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No, Trump and Kennedy aren’t libertarian candidates – Restoration NewsMedia – Restoration NewsMedia

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In early May, the Libertarian Partys national committee announced a prominent speaker at the partys convention over Memorial Day weekend in Washington: Former U.S. President Donald Trump.

A few days later, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in a post on X (formerly Twitter), issued a challenge: Were both going to be speaking at the upcoming Libertarian convention on May 24 and 25. Its perfect neutral territory for you and me to have a debate where you can defend your record for your wavering supporters.

The party hasnt publicly confirmed any invitation (offered or accepted) to Kennedy, but maybe thats coming.

Im not going to argue here, anyway over the wisdom of a political party inviting two of its most prominent opponents to use its national convention as a campaign rally location or debate venue.

I do, however, want all you voters out there to know three things about this things that the media coverage seems to either leave unmentioned or gloss over:

1. Donald Trump isnt a libertarian.

2. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. isnt a libertarian.

3. Neither Trump nor Kennedy will be the Libertarian Partys 2024 presidential nominee.

Weve got a pretty big field of announced candidates for that presidential nomination.

Neither Trump nor Kennedy have declared for that nomination (in fact, after flirting with doing so, Kennedy publicly rejected the idea).

Neither Trump nor Kennedy are eligible for that nomination or at least they wont be if they address the convention prior to the nominee being selected. According to the Libertarian National Committees policy manual:

No person shall be scheduled as a convention speaker unless that person has signed this statement: As a condition of my being scheduled to speak, I agree to neither seek nor accept nomination for any office to be selected by delegates at the upcoming Libertarian Party convention if the voting for that office occurs after my speech.

Since we havent selected our nominee yet, Im not going to sing his or her praises to you or try to convince you to vote Libertarian. I just dont want you to be surprised when you look at your ballot in November and dont see the name Trump or Kennedy next to the name Libertarian Party.

Between now and November, I hope youll take time to familiarize yourself with libertarian ideas and with the Libertarian Partys candidates for office across the U.S. They deserve your attention and consideration.

Thomas L. Knapp (Twitter: @thomaslknapp) is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism (thegarrisoncenter.org). He lives and works in north-central Florida.

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No, Trump and Kennedy aren't libertarian candidates - Restoration NewsMedia - Restoration NewsMedia

Cartoon: The 24 Types of Libertarian – Daily Kos

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This cartoon I drew years ago was inspired by some of Matt Groenings old Life in Hell comics. Its a fun format to create Ive done a few cartoons like this but it takes forever!Worth it, though.

Over the years, at leasta half-dozen conservatives have taken this cartoon and relettered all of it to make it about liberals and/or progressives. But only one of them could actually write a joke.

Theres a short blogpost about it here, and a transcript, which Ill also post in comments.

We can keep making these cartoons because of lotsof supporters pledging low amounts - $1-$3 - and that's just how I like it!Join my humble but plucky Patreon here!

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Cartoon: The 24 Types of Libertarian - Daily Kos

Trump’s MAGA takeover of the Libertarian Party – The Boston Globe

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1. Libertarians are uninhibited by ordinary political rules and inviting a rival to address their convention is just the sort of eccentric move that appeals to them.

2. Party leaders, knowing Trump is more likely to be elected in November than their own nominee, want to encourage him to embrace libertarian ideals of shrinking government, expanding liberty, and curbing the welfare state.

3. Libertarian Party leaders never expected Trump to accept their invitation but will gladly exploit the publicity he brings them in order to promote their own issues and candidates.

4. The Libertarian Party has been taken over by hard-core MAGA supporters who want to help Trump win.

My money is on No. 4.

Though many of my instincts are small-l libertarian, I have never been a registered member of the Libertarian Party. On several occasions, however, I have voted for the partys presidential candidate. In 1996, I was far more impressed with Harry Browne, the Libertarian Party standard-bearer, than with the other candidates on the ballot Democratic president Bill Clinton, Republican senator Bob Dole, and billionaire businessman/crank Ross Perot. In a column that year, I marveled at a would-be president who was motivated not by ego or lust for power but by principle.

Imagine a candidacy based on individual freedom, economic liberty, parental authority, local control of local matters, an end to the national income tax, and a federal government that doesnt meddle in our lives, I wrote. What American would vote for that?

As it turned out, 485,759 of us Americans voted for that one-half of 1 percent of the popular vote.

I voted Libertarian again in 2016, unable to stomach the idea of casting a ballot for such dreadful candidates as Trump or Hillary Clinton. The Libertarian candidates that year two prominent former Republican governors, Gary Johnson of New Mexico and Bill Weld of Massachusetts were at best lukewarm in their libertarian commitments. But in terms of character, they were head and shoulders above the major-party nominees. Apparently quite a few #NeverTrump and #NeverHillary voters felt the same way, because the Johnson-Weld ticket drew 4.5 million votes, or nearly 3.3 percent of the nationwide popular vote an all-time high for the party.

The Libertarian nominee four years later, political activist and college professor Jo Jorgensen, didnt do nearly as well; she polled only 1.8 million votes, or a little more than 1 percent of the national total. But that, some claim, may have prevented Trumps reelection as president. In four states that Joe Biden narrowly carried Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin Jorgensens vote total was larger than Bidens margin of victory. There were those who argued that had there been no Libertarian option on the ballot, most of the votes Jorgensen amassed might have gone to Trump and sent him back to the White House.

To be clear, I dont subscribe to that theory. Many Jorgensen voters, including me, could not have been induced to cast a ballot for Trump under any circumstances. That wasnt just because of his character failings but also because Trump is no libertarian.

Unlike Johnson and Weld, who could at least portray their views as libertarian-lite, Trump is affirmatively opposed to most libertarian principles. There is his long-standing animus against immigration, both legal and illegal. His decades-long hostility toward free trade and support for higher tariffs. His call to confiscate guns without waiting for due process. His declaration that a US president has untrammeled authority to order businesses to close. His vow to never cut a single penny from the crushingly unaffordable Social Security and Medicare programs. His repeated fawning over the worlds dictators, including Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping, and Vladimir Putin. The nearly $8 trillion he added to the national debt during his presidency.

As the Libertarian Party itself declared in 2018, Trump is the opposite of a Libertarian.

But that was the Libertarian Party then. The Libertarian Party now is a very different creature.

Beginning in 2017, a bigoted faction calling itself the Mises Caucus moved systematically and ruthlessly to take over the Libertarian Party. For years, the LP had had a reputation for free-market fundamentalism, open immigration, drug legalization, and live-and-let-live tolerance. All that began to change as the new faction moved in and took over the partys communications channels. Suddenly the Libertarian Party was employing some of the ugliest tropes in the alt-right lexicon.

The caucus began taking over state parties, packing members into sparsely attended conventions, recounts Andy Craig in the Daily Beast. As they did so, they quickly started attracting negative attention for saying things that sounded less like liberty and more like the tiki torch brigade. For example, Libertarian Party social media posts equated COVID-19 vaccines to the Holocaust with yellow Star of David patches, denounced Pride Month as degeneracy, told a Black politician she should pick cotton or go back to Africa, and pronounced it obviously correct that the end of apartheid destroy[ed] South Africa.

The move by the Mises Caucus to take control of the party seems to have begun immediately after the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va. The violence of that episode was promptly condemned by the Libertarian Partys national committee, which released a strong statement declaring bigotry, in the words of the party platform, irrational and repugnant. The statement affirmed that there is no room for racists and bigots in the Libertarian Party.

