SWC’s Fast Five
What’s more spendy, a Tesla or a Toyota RAV4? COVID good news and bad news and why we hear more of the bad. Jobless claims – they say the news is good but dig deeper people. And, it is not the biggest news. In fact, it is not news at all but it is validating to hear someone else say what all of us have experienced with inkjet printers.
So, here’s this week’s Fast Five:
1 Now there’s data – electric cars better for the environment than gas-powered vehicles
A study compared a RAV4 to a Tesla, showing emissions from building the cars to 200,000 miles distance driven, the lifespan of a typical car. The upshot in tons of greenhouse gases generated and total cost of ownership found a few surprises.
2 Study – U.S. COVID-19 news almost always negative regardless of data
When U.S. cases were rising, the news coverage emphasized the increase. When falling, coverage focused on where cases were rising. About 87 percent of 2020 U.S. COVID coverage was negative in media outlets both with liberal and conservative audiences. Why? Researchers have a leading contender: Media is giving the audience what it wants.
3 Long way to go – jobless claims fell, still more than 3X pre-pandemic levels
People seeking unemployment benefits fell to 684,000 (v. pre-pandemic claims averaging 225,000). While the fewest since COVID erupted there are still nearly 19 million people collecting jobless benefits. Two Brookings Institution senior fellows have forecast that employers will add 700,000 to 1 million jobs monthly over the next 10 months. So, just 10 million more to go!
4 Game changer: COVID-19 protection in a pill
Pfizer has begun an early-stage clinical trial of an oral antiviral for COVID-19. Health experts say the world will need an array of drugs and vaccines to end the pandemic. A pill taken by mouth could be used outside a hospital for those newly infected with the virus.
5 Confirmed, inkjet printers are mechanical dystopian nightmares
This little post answers the question, is it the printer or am I an idiot? This, and a similarly themed Twitter video, are cathartic.
