The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sent guidelines on August 27 to all 50 states, U.S. territories and several large cities, telling them to be prepared to distribute a coronavirus vaccine by Nov. 1, two days before the presidential election, according to several media reports Wednesday.In a four-page memo sent to governors in August, the CDC told health departments to draft vaccination plans by October 1 “to coincide with the earliest possible release of COVID-19 vaccine.”McClatchy first reported news of the letter, which other media then reported.The CDC declined to comment on the letter, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.States “in the near future” will receive permit applications from McKesson Corp., the firm that has contracted with the CDC to distribute vaccines to sites including state and local health departments and hospitals, CDC Director Robert Redfield wrote in the August 27 letter, according to the media.“CDC urgently requests your assistance in expediting applications for these distribution facilities and, if necessary, asks that you consider waiving requirements that would prevent these facilities from becoming fully operational by November 1, 2020,” Redfield wrote.’Tremendous amount of work to be done’Health departments, however, said they lack the staff, money and tools to educate people about vaccines and then to distribute, administer and track hundreds of millions of doses, according to the AP.“There is a tremendous amount of work to be done to be prepared for this vaccination program, and it will not be complete by November 1,” Dr. Kelly Moore, associate director of immunization education at the Immunization Action Coalition, a national vaccine education and advocacy organization in Minnesota, told the AP. “States will need more financial resources than they have now.”A recent poll from AP-NOR Center for Public Affairs Research found that only about half of Americans said they would get vaccinated.Molly Howell, who manages the North Dakota Department of Health’s immunization program, told the AP it would be crucial to educate people about the benefits of vaccination.The AP report said while the U.S. has committed more than $10 billion to developing new coronavirus vaccines, no money has specifically been allocated for distributing and administering the vaccines.Also Wednesday, the United States said it will not participate in a global initiative to develop, manufacture and equally distribute a vaccine for COVID-19 because the World Health Organization (WHO) is taking a leading role in the effort.More than 170 countries are in talks to participate in the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, called COVAX, a joint project undertaken by WHO, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.Gavi was founded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to vaccinate children in the world’s poorest countries.White House spokesperson Judd Deere issued a statement saying the United States “will continue to engage our international partners to ensure we defeat this virus, but we will not be constrained by multilateral organizations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organization and China.”President Donald Trump announced in July that he was withdrawing the United States from WHO, claiming the agency mishandled the coronavirus outbreak and showed deference to China, where the virus was first detected late last year.The State Department said Wednesday that as part of the withdrawal, the administration would redirect $62 million of its 2020 WHO dues to meet its obligations under the United Nations’ regular budget.Under withdrawal terms, Washington must provide a one-year notice to WHO and fully meet the payment of its assessed financial obligations. Washington had already paid $58 million of this year’s $120 million contribution at the time of the president’s decision to withdraw. The U.S. says it will in the future redirect money that would have gone to WHO to “other more credible partners.”’A real blow’On the vaccine effort, Suerie Moon, co-director of the Global Health Center at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, told The Washington Post that when the United States decides not “to participate in any sort of multilateral effort to secure vaccines, it’s a real blow.”The Trump administration has launched its own COVID-19 vaccine initiative, Operation Warp Speed, that aims to deliver 300 million doses of an approved vaccine by January. The initiative has distributed billions of dollars to a handful of pharmaceutical companies to develop, manufacture and test a potential vaccine.”This president will spare no expense to ensure that any new vaccine maintains our own FDA’s gold standard for safety and efficacy, is thoroughly tested, and saves lives,” Deere said in his statement, referring to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).The Trump administration’s initiative is one of many around the world aiming to quickly introduce a COVID-19 vaccine, with a handful currently in late-stage human trials. But recent remarks by FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn that the agency would consider authorizing an emergency use of a vaccine before the completion of late-stage human trials raised concerns Monday among WHO officials.Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO’s chief scientist, said issuing such an authorization “has to be done with a great deal of seriousness and reflection. It’s not something that you do very lightly.”Blood plasma treatmentIn a related development, a panel of U.S. government health experts said there is no evidence to date that convalescent blood plasma is an effective treatment for coronavirus patients to help them build immunity.Convalescent blood plasma comes from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 and is rich in antibodies. The FDA approved an emergency authorization of the use of convalescent blood plasma August 23, a decision Trump described as “truly historic.”But a panel of more than 30 experts for the National Institutes of Health issued a statement Tuesday that there is “insufficient data to recommend either for or against the use” of convalescent blood plasma, and said doctors should not rely on it as a standard of care until more studies have been conducted.A day after the emergency authorization was announced, Hahn apologized for apparently overstating the benefits of using convalescent blood plasma.Hahn reaffirmed claims made by Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar of a 35% decrease in mortality among those younger than 80 years of age who were not on a respirator, a month after receiving the treatment early in the course of their disease.But critics said the administration’s claim was a gross exaggeration of preliminary findings of a study conducted by the Mayo Clinic, noting that the study lacked a comparison group of untreated COVID-19 patients.Hahn conceded this fact in a tweet apologizing for his remarks, explaining that he should have said that the data shows “a relative risk reduction, not an absolute risk reduction.”Margaret Besheer at the United Nations contributed to this report. 
…

