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Articles by Robert Webster
Illustrating the Natural History of Influenza A Viruses through Art
On a rainy and misty day in late 1989, my wife (Marjorie) and I were walking the path along the remnants of Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO world heritage site near the border between England and Scotland. The Romans began building this wall—which extends from the banks of the river Tyne on the west coast to Solvay Firth on the east coast of England—ostensibly to keep the “barbarian” Scots from plundering their English territory.
Influenza Virus: Dealing with a Drifting and Shifting Pathogen
Introduction Influenza virus produces a conundrum when it comes to successful vaccination. From a purely immunologic standpoint, it is clear what form of immunity has the most protective ability, which is antibody to the globular head of the viral surface protein hemagglutinin (HA).
Germany threatens retaliation if U.S. sanctions harm its firms
The Senate bill, approved on Thursday by a margin of 98-2, includes new sanctions against Russia and Iran. BERLIN/BRUSSELS Germany threatened on Friday to retaliate against the United States if new sanctions on Russia being proposed by the U.S. Senate end up penalizing German firms. Crucially, it foresees punitive measures against entities that provide material support to Russia in building energy export pipelines.
Pelosi Cites ‘God, Guns, and Gays’ For Why Clinton Struggles with White Men
Last night, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi gave her reasons for why Hillary Clinton is losing the white male vote. On PBS’s ‘News Hour’, she claimed that ‘guns, gays, and God’ are the reason why white men aren’t voting for Hillary. You can watch Pelosi’s interview below: “I think that, so many times, white — non-college-educated white males have voted Republican.
Scottie Nell Hughes Says Hillary Is Tearing Down Men, Declares That There Is No Glass Ceiling
Yesterday, the Democratic Party nominated Hillary Clinton as its nominee, marking a historic achievement in the advancement of women’s rights. While many were overjoyed by that remarkable victory for women, some were quick to disparage Clinton for her comments at the end of the DNC’s second night. Trump supporter Scottie Nell Hughes was one of those people, and she quickly pointed out what Hillary did not say.
George Will Thinks That Trump Won’t Release Tax Returns Because of Link to Russians
Conservative columnist and Fox contributor George Will has his own theory as to why Donald Trump has yet to release his tax returns. Will believes that Trump has been doing business with Russian oligarchs, which would substantiate the claim of the DNC that they were recently hacked by Russians. Will did not bring forth any evidence to further back his claims.
Donald Trump Senior Says Donald Trump Junior Won’t Run for Mayor of NYC
Donald Trump Sr. seems to be denying Donald Trump Jr. the chance to run for mayor of New York City. Following his speech in the Republican National Convention, Trump Jr. was asked if he would try to become Mayor of New York City. “I never like to rule anything out. As my father has always said, I want to— we always like to keep our options open. So if I can do that as a service to our country I’d love to do it,” he said on CNN on Sunday.
What Did Jane Sanders Tell Bernie While He Was Speaking to Delegates?
Bernie Sanders endorsed Hillary Clinton two weeks ago, saying that Democrats must rally around her in order to defeat Donald Trump. However, while Bernie was up speaking to his delegates today in Philadelphia, his wife, Jane Sanders, came up on stage immediately following the speech and whispered something in his ear. What Jane said is quickly becoming the talk of the DNC.
Rick Perry Defends Trump’s Comments About NATO
Following the Republican National Convention, it seems that most Republicans are falling in line with nominee Donald Trump and his policies. Former Texas Governor Rick Perry, for example, is now defending Donald Trump’s controversial comments about NATO. Trump first brought up his controversial claims that smaller NATO countries should be paying for their protection rather than the United States giving it to them for free.
Pokemon Go Is Going to Help You Catch the One, Now Has Dating Site
Pokemon Go is truly a phenomenon that has swept the world, and despite a laundry list of silly controversies, it seems that the game may now be used for more than just your favorite digital pocket monsters. Now, eager Pokemon Go players can also catch “the one,” after the a side venture has launched a new dating site called PokeDates using the wildly popular game. PokeDates aims to bring Pokemon Go players to meet up in certain locations such as PokeStops or gyms and play the game together.
