Raphael Stevens

Joanna Oakley got her annual flu shot in 2015 and immediately knew something was wrong.”It felt like it hit bone right away. And over the next few days, I noticed it was increasingly sore, and it got to where I couldn’t move my arm, I couldn’t turn my steering wheel in my car,” she said.As a nurse, Oakley is trained to give injections.”It wasn’t until it happened to me that I started researching, that I found, it actually did happen more often, than I would ever imagine,” she said.Nurse Joanna Oakley and her son.Source: Joanna OakleyOakley says she endured three surgeries and that her arm never returned to normal. She got what is known as a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration or SIRVA.”As a mom and a wife and as a nurse, I was more concerned with what was this injury going to do to me, as far as, you know, could I get it fixed? Would I be normal again?” she said.Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsJoanna Oakley experienced a serious shoulder injury for a flu vaccine.Source: Joanna OakleyOakley is not alone. SIRVA is the most common vaccination injury that people seek government compensation for.Twenty-one people have filed claims with the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program for adverse reactions to Covid-19 shots, according to a Freedom of Information Act response from the Department of Health and Human Services to professor Peter Meyers of George Washington Law School.So far, there are seven reports of shoulder injuries from Covid-19 shots, according to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, which is maintained by the Centers for Disease Control of Prevention and doesn’t verify the reports. But none of the 21 Covid-19 vaccine claims filed with the compensation program are related to shoulder injuries, according FOIA records.Sergio Perez | Reuters”I’ve represented many clients whose lives have been upended by an unfortunate adverse reaction to a vaccination. It happens. It’s rare but it happens. And oftentimes, they’re on the verge of their lives disintegrating,” said attorney Altom Maglio.Attorney Altom Maglio represents vaccine victims.Source: CNBCThe Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program “provides compensation to people who are injured or die from a vaccination, medication, device or other so-called countermeasure necessary to prevent, treat or fight a pandemic, epidemic or security threat,” according to the program’s website.On March 10, 2020, then-Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar issued a declaration under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act that authorized that program for Covid-related claims.HHS has a far more generous program, know as the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. It currently covers injuries stemming from 16 commonly used vaccines, such as for the flu, whooping cough and polio, but does not cover the Covid vaccine because it hasn’t yet been approved for use in kids.The Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program rarely pays, rejecting more than 90% of claims filed, according to HHS and FOIA records. When it does, the claims average around $200,000 — about 60% less than the average payment under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, according to HHS data. Since the program was founded in 2009, it has paid out only 29 claims as of August, for the H1N1 and smallpox vaccines. One of those was classified by HHS as for shoulder pain.Maglio calls the CICP a “black hole.” “Really, it is a compensation program in name only and not in reality,” he said.The VICP provides victims a chance to make their case in court with judges, lawyers and have a right to appeal. Under the other, he said, there is no right of appeal.Unlike the VICP, the CICP does not cover legal fees or pain and suffering.The VICP has paid out approximately $4.5 billion in total compensation as of March 1 since it began taking claims in 1998. That dwarfs the CICP’s roughly $6 million in paid benefits over the life of the program, according to HHS.Last July, HHS proposed a new rule that would roll back existing consumer protections for shoulder injuries stemming from vaccine shots, saying they were caused by “negligence by the vaccine administrator” and not the vaccines themselves. That would have forced people with shoulder injuries to sue whoever gave the vaccine, according to Maglio.It was scheduled to take effect in February, but the new administration under President Joe Biden paused all rules proposed in the last days of the Trump administration.The Biden administration announced plans last week to withdraw the final rule. “HHS also is proposing to rescind the final rule because it is concerned that it could have a negative impact on vaccine administrators, which would be at odds with the federal government’s efforts to increase vaccinations in the United States to respond to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic,” HHS wrote in its notice to withdraw the proposed rules.A spokesperson from the Health Resources and Service Administration, the agency within HHS that oversees the vaccine injury compensation programs, declined an interview. Instead the agency directed CNBC to its public notices.”I believe instead of weakening this program and removing injuries from it, it needs to be strengthened,” said Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas. “It’s not really been revamped since 1988 when it was enacted.”Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) speaks during a press conference calling for lower drug prices, especially in regards to the coronavirus, on Capitol Hill on March 5, 2020 in Washington, DC.Samuel Corum | Getty ImagesDoggett’s office estimates that 5,000 to 6,000 people across the country will likely have an adverse reaction to the Covid vaccine, based on statistics from the H1N1 vaccine. “It will encourage confidence to know that in the extraordinarily unlikely event, maybe 1 in a million chance, that you suffer adverse consequences, that there is a fund there to protect you so that you are not saddled with big medical bills and other loss,” he said.Oakley said she believes in vaccines but wants a program in case something goes wrong.”I would just be concerned that if this program was taken away, then if somebody had a problem, an adverse effect from a vaccine, they really wouldn’t have any recourse,” she said. More

Lowe’s is preparing for home improvement’s busiest sales season. This spring, it will sell garden-to-go kits and supplies to help people enjoy a staycation.Lowe’sGardening tools. Backyard grills. And supplies for a staycation?As home improvement’s peak sales season begins, Lowe’s said it expects shoppers’ spring purchases to continue to be influenced by the Covid pandemic. Along with typical merchandise, the retailer said it will cater to consumers’ desire for a getaway — even if they’re just camping in the backyard or planning an at-home spa day.Its spring assortment, from tents to cocktail shakers, is part of the company’s strategy to sell a wider range of items that consumers may need to maintain, decorate or enjoy their homes — particularly as it tries to sustain a strong, pandemic-fueled run. During the holiday season, Lowe’s sold bedding, small kitchen appliances like air fryers and kids’ toys. The company has added exercise equipment, such as spin bikes, to its website and begun to test it on the sales floor.Lowe’s website now has over 2 million different products — more than four times as many as it had in 2018, Bill Boltz, executive vice president of merchandising, said.He said it makes sense for the retailer to sell trampolines and towels, along with lawn mowers, patio sets and bathroom shelving.”We’re not going to enter into the grocery space, but we think there’s an opportunity to do some things here and push it a little bit where we have a right to play,” he said in a CNBC interview.Lowe’s is turning its spring event, which is typically a weekend, into a monthlong fest. It will include pandemic-friendly activities, like garden-to-go kits that customers can pick up in the parking lot.Rival Home Depot is also stretching out its spring sales and touting items that make home more comfortable and fun. It’s featuring spring-themed DIY ideas and virtual and livestreamed workshops on its website.Lowe’s shares are up 134% over the past year and touched an all-time high of $184.15 on Wednesday. Its market value is $129.6 billion, as of Wednesday’s close, but some analysts bet it will rise even higher. Its comparable sales, a key metric that tracks sales at stores open for at least a year and online, rose by 26% in the most recent fiscal year compared with the year prior.Yet even Lowe’s itself cautioned it is unlikely to keep up that pace of growth in the quarters ahead. Chief Financial Officer Dave Denton said on a fourth-quarter earnings call that the retailer anticipates a 5% to 7% drop in demand for the home improvement sector on a mix-adjusted basis in a favorable market. That would mean Lowe’s net sales for the year would be around $86 billion — a decline from $89.6 billion in 2020.Home Depot declined to provide a forecast for the year, saying it’s too difficult to predict how factors from stimulus checks to Covid-19 cases will influence consumer spending. Like Lowe’s, it reported strong comparable sales gains of 19.7% for the most recent fiscal year. Its shares also hit an all-time high on Wednesday of $296.78, raising its market value to $315.18 billion as of Wednesday’s close. Home Depot’s stock is up 58% over the past 12 months.The two retailers have a hot real estate market and the growth of remote work acting in their favor for now.Zack Fadem, a senior equity analyst for Wells Fargo, said as consumers wait for a Covid-19 vaccine appointment or push off travel and entertainment for several more months, they may continue to spruce up their backyards and take on DIY projects. His price targets are above where both retailers are trading: $310 for Home Depot and $200 for Lowe’s.”As much as we all want to go on vacation, the light switch has not been flipped on as far as the vaccine goes, and it could take a little bit of time before everyone decides ‘Ok, time to go to the movies. Time to go on an airplane again,'” he said.Travel has picked up, but is still far below pre-pandemic levels — particularly during a popular time like spring break. The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 1 million people on Tuesday, more than the same day a year ago but 56% below the number in 2019. Lowe’s teamed up with Ally Love, a Peloton instructor, to show how she’s turned her home into a destination and how its customers can, too.Lowe’sHome gyms and ‘hometrips’Lowe’s is betting that people’s enthusiasm for home projects hasn’t tapered off. The retailer’s leaders pointed to survey findings. Nearly 70% of respondents with children plan to have a “staycation” at home instead of taking a spring break trip, according