Biden’s new COVID fight plan: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-21/biden-ramps-up-covid-fight-with-orders-reversing-trump-policies . This is replacing no plan with a plan. It is targeted and thought out. It is federal action replacing bleach injection. Here is the National Strategy: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/National-Strategy-for-the-COVID-19-Response-and-Pandemic-Preparedness.pdf . While the document has 200 pages, the strategy itself is 117 pages. The remainder is appendices. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/bidens-covid-19-plan-more-gear-funding-testing-and-data-11611249250 . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/bidens-agenda-depends-on-success-in-curbing-covid-19-pandemic-11611223201 .
No existing vaccine distribution plan: https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/21/politics/biden-covid-vaccination-trump/index.html . The results so far make this obvious. By the way, Alex Azar is a lying jerk.
More on Biden’s first day: https://www.npr.org/sections/inauguration-day-live-updates/2021/01/20/958630029/heres-what-biden-plans-to-do-in-his-1st-day-as-president .
School reopening plan: https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2021-01-21/biden-details-plan-for-reopening-schools .
Biden orders Russian hack assessment: (MSN link to NY Times article has now been dropped – updated 1/29/21): https://www.cyberscoop.com/biden-solarwinds-russia-intelligence-assessment/ .
WSJ: Business plans faster vaccine roll-out: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fed-up-executives-plot-a-faster-covid-19-vaccine-rollout-11611232941 .
WSJ: Lilly antibody drug helpful in nursing homes: https://www.wsj.com/articles/lilly-antibody-drug-prevents-covid-19-in-nursing-homes-study-finds-11611234000 . Remember, it is questionable whether the antibody drugs are effective for COVID variants.
Provider suspended for spoiling vaccines: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ohio-provider-suspended-mishandling-spoiling-covid-vaccine-doses-n1255124 .
WSJ: COVID reaches every US county: https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-year-in-covid-19-cases-have-reached-every-u-s-county-11611240017 . The last county is the Hawaiian island known for its Hansen’s disease (leprosy) population.
On-the-job COVID protection: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-biden-employers-coronavirus-covid_n_6009bbebc5b6ffcab96bd8ef . Objects in the rear-view mirror appear smaller each day. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-moves-to-set-covid-19-workplace-safety-rules-11611252898 .
WSJ: Flu wiped out this year: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-has-nearly-wiped-out-the-fluhow-do-we-keep-it-from-coming-back-11611230410 . It is quite obviously the COVID precautions causing this result. Reduced international travel, not mentioned in the article, is a part of this. The increased vaccination rates play a minor role, if any. The broad spread of COVID is also not the reason – we are nowhere near herd immunity for COVID, so it can’t be causing such a result for another virus. Frankly, the answer seems straightforward.
World front pages of the inauguration: https://news.yahoo.com/how-newspapers-around-the-world-covered-bidens-inauguration-162830913.html . Some translations follow. Portuguese “prevaleceu” means prevailed. German “morgen” means morning, or tomorrow. Danish “sejr” means victory. German “und tschuss” means was missing. And I love that Blick’s headline is in English … Make America Normal Again!
More on executive orders: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/on-bidens-day-two-covid-is-at-the-top-of-his-agenda-202416615.html . Meanwhile, Yahoo is focused on whether this is day one or day two. Actual news is apparently confusing them.
Yahoo confused by civility: https://news.yahoo.com/in-first-briefing-biden-press-secretary-jen-psaki-pledges-to-bring-truth-back-to-the-american-government-013155222.html . That’s not a jab, Brittany. That is the truth.
COVID-19 “probably” increases your risk of dementia: https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2021/covid-19-dementia-link.html .
Vaccine shortages: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/we-need-more-cities-hospitals-feel-pinch-covid-19-vaccine-n1255146 . WSJ: These problems threaten NYC school re-openings: https://www.wsj.com/articles/low-supply-of-covid-19-vaccine-could-delay-return-to-full-time-in-person-learning-in-nyc-schools-11611262343 .
Freedom for Fauci: https://sports.yahoo.com/dr-fauci-working-for-biden-white-house-a-liberating-feeling-225641777.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/anthony-fauci-is-back-in-spotlight-in-covid-19-response-efforts-11611267980 . Can WSJ name anyone who did not have an up-and-down relationship with Orange Julius? Okay, besides Putin?
Fauci believes vaccines remain effective against most variants: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/fauci-said-the-uss-covid-19-vaccines-are-powerful-enough-that-they-should-be-able-to-shoulder-new-strains-of-the-infection-with-limited-impact-on-efficacy/ar-BB1cYMLV?li=BBnb7Kz . But studies are going in the other direction: https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/21/health/coronavirus-variant-problem-vaccines/index.html .
WSJ: Florida moves against vaccine tourism: https://www.wsj.com/articles/florida-to-require-covid-19-vaccine-recipients-to-show-proof-of-residency-11611274412 . It’s a little late, Governor DeMentis.
