NoneWASHINGTON(TNS) — If there’s a theme among President-elect Donald Trump’s health Cabinet picks, it’s this: The vast majority were critics of how the Biden administration handled COVID-19. The pandemic upended Americans’ perspective on public health and health care delivery, both throughout the United States and among Republican lawmakers. Policy experts say that change is evident in Trump’s selections to lead major U.S. health agencies. That change is particularly notable in Trump’s pick for secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic who has been critical of the federal government’s pandemic response. Trump and Republicans have praised Kennedy for bucking conventional thinking when it comes to public health, even though many of Kennedy’s theories and proposals are not backed by science. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Kennedy advocated against vaccinating kids against the coronavirus. He also led the anti-vaccination group Children’s Health Defense beginning in 2018. As Trump’s presumptive HHS secretary nominee, Kennedy worked with the Trump team to pick the leaders of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health. Former Rep. Dave Weldon, Trump’s selection to head the CDC, is also a vaccine skeptic. Mehmet Oz, known more commonly as “Dr. Oz,” Trump’s choice to head CMS, promoted use of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19. FDA commissioner pick Marty Makary promoted herd immunity to stop the virus, as did Trump’s choice to lead the NIH, Jay Bhattacharya. Taken as a whole, the picks reflect a deep skepticism toward the recommendations of the very agencies these men have been tapped to lead. Trust in public health institutions plummeted in the wake of the pandemic, particularly among Republicans, according to polling, and virus prevention measures like wearing a face mask on an airplane or getting a routine vaccination have morphed into political actions in many parts of the United States. “There was a lot of misinformation, uncertain information,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said of the COVID-19 pandemic response. “In the end, when you looked at what the benefits were, the benefits were not as large as promised and some people were penalized. So I’m sure that’s reflected in [Trump’s] Cabinet choices.” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., applauded Trump’s choice of Kennedy and Oz, saying Trump “should have a good opportunity to maybe get somebody in there who will shake it up a little.” But as Republicans cheer these changes to the public health sector, Democrats and medical institutions are concerned about health misinformation and how that could impact the American health care system, which spends roughly $4.5 trillion per year and accounts for 17.3 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. On the campaign trail, Trump won voters by promising to buck the system. But public health experts warn that moving too far from the medical establishment and rejecting scientific data could have disastrous consequences. “If [Trump’s health nominees] move too far out of the mainstream of what we know is correct from a science and evidence perspective, they’re going to have a very tough time getting things done,” said Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. A look at other key Trump health picks and their records on COVID-19: Mehmet Oz, CMS Oz has long been criticized for his controversial views on public health. The pandemic was no exception. The Daytime Emmy award winner served as an informal adviser during the first Trump administration, promoting the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 early in the pandemic. He reportedly tried to persuade the president’s advisers to accelerate approval of the drug for use against COVID-19, even though at the time it had not been tested against the virus. Later, the FDA and infectious disease doctors found the antimalarial would not treat the virus. Oz also urged Trump administration officials to back a study he offered to fund at Columbia University Medical Center about the impacts of the antimalarial on COVID-19 patients, according to the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. In April 2020, Oz said on Fox News that reopening schools would be worth it, even if it led to increased deaths. He later retracted the statement. Marty Makary, FDA Like Kennedy, Makary has publicly questioned the broad use of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine mandates. But unlike Kennedy and many others in Trump’s health Cabinet, Makary was an early advocate of masking to prevent the spread of the virus and restricting air travel. The Johns Hopkins surgeon and author publicly opposed COVID-19 booster shots and promoted natural immunity over vaccinations. He went as far as arguing that the federal government censored pandemic data on natural immunity in an attempt to get more people vaccinated. But Makary also promoted early vaccination strategies to protect those most at risk for severe disease, such as getting single doses of vaccines to as many people as possible before allowing people to go back for a second dose of the shot. In late 2020, he criticized the FDA for not moving fast enough to approve mRNA vaccines. Jay Bhattacharya, NIH A Stanford physician and professor, Bhattacharya made a name for himself as a skeptic who opposed COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He also promoted herd immunity, the concept that low-risk people should live their lives normally and build up resistance to COVID-19 through infection while only high-risk individuals