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By Lambert Strether of Corrente.
Chook Track of the Day
Tree Swallow, Pilgrim Scorching Springs Rd, off Kougarok Rd. Nome Census Space, Alaska, United States.
Financial institution Swallow, Willow Island, Cameron, Louisiana, United States.
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Politics
“So lots of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in actual fact a rational administration of symbolic capital.” –Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles
Capitol Seizure
“Greene requests Capitol Police protect footage, police experiences from Home protest demanding Israel-Hamas cease-fire” [The Hill]. “The Georgia Republican referred to as on the Home Administration Committee to analyze the incident and evaluate all footage and proof from Capitol Police, writing that the ‘insurrectionists concerned should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the legislation.’” • When MTG is correct, she’s proper…
I demand @CapitolPolice protect all video footage inside and outdoors the Cannon Home workplace constructing right this moment.
There should be an investigation into the organized breach and occupation that stopped Congress from holding a Speaker election and persevering with legislative enterprise right this moment. https://t.co/QBWVF1XjT9
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) October 18, 2023
Sounds to me like these protesters have been interfering with an official continuing, and probably even parading and not using a allow. And aren’t these operational defintions of “revolt,” at the very least in accordance with Democrats?
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“Justice Division appeals sentences for Proud Boys already to serve decade plus over Jan. 6 Capitol riot” [FOX]. “The Justice Division on Monday appealed the sentences for 5 Proud Boys leaders, together with chief Enrique Tarrio, who had been hit with the Civil Battle-era cost of seditious conspiracy in connection to the Jan. 6 riot on the U.S. Capitol, arguing the jail instances given are considerably shorter than what prosecutors requested for…. Prosecutors, who made their courtroom filings on Monday, additionally had beneficial sentences of 33 years for former Proud Boys organizer Joseph Biggs, of Ormond Seashore, Florida; 30 years for Proud Boys chapter chief Zachary Rehl, of Philadelphia; and 27 years in jail for chapter chief Ethan Nordean, of Auburn, Washington. Kelly sentenced Nordean to 18 years, Biggs to 17 years and Rehl to fifteen years.”
“Ex-Michigan gubernatorial candidate sentenced to 2 months behind bars for Capitol riot function” [Associated Press]. “A federal choose on Tuesday sentenced a former Republican candidate for Michigan governor [Ryan Kelley] to 2 months behind bars for becoming a member of a mob’s Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, the place he riled up different rioters and ripped a tarp exterior the constructing…. A number of months earlier than his responsible plea, Kelley posted on social media that the Capitol riot was an FBI ‘arrange.’ His marketing campaign posted the phrases “political prisoner” on Fb after his June 2022 arrest. U.S. District Choose Christopher Cooper informed Kelley that he misused his platform as a candidate for public workplace by selling lies about election fraud, together with the baseless declare that Jan. 6 was someway a part of an FBI plot.” • Cooper was nominated by Obama. Due diligence would demand I test his sneakers….
2024
Time for the Countdown Clock!
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“The Trump gag order needs to be struck down” [The Hill]. “The imposition of a gag order on former President Donald Trump was overwhelmingly applauded by pundits and press alike…. Nonetheless, this order ought to concern everybody who values freedom of speech. Whereas the chances might favor Chutkan on attraction, this order needs to be overturned as overbroad and harmful… These orders come at a terrific price — limiting each events and counsels in elevating objections to alleged abuses of the federal government. The First Modification was written within the aftermath of such abuses, together with the notorious prosecution of writer John Peter Zenger 290 years in the past in 1733…. Some polls present {that a} majority now consider the Trump prosecutions are “politically motivated.” Tens of tens of millions oppose the prosecutions, and this would be the single most-discussed problem of the marketing campaign. But, one candidate can be each the topic of this nationwide debate and a gagged order barring participation in it…. If Chutkan had merely barred statements focusing on courtroom employees or jurors, there can be no controversy. However she has imposed a vaguely worded courtroom order that might flip marketing campaign speeches into legal contempt.”
“Girl arrested after making an attempt to talk to Donald Trump throughout his NY civil fraud trial” [Insider]. “A feminine courtroom worker was arrested on a contempt of courtroom cost on Wednesday after approaching Donald Trump from the viewers of his civil fraud trial in New York and making an attempt to talk to him throughout testimony… The girl, whose courtroom credentials have been seen, stood about 20 ft from Trump’s seat on the protection desk, and might be heard asking a courtroom officer if she may ‘assist’ the previous president.” • Odd. “Assist” how?
