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FTE Airline Transformation Power List Americas 2021 unveiled

The following article was published by Future Travel Experience
Future Travel Experience is excited to unveil the top 10 nominees for the FTE Airline Transformation Power List Americas 2021. Future Travel Experience is excited to unveil the FTE Airline…

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The following article was published by Future Travel Experience

Future Travel Experience is excited to unveil the top 10 nominees for the FTE Airline Transformation Power List Americas 2021.

Future Travel Experience is excited to unveil the FTE Airline Transformation Power List Americas 2021. Through this initiative we want to shine a light on those who are pioneering new approaches that have the potential to improve travel for passengers and make the industry safer, more efficient and commercially successful. This year’s edition champions the most transformative digital change enablers within the airline and airport industry in the Americas region for their outstanding efforts to lead how their organisation has embraced innovation in order to recover and thrive following the wide-reaching impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In recognition of their leadership and achievements, each member of the Power List will receive a complimentary “Golden Ticket” to our flagship FTE Global 2021 show, taking place in Las Vegas on 7-9 December. Three of them will be awarded with an “Outstanding Achievement” trophy during the FTE Global Networking Reception, which will provide the venue for us to announce and honour our nominees and winners, amongst industry friends and colleagues.

While there has been a lot of transition in leadership roles since the pandemic, we believe the following executives have been right in the thick of it, facing unprecedented challenges, quickly adapting to the new normal, and preparing their organisations and the wider industry for what’s to come. So, here we share the top 10 airline C-level executives, who we believe deserve recognition for their efforts.

Maya Leibman, EVP – Chief Information Officer, American Airlines

As the Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer for American Airlines, Maya Leibman is responsible for all technology efforts including software development, infrastructure, operations and security. Leibman has been in the role since 2012, when she led the systems integration of American Airlines and US Airways – largely recognised as one of the smoothest and most successful airline mergers to date. More recently, as part of the airline’s broader transformation push, Leibman has put in place next generation strategic initiatives, including transitioning to the cloud, advanced analytics, machine learning and the advancement of DevOps tools and principles. In direct response to COVID-19, American Airlines quickly recognised the need for a completely touchless check-in experience. Applying Delivery Transformation principles, Leibman’s team was able to install 2,100 touchless kiosks in 230 airports within six weeks, reducing the average session time at the kiosk down to 17 seconds. Other initiatives put in place to provide a smoother customer experience include new mobile ID verification technology, a virtual assistant chatbot, and a new digital travel tool for COVID-19 travel guidelines.

Rocky Wiggins, SVP & Chief Innovation Officer, Spirit

Spirit Airlines has experienced significant growth in the past few years, establishing itself as one of the leading ultra-low-cost carriers in the US. At a very fast rate, the airline has brought in new aircraft to its fleet, grown its route network, and introduced innovative solutions to boost its reputation as a technology leader. As part of its “pledge to invest in the guest”, Spirit began developing the nation’s first biometric photo-matching solution for domestic air travel in 2019. The airline had to start from scratch by defining an entirely new set of protocols in conjunction with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Biometric check-in assistance was previously available only to international passengers. Spirit is the first to make it available for domestic guests, and the first to pursue combining it with automated self-bag drop capabilities to reduce face-to-face interaction. Spirit’s re-imagined check-in experience is already installed at LaGuardia Airport and Chicago O’Hare airports with plans in place to make it available in other airports soon. Another new technology combines kiosks and a bag-scanning device that lets customers know if their bags are the appropriate weight and size. It’s a customer-friendly programme that has been introduced at LaGuardia, McCarran and Chicago O’Hare airports. Another project worthy of a mention is the carrier’s new Free Spirit loyalty programme introduced at the beginning of 2021. The frequent flyer programme gives loyal customers more value for their money, and offers new opportunities for earning reward travel between flights. Technology will continue to be key in support of the airline’s growth, which is why Rocky Wiggins, SVP & Chief Innovation Officer, Spirit Airlines, has been selected as a contender for our Power List.