Opposition politician Jacob Ngarivhume and award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono were granted bail on Wednesday at their fourth attempt after being detained in July for calling for protests.In separate rulings, the High Court granted their appeals against the ruling of a lower court that had denied them bail, saying its judges had erred.”I remain strong,” Chin’ono told reporters after his release.”(In prison) we have seen what we only used to hear about,” he added. “Now we know and we can write authoritatively about those things.”Zimbabwe opposition politician Jacob Ngarivhume, the leader of Transform Zimbabwe, speaks to the press after his release on bail from Chikurubi Maximum Prison in Harare, Sept. 2, 2020.Ngarivhume was ordered to pay a bond of 50,000 Zimbabwe dollars ($602) and Chin’ono ZW$10,000 ($120), and both must surrender their passports and report to the police three times a week. They have also been barred from tweeting.”His bail conditions are extremely strict,” said Chin’ono’s lawyer Doug Coltart, denouncing the lengthy incarceration as a “huge injustice”.Charged with inciting violence, the high-profile pair head the list of government critics and opposition activists who have been arrested in recent months for voicing concern about Zimbabwe’s deepening crisis.Ngarivhume, the leader of a party called Transform Zimbabwe, called for protests against corruption and the country’s catastrophic economic state, while Chin’ono sent out a tweet supporting that call.The protests were scheduled for July 31 — the second anniversary of a general election controversially won by President Emmerson Mnangagwa — but were then banned on the grounds of coronavirus restrictions.Handing down judgement in Chin’ono’s case, High Court Judge Tawanda Chitapi said the “reasons given by the magistrate in denying him bail are hereby set aside.”He said “the magistrate misdirected in failing to find that the passing of July 31 was a changed circumstance”.Lawyers stage a protest outside the High Court while awaiting a bail hearing for jailed journalist Hopwell Chin’ono, in Harare, Zimbabwe, Sept. 2, 2020.South African missionOutside prison, Ngarivhume said the government had “denied us our freedom” without reason.”Which investor would come to a country where a state, a government goes against you,” he said. “… 45 days to get bail, it’s unbelievable!”More than two dozen people including opposition activists who held flash demonstrations in their neighborhoods were also arrested and freed on bail a day after the banned protests.Those arrested included top writer and Booker Prize nominee Tsitsi Dangarembga.In neighboring South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday he would be sending a second batch of envoys to Zimbabwe within “days” in a fresh attempt to resolve the crisis.A first delegation last month did not meet opposition parties and was widely criticized for failing to confront President Emmerson Mnangagwa about the crackdown on dissent.Western diplomats in Harare last week warned Zimbabwe against using the coronavirus pandemic to crush dissent.Mnangagwa has grown increasingly hostile towards critics since he took over from his longtime despotic predecessor Robert Mugabe, ousted by a coup in 2017.He went on win disputed elections held in July 2018, eight months after Mugabe was tossed out of office.The southern African country has been crippled by decades of mismanagement, and many Zimbabweans complain that the situation has grown worse under Mnangagwa.Inflation has shot to more than 800% and the United Nations says more than two-thirds of the population are food insecure.In July he vowed to “flush out” the “bad apples” attempting to “divide our people” — stoking concern among social activists and opposition figures already targeted by the government.Mnangagwa’s harsh rhetoric and a recent spate of high-profile arrests have sparked outrage on social media.Meantime some 30 lawyers staged a protest and laid fresh white flowers at the entrance of the High Court in Harare, calling for the respect of the constitution and human rights.
…