“Trump’s frustration builds at New York civil fraud trial as lawyer asks witness if he lied” [NBC]. “Shaking his head, throwing his arms within the air, whispering, former President Donald Trump appeared pissed off Wednesday in a New York Metropolis courtroom throughout his ongoing civil trial. Trump has already been discovered accountable for fraud, however the trial is continuing on a number of different accusations, together with falsification of enterprise information and conspiracy. The state is demanding $250 million and extreme restrictions on the Trump companies. He and his co-defendants have denied all wrongdoing within the case. On the stand was an actual property government and appraiser who expressed shock Tuesday that he was cited in Trump Group datasets as having suggested the corporate on valuation strategies. Lawyer Lazaro Fields repeatedly requested throughout his cross-examination of the manager, Doug Larson, if he incorrectly appraised a constructing that in the end introduced in additional revenue than predicted. Larson, who years in the past appraised the constructing for a financial institution, repeatedly mentioned no. Trump’s crew has argued that valuations and value determinations are subjective opinions, various from one particular person to the following – giving a property proprietor leeway to craft their very own numbers far afield of what even an professional would possibly say. As Larson insisted he appropriately appraised Trump’s constructing, Trump’s head bobbed shortly backward and forward, his whispers rising to loud rasps. Kevin Wallace, a lawyer for New York Lawyer Basic Letitia James, implied Trump’s habits was tantamount to witness intimidation, and requested the choose to instruct Trump to chorus from commenting. Choose Arthur Engoron appeared unconcerned, however obliged. ‘OK, I’ll ask everybody to be quiet whereas the witness is testifying,’ Engoron mentioned.” • Not fairly the WWF, however nonetheless!
“Former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell pleads responsible in Georgia election interference case” [NPR]. “On Thursday morning — sooner or later earlier than the scheduled begin of jury choice for her joint trial with lawyer Kenneth Chesebro — Powell appeared in Fulton County Superior Court docket to plead responsible to 6 misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with the efficiency of election duties. Below the plea deal, Powell will serve six years of probation, pay a $6,000 wonderful, pay restitution of $2,700 to the state that covers the price of changing election tools, write an apology letter and testify in truth in future hearings and trials, in addition to present ‘any requested paperwork or proof topic to any lawful privileges asserted in good religion previous to coming into this plea.’” • Hmm.
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“What The Heck? Joe Biden Simply Joined Donald Trump’s Reality Social” [1945]. “The Biden-Harris 2024 marketing campaign unveiled its presence on the platform beneath the deal with @BidenHQ, emphasizing humor and outreach as motives…. The marketing campaign’s profile on Reality Social sports activities a banner picture declaring, ‘the malarkey ends right here,’ a nod to Biden’s iconic catchphrase. In a Tweet from their Twitter account, the marketing campaign admitted their determination to affix Reality Social was pushed by a humorousness. They highlighted this by selecting a profile picture generally known as ‘Darkish Brandon,’ a meme portraying Biden with laser eyes, derived from the ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ chant common in right-wing circles. The Biden camp, with a contact of wit, inspired a various viewers, stating, ‘Properly. Let’s see how this goes. Converts welcome!” • Cheeky!
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“DeSantis retains up evacuation flights, provide runs to Israel” [Orlando Sentinel]. “Florida officers continued to carry house U.S. residents and ship donated provides to Israel on Wednesday, with Gov. Ron DeSantis and his presidential marketing campaign crew touting the missions on social media. However the DeSantis administration remained tight-lipped in regards to the particulars of the flight prices, apart from a remark that one price about $4 million in taxpayer {dollars}. In addition they haven’t disclosed a lot in regards to the passengers or preparations with the volunteer rescue group that helped arrange the flights regardless of repeated requests for extra info.” • Gotta give the extremely unlikeable DeSantis props for honey-badger tendencies right here.
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“Cornel West attracts max donation from GOP megadonor Harlan Crow” [NBC]. “Progressive activist and impartial presidential candidate Cornel West acquired a most marketing campaign donation from Republican megadonor Harlan Crow, West’s newest fundraising report exhibits. Crow made the $3,300 donation in August, weeks earlier than West deserted his bid for the Inexperienced Occasion nomination to run as an impartial. Crow has referred to as West, a self-proclaimed ‘non-Marxist socialist’ and longtime professor at Princeton College, ‘ pal.’…. Crow’s shut ties to Supreme Court docket Justice Clarence Thomas have come beneath scrutiny in latest months after a ProPublica report in April detailed items, journey, and different objects of worth offered by the Texas billionaire to Thomas and his household.” • Not the identical, however sheesh.
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“Youngkin occasion planner helped arrange Jan. 6 rally at US Capitol” [VPM]. “An occasion planner who has achieved in depth work for Gov. Glenn Youngkin helped arrange the Jan. 6, 2021, rally that ended with a lethal assault on the U.S. Capitol. There’s no indication Hannah Salem Stone, a guide who beforehand labored for former President Donald Trump, participated within the violence that adopted the rally. Her title appeared on allow paperwork for the occasion, which described Stone as an ‘operations supervisor for logistics and communications,’ in accordance with a subpoena issued by the U.S. Home Choose Committee on the Jan. 6 assault. She held a number of roles within the Trump administration throughout a three-year interval that led to February 2020. Stone went on to assist plan Youngkin’s January 2022 inauguration, in accordance with screenshots of social media posts — captured by the Substack publication South Arkansas Reckoning — in addition to Virginia marketing campaign finance information. She continued to supply consulting and provides for occasions all through Youngkin’s time period. In all, her firm, Salem Methods, has acquired greater than $785,000 from the governor’s inaugural committee and Spirit of Virginia PAC.” • I feel “that ended with” is doing a whole lot of work, there. The rally is one factor, the riot one other IMNSHO.
