Health

As 170,000 in NH register for COVID-19 vaccine, officials answer frequently asked questions about process

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State health officials say they’re ahead of schedule with the Phase 1B registration process for COVID-19 vaccines. But along the way, there have been some common questions from those signing up.As of Saturday afternoon, about 170,000 people had registered, and 160,000 of them had already received an email to schedule their appointments. But some have been leery of clicking on the link provided in the email to schedule an appointment because the email doesn’t come from the state. Instead, the email comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its Vaccine Administration Management System, also known as VAMS. State health officials say that is the correct and safe email. “That’s a legitimate email, and that email is going to allow you to create an account in that system, so you can go ahead and take that next step for scheduling an appointment,” said Dr. Beth Daly, chief of the state’s Bureau of Infectious Disease Control.Because of the concerns, the state has sent a separate email with tips to help navigate the process.Another frequent question surrounds registering two people at once. Officials say after you register yourself, you can check the box saying you’re bringing another eligible person. When you write in their name, you will only need to make one appointment and simply bring that person with you.“People are expecting to be able to schedule both persons, but it’s just one appointment,” Daly said. You cannot use the same email address for two separate registrations. So if you separately register for someone else and then later try to register for yourself, you’ll need to use a different email address or call 211 to schedule the appointment. Some senior citizens who have signed up expressed frustration with the registration and scheduling process. “For the folks my age and older who are trying to do it, it needs to be a little bit more user friendly,” said Robert Scheifele of Nashua. But not all experiences have been difficult. James and Barbara Graham registered, successfully booked their appointment for Saturday and have already received their first doses.“I was kind of amazed. I thought it would be longer,” said Barbara Graham.In about a week, the state is expecting to move to a process where registration and scheduling are all done in one step.>> Step by step: How to sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine through New Hampshire’s Phase 1B

State health officials say they’re ahead of schedule with the Phase 1B registration process for COVID-19 vaccines. But along the way, there have been some common questions from those signing up.

As of Saturday afternoon, about 170,000 people had registered, and 160,000 of them had already received an email to schedule their appointments.

But some have been leery of clicking on the link provided in the email to schedule an appointment because the email doesn’t come from the state. Instead, the email comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its Vaccine Administration Management System, also known as VAMS.

State health officials say that is the correct and safe email.

“That’s a legitimate email, and that email is going to allow you to create an account in that system, so you can go ahead and take that next step for scheduling an appointment,” said Dr. Beth Daly, chief of the state’s Bureau of Infectious Disease Control.

Because of the concerns, the state has sent a separate email with tips to help navigate the process.

Another frequent question surrounds registering two people at once.

Officials say after you register yourself, you can check the box saying you’re bringing another eligible person. When you write in their name, you will only need to make one appointment and simply bring that person with you.

“People are expecting to be able to schedule both persons, but it’s just one appointment,” Daly said.

You cannot use the same email address for two separate registrations. So if you separately register for someone else and then later try to register for yourself, you’ll need to use a different email address or call 211 to schedule the appointment.

Some senior citizens who have signed up expressed frustration with the registration and scheduling process.

“For the folks my age and older who are trying to do it, it needs to be a little bit more user friendly,” said Robert Scheifele of Nashua.

But not all experiences have been difficult. James and Barbara Graham registered, successfully booked their appointment for Saturday and have already received their first doses.

“I was kind of amazed. I thought it would be longer,” said Barbara Graham.

In about a week, the state is expecting to move to a process where registration and scheduling are all done in one step.

>> Step by step: How to sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine through New Hampshire’s Phase 1B

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US

COVID NY Update: State runs out of COVID vaccine, using 2nd doses as 1st doses up to federal government, Cuomo says

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NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — Both New York City and New York state have run completely dry of covid vaccines with the next shipment not expected until early next week.

The news comes as more and more hospitals cancel vaccination appointments with no new appointments scheduled through Monday.

15 vaccine centers have also closed.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is blaming the now-former Trump administration for opening up too many categories of eligibility, without increasing supply.

“It should have been opened as you had allocation. Anyway, that is not what we did, it’s not what they did. And now you have a period of confusion and anxiety because you’re trying to hit seven million people at 250,000 a week,” Cuomo said.

