Dear Commons Community,

Todd Feltman has just published a new book entitled, Transforming into Powerful Third, Fourth, or Fifth Grade Navigator of School Success, that is geared to helping young students to succeed.  I have had a long association with Todd who in addition to working in the New York City Department of Education,  is on the adjunct faculty here in the School of Education at Hunter College.  He is a dedicated and well-informed professional in the area of childhood education.  This handbook has dozens of suggestions  to help young people become accomplished learners.  I found Todd’s strategies to be sound, vast, and  implementable.  Pedro Noguera, Dean, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California commented on Todd’s work as follows:

“Transforming Into a Powerful Third, Fourth, or Fifth Grade Navigator of School Success is a  practical guide that teachers, children, and their parents will find helpful and insightful. Dr. Feltman’s approach is accessible and written in a manner that children will appreciate. I wholeheartedly endorse this book!”

I highly recommend parents purchasing Todd’s book if they have young children.

Tony

New Perelman Performing Arts Center

Dear Commons Community,

Dear Commons Community,

Auto workers launched a historic series of strikes this morning against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, making good on a threat to walk off the job if the “Big 3” failed to meet their demands.

Never before has the United Auto Workers union carried out a simultaneous work stoppage at all three automakers. But rather than strike every plant involved in the labor dispute, the union called on workers to walk out at only certain facilities when their contracts expired at midnight.  As reported by the Huffington Post and the Associated Press.

In a Facebook Live announcement, the union’s president, Shawn Fain, said the first three struck facilities would be Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant, in Wayne, Michigan; GM’s Wentzville Assembly plant, in Wentzville, Missouri; and Stellantis’ Toledo Assembly Complex, in Toledo, Ohio.

Such a strategy could enable the union to disrupt production for the companies while keeping many members on the job and earning paychecks. Fain said the unpredictable work stoppage may expand to other facilities over time if the union doesn’t continue to make headway in contract talks.

“The money is there. The cause is righteous. The world is watching,” Fain said. “This is our defining moment.”

Depending on how long it lasts and how wide it spreads, the strike could have major economic and political consequences. Nearly 150,000 workers are employed under the three contracts, and many jobs at other employers, such as parts suppliers and dealerships, depend on production running smoothly at Ford, GM and Stellantis, which owns the Dodge and Jeep brands.

“Never before has the United Auto Workers union carried out a simultaneous work stoppage at all three automakers.”

The strike could put President Joe Biden ― the self-described “most pro-union president” ever ― in a difficult position. Although the White House would not want to see a prolonged work stoppage for economic reasons, Biden runs the risk of undermining the union’s leverage by pressing for a quick resolution. So far the president has said only that he wants to see a fair deal for the workers.

Pointing to the automakers’ high profits, the union has been aggressive in its demands. The UAW’s opening bid called for a 40% pay increase over the course of the contracts, cost-of-living increases, the restoration of defined-benefit pensions for all workers, and the elimination of a “two-tier” pay system in which newer employees are on a lower pay scale than legacy employees.

The three companies have all increased their proposals over the course of the talks, with offers for total pay increases reaching 20% at Ford and GM, and 17.5% at Stellantis. But Fain said all those proposals were inadequate considering the high rate of inflation and the concessions workers made in previous contracts.

As of early yesterday, the union and the companies were still in disagreement over the “two-tier” system, profit-sharing, cost-of-living increases and other issues.

At Ford’s assembly plant in Wayne, where the company produces the Ranger pickup truck and Bronco SUV, workers were dismissed early Thursday night following the union’s strike announcement. Many of them converged on the union hall across the highway, as drivers honked and picket lines formed at the plant’s gates.

Among the striking workers was Shanie Davis, an inspector in the finishing department who’s been with Ford for 12 years. Davis said it was important for the union to claw back the concessions it made years earlier to help the company following the financial crisis of 2008. She noted the company’s profitable run and the high pay of its executives.

“I feel like it’s long overdue,” Davis, 38, said of the strike. “Years ago this was the American Dream job. You could have one person working here and support a whole family. You can’t do that anymore.”

