Friday (today) is state vaccine order deadline: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-12-04/states-submit-vaccine-orders-as-coronavirus-death-toll-grows . I don’t really understand this article. For whom is the vaccine being ordered? Do the states order from the federal government? Why is an order process necessary, and how are amounts determined? I’ll let you know if there is other reporting making sense of this order process.
A new hazard: COVID symptom denial: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2020-12-04/the-danger-of-covid-19-symptom-denial . This unfortunately makes sense.
WSJ: The global vaccination race: https://www.wsj.com/articles/race-to-vaccinate-world-against-covid-19-intensifies-11607111607 .
Vaccinate teachers to open schools: https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2020-12-04/education-groups-urge-cdc-to-prioritize-teachers-school-staff-for-coronavirus-vaccine . This demand for priority also seems very reasonable.
Breathalyzer test for COVID-19: https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/covid-19-breathalyzer-test-is-a-possible-game-changer-for-economy . Anything to get more accurate, rapid testing.
CDC urges universal masking: https://www.yahoo.com/amphtml/now/cdc-pushes-for-universal-masking-to-stop-coronavirus-192044678.html . While never too late, it’s way past time for this.
Winter the perfect environment for COVID-19: https://www.wsj.com/articles/winter-offers-perfect-conditions-for-covid-19-spread-studies-show-11607111476 . The unquestionable evidence is that spring, summer and fall are excellent environments for COVID-19.
Scientific American COVID news round-up: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/coronavirus-news-roundup-november-28-december-4/ .
Pandemic analysis: https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-new-yorker-interview/atul-gawande-on-coronavirus-vaccines-and-prospects-for-ending-the-pandemic . An interview with Atul Gawande.
WSJ: Sanford-Intermountain deal collapses: https://www.wsj.com/articles/sanford-health-deal-to-create-regional-hospital-powerhouse-collapses-after-ceos-exit-11607141037 . A mask denier heading a hospital chain is bound to be a problem.
WSJ: Meatpacker JBS sent at-risk workers home (with full pay) as COVID risk rose: https://www.wsj.com/articles/meatpacker-jbs-removed-at-risk-workers-from-beef-plant-amid-covid-19-surge-11607087090 .
United bans couple flying while infected: https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/united-bans-couple-arrested-for-allegedly-flying-to-hawaii-despite-positive-virus-tests . This follows our earlier report.
WSJ: Frieden on the vaccine path forward: https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-handle-the-covid-19-vaccine-breakthrough-the-right-way-11607097703 .
Biden’s initial virus strategy: https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2020-12-04/president-elect-joe-biden-begins-shaping-coronavirus-strategy . As mask wearing has become some sort of psychological knot, the 100-day request makes sense as a way to increase compliance with a limited commitment to start. If vaccination proceeds as projected, 100 days may be adequate.
WSJ: DACA returns: https://www.wsj.com/articles/federal-judge-orders-government-to-fully-restore-daca-11607133464 . The glacial pace of restoration has harmed hundreds of thousands of potential recipients.
US trade deficit grows: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-trade-deficit-widened-in-october-as-exports-imports-rose-11607089163 . Another defeat for the Golfer-in-Chief.
WSJ: Another Trump “Screw the Poor” program heads to the Supreme Court: https://www.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-agrees-to-consider-medicaid-work-requirements-11607126369 .
WSJ: Lying for money as spun by WSJ: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trumps-campaign-went-into-debt-but-raked-in-postelection-cash-11607091717 . Who doesn’t know this? As to the Georgia spending drop, ad money didn’t buy victories in this election. Isn’t that the point of their comment about Bloomberg in Florida? A very weak reporting effort by WSJ here.
Will stimulus be tied to government funding bill?: https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2020-12-04/education-groups-urge-cdc-to-prioritize-teachers-school-staff-for-coronavirus-vaccine . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/weakening-jobs-numbers-spur-covid-aid-efforts-11607105486 .
Biden “confident” stimulus bill will be passed this month: https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2020-12-04/biden-confident-that-congress-will-pass-coronavirus-relief-package .
