https://thecounter.org/fda-approves-first-gm-pig-galsafe-red-meat-allergy/

Critics say the agency failed to adequately scrutinize whether the pork will cause allergic reactions, or the environmental consequences of a GM pig escape.

Commins, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, is one of the nation’s foremost researchers specializing in alpha-gal syndrome, the term for an increasingly common allergy to meat and animal products. Named after the specific sugar that triggers allergic reactions, alpha-gal syndrome is widely believed to be caused by tick bites that introduce the offending molecules into the bloodstream, according to the CDC. In turn, consumption of red meat, which also contains alpha-gal, can then trigger subsequent allergic reactions, ranging in severity from hives to difficulty breathing.

But it may be wise to not count our pork chops before they’re plated. FDA’s approval only covers a single hog farm in Iowa with the capacity to produce 1,000 “GalSafe” pigs per year. In addition, it appears that the nutritional element of this approval may be ancillary to the medical possibilities at hand. Revivicor, the company that applied for FDA’s green light, is a developer of pig-based organs for use in human medicine, and yesterday’s approval is the first step in its efforts to develop heart and kidneys that can be transplanted in people.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/new-stealth-helicopter-its-way-us-army-174524

Lockheed Sikorsky-Boeing’s SB Defiant has taken flight more recently than Textron-Bell’s 280 Valor, however both appear to be showing early promise. Sikorsky’s SB Defiant, which recently took a demo flight at a Sikorsky range in West Palm Beach Florida before the Army’s Chief of Staff, has reportedly hit speeds of 250 knots, more than twice that of a current Black Hawk.

The SB Defiant uses an interesting, counter-rotating dual blade technology known as a compound configuration. The counter-rotating blade is based upon innovative engineering methods that combines airplane-like speeds with the hovering and maneuvering capabilities unique to helicopters. The counter-rotating blades are engineered to reduce high-speed vibrations, steady the aircraft and best optimize massive amounts of thrust coming from a pusher prop mechanism in the rear of the aircraft.

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/530369-pelosi-warns-lawmakers-theyll-be-barred-from-speaking-on-house-floor-without-a

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday announced an expansion of the House floor mask requirement which will now preclude lawmakers from removing them while speaking before the cameras during the pandemic.

During a brief House pro forma session, Pelosi said while presiding over the chamber that lawmakers will be denied speaking time if they are not wearing a mask going forward.

"Masks will now be required at all times in the hall of the House without exception," Pelosi said. "To be clear, members will not be recognized unless they are wearing a mask and recognition will be withdrawn if they remove the mask while speaking."

"This is a matter of order and decorum," she added.