But to some on the far-right fringe of the movement, that was intolerable. As Joshua Eakle, a longtime libertarian activist and former Libertarian Party state chairman, recounted in an eye-opening thread on X last week, the statement denouncing the Charlottesville bigots infuriated some extremists, who launched an insurgency to take over the party for the Trumpian right. By 2022, that takeover was largely complete. An early priority of the new administration was repealing the platform language condemning bigotry. By the thousands, traditional Libertarian Party leaders and dues-paying members quit or were forced out. What remains of the partys national committee, Eakle wrote, has become nothing more than a satellite of MAGA authoritarianism.

Perhaps there will be a movement by genuine lovers of liberty to take back the Libertarian Party from the bigots who have usurped it. If so, I will cheer from the sidelines. But as long as the party is in the hands of its current operators, the odds of my voting for a Libertarian alternative to Trump and Biden is nil.

This is an excerpt from Arguable, a Globe Opinion newsletter by columnist Jeff Jacoby. Sign up to get Arguable in your inbox each week.

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Trump's MAGA takeover of the Libertarian Party - The Boston Globe

How to Enroll :: Fort Liberty – United States Army

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UPDATED JANUARY 2024

1. Select the enrollment form below for the month and timeframe (morning, afternoon, or evening) you wish to take the BSEP class.Print the enrollment form and have your commander sign it.

2. Use the sample 4187 below to fill out a blank 4187. You and your commander must sign and date it. Documents must be digitally signed! Your commander must be an O-3 or above. If the person who signs the 4187 is not an O-3 or above (i.e. a Warrant Officer, First Sergeant, Lieutenant, etc.), then you must also attach the Assumption of Command memo.

3. Bring your signed enrollment form and DA4187 toG-wing, Room 121 as soon as possible (BEFORE the class starts) to register for a slot in the class. No email forms will be accepted.

4. You must attend the first day of class. No one will be accepted into the class after the first day of the cycle. We will try and accommodate walk-ins. Please contact us if you have any questions at 910-396-6982.

5.The TABE placement test will be administered to all students on the third day of class. This is a mandatory test. There is no need to arrange testing prior to the start of BSEP.

6. On the first day of class, report to Room G-121 at LTEC 0830 for the morning class, 1230 for the afternoon class, or 1730 for the evening class.

*Due to the current guidelines class time and modes are subject to change. We strive to offer classes that best meet our students' needs. Please remember that you will be required to study and prepare.*

**4187 must be Digitally Signed by the Soldier and Commander**

SAMPLE 4187

MAY 01-31, 2024 AM SESSION (0900-1300)

MAY 01-31, 2024 PM SESSION (1300-1700)

JUNE 03-28, 2024 AM SESSION (0900-1300)

JUNE 03-28, 2024 PM SESSION (1300-1700)

JUNE 03-28, 2024 EVENING SESSION (1800-2100)

JULY01-31, 2024 AM SESSION (0900-1300)

JULY01-31, 2024 PM SESSION (1300-1700)

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How to Enroll :: Fort Liberty - United States Army

West Liberty faced with filling third council seat this year – Bellefontaine Examiner

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Jim Hoffman, pictured right, surprised the West Liberty Village Council at their meeting on Monday, April 29, by submitting his resignation. The council has 30 days to choose a replacement.

The West Liberty Village Council started their Monday, April 29, meeting by accepting the immediate resignation of Jim Hoffman, who has served as a councilmember since 2021. Hoffman had returned to full-time teaching on the nursing faculty at Rhodes State College, Lima, in the fall of 2022, and no longer felt able to juggle that with his council duties.

Boy, its a big loss for us, council president Jayne Griffith admitted.

Later, West Liberty Mayor Brad Hudson said, We hate to see him go. Hes been a great addition to the council, but hes busy being a professor and we understand that.

The council has 30 days to recommend someone to fill Hoffmans seat. Since they interviewed six applicants when faced with a similar situation in January, they already have a pool of candidates to reach out to.

Though Hoffman stated hed been thinking about this for a whileand waiting for the right timeit was last minute for the council. They will discuss it further at the next meeting on Monday, May 13.

Newly elected councilmember Shannon Maier was sworn in on Jan. 8, and they chose Mike Woodruff from the six aforementioned applicants for a second empty spot on Jan. 22.

In other action Monday night:

The next West Liberty Village Council meeting is at 7 p.m. Monday, May 13.

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West Liberty faced with filling third council seat this year - Bellefontaine Examiner

Liberty Hospital, University of Kansas Health System merge – mycouriertribune.com

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LIBERTY On Wednesday, May 1, the Liberty Hospital Board of Trustees and University of Kansas Health System signed an agreement that will see Liberty Hospital and its clinics join the KU Health System.

Liberty Hospital and KU will continue planning for the closing of the deal, which is anticipated on July 1.

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Liberty Hospital, University of Kansas Health System merge - mycouriertribune.com

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Players Fell To Their Deaths 2.6 Million Times – TheGamer

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Highlights

Cyberpunk 2077 has a bunch of things that are trying to turn you into giblets, and CD Projekt Red added even more in Phantom Liberty. Over the past seven months, developer CD Projekt Red has been tracking exactly which enemies have been dishing out the most hurt to players through the course of the expansion, posting the top three killers to the Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account.

Unsurprisingly, the first and second spots belong to two of Phantom Liberty's mechanical monstrosities, those being the Militech Chimera and Militech Cerberus, which have claimed the lives of 3 million and 2.9 million players respectively. Both of them are pretty tricky boss fights that can spread you along the ground if you're not prepared, so it makes a lot of sense they'd take first and second.

It's actually kind of surprising that the Militech Cerberus isn't first, as the section of Phantom Liberty that has V taking on the horrid mech strips you of your weapons and turns Cyberpunk 2077 into a horror game for a brief moment, something that fans definitely weren't prepared for going in. However, things get even stranger when we get to the bronze medal position, as Phantom Liberty's third-biggest killer isn't actually an enemy at all. It's the carelessness of players themselves.

According to the stats released by CD Projekt Red (thanks GamesRadar), over 2.6 million people have died falling from the catwalks of Dogtown's stadium, which you have to navigate during the mission 'Dog Eat Dog'. During the mission, you eventually make your way to a parking garage that has been better days, which has you running across narrow beams, jumping across deadly gaps, and navigating tight platforms to ensure you don't fall.

Unfortunately, it seems as though a lot of players actually are falling to their deaths, whether it be out of sheer curiosity while exploring, or just absentmindedly not watching where they're stepping/jumping. Even then, it's very impressive that almost 3 million players have felt their knees go through their chin during this section of the DLC, and it seems as though even double jumps and air dashes can't keep the best of us from an accidental death or two.

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Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Players Fell To Their Deaths 2.6 Million Times - TheGamer

‘Hit them in the face,’ Lukashenko tells Belarusian athletes ahead of Olympics – POLITICO Europe

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Anger in sports is important, Lukashenko said. If you have already qualified and are going there in a neutral status, hit them in the face, show them that you are a real Belarusian, he continued.

Lukashenko has not clarified whether his comments were made in a spirit of sporting competitiveness, or if the implication was literal.

The leader added that if Belarusians emerge victorious during the games, it will be a good tool for Belarusian politicians. Then we can also hit them in the face politically, he said.

Russian and Belarusian competitors taking part as neutral athletes will be barred from participating in the opening ceremony parade of delegations.

Their national anthems will not be played during the award ceremonies, and their national colors, flags, and any other identification are also banned.

Athletes who are contracted by the military of Belarus and Russia, or actively support the invasion of Ukraine, will not be eligible to take part. Belarusian and Russian state officials will not be invited or accredited to the games, which run from July 26 to August 11.

The committee estimated some 30 Russians and 20 Belarusians will qualify to take part in this years Summer Olympics.

