Emergent hid vaccine production problems: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/emergent-hid-evidence-of-covid-vaccine-problems-at-plant-report-says/ar-AAX6QN3?cvid=752a2546bae84b168d077136bacf0402 . Bottom line: Uh-oh. This is an express ticket to nowhere in government contracting. I am surprised at the Times’ description of the House committee as “Democratic-led”. Obviously, with Democrats in the majority, every House committee is Democratic-led.
WSJ: Emergent destroyed 400 million vaccine doses: https://www.wsj.com/articles/emergent-plants-quality-issues-prompted-destruction-of-400-million-covid-19-vaccine-doses-lawmakers-say-11652187604 .
WSJ: The need for a COVID booster: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-vaccine-booster-and-omicron-what-to-know-11623421703 .
Bill Gates has COVID: https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-endowments-bill-gates-e195009329bf2e01523676325bbd3807 .
Omicron BA2.12.1 approaches dominant status in US: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-05-10/cdc-new-omicron-subvariant-ba-2-12-1-responsible-for-43-of-coronavirus-cases . Also note that reported daily cases have more than doubled, from 29,000 a month ago to 66,000 now.
WSJ: More on post-Paxlovid COVID rebound: https://www.wsj.com/articles/some-covid-19-patients-relapse-after-taking-paxlovid-puzzling-doctors-11652186194 . Pfizer says relapses occur in less than 1 in 3,000 cases.
US baby formula shortage: https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-business-health-d3e32ba9e2381f77c299391e762abe21 . This is obviously a very serious situation for affected parents. The shortage is apparently worsening nationwide.
US gun deaths surge 35% in 2020: https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2022-05-10/u-s-gun-deaths-surged-35-in-2020-higher-for-black-people-cdc . We are mostly here because of Justice Scalia’s intentional misreading of the Constitution’s Second Amendment in Heller. Scalia was only a strict constructionist when he got the result he wanted.
China censors WHO chief for Zero COVID comments: https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/11/china/who-china-zero-covid-unsustainable-intl-hnk/index.html . The WHO is obviously correct that Zero COVID is an unsustainable policy. However, this reactionary behavior from China follows Xi’s edict on Zero COVID criticism. (Xe, 5/5/22)
Half of Shanghai achieves Zero COVID: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-05-11/half-of-shanghai-achieves-zero-covid-city-presses-on-with-unsustainable-fight . China continues the policy of saving face while wrecking the economy. WSJ: Meanwhile, thousands of Shanghai residents live on the streets to keep their jobs: https://www.wsj.com/articles/shanghais-lockdown-leaves-thousands-sleeping-in-its-streets-11652193941 .
GOP Congressman resigns from House after sexual harassment allegation: https://thehill.com/news/house/3483328-republican-lawmaker-announces-resignation-from-congress-following-sexual-misconduct-claims/ . Remember, these idiots are conducting a culture war as an alternative to constructive governance.
Public confidence in the Supreme Court collapses: https://news.yahoo.com/poll-confidence-in-supreme-court-has-collapsed-since-conservatives-took-control-122402500.html . This pretty much proves the public is smarter than the current Supreme Court. Everyone – politician, judge, lawyer or citizen – knows that the Court relies on public confidence for its authority.
However, Alito wrote this in the draft opinion reversing Roe v Wade: “We cannot allow our decisions to be affected by any extraneous influences such as concern about the public’s reaction to our work. We do not pretend to know how our political system or society will respond to today’s decision overruling Roe and Casey. And even if we could foresee what will happen, we would have no authority to let that knowledge influence our decision.” In the most striking terms, Alito has declared himself unfit to sit on the Court.
Russia’s offensive in eastern Ukraine remains stalled out: https://news.yahoo.com/russian-offensive-falling-short-across-ukraine-but-the-war-isnt-over-184019320.html . And there is no evidence that the Russians can improve their strategy, tactics or performance. As the Ukrainians continue to strengthen, expect them to mount targeted offensives to push the Russians back.
Export controls halt Russian tank production: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/russia-cant-make-more-tanks-because-of-this-key-sanction-biden-official-says-204705566.html . If the Ukrainians keep knocking out Russian tanks, at some point Russian ground advances will come to a halt.
DeMentis and “the free state of Florida”: https://apnews.com/article/education-florida-ron-desantis-gender-identity-parental-rights-3090ee8da146f119ec28b2ab7b12132b . Obviously, this violates the students’ First Amendment rights.
OJ-endorsed groper loses GOP Nebraska primary for governor: https://wtop.com/government/2022/05/election-2022-groping-claims-roil-nebraska-governor-primary/ .
Musk says he would reverse OJ’s Twitter ban: https://apnews.com/article/twitter-elon-musk-would-reverse-trump-ban-9e891601ca0a86a6b21c1d667c2cf5ba . Meanwhile, a noted short seller shorts Twitter, expecting Musk to renegotiate the purchase price: https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/b1xz25x02h6jqp/Hindenburg-Shorts-Twitter-Musk-Holds-All-the-Cards . However, there is another possibility, which is that Musk walks away from the deal. Twitter employees were already bailing out over the Musk takeover. Musk’s comments on OJ will drive more to leave. If Musk does walk, Twitter will emerge as an even more damaged company, and the short seller will profit. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/elon-musk-would-reverse-twitters-donald-trump-ban-11652204279 .
French soccer player demoted for … well … a novel reason: https://sports.yahoo.com/french-soccer-club-lyon-reportedly-demoted-marcelo-for-continuous-farting-in-dressing-room-160801390.html . Elsewhere, this story has been headlined “Gone with the Wind”.
The Constitution states that Supreme Court Justices serve during their “good behavior”. We should consider Alito’s career as one big intellectual fart, apply the Constitutional language, and (following the French precedent) return him to the Third Circuit.