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SECOND Update From Kazakhstan: Low Voltage Reading Caused Auto-Shutdown Sequence, At T Minus 20 Seconds, This Morning: Roscosmos

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UPDATED 03.22.2024 @ 10 PM EDT — The launch is back on for 8:30 AM EDT tomorrow, Saturday the 23rd, thus from NASA:

…At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the launch of the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft is now scheduled for 8:36 a.m. Saturday, March 23. NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus will spend two days in orbit before docking to the station’s Prichal module at 11:09 a.m. Monday, March 25….

As of 9:00 AM EDT Saturday, the crew is safely in orbit, making a two day cruise toward the ISS’s higher orbit. End — updates.

As we mentioned this morning, the next potential launch window, to the ISS, will open on Saturday March 23, 2024.

Here is the latest, from NASA’s ISS blog:

…At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the March 21 launch of the crewed Soyuz-25 spacecraft to the International Space Station with NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus was automatically scrubbed by ground support equipment due to low voltage reading in the Soyuz rocket electrical system.

The next available launch opportunity is Saturday, March 23, pending completion of State Commission review for the Roscosmos launch. More information will be provided as available….

Onward — with Oregon having pulled off the upset, and CSU leading now. . . I am grinning. Ever, grinning.

नमस्ते

Actually… Not A “First”. But I Applaud It, Anyway.

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In October of 2021, we covered… the first known success here. That patient lived for three days.

The claim out of Boston is that the patient is “continually improving” — he’s now at six days, and may be discharged by next week. I certainly hope so, and to be clear, I applaud any advance here, given my prior experiences in the arena. Access to transplants is an extremely vexing supply problem for people of color, and they are a high burden patient population for kidney disease and ultimately failures.

Here’s the latest — but technically not the… “first” — from the NYT.

…Surgeons in Boston have transplanted a kidney from a genetically engineered pig into an ailing 62-year-old Black man, the first procedure of its kind. If successful, the breakthrough offers hope to hundreds of thousands of Americans whose kidneys have failed. . . .

A new source of kidneys “could solve an intractable problem in the field — the inadequate access of minority patients to kidney transplants,” said Dr. Winfred Williams, associate chief of the nephrology division at Mass General and the patient’s primary kidney doctor….

Now you know — but the graphic at right doesn’t — strictly speaking — relate to the story. Onward, smiling — just the same.

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Scott Johnson Called It “Tox News”! And… Merck v. Merck Hearing Rescheduled — Again.

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Scott’s typo is hilarious. This morning, he referred to the Murdoch empire TV stations as… “Tox News“. Couldn’t make it up if I tried.

And… now, for the second time in a week, the trial calendaring conference in New Jersey federal court is… moving.

This time, it is apparently due to a conflict with counsels’ schedules.

Onward, grinning… big day, tomorrow. Much March Madness ahead.

…Per the parties’ request [250], the March 25, 2024 telephone status conference is adjourned to March 28, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. The dial-in information remains the same.

So Ordered by Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer on 3/21/24….

I’ll be looking up tonight, into the night sky, and wondering if Saturday will be the day the latest crew reaches the ISS… that’s the next launch window for Soyuz-25. Now you know.

नमस्ते

Immaterial Overall To Merck — But In A Combo Trial With AstraZeneca, In Certain Lung Cancers — Keytruda Missed Primary Endpoint In KEYLYNK-006.

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As I’ve said before, this is just one of dozens of combo-trials now underway.

Yes, it is disappointing, but none of the financial modeling on Wall Street had this as a “highly likely” potential added revenue stream, in the near term. So Merck’s stocck price should be largely unmoved by this news.

…Merck today announced that the Phase 3 KEYLYNK-006 trial evaluating KEYTRUDA, Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, in combination with maintenance LYNPARZA, a PARP inhibitor, did not meet its dual primary endpoints of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for the first-line treatment of certain patients with metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)….

In general, no responsible analyst builds added revenue into a model for indications that have not yet won FDA approval. And on this particular combo-indication, with AstraZeneca, Merck hadn’t even yet filed with FDA. Keytruda remains approved for over 20 types of oncological indications. Onward.

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[U: Launch scrubbed.] Live Coverage Thursday Morning Of Soyuz 25 To ISS…

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Updated: we are awaiting word on what “out of limit” reading at the Baikonur Cosmodrome aborted this morning’s launch. It occured at T minus 21 seconds. Safety is always job one. End, update.

We will put up a YouTube live feed, right here, below in the morning.

Science needs to show it is above politics. This is that:

…March 21: Live coverage of the Soyuz MS-25 launch to the International Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan….

Marina Vasilevskaya [from Belarus] is preparing for the flight together with members of the main crew: the Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky and the NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson….

Onward! Buffs will meet Florida in Indy on Friday at 4:30 pm! Woot!

[We apologize: the original graphic with this post depicted a prior crew. The correct crew is now inserted, and awaits a presumed Saturday launch-time, according to the latest from Roscosmos.]

नमस्ते

Scott Can’t Comprehend That He’s Not Free To (Falsely) Shout “Fire!” — In A Crowded Theater?!

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This is silly beyond words, today.

Scott tries to argue that private social media companies violate the law by refusing to carry deadly and thus very dangerous “false statements” about medical advice, in a pandemic that killed a million in America alone.