An American soldier who helped rescue about 70 hostages set to be executed by Islamic State militants in Iraq has been approved to receive the Medal of Honor for actions during a daring 2015 raid, The Associated Press has learned.Sgt. Maj. Thomas “Patrick” Payne, a Ranger assigned to the U.S. Army’s Special Operations Command, will receive the U.S. military’s highest honor for valor in combat in a White House ceremony set to be held on the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.Medal confirmed by Defense DepartmentThe medal approval was confirmed by two Defense Department officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak on the record. Payne was initially given the Army’s second-highest award, the Distinguished Service Cross, for the special operations raid, which is now being upgraded to a Medal of Honor.Contacted by the AP on Monday, the Pentagon would not comment. The White House did not respond to an email inquiry.The medal will honor Payne’s actions in a daring predawn raid on Oct. 22, 2015. Seeking to rescue 70 Islamic State hostages, American and Kurdish commandos flew in CH-47 Chinook helicopters to the town of Huwija, located roughly 15 kilometers (9 miles) west of the Iraqi city of Kirkuk.The Kurdish Regional Government, the autonomous body that governs the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, had received a tip that the 70 prisoners, including peshmerga fighters, as the Kurdish forces are known, would soon be massacred by Islamic State militants. Aerial photos of the compound showed what intelligence officials believed to be freshly dug mass graves where their bodies would be dumped.’Time was of the essence’The plan called for members of the American unit to support the Kurdish commandos in their operation but not join in on the main effort to rescue the prisoners.”Time was of the essence,” Payne said, according to a news release obtained by the AP and not yet made public. “There were freshly dug graves. If we didn’t action this raid, then the hostages were likely to be executed.”The raid began with a failure. Kurdish forces attempted to make a dynamic entry by blasting a hole in the compound’s outer wall, but the blast failed. The explosion alerted the ISIS militants, who opened fire on the Kurdish forces.Payne and his unit climbed over a wall and entered the prison compound. The soldiers quickly cleared one of the two buildings known to house hostages. Once inside the building, the unit encountered enemy resistance. The team used bolt cutters to break the locks off the prison doors, freeing nearly 40 hostages.Moments later, an urgent call over the radio was received from other task force members engaged in an intense gun fight at the second building.Between 10 to 20 Army soldiers, including Payne and Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler maneuvered towards the second building that Payne said was a “heavily-fortified building, which was partially on fire.” Kurdish commandos were pinned down by the gunfire.American killed during operationAt some point in his attempt to rescue the Kurdish forces, Wheeler was shot and killed. Wheeler was the first American killed in action since the U.S. launched renewed military intervention in Iraq against the Islamic State in 2014. 20 ISIS fighters were also killed in the operation.The team scaled a ladder onto the roof of the one-story building under a savage fusillade of enemy machine-gun fire from below. From their roof-top vantage point, the commandos engaged the enemy with hand grenades and small arms fire, according to the press release.Payne said at that point, ISIS fighters began to detonate their suicide vests, causing the roof to shake. The team quickly moved off the roof to an entry point for building two.ISIS fighters continued to exchange gunfire with the commandos as they entered the building. Payne moved to open another fortified door. According to the press release, he managed to cut the first lock, but due to the heavy smoke from the fire, he had to hand off the bolt cutters to an Iraqi counterpart and retreat out of the building for fresh air.After some time, the Iraqi partner also came out for fresh air. Payne grabbed the bolt cutters and re-entered the building to cut off the last lock. Once the door was kicked opened, both American and Kurdish commandos escorted about 30 more hostages out of the burning building that was about to collapse and under enemy gunfire.Joined the Army in 2002Payne re-entered the building two more times to ensure every hostage was freed. One of those times he had to forcibly remove one of the hostages who had been too frightened to move during the chaotic scene, said Payne in the press release.Payne joined the Army in 2002 as an infantryman and quickly made his way into the Rangers. He has deployed several times to combat zones as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment and in various positions with the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.He is a Purple Heart recipient from a wound he sustained in a separate 2010 mission in Afghanistan. And as a sergeant first class in 2012, Payne won the Army’s Best Ranger Competition, representing USASOC.Payne is married with three children and is currently stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He is from the South Carolina towns of Batesburg-Leesville and Lugoff.Last week, Defense Secretary Mark Esper endorsed awarding the Medal of Honor to a soldier who sustained fatal burns while acting to save fellow soldiers in Iraq in 2005. Army Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn C. Cashe of Florida previously received the Silver Star for his actions.
…

