Additional COVID guidance under review: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-to-review-travel-school-covid-guidance-after-new-mask-rule/ar-BB1gJv5N?li=BBnb7Kz . CDC guidance creates confusion: https://news.yahoo.com/new-cdc-guidance-for-vaccinated-people-brings-confusion-along-with-relief-201254581.html . Bottom line, if I’m a store owner, there’s no sensible way to tell who’s vaccinated. For now, masks would be required for everyone in the store.
Is there science behind the CDC recommendations?: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/s-science-convinced-cdc-lift-mask-mandates-rcna932 . Yes, but that science is subject to interpretation. As stated yesterday, my expectation is that we will see additional surges in cases. And no one has a handle on the variants. The difficulty is that vaccine efficacy is a very complex topic. The CDC is apparently gambling that hospitalizations and deaths will still go down despite all the unknowns. That is, they are changing their metric away from cases even in the face of incomplete information.
Broad improvement in US COVID metrics: https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-cases-deaths-good-news-pandemic-dd3297c7-4b54-460b-93ca-45389f5d6389.html . We still do not know enough about the variants to declare victory.
WSJ: Many parents are eager to have their kids vaccinated: https://www.wsj.com/articles/parents-rush-to-get-covid-19-vaccines-for-their-children-11620984600 .
DHS warns easing of COVID restrictions could encourage domestic terrorist attacks: https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2021-05-14/dhs-violent-extremists-could-exploit-easing-of-coronavirus-capacity-restrictions . There is apparently no such thing as uniformly good news anymore.
New York Yankees have more bad news for the J&J vaccine: https://sports.yahoo.com/how-surprising-are-the-vaccinated-yankees-covid-19-cases-experts-explain-the-implications-030355895.html . Maybe this vaccine is “one and not done”, since it is more effective with two doses. You also have to wonder if the vaccine was properly administered.
WHO urges developed nations to donate vaccines to poorer countries before vaccinating kids: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/14/who-urges-countries-to-donate-shots-instead-of-vaccinating-kids . This is just not where political priorities are going currently.
Russia faces shortages of Sputnik V vaccine: https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-struggles-to-meet-demand-for-its-covid-19-vaccine-11620993601 . This is surprising considering that Brazil rejected its entire allotment of the vaccine. (r, 4/27)
The latest (lack of) information on the Indian variant B.1.617: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/coronavirus-strain-fueling-india-crisis-is-the-newest-variant-of-concern-and-is-spreading-globally/ar-BB1gHIp8?li=BBnb7Kz . At least this article admits early on that India does very little genomic sequencing. There we have only indirect information about the variant’s participation in the current disaster in India.
Has India turned the corner?: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/peak-of-covid-second-wave-in-sight-but-end-may-still-be-far-away-7314259/ . It is too early to say. Again, we do not have meaningful information about the new and dangerous variant. “Lakh” is an Indian term for 100,000.
Israel steps up military action against Gaza strip: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/israeli-forces-hit-hamas-tunnels-in-gaza-as-all-out-war-looms-more-rockets-rain-down/ar-BB1gIzyL?li=BBnb7Kz .
Joe Manchin’s voting rights proposal: https://www.vox.com/22434054/joe-manchin-voting-rights-act-for-the-people-john-lewis-preclearance-filibuster-senate . The primary hurdle for any voting rights legislation is that non-budgetary legislation cannot pass under reconciliation. Would Manchin alter the filibuster for voting rights legislation only (which has been proposed)? If, as the article indicates, the answer is no, then his proposal has no chance and Republicans will continue to seek unfair elections. So what is the point of his proposal?
House January 6 commission advances: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/05/14/house-bipartisan-commission-capitol-riot-488326 . Meanwhile, Kevin McCarthy burnishes his reputation for irrelevance. And Loserville continues unrestrained by the lack of evidence: https://www.mediaite.com/tv/wrong-former-trump-adviser-steve-cortes-slams-kevin-mccarthy-for-claiming-2020-election-is-over/ . Reality, however, is preparing to bite back: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/heffernan-the-gop-hivemind-keeps-it-doubling-down-on-its-biggest-loser/ar-BB1gJ7nv?li=BBnbfcL . The important point here is that Republicans have no Plan B.
Elise Stefanik voted in as House GOP Number 3: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/05/14/stefanik-voted-in-as-house-gops-new-no-3-leader-488312 . She said she would only take the job for one term. We will see. The GOP is short on women and minorities for House leadership positions. The Senate GOP leadership has only Jodi Ernst.
Did the US military take down Darkside?: https://www.rfi.fr/en/business-and-tech/20210514-servers-of-colonial-pipeline-hacker-darkside-forced-down-security-firm-1 . It sure looks like it. WSJ: Darkside may close its doors: https://www.wsj.com/articles/web-site-of-darkside-hacking-group-linked-to-colonial-pipeline-attack-is-down-11621001688 .
China to attempt first Mars landing in the next 4 days: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/china-plans-to-attempt-an-ambitious-mars-landing-as-early-as-friday-dropping-both-a-lander-and-a-rover-to-the-red-planet/ar-BB1gHZ6Y . Update: WSJ: China completes landing: https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-lands-on-mars-in-crowning-moment-for-space-program-11621040108 .
Mixed-handedness: https://www.wsj.com/articles/lebron-james-lefty-mixed-handed-11620954356 . While I write left-handed, I am mixed handed, especially when it comes to sports. I believe many lefties are in fact mixed-handed, more so than this article indicates.