COVID vaccination for young kids begin: https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccines-children-shots-begin-2990bc9828427b17f303fca54ae60bf0 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/some-parents-rush-to-get-covid-19-vaccines-for-young-kids-11635965195 . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-vaccines-safe-kids-parents-11620405004 .
Air Force COVID vaccination statistics: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-b145976254f6deab1ae3130cf8159b00 . 96% are fully vaccinated and 97% have received at least one shot. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/thousands-in-air-force-space-force-seek-exemption-from-covid-19-vaccines-11635968785 .
Israelis discover COVID proteins causing heart attacks and strokes: https://www.timesofisrael.com/covid-pieces-that-trigger-strokes-and-heart-attacks-identified-by-israeli-team/ . This focus on the vascular aspects of COVID could have important therapeutic applications. More: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/11/211103105014.htm .
WSJ: More on long COVID: https://www.wsj.com/articles/long-covid-what-to-know-about-lingering-symptoms-of-a-covid-19-infection-11635779344 .
COVID pandemic in US deer: https://nypost.com/2021/11/02/deer-identified-as-widespread-carrier-of-coronavirus-study/ . Maybe this is the deer’s way of fighting back against the hunters. They’ve “herd” many of the hunters are unvaccinated. More: https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/579866-scientists-fear-animals-could-harbor-coronavirus-and-then-pass-it . The hunters think this is a Democratic conspiracy to inject them with a Bill Gates microchip.
England’s over-65 COVID infection rate doubled between September and October: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/04/england-covid-infection-rates-doubled-in-over-65s-between-september-and-october . This newsletter has warned for some time that school openings could endanger older household members.
The Netherlands reimposes COVID restrictions as cases surge: https://www.ft.com/content/979c894f-d07e-41bf-8089-67123a6cce23 .
Russia’s COVID surge continues despite partial lockdown: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-russia-europe-vladimir-putin-58784e7b5ee7e326eeef78f2effeaa4f . “Da, Comrade Zhvachkin, spasibo for pointing out that one week off is not enough to break the COVID transmission chain. You have won a two-week COVID isolation chamber in our Siberian gulag! Bring this up again, and we can make it permanent!”
Details of the Medicare drug price negotiation proposal: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/11/02/president-biden-announces-prescription-drug-pricing-plan-in-build-back-better-framework/ . So this is 50 years overdue, and too modest. But at least it is a start.
House plans to debate and vote on reconciliation and infrastructure packages this week: https://apnews.com/article/immigration-joe-biden-business-congress-9e8ac81593c22c8788d294a9c25e29e4 . This promise has been made and broken before, but Virginia polling has lit a fire under the Democrats. Unfortunately, the 2021 election is now over. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pelosi-says-house-democrats-will-add-paid-leave-back-to-bill-11635951745 . More: https://www.msnbc.com/stephanie-ruhle/watch/rep-jayapal-both-infrastructure-packages-will-pass-this-week-125282373740 .
WSJ: Climate conference: follow the money: https://www.wsj.com/articles/financial-system-makes-big-promises-on-climate-change-at-cop26-summit-11635897675 . This massive pledge by the world’s financial institutions should significantly change the game for corporate borrowing.
Zillow shutters home-buying business: https://www.businessinsider.com/zillow-homebuying-unit-shutting-down-layoffs-2021-11 . Many folks use Zillow to get a rough idea of home prices. The American corporate model right now is to monetize everything you do. So Zillow went into home-flipping. Bad idea. Their algorithm was not strong enough to effectively price individual properties, and they will now unwind at huge losses. What is truly remarkable here is their failure to understand the limitations of their central product. They have been at property pricing since 2006. Zillow has over 5200 employees, so about 1300 are being laid off. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/zillow-went-too-bignow-it-has-to-downsize-11635935400 .
First major sentencing approaches in January 6 insurrection: https://apnews.com/article/new-jersey-capitol-siege-sentencing-077f838a75c75496ee2ee059811a1066 . As readers know, several judges have been critical of the prosecutors in these cases for low sentencing recommendations. So will the judge exceed the recommendation of 44 months here? (Based on this limited reporting, I think it would be warranted.)
Nuts on the ballot: https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elections-presidential-elections-legislature-virginia-523be44d4f3e6a672f0d232caeb6deb6 . But any way you slice it, there are plenty of rural areas where majorities believe the Big Lie. Democracy remains threatened.
Murphy narrowly re-elected: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/03/new-jersey-governor-race-519117 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-jersey-governor-race-is-still-too-close-to-call-11635940355 . Biden won New Jersey by 16 points, and pollsters gave Murphy a 10 point lead. I suspect some Democrats stayed home while the OJ tribe turned out in force. And when pollsters say Democrats lack enthusiasm – part of the problem is the pollsters’ ongoing inability to deliver accurate polls. I’ve watched this for years, and it’s never been this bad. So much for Big Data. Data is not the same thing as information.
Rittenhouse judge sounds off against media: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/kyle-rittenhouse-judge-stops-proceedings-fumes-about-media-criticism/ar-AAQi6LE?li=BBnb7Kz . So the judge lost his way here. As mentioned previously, the judge’s stance on not calling the persons shot “victims” has a reasonable basis. As to whether these individuals participated in looting, the evidence has to be relevant to the defendant’s actions to be admissible. It is unclear from this reporting whether the video being shown has an adequate foundation. However, the judge’s engagement with the media is in my view inappropriate.