Jill Biden positive COVID test: https://apnews.com/article/jill-biden-covid19-president-24b43a5009e85ad6dc0524fafcf484ce .
Staffing standards for nursing homes: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2023-09-01/biden-seeks-minimum-staff-levels-at-us-nursing-homes . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/health/nursing-homes-must-boost-staffing-under-first-ever-national-standards-66328d5d .
WSJ: Amgen-Horizon deal approved: https://www.wsj.com/business/ftc-settles-with-amgen-over-27-8-billion-deal-for-horizon-therapeutics-b96a2d69 .
US added 187,000 jobs in August: WSJ: https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/jobs-report-august-today-unemployment-economy-de847415 . More: https://www.wsj.com/economy/resilient-u-s-economy-defies-expectations-85be69f3 .
WSJ: The immigration backlog: https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/immigration-courts-yearslong-backlog-illegal-immigration-c732d381 . This situation is reprehensible. So there should be bipartisan agreement to fund the needed judges. Note that average case wait time is dropping because so many new cases are being filed.
WSJ: China property giant Country Garden Holdings narrowly avoids bond default: https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/chinas-country-garden-makes-overdue-dollar-bond-payments-narrowly-avoiding-default-626f515d . Things still don’t look good for this company. So will the government step in?
Mexican Marines kill 4 in Matamoros shoot-out: https://apnews.com/article/mexico-matamoros-gunmen-marines-1ffbfac28d120d45d018abf39d31c5cd . Matamoros is still not a safe place …
WSJ: Gabon coup: https://www.wsj.com/world/africa/military-officers-claim-they-have-ousted-gabons-president-bc5055b .
WSJ: Ukraine continues slow southern advance: https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/ukraine-fights-to-widen-its-puncture-of-russian-front-lines-141459a6 . Map of the current situation: https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/russia-defense-ukraine-trenches-dragon-teeth-visualized-614a4910 . More: https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/this-part-of-ukraines-counteroffensive-is-pressing-forward-with-little-western-help-d794135c .
DeMentis misses the mark again: https://www.aol.com/florida-judge-strikes-down-desantis-180136712.html . Ron gets a Special Idiot Olympics award for failing to figure out how to lawfully discriminate against minorities. It’s relatively easy to draw a fair map. It’s also relatively easy to draw a discriminatory map under current legal rulings. Ron decided the prior map was not discriminatory enough, so he decided to develop a map of “maximum allowable” discrimination. However, he cannot figure the issues out. As stated repeatedly here, the Ivy League wasted a college and law school education on this incompetent.
Alex Murdaugh claims new evidence will exonerate him: https://news.yahoo.com/alex-murdaugh-claims-newly-discovered-112559717.html . Presumably, everyone is skeptical about this claim. Alex must put up, but if he doesn’t, I suspect he will not shut up.
“Burning Man” sog-fest: https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/04/us/burning-man-storms-shelter-monday/index.html . So, right now 90% of attendees cannot get off the site. This makes for an interesting call to your boss. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/us-news/heavy-rain-leaves-burning-man-stuck-in-mud-c9cde648 .
WSJ: iPhone15: Not a must-have: https://www.wsj.com/tech/personal-tech/new-iphone-15-upgrade-pros-cons-915de130 .
Drunk driver accidentally calls 911 on himself: https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/04/us/drunken-driver-calls-911-nebraska-trnd/index.html . “One wrong-way driver? Hell, there’s dozens of them!”
WSJ: Bill Richardson, former New Mexico governor, passes at 75: https://www.wsj.com/politics/bill-richardson-former-new-mexico-governor-and-u-n-ambassador-dies-at-75-2dbb54c .
Jimmy Buffet passes at 76: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jimmy-buffett-cause-of-death/ . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/jobs-report-august-today-unemployment-economy-de847415 .
“Dream Weaver” Gary Wright passes at 60: https://variety.com/2023/music/news/gary-wright-dead-dream-weaver-1235713097/ .
Steve Harwell, lead singer of Smashmouth, passes at 56: https://www.aol.com/smash-mouth-frontman-steve-harwell-151510980.html . There are various causes of liver failure. The rock-and-roll lifestyle can certainly be one. Smashmouth’s big hit was “All Star”.
Houston fan gives interview of the century: https://sports.yahoo.com/astros-fan-breaks-up-fly-ball-during-loss-to-yankees-gives-incredible-all-time-interview-with-son-032116331.html . So, “I just didn’t know” is bad enough – fan participation is obviously banned in any sport. But his replacement for the team’s name is priceless … Will baseball need to interview bleachers fans before they can be seated?
Stanford, Cal and SMU join ACC: https://www.wsj.com/sports/football/acc-cal-stanford-smu-3cb7eac . Meanwhile, Oregon State may be playing pick-up games in its new stadium built on the now-disappearing Pac-12 revenues.