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Bob Stromberg's avatar

Sad news at the FDA. Dan Diamond in WaPo reports: "RFK Jr. forces out Peter Marks, FDA’s top vaccine scientist"

In his resignation letter, Marks rebuked Kennedy for seeking “subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies” about vaccines.

Also in the article: "Two former FDA commissioners praised Marks on Friday night, highlighting his work at the agency. Marks helped conceive of Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s program to accelerate the development of coronavirus vaccines, which has been credited with helping end the threat of the covid-19 pandemic. A December 2022 study by the Commonwealth Fund, a health-care foundation, estimated that coronavirus vaccines prevented more than 18.5 million U.S. hospitalizations and 3.2 million deaths."

To me, this article seems balanced and careful.

https://wapo.st/4hQn8fm

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Edward Low's avatar

the hmpy trmpedo administration can fix that (sic) all they need to do is fire all the people who do research and we won't know about the deaths.

/sarcasm

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Bob Dillon's avatar

Sad indeed, but everyone has to realize ALL THE KENNEDY FAMILIES TRIED TO WARN US AND THE CONGRESS!

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Judith Tully's avatar

As humans we choose to have selective memories. Some either sugar coat or distort the memories that are too painful to remember. I think this is exactly what occurred with those who voted for Trump. Continuing to make excuses for his incompetence they unfortunately voted for him again. The only way this is going to change is if those voters are directly effected by the slash and burn policies being implemented by the Destroyer in Chief.

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Edward Low's avatar

and/or there is too much. I defy you to list EVERYTHING hmpy trmPedo did wrong or illegally in his first term. the list is endless and we were still finding out criminal things until he got elected again and we start looking at the criminal behavior in the last three months!

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Maggie's avatar

And how in this terrible time of government inefficiency & corruptness (what a word!) will there be ANYONE other than the millionaire/billionaire class, that is NOT affected by this absolute shitstorm! AND unless these "voters" admit to this? Questionable.

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Maggie's avatar

Have to add - I believe I watched that interview or one like it hearing from doctors and nurses about the lack of protective gear, the too many deaths they saw every single day, many of their co-workers deaths and yet and yet, people who were on the verge of being put on ventilators stating lack of belief in the dangers! THAT really got to me. And frankly, THAT kind of brainwashing lays at Trump's & others door!

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Julie Wash's avatar

Although it is really painful to remember those times, thank you for the dose of reality, a vaccine of truth to build up immunity to the cruelty of the virus and the carelessness of the administration, who we have invited back in again. Thanks for repeating the name of the woman, Dr. Colleen Smith, who was brave enough to risk showing us.

A quote from the piece lingers: "The anxiety of this situation is really overwhelming," Dr. Smith said at the time. "We get exposed over and over again and we don't have the protective equipment that we should have." How apt for the daily anxiety fostered by this current Trump administration. We should have built an immunity over the past five years, because this version of Trump cruelty has evolved into something much more deadly, and our Supreme Court and the GOP has left us unmasked and assisted the Trump virus to mutate into something even stronger and more deadly. The refrigerated tractor trailer sits waiting in the global parking lot. Is there a body bag big enough for our democracy?

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Tanya Goldstein's avatar

Well said!

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Dennis Maher's avatar

Excellent reminder. It will happen again, and then it will jog our memory of these things that happened in 2020. Today's common wisdom is that we did everything wrong and that Fauci and all the medical experts were wrong. Yeah, mistakes were made, e.g., we didn't know that it would not affect children much and so we were extremely frightened of what would happen if we didn't close down schools. Later we learned that it was the elderly and those who ignored the advice to wear masks who were most at risk. One of my friends, in his 50s, became a conspiracy theorist about many things, blogged and vlogged about how the experts were wrong. He refused vaccination, became sick, was hospitalized, and died. It will happen again and we will be far less prepared.

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Ken Tingley's avatar

It is what I fear - it will happen again - and with is what is happening in Washington we will be ill-prepared for another Operation Warp Speed which got us a vaccine in record time. I've had it three times. Without that, we may have been closed for a long, long time.

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Al Bellenchia's avatar

On the national level it will likely get worse before the opposition can manifest in truly effective ways. But locally, there is always something that can be done to impact lives for the better. Seek those out. we can all contribute.

