Weight loss treatment in transition: WSJ: https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/weight-loss-drugs-obesity-treatment-cc3d752c .
Leishmania now endemic in US: https://www.aol.com/tropical-disease-now-endemic-u-173927853.html . This disease is resident in sandflies, whose bite infects a variety of mammals including humans. Climate change is allowing sandflies to expand their range in the US, while infected dogs entering the US also transmit the disease. Swell.
WSJ: CVS pulls ineffective cold medicines: https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/cvs-pulls-cold-medicines-with-phenylephrine-as-only-active-ingredient-28557eb5 . This is the right thing to do. What you’re selling is a placebo, not a medicine.
US home sales lowest in 13 years: WSJ: https://www.wsj.com/economy/housing/home-sales-report-to-show-how-much-high-rates-squeezed-market-54f64ea1 . Sigh. If prices are rising and yet inventory is down, the reason is obvious. Existing homeowners are unwilling to sell and give up their low-interest rate mortgages. Once again, the Journal shows utterly no knowledge of basic economics.
WSJ: Why China faces growing financial threats: https://www.wsj.com/world/china/dont-rule-out-a-financial-crisis-in-china-ed048ef9 . As we know, China cooks its data when the truth is embarrassing. In this state-planned economy, investors have assumed that the national government would shore up any mistakes by regional and local governments. Here, those governments leveraged up, assuming future growth would cover their loans. But leverage is a two-edged sword. Things can grow faster, but then collapse just as or more rapidly if the borrowers do not pay down the leverage over time.
Because these local governments did not deleverage and overbuilt, the banks now hold secured loans where the security has contracted. That is, these loans are now unsecured. As China faces significant demographic headwinds, growing out of the problem is virtually impossible. The property mess has every possibility of bringing down this entire house of cards.
President Biden addresses nation on Israel and Ukraine wars: https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/19/politics/biden-oval-office-speech-israel-ukraine/index.html . Biden proposed a $100 billion aid package including $60 billion for Ukraine, $10-$14 billion for Israel, $10 billion for Taiwan, and $10 billion for US southern border security. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-n-world-leaders-push-to-get-gaza-aid-flowing-after-biden-pledge-3b59283b .
WSJ: The Gaza hospital blast: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/what-we-know-about-the-gaza-hospital-blast-b238a40d . This reporting is a day late and a dollar short. WSJ should directly point out that Israel and the US offer hard and convincing evidence, including photos, while Gaza supporters offer no evidence whatsoever.
US Navy destroyer shoots down cruise missiles apparently headed for Israel: https://abcnews.go.com/International/security-incident-involving-us-navy-destroyer-red-sea/story?id=104147141 . The missiles were fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Houthis, like Hamas, are backed by Iran. The risk of regional war increases.
Meanwhile, there is still no Speaker of the House: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/jim-jordan-will-back-empowering-interim-speaker-patrick-mchenry-tempor-rcna121147 . Jim Jordan says he’s staying in the race, while his support drops. Stop already. I asked yesterday if Jordan has the same disease as OJ, an inability to accept defeat. Yes, in spades.
WSJ: Even the Journal sees the handwriting on the wall here: https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/pressure-campaign-by-jim-jordan-supporters-backfires-in-house-speaker-race-92779873 . More: https://www.wsj.com/politics/gop-weighs-giving-patrick-mchenry-more-powers-as-jim-jordans-speaker-bid-fades-71f404d4 .
Another worm turns: Sidney Powell will plead guilty in Georgia election fraud case and become a state’s witness: https://apnews.com/article/sidney-powell-plea-deal-georgia-election-indictment-ec7dc601ad78d756643aa2544028e9f5 . Based on prior reporting about “Flipper”, the bail bondsman, Powell saw the handwriting on the wall. However, Kenneth Chesebro, her (former) co-defendant also appears to be completely screwed: https://www.rawstory.com/ken-chesebro-conservative-lawyers-defense/ . One wonders whether the trial of (now just) Chesebro, scheduled to start Monday, will still occur. Chesebro should flip and take whatever deal he can get. Things also just got much tougher for Orange Julius and the other 15 (16 – Flipper) co-defendants in the later Georgia trial or trials.
More importantly, Powell was in regular contact with OJ and participated in various meetings with other co-defendants. OJ and the rest are completely screwed now, with Georgia RICO having a 5-year mandatory minimum prison term. Powell will lose her deal if she fails to testify fully and truthfully, and she undoubtedly recognizes how good a deal her lawyer has obtained.
The Georgia governor has only limited pardon powers, which do not apply until least 5 years of imprisonment. To sneak out of this, OJ has to be re-elected and get the Georgia legislature to pass legislation giving the governor greater pardon powers. OJ’s odds of spending time in prison just increased significantly. And the rest of his co-defendants cannot expect any special treatment.
This also implies to me that Powell should make a deal with Jack Smith to testify in the federal cases. She is not a named defendant, but as the article notes she is an unnamed co-conspirator and therefore has criminal exposure. I expect the knock on her lawyer’s door is coming, if it hasn’t already. Also, expect OJ’s public behavior to deteriorate further. The walls are truly closing in now.
WSJ: We just make stuff up, like usual: https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/sidney-powell-pleads-guilty-georgia-trial-85e6543f . This crap is a serious disservice to any reader who values the truth. The Journal is just writing to please its MAGA readers here. They distinguish Chesebro from Powell (that’s okay), but ignore the substance of Chesebro’s alleged crimes. (As noted above, a prominent group of conservative lawyers filed an amicus brief tearing Chesebro’s defense to shreds.) The Journal then goes on to discuss what happens if Chesebro is acquitted – there’s no analysis supporting that fantasy.
The Journal then tears down Sidney Powell by quoting John Eastman’s lawyer hypothesizing that she will make stuff up. If she does that, as discussed above, her plea deal goes out the window. It is outrageous for the Journal to print this anti-factual stupidity.
Laphonza Butler not running for election to California Senate seat: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/sen-laphonza-butler-running-reelection-2024-after-filling/story?id=104151400 . This means House Democrats Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee can get back to beating each other up for this seat. I’m betting on Schiff. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/california-sen-laphonza-butler-wont-run-for-office-next-year-dc0c233c .
WSJ: Second US journalist detained in Russia: https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/russia-detains-american-journalist-37895b24 . With their own journalist detained in Russia, I can see why the Journal reported this case in this manner. However, the story seems to be that as an editor, the woman and RFE did not realize the need for her to register. Their argument is that since she was not working on this trip, she did not need to register.
Really? You work for Radio Free Europe and do not err on the side of caution in entering Russia? The family emergency part is sad, but not relevant.