Rare Sighting of a White Moose in the Swedish Woods MyModernMet (David L)
Dog Domestication May Have Begun Because Paleo Humans Couldn’t Stomach the Original Paleo Diet Scientific American
Michael Apted: TV documentary pioneer and film-maker dies aged 79 BBC (Kevin W)
#COVID-19
Science/Medicine
‘Close To A Worst-Case Scenario’—Former CDC Director Issues ‘Horrifying’ Outlook For New Covid Strain Forbes (David L). Despite the alarmed reaction, I don’t much/any new information.
Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine Appears To Work Against New Coronavirus Strains, Study Finds CNN. Don’t uncork the champagne:
The study — conducted by researchers at Pfizer and the University of Texas Medical Branch — does not test the full array of these mutation, nor has it been peer-reviewed.
Over Half of COVID Transmission May Occur via Asymptomatic People Medscape (RR)
Immunological memory to SARS-CoV-2 assessed for up to 8 months after infection Science. Sample only in the OK range, 188. And it looks like it effectively excluded Long Covid patients.
Your nose knows you have COVID before you do. Is a scratch-and-sniff card the best tool for mass testing? Colorado Sun (resilc)
6 Months After Leaving the Hospital, Covid Survivors Still Face Lingering Health Issues New York Times (Robert M). Note the sample is hospitalized patients.
High-content screening of Thai medicinal plants reveals Boesenbergia rotunda extract and its component Panduratin A as anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents Nature. From November but still germane.
UK/Europe
Europe’s slow start: How many people have had the Covid vaccine? BBC
EU member states cannot negotiate their own Covid-19 vaccine deals – von der Leyen RT
US
Coronavirus: US smashes record with more than 300,000 daily cases — as it happened Financial Times
Biden to quickly release nearly all vaccine doses in shift from Trump The Hill. Biden has already made his first bad decision.
Mass vaccination for Virginia (from my email) Tyler Cowen
Asia
Lunar New Year lockdown fears spread across China Asia Times (Kevin W)
Indonesian clerics declare Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine halal Reuters (resilc)
Finance/Economy
Manchin on proposed round of $2K checks: ‘Absolutely not’ The Hill
Biden assembling multitrillion-dollar stimulus plan with checks, unemployment aidAusterity, Democrats and the State CounterPunch
Brexit
Brexit: The reality dawns BBC (Kevin W)
Brexit: a sense of unease Richard North
Trucks are facing days-long delays to move goods between the U.K. and EU, as the Brexit red tape reality bites 1/ https://t.co/LRqQc7W1W9
— Joe Mayes (@Joe_Mayes) January 8, 2021
“Our own government has thrown us into the cold Atlantic waters without a life jacket”
This letter to @AlokSharma_RDG from a Scottish salmon producer raises serious concerns about #Brexit preparedness pic.twitter.com/wPSZpUR8Kt
— Glenn Campbell (@GlennBBC) January 8, 2021
Scottish fishermen halt exports due to Brexit red tape AlJazeera (Kevin W)
Syraqistan
Biden Appoints Mideast Advisor Who Resigned Over Trump Syria Withdrawal Antiwar.com (Kevin W)
Donald Trump’s parting gift to the world? Signs suggest it may be war with Iran Guardian (resilc). Any effort might lead Congress to reassert its abandoned control over warmaking.
Assange
Wednesday’s Other Story Matt Taibb9 (Glenn F, Chuck L)
Trump Transition
QAnon Doesn’t Think Trump Conceded Vice (resilc)
With the Capitol riot the Trumpists have become a de facto third party Guardian (resilc). Third parties don’t have much of a record of success in the US, by design.
Pelosi calls Gen. Milley to block Trump from using nuclear codes New York Post
Trump will have the worst jobs record in modern U.S. history. It’s not just the pandemic. Washington Post (Scott). Marshall: “Well, in fairness to the Donald, they only started to compile the employment data properly by 1939, and I suspect that Hoover’s record stacks up worse.”
Biden
The economy President-elect Biden is inheriting Economic Policy Institute
Capitol Seizure
House Democrats to Introduce Article of Impeachment Against Trump Wall Street Journal. Lead story, full first page banner.
What I Saw At The Capitol Riot American Conservative
As riot raged at Capitol, Trump tried to call senators to overturn election CNN. So classy. RH: “Trump and Giuliani called wrong numbers. Fire the intern.
Photo of Sen. Josh Hawley saluting the mob that beat a cop to death Boing Boing
1871 provides a road map for addressing the pro-Trump attempted insurrection Greenwich Time (resilc)
“Police officers stood by as the mob entered the building” https://t.co/3WKBXKJNid
— Krystal Ball (@krystalball) January 8, 2021
Handcuffs Await Idaho Man Who Bragged About Illegally Entering House Chamber Smoking Gun
Internet exposes rioters who stormed congress after police let them go Independent (resilc)
Trump Fur-Ever: Costumed Capitol Rioter Is Son Of Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Gothamist. Remember that confusingly the Supreme Court in New York is the lowest trial court.
Facebook, Twitter Do Slightly More Than Literally Nothing About Trump Intercept (furzy)
Twitter permanently suspends Trump’s account The Hill
Even Mark Zuckerberg Has Had Enough of Trump Wired
Google Suspends Parler From App Store Wall Street Journal. E-mail headline in update to original story. Reddit has also banned r/donaldtrump
YouTube terminated Steve Bannon’s account Media Matters
Vermont Trooper Suspended for Social Media Posts Supporting D.C. Insurgency Vermont Seven Days (resilc)
Violence in the Capitol, Dangers in the Aftermath Glenn Greenwald and:
That the ACLU can’t issue a clear, definitive statement about Silicon Valley oligarchical monopolies radically expanding their control over political speech – see if you can figure out what this even means — speaks volumes not only about ACLU but how repressive this moment is: https://t.co/DrcyI1KI2f
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 9, 2021
The Pointless Putsch CounterPunch
‘It’s gonna be like this wherever you go!’: Trump supporters confront & heckle Lindsey Graham at DC airport/ RT (Kevin W)
Coons calls on Cruz and Hawley to resign Politico
F*** You, Ted Cruz Nicholas Grossman Arc Digital (resilc)
The Actual Death Toll From the Pro-Trump Riot Won’t Be Known for Weeks New Republic
How the Trump-incited mob may have caused a COVID superspreader event ars technica
Why Do Capitol Police Have Striped Tape on Their Pistols? Core77 (resilc)
The Squad Won’t Fight Pelosi and Corporate Power Black Agenda Report
2020
New Senate majority jolts K Street The Hill (resilc)
Kraken Lawyer Sidney Powell Is Being Sued for $1.3 Billion for Election Conspiracies Vice (resilc). Defamation suits are hard to win.
Tesla’s sudden accelerations were user error, US government says The Verge (Kevin W)
GM changes brand logo to highlight EV future Reuters (resilc)
Ford to idle Kentucky plant due to semiconductor shortage Reuters (resilc)
Prosecutors allege Theranos fraud fueled Elizabeth Holmes’ lifestyle CNBC
Class Warfare
Antidote du jour. Anne M: “Penny has decided that the guitar case makes an excellent bed.”
And a bonus (Bob H):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here