Noting the skyrocketing prices for new cars, she said, “People working here can’t afford the product they’re making.”

Marcus Ramirez, 24, said he wants to see an end to the pay tiers. It currently takes a new hire eight years to reach the top pay rate. Ford has offered to cut it down to four, but the union has demanded it be cut to 90 days.

If there had been no tiers, “I wouldn’t feel like I’m living paycheck to paycheck,” said Ramirez, who earns around $24 per hour.

Ford said in a statement Thursday that it had made a “historically generous” offer to the union, but the UAW had shown “little movement” from its initial demands made in early August.

“If implemented, the proposal would more than double Ford’s current UAW-related labor costs,” the company said.

Fain, who was elected to the union’s top post earlier this year, has said that “record profits” at the automakers call for “record contracts” for their employees.

Recent years have indeed been good for the “Big 3.” The companies’ combined profits over the past decade totaled $250 billion, an increase of 92% over the preceding 10 years, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank.

But the companies have argued that they need that profitability ― mostly from combustion-engine trucks and SUVs ― to fund a pivot toward electric vehicle (EV) production. They claim the increased labor costs under the union’s proposals would put them at a disadvantage compared to non-union foreign automakers as well as Texas-based Tesla.

“Years ago this was the American Dream job. You could have one person working here and support a whole family. You can’t do that anymore.”

– Shanie Davis, UAW member

Looming over the talks is the question of whether new EV production facilities, such as battery plants, will employ union members earning solid wages, or if, as the UAW has cautioned, the shift to EV’s becomes a “race to the bottom” for the broader auto sector.

A UAW-covered position in an auto plant is traditionally a good job ― members at the Big 3 can earn a top rate of around $32 per hour, plus health coverage and a retirement plan ― but real wages for auto workers have fallen significantly in recent years, down 30% since 2003, according to Bloomberg.

In fiery addresses to members over Facebook Live, Fain has spoken of the fight in terms of class warfare. As the strike deadline approached, he accused the companies of enriching shareholders and executives at the expense of rank-and-file workers.

“They could double our wages, not raise car prices, and still make billions of dollars in profits,” he has insisted. “Corporate greed is the problem.”

Shortly after midnight Friday morning, Fain led members on a march across the highway in Wayne to the gates of the assembly plant. Workers and supporters crowded around him and chanted, “No deal, no wheels!”

Darnell Foreman, 37, said he wants to see the elimination of tiers and significant pay increases “across the board,” including for retirees.

“Being here 30, 40 years, it beats up your body,” Foreman said. “Our retirees deserve to be taken care of.”

The union has a strike fund of $825 million, and workers out on strike would receive $500 per week, well below their typical earnings. By walking out at only certain facilities, the union would be able to stretch the fund further.

Meanwhile, a strike at one facility could still impact facilities not on strike. Assembly plants rely on component plants, and vice versa, enabling the union to crimp the production chain through targeted work stoppages. The strikes could ultimately lead to layoffs at other plants that are not on strike, but those workers may be able to collect unemployment benefits.

For the workers, the companies and the American economy, I hope this is not a long strike!

Tony

Kevin McCarthy

Dear Commons Community,

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was defiant in a meeting with his caucus yesterday, reportedly telling the members threatening a mutiny to “move the f…ing motion” to remove him from his position.

Some GOP members are urging McCarthy to shut the government down over spending bill disputes with both the Senate and White House, while McCarthy is seeking to pass a stopgap bill to give himself more time to negotiate.  As reported by NBC News,

McCarthy’s comment was a nod to members including Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and others who are threatening to force him out of the speakership if he doesn’t comply with their demands, like putting certain bills on the floor and not passing a stopgap bill to prevent a government shutdown at the end of the month.

Under current House rules, any one member can force a vote to vacate the speaker’s chair, and it would take a majority of the chamber to remove him. McCarthy oversees a narrow GOP majority, with only four defections to spare before needing Democratic help to pass legislation. If all Democrats voted to remove him, just a handful of rebels could oust McCarthy.

Later, McCarthy told reporters: “I showed frustration in here because I am frustrated with the [conference] — frustrated with some people in the conference.”

