China alleges 90% COVID drop: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3208843/chinas-covid-deaths-and-severe-cases-down-almost-90-cent-infection-peak-cdc-report-says . As we know, experts believe China’s death toll is understated by a factor of 10. The suggestion that the rural COVID peak occurred 1 day after the urban peak seems unlikely, as does this level of decline during Lunar New Year. One hopes excess death figures will be of sufficient quality to shed some light on what is really going on. Please note that this reporting is based on figures from China’s CDC.
China tracking “Orthrus” COVID variant: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3208709/china-tracking-orthrus-emerging-more-transmissible-covid-variant . The variant is titled CH.1.1 (is “CH” for China? Variant names are supposed to eliminate country of origin). The article suggests this subvariant originated in India.
NYC ends employee vaccine mandate: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2023-02-06/new-york-mayor-ending-covid-vaccine-mandate-for-city-workers .
Western drugmakers face COVID cliff: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2023-02-06/drug-companies-face-covid-cliff-in-2023-as-sales-set-to-plummet .
WSJ: UK’s National Health Service struggles: https://www.wsj.com/articles/nhs-uk-national-health-service-strike-costs-11675693883 . Allegedly, the UK service shortfalls have led to 300 to 500 premature deaths weekly.
WSJ: We really don’t care about facts or analysis: https://www.wsj.com/articles/higher-taxes-wont-save-social-security-reform-payroll-tax-benefits-cap-health-insurance-solvency-deficit-welfare-11675710111 . Are you freaking kidding me? This “opinion” comes from one Travis Nix, who is studying tax law at Georgetown. Who besides Mr. Nix thinks he has any knowledge allowing him to intelligently comment on Social Security solvency? That the Journal even considered printing this is beyond disgraceful.
Will we have a recession?: https://www.aol.com/finance/yellen-dont-recession-u-unemployment-155724446.html . Yes, low unemployment is a good thing. However, a recession is defined by economic contraction. We had two consecutive quarters of this in 2022, which in my view constitutes a recession. So Yellen is lobbying against the traditional definition, for obvious political reasons. Further contraction is coming, because of the unprecedented interest rate increases and the stickiness of inflation.
Also, major layoffs continue. While automation improvement may help productivity, you would think at some point that the unemployment rate will increase. The large number of open jobs is the best current evidence for predicting a shallow or no recession.
WSJ: Consumers burn through pandemic savings: https://www.wsj.com/articles/once-flush-savings-accounts-are-starting-to-run-dry-11675691637 . Here is another recession indicator. Clearly, this level of spending is unsustainable.
WSJ: Is market behavior of concern to the Fed?: https://www.wsj.com/articles/market-rally-stirs-concerns-over-economic-fallout-11675691241 . GAWD!!! … Does anyone at the Journal know anything about history or economics? Alan Greenspan/”irrational exuberance” ring a bell? Powell has previously indicated that he has found recent market rallies of concern. Do these people read the news? More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-stocks-markets-dow-update-02-06-2023-11675686936 . This market action occurred because the jobs report demonstrated what Powell had been saying, but the market would not listen.
Lunatic domestic terrorists arrested for power grid plot: https://apnews.com/article/politics-crime-maryland-baltimore-1b193a88f54001a882691f2c5da37f11 . Among our 331 million Americans, these two stand out as particularly disturbed. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/neo-nazi-leader-woman-charged-in-plot-to-attack-maryland-power-grid-11675715698 .
Turkey-Syria earthquake kills thousands: https://apnews.com/article/earthquake-shakes-turkey-b927808f6a5c54bdb669120faa40b7bc . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/earthquakes-deepen-suffering-of-syrians-displaced-by-war-poverty-11675700070 . The death toll is expected to rise considerably from the latest report of 4,300 dead: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/live-updates-more-than-4-300-dead-in-turkey-syria-earthquake-amid-fears-of-new-humanitarian-crisis/ar-AA17bOan?cvid=228d7f1cdbc944a8b7a069704c19cc37 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/powerful-earthquake-strikes-turkey-and-syria-killing-more-than-1-300-people-11675680084 . Many are trapped in collapsed buildings. The winter cold reduces chances for survival. WHO has guessed the death toll could be 20,000. Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/earthquake-turkey-syria-science-11675714080 . The second earthquake, at magnitude 7.5, is not considered an aftershock because it occurred on a different fault line.
