WSJ: Courts review more vaccine mandates: https://www.wsj.com/articles/judges-weigh-more-biden-vaccine-mandate-cases-after-supreme-court-rulings-11644143401 .
Coronavirus evolution tales: https://www.science.org/content/article/coronavirus-variant-once-helped-global-pork-industry-could-one-protect-us . Sigh. Here a science publication details a past story of coronavirus evolution and then completely misses the point. The point is that virus mutation is random, and therefore the resulting fatality rate from new variants is also completely random. The virus seeks transmission and reproduction. The host’s death is a factor in the virus’ fitness only if the host dies before the virus can transmit. The view just stated, which is based in logic, is confirmed by the evidence in this story.
Israeli study indicates Vitamin D deficiency a key determinant of COVID severity: https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1561909/coronavirus-latest-omicron-study-vitamin-D-deficiency-symptoms-severe-illness . This topic has been extensively studied, with both supporting and contrary results.
Russia records 187,000 COVID cases Sunday: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-europe-russia-pandemics-2f4faa4722f00add31cf8ba72197a7e9 . Recent history: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/02/06/coronavirus-in-russia-the-latest-news-feb-6-a69117 . Hey, great time to invade another country and get everyone’s minds off the domestic problems … now Russians can die at home and “internationally”. However, the 2022 version of War and Peace is poorly written … absolutely no one wants to read it.
Vietnam reopens schools: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/vietnam-starts-reopening-schools-after-year-long-pandemic-closure-2022-02-07/ . By any measure, Vietnam has managed the pandemic better than the US.
Chris Christie on OJ and the truth: https://news.yahoo.com/chris-christie-trump-pence-jan-6-152703059.html . Okay, fine. So what? Everyone who cares about the truth of January 6 already knows what it is. The problem is that upwards of 80% of the GOP tribe still sees OJ as their leader. The important recent event is that Pence called OJ wrong in front of The Federalist Society (a conservative group of lawyers), and received a standing ovation. The question is to what extent (and when) the centers of influence in the GOP will break away from the Big Lie.
OJ and snake oil: https://www.aol.com/news/snake-oil-salesmen-advised-trump-154452520-194914788.html . Marc Short advances a narrative which says OJ was wrong because he got poor advice. This is a twisted story indeed. OJ sought out weak people he could bend to his will. He got exactly the advice he was looking for. When you fill the room with snakes, you are bound to get bit. And that is your fault.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch castigates the RNC Cheney/Kinzinger censure: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/rnc-censure-of-cheney-kinzinger-shows-gop-is-a-cult-missouri-newspaper/ar-AATx6Nz?ocid=hponeservicefeed . The Post-Dispatch is the most influential paper in Missouri. By the way, in case you wondered, “Who is St. Louis?”, here is the answer: https://news.stlpublicradio.org/show/st-louis-on-the-air/2014-04-22/why-is-st-louis-named-after-a-french-king-who-was-born-800-years-ago . So perhaps the Post-Dispatch is on a Crusade.
An alternate view of the censure: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/jan-6-committee-making-rnc-a-little-nervous-suggests-gop-s-charlie-dent/ar-AATxfWh?ocid=hponeservicefeed . Dent says the RNC censured these two out of fear of subpoenas from the January 6 committee. The fear may well be there, but how does the censure help the RNC members? It’s just another OJ loyalty declaration from the fruitcake wing of the GOP.