Boone County Watchdog

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Boone County Board postpone decision on Mexican-style rodeos

Boone County Board votes to postpone decision on the fate of Mexican-style rodeos

Northern Public Radio | By Maria Gardner Lara

Published March 26, 2024 at 9:08 AM CDT

Maria Gardner Lara

The Boone County board took a pause on its drive to ban a rodeo event hosted by Hispanic families in the county. It’s just the latest development in an ongoing contentious issue in the county.

The board voted nine to three to table, or postpone, a vote on whether to ban steer tailing.

Rodeo owner Gracie Robles was hesitant to call it a victory. For two years, she’s led the defense in fending off the board’s attempt to ban steer tailing.

“I don't know how long that can be tabled for,” Robles said. “I mean, they were saying that it could come back next month, in two months. So, I think we still have to be watching and making sure that doesn't happen.”

The board also put a pause on consideration of a ban on all rodeo events. Instead, they approved moving language that banned horse tailing and tripping, including similar animals like mules, from the zoning code to the county code. They also adopted the Illinois Humane Cares For Animals Act.

Boone County Board Chairman Rodney Riley said these actions help to get to “medium ground” on what’s been a polarizing issue for the board.

Above is from: https://www.northernpublicradio.org/wnij-news/2024-03-26/boone-county-board-votes-to-postpone-decision-on-the-fate-of-mexican-style-rodeos

Also, he alluded to legal troubles the board may face in consideration of their vote.

“We certainly don’t want to put ourselves through unnecessary litigation,” Riley said. “We already have litigation going already. I’m sure we’ll have more. “

The county’s pending lawsuits include one from the animal rights groups claiming the county has not enforced animal protection law, and from a Hispanic property owner whose special use permit request was denied.

It was just earlier this month the board openly spoke about a letter sent last year from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, which warned the board from taking action that targets Mexican-style rodeos as it may violate anti-discrimination laws.

County Board member Dave Wiltse made the motion to table the options, which was significant because he’s been an adamant supporter of the ban on steer tailing.

“It's off the immediate list, it's not going to be on next time," Wiltse said. "And so that we have time to look at it.”

Wiltse says over the last 48 hours the board received new information but wouldn't say what it entailed.

Some of it came from the Winnebago-Boone County Farm Bureau.

During public comments, Cody Book, the organization's vice president, asked the board to adopt motions in which the board eventually approved.

One exception though was a proposal to increase the minimum number of people at a certain event that requires a special use permit from 10 to 100. The board voted to make no changes to the existing policy.

For 25 years, Hispanic families have held coleaderos, or the Mexican style rodeos in the county, in which the sole event is steer tailing.

Steer tailing entails a horse rider attempting to knock down a castrated bull by the tail.

Reports say the drive for a ban on steer tailing stemmed from a noise complaint. Nevertheless, animal rights activists have led the charge who say steer tailing is an egregious form of animal cruelty, while rodeo fans and community leaders argue that the opposition toward Mexican-style rodeos is racially motivated.

And though the board may have thrown water on the flames, there were folks still feeling heated.

Among them was Rick Borrett Jr., the Boone County Director of Animal Services, who spoke as a private citizen during the meeting. He asked the board members to consider the animal’s standpoint.

“I think if you could ask the animals that are forced to participate, ‘Hey, do you want people to do this to you or do you want to just be left alone?’" Borrett Jr. asked. “They would choose to be left alone, stay home at the pasture and mind their own business.”

And Borrett doesn’t limit his ire to steer tailing held at Mexican-style rodeos, but all animal events, including those at the American-style rodeo hosted annually at the Boone County Fairgrounds.

“Yes, any event anywhere," he said, "where an animal is required, or forced to perform any act that they would not normally choose to do on their own free will should not be allowed."

Others who favored a ban on steer tailing said it was an appropriate measure since, they argue, the sheriff’s department and animal services couldn’t enforce the law on animal safety.

Borrett, though, said since last summer, he’s now been able to field an animal services officer from 8am to 7pm, 365 days a year.

“So, we are in a better position now than we were in the previous couple of years,” Borrett said. “And hopefully that will make a difference moving forward if these events are going to be allowed to be continued.”

Rodeo owner Gracie Robles said with the board’s latest decision, they plan on kicking off the rodeo season in April.

