World News
Johnson & Johnson submits its single-shot Covid-19 vaccine to WHO for emergency use
RT – Pharma giant Johnson & Johnson has submitted data on its coronavirus vaccine to the World Health Organization (WHO) as it seeks the agency’s greenlight for emergency use. Unlike other shots, this one comes in a single dose.
The emergency-use approval is a prerequisite for the vaccine joining the WHO-led COVAX watchdog program, J&J said in a statement on Friday, revealing it had submitted its paperwork to the UN health body.
Unlike vaccine competitors already in the Covid-fighting market, the J&J offering comes in a single-dose form, which would make its distribution considerably easier. Moreover, it can be stored under standard refrigerator temperatures, making it an attractive option for countries with less-developed infrastructure.
Covid vaccines: Boris Johnson pledges surplus to poorer countries at G7
BBC – Boris Johnson is pledging to donate most of the UK’s surplus vaccine supply to poorer countries in a speech to a virtual G7 meeting on Friday.
He urged rich countries to back a 100-day target for the developing new vaccines for future emerging diseases.
The UK has ordered more than 400 million doses of various vaccines, so many will be left over once all adults are vaccinated.
But anti-poverty campaigners say the UK is not doing enough.
Decisions on when and how much of the surplus will be distributed will be made later this year, with ministers taking into account the supply chain and whether booster shots are needed in the autumn.
The prime minister told his fellow leaders: “Science is finally getting the upper hand on Covid. Around the world [we need to] make sure everyone gets the vaccines that they need, so that the whole world can come through this pandemic together.”
Smug China Sees Suffering Texans as Proof of Communism’s Triumph
Breitbart – A representative of the ruling Chinese Communist Party claimed Friday the sight of American’s suffering in the severe winter storms that devastated Texas and other areas this week is a simple affirmation of a belief among Chinese citizens their country is “on the right path.”
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying offered her stark observation after a state media journalist remarked on calls by western countries for an investigation into human rights abuses in its western Xinjiang region.
Reuters reports in response Hua repeated China’s denials of abuse of Muslims in the region, and said in defence of communism that Australia, Canada and the United States had histories of genocide.
Then she contrasted the vulnerability of many Texans with the festive experience of Chinese during the recently-completed Lunar New Year holiday.
“Not to be wanting of food or clothing, not to be hungry or cold, this is the fundamental human right that is the most real,” she said, before directly pointing at America and adding, “In the meantime in Texas … millions of people found themselves caught in the terrible situation of not having electricity and heating at home, a few tens of people even lost their lives because of this.”
According to Reuters, Hua celebrated watching such suffering from afar “gave the Chinese people a deeper appreciation for what is the real human right, and made us believe more strongly that China is on the right path. We are fully confident about our future.”
Just 24-hours before Hua claimed Chinese ideological beliefs took comfort from American travails, the official Global Times news outlet said China, with same size power grid, would never suffer power outages such as those afflicting the U.S.
As Breitbart News reported, Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Times, took the opportunity to dance on the graves of Americans killed by China’s coronavirus while arguing his government is better at investing in infrastructure, organizing disaster relief, and learning from its mistakes.
Uber drivers are workers, UK supreme court rules
The Guardian – The UK supreme court has dismissed Uber’s appeal against a landmark employment tribunal ruling that its drivers should be classed as workers with access to the minimum wage and paid holidays.
Six justices handed down a unanimous decision backing the October 2016 employment tribunal ruling that could land Uber with a big compensation pay out and lead to better terms for millions of workers in the gig economy.
Uber, like many delivery and courier companies, has argued that its drivers are independent self-employed “partners” not entitled to basic rights enjoyed by workers, which include the legally enforceable minimum hourly wage.
But the supreme court said any attempt by organisations to draft artificial contracts intended to side-step basic employment protections were void and unenforceable.
Judges criticised the controversial contracts Uber asked their drivers to sign, saying they “can be seen to have as their object precluding a driver from claiming rights conferred on workers by the applicable legislation”.
The court concluded that the drivers were workers because of Uber’s level of control over them, including setting fares and not informing them of a passenger’s destination until they were picked up.
Canada introduces new gun buy-back program as firearms legislation tabled
News1130 – The federal government is taking additional steps in its battle against gun violence, announcing new legislation to allow cities to ban handguns, and a new buy-back program.