to a survey of 2,000 homeowners in late February by Morning Consult commissioned by Lowe’s. Eighty-nine percent of respondents who have completed home projects since March 2020 are planning for more this spring, the survey found.”While obviously we’re craving the ability to feel safe and well and able to get out and do more, this idea of the importance of home is strengthening, not weakening,” Marisa Thalberg, Lowe’s chief brand and marketing officer, said in a virtual news conference.As people hold off on booking big trips, she said people’s homes have become the “must-do destination.”Lowe’s has expanded into another category that’s gained steam during the pandemic: at-home fitness. It now has more than 1,700 products from brands like Life Fitness and ProForm and plans to add even more, Boltz said. He said it is testing sales of the equipment at more than one store in different markets, but declined to say how many or where they are located citing competitive reasons.As part of its virtual spring preview, Lowe’s joined a growing list of retailers trying to link their brand to the near-cult following of Peloton and other at-home fitness companies. Adidas is working with Peloton on an exclusive apparel line. Nordstrom struck a deal with Tonal to open mini shops that sell the wall-mounted, high-tech workout stations in its stores. And athleisure brand Fabletics has a partnership with rowing machine Hydrow.Lowe’s teamed up with Ally Love, a Peloton instructor. She showed off how she used decor from Lowe’s, including a plant, pillows, bedding and a wicker chair, to transform her New York City apartment into a “hometrip” to Miami.Love, who lives with her fiance, said the pandemic has forced them to get creative, too. Their guest bedroom is now a home gym and a office, with a Peloton bike and treadmill. She said she’s tried to make the most of every square foot with mirrors and different places to sit.”Since we’ve been pretty much forced to spend time at home, I thought about redefining what do these positions or these areas or this corner or this pocket mean, even in a small apartment,” she said. More

A United Airlines Holdings Inc. Bombardier CRJ-550 airplane sits at a gate at O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in Chicago, Illinois.Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesUnited Airlines is adding more than two dozen nonstop routes from the Midwest to coastal cities popular with vacationers for the summer season, a bet that travelers will continue to gravitate toward the outdoors.The Chicago-based airline said Thursday that its overall May schedule will be 52% of what it flew in May 2019, which will be most flying in more than a year, when the pandemic shut down businesses and most air travel. Last May it flew 14% of its May 2019 capacity. Its domestic schedule in May will be 58% of its May 2019 capacity.The plans show the carrier’s focus on domestic vacationers for another summer, generally the most lucrative season for airlines. Air travel has steadily climbed as more people were vaccinated over the past month but business travel and international trips are still down sharply compared with domestic vacation spots.”We wanted to point our assets to where the demand is,” said Ankit Gupta, United’s vice president of network and schedule planning. He said the airline’s capacity to Florida is almost back to the same level of 2019.Starting May 27, United plans to add new nonstop flights from Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Indianapolis. Destinations and frequencies vary by market from two to four times a week and include Portland, Maine, Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Pensacola, Florida.Most of the service will be on its 50-seat CRJ-550 jet.Other new nonstops include Houston to Kalispell, Montana, Washington to Bozeman, Montana, and Chicago to Nantucket, MassachusettsOther carriers are also going after customers eager to get outside. Delta Air Lines last week announced a host of summer service to destinations like Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Glacier Park, Montana.Leisure-focused budget carriers like Spirit Airlines are also planning to grow this summer, while low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines is going into United’s turf by entering hubs at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.”There’s going to be significant competition for all the customers in the U.S.,” said Gupta. “We believe we do have all the right ingredients.”International travel continues to lag domestic trips because of continued travel restrictions and weak demand. United’s May international schedule is 46% of its May 2019 schedule, though it’s Latin American and Caribbean flying will surpass May 2019 levels as travelers seek vacations and visit friends and family. More