Another quarter-million doses will arrive in time for next week, but state officials say that’s far from enough.

Some have suggested using second doses, which are in storage, as first doses.

During a visit to a COVID-19 vaccine pop-up site at a NYCHA complex in Brooklyn Saturday, Cuomo said that would only be possible with collaboration from the federal government.

“The reason why the federal government has to agree is because they have to agree that they’re then going to send you enough second doses in the future. Otherwise, you want them giving people first dosages and then you don’t have a second dosage for them,” Cuomo said.

Health experts say administering the second dose of the vaccine within the timeframe outlined by federal guidelines is critical to ensuring long-term protection.

So far more than one million people in the state have gotten their first dose of the vaccine.

At a Friday briefing, Cuomo said deliveries of the week six allocations, about 250,400 doses, are on the way, but those deliveries “are delivered by the federal government by various means and they arrive at different times throughout the week.”

The state is able to administer about 80,000 doses per day and could easily do 100,000 per day, Cuomo said.

“The moment the vaccines arrive, our goal is to get them in arms as soon as possible. 250,400 doses per week is not enough,” Cuomo said.

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Technology

Video: Microsoft takes shots at Apple’s MacBook Pro in new ad for Surface Pro 7

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Microsoft is ramping up its marketing efforts against Apple’s Mac lineup. As first spotted by MS Power User, the company has published a new ad for its Surface Pro 7 on YouTube, touting that it’s the “better choice” when compared to Apple’s MacBook Pro.

The video compares the Surface Pro 7 directly against the MacBook Pro, offering hands on time with both devices. Notably, Microsoft says that this is the $1299 MacBook Pro, but you can clearly tell that it does not feature a physical Esc key. This means the model shown in the video is not the newest MacBook Pro, and it’s powered by Intel rather than Apple Silicon inside.

The video highlights that the Surface Pro 7 features a full touch screen, where as the MacBook Pro only features a “little bar” with touch support, in reference to the Touch Bar. It also showcases that the Surface Pro 7 has a detachable keyboard, while you’re just “stuck with what you’ve got” with a MacBook Pro.

The description for the video touts that the Surface Pro 7 offers the versatility of “both a tablet and a laptop.”

Only Surface Pro 7 has the versatility and portability of both a tablet and a laptop. With features like touchscreen, detachable keyboard and pen, and enough power to run your favorite apps — you can work or play from anywhere. Microsoft Surface Pro 7 has everything you need to do what you love.

Finally, video says the Surface Pro 7 is a “much better gaming device” than the MacBook Pro and is more affordable. The Surface Pro 7 features a 12.3-inch display and starts at $750. The base configuration offers 128GB of storage and 4GB of RAM. The price increases to $2,299.99 if you want 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM.

On the flip side, the MacBook Pro starts at $1299 for Apple’s M1 processor, 8GB of unified memory, and 256GB of storage. For $2,299, you can get 2TB of SSD storage and 16GB of unified memory.

Check out Microsoft’s new video below and let us know what you think of it down in the comments!

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Technology

Apple Elaborates on Potential for iPhone 12 and MagSafe Accessories to Interfere With Implantable Medical Devices

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Since the launch of iPhone 12 models in October, Apple has acknowledged that the devices may cause electromagnetic interference with medical devices like pacemakers and defibrillators, but the company has now shared additional information.


Apple added the following paragraph to a related support document today:

Medical devices such as implanted pacemakers and defibrillators might contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when in close contact. To avoid any potential interactions with these devices, keep your iPhone and MagSafe accessories a safe distance away from your device (more than 6 inches / 15 cm apart or more than 12 inches / 30 cm apart if wirelessly charging). But consult with your physician and your device manufacturer for specific guidelines.

While the support document already mentioned “MagSafe accessories” in the title, Apple has further emphasized that accessories like the MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger may also interfere with medical devices:

All MagSafe accessories (each sold separately) also contain magnets—and MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger contain radios. These magnets and electromagnetic fields might interfere with medical devices.

