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VOL.051 DEC 24 - DEC 30 , 2021
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed Senate Bill 7072 to combat Big Tech censorship practices. He spoke at a campaign rally for the US president at Pensacola International Airport in Pensacola, Florida on October 23, 2020. (Image: MANDEL NGAN/Getty Images)
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Florida Takes Action on Restricting Retirement Fund Investments In China By Alina Wang Vision Times
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lorida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration announced on Dec. 20 that they would move to take control of the state’s sizable retirement funds away from private asset managers who invest heavily in Communist China. During a meeting with the state’s Board of Administration, DeSantis, a Republican, was joined by Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and state Attorney General Ashley Moody. The motion aimed to “revoke all proxy voting authority that has been given to outside fund managers,” and was passed after being put to a vote. According to state data, since 2016, over 5,000 proxy votes for investments have been cast. Most of these focused on “participation in corporate bankruptcy proceedings, share-owner litigation, and financial assets.” Florida state officials said the move was needed to ensure that fund managers “act solely in the financial interest of the state’s funds.” The measure also orders a survey of the Florida Retirement
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System’s investments “to determine how many assets the state has in Chinese companies with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).”
Patronis: ‘We’re entering a Cold War with China’
The move comes after Consumers Research, a conservative watchdog group, launched a major campaign accusing BlackRock of growing ties with Beijing and state-owned companies openly linked to supporting Chinese military buildup. BlackRock is the world’s largest investment company by assets under management.
It seems like limiting our exposure to China is not only good for our country, but is financially prudent. Patronis, Chief financial officer
“The whole experiment with China has been a big failure for the United States. I think the U.S. as a whole should be disentangling
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from China, but certainly our investments should be disentangling,” DeSantis said when asked about U.S. investments pouring into China, inadvertently assisting the CCP. Chief financial officer Patronis echoed DeSantis’ sentiments on American investments in China and pointed out concerns over the CCP’s rampant reports of human rights’ abuse against prisoners of conscience and the Uyghur Muslim community, as well as the country’s struggling economy over its big tech sector crackdown and violation of intellectual property rules. China’s real estate market is also experiencing a growing crisis after real estate giant China Evergrande Group has struggled to meet its financial obligations and recently defaulted on over $300 billion in liabilities. Evergrande has been officially declared a defaulter for the first time after it failed to make payments on two dollar-denominated bonds. Beijing has shown reluctance to bail out the company, with the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) saying that the crisis at Evergrande was caused by its “own poor management” and “reckless expansion.”
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NATION
A2 | DEC 24 - DEC30, 2021
VISION TIMES
New York Mayor-Elect Eric Adams Appoints Key Players to ‘Efficiency’ Positions
Senate Passes Defense Spending Bill, Tripling Budget for Indo-Pacific By Jonathan Walker Vision Times
By Todd Crawford Vision Times
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he U.S. Senate has passed the 2022 annual defense spending bill. This year’s $768 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) bill is up by 5 percent when compared to the previous version. It now awaits the approval of President Joe Biden.
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$740 billion for the Pentagon
The higher spending budget is expected to allow the Pentagon to build more ships. $740 billion has been designated for the Department of Defense, which is $25 billion more than what Biden had asked for. The bill was passed with a vote of 88-11. “Our nation faces an enormous range of security challenges… To that end, this bill makes great progress… It addresses a broad range of pressing issues from strategic competition with China and Russia; to disruptive technologies like hypersonics, A.I. and quantum computing; to modernizing our ships, aircraft, and vehicles,” Democrat Senator Jack Reed, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. A fund aimed at the Indo-Pacific region has been tripled from last year. The Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) received $7.1 billion in funding, more than the $5.1 billion that was requested by the Biden administration. The fund will be used to boost the construction of military and other infrastructure facilities in the region as well as upgrade existing ones. It will also be used to improve supply lines for fuel and ammunition. Washington is reportedly looking to distribute its forces in the Info-Pacific region along the Philippines, Taiwan, and Okinawa areas since leaving these forces in only a few locations can put them at risk of a missile strike from China. The bill calls for deeper interoperability between Taiwanese and American forces in areas like air domain awareness, missile defense systems, and so on.
Strengthening power in the Indo-Pacific
The boost in funding for PDI comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently vowed to strengthen America’s military power in the Indo-Pacific. In a speech in Jakarta on Dec. 14, Blinken asserted that the IndoPacific will “shape the trajectory” of the world in this century. Washington is committed to a “free and open” Indo-Pacific, he stated. “We will bolster Indo-Pacific security. Threats are evolving, and our security approach must evolve with them. To do that, we will lean on our greatest strength: our alliances and partnerships… The United States will adopt an “integrated deterrence” strategy that more closely weaves together all our instruments of national power with those of our allies and partners,” Blinken said. The NDAA bill bans the Defense www.visiontimes.com
(Image: courtesy of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command)
The bill also urges deeper interoperability between American and Taiwanese forces, specifically in maritime and air domain awareness and missile defense systems, as well as exchanges between defense officials for closer cooperation in defense planning and improving Taiwan's reserve forces.
(Image: courtesy of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command)
n Dec. 21, New York Mayor-elect, Eric Adams, announced the appointment of two new roles in his administration fulfilling a campaign promise that seeks to drive efficient and effective operations at the City level. Mathew Fraser has been appointed the City’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Melanie LaRocca has been appointed to the new role of Chief Efficiency Officer (CEO), according to a press release issued Tuesday. Fraser is said to be responsible to “oversee the Administration’s key technology policies and initiatives, including the Mayor-elect’s proposal to build a MyCity platform, an online portal that allows New Yorkers to access all City services and benefits.” According to Adam’s campaign website, he campaigned on the idea of implementing “a single data platform for the entire City government.” Previously, Adam’s had expressed a critical view of the City’s operations stating that each department worked in “silo[es]” operating “separately from one another without sharing data or metrics, often duplicating efforts and resulting in waste.” The MyCity initiative aims to “allow users to type just one number into a secure app or website to instantly receive every service and benefit they qualify for — such as SNAP — without an abundance of paperwork,” Adam’s campaign website states.
First-ever Chief Efficiency Officer
(Image: pixabay)
The bill seeks to set up an advanced missile system in Guam, which houses a U.S. Air Force base.
(Image: VCG)
The US Congress on Wednesday passed a national defense bill which created a new record of $770 billion budget, with $7.1 billion allocated toward beefing up the US position against China, as well as provisions concerning the island of Taiwan including inviting it to a multilateral naval exercise.
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Department from procuring products identified as having been produced from forced labor from China’s northwest Xinjiang region. $300 million is set aside for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative that will support armed forces of the Eastern European country. $150 million will be spent on Baltic security cooperation and $4 billion on the European Defense Initiative. The 2022 spending budget will allow the Pentagon to buy 85 Lockheed Martin-built F-35 fighters, 17 F-15EX jets, and 2 F/A-
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18E/F Super Hornet fighters. Troop members will get a 2.7 percent pay increase.
‘Woke' controversy
The bill has garnered criticism from some Republicans who accuse it of propagating "woke” leftist doctrine. In an op-ed published by The Hill, a group of GOP members described how parts of the bill encourage indoctrination in critical race theory and other left-wing policies while reducing military preparedness.
