"US economy added 49,000 jobs in January" by Sydney Ember and Ben Casselman New York Times, February 5, 2021
The US economy produced little relief last month as the winter pandemic surge continued to stymie a rebound in the labor market. The weak showing comes in the midst of a fresh effort in Washington to provide a big infusion of aid to foster a recovery.
US employers added 49,000 jobs in January, the Labor Department said Friday. The number reflected a disappointing month of hiring even as it provided hope of renewed economic momentum.
The unemployment rate fell to 6.3 percent, from 6.7 percent.
President Biden, speaking later at the White House, referred to the jobs data in laying out a case for his $1.9 trillion economic relief proposal. “It’s very clear our economy is still in trouble,” he said. “A lot of folks are losing hope.”
The limited January gains followed an outright setback in December, when the economy shed jobs for the first time since April. December’s loss, originally stated at 140,000, was revised Friday to 227,000. The gain for November was revised from 336,000 to 264,000.
Tran$lation: you are being lied to on a constant basis as they fudge the numbers in their own favor. First, the loss isn't as bad then the gain is less than it was.
They used to call such a thing a shell game.
There was a small victory in avoiding a second consecutive month of job losses, a prospect that some economists had feared given the one-two punch of rising coronavirus cases and waning federal aid.
“It is a positive sign that we got over those speed bumps and the wheels haven’t completely come off the car,” said Nick Bunker, head of research for the job site Indeed, but Bunker said the gains were nothing to celebrate. The economy still has more than 9 million fewer jobs than it did before the pandemic, and progress has slowed significantly since the summer. Unlike in December, when job losses were concentrated in a few pandemic-exposed sectors, the weakness in January was broad-based, with manufacturers, retailers, and transportation companies all cutting jobs.
It was just a few days ago we were told we would be back where we were in six months, so WTF?
Btw, how were jobs added when job cuts(?) were broad-based and vast.
Nearly a year after the pandemic devastated the job market, many forecasters predict that the economy will strengthen from here on. The $900 billion federal relief package enacted in December is expected to bolster the economy, with more aid potentially on the way. The vaccination push, though slower than hoped, is paving the way for wider reopenings even as coronavirus mutations around the world make the rollout more urgent.
Oh, now I'm getting it.
The variants are a scare tactic to induce inoculations of via their toxic tubes of poison, and they are still citing that rancid turkey as a benefit?
The "news" is nothing more than narrative crafting and it truly has no connection to reality.
“There should be a tailwind at the economy’s back,” said Julia Pollak, a labor economist at the online job site ZipRecruiter. “We’ll need all the tailwinds we can get,” but the winter slowdown could leave lasting wounds. Although the economy has regained more than half of the 22 million jobs lost in the spring, millions of people have been unemployed for a long period — potentially making it harder to rejoin the workforce — or are no longer classified as unemployed because they have stopped looking for a job.
“It is difficult on a monthly basis to really see what the long-term impacts will be,” said Daniel Zhao, an economist with Glassdoor, the career site, “but certainly the long-term economic scarring is something that is a huge concern for the recovery.”
Gee, it was only medium term scarring last week.
I turn the page and find this:
"Wall Street closed out a winning week Friday as the S&P 500 notched its fifth gain in a row and its biggest weekly increase since November. The latest gain nudged the S&P 500 to another all-time high. The Nasdaq composite also capped the week with a record high. Small -company stocks fared even better than the broader market, a sign that investors are feeling more optimistic about the economy. The market largely shrugged off a dismal jobs report for January that showed the U.S. economy remaining in dire straits due to the pandemic. Investors have been focusing instead on the prospects for another economic boost from Washington. Overnight, the Senate narrowly passed a measure that will fast-track aid. Surprisingly good company earnings reports, news that a recent surge in new coronavirus cases is easing, and progress in the distribution of vaccine, have also helped keep investors in a buying mood, said Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist at Prudential Financial....."
They will get trillions, you a $1400 check.
Related:
"Even with Friday’s bounce, GameStop Corp. wrapped up its worst week on record as a stunning reversal of fortune wiped out $18 billion from the video-game retailer’s stock-market value. The stock fell 80% in the last five days, its worst weekly performance on record, to $63.77 in New York. The 19% gain on Friday after Robinhood Markets removed buying limits still left it far below last week’s high of $483 as retail trader demand and excitement across platforms like Reddit simmered....."
That should even things up, 'eh?
