Moderna files child vaccine EUA request: https://www.aol.com/news/moderna-files-u-authorization-covid-112355831-130235646.html . Children desperately need this protection. More: https://apnews.com/article/moderna-vaccine-kids-update-fbf1b5e31c973bc09ced30ea590092ba . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/moderna-asks-fda-to-clear-its-covid-19-vaccine-for-young-children-11651143600 .
Vaccine evasion by Omicron subvariants: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/new-omicron-sublineages-likely-evade-vaccines-natural-immunity/ar-AAWI0fz?li=BBnb7Kz . This analysis relates to BA.4 and BA.5. More on BA.4 in South Africa: https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-africa-public-65f3d58d158daff609624e87b3f92e2c .
COVID pneumonia: https://health.usnews.com/conditions/articles/what-is-coronavirus-pneumonia . Just the term is depressing.
Difference in US perceptions of COVID by race: https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-pandemics-public-race-and-ethnicity-6d512d62a6aadf9f1777bc4a4e0f29a9 . These results don’t seem surprising given that COVID death rates have been higher in minority communities.
WSJ: Coloradan contracts bird flu: https://www.wsj.com/articles/bird-flu-detected-in-person-in-colorado-11651199609 .
The numbers around China’s zero COVID policy: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-zero-covid-policy-numbers-2022-04-28/ .
Beijing increases COVID closures while Shanghai shuttering continues: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/4/29/beijing-closes-more-venues-as-anger-at-shanghais-covid-lockdown . Beijing closes schools: https://health.usnews.com/conditions/articles/what-is-coronavirus-pneumonia . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-hangzhou-rolls-out-48-hour-covid-19-pass-as-beijing-closes-schools-11651157502 .
Roughly half of Shanghai has reopened: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-04-28/shanghai-says-12-38-million-residents-now-in-lower-risk-covid-zones . The locked-down half remains angry. More: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-04-28/expats-flee-as-shanghais-covid-lockdown-drags . WSJ: Shanghai crowdsourcing social support: https://www.wsj.com/articles/shanghai-uses-crowdsourcing-to-survive-covid-19-lockdown-as-social-support-breaks-down-11651138991 .
Questions around Shanghai’s COVID reporting: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2022-04-28/explainer-shanghai-death-numbers-raise-questions-over-its-covid-accounting .
Taiwan’s COVID outbreak is largest yet: https://apnews.com/article/covid-business-health-asia-taiwan-f46f2cff5593fcbbc0ce9923b0e62fe8 .
Weekly US jobless claims continue drift lower, to 180,000: https://apnews.com/article/business-jobless-claims-367cda0620abce9bbb9b3fecf982707e .
Putin’s health: Experts discount Parkinson’s: https://www.dw.com/en/putin-and-parkinsons-what-do-experts-say/a-61597476 .
Here is an excerpt from The Economist’s newsletter written by the Editor-in-Chief about Russia’s military failure in Ukraine:
“The invasion of Ukraine has been a disaster for Russia’s armed forces. About 15,000 troops have been killed in two months of fighting, according to the British government. At least 1,600 armored vehicles have been destroyed. The assault on the capital, Kyiv, was a chaotic failure. For Mr. Putin this is a crushing setback, because the use of military force is central to his strategy for making Russia count in the world. Russia may be vast, but it is a medium-sized polity that still yearns to be a superpower. To fill the gap between its capacities and its aspirations, Mr. Putin has repeatedly turned to the only sphere where Russia can still purport to be world-class: military force. It is a welcome fact that the failure of Russia’s rotten army in Ukraine weakens this claim. Unfortunately, this also leaves the world facing a nuclear-armed power with a point to prove.”
This is well said and spot on. I would just observe that the Russian army is now led by the Butcher of Syria, and he understands the stakes in achieving at least a partial victory in Ukraine’s east and south. We sincerely hope that the flow of more sophisticated anti-tank weapons to Ukraine will lead to another horrific defeat for the Russians, because they will not stop until they are stopped.
Former CIA Director Brennan has a similar take on recent developments and Russia’s Plan B: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cia-john-brennan-russia-putin-ukraine_n_626a3d87e4b029505dee2e26 .
The history of the term “saber-rattling”: https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/saber-rattling-word-history .
The importance of artillery to Ukraine: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukraines-forces-get-boost-from-arsenal-of-old-fashioned-artillery/ar-AAWHqTg?li=BBnb7Kz . This type of article appears in part to lobby the US aid packages.