The prime minister made the announcement Tuesday, with his focus on the buy-back program.
“We will move forward with the buy-back program in the coming months and complete the prohibition to ensure these weapons cannot be legally used, transferred, transported, bequeathed, or sold,” Justin Trudeau said.
The program follows the earlier banning of hundreds of types of firearms last May.
“Banning 1,500 models of assault-style weapons last year was a critical step, but we also need to continue to fight the illegal gun market. That’s why we will increase criminal penalties for gun smuggling and trafficking, and enhance the capacity of police and border officials to keep illegal firearms out of the country,” Trudeau explained.
“At the same time, we will also create new offences for altering the cartridge magazine of a firearm and introduce tighter restrictions on importing ammunition,” he added.
Bill C-21 also allows municipalities to ban handguns through bylaws restricting their possession, storage and transportation. Measures will be backed up with serious penalties to enforce these bylaws, including jail time for people who violate municipal rules.
“Gun ownership in Canada, in this country, is a privilege and not a right. It’s a privilege that’s predicated on the strict adherence to our laws, our regulations, and our restrictions,” Public Safety Minister Bill Blair noted.
“It’s a principle. It’s based on the fact that firearms in Canada are intended for use for hunting or for sports purposes. We do not arm ourselves in this country to protect ourselves from our fellow citizens. We rely on the rule of law, not the end of a gun, for our safety,” Blair added.
U.S. News, Politics & Government
Happening Today: Supreme Court Set to Consider Whether Trump Voter Fraud Cases in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan Can Proceed
Gateway Pundit – The US Supreme Court is set to consider President Trump’s voter fraud cases in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan on Friday.
These three cases are on the Supreme Court docket for Friday.
As a reminder, Pennsylvania Democrat officials changed the election rules weeks before the election without consulting the legislative branch. This is unlawful in the state. It will be interesting to see if SCOTUS is the latest lawless branch of government following today’s decisions.
Biden recommits to amnesty for 22 million illegal aliens
WND – As President Biden prepares to unveil an immigration plan, he is recommiting himself to granting amnesty to nearly every illegal alien in the United States, which number up to 22 million, according to some estimates.
At a CNN town hall event Tuesday night, Anderson Cooper asked Biden if it would be “essential” for any immigration bill to have “a pathway to citizenship.”
“Well, yes,” he replied.
Biden explained that he might deal with other issues in separate bills, such as refugees, but “not at the expense of saying I’m never going to do the other.”
“There is a reasonable path to citizenship,” he said.
Titled U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, Biden’s bill likely will be unveiled by the end of the week.
Along with a fast-track to American citizenship, the plan calls for a 700% increase in the refugee resettlement program, reinstatement of the Central American Minors program, work permits for the family members of H-1B and H-2B visa holders, more employment-based and chain migration visas, a fast-track to the U.S. for Central American family members of citizens and an expansion of the Diversity Visa Lottery program.
US offers to restart talks with Iran to revive nuclear deal
Iran has said the US must end the ‘economic terrorism’ of Trump-era sanctions before it returns to compliance.
Al Jazeera – The United States has said it was ready to restart talks with Iran to revive a 2015 nuclear agreement, reversing former President Donald Trump’s decision to walk out of the landmark deal that was aimed at preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, after a meeting with his European partners on Thursday, stressed President Joe Biden’s position that Washington would return to the accord formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) if Tehran came into full compliance with the deal.
New York Assembly GOP Starts Impeachment Process Against Cuomo With Push for Commission
Newsweek – New York Assembly Republicans will introduce a measure to form an impeachment commission designed to gather “facts and evidence” regarding Governor Andrew Cuomo‘s handling of nursing home deaths during the pandemic.
Nursing home deaths have plagued Cuomo’s response to the pandemic as the governor is facing heavy criticism for withholding information from legislators. Some have called for his resignation while others pushed for voters to recall him. Outside of a successful challenger in the 2022 election, the only method of removing Cuomo from office is through impeachment.
On Thursday, Assembly Republicans announced a resolution to create an impeachment commission consisting of eight bipartisan members of the legislature. The panel would have 60 days to conduct its work and submit its findings and recommendations to the state legislature.
