Illinois smokers now prioritized for the
coronavirus vaccine
Posted By: AltaD, 3/3/2021 8:58:23 AM
Illinois smokers are now among the priority groups eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. As a part of the state’s vaccination schedule, residents with certain high-risk medical conditions — including smoking — are now able to get shots, along with seniors and medical and essential workers. The move to Phase 1B+ went into effect Feb. 25. (Snip) How sites that administer the vaccine verify you have a priority medical condition is up to local health departments, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said last week. How they will verify if you are a smoker is unclear.
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Farmers react to billions in COVID-19
relief bill for Black farmers: 'Where
did common sense go?' 16 replies
relief bill for Black farmers: 'Where
did common sense go?' 16 replies
The $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package that President Biden is set to sign includes billions of dollars in debt relief and other assistance for farmers of color. (Snip) "My reaction is, Where did common sense go?" Griggs said. "We can’t strike. We can’t stop. That's the part that really sucks. These people in Washington who make decisions for us and our livelihood have probably never stepped foot on a real farm."
The relief package includes an estimated $4 billion to pay up to 120% of Black, Hispanic, Asian or Native American farmers' outstanding debt as of Jan. 1, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.
For British viewers, Oprah Winfrey’s bombshell special on the royal family was also an exposé of the American pharmaceutical industry.
Those in England who streamed Sunday’s interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were shocked to see advertisements for prescription drugs including Skyrizi, Kisqali and Jardiance. Advertising prescription drugs is banned in the United Kingdom — and most of the world, excluding the US and New Zealand. (Snip) “These medical adverts and the side effects though. American healthcare truly is a business,” noted a third.
Other critics called the ads “surreal” and “unhinged” and said they made them feel like they were “in some post-apocalyptic world.”
If you live outside Chicago and you’re hoping to get a COVID-19 vaccine at the United Center, you’ll have to wait – at least for now.
Illinoisans who aren’t Chicago residents were suddenly blocked over the weekend from booking COVID-19 vaccine appointments at the West Side sports arena. (Snip) The federally-run site on the West Side first allowed any senior citizen eligible for the vaccine to sign up. But after seeing more than 60% of appointments go to people outside of Chicago since registration began last week Thursday, government officials on Sunday abruptly announced that only Chicagoans would be able to sign up.
COVID-19 pill effective in preliminary
testing may be 'holy grail' of
pandemic, Dr. Marc Siegel says 23 replies
testing may be 'holy grail' of
pandemic, Dr. Marc Siegel says 23 replies
A new possible medication to treat coronavirus-positive patients could be enough to turn the pandemic on its head, Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel revealed Sunday on "Fox & Friends Weekend."
First-stage testing of the experimental COVID-19 pill called Molnupiravir, by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, showed promising signs of effectiveness in reducing the virus in patients. (Snip) "The drug would function as an at-home, five-day treatment, similar to Tamiflu, to stop the virus from reproducing before causing major damage. Siegel said the therapeutic could come to market in as little as four to five months.
The Biden administration is undertaking a “whole of government response” to investigate and respond to the cyberattacks against Microsoft’s Exchange Server, which the Big Tech company assessed are being carried out by a sophisticated Chinese state-backed hacker group.
Microsoft announced it detected “multiple zero-day exploits being used to attack on-premises versions of Microsoft Exchange Server in limited and targeted attacks” last week and said its Threat Intelligence Center attributed the cyber campaign with “high confidence” to a hacker group dubbed “Hafnium.” Microsoft said the hacker group was “state-sponsored” and operating out of China.
Over the weekend, the FBI said it is “aware of Microsoft’s emergency patch for previously unknown vulnerabilities
LONDON (Reuters) - The majority of global COVID-19 deaths have been in countries where many people are obese, with coronavirus fatality rates 10 times higher in nations where at least 50% of adults are overweight, a global study found on Thursday.
The report, which described a "dramatic" correlation between countries' COVID-19 death and obesity rates, found that 90% or 2.2 million of the 2.5 million deaths from the pandemic disease so far were in countries with high levels of obesity.(Snip) Strikingly, the authors said, there is no example of a country where people are generally not overweight or obese having high COVID-19 death rates.
Illinois smokers are now among the priority groups eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
As a part of the state’s vaccination schedule, residents with certain high-risk medical conditions — including smoking — are now able to get shots, along with seniors and medical and essential workers.
