Post by mhbruin on Mar 14, 2022 13:26:05 GMT -8
US Vaccine Data - We Have Now Administered 556 Million Shots (Population 333 Million)
First time we have been below 50,000 cases since July 22nd.
↓ 44.3% Cases, two-week change
↓ 28.7% Deaths, two-week change
972,214 Total confirmed deaths
--------------
California Precipitation (Updated Tuesday March 8)
There was some rain in the Nor Cal. A little more in the ten-day.
--------------
That COVID Death Rate is Stubbornly High. The Decline in Cases Is Slowing.
--------------
Today's Worst Person in the World Nominees
Wouldn't You Like to Buy Something For $250 Million and Sell It Back for $13 Billion
A BBC investigation has uncovered new evidence about the corrupt deals that made Roman Abramovich's fortune.
The Chelsea owner made billions after buying an oil company from the Russian government in a rigged auction in 1995.
Mr Abramovich paid around $250m (£190m) for Sibneft, before selling it back to the Russian government for $13bn in 2005.
His lawyers say there is no basis for alleging he has amassed very substantial wealth through criminality.
The Russian billionaire was sanctioned by the UK government last week because of his links to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Mr Abramovich's assets have been frozen and he has been disqualified as a director of Chelsea Football Club.
The Russian billionaire has already admitted in a UK court that he made corrupt payments to help get the Sibneft deal off the ground.
He was being sued in London by his former business associate Boris Berezovsky in 2012.
Mr Abramovich won the case, but he described in court how the original Sibneft auction was rigged in his favour and how he gave Mr Berezovsky $10m to pay off a Kremlin official.
The Wrong Solution to the Homeless Problem
A masked gunman has struck five times in nine days - shooting homeless people as they slept on the streets of New York and Washington DC.
Police say the "modus operandi" is the same in each case and the mayors of the two cities fear a "cold-blooded killer" is on the loose.
Two of the people died. One's tent was set on fire, after he was stabbed and shot.
A reward is now being offered to catch the killer.
Weirdest Legal Argument of the Day. If You Send Me to the US, I Will Kill Myself
Britain’s top court on Monday refused WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange permission to appeal against a decision to extradite him to the United States to face spying charges.
The court said it refused because the case “didn’t raise an arguable point of law.”
Assange has sought for years to avoid a trial in the U.S. on a series of charges related to WikiLeaks’ publication of a huge trove of classified documents more than a decade ago.
A British district court judge had initially rejected a U.S. extradition request on the grounds that Assange was likely to kill himself if held under harsh U.S. prison conditions. U.S. authorities later provided assurances that the WikiLeaks founder wouldn’t face the severe treatment his lawyers said would put his physical and mental health at risk.
Second Weirdest Legal Argument of the Day. Because Southern Racists Got Away With It, Everyone Should
Actress Taraji P. Henson on Sunday came to the defense of her former "Empire" costar Jussie Smollett following his 150-day jail sentence, citing the murder of Emmett Till in calling for his release.
"I am not here to debate you on his innocence but we can agree that the punishment does not fit the crime," Henson wrote on Instagram.
"Emmett Till was brutally beat and ultimately murdered because of a lie and none of the people involved with his demise spent one day in jail, even after Carolyn Bryant admitted that her claims were false," Henson continued. "No one was hurt or killed during Jussie’s ordeal."
Tulsi is a Russki?
Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard received a donation to her 2020 presidential campaign from an alleged Russian agent. To double down on her suspicious relationship with the Kremlin, Gabbard turned to Twitter to announce a bizarre conspiracy theory about U.S.-funded biological laboratories in Ukraine… apparently mimicking Russian-backed talking points.
Gabbard claimed the "undeniable facts" that there are 35 to 40 "U.S. funded biolabs" in Ukraine currently conducting research into dangerous pathogens. She pretended to be extremely concerned that these "deadly pathogens" could be released if Russia targeted them.
Losing a Baby Isn't Tragedy Enough for Some in the QOP
Another day, another legislative assault on women in Missouri. This time it’s a bill to ban abortion in cases of ectopic pregnancy, a life-threatening emergency situation when the fetus becomes lodged in the fallopian tube. Neither the woman nor the fetus can survive a full-term pregnancy in such a case — meaning this bill could sentence both to death. This is “pro-life” activism in today’s radicalized Missouri GOP.
