Breakthrough COVID infections: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/cdc-breakthrough-cases-explained-173107351.html . The data is as of April 13. And this topic cannot be properly evaluated without data on the variants, which we still lack. The gender differential is interesting, especially in relation to the reverse pattern of elevated male COVID mortality.
Anti-androgen drugs may prevent COVID progression: https://scitechdaily.com/hormone-drugs-may-disarm-coronavirus-spike-protein-and-stop-covid-19-disease-progression/ .
Health care and the border: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/05/15/hhs-covid-stockpile-money-border-migrants-488427 .
More on the new CDC mask guidance: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/the-right-decision-wrongly-handled-inside-the-biden-administrations-abrupt-reversal-on-masks/ar-BB1gLNLP?li=BBnb7Kz . I agree that this was poorly handled. I do not agree that it was the right decision – it feels both political and premature.
The unemployment benefits cliff: https://news.yahoo.com/workers-unemployment-benefits-cliff-195214243.html . Politics based on anecdote does not work. As the article notes, the vast majority of these people will not find work.
More evidence that India is massively underreporting COVID deaths: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-16/small-town-reporters-reveal-coronavirus-carnage-in-india .
Doctor says end of India pandemic may be more than a year away: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/interview/interview-we-should-be-mentally-prepared-for-covid-19-pandemic-to-last-until-mid-2022-devi-shetty-6897451.html . While this gentleman is a heart surgeon, he provides an interesting perspective on the situation in India.
More on the crisis in rural India: https://news.yahoo.com/indias-coronavirus-crisis-spreads-villages-200026142.html . WSJ: More (with graphics): https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-indias-second-covid-19-surge-is-much-worse-than-its-first-11621071001 .
WSJ: The fighting in Israel: https://www.wsj.com/articles/israeli-palestinian-conflict-gaza-11620825247 . As previously noted, this may increase COVID cases in the Gaza strip.
WSJ: Slow vaccine rollout in Japan: https://www.wsj.com/articles/slow-covid-19-vaccine-rollout-makes-some-japanese-octogenarians-feel-too-young-11621076401 .
Major fire at large Manila hospital: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-05-15/philippines-douses-five-hour-blaze-in-hospital-treating-covid-19-patients .
Peru lacks cemetery space: https://apnews.com/article/peru-coronavirus-pandemic-health-pandemics-cc503f4446fa2c803a57978f8ca236a7 . This is a sad situation for a predominantly Catholic country to be in.
Computer hack reporting law under consideration: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/05/15/congress-colonial-pipeline-disclosure-488406 . This obvious oversight must be corrected in order to address the threat. What about hospitals, who have been regular targets? Ransomware is a threat to every patient.
The politics of vaccine passports: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/honor-system-paper-cards-wont-cut-it-for-covid-vaccine-verification-experts-say-vaccine-passports-are-coming/ar-BB1gLkpG?li=BBnb7Kz .
Liz Cheney is not going away: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/the-purging-of-liz-cheney-is-about-much-more-than-the-future-of-the-gop/ar-BB1gLzws?li=BBnb7Kz . And the Democrats have a nice shiny hammer for the 2022 elections – the truth. The bipartisan January 6 commission will now be an institutional hammer. I suspect this is going to look like the Orange Julius impeachment on steroids.
Here’s the real problem for House Republicans: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/553695-tom-rice-gains-new-primary-challenger-over-impeachment-vote . McCarthy’s rehabilitation of Orange Julius has set up a string of primary challenges to his caucus members. As in the past 3 election cycles, these challenges serve to continue to radicalize the Republican Party. This does not work as a long-term strategy for one party in a two-party system. What happens when the indictments start dropping on Orange Julius?
When political parties splinter: https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/15/politics/us-political-party-split-history/index.html . Who was worse for the Republican Party – Barry Goldwater in 1964, who was crushingly defeated, or Orange Julius now, who was narrowly elected and then completed a disastrous 4 year term? The jury is still out, but it sure looks like Orange Julius. Goldwater did leave the door open for Nixon’s rehabilitation, which in turn led to the Southern Strategy. That strategy has always been a demographic loser. The consequences are playing out right now.
Media reaction: https://in.news.yahoo.com/will-anything-break-the-go-ps-embrace-of-election-lies-155255077.html . I still believe the fundamental failure here is that the GOP does not understand videotape. We can all see the truth anytime we want. The 2022 election ads will drive this home ad nauseum. But it is remarkable that allegiance to the Big Lie has made it this far.
Republican Arizona election official calls Orange Julius “unhinged”: https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-arizona-election-recounts-elections-election-2020-316be3604cae983781e413d41253656d . So when was he hinged?
Former Dallas prosecutor disbarred for withholding exculpatory evidence from defense: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-county-prosecutor-disbarred-for-withholding-evidence-after-2-men-cleared-of-capital-murder-charges/2632947/ . Jackson is only the fourth attorney disbarred for egregious conduct leading to a wrongful conviction. While this is particularly egregious conduct, undoubtedly there are more than 4 such cases in US history. So disbarment should be a more common remedy.
More on China’s Mars landing: https://apnews.com/article/china-technology-business-science-e1c1d0679aa78a8cc79c04a4d1375322 .