Apple continues to state that while all iPhone 12 models contain more magnets than prior iPhone models, they are “not expected to pose a greater risk of magnetic interference to medical devices than prior iPhone models.”

Earlier this month, an article in the Heart Rhythm Journal indicated that iPhone 12 models can “potentially inhibit lifesaving therapy in a patient” due to magnetic interference with implantable medical devices. Three doctors in Michigan tested this interaction by holding an iPhone 12 near a patient’s implantable cardioverter defibrillator, which immediately went into a “suspended” state for the duration of the test, according to the article.

“We hereby bring an important public health issue concerning the newer generation iPhone 12 which can potentially inhibit lifesaving therapy in a patient particularly while carrying the phone in upper pockets,” the doctors wrote. “Medical device manufacturers and implanting physicians should remain vigilant in making patients aware of this significant interaction of the iPhone 12 and other smart wearables with their cardiac implantable electronic devices.”

The article in the Heart Rhythm Journal was first surfaced by Brazilian website MacMagazine.

Apple provides more information in the “Important safety information for iPhone” section of the iPhone User Guide.

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Business

Major delays cause some to leave Delaware vaccination sites without shots

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CLOSE

Hundreds in phase 1B line up to receive COVID vaccine at Delaware City DMV Friday

Delaware News Journal

Bonnie and Bob Siley followed the instructions. They registered online to be vaccinated, filled out all the forms and waited for their time slot.

Bob, 83, has cancer and is a higher priority than his wife, so he was among the 11,500 older adults selected to be vaccinated through state-run events this weekend in Delaware City and Georgetown.

The Sileys received a response from the state that Bob was approved for an appointment, and they scheduled one for the 11 to 11:30 a.m. slot Saturday at the Delaware City Division of Motor Vehicles.

They left their suburban Wilmington home at 10:15 a.m. Saturday and returned just before 2 p.m. 

They never got close to entering the DMV’s grounds near where Route 1 meets Route 72 and Wrangle Hill Road.

“It was a nightmare,” said Bonnie, 80.

She said they moved about 150 feet while waiting for more than 1½ hours. With no idea how long it would take to get close to the DMV, they decided to leave.

“Thank God we got out of line,” Bonnie said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Bonnie said she spoke with another friend who had a scheduled time slot between 11:30 a.m. and noon who also left before being vaccinated.

So, too, did Evan Winslow’s grandfather.

Winslow said his father and grandfather also had an appointment in the 11:30 to noon time slot. He said they had heard from another person who was scheduled for 9 a.m. and didn’t reach the front of the line until 1:30 p.m.

Unsure how much longer it would take until they reached the front, they decided to leave, though they later returned.

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In a Facebook post after 2 p.m., the Department of Health and Social Services said: “If you have an appointment, you will receive a vaccine today, so please stay in line if you can. We apologize for the delay caused by technical issues.”

Division of Public Health spokeswoman Jen Brestel said in an email: “For those with appointments Saturday and Sunday, it is important that you fill out the medical history information in the VAMS account you created so it does not have to be added at the vaccination event. Please use the username and password you created to make the appointment to go back to VAMS and add the Medical History information before you reach the vaccination event.”

The state planned on vaccinating 11,500 older adults and 2,000 phase 1A health care workers this weekend in Delaware City and Georgetown. The vaccinations were by appointment only. Traffic near the Georgetown DMV was snarled in the area of Route 113 and North Bedford Street/Shortly Road, where long lines of people waited.

The Georgetown facility could hold about 400 cars on the DMV property, a Delaware Department of Transportation worker said. People at that facility were reporting wait times of three hours on Facebook.

Tens of thousands of Delawareans in phase 1B registered this week to be vaccinated through the state’s online system. From that group, 11,500 were selected based on priority for this weekend’s event. On Friday, 500 people were vaccinated at the Delaware City DMV, and thousands more were expected to be vaccinated Saturday and Sunday at both locations.

For some, the long wait was expected.

Elizabeth Monaghan, a former emergency medicine nurse, said she and her husband were expecting a long day getting vaccinated at the Georgetown site.

“We have friends like us in many other states who aren’t even hopeful for a vaccine soon,” she wrote in an email.

