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SpaceX just sent four civilians and soon you can buy the stuff they took into orbit

On Wednesday night, SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission launched the first-ever all-civilian crew into Earth’s orbit. With the help of companies including Sam Adams and Martin Guitars, the three-day trip to space aims to raise $200 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in what amounts to a charitable spin on the emerging market for <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22589197/space-travel-tourism-bezos-branson-rockets-blue-origin-virgin-galactic-spacex">very expensive joyrides to space</a>. The fact that the mission is filled with branding opportunities isn’t surprising, given that private space launches are already massive multichannel streaming and media events.
Jared Isaacman, the billionaire founder and CEO of the e-commerce company Ship4Payments, is funding the much-publicized trip. The crew also includes the mission’s pilot, Sian Proctor, a geology professor; Hayley Arceneaux, <a href="https://www.stjude.org/inspire/series/storied-lives/st-jude-cancer-survivor-hayley-arceneaux-hope-inspiration4-worlds-first-all-civilian-space-flight.html">a St. Jude physician assistant</a>; and <a href="https://www.space.com/chris-sembroski-inspiration4-spacex-mission">Chris Sembroski</a>, an engineer who <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/01/science/spacex-jared-isaacman.html">won his ticket in a raffle</a>. None of the passengers are professional astronauts, and they’ll be relying on SpaceX’s autonomous Crew Dragon capsule to ensure the mission goes smoothly.
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The Inspiration4 capsule took off a little after 8pm ET and was carried into space by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket before entering Earth’s orbit around 80 miles beyond the International Space Station (ISS). After about three days of zero gravity and magnificent views — not to mention activities such as a ukulele performance and <a href="https://www.thecut.com/2021/09/how-hayley-arceneaux-gets-it-done.html">a video call to a St. Jude patient</a> — the crew will return to Earth, and in late September, Netflix will release a feature-length finale of its five-part reality TV series about the mission. (The first four episodes of the show are already available to watch, and Netflix is livestreaming the launch on its YouTube page.)
The mission also involves a motley payload of gear and collectibles, including merchandise that will be put up for sale in a charity auction after the crew returns to Earth. Those items range from space-themed watches made by IWC to stuffed rocket-ship toys based on characters from the animated Netflix series Space Racers. There’s a <a href="https://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-biz-martin-guitar-ukelele-in-space-20210909-jatpwxfhebdvxofzsvyzmjylqe-story.html">$2,000 Martin Guitar ukulele</a> that Sembroski will play on board. And the Inspiration4’s official beer maker, Sam Adams, also arranged for 66 pounds of hops to go to space and will brew beer with them once the mission lands (the beer will be available for purchase later in the fall). Perhaps the weirdest of the items is a slew of <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22313936/non-fungible-tokens-crypto-explained">non-fungible tokens</a> stored on iPhones, including an NFT recording of a Kings of Leon song that’s set to become the first music NFT ever played in space. Bidding for these items starts on Thursday, and the auctions will end in November.
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<figcaption>The watchmaker IWC designed Inspiration4-themed watches that crew members will wear during their time in space.</figcaption>
<cite>Courtesy of Inspiration4</cite></figure>
While selling stuff that’s been to space isn’t new, it’s about to become a lot more common. NASA, a government agency subject to congressional oversight, has traditionally restricted the commercialization of space missions. But as the number of <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22589197/space-travel-tourism-bezos-branson-rockets-blue-origin-virgin-galactic-spacex">non-NASA space flights has grown</a>, so have opportunities for space-bound merchandise and product placement. Now, because commercial space companies don’t necessarily operate under NASA’s strict restrictions, there’s a race to seize new marketing opportunities in the cosmos: namely, sending products to space before selling them back on Earth.
NASA itself doesn’t typically sell stuff that’s been to space, but items from NASA missions have found their way to the market in the past. Meanwhile, astronauts are civil servants and are not legally allowed to personally profit from their positions until they retire from government work, limiting when they can sell any personal items they’re allowed to bring on their missions. Other valuable items that have been to space on NASA missions are typically offered to museums or, on rare occasions, sold off by the government.