Vikram Baskaran, Vice President, Information Technology, Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines has a long history of innovation, including being the first airline in the US to sell a ticket and check in a customer online. This tradition has continued over the years through the implementation of innovative technology solutions in support of the carrier’s mission of “creating an airline people love”. Since its merger with Virgin America, Alaska Airlines has been in the midst of a major transformation, which has seen a significant cultural shift in the way it approaches the guest experience. As the leader of the technology team, Vikram Baskaran, successfully led and completed the technology integration of Alaska and Virgin America which was the fastest in North America. The integration has resulted in a unified technology stack that powers the new Alaska Airlines and enabled $225 million in revenue and cost synergies. Earlier this year, marking a milestone in its 89-year history, Alaska Airlines officially became a member of the oneworld airline alliance, which allows it to provide enhanced global connectivity, a seamless travel experience and more valuable loyalty offerings for its guests. Alaska Airlines has also invested heavily in the in-flight entertainment experience by creating new mobile app experiences, especially for frequent travellers.

The 15th Anniversary FTE Global 2021 event will take place in Las Vegas on 7-9 December. Delivered with the support of McCarran International Airport, the theme of this year’s FTE Global show is “New Approaches for a New World” and it will champion bold new ideas, solutions, collaboration & innovation efforts to ensure individually, and collectively, we achieve an industry recovery that makes air transport even stronger in the long-term. Attendees will have access to 4 conference tracks – Future Airports, Digital & Innovation, Ancillary and Air MobilityX – where they can hear inspirational presentations from some of the biggest airlines in the world, including Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Southwest, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Japan Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Spirit, Virgin Atlantic, oneworld, and many more. The conferences will be complemented by a major end-to-end exhibition, co-creation workshops, tours, TSA and US CBP briefings, Think Tank unveiling, startup showcases, and a unique social and networking programme in the heart of Las Vegas.

Kathleen Merrill, SVP, Chief Information Officer, Southwest

At Southwest Airlines, a number of big transformational projects continued despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Kathleen Merrill, SVP, Chief Information Officer, successfully led the airline’s pivot towards remote working, without losing focus on the numerous large-scale transformational projects taking place. These included deploying cloud technology, embracing DevOps, and placing increased emphasis on using common platforms and data for better efficiency. For instance, a massive effort to move Southwest’s data centre was completed in 2020, as was a brand-new Salesforce implementation. Moreover, to cater for the resumption of business travel in 2020, Southwest Airlines expanded its partnership with Amadeus, allowing Corporate Travel Buyers, Travel Management Companies, and business travel decision makers to easily book and service reservations on the Amadeus Travel Platform. Merrill’s leadership, vision and perseverance certainly make her fully deserving of a place on our Airline Transformation Power List.

Linda Jojo, Executive Vice President, Technology & Chief Digital Officer, United Airlines

United Airlines continues on its current trajectory to build a more innovative, customer-centric and sustainable airline. Earlier in 2021, it introduced the United Next vision aimed at revolutionising the passenger experience, as the carrier accelerates its business to meet a resurgence in air travel. As part of the programme, United is investing in a new modern fleet including the addition of 200 Boeing 737 MAX and 70 Airbus A321neo aircraft, and plans to retrofit 100% of remaining mainline, narrow-body aircraft to transform the customer experience and create a new signature interior. Furthermore, the airline launched a new corporate venture fund – United Airlines Ventures – that will allow it to continue investing in emerging companies that have the potential to influence the future of travel. The new fund will concentrate on sustainability concepts that will complement United’s goal of net zero emissions by 2050 – without relying on traditional carbon offsets – as well as revolutionary aerospace developments and innovative technologies that are expected to create value for customers and United’s operations. As the main force behind United’s innovation strategy, Linda Jojo, Executive Vice President, Technology & Chief Digital Officer is fully deserving of a place on our Airline Transformation Power Lis

Celso Guimarães Ferrer Junior, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, GOL

