Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Wake-Up Call: Biden..No U-S Troops In Ukraine

President Biden told reporters Tuesday, "We have no intention of putting American forces or NATO forces in Ukraine," one day after 8,500 troops in the U.S. were put on heightened alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe as part of a "response force" if necessary in the event Russia invades Ukraine. Biden again repeated that there would be serious economic consequences for Russian President Vladimir Putin, including personal sanctions, if there is an asssault, which he said would be the largest invasion since World War Two and would, quote, "change the world." Russia has moved some 100,000 troops to its border with Ukraine in recent weeks, but continues to deny it's planning an invasion.

WSJ Graphic

 ➤PFIZER BEGINS TESTING VACCINE THAT MATCHES OMICRON: Pfizer has begun a clinical trial that will involve up to some 1,400 volunteers of a reformulated Covid-19 vaccine that matches the omicron variant, the company announced yesterday. Although Pfizer and other Covid vaccine-makers are updating their shots to better match omicron, it's not yet clear that a change to the Covid vaccines will approved by regulators, including because the omicron wave is beginning to wane it places where it hit first, and because when and if there's a new variant, it's not known if it will be like omicron or not. Although omicron is more able to evade protection against infection provided by the current vaccines, they still offer good protection against severe illness and death. Additionally, data seems to be bearing out that omicron causes milder illness.

➤SECOND NYC POLICE OFFICER DIES AFTER SHOOTING LAST WEEK: A 27-year-old New York City police officer who was critically wounded in a shooting last week in Harlem that killed his partner succumbed to his injuries yesterday (January 25th) after he was taken off life support. In a message to the department announcing Officer Wilbert Mora's death, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said, "The grief in this Department is incalculable." Mora's death came four days after his 22-year-old rookie partner, Officer Jason Rivera, died when they were both shot Friday as they responded to a domestic disturbance call. A woman had called to say she needed help with her 47-year-old son, Lashawn J. McNeil. After police arrived, McNeil slammed open a bedroom door and shot the officers as they walked down a hallway. A third officer shot McNeil, who died on Monday.
 
➤COAST GUARD LOOKING FOR 39 PEOPLE AFTER CAPSIZED BOAT FOUND WITH SURVIVOR: The U.S. Coast Guard was searching yesterday for 39 missing people after a capsized boat was found off Florida's eastern coast with a lone survivor clinging to it. It's believed the boat was used for human smuggling, with the man who survived saying he was with a group of 39 other people that left the Bahamas on Saturday night. He said the boat capsized in severe weather and no-one had life jackets.
 
🦈U-S RECORDS MORE UNPROVOKED SHARK ATTACKS IN 2021:  The United States had the most unprovoked shark attacks in the entire world in 2021. The Florida Museum of Natural History revealed there were 73 unprovoked bites and 39 provoked incidents worldwide last year, resulting in nine deaths. The U.S. leads the world with 47 unprovoked shark attacks, which are defined as those in which a human is attacked in a shark’s natural habitat. A provoked attack occurs when a person initiates an interaction with a shark in some way. Continuing a five-year-streak, Florida had the highest number of shark bites in the world with 28—representing 60 percent of the U.S. bite total, and 38 percent of unprovoked bites worldwide. Australia came in second place with 12 unprovoked bites, while Brazil came in third with three unprovoked bites. In the U.S., Florida was followed by Hawaii (6 bites), California (3 bites), North Carolina (3 bites), South Carolina (4 bites), Georgia (2 bites), and Maryland (one bite). 

➤ALEX JONES SAYS PLED THE FIFTH 'ALMOST 100 TIMES' TO HOUSE JAN. 6TH COMMITTEE: Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones said on his radio show Tuesday that he testified remotely before the House January 6th committee a day earlier, and that he used his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, quote, "almost 100 times." Jones said, "[T]he media tells you that's because you're guilty or because you're going to incriminate yourself, but it's also just because it can be used to try to incriminate you and twist something against you." He called the questions "overall pretty reasonable." In a letter to Jones last month, committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson said they had evidence he was involved in planning and funding the rally held before the Capitol attack, and that he was supposed to led people from that rally at the Ellipse to the Capitol. Despite that, Jones was seen on video outside the Capitol urging people not to be violent. He said yesterday, "By then, we learned that there were a bunch of people inside the Capitol, and that was so stupid and so dumb, and we do not support that. I didn't support it that day. I don't support it now."

➤PELOSI TO SEEK REELECTION: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced yesterday (January 25th) that she'll seek reelection to a 19th term. The 81-year-old Pelosi said in an online video: "While we have made progress, much more needs to be done to improve people’s lives. This election is crucial. Nothing less is at stake than our democracy." She doesn't say in the video, however, if she will seek another term as speaker if she's reelected. Pelosi will be a overwhelming favorite to win in her heavily Democratic district.