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According to the press release, Melanie LaRocca, as the first-ever Chief Efficiency Officer will “oversee the Program to Eliminate the Gap, find bloat in City agencies and make suggestions on how to reduce it, and evaluate large City contracts to find cost savings.” The appointment is a step forward in fulfilling his campaign promise that seeks to ensure “City agencies are operating more efficiently and effectively.” In response to her appointment Commissioner LaRocca said, “I’m truly honored to join Mayor Adam’s administration and carry out our shared vision of a more efficient, effective, and equal city. New Yorkers have the tools, the ability and the will to improve the lives of neighbors, while maintaining New York City’s unquestioned place as the greatest city in the world. I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work on day one.” LaRocca currently serves the City of New York as a Commissioner of the Department of Buildings. According to the press release, in her time as commissioner she has “worked to modernize the agency, improve response times, and ensure safety on construction projects across the city.” Adams, 61, after garnering 67 percent of the popular vote in New York’s most recent election will be sworn in as Mayor on Jan. 1, 2022. 703-868-1509
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NATION
VISION TIMES
American Families Struggling Under Weight of Inflation By Jonathan Walker Vision Times
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ast month, the rate of inflation rose by 6.8 percent, the highest jump in around four decades. Families in America are now getting stressed out by the ever-increasing prices of goods and services.
One of the costliest holidays
According to data from the U.S. Labor Department, the price of gas is up by 58 percent since last year while utilities have risen by 25 percent. When it comes to food, prices of flour, apples, eggs, coffee, and milk have jumped by six percent to eight percent, chicken by nine percent, and bacon by 21 percent. In some areas, NGOs are trying to help financially struggling families as much as possible. Nonprofit Food Helpers are using people dressed as Santa Claus to distribute winter coats, cookies, turkeys, and provisions at the Country Thrift Market near Pittsburgh. According to direc-
tor of marketing, Justin McAtee, many families usually avoid seeking help even if they are in financial trouble. “They are too proud to take money from the government and stay home and do nothing, yet also find themselves unable to provide for their families properly because of the rising costs… Few in society or government sees their need, because they have jobs… The families that are here are essentially invisible,” McAtee told the New York Post. According to a survey conducted by Country Financials in October, 88 percent of Americans were very concerned about inflation. A recent Economist/YouGov poll showed that 53 percent of Americans believed the economy was getting worse. Around 56 percent see inflation as a serious problem while 27 percent feel it is somewhat serious. The worry about inflation was present across all
“Inflation worries have dragged consumer confidence to a decade low and is the top reason Americans don’t expect their finances to improve, and particularly to get worse… ”
DEC 24 - DEC 30, 2021 |
income groups, whether the survey participants earned less than $50,000 per year or more than $100,000 annually. According to Bankrate’s December Financial Security Index, around two-thirds of Americans do not expect their financial situation to improve next year, with over half of them blaming inflation for their pessimism. Seventy percent of the participants believe their financial situation will get worse and 54 percent expect no change in their money situation, citing inflation as the reason. A Penn Wharton University of Pennsylvania Budget Model (PWBM) analysis published on
Greg McBride, Bankrate Chief Financial Analyst
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Dec. 15 estimates average American households to spend around $3,500 more in 2021 to achieve the same level of consumption of goods and services that they had in 2020 and 2019. Lower-income households will spend 7 percent more on goods and services this year. For high-income households, this number is at 6 percent. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden’s multi-trillion dollar Build Back Better Act is facing opposition as many people worry that the initiative might end up worsening inflation by pumping more money into the economy. In an interview with Fox News, Democrat Senator Joe Manchin insisted that he will not be voting for the proposal due to the ongoing inflationary situation.
“If I can’t go home and explain it to the people of West Virginia, I can’t vote for it. I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can’t. I’ve tried everything possible. I can’t get there… Inflation is real. It’s not going away anytime soon. We don’t know when the end will come,” Manchin stated.
(Image: AdobeStocks)
Pfizer Receives US Authorization For Its At-home COVID-19 Treatment, Paxlovid By Todd Crawford Vision Times
On Wednesday, Dec. 22, U.S. health regulators authorized the first pill designed for at home use to treat COVID-19. Pfizer’s Paxlovid is reported to head off the worst effects of the virus. The new treatment comes at a time when new infections and hospitalizations are surging in the U.S. due to the spread of the Omicron variant. While all the previous drugs authorized to treat COVID-19 require an IV or an injection this at home treatment comes in pill form. Initial supplies of the treatment are expected to be extremely limited though.
Low side effects
Pfizer has stated that the side effects of the pill are mild and
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boasts a nearly 90 percent reduction in hospitalizations and deaths among patients “most likely to get severe disease,” AP reported. Another at home treatment developed by Merck is also expected to win authorization in the coming weeks. Pfizer’s drug has been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adults and children ages 12 and older with a positive COVID-19 test, who have early symptoms and who face the highest risks of being hospitalized with the virus. This cohort includes the elderly and those who are obese or have heart disease. Children must weigh at least 88 pounds (40 kilograms) to be eligible to have the drug administered. Both drugs from Pfizer and Merck are anticipated to be effective against the Omicron variant. Pfizer currently has a stockpile of 180,000 doses of the treat-
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(Image: AdobeStocks)
A Pfizer sign hangs on the outside of their headquarters. Pfizer has announced that they have received US authorization for its at home COVID-19 treatment, Paxlovid.
ment worldwide, with the U.S. being allocated roughly 60,000 to 70,000 doses. It’s anticipated that U.S. Federal health officials will ration early shipments of the new treatment to the hardest hit parts of the country. Wide spread use of the treatment is not expected until next year. Manufacturing time for the drug is approximately 9 months however Pfizer has said that the company can halve the production time by next year.
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Health experts are still adamant that vaccination remains the best way to protect oneself from COVID-19 despite evidence showing that the Omicron variant can easily circumvent current mRNA vaccines in use.
Effectiveness and price
Paxlovid however is not perfect. In order to be prescribed the drug a patient needs to provide a positive COVID-19 test and Pfizer says that the drug has
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only proven effective when it is administered within five days of symptoms appearing. Andrew Pekosz, a Johns Hopkins University virologist told AP, “If you go outside that window of time I fully expect the effectiveness of this drug is going to fall.” People hesitant about new coronavirus vaccines and treatments may be appeased with this new development. Paxlovid is reportedly part of a decades-old family of antiviral drugs known as protease inhibitors. Protease inhibitors are said to have revolutionised the treatment of HIV and hepatitis C. “The drugs block a key enzyme which viruses need to multiply in the human body,” AP reported. The new treatment also comes with a hefty price tag. A single course of Paxlovid is expected to cost approximately US$500.00. A course of the drug consists of three pills taken twice a day for five days. While two of the pills are the newly authorized Paxlovid the third pill is a different antiviral that assists in boosting levels of the main drug in the body.
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CHINA
A4 | DEC 24 - DEC30, 2021
VISION TIMES
Xi’an Residents Fear Plague Outbreak as Locals Suffer Hemorrhagic Fever By Lucy Crawford Vision Times
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recent outbreak of hemorrhagic fever has emerged in the northwestern province of Shaanxi while COVID-19 cases continue to spread across the country. Several hemorrhagic fever cases and deaths have been reported in Xi’an, the seat of Shaanxi Province. Despite censorship of the news, locals suspect that the disease is directly related to a rampant rodent infestation, and many fear a possible recurrence of the plague.
An unsettling year-end
The state-run Xi’an News reported that hospitals in the city have reported numerous cases of hemorrhagic fever since the beginning of winter this year. While medical experts point out that hemorrhagic fever is a common infectious disease in China’s north — which typically starts to peak in October every year — netizens have expressed concern that the outbreak could actually involve plague, a disease that has killed tens of millions throughout teh centuries, and which in 2019 claimed several lives in China’s Inner Mongolia region. Hemorrhagic fever is mainly transmitted by rodents, the striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius), and the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus). Those who are bitten or come into contact with the blood or excrement of rodents carrying the virus may be infected, and serious cases may lead to death. Because the early symptoms of hemorrhagic fever are similar to those of the common flu, many
patients may mistake it for a common cold. Therefore, experts at the Xi’an Disease Control Center warned that hemorrhagic fever is a fast-onset, fast-moving disease that can be fatal, and urged people with fever and other symptoms to seek medical attention. Although officials specifically warned people about hemorrhagic fever, they didn’t reveal any details of patients.
