Omicron BA2 will dominate globally: https://www.aol.com/news/covid-variant-spreading-across-us-182505396.html . BA2 is already dominant in Europe and is doubling each week in the US. We do not yet have meaningful information about the risk of long COVID from this variant. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-we-know-about-the-ba-2-omicron-variant-11643300997 .
mRNA flu vaccines on the way: https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/22/03/26222462/ahead-of-modernas-midstage-mrna-flu-vaccine-readout-analyst-says-drugmaker-likely-t . What this article completely ignores is that Moderna has already built out substantial mRNA vaccine production capabilities. Their lead is larger than the article suggests.
WSJ: More on COVID’s diabetes risk: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-research-shows-higher-risk-of-developing-diabetes-after-covid-19-infection-11647906138 . This follows other reporting on this research.
COVID pills have limited utility on people who act as their own doctor: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-03-21/doctors-finding-hurdles-to-using-pills-to-treat-covid-19 . So we have anti-vaxxers who cannot understand the risk-reward equation. Now we also have the conspiracy theorists who want to wait out their illness without seeing a doctor. Once again, stupidity has no limits.
Another gaping hole in the “natural immunity” protection approach: Most kids don’t develop antibodies after a COVID infection: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2022-03-21/most-unvaccinated-children-lack-antibodies-after-covid-gsk-vaccine-shows-promise-vs-omicron . We are learning that immunity functions differently in children than in adults. Since your immune system learns as it goes along, this shouldn’t be that much of a surprise.
COVID doubles risk of poor outcomes in pregnancies: https://yubanet.com/scitech/coronavirus-may-double-severe-complications-in-pregnancy/ . This includes maternal mortality.
China reopens Shenzen after lockdown: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3171284/coronavirus-shenzhen-reopens-after-lockdown-controls-stay-place .
Biden confirms Russia using hypersonic missiles against Ukraine: https://www.aol.com/russias-war-displaced-10m-ukrainians-070424889.html . “Experts” doubted the use of these missiles, wondering if Russia was running low on armaments: https://news.yahoo.com/what-are-hypersonic-missiles-russias-newest-weapon-in-ukraine-war-174751874.html . But Biden explained that Ukraine’s air defenses were performing well enough that Russia was forced to use these missiles to evade the defense. Biden also warns American business that Russia appears to be preparing cyberattacks. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-rejects-russian-ultimatum-on-embattled-mariupol-11647858599 .
Where the hell would we be if Orange Julius, who boasted he knew more than all the generals, were still in office? Basically, the world would be screwed. Good thing Putin was overconfident and didn’t take action against the prior goofball.
WSJ: One-quarter of Ukrainian population now displaced: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-refugees-war-11646758280 . This includes almost 3.5 million who have left the country, and 6.5 million who are displaced internally, out of a population of 44 million.
Will China side with Russia or the West on Ukraine?: https://www.aol.com/news/pressed-choose-sides-ukraine-china-050650366-131527009.html . There are so many “experts” giving experts a bad name. As these people apparently don’t know, China is playing Putin to make Russia a client-state. Apparently these experts are so enamored with money, they have no idea how wealth differs from power.
Will Musk be the world’s first trillionaire?: https://www.aol.com/finance/first-trillionaire-study-predicts-elon-144150517.html . Um, who cares? The historical figures mentioned controlled empires. But Musk’s worth is mostly in digital money (by which I mean stocks and other things on paper, now increasingly digitized). This wealth certainly carries a lot of power, but not the kind of power exercised by emperors. Just as society has channeled aggression into sports, so too have we channeled power into currency accumulation. And now you know why government and the rule of law really do matter.
And by the way, just assuming the compounding of recent wealth growth sucks as an assumption.
WSJ: Longer term geopolitics: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-administrations-military-strategy-juggles-russia-concerns-china-threat-11647872415 . Deep sigh. This analysis wasn’t worth printing. The key point is that Russia is heading toward China client-state status. This is because Russia’s poor military showing along with its economic pariah status gives it few choices. So it’s just a short-term issue now, and we will end up at the one-plus-four long term scenario previously envisioned.
WSJ: Evergrande halts stock trading: https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-evergrande-halts-trading-in-its-stocks-11647860842 . We know that developers are under pressure with March 31 financial reports coming up. Best guess is that Evergrande will announce further restructuring in advance of what will be poor results.
Chipotle testing robot chip chef: https://www.aol.com/finance/chipotle-testing-robot-named-chippy-153656921.html . Enhance the customer and employee experience? So who do Chipotle execs think they are kidding with this crap? Nobody wants their restaurant chips made by a robot. And the former employee who used to make the chips isn’t having an enhanced experience either.
WSJ: Latest news on the Iran nuclear deal: https://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-nuclear-deals-final-hurdle-is-lifting-terrorism-sanctions-on-revolutionary-guards-11647864073 .
Ted Cruz: Look at me! Look at me! I’m still a babbling idiot: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ted-cruz-told-ketanji-brown-jackson-that-bushrod-washington-was-not-controversial-he-was-an-enslaver/ar-AAVloAN?li=BBnb7Kz . Ted Cruz and Ketanji Brown Jackson both graduated from Harvard Law School. Exactly one of them is a total embarrassment. More: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/montana-airport-calls-the-cops-on-republican-senator-ted-cruz/ar-AAVkwuQ?li=BBnb7Kz . Yes, total embarrassment.
WSJ: More on Ketanji Brown Jackson: https://www.wsj.com/articles/who-is-ketanji-brown-jackson-biden-supreme-court-nominee-11645802613 .