'CDC tracking drug-resistant flu strains'

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday that it was tracking two new cases of H1N1 influenza in the United States that are more resistant to medication.

The CDC published the new information in its Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, where it said the mutations, called I223V and S247N, are of public health concern.

The new flu strains were first reported by CBS News.

It follows a report by scientists in Hong Kong who conducted tests and found the new strains were more resistant to the flu treatment oseltamivir, commonly sold under the brand name Tamiflu.

The new strains also retained sensitivity to other antiflu medications, but as it stands, there is no change to clinical care for the mutated virus, a CDC spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

The CDC noted that the flu vaccine offers protection from the illnesses “with or without these mutations.” 

The two U.S. cases were detected in labs at the Connecticut Department of Health and at the University of Michigan this past fall and winter. The mutations have been in global circulation since May 2023, but detection frequency was low, according to the CDC.

The CDC said it’s not known how widely the new viruses will circulate in the upcoming flu season, but it’s “important to continue monitoring the spread of these viruses and the evolution of these viruses.”

The 2009 swine flu pandemic was caused by the H1N1 virus, and according to the World Health Organization, there was a confirmed 491,382 cases and 18,449 deaths globally during the outbreak.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4720208-cdc-tracking-drug-resistant-flu-strains/

Blinken leaves door open for side deal with Hamas for US hostages

 Secretary of State Antony Blinken refused to say Thursday whether the U.S. could pursue a separate deal with Hamas to free American citizens still held hostage by the organization in Gaza, while negotiations with Israel over a potential cease-fire continue.

Hamas negotiators have accepted only in part a U.S.-led proposal that would see hostages freed and a cease-fire in the ongoing war in Gaza, with some of the group’s demands still unacceptable, according to the Biden administration.

The administration and Israeli leaders have pressed Hamas to fully accept the deal for weeks, and the United Nations endorsed it with a Security Council vote Monday. If that deal falls through, however, U.S. officials have discussed working with Hamas through Qatari negotiators without Israel, NBC News reported.

NBC News’s Savannah Guthrie pressed Blinken about the possibility Thursday, which he brushed off.

“Savannah, when I was in Israel a couple of days ago, I met with the families of the American hostages. There are eight families. I’ve met with them repeatedly,” he said. “President Biden’s met with them. Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser’s met with them.”

“And our commitment, my commitment, my priority, is always going to be on American citizens wherever they’re in harm’s way, if they’re being unjustly detained, if they’re being held hostage, my number one responsibility is to do everything I can do to get them out of harm’s way,” the secretary added.

Guthrie asked again, “Is that a yes?”

“Now, the best way to do that — the best way to do that is through this agreement, that’s the fastest way to do it,” Blinken continued. “If the agreement doesn’t work, we’ll always be looking at what we can do if there’s anything we can do to get our people home.”

Reports indicate Hamas is holding five American citizens among the hostages taken from Israel on Oct. 7, the outset of the Israel-Hamas war. Officials are also hoping to recover the remains of three Americans who were killed on that day but still taken into Gaza.

The unnamed Biden administration officials told NBC News a unilateral deal could be in Hamas’s best interest to put domestic pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he resists negotiations.

Last week, Israeli officials estimated that some 120 hostages are still being held by Hamas and that 43 of them have died in captivity.

Blinken visited the Middle East again earlier this week, further urging Hams to accept the larger cease-fire deal with Israel.

“I know that there are those who are pessimistic about the prospects,” he said Monday in Egypt. “That’s understandable. Hamas continues to show extraordinary cynicism in its actions, a disinterest not only in the well-being and security of Israelis but also Palestinians.”

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4720554-antony-blinken-israel-hamas-war-hostages-americans-deal/

CMS to recalculate Medicare Advantage quality ratings: report

 The US government plans to recalculate Medicare Advantage plan ratings, potentially giving insurers hundreds of millions in additional bonus payments.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/4115918-cms-to-recalculate-medicare-advantage-quality-ratings-report

Hundreds Of Illegal Immigrants Are Now Living In Boston Logan Airport

 by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

A few months back reports started to emerge of Illegal immigrants taking shelter in Boston’s Logan Airport. Now there are HUNDREDS of them living there, including whole families.

The New York Post reports that there are “throngs of families lining a baggage claim surrounded by suitcases and using sparse blankets for makeshift mattresses.”

“We continue to see migrants at the airport. They come to Logan a number of ways. They also arrive at Logan at all hours,” a representative from MassPort commented.

The rep. also noted that as quickly as the migrants are moved out of the airport to shelters, more arrive.

The footage is insane:

It looks like a refugee camp:

This is America under the Democrats:

There is no border anymore.

Anyone can just walk right across, with thousands then being bussed and flown around to cities up and down the country.

Even the migrants themselves have been shocked at how easy it is.

It is clear at this point that any kind of vetting has gone out of the window.

