Cincunri Sakia

Kamis, 14 Mei 2020

Rick Bright: 'Ousted' vaccine expert says US is facing its 'darkest winter' - BBC News

A former top US health official has told Congress the country could face its "darkest winter in modern history" because of the coronavirus.

Rick Bright led the government agency trying to develop a vaccine, but was removed from his post last month.

He has previously said he was ousted from the job for raising concern over a treatment being touted by President Donald Trump.

The US leader dismissed him as a "disgruntled" employee.

Mr Bright also told the House of Representatives subcommittee on health "lives were lost" because of government "inaction" in the early stages of the outbreak.

He said he first spoke out about a medical equipment shortage in January, raising the issue to the "highest levels" of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), but "got no response".

In other US developments:

A total of 85,807 people have now died with the coronavirus in the US. New York state continues to have the highest death toll in the US, with 27,607 deaths
Richard Burr, the Republican chairman of the US Senate intelligence committee, has said he will step down while an investigation into allegations of insider trading is carried out. Mr Burr is accused of using inside information to avoid market losses from the coronavirus pandemic
Michigan's state legislature cancelled its Thursday session after receiving death threats and facing more armed protests from right-wing groups campaigning against lockdown measures
Almost a quarter of US workers are now claiming unemployment benefits, after the number of people seeking unemployment jumped by almost three million last week
President Trump's Florida resort Mar-a-Lago will partially re-open this weekend, but guests will need to maintain social distancing, US broadcaster CNN reports.

What else did Mr Bright say?

During his testimony, Mr Bright warned that the US's "window of opportunity" to deal with the coronavirus was "closing".

"If we fail to improve our response now, based on science, I fear the pandemic will get worse and be prolonged," he said.

"Without better planning, 2020 could be the darkest winter in modern history."

Mr Bright also told the subcommittee that in January he received an email he would "never forget", from a supplier of medical-grade face masks, warning of a severe shortage.

"He said... we need to act. And I pushed that forward to the highest level that I could of HHS - and got no response."

Mr Bright said his removal from his post was the result of his insisting that money allocated by Congress to deal with the virus should be put "into safe and scientifically vetted solutions, and not in drugs, vaccines and other technologies that lack scientific merit".

"I spoke out then, and I am testifying today, because science - not politics or cronyism - must lead the way to combat this deadly virus," he added.

Why was Rick Bright removed from his post?

A whistleblower complaint, filed earlier this month, says Mr Bright was removed from his post as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (Barda) for political reasons.

Mr Bright says he was removed shortly after the publication of an article on chloroquine, for which he says he was a source.

President Trump had referred to hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug, as a potential "game-changer" in the treatment of Covid-19 - although many experts have cautioned that it could be ineffective, or even dangerous.

Mr Bright's complaint alleges that he chose to speak to a journalist because government officials "refused to listen" to his warnings.

He said he had an obligation to try and protect the public "from drugs which he believed constituted a substantial and specific danger to public health and safety".

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2020-05-14 23:26:15Z
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Coronavirus: US lacks 'master plan' in tackling pandemic, says whistleblower Rick Bright - Sky News

A top US government virologist turned whistleblower has accused the Trump administration of failing to tell the truth, meaning Americans were "not as prepared as they could have been" in tackling coronavirus.

Dr Rick Bright once ran the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, the government agency overseeing vaccine efforts. The Trump administration abruptly removed him from the position last month.

During three hours of testimony on Capitol Hill, the government scientist said the US lacks a "master plan" and gave a stark warning to members of Congress.

He said: "There will likely be a resurgence of COVID-19 this fall and be greatly compounded about the challenges of seasonal influenza.

"Without better planning, 2020 could be the darkest winter in modern history.

"First and foremost, we need to be truthful with the American people. Americans deserve the truth. The truth must be based on science. We have the world's greatest scientists. Let us lead."

His testimony highlighted the ongoing battle between science and politics as America remains in the grip of coronavirus. More than 80,000 people have died - but officials say the actual number is likely higher.

Dr Bright claims he became the target of criticism when he raised the alarm about the seriousness of the pandemic back in January.

He says his repeated early warnings about lack of crucial medical equipment were ignored.

"Lives were in danger and I believe lives were lost," he said.

He cited emails he received from a top US medical supplier "indicating that our mask supply, our N-95 respirator supply was completely decimated. And he said, '"We're in deep s***. The world is."'

He added: "From that moment I knew that we were going to have a crisis for healthcare workers because we were not taking action. That was our last window of opportunity to turn on that production to save the lives of our healthcare workers, and we didn't act."

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The government virologist also believes he was pushed out of his job because he resisted President Donald Trump's efforts to promote unproven COVID-19 treatments like the anti-malarial drug, Hydroxychloroquine.