After Cruz’s Convention Appearance, Kasich As Confident As Ever He Made Right Call to Skip RNC
Ohio Governor John Kasich has no doubts he made the right decision about skipping the RNC after last night. Following Texas Senator Ted Cruz not endorsing New York Businessman Donald Trump and being booed by the crowd, Kasich seemed even more confident in his decision to not attend the convention. “I think you can all understand why I didn’t show up to speak at a convention, by the way, after what you saw last night,” said Kaisch at a breakfast for Ohio Republicans according to the Hill.
Robert Reich: Bernie Supporters Who Think Hillary Is the Same as Trump Are ‘Dead Wrong’
In a post on his blog, former Labor Secretary Robert Reich made an appeal to Bernie Sanders supporters who may have gone from supporting the Vermont senator to Donald Trump instead of Hillary Clinton. Reich has been a vocal supporter of Sanders and his movement since he endorsed him for president back in February. Reich has been a big fan of the Bernie movement, once calling him “the agent of change this nation so desperately needs” on Facebook.
Russian Cheating in Sports Goes Way Beyond What We Thought It Was
Russian state sponsored cheating stretched far beyond what people had previously thought. According to a report released by investigator Richard McLaren on Monday, Russia’s state sponsored cheating created at least 312 falsified reports from 2011 until at least last year’s world swimming championships in Kazan, Russia. The Russian program involved switching samples in the late hours of the night to prevent athletes from testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Chris Christie Is Happy That a Governor Is Trump’s Running Mate
Chris Christie seems to be very happy that Trump chose a governor to be his running mate in the 2016 election. At a breakfast for the Michigan delegation in Cleveland, Christie expressed his admiration for Mike Pence. “Mike Pence is a great guy. And I am really relieved that Donald Trump picked a governor to be his running mate. He needs someone with him who has governed, who knows how to govern,” Christie told according to the Hill.
Pastor Says That ISIS Could Use Pokemon Go to Go After Christians With ‘Cyber-Demons’
One right wing pastor isn’t as big a fan of Pokemon Go as the rest of us. Rick Wiles recently called the police after seeing a man taking pictures of his office building only to find out later that the man was actually playing Pokemon Go according to Right Wing Watch. To Wiles, this man playing the popular video game was a sign that something alarming was taking place. “These Pokémon creatures are like virtual, cyber-demons.
Colbert Talks GOP Platform, Says Trump Will Ignore for ‘Whatever Tumbles Out the Old Talkie Hole’
After the GOP released drafts of its platform for the upcoming 2016 election, Stephen Colbert skewered its most radical aspects on Wednesday night’s Late Show. However, Colbert didn’t exactly believe that the presumptive GOP nominee, Donald Trump, was going to follow the new platform word for word. “This is the set of core conservative values that Trump will ignore in favor of whatever tumbles out of the old talkie hole,” Colbert quipped.
Ohio Cop Suspended for Complaining About ‘Monkeys’ on Facebook, Says He Isn’t Racist
An Ohio police officer has been suspended after posting a Facebook status complaining about ‘monkeys’ while working at the department. Sgt. Robert Biddle was suspended, however, not for the racist slur, but for posting on Facebook while at work. He posted, “Been at work for ONE HOUR and the monkeys have already exceeded their limit of snark I’m gonna take for the night. PUMP THE BRAKES, MONKEYS!” Needless to say, lots of outrage has ensued.
Bernie Sanders Sidesteps Questions from House Dems About Endorsing Clinton, House Dems Start Booing
When Bernie Sanders met with House Democrats on Wednesday, he probably didn’t get the reaction that he was hoping for. He met with these Democrats in a closed-door meeting after he was invited as a courtesy for all remaining presidential candidates. He deflected questions about endorsing Hillary Clinton and at one point during the meeting, some Democrats started to boo him.