The move to Phase 1B+ went into effect Feb. 25. (Snip) How sites that administer the vaccine verify you have a priority medical condition is up to local health departments, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said last week. How they will verify if you are a smoker is unclear.
Looks like Hyatt might have reservations about hosting the Conservative Political Action Conference in the future.
Hyatt Hotels Corp. released a statement on Sunday expressing concern about reports that the CPAC stage was shaped like a rune used by the Nazis. It also condemned CPAC guests who disrespected Hyatt staff for attempting to enforce social-distancing measures meant to curb the ongoing pandemic. (snip) The statement noted that Hyatt had approved the stage design and helped “collaboratively” to build the stage months before the conference, and that the hotel’s senior management had initially agreed that the charges the CPAC had shaped its stage like a hate symbol were “false,”
Two large industry events that typically bring a combined 126,000 people to Chicago’s McCormick Place have been canceled for the second straight year because of COVID-19.
On Friday, the National Restaurant Association said its show, which was to take place May 22-25, has been called off and rescheduled to May 21-24, 2022.
On Monday, the International Housewares Association announced that The Inspired Home Show, which was to take place Aug. 7-10, has been canceled. (Snip) Since the pandemic began a year ago, 214 events — that accounted for an estimated $2.9 billion in economic impact — have been canceled at McCormick Place, McCafferty said.
Hyatt claps back at CPAC haters: We take
pride in operating a highly inclusive
environment 16 replies
pride in operating a highly inclusive
environment 16 replies
Hyatt Hotels defended its decision to host the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday, at a time when the political climate has become increasingly volatile, citing its belief that individuals and organizations should be able to peacefully gather and express their own views.(Snip)“We take pride in operating a highly inclusive environment and we believe that the facilitation of gatherings is a central element of what we do as a hospitality company,” the spokesperson said. “We believe in the right of individuals and organizations to peacefully express their views, independent of the degree to which the perspectives of those hosting meetings and events at our hotels
Two men convicted of killing Chicago police officers in separate incidents decades ago were paroled Thursday, drawing the ire of officials who opposed the move and believe it “sends a troubling message”(Snip)Former police Superintendent Phil Cline of the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation expressed displeasure with the parole board's decision.
“Clearly, the intent of the court was for these murderers to pay for the lives they stole with life in prison,” Cline said in a statement. “More importantly, allowing these men to be free sends a troubling message to the families of these officers that their sacrifice and the lives of their loved ones are somehow insignificant.”
A new Chicago ordinance eliminates exceptions that previously allowed police officers to work with federal immigration authorities under certain circumstances. (Snip) Previously, the Chicago Police Department was allowed to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement if individuals were in the city's gang database, had an outstanding criminal warrant, had been convicted of a felony or had a felony charge pending.
The new ordinance - a campaign promise from Lightfoot - eliminates those exceptions. It also forbids any "agent or agency" of Chicago from participating in "civil immigration enforcement operations" or assisting in the enforcement of federal immigration law.
Most Active Articles (last 48 hours)
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Disturbing claims of racism on the court led to the William Peace University Women's Basketball Team walking out on their shot at the conference title. The team did it in an act of solidarity with Lauryn Cross -- a star point guard. It started back in January when, during a heated matchup against Mary Baldwin University, she says a white player insulted her. (Snip) Meredith College Head Basketball Coach LaQuanda Quick issued the following statement: "The Meredith College basketball team and the College's athletics program take accusations of racism, on the court or off, very seriously. This summer, our
Trump Requests Mail-In Ballot In Florida
35 replies
Former President Donald Trump requested a mail-in ballot ahead of a local municipal election in Florida, according to Palm Beach County records, despite his frequent attacks on voting by mail.
The records from the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections website show the ballot was mailed on Friday to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, which he made his permanent residence in 2019.
Buried within the $1.9 trillion emergency spending bill that Congress sent to President Joe Biden's desk on Wednesday is a provision that could effectively block states from cutting taxes if they accept federal bailout dollars.
That provision, added to the bill by the Senate last week, could put a halt to several states' plans to cut taxes this year as a way to stimulate economic growth following the COVID-19 pandemic. Depending on how the text is interpreted, the measure could also make it illegal for states to create new tax credit programs like the ones that have become a popular mechanism for expanding school choice.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) on Wednesday declared Texans who do not wear a mask during the coronavirus pandemic face “a destiny of death.”