Florida women wear ‘granny’ disguise to try to get Covid vaccine
The Guardian – Two Florida women aged 34 and 44 dressed up as “grannies” – wearing bonnets and gloves – in a failed attempt to pass as old enough to be eligible for coronavirus jabs, according to local media reports.
WFTV, an ABC-affiliated TV station in Orlando, reported that the pair had valid vaccine cards after having their first shots, but were denied their second ones.
It quoted the Orange County health officer Dr Raul Pino as saying: “I don’t know how they escaped [detection] for the first time, but they came with the gloves, the glasses, the whole thing, and they are probably in their 20s.”
Their real ages emerged later, a WFTV reporter said. According to the station, the two women were turned over to police. Officers said they were asked to issue trespass warnings and no other action was taken.
Judicial Watch Sues on Behalf of High School Coach Fired for Objecting to BLM/Critical Race Theory Curriculum for Daughter’s 7th Grade History Class
Judicial Watch – Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of David Flynn, the father of two Dedham Public School students, who was removed from his position as head football coach after exercising his right as a citizen to raise concerns about his daughter’s seventh-grade history class curriculum being changed to include biased coursework on politics, race, gender equality, and diversity (Flynn v. Forrest et al. (No. 21-cv-10256)).
The lawsuit, which was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, seeks damages against the superintendent, high school principal, and high school athletic director for retaliating against Flynn for exercising his First Amendment rights.
The lawsuit details that in September 2020, Flynn’s daughter’s seventh-grade history class, which was listed as “World Geography and Ancient History I,” was taught issues of race, gender, stereotypes, prejudices, discrimination, and politics. The lawsuit explains:
In one assignment, Plaintiff’s daughter was asked to consider various “risk factors” and “mitigating factors” that two people – one identified as “white” and the other identified as “black” – purportedly might use to assess each other on a city street. Included among the various factors were skin color, gender, age, physical appearance, and attire. “Black,” “aggressive body language” and “wrong neighborhood” were among the “risk factors” purportedly assessed by the person identified as “white.” “White” and “Police officer” were among the “risk factors” purportedly assessed by the person identified as “black.”
Concerned about the abrupt change in curriculum, Flynn and his wife contacted the history teacher and principal of the school – then later Superintendent Michael J. Welch and three members of the Dedham School Committee. On more than one occasion the Flynns asked for assistance in resolving the issues with the curriculum. Ultimately, in October 2020, the Flynns removed their children from school. The Flynns’ list of concerns included:
- Dedham Public Schools changed the curriculum of the seventh-grade history class without notifying parents or having a course description and syllabus available for parents to review
- The new seventh-grade history class curriculum containing coursework on politics, race, gender equality, and diversity that were not suitable for twelve- and thirteen-year-olds;
- The seventh-grade history teacher not teaching topics of politics, race, gender equality, and diversity objectively;
- The seventh-grade history teacher using a cartoon character of herself wearing a t-shirt supporting a controversial political movement; and
- The seventh-grade history teacher using class materials that labeled all police officers as risks to all black people and all black males as risks to white people.
In January 2021, Flynn, who had been the head football coach at Dedham High School (DHS) since 2011, was called into a meeting with Welch as well as the DHS principal and athletic director. At the meeting, Welch handed Flynn one of the emails he had written to the Dedham School Committee members and informed him that one of the committee members asked Welch, “What are we going to do about this?” At the end of the meeting Flynn was told that they, “were going in adifferent direction” with the football program. Minutes later, the superintendent, high school principal, and athletic director released a public statement, stating that Flynn was removed as head football coach because he “expressed significant philosophical differences with the direction, goals, and values of the school district.”
Flynn’s written objections to the BLM/critical race theory included the following point:
The Superintendent has had the opportunity to make sure the Dedham teachers conduct themselves as professionals and to teach the courses objectively and without biased opinions. He chose not to. I believe that the real men and women in the world are the ones who have the ability to compromise, especially in extremely controversial situations. Compromise allows people to experience life as a team. This is where unity brings individual pride together and relationships begin to strengthen. I believe all relationships are based on compromise. The Superintendent was not willing to compromise. I explained to him that if the teacher teaches the course objectively and removes the BLM logo from the class, people will soon get over the fact that the class was purposely created without notifying parents and without having a visible course curriculum, syllabus and learning objective. Apparently, it does not mean much to him that the Dedham Public School System is losing two wonderful students.
