COVID cases and deaths fall globally: https://apnews.com/article/boris-johnson-coronavirus-pandemic-health-pandemics-united-nations-42f5c8563b6978593545810d527f5e92 . Cases fell 21% from the previous week, while deaths fell 8%. This is an excellent indicator that the current wave is ending. Omicron is now 99% of global cases, the remainder being almost entirely Delta. More on the US situation: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/22/covid-infections-plummet-90percent-from-us-pandemic-high-states-lift-mask-mandates.html .
COVID cardiovascular risks: https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/22/health/covid-cardiovascular-complications/index.html . The increased risk is over 60%.
MIS-C kills Wisconsin child under 10: https://people.com/health/wisconsin-saddened-to-report-first-death-from-rare-condition-mis-c-associated-with-covid-19/ . The US death toll from this COVID condition is now 60.
Maine healthcare worker vaccine mandate upheld by Supreme Court: https://www.aol.com/news/u-supreme-court-rejects-challenge-151402224-193641325.html .
The ethics of vaccines: https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/595182-moderna-and-pfizers-ethical-duties-go-beyond-just-creating-vaccines . Sorry, but capitalism is not based on ethics. It is based on profit. These companies have the right to profit from their creations. The Moderna situation may be a bit more arguable, but the US government must live with the deal it made.
However, this does not mean that the world is without ethics, it’s just Phil Mickelson: https://www.yardbarker.com/golf/articles/phil_mickelson_loses_sponsor_over_saudi_arabia_comments/s1_127_37240677 . KPMG’s outrage is hypocritical, though.
Mandatory COVID testing for all Hong Kong residents: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-hong-kong-4bb8dd1225887f06f5a0d981a4b52505 .
Ukraine may break diplomatic ties with Russia: https://www.aol.com/news/ukraine-may-break-off-diplomatic-103635464-134356806.html . More: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-boris-johnson-business-europe-united-nations-security-council-dbf42c76b39f8f87e3204602b1d6af4f . Gee, ya think? One would expect that many of the moves we see over the next few days were extensively discussed and internationally coordinated prior to the invasion. However, it is the nature of war that unexpected things will happen as well. The open question remains how far west in Ukraine Putin will move.
One can expect biting sanctions against Russia. The problem is that the pain of sanctions unfolds slowly, while war can explode. Another part of this “game” is that China is watching intently to determine how and when to absorb Hong Kong and Taiwan. Additionally, Russia and Ukraine are both suffering major COVID waves. War will place an unbearable strain on medical facilities.
WSJ: Russian infiltrators and sympathizers in Ukraine: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pro-russian-infiltrators-are-ready-to-pounce-should-all-out-war-begin-ukrainian-officials-warn-11645537392 .
WSJ: Global economic consequences of the Russian invasion: https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-escalation-in-ukraine-raises-global-economic-risks-11645535764 .
New US sanctions against Russia: https://news.yahoo.com/biden-announces-sanctions-against-russia-193655368.html . Sanctions in the US and Europe: https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/22/business/sanctions-russia-ukraine/index.html . WSJ: The possible impact of sanctions: https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-well-could-russias-economy-withstand-sanctions-11645106401 . More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/white-house-calls-russian-moves-an-invasion-after-initially-refraining-from-using-term-11645549648 . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/sanctions-against-russia-roll-out-west-says-more-could-come-11645554675 . And: https://www.wsj.com/articles/germany-halts-nord-stream-2-after-putin-orders-troops-to-ukrainian-breakaway-regions-11645529981 .
Kremlin propaganda exposed: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/kremlin-admits-that-a-dramatic-security-council-meeting-on-ukraine-was-recorded-in-advance-after-people-realized-a-minister-s-watch-showed-the-wrong-time/ar-AAUabwm?ocid=hponeservicefeed . This guy and his watch face a Siberia assignment.
Kenya offers a fresh perspective on Russian neocolonialism: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/kenya-s-united-nations-speech-ukraine-called-out-russia-n1289548 .
Meanwhile, the idiot Orange Julius offers his opinion: Praise for Putin: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-praises-putin-as-genius-and-very-savvy-for-invading-ukraine/ar-AAUaYf2?ocid=hponeservicefeed . So what does it take for the GOP to throw this lunatic off the bus?
One OJ time-waste ended by Supreme Court: https://www.aol.com/news/u-supreme-court-formally-ends-145516807-152516631.html . OJ and his minions will continue to attempt to diddle out the clock until after the November elections.
OJ’s DNA sought to verify his diddling: https://apnews.com/article/arts-and-entertainment-new-york-lawsuits-manhattan-donald-trump-383380a11a00bcbbdf24edd0fe15a26f .
But OJ’s new Twitter scam is going … not well: https://www.engadget.com/trumps-free-speech-app-truth-social-is-censoring-content-and-kicking-off-users-023153584.html . Hahahaha. This website quite obviously has no association to free speech or “truth”, and it’s not very social either. What do you think the chances are that the reporting in the last 3 articles above this paragraph are allowed on “Truth Social”? Right – far right. It’s just an echo chamber for morons. Angry, armed morons.
Clarence Thomas’ wife supported January 6 insurrectionists: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/supreme-court-justice-clarence-thomas-wife-had-ties-to-january-6-rally-organizers-and-efforts-to-overturn-the-2020-election-report/ar-AAUassd?ocid=hponeservicefeed . Lock her up. Seriously, this is treason. But the focus naturally turns to “Justice” Thomas. More: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/should-clarence-thomas-resign-new-york-times-story-about-supreme-court-justice-and-his-wife-conservative-activist-ginni-thomas-sparks-outcry-11645563904 .
Guilty verdicts in Arbery hate crimes trial: https://apnews.com/article/ahmaud-arbery-trial-live-updates-53737c675d0e3e1a71992708cac54eb9 . I agree that this was an important statement to have regardless to the previous murder convictions.
Women’s soccer suit settled for $24 million: https://apnews.com/article/us-women-soccer-settlement-ba2c4217bf58c917ebb6fd8ca9a5bcd4 . The bottom line is that the women have won the last two world championships and draw more revenue than the men’s team, which did not even qualify for the last World Cup and basically sucks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_at_the_FIFA_World_Cup . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/us-women-soccer-equal-pay-11645504654 .
Political commentator Bob Beckel dies at 73: https://thehill.com/homenews/media/595276-bob-beckel-dies-at-73 .
Fox viewers roast Neil Cavuto after his near-death COVID experience: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fox-host-neil-cavuto-gets-hate-mail-after-revealing-covid-almost-killed-him/ar-AAUbjAr?ocid=hponeservicefeed . For those of us who worry about the decline in civility …