Mr Trump has dismissed Dr Bright's complaint as that of a "disgruntled employee".

For Democrats he was a star witness to the Trump administration's failures. His testimony before Congress gave an insight into the president's handling of the coronavirus which has been widely criticised as being political and too slow.

Dr Bright said time is running out and that the outbreak will "get worse and be prolonged" if the United States does not quickly develop a national testing strategy and devise a plan for distributing a vaccine.

The US government virologist was asked how long he believed it will take to get a vaccine.

He said: "A lot of optimism is swirling around a 12 to 18 month timeframe if everything goes perfectly. We have never seen everything go perfectly.

"My concern is that if we rush too quickly, and consider cutting out critical steps, we may not have a full assessment of the safety of that vaccine. So it will still take some time. I think 12 to 18 months is an aggressive schedule and I think it will take longer than that to do so."

Wildly differing questions from members of Congress revealed just how politicised the coronavirus has become in the United States.

Mr Trump was in Pennsylvania today as he continues his push for states to reopen with the aim of getting the economy back on track.

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2020-05-14 21:15:28Z
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Trump threatens to cut off relations with China - Financial Times

Donald Trump has warned that he could “cut off the whole relationship” with China, in the latest escalation of US tensions with Beijing as he increasingly blames China for the global spread of the coronavirus.

“There are many things we could do,” Mr Trump told Fox Business’ Mornings With Maria on Thursday. “We could cut off the whole relationship. Now if you did, what would happen? You’d save $500bn.”

It was unclear what that figure represented. Mr Trump was responding to a question about whether the US should refuse Chinese nationals student visas for sensitive science areas.

The White House in 2018 considered blocking Chinese citizens from receiving student visas, but backed away from the idea pushed by Stephen Miller, a hardline White House aide who is close to Mr Trump.

The president has in recent weeks intensified his criticism of the Chinese government over the way it handled the disclosure of the virus, and has suggested that Beijing would be forced to pay a price.

Mr Trump did not explain what he meant by cutting off ties. But some officials want him to remove Chinese companies from US supply chains. Pressed on how he could force US companies to move their manufacturing, he said: “One incentive, frankly, is to charge tax for them when they make product outside.”

Mike Pompeo, secretary of state, on Thursday called on China to stop cyber-espionage related to US research into Covid-19, and urged China to be more transparent in providing information about the pandemic.

“While the US and our allies and partners are co-ordinating a collective, transparent response to save lives, the PRC continues to silence scientists, journalists, and citizens, and to spread disinformation, which has exacerbated the dangers of this health crisis,” Mr Pompeo said.

In his Fox Business interview, Mr Trump said he was looking “very strongly” at whether Chinese companies should be allowed to list on US stock exchanges if they did not follow US accounting rules. But he said he knew that there was a downside to such a move.

“What happens is, so we say, ‘you’re going to do this and you’re going to follow the rules of the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq’. What do they do? They say, OK, we’ll move to London or we’ll go to Hong Kong.”

Earlier this week, the White House pressured the main US federal employee retirement fund to abandon a plan to invest in Chinese companies, in what was a big victory for China hawks in Washington.

In a letter outlining its concerns, Robert O’Brien, national security adviser, pointed out that the Chinese government does not allow US auditors to audit the accounts of Chinese companies listed on US exchanges.

The president’s latest attack is part of a campaign that many experts believe will escalate as the November election approaches. In his 2016 race, Mr Trump frequently slammed China over its trade policies, but he has failed to make a significant dent in the US trade deficit with the country.

Asked about reports that China wanted to renegotiate the phase one trade deal that was signed earlier this year to ease the trade war between the countries, Mr Trump said he had no intention of reopening the pact.

“They said somewhere . . . they’d like to renegotiate the deal. We’re not going to renegotiate,” Mr Trump said.

The US president added that he was not interested in speaking to Xi Jinping, his Chinese counterpart, in the near future. “I have a very good relationship [with him] but . . . right now I don’t want to speak to him.”

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2020-05-14 18:22:10Z
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Richard Burr: US Senate intelligence chairman resigns amid FBI probe - BBC News

The Republican chairman of the US Senate intelligence committee has resigned the position amid an insider trading investigation.

Richard Burr of North Carolina would step down on 15 May, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

It has emerged on Thursday that Mr Burr's phone has been seized by the FBI.

The senator is alleged to have used inside information to avoid market losses from coronavirus.

He and his wife sold as much as $1.7m (£1.4m) of equities in February, just before markets plunged on fears of an economic crisis.

It is illegal for members of Congress to trade based on non-public information gathered during their official duties.

Mr Burr's office did not respond to a request for comment.

Mr McConnell said in a statement on Thursday: "Senator Burr contacted me this morning to inform me of his decision to step aside as Chairman of the intelligence committee during the pendency of this investigation.