“I think we will definitely do our part to keep the rodeos going,” Robles said. “So, if it means being stricter with our spectators, with our participants, we’re all willing to do it.”

In the meantime, the head of an animal rights activist group told WNIJ they’ll continue to seek a ban on steer tailing in the county, and beyond that, at the state level.

Friday, March 22, 2024

NPR: Trump’s Truth Media

Trump is on the verge of a windfall of billions of dollars. Here are 3 things to know

NPR

By Rafael Nam

Published March 22, 2024 at 7:35 AM CDT

Former President Trump stands to win over $3 billion if his social media company goes public — but he may not be able to cash in immediately.

Win McNamee

Getty Images

Former President Trump stands to win over $3 billion if his social media company goes public — but he may not be able to cash in immediately.

Former President Trump is on the verge of a windfall of billions of dollars — but it may not come soon enough to help him fend off his mounting legal problems.

Trump stands to make over $3 billion as the company behind his social media platform Truth Social — Trump Media and Technology Group — goes public.

Trump Media is accomplishing that by merging with an existing shell company called Digital World Acquisition Corp. It's a process that allows a company to bypass all the hoops of a traditional initial public offering.

Digital World shareholders formally approved the merger with Trump Media on Friday.

But the process of listing Trump Media has been a rather convoluted saga, much like the business and political career of the former president, marked by investigations, lawsuits and general chaos.

Here are three things to know about how Trump stands to earn billions of dollars.

All eyes are on the Digital World shareholders

The vote by Digital World shareholders should be simple.

If the shareholders of the shell company do approve the deal, Digital World would become Trump Media in the stock markets as early as next week, trading under the stock symbol DJT, short for Donald J. Trump.

But Digital World has struggled to find enough shareholders to show up in previous key votes, so there are no guarantees that they can get enough of a quorum on Friday to approve the merger.

And the process to this point has been far from easy in other ways. Digital World has also faced scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Commission, and it has also facedlawsuits from key shareholders that are still pending

Trump stands to earn billions

If enough Digital World shareholders approve the deal, the windfall for Trump could be big.

Trump would own over 50% of the new merged company, a stake that would be worth over $3 billion at current market valuations.

Analysts agree those kinds of valuations are far removed from the actual value of Trump Media. Truth Social had just over $3 million in revenue in the first nine months of last year and losses of nearly $50 million.

But a lot of the value comes from the hundreds of thousands of rabid Trump supporters who have bought into Digital World in anticipation of the merger with Trump media.

And that's why the stock is widely seen as a "meme stock," meaning shares that are driven by the whims of individual investors and not for any fundamental factors.

Stock markets have seen clear examples of this in recent years, like retailer Gamestopor movie chain AMC, both of which have caught Wall Street by storm by experiencing spectacular rallies during the pandemic.

Jay Ritter, Cordell professor of finance at the University of Florida says Digital World is not much different from the craze that enveloped those two stocks.

"This is largely a meme stock where the price is divorced from the fundamental value of the company," he says.

Trump Media, the company behind Truth Social, could be valued at billions of dollars when it goes public, even if analysts believe the valuations are well above its financial fundamentals.

Olivier Douliery / AFP Via Getty Images

AFP Via Getty Images

Trump Media, the company behind Truth Social, could be valued at billions of dollars when it goes public, even if analysts believe the valuations are well above its financial fundamentals.

There are professional investors, too, looking for opportunities to profit from the deal. Take Matthew Tuttle, chief executive of Tuttle Capital Management.

"While fundamentally. I don't get it, I'm going to trade it because it's going to move," Tuttle says. "It's going to have a rabid following and it's going to be a fun stock."

But Trump might not be able to sell his shares soon

The potential windfall comes at a time when Trump is in dire need of cash.

On Monday he needs to post over $400 million in bond to settle a civil fraud case, and Trump has been unable to secure a company to put up the cash.

However, how soon the former president can cash in on his stake in Trump Media is uncertain.

Under the current agreement, Trump faces a six-month lock-up period, meaning he won't be able to sell his shares in Trump Media during that period.

He could, however, try to work out a deal that would allow him to sell some or all of his holdings earlier, though a big sale at once would risk sending Trump Media shares sharply lower.

Trump could also try to find somebody who would loan him the money using his Trump Media shares as collateral.

But the Trump Media shares would be trading at above what many analysts think it's actually worth, making it difficult for a lender to justify lending him the money.

