General

At yesterday’s virtual daily press conference in Geneva, World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported that a WHO team of experts had returned from their three-week visit to China, as a result of which the Terms of Reference have been drafted for the work program and long-term study by a new international team, led by WHO, to identify the potential source of infection of the first COVID-19 cases.

The team will include leading Chinese and foreign scientists and researchers. Epidemiological studies will begin in Wuhan to identify the potential source of infection of early cases. Then, evidence and hypotheses generated through this work will lay the basis for further, long-term studies. Today, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier reported that the team that visited China had “extensive discussions with Chinese counterparts,and received updates on epidemiological studies, biologic and genetic analysis and animal health research.” They also held video conferences with Wuhan virologists and scientists, Reuters reported.

Of note are the remarks by Dr. Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO’s Emergencies Program, who said yesterday that it is important to start studies on the first reported human clusters of atypical pneumonia in Wuhan, in order to systematically look for the “first signal at which the animal-human species barrier was crossed.” According to CGTN, Ryan emphasized that “one must remember that there was a specific surveillance system in place in Wuhan for picking up clusters of atypical pneumonia. It was there for a very specific purpose. And the fact that the fire alarm was triggered, doesn’t necessarily mean that that is where the disease crossed from animals into humans.” A much more “extensive retrospective epidemiological study” should be done, he said, “in order to fully understand the links between the [atypical pneumonia] cases.”

An appeal for emergency food and humanitarian relief was issued, posted Sept. 14 on the ReliefWeb, CARE, Oxfam sites, and other signers, by 24 international NGOs, titled, “Joint INGO Statement on Yemen—75th Session of the UN General Assembly.” Variously dated Sept. 14 or Sept. 15, 2020, the document is signed by groups including CARE, Islamic Relief, Mercy Corps, Doctors of the World, Save the Children, and others. The two-page document states, after identifying the need for a ceasefire after seven years of war:

“Two-thirds of the population—20 million people—are hungry, and nearly 1.5 million families currently rely entirely on food aid to survive….

“Yemen is now a drastically under-funded crisis. At a critical time when needs are increasing, famine once again looms, and COVID-19 remains a constant threat, it is inconceivable that funding for Yemen’s humanitarian response is drying up.”

After providing details of the situation, for example, that “in August, only 50% of the fuel normally imported into Yemen was allowed to enter,” the statement concludes with a call for seven points of action:

“In the context of discussions taking place during the 75th UN General Assembly, International Non-Governmental Organizations operating on the ground in Yemen call on the international community…” and then follows with bullet points and brief explanations including: work for a ceasefire, “Urgently provide the resources necessary to meet the ongoing humanitarian needs in Yemen, and ensure that the Covid-19 response is also fully funded.” Also, they request diplomacy to improve humanitarian access in Yemen, efforts to support the economy long term in Yemen, “concerted pressure” on the warring parties to stop weaponizing the means to life, implement recommendations from the Group of Eminent Experts (GEE) on Yemen, for accountability on harm to civilians, and “suspend transfers of all arms and military equipment.” https://www.care.org/news-and-stories/press-releases/joint-ingo-statement-on-yemen-75th-session-of-the-un-general-assembly/

Today, the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavor flawlessly brought the two astronauts Robert “Bob” Behnken and Douglas “Doug” Hurley safely back home to Earth. In a remarkable series of maneuvers, the craft autonomously positioned itself for the correct orbit for splashdown. This was the first American splashdown in nearly 50 years!

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine wrote on his blog: “We need to remember that this is just the beginning. Now is the time to capitalize on all the great programs that have recently been established, to include going sustainably to the Moon under a program we call Artemis. We’re going to the Moon sustainably; we’re going to go with commercial partners, with international partners. We’re going to use the resources of the Moon to learn how to live and work on another world for long periods of time. We’re going to take all of that knowledge and we’re going to go to Mars.”

As Dragon prepared to re-enter Earth’s orbit, it first executed the separation of the claw and trunk (on the lower portion of the craft), which were jettisoned away from the spacecraft. Thrusters at the forward point of the craft to decelerate it, burned for 11 minutes, the longest burn ever.

When completed, the cap for the capsule closed back over the thrusters, and began to maneuver about 90 degrees, such that the broadest portion of the capsule would shield the crew from the 3500 F degree heat, generated by the speed and friction with Earth’s atmosphere.

