Category: Uncategorized

Just Repeating Things (Lies) Won’t make Them True, Hinderaker…

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Tonight John is back to burping about some old nonsense — what he calls Mr. Biden’s “open borders” policy.

Of course, that is a lie.

Mr. Biden’s policy is… to comply with the law — unless and until Congress changes it.

It is a lawful, treaty honoring border policy. John is likely confused, because most federal courts, and the Supremes, too… ruled over 95% of Trump’s actions on the border were… unlawful. Violated basic human rights — ones we expect other nations will accord to us, should we need to seek asylum abroad for any reason.

So… in Hinderaker’s delusional telling, the GOP can “win” in 2024… if only it is willing to commit more felonies — more atrocities — at the southern border.

That is just as stupid — and feckless — as it sounds.

Cheers, John.

Out.

Rahway Sees Future Potential Well Beyond Weight Loss, For Its GLP-1 Candidate, Efinopegdutide…

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Again — this is not going to be material to Merck’s NYSE share price today, or tomorrow — but toward 2028… it very well could be.

Here’s the latest, from Reuters, on it all:

…[Merck is] seeking GLP-1 treatments with benefits beyond weight loss, CEO Robert Davis said on Thursday at a conference.

Newer diabetes and weight-loss drugs of the GLP-1 class like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound are expected to together generate annual sales of over $100 billion by the end of the decade.

Merck’s experimental drug efinopegdutide, which belongs to the GLP-1 class and is being developed as a treatment for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), also showed a “compelling” weight-loss benefit….

“I think everyone recognizes weight management is a hard thing to get reimbursed. But if you can show cardiovascular outcome, if you can show diabetes outcome, which you’re starting to see data for, if you can see fatty liver disease benefits… that is an area where we think there’s opportunity,” he said….

Personally, I am a little concerned that we don’t fully understand the hows, and whys that allow this class of meds to result in significant weight loss, especially in obese diabetes patients. While I don’t expect any sort of “thalidomide” longer term side effect, by any stretch of the imagination — and there are clearly very compelling health benefits to obese patients simply losing weight, overall… I don’t love the idea of this class being the most widely prescribed drug in the world by say 2030 or so, just yet.

I think we need more longitudinal data. But I am a lil’ contrarian, in that way. Onward.

नमस्ते

Odds-Bodkins. Overnight — And Across ALL My Life Science Reviews — I’ve Been… Swarmed (Benignly, It Seems) By Chinese IP Addresses…

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Well, this is new, for 2024. [Though in truth, for most of the first half of 2013, I saw similar unexplained / inexplicable traffic, from both China and Central European IPs. I later figured that one out, to be honest. I was missing something obvious, until after July 10 2013, that year.]

This time, I haven’t a clue. And to be clear, other than Humanigen (a company we covered here, from time to time) having finally thrown in the towel, and filed a chapter… I cannot imagine that any recent life science happening would interest state actors in the PRC. Here’s that bit:

…Humanigen, once a favorite among Wall Street investors due to its prospects against COVID-19, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Wilmington, Delaware, Bloomberg Law reported Thursday, citing court papers.

The company listed $521K worth of assets and over $44M in debt in its Chapter 11 petition filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware….

I suppose this might be of interest to Chinese state actors (for its COVID-19 treatment candidate implications), but… more likely than not, it is just an indexing of all med- and life sciences happenings in the US that leads to the Chinese swarming. Ah well — onward, grinning.

नमस्ते

Where Even To Begin?! This Is Utterly… Foolish!

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Mirengoff offers a mind-numbingly insipid non-analogy tonight… (I think) to suggest people should vote Trump 2.0 as opposed to Biden 2.0 — solely as the lesser of two evils.

Precious.

He does so by arguing that Goldwater’s Southern Strategy was not — strictly speaking… fascism.

So we should reject the opinion of people who call Tangerine (a completely different, and worse, human) a “fascist”, here over 60 years later, because… well, being an overt racist — and acting on it, as a core of one’s policies while in office… isn’t (strictly-speaking)… fascism. Or something.

Gosh, Paul. That’s why we should choose NOT to vote for Mr. Biden?!

Because Trump’s overt racism… isn’t… fascism?!? [Goldwater wasn’t ever… indicted on 93 felonies, was he, Paul? He was horrible — but there is zero doubt that, on (lack of) intelligence alone… Trump is much worse.]

Whoever it was at Dartmouth (‘69) that taught symbolic logic… ought to come beat you about your head and shoulders — you’ve utterly failed to understand A SINGLE SENTENCE of the material… here almost 60 years on.

Embarrassing. But this is now the GOP brand: “Vote for me! I’m a bigger racist than Barry Goldwater, and — BONUS! — not as bright….”

Truly, a cosmically bad effort there, son.

Out.

Of Course, In John’s Telling… The “Victims” — In The Resignation Of Harvard’s President… Are The Conservative “Journos”. Charming.

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Welp. He is nothing — if not dreadfully, boringly… predictable — as he’s become the quintessential old codger he is. “Just more of the John, in you — John.”

He’s reduced to yelling “you damn kids, stay off my… lawn!” tonight.

That is, factual AP reporting that notes the claims of unattributed sentences in her now nearly 20-year old work… came from conservative activists, not academics at Harvard (or any other Ivy).

These are facts.

But in Hinderaker’s version… labeling these people as activists… is burp-worthy.

Reality, it seems, has a bias toward… progress, John.

Sit down. And shut it — again!

Damn son. Just… damn.

Solely To Preserve A Full Record, Here Is Tangerine’s Largely Incomprehensible Filing Re Colorado — In US Supremes.

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Look — the guy is clearly clutching after straws, here… Section 3 of the 14th Amendment means exactly what it says.