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'Hit them in the face,' Lukashenko tells Belarusian athletes ahead of Olympics - POLITICO Europe

Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics: ‘The Olympics are too strong to be damaged by Russia’ – Le Monde

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In mid-April, Sebastian Coe met with Le Monde in Monaco, at the headquarters of World Athletics, the international athletics federation, which he has chaired since 2015. At the reception desk, a Ukrainian flag with an inscription written in felt-tip pen: "Thank you World Athletics! Team Ukraine."

"They gave it to me at the Budapest Worlds [in August 2023]," recalled Coe, who decided in February 2022 to exclude Russian athletes from the discipline's competitions.

This is a position he has consistently maintained ever since. "It wasn't about passports or politics, it was about the integrity of the sport," insisted the two-time Olympic 1,500-meter gold medallist (1980 and 1984), who was also patron of the London 2012 Games and joined the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2020.

For many months, nobody was really sure whether we would be going to Moscow or not. The British Olympic Association, which I became president of for a few years, was very strong and independent. It said, no, it's for individual federations to decide. And then of course, getting to the games was in itself a different experience because British government didn't help in any way at all. So there was no embassy support. There were no national anthems, no flags. And we competed as a British team, but without any of the protocols.

Why did I choose to go? Because the British government's only response to the invasion of Afghanistan was in the field of sport. Nobody in the commercial sector, nobody in the cultural sector or heritage or politically were being asked to make any sacrifice at all. It was just sport. And there was one week when I remember particularly and that reinforced my view. And that was when I think the Bolshoi Ballet arrived in London and British Petroleum signed a pipe deal with Russia. And I thought, this is beyond hypocritical. It would have been a tougher decision had other sectors of society been having to confront the same challenge, but they weren't. And it made me recognize that actually, the government didn't value sport. They liked to welcome winning teams and individuals back to Downing Street. But when it actually came to substantive structural support for sport, it really wasn't there.

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Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics: 'The Olympics are too strong to be damaged by Russia' - Le Monde

9 Destinations in France to Enjoy the Olympics Outside of Paris – The New York Times

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For sports fans, Paris will be the center of the universe this summer and with 15 million Olympic and Paralympic visitors expected, it will feel like it, with crowds and high prices. But Paris isnt the only Olympic site in France: Nine destinations outside the metro region are also hosting events, giving travelers a way to catch some action without getting caught up in the crush.

In places like Bordeaux, Marseille and even Tahiti, you can watch top athletes compete in soccer, basketball, sailing and surfing. (Tickets have been added in batches, so if the ones you want arent available, keep checking the ticketing site, tickets.Paris2024.org. If all else fails, the official resale platform opens on May 15.)

And when youre not watching sports, you can take advantage of museums, parks, design centers, and fresh food and wine options. In Nantes, you can even ride a mechanical elephant.

Here are some ideas for planning your own alternative Olympic trip.

Basketball: July 27 to Aug. 4; tickets from 50 euros ($54).

Handball: Aug. 6 to 11, tickets from 45.

Start with a stroll around Vieux-Lille and a coffee in the Grande Place, taking in the colorful facades of this city near the Belgian border. Head over to the St.-Sauveur area to see the Art Deco belfry and exhibitions at Gare St.-Sauveur, a former train station. On Sundays, at the rambling Wazemmes market, about 400 vendors offer produce, fish, plants, fabrics, textiles and leather goods. Head out to Parc du Hron, east of the city, to see the LaM museum (7), with works by the likes of Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani and Joan Mir. Lille is better known for beer than for wine, and the Brasserie Gobrecht offers brewery tours every Saturday (reservations recommended).

Where to stay: Hotel de la Paix (354 per night); Hotel Carlton (406).

Soccer: July 24 to Aug. 2; tickets from 24.

Capital of a region best known for its wine, this small southwestern city sells local wine-walk maps at its tourist office. Stop by the March des Capucins, a local indoor market that also houses Bistro Poulette, a slightly chaotic and very delicious spot serving moules-frites, or mussels with fries. In the afternoon, check out the Bassins des Lumires (15), the largest digital art center in the world, and the Cit du Vin (21), which offers wine-tasting experiences. To wind down in a quiet wine bar, try Yarra, or for a cocktail, Symbiose. If you have time for side trips, spend a day in St.-Emilion, about 27 miles away, where you can sample great wines. Or check out the nearly 340-foot-high Dune du Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe about 37 miles southwest of Bordeaux, near the beach town of Arcachon.

To stay: Les Chambres de Marie (170); La Maison Galine (259); Yndo Hotel (355); Le Palais Gallien Htel & Spa (419).

Soccer: July 24 to Aug. 8; tickets from 24.

The street signs in Nantes are in both Breton and French, reflecting the citys historical ties to Brittany. Start at Talensac Market for picnic supplies, especially radishes, local cheeses and strawberries. Pick up local delicacies like Gteau Nantais (almond poundcake) and Far Breton (flan with Armanac-soaked prunes). Take your picnic lunch to the courtyard of the Chteau des Ducs de Bretagne, a medieval castle and museum (courtyard is free; museum is 9). On the le de Nantes, a former shipyard has been transformed into a wild mechanical theme park. The Machines de lle mixes Jules Vernes stories with Leonardo da Vincis designs in the form of a ridable mechanical elephant and sea creatures (9.50 for the elephant ride or gallery visit). The Mmorial de lAbolition de lEsclavage (free) covers Nantess history as the most active slave-trading port in 18th-century France. The artists behind the glass-and-concrete memorial, Krzysztof Wodiczko and Julian Bonder, aimed to create a metaphorical and emotional reminder of the primarily historical, but also very current, struggle for the abolition of slavery.

To stay: Hotel Voltaire Opra (103); Hotel de la Cit (120).

Shooting: July 27 to Aug. 5; tickets from 24.

The small city not far from the Loire Valley is named for Chteau Raoul, the 10th-century castle thats now part of a local officials private residence. The best view of the chteau is from the Gtersloh Bridge. Follow the coule verte or green corridor along the banks of the Indre River, stopping by Parc de Belle-Isle, which has a lake for swimming, with kayaks and stand-up paddle boards to rent, as well as a beach, playgrounds and camping. The Franciscan Cordeliers Convent (free), which dates to the 13th century, today offers contemporary art exhibits and miles of gardens, and the Bertrand Museum (free), a former 18th-century townhouse, showcases diverse collections in each of its 26 rooms, including the plaster original of the Camille Claudel sculpture Sakuntala.

To stay: Au Lys Blanc (138); Les Rives du Chteau (210 for a two-bedroom apartment).

Soccer: Lyon, July 24 to Aug. 9; tickets from 24. St.-tienne, July 24 to 31; tickets from 24.

It will be easy to catch soccer matches in either Lyon or St.-tienne, only an hour apart by train or car in east-central France. In Lyon, often called the gastronomic capital of France, visit the majestic Notre-Dame de Fourvire Basilica, then savor an ice cream at La Fabrique Givre. Explore the citys network of covered passageways, called traboules originally for workers to transport textiles and later used during World War II by the French Resistance for clandestine meetings. Then climb up to the Pentes de la Croix-Rousse neighborhood, with its tiny streets, shops and views of Lyon below. On a clear day, you can even see Mont Blanc. The Lugdunum museum (7) and the nearby Roman theater (4) take visitors back to 43 B.C., when Lyon was known as Lugdunum, and La Maison des Canuts (9.50), covers the citys history as a capital of silk.

Between Lyon and St.-tienne, Pilat Regional Natural Park offers more than 900 miles of rocky terrain for hiking and biking, culminating at the summit of 4,700-foot Crt de la Perdrix, with views of the Alps and Massif Central range.

St.-tienne, about 40 miles southwest of Lyon, is transforming its historical industrial identity into one of design and innovation. At the heart is the Cit du Design (4.50), the former site of a weapons factory, which has served as a center for art and research since 2010. The complex, now a key economic force in the city, is open to the public year-round and hosts art and design exhibitions.