Redwire chief operating officer Andrew Rush shows former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine a spacecraft model of subsidiary Made In Space.Redwire SpaceSpace infrastructure conglomerate Redwire Space is preparing to go public, announcing Thursday that it is the latest in a string of space firms to merge with a SPAC.Redwire, formed last year by private equity firm AE Industrial Partners, is merging with special purpose acquisition company Genesis Park, which trades under the ticker GNPK. The deal is expected to close by the end of the second quarter, with the merger resulting in Redwire listing on the New York Stock Exchange.A SPAC is essentially a shell company that raises money through an initial public offering to acquire another firm. Genesis Park’s stock rose more than 5% in premarket trading after the announcement, from its previous close of $9.87 a share.”When you look around the industry now, you have a lot of the older traditional space players and you have a lot of these new space entrants, many of them are pre-revenue,” Redwire Chairman and CEO Peter Cannito told CNBC.”Redwire is kind of the hybrid: We’re offering that middle ground of tremendous flight heritage but also the disruptive technologies.”The company is focused on space infrastructure, which it estimates is currently a $15 billion market.Redwire’s collection of firms includes technologies such as navigation sensors, solar arrays, deployable structure, in-space manufacturing and robotic arms.The conglomerate expects to add about $170 million in cash to its balance sheet from the merger. This would include the proceeds from a $100 million PIPE — or private investment in public equity — round, joined by investors Senvest Management and Crescent Park.The merger values Redwire at a $615 million enterprise valuation, according to the companies. Cannito noted that AE Industrial Partners will “stay significantly invested” following the merger, as its largest single shareholder.Redwire SpaceRedwire represents the seventh space venture in the past year to announce a SPAC deal, following Rocket Lab, Spire Global, BlackSky, Astra, AST & Science, and Momentus.Redwire’s year of acquisitionsSince AE formed Redwire last June, the company has been on a steady spree of acquisitions.Redwire first acquired satellite component business Adcole Space and aerospace firm Deep Space Systems and then acquired Made In Space, a 3D-printing specialist.The conglomerate also snapped up satellite technologies firm Roccor, engineering service LoadPath, modular spacecraft builder Oakman Aerospace and satellite mechanisms company Deployable Space Systems.Altogether, according to Redwire, the combined management teams bring more than 50 years of space experience, with over 150 missions.”We’ve taken a very differentiated approach to the market here by combining different companies with extraordinary flight heritage,” Cannito said.Redwire SpaceThese businesses are “used to being that premier mission partner to organizations that are deploying space-based capabilities,” he added, whether those partners are NASA, the Pentagon or others.Redwire believes more deals may be ahead, Cannito said, noting that going public and “having that public equity as a currency significantly increases our attractiveness as an acquiring platform.””This allows us to be opportunistic, to continue our already proven track record of M&A,” Cannito said. “I think we’re going to be looking to do some bigger targets and this gives us the opportunity, with the flexibility to do that as required.”Over $160 million projected 2021 revenueRedwire brought in $119 million in revenue last year, which it expects to grow to $163 million in 2021. The company sees that accelerating to more than $1.4 billion in revenue by 2025, which Cannito said is based on its products.”The dollars may pivot from government to commercial, and then our profile, in terms of our mix of customers, will pivot along with it. So it gives us a lot of staying power. It allows us to be flexible and to adjust and morph as the market changes,” Cannito said.Redwire SpaceRedwire is cash-flow positive and expects to see its profitability continue and grow to nearly $200 million in free cash flow by 2025.”Our strategy is really about being that premier mission partner,” Cannito said.A composite image showing a Falcon 9 rocket booster lifting off and a few minutes later landing back near the launchpad.SpaceXCannito also emphasized the reduction in cost of accessing space, as well as the growing number of rocket builders launching to orbit, as an additional catalyst.”We’re really excited and have a lot of respect for what SpaceX has done with the introduction of economical reusable launch. We’re also excited about all of the other launch providers that have entered into that space and have now, and as a result of the increased competition, driven down the cost of launch. There’s a lot of options now,” Cannito said.Redwire Space”I believe that there’s a direct correlation between reductions in launch costs and demand for space infrastructure,” he added.Overall, Cannito pitched his company as a firm that’s in the middle of the space economy, which has grown to more than $420 billion.”When space wins, Redwire wins,” Cannito said. More

Nursing staff wait for the vaccine for COVID 19 by AstraZeneca on CUS Turin University Sports Center on March 14, 2021 in Turin, Italy.Stefano Guidi | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesLONDON — The U.K. and European Union are trying to resolve a dispute over Covid-19 vaccine supplies, shortly after EU officials announced stricter rules on exports of shots produced in the bloc.The U.K. and the EU have been at odds in recent weeks with the latter complaining that London is not showing the same level of reciprocity in the distribution of vaccines. The EU has said that since the end of January more than 10 million doses produced in the EU have gone to the U.K., but the U.K. had exported none in return.”We are all facing the same pandemic and the third wave makes cooperation between the EU and UK even more important. We have been discussing what more we can do to ensure a reciprocally beneficial