Controversial mRNA Technology Now Targeting Livestock

 by Allan Stein via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

At least five states have introduced bills restricting the use of controversial mRNA technology or gene therapies in livestock or demand full disclosure to consumers on product packaging.

The states considering legislation include North Dakota, Tennessee, Arizona, Idaho, and Missouri.

Idaho House Bill 154 would make it a misdemeanor offense for anyone who provides or administers a vaccine using mRNA technology “for use in an individual or any other mammal in this state.”

Arizona House Bill 2762 requires conspicuous labeling of all aquatic, livestock, or poultry products that received mRNA vaccines, and prohibits these products from being labeled as organic.

Tennessee House Bill 0099 amends an existing law to prohibit the manufacture or sale of livestock or meat that contains mRNA “vaccine of vaccines materials” without a conspicuous label that there are such ingredients in the product.

In North Dakota, state lawmakers filed SB2384, which seeks to ban the use of mRNA vaccines in humans and to introduce a penalty for anyone breaking the prohibition.

Missouri State Rep. Holly Jones, a Republican, is the lead sponsor of a bill requiring product labeling of all livestock meat containing “potential gene therapy products.

“We label everything around the world. We label non-GMO. We label GMO. We label grass-fed. We label no antibiotics used. We label manufactured in a plant that has nuts,” Jones said.

“We should label anything that has not been proven safe and effective. As we’ve seen with the COVID vaccines, they’re neither safe nor effective. Even the CDC has come out with that.”

While HB1169 does not mention mRNA by name, the proposed ban would include all “potential gene therapy products.”

The House Emerging Issues subcommittee will review an amended bill on April 19. Jones is a member of that committee.

The bill would require labeling of any product created to act as a potential gene therapy, or that could “otherwise possibly impact, alter, or introduce genetic material or a genetic change into the user of the product.”

Cattle in Lismore, New South Wales state, in Australia on March 1, 2022. (SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)

It would include anyone exposed to the product or people “exposed to others who have used the product.”

With the passage of HB1169, the law would require livestock farmers and producers in Missouri to fully display on product packaging mRNA technology used in cows, pigs, and other livestock under the rule of informed consent.

Already In Development

“They would have to tell us if they begin using those things. As it is currently, almost all states do not,” Jones said.

Jones said she confirmed through multiple agricultural sources that mRNA programs for U.S. livestock are “in the works.”

“It is in the pipeline. Australia is already doing that.”

According to a statement from the Queensland government in Australia, scientists are working to develop an mRNA-related vaccine to combat the threat of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in beef cattle with $1.5 million invested.

“A new mRNA vaccine would be a game changer as the live virus vaccines currently available overseas cannot be used in Australia,” said Mark Furner—the Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities—in the statement.

“Using existing vaccines here would result in us losing our disease-free status,” Furner added.

A screenshot of the Queensland government announcing the creation of an mRNA vaccine for cattle, on April 19, 2023. (Screenshot by The Epoch Times)

With mRNA technology, as in COVID-19 vaccines, the injections introduce a virus fragment into cells, teaching them how to produce a specific antibody against the disease.

The Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine Department at Iowa State University is developing an mRNA-based cattle vaccine for the bovine respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Untreated, RSV can lead to pneumonia in cows.

The federal grant program aims to develop a “novel mRNA system” that provides immune protection against RSV.

“We hypothesize that a [mRNA injection] delivered continuously by vaccine implant will lead to prolonged and robust cellular and antibody immunity,” according to a program summary in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Research, Education, and Economics Information System (REEIS).

“Here, we will optimize our vaccine further and then test for potential correlates of protection to examine for in eventually challenged cows.”

No Labeling of Foreign Meat

In 2016, the U.S. Congress removed a labeling law requiring the country of origin on meat products.

https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/controversial-mrna-technology-now-targeting-livestock

Vermont becomes latest state to outlaw child marriage, raising eligibility age to 18

 People in Vermont that want to get married have to be at least 18 starting in July, according to a new law signed on Thursday.

Republican Gov. Phil Scott’s signature officially made the Freedom and Unity State the eighth in the country to end child marriage.

Under current law, Vermonters aged 16 and 17 can get married, but only with the consent of one parent. The new law takes effect July 1.

