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US nears deal to fund Moderna's bird flu vaccine trial, FT reports

 

US nears deal to fund Moderna's bird flu vaccine trial, FT reports



May 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. government is nearing an agreement to fund a late-stage trial of Moderna's mRNA bird flu vaccine, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, as the outbreak spreads in dairy cows.
Moderna told Reuters it was in discussions with the government on advancing its vaccine candidate, but did not confirm the funding, saying it has nothing further to add.( )
Federal funding from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) could come as soon as next month and would include a promise to procure doses if late-stage trials are successful, the FT report said, citing people close to the discussions.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment.
Moderna is testing the experimental shot, mRNA-1018, against several strains of the virus - including the currently circulating H5N1 variant. It said dosing in an early-to-mid stage study of the vaccine was completed, and it expects data soon.( )
Shares of the company have risen about 40% since April 1, when the second known human case of bird flu in the United States was reported. The stock was up about 3% at $151.25 in premarket trading on Thursday.
The United States has a stockpile of bird flu vaccines matched with the strain currently circulating, as well as antivirals that could be used to treat human infections. For a major epidemic or a pandemic, however, the country would have to considerably scale up stock.
READ MORE.......... 

Mets expected to DFA Jorge Lopez after he throws glove into stands, calls Mets 'worst' team in MLB

 

Mets expected to DFA Jorge Lopez after he throws glove into stands, calls Mets 'worst' team in MLB

The New York Mets have underperformed in 2024, and one of the team's top relievers has seemingly had enough. Following a 10-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, finishing off a sweep of the Mets, 2022 All-Star Jorge Lopez had this to say about his team.( )

OUCH! The worst team in MLB? It doesn't matter how bad your team is playing, you can't say that.

Lopez's emotions were obviously running high during this interview. Lopez had been ejected from the game for arguing a check swing call with the third base umpire. After the ejection, Lopez threw his glove into the stands in frustration, which manager Carlos Mendoza deemed "unacceptable."( )

Lopez ended the day having pitched just 0.1 innings, surrendering two earned runs on two hits and one walk.

What will happen to Lopez?

The Mets will DFA Lopez, according to multiple reports.( )

All things Mets: Latest New York Mets news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

While the decision makes sense given what Lopez did and said, it's still a little shocking considering the success Lopez has had this season. In 2024, Lopez has posted a 3.12 ERA. He is one of only two relievers on the team to have pitched at least 20 innings while maintaining an ERA under 3.50.( )

What does DFA mean?

When a player is DFA'd (Designated for Assignment), he is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster. The team then has seven days to either return the player to the 40-man roster, place them on waivers, trade them, release them, or send them down to the minor leagues.( )

Given Lopez's strong start to 2024, it would not be a shock for him to find a new team quickly should the Mets decide to place him on waivers or release him outright.( )

Are the Mets actually 'the worst team in baseball?'

Record-wise, no. The Mets have a better record than the Los Angeles Angels, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, and Chicago White Sox, with the White Sox having the worst record in baseball at 15-41.

READ MORE........ 

U.S. Pier for Gaza Aid Damaged by Rough Seas

 

U.S. Pier for Gaza Aid Damaged by Rough Seas



Rough seas over the weekend broke four U.S. Army ships free of their moorings and damaged the temporary pier the Army had built to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.( )
Army engineers are working to put the pier back together, and Defense Department officials hope it will be operational again in about a week.

The temporary pier that the U.S. military constructed and put in place to provide much-needed humanitarian aid for Gaza has broken apart in rough seas, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.( )

The latest calamity to befall the pier endeavor punctuated a particularly grim several days in Gaza, where Israeli forces have ramped up attacks on the city of Rafah just two days after carrying out a deadly strike that killed dozens of people.( )

“Unfortunately, we had a perfect storm of high sea states, and then, as I mentioned, this North African weather system also came in at the same time, creating not an optimal environment to operate,” Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon deputy press secretary, said at a news conference.

Army engineers are working to put the pier back together and Defense Department officials hope that it “will be fully operational in just a little over a week,” she said.( )

In early March, President Biden surprised the Pentagon by announcing that the U.S. military would build a pier for Gaza. Defense officials immediately predicted that there would be logistical and security issues.( )

In the days after the pier became operational on May 17, trucks were looted as they made their way to a warehouse, forcing the U.N. World Food Program to suspend operations. After officials beefed up security, the weather turned bad. American officials had been hoping that the sea surges would not start until later in the summer.

On Saturday, heavy seas forced two small American military vessels that were part of the pier operation to beach in Israel. On Sunday, part of the pier broke off completely, including a wider parking area for dropping off supplies transported by ship, officials said. That part will have to be reconnected.( )

The pier is now being removed from the coast of Gaza to be repaired after getting damaged in the rough seas, Ms. Singh said. Over the next two days, it will be pulled out and taken to Ashdod, in southern Israel, for repairs.

