Latest news with #Redfield
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Bristol flats' food waste 'not collected for four months'
Residents of a block of flats where food waste and recycling was not collected for four months say they fear rubbish could pile up again unless a long-term solution is living in the flats on Victoria Avenue in Redfield, Bristol, blame the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood (EBLN) scheme for refuse workers' reluctance to drive bin lorries down their eastern end of the street has been blocked off with planters, meaning large vehicles accessing the site need to reverse out as there is insufficient space to Waste and Bristol City Council have apologised for the disruption and said they are working together "as a matter of urgency to find a solution". Recycling, including food waste, was not collected from the flats between April and Wednesday of this say they were forced to keep their windows closed through two heatwaves due to the smell and resulting swarms of Waste sent a team of refuse workers down after the issue was reported in Bristol Live, but residents have not been told if regular waste collections have Ball said he had "flies encrusting my windows" during the last heatwave. "The smell was atrocious - and I live on the top floor," he Freeman said residents had initially been told the lack of collections was down to general waste being thrown in with recycling."But one bin man told us it was because they couldn't get the truck up the narrow roads and that due to the type of truck they couldn't reverse properly," she added."But when they did get a bin lorry to come, they seemed to reverse fine."Ms Freeman said residents fear the problem could return, as Bristol Waste has only said it is "trying to come up with a solution".She said Bristol Waste had told residents it was considering replacing all the bins to try and get rid of the smell. 'Matter of urgency' Bristol Waste and Bristol City Council said in a statement: "We acknowledge that this is not the level of service Bristol's residents expect, and we're working hard to rectify this as quickly as possible."The majority of the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood has seen consistent waste and recycling collections, and the nature of the trial means we're in a good position to adapt and learn from these specific issues."The statement added: "This is a learning curve, and Bristol City Council and Bristol Waste are working together as a matter of urgency to find solutions to these problems."
1News
4 days ago
- Health
- 1News
Trump once hailed mRNA vaccines as 'miracle', RFK now halting advancement
President Donald Trump hailed as a 'medical miracle' the mRNA vaccines developed to combat the deadly Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Now, his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is effectively halting the vaccine technology's advancement. Kennedy announced Wednesday that the federal government is cancelling US$500 million (NZ$843 million) worth of mRNA research development contracts, putting an end to US-backed hopes for the vaccine technology to prevent future pandemics, treat cancer or prevent flu infections. It's a sharp pivot from how Trump and top officials described the technology during his first term. Here's a look at what Trump and some of his closest advisers have said about mRNA vaccines that were credited with slowing the pandemic five years ago. Robert Redfield, Trump's director of the Centers for Disease Control ADVERTISEMENT 'A Covid-19 vaccine is the thing that will get Americans back to normal everyday life,' said Redfield, in a September 16, 2020, statement. Americans were still donning face masks as one of the few ways of protecting themselves from a virus that had killed nearly 200,000 in just over six months. Redfield promised that the new vaccines — developed for the first time using mRNA technology — would offer a return to normalcy. Trump wanted to make sure Biden didn't get credit 'Don't let Joe Biden take credit for the vaccines ... because the vaccines were me, and I pushed people harder than they've ever been pushed before. The vaccines are — there are those that say it's one of the greatest things. It's a medical miracle.' Trump said on November 26, 2020, during a news conference in the White House. Weeks earlier, Trump had lost the election in a bitter race against Democrat Joe Biden. As the Republican grappled with leaving Washington and continued to plan for the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccines, he reminded reporters that he oversaw the development of the new shots. 'They say it's somewhat of a miracle and I think that's true,' Trump said on December 8, 2020, during a speech at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The event celebrated Operation Warp Speed, the government-funded project that accelerated vaccine development with pharmaceutical companies. Trump was promoting the shots as the government prepared to offer them to frontline health workers. ADVERTISEMENT Trump's first-term health secretary, Alex Azar 'It's clear that many Americans are learning these vaccines are safe and extraordinarily effective,' Azar said on December 16, 2020, at a news conference. The government was shipping out mRNA vaccines to states, preparing to distributed it to the masses. Azar noted that a vast majority of Americans — between 70% to 80%, according to polls — intended to get the new Covid-19 vaccine that would be available to the