When top U.S. immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci, 81, contracted COVID earlier this month, he decided to take Paxlovid, Pfizer&#8217;s antiviral for people who are at greater risk of complications.
He had minimal symptoms at first, but took the drug when he began to feel worse. After the five-day course of the drug, he said he felt &#8220;really quite well&#8221; for a while, aside from some fatigue and a bit of congestion.
&#8220;However, after testing negative for three consecutive days, Fauci said he decided to take one more test out of precaution and subsequently found himself positive again on the fourth day,&#8221; ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/fauci-taking-2nd-paxlovid-experiencing-rebound-antiviral-treatment/story?id=85922417">reported</a>.
&#8220;It was sort of what people are referring to as a Paxlovid rebound,&#8221; Fauci said during a remote interview with the Foreign Policy Global Health Forum on Tuesday, ABC reported. &#8220;Over the course of the next day, he began to feel &#8216;really poorly,&#8217; and &#8216;much worse than in the first go around,&#8217; he added.&#8221;
The news site noted that Paxlovid &#8220;is authorized in the U.S. for people with mild-to-moderate symptoms of COVID-19, who are at significant risk of progressing to severe illness.&#8221;
But Fauci has come out since to dispel doubts about Paxlovid.
“Paxlovid did what it was supposed to do,” Fauci, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/06/30/world/covid-19-mandates-vaccine-cases">told</a> The New York Times, adding that the treatment &#8220;kept him out of the hospital when he first tested positive for the virus on June 15.&#8221; He added that he thought the drug also reduced the severity of his initial symptoms. Fauci reportedly received a second course of Paxlovid after his rebound.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has noted &#8220;the potential for recurrence of Covid-19 or &#8216;Covid-19 rebound,'&#8221; with Paxlovid. &#8220;It issued an emergency health advisory that described the phenomenon as “a recurrence of symptoms or a new positive viral test after having tested negative” when the initial diagnosis was in the past two weeks,&#8221; the Times reported.
Fauci&#8217;s comments came shortly after a panel of independent advisers that works with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended producing new COVID vaccines to target the Omicron variant.
By a 19-2 vote, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) approved a plan to have new vaccines ready by early October. The panel said the newly formulated vaccines are needed because new subvariants of the Omicron strain appear to be able to bypass antibodies delivered via previous vaccines.
That would mean Americans could be urged to take a fourth shot, with fifth shots for the immunocompromised and people over 50 years old.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

New York Yankees v Washington Nationals

‘Much Worse Than 1st Go Around’: Fauci Taking 2nd Course Of Paxlovid After Virus ‘Rebound’

'Much Worse Than 1st Go Around': Dr. Anthony Fauci Taking 2nd Course Of Paxlovid After COVID-19 Virus 'Rebound'

Anthony Fauci

COVID

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a> appeared to demote his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cdc">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> director Tuesday in a humiliating snub caught on video.
Biden was speaking to a group assembled at a Washington, D.C. clinic Tuesday when he introduced Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID response coordinator. Except the president did not use that title.
“You see Dr. Jha there,” Biden said, pointing him out. “He’s the guy that’s running the CDC for me these days, basically.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BIDEN: &quot;You see Dr. Jha, see that guy right there? He&#39;s the guy that&#39;s running the CDC for me these days.&quot;
Rochelle Walensky is the director of the CDC. Ashish Jha is Biden&#39;s COVID response coordinator. <a href="https://t.co/vmD1H4a1xk">pic.twitter.com/vmD1H4a1xk</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1539317098899308544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The introduction must have come as news to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the actual director of the CDC. She was began leading the agency on January 20, 2021. Prior to taking the high-level Biden administration job, Walensky was the top infectious diseases expert at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School.
Jha, who was named to his current position in April, is also a former Harvard professor.
The response on Twitter came swiftly.
&#8220;According to POTUS, Dr. Jha is “basically running the CDC” these days,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/davidzweig/status/1539732341492416513?s=20&amp;t=Q8I2oPKT3g7-8Vdlt0iF-w">tweeted Fox News contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier</a>. &#8220;If the WH advisor controls the CDC, what role does Dr. Walensky have? Does the CDC have any apolitical leadership anymore? FYI, lowering the facemask negates any effect it may have.&#8221;:
&#8220;Does this mean that Jha is “basically” running the CDC for the president, or is this a giant gaffe?&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/texanconstitut1/status/1539437566746935296?s=20&amp;t=Q8I2oPKT3g7-8Vdlt0iF-w">tweeted TexasConstitutionalist</a>. &#8220;Well, either way, it’s horrible in its implications. And, I suppose, either way, it’s still a giant gaffe.&#8221;
The incident occurred when Biden and first lady Jill Biden visited a Washington, D.C., vaccination clinic where <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-boasts-as-infants-as-young-as-six-months-now-cleared-for-covid-vaccines">children from six months to age 5 are now being vaccinated for COVID</a>. Walensky endorsed the new guidelines, although other nations are not vaccinating infants.
“This is a very historic milestone,” Biden said. “The United States is now the first country in the world to offer safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines for children as young as six months old.”
It was not the first time Biden has gotten confused about key members of his administration. In 2020, he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-joe-biden-announces-name-of-his-chosen-hhs-chief">botched Xavier Becerra’s name</a> and title when introducing him as his choice for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“For Secretary of Health and Education Services, I nominate Xavier Bacheria,” Biden said.
Last year, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/critics-slam-biden-after-he-appears-to-forget-name-of-defense-secretary-pentagon-hes-not-there">Biden seemed to forget the name of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a> while introducing him at a White House event.
“I want to thank the sec… the, the former general,” Biden said. “I keep calling him general, but my, my… the guy who runs that outfit over there. I want to make sure we thank the secretary for all he’s done to try to implement what we just talked about.”

