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Discussions from Ars Technica

Healthcare

What are the possible effects of changing the childhood vaccine schedule on public health and families?

President Trump issued an executive order Monday calling for fewer childhood vaccinations, splitting the childhood MMR vaccine into three shots and delivering vaccines at separate medical visits. Why it matters: Controversial vaccine policy changes appear to be roaring back ahead of the midterms. The executive order states that "the combined MMR vaccine should be administered in three separate single-disease shots once such products are domestically available and that, to the maximum extent feasible, all childhood immunizations should be administered at separate medical visits." The big picture: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s handpicked vaccine advisers last fall called for splitting up the MMR shot and overhauling a central component of childhood immunizations. But the White House urged Kennedy to back off of such contentious policymaking earlier this year. And yet, President Trump has recently questioned Kennedy about the lack of momentum on childhood vaccine policy, per the Wall Street Journal, signaling his continued strong personal interest in the topic. What he's saying: "You have the MMR. We want it in three separate vaccinations, given at separate times," Trump said at an Oval Office signing event. He suggested the MMR vaccine could be "quite lethal" when administered all at once, and likened the volume to "a bottle of soda." Reality check: The CDC says there's "no published scientific evidence [that] shows any benefit in separating the combination MMR vaccine into three individual shots." It says there can be a "very small risk" of febrile seizures and extremely rare cases of serious allergic reactions, but that getting the MMR vaccine "is much safer than getting measles, mumps, or rubella."In addition, vaccine safety experts at CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics agree the MMR shot is not responsible for recent increases in autism diagnoses. "I'm a doctor. This executive order is wrong. The President does not have the expertise to make the

United Kingdom
Politics

How might changes in campaign ad rules affect the fairness of elections for all parties?

A federal appeals court ruling Tuesday could erase a new midterm advantage for Republicans. Why it matters: The 2-1 ruling would block Republicans from using cash-rich party committees to buy more political TV ads at discounted rates. Republicans plan to appeal the decision, setting up another high-stakes campaign finance fight as the fall ad wars heat up ahead of November. Driving the news: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled the FCC was wrong to extend discounted candidate broadcast rates to political parties and joint fundraising committees that include non-candidate groups for ads they coordinate with candidates. The rates paid by super PACs and other outside groups are often several times higher than candidate rates.The case was brought by four Democratic candidates running this cycle — Sen. Jon Ossoff (Ga.), former Sen. Sherrod Brown (Ohio), former Gov. Roy Cooper (N.C.) and Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (Mich.)The U.S. Supreme Court in June struck down limits on how much committees can spend in coordination with campaigns. Between the lines: Republicans believed the Supreme Court decision, paired with FCC guidance extending candidate rates to certain coordinated ads, would allow party committee cash to stretch further. The ruling applied to both parties.But while Democratic candidates generally have stronger grassroots fundraising, Republican Party committees have amassed larger war chests, fueled by megadonorsRepublicans believed the Supreme Court decision, paired with FCC guidance, allowed party committee cash to stretch further by accessing lower rates reserved for candidates. What they're saying: "Put plainly, today's ruling makes clear that lowest unit rate is an exclusive right given to candidates and incumbent campaigns and that is the law of the land," DSCC executive director Devan Barber and DCCC executive director Julie Merz said in a joint statement. "Democratic candidates' strong grassroots fundraising amplifying the voice of ever

United States