Buffalo’s strongest earthquake in 40 years is … not so much: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/buffalo-new-york-area-hit-strongest-earthquake-40-years-rcna69282 . Um, on the West Coast we really don’t pay much attention to a 3.8 earthquake. For comparison, the Turkey-Syria quake was a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which released 1 million times the energy of the Buffalo quake: https://blog.jumpstartinsurance.com/how-earthquake-strength-measured/ .
Chinese balloon not the first – it’s at least the fifth: https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-china-jake-sullivan-d7a981b058d2c195ccc01912d805ae08 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-air-defenses-failed-to-spot-earlier-chinese-balloon-intrusions-general-says-11675720596 . The military has improved its surveillance under the Biden administration, leading to this discovery. To clarify my previous criticism of Marco “Boobio” Rubio on this matter, we now know that the OJ administration was unaware of the prior flyovers. But the US intelligence agencies knew.
Because the balloon was so plainly visible from the ground, it’s hard to understand why the US military did not figure this out previously. The information was there. Somebody was just asleep at the switch.
However, I stand by my criticism of Rubio. Like almost all of his GOP “colleagues”, he criticizes without knowing the facts. He regularly gets burned by this ignorant behavior, but just lacks the integrity to change his ways.
Also, the Chinese contention that this was a weather balloon gone astray is now shown to be completely disingenuous. This makes Xi look weak. Will there be changes in China’s behavior?
Balloon recovery underway: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/chinese-balloon-recovery-underway-amid-gop-attacks/story?id=96924402 . This balloon was apparently 200 feet tall and carried a payload of about a ton. Quite clearly, China intentionally lied about its nature. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-spy-balloon-over-the-u-s-what-to-know-11675385792 .
Alex Murdaugh trial: Judge allows financial impropriety evidence: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/06/us/alex-murdaugh-trial-monday . Yes, this evidence is “prejudicial”. That is the nature of evidence. The judge was convinced that this behavior is relevant to motive.
DeMentis election fraud prosecutions flop: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/desantis-couldn-t-net-any-election-fraud-prosecutions-so-florida-gopers-want-to-change-the-law/ar-AA17biPI?cvid=48a27a80d3f74ed193511f7c7f9a371e .
WSJ: Irony is completely lost on us: https://www.wsj.com/articles/does-the-democratic-party-care-what-its-voters-think-11675712982 . This opinion piece derides Democrats for falling in line behind Biden? And does not mention the GOP base’s tribal/lemming outlook? How ridiculous can the Journal get? (Answer: Ridiculous to the point of silly).
WSJ: McCarthy targets elimination of US deficit in debt ceiling talks: https://www.wsj.com/articles/kevin-mccarthy-targets-elimination-of-budget-deficits-in-debt-ceiling-talks-11675728173 . Let’s be clear. The debt ceiling must go up to pay existing bills. Kevin’s target is undoable anytime soon for a variety of reasons, which is why Biden asked him to come up with a budget. Kevin can’t. The GOP needs to educate itself and move on.
National Enquirer sold: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/national-enquirer-sold-vvip/ . These scumbags helped give us the Orange Julius presidency. On the bright side, this may be the last time we have to hear about David Pecker. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/national-enquirer-to-be-sold-to-group-including-former-moviepass-executive-11675699343 . By the way, MoviePass went bankrupt in 2020. That does not bode well for the National Enquirer. Good.
The growing extinction risk: https://www.aol.com/news/exclusive-huge-chunk-plants-animals-151815948.html . It is absurd to think you can pull puzzle pieces out of the web of life and not have catastrophic consequences.
WSJ: English Premier League accuses Manchester City of financial improprieties: https://www.wsj.com/articles/manchester-city-accused-of-financial-breaches-by-english-premier-league-11675682390 . This is potentially a huge story. Like everyone else, we will wait to see what develops.