took precautions. In October 2020, Bhattacharya co-authored the controversial “Great Barrington Declaration,” an open letter advocating against virus prevention measures with the hopes of quickly obtaining herd immunity. Both the World Health Organization and leading academic and public health organizations condemned the letter, with the American Public Health Association and other health organizations signing a letter calling it a “wrong-headed proposal masquerading as science” and arguing that the declaration would lead to preventable deaths. Dave Weldon, CDC Weldon, a physician who represented Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 through 2009, has routinely questioned the links between vaccines and autism throughout his career. He does not specialize in infectious diseases and has never formally worked in public health, having spent his career as a military doctor, internist and politician. In 2007, Weldon introduced a bill that would remove vaccine safety research from the CDC’s domain and house it in a separate HHS agency. Although the bill didn’t advance, some privately worry it’s indicative of the way he’d strip down the public health agency. Former acting CDC Director Richard Besser said he’s concerned about Weldon’s lack of public health credentials and suspects he was nominated to the post largely because his vaccine skepticism aligns with Kennedy’s views. “What we’re seeing with a number of these nominations is a continuation of that politicization [of public health], where you know people coming in who are saying public health is the problem, not the solution,” Besser said.
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Cozy winter fare: Make a French-style cassoulet at homeCOLUMBUS, Ga. , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) announced today that it will webcast its annual Financial Analysts Briefing on December 3, 2024 at starting 8:00 a.m. (ET) . Aflac's executive management will discuss the Company's operations and strategy for the U.S. and Japan , as well as its medium-term outlook. The presentations will be available via webcast, and you must register here prior to the event. Presentation slides will be posted on investors.aflac.com after the market closes on December 2, 2024 , and an archive of the presentations will also be available on investors.aflac.com for two weeks following the conclusion of the webcast. ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL ), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial protection and peace of mind for nearly seven decades to millions of policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Japan . In the U.S., Aflac is the No. 1 provider of supplemental health insurance products. 1 In Japan , Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of cancer and medical insurance in terms of policies in force. The company takes pride in being there for its policyholders when they need us most, as well as being included in the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for 18 consecutive years (2024), Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies for 23 years (2024) and Bloomberg's Gender-Equality Index for the fourth consecutive year (2023). In addition, the company became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment ( PRI ) in 2021 and has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (2023) for 10 years. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol . Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability at investors.aflac.com under " Sustainability ." 1 LIMRA 2023 U.S. Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" to encourage companies to provide prospective information, so long as those informational statements are identified as forward-looking and are accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements. The company desires to take advantage of these provisions. This document contains cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected herein, and in any other statements made by company officials in communications with the financial community and contained in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Forward-looking statements are not based on historical information and relate to future operations, strategies, financial results or other developments. Furthermore, forward-looking information is subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties. In particular, statements containing words such as "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "goal," "objective," "may," "should," "estimate," "intends," "projects," "will," "assumes," "potential," "target," "outlook" or similar words as well as specific projections of future results, generally qualify as forward-looking. Aflac undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements. The company cautions readers that the following factors, in addition to other factors mentioned from time to time, could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements: Analyst and investor contact - David A. Young , 706.596.3264 or 800.235.2667 or dyoung@aflac.com Media contact - Ines Gutzmer , 762.207.7601 or igutzmer@aflac.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aflac-incorporated-to-webcast-2024-financial-analysts-briefing-302313462.html SOURCE Aflac IncorporatedCozy winter fare: Make a French-style cassoulet at home
Critical academic leadership vacuum
