October 25, 2021 Briefing
Politics:
“President Joe Biden said police officers and emergency workers who refuse COVID-19 vaccination should stay home or be fired, as he answered questions during a CNN town hall on Thursday evening.”
“Arguments are scheduled for Nov. 1. The court declined to halt the law in the interim.”
“‘Yes, we have a commitment to do that,” Biden told a CNN town hall event in Baltimore when pressed on the issue, amid escalating Chinese military provocations. ‘China, Russia, and the rest of the world know we have the most powerful military in history of the world.’”
“A record number of 1.7 million migrants have been arrested at the southern border for fiscal 2021, according to new Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data released Friday.”
US says it killed a senior Al Qaeda leader in drone strike, no signs of civilian casualties - Blaze Media
“A U.S. airstrike executed in Syria resulted in the death of senior al-Qaeda leader Abdul Hamid al-Matar, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command Spokesperson Army Maj. John Rigsbee.”
“Reports out of the country suggest a coordinated military offensive to black out the internet in Khartoum, arrest key political figures and raid broadcast companies. A Reuters witness described members of the military and the country’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces stationed in the streets throughout the capital.”
Business:
“Shares of former President Donald Trump’s Digital World Acquisition Corp., a blank-check firm that is taking his proposed social media platform public, spiked on Friday after a huge rally the day before.”
The Russian agency behind the SolarWinds hacking has launched another campaign to pierce thousands of U.S. computer networks, Microsoft said. - New York Times
“The new effort came only months after President Biden imposed sanctions on Moscow in response to a series of spy operations it had conducted around the world.”
“Earlier this year, an insistent cry arose from business leaders and Republican governors: Cut off a $300-a-week federal supplement for unemployed Americans. Many people, they argued, would then come off the sidelines and take the millions of jobs that employers were desperate to fill.”
Biden Could Use National Guard to Help With Supply Chain Bottlenecks - Wall Street Journal
“President Biden said he would consider deploying the National Guard to assist with supply-chain bottlenecks that have led to shortages and higher consumer costs, if his administration is unable to ease the problem.”
Culture:
“Hours before actor Alec Baldwin fatally shot a cinematographer on the New Mexico set of ‘Rust’ with a prop gun, a half-dozen camera crew workers walked off the set to protest working conditions.”
“The Astros are going to the World Series later this month, after besting the Boston Red Sox on Friday. This will mark the Astros' third appearance in the World Series in 5 years. They won the whole shebang in 2017 when they defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, but that win has since been mired in controversy.”
The Atlanta Braves toppled the 106-win Los Angeles Dodgers to win the National League pennant. They will face the Houston Astros in the World Series. - New York Times
“It is Atlanta's first trip to the World Series since 1999. The team seemingly played from behind all summer, riding a surprising group of acquisitions to a pennant.”
Failed escapes at Kabul airport led to living nightmares for these Afghans in hiding: The Last 96 - Fox News
“‘H’ tried escaping Afghanistan through the Kabul airport eight times, going from gate to gate seeking a way in, but found it impossible while traveling with women and his children. He sometimes spent the night there, faced stampeding crowds, went hours without food, water or bathroom access and, at one point, his son lost consciousness.”
Health:
F.D.A. regulators said the Pfizer vaccine’s benefits outweigh its risks for 5- to 11-year-olds. Emergency authorization could come as early as next week. - New York Times
“The F.D.A. analysis came on the same day that Pfizer posted data showing that the vaccine had a 90.7 percent efficacy rate in preventing symptomatic Covid-19 in a clinical trial of 5- to 11-year-olds.”
“An investigation by CNN shows Arana is not alone in her challenge to find monoclonal antibodies. Many patients who qualify for the drugs say their doctors never mentioned them, even though it has been nearly a year since antibodies were first authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration, they're the only treatment for early Covid, and studies have shown they can dramatically reduce the risk of hospitalization and death.”