WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 02: Republican presidential candidate and former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza Herman Cain participates in a discussion with members of the Congressional Health Care Caucus on Capitol Hill November 2, 2011 in Washington, DC. Part of the “Thought Leaders Series,” Cain and members of the caucus discussed the current health care system and health care initiatives for the future. Cain has been making headlines for the past two days after POLITICO.com reported Sunday that the National Restaurant Association paid settlements to two female employees who accused Cain of harassment when he was president of the association in the 1990s. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Photo: Chip Somodevilla/2011 Getty Images
There were several surprising revelations about the pizza peddler/one-time GOP front-runner during Sunday night’s Tea Party rally at a Tampa megachurch. First, while many believe he dropped out of the race due to numerous sexual harassment allegations, he blamed “lies and dirty politics” for his exit. Also, according to his introduction, he possesses “tremendous Reagan-esque qualities” and he isn’t miffed about not getting a speaking role at the Republican National Convention. “It’s not about me, it’s about the grandkids,” he said. “That’s what a lot of people don’t understand about what Herman is upto.”
Evidence that COVID survivors may only need one vaccine dose
For people who have had Covid-19, a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine is enough to provide robust protection from the coronavirus, according to two newstudies from Britain that were published late Thursday in The Lancet, a prominent medical journal.
The studies, among the first fully vetted papers to weigh in on how to vaccinate people who have had Covid-19, added strong evidence to the case for giving just one dose of the Pfizer vaccine to people who already have antibodies against the virus.
Jennifer Granholm has been confirmed as energy secretary
Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm won Senate confirmation Thursday to be President Joe Biden’s energy secretary. The vote was 64-35.
Granholm, who served two terms as governor in a state dominated by the auto industry, will be a key player in Biden’s vision for a green economy as the United States fights to slow climate change.
Trump’s years-long quest to conceal his tax returns has come to an end
Breaking: Manhattan District Attorney’s office has obtained former President Donald Trump’s tax returns and related records, according to sources familiar with the matter. @kpolantz@ShimonPro reporting
The Biden administration is shifting language used by the government
At the Department of Homeland Security, the phrase “illegal alien” is being replaced with “noncitizen.” The Interior Department now makes sure that mentions of its stakeholders include “Tribal” people (with a capital “T” as preferred by Native Americans, it said). The most unpopular two words in the Trump lexicon — “climate change” — are once again appearing on government websites and in documents; officials at the Environmental Protection Agency have even begun using the hashtag #climatecrisis on Twitter.
And across the government, L.G.B.T.Q. references are popping up everywhere. Visitors to the White House website are now asked whether they want to provide their pronouns when they fill out a contact form: she/her, he/him or they/them.
It is all part of a concerted effort by the Biden administration to rebrand the government after four years of President Donald J. Trump, in part by stripping away the language and imagery that represented his anti-immigration, anti-science and anti-gay rights policies and replacing them with words and pictures that are more inclusive and better match the current president’s sensibilities.
Pfizer is looking at ways to make its COVID vaccine more effective
Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech have begun a study testing in people whether the companies’ Covid-19 shot can provide protection against emerging strains of the coronavirus.
The companies said Thursday they have started the small study to see whether a third dose of their authorized Covid-19 vaccine would increase its effectiveness against new variants, such as the strain first identified in South Africa.
The approach differs from that of Moderna Inc., which said Wednesday it had made a new vaccine targeting the strain found in South Africa and shipped doses to U.S. government researchers for human testing.
Pfizer and BioNTech said they are also in discussions with U.S., European and other health regulators about studying a tweaked version of their vaccine that researchers designed to protect against the variant found in South Africa.
“We are taking multiple steps to act decisively and be ready in case a strain becomes resistant to the protection afforded by the vaccine,” Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla said in a statement.