Welfare State Weakens... 30 Million Americans Are About To Lose 'COVID' Food Stamp Handouts

 Enhanced benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are set to expire at the end of February. The reduction in food stamps will impact more than 30 million Americans in 32 states -- many of these folks will face a "hunger cliff." 

Bloomberg reported that once the enhanced benefits expire, families will receive at least $95 less per month. Some families could have a reduction of up to $250 per month. 

Households with children will, on average, lose about $223 per month, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research and policy institute. 

"Right now, people are really up against it."

"There's not a lot of cushions to absorb this," said Ellen Vollinger, SNAP director at the Food Research & Action Center, an anti-hunger advocacy group.

Bloomberg mapped out the 32 states where enhanced benefits are ending. 

Recall that SNAP costs soared to a record $119.5 billion in 2022, according to data released by the USDA. 

Food stamp costs have erupted from $60.3 billion in 2019, one year before the pandemic, to a record-setting $119.5 billion in 2022.

In 2019, the average monthly per-person benefit was $129.83 in 2019, according to the USDA. That increased by 78% to $230.88 in 2022.

Even more intriguing is that the number of participants increased from 35.7 million in 2019 to 41.2 million in 2022...

And the increasing number of SNAP participants comes at a time when the Biden administration declared the best jobs market ever. 

What's on the chopping block is part of the Biden administration's welfare state. And many of these people who will see a reduction in benefits starting next month will have to partially fend for themselves in the worst inflation storms in a generation. Meanwhile, many of these folks have limited to no personal savings, maxed-out credit cards, and no safety nets. 

Vollinger has previously described the expiration of enhanced SNAP benefits as a "hunger cliff" and described the number of states set to cut food stamps as "stunning." 

Food insecurity is set to rise even more. 

Perhaps the free ride is over for some SNAP recipients who might have to re-enter the labor market and find a job to cover expenses since the welfare state won't be as generous as it once was. More people searching for work might raise the labor force participation rate and, in return, increase the unemployment rate -- something the Federal Reserve desperately needs to cool off the red-hot jobs market. 

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/30-million-americans-face-imminent-hunger-cliff-food-stamp-benefits-expire-s

Asensus, KARL STORZ to Market Intelligent Surgical Unit

 Asensus Surgical, Inc. (NYSE American: ASXC), a medical device company that is digitizing the interface between the surgeon and the patient to pioneer a new era of Performance-Guided Surgery™, today announced that the Company has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) with KARL STORZ VentureONE Pte. Ltd. (“KARL STORZ”), a wholly owned subsidiary of KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG, a global leader in the medical technologies industry, especially in the area of endoscopes, medical instruments, and devices that offers state-of-the-art technology for minimally invasive procedures in virtually all surgical specialties. As a solution-oriented and innovative partner, the independent family-owned company is in close collaboration with surgeons and health care partners around the globe to enable them to perform at their very best every day to improve patients' lives.

The definitive agreements to be developed under the MoU will include the following components:

o  KARL STORZ intends to market and sell Asensus’ Intelligent Surgical Unit™ (ISU™) as a standalone device together with their IMAGE1 S™ Imaging system and OR1™ integration solution.

o  The companies intend to work together on the integration of the ISU into KARL STORZ's laparoscopic vision systems

o  The companies intend to jointly collaborate on developing next-generation instrumentation to be used with Asensus and KARL STORZ surgical platforms

The detailed terms are currently being negotiated, and definitive agreements will be finalized within 90 days.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/asensus-karl-storz-market-intelligent-115500885.html

Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna gear up for 2024 London trial over COVID vaccine patents

 Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech SE are gearing up for a 2024 trial with Moderna Inc at London's High Court in competing patent lawsuits over their rival COVID-19 vaccines.

The case reached London's High Court for the first time for a preliminary hearing on Thursday, ahead of a trial which is due to take place in April 2024.

