Latest news with #COVID
Eater
an hour ago
- Business
- Eater
Once the Largest Greek American Supermarket, Titan Foods Reopens
Titan Foods, once considered the largest Greek supermarket in America, made news when it closed two years ago. Now, the specialty food store is finally reopening Friday, August 1, at its new Queens headquarters at 23-53 Steinway Street, at 23rd Road. The company announced the news on Instagram with the caption: 'Stay calm people!!!' Titan Foods first came to New York in the 1970s by Kostas and Stavroula Mastoras. This isn't the first relocation of the family company; it first moved in 1996, to a 16,000 square-foot space, said to have at least 20 varieties of feta cheese alone. The latest version of Titan Foods is 'a fresh start,' the founder's daughter, Anatoli (Anna) Mastoras, told Eater in 2023, with a 'different setup and a different design.' The family also maintains Titan Bakery in Deer Park, New York, for wholesale orders. — Emma Orlow Two Hell's Kitchen spots are closing Bar Nine (807 Ninth Avenue at 54th Street), Hell's Kitchen's dueling‑piano bar owned by the current operators for 11 years and around for more than 20, closed on Tuesday, July 29, following a final open‑mic night signaling the end of its run in the neighborhood. One of the last places to find a working pay phone, the dive bar was known for its interactive piano shows, when musicians would play songs at the audience's request, reported the W42nd Street blog. The owner has been battling long COVID as well as the rising costs of doing business. Nearby, Noodie's (830 Ninth Avenue, at 54th Street), a Thai mainstay for 11 years, also announced its closure at the end of this month, now that the lease is up. Grammy winner Lucinda Williams is co-owner of a honky-tonk bar The bar formerly called Heaven Can Wait has transformed into Lucinda's Honky Tonk + Juke Joint (169 Avenue A between 10th and 11th streets). The space, once home to other music venues like Coney Island Baby, Lola, and Brownies, is now under the co-ownership of Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, alongside Laura McCarthy and Kelley Swindall. Lucinda's describes itself as a soulful Southern honky tonk, with programming like live country music Fridays, live-band karaoke Saturdays, and a jukebox packed with country classics. The space is appropriately retro for those craving wood-paneling, old signs, and checkerboard-tile linoleum floors. Eater NY All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
FDA vaccine chief leaving agency after less than 3 months
Prasad joined the FDA in May after years as an academic researcher at the University of California San Francisco, where he frequently criticized the FDA's approach to drug approvals and COVID-19 vaccines. Advertisement His contrarian approach appeared to match FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who repeatedly praised Prasad's work and intellect. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up But in recent weeks Prasad became a target of conservative activists, including Laura Loomer, who flagged Prasad's past statements criticizing Trump and praising liberal independent Senator Bernie Sanders. 'How did this Trump-hating Bernie Bro get into the Trump admin???' Loomer posted on X last week. Prasad also attracted scrutiny for his handling of a recent safety issue surrounding the only approved gene therapy for Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. Under his direction, shipments of the therapy were briefly halted after a series of patient deaths, then resumed late Monday following vocal pushback from families of boys with the fatal muscle-wasting disorder. Prasad has long been skeptical of the therapy and other muscular dystrophy drugs sold by the drugmaker, Sarepta Therapeutics. As an academic, Prasad gained prominence by attacking the FDA for being too lenient in its standards for approving cancer drugs and other new therapies. Advertisement That approach is at odds with Trump's Republican supporters, who generally favor speedier approvals and unfettered access to experimental treatments. During Trump's first term he signed the " Right to Try " law, a largely symbolic piece of legislation that won popular support from conservatives seeking to give dying patients expanded access to unproven drugs. Prasad's decision to pause Sarepta's therapy was criticized last week by a columnist and the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal. Separately, Prasad's division issued rejection letters this month to three small biotech firms seeking approval for new gene therapies. Prasad's predecessor in the role, Dr. Peter Marks, oversaw a steep rise in approvals for new gene therapies, which aim to treat or prevent disease by replacing or modifying a portion of patients' genetic code. Prasad has been an outspoken critic of Marks' leadership at FDA. which included overseeing the approval of the first COVID vaccines and therapies.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
FDA vaccine chief leaving agency after less than 3 months
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration's polarizing vaccine chief is leaving the agency after a brief tenure that drew the ire of biotech companies, patient groups and conservative allies of President Donald Trump. Dr. Vinay Prasad 'did not want to be a distraction' and was stepping down from his role as the FDA's top vaccine regulator 'to spend more time with his family,' a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement late Tuesday. Two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Prasad was ousted following several recent controversies. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel matters. Prasad joined the FDA in May after years as an academic researcher at the University of California San Francisco, where he frequently criticized the FDA's approach to drug approvals and COVID-19 vaccines. His contrarian approach appeared to match FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who repeatedly praised Prasad's work and intellect. But in recent weeks Prasad became a target of conservative activists, including Laura Loomer, who flagged Prasad's past statements criticizing Trump and praising liberal independent Senator Bernie Sanders. 'How did this Trump-hating Bernie Bro get into the Trump admin???' Loomer posted on X last week. Prasad also attracted scrutiny for his handling of a recent safety issue surrounding the only approved gene therapy for Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. Under his direction, shipments of the therapy were briefly halted after a series of patient deaths, then resumed late Monday following vocal pushback from families of boys with the fatal muscle-wasting disorder. Prasad has long been skeptical of the therapy and other muscular dystrophy drugs sold by the drugmaker, Sarepta Therapeutics. As an academic, Prasad gained prominence by attacking the FDA for being too lenient in its standards for approving cancer drugs and other new therapies. That approach is at odds with Trump's Republican supporters, who generally favor speedier approvals and unfettered access to experimental treatments. During Trump's first term he signed the ' Right to Try ' law, a largely symbolic piece of legislation that won popular support from conservatives seeking to give dying patients expanded access to unproven drugs. Prasad's decision to pause Sarepta's therapy was criticized last week by a columnist and the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. Separately, Prasad's division issued rejection letters this month to three small biotech firms seeking approval for new gene therapies. Prasad's predecessor in the role, Dr. Peter Marks, oversaw a steep rise in approvals for new gene therapies, which aim to treat or prevent disease by replacing or modifying a portion of patients' genetic code. Prasad has been an outspoken critic of Marks' leadership at FDA. which included overseeing the approval of the first COVID vaccines and therapies. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
