have to .
It all depends on what the virus is doing next month , and that depends on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus starts to come under control , we may be able to loosen up , but if not , we may have to take further action.
” Following the news , leaders of the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus – including Senate Minority Leader Thomas Norment ( R-James City ) , caucus chairman Ryan McDougle ( R-Hanover ) and Republican Leader Pro-Tempore Stephen Newman ( R-Bedford ) , among others – released a joint statement voicing their displeasure with the governor ’ s restrictions .
“ Governor Northam ’ s decision to reimpose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severe restrictions on Virginians is a disappointment , ” the statement said .
“ While we are relieved he abided by the recent decisions of the Supreme Court and did not attempt to force further restrictions on churches , the imposition of a statewide curfew smacks of martial law .
Contrary to the Governor ’ s assertion , the curfew is neither common nor sensible .
It also is wholly unnecessary.
” The statement also objected to Northam threatening to levy penalties and potentially close down businesses and restaurants that do not follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcement , our priority at [ the pandemic ’ s ] conclusion must be the full restoration of the freedoms and liberties that have been abridged by this Governor , ” the statement said .
According to the Virginia Department of Health ( VDH ) COVID-19 dashboard , Virginia has seen 271,043 coronavirus cases – 235,720 confirmed , 35,323 probable – with 3,915 reported on Thursday .
There have been 4,335 total deaths , 54 of which were reported on Thursday .
The current 7-day positivity rate is 11 percent .
The VDH @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitalizations , but the website notes this figure under-represents the total number .
Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association ’ s dashboard is reporting that as of Thursday , 26,016 confirmed COVID-positive patients have been hospitalized and discharged , and 1,685 patients currently in hospitals with the disease .
The 7-day moving average of current hospitalizations – both confirmed and pending cases – is 1,919 .
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Richmond Police arrested 11 people during a protest outside the Richmond City Justice Center on Tuesday.
The group was gathered outside of the Justice Center to protest conditions in the Richmond jail after COVID-19 outbreak among 100 inmates and staff was reported.
Richmond police officers arrived outside of the Justice Center to help the Richmond Sheriff’s office deal with the group protesters who had moved from the public sidewalk onto Justice Center grounds during the demonstration, causing a security concern, according to the Richmond police description of the incident,
Just before 7 p.m., a man on a bicycle attempted to block a tow truck trying removing a vehicle that had been illegally parked in front of the Justice Center. When a Richmond police officer arrived at the scene, the man tried to flee on his bike and was then stopped by the officer. Other protesters witnessed this and attempted to stop the arrest, leading to those people being arrested as well, according to the police account.
A video of the incident was captured and published to the RVA Magazine Instagram account. That video is below.
A flyer on social media for the protest read: “Our comrades on the inside are facing retaliation from officers for simply requesting adequate medical attention. These conditions are inhumane. We stand in solidarity with those who have been kidnapped, convicted and caged.”
On Wednesday, Richmond police released the names and charges for the 11 protesters arrested.
Their names and charges are as follows:
Stephen Roach Obstruction of Justice Impeding the flow of traffic
Benjamine Skromine Obstruction of Justice Impeding the flow of traffic
Gabrielle Brost Hoffman Obstruction of Justice
Aditya Mohan Obstruction of Justice
Rachel Fidlow Obstruction of Justice
Andre Rosson Obstruction of Justice
Alex Oxford Obstruction of Justice with Force
Jonathan Miranda Disorderly Conduct
Susanna Keating Disorderly Conduct
Mollie Luck Disorderly Conduct
Carmen Day Disorderly Conduct
– – –
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Follow Jacob on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Richmond City Justice Center Protest” by RVA Mag.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-11--Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswalt, and Other Leftist Comedians to Host Fundraiser for Georgia Candidate

Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswalt, and Other Leftist Comedians to Host Fundraiser for Georgia Candidate Jon Ossoff

This , according to The Hill , which reported that Silverman , Oswalt , Dulce Sloan , and Sarah Cooper will host this “ Riffing for the Georgia Runoffs ” event on December 18 .
Members of the Georgia Republican Party , in an emailed press release , described Ossoff as a socialist and the four comedians as “ out -of-state liberal elites.
” “ This should come as no surprise given Ossoff has received 86 percent of his campaign contributions from out-of-state , and Californians have been ‘ flocking ’ to Georgia in an effort to provide enthusiasm for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find with actual voters in the state , ” according to the Georgia GOP press release .
“ The Hill ’ s report also comes on the heels of a slew of high profile radical liberals ‘ rolling out the red carpet ’ for Ossoff as he ’ s ‘ embraced ’ Bernie Sanders and his dangerous agenda.
” Silverman has a history of using her Twitter feed to hurl profanities at U.S. President Donald Trump .
As reported , U.S. Sen. David Perdue ( R-GA ) and U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 , 2021 ballot for the U.S. Senate against Ossoff and Raphael Warnock , respectively .
As The Georgia Star News reported this month , U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) endorsed Ossoff and Warnock to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate .
“ We ’ re all working as hard as we can to make sure that the two Democratic candidates win in Georgia , ” Sanders , a socialist , said on MSNBC .
“ Those two elections will clearly have a profound impact on everybody in our country.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his advocacy for ensuring that health care is a human right in this country is welcome , is necessary , is appreciated .
And so is his support.
” Also , as The Georgia Star News reported , U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA-12 ) held a virtual fundraiser Monday for Ossoff and Warnock .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Sarah Silverman ” by Gage Skidmore .
CC BY-SA @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-12-11--Garland Favorito, Who Alleged Vote Switching, Called to Speak Before Georgia House, Presented Abnorm

Garland Favorito, Who Alleged Vote Switching, Called to Speak Before Georgia House, Presented Abnormal Vote Spikes and Improper Vote Processing

The Georgia House of Representatives held a hearing on Thursday to discuss claims of election fraud and voting irregularities .
Career IT professional and nonpartisan voting integrity organization VOTERGA Co-Founder Garland Favorito testified before the House – he ’ d previously been called to testify before the Georgia Senate on his findings .
Favorito explained that he ’ d been challenging Georgia ’ s electronic voting systems since 2002 with the implementation of Diebold DRE system .
For 17 years , Favorito alleged that the system was “ not verifiable , auditable , and [ not ] recount capable , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of State ’ s office and Georgia Supreme Court .
Then , in 2019 , Favorito explained that the U.S. District Court agreed that the Diebold systems were unconstitutional .
That decision led to the Secretary of State ’ s office to purchase the Democracy Suite 5.5 BMD system from Dominion Voting Systems .
Favorito said that he ’ d served as an observer at both the State Farm Arena and Fulton tabulation center , and a monitor for the audit and recount that occurred in Fulton and DeKalb counties .
After working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shared that he ’ d noticed an “ abnormal ” 20,000 vote spike for Democratic candidate Joe Biden .
This observation is filed in an affidavit .
Favorito claimed that Fulton County ’ s election board never responded to a November 5th open records request for interim results .
Additionally , Favorito remarked that there was poor visibility for the observation area at Fulton County , possibly violating election transparency laws .
He reminded the House members that a water main break was falsely reported that delayed vote counting .
Favorito called into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of certain tables brought in later , showing a video still frame of the woman with blonde braids bringing a skirted table .
The same scene of the woman with blonde braids bringing tables into the processing room was circulated in a video presented by the Trump legal team during the Georgia Senate emergency hearing .
Then , Favorito showed a still frame the woman with blonde braids announcing that processing would stop on election night .
Although fact-checkers have attempted to state otherwise , multiple reports from media and workers from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order of events .
Favorito displayed subsequent stills of tables and equipment being cleared , and monitors leaving .
The following still frame depicted the woman with blonde braids returning , and she and several other workers retrieved suitcases of ballots from underneath the skirted table .
Favorito argued that the suitcase storage under skirted tables doesn ’ t align with normal ballot processing – rather , ballots are normally processed from the wall .
He added that he only recalled absentee ballots stored in boxes , and not suitcases .
“ These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standard suitcases .
Most of the absentee ballots I saw as an observer were in boxes , they were not in suitcases .
In fact , all [ were in boxes ] that I can recall.
” Since those workers scanned for about two hours , Favorito estimated that the four or more scanners present were capable of processing 6,000 or more ballots altogether .
In another still frame , Favorito asserted that the workers scanned approximately 15,000 to 20,000 or more ballots onto memory cards .
Again , he asserted that transferring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contradicted proper ballot processing .
Favorito also alleged that there was a security flaw with the memory cards because they could be substituted .
Favorito shared an image of the election feed from 40 minutes after the remaining workers left , which reflected that votes for Biden spiked by over 100,000 .
Favorito also stated that while working as an audit monitor , he noticed three boxes of Biden-only ballots .
He cited the four auditors who ’ d detected ballots that looked pristine and unworn , and printed rather than marked by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , too , Favorito remarked that his open records request to view the ballots was ignored .
Additionally , Favorito refuted the claim that all ballots cast balanced with the number of voters who voted – he asserted that Fulton County was out of balance by over 300 votes .
He also explained that the ballot processing supervisor was in charge of the absentee ballot tracking list .
Favorito explained that this might be problematic because the supervisor could potentially manipulate the list .
“ Our question really is : why of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cover-up over this ?
I ’ m going to avoid getting into the false history that the Secretary of State has issued over the last few years .
You might remember that they said that these machines would cost less than hand-marked paper ballots .
I think Fulton County can attest to the fact that was not true , ” he said .
In a subsequent interview with The Georgia Star News , Favorito explained why the secretary of state ’ s office has disregarded alleged evidence of voter fraud or voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s because they ’ re in massive cover-up .
They don ’ t care what they say – they know the media and the legislators will buy it because they want to buy it , ” he said .
“ They know the legislators and media won ’ t challenge them.
” Favorito told The Star News that Sterling has likely become more of a spokesperson for the secretary of state ’ s office as of late because Raffensperger ’ s past remarks weren ’ t as successful in conveying their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever listened to Brad , he ’ s not articulate and he ’ s easy to trap .
Gabriel Sterling is trying to do more of the talking because he can BS his way through harder questions than Brad can , ” Favorito said .
The Star News asked Favorito how his presentation fared with the House after the hearing ended .
He shared that it impacted the members significantly .
“ The legal team was very impressed .
I think the House members were stunned .
They were speechless , ” stated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to deal with election fraud of this magnitude , and they don ’ t know what to do .
When the President ’ s legal team dropped that video on Georgia , nobody knew how to handle it.
” Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and the Star News Network .
Follow her latest on Twitter , or email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Garland Favorito ” by Nydia Tisdale .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-11--Terry McAuliffe to Run for Second Term as Virginia Governor

