Government

"The support for an extra dose of covid vaccine clearly emerged, at least in part, from an NIH research dynamo, built by Fauci, that for months has been getting intricate real-time data about covid variants and how they respond to vaccine-produced immunity. The FDA and CDC were seeing much of the same data, but as regulatory agencies, they were more cautious. The FDA, in particular, won’t rule on a product until the company making it submits extensive data. And its officials are gimlet-eyed reviewers of such studies. "On boosters, Americans have heard conflicting messages from various parts of the U.S. government. Yet, Fauci said, “there is less disagreement and conflicts than seem to get out into the tweetosphere.” He ticked off a number of prominent scientists in the field — including Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock and covid vaccine inventor Barney Graham — who were on board with his position. All but Graham are members of the White House covid task force. more »

Panel I Simone Biles Houston, TX McKayla Maroney Long Beach, CA Maggie Nichols Little Canada, MN Aly Raisman Boston, MA Panel II The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz Inspector General United States Department of Justice Washington, D.C. The Honorable Christopher A. Wray Director Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington DC  more »

A bill to permit leave to care for an adult child, grandchild, or grandparent who has a serious health condition, and for other purposes. A bill to transition the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and for other purposes. A bill to modify the employer credit for paid family and medical leave. Bringing women policymakers together across party lines to advance issues of importance to women and their families. A bill to enhance criminal penalties for health related stalking. proposals related to the Office on Violence Against Women at the Department of Justice. annual report on veteran access to gender specific services under community care contracts.   Weekly Legislative Update S… more »

Now those statues are coming down as the state religion is being dismantled. World history tells us that it takes about 150 years for major conflicts to be finally resolved. Descendants of two-sided wars continue to squabble for several generations before ceasing to see each other as the enemy. The North/South conflict followed that pattern. I know the country is highly polarized and that the South is mostly on one side of that polarization, but it looks like the Civil War of 1861 is finally ending. more »