Some of the most remarkable items that have made the trip to space and back before being sold to the public have come from astronauts from the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2014/05/14/tech/web/apollo-space-auction/index.html">Gemini, Apollo, and Mercury programs</a>, some of whom happened to save equipment from their missions. Regulations surrounding what astronauts could keep from these initial missions <a href="https://www.npr.org/2012/01/09/144923154/nasa-challenges-sale-of-apollo-13-artifact">amounted to verbal agreements</a> at the time, which has led to <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/7/16/20694802/apollo-11-memorabilia-auction-moon-landing-tapes-anniversary">some controversy</a> over who had the right to the artifacts. But in 2012, President Barack Obama signed a bill into law confirming that these astronauts indeed had ownership rights <a href="https://spacenews.com/obama-signs-astronaut-artifacts-bill-law/">over many of these mementos</a>. Now, these items sell for hefty sums: One bag from the Apollo 11 mission that was used by Neil Armstrong to carry samples of moon dust <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2017/space-exploration-n09759/lot.102.html">sold at Sotheby’s in 2017 for $1.8 million</a>.
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NASA also has strict rules against advertising or endorsing products, and it makes very little off of merchandise with branding or iconography. While the space agency’s various logos have appeared on everything from <a href="https://www.vans.com/shop/ProductDisplay?storeId=10165&urlLangId=-36&productId=3829618&urlRequestType=Base&categoryId=1346789&langId=-36&catalogId=11261">Vans shoes</a> to <a href="https://www.forever21.com/us/2000399934.html">Forever 21 tops</a>, the image is in the public domain, which means it’s free for anyone to use.
“People have seen what the historic flown items have sold for and understand that there’s a market for that material, and that those things are valuable and collectible,” said Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s global head of science and pop culture, who works with astronauts on memento auctions. “The reason why they were flown originally — there was no commercial purpose behind it. Their value really is historic.”
NASA has started to welcome some commercial deals in recent years. In 2019, the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/17/tech/estee-lauder-iss-nasa-advertisement-scn/index.html">space agency formally announced</a> that it would allow 90 hours of crew time annually for astronauts to pursue marketing activities commissioned by private companies. For instance, Estée Lauder last year <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-26/nasa-rocket-launch-to-iss-will-be-used-for-estee-lauder-el-ads">paid astronauts</a> to take pictures of a face serum in zero gravity on the ISS. The ISS National Lab has also <a href="https://www.gameplan-a.com/2020/08/how-to-create-for-sports-in-space-the-adidas-experience/">partnered with Adidas</a> to test its soccer ball on the station, though it’s unclear how useful it is to test a soccer ball in space.
All this means that product placement and promotional stunts in space have historically happened without the US space administration. They have, though, had help from Roscosmos, the Russian equivalent of NASA. Over the past several decades, Russia’s space agency has helped advertise <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1997/08/21/mir-boosts-israeli-milk/6399ff35-d1e8-4f95-973f-ea3566b94ea1/">milk</a>, <a href="https://www.space.com/37263-commercials-in-space.html">ramen</a>, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/04/pepsi-advertisement-space/587608/">Pepsi</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB6tVUiNTNk">even Pizza Hut personal pizzas</a>. And if Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is any indication of what’s to come — the movie <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20120712-where-is-hiltons-lunar-hotel">featured a Hilton hotel on the moon</a> — the trend of private companies using space as a marketing opportunity will only grow.
“This exploration of space is not just about exploring the scientific or technical frontiers,” explains Scott Pace, director of George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute. “It’s also exploring about, you know, where can the economy go? Where do we expand economic activities beyond the Earth?”
Three private space companies have already begun the process of launching very wealthy civilians into space: Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, and now Elon Musk’s SpaceX. All three companies have not only sold their own merchandise but have also cleared the way for space-themed branding and marketing opportunities.