Із жовтня в Україні не можна буде розраховуватися старими банкнотами та 25-копійковими монетами, повідомив Національний банк України.

«По-перше, монети номіналом 25 копійок та усі банкноти гривні старих зразків, уведені в обіг до 2003 року, перестають бути засобом платежу під час здійснення розрахунків готівкою та будуть вилучені з обігу з 1 жовтня 2020 року. По-друге, Національний банк буде активніше виводити з обігу паперові банкноти 1 і 2 гривні і монети 1 гривня зразка 1996 року, замінюючи їх на відповідні обігові монети зразка 2018 року», – розповіли в НБУ.

Регулятор повідомив, що громадяни зможуть без обмежень та безкоштовно обміняти монети номіналом 25 копійок та старі банкноти, уведені в обіг до 2003 року, на монети та банкноти інших номіналів і зразків упродовж наступних трьох років. До 30 вересня 2021 року це можна буде зробити в усіх українських банках. Після цього і до 30 вересня 2022 року старі монети та банкноти прийматимуть НБУ, «Ощадбанк», «Приватбанку», «Райффайзен Банк Аваль» та ПУМБ.

 
…

Fake news about the coronavirus can do real harm. Polygraph.info is spotlighting fact-checks from other reliable sources here​.Daily DebunkClaim: “No nation on earth was really prepared for COVID. No amount of preparation because that kind of microbes visits about once every 100 years.” Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, July 27, 2020.Verdict: FalseRead the full story at: FactRakers​ Social Media DisinfoScreenshot Circulating on social media: Video purportedly showing India’s health minister slapping people who are not wearing face masks.Verdict: FalseRead the full story at: Agence France-Presse Factual Reads on CoronavirusCoronavirus research updates: Even octogenarians develop potent antibodiesNature wades through the literature on the new coronavirus — and summarizes key papers as they appear.
— Nature, September 1
…

Уряд хоче закупити 100 нових пасажирських вагонів у 2021 році, повідомила «Укрзалізниця».

Новий голова правління компанії Володимир Жмак заявив, що уряд готується подати Верховній Раді відповідні бюджетні програми.

«Мова йде про програму оновлення рухомого складу для перевезення пасажирів, що передбачатиме виділення 3,288 млрд грн на закупівлю 100 пасажирських вагонів та програму «Модернізація залізничної інфраструктури» на суму 1,179 млрд грн», – пояснили в «Укрзалізниці».

«Укрзалізниця» планувала придбати в 2020 році 26 нових вагонів та ще 40 модернізувати.
…

На українському міжбанківському валютному ринку триває тенденція останніх днів – щодня національна валюта втрачає по кілька копійок щодо долара США. За даними Finance.ua, станом на 12:20 котирування сягнули 27 гривень 63–65 копійок за долар (рівень відкриття торгів – 27 гривень 57,5–59,5 копійки за одиницю американської валюти).

«Попит перевищує пропозицію. Відбуваються операції по лотах до 1 мільйона доларів при явному бажанні продавців та спекулянтів максимально підтягнути котирування вгору», – інформує сайт «Мінфін».

Національний банк України встановив опівдні 2 вересня довідкове значення курсу 27 гривень 63 копійки за долар, це на 3 копійки більше за офіційний курс на сьогодні.

 
…

Євро подорожчав на 73 копійки, свідчать дані на сайті Національного банку України.

На 3 вересня вартість євро встановлена на рівні 32 гривень 80 копійок. Це найбільше значення з лютого 2018 року.

