Author: Admin

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Professor Jo Jorgensen of South Carolina, the U.S. Libertarian Party’s 2020 presidential nominee, answered some questions about her campaign from Wikinews accredited reporter William S. Saturn.

Jorgensen is a psychology professor at Clemson University.   In 1992, with the Libertarian Party’s backing, she ran for public office, seeking South Carolina’s 4th congressional seat in the United States House of Representatives. She finished the race in third place with almost 2.16 percent of the total vote. Four years later, the Libertarian Party tapped Jorgensen to be its vice presidential nominee. She joined a ticket with the late Harry Browne. Browne-Jorgensen appeared on every state ballot and received a total of 485,798 votes, which was roughly 0.5 percent. This marked the best performance for the party since 1980 and would not be topped percentage-wise until 2012 when former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson attained 0.99 percent of the vote. Johnson bested that performance in 2016 as the party’s presidential nominee for a second time, earning 3.27 percent of the vote, the highest percentage for the party since its 1971 inception.

For the 2020 nomination, Jorgensen navigated through a primary campaign that featured the short-lived campaigns of former Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee and Congressman Justin Amash of Michigan, the first sitting Congressman to be a member of the Libertarian Party. At the virtual 2020 Libertarian National Convention, Jorgensen won the nomination on the fourth ballot, edging attorney Jacob Hornberger, performance artist Vermin Supreme and activist Adam Kokesh, among others. Podcaster Spike Cohen, originally the running mate of Supreme, was picked to be the party’s vice presidential nominee. Cohen spoke to Wikinews back in June. The Jorgensen-Cohen ticket has since secured ballot access in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

As a libertarian, an ideology that advocates for lesser government, both in the social and economic realms, Jorgensen’s issue positions include a mix of traditionally liberal and conservative stances. She supports both LGBT rights and gun rights. She opposes the police state and the taxing authority equally. And, she supports an open immigration policy while arguing against the welfare state.

With Wikinews, Jorgensen discusses her background, COVID-19, her potential cabinet, gridlock, and an assortment of issues including climate change, foreign affairs, free speech, and race relations.

Friday, December 18, 2020

Capping a nearly year-long effort, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of Moderna’s mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), after the agency’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted yesterday 20-0, with 1 abstention, that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh its risks.

This comes less than 1 week after the FDA granted emergency use authorization to a similar vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech.

During yesterday’s deliberations, the advisory committee discussed plans to unblind participants in existing clinical studies, and considered whether scientific integrity requires placebo control of continuing studies. One possible solution that was discussed is a blinded crossover design. An additional research question is how to study whether vaccines protect against asymptomatic transmission. The committee member who abstained from the final vote said that expanded access would be better than emergency use authorization. Generally, the FDA adheres to the recommendations of its advisory committees, with only rare exceptions.

The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines are the first two of their kind: they contain ribonucleic acid (RNA) encased in lipid nanoparticles. The nanoparticles deliver the RNA to cells in the body of the person receiving the vaccine. Ribosomes, which are parts of all cells, then translate the RNA into spike protein which then produces an immune response.

The emergency use authorization of a second vaccine comes as a welcome addition to the first, since no one single company can make enough vaccine for every person in the world (5–8 billion doses will be necessary for herd immunity depending on whether the vaccines prevent asymptomatic transmission or not). Also, the Moderna vaccine must be stored at -20°C (-4°F) which, while very cold, is easier to attain than the -70°C (-94°F) ±10°C required for storage of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine which requires vast quantities of dry ice and special, ultra-low-temperature freezers.

In the United States, the first shipment of each vaccine (for example, 3 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine) will be reserved for health-care workers and nursing homes. Pfizer expects to manufacture 20 million doses of their vaccine in time to be administered this year, and 100 million by March. After nursing-home residents and health-care workers, the next people in line to receive the vaccines will be those over 65 years of age and those with significant co-morbidities and risk factors, and some essential workers. The general public in the United States can expect to have vaccines available in their doctors’ offices or pharmacies later in the spring of 2021.

The vaccine is designed to be taken twice; the second dose of the Moderna vaccine should be administered 4 weeks after the first. The second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine should be administered 3 weeks after the first, and people should take the same brand twice.

The legal authority for emergency-use authorization is in section 564 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. An EUA is less than a full approval, and represents a determination by the FDA that

• The disease must be serious or life-threatening.
• The vaccine may be effective to prevent, diagnose, or treat the disease.
• The known and potential benefits of the vaccine outweigh the known and potential risks of the vaccine.
• No adequate, fully-approved, alternative product is available to prevent the disease.

The vaccine development process normally takes 5–20 years, but scientists developed the new vaccines in record time by building on their experience with SARS and by performing many of the development, manufacturing, and testing steps in parallel.