New Delhi, Nov 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said that no force in the world could bring back Article 370. Addressing a gathering at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters, PM Modi said, “I want to say to the Congress and its allies that no force in the world can bring back Article 370 and insult our constitution.” He said that the Congress and its allies were again trying to create a wall of Article 370 of the constitution in Jammu and Kashmir. The PM said the Congress and its allies were double-faced on various issues, including the Waqf Board. He lauded the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s massive victory in the Maharashtra assembly polls as a win for development and good governance, assuring people of the ruling bloc’s continued work for the state’s progress. In posts on X, PM Modi also congratulated the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led alliance for its win in Jharkhand, while stressing that his party will always be at the forefront to champion people’s issues. He tagged Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who led the INDIA bloc coalition in the state, in his post. “Development wins! Good governance wins! United we will soar even higher! Heartfelt gratitude to my sisters and brothers of Maharashtra, especially the youth and women of the state, for a historic mandate to the NDA. This affection and warmth is unparalleled,” Modi said. “Jai Maharashtra,” he said. The PM said that the NDA’s pro-people efforts had resonated all over. “I thank people across various states for blessing NDA candidates in the various by-polls held. We will leave no stone unturned in fulfilling their dreams and aspirations,” the PM said. He said he was proud of NDA workers for their efforts on the ground. “They worked hard, went among people and elaborated on our good governance agenda. I thank the people of Jharkhand for their support towards us. We will always be at the forefront of raising people’s issues and working for the state,” PM Modi said. He said that the latest round of elections had endorsed the message of development and defeated the politics of lies and betrayal propounded by the Congress and its allies. The PM said divisive forces, negative politics, and dynasticism had been defeated in the Maharashtra election and by-polls in various states. He said that the people of Maharashtra had voted for stability and taught a lesson to those who tried to create instability. PM Modi asserted that the message from the Maharashtra election was unity, and it was also an endorsement of the ‘ek hai toh safe hai’ slogan. He said he bows before the people of Jharkhand and that the BJP will work more zealously for the state’s development. “‘Ek hai toh safe hai’ has become the ‘maha-mantra’ for the entire nation and it has punished those who wanted to divide the country on caste and religious lines,” the PM said. “All sections of the society have voted for the BJP.” He said that the Congress and its ecosystem had thought that by spreading lies in the name of the constitution, they could divide the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) into small groups. “This is a solid slap on their faces,” PM Modi said. “People have made divisive forces bite the dust. The Congress and its allies have failed to grasp the changed realities of the country’s mood.” He said that voters do not want instability and they believe in nation first and do not like those dreaming about “chair first”. “The voters in Maharashtra also evaluated Congress based on the false promises made in other states like Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh,” the PM said. “Neither their false promises nor their dangerous agenda worked in Maharashtra.” He said that the Maharashtra election also shows that only one constitution would work in India and that was given to the people of the country by B R Ambedkar.Mikel Arteta has urged Arsenal to end their away day blues in the Champions League by beating Sporting Lisbon . The Gunners have struggled away from home in Europe’s elite club competition under Arteta, winning just one of seven games on the road. Arsenal have lost all of their last four away games in the Champions League and failed to find the net in that time, too. A trip to Sporting is next up on Tuesday and Arteta believes it is a good moment for his side to make a statement. “It’s certainly something we have to improve,” he said. “We have the right steps, and looking back at the way we played against Inter, against a team that has been so dominant in the league, were in the Champions League final and should have won it. “We played and dominated the game we should have won. But the reality is you have to make it happen, and we didn’t. “Those steps are what we have to take next, be ruthless and be much more efficient in the opposition box, and when we get there do what we have to do to take the three points away from here. “Not all of the games have been the same. It’s true that some of those games were when we’d already qualified. “But it’s true we have to improve the results and we have to find the ways to understand what has been missing. “Sometimes it’s been performance to be fair, and sometimes it’s been different aspects, and that’s the next step we have to make as a team.” Arsenal’s lack of goals has been a particular worry and the last player to score for them away from home in the Champions League was Eddie Nketiah in December of last year. “The efficiency we have shown inside the box, at this level, with the number of chances you are normally able to generate in the Champions League, has not been at the level that is required to win consistently,” he said. “I always say the Champions League is about the boxes, small margins and details, and you have to get all those right to win, especially away from home.”