Долар подорожчав на чотири копійки – до 27 гривень 64 копійок.
…

U.S. Senator Ed Markey won a high-profile Democratic primary Tuesday, defeating a challenge by Massachusetts Congressman Joe Kennedy III.The 39-year-old Kennedy had cast the 74-year-old Markey as out of touch after a long career in Congress and drew a late endorsement from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.But Markey had strong popularity in Massachusetts and had the support of prominent progressives in the Democratic Party, including Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.Markey will be a strong favorite in the general election in November when he faces Republican candidate Kevin O’Connor.Several Democratic House incumbents also fended off primary challengers Tuesday.House Ways and Means Committee Chairman, Richard Neal defeated Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse in a race in the state’s 1st Congressional District and will serve a new term starting in January since he faces no opponent on the November ballot.In the 6th Congressional District, Congressman Seth Moulton, who briefly ran in the race for president before dropping out last year, defeated two challengers.In the 8th Congressional District, incumbent Congressman Stephen Lynch defeated infectious disease expert Robbie Goldstein.
…

 The U.N. Development Program warns the explosion at the Port of Beirut has unleashed tons of hazardous waste that pose enormous threats to health and the environment if not disposed of properly.  The prognosis is not good.  U.N. officials say the situation preceding the blast that turned parts of Lebanon’s capital city into rubble was already dismal.  They say huge quantities of construction and demolition waste were generated when the 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at the port exploded nearly one month ago. FILE – A general view shows the damaged grain silos of Beirut’s harbor and its surroundings on Aug. 5, 2020, one day after a powerful twin explosion tore through Lebanon’s capital.Jihan Seoud is program manager of UNDP’s Environment and Energy Program in Lebanon.  She says the amount of toxic waste discharged by the blast is estimated between 100,000 and 800,000 tons. She says the likely impact of hazardous waste from chemical contamination produced by materials such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, lead and heavy metals is of great concern. “These chemicals can have a negative effect on health of people that are exposed to them and can also contaminate the soil and water… Initial reports of air pollution from the blast is now considered to be limited.  However, chemical contamination of particles that were scattered by the explosion may become airborne again and could pose a public health risk,”  she said. Seoud warns marine life also could be contaminated by seeping chemicals if the waste in the port is not contained and treated properly.  She says the safe disposal of the toxic waste is a big problem because Lebanon has limited land available for landfilling.  She says the country also has no hazardous waste storage or treatment facilities.  To make things worse, the U.N. official says the blast severely damaged one of the two municipal waste facilities in Beirut.  She adds the facility that remains is unable to  handle the amount of waste being generated. “It is filling up faster and we already have a potential crisis because of that because the landfill is reaching its capacity.   So, this was a pre-existing situation in the country that has only worsened and been compounded by the blast,” she said. “This is also why the debris and the waste from the blast should not go to the municipal landfills because there is not room and capacity there.  They should be treated separately.” Seoud says the U.N. and the European Union are working together to ensure that debris removal and waste management is done properly and in an environmentally sound manner.  She says the cost of this operation is estimated at more than $100 million.    
…

Данська компанія іграшок Lego зафіксувала зростання продажів за останні півроку – на тлі пандемії коронавірусної інфекції.

Як повідомила компанія 2 вересня, загальний обсяг продажів зріс на 7%, до 15,7 мільярда крон (це близько 2,5 мільярда доларів) порівняно з аналогічним періодом минулого року. Операційний прибуток зріс на 11%, а чистий прибуток, який включає всі потенційні фінансові статті, включно з податковими платежами, впав лише на 1%.

«Я дуже радий за добрий результат, попри спалах коронавірусної інфекції», – сказав генеральний директор Lego Нільс Крістіансен агентству Associated Press.

Компанія Lego зафіксувала двозначне зростання продажів у своїх основних ринкових групах, включно з Америкою, Західною Європою та Азією.

Приріст операційного прибутку був зумовлений значним обсягом продажів, компенсованим інвестиціями в довгострокові ініціативи щодо зростання та вищими витратами на перевезення, пов’язаними з доставкою продукції після тимчасового закриття заводів у Мексиці та Китаї.