Former Governor Terry McAuliffe officially entered Virginia ’ s 2021 gubernatorial election on Wednesday after months of educated speculation that the long-time Democrat would throw his name into the contest and seek another four years in the Executive Mansion .
McAuliffe , 63 , made the announcement during a press conference in front of Miles Jerome Jones Elementary School in Richmond ’ s southside that was streamed live to his Facebook page .
“ I am running for governor again to think big and to be bold and to take the Commonwealth of Virginia to the next level , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McAuliffe said during the event .
The powerful Democrat did not speak to the small crowd of media or citizens viewing remotely for very long , but did go over some details of his education plan .
“ Today , I am proud to launch my campaign on the plan that I think is most important to every Virginian , and that is education , ” McAuliffe said .
“ To build a strong post-COVID economy , the best workforce in the world , and to create a clear path for the middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented investment in education .
The time is now to ensure a world class education for every single Virginia child.
” The plan calls for an annual $ 2 billion investment in education to increase teacher pay , ensure every Virginia student has internet access and every three and four-year-old gets a pre-school education , and , lastly , address inequalities within school systems .
Specifically , McAuliffe promised to raise teacher pay to above the national average for the first time in state history and said that if a person is willing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-need schools in Virginia , their education will be paid for by the Commonwealth .
At the announcement conference , McAuliffe was joined by Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney , House Majority Leader Charniele Herring ( D-Alexandria ) and Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas ( D-Portsmouth ) , who will all be serving as co-chairs to the campaign .
As of now , McAuliffe enters a Democratic field of all-Black candidates , featuring Senator Jennifer McClellan ( D-Richmond City ) , Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy ( D-Prince William ) and current lieutenant governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foy said she was stepping down from the House of Delegates to devote 100 percent of her time on the governor ’ s race and , in anticipation of McAuliffe ’ s announcement , released a statement criticizing the former governor .
“ While I respect Terry McAuliffe ’ s service , he doesn ’ t understand the problems Virginians face , ” Carroll Foy said .
“ A former political party boss and multi-millionaire , Terry McAuliffe is simply out of touch with everyday Virginians.
” McClellan put out her own statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approach and welcoming McAuliffe to the race .
She said : “ Today ’ s challenges require a new approach and a fresh vision to rebuild an economy that benefits all Virginians while addressing healthcare , education , climate and inequity crises.
” From the Republican side , GOP candidate Del .
Kirk Cox ( R-Colonial Heights ) issued a sharp rebuke of McAuliffe ’ s bid in a statement online .
Cox claimed McAuliffe is only running for governor because his presidential campaign failed and needs a platform for the next attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better for the next four years than a self-motivated political retread who will be forced to adopt every extreme position of the national Democratic party to get the nomination , ” Cox said .
Dave Rexrode , Republican Governors Association executive director , also released a statement – calling McAuliffe “ a failure as governor once before.
” McAuliffe has a significant history with fundraising for the Democratic Party and deep ties to the Clintons .
During President Bill Clinton ’ s time in the White House , McAuliffe raised $ 275 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served as chair of the 2000 Democratic National Convention , was the Democratic National Committee chair from 2001-2005 , and eventually co-chaired Hillary Clinton ’ s failed 2008 presidential campaign .
McAuliffe first ran for governor back in 2009 , but lost in the Democratic primary to Sen. Creigh Deeds ( D-Bath ) .
In 2013 , McAuliffe again ran for the Democratic nomination and was unopposed , going to defeat Republican candidate Ken Cuccinelli by receiving 47.8 percent of the votes , according to Ballotpedia .
Serving as the 72nd governor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office when Republicans held a majority in the General Assembly .
The prospect of serving while Democrats control the legislature is possible , but will all depend on the 2021 elections when all 100 seats of the House are available and redistricting .
McAuliffe has never won a statewide race when facing challengers in the primary election , which will certainly be the case this year with the three aforementioned Democratic candidates .
So far , McAuliffe ’ s political action committee , Common Good VA , has raised over $ 2 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Access Project .
Virginia is the only state in the U.S. that does not allow its governors to serve consecutive turns .
A win would mark McAuliffe as the second governor to earn a second term since Mills Goodwin switched parties in the early 1970s and won re-election .
The other declared GOP candidate is Sen. Amanda Chase ( R-Chesterfield ) , who said last week she was going to run as an independent after state Republicans voted to select its nominee through a convention instead of a primary .
Additionally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploring a bid along with U.S. Representative Denver Riggleman ( R-VA-05 ) , Virginia businessman and entrepreneur Pete Snyder is expected to announce soon and socialist Del .
Lee J. Carter ( D-Manassas ) has filed paperwork for a bid .
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Background Photo “ Virginia Capitol ” by Mike Fonseca CC2.0


thetennesseestar--2020-12-11--In Facebook Rants, Michigan Dem Rep. Cynthia Johnson Calls on ‘Soldiers’ to ‘Rise Up’ and Make ‘Trum

In Facebook Rants, Michigan Dem Rep. Cynthia Johnson Calls on ‘Soldiers’ to ‘Rise Up’ and Make ‘Trumpers’ Pay

A Michigan Democrat State Representative seemed to threaten President Trump ’ s supporters on video Tuesday , by saying “ we ain ’ t playing with you , ” and calling on “ soldiers ” to “ make them pay.
” In a three minute long Facebook live video , the far-left State Rep. Cynthia Johnson said “ Trumpers ” had better “ be careful , ” and “ walk lightly.
” In a subsequent rant , Johnson suggested that was calling on “ soldiers of Christ , ” and soldiers for black and brown people ” to “ rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson , who made a name for herself by trying to intimidate election fraud whistleblowers during the hearings in Michigan earlier this month , took office on January 1 , 2019 .
Addressing her Facebook friends on Dec. 8 , she said : “ I wish I could be talking to y ’ all in a private room , because , uh , I just wish I could , but we ’ re public so … ” She told them , “ you don ’ t have curse anybody out , you don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … hit their asses in the pocketbook.
” “ So this is just a warning to you Trumpers .
Be careful , walk lightly , we ain ’ t playing with you .
Enough of the shenanigans .
Enough is enough .
And for those of you who are soldiers , you know how to do it .
Do it right , be in order , make them pay , ” Johnson said , before adding , “ I love you all , ” to her followers .
In a Facebook live video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she had in mind “ soldiers of Christ , ” “ soldiers for black and brown people , ” and soldiers of a host of woke causes in her earlier message .
“ I want to share something with all you soldiers … soldiers of CHRIST !
” Johnson bellowed in her video .
“ Soldiers against racism !
Soldiers against misogyny !
Soldiers against domestic violence and domestic terrorism !
” she exclaimed .
“ Soldiers RISE !
… “ It ’ s time for you to rise .
SOLDIERS !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson concluded her Facebook rant by saying : “ Soldiers for black and brown people who are being mistreated .
Rise , soldiers !
” Lee Chatfield , Speaker of the MI House of Representatives and Speaker-Elect Jason Wentworth said in a statement Wednesday that Johnson ’ s threats were “ unacceptable ” and that she has been removed from her committee assignments .
“ We ’ re looking into further disciplinary action as the proper authorities conduct their investigation , ” the legislators said in their statement .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-11--Ohio Restaurants, Bars Ask Congress for Immediate Help