We agreed that this decision would be in the best interest of the committee and will be effective at the end of the day tomorrow."

Mr Burr, 64, turned over his mobile phone to authorities after federal agents issued and executed a search warrant at his Washington, DC home, the Los Angeles Times first reported.

Senators under fire over virus 'insider trading'

The seizure marks an escalation into the investigation into Mr Burr launched by the Justice Department begun in March.

Public disclosures first investigated by ProPublica show the senator sold more than 30 stocks between late January and mid-February, including in many sectors now devastated by the coronavirus outbreak, such as hotel, restaurant and shipping industries.

As the chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, Mr Burr receives nearly daily briefings on threats to US national security. Mr Burr has defended the transactions, saying he "relied solely on public news reports", to instruct his decision to sell.

However, he was criticised for publicly downplaying the seriousness of the virus, even as he privately sold equities and warned a private North Carolina business group of the stark risks it posed.

Mr Burr's lawyer, Alice Fisher, said in March the senator welcomed the investigation from the Justice Department, saying it will "establish that his actions were appropriate".

"The law is clear that any American - including a Senator - may participate in the stock market based on public information, as Senator Burr did. When this issue arose, Senator Burr immediately asked the Senate Ethics Committee to conduct a complete review, and he will cooperate with that review as well as any other appropriate inquiry," she said.

The bulk of Mr Burr's sales occurred on 13 February, just before he his speech to the wealthy business constituent group about the dire economic impact of the coronavirus, at a time when the Trump administration was publicly downplaying the threat.

In an audio recording, obtained by US outlet National Public Radio (NPR) he also told the group to curtail their travel. Mr Burr has accused NPR of "misrepresenting" his speech.

Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler of Georgia and James Inhofe of Oklahoma, as well as Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, also reportedly sold holdings before the downturn.

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2020-05-14 16:40:26Z
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EU threatens legal action against UK for breaching Brussels' free movement laws - Express

The European Commission said the UK had failed to notify the bloc about legislative changes that failed “to comply with EU law on free movement of EU citizens”. Eurocrats said they would escalate the case to the European Court of Justice unless the Government comes into line with the bloc’s rules within the next four months. If Britain fails to implement the necessary measures demanded by the bloc, it could face being slapped with hefty fines.

The threat only reinforces Boris Johnson decision to not extend the post-Brexit transition period when it expires.

Since leaving the EU on January 31, Britain must follow the bloc’s rules until the end of the year.

In a statement, the Commission said: “The rights of EU citizens resident in the UK after the end of the transition period, as set out in the Withdrawal Agreement, are built on the rights that they currently enjoy in the UK under EU rules.”

A spokesman added: "In this specific case, the commission considers that the United Kingdom has failed to notify its last five legislative instruments for the transposition of the free movement directive, its national rules transposing the safeguards prescribed by the directive for certain individual decisions restricting free movement, as well as correspondence tables.

"On substance, the commission is of the view that the United Kingdom has, over the last few years, limited the scope of beneficiaries of EU free movement law in the United Kingdom as well as the possibilities for EU citizens and their family members to appeal administrative decisions restricting free movement rights."

Downing Street has received a letter from Brussels.

The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: "We will look at what the EU has to say and we will respond in due course."

The EU has so far refused to confirm the exact reason for opening the infringement procedure against Britain.

But it is understood the charges against the Government date back to 2014.

MUST READ: 'No going back' Economist explains key reason why Brexit is final

“The United Kingdom's shortcomings in the implementation and transposition of EU free movement law risks therefore also affecting the implementation of the citizens' rights under the Withdrawal Agreement after the end of the transition period.

"For these reasons, the Commission decided to send a letter of formal notice to the United Kingdom - the first step in the infringement process.

"The United Kingdom now has four months to take the necessary measures to address the shortcomings identified by the Commission. Otherwise, the Commission may send a reasoned opinion to the UK authorities."

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2020-05-14 15:31:42Z
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EU threatens legal action against UK for breaching Brussels' free movement laws - Express

The threat only reinforces Boris Johnson decision to not extend the post-Brexit transition period when it expires.

Since leaving the EU on January 31, Britain must follow the bloc’s rules until the end of the year.

Downing Street has received a letter from Brussels.

The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: "We will look at what the EU has to say and we will respond in due course."

The EU has so far refused to confirm the exact reason for opening the infringement procedure against Britain.

But it is understood the charges against the Government date back to 2014.

MUST READ: 'No going back' Economist explains key reason why Brexit is final

"For these reasons, the Commission decided to send a letter of formal notice to the United Kingdom - the first step in the infringement process.

