Poor reporting blurs COVID picture: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/reduced-testing-and-reporting-blur-covid-picture-in-us/ar-AAZcVKp?li=BBnb7Kz . Leave it to the US to screw up critical portions of its pandemic response. At-home testing drives this problem. Since there is no reporting, we are losing a huge percentage of the information on mild cases. If we had a national public health system, we would not have this particular problem.
BA4 and BA5 increase dominance: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2022-07-05/omicron-sub-variants-ba-4-ba-5-make-up-70-of-covid-variants-in-u-s-cdc . WSJ: However, BA5 looks like the dominant variant: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ba-5-subvariant-drives-majority-of-recent-covid-19-cases-11657043207 .
WSJ: The COVID reinfection risk: https://www.wsj.com/articles/health-risks-of-covid-19-reinfections-for-patients-detailed-in-new-research-11656691792 . These research results are not particularly surprising. The VA population exhibits considerable comorbidities, so the study’s results are most applicable to patients in the general population suffering significant comorbidities.
UK also faces COVID fatigue and other distractions: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/05/the-guardian-view-on-covids-resurgence-act-now-or-pay-later .
More mass COVID testing in Shanghai and Beijing: https://apnews.com/article/covid-travel-health-hong-kong-shanghai-97c3285d0d53072b1bc652a99a45b847 . Earth to China: ZERO COVID IS AN UNSUSTAINABLE LONG-TERM STRATEGY!!! Sorry to shout, but I am deathly tired of repeating this obvious point. More: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-07-05/china-fights-covid-flare-ups-on-multiple-fronts-including-shanghai . Dammit!! Dynamic Zero COVID is even stupider than Zero COVID. Still more: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-07-05/chinas-shanghai-to-carry-out-some-covid-testing-residents-say .
Macau locks down hotel as COVID spreads: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-07-05/macau-locks-down-landmark-lisboa-hotel-after-covid-cases-found . China (and Macau) now fails the same test every day. More: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-07-04/macau-covid-outbreak-hits-more-than-900-as-infections-spread .
FDA temporarily suspends Juul order: https://apnews.com/article/health-tobacco-industry-regulation-government-and-politics-213f3defe60241296ef515d2e05e53ae . This action appears to be in response to the legal action over the Juul ban. In other words, this is a procedural action by FDA and does not reach the merits of the ban. However, WSJ concludes that Juul products can remain in the market for now: https://www.wsj.com/articles/juul-can-keep-selling-its-products-in-u-s-while-it-appeals-ban-fda-says-11657067282 . That conclusion conflicts with the quoted language from the FDA in the first article. As you will see below, another reason to suspect WSJ’s reporting is that they are suffering some significant reporting and editorial lapses.
Oil prices drop sharply: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/oil-prices-fall-sharply-as-recession-worries-grow/ar-AAZdNKp?li=BBnb7Kz . However, it will be weeks before we see prices drop at the pump because of product already “in the pipeline”. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/oil-prices-pulled-lower-by-dimming-demand-11657038806 . Not surprisingly, “West Texas intermediate crude” is Ted Cruz’s Senate nickname.
UK government in peril: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-k-chancellor-rishi-sunak-resigns-in-blow-to-boris-johnsons-government-11657043895 . The chorus demanding Johnson resign not only grows louder, but gains momentum. It appears the only thing holding Johnson in is concern about stability during the Ukraine war.
WSJ: New Zealand just kicked us out of restricted meetings: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-zealand-treasury-bars-wall-street-journal-from-restricted-briefings-until-2025-11657008246 . Really, this is such a basic reporting error. Obviously, the Journal’s staff training and review standards have become way too lax. While there is no question the WSJ brand has declined under Murdoch’s ownership, this level of incompetence fails to meet minimum professional standards anywhere.