To stay in Lyon: Fourvire Hotel (189); Htel du Thtre (323).

To stay in St.-tienne: Le Parc 42 (113); Le Golf Sauna (269).

Sailing (including windsurfing, kitesurfing and more): July 28 to Aug. 8; tickets from 24.

Soccer: July 24 to Aug. 6; tickets from 24.

This Mediterranean port city mixes urban grit and natural beauty. Start by visiting Le Panier, the village-like oldest part of the city. Try navettes, a traditional orange flower biscuit, and sample some sardines or panisses, traditional chickpea fries, on a sunny terrace. Detour through the touristy but pleasant Old Port on the way to Mucem (11), the first major museum dedicated to Mediterranean civilization and cultures. Have a pick-me-up at Deep Coffee Roasters, a specialty roaster tucked away between touristy shops. At sunset, climb up to Cours Julien, a hip neighborhood with beautiful views for your apro. Dont miss the Cit Radieuse, a UNESCO-listed apartment complex that shows off the architect Le Corbusiers Modernist mastery (you can stay at the hotel in it). And just southeast of the city, the Calanques, a series of small, narrow coves, offer miles of oceanside trails and rocky scrambles along turquoise water.

To stay: Hotel Le Corbusier (229); Maison Juste (300).

Soccer: July 24 to 31; tickets from 24.

Summer is peak season in Nice, the queen city of the French Riviera, where the mountains meet the Mediterranean. Run, bike or in-line skate along the Promenade des Anglais, a four-mile seaside path. Then climb up to the Colline du Chteau, a rocky hill east of the promenade with views of Nice and even as far as the Alps. For a longer walk, follow the trails from Coco Beach to the Cap de Nice along the coves. Then head to Cours Saleya, a pedestrian section of the Old Town, with flower stands, antiques and local food like the socca, a chickpea pancake. The Muse de Prhistoire Terra Amata (5), constructed on top of an excavation site, reveals what Nice was like up to 400,000 years ago. Or just enjoy one of Nices pebbled beaches in a lounge chair.

To stay: Htel Rossetti (186); Yelo Mozart (238).

Surfing: July 27 to 31 (events could shift through Aug. 4, depending on surf conditions); fan zones free.

For surfings second Olympics since its debut in Tokyo, the competition takes place far from mainland France in Tahiti, part of French Polynesia. Since the wave is offshore, there will be two ticket-free fan zones Taharuu Beach and Paofai Gardens to watch the events on large screens. A third fan zone at PK0 beach in Teahupoo will have free tickets but limited access. Tahiti offers white sands and turquoise lagoons in addition to near-perfect waves. For snorkeling, try the lagoon near Maui Beach, five miles from Teahupoo. For black volcanic sands, head to Taharuu Beach, about 20 miles northwest of Teahupoo. About 45 miles from Teahupoo, Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, with a population of about 26,000, offers a variety of local delicacies like poisson cru: raw fish with lime juice and coconut milk, served with rice. Sample local fare, including steak frites and skewered veal heart, from food trucks, called roulettes, at Place Vaiete, on the waterfront, near the Papeete Market.

To stay: Kia Ora Lodge (265, seven miles from Teahupoo); Punatea Village (73, six miles from Teahupoo).

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024.

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9 Destinations in France to Enjoy the Olympics Outside of Paris - The New York Times

Almost all mountain goats died after airlift from Olympics to Cascades | HeraldNet.com – The Daily Herald

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DARRINGTON About five years ago, wildlife biologists with the Tulalip Tribes used GPS collars to start tracking 115 mountain goats translocated from the Olympic Peninsula to the North Cascades.

Only three are still alive today.

Wildlife biologists with the Stillaguamish Tribe found similar results. Out of 36 translocated goats they tracked, only one is still alive. Usually, mountain goats live between 10 to 13 years in the wild.

It was really a red-flag moment for the tribes, said Mike Sevigny, wildlife manager with the Tulalip Tribes.

A helicopter picks up a pair of mountain goats from the Mountain Loop Highway bridge over the South Fork Sauk River on Sept. 12, 2018 near Granite Falls. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

In 2020, local tribes, the National Park Service, state Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Forest Service finished transferring hundreds of mountain goats via truck and helicopter to the North Cascades. The purpose of the three-year project was twofold: to remove non-native goats from the Olympic Peninsula and potentially boost the animals population in northern Washington.

At the same time, biologists noticed goats native to the North Cascades were also dying at an alarming rate. In 2017, biologists with the Tulalip Tribes counted 145 mountain goats near Whitehorse and Three Fingers mountains where they tend to roam in large numbers. Last year, the biologists counted eight near the two peaks.

Mountain goat experts are unsure about the exact cause of the decline, though they have multiple theories. Recreation, habitat loss, climate change, disease and predation are among them.

Over the next three years, the Tulalip and Stillaguamish tribes plan to monitor North Cascades mountain goats using new methods. Instead of GPS collars, biologists will use camera traps a camera that takes pictures whenever it senses movement as well as thermal imaging drones and other noninvasive monitoring methods.

This year, the Stillaguamish Tribe will receive $195,656 from the national Tribal Climate Resilience Annual Awards Program. The tribe will use the money to partner with the Tulalip Tribes and Lummi Nation in goat-monitoring efforts.

We cant really afford to lose one goat at this point, said Jennifer Sevigny, wildlife program manager with the Stillaguamish Tribe.

Soon, federal officials will undertake another hefty, high-stakes relocation effort to the North Cascades this time with grizzly bears.

Part of their culture

Over 10,000 goats lived in Washington as recently as 1961, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Now, an estimated 2,400 to 3,200 remain.

Historically, mountain goats were an important food, cultural and spiritual resource for tribes.

Specific families captured the goats to bring them back to the tribes, said Aaron Jones, interim natural and cultural resources director with the Tulalip Tribes.

Mountain goat wool is especially warm, allowing tribal members to make blankets and vests.

But in 1855, ancestors of the Tulalip and Stillaguamish tribes were among those to sign the Treaty of Point Elliott, ceding millions of acres of ancestral lands in exchange for a small amount of money and U.S. government protection.

We were displaced from the areas we were managing as families and tribes, Jones said.

It has been decades since the Stillaguamish Tribe has hunted goats, said Jennifer Sevigny. The Tulalip Tribes harvested one goat three years ago, though Mike Sevigny with the Tulalip Tribes estimates that was the only goat the tribes harvested in over a decade.

Thats part of their culture that theyre not able to exercise, said Amanda Summers, a wildlife biologist for the Stillaguamish Tribe.

Washington residents who receive a special permit on a lottery basis are able to hunt mountain goats in specific areas. Not all state mountain goat populations are declining, said William Moore, ungulate specialist (primarily focusing on hoofed mammals) with Washington Fish and Wildlife.

The population near Mount St. Helens has soared over the past decade. In 2014, biologists counted 65 goats and now estimate some 400 goats live there.

Before 2018, mountain goats thrived on the Olympic Peninsula, too.

A female kid mountain goat stands in a crate before being transferred to Stillaguamish Peak from the Mountain Loop Highway bridge over the South Fork Sauk River on Sept. 12, 2018 near Granite Falls. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Some species translocate very well

Researchers believe hunters initially introduced a handful of mountain goats to the Olympic mountains in the 1920s, before Olympic National Park was established.

The population on the peninsula skyrocketed about a century later to almost 700 goats.

Biologists also noticed the goats harmed local vegetation, as the animals ate and stomped on native plants. And in 2010, a mountain goat killed a national park visitor, raising safety concerns among Park Service staff.

State agencies decided to launch the mountain goat translocation effort in 2018 to eradicate the non-native species from the Olympics.