“Gov. Glenn Youngkin courts donors forward of high-stakes Va. elections” [ABC]. “Virginia Republicans may see an inflow of money from prime donors following Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s two-day retreat forward of the state’s high-stakes legislative elections subsequent month. The ‘Crimson Vest Retreat,’ named after the fleece Youngkin wore throughout his 2021 marketing campaign, was held on Tuesday and Wednesday. It’s the newest instance of how excessive the stakes are seen as for Youngkin, as he eyes whole GOP management of the Basic Meeting. ‘When you think about the timing, it seems to me like Gov. Youngkin is all-in on getting a unified Republican legislature and putting in as a lot of his agenda in as he can within the final two years of this time period,’ mentioned Dr. Chapman Rackaway, a professor and chair of political science at Radford College. Whereas Youngkin has been eyed by some outstanding donors as a possible late entrant within the 2024 presidential race, somebody who attended the retreat informed ABC Information that he stays targeted on Virginia. ‘What’s finest for him proper now’s to deal with Virginia,’ this donor mentioned. ‘Is there a time for one thing sooner or later? I don’t know. He’s the form of particular person I might like to see on the helm of our nation.’” • Nonetheless ready on the Sherman assertion from Youngkin, and I feel I’ll be ready awhile. For instance–
“Virginia’s odd-year statehouse elections at the moment are lower than three weeks away” [Virginian-Pilot]. “California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his local weather regulators in Sacramento have declared battle on the internal-combustion engine. By their ‘Superior Clear Automotive’ guidelines and ‘Zero-Emission Automobile”‘mandates, they’ve ordered the auto business to section out of manufacturing the gas-powered automobiles, SUVs, and pickups that American households choose to purchase and drive. California’s purpose is to require that every one new car gross sales might be 100% electrical by 2035. Sadly, what started in Sacramento isn’t confined to the Golden State. California’s automobile ban has come to Virginia. As a part of Gov. Ralph Northam’s aggressive local weather agenda, the Virginia Basic Meeting voted in 2021 to use California’s car requirements and EV mandates to the commonwealth. In consequence, Virginians’ alternative of recent automobiles and vehicles will now be dictated by California’s regulatory insurance policies. Though some folks choose electrical autos, significantly as a second automobile for city commuting, they’re actually not the appropriate possibility for everybody. Reasonably than seeking to Sacramento’s radical local weather insurance policies to set the agenda, Richmond ought to reassert itself and protect the liberty that might permit folks to decide on an EV once they determine it’s the appropriate possibility for his or her households. These are simply a number of the explanation why Gov. Glenn Youngkin is urging the Basic Meeting to repeal the 2021 ‘Clear Vehicles’ legislation that places Virginia beneath the thumb of California’s regulators.” • Establishing the Presidential debate query proper now…
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“How large is Gov. J.B. Pritzker pondering with Suppose Large America group?” [Chicago Tribune]. Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker moved Wednesday to boost his nationwide profile — and provoked additional hypothesis about his future political plans [something I’ve been muttering about for some time]— by creating a corporation to advertise abortion and LGBTQ+ rights points and combat “proper wing extremists” on a state-by-state foundation. With the launch of his Suppose Large America, a tax-exempt group that may dedicate limitless funding to lobbying on behalf of its political targets, Pritzker is increasing upon his long-standing help for his social gathering and abortion rights, and growing his progressive political footprint for a doable future bid for the presidency….. The ‘suppose large’ title of the group is a play off the marketing campaign theme efficiently employed twice by the second-term Illinois governor, an entrepreneur and an inheritor of the Hyatt lodges fortune who’s price an estimated $3.5 billion, making him the nation’s wealthiest elected politician…. Pritzker’s preliminary funding for the brand new group was not disclosed. The group’s focus out of the gate might be on deliberate poll initiatives in Ohio, Nevada and Arizona to codify abortion rights beneath state constitutions.” So, GOTV? Extra: “Pritzker has expressed unwavering help for President Joe Biden’s reelection [of course, of course] and eschewed speak of being a possible ‘Plan B’ if Biden had chosen to not run or took himself out of the working…. Pritzker is also an advisory member to Biden’s reelection marketing campaign and might be host governor in August for the Democratic Nationwide Conference in Chicago the place Biden is ready to be renominated.” • And if Biden ought to — most sadly — slip a cog between October 2023 and August 2024….
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Republican Funhouse
“Playbook: Why the McHenry bubble would possibly pop” [Politico]. “With Rep. Jim Jordan’s speakership bid on life help, chatter on Capitol Hill has turned to what some are casting because the inevitable Plan D: quickly empowering appearing Speaker Professional Tempore Patrick McHenry to maneuver crucial laws whereas Republicans seek for a viable new chief. However elevating McHenry is way simpler mentioned than achieved. For one, McHenry himself has pooh-poohed the concept. The North Carolina Republican — who appears lower than thrilled to be in his present place — has made clear that he thinks he solely has energy to supervise a brand new speakership election. Might that change? Positive. However for an effort to achieve success, McHenry himself would seemingly have to be onboard. An excellent larger problem: On a sensible stage, many Republicans are opposed. Positive, the world is on fireplace. Hamas’ barbaric assault on Israel and Israel’s response has left the Center East reeling, Ukraine continues to be struggling to carry the road in opposition to Russia, and right here at house, Uncle Sam runs out of cash in lower than a month. However the fact is that almost all Republicans don’t but really feel pressured sufficient to put aside their very own private ambitions to get again to governing. In actual fact, yesterday Jordan’s interior circle appeared to attempt to use this concept of empowering McHenry to spice up Jordan’s personal candidacy, accusing these flirting with the concept of making an attempt to show the bulk over to Democrats.” • On the speculation that the one folks to be trusted with energy are those who don’t need it, possibly McHenry can be the appropriate alternative….
