Pandemic Report
This segment is in flux. For months now I've led this segment with a WaPo-based summary. I recently saw a webpage notice that it stopped updating ths page with the end of the federal emergency a couple of weeks back. A comparable CDC weekly tracker (a source?) also ended regular updates. Some states (e.g., OH) seem to be doing it but others aren't. My initial search for national case numbers was unsuccessful. The nature and extent of stats may change with upcoming post updates.
The following updates are from CDC:
In pandemic news, Pfizer won full FDA approval (up from EUA) for its oral COVID-19 treatment, .Paxlovid, China is in the middle of a new wave which may increase to 65K weekly cases next month. The battle against anti-vaxxer misinformation continues with the distortion of MS and data from a WHO database.
John Hopkins did a post-audit on the botches US public health policy response to the pandemic:
- Widespread testing was delayed and remains inadequate
- THE U.S. WAS UNABLE TO CONTAIN THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS
- THE COUNTRY LACKS ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT
- MESSAGING ON THE VIRUS HAS BEEN INCONSISTENT AND INACCURATE
- FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES FAILED TO COORDINATE THEIR EFFORTS
- maintain consistent funding for public health preparedness planning
- U.S. public health policy must be guided by science, including recommendations offered in the Global Health Security Index.
Other Notes
It looks like we'll improve over April's weak Blogger numbers this weekend but barring blowout numbers for the remaining days in May, it's unlikely we'll break 1000 pageviews, a number I used to reach within a half-month for most of the life of the blog.
The WWE PLE Night of Champions took place in Saudi Arabia Saturday early afternoon (EDT). The first thing I really noticed was the female grapplers all wore full bodysuits, which I speculate had to do with modesty standards in the kingdom. Not that I missed the gaping cleavage of Trish Stratus' enhanced breasts. I also think the Saudis had a past issue with Sami Zahn's Syrian ancestry.
I fully anticipated all the major outcomes, including the only flip being Asuka's win over Belair. I thought Belair's babyface champion run had run the gauntlet, and maybe it's time for a heel turn. I expected Rollins to win the new/updated RAW World Championship. There were some rumors that WWE might have Intercontinental Champ Gunther job to Mustafa Ali to free him up for a heavyweight champion program with Rollins or Reigns. But I remember Ultimate Warrior did challenge Hogan in a comparable scenario.
It's infuriating that Reigns wasn't booked into defending his heavyweight belt(s). Instead, Reigns, upset at his cousins, the Usos, losing and failing to regain their unified tag titles from Owens & Zayn, deciding he himself and Solo (an Uso brother) would bring the tag belts back to his faction, the Bloodline. On Twitter, I've signaled it's time for Owens/Zayn to move to a new program. This was more about advancing the foreshadowed meltdown of the Bloodline. I didn't think the Usos liked the humiliation of losing their rights to the titles within their own faction. You also had to wonder how Solo felt in the middle of Reigns and his brothers, not to mention possible individual ambitions for Reigns' own titles.
I wasn't sure how WWE would book the match; They could do something obvious like attack Owens & Zayn, which would disqualify Reigns/Sikoa. In fact, they did do that, but the referee wasn't there to make the call. And fans probably wouldn't be happy with a cheesy DQ closing the premium live event (PLE).
It's not clear how they will now book the major titles. The WWE had been signaling the Rock challenging Reigns. Reportedly, the Rock doesn't have the time to get ring-ready and doesn't want to do a half-assed effort at a top PLE. Rollins/Rhodes had a very recent program, and I don't think the WWE wants the World belt being demoted into a consolation prize. So, I think we'll see an overdue Reigns/Rhodes rematch. They're heavily promoting Reigns' 1000-day streak as Universal belt champion, and maybe they want him to surpass Morales' slightly longer streak.