public in the coming months. Gen. Gusave Perna, Trump's chief operating officer for pandemic response 'It takes somewhere between five and 10 years to put a vaccine on the street. Look what we did. Now, that's because of the great work of the scientists who had done the research on mRNA vaccines and others because of industry working on this, they just didn't wake up one day and start working on it,' Perna said during a podcast interview that aired on May 9, 2023. Reflecting in an interview about his time overseeing Operation Warp Speed, Perna credited the mRNA technology with the government's ability to get shots in arms mere months after the pandemic started claiming lives in the US in 2020. Trump supporters boo his vaccine accomplishments ADVERTISEMENT 'Take credit because we saved tens of millions of lives. Take credit. Don't let them take that away from you,' Trump said on December 19, 2021 during a live interview with former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly. Daily Covid-19 deaths had ticked down to 1500 compared to 3000 from a year earlier after Americans began receiving their first doses of the mRNA vaccines. Trump revealed to O'Reilly and the audience that he had just gotten a Covid-19 booster. The crowd booed.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Trump once hailed mRNA vaccines as a ‘medical miracle.' Now RFK Jr. is halting advancement
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump hailed as a 'medical miracle' the mRNA vaccines developed to combat the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Now, his health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is effectively halting the vaccine technology's advancement. Kennedy announced Tuesday that the federal government is canceling $500 million worth of mRNA research development contracts, putting an end to U.S.-backed hopes for the vaccine technology to prevent future pandemics, treat cancer or prevent flu infections. It's a sharp pivot from how Trump and top officials described the technology during his first term. Here's a look at what Trump and some of his closest advisers have said about mRNA vaccines that were credited with slowing the pandemic five years ago. Robert Redfield, Trump's director of the Center's for Disease Control 'A COVID-19 vaccine is the thing that will get Americans back to normal everyday life,' said Redfield, in a Sept. 16, 2020 statement. Americans were still donning face masks as one of the few ways of protecting themselves from a virus that had killed nearly 200,000 in just over six months. Redfield promised that the new vaccines — developed for the first time using mRNA technology — would offer a return to normalcy. Trump wanted to make sure Biden didn't get credit 'Don't let Joe Biden take credit for the vaccines … because the vaccines were me, and I pushed people harder than they've ever been pushed before .. The vaccines are — there are those that say it's one of the greatest things. It's a medical miracle.' Trump said on Nov. 26, 2020 said during a news conference in the White House. Weeks earlier, Trump had lost the election in a bitter race against Democrat Joe Biden. As the Republican grappled with leaving Washington and continued to plan for the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, he reminded reporters that he oversaw the development of the new shots. 'They say it's somewhat of a miracle and I think that's true,' Trump said on Dec. 8, 2020 during a speech at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The event celebrated 'Operation Warp Speed,' the government-funded project that accelerated vaccine development with pharmaceutical companies. Trump was promoting the shots as the government prepared to offer them to frontline health workers. Trump's first-term health secretary, Alex Azar 'It's clear that many Americans are learning these vaccines are safe and extraordinarily effective,' Azar said on Dec. 16, 2020 at a news conference. The government was shipping out mRNA vaccines to states, preparing to distributed it to the masses. Azar noted that a vast majority of Americans — between 70% to 80%, according to polls — intended to get the new COVID-19 vaccine that would be available to the public in the coming months. Gen. Gusave Perna, Trump's chief operating officer for pandemic response 'It takes somewhere between five and 10 years to put a vaccine on the street. Look what we did. Now, that's because of the great work of the scientists who had done the research on mRNA vaccines and others because of industry working on this, they just didn't wake up one day and start working on it,' Perna said during a podcast interview that aired on May 9, 2023. Reflecting in an interview about his time overseeing 'Operation Warp Speed,' Perna credited the mRNA technology with the government's ability to get shots in arms mere months after the pandemic started claiming lives in the U.S. in 2020. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Trump supporters boo his vaccine accomplishments 'Take credit because we saved tens of millions of lives. Take credit. Don't let them take that away from you,' Trump said on Dec. 19, 2021 during a live interview with former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly. Daily COVID-19 deaths had ticked down to 1,500 compared to 3,000 from a year earlier after Americans began receiving their first doses of the mRNA vaccines. Trump revealed to O'Reilly and the audience that he had just gotten a COVID-19 booster. The crowd booed.
