News for April 2 — COVID Raised Maternal Mortality Rates

COVID raised maternal mortality rates: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-04-01/maternal-mortality-spiked-in-us-ahead-of-covid-pandemic . This is a different aspect of COVID’s impact on mortality.

US unlikely to distribute AstraZeneca vaccine here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/astrazenecas-covid-19-shot-will-come-too-late-for-the-us/ar-BB1faD3Z?li=BBnb7Kz . This is a logical and desirable result. We’re on prior notice that there is a potential blood clotting issue.

UK identifies more blood clotting events associated with AstraZeneca vaccine: https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-digest-uk-finds-30-blood-clot-cases-after-astrazeneca-jab/a-57083963 .

J&J begins vaccine trials in teens, also plans trials for pregnant women and younger children: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-04-02/johnson-johnson-begins-testing-coronavirus-vaccine-in-teens . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/j-j-starts-testing-covid-19-vaccine-in-adolescents-11617379165 .

WSJ: Immunoglobulin therapy drugs fail COVID trials: https://www.wsj.com/articles/experimental-immunoglobulin-covid-19-therapies-fail-testing-11617402885

Travel is low risk for vaccinated people, says CDC: https://www.reuters.com/article/reutersComService_2_MOLT/idUSKBN2BP142 . But the CDC does not recommend travel. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cdc-says-travel-is-low-risk-for-fully-vaccinated-people-11617376809 .

How does sunlight inactivate coronavirus?: https://www.sciencealert.com/sunlight-inactivates-sars-cov-2-a-lot-faster-than-predicted-and-we-need-to-work-out-why . The virus is much more affected by sunlight than theory predicts.

Scientific American’s weekly news roundup: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/coronavirus-news-roundup-march-27-ndash-april-2/ .

WSJ: Vaccinations in Hong Kong lag: https://www.wsj.com/articles/flush-with-covid-19-vaccines-hong-kong-struggles-to-find-takers-11617363003 .

WSJ: Sputnik V’s future in Europe: https://www.wsj.com/articles/with-eus-covid-19-vaccine-drive-in-disarray-russia-sees-an-opening-11617371871 .

Simulated cruises allowed for industry: https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-usa-cruises/cdc-issues-next-phase-of-guidance-to-cruise-ship-industry-idUSL1N2LV16B . CDC has not solved the problem of simulated earnings, however. WSJ: Oh, and vaccinate your employees: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cdc-issues-updated-guidance-for-u-s-cruises-to-resume-11617397976 .

US economy adds 916,000 jobs in March, best since last August: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/02/us-jobs-report-march-2021.html . Additional detail: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/march-jobs-report-labor-market-pandemic-unemployment-payrolls-181729856.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/march-jobs-report-unemployment-rate-2021-11617314225 .

WSJ: US recovery affects rest of world unevenly: https://www.wsj.com/articles/red-hot-u-s-economy-a-mixed-blessing-for-rest-of-world-11617355800 .

CARES Act gave billions to fossil fuel companies, who then cut jobs: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/apr/02/fossil-fuel-companies-billions-tax-breaks-workers .

WSJ: US, Iran to restart nuclear talks: https://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-nuclear-deal-participants-including-u-s-to-meet-in-vienna-next-week-11617361429 .

WSJ: Suez Canal forever: https://www.wsj.com/articles/inside-the-suez-canal-race-to-free-the-ever-given-11617372257 .

Another shooting incident at the US Capitol: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/04/02/police-respond-call-possible-shooting-u-s-capitol/7064125002/ . One officer has died. The driver was shot and killed: https://news.yahoo.com/us-capitol-lockdown-vehicle-shooting-police-victims-173000580.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/capitol-police-apprehend-suspect-after-crash-11617385751 .

Baseball to Georgia: We’re taking our ball and going to another home: https://news.yahoo.com/us-capitol-lockdown-vehicle-shooting-police-victims-173000580.html . Quite obviously this law was passed by Republicans to suppress Democratic votes. Baseball and major corporations headquartered in Atlanta are vocally standing against it. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/mlb-removes-2021-all-star-game-from-atlanta-because-of-georgia-voting-law-11617394748 .

Senior rat disembarks the Titanic: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/02/gaetz-communications-director-part-ways-amid-allegations-against-gaetz-478936 . Now you know the insiders know the truth here.

Titanic vows to sail on: https://www.wsj.com/articles/matt-gaetz-says-he-wont-resign-as-pressure-mounts-11617408350 . Right now, that’s looking like straight down.

The fundamental failure of neoconservative “thought”: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/nbcs-lester-holt-is-wrong-journalists-dont-do-truth/ar-BB1ffdwf?li=BBnb7Kz . Commenting only on conservative “opinion” when it’s over the top, today Sisyphus finally reaches the mountaintop. Here is a published piece contending that the “mainstream media” doesn’t do truth, but apparently only one side of opinion. Wow – after 4 years of Orange Julius, this is considered thought? Let’s pull this apart.

  • Christ is referring to metaphysical truth – moral structure. He is not referring to basic facts not in dispute.
  • Pontius Pilate, on the other hand, here sees everything as flexible, the exaltation of ego over reality (sound like any ex-president you know?). Presumably the writer is familiar with the “Big Lie” of said ex.
  • Does this dimwit not understand that his reference puts the mainstream media on the side of Christ, and his position on the side of Pontius Pilate? On GOOD FRIDAY? He picks TODAY to “crucify” the media? And for God’s sake, learn Christianity from the book, not the movie.

It is utter moral bankruptcy to “quote” the most basic conflict in the New Testament and not in any way understand what it means. And that is where the neoconservative movement is today. Very much, I might add, like Hitler’s attempt to cloak the Third Reich in Christianity in its extermination of the Jews. Our task is “Truth, justice, and the American way” – in that order.

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice”: https://www.thedailybeast.com/obama-loves-martin-luther-kings-great-quotebut-he-uses-it-incorrectly . I don’t completely agree with this article, but it is very thoughtful. My view is that much of (good) government’s job is to protect the weak against the strong. In this context, political acts can bend history toward justice. And neoconservatives are on the wrong side of history (and apparently Christianity). And by the way, there are rats (and neo-Nazis) in their tent.

Peace be with you this Easter weekend.