Official logo for ‘THE AMATEUR.’

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GK67ZCKW0AAIf9a?format=jpg&name=small

Thanks for the message, Anon. 😃

It looks like folks who attended the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2024 in Las Vegas yesterday got a first look at The Amateur. 🎥

Twitter

Twitter

Twitter

Twitter

Flick Direct

What do you think of the film’s logo? Could those vertical plus signs represent crosshairs? 🎯

Remember… cryptography is the art or practice of writing or solving codes. — Oxford Dictionary of English

The Troubling Trend in Teenage Sex (Peggy Orenstein, The New York Times, April 12 2024)

"For the past four years, Dr. Herbenick has been tracking the rapid rise of “rough sex” among college students, particularly sexual strangulation, or what is colloquially referred to as choking.

Nearly two-thirds of women in her most recent campus-representative survey of 5,000 students at an anonymized “major Midwestern university” said a partner had choked them during sex (one-third in their most recent encounter).

The rate of those women who said they were between the ages 12 and 17 the first time that happened had shot up to 40 percent from one in four. (…)

Twenty years ago, sexual asphyxiation appears to have been unusual among any demographic, let alone young people who were new to sex and iffy at communication.

That’s changed radically in a short time, with health consequences that parents, educators, medical professionals, sexual consent advocates and teens themselves urgently need to understand.

Sexual trends can spread quickly on campus and, to an extent, in every direction.

But, at least among straight kids, I’ve sometimes noticed a pattern: Those that involve basic physical gratification — like receiving oral sex in hookups — tend to favor men.

Those that might entail pain or submission, like choking, are generally more for women.

So, while undergrads of all genders and sexualities in Dr. Herbenick’s surveys report both choking and being choked, straight and bisexual young women are far more likely to have been the subjects of the behavior; the gap widens with greater occurrences.

(In a separate study, Dr. Herbenick and her colleagues found the behavior repeated across the United States, particularly for adults under 40, and not just among college students.)

Alcohol may well be involved, and while the act is often engaged in with a steady partner, a quarter of young women said partners they’d had sex with on the day they’d met also choked them.

Either way, most say that their partners never or only sometimes asked before grabbing their necks.

For many, there had been moments when they couldn’t breathe or speak, compromising the ability to withdraw consent, if they’d given it.

No wonder that, in a separate study by Dr. Herbenick, choking was among the most frequently listed sex acts young women said had scared them, reporting that it sometimes made them worry whether they’d survive.

Among girls and women I’ve spoken with, many did not want or like to be sexually strangled, though in an otherwise desired encounter they didn’t name it as assault.

Still, a sizable number were enthusiastic; they requested it. It is exciting to feel so vulnerable, a college junior explained.

The power dynamic turns her on; oxygen deprivation to the brain can trigger euphoria.

That same young woman, incidentally, had never climaxed with a partner: While the prevalence of choking has skyrocketed, rates of orgasm among young women have not increased, nor has the “orgasm gap” disappeared among heterosexual couples.

“It indicates they’re not doing other things to enhance female arousal or pleasure,” Dr. Herbenick said.

When, for instance, she asked one male student who said he choked his partner whether he’d ever tried using a vibrator instead, he recoiled. “Why would I do that?” he asked.

Perhaps, she responded, because it would be more likely to produce orgasm without risking, you know, death.

In my interviews, college students have seen male orgasm as a given; women’s is nice if it happens, but certainly not expected or necessarily prioritized (by either partner).

It makes sense, then, that fulfillment would be less the motivator for choking than appearing adventurous or kinky. Such performances don’t always feel good. (…)

Now consider that every year Dr. Herbenick has done her survey, the number of females reporting extreme effects from strangulation (neck swelling, loss of consciousness, losing control of urinary function) has crept up.

Among those who’ve been choked, the rate of becoming what students call “cloudy” — close to passing out, but not crossing the line — is now one in five, a huge proportion.

All of this indicates partners are pressing on necks longer and harder.

The physical, cognitive and psychological impacts of sexual choking are disturbing.

So is the idea that at a time when women’s social, economic, educational and political power are in ascent (even if some of those rights may be in jeopardy), when #MeToo has made progress against harassment and assault, there has been the popularization of a sex act that can damage our brains, impair intellectual functioning, undermine mental health, even kill us.

Nonfatal strangulation, one of the most significant indicators that a man will murder his female partner (strangulation is also one of the most common methods used for doing so), has somehow been eroticized and made consensual, at least consensual enough.

Yet, the outcomes are largely the same: Women’s brains and bodies don’t distinguish whether they are being harmed out of hate or out of love."

The Biden administration issued new rules on Friday cementing protections for L.G.B.T.Q. students under federal law and reversing a number of Trump-era policies that dictated how schools should respond to cases of alleged sexual misconduct in K-12 schools and college campuses. The new rules, which take effect on Aug. 1, effectively broadened the scope of Title IX, the 1972 law prohibiting sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funding. They extend the law’s reach to prohibit discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and widen the range of sexual harassment complaints that schools will be responsible for investigating. [...] Through the new regulations, the administration moved to include students in its interpretation of Bostock v. Clayton County, the landmark 2020 Supreme Court case in which the court ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects gay and transgender workers from workplace discrimination. The Trump administration held that transgender students were not protected under federal laws, including after the Bostock ruling.

Source: NY Times (April 19 2024)

Fwd: Postdoc: BinghamtonU_NY.MicrobiomeEvolution

Begin forwarded message: > From: [email protected] > Subject: Postdoc: BinghamtonU_NY.MicrobiomeEvolution > Date: 28 March 2024 at 05:12:34 GMT > To: [email protected] > > > > Microbiome.Postdoctoral.Fellowship.Binghamton Univ. > > Salary and details:$76,000 (two years, with a pipeline to a Tenure-track > position). This position is open until filled, but apply by April 12thfor > full consideration. > > The Department of Biological Sciences at Binghamton University (SUNY) > seeks applicants for an independent Postdoctoral Fellowship (open for > two years). The fellowship is open to anyone studying microbiomes in > a wide range of plant or animal systems, focusing on how variation in > microbiota impacts the way organisms interact with their environment. The > postdoc will ideally work with a collaborative team of mentors that > will host the fellows in their laboratories and help guide them to > remain here in a tenure-track faculty position at the conclusion of the > fellowship. Applicants should, therefore, have research interests that > complement existing faculty in our department. The mentorship team will > be built from faculty with research most relevant to the applicant's > interests. Fellows are appointed with the Postdoctoral Associate title > and will receive a highly competitive compensation package, including New > York State comprehensive benefits. There will also be an annual allowance > to cover research expenses, conference travel, and dissemination of > research findings. > > The Fellowship is part of the SUNY PRODiG+ initiative that focuses on two > goals: (1) increasing the number and share of excellent diverse faculty > committed to advancing the ideals of diversity, equity, and inclusion; > and (2) strengthening the pipeline for retention and support of these > faculty. Eligible candidates must demonstrate personal, academic, or work > experience engaging diversity, equity, and inclusion or a commitment to > facilitating and enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in > the campus community. Such experience may include, but is not limited > to, an academic/scholarly track record focused on diversity, equity, > and inclusion; work, volunteer/unpaid/community service; or related > experience/expertise in serving underserved or vulnerable areas and/or > populations. Also, candidates must be eligible to work in the United > States without a visa sponsorship, and have a Ph.D. in Biology or > related discipline from an accredited institution completed prior to > the start date. > > More details about the position: > https://ift.tt/hyFPUdT > > All applicants must apply via Interview Exchange: > https://ift.tt/VcCobqW > > Applicants must submit a statement, up to 750 words, that responds to > the following - please describe how you've engaged, facilitated, and/or > enhanced diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the campus community. > Examples could include personal, academic, and/or work experience and > may include, but is not limited to, an academic/scholarly track record > focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion; work, volunteer/unpaid/ > community service; or related experience/ expertise in serving underserved > or vulnerable areas and/or populations - along with a cover letter, CV, > brief research statement, and names and contact information for three > references to: https://ift.tt/OVMHGYf. > > You may add additional files/documents after uploading your resume. After > you fill out your contact information, you will be directed to the upload > page. Please login to check/edit your profile or to upload additional > documents: https://ift.tt/3p4W1ya. > > > > Kirsten M. Prior, Ph.D. (she/her) > Associate Professor > Binghamton University, SUNY > Department of Biological Sciences > priorecologylab.com > Sci. 4, Rm. 210 > > > > "Kirsten M. Prior"

Serialization Announcement

Evening

Ehm,

…it seems lonely?

Does it feel like that, everyone…. 🥺🥺🥺….

But thank you very much😌🪽

From January 7th in 2015, I've continued updating the series every Wednesday,

My serialization at Tokyo Sports-san✍🏻

I'll be updating it for the last time, at the end of March in 2024

Web

Really!!! Up until now!!!

Thhank you a lot!!!

I updated it every Wednesday for about 9 years, I was pretty surprised myself, it felt like, Eh, really!?

.😂😂

Eh? Right? Eeh? Its like, Eeh? for me too 😂lol

Thank you very much, For reading this for such, a long time!

It started from 2015 and, Depending on the timing of when we met, and the timing of reading the articles, Everyone has their own, right! Its interesting! Really! Amazing!

Thank you every much, everyone😌🪽

With the interview, as mentioned in the article,

I talked about looking back on my previous updates

Even I was surprised reading it again, I wrote some amazinggg things!

To those who have read it, There was a part of me that finally realized, what those that read it meant, when you said, thank you for writing such a story--🤔 lol

But, writing setences like that,

You would wait, and praise them, and look forward to them every Wednesday,

Also this time, it was decided it would end, To hear those voicing their loneliness,

For me its like a reward…☺️🫶🏻

It may be a bit unbalanced to respond with a, thank you towards those saying, they'll miss it?

But, it is the truth that I'm thankful for these memories

I'll be updating it until the end of March so!

Thank you very much!

Definitely use this an opportunity for

Tokyo Sports note Series✍🏻

Today,

Michishige Sayumi-san,🩷

Entrusted me with this Tokyo Sports Series

I went and saw,🩷

Michishige-san's performance, "SAYUMINGLANDOLL ~Oozora~"

It was really!!! Full of cute things but,

It was as if I was being reminded, that there are all kinds of cute things in this world, with how cute it was…

It was a wonderful time🫶🏻✨️

For me, I fell for her as she was a different idol than I thought she was in Morning Musume, she is exactly how cuteness and coolness coexist,

During the performance today, there was cool Michishige-san!!

that scene also made me happy🫶🏻✨️

I received this🩷🩷🩷

I wanted to tell her about the series but, After it was over I did my utmost to give her my thoughts on it…

.🤦🏻‍♀️

But I received the strength to my best from tomorrow!

Finally, the tour is started the day after tomorrow!

I'll do my best!

Spring tour tickets are on general sale..

🩵🎫e+ 🩵🎫TicketPia

📺Hello Pro Dance Gakuen Season 11

April 18th 11:30PM~ A Learning From TSUKUSHI-san Adventure🕺

In season 10 we challenged breakin', its reairing continuously! On the 15th, 17th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, #1~#6 all at once! Check out HP for info!

Sendai Broadcast "Ara Ara Kashiko" Every week (Sat) 10:25AM~ Ishida Ayumi Goes~!

I appear once a month as part of the AraKashi Family

The previous shows, and makings, are on OX VIDEO STORE!

Also on YouTube

Sendai Broadcast Ara Ara Kashiko

📺"HinaFest 2024" Before Special ~NamaTake Member Great Gathering 2 Hour SP~ (tenative)

CS TV Asa Channel March 24th (Sun) 12:00PM~

Thank you for following.. Instagram💙🩵

💿Releasing February 7th

Morning Musume '23 25th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT TOUR ~glad quarter-century~ at Nippon Budokan

Thank you for waiting for the Blu-ray&DVD! Its finally releasing--!

Its already nostalgic but, It has an amazing medley, really Please enjoy it many times

📚Releasing on February 7th "Hello! Project BEST SHOT!! Vol.26"

Ishida AyumixOda SakuraxNonaka Miki📸 Fukumura MizukixIshida AyumixOda Sakura📸

✍🏻Tokyo Sports note Series #146 Memories of Panda(san) Village with the two that were like elementary school students

🪩Spring Tour Has Been Decided Morning Musume '24 Concert Tour Spring MOTTO MORNING MUSUME

We'll be going around the country from March 16th!