Головний офіс компанії розташований у Біллунді, на заході Данії. Lego виробляє в Мексиці продукцію для своїх американських ринків, в Китаї – для азійського, а виробництво в Європі здійснюється на заводах у Чехії та Данії.
…

The United States says it will not participate in a global initiative to develop, manufacture and equally distribute a vaccine for COVID-19 because the World Health Organization is taking a leading role in the effort. More than 170 countries are in talks to participate in the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, dubbed Covax, a joint project undertaken by the WHO, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, an organization founded by Bill and Melinda Gates to vaccinate children in the world’s poorest countries.In this Aug. 14, 2020, file photo, laboratory technicians work at the mAbxience biopharmaceutical company on an experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University and the laboratory AstraZeneca in Garin, Argentina.President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the WHO back in July, after claiming the agency mishandled the outbreak and showed deference to China, where the virus was first detected late last year. White House spokesman Judd Deere issued a statement saying the United States “will continue to engage our international partners to ensure we defeat this virus, but we will not be constrained by multilateral organizations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organization and China.” Surie Moon, the co-director of the Global Health Center at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, told The Washington Post that when the United States decides not “to participate in any sort of multilateral effort to secure vaccines, it’s a real blow.” The Trump administration has launched its own COVID-19 vaccine initiative, Operation Warp Speed, that aims to deliver 300 million doses of an approved vaccine by next January.  The initiative has distributed billions of dollars to a handful of pharmaceutical companies to develop, manufacture and test a potential vaccine.Senator Roy Blunt, R-Mo. and Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., speak with Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the NIH, after he testified at a hearing on the plan to research, manufacture and distribute a coronavirus vaccine, known as Operation Warp Speed.”This president will spare no expense to ensure that any new vaccine maintains our own FDA’s gold standard for safety and efficacy, is thoroughly tested, and saves lives,” Deere said in his statement, referring to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Trump administration’s initiative is one of many around the world aiming to quickly introduce a COVID-19 vaccine, with a handful currently in late-stage human trials.  But recent remarks by Dr. Stephen Hahn, the FDA commissioner, that the agency would consider authorizing an emergency use of a vaccine before the completion of  late-stage human trials raised concerns among WHO officials Monday.   Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO’s chief scientist, said issuing such an authorization “has to be done with a great deal of seriousness and reflection. It’s not something that you do very lightly.” In a related development, a panel of government health experts says there is no evidence to date that convalescent blood plasma is an effective treatment for coronavirus patients to help them build immunity. Convalescent blood plasma comes from patients who have recovered from the coronavirus and is rich in antibodies. The FDA approved an emergency authorization of the use of convalescent blood plasma on August 23, a decision President Trump described as “truly historic.” But a panel of more than three dozen experts for the National Institutes of Health issued a statement Tuesday that there is “insufficient data to recommend either for or against the use” of convalescent blood plasma, and says doctors should not rely on it as a standard of care until more studies have been conducted. A day after the emergency authorization was announced, FDA Commissioner Hahn, the FDA commissioner, apologized for apparently overstating the benefits of using convalescent blood plasma. Dr. Hahn reaffirmed claims made by Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar of a 35% decrease in mortality among those younger than 80 years of age who were not on a respirator, a month after receiving the treatment early in the course of their disease.  But critics said the administration’s claim was a gross exaggeration of preliminary findings of a study conducted by the prestigious Mayo Clinic, noting that the study lacked a comparison group of untreated COVID-19 patients.    Dr. Hahn conceded this fact in a tweet apologizing for his remarks, explaining that he should have said that the data shows “a relative risk reduction not an absolute risk reduction.”   
…

The United States and Mexico plan to hold talks within 90 days to discuss U.S. concerns that imports of Mexican fruits and vegetables could be harming U.S. farmers. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s office announced Tuesday the United States wants to specifically look at imports of strawberries, bell peppers and other seasonal perishable goods, and that the review could lead to the imposition of tariffs. “President Trump recognizes the challenges faced by American farmers and is committed to promoting and securing fair trade and a level playing field for all American producers,” Lighthizer said in a statement. Mexico’s economy ministry committed to participating in the talks and, in a statement, said it wants to “find mutually satisfactory solutions to the concerns raised by the agricultural industry of both countries.” Mexico also said it would seek to “defend the preferential access of Mexican agricultural exports to the United States.” The two countries, along with Canada, began a new trade deal called the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement two months ago, replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement that had governed trade in the region for 26 years. 
…

