Governments push COVID vaccine redesign: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-03-31/analysis-governments-want-covid-vaccine-developers-to-aim-higher-in-hunt-for-better-shots .
Senate nears deal on COVID spending: https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-business-health-pandemics-acc589c779fb6b7276372e89d80e8fe9 . The bill trims the prior $15 billion proposal to $10 billion, and would be paid for by redirecting previously appropriated funds.
WSJ: COVID powers Walgreens results: https://www.wsj.com/articles/walgreens-posts-higher-sales-powered-by-covid-19-vaccine-testing-demand-11648727780 .
WSJ: Teen mental health suffered during pandemic: https://www.wsj.com/articles/teens-mental-health-suffered-during-covid-19-pandemic-cdc-study-finds-11648763344 .
White House announces transgender protections: https://news.yahoo.com/white-house-announces-new-actions-to-protect-transgender-americans-amid-wave-of-state-level-discriminatory-laws-161626671.html . This will be very popular with the sane people in this country. I still believe we are a majority.
WSJ: COVID slows China’s economy: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-outbreaks-slow-factory-activity-in-china-11648712023 . Again, Zero COVID does not work over the long term.
WSJ: “Gapless” human genome sequence announced: https://www.wsj.com/articles/first-gapless-human-genome-map-is-unveiled-years-after-earlier-effort-11648750303 .
Weekly jobless claims drift up to 202,000: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/weekly-jobless-claims-week-ended-march-26-2022-192349945.html . WSJ: More: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/weekly-jobless-claims-week-ended-march-26-2022-192349945.html .
WSJ: Inflation continues in US economy at record pace: https://www.wsj.com/articles/annual-inflation-measure-accelerates-to-6-4-highest-since-1982-by-feds-preferred-measure-11648733717 .
Western spy agencies undercut Putin narrative: https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/01/politics/western-spy-agencies-intelligence-putin-ukraine-war/index.html . This analysis is certainly correct, but it misses the point. Civilization is fighting a crisis of misinformation, much of it traceable to the unregulated development of the Internet. As we regularly note, the best defense is to weaponize the truth. This really is a battle for the soul, not only of this nation but of humanity.
This country will get over Orange Julius at some point. It must to survive. But all of us must be wary of cultural warriors like Ron DeMentis, Greg Abbott and Ted Cruz in order that we not fall into the trap of authoritarian “thinking”. Voters must insist on competent governance. The current GOP does not offer that. And it hasn’t since … hmm, Eisenhower? Teddy Roosevelt?
Russia’s annual military conscription: https://www.aol.com/news/russia-drafts-134-500-conscripts-101839663-131015534.html . One question this does not answer is whether this year’s number of conscripts is in line with prior years. However, there are two very good reasons why these conscripts will not be sent to Ukraine. First, Russian officials have blamed troop desertions in Ukraine on the conscripts, not the “professional” soldiers. Second, Russia is already facing surprisingly large anti-war protests, reminiscent of the US draft protests during Vietnam.
Red Cross leads bus convoy to Mariupol in another attempt of humanitarian evacuation: https://www.timesofisrael.com/red-cross-convoy-on-way-to-mariupol-in-latest-attempt-to-evacuate-civilians/ .
Russia has no battlefield commander for Ukraine invasion: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russias-war-lacks-a-battlefield-commander-us-officials-say/ar-AAVJoe7?li=BBnb7Kz . This is why Ukraine’s strikes on command and control have been so devastating.
Biden: No evidence Russian troops are pulling back from Kyiv: https://news.yahoo.com/biden-no-evidence-putin-is-pulling-troops-from-around-kyiv-193543120.html .
WSJ: Ukrainians regain Chernobyl nuclear facility: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukrainian-forces-press-advances-as-russia-regroups-11648721863 . This may be because Russian troops now glow in the dark: https://nypost.com/2022/03/31/russian-troops-withdrawn-from-chernobyl-with-radiation-sickness-report/ .
The Ukrainian insurgency: https://news.yahoo.com/could-the-russian-invasion-spark-a-ukrainian-insurgence-162827838.html . Um, does this expert keep up with current events? Russia has not occupied any major city, not even Kharkiv. The Russian drives to take territory have almost entirely stalled out, including in the south where their drive to take Odesa has fizzled. There will for certain be an ongoing Ukrainian insurgency in any newly occupied territory; the Ukrainians have already armed the citizenry with rifles and Molotov cocktails.
US sanctions target Russia’s technology sector: https://www.aol.com/news/1-u-targets-russias-technology-143000848-170924431.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-sanctions-russian-tech-companies-whole-sectors-of-russian-economy-11648748173 . The use of economic sanctions by the Biden administration has been brilliant. The sanctions have shown the world how economically interconnected we are, and that inability to participate crushes a country’s economy. This is also the best possible warning shot to China over Taiwan.
Right now, the most likely outcome is that Russia becomes a client-state of China, and there are two axes of economic power left in the world: the US, Western Europe and their allies; and China, Russia and the central Asian countries in between. The loss of trade between the two axes will hurt China much more than the West. Putin has screwed himself by getting into an unwinnable war in Ukraine, and Xi has misstepped badly by aligning with Putin. Biden is getting no credit for this, but he sure as hell should.
WSJ: Ukrainian businesses struggle: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukrainian-factories-struggle-as-russias-assault-rattles-supply-chains-11648719002 . Sigh. Obviously. However, the details are interesting.
WSJ: NATO fails to detect drones straying into its territory: https://www.wsj.com/articles/nato-probes-drone-crashes-that-expose-border-weaknesses-11648724385 . Clearly, this needs to be remedied yesterday. As such, NATO nations will raise military spending: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-war-set-to-prompt-nato-countries-to-raise-military-spending-11648732604 .
Biden authorizes release of 180 million barrels of oil from US strategic reserve: https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/30/politics/strategic-petroleum-reserve-release-oil-joe-biden/index.html . This release, the largest in history, caught experts by surprise. Several estimate the effect on gas prices as 10 to 25 cents a gallon. Obviously, however, other events could cause even greater swings in oil prices. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-is-biden-tapping-the-strategic-oil-reserve-and-will-that-lower-gas-prices-11637680300 . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/crude-oil-prices-drop-as-biden-plans-to-tap-strategic-oil-reserves-11648738097 .
WSJ: COVID continues to sink cruise line hopes: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cruise-lines-wont-catch-a-wave-11648722600 . Good grief. Duh. The article alludes to full vaccination travel, but fails to mention the recent episode where a “fully vaccinated” cruise docked with multiple COVID cases. So the Journal seems to be just mailing it in.
WSJ: Basketball freak-out in North Carolina: https://www.wsj.com/articles/duke-north-carolina-final-four-11648707802 .