The Austrian government on Thursday unveiled a sweeping national strategy aimed at combating anti-Semitism through more specific protections for the Jewish community and stricter punishments for hate crimes. 

According to The Associated Press, the Austrian news agency APA reported that the country’s Europe Minister, Karoline Edtstadler, said the measures include the protection of synagogues, improved education on Judaism and more severe prosecution of hate speech, either online or in public settings. 

Oskar Deutsch, president of the Jewish Community of Vienna, praised the new actions by the Austrian government, the AP reported, adding that “Jews are always the first ones who are affected” by discrimination. 

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In August, an Austrian synagogue twice targeted by acts of vandalism was the site of a violent attack against a local Jewish community leader. 

Reuters reported that Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and other top officials condemned the attack at the time, with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen writing on Twitter that “hatred towards Jews and anti-Semitism have no place in our society.”

The Jewish Community of Vienna, in partnership with the Forum Against Antisemitism, in May released a report that recorded approximately 550 anti-Semitic incidents in Austria in 2019, which the groups noted was more than double the number recorded five years prior. 

Deutsch told APA at the time that the increase reflected not just growing anti-Semitism across Austria, but throughout Europe as well. 

“Austria is not an island. The increase in anti-Semitic incidents can, unfortunately, be observed across Europe,” he said. “The fight against anti-Semitism is not a Jewish task alone, but rather a task for society as a whole. The findings of 2019 show us that the time to act has really come.”

In November, a German official said that anti-Semitism had increased throughout the country amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Felix Klein, who leads the German government’s work against anti-Semitism, said that anti-Semitic conspiracy theories had been circulating online, including unfounded claims that elite groups were using the pandemic to oppress the nation’s population. 

Some people in the country who protested the government’s coronavirus restrictions also compared their experience to what Jewish people went through in Nazi Germany. Klein told reporters in Berlin at the time that “portraying oneself as the persecuted victim is and was a central element of anti-Semitic attitudes.” 

The company behind the controversial proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska has appealed the government’s rejection of a permit for the project. 

In a statement on Thursday, the Pebble Limited Partnership said that it had recently submitted a request to appeal the Army Corps of Engineers’ decision last year. 

In the statement, Pebble CEO John Shively argued that the conclusions reached in the department’s Record of Decision “are not supported by the record established in the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the project.”

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He also argued that the government did not give due consideration to the company’s plan to mitigate issues that were raised, rejecting it just a few days after it was received. 

The company did not make a copy of the appeal available. 

“We believe we have presented a strong case in our appeal and look forward the next steps in advancing this important mineral asset. Pebble contains a world-class resource that belongs to the people of Alaska and could bring much needed employment and economic activity for the region and the state,” Shively said. 

The gold and copper mine is controversial due to its proposed location in Alaska’s Bristol Bay, home to the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery. Among its opponents are environmentalists and the fishing industry. 

Under the Obama administration, the Environmental Protection Agency vetoed the project. That decision was reversed under the Trump administration. 

In a July impact statement, the government determined that the mine would not affect salmon harvests in the area, reversing an Obama-era determination that it would. Many believed that this determination would clear the path for the mine’s approval. 

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However, after several prominent conservatives including Donald Trump Jr.Don TrumpCompany appeals rejection of controversial Pebble Mine  Singer Taylor Dayne responds to criticism after Mar-a-Lago performance: ‘I try to stay non-political’ More voters say pardons for Trump’s family would be inappropriate: poll MORE and Fox News host Tucker CarlsonTucker CarlsonCompany appeals rejection of controversial Pebble Mine  McConnell faces conservative backlash over Trump criticism Presidential pardons need to go MORE came out against the mine, the Army Corps required Pebble to submit a plan to mitigate impacts such as discharges into wetlands, waters and streams.

The agency said it would review the plan to decide if it was “sufficient to offset the identified unavoidable adverse impacts to aquatic resources and overcome significant degradation at the mine site.”

