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By Lambert Strether of Corrente.
Affected person readers, I apologize. This Water Cooler was revealed on time, on March 11, 2023. I do not know how this occurred! –lambert
Chicken Track of the Day
Home Wren, Solar Lakes SP, Grant, Washington, United States. “Pure track from seen chicken at 12:30pm.”
* * *
Politics
“So lots of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in reality a rational administration of symbolic capital.” –Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles
The Constitutional Order
“Fontes: Donald Trump can’t be barred from the AZ poll by the 14th Modification” [AZ Mirror]. “Within the Grand Canyon State, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes instructed KTAR in September that his workplace was mulling Trump’s authorized eligibility for the poll. And whereas the Arizona Supreme Court docket dominated final 12 months that the anti-insurrectionist provision couldn’t be used in opposition to politicians concerned within the Jan. 6 incident as a result of there was no corresponding federal statute to implement it, Fontes famous that the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Structure doubtless overruled that call. However on Wednesday, Fontes introduced in an interview on Fox 10 Phoenix that his palms are tied by Arizona legislation. State legislation directs the secretary of state to certify candidates who each file to look on the poll in Arizona 100 days earlier than the presidential desire election and have been accepted for the ballots of a minimum of two different states. ‘On the finish of the day, having consulted with authorized consultants, having consulted with election consultants — the largest objections to Mr. Trump, by the best way, are from the conservative proper and the Federalist Society guys,’ Fontes mentioned. ‘They don’t want him on the poll. However I’m sorry I’m going to need to disappoint them as a result of that’s state statute.’”
Biden Administration
2024
Time for the Countdown Clock!
* * *
“Alina Habba claims vindication after ‘forgetting’ to request Trump jury trial” [Raw Story]. “Trump lawyer Alina Habba thanked New York Supreme Court docket Justice Arthur Engoron after he confirmed that Donald Trump wouldn’t have gotten a jury trial – even when protection counsel had requested for it. Shortly after the trial started, Habba was accused of ‘forgetting’ to request a jury trial on authorized types. ‘You will have in all probability observed or already learn that this case has no jury,’ Engoron mentioned firstly of the trial. ‘Neither facet requested for one and, in any occasion, the cures sought are all equitable in nature, mandating that the trial be a bench trial, one {that a} decide alone decides.’ However on Wednesday, Engoron clarified {that a} request from the protection wouldn’t have mattered. ‘I imagine what occurred right here is that the [AG] clearly checked off non-jury,’ the decide mentioned, in line with courtroom watcher Adam Klasfeld from The Messenger. ‘It will not have helped to make a movement, no person forgot to verify off a field.’” • A element, however the false story generated a information cycle’s-worth of snark, so good to have it cleared up.
“Trump insinuates Obama is Biden’s ‘boss’” [The Hill]. • Not so far-fetched; see NC right here.
* * *
“Biden interviewed as a part of particular counsel investigation into dealing with of categorised paperwork” [Associated Press]. “President Joe Biden has been interviewed as a part of an unbiased investigation into his dealing with of categorised paperwork, the White Home mentioned late Monday. It’s a attainable signal that the investigation is nearing its finish.” • Nearly no element within the article, fascinating in itself. Background:
Shortly after Biden’s lawyer Richard Sauber confirmed a set of categorised paperwork had been found within the storage of Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware residence, the President acknowledged the discover—and revealed that they had been locked up alongside his beloved Corvette.
The revelation got here from Biden’s look at an occasion on the economic system within the White Home’s South Court docket Auditorium. Fox Information’ White Home correspondent Peter Doocy requested the president, “Labeled supplies subsequent to your Corvette? What have been you considering?”
“My Corvette’s in a locked storage, OK? So it’s not like they’re sitting out on the road,” Biden responded. “Folks know I take categorised paperwork and categorised supplies critically.”
In order that’s alright then. The Each day Mail pulled a display seize from that Biden marketing campaign video of a sunglasses-wearing Biden driving his Corvette. I added the arrrow:
In order that’s Biden’s operational definition of “[taking] categorised supplies critically.” Good to know.
