Vaccines behind partisan death gap: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/after-vaccines-became-available-a-partisan-gap-in-deaths-emerged/ar-AA12yGLE?cvid=43ffa57e3a6a460fbdbc3311dd0d0154 . This analysis, printed in the Washington Post, shows the link between Republican voter registration and increased excess deaths after the availability of COVID vaccines.
COVID country health notices dropped: https://apnews.com/article/health-travel-pandemics-covid-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-19c326a1daebaf3bf59aaf3bff15d62f . Of course, the global COVID pandemic continues. The CDC is dropping these notices because countries are no longer testing and/or reporting the COVID case data needed to make these determinations. The CDC will issue a notice only in special circumstances, such as the emergence of a new variant.
Ringo has COVID: https://apnews.com/article/ringo-starr-COVID-concert-cancellation-music-4b1880ae48d9e8fa8296292f5ada7710 . COVID is of course a dangerous illness for an 82-year-old.
The fight to provide medication abortions for Arizona women: https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-arizona-california-medication-2cc48f943f339d1959b6ca89883fd2f4 .
Swede wins Nobel Prize in Medicine for Neanderthal DNA work: https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-science-health-stockholm-5cfe18038fc4fcda06d38323f7333c69 . Svante Paabo’s work has illuminated human evolution and gene swapping between subspecies. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/nobel-prize-in-medicine-awarded-to-scientist-for-discoveries-in-human-evolution-11664790281 .
Hurricane Ian death toll now 101: https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/03/us/hurricane-ian-florida-recovery-monday/index.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/hurricane-ian-destroys-swaths-of-florida-as-residents-face-uncertain-aftermath-11664809611 .
Biden pledges further support to Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Fiona: https://www.yahoo.com/news/biden-visits-puerto-rico-fiona-090042059.html .
Why did the Dow rise 765 points today?: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/a-soaring-us-dollar-will-force-the-fed-to-pivot-away-from-its-interest-rate-hikes-but-that-won-t-be-enough-to-prevent-an-earnings-recession-morgan-stanley-says/ar-AA12yDGO?cvid=ed56e591e5e04b7684fc987e3421f712#image=AA12ylG3|2 . Basically, the market rose on hopes that the Fed rate increase in November will be 50 basis points instead of 75. Some commentators pin that on the troubles of Credit Suisse, saying the Fed has to pivot so this large international bank does not fail. That’s nuts. Credit Suisse is in trouble for poor loan decision-making, and a Fed pivot won’t save them. Nor will the Fed pivot away from US inflation-fighting to save a foreign bank. WSJ: More, sort of: https://www.wsj.com/articles/credit-suisse-seeks-to-calm-market-jitters-11664729994 . Still more, sort of: https://www.wsj.com/articles/credit-suisse-has-no-time-to-lose-11664800572 . And: https://www.wsj.com/articles/concerns-about-credit-suisse-mount-after-debt-slide-11664824849 .
The article in the link above presents a “less nuts” theory, although stated poorly. Morgan Stanley’s idea is that, like the Bank of England, the US Fed will have to pivot to save the value of long bonds. The problems with that idea are: (1) BOE pivoted because of the new government’s insane idea to cut taxes for the rich, which caused a serious panic that had to be reversed, and (2) the Fed already knows that raising interest rates will pound the value of longer bonds. Duh!! Like the Credit Suisse idea, this idea is facially ridiculous, just for a different and less absurd reason. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-k-central-banker-andrew-bailey-inflation-financial-crisis-11664749977 . Also, https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-k-government-abandons-plan-to-cut-rate-of-income-tax-for-top-earners-11664779306 .
The markets are betting the Fed will pivot because it always does, at some point. However, the Fed has been crystal clear that it will not pivot until they make substantial progress toward their 2% inflation goal. It is possible but unlikely that convincing data will emerge before the December meeting. But short of unforeseen circumstances, that is currently the only basis on which the Fed will pivot.