Faced with continued closures , layoffs and an upcoming extension of a statewide curfew , Ohio restaurants and bars want Congress to move quickly to pass relief .
In a letter to Ohio ’ s U.S. senators as well as the House and Senate leadership , the Ohio Restaurant Association said things are worsening in the state and asked for a return to negotiations .
“ We implore you to return to bipartisan negotiations to complete a new federal relief bill and a second round of the Paycheck Protection Program , ” John Barker , ORA president and CEO , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wrote .
“ The need is urgent for an industry that is the lifeblood of cities and neighborhoods all over the United States and accounts for 51 % of the food dollar.
” The association wants another round of payroll protection funding , along with the ability for restaurants to deduct expenses paid with PPP funds .
It ’ s also asking for tax credits for money spent to enhance safety of workers and customers , and an expansion of the Employee Retention Tax Credit .
“ The pandemic and state-mandated government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than eight months .
The restaurant industry , the second largest in the nation and Ohio , needs help right now more than ever – to survive and keep 15.6 million people employed , ” the letter said .
On Wednesday , U.S. Sen .
Rob Portman , R-Ohio , took to the Senate floor and urged action on a relief bill , saying the Senate must act now to avoid further economic suffering .
Portman is part of the bipartisan group working on a $ 908 billion package that would expand unemployment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection loans and assistance for the airline industry , along with state and local governments .
Portman , who is part of a COVID-19 vaccine trial , said the relief is needed now while Americans wait for the vaccine .
“ Because these vaccines won ’ t be widely available for three or four months , we need to act here and act now , to provide a bridge to more normal times , ” Portman said .
“ This is a short-term emergency response to a desperate need we have right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consequences are being felt in every family in America , more and more pain.
” Also , Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine said Monday he plans to extend a statewide 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew , which is set to expire Thursday .
An Ohio native , J.D .
Davidson is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience in newspapers in Ohio , Georgia , Alabama and Texas .
He has served as a reporter , editor , managing editor and publisher .
Davidson is a regional editor for @ @ @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-12-12--FDA Grants Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine Emergency Authorization, Launching Nationwide Distribution and

FDA Grants Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine Emergency Authorization, Launching Nationwide Distribution and Vaccination Effort

The FDA approved Pfizer ’ s coronavirus vaccine for emergency use Friday , officially beginning a nationwide mass vaccination effort in an attempt to overcome the coronavirus pandemic .
Its approval follows a key FDA panel ’ s overwhelming vote to endorse the vaccine ’ s safety and efficacy .
President Donald Trump called for the agency to approve Pfizer ’ s earlier Friday , telling its director , Dr. Stephen Hahn , to “ get the dam vaccines out ” as soon as possible .
The FDA said Friday that it has been operating in tandem with the Centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to “ execute their plans for a timely vaccine distribution , ” which could begin this weekend .
Pfizer said that its insulated containers containing the vaccine can be shipped “ within hours ” of the FDA ’ s approval , and that the drug maker is standing by to distribute millions of doses from its plant outside Kalamazoo , Michigan , according to the Detroit Free Press .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Friday on ABC ’ s “ Good Morning America ” that vaccinations could begin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 50 million Americans could be vaccinated before the end of January .
The FDA ’ s granting of emergency authorization for Pfizer ’ s vaccine follows similar announcements in other countries , including the United Kingdom and Canada .
On Tuesday , the U.K. became the first country to administer coronavirus vaccinations outside of a clinical trial .
Pfizer ’ s authorization was granted as public confidence in a coronavirus vaccine rose for the third straight month after hitting a low point in late summer .
Sixty-three percent of Americans said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine when given the opportunity , according to Gallup ’ s latest poll .
Pfizer and BioNTech ’ s vaccine secured FDA authorization only 11 months after they began developing it , shattering every previous record for vaccine development , approval and distribution .
Pfizer released the results of its Phase III clinical trial in November , showing that its vaccine was over 90 % effective in combatting the virus .
Moderna , which released its results of its coronavirus vaccine showing 95 % effectiveness just a week later , applied for emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus ’ s surge in the United States has made the swift distribution of a vaccine imperative , public health officials say .
The country has seen record cases , hospitalizations and deaths in recent days , and the virus has infected over 15.6 million Americans and killed over 293,000 , according to a Johns Hopkins University database .
Andrew Trunsky is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-12--Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery Joins Legal Fight Against Facebook

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery announced this week that he has joined 48 other attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against Facebook and alleged that the company illegally stifles competition to protect its monopoly .
The lawsuit alleges that the social networking giant illegally acquired competitors in a predatory manner and cut services to smaller threats , depriving users of the benefits of competition .
This , all in an effort to boost its bottom line through increased advertising revenue .
This creates a significant barrier for innovative services to enter the social media market , the press release said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Republicans agree – Facebook ’ s unlawful behavior is reducing choice , stifling innovation , and degrading privacy protections , ” Slatery said in the press release .
“ This lawsuit stands up for millions of Americans and small businesses that have been harmed by Facebook.
” The press release went on to say that Facebook users have nowhere else to go .
Thus , the company makes decisions about what content users see and what users don ’ t see , as well as how it uses the personal information it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This , even if those choices conflict with the interests and preferences of Facebook users .
“ The coalition asks the court to halt Facebook ’ s illegal , anticompetitive conduct and block the company from continuing this behavior .
Additionally , the coalition asks the court to restrain Facebook from making further acquisitions valued at or in excess of $ 10 million without advance notice to the plaintiff states , ” the press release said .
“ Finally , the court is asked to provide any additional relief it determines is appropriate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegally acquired companies , or current Facebook assets or business lines.
” As The Tennessee Star reported Wednesday , Slatery announced Wednesday that he will support an Amicus Brief supporting the Texas election lawsuit before the U.S. Supreme Court .
As reported Tuesday , Texas officials filed a lawsuit directly to the U.S. Supreme Court challenging the election results in Wisconsin , Michigan , Pennsylvania , and Georgia .
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argues that officials in those four states changed election rules without legislative consent , thus violating the U.S. Constitution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
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thetennesseestar--2020-12-12--U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Texas’ Lawsuit Seeking to Block Four Swing State Electors from Voting for

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Texas’ Lawsuit Seeking to Block Four Swing State Electors from Voting for President

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday rejected the state of Texas ’ lawsuit seeking to overturn presidential election results in four key swing states .
“ The State of Texas ’ s motion for leave to file a bill of complaint is denied for lack of standing under Article III of the Constitution , ” the nation ’ s highest court ruled in a decision released Friday eveninf .
“ Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections .
All other pending motions are dismissed as moot.
” The decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote Monday to confirm presumptive President-elect Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States .
Eighteen Republican attorneys general filed briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Texas ’ lawsuit against the states of Georgia , Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin over their election procedures .
The District of Columbia filed a brief on behalf of 22 Democratic states and territories in support of the four swing states .
In a comment accompanying the Supreme Court ’ s brief ruling , Associate Justice Samuel Alito said he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief .
“ In my view , we do not have discretion to deny the filing of a bill of complaint in a case that falls within our original jurisdiction , ” Alito said .
“ See Arizona v. California , 589 U. S. ___ ( Feb. 24 , 2020 ) ( Thomas , J. , dissenting ) .
I would therefore grant the motion to file the bill of complaint but would not grant other relief , and I express no view on any other issue.
” Dan McCaleb is the executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ welcomes your comments .
Contact Dan at [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-12-12--Metro Nashville Police Arrest Suspect in I-440 Shooting Death of Nurse Caitlyn Kaufman

Metro Nashville Police Department ’ s SWAT team on Friday arrested Devaunte L. Hill in the December 3 murder of Nashville nurse Caitlyn Kaufman as she drove to work on Interstate 440 , officers said .
Hill , 21 , was taken into custody at his apartment in the Berkshire Place complex on Porter Road in East Nashville , MNPD said .
MNPD on Friday morning tweeted , “ BREAKING : Devaunte L. Hill , 21 , is in custody for the murder of Nashville nurse Caitlyn Kaufman .
MNPD SWAT members arrested him at 6:15 a.m. at his East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with criminal homicide.
” Kaufman was a nurse at Saint Thomas West Hospital , WSMV reported .
She was shot and killed on December 3 between 6:05 and 6:10 p.m. on I-440 while she was on her way to work .
A Metro Parks Police officer saw her car on the right shoulder and thought the car may have been involved in a wreck ; the driver was slumped over .
Hill was brought to MNPD headquarters where he was interviewed by Homicide Unit Detectives Chris Dickerson and Jefferson Hughes .
Hill allegedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The suspect and victim did not know each other , police said .
Additional arrests are possible .
Video of the press conference announcing the arrest is available here .
“ Detectives from our Homicide Unit have worked around the clock pursuing the more than 50 Crime Stoppers tips and other leads in this case , ” Chief John Drake said .
“ They were joined by scientists at our Crime Laboratory , MNPD electronics experts , and our partners at the FBI , ATF and TBI .
On behalf of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these men and women.
” The major break in the case came within an hour of the announcement that an anonymous group of Nashville business owners and entrepreneurs increased the reward for information by $ 50,000 , MNPD said .
A concerned citizen came forward Thursday afternoon and identified Hill as a suspect .
The reward grew up to $ 66,000 , NewsChannel 5 reported .
The concerned citizen also provided information as to the whereabouts of the 9 mm pistol that was allegedly used in the murder .
Detectives located the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Crime lab scientists were called in during the night to do an immediate analysis of the pistol , police said .
The gun was test fired at the lab , and scientists reported a 100 percent match to the three 9 mm shell casings that were recovered on the shoulder of I-440 the night Kaufman was killed .
In addition , MNPD electronics experts were able to identify Hill ’ s cell phone number and provider , police said .
They determined that Hill ’ s phone was allegedly in the vicinity on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the lead detective , said , “ While it was a relief to be able to sign the arrest warrant naming Hill at 3:37 this morning , it was an exceptional relief to be able to call Caitlyn ’ s mother , Diane , in Pennsylvania this morning to tell her that an arrest had been made .
Throughout this investigation , we have felt the support of all of Nashville , and the strong support of the Kaufman family.
” Diane Kaufman returned from Nashville to her home in Pennsylvania Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funeral today .
Hill has been booked into the Downtown Detention Center on a charge of criminal homicide , police said .
He is being held without bond pending a hearing .
When asked about Diane Kaufman ’ s reaction , Dickerson said , “ Obviously there ’ s a lot of tears , just joy .
She said she was able to get some closure before the funeral .
And she expressed her gratitude to everybody that helped out , the entire department.
” Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all sizes .