Brazil’s largest domestic airline GOL is a leader in innovation. It was the first Brazilian airline to sell tickets online, the first in South America to offer in-flight WiFi and the first in the world to offer “Selfie Check-in” and to provide flight status updates via its mobile app. Back in 2018, the carrier launched its technology innovation lab GOLlabs to leverage its culture of innovation, while the following year it announced a strategic partnership with Boston Consulting Group and KLM to create digital airline operations through integrated planning and control, data driven decision-making when a flight disruption occurs, adoption of digital tools by frontline teams and building in-house digital capabilities to improve operations. Since COVID-19 hit, the airline has taken further steps to ensure it is well-positioned for growth in the post-pandemic world. For instance, earlier this year it moved away from its legacy reservation system onto a new digital passenger service system, offering a modern retail experience that enables personalised travel at scale to better serve its customers. Meanwhile, GOL is spearheading the urban air mobility revolution in Brazil by partnering with Avolon to create an eVTOL ride sharing platform. The agreement forms part of GOL’s commercial strategy to invest strategically in the regional air transportation market, opening up new routes to underserved domestic markets. It follows an announcement in June 2021 that GOL acquired MAP Transportes Aéreos, Brazil’s fifth largest domestic airline, with a fleet of 70-seat ATRs that operate on routes in the Amazon region from Manaus Airport and Brazil’s South and Southeast regions from Congonhas, the country’s largest domestic airport. These initiatives speak volumes for the way GOL is embracing transformation, and therefore, we recognise Celso Guimarães Ferrer Junior, who became Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 2019 and is responsible for operations, maintenance, airports, operational safety, network planning and fleet.

Matt Muta, VP, Innovation, Delta Air Lines

In an extraordinary year for commercial airlines, Delta has stood out for taking a customer-first leadership approach during the pandemic. The airline launched its new Travel Planning Center – a one-stop guide packed with resources to manage travel requirements – and added more interactive features to its Delta Discover Map, which gives customers the ability to filter, search and book travel in a couple of clicks. Another prominent example is the Delta FlyReady app, a digital health credential solution that assists customers in scheduling a COVID-19 test that meets destination requirements. Delta is also launching a facial-recognition programme for TSA PreCheck members at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, setting a new standard for the industry as the first airline to build a dedicated bag drop space for TSA PreCheck customers. Over the coming months, the airline has shared plans to bring an even further streamlined experience to customers with new tools aimed at reopening international travel. Prior to the pandemic, Delta took the first steps into building its vision to create a digital concierge by deepening its industry-leading partnership with Lyft. Offering customers multiple points within the Fly Delta app to link Delta SkyMiles and Lyft accounts, the app makes it easier for customers to earn miles during Lyft rides. The Fly Delta app is also complimented by a virtual queuing tool that notifies customers when their seat is boarding. As VP Innovation, Matt Muta oversees an organisation within Delta that drives innovation through exploration, rapid prototyping, envisioning and the development or investment in new technology, which is why he is a worthy nominee for the Airline Transformation Power List.

During the upcoming FTE Global show, Delta’s Matt Muta will deliver an inspirational keynote on how the airline is advancing the bold vision it unveiled at CES in 2020, and what’s next as Delta continues to innovate to pull the future of flying forward.

Juliana Rios, Chief Information & Digital Officer, LATAM

As the largest airline group in South America, LATAM Airlines has placed technology and innovation at the heart of its passenger experience strategy. In the past few years, the airline has been investing in technology such as biometrics, self-service, augmented reality, as well as implementing cutting-edge technology inflight. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, towards the end of 2020, LATAM launched its e-business unit, a new, simpler, and more user-friendly digital experience for its customers in Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, and recently, in Brazil, allowing passengers to have control of their itinerary at all times. FTE is recognising the airline’s Chief Information & Digital Officer Juliana Rios for her successful leadership of LATAM’s IT and digital teams to challenge, inspire and deliver solutions that drive sustainable and efficient operation.