He cited the holdup over passing defense appropriations legislation, which was supposed to pass this week but has been stalled even though there are no specific GOP complaints about that bill. Lawmakers Thursday morning acknowledged that the entire appropriations process is held up because some of the conservative Republicans are issuing more demands before the rest of the appropriations process can proceed.

The tense meeting comes as a divided House Republican conference is on course to force a government shutdown starting Oct. 1, torn over whether to approve a short-term measure to keep the government running.

“Shutdowns are stupid,” said Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., a McCarthy ally and center-right lawmaker.

He added of the motion to vacate threats: “Kevin McCarthy does not let these things get underneath his skin.”

The root of the tension is aggressive demands by right-wing members who are insisting on spending cuts and policy add-ons to must-pass government funding legislation, which have no realistic chance of passing the Democratic-led Senate. They also say they won’t accept a stopgap bill to buy more time.

Good to see McCarthy showing a little gumption!

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

The New York Times opinion writer, Jessica Grose, has an essay today entitled, “People Don’t Want to Be Teachers Anymore. Can You Blame Them.” She lays out the trials and tribulations of teaching in America’s schools.  She summarizes the issue as follows: 

“Last year, my colleagues in Opinion highlighted the crisis of teachers quitting because they were pushed to their limits by children’s pandemic-related behavioral and emotional setbacks, staffing shortages that forced them to take on roles beyond their normal remit, including lunch and bus duty, and the culture war vitriol.

The demoralization of today’s teachers is a problem that may be followed by an even more damaging systemic issue: Fewer college and university students want to become teachers, and the new teacher pipeline is drying up.

“The current state of the teaching profession is at or near its lowest levels in 50 years.”

She cites a working paper published in November by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University to support her position “

Grose makes a cogent argument for sounding an alarm over the teacher crisis.

Her entire essay is below!

Tony

———————————————————

The New York Times

People Don’t Want to Be Teachers Anymore. Can You Blame Them?

Sept. 13, 2023

By Jessica Grose

Opinion Writer

Every week, it seems as if there’s another disturbing story about how difficult it is to be a teacher in 21st-century America. I’m not talking about the typical day-to-day work of teaching core subjects to children with varied academic and emotional needs — which is already a demanding job, made more so in the challenging aftermath of 2020.

I’m talking about teachers getting fired after criticizing a school district’s ban on students learning a Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus song about rainbows and acceptance; or for attending drag shows on their own time, away from school grounds; or for using a worksheet that went along with a Y.A. novel about a Black teenager being stopped by police. Last year, The Washington Post tallied more than 160 educators who had been fired or resigned in the prior two years due to “culture war” issues. There are reports of harassment and threats emanating from school board meetings.

Of course, I’m also talking about the potentially deadly violence teachers may face just by showing up to work. While school shootings are still statistically rare, in recent years, the number of occurrences has gone up significantly, and it’s hard not to be affected by the drumbeat of news stories about their prevalence — perhaps most indelible is the shooting earlier this year of the first grade teacher Abigail Zwerner in Newport News, Va., by a 6-year-old student.

Last year, my colleagues in Opinion’s video department highlighted the crisis of teachers quitting because they were pushed to their limits by children’s pandemic-related behavioral and emotional setbacks, staffing shortages that forced them to take on roles beyond their normal remit, including lunch and bus duty, and the aforementioned culture war vitriol.

The demoralization of today’s teachers is a problem that may be followed by an even more damaging systemic issue: Fewer college and university students want to become teachers, and the new teacher pipeline is drying up.

“The current state of the teaching profession is at or near its lowest levels in 50 years,” according to a working paper published in November by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. In it, Matthew Kraft of Brown and Melissa Arnold Lyon of the University at Albany painted a dire picture of the profession:

Perceptions of teacher prestige have fallen between 20 percent and 47 percent in the last decade to be at or near the lowest levels recorded over the last half century. Interest in the teaching profession among high school seniors and college freshman has fallen 50 percent since the 1990s and 38 percent since 2010, reaching the lowest level in the last 50 years. The number of new entrants into the profession has fallen by roughly one third over the last decade, and the proportion of college graduates that go into teaching is at a 50-year low. Teachers’ job satisfaction is also at the lowest level in five decades, with the percent of teachers who feel the stress of their job is worth it dropping from 81 percent to 42 percent in the last 15 years.