* * *
“Why Don’t Republicans Simply Run on the Financial system, Silly?” [Ed Kilgore, New York Magazine]. “There are a number of causes provided for this anomaly of the crazy-person celebration holding a lead, starting from the president’s age to some kind of nationwide malaise. However the obvious motive from the info we have now is that stable majorities of People are sad concerning the economic system and blame Biden for it… And that’s with most main financial indices trying comparatively sunny…. [But why] don’t [Republicans] exhibit some self-discipline by getting onto the apparent profitable message and chirping like cicadas: Financial system! Financial system! Financial system! I’m fairly sure there are Republicans in boardrooms and nation golf equipment throughout America questioning simply that.” The truth is, they’re, in their very own manner: “[T]he key factor to know in processing wild Republican rhetoric on points like congressional appropriations is that they and their supporters deeply imagine the nation’s financial issues are virtually completely attributable to extreme public spending and authorities overreach… Whereas it’s unattainable to kind out all of the totally different evils with which Republicans affiliate “huge authorities” and “runaway spending,” there’s no query that after they rage about these items they imagine they’re addressing the identical financial issues that their voters, in addition to swing voters, need them to take care of urgently.” • Hmm.
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“RFK Jr. goes unbiased. Does that harm Biden or Trump?” [Politico]. “Kennedy’s help thus far is coming roughly evenly from Biden and former President Donald Trump. However third-party candidacies might be unpredictable, and Kennedy’s anti-vaccination stance offers him extra room to attract from Republicans than Democrats…. It’s not clear whether or not the present polling represents Kennedy’s ground, ceiling or someplace in between. However he might have the monetary sources to mount a reputable marketing campaign. Along with the marketing campaign itself, Kennedy has the backing of an excellent PAC, American Values 2024, that’s funded largely by conservative donor Timothy Mellon and billionaire Gavin de Becker. That PAC already had $9.8 million within the financial institution as of the tip of June. That’s nonetheless far lower than Biden and Trump should spend, however Kennedy’s rich donors might do extra to shut the hole within the coming months.” • Mellon and de Becker? Actually?
* * *
“‘There isn’t a different’: Cornel West, presidential hopeful, is just not backing down” [Guardian]. “At a fundraising occasion in Busboys and Poets, a leftwing bookshop and restaurant in Washington, West – a veteran activist of myriad causes – insisted he seeks the sympathies of neither cohort, however is as a substitute making an attempt to woo alienated, hardened non-voters. ‘I feel that we’re not clear if both Biden or Trump shall be within the precise election as a result of issues are so versatile and fluid proper now,’ he mentioned on being requested by the Guardian to answer warnings that his candidacy was a boon to Trump. ‘However I occur to be specializing in the 40% that don’t vote in any respect, and I occur to be pulling from the 62% of people who do vote however who would by no means vote for the 2 events. So if there’s some taking from each events, it’s going to be very, very small.’ ‘I’ve obtained to have the ability to converse the reality it doesn’t matter what. I’m planning to try this till the very finish. So in that sense, who is aware of who’s stealing from who.’ With Trump buoyant in lots of polls, some have likened West’s presence to that of the longtime activist Ralph Nader in 2000, who was extensively believed to have persuaded wavering voters to modify to him from Al Gore in the important thing battleground of Florida, tipping the state and thus the election to George W Bush. An Emerson School ballot carried out in August confirmed Biden and Trump tied on 44% apiece in a two-way matchup. West’s addition to the poll noticed him polling at 5% and Trump main Biden by 42% to 41%. A survey carried out in June by Echelon Perception reached the same conclusion, with West polling at 4%.” • 4% – 5% is just not unhealthy in any respect, on condition that West should have just about no identify recognition. So poll entry is the difficulty. Too unhealthy the Greens are so dysfunctional that functionally they’re an echelon of protection for the Republicans and the Democrats.
“The 2024 U.S. Presidential Race: A Cheat Sheet” [The Atlantic]. “Nobody alive has seen a race just like the 2024 presidential election.” The Atlantic, like West, opts for volatility over stability. On West: “Let’s hear from Brother West: ‘Do we have now what it takes? We will see,’ he mentioned. ‘However a few of us are going to go down combating, go down swinging, with fashion and a smile.’ Appears like a no, but it surely ought to be a full of life, entertaining marketing campaign.” • I’ll say that, a minimum of for me, West is the one candidate who hasn’t mentioned one thing totally disqualifying. Whether or not that speaks properly for his prospects, I can’t say.
