2020 has been a devastating year. We could all do with some good news.

Here are some of @CrisisGroup’s 10 reasons for hope in 2021.

South African science was crucial in helping UK discover its new variants; but then the UK govt claimed (wrongly) that the SA variant is more transmissible. No evidence to support this, according to @krisp_news

From the Times article: SA scientists "were the first to recognize the importance of a genetic change in the spike protein, something that allows the virus to attach more easily to human cells, making it more infectious than the original version."

The SA discovery was shared on Dec 4 over the WHO’s Covid-19 Evolution Working Group. “Our British colleagues were able to go back to their own databases and interrogate them as a result of the work we shared,” Richard Lessells, an infectious diseases specialist at Krisp, said.

More from the Times article by @janeflan: "While working on a much smaller budget than their British colleagues, the South African team, experienced with work on HIV, have the skills to decode the genome of viruses."

"They started work on samples of the Covid-19 virus soon after the first cases reached South Africa in March. In October they identified the first example that had changed significantly."

A brief review of the goings-on in #GOP #Indiana:

Our senators are too busy telling the #BigLie to tell the truth about the former president's attack on our democracy.

My rep isn't standing up for much of anything but wants Nancy Pelosi to answer for the breach of the Capitol.

The #GOP super majority in the #IN legislature is now

eliminating gun permits.

removing protections from our few remaining wetlands.

limiting charitable cash bail.

taking over the Indianapolis police force.

removing the few protections Indy tenants have from bad landlords

continuing to allow 'fun' coyote hunts for prizes.

limiting the governor's ability to deal with emergencies like COVID19 - because of course! Indiana only has 12000+ #COVID19 deaths so overreach is an issue.

trying to undo Indy referendum's to upgrade our bus routes.

while continuing efforts to limit women's access to reproductive healthcare, w/ a forced ultrasound law going into effect just a couple weeks ago.

And then there are the coal ash ponds.

@IndyStarSarah reports on our water quality being up for

from the article by @IndyStarSarah:

"Ash from Indiana's coal-burning power plants is contaminating groundwater across the state, rendering it unsafe to drink. But unlike some other states, Indiana is not requiring utility companies to remove the toxic ash from leaky pits."

X : Thoughts on private companies being on the boards of ICS (integrated care systems).
Me : Conflict of interest question? Supplier determining needs?
X : Yes
Me : It's ok, as long as
a) you have effective spend control
b) those private companies are JVs which Gov owns 51% of.

X : What if they are not 51% owned JVs?
Me : Ah, that's a bad idea. You really want your boards to have your interests at heart.
X : What about experience, partnership?
Me : Those are advisors and you take it with a pinch of salt and as much as possible use critical friends.

Suppliers will always tell you that they want to be your partners, to build a relationship, to be your friends, to find the win/win in much the same way a second hand car salesperson wants to be your buddy ... but their interests are not yours and never can be.

X : Critical friends?
Me : Occassionaly you can find critical friends. People that we willing to tell you the truth as they see it regardless of the consequences. They are not very common and it normally requires a deep sense of duty that exceeds any loyalty to others.

X : Can the relationship be symbiotic?
Me : Rarely but that depends. If the organisation has a core overiding principle of focusing on the customer need and I don't mean lip service to this but absolutely embedded into its very core then yes i.e. places like Amazon, Alibaba etc.