New England sees COVID Delta surge despite high vaccination rates: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-pandemics-vermont-d25aae90b2dda65b3d1c2c0d5d00156c . The article does not identify the reason for the surge. The logical initial suspect is the re-opening of schools.
WSJ: Variance in hospital COVID charges: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-charges-at-hospitals-can-vary-by-tens-of-thousands-of-dollars-a-wsj-analysis-finds-11633262403 . US medical pricing remains the opposite of transparent.
WSJ: Care rationing in Alaska: https://www.wsj.com/articles/overwhelmed-by-covid-19-patients-alaskas-doctors-make-life-and-death-decisions-11633253401 .
Recombination versus mutation: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/covid-19-origins-closest-viruses-to-sars-cov-2-found-in-laos#Finding-the-origins-of-SARS-CoV-2 . There is a technical point here worth considering. The evolutionary virologist quoted here indicates that recombination (two viruses exchanging genetic code) is a common process distinct from mutation. This suggests that the great risk of variants emerging from an immunocompromised person may come from recombination as much or more than mutation. Recombination may also be involved in how coronavirus evolves in animal populations.
WSJ: Distinguishing COVID from the flu this year: https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-it-flu-or-covid-19-its-harder-to-tell-the-symptoms-apart-this-year-11633320061 . One difference known for over a year is the typical order of symptom onset. Flu typically begins with cough, while COVID typically begins with fever. However, as around 40% of COVID cases are asymptomatic, this discussion relates only to symptomatic COVID.
Doctor who handed out blank COVID exemption waivers surrenders her license: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/a-connecticut-doctor-who-gave-patients-blank-signed-covid-19-exemption-forms-has-surrendered-her-medical-license/ar-AAP67Ya?li=BBnb7Kz . Okay, but she’s retired. The license surrender is not much of a penalty. But shouldn’t she be prosecuted for fraud?
Status of reconciliation negotiations: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/insiders-capitol-hill-reporter-breaks-down-the-democrats-infrastructure-fight-the-fate-of-bidens-dollar35-trillion-spending-and-why-the-house-had-2-thursdays/ar-AAP6pUZ?li=BBnb7Kz . More: https://www.srnnews.com/u-s-democrats-to-pare-climate-social-spending-no-clear-target-2/ . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-weigh-cutting-programs-or-reducing-scope-to-trim-3-5-trillion-bill-11633273309 . Basically, the timetable has opened up to the end of the year to resolve this. Biden’s float of 6 weeks is reasonable because after that you get to Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Meanwhile, Schumer wants Senate passage by the end of October: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/575100-schumer-sets-one-month-goal-for-passing-two-spending-bills . However, Pelosi wants to pass the bill in the House well in advance of the end of the month.
CBS’ “60 Minutes” interviews Facebook whistleblower: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-whistleblower-misinformation-public-60-minutes-2021-10-03/ . The whistleblower will testify on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugen-says-she-wants-to-fix-the-company-not-harm-it-11633304122 . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-facebook-files-a-podcast-series-11631744702 .
USA Today realizes that Greg Abbott is running for President: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/president-greg-abbott-wake-up-america-orwell-abbott-is-gunning-for-the-white-house/ar-AAP40Qr?li=BBnb7Kz . (A) Duh. (B) Won’t happen. It is unlikely but conceivable that Abbott could end up as the GOP nominee. But his abortion law stunt makes him unelectable nationally. It takes a real political idiot not to realize this. That’s Greg Abbott. The reference to Orwell relates to a USA Today editorial that Abbott’s abortion law is an un-American and Orwellian infringement of individual rights (link is in article). Abbott’s full name is Greg Wayne Abbott.
International consortium of news organizations publishes “Pandora Papers”, an analysis of a huge data dump showing secret movement of assets by world leaders: https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/power-players/ . So this will likely have enormous consequences. The implication is significant corruption among leaders throughout the world, particularly in less developed countries. The link given is to a list of these leaders, with further links to the results of the investigation on that person.
WSJ: More on Evergrande: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-evergrande-debt-crisis-sizing-up-a-big-mess-11633253402 .
WSJ: Yankees, Red Sox advance to AL play-in game: https://www.wsj.com/articles/mlb-postseason-wild-card-yankees-red-sox-mariners-blue-jays-11633267007 . Note to WSJ: Told you so! You disgrace New York!
Wildest touchdown catch in some time: https://sports.yahoo.com/virginias-dontayvion-wicks-makes-an-incredible-td-catch-you-have-to-see-to-believe-021412287.html . The catch is in the video with the headline “THIS WAS CAUGHT FOR A VIRGINIA TD”. For the whippersnappers, this reminded me of the “Immaculate Reception”: Terry Bradshaw pass deflected to Franco Harris (1972): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHIXFKrrUhA . Yes, Terry Bradshaw did actually play football 50 years ago. The play is alternately considered as “The Greatest Play of All Time” of “The Most Controversial Play of All Time”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immaculate_Reception .