Republican Funhouse
“Right here’s how we all know the Republican Social gathering has grow to be an autocratic motion” [Stuart Stevens, Los Angeles Times]. Stevens is a long-time Republican operative, and a By no means Trumper. “As Hannah Arendt wrote in ‘The Origins of Totalitarianism’: ‘Complete loyalty is feasible solely when constancy is emptied of all concrete content material, from which modifications of thoughts may naturally come up. The totalitarian actions, every in its personal manner, have accomplished their utmost to eliminate the celebration packages which specified concrete content material and which they inherited from earlier, non‑totalitarian phases of improvement…. Whereas it’s tough to attribute any deliberate or methodical plan to Donald Trump, whose thoughts operates like an old school pinball machine on tilt, his primary antidemocratic, strongman instincts have crushed dissent within the Republican Social gathering, empowering the underlying authoritarian impulses inside the celebration. A once-center-right political celebration with core ideological ideas is now marching towards the formation of an autocratic state….. What’s unfolding within the Republican Social gathering is an inevitable step within the cycle of authoritarian actions. What as soon as was deemed sufficiently pure is judged to be insufficient and in want of purging. The Evening of the Lengthy Knives, the homicide of Leon Trotsky, the Pink Guards, the Khmer Rouge — every was the results of a radical motion additional purifying its core membership and beliefs, and one thing very comparable is going down amongst at this time’s Republicans.” • A RINO quoting Arendt is an fascinating phenomenon. Who subsequent? Lenin?
“A storm is brewing within the Senate, too” [The Spectator]. “After the US Home stole the highlight final week, sources on the Hill say the same, but extra “behind-closed-doors” brouhaha is brewing inside the Senate. Within the face of a authorities shutdown, conservatives have been in ‘fixed’ cross-chamber communication. As an example, when the Schumer-McConnell invoice, with its $6 billion of funding for Ukraine, was on the desk the weekend earlier than final, Senate Republicans have been apprised that Home Democrats have been filibustering to get it handed. Because the Home convened on Saturday September 30, and the Senate convened at midday for a 1 p.m. vote on the persevering with decision, Senate conservatives — led by Mike Lee, Rick Scott and Ron Johnson — urged their colleagues to withhold their votes to pressure the Democrats to go the ‘clear’ (free from Ukraine funding) CR. Had the Home and Senate not been so ‘plugged-in’ by way of conferences, texts, calls, dinners, and many others., the Senate conservatives wouldn’t have been ready to face as firmly as they did. A supply inside the Senate tells me overriding McConnell’s dictates ‘by no means occurs’ and is an indication of ‘an enormous vibe shift’ and an imminent Senate showdown.” • Madison would hate this. So would Tip O’Neill: “The Home Republicans aren’t the enemy, they’re the opposition. The Senate is the enemy.”
“McCarthy Mutiny Reveals Cracks in Constellation of Professional-Trump Universe” [RealClearPolitics]. “This type of compromise was untenable for Russ Vought, a former White Home colleague and ideological ally of Miller. It was Vought’s ultra-conservative Middle for Renewing America that served as a nerve middle for the foot troopers of the primary McCarthy mutiny. It was Vought who handed rank-and-file conservatives a technique used to pressure McCarthy into making key concessions to grow to be speaker. Lower than 24 hours after the midterms failed to supply a large majority for Republicans, he mentioned that the hardline Home Freedom Caucus ‘was made for this second.’ Within the weeks that adopted, CRA provided each parliamentary recommendation and public cowl for the revolt. A run-and-gun playbook was revealed on-line two days later. ‘Home conservatives won’t want a majority to prevail. They merely want to dam & veto till they get an appropriate candidate,’ Vought mentioned on the time, arguing that McCarthy was ‘a peace-time chief’ unfit for the present second when the precise was ‘in a chilly civil battle’ and what was wanted was to grab battle ‘by the throat.’ A senior congressional staffer concerned within the wrestle referred to as Vought’s group ‘the earliest and most public advocate of a decided negotiating place in opposition to McCarthy’ and credited them for making ‘an early funding that paid off in a transformative algorithm.’ And it labored. A supply acquainted with the work of Vought’s group and Congress marveled on the concessions that McCarthy had made along with his proper flank. “We haven’t seen a power-sharing settlement like this since Sam Rayburn,’ they instructed RCP. One of many concessions: sustaining the power of a single member to pressure a vote on dismissing the speaker.” • Vought ran the OMB (!) below Trump.
