US pharmacists can prescribe Paxlovid: https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2022-07-06/u-s-fda-allows-pharmacists-to-prescribe-pfizers-covid-pill .
WSJ: BA5 dominant in US COVID cases: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ba-5-subvariant-drives-majority-of-recent-covid-19-cases-11657043207 .
Merck looks to buy Seagen: https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/merck-talks-buy-seagen . WSJ: More: https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/merck-talks-buy-seagen .
WSJ: Obamacare subsidies at risk at year-end: https://www.wsj.com/articles/healthcare-premiums-could-surge-for-millions-of-americans-as-subsidies-expire-11657112401 . The Democrats must find a way to fund these subsidies for several years past 2022, as the likelihood of losing the House this year will make it impossible to pass subsidies for the next 2 years at least.
Macau shutters major shopping mall as COVID spreads: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-07-06/macau-shuts-popular-shopping-mall-in-race-to-contain-covid-outbreak . Now you shut the mall, after leaving the casinos open? Dynamic Zero COVID remains a tragic joke of a policy.
WSJ: Shanghai resumes mass testing as Xi’an goes into lockdown: https://www.wsj.com/articles/shanghai-revives-mass-testing-as-cases-slip-through-chinas-covid-armor-11657104884 . The appearance of BA5 in Xi’an shows that China remains a sieve through which the virus is passing.
Hajj expected to bring 1 million pilgrims: https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-religion-middle-east-saudi-arabia-84670747d7b3ee77576737d7d86416ad . This looks to be a global superspreader.
OJ’s former White House counsel Pat Cipollone to testify in closed hearing with January 6 committee: https://www.yahoo.com/news/ap-source-cipollone-agrees-testify-150152241-150843629.html . This is a huge get for the committee. The OJ supporters opposing subpoenas may be doing so to avoid perjuring themselves or taking the Fifth. Interestingly, when Rudy Giuliani takes the fifth, it is typically over ice. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pat-cipollone-faces-deadline-for-appearance-before-jan-6-committee-11657105996 .
Mick Mulvaney says people, especially in his party, see Orange Julius as damaged: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/mick-mulvaney-says-gop-members-see-trump-as-damaged-and-that-he-would-not-vote-for-former-president-again/ar-AAZiiMQ?li=BBnbfcL . Wait, what? Virtually everyone outside the GOP has seen OJ as damaged for years.
Early announcement by OJ of 2024 run would be “a train wreck” for GOP: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/an-extremely-early-trump-2024-announcement-would-be-a-train-wreck-for-the-gop-that-also-wont-deter-the-prosecutors-on-his-heels-experts-say/ar-AAZhVVx?li=BBnb7Kz . Democrats pray for this, because it will turn out their voters. It will not deter prosecutors; in fact, they will hurry to indict before others begin announcing for 2024. However, the announcement could still happen because OJ only thinks of himself, not strategic issues for the GOP.
UK government crisis deepens: https://www.politico.eu/article/timeline-boris-johnson-resignation-sacks-gove-pincher-javid-sunak-zahawi/ . Other reports indicate that at least 40 senior and junior ministers resigned within a 24 hour period. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-k-s-boris-johnson-looks-to-ride-out-latest-storm-after-raft-of-resignations-11657103815 .
Supreme Court justices have prayed with group involved in overturning Roe: https://jezebel.com/supreme-court-justices-have-been-praying-with-leaders-o-1849148168 . This is hard to believe because it is such an obvious conflict of interest. However, the article presents strong evidence that if this is not true, this church group has lied about this consistently over the years.
WSJ: Ukraine war heads toward protracted conflict: https://www.wsj.com/articles/russias-tactical-shift-in-ukraine-raises-prospect-of-protracted-war-11657106436 . The Journal comes around to the general viewpoint of most observers. More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-and-ukrainian-forces-prepare-for-next-phase-of-battle-for-donbas-11657110128 .
The Internet ate my homework. Apologies to those on the mailing list for yesterday’s newsletter not making it to your in-boxes. Somehow the newsletter ended up as a page rather than a post on the website, and the mail software only picks up new posts, not new pages. I believe the situation has been corrected. You can use the “Previous Post” button below to access yesterday’s newsletter – there was very interesting COVID and general news yesterday.