When I spoke to Kraft, he said that while we’re in a “moment of really acute crisis” right now, the “trend of declining respect and interest and entry and satisfaction in the profession” isn’t new — it started more than a decade ago. He said that while it’s tough to pinpoint, the cause is partly a combination of stagnant real wages for teachers while wages were rising in other sectors for college-educated workers, the increasing cost of higher education in general, and declining respect for the profession overall.

It’s important to note that teacher shortages are not uniformly spread across schools, districts or states. Kraft told me that where there are shortages “typically cuts along racial and socioeconomic lines.” There are particular shortages in rural schools and for STEM and special education teachers, for example. The shortages may be hitting public schools the hardest, because charter and private schools can be a bit more nimble about payment and staff allocation, but most kids go to traditional public schools, and when the issue is playing out at such a macro level, there may be spillover, Kraft said.

So what can be done to help get more teachers into the profession and keep them there? Cutting the costs of a teaching degree is one lever to pull, whether that’s through student loan forgiveness or college scholarships. Dorinda Carter Andrews, the chair for the department of teacher education at Michigan State University, told me that her school’s teacher preparation program is moving from a five-year model to a four-year model because the fifth year, which was traditionally an internship year, became a financial hardship for many students; they were interning in schools full-time without pay, and so could not take on additional work. “We have curated the yearlong internship into the senior year,” Carter Andrews said. M.S.U. wants to be responsive to students, and make sure they aren’t “going into debt for a profession that still underpays its employees.”

Teacher pay is an obvious concern, but it is really state dependent. According to the National Education Association, as of last year, the average starting salary for a teacher with a master’s degree is around $39,000 a year in Colorado, versus about $60,000 in Washington State. Earlier this year the N.E.A. reported that when adjusted for inflation, “the average salary of teachers has actually declined by an estimated 6.4 percent, or $3,644, over the past decade.”

Susan Moore Johnson, a research professor in education at Harvard, told me that over the years she has interviewed thousands of teachers and says that while no one expects to get rich from the profession, most do expect to have careers that provide for a middle-class life. “I think teaching as a career has long been seen as something you could count on where you would have a job, where you could count on a retirement plan and health insurance,” she said, and now that’s not necessarily the case in some places. Striking teachers have written about relying on food stamps. In a new poll of Texas teachers, a majority cited poor pay and benefits as a major source of stress.

But perhaps just as important is that as a society we need to give teachers more respect. I heard from several teachers and education leaders that although there was an initial surge of support for teachers at the beginning of the pandemic, that dissolved over time. “There was this kind of swelling of pride in that the teaching profession is selfless and that we’re very skilled and parents were suitably impressed with how much the teachers could accomplish even under duress. So that had a honeymoon, and then the honeymoon was over,” said Wendy Paterson, the dean of the school of education at SUNY Buffalo State.

Allie Pribula, who taught at a public elementary school in Pennsylvania starting in 2019 and ended up leaving the profession at the end of the last school year, told me that teaching was a job that she always wanted to do, from the time she was a little kid. Burnout and overwork were factors in her decision to move on, but a lack of respect is a glaring issue that she wants to see rectified. “I don’t know how this would ever happen or what would have to happen to get this to change, but just as a whole, the parents, the community in general, just need to trust the teachers,” she said. Pribula added that many teachers she used to work with are questioning whether they want to remain in the job at this point.

If we want to attract and retain teachers, we’re going to need to do better.

Because I don’t want to leave you on a totally depressing note, I wanted to share a silver lining. Paterson said that in her many years as an educator, she’s seen the profession ebb and flow, and that right now she’s seeing more of a particular type of educator: people coming to the profession later in life, after trying different career paths.

