theroot--2020-12-19--FDA Gives Authorization to Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Allowing for Doses to Be Distributed Across Cou

FDA Gives Authorization to Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Allowing for Doses to Be Distributed Across Country

The Federal Drug Administration has authorized a second COVID-19 vaccine , opening the door for more people to receive doses against the virus which brought the country to a halt this year and continues to rack up deaths .
On Friday , the FDA announced that it has issued emergency use authorization for a vaccine developed by Moderna , allowing it to be administered to people who are 18 years and older .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , who is the country ’ s leading infectious disease expert , recently sought to allay concerns in the Black community about the safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the one from Moderna was developed in part by a Black woman , Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett .
Trials show that the Moderna vaccine is over 94 percent effective in protecting against COVID-19 .
The FDA says the data and science show that the vaccine ’ s benefits outweigh any of its risks , though it mentioned that the Moderna vaccine—which has to be administered in two doses a month a part—does come with some side effects .
There also isn ’ t evidence that it can prevent the coronavirus from passing between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after a week in which the first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were distributed to frontline healthcare workers across the country ( as well as high profile members of the Trump Administration , like Vice President Mike Pence ) .
Vaccine distribution hasn ’ t been without its hiccups .
State officials across the country this week reported receiving less doses of the Pfizer vaccine than they initially believed they would be getting , and called out the federal government for the discrepancies .
From the New York Times : Dr. Mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Health , said in a Friday briefing : “ All my colleagues in the region are reporting a 25 to 35 percent decrease in their allocation for next week .
As we were walking in , I learned as many as 975 doses out of an expected 5,850 doses would not be coming in when we expected .
That doesn ’ t mean we won ’ t be getting all of those doses .
It just means they won ’ t be coming in when we expected.
” He added , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about , in addition to just the number , is there ’ s been no communication , so there ’ s no understanding of what this really means.
” Pointing out how hard hit Wisconsin has been , Gov .
Tony Evers complained that the state was receiving significantly less of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine than it had been promised — 35,100 doses instead of 49,725 .
In a statement on Friday , he said , “ We call on the federal government to send us more vaccine without delay.
” An earlier report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed on an opportunity to purchase additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine when the company offered it to the government earlier this year .
Around 5.9 million doses of the Moderna vaccine will be shipped out to hospitals and health centers this weekend , with distribution of doses expected to begin as early as Monday and continue into the coming weeks .

The Federal Drug Administration has authorized a second COVID-19 vaccine, opening the door for more people to receive doses against the virus which brought the country to a halt this year and continues to rack up deaths.
On Friday, the FDA announced that it has issued emergency use authorization for a vaccine developed by Moderna, allowing it to be administered to people who are 18 years and older.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is the country’s leading infectious disease expert, recently sought to allay concerns in the Black community about the safety of the coronavirus vaccines by pointing out that the one from Moderna was developed in part by a Black woman, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett.
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Trials show that the Moderna vaccine is over 94 percent effective in protecting against COVID-19.
The FDA says the data and science show that the vaccine’s benefits outweigh any of its risks, though it mentioned that the Moderna vaccine—which has to be administered in two doses a month a part—does come with some side effects. There also isn’t evidence that it can prevent the coronavirus from passing between people.
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The Moderna vaccine authorization comes after a week in which the first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were distributed to frontline healthcare workers across the country (as well as high profile members of the Trump Administration, like Vice President Mike Pence).
Vaccine distribution hasn’t been without its hiccups. State officials across the country this week reported receiving less doses of the Pfizer vaccine than they initially believed they would be getting, and called out the federal government for the discrepancies.
Advertisement
From the New York Times:
Dr. Mark Levine, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health, said in a Friday briefing: “All my colleagues in the region are reporting a 25 to 35 percent decrease in their allocation for next week. As we were walking in, I learned as many as 975 doses out of an expected 5,850 doses would not be coming in when we expected. That doesn’t mean we won’t be getting all of those doses. It just means they won’t be coming in when we expected.” He added, “What everyone around the country is upset about, in addition to just the number, is there’s been no communication, so there’s no understanding of what this really means.” Pointing out how hard hit Wisconsin has been, Gov. Tony Evers complained that the state was receiving significantly less of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine than it had been promised — 35,100 doses instead of 49,725. In a statement on Friday, he said, “We call on the federal government to send us more vaccine without delay.”
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An earlier report from the Times said the Trump Administration passed on an opportunity to purchase additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine when the company offered it to the government earlier this year.
Around 5.9 million doses of the Moderna vaccine will be shipped out to hospitals and health centers this weekend, with distribution of doses expected to begin as early as Monday and continue into the coming weeks.