Ultimately, the Corps said it “determined that the applicant’s plan for the discharge of fill material does not comply with Clean Water Act guidelines and concluded that the proposed project is contrary to the public interest.”

Welcome to Thursday’s Overnight Health Care.

President Biden unveiled his comprehensive COVID-19 response plan, while his aides criticized what they said was inadequate planning from the Trump administration on vaccines. Speaker Pelosi plans to move quickly on more COVID relief, and Biden will soon rescind a controversial anti-abortion rule.

We’ll start with Biden’s COVID plan:

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Biden unveils coronavirus plan, warns it will take months to ‘turn things around’

President Biden on Thursday unveiled a comprehensive strategy to address the coronavirus pandemic while warning that it would take months for his administration’s actions to significantly alter the trajectory of the pandemic.

Biden, seeking to manage expectations as the United States confronts a dire period of infections, said that the COVID-19 death toll would likely top 500,000 in February and that it would take months to get Americans vaccinated against the virus.

“We didn’t get into this mess overnight and it’s going to take months for us to turn things around. But let me be equally clear — we will get through this,”  Biden said in remarks from the State Dining Room.

“We will defeat this pandemic, and to a nation waiting for action, let me be the clearest on this point: Help is on the way,” he continued.

Biden on his first full day in office unveiled a 100-plus page national strategy to defeat COVID-19, which focuses on accelerating vaccinations while slowing the spread of the virus with increased mask wearing, more testing and other public health measures. He also signed 10 executive orders aimed at blunting the public health crisis.

Read more here.

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Fauci says it’s ‘liberating’ working under Biden

Anthony FauciAnthony FauciOvernight Health Care: Biden unveils virus plan and urges patience | Fauci says it’s ‘liberating’ working under Biden | House to move quickly on COVID-19 relief Fauci: We are not ‘starting from scratch’ on vaccine distribution Fauci says it’s ‘liberating’ working under Biden MORE is not exactly hiding the fact that he’s happy to be working under President Biden instead of President TrumpDonald TrumpIran’s leader vows ‘revenge,’ posting an image resembling Trump Former Sanders spokesperson: Biden ‘backing away’ from ‘populist offerings’ Justice Dept. to probe sudden departure of US attorney in Atlanta after Trump criticism MORE. 

Speaking at the White House press briefing, Fauci was asked if he feels “less constrained” in the new administration after clashing with Trump and eventually being sidelined last year.

“I can tell you I take no pleasure at all in being in a situation of contradicting the president, so it was really something that you didn’t feel you could actually say something and there wouldn’t be any repercussions about it,” he said. “The idea that you can get up here and talk about what you know, what the evidence and science is, and know that’s it — let the science speak, it is somewhat of a liberating feeling.”

Fauci became a national star as a public spokesman for the Trump administration’s coronavirus response.

Hydroxychloroquine split: Fauci eventually ran crossways with Trump, who often downplayed the virus and made unsupported claims about “miracle” drugs such as hydroxychloroquine. Trump at one point said he was taking the medication to prevent COVID-19.

“It was very clear that there were things that were said regarding things like hydroxychloroquine and other things like that, that was uncomfortable because they were not based on scientific fact,” Fauci said.

Read more here.

 

More from Fauci…

Biden not ‘starting from scratch’ on vaccine distribution

Fauci said the Biden administration is not starting from square one on its COVID-19 vaccine distribution, contradicting reports that Trump officials did not leave them with a plan.

“We’re certainly not starting from scratch, because there is activity going on in the distribution,” Fauci told reporters during an appearance in the White House briefing room.

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The nation’s top infectious disease expert indicated that the Trump administration left a blueprint, but Biden officials will build on it. 

For example, Fauci touted President Biden’s plans to open community vaccination centers, expanding access through pharmacies, pharmacy buy-in, and invoking the Defense Production Act in certain circumstances.