Then again, this is former President Trump, as Tuttle notes.

"All I know," Tuttle says. "Whenever Trump is involved in something, I think you got to assume to expect the unexpected."

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Bud Light for MAGA

Rachel Maddow Warns Trump Is ‘for Sale’ After Endorsing Bud Light: It Only Took ‘One Fundraiser’

Ross A. Lincoln

Mon, March 11, 2024 at 11:55 PM CDT·4 min read

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On Monday, Rachel Maddow had a bleak assessment about America’s future should Donald Trump be elected president again. America, she said, is “in a radically fragile place when it comes to what exactly is for sale in our country and from our government.”

What inspired Maddow’s commentary is the recent, very curious change of heart Donald Trump had about Bud Light and TikTok, which she demonstrated, at least in the case of the beer company, appears to be the direct result of what amounts to bribery.

For those who forgot, in 2023, Bud Light briefly partnered with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney for an extremely anodyne Instagram promotion. Conservative activists immediately stoked a transphobic freak out about it, and Mulvaney was subjected to intense and vicious harassment on social media.

Mulvaney later said the company basically cut her loose and let her endure the death threats and similar without any support. Meanwhile right wingers turned the beer, a staple of events and pastimes generally coded as “conservative,” into a culture war target, and eventually the executive who approved the partnership with Mulvaney was forced out.

“Under the course of just over a year, Bud Light was transformed from a normal American thing you don’t think much about into something very, very bad, something they would shoot on sight,” Maddow explained, noting that Trump himself was a huge promoter of this particular campaign.

But then, Maddow noted, “Donald Trump did a total 180. Out of the blue, he decided unilaterally to call off the right wing jeremiad against Bud Light. He told all his followers to start drinking bud lying again. Quote, ‘Anheuser-Busch is a great American brand that deserves a second chance.'”

Then Maddow identified what almost certainly caused this massive change of mind, starting on Feb. 6, the day Trump announced it.

“At 9:47 a.m., the lobbyist for Anheuser-Busch announces a $10,000 a plate fundraiser for Trump, 9:47 a.m. That same day at 3:30 p.m., Trump announces that he has changed his mind on Bud Light and conservatives should all drink Bud Light again,” Maddow said.

“All Anheuser-Busch had to do was announce they were going to do the fundraiser to get Trump to do what they wanted, to get Trump to call off what had been a years-long conservative culture war top line issue,” Maddow said. “That’s apparently what it took to end the great right-wing Bud Light freakout of 2023 and 2024. One fundraiser.”

Maddow then looked at Trump’s equally strange change of heart on TikTok. For those in need of a quick catch up, Trump tried to ban TikTok when he was president. Now, there is a bipartisan bill in the works with massive congressional support — and Biden has already said he’ll sign — that if passed would effectively ban TikTok in America unless it is sold to a company without ties to Beijing.

Trump however now opponses this bill and has said positive things about TikTok. Maddow tied this to a recent meeting between Trump and Jeff Yass, an American billionaire with a 13% stake in TikTok’s parent company Bytedance.

“So follow the bouncing coin, if you will. Step one, take very aggressive, very public position against foreign a company,” Maddow said. “Step two, notice nearby man who has $33 billion 15 percent stake in that company. Step three, need money desperately. Step four, announce new stance very much in favor of the same foreign company you used to oppose while blinking one’s eyelashes at the man you just noticed.”

“Step five — cha-ching, cash in,” Maddow quipped.

Maddow tied all this to Trump’s clear financial problems, as exemplified by the fact he had to get a bond from an unnamed lender in order to cover the $91 million required to appeal the judgment in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case. and that’s on top of the more than $400 million Trump has been fined after being found guilty of business fraud.

So he desperately needs money, I mean, right now,” Maddow said. “And he needs that money so urgently, right now, while he is openly changing his publicly held, long held supposedly heartfelt policy position — positions in ways that appear to be just straight-up responsiveness to financial incentives.”

“No matter how you think of Trump, no matter whether you support him or not, no matter whether you care about politics or not, it puts us, the American people, in a radically fragile place when it comes to what exactly is for sale in our country and from our government,” Maddow said as the concluded the commentary.

“I mean, Bud Light and TikTok seem to have figured out very early on where exactly you insert the coins to receive your prize. But if anything is for sale, right, if everything is for sale, what makes you think it’s going to stop with thin beer and Chinese social media apps? Everything must go. Everything’s for sale. Anybody who can pay can get what they want. And you wonder why guys like this always want to undermine the rule of law.”

