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Fail-safes, testing are invaluable tools

U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials and scientists are in a raee against death. It is one they must undertake in a cautious sprint. Two COVID-19 vaccines appear nearly ready to go. Before doses already on the production line can be distributed, the FDA has to approve them. Effectiveness in the 95% range is being touted by both developers, Moderna and the Pfizer-BioNTech partnership. That would be a godsend to the millions of Americans are great risk from the coronavirus. Both developers are seeking emergency authorization for distribution of the vaccines. A mechanism exists ...

Oversight bills require attentiveness

For years, veterans of military service and their families have worried about the Department of Veterans Affairs. News of lengthy wait-lists, enormous cost overruns on new facilities and similar outrages was, to say the least, worrisome. It got worse in 2018, when what happened at a VA hospital in Clarksburg, West Virginia, came to light. At least eight veterans were murdered there. Earlier this year, a former nursing assistant at the hospital, Rita Mays, pleaded guilty to killing the men. For more than a year, she had been injecting her victims with lethal doses of insulin. How ...

Shutdowns should be a last resort

With the coronavirus coming back strong, a number of governors have already ordered new — or rather, renewed — steps to combat the disease. Most are reluctant to mandate widespread business closings, however. There are very good reasons for that. Our economy may not be able to withstand another blow like that earlier this year. A truly impressive comeback has occurred. At last report, the U.S. unemployment rate had decreased to 6.9%. That is a remarkable demonstration of the economy’s basic strength. Numbers can be deceivingly comforting, however. That 6.9% in reality means ...

Et Cetera

Good opportunity The COVID-19 virus is real. Governor Walz has shut down bars, restaurants and fitness centers. He is pausing social gatherings and organized amateur sports. The Minnesota State High School League revamped the sectional football playoffs for one more round of games played last night. Teams like Fairmont were given the opportunity to play one more game. People will question this decision by the MSHSL. While we recognize and respect peoples’ concerns, the positives from playing this game are numerous. Statistics show that transmission from athletic competition are ...

Trump needs to start working with Biden

American presidents need to hit the ground running, especially when it comes to national security. We have too many enemies in the world to let our guard down for even a few hours. President Donald Trump continues to challenge results of the Nov. 3 election through court challenges. That is both his right and entirely understandable. It does not appear that the president’s attorneys will be able to prevail to the extent needed to mount a successful challenge to the election. Unless something entirely unforeseen by anyone occurs, Joe Biden will become president on Jan. 20. Trump ...

Nursing homes must be protected

Thankfully, we have learned — at the cost of tens of thousands of possibly preventable deaths — that COVID-19 finds nursing homes to be good hunting grounds. At one time earlier in the epidemic, more than half the nation’s deaths from the disease in many state were among residents of long-term care facilities. Extraordinary steps taken to protect nursing home residents have paid off. By Saturday, a total of 245,495 Americans had perished from COVID-19. More than one-fourth of them were in nursing homes. That certainly is better than the rate last spring — but it is not ...