Democrats en Déshabillé
Affected person readers, it appears that evidently individuals are truly studying the back-dated put up! However I’ve not up to date it, and there are various updates. So I should try this. –lambert
I’ve moved my standing remarks on the Democrat Social gathering (“the Democrat Social gathering is a rotting corpse that may’t bury itself”) to a separate, back-dated put up, to which I’ll periodically add materials, summarizing the addition right here in a “stay” Water Cooler. (Hopefully, some Bourdieu.) It seems that defining the Democrat Social gathering is, in reality, a tough downside. I do assume the paragraph that follows is on level all the best way again to 2016, if not earlier than:
The Democrat Social gathering is the political expression of the category energy of PMC, their base (lucidly defined by Thomas Frank in Hear, Liberal!). It follows that the Democrat Social gathering is as “unreformable” because the PMC is unreformable; if the Democrat Social gathering didn’t exist, the PMC must invent it. If the Democrat Social gathering fails to control, that’s as a result of the PMC lacks the potential to control. (“PMC” modulo “class expatriates,” after all.) Second, all of the working elements of the Social gathering reinforce one another. Go away apart characterizing the relationships between components of the Social gathering (ka-ching, however not completely) these components comprise a community — a Flex Internet? An iron octagon? — of funders, distributors, apparatchiks, electeds, NGOs, and miscellaneous mercenaries, with property within the press and the intelligence neighborhood.
Word, after all, that the category energy of the PMC each expresses and is proscribed by different courses; oligarchs and American gentry (see ‘industrial mannequin’ of Ferguson, Jorgensen, and Jie) and the working class spring to thoughts. Suck up, kick down.
* * *
“Does SBF Actually Appear Like A Man Who Simply Needs To Do Good” [Eschaton]. “Is there something about SBF that makes you assume he’s a saint? Is there something about many of the followers of SBF that means they have been good judges of who’s or isn’t a saint? Oh, Sam, he simply desires to get wealthy so he can do good? Again then he was doing good by [checks notes] supporting crypto politicians and throwing cash at journalists to do his PR for him. An enormous a part of the attraction of EA – after which SBF – was they have been “doing good” the precise manner, in contrast to all of the silly hippies. Incomes to Give AND to Personal The Libs. One other huge a part of the attraction was all of the fucking cash.” • And, as Atrios retains stating, you realize the names of a whole lot of these journalists. And NGO sorts. However you don’t know whether or not they have been on the SB t*t. What you’ll be able to assume is that there have been reasonably a whole lot of them, given the overall sense of the tide going out in NGO Land. Such a disgrace. When it comes to disclosure, reasonably like Epstein’s Black E book.
Realignment and Legitimacy
“Is Every little thing All of the sudden Going to Hell?” [Glenn Harlan Reynolds, Instapundit]. “Is every part going to hell? Possibly, possibly not. There are many causes to really feel unhealthy about every part: The home political scenario, the home – and world – financial image, overseas affairs and nationwide safety, tradition. They usually’re good causes, and you need to be frightened. However. It’s additionally the case that much more individuals are all of the sudden noticing how unhealthy issues have gotten…. You see it within the rising realization that the Biden Administration – and, actually, the complete Western governing class – is clueless and inept on overseas coverage and nationwide safety, and just about every part else. And also you see it in a rising impatience with the gentry class fixations on race, gender, and local weather change [oof] whereas bizarre individuals wrestle to make ends meet. Just a few years in the past most of our society was sleepwalking towards catastrophe. Now an increasing number of individuals are awake and noticing.” On waking, see NC right here. Good thus far. After which: “Consciousness by itself doesn’t sort things. Nonetheless, it’s a begin. An analogy: I’ve labored on Second Modification points for 3 many years or so.” • Holy moley. Motivated reasoners on the Excessive Court docket, nice minds considering alike when performing textual evaluation, butcher the interpretation of a gerund. That’s a motive to really feel good? Nonetheless, silver lining. Socialist Rifle Affiliation, anybody? NOTE Including, I meant to convey 1860 Republican Large Awake golf equipment into my put up on waking, however needed to go away it on the chopping room ground. I’ve gotta say, the torchlight parades and level one in every of a typical Large Awake chapter’s constitution — “To behave as a political police” — appear a bit of… eerie.
#COVID19
“I’m in earnest — I can’t equivocate — I can’t excuse — I can’t retreat a single inch — AND I WILL BE HEARD.” –William Lloyd Garrison
Sources, United States (Nationwide): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot; consists of many counties; Wastewater Scan, consists of drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); “Iowa COVID-19 Tracker” (in IA, however nationwide information). “An infection Management, Emergency Administration, Security, and Normal Ideas” (particularly on hospitalization by metropolis).
t impression voters probably the most, consultants say. But regardless of the importance, they’re additionally the elections that drive the fewest variety of voters to the polls…. Low voter turnout for municipal elections might be attributed to plenty of issues equivalent to when the native elections aren’t held throughout a congressional election 12 months and particularly throughout a presidential election 12 months…. A lack of knowledge of native points is usually a contributing issue to the issue of low voter turnout. Information protection focuses on nationwide, state and enormous market points, leaving smaller communities with out protection on native points…. ‘Should you consider the facility of 1 vote, one vote means so much if solely a number of hundred individuals vote,’ [Dr. Yu Ouyang, associate professor of political science at Purdue University Northwest] mentioned.” • I’m unsure that’s true besides in probably the most trivial sense. In a system the place democracy is so decayed, maybe no person and nothing essential seems within the poll within the first place. Paradoxically, your vote would imply probably the most solely when exercised with many others.
