Long COVID in over half of survivors: https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/how-many-people-get-long-covid-more-half-researchers-find/ . This study examined records of over a quarter million unvaccinated patients in a variety of countries. There are now almost 250 million cases reported worldwide. So the implications of this result are staggering for both general population health and the healthcare system.
Long COVID behaves like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: https://www.healthrising.org/blog/2021/10/04/iacfs-me-conference-exercise-long-covid-chronic-fatigue-metabolomics/?fbclid=IwAR3ARoPdiXwpUlLKvav2kyAt1e8g7I4eXjmDleKwP3-tsq69lIxKfAZInuI .
Breakthrough infections can lead to long COVID: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2021-10-27/breakthrough-infections-can-lead-to-long-covid-genes-may-explain-critical-illness-in-young-healthy-adults . It seems reasonable that genetics can play a significant role in the severity of COVID.
WSJ: The efficacy of boosters: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-bets-on-covid-19-boosters-efficacy-against-a-changing-virus-as-doses-roll-out-11635423827 .
Pfizer CEO misstates the cost of drugs in US healthcare: https://news.yahoo.com/pfizer-ceo-blasts-americas-drug-pricing-system-145734621.html . This is shockingly ignorant for anybody associated with pharmaceuticals, let alone the head of Pfizer. Drugs are 25% or more of US health plan costs. They were 12% of costs maybe 20 years ago, but the advent of biopharmaceuticals has massively increased drug expense. And the ongoing deployment of biopharmaceuticals will continue to increase that percentage.
There is no logic as to why we pay more for drugs than any other country in the world other than the powerful influence of the industry’s political contributions. In other words, it is political corruption unique to America. This fool needs to take a nice warm cup of shut the hell up.
WSJ: More on Fluvoxamine’s ability to reduce hospitalization: https://www.wsj.com/articles/antidepressant-significantly-reduces-covid-19-hospitalization-11635373800 .
Have 5% of workers left a job over vaccine mandates?: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/28/covid-vaccine-some-5percent-of-unvaccinated-adults-have-quit-their-jobs-over-a-mandate-survey-shows.html . As we know, polls showed 95% of workers were considering changing jobs before the mandates came in. So we must consider these poll results as suspect, tainted by personal politics. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/hospital-prices-arbitrary-healthcare-medical-bills-insurance-11635428943 .
WSJ: Florida sues US over vaccine mandate: https://www.wsj.com/articles/florida-sues-biden-administration-over-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-for-federal-contractors-11635451211 . Their suit appears to have no legal basis. It’s interesting that they filed in Tampa – is there perhaps forum shopping going on here?
Iowa passes restrictions on vaccine mandates: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/iowa/articles/2021-10-28/iowa-lawmakers-consider-vaccine-mandate-exemption-bill . Just read the signs of the protestors. These people apparently get their news from Tucker Carlson.
WSJ: Why the US needs transparency in hospital pricing: https://www.wsj.com/articles/hospital-prices-arbitrary-healthcare-medical-bills-insurance-11635428943 . “Arbitrary” is a fair summation of hospital billing practices.
COVID-fearful man who lived in Chicago airport for 3 months acquitted of trespassing: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/judge-acquits-man-who-said-he-lived-chicago-airport-3-n1282611 .
US jobless claims continue to creep downward: https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2021-10-28/us-jobless-claims-drop-to-pandemic-low-281-000 . As readers know, I do not buy putting a smiley face on these numbers. The count remains higher than anything we saw pre-pandemic. Many people have burned through their ability to claim unemployment benefits. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/weekly-jobless-claims-10-28-2021-11635365743 .
Violent flying nuts are creating a crisis in the skies: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/10/28/1049981680/american-airlines-passenger-flight-attendant-assault-diverted-mask . Seriously, lock them up.
Russia’s COVID situation continues to worsen: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2021-10-28/moscow-starts-nonworking-period-as-infections-deaths-soar . We have seen weeks of daily death records. As the article mentions, Russia is believed to severely underreport COVID deaths. Russians distrust the government; the low vaccination rates have created a nationwide death trap.
WSJ: US Marines train Taiwanese troops: https://www.wsj.com/articles/taiwanese-president-confirms-u-s-troop-deployment-on-island-11635433900 .
Facebook rebrands as Meta: https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/28/22745234/facebook-new-name-meta-metaverse-zuckerberg-rebrand . Well, this makes sense as Zuckerberg apparently lives in another universe. In the face of mounting and deep problems, the rebranding is an attempt to change the topic and perhaps insulate Zuckerberg from legal liability. The root of “ridiculous” is “ridicule”, which pours down on Zuckerberg for this silly stunt. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebooks-new-ticker-leaves-faang-in-flux-11635460346 .
WSJ: Evergrande again narrowly avoids default: https://www.wsj.com/articles/evergrande-averts-default-again-by-making-second-late-payment-11635479236 . This tightrope walk cannot continue without some major sale of assets. More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/evergrande-crisis-all-but-shuts-bond-market-for-chinas-junk-borrowers-11635419607 . Another reason the contagion storm clouds are gathering.
WSJ: The Editorial Board finally takes on Orange Julius’ lunacy head-on: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-facts-on-donald-trumps-fraud-letter-2020-election-11635449578 . Okay, they say bananas, I say Orange Julius, but clearly fruit is involved. Smooth move sending them that bonkers letter, Ex-Lax.
The latest Build Back Better proposal: https://news.yahoo.com/heres-whats-in-the-175-trillion-framework-biden-is-pitching-to-congress-130047422.html . However, negotiations continue: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/28/biden-house-democrats-517416 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/progressives-warn-democratic-leaders-on-possible-infrastructure-vote-11635413402 . So we’re at half the size of the original proposal. However, with the bipartisan infrastructure bill attached to this bill, there is an additional $1 trillion, of which $550 billion is new spending: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/10/senate-to-pass-bipartisan-infrastructure-bill.html . So we are currently looking at $2.75 trillion of total spending, which is a huge package by any measure. While the legislative language is still to be written, this looks like it’s almost final.
This reminds me of a historical dispute. There is controversy about whether Everett Dirksen, Republican Senate Minority Leader, ever said, “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everett_Dirksen . Dirksen did say it, on The Red Skelton Show, because I clearly remember seeing it. That show was on from 1951 to 1971. I can for sure narrow it down to 1959 to 1968, and believe it was in the early 60’s. Dirksen was Minority Leader from 1959 to 1969, so that does not help narrow it down further.
The show was a comedy show, and Dirksen delivered it as a laugh line. It was quite memorable, obviously. Still, here we are 60 years later at trillion dollar packages. I can’t say if Dirksen was the first to say it, or if he had said it previously and was asked to repeat it for the show. But he definitely said it, and in this case broadcast it, very unusual for politicians of that era. So if kinescopes of the show lurk somewhere in the CBS vault, the proof is out there.