🪩HinaFest March 30th and 31st at Makuhari Messe

🪩JAPAN JAM Morning Musume '24 will be performing on May 3rd!

⚾️《LIVE DAYS！～Exciting Big Exhibition Match～》 June 2nd(Sun), after the Hokkaido Ham Fighters vs. Yokohama DeNa Baystars match, Morning Musume '24 will be having a special mini live!

.👗👠 Aoyama Clothing x Morning Musume '24

📻Morning Musume '24 Morning Jogakuin ~Houkago Meeting~

Airs Every Saturday, On Radio Nihon at 12:00AM~

Past Broadcast Episodes Are Available →Program Details

Yamazaki Mei's Panda-san Daisuki!! ~Expressing Love Towards My Favorite Panda-san♡ ver.~ in Adventure World

Yamazaki Mei's Panda-san Daisuki!! Mei-chan's Holiday. Adventure World with Oda-san and Ishida-san

see you ayumin <3

SIM-NIN linkage: NCC rules out extension, telcos bar 12 million lines

The Nigerian Communications Commission has ruled out an extension of the February 28, 2024 deadline for the linkage of Subscriber Identity Module cards to National Identification Numbers. As a result, telecommunication companies have been directed to bar 12 million lines which have not been linked to the owners’ NINs after the expiration of the deadline. The Director of Public Affairs, NCC, Reuben Mouka, confirmed the development to The PUNCH on Wednesday. Reaffirming the NCC’s stance, Mouka stated, “We already issued a public notice in this regard and all the information. If there was an extension, NCC would have communicated that. But as far as I know, there is no extension.” In a December 2023 notice, the NCC had asked telcos to bar SIMs that had not been linked to their owners’ NINs by February 28, 2024. It further asked the Global Satellite Mobile Communications firms to bar those whose NINs have been submitted but not verified by March 29, 2024; and interdict those who have less than five lines linked to an unverified NIN by April 15, 2024. The Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, confirmed to The PUNCH that telecom operators would comply with the NCC’s directive. He said out of the 224 million active lines, about 12m lines risked deactivation. Adebayo said, “About 12 million SIM cards may not have been linked to NIN. Some of these SIM cards work on modems and mifi devices. According to the regulatory directives, those numbers that are not properly linked to NIN will have services withdrawn to them by midnight today. We stand by that regulatory directive and we are going to comply,” The ALTON chairman also dismissed speculations about a possible extension, stating that the deadline ought to have happened last year. He declared, “No, the regulator has made it clear that there won’t be any further extension. Let us remember that this ought to have happened last year, but it was extended by the regulator till the 28th of February, 2024.” Since the NCC first ordered the suspension of SIM cards without NIN on December 15, 2020, there had been a rapid increase in the number of people obtaining their NINs. Between the period the order was given and the second deadline date, January 19, 2021, Nigerian mobile operators received 47.8m new submissions from active subscribers. In 2021, about 21 million subscribers were yet to obtain their NIN, even as the deadline for registration approached A high-ranking official at MTN Nigeria, who was not authorised to comment publicly on the matter, informed The PUNCH that the company planned to disconnect the defaulting subscribers in compliance with the directive. According to the official, there has not been any counter-directives from the NCC. Emphasising that it is a federal issue, the official pointed out that some lines had been disconnected earlier. “Remember, this is not an issue with the telcos. It’s a Federal Government issue, and before now, some lines were being disconnected. If they wanted to extend the deadline, they would have issued another notice, but they aren’t as I speak to you,” the official stated. In response to the situation, a Public Relations official at Airtel Nigeria, Sam Adeoye, mentioned that Airtel would release an official statement on the development. However, Chineze Amanfo, Lead, Public Relations at 9Mobile, did not respond to calls when contacted by our correspondent. Court order Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained telecom operators from deactivating or barring any line or SIM not linked to their NINs. Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa restrained the telcos while ruling on an application filed by a Lagos-based lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje. Lewis-Allagoa made the order on February 22, 2024, while ruling on a motion for the restraining orders filed by Ogungbeje. Ogungbeje, in a suit marked FHC/L/CS/667/23, sued the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, and Airtel Network Nigeria Limited before the court. He asked the court for an injunction pending appeal, ‘’restraining all the respondents jointly or severally, whether, by themselves, their agents, outlets, agencies, privies, officials, servants, men, parastatals, units, organs, or anybody or person however so called, from taking any step or action capable of enforcing the judgment in anyway and from further outright barring, deactivating and or restricting any SIM cards or his phone Lines, or of any Nigerian Citizen, slated for February 28, 2024, or any other scheduled date, pending the hearing and determination of his appeal at the Court of Appeal, against the court’s judgment delivered on May 8, 2023, by Justice Lewis-Allagoa.’’ When quizzed about the NCC’s reaction to the court injunction, Mouka responded, “We are not aware of any court injunction stopping the NCC from barring lines that have not been linked with NIN.” Earlier today, at the ongoing 45th Kaduna International Trade, the Executive Vice Chairman, National Communication Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, insisted that, as a matter of critical national security, telecom consumers must link their NIN to their SIM. Maida reaffirmed that the February 28th deadline was given to telecom operators to bar subscribers who failed to link their NIN to their SIM stands. “To this end, the National Communication Commission has directed all telecommunication operators to bar the phone lines of subscribers whose lines are not linked to their NINs on or before February 28, 2024,” he added. In his reaction to Mouka’s statement that the NCC was not aware of his suit, Ogungbeje said the position of the commission is ‘’most ridiculous and shameful.’’ Ogungbeje stated that the Federal Government of Nigeria and the AGF were part of the suit, stressing that the NCC as an agency of the Federal Government must obey the court order restraining it from barring SIMs not linked to NINs. He said, “The order specifically stated that both the Federal Government and its agencies are hereby restrained. A very good instance is the order of the Supreme Court in respect of the Central Bank of Nigeria and Godwin Emefiele’s policy on the new naira notes. “That position by the NCC is most ridiculous and shameful. The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Attorney General of the Federation are part of the suit.’’ “So in this instant case, the NCC is bound by the order of the court as the court restrained both the Federal Government and it agencies, including the telecom firms.” Network glitches On Wednesday, major operators across the country, including MTN, Airtel, and 9Mobile, grappled with a widespread network connection crisis. Subscribers were unable to make calls due to glitches attributed to a fibre optic cable cut. The chairman of ALTON, Adebayo, clarified that the telecom connection failure experienced by subscribers was unconnected to the NIN/SIM link deadline. He attributed the connectivity issue to the significant fibre cuts made by road contractors employed by the Federal Government. The ALTON chairman noted, “What you have seen today as difficulty in connection has nothing to do with the NIN/SIM link deadline. “There have been significant fibre cuts across the country, and this has impacted connectivity today, but efforts are being made by affected telecom operators to rectify this situation.” He assured the public that efforts were being made to salvage the situation as soon as practicable while emphasising the need to protect telecom infrastructure. “Appropriate reports would be made to the right quarters. The cuts can be traced to the activities of the Federal Government by contractors doing road work. This is why it is imperative to safeguard telecom infrastructure, going by what we have seen today. “If we have critical national infrastructure protection, maybe what happened today wouldn’t have happened. We put it on the doorstep of the government to ensure that road contractors do not continue to cause this type of damage.” The incident left countless residents in communication limbo, sparking a digital uproar across social media platforms. Users have taken to expressing their frustration, detailing their struggles with the sudden loss of connection on social media. A WhatsApp user, Emekuku said, “It’s frustrating when network providers in Nigeria cite server or application issues as reasons for service problems, leaving customers unable to resolve their issues. “It highlights the need for improved infrastructure and communication from the providers to address such issues promptly and transparently.” Another user, Babatee, noted, ‘’MTN is trying so hard to compete with Glo for the award of the most useless network in Nigeria. Dear MTN, no matter how hard you try, Glo will always be miles ahead of you when it comes to uselessness. So stop playing, fam.’’ MTN network Another subscriber said, “The poor MTN network knocked me out of an important meeting and kept me incommunicado for several hours. “Even now, they have only restored data services, but still no call or SMS. Not that they can ever say, ‘Oh, sorry for the network failure, oya take free airtime and data.’ Lai-lai.” An Airtel user wrote, “It appears that the frustration with network services in Nigeria is widespread. The lack of a reliable network service provider affects many users, and the absence of explanations from the providers regarding disruptions in data and call services raises concerns. “The situation may not be trending because such issues might be common and not getting enough attention. In a statement released by MTN, the telecom company acknowledged the existence of a connectivity problem and committed to resolving the issue promptly. According to the telco, the problem started at about 1.39 on Wednesday, February 28, 2024. In its reaction via X, MTN Nigeria blamed the network issue on multiple fibre cuts, even as it assured customers that its engineers were working assiduously to restore normal services. The statement read, “Dear Customer, you have been experiencing challenges connecting to the network due to a major service outage caused by multiple fibre cuts, affecting voice and data services. “Our engineers are working hard to resolve this, with services gradually being restored in some areas. “We apologise for the inconvenience and ask for your patience & understanding as the team works to restore full service as soon as possible.” Read the full article

New Post has been published on https://www.packernet.com/blog/2023/12/19/2023-packers-season-in-review/

2023 Packers Season In Review

It isn’t every year that a team replaces a generational quarterback that has worn their uniform for 18 years. In 2023, that is precisely what the Packers had to do with Aaron Rodgers. While this isn’t common for most, Green Bay fans saw the same scenario with Aaron Rodgers in 2008 when he replaced Brett Favre. 2023 has been a tumultuous year for the Packers. Let’s take a look at what has transpired.

The Aaron Rodgers Saga

The 2022 season was, without question, Rodgers’ worst in Green Bay. He averaged just 217 yards per game and logged a 41.3 QBR, the worst career mark by a wide margin. His 26 touchdowns were the second-lowest mark of his career, and the 12 interceptions he threw were the most since his first season as the starter. Despite being favorites in the latest NFL fixtures, the Packers finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and just the third time since Rodgers became a starter.

The season was marred by the drama between Rodgers and his young receiver core and constant rumors of his potential retirement. After the season, Rodgers went into his now infamous darkness retreat in February, claiming he was “90% retiring” before the withdrawal. When he came out, he knew his time in Green Bay was over one way or another. According to Rodgers, “it was evident that it was retire or move on to a new team.”

Both sides complained about the other, with the Packers claiming that they were unable to reach Rodgers, something he blamed on bad cellular service. Regardless of your side, the stalemate ended in April when the Packers traded Rodgers to the Jets for a 2023 first-round, second-round, sixth-round pick, and a conditional 2024 second-round pick. The trade came after Rodgers announced to the world that he wanted to play for the Jets on the Pat McAfee show. For the Packers, it was time to move on.

Starting The Jordan Love Era

While the demise of Green Bay’s relationship with its Hall of Fame quarterback was quick, the roots were deep, beginning with the Packers’ decision to draft Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. With Rodgers gone, Love finally had his shot, and it has been a roller coaster of a season.

Green Bay started hot, winning two of its first three games, blowing out Chicago on opening day, and narrowly beating New Orleans 18-17 in week three. The only loss in between was a one-point loss to the Falcons on the road. However, it went downhill quickly from there. Led by Love, Green Bay dropped its next four games and five of six overall. Love could have been better during that stretch, which included a loss to the hapless Raiders, throwing just seven touchdowns compared to nine interceptions. His quarterback rating was just 75 in those six games.

However, Love and the Packers responded well to the adversity by winning three consecutive games, capped by a thrilling win against the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead. During the three-game winning streak, Love threw for eight touchdowns and no interceptions, with a quarterback rating of 117.5. The wins also brought Green Bay back to .500 for the first time since September, putting them back in the playoff hunt.

How The Rest Of 2023 And Beyond Is Shaping Up

Until now, the Packers had peaked with their Sunday night win in Kansas City. Love was brilliant in that game, passing for 267 yards and three touchdowns against a ferocious Chiefs defense and outdueling two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes. However, the team immediately followed up the marquee win with a brutal loss to the Giants in a game they needed for their playoff hopes. To make matters worse, the loss came on a Monday night, meaning they had a more extended rest period than usual and will have a shorter rest period for their next game.

