US vaccination rates by race: https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/latest-data-on-covid-19-vaccinations-by-race-ethnicity/ . I found this data resource pursuing a comment that Asian Americans had distinctly higher vaccination rates than whites. That is true, and the disparity is rather striking. This source provides current data by state.
WSJ: Omicron surges globally as airlines cancel more flights: https://www.wsj.com/articles/countries-consider-further-post-christmas-omicron-curbs-11640525485 .
Drug interaction concerns for oral COVID antivirals: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/pfizer-covid-pills-covid-symptoms-may-risky-drugs-rcna9683 . So this may not be a viable alternative for some in the anti-vax crowd.
Talking to children about COVID: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/how-to-talk-to-kids-covid-pandemic-190559142.html .
FEMA offers to pay COVID funeral costs: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-emergency-management-federal-emergency-management-agency-0b63f9fcbf4ea0c5948adddc53e6b1c7 .
COVID kills three bowl games: https://sports.yahoo.com/report-military-bowl-and-fenway-bowl-canceled-due-to-covid-19-165150855.html . COVID preys on the vulnerable, and these are three of the weakest. However, the weakest games are played earliest. There is still risk to the major bowls. COVID also took Texas A&M out of the Gator Bowl, although Rutgers has stepped in.
COVID catches another anti-vax broadcaster: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/an-anti-vax-podcaster-has-reportedly-contracted-covid-19-and-now-is-hospitalized-on-a-ventilator/ar-AAS9LQL .
NHL getting desperate to continue season: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/holland-america-cruise-skips-mexico-stop-positive-covid-19-tests-rcna9970 . If you’re thinking the quality of professional sports being played right now is subpar, I agree with you. More: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-soccer-sports-health-europe-b6976f5266f42e7853c3d3bf321c426c . Still more: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-soccer-sports-health-europe-53119d892a4ee623e45a6047d3f82886 . And: https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-nba-sports-health-draymond-green-89198a7f169040e8ef8eeca748e31d22 .
Cruise news just gets worse: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/holland-america-cruise-skips-mexico-stop-positive-covid-19-tests-rcna9970 . In my view, any cruise passenger right now is taking a foolish gamble. And these people are all vaccinated. My opinion of the unvaccinated continues to decline.
WSJ: Wall Street worries that too much value is concentrated in too few stocks: https://www.wsj.com/articles/gigantic-stocks-are-a-reason-to-worry-11640530981 . This has been a problem for some time. But I agree that valuations overall are well above historical levels relative to earnings.
Speaking of excessive concentration of wealth: https://www.epi.org/blog/wage-inequality-continued-to-increase-in-2020-top-1-0-of-earners-see-wages-up-179-since-1979-while-share-of-wages-for-bottom-90-hits-new-low/ . In the past, this has been the fuel of revolutions. As mentioned here periodically, the US has one of the most unequal wealth distributions of any country on the planet.
Pennsylvania church founded in 1800 holds last service: https://apnews.com/article/religion-pennsylvania-d3b36fd2b0c2747cbd9d55e125a01ec8 . Another sign of declining Protestantism in the US emerges.
Anti-vaxxers disgruntled at being turned away from Orange Julius’ restaurant: https://www.the-sun.com/news/4340884/trump-tower-nyc-anti-vaxxers-proof-turned-away/ . One said it proves OJ is a fraud. He said it proves OJ is all talk and no action. Right …
A VERY disgruntled owner dynamites his Tesla: https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/26/22853573/tesla-model-s-explosion-repair-bill . Quite the way to Finnish the car. Meanwhile, Russian troops are massing at the border.
Desmond Tutu passes: https://apnews.com/article/desmond-tutu-dead-a0cec6cddaa5cf2a996df8550a72479c . Humanity on average became less compassionate today. Tributes poured in: https://apnews.com/article/africa-cape-town-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-south-africa-687040d1e07ebc9f2c18082f83f3a84a . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/desmond-tutu-archbishop-who-helped-end-apartheid-11640503788 . His life in photos: https://www.wsj.com/articles/bishop-desmond-tutu-a-life-in-photos-11640507612 .
Sarah Weddington passes: https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2021-12-26/sarah-weddington-lawyer-who-argued-roe-v-wade-dies-at-76 . You probably don’t immediately recognize the name, but she is the lawyer who won Roe v. Wade. At 26 years old, she was fresh out of law school. Frankly, the magnitude of this accomplishment defined her life.
Because of this, while the national news articles about her death are running a recent picture, I find a picture of her in her youth more appropriate, as did Glamour magazine in a 2018 article about her involvement in the case: https://www.glamour.com/story/sarah-weddington-woman-won-roe-v-wade-trump-supreme-court-pick . She was the right person for this case at the right time in American history, as Glamour documents. Please take a look at this excellent article and remind yourself how powerful the Supreme Court can be when it functions with strong and open minds.