Elapsed time between COVID reinfections: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/covid-reinfection-ba5-immunity_l_62d6bcc3e4b0116f21c0dd1e . Based on other coronaviruses, the hope was that protection from reinfection would last at least 12 months. However, COVID’s considerable mutation ability currently means that protection wanes significantly by six months.
China reveals leaders are vaccinated: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-07-23/chinas-leaders-communist-party-officials-vaccinated-against-covid-19-official .
BA5 causing record deaths in New Zealand: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-07-22/new-zealand-covid-19-death-rate-at-record-levels . For context, ratioing up the 151 deaths by the US population (331 million) over the New Zealand population (5.1 million) gives 9,800 weekly deaths. That’s an annual rate of 510,000 deaths. So this level of mortality is quite serious. Do not underestimate BA5.
WHO declares monkeypox global emergency: https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-united-nations-animals-epidemics-1ca2fccd89474f51a36d961f3ce38301 . Um, duh. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/who-declares-monkeypox-a-global-health-emergency-11658586983 . More broadly, we should recognize that many diseases in Africa have the potential of becoming global health emergencies. The recent World Bank grant of $100 million to the African CDC is a wise investment.
We should also remember that the Carter Center and the Gates Foundation have independently worked to eradicate diseases in Africa for many years. Private philanthropy can have meaningful effects, and that is not just limited to the rich.
Russia pisses on the new grain export deal: https://www.npr.org/2022/07/23/1113165082/russia-strikes-ukraine-black-sea-odesa-grain-deal . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-hits-military-airport-and-railway-station-in-fresh-ukraine-attack-11658571374 . Really, this is insufferably heinous in light of the mass starvation occurring in poorer countries due to the obstruction of this grain. And now this: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russia-tells-turkey-it-has-nothing-to-do-with-strike-on-ukraine-s-odesa-port-turkish-minister/ar-AAZTfGw?cvid=7e8dee07e4a34380b9639b8dbfb3fba7 . Huh? Who do the Russians think is at war with Ukraine? It must be those sneaky but powerful Moldovans.
Reverse-aging your brain: https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7988306/things-that-could-age-your-brain-3-years-new-research/ . This article discusses 8 factors, each of which age your brain about 3 years. So is this some sort of “new-age” silliness? I don’t think so. First of all, it’s a Canadian study, and quite large, involving over 20,000 people. And secondly, the 8 factors identified make sense.
Most interesting is that this study found the 8 factors to be independent and cumulative. That is, if you have 3 of these factors, your brain is on average 9 years older than someone without these factors. The usual health culprits, smoking and obesity (in the form of diabetes) are in here. But so are alcohol and substance abuse, depression and hypertension. The other 3 are hearing loss, education less than high school and traumatic brain injury.
Each of these conditions is manageable to a greater or lesser extent. If our health system emphasized prevention rather than just reaction, we might just raise the mental capabilities of the population. This also expands my view about the nature and effect of comorbidities.
More evidence of the coming recession: https://www.rawstory.com/steve-bannon-subpoena-2657714938/ . As you know, facts matter. We are apparently already in a recession (based on the technical definition). Things are getting worse, and the Fed is still going to raise 75 basis points this week because inflation is so far not relenting. Economic stories take time to play out, but their development is often heavily foreshadowed. Successful investors keep this in mind in order to develop patience.
There are some signs inflation will ease: https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/07/23/3-bullish-and-3-bearish-market-signs/ . But these will take months to work through … WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/there-are-signs-inflation-may-have-peaked-but-can-it-come-down-fast-enough-11658568604 .
Wacky OJ keeps marketing his same old tropes: https://news.yahoo.com/trump-pence-arizona-jan-6-hearings-rival-election-events-145821871.html . My patience with OJ and his supporters keeps declining. Those of us with fact-driven minds HAVE SEEN THE VIDEOS! Also, his most-repeated tropes, “hoax” and “fake news”, are all four-letter words. This doesn’t say much about the intellectual capacity of either the speaker or the audience.
Murdoch papers turn on Orange Julius’ non-response to the January 6 committee’s damning presentations: https://www.rawstory.com/rupert-murdoch-donald-trump/ . There is really no chance that Murdoch has found any integrity. He just realizes that OJ is a nut who will lead his supporters (and Murdoch’s empire) off a cliff. This is a business decision, which I would guess will be followed by more promotion of Ron DeMentis, in whose lack of integrity Murdoch sees a desirable OJ successor.
Just maybe these changes in corporate attitude will lead the Fox talking heads to stop denouncing the hearings as a sham. The overwhelming facts are beginning to have their desired effect.
Steve Bannon force-fed humble pie: https://www.rawstory.com/steve-bannon-subpoena-2657714938/ . It is important for the media to call out these manure spreaders.
Meanwhile, “Sprinter” Josh Hawley takes a barrage of incoming fire, including his hometown newspaper: https://www.rawstory.com/josh-hawley-running/ . “You Must Be Joshing” Hawley has earned a new nickname in the latest installment of the Idiot Olympics.
Also, Charlie Crist has a real chance of beating Ron DeMentis: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/chances-of-democrat-beating-ron-desantis-with-1-month-to-primary-polls/ar-AAZTB24?cvid=a4e03c966be6430dadb668a9d656ccad .
The limited advantages of paying in cash: https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/financial-planning/things-you-should-always-pay-for-with-cash/ . These advantages are generally quite limited, although on larger transactions (college tuition and the IRS), they can be meaningful. I do agree with paying the IRS (and state taxes) out of your checking account – it is no more hassle than using a credit card.
The sleeper train: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/passenger-spent-the-night-on-a-sleeper-train-and-woke-up-to-realize-it-never-left-the-station/ar-AAZTcrB?cvid=4a1c65fe40ed4f029b49807027ffe49c . On the bright side, this was the smoothest train experience the Caledonian Sleeper has ever delivered …
The Texas power grid is still making news: https://sports.yahoo.com/burning-wind-turbine-spins-smoke-083758142.html . Texans are always finding new ways to fail, and this is a pretty spectacular failure.
Red Sox give up 28 RUNS to the Blue Jays: https://sports.yahoo.com/red-sox-jarren-duran-blunder-raimel-tapia-inside-the-park-grand-slam-011105644.html . Full disclosure: Even as a lifelong Yankees fan, I do root for the Red Sox in the playoffs IF the Yankees are out. Three points from this article: (1) I learned that balls lost in the lights are typically scored as hits, not errors; (2) As such, the inside-the-park grand slam is 4 earned runs here (the pitcher cannot be happy); and (3) I rarely laugh out loud while reading on my laptop, but the tweet about the stadium DJ is a winner. Oh, and the Yanks are currently 65-30 while the Red Sox are 48-46 …
WSJ: The incredible Sydney McLaughlin: https://www.wsj.com/articles/sydney-mclaughlin-400-meter-hurdles-world-record-11658563734 . Sydney really deserves more press – she repeatedly accomplishes the unbelievable.