Clever @WhiteHouse move: Issuing fact sheets for every State & Territory on what will be fixed, at what cost, if the $2+ trillion infrastructure plan is passed by the Senate. whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/…
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2/ In NY, e.g., the plan wld fix 1,702 bridges & >7,292 miles of highway;
modernize public transit w/$85 billion investment;
$111 billion investment to ensure safe drinking water; >$200 billion to ^ housing supply;
$100 billion for universal, high-speed, internet...
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3/ In #MitchMcConnell's #Kentucky the plan wld fix:
- 1,033 bridges & >1,322 miles of highway
- provide $50 billion to improve infrastructure disaster resiliency
etc. @POTUS is using this to make it hard for #GOP Senators to say no.
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The National Intelligence Council NIC released its 2040 forecast, which will guide #Biden Admin. It begins noting how radically #COVI19 has shaken the world:
"Are the disruptions temporary or could the pandemic unleash new forces to shape the future?"
MORE dni.gov/files/ODNI/doc…
2/ "Much like the terrorist attacks of 11 Sept 2001, the #COVID19#pandemic is likely to produce some changes that will be felt for years & change the way we live, work, & govern domestically & internationally. How great these will be, however, is very much in question."
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3/ The NIC 2040 forecasts 5 scenarios for the world's future.
In Scenario 1 democracy enjoys a revival all over the world, as #COVID19 shows that dictatorships & populist leaders fail their people in combatting the virus & #ClimateChange .
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Let's take another look at the excitement many feel about an mRNA-based #HIV#vaccine and be clear about what is real, and what is hope.
In a monkey model, challenged with a simian version of HIV, the animals are protected against infection.
MORE aidsmap.com/news/mar-2021/…
3/ There has been promise before with HIV vaccines --- only to fail in larger human trials. So caution...
But @moderna_tx is working on a mRNA HIV vaccine that has engendered some enthusiasm.
MORE poz.com/article/scient…
More @AstraZeneca says there were no racial or ethnic diffs in #vaccine response (but 79% of test subjs were Caucasian)
"The vaccine was well tolerated...no safety concerns...no increased risk of thrombosis or events characterised by thrombosis among the 21,583 participants" MORE
3/@AstraZeneca
"The #vaccine can be stored, transported and handled at normal refrigerated conditions (2-8 degrees Celsius or 36-46 degrees Fahrenheit) for at least six months and administered without the need for preparation within existing healthcare settings."
MORE #COVID19
It's the worst dust storm in Asia in at least a decade.
PM 2.5: Beijing measured 655 micrograms/meter cubed today. @WHO says >25 PM2.5 is unsafe.
From Mongolia, the sandstorm gradually moved southward. cnn.com/2021/03/15/asi…
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Dust/2
The conditions for dust storms (drought, destruction of ground cover & trees, very high winds) are linked to #ClimateChange and human destruction of the environment. MORE tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.108…
Dust/3
Mongolia, in particular, has seen a steady increase over the last 20 years in both the frequency and severity of massive dust storms, blanketing much of northern China before ending up over the Pacific Ocean.
MORE jstor.org/stable/2638856…
So, let's take a little walk down memory lane on treatment of Chinese in the USA. In 1871 in Los Angeles, 10% of Chinatown was slaughtered in a single night. lapl.org/collections-re…
It was the worst lynching in a single day of US history:
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2/The Rock Springs massacre, Wyoming, September 2, 1885: White miners slaughtered Chinese men, accusing them of "stealing jobs". At least 28 were murdered and most Chinese homes were burned to the ground. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Spri…
It led to tense diplomacy between US & China.
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3/On May 6, 1882 Pres. Chester Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act, prohibiting all immigration of Chinese laborers. On May 5, 1892 Congress passed the Geary Act, requiring all Chinese to carry a resident permit at all times, punishable by deportation or a year of hard labor.
For clues to the future of out #COVID19 fight pay heed to #Sirael, which has vaccinated the >est % of its population of any country.
Can it achieve herd immunity & "return to normal"?
MORE foreignpolicy.com/2021/02/17/wha…
Israel/2
No doubt about it, death and severe hospitalization rates in Israel have plummeted, especially for vaccinated >60-year-olds.
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