President Biden at vaccine clinic

WATCH: Biden Delivers Humiliating Snub To CDC Director

WATCH: President Biden Says White House COVID Point Man "Running The CDC For Me"

Biden Administration

Dr. Rochelle Walensky

International travelers flying to the United States are no longer required to test negative for COVID-19 before they can enter the country.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) got rid of the 17-month-old requirement at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/pdf/rescission-global-testing-order-p.pdf.pdf">issued</a> an order lifting the mandate saying it is “not currently necessary.”
“On December 02, 2021, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) amended its October 25, 2021 Amended Order, titled, ‘Requirement for Proof of Negative COVID-19 Test or Recovery from COVID-19 for All Air Passengers Arriving in the United States,’” the CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/fr-proof-negative-test.html">said</a>.
“As of 12:01AM ET on June 12, 2022, CDC will no longer require air passengers traveling from a foreign country to the United States to show a negative COVID-19 viral test or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before they board their flight,” the agency <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel/index.html">said</a>.
The move comes as COVID cases are back up and the World Health Organization (WHO) is issuing new warnings.
The COVID-19 pandemic is “most certainly not over,” WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned late last month, <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/05/1118752">according</a> to UN News.
The WHO head said, “We lower our guard at our peril.”
“‘So, is COVID-19 over? No, it’s most certainly not over. I know that’s not the message you want to hear, and it’s definitely not the message I want to deliver,’” he said.
Ghebreyesus told officials gathered in Geneva for the opening of the WHO’s annual meeting that declining testing and sequencing means “‘we are blinding ourselves to the evolution of the virus.’” In addition, he said that while billions are vaccinated against the virus, nearly one billion people in lower-income countries still are not.
While some 60% of the world’s population is vaccinated, he said, “‘it’s not over anywhere until it’s over everywhere.’”
Ghebreyesus mentioned, “‘reported cases are increasing in almost 70 countries in all regions,’” the UN reported.
“‘ …  And this in a world in which testing rates have plummeted,’” the WHO head added.
He noted that the virus is spreading rapidly in Africa, where the vaccination rate is the lowest worldwide. And he said while there appears to be ample supply of the vaccine, there is “‘insufficient political commitment to roll out vaccines’” in some countries, while there remain gaps in “‘operational or financial capacity’” in other nations.
“‘In all, we see vaccine hesitancy driven by misinformation and disinformation,’” Ghebreyesus said. “‘The pandemic will not magically disappear. But we can end it. We have the knowledge. We have the tools. Science has given us the upper hand,’” he said, calling on countries to work together to reach 70% of vaccination coverage.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as a White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

Alpha Beta Gamma Delta Omicron Covid variant concept

CDC Officially Drops Mandatory Pre-Travel COVID-19 Test For International Travelers To U.S.

Centers For Disease Control And Prevention CDC Officially Drops Mandatory Pre-Travel COVID-19 Test For International Travelers To U.S.

