🚨BREAKING: Massive study of more than 5,000 genetic sequences of the #coronavirus reveals continual viral mutations—one mutation in the gene encoding its spike protein may have made the virus MORE CONTAGIOUS.🧬
This mutation affects the #coronavirus spike protein—changes amino acid 614 from “D” (aspartic acid) to “G” (glycine)—and is associated with a higher viral load in #COVID19 patients on initial diagnosis.
All viruses accumulate genetic mutations, and most are insignificant. #SARSCoV2 is relatively stable as viruses go.
But every mutation is a roll of the dice, and with widespread transmission in the US, the virus has had abundant opportunities to change.🤬
Some good news: None of these mutations—including in spike protein—appear to have made the #coronavirus deadlier.🙏🏼
⚠️As people gain immunity—either via infection or a #vaccine—the virus could be under selective pressure to evade the human immune response.
This could put us in the same situation as with flu, where we have to chase the virus and, as it mutates, tinker with our vaccine.
These new genetic data show the #SARSCoV2 virus arrived in Houston many times—71% of the viruses that arrived initially were characterized by the D614G mutation originating in #China that scientists increasingly suspect may give the virus a biological advantage in spreading.😷
By the 2nd wave of Houston’s outbreak, the D614G variant leaped to 99.9% prevalence—dominating the outbreak. The researchers found that people infected with this strain had higher loads of virus in their upper respiratory tracts, potentially making the virus more transmissible.😷
An even larger study of the spread of the #coronavirus in the UK, based on ~25,000 genomes, also found evidence that this variant of the virus outdistances its competitors “in a manner consistent with a selective advantage.”
These mutations occur randomly as #SARSCoV2 makes mistakes trying to copy its genome—and every new infection gives a chance for more mutations, which in turn increases the chance that one of these mutations will be useful to the virus, just as D614G apparently already has been.
Bottom line: allowing #SARSCoV2 to spread like wildfire not only endangers human lives in the near term, but also gives the virus more shots on goal to mutate and become more contagious and/or deadly.😷
🚨BREAKING: nearly 2 years after the January 6 #Insurrection, the @FBI increased its reward by 5-fold to $500,000 for info leading to the arrest of the #terrorist who left 2 pipe bombs near the @DNC & @GOP HQs the day before the assault.
The January 6th pipe bomb #terrorist wore a face mask, glasses, gloves and a grey-hooded sweatshirt and **#Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes** (photo below).
Someone knows this #terrorist—PLEASE SHARE lFAR AND WIDE.
‼️Images and video of the #terrorist, the suspect’s backpack & shoes, the pipe bombs, and a map of the route the terrorist walked are here👉🏼fbi.gov/wanted/seeking…
Many innocent people could have been killed or harmed.
Oleg Eremenko is a former officer in the GRU (🇷🇺military intelligence) who served inside #Russia: “I served, and that’s it,” he said. “I’m now in #Germany in, let’s say, a civilian status,” promoting Russian culture and memorialising WW2 dead.
Cool story, bro.🙄
Max Schlund—Rostislav Teslyuk in #Russia—is a former officer in the Russian Air Force. He traveled w/Elena Kolbasnikova to Donbas to give aid. In a video, they thanked the People's Front—headed by Putin—for help organizing the trip.
🚨BREAKING: George Santos admits to using cash from his firm—#Devolder Organization—to fund his campaign with an allegedly ILLEGAL $700,000 corporate contribution.
It’s legal to use personal cash, but corporate cash is ILLEGAL.🧵
⚠️Santos admits he took money from his #Devolder to bankroll his campaign & the $700,000 in loans “was the money I paid myself through the Devolder Organization”👉🏼ILLEGAL
His financial disclosure shows a $750,000 salary from Devolder + dividends between $1-5 million.🧐
‼️Previous financial disclosures show Santos & his #Devolder firm didn’t have very much money—so what are the origins of his $700,000?
‼️Right-wing judicial activist Leonard Leo (then-EVP of the Federalist Society) helped facilitate the sale of Kellyanne Conway’s polling company in 2017 **while she was advising Trump** on Leo’s handpicked list of SCOTUS candidates.
The sale came at a critical moment for Kellyanne▶️her ownership had come under Congressional scrutiny for potential “conflicts of interest,” likely creating pressure to unload it even though its value was unclear and she was its biggest asset but committed to her WH job.🙄
Leo—via one of his dark money groups—helped finance the transaction between Kellyanne and Creative Response Concepts Inc (CRC) *worth between $1 million and $5 million*.
At the time, CRC was also bringing in millions of dollars from dark money groups to promote Leo’s picks.🤬
🔥DECIMATED: One of #Russia’s most formidable combat units—the 200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade that protects Russia’s Arctic nuclear submarine arsenal—sent its best fighters & weapons to #Ukraine this year and was DESTROYED.
🚨Jesse Benton—former campaign manager for #MoscowMitch and Ron & @RandPaul—found GUILTY on 6 counts of illegally funneling #Russian money to Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Benton was previously convicted of 4 felonies, but Trump pardoned him.🤬
‼️Jesse Benton—former campaign manager for #MoscowMitch and Ron & @RandPaul—not only ILLEGALLY funneled #Russian cash to Trump’s campaign, he also was #busted ON VIDEO scheming to funnel $2 million of ILLEGAL money from #China into Trump’s SuperPAC.🙄
Benton was previously CONVICTED of #conspiracy and other federal FELONIES for his scheme to bribe then-Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson in exchange for endorsing Ron Paul for president in 2012.