Currently, the Packers sit at 6-7, holding on to the 7th and final playoff seed by a thread. However, things are looking up for Green Bay. The Packer remaining schedule is challenging, but it could be worse. They play games against the 1-11 Panthers, 5-8 Bears, and 6-7 Bucs. The most challenging remaining game on their schedule is a Christmas Eve trip to Minnesota, but the Vikings are missing their starting quarterback.

The Packers have a legitimate opportunity to make the postseason in Love’s first season, their first season without Rodgers in nearly 20 years. For all his bumps and bruises, Love has been good, too. He has 23 touchdown passes on the season, and his 58.7 QBR is pretty close to Rodgers’ 62.9 mark from his first year as a starter. Their first-year numbers are strikingly similar.

Can The Packers Make The Playoffs?

The Giant’s and Bucs losses hurts them, but they’re still in reasonable shape. They possess tie-breakers against the Rams and Seahawks, their two biggest competitors in the playoff picture. They have possibly the easiest remaining schedule of the three. Green Bay is still in a position to make the playoffs, and if Love can continue progressing, we could see them playing in January.

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Court Rejects Bragg’s Request for Restraining Order Against Jordan

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks in New York City on April 4, 2023. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks in New York City on April 4, 2023. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)MORE

Zachary Stieber

By Zachary Stieber

April 12, 2023

Updated: April 12, 2023

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Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s urgent request to enter a restraining order against Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) was rejected on April 11, the same day it was filed.

U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, a Trump appointee, turned down Bragg’s emergency request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against Jordan.

“The Court declines to enter the proposed Temporary Restraining Order and Order to Show Cause,” Vyskocil said, noting that she hadn’t yet received several documents that were referenced in Bragg’s filings.

She ordered Jordan and other defendants in the case to respond to the lawsuit and scheduled a hearing for April 19.

On April 11, Bragg sued Jordan for allegedly infringing on state sovereignty. Jordan has subpoenaed a former Bragg deputy and demanded documents from Bragg’s office regarding the prosecution of former President Donald Trump, who was indicted by a grand jury after being presented with charges by the Democrat district attorney.

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Jordan “has no power under the Constitution to oversee state and local criminal matters,” Bragg’s suit stated.

Bragg’s office also asked the court to enter an order that would block Jordan and the House Judiciary Committee, which Jordan chairs, from enforcing the subpoena to former Manhattan prosecutor Mark Pomerantz and prohibit Pomerantz from complying with it.

“The Judiciary Committee’s subpoena to Mr. Pomerantz marks the first time in our nation’s history that Congress has used its compulsory process to interfere with an ongoing state criminal case. The District Attorney is likely to succeed on the merits because the subpoena exceeds Congress’s authority and obstructs New York’s sovereign right to enforce its criminal law,” prosecutors said in a filing in support of their motion for a temporary restraining order.

“The subpoena would also irreparably injure the District Attorney by, among other things, interfering with an ongoing criminal case, compromising grand jury secrecy and the attorney-client privilege, and disrupting his preparation for trial. Finally, the balance of the equities and the public interest favor the District Attorney because the subpoena undercuts federalism principles and the fair administration of justice by injecting politics into a state criminal case.”

The defendants haven’t yet lodged any filings.

Epoch Times Photo

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) speaks in Baltimore on Sept. 12, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

‘They’re Obstructing’

Jordan said on Fox News that Bragg is obstructing a legitimate congressional investigation.

“They’re obstructing our investigation,” Jordan said. “We have a constitutional duty to get to the facts, particularly when you have a district attorney interfering with the most important election we have, which is the election of the commander-in-chief; the president of the United States.”

Trump, who was president until early 2021, is running for a second term in 2024.

Bragg has asserted that Jordan and other members of Congress lack the authority to probe the Trump prosecution; Jordan disagrees, pointing to how federal funds were used to investigate Trump.

“First, they indict a president for no crime. Then, they sue to block congressional oversight when we ask questions about the federal funds they say they used to do it,” Jordan said in a statement.

Pomerantz wrote in his book that he left Bragg’s office because he was upset that Bragg wasn’t preparing to bring charges against Trump.

Jordan wrote in a letter accompanying the subpoena to the former prosecutor that Pomerantz had “no basis to decline to testify” because of the book.

“Based on your unique role as a special assistant district attorney leading the investigation into President Trump’s finances, you are uniquely situated to provide information that is relevant and necessary to inform the Committee’s oversight and potential legislative reforms,” he wrote.

Jordan noted the book’s contents as he questioned the new lawsuit.

“He takes us to court because we want to talk to someone who left the DA’s office a year ago, who went out and wrote a book on this very subject,” Jordan said on Fox.

It’s unclear whether Pomerantz will comply with the subpoena. Jordan initially requested voluntary cooperation, but Pomerantz said in a letter that Bragg’s office had instructed him “to not provide any information or materials in response” to Jordan’s request.

Jordan has also said that a subpoena for Bragg himself is an option.

“Everything’s on the table,” he said in one interview.

Related Topics

Alvin Bragg

Jim Jordan

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National Baby Formula Shortage Continues

By Camille Bosshard, Wake Forest University, Class of 2024

June 9, 2022

With the reopening of Abbott Nutrition’s Michigan factory this past Saturday comes the hope that the nationwide baby formula shortage will ease up. However, industry executives have warned consumers that baby formula will remain scarce until at least mid-July [[1]]. Despite actions taken by the Biden administration to ease constraints, out-of-stock rates rose to 74% nationally for the week ending on May 28, and as of early June ten states still have an out-of-stock rate of 90% or greater [[2]]. The Biden administration has received criticism for the slow response to the national baby formula shortage. Although the Michigan-based Abbott plant was closed in February because of contamination, President Biden recently admitted he wasn’t aware of the national shortage until April, months after the White House had been informed [[3]]. As White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre scrambled to explain why Biden was not informed of the gravity of the situation earlier, both political parties were quick to weigh in the handling of the situation. Here’s what you need to know about why we have a baby formula shortage, what legislative measures have been taken to solve the shortage, and what broader structural issues the shortage has revealed in America’s market economy.

In February, Abbott Laboratories voluntarily recalled several lines of baby formula and shut down their Michigan factory after learning of the hospitalization of four infants and two deaths from a rare bacterial infection [[4]]. Prior to the recall, Abbott controlled about 40 percent of the U.S. baby formula market, and their Michigan plant produced about a fifth of the U.S. supply [[5]]. With such a large control of the market, many critics have questioned how the Biden administration did not anticipate the shortage. Executives from leading baby formula manufacturers told Biden in a White House meeting that they foresaw the impact the Abbott plant shutdown would have on formula availability in February [[6]]. Biden however claimed they could only have responded quicker if they had “been better mind readers” [[7]]. While the White House will continue to receive criticism for not acting earlier, the Biden administration stands behind their eventual course of action.

On May 18th, President Biden invoked the Defense Production Act, requiring suppliers to provide infant formula manufacturers with necessary resources before fulfilling the orders of other customers [[8]]. Biden also launched “Operation Fly Formula” which uses Department of Defense (DOD) commercial aircrafts to pick up overseas infant formulas to ease stocking demands [[9]]. As of June sixth, the White House reports that Operation Fly Formula has shipped 1.5 million bottle equivalents of Nestle infant formula and is sourcing flights for 8.3 million bottle equivalents of Bubs Australia and Kendamil infant formula [[10]]. However, even with these efforts parents and caregivers are still struggling to consistently find the same kind of formula. Babies in need of specialized formula are especially vulnerable to shortages because Abbott makes the only infant formula for babies with kidney problems [[11]]. Aside from babies with specialized health needs, low-income mothers encompassed by the federal government’s nutrition program for women, infants, and children, known as WIC, are increasingly vulnerable to shortages.

WIC is the largest purchaser of formula in the US by a wide margin, with more than half of baby formula delivered through the program supplied by mainly two manufacturers [[12]]. Families eligible for WIC benefits can typically only purchase formulas from the manufacturer which their state has contracted with. States differ in which manufacturer they contract with, but Abbott has the most contracts and provides formula for about 47 percent of infants getting formula through WIC [[13]]. As a result, low-income families are disproportionately negatively impacted by the baby formula shortage. WIC contracting also impacts which formula brands retailers choose to stock since they assume half of their customers can only purchase the brand their state has contracted with.

Retail stores in states that contract with Abbott depend on Abbott to supply most of their baby formula stock, making it hard to quickly stock different brands of formula in response to a product recall. WIC participants also could not just switch formula brands without paying out of pocket. To address this problem, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7791, the Access to Baby Formula Act, a bipartisan legislation passed by a vote of 414-9 on May 18th [[14]]. The Access to Baby Formula Act allows the USDA to waive the maximum monthly allowance for infant formula, easing access to formulas manufactured by non-WIC companies. The legislation amended the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to establish the USDA with waiver authority to act in emergency situations like supply chain shortages and disruptions. However, even weeks after the passing of the Access to Baby Formula Act and initialization of Operation Fly Formula, parents are struggling to find formula, prompting a larger conversation about monopoly and market control in the US.

Four companies control about 90% of the US baby formula market [[15]]. Only 2% of the formula is imported, making it hard for the market to recover from domestic shortages. Some are calling for antitrust review to address the monopoly a handful of companies have on the formula market [[16]]. Whichever manufacturer a state chooses to contract with using their federal WIC grants essentially determines which formula maker has a monopoly in that state. The FDA’s restrictive regulations act as a gatekeeping force that prevent new entrants into the market. The FDA is primarily focused on maintaining health standards and safety in the baby formula supply. If they allow new manufacturers to enter the market, they have more companies to keep an eye on, so maintaining a limited market consolidates regulation. The FDA expects these manufacturers to maintain a steady supply of product, after all it is in their best interest to do so, but when a health violation, or cyber-attack shuts down a manufacturer, consumers suffer. This isn’t the first time this has happened. In 2021, a cyberattack forced all JBS’s U.S. beef plants to shut down, inhibiting production from the US’s largest meat producer [[17]].

The Federal Trade Commission is responsible for enforcing antitrust laws and announced on May 24th that they were launching an inquiry into the infant formula shortage to see how anticompetitive practices could have contributed to the shortage [[18]]. The conclusions of this inquiry could have large implications on the future of mergers and acquisitions in the infant formula market and inform future merger review. Meanwhile, the FDA is also facing an investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services into its handling of the baby formula shortage [[19]]. With many parties being held responsible for the national baby formula shortage, parents can hopefully be rest assured that this will not happen again.

______________________________________________________________

Camille Bosshard is an upcoming junior at Wake Forest University studying Sociology with a concentration in Crime and Criminal Justice and minoring in Politics & International Affairs. Her passions for advocacy and investigative research fuel her desire to pursue a career in the legal field.

______________________________________________________________

[[1]] Gasparro, Annie and Kang, Jaewon. (June 4, 2022) “Baby-Formula Shortage Expected to Persist Weeks Longer.” The Wall Street Journal.

[[2]] Paris, Martine. (June 2, 2022). “One in Five US States is 90% Out of Baby Formula.” Bloomberg.

[[3]] Samuels, Brett and Parnes, Amie. (June 2, 2022). “Biden Compounds His Baby Formula problems.” The Hill.

[[4]] Abbott. (February 28, 2022). “Recall Notice: U.S./Puerto Rico” https://www.similacrecall.com/us/en/home.html

[[5]] Lee, Meredith and Bottemiller Evich, Helena. (May 19, 2022). “How the Baby Formula Shortage Links Back to a Federal Nutrition Program” Politico.

[[6]] Cook, Nancy et al. (June 1, 2022). “Baby Formula Makers Tell Biden They Foresaw Dire Shortages.” Bloomberg.

[[7]] Cook, Nancy et al. (June 1, 2022). “Baby Formula Makers Tell Biden They Foresaw Dire Shortages.” Bloomberg.

[[8]] Cook, Nancy et al. (June 1, 2022). “Baby Formula Makers Tell Biden They Foresaw Dire Shortages.” Bloomberg.

[[9]] White House. (May 18, 2022). “Fact Sheet: President Biden Announces New Actions to Address Infant Formula Shortage” Whitehouse.gov.