A dozen individuals have been charged in a gun-running conspiracy that funneled firearms from Tennessee and Kentucky to Chicago, according to a release from the Department of Justice (DOJ).
In total, the 12 individuals are facing a 21-count indictment with charges for dealing in firearms without a license, transporting and receiving firearms into another state, making false statements to a federally licensed firearm dealer, and multiple other offenses.
Three of the alleged members of the gun pipeline were enlisted members of the U.S. Army and were stationed at Fort Campbell in Clarksville.
Demarcus Adams, Brandon Miller, and Jarius Brunson, along with other individuals charged in the indictment, allegedly purchased legal firearms from dealers in the area. After securing the guns, the DOJ contends the group would deliver the firearms to individuals in Chicago.
Law enforcement officials also claim the scheme was connected to gang violence in Chicago, saying that “the defendants conspired to purchase and deliver over 90 illegally obtained firearms to the Chicago area to facilitate the ongoing violent disputes between the Pocket Town Gangster Disciples and their rival gangs.”
Authorities detailed that at least two deaths were connected to firearms distributed in the movement from Tennessee to the Chicago area.
In addition to Clarksville, the organized crime circle operated in Oak Grove, Kentucky:
“The indictment further alleges the methods used by co-conspirators to purchase firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers in the Clarksville, Tenn. and Oak Grove, Kentucky areas, which included communicating via text messages to coordinate the purchase and delivery of firearms to the Chicago area; providing false information on firearms purchase application forms; and using apps such as Zelle and CashApp to facilitate payment for the illegal transfer of firearms. On one occasion, the indictment alleges that in addition to several firearms available for sale, Brandon Miller had 1,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition available for purchase,” the release from the DOJ details.
— — —
Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Justice Department Announces Superseding Indictment Charging 12 in Gun-Running Conspiracy to Supply” by The Justice Department.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-12--Commentary: Trump Shouldn’t Cling Bitterly, But Rise Again

It is a tainted election , with a poor result and a disquietingly unprepossessing presumptive president-elect .
The current president did great damage to himself by his frequent lapses into boorish self-obsession .
He also had an outstanding term of achievement in the face of unprecedented obstruction and illegal harassment , as well as the almost unanimous and hysterical antagonism of a totalitarian opposition media .
And so he ’ s being evicted .
Taking his place is a ramshackle coalition of big media , big money , big tech , big league sports , Hollywood , most of Wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urban guerrillas masquerading as civil rights crusaders .
The Supreme Court , led in its pusillanimity by the chief justice of the United States , is afraid to touch a presidential election .
This is a vortex in which the Republican Party has been almost entirely taken over by a talented and , in policy terms , very clear-headed leader who is unfortunately unfeasible to a majority of Americans , virtually brainwashed as they have been by an Orwellian media denouncing Emmanuel Goldstein every hour of every day .
The Democrats , meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ socialist , self-hating whites , white-hating blacks , and guilt-ridden renunciators of any recognizable version of American history and values .
Yet the American system , in its ineluctable way , is again adjusting to and coping with these tumultuous times .
The political atmosphere is so charged , it is intolerable .
Donald Trump narrowly won his campaign in 2016 against the bipartisan post-Reagan political class that he and an adequate number of his countrymen believed , with a plenitude of evidence , had thoroughly misgoverned the country .
The previous 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties had been an unsatisfactory time of endless , fruitless war in the Middle East and an immense humanitarian refugee disaster , the worst economic crisis since the 1930s , millions of unskilled immigrants pouring illegally across the Mexican-U.S. border , unfavorable trade arrangements , and China advancing by leaps and bounds at America ’ s expense .
Trump effectively ended almost all of that and eliminated unemployment and oil imports as well .
But prominent among the forces he denounced were the national political media , and in a pioneering way , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the public and successfully countered the traditional political media .
The national media was generally offended by Trump ’ s garish personality anyway , and while they had enjoyed him as a tabloid celebrity , the idea of transforming his notoriety into election as president horrified and disgusted almost all of the principal media outlets and drove them to paroxysms of unprofessional bias and venomous mudslinging .
The principal social media chief executives , having made huge fortunes very quickly and feeling themselves detached from customary big business conservative and capitalist attitudes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their platforms and joined in the general media sandbag-job on the president while pouring huge sums into carefully conceived plans to exploit the coronavirus and make voting with posted ballots a superhighway to political manipulation in a handful of key states governed by Democrats or NeverTrump Republicans .
Universally and relentlessly roasted by the press and outfunded two-to-one by limousine liberals and trendy high-tech billionaires , the president fought a courageous and energetic campaign in vivid contrast to his diffident , inarticulate , and generally unseen opponent .
Trump loved attention and had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all publicity is ultimately good , and the media gave him practically unlimited coverage , almost all of it hostile , and the huge number of Americans inclined to dislike his constant exhibitionism and self-glorification were lathered up into extreme electoral hostility .
The country did not want a president in its face all the time , particularly a president almost always presented in the most unflattering possible light .
The majority approved his policies but they were also tired of him and the disorder of riots , and constant political confrontation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by his enemies , broad swaths of the public blamed it all on him .
Removing him became the obvious way to improve the political climate .
Yet in the end , so strenuous was his tenacity of office , electoral skulduggery on a scale unprecedented in American history was required to remove him .
Without a miraculous surge of Constitutional virtue by the Supreme Court , he will go , so the system will have alleviated the extreme tension of the Trump era .
It had to be alleviated , either by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But his party gained ground in the Congress and in the country , Trump ’ s policies , more popular than their author , have been effectively ratified .
The Republicans will probably retain control of the Senate and win control of the House at the midterm elections , and prevent the enactment of any significant part of the official socialist program of the Biden-Sanders Democrats .
Thus , “ normalcy ” returns , but little sound policy is undone and no radical policy is legislatively enacted .
President Trump succeeded in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal bench , including three traditionalist Supreme Court justices .
Their confirmation roused the Democrats to threats of court packing , but the reticence of the courts to look seriously at the election irregularities has caused that threat to recede .
Again , the balance of the system is retained : the source of extreme controversy departs but his policies are not repealed ; the Democrats occupy the White House with an enfeebled new administration and the Republicans will likely regain firm control of the Congress .
The Supreme Court moves rightward but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , and will be undisturbed .
All the bunk about Trump unleashing mob violence and clinging to the furniture in the White House and the Supremes frustrating Democratic voters evaporates .
The strength and the weakness of America is that it is a jungle : constant fermentation , tremendous competitiveness , universal striving for success .
But like all jungles , it is a very rough place and even when covered by a façade painted by Norman Rockwell or Grandma Moses , the 30-foot constricting snakes and the 700-pound cats rule .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and achievement in almost every field , but one that grinds millions of people to powder in its ruthless and inexorable cycle .
The celebration of Trump ’ s enemies will soon bore the public and the media will soon cease to lionize the ungalvanizing Biden and his entourage of political manipulators and faction-heads .
There will be little leadership , little unity , and they will be to the left of the country , stalled by the Congress , and generally tedious and ineffectual .
The times will not be gentle and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kerry and the other quavering Obamans to sanitize the world and collegialize the Western Alliance will be an almost total failure .
If Donald Trump fights to the bitter end an election he would have won if he had responded early enough to the threat of ballot harvesting or if he had not so badly bungled the optics of the pandemic , and had not been so obnoxious in the first debate , and if he attempts to operate a parallel opposition presidency constantly inflicting himself on the public as if he were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he will ride noisily and bumptiously into the political sunset .
If , on the other hand , he holds his fire for a year and allows the mediocrity and ineptitude of Bidenism to open the kimono fully to the country so that it may be exposed in its infirmity , Trump will make the greatest American political comeback since FDR came out of his convalescence from polio and rolled his wheelchair into the White House , which would be his home for the remaining 12 years of his life .
Conrad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s most prominent financiers for 40 years , and was one of the leading newspaper publishers in the world as owner of the British telegraph newspapers , the Fairfax newspapers in Australia , the Jerusalem Post , Chicago Sun-Times and scores of smaller newspapers in the U.S. , and most of the daily newspapers in Canada .
He is the author of authoritative biographies of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Richard Nixon , one-volume histories of the United States and Canada , and most recently of Donald J. Trump : A President Like No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the British House of Lords as Lord Black of Crossharbour .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-12--Steve Bannon Presents ‘War Room: Pandemic’

