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Thursday, February 10, 2022

Macron refused Russian COVID-19 test before Putin meeting, didn't want to give Moscow his DNA: report

 French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly refused to take a Russian COVID-19 test ahead of his meeting with President Vladimir Putin this week, with his aides citing concerns that he did not want Moscow to have access to his DNA.

Individuals with knowledge of the situation told Reuters that Macron was presented with the option to take a Russian PCR test or to follow more strict social distancing protocols if he refused ahead of a Monday meeting to discuss the swelling crisis surrounding Ukraine. 

As a result of Macron declining the test, both leaders were sat at opposite ends of a 13-foot table during the meeting, an image that was widely shared on social media.

“We knew very well that meant no handshake and that long table. But we could not accept that they get their hands on the president’s DNA,” one of the sources told Reuters.

Another person confirmed to the news outlet that Macron took a French PCR test before he left France and had his own doctor give him an antigen test once he arrived in Russia.

“The Russians told us Putin needed to be kept in a strict health bubble,” the individual reportedly said.

In contrast to Macron's meeting with Putin, Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited Russia on Thursday where he sat close to Putin and shook his hand, Reuters noted.

https://thehill.com/policy/international/russia/593792-macron-refused-russian-covid-19-test-before-putin-meeting-didnt

Third US-Canada border crossing blocked by 'Freedom Convoy' protests

 A third border crossing between the U.S. and Canada has been blocked by the "Freedom Convoy" protest by truck drivers in Canada. 

A demonstration involving a large number of vehicles & farm equipment is blocking the Emerson Port of Entry,” the Royal Canadian Mountain Police in Manitoba tweeted Thursday morning, referring to the border to North Dakota. 

“No traffic is getting through either northbound or southbound. The Port of Entry is shut down. Please avoid the area. #rcmpmb is on scene,” it added. 

It is the third day of protests as truckers rally against COVID-19 vaccine mandates that have been implemented in Canada. 

The other two road closures earlier this week due to the protests included Ambassador Bridge from Detroit to Windsor, Canada and Coutts border crossing from Montana to Alberta, Canada

Police in Ottawa said Wednesday people could be arrested without a warrant for blocking traffic.

"The unlawful act of blocking streets in the downtown core is resulting in people being denied the lawful use, enjoyment and operation of their property," the department said. "We are providing you notice that anyone blocking streets or assisting others in the blocking of streets may be committing a criminal offence."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also decried the protests that have disrupted some industries, with auto manufactures having to scale back or halt operations due to the delays. 

The protests have fueled demonstrations in other countries against COVID-19 mandates, with authorities warning the U.S. could see similar disruptions soon.

https://thehill.com/policy/international/593823-third-us-canada-border-crossing-blocked-by-freedom-convoy-protests

Texas abortions dropped 60 percent after heartbeat law took effect

 Abortions in Texas dropped nearly 60 percent in the first month the most restrictive abortion law in the nation was in effect, according to state data.

The number of abortions performed in the state fell from 5,404 in August to just ​​2,197 in September. The Texas heartbeat law, S.B. 8, bans all abortions after fetal cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks of pregnancy, before most women know they are pregnant. 

The figures from the Texas Health Department, which were released earlier this month, show the dramatic impact of the law just one month after it took effect. Data has not been released for the rest of 2021 beyond September.

The law authorizes citizens to file private lawsuits against those who perform, aid or abet an abortion after six weeks. Successful suits under S.B. 8, which contains no exceptions for rape or incest, fetch at least $10,000.

So far, no lawsuits have been filed, but several clinics ceased providing abortions. 

The ban conflicts with Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that recognized a constitutional right to abortion before a fetus is viable, typically around 24 weeks of pregnancy. But the law was deliberately written to circumvent the ruling. So despite challenges, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to block the law. 

The high court remanded the case to the conservative 5th Circuit, which then sent the lawsuit to the Texas Supreme Court, which is controlled entirely by Republicans.

Abortions in 2021 peaked highest in March at just over 5,600, when the law was first introduced, and again in August, just before it took effect on September 1. Notably, only two abortions in September occurred after eight weeks. 

Advocates say the impact of S.B. 8 has fallen hardest on poor people, as well as Black and brown communities, and neighboring states have reported an influx of Texas residents seeking abortions, according to abortion rights advocates.

