Fourth COVID shot triples antibodies in older Israelis: https://www.yahoo.com/now/2-years-covid-first-hit-110550071.html . While Israel has experienced an Omicron surge, so far it has recorded no Omicron deaths. Israel’s population is highly vaccinated.
Pandemic update 2 years in: https://www.yahoo.com/now/2-years-covid-first-hit-110550071.html . Note that we are still running 750,000 cases per day, which is over 5 million cases per week. So, with 1.5% of the US population contracting COVID (Omicron) each week, an unvaccinated person should expect to be infected.
Fauci believes Omicron will peak in most states by mid-February: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/fauci-optimistic-omicron-peak-february/story?id=82415835 . That seems to be a very safe prediction right now. The real question is whether there will be another wave of Omicron or some other variant. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/omicron-pressure-eases-in-some-u-s-states-but-infections-remain-high-11642945822 .
Omicron crushing Mississippi hospitals: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/a-shrinking-band-of-southern-nurses-neck-deep-in-another-covid-wave/ar-AAT402t?li=BBnb7Kz .
WSJ: Houston hospital under pressure from Omicron: https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-hospital-strained-by-omicron-weary-nurses-treat-too-many-patients-11642933804 .
FBI searches COVID testing company headquarters: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fbi-searches-center-for-covid-control-headquarters-amid-investigations-into-multi-million-dollar-testing-business/ar-AAT46eQ?li=BBnb7Kz .
Olympics COVID problems mount: https://www.aol.com/sports/beijing-2022-reports-72-covid-131749251-135749125.html .
Single-payer health plan advances in California: https://abcnews.go.com/US/californias-single-payer-proposal-reignite-debate-health-care/story?id=82200267 . More: https://news.yahoo.com/the-fight-for-single-payer-health-care-moves-to-the-states-160829656.html .
Latest Omicron surge hampers US economic recovery: https://thehill.com/policy/finance/590884-coronavirus-case-surge-hindering-economic-recovery .
WSJ: US food supply chain issues: https://www.wsj.com/articles/from-plants-to-store-shelves-u-s-food-supply-is-under-pressure-11642933805 .
WSJ: Omicron surge leads to surge of workers calling in sick: https://www.wsj.com/articles/omicron-wave-drives-surge-of-workers-calling-in-sick-working-through-illness-11642933802 . This is the latest in the Journal’s ongoing series, Let’s Belabor the Obvious.
Arkansas sees record COVID hospitalizations: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-arkansas-asa-hutchinson-little-rock-0dddec51fa2210a9e53f397de94522a8 .
Omicron surges in Australia: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2022-01-23/australia-covid-19-deaths-mount-as-return-to-school-threatens-new-omicron-peak .
Russia sets third consecutive daily case record: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-europe-russia-275d8e16d7baa88ed0c06e72e24a036a . And Sunday’s record (63,205) is 25% higher than Friday’s.
Fears increase over global debt crisis: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jan/23/fears-grow-that-us-action-on-inflation-will-trigger-debt-crisis . If you raise interest rates at a time when the borrowers are overextended, debtor countries either receive relief or default. The politics of debt relief strike me as difficult during a pandemic.
Details of Intel’s Ohio chip plant: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/intel-ceo-reveals-how-he-plans-to-rebuild-the-struggling-chip-industry-by-creating-the-largest-silicon-manufacturing-location-on-the-planet-here-on-us-soil/ar-AAT43tS?li=BBnb7Kz .
Retired Staten Island ferry “JFK” bought by SNL stars Pete Davidson and Colin Yost: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/snl-spoofs-ferry-purchase-pete-085219949.html . Their plan is to turn the ferry into a live entertainment space. However, rehabilitating the ferry is going to cost many multiples of the purchase price of $280,000. So we will see if this dream can make it to reality.
Cruise alters course to avoid US seizure over fuel debt: https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-miami-lawsuits-florida-64ab5cdee53cfe7d25d4fc46d2f90038 . Now you have yet another reason to stay off a cruise. Additionally, Crystal Cruises is in the process of suspending operations. They may sail into bankruptcy soon.
WSJ: Europe has limited options in Ukraine crisis due to German dependence on Russian natural gas: https://www.wsj.com/articles/germanys-reliance-on-russian-gas-limits-europes-options-in-ukraine-crisis-11642939203 . Um, this is hogwash. The other European countries do have the infrastructure to support Germany temporarily. History teaches us that appeasement has never worked in Europe.
WSJ: US sends home families of State Department employees in Ukraine: https://www.wsj.com/articles/state-department-tells-families-of-u-s-diplomats-in-ukraine-to-leave-11642983133 .
The Ventures co-founder Don Wilson passes at 88: https://www.npr.org/2022/01/23/1075200921/don-wilson-cofounder-of-the-instrumental-guitar-group-the-ventures-dies-at-age-8 .