An all new LIVE STREAM of War Room : Pandemic starts at 9 a.m. Central Time on Saturday .
Former White House Chief Strategist Stephen K. Bannon began the daily War Room : Pandemic radio show and podcast on January 25 , when news of the virus was just beginning to leak out of China around the Lunar New Year .
Bannon and co-hosts bring listeners exclusive analysis and breaking updates from top medical , public health , economic , national security , supply chain and geopolitical experts weekdays from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon ET .
The show ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Voice News , the John Fredericks Radio Network , Salem Media Group , and Newsmax TV and the podcast is available on Apple , Spotify , Stitcher , SoundCloud , and Google Play .
You can watch past episodes here .
Previously , Bannon hosted a series of three , two-hour long special programs entitled Descent into Hell : The Chinese People Confront the CCP .
The groundbreaking specials aired live on the John Fredericks Radio Network , America ’ s Voice Network , Dish TV Channel 219 , The Epoch Times , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mandarin .
For more information , visit www.pandemic.warroom.org and @ WarRoomPandemic .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-12--Essential Facts About Covid-19: A Deep Dive

Given the spread of misinformation about Covid-19 , Just Facts is providing a trove of rigorously documented facts about this disease and its impacts .
These include some essential facts that have been absent or misreported in much of the media ’ s coverage of this issue .
This research also includes a groundbreaking study to determine the lethality of Covid-19 based on the most comprehensive available measure : the total years of life that it will rob from all people .
This accords with the CDC ’ s tenet that “ the allocation of health resources must consider not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” but also the “ years of potential life lost.
” On one hand , these facts show that : • None the average death rate for people who contract Covid-19 is well below 1 % and is much closer to that of the seasonal flu than figures that were commonly reported by the press .
• None the average years of life lost from each Covid-19 death are significantly fewer than from common causes of untimely death like accidents and suicides .
• None the virus that causes Covid-19 is “ very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very limited ability to mutate , which makes it unlikely to take masses of lives year after year like the flu and other recurring scourges .
• None if 500,000 Covid-19 deaths ultimately occur in the United States—or more than twice the level of a prominent projection—the disease will rob about 6.8 million years of life from all Americans who were alive at the outset of 2020 .
In contrast : • None the flu will rob them of about 35 million years .
• None suicides will rob them of 132 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them of 409 million years .
On the other hand , elderly people and those with chronic ailments are extremely vulnerable to Covid-19 , and the disease is highly transmissible , which means it could spread like wildfire and overwhelm hospitals without extraordinary measures to contain it .
This would greatly increase its death toll .
However , measures to limit the spread of C-19 sometimes involve fatal tradeoffs , and thus , overreactions can destroy more years of life than they save .
Just Facts asked Dr. Rodney X. Sturdivant—who has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Statistical Consulting Center at Baylor University and an Associate Professor of Statistics—to critically review this research .
He assessed it as follows : This research clearly articulates what is known about Covid-19 and accurately reflects the true risks and ramifications that are critical for policy and individual decisions .
The facts in this article reflect analyses that led me to co-sign—along with over 50,000 medical and public health scientists and practitioners—the Great Barrington Declaration .
This calls for a policy of “ focused protection ” to “ minimize mortality and social harm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , a total of 15,271,571 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the U.S. as of December 9 , 2020 .
Given that the population is 331 million people , this amounts to one out of every 22 people in the United States .
C-19 cases are not equally dispersed throughout the nation , so this figure is much higher in some areas and much lower in others .
Nevertheless , the current likelihood of being exposed to C-19 doesn ’ t depend on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been infected—but on the number of people who are currently infected and contagious .
Determining this is confounded by three key factors : • None Symptoms of C-19 typically don ’ t appear until days after exposure , which means that people can be infected for days or weeks before having any reason to get tested .
• None The vast majority of people who contract C-19 develop only mild symptoms or none at all , and hence , they may never be diagnosed while they are infectious .
Despite over C-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on that it poses such a minor threat to most people that they may barely know they have it : • None • None based on data from China found that 81 % of reported Covid-19 cases are “ mild ” and that the true figure is even higher because there are “ inherent difficulties in identifying and counting mild and asymptomatic cases.
” • None In one of the few cases where asymptomatic cases could be reliably counted because an was tested for C-19 , Japan ’ s National Institute for Infectious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the people on the Diamond Princess cruise ship who tested positive for C-19 had no symptoms , the “ passengers onboard were generally of an older age.
” The portion of these people who later developed symptoms is • None notes that “ most infected individuals … appear to be able to recover with little to no medical intervention.
” • None In another case where asymptomatic cases were reliably counted , the in April that universal Covid-19 testing of pregnant women at two New York City hospitals found that 88 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease were asymptomatic upon admission , and 9 % later developed a fever .
Fevers are after childbirth , which means they were not necessarily from C-19 .
Accounting for both possibilities and the sampling margin of error , these results amount to a • None Perhaps most tellingly , the journal about an outbreak of C-19 during an Antarctic cruise where everyone onboard “ had no outside human contact ” for 28 days .
The passengers were quarantined in their rooms on the eighth day of the cruise , the crew wore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was tested for C-19 on day 20 .
Among the 128 people who tested positive , 81 % ultimately had no symptoms , 13 % had mild symptoms , and 6 % had serious symptoms , including one that died .
• None There are significant differences in the contagiousness of people infected with C-19 , depending on whether they are symptomatic , pre-symptomatic , post-symptomatic , or asymptomatic .
This reality has been shrouded in many publications because researchers often misuse an indicator called “ viral load ” to determine if people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ context of Covid-19 , is the concentration of the virus ’ genetic material detected in body fluids .
The that this measure has been “ widely used ” in C-19 studies “ as a proxy for contagiousness , ” but a German medical journal that the mere detection of genetic material “ does not imply presence of viable and replicating virus.
” In other words , the virus may be dead or unable to reproduce because the person ’ s immune system has neutered it .
The German journal adds that researchers commonly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is “ convenient , ” while the proper method is “ cumbersome.
” The implications of using a convenient measure instead of an accurate one are evidenced by the fact that an August 2020 found that C-19 viral loads “ were similar ” in people during different stages of the disease—but studies that actually measure contagiousness show major disparities in their capacity to transmit infections : • None • None reports that live C-19 viruses could be “ readily ” cultured from the mucus of people with “ mild ” C-19 “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but not “ after day 8 in spite of ongoing high viral loads.
” • None estimates that 1 % of C-19 transmission occurs more than 5 days before symptom onset and that infectiousness peaks at symptom onset and then declines “ quickly within 7 days.
” • None found that none of 455 people who were exposed to an “ asymptomatic Covid-19 virus carrier ” caught the disease , even though each of them were exposed for an average of 4–5 days .
The paper thus concludes that “ the infectivity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be weak.
” • None found that merely one among 342 people who had “ close contact ” with asymptomatic C-19 virus carriers caught the disease from them .
Based on this and other data , the study determined that the contagiousness of asymptomatic C-19 carriers is than those with mild symptoms and 95 % lower than those with moderate symptoms .
Applying the facts above and related data from the CDC and the Center for Evidence-Based Medicine at Oxford University , Just Facts developed a methodology to estimate the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infectious cases of Covid-19 .
The calculations—which are detailed in this spreadsheet—find that roughly one of every 54 people in the U.S. is contagious as of December 9 , 2020 .
Again , this is a national average and is not applicable everywhere because of large differences in the timing and severity of the pandemic in different areas of the country .
Fatal interactions between Covid-19 and other ailments like heart disease and diabetes make it difficult to determine the exact death toll from C-19 .
A range of evidence suggests that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be modestly inflated but still provides a reasonable measure of the pandemic ’ s severity .
According to the CDC ’ s estimate of “ confirmed and probable ” fatalities from Covid-19 , a total of 288,762 U.S. residents have died from the disease as of December 9 , 2020 .
To put this figure in perspective : • None C-19 has killed about one out of every Americans , whereas one out of every • None over the past nine years .
In comparative terms , deaths from Covid-19 are currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from all causes .
Although C-19 is a new disease and took its first reported life in the U.S. during late February , these comparisons may substantially overstate its deadliness .
This is because fatalities from accidents , the flu , and other common causes of death occur in droves every year , and this is unlikely for C-19 because of the facts below .
The primary reason why the flu kills tens of thousands of people every year is that the viruses that cause it mutate in ways that prevent humans from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Journal of Infectious Diseases , “ All viruses mutate , but influenza remains highly unusual among infectious diseases ” because it mutates very rapidly , and thus , “ new vaccines are needed almost every year ” to protect against it .
In striking contrast , a March 2020 paper in a molecular biology journal that cites Michael Farzan , co-chair of the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research , explains that once a vaccine for Covid-19 is developed , it “ would not need regular updates , unlike seasonal influenza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus that the vaccine targets “ is protected against mutation ” by a feature of its genetic material , or RNA .
The same point applies to naturally acquired immunity .
People who catch C-19 and other infectious diseases with low rates of mutation typically develop enduring resistance to them .
The physiology textbook The Human Body in Health and Illness explains that such immunity , which is called “ active immunity , ” is “ generally long lasting.
” This is the case with rubella , mumps , measles , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diseases and recover , they rarely get them again or transmit them to others .
Thus , they become firewalls against the spread of these contagions .
Media outlets like The Atlantic , Vox , and Forbes have turned the truth of this matter on its head by confusing the general nature of coronaviruses with that of C-19 .
The habit of calling Covid-19 “ the coronavirus ” can be very misleading because there are different types of coronaviruses , and C-19 is caused by just one of them .
Coronaviruses are a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ common cold viruses that tend to mutate rapidly , but the virus that causes C-19 does not share that trait .
Per the molecular biology paper cited above , the virus that causes C-19 “ does not mutate rapidly for an RNA virus because , unusually for this category , it has a proof-reading function ” in its genetics .
The paper also explains that the same physical feature of the virus that makes it so contagious also makes it : very vulnerable to antibody neutralization , and thus it is a relatively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refer to it as “ stupid ” on a spectrum where HIV , which lives in the face of an active immune system for years , is a “ genius.
” Simply put , the virus that causes C-19 is immunologically fragile , and thus , it is far less likely to take lives regardless of acquired immunity and vaccines .
If this proves true in the long run—as all available evidence suggests it will—the lifetime risk of dying from Covid-19 is greatly overstated by comparing its current death toll to yearly fatalities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and other common causes of death .
This is because the vast bulk of people will develop immunity to C-19 either by catching it or through vaccines .
In vivid contrast , societies don ’ t become immune to accidents , the flu , or heart disease .
All of the above facts about immunology in general and C-19 in particular were published in medical journals , textbooks , or encyclopedias near the outset of the pandemic in March 2020 or earlier .
Yet , the World Health Organization sowed confusion around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a tweet on April 24th that stated : “ There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from # COVID19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.
” Many media outlets parroted that claim , even though the World Health Organization deleted its tweet later that day and wrote : “ Earlier today we tweeted about a new WHO scientific brief on ‘ immunity passports ’ .
The thread caused some concern & we would like to clarify : We expect that most people who are infected with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that will provide some level of protection.
” That clarification was closer to the truth but still misleading because it ignored these three key facts that were already proven by that time : • None The virus that causes C-19 has low mutational capacity .
• None The virus that causes C-19 is very vulnerable to antibody neutralization .
• None Viruses with these attributes are easy to protect against because vaccines and acquired immunity commonly provide long-lasting immunity against them .
Since April 2020 , a torrent of research has continued to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May , the South Korean CDC published of 285 people who contracted C-19 , recovered , and then tested positive again .