Russia’s tanks have a fatal design flaw: https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/27/europe/russia-tanks-blown-turrets-intl-hnk-ml/index.html . This is really interesting reporting. And the battlefield photos do support the analysis.
Russians shell field hospital in Mariupol steel plant: https://news.yahoo.com/azovstal-steel-plant-bombing-russia-ukraine-war-172542378.html . The most favorable statement that can be made for the Russians is that this shelling was indiscriminate and “accidentally” hit the hospital. That still makes them pigs.
The current stalemate in the south: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2022/04/28/where-is-ukraines-southern-counteroffensive/?sh=48d343006eef . But Ukraine will ultimately have the resupply advantage here due to Russian naval losses.
The Russian propaganda around their war: https://news.yahoo.com/critical-race-theory-poison-gas-and-organ-harvesting-how-the-kremlin-is-trying-to-frame-the-war-in-ukraine-as-a-clash-of-cultures-and-civilizations-153424329.html . Apparently they are trying to retain support among US conservatives, because absolutely no one else would * believe this gobbledygook. *(be stupid enough to)
Biden announces $33 billion aid package for Ukraine: https://news.yahoo.com/aggression-will-not-win-biden-tells-russia-as-he-announces-new-military-aid-sanctions-165520589.html . We are cranking up the supplies to hammer the Russian military. As we said here in early March, Putin has got Russia into a proxy war with the US, and he has no graceful exit. Biden is getting next to no credit for what has been a masterful job of weakening Russia while reinvigorating Western Europe and NATO. And US intelligence deserves a lot of credit. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/white-house-requests-additional-33-billion-in-ukraine-aid-11651156227 .
The economic war against Russia: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-economic-war-against-russia-is-getting-hot-215549521.html . I agree that the economic war against Russia is heating up, but the rest of the analysis here is not supported by the facts. Russia’s timing turned out to be really stupid. Putin apparently delayed the start to appease Xi during the Winter Olympics. Then, the spring warming reduced the maneuverability of Russian tanks. Also, the spring warming reduced Europe’s need for Russia’s fossil fuels. Rapid conquest of Ukraine was a much worse plan than anyone realized, but Putin pissed away any margin of error by his timing.
Europe has bought $46 billion in Russian oil and gas since the war started: https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/28/business/eu-fossil-fuel-exports-russia-ukraine-energy-intl/index.html . However, this does not change my view as expressed in the previous paragraph. Obviously, there were many contracts in place when the war broke out. This source of funds for Putin will significantly dry up in the months ahead. But as the article notes, higher prices, not higher volumes, are driving the revenue level.
US economy contracts 1.4% in the first quarter: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/economy-contracts-for-first-time-since-2020-in-first-quarter-as-gdp-falls-14percent/ar-AAWHcO4?li=BBnb7Kz . This is not as bad as it first appears: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/economy-contracted-in-the-first-quarter-but-underlying-measures-were-solid/ar-AAWGI5k?li=BBnb7Kz . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/us-economy-gdp-growth-q1-11651108351 .
Orange Julius informant on Deutsche Bank relationship found dead: https://thehill.com/news/3470023-informant-in-federal-probe-into-trump-deutsche-bank-relationship-found-dead/ . So sadly, you can work as a senior executive in a major international bank, involve yourself in nasty stuff, and end up committing suicide and destroying your family. Everyone must do work they feel good about.
Boeing has lost $660 million on Air Force One deal with Orange Julius: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/air-force-one-deal-donald-trump-boeing/ . This company continues its string of really poor decisions.
OJ candidate in Ohio taking incoming fire: https://www.dw.com/en/putin-and-parkinsons-what-do-experts-say/a-61597476 . If Vance goes down in the primary, or even worse loses to the Democratic nominee, the value of an OJ endorsement will evaporate.
Another Proud Boy pleads guilty in January 6 insurrection: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/capitol-riot-proud-boy-pleads-guilty_n_626aa68ee4b050c90f3d6ee5 . The prosecutors are gaining momentum in the huge number of cases growing out of January 6.
Support of Boris Johnson is eroding among conservative voters: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-04-29/local-elections-could-spell-end-of-the-party-for-uks-johnson . The world has been watching the French elections, but it’s time to focus on the UK. More: https://apnews.com/article/covid-boris-johnson-health-europe-london-eb0d03c14133fb027a17094d7faa1bfe .