Exercise improves COVID vaccine effectiveness: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/10/24/covid-vaccine-study-finding-contradicts-lockdown-rule/ . However, the study goes on to argue that because lockdowns limit physical activity, they are counterproductive in combating the pandemic. That is logically unsound, because we are dealing with a communicable disease.
WSJ: Men died at higher rates than women in early stages of pandemic: https://www.wsj.com/articles/men-died-from-covid-19-at-much-higher-rate-than-women-during-the-first-year-of-pandemic-11666662323 . Good grief! This was well-documented early in the pandemic. In the future, the Journal would do better by focusing on hiring people who can read and remember. They could start here.
WSJ: Healthcare inflation to drop sharply: https://www.wsj.com/articles/health-insurance-inflation-is-poised-to-drop-sharply-11666655474 . WHAT? Yes, the headline is misleading. But the article also contains some leaps of illogic that are worth exploring.
The article is pointing out a “methodological quirk” in the computation of health cost inflation in the CPI. Note that the Department of Labor largely bases their calculation on health insurer profits. These are reported on about a 10-month lag, so the October 2022 CPI adjustment is based on 2021 profits. How does any of this make any sense in measuring health care inflation?
The article goes on to tell us that the Fed is more focused on the personal-consumption expenditure (PCE) price index, which uses different methodology not involving this quirk. One is left with considerable evidence that the Fed in particular, and federal agencies in general, do not have even a basic understanding of how health care inflation should be measured.
WSJ: The fungus among us: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fatal-fungi-threaten-global-health-who-says-11666708805 . The thinking used to be that fungi did not have the mutation abilities that bacteria do, and were thus less able to outrun an effective treatment. That thinking is apparently dead wrong.
WSJ: Bank of Canada will likely hike interest rates 75 basis points Wednesday: https://www.wsj.com/articles/bank-of-canada-likely-teeing-up-another-0-75-point-rate-rise-11666702219 . Meanwhile, US home prices declined in August: https://www.wsj.com/articles/home-price-growth-slowed-in-august-11666702621 . In my view, signs are everywhere that the global recession is coming, and the US will not escape its reach.
Crist buries DeMentis in Florida governor’s debate: https://www.alternet.org/2022/10/desantis-crist/ . But it seems unlikely to change the direction of the race. Everyone knows of DeMentis’ bizarre migrant plane flight, but that hasn’t cost him votes. Too bad. Crist is the better candidate by far.
The OJ Inc. team loses motion to dismiss jury pool: https://www.aol.com/news/trump-company-loses-bid-toss-143556430-164639332.html . First, as we didn’t see this interaction, we shouldn’t read too much into this media report. However, this type of challenge suggests the OJ legal team is looking to create issues for appeal. Also, this motion essentially argues that the judge mishandled his interaction with the juror. We know OJ’s lawyers are in general not of the first rank; these types of behaviors require careful consideration. They suggest the defense team expects to lose at trial and is pinning their hopes on drawing things out on appeal.
WSJ: Oath Keepers trial resumes: https://www.wsj.com/articles/oath-keepers-trial-resumes-after-groups-leader-contracts-covid-19-11666711283 .
Adidas pulls the plug on Kanye West: https://apnews.com/article/adidas-ends-kanye-west-partnership-7425f65ea39f7bbdd02d0e033d9be4b8 . Ye, his current moniker, has seemed mentally unstable for years. How could Ye think, let alone say out loud, that his sponsor, an international country headquartered in Germany, would tolerate his anti-semitic comments? Ye is apparently running for stupidest person on the planet, and making a strong case. Also, his “White Lives Matter” shirts are inherently racist and trivialize the Black Lives Matter movement. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/adidas-terminates-partnership-with-kanye-west-over-rappers-anti-semitic-remarks-11666694801 .
Ash Carter, Obama Secretary of defense, passes at 68: https://apnews.com/article/ash-carter-dies-f3780f31c795285489873225fde19e05 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ash-carter-former-defense-secretary-under-obama-dies-at-68-11666709083 .