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Just about anything with effervescence is more popular today than during any time I can recall. This includes everything from colas, seltzers, and beer to high-quality champagnes.
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Chicago Tribune
20 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vow to overhaul vaccine injury program echoes grievances of anti-vaccine movement
WASHINGTON — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is vowing to 'fix' the federal program for compensating Americans injured by vaccines, opening the door to sweeping changes for a system long targeted by anti-vaccine activists. Health experts and lawyers say updates are needed to help clear a backlog of cases in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, created by Congress in 1986 as a no-fault payment system for presumed vaccine injuries. But they also worry Kennedy's changes will reflect his history as a leader in the anti-vaccine movement, which has alternately called for abolishing the program or expanding it to cover unproven injuries and illnesses that aren't connected to vaccines. Kennedy and other critics believe the program is 'too miserly in what it considers to be a vaccine injury,' said Jason Schwartz, a public health expert at Yale University. 'That's created great concern that he could expand what's included.' Anti-vaccine groups have long suggested a link between vaccines and autism, despite scientific consensus that childhood vaccines don't cause the condition. Adding autism to the list of injuries covered by the plan 'would dramatically increase the number of compensable cases, potentially bankrupting it,' Schwartz said. Signed into law under President Ronald Reagan, the compensation program is designed to provide quick, efficient compensation to Americans who report known injuries associated with vaccines, such as rare allergic reactions. At the time of its creation, a number of vaccine-makers were exiting the business due to risks of class action lawsuits. In a recent social media post, Kennedy called the program 'broken' and accused federal lawyers and adjudicators who run it of 'inefficiency, favoritism and outright corruption.' Kennedy didn't specify the changes he's seeking. But some of the people he's enlisted to help have a history of bringing vaccine injury cases. In June, the Department of Health and Human Services awarded a $150,000 contract to an Arizona law firm for 'expertise' in the program. The firm's Andrew Downing, an attorney specializing in vaccine injury cases, was listed in the HHS staff directory for a time. 'We just brought a guy in this week who is going to be revolutionizing the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program,' Kennedy told Tucker Carlson shortly after the award. Revamping the program would be the latest in a string of decisions that have upended U.S. vaccine policy, including this week's cancellation of research funding for vaccines using mRNA technology. Downing has had a leading role in lawsuits against Merck alleging injuries from its HPV vaccine, Gardasil, including a rare movement disorder. In a podcast last year for people with the condition, Downing lamented that the injury compensation program 'has taken a hard line' against such cases, leading lawyers to file injury lawsuits in civil court. Approximately 70% of the Gardasil cases against Merck started as claims filed by Downing in the federal injury program, according to court records. A judge dismissed more than 120 of those cases, citing 'a paucity of evidence' that Gardasil caused patients' problems. A spokesman for Kennedy declined to comment on Downing's hiring. Kennedy himself has been involved in the Gardasil litigation, as both an attorney and consultant. Before joining the government, Kennedy received payments for referring potential Gardasil clients to Wisner Baum, one of the law firms suing Merck. Following questions about the agreement during his confirmation hearings, Kennedy agreed to give up his stake in the deal and transfer any future fees to 'a nondependent, adult son,' according to his financial disclosures. One of Kennedy's sons is an attorney at Wisner Baum. Experts who study vaccine compensation say real changes are needed to modernize the 40-year-old program. The cap on compensation remains $250,000 for injury or death, the same as in 1986. Similarly, the program still has eight adjudicators, known as special masters, to review all cases before the government. On average, the process takes two to three years. The fund has paid out $5.4 billion, compensating about 40% of all people who filed claims. The U.S. has an 'ethical obligation' to promptly pay those harmed by government-recommended vaccines, says Dorit Reiss, a professor at the University of California Hastings College of the Law. 'Plus, I think it increases trust in the vaccination program if you have quick, generous compensation,' Reiss said. As health secretary, Kennedy has broad powers to reshape the program. One approach could be adding new diseases and illnesses to the government table of payable injuries. In the early 2000s, the program ruled against more than 5,000 claims from families who said vaccines led to their children's autism, citing hundreds of scientific studies discrediting the link. Critics of Kennedy say he could claim that he has new evidence of harm — perhaps from a large autism study he's commissioned — and add the condition to the program. In response, the federal government might have to increase taxes on vaccines to replenish the compensation fund, which would make the shots more expensive and less accessible. 'Then you will start to watch the vaccine program infrastructure in this country disintegrate until someone steps in,' Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine researcher at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia who has clashed with Kennedy for years. A recent Senate hearing titled 'Voice of the Vaccine Injured' appeared to make the case for expanding the program. Witnesses included two representatives from Children's Health Defense, the nonprofit group that Kennedy previously chaired and has repeatedly sued the government over vaccines. The group's chief science officer, Brian Hooker, told lawmakers he tried unsuccessfully for 16 years trying to get compensation for his son's autism, which he attributes to the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine. Another approach would involve removing certain vaccines from the program, making it easier to bring lawsuits against vaccine-makers. Under current law, people claiming injuries from vaccines covered by the program must first pursue a compensation claim before they can sue. In cases where the science doesn't support a connection to vaccines, lawyers might be more successful before a jury. 'Jury trials take advantage of the fact that most jurors don't know anything about science or medicine,' Offit said. 'They are not going to be as easily moved by the data.' Still, attorneys who bring cases before the compensation program say the process has become more burdensome and adversarial over the years. Even small changes could improve things. For instance, the statute of limitations for claims could be extended beyond the current three years, which lawyers say cuts off many potential clients. 'I'm hoping there will be changes put in place that make the program easier for petitioners to navigate' said Leah Durant, a vaccine injury attorney.
