Month: January 2022

The US is building, rather than tearing down GTMO prison facilities

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos | Responsible Statecraft | January 2, 2022

There seems to be little effort to hide the fact that the Biden Administration does not plan to close the Guantanamo Bay prison in his first term as he once declared. That pledge is but a whisper on the wind, much like the promises made by his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama. According to a recent New York Times report by Carol Rosenberg, who has been been covering the infamous GTMO for the 20 years since it opened, the military is building a new, secret courtroom on the premises — which won’t be completed until 2023.

The US is building, rather than tearing down GTMO prison facilities

Related:

Trial Guide: The Sept. 11 Case at Guantánamo Bay

Some scientists warn that too many shots might actually harm the body’s ability to fight the Covid-19 virus.

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Israel Considers 4th Vaccine Dose, but Some Experts Say It’s Premature.

Some scientists warn that too many shots might actually harm the body’s ability to fight the Covid-19 virus. But Israeli experts say there isn’t time to wait.

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The proposal to give a fourth dose to those most at risk drew criticism from other scientists and medical professionals, who said it was premature and perhaps even counterproductive. Some experts have warned that too many shots eventually may lead to a sort of immune system fatigue, compromising the body’s ability to fight the virus.

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While there is evidence that Omicron, discovered just last month, usually causes milder illness than earlier variants, Israeli officials said that by the time they have clearer information, it might be too late to protect the people most at risk.

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Prof. Hagai Levine, an epidemiologist and chairman of the Israel Association of Public Health Physicians, said that Israel was not seeing a sharp rise in infections yet — daily infections are at around 1,200 a day, down from 11,000 at the peak of the Delta wave in August — and there was no evidence that a fourth shot was needed to prevent severe illness from Omicron.

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Decreasing antibodies over time is natural, he said, and boosting antibodies may have limited benefit.