Judicial Watch asks that the court award damages to Flynn and that a jury trial be held. WCVB ABC 5 reported that since his firing, several rallies have been held by current and former students, parents, and community members in support of Flynn. At a January 21, 2021 rally, a former Dedham High School football player said, “Everyone loves coach, he gets kids to play football. Coach Flynn is an awesome guy and we’re all devastated that they fired him.”
“Cancel culture has come to high school football. Coach Flynn was fired for exercising his constitutional rights to object as a citizen and father to an extremist and racially inflammatory school curriculum in his child’s history class,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
President Trump Invited to Speak at CPAC Next Week in Orlando
Gateway Pundit – President Trump was invited to speak at the annual CPAC Conference next week in Orlando.
This would be Trump’s first major speech since leaving office in January after Republicans refused to challenge alleged voter fraud in the 2020 elections.
American Lookout reported:
Donald Trump has been invited to speak at CPAC (the Conservative Political Action Conference) next week.
He has spoken at the event several times over the years so it wouldn’t be surprising if he decided to do it again this year.
The event is typically carried by TV news stations so it would be the first time a national audience has seen him in a while.
The Washington Examiner reported:
Trump has begun reemerging into public life since being acquitted by the Senate last weekend of a House impeachment charge of “inciting insurrection.”
Although he remains deprived of his Twitter and Facebook platforms, he released a blistering attack by email on Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday. A day later, he made the rounds on conservative news television to pay tribute to the late radio host Rush Limbaugh, as well as revisiting his unproven claims that the November election was stolen from him.
Schlapp deflected questions about whether he has received a response.
“I’ve always had good relations with him, we’ve always talked, and I hope we can make it work,” he said. “I think he deserves to be heard. I think even people who disagree with him will agree that he deserves to be heard. He should be uncanceled.”
Economy & Business
A Dozen Cops Dispatched to Protect a Dumpster Full of Food from Hungry People
Activist Post – Portland, OR — The state of Oregon has one of the largest homeless populations in the country. Its largest city, Portland is home to the 4th largest houseless population in the entire United States. Having such a large homeless population means that there are a lot of hungry folks in the city. So, when the local Fred Meyer throws the entire store’s perishables in the trash because they lost power, it garners the attention of the hungry, as well as those who wish to feed the hungry.
As the following case illustrates, it also garnered the attention of a dozen cops who collected their taxpayer funded salaries to guard the dumpster and make sure the food never made its way to this homeless population.
According to reports, the Fred Meyer story on Hollywood in Portland lost power on Tuesday and threw away thousands of food items they say were no longer safe for consumption due to the temperatures the items had reached.
The decision was made “out of an abundance of caution,” according to a Fred Meyer spokesperson. To be clear, the food was not expired and was actually preserved outside due to the cold temperatures and many people were more than willing to take it regardless of the warning from Fred Meyer.
When someone spotted the food, they posted it on social media and individuals, hungry and helpful alike, descended on the Fred Meyer dumpster.
Toro issues nationwide recall for a snow blower that carries the risk of amputation
CNN – s winter storms sweep the US, you may be using your snow blower more than ever.
And if it’s made by Toro, it’s time to check your model number.
The company is recalling around 6,700 Toro Power Max 826 OHAE Snowthrowers with the model number 37802 because of an amputation hazard, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The snow blowers were sold nationwide and online by Home Depot, Ace Hardware and Toro authorized dealers between November 2020 and January 2021 for around $1,200.
Walmart to hike wages for 425,000 workers to average above $15 an hour
NBC – Walmart announced Thursday it will raise pay for workers to an average above $15 an hour, giving a boost to 425,000 employees.
Walmart said its minimum starting wage for workers will remain at $11 an hour. Its U.S. workforce numbers about 1.5 million people, making it the nation’s largest private employer.
The big-box retailer made the announcement as it reported holiday-quarter earnings that fell short of Wall Street’s expectations, weighed down by coronavirus-related expenses and heightened investments in e-commerce. Walmart also cautioned that it expects its sales growth to moderate this year.
Beginning March 13, the company said, pay for store workers in digital and stocking positions will go up to $13 to $19 an hour, depending on store location.