House Bill 2810 seeks to outlaw the manufacture, sale or transfer of abortion-inducing equipment or drugs. The sponsor, Rep. Brian Seitz, R-Branson, told a committee last week it’s meant as pushback on a U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruling allowing women to order abortion inducing pills through the mail. That includes drugs used to abort ectopic pregnancies.
In response to questioning from other lawmakers, Seitz claimed his intent wasn’t specifically to outlaw abortion of ectopic pregnancies. Then why does the bill specifically call for felony charges when “The abortion was performed or induced or was attempted to be performed or induced on a woman who has an ectopic pregnancy”? That’s some pretty specific language.
Is KKK Tucker Becoming KGB Tucker?
Elon Musk Decides the Misery of Millions is a Good Reason for Fun and Games
Elon Musk decided to troll Vladimir Putin (and probably everyone else) on Monday morning.
In a Twitter post, the Tesla CEO challenged the Russian president to “single combat” with Ukraine as the prize.
--------------
Today's Best Person in the World Nominees
It's Not Often We Nominate Google, IBM, Ikea, LinkedIn, Apple, PayPal, Microsoft, Capital One
In a period when conservatives lean heavily on anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and policies in order to distract voters from issues that actually matter—like the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic—it can become overwhelming to even begin to decide who is the worst, most dangerous Republican out there. But Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is certainly on the list. Abbott’s been steadfast in ignoring pleas from LGBTQ+ people and allies, but now that a number of global businesses are speaking up, it’s possible he’ll get the message.
In this case, 65 major companies signed an open letter published in The Dallas Morning News on Friday, in which the signees implore the governor to stop anti-LGBTQ+ efforts in the state. There are some seriously big names on the list, including Google, IBM, Patreon, Ikea, LinkedIn, Apple, PayPal, Microsoft, Capital One, and more.
"Our companies do business, create jobs, and serve customers in Texas,” the letter, which was a joint effort with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) reads in part. “We are committed to building inclusive environments where our employees can thrive inside and outside of the workplace," the letter said. "For years we have stood to ensure LGBTQ+ people—our employees, customers, and their families—are safe and welcomed in the communities where we do business."
In the letter, which ran with the headline “Discrimination is Bad for Business,” signees call out Abbott and Republican legislators in Texas specifically by referencing the “recent attempt” to “criminalize” a parent supporting their trans youth in accessing safe, age-appropriate gender-affirming health care. The letter (accurately) points out that Abbott’s latest directive to have state agencies investigate supportive families “creates fear” for all involved, including children, who may feel pressured to choose between accessing potentially life-saving medical care and being taken from their families.
Writing discrimination into “law and policy,” as the letter puts it, is ethically wrong. It also has an “impact on our employees, our customers, their families, and our work,” the letter states.
It’s no surprise that companies have a hard time recruiting talent to places where discrimination is the word of law, and especially at a time when many companies are making an overt effort to be inclusive—it’s a hard bargain to set up shop in a new location, for example, if that place has hate against marginalized people signed into law. This is also true in terms of workers who have kids, and who may decide where to work and live at least partially based on the needs and opportunities for their families.
Germans Put Their Pocketbooks on the Line
--------------
Invasions Have Consequences
It Won't Accomplish Much, But It's a Nice Gesture
Protesters on the balcony of a mansion believed to belong to Vladimir Putin ally Oleg Deripaska continue to hold out against police.
The squatters said they were reclaiming 5 Belgrave Square, in central London, for Ukrainian refugees.
Billionaire energy tycoon Mr Deripaska is one of the oligarchs sanctioned by the UK government following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Riot police entered the property earlier but found nobody inside.
The Metropolitan Police said it was "continuing to engage with those on the balcony as we balance the need for enforcement with the safety of all involved".
The group is named the London Makhnovists, after the Ukrainian anarchist Nestor Makhno, who revolted against the Russian White Army in 1918-21.
It's Putin's Fault. It's Putin's Default.
Russia has sent the clearest signal yet that it will soon default — the first time it will have failed to meet its foreign debt obligations since the Bolshevik revolution more than a century ago.
Half of the country's foreign reserves — roughly $315 billion — have been frozen by Western sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine, Russian finance minister Anton Siluanov said on Sunday. As a result, Moscow will repay creditors from "countries that are unfriendly" in rubles until the sanctions are lifted, he said.