With the caveat that teacher pay in New York is among the highest in the nation, and therefore a relatively stable career option for someone with a passion for education, I was inspired speaking to Chloe Mokadam, who now teaches high school science but spent her early 20s in theater school and then pursuing a master’s in biology. She had the choice to attend a prestigious Ph.D. program or go for her master’s of science education at Buffalo State, and she chose the latter, even though her parents “were not super mega supportive at first.”

She’s truly passionate about passing on her love of science to her high schoolers. “These are kids that need extra preparation, extra care, extra attention, just because of the world that they’re facing, but also they’re our future leaders. They’re the future scientists, they’re the future nurses and doctors, they’re the future, everything. And we need to be really tender and cautious and careful and protective over education because not only does this shape their minds, it shapes who they’re going to be as people.”

We need more people like her working with our kids every day — and it’s not just parents who should care. There’s a reason Florida has one of the worst teacher shortages right now — with culture war madness around every corner, why would anyone sign up for that?

Dear Commons Community,

U.S. Senator Mitt Romney will not seek reelection in 2024, capping a roller-coaster ride through Republican politics from the height of his party’s 2012 presidential nomination to the depths of tribal warfare in the age of Donald Trump.

Casting aside the hopes and appeals of colleagues, including Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, the 76-year-old Utah Republican said on yesterday he would retire as a one-term senator when his term ends in early 2025, rather than seek another six years among a dwindling number of Republican moderates in Congress.

Romney stood out within his caucus as a rare critic of former President Trump, but his decision to retire effectively surrenders his Utah Senate seat to a successor who could be more closely aligned with Trump and the hardline conservative politics of the state’s other U.S. senator, fellow Republican Mike Lee.

Romney nonetheless said he believed it was time to go.  As reported by Reuters.

“At the end of another term I’d be in my mid-80s. Frankly it’s time for a new generation of leaders,” Romney said in a video statement. “While I’m not running for reelection, I’m not retiring from the fight.”

The son of a former Michigan governor, auto industry executive and 1968 Republican presidential candidate, Romney became a multimillionaire in the private equity business and served as Massachusetts’ governor before mounting an unsuccessful challenge against President Barack Obama as the Republican party presidential nominee in 2012.

As a U.S. senator since 2019, he has been an outspoken critic of Democratic President Joe Biden, but willing to work with the White House and Democrats on issues including infrastructure and gun control.

With Trump dominating the 2024 Republican presidential field, Romney has faced powerful headwinds at home in solidly Republican Utah. A Deseret News poll in June showed 47% of Republicans saying that Trump best represented them, compared with 39% who favored Romney.

Romney was the only Republican senator to vote to convict Trump at both his Senate impeachment trials.

Trump called the senator’s retirement “fantastic news for America” in a social media post on Wednesday.

For his part, McConnell said in a statement that he was sorry to see Romney go, applauding him for making “remarkably efficient use of his brief tenure in the Senate.”

Romney said his post-Senate life will focus on bringing young people into politics.

“My party is only going to be successful getting young people to vote for us if we’re talking about the future,” he said, adding that he wished both Biden, 80, and Trump, 77, would step back from their presidential campaigns and let younger candidates run.

A poll in April from Reuters/Ipsos found that 61% of registered Democrats thought Biden was too old to run for reelection, versus 35% of registered Republicans who thought the same about Trump.

“President Biden said when he was running that he was a transitional figure to the next generation. Well, time to transition,” Romney said on Wednesday.

Romney’s departure contrasts with other leaders of the Senate, whose advanced age and ailing health have become concerns for their parties.

McConnell, 81, has struggled to fully recover from a concussion suffered in a fall and from other falls earlier this year. Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, 90, took weeks to recover from a bout of shingles in February and has repeatedly appeared confused during votes and hearings.

Retirement spares Romney from joining in what would have been a competitive primary if he had run again.

Although Brad Wilson, the Utah state House of Representatives speaker, has not declared his candidacy for Romney’s seat, he has raised $2.2 million through an exploratory committee, including more than $1 million from individual donors, and boasts a slew of endorsements from state lawmakers.

Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, a Trump supporter, has already declared his candidacy. Others, including former U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz, are also seen as possible contenders for the Republican nomination.