Contrary to the assumption that they must have caught the disease a second time , the study found no evidence that even one these individuals was infectious .
Viral culture testing was performed on 108 of the subjects , and “ all had negative results.
” Also , “ no case was found ” in which someone “ was newly infected solely from contact with ” one of the people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests were caused by remnants of dead or harmless virus particles .
Thus , South Korea changed its policy to treat such individuals as non-infectious .
• None of the immune system responses of 206 people in Sweden who had contracted C-19 .
Unlike other studies that only looked for antibodies , this one measured “ T cells , ” which are the body ’ s main source of “ long-term immune protection.
” This is important because antibodies quickly wane after infections , while T cells provide lasting immunity .
The study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the subjects who had severe C-19 and 87 % who had mild C-19 had “ highly functional memory T cell responses , suggesting that natural exposure or infection may prevent recurrent episodes of severe Covid-19.
” • None “ In line with these observations , none of the convalescent individuals in this study , including those with previous mild disease , have experienced further episodes of Covid-19.
” • None In August , after C-19 had “ affected over 23 million patients with more than 0.8 million deaths in over 200 countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case of someone catching C-19 and then catching it again .
This with all infectious diseases—including with people who have been vaccinated—because immunity is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon .
However , when it comes to C-19 and other ailments caused by viruses that are vulnerable to antibodies and have little capacity for mutations , such events are rare exceptions , not the rule .
• None Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of 18,514 virus samples collected from people who contracted C-19 in 84 different nations .
The study found that mutations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” that “ a single vaccine ” should be “ broadly protective ” on a “ global ” basis .
The authors note this situation is very different from the viruses that cause HIV , the flu , and Dengue fever because their ample mutations make it nearly impossible to create effective vaccines against them .
• None of 15 people who recovered from mild cases of C-19 to determine if their immune systems developed “ a multilayered defense that lasts.
” The study found that all of them did , as evidenced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and B cells in their blood .
Both are sources of long-term immune protection , although T cells are the .
Researchers also tested the cells and found that they reacted appropriately when exposed to the virus that causes C-19 .
Those results , as the authors point out , are consistent with the fact that no one who previously had C-19 caught it again during major outbreaks on a fishing vessel and at an overnight camp .
Time will tell more about the mutations of the virus that causes C-19 , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dramatically mutate and become an ongoing cause of numerous deaths .
Beyond raw numbers of deaths , another crucial factor in measuring the deadliness of a public health threat is the years of life that it robs from its victims .
In the words of the CDC , “ the allocation of health resources must consider not only the number of deaths by cause but also by age.
” Hence , the “ years of potential life lost ” has “ become a mainstay in the evaluation of the impact of injuries on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean that younger people are more important than older people , but it recognizes and accounts for the facts that : • None humans can not ultimately prevent death ; they can only delay it .
• None there is a material difference between a malady that kills a 20 year-old in the prime of her life and one that kills a 90-year-old who would have otherwise died a month later .
These realities seem to be lost on some prominent medical authorities , like Howard Bauchner , the editor-in-chief of the Journal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coauthored an editorial comparing 100,000 deaths from C-19 “ to the number of U.S. soldiers killed in World War I or in the Korean and Vietnam wars combined.
” This is deceptive because it fails to account for the facts that the average : • None lifespan of U.S. residents is • None age of U.S. residents who have died of Covid-19 is about • None age of U.S. soldiers killed in Vietnam was While ignoring those facts , Bauchner says that “ death seems like it should be an accurate measure of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst outcome , an unequivocal outcome.
” Given that death is ultimately everyone ’ s outcome , it is a flawed measure of the pandemic ’ s severity because it is incomplete .
A much more complete measure of C-19 ’ s lethality also includes the years of life lost by each victim .
Yet , determining this is not a simple matter of subtracting their ages at the time of their deaths from the average U.S. lifespan .
This is because : • None the average U.S. lifespan includes the deaths of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down relative to what it is for older people .
So even though the average life expectancy from birth is , people who are 79 years old live an average of • None to people with preexisting health problems , and these people have than healthy people of the same ages .
Based on the average life expectancies of people of different ages and the ages of people who have died from C-19 , Just Facts calculates that C-19 robs an average of 13.5 years from each of its victims .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for preexisting health conditions , and one working paper calculates that the actual figure could be as low as 1.76 years in the United States .
Even based on the exaggerated figure of 13.5 years , the average years of life for each person who dies of C-19 is much less than other common causes of untimely death .
For example , accidents rob an average of 30.6 years of life from each victim , while suicides cost an average of 35.6 years .
And once again , these deaths occur every year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ongoing high death toll because of its vulnerability to antibodies and limited prospects for mutation .
At a March 30 White House press conference , Dr. Deborah Birx , a world-renowned immunologist , presented a slide of projections for C-19 fatalities based on “ five or six international and domestic modelers from Harvard , from Columbia , from Northeastern , from Imperial who helped us tremendously.
” The model projected that 100,000 to 240,000 deaths would occur if Americans followed social distancing and hygiene guidelines .
Birx added that “ we really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can do a lot better than that because that ’ s not assuming 100 % of every American does everything that they ’ re supposed to be doing , but I think that ’ s possible.
” The high-end of that range has already come to pass , but even if 500,000 U.S. residents eventually die from C-19 at an inflated average of 13.5 years of lost life per person , the disease will rob 6.8 million years of life from all Americans who were alive at the outset of 2020 .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of about 35 million years , suicides will rob them of 132 million years , and accidents will rob them of 409 million years : Those figures reveal that accidents are about 60 times more lethal to Americans than this nightmare scenario for Covid-19 .
Likewise , the flu is about five times as lethal , and suicides are about 20 times as lethal .
This is a substantially more comprehensive measure of deadliness than the tally of lives lost during a year—or any other random unit of time—because it accounts for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the total years of life that they lose .
It is important to realize that some people experience long-term adverse effects from non-fatal cases of C-19 , but this is also true of accidents , suicide attempts , and the flu .
On March 3 , 2020 , the World Health Organization announced that “ about 3.4 % of reported Covid-19 cases have died , ” and “ by comparison , seasonal flu generally kills far fewer than 1 % of those infected.
” Media outlets widely reported these figures and lambasted President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 3.4 % is really a false number ” and “ I would say the number is way under 1 % .
” On March 11 , Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , told a U.S. congressional committee that the mortality rate of C-19 is “ somewhere around 1 % , which means it is 10 times more lethal than the seasonal flu.
” Contrary to the statements of the World Health Organization and Fauci , Oxford University ’ s Center for Evidence-Based Medicine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ C-19 is “ somewhere between 0.1 % and 0.35 % .
” This is well below 1 % , just as Trump stated , and it nowhere near 10 times the flu fatality rate , which has averaged about 0.15 % over the past nine years in the United States .
Similarly , the CDC ’ s current best estimates for the C-19 fatality rate are : In August , Cambridge University Press published a paper analyzing why early coverage of the C-19 fatality rate was so inaccurate .
The study found that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two different measures of mortality called the “ case fatality rate ” and the “ infection fatality rate.
” The first of these is rate of death among confirmed cases of the disease , while the second is the rate among everyone who had it , including those who were asymptomatic or never diagnosed with it .
The paper notes that misinformation about the death rate “ helped launch a campaign of social distancing , organizational and business lockdowns , and shelter-in-place orders.
” At the time that those exaggerated mortality rates were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undercut them .
This is proven by the remainder of this section , which is word-for-word from an article published by Just Facts on March 17 , 2020 : Initial media reports of a 2–3 % mortality rate for Covid-19 are inflated , and the actual figure may be closer to that of the flu , which has averaged about 0.15 % over the past nine years in the United States .
A large degree of uncertainty surrounds this issue due to the same factor that prevents accurate counts of infections : unreported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giroir—who has authored nearly 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications and serves as the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—the Covid-19 death rate is “ lower than you heard probably in many reports ” because the bulk of people who contract coronavirus don ’ t get seriously ill , and thus , many of them never get tested .
Giroir calls this a “ denominator problem ” because if you ’ re “ not very ill , as most people are not , they do not get tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the denominator.
” Giroir ’ s best estimate is that the mortality rate is probably “ somewhere between 0.1 % and 1 % .
” This “ is likely more severe in its mortality rate than the typical flu ” rate of 0.1 % to 0.15 % , “ but it ’ s certainly within the range.
” Giroir ’ s estimate accords with a February 2020 commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine by Fauci and others : If one assumes that the number of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic cases is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of reported cases , the case fatality rate may be considerably less than 1 % .
This suggests that the overall clinical consequences of Covid-19 may ultimately be more akin to those of a severe seasonal influenza ( which has a case fatality rate of approximately 0.1 % ) or a pandemic influenza ( similar to those in 1957 and 1968 ) rather than a disease similar to SARS or MERS , which have had case fatality rates of 9 to 10 % and 36 % , respectively .
A prime example of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a March 12th article in Business Insider by Andy Kiersz .
In this piece , he compares the “ death rates ” of Covid-19 from the South Korean CDC to that of the flu from the United States CDC .
Based on these numbers , he reports that “ South Korea—which has reported some of the lowest coronavirus death rates of any country—still has a COVID-19 death rate more than eight times higher than that of the flu.
” What Kiersz and his editors fail to understand is that the denominator for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed cases , ” while the denominator for the U.S. rate is based on a “ mathematical model.
” The CDC clarifies how the model works by citing a study on swine flu , which multiplies “ 43,677 laboratory-confirmed cases ” of the disease by 41 to 131 times to calculate the denominator for the death rate .
In the authors ’ words , they do this because confirmed cases are : likely a substantial underestimate of the true number .
Correcting for under-ascertainment using a multiplier model , we estimate that 1.8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitalizations .
Put simply , Covid-19 death rates that are based upon reported or confirmed infections grossly undercount the number of people with the disease .
This , in turn , makes the death rate seem substantially higher than reality .
Another important factor in weighing the risks posed by Covid-19 is its transmissibility , or how contagious it is .
In this respect , Covid-19 is much more dangerous than the seasonal flu because it spreads very quickly and can overwhelm hospitals .
Scientists measure contagiousness with a basic reproduction number , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who tend to catch a disease from each person who has it .
This measure is an innate characteristic of the disease because it doesn ’ t account for actions that people take to prevent it .
A February 2020 paper in the Journal of Travel Medicine explains that any disease with a basic reproduction number above 1.0 is likely to multiply over time .
The same paper evaluates 12 studies of the basic reproduction number of Covid-19 in various nations and finds that they “ ranged from 1.4 to 6.49 , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ median of 2.79 .
Based on their analysis of these studies , the authors conclude that the basic reproduction number of C-19 will likely prove to be “ around 2–3 ” after “ more data are accumulated.
” In comparison to the flu , a 2014 paper in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases analyzes 24 studies of the seasonal flu and finds that the median result for the basic reproduction number is 1.28 .
The authors stress that the seemingly small difference between 1.28 and higher figures like 1.80 “ represent the difference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moderate illness and those causing a significant number of illnesses and requiring intensive mitigation strategies to control.
” All of the facts above were published in scientific journals by February—but in direct contradiction to them—the Director-General of the World Health Organization gave a press conference on March 3 in which he stated that “ Covid-19 spreads less efficiently than flu.
” A range of media outlets echoed that dangerous falsehood , as they did with others from the World Health Organization about immunity and fatality rates .
Then with no apparent regard for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record of spurious claims , Google/YouTube adopted a policy in May of censoring people who post content “ that contradicts the World Health Organization ( WHO ) or local health authorities ’ medical information about Covid-19.