Energy & Environment
Outages Morph Into Outrage As Texans Slapped With “Mind-Blowing” Power Bills
Activist Post – The rolling blackouts that plunged up to 15 million Texans into darkness amid a historic cold snap are diminishing by the end of the week. About 188k customers were without power in the state on Friday morning. Days after power prices jumped from $50 per Megawatt to more than $9,000, the horror stories pour in for those who had power this week during grid chaos as they are mind-boggled how their energy bills skyrocketed.
None of these horrifying power bill stories below should be a shock as we described to readers in the piece titled “Power Bills To The Moon: Chaos, Shock As Electricity Prices Across US Explode,” that this would happen.
Texans who were on a variable or indexed plans with power companies are only now reporting their bills have jumped hundreds of dollars, if not thousands of dollars for the month.
Power comes back for most in Texas, but other problems pile up
NBC – While power has been restored for millions of Texans who had been without it in the bitter cold, the nightmare of the devastating winter storm isn’t over.
Millions don’t have safe water at home, and residents looking for groceries or bottled water said they arrived to stores with bare shelves and long lines.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT — which oversees about 90 percent of the state’s energy production — said Friday that emergency conditions are expected to end after no more outages were needed Thursday night.
“There is enough generation on the electric system to allow us to begin to return to more normal operating conditions,” Director Dan Woodfin said in a statement.
More than 14 million people were under orders Friday to boil tap water in the wake of the punishing winter weather that began a week ago and has paralyzed the state, caused frozen and burst water mains and residential pipes, and created chaos for water treatment facilities, according to spokesperson for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
The state is working with the federal government to bring in mobile labs to help do the tests needed to lift those advisories.
Joe Biden Calls Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Day Six of Winter Storms
Breitbart – President Joe Biden personally called Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday to discuss the severe winter weather crippling power and water infrastructure in the state, according to the White House.
“President Biden conveyed his support to the people of Texas in this trying time,” the White House said about the call. “He reiterated that the federal government will continue to work hand-in-hand with state and local authorities in Texas to bring relief and address the critical needs of the families affected.”
Biden spoke with Abbott after the White House announced FEMA had sent 60 generators Texas to assist in helping residents in the entire state, as well as food, water, and blankets.
On Thursday, 600,000 residents still lacked power with the potential of additional rolling blackouts. At least 30 deaths in the state have been tied to the storm.
FEMA defended only sending 60 generators, as a spokesperson told Breitbart News that Texas localities had not requested additional generators.
The White House said Biden would instruct additional federal agencies to assist Texas residents.
Biden also spoke with Abbott and a group of other governors affected by the storms on Tuesday including Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D), Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D), Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D), Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R), Mississippi Gov.Tate Reeves (R), and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R).
Biden approved a state of emergency declaration in Texas on Sunday and a state of emergency declaration in Oklahoma and Louisiana on Thursday.
The president finally broke his public silence about the storms in a pair of posts on Twitter on Thursday.
Biden kills Keystone but promotes pipeline for Taliban
WND – After canceling the Keystone XL pipeline, eliminating thousands of American jobs, President Biden’s administration began negotiating a deal between the Taliban and one of the world’s worst dictatorships for a trans-national pipeline.
An agreement with the government of Turkmenistan would bring gas across Afghanistan and Pakistan to India, writes Michael Rubin, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a former Pentagon official, in a column for the Washington Examiner.
“Consider that while the Biden administration is killing a pipeline from which the public could benefit, Biden is promoting a pipeline to enrich both one of the world’s worst dictatorships and a group responsible for thousands of U.S. deaths,” he wrote.
It’s the same deal that now-Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad sought to make with the Taliban prior to the 9/11 attack.
Rubin noted that Freedom House’s latest Freedom in the World report ranks Turkmenistan as among the world’s worst violaters of civil liberties, below even North Korea.
The deal includes paying the Taliban protection money or transit fees for the pipeline transiting Afghan territory. It amounts to a reward of tens of millions a month to the Taliban for its deadly insurgency, further undermining the elected Afghanistan government.
US rejoins Paris climate accord 107 days after leaving it
USA Today – The United States is back in the Paris climate accord, just 107 days after it left.
While Friday’s return is heavily symbolic, world leaders say they expect America to prove its seriousness after four years of being pretty much absent. They are especially anticipating an announcement from the U.S. in coming months on its goal for cutting emissions of heat-trapping gases by 2030.
