Premium surcharges for unvaccinated coming: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/vaccine-mandates-america-122151333.html . Placing the medical expense on those who create the risk has been a strategy in the past, and it is here again.
US passes 40 million COVID cases, 650,000 COVID deaths: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/u-s-hits-40-million-covid-cases-delta-variant-spreads-n1278538 . This article recounts the current tragedy, but is somewhat off on a key point. We have not reached 70% vaccination in any state because we cannot vaccinate children under 12 yet. But more than that, the 70% is an outmoded measure of herd immunity. The Delta variant is so contagious, I believe the required rate is around 95%. We are not going to reach that rate anytime soon, if ever, because of the misguided anti-vaccination movement. And the Internet is not helping.
WSJ: Child COVID cases surge in states with earliest school openings: https://www.wsj.com/articles/child-covid-19-cases-rise-in-states-where-schools-opened-earliest-11630834201 . Dammit. This was obviously going to happen given the infectious nature of the Delta variant in children together with children under 12 being unvaccinated. The failure to follow basic public health principles is prolonging the pandemic, including disrupting business and schools.
COVID surges in Arizona: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/570894-arizona-reporting-more-than-3000-virus-cases-a-day .
Fear of becoming ill from COVID grows among both the vaccinated and unvaccinated: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/570892-more-americans-in-new-survey-worried-about-getting-sick-from-coronavirus .
WSJ: Medical journals urge action on climate change to protect global human health: https://www.wsj.com/articles/action-on-climate-change-is-urged-by-medical-journals-in-unprecedented-plea-11630886402 .
Unemployment and eviction protections end: https://apnews.com/article/covid-19-safety-net-ending-unemployment-evictions-bca43d873a61a9059c72fe15b88b9a9a . The original help was passed on the assumption that either the worst of the pandemic would have passed by now, or that benefits could be extended. Neither of those things has come to pass.
The most viable solution seems to be for Democrats to add some help to their reconciliation bill, and then pass both the infrastructure and reconciliation bills. Legislative realities indicate that help cannot arrive in an appropriate timeframe.
Another solution would be for some states to add supplemental unemployment benefits. States must balance their budgets. Except for states with excess CARES Act funds, it would seem federal help is necessary. It therefore appears that many of America’s working poor will be left behind.
WSJ: US fiddles as our intellectual creativity edge burns: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-industrial-planning-evolves-stirring-u-s-concerns-11630850402 . It’s typical of the bullet-heads at WSJ to cast this in terms of alarm with China. Short-term greed has caused the US to neglect its most precious asset, its intellectual capital. That’s on us.
COVID screw ups tank Greg Abbott’s ratings in Texas: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/texas-gov-greg-abbotts-approval-plummets-as-52-percent-believe-state-is-on-wrong-track/ar-AAO7K3R?li=BBnb7Kz . So, what’s going on in Texas isn’t governance. The doctor’s comments at the end of the article are right on: How can the politicians justify taking actions that are killing their fellow Texans?
Texas Democrat points out that abortion law will have deadly consequences: https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/570908-escobar-says-deadly-consequences-will-come-from-texas-abortion. This is undoubtedly true. Those who can afford it will go out of state. Those who can’t will turn to illegal providers. Some of those women will bleed to death, others will be butchered. And since pretty much everyone agrees the law will fail on its merits when challenged in court, this is more endangerment of citizens for political gain.
The filibuster struggle: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/filibuster-imperils-pelosis-abortion-bill-us-senate-klobuchar-2021-09-05/ . The 2022 election is already being drawn into Hill politics. Pelosi sees the Texas abortion restriction as an issue which will help her retain Democratic House seats. Hence, she hurries in this bill. Democrats now see the possibility of gaining 2 or more seats in the Senate in 2022, which will pull the plug on Manchin’s current swing power. They can then break the filibuster, but that will do them no good if the House moves to Republican control. Amy is trying to pressure Manchin on limited exceptions to the filibuster, but that is unlikely to work.
A boost for college education at the University of Indiana – not: https://sports.yahoo.com/hoosiers-somehow-spelled-indiana-wrong-on-a-jersey-for-season-opener-iowa-hawkeyes-big-ten-214043655.html . Some mistakes are cringeworthy. This one practically defines the word. How do you screw up one printed jersey, and then feature it in your promotional photo? No one at “Indinia” seems to be talking.