Outbreak of hemorrhagic fever news in social media
“Be on the lookout. An outbreak of hemorrhagic fever has been circulating online in Xi’an, with videos showing [doors in] a neighborhood being welded shut. Deaths are said to have occurred,” the tweet says. According to an online chat, a local health care worker revealed that his hospital’s infectious disease unit is full of patients and that all hospitals designated for hemorrhagic fever in Xi’an are at capacity, and some have even been forced to close. Unofficial sources also reported that the outbreak was particularly serious in the Chang’an District, where multiple people have died and some schools have been forced to suspend classes because of infections among students. “My personal guess is that hemorrhagic fever can’t be so transmissible. I’m afraid a new variant of Wuhan virus has emerged, and after getting infected, the illness resembles hemorrhagic fever,” the tweet reads. As of 2:00 a.m. on Dec. 20, the topic of “multiple cases of hemorrhagic fever in Xi’an” on Weibo has attracted 280 million people and 4,483 discussions.
A recent outbreak of hemorrhagic fever has emerged in the northwestern province of Shaanxi while COVID-19 cases continue to spread across the country.
TOP : A medical worker takes a sample from a resident to be tested for the Covid19 coronavirus in Xi'an, in China's northern Shaanxi province on December 21, 2021, after the detection of more than 40 new cases raised concerns of wider transmission ahead of a busy travel season. - China OUT .(Image STR/AFP via Getty Images) BOTTOM : In the evening of Dec. 18, a biosafety team from Xianyang city arrives in nearby Xi'an to support their epidemic control efforts.(Image source: video screenshot)
Harvard Professor Convicted After Admiting He Lied About China Ties By Alina Wang Vision Times
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n Dec. 22, the U.S. Department of Justice moved to convict Harvard nanoscientist Charles Lieber for lying about his involvement with a recruitment program with ties to the Chinese government. Lieber, 62, is the former chair of Harvard’s Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department. He was found guilty of two counts of “making false statements to federal authorities, two counts of making and subscribing a false income tax return, and two counts of failing to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts with the Internal Revenue Service.”
Receiving millions from China
In addition, Lieber’s research group at Harvard had received over $15 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Defense (DoD). The jury deliberated for 45 minutes before decidwww.visiontimes.com
Official response
Charles Lieber attends an award ceremony in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) in Jerusalem on May 13, 2012. (Image: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images)
ing to find Lieber guilty of his affiliation with the Wuhan University of Technology (WUT), along with an affiliate lab, that some have speculated the COVID-19 virus may have originated from. Lieber was also accused of not disclosing the sizable funding received from the NIH and DoD, which points to financial conflicts of interest. Lieber’s defense attorney Marc
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Mukasey argued that prosecutors lacked evidence for the charges and maintained that investigators didn’t keep any record of their interviews with Lieber prior to his arrest. Mukasey further argued that prosecutors would be unable to prove that Lieber acted “knowingly, intentionally, or willfully, or that he made any material false statement.” He also stressed that Lieber wasn’t charged with illegally transferring any U.S. technology or proprietary information to China and did not act with malicious intent.
Mendell: 'There is no question Lieber lied'
According to prosecutors, Lieber was being paid a monthly stipend of $50,000 by the WUT, up to $158,000 in living expenses and an additional $1.5 million to establish a nanoscience research lab at the university, all of which he denied disclosing to U.S. authorities. In exchange, prosecutors say Lieber agreed to publish articles, organize international conferences and apply for patents on behalf of the WUT.
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Lieber was also affiliated with China’s Thousand Talents Program, which the department called “one of the most prominent talent recruitment plans designed to attract, recruit and cultivate high-level scientific talent in furtherance of China’s scientific development, economic prosperity and national security.” He had previously denied affiliation with the recruitment program. Acting U.S. attorney Nathaniel Mendell said in a statement released today that “there is now no question that Charles Lieber lied to federal investigators and to Harvard in an attempt to hide his participation in the Chinese Thousand Talents Program.” “He lied to the IRS about the money he was paid, and he concealed his Chinese bank account from the United States. The jury followed the evidence and the law to a just verdict,” Mendell continued. Patrick Hegarty, an analysis agent spearheading the Northeast field office for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, similarly said in a statement that Lieber “eroded the trust the DoD has in its researchers to prioritize the United States and its service members over foreign governments, and over personal financial gain.” ad.ny@visiontimes.com
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Officials have repeatedly emphasized that hemorrhagic fever and plague aren’t closely related. However, in 2019, there was a severe outbreak of plague in Beijing, causing an enactment of a travel restriction policy to prevent people from the infected areas from entering Beijing. It’s worth mentioning that the situation was severe at the time, but it was never widely reported on. According to people who said they were staff of the Xuanwu Hospital in China, “ordinary [poor and powerless] plague patients were sent to the hospital by the Communist Party only for isolation without any recovery treatment, and the dead were shipped away for direct incineration.” This method is similar to the treatment of SARS in 2002. “The government only did strict quarantine and didn’t do any treatment. The people had no choice but to comply.” “In Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, the outbreak was controlled on a large scale, with many areas closed and people lining up in the middle of the night for nucleic acid tests. Meanwhile. Suspected hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Chang’an County, Xi’an, Shaanxi,” the tweet reads. There is no way to know how bad the hemorrhagic fever situation in Xi’an is, but the local COVID19 outbreak and associated lockdowns remain aggressive, taking a toll on health and life in the ancient city. On Dec 18, Shaanxi officials said at a press conference that there were 10 new confirmed local cases and three asymptomatic cases in Xi’an. The province has reported 27 cases of the local infection since Dec. 9, and the exact course of transmission is unclear. Under China’s zero-COVID policy, the entire population is being tested for the virus.
“China Initiative”
The case is among the highest profile to stem from the U.S. Department of Justice’s “China Initiative.” Launched in 2018 under the Trump administration, the Initiative has seen the scrutinization of thousands of researchers for possible links to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its efforts to steal information from America’s advanced tech sector. Several high-profile cases have included researchers who were also officers in the regime’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Some have criticized the Initiative, saying that it unfairly targets people of Chinese and Asian descent. The U.S. government has frequently stressed that its efforts target espionage and other illicit activity, not ethnic groups. Hundreds of faculty members from Stanford, Yale, Berkeley, Princeton, and other prominent universities have signed letters addressed to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, calling on him to end the initiative. Lieber’s sentencing date has not yet been scheduled and he has been placed on paid administrative leave from Harvard since being arrested in January 2020.
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CHINA
VISION TIMES
DEC 24 - DEC 30, 2021 |
A5
Renowned Chinese Lawyer Tang Jitian Disappears
Starry Lee Wai King celebrates on stage after winning the Legislative Council General Election on Dec. 20, 2021 in Hong Kong, China. (Image: Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)
After Years of Standing Up to Beijing By Alina Wang Vision Times
Pro-Beijing Elite Sweep Hong Kong’s First ‘Patriots Only’ Election By Todd Crawford Vision Times
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n Dec. 19, pro-Beijing candidates swept the 2021 Hong Kong Legislative Council (LegCo) elections following a drastic Chinese Communist Party (CCP) imposed electoral overhaul which dictated that only candidates vetted by Beijing could run.