USA Today
20 minutes ago
- USA Today
Rent for less than $1,000 a month? You can find it in these 17 cities.
Yes, the rent is still too damn high – but there are some places in the United States where you might just find a bargain. A USA TODAY analysis of Apartment List data shows that there are 17 metro areas across the country where the median rent is less than $1,000 per month – well below the national median of $1,402 and a mere fraction of the cost in some of the country's pricier metros. The dearth of affordable housing is having an impact. Researchers at Harvard University's Joint Center on Housing Studies, in an annual report released in June, noted that rental 'unaffordability' had hit an all-time high for the third year in a row. In 2023, there were 22.6 million renters considered 'cost-burdened,' which means that they spend more than 30% of their income on housing and utilities. Meanwhile, 12.1 million households were considered 'severely burdened,' which means those costs eat up more than 50% of their income. High housing costs aren't just being felt in pricey cities and coastal areas. From 2019 to 2023, the share of burdened renters increased in 43 of 50 states, the Harvard report found, and in 89 of the nation's 100 largest metro areas. And the scale of the problem means it's not just poorer households feeling the pinch. In 2023, a whopping 70% of renters earning $30,000 to $44,999 – the 'middle of the income scale,' according to the report – were cost burdened. 'Steady employment also increasingly fails to buffer against the increasing costs,' the report said. More than one-third of cost-burdened renter households were headed by a full-time worker. With all that in mind, there are some places in America that defy the odds and remain deeply affordable. Apartment List data as of July show more than a dozen metro areas across nine states where the median overall rent price for all units (not just for one- or two-bedrooms, in other words) was less than $1,000. To put that in comparison, the most-expensive metro was Hoboken, New Jersey, with a median of $3,603, followed by San Mateo, California, at $3,518. While not everyone has the option of simply picking up and moving, these more-affordable areas may be ideal for Americans who work remotely, or those who have transferable skills. Read next: USA TODAY Apartment Rental Price Report
Global News
20 minutes ago
- Global News
Superman actor Dean Cain enrols as ICE agent, urges Americans to sign up
Former Superman actor Dean Cain has announced that he plans to join the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). In an interview with FOX News on Wednesday, the ex-Superman star, who is already a qualified police officer, said, 'I will be sworn in as an ICE agent asap.' 'These brave men and women need someone to stand up for them,' he said, referring to ICE agents tasked with executing U.S. President Donald Trump's mass deportation plan. 'This is the kind of thing where people have to step up, I'm stepping up, hopefully a whole bunch of other former officers, former ICE agents will step up, and we'll meet those recruitment goals immediately and will help protect this country. 'This country was built on patriots stepping up, whether it was popular or not, and doing the right thing.' Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen From left: Lori Fetrick, Dean Cain, 'Faster Than a Speeding Vixen,' Season 4, Episode 17. CP Images According to ICE's official recruitment page, open deportation officer positions offer a US$105,383 annual salary. Last week, the government body said it had made 1,000 tentative job offers to new agents as part of a hiring surge, with the intention to hire 10,000 in total. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Agency spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that the agency had begun sending out job offers. 'ICE has already issued over 1,000 tentative job offers since July 4. Many of these offers were to ICE officers who retired under President Biden because they were frustrated that they were not allowed to do their jobs,' she said. 'Now under President Trump and Secretary (Kristi) Noem, ICE is excited to get back to work to remove rapists, murderers, gang members and pedophiles from our communities.' Story continues below advertisement The department announced Wednesday that it would remove age restrictions for new applicants so 'even more patriots will qualify to join ICE.' Cain played Superman from 1993 to 1997 in the TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. View image in full screen 'The New Adventures of Superman,' from left: Dean Cain, Justine Bateman, 'Lord of the Flys,' Season 4, Episode 1. CP Images On Wednesday, Cain posted his own ICE recruitment video to X. Speaking directly to the camera, he encouraged Americans to sign up and 'help secure the safety of all Americans.' 'Here's your opportunity to join ICE,' he continued, before explaining perks of the position, including a $50,000 signing bonus, student loan repayment and enhanced retirement benefits, which are all listed on the Homeland Security website. 'If you wanna help save America, ICE is arresting the worst of the worst and removing them from America's streets,' Cain said in the video. Story continues below advertisement JOIN ICE!! We need your help to protect 🇺🇸 — Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) August 5, 2025 Cain told Fox News he wasn't an ICE agent but that after the release of his recruitment video, he spoke with ICE officials and will join the agency imminently.
