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Main article: Pfizer tests delivery procedures in the US
Good morning – Warren Murray vaccinating you against news ignorance this morning.
Hopes are rising for a Covid coup to end the pandemic in the UK after a second company, Moderna, confirmed more than 90% effectiveness of its vaccine in trials. The United Kingdom has secured 40 million doses of the vaccine from Pfizer and has rushed to reserve 5 million from Moderna, but Britain is the one that depends the most on the inoculation being developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, of which has reserved 100 million doses. A source from the Department of Health and Social Care said the results of the Oxford vaccine trials were “imminent” and could be one of the first to be implemented.
Pfizer has launched a pilot program for the delivery of its experimental Covid-19 vaccine in four US states as it seeks to address the distribution issues posed by its ultra-cold storage requirements. It should be shipped and stored at -70 ° C, compared to 2-8 ° C for most other vaccines. The California governor has put the “emergency brake” on reopening efforts amid a surge in cases. South Korea is tightening its measures against the pandemic after health authorities reported more than 200 new infections for the fourth day in a row. Follow further developments on our live global blog.
‘It looks incredible’ – The first fully-manned SpaceX Dragon capsule has just docked with the international space station. The Crew Dragon nicknamed Resilience arrived after a 27-hour automated flight from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying Commander Mike Hopkins and his crew: Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and the Japanese Soichi Noguchi.
During docking preparations, the crew broadcast views of New Zealand and the Pacific 250 miles below. “It looks amazing,” Mission Control radioed from SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. “It looks amazing from here too,” Hopkins replied. After lengthy disembarkation procedures, the four astronauts exchanged hugs and laughed with those already on board. The quartet will remain on the ISS until replacements arrive in another Dragon capsule in April. It is the first complete mission to involve a privately owned “human-rated” spacecraft, and the first to transport four people into space.
Return ‘disaster’ – Politicians across the spectrum have reacted angrily after Boris Johnson dismissed the return of Scotland as “a disaster north of the border” and “Tony Blair’s biggest mistake.” Issue 10 later attempted to spin the comment, made during a Zoom call with around 60 Conservative MPs from the north, as a criticism of Blair’s failure to foresee the rise of separatists in Scotland. Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish Prime Minister, responded on Twitter saying: “These PM comments are worth flagging for the next time the Conservatives say they are not a threat to the powers of the Scottish Parliament or, what is more incredible, that they support the transfer of more powers. The only way to protect and empower @ScotParl is with independence. “Ian Murray, the shadow Labor Secretary of State for Scotland, insisted that” the return is one of the achievements that the United States is most proud of. Labor “.
‘Stunned’ – Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Senator Lindsey Graham asked if it was possible to invalidate legally cast votes after Donald Trump was narrowly defeated in the state. Raffensperger was “stunned” by the question from his fellow Republican, the Washington Post reported. Graham has said that he was only asking how signatures for absentee ballots are verified. President-elect Joe Biden warned that “more people could die” in the pandemic due to Trump’s refusal to cooperate in the transition to a new administration. In today’s long Guardian read, Gary Younge traces Trump’s desperate attempts to stop black and minority votes.
The flea killer poisons the rivers – The highly toxic insecticides fipronil and imidacloprid, used on cats and dogs to kill fleas, are poisoning rivers across England, a study revealed. The discovery is “extremely concerning” for aquatic insects and the fish and birds that depend on them, say scientists at the University of Sussex. Both substances have been banned on farms for some years, but there are 66 licensed veterinary products containing fipronil and 21 containing imidacloprid in the UK, many of which are sold over the counter. There are around 10 million dogs and 11 million cats in the UK and many pets are treated each month, necessary or not. Both are nerve agents that wash up into sewers and then into waterways where they break down into even more toxic substances. “There is no regulatory process for this particular risk and clearly there must be,” said study fellow Professor Dave Goulson.
Stopes rebranding – Marie Stopes International (MSI) family planning clinics around the world are changing their name to MSI Reproductive Choices due to their founder’s association with the eugenics movement. Among her writings, the author and women’s rights advocate of the early to mid-20th century called for new laws to sterilize the “hopelessly rotten and racially ill” and wrote fiercely against interracial marriage. Stopes opened Britain’s first clinic offering advice on birth control to married women in 1921, in the face of fierce opposition from the Catholic Church and the male-dominated medical establishment.
Today in Focus Podcast: What else does Trump need?
The outgoing US president continues to dispute the outcome of the US elections and, far from offering his concession, is claiming victory. Lawrence Douglas describes what Trump’s behavior means for the country.
What else does Trump need?
Lunchtime Reading: Hamilton from F1 to George Floyd
Lewis Hamilton has just been named Britain’s most influential black man, in a year in which he equaled the record for seven F1 world championships. He is believed by many to be the greatest driver of all time, and this year, more than ever, he has led the fight against racism.
Sport
Gareth Southgate wants to rethink the Premier League limit of three substitutions per side per game, as he fears players could be seriously injured in the hectic match schedule caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Lewis Hamilton has been named the most influential black person in Britain after a year in which he combined record-breaking achievements on the track with raising awareness of racial injustice. Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are poised to own Wrexham after fans overwhelmingly voted in favor of their takeover proposal.
Ireland took a major blow after Johnny Sexton was ruled out of Saturday’s game against England with a hamstring injury, but Billy Burns says there will be no divided loyalties if he gets the go-ahead in the air against the country that used to represent. Novak Djokovic’s quest for a sixth ATP Finals title to equal absent Roger Federer got off to a low-key start against Diego Schwartzman, his 6-3, 6-2 win in the 1970 Tokyo Group opener of all-against-all. It came with some applause from family and friends.
Deal
Asian stocks have risen after the Dow Jones hit a record high on the latest vaccine news. The pound is worth $ 1,321 and € 1,114, while the FTSE is trending 20-30 points down before the open.
The papers
the guardian sprinkles with “Fight for vaccines amid fears Britain will lose supplies.” The cover of our print edition also has “Concerns Raised by No. 10 Covid Measures” after an infectious mix led to Boris Johnson re-isolating himself. the I says “New hope for vaccines for the end of the pandemic” and the Meter has a Yosserish “Gizza jab mate”, saying Britain is “at the end of the queue” for the Moderna shot.
the Times says “The vaccination rescue plan gets a new boost”, while FOOTThe effort is similar: “The 94% efficacy of the Moderna vaccine in the trial raises the hope of the Covid battle.” the Telegraph has “Lockdown Looming Over Christmas” accompanied by a picture of Matt Hancock wagging his fingers on the Covid information podium.
the Mail leads with “You CAN hold Grandma’s hand at Christmas” – about home visiting arrangements while the Mirror reports “Hopeful families in a Christmas care home.” the Quick He has “Evicted!”, saying that a 78-year-old former nurse has to leave her nursing home due to an “unauthorized window visit” from her daughter.
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