“The place Is the Republican Lina Khan?” [Matt Stoller, Compact]. “[Khan] represents the precise coverage implementation of populist economics. Youthful GOP politicians like Sens. Josh Hawley and J.D. Vance and Rep. Matt Gaetz disagree with McConnell and are upfront about in search of to show the Republican Occasion right into a working-class political coalition, together with by constructing new administrative instruments to take action…. In the end, if the Republican Occasion is to turn into a working-class car, it might want to go far past enjoying footsie with wielding authorities energy. To actually govern in a method that can fulfill their base and the general public at massive, conservatives are going to have to search out their very own Lina Khan. However till they do, they will begin by working with the one in workplace proper now.” • Properly, possibly. To my thoughts, a celebration that was actually “a working class car” would need employees to have management of the technique of manufacturing. Laborious to see that coverage place coming from both social gathering simply now.
Clinton Legacy
No.
I like the best way the mail modulates from “buddies and teammates” to “teammate” again to “pal” after which to “crew of big-hearted folks” (that’s final is CAN-SPAM-mandated verbiage, the place the mailer explains to recipient why they’re getting the mail, is very scrumptious. After all I’m getting this mail! I’m “big-hearted”!)
Democrats en Déshabillé
Affected person readers, plainly individuals are really studying the back-dated publish! However I’ve not up to date it, and there are a lot of updates. So I must try this. –lambert
I’ve moved my standing remarks on the Democrat Occasion (“the Democrat Occasion is a rotting corpse that may’t bury itself”) to a separate, back-dated publish, 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 Occasion is, in actual fact, a tough downside. I do suppose the paragraph that follows is on level all the best way again to 2016, if not earlier than:
The Democrat Occasion is the political expression of the category energy of PMC, their base (lucidly defined by Thomas Frank in Pay attention, Liberal!). It follows that the Democrat Occasion is as “unreformable” because the PMC is unreformable; if the Democrat Occasion didn’t exist, the PMC must invent it. If the Democrat Occasion 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 components of the Occasion reinforce one another. Depart apart characterizing the relationships between parts of the Occasion (ka-ching, however not solely) these parts 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 group.
Notice, after all, that the category energy of the PMC each expresses and is restricted 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.
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“A political group that helped lead Democrats’ takeover of Colorado politics turns 20” [Colorado Sun]. The deck: “ProgressNow Colorado is an irreverent group that doesn’t reveal its donors. It has continued when a few of its peer teams have disbanded.” Oh, it doesn’t? Oh, it has? Extra: “Rich Democratic donors teamed as much as reverse their social gathering’s fortune, routing their cash by a collection of political nonprofits and political committees to prepare voters to attempt to dominate the airwaves. A type of dark-money teams was ProgressNow Colorado. The technique labored…. The ProgressNow mannequin has unfold to greater than half the states within the nation…. Michael Huttner put aside his legislation follow to type ProgressNow Colorado in 2003, serving because the group’s first government director. Huttner sought to mobilize Democrats by way of the web by running a blog and personal discussion groups anchored in geography and coverage curiosity. Name it a pre-social media model of ‘fast response’ — the follow of attacking opponents shortly and cleverly on social media…. The work of ProgressNow Colorado and its companion teams was paired with infusions of massive cash from Polis, philanthropist and Democratic political donor Pat Stryker, and entrepreneurs Rutt Bridges and Tim Gill…. Dick Wadhams, a former Colorado GOP chairman, mentioned ProgressNow Colorado was born in an period when Democrats began not directly spending on campaigns. As an alternative of giving cash to candidate campaigns, they routed money by political spending teams, like tremendous PACs, and nonprofits like ProgressNow to affect voters.” • So, Colorado was Floor Zero for the Non-Revenue Industrial Complicated? Attention-grabbing that Stryker labored by blogs; I used to be sust beginning out in 2003, and I keep in mind the “‘Each Methods Bob’” (literal) flip-flops from 2006 (“a part of the group’s mocking of Republican gubernatorial candidate and former U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez”).
Realignment and Legitimacy
“”Open discourse is the central pillar of a free society” [The Westminster Declaration]:
We write as journalists, artists, authors, activists, technologists, and teachers to warn of accelerating worldwide censorship that threatens to erode centuries-old democratic norms.
Coming from the left, proper, and centre, we’re united by our dedication to common human rights and freedom of speech, and we’re all deeply involved about makes an attempt to label protected speech as ‘misinformation,’ ‘disinformation,’ and different ill-defined phrases.
This abuse of those phrases has resulted within the censorship of extraordinary folks, journalists, and dissidents in international locations all around the world.
Such interference with the appropriate to free speech suppresses legitimate dialogue about issues of pressing public curiosity, and undermines the foundational ideas of consultant democracy.
Throughout the globe, authorities actors, social media corporations, universities, and NGOs are more and more working to watch residents and rob them of their voices. These large-scale coordinated efforts are typically known as the ‘Censorship-Industrial Complicated.’
