From the Trenches World Report

The BMJ – by Peter Doshi

As phase III trials of covid-19 vaccines reach their target enrolments, officials have been trying to project calm. The US coronavirus czar Anthony Fauci and the Food and Drug Administration leadership have offered public assurances that established procedures will be followed.1234 Only a “safe and effective” vaccine will be approved, they say, and nine vaccine manufacturers issued a rare joint statement pledging not to prematurely seek regulatory review.5

But what will it mean exactly when a vaccine is declared “effective”? To the public this seems fairly obvious. “The primary goal of a covid-19 vaccine is to keep people from getting very sick and dying,” a National Public Radio broadcast said bluntly.6  Continue reading “Will covid-19 vaccines save lives? Current trials aren’t designed to tell us”

RT

A high-ranking Houthi leader has accused the US of participating in the killing of Yemeni civilians to ensure the longevity of its defense industry, adding that Washington is the “source” of violence in the country.

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the cousin of the leader of the Houthi movement and the chairman of Yemen’s Supreme Revolutionary Committee, issued a scathing condemnation of US support for the Saudi-led invasion of Yemen of five and a half years ago.  Continue reading “US is slaughtering Yemeni civilians to ‘keep weapons factories running,’ senior Houthi leader claims”

NPR

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the a COVID-19 vaccine could be ready and available in the state as soon as this weekend.

During a Wednesday COVID-19 briefing, the governor explained that it will be an uphill battle to dispel existing skepticism of the vaccine. Continue reading “Cuomo: Uphill battle to convince skeptics to take COVID-19 vaccine”

Toronto Star – by Jenna Moon

While the COVID-19 vaccine will alleviate much of the need for physical distancing and masking long-term, it won’t immediately end public health measures, epidemiologists say.

Herd immunity, which refers to a large proportion of the community being immune to contracting the virus via vaccination, has to hit about 70 per cent in order for COVID-19 to be manageable, said Dr. Robyn Lee, an infectious disease expert and adjunct professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Continue reading “Yes, the mask stays on after you get vaccinated. Here’s why”

Unz Review – by Philip Giraldi

The story of the deceased pedophile and presumed Israeli spy Jeffrey Epstein continues to enthrall because so little of the truth regarding it has been revealed in spite of claims by the government that a thorough follow-up investigation has been initiated. The case is reportedly still open and it is to be presumed that Justice Department investigators have been able to examine certain aspects of what occurred more intensively. A major part of the investigation has been a review of actions taken by the four government prosecutors who were most directly involved with the negotiations with Epstein and his lawyers in 2007-8. The 22 month-long review, carried out by the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), finally produced a 350 page report which was released on November 12^th.
Continue reading “The Maxwells: Mossad’s First Family of Spies”

Mediaite

President Donald Trump went on a tweet-storm Thursday morning, assailing the election results, threatening a forthcoming “dangerous moment,” and blasting President-elect Joe Biden and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R).

The spree began with a simple tweet promoting “wisdom” and “courage” before the threats and lambasting began: Continue reading “‘This is Going to Escalate Dramatically’: Trump Threatens a ‘Dangerous Moment’ in Twitter Spree Assailing Election”

Yahoo News

One of the biggest voices in the fight to crush the COVID-19 pandemic is speaking out against vaccine nationalism.

“I am deeply concerned whenever I hear about vaccine nationalism. I think we have a moral responsibility to make sure everybody gets a vaccine,” Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation co-chair Melinda Gates told Yahoo Finance. “If there’s an estimate that says that if only high income countries get a vaccine first, we’re going to see twice as much death around the world. And we’re going to have a much, much slower recovery of all of our economies, not just the middle and low income, but even the high income countries.” Continue reading “Melinda Gates: We have a moral responsibility to make sure everybody gets COVID-19 vaccine”

Breitbart – by Bob Price

A Democrat State Representative filed a bill this week to modify the Texas Castle Doctrine law. The bill would require homeowners to be “unable to safely retreat” before using deadly force.

State Representative Terry Meza (D-Irving) filed House Bill 196 to significantly modify the Texas Castle Doctrine Law. “What my bill would do if passed, would require a homeowner to exhaust the potential of safely retreating into their habitation before using deadly force in defense of themselves or their property,” Meza tweeted. Continue reading “State Rep. Files Bill to Gut Texas’ Castle Doctrine”

PJ Media – by Tyler O’Neil

The antifa occupiers at the autonomous zone that sprung up in Portland this week appear to be preparing for a siege. As PJ Media’s Victoria Taft reported, antifa squatters took over a house in Portland and when the government rightly evicted them, they set up an autonomous zone.

On Wednesday, Portland’s police chief reported that antifa has fortified barricades, stockpiled weapons, set up armed guards, and threatened to kill police officers. Both the police chief and the mayor have urged the rebels to lay down their arms, but it appears they are refusing to do so.  Continue reading “Setting Up a Siege? Antifa Has Armed Guards, Stockpiled Weapons at Portland Autonomous Zone”

The Most Important News – by Michael Snyder

If nearly 40 percent of the entire nation anticipates spending the next 12 months in “survival mode”, that is not a good sign for what the coming year will bring.  Traditionally, Americans have looked forward to the turn of the year with tremendous optimism, but this time around things are very, very different.  2020 brought us the COVID pandemic, tremendous violence and civil unrest in our major cities, and the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s.  Sadly, a large chunk of the country is anticipating more difficulties in the coming months, because one recent survey found that 38 percent of all Americans plan to spend 2021 in “survival mode”… Continue reading “Bracing For A Very Painful Year: 38% Of Americans Say That They Will Spend 2021 In “Survival Mode””