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Soon after the Election Commission announced the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly polls on October 15, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) working president and chief minister Hemant Soren and his legislator wife Kalpana Soren met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. Also Read: How did the JMM win Jharkhand? At that meeting, Hemant Soren discussed the poll strategy and seat-sharing formula for the INDIA bloc, batting for the inclusion of the CPI-ML (Liberation) in the coalition to make the contest bipolar in the two-phased assembly elections. “Our leadership agreed to the plan and decided that Hemant will have (the) final word in campaign and seat sharing. It was also decided that in some seats there would be friendly contests,” a Congress leader aware of the matter said. To accommodate three seats to the CPI-ML (Liberation), the Congress agreed to give away two seats and be in a friendly fight in one seat. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) also agreed to part with one seat and be in a friendly fight in another. The JMM contested 43 seats, same as it did in the 2019 polls, while the Congress and the RJD fielded their candidates in 30 and seven constituencies, respectively, both accepting one seat less than what they contested five years ago. “Unlike Maharashtra, there was no wrangling over seat sharing in Jharkhand and it was finalised before the nomination process started,” a senior JMM leader said. After the JMM-led INDIA bloc registered an emphatic victory in the assembly polls on Saturday, winning 56 of the state’s 81 seats, Soren told reporters in Ranchi that the alliance had set specific target and many candidates were decided before hand to start the campaign early. “All alliance partners worked in perfect coordination,” he added. Also Read: Infiltration pitch fails to help BJP in Jharkhand tribal belt The impact of the “perfect coordination” was visible in poll results, as the JMM won 34 seats, four more than it won in 2019, the Congress won 16, same as it did five years ago, the RJD won four seats, three more than in the last assembly polls and the CPI-ML won two seats. Political observers maintained that each constituent of the alliance brought something different to the table. The JMM brought in the support of tribals and OBC voters, the Congress had strong backing among the Muslim community, the RJD brought the support of the OBC Yadav and migrants from Bihar settled in North Chotanagpur Division while the CPI-ML has strong backing among workers in the state’s coal belt. “The JMM-Congress alliance performed well in consolidating their vote bank including Adivasis, Muslims, Mahtos and Yadavs,” political analyst Sudhir Pal said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Pal stressed, failed to strike a chord with the voters as it was dependent too much on leaders from outside the state instead of locals. “The BJP seems to have failed to take full advantage of tribal leaders like Champai Soren and Sita Soren who had left the JMM and joined the saffron camp,” Pal added. Also Read: Maiya Samman scheme helps JMM surge ahead in Jharkhand elections The JMM-Congress alliance pegged its campaign on the government’s welfare schemes such as the Maiya Samman Yojana while pitching a narrative of Adivasi asmita (tribal pride). The INDIA bloc was able to project that arrest of Hemant Soren by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged land case earlier this year was the BJP’s attack on tribal pride, prompting high turnout of tribal voters. On ground, all alliance leaders were speaking in one voice and did not speak against each other. In fact, Hemant and Kalpana Soren campaigned for their alliance partners and same was the case with local Congress and RJD leaders. “Specific duties were given to leaders of each alliance partner in each assembly constituency to ensure smooth transfer of votes,” a senior JMM leader said. Experts also said the Congress and the JMM have learnt a big lesson from the past as their tally increased when they fought in an alliance. In 2014, the JMM bagged 19 seats but its tally shot up to 30 in 2019. Similarly, the Congress’s tally increased from six seats in 2014 to 16 in 2019. The JMM and Congress contested separately in the 2014 assembly polls. “The JMM, RJD and Congress put up a united show during the campaign. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav could be seen campaigning for Congress candidate Purnima Niraj Singh in Jharia. When it came to the BJP, they not only failed to project a face of the chief minister but also failed to highlight big names such as Champai Soren outside his own assembly,” Pal added.Video: Ex-Chelsea star produces the miss of the season squanders Osimhen's perfect pass
Maharashtra: What changed between Lok Sabha, state polls