This complicated typically operates by direct authorities insurance policies. Authorities in India[1] and Turkey[2] have seized the ability to take away political content material from social media. The legislature in Germany[3] and the Supreme Court docket in Brazil[4] are criminalising political speech. In different international locations, measures akin to Eire’s ‘Hate Speech’ Invoice[5], Scotland’s Hate Crime Act[6], the UK’s On-line Security Invoice[7], and Australia’s ‘Misinformation’ Invoice[8] threaten to severely prohibit expression and create a chilling impact.
However the Censorship Industrial Complicated operates by extra refined strategies. These embody visibility filtering, labelling, and manipulation of search engine outcomes. By deplatforming and flagging, social media censors have already silenced lawful opinions on subjects of nationwide and geopolitical significance. They’ve achieved so with the total help of ‘disinformation specialists’ and ‘fact-checkers’ within the mainstream media, who’ve deserted the journalistic values of debate and mental inquiry.
First signatory: Taibbi, adopted by Shellenberger. Assange #6. I prefer it that Aaron Maté and Izabella Kaminska are adjoining. Good for them. I’m, nevertheless, noticing a spot within the protection: Liberal Democrats. The place, for instance, is Paul Krugman? James Fallows? Ezra Klein? Matt Yglesias? How about Hendrick Hertzberg? Markos Moulitsas Zuniga? Hey, how about Neera Tanden?
“Lawmakers à la Carte: How ALEC Sells Entry to State Legislators” [Exposed by CMD]. “It’s no secret that the American Legislative Trade Council (ALEC) affords its company sponsors quite a lot of choices for purchasing entry to state lawmakers. Now, new paperwork reveal simply how a lot — or little — it prices. For $50,000, a company or business government can provide a essential stage presentation to all ALEC members in attendance at its annual assembly. For $35,000, an organization or business group can work with ALEC’s coverage employees to design a workshop for lawmakers. Supplies obtained and reviewed by the Middle for Media and Democracy (CMD) reveal a menu of alternatives for company sponsors focused on buying entry to lawmakers at ALEC’s annual conferences. The paperwork have been ready upfront of final 12 months’s three-day annual coverage assembly in Atlanta, which targeted on efforts to fight ‘woke capitalism,’ reproductive healthcare, voting rights, and the executive state, as CMD beforehand reported.”• “Woke capitalism.” Not such an inaccurate description for liberal Democrats!
“DSA’s existential disaster” [Politico]. “Simply because the Democratic Socialists of America lastly received a toehold in electoral politics, the group is prone to dropping it. Israel’s battle with Hamas has fractured the group, threatening its latest beneficial properties and its standing as a mainstream political voice…. Infighting inside the DSA — which now has almost 100,000 members — has been widespread because the group grew right into a pressure in Democratic Occasion politics within the wake of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential marketing campaign. Now, nevertheless, the divisions are particularly acute as DSA’s elected members distance themselves from the vocal grassroots minority that’s way more radical and fewer prepared to compromise than the officeholders, who perceive the necessity to construct coalitions in an effort to have affect… After all, the divide doesn’t fall neatly alongside grassroots vs. officeholder fault strains — members of the progressive Squad in Congress have taken completely different tacks on the difficulty as properly. Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.), particularly, have taken flak from Republicans in Washington for his or her responses calling out Israeli occupation of Palestine within the wake of the Hamas assaults, whereas Ocasio-Cortez caught to a extra measured response. It’s price noting that Sanders, maybe the nation’s most outstanding democratic socialist, instantly condemned the Hamas assaults together with most congressional lawmakers.” • At the least on my timeline, Cori Bush was first out of the field, and good for her.
#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
Assets, 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 Basic Ideas” (particularly on hospitalization by metropolis).
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!
Assets, 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).
Assets, Canada (Nationwide): Wastewater (Authorities of Canada).
Assets, 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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Search for the Helpers
What it takes:
How did we get right here?
For the previous 3 years we now have been gathering information (CO2 readings) in our church buildings internationally. We collected a whole lot of samples and gathered all the information in a large spreadsheet. @citlanx has been the brains and muscle behind this challenge.
— Liesl McConchie (@LieslMcconchie) October 18, 2023
Within the thread: “They wish to be aligned with ASHRAE 241.” Requirements are vital! “To not choose nits, however I wish to know extra about why open home windows and HVAC have been the one air flow options. No HEPA filters or Corsi-Rosenthal packing containers? Or masks? I suppose Higher-Room UV is seen as substituting for these. In any case, might all megachurches additionally determine to guard their parishioners.
Therapy
“Pfizer greater than doubles value of lifesaving Covid-19 treatment Paxlovid as US transitions out of pandemic section” [CNN]. • Thanks, Ashish!