Monaghan said while “there is always room for improvement,” the people – volunteers, public health employees, first responders – should be commended. 

“Finally in the holding area for a short 15 minutes to wait out any immediate unexpected reaction… we looked at each other thankful that we were fortunate to have come to this point after 10 long months,” she said.

“What has to be remembered is that we are all in this mess together. Patience and understanding for the tasks at hand is required. Along with kindness – deep breaths help too –will get us all through this.”

Monaghan said the round-trip time was around three hours.

Others at Delaware City experienced longer waits.

Like the Sileys, another Hockessin couple left their house around 10 a.m. for their 11 a.m. appointment. The couple, who did not want to be named, spoke to Delaware Online/The News Journal by cell phone around 3 p.m. and said the car’s trip odometer had yet to hit 15 miles. They had been on Route 1 south sitting in traffic for around five hours.

“I’ve never, ever, seen traffic like this in Delaware,” said the man, 77. “This is absolutely abysmal.”

But unlike the Sileys, the couple said they were going to wait it out.

“We need these vaccines,” the man said, because his wife has underlying health issues.

They, too, had preregistered online and received appointment confirmations. 

“We did everything right,” said the woman, 73.

The couple had phoned police in an effort to get traffic controlled. They were concerned about some older adults not being able to wait in the long lines without access to a bathroom or food.

The photo gallery below is from the Friday evening event. The story continues after

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They later called The News Journal back after they were vaccinated at 5:15 p.m., seven hours after they left their Hockessin home. Once they got inside the DMV complex, they said it was much more organized.

“We heard these horror stores from Florida, but we never thought we were going to have this kind of thing in Delaware,” the man said.

What’s worse, Bonnie Siley said, is that the people being vaccinated this weekend have to get a second shot in a matter of weeks.

“Are you going to be back in this line like this?”

After leaving without her husband getting a shot, she said they would try to get vaccinated through a pharmacy instead.

“I’m just so frustrated and disappointed,” she said.

Shannon Marvel McNaught contributed to this story.

Contact Jeff Neiburg at jneiburg@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeff_Neiburg.

Read or Share this story: https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/coronavirus-in-delaware/2021/01/23/delays-cause-leave-delaware-vaccination-sites-without-shots-delaware-covid-19-vaccine-coronavirus/6687550002/

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Business

Tesla accuses engineer of stealing crucial company software

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Tesla didn’t say if it believed Khatilov had coordinated with others. However, it warned that it “did not uncover” all of Khatilov’s actions, and that he might still be sharing Tesla’s files. The staffer had to work remotely due to the pandemic, making it difficult to verify that the files had been deleted.

The automaker has been highly protective of its technology in the past, having sued Rivian and Zoox for allegedly hiring recruits who brought Tesla secrets with them. That’s on top of suing individuals like Martin Tripp, who Elon Musk called a “saboteur.” Khatilov’s case, if true, is only likely to heighten Tesla’s concerns about trade secret theft — if people sign up just to steal automation tools, Tesla may feel justified in jealously protecting its all-important EV and self-driving technology.

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Entertainment

‘Barney Miller,’ ‘Sanford and Son’ actor Gregory Sierra dies

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NEW YORK (AP) — Gregory Sierra, who had memorable roles in the 1970s sitcoms “Barney Miller” and “Sanford and Son,” has died after battling cancer. He was 83.

Sierra’s widow, Helene, said Saturday in a phone interview with The Associated Press that the actor died on Jan. 4 in Laguna Woods, California.

Sierra’s breakthrough came in 1972 when he played the role of Fred G. Sanford’s neighbor, Julio Fuentes, on “Sanford and Son.” He also earned major attention for playing Sgt. Miguel “Chano” Amanguale on “Barney Miller,” which launched in 1975.

“He was an amazing human being, different than any other person, male or female, that I have ever known,” Helene told the AP. “He just was extremely intelligent and a brilliant actor. He had a heart (of gold). Anytime that somebody needed something, he would be there for them and he defended the underdog anytime. And he was a very charming man. He was truly a man’s man and women fell in love with him all the time.”