Agency staff used tranquilizer darts and net guns to capture 325 goats over the course of three years.

Then the animals were placed in crates and transported by truck and helicopter to Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and Okanogan-Wenatchee national forests.

It was an enormous project to undertake, said Moore, who assisted with the final year of translocation.

Between 2020 and 2021, volunteers and agency staff killed 152 mountain goats in the Olympics, a removal method outlined in the Park Services goat management plan.

Biologists expected lower survival rates among translocated goats, compared to resident goats, according to a 2023 article in The Wildlife Society. The goats were moved to a completely new area. They had to learn where to forage and avoid predators. Moore, of state Fish and Wildlife, said some of the translocated goats reproduced. Even so, the goats did not survive as well as biologists had hoped.

Some species translocate very well, Moore said, referencing bighorn sheep and elk specifically. I think mountain goats are different than other ungulates.

A complete ecosystem

Biologists have historically used relocation to recover threatened species grizzly bears among them.

Last week, the Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife finalized their decision to relocate grizzly bears to the North Cascades in an effort to recover the animals population there.

In the 1800s, an estimated 50,000 grizzlies roamed throughout western North America. Now biologists consider the grizzly bear extinct in the North Cascades.

Federal agency staff will release three to seven bears every year, until there is a population of 25 grizzlies. The agencies expect to release 11 more bears after that, with the hope the population could reach 200 in a century.

Between 1990 and 2018, wildlife officials also captured 26 grizzly bears from British Columbia and released them in the Cabinet Mountains of northwestern Montana. An estimated 15 grizzly bears lived in the Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem before relocation efforts started. Now, there are 60 to 65 bears.

Biologists arent concerned about relocated grizzlies further jeopardizing mountain goat populations in the North Cascades. And, biologists with the Tulalip Tribes are interested to see if recreation decreases once grizzlies are moved to Washington. Fewer hikers in mountain goat habitat could help.

We want a complete ecosystem, Mike Sevigny said. Part of that had grizzlies in them.

Some translocated mountain goat deaths were linked to capture- and transport-related stress, according to the Wildlife Society report. More frequent droughts and warm spring weather also likely contributed to native and non-native mountain goat declines, report authors said.

Wildlife biologists with the Tulalip and Stillaguamish tribes suspect recreation also has a significant effect on mountain goat numbers. This is a correlation they hope to explore more in future monitoring.

Mountain goats near popular trails, like the Enchantments southwest of Leavenworth, frequently encounter people.

But not all goats are habituated to people, said Dylan Collins, assistant wildlife biologist with the Tulalip Tribes.

Over the next two years, wildlife biologists with local tribes plan to draft specific actions that may help native mountain goat populations recover.

Collaboration among state agencies and local tribes can help, Jennifer Sevigny said.

Its unfortunate that were in this situation, she said. We all have to get together to figure out the best approach.

TaLeah Van Sistine: 425-339-3460; taleah.vansistine@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @TaLeahRoseV.

A female kid mountain goat stands in a crate before being transferred to Stillaguamish Peak from the Mountain Loop Highway bridge over the South Fork Sauk River on Sept. 12, 2018 near Granite Falls. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

A helicopter picks up a pair of mountain goats from the Mountain Loop Highway bridge over the South Fork Sauk River on Sept. 12, 2018 near Granite Falls. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

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Almost all mountain goats died after airlift from Olympics to Cascades | HeraldNet.com - The Daily Herald

Benjamin Cremaschi? Paxten Aaronson? USMNT told 2024 Olympics will show who is a gamer as Stuart Holden calls … – Goal.com

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The USMNT has been told that the 2024 Olympics will show who is a gamer, with the likes of Benjamin Cremaschi and Paxten Aaronson aiming to impress.

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Benjamin Cremaschi? Paxten Aaronson? USMNT told 2024 Olympics will show who is a gamer as Stuart Holden calls ... - Goal.com

Alex Morgan out injured for San Diego with Olympics looming – ESPN

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Apr 25, 2024, 05:35 PM ET

San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan will miss Saturday's National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) match against Bay FC due to an ankle injury, Wave head coach Casey Stoney confirmed on Thursday.

"She's got an ankle injury and she's out for this weekend, and then it'll be week by week from there," Stoney said.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, NWSL more (U.S.)

Morgan was injured in the final minutes of the Wave's 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride last Friday. She challenged for a loose ball in a goal-mouth scramble and fell awkwardly into the goal before rolling around and grabbing her left ankle. She eventually stood up and limped off the field gingerly.

The injury occurred less than 100 days before the 2024 Olympics. Morgan, who turns 35 prior to the Olympics, is seeking to compete in her fourth Games for the United States women's national team this summer.

Morgan was initially left off the USWNT's Concacaf W Gold Cup roster earlier this year but joined the team as an injury replacement ahead of the tournament.

Since then, she re-emerged as the USWNT's preferred center forward -- the role she has mostly held for over a decade -- starting in each of the last five games as the USWNT won the Gold Cup and the recent SheBelieves Cup. Morgan has scored 123 career goals for the USWNT.

The USWNT next gathers in late May ahead of a pair of June friendly matches against South Korea, which will be the first games in charge for new USWNT head coach Emma Hayes.

Morgan had featured in all four San Diego Wave regular season matches to date this season, tallying one assist. Her lone club tally of 2024 came in the NWSL Challenge Cup on March 15, which the Wave won 1-0 behind that 88th-minute goal.

Morgan has been integral to the Wave since the team launched as an expansion side in 2022. That season was her most productive ever at the club level, with 15 goals and two assists in 17 games. Last year, she tallied seven goals and five assists to help the Wave win the NWSL Shield as the best team in the regular season.

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Alex Morgan out injured for San Diego with Olympics looming - ESPN

Anti-Israel protesters demand country be treated like Russia during Summer Olympics in Paris – Washington Examiner

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Anti-Israel protests are demanding that Israel be treated like Russia at this summers Paris Olympics and that Israeli athletes compete under a neutral flag.

Russian and Belorussian athletes have been barred from competing under their national flags at the 2024 Summer Olympics as punishment for Russias 2022 invasion, which was aided by Belarus, of Ukraine. Officials from both of those countries have also been banned from the Paris Olympics.

Protesters assembled outside the headquarters of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, demanding Israel receive the same punishment, citing its war in Gaza with Hamas terrorists.

The war in Gaza began after Hamas terrorists committed multiple attacks against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing roughly 1,200 people and taking hundreds hostage. Several hostages remain with Hamas, even as the war approaches its eighth month.

Officials have resisted calls to punish Israel, with French President Emmanuel Macron telling the Associated Press earlier this month that, unlike the war in Ukraine, in which Russia attacked Ukraine, Israel did not start the war in Gaza.

We cannot say that Israel is attacking, Macron said. Israel was a victim of a terrorist attack which it is now responding to in Gaza.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said in March that there is no question about Israeli teams and athletes being allowed to compete at the Paris Olympics.

Separate Israeli and Palestinian teams are expected to compete at the Paris Olympics, which begin in July. Israel has competed at the Olympics since 1952, while a Palestinian team has competed since the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Conflicts between Israel and Palestinians have spilled into the Olympics in previous editions, infamously during the 1972 Olympics in Munich, West Germany. At those Olympics, Palestinian terrorists snuck into the Olympic village and held 11 Israeli athletes and coaches hostage. The incident, known as the Munich Massacre, resulted in the deaths of all 11 Israelis, along with a West German police officer, after a bid to rescue the hostages failed.

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The massacre had rarely been acknowledged at subsequent Summer Olympics, but during the opening ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics in July 2021, a moment of silence was held.

Israeli athletes have also faced several instances in which athletes from countries that do not recognize Israel as a country have refused to compete against them.

