Macau shuts almost all businesses, including casinos, for one week in face of COVID spread: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-07-09/macau-shuts-casinos-and-other-businesses-to-contain-covid-outbreak . Again, “dynamic Zero COVID” is about the only thing that could be even stupider than Zero COVID. The previous decisions not to shut the casinos were just baffling. They’ve done a wonderful job of screwing up and delaying their economic recovery.
Stabbing at major Shanghai hospital: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-07-09/very-shocking-four-stabbed-by-assailant-at-major-shanghai-hospital . People sometimes say that guns don’t kill people, people kill people. It is very clear that automatic weapons kill people in circumstances that knives do not.
Abbott restarts Michigan baby formula production: https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-michigan-sturgis-78bd276874f9c1288a4abea9e01ed3d1 .
We will hear at least some of Pat Cipollone’s January 6 committee testimony at upcoming hearings: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/jan-6-panel-questions-cipollone-on-pardons-and-trumps-election-claims/ar-AAZoWt5?li=BBnb7Kz . Will this open the floodgates for other OJ associates to testify?: https://www.rawstory.com/trump-cipollone/ . This is a possibility, but I wouldn’t assign high probability to this.
Warning: This AP reporting could make you nauseous, but don’t lose your lunch over it – it ignores some huge “if’s”! Okay – AP points out that the crowded GOP field could help Orange Julius to the 2024 GOP nomination: https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-campaigns-presidential-iowa-donald-trump-3a53ae3db8ceb1dc9557d9554912f0e2 .
The “if’s”: (1) 2024 is an eternity in political terms – we’re not even through 2022 yet; (2) everybody is after OJ – the New York AG, prosecutors in Georgia, the January 6 committee; (3) polls show that ALREADY the majority of registered Republicans want to move past OJ – that percentage will only increase as each month goes by; and (4) OJ is still a disgusting individual – that isn’t going to change by 2024, or 2424 …
With that, I agree that the crowded filed helped OJ in 2016, and would help him in 2024 if he hasn’t been fitted for an orange jumpsuit. However, with or without OJ, most of the listed contenders have zero chance and will be forced out early. The only candidates I see as having a meaningful shot at the GOP nomination are: OJ, DeMentis and Larry Hogan. And those three are listed in reverse order of their chances of winning the presidency. However, the Democratic nominee will determine the chances of a presidential win for the GOP in 2024.
Mick Mulvaney on January 6, Mark Meadows, and the committee: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/mick-mulvaney-says-a-friend-in-the-white-house-said-former-trump-chief-of-staff-mark-meadows-displayed-incompetence-had-a-nervous-breakdown-on-january-6/ar-AAZph3V?li=BBnb7Kz . I include this article for one reason: political scientists have tried for at least a half century to understand the differences between Republicans and Democrats. The main difference they have found (borne out by surveys and other analysis) is that Republicans are tribal. In other words, they support those in the tribe and distrust those outside the tribe.
The last few paragraphs of this article shows the degree of tribalism Mick Mulvaney exhibits. He dislikes the January 6 committee because they don’t include the appointed Republican members. Pelosi rejected two GOP members, both of whom were ardent OJ supporters. And Jim Jordan is up to his eyeballs in OJ’s actions on January 6. However, even Mulvaney can’t look away when a Republican testifies against a fellow Republican. This is as tribal as it gets, but it shows the wisdom of the committee in focusing on senior Republican witnesses.
Greg Norman scotched at St. Andrews: https://sports.yahoo.com/2-time-british-open-champion-greg-norman-not-welcome-at-st-andrews-festivities-due-to-liv-ties-002637576.html . LIV is a major black eye for golf, and the establishment is fighting back.
Shinzo Abe as Super Mario to announce the Olympic Games were coming to Tokyo: https://apnews.com/article/shinzo-abe-russia-ukraine-winter-olympics-covid-health-8f3e6616fcec3fc9ceef02791dfca34a . We don’t see much cosplay from world leaders.
WSJ: Litigation over Twitter deal abandonment: https://www.wsj.com/articles/twitter-elon-musk-set-for-unprecedented-legal-battle-over-deal-collapse-11657404303 . More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/elon-musks-twitter-deal-collided-with-market-and-economic-tumult-11657405657 . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/twitter-elon-musk-deal-11657325525 . I agree with the lawyer in the first article who is skeptical of Musk’s legal position. As the third article notes, Musk knew of the issue before making an offer, and waived due diligence. His arrogance undercuts his argument.
Specific performance is not that hard to accomplish. For example, the court could order that Musk liquidate enough Tesla stock to pay Twitter the $44 billion. Now, that could tank Tesla stock, but that is decidedly not the court’s problem.
Nike CEO makes cold calls to conferences for a new Oregon football home: https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/conference-realignment-phil-knight-resorts-to-cold-calling-for-oregon-as-pac-12-big-12-acc-seek-lifelines/ . This article also alleges that college football will break away from the NCAA, and sooner rather than later. Money talks.
Nike has considerable (financial and other) influence through its sponsorship deals. This article made me wonder if the Big Ten will consider admitting two additional teams – Notre Dame and Oregon.
WSJ: It’s time to end the Confederacy: https://www.wsj.com/articles/virgina-museum-of-history-and-culture-virgina-historical-society-review-charles-hoffbauer-robert-e-lee-battle-abbey-jamie-bosket-john-marshall-james-madison-civil-war-virginia-declaration-of-rights-1776-11657314596 . The Journal and the comments on this article remain totally clueless. The problem with these institutions in Richmond is that they are run by Southern sympathizers determined to uphold the glory of the South. The South’s economy was based on the disgusting principle of human enslavement. Over 700,000 people died (on both sides) to wipe this stain from the Union, a stain of which the founders were acutely aware.
I visited the Museum of the Confederacy (a similar museum) in Richmond with my family 25 years ago. It was a joke. My comment to my small children (then 8 and 5) was, Boy, after that, it’s not clear who won the Civil War.
Okay, WSJ, if you think these institutions provide a learning experience, turn them over to the ACLU and the NAACP. You know damn well what will happen. So please take a nice warm cup of shut the hell up.