“Azvudine versus Paxlovid for oral remedy of COVID-19 in Chinese language sufferers with pre-existing comorbidities” (letter)[Journal of Infection]. “On this retrospective cohort research, we discovered that Azvudine was related to a considerably decreased threat of composite illness development consequence* in contrast with Paxlovid within the COVID-19 sufferers with pre-existing comorbidities. Notably, Azvudine confirmed substantial scientific profit than Paxlovid amongst males, sufferers beneath the age of 65 years, these receiving the hospitalization past 5 days since onset, these with extreme COVID-19 on admission and people acquired antibiotic remedy on admission. Paxlovid has been reported to considerably scale back the hospitalization and dying charges in sufferers over 65 years of age however not these beneath 65 years of age, in contrast with matched controls.10 Our outcomes help using Azvudine in these beneath 65 years of age. To our data, that is the primary research to judge the scientific effectiveness of Azvudine versus Paxlovid in COVID-19 sufferers with pre-existing comorbidities on admission.” NOTE * “The first endpoint was a composite illness development consequence which was outlined as any of the next occasions: 1) non-invasive respiratory help; 2) initiation of endotracheal intubation; 3) intensive care unit admission; 4) all-cause dying. The secondary endpoints have been every of those particular person illness development outcomes. Sufferers have been noticed from the date of admission till discharge, incidence of consequence occasion or dying, whichever got here first.”
“One thing Terrible”
Lambert right here: I’m getting the sensation that the “One thing Terrible” may be a sawtooth sample — variant after variant — that averages out to a completely excessive plateau. Plenty of exceptionally nasty sequelae, probably deriving from immune dysregulation (says this layperson). To which we would add mind injury, together with character modifications therefrom.
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Elite Maleficence
WHO retains mendacity that handwashing prevents Covid transmission:
Hand hygiene is without doubt one of the most vital measures to stop the unfold of infectious illnesses, together with bacterial, diarrhoeal and respiratory illnesses akin to #COVID19.https://t.co/7hnwycc1PP#GlobalHandwashingDay pic.twitter.com/N0NnxRTknw
— World Well being Group (WHO) Western Pacific (@WHOWPRO) October 15, 2023
You’ve gotta admire their dedication to the bit!
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Case Information
NEVER TO BE UPDATED 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.
Variants
NOT UPDATED From CDC, October 14:
Lambert right here: September 30 is tomorrow, however by no means thoughts that. Prime of the leaderboard: EG.5 (“Eris“), with HV.1 a powerful second, and XBB.1.1.16.6 and FL.1.15.1 trailing. No BA.2.86. Nonetheless a Bouillabaisse…
From CDC, September 16:
Lambert right here: I certain 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 lower by directors of unwell intent).
CDC: “As of Could 11, genomic surveillance information might be reported biweekly, based mostly on the supply of constructive check specimens.” “Biweeekly: 1. occurring each two weeks. 2. occurring twice every week; semiweekly.” Appears to be like 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 14:
Lambert right here: Solely every week’s lag, so this can be our greatest present nationwide, present indicator till Verily will get its home so as (and dealing class-centric, since I might doubt the higher crust goes to the ER).
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 “identical to the flu,” which is why the seasonal “rolling 52-week interval” is acceptable for bothMR SUBLIMINAL I hate these folks a lot. Discover additionally that this chart exhibits, at the very least for its time interval, that Covid is just not seasonal, despite the fact that CDC is making an attempt to get us to consider 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 19:
Nonetheless reducing. (New York State is now falling, too.) I hate this metric as a result of the lag makes it misleading (though the hospital-centric public well being institution loves it, hospitalization and deaths being the one metrics that matter).
NOT UPDATED Right here’s a special CDC visualization on hospitalization, nationwide, not by state, however with a date, at the very least. October 7:
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 16:
-0.3%. Nonetheless dropping, although lower than earlier than. (It will be attention-grabbing to survey this inhabitants usually; these are individuals who, regardless of a tsunami of official propaganda and massive peer stress, went and received examined anyhow.)
NOT UPDATED From Cleveland Clinic, October 14:
Lambert right here: I do know that is simply Ohio, however the Cleveland Clinic is nice*, 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 25:
Again up once more, albeit within the rear view mirror. And listed below are the variants for vacationers:
BA.2.86 shrinks. Flash within the pan?
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 Information Tracker. Their technique: “These information have been sourced, by way of the API from the CDC: https://information.cdc.gov/NCHS/Circumstances-Contributing-to-COVID-19-Deaths-by-Stat/hk9y-quqm. This visualization updates on Wednesday evenings. Information are provisional and are adjusted weekly by the CDC.” I can’t appear to get a pop-up that exhibits a complete of the three causes (prime proper). Readers?
Complete: 1,179,587 – 1,179,385 = 202 (202 * 365 = 73,730 deaths per 12 months, right this moment’s YouGenicist™ quantity for “residing with” Covid (fairly a bit increased than the minimizers would love, although they will speak themselves into something. If the YouGenicist™ metric retains chugging alongside like this, I could should determine that is what the powers-that-be think about “mission completed” for this explicit tranche of dying and illness).
Extra Deaths
The Economist, October 19:
Lambert right here: Based mostly on a machine-learning mannequin.
Stats Watch
Employment Scenario: “United States Preliminary Jobless Claims” [Trading Economics]. “The variety of Individuals submitting for unemployment advantages fell by 13,000 from the prior week to 198,000 on the week ending October 14th, the least since January of 2023 and properly beneath market estimates of 212,000. The consequence added to proof that the labor market stays at traditionally tight ranges, pointing to additional resilience to the Federal Reserve’s aggressive tightening cycle and prolonging the interval through which the central financial institution is anticipated to go away borrowing prices at restrictive ranges.”