theroot--2020-12-20--Kansas City Star Apologizes For Decades of Racially Biased Reporting

This year was marked by a movement towards racial reckoning in America , including a recognition of the historic injustices done towards Black people in this country via policing and also from a whole host of other institutions .
Now another entity has stepped forward to acknowledge its role in perpetuating racial injustice .
The Kansas City Star newspaper on Sunday issued an apology to the Black community in Kansas City , Missouri , for what it called a history of reporting that “ disenfranchised , ignored , and scorned ” the region ’ s African American residents .
Accompanying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Truth in Black and White , ” highlighting six key stories from past decades which impacted Black people in Kansas City .
Editor and president of the Kansas City Star , Mike Fannin , said the stories had been previously sidelined by the outlet and its sister paper the Kansas City Times , or framed in ways that painted Black people disparagingly .
Like most metro newspapers of the early to mid-20th century , The Star was a white newspaper produced by white reporters and editors for white readers and advertisers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ your driveway was a family tradition , passed down to sons and daughters .
But not in Black families .
Their children grew up with little hope of ever being mentioned in the city ’ s largest and most influential newspapers , unless they got in trouble .
Negative portrayals of Black Kansas Citians buttressed stereotypes and played a role in keeping the city divided .
In the pages of The Star , when Black people were written about , they were cast primarily as the perpetrators or victims of crime , advancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meantime , was tuned out .
The Star and The Times wrote about military action in Europe but not about Black families whose homes were being bombed just down the street .
Even the Black cultural icons that Kansas City would one day claim with pride were largely overlooked .
Native son Charlie “ Bird ” Parker didn ’ t get a significant headline in The Star until he died , and even then , his name was misspelled and his age was wrong .
Hannin noted that Black residents in Kansas City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ papers ’ coverage for being biased , and in his apology also said that a former editor of the Star reportedly remarked during the height of school desegregation , “ we don ’ t need stories about these people.
” The marginalization of Black people in the papers ’ news coverage continued beyond the civil rights era , Hannin admitted .
In 1968 , five Black men and one Black teenager were killed over three days of rioting in Kansas City at the time the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. was to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a white man ’ s bullet only days prior .
At least four and perhaps all were shot by police .
A mayor ’ s commission determined that most were “ innocent victims , ” and yet there was no follow-up newspaper probe as there would be today , no independent investigation , no calls for the officers to be charged , or for the police chief to resign .
Nearly a decade later , raging waters surged in the deadly flood of 1977 .
The Star and Times quickly dubbed it “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stage for the papers , both lacking the staff diversity to challenge assumptions , to focus mainly on property damage at the Country Club Plaza , not so much the 25 people who died , including eight Black residents .
Hannin also made sure to point out that Black-owned publications , The Kansas City Call and The Kansas City Sun , had consistently covered issues that the Star did not .
“ It still pains me personally to know that in The Star ’ s monopolistic heyday — when it had the biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paper did little to unify the city or recognize the inherent rights of all Kansas Citians , ” the editor said .
He added that the paper now has a race and equity editor on staff who was hired this fall , and that the Star is working to make its newsroom more diverse as part of efforts to better represent people in the entire community of Kansas City—not just those who are white .
Any meaningful change has to come with a serious acknowledgement of the wrong that is being redressed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this honest approach makes its promise of progress more believable than the many PR statements that came from various corners in America this year .
Kudos to them for making that start .

