Post #7131 J

 Pandemic Report

The latest weekly stats from CDC:

Well, it seems like the total number of cases of COVID has slightly fallen across the US but note that your mileage may vary. I've seen reports of pandemic lows in Oregon to highs in the Rust Belt and the South. One interesting nuance: flu cases have dominated this cycle to the point flu deaths may be leading COVID deaths.

No doubt the biggest news over the past week has been political. The military under Trump and Hegseth is trying to coax backtroops who left over refusing to take a COVID vaccine shot, even promising back pay. Also unfortunately anti-vaxxer RFK, Jr. was confirmed head of HHS. Congressman Massie, who I used to respect, is demanding the FDA revoke COVID vaccine approvals. But definitely the biggest news story was Trump's executive order to cut off federal funding to schools and colleges mandating COVID vaccines.

Other COVID news items of interest include:

• Legal/politics notes of interest:
• " Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in talks to settle lawsuits over fired workers and COVID-19 vaccine"
• "Walgreens ordered to pay $987 million in COVID-19 test contract case"
• "Proposed [Missouri] bill seeks to eliminate COVID-19 vaccine, gene therapy mandates in public schools"
• "Marshall, 16 AGs demand Anthony Fauci be held accountable for COVID-19 response"
• "States absorb big increases in Medicaid for sicker-than-expected enrollees after COVID-19 pandemic"
• "CityMD refunds $7M to 215K New Yorkers, cancels bills for another 87K patients over wrongful billing for COVID testing"
• "NIH principal deputy director, who led agency during COVID, resigns abruptly"
• "DHS Inspector General issues final report on Insufficient Oversight of FEMA COVID-19 grants"
• "Pa. college agrees to $1.85M settlement of suit over COVID-19 remote instruction"
• "Citing government overreach, Louisiana won't promote vaccination, surgeons general say"
• "AI approach reveals possible fusion of rare diseases in COVID-19 origins....The study was conducted by Zhengjun Zhang from the Department of Statistics at University of Wisconsin. Using max-logistic intelligence, he uncovered strong genetic link evidence suggesting that COVID-19 likely emerged from the natural fusion of two rare infectious diseases, glanders and Sennetsu fever, with some common human diseases."
• "China says Wuhan institute was not involved in creating COVID-19 virus"
• "People with immune impairment accounted for 22% of COVID hospital stays, deaths
• "Scientists Discover Bat Gene That Could Revolutionize COVID-19 Treatment"
• "Nearly 15% of long-COVID patients have cardiovascular symptoms, most often chest pain"
• "COVID-19 Stalled Eye Procedures in Medicare Beneficiaries"
• "‘Desperate’ man fell from bridge after adverse reaction to Covid booster jab"
• "Kansas City’s TB Outbreak Can Be Contained With the Lessons From COVID-19"
• "FDA Extends Expiration Dates for COVID-19 Tests"
• "Vaxart secures $105.9 million more for COVID-19 pill vaccine trial"
• "Study suggests COVID-19 infection no longer grants long-lasting immunity"
• "New study reveals math and reading levels severely behind due to COVID-19 learning gaps"
• "Long COVID and the brain: Global study links infection to memory loss, higher dementia risk in seniors"
• "Moderna's Quarterly Loss Widens, Cost Cuts Planned as COVID-19 Vaccine Demand Falls"
• "Moderna norovirus vaccine trial on hold by US FDA over neurological side effect"
• "European Commission Approves CSL and Arcturus Therapeutics' KOSTAIVE®, the First Self-amplifying mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine"
• Pew Research Center:
• "Overall, [Ammericans],don’t feel the virus is nearly as much of a danger as they did in 2020. Still, deep political divides persist about the disease."
• "How COVID-19 changed U.S. workplaces"
• "Most Americans say their religious and spiritual lives have not been changed by the pandemic"
• "How COVID-19 impacted Americans’ relationship with technology"
• "Survey shows nurses around the world suffered high levels of pandemic stress"
• Prosecution of COVID-19 relief and other crimes continues:
• "Ex-felon pleads guilty to $137K COVID-19 relief fraud while on supervised release"
• "South Carolina woman sentenced for money laundering related to COVID-19 relief fraud scheme in West Virginia"
• "Las Vegas woman pleads guilty to fraud for seeking $100M in false COVID-19 employment tax credits"
• "Woman Pleads Guilty in Covid Tax Credit Scheme That Netted $33 Million"
• "Conover paper company to pay $460k in COVID-19 business loan fraud settlement"
• "Insurance fraudster who faked COVID-19 holiday cancellations sentenced"
• "Ex-Hawaii CEO gets 87 months for COVID-relief wire fraud"

Other Notes

Blog readership remains dubiously elevated, although it really hasn't shown up much on individual posts with some posts struggling to reach double-digit pageviews. No essays have been published yet this month although posts are in development. On Twitter/X I haven't gotten an occasional stat in a while. I suspect a number of tweets are being shadow banned but not like under the old regime. The last one I saw showed like weekly impressions dipped below 3000 for the first time in a while.

I continue to be obsessed with the avian flu-related egg shortage. Increasingly groceries, even warehouse clubs are limiting quantities. Interestingly, when I still had a Sam's Club membership, i still found it cheaper to buy eggs at Walmart. I think for the third weekly visit in a row, Lidl has no budget large dozen eggs cartons in an entire case. The prior week I found a 5-dozen large box at Walmart for $20 plus change. I think it varies per region of the country/ A recent query at Walmart.com showed a box selling for $27. I think from the 2 local stores on available dozens. it's ranging $5 to $5.50. I also noted Lidl's store branf=d carton of egg whites was out of stock; I personally like to combine an egg with egg whites for an omelette (Yolks are nutrition powerhouses, while whites are high in protein, low in fat and calories--see here bur a balanced discussion). I think Walmart's carton was pricier but in stock.

Finally, i want to briefly discuss commenting on economic issues, particularly on X/Twitter and various segments on my daily posts. I am not an economist in training; I had a couple of core graduate classes  while earning my MBA some time back. I have done a lot of reading well beyond what I took in school. My favorite economists are Donald Boudreaux of Cafe Hayek and Tom DiLorenzo. I have done some reading of Mises, Hayek, Sowell, Friedman, Rothbard and Deidre McCloskey. I also reference a lot of material from the Fed. I haven't taken courses in econometrics and various mathematical models or specialized coursework on currency and international trade.

That being said I recently listened yo a Mises Institute Human Action podcast episode with Bob Murphy (I've chipped for an upcoming daily post) featuring Josh Hendrickson. For my point of view, I'm a proponent of unilateral free trade as per Boudreaux, and Trump's mercantilism on tra.de is anathema. What Hendrickson is discussing is some memo from from key Trump economist Stephen Miran. It gets a bit wonky at points, talking about the special case of the dollar as the world's reserve currency, Congress' long-term complaints of currency manipulation. The fear, of course, is the strong dollar makes foreign goods cheap abd tougher competition in our market and American goods less competitive overseas. Trump of couse is worried about supposed American manufacturing being hollowed out. Of course, a strong dollar helps American manufacturers with external raw materials/components helping control costs I just don't think Trump's interventions are morally justifiable or in the interests of American consumers: see Boudreaux response to allegations of China's alleged currency manipulation here..