Omicron EG.5 top COVID subvariant: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-08-04/covid-19-variant-eg-5-takes-top-spot-from-arcturus . With the top two variants at only 33% total, obviously there are at least 7 COVID variants currently in circulation in the US.
Post-partum depression pill approved by FDA: https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/04/health/fda-approves-first-postpartum-depression-pill-in-the-us/index.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/first-pill-for-postpartum-depression-is-approved-by-fda-62376e41 . The key is that this medication works rapidly on post-partum depression; current medications do not.
WSJ: Texas judge partially blocks state abortion ban: https://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-judge-blocks-state-abortion-ban-against-women-with-health-risks-d139a7c0 . Apparently the Journal is unaware that Texas AG Ken Paxton is currently suspended from office as he awaits his impeachment trial. Possibly they should hire someone to read the news for them.
Will stocks correct in September?: https://www.wsj.com/articles/stocks-have-had-a-great-year-cue-the-september-effect-fa922be9 . I’m not a fan of investing on historical monthly data. However, stocks are historically overvalued, so a correction is likely coming.
WSJ: Supreme Court reaffirms Native Americans control Eastern Oklahoma: https://www.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-rejects-tulsas-request-to-extend-authority-over-american-indians-d9e77c85 .
WSJ: Niger coup: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-to-pause-some-financial-aid-to-niger-as-country-reels-from-coup-7252caa1 . More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/niger-coup-us-russia-africa-86cf1454 . Again, we screwed up. Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/niger-coup-leaders-end-military-cooperation-with-france-deepening-concerns-over-anti-western-turn-e7fae57e .
Ukraine drones damage Russia warship: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-drones-black-sea-407a02ccfb2b1951c5afe9ec2269eed8 . The included map shows the Ukrainians have put all ships on the Black Sea in play. As commented here recently, Ukraine’s drone technology is growing increasingly sophisticated. It is becoming a major factor in the war. WSJ: More or less: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukrainian-naval-drones-attack-russian-black-sea-port-81b4f2e6 . The attack was on a warship, not the grain export operations. Quality control has collapsed at the Journal.
The latest on US House redistricting fights: https://www.aol.com/news/redistricting-battles-could-determine-control-101158817.html .
Fifth Circuit strikes down Mississippi ban on lifetime voting ban for felons: https://abc7news.com/tens-of-thousands-newly-able-to-vote-under-court-ruling/13599746/ . As readers know, the Fifth Circuit is the most conservative federal appeals court in the country.
University of Idaho stabbing suspect has an alleged alibi – driving alone at night: https://www.aol.com/news/suspect-idaho-student-stabbings-says-002114920.html . The defense would need very compelling evidence to make this alibi work. This would involve multiple sightings with corroborating evidence. Cell phone evidence alone likely won’t work, because you can put your cellphone in someone else’s car, even without their knowledge. Also, my recollection is that his car was spotted at the scene of the crime, possibly on a security video.
Judge Aileen “Loose” Cannon turns out to not know basic criminal procedure: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/aileen-cannon-judge-trump-documents-case-made-multiple-errors-earlier-rcna98207 . Judge Cannon is apparently not familiar with the Sixth Amendment. She excluded the public from a criminal trial despite the protests of both the defense and the prosecution. She should not oversee criminal trials, period. I mean, this is truly ridiculous.
Speaking of ridiculous, Orange Julius published veiled threat against prosecutors and judge hours after promising not to in court: https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/04/feds-alert-judge-to-trumps-if-you-go-after-me-im-coming-after-you-post-00109944 . If this were almost any other defendant, a gag order would already be in place.
Meanwhile, OJ’s lawyer admits OJ committed the crime he’s supposedly defending: https://www.salon.com/2023/08/04/sounds-like-a-coup-to-me-experts-say-lawyers-statement-is-an-admission-not-a-defense/ . The law has a term for this, and it’s not “rookie mistake”. The correct term is “malpractice”. Lauro’s job is to expertly defend his client. He blew it.
WSJ: Will OJ’s First Amendment defense hold up?: https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-first-amendment-jan-6-trial-defense-dbbdf297 . No, obviously. The indictment itself points out that OJ’s actions go far beyond protected free speech. Mr. Lauro should try to enjoy his 15 seconds of fame, because he will get crushed at trial.
WSJ: Jeffrey Rosen comes forward to put the cherry on top of this nut sundae: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-founders-anticipated-the-threat-of-trump-becda1b . Rosen’s defense of OJ here is not legally sound. Yes, the Founders put in many protections against the corruption embodied by OJ. But they assumed honest people would dominate the government structure and that those people would come forward to stop the corruption. That does not apply to today’s GOP.
As I and many others have commented before, state of mind does not apply to the conspiracy charges. But even if it did, OJ’s narcissism is at the base of his insistence that he couldn’t possibly have lost. His mental illness does not transform his irrational beliefs, in the face of all the evidence presented to him, into reasonable or legitimate belief. Also, no one outside of conservative nutcases takes Alan Dershowitz seriously. Mr. Rosen’s book is not suitable for use as toilet paper, of course, but it is also not suitable for any other use.
WSJ: Self-driving vehicles struggle in San Francisco: https://www.wsj.com/articles/americas-most-tech-forward-city-has-doubts-about-self-driving-cars-d6b098e0 .
Float group attacked by river otter in Montana: https://www.aol.com/otter-attacks-three-women-floating-120030038.html . Too obvious to resist – these people otter be more careful …
Tickets for Messi’s first road game reach $20,000: https://www.aol.com/sports/tickets-lionel-messis-first-road-220238973.html . Wow. Just wow.
The Conference of Champions, the Pac-12, evaporates in one day: https://apnews.com/article/pac12-big-ten-big12-conference-realignment-washington-oregon-f9f066d554b54ab600f798d91193aee4 . As predicted yesterday, money won, although the demise was surprisingly swift. The Apple streaming deal was pathetic, and the conference members rejected it. As stated before, Oregon and Washington were the two prizes left after the UCLA/USC departures, and that’s who the Big 10 (now 18?) swallowed. Then, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah jumped to the Big 12/16. So this leaves Stanford, Cal, Oregon State and Washington State out in the cold. Speculation here is that OSU and WSU will join the Mountain West. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/sports/football/oregon-washington-big-ten-pac-12-college-sports-6312bc5b .
I commented previously that Oregon would jump from the Pac-12’s $20 million to the Big 10’s $50 million annual payment minimum. However, that is hardly the story around the money surrounding Oregon’s athletic programs. Phil Knight, founder of Nike, is believed to have contributed $300 million to Oregon athletics, including a state-of-the-art training facility costing $19.7 million. If you think this is still amateur athletics, that is sadly not true. Knight has also contributed $1 billion (yes, with a “b”) to UO’s Portland affiliate, the Oregon Health Sciences University, for their Knight Cancer Institute.