Free Republic

Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine is just 39% effective in Israel where the delta variant is the dominant strain, but still provides strong protection against severe illness and hospitalization, according to a new report from the country’s Health Ministry. The efficacy figure, which is based on an unspecified number of people between June 20 and July 17, is down from an earlier estimate of 64% two weeks ago and conflicts with data out of the U.K. that found the shot was 88% effective against symptomatic disease caused by the variant. However, the two-dose vaccine still works very well in preventing...

RALEIGH, N.C. - School employees in one state might be feeling happier these days after learning the bar for failing could be lowered, and by a lot. The North Carolina legislature is considering a change in the grading system for the state's public schools. The bill in question would be based on a 15-point scale, rather than a 10-point scale for grades. That would mean only scores lower than 39 percent would qualify for an F grade for schools, a far cry from the current 60 percent failure mark in the state and most others. Student grades would be unaffected...