S. Africa...

 

Pfizer's and BioNTech's vaccine has been a phenomenal success story, from the breathtakingly fast development to the jaw-dropping efficacy. And now there's even more good news. Here's why Pfizer's and BioNTech's COVID vaccine could be even better than expected.

A new trial took place in South Africa, where the variant, known as B.1.351, first emerged. Some scientists worry that it might be able to escape existing vaccines.  

In the Pfizer-BioNTech trial, six cases of the variant were observed, none of them in people who had been given the vaccine.

There have been 312 identified cases of the strain in the U.S., according to the latest figures from the CDC.  

Success of the Pfizer Vaccines  against South Africa variant appears to be 100 %.

Keep our fingers crossed. Just a thought.

Ball...

 

Yikes...

 

Covid 20...

 

The Empire Station Complex plan sets out to eventually overhaul the transit hub with revenue generated by a massive real estate deal in the surrounding blocks.

A key hurdle for the project, at least in the short-term, rests in the state budget negotiations as Cuomo tries to ram a $1.3 billion bond deal past some reluctant lawmakers.

The Empire Station proposal would be “generation-changing” not just for Midtown, but for all of Manhattan, said State Sen. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan), who opposes the project and is working to remove it from this year’s state budget.

“Why do we want Andrew Cuomo to be Robert Moses suddenly?” she told  The City.

Even as he contends with twin investigations over sexual harassment allegations and using his office to cover up nursing home deaths, Cuomo and the state’s Empire State Development Corporation are doggedly pursuing the potentially legacy-making plan.

The Governor is building up for the next Disaster in New York City, Pile up the people and hide the death of humanity for the mighty dollar. Just a thought.

Comp...

 

Egypt wants over $1 billion in compensation after a cargo ship blocked the Suez Canal for nearly a week, a top canal official has said. 

Lt. Gen. Osama Rabei, head of the Suez Canal Authority on Thursday warned the ship and its cargo will not be allowed leave Egypt if the issue of damages goes to court.

He said in a phone interview with a pro-government TV talk show that the amount takes into account the salvage operation, costs of stalled traffic, and lost transit fees for the week that the Ever Given had blocked the Suez Canal.

The massive cargo ship is currently in one of the canal's holding lakes, where authorities and the ship's managers say an investigation is ongoing.

Lunged...

 

William "Billy" Evans, an 18-year veteran of the force 

 

A U.S. Capitol Police officer was killed Friday after a car rammed a security barricade protecting the complex, locking down the building for two hours and reigniting tensions in a city still struggling to return to normalcy after the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection.

According to Capitol Police, a man drove his car into two officers and then crashed into the barricade. The blue sedan appeared to hit a barrier that can be raised while Capitol Police search a vehicle and verify its occupants’ identities. The driver exited the vehicle with a knife, “lunged” at one of the officers and was shot by police, officials said.

The suspect was taken into custody. He and the two seriously injured officers were transported to hospitals, where one officer and the suspect died.

This is a classic terrorist act. Look it up. This happened in France, England... Etc. 

 then, add this to January 6th, 2021.

Call it terror when you like  and mostly peaceful demonstration when it isn't.

 Just a thought.

Saga...

 

What happened at Archegos management appears to have become a problem for many banks.

 Banks lent the fund money assuming they could pocket lending fees and manage any risks along the way.  Last week it did not play out that way. The shares of Viacom  involved fell fast and the losses were apparently large enough that some of the banks involved either could not or did no swiftly exited their positions.

 Japanese bank may have lost $2 billion dollars last week, potentially as a result of Bill Hwang’s Archegos Capital Management.

The initial movements against Archegos were unpleasant. The share price declines   been magnified by banks had to sell down stock to recoup potential losses, throwing large blocks of shares into the market causing unusual volume.

 Volatility in Viacom, has been high recently, the halving of the stock from recent highs has taken the stock back to where it was just in January of this year.

 The rise is perhaps almost as notable as the swift decline and the losses mounted. Just a thought.

Breakthrough...

 

Washington state is investigating 102 potential cases of people becoming ill with COVID-19 more than two weeks after being fully vaccinated, the Washington State Department of Health reported.

The majority of those in Washington with confirmed vaccine breakthrough experienced only mild symptoms or no symptoms. However, eight people were hospitalized with COVID-19, and the state is investigating two "potential" breakthrough cases where patients died.

Both of those patients were more than 80 years old and suffered underlying health issues, according to the state.

The state said that the breakthrough cases are 0.01% of the 1.2 million fully vaccinated people in Washington state, which health officials say falls within the results of the clinical studies of the vaccines.

The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines reduced the risk of getting COVID-19 in vaccinated people by up to 95%, according to the studies.

Plummeted...

 

Nursing homes deaths are way down. They have plummeted, falling by more than 90 percent between late December and March 2021. The main cause is straightforward: Nursing home residents have been among the first people to be vaccinated. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has swept the nation, killing more than 174,000 residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. The AARP Public Policy Institute,  created the AARP Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard to provide four-week snapshots of the virus’ infiltration into nursing homes and impact on nursing home residents and staff, with the goal of identifying specific areas of concern at the national and state levels in a timely manner. 

Happens...

 

Iowa Democrat Rita Hart withdrew her contest before Congress on Wednesday, ending her challenge of her state-certified, six-vote loss amid increasing pressure by Republicans to dismiss her case and growing skepticism by Democrats of overturning the House election.

Hart's decision came hours after House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy rallied with Hart's opponent, GOP Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, in Iowa, and two days after Hart lawyer Marc Elias asked the House Administration Committee to "count every vote."