relationship between the UK and EU on Covid-19,” the U.K. government and the European Commission said in a joint statement on Wednesday.”Given our interdependencies, we are working on specific steps we can take – in the short-, medium – and long term – to create a win-win situation and expand vaccine supply for all our citizens,” the U.K. and EU said, adding that talks would continue.At the heart of the recent dispute is the fact that the EU has received significantly fewer vaccines than expected from AstraZeneca, which is putting its wider rollout at risk.The Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical firm was due to distribute around 90 million doses in the first quarter, but that number has since been cut to 30 million doses.Our export authorization mechanism is not addressed at any specific country.Valdis DombrovskisEU trade chiefAstraZeneca, which developed its Covid vaccine in collaboration with the University of Oxford, has said yield issues in EU plants have hindered production. So far, only 17 million doses have been distributed to EU countries, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.EU leaders will hold a virtual summit on Thursday to discuss ways to bolster Covid vaccine supplies and how to improve the rollout of doses.Export rulesEU countries faced a new setback after AstraZeneca reduced its delivery target for the second quarter to 70 million doses, down from 180 million.”I remind you that AstraZeneca has only delivered a small portion of its agreed contractual commitments,” Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU’s trade chief, said at a press conference on Wednesday.As a result, the European Commission decided to step up rules on the exports of vaccines produced in the bloc. The executive arm of the EU said on Wednesday that in addition to checking whether companies are fulfilling their contracts, it will also take into consideration whether the country receiving EU-made vaccines has a higher vaccination rate and better epidemiological situation as a whole and whether the recipient nation has any restrictions on sending vaccines or raw materials elsewhere.This is why the U.K. could expect to see a lower number of imported Covid shots going forward. It has a higher vaccination rate than the EU and, according to the EU commission, is not sharing its vaccines with other nations.”Our export authorization mechanism is not addressed at any specific country, but it’s clear that in the EU, we also need to ensure vaccination of our own population,” Dombrovskis said.U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday that blocking vaccines was not “sensible.”At the weekend, Italian authorities discovered 29 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines at a finishing plant close to Rome. AstraZeneca said in a statement that these shots were waiting for quality control and that 13 million were due to be dispatched to low- and middle-income nations and the remaining 16 million doses were due to be sent to EU nations, with 10 million expected to be sent in the last week of March.”It is incorrect to describe this as a stockpile. The process of manufacturing vaccines is very complex and time consuming. In particular, vaccine doses must wait for quality control clearance after the filling of vials is completed,” AstraZeneca said in a statement. More

The streets of Amsterdam are empty as the lockdown continues due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak on April 12, 2020 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.Soccrates Images | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesLONDON — More and more cities are embracing a doughnut-shaped economic model to help recover from the coronavirus crisis and reduce exposure to future shocks. British economist and author of “Doughnut Economics” Kate Raworth believes it is simply a matter of time before the concept is adopted at a national level.The Dutch capital of Amsterdam became the first city worldwide to formally implement doughnut economics in early April last year, choosing to launch the initiative at a time when the country had one of the world’s highest mortality rates from the coronavirus pandemic.Amsterdam’s city government said at the time that it hoped to recover from the crisis and avoid future crises by embracing a city portrait of the doughnut theory.As outlined in Raworth’s 2017 book, doughnut economics aims to “act as a compass for human progress,” turning last century’s degenerative economy into this century’s regenerative one.”The compass is a doughnut, the kind with a hole in the middle. Ridiculous though that sounds, it is the only doughnut that actually turns out to be good for us,” Raworth told CNBC via telephone.Its goal is to ensure nobody falls short of life’s essentials, from food and water to social equity and political voice, while ensuring humanity does not break down Earth’s life support systems, such as a stable climate and fertile soils.It would be very good news for so many people if a successful doughnut in Amsterdam means that other cities, countries and institutions will start using the theory.Marieke van DoorninckDeputy mayor of the City of AmsterdamUsing a simple diagram of a doughnut, Raworth suggests that the outer ring represents Earth’s environmental ceiling — a place where the collective use of resources has an adverse impact on the planet. The inner ring represents a series of internationally agreed minimum social standards. The space in between, described