Sputnik V, Bezos, Navalny Trial
February 3, 2021
Yesterday’s Newsletter / February 3, 2021
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Russia's Sputnik V vaccine has 92% efficacy in trial
Summary: A late-stage trial published in The Lancet indicates that a vaccine developed in Russia offers similar levels of protection to the Pfizer, Oxford/AstroZeneca, and Moderna vaccines, after a long period of uncertainty about its effectiveness.
Context: There was quite a lot of trepidation about the Sputnik V vaccine when it was first released, as Russia began administering it before late-stage trials had been completed; but this new evidence for its utility is being seen as good news for countries keen to buy the vaccine, and will almost certainly serve as a public relations win for the Russian government.
—BBC News
Jeff Bezos to Step Down as Amazon CEO
Summary: The first person to have a net personal wealth in excess of $200 billion, the founder of space flight company Blue Origin, and the owner of The Washington Post (among other companies) will step down as CEO of the company that made him most of his fortune to become executive chairman in the third-quarter of 2021, vacating the role for current Amazon Web Services head, Andy Jassy.
Context: The announcement of this leadership transition was made during a period of record revenue for Amazon: during the fourth-quarter of 2020, the company brought in $125.5 billion in sales, alone.
—The Wall Street Journal
Moscow court orders Kremlin foe Navalny to prison
Summary: Putin-critic and anti-corruption opposition politician Alexei Navalny has been sentenced to 2.8 years in a penal colony by a Russian court.
Context: The trial was generally seen as political theatre by international bodies and occurred after Navalny was poisoned—ostensibly at the Russian government’s order—evacuated to Germany for medical treatment, and then returned to the country in January, sparking weeks of ongoing popular protest against Putin’s administration and corruption in Russia, more broadly.
—The Associated Press
Visual
5-10%
Estimated decrease in the United Kingdom’s GDP as a result of leaving the European Union as part of a political movement that became known as “Brexit.”
This estimate was published as part of a research note by JP Morgan, and is accompanied by criticism for, as they see it, the UK’s efforts to shoot themselves in the foot economically, and subsequent celebration that self-harm as a victory.
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Yesterday’s Newsletter is published by analytic journalist and host of the Let’s Know Things podcast, Colin Wright.