[[10]] White House. (May 18, 2022) “Fact Sheet: President Biden Announces New Actions to Address Infant Formula Shortage” Whitehouse.gov.

[[11]] Goodman, Brenda. (June 6, 2022). “Despite Moves to Increase Supply, Families are Still feeling the Pain of the Baby Formula Shortage” CNN

[[12]] Lee, Meredith and Bottemiller Evich, Helena. (May 19, 2022). “How the Baby Formula Shortage Links Back to a Federal Nutrition Program” Politico.

[[13]] Lee, Meredith and Bottemiller Evich, Helena. (May 19, 2022). “How the Baby Formula Shortage Links Back to a Federal Nutrition Program” Politico.

[[14]] https://steel.house.gov/media/press-releases/steel-legislation-address-baby-formula-shortage-passes-house

[[15]] Berger, Eric. (May 18, 2022). “Why is There a Baby Formula Shortage in the US, and What Can Parents Do?” The Guardian.

[[16]] Berger, Eric. (May 18, 2022). “Why is There a Baby Formula Shortage in the US, and What Can Parents Do?” The Guardian.

[[17]] Batista, Fabiana et al. (May 31, 2021). “All of JBS’s Meat Plants Were Forced Shut by Cyberattack” Bloomberg.

[[18]] Federal Trade Commission, (May 24, 2022). “Federal Trade Commission Launches Inquiry into Infant Formula Crisis” Federal Trade Commission.

[[19]] Bustillo, Ximena. (June 3, 2022). “The FDA is Facing an Investigation into its Handling of the Baby Formula Shortage” NPR.

we belong together - kylian mbappé and julian draxler fanfic

12| Never Forget You

a/n: slightly smutty

april 2024| paris

Molly woke up to the bright sun shining through her bedroom window. It had been two weeks since she had seen either of the boys, both were away on international duty with their teams. She didn't know when they were due back, but she hoped it was today and specifically Julian. She got butterflies every time she thought about the German; she loved how wide his smile would go when he saw her or how beautiful his brown eyes sparkled when he spoke about football.

She stared at her phone and read the several text messages she had received today; it would have been a lot, after all, it was her twenty-eighth birthday today. She concentrated on the messages Kylian had sent her.

08:00am – Happy birthday mon amour. I love you.

08:30am – I miss you.

10:00am – Can I see you soon? Please.

11:30am – I'll be back in Paris today, I hope you have a wonderful day Moll, you deserve it.

Molly sighed and sent a quick reply. She didn't know why, but she found it hard to stay away from the Frenchman. She pushed the thoughts out of her head and proceeded to get ready for the day; she had received a message from Julian stating he was on his way to pick her up. She dressed herself in black leggings and a cropped black jumper, it might have been sunny outside, but there was still a cold breeze.

Molly opened the door to Julian, delighted to see his face. "I've missed you," he whispered. He pulled her into a hug, wrapping one arm around her waist and using the other to stroke her hair. He cupped her cheek and pecked her lips. "You look beautiful, are you ready?"

"Ready for what?"

"You'll see," he smiled, intertwining their hands. He first collected a bag from his car, before shutting the trunk and grabbing her hand again. They strolled together around the streets of Paris, until they stopped at a random park. But it wasn't random. Molly instantly recognised their location; she turned to face Julian, who was staring back at her with a beaming smile. He pulled her closer and kissed her cheek, whispering in her ear. "Happy birthday Molly."

"How did you know where to find it?" she questioned. She remembered that day he was extremely lost, so finding the exact same park was not possible. Or was it? She eyed the German, who blushed and shrugged his shoulders. "Julian Draxler you little liar!" she teasingly poked his cheek. He chuckled, pulling out a blanket and placing it on the floor, patting the space next to him. She sat down and snuggled closer to him, he wrapped a protective arm around her waist. "Why did you bring me here?"

"I wanted to do something for your birthday that you'll remember," Julian softly spoke. "Do you remember the time we came here?" she rolled her eyes and nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. "That day will forever be etched on my mind."

"Why? Because you pretended to be lost and dragged me around nearly every street in Paris."

"No," he chuckled at her sudden burst of anger. He moved her body between his legs and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder. "It's the first time I realised I had fallen in love with you."

....

april 2024| paris

"What are we doing here Kylian?"

"We are baby shopping."

"Then why are we in this expensive boutique!" Molly loudly whispered. Kylian wasn't lying; he had mentioned to Rosalie that he wanted to start buying things for their unborn child, she agreed and allowed him to invite Molly. What she didn't realise was the meaning for the random shopping trip he suddenly wanted to participate in. "I don't see any baby stuff in here."

He smirked and softly brushed his fingers against the brunette's hand. "Because," he started. He noticed her looking at a dress and picked it up, ignoring her protests. "I am buying you a dress for your birthday party," he beamed. He placed a finger over her mouth to stop her from replying. "No arguments, now pick some out."

Molly went around and picked a few different outfits up, Kylian sat on the couch and watched her stroll into the fitting rooms. She bit her lip and gazed into the mirror, trying to stop the smile forming on her lips. "You shouldn't be here," she breathed, watching as Kylian's white trainers appeared at the bottom of the stall.

"I'd like to see what I'm buying," he quietly spoke. "Open the door and let me in, otherwise I'll do it myself."

Molly opened the door and rolled her eyes. Kylian's jaw nearly fell from his mouth, as he gawked at the matching lingerie she was wearing that barely covered her body. He gulped and swiftly pushed her inside, closing the door shut. "Why are you teasing me?" he murmured. He kissed her bare shoulder and ran his fingers down her stomach. "You are so beautiful. When I'm not with you, I'm always thinking about you," he whispered. He brushed his lips against her ear, slowly slipping his fingers beneath her panties. She fluttered her eyes closed and breathed in.

No matter how hard she tried, Molly knew she couldn't resist Kylian. If he wanted her, he was bound to find a way to have her and that included during a shopping trip his fiancé knew they were on. "I thought you wanted to see the dresses?"

"Mon amour," he smirked. He began to brush his fingers against the wet folds between her thighs, listening to her whisper quiet moans. "We already know you look great in everything."

Molly could only respond with a yelp, as she felt Kylian lift her body in his arms and press her against the wall. "Kylian," she moaned as he quickly slid inside of her. He hastily connected their lips, trying to muffle the moans as he continued thrusting inside of her at a rapid pace. She rolled her eyes back as she reached her climax, resting her forehead on his shoulder.

Kylian pulled out of Molly and released himself onto her bare thigh. He helped clean her up and kissed her lips. "Don't worry about the dresses, we'll buy them all," he smiled. He watched as she covered her body back up, still looking breathtakingly beautiful. She rolled her eyes and faced the mirror. "Let's go."

"Wow Kylian," Molly sneered. "I can't wait till you tell Rosalie what we found today," she loudly chuckled. She fixed her hair in the mirror and turned to face the Frenchman. "Never mind something for the baby, which we actually were supposed to be looking for. But a great place to fuck your ex-girlfriend, I'm sure she'll be thrilled."

"She'll understand," he shrugged. She shot him a questioning look, raising her eyebrow at him. He softly grazed a finger over her cheek and pecked her lips. "She deserves it anyway, she fucked Adam."

"Excuse me?" Molly whisper shouted. People were bound to have heard them by now, let's hope nobody interesting actually heard us. They didn't need their actions being posted over the front cover of every magazine in France. "I thought they only kissed? When did this happen?"

Kylian smirked at the confused look on her face. "After you told him about your affair with Julian," he winked. "He was drunk in a bar and called Rose, she picked him up and they talked at his hotel. And then they fucked. So, what we just did, is allowed."

"Not it isn't Kylian," Molly spat. She ran a hand through her hair and picked up her bag, exiting the changing room. Kylian followed her and paid for the dresses, winking at the brunette as he passed her the bags. They left the shop and walked back to the car, driving to his home. She parked the car up and turned off the engine, she turned her head to face the footballer. "Remember you started it. This isn't healthy for your relationship."

"Don't blame all this on me missy," he mocked. He rolled his eyes and stepped out of the car, closing the door and walking around to Molly's door. She rolled the window down, Kylian moved his head closer to hers. "You say this is bad, but you can't stop fucking me either," he leaned his lips to her ear and kissed the skin, before quietly whispering to her. "I can't wait to see you in that dress, I'm sure I won't be able to keep my hands of you."

....

april 2024| paris

Julian paced around Molly's living room, his body was filled with rage. "I thought you stopped this," he spat. It was two days after Molly and Freddie's joint birthday party; the party in which she had spent all night secretly flirting with Kylian. Although, it didn't go unnoticed by the German, who watched with flared nostrils. "Do I mean fucking nothing to you?"

Molly flinched at his words, rubbing her hands over her face and groaning in frustration. "I don't know what to say," she muttered. A single tear fell down her cheek; Julian watched her and softened up, he knew he couldn't stay angry at her, she was his weakness and Kylian was hers. "I don't know why I do it. Believe me Julian, I am completely in love with you but something always draws me back to him."

"Please don't," he warned. Despite the love he felt for her, his anger surpassed it. "I don't know how much longer I can do this Moll," he sighed. "After everything he has done to you, you still pick him. Remember, he picked Rosalie over you. When he had a choice, he picked her. He didn't fight for you. He didn't run after you. He didn't contact you. He picked her, yet you still go back to him."

"You think I don't fucking know that!" Molly raised her voice and stood up. "I had to deal with my father dying and my boyfriend leaving me, I don't need you to keep reminding me of that."

The venom in her voice was evident, her sudden outburst had rendered Julian silent. "You keep saying you are there to help me, but what have you actually done bar fuck me?" she continued. "It doesn't matter anyway, because you can't fix me, nobody can."

He managed to calm himself down, ignoring the pure hatred of her words. He stood up and walked towards her, moving her to the couch and taking her hands in his. He rested his forehead on hers and listened to her breathing slow down, their lips drifting closer together. He placed a hand on the small of her back, instantly calming her down. His lips were so close to hers, they brushed against them when he spoke. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I should have done more. I don't want to control you, but I hate seeing you like this," he wiped a tear from her cheek, using his other hand to tilt her chin up. "You are the love of my life and I would do anything for you, if that means leaving you alone so you can get better then that's fine."

"I don't want you to leave me alone," Molly whimpered. She pressed her lips to Julian's, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pulled her onto his lap. She gazed into his glossy eyes and kissed his jaw. "I shouldn't have said those things. You have helped me Julian, in more ways than you can imagine," she traced her fingers through his hair. "I lost myself, but you found me. You saved me from the person I was becoming. But I'm still recovering and that's why I need to be on my own for a bit. I'm continuing to hurt the people I love and I need to fix that. But I want you to know that my love for you won't change; when I'm better, if you'll have me, I'm all yours."

Julian didn't bother responding straight away. He pressed his lips to Molly's and moved her beneath him, continuing to kiss the skin on her shoulder. She moaned and pulled him closer to her. He rested his forehead on hers and tenderly stroked her cheek. He knew this wasn't goodbye, but it still felt like it was the last time he would be seeing her. "From the day, I saw you in the carpark, I've been yours. I will continue to be yours until the day I die. I love you will all my heart."

....

a/n: oh hey, it’s me again. the past few weeks have been SO busy. work is busy, my personal life if busy, BUT i now have time to post!!!

so... i have three (YES THREE) chapters left of this story, i can’t believe it’s coming to an end. hopefully i will let you know in the next coming days the schedule for the next chapters. 

as always, thank you for reading/liking/commenting, it means the world xxx

From the moon to the Earth: How the Biden administration might reshape NASA

https://sciencespies.com/space/from-the-moon-to-the-earth-how-the-biden-administration-might-reshape-nasa/

From the moon to the Earth: How the Biden administration might reshape NASA

NASA Deputy Administrator Jim Morhard had perhaps one of the more understated public reactions to the outcome of the presidential election.

“It’s quite a day for everybody, to say the least,” he said at the start of a presentation Nov. 7 to the Space Generation Advisory Council’s SpaceGen Summit, just three hours after a range of media projections, from The Associated Press to Fox News, declared Joe Biden the winner. He didn’t elaborate on that comment and dove into his previously scheduled talk about the agency’s activities.