Pfizer and BioNTech sued Moderna in London in September, seeking to revoke two of Moderna's patents in relation to its messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines.

Moderna brought its own lawsuit that month over Pfizer and BioNTech’s Comirnaty vaccine, seeking damages for alleged infringement of its patents.

Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna are also engaged in litigation in Germany, the Netherlands and the United States.

Moderna’s German and U.S lawsuits, which were filed on the same day in August, both seek monetary damages. Pfizer and BioNTech are countersuing in the United States.

All three companies are also embroiled in U.S. patent disputes with other companies over the vaccines.

CureVac, which develops mRNA technology, is involved in patent lawsuits with Pfizer and BioNTech in Germany and the United States, as well as at London's High Court, where a trial is expected to take place in July 2024.

Germany's CureVac and Britain's GlaxoSmithKline have been in an mRNA-focused partnership since 2020

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/pfizer-biontech-moderna-gear-2024-160524742.html

UN report identifies new al Qaeda leader with $10 million bounty

 The United Nations this week identified a new de facto leader of the terrorist group al Qaeda, a former Egyptian special forces officer and close affiliate of Osama bin Laden with a $10 million bounty on his head.

A Monday report named Saif al-Adel, a high-ranking al Qaeda official, as the operating and uncontested leader of the organization, as recognized by members of the United Nations.

In late July, a U.S. drone strike ordered by President Biden struck and killed al Qaeda’s former leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in Afghanistan. But his death was not recognized by the organization.

Al Qaeda has not officially named a successor to al-Zawahiri, and al-Adel is not officially recognized as the leader, according to the U.N.

“Most judged a key factor to be the continued presence of [al-Adel] in the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the UN report reads. “This raised difficult theological and operational questions” for al Qaeda.

The State Department is offering a $10 million bounty for information leading to the arrest or conviction of al-Adel, who is wanted for the 1998 bombings at U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, which killed 224 people and injured thousands of others.

According to publicly known information, al-Adel is an Egyptian citizen who served in the nation’s army before he became a key military trainer for al Qaeda in the 1990s. He trained the fighters involved in the ambush of U.S. helicopters and troops in Mogadishu, Somalia, which became the basis for the popular book and movie “Black Hawk Down.”

He also helped train some of the hijackers involved in the deadly 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers in New York.

In 2003, Iranian authorities placed al-Adel on house arrest, but he was released from custody in 2015 during an exchange for an Iranian diplomat captured by al Qaeda.

The U.S. government says al-Adel was also key to the formation of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

https://thehill.com/policy/international/3859954-united-nations-report-identifies-new-al-qaida-leader-with-10-million-bounty/

NTSB: Video shows Ohio train wheel bearing in ‘final stage of overheat failure’ before derailment

 National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) inspectors are investigating the Feb. 3 Ohio train derailment using video footage to gain insights into what caused the chemical disaster, in which 20 cars of hazardous materials went off the tracks.

The NTSB has identified the initial rail car to blame for the incident, and said in a statement on Tuesday that a video from a residence showed the car’s wheel bearing was “in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment.” Investigators said that they collected the wheel set from the railcar as well as the wheel bearing to be examined by engineers from NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, D.C.

The NTSB said that the tank cars were “currently” being decontaminated, and that inspectors will return once that process is complete to conduct a “thorough” investigation of the cars. They are still investigating the exact cause of the derailment using documentation, event recorder data and interviews, and they expect to publish a preliminary report in two weeks.

The Norfolk Southern train carrying multiple hazardous materials prompted evacuations from the town of East Palestine, Ohio, when it went off the tracks. NTSB officials said in their statement that the train was carrying 20 cars with hazardous materials, and 11 of those rail cars derailed.

Officials conducted a “controlled” release of the chemicals to prevent an explosion, but concerns remain about environmental threats related to water, wildlife and people’s health.

