FDA limits J&J vaccine use: https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/05/health/fda-johnson-johnson-vaccine-eua/index.html . The blood clot risk is rare, but it is higher with J&J than with the mRNA vaccines. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-limits-authorized-use-of-j-j-s-covid-19-vaccine-11651788829 .
WHO estimates 15 million COVID deaths: https://news.yahoo.com/who-covid-19-excess-deaths-pandemic-15-million-143230003.html . This is based on an analysis of excess deaths. Given the appalling politics worldwide of governments understating COVID deaths, in my view excess deaths are the best measure of pandemic deaths. Note that this figure compares to reported deaths of just over 6 million. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/who-says-15-million-have-died-from-covid-19-pandemic-11651755496 .
US again records over 100,000 daily COVID cases: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-05-05/u-s-records-more-than-100-000-new-covid-19-cases-in-a-day . As readers know, this currently means we are looking at 700,000 to 800,000 daily cases.
US COVID vaccination rates plateau: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-05-05/covid-vaccination-rates-stalling-in-u-s . It is straightforward to connect the dots between this and the prior article.
Omicron as severe as prior COVID variants: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2022-05-04/omicron-as-severe-as-other-covid-variants-large-u-s-study .
Virus found in pig heart used in human transplant: https://apnews.com/article/science-health-university-of-maryland-heart-transplants-8d615a31b455a8e36d3b6896ebe8813a . Obviously, this procedure will remain experimental for some time to come.
WSJ: Medication abortion background: https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-is-an-abortion-pill-leaked-supreme-court-decision-11651775689 . Note that medication abortions now account for over half of US abortions. Again, the conservative culture war is a distraction from the fact that they have no ideas on how to govern. Isn’t that why we call it “government”?
Xi warns Chinese speaking against Zero COVID policy: https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/06/china/china-xi-pbsc-zero-covid-intl-hnk/index.html . This is exactly parallel to Putin warning Russians who called the Ukrainian “special operation” a war. Also, this newsletter could not be published in China. Reality bites.
Shanghai says COVID outbreak under “effective control”: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-05-05/shanghai-says-covid-infections-on-downward-trend-for-2-weeks . Uh-huh. How much credibility would you assign to this given the preceding article? And then this: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-05-05/how-did-we-catch-it-spread-of-covid-baffles-locked-down-shanghai-residents . Can you say “asymptomatic disease spread”?
WSJ: Stocks crater as investors reassess Fed tightening: https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-stocks-markets-dow-update-05-05-2022-11651736061 . The so-called relief rally Wednesday made no sense. So the market took all of it, and a bit more, back on Thursday. Events like this make me wonder if the Wall Street computer-driven sales set the market.
Meanwhile, Yahoo offers a non-explanation: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/stock-market-is-getting-thrashed-after-huge-rally-after-fed-hike-161810856.html . While this does not change my wondering in the prior paragraph, I would add that the random walk theory is a better explanation of market behavior than Yahoo’s attempted rationalization.
WSJ: Weekly unemployment claims rise to 200,000: https://www.wsj.com/articles/unemployment-claims-climbed-to-200-000-last-week-11651755627 .
US provided intelligence to Ukrainians on location of Moskva before its sinking: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-black-sea-09980214a73b2f786430a5e5630b77c2 . I am moving from puzzled to irritated. Why are US intelligence agencies trying to claim credit? Aren’t we trying to prevent World War III? UPDATE: Supposedly, the pentagon is trying to clean up this mess: https://taskandpurpose.com/news/us-intel-ukraine-russian-generals/ . Too late. The Pentagon looks incredibly stupid right now.
WSJ: Explosions in Russia point to widening war: https://www.wsj.com/articles/unexplained-attacks-inside-russian-territory-raise-prospect-of-wider-conflict-11651742076 . Of course these explosions are Ukrainian attacks. Otherwise, we’d be seeing explosions all over Russia.
Russia has blinked in the economic war: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/5/5/the-kremlin-blinks-first-in-the-geo-economic-war-over-ukraine .
UN urges reintegration of Ukrainian and Russian food production into global economy: https://www.un.org/press/en/2022/sc14882.doc.htm .
Senate negotiations over Ukraine package may sink COVID funding package: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-covid-health-business-fb739b968cd8ea674b62fb7949c1a20c . Legislation development has long been compared to making sausage. This fiddling has consequences for all of us: https://apnews.com/article/covid-business-health-chicago-congress-f747292e56e95909b5dda74488c9a80b .
Oath Keepers member says leader tried to call Orange Julius on January 6 for rebellion support: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/oath-keepers-founder-tried-phone-trump-jan-6-group-member-tells-court-rcna27412 . My disgust for these traitors only grows. And without doubt, they are traitors to the United States.
Rudy pulls out of January 6 committee interview at the last minute: https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-donald-trump-presidential-elections-election-2020-707c9e0505ccc14c0042de88346efdc1 . More run-out-the-clock behavior from the GOP insurrectionists comes as no surprise.
The conservative lie about Alito’s leaked opinion: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/05/conservatives-lying-impact-samuel-alito-leaked-draft-opinion-roe.html . Yes, it is a big lie. But the central problem is, taking away a woman’s control over her own body is not popular. Again, Alito is a political hack who does not belong on the Court. Justice Sotomayor told the conservatives this directly, and they refused to listen.
The GOP Big Lie about fraudulent elections does not stop them from working to turn out voters: https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-entertainment-health-georgia-90b6af6a7f1f17d73b394a4bb0ff9586 . You’d think educating people to think critically would end the GOP’s illogical BS. So herein lies the problem with loyalty and blind faith. And by the way, Perdue is running in a GOP primary, has Orange Julius’ endorsement, and trails badly.
NASA scientist wins World Food Prize: https://apnews.com/article/climate-space-exploration-science-technology-business-7c973fa5f3b9e98a9d03a28ac4d33e85 .