Virgin Galactic, for example, partnered with Under Armour to sell branded <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/science/virgin-galactic-spacesuit.html">sportswear</a>, including the “<a href="https://about.underarmour.com/news/2021/07/virgin-galactic-spaceflight-capsule-collection">spacewear</a>” that Virgin Galactic customers wear on their flights and take home afterward. The space tourism company also collaborated with Land Rover to create an Astronaut Edition Range Rover that’s only available to people <a href="https://www.virgingalactic.com/articles/introducing-the-astronaut-edition-range-rover/">who have purchased tickets on a Virgin Galactic flight</a>. The SUV <a href="https://media.landrover.com/news/2019/05/range-rover-reaches-new-heights-astronaut-edition-built-celebrate-partnership-virgin?utm_medium=social&utm_source=YouTube.com&utm_campaign=L405_Virgin%20Galactic_Range%20Rover%20(L405)9&utm_content=CTA%20to%20DX_LR-GL1954">includes</a> a space plane-shaped puddle light, as well as cup holders made out of a piece of the landing skid from one of Virgin Galactic’s first flights.
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Blue Origin similarly used <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22583997/billionaires-blue-origin-elon-musk-jeff-bezos-rockets-planes-commercial-space-tourism">the launch of its first crewed mission</a>, which included Bezos himself, to debut the first electric vehicle from <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22649283/rivian-ipo-tesla-suv-pickup-electric-vehicles-ev">Rivian</a> (one of the automaker’s biggest investors is Amazon, where Bezos used to work).
A few of these kinds of marketing opportunities, however, happen more serendipitously. After Bezos threw Skittles across the space capsule on <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22583997/billionaires-blue-origin-elon-musk-jeff-bezos-rockets-planes-commercial-space-tourism">his Blue Origin flight</a> in July, for instance, Skittles quickly announced it would release a limited-time candy pack called “Zero-G Skittles.” The candymaker told Recode the move was not coordinated ahead of time.
Though the trend in space-based branding and marketing campaigns seems to showcase the worst qualities of American capitalism, some argue there’s a greater good in it all. Most people can’t afford a ticket to space, as prices for space tourism missions are still in <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22570789/richard-branson-elon-musk-jeff-bezos-spacex-blue-origin-virgin-galactic">the hundreds of thousands of dollars</a>. But merchandise and collectibles from these commercial missions mean private space firms can still sell consumers the feeling that they’re at least part of this moment in space history for a lot less money.
“By flying our brands, we get to fly along with them,” Robert Pearlman, <a href="http://www.collectspace.com/about.html">a space historian</a> who runs the space collectibles website collectSpace, told Recode. “We get to see a little bit more of ourselves in how spaceflight unfolds and say, ‘Yeah, I may not be able to afford a flight to space, but I eat Skittles.’”
Sponsored content from celebrities in space might not be far away, either. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/celebrities-reserve-tickets-to-fly-space-richard-branson-virgin-galactic-2021-7">Plenty of celebrities</a> have already reserved tickets on Virgin Galactic, and Virgin Galactic already has plans to bring <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/20/kellie-gerardi-prepares-for-first-spaceflight-with-virgin-galactic.html">a TikTok science influencer</a> on one of its upcoming flights. Meanwhile, the private spaceflight company Axiom Space, which has <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/02/axiom-space-expands-spacex-deal-for-private-crew-launches-to-iss-.html">contracted several flights from SpaceX</a>, is offering a space-themed “content innovation platform” to help companies do product demonstrations and create ads in space. More <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/05/tech/who-wants-to-be-an-astronaut-space-hero-reality-television-scn/index.html">space-based reality TV</a> is in the works, too, including competition shows that aim to send civilians into space. The Discovery Channel is developing one called Who Wants to Be an Astronaut, and earlier this year, NASA signed off on a show called Space Hero that will send a lucky contestant to the ISS.
While commercial space travel feels exciting right now, the novelty of billionaires and ordinary people traveling to space for fun might not last forever. But keenly aware of the historic nature of its flight, the Inspiration4 mission is trying to capitalize on the enthusiasm — for charity — that comes with such an event. We’ll see just how much people will be willing to pay for a piece of that history when the mission lands.
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source <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22675858/watch-space-inspiration4-launch-product-placement">https://www.vox.com/recode/22675858/watch-space-inspiration4-launch-product-placement</a>

