COVID variants with increased mortality: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/more-covid-variants-coming-after-omicron-who-expert-warns/ar-AATPwmX?li=BBnb7Kz . Note the British expert who says flatly, “The idea that virus variants will continually get milder is wrong.” We have said this loudly and consistently since the start of this newsletter. The virus’ fitness is based on transmission and reproduction. The death of the host after transmission is irrelevant.
Woman died last March of allergic reaction to Moderna vaccine: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/woman-died-of-allergic-reaction-to-covid-vaccine-autopsy-confirms/ar-AATF0pt?li=BBnb7Kz . While incredibly rare, allergic reactions to vaccines do occur.
Mental health wellness during the pandemic: https://local12.com/news/nation-world/wellness-week-professionals-give-advice-on-facing-challenges-during-coronaivurs-pandemic . So there really is a WKRC, and it really is located in Cincinnati. The station signed on in 1949 (so way before the show), and was originally owned by the Taft family: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taft_family . Yes, those Tafts.
NYC enforces vaccine mandate, fires 1,430 workers: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/nyc-fires-1430-workers-less-than-1-percent-of-city-employees-over-a-vaccine-mandate/ar-AATQURW?li=BBnb7Kz . Many of these people interact with the public. Significant public safety issues are involved here.
Unvaccinated healthcare workers seek vaccine exemptions: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-religion-montana-7e16ed524ad17d42f8a7ccd19cca5f64 . I completely agree with the quote in the last paragraph of this article. If you wish to care for the sick but refuse vaccination, you should get out of healthcare.
New York City Medi-flop: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/more-than-45k-nyc-retirees-opt-out-of-new-medicare-plan-over-bait-and-switch-concerns/ar-AATQQNL?li=BBnb7Kz . The retirees are certainly correct that ability to choose your doctors is a significant benefit. The article does not tell us how many eligible retirees there are. The total of actives and retirees is over 350,000: https://www.nycers.org/about# . It is not unusual for city plans to have half actives, half retirees. If that applies here, we have 45,000 of 175,000 retirees opting out already, 25.7% of the total.
It is common for public plans to make this type of change for future retirees only, to avoid a fight over the vested nature of the retirees’ benefits. The idea is that the retirees have completed their portion of the contract of employment, so the city must honor their prior promises. Without examining the city’s past contracts, it’s not possible to predict the outcome of litigation here. However, the retirees likely have at least a colorable argument.
California COVID politics: https://calmatters.org/newsletters/whatmatters/2022/02/endemic-covid-california/ . As usual, science is taking a backseat to politicians with no training and little willingness to listen to others. Swell. And these are Democrats …
The resurrection of Deltacron: https://www.cityam.com/breaking-new-deltacron-covid-variant-in-uk-is-merged-coronavirus-mutation-of-lethal-delta-and-contagious-omicron/ . This is beginning to feel like Godzilla vs. Megalon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godzilla_vs._Megalon .
Omicron has overwhelmed Hong Kong’s Zero COVID policy: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3166970/coronavirus-hong-kong-breaks-covid-19-record . Over 10,000 await hospital admission. More on Hong Kong: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/2/14/in-hong-kong-zero-covid-brings-small-businesses-to-their-knees .
WSJ: Meanwhile, the global supply chain still depends on China: https://www.wsj.com/articles/omicrons-threat-to-global-economy-increasingly-runs-through-china-11644764401 .
WSJ: And China’s attempt to loosen its crackdown on the real estate sector may be too late: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-developers-sales-tumble-in-january-11644838140 .
Turk is into 14th month of COVID … and leukemia: https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3167041/turkish-man-still-coronavirus-positive-after-record-14?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article&campaign=3167041 .
The Fed’s inflation problem: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/prices-for-everything-from-gas-to-food-to-housing-are-rocketing-higher-but-the-feds-best-weapon-for-fighting-inflation-might-not-be-enough/ar-AATQD99?li=BBnb7Kz . As the article notes, the Fed has few tools to cure inflation coming from supply chain disruption.