➤RFK JR. APOLOGIZES FOR ANNE FRANK COMMENT AT ANTI-VACCINE MANDATE RALLY: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apologized yesterday for saying at an anti-Covid vaccine mandate rally in Washington, D.C., Sunday that things are worse for people now than they were under the Nazis for Anne Frank. He said, "Even in Hitler’s Germany, you could cross the Alps to Switzerland. You could hide in an attic like Anne Frank did." Kennedy, whose anti-vaccine activism goes back years before the pandemic, tweeted yesterday, "My intention was to use examples of past barbarism to show the perils from new technologies of control. To the extent my remarks caused hurt, I am truly and deeply sorry."

🚘GM ANNOUNCES $7 BILLION FACTORY INVESTMENT IN MICHIGAN: General Motors announced a $7 billion Michigan factory investment yesterday, much of it for producing electric vehicles. Four sites are involved, including a new battery cell plant in Lansing, in what GM says is the largest investment announcement in company history. The automaker says it will create 4,000 new jobs.


➤SAT COLLEGE ADMISSION EXAM WILL BE FULLY DIGITAL BY 2024:  The SAT taken by prospective college students will go all-digital beginning in 2024 and will be an hour shorter, the College Board announced yesterday. The transition comes after the College Board tested a digital SAT in November 2021, and 80 percent of students said they found it less stressful, while 100 percent of educators reported a positive experience. The change also comes as the College Board has faced increased pressure to change its stress-inducing test in the wake of the pandemic, as well as face questions around the test’s fairness and relevance. The changes to the test include allowing students to use a calculator for the entire Math section, as well as shortening the length of the test from three hours to two hours, with more time per question. It will also feature shorter reading passages with one question each. In the past few years more than 1,800 colleges and universities have dropped requirements that applicants take the SAT or ACT.


⚾ORTIZ ELECTED TO BASEBALL HALL OF FAME; BONDS, CLEMENS FALL SHORT IN FINAL YEAR: David Ortiz was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame yesterday on his first try, the only person elected this year, as steroid-tainted Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens again fell short in their final year of eligibility. Ortiz -- nicknamed "Big Papi" -- was a 10-time All-Star over 20 seasons, most of them with the Boston Red Sox, including in 2004 when they won the World Series for the first time in 86 years. He batted .286 with 541 home runs, making 88 percent of his plate appearances as a designated hitter, the most by anyone in Cooperstown. Bonds, baseball's career home runs leader, and Clemens, who won a record seven Cy Young Awards, would normally be Hall of Fame shoo-ins, but the Baseball Writers Association of America voters denied them over allegations they used performance-enhancing drugs. Clemens tweeted, "My family and I put the HOF in the rear view mirror ten years ago. Hopefully everyone can now close this book and keep their eyes forward focusing on what is really important in life."

🏀CLIPPERS HAVE SECOND-BIGGEST COMEBACK IN NBA HISTORY TO TOP WIZARDS 116-115: The L.A. Clippers had the second-biggest comeback in NBA history last night, recovering from being down 66-31 late in the second quarter to beat the Washington Wizards 116-115. The Clippers didn't have a lead until the final second of the game, when Luke Kennard made a free throw after sinking a three-point shot.

🎾TSITSIPAS, COLLINS MAKE IT TO AUSTRLIAN OPEN SEMIFINALS: Fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas and American Danielle Collins, who's seeded 27th, have made it to the Australian Open semifinals with wins in their quarterfinal matches yesterday. Tsitsipas defeated Number 11 Jannik Sinner and Collins topped Alize Cornet, both of them in straight sets. Also winning their quarterfinal matches were Matteo Berrettini among the men and Iga Swiatek for the women, both seeded seventh. There are two American women in the semifinals, Collins and Madison Keys.

🏒YANDLE BREAKS NHL CONSECUTIVE GAMES RECORD: The Philadelphia Flyers' Keith Yandle broke the NHL consecutive games record last night (January 25th), playing in his 965th straight game. The 35-year-old began his streak on March 26, 2009 and has played 1,075 games overall. The record had previously been held by Doug Jarvis, who played 964 straight games from October 8, 1975, to October 10th, 1987, which was his entire career.

🏈PAYTON LEAVING AS SAINTS COACH AFTER 16 YEARS: Sean Payton is leaving as head coach of the New Orleans Saints after 16 years. He announced the news yesterday, saying, "I don’t like the word retirement. I still have a vision for doing things in football. . . . that might be coaching again at some point," but he said, "That's not where my heart is right now." Payton led the Saints to their only Super Bowl championship in the 2009-2010 season and nine playoff appearances. He was also suspended for the 2012 season by the NFL after an investigation found the Saints had a pool offering cash rewards for big and sometimes injury-causing hits.



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