The post Rachel Maddow Warns Trump Is ‘for Sale’ After Endorsing Bud Light: It Only Took ‘One Fundraiser’ appeared first on TheWrap.

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Dean Marcellus February 4, 1944 ~ March 1, 2024 (age 80)

Official Obituary of

Dean A. Marcellus

February 4, 1944 ~ March 1, 2024 (age 80)

Dean Marcellus Obituary

Dean Anthony Marcellus, beloved husband, devoted father and stepfather, cherished grandfather and brother, entered his eternal rest on March 1, 2024 at Symphony Northwoods in Belvidere, IL. Born on February 4, 1944 in Louisville, KY to Augusta Marie (Stichweh) and Lawrence Keith Marcellus, Dean and his family moved to Belvidere when he was 10 years old. He attended St. James Catholic School, then Belvidere High School, before going to the University of Notre Dame, where he studied Spanish and Russian and graduated magna cum laude.

After earning his bachelor’s degree, Dean served his country honorably in Vietnam as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. Upon completing his tour of duty and returning home, he helped his father with the family business, Marcellus Industries, eventually running the business for several decades. Dean married the love of his life, Laura, on June 9, 1984 in Notre Dame, IN.

A lifelong and devout Catholic, Dean was an active member of St. James Parish, attending daily Mass and participating in the ministry to those who are homebound for decades. He also enjoyed serving as a lector, teaching religious education, and volunteering with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Dean was highly civic-minded and involved in the affairs of the Belvidere community.

Dean was preceded in death by his parents, children Galen Lawrence Marcellus, Kathleen Joanne Ward and Michael Andrew (“Andy”) Ward, brother Dale A. Marcellus, sister Dolores A. Moss, brother-in-law Thomas R. Moss, nephew Patrick Moss, grandson Lil’ David Ward, and great-grandson River. He is survived by his loving wife of nearly 40 years Laura Marcellus, devoted children John Ward and Lindsay Marcellus (John Chin), daughter-in-law Laura Ward, sister Darcie (Michael) Chamberlain, grandchildren Joseph, Jeremy, and Geordi Marcellus Chin, Jennifer (Paul) Meyer, and Kathleen and Joshua Ward, and great-grandchildren Daniel and Natallia. He is also loved and missed by his cousin Carol (Jim) Godsey, his host daughter Ericka Abreu, his sisters- and brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews, and friends.

Dean’s warmth, compassion, trustworthiness, playful spirit, steadfast faith, and willingness to serve others touched the lives of many in his community. He was gentle with both people and animals - always ready with a “kind word and a smile.” While he often lightened a situation with his sense of humor, he did not shy away from difficulty, and is remembered by many for listening to and accompanying them during painful experiences. He lived with integrity and in accordance with his faith and had a profound trust in divine providence.

He took delight in his children and grandchildren, and his passion for education, tendency to look “outside the box,” commitment to life-long learning, love of languages (and wordplay), willingness to stand up for what was right despite the cost, and dedication to those around him will live on in the hearts of those who love him.

A funeral Mass will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at St. James Catholic Church, 402 Church St., Belvidere, IL 61008. Interment of his ashes will follow at Highland Garden of Memories. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project. The family would like to thank Symphony Northwoods and Heartland Hospice for maintaining his comfort during these last several months.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dean A. Marcellus, please visit our floral store.

Services

MEMORIAL MASS

Saturday
March 9, 2024
12:00 PM
St. James Catholic Church
402 Church Street
Belvidere, IL 61008

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Johns Hopkins Newsletter: Feb 29, 2024

Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security

From:centerhealthsecurity@mail301.jh.edu

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Roundup and analysis of the top headlines on health security, pandemic preparedness, COVID-19, and other news from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security

Please note that some links may require subscription or registration.

February 29, 2024

TOP NEWS

US CDC recommends additional dose of updated COVID-19 vaccine this spring

Individuals aged 65 and older in the US should receive an additional dose of the updated 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccine. The US CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) approved that recommendation (11 yes, 1 no, 1 abstention) at a meeting yesterday, and CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen endorsed the decision the same day. Older adults can get an extra dose at least 4 months after their previous vaccination, while people with conditions that compromise their immune systems can get another dose at least 2 months after the last dose. The CDC recommendation means insurance companies should cover a second shot for those who are eligible and have coverage. About 42% of older adults have received the updated shot since it became available in September 2023, nearly double the rate for all adults, according to CDC data.