Rats depart OJ’s sinking financial ship: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trumps-longtime-accounting-firm-cut-him-off-and-said-10-years-of-his-financial-statements-should-no-longer-be-relied-upon-amid-fraud-allegations/ar-AATQEpS?li=BBnb7Kz . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-organization-accountants-disavow-years-of-company-financial-statements-11644877016 . Who do these clowns think they are fooling? James has said the same thing Michael Cohen said 4 or 5 years ago. It was routine for the OJ Organization is overstate or understate property values to their advantage. That is, overstate for loans, understate for taxes. So why was Mazars continuing this corrupt certification for the last 5 years?
The more likely translation here is that Mazars’ outside legal firm said, Your ass is about to be put through the ringer. Cut your losses. However, that advice also comes (at least) 5 years too late. It’s New York and OJ, so pretty much time for everybody involved to sue everybody else. These boneheads apparently did not evaluate the reputational damage done by working for a corrupt company, or the costs of the resulting litigation.
Similarly, Mike Lindell’s bank cuts ties with him and MyPillow: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/one-of-mypillow-ceo-mike-lindells-banks-has-cut-ties-with-him-a-month-after-citing-him-as-a-reputation-risk/ar-AATR1ZD?li=BBnb7Kz . Have you seen his latest ad, where he complains that “cancel culture” is hurting his employees? Now it’s true.
Judge dismisses Palin’s libel suit before jury reaches a verdict: https://apnews.com/article/sarah-palin-business-shootings-lawsuits-steve-scalise-62f1a0a693a5330082d2bbb1ee533669 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/judge-to-toss-sarah-palins-defamation-allegations-against-new-york-times-11644871389 . Sarah Palin is obviously not familiar with the law. The judge is saying the case is insufficient because it lacks evidence of actual malice. He is ruling now to eliminate any appearance of overturning the jury, should the jury get the wrong answer. More typically, this case would not have even gone to the jury. But the judge has taken this route to avoid any retrial. In other words, the judge views this as a slam dunk nonstarter.
Birx book deal: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-entertainment-health-george-w-bush-pandemics-e065f720de9a70e29724f347c87ef6a0 . As the article notes, Birx is a “had been”.
Bill Gates’ book on ending pandemics: https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/2022/02/14/620a4ce9ca4741b02e8b45a8.html . His three keys boil down to continuous improvement of the global health system. Probably not worth a book, but then even Deborah Birx has a book deal …
Texas voting law disenfranchises voters: https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/14/politics/voting-rights-texas-election-what-matters/index.html . And of course this woman is African American. She has every right to be mad as hell.
10 million American households have signed up for broadband subsidy: https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/white-house-says-10m-households-have-signed-up-for-broadband-subsidy/ . This adds major competitiveness for children in low-income households. The Internet is now a utility as far as educational access is concerned.
Laundrie autopsy report released: https://www.thedailybeast.com/brian-laundries-autopsy-report-reveals-disturbing-new-details-on-his-death?source=articles&via=rss . Here are more sad details of a tragic story.
WSJ: US moves Ukrainian embassy out of Kyiv: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-is-closing-kyiv-embassy-relocating-diplomatic-operations-to-western-ukraine-11644864455 .
The biggest galaxy ever found is inconceivably large: https://www.sciencealert.com/at-over-16-million-light-years-across-this-is-the-biggest-galaxy-ever-discovered . To emphasize, light takes over 16 million years to travel from one end of this galaxy to the other. As it takes 8 minutes for light from the Sun to reach the Earth, the distance involved here is truly beyond comprehension.
WSJ: Sports news from Portland: https://www.wsj.com/articles/portland-pickles-mascot-missing-dillon-reward-11644852181 . Remarkably, the Pickles have a farm team, known as (of course) the Portland Gherkins: https://www.portlandpicklesbaseball.com/news/2019/12/10/press-release-pickles-baseball-announce-farm-team-the-portland-gherkins . But as far as I know, they haven’t played yet, due to the pandemic. Will they ever take the field?