COVID-19 is a respiratory and hematologic disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus believed to have originated in bats. The virus typically causes a cold-like or flu-like illness, but illness severity ranges widely from no symptoms at all to death, and it is very contagious. Although many cases are asymptomatic (50% of all transmission is from asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic persons), the disease has killed over 1.5 million people (294,874 of whom are in the United States) in only a year.

Donald Trump had directed the FDA commissioner to issue the EUA for the first (Pfizer/BioNTech) vaccine by the end of the day on Friday, December 11. Researchers continue to test 63 different vaccines against the coronavirus on humans.

[edit]

• “FDA Takes Additional Action in Fight Against COVID-19 By Issuing Emergency Use Authorization for Second COVID-19 Vaccine” — Food and Drug Administration, December 18, 2020
• “Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee December 17, 2020 Meeting Announcement” —  December 16, 2020
• “Moderna announces longer shelf life for its COVID-19 vaccine” — Moderna, December 16, 2020
• “FDA Takes Key Action in Fight Against COVID-19 By Issuing Emergency Use Authorization for First COVID-19 Vaccine” — Food and Drug Administration, December 11, 2020
• “Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker” — The New York Times, December 11, 2020
• “Who will get the coronavirus vaccine first?” — The New York Times, December 11, 2020
• “Covid-19 Live Updates: F.D.A. Expected to Issue Pfizer Vaccine Authorization on Friday Evening” — The New York Times, December 11, 2020
• Reis Thebault, Meryl Kornfield, Carolyn Y. Johnson, Laurie McGinley, Paulina Firozi, Kim Bellware, Erin Cunningham, Hamza Shaban, Miriam Berger. “U.S. sets death record again as FDA advisers recommend Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine” — The Washington Post, December 10, 2020
• Josh Dawsey and Laurie McGinley. “White House orders FDA chief to authorize Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Friday or submit his resignation” — The Washington Post, December 11, 2020
• Fernando P. Polack, M.D., Stephen J. Thomas, M.D., Nicholas Kitchin, M.D., Judith Absalon, M.D., Alejandra Gurtman, M.D., Stephen Lockhart, D.M., John L. Perez, M.D., Gonzalo Pérez Marc, M.D., Edson D. Moreira, M.D., Cristiano Zerbini, M.D., Ruth Bailey, B.Sc., Kena A. Swanson, Ph.D., et al., for the C4591001 Clinical Trial Group. “Safety and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine” — New England Journal of Medicine, December 10, 2020
• “Public hearing of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee” —  December 10, 2020
• “Covid 19 Vaccine U.S. Distribution Fact Sheet” — Pfizer, November 20, 2020
• “COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 and the Pandemic (Lecture 1)” — MIT, September 3, 2020
• “COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 and the Pandemic (Lecture 8: Vaccines)” — MIT, September 3, 2020
• “Coronavirus Resource Center” — Johns Hopkins University, December 11, 2020
• “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report” — Centers for Disease Control, December 11, 2020

Sunday, June 28, 2020

Last month, a study conducted by archæologist Dr. Naomi Martisius and other researchers concluded Neanderthals living in Europe tens of thousands of years ago were more sophisticated than previously thought. The now-extinct species used to carefully select bones from a particular animal species to manufacture their bone tools, the research showed. The research was published on May 8 in Nature’s Scientific Reports journal.

Dr Martisius and her team used five bone tools discovered from Neanderthals’ sites in southwest France for this research. Four of these bone tools were found in a site called Abri Peyrony and the other one was from Pech-de-l’Azé I. These tools were just a few centimetres in size and were about 50 thousand years old, Dr Martisius told Wikinews. Microscopy analysis of these bone tools called lissoirs (smoothers) suggested Neanderthals used these tools for working animal skin to leathers.

The study stated the fauna of the sites were primarily medium-sized ungulates such as reindeer, in one layer nearly 90%. Despite the overabundance of medium-sized ungulates, Neanderthals used ribs of large bovids for making lissoirs. Dr Martisius told Wikinews this was likely due to the physical characteristics of the bovid ribs, which were “thicker” and “stronger” as compared to the “thin and flimsy ribs” of reindeers. In order to check the origins of the bone tools, the researchers used a technology called non-destructive Zooarchæology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS).

Instead of damaging the bone artefacts in order to discover its origins, the researchers collected collagen from the plastic containers in which these artefacts were kept. Collagen is a type of protein. These bone artefacts were kept in plastic containers: some were kept for about five years, some for just a few months. During this time, the collagen proteins from bone tools were stuck to the walls of its plastic containers. The collagen samples collected from the walls of the containers are broken into smaller molecules called peptides by using a chemical enzyme called trypsin.

After the trypsin has broken collagen fibres into peptides, it is analysed using a technology called Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) Time-of-Flight mass spectrometer (ToF MS). The assisting matrix is a coloured compound. The acidic peptide is combined with the matrix, vapourised, and peptides are released. Some of them are positively-charged particles which travel across a vacuum tube in an electric field. Depending on the weight of the peptides, these molecules reach the end of the vacuum tube at different instances of time, forming a spectrum. These graphs are like unique fingerprints of a species: they are different for different species of animals. Looking at the database of such graphs, taxonomic identifications of the collagen proteins came be made.