Carol Clements, Chief Digital & Technology Officer, JetBlue

JetBlue continues to expand its brand in innovative new ways across travel. In July, the airline announced a new partnership with American Airlines, which promises JetBlue customers expanded routes and easier connections, check-ins, and baggage transfers from one airline to the other. JetBlue is also continuing to work hand in hand with its venture capital arm, JetBlue Technology Ventures, to invest in startups to introduce new technology such as ultraviolet cleaning products, contact tracing and contactless travel. But beyond this, the carrier is focused on transforming itself into a digital, software-driven enterprise, powered by software intelligence. As part of this vision, JetBlue aims to diversify its proposition beyond just offering flights to creating a more holistic travel and lifestyle brand. For instance, earlier this year it introduced its new Paisly by JetBlue travel website, which helps customers who have purchased a JetBlue flight to finish booking the rest of their trip. Paisly’s smart technology eases the booking process by using flight information to make individually tailored suggestions for travel components such as hotel stays and car rentals. Through its JetBlue Travel Products subsidiary, the airline plans to introduce new travel concepts to its portfolio that will accelerate ancillary revenue growth. These projects are a true testament to the airline’s adaptability, and we can’t wait to see what’s next. Succeeding Eash Sundaram, who retired from JetBlue earlier this year after nearly a decade at the helm of innovation and technology strategy for the airline, is Carol Clements who now leads the IT team during what the airline considers the most pivotal period in its history.

Holger Blankenstein, Executive Vice President, Volaris

Volaris has continued to be a disruptor in the market, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. While some airlines are still waiting for the rebound, Mexican budget carrier Volaris has stated that it is looking ahead to the next chapter. Indeed, the carrier is among the first airlines globally to report the return of passenger numbers to pre-pandemic levels. In August 2021, the ultra-low-cost airline, which flies from Mexico to the United States and Central America, carried 2.3 million passengers, 22% more than before the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline implemented multiple initiatives to bolster liquidity, reduce costs and capture market opportunities. Among these was a new “flexibility combo” option for passengers with the aim to create new ancillary opportunities. Impressively, Volaris also launched five new domestic routes and seven new international routes in 2020, taking advantage of new market opportunities. In addition, the airline continues with its fleet renewal strategy, positioning itself as the leading airline in Mexico with an eco-efficient fleet. Holger Blankenstein has been with Volaris since its inception in 2005 and as one of the founding members of the team, he was involved in setting up and launching the airline. As the Executive Vice President, he is in charge of commercial, digital, operations, customer care, IT and maintenance.

Next week, we will be announcing our FTE Airport Transformation Power List Americas 2021, so stay tuned to see which airport leaders have made the top 10.

Article originally published here:
FTE Airline Transformation Power List Americas 2021 unveiled

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Chronic stress and inflammation linked to societal and environmental impacts in new study

From anxiety about the state of the world to ongoing waves of Covid-19, the stresses we face can seem relentless and even overwhelming. Worse, these stressors…

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From anxiety about the state of the world to ongoing waves of Covid-19, the stresses we face can seem relentless and even overwhelming. Worse, these stressors can cause chronic inflammation in our bodies. Chronic inflammation is linked to serious conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer – and may also affect our thinking and behavior.   

Credit: Image: Vodovotz et al/Frontiers

From anxiety about the state of the world to ongoing waves of Covid-19, the stresses we face can seem relentless and even overwhelming. Worse, these stressors can cause chronic inflammation in our bodies. Chronic inflammation is linked to serious conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer – and may also affect our thinking and behavior.   

A new hypothesis published in Frontiers in Science suggests the negative impacts may extend far further.   

“We propose that stress, inflammation, and consequently impaired cognition in individuals can scale up to communities and populations,” explained lead author Prof Yoram Vodovotz of the University of Pittsburgh, USA.

“This could affect the decision-making and behavior of entire societies, impair our cognitive ability to address complex issues like climate change, social unrest, and infectious disease – and ultimately lead to a self-sustaining cycle of societal dysfunction and environmental degradation,” he added.

Bodily inflammation ‘mapped’ in the brain  

One central premise to the hypothesis is an association between chronic inflammation and cognitive dysfunction.  

“The cause of this well-known phenomenon is not currently known,” said Vodovotz. “We propose a mechanism, which we call the ‘central inflammation map’.”    

The authors’ novel idea is that the brain creates its own copy of bodily inflammation. Normally, this inflammation map allows the brain to manage the inflammatory response and promote healing.   

When inflammation is high or chronic, however, the response goes awry and can damage healthy tissues and organs. The authors suggest the inflammation map could similarly harm the brain and impair cognition, emotion, and behavior.   

Accelerated spread of stress and inflammation online   

A second premise is the spread of chronic inflammation from individuals to populations.  

“While inflammation is not contagious per se, it could still spread via the transmission of stress among people,” explained Vodovotz.   

The authors further suggest that stress is being transmitted faster than ever before, through social media and other digital communications.  

