Fauci tests positive for COVID: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/dr-anthony-fauci-tests-positive-covid/story?id=85416368 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fauci-tests-positive-for-covid-19-11655320701 . As you can imagine, the Luddites we kindly call vaccine skeptics are celebrating the news. He’s 81, you idiots. And he’s trying to save all of your lives.
WSJ: FDA panel gives more thumbs up to COVID vaccines for young children: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-advisers-to-review-pfizer-moderna-covid-19-vaccines-in-young-children-11655285401 .
WSJ: Moderna will study COVID vaccine in 3-month-old infants: https://www.wsj.com/articles/moderna-to-study-its-covid-19-vaccine-in-babies-as-young-as-3-months-11655319036 . This seems surprising to me. Is the immune system sufficiently developed to derive benefit at such an early age? Many parents may decline participation.
WSJ: Abbott halts production at Michigan infant formula plant due to flooding: https://www.wsj.com/articles/abbott-halts-production-at-michigan-baby-formula-plant-11655350757 .
Hospitals beat HHS at US Supreme Court over Orange Julius Medicare reimbursement cut: https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/15/politics/hhs-hospital-reimbursement-supreme-court/index.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-reverses-cuts-to-billions-of-dollars-in-hospital-drug-subsidies-11655322904 .
T cell test for COVID immunity: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/strong-covid-immunity-blood-test-offer-insight-rcna33258 . We will see if this method of testing gives a more accurate indication of COVID susceptibility.
WSJ: Black Plague started in Kyrgyzstan: https://www.wsj.com/articles/black-death-plague-that-killed-50-million-in-europe-began-in-central-asia-study-shows-11655305200 .
WSJ: COVID lockdowns remain threat to Chinese economy: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-economy-shows-signs-of-recovery-but-covid-lockdown-threat-remains-11655288086 . More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-hot-growth-summer-will-probably-disappoint-11655300218 .
Fed raises interest rates by 75 basis points: https://www.aol.com/finance/fed-seen-revving-inflation-fight-100226623-180527545.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fed-raises-rates-by-0-75-percentage-point-largest-increase-since-1994-11655316170 . Again, the Fed is aggressively fighting inflation with a tool that won’t work to repair supply chain problems. It is literally the only option they have in our hidebound culture. In my view, this approach is unlikely to significantly reduce inflation, but it does increase the odds of a recession.
Another anticipated result is rising unemployment, a typical feature of a recession. Also, with mortgage rates moving to 6%, residential properties will soon move primarily to cash buyers. And at some point soon, that will create downward pressure on real estate values.
Babushka Z, Russian symbol of Ukrainian support, opposes the war: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61757667 . But facts don’t matter to Putin. You know, just like Orange Julius.
GOP still doing practice runs for the 2024 coup: https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-new-mexico-voting-election-recounts-general-54745f2169166e82090d0f7bc1ddc1b2 . Think again if you think the GOP will get past election rejection. As the article points out, there is no evidence for the county commission to reject this vote count. The only basis is conspiracy theories promoted by Orange Julius. The danger to our democracy continues, and it is very real: https://news.yahoo.com/poll-half-of-americans-now-predict-us-may-cease-to-be-a-democracy-someday-090028564.html .
Musk endorses DeMentis for president: https://www.aol.com/finance/teslas-musk-says-hes-leaning-173817440-212309971.html . Why is anyone still working at Tesla? Is this why Musk moved Tesla to Texas, so that he could get redneck employees? This is just baffling business management. Yes, I worked for some miserable bosses over the years, but not for long.
Fascism expert sees DeMentis as more dangerous than Orange Julius: https://www.yahoo.com/news/desantis-very-dangerous-individual-because-002918135.html . I still think Charlie Crist can beat DeMentis for governor, and will look at actively supporting his campaign: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2022/governor/Florida.html . It is our earliest opportunity to pull the plug on another authoritarian.
Texas governor’s race tightens: https://www.texastribune.org/2022/06/15/poll-abbott-beto-orourke-uvalde/ . Cutting Abbott’s lead from 15 points to 5 in a poll by the same organization raises the tantalizing possibility that sane people will vote in large numbers in the election.
Thursday’s January 6 hearing: Hang Mike Pence!: https://news.yahoo.com/thursdays-jan-6-hearing-will-focus-on-trumps-efforts-to-convince-pence-to-overturn-the-election-220102077.html . More: https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-donald-trump-united-states-government-and-politics-liz-cheney-b9f4cbbcb9d4b5fc1abbdf1f016d38ac . Suppose the insurrectionists did hang Mike Pence. Orange Julius refused to call off the crowd or authorize any DOD forces to restore order. Wouldn’t that be enough to convict him of plotting to overthrow the government? Of course. But in this hypothetical, the failure to hang Mike Pence is not relevant to the outcome. OJ is guilty of seditious conspiracy. So order up the orange jumpsuit (or OJ for short) …
More embarrassing corruption from January 6: https://www.businessinsider.com/ginni-thomas-emailed-trump-lawyer-john-eastman-jan-6-wapo-2022-6 . This is appalling behavior from the lunatic wife of an incompetent Supreme Court justice.
Monday’s hearing drew 11 million viewers: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/about-11-million-people-watched-first-daytime-jan-6-hearing/ar-AAYvLBL?li=BBnb7Kz . Sharp drop-off? The first hearing was in prime time on the East Coast. The second was a daytime hearing, 10 am Eastern and so 7 am Pacific. In my view, that’s remarkable interest.
Charges of mega-hypocrisy against Rep. Lauren Boebert: https://jezebel.com/anti-abortion-rep-lauren-boebert-reportedly-had-two-ab-1849062919 . However, as trashy as these charges sound, it is hard to imagine anyone would make these claims without evidence. It is a slam-dunk libel case if there is no evidence. But somehow, she does look like a former paid escort encouraged to run by Ted Cruz.