Antibody evasion threat of BA5: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/omicron-ba5-ba4-covid-symptoms-vaccines-rcna36894 . This article illuminates an important aspect of transmission risk, if somewhat indirectly. David Montefiori (Italian for “mountain flowers”) states that because BA4 and BA5 are becoming dominant, they are clearly more infectious than prior variants. However, that is not only not clear, it is in my view not true. Francis Balloux (French for “balloons”) believes the new variants’ greater ability to evade antibodies from prior infections or vaccinations drives their dominance, and I agree. This reinforces the idea that the pandemic is an arms race between the vaccines and the virus.
Cancer drug sabizabulin cuts COVID death risk, study says: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cancer-drug-sabizabulin-covid-19/ .
Certificate-of-need states failed in delivering pandemic care: https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/3549438-the-evidence-is-clear-states-exacerbated-pandemics-effect/ .
Beijing mandates COVID vaccination to enter some public places: https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-beijing-taiwan-government-and-politics-24c4f996714da508032e5f96a3d61a4d . There are at least two rather serious problems with this idea. First, the Chinese vaccines have lower efficacy than Western vaccines. Second, the new variants demonstrate increased ability to evade the antibodies from previous infection or vaccination. UPDATE: Beijing appears to reverse new policy: https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-beijing-taiwan-government-and-politics-015c372f53a8a75004c268e3c5524d0c . Ahem. Reversing a ridiculous policy constitutes net progress of zero. Now might be a good time to rethink Zero COVID, and buy some Western vaccines – like 2.8 billion doses.
Shanghai mass testing continues: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-07-07/shanghai-chases-karaoke-covid-cluster-as-china-looks-to-curb-outbreaks .
Macau uses two more hotels for COVID patients: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-07-07/macau-adds-more-casino-hotels-for-use-as-covid-medical-facilities . Given how stupid it was to keep the casinos open, this feels like poetic justice. Would you want to stay in these hotels in the near future?
WSJ: Fed still expects 75 basis point increase at late July meeting: https://www.wsj.com/articles/james-bullard-says-fed-must-ratify-market-rate-rise-view-11657213200 . More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/feds-christopher-waller-supports-another-0-75-point-rate-rise-in-july-11657216604 .
WSJ: Weekly jobless claims continue upward drift: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-jobless-claims-rose-slightly-last-week-11657198419 .
Democrats propose tax on high earners to delay Medicare insolvency: https://apnews.com/article/health-medicare-joe-manchin-congress-6ab089d3e7acb7ecf675d55c5468168f . The 3.8% tax is limited to those earning over $400,000, apparently in light of President Biden’s campaign pledge saying he would not raise taxes below that level.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shot at campaign rally: https://abcnews.go.com/International/japanese-prime-minister-shinzo-abe-collapses-shot-report/story?id=86423223 . This report indicates that he has no vital signs.
Boris Johnson (finally) resigns as UK Prime Minister: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/07/europe/boris-johnson-resignation-intl/index.html . Note that his resignation was forced by mass resignations of his ministers. It remains an embarrassment to the GOP that the only Cabinet officers who resigned after January 6 were Elaine Chao and Betsy DeVos. The rest were all out of a job in two weeks anyway.
Derek Chauvin receives a federal sentence of 21 years for violating George Floyd’s civil rights: https://www.yahoo.com/news/derek-chauvin-federal-sentence-george-floyd-civil-rights-200828647.html . This is in line with the state sentence of 22½ years; Chauvin will serve the two sentences concurrently in federal prison. He will probably serve more time than he would have under the state sentence alone because of different parole eligibility in the federal system.
A major fail for “fake it until you make it” with Theranos convictions: https://apnews.com/article/ramesh-balwani-theranos-verdict-d9fb19f13a1c930a6ff091dff10a0b5d .
Elon Musk now has 10 children: https://www.thecut.com/2022/07/elon-musk-shivon-zilis-twins.html . Frankly, this just seems nuts. Also note that the girl is nicknamed Y while the boy is called X. This apparently places timing over gender. That is, girls have 2 X chromosomes while boys have an X and a Y. So nicknaming the boy X became a problem when the next child showed up. The larger problem is, these are just bizarre, unloving nicknames for children.
Also, there’s the question of Musk sleeping with one of his executives. That’s a firing offense for many companies …
Republicans try to discredit Cassidy Hutchinson’s damning testimony: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3548186-secret-service-denial-of-hutchinson-story-fuels-attacks-from-both-sides/ . The GOP criticisms are really idiotic. Hutchinson testified that this is what Tony Ornato told her. If it isn’t true, then Ornato was lying, which he is known for. The Secret Service admits that OJ wanted to go to the Capitol, which is the important evidence. The GOP is trying to use Ornato as the red herring. Maybe your dwindling base is that gullible, but the rest of us are not.
Secret Service chief to leave agency: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/secret-service-chief-james-murray-leaving-agency/ar-AAZkrx1?li=BBnb7Kz . Let’s just say that the Secret Service has a lot of problems, as noted in the article. As Murray’s departure was discussed before the January 6 hearing, and Murray will continue to work (at Snapchat?), the logical conclusion is that he is being pushed out, regardless of what the administration says. WSJ: More (with the opposite spin): https://www.wsj.com/articles/secret-service-director-james-murray-is-retiring-11657228945 .
Politico names Liz Cheney winner of GOP’s manhood award: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/07/07/liz-cheney-gop-masculinity-hawley-00044390 . This sounds like Saturday Night Live, right? But the men did kick her out of the House leadership.
Herschel Walker lied to his own campaign about secret children: https://www.thedailybeast.com/herschel-walker-lied-about-his-secret-kids-to-his-own-campaign . This sure looks like a campaign in self-destruct mode. We know that OJ’s involvement in Georgia has helped the candidates he opposes, both Republican and Democrat. Here, where those close to Walker repeatedly describe him as a pathological liar, is the seed of another OJ face-plant. The bottom line is that the incumbent Warnock is a better choice for the Senate.
More on CERN’s discovery of new atomic particles: https://apnews.com/article/science-geneva-2b699ca57e558a8210e937a925ec076e . This article indicates that these discoveries give us a new perspective on the so-called strong force in physics.
Why the Webb Telescope works: https://www.wsj.com/articles/nasa-james-webb-space-telescope-greg-robinson-images-11657137487 .
James Caan passes at 82: https://apnews.com/article/james-caan-dead-ebe62a12a22c804a21673ead071269ea . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/james-caan-star-of-the-godfather-and-misery-dies-at-82-11657215696 .
Is a Pac-12 obituary premature?: https://athlonsports.com/college-football/pac-12-football-five-step-plan-to-save-conference-loss-of-usc-and-ucla-expansion . If this is Pac-12’s 5 point plan, it boils down to keep Oregon and Washington or become second-rate. The problem is, the conference is going from 4 power teams to 2. That does not make long-term sense. And the proposed additions to the conference are not even worthy shadows of USC and UCLA. This article increases my concern that the Pac-12 cannot respond to the departures.
Also, USC’s move makes the Big 10 an even more logical jump for Notre Dame: https://www.si.com/college/tmg/herb-gould/irish-conference-future . However, as conferences look to become attractive to national TV audiences, in my view adding Oregon and Washington is more valuable than adding Notre Dame as the Big 10 moves away from its regional mold.
To finish the mailing glitch discussion, yesterday’s email included both the July 6 and July 5 newsletters. This was a test of the mailing system to see if it would only send the most recent post or anything dated in the prior 24 hours. As you saw, it will send all posts dated in the prior 24 hours. Anyway, those of you who rely on the emails as a record of the texts now have a completed set.