The other seven states that have outlawed the practice for people under 18, all since 2018, are Delaware, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New York, and Minnesota, according to nonprofit group Unchained At Last.

West Virginia outlawed child marriages for people younger than 16 in March, but it is considered a weaker bill by Unchained At Last because the other states have set the legal age for marriage at 18.

Supporters argue ending child marriage has the potential to better the education and lives of teenagers and reduce rates of domestic violence and unwanted pregnancies.

https://thehill.com/homenews/3963334-vermont-becomes-latest-state-to-outlaw-child-marriage-raising-eligibility-age-to-18/

Apellis: 4 Marketing Applications for Pegcetacoplan for Geographic Atrophy Validated

 

• Applications are under review in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland
   
• Approval decisions expected in the first half of 2024

 Apellis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: APLS), a global biopharmaceutical company and leader in complement, today announced that the company has received validation of its marketing applications by regulatory authorities in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland for intravitreal pegcetacoplan for the treatment of geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Decisions by local regulatory authorities in these countries are expected in the first half of 2024.

https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/apellis-announces-validation-of-four-marketing-applications-for-pegcetacoplan-for-geographic-atrophy/

We Place Age Requirements on Lots of Things. Why Not Gender Surgeries?

 My daughter recently celebrated her 18th birthday. She was excited for all the reasons young people generally like crossing that threshold, the biggest among them being that they're just a bit closer to full-fledged adulthood. That doesn't stop a lot of them from living with their parents—or living off them—well into their late 20s, of course, but that's the mom and dad's fault.

On her 18th, my daughter shared with us all the things she was now permitted to do that only a day before she wasn't. It turns out that for as long as grown ups have been grown ups and kids have been kids, there've been all kinds of legal and private prohibitions for people under 18. Grown ups, aka "old people," place those restrictions not because we want to torture our children with oppressive rules (ok, maybe we do, but only because our parents did the same thing to us) but because we hope to protect them from harm. And from themselves.

At the moment, Americans are debating and discussing an issue never before imagined, let alone considered, in modern or pre-modern life: whether or not it should be legally permissible for children under 18 to have medical procedures categorized broadly as sex reassignment surgery.

Given the gravity—and permanency—of such surgeries and how little we know about their lasting benefits or harms, it's understandable that vast majorities of Americans want to prohibit such a thing.

For context, it's worth running through the long list of prohibitions and restrictions my daughter gleefully reported no longer apply to her under Mississippi and U.S. law (though mom and dad, buzzkills that we are, did point out that so long as she lives under our roof, an extra-legal set of rules—ours—exists that supersede all other laws but God's).

These are just 25 of the things (there are plenty more) my 18-year-old daughter could not do just days ago, that she can now do today—none of which Americans are presently raising hell about. And all of which pale in comparison to the gravity and life-altering nature of sex-change operations:

(1) Join the military without parental consent, (2) vote, (3) draft her will (rather macabre, but permitted), (4) buy a lottery ticket (a daughter can dream), (5) declare her independence and leave home (a daughter and her parents can dream), (6) buy and use tobacco products in some states, (7) give consent to medical care, (8) sell and buy real estate, (9) buy pornography or act in a pornographic movie, (10) become a notary public, (11) apply for loans (mom and dad will not be co-signing anything, so don't ask, dear), (12) run the New York or Boston Marathon (if you're like mom and dad, you'll never sign up for a 1K let alone a marathon), (13) operate a meat or deli slicer (a solid practical skill), (14) buy medicines like cough suppressants, (15) sue someone (hopefully not mom and dad), (16) sign a contract, (17) be called to jury duty, (18) open a brokerage account (we've recently shared with her what $1,000 invested in Berkshire Hathaway would be worth today if we invested in the stock decades ago and she's still mad at us that we didn't), (19) buy a pet, (20) adopt (we love the idea so long as it's a pet), (21) get married in any state (to a man who's gainfully employed with no serious prior arrests), (22) get a Costco card, (23) get tattoos, (24) pawn her belongings (which are mostly ours so that might prove difficult), and (25) bet on a racehorse (highly discouraged by dad because the track vigorish is obscenely high).