Also see:
"Vor Biopharma, a Cambridge biotech cofounded by oncologist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee to fight blood cancers, made a splashy stock market debut Friday, as its shares more than doubled their initial public offering price. Vor’s stock on the Nasdaq ended the day at $37.50 a share, up more than 108 percent. The firm had raised $177 million in its initial public offering with 9.8 million shares at $18, the high end of the range of $16 to $18. The company offered 1 million more shares than expected. Founded by Mukherjee and PureTech Health of Boston, Vor has developed a new approach to treating acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Current approaches include a stem cell transplant in which cancerous bone marrow is replaced with highly specialized cells, called hematopoietic stem cells, that develop into healthy bone marrow. Doctors then use a variety of drugs, including immunotherapy, to attack remaining cancer cells or keep them at bay by targeting a signature protein they express. The problem is that that some healthy cells also make this protein, known as CD33, and can be ambushed by the medicines. Vor has figured out a way to delete that protein from healthy cells through gene editing so that only cancerous cells are killed. The biotech is named for the Norse goddess of wisdom, who was known as “the careful one,” according to the startup’s website. Vor’s experimental method for treating cancer is meant to take care of healthy cells. Vor’s approach to fighting blood cancers was the subject of a “proof of concept” study in May 2019 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The article was cowritten by Mukherjee, Vor’s scientific founder. He is an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center and the author of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize-winning book “The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer.” In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic ― and in some cases because of it ― investors poured money into biotech companies last year. In 2020, the sector recorded more than 100 initial public offerings, nearly double the number of the year before. Interest remains high this year. Agrify, a Burlington firm that develops technology for indoor agriculture, raised $54 million when it sold 5.4 million shares at $10 a share in its initial public offering on Jan. 28. The stock closed Friday at $19.76."
Why would they not invest in the coming medical tyranny being constructed around us, and I guess he will be looking for a new home.
I know the big game is on this weekend, and I could not be less interested.
"Boston cleaned up in the latest round of Emmy awards. No, not with Boston-set TV shows, or Boston-bred actors and writers. The winners this time? Companies responsible for the technology that helps bring those shows and live events to your TVs, computers, and phones. Three Greater Boston tech companies won a total of five Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards last week, out of roughly 70 or so that were given out for 2020: Cambridge-based Akamai Technologies, Boston-based Brightcove, and Avid Technology in Burlington. For Avid, its two awards will join its already crowded trophy cases. The awards, from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, aren’t as glitzy as the Primetime Emmys, the event that recognizes TV shows and actors every September, but....."
{@@##$$%%^^&&}
"Things have been difficult, but some are cherishing the bright spots amid the pandemic where they can; “Even though the world seems to have stood still in a lot of ways, there’s still these moments of joy.”" by Steve Annear Globe Staff, February 5, 2021
Jeanne and Bob Naper began seeing movies together in earnest about 35 years ago, when the Canton couple got married. They’d convene at a Cineplex that was on Jeanne’s way home from work, and spend a couple of hours together in the theater’s soft glow.
“The long drive home during rush hour was getting to her,” recalled Bob. “To break up the monotony, I’d meet her at the Burlington cinema. We started the tradition then, just to ease the pain of travel.”
“We’ve been going to the movies ever since,” Jeanne said.
Although fewer theatrical films have been released recently due to the pandemic, it hasn’t slowed the couple down. In the past year, the Napers, both in their late 70s, have seen dozens of daytime movies together, sometimes three in a week, and there’s been an added perk: the theaters are almost always empty, giving the couple the entire place to themselves.
“You can talk out loud, you can make comments, you can tickle each other — whatever,” Robert said. “When the pandemic’s over, we’ll never be able to do it again.”
“We will be so happy to have COVID not exist,” Jeanne added, “but it will be a shame to have to reserve seats.”
They are living in a fantasy world because it is never meant to end, and I can not help but be saddened by the anti-social attitude shared by the Globe.
You go to a movie to share it with other people, even strangers. Sitting in a empty theater sucks, and I know because I have done it.
In a grueling year filled with loss, it may seem trivial, but for the Napers, the shared moments in the theater, just the two of them, have been a blessing — a rare gift during a terrible time. Like many of us, they’ve sought sources of comfort or inspiration to guide them through the pandemic.
From life-changing career decisions, to repurposing professional expertise, starting fund-raisers for those in need, or strengthening bonds with friends and family, people have discovered opportunity in crisis, flickers of light in dark days.
I'm going to vomit.
They can be found almost anywhere, if you look closely.
During his State of the Commonwealth speech last month, Governor Charlie Baker said he had been heartened by people’s resilience and kindness.