McConnell, who has put a premium on Senate candidate quality in the 2024 election campaign, had urged Romney to seek reelection.

But Romney has shown little interest in backing away from his longstanding criticism of Trump as a candidate driven by “revenge and ego,” urging Republican megadonors and influencers in a July op-ed to help narrow the 2024 presidential field in a bid to deny Trump the White House.

Romney, a fifth-generation member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or Mormon church, narrowly avoided censure by the Utah Republican Party over his opposition to Trump in 2021. Even so, he was booed and heckled onstage at a state party convention that year.

“I understand that I have a few folks that don’t like me terribly much, and I’m sorry about that,” he told the crowd. “But I express my mind as I believe is right and I follow my conscience as I believe is right.”

The U.S. Senate and the Republicans will miss his moderate voice!

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

I have just finished reading Assyria:  The Rise and Fall of the World’s First Empire” by Eckart Frahm and published by Basic Books.  Frahm is a professor of Assyriology in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University.   Frahm tells the story of Assyria’s rise and its influences on global history.  He describes its rulers, conflicts with neighboring lands especially Babylon, libraries, sculptures, trade and communications networks as well as plagues and climate.  He comments that Assyria also provided a model for subsequent empires (Greek, Roman, Persian) that followed.  He has chapters devoted to social history as well as influential Assyrian women.  It is a slow read mainly because the names of people and places are difficult to follow for those of us unfamiliar with the subject. Readers will find themselves regularly referencing several of the maps at the beginning of the book. If you are at all interested in this subject, I recommend Frahm’s book.

Below is a brief review that appeared in  Bloomsbury.

Tony

The first comprehensive account of the rise and fall of what historians consider to be the world’s very first empire: Assyria

‘A work of remarkable synthesis. The range of its sources is truly extraordinary . . . Frahm punctures a fair share of myths too’ Pratinav Anil, The Times

At its height in 660 BCE, the kingdom of Assyria stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. It was the first empire the world had ever seen.

Here, historian Eckart Frahm tells the epic story of Assyria and its formative role in global history. Assyria’s wide-ranging conquests have long been known from the Hebrew Bible and later Greek accounts. But nearly two centuries of research now permit a rich picture of the Assyrians and their empire beyond the battlefield: their vast libraries and monumental sculptures, their elaborate trade and information networks, and the crucial role played by royal women.

Although Assyria was crushed by rising powers in the late seventh century BCE, its legacy endured from the Babylonian and Persian empires to Rome and beyond. Assyria is a stunning and authoritative account of a civilisation essential to understanding the ancient world and our own.

This photo provided by Pfizer shows single-dose vials of the company’s updated COVID vaccine for adults. (Pfizer via AP)

Dear Commons Community,

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved  updated COVID-19 vaccines adults from Pfizer and Moderna in time for the upcoming fall and winter seasons.

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the new shots for everyone 6 months and older and the agency’s director quickly signed off yesterday on the panel’s recommendation. That means doses should be available this week, some as early as today.  As reported by the Associated Press.

The severity of the COVID-19 pandemic has faded, but there are still thousands of hospitalizations and hundreds of deaths in the U.S. each week. Hospitalizations have been increasing since late summer, though the latest data indicate infections may be starting to level off, particularly in the South.

Still, experts worry that immunity from previous vaccinations and infections is fading in many people, and a new shot would save many lives.

According to a survey last month that CDC cited, about 42% said they would definitely or probably get the new vaccine. Yet only about 20% of adults got an updated booster when it was offered a year ago.

Doctors hope enough people get vaccinated to help avert another “tripledemic” like last year when hospitals were overwhelmed with an early flu season, an onslaught of RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, and yet another winter coronavirus surge.

Here is what you need to know about the new COVID-19 shots:

WHO SHOULD GET THE UPDATED VACCINE?

The Food and Drug Administration approved the updated shots from Pfizer and Moderna for adults and children as young as age 6 months. FDA said starting at age 5, most people can get a single dose even if they’ve never had a prior COVID-19 shot. Younger children might need additional doses depending on their history of COVID-19 infections and vaccinations.

