Tag Archives: WorldNews

Prototype Vaccines Protect Monkeys From Coronavirus

Hospital PR department scores and gets article promoting itself and two researchers promoted in national press. Does this advance our knowledge or the development of a vaccine? Not. Does it get clicks for press? Yes.

A series of animal experiments may point the way to an effective human vaccine, scientists said.

He joked about killing endangered species. Trump gave him a top environment job

Despicable is not strong enough to describe this person’s beliefs and actions.

3000.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=8

Under the leadership of William Perry Pendley, the Bureau of Land Management is failing to fulfill its most basic duties of safeguarding America’s public lands, his critics say

In July 2017, William Perry Pendley, a crusading conservative attorney, delivered a speech to a group of rightwing activists in North Carolina in which he was completely candid about his ideological commitments.

He accused “the media” of selling “their soul to the greens”. And after criticizing the Endangered Species Act, he made light of killing endangered species.

Continue reading…

Chinese lab testing new drug that could stop Covid-19

ST_20200520_XCHINADRUG_5678289.jpg?itok=

BEIJING • A Chinese laboratory has been developing a drug it believes has the power to bring the corona-virus pandemic to a halt.

The outbreak was first reported in China late last year before spreading across the world, prompting an international race to find treatments and vaccines.

Researchers say a drug being tested by scientists at the prestigious Peking University can not only shorten recovery time for those infected, but also offer short-term immunity from the virus.

Dr Sunney Xie, director of the university’s Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Genomics, said the drug has been successful at the animal testing stage.

“When we injected neutralising antibodies into infected mice, after five days, the viral load was reduced by a factor of 2,500,” he said. “That means this potential drug has a therapeutic effect.”

The drug uses neutralising antibodies – produced by the human immune system to prevent the virus from infecting cells – which were isolated from the blood of 60 recovered patients.

A study on the research, published on Sunday in the scientific journal Cell, suggests that using the antibodies provides a potential “cure” and shortens recovery time.

Dr Xie said his team’s “expertise is in single-cell genomics rather than immunology or virology. When we realised the single-cell genomic approach can effectively find the neutralising antibody, we were thrilled”.

He said the drug should be ready for use later this year and in time for any potential winter outbreak of the virus, which has infected 4.9 million people around the world and killed more than 320,000.

Planning for the clinical trial has started, said Dr Xie, adding that it will be carried out in Australia and other countries since cases have dwindled in China, offering fewer humans for testing.

“The hope is that these neutralised antibodies can become a specialised drug that would stop the pandemic,” he said.

China already has five potential coronavirus vaccines at the human trial stage, a health official said last week.

But the World Health Organisation has warned that developing a vaccine could take 12 to 18 months.

Scientists have also pointed to the potential benefits of plasma – a blood fluid – from patients who have recovered and developed antibodies to the virus, enabling the body’s defences to attack it.

More than 700 patients have had plasma therapy in China, a process which the authorities said showed “very good therapeutic effects”.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

Hungary votes to end legal recognition of trans people

Next? State will outlaw shame and legalize genocide…

3880.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=8

Activists say new law will increase discrimination, especially as Hungarians must often display their ID cards

Hungary’s parliament has voted to end legal recognition for trans people, passing a bill that rights activists say pushes the country “back towards the dark ages”.

The new law defines gender as based on chromosomes at birth, meaning previous provisions whereby trans people could alter their gender and name on official documents will no longer be available.

Continue reading…

Republican attorneys general back Barr’s bid to drop case against Flynn

GOP has no respect for law or democracy… These State Attorneys General have no standing that I can see.

3500.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=8

  • Ex-Trump adviser Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to FBI
  • Judge appointed to argue against DoJ’s motion to dismiss

Fifteen Republican state attorneys general have filed a legal brief telling a federal judge they support the justice department’s attempt to drop its case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

The move comes after almost 2,000 former justice department figures condemned the move to drop the case.

Continue reading…

Watchdog was investigating Pompeo for arms deal and staff misuse before firing

5723.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=8

State department inspector general Steve Linick was reportedly close to finishing his report before his dismissal on Friday

The government watchdog who was fired last week had been investigating the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, for sidestepping Congress to approve arms sales to the Gulf and using staffers for personal errands, according to congressional sources.

Donald Trump declared his intention to fire the state department inspector general, Steve Linick, in a letter sent to the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, late on Friday night. The White House said the decision was taken at Pompeo’s advice.

Continue reading…