Greta Thunberg better informed than Ted Cruz: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/greta-thunberg-ted-cruz_n_60099c43c5b6efae62ffb1b7 . And Twitter piles on: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ted-cruz-paris-pittsburgh-climate-change_n_600900d4c5b697df1a0c0b76 .
Calls for ethics investigation of Cruz, Hawley: https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/21/politics/senate-democrats-ethics-complaint-cruz-hawley/index.html . Ted, the issue is whether you and Beavis provoked the insurrectionists through an ongoing narrative you knew to be false. You proved the answer is yes by continuing your BS after the attack. You two are truly clueless. However, ethics action is considered unlikely: https://www.rollcall.com/2021/01/21/democrats-file-ethics-complaints-against-hawley-and-cruz-but-action-unlikely/ .
Americans are more optimistic: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/america-mood-three-months-ahead-harris-poll-143027226.html . This is certainly true for the 82 million who voted for Biden.
Weekly jobless claims at 900,000: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/21/weekly-jobless-claims.html . Weekly claims continue at levels never seen before the pandemic. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/weekly-jobless-claims-coronavirus-01-21-2021-11611181914 .
Bipartisan group to meet with Biden aide on stimulus proposal: https://www.rollcall.com/2021/01/21/bipartisan-senate-group-to-meet-with-biden-aide-on-coronavirus-relief/ . More: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/535297-bipartisan-senate-gang-to-talk-with-biden-aide-on-coronavirus-relief .
Pfizer looks to Israel for real-world vaccination data: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2021-01-21/israeli-government-sharing-covid-19-vaccine-data-with-pfizer . Israel is still running a high positivity rate: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/coronavirus-in-israel-7099-israelis-tested-positive-on-thursday-656349 .
WSJ: India donating vaccine to neighboring countries: https://www.wsj.com/articles/india-starts-covid-19-vaccine-drive-to-neighboring-countries-11611234933 .
Japan to start vaccinations in late February: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-japan-kono/japan-to-start-coronavirus-vaccinations-with-pfizer-vaccines-idUSKBN29R09U .
Two Shanghai hospitals on lockdown: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202101/1213482.shtml .
EU carnage: trade hammered by Brexit: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/20/absolute-carnage-eu-hauliers-reject-uk-jobs-over-brexit-rules . The last-minute deal obviously did not include the administrative rules on which bureaucracy (and business) runs.
Social media’s communication problems: https://www.vox.com/recode/22233450/trump-twitter-facebook-ban-world-leader-rules-exception . Really, this is the fundamental problem of rules in everything from the kids playing Monopoly to world government. Rules have to be designed to eliminate or sharply reduce abuse. And they must evolve when abuse arises to limit both current and future abuse. Otherwise they become sources of abuse.
WSJ: Parler remains out in the cold: https://www.wsj.com/articles/federal-judge-denies-parlers-bid-to-force-amazon-to-resume-service-11611264167 . The no-responsibility model of web hosting appears dead.
COVID hammers the Orange Julius “Organization” with sharply decreased revenues: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-21/trump-reveals-extent-of-pandemic-damage-to-his-business-empire . It’s all Eric’s fault. Deutsche Bank is holding a big empty bag, built by a big empty bag.
WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-businesses-see-sharp-revenue-decline-at-key-properties-11611248406 .
Pelosi considering charges against GOP members: https://www.yahoo.com/now/pelosi-weighs-charges-that-gop-members-gave-aid-and-comfort-to-rioters-193221403.html . This truly is unprecedented. And Portland has nothing to do with this, Kevin.
Orange Julius intentionally refills the swamp: https://www.npr.org/sections/inauguration-day-live-updates/2021/01/20/958710562/trump-revokes-administration-ethics-rules-on-his-way-out-the-door . Corrupt is as corrupt does.
WSJ: We babble on climate change: https://www.wsj.com/articles/president-biden-quickly-rejoined-paris-climate-accord-leading-again-will-be-harder-11611257931 . The standards in the accord are voluntary. However, we need to exceed the standards to save the planet. An “electric cars for clunkers” program is an excellent start on the US problem. The continued decommissioning of coal-fired power plants is another important step. They are no longer economical anyway.
Whales fight climate change: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210119-why-saving-whales-can-help-fight-climate-change . It turns out dead whales are an important carbon sink, and whale poop helps feed the ocean food chains.
Assessment of Orange Julius’ “accomplishments”: https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-biggest-accomplishments-and-failures-heading-into-2020-2019-12
An alternate point of view from Business Insider, it is relatively comprehensive and at least reports both successes and failures. In my view, the packing of the federal judiciary is a McConnell objective and a triumph of bad politics over the integrity of the courts. It is also farcical to call the tax cut “tax reform”. As such, there is very little here that qualifies as an accomplishment.
Daily Pnut’s quote from the young poet laureate:
“We seek harm to none and harmony for all. Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true. That even as we grieved, we grew. That even as we hurt, we hoped; that even as we tired, we tried; that we’ll forever be tied together, victorious. Not because we will never again know defeat, but because we will never again sow division.” — Amanda Gorman, Inaugural Ceremony, January 20th, 2021