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Afghan mother breastfeeds TWENTY newborns at maternity ward where 'ISIS' gunmen slaughtered babies - Daily Mail

Afghan mother is breastfeeding TWENTY newborns at maternity ward where 'ISIS' gunmen slaughtered babies and their parents

Feroza Younis Omar is feeding babies who lost their mothers in a gun attack
The attack on the Kabul maternity unit on Tuesday saw 24 people killed
The mother has been called a 'true hero' as others follow in her footsteps

By Kate Dennett For Mailonline

Published: 13:52 BST, 14 May 2020 | Updated: 13:52 BST, 14 May 2020

An Afghan mother volunteered to breastfeed 20 newborn babies from a Kabul maternity unit after newborns, nurses and mothers were slaughtered in a gun attack this week.

Feroza Younis Omar is feeding babies who were left without mothers after a gun attack on the Doctors Without Borders maternity unit in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

24 people were killed in the attack, including two newborns, according to the health ministry.

Feroza Younis Omar (pictured) volunteered to feed babies who were left without mothers after a terror attack on a Kabul maternity ward which saw 24 people killed this week

The mother(pictured), who works at the country's Economic Ministry, has a 14-month-old child and is breastfeeding babies who were in the maternity unit targeted by gunmen on Tuesday

Feroza Younis Omar, who is the mother of a 14-month-old child and works at the country's Economic Ministry, is helping the recovering newborns at Ataturk Hospital in Kabul.

She said: 'All of us have been damaged by criminals who are destroying humanity in Afghanistan. I am one of those.'

Three gunmen dressed as police officers stormed the maternity hospital in the Afghan capital on Tuesday morning.

They threw grenades before opening fire.

Pictured, a nurse cares for a newborn baby who survived the attack. At least twenty newborns were left without caretakers and were transferred to the Ataturk Hospital in Kabul

An Afghan mother feeds a newborn baby at the Ataturk Hospital in Kabul. The evacuation of more than 80 people was reported, according to officials

The gunmen then got into a shootout with security forces which ended several hours later when all three were shot dead.

A lengthy clearance operation saw heavily armed Afghan security forces carry babies from the scene - at least one wrapped in a blood-soaked blanket.

Khadija, one of the few survivors of the attack, revealed that she had been forced to wait to hug her newborn son for the first time as the armed group stormed the unit just hours after she gave birth.

She said the intensive care ward had been full of smoke and bullets but both she and her son survived, with Khadija herself having to hide under a table to avoid the bullets.

No group has so far claimed the attack, but President Ashraf Ghani blamed both the Taliban and the Islamic State group but singled out the former and ordered the military to switch tactics from 'defensive to offensive' when dealing with the insurgents.

A lengthy clearance operation saw heavily armed Afghan security forces carry babies from the scene. Pictured, one child is evacuated wrapped in a blood-soaked blanket

After opening fire on civilians, the gunmen then got into a shootout with security forces which ended several hours later when all three were shot dead (pictured, the scene inside one of the wards)

On Wednesday, the families of around 15 babies, whose mothers were killed, were awaiting news on what will happen to the children. Pictured, a rescued mother and her newborn baby take medical care in a hospital.

The Taliban has responded by warning it is 'fully prepared' to counter Afghan forces.

Following the attack, at least twenty newborns were left without caretakers and were transferred to the Ataturk Hospital in Kabul.

On Wednesday, the families of around 15 babies, whose mothers were killed, were awaiting news on what will happen to the children, according to the New York Times.

The hospital's head doctor Jannat Gul Askarzada told reporters: 'Twenty babies have been brought to Ataturk Hospital. One of them was sent to the children's health hospital for orthopedic treatment.'

As the news hit the headlines in Afghanistan, many people took to Twitter to praise Feroza Younis Omar for her efforts and a hashtag bearing her name went viral.

As the news hit the headlines in Afghanistan, many people took to Twitter to praise Feroza Younis Omar for her efforts and a hashtag bearing her name went viral. Pictured, babies are taken away in an ambulance after the attack

'Masoom Musakhail' tweeted: 'That is the Humanity to feed the baby of martyred Mothers.'

Meanwhile, Senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment 'Karim Sadjadpour' called the mother 'a true hero'.

Others have now stepped forward to lead by her example and assist families involved in the attack.

Aziza Kermani, from Kabul, told local media: 'I am ready to adopt one of the babies who have lost their mother or whose families do not have the financial ability to raise them.'

Meanwhile, another resident of the capital who only gave her name as Fatima told a local outlet that she came to the hospital to help the children.

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2020-05-14 13:58:38Z
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Kamis, 14 Mei 2020

What else did Mr Bright say?

Why was Rick Bright removed from his post?

More from Covid-19

Senators under fire over virus 'insider trading'

Afghan mother is breastfeeding TWENTY newborns at maternity ward where 'ISIS' gunmen slaughtered babies and their parents