Mary Mertz, the director of Ohio’s Department of Natural Resources, said at a press conference Tuesday that an estimated 3,500 fish of 12 different species died in nearby waterways after the derailment, adding that none of the species were endangered.

Those nearby who have private water wells have been encouraged to use bottled water, which will be provided by Norfolk Southern, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said in a statement last week.

The company said in a statement Monday that it conducted water testing in municipal drinking water and public and private wells, and results will be available next week.

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/3859080-ntsb-video-shows-ohio-train-wheel-bearing-in-final-stage-of-overheat-failure-before-derailment/

China sanctions Lockheed Martin, Raytheon over weapons sales to Taiwan

 China on Thursday sanctioned Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, two of the largest American defense contractors, over arms sales to the self-governing island nation of Taiwan.

Both companies are prohibited from making new investments in China and engaging in trade and business, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said in a Thursday statement.

It’s not immediately clear what the impact of the sanctions would have on the arms manufacturers, as the U.S. has already barred the sales of weapons technology to China.

In September, the U.S. announced a $1.1 billion contract for Taiwan that included Harpoon anti-ship missiles and Sidewinder anti-air missiles, as well as a large contract for Raytheon to improve the nation’s radar system.

China has announced sanctions on Raytheon and Lockheed Martin before, including last February after a $100 million arms sale to Taiwan was announced.

Previous sanctions have been less clear on how Beijing would impose penalties and restrictions on the companies.

The U.S. and China are increasingly strained on the nation of Taiwan, which Beijing sees as part of the mainland. The ruling communist party has stepped up the rhetoric in recent years on taking it back, potentially by force.

The U.S. recognizes that Taiwan is a part of China but commits to informal relations with the self-governing nation and is the biggest provider of military weapons and equipment to the island.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed by Congress last year included $10 billion spread out over five years to support Taiwan.

China’s sanctions on the arms manufacturers come just days after the U.S. blacklisted six entities involved in the country’s sprawling spy balloon program.

Tensions between Beijing and Washington have reached new heights after a massive spy balloon drifted across much of the continental U.S. earlier this month before it was shot down by a fighter jet off the coast of South Carolina.

https://thehill.com/homenews/3861165-china-sanctions-lockheed-martin-raytheon-over-weapons-sales-to-taiwan/

Sherrod Brown calls on Ohio governor to declare disaster over East Palestine derailment

 Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) on Thursday called on Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) to declare a disaster following the derailment in East Palestine of a train containing several cars of hazardous chemicals.

In a letter, Brown praised DeWine’s handling of the incident but called for a formal declaration from the governor’s office to allow the state to request federal aid in the cleanup process.

“A man-made disaster of this scale, scope, and significance necessitates a response and deployment of resources that are commensurate in scale and scope,” Brown wrote. “I’m grateful for all that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Emergency Management Agency, local fire fighters, and local law enforcement have done to respond to this unprecedented disaster, but it’s critical we act quickly to supplement those efforts. Additional federal resources can and should play a critical role in helping our fellow Ohioans get back on their feet and ensure that their community is a safe place to live, work, and raise a family.”

The train, operated by the Norfolk Southern railroad, derailed Feb. 3 in the town on the Pennsylvania border, spilling various substances including vinyl chloride, a toxic chemical used to produce plastics. Officials evacuated the town but allowed residents to return days later.

State officials have said the air and the water remain safe after testing. However, observers and residents remain particularly concerned about potential contamination of the Ohio River, which provides drinking water to millions of people. Local officials have confirmed at least 3,500 fish have died since the spill.

In a press conference Wednesday, DeWine said President Biden has offered any assistance the state needs but that the governor had deemed it unnecessary at this stage. EPA Administrator Michael Regan traveled to the town Thursday and is set to deliver remarks this afternoon.

The Hill has reached out to DeWine’s office and Brown’s fellow Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance (R) for comment.

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/3861480-sherrod-brown-calls-on-ohio-governor-to-declare-disaster-over-east-palestine-derailment/