BBC News
01-08-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Bristol vans removed after 'evidence of drug dealing'
Action has been taken to remove vehicle dwellers from near a school after evidence of drug dealing and anti-social behaviour was found, a council City Council (BCC) said the six vehicles were removed from Carlton Park in Redfield, while another 13 were removed from Tramways in Brislington due to issues around waste and abandoned are an estimated 650 lived-in vehicles in Bristol, many of whom blame the high cost of council said it was working on developing a policy to "make life better for vehicle dwellers and neighbouring communities". In an update shared on the council's website - chair of the homes and housing delivery committee, Barry Parsons, said any policy should "proactively offer support to those who genuinely need it, be city-wide, consistent in application, and take a case-by-case approach to enforcement".The statement added engagement sessions had been held with vehicle dwellers, resident groups, and public and charity sector partners, which "highlighted the need for an inclusive, fair, compassionate, and proportionate policy". The council said it was working on temporary "meanwhile sites" across the city, where vehicle dwellers would be offered pitches where they would pay a small fee and have access to services like toilets and running sites would be on land scheduled to be developed and the council said it hoped to offer 250 pitches through this Parsons said the council had five sites open and two sites which were "progressing well". He added the council was "also continuing to look at the option of finding a permanent site for those who would like a more settled base". 'Show each other respect' Tensions between residents and van dwellers near Durdham Down have been building for some council said it had obtained an injunction for the grassed areas of The Downs - meaning any new or existing encampment must leave after being instructed to do injunction does not apply to vehicles parked on the council said it would carry out welfare checks before moving encampments and would decide on enforcement action on a case-by-case Parsons asked that "people on both sides of the debate show each other respect throughout this process, and refrain from using discriminatory language that could stoke up further tension".
Associated Press
01-07-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
7-HOPE Alliance Responds to Misinformation in Dr. Robert Redfields Recent Op-Ed on 7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) in The Hill
Alliance Scientific Advisor Pens Letter Correcting Key Scientific Inaccuracies From Media Op/Ed LOS ANGELES, CA - July 1, 2025 ( NEWMEDIAWIRE ) - 7-HOPE Alliance ('7-HOPE'), a nonprofit public education and advocacy group dedicated to responsible access to 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), today issued the following letter from Scientific Advisor Dr. Michele Ross in response to former CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield's recent opinion article published in The Hill. Dr. Redfield's op-ed unfoundedly equated 7-OH with synthetic opioids, alleged it poses 'legal morphine-level' risks, and called for immediate enforcement action by the FDA and HHS. While his concern for public safety is genuine, it is also clear that Dr. Redfield was misinformed, likely by commercial actors with a vested interest in removing 7-OH from the market. The following letter, written by Dr. Michele Ross and originally submitted as a Letter to the Editor with no response from the publication, directly addresses the scientific, regulatory, and policy inaccuracies in the op-ed. 'As a neuroscientist who has spent nearly two decades researching addiction and working with chronic pain patients, I share Dr. Redfield's concern about emerging drug trends. But his recent warning about 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, paints an inaccurate and potentially harmful picture of a compound that many Americans are using to stay off far more dangerous substances. Most concerning is the claim that 7-OH is a 'synthetic opioid.' That label is scientifically inaccurate. 7-OH is a naturally occurring compound found in the kratom plant and is also produced in significant quantities inside the human body after consuming kratom leaf. When product manufacturers produce 7-OH outside the body, they are not creating a novel or lab-invented drug. They are mimicking the body's own metabolic process using heat and oxygen, a method no different from how other botanical extracts are refined or stabilized for dietary supplements. To call this synthetic is not only misleading, it falsely associates 7-OH with fentanyl-class opioids and risks misinforming both lawmakers and the public. Published studies show that 7-OH acts as a partial agonist at opioid receptors, unlike fentanyl, a full opioid agonist. 