Lowest voter turnout on record
With only 30.2 percent of eligible voters participating, authorities said that a contingent of 6,000 police officers were on standby to address potential protesters and disruptions, the BBC reported. Despite efforts by the government to boost voter turnout the election had the lowest turnout of any Legislative Council election in history. Of Hong Kong’s approximately 7.5 million citizens only about 4,800 of the elite were allowed to select the Election Committee in Sunday’s elections or 0.064 percent of the population. In 2016 approximately 233,000 Hong Kongers were allowed to cast a ballot to select the Election Committee.
Political loyalty required to run
Beijing passed a law in May that sought to ensure only “patriotic” individuals would be eligible to run for positions of power prompting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to refer to the law as a “denial of democracy.” Only those vetted for political loyalty and cleared of being a national security threat were permitted to run in the elections. Ted Hui, a former Hong Kong
lawmaker residing in Australia, told AFP that the political system in Hong Kong is now “a rubber-stamp game completely controlled by Beijing. It’s more than a managed democracy. It’s an autocracy trying to pretend to be civilized.”
New system
In March, 2021, the National People’s Congress (NPC) passed legislation to rewrite the election rules in Hong Kong, imposing a much stricter system. The system was put in place to ensure only “patriots govern Hong Kong.” Under the new system, the number of Legislative Council seats increased from 70 to 90 and the number of directly elected geographical constituency seats was lowered to 20 from 35. Trade-based indirectly elected functional constituency seats remained at 30 and the Beijingcontrolled 1,500-seat Election Committee would elect 40 seats to the Legislative Council. Five District Council “super seats” that were introduced in the 2010 electoral reform package were eliminated. Also eliminated was the District Council that’s electorate once boasted 431directly elected members of the 18 District Councils of Hong Kong. In addition, in April, the Hong Kong Government announced the Improving Electoral System Bill 2021, which included numerous changes to the electoral system that intended to “regulate acts that manipulate or undermine elections”, and criminalized anyone who incited others not to vote or cast a blank or spoiled ballot as a form of protest. Violators of the bill could face up to three years in prison.
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ang Jitian, a Chinese human rights attorney, has not been heard from since Dec. 10, according to close friends and family. The 53-year-old’s whereabouts were last known when he texted friends to tell them he was planning to attend an event for Human Rights Day at the European Union office in Beijing. A few hours before the event was scheduled to begin, Tang said he did not “feel safe” and has not been heard from since. Repeated calls to his cellphone have also gone unanswered. Tang is a prominent human rights lawyer from China’s Jilin Province who has taken on a wide range of cases surrounding human rights abuse at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), particularly jailed adherents of the Falun Gong spiritual practice. Tang has also represented cases involving land rights, HIV/ AIDS victims, religious freedom, and political dissent.
Falun Gong has been the number one target of persecution by the CCP since July 20, 1999, when the Party began its nationwide campaign to eliminate the spiritual practice by directive of then-General Secretary Jiang Zemin. (Image: Falun Dafa Information Center)
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a Chinese traditional spiritual discipline practiced by tens of millions of people in China and around the world since its introduction to the public in 1992. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began a massive campaign to eradicate the popular faith in July 1999, incarcerating millions of people over the following decades. Thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have since died from torture and abuse, with the number still on the rise. Tang was among a group of four Chinese rights lawyers tortured by police after being detained for 15 days in March 2014. Tang was arrested during a protest outside a detention center in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang after traveling there to demand information on Falun Gong practitioners believed to be incarcerated in Jiansanjiang. Since his disbarment, Tang has continued his work in human rights, and as a result, has been subjected to beatings, surveillance, travel restrictions and multiple arrests at the hands of Chinese authorities. South China Morning Post reported that Tang also campaigned for the governing bodies of national and local lawyers’ associations to be democratically elected by members, hoping that it would bring change to China’s judicial process and human rights’ awareness.
Party line over Chinese law
Front Line Defenders reported that as a result of his persistent activism and exposure of governmental abuse, Tang’s license to practice law was revoked in 2010 and a travel ban was placed against him. Some experts believe Tang was specifically targeted by the government for defending Falun Gong practitioners.
A few hours before the event was scheduled to begin, Tang said he did not “feel safe” and has not been heard from since. To go with feature story Chinarights-law by Marrianne Barriaux Chinese lawyer Tang Jitian talks during an interview in Beijing on April 29, 2010.
OLLI GEIBEL/AFP via Getty Images
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WORLD
A6 | DEC 24 - DEC30, 2021
VISION TIMES
Cosmic Rays Are Interfering With Quantum Processors and That Has Scientists Stumped By Todd Crawford Vision Times
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cientists face numerous obstacles before quantum computers become reliable enough for users to trust their outputs. Error handling has been notoriously difficult to manage on the sensitive equipment. Computer scientists have recently discovered yet another obstacle that they must overcome in order to deliver the promise quantum computers present to humanity, cosmic rays. Cosmic rays are high-energy protons and atomic nuclei that move through space at nearly the speed of light. Earth is constantly bombarded with them. In fact, millions of cosmic rays penetrate the human body on a daily basis. Their source, so far, has been found to be stars like our sun as well as super nova’s. Cosmic rays could cause a major problem when they hit an operating quantum CPU. Nature Physicss, scientific journal
when a cosmic ray hits an operating quantum computer it can result in the formation of a quasiparticle called a phonon. Phonon’s can disrupt operations of a quantum computer by inverting the quantum state of an entangled set of qubits. Qubits are quantum computer’s versions of bits, ones and zeros. According to a paper published in Nature cosmic rays and latent radioactivity “can ionize the substrate and induce a burst of quasiparticles that destroys qubit coherence throughout the device.” Coherence is fundamental to a quantum processor’s operation and if it is disturbed it renders all data useless. Google researchers tested and observed the behavior of a set of 26 qubits that researchers deemed the most reliable. The set was left in
an idle state for 100 microseconds. Reliable qubits generally remain in their current state if left undisturbed. During a confirmed cosmic ray strike, a total of 24 of the 26 qubits were found to erroneously flip to an opposite state, a phenomena that would render the quantum processor’s output useless. While cosmic ray interference is not a new issue — they can even interfere with traditional computers by messing with its electrical charges — researchers are realizing that quantum processors are much more susceptible to the rays’ influence.
Out-of-this-world phenomena
The problem is expected to become more pronounced as a quantum processors’ surface
area increases with the addition of more entangled qubits. The higher the surface area on the chip the more opportunities are created for cosmic ray interference. Scientists, so far, are stumped as to how to compensate for this out-of-this-world phenomena. There is no practical way to reliably block cosmic rays however, there may be some clever workarounds that quantum computer scientists can learn from astronomers who have been dealing with the influence of cosmic rays on their sensitive equipment for some time. Since astronomers have developed ways to cope with cosmic rays when they impact their astronomical imaging equipment this gives hope to quantum computer scientists that the issue is not insurmountable.
Quasiparticle “Phonon”
Researchers, working at Google Quantum AI, discovered that In this handout photo provided by the German Government Press Office (BPA), German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Bavaria State Premier Markus Soeder visit the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics where Institute manager Immanuel Bloch explains to them how a quantum computer works, on Sept. 15, 2021 in Garching, Germany. (Image: Guido Bergmann/Bundesregierung via Getty Images)
Crypto Users Lose More Than $8 Billion to Scams and Hacks in 2021 By Neil Campbell Vision Times
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lthough cryptocurrency holders and enthusiasts alike may tout the technology as the future of international finance, its characteristics as cross-border, decentralized, Internet money leave users vulnerable to security flaws not seen in physical assets or fiat currencies managed by national banking systems. Such flaws have resulted in more than $8 billion worth of digital currency being lost to scams and exchange hacks in 2021 alone, according to reports. The bulk of the figure comes from a Dec. 16 sales piece by blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, which found users lost $7.7 billion to scams this year. The figure was up from under $5 billion in 2020, but still below the all time high of almost $10 billion hustled away from the community in 2019. The majority was composed of $5 billion lost by users to investment scams. Notably, Chainalysis said, “At the same time though, the number of deposits to scam addresses fell from just under 10.7 million to 4.1 million, which we can assume means there were fewer individual scam victims.” The U.S. Federal Trade Comwww.visiontimes.com
mission (FTC) issued a warning on investment scams in May, only weeks after Bitcoin had posted an all-time high of approximately $65,000 USD, that the agency had received reports from more than 7,000 people who had fallen prey, losing over $80 million. The FTC said the average loss suffered was $1,900.