Credit ratings agencies would likely consider Russia to be in default if Moscow misses payments or repays debt issued in dollars or euros with other currencies such as the ruble or China's yuan. A default could drive the few remaining foreign investors out of Russia and further isolate the country's crumbling economy.
The default could come as early as Wednesday, when Moscow needs to hand over $117 million in interest payments on dollar-denominated government bonds, according to JPMorgan Chase. Although Russia has issued bonds that can be repaid in multiple currencies since 2018, these payments must be made in US dollars.
The Guy Who Wrote This Worked For Reagan
I’ll stick my neck out and make several prognostications:
1. Russia is heading for an outright defeat in Ukraine. Russian planning was incompetent… Putin at this point has committed the bulk of his entire military to this operation—there are no vast reserves of forces he can call up to add to the battle.
2. The collapse of their position could be sudden and catastrophic, rather than happening slowly through a war of attrition.
5. The Biden administration’s decisions not to declare a no-fly zone or help transfer Polish MiGs were both good ones; they've kept their heads during a very emotional time. It is much better to have the Ukrainians defeat the Russians on their own
7. Putin will not survive the defeat of his army.
8. The invasion has already done huge damage to populists all over the world… [like] Trump
9. The war to this point has been a good lesson for China… The miserable performance of the Russian air force would likely be replicated by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, which similarly has no experience managing complex air operations.
12. A Russian defeat will make possible a “new birth of freedom,” and get us out of our funk about the declining state of global democracy. The spirit of 1989 will live on, thanks to a bunch of brave Ukrainians.
This Isn't a Nickle and Dime Problem
Nickel prices began to rise after Russia, a major producer of the metal, invaded Ukraine, a high-profile example of how the war and punishing Western sanctions have upended the world’s commodity markets, sending prices for metals and energy to their highest levels in years.
The London Metal Exchange was forced to suspend the trading of nickel yesterday (March 8) after prices for the metal surged some 250% in just over 24 hours.
Prices for nickel, used in stainless steel and electric vehicle batteries, had already been rising in recent weeks due to concerns over supply disruptions stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war. A short squeeze pushed prices into a self-reinforcing upward spiral, hitting $100,000 a ton yesterday from $25,000 just a week ago.
Could the Next Chernobyl be Cherobyl?
A high-voltage power line at the former Chernobyl nuclear plant has once again been damaged by Russian forces, Ukraine’s nuclear agency said Monday, just one day after Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko announced that power had been restored following a Russian attack last week that disconnected the site from the electricity grid.
“Reliable power supply to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is critical from the point of view of nuclear safety,” Ukraine’s nuclear agency said.
--------------
Today's Dating Advice: If You Meet Someone Online, Avoid Blindfolds on the First Date
A woman stabbed her date whom she had met online in retaliation for the 2020 death of an Iranian military leader killed in an American drone strike, police said.
Nika Nikoubin, 21, has been charged with attempted murder, battery with a deadly weapon and burglary, KLAS-TV reported.
Nikoubin and the man met online on a dating website, Henderson police wrote in an arrest report. The pair then agreed to meet at Sunset Station hotel on March 5, renting a room together.
While in the room, the pair began having sex when Nikoubin put a blindfold on the man, police said. Nikoubin then turned off the lights, and several minutes later, the man “felt a pain on the side of his neck,” KLAS reported.
--------------
The Yield Curve Has Predicted 25 of the Last 10 Recessions
Surging oil and gas prices have raised recession alarm bells around the world. But another economic indicator is starting to look ominous: The yield curve is flattening.
Wall Street closely watches the difference, or spread, between short-term government bond yields, most notably the 2-year Treasury, and longer-term bond rates like the 10-year Treasury.
As that spread diminishes, investors worry that the yield curve could eventually invert, meaning that short-term rates would be higher than long-term yields. As of Friday, the difference was just 0.25%, with the 10-year yield at around 2% and the 2-year yielding 1.75%.
The gap widened a bit Monday, as the 10-year rose to 2.1% and the 2-year yield was up to about 1.82%, making the spread 0.28%.
--------------
Supply Chains Keep Breaking
Foxconn, one of Apple's biggest suppliers, has suspended operations in Shenzhen as China locks down the technology hub and several other regions to contain the country's worst Covid-19 outbreak in two years.