as “humanity’s sweet spot,” is the doughnut.”We want to make sure everybody has the fundamental resources they need to lead a life with dignity, community and opportunity. Leave nobody in the hole in the middle,” Raworth said.The model, which has previously been commended by Pope Francis, has received renewed attention amid the global health crisis.Scholars advocating for a new approach argue that the current economic system sacrifices both people and environments at a time when everything from shifting weather patterns to rising sea levels is global in scope and unprecedented in nature.The ‘aha’ momentThe Doughnut Economics Action Lab, or DEAL, started working with Amsterdam policymakers to downscale the global concept of the doughnut into a city model in December 2019, Raworth said. The municipality then formally adopted the model on April 8, 2020.”We had some doubts at first regarding the timing,” Marieke van Doorninck, deputy mayor of the City of Amsterdam, told CNBC.”But it turned out that people were also longing for ideas to rebuild our economy after the crisis. Our circular strategy is a tool to ensure we don’t go back to ‘business as usual’ but look forward to a way to shape our economy differently.”A general view shows the ongoing construction of the Dhaka Metro Rail project in Dhaka on March 16, 2021.MUNIR UZ ZAMAN | AFP | Getty ImagesWithin six weeks of Amsterdam’s announcement, Raworth told CNBC that policymakers in Copenhagen, Denmark had started exploring the concept. Belgium’s capital city of Brussels went on to adopt the doughnut in late September, while the Canadian city of Nanaimo voted to follow suit in December.Raworth said many more towns and cities worldwide are in contact with DEAL every week, and work continues with partners in Costa Rica, India, Bangladesh, Zambia and Barbados, among others.”The city of Amsterdam has always been a pioneering city. It loves to be a pioneer which is a brilliant attribute because there are many cities that will not lead. They will only follow when they see someone else go,” Raworth said.”It is not going to work to have three, four, five separate strategies all trying to connect. When they encountered the concept of the doughnut, I know that they said: ‘Aha, this is a concept that sits above and embraces everything that it is that we want to do.'”Van Doorninck, who’s responsible for spatial development and sustainability in the Dutch capital, said the city’s circular strategy was focused on areas where local government “can really make a difference.”These areas include food and organic waste streams, consumer goods and the built environment. As a result, the city has targeted a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030, implemented measures to make it easier for residents to consume less (by establishing easily accessible and well-functioning second-hand shops and repair services over the next three years) and pushed for construction companies to build with sustainable materials.Historic center of Amsterdam, the capital city of the Netherlands.serts | E+ | Getty Images”We are very proud to be an example for other cities and we (are) happy to spread the message,” van Doorninck said.”Nothing succeeds like success. It would be very good news for so many people if a successful doughnut in Amsterdam means that other cities, countries and institutions will start using the theory.”Rethinking ‘old economic mantras’Around five months after Amsterdam bet its post-Covid recovery on the doughnut, the Brussels region formally embraced the model, using it as a portrait for the city’s transition to a sustainable and thriving economy.Barbara Trachte, secretary of state for the Brussels region, told CNBC that an important feature of the Brussels doughnut was its “deeply participatory dynamic.”Trachte, who is responsible for economic transition and scientific research for the Brussels region, said the model embodied a “paradigm shift” and helped to shape the region’s efforts to look at economics differently.”I think people understand the power of the doughnut theory, to rethink the old economic mantras,” she said. “It gives them a positive boost, a sort of ‘let’s do it’ attitude, that can move mountains. And if the Brussels Region can help show the way, all the better.”Despite the coronavirus crisis, people enjoy a warm Saturday afternoon on February 20, 2021 in Brussels, Belgium.Thierry Monasse | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesRaworth said there was something about the dynamism, scale and energy of a city that might help to explain why these areas are more open to experimenting with new ideas. There’s also, certainly in the U.K. at least, a sense of local civic pride that means people tend to be prouder to say the city they are part of, rather than the nation in which they reside, she said.”There’s also something about the visibility of a city. You can see what happens when the city policymakers paint yellow lines on the street and move car lanes to bike lanes. You can see how that changes,” she added.When asked whether she believed the doughnut model would soon be adopted at a national level, Raworth replied: “Yes, I do.””Everything that’s happening is because people in a place have seen it and said: ‘We think that could be useful for us.’ So, it’s all drawn by local changemakers,” she continued.”We go where the energy is and it is getting picked up. We know the power of peer inspiration so when Amsterdam launches, it triggers this interest in many places.” More