Researchers design COVID-inhibiting molecule: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220210/Novel-molecule-shows-ability-to-inhibit-the-replication-of-all-coronaviruses.aspx .
WSJ: Analysis of UK COVID mortality statistics: https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-u-k-s-omicron-wave-many-people-are-dying-with-covid-19-not-from-it-11644499077 . I continue to believe that excess death analysis is an important component of mortality analysis during the pandemic.
Omicron BA2 dominates South Africa: https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/coronavirusafrica/omicron-ba2-sub-variant-dominant-in-safrica-says-cdc/ar-AATGwEC?li=BBnb7Kz .
Russia’s COVID cases soar to almost 200,000: https://denvergazette.com/ap/health/russias-daily-covid-19-infections-near-200-000-for-1st-time/article_9f6aba26-c7d9-5378-b27e-27a640a7672b.html . Omicron is believed to be the culprit.
WSJ: FDA rejects attack on Alzheimer’s drug: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-rejects-short-sellers-request-to-halt-trials-of-alzheimers-drug-11644551295 .
WSJ: Weekly jobless claims drop by 16,000: https://www.wsj.com/articles/jobless-claims-decline-as-labor-market-moves-past-omicron-disruptions-11644500463 .
Inflation hits 7.5%, 40-year high: https://news.yahoo.com/consumer-price-index-cpi-inflation-january-2022-210344769.html . The economic statistics continue to hammer home that the Fed is behind the inflation curve. Much more news like this will push me (and them) toward at least 5 rate hikes. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/us-inflation-consumer-price-index-january-2022-11644452274 . Note that the so-called core price index (which excludes food and energy) is also at a 40-year high. More: https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/10/business/fed-inflation-rate-hikes/index.html . I now think a 50 point hike in March is the right move, although it would likely rattle the markets: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/blowout-u-s-inflation-leads-to-high-market-probability-of-a-half-point-fed-rate-hike-in-march-11644513357 .
WSJ: Zillow doesn’t know homes: https://www.wsj.com/articles/zillows-shuttered-home-flipping-business-lost-881-million-in-2021-11644529656 . So how could they possibly screw this up to the tune of almost a billion dollars? Quite obviously, there was a lot of selection against the company’s property value algorithm. More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/zillows-shuttered-home-flipping-business-lost-881-million-in-2021-11644529656 .
WSJ: Shipping clog shrinks at California ports: https://www.wsj.com/articles/container-ship-backup-at-southern-california-ports-is-receding-11644523945 .
Judge speaks out against RNC at January 6 sentencing: https://news.yahoo.com/consumer-price-index-cpi-inflation-january-2022-210344769.html . However, even given the guilty plea, this is a light sentence. The judge noted that she took the veteran’s traumatic brain injury into account.
OJ January 6 calls not in White House logs: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/some-of-trumps-jan-6-calls-are-not-in-white-house-logs/ar-AATHvy5?li=BBnb7Kz . More: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-presidential-records-act-consequences/ . Still more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trumps-troubles-on-the-record-keeping-front-are-getting-thornier/ar-AATGW0u?li=BBnb7Kz .
GOP stubs its toe in Virginia over January 6 missteps: https://www.salon.com/2022/02/10/deputy-to-virginia-ag-resigns-over-enthusiastic-jan-6-support-her-field-was-law/ .
Florida Supreme Court tells DeMentis to go away: https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-ron-desantis-al-lawson-congress-tallahassee-d3747d39113cb73bbcca268ab8c13c93 . This reminds me of one of my favorite pieces of unknown US history. It is certainly true that the 13 colonies’ Declaration of Independence led to the USA as we know it. But did you know there were actually 15 British colonies within the current US boundaries in 1776, and two did not secede? Those two unknown colonies constitute present-day Florida: http://npshistory.com/brochures/casa/british-east-florida.pdf .
WSJ: Sting sells songwriting catalog for $300 million: https://www.wsj.com/articles/sting-sells-songwriting-catalog-of-solo-work-and-hits-by-the-police-11644501600 .
More on Bob Saget’s death: https://news.yahoo.com/consumer-price-index-cpi-inflation-january-2022-210344769.html . As the autopsy is complete, this is likely the end of this news item. However, there are two new details here. Saget had fractures around his eye sockets and was COVID positive at the time of death. So the COVID result seems irrelevant. However, I remain at a loss to understand the nature of the blunt force trauma to the back of his head, and the eye socket fractures. The “desk drawer” type of injury still fits, but how could he fall hard enough from that to have eye socket fractures? WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/bob-saget-died-from-brain-bleed-after-hitting-head-11644460293 .