NEWS Around North America in seven stories… H E A LT H C A R E
COVID-19 boosters Moderna and J&J FDA approved
TECHNOLOGY
TRUMP TO LAUNCH NEW SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM F O RMER US President Donald Trump recently announced that he plans to launch a new social media platform called TRUTH Social. During his tenure as President, social media played as a significant means of his communication and, prior to that, a pivotal role in Trump’s bid for the White House. Following the storming of the US Capitol Building and his criticized online
posts, Trump was banned from Twitter and Facebook. Trump accused large tech companies of silencing voices in the US, and stated that if created, TRUTH Social would be used to “stand up to the tyranny of big tech”, although there is varied speculation as to whether the platform will materialize, and the notion has faced much criticism.
FOOD & DRINK
US spirits industry pushing for lower excise taxes T HE SP I R I TS industry is pushing for states to lower excise taxes on canned cocktails across the US. Excise taxes have been placed on alcoholic beverages for centuries, and since the repeal of the Prohibition, taxes on 6 | North America Outlook issue 06
B OTH M O D E R N A and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be used as booster jabs. The FDA said that Americans are able to receive booster doses that vary from the vaccine jabs they had initially. This new option to ‘mix-and-match’ arrives a month after the FDA’s authorization of Pfizer booster jabs for some US citizens, including the over 65, frontline workers and those of high risk. However, so far less than five percent of Americans have received a booster jab, and the FDA’s ruling requires a further final approval by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) before the alternative boosters can be delivered.
spirits in particular have been higher than others, such as wine and beer. The substantial rise in the popularity of canned cocktails has brought with it more attention to the issue, and this in turn has helped the states of Michigan and Nebraska pass laws to lower taxes on such drinks in this year, with New Jersey and Pennsylvania having bills sitting in each of their state legislatures, and many other states having bills that will roll into their 2022 sessions.