“People are constantly bombarded with high levels of distressing information, be it the news, negative online comments, or a feeling of inadequacy when viewing social media feeds,” said Vodovotz. “We hypothesize that this new dimension of human experience, from which it is difficult to escape, is driving stress, chronic inflammation, and cognitive impairment across global societies.”   

Inflammation as a driver of social and planetary disruption  

These ideas shift our view of inflammation as a biological process restricted to an individual. Instead, the authors see it as a multiscale process linking molecular, cellular, and physiological interactions in each of us to altered decision-making and behavior in populations – and ultimately to large-scale societal and environmental impacts.  

“Stress-impaired judgment could explain the chaotic and counter-intuitive responses of large parts of the global population to stressful events such as climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic,” explained Vodovotz.  

“An inability to address these and other stressors may propagate a self-fulfilling sense of pervasive danger, causing further stress, inflammation, and impaired cognition in a runaway, positive feedback loop,” he added.  

The fact that current levels of global stress have not led to widespread societal disorder could indicate an equally strong stabilizing effect from “controllers” such as trust in laws, science, and multinational organizations like the United Nations.   

“However, societal norms and institutions are increasingly being questioned, at times rightly so as relics of a foregone era,” said Prof Paul Verschure of Radboud University, the Netherlands, and a co-author of the article. “The challenge today is how we can ward off a new adversarial era of instability due to global stress caused by a multi-scale combination of geopolitical fragmentation, conflicts, and ecological collapse amplified by existential angst, cognitive overload, and runaway disinformation.”    

Reducing social media exposure as part of the solution  

The authors developed a mathematical model to test their ideas and explore ways to reduce stress and build resilience.  

“Preliminary results highlight the need for interventions at multiple levels and scales,” commented co-author Prof Julia Arciero of Indiana University, USA.  

“While anti-inflammatory drugs are sometimes used to treat medical conditions associated with inflammation, we do not believe these are the whole answer for individuals,” said Dr David Katz, co-author and a specialist in preventive and lifestyle medicine based in the US. “Lifestyle changes such as healthy nutrition, exercise, and reducing exposure to stressful online content could also be important.”  

“The dawning new era of precision and personalized therapeutics could also offer enormous potential,” he added.  

At the societal level, the authors suggest creating calm public spaces and providing education on the norms and institutions that keep our societies stable and functioning.  

“While our ‘inflammation map’ hypothesis and corresponding mathematical model are a start, a coordinated and interdisciplinary research effort is needed to define interventions that would improve the lives of individuals and the resilience of communities to stress. We hope our article stimulates scientists around the world to take up this challenge,” Vodovotz concluded.  

The article is part of the Frontiers in Science multimedia article hub ‘A multiscale map of inflammatory stress’. The hub features a video, an explainer, a version of the article written for kids, and an editorial, viewpoints, and policy outlook from other eminent experts: Prof David Almeida (Penn State University, USA), Prof Pietro Ghezzi (University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Italy), and Dr Ioannis P Androulakis (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, USA). 


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Acadia’s Nuplazid fails PhIII study due to higher-than-expected placebo effect

After years of trying to expand the market territory for Nuplazid, Acadia Pharmaceuticals might have hit a dead end, with a Phase III fail in schizophrenia…

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After years of trying to expand the market territory for Nuplazid, Acadia Pharmaceuticals might have hit a dead end, with a Phase III fail in schizophrenia due to the placebo arm performing better than expected.

Steve Davis

“We will continue to analyze these data with our scientific advisors, but we do not intend to conduct any further clinical trials with pimavanserin,” CEO Steve Davis said in a Monday press release. Acadia’s stock $ACAD dropped by 17.41% before the market opened Tuesday.

Pimavanserin, a serotonin inverse agonist and also a 5-HT2A receptor antagonist, is already in the market with the brand name Nuplazid for Parkinson’s disease psychosis. Efforts to expand into other indications such as Alzheimer’s-related psychosis and major depression have been unsuccessful, and previous trials in schizophrenia have yielded mixed data at best. Its February presentation does not list other pimavanserin studies in progress.