“If there is a silver lining in all this,” he said, “it’s how organizations and individuals from every corner of Massachusetts stepped up to confront the pandemic and care for each other. These heroes are the most beautiful part of this most difficult experience.”
For some, these bright spots have occurred at a microscopic level; personal joys that otherwise may not have presented themselves.....
Yeah, the plannedemic $cam was good thing, barf!
They saw a movie staring that skank Jennifer Lawrence and the legendary Christopher Plummer.
I wish this were a movie, but it's not:
"Baker opens call center to help seniors book vaccine appointments, rolls out ad campaign to combat hesitancy" by Deanna Pan and Matt Stout Globe Staff, February 5, 2021
Governor Charlie Baker announced a $2.5 million public awareness campaign Friday aimed at addressing vaccine hesitancy among residents of color, a move that comes amid widespread frustration about vaccine access in Black and immigrant communities that have borne the brunt of the virus.
I see wasted tax dollars to propagandize you to take a poison you don't need.
These people truly are evil.
The campaign will launch with TV spots in English and Spanish ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl and will run for the next five months, with PSAs and animated videos developed in 10 languages appearing on TV and streaming platforms, or on paid social media. The state is also running radio spots on multilingual stations and print ads in English and Spanish outlets.
The state plans to run more than 5,900 television spots in both the Boston and Springfield markets through the end of May, according to the Baker administration.
“This campaign is a crucial part of our work to ensure equity in the vaccine distribution process,” Baker said at a press briefing, adding that the state is working with “trusted partners,” such as local health centers, to launch vaccination sites in communities of color, “but we recognize that ensuring access isn’t enough. We need to reach out to people in these communities who may be hesitant about the vaccination.”
Hesitant for good reason!
Over 500 dead and over 12,000 reported injuries so far and they just got started.
The campaign was unveiled as local leaders and advocates raise alarms about vaccine availability in predominantly Black and Latino communities and emerging racial and ethnic disparities in inoculation rates. Grass-roots organizations say they have been stretched thin, responding to the many crises COVID has wrought, and are now crafting plans to immunize hard-hit groups in the absence of state guidance.
“The decentralized nature of this [vaccine] rollout is highly concerning because it is delegating to struggling community-based groups responsibilities that belong to the state,” said Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights. “That is not leadership.”
The advertising blitz stems, in part, from a survey the state conducted of 977 Massachusetts residents. About 29 percent of those polled were people of color, and it found several stark differences among racial groups, according to a summary provided by the state Department of Public Health. Of those who said they were “very likely” to get vaccinated, 78 percent were white while 15 percent were people of color. Those most likely to get vaccinated had a median household income of $70,800, but among those most hesitant, about 40 percent were Black or Latino. Nearly half of all Black respondents said they plan to wait a year or more to get vaccinated, or forgo immunization entirely.
You will not be allowed to forgo immunization.
“Within the Black community, there’s a historical lens we have on this,” said Tanisha M. Sullivan, president of the NAACP Boston branch and a member of the state’s vaccine communications advisory committee. “A lot of this does come down to empowerment: People truly feeling they have access to the information they need to make the best decision for themselves and their families.”
Then why are the pre$$ and authorities obfuscating such information?
Still, combating vaccine skepticism won’t alleviate tangible barriers that prevent many people from getting vaccinated. Currently, the lion’s share of available appointments are at mass vaccination sites at Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, and the Eastfield Mall in Springfield, which may be difficult for people with limited transportation options to access.
“I don’t think the problem ... is that many Black people are not going to get this vaccine — it’s when can we get this vaccine, and how fast can we get this vaccine, and where can we get this vaccine?” said Beverly Williams, co-chair of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, a coalition of 52 houses of worship, which sent a letter to the governor this week, urging him to open more public vaccination sites in Boston’s Black and Latino neighborhoods.
“They want something in their community,” Williams continued. “Some people have said, ‘Why do I have to go to South Boston?’ and ‘There’s no way I’m going Foxborough,’ and being irritated when Fenway Park opened up. It was another spot that they didn’t feel was that accessible to them.”
Then they will bring it right to you.
As in the rest of the nation, studies show Black and Latino residents in Massachusetts have suffered disproportionately since the pandemic began, yet white residents appear to be the primary beneficiaries of the vaccines so far, according to limited data reported to DPH. They have received at least 14 times as many doses as Black residents and 11 times as many doses as Latinos. Meanwhile, the proportion of white residents in the state is 9 and 6.5 times higher than for Black and Latino residents, respectively.