Sierra, who is of Puerto Rican descent, was born on Jan. 25, 1937 in New York City. His TV credits include “All in the Family,” “Soap,” “Miami Vice,” “Zorro and Son,” “Hawaii Five-O,” “Hill Street Blues” and more. He also appeared in films such as “Beneath the Planet of the Apes,” “Papillon,” “The Towering Inferno,” “Honey I Blew Up the Kid” and “The Other Side of the Wind,” which was released in 2018 after more than 40 years in development.

In addition to Helene, Sierra is survived by his daughters, Kelly and Jill, and his granddaughter, Emma.

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Technology

CodeMiko talks reason behind Twitch ban, her approach to streaming, and plans for return stream

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Popular VTuber and Twitch streamer CodeMiko is known for her creative streams that allow viewers to get involved by influencing parts of the broadcast. She uses her setup and virtual character rig to engage with her audience—which averages nearly 8,000 viewers per stream—and fellow content creators through various segments and interviews.

The Technician, or the developer behind Miko and the stream, does all of the coding, engineering, and rigging herself and is always pushing the level of interactivity with the broadcast forward, describing it as “a quasi interactive, RPG.”

The nature of some interviews, however, has led to Twitch banning Miko from the platform, including two short-term suspensions in September 2020. She found herself suspended from the platform yet again when her account was banned on Jan. 19—this time for two weeks. Neither Miko nor Twitch clued the streamer’s audience of nearly 360,000 followers in to what caused the ban.

Following her third ban, Miko spoke with Dot Esports about what led to the suspension, how she approaches content creation, and her future plans, including details about her return stream planned for Feb. 5 at 2pm CT. 

You said you had more details about why your channel was banned and it wasn’t because of your usage of the word “simp.” What was the reason this time? How long is the ban?

Miko: It was not because of the word simp. It is a long story, but the short of it is, I messed up when I was chatting with a friend and fellow streamer and kind of got lost in the moment. 

Was it something specific that broke the Twitch Terms of Service?

So I have this interview content and basically feature other streamers. During an interview, they often share things with me and send it to me to show on stream. So they will share it and I will put it on screen. 

At this particular moment, we were talking about female harassment online and I asked her what was like the worst comment she had ever received. When I saw the email, it was pretty bad and was more like a threat than a comment. From my experience, threats are almost never from a user’s actual email address, but when I threw up the screenshot, that is basically what got me banned. I violated terms [of service] around privacy.

Obviously, my friend didn’t mean for this to happen, she is very sweet, and I think we both overlooked it because we were so focused on the threat of the email, but I learned my lesson.

What made this ban different from the two your channel was given in September?

Yeah, those were also little slip-ups. It is unfortunate, but I just have to be more careful with things like that and work to prevent them from happening in the future. 

My content isn’t about that stuff, it is about the innovation behind livestreaming and I just want to show what I can make and the innovative side of my stream. I’m actually really excited about coming back because I have been using this time to work on some new stuff and it has been good. 

The suspension is horrible, but at the same time it has kind of given me this time to really really work on my stuff and I am really excited to show it off when I come back. 

How has Twitch been communicating with you since your ban?

I am getting myself an account manager and I think that will help a lot when it comes to communication with Twitch. Once I get one, I hope communication will go a lot smoother in the future. 

Are you going to approach streaming any differently when you get back?

I want to focus more on the innovative side of my content and really push more in the direction of creating fun things to drive that live interaction, in terms of mini-games I can play with chat and the guests during our interviews. I imagine it will be like my interviews but on steroids. 

Basically, I want to focus on adding more interactive aspects to chat that will help the humor of the interviews and situations within the interviews and just adding a lot of color to the content. 

I am always super excited for new stuff. Currently, I was only working on interview content, but now, I am going to implement game show aspects to it as well. I have been going head-on with the live, interactivity part of it. I am planning my return stream to have big streamers that I have worked with and making it into a really fun event. 

I am also just planning out my everyday content as well and it will have different things other than interviews.

You touched on it a bit there, but with how you have been working on your content during the ban, what are your plans for your return stream?

