COVID-19 tide keeps rising: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/covid-19-cases-are-rise-all-50-states-nbc-news-n1248006 .
FDA grants EUA for 30-minute home COVID-19 test: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-0430fe7460b4385bd952978f19b3d88d .
WSJ: COVID-19 treatment improving: https://www.wsj.com/articles/doctors-apply-covid-19-lessons-learned-as-u-s-cases-surge-11605609000 . It is tragic that this improvement has come from a year of high-volume caseloads and deaths.
White House Coronavirus Task Force reports “further deterioration”: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/17/politics/white-house-coronavirus-task-force-state-reports/index.html . Interestingly, “further deterioration” also applies to the wreck of the Titanic. Highest cases per 100,000: North Dakota again wins the title, followed by South Dakota.
Ritzville wedding superspreader: https://www.thedailybeast.com/over-300-guests-attended-a-washington-wedding-now-17-people-have-covid-19 . Within a few hours of original publication, the case count went from 17 to 40. As you can see from the article, attendance exceeded the governor’s mandated maximum of 30 by a factor of more than 10.
WSJ: Reinventing vaccines: https://www.wsj.com/articles/moderna-and-pfizer-are-reinventing-vaccines-starting-with-covid-11605638892 . I agree with this, and hope the thinking goes even broader. Vaccines are a way of playing “defense”. There is also the possibility of “offense” – using mRNA delivery to repair damaged or defective DNA in our cells.
WSJ: Vaccine skepticism: https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-than-a-third-of-new-jersey-residents-reluctant-to-get-safe-covid-19-vaccine-11605648917 . Swell. New Jersey is our most densely populated state. By the way, next on the list would be Puerto Rico, if it was a state.
Helpful reader input: A reader asked that I include this article on America’s past history with balancing vaccine need and vaccine safety: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/17/opinions/covid-polio-vaccine-parallels-oshinsky/index.html . Glad to, this is good material. As a baby boomer, I remember the parental terror over polio, especially with the country’s remembrance of FDR.
More helpful reader input: Another reader asked about my use of measles as a benchmark yesterday, as measles is extremely infectious. I agree, but offer this expansion/clarification. As the pandemic continues to demonstrate, we do not fully understand coronavirus transmission and contagion yet. And due to asymptomatic transmission (among other reasons), we are failing at contact tracing. I certainly do not doubt that 70% vaccination will reduce transmission. I doubt that it will end transmission.
As much as we know about measles, we had a significant outbreak here in Portland last winter. The problem, frankly, is that there are communities of anti-vaxxers around here. Because of the politicization of COVID-19, that is likely to be a significant problem even at a 70% immunization rate. Put differently, the 30% will not be evenly distributed among the population, which is an assumption in herd immunity calculations. In particular, the measles problem here was concentrated in certain church communities. This has also proven true of COVID-19 outbreaks. You may recall our church choirs, one held in violation of the governor’s lockdown order.
Mardi Gras parades cancelled for 2021: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/17/us/mardi-gras-new-orleans-parade-trnd/index.html .
NORAD limits Santa trackers: https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2020-11-16/norad-reduces-volunteers-to-track-santa-due-to-coronavirus-concerns?src=usn_nl_coronavirus . This would seem like a logical remote activity. However, the government is involved.
WSJ: Purdue advances opioid settlement: https://www.wsj.com/articles/purdue-gets-chapter-11-approval-of-justice-department-opioid-settlement-11605655666 . Remember, Purdue selected the bankruptcy judge. This is looking like a very valuable strategic decision for Purdue and the Sacklers.
France passes 2 million COVID-19 cases: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-france-salomon/confirmed-coronavirus-infections-in-france-surpasses-2-million-idUSKBN27X2M4 . By comparison, the US has had over 2 million cases since the start of November, and cases are rising.
WSJ: Developing countries press case for vaccine patent exceptions: https://www.wsj.com/articles/developing-nations-push-for-covid-vaccines-without-the-patents-11605614409 .
WSJ: Can vaccines heal Broadway?: https://www.wsj.com/articles/broadway-industry-says-covid-19-vaccines-could-hasten-revival-11605621476 .
Amazon opens online pharmacy: https://apnews.com/article/amazon-opens-online-pharmacy-ebebe13bef54220ec3b0c7ffdcda2a68 . WSJ: Amazon’s “cloud babies”: https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazons-cloud-babies-keep-growing-up-11605634323 . Bezos may actually end up owning everything.
WSJ: Pandemic philanthropy: https://www.wsj.com/articles/darren-walker-interview-ford-foundation-philanthropy-pandemic-11604679844 . The reinvention of philanthropy is intended to leverage both assets and privilege.
WSJ: Fed emphasizes COVID-19 near-term risk: https://www.wsj.com/articles/feds-powell-says-rising-coronavirus-cases-poses-threat-to-economy-11605637622 .