vox SpaceX just sent four civilians and soon you can buy the stuff they took into orbit

On Wednesday night, SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission launched the first-ever all-civilian crew into Earth’s orbit. With the help of companies i...

Australia's Special Visas To Foreign Talent To Help With Pandemic Recovery

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Australia's Special Visas To Foreign Talent To Help With Pandemic Recovery" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-08/ja38ukpg_australia-covid-new-south-wales_625x300_30_August_21.jpg" title="Australia's Special Visas To Foreign Talent To Help With Pandemic Recovery" /></div>
Australia implemented a ban on non-citizens from entering the nation due to Covid.
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Hundreds of overseas workers could be welcomed to Australia in the next 10 months, under travel exemptions for holders of a government visa created to aid the post-pandemic recovery -- even as tens of thousands of its own citizens remain stranded overseas.
The exemption will streamline entry requirements to allow the rapid relocation of workers critical to establishing a business in Australia. Fewer than than 500 exemptions are expected to be granted to holders of the temporary Activity (subclass 408) "Post Covid-19 Economic Recovery Event" visas during the next 10 months, before the the program is designed to expire.
"This government's initiatives to bring top talent to Australia are cementing our economic recovery," Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said in an emailed statement. "Returning Australians remain the priority, however this automatic travel exemption recognizes the importance of significant investment."
At the start of the pandemic in March 2021, Australia implemented a ban on non-citizens and non-residents from entering the nation that's exacerbated skills shortages in some key industries and services. Strict caps have also been placed on its own citizens; as of late July, some 38,000 Australians were still stranded abroad.
The measures, some of the strictest in the world, earned the country the nickname "Fortress Australia." In recent months, the government cut international arrivals by 50% and barred non-resident citizens who enter the country from leaving again to reduce pressure on a quarantine system that's being tested by the delta variant.
That strain seeded itself in Sydney in mid-June; now around half the nation's population of 26 million people are in lockdown as authorities seek stem an outbreak that's infecting more than 1,500 people a day. New South Wales, the most-populous state, is seeking to start remove lockdown restrictions and start allowing international travel again later this year when vaccination thresholds are reached.
The government's automatic exemption for skilled non-Australians will be restricted to businesses deemed by the Global Business and Attraction Taskforce as likely to make a significant contribution to economy, including investment value and job creation potential. Arrivals will still need to meet all standard health requirements and quarantine protocols, as administered by states and territories.
"These visa holders are bringing the skills, investment, and new ideas that employ Australians and keep us internationally competitive for years to come," Andrews said in the statement. "They're adding to our economy, generating new jobs, and contributing to our tax base so we can continue to provide the essential services all Australians rely on."
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/australias-special-visas-to-foreign-talent-to-help-with-pandemic-recovery-2542693">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/australias-special-visas-to-foreign-talent-to-help-with-pandemic-recovery-2542693</a>

news world Australia's Special Visas To Foreign Talent To Help With Pandemic Recovery

Australia implemented a ban on non-citizens from entering the nation due to Covid. Hundreds of overseas workers could be welcomed to Aus...

Vladimir Putin Says "Several Dozen" People In His Circle Have Covid

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Vladimir Putin Says 'Several Dozen' People In His Circle Have Covid" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-06/k0tmcma_russian-president-vladimir-putin650_625x300_16_June_21.jpg" title="Vladimir Putin Says 'Several Dozen' People In His Circle Have Covid" /></div>
Russian President Vladimir Putin self-isolated over coronavirus cases in inner circle.
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Moscow:
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that dozens of people in his entourage tested positive for the coronavirus before he went into self-isolation earlier this week.
The Russian leader, who announced in March he had been vaccinated, started self-isolating on Tuesday after being identified as a coronavirus contact.
"You know that unfortunately I had to cancel my visit to Dushanbe at the last moment," Putin said during remarks to a meeting of the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), hosted in the capital of Tajikistan.
"I am very sorry, but this is due to the fact that, as you know, cases of the coronavirus were detected in my inner circle," he said, speaking via video link.
"Not just one or two but several dozen people," he added.
The 68-year-old Russian leader specified in late June that he had been vaccinated with Russia's homegrown Sputnik V after months of secrecy around the issue, but the Kremlin did not show images of the inoculation.
Putin in recent months has resumed his work trips and face-to-face meetings, but many of his contacts are still required to spend two weeks in quarantine.
Russia is among the countries hardest-hit by the coronavirus pandemic -- with the fifth-highest number of recorded cases according to an AFP tally -- and has struggled to rein in infections despite easy access to vaccines.
Authorities have struggled with a vaccine-sceptic population, with independent polls showing that a majority of Russians do not plan to be inoculated.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
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news world Vladimir Putin Says "Several Dozen" People In His Circle Have Covid

Russian President Vladimir Putin self-isolated over coronavirus cases in inner circle. Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Th...