Whether the outcome prompted elation or disappointment, the election of Joe Biden has left the space industry wondering what comes next. While Biden is a familiar figure in politics, after decades in the Senate and eight years as Barack Obama’s vice president, his views on space, and his plans for NASA, are far less clear.

BIDEN SPACE POLICY

The Biden campaign said almost nothing about space during the race for the White House, other than a couple statements congratulating NASA on the successful launch and return of the Demo-2 commercial crew mission this summer. “As president, I look forward to leading a bold space program that will continue to send astronaut heroes to expand our exploration and scientific frontiers through investments in research and technology to help millions of people here on Earth,” he said in one of those statements.

“One of the things that I found surprising is that the Biden campaign did not issue a space policy statement,” said John Logsdon, founder and former director of George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute. “So, we’re left with the Democratic Party platform said.”

That platform included one paragraph about space which Logsdon considered “very positive,” if not without much detail. The platform endorsed, in broad terms, much of what NASA was currently doing, from science and technology development to continued operation of the International Space Station and human space exploration.

Most in the space industry who read that passage took away two major changes a Biden administration would pursue. The platform mentions “strengthening” Earth observation programs at both NASA and NOAA “to better understand how climate change is impacting our home planet.” That fits into a broader interest in climate change, which is one of four priorities identified by the incoming Biden administration alongside COVID-19, economic recovery and racial equity.

“Managing the Earth’s ability to sustain human life and biodiversity will likely, in my view, dominate a civil space agenda for a Biden-Harris administration,” predicted Lori Garver, a former NASA deputy administrator during the Obama administration, during a Nov. 7 speech at the SpaceVision 2020 conference by Students for the Exploration and Development of Space.

Biden’s focus on climate change doesn’t bode well for putting NASA’s underfunded Human Landing System back on track for reaching the moon by 2024, a Trump mandate few took literally. Credit: NASA illustration

Exactly how that will be implemented remains unclear. One possibility would be to accelerate implementation of the Earth science decadal survey though additional funding. “NASA is a national asset, and if properly directed and incentivized, we can make meaningful contributions to sustaining humanity,” Garver said.

The other change is in human space exploration. While the platform stated the party supported “NASA’s work to return Americans to the moon and go beyond to Mars,” it made no mention of a date for doing so, in particular the 2024 date set by the Trump administration last year. That’s led to speculation that the Biden administration will, at the very least, slow down the Artemis program, perhaps freeing up money for Earth science and other priorities elsewhere in the agency.

“I don’t think Artemis will get canceled. I also don’t think it will get any more money than what it’s currently getting,” said Wendy Whitman Cobb, a professor at the U.S. Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies whose research includes space policy.

A 2024 human lunar landing might be ruled out even before Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20. NASA’s fiscal year 2021 budget proposal requested $3.2 billion for the Human Landing System (HLS) program to develop the landers needed to transport astronauts to and from the surface of the moon. The House, though, provided only about $600 million for HLS in a spending bill it passed in July.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, while publicly thanking the House for providing at least some money for HLS, lobbied the Senate for full funding to keep a 2024 landing on schedule. “Accelerating it to 2024 requires a $3.2 billion budget for 2021 for the Human Landing System, which is in the president’s budget request,” he told Senate appropriators in September.

Those appropriators released their draft spending bills Nov. 10, which will serve as the basis for negotiations with the House on a final version. For NASA, they provided $1 billion for the HLS program, more than the House but still far short of the budget request. In the report accompanying the bill, Senate appropriators noted the uncertainty surrounding the program “makes it difficult to analyze the future impacts that funding the accelerated Moon mission will have on NASA’s other important missions.”

The HLS funding was just one obstacle to a 2024 human landing identified in a report by NASA’s Office of Inspector General Nov. 12 that discussed the agency’s top challenges, also citing delays in the Space Launch System and Orion. It concluded that NASA “will be hard-pressed to land astronauts on the Moon by the end of 2024.”

“I don’t know anyone who thinks we’re going to get there by 2024,” Garver said. “No matter who won, this was going to be an impossible goal.”

TRANSITION TEAM

While the incoming administration’s plans for NASA aren’t certain, it is working quickly on that transition. On Nov. 10, it announced the rosters of the agency review teams, or transition teams, that will fan out across the federal government to gather information to guide the new administration’s planning.

“The transition teams really come in to see how things are doing and make recommendations going forward,” said Garver, who led the NASA transition team for the incoming Obama administration in 2008.

The agency review team for NASA is filled with people who either used to work at the agency or who are otherwise very familiar with it. Leading the team is Ellen Stofan, a planetary scientist who served as NASA chief scientist during the Obama administration and is now director of the National Air and Space Museum. Waleed Abdalati, her predecessor as NASA chief scientist, is also on the team. He was co-chair of the most recent Earth science decadal survey.

Others have a range of NASA experience. Pam Melroy is a former NASA astronaut who flew on three shuttle missions and later worked at the FAA’s commercial space office and at DARPA. Dave Noble, Shannon Valley and David Weaver all held policy and communications posts at NASA during the Obama administration; Valley is also a climate scientist.

Bhavya Lal, a researcher at the Science and Technology Policy Institute, has studied a wide range of space-related topics for NASA and other government agencies. Jedidah Isler, an assistant professor at Dartmouth, hasn’t previously worked for NASA, but her research in astrophysics complements the scientific backgrounds of other members of the team.

When the team will be able to start work, though, isn’t clear. The Trump administration has been slow to recognize Biden’s win, and the head of the General Services Administration, which controls the resources for presidential transitions, has yet to release those resources to the Biden transition. NASA officials did not respond to questions Nov. 12 about whether it had started discussions with the agency review team or what guidance it had received from the White House about supporting the transition.

ADMINISTRATOR CANDIDATES

Another priority for the Biden transition is picking a new NASA administrator. Despite being confirmed on a close, party-line vote in the Senate in April 2018, Bridenstine had won over members of Congress on both sides of the aisle for his leadership of the agency. Some in the space community hoped that, even in the event of a Biden victory, Bridenstine could be kept on.

Bridenstine, though, plans to leave the agency at the end of the Trump administration, telling Aerospace Daily that he “would not be the right person” to lead the agency in a Biden administration. President-elect Biden’s NASA Transition Team The NASA administrator, he said, needed to have a “close relationship” with the White House, something that he, a former Republican congressman, lacked.

While the Biden transition has been quiet about its choice for a new administrator, there’s been plenty of speculation, dating back long before the election, about potential candidates for the job. That list is dominated by women, such as Melroy, the former astronaut on the transition team. Others include Wanda Austin, former president and chief executive of The Aerospace Corporation; Gretchen McClain, a former NASA official who later worked in industry and serves on the board of several companies, such as Booz Allen Hamilton; and Wanda Sigur, former vice president and general manager for civil space at Lockheed Martin.

Another possibility is Rep. Kendra Horn (D-Okla.), who lost her bid for a second term in November’s elections. Horn serves as chair of the House Science space subcommittee and has expressed skepticism about aspects of the Artemis program, including NASA’s ability to achieve a 2024 landing.

When a new administrator would take office isn’t clear, but experience suggests it may be months after inauguration day. The Obama administration did not nominate Charlie Bolden as administrator (and Garver as deputy administrator) until May 2009; the Senate confirmed them in July. Bridenstine, despite emerging as a top candidate for NASA administrator days after Trump won the 2016 election, was not nominated until early September of 2017.

Morhard, the current deputy administrator, will also likely be departing, something he quietly acknowledged in his SpaceGen Summit talk hours after Biden won. “Things are changing in the United States, we know that,” he said. “I’m certainly looking forward to the future and what comes next.”

This article originally appeared in the Nov. 16, 2020 issue of SpaceNews magazine.

#Space

Unexpected Results Call for a Revision

New Post has been published on https://depression-md.com/unexpected-results-call-for-a-revision/

Unexpected Results Call for a Revision

By John Vandermosten, CFA

NASDAQ:MDXG

READ THE FULL MDXG RESEARCH REPORT

Topline Results from Phase IIb KOA and Phase III PF

On September 13, 2021, MiMedx Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MDXG) reported results from its Phase IIb Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA) study and topline results from its Phase III Plantar Fasciitis (PF) study. Six-month efficacy data from the Phase IIb KOA study interim results did not meet primary endpoints. Upon review of the Phase III PF data, management concluded that the results do not support a BLA filing. Management will discuss the data with the FDA as allowed under the Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) process. AmnioFix Injectable received RMAT designation for KOA in 2018, which includes benefits of Fast Track and Breakthrough Designation programs.

In concert with the press release, MiMedx management, including CEO Tim Wright, CFO Pete Carlson, and research and development head Dr. Bob Stein provided an update at the recent H.C. Wainwright conference.

Phase IIb Knee Osteoarthritis

Topline results from an interim analysis at six months for the Phase IIb trial in KOA (NCT03485157) did not meet primary endpoints of Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for Pain or Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) Osteoarthritis Index. Efficacy measures differed between patient cohorts evaluated before and after a blinded interim analysis performed mid-2019. This anomaly has prompted management to pursue further confirmatory studies in the indication. Micronized dehydrated human amnion chorion membrane (mdHACM) was well tolerated with no significant adverse events or serious adverse events. Trial enrollment included 466 patients between the ages of 21 to 80 years. Subjects included had osteoarthritis grade 1 to 3 on the Kellgren Lawrence scale and a VAS for Pain score greater than 45. Due to a lower-than-expected participant dropout, the trial has already achieved an adequate number of patients to assess the primary endpoint. The final enrollment totaled 446 patients. The trial’s 12-month safety visit follow up is expected to conclude in October 2021, with six-month open-label extension to follow. A safety readout is also expected at this time.

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Though not statistically significant, interim analysis trended toward potential treatment efficacy, warranting further investigation. Differences were observed between patients enrolled prior to the study’s initial blinded interim analysis and those enrolled after. Patients in the pre-interim analysis cohort demonstrated greater improvement in WOMAC-Total, WOMAC-Pain and WOMAC-Function scores and actually achieved statistical significance at both three- and six months. Patients in the post-interim analysis group were more difficult to differentiate as both treatment and placebo groups experienced positive response. Analysis of VAS endpoint was not statistically differentiable in either pre- or post-interim analysis cohorts at either three- or six-month timepoints.

MiMedx management expects that, based on the interim analysis, two Phase III studies in KOA will be necessary to file a BLA and looks forward to meeting with the FDA to discuss next steps. Management had guided toward BLA filing in late 2024 or early 2025. Pending guidance from the FDA, MiMedx will update investors on timing as future activities become clear. Management plans continued research investment to understand the underlying disease process in KOA, mdHACM’s potential benefit to cartilaginous tissue, and understanding mdHACM’s mechanism of action.

Phase III Plantar Fasciitis Topline

MiMedx’ trial in Plantar Fasciitis (NCT03414268) did not achieve statistical significance in its primary efficacy endpoint of change in VAS for Pain at 90 days. MiMedx will not pursue a BLA for mdHACM in PF, and will instead prioritize the KOA program. mdHACM was found safe and well tolerated in this study with no significant adverse events. Both treatment and placebo groups showed improvement in VAS Pain and Foot Function Index Revised (FFI-R) scores.

The Phase III study was a prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial of a single injection of 40 mg of mdHACM into the plantar fascia as compared to saline placebo. The trial enrolled 277 patients between the ages of 21 and 79 years with plantar fasciitis diagnosed for greater than or equal to one month and less than or equal to 18 months. Patients included had a VAS Pain score of greater than or equal to 45. Patients had been treated for greater than or equal to 1 month (30 days) using general modalities such as rest, ice, compression, elevation stretching, NSAIDs, or orthotics. The primary endpoints were change in VAS for Pain at 90 days and incidence of related adverse events at 180 days, serious adverse events, and unanticipated events during the first 12 months post-injection. Secondary endpoints included self-reported responses to the Foot Function Index – Revised (FFI-R) at 90 days.