“We’re coming in with fresh ideas, but also some ideas that were not bad ideas with the previous administration. You can’t say it was absolutely not usable at all,” Fauci said. 

“It’s taking what’s going on, but amplifying it in a big way,” Fauci added.

The rollout of vaccines in the waning days of the Trump administration was choppy and inconsistent. But while it fell short of the “last mile” of distribution, Operation Warp Speed had a plan to allocate and distribute vaccines.

Read more here.

Related: Biden COVID-19 czar calls Trump vaccine planning ‘so much worse than we could have imagined’

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Pelosi says House will move immediately on COVID-19 relief 

A House vote on Biden’s big coronavirus relief package could be coming soon. 

House Democrats have rearranged their schedule over the next two weeks, scrapping votes next week to allow the relevant committees to consider the various provisions of their emerging COVID-19 relief package. Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiOvernight Health Care: Biden unveils virus plan and urges patience | Fauci says it’s ‘liberating’ working under Biden | House to move quickly on COVID-19 relief Overnight Defense: House approves waiver for Biden’s Pentagon nominee | Biden to seek five-year extension of key arms control pact with Russia | Two more US service members killed by COVID-19 On The Money: Pelosi says House will move immediately on COVID-19 relief | Biden faces backlash over debt | 900,000 more Americans file for unemployment benefits MORE (D-Calif.) suggested that package could hit the House floor as early as the week of Feb. 1.

“We’re getting ready for a COVID relief package. We’ll be working on that as we go,” she told reporters in the Capitol. “We’ll be doing our … committee work all next week so that we are completely ready to go to the floor when we come back.”

A Pelosi aide emphasized that no floor vote has been scheduled. 

Biden last week had unveiled a $1.9 trillion emergency relief package, which features many of the wish-list items contained in earlier proposals from Pelosi and House Democrats.

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That list includes hundreds of billions of dollars to develop and distribute COVID-19 vaccines, hike unemployment benefits, provide $1,400 in direct payments to qualified Americans and help state and local governments cope financially with the ongoing crisis, which has killed more than 400,000 people in the United States alone. 

Read more here. 

 

Biden to rescind controversial abortion rule in coming days

President Biden will rescind a controversial policy in the coming days that bans the use of U.S. funding for foreign organizations that provide or promote abortions. 

The so-called Mexico City policy, first established by former President Reagan in 1984 and named for the city he announced it in, requires that foreign groups receiving family planning aid from the U.S. government agree not to provide or promote abortions — even with funding from other sources. 

Described as a “global gag rule” by reproductive health advocates, the policy has been rescinded by Democratic presidents and reinstated by Republicans since Reagan, and has been in effect for 19 of the past 34 years. 

“It will be our policy to support women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights in the United States, as well as globally,” Anthony Fauci said in remarks to the World Health Organization Thursday morning.

Trump reinstated the ban upon taking office in 2017 and later expanded it to cover all global health assistance, including funding for HIV, maternal and child health and malaria programs. 

Biden’s expected rescission of the ban means foreign organizations will no longer have to certify that they don’t perform or promote abortions to receive U.S. global health aid. 

Timing: A document circulated among White House allies and obtained by The Hill earlier this week indicates the order will likely be signed Jan. 28.

Read more here.

 

What we’re reading

Emerging evidence suggests new coronavirus variant could be problematic for vaccines (CNN.com) 

In U.K. hospitals, a desperate battle against a threat many saw coming (New York Times) 

After a decade of lobbying, ALS patients gain faster access to disability payments (Kaiser Health News)

Biden inherits a vaccine supply unlikely to grow before April (New York Times)

 

State by state

S.F. fears of running out of vaccines eased as paused Moderna batch is OKd for use (San Francisco Chronicle)

Dallas county axes plan to prioritize vaccinating communities of color after state threatens to slash allocation (Texas Tribune)

‘We need more’: Cities and hospitals feel pinch of Covid-19 vaccine shortages (NBC News) 

 

Op-eds in The Hill

CDC gets a second opinion: Seven steps to heal our COVID-19 response  

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in a joint campaign with the Bipartisan Policy Center, launched a six-figure advertising campaign on Thursday to urge Congress to enact an ambitious infrastructure package.