A lack of rationality and discernment
The bulletin explained, “Many people have reported being lured to websites that look like opportunities for investing in or mining cryptocurrencies, but are bogus. They often offer several investment tiers – the more you put in, the bigger the supposed return.” “Sites use fake testimonials and cryptocurrency jargon to appear credible, but promises of enormous, guaranteed returns are simply lies. These websites may even make it look like your investment is growing. But people report that, when they try to withdraw supposed profits, they are told to send even more crypto – and end up getting nothing back.”
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Chainalysis found by analyzing crypto addresses connected to investment scams still receiving funds that the number of active scams had increased more than 50 percent from 2020 to 2021, arriving at a total of 3,300.
“Rug pulls”
The firm also identified a new form of scam that they define as “rug pulls.” “As is the case with much of the emerging terminology in cryptocurrency, the definition of ‘rug pull’ isn’t set in stone,” explained Chainalysis. “But we generally use it to refer to cases in which developers build out what appear to be legitimate cryptocurrency projects — meaning they do more than simply set up wallets to receive cryptocurrency for, say, fraudulent investing opportunities — before taking investors’ money and disappearing.” Rug pulls took almost $3 billion out of the pockets of users in 2021 “accounting for 37% of all cryptocurrency scam revenue in 2021, versus just 1% in 2020.” The majority of that heartbreak
was concentrated in $2.6 billion stolen on a centralized Turkish crypto exchange called Thodex, which one day in April suddenly halted trading, claiming the need to investigate 30,000 suspicious accounts operating on the platform. The exchange never resumed operations, and those who trusted Thodex with their money lost what was held.
The FTC said the average loss suffered was $1,900.
Operating unlicensed
Many deposit funds to exchanges to trade, which are often unlicensed, unregulated, hosted in a country with lax law enforcement and oversight, and are themselves fly-by-night operations, only to lose their shirts when the service is hacked. Dec. 17 reporting by NBC calculated that this year alone, more than 20 different hacks at cryptocurrency exchanges, resulting in losses $10 million or greater. Six such attacks stole at least $100 million.
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Risk of Heart Inflammation From Moderna Vaccine Greater Than From COVID-19 Under 40, Research Shows Win McNamee/Getty Images
By Steven Li, MD Vision Times
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eart inflammation occurs more often for individuals younger than 40 after receiving the Moderna Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine than from COVID-19 itself, according to a new study published in Nature Medicine on Dec. 14 by a group of UK researchers. In England, 38,615,491 adults were vaccinated with at least one dose of the AstraZeneca ChAdOx1 vaccine (20,615,911 adults), PfizerBioNTech BNT162b2 vaccine (16,993,389 adults), or Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine (1,006,191 adults) between Dec. 1, 2020 and Aug. 24, 2021. A large number of deaths were reported during the study period, including “1,615 and 1,574 admissions or deaths related to myocarditis and pericarditis, respectively (14 patients had both), and 385,508 related to cardiac arrhythmias.” 397 deaths occurred within the first 28 days after any dose of vaccine. To compare heart inflammation risk, the authors reported incidence rate ratios (IRRs), which compare the incidence of an event between two groups, and 95 percent confidence intervals (CIs), which contain the true mean of the population with 95 percent confidence. An elevated risk of myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, was observed within the first 7 days after the first dose of the AstraZeneca (IRR 1.76; 95% CI 1.29, 2.42), Pfizer-BioNTech (IRR 1.45, 95% CI 0.97, 2.12), and Moderna (IRR 8.38, 95% CI 3.53, 19.91) vaccines. Myocarditis risk was higher in the first 7 days after the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech (IRR 1.75, 95% CI 1.13, 2.70) and Moderna vaccines (IRR 23.10, 95% CI 6.46, 82.56). The risk of myocarditis was also increased within the first 28 days after a positive SARSCoV-2 test (IRR 9.76, 95% CI 7.51, 12.69). Mixed results were observed for pericarditis, or inflammation of the sac-like tissue surrounding the heart, within the first 28 days after vaccination. The authors “observed a decreased risk of pericarditis following the first dose of [AstraZeneca] ChAdOx1 (IRR 0.74, 95%CI 0.59, 0.92), in contrast with an increased risk in the 1–28 days following a SARSCoV-2 positive test (IRR 2.79, 95% CI 1.80, 4.32). No association was observed with the [Pfizer-BioNTech] BNT162b2 or [Moderna] mRNA-1273 vaccine.” Continued on A7
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Omicron With More Infections, Less Hospitalizations Than Delta, South African Data Show By Steven Li, MD Vision Times
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ecent data presented at a Dec. 14 briefing by South African private health insurer Discovery Health revealed that the Omicron Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) variant “is spreading faster than any previous coronavirus variant and showing signs of immune escape, with both vaccinated and previously infected people more at risk than in previous waves.” Over 90 percent of the sequenced infections in South Africa are the Omicron variant.
Increased infectivity A member of the Western Cape Metro EMS(Emergency Medical Services) vaccinates a woman, who cannot walk, in a car at a COVID 19 vaccination event in Manenberg, which is part of the VaxiTaxi mobile vaccination drive, on December 08, 2021 in Cape Town.
Protection against infection and severe symptoms has waned considerably for the COVID-19 vaccines, with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine offering only “33% protection against infection in this omicron fuelled wave, found the analysis, down from 80% in South Africa’s last, delta fuelled wave.” Protection against severe disease and hospitalization has waned to 70 percent in the current wave, compared to 93 percent in the last wave. Omicron has also infected those
who had a previous COVID-19 infection, as new cases are “73% as common among the previously infected as among the never infected.” Analysis of the data was conducted in collaboration with the South African Medical Research Council. The data spanned a period from Nov. 15 to Dec. 7. Over 211,000 COVID-19 tests were performed, and 78,000 were deemed Omicron cases. 41 percent of the tested individuals were fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Omicron variant was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on Nov. 24., 2021 from specimens in South Africa. The variant was deemed a Variant of Concern (VOC) on Nov. 26, and the first case of Omicron was confirmed in the U.S. on Dec. 1. The CDC states, “Fully vaccinated people who become infected with the Omicron variant can spread the virus to others,” and due to “the small number of cases, the current severity of illness and death associated with this variant is unclear.” “Compared to Delta, Omicron may spread more easily.”The CDC
(Image:RODGER BOSCH/AFP via Getty Images)
Risk of Heart Inflammation From Moderna Vaccine Greater Than From COVID-19 Under 40, Research Shows Continued from A6
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verall, the authors reported that the excess myocarditis events in the 28 days following adenovirus or mRNA vaccination was lower than in the first 28 days after SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, for individuals aged 40 and younger, the study “estimated the excess in myocarditis events following SARS-CoV-2 infection to be 10 per million with the excess following a second dose of [Moderna] mRNA-1273 vaccine being 15 per million.” “Further research is required to understand why the risk of myocarditis seems to be higher following [Moderna] mRNA-1273 vaccine,” they stated.
