WSJ: US orders specialized COVID boosters: https://www.wsj.com/articles/variant-targeted-covid-19-boosters-test-the-promise-of-mrna-technology-11661030696 . Moderna and Pfizer vaccines in the US will target the spike protein of BA.4 and BA.5. The vaccine recently approved in the UK targets BA.1.
Jill Biden completes COVID isolation: https://www.aol.com/news/u-first-lady-jill-biden-130136646-145334438.html .
Japan’s Prime minister has COVID: https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-japan-fumio-kishida-government-and-politics-1c78cbacaa7ca802f8a75183c3a2d950 . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fumio-kishida-japanese-prime-minister-contracts-covid-19-11661087824 .
Fed will slow to 50 basis point increase in September: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fed-slow-50-bps-hike-000851269.html . As readers know, this has been my opinion for some time. However, the market should not take this as a sign of retreat by the Fed. As 25 basis points is the normal increase, 50 basis points is very strong, while 75 basis points is panic mode. The Fed will be saying, we’re still behind the curve and will continue strong increases. We’re just stepping away from panic mode, at least until further notice.
WSJ: China remains world’s dominant manufacturer: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pandemic-bolsters-chinas-position-as-the-worlds-manufacturer-11661090580 . This does raise some issues with the “two axes” model of the global economy. However, those issues are of lesser importance if the US adequately addresses the national security supply chain.
WSJ: Droughts further damage world’s largest economies: https://www.wsj.com/articles/droughts-hurt-worlds-largest-economies-11661087554 .
Daughter of “Putin’s brain” killed by car bomb: https://www.npr.org/2022/08/21/1118666607/daria-dugina-car-blast-daughter-putin-ally . It is not obvious who planted this bomb, or who the target was. Dugin’s allies say he was the target, and he and his daughter switched cars just before the bombing. Suspects include supporters of Ukraine and those opposed to Putin. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraines-zelensky-warns-of-russian-escalation-after-putin-allys-daughter-is-killed-11661075038 . Note that Dugina’s pen name, Platonova, can be translated as Latin for “new Plato”.
Orange Julius and Meadows planned to declassify an FBI file and hand it over to a sympathetic conservative journalist: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/donald-trump-and-mark-meadows-last-minute-plan-to-declassify-an-fbi-file-and-tip-off-a-conservative-journalist-nyt/ar-AA10Tx5D?cvid=bf863a5dd4c048b096c0eab9ce795e65 . Do you have any doubt that OJ acts only on self-interest, with no regard to the country? Here is Michael Cohen’s opinion: https://www.rawstory.com/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-2657893304/ .
WSJ: Liz Cheney plans to oppose Orange Julius. What that plan is remains unclear: https://www.wsj.com/articles/liz-cheney-says-new-political-group-will-target-trump-allies-11661108619 . Her “primary” utility would seem to be appearing on a debate stage with Orange Julius in the 2024 GOP primary. However, as the article notes, her comments that she would target GOP election deniers in the 2022 election suggest she would endorse Democratic candidates. This seems like a difficult path to take into a GOP run for president in 2024.