Free Republic

FLORIDA — Anywhere from 17 to 24 named storms with winds 39 mph or greater are forecast during what is expected to be a “highly active” Atlantic hurricane season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its mid-season hurricane outlook update Wednesday. Hurricane season runs June 1 through Nov. 30. Of these named storms, anywhere from eight to 13 could become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher, including four to seven major hurricanes that are category 3, 4 or 5 with winds of 111 mph or higher. The updated outlook includes the four named storms to date.

With more than 40 million Americans having received at least the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, a third dose may be needed to prevent the spread of new variants of the disease, Bill Gates told CBS News Tuesday. Gates’ comments come amid growing concern that the current vaccines are not effective against the more contagious Brazilian and South African variants.Pfizer and Moderna have stated that their vaccines are 95% and 99% effective, respectively, against the initial strain of COVID. However, some scientists have questioned those statements. Additionally, the World Health Organization and vaccine companies have conceded that...