Abortion clinics in 11 other states and the District of Columbia reported to the Guttmacher Institute that they had performed abortions on Texas residents since the law took effect.

The data consistently showed slightly more medication abortions performed throughout 2021, but in September the gap widened dramatically, as there were more than twice as many nonsurgical abortions.

In contrast to a surgical abortion, which takes place in a clinic, a medication abortion involves two pills, taken 48 hours apart, to end a pregnancy.

But Texas is also cracking down on abortion drugs. A law passed in December bans prescribing abortion-inducing medication to anyone more than seven weeks pregnant, and made it a felony to prescribe those medications through the mail or telehealth.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/593770-texas-abortions-dropped-60-percent-after-heartbeat-law-took-effect

Can Mark Cuban Slash Drug Costs?

 Last month, Mark Cuban, the billionaire serial entrepreneur and star of NBC’s Shark Tank, announced the launch of an online pharmacy with a mission to drive down the cost of generic drugs. Generic drug prices often greatly exceed manufacturing costs, though competition is generally uninhibited by patents. But because insurance plans typically have very low copays for preferred generic drugs, Cuban’s new firm may struggle to make a significant impact on the marketplace, even if it substantially undercuts existing providers on price.

Until recent decades, prescription drugs were a modest, low-variance expense, often not covered by insurance. As recently as 1980, 72 percent of drug spending was paid for out-of-pocket. But as drug-development costs have escalated rapidly and the expense of courses of treatment regularly now amounts to tens of thousands of dollars, insurance coverage has increasingly been broadened to cover prescription drugs. In 2006, Medicare’s Part D prescription drug benefit went into operation; by 2019, less than 15 percent of drug spending was paid for out of pocket.

The rise of third-party purchasing for prescription drugs has fueled more investment in developing new drugs—a process that improves the value of health care overall. However, it may have also increased the prices of older drugs, a consequence that confers no such benefit.

Generic drugs account for 90 percent of prescriptions in the United States. Prices for drugs fall rapidly after the expiry of patents. Whereas a one-month prescription of Lipitor, the blockbuster drug used to treat high cholesterol, typically cost $165 in 2011, generic versions now go for $8 in grocery stores.

Yet, while pharmaceutical prices are supposed to decline following the expiry of market exclusivity protections, how much they actually fall depends on the intensity of competition that arises. Drugs for rare conditions offer the prospect of patient populations too small to lure competitors into undercutting incumbents aggressively on price. A single manufacturer may therefore in practice retain a monopoly over supply, even when competition is legally allowed. This was notoriously exploited by hedge-fund manager Martin Shkreli, who engaged in a concerted strategy of acquiring old neglected drugs and hiking their prices by as much as 5,000 percent.

Sensing an opportunity to do well by doing good, the Dallas-based entrepreneur has launched the Mark Cuban CostPlus Drug Company. The firm notes that generic drugs can cost pennies to make but are often sold for far more. Its CEO, Alex Oshmyansky, argues that prices for generic drugs are inflated by pharmacy benefit managers (such as Express Scripts or Optum), who negotiate the purchase of drugs on behalf of insurers and often fail to pass rebates and discounts to patients.

Cuban’s company is pledging to sell a growing range of generic drugs online at cost plus 15 percent, plus a $3 fee for pharmacists, plus $5 shipping. The MCCPDC website promises enormous discounts relative to “retail prices.” It offers a 30-pill supply of the leukemia drug Imatinib (best known under the brand-name Gleevec) for $17 rather than for a “retail price” of $2,500. In reality, the drug is already typically available at a discounted price of $40 to those paying out of pocket. MCCPDC’s $3.90 price for 30 20-milligram capsules of Fluoxetine (Prozac) is much lower than the $23 “retail price” it cites—but little different from the $4.00 at which Walmart already sells it.

Nonetheless, Cuban’s firm in general offers substantial savings. So, to ask a question typical of Shark Tank: “Why hasn’t anyone else done this yet?” If drugs were still purchased predominantly by individuals paying out of pocket, those price differences would be enough to win substantial market share. Yet, over 90 percent of Americans now have health-insurance coverage that pays for prescription drugs. The median standard copay in 2022 for preferred generic drugs covered by Medicare Part D is zero dollars. Copays for generics are often similarly negligible for Medicaid and many private insurance plans.