The world's second largest economy is still doggedly pursuing its zero-Covid strategy, even as other nations reopen and try to live with the virus. The lockdowns in major Chinese cities will impact not just the country's post-pandemic recovery, but could deliver a new blow to global supply chains.
The southern city of Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, is home to Chinese tech giants like Tencent (TCEHY) and Huawei. It imposed a week-long lockdown starting Monday, after recording 66 positive cases Saturday.
In its statement provided to CNN Business on Monday, Foxconn said that the "date of factory resumption is to be advised by the local government."
Foxconn has two major campuses in Shenzhen. The Taiwanese company has "adjusted" its production line to other sites to "minimize the potential impact" from the disruption, it added. It didn't elaborate on which locations would take on extra work.
--------------
You Can't Keep a Bad Virus Down
China reported thousands of new local Covid-19 cases Sunday as the Omicron variant drove the worst outbreak in the country since Wuhan in early 2020, according to the National Health Commission (NHC).
Health officials said 2,125 cases were reported across 58 cities in 19 of 31 mainland provinces, marking the fourth consecutive day China reported more than 1,000 daily local cases. More than 10,000 cases have been reported since the latest outbreak began in early March, the NHC said.
Saturday, the commission reported 3,122 local cases -- the highest number of daily infections since the Wuhan outbreak and the first time new cases have exceeded 3,000 in a day, NHC data showed.
Throughout the pandemic, China has adhered to a strict zero-Covid policy that aims to stamp out all outbreaks and chains of transmission using a combination of border controls, mass testing, quarantine procedures and lockdowns.
It's Not Just China
--------------
Beto Minces No Words and Makes Mincemeat Out of Ab-Butt
--------------
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Has to Sing "Goodbye Dolly"
Dolly Parton has announced she is pulling out of this year’s nominations for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, saying she hasn't “earned that right.”
The music icon who has been elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame explained her decision in a statement posted on her official social media pages Monday, noting she did not want to take votes away from the remaining nominees.
“Even though I am extremely flattered and grateful to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I don’t feel that I have earned that right. I really do not want votes to be split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out,” she wrote.
Other artists who have made both the Rock Hall and Country Hall of Fame include Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, Hank Williams and the Everly Brothers
Parton was named on the Rock Hall shortlist last month, alongside fellow first-time nominees Eminem, Lionel Richie, Duran Duran and A Tribe Called Quest.
The Cleveland-based institution had announced 17 artists and groups being considered for induction, also including Rage Against the Machine, Pat Benatar, Dionne Warwick, Carly Simon, Judas Priest and Beck.
The other nominees are Kate Bush, DEVO, Eurythmics, Fela Kuti, MC5 and the New York Dolls.
“I do hope that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will understand and be willing to consider me again — if I’m ever worthy,” Parton’s statement continues.
You Are Worthy, Dolly
--------------
This is Weird.
Remember "I before e, except after c"? It doesn't work for "weird".
--------------
--------------
--------------
--------------
--------------
First time we have been below 50,000 cases since July 22nd.
↓ 44.3% Cases, two-week change
↓ 28.7% Deaths, two-week change
972,214 Total confirmed deaths
New Cases 7-Day Average | Deaths 7-Day Average | |
| Mar 13 | 34,113 | 1,187 |
| Mar 12 | 34,253 | 1,210 |
| Mar 11 | 34,805 | 1,198 |
| Mar 10 | 35,269 | 1,197 |
| Mar 9 | 37,146 | 1,179 |
| Mar 8 | 37,879 | 1,161 |
| Mar 7 | 40,433 | 1,208 |
| Mar 6 | 42,204 | 1,259 |
| Mar 5 | 43,665 | 1,281 |
| Mar 4 | 45,555 | 1,319 |
| Mar 3 | 49,888 | 1,413 |
| Mar 2 | 53,016 | 1,558 |
| Mar 1 | 56,253 | 1,674 |
| Feb 28 | 68,480 | 1,832 |
| Feb 27 | 62,556 | 1,686 |
| Feb 26 | 66,053 | 1,719 |
| Feb 25 | 69,203 | 1,751 |
| Feb 24 | 72,111 | 1,720 |
| Feb 23 | 75,208 | 1,674 |
| Feb 22 | 79,539 | 1,602 |
| Feb 21 | 78,306 | 1,872 |
| Feb 20 | 98,012 | 1,872 |
| Feb 19 | 100,129 | 1,890 |
| Feb 18 | 103,462 | 1,920 |
| Feb 17 | 112,653 | 1,998 |
| Feb 16 | 121,664 | 2,020 |
| Feb 15 | 134,468 | 2,100 |
| Feb 14 | 146,921 | 2,208 |
| Feb 16, 2021 | 78,292 |
| At Least One Dose | Fully Vaccinated | % of Vaccinated W/ Boosters | |
| % of Total Population | 76.6% | 65.2% | 44.2% |
| % of Population 5+ | 81.4% | 69.3% | |
| % of Population 12+ | 86.3% | 73.6% | 45.8% |
| % of Population 18+ | 88.1% | 75.2% | 47.6% |
| % of Population 65+ | 95.0% | 88.9% | 66.7% |
California Precipitation (Updated Tuesday March 8)
There was some rain in the Nor Cal. A little more in the ten-day.