The “Job One” campaign will include both cable television and digital advertising. The announcement did not specify the exact dollar amount spent on the ads. 

The campaign touts a Georgetown University study that estimates that a $1 trillion investment in infrastructure would create 11 million new jobs in 10 years, though the campaign does not specify how much a future bill should be.

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It calls for investments in roads, bridges, airports, railroads, rural broadband, clean energy and water. 

“Our leaders in Washington now have a historic opportunity to rebuild our economy, get Americans back to work, and improve the quality for life for everyone. Repairing roads and bridges, investing in airports and rail, expanding rural broadband, and providing cleaner affordable energy and drinking water systems,” the ad says. 

“President Biden and Congress can jump start our economy and bring jobs back,” it adds.

Biden has said he will ask Congress in February for an infrastructure package, and his nominee to lead the Department of Transportation, Pete ButtigiegPete ButtigiegBiden signs order to require masks on planes and public transportation Senators vet Buttigieg to run Transportation Department The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Biden hits the ground running on COVID MORE, said in his prepared remarks for his Senate confirmation hearing that there is a lot of work to do to improve infrastructure.

Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc. is dropping its project to develop high-speed internet delivered via signals transmitted from balloons, citing the project’s high cost.

The CEO of its subsidiary Loon announced that the spinoff company would be dissolved due to an inability to find ways to reduce the project’s considerable costs. The company had planned to develop balloons capable of delivering stable high-speed internet connections to remote areas that would otherwise be unfeasible for internet infrastructure.

“We talk a lot about connecting the next billion users, but the reality is Loon has been chasing the hardest problem of all in connectivity — the last billion users: The communities in areas too difficult or remote to reach, or the areas where delivering service with existing technologies is just too expensive for everyday people,” Loon’s CEO, Alastair Westgarth, wrote in a Medium post.

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“While we’ve found a number of willing partners along the way, we haven’t found a way to get the costs low enough to build a long-term, sustainable business,” he continued.

Loon was part of Alphabet’s Google X lab, also known as the tech giant’s moonshot factory where the company invests in new and emerging technologies that have yet to find their place on the market. In 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave Loon permission to work on restoring cell service in Puerto Rico after much of the territory’s infrastructure was damaged due to Hurricane Maria. That mission became the company’s first success story after it restored service to more than 200,000 people by partnering with two major cellphone carriers.

Other projects in Alphabet’s Google X lab include Waymo, Alphabet’s venture into self-driving vehicle technologies, as well as Daydream, an incursion into the virtual reality sector.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Thursday tweeted an image bearing a resemblance to President TrumpDonald TrumpIran’s leader vows ‘revenge,’ posting an image resembling Trump Former Sanders spokesperson: Biden ‘backing away’ from ‘populist offerings’ Justice Dept. to probe sudden departure of US attorney in Atlanta after Trump criticism MORE on one of his many golf courses that bore text swearing “revenge.”

A tweet from Khamenei’s account included the image of a blond-haired figure resembling the former president in a red shirt, with the sinister shadow of a stealth aircraft overhead.

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Text over the image referred to a statement made by Khamenei on Twitter last month, according to a translation by Reuters, including the supreme leader’s vow that the U.S. would face retribution for the death of Qassem Soleimani, one of Iran’s top generals, who was killed by the U.S. in Iraq last year.

“Those who ordered the murder of General Soleimani as well as those who carried this out should be punished. This revenge will certainly happen at the right time,” Khamenei’s statement read, according to Reuters.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran neared the point of war after the death of Soleimani last year, but Iran’s government has pursued a more amicable relationship with the Biden administration in recent days.

Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, in a statement on Wednesday called on President Biden to return the U.S. to the nuclear deal negotiated in 2015 under the Obama administration.

Jenna Ryan, a real estate broker from Frisco, Texas, who took a private plane to Washington, D.C., last week, has joined those charged over the pro-Trump riot at the Capitol, which she documented on social media, The Dallas Morning News reports. 

The criminal complaint filed Friday reportedly showed Ryan charged with “knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority” and “disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.”

Authorities were able to identify Ryan at the riot because of her social media, according to the Morning News, which reported that she live-streamed herself walking to the Capitol saying, “Life or death, it doesn’t matter. Here we go.” 

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She added: “Y’all know who to hire for your realtor, Jenna Ryan for your realtor.”

Ryan posted on Facebook that she broke into the Capitol and told a reporter at Candysdirt.com that she and her fellow participants were “front-line patriots.”

“Then they were like, ‘someone got shot in there,’ and we were like, we don’t care because our freedom is more important to us than our lives because the whole premise is give us liberty or give us death,” she said. “We are front-line patriots who are fighting for liberty.”

Ryan also told local station Fox4 in an interview that she did not believe she would get arrested.

“I do not feel that I did anything wrong, in fact, I felt that I did something noble and I’m proud of being there,” she said. 

Fox4 reporter than Ryan and others in her group flew to D.C. from Denton, Texas, by private plane.

There have been dozens of arrests since the Capitol riot, and authorities believe there will be scores more.

The assault led to the death of five people and has put D.C. and state capitals on high alert before President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenAzar in departure letter says Capitol riot threatens to ‘tarnish’ administration’s accomplishments House Democrats introduce measures to oppose Trump’s bomb sale to Saudis On The Money: Retail sales drop in latest sign of weakening economy | Fast-food workers strike for minimum wage | US officials raise concerns over Mexico’s handling of energy permits MORE’s inauguration on Wednesday.

WhatsApp announced Friday that it will delay a planned, controversial privacy update that has driven users away from the platform.

The scheduled changes will be pushed back from Feb. 8 to May 15 to give users more time to understand the updates, the company explained in a blog post.

WhatsApp had notified users earlier this month about a slate of what appeared to be minor changes to its privacy terms.

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The notification — which required users to agree or have their accounts deleted — drove rumors that WhatsApp was going to give Facebook access to view messages and contact lists. Outrage about the changes soon followed. 

Will Cathcart, the head of the Facebook-owned messaging service, wrote a lengthy thread earlier this month debunking those rumors.

Boosted by a supportive tweet from Tesla’s Elon MuskElon Reeve MuskWhatsApp delays controversial privacy update Fringe social networks boosted after mob attack NASA’s Europa Clipper has been liberated from the Space Launch System MORE, users flocked to alternative messaging services like the encrypted Signal.

So many users shifted over to Signal that the app was down for most of the day Friday.

The delay in the update will give WhatsApp more time to correct the record. 

“Thank you to everyone who has reached out to us and to so many who have helped spread facts and stop rumors,” the company wrote in a blog post. “We will continue to put everything we have into making WhatsApp the best way to communicate privately.”

The FBI is screening all 25,000 National Guard troops heading to D.C. as fears mount among defense officials that those responsible for security at the inauguration could participate in an insider attack, The Associated Press reported Sunday. 

The screening effort comes as D.C. has beefed up its security ahead of President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenFear of insider attack prompts additional FBI screening of National Guard troops: AP Iran convicts American businessman on spying charge: report DC, state capitals see few issues, heavy security amid protest worries MORE’s inauguration on Wednesday and after the deadly pro-Trump raid on the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthyRyan McCarthyFear of insider attack prompts additional FBI screening of National Guard troops: AP Thousands of troops dig in for inauguration Watch Out: Progressives are eyeing the last slice of the budget MORE told the AP on Sunday that officials are aware of the potential risk, and commanders have been instructed to keep an eye out for any issues among their troops. National Guard members are also receiving training on how to find any threats within their ranks, he said.