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Anti-Israel protesters demand country be treated like Russia during Summer Olympics in Paris - Washington Examiner

Eliud Kipchoge and Peres Jepchirchir named in Kenya’s final Paris 2024 Olympics marathon squad – Olympics

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Olympic gold medallists Eliud Kipchoge and Peres Jepchirchir will lead Kenyas marathon team to the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Athletics Kenya and the National Olympics Committee of Kenya named the final squad of six on Wednesday (May 1).

Two-time defending Olympic marathon champion Kipchoge headlines the mens list, following the death of world record holder Kelvin Kiptum. The two men were expected to challenge for the gold medal in the Olympic race scheduled for 10 August.

Kiptum died in a road accident aged 24 in February, five months after lowering the world record to 2:00:35 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

Former world record holder Kipchoge is joined by Benson Kipruto and the newly crowned London Marathon champion Alexander Munyao.

Timothy Kiplagat has been listed as a reserve.

Kipchoge, who will be targeting an unprecedented third consecutive title in Paris, headlines the team as the fastest marathoner alive. Kipruto, who was second behind the late Kiptum in Chicago, is the fifth fastest of all-time.

"I always say the Olympic dream is a special dream," said the Kipchoge.

He then added: "The Olympic Games is what we all dream of as little kids starting out with our sport and is what motivates us the most today. I am beyond proud to be selected for the Kenyan team for the 5th time in my life. After winning the marathon gold medal in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, my focus will now be on Paris!"

Munyao was included in the team following his victory at the Prague Marathon last year before rounding off his season with a second place in Valencia. Last month he beat Olympic campion Kenenisa Bekele in London, his first win in a World Marathon Major.

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Eliud Kipchoge and Peres Jepchirchir named in Kenya's final Paris 2024 Olympics marathon squad - Olympics

Statement on the antigen composition of COVID-19 vaccines – World Health Organization (WHO)

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Key points

The WHO Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC) meets regularly to assess the impact of SARS-CoV-2 evolution on the performance of approved COVID-19 vaccines. This includes meeting in person approximately every six months to determine the implications of SARS-CoV-2 evolution on COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition and to advise WHO on whether changes are needed to the antigen composition of future COVID-19 vaccines. The twice-yearly evidence review by the TAG-CO-VAC is based on the need for continued monitoring of the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and the kinetics and protection of vaccine-derived immunity.

In May 2023, the TAG-CO-VAC recommended the use of a monovalent XBB.1 descendent lineage, such as XBB.1.5, as the vaccine antigen. In December 2023, the TAG-CO-VAC advised retaining the use of a monovalent XBB.1 descendent lineage, such as XBB.1.5, as the vaccine antigen. Several manufacturers (using mRNA, protein-based and viral vector vaccine platforms) have developed COVID-19 vaccines with a monovalent XBB.1.5 formulation which have been approved for use by regulatory authorities and introduced into COVID-19 vaccination programmes in some countries. Previous statements from the TAG-CO-VAC can be found on the WHO website.

The TAG-CO-VAC reconvened on 15-16 April 2024 to review the genetic and antigenic evolution of SARS-CoV-2; immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or COVID-19 vaccination; the performance of currently approved vaccines against circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants; and the implications for COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition.

The published and unpublished evidence reviewed by the TAG-CO-VAC included: (1) SARS-CoV-2 genetic evolution with support from the WHO Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE); (2) Antigenic characterization of previous and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants using virus neutralization tests with animal antisera or human sera and further analysis of antigenic relationships using antigenic cartography; (3) Immunogenicity data on the breadth of neutralizing antibody responses elicited by currently approved vaccine antigens against circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants using animal and human sera, including modelling data; (4) Vaccine effectiveness estimates (VE) of currently approved vaccines during periods of circulation of XBB.1 and JN.1 lineages; (5) Preliminary immunogenicity data on immune responses following infection with circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants; and (6) Preliminary preclinical and clinical immunogenicity data on the performance of candidate vaccines with updated antigens shared confidentially by vaccine manufacturers with TAG-CO-VAC. Further details on the publicly available data reviewed by the TAG-CO-VAC can be found in the accompanying data annex. Unpublished and/or confidential data reviewed by the TAG-CO-VAC are not shown.

The TAG-CO-VAC acknowledges several limitations of the available data:

As of April 2024, nearly all circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants reported in publicly available databases are JN.1 derived variants. As virus evolution is expected to continue from JN.1, future formulations of COVID-19 vaccines should aim to induce enhanced neutralizing antibody responses to JN.1 and its descendent lineages. One approach recommended by TAG-CO-VAC is the use of a monovalent JN.1 lineage (GenBank: OY817255.1, GISAID: EPI_ISL_18538117, WHO Biohub: 2024-WHO-LS-001) antigen in vaccines.

The continued use of the current monovalent XBB.1.5 formulation will offer protection given the neutralizing antibody responses to early JN.1 descendent lineages, and the evidence from early rVE studies against JN.1. However, it is expected that the ability for XBB.1.5 vaccination to protect against symptomatic disease may be less robust as SARS-CoV-2 evolution continues from JN.1. Other formulations and/or platforms that achieve robust neutralizing antibody responses against currently circulating variants, particularly JN.1 descendent lineages, can also be considered.

In accordance with WHO SAGE policy, vaccination programmes should continue to use any of the WHO emergency-use listed or prequalified COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination should not be delayed in anticipation of access to vaccines with an updated composition. WHO stresses the importance of access to and equity in the use of all available COVID-19 vaccines.

Given the limitations of the evidence upon which the recommendations above are derived and the anticipated continued evolution of the virus, the TAG-CO-VAC strongly encourages generation of data on immune responses and clinical endpoints (i.e. VE) on the performance of all currently approved COVID-19 vaccines against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, and candidate vaccines with an updated antigen over time.

As previously stated, the TAG-CO-VAC continues to encourage the further development of vaccines that may improve protection against infection and reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

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Statement on the antigen composition of COVID-19 vaccines - World Health Organization (WHO)

Use of an Additional Updated 20232024 COVID-19 Vaccine Dose for Adults Aged 65 Years: Recommendations of … – CDC

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Summary

What is already known about this topic?

In September 2023, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended updated (20232024 Formula) COVID-19 vaccination for all persons aged 6 months.

What is added by this report?

On February 28, 2024, ACIP recommended that all persons aged 65 years receive 1 additional dose of any updated (20232024 Formula) COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech).

What are the implications for public health practice?

Adults aged 65 years should receive an additional dose of the updated (20232024 Formula) COVID-19 vaccine to enhance their immunity and decrease the risk for severe COVID-19associated illness.

COVID-19 remains an important public health threat, despite overall decreases in COVID-19related severe disease since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19associated hospitalization rates remain higher among adults aged 65 years relative to rates in younger adults, adolescents, and children; during October 2023January 2024, 67% of all COVID-19associated hospitalizations were among persons aged 65 years. On September 12, 2023, CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended updated (20232024 Formula) COVID-19 vaccination with a monovalent XBB.1.5-derived vaccine for all persons aged 6 months to protect against severe COVID-19associated illness and death. Because SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate throughout the year, and because of the increased risk for COVID-19related severe illness in persons aged 65 years, the protection afforded by updated vaccines against JN.1 and other currently circulating variants, and the expected waning of vaccine-conferred protection against disease, on February 28, 2024, ACIP recommended all persons aged 65 years receive 1 additional dose of the updated (20232024 Formula) COVID-19 vaccine. Implementation of these recommendations is expected to enhance immunity that might have waned and decrease the risk for severe COVID-19associated outcomes, including death, among persons aged 65 years.