| Percent of Average for this Date | Last Week | 2 Weeks ago | 3 Weeks ago | 9 Weeks ago | |
| Northern Sierra Precipitation | 84% (61% of full season average) | 87% (60%) | 93% (60%) | 99% (59%) | 170% |
| San Joaquin Precipitation | 74% (53%) | 76% (51%) | 80% (51%) | 86% (51%) | 170% |
| Tulare Basin Precipitation | 71% (51%) | 70% (48%) | 75% (47%) | 79% (46%) | 151% |
| Snow Water Content - North | 55% (52%) | 59% (53%) | 61% (52%) | 68% (53%) | 134% |
| Snow Water Content - Central | 59% (64%) | 58% (66%) | 71% (59%) | 75% (57%) | 148% |
| Snow Water Content - South | 60% (66%) | 54% (63%) | 67% (54%) | 74% (54%) | 158% |
That COVID Death Rate is Stubbornly High. The Decline in Cases Is Slowing.
--------------
Today's Worst Person in the World Nominees
Wouldn't You Like to Buy Something For $250 Million and Sell It Back for $13 Billion
A BBC investigation has uncovered new evidence about the corrupt deals that made Roman Abramovich's fortune.
The Chelsea owner made billions after buying an oil company from the Russian government in a rigged auction in 1995.
Mr Abramovich paid around $250m (£190m) for Sibneft, before selling it back to the Russian government for $13bn in 2005.
His lawyers say there is no basis for alleging he has amassed very substantial wealth through criminality.
The Russian billionaire was sanctioned by the UK government last week because of his links to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Mr Abramovich's assets have been frozen and he has been disqualified as a director of Chelsea Football Club.
The Russian billionaire has already admitted in a UK court that he made corrupt payments to help get the Sibneft deal off the ground.
He was being sued in London by his former business associate Boris Berezovsky in 2012.
Mr Abramovich won the case, but he described in court how the original Sibneft auction was rigged in his favour and how he gave Mr Berezovsky $10m to pay off a Kremlin official.
The Wrong Solution to the Homeless Problem
A masked gunman has struck five times in nine days - shooting homeless people as they slept on the streets of New York and Washington DC.
Police say the "modus operandi" is the same in each case and the mayors of the two cities fear a "cold-blooded killer" is on the loose.
Two of the people died. One's tent was set on fire, after he was stabbed and shot.
A reward is now being offered to catch the killer.
Weirdest Legal Argument of the Day. If You Send Me to the US, I Will Kill Myself
Britain’s top court on Monday refused WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange permission to appeal against a decision to extradite him to the United States to face spying charges.
The court said it refused because the case “didn’t raise an arguable point of law.”
Assange has sought for years to avoid a trial in the U.S. on a series of charges related to WikiLeaks’ publication of a huge trove of classified documents more than a decade ago.
A British district court judge had initially rejected a U.S. extradition request on the grounds that Assange was likely to kill himself if held under harsh U.S. prison conditions. U.S. authorities later provided assurances that the WikiLeaks founder wouldn’t face the severe treatment his lawyers said would put his physical and mental health at risk.
Second Weirdest Legal Argument of the Day. Because Southern Racists Got Away With It, Everyone Should
Actress Taraji P. Henson on Sunday came to the defense of her former "Empire" costar Jussie Smollett following his 150-day jail sentence, citing the murder of Emmett Till in calling for his release.