This year was marked by a movement towards racial reckoning in America, including a recognition of the historic injustices done towards Black people in this country via policing and also from a whole host of other institutions.
Now another entity has stepped forward to acknowledge its role in perpetuating racial injustice. The Kansas City Star newspaper on Sunday issued an apology to the Black community in Kansas City, Missouri, for what it called a history of reporting that “disenfranchised, ignored, and scorned” the region’s African American residents.
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Accompanying the apology is a package called “The Truth in Black and White,” highlighting six key stories from past decades which impacted Black people in Kansas City. Editor and president of the Kansas City Star, Mike Fannin, said the stories had been previously sidelined by the outlet and its sister paper the Kansas City Times, or framed in ways that painted Black people disparagingly.
Like most metro newspapers of the early to mid-20th century, The Star was a white newspaper produced by white reporters and editors for white readers and advertisers. Having The Star or Times thrown in your driveway was a family tradition, passed down to sons and daughters. But not in Black families. Their children grew up with little hope of ever being mentioned in the city’s largest and most influential newspapers, unless they got in trouble. Negative portrayals of Black Kansas Citians buttressed stereotypes and played a role in keeping the city divided. In the pages of The Star, when Black people were written about, they were cast primarily as the perpetrators or victims of crime, advancing a toxic narrative. Other violence, meantime, was tuned out. The Star and The Times wrote about military action in Europe but not about Black families whose homes were being bombed just down the street. Even the Black cultural icons that Kansas City would one day claim with pride were largely overlooked. Native son Charlie “Bird” Parker didn’t get a significant headline in The Star until he died, and even then, his name was misspelled and his age was wrong.
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Hannin noted that Black residents in Kansas City throughout the years had called out the papers’ coverage for being biased, and in his apology also said that a former editor of the Star reportedly remarked during the height of school desegregation, “we don’t need stories about these people.”
The marginalization of Black people in the papers’ news coverage continued beyond the civil rights era, Hannin admitted.
In 1968, five Black men and one Black teenager were killed over three days of rioting in Kansas City at the time the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was to be buried, having been assassinated by a white man’s bullet only days prior. At least four and perhaps all were shot by police. A mayor’s commission determined that most were “innocent victims,” and yet there was no follow-up newspaper probe as there would be today, no independent investigation, no calls for the officers to be charged, or for the police chief to resign. Nearly a decade later, raging waters surged in the deadly flood of 1977. The Star and Times quickly dubbed it “The Plaza Flood.” That set the stage for the papers, both lacking the staff diversity to challenge assumptions, to focus mainly on property damage at the Country Club Plaza, not so much the 25 people who died, including eight Black residents.
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Hannin also made sure to point out that Black-owned publications, The Kansas City Call and The Kansas City Sun, had consistently covered issues that the Star did not.
“It still pains me personally to know that in The Star’s monopolistic heyday — when it had the biggest media platform in the region — the paper did little to unify the city or recognize the inherent rights of all Kansas Citians,” the editor said.
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He added that the paper now has a race and equity editor on staff who was hired this fall, and that the Star is working to make its newsroom more diverse as part of efforts to better represent people in the entire community of Kansas City—not just those who are white.
Any meaningful change has to come with a serious acknowledgement of the wrong that is being redressed. That the Kansas City Star has taken this honest approach makes its promise of progress more believable than the many PR statements that came from various corners in America this year. Kudos to them for making that start .


theroot--2020-12-20--Trump Is Reportedly Considering Using Martial Law to 'Rerun' the Election