Lambert right here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To replace any entry, do be at liberty to contact me on the deal with given with the vegetation. Please put “COVID” within the topic line. Thanks!
Sources, United States (Native): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater experiences); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur d’Alene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard); NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard); PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (dashboard); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV (wastewater); WY (wastewater).
Sources, Canada (Nationwide): Wastewater (Authorities of Canada).
Sources, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux usées); BC, Vancouver (wastewater).
Hat tricks to useful readers: anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, sq. coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Utah, Bob White (3).
Keep secure on the market!
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Maskstravaganza
“They’re again: Cleveland Clinic to return to masking at Ohio hospitals” [Cleveland.com (PI)]. “‘To assist restrict the unfold of viruses and defend ourselves and our most susceptible sufferers we’re asking caregivers to please masks in inpatient models inside our Ohio hospitals starting Oct. 17 (Tuesday). Guests and sufferers are extremely inspired to masks as in a position,’ mentioned the employees e mail offered to The Plain Supplier.” • What crap. #CovidIsAirborne. Which means the complete facility must be masked, and everybody in it (“as in a position” implies that an lodging ought to be requested and granted, not that folks can swan round respiration airborne bio-effluent into shared air simply because they really feel prefer it. Ten-to-one, a million-to-one, the masks are “saggy blues,” too.
“Masking guidelines returning to N.S. hospitals, one month after they have been dropped” [Global News]. “Nova Scotia Well being amenities, together with the IWK kids’s hospital in Halifax, are bringing again masking necessities in anticipation of respiratory virus season…. As of Thursday, masks shall be required upon entry and in frequent and public areas, together with hallways, elevators, staircases and cafeterias. Scientific areas the place sufferers and caregivers are current can even require a masks. As properly, inpatient and ambulatory care settings can have a masking rule.” Higher than the famend Cleveland Clinic ffs. However I don’t know what sort of masks. The tweeted announcement suggests a “saggy blue.”
Covid is Airborne
“‘It’s aerosol, silly’: the professor who challenged medical chiefs” [Australian Financial Review]. “Simply as Florence Nightingale led the ‘miasma’ reform motion in the course of the Crimean Battle within the mid-1800s, arguing that many viruses have been airborne and redesigning hospitals to enhance air flow, UNSW professor McLaws, who handed away on the weekend, was passionate that the early response to COVID -19 was not taking aerosol air flow critically.” Miasma turned out to be flawed as a concept of tranmission, although the unhealthy science fortunately let to good engineering. Distinction droplet dogma, flawed as science, worse as engineering. Extra: “‘It’s aerosol, silly,’ she politely however firmly instructed me within the winter of 2020 when authorities have been puzzled by how seemingly sealed-off resort rooms might nonetheless lead to reinfection from sick travellers, sparking Melbourne’s lethal second wave resort quarantine outbreak. McLaws had obtained maintain of the resort room plans and air flow particulars from the ‘sizzling’ resort, then referred to as Rydges on Swanston, the place returning travellers have been being housed for 14 days’ quarantine. In exact engineering element, she defined how insufficient its air flow system was for controlling aerosol an infection and predicted the entire resort quarantine program that nationwide cupboard had signed as much as can be flawed by breaches. There have been greater than two dozen resort quarantine outbreaks and quite a few statewide lockdowns over the following 18 months. Authorities lastly recognised simply how muddle-headed that program was and belatedly started constructing open air amenities equivalent to these in Northern Territory that had been so profitable in stemming reinfection.” • After which Gladys from Queensland, together with Scotty from advertising, [family blogged] all of it up, intentionally, for which they need to seem within the dock on the Hague.
