Cosmos funding
While there are many Echo readers who appear happy to be reading articles from Science mag Cosmos within The Echo, there are a few who have questioned their funding source. Cosmos editor, and the daughter of the late, great Mungo MacCallum, Gail MacCallum, says Cosmos is published by the charity The Royal Institution of Australia (RiAUS). She says, ‘While RiAUS received startup funding back in 2012 from the Commonwealth, the State of South Australia, and Santos Ltd, those orgs have nothing to do with what the people at Cosmos think, say, or do in 2021.
‘The only things we’re influenced by are the facts and research coming out of the amazing world of science, and support from readers, which reminds us we’re doing something important’.
To help with their important work, visit www.riaus.org.au/give.
Joe Rogan treats COVID-19 with Ivermectin
Minds are exploding all over the globe with the news that the world’s most popular podcaster, Joe Rogan, beat COVID-19 with a cocktail of medications and – Ivermectin. He posted on Instagram that he threw everything at COVID-19, including, ‘Monoclonal antibodies, Ivermectin, Z-Pak, Prednisone… And I also got an NAD drip and a vitamin drip’. Meanwhile, hospitals are reporting patients are overdosing on Ivermectin, which is best known for treating river blindness in Africa. It is also used to treat heartworm disease and intestinal parasites in animals.
According to the NSW Health ‘interim guidance on use of antiviral and immunomodulation therapy in COVID-19’, the ‘Specific disease-modifying medicines’ listed for ‘conditional recommendation’ are Dexamethasone, BARICITINIB, Tocilizumab, SARILUMAB, CASIRIVIMAB PLUS IMDEVIMAB (REGEN-COV), SOTROVIMAB. Antiviral therapy Remdesivir is also listed as a ‘conditional recommendation’. Not recommended is Azithromycin, Colchicine, Convalescent, Plasma, Favipiravir, Hydroxychloroquine, Interferon Beta-1a and Lopinavir/Ritonavir. Ivermectin is considered as an ‘other potential therapy’, and is ‘not recommended’. No natural remedies are listed by NSW Health for the treatment of COVID-19.
NSW Police under pressure in Estimates
The NSW police persecution of the producer of comedian Jordan Shanks, by the secretive Fixated Persons Unit (FPU), was highlighted in a recent Budget Estimates hearing (available on Youtube). NSW Police Deputy Commissioner, Dave Hudson, admitted he didn’t think ‘appropriate processes were properly followed’ after Kristo Langker was physically attacked and dragged away from his home and horrified family back in June.
The arrest was a result of Langker approaching Deputy Premier John Barilaro (Nationals) in public, twice –once was regarding the defamation lawsuit Barilaro is pursuing against Shanks. All interactions were filmed.
While the Unit’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) remain secret, Assistant Commissioner Mark Walton said violence was a threshold for investigations, as was the mental health of a fixated person, and the threat of terrorism. David Shoebridge (Greens MLC) asked Walton, ‘Is making public criticisms towards a member of parliament a role or matter within the perimeters for the fixated persons unit?’ He replied ‘No’. Should be an interesting court case!
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