The market for Cuban’s drug company is therefore likely to be limited to the uninsured and those with skimpy insurance coverage. This may still be sufficient to allow it to trim prices a bit for popular drugs where volumes and economies of scale are high. But the firm may struggle to do so for rare diseases, where the problem of high generic drug costs is currently most substantial.

Rep. Roy Introduces Bill To Reinstate Troops Discharged For Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine

 by Isabel van Brugen via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

A group of Republican lawmakers led by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) unveiled a bill on Feb. 8 that would reinstate troops fired for not complying with the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The Service Restoration Act (pdfwould “ensure that American servicemen and women in uniform are not fired for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine and that those already fired can return to military service,” a release from the Republican’s office said.

Roy’s office noted that hundreds of “battle-ready service members” have been separated from the Armed Forces as a result of the mandate, which was announced by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in August 2021.

“Worse, the Department of Defense (DOD) has denied many medical and religious exemptions, which has resulted in forcing service members to choose either their faith or livelihoods,” it said.

The bill would prohibit federal funds from being used to require a member of the Armed Forces to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and would require Austin to reinstate members of the Armed Forces who wish to return to duty at the same rank.

It would also ensure that Austin counts the service members’ time separated from the military toward their retirement benefits, and expunge from the service members’ record any adverse action due to refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

Co-sponsors to the bill include Reps. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.), Michael Cloud (R-Texas), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Van Taylor (R-Texas), Bill Posey (R-Fla.), Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.), and Bob Good (R-Va.).

“Because of President [Joe] Biden’s power-hungry, anti-science COVID-19 vaccine mandate, hundreds of valuable American service members are being forced out of our military, taking with them years of subject-matter expertise, careers of selfless sacrifice, and lifelong dreams of military service. This is strategically foolish, profoundly unamerican, and completely unacceptable,” Roy said in a statement on the legislation.

The lawmaker added, “I introduced the Service Restoration Act to ensure that the brave men and women of our armed forces are not fired over this wrong-headed mandate—whether it be for a medical, religious, conscientious or any reason—and that those already dismissed are able to get back to honorably serving their country with their time of service and their records rightfully restored.”

The measure came as the Air Force on Tuesday became the second U.S. military branch to approve religious exemptions to the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine, although the nine approved so far represent just a fraction of the more than 6,400 requested by Air Force troops.

The Marine Corps is the only other military service to grant any religious accommodations, allowing three so far. On Jan. 13, it granted religious exemptions to the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, nearly two months after the vaccination deadline for active-duty Marines.

The Army and Navy have not approved any religious exemptions. As of Jan. 26, the Army had rejected 266 requests for permanent religious exemptions.

The Navy in its latest release on Feb. 2 noted that there have been 118 “separations” so far for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. Court documents dated Feb. 3 note out of 4,095 total initial requests, the Navy has denied 3,278 and 285 are under review.

As of Feb. 3, a total of 3,458 requests for religious accommodation out of 3,539 initial requests have been rejected by the U.S. Marine Corps, while 81 requests are pending review, court papers show.

The U.S. Coast Guard has denied 578 of 1,308 initial requests for religious exemption from the vaccine mandate, and 715 requests are under review.

The military services have come under criticism for their failure to grant religious exemptions, with members of Congress, the military, and the public questioning if the review processes have been fair. Altogether, the services have received more than 14,000 requests for religious exemptions.

Austin and military leaders have argued that the vaccine is critical to maintaining military readiness and the health of the force. And all of the services have now either discharged personnel for refusing the vaccine or put a system in place to do so.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.

https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/rep-roy-introduces-bill-reinstate-troops-discharged-refusing-covid-19-vaccine

Medicare would pay for part of Post Office bailout

 by Cesar Ybarra via RealClear Policy (emphasis ours),

A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers are considering giving the politically-troubled and financially-insolvent United States Postal Service (USPS) a $58 billion taxpayer and Medicare bailoutunless House and Senate conservatives step in and stop this from happening. 

For those who haven’t been keeping tabs on the Postal Service, the agency has recently focused on politically-motivated activity instead of adhering to its mission of delivering mail to the American people in a cost-effective, efficient, and timely manner. 