Air Travel

Travel Restrictions

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration">Biden administration</a> announced on Friday that it had placed an order for 500,000 doses of a vaccine that protects against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/monkeypox">monkeypox</a>, following reports of several dozen cases of the disease appearing in the United States.
Health officials said that vaccines were ordered to help show citizens that steps have been taken to deal with the spread of the disease, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-government-and-politics-df4bb27e34d8ea6eddea3ec2ee841d39">reported</a> the Associated Press. The vaccine, Jynneos, is produced by the biotech company Bavarian Nordic. It is spread across two doses. 
“We have the vaccines and treatments we need to respond,” remarked Dawn O’Connell, a U.S. health official who overlooks the government’s supply of emergency treatments and vaccines.
Monkeypox is a rare disease from the same viral family as smallpox that spreads mostly via direct close or sexual contact with an infected person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/monkeypox#:~:text=Risk%20to%20the%20general%20public,going%20to%20a%20healthcare%20facility.">suggested</a> in an alert that the threat posed to the general population is “low.&#8221; Symptoms of the disease often start out like the flu, but they can also include rashes and swollen bumps on the body and face — which can turn into lesions and leave permanent severe scarring — as well as swelling of lymph nodes.
Back in May, Bavarian Nordic announced that the Biden administration had placed a nearly $120 million dollar order for the company’s smallpox vaccines, which are also effective against monkeypox, <a href="https://fortune.com/2022/05/19/monkeypox-vaccine-purchase-2022-us-government/">according</a> to Fortune. The company also announced that the U.S. has the option to buy $180 million more — working out to be roughly 13 million doses.
“We are pleased to announce the exercise of the first options under our contract with the U.S. government to deliver a freeze-dried version of the smallpox vaccine with an improved shelf-life, which will be manufactured at our new fill and finish facility,” said Paul Chaplin, president and CEO of Bavarian Nordic, in a <a href="https://www.bavarian-nordic.com/investor/news/news.aspx?news=6574">statement</a>. “This marks a significant milestone in our long-standing partnership with the U.S. government to ensure availability of life-saving vaccines for the entire population.”
President Joe Biden remarked after the order in May that the U.S. has enough smallpox vaccines to handle a potential monkeypox problem, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/23/biden-u-s-has-enough-vaccines-deal-monkeypox-outbreak/9889740002/">reported</a> USA Today. He added that he does not think monkeypox is as concerning as COVID-19 was when it first appeared.
Since 2003, Bavarian Nordic has worked with the U.S. government to help develop and distribute nearly 30 million doses of the smallpox vaccine. The company also announced in May that an unspecified European country will obtain the vaccine for monkeypox, reported Fortune.

President Joe Biden

Biden Admin Places Another Bulk Order Of Monkeypox Vaccines

Biden Admin Places Another Bulk Order Of Monkeypox Vax

Monkeypox

Vaccines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday scrubbed a recommendation that air travelers wear masks to protect against monkeypox, just days after posting the guidance on its website.
Monkeypox is a rare disease from the same viral family as smallpox, and has <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/07/monkeypox-outbreak">infected</a> 31 people in the United States as of June 6th, mostly via sexual contact with an infected person. The CDC has <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/monkeypox#:~:text=Risk%20to%20the%20general%20public,going%20to%20a%20healthcare%20facility.">suggested</a> in an alert that the threat posed to the general population is “low” but has elevated the threat level from the virus to “Alert &#8211; Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions,” one step below an advisory to avoid non-essential travel.
“Cases of monkeypox have been reported in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia,&#8221; the CDC wrote in its alert. “Some cases were reported among men who have sex with men. Some cases were also reported in people who live in the same household as an infected person.”
The mask recommendation was added to the “Travelers&#8217; Health” page on the CDC’s website last week, <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/jun/7/cdc-drops-mask-recommendation-monkeypox/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&amp;utm_medium=RSS">reported</a> The Washington Times. As recently as Monday the page <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220606015401/https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/monkeypox">read</a>: “Wear a mask. Wearing a mask can help protect you from many diseases, including monkeypox.” As of Tuesday that portion of the page was <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/monkeypox">removed</a>.
According to The Washington Times, a spokesperson for the CDC did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on the guidance. It is not clear if the guidance has been reversed. Presently the CDC still <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/clinicians/infection-control-home.html">recommends</a> that individuals infected with monkeypox wear surgical masks during quarantine to avoid infecting other members of their household.
Mask mandates have been a subject of considerable controversy in recent months. In April a federal judge <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-federal-judge-in-florida-voids-bidens-national-mask-mandate-at-airports-planes-public-transit">struck down</a> the national mask mandate on airports, airplanes, and other types of mass transportation, arguing that the mandate &#8220;exceeded the CDC’s statutory authority” and was “unlawful.&#8221; The Biden Administration <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/florida-judge-strikes-transport-mask-mandate-b2060274.html">described</a> that decision as &#8220;disappointing,&#8221; and the Department of Justice, at the recommendation of the CDC, is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-biden-admin-to-appeal-court-decision-that-ruled-mask-mandate-on-airplanes-was-unlawful">attempting</a> to appeal that ruling.
&nbsp;