Heart inflammation in children
A preprint study published in medRxiv on Sept. 8 by U.S. researchers showed similar results in children aged 12 to 17. The authors reviewed data between Jan. 1 and June 18 from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), maintained by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and www.visiontimes.com
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Healthy boys without underlying health conditions were at “Further research higher risk of a caris required to diac adverse event understand (CAE) after mRNA why the risk COVID-19 vacciof myocarditis nation than hospitalization from seems to be COVID-19 within higher following [Moderna] mRNA- 120 days. Search criteria included 1273 vaccine,” “chest pain, myothey stated. carditis, pericarditis and myopericarditis to identify children with evidence of cardiac injury,” followed by a harm-benefit analysis taking into account literature with COVID-19-related hospitalization risk. According to the study, “At times of low adolescent COVID-19 hospitalization rates, such as in June 2021, a CAE from the second dose of an mRNA vaccine in a healthy 12–15-year-old boy was 13.7-fold more likely, at 162.2 per million, than the 120-day risk of COVID-19 hospitalization. The rate of post-
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A worker of a Coronavirus testing facility waits for passengers to arrive from South Africa at Amsterdam Schiphol airport on December 2, 2021 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.(Image:Pierre Crom/Getty Images)
Decreased risk of hospitalization
The South African researchers found that despite the increased infectivity of Omicron, infections were 29 percent less likely to result in hospital admission compared to previous surges in South Africa. Shirley Collie, a Discovery Health statistician, stated, “Adults admitted to hospital currently have a lower propensity to be admitted to high care and intensive care units, relative to prior waves.” Although hospitalization of children has increased by 20 percent, “These cases are mostly mild and the absolute risk in children remains low.” Chief executive of Discovery Health, Ryan Noach, said. “We are hopeful that the current experience of covid-19 caused by the omicron variant—mild disease for the most part—will remain unchanged.” During the Dec. 14 briefing, WHO director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, added, “We are cautiously optimistic as we are seeing fewer deaths during the early weeks of this current wave when compared with previous surges.” According to a study conducted by University of Hong Kong researchers, which has
Over 90 percent of the sequenced infections in South Africa are the Omicron variant.
Result in severe symptoms
“Compared to Delta, Omicron may spread more easily.” The CDC
vaccination CAE for boys 12-15 years without comorbidities (162.2/million) receiving their second vaccination dose exceeds their current 120-day COVID-19 hospitalization risk (44.4/million) by 3.7 times.” Furthermore, “In 16–17-year-old boys without comorbidities, the risk of post-dose two
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not yet been published or peerreviewed, Omicron “replicates 70 times faster than delta in human bronchus, but 10 times slower than delta in human lung tissue.” The authors believe that the faster replication in the bronchus could explain increased transmission between humans, while the slower replication in the lungs “may be an indicator of lower disease severity.”
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One of the authors of the study, Michael Chan Chi-wai, stated, ‘‘It is important to note that the severity of disease in humans is not determined only by virus replication but also by the host immune response to the infection, which may lead to dysregulation of the innate immune system, i.e. ‘cytokine storm.’” Dr. Chan said, “By infecting many more people, a very infectious virus may cause more severe disease and death even though the virus itself may be less pathogenic. Therefore, taken together with our recent studies showing that the Omicron variant can partially escape immunity from vaccines and past infection, the overall threat from [the] Omicron variant is likely to be very significant.”
vaccination CAE exceeds their current 120day hospitalization risk by 2.1 times (94.0/ million vs. 44.4/million per 120-days).” Heart inflammation usually occurred soon after vaccination, with “a median of 2 days following vaccination, and 91.9% occurred within 5 days.”
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A8 | DEC 24 - DEC30, 2021
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Chariot Charity
In 1823, the Troy Sentinel released the poem ‘A Visit From St. Nicholas’, better known as ‘The Night Before Christmas’, which featured eight flying reindeer that pulled Santa’s sleigh. Here, the names of the reindeer were given for the first time. In the poem, Santa would chant,
How the Story of Santa Claus’ Reindeer Began How did reindeer become part of the Christmas tradition? The stories of these antlered assistants hristmas is around the cor- to Santa Claus are as old as the ner and kids are ready to bearded man himself. celebrate with Santa Claus etched in their imaginative minds. Saint over the world However, almost as iconic as Santa To know the origin of the reinClaus are his flying reindeer – nine deer, we can take a look at the origalloping reindeer who fly into the gin of Santa Claus. sky as they pull his sleigh around Before the rise of Christianity the world, helping him deliver pre- in Europe, many people practiced sents to good little children. Norse and Germanic mythology, We know them as Dasher, sharing tales of Thor, the God Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, of Thunder – arguably the most Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and, of famous of all Norse gods at the course, Rudolph. time. The mighty Thor was said to have flown in the sky, riding a chariot hailed by two magical goats with large horns. From the sky, he’d shout, “I’m Thor.” As Christianity spread across the continent, the worshiping of Thor began to wane in place of one St. Nicholas, a saint from the 4th century AD who was celebrated for giving secret gifts. Much like the lovable Santa Claus, the saint was an old man who had a white beard and wore a red outfit. St. Nicholas was also said to have traveled via a noble, white steed, instead of the
Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Dunder and Blixem! To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall! Now, dash away, dash away, dash away all!
By Darren Maung
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magical goats depicted in the legend of Thor. The tale of St. Nicholas found its way to North America as Dutch, German and Scandinavian settlers sailed to the New World. In 1812, American author Washington Irving referred to St. Nicholas as “riding over the tops of the trees, in that self-same wagon wherein he brings his yearly presents to children.” However, what the author didn’t mention was what pulled the wagon. This is where the tale of Santa’s reindeer began.
The steeds of Christmas
In 1821, William Gilley, a printer in New York, published a booklet called A New Year’s Present to tell a story of Christmas. It was this tale that finally made the reference to reindeer. The passage reads,
Letters sent to Santa sent to the North Pole will actually receive a response from Santa, if you follow the simple instructions from the USPS
Old Santeclaus with much delight, His reindeer drives this frosty night. O’er chimney tops, and tracks of snow, To bring his yearly gifts to you. The author of the booklet, however, was supposedly anonymous, presumably leaving some to question the authenticity of Gilley’s published story. Gilley was interviewed by editor of Troy Sentinel, Orville L. Holley, who was skeptical of the author and the inclusion of reindeer in the tale. Gilley responded, “Dear Sir, the idea of a Santeclaus was not mine nor was the idea of a reindeer. The author of the tale
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but submitted the piece, with little added information. However, it should be noted that he did mention the reindeer in a subsequent correspondence. He stated that far in the north near the Arctic lands a series of animals exist, these hooven and antlered animals resemble the reindeer and are feared and honored by those around, as you see he claims to have heard they could fly from his mother. His mother being an Indian of the area.”
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As to why reindeer were chosen over magical goats or noble steeds, it is most likely that someone took inspiration from the very animals that inhabited the lands close to St. Nicholas’ origins. To people who lived in northern Europe, reindeer are highly valued for their connection to the lands they live in. By the 18th century, the animals were domesticated by some northern European cultures, especially the Sámi people (better known as Laplanders by non-Europeans), who used the reindeer for transportation to pull sleds and sleighs. With this knowledge in mind, it is easy to think that someone may have taken the reindeer and used it for the Christmas story. Dunder and Blixem, Santa’s seventh and eighth reindeer named in the 1823 poem, were named after the Dutch words of “thunder” and “lightning.” Other publications of the poem named the two as Donder and Blitzen, the German words for “thunder” and “lightning.” It wasn’t until Johnny Marks’ 1949 song, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, that the name Donner would be used for the seventh reindeer. To this day, people celebrating Christmas sing the names ‘Donner and Blitzen’ for the seventh and eighth reindeer. Whether the names were also inspired by Thor remains to be seen. More than a century later, in 1938, Rudolph was added to the roster, created by Robert L. May for a promotional booklet for a department store, before the aforementioned song by Johnny Marks was conceived in 1949. Because of Rudolph’s unique, shining red nose, he has arguably become the most popular of Santa’s team – he even starred in his own animated movie in 1964. Hence, the classic team of nine reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh through the night on Christmas continues to captivate the minds of children and adults alike. They also showcase the mystical bond between humans and animals, reminding us of how vital the fauna of our world is to our cultures.
