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Category: government – Page 147

How the military secured a coronavirus drug that has yet to win FDA approval

Among the drugs being investigated is remdesivir, an experimental antiviral made by the US drug company Gilead Sciences. It has been characterized as one of the most promising by health authorities, including WHO officials —though that optimism is inspired only by anecdotal information. US data on remdesivir’s performance in controlled clinical trials is expected next month, and data from late-stage trials conducted in China will be released by the end of April.

The US military, however, has already secured access to remdesivir for its service members.

On March 10, the Pentagon announced a deal with Gilead Sciences in which the pharmaceutical company would supply the military with the intravenous drug at no cost. “Together with our government and industry partners, we are progressing at almost revolutionary rates to deliver effective treatment and prevention products that will protect the citizens of the world and preserve the readiness and lethality of our service members,” Army Brig. Gen. Michael Talley, commanding general of the US Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) and Fort Detrick, Maryland, said in a media statement at the time.

The White House has invoked the Defense Production Act to produce over 39 million N95 masks over the next 90 days

The federal government has invoked the Defense Production Act to produce millions of N95 masks in the coming weeks, the Pentagon announced Saturday.

The DPA allows the government to pressure companies into manufacturing supplies for national defense purposes.

The project will cost $133 million and will create “over 39 million” masks within the next 90 days, Mike Andrews, a Department of Defense spokesperson announced in a press release Saturday. The authorization to use the DPA for N95 production was given to the Defense Department on Friday by the White House, according to the press release.

Nigerians Fight to Protect the World’s Most Trafficked Mammal | National Geographic

Where was everyone when these channels were dedicating so much time and effort to help create awereness and get support for these creatures in Africa?

The government that neglected this eventhough they are not from Africa have neglected something that has now created, trillions of dollars of losses, and even more is coming up.

This documentary was made ten months ago.

Pangolins are believed to be the most trafficked mammals in the world. As the four Asian species of pangolins have dwindled, poachers are increasingly turning to the African species to supply the trade. In this short film, meet the bold Nigerians who are fighting to protect this gentle and vulnerable creature.
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#NationalGeographic #Pangolins #WildlifeConservation

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Earthquake damage estimates hit $48.5 million, Salt Lake County officials say

SALT LAKE CITY — Officials are still tallying, but the path of destruction left behind by last month’s 5.7 magnitude earthquake is racking up tens of millions of dollars in damage.

So far in Salt Lake County, inspectors have found the quake has damaged 107 government buildings — including dozens of schools — with early estimated costs hitting the $48.5 million mark, according to Clint Mecham, Salt Lake County Emergency Management division chief.

That’s not a final total — and it doesn’t even include homes and businesses.

Venture Capitalist Stuns CNBC

Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya stunned CNBC anchor Scott Wapner and generated widespread applause on social media by declaring in a television interview Thursday that the U.S. government should let hedge funds and billionaire CEOs “get wiped out” by the coronavirus-induced economic collapse and instead focus its attention on rescuing Main Street.

When Wapner, seemingly incredulous at what he was hearing, asked Palihapitiya why he would support the collapse of large companies, the Social Capital CEO said “this is a lie that’s been purported by Wall Street.”

“When a company fails, it does not fire their employees, it goes through a packaged bankruptcy,” said Palihapitiya. “If anything what happens is the people who have the pensions inside the companies, the employees of these companies, end up owning more of the company. The people that get wiped out are the speculators that own the unsecured tranches of debt or the folks that own the equity. And by the way, those are the rules of the game. That’s right. These are the people that purport to be the most sophisticated investors in the world. They deserve to get wiped out.”

Japan budgets $2.2 billion for its manufacturing firms to Leave China

As part of its economic stimulus package, Japan has earmarked $2.2 billion to help its manufacturers shift production out of China. The Japanese government’s panel on future investment had last month discussed the need for manufacturing of high-added value products to be shifted back to Japan, and for production of other goods to be diversified across Southeast Asia.

Germany Touts Green Stimulus in Post Covid-19 Policy Push

👏Europe’s largest economy is looking to make its post-virus recovery compatible with its ambition of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050.

The EU has similarly pledged to make its stimulus plan aligned with its climate commitments.

Germany’s green energy shift may get a financial shot in the arm when the impact of the coronavirus ebbs, according to a senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet.

When the virus’ acute phase is over, the government plans a stimulus package that advances the nation technologically and helps the economy’s move toward climate neutrality, Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said in an interview with Funke Mediengruppe. Such a package “makes sense,” said the Social Democrat without adding details.

Alzheimer’s trial supports high amyloid levels as early sign of disease

An ongoing long-term trial suggests high levels of amyloid proteins in the brain do serve as an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease before cognitive decline becomes apparent.

A new study presenting the first data from a long-running US government trial is suggesting high levels of amyloid proteins in the brains of cognitively normal older adults can be an effective presymptomatic sign of early stage Alzheimer’s disease.

Over the last few decades, the amyloid hypothesis has guided the majority of research into an Alzheimer’s disease treatment. The idea is that a build up of toxic amyloid proteins in the brain, called plaques, is the primary degenerative driver behind the disease.

Unfortunately a near-constant parade of failed clinical trials testing anti-amyloid drugs has caused many researchers to begin doubting the amyloid hypothesis. From neuroinflammation to bacterial infection, a broad number of alternative hypotheses are currently being investigated, however, some scientists suspect anti-amyloid treatments could still work, as long as they commence before major degenerative symptoms appear.

This Map Shows the Global Spread of Zero-Day Hacking Techniques

So-called zero-day exploits—hacking techniques that take advantage of secret software flaws—were once the calling card of only the most sophisticated hackers. But today, the global map of zero-day hacking has expanded far beyond the United States, Russia, and China, as more countries than ever buy themselves a spot on it.

Security and intelligence firm FireEye today released a sweeping analysis of how zero days have been exploited worldwide over the last seven years, drawing in data from other security research organizations’ reporting as well as Google Project Zero’s database of active zero days. FireEye was able to link the use of 55 of those secret hacking techniques to state-sponsored operations, going so far as to name which country’s government it believes to be responsible in each case.

The resulting map and timeline, with a tally of which countries have used the most zero days over the last decade, are far from comprehensive. Countries like the US almost certainly have used zero days that remain undetected, FireEye acknowledges, and many others couldn’t be pinned with certainty on any particular country. But it does show how the collection of countries using those hacking techniques now includes less expected players like the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.

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