CITIZENS NEWS

Anthony Fauci Backed Virus Experiments 'Despite Pandemic Risk'

America’s top medical adviser for the coronavirus, Anthony Fauci, argued that the benefits of experimenting on contagious viruses – manipulating and heightening their infectious potency – was worth the risk of a laboratory accident sparking a pandemic.

In previously unreported remarks, Dr. Fauci supported the contentious gain-of-­function experiments that some now fear might have led to an escape from a Wuhan laboratory causing the COVID-19 pandemic, calling them “important work.”

An investigation by The Weekend Australian has also confirmed Dr Fauci, the director of the Nat­ional Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, did not alert senior White House officials before lifting the ban on gain-of-function research in 2017.

Minnesota Candidate Backs Move to Block COVID Shots for Kids

Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen is backing a court action to stop COVID-19 vaccinations for 12- to 16-year-olds that, among other things, compares the inoculations to Nazi experimentation on imprisoned Jews.

Jensen is a family physician and former state senator from Chaska. And he’s the first named plaintiff in a petition filed in federal court in Alabama by America’s Frontline Doctors, which calls the vaccines “dangerous biological agents.”

Coronavirus Cases Slow at College Campuses Across the U.S.

As spring classes draw to a close and more people in the United States get vaccinated, coronavirus infections, which plagued college campuses across the country and seeped into the community at large, appear to be slowing among students and employees.

The New York Times has been tracking virus cases at U.S. colleges and universities for nearly a year and has identified about 700,000 infections involving students and employees. Of those, more than 260,000 cases have occurred since Jan. 1.

The Times has regularly surveyed more than 1,900 colleges and universities for coronavirus information for nearly a year. Altogether, the colleges reported about 60,000 cases each month between January and late April. From late April to late May, however, they reported fewer than 30,000 cases. Some of the newly identified cases may be from earlier in the pandemic and cases may be slowing in some places because spring semesters ended in early May, but the decline suggests that the overall outlook might be improving.

Legislators Ask North Dakota Health Department to End Vaccination Phone Calls to Residents

Two legislators are asking North Dakota’s Health Department to end phone calls to residents that inform them of how and where to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

The state health officer in a response said immunization reminders are routine, callers are state-employed and trained on federal privacy law, and people can opt out of state-issued reminders.

Sens. Jessica Bell, R-Beulah, and Nicole Poolman, R-Bismarck, sent a letter to State Health Officer Dr. Nizar Wehbi on Tuesday about the calls, listing concerns with patient privacy and the role of state government in “personal health choices.”

Canada’s Secret COVID-19 Vaccine Contracts Hinder the Fight To Boost Vaccine Confidence, Researchers Say

Canada, unlike its southern neighbour, is keeping secret the details of its vaccine contracts with big pharma, including what they’re paying for doses — and experts say that’s a problem in the fight to build confidence with the public and contain vaccine hesitancy.

As part of a study in vaccine clinical trial and procurement transparency by the University of Toronto and Transparency International, Canada is being called on by researchers to be more forthcoming with details on the total cost and price per dose for COVID-19 vaccines in a bid to ensure fair pricing globally, instill trust with the public and counter hesitancy.

The report notes that 1.3 billion people globally are unwilling to take a COVID vaccine, according to a recent Gallup poll.