"We Were Like Hired Gun": Imran Khan On US War On Terror In Afghanistan

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="'We Were Like Hired Gun': Imran Khan On US War On Terror In Afghanistan" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-08/1d0pnkug_imran-khan_625x300_20_August_21.jpg" title="'We Were Like Hired Gun': Imran Khan On US War On Terror In Afghanistan" /></div>
Pakistan has been accused of supporting the Taliban during the US's war on terror. (File)
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Islamabad:
Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the US war against terrorism was "disastrous" for Pakistan as Washington used Islamabad like a "hired gun" during their 20-year presence in Afghanistan.
"We (Pakistan) were like a hired gun," Khan said in an interview with CNN. "We were supposed to make them (the US) win the war in Afghanistan, which we never could."
This comes two days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday said the US would reassess its ties with Pakistan following the military drawdown from Afghanistan. Blinken told US Congress during a hearing that Pakistan has a "multiplicity of interests some that are in conflict with ours."
Pakistan has had deep ties with the Taliban and other outfits in the region. Moreover, the country has been accused of supporting the group during the US's war on terror.
Despite ample evidence presented by the international community, Imran Khan, in the CNN interview, denied charges that Pakistan harbours terrorists and has given them a safe haven.
"What are these safe havens?" Khan asked. "The area of Pakistan along the border of Afghanistan had the heaviest surveillance by the United States drones ... surely they would have known if there were any safe havens?"
Digressing from the question, the Pakistan PM said, "The question is, was Pakistan in a position to take military action against the Afghan Taliban when it was already being attacked from inside, from the Pakistani Taliban who were attacking the state of Pakistan?"
While staunchly defending the Taliban, the Pakistan Prime Minister asked the international community to develop a consensus that would lead to recognition of the new "caretaker government" of the "Islamic Emirate".
Speaking to CNN, Khan said that the best way forward for peace and stability in Afghanistan is to engage with the Taliban and "incentivize" them on issues such as women's rights and inclusive government.
"The Taliban hold all of Afghanistan and if they can sort of now work towards an inclusive government, get all the factions together, Afghanistan could have peace after 40 years. But if it goes wrong and which is what we are really worried about, it could go to chaos. The biggest humanitarian crisis, a huge refugee problem," Khan said.
When asked about his position on women's rights in Afghanistan, Khan said, "It's a mistake to think that someone from outside will give Afghan women rights. Afghan women are strong. Give them time. They will get their rights."
"Women should have the ability in a society to fulfil their potential in life," said Khan.
Since assuming power, the Taliban has made several assurances on a slew of important issues including human rights and women's rights. However, reports coming from the country stand in contrast with the claims.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pakistan-was-a-hired-gun-imran-khan-on-us-war-on-terror-in-afghanistan-2542653">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pakistan-was-a-hired-gun-imran-khan-on-us-war-on-terror-in-afghanistan-2542653</a>

news world "We Were Like Hired Gun": Imran Khan On US War On Terror In Afghanistan

Pakistan has been accused of supporting the Taliban during the US's war on terror. (File) Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan has ...

US Lawmakers Remember Sikh-American, First Victim Of Hate Crime Post 9/11

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="US Lawmakers Remember Sikh-American, First Victim Of Hate Crime Post 9/11" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-09/ebpu27ao_sikh-american-balbir-singh-sodhi-first-victim-of-hate-crime-following-the-911-terror-attackstwitter_625x300_16_September_21.jpg" title="US Lawmakers Remember Sikh-American, First Victim Of Hate Crime Post 9/11" /></div>
Four days after 9/11, Balbir Sodhi was killed outside the Arizona gas station he owned.
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Washington:
Top American lawmakers paid rich tributes as they remembered Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh American, who was the first victim of hate crime following the 9/11 terror attacks in which nearly 3,000 people from over 90 countries were killed.
Four days after 9/11, Balbir was killed outside the Arizona gas station he owned. He was the first person in the US to be killed in a supposed act of retaliation for the attacks in 2001.
"Today marks 20 Years Since Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh man, was killed in a hate crime in retribution for the 9/11 attacks. We honor his memory and the memories of all those lost to hate in the two decades since," Senator Robert Menendez said in a tweet.
"Twenty years ago, Sikh American Balbir Singh Sodhi was murdered in the first post 9/11 hate crime. He was shot to death while planting flowers outside his gas station in Mesa, Arizona, by a man who said he wanted to "go out and shoot some towel-heads," said Senator Dick Durbin.
Congresswomen Lois Frankel said days after 9/11, Balbir, a Sikh man, was killed in 'retribution'' for the attacks.
"Today, we honor Balbir's memory--and celebrate 20 years of solidarity and advocacy among the communities that continue to persevere against hate and discrimination," she said.
Senator Sherrod Brown said 20 years ago today, Balbir, a Sikh American, was murdered for his appearance.
"His death marked the first deadly post-9/11 hate crime. Today and every day, let's stand united with our Sikh community in Ohio and reject hate and discrimination," he tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
20 years ago today, Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh American, was murdered for his appearance.
His death marked the first deadly post-9/11 hate crime.
Today and every day, let's stand united with our Sikh community in Ohio and reject hate and discrimination. <a href="https://t.co/XqvUPazzME">pic.twitter.com/XqvUPazzME</a>
- Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSherrodBrown/status/1438216048117837826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
"Days after 9/11, Sikh American Balbir Singh Sodhi was killed in the apparent first 'retribution'' hate crime following the attacks. Today, we honor his memory & remain united in our efforts to fend off all forms of hate & discrimination," tweeted Senator Richard Blumenthal.
"Balbir Singh Sodhi, a turbaned Sikh man, was killed in a hate crime in retribution for the 9/11 attacks 20 years ago today. I stand in solidarity with New Jersey's Sikh community as we honor his memory & the memories of all those lost to hate in the two decades since," said Congressman Donald Norcross.
Balbir's killer Frank Roque is serving life in prison.
As the world marked the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks recently, Balbir's brother Rana Singh Sodhi said: "We all humans are equal - colour, creed and gender. To honour my brother, if you love your neighbours, if you respect people with different colour, creed and gender, it will be a big honour to my brother".
 