“Do not have a ‘remove mask’ party tonight, because you will be walking into a destiny of death,” Jackson Lee said during a speech on House of Representative floor.Jackson Lee’s warning coincides with Texas lifting its mandatory mask restriction across the state.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced around a week ago that he would be lifting the order, saying, “Texans have mastered the daily habits to avoid getting COVID [Chinese coronavirus].”
One of the most famous and popular TV personalities in Britain walked off the set of his TV show and resigned after getting flak over his charges that Meghan was just drama queening to Oprah when she claimed to have considered suicide. So great is Piers Morgan’s media clout that the show business bible Variety wrote, “Morgan’s shock departure from “Good Morning Britain” is sure to be a blow for ITV,” rather than a risky gambit for the broadcaster. (snip) Morgan may be in for official trouble, according to NBC News:
The United Kingdom’s Office of Communications announced it was investigating the show’s Monday episode under its “harm and offence rules.”
It’s almost our favorite day of the year: the beginning of Daylight Savings Time, when we can fast-forward our clocks, stop the winter darkness that descends by mid-afternoon, and crawl out of our stuffy homes after dinner into the evening light. Amid Biden’s “dark winter” of COVID hell, the act of “springing forward” out of Standard Time is especially welcomed this year.
That’s why a glorious piece of legislation popping up in the Senate is a bright spot this week — not only because it’s bipartisan, but also because it would literally grant daylight to weary Americans.
What Meghan misunderstood about the
monarchy 25 replies
monarchy 25 replies
Of the many shocking statements made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in their full-scale assault on the monarchy during their two-hour interview with Oprah Winfrey, the most peculiar was surely Meghan’s claim to know nothing about the British monarchy when she first met Harry. She was so incurious that she didn’t bother to read a volume of history or biography. She said she didn’t even do an internet search to learn the basics. Her knowledge of the Royal Family, she said, was based only on what Harry “was sharing with me.” (Snip) she said her sense of Royal life was based on “fairytales.”
An Air traffic controller is ringing alarm bells about the Biden administration’s mask mandates, warning that the face coverings are creating a serious safety hazard.
Investigative journalist Alex Berenson reported on Twitter that he received an “urgent warning” from an air traffic controller who works at a major Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The whistleblower told Berenson that the FAA issued a guidance about a month ago requiring controllers to “wear masks at all times” while at work and in position, and warned that the directive could have devastating consequences for airline passengers and pilots.
Kamala Has the Best
of Both Worlds 24 replies
of Both Worlds 24 replies
Since before the November 2020 event masquerading as an election, conservative pundits have been theorizing that mentally deficient and rapidly declining Joe Biden is merely a placeholder for the eventual rise to power of Kamala Harris (snip) Now that the Biden/Harris regime has been installed, the left has only to wait a decent, or indecent, amount of time for Ole Joe's decline to become too obvious to cover up (snip) Kamala Harris currently enjoys the best of both worlds; behind the scenes, she exercises all the powers of the presidency without having to publicly carry any responsibility for the results.
It doesn’t take much for the nation’s voters to become concerned that President Biden, the oldest new chief executive at 78 years old, might not be up for the job.
The latest proof: His resistance to holding a full-blown press conference now 49 days into his presidency has half the country worried.
In the latest Rasmussen Reports survey of likely voters, 50% said they are not confident that “Joe Biden is physically and mentally up to the job of being president of the United States.” Another 48% have confidence in Biden, though only 34% were “very confident” that he was up to the job.
A white Georgetown Law professor belittled black students during a Zoom call with a colleague, saying they “usually” perform “just plain at the bottom” of her classes, according to video posted online this week. The brief clip, posted to Twitter Wednesday, shows an adjunct professor of law identified by the Georgetown Black Law Students Association as Sandra Sellers and another faculty member, David Batson, having what they believed was a private discussion about a class they jointly taught. “I end up having this angst every semester that a lot of my lower ones are blacks,” Sellers said. “Happens almost every semester.
Eli Lilly & Co says its combination antibody therapy is effective at treating mild to moderate cases of COVID-19.
The treatment, a mixture of drugs bamlanivimab and etesevimab, was developed by Indianapolis-based Lilly and the Canadian company AbCellera.
It recognizes the virus once a person is infected and attaches to it, preventing the pathogen from entering human cells, and therefore neutralizing it.
In trial data released on Wednesday, Eli Lilly said the combination reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by 87 percent compared to a placebo.
The results are an improvement of an earlier study of the combination, which reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by 70 percent.