Six-time winner Serena Williams got off to a winning start Tuesday at a U.S. Open like no other, being played without spectators and with stringent measures to prevent Covid-19 infections. Williams powered past 96th-ranked Kristie Ahn 7-5, 6-3 as she launched her protracted pursuit of a record-equaling 24th singles Grand Slam title on day two at Flushing Meadows. Elsewhere, Andy Murray fought back from two sets down to win a five-set thriller against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka, in his first singles Grand Slam match in 18 months because of injury and the coronavirus pandemic. Williams overcame the loss of her first service game in the opening set to advance at a virtually empty Arthur Ashe Stadium, where artwork by black artists is displayed in honor of the Black Lives Matter movement against racial injustice. “I was really happy with how I just fought for every point no matter how I was playing,” said Williams, joking that it felt like she hadn’t won a match in straight sets “since the ’90s.” It has been more than three years since Williams won her 23rd Grand Slam title at the 2017 Australian Open – when she was already pregnant with daughter Olympia. She has come close since, reaching four major finals only to come away empty-handed. Williams needs one more to equal Margaret Court’s record, and her chances should be improved by the absence of several top players because of coronavirus concerns or injury. World number one Ashleigh Barty, the second-ranked Simona Halep and Canadian Bianca Andreescu – who stunned Williams in last year’s final – are all absent from the behind-closed-doors tournament. A title win for Williams would also see her become the most decorated women’s player at the U.S. Open in the modern era. She is currently tied with Chris Evert for most U.S. Open women’s titles with six. Andy Murray, of Great Britain, reacts after defeating Yoshihito Nishioka, of Japan, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Sept. 1, 2020, in New York.Earlier, Murray secured a stunning 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 come-from-behind victory in a bruising 4 hr and 39 min encounter against the 49th-ranked Nishioka. The Scotsman, who who has barely played in 2020, said he had learnt a lot about his physical condition and the metal hip he received during surgery last year. “I’ve just played a four-and-a-half hour match when I never thought I’d be able to,” he told reporters.  “I’m not sitting here with my hip throbbing and aching. I’ll be able to sleep fine tonight and things like that.” Murray will play 15th seed Canadian Felix Auger-Allassime in the second round. Navarro tributeIn early matches, 10th seed Garbine Muguruza, the 2016 French Open champion and 2017 Wimbledon winner, advanced to round two with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Japan’s Nao Havino. She dedicated the win to compatriot Carla Suarez Navarro, who revealed Tuesday that she had been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma and will require six months of chemotherapy. “You know, she’s such a nice woman, so sweet, so kind, so humble. When these things happen to these good people, I feel, like, so sad about it,” said Muguruza. Also in the women’s draw, ninth seed Johanna Konta beat compatriot Heather Watson 7-6 (9/7), 6-1 in a tie dubbed the “Battle of Britain.” And 16th seed Elise Mertens of Belgium cruised into the second round with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Germany’s Laura Siegemund. U.S. hope Amanda Anisimova, seeded 22nd, also made sure of her place in the second round with a hard-fought win over Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova. And American Sofia Kenin needed just over an hour to score a 6-2, 6-2 win over unseeded Belgian Yanina Wickmayer at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Dominic Thiem, of Austria, reacts during a match against Jaume Munar, of Spain, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Sept. 1, 2020, in New York.Thiem advancesIn the men’s competition, number two seed Dominic Thiem progressed to round two when opponent Jaume Munar retired after the second set at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Munar abandoned before the start of the third set, with Austria’s Thiem leading 7-6 (8/6), 6-3. Thiem and third seed Daniil Medvedev are high up in the draw due to the absence of Rafael Nadal, over coronavirus fears, and Swiss legend Roger Federer, due to injury. Thiem now faces India’s Sumit Nagal, who became the first Indian man since 2013 to the reach the second round of a Grand Slam event with a 6-1, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win over Bradley Klahn of the United States. The U.S. Open is taking place in a spectator-free bubble at the US National Tennis Center in New York. Players’ movements are tightly controlled, and everyone onsite is being tested regularly to minimize the risk of infection. France’s Benoit Paire was withdrawn on the eve of the tournament Sunday after returning a positive test. 
…