 
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news world US Lawmakers Remember Sikh-American, First Victim Of Hate Crime Post 9/11

Four days after 9/11, Balbir Sodhi was killed outside the Arizona gas station he owned. Washington: Top American lawmakers paid rich tr...

Booster Dose Can Slash Rates Of Covid Infection, Says Israeli Study

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="As US Health Body Debates Booster Dose, Spotlight On Israeli Study" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-09/4rq9aes_covid-vaccine-generic-bloomberg_625x300_06_September_21.jpg" title="As US Health Body Debates Booster Dose, Spotlight On Israeli Study" /></div>
Third Pfizer Covid vaccine dose can dramatically reduce rates of Covid-related illness, study said.
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A third dose of the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE Covid vaccine can dramatically reduce rates of Covid-related illness in people 60 and older, according to data from a short-term study in Israel.
Starting 12 days after the extra dose, confirmed infection rates were 11 times lower in the booster group compared with a group that got the standard two doses, the analysis released Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine found. Rates of severe illness were almost 20 times lower in the booster group.
Early versions of the highly anticipated analysis have been cited by Biden administration officials, including the president's Covid medical adviser, Anthony Fauci, as they push for a booster program scheduled to start Monday. The Israeli analysis is expected to be highlighted at a meeting of Food and Drug Administration advisers reviewing Pfizer's application for clearance of the booster shots.
Response to the proposed U.S. booster rollout has been mixed. Fauci, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky and FDA Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock have expressed support, provided the additional shots pass muster from regulators and public health officials. Meanwhile, two top FDA vaccine staffers have announced plans to step down this year, a sign of possible skepticism for the plan.
Peter Marks, head of the FDA center in charge of vaccines, said the agency isn't facing pressure to clear the way for the Biden proposal.
"There's no political pressure here," he said in a forum sponsored by Research!America, a scientific advocacy group. "There is our own scientific interest in making sure we get it right."
Briefing Documents
FDA staff and Pfizer on Wednesday each released briefing documents ahead of the Friday meeting of agency advisers. Pfizer's presentation suggested that data show that the efficacy of its vaccine is waning and that booster shots will help restore it to protective levels.
The FDA staff report took a more moderate stance, pointing out that current regimes are still effective against severe illness and death from Covid. The staff said it hasn't yet closely reviewed the Israeli data, and that it will be presented at the Friday panel meeting.
The study from Israel followed more than 1.1 million Israel residents, all 60 years or older, who had been fully immunized with the Pfizer vaccine. Researchers at Weizmann Institute of Science, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, the Israel Ministry of Health, Tel Aviv University and other collaborators compared infection and illness rates in those who got a third dose to those who didn't.
A major caveat to the analysis is that it is based on short-term follow-up. Israel's booster campaign started July 30, and the study took place through Aug. 31. Infection rates were calculated 12 days after boosters were administered to give them time to take effect.
In a viewpoint piece published Monday in The Lancet medical journal, a group of top researchers -- including the two FDA officials preparing to step down -- argued that most people don't need a booster shot now. The piece noted that the short-term benefit seen in Israel didn't necessarily imply that a booster would lead to long-term benefit.
 
 
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news world Booster Dose Can Slash Rates Of Covid Infection, Says Israeli Study

Third Pfizer Covid vaccine dose can dramatically reduce rates of Covid-related illness, study said. A third dose of the Pfizer Inc.-BioN...