CDC Scrubs Monkeypox Mask Recommendation From Website

CDC Scrubs Mask Recommendation From Website

Face Masks

UPDATE: After this article was published the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/monkeypox">removed</a> its <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220606015401/https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/monkeypox">mask recommendation</a> for travelers from its website.
Original article:
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has raised its warning level on monkeypox and is urging travelers to wear masks.
The new warning comes as there are now 31 confirmed cases of monkeypox in 13 states in the United States.
Monkeypox symptoms often start out like the flu, but soon after contracting the virus sufferers get a rash and swollen bumps on their body and face, as well as swelling of lymph nodes. The bumps can turn into lesions and leave permanent severe scarring.
&#8220;Cases of monkeypox have been reported in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia,&#8221; the CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/index.html">wrote</a> in its alert. &#8220;Some cases were reported among men who have sex with men. Some cases were also reported in people who live in the same household as an infected person.&#8221;
But the World Health Organization (WHO) said this week that there had been no deaths from the virus so far. &#8220;As of 2 June 2022, there have been no deaths associated within the current monkeypox outbreak in non-endemic countries, however, cases and deaths continue to be reported from endemic countries,&#8221; the agency said on Saturday.
In its warning, the CDC advised that &#8220;Anyone with a rash that looks like monkeypox should talk to their healthcare provider, even if they don’t think they had contact with someone who has monkeypox.&#8221;
It also outlined people who may be at higher risk, which include but are not limited to those who:
<ul>
<li>Had contact with someone who had a rash that looks like monkeypox or someone who was diagnosed with confirmed or probable monkeypox</li>
<li>Had skin-to-skin contact with someone in a social network experiencing monkeypox activity, this includes men who have sex with men who meet partners through an online website, digital application (“app”), or social event (e.g., a bar or party)</li>
<li>Traveled outside the US to a country with confirmed cases of monkeypox or where monkeypox activity has been ongoing</li>
<li>Had contact with a dead or live wild animal or exotic pet that exists only in Africa or used a product derived from such animals (e.g., game meat, creams, lotions, powders, etc.)</li>
</ul>
The CDC also said to &#8220;avoid eating or preparing meat from wild game (bushmeat) or using products derived from wild animals from Africa (creams, lotions, powders).&#8221;
In addition, the health agency said that &#8220;wearing a mask can help protect you from many diseases, including monkeypox.&#8221; The CDC has since removed that statement from their website, but they still <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/clinicians/infection-control-home.html">recommend</a> persons infected with monkeypox wear surgical masks during quarantine to prevent transmission to other members of their household.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

Monkeypox virus cells outbreak medical banner.

UPDATED: CDC Advises Travelers To Wear Masks To Protect Against Monkeypox

UPDATED: Centers For Disease Control And Prevention CDC Advises Travelers To Wear Masks To Protect Against Monkeypox

