Long COVID patients Paxlovid study: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2022-10-27/u-s-government-to-test-pfizers-paxlovid-for-long-covid . This reflects the same idea behind the study to test a second course of Paxlovid against COVID rebound. Some people seem to have the coronavirus circulating in their system after their initial recovery from the disease.
China’s inhalable COVID vaccine: https://www.healthdigest.com/1075041/chinas-newly-unveiled-covid-vaccine-could-change-the-virus-fighting-game/ . The central question here is the effectiveness of this vaccine against current variants. China’s previous vaccines have not been particularly effective. The new vaccine needs to break that pattern in order to get China out of its ridiculous Zero COVID policy.
Zero COVID drives US business sentiment in China to new low: https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2022-10-27/u-s-business-sentiment-in-china-hits-record-low-as-zero-covid-persists-survey . More: https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2022-10-27/chinas-foreign-trade-faces-rising-risk-of-slowing-external-demand-in-q4-commerce-ministry . Again, global recession looks like a near certainty. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-covid-fight-disrupts-businesses-food-supplies-as-cases-spread-11666879925 .
COVID blamed for global rise in tuberculosis cases in 2021: https://apnews.com/article/health-pandemics-covid-world-organization-tuberculosis-a446ab60cbb40dac92dcbd956303cbc1 .
WSJ: Senate Republicans seek evidence for their COVID politics: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-most-likely-leaked-from-lab-in-china-senate-gop-report-says-11666905063 .
Personalized brain cancer drugs: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/personalized-drugs-for-deadliest-brain-cancers-could-be-on-horizon/ar-AA13rhDL?cvid=8b552ea0eb504ebeb16f2bd196c18aee . Remember, we are all just a mass of biological molecules. As such, researchers explore a personalized approach to the chemistry of disease.
Blood pressure medicine recalled over cancer risk: https://www.thestreet.com/investing/blood-pressure-pills-recalled-over-cancer-risks .
WSJ: US weekly jobless claims drift higher: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-jobless-claims-rose-by-3-000-last-week-to-217-000-11666874559 .
WSJ: US mortgage rates go over 7%: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-mortgage-rates-hit-7-08-highest-in-more-than-20-years-11666879204 . With winter coming, the US housing market is set to crater, bringing the US deeper into recession.
Musk takes over Twitter, cans executives: https://www.engadget.com/elon-musk-takes-over-twitter-011047797.html . According to traditional business teachings, this takeover reeks of disaster. If Twitter remains a functioning organization after this, Musk will deserve the credit. If it crashes, well, it was $44 billion of his own money … I would think everyone working at Twitter has their resume out to every place they can think of.
Meanwhile, investors man the lifeboats off the SS Zuckerberg: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/meta-plummets-25-zuckerberg-plea-for-patience-falls-flat/ar-AA13qQGB?cvid=0d6fb7c924b04908a8aecfe40392e14a . Basically, no one believes Zuck’s investment in the Metaverse will pay off. Also, Musk undoubtedly overpaid for Twitter given the current environment for tech stocks. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/meta-facebook-q3-earnings-report-2022-11666753938 .
Credit Suisse reveals plan to stop the bleeding after $4 billion quarterly loss: https://apnews.com/article/europe-business-f36da4b5d4527595a487f3382ac6bd6d . The capital infusion will buy them some time, although a significant Saudi ownership stake does not seem like a reputational plus. The other stuff they’re doing does not strike me as that significant. Credit Suisse needs a better plan, and soon. If I had assets in a Swiss account (hah), I’d be moving it to UBS. More: https://news.yahoo.com/credit-suisse-stock-tanks-12-121802479.html . Meanwhile, WSJ takes a contrarian view: https://www.wsj.com/articles/credit-suisse-might-have-hit-rock-bottom-11666885635 . The market obviously disagrees. Also, note the significant outflow of assets from the bank. More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/credit-suisse-resets-with-a-retreat-from-wall-street-11666849906 . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/credit-suisse-names-new-compliance-chief-amid-strategic-overhaul-11666900032 .
WSJ: US Treasury overwhelmed by I Bond orders: https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-investors-scramble-to-buy-i-bonds-treasurydirect-site-has-outages-11666817951 .
WSJ: Could Russia target Musk’s Starlink satellites?: https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-says-it-could-target-u-s-commercial-satellites-in-ukraine-war-11666882614 . This looks like more desperation from Putin.
Oregon considers amending constitution to prioritize affordable health care: https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-health-donald-trump-legislature-barack-obama-e9f3af9f3b7ebd0375c5b91a2697b2fb . So, we know our current health care system is broken. Single payer would undoubtedly be a step forward. That said, this is a fiscally irresponsible ballot measure, even though it may pass. There is no plan on how to achieve this goal. Suppose somehow we did deliver affordable health care. Wouldn’t really ill people from the other 49 states move here ahead of their final illness to protect their families financially? This is fiscally insane, as health care is 20% of the US gross national product.
WSJ: Chris Redd punched in the face outside comedy club: https://www.wsj.com/articles/snl-alum-chris-redd-attacked-outside-of-comedy-club-11666904888 . Are the police questioning Will Smith?
Jerry Lee Lewis is still with us: https://ew.com/music/jerry-lee-lewis-alive-after-erronerous-report-dead/ . As Lewis is 87 and in poor health, TMZ was taken in by a phony phone call. Also, note that Lewis looks frail in the photo accompanying the article … and it was taken in 2017. As to the sub-headline, he probably is shaking and rattling, but likely not rolling …