WHO IS YUKA SASO?

From the New York Times this morning:

That is, Democratic (Blue, but here shown to be darker green) states are doing well in getting COVID-19 vaccinations.  Below, again Democrats want those shots, but not Republicans, nor Blacks.

Why are Republicans so reluctant?  Something to do conservative viewpoints, like not wanting to wear masks or general defiance of the government.  For Blacks, there is a general mistrust of the Feds.  The third reluctant vaccine takers are the lesser educated.  

“Most of the states where vaccination rates are lowest happen to be ones where the Black population is high and where the percentage who graduated from college was low,” CNN’s Harry Enten writes, “while the reverse is true in the states with high vaccination rates.” 

So what can the Biden administration do?  I still think if you make a vaccination passport a requirement for entering sporting events or boarding buses, planes and ships, while sort of un-American, this should gain the support of the private sector, and significantly increase the vaccination rate to reach a safer herd immunity level.

Worldwide:

• India had 216,850 new cases yesterday, resulting in swarms leaving cities for life in rural areas, only meaning that they are bringing the disease to those locations which have minimal hospitalization capabilities.
• #2 for new cases was Brazil with 80,529, while the USA was #3 with 74,479.

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  Japan, preparing for the Summer Olympics, is worried about their experiencing 4000 new cases yesterday.  However, Hawaii is roughly 1% the population of Japan, and we are now averaging close to 100 new cases per day.  Divide Japan's 4000 new cases by 100, and you get 40, less than half of Hawaii's tally.  

• 
  The only states with less than 100 new cases yesterday were Wyoming with 76 and Hawaii with 95.  #3 was Vermont with 176 new cases.  Doing the mathematics, this would be like Japan having had 8000 new cases yesterday.  And this comparison is with the those states with the lowest case rate in the USA.

• 
  Michigan was again #1 in new cases with 7191.  
• Cranking their population into the equation, that would be like Japan having had 88,449 new cases instead of 4,000.  
• Further, this would mean that on a per capita basis, Michigan would be next to India as #2 in the world in new cases.
• And about those Tokyo Olympics, foreigners are allowed to participate, but are barred from being spectators.  Local people will be part of a very limited audience.  But it doesn't matter much because TV is everything.

For fans of renewable energy:

Biden's $1.5 trillion budget proposal includes a 27% increase in overall clean energy spending.

Last week I introduced you to Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand, who won the LPGA ANA Inspiration major, with an average driving distance of 326 yards, further than Tiger Woods.  This week, the LPGA is in Honolulu, and, after two rounds, the leader with 64-64 is 19-year old Yuka Saso of the Philippines.  

She got into the tournament only through a sponsor's exemption.  She is not on the regular LPGA tour.  She was born in the Philippines of a Filipino mother and Japanese father.  Yuka lives with an uncle in the Philippines, while her mother watches four younger siblings in Tokyo.  She had committed to attending the University of Georgia, but instead turned pro in Japan.

She was in that Masters Amateur competition in 2019 and came in third.  This year the winner earlier this month was 17-year old Tsubasa Kajitani (left) of Japan.  Then, of course, Hideki Matsuyama last week won the Masters Championship.  Korean golfers have recently done well, but suddenly, Japan and Thailand golfers are winning tournaments.

The LPGA top ten shows six Koreans, headed by Jin Young Ko (right).  And two Americans.  The men's Fedex Cup leadership shows mostly Americans in the top ten, with Hideki Matsuyama at #7.  The highest ranking Korean is Si Woo Kim at #22.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average yesterday ended above 34,000 for the first time in history, and today will further augment that record.  I'll later return with details.

Next, some color magic.  When you get to that page, click on each black and white photo.  I'll close with a lesson, particularly applicable to Fridays, to smell the flowers:

The Dow Jones Industrials rose 305 to another all-time high of 34,036.

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Not sure exactly where Typhoon Surigae is going, but reaching Category 4 strength is possible, then skirting the east side of Philippines and heading for Taiwan.

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