World Health Organization

The Biden administration said late Friday that it plans to appeal a federal court ruling overturning Title 42.
White House Press Secretary <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/20/statement-by-white-house-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-on-the-district-court-ruling-on-title-42/">Karine Jean-Pierre</a> made the announcement in a statement late Friday, shortly after a judge in the Western District of Louisiana granted a request for a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit brought by more than 20 state Attorneys General.
&#8220;The Administration disagrees with the court’s ruling, and the Department of Justice has announced that it will appeal this decision,&#8221; Jean-Pierre wrote. &#8220;The authority to set public health policy nationally should rest with the Centers for Disease Control, not with a single district court. However, in compliance with the court’s injunction, the Biden Administration will continue to enforce the CDC’s 2020 Title 42 public health authority pending the appeal. This means that migrants who attempt to enter the United States unlawfully will be subject to  expulsion under Title 42, as well as immigration consequences such as removal under Title 8.&#8221;
&#8220;As the appeal proceeds, the Department of Homeland Security will continue planning for the eventual lifting of Title 42 in light of CDC’s public health judgment, at which point anyone who attempts to enter the country unlawfully will be subject to Title 8 Expedited Removal proceedings, if they do not have grounds to remain in the United States,&#8221; she added.
The <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-statement-ruling-louisiana-v-cdc">Department of Justice</a> also issued its own statement Friday announcing its intent to appeal the ruling. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) invoked its authority under Title 42 due to the unprecedented public-health dangers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,&#8221; DOJ spokesman Anthony Coley said. &#8220;CDC has now determined, in its expert opinion, that continued reliance on this authority is no longer warranted in light of the current public-health circumstances. That decision was a lawful exercise of CDC’s authority. The Department of Justice intends to appeal the court’s decision in Louisiana et al. v. CDC et al.”
Western District of Louisiana Judge Robert Summerhays granted the request for a preliminary injunction in the case of Louisiana v. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Summerhays explained the Court&#8217;s reasoning for issuing the injunction in a <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/575103436/Title-42-preliminary-injunction">47-page ruling</a>. Among the reasons for issuing the injuction, Summerhays ruled that the anticipated end of Title 42 would lead to a massive increase in border crossings.
&#8220;The record reflects that—based on the government&#8217;s own predictions—that the Termination Order will result in an increase in daily border crossings and that this increase could be as large as a three-fold increase to 18,000 daily border crossings&#8221; the judge wrote. &#8220;Moreover, the CDC&#8217;s own Termination Order acknowledges that the order will lead to an increase in a number of non-citizens being processed in DHS facilities which could result in overcrowding in congregate settings. The record also includes evidence supporting the Plaintiff States&#8217; position that such an increase in border crossings will increase their costs for healthcare reimbursements and education services. These costs are not recoverable.&#8221;
Attorneys General from 24 states, led by Louisiana, filed a lawsuit claiming that rescinding Title 42 would violate federal regulatory procedures, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-judge-blocks-biden-administration-from-ending-title-42">The Daily Wire</a> reported. Title 42 has been in place since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, and was used to prevent more than 100,000 migrant crossings in April alone. The restrictions were set to end on Monday.

Border

Biden Admin Says It Will Appeal Ruling Stopping Title 42 From Ending

Border Crisis

Illegal Immigration

Title 42

A federal judge on Friday blocked the Biden administration from ending Title 42, a Trump-era border policy, days before it was scheduled to lapse.
U.S. District Judge Robert Summerhays of the Western District of Louisiana granted a request for a preliminary injunction made by the attorneys general of over 20 states on Friday, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/federal-judge-blocks-biden-admin-ending-title-42-border-expulsions">Fox News</a>. The attorneys general sued the federal government over its plans to end Title 42, claiming the Biden administration had violated federal rules in killing the health policy.
Title 42 is a health policy that has been in place since March 2020 and authorizes Border Patrol agents to reject migrants at the border and turn them back without processing their asylum claims. The policy was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/migrant-encounters-hit-record-high-as-biden-looks-to-end-title-42-next-week">used</a> nearly 100,000 times in April alone to turn away migrants during a record-setting month for migrant encounters at the U.S. southern border.
Critics say that scrapping the health policy will lead to a flood of immigration that the administration is not equipped to handle. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has disputed questions of the federal government’s readiness, but he has acknowledged that the department expects a jump in immigration after the rule is ended.
“This suit challenges an imminent, man-made, self-inflicted calamity: the abrupt elimination of the only safety valve preventing this administration’s disastrous border policies from devolving into an unmitigated catastrophe,” the attorneys general <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/567980415/4-4-Title-42-Complaint">lawsuit</a> says. Summerhays ruled that the lawsuit has merit and blocked Title 42&#8217;s ending while the lawsuit moves forward.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in April that it planned to end the policy on May 23. The announcement received bipartisan pushback from Republicans and moderate Democrats who expressed concerns over the impact of ending the policy on immigration.
“Title 42 has been an essential tool in combatting the spread of COVID-19 and controlling the influx of migrants at our southern border,” Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) said in a <a href="https://www.manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/manchin-title-42-must-stay-in-place-until-we-have-major-immigration-reforms">statement</a>. “We are already facing an unprecedented increase in migrants this year, and that will only get worse if the Administration ends the Title 42 policy. We are nowhere near prepared to deal with that influx. Until we have comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform that commits to securing our borders and providing a pathway to citizenship for qualified immigrants, Title 42 must stay in place.”