"I am not here to debate you on his innocence but we can agree that the punishment does not fit the crime," Henson wrote on Instagram.
"Emmett Till was brutally beat and ultimately murdered because of a lie and none of the people involved with his demise spent one day in jail, even after Carolyn Bryant admitted that her claims were false," Henson continued. "No one was hurt or killed during Jussie’s ordeal."
Tulsi is a Russki?
Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard received a donation to her 2020 presidential campaign from an alleged Russian agent. To double down on her suspicious relationship with the Kremlin, Gabbard turned to Twitter to announce a bizarre conspiracy theory about U.S.-funded biological laboratories in Ukraine… apparently mimicking Russian-backed talking points.
Gabbard claimed the "undeniable facts" that there are 35 to 40 "U.S. funded biolabs" in Ukraine currently conducting research into dangerous pathogens. She pretended to be extremely concerned that these "deadly pathogens" could be released if Russia targeted them.
Losing a Baby Isn't Tragedy Enough for Some in the QOP
Another day, another legislative assault on women in Missouri. This time it’s a bill to ban abortion in cases of ectopic pregnancy, a life-threatening emergency situation when the fetus becomes lodged in the fallopian tube. Neither the woman nor the fetus can survive a full-term pregnancy in such a case — meaning this bill could sentence both to death. This is “pro-life” activism in today’s radicalized Missouri GOP.
House Bill 2810 seeks to outlaw the manufacture, sale or transfer of abortion-inducing equipment or drugs. The sponsor, Rep. Brian Seitz, R-Branson, told a committee last week it’s meant as pushback on a U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruling allowing women to order abortion inducing pills through the mail. That includes drugs used to abort ectopic pregnancies.
In response to questioning from other lawmakers, Seitz claimed his intent wasn’t specifically to outlaw abortion of ectopic pregnancies. Then why does the bill specifically call for felony charges when “The abortion was performed or induced or was attempted to be performed or induced on a woman who has an ectopic pregnancy”? That’s some pretty specific language.
Is KKK Tucker Becoming KGB Tucker?
Elon Musk Decides the Misery of Millions is a Good Reason for Fun and Games
Elon Musk decided to troll Vladimir Putin (and probably everyone else) on Monday morning.
In a Twitter post, the Tesla CEO challenged the Russian president to “single combat” with Ukraine as the prize.
--------------
Today's Best Person in the World Nominees
It's Not Often We Nominate Google, IBM, Ikea, LinkedIn, Apple, PayPal, Microsoft, Capital One
In a period when conservatives lean heavily on anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and policies in order to distract voters from issues that actually matter—like the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic—it can become overwhelming to even begin to decide who is the worst, most dangerous Republican out there. But Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is certainly on the list. Abbott’s been steadfast in ignoring pleas from LGBTQ+ people and allies, but now that a number of global businesses are speaking up, it’s possible he’ll get the message.
In this case, 65 major companies signed an open letter published in The Dallas Morning News on Friday, in which the signees implore the governor to stop anti-LGBTQ+ efforts in the state. There are some seriously big names on the list, including Google, IBM, Patreon, Ikea, LinkedIn, Apple, PayPal, Microsoft, Capital One, and more.
"Our companies do business, create jobs, and serve customers in Texas,” the letter, which was a joint effort with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) reads in part. “We are committed to building inclusive environments where our employees can thrive inside and outside of the workplace," the letter said. "For years we have stood to ensure LGBTQ+ people—our employees, customers, and their families—are safe and welcomed in the communities where we do business."
In the letter, which ran with the headline “Discrimination is Bad for Business,” signees call out Abbott and Republican legislators in Texas specifically by referencing the “recent attempt” to “criminalize” a parent supporting their trans youth in accessing safe, age-appropriate gender-affirming health care. The letter (accurately) points out that Abbott’s latest directive to have state agencies investigate supportive families “creates fear” for all involved, including children, who may feel pressured to choose between accessing potentially life-saving medical care and being taken from their families.
Writing discrimination into “law and policy,” as the letter puts it, is ethically wrong. It also has an “impact on our employees, our customers, their families, and our work,” the letter states.
It’s no surprise that companies have a hard time recruiting talent to places where discrimination is the word of law, and especially at a time when many companies are making an overt effort to be inclusive—it’s a hard bargain to set up shop in a new location, for example, if that place has hate against marginalized people signed into law. This is also true in terms of workers who have kids, and who may decide where to work and live at least partially based on the needs and opportunities for their families.
