FDA authorizes AstraZeneca antibody cocktail: https://www.aol.com/finance/u-fda-authorizes-astrazenecas-covid-203016708-214552827.html . AstraZeneca needs a win after its vaccine has underperformed the competing (mRNA) technology.
COVID targets fat cells: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2021-12-09/coronavirus-takes-aim-at-fat-cells-study-shows . As the article notes, this could explain why obesity is a serious risk factor for severe COVID.
Mixing vaccines improves immune response: https://www.aol.com/news/mixing-vaccines-boosts-immune-response-205815066-133548318.html .
Omicron danger still not fully known: https://news.yahoo.com/how-omicron-could-still-significantly-prolong-the-pandemic-100032406.html . This article makes points detailed in prior newsletters. Omicron is significantly more infectious than Delta. The data from South Africa does not answer the disease severity issue because South Africa has a very young population. The risk which is not discussed in the article involves the possible combination of Omicron’s infectiousness with Delta’s severity. This significant risk would most likely occur in an immunocompromised person. South Africa has the world’s largest HIV population.
WSJ: Slow vaccine rollout for children under 12: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-vaccine-rollout-for-young-children-is-slow-in-many-states-11639045804 . More on boosters for older teens: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-biontech-covid-19-booster-authorized-for-16-and-17-year-olds-11639067421 .
WSJ: GE, Union Pacific suspend vaccine mandates: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ge-union-pacific-suspend-covid-19-vaccination-mandates-after-injunction-on-biden-order-11639089010 .
Michigan seeing a wave of COVID hospitalizations and deaths among the unvaccinated: https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/09/us/hospital-covid-19-deaths-michigan/index.html . Note the comment that the hospital has not had a single COVID death among those who have received a booster shot.
Navy medics support New Mexico hospitals: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2021-12-09/navy-medics-join-covid-fight-in-hard-hit-new-mexico . Several states have called out their National Guard personnel to support their hospitals.
WSJ: COVID causes major surge in life insurance payments: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-spurs-biggest-rise-in-life-insurance-payouts-in-a-century-11639045802 .
Hong Kong requires 21 day quarantine of any traveler from a country with even one case of Omicron: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-06/a-single-case-gets-you-on-hong-kong-s-21-day-quarantine-list-now . Most people believe Hong Kong designed this wildly restrictive policy to get the mainland government to reopen travel between Hong Kong and China.
WSJ: Did COVID exterminate a major flu strain?: https://www.wsj.com/articles/did-covid-19-cause-flu-strain-to-go-extinct-11639054801 .
Seasonally adjusted unemployment claims drop sharply: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-economy-jobless-claims-a774386e727ad7c917a669f5712deb32 . But please note that before the seasonal adjustment, claims actually rose. I continue to believe that we are in the midst of an historic economic dislocation. One of the side effects is that traditional unemployment yardsticks do not reflect the new reality. If Build Back Better passes, the additional financial aid provided to families with young children may further encourage some moms to remain out of the workforce. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/weekly-jobless-claims-12-09-2021-11638997824 .
Arrests in major California wildfire: https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-environment-and-nature-arrests-fires-sacramento-8fe11c75b15408c172dd8a8f66c2f72f . Even if these two are convicted, the immeasurable damage they caused will take at least a century to fully reverse. However, the current drought may make permanent changes hastened by this apparently criminal act.
Debt limit bill advances in Senate: https://www.aol.com/finance/deal-avert-u-default-raise-110533501-204946725-211939965.html . Potentially OJ will target the 14 Republican Senators helping advance the bill: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/here-are-the-14-republican-senators-including-mitch-mcconnell-who-defied-trump-and-voted-with-democrats-in-debt-ceiling-deal/ar-AARFr9x?li=BBnb7Kz .
Slow progress in the Murdaugh cases in South Carolina: https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-crime-lawsuits-south-carolina-0d2e7413b02b260d1bb83e0bbac2054e . However, over 20 new charges were filed against Alex Murdaugh today: https://apnews.com/article/crime-south-carolina-money-laundering-indictments-013b8404b2d0d4f8b4ba6c46afbf3330 .
GOP strategist denounces Perdue entry into Georgia’s governor’s race: https://news.yahoo.com/trump-pushing-perdue-into-georgia-governor-race-a-disaster-says-gop-strategist-233021904.html . This article, however, is lean on detailed analysis. Our previous comments discussed the financial problems this creates for the GOP. Also, the article misrepresents the poll results. The GOP race is split down the middle only after all respondents were informed of OJ’s endorsement of Perdue. On the initial ask, Perdue trailed Kemp by 19 points (click on the “new poll” link in the article, or just go here). It will cost yet more money to sufficiently publicize that endorsement to narrow the gap.
DC Court of Appeals orders OJ documents be released to January 6 committee: https://www.yahoo.com/news/federal-appeals-court-rejects-trumps-214234317.html . As the article notes, the appeals court emphatically rejects Orange Julius’ arguments for withholding the documents. We can expect an appeal to the Supreme Court, but just to keep running out the clock. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/court-rejects-trump-bid-to-block-records-from-house-jan-6-panel-11639086445 .
WSJ: Evergrande continues to sink: https://www.wsj.com/articles/market-can-weather-evergrande-crisis-chinas-top-central-banker-says-11639040788 . But what happens when other real estate sector companies also drop?: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-developer-kaisa-defaults-fitch-says-as-industrys-debt-challenges-mount-11639046650 . For sure, China will have reduced growth for at least 2022, and that does not bode well for the global economy. However, China is quietly making some moves to try to limit the contagion: https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-reopens-a-funding-spigot-for-property-developers-11639045808 . More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-latest-challenge-is-engineering-a-soft-landing-for-a-sputtering-economy-11639053362 .