Judge Blocks Biden Administration From Ending Title 42

Immigration

Joe Biden

The country’s largest baby formula manufacturer announced Monday that they were on their way to reopening the plant and starting production again, according to a <a href="https://abbott.mediaroom.com/2022-05-16-Abbott-Enters-into-Consent-Decree-with-U-S-Food-and-Drug-Administration-for-its-Sturgis,-Mich-,-Plant-Agreement-Creates-Pathway-to-Reopen-Facility">press release</a>.
Abbott has “agreed to enter into a consent decree with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)&#8221; so they could take “the steps necessary to resume production and maintain the facility,” the document stated. The report noted that production could get going again within two weeks, which would mean product would be available on merchant shelves in six to eight weeks.
The press release also noted that Abbott will continue coordinating with an FDA-approved facility in Ireland to ease the burden of the current shortage in the meantime. 
&#8220;Our number one priority is getting infants and families the high-quality formulas they need, and this is a major step toward re-opening our Sturgis facility so we can ease the nationwide formula shortage. We look forward to working with the FDA to quickly and safely re-open the facility,&#8221; Robert B. Ford, chairman and chief executive officer at Abbott said. 
&#8220;We know millions of parents and caregivers depend on us and we&#8217;re deeply sorry that our voluntary recall worsened the nationwide formula shortage. We will work hard to re-earn the trust that moms, dads and caregivers have placed in our formulas for more than 50 years.&#8221;
The Sturgis, Michigan, plant was shuttered in February following reports of four infants getting sick and two dying from ingesting formula that was thought to be linked to that plant. Inspections by the Food and Drug Administration found the presence of Cronobacter sakazakii, a bacteria which causes blood infections, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/baby-formula-recall-spotlights-rare-dangerous-cronobacter-sakazakii-rcna18139">NBC News</a>. This extended shutdown led to catastrophic formula shortages nationwide, with one data firm estimating that 40% of formula brands were sold out. 
The press release noted that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) finished their investigation and there were “no findings of a link between Abbott formulas and infant illnesses.” The document also said samples from the sick infants “did not match each other,” meaning the cases were not linked.
The company further promised to extend their WIC rebates for customers who were forced to substitute different brands for Similac in light of the shortages. These provisions will be extended through August 31, the document noted.
The Biden administration came under fire not only for ignoring the baby formula shortages for weeks, but also for apparently shipping pallets of baby formula to immigration detention facilities on the southern border, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pelosi-snaps-after-top-republican-blames-baby-formula-shortage-on-democrats-shipping-it-to-the-border">reported</a>. 
“Joe Biden continues to put America LAST by shipping pallets of baby formula to the southern border as American families face empty shelves,” Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) shared on Twitter. “This is unacceptable. American mothers and their babies shouldn’t suffer because of the #BidenBorderCrisis.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) called Stefanik’s statements “irresponsible.” Pelosi said the shortage had nothing to do with Biden’s decision.
“As usual, her statement is totally irresponsible,” Pelosi told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos during an appearance on “This Week.”
“Babies are crying. We need to get them food. And the president has — now what we’re doing this week in the Congress is, again, Bobby Scott, chair of the Education and Labor Committee, that’s the jurisdiction that will lower some of the regulations, et cetera, so that it’s easier to buy it.”

Long Favored By Shoplifters, Baby Formula Goes Under Lock And Key

Baby Formula Could Return To Shelves As Abbott Plant Takes ‘Major Step’ To Reopening Facility