An additional—and quite serious—change in my daughter's new status has to do with adult responsibility and criminal behavior. In most states, crossing the 18-year-old threshold automatically subjects individuals to adult jurisdiction—though all allow juveniles to be transferred to adult court depending on the nature and severity of the crime.

My daughter still needs to wait three more years to enjoy the full privileges and rights of adulthood, including buying and drinking alcohol, going to a casino and renting a vehicle. But for now, she's quite content with the breadth of new freedoms she can enjoy if she chooses—and we consent.

It's clear that society has long cared about what kids under 18 can and can't do. The rules are formulated by adults with the interest of all of our kids in mind. And though we may disagree with some or all of these prohibitions as parents (my daughter is a pretty good blackjack player and I wish we could sit down at a table in Vegas and experience the thrill of a dealer on a cold streak), there is something we can do about it: call our elected representatives and get the law changed. I am sure my wife wouldn't be pleased if I take up the cause of lowering the legal gambling age—but that's my cross to bear.

The plain truth is that none of these laws or prohibitions have anything to do with bigotry and hate, and to accuse Americans of such things is itself hateful. Indeed, those laws and prohibitions have everything to do with love.

The rules and laws are enacted for the sake of young people. For their good. And society's.

Lee Habeeb is vice president of content for Salem Radio Network and host of Our American Stories.

https://www.newsweek.com/we-place-age-requirements-lots-things-why-not-gender-surgeries-opinion-1794801

Biden family the GOAT of corruption

 "No one f--ks with a Biden." That statement by President Joe Biden last year to a Florida mayor seems than just a boast after a whistleblower at the Internal Revenue Service recently surfaced. The Wall Street Journal reported that a career IRS Criminal Supervisory Agent has alleged preferential treatment given to Hunter Biden in tax investigations. The whistleblower also alleges that he or she has information that contradicts the testimony of "a senior Biden political appointee."

The timing of the letter itself was notable. For years, the Democratically controlled committees blocked any investigation into allegations of corruption and influence peddling by the Biden family. Before the takeover by the Republicans in the House, this whistleblower would have had little reason to seek protection from a Committee with demonstrably little interest in such allegations.

In fairness to the Democrats, both parties have used their power to shield presidents or political allies. However, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability has now uncovered an array of new facts that are shedding light on what could be one of the largest influence peddling efforts in history. For a city where influence peddling is a virtual cottage industry, that is saying a lot. Even in this premier league of corruption, the Biden family is the GOAT.

Just this week, Chairman Comer revealed that new financial documents show six additional Biden family members may have benefited from foreign payments. That brings the total to nine Biden family members who appear on suspicious transactions or bank records. The identity of these family members and the underlying payments remain unclear, but the past disclosures of alleged influence peddling by Hunter Biden and his uncle James warrant full investigation.

Video

The Bidens have long counted on an enabling media to tamp down coverage of corruption allegations. The most remarkable effort was successful burying of the Hunter Biden laptop before the election. The Bidens were able to get the media to buy into the effort. For many reporters, even the acknowledgment of this corruption would be a self-indictment of their own lack of curiosity and integrity.

Yet, there has also been a notable lack of perceptible movement in any of the investigations of the Bidens. Take the investigation of David Weiss, the U.S. attorney for the District of Delaware. Weiss is looking into an array of possible crimes, including tax violations, unlawful work as a foreign agent, unlawful foreign transactions and other offenses. Many of these crimes are relatively easy to investigate, but the investigation has moved at a glacial pace.

There is ample evidence of Hunter working for foreign entities without registering as a foreign agent -- a crime that the Justice Department used liberally against other defendants like Trump's former campaign chair, Paul Manafort. There are also clearly false statements used by Hunter in relation to his possession of a handgun that appear undeniable.

However, years have passed without any indictment from Weiss or any state counterpart. At the same time, Attorney General Merrick Garland has steadfastly ignored the obvious basis for the appointment of a special counsel despite repeated references to the president as an intended recipient of influence peddling proceeds.

That history has fueled concerns over whether federal investigations are being manipulated or misdirected.

Video

The allegation of political influence at the IRS could add an addition potential criminal element to the mix. Section 7212 of the Internal Revenue Code makes it a felony for anyone "corruptly" to attempt to "obstruct or impede the due administration of" the Internal Revenue Code.

Notably, Hunter recently called for the IRS to investigate his critics and potentially strip groups of their tax-exempt status.