Petraeus sees Russia’s defeat in Ukraine as “irreversible”: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/putin-faces-irreversible-reality-ukraine-invasion-latest-moves/story?id=90824658 . Interestingly, Petraeus suggests that if Russia uses a tactical nuclear weapon, the US and its allies should annihilate all Russian conventional forces on the Ukrainian battlefield. As Russia has been unable to control Ukrainian airspace against just the Ukrainians, we could impose this result on the battlefields.
Ukrainian troops advance near Kherson in the south: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/ukrainian-troops-overrun-russian-forces-144420219.html . More: https://thehill.com/policy/international/3672244-ukraine-breaks-through-russian-lines-in-strategic-southern-region/ . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-pushes-south-into-strategic-kherson-region-11664795231 .
Latest US aid to Ukraine: https://www.aol.com/news/u-send-mobile-rocket-launchers-182615323-201656001.html . We know that our precision rocket launchers have made a major difference on the ground in Ukraine, so adding 4 more quickly is significant. Also, as the Russians retreat, the existing launchers can move farther forward, bringing more Russian military targets into their range. This also applies to the equipment we’ve sent that allows the conversion of pick-up trucks into mobile rocket launchers. If anything, the speed of Ukrainian advances seems to be accelerating right now, particularly important in advance of winter.
Longer-term, the US will send another 18 HIMARS to Ukraine: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-government-and-politics-5c299481c0288a78d4f507f756ad24a7 .
I’m sure US military planners are continuing to provide intelligence and advice to the Ukrainians. And they’re doing a helluva job.
Blowback on Orange Julius’ death threat for Mitch McConnell: https://www.aol.com/news/ex-gop-strategist-slams-trump-062344070.html . As GOP politicians continue their so far unsuccessful backbone searches, one hopes that defeats of OJ-backed candidates in November will speed the GOP’s movement past OJ.
OJ sues CNN for defamation: https://apnews.com/article/biden-lawsuits-florida-elections-8d652c0457b2c215394cd6063250149a . Obviously, this will go nowhere. Two fatal problems: (1) Everyone describes the idea that the 2020 election was stolen as The Big Lie, not just CNN; and (2) the claim is demonstrably A Big Lie. Media organizations are protected under the First Amendment for many things, but especially for telling the truth. However, there is one point in the lawsuit that has merit: the phrase was previously applied to Nazi propaganda: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_lie .
Still, very few people know of this connection, and it has not been used to call OJ a Nazi. OJ’s actions have been used to call him a fascist, not this phrase and its associations. The connection I see is this: Adolph Hitler coined the term “the big lie”. OJ brags about coining the term “Fake News”, which he applies to truthful statements that expose him as a liar. A strong connection, indeed. WSJ: Even we admit this lawsuit is a non-starter: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-files-defamation-lawsuit-against-cnn-seeking-475-million-11664839523 .
George Conway predicts OJ will be convicted of multiple felonies this year: https://www.salon.com/2022/10/03/will-be-convicted-of-multiple-felonies-george-conway-on-the-bumpy-road-ahead/ . “This year” is unlikely. However, “by the end of next year” is a very reasonable possibility. So, we can end today’s OJ discussion on a hopeful note.
WSJ: Oath Keepers trial opens: https://www.wsj.com/articles/oath-keepers-planned-for-armed-rebellion-in-jan-6-capitol-attack-prosecutors-say-11664814204 .
WSJ: Tua Tagovailoa in NFL concussion protocols: https://www.wsj.com/articles/tua-tagovailoa-nfl-concussions-head-injuries-11664822257 .
Systemic sexual abuse in US women’s pro soccer: https://sports.yahoo.com/investigation-finds-systemic-abuse-players-231157588.html . The abuse described in the article certainly qualifies as systemic, heartbreaking abuse. Major change must occur, and swiftly. To clarify the article, Sally Yates held the job of Acting US Attorney General for 10 days in January 2017 before termination by Orange Julius for insubordination. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/nwsl-abuse-investigation-womens-soccer-sally-yates-11664816871 .