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Popular radio host Dana Loesch accused Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz of pushing &#8220;disinformation&#8221; about gun control and gun violence statistics.
Loesch laid out her argument in a lengthy Twitter thread responding to a 2018 claim from the Trump-backed candidate stating that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had been barred from &#8220;comprehensively&#8221; studying <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/cdc-now-targeting-gun-violence-restarts-research-program-on-epidemic-of-firearm-deaths/">gun violence</a>.
&#8220;Right now, the @CDCgov is NOT funded to study gun violence in this country. It’s time we treat shootings as a public health problem. Contact your congressperson today to demand they fund the #CDC to comprehensively study gun violence. #EndTheBan http://congress.gov,&#8221; Oz tweeted.
&#8220;I have a major problem with Republicans who push disinformation like this. #2A#DrOz,&#8221; Loesch responded, noting that the CDC was never barred from the comprehensive study of gun violence.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I have a major problem with Republicans who push disinformation like this. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/2A?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#2A</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DrOz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DrOz</a> <a href="https://t.co/BdU14QoUgf">https://t.co/BdU14QoUgf</a>
&mdash; Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) <a href="https://twitter.com/DLoesch/status/1524507608123588608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The only people who talk like this are Bloomberg gun-control types. This demands explanation — not excuses or dodging. Remember the people who cover for it, too,&#8221; Loesch continued, noting that the CDC had studied firearms but had failed to report their findings for political reasons.
&#8220;Not only did the CDC study firearms, they specifically did NOT release surveys on defensive gun usage because it obliterated their gun control narrative. A gov’t agency used our tax dollars for surveys and hid the results from taxpayers in a bid to boost gun control,&#8221; she added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Not only did the CDC study firearms, they specifically did NOT release surveys on defensive gun usage because it obliterated their gun control narrative. A gov’t agency used our tax dollars for surveys and hid the results from taxpayers in a bid to boost gun control.
&mdash; Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) <a href="https://twitter.com/DLoesch/status/1524511770982895620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;But wait, there’s more! When it was discovered that the CDC inflated firearm fatality numbers they dragged their feet for two years before finally changing it,&#8221; Loesch added, noting that the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/104/plaws/publ208/PLAW-104publ208.pdf">law passed</a> in 1996 <a href="https://twitter.com/DLoesch/status/1524513826313547777">very specifically</a> only barred the &#8220;use of taxpayer dollars to advocate for or against gun control.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
To make it even easier, here is a screenshot of the precise language used in the provision: <a href="https://t.co/Cb1MEV2OqV">pic.twitter.com/Cb1MEV2OqV</a>
&mdash; Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) <a href="https://twitter.com/DLoesch/status/1524514218619379719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Sidebar: It’s also troubling to see a declared Republican describe the willful and deliberate choice of violence with an illegally possessed inanimate object as similar to that of communicable diseases using Bloomberg rhetoric as a way to boost legitimacy of federal infringement,&#8221; Loesch concluded.
Oz is currently leading the field in a <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/polls-show-three-way-neck-and-neck-race-for-pennsylvania-gop-senate-primary/">tight Republican primary</a>, as The Daily Wire previously reported. &#8220;According to a <a href="https://www.thetrafalgargroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/TRF-PA-GOP-Sen-Primary-0508-Poll-Report.pdf">poll</a> of more than 1,000 likely Republican primary voters by the Trafalgar Group, television host Dr. Mehmet Oz currently leads the race with a 24.5% margin. Barnette follows closely behind at 23.2%, while former hedge fund CEO and Treasury Department official David McCormick comes in third at 21.6%. As the margin of error is 3%, the three candidates are virtually tied.&#8221;

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‘I Have A Major Problem’: Dana Loesch Torches Dr. Oz For Pushing ‘Disinformation’ About Gun Control