The Phase III ADVANCE-2 trial investigated 34 mg pimavanserin versus placebo in 454 patients who have negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The study used the negative symptom assessment-16 (NSA-16) total score as a primary endpoint and followed participants up to week 26. Study participants have control of positive symptoms due to antipsychotic therapies.

The company said that the change from baseline in this measure for the treatment arm was similar between the Phase II ADVANCE-1 study and ADVANCE-2 at -11.6 and -11.8, respectively. However, the placebo was higher in ADVANCE-2 at -11.1, when this was -8.5 in ADVANCE-1. The p-value in ADVANCE-2 was 0.4825.

In July last year, another Phase III schizophrenia trial — by Sumitomo and Otsuka — also reported negative results due to what the company noted as Covid-19 induced placebo effect.

According to Mizuho Securities analysts, ADVANCE-2 data were disappointing considering the company applied what it learned from ADVANCE-1, such as recruiting patients outside the US to alleviate a high placebo effect. The Phase III recruited participants in Argentina and Europe.

Analysts at Cowen added that the placebo effect has been a “notorious headwind” in US-based trials, which appears to “now extend” to ex-US studies. But they also noted ADVANCE-1 reported a “modest effect” from the drug anyway.

Nonetheless, pimavanserin’s safety profile in the late-stage study “was consistent with previous clinical trials,” with the drug having an adverse event rate of 30.4% versus 40.3% with placebo, the company said. Back in 2018, even with the FDA approval for Parkinson’s psychosis, there was an intense spotlight on Nuplazid’s safety profile.

Acadia previously aimed to get Nuplazid approved for Alzheimer’s-related psychosis but had many hurdles. The drug faced an adcomm in June 2022 that voted 9-3 noting that the drug is unlikely to be effective in this setting, culminating in a CRL a few months later.

As for the company’s next R&D milestones, Mizuho analysts said it won’t be anytime soon: There is the Phase III study for ACP-101 in Prader-Willi syndrome with data expected late next year and a Phase II trial for ACP-204 in Alzheimer’s disease psychosis with results anticipated in 2026.

Acadia collected $549.2 million in full-year 2023 revenues for Nuplazid, with $143.9 million in the fourth quarter.

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Four Years Ago This Week, Freedom Was Torched

Four Years Ago This Week, Freedom Was Torched

Authored by Jeffrey Tucker via The Brownstone Institute,

"Beware the Ides of March,” Shakespeare…

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Four Years Ago This Week, Freedom Was Torched

Authored by Jeffrey Tucker via The Brownstone Institute,

"Beware the Ides of March,” Shakespeare quotes the soothsayer’s warning Julius Caesar about what turned out to be an impending assassination on March 15. The death of American liberty happened around the same time four years ago, when the orders went out from all levels of government to close all indoor and outdoor venues where people gather. 

It was not quite a law and it was never voted on by anyone. Seemingly out of nowhere, people who the public had largely ignored, the public health bureaucrats, all united to tell the executives in charge – mayors, governors, and the president – that the only way to deal with a respiratory virus was to scrap freedom and the Bill of Rights. 

And they did, not only in the US but all over the world. 

The forced closures in the US began on March 6 when the mayor of Austin, Texas, announced the shutdown of the technology and arts festival South by Southwest. Hundreds of thousands of contracts, of attendees and vendors, were instantly scrapped. The mayor said he was acting on the advice of his health experts and they in turn pointed to the CDC, which in turn pointed to the World Health Organization, which in turn pointed to member states and so on. 

There was no record of Covid in Austin, Texas, that day but they were sure they were doing their part to stop the spread. It was the first deployment of the “Zero Covid” strategy that became, for a time, official US policy, just as in China. 

It was never clear precisely who to blame or who would take responsibility, legal or otherwise. 

This Friday evening press conference in Austin was just the beginning. By the next Thursday evening, the lockdown mania reached a full crescendo. Donald Trump went on nationwide television to announce that everything was under control but that he was stopping all travel in and out of US borders, from Europe, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. American citizens would need to return by Monday or be stuck. 

Americans abroad panicked while spending on tickets home and crowded into international airports with waits up to 8 hours standing shoulder to shoulder. It was the first clear sign: there would be no consistency in the deployment of these edicts. 