WSJ: Cadillac dealers bail out: https://www.wsj.com/articles/about-150-u-s-cadillac-dealers-to-exit-brand-rather-than-sell-electric-cars-11607111494 . Hey, screw the future. What happens to the remaining dealers’ investments if GM exits the brand?
Hiring slows: https://www.usnews.com/news/economy/articles/2020-12-04/hiring-stalls-in-november-amid-surge-in-coronavirus . This economic news, together with the expiration of various programs on December 31, has energized the stimulus talks. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/november-jobs-report-unemployment-rate-2020-11607028480 . Note that many people are giving up on finding work.
WSJ: UK’s Brexit suicide continues: https://www.wsj.com/articles/future-of-london-finance-at-stake-in-brexit-fight-11607079748 . Finance jobs have been migrating from London to Germany for over a year. This article is not news.
WSJ: Europe eases COVID rules for holidays: https://www.wsj.com/articles/europe-relaxes-covid-19-rules-for-christmas-11607112823 . This isn’t going to end well.
Latest Presidential vote count: Biden 81,029,173; Trump 74,122,605; others, 2,699,070; total, 157,850,848. By comparison, the 2016 count was Clinton 65,844,610; Trump 62,979,636; others 7,804,213; total 136,628,459. Thus, the total vote increased by 21,222,389, or 15.5%.
While Clinton exceeded Trump by 2,864,974, Biden beat Trump by 6,906,568, an increase of 4,041,594. However, the “others” vote decreased by more, 5,105,143. SUPPOSE that all that happened was that the third party voters predominately returned to Biden, and they accounted for ALL his increased margin. Then Biden received 4,573,369 (89.65%) of the returning third party voters, and Trump received 531,775 (the difference being 4,041,594). Biden and Trump each received 10,611,195 votes from the increased turnout.
To verify, this math does give Trump his vote total increase of 11,142,969. Now, if anything like this occurred, it means the get out the vote efforts of each side roughly offset each other. Trump would have lost because people who voted third party in 2016 simply decided they wasted their vote. And they took the opportunity to vote against him. This scenario shows that the country is extremely split. The electoral vote margin reflects the winner-take-all aspect of state voting. This all seems rather terrifying to me.
Georgia Senate runoff dates: Absentee ballots available on request NOW; Dec. 7 – last day to register to vote; Dec. 14-31 – Early in-person voting; January 5 – Election Day.
WSJ: More on the pardon-for-pay swamp: https://www.wsj.com/articles/bribery-for-pardon-investigation-involved-prominent-washington-lawyer-11607131323 . Here’s a million, get my buddy out of jail.
Biden hopes Trump attends inauguration to show “chaos that’s he’s created” is over: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-biden-inauguration-chaos_n_5fc9beebc5b6636e09240eb1?ncid=NEWSSTAND0001 . In my view, the tone of this is brilliant. Those who worry about Biden’s mental agility should be soothed. At the least he’s being brilliantly advised, and he’s taking the advice.
This also clarifies that the probability of Trump’s attendance is a snowball’s chance in hell. He will undoubtedly put his interests above the country. Trump will not attend an event where he is not the center of attention. The inaugural commemorates his defeat, and signifies the end of the Trump era.
In this bitter era of conspiracy theories and name-calling, it does at least clarify for me an appropriate nickname for Trump. Little Shiva appealed to me because of its allusion to Little Sheba. False Shiva is more accurate. Trump is a destroyer of the American universe, but not in order to re-create it. This is “burn the s**thouse to the ground” destruction.
On the snowball’s chances, we come closer to a cold day in hell: Edinburgh thundersnow: https://www.itv.com/news/2020-12-04/thundersnow-edinburgh-awoken-by-explosion-as-fierce-weather-hits-city . Actually, this happens when ground level air is warm. As previously commented, this place gets unbearably cold, even in October.
Texas takes football very seriously: https://sports.yahoo.com/high-school-removed-from-playoffs-after-player-attacks-referee-192549395.html .