During this time, there was an expected six-minute blackout, due to the plasma generated by the heat of the descent on the outside of the spacecraft.

As it came out of the blackout, the drogue parachute was deployed first, to further slow its descent, and then the four main parachutes deployed, with a splashdown speed of 15 mph, near the coast of Pensacola, Florida, right on time. During the descent, a specially-equipped WB-57 airplane provided the first infrared images of the spacecraft.

Coverage on [spaceflightnow.com] included the commentators fielding numerous questions from the public via Twitter, featuring many questions on the mechanics of the descent, what the astronauts would experience, etc. and a question from a seven-year old asking why the capsule was shaped the way it was (cone-shaped).

This exciting first step for America’s return to manned missions to space demonstrates that the dream is very much alive, and enthusiastically received by the American people.

Dragon Endeavor now heads to weeks of post-flight inspection and testing, in order to complete the certification of the Dragon system to fly operational missions for NASA’s Commercial Crew and International Space Station Programs. If all goes as planned, the SpaceX Dragon’s first operational mission, Crew-1, will head to the ISS by late September, with three NASA astronauts and a Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission specialist aboard.

 CRI (China Radio International) today, interviewed Helga Zepp-LaRouche, Schiller Institute President, on “The World” program on the Sept. 14 EU-China summit. Asked about her evaluation, she said it was “a step forward” in a very turbulent world, but added her personal view that world leaders should more forcefully address the Covid-19 crisis; China has done an extraordinary job in dealing with it. She expressed her desire that the EU would have responded to China’s idea of a Health Silk Road, and also the need for a new financial architecture. She said that if the Four Principles President Xi Jinping put forward were accepted, then we wouldn’t have to worry about the danger of war. Zepp-LaRouche pointed to the EU’s obsession with the Green Deal getting in the way of real cooperation based on advanced technology and innovation, so the EU should be thinking more about that. The possible trade and investment deal with China is in the EU’s vested interest, so they would do well to come to some agreement. http://chinaplus.cri.cn/podcast/detail/1/240640 

On July 29th, the Schiller Institute held an on-line seminar, “Stop the Hunger Pandemic. Save Farmers, Deliver Food!” Moderated by Richard Black and Bob Baker, the two-hour discussion included three US farm leaders from Colorado, Alaska and California, and 11 diplomats — including 6 ambassadors — from Sub-Saharan and West Africa, Central America, and Central Asia. A former Senator and current candidate from Trinidad and Tobago also participated. Most of the participants had been involved in the series of Schiller Institute international conferences held from April through June, 2020.

Richard Black described the civilization-threatening crisis which all of humanity currently faces — pandemic, starvation, and war between nuclear powers — and the 50-year record of Lyndon LaRouche and his associates of providing solutions, involving the massive economic development of the former colonial sector. A major focus was put on creating a chorus of nations worldwide to ensure the realization and required content of a P5 heads-of-state Summit. Paul Gallagher outlined the nature of the imminent financial collapse and how a New Bretton Woods System would work. He showed that FDR’s TVA method has been the only action to have ever succeeded — from the 1930’s until today — in creating a  sustained recovery from collapse. Marcia Baker dramatically showed the extent of the accelerating starvation rates worldwide, the on-going destruction of the farmer in the advanced sector, and the recent farmer upsurge in Europe and the US, demanding a new system.

Paul Gallagher noted that the intense discussion from the diplomats on the failures of the old Bretton Woods System and questions on how the “new” one could be different, is exactly the kind of productive debate we want. The farm leader from Colorado was excited to answer many questions from the diplomats. One West African ambassador remarked, afterwards, that he was very happy to see so many other ambassadors involved in the discussion, saying that the ideas presented “really made me think.” Several ambassadors expressed moral outrage that, after 45 years, Transaqua has still not been built, and that food self-sufficiency through growing high-quality indigenous crops has been replaced with cash crops for export to the nations of the North, enslaving nations to “the market.”

The seminar was not recorded, with no media present, to allow for the most free discussion. Some ambassadors are already mobilizing with us to create a chorus of sovereign voices to ensure the realization and the content of a, very near-term,  P5 Summit. Our plan for the upcoming September 5th Schiller Institute conference was discussed.