The CDC decides how best to use vaccines and makes recommendations for U.S. doctors and the general public. The agency’s panel of outside exerts recommended the updated COVID-19 shots by a vote of 13-1. The no vote came from a panel member who had argued that the new shots should initially be recommended only for older people and others at greatest risk of severe illness. But other panel members said all ages could — and should — benefit.

“We need to make vaccination recommendations as clear as possible,” said one panel member, Dr. Camille Kotton, an infectious diseases doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital.

WHERE CAN I GET A SHOT?

The new vaccine will be available at pharmacies, health centers and some doctor offices. Locations will be listed on the government’s vaccines.gov website. The list price of a dose of each shot is $120 to $130, according to the manufacturers. But federal officials said the new COVID-19 shots still will be free to most Americans through private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. For the uninsured or underinsured, the CDC is working with health departments, clinics and certain pharmacies to temporarily provide free shots.

On Tuesday, a Pfizer official said his company expected to have doses available at some U.S. locations as early as Wednesday.

WHY MORE COVID-19 SHOTS?

Similar to how flu shots are updated each year, the FDA gave COVID-19 vaccine makers a new recipe for this fall. The updated shots have a single target, an omicron descendant named XBB.1.5. It’s a big change. The COVID-19 vaccines offered since last year are combination shots targeting the original coronavirus strain and a much earlier omicron version, making them very outdated.

Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax all have brewed new supplies, and the FDA on Monday approved shots from Pfizer and Moderna. Novavax’s updated vaccine is still under review.

WILL THEY BE EFFECTIVE ENOUGH?

Health officials are optimistic, barring a new mutant. As expected, XBB.1.5 has faded away in the months it took to tweak the vaccine. Today, there is a soup of different coronavirus variants causing illness and the most common ones are fairly close relatives. Recent lab testing from vaccine makers and other research groups suggest the updated shots will offer crossover protection.

Earlier vaccinations or infections have continued to help prevent severe disease and death but protection wanes over time, especially against milder infections as the virus continually evolves. The FDA did allow seniors and others at high risk to get an extra booster dose last spring. But most Americans haven’t had a vaccination in about a year.

CAN I GET A FLU SHOT AND COVID-19 SHOT AT THE SAME TIME?

Yes. The CDC says there is no difference in effectiveness or side effects if people get those vaccines simultaneously, although one in each arm might be more comfortable. The CDC urges a yearly flu shot for pretty much everyone ages 6 months and up. The best time is by the end of October.

In sum, get the new COVID-19 shot!

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

Aaron Rodgers’ long-awaited debut with the New York Jets lasted just four snaps after a possible Achilles injury.

Coach Robert Saleh said the team believes Rodgers injured his left Achilles tendon when he was sacked by Buffalo’s Leonard Floyd and fell awkwardly on the leg during last night’s 22-16 overtime win over the Bills.

“Concerned with his Achilles. MRI is probably going to confirm what we think is going to happen, so prayers tonight. But it’s not good,” a somber Saleh said.

Saleh said the 39-year-old Rodgers would have the MRI on today after X-rays during the game were negative. NFL Network reported Rodgers’ left foot was in a black walking boot as he was carted to the X-ray room. As reported by the Associated Press.

“Personally, I don’t hurt for me, I don’t hurt for our locker room,” Saleh said. “I hurt for Aaron and how much he has invested in all of this. I’m going to say a prayer. I’m still going to hold out hope. But my heart’s with Aaron right now, nobody else.”

After a 26-yard run by Breece Hall on the Jets’ opening play, Rodgers threw his first pass away after getting heavy pressure from Greg Rousseau. Rodgers threw incomplete on the next play, but Terrel Bernard was called for defensive holding.

Then, Rodgers tried to avoid a rushing Floyd, who wrapped up the quarterback and took him down to the MetLife Stadium turf. Rodgers appeared to reach down at his leg before trainers attended to him. He stood up after a few moments, but needed help getting to New York’s sideline.

Rodgers was taken to the blue medical tent to be examined — and then sat on a cart. Halfway to the locker room, he hopped off the cart and limped inside.