There is no historical record of any American president ever issuing global travel restrictions like this without a declaration of war. Until then, and since the age of travel began, every American had taken it for granted that he could buy a ticket and board a plane. That was no longer possible. Very quickly it became even difficult to travel state to state, as most states eventually implemented a two-week quarantine rule. 

The next day, Friday March 13, Broadway closed and New York City began to empty out as any residents who could went to summer homes or out of state. 

On that day, the Trump administration declared the national emergency by invoking the Stafford Act which triggers new powers and resources to the Federal Emergency Management Administration. 

In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a classified document, only to be released to the public months later. The document initiated the lockdowns. It still does not exist on any government website.

The White House Coronavirus Response Task Force, led by the Vice President, will coordinate a whole-of-government approach, including governors, state and local officials, and members of Congress, to develop the best options for the safety, well-being, and health of the American people. HHS is the LFA [Lead Federal Agency] for coordinating the federal response to COVID-19.

Closures were guaranteed:

Recommend significantly limiting public gatherings and cancellation of almost all sporting events, performances, and public and private meetings that cannot be convened by phone. Consider school closures. Issue widespread ‘stay at home’ directives for public and private organizations, with nearly 100% telework for some, although critical public services and infrastructure may need to retain skeleton crews. Law enforcement could shift to focus more on crime prevention, as routine monitoring of storefronts could be important.

In this vision of turnkey totalitarian control of society, the vaccine was pre-approved: “Partner with pharmaceutical industry to produce anti-virals and vaccine.”

The National Security Council was put in charge of policy making. The CDC was just the marketing operation. That’s why it felt like martial law. Without using those words, that’s what was being declared. It even urged information management, with censorship strongly implied.

The timing here is fascinating. This document came out on a Friday. But according to every autobiographical account – from Mike Pence and Scott Gottlieb to Deborah Birx and Jared Kushner – the gathered team did not meet with Trump himself until the weekend of the 14th and 15th, Saturday and Sunday. 

According to their account, this was his first real encounter with the urge that he lock down the whole country. He reluctantly agreed to 15 days to flatten the curve. He announced this on Monday the 16th with the famous line: “All public and private venues where people gather should be closed.”

This makes no sense. The decision had already been made and all enabling documents were already in circulation. 

There are only two possibilities. 

One: the Department of Homeland Security issued this March 13 HHS document without Trump’s knowledge or authority. That seems unlikely. 

Two: Kushner, Birx, Pence, and Gottlieb are lying. They decided on a story and they are sticking to it. 

Trump himself has never explained the timeline or precisely when he decided to greenlight the lockdowns. To this day, he avoids the issue beyond his constant claim that he doesn’t get enough credit for his handling of the pandemic.

With Nixon, the famous question was always what did he know and when did he know it? When it comes to Trump and insofar as concerns Covid lockdowns – unlike the fake allegations of collusion with Russia – we have no investigations. To this day, no one in the corporate media seems even slightly interested in why, how, or when human rights got abolished by bureaucratic edict. 

As part of the lockdowns, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which was and is part of the Department of Homeland Security, as set up in 2018, broke the entire American labor force into essential and nonessential.

They also set up and enforced censorship protocols, which is why it seemed like so few objected. In addition, CISA was tasked with overseeing mail-in ballots. 

Only 8 days into the 15, Trump announced that he wanted to open the country by Easter, which was on April 12. His announcement on March 24 was treated as outrageous and irresponsible by the national press but keep in mind: Easter would already take us beyond the initial two-week lockdown. What seemed to be an opening was an extension of closing. 

This announcement by Trump encouraged Birx and Fauci to ask for an additional 30 days of lockdown, which Trump granted. Even on April 23, Trump told Georgia and Florida, which had made noises about reopening, that “It’s too soon.” He publicly fought with the governor of Georgia, who was first to open his state. 

Before the 15 days was over, Congress passed and the president signed the 880-page CARES Act, which authorized the distribution of $2 trillion to states, businesses, and individuals, thus guaranteeing that lockdowns would continue for the duration. 

There was never a stated exit plan beyond Birx’s public statements that she wanted zero cases of Covid in the country. That was never going to happen. It is very likely that the virus had already been circulating in the US and Canada from October 2019. A famous seroprevalence study by Jay Bhattacharya came out in May 2020 discerning that infections and immunity were already widespread in the California county they examined. 