DOJ sues Arizona over voting rights restrictions: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/justice-dept-sues-arizona-over-voting-restrictions/ar-AAZe9pU?li=BBnb7Kz . When DOJ says a state law is a textbook illustration of a violation of federal law, they expect to win. We will see. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-administration-sues-arizona-over-proof-of-citizenship-voter-law-11657057669 .
Highland Park shooter had 2 previous police contacts: https://news.yahoo.com/highland-park-parade-shooting-robert-crimo-police-suicide-attempt-knives-guns-214216232.html . Yesterday’s comment was that, even apart from the crime, the suspect was a nut. Today’s reporting bears that out. But we must face the facts of this mass murder of innocents (including children, and the parents of a 2-year-old who is now an orphan), and ask the key question: What can we do to prevent this from happening again?: https://apnews.com/article/religion-shootings-chicago-3562e335c3563fe293df708d2df6c86f .
First, ban assault weapons, as we did in the since-expired Brady Bill. We know that saves lives. Second, I have never supported defunding the police – they perform essential functions that would be unsafe for an unarmed individual to attempt. In Portland, we are trying to implement what are in essence unarmed social workers. Provided they are sent on very low-risk assignments, that could work. But a better use of funds would be identification and mental-health follow-up with troubled persons interacting with police.
This is the only approach where government could have defused Mr. Crimo. And there is every indication that he was a ticking time bomb left to tick. While screening of social media for threats has merit, the sheer volume of material makes targeting a difficult task.
Ukraine war continues to look like a prolonged slugfest that Ukraine can win: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-moscow-government-and-politics-5ef5dae6aa76addea66cc24c460d2877 . This situation remains a proxy war against Russia. As Putin has hardened, so has the West. And our industrial power plus our more advanced technology will ultimately grind Russia down. Sadly, this meat grinder will chew up a lot of Ukrainians and Russians in the process.
Finland, Sweden advance toward NATO membership: https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-accuses-nato-of-stoking-tensions-as-fighting-rages-in-eastern-ukraine-11657017324 .
OJ deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews may testify at next January 6 hearing: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/05/politics/sarah-matthews-testifying-january-6-committee/index.html . Orange Julius’ legal situation looks to be growing worse. Good. WSJ: Next hearing scheduled for Thursday, July 12: https://www.wsj.com/articles/jan-6-committee-hearings-what-happened-so-far-and-whats-next-11655820182 .
Ukrainian math professor is second woman to win a Fields Prize: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukrainian-math-professor-becomes-second-woman-to-win-fields-medal-11657042746 . As mathematics has no Nobel Prize, this is the premier medal for mathematicians. Of course, only mathematicians would get excited about sphere-packing in 8 and 24 dimensions.
WSJ: CERN discovers three new subatomic particles: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cerns-large-hadron-collider-resumes-research-after-hiatus-heres-what-physicists-hope-to-learn-11657032524 . These particles all represent unusual combinations of quarks.
Hot dog rounds: Not every idea is a good idea: https://www.intheknow.com/post/rastellis-hot-dog-rounds/ . So, full disclosure: I can’t tell you the last time I ate a hot dog. The closest I come would be home-grilling quality sausages. However, just reading about a hot dog round made me nauseous.
Speaking of nauseous, that’s the Pac-12: https://collegefootballnews.com/2022/07/big-ten-expansion-top-5-candidates-usc-ucla . So, the Pac-10/12/10 is all we’ve ever known in the Northwest. However, with USC and UCLA out, the remaining opponents are just not that interesting. And college football is now huge, huge business. To compete, you have to have a great TV deal. If Oregon and Washington are to remain top-level programs, they need the Big 10/16/18 or 20. Or maybe the Big 12: https://sports.yahoo.com/according-cbs-sports-big-12-185119423.html . This is terribly sad, but money is the name of the game now. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/college-football-pac-12-big-ten-notre-dame-11657026907 .
My guess is that Oregon and Washington would prefer the Big 10, while Utah, Colorado and the Arizona schools could well end up in the Big 12. But what happens to Stanford and Cal?