” The high transmissibility of Covid-19 means that hygienic practices , social distancing , and other precautionary measures can save more lives than doing the same for common diseases like the flu .
There are , however , mortal dangers in overreacting because measures to limit the spread of C-19 have tangible impacts that can cost multitudes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that lockdowns , panic , and other responses to the pandemic have done just that .
A small sampling of these include the following : • None • None There is “ an alarming trend across the U.S. , where community members experiencing a health emergency are staying home—a decision that can have long-term , and sometimes fatal , consequences.
” • None In the five states that had the most Covid-19 deaths in March and April , heart disease deaths were 89 % above normal , and diabetes deaths were 96 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York City ’ s death rates alone rose a staggering 398 % from heart disease and 356 % from diabetes.
” • None A scientific survey commissioned by the American College of Emergency Physicians in April 2020 found that of adults have “ actively delayed or avoided seeking medical care due to concerns about contracting ” C-19 .
• None • None “ Doctors at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek say they have seen more deaths by suicide during this quarantine period than deaths from the Covid-19 virus.
” • None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unit at the hospital stated that he ’ s “ seen a year ’ s worth of suicide attempts in the last four weeks , ” and “ mental health is suffering so much ” that he says “ it is time to end the shelter-in-place order.
” • None A scientific survey conducted by the CDC in July 2020 found that about of U.S. adults had “ symptoms of anxiety disorder ” as compared to around the same time last year .
The perils of this are underscored by a , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among people with anxiety is 43 % higher than the general population .
• None A study published by the American Medical Association in found that 27.8 % of U.S. adults had symptoms of depression during the C-19 pandemic as compared to 8.5 % before the pandemic .
The same found that depression is associated with a 71 % higher risk of death .
• None published by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco estimated that “ more than 20 million jobs ” were “ swept away ” in the early months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repercussions of this are highlighted by a about mortality , “ psychosocial stress , ” and job losses .
It found that “ unemployment is associated with a 63 % higher risk of mortality in studies controlling for covariates.
” • None conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in late April found that 55 % of U.S. workers “ have lost their jobs or had a reduction in hours or pay as a result of ” reactions to C-19 .
Regardless of whether these losses are brief or sustained , the same found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ is significant in both the short and long term , ” lending “ some support to the hypothesis and previous findings that both the stress and the negative lifestyle effects associated with the onset of unemployment tend to persist even after a person has regained a job.
” • to address the pandemic and buffer the economic fallouts of , or an average of $ 19,000 for every household in the nation .
This has played a in driving the national debt to the highest portion of the U.S. economy in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious negative consequences , including lower wages , weak economic growth , increased inflation , higher taxes , reduced government benefits , or combinations of such results .
These , in turn , impair people ’ s and can reduce their • None • None governments failed to model the “ increased short-term and long-term mortality ” caused by the mental health impacts of Covid-19 mitigation strategies like social distancing and lockdowns .
• None these actions increased “ suicide , depression , alcohol use disorder , childhood trauma due to domestic violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social isolation.
” • None the average person in Switzerland will lose an average of about 0.205 years of life due to these mitigation measures .
• None “ this loss would be entirely borne by 2.1 % of the population , who will suffer an average of 9.79 ” years of life lost .
• None these figures are “ likely to underestimate the true impact of the mitigation strategies , ” and more life may be lost due to “ economic adversity , changes to activities of daily living such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alcohol consumption , or decrease in medical provision to those who have health problems unrelated to Covid-19.
” • None A study published by Just Facts in found that anxiety related to C-19 will ultimately destroy more years of life than can possibly be saved by lockdowns .
With regard to this study , the accomplished psychiatrist Joseph P. Damore , Jr. wrote that it “ thoroughly answers the question about the cure being worse than the disease.
” These facts prove that overreacting to C-19 can ultimately kill more people than are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a study published by the journal Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness in June 2020 found : Exaggerated levels of fear were driven by sensationalist media coverage during the Covid-19 pandemic .
And yet , while the public was ordered to lockdown , overall costs and benefits to society from severe mitigation measures had not been assessed .
The implications of overreacting to Covid-19 or any other potential hazard are aptly summarized in a teaching guide published by the American Society for Microbiology .
This book explains why “ the factors driving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may not seem particularly important to you , ” but they certainly are because “ there are risks in misperceiving risks.
” On March 31 , 2020—as more than 100 nations were implementing lockdowns—Just Facts published the following words and facts that support them : Aggressive social distancing can extend the timeframe over which Covid-19 patients are infected and hospitalized , but it can not by itself reduce those outcomes in the long run .
This is because Covid-19 is so contagious that another outbreak will begin and quickly proliferate as soon as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of lethal outcomes over the ensuing months have proved that statement true , especially the global number of C-19 deaths per day : A sample of articles from the New York Times shows that this post-lockdown carnage occurred across the globe and took many people by surprise : • None : “ As the pandemic continues to grow around the world … troubling resurgences have hit several places that were seen as models of how to respond to the virus , ” such as Hong Kong , Spain , and Australia.
” • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single coronavirus death , or even a confirmed case of local transmission , a new outbreak has struck Vietnam .
And it ’ s spreading.
” • None : “ When the coronavirus began sweeping around the globe this spring , people from Seattle to Rome to London canceled weddings and vacations , cut off visits with grandparents and hunkered down in their homes for what they thought would be a brief but essential period of isolation .
But summer did not extinguish the virus .
And with fall has come another dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of the world is the worst of the pandemic so far.
” • None : “ But with countries like France , Italy and Britain reporting their highest death toll in months , and Germany facing soaring cases this week , the authorities are now scrambling to reimpose drastic measures to curb a surge in infections and hospitalizations that could result in more deaths than during the first wave of the pandemic.
” • None : “ We now know that the second wave in Europe has become deadlier than the first.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ predictable .
Even the Imperial College of London , which provided the impetus for mass lockdowns , admitted in March that the “ more successful a strategy is at temporary suppression , the larger the later epidemic is predicted to be in the absence of vaccination , due to lesser build-up of herd immunity.
” Making a similar point eight years before the pandemic , a 2012 paper in the journal PLoS One about “ Immunity in Society ” noted that : when a sufficiently high proportion of individuals within a population becomes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through mass vaccination ) , community or “ herd ” immunity emerges , whereby individuals that are poorly immunized are protected by the collective “ immune firewall ” provided by immunized neighbors .
In humans and other vertebrate communities … responses to a previously encountered pathogen are faster and stronger than those to a novel pathogen , and thus individuals are better at blocking its spread .
[ Emphasis added . ]
Equally , if very few people are immune to a disease , they can transmit it to others instead of blocking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only way people can become immune to C-19 is by catching it and recovering .
This means that too much social distancing may cause more deaths because young , healthy people—who would otherwise catch the disease , recover quickly , and become firewalls—remain as potential carriers .
Quantifying those dynamics , a study published by the British Medical Journal in October 2020 found these stunning and “ counterintuitive results ” about lockdowns in the United Kingdom : • None The advice given to UK policymakers was focused “ on reducing total number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” • None “ Contrary to popular perception , ” the Imperial College paper that was used to justify the lockdown never “ specifically modelled ” the lockdown .
• None of C-19 , the Imperial College model projects that once some basic preventative measures are in place like quarantining infected people and social distancing for the elderly : • None the “ closure of schools and universities would increase the total number of deaths.
” • None “ general social distancing ” of the entire population “ was also projected to increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ None “ postponing the spread of Covid-19 means that more people are still infectious and are available to infect older age groups , of whom a much larger fraction then die.
” Those outcomes assume a C-19 mortality rate of 1 % ( higher than reality ) and that widespread vaccination does not occur for 800 days ( probably slower than reality ) , but the basic point remains the same : Lockdowns to control the spread of C-19 can actually cause more C-19 deaths by preventing the development of herd immunity among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very resilient to the virus .
And that only accounts for added C-19 deaths .
In addition , lockdowns trigger hordes of other types of deaths both immediately and in the long-term by causing anxiety , depression , missed medical care , unemployment , and poverty .
Despite those facts , media outlets have often scorned the idea of herd immunity , like this October article in the New York Times that claims : Many experts say “ herd immunity ” —the point at which a disease stops spreading because nearly everyone in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far off .
Leading experts have concluded , using different scientific methods , that about 85 to 90 percent of the American population is still susceptible to the coronavirus .
That statement suffers from two fatal flaws : • None It is not true that “ nearly everyone in a population ” must catch C-19 to achieve herd immunity .
Even —which assume that immunity is evenly distributed and that all age groups take the same precautions—estimate that herd immunity for C-19 emerges when about 50–67 % of the population is immune .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ None The claim that 85–90 % of Americans are still susceptible to C-19 is not based on substantially “ different scientific methods ” but only on that only test for antibodies , which can greatly understate immunity .
As documented by the of a study conducted in Sweden and published by the journal • None • None “ Our results indicate that public immunity to Covid-19 is probably significantly higher than antibody tests have suggested.
” • None Most studies of C-19 immunity merely test for antibodies , but “ antibody responses are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those with less severe forms of Covid-19 , ” and this is the case with “ most people ” who catch C-19 .
• None T cells—which are the body ’ s main source of lasting immunity—are present in the vast majority of people who have had C-19 , and these cells respond like “ those observed in the context of successful vaccines , suggesting that natural exposure or infection may prevent recurrent episodes of severe Covid-19 ” in people who don ’ t have antibodies .
• None Nearly “ twice as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who donated blood during the pandemic generated memory T cell responses versus antibody responses , implying that ” testing for antibodies “ has underestimated the extent of population-level immunity ” for C-19 .
Collectively , these data indicate that herd immunity could have been achieved with much less loss of life than has already occurred .
That would have required doing more to protect vulnerable people and allowing young healthy people greater freedom instead of locking them down .
This is precisely the opposite of what certain high-profile media figures called for and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purpose of illustration , 43 % of the U.S. population—or roughly enough to achieve herd immunity—is under the age of 33 .
If everyone in this age group went about their business and caught the disease while everyone else stayed Covid-free through diligent social distancing , hygiene , testing , and other creative measures : • None people under the age of 33 would have died based on the CDC ’ s for C-19 fatality rates at these ages .
• None the people who died would have lost a total of In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more fatalities from C-19 were recorded among people of all ages in death certificates filed by November 21 , 2020 .
Given the ages of the deceased , this amounts to 3.2 million years of life , or four times worse than the idealized scenario .
That scenario unrealistically assumes prevention measures and herd immunity are so effective that no one over the age of 32 catches C-19—but like the British Medical Journal paper—it shows that there comes a tipping point where broad lockdowns cause more C-19 deaths than balanced measures .
Again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of the other deadly effects of lockdowns .
However , strategic social distancing can keep hospitalizations at reasonable levels so that victims receive proper care , and it can also buy time to discover and mass-produce effective treatments .
During a March 14th press conference , U.S .
Surgeon General Jerome Adams asserted that “ this situation will last longer , and more people will be hurt ” if “ we are complacent , selfish , uninformed , ” and if “ we spread fear , distrust , and misinformation.
” Yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outlets , governments , and big tech companies have done .
Conversely , Adams said that “ we will overcome this situation ” if we “ pitch in ” and “ share the facts.
” The essential facts above confirm the wisdom of his words .
James D. Agresti is the president of Just Facts , a think tank dedicated to publishing rigorously documented facts about public policy issues .