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Bob's avatar
Mar 29Edited

There's a lot of re-examination of how public health agencies, especially at the federal level, responded to the novel coronavirus pandemic. It's good to do a clear-eyed analysis of how we could do better after a crisis. But much of the analysis that I've seen seems to be little more than finger-pointing and scapegoating, none of which will help us do better the next time.

One vital area that is not getting enough attention is our failure, both before and after the pandemic, to adequately fund our public health agencies, particularly at the local level. In fact, the country is doing exactly the opposite: it's hollowing-out our ability to respond to the next public health crisis by defunding all levels of government efforts of infectious disease research, immunization efforts, and effective treatments.

We should start digging the graves now that we'll inevitably need for our future failures.

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Ken Tingley's avatar

The simple truth is: We did not know! So out of caution the government advised closing down. Thousands died so that caution was warranted.

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Bob's avatar

I’m not sure if my comment about "future failures" needs clarification, but I’m referring to the current administration’s lawless and malicious efforts at dismantling our public health system which will necessarily result in deaths from future pandemics. And it’s already happening with the administration’s failure to respond effectively to the current measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico.

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Janet Flinchbaugh's avatar

Pbsnews last nite had an interesting discussion ona new book about Covid. Glad we were watching

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Charlie Bucket's avatar

Where’s the part about people supporting papers like The Schenectady Gazette? Sad thing is, most won’t. People are self-interested and find excuses not to spend money, especially for the public good. The paper may be seen as too tame by the polarized right and left, who are online anyway. And the middle is just tired and broke. These opinion blogs are where the action is now.

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Ken Tingley's avatar

You may be right about Substack being the future, but it also leaves very few mass media outlets for people to get information. That's the glue that holds are communities together. We miss that.

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Richard's avatar

..."All of us" have forgotten?! -Respectfully: No. All of us have not forgotten- including, doubtless, many of your and Will's astute and caring readers. We have not forgotten [the abomination of] Trump's first term, we have not forgotten January 6 [and never will], we have not forgotten COVID and Trump's criminal ignoring & mishandling of it. That we have not forgotten, as a matter of fact, is precisely why we are so outraged and distraught that the autocratic sociopath, and his legion of insane mayhem-makers, are driving us over a cliff while half the country cheers them on- and the rest of the world looking on-- laughs at us, or: weeps.

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Ken Tingley's avatar

Sadly, I more of us have forgotten than remember. Until it happens again. Such is human nature.

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Susan Andrews's avatar

Amnesia is a luxury many of us were not afforded during and after the pandemic. Having to say goodbye in 2021 to my brother Paul in Tampa, while he was still lucid and able to hear me on my brother Bill’s iPhone, is a haunting memory I will always hold.

Yet, I was more fortunate than untold numbers of other family members whose loved ones died while muted on ventilators. Paul managed to voice his last words…”All will be well, Sue…all will be well…”. He died 2 days later.

Thank you for all you do, Ken, to keep our collective memory alive, despite the personal and collective flashbacks we may endure. It makes all the difference in learning new coping skills, in knowing we are not alone within the anguish perpetuated by this regime. There is safety in numbers, both in online forums from you and Will, and with select kindred spirits elsewhere.

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Ken Tingley's avatar

Thank you Sue and to all those who participate in the conversation here on The Front Page. That interaction is also part of what we need as a community.

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mike parwana's avatar

I’ve kept a tab open for years now with a timeline of Trump’s Covid response. I check in regularly to remember what was happening.

https://doggett.house.gov/media/blog-post/timeline-trumps-coronavirus-responses

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Edward Low's avatar

you know if the timeline wasn't filled with an ongoing bodycount.. the hmpy trmPEDOphile out of touch statements would be a comedy

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Edward Low's avatar

There are the people who forget, perhaps a short attention span.. and those who never knew = i.e. very very ignorant!

To say we have a short attention span is probably true.. but there should be something else that should be acknowledged = information overload.

The firehose effect.

