"without an image of the virus, the scientists could learn only so much"

"Overlooked is a series of obituaries about remarkable people whose deaths, beginning in 1851, went unreported in The Times."

"With no money to pay for college in post-World War II Scotland, 16-year-old June Almeida took an entry-level job in the histology department of a Glasgow hospital, where she learned to examine tissue under a microscope for signs of disease. It was a fortuitous move, for her and for science.

In 1966, nearly two decades later, she used a powerful electron microscope to capture an image of a mysterious pathogen — the first coronavirus known to cause human disease."

Continue reading the article about June Almeida (subscription may be required)

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/08/obituaries/june-almeida-overlooked-coronavirus.html

June Almeida in 1963 at the Ontario Cancer Institute in Toronto. In her day she gained a reputation for “extending the range of the electron microscope to new limits.”Credit...Norman James/Toronto Star, via Getty Images

Franklin Public Schools, MA: Budget Sub Committee - Mar 3

Franklin Public Schools 

Franklin School Committee - Budget Sub Committee 

March 3, 2021 4:30 PM 

• FY22 Budget Development

Please find the agenda and links for the upcoming Budget Sub-Committee meeting posted here https://t.co/VncVZgSMC6 

Shared from Twitter: https://t.co/hWvjewsZaA

Franklin Public Schools, MA:  Budget Sub Committee  - Mar 3

The Guardian: "AstraZeneca and Moderna’s contrasting rewards for fighting Covid hardly seem fair"

In my reporting for Franklin Matters, I like to use the line "to follow the money" and in so doing I focus on the Finance Committee, Town Council and School Committee. So this article on the profit approach of the vaccine makers caught my eye.

"Compare and contrast. AstraZeneca is currently producing COVID vaccines for no profit and still manages to get beaten up by opportunists in Brussels. Over in the US, Moderna is hailed as a national saviour while shouting from the rooftops about how its commercial prospects have been transformed by its own COVID vaccine.

Moderna’s full-year statement on Thursday was extraordinary. The company expects to generate revenues of $18.4bn (£13.1bn) year from deals it has signed to supply its vaccine, which is priced at $30–$36 a shot, so is definitely intended to produce a chunky profit margin. That revenue forecast is enormous. For comparison, AstraZeneca’s entire established portfolio – for cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory treatments and more – generated sales of $26.6bn last year.

The backstories to the vaccines are very different, of course. Moderna was a loss-making biotechnology firm that has poured billions into developing messenger RNA technology (also used in the BioNtech/Pfizer product) and a successful return on that investment was never guaranteed. AstraZeneca has merely accelerated original research done at Oxford University – and a condition of the partnership was “at cost” pricing for all the deals to date."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2021/feb/25/astrazeneca-moderna-covid

The Guardian: "Will I have to wear a mask after getting the COVID vaccine? The science explained"

"Public health authorities want people to keep wearing masks and social distancing, even after they receive a vaccine. This might seem counterintuitive – after all, if someone gets a vaccine, aren’t they protected from the coronavirus?

The answer is complicated: the vast majority of people who are vaccinated will be protected from Covid-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, vaccinated people may still be able to transmit the virus, even though they do not display any symptoms.

“We know now the vaccines can protect, but what we haven’t had enough time to really understand is – does it protect from spreading?” said Avery August, professor of immunology at Cornell University.

That is because the the SARS-CoV-2 virus may still colonize the respiratory tract, even as systemic immune cells protect the overall body from the disease it causes – Covid-19."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/26/covid-vaccine-mask-will-i-have-to-wear-after-jab-science-how-it-works

World Beer Index 2021: What's the Price of a Beer in Your Country?

And not for something different:

Although fewer people have been able to grab a beer at the pub during this pandemic, the global desire for beer prevails. For example, sales of the Corona beer actually shot up in the past year, despite—or perhaps because of—associations with the coronavirus.

This World Beer Index from Expensivity ( 

https://www.expensivity.com/beer-around-the-world/  ) 

compares the average price of a bottle of beer in 58 countries in a detailed map. Additionally, we show which countries spend the most on beer per capita, and just how much beer people really drink.

Continue reading the article online

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/how-much-does-a-beer-cost-in-your-country/

World Beer Index 2021: What's the Price of a Beer in Your Country?

Franklin Public Schools: School Committee Legislative Forum - March 2

School Committee Legislative Forum

Virtual Meeting (Link in agenda)

Tuesday, Mar 2, 2021 - 6:30 PM

Agenda Document (and connection info)    https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/agendas/scagenda_3-2-21-legislative_forum.pdf

Note: While the agenda doc says "Legislative Forum" (which is not very compelling or insightful), from the planning sessions that I did report on, I do recall that there would be some presentation outlining the issues the District faces, with an opportunity for questions and answers, along with time for the legislative delegation to make a statement and answer questions. 

• The audio for the 2020 forum is available   =  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/02/fm-201-franklin-ma-school-committee-3rd.html
• The video of the 2019 forum is on YouTube  https://youtu.be/30Qxs4MVypA
• The video of the 2018 forum is also on YouTube  https://youtu.be/pNUSkrjzo1s

School Committee Legislative Forum - March 2

FM #474 - Finance Committee Mtg - 02/24/21 (audio)

FM #474 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 474 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares the Town of Franklin, MA Finance Committee meeting held on Wednesday, Feb 24, 2021. 

The meeting was conducted in a hybrid format: the Finance Committee members and key guests were in the Council Chambers; the remainder, along with the public, were remote via conference bridge, all to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

• Quick overview of the ambulance rates and rationale behind them from Chief McLaughlin
• Overview of the recent truck purchase process and the life cycle of trucks on the front line, in reserve and eventual disposition as surplus
• Great overview of the debt and borrowing status for Franklin, heard previously at the Town Council meeting but great info on exclusions and non-excluded debt and how it is fiscally planned for and managed; the Town has a great credit rating which confirms the overall fiscal prudence shown by the Town
• Discussion on future topics including adding two sessions to the budget hearing cycle (now four meetings instead of two)

Links to the meeting agenda and my notes are included in the show notes. The recording runs about 77 minutes, so let’s listen to the Finance Committee meeting of Feb 24, 2021.  Audio file =  https://player.captivate.fm/episode/1c047bb0-59a6-44e3-8b50-b7dc814d1861

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Agenda and documents released for this meeting  https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/agendas/fincom_agenda_02-24-21_updated.pdf

My notes
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/02/finance-committee-meeting-recap-feb-24.html 

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
 
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The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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FM #474 - Finance Committee Mtg - 02/24/21 (audio)