The recommendation’s language—which uses “should”—differs from CDC guidance that last year said older adults “may” get a spring booster. The change was made to make clearer—to those in the age group as well as to doctors and pharmacists who can offer the shots—that getting another dose will reduce the risk of severe disease or death from COVID-19, advisory panel members said. Data show that older adults face higher risks of severe COVID-19 outcomes, and those aged 75 and older are most likely to die of COVID-19. A spring shot likely will be most beneficial to those who never got a fall dose, those who have chronic health conditions like heart disease, and people living in long-term care facilities or other close living arrangements. Updated COVID-19 vaccines for the 2024–2025 winter season may be available later this year, according to an FDA official at the meeting.

Florida's response to measles outbreak raises concern among public health experts; UK to launch ad campaign urging child vaccinations

Globally, measles cases surged by 79% last year, mostly among children, threatening to reverse the decline in measles deaths from 2000 to 2018. Across the US, there have been around 3 dozen cases in 15 states this year. While health officials in Philadelphia this week marked the end to an outbreak there that infected 9 people between December 2023 and January 2024, public health experts continue to express concern over rising numbers, especially in areas with low vaccination rates.

In Florida, a measles outbreak that began in mid-February at Manatee Bay Elementary School in Broward County in South Florida has grown to at least 9 cases in the county and 1 case in Polk County in Central Florida. Public health experts are worried about Florida's response, as the state's surgeon general has flouted well-established guidance, including not strongly advocating for vaccination or quarantine of unvaccinated children and leaving that decision up to parents. US Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida’s 25^th congressional district this week called for the state’s surgeon general to be removed from his post over his response to the outbreak.

In the UK, where a measles outbreak has grown to more than 600 cases since October, health officials announced an advertising campaign intended to boost vaccination rates among children. Measles vaccination rates there have steadily declined over the past decade, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts estimate that at least 95% of people need to receive the 2-dose vaccine to prevent the spread of measles in a population.

Experts call on pandemic agreement negotiators to finalize Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) System

Negotiators are in the final months of a 2-year process to develop a new pandemic agreement to support a more cooperative and unified approach to preventing, preparing for, and responding to the next pandemic. One of the main sticking points is a lack of agreement over a global framework for sharing information on novel pathogens and any products developed from pathogen samples, such as diagnostics, treatments, or vaccines. Though global health partnerships such as COVAX attempted to solve the problem of global vaccine equity during the COVID-19 pandemic, these efforts fell short.

In a commentary published February 23 in Nature, 9 key experts—including Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Senior Scholar Dr. Alexandra Phelan—said a Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) System, outlined in Article 12 of the latest treaty draft, would use international law and innovative contracts and financing to ensure vaccine equity during the next pandemic. Nearly 300 other experts endorsed the commentary. While African nations support the proposal, pharmaceutical companies—with broad support from the US and EU—oppose such a centralized system, saying it would inhibit innovation.

The pandemic agreement should “include provisions for accessing pathogen samples and sequences and on equal footing the equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use, including vaccines, diagnostics, therapeutics: science for science, science for equity, international law for justice.” – Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Senior Scholar Dr. Alexandra Phelan on LinkedIn

Other pandemic accord discussions revolve around implementation, monitoring, and compliance; new financing mechanisms; and intellectual property waivers. The current round of negotiations ends tomorrow, with another 2-week session set for March 18–29. However, some expect additional meetings.

Global surge in cholera exacerbated by climate change, lack of vaccines

A global surge in cholera cases is being exacerbated by climate change-related weather events and a critical shortage of vaccines. In January 2023, WHO classified cholera’s resurgence as a grade 3 emergency—its highest internal level. Since then, requests for oral cholera vaccines surged, with 14 countries requesting 76 million doses in 2023; only 38 million were available. This shortage, expected to persist until 2025, reflects not only a lack of interest in a disease that impacts mostly the poorest populations but also an overdependence on a single vaccine manufacturer. That maker, EuBiologics, is working to ramp up production, and efforts are underway to support vaccine production and a pooled procurement mechanism in Africa. With no immediate solution to the vaccine shortage, health workers must rely on containment strategies, such as quick clinical intervention to try to reduce deaths and improving access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