The classic 1L hypothetical here applies: there is no right of “freedom of expression” (and even less privilege, as “must carry”) to hand a megaphone to morons yelling “fire!” — falsely, in a crowded theater. See Schenck v. US (1919) — at page 249, that’s Oliver Wendell Holmes (whose views… Scott misrepresents — in his). Scott only quoted Holmes in a later dissent; not in Schenk.

People will be trampled to death — just as people were dying from taking a horse dewormer, or worse — colloidal silver drinks — being sold by the Ex-Rev. Jim Bakker show.

These are additionally FDA regulated statements — and no one has a right to make false life science claims in a pandemic.

Just shut it, Scott. You lose.

Americans for science… win.

More Good News, Overnight, On Merck’s Latest 21-Valent Pneumococcal Vaccine Candidate…

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We last mentioned this in November of 2023. Now Rahway has some encouraging top line results to report on its 21-valent pneumococcal vaccine candidate. That is good news for all people with low immunity to such opportunistic viral loads.

The result ought to mean that Merck will be preferred over Pfizer’s vaccine in this space, once approved — as the Pfizer version covers fewer variants. But this is — as I often say — not yet material to massive Merck’s fortunes. Certainly not until FDA green-lit. Here’s the latest, though:

…Diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria are considered a “major public health problem worldwide” by the World Health Organization.

There are more than 100 different types of pneumococcal bacteria, which can affect adults differently than children. Certain strains threaten to put more people at risk for invasive pneumococcal illnesses, with older adults among those most vulnerable to serious infection.

Merck’s candidate, V116, is specifically designed to address the strains responsible for the majority of adult pneumococcal disease, including eight unique strains that account for approximately 30% of adult disease….

Now you know. And with Buffs in a play in tonight — we will be watching. The Rams did very nicely last night against a depleted Virginia Cavaliers squad. Still, two days. . . until full “March Madness fever” sets in, with Marquette in action. [I am reliably informed that there is no vaccine for that particular strain.] Grin.

नमस्ते

Texas Troopers AGAIN Prevented From Arresting Migrants: Fifth Cir.

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Just this morning, the Supremes ruled without offering reasoning, but made it clear that the conservative wing felt it was the Fifth Circuit’s responsibility to enter a full stay while the appeal is heard (on oral argument today), not just an administrative one.

Just now, near midnight tonight, that is exactly what the Fifth did.

Texas cops and Texas Rangers once again CANNOT arrest anyone solely on suspicion of being undocumented.

That is solely a federal power, as we’ve long documented.

It’s purely a clown show MAGA Gov. Abbott runs — all as feckless political theater. Ugh.

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USDC Chief Judge Alia Moses’ New Deadlines In Land Razor Wire Case In Del Rio, Texas

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This one is moving at a snail’s pace

Here’s tonight’s text order, in full — just entered:

…It IS ORDERED that the Defendants’ unopposed motion to extend the time to respond to the complaintand to enter. a briefing schedule [ECF No. 96] be GRANTED because there is good cause for an extension.

It is FURTHER ORDERED that by April 11, 2024, the Defendants file their motion to dismiss.

It is FURTHER ORDERED that by May 2, 2024, the Plaintiff file its opposition to the Defendants’motion to dismiss.

It is FURTHER ORDERED that by May 16, 2024, the Defendants file their reply to the Plaintiff’s opposition to the Defendants’ motion to dismiss.

Signed by Chief Judge Alia Moses….

Now you know — we will keep an eye on it, but the floating razor wire barrier case before Judge Ezra (in the Rio Grande around Shelby Park) may be the next big break here, in favor of humane policies.

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New AHA Study: There Appeared To Be No Survival Advantage, For 20,000 Adults — From Cardio-Vascular Related Risks — In Eating Everything During An 8 Hour Window…

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I’ve long intuitively felt that “grazing” — eating smaller bits — over say a 16 hour period more closely approximated our lives, speaking in evolutionary terms, some 100,000 years ago — and probably conveyed a survival advantage, if healthy food-stuffs were the main component of the grazing diet (compared to fatty overly-generously-portioned “banquet style “dinners). But I’ve never looked for a study on it.

So, in my mind — portion control, and not over-taxing the digestive system. But what we now have, is a large study that suggests intermittent fasting, on the other hand — restricting one’s eating to only a narrow eight hour window, during the daylight. . . may not be of any help, on cardio-vascular death risks, either.

Here’s the latest, from Heart.org, in Chicago:

…“We were surprised to find that people who followed an 8-hour, time-restricted eating schedule were more likely to die from cardiovascular disease. Even though this type of diet has been popular due to its potential short-term benefits, our research clearly shows that, compared with a typical eating time range of 12-16 hours per day, a shorter eating duration was not associated with living longer,” Zhong said.

“It’s crucial for patients, particularly those with existing heart conditions or cancer, to be aware of the association between an 8-hour eating window and increased risk of cardiovascular death. Our study’s findings encourage a more cautious, personalized approach to dietary recommendations, ensuring that they are aligned with an individual’s health status and the latest scientific evidence,” he continued. “Although the study identified an association between an 8-hour eating window and cardiovascular death, this does not mean that time-restricted eating caused cardiovascular death….”

Approximately half of the participants self-identified as men, and half self-identified as women. 73.3% of the participants self-identified as non-Hispanic white adults, 11% self-identified as Hispanic adults, 8% self-identified as non-Hispanic Black adults and 6.9% of adults self-identified as another racial category, including mixed-race adults and adults of other non-Hispanic races….

Now you know. Onward… grinning with the Buffs up, tomorrow night; and the CSU Rams up, tonight.

नमस्ते