Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Arab Israeli nurses pose for pic with Hamas prisoner, say sorry, won’t be fired
Two Arab Israeli nurses who posed hugging a hunger-striking Hamas prisoner at the Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot won’t be fired after they expressed regret for their actions, the hospital said Monday.
The two were filmed on Sunday posing with Miqdad Qawasmeh, a Hamas member who has served sentences in Israeli prison in the past and is currently being held in administrative detention, without being charged.
In the video, the two can be seen clasping Qawasmeh’s hands and hugging him, before posing,
Ultra-Orthodox leaders slam Bennett over ‘reducing haredi political influence’ comments
Downstate Republican misses the mark with shot in the dark about GOP vaccination rate
Bryant said “75% of Republicans have been vaccinated” against COVID-19 in Illinois.
The state senator did not respond to our inquiries asking for evidence to back up her claim, and we could find no surveys or studies that show she is correct. None of the state polling experts we contacted told us they had seen data showing how many Illinois Republicans have been vaccinated either.
State and national trends suggest the claim is not accurate. The figure Bryant cited is higher than Illinois’ overall vaccination rate and is out of line with multiple national surveys conducted over the past two months that find Republicans are one of the demographic groups least likely to have taken the vaccine. Illinois counties that voted for Trump in 2020 also have a lower average vaccination rate than counties that Biden won, state data show.
We rate Bryant’s claim False.
10 facts about Americans and coronavirus vaccines
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/20/10-facts-about-americans-and-coronavirus-vaccines/
Among Democrats and independents who lean to the Democratic Party, 86% said they were at least partially vaccinated as of August, compared with six-in-ten Republicans and GOP leaners. Factoring in ideology as well as party affiliation, nine-in-ten self-described liberal Democrats said they had received at least one dose, compared with 83% of conservative or moderate Democrats, 63% of moderate or liberal Republicans and 58% of conservative Republicans.
Senator booed for asking Republicans to consider Covid vaccine
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/05/lindsey-graham-booed-covid-vaccine-republicans
A Republican senator was booed and catcalled when he told a party audience in South Carolina to think about getting a vaccine against Covid-19.
Lindsey Graham was speaking at the Summerville Country Club in Dorchester county. Video of his remarks was first published by the Daily Beast.
“If you haven’t had the vaccine,” the 66-year-old said, “you ought to think about getting it because if you’re my age …
“No!” yelled audience members.
“I didn’t tell you to get it,” Graham said. “You ought to think about it.”
Disgust growing over vaccine protesters' Holocaust comparisons
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/vaccine-protesters-holocaust-comparisons-1.6175321
Demonstrators seen wearing yellow stars, holding pictures of Anne Frank
Why gain-of-function research matters
https://source.colostate.edu/why-gain-of-function-research-matters/
In the current debate around SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, gain of function has a much narrower meaning related to a virus becoming easier to move between humans, or becoming more lethal in humans. It is important to remember, though, that the term “gain of function” by itself covers much more than this type of research.
Gain-of-function research that focuses on potential pandemic pathogens has been supported on the premise that it will help researchers better understand the evolving pathogenic landscape, be better prepared for a pandemic response and develop treatments and countermeasures.
But critics argue that this research to anticipate potential pandemic pathogens does not lead to substantial benefit and is not worth the potential risks. And they say getting out ahead of such threats can be achieved through other means – biological research and otherwise. For instance, the current pandemic has provided numerous lessons on the social and behavioral dynamics of disease prevention measures, which could lead to robust new research programs on the cultural aspects of pandemic preparedness. Understanding when the risks of gain-of-function research outweigh the potential benefits and alternatives, therefore, continues to be subject to debate.
Gain of function research explained
https://www.virology.ws/2021/09/09/gain-of-function-explained/
The production of recombinant coronaviruses to assess pandemic potential was carried out in several laboratories, all funded by the NIH. Recently Dr. Anthony Fauci told Congress that the NIH did not fund GoF coronavirus research. The press has suggested that he lied, but the truth is that his definition of GoF research is that it only involves passaged of organisms in animals. This interpretation is not correct but being wrong does not mean you are lying.
I want readers to understand that the goals of GoF research are
laudable, and only a small subset has the potential to harm humans.
Consequently these experiments are highly regulated and carried out
under high levels of biological containment. GoF is not a dirty word.
Designer Babies: Selecting embryos with reduced risk illness
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/314880
Each year, tens of thousands of babies are born in the United States as the result of IVF (in vitro fertilization) – where several eggs are fertilized outside the mother's body and then an embryo is selected for transfer into her womb.
For a number of years now, it has been possible for prospective parents to screen their embryos for rare genetic defects such as cystic fibrosis or Tay-Sachs disease. However, new technical advances now make it possible for parents to have their embryos screened for genetic risk factors for diseases such as cancers, diabetes, heart disease, or psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.
With this new method, genetic testing provides each embryo with a risk score – an estimate of the chances of the given embryo to develop a particular disease.
Texas Governor bars vaccine mandates
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/314871
Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday barred all COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the state by any entity, including private employers, in response to what he called "bullying" by the Biden Administration, Reuters reports.
"In another instance of federal overreach, the Biden Administration is now bullying many private entities into imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, causing workforce disruptions that threaten Texas' continued recovery from the COVID-19 disaster," Abbott said in an executive order.
The order states that "no entity in Texas" could compel proof of vaccination by any individual, including employees or customers. Abbott also called on state lawmakers to take up the issue in an upcoming special session.
Monday, October 11, 2021
Israeli government passivity is killing Alta Fixsler
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/314713
All of those following the plight of Baby Alta Fixsler in Manchester probably know by now that her legal and political avenues in England have been exhausted. Family Advisor Pinny Kellner, who has been coordinating the international efforts to save her life for about half of a year, reports that the ball is now squarely in the court of the Israeli government. Alta and her parents are Israeli citizens, and Jewish, thus thrusting the responsibility on the Israeli government as the party most directly capable of saving her life, Pinny explains.
Yet, while the clock is ticking, the Israeli government, and specifically FM Yair Lapid, knows exactly what specific diplomatic means they need to employ to save Alta's life from her British executioners, Pinny emphasizes, and nevertheless the Israeli government is dragging their feet.
Massive EU study shows vaccines prevent severe COVID illness, even from Delta variant
https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/syk7kszrt
French survey among 22 million people over the age of 50 found those who had received jabs were 90% less likely to be hospitalized or die, confirming observations from Israel and its vast inoculation campaign
This is how the coalition is trying to find budgets for Ra'am
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/314809
The chairman of the Religious Zionist Party, MK Bezalel Smotrich, attacked the move and tweeted, "Simply put, it is called making up fictitious criteria to transfer money to the authorities that Abbas values the most. It is illegal, and if the legal advisers allow it in order to preserve the survival of this coalition it will be their downfall. A complete hypocrisy."
He added, "I do not know if you understand the significance of this astronomical sum: 24 billion shekels that are supposed to find their way in tailor-made criteria for the Arab authorities, and from there directly to bodies affiliated with the Islamic movement, like its private militia in Kafr Qassem. This is corruption on steroids and a great danger to the State of Israel."