States plead for federal financial help: https://apnews.com/article/states-plead-more-federal-help-virus-53b3548677e35540e0f90ca2c2e903b8 . How do we have a Senate Majority leader who calls himself the Grim Reaper?: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/mitch-mcconnell-grim-reaper-nancy-pelosi-pandemic-police-reform-chokeholds-ban-aid-senate-vote-a9596176.html . He is one screwed-up turtle. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-seek-covid-aid-talks-with-mcconnell-this-week-11605656941 . It’s hard to say if Democrats should accept a smaller package now. Senate control will not be decided before the end of the lame-duck session.
WSJ: PPP recipients file for bankruptcy: https://www.wsj.com/articles/hundreds-of-companies-that-got-stimulus-aid-have-failed-11605609180 . There is some mix here of fraud and need, but my guess is it’s mostly need.
WSJ: Shelton nomination to Fed suffers setback: https://www.wsj.com/articles/judy-sheltons-fed-candidacy-goes-down-to-wire-with-close-vote-expected-11605637206 . Um, the article quotes a Republican Senator: “Nobody wants anybody on the Federal Reserve that has a fatal attraction to nutty ideas.” This Senator then voted FOR the nomination. When this loser returns to Louisiana, he will wade into the Gulf and rejoin his family: https://www.sanibelseaschool.org/experience-blog/2014/9/24/5-types-of-jellies-in-the-gulf-of-mexico . Pink meanie, indeed.
Grassley tests positive for COVID-19: https://apnews.com/article/chuck-grassley-quarantine-virus-exposure-75dad54f5f5c28fdb9a8e6f811bf4592 . This is not good news for Grassley, 87, or for the Shelton nomination. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/iowa-sen-chuck-grassley-tests-positive-for-covid-19-11605654161 .
WSJ: Chinese chip maker misses debt payment: https://www.wsj.com/articles/major-chinese-chip-company-defaults-on-debt-11605607470 .
WSJ: UK’s climate financial reporting experiment: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-u-k-s-experiment-with-climate-reporting-is-worth-watching-11605610427 . This is a solid effort to quantify corporate climate financial risk. The comments on the oil industry are a sign that adjustment is under way.
Meltdown Don keeps getting smaller, fires top federal election security official: https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-politics-elections-2481250f4e823dfb2a63d80569495c5c . Chris Krebs did predict that telling the truth would get him fired: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8943531/Senior-U-S-cybersecurity-official-tells-associates-expects-fired-sources.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-fires-chris-krebs-top-cybersecurity-official-in-department-of-homeland-security-11605659868 .
Meltdown Don pulls troops out of everywhere: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8943531/Senior-U-S-cybersecurity-official-tells-associates-expects-fired-sources.html . This makes no sense to anyone familiar with anything. In many ways this increases the danger to the remaining troops as it compromises the staffing of the missions currently in place. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-orders-pre-inauguration-troop-withdrawals-in-face-of-rising-violence-in-afghanistan-and-iraq-11605650562 .
By the way, this is why Trump fired Mark Esper, as Esper predicted: https://thehill.com/policy/defense/525158-esper-if-my-replacement-is-a-real-yes-man-then-god-help-us .
And as Jeh Johnson predicted on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” this past Sunday: “To see the secretary of defense fired just weeks before he would have left office anyway is greatly concerning … If it’s got something to do with Afghanistan, … you don’t unilaterally surrender your greatest point of leverage by unilaterally withdrawing troops before the Afghan government and the Taliban have stuck a deal.” https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-11-15-20-adm-brett-giroir/story?id=74218239 .
WSJ: Additional Biden staff named: https://www.wsj.com/articles/joe-biden-names-senior-white-house-staff-11605629103 .
WSJ: Democrats look to turn out base: https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-scrutinize-hits-misses-with-black-voters-11605618271 . Kamala Harris should be spending the next two months touring Georgia. WSJ: Georgia Republicans look to turn out base: https://www.wsj.com/articles/frustrated-trump-voters-in-rural-georgia-look-to-runoff-elections-11605626223 . So candidates don’t matter, issues don’t matter, facts don’t matter – party affiliation matters. Seriously, the country fails if this continues.
However, Republicans now face an intraparty war in Georgia as the senators attack the secretary of state: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/georgia-recount-election-1.5807799. (link replaced 11/25/20; original was NY Times article).
Second Georgia county finds ballots: https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-georgia-elections-voting-machines-voting-018eac6ac24733d63d356ee76f485530 . Hey, they were extras from 2016.
WSJ: Republicans look to the past: https://www.wsj.com/articles/house-republicans-set-to-re-elect-kevin-mccarthy-as-party-leader-11605619143 . As documented previously, John Boehner and Paul Ryan look strong in relation to Kevin McCarthy. Apparently House Republicans are betting on Trump 2024.
The Flame G.O.D,: https://apnews.com/article/new-york-shootings-police-new-york-city-hip-hop-and-rap-47c5b823b7e9e564819a69c6be8e9575 . Even this wouldn’t get me to ride the subway right now …
Tiger’s gift to duffers: a 10 on Augusta’s par 3 12th that gave him last year’s Masters Championship: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/15/golf/golf-masters-tiger-woods-shoots-10-on-short-12th/index.html . You can’t make this stuff up. His victory last year was the most exciting tournament of the 21st century.