What that implied was two crucial points: there was zero hope for the Zero Covid mission and this pandemic would end as they all did, through endemicity via exposure, not from a vaccine as such. That was certainly not the message that was being broadcast from Washington. The growing sense at the time was that we all had to sit tight and just wait for the inoculation on which pharmaceutical companies were working. 

By summer 2020, you recall what happened. A restless generation of kids fed up with this stay-at-home nonsense seized on the opportunity to protest racial injustice in the killing of George Floyd. Public health officials approved of these gatherings – unlike protests against lockdowns – on grounds that racism was a virus even more serious than Covid. Some of these protests got out of hand and became violent and destructive. 

Meanwhile, substance abuse rage – the liquor and weed stores never closed – and immune systems were being degraded by lack of normal exposure, exactly as the Bakersfield doctors had predicted. Millions of small businesses had closed. The learning losses from school closures were mounting, as it turned out that Zoom school was near worthless. 

It was about this time that Trump seemed to figure out – thanks to the wise council of Dr. Scott Atlas – that he had been played and started urging states to reopen. But it was strange: he seemed to be less in the position of being a president in charge and more of a public pundit, Tweeting out his wishes until his account was banned. He was unable to put the worms back in the can that he had approved opening. 

By that time, and by all accounts, Trump was convinced that the whole effort was a mistake, that he had been trolled into wrecking the country he promised to make great. It was too late. Mail-in ballots had been widely approved, the country was in shambles, the media and public health bureaucrats were ruling the airwaves, and his final months of the campaign failed even to come to grips with the reality on the ground. 

At the time, many people had predicted that once Biden took office and the vaccine was released, Covid would be declared to have been beaten. But that didn’t happen and mainly for one reason: resistance to the vaccine was more intense than anyone had predicted. The Biden administration attempted to impose mandates on the entire US workforce. Thanks to a Supreme Court ruling, that effort was thwarted but not before HR departments around the country had already implemented them. 

As the months rolled on – and four major cities closed all public accommodations to the unvaccinated, who were being demonized for prolonging the pandemic – it became clear that the vaccine could not and would not stop infection or transmission, which means that this shot could not be classified as a public health benefit. Even as a private benefit, the evidence was mixed. Any protection it provided was short-lived and reports of vaccine injury began to mount. Even now, we cannot gain full clarity on the scale of the problem because essential data and documentation remains classified. 

After four years, we find ourselves in a strange position. We still do not know precisely what unfolded in mid-March 2020: who made what decisions, when, and why. There has been no serious attempt at any high level to provide a clear accounting much less assign blame. 

Not even Tucker Carlson, who reportedly played a crucial role in getting Trump to panic over the virus, will tell us the source of his own information or what his source told him. There have been a series of valuable hearings in the House and Senate but they have received little to no press attention, and none have focus on the lockdown orders themselves. 

The prevailing attitude in public life is just to forget the whole thing. And yet we live now in a country very different from the one we inhabited five years ago. Our media is captured. Social media is widely censored in violation of the First Amendment, a problem being taken up by the Supreme Court this month with no certainty of the outcome. The administrative state that seized control has not given up power. Crime has been normalized. Art and music institutions are on the rocks. Public trust in all official institutions is at rock bottom. We don’t even know if we can trust the elections anymore. 

In the early days of lockdown, Henry Kissinger warned that if the mitigation plan does not go well, the world will find itself set “on fire.” He died in 2023. Meanwhile, the world is indeed on fire. The essential struggle in every country on earth today concerns the battle between the authority and power of permanent administration apparatus of the state – the very one that took total control in lockdowns – and the enlightenment ideal of a government that is responsible to the will of the people and the moral demand for freedom and rights. 

How this struggle turns out is the essential story of our times. 

CODA: I’m embedding a copy of PanCAP Adapted, as annotated by Debbie Lerman. You might need to download the whole thing to see the annotations. If you can help with research, please do.

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Jeffrey Tucker is the author of the excellent new book 'Life After Lock-Down'

Tyler Durden Mon, 03/11/2024 - 23:40

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