“Obviously, just seeing how he responded to getting up and everything and limping off the field, it wasn’t anything good,” said wide receiver Allen Lazard, who played five seasons with Rodgers in Green Bay. “But honestly, it’s almost like comical just on how this whole offseason played out for him to go down the first game without even completing a pass and everything.”

Zach Wilson replaced Rodgers just 3:45 into the game and finished 14 of 21 for 140 yards, including a touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson, and an interception.

The third-year quarterback would start for the Jets next Sunday at Dallas if Rodgers, as expected, is sidelined.

“Yeah, he’ll be the guy,” Saleh said.

The injury silenced a crowd that had been raucous just minutes earlier, anticipating Rodgers’ Big Apple debut. The Jets haven’t made it to the Super Bowl since Joe Namath won the franchise’s only championship during the 1968 season, and frustrated fans hoped Rodgers’ arrival was the first step to getting back to the big game.

Rodgers jogged onto the field during player introductions with an American flag in hand on the 22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks and received his first official welcome from Jets fans.

With hip-hop artist and actor Method Man announcing Rodgers’ name — accompanied by a laser light show — the quarterback got huge applause.

New York acquired Rodgers, the No. 15 overall pick and a fifth-rounder in this year’s draft from Green Bay on April 26. In exchange, the Packers got the 13th overall selection, a second-rounder, a sixth-rounder and a conditional 2024 second-round pick that could become a first-rounder if Rodgers plays 65% of New York’s plays this season — a scenario that now appears highly unlikely.

Rodgers, who spent his first 18 seasons with Green Bay, raised expectations for the Jets and their fan base when he said he expects to win in New York and pointed out during his introductory news conference that the team’s only Super Bowl trophy looks “lonely.”

If healthy, he would give the Jets their most accomplished quarterback since Brett Favre, who was acquired from Green Bay in 2008 — clearing the way for Rodgers to become the Packers’ signal caller.

We hope Rodgers has a speedy recovery!

Tony

GrowYagi Studio – Getty Images

Dear Commons Community,

A 2021 study out of Japan has shown how targeting genes can regrow teeth in animals. Now, the team has turned to a human clinical trial. By targeting the USAG-1 gene, researchers believe that they can help people without a full set of teeth regrow teeth. The team says that humans have a third set of teeth available as buds, ready to grow as needed. As reported in Prevention.

“The idea of growing new teeth is every dentist’s dream. I’ve been working on this since I was a graduate student. I was confident I’d be able to make it happen,” Katsu Takahashi, lead researcher and head of the dentistry and oral surgery department at the Medical Research Institute Kitano Hospital in Osaka, told Mainichi. “We’re hoping to see a time when tooth regrowth medicine is a third choice alongside dentures and implants.”

Takahashi has spent years researching teeth regrowth potential, and has focused on the role of genes in teeth growth. “The number of teeth varied through the mutation of just one gene,” he said. “If we make that the target of our research, there should be a way to change the number of teeth (people have).”

Researchers found that the USAG-1 protein could limit the growth of teeth in mice, so ensuring that the protein didn’t form could potentially invite teeth to grow. The team developed a medication to block the protein, and successfully allowed mice to grow new teeth.

A 2023 paper published in Regenerative Therapy decries the lack of treatments available for tooth regrowth, but highlights how the anti-USAG-1 antibody treatment in mice could offer “a breakthrough in treating tooth anomalies in humans.”

With about 1 percent of humans suffering from anodontia, a genetic condition that doesn’t allow a full set of teeth to grow, there is hope for teeth regrowth in humans beyond just mice-centric trials.

And that hope, Takahashi claims, should be further encouraged by the fact that we already come pre-loaded with the starting point. He said that his previous research shows that humans have the start of a third set of teeth already embedded in our mouths. This is most visibly exhibited by the 1 percent of humans with hyperdontia, the growing of more than a full set of teeth. And Takahashi believes that activating that third set of buds with the right gene manipulation could promote teeth regrowth.

If all goes well in the upcoming clinical trial, the world may have more teeth as soon as 2030.

Wow!

Tony