2 hours ago
- Health
FDA vaccine chief leaving agency after less than 3 months
WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration's polarizing vaccine chief is leaving the agency after a brief tenure that drew the ire of biotech companies, patient groups and conservative allies of President Donald Trump. Dr. Vinay Prasad 'did not want to be a distraction' and was stepping down from his role as the FDA's top vaccine regulator 'to spend more time with his family,' a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement late Tuesday. Two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Prasad was ousted following several recent controversies. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel matters. Prasad joined the FDA in May after years as an academic researcher at the University of California San Francisco, where he frequently criticized the FDA's approach to drug approvals and COVID-19 vaccines. His contrarian approach appeared to match FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who repeatedly praised Prasad's work and intellect. But in recent weeks Prasad became a target of conservative activists, including Laura Loomer, who flagged Prasad's past statements criticizing Trump and praising liberal independent Senator Bernie Sanders. 'How did this Trump-hating Bernie Bro get into the Trump admin???' Loomer posted on X last week. Prasad also attracted scrutiny for his handling of a recent safety issue surrounding the only approved gene therapy for Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. Under his direction, shipments of the therapy were briefly halted after a series of patient deaths, then resumed late Monday following vocal pushback from families of boys with the fatal muscle-wasting disorder. Prasad has long been skeptical of the therapy and other muscular dystrophy drugs sold by the drugmaker, Sarepta Therapeutics. As an academic, Prasad gained prominence by attacking the FDA for being too lenient in its standards for approving cancer drugs and other new therapies. That approach is at odds with Trump's Republican supporters, who generally favor speedier approvals and unfettered access to experimental treatments. During Trump's first term he signed the ' Right to Try ' law, a largely symbolic piece of legislation that won popular support from conservatives seeking to give dying patients expanded access to unproven drugs. Prasad's decision to pause Sarepta's therapy was criticized last week by a columnist and the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal. Separately, Prasad's division issued rejection letters this month to three small biotech firms seeking approval for new gene therapies. Prasad's predecessor in the role, Dr. Peter Marks, oversaw a steep rise in approvals for new gene therapies, which aim to treat or prevent disease by replacing or modifying a portion of patients' genetic code. Prasad has been an outspoken critic of Marks' leadership at FDA. which included overseeing the approval of the first COVID vaccines and therapies.
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
FDA vaccine chief leaving agency after less than 3 months
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration's polarizing vaccine chief is leaving the agency after a brief tenure that drew the ire of biotech companies, patient groups and conservative allies of President Donald Trump. Dr. Vinay Prasad 'did not want to be a distraction' and was stepping down from his role as the FDA's top vaccine regulator 'to spend more time with his family,' a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement late Tuesday. Two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Prasad was ousted following several recent controversies. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel matters. Prasad joined the FDA in May after years as an academic researcher at the University of California San Francisco, where he frequently criticized the FDA's approach to drug approvals and COVID-19 vaccines. His contrarian approach appeared to match FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who repeatedly praised Prasad's work and intellect. But in recent weeks Prasad became a target of conservative activists, including Laura Loomer , who flagged Prasad's past statements criticizing Trump and praising liberal independent Senator Bernie Sanders. 'How did this Trump-hating Bernie Bro get into the Trump admin???' Loomer posted on X last week. Prasad also attracted scrutiny for his handling of a recent safety issue surrounding the only approved gene therapy for Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. Under his direction, shipments of the therapy were briefly halted after a series of patient deaths, then resumed late Monday following vocal pushback from families of boys with the fatal muscle-wasting disorder. Prasad has long been skeptical of the therapy and other muscular dystrophy drugs sold by the drugmaker, Sarepta Therapeutics. As an academic, Prasad gained prominence by attacking the FDA for being too lenient in its standards for approving cancer drugs and other new therapies. That approach is at odds with Trump's Republican supporters, who generally favor speedier approvals and unfettered access to experimental treatments. During Trump's first term he signed the ' Right to Try ' law, a largely symbolic piece of legislation that won popular support from conservatives seeking to give dying patients expanded access to unproven drugs. Prasad's decision to pause Sarepta's therapy was criticized last week by a columnist and the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal. Separately, Prasad's division issued rejection letters this month to three small biotech firms seeking approval for new gene therapies. Prasad's predecessor in the role, Dr. Peter Marks , oversaw a steep rise in approvals for new gene therapies, which aim to treat or prevent disease by replacing or modifying a portion of patients' genetic code. Prasad has been an outspoken critic of Marks' leadership at FDA. which included overseeing the approval of the first COVID vaccines and therapies. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
