WSJ: BA5 strengthens US COVID grip: https://www.wsj.com/articles/most-of-u-s-population-now-in-areas-with-high-covid-19-levels-as-ba-5-subvariant-spreads-11657923100 .
WSJ: How the US (mis)allocates medical services: https://www.wsj.com/articles/mental-health-care-shortage-is-being-treated-with-outdated-ratios-11657877400 . Telehealth should be able to help correct this problem. However, the article finds significant shortages in telehealth staffing as well. Obviously, not answering a call to a helpline in time (let alone one in six calls) is a dangerous result.
UK offers fourth COVID dose to persons over 50: https://apnews.com/article/boris-johnson-covid-health-london-8359d89b38b3d3f43387d2fdd2f15121 . The fourth shot is currently available in the UK only to those over 65. The fourth shot was made available to persons over 50 in the US in March 2022.
Australia reinstates COVID quarantine pay: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-07-15/australia-reinstates-covid-quarantine-pay-amid-fresh-omicron-wave . The BA5 surge precipitated this change.
Debate grows within Fed as to year-end interest target: https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2022-07-15/feds-bostic-should-not-move-rates-too-dramatically . WSJ: However: https://www.wsj.com/articles/feds-bullard-raises-target-for-year-end-funds-rate-11657896271 . In the past, the Fed has projected significant rate increases only to scale back its ambitions. However, we are not near that point yet. We continue to expect 75 basis points at the end of July and at least 50 basis points in September. But the Fed, as you can see, is talking more, not less.
WSJ: China Q2 growth an anemic 0.4%: https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-set-to-post-the-slowest-growth-in-two-years-on-zero-covid-policy-11657808309 . More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-is-in-trouble-even-with-sliver-of-growth-11657890110 .
Parkland parent sends a mile-long message to “Lyin’ Ted” Cruz: https://people.com/politics/52-school-buses-traveled-to-ted-cruz-home-carrying-items-from-school-shooting-victims/ . This message could not be more on-point or sincere. It calls out one of our most corrupt politicians. I love it and salute this grieving parent for turning grief into action.
Holes in the Secret Service text story: https://www.rawstory.com/trump-secret-sdervice-texts/ . This article raises an excellent question. If, as the Secret Service has stated, texts from January 5 and 6 were lost as a result of a device change, why were messages from only those two days lost? Logically, this makes no sense. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/jan-6-committee-subpoenas-secret-service-for-deleted-text-messages-11657943958 .
Musk reacts to Twitter lawsuit: https://abcnews.go.com/Business/elon-musk-responds-twitters-44-billion-lawsuit/story?id=86911513 . Frankly, this tends to confirm that Musk is in serious jeopardy here. A time extension will cause further damage to Twitter, so a September trial date helps mitigate damage regardless of the outcome. Musk waived due diligence. As a result, “flabbergasted” is his responsibility.
Amazon backs away from its private label selection: https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-has-been-slashing-private-label-selection-amid-weak-sales-11657849612 . The dominant factors here are weak sales and regulatory scrutiny. While the article gives no figures, one can easily imagine that Amazon could cut the number of offerings by more than half and still retain over 90% of these sales. But one wonders if that will be adequate to reduce regulatory scrutiny.