Indeed, eight suspected terrorists from Tajikistan were arrested in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles this past weekend.

They are suspected to have ties with ISIS and came over the southern border.

As we have previously highlighted, untold numbers of terrorists have already crossed into the country unimpeded. They’re even being caught and released again.

While Biden has issued an executive order that he claims will stem the flow of migrants, reporters on the ground are not seeing any difference.

Indeed, in certain sectors, the order is simply being ignored.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/hundreds-illegal-immigrants-are-now-living-boston-logan-airport

'Employer coverage for weight-loss drugs rises sharply, survey finds'

 About one-third of U.S. employer health plans are offering coverage of GLP-1 drugs for both diabetes management and weight loss, up from last year, according to a survey of global employers released on Thursday by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

GLP-1 drugs for weight loss grew as a portion of employers' overall medical claims spending to 8.9% in 2024 from 6.9% in 2023, the trade group's survey found. Only about 26% of employers offered the drugs last year.

GLP-1 drugs promote weight loss by reducing appetite and causing the stomach to empty more slowly. First approved to treat diabetes, Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound are in high demand after having been shown to reduce weight by around 20%.

Some 57% of employers surveyed cover the drugs only for diabetic care. Of those, 19% are considering offering the drugs for weight loss.

The foundation comprises more than 33,000 member companies or public institutions, representing over 25 million employees in the U.S. and Canada.

Obesity's association with chronic and higher-cost conditions, as well as consultant recommendations were most frequently cited as factors for employers considering covering GLP-1 drugs, the report said.

By the early 2030s, global sales for GLP-1 drugs should reach an annual $150 billion, according to some analyst forecasts this year. A 2023 forecast had predicted $100 billion in sales by early next decade.

Insurer resistance to covering the drugs is a limiting factor for sales growth for drugmakers, according to a December report by Morgan Stanley. Of the 110 million Americans with obesity, 40 million can currently access GLP-1 drugs for weight loss through their healthcare plans, the report said.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/employer-coverage-weight-loss-drugs-191010185.html

'How the far-right gained traction with Europe's youth'

 From Germany and France to Poland and Spain, the far-right made inroads into the youth vote in key states in this EU election - as a generation that has grown up amid constant crises seeks new answers and follows politicians fluent in TikTok and YouTube.

Young voters, traditionally perceived to be more left-wing, drove the wave of support for environmental parties at the last EU election in 2019, earning the nickname "Generation Greta" after the young Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

But following the pandemic, the Ukraine war and cost of living crisis, many shifted their support this year towards far-right populist parties that tapped into their concerns, fuelling their overall rise in the June 6-9 EU parliament poll.

With the leaders of Europe's often upstart ethno-nationalist, anti-establishment movements mastering new social media better than their mainstream counterparts, they are earning cachet as a subversive counterculture among some young people.

They appeal in particular to young men who feel left behind and censored by an increasingly "woke" mainstream, analysts say.

"Germany is not going in a good direction and they were the only party with a really clear message, on migration," said Christoph, 17, a trade school student in Berlin who declined to give his full name, who voted for the far-right Alternative for Germany.

Support for the AfD, which wants to curb migration and warns against what it calls the Islamisation of Germany, was up 11 percentage points to 16% among under-25 year olds, according to an exit poll by Infratest dimap - more than double the 5-point rise among the broader population.

The shift, which helped the AfD achieve a historic second place nationwide, was notable in that Germany's decision to allow 16-18 year-olds to vote for the first time had been expected to favour left-leaning parties.

Though the far-right did not do well everywhere among young voters - and they are a relatively small category in a continent with an ageing population - the trend will still worry mainstream parties, who face a snap election later this month in France, and federal elections next year in Germany.

ECONOMIC CONCERNS UP, CLIMATE DOWN

A recent survey of Germany's youth showed that young people were increasingly worried about inflation, expensive housing and social divisions, and less about climate change. The Greens won just 11% of the youth vote on Sunday, down 23 percentage points.

"There is no longer a sense that if they just work hard then the future will be better, and they are disappointed by the parties in power," said study lead author Simon Schnetzer, noting that economic gloom was making them more receptive to the AfD's anti-migration rhetoric.

Christoph said his experiences led him to believe Germany's more recent immigrants were more prone to violence and unwilling to integrate.

In France, the far-right National Rally (RN) took a 25% share of the vote among 18-24 year olds, according to pollster Ipsos, up 10 percentage points compared with an around 8-point gain overall to 31.4%.

To be sure, most of the youth in the EU's two top powers still back leftist parties, and many worry about the latest trend.

"It worries me because I saw the far-right wants to deport people even if they have German citizenship like me," said Ensar Adanur, 17, a German of Turkish origin. "But Germany is home for me."

In Poland, however, support for the far-right Confederation among 18-29 years old voters increased from 18.5% to 30.1%, making them the leading choice for that demographic.