The U.S. return to the Paris agreement became official Friday, almost a month after President Joe Biden told the United Nations that America wants back in. “A cry for survival comes from the planet itself,” Biden said in his inaugural address. “A cry that can’t be any more desperate or any more clear now.”
Biden signed an executive order on his first day in office reversing the pullout ordered by his predecessor, President Donald Trump. The Trump administration had announced its withdrawal from the Paris accord in 2019 but it didn’t become effective until Nov. 4, 2020, the day after the election, because of provisions in the agreement.
Science & Technology
Mars landing: Excitement builds over new images from Nasa Perseverance rover
BBC – The American space agency is expected to release new photos from its Perseverance rover shortly.
There was huge excitement at Nasa when its one-tonne robot touched down in Mars’ Jezero Crater on Thursday.
Satellites have since been flying over the ($2.7bn/£1.9bn) vehicle to pull off data to relay back to Earth.
Among all this information should be further views from the rover – of its surroundings, and some pictures it took during the descent to the surface.
Perseverance is sitting almost bang in the middle of its targeted landing zone, about 2km to the southeast of what remains of an ancient river delta that formed at the edge of a lake.
Photographer says he has seen ‘first ever’ YELLOW penguin among colony on South Georgia
Daily Mail – A wildlife photographer has captured images of what he believes to be a ‘never before seen’ yellow penguin during a tour on South Georgia.
Yves Adams said he spotted the unusual looking king penguin with a bright yellow plumage – instead of the usual black feathers – while leading a two-month photography expedition through Antarctica and the South Atlantic.
The youngster can be seen lounging in the surf and showing off its almost tropical plumage while standing next to a regular black and white penguin.
After the tour stopped off at the wild islands of South Georgia, the 43-year-old photographer and his guests landed at Salisbury Plain to photograph their colony of more than 120,000 king penguins.
While Yves unpacked safety equipment, a group of the usually monochrome birds swam towards the shore but one unusual bird drew his attention.
Noticing the youngster with its bright plumage, Yves was quick to grab his camera and snap these images of what he calls a ‘never before seen’ yellow penguin.
Yves, from Ghent, Belgium, said: ‘I’d never seen or heard of a yellow penguin before. There were 120,000 birds on that beach and this was the only yellow one there.
‘They all looked normal except for this one. It really was something else. It was an incredibly unique experience.
The photographer claimed that the penguin’s almost tropical plumage was caused by leucism, a mutation that prevents any melanin at all from being produced in feathers, causing white, pale, or patchy colouration in an animal.
The degree of leucism can range from just a few feathers to the entire plumage, from a ‘melanistic’ penguin whose normally white parts are black, to a ‘albinistic’ penguin that lacks both melanins and is totally white.
Many species of penguins have a few rare individuals with this colour pattern, penguin expert P. Dee Boersma of the University of Washington in Seattle told National Geographic.
Health
Vit D Gets Nod from Congress
Alliance for Natural Health – We must support a new resolution that officially recognizes what the FDA and FTC refuse to acknowledge—that vitamin D can help us fight COVID. Action Alert!
Congressman Glenn Grotham (R-WI) has introduced a House Resolution to “recognize the significant role vitamin D may play in the fight against COVID-19.” If passed, the resolution will encourage official recognition of vitamin D as effective in preventing serious COVID-19 infection. Supporting this resolution also builds momentum towards further recognition of natural medicine’s role in treating and preventing illnesses—even as the federal government seeks to undermine the free flow of information about these benefits.
Rep. Grotham’s press release cites, among other evidence, an initiative from an international alliance of researchers and doctors calling on governments to raise the daily recommended intake of vitamin D from 400 IU to 4,000 IU to reduce the severity of COVID-19.
Many in the natural health community have long understood the importance of vitamin D for preventing serious COVID-19 cases. Studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is strongly correlated to COVID-19 mortality.
Rep. Grotham’s resolution underscores the absurdity of the federal government’s current position. As we’ve been reporting for months now, doctors and clinics have been attacked by the FDA and the FTC for sharing information about how vitamin D, in addition to other natural medicines, can help with COVID. Why? Because vitamin D isn’t FDA-approved for the treatment of COVID, and only FDA-approved drugs can claim to treat or prevent a disease.