7-OH has a ceiling effect on euphoria which makes it more similar to the opioid use disorder treatment buprenorphine than fentanyl. Unlike traditional opioids, it does not activate the beta-arrestin 2 pathway strongly associated with respiration depression, overdose, and death. Multiple rodent studies have attempted to find a lethal dose for 7-OH and failed – that alone separates it from the synthetic opioids devastating our communities. Dr. Redfield suggests that 7-OH poses an 'unregulated pharmaceutical threat,' but this ignores the rigorous safety practices already in place among responsible manufacturers. 7-HOPE supports strict milligram-based serving limits and accurate labeling standards, not unlike those already applied to THC and CBD in regulated markets. Dr. Redfield also references an FDA clinical trial on natural kratom leaf to suggest 7-OH products represent a 'bait and switch.' But this misrepresents the research. That study evaluated natural kratom leaf in experienced users and found no serious adverse effects. What it also revealed is that kratom and its active metabolites, including 7-OH, show low abuse potential and may offer therapeutic benefits. Rather than contradict the utility of 7-OH, this research supports continued exploration of its properties, especially as a harm reduction tool. Further, the suggestion that federal agencies must act immediately to issue 'import alerts' and 'classify 7-OH as an unapproved drug' is premature and reckless. Research on 7-OH is ongoing, and early findings show promise. HHS has already rejected scheduling kratom and its components once, citing the risk of immediate harm to users if access is cut off. That decision still holds today. We do not ban nicotine or even alcohol because they carry risks. We regulate them. The same approach should be applied here. What Dr. Redfield's op-ed leaves out entirely is the human impact of a ban on 7-OH. Millions rely on 7-OH to manage pain, reduce alcohol use, or avoid relapse from other deadly synthetics. These are not hypothetical users. I have heard from consumers, veterans, and parents who credit this compound with helping them get their lives back. When people are desperate to avoid fentanyl or oxycodone but have few options, removing one of the few effective, low-toxicity alternatives is not harm reduction, it's cruelty. Yes, 7-OH should be researched further and regulated, but as we know from repeated history,bans or broad mischaracterizations will not make people safer. They will push individuals back toward illicit markets and high-risk alternatives. If we are serious about harm reduction, we must let science, not stigma, lead the way. Respectfully Submitted, Dr. Michele Ross, PhD, MBA Scientific Advisor, 7-HOPE Alliance Author of Kratom is Medicine 7-HOPE urges lawmakers, regulators, and the media to engage with the science and lived experiences of the people who use 7-OH safely every day. We remain committed to supporting ongoing research, promoting responsible regulation, and ensuring this compound remains accessible to those who rely on it for pain relief, recovery, and stability. For more information or to get involved, visit About 7-HOPE Alliance 7-HOPE Alliance (7-Hydroxy Outreach for Public Education) is a nonprofit organization (501(c)(3) pending) dedicated to advancing public education, user support, and policy advocacy around 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a naturally occurring alkaloid in the kratom plant. Through a foundation of science, storytelling, and community, 7-HOPE empowers individuals, healthcare professionals, and policymakers with accurate, balanced information on 7-OH and its role in harm reduction, natural wellness, and safe, legal access to alternatives. The organization's mission centers on four pillars: science, education, advocacy, and user support. By confronting misinformation, promoting responsible use, and providing uplifting real-life testimonials, 7-HOPE aims to ensure 7-OH remains available to the many individuals who find it to be a safe and effective alternative to dangerous painkillers and illegal drugs. For more information or to get involved, visit Media Contact [email protected] View the original release on