For example: in the first term hmpy trmPEDOphile had 30,000 plus lies ( https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/24/trumps-false-or-misleading-claims-total-30573-over-four-years/ )

Add to this.. we forget to focus on the avoidable CoVid deaths = some 40% died needlessly because of hmpy trmPEdophile (

https://www.businessinsider.com/analysis-trump-covid-19-response-40-percent-us-deaths-avoidable-2021-2 )!

I mentioned in a comment yesterday that if you asked any pos_tfnKKK support to name one thing that helped her constituent, they could not name one. Just as you could ask a trump supporter (traitor trash) to name one thing that helped America they would not come up with one.

If they came up with something.. it is almost something that those two liars did not do. (pos_tfnKKK takes credit for Build Back Better jobs and hmpy will say gas was $2 which was the results of mishandling an pandemic that lead to cheap gas ONLY because of the over production of gas when going out in public could have been a death sentence.)

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Edward Low's avatar

the fire hose is endless

remember when pos_tfnKKK blocked the transfer of ventilators* that were not being used that were NEEDED elsewhere in the state.

Now of course if you only read right-wing media like NY post... you would have not known the ventilators weren't being used in NY21 because the post spun the lies

https://nypost.com/2021/05/14/fight-over-gov-cuomo-ended-elise-stefanik-and-melissa-derosas-20-year-friendship/

* in essence pos_tfnkkk is a walking death panel

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Edward Low's avatar

also remember back in the height of CoVid pos_tfnKKK would have republican only events (same is true now) where she encouraged members not to wear a mask... and studies showed that these kind of meeting lead to more deaths*

It doesn't take a genius to realize if you live with your elderly mom in an apartment and you go to a pos_tfnKKK spreader event, then go home to mommy = she is at a higher risk... which in a way is kind of prove gQpedos are not geniuses.

*

https://www.axios.com/2021/02/21/collins-nih-maskless-republicans-covid-coranvirus

https://www.npr.org/2023/07/25/1189939229/covid-deaths-democrats-republicans-gap-study

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Susan Andrews's avatar

I believe tRump sent some of our critically needed ventilators to Putin at height of the pandemic…trying to find reference article…

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Edward Low's avatar

Right and some masks too (I just did a substack about it how it is nearly impossible to remember all the crimes of hmpy trmPEDOfile)

You would think the guy who was impeached for colluding with Russia (but punishment blocked by the senate) would maybe think about the optics of giving Russia supplies the US needed.. but not the huckster

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Ken Tingley's avatar

I believe that is correct.

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W Tucker's avatar

Ken, do you have a link that supports you belief?

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Bob's avatar

Trolls will troll....

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Edward Low's avatar

No kidding

w-cuck, the simp (or what ever name he is going by in the moment) is definitely living under the bridge of ignorance and trolling..

But I enjoy the fact he gives us a chance to see what kind of fools would vote for a rapist felon..

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Bob's avatar

Also, Trump secretly sent Putin COVID-19 tests during pandemic shortage.

(And before you ask, here's the link, because I'm sure you value substantive discussion:

https://www.npr.org/2024/10/08/nx-s1-5146501/trump-putin-covid-tests)

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W Tucker's avatar

Bod thanks for the link https://www.npr.org/2024/10/08/nx-s1-5146501/trump-putin-covid-tests “Trump secretly sent Putin COVID-19 tests during pandemic shortage, a new book reports” October 8, 2024

The following link will take you to “Delivery of U.S. Ventilators to Russia” May 21, 2020 https://ru.usembassy.gov/delivery-of-u-s-ventilators-to-russia/

At the top “Today, the United States donated and delivered 50 high-quality ventilators to the people of Russia.”

At the bottom “As part of a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States is providing critical medical supplies and ventilators to people in need around the world. The United States is the largest contributor to global public health and has committed over 15,000 ventilators to more than 60 countries, including our European Allies and partners”

Looks like Russia was not the only country to receive help.

Bod seeing that the information was on a government website in 2020. Why does NPR article of 2024 claim it to be secret transfer?

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Edward Low's avatar

“I don’t want you to tell anybody because people will get mad at you, not me. They don't care about me,” Putin told Trump, according to the book. Trump responded, "I don't care. Fine," according to Woodward.

==

gail don't let facts trigger you

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W Tucker's avatar

Ed, you write “remember when postfnKKK blocked the transfer of ventilators”.