I want to have it be a big game show with my big streamer friends and I am going to hype it up! It will be something that has never been done before on Twitch, in terms of like how I am going to run my version of the content. 

Twitch has done game shows before, but they have done them in a way that is very 2D with cameras and an overlay type of thing where it is flat. But with my VTuber capabilities being in the 3D space I can have it feel more like they are actually inside a studio. 

In my interviews, the streamers come in on a monitor and that is how I interview them, but this way I am going to do this by giving them robot bodies but their heads will be like the computer screen. So they will have certain controls for how they can move their robot bodies and it will feel like they are more inside the space because they will have additional elements that are used in game shows, like a podium and there will be camera cuts to the streamer with their face on the robot head. It will just feel a lot more immersive that way.

They will be able to interact with a wheel that they spin, there will be animations, so when they spin their character spins the wheel we can still see the streamer’s expression because their camera is being fed on the PV screen of the robot. Stuff like that is what my game shows will feel like and chat can always throw fun things at us during the show to throw the streamers off or make things happen to the avatars. I’m excited to debut this when I come back. 

Your content has picked up dramatically in recent months. How have you been able to grow your channel? What have you been doing that you feel works?

I have been streaming since the end of March beginning of April and throughout those first few months, it was just me trying new things every day. My schedule used to be really crazy, where I would go to sleep at around 9pm, wake up at 2am, dev until 12pm, and then stream. I would stream for like four or five hours and then eat and do some other stuff and then repeat all over again.

During that time, it was very rough developing because I would quickly code things in to just see what would happen in chat. It was just testing as I went because there was no rulebook when it comes to that kind of live content that tells you stuff like “chat prefers when they can spawn random things, mini-games, and interaction that is more in the background.” I had to figure out what chat likes in that interactive space because there have been a lot of things that have worked, but a lot of things I have built I have had to scrap because in my head it worked, but when I tested it out live, chat just got really bored. 

Those early months were a lot of RnD and trying to figure out how I could have fun with chat. And then I got to the point where I was doing interview content, just over a Discord call, and I noticed that chat really liked just sitting and watching me talk and interact with another person while being able to affect the interview in various comical ways. So I just pushed that more and created a new environment for it with the TV and format I use and chat really liked it. 

It did really well so I decided to stick with that for now, but I am still researching and developing more things that I can do. One of the biggest projects that I have is I want to create an RPG world where Miko can go on adventure and the bosses would be like big streamers, and chat and Miko have to work together to defeat the boss, like Hasan [HasanAbi], maybe it would be a giant Hasan. 

It is a process that I am constantly going through and that idea might not even end up working. Chat might not feel like it is fun and, in that case, I will scrap it and try something new, but it has just been an ongoing development process and I think that is what I enjoy the most. I love making things and seeing if they are fun, and if they aren’t fun, I scrap it. If it’s fun, I keep it, and I just keep going like that. 

Other than chat liking the content, what made you pivot so hard into interviews on stream? What was the idea behind it? 

Before I started the interviews I would just talk to chat all the time, but having another person that I could interview, I don’t know. I just feel like my content became funnier because I could bounce off of someone, what they said, create more humor with that back and forth. It just led to more funny moments and chat really liked the interactivity with the streamer I am interviewing. I think it kind of created a very fun, sometimes chaotic, sometimes more serious atmosphere. 

When I interview someone I can figure out where their comfort level is, which I do ask them prior to the interview what they are comfortable with sharing and not sharing and if they are okay with me occasionally trolling them on some things, all of those things. Some streamers I take a very laid back approach and we can be more calm or serious to have a nice talk, but with others, I know they are all for being trolled and the humor part of it so I can mess with them a little bit and it becomes a fun back-and-forth. 

Overall, the interview format was just really fun, and was doing really with chat so I decided to keep going and innovating with it. 

What are your thoughts on the growing impact of VTubers and similar styles of creators becoming more common in streaming and content creation, specifically as it starts to expand into Western markets more and more?

I think it’s great! I really like the creative side of Twitch, and it is really exciting to see different content creators try new things and bring new, innovative content out because it just shows that you can do really cool things with just livestreaming. 