Trump and his criminal cronies are escalating their ideas of how to deny the results of November ’ s election .
With 31 days to go until President-elect Biden ’ s inauguration , the outgoing president is now reportedly considering instituting martial law to keep himself in power .
Trump made the suggestion during a call with his senior campaign advisors on Friday , according to The New York Times .
The idea appears to have been planted in Trump ’ s head by former national security advisor Michael Flynn , who he pardoned earlier this year for crimes related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appearance on the conservative site Newsmax earlier this week , Flynn said Trump “ could take military capabilities ” and in swing states to “ rerun ” the election .
Trump has made it clear he has no opposition to blowing up America ’ s democracy for his own selfish desires and so , true-to-form , he ’ s said to have floated the martial law idea in a phone discussion with Flynn , White House Counsel Pat A. Cipollone , Chief of Staff Mark Meadows , and lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cippoll one told Trump he has no constitutional authority to do what he is suggesting .
Publicly , Trump is parroting his usual ‘ Fake News ’ defense to deny the report that he ’ s fantasizing about martial law as a means to keep himself in power—a move that all but confirms to me that he is actually considering it .
Trump ’ s former national security advisor , John Bolton , called the idea “ appalling ” and “ unbelievable ” in an interview with CNN ’ s Wolf Blitzer on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is just another day in the office ” for an unfit president who he happily defended in public before being fired from the White House .
In response , the president predictably lashed out at Bolton on social media , describing him as “ one of the dumbest people in Washington.
” During the call on Friday , Trump also apparently discussed naming Sidney Powell as a special counsel so she can investigate his non-existent claims of voter fraud—which include claiming Venezuela was involved in a plot to rig the voting machines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has previously sought to distance itself from Powell , and most of the people on the call reportedly opposed the idea of elevating her to a more prominent role in the White House ’ s continuing efforts to block the transition of power to President-elect Biden .
Powell is known for bragging that she will “ release the Kraken ” and win the election for Trump in the courts , as well as for laughably failing to do so in the lawsuits she ’ s brought on his behalf .
She is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claiming Dominion Voting Systems machines are somehow tied to Venezuela ’ s president Hugo Chavez .
Seeking to tap Powell as the public face of his sad campaign to deny the election is evidence of Trump ’ s increasing desperation .
January 20 can ’ t come soon enough .
But there ’ s no telling what the scene will be on that day when Trump has to leave the White House .
The military may indeed need to be called in—to haul him out of the Oval Office .

Trump and his criminal cronies are escalating their ideas of how to deny the results of November’s election.
With 31 days to go until President-elect Biden’s inauguration, the outgoing president is now reportedly considering instituting martial law to keep himself in power. Trump made the suggestion during a call with his senior campaign advisors on Friday, according to The New York Times.
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The idea appears to have been planted in Trump’s head by former national security advisor Michael Flynn, who he pardoned earlier this year for crimes related to lying to FBI.
In an appearance on the conservative site Newsmax earlier this week, Flynn said Trump “could take military capabilities” and in swing states to “rerun” the election.
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Trump has made it clear he has no opposition to blowing up America’s democracy for his own selfish desires and so, true-to-form, he’s said to have floated the martial law idea in a phone discussion with Flynn, White House Counsel Pat A. Cipollone, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell. According to the Times, Cippoll one told Trump he has no constitutional authority to do what he is suggesting.
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Publicly, Trump is parroting his usual ‘Fake News’ defense to deny the report that he’s fantasizing about martial law as a means to keep himself in power—a move that all but confirms to me that he is actually considering it.
Trump’s former national security advisor, John Bolton, called the idea “appalling” and “unbelievable” in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Saturday, while hypocritically adding that “this is just another day in the office” for an unfit president who he happily defended in public before being fired from the White House. In response, the president predictably lashed out at Bolton on social media, describing him as “one of the dumbest people in Washington.”
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During the call on Friday, Trump also apparently discussed naming Sidney Powell as a special counsel so she can investigate his non-existent claims of voter fraud—which include claiming Venezuela was involved in a plot to rig the voting machines used in the election. The campaign has previously sought to distance itself from Powell, and most of the people on the call reportedly opposed the idea of elevating her to a more prominent role in the White House’s continuing efforts to block the transition of power to President-elect Biden.
Powell is known for bragging that she will “release the Kraken” and win the election for Trump in the courts, as well as for laughably failing to do so in the lawsuits she’s brought on his behalf. She is now in legal hot water herself for falsely claiming Dominion Voting Systems machines are somehow tied to Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez. Seeking to tap Powell as the public face of his sad campaign to deny the election is evidence of Trump’s increasing desperation.
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January 20 can’t come soon enough. But there’s no telling what the scene will be on that day when Trump has to leave the White House. The military may indeed need to be called in—to haul him out of the Oval Office.