I keep getting told that minorities suffer more, and yet a recent study cited by the Globe said race and ethnicity did not rank among the 18 variables most closely associated with risk.
The criticism is only the latest snag in the state’s lumpy vaccine rollout. State officials are still struggling to match vaccine supply and demand.....
Translation: no one wants their useless garbage.
Maybe you could cross state lines to get a preciou$ do$e:
"Patchwork of rules creates opportunity for vaccine hunters willing to cross state lines; Massachusetts snowbirds, funeral workers, and others get shots quicker out-of-state" by Kay Lazar Globe Staff, February 5, 2021
Funeral directors who live in Massachusetts, but work in New Hampshire. Dental workers who commute to offices in Massachusetts from their homes in Rhode Island. Snowbirds who live here in the fair weather, but retreat to homes in Florida and California in winter.
These are just a few of the people who are getting their COVID-19 vaccinations earlier by leaving their primary residence for another state, taking advantage of a crazy-quilt system that lets each state set its own rules for who is eligible to be vaccinated. Though the interstate differences have sparked confusion, they’ve also triggered plenty of border-hopping by determined vaccine hunters.
Things have been difficult, but some are cherishing the bright spots amid the pandemic where they can From life-changing career decisions that grew like a lily from the muck, to repurposing professional expertise, starting fund-raisers for those in need, or strengthening bonds with friends and family, people have discovered opportunity in crisis, flickers of light in dark days.
This is really reprehensible "journali$m" at this stage.
It’s unclear how many people have crossed state lines for their vaccinations, but stories abound of people traveling far and wide for a shot. State officials often give the impression that COVID vaccinations are just for their residents, but, in fact, the Massachusetts vaccination program is intended for people who work or study in the state as well, according to a sign-up site.....
Also see:
"Black- and Latino-owned firms landed just 1.2 percent of the $2.1 billion in contracts for construction and professional goods and services that the City of Boston awarded during the first term of the Walsh administration, according to a new report the city commissioned. The study — aimed at uncovering disparities in the way the city spends its dollars — analyzed 47,801 contracts from 2014 to 2019 and found that businesses owned by white women and people of color were considerably underrepresented, according to a 703-page report obtained by the Globe....."
We now live in a world where White is Black and where Walsh left some unfinished business before escaping to the Wa$hington $wamp.
Oddly enough, at the bottom of the page some students are quietly thriving in cyberspace even though Black and Latino enrollment has plummeted at Massachusetts community colleges.
Related:
"The state’s second surge appears to be subsiding. Cases, hospitalizations, deaths, and other metrics have been headed downward, but officials are concerned about a possible resurgence due to the arrival of new fast-spreading coronavirus variants. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that seven cases caused by variants have been detected so far in the state. The DPH said 59,934 people were estimated to have active cases of the potentially deadly virus, and in Amherst, the University of Massachusetts said it was tightening restrictions after a sudden rise of cases was detected during the first three days of the spring semester. The university said undergraduates were “not following social distancing and mask protocols in social or residential settings, both on and off campus.”
They are being asked to shelter in place even though coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, deaths, test positivity, and other metrics have been trending downward in recent weeks, but officials and experts remain worried the pandemic could make a comeback due to new coronavirus variants, and they’re asking people to continue taking precautions and to get vaccinated when it’s their turn.
{@@##$$%%^^&&}
"House approves budget plan as President Biden emphasizes willingness to approve stimulus without GOP votes" by Jeff Stein, Erica Werner and Rachel Siegel Washington Post, February 5, 2021
WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives voted largely along party lines to approve a budget plan on Friday that will pave the way for Congress to quickly pass President Biden’s stimulus plan without votes from congressional Republicans.
The House voted 219-209 to approve the budget plan, which the Senate had already passed early Friday morning, beginning the process of turning Biden’s stimulus proposal into legislation. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, said Friday she aims to pass Biden’s stimulus plan within two weeks.
The rapid movement by congressional Democrats came as Biden gave his strongest criticism to date of the Republican approach to the stimulus package, suggesting further negotiations with the GOP would likely represent an unacceptable delay to critical relief.
“Are we going to say to millions of Americans who are out of work — many out of work for six months or longer, who have been scared by this economic and public health crisis — ‘Don’t worry, hang on, things are going to get better?’,” Biden said in remarks at the White House on Friday.
That's what they did to "win" you election.
As soon as it was over they passed that turkey full of pork.
The Friday votes are the latest sign of a more partisan effort underway in pursuing final passage of Biden’s relief package through a narrow majority.
Top Democrats in both chambers say they are moving with an increased sense of urgency, as the economic recovery from the pandemic continues to show signs of stalling.
At least the stock market is setting daily records.
Meanwhile GOP lawmakers have called for slowing down the relief effort and substantially scaling back the $1.9 trillion effort, which conservatives have derided as unnecessarily increasing the federal deficit.
For his part, Biden, on Friday, accused Republicans of "rediscovering" the danger of the deficit, which rose during the Trump administration with massive tax cuts.
A new jobs report out Friday provided the latest glimpse of the faltering economy, which added just 49,000 jobs in January, an anemic amount of growth, coming a month after the labor market shed jobs. The US has only recovered about half of the 22 million jobs it lost between February and April.
"We now have three disappointing months in a row. We have to admit we’ve stalled out. There’s a danger of double-dip recession," Austan Goolsbee, who served as a senior economist in the Obama administration, said on CNBC Friday morning while talking about the January jobs report.
Indeed, Democrats have been rushing the stimulus package through, in part, because tens of millions of Americans would begin to lose federal unemployment benefits under existing law in mid-March.
Biden on Friday hosted House Democratic leaders, including Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Democrat of Maryland, at the White House to make the case for swiftly passing the relief effort. He also cited increases in suicides, drug abuse, and violence against women during the pandemic.
Pelosi also told House Democrats in a letter Friday that they aim to "finish our work" on the relief package before the end of February. Asked if she could guarantee the legislation would be passed before unemployment aid expires for millions of Americans in mid-March, Pelosi said: "Absolutely. Without any question. Before then."
"Hopefully in a two-week period of time, we will send something over to the Senate," Pelosi said, flanked by the Democratic committee chairs. "We hope to be able to put vaccines in people’s arms; money in people’s pockets; children safely in schools; and workers in their jobs."
Earlier on Friday, the Senate passage of the budget resolution moved the "budget reconciliation" process along, clearing the way for the final stimulus package to pass the Senate with a simple-majority vote, instead of the 60 normally required. That allows Democrats to move forward with no GOP votes if necessary, although Democrats and Biden officials insist that they hope Republicans will join them.
Not all Democrats have been thrilled with Biden’s approach.....
Then change parties!
Can I say that?
"Senator Warner to unveil bill reining in Section 230, seeking to help users fight real-world harm" by Tony Romm Washington Post, February 5, 2021
Senator Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia, is set to introduce a new bill that could hold Facebook, Google, and other tech giants more directly accountable when viral online posts and videos result in real-world harm.
The senator’s new proposal preserves the thrust of Section 230, which generally spares a wide array of website operators from being held liable for what their users say. Instead, it opens an easier legal pathway for Web users to seek court orders and file lawsuits if posts, photos, and videos — and the tech industry’s refusal to police them — threaten them personally with abuse, discrimination, harassment, the loss of life, or other irreparable harm.
“How can we continue to give this get-out-of-jail card to these platforms that constantly do nothing to address the foreseeable, obvious, and repeated misuse of their products and services to cause harm? That was kind of our operating premise,” Warner said.
Ultimately, it would be up to a judge to decide the merits of these claims; the bill mostly opens the door for web users to argue their cases without running as much risk of having them dismissed early. Facebook, Google, Twitter, and other social-media sites stand to lose these highly coveted federal protections under Warner’s bill only in the case of abusive paid content, such as online advertisements, that seek to defraud or scam customers.
“You shouldn’t get immunity from this advertising content that’s providing you revenue,” said Warner, who is introducing the measure along with Democratic Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii.
The proposal reflects the political rift between Washington and Silicon Valley that has only widened in the weeks since a mob stormed the US Capitol in a violent, failed insurrection. Rioters at the time acted on the words of then-president Donald Trump and his false claims of election fraud that had proliferated across social-media sites — once again raising questions about the extent to which Facebook, Google, and Twitter, and a vast web of lesser-known forums, are properly policing their sites and services.
The incident has injected fresh urgency into familiar calls to rethink Section 230, which intensified last year amid a flood of proposals from Democrats and Republicans seeking to reform or repeal the law. In response, the country’s largest technology companies have sought to tread carefully: Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and his fellow executives have signaled an openness to changing Section 230, but the companies have not endorsed the most sweeping proposals that would hold them accountable for their missteps.
"I’m going to be very interested to see how the industry reacts to this," Warner said in an interview this week previewing his bill.
In seeking to sketch out his proposal, Warner said its passage could have wide-ranging effects: It could allow the survivors in the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar to sue Facebook, for example, since the social network had been slow to take down content that stoked ethnic tensions.
Or Palestinians to sue Israel?
Those who face physical harassment also would have clearer legal avenues at their disposal, he said. Warner pointed to a 2017 court case involving the dating app Grindr. A New York man sued the company at the time, claiming it had failed to disable a series of fake profiles created by his former partner for the purpose of causing physical harassment. A judge later ruled Grindr could not be held responsible, citing Section 230.
Even before his bill had been formally introduced, Warner’s effort had drawn the support of a slew of civil rights organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Color of Change. Many organizations said Warner’s approach would offer new routes to justice particularly for people of color, who face significant harassment and discrimination stemming from social-media sites.....
Smells a lot like censorship, and why are the "civil rights organizations" AWOL on the deplatformings unconstitutional lockdowns, 'eh?
Also see:
"Russia on Friday expelled three European diplomats whom it accused of participating in illegal protests in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny — a move announced as the European Union’s foreign policy chief was visiting Moscow and as Navalny faced a new criminal trial. The timing of the expulsions of diplomats from Germany, Poland, and Sweden seemed intended to send a message both at home and abroad....."
Mostly to the Germans as they set up a blockade (more than 21 percent in India have been exposed) that should strangle their lifelines.
Related:
"In 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, was born in Tampico, Ill."
The triumph of Communism in this country would have broken his heart, God rest his soul.
I hope this one's roast in hell forever:
"In 2003, edging closer to war, President George W. Bush declared “the game is over” for Saddam Hussein and urged skeptical allies to join in disarming Iraq."
"In 2008, the Bush White House defended the use of the interrogation technique known as waterboarding, saying it was legal — not torture as critics argued — and had saved American lives."
How much things changed in five years, huh?
{@@##$$%%^^&&}
"The Biden administration announced several initiatives Friday aimed at accelerating mass inoculations against the coronavirus and expanding production of rapid coronavirus tests and surgical gloves, among other tools necessary to control the pathogen. Most immediately, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved a request from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to deploy more than 1,000 troops to support vaccination sites. The first contingent of active-duty military personnel will arrive in California within the next 10 days, to begin operations around Feb. 15, said Andy Slavitt, senior adviser to the White House’s coronavirus response team. ’'The military’s critical role in supporting sites will help vaccinate thousands of people per day and ensure every American who wants a vaccine will receive one,’' Slavitt said during a Friday briefing. President Biden has vowed to staff up 100 new sites in 30 days as he seeks to surpass his target of administering 100 million shots in his first 100 days — a rate that modeling suggests will be insufficient to stay ahead of new variants of the virus. As of Thursday, there were already 175 federally supported vaccination sites throughout the country, according to a FEMA leadership brief obtained by The Washington Post. Federal support includes the National Guard, whose services some states enlisted from the outset of the immunization campaign late last year. In a bid to boost supply of the shots and of other critical equipment, the Biden administration also said Friday it was taking a series of steps under the Defense Production Act. The Korean War-era law has been a backbone of Biden’s pandemic-related promises, but its power, as well as its limits, are poorly understood, according to experts in government contracting. The law includes a range of emergency powers to control distribution of products and compel companies to prioritize certain orders over others. Most important for the Biden administration’s long-term strategy is the authority it provides to issue loans and purchase agreements to expand industrial capacity. In the short term, the Biden administration said, it was using the law to ensure Pfizer has access to equipment needed to scale up production of the vaccine it developed with German company BioNTech. Between that product and the one developed by Moderna, the federal government has deals in place for 400 million vaccine doses in the first half of the year — enough for 200 million people under the two-dose protocols. The Biden administration is seeking another 100 million doses from each company, with the aim of securing the additional doses through the summer. While the administration has expressed confidence it will receive the supply, people knowledgeable about the negotiations said the company’s need for certain equipment is vital. Earlier this week, the administration announced it was buying 8.5 million of the rapid tests from the Australian company Ellume. In addition to that purchase, the United States is investing in another six suppliers to ’'rapidly surge domestic testing capability,’' Manning said. The investments, he said, would help private-sector partners construct new plants and build new production lines, with the aim being resilience against disruptions to the supply chain. The actions also extend to supply of personal protective equipment. Manning said the federal government would use the Defense Production Act to spur domestic manufacturing of surgical gloves, for which the country is currently almost entirely dependent on overseas suppliers. Manning said the government would help build plants to make the raw materials needed for the gloves, as well as factories that would produce the gloves themselves. By year’s end, Manning said, the country would be able to produce more than a billion surgical gloves a month — enough to satisfy about half of all American health-care demands. The administration, he said, was simultaneously exploring ways to expand production of N95 masks, which have been in short supply during some phases of the pandemic. The masks offer greater protection than surgical masks because they can filter airborne particles and tiny droplets."
By the time I finished that lengthy brief, you can see the medical tyranny being constructed with the CV testing and vaccinating to never end despite all the false hopes and promises of normality from $cum politicians.
Not only that, the entire program REEKS of COMMUNISM with a STATE-PLANNED and RUN ECONOMY as we are UNDER FEMA CONTROL!
The GENOCIDE is HERE!
"US deaths from the coronavirus topped 454,000 Friday, even as cases declined nationwide amid a White House push for a more robust vaccine effort. New infections in the United States have dropped 17 percent over the past week, but the daily death toll remains high. Public health officials have warned Americans to avoid large gatherings for the Super Bowl on Sunday."
Yeah, CASES are DECLINING so there is no need for a vaccine or anything else!
"The Transportation Security Administration is beefing up its enforcement of a federal mask mandate, announcing Friday that people who refuse to comply could face fines of more than $1,000. The agency announced that it is recommending fines ranging from $250 for a first offense and up to $1,500 for repeat offenders. ’'Aggravating’' or ’'mitigating’' factors could result in higher penalties, the TSA said. President Biden last month signed an executive order requiring that travelers wear face masks when in airports, at bus, ferry, and rail stations, and when flying commercially or riding buses and trains. The order went into effect Feb. 2 and will stay in place until May 11. While the TSA strongly encouraged people to wear masks when going through airport security checkpoints, under the previous administration, the agency had no authority to sanction those who refused. Biden’s executive order changes that, giving the TSA and other agencies more tools to enforce the requirement. Passengers can be asked to leave a station, be denied boarding, or asked to leave a train, ferry, bus, or airplane. Local agencies also can report scofflaws to TSA for further action. The TSA issued the new directives Jan. 31. For ground transportation, passengers have to be told — when they buy tickets and again before departure — that scofflaws ’'may be subject to penalties under federal law.’' Health experts say that wearing a mask is critical to stopping the uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus, which has sickened more than 26 million and killed at least 454,000 in the United States; however, the issue of whether people should wear masks became deeply politicized under the Trump administration. The Federal Aviation Administration, which last year said it would not enforce mask violations, has said it will ensure compliance with the new mandate."
The masks are harmful, and it's NOT a LAW, it's an ORDER that will never be lifted and Biden's America reeks of East German totalitarianism!
Here is a more contemporary comparison:
"Israel plans to begin slowly easing its latest coronavirus lockdown on Sunday, hoping that its rapid vaccination campaign helps to contain an outbreak accelerated by new variants. A government statement released early Friday details the lifting of restrictions. People will no longer have to remain within 1,000 meters of home, national parks will reopen, and restaurants can offer takeout. Workplaces not open to the public can also reopen. Israel has launched one of the world’s most successful vaccination drives, inoculating more than a third of its population of 9.3 million in a matter of weeks, but the rate of new cases has remained high, in part because of more contagious variants from Britain and South Africa. Israel has been reporting some 7,000 new infections a day, one of the highest in the developed world. Nearly 5,000 people have died, more than a quarter of them in January alone. There have been three nationwide lockdowns since the start of the pandemic. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is urging Israelis to get vaccinated, with a particular focus on people over 50. The rate of vaccinations has slowed recently, with some apparent hesitancy among Arab citizens, ultra-Orthodox Jews, and younger people."
We are all Palestinians now, and visitors will still have to quarantine for 10 days before being exiled (I'll admit she is no Eagle Scout, but the Globe is jealous because she is an intelligent and proud woman who doesn't fall for the limited hangouts and lies).
{@@##$$%%^^&&}
Time to find a flop for the night:
"17-year-old girl shot to death inside Hyatt Regency hotel in Boston; man killed on Dorchester street" by John R. Ellement and Charlie McKenna Globe Staff and Globe Correspondent, February 5, 2021
A 17-year-old girl was shot and killed inside the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Downtown Crossing Thursday night Boston police are investigating whether a recovered gun and a man taken into custody minutes later on Beacon Hill are connected to the fatal shooting, one of two that took place in Boston that night.
Police were called to the high-rise hotel on Avenue de Lafayette around 11:30 p.m. Thursday to investigate reports that a woman had been shot inside a room on the 15th floor of the hotel, according to police and recordings of police dispatch from Broadcastify.com.
The teen, who was not identified, was pronounced dead at the scene by Boston Emergency Medical Services personnel and police were told by hotel security that a man wearing a puffy jacket had hurriedly left the hotel around the time of the shooting, according to police and dispatch recordings.
Officers patrolling in the area stopped a man matching the description they had near the intersection of Spruce and Chestnut streets on Beacon Hill, where they also allegedly recovered a handgun. He was identified by law enforcement officials as Messiah T. Leggett of Hyde Park.
“In speaking to police, Mr. Leggett acknowledged his possession of the firearm inside the hotel room where the deceased, a 17-year-old girl, was located,” Suffolk District Attorney Rachel Rollins said in a press release Friday evening.
Separately, Boston Police Sergeant Detective John Boyle said “We are looking into the possible connection” between the homicide and the Beacon Hill arrest.
Leggett, 20, was arraigned Friday in Boston Municipal Court where a not guilty plea was entered to a single count of illegal possession of a firearm. Judge James Martin Stanton set bail at $100,000 cash bail and ordered Leggett to wear a GPS locating device if he posts bail, according to court records.
The judge also revoked for 60 days Leggett’s bail on a West Roxbury gun charge, prosecutors said.
According to West Roxbury Municipal Court records, Leggett was arrested on gun charges last year, bail was set at $7,500 cash, and he was ordered to wear a GPS bracelet. Leggett posted the $7,500 cash bail but allegedly cut off the GPS bracelet last Oct. 2 and was ordered held without bail for 60 days. It was not immediately clear from court records when he was released from pre-trial detention.
Police would only say the shooting happened inside the hotel, but City Council Edward Flynn, whose district includes Downtown Crossing, said the area police commander indicated to him that a party was underway in a hotel room when the victim was shot.
He said he “talked with residents and business owners about this case. I have asked the Boston Licensing Board to enforce regulations on large parties and gatherings in hotel rooms,” Flynn said in a statement. “These gatherings not only bring public health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also present public safety challenges. Hotel operators need to do their part in ensuring the health, safety, and quality of life for our residents.”
Rishi Shukla, cofounder and head of the Downtown Boston Residents’ Association, expressed concern about the shooting.
“We are deeply troubled by the shooting and are eager to have more complete information in the hours ahead. Fortunately, much of the crime that we have seen in Downtown has not been random and we have no reason to believe that last night’s shooting is any different,’' the group said in the statement. “We appreciate Boston Police Department and MBTA Transit Police efforts to ensure the safety of Downtown residents.”
The hotel issued a statement that did not provide any information about the woman, such as whether she was a guest or an employee.
“We can confirm that an isolated incident occurred at Hyatt Regency Boston late Thursday evening, and our thoughts go out to those who have been affected,” the statement said. “The hotel is fully cooperating with local authorities on their investigation, and based on information we have at this time, the incident does not pose a security threat to guests or colleagues. Further questions should be directed to Boston Police Department.”
About 90 minutes prior to the hotel shooting, police received 911 calls about a shooting at the intersection of Capen and Evans streets in Dorchester. Arriving officers found a man lying on the ground.
He was pronounced dead by EMS personnel at the scene. City Councilor at Large Julia Mejia said the violence took place just steps from her front door.
A Boston police spokeswoman said late Friday afternoon that officials did not believe there was any connection between the two shootings.
Also see:
"A Quincy woman allegedly stole a Boston Fire Department pickup truck from the Moon Island fire academy Thursday and then drove it some 60 miles into Rhode Island, where she led police on a low-speed chase before being arrested. Alina Dunham, 20, was charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle, reckless driving/eluding police, obstructing an officer in execution of duty, operating with a suspended license, resisting arrest, and assault on a police officer. The incident began shortly after 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Motorists alerted police in Coventry, R.I., about the red-and-white pickup truck traveling on Route 3 on one of the vehicle’s rims, the Coventry Police Department said in a statement. When Coventry police tried to pull over the pickup truck, the woman continued to drive the truck at a low rate of speed into the town of Warwick and through several neighboring communities before it came to a stop in the town of East Greenwich, the statement said. The pickup truck was allegedly stolen from the firefighting academy in Quincy on Thursday, police said in the statement. Police said alcohol did not appear to be involved in the incident, and there were no reported injuries. Dunham was scheduled to be arraigned Friday, police said."
She is now sick and in the hospital after the cops worked her over.