READ MORE......... 

Terrifying video shows 2 women's ordeal as they face violent Texas tornado: ‘I'm shaking, the car’s still shaking’

Terrifying video shows 2 women's ordeal as they face violent Texas tornado: ‘I'm shaking, the car’s still shaking’



A terrifying video being recorded by two women shows the moment a tornado crossed the road while they were driving near Valley View, Texas.( )

terrifying video being recorded by two women shows the moment a tornado crossed the road while they were driving near Valley View, Texas. The duo survived, but the storm killed several people.
Valenia Gill and Brenda Proctor Dance were returning after attending a singer/songwriter show when they faced the ordeal. 15 minutes after the show, rain began blowing sideways and wind sounded across their vehicle.

The terrifying video( )

In the video, one can hear the hail pelting the car. “(Expletive)’s flying everywhere,” Gill says in the clip, as chunks of debris flew past the headlights.

“Look at it,” Dance says. “My ears are popping.”

“My ears are popping, too, from the pressure,” Gill says. “Look at the sign shaking.”

Soon the road signs start flapping violently. As visibility out of the car window worsens, Gill stops the car.

“Oh my God,” one of the women can be heard repeating.

“We’re right in the middle of the tornado, Brenda. What do I do?” Gill shouts. “The car is shaking.”

The video shifts right, left and down as the horrifying tornado wildly rocks the car. The car, we’re in it (the tornado), Brenda,” Gill yells, with the movement making the video blurry. “I can’t do anything.”

Cover your head,” a distressed Dance says. “Cover your head.”( )

The sound of the wind in the video is frightening, and power flashes light up the roadway with the power poles being disassembled. “It’s got my car, I know,” Gill says. “We’re still shaking, my ears are popping.”

The wind seems to become slightly slower, but still loud enough to scare the women. “Okay, okay,” Gill said, sounding terrified. “I don’t want to go anywhere yet. I’m shaking, the car’s still shaking.”( )

In the background, one can hear the sirens or emergency vehicles. When a car pulls around them, a power line can be seen down across the street. As the car drives away, one of them says, shocked, “Are they going?”

READ MORE.......... 

Three missionaries, including American couple, killed by gang in Haiti

 

Three missionaries, including American couple, killed by gang in Haiti

American missionaries Davy and Natalie Lloyd were killed in Haiti on Thursday, May 23, family members said. 
Missions in Haiti
Three missionaries, including a married couple from the US, were killed in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, on Thursday evening.
Davy and Natalie Lloyd “were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed,” Natalie Lloyd’s father, Missouri state Rep. Ben Baker, said in a Facebook post. “They went to Heaven together.”( @)

Mission director Jude Montis, 45, was also killed. All three worked for Missions in Haiti, Inc., which has been operated by Davy Lloyd’s parents for more than two decades, according to the group’s website.

Davy Lloyd, 23, had a “love for Haiti,” his father David Lloyd told CNN. “His first language was Creole. He used to tell us when he was little that someday he was going to be a missionary in Haiti.”( @)

He and Natalie Lloyd, 21, were ambushed as they left church in Port-au-Prince on Thursday evening, according to David Lloyd.Davy was taken to the house tied up and beat. The gang then took our trucks and loaded everything up they wanted and left,” a post on Missions in Haiti’s Facebook page said.Three hours later, the organization posted that the three missionaries “were shot and killed by the gang about 9 o’clock this evening. We all are devastated.”( @)

Local emergency response service Haitian Emergency Response Operations (HERO) assisted in coordinating and managing the operation to retrieve the bodies and transport the remains of the American couple to a hospital morgue.( @)

Please pray for my family we desperately need strength. And please pray for the Lloyd family as well,” Baker said on social media early Friday. “I have no other words for now.”

See more........ 

New Taiwanese president calls on China to stop its threats

 

New Taiwanese president calls on China to stop its threats

The new Taiwanese president urges China to cease its threatening behavior, emphasizing the importance of peaceful relations and dialogue for regional stability.In her address, President [President's Name] emphasized that Taiwan seeks to foster positive relations with China based on mutual respect and understanding. She highlighted the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region and called on China to engage in meaningful dialogue to address differences and build trust. The president reiterated Taiwan's commitment to upholding its sovereignty and democratic values while advocating for peaceful resolution of disputes through diplomacy and dialogue.President [President's Name] underscored that continued threats from China only serve to escalate tensions and undermine the prospects for peaceful coexistence. She reiterated Taiwan's firm stance on defending its sovereignty and reiterated the island's commitment to maintaining regional stability through dialogue and cooperation. Additionally, she called on the international community to support Taiwan's efforts to pursue peaceful relations with China while respecting its democratic rights and freedoms.