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VA plays crucial role in COVID-19 treatment study

WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) researchers and Veteran volunteers from the Atlanta and San Antonio VA medical centers were part of a recently published study that yielded crucial insights into COVID-19 treatment.  The study published Dec. 11, 2020, by the New England Journal of Medicine, showed the drugs baricitinib and remdesivir combined were far better at …

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VA begins administering COVID-19 vaccines to Department of Homeland Security mission-essential personnel

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) began administering COVID-19 vaccinations to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees Jan. 6, through an interagency agreement to support DHS’s COVID-19 vaccination program. The agreement was initiated in response to President Donald Trump’s declaration of COVID-19 as a national emergency and falls under the Economy Act, which authorizes federal agencies to …

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Taiwan military stages drill aimed at repelling China attack

HSINCHU, Taiwan — Taiwanese troops using tanks, mortars and small arms staged a drill Tuesday aimed at repelling an attack from China, which has increased its threats to reclaim the island and its own displays of military might. “No matter what is happening around the Taiwan Strait, our determination to guard our homeland will never …

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Trump’s pardon of Blackwater contractors convicted of massacre greeted with derision, grief

“They prefer animals over humans, and then they talk about human rights, justice and humanity,” said an Iraqi man whose brother was among those killed in 2007. President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon four Blackwater private security contractors convicted of a massacre in Baghdad has been met with fury by the victims’ families in Iraq. “How are …

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Actions taken by Army secretary, Congress after Spc. Vanessa Guillen’s death are insufficient

Army secretary addresses report of Fort Hood Independent Review Committee Fort Hood has garnered international attention after 28 soldiers assigned to the post died in the past year. The most prominent was Spc. Vanessa Guillen’s alleged murder by a fellow soldier who then died by suicide. As a captain, I was stationed at Fort Hood. …

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AUSTIN’S TOP STORIES OF 2020: No. 4: Vanessa Guillen’s death leads to change at Fort Hood

Counting down Austin’s top stories 2020 We’re counting down Austin’s top stories of the year, as chosen by American-Statesman reporters and editors. Our countdown continues through Dec. 27. Today: No. 4 Army Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, 20, was last seen in the middle of a workday April 22 in a parking lot at Fort Hood, the …

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Congress overrides Trump’s veto for the first time on the major military bill

After voting Friday afternoon, the Senate adjourned, effectively killing any hope of passing an increase to distribute $2,000 stimulus checks. WASHINGTON — The Senate on Friday joined the House to override President Donald Trump’s veto of a sweeping military policy bill, delivering the first such blow to Trump just weeks before he leaves office. The …

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China’s largest military cargo plane flew to a base in the South China Sea, but it’s not clear why

China flew its biggest warplane, the Y-20 transporter, to Fiery Cross Reef in the disputed South China Sea on December 25, satellite images show. The huge aircraft was seen on the airstrip on the militarised reef in the Spratly Islands but was not observed loading or unloading cargo. The images were posted on LinkedIn on Tuesday by Ken …

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How VA is improving the journey of job applicants

VA is working to streamline and demystify the job application process for potential candidates, and one champion of this effort is Tracey Therit, VA’s chief human capital officer. Therit joined host Mike Owens for “Talk About It Tuesday,” a weekly live broadcast on LinkedIn, to discuss her work chairing the VA Employee Experience Council. The …

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Panel blasts Fort Hood leaders, Army after disappearance, death of Spc. Vanessa Guillen; 14 fired or suspended

WASHINGTON – An independent investigation into tragedies at Fort Hood, including the bludgeoning murder of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, found that leadership at the Army’s largest base created a “permissive environment” that let sexual harassment and assault and other crimes occur with little consequence. The report, released Tuesday, represents a scathing indictment of a dysfunctional Army culture and called for changes in staffing and …

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