Company Milestones

➢ IND / IDE submission for multiple wound care indications – As of August 2021:

◦ Chronic cutaneous ulcers (AmnioFix) – IND Cleared

◦ Surgical incisions (AmnioFix) – IND Cleared

◦ Soft tissue defects (AmnioFill) – IND Filed

➢ Conclusion of enforcement discretion – May 31, 2021

➢ Regulatory approval for EpiFix in Japan – June 2021

➢ Phase IIa KOA trial completion – April 2021

◦ Final analysis & database lock – 2H:21

◦ Final safety follow up – October 2021

◦ Generation of full data set – 2H:21

◦ End of Phase II meeting with FDA – 2H:21

➢ Analyst and investor R&D day – Late fall 2021

Valuation

We reduce our target price for MiMedx based on the removal of sales related to PF and temper the revenue impact from KOA based on the undifferentiated results from the Phase IIa study. Removing PF lowers topline growth in 2024 and 2025 from 20% to 12% for both years. 2026 and 2027 revenue growth are reduced from 25% to 18% due to the weaker than expected results from the Phase IIa trial which impact both the anticipated penetration and ultimate likelihood of success for the program. We also reduce our research and development expenditure forecasts to reflect lower spending related to the PF program. In response to the lower topline growth rate, we also reduce our target multiples from 25x P/E and 17x 2026 EBITDA to 20x P/E and 15x EBITDA to reflect a smaller benefit from a successful KOA program and lower growth rate. Our forecasts for 2026 call for revenues of $494 million, EPS of $1.06 and EBITDA of $222 million. These compare to our previous 2026 estimates of $591 million (revenues), $1.47 (EPS) and $304 million (EBITDA). After discounting our 20x 2026 P/E and 15x EBITDA estimates at a 20% discount rate, we generate a target price of approximately $10 per share.

Summary

Despite favorable early results in the Phase II PF study and interim results in the Phase IIb KOA study, both efforts missed their intended mark at the end of the trial. This has forced MiMedx management to adjust their future approach and abandon the PF program and modify the KOA program. Next steps for the company include meetings with the FDA to identify a path forward as there has been substantial data that has shown benefit for KOA patients using mdHACM. The team is analyzing the data to understand what may have driven the changes in outcomes from earlier evaluations. For the KOA trial in particular, subjects added later in the study were at newer expanded sites and also received their treatment during the pandemic, which may have impacted the results. We will know more at the upcoming analyst day expected this fall after management has had a chance to consult with the FDA. The company is planning to move forward in KOA with two Phase III trials that are expected to launch in the coming year. While the markets responded violently to the news regarding the PF and KOA trials, MiMedx is in a good position to continue to generate double digit topline growth with line extension products such as EPICORD Expandable and geographical reach into Japan and other international markets.

MiMedx holds sufficient cash on its balance sheet to reach positive cash flows and earnings without additional capital raises. We continue to see full year positive earnings by 2022 and substantial growth over the next several years which will provide the firm substantial financial flexibility to optimize its capital structure. Due to the weaker than expected topline data from the PF and KOA trials, we decrease our price target to $10.00 per share.

See our recent initiation on MiMedx for an in-depth discussion of MiMedx’ technologies and products, our investment thesis, and discussion of recent events and milestones.

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1. MDXG Corporate Presentation September 2021

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Russian President Vladimir Putin eased the nationwide lockdown imposed on March 30 to stem the spread of the coronavirus, even as Russia becomes Europe’s new hotspot for the infection. With more than 250,000 cases as of May 15, Russia now has the second-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world.

In a televised address to the nation on May 11, Putin said that some sectors would return to work from the following day, though restrictions on large public events across the country would stay in place. Everyone is required to wear face masks and gloves in shops and on public transport. Still closed in Moscow are car dealers, non-food stores, hairdressers and most other service sector businesses. But some of those businesses have been allowed to reopen in Russia’s other provinces.

Residents still should not leave their home unless to shop, work or walk the dog, and must have a digital permit to travel. Individual regions, he said, would be left to decide whether to keep rules in place and that it would be a cautious “step-by-step” exit. “We have a long and difficult process ahead of us with no room for mistakes,” he said.

Across Europe, countries have gradually lifted restrictions following a decline in the number of recorded infections and virus-related deaths. However, Putin’s announcement about ending lockdown came as Russia registered a record 11,000 new infections on May 11.

How many cases does Russia have?

The first locally transmitted infections—cases not brought in by Russians returning from abroad—were confirmed on March 15. Since then, the numbers have soared, reaching 252,245 cases and 2,305 deaths as of May 14, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Russia now has the second highest number of recorded infections in the world after the U.S. “The country has not yet reached its peak,” says Christopher Gerry, Director of Russian and East European Studies at the School of Global and Area Studies at Oxford University.

But Russia’s unusually low case fatality rate of 0.9%, compared to 6% in the U.S. and 14.4% in the U.K. has been questioned by experts.

According to analysis published by the Financial Times on May 11, the national death toll could be more than 70% higher than the official data show. Analysis of all-cause mortality — death resulting from disease or a harmful exposure — in Moscow and Russia’s second largest city, St. Petersburg, found that there were 2,074 more deaths in April compared to the historical average over the past five years. However, official COVID-19 deaths in the two cities accounted for just 629 in the same period, leaving 1,444 deaths unaccounted for. If this figure was included in the national coronavirus death toll as of May 11, it would lead to a 72% increase in the number of fatalities.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin admitted on May 7 that the real number of infections in the capital city was at least three times higher than the official figure. Moscow—the country’s capital city and major transport hub—is the epicenter of Russia’s outbreak, accounting for more than half the country’s official confirmed cases and deaths. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov are among those in hospital with the virus.

Anastasia Vasilieva, the head of Russia’s Alliance of Doctors, claims the virus has spread much further than official figures indicate. “Some hospitals don’t test patients with pneumonia for coronavirus, and those that do don’t always include a positive diagnosis in the statistics. They’re afraid of having to report it,” she says. “The real picture is hidden from the population,” she adds. In January 2020, pneumonia cases in Moscow surged 37 % year-on-year, an increase which Vasilieva believes to have been caused by coronavirus.

On April 2, Vasilieva and her colleagues were detained by the police for a night while delivering protective gear to a hospital outside of Moscow, accused of violating self-isolation rules. “It is staggering that the Russian authorities appear to fear criticism more than the deadly COVID-19 pandemic,” said Natalia Zviagina, Amnesty International’s Russia Director.

“They want to silence me and stop my activities. The government don’t want me to become a hero” Vasilieva says.

Keep up to date on the growing threat to global health by signing up for our daily coronavirus newsletter.

How has Putin and his government responded?

Russia was initially quick to respond to the coronavirus outbreak in China. The Kremlin closed its 2,500 mile-long border with China on January 30 and set up a quarantine facility in Siberia in early February for Russian nationals evacuated from Wuhan, the hotspot of China’s COVID-19 outbreak. The recorded number of coronavirus cases remained under 120 until March 17, when Putin said “the situation is generally under control.” Between the end of January and the end of March, “very little was done to tackle the pandemic,” says Gerry.

“In the beginning of March I wrote to the government to tell them we need to prepare, we need supply medical staff with PPE, otherwise they will die. A lot of doctors understood what was coming — we watched what was happening in Italy. We had time to prepare,” Vasilieva says.

Even as the number of infections has soared, Putin has repeatedly insisted that the situation is “under control.” Experts say he seems to be taking a backseat in managing the pandemic, an unusual move in Russia’s centralized political system, where power is concentrated in the president. He retreated to his country residence outside of Moscow in March, leaving local governors to decide on what restrictions to introduce.

Read More: Where’s Putin? Russia’s President Stays Out of Sight as Coronavirus Hits Economy

“There has been a genuine decentralization of command that has left responsibility and the margin of error to local authorities and not to the Kremlin, and definitely not to Putin,” says Mathieu Boulegue, a research fellow at the Russia and Eurasia Program at London think-tank Chatham House.

Putin postponed on March 25 the nationwide vote on the country’s constitutional amendments that had been planned for April 22, citing safety concerns. Since the beginning of the year parliament has been working on a series of amendments that would allow Putin to remain in power beyond the end of his current term in 2024.

The Russian president’s approval ratings hit a historic low of 59% in April, according to a survey published May 6 by the independent polling agency, the Levada Center, down from 69% in February. Levada also said in April that more Russian respondents approved of local officials’ measures against coronavirus than they did of Putin’s.

Putin has been very “worried about his approval ratings” ahead of the postponed public vote on the constitutional amendments that could keep him in power beyond the end of his current term in 2024, says Boulegue. “He is trying to create a buffer zone around him for any criticism and public discontent. It’s too early to tell how the epidemic will affect Putin’s popularity in the long-run, but it is unlikely to get out of the pandemic unscathed.”

In the meantime, Moscow Mayor Sobyanin has emerged as a leading figure in the fight against the virus. He placed restrictions on the city on March 30, stricter than those in New York City, closing all parks and non essential restaurants and stores. Following Sobyanin’s lead, leaders of about 20 regions so far have made it mandatory for residents to stay at home.

Andrey Rudakov —Bloomberg via Getty ImagesCustomers wear protective face masks inside a cafe as a television screen displays Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, delivering a national address, in Moscow, Russia, on Wednesday, March 25, 2020.

Why are cases continuing to rise?

The lockdown was introduced too late, experts say. By the time it was brought in, “the virus had already taken hold in Moscow, similar to the U.K. in a way,” Gerry says.

Poor testing early on blinded the authorities in tracking how far the virus had spread, Gerry says. In February and March, the testing regime was “inadequate,” he says. “There was a very convoluted, three stage testing regime that involved sending tests to Western Siberia and waiting a few days for the results. People could have been carrying the virus for a week or more without knowing the test results,” Gerry says.

Compliance with the lockdown has also been “relatively low,” partly because of the mixed messaging that the Russian public are receiving, says Gerry. “It was certainly much lower than was required to stop the virus from taking hold,” he adds. More than 70,000 people from Moscow and St. Petersburg were booked to visit other regions by planes and trains around the country during the long May holidays (April 14 to May 12) despite the stay-at-home orders. While international flights were grounded with a few exceptions on March 27, domestic flights have continued to operate (though demand has sharply fallen).

Russia has recently scaled up coronavirus testing, with Putin saying on May 11 that 170,000 tests are being conducted daily. However, questions over the reliability of the tests remain. Moscow’s Department of Health released a statement on May 7 saying that tests being used across the country have been wrongly showing that people in the late stage of coronavirus are disease free.

At the start of the outbreak, there was “misplaced hubris and arrogance that the pandemic wouldn’t hit Russia seriously,” says Judy Twigg, a Professor of Political Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. As infection numbers in Russia reached over 27,000 on April 1, the Kremlin sold protective gear and ventilators to the U.S., prompting criticism at home. “We raise money all over the country to buy protection for doctors, and our authorities sell personal protective equipment to the U.S. What a mockery,” the Doctors’ Alliance, an independent trade union linked to opposition figure Alexei Navalny, tweeted on April 2. Less than two weeks earlier, the Kremlin sent 122 military doctors, personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators and mobile disinfection machines on cargo planes to assist Italy.

Meanwhile, Vasilieva says that even in Moscow, there’s not enough PPE. “Some doctors have to wear the same mask for the whole day when they should change it every two or three hours. And of course they’re taking public transport to get home. They’re fighting fire without protection,” she says.

Shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) equipment have led to a high transmission rate within hospitals among patients, doctors, nurses and healthcare workers. An advocacy group of Russian doctors recently launched an online “in memoriam” list of the health workers who have died from coronavirus. The list names 190 people as of May 14, the youngest person being 26 years old. “That’s tragic. And it didn’t have to be that way,” Twigg says.

Regional authorities, suddenly given an unprecedented level of responsibility, have also been ill-equipped to manage the crisis. “They are not used to being handed such duties. They’re unclear about the resources they can use when health systems are short of supply. PPE hasn’t been delivered to the hospitals that really need them.” Gerry says.

Healthcare systems in some areas outside of Moscow have been struggling to cope with the rise in cases, says Gerry. Although Russia has a higher rate of hospital beds per capita than Western Europe, much of the medical equipment is out of date, he says. “Even where there are intensive care facilities, it’s questionable whether they have the workforce to manage those,” says Gerry.

“In some areas that have emerged as hot spots, there is a lack of specialists, placing healthcare workers under enormous pressure” Twigg says. She says hospitals have made pleas on social media for help from anesthesiologists, respiratory therapists and others. “They are very much in demand in some places to the point where the system is desperate for them,” she adds.

