US CDC cuts experts out of panels that develop vaccine policy, Bloomberg reportsNew Foto - US CDC cuts experts out of panels that develop vaccine policy, Bloomberg reports

(Reuters) -The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told physician groups, public health professionals and infectious disease experts that they will no longer be invited to help review vaccine data and develop recommendations, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. External experts will no longer be included in the working groups of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the report said. "It is important that the ACIP workgroup activities remain free of influence from any special interest groups, so ACIP workgroups will no longer include liaison organizations," Bloomberg reported, citing an email. The email also identified the groups as biased "based on their constituency and/or population that they represent," the report added. The report comes after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. proposed overhauling the department by reorganizing several HHS agencies and substantially cutting their workforces. Last month, Kennedy fired the 17 members of the CDC's ACIP, which reviews vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration before making recommendations to the CDC on their use. (Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Michael Perry)

US CDC cuts experts out of panels that develop vaccine policy, Bloomberg reports

US CDC cuts experts out of panels that develop vaccine policy, Bloomberg reports (Reuters) -The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevent...
El Salvador approves indefinite presidential reelection and extends presidential terms to 6 yearsNew Foto - El Salvador approves indefinite presidential reelection and extends presidential terms to 6 years

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — The party of El Salvador PresidentNayib Bukeleapproved constitutional changes in the country's National Assembly on Thursday that will allow indefinite presidential reelection and extend presidential terms to six years. Lawmaker Ana Figueroa from the New Ideas party had proposed the changes to five articles of the constitution. The proposal also included eliminating the second round of the election where the two top vote-getters from the first round face off. New Ideas and its allies in the National Assembly quickly approved the proposals with thesupermajoritythey hold. The vote passed with 57 in favor and three opposed. Bukeleoverwhelmingly won reelectionlast year despitea constitutional ban, after Supreme Court justices selected by his party ruled in 2021 that it allowed reelection to a second five-year term. Figueroa argued Thursday that federal lawmakers and mayors can already seek reelection as many times as they want. "All of them have had the possibility of reelection through popular vote, the only exception until now has been the presidency," Figueroa said. She also proposed that Bukele's current term, scheduled to end June 1, 2029, instead finish June 1, 2027, to put presidential and congressional elections on the same schedule. It would also allow Bukele to seek reelection to a longer term two years earlier. Marcela Villatoro of the Nationalist Republican Alliance (Arena), one of three votes against the proposals, told her fellow lawmakers that "Democracy in El Salvador has died!" "You don't realize what indefinite reelection brings: It brings an accumulation of power and weakens democracy ... there's corruption and clientelism because nepotism grows and halts democracy and political participation," she said. Suecy Callejas, the assembly's vice president, said that "power has returned to the only place that it truly belongs ... to the Salvadoran people." Bukele did not immediately comment. Bukele, who once dubbed himself "the world's coolest dictator," is highly popular, largely because of his heavy-handed fight against the country's powerful street gangs. Voters have been willing to overlook evidence that his administration like others before it had negotiated with the gangs, before seeking astate of emergencythat suspended some constitutional rights and allowed authorities to arrest and jail tens of thousands of people. His success with security and politically has inspired imitators in the region who seek to replicate his style.

El Salvador approves indefinite presidential reelection and extends presidential terms to 6 years

El Salvador approves indefinite presidential reelection and extends presidential terms to 6 years SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — The party...
Trump unveils new tariffs on dozens of countries ahead of tonight's midnight deadlineNew Foto - Trump unveils new tariffs on dozens of countries ahead of tonight's midnight deadline

