GOP legislates medical science: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-vaccines-natural-immunity-285ae319be9c3ea42dd7bb8400ea4888 . We know natural immunity is less effective than vaccination. The virus doesn’t give a damn about the GOP. So DeMentis doubles down on his stupid bet. This is all about a 2024 presidential run. But will he be re-elected in 2022?
mRNA vaccines are the superior booster shots: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2021-11-20/explainer-all-u-s-adults-qualify-for-covid-19-boosters-which-is-best .
mRNA vaccines will revolutionize vaccination technology: https://www.salon.com/2021/11/21/mrna-vaccines-changed-the-course-of-the-pandemic-now-theyre/ . Indeed, they already have. The next press will be to apply them as broadly as possible. This, in turn, will more clearly identify what their limitations might be.
How will antiviral pills change the pandemic?: https://www.newyorker.com/science/medical-dispatch/how-will-the-covid-pills-change-the-pandemic .
Austria enters nationwide lockdown of the unvaccinated: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-europe-austria-74a09a4a3c551023029f103c63227130 . If Europe is a predictor of the US pandemic trajectory, we are in trouble again: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/nov/21/us-covid-cases-thanksgiving-fauci . Note that even the Brits consider DeMentis “infantile”. And again, federal supremacy will wash this silliness away. More: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/ (this link may update. Key info is that as of Thursday, US seven-day average COVID cases increased 16.1% from the preceding week.)
Background on the progress of the reconciliation bill: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/how-nancy-pelosi-got-bidens-build-back-better-bill-back-on-track/ar-AAQWk0f?li=BBnb7Kz . This gives more hope that Pelosi has paved part of the way for the Senate to come to a deal. I didn’t know Manchin had an Italian background, which clearly Pelosi used.
WSJ: Fed chair decision nears: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-fed-powell-brainard-democrats-11637512176 . Senate moderates are pushing for Powell, which may well influence Biden.
Two longtime contributors quit Fox News over Tucker Carlson’s latest manure: https://www.thewrap.com/fox-news-contributors-resign-tucker-carlson-capitol-riot-special/ . You old-timers may remember Tucker’s time on CNN’s Crossfire, where he routinely demonstrated no command of the facts or logic. It’s not that surprising he’s not good at making stuff up, either. Here’s Jon Stewart’s take on Tucker, on Crossfire: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossfire_(American_TV_program) . So, convincing proof that Tucker comes to a battle of wits unarmed.
WSJ: New clues in the Peng Shuai situation: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-tennis-star-peng-shuai-appears-in-beijing-amid-assault-claim-11637501193 . As the article notes, these managed appearances do not demonstrate that she is able to act of her own free will.
Tiger Woods “making progress”: https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/tiger-woods-shares-first-video-220745512.html . Good to see Tiger on the course swinging a club.
The Atlanta airport gun discharge: Authorities have not yet tracked down Kenny Wells, but they have released a photo. Yesterday’s question on this matter asked for your guess as to whether Mr. Wells was black or white. My guess, as the hint suggested, was that he was white, as the public behavior was both violent and defiant. There was an update that Mr. Wells was a convicted felon. Statistics meant that tripled the possibility he was black, but I stuck with my original guess. But the photo indicates he is black.
My intent was to shine some light on how people use data to predict. My sense is that in today’s flood of data, people use shortcuts to predict outcomes. In other words, the data flood together with our need for instant conclusions is actually worsening the quality of the conclusions. Data is not information, and it is certainly not best information. I didn’t know the outcome of this experiment yesterday, of course, but the prediction was wrong. But right or wrong, our current societal tendency to “fill in the blanks” is dangerous. And intentional misinformation (multiplied by the Internet) is an even greater danger.
So Yahoo News has apparently been acquired, and my search on Yahoo News items tonight led to a request to access and store all my search information. I rejected all those requests, but am still able to view Yahoo News stories, just FYI.