Zero COVID still sucks: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-08-09/chinese-cities-in-tibet-begin-mass-covid-testing-hainan-cluster-grows . Yes, and Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead (ancient SNL reference). More: https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-travel-china-73df01990265a237b074233f1be1bca1 .
Zero COVID causing birthrate decline: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-08-08/analysis-more-chinese-women-delay-or-give-up-on-having-babies-after-zero-covid-ordeal . As we know, China’s population is rapidly aging. Absolutely the last thing authorities want is a further decline in the birthrate.
WSJ: Hong Kong cuts COVID quarantine to 3 days: https://www.wsj.com/articles/hong-kong-cuts-quarantine-to-3-days-seeks-exit-from-covid-isolation-11659927273 . This is a mistake with a Zero COVID policy. Zero COVID bets on keeping the virus totally out. Three days is too short a quarantine period to guarantee that.
WSJ: Few toddlers receive COVID vaccine: https://www.wsj.com/articles/most-parents-are-saying-no-to-covid-19-vaccines-for-toddlers-11659887903 .
Gretchen Whitmer has COVID: https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-michigan-gretchen-whitmer-government-and-politics-c81ab4262b06c7ac75bf79836c40d264 .
Cruise lines to drop pre-cruise COVID testing: https://www.aol.com/lifestyle/cdc-ended-covid-19-program-133641048.html . So, as readers not doubt have guessed, my near-zero chances of going on one of these floating Petri dishes just got smaller.
WSJ: Novavax cuts vaccine sales projections: https://www.wsj.com/articles/poor-demand-for-its-covid-vaccine-prompts-novavax-to-cut-sales-forecast-11659988921 .
WSJ: Pfizer buying Global Blood Therapeutics for $5.4 billion: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-reaches-5-4-billion-deal-for-global-blood-therapeutics-11659954601 .
Preview of this week’s inflation data: https://news.yahoo.com/stock-market-week-ahead-preview-august-8-173432172.html . Even if inflation data comes in below these projections, the Fed remains way behind the curve. In my view, it would take a dramatic downward surprise to lower the probability of a 50 basis point increase in September.
The latest on Russian disinformation: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-misinformation-european-union-government-and-politics-e5a1330e834fde428aab599b5c423530 . Society will need to figure out content regulation on the Internet if civilization is to survive. We are built on data and information. These termites are eating away at the foundation.
Orange Julius once again demonstrates his astounding lack of knowledge: https://news.yahoo.com/trump-generals-more-like-hitler-john-kelly-book-excerpt-172403726.html . Again, stupidity has no limits. Here, we see an infinite vacuum.
FBI raids OJ’s residence at Mar-a-Lago, apparently over removal of government records: https://news.yahoo.com/trump-fbi-raid-mar-a-lago-investigation-232732108.html . As the article correctly notes, a judge must authorize such a raid based on “probable cause” of commission of a crime. This may be the beginning of “just deserts” (yes, one “s” even though it sounds like two).
More on the raid: https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-mar-lago-raided-fbi-agents/story?id=88116571 . And: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/national-archives-confirms-documents-retrieved-mar-lago-classified/story?id=82989164 . Reading these two articles together, we learn that OJ has already handed over 15 boxes of records from Mar-a-Lago, including classified documents. So this in itself proves a crime. Is that the basis of this raid, or was there credible information that some documents had not been handed over? Was there evidence that the documents were at Mar-a-Lago? It is tantalizing to speculate, but better to wait for the government to tell us.
The articles also tell us that Kevin McCarthy is coming to OJ’s defense with absolutely no evidence. If the GOP does retake the House in November, they really need to find another Speaker. McCarthy is a spineless dimwit. Still more: https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/3593582-mccarthy-threatens-to-probe-garland-after-trump-fbi-raid/ . Does anyone in the GOP understand governance? The country cannot afford to piss away more time on this insurrectionist lunacy.
While this is speculation, it is expert speculation: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/feds-likely-obtained-pulverizing-amount-of-evidence-ahead-of-searching-trump-s-mar-a-lago-home-legal-experts-say/ar-AA10sCju?cvid=44d72f3088574183aec052dd2b6ab65b . So, given my reticence to speculate, you can assume I find this pretty convincing. My hope of “just deserts” is growing.
Here is the liberal dream speculation about case resolution: https://www.rawstory.com/trump-could-be-barred-from-office/ . This has some legs, but, to mix metaphors, it doesn’t mean this dog will hunt. However, this does offer some tidy possibilities to resolve the case by settlement.
Southwest Washington’s August surprise nears arrival. On Friday, we mentioned that mail-in votes were tightening the race in Washington’s Third Congressional District, in Vancouver. Today, Jaime Herrera-Beutler’s challenger, Joe Kent, pulled ahead by 960 votes: https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20220802/congressional-district-3-us-representative.html . While a recount may occur, unless more votes appear tomorrow, any recount is unlikely to change this margin. The essentially unknown Democratic challenger now has a realistic shot in November. Although she won only 31% of the vote in this open primary, she beat the 3 major GOP candidates who split the remaining vote.
North Carolina K through 12 students will return to armed schools: https://apnews.com/article/texas-north-carolina-f2b8b83af7165cc9b20846a0500bda19 . I absolutely agree with the professor commenting that there will be accidents with these guns. The guns may also be targets of thieves.
Punitive damages in Alex Jones case likely to be substantially cut: https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/alex-jones-likely-win-large-cut-sandy-hook-punitive-damages-award-attorneys-2022-08-09/ . Still, Jones would owe $4.1 million in compensatory damages and $4.5 million in punitive damages, a substantial amount. And there are other lawsuits against Jones.
Anne Heche in “extreme critical condition” after car wreck: https://variety.com/2022/film/news/anne-heche-coma-car-crash-1235336342/ . As the article notes, her representative previously reported that she was in stable condition. I’m including the latest news for those of you who may have seen the original reporting (not here) and were misled.
David McCullough passes at 89: https://www.npr.org/2022/08/08/1116337415/historian-david-mccullough-died . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/david-mccullough-pulitzer-prize-winning-author-dies-at-89-11659981037 .
Olivia Newton-John passes at 73: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/olivia-newton-john-star-of-grease-and-grammy-winner-dead-at-age-73-195050966.html . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/olivia-newton-john-grease-star-and-grammy-winner-dies-at-73-11659989998 .