Repeat COVID riskier than first infection: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-11-10/repeat-covid-is-riskier-than-first-infection-study-finds . Again, the number and severity of long COVID cases continues to gain attention as the mortality risk has been reduced (but certainly not eliminated).
Sotomayor rejects vaccine mandate challenge: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2022-11-10/u-s-supreme-courts-sotomayor-rejects-challenge-to-n-y-covid-vaccine-mandate .
FDA approves arthritis drug to fight COVID in high-risk patients: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2022-11-10/u-s-health-regulator-authorizes-sobis-covid-drug .
AstraZeneca gives up on US COVID vaccine market: https://www.wsj.com/articles/astrazeneca-drops-plan-to-sell-covid-19-vaccine-in-u-s-11668076538 .
WSJ: RSV hospitalizations surge: https://www.wsj.com/articles/rsv-hospitalizations-babies-young-children-11668080478 .
Another COVID surge in China: https://apnews.com/article/health-china-beijing-covid-obituaries-5960e3e9a92f76b328013b347f3da962 . The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? We all know where Zero COVID fits in this equation.
WSJ: Weekly jobless claims tick up to 225,000: https://www.wsj.com/articles/jobless-claims-ticked-up-but-remained-historically-low-11668088210 .
WSJ: Positive US inflation news: https://www.wsj.com/articles/us-inflation-october-2022-consumer-price-index-11668050497 . The news is encouraging, but it is one data point. The next report is due one day before the next Fed meeting. The news caused to the Dow to jump 1,200 points, the market’s best one day performance in over two years. More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-stocks-markets-dow-update-11-10-2022-11668082058 .
Musk continues his drive to turn $44 billion into dust: https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-business-0d3d4618a3f4631dfd253ae8798c5196 . Remarkably, the chaos at Twitter keeps increasing every day. As noted here previously, the start-up engineering model does not apply to a mature social network company. Musk could have learned this for $43.999 billion less than his investment in Twitter.
WSJ: China’s billionaires sustain huge losses: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-billionaires-see-huge-losses-as-economy-markets-sputter-11668070435 .
Federal judge in Texas blocks student loan forgiveness: https://apnews.com/article/biden-texas-education-donald-trump-student-loans-f2e944d85e95792089fa1e2fb9858287 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/federal-judge-in-texas-strikes-down-biden-student-debt-cancellation-program-11668127159 .
2022 mid-term election analysis: https://news.yahoo.com/5-myths-that-the-2022-midterms-demolished-215620892.html . Andrew Romano is a smart guy, and this article is the best analysis I’ve seen so far on the election. But he misunderstands New York and Florida. Gerrymandering hurt the Democrats to the tune of 8 seats in these two states.
In Florida, Governor DeMentis rejected the Republican legislature’s gerrymandered map and demanded an even more gerrymandered map, which they passed. The result, as expected, was that the GOP picked up 4 seats in Florida. In New York, the Democratic legislature drew a gerrymandered map, but a judge rejected it. The special master appointed by the judge drew a new map, which allowed the Republicans to pick up 4 seats. Without these two stunts, the Democrats would have held the GOP almost even. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/wins-in-new-york-state-ease-republicans-path-to-house-majority-11668053723 .
Murdoch media turns on Orange Julius: https://news.yahoo.com/ny-post-trumpty-dumpty-cover-midterms-desantis-murdoch-gop-161228645.html . Anyone in the GOP who is paying attention realizes that OJ’s support of people with questionable morals and no political ability (a much longer list than Herschel Walker and Mehmet Oz) is costing the GOP seats a stronger candidate should have won. Further, OJ’s announcement of another presidential candidacy will lead to a bloodbath series of primaries with Ron DeMentis and possibly others. As this article notes, all of Murdoch’s properties are falling in line: https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-is-the-gops-biggest-loser-midterm-elections-senate-house-congress-republicans-11668034869?mod=opinion_lead_pos2 .
The central problem for WSJ is that the GOP base doesn’t read them. The base is loyal to billionaire OJ, certainly not billionaire Murdoch. So what happens when Fox News goes after OJ? To what extent will Hannity and Carlson play along? I can’t wait to watch all of this play out (but not by watching Fox). GOP voters have been comfortable listening to OJ’s lies for 7 years now. Will they listen to the new lies of Fox and DeMentis? Yes, some of them will. The party has to move away from OJ. But this change will involve considerable pain for all involved, none of whom are particularly wed to the truth.
As to the Georgia runoff election, note that there are now forces within the GOP that want OJ to exit the national stage. They would prefer that Walker lose for several reasons: Walker is unqualified, they don’t want this embarrassment around for 2024, and this will be another loss focused on OJ. If OJ runs and secures the nomination, he will lose to Biden. But if DeMentis is the presumptive nominee, Biden may not even run. Getting OJ out puts the focus on a Biden-Newsom fight for the Democratic nomination.
Last, note that Reverend Warnock won two years ago in a runoff after a special election, and now is in a runoff again. That’s 4 elections in 2 years for one Senate seat, each one of which could decide which party controls the Senate for the following 2 years. As a result, by the end of this runoff over a billion dollars have been spent on Reverend Warnock’s so-far 2 year career.
Which is the Freedom State – California or Florida?: https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-ron-desantis-health-california-a0f6748248d91b25122244e4ccd17815 . There are several obvious answers to this question. California is the fourth-largest economy in the world. Florida is the one we all get to pay to rebuild multiple times a year. The key to DeMentis was mentioned here previously, by a GOP operative – “Ron is a bigger jerk than Trump ever was”.
WSJ: Another crypto lender halts withdrawals: https://www.wsj.com/articles/crypto-lender-blockfi-halts-withdrawals-citing-ftxs-problems-11668142538 .
Divers find tiles from Challenger on the ocean floor near Florida: https://www.yahoo.com/now/piece-challenger-space-shuttle-discovered-030517997.html . I remember watching this launch on live TV and calling in to my office to tell them to get everyone in the conference room and turn on the TV. This was truly a dark day for the space program, and for the thousands of classrooms following Christa McAuliffe into space. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/piece-of-challenger-space-shuttle-found-by-documentary-crew-off-florida-coast-11668114481 .