President Trump on Thursday formally announced higher tariffs against more than 60 U.S. trading partners starting next week — just hours before the administration's self-imposed midnight deadline. The president signed an executive order listing out tariff rates for imports from dozens of countries, including a handful that have cut trade deals with the administration and dozens that haven't reached a deal yet. The duties range as high as 41% for Syria and 40% for Laos and Myanmar, while almost no country's imports will face tariffs below 10%. The new tariffs apply to imports that are "entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption," in seven days, the order said. Mr. Trump had vowed to impose higher tariffs starting just after midnight on Friday, Aug. 1. A White House official told CBS News the extra seven days were intended to give Customs and Border Protection enough time to implement the new tariff rates. "[F]or most economies and most of our trading partners, the cost of doing trade tomorrow will be higher than it is today," Greg Daco, chief economist at management consulting firm EY-Parthenon, said prior to the release of Thursday's list. Mr. Trump set the latest deadline for trade agreements in April after announcing —and later suspendingfor 90 days — what he described as "Liberation Day" tariffs on more than 90 countries. A July 9 deadline for deals came and went, with the White House again stalling for time. But Mr. Trump had since vowed not to extend the deadline beyond Aug. 1 for most nations. Almost 70 trading partners are included on Thursday's list, and goods from countries that weren't listed will face 10% tariffs — the same baseline that Mr. Trump imposed in April. For some countries, Thursday's tariff list features lower rates than the ones that were threatened on Liberation Day. But other countries' tariffs were adjusted up slightly. For example, Madagascar was threatened with 47% tariffs in April and just 15% tariffs on Thursday, but Switzerland's rate jumped from 31% to 39%. For the handful of trading partners that have reached agreements with Mr. Trump in recent weeks — includingJapan,South Koreaand theEuropean Union— the new tariff list reflects the terms of those trade deals. Stiff tariffs on Canada Tariffs on the United States' three largest trading partners — Mexico, Canada and China — are treated separately. Duties on Canadian goods will jump from 25% to 35% starting Friday, the White House announced Thursday, following through on a threat from earlier this month. Mr. Trump is also threatening tariff hikes for Mexico and China, but the U.S.' southern neighborgot a 90-day extensionon Thursday, and an Aug. 12 deadline to strike a deal with China isexpected to be extendedfor three months, too. Amid concerns that the White House's trade agenda was fueling economic uncertainty for businesses and consumers, Trump administration officials this springpledgedto nail down "90 deals in 90 days." By that measure, his administration has come up far short of its goals. The White House has announced broad bilateral agreements with a handful of nations as well as the 27-member European Union, but those deals have lacked the extensively documented details typical of most trade deals, experts note. "It's important to note that we don't even have any deals as deals are commonly understood, except maybe the U.K. agreement, which is still being discussed," Alex Jacquez, chief of policy and advocacy at Groundwork Collaborative, a left-leaning advocacy group, told CBS MoneyWatch. The countries that have yet to strike deals with the U.S., including major trading partners such as Canada and Mexico, account for 56% of American imports, according to Goldman Sachs. Shortly after the new tariff list was released, Mr. Trumptold NBC Newsin an interview it's "too late" for countries that still haven't struck a trade agreement to avoid the new import duties — but he's still willing to negotiate after the higher tariffs take effect. He said he believes his trade strategy was going "very well, very smooth," pointing to the revenue brought in by tariffs and the fact that inflation has not spiked. "President Trump's trade deals have unlocked unprecedented market access for American exports to economies that in total are worth over $32 trillion with 1.2 billion people," White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement. "As these historic trade deals and the Administration's pro-growth domestic agenda of deregulation and The One Big Beautiful Bill's tax cuts take effect, American businesses and families alike have the certainty that the best is yet to come." Tearing up the rules Mr. Trump re-entered office in January promising to rewrite the rules of international commerce, which he has long maintained disadvantage the U.S. and hurt American workers. In that effort, he has embraced tariffs as a way to reduce trade deficits with other nations, energize domestic manufacturers, generate federal revenue and gain leverage in foreign policy. In practice, the White House has struggled to deliver on that ambitious agenda, Daniel Altman, an economist and founder of investment newsletter High Yield Economics, told CBS MoneyWatch. "There were never enough trade negotiators in all of Washington to conclude all of these details by August 1," he said. "We have some framework agreements that have made the headlines, but as we're finding out a lot of those deals include tariff rates that are pretty much the same as the base rate of 15% that the White House has mooted for the rest of the world." Yet despite the appearance of chaos that has attended some of the rollout of his new tariff regime, Mr. Trump has clearly succeeded in changing the terms of trade with several key economic partners in ways that could favor the U.S. In some cases, that includes winning the elimination or significant reductions in tariffs on American exports going the other way. Under its deal with the EU, for instance, the U.S. will impose a 15% tax on most of the trading bloc's imports, but the EU has agreed not to charge any levy on imports from the U.S.Deals with JapanandSouth Koreaimpose the same tariff rate on those countries' exports to the U.S. Other countries that struck trade deals with the U.S. have acceded to higher tariffs in hopes of ensuring good relations with Mr. Trump and avoiding even higher levies. Those includeIndonesia and the Philippines, which will each face a 19% tariff on their exports. The U.S. will subject imports fromVietnamto a 20% duty, plus a 40% tariff on goods that are transshipped via other countries. "In any other time frame, one would have said that having the EU, Korea, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia and the United Kingdom covers an awful lot of world trade and U.S. trade," Alan Wolff, senior fellow at the nonpartisan Peterson Institute for International Economics and former deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization, told CBS MoneyWatch. President Trump's tariff agenda is also generating significant revenue. According to the U.S. Treasury, the U.S. in June brought in $27 billion in tariff revenue — more than three times what it collected in the same period a year ago. The White House has repeatedly insisted that tariff costs will be borne by foreign countries and that the levies will help spur investment in U.S. manufacturing. Trade experts note that tariffs aretypically paid by importers, which often pass on those costs to consumers in the form of higher prices. Watch: Hawaii Gov. Josh Green gives update on tsunami warning Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi gives tsunami warning update Tennessee manhunt underway for suspect in killings of abandoned baby's relatives