GOP Candidate Says He ‘Loves’ Trump for ‘Putting Self-Righteous F*ggots in Their Place’
GOP Massachusetts State Senate candidate Ted Busiek praised Donald Trump over the weekend for his language and his beliefs. He also came under fire this weekend for his comments praising Trump. Over the weekend, All In with Chris Hayes tweeted out Donald Trump’s testimony from a 1993 meeting of a Native American Affairs Subcommittee. He reportedly complained about people who “don’t look Indian,” so they should not receive gambling licenses.
Missouri GOP Candidate Selling ‘ISIS Hunting Permits’ to Raise Campaign Cash
A Missouri GOP candidate for governor is raising money for his campaign in a new way. Eric Greitens, the candidate and a former US Navy SEAL, is selling “ISIS hunting permits” to help him raise money. The permits say that they expire “when we defeat this evil” and they report having a “No bagging limit. No tagging limit.” People are able to purchase them for a $10 donation, but for a $100 donation, people will receive a permit signed by a former Navy SEAL, who claims to have killed Osama Bin Laden.
Wimbledon Player Viktor Troicki Unleashes the Best Tennis Rant Since McEnroe
Viktor Troicki was not happy after he was aced during a match against Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Ramos-Vinolas was serving for match point on the Serbian national when he aced him. However, Troicki called the ball out. The umpire disagreed with him and overturned the call. In response, Troicki began his rant. Troicki screamed out, “What?” and proceeded to go and collect the ball to show the umpire. He then began berating the umpire and pleading with him to inspect the ball.
Colbert Mocks George Will For Leaving the GOP: Look Out Political Parties, ‘He’s Single!’
As Donald Trump has stepped up his nativist and controversial rhetoric, more and more Republicans have tried to distance themselves from the party and its nominee. In response, Stephen Colbert began his Late Show segment Monday night by citing yesterday’s Politico report that said that few Republican elites want to speak at next month’s Cleveland convention.
Pope: Christians Must Seek Forgiveness for Mistreating the Gay Community
Pope Francis made a landmark statement while flying back to Rome from a visit to Armenia. He suggested that Christians should apologize to the gay community for mistreating them and seek forgiveness for treating them in such a way. The comment was made in reference to a question asking if the Pope agreed with comments made by German Cardinal Reinhard Marx saying that the Catholic Church needed to apologize for the way it has treated gays and lesbians in the past.
After ‘Brexit’, English May Be Dropped as an Official Language of EU
With the United Kingdom deciding to exit the European Union in a recent referendum, the English language may be dropped from the EU’s list of official languages. The EU currently has 24 official languages for each of its member countries. Each country in the EU has the right to notify one official language and the UK was the only country to notify English. “We have a regulation… where every EU country has the right to notify one official language.
Andy Parker, Father of Murdered Journalist, Calls NRA ‘The Real Terrorists’
On Thursday morning on CNN, Andy Parker, the father of slain journalist Alison Parker, called out the NRA and lawmakers who are blocking gun control in congress. Alison Parker was killed on live TV last year during an interview when she and her cameraman were attacked by a gunman. She was 24 and her cameraman, Adam Ward, was 27. “The real terrorists are the folks at the NRA. Those are the terrorists.
Tennessee Candidate Faces Backlash Over His ‘Make America White Again’ Sign
Rick Tyler, an independent Congressional candidate for Tennessee’s 3rd District, has recently put up billboards saying ‘Make America White Again’. Tyler is now facing a boycott of his restaurant business because his billboard has been slammed as racist and bigoted. Locals have called upon their friends and family to boycott Tyler’s restaurants. However, Tyler seems unfazed by the boycott threats and has said that his slogan is a spinoff of Donald Trump‘s slogan ‘Make America Great Again’.
Watch Cristiano Ronaldo Toss a Reporter’s Microphone Into the Lake
While Lionel Messi and his Argentine teammates were celebrating a victory over the United States in the Copa America 2016, the other best-player-in-the-world Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portuguese teammates have had a rough go of things in the Euro 2016. Portugal has scored only one goal throughout the entire tournament and badly needs a win over Hungary to get into the knockout rounds. The pressure may be getting to the world’s highest paid athlete.