MORE HEADLINES

International task force proposes framework for actionable, sustainable strategies for mitigating risks of research with known, potential pandemic pathogens in new report

Science: International panel calls for tighter oversight of risky pathogen studies

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: International experts create framework for safer pathogen research

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: A Framework for Tomorrow’s Pathogen Research

Efforts underway to develop broader-range vaccines for current, future diseases

Politico: In search of the one-and-done vaccine

Axios: Startup uses AI to develop vaccines for future pandemics

Providing people with information about vaccine safety, effectiveness could improve uptake, experts note

PBS: How vaccine hesitancy is contributing to rising rates of measles and COVID

Nature Medicine: To understand mRNA vaccine hesitancy, stop calling the public anti-science (correspondence)

JAMA: Misinformation and the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (viewpoint)

Think Global Health series examines efforts to increase pharmaceutical production in developing countries

Think Global Health: Pharmaceutical Production

Think Global Health: The WHO's Push for Global mRNA Vaccine Access

Think Global Health: Efforts Against Flu Show Developing Nations Can Make Vaccines 

Think Global Health: Insights from India on Expanding Global Vaccine Production

As US CDC director looks to improve agency’s trust, some experts express concern over reported changes to COVID-19 isolation guidance

USA Today: Exclusive: Health is political, Americans are divided. How new CDC head aims to fix that.

New Republic: Covid Taught Us a Lot. The CDC Now Wants Us to Forget It.

The Atlantic: Why Are We Still Flu-ifying COVID?

US influenza-like illness levels remain high, stable; COVID-19 levels continue to decline; RSV season over

CIDRAP: US flu levels stubbornly high as COVID declines further

Force of Infection: Outbreak Outlook - National - February 26

WHO advisory group recommends flu vaccine makers switch back to trivalent formulation for 2024–25 northern hemisphere season

WHO: Recommendations announced for influenza vaccine composition for the 2024-2025 northern hemisphere influenza season

CIDRAP: WHO advisers recommend strain picks for next Northern Hemisphere flu vaccines

Current flu shot formulation performing well in US this season, data show

AP: Flu shots are doing OK vs. virus, US numbers indicate

CIDRAP: Analysis finds flu vaccine protection wanes 9% per month in adults

Patient advocates, scientists, lawmakers call for more support to research long COVID, develop treatments

USA Today: Millions of Americans suffer from long COVID. Why do treatments remain out of reach?

The Hill: The medical gaslighting of long COVID patients could be nearing its end (opinion)

Science: Solving the puzzle of Long Covid (perspective)

New York Times: Could Long Covid Be the Senate’s Bipartisan Cause? (column)

New York Times: Shining a Light on Long Covid, a ‘Vicious Affliction’ (letters to the editor)

COVID-19 associated with measurable cognitive deficits, worse among those with long COVID, study shows

STAT: ‘Brain fog’ is one of Covid-19’s most daunting symptoms. A new study measures its impact

New York Times: Long Covid May Lead to Measurable Cognitive Decline, Study Finds

The Guardian: ‘Brain fog’ from long Covid has measurable impact, study suggests

Ground Truths: Long Covid and Cognitive Deficits

The Conversation: Mounting research shows that COVID-19 leaves its mark on the brain, including with significant drops in IQ scores (opinion)

More people than expected experience persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection, possibly driving viral evolution, study suggests

Health Policy Watch: New Research Reveals High Prevalence of Persistent COVID Infections

News Medical: Persistent COVID-19 could drive virus evolution, new study suggests

Substantial deficit of diagnosed cancer cases during first year of COVID-19 pandemic, study shows

Washington Times: Study finds up to 134,395 cancer cases went undetected during COVID restrictions

Healio: COVID-19 caused ‘substantial deficit’ of cancer diagnoses in first 10 months of pandemic

See also: Axios: Health care quality took a big hit during COVID, Medicare report finds

US norovirus season underway, with Northeast hid hardest, CDC data show

Health: Norovirus Surge: CDC Data Show Stomach Bug Is Circulating in the Northeast

Food Safety News: Norovirus sweeps the country; CDC says Northeast particularly hard hit

US CDC: Norovirus Regional Trends

Highly pathogenic avian influenza found on mainland Antarctica for first time

Washington Post: Deadly bird flu discovered on Antarctica, threatening penguin colonies

