News for July 14 — States Where BA5 is Soaring

States where BA5 is soaring: https://www.eatthis.com/news-states-where-ba5-variant-is-out-of-control-covid/ .

GlaxoSmithKline prepares to split off consumer division: https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2022-07-15/after-bruising-year-gsk-approaches-consumer-split-in-better-health .

US News begins to figure out that COVID herd immunity is unattainable: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-07-14/the-covid-19-reinfection-loop-and-what-it-means-for-americans-health . GOOD GRIEF!!! This woman is the primary writer on COVID for US News. Apparently she submits her material remotely and currently lives under a rock.

WSJ: FDA delays cancer drug approval: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-delays-approval-decision-on-cancer-drug-from-china-11657811479 . The manufacturing must be inspected. It is in China, and currently not accessible due to travel restrictions.

COVID lockdowns shrink Chinese economy: https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-china-shanghai-bb6d3f92141afdd8bd191df957f5ffc9 . Is there more we need to say about the coming global and US recession? Shanghai in particular was crushed by the lockdowns: https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2022-07-14/shanghai-economy-contracts-13-7-in-second-quarter-stats-bureau . And in more bad news for the Chinese economy …

WSJ: Chinese property market convulses: https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-property-market-shudders-as-buyers-threaten-to-stop-mortgage-payments-11657810077 .

American men in worse health than those abroad: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/mens-health-worse-us-study/story?id=86836409 . Yes, but they can afford nicer coffins …

Wall Street cuts US economic and stock forecasts: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/stock-market-forecast-bank-of-america-recession-135936793.html . In my view, the facts have required this result for some time.

WSJ: US weekly jobless claims hit 2022 high: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-jobless-claims-reach-highest-level-this-year-11657803144 . R-E-C-E- … Actually, 244,000 is not that bad, but the trend here is not your friend …

Secret Service deleted January 5 and 6 text messages after an inspector general requested them: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/secret-service-deleted-texts-jan-2021-watchdog-sought/story?id=86843614 . More: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/secret-service-texts-that-could-shed-light-on-trump-s-actions-erased-jan-6-panel-says/ar-AAZAASB?cvid=d1e0b62366094ceea4cafc4bd01cf15f . Apparently the Secret Service thinks we all just fell off the turnip truck. So suppose you were in a lawsuit, the other side requested discovery, and you (intentionally or accidentally) deleted requested material. The judge would put you on a spit and roast you, right? Now think of the importance of Secret Service communications in general and then specifically for January 5 and 6, 2021.

The Secret Service’s response translates to, We are not malicious, just incompetent. Clearly, they have proven they’re incompetent. The question of whether they are malicious remains open, but it doesn’t look good.

Musk has a new legal problem with the SEC: https://knewz.com/elon-musk-is-in-hot-water/ . This guy just does not learn. He is going to pay something between $1 billion (the termination fee) and $44 billion (the purchase price) in relation to his withdrawal from the Twitter deal, whether or not he ends up owning the company. More: https://www.thestreet.com/technology/elon-musk-v-twitter-a-third-powerful-player-makes-noise . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/sec-questioned-elon-musk-tweet-over-twitter-deal-11657815619 .

Alex Murdaugh charged with murder: https://apnews.com/article/shootings-south-carolina-b15bb89e5b3a2198c8f086ffd8902459 . We still lack new details of the prosecutors’ theory, but do learn here that the case was taken before a grand jury. That partially explains the time lapse before the indictment. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/disgraced-lawyer-alex-murdaugh-charged-with-murdering-wife-son-11657812366 .

WSJ: We have no damn idea about anything: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-bear-fx-interview-braciole-recipe-11657807046 . What the hell is this crap? The ingredients for the stuffing are about right, but holding it together with toothpicks gave the whole thing away. Braciole is made with the entire pounded-out flank steak and when stuffed and rolled is tied together with butcher’s twine. Then when you cook it (in sauce) and slice it, it looks like a lovely pinwheel on your plate. And restaurants serve it this way as well.

The recipe cited in the Journal is for braciolini, not braciole. (And of course, braciolini means little braciole.) The Journal is based in New York, and they can’t get this right? I am simultaneously outraged and insulted … Okay, I’m still mad. You pound it out yourself, you don’t ask the butcher. What is this, yuppie braciolini? It must be, because no one is drinking beer in an Italian or Italian-American kitchen! And RAISINS???