Manufacturing: “United States Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index” [Trading Economics]. “The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index within the US elevated [to] -9 in October 2023 from -13.5 in September, in contrast with market forecasts of -6.4.”
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The Bezzle: “New York sues crypto companies for dropping over $1 billion” [The Verge]. “New York Lawyer Basic Letitia James is suing three cryptocurrency corporations — Gemini, Genesis, and Digital Foreign money Group (DCG) — over claims they misled buyers, resulting in the lack of over $1 billion. In a lawsuit filed on Thursday, James says their alleged fraudulent schemes affected over 230,000 buyers. The lawsuit targets Gemini, the crypto change owned by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, and its Earn program…. Moreover, James is suing Genesis and its DCG guardian firm for allegedly making an attempt to cowl up over $1 billion in losses. James is in search of to ban Gemini, Genesis, and DCG from the funding business in New York. She additionally needs the companies to ‘pay damages, restitution, and disgorgement of all funds and cryptocurrencies’ that they earned as a part of their alleged schemes.” • Prosecution futures.
The Bezzle: “Google-hosted malvertising results in faux Keepass web site that appears real” [Ars Technica]. “Google has been caught internet hosting a malicious advert so convincing that there’s an honest likelihood it has managed to trick a number of the extra security-savvy customers who encountered it…. Wanting on the advert, which masquerades as a pitch for the open supply password supervisor Keepass, there’s no technique to know that it’s faux. It’s on Google, in any case, which claims to vet the advertisements it carries. Making the ruse all of the extra convincing, clicking on it results in ķeepass[.]data, which, when considered in an deal with bar, seems to be the real Keepass web site.” Notice that “ķ” is a special character from “okay,” which is how the advert tips you (and on a cellphone, the distinction might be extraordinarily arduous to identify). Extra: “Data from Google’s Advert Transparency Middle exhibits that the advertisements have been working since Saturday and final appeared on Wednesday. The advertisements have been paid for by an outfit referred to as Digital Eagle, which the transparency web page says is an advertiser whose id has been verified by Google.”
Tech:
Lol.
Manufacturing: “Rolls-Royce is chopping as much as 2,500 jobs in an overhaul of the U.Okay. jet engine maker” [NPR]. “Jet engine maker Rolls-Royce mentioned Tuesday it’s chopping as much as 2,500 jobs globally as a part of a company overhaul that its new CEO is finishing up. The aerospace firm was hit arduous by the COVID-19 pandemic that decimated demand for air journey.” • A ginormous faux components scandal based mostly within the UK, Boeing’s limitless troubles, the persevering with F-35 debacle (achieiving a monopoly for a faulty product is a reasonably neat trick!)…. Ought to somebody test in on the West’s plane business? As alert reader Paul J-H factors out, “Airbus, Dassault and Saab are doing fairly okay, I feel? In different phrases – the European companies.” European? Or with vital state involvement?
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NOT UPDATED! Right now’s Worry & Greed Index: 35 Worry (earlier shut: 35 Worry) [CNN]. One week in the past: 31 (Worry). (0 is Excessive Worry; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Oct 16 at 8:00:00 PM ET. Breaking in a brand new intern?
Guillotine Watch
“Unique: Tech billionaire Peter Thiel was an FBI informant” [Insider]. “In the summertime of 2021, Insider has realized, Thiel started offering info as a “confidential human supply,” or CHS, to Johnathan Buma, a Los Angeles-based FBI agent who makes a speciality of investigating political corruption and foreign-influence campaigns. Charles Johnson, a longtime affiliate of Thiel’s and a infamous determine within the far-right motion that Thiel has backed for a decade, informed Insider in a press release that he helped recruit the billionaire as an informant by introducing him to Buma. The supply mentioned that any help Thiel might need offered to the FBI needs to be understood as a part of Thiel’s gradual distancing of himself from Trump and the broader MAGA motion, which has vigorously criticized the FBI and different federal law-enforcement companies…. The FBI maintains an unlimited community of informants to maintain tabs on organized crime, terrorist threats, extremist teams, and different legal and intelligence targets. These sources, in accordance with the bureau’s Confidential Human Supply Coverage Information, are greater than informal tipsters. Confidential human sources enter ‘right into a relationship with the FBI, and that relationship will endlessly have an effect on the lifetime of that particular person,’ the information says. ‘[They] might be both an ‘FBI supply’ or a ‘former FBI supply’ and, in flip, his or her conduct or misconduct will mirror upon the FBI.’” • That Information seems like fascinating studying. Good premise for a novel!
Class Warfare
“UAW members aren’t all assembling automobiles. Increasingly more are unionized grad college students” [NPR]. “On a latest Saturday, a crowd marched within the rain exterior a Stellantis components distribution heart in Tappan, N.Y. Becoming a member of the hanging autoworkers have been others members of the United Auto Employees union, together with some hailing from utterly completely different strains of labor. ‘It was actually superior to see how a lot we had in widespread,’ says Andrea Joseph, a postdoctoral fellow from the Icahn Faculty of Drugs at Mount Sinai who research being pregnant. Lately, the ‘A’ in UAW would possibly as properly embody academia, as roughly 100,000 of the union’s 383,000 members work in increased training. They embody graduate college students who work as educating and analysis assistants, clerical and technical employees, adjunct professors and postdocs.”