Reuters: Bird flu reaches mainland Antarctica for first time, scientists say

European Medicines Agency committee recommends approval for 2 human H5N1 avian flu vaccines for use in specific situations

CIDRAP: European advisers green-light 2 H5N1 avian flu vaccines

Precision Vaccinations: Europe Recommends Bird Flu Vaccines

Article, study examine threat of H5N1 viruses to wildlife in California, Argentina

Los Angeles Times: Some experts worry California wildlife could be vulnerable to an avian flu ‘apocalypse’

Emerging Infectious Diseases: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Viruses from Multispecies Outbreak, Argentina, August 2023

PAHO calls on member states to raise awareness of dengue amid ‘exponential’ rise in cases; Brazil rolls out Qdenga vaccine; Peru declares health emergency

Health Policy Watch: Brazil Tries New Vaccine as ‘Exponential’ Rise in Dengue Cases Plagues the Americas

The BMJ: Dengue fever: Brazil rushes out vaccine as climate change fuels unprecedented surge

Financial Times: Brazil rolls out dengue vaccines as cases rise sharply

Reuters: Peru declares health emergency as dengue outbreak 'imminent'

Outbreak News Today: Peru reports a near doubling of dengue early in 2024

Takeda, Biological E. Limited partnership will help scale up production of Qdenga vaccine

Reuters: Japan's Takeda in regulatory talks to launch dengue vaccine in India

Precision Vaccinations: Partnership to Produce 50 Million Dengue Vaccines Annually

WHO updates infection prevention, control guidance for Ebola, Marburg disease outbreaks

Precision Vaccinations: 10 Years Later, Ebola Outbreak Guidelines Updated

MedPage Today: New Ebola and Marburg Guideline Addresses 'Inappropriate Practices'

The BMJ: WHO Guidelines: Summary of WHO infection prevention and control guideline for Ebola and Marburg disease: a call for evidence based practice

CDC recommends 2nd COVID shot for over 65 adults

Older Adults Now Able to Receive Additional Dose of Updated COVID-19 Vaccine

Media Statement

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Contact: Media Relations
(404) 639-3286

Today, CDC Director Mandy Cohen endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation for adults ages 65 years and older to receive an additional updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine dose. The recommendation acknowledges the increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19 in older adults, along with the currently available data on vaccine effectiveness.

Previous CDC recommendations ensured that people who are immunocompromised are already eligible for additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Data continues to show the importance of vaccination to protect those most at risk for severe outcomes of COVID-19. An additional dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine may restore protection that has waned since a fall vaccine dose, providing increased protection to adults ages 65 years and older.

Adults 65 years and older are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, with more than half of COVID-19 hospitalizations during October 2023 to December 2023 occurring in this age group.

CDC and ACIP will continue to monitor COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness. CDC continues to recommend that everyone stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, especially people with weakened immune systems.

The following is attributable to Dr. Mandy Cohen:

“Today’s recommendation allows older adults to receive an additional dose of this season’s COVID-19 vaccine to provide added protection,” said Mandy Cohen, M.D., M.P.H. “Most COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations last year were among people 65 years and older. An additional vaccine dose can provide added protection that may have decreased over time for those at highest risk.”

###
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC’s world-leading experts protect lives and livelihoods, national security and the U.S. economy by providing timely, commonsense information, and rapidly identifying and responding to diseases, including outbreaks and illnesses. CDC drives science, public health research, and data innovation in communities across the country by investing in local initiatives to protect everyone’s health.

Above is from: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s-0228-covid.html

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Layoffs at Belvidere Auto Plant, already?

Local UAW President and Belvidere's mayor optimistic that this isn't final chapter of automobile production in the City of Murals.

Rockford WIFR-LD

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Stellantis to layoff up to 120 union members at Belvidere plant

Story by Forrest Nelson • 32m

BELVIDERE, Ill. (WIFR) - Up to 120 union members will be laid off according to the UAW 1268 president.

Matt Franzen, president of The United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 1268, announced Thursday night via a post on the union’s website there will be a layoff of up to 120 members at the Yangfeng/Belvidere Assembly Plant.

UAW Local 1178 will be working with those impacted by the mass layoff. Franzen said in his post those who were not contacted from the original volunteer list will not be contacted to return to work.