I feel like it makes the future of entertainment in this livestreaming and digital format really exciting. So I hope it keeps expanding and more new things pop up on the creative side of Twitch.

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US

Bernie Sanders turns inauguration meme into sweatshirt for charity

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(CNN)The mittens, the pose, the social distancing — they all helped a photo of Senator Bernie Sanders at the inauguration become an internet sensation. And now the image can be part of your wardrobe.

Sanders’ campaign store is selling sweatshirts featuring the photo that inspired countless memes, and all the proceeds are going to Meals on Wheels programs in Sanders’ home state of Vermont.

Senator Bernie Sanders is selling this sweatshirt with the inauguration photo that became an internet sensation.

The $45 black crewneck sweatshirt is made in the USA and union printed, in true Sanders fashion.
The sweatshirt seems to be as popular as the meme — it’s currently sold out “due to overwhelming demand,” according to the campaign store website, which notes it could take up to eight weeks to receive the item.
Age Well, the largest provider of Meals on Wheels in Vermont, said on Twitter it’s “BLOWN AWAY by the support for our Meals on Wheels program” from the sweatshirt sales.
Age Well CEO Jane Catton told CNN affiliate WCAX, “On behalf of all of the area agencies on aging and our partners in the community who help us provide meal services, this is a tremendous gift and we couldn’t be more grateful.”

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Business

Janet Yellen Clarifies Her Stance on Bitcoin — Promises ‘Effective’ Crypto Regulation – Regulation Bitcoin News

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Joe Biden’s pick to become the new U.S. Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, has clarified her stance on bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. This follows her remarks during a Senate hearing when she said that cryptocurrencies are mostly used for illicit financing.

Janet Yellen Clarifies Her Crypto Plans

Janet Yellen clarified her position on the regulation of cryptocurrencies in a written testimony published Thursday following the Senate hearing on her nomination as the Treasury Secretary. During the hearing, Yellen made some statements regarding cryptocurrencies which were heavily criticized as being inaccurate.

The finance committee began by briefly describing the benefits and risks of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. “Bitcoin and other digital and cryptocurrencies are providing financial transactions around the globe, like many technological developments, this offers potential benefits for the U.S., and our allies,” the written testimony reads. “At the same time, it also presents opportunities for states and non-state actors looking to circumvent the current financial system and undermine American interests. For example, the Central Bank of China just issued its first digital currency.”

“Dr. Yellen, what do you view as the potential threats and benefits these innovations and technologies will have on U.S. national security? Do you think more needs to be done to ensure we have appropriate safeguards and regulations for digital and cryptocurrencies in place?” the finance committee asked the Treasury Secretary nominee.

Yellen replied: “I think it important we consider the benefits of cryptocurrencies and other digital assets, and the potential they have to improve the efficiency of the financial system.”

She continued, “At the same time, we know they can be used to finance terrorism, facilitate money laundering, and support malign activities that threaten U.S. national security interests and the integrity of the U.S. and international financial systems,” elaborating:

I think we need to look closely at how to encourage their use for legitimate activities while curtailing their use for malign and illegal activities.

“If confirmed, I intend to work closely with the Federal Reserve Board and the other federal banking and securities regulators on how to implement an effective regulatory framework for these and other fintech innovations,” Yellen concluded.

Yellen’s clarification marginally softens her stance on cryptocurrency, contrasting her previous statements made during her confirmation Senate hearing. “Cryptocurrencies are a particular concern. I think many are used … mainly for illicit financing and I think we really need to examine ways in which we can curtail their use and make sure that anti-money laundering (sic) doesn’t occur through those channels,” Yellen said a few days prior.

Last week, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), Christian Lagarde, also made a statement about bitcoin that drew much criticism. She said bitcoin “has conducted some funny business and some interesting and totally reprehensible money laundering activity.” Many were also quick to point out how wrong Lagarde was, including a famed economist who said her statement was “outrageous.” He stressed that “we all know that the vast majority of money laundering globally is conducted in fiat currencies, particularly in U.S. dollars and euros.”

What do you think about Janet Yellen’s follow-up remarks about bitcoin? Let us know in the comments section below.

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