Mainstream parties "no longer have any credibility for me, the previous government and the current one show it clearly", said Paweł Rurkowski, 30, an IT specialist who voted for the Confederation.

SLICK ON SOCIALS

Far-right parties' relative proficiency in young voters' preferred channels of communication - video apps such as Tiktok and YouTube and messaging app Telegram - is a big factor behind their increasing success with that generation, analysts said.

The recent German youth study showed that 57% of young people get their news and politics through social media. But German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, like many mainstream politicians, only joined Tiktok a few months ago.

"If you are not on young peoples' channels, you simply do not exist," said Schnetzer.

Meanwhile social media platforms algorithms favour controversial messages that generate engagement over serious content, said Ruediger Maas, founder of the Institute for Generational Research in Augsburg.

The AfD's lead candidate for the EU elections, Maximilian Krah, went viral on TikTok, for example, with dating tips for young men: "Don't watch porn, don't vote for the Greens, go out into the fresh air ... Real men are right-wing."

He has some 53,300 followers on Tiktok, compared with just 11,000 and 2,652 respectively for the lead candidates for the centre-left Social Democrats and the Greens.

"My generation doesn't really know about politics but we hear about the AfD all the time," said AfD voter Christoph.

In Spain, social media influencer Alvise Perez clinched 6.7% of the youth vote, compared with 4.6% of the overall vote, after conducting his anti-immigration and anti-corruption maverick campaign almost exclusively on Instagram and Telegram.

Far-right party Vox, meanwhile, which was strong on Tiktok, garnered 12.4% of the vote among those under 25, compared with 9.6% overall.

"It seems to be the only party that really opposes the government when it comes to taboo subjects such as immigration or gender discourse," said Xavier, a 22-year-old university student who cast his vote for Vox.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/analysis-far-gained-traction-europes-060545373.html

G7 agrees on loan deal to support Ukraine with Russian assets

 Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies agreed an outline deal on Thursday to provide $50 billion of loans for Ukraine using interest from Russian sovereign assets frozen after Moscow invaded its neighbour in 2022.

The political agreement was the centrepiece of the opening day in southern Italy of the annual summit of G7 leaders, attended for a second successive year by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

He said he had signed a 10-year security accord with Japan on the sidelines of the summit and that Japan would provide Ukraine with $4.5 billion this year. Zelenskiy will also sign a new, long-term security accord with U.S. President Joe Biden later in the day.

The G7 plan for Ukraine is based on a multi-year loan using profits from some $300 billion of impounded Russian funds.

The technical details are to be finalised in the coming weeks, a G7 diplomatic source told Reuters. The source, who asked not to be named, said the additional funding would arrive by the end of this year.

The United States had agreed to provide up to $50 billion itself, a senior U.S. official said, but that amount could decline significantly as other countries announced their participation.

The aim of the deal was to ensure it can run for years regardless of who is in power in each G7 state - a nod to concerns that U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump may be much less sympathetic to Kyiv if he beats Biden in November's election, according to a person close to the talks.

Russia regards attempts by the West to take income from its frozen assets as criminal, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday, adding that Moscow's response would be very painful for the European Union.

STRUGGLES AT HOME

Many of the G7 leaders are struggling at home but determined to make a difference on the world stage as they also seek to counter China's economic ambitions.

"There is a lot of work to be done, but I am sure that in these two days we will be able to have discussions that will lead to concrete and measurable results," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told her G7 guests as their talks started in a luxury hotel resort in the southern region of Puglia.

While Meloni is flying high after triumphing in weekend European parliament elections, leaders of the other six nations - the United States, Japan, France, Germany, Britain and Canada - face major domestic woes that may undermine their authority.

The G7 leaders also expressed their concerns about the situation on the Israel-Lebanon border and endorsed U.S. efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza war, according to a draft communique due to be released following the summit.

In addition, they called on Israel to refrain from a full-scale offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, "in line with their obligations under international law".

Western nations were also unanimous in their concern over China's industrial overcapacity, which they say is distorting global markets, and their determination to help African states develop their economies, diplomats said.

The G7 may have a very different complexion next year.

Biden faces an uphill battle to win re-election in November, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak looks certain to lose power in a national election next month, while French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved his country's parliament on Sunday after his party was trounced in the European vote.

All smiled broadly as they greeted Meloni under a blazing Mediterranean sun at the entrance to the Borgo Egnazia resort where they will spend two days in sessions that will later be opened to a host of fellow leaders, including Pope Francis.

The G7 has thrown open its doors to a large number of outsiders this year, including the pope, who is expected to give a keynote speech on Friday on the risks and potential of Artificial Intelligence.

Among those who have also been invited to Puglia are the leaders of some of the biggest regional powers around the world such as India, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, Algeria and Kenya.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/troubled-g7-leaders-focus-ukraine-010414263.html