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Laurie Garrett

@Laurie_Garrett

Feb 4

I don't think we can rule out mega-error as the source of the #ChineseSpyBalloon . Whether it was launched for "research" or "intelligence" purposes, it may never have been intended for Montana skies.
Here's my thinking (thread).
In the last week of January China --
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2/
...from Beijing to Siberia, experienced the coldest weather ON RECORD, with temperatures hitting -63 F in the far north. The frigid Polar Vortex air moved east, hit ocean, warmer air, and soared in an atmospheric river north towards Alaska/Yukon.
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washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/0…

3/ On Jan 31 that cold front fell over #Bozeman, and wind chill temp fell to -23F. Since, it has warmed, winds calmed, & now it is 41 F.
Any gas-filled container launched into the atmosphere from China in late January would have been battered by that frigid air flow.
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Laurie Garrett

@Laurie_Garrett

Jan 30

@WHO

The @WHO Executive Board is meeting in Geneva right now, with a very full plate:
- #pandemic security
- dearth of diagnostics
- universal healthcare
- multibillion $ budget shortfall
- ongoing fights over patented drug & vaccine access for all
ghtcoalition.org/blog/who-eb-20…

@WHO

Opening speech by @WHO DG @DrTedros
"As we enter the 4th year of the #pandemic, there is no doubt we are in a far better situation now than we were when the #Omicron wave was at its peak.
But...In the past 8 wks >170,000 people have lost their lives to #COVID19 ."
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cont.
"And that’s just the reported deaths; we know the actual number is much higher.
We can’t control the virus, but we can do more to address the vulnerabilities in populations & health systs.
That means vaccinating 100% of the most at-risk groups;..."
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Laurie Garrett

@Laurie_Garrett

Jan 27

LIVE now: the #NSABB is meeting to discuss the safety of work on pathogens: biosecurity, gain-of-function, dual-use research, counter-measures & vaccine R&D. W/some #Republicans claiming #SARSCoV2 arose from NIH-sponsored GOF work, this is a hot potato.
videocast.nih.gov/livew.asp?live…

Continueing

Continued

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Laurie Garrett

@Laurie_Garrett

Jan 20

@WSJ

Lots of @WSJ & @elonmusk & #GOP chatter today about the US debt ceiling and the "need" to drastically slash federal social services, and raise taxes on poor and middle classes. Musk claims taxing billionaires won't "put a dent" in the national debt.

Let's look, shall we?

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@FortuneMagazine

2/
"FORTUNE 500 companies represent two-thirds of the U.S. GDP with $16.1 trillion in revenues (up 17%), $1.84 trillion in profits (up 114%), $37 trillion in market value (up 13%), and employ 29.7 million people worldwide."
- from @FortuneMagazine

BUT...

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But corporate taxes have steadily plummeted -- even for companies that had record windfalls due to #COVID19 #pandemic related earnings.

americanprogress.org/article/these-…

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Laurie Garrett

@Laurie_Garrett

Jan 17

@wef

When @wef opens in #Davos , @Oxfam puts out their alternative State of the World rpt. This year's shows that:
• The richest 1% hold 45.6% of global wealth, while the poorest half of the world have just 0.75%.
• 81 Billionaires hold more wealth than 50% of the world.
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OXFAM2/
• 10 billionaires own more than 200 million African women combined.

The richest got WAY richer during the #pandemic -- the top 1% richest got 63% wealthier in 2020-21. We mere mortals got only 10% richer in 2 years, on average.
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policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/surv…

OXFAM3/
Food & energy costs are the main drivers of #inflation; companies in those sectors in 2022:
• made $306bn in windfall profits;
• increased profits 256% in 2022 compared w/the 2018–2021 average;
• paid $257bn to stock shareholders in 2022

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