COVID booster shots to be discussed Monday: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2021-07-11/pfizer-us-health-officials-to-discuss-covid-boosters-on-monday-company . Pfizer’s position is that data from Israel suggests immunity begins to wane in older individuals one year after the initial dose. Thus, the COVID booster shots could be approved for a limited group, such as the elderly and health care providers: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/562457-israel-offering-third-pfizer-dose-to-adults-with-weak-immune-systems .
Young American adults lag in vaccination levels: https://www.wsj.com/articles/young-americans-arent-getting-vaccinated-jeopardizing-covid-19-fight-11625995802 .
Delta variant summary of current status: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/07/covid-b-1-617-2-delta-variant-what-we-know.html .
US vaccination approval expected by early fall for kids 5 to 11: https://www.katv.com/news/local/coronavirus-vaccines-expected-to-be-approved-for-kids-5-11-by-early-fall .
WSJ: The bat-human COVID connection may be difficult to prove: https://www.wsj.com/articles/bat-scientists-warn-that-the-world-may-never-know-covid-19-origins-11626026153 . Note that people eat bats in China.
GOP conservatives cheer low vaccination rates as COVID cases rise in 42 states: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/07/11/infections-up-42-states-cpac-attendees-cheer-low-vaccination-rate/7928562002/ . So, there are not two sides to every issue. Is the GOP working to become a death pact? This feels like Jim Jones: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonestown .
Arkansas presses for more vaccinations in the face of COVID surge: https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/11/us/arkansas-fights-delta-variant-vaccine-skepticism/index.html .
Pandemic forces Brits to re-evaluate their lives: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/12/over-three-quarters-britons-re-evaluate-lives-covid . Even higher percentages apply in the US. Again, we are in the midst of a significant economic dislocation. It turns out the dislocation is happening around the globe, at least in developed countries.
WSJ: Living with COVID: https://www.wsj.com/articles/these-countries-are-looking-ahead-to-living-with-covid-19-11626012000 . There is no evidence that we have learned enough from the repeated disasters of too-early reopening. New COVID cases are rising in 42 states and the UK. Perhaps we will increase herd immunity in the coming months more by surviving infections than by vaccinations.
WSJ: Vaccination, economic protests in Cuba: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cuban-protests-demand-freedom-food-covid-19-vaccines-11626045095 .
EU has delivered enough vaccines to inoculate 70% of member countries’ populations: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/10/von-der-leyen-eu-reaches-covid-vaccine-target . The “last mile” problem remains. How rapidly will these doses get in arms?
WSJ: Australia finds two doses protect against hospitalization from Delta: https://www.wsj.com/articles/australias-delta-outbreak-data-show-vaccines-protect-against-hospitalization-11625904029 .
WSJ: Taiwan to get vaccines through indirect deal: https://www.wsj.com/articles/tech-firms-to-buy-covid-19-vaccines-on-behalf-of-taiwans-government-11626020496 . As Hong Kong’s democracy fades, alarm grows about Taiwan’s independence. I wonder about the extent of planning for chip factories outside of Taiwan for these critical global chip suppliers.
Indonesia pandemic crisis threatens to outrun oxygen supply: https://thehill.com/policy/international/562409-indonesia-running-out-of-oxygen-as-coronavirus-infections-surge .
COVID surges in Myanmar: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/delivering-the-dead-and-helping-the-living-in-myanmar-virus-spike .
WSJ: Economists expect higher US inflation levels are not temporary: https://www.wsj.com/articles/higher-inflation-is-here-to-stay-for-years-economists-forecast-11626008400 . While this may make cash look bad, it also suggests the stock market will decline from its current record levels. The same is true for bonds. Meanwhile, banks appear to have the same view: https://www.wsj.com/articles/banks-are-in-the-economys-waiting-room-11626008400 . So what happens when the eviction moratoriums expire?
WSJ: Can the global tax deal survive the US Congress?: https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-tax-deal-heads-down-perilous-path-in-congress-11626008186 .
Miami condo collapse death toll now 90; 31 unaccounted for: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/death-toll-rises-90-miami-beach-area-condo-building-collapse-n1273645 . Note that total of 121 represents a significant drop from the 145 total we were at for some time. Apparently there have been determinations that additional residents were not present when the building collapsed.
Haitian-born, Florida-based doctor arrested in assassination of Haitian president: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/florida-based-doctor-arrested-in-haiti-presidents-assassination/ar-AAM23pq?li=BBnb7Kz . This case takes another turn. WSJ: We haven’t heard about this: https://www.wsj.com/articles/haiti-president-assassination-11625665343 . Oh wait, yes we have, but we’re unsure: https://www.wsj.com/articles/slain-haitian-presidents-security-was-lax-neighbors-say-11626041229 . The situation remains quite confused.
Police dismantle armory near All Star game, arrest 4: https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-4-arrested-on-gun-charges-denver-hotel-police-feared-las-vegas-style-shooting-all-star-game-142034642.html . Any reasonable person understands the immediate need for meaningful gun control. A Las Vegas repeat could happen literally at any time currently.
Texas GOP forced to admit there’s no evidence of voter fraud in Texas: https://news.yahoo.com/gop-pols-forced-admit-big-210203116.html . In rural terms, “No matter what you feed a cow, it still cranks out a cowpie.” And that’s the history of Texas government in 13 words.
Branson first in space (maybe) after ascending 53.5 miles: https://apnews.com/article/virgin-galactic-launch-richard-branson-37fd721264b1421f8a1223ee5e5626e3 . But this flight did not reach the Karman Line, which is the internationally recognized boundary of 62 miles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n_line . Jeff Bezos plans to reach that boundary in 9 days. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/richard-bransons-virgin-galactic-space-flight-what-you-need-to-know-11625929202 . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/richard-bransons-virgin-galactic-set-for-travel-to-space-in-sunday-flight-11626002209 .
Besides oxygen and water, axial tilt may a critical factor in the development of complex life: https://www.sciencealert.com/an-axial-tilt-may-be-crucial-to-the-emergence-of-complex-life-in-the-universe . This is interesting science, but we will need to discover life elsewhere to have any real idea of the conditions necessary to support life.
College sports is changing at breakneck speed: https://news.yahoo.com/ucf-womens-basketball-cuts-deal-with-college-hunks-is-first-ncaa-team-to-sign-nil-deal-032121557.html . Remember that this money is coming from outside sponsors to the athletes. The outrageous financial structure pioneered by the universities stays in place – so far.
Brits lose Euro final to Italy, drown their sorrows in beer and a COVID surge: https://www.thedailybeast.com/england-loses-euro-2020-holds-nationwide-beer-bender-as-coronavirus-explodes-again?ref=scroll . So how drunk is an Englishman to be unable to tell the difference between a Scot and an American? However, there is some possibility that this was being hurled as an insult against the Scot. On the “bright” side, this may prove the true danger of the Delta variant in a highly vaccinated population. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/italy-england-european-championship-shootout-11626040786 .