Since June 2020, CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has convened 39 public meetings to review data and consider recommendations related to the use of COVID-19 vaccines (1). On September 12, 2023, ACIP recommended that all persons aged 6 months receive updated (20232024 Formula) monovalent, XBB.1.5 component (updated) COVID-19 vaccination to protect against severe COVID-19associated illness and death (2).

As of February 3, 2024, approximately 6.7 million COVID-19associated hospitalizations and 1.1 million COVID-19associated deaths had occurred in the United States (3). Although the overall risk for COVID-19associated hospitalization and death has decreased, severe illness related to COVID-19 continues to be a public health problem, especially among older adults. COVID-19associated hospitalization rates remain higher among adults aged 65 years relative to rates among younger adults, adolescents, and children. During October 2023January 2024, 67% of all COVID-19associated hospitalizations were among persons aged 65 years (4). Further, COVID-19 death rates during January 1, 2023January 31, 2024, were highest among adults aged 75 years, followed by adults aged 6574 years (5,6). Whereas approximately 98%99% of the U.S. population has measurable antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2 from infection, vaccination, or both (hybrid immunity), adults aged 65 years are less likely to have immunity resulting from infection (including immunity from infection only or hybrid immunity), compared with adults aged 3049 years and 5064 years (7). In addition, immunosenescence, the age-related decline in the functioning of the immune system, results in a less complete immune response to novel antigens and a reduced ability to develop robust immunity after infections or vaccination (8). The pool of naive T-cells diminishes with age, and this insufficient naive T-cell pool affects the ability to generate neutralizing antibody responses and cytotoxic T-cells in response to SARS-CoV-2 (9).

Thus, adults aged 65 years are more likely than are younger adults, adolescents, and children to rely upon vaccination to increase immunity that might have waned and might need more frequent vaccine doses to maintain protection. Coverage with the updated COVID-19 vaccine among adults aged 65 years was 42% as of February 3, 2024 (10,11). Adults in this age group are more concerned about COVID-19 disease and had higher confidence in COVID-19 vaccine safety and vaccine importance than did younger adults (5). A nationally representative survey conducted during November 2023January 2024 indicated that 68.4% of adults aged 65 years who had received an updated COVID-19 vaccine dose definitely would get another updated vaccine if it were recommended, 27.2% probably would or are unsure if they would get another updated vaccine, and 4.4% said they probably or definitely would not. COVID-19 vaccines are currently on the commercial market, but access-related barriers and disparities in vaccine coverage remain (5); in the absence of any recommendations for an additional dose, access to vaccine would be limited among persons unable to pay out of pocket for the vaccine.*

On February 28, 2024, ACIP voted to recommend that all persons aged 65 years receive 1 additional dose of any updated COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech). This recommendation was based on continuing SARS-CoV-2 circulation throughout the year, increased risk for severe illness attributable to COVID-19 in adults aged 65 years, protection provided by the updated vaccines against JN.1 and other currently circulating variants, the expected waning of SARS-CoV-2 immunity, and additional implementation considerations, including facilitating clear communication and equitable access to vaccine (5).

In 2018, ACIP adopted the Evidence to Recommendations framework to guide the development of vaccine recommendations. Since November 2023, the ACIP COVID-19 work group met seven times to discuss the current policy question, i.e., whether adults aged 65 years should receive an additional dose of updated COVID-19 vaccine. Work group membership included ACIP voting members, representatives of ACIP ex officio and liaison organizations, and scientific consultants with expertise in public health, immunology, medical specialties, and immunization safety and effectiveness. Work group discussion topics included COVID-19 disease surveillance and epidemiology; COVID-19 vaccination coverage; and the safety, effectiveness, feasibility of implementation, and cost effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. This report summarizes the ACIP recommendation for an additional dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine for persons aged 65 years and the rationale, including evidence reviewed by the work group and presented to ACIP (https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/recs/grade/covid-19-additional-dose-adults-etr.html).

No clinical trial immunogenicity data on an additional dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccines exist; however, the initial dose elicits a robust neutralizing antibody response and provides protection against JN.1 and other circulating variants (12,13). Early vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates demonstrate that updated COVID-19 vaccination provided increased protection against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19associated emergency department and urgent care visits and hospitalization, compared with receipt of no updated vaccine dose (12,14). Although these early VE estimates show no substantial waning, based on data on effectiveness of original and bivalent COVID-19 vaccines, waning of vaccine-conferred immunity is expected. Effectiveness of an additional dose in older adults has been demonstrated for previously recommended additional original COVID-19 vaccine doses (15). Among adults aged 50 years who were eligible to receive a second original monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine booster dose, VE against COVID-19associated emergency department and urgent care encounters during the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2/BA.2.12.1 period 120 days after the third dose was 32% but increased to 66% 7 days after the fourth dose. VE against COVID-19associated hospitalization 120 days after the third dose was 55% but increased to 80% 7 days after the fourth dose (15). In addition, in a large cohort of nursing home residents during circulation of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants, receipt of a second original monovalent mRNA COVID-19 booster dose 60 days earlier was 74% effective against severe COVID-19related outcomes (including hospitalization or death) and 90% effective against death, compared with receipt of a single booster dose (16).

COVID-19 vaccines have a favorable safety profile as demonstrated by robust safety surveillance during 3 years of COVID-19 vaccine use (17). Anaphylactic reactions have rarely been reported after receipt of COVID-19 vaccines (18). A rare risk for myocarditis and pericarditis exists, predominately in males aged 1239 years (19). No new safety concerns have been identified for the updated COVID-19 vaccine (5). Among adults aged 65 years, overall reactogenicity after COVID-19 vaccination is less frequent and less severe than among adolescents and younger adults (20). A statistical signal for ischemic stroke after Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine was detected in the CDC Vaccine Safety Datalink among persons aged 65 years, and information about this detection has been presented at previous ACIP meetings. Ongoing efforts to evaluate the signal have not identified any clear and consistent evidence of a safety concern for ischemic stroke with bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines either when given alone or when given simultaneously with influenza vaccines (21). A recent VE study indicated that the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine was 47% effective in preventing COVID-19 related thromboembolic events (ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and deep vein thrombosis) among persons aged 65 years (22).

ACIP considered whether an additional dose of updated COVID-19 vaccine in persons aged 65 years is a reasonable and efficient allocation of resources. The societal incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine in persons aged 65 years was $255,122 per quality-adjusted life year saved for the base case estimate. ICER values were sensitive to probability of hospitalizations, costs, and seasonality assumptions. Estimates of ICER values that approximate cost effectiveness for those with higher risk for COVID-19associated hospitalization, such as persons with underlying conditions or those aged 75 years, were more favorable (23).

On February 28, 2024, ACIP recommended that all persons aged 65 years receive 1 additional dose of any updated COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer-BioNTech). This additional dose should be administered 4 months after the previous dose of updated COVID-19 vaccine. For initial vaccination with Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, the 2-dose series should be completed before administration of the additional dose. Because Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is currently authorized under Emergency Use Authorization, the recommendation for the updated Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is an interim recommendation.

Persons aged 65 years who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, have completed an initial series, and have received 1 updated COVID-19 vaccine dose should receive 1 additional updated COVID-19 vaccine dose 2 months after the last dose of updated vaccine. Further additional doses may be administered, guided by the clinical judgment of a health care provider and personal preference and circumstances. Any further additional doses should be administered 2 months after the last COVID-19 vaccine dose. Additional clinical considerations, including detailed schedules and tables by age for all age groups and vaccination history for those who are or are not moderately or severely immunocompromised, are available at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html.

