Omicron XBB.1.5 now dominates US: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/3793446-covid-variant-xbb-1-5-now-accounts-for-40-percent-of-cases-in-the-us-cdc/ . This subvariant has doubled in one week. The world continues to churn out variants which better evade current vaccines and prior antibodies. To repeat, there is no reason that successive variants will be less lethal than prior variants. UPDATE: A leading Spanish virologist agrees: https://www.alternet.org/leading-spanish-virologist-explains-why-chinas-19-surge-is-worrisome-for-the-rest-of-the-world/ . Finally, someone in the medical community stands up for the obvious.
WSJ: The curse of fentanyl: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-fentanyl-crisis-11672426568 .
Medicare changes take effect January 1: https://news.yahoo.com/these-3-big-pieces-of-bidens-agenda-kick-off-jan-1-200502039.html .
COVID drives Chinese manufacturing contraction: https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2022-12-30/china-december-factory-activity-contracts-sharply-official-pmi . Global recession signals are flashing red here. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-economy-reels-as-beijing-lifts-zero-covid-measures-11672459264 .
US in major housing price correction: https://www.yahoo.com/now/second-biggest-home-price-correction-181833868.html . As the article notes, 2.4% is not a huge number. However, this correction is only beginning. The average prediction is 10% decline if no recession, 15% to 20% if there is a recession. Right now, the economist predictions of a 2023 recession are at 70%. As readers know, I’ve said for some time that the recession is a certainty, because these stiff rates increases are designed to force a reduction in economic activity.
WSJ: Russia continues Ukrainian air attack: https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-follows-ukraine-missile-barrage-with-wave-of-armed-drones-11672395980 .
Ukraine says Russia will announce another call-up in about a week: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/reznikov-warns-russians-one-week-233701631.html . While this is Ukrainian propaganda, their reports have been reasonably accurate in the past. As to the article’s specifics, the mercenary group is Wagner, not Wager. Also, reports around the last call-up were that over 300,000 men fled Russia at that time. The report here of 700,000 is the highest figure I’ve seen. Ukraine benefits from saying this not only because it deprives Russia of potential troops, but also it causes turmoil in Russia with more men fleeing the country.
Kevin McCarthy digs himself a deeper hole: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/29/politics/kevin-mccarthy-house-speaker-bid/index.html . Let’s be clear: If anyone is interested in actual governance, the choice of 5 would be insane. In my view, anything under 20 is unworkable. Meanwhile, Kevin twists in the wind. Karma is alive …
Suspect arrested in University of Idaho stabbings: https://apnews.com/article/university-of-idaho-students-killings-arrest-b3b1ffd8138827f0bdad16d20e17cf83 . To say aloud the implications here, the Moscow police department was overwhelmed by this gruesome killing. So the FBI stepped in, and tips from the public cracked the case. However, if this had been a run-of-the-mill murder, it might have remained unsolved for a very long time. More: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bryan-christopher-kohberger-university-idaho-murders-rcna63746 . Moscow is right on the Idaho-Washington border, and is a 15-minute drive from Washington State in Pullman, Washington. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/man-arrested-in-university-of-idaho-killings-11672423549 .
Orange Julius tax returns made public: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/30/politics/donald-trump-tax-returns-released/index.html . So we all suspected OJ was a tax cheat, and learned from the litigation against his company that the cheating was pervasive. The same conclusion applies to his personal tax records. Now that the IRS has had their noses rubbed with this information, I wonder if they will audit these returns. They are legally required to audit any president’s returns while in office. Somehow they failed to do these audits during his presidency. This is corruption in spades.
Southwest CEO apologizes as service returns to near-normal: https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/News/southwest-ceo-apologizes-customers-employees-lot-lessons-learned/story?id=95956359 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/southwest-attempts-to-resume-full-flying-schedule-11672408030 .
Yankees’ Aaron Judge is male Athlete of the Year: https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-angels-golden-state-warriors-new-york-yankees-sports-mlb-baseball-5046768164690afec7426bcac11798ef .
Barbara Walters passes at 93: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/barbara-walters-pioneering-tv-journalist-began-today-dies-93-rcna42287 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/barbara-walters-pioneering-tv-journalist-dies-at-age-93-11672455278 .