Dana Loesch Accuses Dr. Oz Of Pushing 'Disinformation' About Gun Control

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A record number of Americans died from drug overdoses last year, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Data from the CDC&#8217;s <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm">National Vital Statistics System</a> for the year 2021 predicted that 107,622 Americans have died from drug overdoses. The data is not final, and could be under-reported because the data is not complete, but it would mark the largest number of Americans who have died from drug overdoses on record in a single year, and an increase of about 15% from 2020, when 93,655 people died from overdoses. Overdose deaths have also increased by about 50% since 2019 when around 72,000 people died of drug overdoses.
California led the nation in total overdose deaths, with 11,704 predicted deaths for the year 2021. Florida came in second, with 8,171 predicted deaths. Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas all suffered more than 5,000 predicted deaths. North Carolina had over 4,000. Five states suffered more than 3,000 overdose deaths, 12 states had more than 2,000 deaths, and nine states had more than 1,000 deaths last year.
California also led the nation in year-over-year increases, with about 2,100 more deaths in 2021 than in 2020. In terms of largest year-over-year percentage change, Alaska led the nation with a 75% increase over 2020. Nearly every state saw an increase in overdose deaths, except Wyoming, which saw no change, and Hawaii, which saw a net decrease of 1.8%.
One drug policy experts cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a major reason behind the spike in overdose deaths.
“The pandemic really upended so many people’s lives, especially people already living at the margins,” Maritza Perez, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance, told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/11/drug-overdose-deaths-2021-record-00031709">Politico</a> Wednesday. “People lost their jobs, they were isolated. These are all factors that increase problematic drug use.”
Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), called the CDC&#8217;s numbers a “devastating milestone” and &#8220;truly staggering.&#8221;
Deaths involving synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, were responsible for a large share of the deaths, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/11/us/politics/overdose-deaths-fentanyl-meth.html">The New York Times</a> reported. The number of deaths involving synthetic opioids rose from 58,000 to 71,000, while deaths associated with stimulants like methamphetamine rose from 25,000 to 33,000.
The New York Times notes that fentanyl, which comes as a white powder, is becoming more prevalent because it can be mixed with other drugs, including other opioids like heroin, and pressed into counterfeit pills for other drugs.
A <a href="https://nida.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/2022/03/law-enforcement-seizures-of-pills-containing-fentanyl-increased-dramatically-between-2018-2021">study</a> of illicit pills seized by law enforcement agencies, conducted by the NIDA, found that the number of illicit pills containing fentanyl saw a nearly fifty-fold increase between 2018 and 2021. The study found that about 290,000 pills were seized in 2018. That number increased to over 9,500,000 pills in 2021.
“The net effect is that we have many more people, including those who use drugs occasionally and even adolescents, exposed to these potent substances that can cause someone to overdose even with a relatively small exposure,” Volkow told the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/overdose-deaths-opioids-fentanyl-8cb302a70ddbb6a435f9e8fbb19f153b">Associated Press</a>.
“Compounding the tragedy, we have underused treatments that could help many people,&#8221; Volkow added, according to Politico. &#8220;We must meet people where they are to prevent overdoses, reduce harm, and connect people to proven treatments to reduce drug use.”

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Record Number Of Americans Died From Drug Overdoses in 2021, CDC Data Show

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WASHINGTON — Republican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson is calling on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to address why it tracked Americans throughout the coronavirus pandemic — and what other departments may have tracked the movements of United States citizens as well.
&#8220;It remains unclear why the CDC tracked millions of Americans during the pandemic and whether it continues to do so,&#8221; Johnson told the CDC in a Thursday letter first obtained by The Daily Wire. &#8220;In response to COVID-19, the CDC should have been prioritizing the development of treatments, effective testing, and vaccine safety rather than tracking Americans’ daily lives.&#8221; 
Johnson called on the CDC to explain if its use of location data was &#8220;the only mechanism it employed to monitor Americans during the pandemic,&#8221; which official or officials at the CDC approved the &#8220;use and subsequent purchase of location data,&#8221; what companies supplied the CDC with this data, and whether the CDC shared this location data with any other federal, state, or local agencies.
&#8220;If so, provide what entities received the data and explain why,&#8221; Johnson told the CDC.
The senator&#8217;s letter builds off internal documents from the CDC <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7vymn/cdc-tracked-phones-location-data-curfews">obtained by Vice</a> showing that the department used the data of millions of Americans to track their compliance with government coronavirus restrictions.
This included tracking people who visited grade schools and high schools, specifically the Navajo Nation, places of worship, and more, the publication reported.
&#8220;A recent report revealed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) spent at least $420,000 to purchase location data from &#8216;at least 20 million active cellphone users per day&#8217; in an effort to assist the agency in monitoring Americans during the pandemic,&#8221; Johnson wrote in his letter to the CDC. 
&#8220;According to that report, the CDC obtained location data from at least one company, SafeGraph, to examine activities in schools, places of worship, parks, grocery stores, and public transit stations, among others,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;CDC reportedly wrote in a document, &#8216;the mobility data obtained in this contract will be available for CDC agency-wide use and will support numerous CDC priorities.'&#8221; 
Location data is sourced from an individual&#8217;s phone and shows where the device&#8217;s location is, revealing where the person goes during their day, as well as where they live and where they work. The CDC bought aggregated data, Vice reported, which means that the data was intended to follow trends of groups of people.
But researchers have warned that this type of data can also be used to track individuals, according to Vice.

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Senator Johnson Demands CDC Explain Why It Tracked Movements Of Americans During Pandemic

Ron Johnson Calls On CDC To Explain Why It Tracked Movements Of Americans During COVID

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