COVID surges in Western Europe: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-germany-europe-western-europe-be9a84ddaf7b9b3cc927d47428683201 . While Russia and Eastern Europe have seen a strong ongoing surge, Western Europe now also sees rising cases. This comes despite high vaccination rates in Western Europe. More: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/covid-surging-europe-experts-say-s-warning-us-rcna4666 .
WSJ: COVID spikes regionally in the US: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-cases-rise-in-pockets-of-north-and-west-halting-delta-variants-decline-in-u-s-11636898401 .
CDC backs off herd immunity goal: https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2021/11/cdc-takes-stock-backs-away-from-covid-19-herd-immunity-goal.html . Um, duh. Herd immunity was never an achievable goal.
Stopping the anti-vaxxers from hurting themselves: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/14/covid-vaccine-mandate-detox-borax-bath . Apparently these people cannot grasp the idea of not trusting everything they read on the Internet.
Austria locks down the unvaccinated: https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/14/europe/austria-lockdown-unvaccinated-intl/index.html . The article discusses other new COVID restrictions in Germany, the Netherlands and Norway.
Pentagon to respond to Oklahoma National Guard’s defiance of vaccine mandate: https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/13/politics/pentagon-oklahoma-national-guard-vaccine-mandate/index.html .
China’s COVID outbreak grows in Dalian: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-11-14/china-faces-biggest-delta-outbreak-as-infections-grow-in-northeastern-city .
Florida legislature to meet in special session Monday: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2021-11-14/florida-lawmakers-to-meet-in-special-session-over-vaccine-mandates . Once again, the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause wipes all this out. Also, fining employers complying with the federal mandate would seem to be an unconstitutional restriction on interstate commerce.
WSJ: Democrats refocus on reconciliation bill: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pelosi-jayapal-spending-bill-democrats-house-11636894685 . Meanwhile, Biden taps Mitch Landrieu to lead infrastructure implementation effort: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-to-name-mitch-landrieu-to-lead-roughly-1-trillion-infrastructure-plan-11636930095 . Democrats need to get implementation moving to help their election chances in 2022.
WSJ: The demographics of the Great Resignation: https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-american-workers-leave-jobs-in-record-numbers-a-closer-look-at-who-is-quitting-11636894801 .
Food insecurity affects 160,000 active duty military families: https://apnews.com/article/hunger-in-america-military-food-insecurity-142728bcb5479fd2de73750e11dbd458 . This is both shocking and appalling.
The future of Social Security: https://www.gobankingrates.com/retirement/social-security/what-will-social-security-be-in-2035/ . We periodically include articles on the financing of Social Security. My view is quite different from the experts in this article. The really unlikely alternative is cutting Social Security benefits. Older people vote, and no incumbent would be safe. So the most likely alternative is to tax all wages. This alternative solves most of the financing problem if implemented soon.
Additionally, allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices is wildly popular. This would significantly assist Medicare funding.
Japan’s economy contracts: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-economy-japan-health-ea83fb04e0a47bcf4bc5f64acb1ff566 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/japan-economy-shrinks-slightly-hit-by-supply-chain-troubles-11636934752 .
Fed watching the Evergrande situation in China: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/janet-yellen-china-evergrande-global-consequences-face-the-nation/ . As we have been saying for some time, Evergrande and China’s real estate sector pose a global economic risk.
WSJ: China’s coal addiction: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-coal-addiction-runs-deeper-than-economics-11636887780 .
WSJ: China’s social mobility problem: https://www.wsj.com/articles/xi-jinping-china-economy-growth-poverty-tech-beijing-11636915358 . Several studies have shown that plum jobs go to the children of the well-connected.
Egypt hit by scorpion swarm: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/intense-storms-in-egypt-unleashed-a-massive-swarm-of-scorpions-from-their-nests-stinging-450-people-and-killing-3/ar-AAQGHal?li=BBnb7Kz . Chapters 7 through 11 of Exodus outline the 10 plagues of Egypt: water turning to blood, frogs, lice, gnats, diseased livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness for 3 days, and killing of firstborn sons. So a scorpion swarm seems to be right up there.
WSJ: The shortcomings of the Glasgow emissions pledges: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cop26-climate-deal-shows-fragility-of-new-emissions-cutting-pledge-11636920631 . So what we need is scientific research on catalysts to break down carbon dioxide. However, such research has already made significant progress: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/547318 .
Orange Julius sells rights to DC hotel for $375 million: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/581491-trump-organization-reaches-375m-agreement-to-sell-rights-to-dc-hotel . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trumps-selling-prized-washington-d-c-hotel-for-375-million-11636923944 .