“Prevention of COVID-19 in staff: preparation, precaution, and safety” [Annals of Work Exposures and Health]. From the Summary: “Related steerage for employee safety, together with HCW safety, which existed on the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was disregarded each at worldwide and nationwide governmental ranges. In lots of international locations there have been vital systemic flaws in technique, tradition, and useful resource availability, and therefore in total preparedness. When the pandemic struck, many consultants and organizations advocated a precautionary strategy with regard to employee safety, in step with good occupational hygiene science, apply, and requirements. In lots of Asian international locations, protecting measures have been comparatively stringent. Nevertheless, many staff have been left unprotected particularly because the WHO, the US, the UK, and different governments didn’t pursue sufficient COVID-19 protecting measures at work.” • What’s flawed with cleaning the weak from the working class, anyhow?
Censorship and Propaganda
Ha! A classification wrestle:
Hopium Retailers are a broad class of minimiser who’re conscious of the previous or current risks of covid, however simply hope it’s going to all go away one way or the other.
— tern (@1goodtern) October 7, 2023
“One thing Terrible”
Lambert right here: I’m getting the sensation that the “One thing Terrible” is perhaps a sawtooth sample — variant after variant — that averages out to a completely excessive plateau. A number of exceptionally nasty sequelae, probably deriving from immune dysregulation (says this layperson). To which we’d add mind harm, together with persona modifications therefrom.
* * *
Elite Maleficence
Ought to someone verify in on the UK?
This is message despatched to Scottish HCWs (this one by way of @NHSGGC) – no want to check even with signs. Keep residence provided that symptomatic; no Covid go away in any other case. Plus steerage saying no masks wanted and no funding in air filters or air flow. Endangering sufferers and employees. 😢 pic.twitter.com/aAvmWACU8D
— Covid Motion Scotland (@ZeroCovidScot) October 11, 2023
Apparently, Scottish hospital an infection management can’t wrap its thoughts round asymptomatic transmission. After all, if you’re nonetheless in thrall to droplet dogma, tranmission is symptomatic: Coughing, sneezing, and many others. So all issues work collectively for good.
* * *
Lambert right here: Again to tape-watching mode. It nonetheless appears to be like to me like the present surge has some methods to run, given how wastewater flattened, with the East Coast up. Let’s wait and see.
Case Knowledge
NOT UPDATED FFS! WHAT GIVES? From BioBot wastewater information, October 2:
Lambert right here: Leveling out to a excessive plateau wasn’t on my Bingo card! Maybe FL.1.5.1, excessive within the Northeast, has one thing going for it that different variants don’t have?
Regional information:
Curiously, the upswing begins earlier than July 4, which neither accelerates nor retards it.
Critically, what offers, Biobot? 9 days with no replace and no announcement is CDC-level scientific commnication. Is there an issue on the lab? A funding challenge? A provide chain debacle? “Covid is over,” so no information? What?
Variants
NOT UPDATED From CDC, September 30:
Lambert right here: September 30 is tomorrow, however by no means thoughts that. Prime of the leaderboard: EG.5 (“Eris“), with FL.1.15.1, HV.1, and XBB.1.1.16.6 trailing. Nonetheless a Bouillabaisse…
From CDC, September 16:
Lambert right here: I positive hope the volunteers doing Pangolin, on which this chart relies upon, don’t all transfer on the inexperienced fields and pastures new (or have their entry to amenities minimize by directors of unwell intent).
CDC: “As of Could 11, genomic surveillance information shall be reported biweekly, primarily based on the provision of optimistic check specimens.” “Biweeekly: 1. occurring each two weeks. 2. occurring twice per week; semiweekly.” Seems like CDC has chosen sense #1. In essence, they’re telling us variants are nothing to fret about. Time will inform.
Covid Emergency Room Visits
From CDC NCIRD Surveillance, October 7:
Drop coinciding with wastewater drop.
NOTE “Charts and information offered by CDC, updates Wednesday by 8am. For the previous 12 months, utilizing a rolling 52-week interval.” So not the complete pandemic, FFS (the implicit message right here being that Covid is “similar to the flu,” which is why the seasonal “rolling 52-week interval” is acceptable for bothMR SUBLIMINAL I hate these individuals a lot. Discover additionally that this chart reveals, a minimum of for its time interval, that Covid is just not seasonal, despite the fact that CDC is making an attempt to get us to imagine that it’s, presumably to allow them to piggyback on the present institutional equipment for injections.
Hospitalization
Bellwether New York Metropolis, information as of October 6:
Nonetheless lowering. (New York state is steadily rising, but it surely’s New York Metropolis that’s the bellwether.) I hate this metric as a result of the lag makes it misleading.