One report uncovered a Postal Service effort to produce a mobile voting system by secretly testing it on a blockchain-based system. The USPS conducted this test without involving the federal agencies tasked with overseeing the security of our elections infrastructure and then buried the results that showed how easy it was for hackers to penetrate the mobile system. 

Another troubling report sheds light on the Postal Service’s Internet Covert Operations Program (iCOP), a surveillance campaign that aimed to track “inflammatory” content on social media sites and flag it for relevant government agencies–ultimately, adding yet another layer to our federal surveillance state.

From unwinding its politically-charged operations to addressing its financial shortfalls, the Postal Service is in serious need of reform. Members of Congress have responded to the necessity for reform; but, in typical congressional fashion, their legislative proposal exacerbates the problems rather than solves them. 

Enter the Postal Service Reform Act (PSRA), a bill spearheaded by House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and Ranking Member James Comer. This legislation was introduced to ostensibly “put the USPS on the path towards fiscal sustainability and efficiency.” However, the text of the legislation indicates otherwise. 

Current law requires the Postal Service to prefund payments for future retirees’ health care benefits. But because the USPS has been unable to meet these obligations for years, postal union bosses are now strongly advocating for the repeal of this requirement and looking to shift the financial burden to taxpayers and Medicare funds. The Postal Service Reform Act will create a $58 billion bailout for an agency that cannot get its finances under control. 

Simply erasing debts doesn't mean that the red ink will stop flowing or that the nefarious accounting of the USPS will change in the least. Fiscally damaging practices, like underpricing USPS packages by $1.46, are sure to continue in perpetuity unless something is done. The fiscal relief that the Postal Service seeks would do nothing more than force everyone else to pay for the collateral damage.    

More specifically, the PSRA further burdens the Medicare program with new debt by integrating USPS retirees into the soon-to-be insolvent program. Not only would this cause Medicare to hemorrhage further, but it would also hurt retirees by raising costs and reducing benefits. That’s why the National Active and Retired Federal Employees expressed concerns about Medicare integration, saying that integration “could raise premiums for federal employees and retirees.”

Proponents of the PSRA also falsely claim that the bill is needed to restore service quality. In reality, the bill would actually make postal service quality worse by allowing USPS to unilaterally hurt delivery times and “relax service standards.” 

Buried within the proposal lies another damaging provision, which states, in part: “The Postal Service shall maintain an integrated network for the delivery of market-dominant and competitive products.” This proposed integrated network mandate would make it impossible for the USPS to know where it makes money and where it does not as it gives the USPS the authority to bundle expenses and earnings of its package business alongside its letter mail service. The last thing Congress should be considering is the creation of shady accounting mechanisms that let the USPS off the hook for their troubled financial and accounting shortfalls. 

Unfortunately, there is a bipartisan group of lawmakers willing to let the USPS off the hook for its unaccountable finances and deeply hurt Medicare in the process. House conservatives must demand answers from the USPS on their politically-charged operations and work towards thorough fiscal transparency and better legislative solutions than those offered in the Postal Service Reform Act. 

Cesar Ybarra is the Vice President of Legislative Affairs at FreedomWorks.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/time-conservatives-crack-down-postal-service

Mask confusion reigns at shops around NYC on first day Hochul’s mandate lifted

 The lifting of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s statewide mask mandate sparked confusion on Thursday — as some Big Apple shops still had signs in their windows citing the controversial order.

At a Starbucks in Midtown Manhattan, a barista said she “didn’t really know” about Hochul’s sudden about-face on face coverings, adding, “They keep changing it.”

But the manager said he planned to replace the store’s outdated sign with another saying that masks were instead recommended for customers.

“I’m going to print it out,” he said.

“I think it’s pretty good. The cases are going down dramatically. Employees will keep wearing the masks.”

At another Starbucks in Bayside, Queens, workers were uniformly unaware of Wednesday’s development, with one barista saying the company “didn’t tell us anything.”

When informed that the mandate had ended, the worker began eagerly removing his mask before being advised that his employer had the last word on the matter.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul
Gov. Kathy Hochul this week dropped the state’s “mask or vax” mandate on businesses.
James Messerschmidt

The java giant’s website says that customers have to wear masks if “mandated by local law or regulation” but that “all company-operated store partners are required, regardless of vaccination status, to wear facial coverings while on shift.”

