Two Idaho lawmakers have introduced a bill to charge those who administer mRNA vaccines with a misdemeanor.

Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, and Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, sponsored HB 154. It was introduced in the House Health & Welfare Committee on Feb. 15 by Nichols. According to the bill text, "A person may not provide or administer a vaccine developed using messenger ribonucleic acid technology for use in an individual or any other mammal in this state."

That person would then be charged with a misdemeanor.

Nichols said during her presentation to the committee, "We have issues this was fast tracked."

Nichols said there is no liability, informed consent or data on mRNA vaccines. She later clarified she was referring to the two COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna.

"I think there is a lot of information that comes out with concerns to blood clots and heart issues," Nichols said.

Rep. Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, questioned Nichols' statement that the vaccines were fast-tracked. She said her understanding was that the vaccines were approved and survived the testing, later approved by the FDA.

Nichols said she is finding it "may not have been done like we thought it should've been done."

"There are other shots we could utilize that don't have mRNA in it," Nichols said.

MRNA is a molecule that assists in making proteins. The COVID-19 vaccines, which are known as mRNA vaccines, help your body make proteins that mimic the COVID virus to help bodies fight off the infection, according to John Hopkins Medicine. MRNA was discovered in the early 1960's, John Hopkins states. Some were used to fight the Ebola virus. Researchers are also currently working to use mRNA to prevent other respiratory viruses.

The bill requires a future vote in the committee to pass onto the House floor for debate.

i try to spread information and stuff because that usually makes people more receptive to understanding how serious covid is, but a lot of being covid safe is being full of anger and frustration and hopelessness. for a lot of people, it’s not hard to wear a mask or not go places when they’re sick. so many people could still be taking precautions but just… won’t. and many of them (especially people close to me) are people who will talk about progressive policies and community care and allyship to marginalised communities but obviously won’t take the step to actually practice what they preach. i’m just tired of being told that i’m an acceptable sacrifice for people’s facade of normalcy

Food banks and other programs serving vulnerable Canadians are expected to serve 60 per cent more people per month in 2023 than last year, according to a report by a national food rescue organization.

Second Harvest, a national service that rescues food that might otherwise end up in landfills and redistributes it to those in need, says its forecast follows a year that saw a 124 per cent increase in people using non-profit food services.

"What we found was even shocking for us. It's bad everywhere," said Lori Nikkel, CEO of Second Harvest. Nikkel says it isn't just the unemployed who are showing up at food banks to make ends meet. With food costs increasing due to inflation over the last few months, she says "a lot of people that are accessing food supports have jobs."

According to Second Harvest's figures, food banks and other food-related programs across Canada served 5,141,481 people per month last year. The organization expects that number to climb to 8,208,679 in 2023, a roughly 60 per cent increase. That's compared to 2,196,238 per month before the pandemic [...]

Experts say food scarcity is likely an even bigger problem than estimated because many in need are not showing up to use these services.

"The bottom line is that it's a stigmatized service…it's pretty much a sign of hitting bottom," said Elaine Power, a professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen's University who specializes in food insecurity. [...]

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Tagging: @politicsofcanada

ALT TXT

wsbgnl (Dec 7, 2022):

The US has "learned to live with covid" not by effectively addressing the problem, but through a broad deliberate effort to erode empathy, break solidarity, desensitize the public to mass illness and mass death, and inculcate a sense of hopelessness and futility

wsbgnl (Dec 23, 2022):

Ah yes, what pandemic? What 650,000 American deaths? What global vaccination campaign? What OSHA standard? What hazard pay? What PPE? What building upgrades? What paid sick leave? What rapid expansion of the public health workforce? What sustained vaccination outreach?

Quote Tweet: President Biden (Dec 22, 2022) We've delivered free masks, free tests, and free vaccines.On my watch, Americans aren't facing COVID alone.

We’ve offered to deliver four rapid tests per household this month. Some stores still have free masks left over from last winter. Vaccines are at the pharmacy. What more do these people want? Is it supposed to be my job to get everyone vaccinated and control transmission too?

COVID Diaries — Days 3.5-4

so i spoke too soon yesterday (day 3). last night i was hella nauseous and shivering so bad that we couldn’t get my temperature accurately. it was at least 102.4

today (day 4) i woke up and could barely bite a banana with my body aches. washing my hands was agony. i started paxlovid and no side effects yet besides a constant metallic taste (really gross) and maybe increased nausea. still have a fever even with acetaminophen in my system. had to start a decongestant today because my lungs and sinuses are gross

The dogfood-ification of my tastebuds is ruining my life right now.

Luck finally ran out for dodging CoV-2. Somewhere in the unusual increase of my social contact since last Thursday, I was already tempting fate. Kept forgetting to get more rapid tests the last few weeks since holiday things were not happening. Finally got some tests handed off at the door yesterday.

Started coughing Tuesday, been steadily a mess from there. This is probably comparable to some of my worst childhood influenzas, and probably would be worse if I wasn’t on my 4th shot.

Can see what people mean by the distorted/loss of sense of taste, my perception of salt and nuanced aromas from things like pepper, ginger, or green onion aren’t great. I’m left with bitter, oily scents like from fish, and concentrated flvours. Oranges started tasting sort of like a mild but raw vinegar, my brain is sure there is supposed to be sugar while not sensing more than the acid bite and liquid.

I have to eat my meals alone in my room now since I’m contagious and everything and Ganache keeps trying to steal my green beans

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Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) has signed a bill that bans state and local governments from mandating COVID-19 vaccines for workers after a similar ban expired last month.

The legislation signed Thursday is aimed at defending citizens’ “individual liberty,” Sanders said at a press conference prior to its signing.

The legislation also prohibits COVID-19 vaccinations from being required as a condition of education, or for obtaining a service or licensure, permit or certificate of some kind. Any potential risks and harms associated with the shots must also be recorded and published by the state.

The bill is different from the state’s prior ban on vaccine mandates, which first went into effect in 2021, in that it covers vaccines or immunizations for any subvariants of the coronavirus, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

The latest COVID-19 vaccine, which was federally authorized for use this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, is specially designed to reduce major illness and illness from omicron virus variants that are currently circulating.

In total, Sanders signed 11 bills on Thursday.

A separate bill she signed restricts the public release of her travel and security records. That bill, which went into immediate effect, shields details about the security that the Governor and other constitutional officers receive.

These details include who travels on the State Police airplane and the cost of individual trips. Sanders argued that it was needed for her and her family’s safety, though some critics said it eliminates government transparency.

State Sen. Bart Hester (R), who co-sponsored the bill, said at Thursday’s press conference that all of the state’s elected government leaders are still able to see the travel receipts through audit. The law also requires the state to file a quarterly report listing the monthly costs of protecting the Governor.

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