All four bone tools from Abri Peyrony gave positive results and showed that the bones were made from large bovids, even though reindeer were more abundant during that time. One of the advantages of using bovid ribs over reindeer’s thin ribs was the bovid ribs would be more resistant to breaking during flexion, Dr Martisius said.

Dr Martisius said such non-destructive ZooMS analysis was previously conducted, but for tools no older than a few centuries. She said such an analysis had never been previously conducted for artefacts so ancient.

Wikinews caught up with Dr Martisius to discuss this research in-depth.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

WMAQ-TV NBC 5 Chicago announced yesterday that reporter Amy Jacobson was leaving her job after being videotaped in a bikini with her two sons at the home of Craig Stebic. Jacobson has been covering the story of Stebic’s wife Lisa, who has been missing since April 30.

Jacobson says that she took her children on a social visit on her day off, following an invitation from Stebic’s family.

Jacobson has reported at WMAQ for the last ten years.

The video of her at Craig Stebic’s home was either taken by or given to CBS 2 WBBM-TV Chicago, the CBS affiliate. The entire six minute video of Jacobson is available at cbs2chicago.com.

The WMAQ President and General Manager Larry Wert stated “Amy has been one of our most valued reporters for over ten years The decision to part ways has been a difficult one. We wish her the very best.”

Speaking with WGN Radio on Wednesday morning, Jacobson described WBBM-TV’s releasing of the video a “cheap shot”.

She told Spike O’Dell that she is sickened by the entire ordeal and may pursue legal action against the people who took the video of her at Craig Stebic’s house. Jacobson said her attorney told her it is illegal to videotape people on private property and she said she “is looking at all of her legal options.”

A press release was sent to the WMAQ-TV Newsroom staff on July 10, 2007.

Jacobson came to WMAQ-TV in 1996 from Fox affiliate WJBK located in Detroit. Jacobson is a native of Mount Prospect. She began her career at KSAX and also worked in El Paso and Tucson, AZ. She started at WMAQ as a freelance reporter and moved up to general assignment reporter. She and her husband have two children and live on the north side of Chicago.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

The following is the third edition of a monthly series chronicling the U.S. 2016 presidential election. It features original material compiled throughout the previous month after an overview of the month’s biggest stories.

In this month’s edition on the campaign trail: two individuals previously interviewed by Wikinews announce their candidacies for the Reform Party presidential nomination; a former Republican Congressman comments on the Republican National Convention; and Wikinews interviews an historic Democratic National Convention speaker.

Friday, September 9, 2005

New Orleans, Louisiana —After Category 4 storm Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, on the night before August 29, 2005, several flood control constructions failed. Much of the city flooded through the openings. One of these was the flood wall forming one side of the 17th Street Canal, near Lake Pontchartrain. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the primary agency for engineering support during such emergencies. A USACE team was assessing the situation in New Orleans on the 29th, water flow was stopped September 2nd, and the breach was closed on September 5th.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

The South African government has set a six-month deadline for some white farmers to agree on sale prices for their farms. The government will be requiring them to sell the farms as part of its land redistribution programme.

Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Lulu Xingwana said that if no agreement in reached in 6 months, the government could expropriate farmlands. Stating that negotiations have been too slow, in some cases taking many years, Xingwana said that some farm owners were seeking “unrealistic prices”. Land owners claim they are not offered market value for their property.

The government has identified about 350 farms for which, if no deal is reached, the government will force a mandatory sale at current market prices identified by the government.

Officials said that expropriation is only a measure of last-resort and that farmers can appeal the decision in court.

The land reform programme aims to hand back land or give financial compensation to black South Africans who were forcibly removed from their ancestral homes and lands under apartheid rule. The programme was a key promise made by the African National Congress (ANC) as it came to power in 1994 and remains an emotive and politically charged issue.

Currently, about 4% of South Africa’s farm land is owned by blacks, who number 42 million out of the nation’s 47 million population. President Thabo Mbeki‘s government has set a target of transferring 30% of land to blacks by 2014. About 89% of the nearly 80,000 claims have been settled so far, and the government has spent some R2.5bn ($368m) purchasing farms from white owners. The National Land Claims Commission is entrusted with carrying out the transfers.

The reform programme had so far followed a “willing-buyer willing-seller” principle. The process had to contend with land owners challenging the validity of some claims, negotiating sale prices with current owners, and settling competing claims over the same piece of land—sometimes by tracing family trees of claimants when other documents supporting the claim did not exist.

Xingwana called on established farmers to form partnerships with new landowners and to transfer skills to new farmers, to ensure productive use of transferred lands. One criticism of the programme is that some of the transferred farms have fallen in production due to the inexperience and lack of capital among the new owners.

The government has rejected comparisons of the programme with that initiated in Zimbabwe under President Robert Mugabe.