Twigg points to the cases of three doctors who fell out of hospital windows in Russia within the space of two weeks in April and May as an indication of the intense pressure that healthcare workers have been facing.“These doctors probably committed suicide from all the strain and stress,” she says.

Why does Putin want Russia to begin easing its lockdown?

The main motivation for taking the decision to reopening public life was economic, analysts say. Two thirds of Russians have no financial savings, according to a May 2019 survey by Levada, making it more urgent to get people back to work.

“Russia is in dire economic straits,” says Boulegue. In a country where the energy sector makes up two-thirds of exports, the drop in prices of oil and natural gas has posed a real threat to people’s livelihoods. Experts are now predicting the worst recession in a generation. Putin himself conceded on April 24 that Russia now faces a bigger economic crisis than the 2009 global recession. As he announced an easing of restrictions, Putin said that unemployment has already doubled to 1.4 million. As many as eight million people could be left without a job, according to the former Finance Minister, Alexei Kudrin.

Russians who have already found themselves out of work have had little recourse to financial support from the government. Unlike most European countries, Russia has not unveiled a major package to support people who are out of work. The government’s first two economic rescue packages amount to 2.8% of GDP, whereas in the U.S. it comes to about 10% of GDP. Russia is now preparing a third package and Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov has argued that the actual amount of state support is at 6.5% of GDP.

What’s next for Russia?

Significant challenges lie ahead, not least for the public health system, which is under increasing strain.

Twigg is mostly worried about the regions outside of Moscow, including some big cities and towns and rural areas. “They’re under funded, under staffed, and under equipped. That’s a story that’s still evolving,” says Twigg. But the absence of a lockdown will be “a major obstacle to saving lives in the end,” Gerry adds.

For Boulegue, the pandemic has revealed the paradox of Putin’s 20-years’ consolidation of power. “Russia is a fragile power that has neither the economic means nor ability to enforce a strict lockdown. The pandemic is the ultimate stress test.”

Please send tips, leads, and stories from the frontlines to [email protected]

SIM-NIN linkage: NCC rules out extension, telcos bar 12 million lines

The Nigerian Communications Commission has ruled out an extension of the February 28, 2024 deadline for the linkage of Subscriber Identity Module cards to National Identification Numbers. As a result, telecommunication companies have been directed to bar 12 million lines which have not been linked to the owners’ NINs after the expiration of the deadline. The Director of Public Affairs, NCC, Reuben Mouka, confirmed the development to The PUNCH on Wednesday. Reaffirming the NCC’s stance, Mouka stated, “We already issued a public notice in this regard and all the information. If there was an extension, NCC would have communicated that. But as far as I know, there is no extension.” In a December 2023 notice, the NCC had asked telcos to bar SIMs that had not been linked to their owners’ NINs by February 28, 2024. It further asked the Global Satellite Mobile Communications firms to bar those whose NINs have been submitted but not verified by March 29, 2024; and interdict those who have less than five lines linked to an unverified NIN by April 15, 2024. The Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, confirmed to The PUNCH that telecom operators would comply with the NCC’s directive. He said out of the 224 million active lines, about 12m lines risked deactivation. Adebayo said, “About 12 million SIM cards may not have been linked to NIN. Some of these SIM cards work on modems and mifi devices. According to the regulatory directives, those numbers that are not properly linked to NIN will have services withdrawn to them by midnight today. We stand by that regulatory directive and we are going to comply,” The ALTON chairman also dismissed speculations about a possible extension, stating that the deadline ought to have happened last year. He declared, “No, the regulator has made it clear that there won’t be any further extension. Let us remember that this ought to have happened last year, but it was extended by the regulator till the 28th of February, 2024.” Since the NCC first ordered the suspension of SIM cards without NIN on December 15, 2020, there had been a rapid increase in the number of people obtaining their NINs. Between the period the order was given and the second deadline date, January 19, 2021, Nigerian mobile operators received 47.8m new submissions from active subscribers. In 2021, about 21 million subscribers were yet to obtain their NIN, even as the deadline for registration approached A high-ranking official at MTN Nigeria, who was not authorised to comment publicly on the matter, informed The PUNCH that the company planned to disconnect the defaulting subscribers in compliance with the directive. According to the official, there has not been any counter-directives from the NCC. Emphasising that it is a federal issue, the official pointed out that some lines had been disconnected earlier. “Remember, this is not an issue with the telcos. It’s a Federal Government issue, and before now, some lines were being disconnected. If they wanted to extend the deadline, they would have issued another notice, but they aren’t as I speak to you,” the official stated. In response to the situation, a Public Relations official at Airtel Nigeria, Sam Adeoye, mentioned that Airtel would release an official statement on the development. However, Chineze Amanfo, Lead, Public Relations at 9Mobile, did not respond to calls when contacted by our correspondent. Court order Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained telecom operators from deactivating or barring any line or SIM not linked to their NINs. Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa restrained the telcos while ruling on an application filed by a Lagos-based lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje. Lewis-Allagoa made the order on February 22, 2024, while ruling on a motion for the restraining orders filed by Ogungbeje. Ogungbeje, in a suit marked FHC/L/CS/667/23, sued the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, and Airtel Network Nigeria Limited before the court. He asked the court for an injunction pending appeal, ‘’restraining all the respondents jointly or severally, whether, by themselves, their agents, outlets, agencies, privies, officials, servants, men, parastatals, units, organs, or anybody or person however so called, from taking any step or action capable of enforcing the judgment in anyway and from further outright barring, deactivating and or restricting any SIM cards or his phone Lines, or of any Nigerian Citizen, slated for February 28, 2024, or any other scheduled date, pending the hearing and determination of his appeal at the Court of Appeal, against the court’s judgment delivered on May 8, 2023, by Justice Lewis-Allagoa.’’ When quizzed about the NCC’s reaction to the court injunction, Mouka responded, “We are not aware of any court injunction stopping the NCC from barring lines that have not been linked with NIN.” Earlier today, at the ongoing 45th Kaduna International Trade, the Executive Vice Chairman, National Communication Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, insisted that, as a matter of critical national security, telecom consumers must link their NIN to their SIM. Maida reaffirmed that the February 28th deadline was given to telecom operators to bar subscribers who failed to link their NIN to their SIM stands. “To this end, the National Communication Commission has directed all telecommunication operators to bar the phone lines of subscribers whose lines are not linked to their NINs on or before February 28, 2024,” he added. In his reaction to Mouka’s statement that the NCC was not aware of his suit, Ogungbeje said the position of the commission is ‘’most ridiculous and shameful.’’ Ogungbeje stated that the Federal Government of Nigeria and the AGF were part of the suit, stressing that the NCC as an agency of the Federal Government must obey the court order restraining it from barring SIMs not linked to NINs. He said, “The order specifically stated that both the Federal Government and its agencies are hereby restrained. A very good instance is the order of the Supreme Court in respect of the Central Bank of Nigeria and Godwin Emefiele’s policy on the new naira notes. “That position by the NCC is most ridiculous and shameful. The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Attorney General of the Federation are part of the suit.’’ “So in this instant case, the NCC is bound by the order of the court as the court restrained both the Federal Government and it agencies, including the telecom firms.” Network glitches On Wednesday, major operators across the country, including MTN, Airtel, and 9Mobile, grappled with a widespread network connection crisis. Subscribers were unable to make calls due to glitches attributed to a fibre optic cable cut. The chairman of ALTON, Adebayo, clarified that the telecom connection failure experienced by subscribers was unconnected to the NIN/SIM link deadline. He attributed the connectivity issue to the significant fibre cuts made by road contractors employed by the Federal Government. The ALTON chairman noted, “What you have seen today as difficulty in connection has nothing to do with the NIN/SIM link deadline. “There have been significant fibre cuts across the country, and this has impacted connectivity today, but efforts are being made by affected telecom operators to rectify this situation.” He assured the public that efforts were being made to salvage the situation as soon as practicable while emphasising the need to protect telecom infrastructure. “Appropriate reports would be made to the right quarters. The cuts can be traced to the activities of the Federal Government by contractors doing road work. This is why it is imperative to safeguard telecom infrastructure, going by what we have seen today. “If we have critical national infrastructure protection, maybe what happened today wouldn’t have happened. We put it on the doorstep of the government to ensure that road contractors do not continue to cause this type of damage.” The incident left countless residents in communication limbo, sparking a digital uproar across social media platforms. Users have taken to expressing their frustration, detailing their struggles with the sudden loss of connection on social media. A WhatsApp user, Emekuku said, “It’s frustrating when network providers in Nigeria cite server or application issues as reasons for service problems, leaving customers unable to resolve their issues. “It highlights the need for improved infrastructure and communication from the providers to address such issues promptly and transparently.” Another user, Babatee, noted, ‘’MTN is trying so hard to compete with Glo for the award of the most useless network in Nigeria. Dear MTN, no matter how hard you try, Glo will always be miles ahead of you when it comes to uselessness. So stop playing, fam.’’ MTN network Another subscriber said, “The poor MTN network knocked me out of an important meeting and kept me incommunicado for several hours. “Even now, they have only restored data services, but still no call or SMS. Not that they can ever say, ‘Oh, sorry for the network failure, oya take free airtime and data.’ Lai-lai.” An Airtel user wrote, “It appears that the frustration with network services in Nigeria is widespread. The lack of a reliable network service provider affects many users, and the absence of explanations from the providers regarding disruptions in data and call services raises concerns. “The situation may not be trending because such issues might be common and not getting enough attention. In a statement released by MTN, the telecom company acknowledged the existence of a connectivity problem and committed to resolving the issue promptly. According to the telco, the problem started at about 1.39 on Wednesday, February 28, 2024. In its reaction via X, MTN Nigeria blamed the network issue on multiple fibre cuts, even as it assured customers that its engineers were working assiduously to restore normal services. The statement read, “Dear Customer, you have been experiencing challenges connecting to the network due to a major service outage caused by multiple fibre cuts, affecting voice and data services. “Our engineers are working hard to resolve this, with services gradually being restored in some areas. “We apologise for the inconvenience and ask for your patience & understanding as the team works to restore full service as soon as possible.” Read the full article

SpaceX Unveils Silvery Vision to Mars: ‘It’s Basically an I.C.B.M. That Lands’

BOCA CHICA VILLAGE, Tex. — As you drive east along Texas State Highway 4, it looks like a giant, shiny and pointy grain silo is rising out of the scrubby flatland at the tip of southern Texas.

But it is the first version of a spaceship design that Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and founder of the rocket company SpaceX, hopes will be humanity’s first ride to Mars.

Within a month or two, he says optimistically, this prototype of the Starship spacecraft — without anyone aboard — will blast off to an altitude of 12 miles, then return to the ground in one piece.

“It’s going to be pretty epic to see that thing take off and come back,” Mr. Musk said late on Saturday at a SpaceX facility outside Brownsville, Tex., where Starship is being built.

The update on his mega-rocket was timed to coincide with the anniversary of SpaceX’s first successful launch 11 years ago. SpaceX has a steady business putting satellites in orbit and carrying cargo to the International Space Station. But whether the company can meet its founder’s aims of taking people to Mars is yet to be seen.

The company’s earliest rocket, Falcon 1, was just 68 feet high, 5.5 feet in diameter and could carry a payload of 400 pounds.

Starship, by comparison, is 164 feet high and 30 feet in diameter. It will be paired with a behemoth booster stage called the Super Heavy, and the full rocket will be 387 feet tall and able to lug more than 220,000 pounds to orbit. That would be about as powerful as the Saturn 5 rocket that took NASA astronauts to the moon 50 years ago, but able to fly again and again and again.

By making rockets more like other forms of transportation where the vehicle is not thrown away after one trip, the cost of going to space could plummet.

Mr. Musk said an orbital test flight of a refined Starship prototype and the Super Heavy booster could come in less than six months.

“I think we could potentially see people flying next year,” he said.

Mr. Musk, who spoke to a couple of reporters after the public portion of the event, said SpaceX could still meet timelines he set out a few years ago — landing a Starship on the moon and Mars within the next few years. Mr. Musk, however, has a history of setting aspirational schedules that turn out to be too optimistic.

Despite such futuristic ambitions, the Starship, made of stainless steel, reflected an imperfect, handcrafted sheen of an earlier era.