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Annual Christmas Stamps From Heated Debate to Holiday Harmony By Simone Jonker
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he holiday season is a busy time for the postal service, with masses of cards and packages being exchanged near and far. Every year, the USPS issues new holiday-themed postage stamps for the billions of holiday cards, letters, and postcards sent by Americans. Along with the new Christmas stamps this year, they are keeping a few old favorites. When Christmas stamps were first issued in 1962, they became an annual tradition, with the option of “traditional” and “contemporary” stamps becoming available in 1970. Traditional stamps generally depict religious artwork, whereas modern ones feature secular scenes. With internet communication, social media, and increased shipping costs, there has been a steady decrease in physically posted Christmas cards over the past several years. Yet sending Christmas cards to distant relatives and acquaintances is still a modest tradition and kind gesture that enables loved ones and friends who live far away to keep in touch in a special way to show they care. Including a Christmas stamp on your card is a charming touch. Ideally, Christmas cards should be sent during the first week of December; however, since Christmas Day is technically the first day of the Christmas season, sending and receiving Christmas cards within 12 days of Christmas is also acceptable. Early calls for Christmas stamps In October 1939, the National Association of Postmasters passed a resolution at its annual convention calling for a special Christmas stamp release. As a result, given the possibility that the war in Europe may ultimately “involve the whole of the Christian world,” the postmasters desired that the stamp convey a message of “peace and good will.” The “inadvertent” effect of preventing the shipping of Christmas cards at third-class postal rates was recognized, but described
The 10-cent Peace on Earth precanceled Christmas stamp was first placed on sale at New York City on November 15, 1974. This issue was the first US postage stamp printed with pressure-sensitive adhesive paper.
The first official Christmas U.S. postage stamp was issued in 1962, beginning a long and colorful history of holiday stamps.
Sending Christmas cards is a special way to show you still think about those you don’t often see or talk to.
as “insignificant.” While Christmas Seals were a popular addition to Christmas mail, many consumers expressed a desire for postage stamps that were specifically themed for the Christmas season.
Stamp stand-ins
Before the United States Postal Service issued Christmas stamps, some consumers sent holiday greetings to friends and family using Christ-
mas stamp substitutes. Some sent Christmas wishes utilizing a mix of red and green stamps. Others utilized stamps that had holiday-themed designs, such as the 1960 issue celebrating the Fifth World Forestry Conference, which depicted what seemed to be a large Christmas tree, and the 1988 Olympic Winter Games stamp, which depicted a snowflake.
First Christmas stamp
To meet “heavy public demand,” Postmaster General J. Edward Day announced in May 1962 at the COMPEX stamp exhibition in Chicago that the USPS would issue a unique Christmas stamp. On Nov. 1, 1962, in Pittsburgh, during the annual meeting of the National Association of Postmasters, a design featuring a wreath, two candles, and the words “Christmas 1962” was distributed. Day said it was the most sought-after stamp ever printed and the first in a series of yearly Christmas stamps. The Department originally ordered 500 million stamps, the most significant quantity ever created for a commemorative stamp. But the stamp was in high demand. Thousands of Post Offices sold out in hours, some within minutes. By the end of November, the Department had increased the printing order to 650 million, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing was struggling to keep up. By Dec. 15, over 862 million stamps had been manufactured and issued. The postmaster general’s special assistant, James Kelleher, termed it “the best-selling special stamp ever.” The following year’s Christmas stamp, picturing the National Christmas Tree in front of the White House, shattered sales records again. The Department had 1,291,250,000 additional stamps made to avoid running out of inventory. Sales were high again, with several postmasters reporting 50 percent increases.
DEC 24 - DEC 30, 2021 |
Department of Homeland Security was commercializing the holiday. The first Christmas stamps to show Madonna and Child, 1966 and 1967, caused even more debate. To avoid controversy, the postmaster general refused to issue the stamp in 1966, stating, “The likeness of the Madonna is a religious symbol commonly associated with the Roman Catholic Church; and that, therefore, for the Government to issue such a postage stamp violates the First Amendment to the Constitution.” To satisfy the opposing parties, starting in 1970, both conventional and
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modern Christmas stamps were printed each year. The traditional stamp generally featured a renowned Madonna and Child artwork, such as Raphael’s Niccolini-Cowper Madonna or Ignacio Chacon’s Madonna and Child with Bird. Toys, seasonal decorations, and Santa Claus have all been featured on contemporary Christmas stamps. In 2021, the Christmas stamp tradition continues with A Visit From St. Nick. The set has four stamp designs that feature Santa Claus bringing presents on Christmas Eve.
Controversies
Despite their widespread appeal, Christmas-themed stamps did not come without their share of controversy. Some individuals said they were too religious and blurring the line between religion and state, while others felt that the stamp designs were not sufficiently religious. As a means of minimizing controversy, the Post Office Department produced Christmas stamps solely with nonreligious motifs, such as festive greenery, during the first few years after the stamps were introduced. Several critics said that by eliminating the “reason for the season,” the
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A10 | DEC 24 - DEC30, 2021
Discovering By Tea with Erping
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hina has an incredible history of 5000 years, reaching all the way back to the time of the first modern civilizations. One of the most important parts of Chinese heritage is its food — which has managed to evolve into one of the world’s most lauded and beloved cuisines. Traditional Chinese recipes have been passed down for generations for thousands of years, becoming a cornerstone of Chinese culture and tradition. One of China’s most well-known cuisines comes from its southwestern province of Sichuan.
Sichuan’s unique topography
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Sichuan cuisine started with the Bashu people in ancient China over 3,000 years ago. The ancient civilization of Bashu is widely regarded as one of the cradles of modern Chinese civilization. The Bashu people inhabited the neighboring areas of the Sichuan Basin. Ba (巴) in the east was located around today’s Chongqing city, and Shu(蜀) to the West is around today’s Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. The complex topography of Sichuan is what provides the region with an abundance of food, ingredients and natural resources, giving its nickname: tian fu zhi guo, or “heavenly Country.” Sichuan is surrounded by mountains on all sides and the Yangtze River runs through its cities. It was recorded that the Ba country “plants five grains and has six livestock,” producing fish, salt, tea, and honey. An old saying pointed to the Sichuan countryside’s mountains and woods as being filled with rich gardens ripe with melons and fruits throughout many generations.
Sichuan’s signature ‘hot and spicy flavor’
Sichuan dishes are known for their spicy and hot flavor. This is due to the use of garlic and chilli peppers — particularly the unique flavor of Sichuan peppercorns — which release a numb, tingly sensation upon consumption. When used well, it adds a touch of distinction and excellence. Due to the region’s high humidity and vast rainfall, the use of hot peppers is beneficial in regulating one’s internal body temperature. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that reducing internal dampness is key to maintaining health and vitality. The region’s warm, humid climate also requires sophisticated foodpreservation techniques, which include: pickling, salting, drying and smoking meats to prolong their shelf Mapo tofu life. Sichuan cuisine is known to excel at these techniques.