Stephen A. Smith Hasn’t Picked the NBA Finals Winner in 6 Years, Now Has His Own Curse
If you are going to place a bet on the NBA Finals, don’t listen to Stephen A. Smith. The ESPN analyst and ESPN First Take commentator has predicted that the wrong team will win the NBA Championship for the past 6 years. Interestingly, Lebron James, the 2016 Finals MVP and arguably the best player in the NBA right now, has played in every finals that Smith failed to predict. Here’s how Smith did in his previous six picks: In 2011, Smith picked the Miami Heat to beat the Dallas Mavericks.
Trump Declares that He Has ‘Unlimited Cash’ to Fund Campaign
Donald Trump has fielded a lot of criticism for his fundraising figures from May. Now, he is looking to push back against those who have questioned his campaign’s health and its finances. Trump claims that, if necessary, he could have ‘unlimited cash’ if he decides to sink some of his own money into the campaign. “If need be, there could be unlimited ‘cash on hand’ as I would put up my own money, as I have already done through the primaries, spending over $50 million dollars.
Van Jones: If Trump Is Going to Profile Muslims for Mass Shootings, Should Profile ‘Young White Men’ Too
CNN contributor Van Jones responded to Trump’s call for racially profiling with a few pointed statements condemning the new plan. In a Sunday interview, Trump laid out his plan for racially profiling in order to prevent further attacks against the United States “Well I think profiling is something that we’re going to have to start thinking about as a country. Other countries do it, you look at Israel and you look at others, they do it and they do it successfully.
Alabama Rep Says Muslims in US Would ‘Kill Every Homosexual’ If They Could
On Thursday, Congressman Mo Brooks (R. Ala) said he believes that the Democrats have a major problem on their hands, and it has to do with two key groups they’re trying to attract. Efforts to earn the support of the LGBT community and the Muslim community are inherently at odds with one another, according to Congressman Brooks, because the Muslim community “…would kill every homosexual in the United States of America”.
New Super PAC Wants Trump to Release His Hand Measurements
A new political action committee is worried about Donald Trump‘s ability to be president because of his hand size. Americans Against Insecure Billionaires with Tiny Hands PAC’s new commercial requests that Trump release his hand measurements and it asks the viewer to sign a petition asking Trump to disclose his hand measurements. “It’s a dangerous time for Americans.
Facebook Flips Philippines Flag, Mistakenly Declares the Country At War
Facebook has been rising in popularity since its creation in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and some of his fellow Harvard classmates. However, Facebook has never actively declared a country to be at war until now. On Sunday, Facebook put up a figure holding the Philippines Flag to celebrate the Philippine Independence Day in that country.
Mark Cuban Woefully Admits That Yes, Donald Trump is a Billionaire
Despite recently calling into question Donald Trump‘s worth, Shark Tank‘s Mark Cuban admitted today that yes, the real estate titan and presumptive nominee is in fact a billionaire. However, as Cuban — who owns the Dallas Mavericks, Landmark Theaters, and Magnolia Pictures — told CNN’s Chris Cuomo, Trump is not worth his supposed 10 billion dollar wealth.
A History Buff Has Been Live Tweeting WW2 For Five Years and It All Leads Up to Today
World War 2 was one of the most destructive conflicts in human history, causing over 73 million casualties throughout the entire war. Five years ago, history buff Alwyn Collinson decided to combine the historical relevance of the War with new age social media through a Twitter account he calls, “WW2 Tweets from 1944,” an effort to live tweet the entirety of World War 2 day by day.
Wet markets-a continuing source of severe acute respiratory syndrome and influenza?
14 Guan Y Zheng BJ He YQ et al. Isolation and characterization of viruses related to the SARS coronavirus from animals in Southern China. Science. 302: 226-278 recently established a potential zoonotic origin of SARS coronavirus (CoV) and wet markets as a possible source of the original outbreak. These researchers isolated a novel coronavirus from Himalayan palm civets ( The host range of SARS coronaviruses in wild or farm-raised animals is not resolved.
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