The Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump has been dismissed by a judge, effectively ending the last remaining criminal prosecution against the former president. The dismissal followed the removal of the initial prosecutor due to a conflict of interest, with Peter Skandalakis taking over the case and citing the interests of justice and judicial finality as reasons for discontinuing the charges. This decision also applies to remaining co-defendants, including Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows. The dismissal concludes the last of four criminal cases against Trump, leaving only one conviction remaining.
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A federal judge ruled to dismiss the criminal charges against James Comey and Letitia James, determining that the interim U.S. attorney who secured their indictments, Lindsey Halligan, was unlawfully appointed. The judge found Halligan’s appointment violated federal law and the Constitution’s Appointments Clause, concluding her service as interim U.S. attorney was invalid since September 22nd. Comey and James’ attorneys had argued Halligan’s appointment was flawed, which the judge agreed with. The Justice Department is expected to appeal the decisions.
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The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recently updated its recommendations regarding the MMRV vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox). The updated guidance advises against using the MMRV vaccine for children under the age of 4 due to a minor risk of febrile seizures in that age group. This adjustment aims to mitigate potential side effects while maintaining the vaccine’s overall benefits in preventing these diseases.
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The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to change its recommendation for an early childhood vaccine, amidst a discussion that involved vaccine skepticism. The committee will now recommend two separate shots for children aged 12-15 months: one for MMR and another for varicella, instead of a single shot. This decision comes after a period of upheaval, including the firing of previous ACIP members and the appointment of individuals with known vaccine skepticism. Public trust in the changes is questionable, with some groups already expressing concerns, and the vote highlights the current uncertainty surrounding public health guidance.
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Next week, the FDA plans to present data suggesting a link between the COVID vaccine and 25 child deaths, according to a source. This data stems from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a database where anyone can submit reports of adverse events following vaccination, though reports are unverified. Critics, including vaccine policy experts, caution against drawing definitive conclusions from VAERS data, emphasizing the need for larger studies to establish causation. Concerns have been raised over the potential misuse of VAERS data to influence vaccine recommendations during the upcoming Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting.
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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the dismissal of all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), citing a need to restore public confidence in vaccine science. This action, criticized as potentially undermining vaccination efforts, follows Kennedy’s previous decisions to halt COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for certain groups and cancel pandemic vaccine research programs. While Kennedy claims the ACIP was plagued by conflicts of interest, no such issues have been publicly documented. The ACIP will still convene its scheduled meeting, though the long-term implications of this restructuring remain to be seen.
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John Q. Hosedrinker