COVID shot delivery glitches: WSJ: https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/covid-vaccine-shots-canceled-813f712f . Really, I’m at a loss as to how the pharmacy chains are screwing this up. We’ve been through 5 rounds already; this should be nearly automatic by now.
Blood test identifies long COVID: https://www.axios.com/2023/09/25/long-covid-blood-test-study . The study showed that persons suffering from long COVID have distinct immune and hormone imbalances. So the researchers suggest that the brain has difficulty with hormone regulation in these patients.
Medicare prepares for drug price negotiations: https://www.wsj.com/health/pharma/uncle-sam-wants-youto-fight-high-drug-prices-42b3edee .
Senate looks to pressure McCarthy to avoid government shutdown: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/senate-nearing-bipartisan-measure-to-avert-a-government-shutdown/ar-AA1hg2aS?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=8a9abbc717fc4f5aa3e77a0da8700e9d&ei=34 . So, the House is behaving irresponsibly. Senate Republicans are realizing that voters will hold the GOP responsible, and they look to let McCarthy take the fall unless he suddenly locates his backbone.
WSJ: We “analyze” US labor issues in 6 charts: https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/labor-supply-economy-jobs-charts-3285a5b7 . Uh-huh. Where’s the discussion of AI and automation? Just as EVs take fewer parts and increase the role of automation, similar change will come to the construction industry. 3-D printers have already been used to construct entire homes. Also, who is John Fish? He heads a family-owned company started by his father 40 years ago. He joined the company at 23 and has no other eperience. Suffolk has 2,010 employees: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffolk_Construction_Company . It is journalistic malpractice for the Journal to quote this guy on matters relating to US labor, particularly when all he has to say is that wages for carpenters have gone up.
WSJ: We babble about CEO pay at auto companies: https://www.wsj.com/business/auto-ceos-make-about-300-times-what-their-median-worker-is-paid-heres-how-that-stacks-up-cefc9a5 . The key facts in this article: Mary Barra made 203 times the median worker’s pay in 2019. That multiple was 362 in 2022. In other words, the multiplier almost doubled in 3 years. Also, both multipliers are obscene. The workers are clearly not sharing in the company’s success.
Did Ukrainian attack on Black Sea fleet headquarters kill Russia’s fleet commander?: https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/25/europe/russia-commander-killed-ukraine-attack-intl/index.html . The Ukrainians claim they killed 34 senior officers, including Admiral Viktor Sokolov. More: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-ace77293aebc8f2bb69047c48023c43e .
WSJ: Ukraine’s baby bust: https://www.wsj.com/world/russias-invasion-triggers-baby-bust-in-ukraine-6a448a53 . So between this and kidnapping Ukrainian children and taking them to Russia, the Russians are committing genocide on the Ukrainians.
The state of Ukrainian drone technology: https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-syria-us-military-capture-f9013879bf3c9f5aa802cffb383f5059 . The flying in this short video is quite impressive.
WSJ: The state of US drone technology: https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/pentagon-plan-to-buy-thousands-of-drones-faces-looming-snags-6b30a1bb .
US military captures key Islamic militant in Syria: https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-syria-us-military-capture-f9013879bf3c9f5aa802cffb383f5059 . The US military continues to protect the world from terrorism.
Special master proposes 3 options for Alabama redistricting: https://apnews.com/article/alabama-redistricting-0c3a790313a19f1d2f65d986ba52e3a2 . A hearing is set for October 3, while the legislature hopes for Supreme Court intervention. That continues to strike me as unlikely, since the legislature openly defied the prior Supreme Court ruling in this case.
Today’s legal nonsense: Community college dropout who killed 23 in El Paso Walmart attack agrees to pay $5 million to victims’ families: https://apnews.com/article/texas-walmart-shooter-el-paso-ce0af4c8bedc90d4330b4a55b1696fee . I don’t see how this kid will have $50,000 in his prison account over his lifetime, so why enter an order like this? Could he sell his story to Hollywood? But would any family want this type of publicity? Judges need to craft orders that increase respect for the legal system, even (or especially) in Texas.
Today’s Orange Julius nonsense: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trumps-latest-villain-electric-vehicles-191408155.html . OJ attacks electric vehicles as a hoax and says all EVs will be made in China. So this is OJ’s typical appeal to fear and not facts. EVs are currently made on the US and are the future of the automotive industry. As OJ is 77, what does he care if the planet cannot support life in 50 years? As always, he is astonishingly ignorant; these claims won’t draw people to the GOP base; and some will leave.
Today’s OJ legal nonsense: https://apnews.com/article/trump-insurrection-14th-amendment-speech-colorado-9626b6ae8479e6a4ce34c3391f207426 . Again, the First Amendment argument is absurd. OJ conducted a rally on January 6 where he called on supporters to march on the Capitol and “fight like hell for your country” which they did. So only a moron would argue that First Amendment rights cover actions of insurrection. Oh, right …
Seven GOP candidates debate Wednesday: https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/25/politics/second-republican-debate-line-up/index.html . So will anybody get serious about attacking Orange Julius? Odds are slim. Asa Hutchinson won’t be on the stage and Chris Christie is polling at 3% … so expect 97% BS …
Newsom, DeMentis to debate on Fox in November: https://www.aol.com/news/newsom-desantis-agree-debate-fox-163203989.html . So apparently DeMentis is trying everything to restart his flagging (or flagged) campaign. But the problem is, Newsom should wipe the floor with Ron over his record – look at the vulnerability over Ron’s Disney missteps.
WSJ: Amazon increases AI investment: https://www.wsj.com/business/deals/amazon-to-invest-up-to-4-billion-in-anthropic-as-ai-arms-race-escalates-649dee22 .
Student loan relief comes to 800,000: https://www.aol.com/student-loan-debt-forgiveness-becomes-090918831.html . Note that these people have met their obligations for relief for 20 to 25 years … this is not a new program. Some will even get refunds due to miscalculations.
WSJ: Federal infrastructure grants for railroad improvement: https://www.wsj.com/business/logistics/railroads-to-receive-1-4-billion-for-fixes-and-upgrades-8423721b . Note that $1.4 billion spread over 70 projects means an average of $20 million per project. Many of these projects are not much more than maintenance (which is still a good thing, just not game-changing).
AOC tells Elon Musk to … um, buzz off: https://www.aol.com/news/aoc-says-shes-looking-trade-200534357.html . Unions are definitely enjoying a resurgence.
NASA’s asteroid sample helped back to Earth by … Queen’s guitarist?: https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/25/world/brian-may-osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-bennu-scn-intl-scli/index.html . Yep. Of course. Brian May, age 76, is an astrophysicist. Also, there’s a Mercury joke in here somewhere.
David McCallum, aka “Man from U.N.C.L.E.”’s Illya Kuryakin, passes at 90: https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/david-mccallum-dead-ncis-man-from-uncle-1235734772/ .
Mafia boss passes in prison hospital: https://apnews.com/article/italy-mafia-cosa-nostra-messina-denaro-6c0a6acfa6c47aaa6107743d8b9e4419 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/italian-mafia-boss-matteo-messina-denaro-dies-months-after-capture-4270051e . No, he was not hit in the eye by a big pizza pie – that’s amore.