NOT UPDATED Right here’s a unique CDC visualization on hospitalization, nationwide, not by state, however with a date, a minimum of. September 30:
Lambert right here: “Maps, charts, and information offered by CDC, updates weekly for the earlier MMWR week (Sunday-Saturday) on Thursdays (Deaths, Emergency Division Visits, Take a look at Positivity) and weekly the next Mondays (Hospitalizations) by 8 pm ET†”. So the place the heck is the replace, CDC?
Positivity
NOT UPDATED From Walgreens, October 9:
-1.0%. Nonetheless dropping, although lower than earlier than. (It will be fascinating to survey this inhabitants usually; these are individuals who, regardless of a tsunami of official propaganda and large peer stress, went and obtained examined anyhow.)
NOT UPDATED From Cleveland Clinic, October 7:
Lambert right here: I do know that is simply Ohio, however the Cleveland Clinic is sweet*, and we’re starved for information, so…. NOTE * Even when hospital an infection management is making an attempt to kill sufferers by eliminating common masking with N95s.
NOT UPDATED From CDC, traveler’s information, September 18:
Again up once more, albeit within the rear view mirror. And listed here are the variants for vacationers:
Now, BA.2.86 for 2 weeks in a row. Bears watching.
Deaths
NOT UPDATED Iowa COVID-19 Tracker, September 27:
Lambert right here: The WHO information is nugatory, so I changed it with the Iowa Covid Knowledge Tracker. Their methodology: “These information have been sourced, by way of the API from the CDC: https://information.cdc.gov/NCHS/Situations-Contributing-to-COVID-19-Deaths-by-Stat/hk9y-quqm. This visualization updates on Wednesday evenings. Knowledge are provisional and are adjusted weekly by the CDC.” I can’t appear to get a pop-up that reveals a complete of the three causes (high proper). Readers?
Complete: 1,178,490 – 1,178,436 = 54 (54 * 365 = 19,710 deaths per 12 months, at this time’s YouGenicist™ quantity for “dwelling with” Covid (fairly a bit larger than the minimizers would really like, although they’ll discuss themselves into something. If the YouGenicist™ metric retains chugging alongside like this, I may need to determine that is what the powers-that-be take into account “mission completed” for this specific tranche of loss of life and illness).
Extra Deaths
NOT UPDATED The Economist, October 10:
Lambert right here: Primarily based on a machine-learning mannequin.
Stats Watch
Inflation: “United States Producer Worth Inflation MoM” [Trading Economics]. “Producer costs within the US rose 0.5% month-over-month in September 2023, the least in three months, following a 0.7% rise in August, however above market forecasts of 0.3%. Items costs have been up 0.9%, prompted by a 5.4% surge in gasoline price. Costs for jet gas, processed younger chickens, meats, electrical energy, and diesel gas additionally superior. Alternatively, price for contemporary and dry greens declined 13.9% and costs for wooden pulp and utility pure fuel additionally fell.”
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Retail: “California Proper to Restore Signed into Regulation” [(the heroic) iFixit]. “At present marks a monumental step ahead within the Proper to Restore motion. We’re elated to announce that Governor Gavin Newsom has formally signed the California Proper to Restore Act, SB 244, into legislation. This groundbreaking laws handed the legislature virtually unanimously final month. It has been championed by state senator Susan Talamantes Eggman and is cosponsored by iFixit, together with our colleagues within the more-fixable-stuff struggle, CALPIRG (the California Public Curiosity Analysis Group), and Californians In opposition to Waste.” • Good!
The Bezzle: “So Far, AI Is a Cash Pit That Isn’t Paying Off” [Gizmodo]. “The the explanation why the AI enterprise is struggling are numerous however one is kind of well-known: AI platforms are notoriously costly to function. Platforms like ChatGPT and DALL-E burn by way of an unlimited quantity of computing energy and firms are struggling to determine how you can scale back that footprint. On the similar time, the infrastructure to run AI programs—like highly effective, high-priced AI pc chips—might be fairly costly. The cloud capability needed to coach algorithms and run AI programs, in the meantime, can also be increasing at a daunting charge. All of this power consumption additionally implies that AI is about as environmentally unfriendly as you may get. To get round the truth that they’re hemorrhaging cash, many tech platforms are experimenting with totally different methods to chop down on prices and computing energy whereas nonetheless delivering the sorts of providers they’ve promised to prospects. Nonetheless, it’s laborious to not see this entire factor as a little bit of a stumble for the tech trade. Not solely is AI an answer in quest of an issue, but it surely’s additionally swiftly turning into one thing of an issue in quest of an answer. Corporations want to determine how these instruments make each financial and strategic sense—one thing that in all probability ought to have been ironed out earlier than they have been launched.” • That was quick. To be honest, the silly sizzling cash needed to go someplace, and the bloom was off the rose with crypto, blockchain, and the remainder of that “trade.”
