FDA adds warning to J&J vaccine: https://apnews.com/article/business-science-health-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-8c7e69806af9b0fe3b158382b2f57c4f . Once again, the takeaway is that mRNA vaccine technology appears superior to the current viral vector approach. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-plans-to-warn-j-j-covid-19-vaccine-raises-risk-of-rare-neurological-condition-11626117261 .
WSJ: Medicare to review eligibility for new Alzheimer’s drug: https://www.wsj.com/articles/medicare-to-review-coverage-for-new-alzheimers-drug-aduhelm-11626130325 . The FDA approval remains controversial.
Bullying of non-vaccinated children: https://news.yahoo.com/cdc-new-mask-guidance-schools-raises-bullying-concerns-experts-parents-153139137.html . Again, the California “masks for all” policy makes better sense and avoids the politics of the CDC recommendation. Here is a different perspective: https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-science-health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-a65c9c0375ce441fcd10866eb8ea990b . The teachers’ unions may have spoken too soon.
WHO says most Delta infections of vaccinated people are asymptomatic: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/12/most-fully-vaccinated-people-who-get-covid-delta-infections-are-asymptomatic-who-says-.html . However, WHO says more study is needed of the key question: are they transmitting the disease?
Three times the cases in lower-vaccinated states: https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/12/health/us-coronavirus-monday/index.html . We saw this train coming some time ago.
Summer camp outbreaks: https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-michael-brown-7dd22f4efe101603c2c4caf531c980dc . And these are mostly lower-vaccinated states.
Vaccine discrimination: https://apnews.com/article/europe-business-lifestyle-health-travel-f678a53270470d9b35ce6259e48548bf . This seems like an obvious problem which would best be resolved quickly.
WSJ: COVID booster shots begin in Israel: https://www.wsj.com/articles/israel-begins-pfizer-booster-shots-for-at-risk-adults-as-delta-cases-rise-11626110100 .
WSJ: France re-imposes restrictions in the face of COVID surge: https://www.wsj.com/articles/france-reimposes-restrictions-as-delta-variant-spreads-11626123063 .
UK experts warn of another COVID wave of hospitalizations after July 19 re-opening: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/nhs-sage-government-scientists-experts-b945373.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-delta-cases-surge-u-k-to-ditch-most-covid-19-restrictions-next-week-11626108048 . Sigh.
WSJ: More on Taiwan’s indirect vaccine purchase: https://www.wsj.com/articles/tech-firms-to-buy-covid-19-vaccines-on-behalf-of-taiwans-government-11626020496 .
Miami condo death toll at 94, 22 unaccounted for: https://apnews.com/article/health-florida-coronavirus-pandemic-surfside-building-collapse-7a1b9128b99f09f5652ee4faa01f3c96 . Stepping away from the details for a moment, this is an absolutely unprecedented death toll in a (non-attacked) building in American history.
Texas Democrats flee to thwart voting suppression bills: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/texas-democrats-flee-state-effort-block-gop-backed-voting-restrictions-n1273667 . However, this is not unprecedented. In Oregon, the Republicans have fled on at least two occasions in the past 3 years to prevent a quorum and halt all legislative business. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-democrats-to-stage-walk-out-to-kill-voting-bill-11626110179 .
The darkness of the far right: how they could tear down American democracy: https://www.salon.com/2021/07/11/could-genocide-really-happen-here-leading-scholar-says-america-is-on-high-alert/ . Without doubt the darkest article I have read in years, this is well worth your consideration. The article is an interview with a recognized expert on genocide and atrocity crimes. His new book, his twelfth, discusses the risk of fascism in the US. We don’t often face this question. As this book was written before January 6, it is high time we did.
Will Haiti descend into chaos?: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/florida-based-doctor-arrested-in-haiti-presidents-assassination/ar-AAM23pq?li=BBnb7Kz . As the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti was already chaotic before the assassination of its president. But now it appears that the central motivator was an attempt to seize power, not uncommon in political assassinations.
More on the protests in Cuba: More trouble in the Caribbean: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/-are-no-longer-afraid-thousands-cubans-protest-conditions-island-rcna1386 . The line-up of dark news today is really astonishing.
The grand larceny charge against the Trump Organization: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/in-trump-organization-prosecution-top-charge-carries-uncertainty/ar-AAM3sA6?li=BBnb7Kz . This is an interesting analysis of the legal case, but it leaves out an important detail: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/07/trump-appears-acknowledge-tax-schemes-florida-rally.html . The defense response could be the “Tucker Carlson” defense: No reasonable person would believe what Orange Julius says: https://www.npr.org/2020/09/29/917747123/you-literally-cant-believe-the-facts-tucker-carlson-tells-you-so-say-fox-s-lawye . The problem with that defense is that this is organizational tax fraud over a long period of time. But we are at the heart of the pressure prosecutors are using to flip Allen Weisselberg. And there may be more unfiled charges hanging over Weisselberg’s head.
OJ intensifies his campaign against democracy: https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-says-after-his-second-impeachment-i-became-worse-n1273684 . As mentioned above, this is an unprecedented confluence of dark news.