“The Annoyance Financial system” [Annie Lowry, The Atlantic]. “The hole between how the economic system is and the way folks really feel issues are going is big, and arguably has by no means been larger…. [N]ostalgia, true or false, is driving up the Annoyance Index. Even when issues are fairly good for the time being, many Individuals keep in mind them feeling higher within the latest previous. Households had far more money readily available in the course of the pandemic. Rates of interest have been a lot decrease. Wage progress was quicker a 12 months in the past. Costs have been decrease—rather a lot decrease—earlier than the pandemic. And plenty of workers have been compelled again to the workplace, once they have been completely satisfied working at house. Issues are nice, however people are mad. All we’d like is for costs to come back down, rates of interest to stabilize, housing markets to normalize, polarization to lower, and the information media’s incentives to alter. Till then, the Financial Annoyance Index will simply hold getting increased.” • Piece of cake!
“Self-Checkout Is a Failed Experiment” [The Atlantic]. “You understand how this course of really goes by now: You continue to have to attend in line. The checkout kiosks bleat and flash whenever you fail to set a purchase order down in the appropriate spot. Scanning these objects is typically a crapshoot—wave a barcode too vigorously in entrance of an uncooperative machine, and out of the blue you’ve scanned it two or thrice. Then that you must find the often lone worker charged with supervising the entire finicky kiosks, who will radiate exasperation at you whereas scanning her ID badge and tapping the kiosk’s contact display screen from pure muscle reminiscence. If you wish to purchase one thing that even would possibly carry some form of arbitrary buy restriction—not simply apparent issues akin to alcohol, but in addition merchandise as seemingly innocuous as a generic antihistamine—properly, possibly don’t try this. All is just not rosy on this planet of self-checkout.” • The identical might be true of AI customer support, when that turns into ubiquitous.
“‘Déjà vu’: A prepare derailment 40 years in the past holds clues for East Palestine’s future” [NBC]. “Livingston [Louisiana]’s derailment affords one of many closest parallels to the catastrophe unfolding in East Palestine. Each have been main prepare crashes. Each concerned a number of the identical chemical substances, together with vinyl chloride. Each communities noticed prepare automobiles catch fireplace and chemical fires pollute the air. And each communities have grappled with deep issues in regards to the security of the air they breathe and the water they drink. Few have been as impactful because the one in Livingston, the place cleanup efforts, well being monitoring and water testing continued for at the very least three many years. It’s a state of affairs that provides some sense of the long run for residents in Ohio and likewise serves as a reminder that U.S. rail cities for many years have confronted risks as chemical substances cross by.” • Makes me surprise about pipelines….
Information of the Wired
“Early Europeans Ate Seaweed for Hundreds of Years” [Smithsonian]. “[R]esearchers analyzed samples of preserved dental plaque from the stays of 74 early people unearthed at 28 European archaeological websites. A few of the tooth have been round 2,000 years previous, whereas others have been greater than 8,000 years previous… They discovered the chemical biomarkers of seaweed and aquatic vegetation in 26 samples, which means that early people have been consuming—or, on the very least, chewing—these bounties from the ocean. Extra particularly, they detected crimson, inexperienced and brown seaweed, in addition to pondweed and a relative of the water lily…. The researchers hope their findings will encourage extra folks to begin including seaweed and aquatic vegetation to their diets.”
“The Principle That Males Advanced to Hunt and Ladies Advanced to Collect Is Incorrect” [Scientific American]. “Even if you happen to’re not an anthropologist, you’ve most likely encountered considered one of this subject’s most influential notions, often known as Man the Hunter. The speculation proposes that searching was a significant driver of human evolution and that males carried this exercise out to the exclusion of ladies. It holds that human ancestors had a division of labor, rooted in organic variations between men and women, through which males advanced to hunt and supply, and females tended to youngsters and home duties. It assumes that males are bodily superior to females and that being pregnant and child-rearing scale back or get rid of a feminine’s potential to hunt…. Mounting proof from train science signifies that ladies are physiologically higher suited than males to endurance efforts akin to working marathons. This benefit bears on questions on searching as a result of a outstanding speculation contends that early people are thought to have pursued prey on foot over lengthy distances till the animals have been exhausted. Moreover, the fossil and archaeological information, in addition to ethnographic research of modern-day hunter-gatherers, point out that ladies have an extended historical past of searching sport…. Total, females are metabolically higher suited to endurance actions, whereas males excel at brief, highly effective burst-type actions. You may consider it as marathoners (females) versus powerlifters (males). A lot of this distinction appears to be pushed by the powers of the hormone estrogen.”
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Contact info for vegetation: Readers, be at liberty to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) learn the way to ship me a test if you’re allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn the way to ship me photographs of vegetation. Greens are wonderful! Fungi and coral are deemed to be honorary vegetation! If you need your deal with to seem 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 Desert Canine:
Desert Canine writes: “It’s attending to be that point of 12 months to reap the French Juicing Carrots that are the best for each consuming and juicing.” I needed to fiddle with this a bit, and I didn’t have time to enter LightRoom to avoid wasting the sky. However spectacular! That’s a whole lot of carrots!
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