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But the Army secretary said the FBI’s vetting has not surfaced any problems, and there has not been any evidence of insider attacks after attending a three-hour security drill for the inauguration.

”We’re continually going through the process, and taking second, third looks at every one of the individuals assigned to this operation,” McCarthy told the AP. 

“The question is, is that all of them? Are there others?” said McCarthy. “We need to be conscious of it and we need to put all of the mechanisms in place to thoroughly vet these men and women who would support any operations like this.”

The military regularly checks if its members have links to extremism, but the FBI is screening those slated to guard the Capitol and Biden as an additional precaution. 

To vet Guard members, the FBI would run names through the bureau’s databases and watchlists to find any concerning associations, including involvement in investigations or terrorism-related issues, David Gomez, a former FBI national security supervisor in Seattle, told the AP. 

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The FBI deferred to the Secret Service for comment. A Secret Service spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill that to “maintain critical operational security” for the inauguration, “the U.S. Secret Service and our law enforcement partners will not be commenting on the means and methods used to conduct the agency mission, inclusive of protective intelligence matters.”

In a statement, the Army said it is working with the Secret Service “to determine which service members supporting the national special security event for the Inauguration require additional background screening.”

“The D.C. National Guard is also providing additional training to service members as they arrive in D.C. that if they see or hear something that is not appropriate, they should report it to their chain of command,” the statement said. “There is no place for extremism in the military and we will investigate each report individually and take appropriate action.”

“The Army is committed to working closely with the F.B.I. as they identify people who participated in the violent attack on the Capitol to determine if the individuals have any connection to the Army,” the statement continued.

About 25,000 National Guard troops are expected to be in D.C. for inauguration, amounting to at least two and a half times the number at previous inaugurations. The major security concerns, according to McCarthy, are any riots by armed groups or explosives being set up. 

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The Army secretary called the inauguration a “national priority,” saying “We want to send the message to everyone in the United States and for the rest of the world that we can do this safely and peacefully.”

The preparation comes after a pro-Trump mob breached the Capitol last week in an attempt to prevent Congress from certifying Biden’s election win. The riots, which resulted in five deaths and at least 125 arrests, forced lawmakers to flee to secure locations until they reconvened hours later and certified the Electoral College vote. 

McCarthy told the AP that service members from across the military were present at the riots, but it’s unknown how many were there and how many took part in the raid on the Capitol. As of Sunday evening, only a couple of current active-duty or National Guard members had been arrested due to their actions at the riots.

Updated: Jan. 18 at 10:14 a.m.

— Hart family patriarch Stu Hart and “The Million Dollar Man” are expected to headline this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class, so from a marquee standpoint compared to recent years, it will be weaker. Bret Hart will be inducting his father while DiBiase will be inducted by two of his sons, Ted Jr. and Brett.

WWE is flying the entire Hart family in from Canada for the ceremony and the DiBiase family will also likely be in attendance.

Ultimate Warrior was asked to headline this year’s ceremony since it’s taking place in his hometown of Phoenix. Warrior himself publicly stated last year he would be willing to do it, but a deal could not be reached, believed to be due to money. (source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)

— Shawn Michaels and his wife, Rebecca, will appear at Cabela’s this Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas. HBK, Rebecca, Weston and Jodi will surprise “another deserving hero with the hunt of a lifetime.” They will be joined by Cabela’s Pro Staff Weston and Jodi Clark from the Higher Grounds Outdoors television show. Click here for more information.

— Click here for Howard Finkel’s thoughts on this past Monday’s episode of Raw. He notes changing his tune on seeing Undertaker and Shawn Michaels battle again at WrestleMania.

See Edge’s *NEW* Slim Jim commercial here ->