Germans Put Their Pocketbooks on the Line
--------------
Invasions Have Consequences
It Won't Accomplish Much, But It's a Nice Gesture
Protesters on the balcony of a mansion believed to belong to Vladimir Putin ally Oleg Deripaska continue to hold out against police.
The squatters said they were reclaiming 5 Belgrave Square, in central London, for Ukrainian refugees.
Billionaire energy tycoon Mr Deripaska is one of the oligarchs sanctioned by the UK government following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Riot police entered the property earlier but found nobody inside.
The Metropolitan Police said it was "continuing to engage with those on the balcony as we balance the need for enforcement with the safety of all involved".
The group is named the London Makhnovists, after the Ukrainian anarchist Nestor Makhno, who revolted against the Russian White Army in 1918-21.
It's Putin's Fault. It's Putin's Default.
Russia has sent the clearest signal yet that it will soon default — the first time it will have failed to meet its foreign debt obligations since the Bolshevik revolution more than a century ago.
Half of the country's foreign reserves — roughly $315 billion — have been frozen by Western sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine, Russian finance minister Anton Siluanov said on Sunday. As a result, Moscow will repay creditors from "countries that are unfriendly" in rubles until the sanctions are lifted, he said.
Credit ratings agencies would likely consider Russia to be in default if Moscow misses payments or repays debt issued in dollars or euros with other currencies such as the ruble or China's yuan. A default could drive the few remaining foreign investors out of Russia and further isolate the country's crumbling economy.
The default could come as early as Wednesday, when Moscow needs to hand over $117 million in interest payments on dollar-denominated government bonds, according to JPMorgan Chase. Although Russia has issued bonds that can be repaid in multiple currencies since 2018, these payments must be made in US dollars.
The Guy Who Wrote This Worked For Reagan
I’ll stick my neck out and make several prognostications:
1. Russia is heading for an outright defeat in Ukraine. Russian planning was incompetent… Putin at this point has committed the bulk of his entire military to this operation—there are no vast reserves of forces he can call up to add to the battle.
2. The collapse of their position could be sudden and catastrophic, rather than happening slowly through a war of attrition.
5. The Biden administration’s decisions not to declare a no-fly zone or help transfer Polish MiGs were both good ones; they've kept their heads during a very emotional time. It is much better to have the Ukrainians defeat the Russians on their own
7. Putin will not survive the defeat of his army.
8. The invasion has already done huge damage to populists all over the world… [like] Trump
9. The war to this point has been a good lesson for China… The miserable performance of the Russian air force would likely be replicated by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, which similarly has no experience managing complex air operations.
12. A Russian defeat will make possible a “new birth of freedom,” and get us out of our funk about the declining state of global democracy. The spirit of 1989 will live on, thanks to a bunch of brave Ukrainians.
This Isn't a Nickle and Dime Problem
Nickel prices began to rise after Russia, a major producer of the metal, invaded Ukraine, a high-profile example of how the war and punishing Western sanctions have upended the world’s commodity markets, sending prices for metals and energy to their highest levels in years.
The London Metal Exchange was forced to suspend the trading of nickel yesterday (March 8) after prices for the metal surged some 250% in just over 24 hours.
Prices for nickel, used in stainless steel and electric vehicle batteries, had already been rising in recent weeks due to concerns over supply disruptions stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war. A short squeeze pushed prices into a self-reinforcing upward spiral, hitting $100,000 a ton yesterday from $25,000 just a week ago.
Could the Next Chernobyl be Cherobyl?
A high-voltage power line at the former Chernobyl nuclear plant has once again been damaged by Russian forces, Ukraine’s nuclear agency said Monday, just one day after Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko announced that power had been restored following a Russian attack last week that disconnected the site from the electricity grid.
“Reliable power supply to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is critical from the point of view of nuclear safety,” Ukraine’s nuclear agency said.
--------------
Today's Dating Advice: If You Meet Someone Online, Avoid Blindfolds on the First Date
A woman stabbed her date whom she had met online in retaliation for the 2020 death of an Iranian military leader killed in an American drone strike, police said.
Nika Nikoubin, 21, has been charged with attempted murder, battery with a deadly weapon and burglary, KLAS-TV reported.