The use of the IRS to target political enemies or protect political allies has long been a concern for Congress. Protections against political influence were ramped up after the Nixon Administration. In one of the recorded conversations from the Oval Office, Nixon explained his expectations for the next commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service:

"I want to be sure he is a ruthless son of a bi--h, that he will do what he’s told, that every income tax return I want to see I see, that he will go after our enemies and not go after our friends. Now it’s as simple as that. If he isn’t, he doesn’t get the job."

Nixon's infamous enemies list with hundreds of names were sent to the IRS for action. Even with the Nixon reforms, allegations of political manipulation of the IRS have continued. During the Obama administration, former IRS official Lois Lerner and others were accused of targeting conservative groups. Lerner later refused to testify in Congress and was found in contempt.

Video

More recently, there were similar concerns raised by a house visit of the IRS to the home of journalist Matt Taibbi -- on the same day that he testified on the censorship efforts of the Biden administration.

The sensitivity over the possible use of the IRS for political purposes runs deep with the public. The IRS is the one federal agency that requires every citizen to annually disclose information on the income, expenses, and family arrangements. Perhaps for that reason, the IRS has long been the least popular agency, according to polls.

The expanding investigation of the House Oversight Committee could also make things more difficult for the Administration.

President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, step off Air Force One, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, N.Y.  (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

I previously wrote how the Weiss investigation could be used to defuse the Hunter Biden scandal by producing some relatively limited charges and a favorable plea bargain. President Biden and the media could then go into the 2024 election by saying that the matter is closed. More importantly, with the closure of the investigation, most of the information reviewed by Weiss would ordinarily remain undisclosed.

The problem is that, while the delay worked to the advantage of the Bidens before the 2020 election, it may now work against them. With the House turnover, committees are uncovering far more information. Recently, Republicans pressured Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to lift long-standing bars on disclosing suspicious activity reports (SARs) related to Hunter Biden.

Video

A plea will no longer have the advantage of keeping evidence from the public. With the public disclosure of information, the basis for possible criminal charges will also be made public. It then becomes more difficult to scuttle or minimize criminal charges against Hunter Biden.

The most recent spin by Democrats is that influence peddling is legal. That is technically true, but the means used for influence peddling can often prove criminal, including false statements to investigators. However, regardless of whether this is a crime, it is most certainly a form of corruption. We should want to know if the Biden family received millions from foreign sources to influence our national policies or priorities.

For Democrats, this should not be the hill to die on. The Party has already embraced censorship. It should not now embrace corruption. 

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and a practicing criminal defense attorney.

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/new-facts-make-biden-family-goat-corruption

VA pauses $16B Oracle Cerner EHR deployments indefinitely to address errors

 The Department of Veterans Affairs is putting its big-ticket electronic health record overhaul with Oracle on an indefinite pause to address issues among five sites where the new system had been implemented, according to a Friday morning announcement.

The beleaguered effort involves a $16 billion contract with Oracle Cerner, which inherited the project last June when Oracle acquired Cerner for nearly $30 billion. Executives had vowed to get the rollout “back on track” amid lawmaker scrutiny that has persisted into 2023.

VA Secretary Denis McDonough had bumped back the EHR system’s rollout to additional sites multiple times throughout 2022 to address system outages and software errors that had caused numerous instances of patient harm. The VA was aiming to resume progress by June 2023.

Friday’s delay, however, doesn’t give an estimated date for when the deployment could continue.

“We’ve heard from Veterans and VA clinicians that the new [EHR] is not meeting expectations—and we’re holding Oracle Cerner and ourselves accountable to get this right,” McDonough said in the announcement. “This reset period will allow us to focus on fixing what’s wrong, listening to those we serve, and laying the foundation for a modern [EHR] that delivers for veterans and clinicians.”

The VA is working with Oracle Cerner to develop an amended contract that will increase the tech company’s “accountability to deliver a high-functioning, high-reliability, world-class EHR system,” the department said in the announcement. This will come with a new set of resource requirements for Congress to consider, which the VA estimated will run $400 million cheaper in FY 2023.

Mike Sicilia, executive vice president at Oracle Global Industries, said in an email statement that the company is happy to continue its work with the VA and likened the delay to working issues the Department of Defense had when it rolled out Cerner’s technology a few years back.