The Whole Foods supermarket across from Manhattan’s Bryant Park still had a large sign at the entrance that said “state or local mandates” required face coverings “for everyone in our stores.”

But The Post found one customer inside who was maskless.

Worker here asked about the new rules for not having to wear a mask indoor commercial establishments by reporter Christine N. Kinokuniya book store, 1073 6 ave., mhtn.
New Yorkers and visitors are puzzled by signs acknowledging New York state’s now lifted mask requirements in stores.
Robert Miller

“I have natural immunity,” said the man, who declined to give his name. “It should be lifted everywhere. I believe in natural immunity.”

Shopper Micho Fujii, 40, kept her mask on inside the store even though she knew the mandate was no longer in effect.

“I heard about it, but our company, my office, still requires that we wear masks, especially when we meet with other people,” she said.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul
Gov. Kathy Hochul has yet to announce if mask mandates will still be active in schools.
James Messerschmidt
Micho Fujii, age 40 Speaking in front of Whole Foods located at 1095 6 ave., Manhattan.
Micho Fujii plans to keep wearing masks because her company has a mandate.
Robert Miller

Outside, nurse Cami Jones, 26, of Connecticut, said, “I, personally, am a huge fan of not wearing masks.”

“I take care of COVID patients, and it is my opinion, but unless you’re wearing it an N95, it’s useless anyways,” she said.

“And I’m like, I also don’t believe in living in fear and I believe that we are vaccinated and we’re doing everything we can.”

Rachel (left), a nurse from San Francisco, says lifting mask mandates are “reasonable” given high vaccination rates and declining positive cases.
Rachel (left), a nurse from San Francisco, says lifting mask mandates are “reasonable” given high vaccination rates and declining positive cases.
Robert Miller

Jones’ pal, a nurse from San Francisco who gave her name as Rachel, said she agreed with lifting the mandate “if case rates are low and vaccination rates are high and the likelihood of an influx of patients into the hospital and the damage and stress that goes on the healthcare system and healthcare workers is deemed reasonable.”

But, she added, “I do think it was shown that masks made a big difference … regardless of whether they were N95.”

At the nearby Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya USA, a female employee took down the store’s sign after The Post inquired about it.

Worker here asked about the new rules for not having to wear a mask indoor commercial establishments by reporter Christine N. Kinokuniya book store, 1073 6 ave., mhtn.
Some retailers and shops were unaware of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s announcement of removing mask mandates.
Robert Miller
Nurse Cami Jones (right) argues surgical and cloth masks are “useless” against COVID-19 exposure.
Nurse Cami Jones (right) says surgical and cloth masks are “useless” against COVID-19 exposure.
Robert Miller

“We just heard the state mandate has been lifted,” she said.

“Employees will keep wearing the masks, but for customers, it’s not required.”

The woman added: “I prefer to wear a mask inside. The situation is getting lighter, but a lot of people are still getting this sickness. I want to keep wearing my mask for a while.”

Manhattan bookstore Kinokuniya USA requires employees to wear masks after Gov. Kathy Hochul’s announcement.
Manhattan bookstore Kinokuniya USA requires employees to wear masks despite Gov. Kathy Hochul’s announcement.
Robert Miller

A large sign outside a Walgreens store in Bayside said “Face Masks Required” even though the manager acknowledged knowing about the lifting of the mandate.

“The company hasn’t told us anything so we’re keeping the mandate,” the manager said.

“We’re all wearing a mask.”

A worker removed a mask required sign at bookstore Kinokuniya USA in Manhattan.
A worker removed a mask-required sign at bookstore Kinokuniya USA in Manhattan.
Robert Miller

The second-generation owner of Bayside Milk Farm, a gourmet grocery store, welcomed Hochul’s move and said he’d “probably pull the signs today or tomorrow.”

“Customers do fight with each other about the masks, at least 20 times — cursing, yelling,” said Pat Perulli, 54.

“One guy waited outside and stalked the woman in the parking lot. She had to call her husband! Thank God, we don’t have to deal with that anymore.”

https://nypost.com/2022/02/10/mask-confusion-reigns-in-nyc-on-first-day-hochuls-mandate-lifted/