Links 1/20/2021
Butterflies create jet propulsion with a clap of their wings Agence France Presse
Pikas are adapting to climate change High Country News
Possibly The Most Incredible Wave in Surf History Was Ridden Last Week Adventure Journal (AL).
Time to look again at the financial system’s dangerous faultlines FT
A cloacal opening in a non-avian dinosaur Current Biology. This is a family blog. We don’t write headlines for clicks like Live Science.
Premature mortality due to air pollution in European cities: a health impact assessment The Lancet (Ignacio). From the discussion: “More than 400 000 deaths (equating to 7% of annual mortality) in Europe were attributable to PM2·5 exposure and more than 70 000 deaths (equating to 1% of annual mortality) were attributable to NO2 exposure. Moreover, these mortality estimates were when concentrations of air pollution were below the recommendations given in the EU and WHO guidelines.”
#COVID19
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What we now know — and don’t know — about the coronavirus variants STAT
Can I Be Re-Infected with the New Variant If I’ve Had Covid-19? (FAQ) National Institute for Communicable Diseases (South Africa).
BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine found effective against Covid-19 variant FT. In vitro, by the companies. Note the competing interest statement.
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Exploring the Supply Chain of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines Jonas Neubert
Europe and Canada are facing temporary hits to coronavirus vaccine supply while Pfizer renovates a Belgian plant to eventually produce more doses Business Insider
Why some older people are getting the vaccine in Southern California but others are striking out LA Times. Some go to Happyville, some go to Pain CIty. Randomly.
Vaccine registration technology is failing. Here’s how the Biden administration could fix it STAT
How Operation Warp Speed Created Vaccination Chaos Pro Publica. The last mile problem.
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Op-Ed: Throw Away Your Mask After COVID Vaccination? vs Op-Ed: Now Is Not the Time to Relax COVID Restrictions MedPage
Nosocomial COVID Mike the Mad Biologist
Thousands of Israelis Tested Positive for Coronavirus After First Vaccine Shot Haaretz. Hopefully, as they would, because this vaccine (we learn in paragraph eight) is Pfizer’s, which requires two shots.
Israel trades Pfizer doses for medical data in vaccine blitz AP
China?
Biden’s top diplomat pick says Trump ‘right’ to be tough on China Nikkei Asian Review
How China’s defence law changes pave the way for greater global military influence South China Morning Post
China reckons US democracy is imploding but could be missing the point South China Morning Post
Boardroom drama shakes China’s biggest chipmaker SMIC FT
Jack Ma makes first public appearance since Ant’s cancelled IPO FT
What China’s Male Beauty Market Will Look Like In 2021 Jing Daily
Taiwan scraps new year festival after rare coronavirus outbreak Agence France Presse
The Koreas
Samsung Heavy banks on ‘crewless’ ships to capsize Chinese rivals Hellenic Shipping News
Capitol Seizure
Historical parallels:
America’s Ayodhya: Hindutva’s Lessons for the March on the Capitol The American Sun. I’m linking to this because I haven’t seen its argument made. Red flags: No About page for the venue, no bio or indeed detectable trail for the author. I would be interested to know what India hands think of it.
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McConnell Says Mob Attack on Capitol Was ‘Provoked’ by Trump Bloomberg
Voices Of Wards 7 And 8: Frustration, But Not Surprise, After The Capitol Insurrection DCist
Trump Transition
Trump pardons and commutations – the full list Guardian. Missing: Assange and Snowden.
Trump Has Discussed Starting a New Political Party WSJ
HHS finalizes rule that imposes term limits for career federal scientists Fierce Pharma
Trump’s Market Was So-So, Whichever Way You Cut It John Authers, Bloomberg
Where Do Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump Go From Here? Town & Country
Biden will recognize Guaido as Venezuela’s leader, top diplomat says Reuters
Biden Inauguration
Washington on edge before Biden inauguration – in pictures Guardian
Biden Transition
‘No choice but to be hopeful’: Biden voters, in their own words, ahead of Inauguration Day NBC
Joe Biden’s challenge: big, early victories in a toxic political climate FT
What Voters Want From Biden’s First Term, in Their Own Words Morning Consult. Handy chart:
A monthly stipend would solve enable social distancing and preserve the economy, but who wants that?
Here are the executive actions Biden is expected to take on Inauguration Day CNN
What’s in President-Elect Biden’s COVID-19 American Rescue Plan? American Law Review
Biden likely to tighten COVID travel restrictions from these countries MarketWatch
Scoop: Joe Biden’s COVID-19 bubble Axios. “The incoming administration is planning extraordinary steps to protect its most prized commodity, Joe Biden.” A President is not a “commodity.” Unless they are, of course.
Monthly Child Tax Credit Would Be a Train Wreck Matt Bruenig, People’s Policy Project
Biden’s Stimulus Plan Will Bring Relief, but There’s One Flaw Editorial Board, NYT. “But there is one lesson that apparently still needs to be learned. Mr. Biden is proposing to repeat a mistake made by the last two administrations by setting an arbitrary end date for economic aid programs rather than tying the benefits to the duration of need.”
The Obama do-over is about to begin Politico
Healthcare
Under Biden, it’s time for Democrats to let go of Medicare for All Independent
Biden Lifts Health Care Plan From Insurance Lobbyists Daily Poster. “If enacted, the plan could head off any talk in Washington of a public option plan down the road.” The West Wing wouldn’t have it any other way….
Comparison of Utilization, Costs, and Quality of Medicaid vs Subsidized Private Health Insurance for Low-Income Adults JAMA. From the Abstract: “Marketplace coverage was associated with fewer emergency department visits and more office visits than Medicaid, total costs were 83% higher in Marketplace coverage owing to much higher prices, and out-of-pocket spending was 10 times higher in Marketplace coverage; results for quality of care were mixed.” From the Discussion: “In terms of clinical quality, we found no difference for the primary outcome of ambulatory care–sensitive hospitalizations. Among secondary outcomes, 5 measures favored Marketplace coverage (though 1 was of minimal clinical relevance, a 1 percentage-point difference in flu vaccination), 1 measure favored Medicaid, and the rest (6 of 12) showed no significant differences.” So subsidized private health insurance is obviously the way to go. Because markets.
Police State Watch
The New Domestic War on Terror is Coming Glenn Greenwald
Boeing
HOTR: Boeing could further cut 787 production rate—JP Morgan Leeham News
Yellow mealworm safe for humans to eat, says EU food safety agency Guardian (DD). “Crunchy snacks.”
Class Warfare
An Inaugural Inflection Point: Ushering in a New Era of Marketing Amid a Polarized Public Morning Consult. Handy chart:
Clarifying.
How to Make a Pencil Logic.io. Well worth a read.
This is not disinformation:
These “10 facts about unions” were posted and then removed from Amazon’s new slick anti-union website https://t.co/nzBjrfYcmI. pic.twitter.com/1dp0s19Dor
— Lauren Kaori Gurley (@LaurenKGurley) January 19, 2021
Everything Is Broken The Tablet
The Errand Friend Culture Study. Another type of relationship under assault by Covid and Silicon Valley.
Antidote du jour (via):
See Yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
