Taking the fall COVID vaccine: https://news.yahoo.com/there-will-be-a-new-covid-vaccine-this-fall-but-will-people-get-it-171349702.html . As the article notes, 94% of the elderly got the complete primary series, but only 43% got the bivalent booster. As the national emergency is now over, I’m guessing the fall vaccine will not be free (big mistake). Bottom line, the GOP stands to lose more voters than the Democrats. Is that enough to get GOP politicians off their butts?
China still fakes COVID numbers: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/china-covid-death-toll-rcna91097 . Well, unless COVID is wildly less deadly among the Chinese than any other ethnicity. So yes, the Chinese are faking their numbers.
Cancer drug shortages continue: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cancer-drug-shortage-chemotherapy-rationing-fc565eb9 .
WSJ: Hemophilia gene therapy may struggle in market: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-gene-therapy-could-face-uphill-battle-aa0f36e6 . More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-2-9-million-gene-therapy-promises-to-remake-hemophilia-treatment-da254ef4 . These two WSJ articles paint very different futures for this particular drug.
Gender-affirming care litigation continues: https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-transgender-lawsuit-42785a067fe87f80117bd8fa88f2cefa .
All 23 large US banks meet Fed’s 2023 stress test: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/all-23-banks-survive-feds-2023-stress-test-203007760.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/bank-stocks-lead-market-higher-after-clearing-fed-tests-356a9107 .
WSJ: The extent of federal student loan debt: https://www.wsj.com/articles/who-could-be-left-behind-in-the-supreme-courts-student-loan-ruling-in-six-charts-d5d3d637 . The Supreme Court ruling is expected Friday.
Ukraine makes slow gains in counteroffensive: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-counteroffensive-putin-wagner-2c4923f665e5aab927073dc86ed3f1be . One hotly contested area continues to be Bakhmut: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-aims-for-comeback-in-shattered-bakhmut-after-wagner-revolt-45707720 .
The most disturbing fact I’ve seen recently is that Russia has mined 77,000 square miles of Ukrainian territory. Meanwhile Ukraine has gained 50 square miles in fighting so far. That math does not add up to a Ukrainian victory this year.
A Russian purge appears to be on the way: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/where-are-russias-top-generals-rumours-swirl-after-mercenary-mutiny-2023-06-28/ . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/has-putins-general-armageddon-gone-missing-636b4e0 . To yesterday’s disappearance of General Surovikin, we now add General Gerasimov. How deep into the ranks will the purge go?: https://news.yahoo.com/russian-flyers-disobeyed-orders-attack-213026934.html .
WSJ: US considers long-range missiles for Ukraine: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-close-to-approving-long-range-atacms-missiles-to-bolster-ukraines-fight-cc4e389c .
China’s property market troubles continue: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-property-market-enters-troubling-new-phase-1fe3143d . It seems in every report, the situation worsens. We continue to look at a global recession.
Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-strikes-affirmative-action-programs-harvard-unc-rcna66770 . This sad ruling has uncertain impact. As the article notes, Roberts left the door open to individual admissions based on race. So universities can alter their applicant essay process to identify and admit qualified minority candidates: https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-diversity-5551cdb2b7206cd9112433e858be4d59 . The 1978 ruling mentioned is Bakke, generally considered the start of the Court’s recognition of affirmative action in college admissions.
Unfortunately, the evidence is that colleges cannot maintain sognofocant minority enrollment without affirmative action: https://www.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-admissions-e3de89d8 .
The comment in the AP article about the military’s need for minority officers is true in minority communities as well. We do, for example, need to educate minority students at the best medical and law schools for the needs of those communities, including the need for upward mobility. That is why affirmative action should have survived this challenge.
Supreme Court expands religious rights at work: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/supreme-court-strengthens-protections-for-religious-rights-at-work/ar-AA1ddv8N?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=32269dc73a014830b085c46c1f3d3b5b&ei=13 .
I’ve previously mentioned my recent start of a Washington Post subscription, and the improved reporting it represents over WSJ. This article is a good example, because it points out something subtle. Alito and Thomas have previously been skeptical of these rights, and yet Alito was chosen to write here for a unanimous Court. Roberts made this assignment to try to move Alito more into the Court’s current mainstream. Also, Alito and Thomas do not have a well-thought out judicial philosophy (no surprise) because they switched sides here rather than blindly favoring the employer over the employee.
A factor that is not mentioned here is that when Groff took the USPS job, postal workers were not required to work on Sundays. As such, he took the job “in good faith”, if you will, and so the employer should not have been unduly burdened when this was previously accepted practice. Another factor is that the Court has been loaded with people focused on religion (due to abortion), and in my view religion is not the future of this country.
Man with weapons and January 6 weapons caught running toward Obamas’ home: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-with-weapons-arrested-near-obamas-dc-home/ . One less nut is running around. Sadly, there are more where he came from.
Problems mount for Texas AG Ken Paxton: https://www.wsj.com/articles/impeachment-investigators-look-into-texas-attorney-generals-real-estate-spree-fee0a23 .
Former Speaker of Ohio House sentenced to 20 years in prison for $60 million bribery scheme: https://apnews.com/article/bribery-investigation-ohio-speaker-householder-sentenced-7ff5163a7d1fdbbfe6570ed34c7a7f67 . We simply cannot ignore the fact that the rotten apples in government in recent years are very predominantly members of the GOP. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/former-ohio-house-speaker-called-quintessential-mob-boss-faces-long-prison-term-595a447c .
Mike Pence visits Zelensky in Ukraine: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/mike-pence-volodymr-zelenskyy-surprise-trip-ukraine-rcna91763 . This photo op was a nice coup for Pence, who won’t be the GOP nominee.
DeMentis’ insanity grows: He would abolish the IRS: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/desantis-says-eliminate-four-federal-agencies-elected-president-rcna91733 . Right. You cannot enforce taxes without an enforcement agency, and there’s no other way to pay for government. As part of this lunacy, DeMentis supports a flat tax rate – in plain terms, this would increase the tax burden on all but the wealthiest Americans. The income tax structure, first adopted in 1913, has always been progressive, meaning the ones who earn the most pay the highest percentage.
The flat tax idea is literally insane, and you’ve never heard me say that here before. It is possibly the most socially irresponsible proposal ever made. And of course, DeMentis, a veteran, knows that the poor fight our wars. In this scheme, they contribute more than the rich to holding the country together. At least we can be comforted that DeMentis’ poll numbers continue to drop, and with bizarre comments like these, he becomes more and more unelectable in a general election.
WSJ: The last original owner of a Frank Lloyd Wright house: https://www.wsj.com/articles/frank-lloyd-wright-built-120-homes-near-the-end-of-his-life-just-one-original-owner-remains-83ed1d74 .
Space-time waves create an ongoing background: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/15-years-of-radio-data-reveals-evidence-of-spacetime-murmur .
WSJ: Virgin Galactic’s first space flight: https://www.wsj.com/articles/virgin-galactic-to-launch-first-commercial-spaceflight-after-setbacks-delays-f7e4f05d .
Pat Sajak hinted at Ryan Seacrest as a replacement 10 years ago: https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/pat-sajak-hints-ryan-seacrest-hosting-wheel-of-fortune-clip-rcna91786 . Could this be a result of space-time waves? (Hint: No!)
WSJ: Yankees get a perfect game in Oakland: https://www.wsj.com/sports/baseball/domingo-german-perfect-game-yankees-ad62f2ff .