WSJ: US round-up: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-latest-news-07-31-2020-11596187079 . Some Mexico data in last paragraph.
Experts urge US reset: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/coronavirus-threat-rises-across-us-we-just-have-to-assume-the-monster-is-everywhere/ar-BB17s4tv?li=BBnb7Kz .
To safely re-open college campuses, test students every other day: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2768923 .
School openings in UK: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/aug/01/now-teachers-sound-alarm-over-plans-to-reopen-schools . I would be very interested in the poll results of asking British adults which one they would choose, schools or pubs, cross-referenced against the question, “Do you have school-age children?”
Stimulus talks make some progress: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/01/coronavirus-stimulus-trump-admin-congress-have-productive-talks/5562358002/ . WSJ: Jobless benefits expire; negotiations continue: https://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/tKdCBpSPVyjWx89vDgm8-WSJNewsPaper-8-1-2020.pdf .
WSJ: Frieden: Overview of vaccination issues: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-three-key-hurdles-for-a-coronavirus-vaccine-to-clear-11596200623 .
WSJ: More on Sanofi vaccine funding: https://www.wsj.com/articles/sanofi-glaxosmithkline-ink-coronavirus-vaccine-deal-with-u-s-11596193203 .
WSJ: Europe: Doctors getting better at treating COVID-19: https://www.wsj.com/articles/some-modest-good-news-on-covid-19-doctors-are-getting-better-at-treating-it-11596195903 . Another issue with mortality statistics is that even when age-adjusted, it appears that mortality rates are declining month-over-month. Also, rates for older individuals rise in areas where there is nursing home spread.
WSJ: India: Virus races through Mumbai slums: https://www.wsj.com/articles/over-half-of-residents-in-mumbais-slums-were-exposed-to-coronavirus-survey-finds-11596143800 . If the 57% positive rate for antibodies is anywhere near accurate, herd immunity would not be far off. Of course, the remaining 43% are still subject to infection, and we need to know more about the protection afforded by antibodies to discount the re-infection risk among the 57%.
WSJ: Virus rebound causes spending pullback: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-accelerates-plans-to-put-urban-commuters-on-bicycles-11596208490 .
WSJ: Americans have increasingly negative view of China: https://www.wsj.com/articles/americans-negative-view-of-china-reaches-record-high-amid-coronavirus-pandemic-11596132000 . Here is the Pew poll and commentary: https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/07/30/americans-fault-china-for-its-role-in-the-spread-of-covid-19/ .
WSJ: European GDP hammered in 2nd quarter: https://www.wsj.com/articles/eurozone-economy-contracts-by-record-40-11596191720 .
British Airways’ record loss: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jul/31/british-airways-owner-iag-record-loss-covid-19 .
WSJ: More on Hong Kong election postponement: https://www.wsj.com/articles/citing-coronavirus-hong-kong-postpones-legislative-elections-for-a-year-11596192230 .
WSJ: Big oil posts big losses: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chevron-swung-to-second-quarter-loss-as-oil-demand-slumped-11596195007 .
RNC convention closed to press: https://apnews.com/e1c7fb1ed090aef3be8d4784878284be . The world is a very different place right now …
WSJ: Caterpillar hit by virus: https://www.wsj.com/articles/caterpillar-expects-reduced-demand-to-persist-11596196439 . The details of their situation are interesting, as they may reflect general attitudes toward capital expenditures.
WSJ: Cloud use, expenditures rise: https://www.wsj.com/articles/big-businesses-multiyear-bets-fuel-cloud-growth-11596196893 . A different aspect of capital expenditures. One feels the “new normal” may be quite different from the old normal with the increasing enablement of remote work and remote schooling. Data security issues will only continue to increase. One thing we can all do is move to longer passwords.
WSJ: Virus spurs bike commuting: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-accelerates-plans-to-put-urban-commuters-on-bicycles-11596208490 . Public capital expenditures re-imagine cities.
WSJ: More on Microsoft acquisition of TikTok: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-to-sign-order-demanding-chinas-bytedance-to-divest-tiktok-11596219920 .
WSJ: Dissension within WSJ ownership: https://www.wsj.com/articles/james-murdoch-resigns-from-news-corp-board-11596232364 .
More on DHS surveillance of Portland protesters: https://www.businessinsider.com/internal-report-showed-dhs-collected-protester-messages-wapo-2020-7 . WSJ: More on Portland: https://www.wsj.com/articles/portland-leaders-hope-for-less-violent-weekend-following-drawdown-of-federal-agents-11596195748 . The last two nights (Thursday and Friday), with no federal agents, have been peaceful – there were no arrests last night …
Yanks win again: https://apnews.com/6d3c4a7e28a203b1a80eba93df94f6b5 . The comment that the Yanks’ 6-1 start is equivalent to a 16-3 start over a 162-game season cracked me up – no, it’s not; it’s equivalent to a 6-1 start. As statistics-crazy as baseball fans are, baseball writers should be very, very careful. Okay, probably not going to happen …