Respiratory diseases increase in China: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-11-22/who-asks-china-for-details-on-respiratory-illness-outbreaks .
WSJ: Health insurers’ PBMs drug overcharges: https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/senators-call-for-investigation-of-health-insurers-role-in-driving-up-drug-costs-6f038a58 . Sigh. When a company owns all the steps in delivering a product or service, this is known as vertical integration. The largest insurers represent an oligopoly controlling health care delivery. Obviously, insurers can use their PBMs to overcharge for drugs and circumvent profit limitations on insurance operations. Vertical integration is well-understood as an opportunity for anti-competitive practices. Insurer ownership of PBMs is a classic example of the problems vertical integration can create: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_integration .
WSJ: Once again, our economics “experts” are total jokes: https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/argentina-is-a-textbook-case-of-fiscal-dominance-bc1bc5d9 . Gawd! Absolutely no one thinks Argentina’s economic situation has lessons for the United States. Most importantly, the dollar is the de facto world currency powered by the world’s largest economy. Argentina’s problems are directly related to having a weak, non-diversified, small economy. The Journal needs to fill space with something or someone other than Greg Ip.
Hostage release delayed until at least Friday: https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-11-22-2023-d12c1728cbae0ff74a69cc9cc3e8a646 . I doubt Israel will quit until it attacks the Hamas personnel in southern Gaza. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/gaza-fighting-intensifies-as-deal-for-hostagestakes-shape-3ad7679d . Still more: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/israel-hamas-exchange-fire-ahead-of-release-of-hostages-pause-in-fighting-d7c25797 . And: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/release-of-gaza-hostages-is-delayed-until-friday-fb14751a .
House retirement tsunami continues: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4322092-house-lawmakers-retire-toxic-congress/ . The 30 House members retiring so far include 19 Democrats and 11 Republicans. You can bet that most of the extremists on both sides are staying. Things will not improve until the Democratic majority returns to the House.
DeMentis in decline: https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/problems-mount-for-desantis-as-haley-rises-and-trump-dominates-c98d0ce5 . It turns out that running to the right of Orange Julius doesn’t work. Duh. This assumes OJ’s supporters care about policy, which is ludicrous on its face.
Hall gets restraining order against Oates: https://variety.com/2023/music/news/hall-and-oates-lawsuit-restraining-order-1235805425/ . Why can’t we all just get along (Rodney King)? Seriously, Hall probably has some valid issues with Oates. They were in Portland a few years ago with Train as their opening act. The Train lead singer then came out during Hall & Oates’ performance, and sung several of Oates’ parts on some of their most popular songs. It certainly looked like Hall kept Oates around only because of their fame as a duo years ago.