This goes beyond just vitamin D, of course. We reported recently that Thailand approved the herb Andrographis paniculate to treat early COVID-19 infection. Other natural medicines like zinc, quercetin, and melatonin have shown promise in fighting COVID-19—so much promise that former President Trump’s medical team used natural medicines to treat his COVID infection. Hospital protocols in the US are even including vitamins D, C, and B, as well as zinc and melatonin, in their COVID-19 treatment protocols.
Older Americans and communities of color are at greatest risk of death from COVID-19, yet the government is blocking all of us from learning about how natural medicine can help keep us healthy. This is murderous bureaucratic indifference to what is happening to people, especially older Americans who are most at risk.
There is a way forward. ANH is building support for a legislative proposal that will allow companies to cite reputable studies describing the benefits of natural medicines. Making this information accessible will offer Americans more healthcare choices outside of expensive, dangerous, and often ineffective prescription drugs. Take action below to help us get this message to every member of Congress.
Healthy Sleep Habits Cut Risk of Heart Failure Nearly in Half
Green Med Info – Making small changes to promote healthy sleep can dramatically improve your health and longevity, including leading to a 42% lower risk of heart failure
There is growing research linking sleep habits with heart health. A healthy sleep pattern for most people, at least in terms of heart health, means seven to nine hours of sleep, little or no insomnia, no snoring, early bird rising and little or no daytime sleepiness.
U.K. researchers studied 408,802 participants ages 37 to 73 and those with the healthiest sleep pattern had 42% less risk of heart failure overall. Heart failure risks decreased in early risers by 8%, seven- to eight-hour sleepers by 12%, infrequent insomniacs by 17% and infrequent nappers by 34%.
In another meta-analysis of 474,684 patients, sleeping fewer than six hours or more than eight hours was tied to higher risk of developing or dying from coronary heart disease and stroke but those who slept more than eight hours also had higher total cardiovascular disease risks.
Napping once or twice a week actually helped reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 48% in a sample of 3,462 Swiss subjects, but the benefits decreased with frequent naps.
Meta-analysis of 313,651 participants reported that people who took naps of more than an hour had a 30% greater risk of all-cause death and 34% higher likelihood of cardiovascular disease compared to those who took no naps.
In their study of 935 diabetic women, long and short sleeping as well as snoring were biomarkers of cardiovascular disease.
Case Study Shows Cannabis Led to Remarkable Improvement in Childhood Autism Symptoms
Free Thought Project – An extremely promising case study was recently published in the Journal of Medical Case Reports illustrating the positive effects of cannabis extract and its association with improved autism related behavioral symptoms.
According to the authors, “the pharmacological treatment for autism spectrum disorders is often poorly tolerated and has traditionally targeted associated conditions, with limited benefit for the core social deficits. We describe the novel use of a cannabidiol-based extract that incidentally improved core social deficits and overall functioning in a patient with autism spectrum disorder, at a lower dose than has been previously reported in autism spectrum disorder.”
The case study focused on a child with autism who was switching out prescription seizure medicine for his epilepsy with a very low cannabidiol-based extract dose. The study found that not only did the cannabidiol extract help with his seizures, but he also “experienced unanticipated positive effects on behavioral symptoms and core social deficits,” according to the study.
Researchers pointed out that to modify disruptive behaviors and improve social communication skills, often times children with autism are prescribed psychopharmacologic medications that target specific ASD core behaviors (for example, repetitive behaviors) and associated behaviors (for example, hyperactivity, aggression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances), but do not treat core social communication deficits. They explain that these medications are known for producing “substantial side effects.”
EPA Approves Chemical “Air Treatment” Against COVID, Despite Known Health Hazards
Dr. Leonard Coldwell – In mid-January, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved requests from two southern states (Georgia and Tennessee) asking for an emergency exemption that would allow them to aerosolize selected indoor spaces with an antiviral “air treatment” called Grignard Pure.
Grignard Pure is a nanoparticle-based product. Its active ingredient is a substance called triethylene glycol (TEG).
The EPA’s approval slid in under Section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), which allows the agency to green-light pesticides for unregistered uses in defined geographic areas for up to a year during public health emergencies deemed “urgent” and “non-routine.”
Grignard Pure contains TEG as a standalone chemical compound, but TEG is also a component of some polyethylene glycol (PEG) compounds (those of low molecular weight).
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