Trump unveils new tariffs on dozens of countries ahead of tonight's midnight deadline

Trump unveils new tariffs on dozens of countries ahead of tonight's midnight deadline President Trump on Thursday formally announced hig...
David Bednar trade: Yankees score ace closer from Pirates in MLB deadline dealNew Foto - David Bednar trade: Yankees score ace closer from Pirates in MLB deadline deal

Scratch another closer's name of the list of available options as the MLB trade deadline approaches. TheNew York Yankeesare on the verge of acquiring right-handerDavid Bednarfrom thePittsburgh Pirates, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the deal wasn't yet official. The acquisition willl the Yanks much-needed bullpen depth to go with Devin Williams and Luke Weaver for the stretch run. Bednar, 30, spent the first two seasons as a major leaguer with theSan Diego Padresbefore coming to the Pirates in 2021 in a three-way trade involving theNew York Mets. He has developed into a reliable closer – earning a pair of All-Star nods and leading the National League in saves in 2023 with 39. He has one more year of arbitration eligibility in 2026. The Yankees acquire reliever David Bednar from the Pirates, pending a medical review. Yankees catching prospect Rafael Flores, C/1B Edgleen Perez and OF Brian Sanchez go to the Pirates in the deal. This season, Bednar has converted all 17 of his save opportunities with a 2.37 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 38 innings. He also has struck out 12.1 batters per nine innings. David Bednar is earing $5.9 million this season and is under team control through 2026. This story has been updated to include new information. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:David Bednar trade details: Yankees get top closer in Pirates swap

David Bednar trade: Yankees score ace closer from Pirates in MLB deadline deal

David Bednar trade: Yankees score ace closer from Pirates in MLB deadline deal Scratch another closer's name of the list of available op...
MLB trade deadline: Rangers acquire pitcher Merrill Kelly from Diamondbacks, who continue sell-offNew Foto - MLB trade deadline: Rangers acquire pitcher Merrill Kelly from Diamondbacks, who continue sell-off

TheArizona Diamondbacks' sell-off continued Thursday with starting pitcher Merrill Kelly being traded to theTexas Rangers,ESPN's Jeff Passan reported. Kelly, who turns 37 on Oct. 14, provides another reliable arm for the Rangers' veteran starting rotation, joining Jacob deGrom, Patrick Corbin and Nathan Eovaldi. He has been the D-backs' most consistent starter this season, compiling a 3.22 ERA over 22 starts with 121 strikeouts in 128 2/3 innings. The Rangers' starting pitchers have the best ERA in MLB at 3.16, led by deGrom (10-3, 2.55 ERA) throwing like the ace who won NL Rookie of the Year and two Cy Young Awards with the New York Mets. Corbin (3.78 ERA) has experienced a career resurgence after struggling the past five seasons with the Washington Nationals. And Eovaldi (9-3, 1.49 ERA) has been one of the best starters in baseball the past six seasons. Texas (57-52) is a postseason contender, tied with theSeattle Marinersforsecond in the AL West, five games behind theHouston Astros. The Rangers and Mariners are also tied for the AL's third wild-card playoff berth, 2.5 games ahead of theCleveland Guardiansand three ahead of theKansas City RoyalsandTampa Bay Rays. In exchange for Kelly, who can be a free agent after the season, the D-backs will receive Triple-A left-hander Kohl Drake, Double-A arm Mitch Bratt and Single-A pitcher David Hagaman. Drake, 25, was ranked as the Rangers' No. 5 prospectby MLB.com, while Bratt, 22, was No. 9 and Hagaman, 22, was No. 13. Kelly was a late bloomer as an MLB pitcher, an eighth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010 after he was drafted the previous two years by the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians but didn't sign. He played nine years in the minors before making his major-league debut with the D-backs in 2019. In his seven-year MLB career, Kelly has a 3.74 ERA and 62-50 record, averaging 8.2 strikeouts and 2.7 walks per nine innings. He's two seasons removed from his best year in 2023, when he registered a 3.29 ERA and 12-8 record in 30 starts, adding 187 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings. Kelly was the fourth regular to be dealt from Arizona leading up to the MLB trade deadline. First baseman Josh Naylorbegan the D-backs' trade seasonby going to the Seattle Mariners last week. That was followed by outfielder Randal Grichuk being traded to the Kansas City Royals andthird baseman Eugenio Suárezalso going to Seattle on Wednesday night.

MLB trade deadline: Rangers acquire pitcher Merrill Kelly from Diamondbacks, who continue sell-off

MLB trade deadline: Rangers acquire pitcher Merrill Kelly from Diamondbacks, who continue sell-off TheArizona Diamondbacks' sell-off con...

 

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