Adverse events after vaccination should be reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). For licensed COVID-19 vaccines administered to persons aged 12 years, reporting is encouraged for any clinically significant adverse event even when whether the vaccine caused the event is uncertain, as well as for vaccination errors. For COVID-19 vaccines given under Emergency Use Authorization, vaccination providers are required to report certain adverse events to VAERS. Additional information is available at https://vaers.hhs.gov or by telephone at 1-800-822-7967.

Karen Broder, Mary Chamberland, Demetre Daskalakis, Susan Goldstein, Aron Hall, Elisha Hall, Fiona Havers, Andrew Leidner, Pedro Moro, Sara Oliver, Ismael Ortega-Sanchez, Kadam Patel, Manisha Patel, Amanda Payne, Huong Pham, Jamison Pike, Lauren Roper, Sierra Scarbrough, Tom Shimabukuro, Benjamin Silk, John Su, Evelyn Twentyman, Eric Weintraub, David Wentworth, Melinda Wharton, Michael Whitaker, JoEllen Wolicki, Fangjun Zhou, CDC. Voting members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (in addition to listed authors): Wilbur Chen, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Sybil Cineas, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University; Camille Kotton, Harvard Medical School; James Loehr, Cayuga Family Medicine; Sarah Long, Drexel University College of Medicine. Members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices COVID-19 Vaccines Work Group: Beth P. Bell, University of Washington; Edward Belongia, Center for Clinical Epidemiology & Population Health, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute; Henry Bernstein, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Cohen Childrens Medical Center; Uzo Chukwuma, Indian Health Service; Paul Cieslak, Christine Hahn, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists; Richard Dang, American Pharmacists Association; Jeffrey Duchin, Infectious Diseases Society of America; Kathy Edwards, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Sandra Fryhofer, American Medical Association; Jason M. Goldman, American College of Physicians; Robert Hopkins, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Michael Ison, Chris Roberts, National Institutes of Health; Lisa A. Jackson, Jennifer C. Nelson, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute; Denise Jamieson, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Jeffery Kelman, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Kathy Kinlaw, Center for Ethics, Emory University; Alan Lam, U.S. Department of Defense; Grace M. Lee, Stanford University School of Medicine; Lucia Lee, Anuga Rastogi, Adam Spanier, Rachel Zhang, Food and Drug Administration; Valerie Marshall, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dayna Bowen Matthew, George Washington University Law School; Preeti Mehrotra, Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America; Kathleen Neuzil, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Sean OLeary, American Academy of Pediatrics; Christine Oshansky, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority; Stanley Perlman, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa; Marcus Plescia, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials; Rob Schechter, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases; Kenneth Schmader, American Geriatrics Society; Peter Szilagyi, University of California, Los Angeles; H. Keipp Talbot, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; Jonathan Temte, American Academy of Family Physicians; Matthew Tunis, National Advisory Committee on Immunization Secretariat, Public Health Agency of Canada; Matt Zahn, National Association of County and City Health Officials; Nicola P. Klein, Kaiser Permanente Northern California; Cara B. Janusz, Lisa Prosser, Angela Rose, University of Michigan.

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Use of an Additional Updated 20232024 COVID-19 Vaccine Dose for Adults Aged 65 Years: Recommendations of ... - CDC

Hospitals no longer have to report COVID-19 hospitalization data, CDC says – 2 News Oklahoma KJRH Tulsa

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has lifted the requirement for hospitals to report COVID-19 hospitalization data to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Effective May 1, the CDC says reporting by hospitals of COVID-19 hospital admissions, hospital capacity or hospital occupancy data is no longer a mandate.

The CDC does however still strongly recommend voluntary reporting of the data.

Any data voluntarily reported after the May 1 date will become available on May 10.

This comes as COVID hospitalizations hit a record low.

Weekly COVID hospitalizations dropped to an all-time low of 5,615 hospitalizations for the week of April 20, according to the CDC.

Comparatively, hospitalizations for coronavirus peaked during the week of Jan. 15, 2022, with 150,650 hospitalizations, CDC data shows. This came amid a surge of infections from the omicron variant.

Federal officials have been collecting COVID-19 data from hospitals since the pandemic began in March 2020.

Science and Tech

5:31 PM, Mar 15, 2024

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Hospitals no longer have to report COVID-19 hospitalization data, CDC says - 2 News Oklahoma KJRH Tulsa

COVID-19 hospitalizations hit record low, the CDC says – KAKE

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The news comes as the requirements for hospitals to report respiratory illness data, like COVID hospital admissions, expire at the end of April. Federal officials plan to use other data sources such as wastewater, laboratory tests and emergency department data to stay informed about the spread of illnesses.

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COVID-19 hospitalizations hit record low, the CDC says - KAKE

Covid-19 | Families grappling with vaccine-related fatalities deserve answers and support – Deccan Herald

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The implications of such speculation are profound. If indeed these incidents are vaccine-related, who then bears the enduring burden of responsibility? Moreover, how can we trust the reliability and objectivity of those tasked with investigating these interconnections? These questions strike at the very core of the urgent need for thorough and transparent research, as well as accountability from all stakeholders involved in the development, distribution, and monitoring of vaccines.

The approval of Covishield for emergency use in early 2021, coupled with the waiver of traditional vaccine trial protocols by drug regulators, has the potential to profoundly affect public confidence in the vaccine. Or for that matter, any vaccine or medicine in the future. Such expedited measures, while aimed at swiftly delivering vital vaccines to the populace during the pandemic, raise citizenry concerns regarding consumer recourse in the event of adverse effects.

During a pandemic, the prevailing sentiment of overwhelming gratitude towards vaccines probably inadvertently overshadowed the need to conduct a fair and comprehensive assessment of potential side effects. It is all too convenient for some to attribute medical conditions solely to familial medical history and genetic predispositions, while disregarding the potential impact of vaccinations.

Any scepticism regarding vaccine safety has been met with resistance or even disdain.While vaccines undoubtedly play a crucial role in mitigating the spread of infectious diseases, including Covid-19, it is essential to maintain a balanced perspective.Acknowledging and thoroughly investigating potential side effects is not an indictment of vaccines themselves but rather a fundamental aspect of ensuring public health and safety. But where does one even start with this fundamental task?

While governments acted out of necessity to address the urgent health crisis, the focus on vaccine deployment must not overshadow the plight of individuals suffering from various side effects.While it may be theoretically untenable to hold governments solely accountable, questions arise regarding the accountability of vaccine manufacturers and distributors, entities with decades of clinical expertise and responsibility in ensuring product safety.

In medico-legal contexts, it is often tempting to dismiss adverse events as isolated incidents. However, in the case of vaccine design, where meticulous testing is paramount, the impact of Covid-19 vaccines on individuals' lives, including ongoing health challenges, cannot be disregarded. Families grappling with potential vaccine-related fatalities deserve answers and support, as do those contending with the enduring consequences of vaccine-related health issues.

In a humanitarian plea, one may ask: Is it too much to expect vaccine makers to acknowledge that testing may have been insufficient? After all, each vial of vaccine, while undoubtedly saving countless lives, may also carry the weight of families mourning lost loved ones or individuals grappling with vaccine-related health issues. But vaccines, as much as any healthcare, is a hard-nosed business. Such an expectation is a flawed contradiction to the principles of justice. At the altar of a legal framework, such expectations would need time and financial resources.

The prospect of pursuing a medico-legal case can feel daunting for families already burdened by the consequences of vaccine-related adverse events. The pharmaceutical industry, with its considerable resources and legal expertise, may seem formidable in comparison. Yet, it is essential to remember that every individual impacted by vaccine-related issues deserves to have their concerns heard and addressed with empathy and fairness. Do we have such fairness in the Indian society?

(Srinath Sridharan is a policy researcher and corporate adviser. X: @ssmumbai.)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.

Link:

Covid-19 | Families grappling with vaccine-related fatalities deserve answers and support - Deccan Herald