Trading and Business
Home Prices Climbed Across the U.S. in Second Quarter
National Association of Realtors numbers show supply of existing homes for sale can’t keep up with demand.
GameStop’s Power Player: How Outsider Ryan Cohen Wrested Control
The 36-year-old billionaire pushed out the company’s board and executive team; ‘The most audacious thing I’ve ever seen’.
Millennials’ High-Earning Years Are Here, but It Doesn’t Feel That Way
High debt-to-income ratios and delayed life events press on budgets of older millennials.
BlackRock, Other Investors Wield Growing Board, Shareholder Vote Clout
Strength of index-tracking funds sets the stage for future showdowns over issues from director seats to climate-change disclosure.
In Other News
HHS to require COVID vaccine for agency health care workers
I'm actually surprised they're just getting around to this. The lack of a vaccine for health care workers was one of the things that made the pandemic so generally dangerous — without a vaccine COVID-19 is a greater threat to the healthcare system as a whole.
In short, if a critical mass of health care workers are incapacitated from COVID while dealing with COVID then ALL healthcare provision can collapse and the emergency becomes a real disaster.
On the other hand, if health care workers are so skeptical of this particular vaccine that it's not being embraced on a large scale that also should tell us something.
This is honestly the one thing I've been 'really worried' about for the Pandemic of 2019-2021. And now it can be addressed. The rest is mainly politics.
In the U.S. we've had some close calls but where I live in Arizona I have a lot of confidence in the surge capacity of the system. That's not to say it's invincible, only that it's strong and has done well so far.
During COVID peaks as well as troughs Arizona has not exceeded its available ICU beds. It has had beds for COVID patients and for other cases. The summer of 2020 and winter of 21 were close calls where utilization exceed 90% at times. In those events the preparations of local hospitals to be overwhelmed was visible days ahead of time. And that's reassuring.
Ventilator utilization tells a similar tale.
We've all been doing this. And we all can keep doing this. For now, it's important that health care workers choose to be vaccinated. If they have their doubts under the circumstances that's understandable. If they choose to get jabbed despite their doubts — that's an act heroism.
Incoming New York Governor Kathy Hochul to seek election after finishing Cuomo's term
New York Governor-to-be Kathy Hochul declared on Thursday that she will seek election to the office in 2022 after completing the unexpired term of Andrew Cuomo, who is stepping down later this month after a rash of sexual harassment allegations.
Philippine court dismisses libel case against journalist Maria Ressa
A Philippine court has dismissed a libel case against Maria Ressa, a lawyer said on Thursday, one of several lawsuits filed against the journalist who says she has been targeted because of her news site's critical reports on President Rodrigo Duterte.
Biden to deliver 'forceful' call for Congress to lower drug prices
Dear Mr. President, please issue a forceful call to lower gravity on Mondays, Wednesdays and the weekend. Much like supply and demand I find this other force of nature rather inconvenient. But only sometimes. Thank you for your kind attention.
Entertainment & Tech
ToneStone is a music production app from the people behind Guitar Hero and Left 4 Dead
ToneStone is an app that’s meant to let people who don’t know how to make music create and share their own songs. The project is led by people who worked on Guitar Hero and Left 4 Dead.
WhatsApp and other social media platforms restricted in Zambia amidst ongoing elections
Several users from Zambia have taken to Twitter, informing the general public that WhatsApp has been restricted in the country amidst ongoing presidential and parliamentary elections today.
Pyka shows off its new electric passenger plane, the P3
Pyka appeared out of nowhere in 2019 with an unusual take on electric aircraft: a pilotless crop duster. The success of this first plane led the company to begin developing its next one, the P3: a 9-passenger craft with a totally unique propeller setup.
Netflix reveals cast for its live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series
Netflix revealed the cast for its live-action take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, which will star Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley, and Dallas Liu, with Albert Kim serving as showrunner.
Crypto tax software provider TaxBit raises $130M at a $1.33B valuation
Just five months after raising a $100 million Series A, TaxBit announced today it has raised $130 million in a Series B round of funding. The latest financing officially makes the Salt Lake City, Utah-based provider of crypto tax and accounting software a unicorn.
And also this...
California Man Claims QAnon Made Him Kill His Children, F.B.I. Says
Matthew Taylor Coleman, 40, of Santa Barbara, Calif., abducted his 2-year-old son and 10-month-old daughter and took them to Mexico, the authorities said.
Crikey. That's bleak.
Photo credit: Pat Whelen / Unsplash