The following is taken from the link you reference https://nypost.com/2021/05/14/fight-over-gov-cuomo-ended-elise-stefanik-and-melissa-derosas-20-year-friendship/

DeRosa “screamed” at and “bullied” Stefanik (R-Glens Falls) in an effort to make her to walk back her opposition to Cuomo’s executive order, which would have shifted the life-saving medical equipment to hard-hit New York City and the surrounding area, a source told The Post.

But Stefanik — whose upstate congressional district has the largest population of highly vulnerable seniors in the state — wouldn’t relent.

So, Ed how did Stefanik block the transfer?

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Edward Low's avatar

Cuomo back down... but it was pos_tfnKKK's doing

do you understand that? (I did type slow)

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Edward Low's avatar

I guess we are back to your disingenuous nature

I will prove it and you will disappear

https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/41063/20200406/stefanik-leads-opposition-to-cuomo-s-plan-to-redistribute-ny-ventilators

but she also realized she had no power to do this and decided she should let hospitals do what they had the right to do

https://www.pressrepublican.com/news/coronavirus/stefanik-supports-voluntary-redeployment-of-ventilators/article_30541505-bcc3-5962-a949-8d9f08a37675.html

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W Tucker's avatar

Edward, proof? You wrote “ postfnKKK blocked the transfer of ventilators” I asked how did Stefanik block the transfer?

You write “Cuomo back down... but it was pos_tfnKKK's doing do you understand that? (I did type slow)”

So, you have gone from Stefanik blocking it to Cuomo backing down. Looks like you are back peddling.

From the story you linked “Some Democrats also urged Cuomo to reconsider his executive order, which by Sunday still hadn’t gone into effect.” Looks like some of Cuomo’s own party might oppose his position https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/41063/20200406/stefanik-leads-opposition-to-cuomo-s-plan-to-redistribute-ny-ventilators

Simple question. Oppose vs block is there a difference? If so, care to explain what that difference would be?

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Edward Low's avatar

Gail:

thanks for conceding

so seldom does the right-wing ignorance have such self-awareness

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W Tucker's avatar

Nice try Eddy.

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Edward Low's avatar

and a successful one...

you should try gail.. you would have a better chance at succeeding... but from what I have seen you enjoy failure.. not only living it.. voting for it.

how's the weather in brooklyn

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Gail Wilck's avatar

The guy is not Eddy that is one of his fake profiles that was removed from Facebook for harassing me. I just looked at his Substack and it is full of lies about me. On Facebook he goes by Pedro and Carmin currently being a coward he blocked me so I could not be able to defend myself. I am very disappointed in Ken with 40 years of journalism experience wasn't able to see that he was interacting with a person that needs to have fake profiles to harass people. He knows absolutely nothing about me and pretends to be an expert on my life. Probably be is in love with me not my first rodeo with stalkers and that is always their end excuse.

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Gail Wilck's avatar

I reviewed your Walk the Plank with Edward Low and it is full of lies about me We can start right here I am not W Tucker

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Bridget Ball's avatar

Okay, fine. I'll re-subscribe to the Gazette. But grudgingly. They endorsed Elise Stefanik!!! I'm not over it.

And I'll subscribe to The Atlantic. Been meaning to for a while.

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Ken Tingley's avatar

Consider it good citizenship.

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Edward Low's avatar

Mr. Tingley.. I wonder if you have mixed feelings (as I do) when it comes to sports heros?

There are many from my youth and young adult life that aer really old now or have passed on..

And for me, they were like gods, in that I thought they were immortal... which leads me to realize, if they were/are mortals...who am I - but a mere mortal. ;-}}

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Ken Tingley's avatar

Very deep thinking when you get into mortality. After being a sportswriter you don’t look at athletes as heroes so much. Then, Derek Jeter came along.

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Edward Low's avatar

One of the things I find really amazing is that most of anything that was a mistake or wrong about the early covid year... it was done for safety.

We developed vaccines at a record pace that there is no doubt saved lives... and one can disagree about wanting a vaccine, only a fool thinks they don't work.

There are many, but one example is how people in Texas have FaFO about what happens when you stop taking the measles vaccine.

People can deny science, but they can't avoid the consequences in doing so.

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