Women of Note
91.0% Efficacy In Preventing Symtomatic Disease: US Clinical Trial Results Show Novavax Vaccine is Safe and Prevents COVID-19
Results from a Phase 3 clinical trial enrolling 29,960 adult volunteers in the United States and Mexico show that the investigational vaccine known as NVX-CoV2373 demonstrated 90.4% efficacy in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 disease. The candidate showed 100% protection against moderate and severe disease. In people at high risk of developing complications from COVID-19 (people 65 years or older and people under age 65 with certain comorbidities or with likely regular exposure to COVID-19), the vaccine showed 91.0% efficacy in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 disease. more »
The Scout Report: Seacoast Science Center, British Science Week, World War II Alaska, American Hiking Society's Hiking 101 Portal, Portland Women's History Trail
Scouting for the next grand adventure? The Hiking Project is ready to help, welcoming users to "explore 243,117 miles of hiking trails." Investigate by location using the search bar or use one of the many available filters to narrow by feature. Those looking for the best hiking spots, regardless of location, should check out the Top Hikes page, which recognizes routes with the highest user ratings. Alternatively, visitors can scroll through the Trail Directory (found under the Trail Guide tab), which catalogs hiking destinations by U.S. state or country. The app is also available on the Apple App Store and Google Play for mobile use. One of its notable features is the ability to go signal free, making maps accessible in more remote locations. Because the guide is crowd-sourced, readers are also welcome to submit their own trail information and images (note that submissions are reviewed for accuracy before content appears on the site). Contributors may even be honored with a feature on the Best Photos page. [EMB] more »
Jo Freeman Reviews Mazie's Hirono's Heart of Fire: An Immigrant Daughter's Story
Jo Freeman Reviews: Mazie Hirono's first four years in the Senate were relatively uneventful, as she dug down and learned the job. When Trump became President, Hirono pulled out her sword. His acts, appointments and words represented everything she disliked. There’s a lot on the Kavanaugh hearings where, as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, she questioned Kavanaugh about his alleged sexual assaults. There’s also a lot on immigration (one of her pet issues) and the “Chinese virus.” Hirono’s political career coincided with the rise of political women from bit players to major leaguers. Her stories illustrate the forward steps as well as the backward ones. This book is a tribute to success, both hers and that of other women. more »
Federal Reserve's Lael Brainard: Private Money and Central Bank Money as Payments Go Digital: an Update on CBDCs
"Technology is driving dramatic change in the US payments system, which is a vital infrastructure that touches everyone. The pandemic accelerated the migration to contactless transactions and highlighted the importance of access to safe, timely, and low-cost payments for all. With technology platforms introducing digital private money into the US payments system, and foreign authorities exploring the potential for central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) in cross-border payments, the Federal Reserve is stepping up its research and public engagement on CBDCs. more »