WSJ: US round-up: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-cases-top-25-million-world-wide-11598780022 There is also some info on India.
Moderna faces Pentagon probe over vaccine patents: https://www.ft.com/content/2be1f87e-9e96-4e23-9cc5-33ba35e50586 .
WSJ: Companies rush to shore up COVID-19 testing availability ahead of flu season: https://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-rush-to-shore-up-covid-19-testing-ahead-of-flu-season-11598788800 .
WSJ: Teachers retrain for online teaching: https://www.wsj.com/articles/teachers-retrain-to-keep-students-on-track-in-online-classes-11598727600 .
WSJ: Garbage piles up: https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-trash-piles-up-during-covid-residents-raise-a-stink-11598779801 .
China’s biggest oil refiner, Sinopec, has $3.2 billion loss in first 6 month of 2020: https://www.ft.com/content/8d7bb5f4-6aa6-4786-a424-6f8f2a32e0e6 . This state-backed company has previously had large losses ($700 million in a quarter) due to securities trading: https://www.reuters.com/article/china-sinopec-trading/rpt-chinas-sinopec-dials-back-oil-purchase-strategy-after-record-q4-loss-sources-idUSL3N21K20D . However, the latest loss dwarfs the previous loss and reflects sharply reduced global oil demand during the pandemic.
Germans are working hard to keep their Christmas markets open: https://www.thelocal.de/20200811/germany-plans-ahead-for-christmas-markets-amid-summer-heat . The largest, in Cologne, has already been cancelled: https://www.njherald.com/news/20200617/bummer-german-christmas-market-canceled-due-to-coronavirus-concerns .
Portland’s latest violence: First and foremost, life goes on normally here, or at least new-normally, except for several hotspots: a few downtown blocks near the Justice Center, the Police Union building in NE, and the ICE detention center south of downtown. We have now had over 90 nights of protest; after the initial weeks where thousands peacefully protested over George Floyd, the protests dwindled to a more violent element averaging around 200. When the federal agents were deployed here, the protests swelled again into the thousands, entirely peaceful up to about 9 pm when the peaceful folks went home and the violent element remained. When the federal agents were withdrawn, again the protests dwindled to perhaps 200, now primarily focused on the Police Union building in NE. The past two or three weekends, a pro-Trump group has organized at a shopping mall in the SE suburbs and then driven downtown. Last night (Saturday), this group was endangering protesters downtown: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2020/aug/30/trump-supporters-drive-through-crowd-and-pepper-spray-protesters-in-portland-video . A shooting occurred at 8:46 pm, killing an apparent member of the pro-Trump group (the investigation is ongoing). Completely peaceful protests have continued in many neighborhoods throughout this period, usually around 6 to 8 pm, with family groups marching around their neighborhood. The repeated claims by Mr. Trump that federal agents could clean this up in 45 minutes obviously ignore what happened during their prior presence. People here do want the violent element to stop, although as their primary activities have been graffiti, fireworks and dumpster fires, this is much less threatening than gunfire or driving trucks through crowds. The police have been arresting more violent folks nightly, so one anticipates this will resolve in the near future unless there is a reasserted federal presence. It is hard to see how Mr. Trump’s planned excursion to Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday will do anything other than inflame passions. That this is apparently the Trump campaign’s plan to win re-election is appalling: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/kellyanne-conway-says-the-quiet-part-out-loud-chaos-and-violence-will-get-trump-reelected-11598550026 .
Re-watching The Black Panther on ABC tonight – a timely reminder that the US always has been, and always will be, a multi-cultural society – and this is our strength, not our weakness.
WSJ: NFL scheduled to start in 10 days: https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-will-the-nfl-season-be-affected-by-the-coronavirus-pandemic-11598788800 . It’s been a while since I’ve seen the phrase “slim pickings” in print. If the NFL schedule falls apart, take the time to watch 1964’s Dr. Strangelove, with a memorable final scene that was the break-out career role for former rodeo performer Slim Pickens. By the way, when Pickens enlisted in the Army for World War II, he gave his profession as “rodeo”, but the recruiter misunderstood him, and Pickens spent his entire enlistment at a radio station in the Midwest.
Oh, and Peter Sellers, star of Dr. Strangelove, was also star of The Pink Panther, his career break-out movie – interesting coincidences. Sellers was also the star of Being There, a parable quite timely in our current political landscape. Highly recommended.