“We support the VA’s plan to improve the operation of the EHR at the current sites and take the necessary time to institute governance, change management and standardization changes to ensure the success of future VA deployments, similar to what DoD did a few years ago,” Sicilia said. “DoD’s modernization is now nearly complete, on time and on budget.  We will continue to closely coordinate with VA to provide enhancements and updates to the EHR.”

Friday’s news did not have a substantial impact on Oracle Cerner’s share price, though early word of the impending pause had already been circulated in an April 14 Wall Street Journal report.

The VA said it will not be scheduling additional deployments until the EHR system is “highly functioning” at the current five sites and can demonstrate its readiness for future sites.

“This readiness will be demonstrated by clear improvements in the clinician and Veteran experience; sustained high performance and high reliability of the system itself; improved levels of productivity at the sites where the EHR is in use; and more,” the department wrote. “When these criteria have been met and the reset period concludes, VA will release a new deployment schedule and re-start deployment activities.”

The one exception to the deployment pause is a VA-DoD integrated healthcare center in Chicago, where the departments will be targeting a deployment in March 2024 as previously planned.

Neil Evans, M.D., acting program executive director of the VA’s EHR Modernization Integration Office, said that the pause will better allow the government and Oracle Cerner to focus their efforts on amending the system’s issues.

“For the past few years, we’ve tried to fix this plane while flying it—and that hasn’t delivered the results that veterans or our staff deserve,” he said in the announcement. “This reset changes that. We are going to take the time necessary to get this right for veterans and VA clinicians alike, and that means focusing our resources solely on improving the EHR at the sites where it is currently in use and improving its fit for VA more broadly. In doing so, we will enhance the EHR for both current and future users, paving the way for successful future deployments.” 

https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/health-tech/va-pauses-16b-oracle-cerner-ehr-deployments-indefinitely-address-error-ridden-early

Elevance Health expands concierge care program to chronic conditions

 About a year ago, Elevance Health launched a pilot program to offer digital concierge care to members who were recovering from COVID-19 infections.

Since then, the insurer has expanded that initiative to offer concierge care management to members with a number of chronic conditions including Crohn's disease, cancer and diabetes. Anthony Nguyen, M.D., the chief clinical officer at Elevance, told Fierce Healthcare that the program was born from a desire to be "more engaging with our members."

"The challenge for not only the programs that we have, the traditional ones, as well as others in the market, is that it's not personalized," Nguyen said. "It is not tailored to an 'n' of one."

Greater personalization was built into the foundation of the program, he said. For example, concierge care deploys a nurse matching tool that connects members with a clinician who is likely to connect and resonate well with them, improving the care journey.

In addition, it was critical to have buy-in from physicians and other clinicians to drive the program, Nguyen said. The insurer collaborated with physicians to ensure they would endorse the offering to members who would benefit from it, he said.

"Having that endorsement and collaboration with the physician is also a differentiator," he said.

The programs are designed to last between 12 and 16 weeks, Nguyen said. They combine clinical and care management support, patient education and gamification into an app that's easy for members to use. Members who connect to the app can access the latest educational materials about their condition as well as complete virtual challenges that help them manage their health.

Patients can also connect with their nurse case managers or health educators via asynchronous digital chats within the app. They can log their symptoms in real time, providing those data to the care team to allow them to proactively monitor their status and provide support as needed.

Nguyen said that the gamification element was the third tent pole in developing the program, as they wanted to ensure it was fun for the user.

"There's an intense engagement," he said, "and we empower the individual to continue the learning process."

The team also built the program to address comorbidities and patients who have multiple disease states: for example, providing behavioral health support for people with Crohn's disease who may also struggle with depression or other mental health needs.

Nguyen said the next evolution of the program will be pushing it to be disease-agnostic and instead offering a tailored, personalized care management platform that works for members of all kinds. His team is also seeking to continue building on the capabilities available at Elevance Health's Carelon arm to drive the program forward.

"They are the aggregator of the capabilities that we need," he said. "So they're a one-stop shop, which makes it easy for me to create programs that are going to be relevant and engaging to our members."

https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/elevance-health-expands-concierge-care-program-chronic-conditions-crohns-disease-diabetes