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At present’s Concern & Greed Index: 33 Concern (earlier shut: 31 Concern) [CNN]. One week in the past: 23 (Excessive Concern). (0 is Excessive Concern; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Oct 11 at 1:42:38 PM ET.
Class Warfare
“What a hanging new research of loss of life in America misses” [Vox]. The deck: “The large divide on untimely loss of life isn’t between faculty grads and non-grads. It’s between highschool dropouts and everybody else.” An assault on Case-Deaton’s newest, and I’m nodding alongside, albeit not violently, till I encounter the “GAAHHHH! Kreplach!” second, which is: “All this factors to a really particular problem that policymakers should confront: Easy methods to scale back deaths from heart problems (and in addition most cancers) among the many poorest, least-educated People. Case and Deaton prefer to prescribe varied financial measures as methods to fight rising loss of life charges, like eliminating the hyperlink between employers and medical insurance, increasing inexpensive housing, strengthening unions, and eradicating useless necessities that sure staff have bachelor’s levels. I occur to assume all these insurance policies are good concepts. However I’m considerably skeptical they’d transfer the needle on coronary heart illness amongst highschool dropouts, particularly in comparison with extra focused approaches like increasing ldl cholesterol screening or guaranteeing Medicaid covers medicines like semaglutide that scale back the chance of coronary heart illness. Folks dying now can not look forward to the entire US economic system to rework to be extra worker-friendly, as good as that is perhaps. They want options which might be tailor-made for his or her particular issues, that may be carried out quickly.” • So, obtained it, we’re going handy these most vulnerable to loss of life over to Massive Pharma, as a substitute of creating society as a complete considerably much less vicious. Everytime you hear “focused,” assume stochastic eugenicism. As a result of these we goal for assist — keep in mind de-institutionalization? — by no means appear to get it, and actually grow to be targets for Rule #2. That’s the impact produced by these GBD whack jobs too, come to think about it. See Bhattacharya and the remainder of the service suppliers within the Stanford brothel combating tooth and nail in opposition to HICPAC planning to remove an infection safety from the [wipes tear] “susceptible” in hospitals? No. Vox, good job.
Information of the Wired
“What Is Ham Radio: A Newcomer’s Information” [Field & Stream]. “Ham radio, or beginner radio, has remained a steadfast communication methodology since its inception. This type of communication has retained its significance and relevance in a quickly digitizing world. Whereas many may understand it as simply one other interest, ham radio celebrates camaraderie and serves as a helpful backup communication methodology when trendy programs fail.” Haw! Like that might ever occur. Extra: “At its core, ham radio is about speaking over particular radio frequencies designated for beginner use. But it surely’s far more than that. It’s about creating connections, typically forging deep friendships with people you might by no means meet. …. Not like the business frequencies utilized by radio stations that broadcast music or information, ham radio frequencies are purely for two-way interactions. Hams can talk regionally or strive for extra distant contacts, aiming for communications as distant because the Worldwide House Station or bouncing indicators off the moon. The flexibility of the ham radio is obvious in its diverse makes use of. Past easy voice communication, some modes contain digital indicators, morse code, and even picture transmission.” • Attention-grabbing!
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Contact data for vegetation: Readers, be at liberty to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) learn how to ship me a verify if you’re allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn how to ship me photos of vegetation. Greens are advantageous! Fungi and coral are deemed to be honorary vegetation! If you would like your deal with to look as a credit score, please place it firstly of your mail in parentheses: (thus). In any other case, I’ll anonymize through the use of your initials. See the earlier Water Cooler (with plant) right here. From Maggie:
Maggie writes: “My identify is Maggie, I prefer to take pics of flowers and my dad reads bare capitalism on a regular basis and he needed me to ship these to you.” That is an orange day lily. Wow!!!!
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Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not coated by the annual NC fundraiser. So in case you see a hyperlink you particularly like, or an merchandise you wouldn’t see wherever else, please don’t hesitate to precise your appreciation in tangible kind. Keep in mind, a tip jar is for tipping! Common optimistic suggestions each makes me really feel good and lets me know I’m heading in the right direction with protection. Once I get no donations for 5 or ten days I get frightened. Extra tangibly, a relentless trickle of donations helps me with bills, and I consider that trickle when setting fundraising targets:
Right here is the display that may seem, which I’ve helpfully annotated:
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