Popular Sichuan dishes and their origins
One of the most common and staple dishes in Kung Pao chicken Sichuan cuisine is Mapo tofu. This dish calls for soft silken tofu cooked in a fermented spicy bean sauce with minced beef a nd Sichuan peppercorn. Thanks to this well-loved dish, the capital of Hui Guo Rou Sichuan’s Chengdu was recognized as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy in 2011. Mapo tofu translates to “Pockmarked Grandma’s Beancurd.” Ma stands for pockmarks and Po means old lady or grandmother. The origin of this dish tells the story of an elderly woman surnamed Chen with pockmarks on her
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the Rich History of Sichuan Cuisine
face. Legend says Madame Chen ran a small restaurant near the Wanfu bridge in the late 1800s of the Qing Dynasty. To save money, her customers would bring their own ingredients, mostly just oil, tofu and meat. Madame Chen would make due with the limited ingredients and added green onions, chilli bean paste and other spices — creating one of the most popular ways to cook tofu in Chinese cuisine. Another household favorite is Kung Pao chicken or “cubed diced chicken.” This sizzling dish is cooked with cashew nuts, dried chillies and deep fried to a golden brown color. Kung Pao chicken is well regarded as a staple dish of Chinese cuisine and renowned across the world. Legend has it that Kung Pao chicken was a favorite of Ding Baozhen, a governor in Sichuan. The governor’s official title was Gong Bao, hence the name of the dish (Kung pao is an old romanization). Although no one knows for sure how this dish came to be, there are many theories about its origin. Some claim that Governor Ding brought the recipe with him from his home province of Guizhou, while others say that he ordered his chef to cook the chicken into smaller cubes because he had bad teeth and had trouble chewing. Hui Guo Rou (回鍋肉), which translates to “back-in-the-potmeat” is another highlight of Sichuan cuisine. The name comes from the fact that the fatty pork is cooked twice, first by blanching, then sliced and fried in a wok with black beans and leeks. The dish is then simmered into a flavorsome and aromatic delicacy. Like Kung Pao chicken, hui guo rou comes with a history of political intrigue. In the old days, it was eaten with ritualistic regularity at meetings of Sichuan’s notorious secret societies, before these were wiped out by communists. The dish had to be ordered during such meetings, or else members known as pao ge were not allowed to raise their heads to acknowledge each other. Today, the dish still goes by the nickname of “secret society meat” or pao ge rou in some parts of western Sichuan. Dry frying is one of the most popular methods of cooking in Sichuan cuisine, with fried string beans becoming another staple dish.
Many say the frying of the string beans gives the vegetables a meaty taste and texture. In this dish, the string beans are fried in a hot wok until the skin starts to crinkle. The string beans are seasoned with Sichuan peppercorns, scallions, garlic, ginger and preserved mustard roots. The vegetables are usually stir-fried with minced pork or beef and are the perfect accompaniment to a steaming bowl of white rice.
Don’t forget your cup of tea
The secret to enjoying authentic Sichuan dishes is a good cup of Sichuan tea. Although there are a number of well-known Sichuan teas such as Mt. Emei green tea, Mt Qingcheng green tea and Qionglai black tea, one of the most popular teas is known as Meng Ding Gang Lu, or Meng Mountain green tea. Legend says a Daoist master named Wu Lizhen first planted seven tea bushes on Mt. Meng during the Ganlu era of the Han Dynasty. Before that, tea was picked from wild tea bushes. After Wu died, the tea was called “tea of the immortals” and Buddhist monasteries were later established on the five peaks of the mountain. From the Tang to the Qing dynasties, Buddhist monks would select 360 different kinds of tea leaves and present them to the emperor. The tea was used as a ceremonial offering and Wu Lizhen was conferred the posthumous honorary title of Master of Ganlu, meaning “sweet dew” by Emperor Xiaozong of the Song Dynasty. This is where Mt. Meng tea gets its name from. Before the mid-Tang Dynasty, tea from Mt. Meng was considered rare and highly valued. As demand grew, more tea bushes were planted and according to 16th-century scholar Li Shizhen, tea produced from this mountain is “warm and able to take charge of diseases.” Unlike other kinds of green tea which are generally cold in nature, Mt. Mengtea has a mild and soothing taste.
Panoramic view of Qingcheng Mount, Sichuan province, China
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LIFESTYLE
VISION TIMES
DEC 24 - DEC 30, 2021 |
A11
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WINTERIZE
YOUR GARDEN
IN 6 SIMPLE STEPS By Ila Bonczek
PART 2
Continued from the previous issue
Plant protection
The combination of icy temperatures and high winds can have a desiccating effect on young plants. Trees and shrubs that are just getting established will do better with a layer of protection through the winter. Avoid impervious materials that may collect moisture and invite mold or mildew. Materials like burlap or floating row cover fabrics allow for penetration of moisture along with moderate airflow, while providing a buffer from the wind. Many fig gardeners choose to wrap their plants to reduce the loss of fruiting stems. Broadleaf evergreens and roses also benefit from a covering in extreme cold, as do perennial herbs like lavender, thyme, and oregano that are in exposed areas. Potted plants that are too large to be moved will need extra protection around the pot. Because it is above ground, the contained soil will be subject to frequent freeze and thaw cycles in areas where winter temperatures fluctuate; but pots can be protected with several layers of burlap, or a cushion of collected loose leaves.
Winter Protection for Garden Roses Bush. (Image: Adobe Stock)
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Harvesting any usable compost before the onset of winter will make room for continued winter composting, and make your garden happy as well.
Extended season
Potted plants that are too large to be moved will need extra protection around the pot.(Image: Adobe Stock)
Rescue effort
When temperatures start to drop below freezing, tender plants will suffer damage, or even die. Potted plants like begonias, geraniums, and oxalis that have enjoyed the fresh air up until now, will want to be brought back indoors. Cut them back a bit, and keep them in a cool, sunny window for best results. While most annuals will have to be sacrificed, it is possible to pot up some tender herbs, like basil and marjoram, and overwinter them indoors. Tender bulbs like gladiolus, cannas, and dahlias should be removed in hardiness zones of seven and below. Carefully dig the bulbs and shake off excess soil. Stack them loosely in a well ventilated area – like a garage. When the leaves dry, trim them off, and store the bulbs in a cool (but not freezing) dark location – like the basement, until it’s time to re-plant in the spring.
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By erecting a simple cold frame or primitive greenhouse, vegetable gardeners may be able to keep a continuous crop of greens like arugula, kale, lettuce, tatsoi, and spinach. Lining your beds with straw bale walls and giving them a ceiling of old windows can create a quick greenhouse effect, prolonging the life of your favorite hardy vegetables. Plants like Floating row covers prorosemary, vide a layer of protection, Swiss chard, while allowing light, air, and parsley and moisture to penecan often trate, making an ideal material for winterizaendure the tion. (Image: Scot Nelson via whole win- Flickr CC0 1.0) ter if given enough protection. Don’t be afraid to experiment and see what works. In most cases, other than your time and effort, you’ve got nothing to lose by trying. With cold hardy plants, a simple row cover can add weeks to your harvest. Although little to no growing takes place in the winter, plants that have been protected are quick to revive and thrive in the spring.
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Compost maintenance
If you have an active compost pile, you’ll want to keep it alive. Piling straw or bagged leaves around the perimeter can help maintain the warmth generated by, and necessary to the living organisms that make the magic happen. Harvesting any usable compost before the onset of winter will make room for continued winter composting, and make your garden happy as well.
Row of pine trees wrapped in burlap protective covering for the winter.(Image: Adobe Stock)
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