“It’s like you drove into a Flash Gordon movie or something,” said Andrew Goetsch, who lives in the nearby hamlet of about 30 homes and is thrilled to have a front row view of Mr. Musk’s space dreams, a sentiment not shared by all of his neighbors.

“It’s not often they build a rocket where you can get close enough for it to fall on you,” Mr. Goetsch said.

There are good engineering decisions for the choice of material.

Mr. Musk originally had planned to use high-tech carbon fiber, but switched to denser stainless steel. It is cheaper, easier to work with, becomes stronger in the ultracold temperatures of space and has a higher melting temperature that can more easily withstand the heat of re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

The Starship is to belly flop in the upper atmosphere at a 60-degree angle, Mr. Musk said. Then as it slows and nears the ground, it will rotate to vertical and land.

For the last three years, Mr. Musk has repeatedly revised the design — trimming the size, changing the heat shield, adjusting the shape of the fins. “It took quite a while to just frame the problem,” Mr. Musk said.

Once the SpaceX engineers settled on the current stainless steel version, the first two prototypes (the other was built in Florida) have been put together at a breakneck pace.

“Ten months ago, there was a lot of barren dirt and nothing,” Mr. Goetsch, the Boca Chica neighbor, said of the SpaceX site where Starship now stands.

In August, SpaceX tested a simpler prototype, Starhopper, with a single engine, which Mr. Musk earlier compared to a flying water tower. It rose to an altitude of 500 feet, flew sideways and then set down at a different spot.

Experts say the technology of Starship lies within the realm of the possible, without requiring impossible physics or unlikely technological leaps. Indeed, Starship employs many ideas that were studied decades ago but never built.

What is more puzzling to them is how SpaceX can make money with Starship. Mr. Musk agreed that it was far larger than necessary to launch current satellites.

For now, Mr. Musk conceded, there is not much of a commercial market — “not that’s especially relevant” — for Starship to fill.

Starship could be used for deploying SpaceX’s Starlink internet service, Mr. Musk said. The company hopes that will provide a major source of revenue, despite fears over the impact of placing thousands of satellites in orbit. A single Starship launch could carry about 400 Starlink satellites.

He said SpaceX was continuing to study using Starship as a speedy — likely expensive — way to travel around the world, New York to Tokyo in 30 minutes.

“It’s basically an I.C.B.M. that lands,” Mr. Musk said. “Nothing gets there faster than a I.C.B.M. It’s just minus the nuclear bomb and add landing.”

He said the company has the financing to follow through on the plans, at least for the initial phases. “I think we have a path to getting the ship to orbit and even doing a loop around the moon,” Mr. Musk said. “Maybe we need to raise some more money to land on the moon or land on Mars.”

The ultimate goal is for Starship to take people to Mars. He argues that people moving to another planet would serve as an insurance policy for humanity’s survival. Mr. Musk still thinks Mars colonists could set off in the next decade. He already has one paying customer for a trip nearer to Earth.

A Japanese billionaire, Yusaku Maezawa, has purchased an around-the-moon trip on a Starship that is to take off in 2023. Mr. Musk thanked Mr. Maezawa with providing much of the money for the rapid development of Starship.

On Friday, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine pointedly reminded Mr. Musk that NASA, SpaceX’s biggest and most important customer, was awaiting delivery of another big project: taking NASA astronauts to the space station in the company’s Crew Dragon capsules.

Neither SpaceX nor Boeing, which also received a contract for transporting NASA astronauts, appears to be on track to launch crews this year. A SpaceX capsule exploded during a ground test in April with no crew aboard.

On Saturday, Mr. Musk responded that the “vast majority” of SpaceX’s resources are focused on its existing spacecraft, including Crew Dragon, and setting launch dates was up to NASA at this point.

“The NASA administrator was like ‘What’s going on? Are you not working on Crew Dragon or something?’ in that tweet,” Mr. Musk said during the post-event interview. “Actually, there’s nothing more we can do from a hardware standpoint. The hardware is basically done. It’s really just a whole bunch of NASA reviews, essentially. Speed up the NASA reviews, we can launch sooner.”

If Starship does start flying soon, and especially if it lands on the moon, that could amplify arguments that NASA could save money by buying rides to deep space from SpaceX rather than continuing development on its own Space Launch System rocket, the key component in plans to return NASA astronauts to the moon by 2024. S.L.S. could cost $1 billion per launch and plans are to fly it less than once a year.

NASA has already spent billions on S.L.S., first announced in 2011, and Orion, the crew-carrying capsule, although this has not stopped appropriators in Congress from continuing to finance work on it. The first S.L.S. flight has been delayed for years; it is not expected to lift off until 2021. The first moon landing by astronauts is to occur on the third launch of S.L.S.

At Boca Chica, the work accelerates. Mr. Musk on Saturday discussed his desire to manufacture rocket propellant on site, instead of trucking it in. Not all of the neighbors, who can easily see the rocket from their yards, are happy.

“It used to be that if a car drove down the street, that was noisy,” said Cheryl Stevens, who like many of her neighbors came here because it was isolated — surrounded by a wildlife refuge, minutes away from the beach. Now, she said, there is round-the-clock construction.

SpaceX has now decided it would be better for residents of Boca Chica Village not to be there. The company this month sent letters to Ms. Stevens and other homeowners offering three times the value of the property. The letter said SpaceX wanted an answer within two weeks and that it was not willing to negotiate the price.

“They want everyone gone,” said Gale McConnaughey, who has owned his home here for 13 years.

He and others said the appraisals lowballed the value of their homes. SpaceX has now extended the deadline by three weeks and some residents are talking with the appraiser to adjust the numbers.

But Mr. McConnaughey expected that SpaceX would eventually push them away.

“What can you do?” he said. “You can’t stop progress.”

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USCG Awards $745 Million Contract For Building Ice Breaker To VT Halter Marine

VT Halter Marine Inc. has been awarded a $745M detailed design and construction contract for the Coast Guard’s next-generation heavy icebreaker, according to a Tuesday Pentagon contract announcement.

According to the announcement, the first-in-class ship will be built at the company’s Pascagoula, Miss. shipyard and is scheduled to deliver in 2024.

“The initial award is valued at $745.9 million and supports non-recurring engineering and detail design of the PSC class as well as procurement of long lead-time materials and construction of the first ship,” read a statement from the Coast Guard and Naval Sea Systems Command. “The contract also includes options for the construction of two additional PSCs. If all options are exercised, the total contract value is $1.9 billion.”

Image Credits: US Coast Guard

The yet-to-be-named Polar Security Cutter will be the first of a planned class of six icebreakers – three heavy and three medium – the Coast Guard says it needs to meet the minimum requirements for the U.S. mission in the Arctic.

“Against the backdrop of great power competition, the Polar Security Cutter is key to our nation’s presence in the polar regions,” Coast Guard commandant Adm. Karl Schultz, said in a Tuesday statement. “With the strong support of both the Trump Administration and the United States Congress, this contract award marks an important step towards building the nation’s full complement of six polar icebreakers to meet the unique mission demands that have emerged from increased commerce, tourism, research, and international activities in the Arctic and Antarctic.”

VT Halter Marine beat out Gulf Coast shipbuilder Bollinger and a team between Philly Shipyard of Philadelphia and Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Wisconsin, according to a report in The Associated Press. General Dynamics’ NASSCO shipyard had previously expressed interest in the work but did not submit a bid for the final work, USNI News understands.

The contract award follows the release of a request for proposals from the Coast Guard and the Navy last year for the new ships.

The Coast Guard received $655 million in Fiscal Year 2019 for the first hull and an additional $20 million for the second ship in the class. The service requested $35 million in the Fiscal Year 2020 Budget request for program management costs to keep the line going between new ships.

The development of the Polar Security Cutter is the furthest the Coast Guard has progressed in its long-voiced request to replace its decades-old pair of icebreakers.

Currently, the service has two icebreakers, heavy icebreaker USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10), commissioned in 1976, and medium icebreaker USCGC Healy (WAGB-20) that was commissioned in 1999.

The service’s new Arctic Strategic Outlook, released this week, stressed the services need to recapitalize its Arctic ships and aircraft to keep pace with Russian and Chinese icebreaker developments. The Russian has a fleet of 14 icebreakers.

“The Coast Guard cannot meet the challenges of tomorrow’s Arctic with today’s paradigms. Rapid technological advancements within the maritime industry, combined with robust investments by strategic competitors, have raised the stakes,” reads the document. “The service must take this opportunity to leverage transformative technology and lead the employment of innovative policies to solve complex problems.”

The development of the design will be jointly overseen by the U.S. Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command and the Coast Guard.

“This contract award reflects the great benefit achieved by integrating the incredible talents of U.S. Coast Guard and Navy acquisition and shipbuilding professionals to deliver best value at speed,” said James Geurts, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition in a statement.

The following is the complete April 23, 2019 contract announcement for the Polar Security Cutter.

VT Halter Marine Inc., Pascagoula, Mississippi, is awarded a $745,940,860 fixed-price incentive-firm contract for the detail design and construction of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Polar Security Cutter (PSC) (formerly the Heavy Polar Ice Breaker). The PSC program is a multiple year Department of Homeland Security Level 1 investment and a USCG major system acquisition to acquire up to three multi-mission PSCs to recapitalize the USCG fleet of heavy icebreakers which have exhausted their design service life. The PSC’s mission will be to ensure continued access to both polar regions and support the country’s economic, commercial, maritime, and national security needs. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $1,942,812,266. Work will be performed in Pascagoula, Mississippi (61 percent); Metairie, Louisiana (12 percent); New Orleans, Louisiana (12 percent); San Diego, California (4 percent); Mossville, Illinois (4 percent); Mobile, Alabama (2 percent); Boca Raton, Florida (2 percent); and various other locations (3 percent), and is expected to be completed by June 2024. If all options are exercised, work will continue through November 2027. Fiscal 2019 procurement, construction, and improvement (Coast Guard); and fiscal 2018 and 2017 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) in the amount of $839,224,287 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-2210).

The following is the complete April 23, 2019 statement from the NAVSEA and the Coast Guard.

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, through an Integrated Program Office (IPO), awarded VT Halter Marine Inc., Pascagoula, Mississippi, a fixed price incentive (firm) contract for the Detail Design and Construction (DD&C) of the Coast Guard’s lead Polar Security Cutter (PSC).

The initial award is valued at $745.9 million and supports non-recurring engineering and detail design of the PSC class as well as procurement of long lead-time materials and construction of the first ship. The contract also includes options for the construction of two additional PSCs. If all options are exercised, the total contract value is $1.9 billion. PSCs support a wide range of Coast Guard missions including search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, environmental response, and national defence missions.

The U.S. Coast Guard is the nation’s lead agency responsible for providing assured surface access in the polar regions. This contract award supports the United States’ ability to recapitalize heavy polar icebreaker capabilities that are vital to our nation’s ability to conduct national missions, respond to critical events, and project presence in the polar regions.

“Against the backdrop of great power competition, the Polar Security Cutter is key to our nation’s presence in the polar regions,” said Admiral Karl L. Schultz, Commandant of the Coast Guard. “With the strong support of both the Trump Administration and the United States Congress, this contract award marks an important step towards building the nation’s full complement of six polar icebreakers to meet the unique mission demands that have emerged from increased commerce, tourism, research, and international activities in the Arctic and Antarctic.”

The acquisition of Polar Security Cutters is being jointly managed across the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard through an IPO that leverages the expertise and utilizes best practices across each enterprise to deliver a fleet of highly capable, multi-mission ships in the most cost-efficient and timely manner possible. NAVSEA is the lead contracting authority.

“This contract award reflects the great benefit achieved by integrating the incredible talents of U.S. Coast Guard and Navy acquisition and shipbuilding professionals to deliver best value at speed,” said James Geurts, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. “Working with our industry partners, the team identified approximately $300 million in cost avoidances and accelerated the schedule for delivery of this capability to the nation by almost three years. This reflects the urgency in which we are operating to ensure we deliver capabilities necessary to support the U.S. Coast Guard and the nation’s missions in the polar regions.”

Construction on the first PSC is planned to begin in 2021 with delivery planned for 2024; however, the contract includes financial incentives for earlier delivery.

The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy are committed to working together to ensure the success of this program and to deliver the capabilities necessary to meet national defence and homeland security mission demands in the polar regions.

Reference: usni.org

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