And his own lawyers have long argued that ballot issues are state law decisions, in the conservative “states’ rights” view of federalism. Even in Presidential elections.

That is exactly why Trump thought he could replace actual, legitimate state-sanctioned electors with his own acolytes / rump people (lawlessly), on 1/6/21.

He was wrong then, and he is wrong now.

Colorado and Maine have the right to apply the 14th Amendment in their states.

But whatever. I still think it better to shellack him state by state, in a live election.

Tangerine is dying on the vine, here — day by fateful day — either way.

Karma is… a wheel, baby.

नमस्ते

In Which Hinderaker Openly Fawns For… Ackman’s Donations. Ugh.

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Hinderaker is ever known to seek the money, on the right, wherever it might be flowing from.

Today’s installment from John is no exception.

He hopes (vainly, in my experienced estimation) that Bill Ackman will notice him. [Both with John Harvard pedigrees… and all that rot.]

He won’t. Ackman — like so many hedgies who’ve now turned into billionaires… is “all about” only one thing: Ackman — hisself.

Trust me on this — I’ve followed him closely since 2012, and the days of the very-public proxy battle for Valeant, in the life-sciences.

Valent-Pearson-Ackman-2916 He’s only about the $$$. And grabbing ever more of them.

So, do take a seat John — you are pocket change, at best.

Out.

Mirengoff Argues That The REAL Threat — To “Democracy” In Israel Comes NOT From A Hard Right MINORITY Imposing Its Will On The Majority. Huh.

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It is largely beyond dispute that Bibi’s hard right / religious zealots / autocratic faction in The Knesset (its legislative body) is hamstringing the majority of Israelis — who as a rule are far more moderate than he is.

This is an odd feature of the way coalition governance works (or, more precisely, doesn’t — at present) inside the country. So it is richly… ironic, that Paul says a court decision that prevents an autocracy in Israel… is how “democracy dies” there. Positively… Orwellian use of metaphor, there Paulie!

The people of Israel are now facing an existential threat from Hamas. So, this dispute will be less contentious in these times — and that is a good thing.

But to be sure, Bibi should be seeking consensus, at every turn, since he is in a fight for the very survival of Israel as we’ve known it since 1948.

He likely won’t — and may well reopen wounds by (once again) trying to legislate away the concept of judicial review in Israel.

The upshot? Israel needs a real Constitution — one that puts such gerrymandering beyond the reach of would be despots like Bibi.

Even Mirengoff admits to this, overnight.

Out.

Epilogue From Kentucky, Circa 2015-2020: County Clerk Kim Davis Must Pay $260,000 In Court Costs And Attorneys’ Fees — For Refusing To Do Her Sworn Duty.

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The wheels of US justice turn slowly, but they grind malfeasors… to a very fine dust, indeed. [With one of several of our prior articles on it all, here.]

This malfeasor refused to follow the law of the land, and validate marriage licenses — but only if the couple involved was same sex. Her time in the barrel has now arrived, thus — via AP reporting:

…Former county clerk Kim Davis, who refused to issue marriage licenses in Kentucky to same-sex couples, must pay a total of $260,104 in fees and expenses to attorneys who represented one couple, according to a federal judge’s ruling.

That’s in addition to $100,000 in damages a jury said the former Rowan County clerk should pay the couple who sued.

Attorneys for Davis had argued that the fees and costs sought by the attorneys were excessive, but U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning disagreed and said Davis must pay since the men prevailed in their lawsuit, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported….

Now you know — taking an oath to be a government employee… and serve the public… means one must faithfully discharge that oath — not interpose one’s purported religious beliefs, on the public. There is no “right” to be a county clerk. It is a privilege, exclusively — so, one must resign if one feels issuing marriage licenses to two men or two women… is against one’s faith. Period.

[I imagine that her Liberty U. “educated” lawyers (Heh!) will appeal this to the US Supremes, eventually, free of charge — and she will lose there, as well. But she will need to post a $26,000 bond just to file her appeal. I doubt she has it.]

And yes, this is indeed a very fine start to 2024 — even if a lil’ late in arriving!

नमस्ते

The Lancet Today RE-Confirms It: Hinderaker Is An… Unblinking Idiot.

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Hinderaker was disastrously wrong about US COVID-19 mortality levels, by over 20 fold. [Churlishly, he seeks refuge in comparative data between flu cases and COVID-19 ones, to hide the fact that he said the dying was mostly over by July of 3020.]

Despite his lies, though tonight — here are the facts, from the same study he is claiming vindicates his feckless exhortations of 2020 to 2021. The point of the study he falsely claims vindicates him… is that both flu and COVID patients experience dangerous death risks, once admitted to a hospital, so the goal is to AVOID hospitalization — by… (shocker!)… vaccinations, and in pandemics… social isolation if immune-compromised.

Damn, son — you are a chump. Here it is, in context:

…Although rates of death and adverse health outcomes following hospital admission for either seasonal influenza or COVID-19 are high, this comparative analysis shows that hospital admission for COVID-19 was associated with higher long-term risks of death and adverse health outcomes in nearly every organ system (except for the pulmonary system) and significant cumulative excess DALYs than hospital admission for seasonal influenza.

The substantial cumulative burden of health loss in both groups calls for greater prevention of hospital admission for these two viruses and for greater attention to the care needs of people with long-term health effects due to either seasonal influenza or SARS-CoV-2 infection….

Yes, John — you should still put an f-ing sock in it — as you are no epidemiologist — and no bio-scientist, at all.

Your malign advice got more than a few elderly people killed in 2020-21, with your narcissism.

Face it.

[And as a med-related footnote, Hinderaker also wrote some dumb sh!t tonight — citing hard right British “news” rags. I won’t link it… as it is utterly… insipid.]

Out.