Welcome to the COVID Olympics: https://www.aol.com/sports/china-reports-37-covid-19-032415467-133211763.html . So far, 119 athletes and staff have tested positive out of 3,000 total arrivals in Beijing. And testing does not rule out further cases from emerging.
COVID cases now dropping in the majority of states: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-01-31/u-s-coronavirus-cases-drop-as-infections-decrease-in-majority-of-states . A note of caution: Omicron is milder, meaning there are more low-symptom and asymptomatic cases. Reporting may be understating case counts even more than for Delta.
Moderna vaccine receives full FDA approval: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-01-31/fda-grants-modernas-covid-19-vaccine-full-approval .
More on long COVID concerns and causes: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-01-31/omicron-amps-up-concerns-about-long-covid-and-its-causes . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-new-clues-about-who-will-develop-long-covid-11643625003 .
Man needing transplant refuses vaccination: https://www.aol.com/news/die-free-man-lifesaving-kidney-191711920.html . In essence, he is refusing medical care. Bye.
Governors look to Biden to end COVID restrictions: https://news.yahoo.com/governors-look-to-move-beyond-covid-restrictions-and-return-to-a-great-state-of-normality-202729958.html . We recently hit a seven-day COVID death toll which exceeded any during the Delta wave. Sorry you’re tired of people dying, but it’s prudent to continue masking and other public health procedures.
WSJ: The toll on society from 1 million COVID deaths: https://www.wsj.com/articles/one-million-deaths-the-hole-the-pandemic-made-in-u-s-society-11643662159 .
Diabetes deaths top 100,000 for second consecutive year: https://www.aol.com/lifestyle/exclusive-u-diabetes-deaths-top-110743723-162134269.html .
Single-payer dies in California Assembly: https://news.yahoo.com/californias-single-payer-bill-dies-004731344.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/california-single-payer-healthcare-plan-shelved-at-last-minute-11643679072 .
Perdue opioid settlement 2.0: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/sacklers-states-near-bigger-purdue-pharma-opioid-settlement/ar-AATliiy?li=BBnb7Kz . So the Sacklers negotiate how many of their billions they will part with. Question: Why aren’t these mass murders on Death Row? Answer: Money, honey.
How many rate hikes are coming from the Fed?: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/heres-what-7-rate-hikes-from-the-fed-may-do-to-the-stock-market/ar-AATkFV3?li=BBnb7Kz . SEVEN? There is some justification for that under a 1970’s view of inflation management. However, since the Fed appeared responsive to Orange Julius’ press to lower rates, they can no longer be considered independent. So they also can’t raise rates 7 times under a Democrat. I think 5 is a reasonable guess given the current environment. But I don’t currently see them going past 4 (at a quarter point per hike, that’s only 1 percent).
Supreme Court update: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/big-cases-new-vacancy-supreme-court-faces-high-stakes-2022-n1288314 . The problem, as noted earlier, is that the GOP has packed the Court with 4 clowns. They will likely prove that in this term’s Mississippi abortion case.
Ted Cruz proves, if you thought he couldn’t sink any lower, you were wrong: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/cruz-joins-republicans-slamming-bidens-vow-black-woman/story?id=82583224 . So let’s look at the math. Since the Supreme Court was first seated in 1790, 115 people have sat on the Court. Of those, 5 have been women. Does anyone see a problem here? Two have been Black. Do you see a problem here? None have been Black women. How about now? Appointment of a Black woman addresses all three of these problems. But our boy Ted says such an appointment is an insult to Black women. At least Texas can be proud that its jackass population is overrepresented in the US Senate.
But Slate is hardly more sophisticated: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/how-bidens-vow-to-name-a-black-woman-to-the-supreme-court-backfired/ar-AATl2W0?li=BBnb7Kz . Look, you dimwits, the GOP has been packing the Court with pro-abortion nobodies for almost 50 years. We are about to reap that bitter harvest. The GOP also chose the nobody Clarence Thomas to replace the brilliant Thurgood Marshall in the “Black seat”. The GOP does not choose the most qualified candidates (with the possible exception of John Roberts, who got there by helping win Bush v. Gore). So now you criticize Biden for doing the right thing? And keeping his word? For shame.
Still wondering if Orange Julius is an authoritarian crook?: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-told-giuliani-to-call-the-department-of-homeland-security-to-see-if-they-could-take-control-of-voting-machines-nyt-report/ar-AATlzYT?li=BBnb7Kz . No? Me neither.
What does the US population look like by state in 2040?: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/this-will-be-americas-largest-state-in-2040/ar-AATkygV?li=BBnb7Kz . Many of our actuarial readers have done pension work in the past. Form your own opinion on this. Here’s mine. 2040 is 18 years away. California for certain will still be the largest state by population. It’s the nicest place to live, and that matters. Texas will grow, but not to 40 million. A large part of that state’s economy is energy, and the oil business will bust again (more than once) before 2040. New York will remain the world’s major financial center (but challenged by Frankfurt), so it will grow more than projected here.
My gut reaction is that these modelers have not accurately projected state-to-state migration.
Evergrande default creates forced land sale: https://www.wsj.com/articles/evergrande-faces-forced-sale-of-hong-kong-land-it-pledged-for-loan-11643615568 .