thetennesseestar--2020-12-12--Coronavirus Vaccinations Could Begin Monday, Reach 50 Million Americans by February, HHS Secretary S

Coronavirus Vaccinations Could Begin Monday, Reach 50 Million Americans by February, HHS Secretary Says

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said that the first coronavirus vaccinations outside a clinical trial could begin as early as Monday .
Azar ’ s announcement follows a key FDA panel ’ s vote of confidence Thursday for Pfizer ’ s coronavirus vaccine , clearing the way for the agency to issue an emergency use authorization .
The FDA said that authorization would be announced later Friday , and that it was communicating with the CDC and Operation Warp Speed to ensure the most efficient distribution possible .
“ We should be seeing the authorization of this first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Azar said on ABC ’ s “ Good Morning America.
” “ We will work with Pfizer to get that shipped out and so we could see people getting vaccinated Monday , Tuesday of next week , ” Azar said .
Public health officials have said that up to 20 million Americans could be vaccinated before 2021 , which Azar echoed Friday .
“ We ’ re looking at 20 million Americans being vaccinated in the next couple weeks .
Up to 50 million total by the end of January , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could have 100 million actual vaccinations in arm by the end of February.
” Though vaccinations may begin distribution only hours after the FDA grants emergency authorization , the first batches will go to front line health care workers and long term nursing home residents .
Azar said Tuesday that the vaccine will be widely available by the second quarter of 2021 .
Despite the vaccine announcements , public health officials have warned Americans that the coming months will likely be very challenging .
CDC Director Robert Redfield said last week that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be tough times ” due to the surge in coronavirus cases , hospitalizations and deaths .
“ I actually believe they ’ re going to be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation , largely because of the stress that ’ s going to be put on our health care system , ” Redfield said .
The coronavirus has infected over 15.5 million Americans and killed over 292,000 , according to a Johns Hopkins University database .
Wednesday was the deadliest day of the pandemic so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trunsky is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .