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Signal stops working amid the surge in downloads

Sat, 16 Jan 2021 12:53:26 GMT

On Friday, the messaging platform, Signal, said that it experienced technical complications as it worked on housing millions of new users. Some Signal users reported messages failing to send on both platforms, mobile and desktop, for many hours. The messaging company saw a big surge in interest since its opponent WhatsApp revealed a new privacy policy last week.

On Twitter, ‘Signal’ stated that it had added additional servers at a record pace and making efforts to restore service. Signal tweets that millions of new users of the app are sending a message that privacy matters.

We have been adding new servers and extra capacity at a record pace every single day this week nonstop, but today exceeded even our most optimistic projections. Millions upon millions of new users are sending a message that privacy matters. We appreciate your patience.

— Signal (@signalapp) January 15, 2021

Both Telegram and Signal, a free-to-use encrypted messaging app, benefited from dissatisfaction blow up by the updated terms and conditions of WhatsApp. WhatsApp declared that its users must allow it to share their personal data with Facebook, its parent company if they wished to continue using it. The new policy doesn’t apply to users in the United Kingdom and Europe. However, the notification sent to all two billion users of WhatsApp.

WhatsApp remarks on the New Policy

WhatsApp expressed that its practice of sharing information with Facebook wasn’t new, and they didn’t expand it. It states that the notification from the company caused confusion, which initially gave users until 8th February to accept its updated terms and conditions or stop using the service.

However, WhatsApp now changed the cut-off date to 15th May after the worldwide gossips about its policy. It said that it would use the expanded time to clear up misinformation. Earlier in a FAQ blog post, WhatsApp says that they can not see private messages or hear calls of users, and neither can Facebook.

According to the statistics from analytics firm Sensor Tower, Signal now downloaded around 246000 times globally in the week before WhatsApp announced the change on 4th January and eighty-eight million times the week after. Whereas, in India, users download Signal from twelve thousand to 2.7 million. Likewise, the United Kingdom jumped from seventy-four thousand to 191,000 and in the United States from sixty-three thousand to 1.1 million.

Signal stops working amid the surge in downloads Globally
Source: Web

On the other side, Telegram said that it had beat five hundred million active users internationally on Wednesday. Downloads surpassed from 6.5 million in the week starting 28th December, to eleven million during the following week. During the same duration, worldwide downloads of WhatsApp decreased from 11.3 million to 9.2 million.

Google, Facebook and Twitter, among companies pausing police help in Hong Kong

What does WhatsApp share with its parent company Facebook?

According to WhatsApp, the information it shares from users outside the United Kingdom and the European Union doesn’t include messages, call logs, or groups.

However, it does include:

Phone number along with information provided on registration procedure (such as name)
Information about the user’s device. Including model, make, and mobile company
Internet protocol addresses, which specify the location of the internet connections of a user
Any payments as well as financial transactions made over WhatsApp

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UK government announces to close all travel corridors from Monday

Sat, 16 Jan 2021 11:15:36 GMT

The United Kingdom Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced to close all travel corridors from Monday morning to protect against the new variant of the coronavirus. Anybody entering the country from overseas will need to show a negative COVID-19 test before setting off.

Repeatedly warned to close down travel from Brazil (& Portugal) he sat on it until a Brazil variant had been identified in the UK. NOW he shuts down all UK travel corridors. Even then it won’t start until Monday. EVERY TIME he gambles until its too late & then he acts. Shameful!

— Andrew (@_Annibyniaeth) January 15, 2021

The decision comes following the ban on travelers from Portugal and South America came into execution on Friday over worries about a new variant of the virus identified in Brazil. The Prime Minister said the new guidelines would stay until at least 15th February. An additional 1280 people with COVID-19 died in the country within twenty-eight days of a positive virus test, taking the total number of deaths to around 87,300.

On Friday, the latest figures of the government also showed another 55,770 new cases reported – up from 48,670 the previous day. According to the statistics from Johns Hopkins University, until now, over two million people across the world lost their lives amid the deadly virus since its start. Johnson said that it becomes necessary to take some extra measures after the surge in deaths and new cases.

The U.K. Travel Corridors will close from Monday 04:00 GMT

All travel corridors in the U.K. will close from 04:00 GMT on Monday. Afterward, arrivals to the country will need to quarantine for over ten days unless they test negative for the virus after five days. Travel corridors were previously introduced in the summer to allow people traveling from some countries with a low number of coronavirus cases to come without having to quarantine to arrival in the country.

Tim Alderslade, the Chief Executive, said that travel corridors were a base for the industry past summer, but things change, and it is doubtless that it is a severe health emergency. Sir Keir Starmer, the labor leader, expressed it as the right step but called the decision timing slow again, adding that the people would think, why didn’t this happen before on earth.

More patients in the hospital now across the United Kingdom than in the first wave

Here below is the number of patients in hospital with COVID-19 by date

The most recent data for all countries is for 13th January. Welsh statistics include suspected cases
Source: Gov.uk dashboard

The prime minister of the U.K. warned that the National Health Service faced unexpected pressures, having had the maximum number of hospital admissions on one day of the coronavirus earlier this week. He said that 4134 new admissions reported on Tuesday, while the United Kingdom currently facing over thirty thousand pandemic patients in hospitals.

Furthermore, Boris Johnson said that once the most susceptible viral disease vaccinated by mid-February, his government would think about what steps it could take to relax the restrictions. The country is currently under a general lockdown, which restricts people to stay at home and can only go for some reasons like exercise, food shopping, or work if they can’t do so from home. Likewise, the same measures are active across much of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Early Signs daily cases may be falling

Daily confirmed COVID-19 cases by date reported

Source: Gov.uk dashboard, updated to 15th January 09:00 GMT

Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer of England, said that the restrictions would require to lifted slowly by testing what works, and then if that policy works, they proceed towards the next step. According to Chris, the peak of people admitting to the hospital might be the next week to ten days for most places, but they hope the peak of contaminations already happened in the east, south-east and London.

Easy to adjust vaccines of the pandemic

A ban on people from Portugal, South America, and Cape Verde entering the United Kingdom came into force on Friday morning due to a new variant, a possibly more infectious variant of COVID-19 associated with Brazil. The chief scientific adviser of the government, Sir Patrick Vallance, told the reporters that some of the new variants might able to get around the coronavirus vaccines, but it really quite easy to adjust the vaccines to handle the transformations in the virus.

New variants of the virus causing worries and previously identified in South Africa and England, with several countries striking restrictions on arrivals from both countries. Public Health England stated a total of thirty-five gnomically confirmed and twelve genomically possible cases of the coronavirus variant, which originated in South Africa and identified in the United Kingdom as of 14th January.

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Xiaomi and other Chinese firms hit with U.S. restrictions

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 17:44:28 GMT

Donald Trump administration is imposing even more damage on Chinese businesses – including smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi – with some days to go before Joe Biden takes office. On Thursday, the United States Defense Department added nine Chinese companies, including Xiaomi, to a list of firms the agency claims owned or controlled by the military of China. Companies on the list are hit with harsh restrictions, including a restriction on American investment.

The addition of Xiaomi to the list is worrying for the company. Whereas, it recently beat Apple to become the 3rd largest smartphone maker globally, according to market intelligence company IDC. Moreover, the latest list of Pentagon included the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, a key state-owned Chinese plane manufacturer that the nation wants to build up as an alternative to Airbus and Boeing.

Statement from the Defense Department

The Defense Department of the United States stated that it planned to highlight and deal with the relationship between the Chinese military and companies that seem to appear as civilian entities but which support the military with advanced expertise and technology. On Friday, Beijing criticized the new restrictions as an abuse of power by the American government.

The United States industry has a long history of civil-military relationships, according to a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zhao Lijian. He accused the Trump administration of bullying and double standards. The United States Commerce Department also put China National Offshore Oil Corporation, the largest offshore oil producer of China, on another list that efficiently cuts it off from United States supplies and technology. The company previously added to the list of the Defense Department.

Wilbur Ross, the Commerce Secretary stated that CNOOC acts like a bully for the People’s Liberation Army to threaten the neighbors of China while referring to the military of the country. Furthermore, his agency claimed that Chinese oil producer harassed and threatened CNOOC in the South China Sea by other countries, like Vietnam. Xiaomi denied the claims that the Chinese military-owned or controlled it in a stock exchange filing.

Xiaomi denied the claims of the Trump administration

The company said in the statement that it confirms that China’s military did not own or controlled it. It further adds that it is not a Communist Military Company that defines under the National Defense Authorization Act. Moreover, Xiaomi states that it will take a suitable course of action to defend the interests of the firm and its stockholders.

CNN Business contacted Comac, CNOOC, and other firms that added to the United States government lists on Thursday for comments, but they didn’t respond until now. These moves are the latest in a flock of actions the Trump management took against Beijing in some weeks leading up to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. It could hurt the relationships between the United States and China for the incoming government.

Xiaomi and other Chinese firms hit with U.S. restrictions
Source: Web

Senior market strategist for the Asia Pacific at Oanda, Jeffrey Halley, wrote in a research note on Friday, the coming administration will not likely as aggressive as Trump’s administration but may not also be prepared to unwind the policies of the Trump administration as many might hope. The Hang Seng Tech Index (it tracks the performance of tech stocks of China), dropped almost 1.4%. On Friday, Xiaomi was the worst performer on the index.

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Biden pushes for $2,000 stimulus payments

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 15:47:01 GMT

President-elect Joe Biden set to reveal Thursday evening $2000 stimulus payments that will be at the heart of a two trillion dollars coronavirus relief plan. An economic relief package approved by Congress in December provided for the latest six hundred dollars stimulus payments in spite of calls from representatives on both sides of the corridor for bigger checks. According to a fact sheet from the administration on Thursday, the plan of Democratic Biden calls for adding almost $1400 to the payments – overall $2000 for those eligible.

Congress comprised payments of twelve hundred dollars in its initial stimulus package when closures because of the COVID-19 outburst lasted spring. Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley and Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders both pushed to surge the amount of the fresh payments, and going President Donald Trump also came out in support of $2000 checks – yet he accepted that stance after leaving talks up to the representatives and Steven Mnuchin, his Treasury Secretary. The going president delayed signing the relief bill over the matter but finally signed it into law.

Mitch McConnell, the current Senate Majority Leader rejected an unrelated bill on increasing the value of the checks, however with the Democratic party about to take control of the chamber – and of Congress – following wins in two Georgia Senate runoff elections, the president-elect will likely have the votes to pass increased relief payments. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader of New York said that one of the first bills he had to want to pass once he becomes Senate majority leader would increase stimulus spending to $2000.

How much will eligible actually get?

Those recipients for the stimulus packages could receive up to $1400 that would achieve the $600 payments that started going out earlier this month. In a letter to his Democratic leaders sent this week, Schumer specified that he is working on payments that would increase the total expenditure to $2000. He wrote that Democratic members wanted to do much more if given the opportunity, to upsurge direct payments to the overall of $2000.

The eligibility of people for the $600 stimulus payments mainly depends on income. Individual persons earning less than $75000 annually receive the complete $600. Heads of family earnings below $112,500 and married couples filing mutually earnings below $150000 also eligible for the full amount. These individuals will receive $600 a child under the age of seventeen.

Moreover, the payments start phasing out for individuals making additional money, at a rate of five dollars per hundred dollars of more income. They phase out overall at eighty-seven thousand dollars for single filers people without children and $174000 for those married people filing mutually without children, according to a study by the Tax Foundation.

Biden pushes for $2,000 stimulus payments
Source: Web

Unregistered migrants who didn’t have Social Security numbers are not eligible for the payments. However, in a change from the first round of the package, which sent last spring, their children and spouses now eligible until they have Social Security numbers. During the initial round, the federal administration sent around $1200 payments to eligible nationals. Furthermore, mostly those payments sent out between April and August of the previous year.

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Past Coronavirus infection may provide months of immunity

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 15:03:06 GMT

According to a study led by Public Health England, several people who previously had coronavirus may be protected from catching the virus again for at least five months. Past infection of the virus linked to eighty-three percent risk of getting COVID-19, compared with those who had never contracted with the virus, analysts found. However, health analysts warn that some people do catch coronavirus again – and can infect others. Moreover, officials force that people should follow the stay-at-home guidelines – whether or not they had COVID-19.

Save Lives from the Virus

Professor Susan Hopkins states that the results of the study were encouraging, suggesting immunity from the virus lasted greater than some people have fear, but protection from the coronavirus was by no means absolute. It specifically concerning some of those reinfected people who had high levels of the COVID-19 – even without symptoms – and remained at risk of infecting others, she said.

She adds that it means even if someone believes that he already had the virus and protected, he might reassure to develop severe infections, but there still a risk that he might acquire the virus infection and transmit it to others. Now, in particular, it is vital that people must stay at home to protect their health service and save lives. Previous year from June to November, almost twenty-one thousand healthcare workers across the United Kingdom regularly tested to see whether they:

had had it previously
currently had the COVID-19

United Kingdom to impose a 14-day quarantine for air passengers

Of those health workers who had no antibodies to the coronavirus, suggesting they had never had it, three hundred and eighteen developed potential new infections within this duration, the tests indicated. However, among the 6,614 workers with antibodies of the virus, the figure was only forty-four.

Likely boost the natural immunity

Analysts will continue to observe the health care workers for one year to see how long immunity against the virus lasts. They will also look thoroughly at coronavirus cases with the new variant – which was not common at the time of this first analysis – and monitor the immunity of participants who receive the vaccination.

Past Coronavirus infection may provide months of immunity
Source: Web

A virus expert at the University of Leicester, Dr. Julian Tang, said the results reassured healthcare workers. He adds that having the coronavirus vaccine after recovering from the virus is not an issue and will likely increase natural immunity. He adds that they also see this with the seasonal flu vaccine. Therefore hopefully, the results from this study will reduce the worry of several health care worker colleagues who have concerns about getting coronavirus twice.

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Trump becomes the only U.S. President Impeached Twice

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 14:42:12 GMT

The United States House of Representatives voted to impeach American President Donald Trump for his role in the storming of Congress last week. After the impeachment, he becomes the only president in the country’s history to impeached twice. Whereas Trump denied playing any role in the whole violence. He told his supporters in Washington DC to fight like hell against the outcome of the 2020 General elections. However, in a recent statement, Trump called for no violence from the supporters. A trial will start in the Senate to find out the responsibilities of the president in the coming days.

Ten Republicans also voted against Trump along with Democrats to impeach the president by 232-197. However, the trial against Trump in the Senate will not happen until the next week inauguration of Joe Biden as the new United States president. On Wednesday, the Democratic-controlled House voted after two hours of passionate debate as equipped National Guard persons kept watch inside and outside the Capitol. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned of possible armed protests premeditated for Washington DC and all fifty states of the United States capitals ahead of Democratic Biden inauguration on 20th January.

Trump called on his followers to stay peaceful in a video released after the vote in Congress. He didn’t mention his impeachment. Moreover, the president said that violence and sabotage have no place in the country.

What are Charges on Trump?

Impeachment charges on Trump are political, not criminal. Congress accused the president of inciting the Capitol’s storming with a speech on 6th January to his supporters’ rally outside the White House. The president urged his supporters to patriotically and peacefully make their voices heard, but also to fight like hell against the November election that he falsely told them had stolen.

TRUMP IMPEACHMENT
Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives vote to impeach Trump. President Trump becomes the first U.S president to be impeached twice

The House of Representatives accused Trump of encouraging violence#CitizenBriefs pic.twitter.com/c1nS0kXRy8

— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) January 14, 2021

Following the president’s remarks, his supporters broke into the Capitol, forcing representatives to suspend the certification of election outcomes and take shelter. The building placed on lockdown, and five individuals died in the fight. The article of impeachment stated that president repetitively issued false statements declaring that the 2020 election results were untrue and unacceptable. According to the impeachment article, Trump then repeated claims and intentionally made statements to the crowd that encouraged and finally resulted in lawless action at the Capitol, leading to the loss of life and violence.

Donald Trump also solemnly threatened the security of the country and its institutions of government, endangered the integrity of the country’s democratic system, interfered with the peaceable transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of government. Past week, one hundred and thirty-nine Republicans voted against accepting the result of the presidential election and the defeat of Trump.

Donald Trump becomes the only U.S. President Impeached Twice
Source: Web

What did representatives say during the debate?

Congress members made statements for and against the election in the same chamber where they covered under chairs and put-on gas masks as protestors tried to force their way inside last week. Democratic Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker, said on the floor of the House, Trump incited this insurgency, this armed rebellion against the United States. The president is a clear and present danger to the country, and he must go. Julian Castro, the Democratic congressman, called the president “the most dangerous person to ever occupy the Oval Office.”

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Iraqi Court issues arrest warrant for President Trump

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 13:50:10 GMT

A judge in the investigative court of Baghdad issued an arrest warrant for outgoing United States President Donald Trump, over the killing of a top Iraqi paramilitary leader. The deputy head, mainly the pro-Iran Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary network of Iraq, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, died in the same United States drone strike that killed storied Soleimani at Baghdad airport on 3rd January last year.

Donald Trump ordered the strike on their demonstration, who later crowed that it had taken two men for the price of one. Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council confirmed in a statement that an arrest warrant against the outgoing President of the United States, Trump, issued in compliance with the provisions of Article 406 of the Iraqi Penal Code.

BREAKING: Iraqi judge issues arrest warrant for Donald Trump over the KILLING of Iraqi paramilitary leader in assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. pic.twitter.com/Ieykg3Nd87

— Bajan Headlines (@BajanHeadlines) January 8, 2021

The statement added that the investigation procedures of the case would continue to elaborate on the other members in the execution of this crime, whether they are foreigners or Iraqis. The Popular Mobilization Forces are made up of former militias with close relations with Iran and basically a Shia paramilitary force. It recognized under the 2016 law of Iraq as an independent military force that answers directly to the country’s prime minister.

Iran also has an arrest warrant out for the outgoing American President in relation to the death of Soleimani, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Monday. Soleimani was the actual planner of a growing Iranian military presence in Iraq, Yemen, and Syria as the leader of the Quds Force of the Iran Revolutionary Guard, an elite unit that handles the overseas operations of Iran.

Operation done for taking out two for the price of one

However, the United States considered it a foreign terrorist organization. The American described the operation as taking out two for the price of one, at a fundraising dinner in Florida shortly after the strike. Trump described Soleimani as a noted terrorist who supposed to in his country but didn’t describe an imminent threat that became the cause for the strike authorization – the explanation given by administration officials in the outcome of the attack.

Iraqi Court issues arrest warrant for President Trump
Source: Web

Ali Alqasi Mehr, the attorney general of Tehran, claimed that Trump would prosecute after the end of his term, Fars reported. A big crowd gathered in Baghdad last week close to midnight for a memorial service at the site where the drone strike killed general Soleimani and al-Muhandis one year ago. The PMF broadcasted images showed a crowd of people to lit the area with candles, where tributes broadcast on loudspeakers and attendees sang, Allah is great, America is the great Satan.

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Boris Johnson imposes strict lockdown as new COVID-19 variant spreads

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 11:50:12 GMT

Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, reimposed strict lockdown restrictions in the country on Monday as a more contagious variant of coronavirus fuels a rapid surge in infections and hospitalizations in England. Johnson states that it is clear that his administration needs to do more to bring this new variant of the virus under control. It means the administration is once again instructing the nation to stay at home.

During the televised address of Johnson to the nation, he once again announces lockdown measures as observed during the first lockdown last spring, including closings of primary and secondary schools to all, except the children of key workers. Furthermore, he adds that it will not be possible for all examinations to proceed this summer as normal. Lockdown in the country will only allow people to leave their homes for limited and necessary reasons such as shopping for essentials, medical assistance, and exercise.

In addition, Johnson said that citizens could still leave home to escape domestic abuse. This issue arose earlier during the start of the pandemic, as isolation and lockdown conditions worsened barriers to escape for sufferers of domestic violence. International exits are now limited to those who have a legally permitted reason like work. On the other side, outdoor sports venues will have to close. However, unlike the lockdown of springs, nurseries will not be closed, elite sports can go ahead. Similarly, worship places will remain open on the basis that attendees will observe social distancing rules.

Duration of Lockdown in the United Kingdom

The lockdown restrictions in the country expected to remain in place at least through the middle of February 2021. Johnson’s announcement follows the lockdown announcement of Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Northern Ireland and Wales – the other countries of the United Kingdom are already in lockdown. England is back in crisis mode as new daily coronavirus cases raise more than fifty thousand for almost a week. Similarly, the number of hospitalizations exceeds the peak of April.

According to the U.K. Prime Minister, there were thirty percent more coronavirus patients in hospitals in England on Monday than a week earlier. Moreover, the health ministry said that the country would move to the highest coronavirus alert level, reflecting concern that the soaring number of hospitalizations could devastate the National Health Service (NHS) of the country in coming weeks.

The Chief Medical Officers of the U.K stated on Monday that several parts of the health systems in the four countries are already under immense pressure. At present, there are very high rates of community transmission, with a large number of coronavirus patients in hospitals and intensive care units. UK Chief Medical Officers says that they are unsure that the NHS can handle the further increase in cases, and without further action, there is a material risk of the NHS in many areas that overwhelm over the following twenty-one days.

Vaccine Hopes

The United Kingdom is hoping for a way out of this disaster through its coronavirus vaccination program. The country started its vaccination program last month. Still, the nation is a long way from vaccinating the millions of people in the top priority groups mentioned by the prime minister, including people over the age of seventy, all frontline health workers, and everyone who is clinically vulnerable.

According to a government press release, Johnson suggests those groups expected to offer their first doses by mid-February. However, since December starting, when the United Kingdom became the first globally to administer the clinically approved Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, more than one million people received the vaccination. On Monday, the initial doses of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine administered in the United Kingdom.

Boris Johnson imposes strict lockdown as new COVID-19 variant spreads
Source: Web

Mounting Anger

The announcement of Johnson follows rising calls from public health experts, lawmakers, and teachers’ unions for a stricter lockdown in the country. Teachers’ unions in the country criticized the chaotic reopening of schools this week, while the rate of infection is so high in the country and exposes education sector workers to serious risk of contraction with the virus, which may fuel the pandemic.

Students in the country were due to return to school on Monday after the Christmas break. However, in less than a week, the government announced the delay in the reopening of the schools by two weeks for almost all high-schoolers and elementary school children. However, students will continue their education in online classes.

The shadow foreign secretary from the Labour Party, Lisa Nandy, tweets that this is beyond chaos. How can learning go online instantly when teachers settle to spend the last fifteen days planning to reopen schools? Further, she adds that what will replace exams.

This is beyond chaos. How can learning go online tomorrow when teachers were told to spend the last two weeks planning for reopening? What will replace exams? And since the PM was told by SAGE that this would almost certainly be necessary on 22 December why is he so unprepared?

— Lisa Nandy (@lisanandy) January 4, 2021

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What Challenges to face Joe Biden in 2021?

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 11:51:10 GMT

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, will become a private citizen in the ending days of this month. However, because of the divisive and democracy-tainting term of Trump, his successor President-elect Joe Biden might be tested more than any new American President since the 1930s. The pile of crises that the new leader inherits in this new year could shadow the Great Depression-era threat to capitalism confronting former U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt in 1933. The worthless partisan fury of the United States means Biden has only the thinnest paths of forging successful policy responses to the big problems of America.

What will Biden face in 2021?

Coronavirus Pandemic

The worst health crisis i-e., COVID-19, in almost a century, is still taunting out of control. Moreover, there are already indications that the failed response of the Trump administration to the COVID-19 being replicated by a failure to plan for the distribution and administration of the vaccine. The political fate of Biden relies on finding a way to immediately increase the manufacture and handling of hundreds of millions of vaccine doses, in the most complex logistical operation in generations.

The country’s Economy

Millions of American nationals are now jobless, and the extensive spread of the coronavirus threatens to drop the economy back into an abyss. The latest U.S. relief bill extending unemployment protections by helping small businesses and staving off removals is only a temporary solution. Furthermore, the willingness of Republicans to resist the president on $2000 stimulus payments suggests how tough it will be for Biden to force Congress into agreeing to his own massive stimulus plan – one critical to igniting development, vaccinating the mass, and getting kids back in school.

A Febrile Political Mix

Republican Party performed better than expected in the November elections and made advantages in the House of Representatives, encouraging them to form a barrier to the ambitious plans of Biden on issues such as climatic change. The president-elect will have to convince GOP representatives to work with him. However, he may be the only person in Washington who thinks Mitch McConnell and the Senate GOP Leader might actually allow it.

The United States Political Legitimacy

The malicious lie of Donald Trump that he won success in an election he actually lost has spread through the voters of Republican. It is an instant challenge for Biden’s appeals for unity and an ultimate national effort to combat the pandemic that includes wearing face masks – which several conservatives see as a breach of personal liberty. In addition, every step of Biden will be misrepresented by a conservative media machine still loyal to Trump.

A Hostile Supreme Court

If Joe Biden faces difficulties to get great legislation through Congress in 2022, he will seek to use comprehensive executive power. However, the new Trump-planned conservative-majority Supreme Court already revealed an allergy to the new climate, civil rights reform, and business, and will likely restrict the power of the new President.

The world is waiting for Biden

It will be easy for Biden to signal that “the United States is back” – especially when he recommits America to the Paris climate accord. However, the world changed heavily since he left the vice president’s office almost four years ago. The 1980s called and want its foreign policy back because of aggressive resentment from Russia. Likewise, Biden faces a tense opposition with China as well as serious complications in reviving the nuclear deal of Iran. Fixing what several critics see as the strategic damage of the Trump years could take his whole term while the rest of the world wonders about the staying power of America.

What Challenges to face Joe Biden in 2021
Source: Web

Restive Democrats

The President-elect also faces a crisis racial crisis in the country. Biden assembled the most diverse-ever Cabinet, but that’s tough to settle the national estimation on race and policing that started the previous summer and honor several African American voters who helped him gain power. His slight space for the political moves will likely more frustrate progressives who want huge government action on healthcare issues.

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U.S President extends restrictions on immigration and Visas

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 11:21:31 GMT

On Thursday, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, extended restrictions on immigration and visas that allow immigrants to work provisionally in the country. The president extended the restrictions through 31st March, two months after he will leave the White House. The extension of the restrictions, which comes with just twenty days left in Trump’s Trump, are the latest efforts to restrict the entry of immigrants to the U.S.

Restricting immigration from the Trump administration was its main focus since its initial days when it announced a travel ban in seven Muslim-majority countries. Moreover, it continued into the president’s last year in office as the White House uses the COVID-19 pandemic as cover. Donald Trump signed an immigration declaration in April 2020 to target people outside of the United States intending to migrate to America, with some exceptions legally.

Furthermore, the White House extended the order in June until the end of 2020, and it further expanded to some guest worker visas. According to the Thursday announcement of Trump, the effects of coronavirus on the United States labor market, and on the health of the U.S. communities is a matter of ongoing national concern. The Present number of new daily cases globally reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) is greater than the comparable number present during June. However, vaccines and therapeutics are now available for a growing number of Americans; their effect on the labor market and public health has not been entirely understood.

U.S President extends restrictions on immigration and Visas
Source: Web

Trump cites COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the labor market

Mentioning the continuous impact of the pandemic on the job market as the reason for the restrictions contradicts the campaign trail refrain of the president that the United States was rounding the turn of the coronavirus and his continuous rhetoric that the United States did a good job handling the pandemic – even as the nation continues to set new daily records for hospitalization and deaths.

BREAKING: Trump has extended certain restrictions on legal immigration and on visas that allow immigrants to temporarily work in the United States, just hours before those restrictions were set to lapse

— Save The Democracy (BLM)  (@DemocracyInn) January 1, 2021

The message of the declaration about the economy is also contrary to Trump. On Twitter, Trump touted the growth of the United States economy in a video. Moreover, he expressed about the unemployment rate and said the number is increasing than the current 6.7%. CNN previously reported that one of the key people behind the move to limit immigration had been Stephen Miller, the lead immigration adviser of Trump and the architect of the hardline immigration agenda of the President.

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Security start-up Corellium won a lawsuit against iPhone

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 07:18:28 GMT

A security research firm, Corellium, sued by Apple, won a lawsuit against the iPhone maker. In Florida, a federal judge rejected Apple’s claims that the security research firm violated copyright law with its software. According to the Washington Post, the presiding has extensive consequences for iPhone security research and copyright law. Moreover, the federal judge ruled that creating virtual iPhones from Corellium was not a copyright violation. In some way, it designed to help improve the security of iPhone users across the world.

The report quotes the ruling as saying on Tuesday, Corellium was not creating a rival product for consumers. However, it was a research tool for a relatively small number of users. The judge late ruling on a separate Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) charge, whereas the result is still an essential setback for Apple. Corellium, established in 2017, gave its customers the ability to run and operate virtual iPhones on desktop computers. Moreover, the software of Corellium makes it unnecessary to use iPhones physically that contain dedicated software to poke and prod iOS, the mobile operating system of Apple.

David L. Hecht, co-counsel for Corellium and founder of law firm Hecht Partners, expressed his pleasure after the rulings of the court. He says that the ruling of the court comes on the fair use of the software. Further, he added that their clients at Corellium displayed in this important fight. The court acknowledged the strong balance that fair use of the software provides against the reach of copyright protection into other markets. And it is a big win for the security research industry specifically.

Apple claims against the Corellium’s products

On the request from different media giants like CNN for comment, Apple didn’t respond immediately. Apple argued in the suit that the products of Corellium might be dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands because security flaws found by Corellium might use to hack iPhones. Whereas Apple argued that Corellium sells its product extensively, where Corellium denied it. Rodney Smith, the Jude hearing the case, called the arguments of Apple on those claims “Puzzling if not untruthful.” He founded that Corellium used a screening process before selling its products to customers.

U.S President extends restrictions on immigration and Visas
Source: Web

According to the court records, in 2018, Apple tried to buy Corellium. After the hindered talks of the acquisition, Apple takes legal action against Corellium in 2019, claiming its virtual iPhones, which comprise of only the essential functions necessary for security research, create a violation of copyright law. Likewise, Apple accused Corellium circumvented the security measures of Apple to make the software, so violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Smith wrote in Tuesday’s order that considering all the essential factors, and the court finds that Corellium met its load of creating fair use. Therefore, its use of iOS relating to the Corellium Product is permissible.

In the past, firms like Apple typically overcame similar copyright cases, and the ruling of the court came as a surprise to some attorneys. Over 2019 tech giants used to face tougher scrutiny as representatives and regulators probe the behavior of the industry. The CEOs of Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Apple faced inquiries about exploitation before Congress. Whereas Facebook and Google faced charges by states and regulators on those grounds.

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Georgia Senate race rake in record-breaking fundraising

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 11:59:47 GMT

The Georgia Senate candidates set records raking in over a third of a billion dollars in just two months in the runoff races. These races will determine the Senate leader. If one or both of the Republicans win, the upper chamber can serve to check the legislative agenda of the Democrats. Whereas, in case of both Democrats winning their dogged fights, Kamala Harris, the Vice President-elect, can cast a tie-breaking vote.

According to the FEC filings, between 15th October and 16th December, Jon Ossoff, the Democratic Senate nominee, raised the most, totaling $106.8 million. That amount, and overall amount raised by all other Georgia Senate Candidates for that purpose, far beat the record-shattering $57 million Jaime Harrison raised in his former unsuccessful bid to remove Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. Ossoff raised around $138.3 million as of 16th December throughout the campaign, making him the top-funded nominee of all time for a single Congressional election, exclusive of leadership.

Democrats in Georgia Runoffs Bring in Record Haul of cash. It’s looking real good for the both of them

— George Wilder Jr. (@gwilder40) December 26, 2020

Where are the funds coming from?

For the thirty-three-year-old media executive, 45.13% of funds came from small-dollar supporters who offered below $200. Big individual funding made up 49.26%, and Political Action Committee (PAC) donations and self-financing accounted for below one percent. Other contributions accounted for 4.87%, according to Open Secrets. However, the “other” category tends to include interest and dividends and money from mutual fundraising committees. It might impact the small-vs-large contributor breakdown.

Whereas, most outside spending won’t reveal until after the election, as senatorial committees and several other external groups won’t need to report their number until January 2020. Till now, Ossoff put out a call for more funding in the last week of the campaign. He claimed that Republicans tried to disqualify voters.

Moreover, Ossoff asked people for help because he needs resources to retaliate and defend voting rights in Georgia, he said during his Monday appearance on CNN. Ossoff reported having over $17.4 million still unexpended. Reverend Raphael Warnock trailed nearly behind, raising $103.4 million in the duration of two months to total at $124.3 million.

In addition, Warnock reported tiny individual donations from 48.64 donors, whereas 46 of the funding came from individual funding of more than $200. The reverend didn’t have any self-financing, and PAC funding amounted to 6%. Other funding accounted for 4.78%. Senator David Perdue raised around $68.1 million during the two months and $89.1 million all over the election cycle until 16th December.

Perdue, a former CEO of Fortune 500, gathered 52.08 of his funds from large donations and 21.85 from small individual contributions. PAC funding accounted for six percent, and the senator didn’t self-finance. Likewise, the other category accounted for 20.07 of his donations. Senator Kelly Loeffler raised around $64 million to total $92.1 million.

Candidates of Georgia Senate race rake in record-breaking fundraising
Source: Web

Spending details of the Funds

According to the reports of FEC, the maximum of the funds directed to media placement firms and marketing companies, which spend the money on a variety of media. Warnock spent the most $985,794 on social media advertising in the last thirty days, according to the statistics of Facebook. Ossoff spent almost $327744, Perdue spent around $196,469, and Loeffler spends about $115,131. Moreover, these numbers do not include advertisements bought on their behalf from outside groups.

The campaign of Warnock pushed a recent focus in Google advertising. In seven days ending 19th December, Warnock spent over both Republican nominees spent on Google advertisement in total – $1243600. Overall, Warnock expended around $$4.30 million on Google advertisement. Meanwhile, Loffler spent around $1.20 million on Google ads. Ossoff spent approximately $6.75 million on the platform, dominating his rival Perdue’s $180400.

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EU starts mass vaccination to combat Coronavirus

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 05:42:59 GMT

The European Union started a coordinated vaccine rollout to combat coronavirus. According to the top official, it is a touching moment of unity. Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, said that the administration delivered the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to all twenty-seven member states on Saturday.

On the other side, some countries started administering the COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday. So far, the European reported over 335,000 coronavirus-related deaths. Over fourteen million people infected by the virus and restrict to lockdown measures in almost all the member states. The COVID-19 jab rollout comes as cases of the more infectious variant of coronavirus confirmed in many European countries along with Japan and Canada.

What’s the latest on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout?

Mass vaccination across the European Union – almost 446 million people – started early on Sunday. It comes after the European Commission and the European Medicines Agency authorized the German-United States Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Moreover, the EU secured agreements for over two billion vaccine doses from different drug companies.

On Saturday, Ms von der Leyen tweeted that the European Union start turning the page on a difficult year. The coronavirus vaccine delivered to all EU nations. Vaccination will start today across the EU. Further, she says that the vaccination days are a touching moment of unity. In addition, vaccination is the lasting way out of the deadly pandemic.

Today, we start turning the page on a difficult year. The #COVID19 vaccine has been delivered to all EU countries.

Vaccination will begin tomorrow across the EU.

The #EUvaccinationdays are a touching moment of unity. Vaccination is the lasting way out of the pandemic. pic.twitter.com/pYOj5vS2gV

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 26, 2020

Jens Spahn, the German Health Minister, relates the vaccination with a happy message on Christmas. At this stage, lorries with the first vaccines are on the way all over Europe, all over Germany. More deliveries will start from tomorrow. The vaccine is the key to defeat the fatal pandemic. It is the key point for the community in getting back their lives. Luigi Di Maio, the Italian Foreign Minister, encouraged his nationals to get the vaccinations. He adds that as a nation, they get their freedom back and able to embrace it again.

EU starts mass vaccination to combat Coronavirus
Source: Web

North-east Germany started vaccinating elder people

Health workers serving in north-east Germany decided not to wait for Sunday and started jabbing older adults of a nursing home in Halberstadt. The state news agency says that the first receiver of the vaccine was a Hungary doctor at Del-Pest Central Hospital on Saturday. The administrations in Slovakia also said that they started vaccinating their people.

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Justice Department sues Walmart over Opioid Crisis

Thu, 24 Dec 2020 10:29:16 GMT

On Tuesday, the United States sued Walmart Inc., alleging the retail giant, Walmart of fueling the opioid crisis of the nation by ineffectively screening for uncertain prescriptions instead of repetitive warnings from its own pharmacists. The lawsuit of the United States Department of Justice claims that Walmart pursued to lift profits by understaffing pharmacies and pressurizing personnel to fill prescriptions instantly. So, the scenario made it hard for pharmacists to reject invalid prescriptions, which eventually enable extensive drug abuse countrywide, according to the lawsuit.

(UPDATE 1) THE US SUES WALMART ALLEGING ROLE IN FUELLING THE OPIOID CRISIS. – WSJ ARTICLE. READ HERE. $WMT – DOJ ALLEGES WALMART UNLAWFULLY FILLED THOUSANDS OF INVALID CONTROLLED-SUBSTANCE PRESCRIPTIONS – COURT FILING. $WMT

— FinancialJuice (@FinancialJuice) December 22, 2020

Walmart was not instantly available for comment on the suit. Walmart, the largest retailer in the country by revenue, was expecting this lawsuit and sued the Trump administration in October to fight the accusations pre-emptively. The company alleges the Justice Department and Drug Enforcement Administration, in its complaint of trying to scapegoat Walmart for what it says are regulatory and enforcement deficiencies of the federal government.

Furthermore, the lawsuit of the Justice Department alleges that the company created a system that turned its network of five thousand in-store United States pharmacies into a top supplier of highly addictive painkillers. According to the suit, the claims fate to June 2013. Walmart began with low prices on opioids that initially drove customers to its stores, the DOJ alleges.

The suit says that the middle managers – under guidelines from executives at Walmart headquarters – pressured their pharmacists to work speedy, believing that rapid prescriptions drew customers to say and keep shopping. In addition, the DOJ lawsuit said that this system made it hard for pharmacists to reject prescriptions from medics who intentionally overprescribe.

CDC signals the worsening of the crisis during the Pandemic

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that the evidence reveals that the crisis worsens more during the coronavirus pandemic. However, COVID-19 treated with complications and increased stress and isolation. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, pushed the DOJ to take legal action against these companies, mainly opioid makers. In 2008, Trump asked Jeff Sessions, then-Attorney General, to bring the federal government’s major lawsuit against drug companies sending opioids at a level that should not be happening.

Justice Department sues Walmart over Opioid Crisis
Source: Web

Purdue is one of three drug maker companies to file bankruptcy in the last few years to negotiate clearance of hundreds of suits. States and counties are also almost a $26 billion opioid settlement with Johnson & Johnson and three big drug distributors. Walmart is one of many other big firms targeted in such suits, filed by over two dozen states and several local governments that claim aggressive marketing of prescription painkillers, which mount the crisis. Around three thousand of the cases combined in a federal court in Ohio, where a judge pressed both sides to settle for almost three years.

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President-elect Biden gets COVID-19 Jab live on TV

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 11:54:16 GMT

Joe Biden, the U.S. President-elect received his first dose of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine on live television. He explains his act of receiving live COVID-19 vaccine that he was getting it to show Americans it is safe to take. Joe Biden joins a growing number of U.S. politicians getting the vaccine, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice-President Mike Pence.

The roll-out for a second vaccine by Moderna started on Sunday, which approved from FDA last week. According to the latest figures, until now more than five lac Americans get the vaccination. Biden got the jab in Newark, Delaware and he said that he did this to establish that public should ready for the vaccination when it is available for them. “There is nothing to worry about the vaccination.”

Furthermore, Biden said that the Trump administration must deserve some credit for beginning the vaccine program in the country. Jill Biden, the wife of president-elect received her first dose of jab earlier in the day, according to Biden. Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris, the running mate of Biden, and her husband Doug Emhoff expected to receive their first doses next week.

Biden team first 100 days agenda about vaccination

Biden administration set a goal of hundred million coronavirus vaccinations in the United States during the first hundred days of his administration in the White House. During the deadly pandemic, the country recorded over eighteen million cases and more than 320,000 deaths. The President of the U.S. Donald Trump didn’t announce the date to receive the vaccination whereas, he spent three days in hospital after positive coronavirus in October.

Trump now stands one of the last of the top elected officials of the country, who didn’t receive the first of the course of two doses of the vaccine. In a tweet on 13^th December, the president wrote that he is not scheduled to take the jab, but planning to do so at the appropriate time. Some of his top advisers defended the delay by saying that the president still has a protection shield because of the previous treatments to beat coronavirus.

People working in the White House should receive the vaccine somewhat later in the program, unless specifically necessary. I have asked that this adjustment be made. I am not scheduled to take the vaccine, but look forward to doing so at the appropriate time. Thank you!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2020

CDC Guidelines for the next group of Americans to receive vaccination

On Sunday, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the latest set of guidelines for the next groups of U.S. nationals to receive COVID-19 vaccination.

Phase 1A

So far, American vaccine distribution has twenty-one million healthcare workers, along with three million old people living in long-term care elderly facilities. Vaccination for this group started last week after the approval from the FDA.

Phase 1B

The U.S. nationals aged seventy-five and older, as well as frontline health and other workers, will be next up. This wide category includes nearly thirty million workers who are serving in sectors essential to the functioning of society with a high risk of exposure to the virus. Correction workers, first responders, United States Postal Service personnel, along with those who work in grocery stores, manufacturing, public transit, education, food and agriculture will be eligible. This phase will probably start in January 2021.

Phase 1C

The American people aged sixty-five and older, other critical non-front-line workers, and those people with basic medical conditions that increase the severe illness risk from coronavirus will receive the vaccination in this phase. This category of people includes around 129 million Americans.

Brief Description of the vaccination roll out so far

Approximately three million doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine shipped so far and over five lac Americans received the vaccination, according to CDC. Furthermore, on Sunday, distribution of the Moderna vaccine (the second vaccine in the U.S.) started in the country too, with almost six million vaccine doses available for immediate shipment.

President-elect Biden gets COVID-19 Jab live on TV
Source: Web

On Saturday, the army general heading the coronavirus vaccines distribution in the United States apologized for a miscommunication with some states over the number of doses to deliver in the initial phases of distribution. Over a dozen states expressed their deep concern at a cut in the expected number of the vaccines from the federal government.

On Friday, over a hundred health specialists at Stanford Medical Center protested against the plan of the university for vaccine distribution. According to them, only seven of over thirteen hundred citizens (recent graduates of medical school) selected to receive the vaccine in the first stage of five thousand doses.

According to those protestors, the University gave priority to doctors and hospital administrators working from home over those working directly with coronavirus patients. Later, Stanford officials apologized for the complains and said that the university previously working to address the flaws in the plan.

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Google to face two new antitrust lawsuits from private publishers

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 12:45:03 GMT

This week, four private publishers filed two antitrust lawsuits against Google, as the tech giant comes under growing scrutiny over its search and advertising practices. The Justice Department and several state attorneys general also filed two separate antitrust complaints, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, respectively, on Wednesday and Thursday against the firm.

Sweepstakes Today is one of four firms that filed two private antitrust lawsuits against Google, claiming that the company has violated the 1890 Sherman Antitrust Act by showing monopolistic behavior through its digital ad sales. Reuters published this story online. Attorney John Herman of Herman Jones LLC, Sweepstakes Today’s representative, told Fox Business in a statement that publishers, including Sweepstakes Today, experienced a decline in their revenues significantly as the tech giant uses their monopoly to horde increasingly digital advertisement revenues.

Moreover, he adds that the federal government and private petitioners’ enforcement actions and the majority of the states should put an end to these abuses in the market. On the other side, Google refused to comment on the two private lawsuits. Sweepstakes Today – a publishing website that catalogs lottery events happening across the United States so the public can easily apply to win prizes.

Explanation of the complaint

According to the complaint, Sweepstakes made almost $150000 yearly for around ten years before 2012. Through vertical integration and acquisitions, Google started combining different markets that established the online advertising market, drove out competitors, and became a straight horizontal competitor of publishers like Sweepstakes.

In addition, the lawsuit accuses Google of making it almost impossible for publishers to do business with advertisers at a smaller level that competes with Google. The complaint further states that Google is now in the rare position of representing both advertisers (buyers) and publishers (sellers) while also being up to the mark of the exchange which sets the auction and pricing rules through which they interact, giving tech giant the spur and option to bias ad auction rules and prices in its own favor, which it is doing for last many years.

Google to face two new antitrust lawsuits from private publishers
Source: Web

The Nation, Genius Media Group, and the Progressive also accuse Google in another private lawsuit of violating the Sherman Act by crushing rivals while it degenerates in hundreds of billions of dollars in revenues from its digital ad sales. The antitrust cases against the tech giant by the Justice Department and state attorneys general also allege that Google violated the Sherman Act. According to the antitrust complaint, thirty-eight attorneys general brought against the tech giant on Thursday. Google has key placement on over ninety web browsers such as Google Chrome – the most popular web browser in America, and Safari of Apple.

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US approves Moderna as second Coronavirus vaccine

Sat, 19 Dec 2020 12:07:34 GMT

The United States government approved the Moderna vaccine as the second coronavirus vaccine of the country, clearing the way for millions of doses. The FDA authorized the United States-made vaccine about seven days after approving a Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Moreover, the country agreed to purchase two hundred million doses of Moderna, and almost six million may be ready to ship now.

According to Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. has the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the world. It recorded almost 17.5 million cases and 313,500 deaths. Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of FDA, said that the emergency approval of the Moderna vaccine on Friday marked another key move in the fight against this worldwide pandemic creating numerous numbers of deaths and hospitalizations in the U.S. each day.

The authorization of the vaccine came after an advisory panel on Thursday voted 20-0 with the absence of one member that the benefits of the Moderna vaccine outweighed the risks for those who aged eighteen and above. Earlier this week, regulators reported the Moderna vaccine safe and ninety-four effective. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, tweeted some hours before the announcement that the vaccine approved overwhelmingly and its distribution would start immediately.

Moreover, President-elect Joe Biden, who set to vaccinated on Monday, expressed that the authorization of the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines assures the brighter days of the United States lie ahead. He adds, however, the struggle against coronavirus is not over yet.

Difference between Moderna and Pfizer vaccine

Moderna vaccine requires temperatures of almost -20c for shipping – similar to a normal freezer. Furthermore, the vaccine manufactured by Germany’s BioNTech SE and the United States corporation Pfizer requires temperatures near to -75c, making transport logistics much more difficult. Just like the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna jab also needs a second booster shot. The second injection of Moderna comes twenty-eight days after the first, compared with twenty-one for Pfizer.

US approves Moderna as second Coronavirus vaccine
Source: Web

Comparison between Pfizer & BioNTech and Moderna

Name	Pfizer & BioNTech Coronavirus vaccine	Moderna
Type	RNA – virus genetic code	RNA – virus genetic code
Doses	Two injections twenty-one days apart	Two injections four weeks apart
How Effective	90%	95%
Storage	-75c	-20c up to six months

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FDA plans to approve Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine

Sat, 19 Dec 2020 10:29:35 GMT

Vaccine advisers to the United States Food & Drug Administration voted quickly to recommend the emergency use authorization to COVID-19 vaccine of Moderna. Top FDA officials said a few hours later that they planned to move forward quickly with the emergency use authorization.

FDA Commissioner Dr Stephen Hahn and director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation & Search, Dr Peter Marks said in a joint statement that following the positive advisory committee meeting conclusion about the Moderna coronavirus vaccine, the United States Food & Drug Administration informed the sponsor that it would instantly work toward completion and issuance of an emergency use authorization.

FDA also informed CDC and Operation Warp Speed so that they can implement their plans for timely COVID-19 vaccine distribution. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee vote 20-0 with one absence to approve emergency use authorization for the Moderna vaccine – having similar design, composition, efficacy and safety to Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine. That was the only one query facing the committee – whether to recommend EUA.

Committee members show their confidence on the Moderna vaccine

Dr Steven Pergam, the committee member of the University of Washington & Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, recommends the vaccine before voting by expressing no doubt in his mind about the efficacy of the vaccine. Further, he said that it looks like the benefits of the Moderna vaccine outweigh the risks.

However, that didn’t stop the collection of academics, public health specialists, physicians and others from getting into a prolonged debate about whether Moderna should offer the coronavirus vaccine to citizens of the United States who got saline shots. It is something that may have the effect of reducing enduring statistics on how well and securely the vaccine saves people from the virus.

FDA plans to approve Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine
Source: Web

An infectious disease specialist, Dr Arnold Monto, who chairs the panel said after the vote that academics get involved in details, and they did it for the last eight to nine hours by going over the details. Arnold noted that the vote cast one-sided this time contrary to last week’s vote to recommend Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine, which approved with 17-4 votes, with one abstention.

The technology of Moderna vaccine

Moderna uses similar technology in its vaccine to Pfizer/BioNTech’s: mRNA or messenger RNA. The genetic material in the vaccine prompts the human body to generate compounds that look like the outside of the COVID-19, and in return that creates an immune response that protects the body against infection. Each vaccine is almost ninety-five percent effective in preventing symptomatic sickness, with few negligible side effects.

Moderna says that it will continue its efforts to gather safety statistics on the vaccine. Chief Executive Officer of Moderna, Stephane Bancel, stated that they look forward to getting their vaccine to the United States public to help address the deadly public health emergency.

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President-elect Biden to receive Pfizer vaccine’s first dose

Sat, 19 Dec 2020 07:49:21 GMT

Joe Biden, the President-elect of the United States and coming to first lady Jill Biden receive the Pfizer vaccine first dose on Monday in Delaware, according to Jen Psaki, the transition spokesman. The transition team didn’t share details with the reporters about the exact place of vaccination. Psaki said that Kamala Harris, the Vice President along with her husband, Doug Emhoff would receive their coronavirus vaccinations in the next week.

The vaccine of Pfizer requires two doses each person administered many weeks apart to reach ninety-five percent efficacy. Psaki further explained that Biden and the vice-elect were staggering the COVID-19 vaccine at the recommendation of health experts. The reason behind this might be that if both of them experience the possible side effects, like a fever or a headache, the two won’t experience them on the same day.

Joe and Jill Biden will receive the first dose of Pfizer vaccine on Monday in Delaware. It will be done in public, according to @jrpsaki. Kamala Harris and husband Doug Emhoff will get the vaccine the following week.

— Matt Viser (@mviser) December 18, 2020

President-elect Joe Biden is ready to take the vaccine

The president-elect told Jake Tapper of CNN earlier this that he would happily receive vaccine once Dr Fauci, the top infectious disease expert of the country said that he would get the vaccine injection in a public setting to show his confidence in it. Harris said that she would also receive the vaccine. Dr Anthony Fauci announced in the Good Morning America show of ABC News that Biden and Harris would receive vaccination soon.

Furthermore, Fauci also recommends vaccination for Donald Trump, the U.S. President and Mike Pence, the Vice President. Second lady Karen Pence and Surgeon General Jerome Adams directed the Pfizer vaccine at an on-air event on Friday morning. The Trump government states that having the vaccine publicly by Pence was part of the administration’s effort to build confidence in common people for the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.

Donald Trump didn’t receive Coronavirus vaccination yet

A White House official told CNN that the U.S. President didn’t receive vaccination yet and he didn’t administer it after the recommendation from the White House health team. The official states that Trump is still receiving the paybacks of the monoclonal antibody cocktail. He received the cocktail after he tested positive for coronavirus earlier this year. However, he will receive the vaccination shortly just after he moves into a timing window.

The Biden’s team announced after the first doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine vaccinated to the health care workers on Monday. Last week, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the vaccine for emergency use in the country. Until now, the first doses of the vaccines delivered to all fifty states of the country, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

President-elect Biden to receive Pfizer vaccine’s first dose
Source: Web

The FDA also plans to permit the emergency use approval of Moderna vaccine, Dr Peter Marks, FDA Commissioner, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research stated Thursday night. On Thursday, the vaccine advisory committee of the FDA made its approval for the vaccine. Whereas, they will make the final decision by Friday as per expectation.

The President-elect stated that in his initial hundred days in office, his administration would intend to distribute a hundred million vaccine shots – enough to cover fifty million people. Vaccine advisers to U.S. CDA recommended that health workers and inhabitants of long-term care facilities would receive the vaccination on the priority basis. It will possibly take some months when the vaccine is available to the rest of the population.

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President-elect Biden picks Pete Buttigieg as transportation secretary

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 11:52:11 GMT

President-elect Joe Biden picks Pete Buttigieg (former U.S. Navy officer) to be his transportation secretary, according to his statement on Tuesday. Buttigieg would be the first confirmed LGBTQ Cabinet secretary of the Senate. Biden says that Mayor Buttigieg is a problem-solver and patriot person who speaks to the best. He adds that he is nominating him for Secretary of Transportation because this designation stands at the nexus of several interlocking challenges and opportunities ahead.

Moreover, Biden adds that he sees the U.S. Department of Transportation as the site of some of the most striving strategies to build nation better and that he trusts Mayor Pete to lead this duty with focus, bold vision and politeness. The nomination – which represents the first time Biden called on one of his former Democratic presidential rivals to join his administration as a Cabinet secretary – vaults a contender Biden spoke brightly of after he primary into a top post in his upcoming administration and might earn Buttigieg what several Democrats believe is needed experience should he run for president again.

New: Pete Buttigieg will be Joe Biden’s pick to be Transportation secretary, sources familiar with the matter tell CNN, elevating the former South Bend mayor & 2020 Democratic presidential candidate to a top post in Biden admin. @merica reporting

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) December 15, 2020

The role of coming transportation secretary expected to play a significant role in Biden’s push for a bilateral infrastructure package. Furthermore, Buttigieg perceived as a rising star of the Democratic Party but somebody who needed an apparent way to the higher elected office given the continual rightward shift of his home state of Indiana.

Buttigieg presidential campaign infrastructure plan

As a Democratic presidential candidate, Buttigieg announced a $1 trillion infrastructure plan that prioritized promoting the crumbling infrastructure of the country and expanding broadband internet access through payment to local and state governments. Buttigieg usually spoke about infrastructure on the campaign trail from the viewpoint of a small mayor, claiming that local governments such as he once ran needed people in Washington who comprehended their issues and needs.

As a mayor, Buttigieg led several infrastructural projects, including a program to make the sewers smart of the city as a technique to prevent flooding and a plan that got rid of several one-way streets in South bend’s downtown to invigorate the area. He talked up both of these programs on the campaign trail. The reforms of the infrastructure are the priority of Trump in his four years as president; instead, he took back seat to other issues.

Buttigieg usually blamed the administration for unable to do anything on infrastructure, writing in his strategy on the issue that the Trump’s team was unable to keep its promises to pass major infrastructure law, and crucial projects across the country are delayed because of it. So, in recent days, Buttigieg arose as the top candidate for the transportation secretary seat. Likewise, the former mayor was on the top of the list for some other posts, including United States ambassador to the UN and commerce secretary.

President-elect Biden picks Pete Buttigieg as transportation secretary
Source: Web

Buttigieg initiated a courageous presidential campaign in 2019 and 2020, despite starting with little political experience or national recognition. He won the Iowa caucuses with a close margin, becoming the first gay presidential candidate in United States history to win primary delegates from a major party.

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