China population COVID vaccination cost: https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/how-much-did-china-pay-to-vaccinate-its-population-against-covid-19-the-bill-is-in/ar-AA18sjee . However, these vaccines did not provide the same level of protection as Western vaccines.
Moderna hires 2,000 for vaccine development: https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2023-03-10/moderna-to-hire-around-2-000-employees-globally-by-2023-end .
Opioids leading killer of preschoolers: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-health/young-children-opioid-poisoning-rcna73819 . This is utterly appalling. The article points out that child-proof caps have reduced preschooler deaths, which may imply that illegal drugs are a significant part of this problem. Should this become a presumptive reason for removing children from homes where illegal opioids are found?
Health warning: Calico Critters recalled for choking hazard: https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/09/business/3-2-million-calico-critters-toys-recall/index.html . Note that this product has already caused two deaths.
WSJ: US physician review websites have problems: https://www.wsj.com/articles/doctors-red-flags-rating-websites-c8fcc98f . “Problems” puts it too mildly. This reflects another aspect of our lack of healthcare transparency.
WSJ: On Social Security, we rely on “experts” who don’t know what they’re talking about: https://www.wsj.com/articles/social-security-benefits-early-future-1fd0fdf2 . The calculations are simple, and all of these people have it wrong. As we pointed out four days ago, the proper comparison is the present value of the benefits, not the annual benefit amount. Please read the Journal only for verifiable facts, certainly not for analysis or opinion.
California closes Silicon Valley Bank: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/10/silicon-valley-bank-is-shut-down-by-regulators-fdic-to-protect-insured-deposits.html . This is the largest US bank failure since Washington Mutual failed in 2008. The FDIC has stepped in and will insure deposits up to $250,000. It is unclear what percentage of SVB’s deposits will be covered by this insurance. Note that there was a “run on the bank” as investors pulled deposits, a process which can occur with lightning speed in today’s electronic funds transfer environment. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/silicon-valley-bank-crisis-unsettles-bank-investors-bc4ee834 . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/svb-financial-pulls-capital-raise-explores-alternatives-including-possible-sale-sources-say-11de7522 .
WSJ: The struggle for Bakhmut continues: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fight-for-bakhmut-becomes-moment-of-truth-for-wagner-founder-6146583f . We learn that Prigozhin is Putin’s former caterer … More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-commits-more-resources-to-bakhmut-defense-as-russia-advances-bc52d87f .
McConnell remains hospitalized: https://thehill.com/homenews/3892777-mcconnells-hospitalization-raises-questions-for-gops-future/ . As indictments for Orange Julius near, the GOP has a couple of glaring difficulties. First, its only other leader of significance is a hospitalized 81-year-old bearing a striking resemblance to a turtle. Second, there is no obvious replacement for McConnell in the US Senate or for the Republican party overall.
The value of the Dominion case against Fox: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/analysis-is-dominion-voting-case-against-fox-news-worth-as-much-as-1-6-billion/ar-AA18smzG?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=bf3272f7df35462287d167dee09acb6e&ei=17 . Note that Dominion’s claim for $1.6 billion is all compensatory damages. They also ask for punitive damages, which could be a significant multiple of the compensatory damages. By “significant”, my guess would be 4 to 10 times the compensatory damages awarded.
Murdoch confirms Kimberly Guilfoyle is crazy: https://www.rawstory.com/emails-from-dominion-show-rupert-murdoch-confirming-kimberly-guilfoyle-was-fired-from-fox-news-for-sexually-inappropriate-behavior/ . Hey, the best is yet to come, right? Guilfoyle is Gavin Newsom’s ex-wife: they divorced in 2006 …
2023 US threat assessment: Major challenges: https://news.yahoo.com/china-russia-and-climate-change-2023-threat-assessment-sees-us-faced-with-unprecedented-challenges-230320176.html . This is sobering reading, but worthwhile. Six months ago, the German intelligence chief said, “Russia is the storm, China is climate change.”: https://www.yahoo.com/video/german-spy-chief-russia-storm-115713344.html .
Meanwhile, on the home front, cross-burning produces a 42 month prison sentence: https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-cross-burning-hate-crime-sentence-f50a9d98ddfd6cdfa9d3c0acd1953c77 . We (still) have 50 states. Mississippi ranks near the bottom in most categories of education and cultural awareness …
Somalia will split away from Africa, and a new ocean will form: https://www.iflscience.com/africa-is-splitting-into-two-continents-and-may-open-a-vast-new-ocean-67848 . This process will occur over the next 5 to 10 million years, relatively short in geological time. The split will occur along what is now referred to as the Great Rift Valley. For comparison, Madagascar split away from Africa 155 to 170 million years ago. We know this from studying species evolution and magnetic information within rock formations.
I traveled to Kenya about 25 years ago, a country divided by the Great Rift Valley. The species north of the valley already have distinct subspecies. For example, the giraffes and zebras have skin patterns quite distinct from their southern relatives. The ostriches we know are pale pink, while those north of the rift are pale blue. So distinctive evolution is occurring well before the African continent loses the land to the east of the valley.
Pushback on BBC decision to pull a David Attenborough documentary: https://www.thewrap.com/david-attenborough-wild-isles-episode-pulled-controversy-bbc/ . Presumably BBC values its sterling reputation. But this stunt feels like Fox.
George Santos named in card skimming fraud: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/santos-denies-new-allegation-organized-2017-credit-card/story?id=97769534 . Wow. George certainly gets around …
Lauren Boebert becomes at grandmother at 36: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rep-lauren-boebert-36-announces-first-grandchild-born-april . We also learn that she earned her GED in 2020, the same year she was first elected to Congress. Readers can guess what I think of all this (Hint: Not much).