Employees as assets, not expenses: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/surprising-culprit-behind-mass-layoffs-114553327.html . After almost 50 years in actuarial consulting, I have always viewed employee benefits management as a potential win-win for both the employer and the employees. This article rightfully points out that accounting tends to view every expenditure as a negative, and tends to ignore the value of human capital.
WSJ: CVS completes Oak Street Health deal: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cvs-earnings-report-oak-street-health-merger-11675835625 .
WSJ: The facts about the Fed’s plan: https://www.wsj.com/articles/feds-williams-says-policy-will-have-to-be-kept-sufficiently-restrictive-for-few-years-11675870597 . The news here is that the high interest rate timeframe is “a few years”, according to Fed officials. The Journal would do well to stop publishing crap from stock touts who continue to insist the Fed will cut rates later this year. Short of Armageddon, that is not going to happen.
Turkey-Syria earthquake update: Death toll now 15,000 and rising: https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/turkey-syria-earthquake-updates-2-8-23-intl/index.html . More: https://apnews.com/article/earthquakes-turkey-syria-live-updates-4e74b5d5117578d0ad478df608f76f51 . As literally thousands of buildings have collapsed, the scale of the tragedy will continue to unfold over the next week or two. The death toll jumped today based on more reporting from Turkey. As some of these mountain towns have only one road in, rescuers have been slowed by the refugees streaming out of destroyed areas. Overall, around 30 million people live in the affected region. Sadly, some of these search and rescue operations will soon turn to recovery operations, and will receive delayed attention as rescue efforts continue.
WSJ: More on the Turkey-Syria earthquake: https://www.wsj.com/articles/syrias-isolation-hinders-earthquake-relief-effort-11675862301 . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/rescue-teams-race-against-time-to-find-survivors-11675840896 . And: https://www.wsj.com/articles/under-turkeys-earthquake-wreckage-voices-go-silent-11675900713 .
WSJ: Russians expending troops to gain inches: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-bakhmut-russia-soldiers-killed-11675810722 . More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-forces-press-ukrainian-defense-in-northeast-11675852202 . Is this really a last gasp from the Russians before the German tanks arrive? Clearly, there is no consideration for the lives of their troops.
Raskin to GOP on Twitter “hearing”: Take this crap and shove it: https://www.rawstory.com/jamie-raskin-2659390571/ . Raskin, a constitutional law professor, rightfully points out that the GOP is accusing Twitter of imaginary crimes. Twitter has the right to publish or not publish as it chooses. WSJ: Huh? We do our best to praise the House GOP, not report on it: https://www.wsj.com/articles/former-twitter-executives-to-face-gop-scrutiny-on-hunter-biden-laptop-decisions-11675833930 .
Meanwhile, James Carville details the “staggering” white trash in the House GOP: https://www.rawstory.com/republican-party-rude-carville/ . Carville also documents an extraordinary story about Lauren Boebert, which is worth reading the whole article for. Also, Carville says Kevin McCarthy is not white trash – he’s “white Jell-O”. Carville may not be politically correct, but boy, he is spot-on.
Mississippi to world: We may be a ‘Merican state, but we’re really a racist third-world country: https://sports.yahoo.com/mississippi-gop-passes-apartheid-bill-215504205.html . Even for someone like me, who believes the GOP has no concept of governance, this represents a remarkable new low. Shouldn’t the legislature identify problems of concern in the capital, and then fund their solution? That is your job, you holier-than-thou jackasses.
And, EVERBODY thought Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ speech sucked last night: https://www.alternet.org/insulting-sarah-huckabee-sanders-sotu/ . When both sides are insulted, and the right-wingers say she’s not intellectually capable, you know she didn’t do well …
Meanwhile, the Journal decides to publish a praise piece on Sarah’s hot mess: https://www.wsj.com/articles/sarah-huckabee-sanders-takes-early-turn-on-national-stage-11675860850 . Apparently, this report was filed from Neptune.
The Journal also gets the Chinese balloon story COMPLETELY WRONG: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-fleet-of-balloons-prove-hard-to-detect-as-they-survey-the-world-11675900269 . Okay, so no one at the Journal reads the news. Apparently, they are increasingly incapable of thought. The Chinese balloon was viewed BY MANY AMERICANS FROM THE GROUND! A review of past records turned up multiple balloon flights. They are EASILY DETECTABLE, we just were not looking. Now everyone will be looking. Can you hear me now, WSJ? Or are you still on Neptune?
Weird Valentine’s ideas at Fox: https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/valentines-day-zoos-name-roaches-animals-exes-loved-ones . I know their viewers are grumpy, but this is still weird. You can name a hissing cockroach after your ex. Or, you can name a cricket after your ex, and they’ll feed it to a zoo animal.
Westbrook has heated exchange with Lakers’ coach during LeBron’s big game and career celebration: https://sports.yahoo.com/russell-westbrook-had-heated-exchange-003133269.html . I wonder if this happened before or after Westbrook knew he was traded: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2023/02/08/lakers-jazz-timberwolves-trade-russell-westbrook-mike-conley-dangelo-russell/11214855002/ .