Nikoubin and the man met online on a dating website, Henderson police wrote in an arrest report. The pair then agreed to meet at Sunset Station hotel on March 5, renting a room together.
While in the room, the pair began having sex when Nikoubin put a blindfold on the man, police said. Nikoubin then turned off the lights, and several minutes later, the man “felt a pain on the side of his neck,” KLAS reported.
--------------
The Yield Curve Has Predicted 25 of the Last 10 Recessions
Surging oil and gas prices have raised recession alarm bells around the world. But another economic indicator is starting to look ominous: The yield curve is flattening.
Wall Street closely watches the difference, or spread, between short-term government bond yields, most notably the 2-year Treasury, and longer-term bond rates like the 10-year Treasury.
As that spread diminishes, investors worry that the yield curve could eventually invert, meaning that short-term rates would be higher than long-term yields. As of Friday, the difference was just 0.25%, with the 10-year yield at around 2% and the 2-year yielding 1.75%.
The gap widened a bit Monday, as the 10-year rose to 2.1% and the 2-year yield was up to about 1.82%, making the spread 0.28%.
--------------
Supply Chains Keep Breaking
Foxconn, one of Apple's biggest suppliers, has suspended operations in Shenzhen as China locks down the technology hub and several other regions to contain the country's worst Covid-19 outbreak in two years.
The world's second largest economy is still doggedly pursuing its zero-Covid strategy, even as other nations reopen and try to live with the virus. The lockdowns in major Chinese cities will impact not just the country's post-pandemic recovery, but could deliver a new blow to global supply chains.
The southern city of Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, is home to Chinese tech giants like Tencent (TCEHY) and Huawei. It imposed a week-long lockdown starting Monday, after recording 66 positive cases Saturday.
In its statement provided to CNN Business on Monday, Foxconn said that the "date of factory resumption is to be advised by the local government."
Foxconn has two major campuses in Shenzhen. The Taiwanese company has "adjusted" its production line to other sites to "minimize the potential impact" from the disruption, it added. It didn't elaborate on which locations would take on extra work.
--------------
You Can't Keep a Bad Virus Down
China reported thousands of new local Covid-19 cases Sunday as the Omicron variant drove the worst outbreak in the country since Wuhan in early 2020, according to the National Health Commission (NHC).
Health officials said 2,125 cases were reported across 58 cities in 19 of 31 mainland provinces, marking the fourth consecutive day China reported more than 1,000 daily local cases. More than 10,000 cases have been reported since the latest outbreak began in early March, the NHC said.
Saturday, the commission reported 3,122 local cases -- the highest number of daily infections since the Wuhan outbreak and the first time new cases have exceeded 3,000 in a day, NHC data showed.
Throughout the pandemic, China has adhered to a strict zero-Covid policy that aims to stamp out all outbreaks and chains of transmission using a combination of border controls, mass testing, quarantine procedures and lockdowns.
It's Not Just China
--------------
Beto Minces No Words and Makes Mincemeat Out of Ab-Butt
--------------
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Has to Sing "Goodbye Dolly"
Dolly Parton has announced she is pulling out of this year’s nominations for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, saying she hasn't “earned that right.”
The music icon who has been elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame explained her decision in a statement posted on her official social media pages Monday, noting she did not want to take votes away from the remaining nominees.
“Even though I am extremely flattered and grateful to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I don’t feel that I have earned that right. I really do not want votes to be split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out,” she wrote.
Other artists who have made both the Rock Hall and Country Hall of Fame include Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, Hank Williams and the Everly Brothers
Parton was named on the Rock Hall shortlist last month, alongside fellow first-time nominees Eminem, Lionel Richie, Duran Duran and A Tribe Called Quest.
The Cleveland-based institution had announced 17 artists and groups being considered for induction, also including Rage Against the Machine, Pat Benatar, Dionne Warwick, Carly Simon, Judas Priest and Beck.
The other nominees are Kate Bush, DEVO, Eurythmics, Fela Kuti, MC5 and the New York Dolls.
“I do hope that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will understand and be willing to consider me again — if I’m ever worthy,” Parton’s statement continues.
You Are Worthy, Dolly
--------------
This is Weird.
Remember "I before e, except after c"? It doesn't work for "weird".
--------------
--------------
--------------
--------------
--------------