\n<\/p>\n
By Lambert Strether of Corrente.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nBird Song of the Day<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>American Robin (migratorius Group), Miguel Hidalgo, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico, Mexico.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>(1) More <a href=\"#boeing\">Boeing shenanigans<\/a>, as Barnett\u2019s assassination is gradually memory-holed.<\/p>\n<p>(2) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>2024<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Less than a year to go!<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/free.timeanddate.com\/countdown\/i8ubjj5e\/n179\/cf100\/cm0\/cu1\/ct0\/cs1\/ca0\/cr0\/ss0\/cac000\/cpc000\/pcfff\/tcfff\/fs100\/szw320\/szh135\/tatTime%20left%20to%20Election%20Day%2C%202024\/tac000\/tptTime%20since%20Event%20started%20in\/tpc000\/mac000\/mpc000\/iso2024-11-05T00:00:00\/bo2\/pd2\" allowtransparency=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"322\" height=\"137\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Trump (R): \u201cWhy no one will lend to Trump\u201d [Edward Luce, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/aa383026-ac12-4d39-b6ee-075c2a248fc9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. \u201cFor Donald Trump, it would not be seven times a charm. His first six bankruptcies all took place before he went into politics. Most of these occurred in two phases: in the early 1990s after he had over-extended on a clutch of Atlantic City casinos, then on various properties before and after the 2008 crash. America\u2019s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection got him out of trouble. Since then, Trump has largely made money by licensing his brand name. But there is no easy way out from the $454mn that he owes in damages to the New York legal system. Unlike banks, the law does not take haircuts. There is nothing to stop Trump from being broke and winning the White House. He already had that history of bankruptcy when he won in 2016. But his financial woes create two novel headaches \u2014 one for him, and one for America. For Trump, it undermines his reputation for being rich, which he and his base value highly. Revisions to his net worth cut it from the $10bn he claimed in 2016 to $2.6bn on Forbes\u2019 latest estimate. But these are educated guesses. As a private company, the Trump Organization does not disclose its liabilities. Even if that number proves correct, most of his wealth is locked up in illiquid assets, chiefly real estate such as his landmark towers in New York and the golf clubs. The prospect of bailiffs seizing all the bling they could find from Mar-a-Lago would give schadenfreude to millions. It would also deal a blow to Trump\u2019s idea of himself. He was raised on the prosperity gospel that says your wealth is a measure of your moral worth. To the Maga base, Trump\u2019s wealth is also a yardstick of his cunning. Trump is estimated to have inherited the equivalent today of $413mn from his father, Fred Trump. A quarter of a century after Trump Sr\u2019s death, his son seems unable to cover roughly that amount. Some of Trump\u2019s supporters are puzzled that he has not yet been bailed out by one of his wealthy donors. The answer is that he has a history of not paying what he owes. From the world\u2019s biggest banks to America\u2019s smallest contractors, Trump is expert at stiffing creditors. That is not to mention the class-action winners of those who paid exorbitant fees to study at Trump University, the dissolution of the Trump family\u2019s charitable foundation for a \u2018shocking pattern of illegality\u2019, and the fact that roughly $50mn in Trump 2024 campaign funds has gone to pay his legal bills. Trump\u2019s donors prefer his policies to those of Joe Biden, who has vowed a billionaire tax in his second term. In their personal dealings, however, they seem to validate the former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg\u2019s view that with Trump he knows \u2018a con when I see one.\u2019 All of which makes Trump more of a liability to America. As every spy agency knows, the most at-risk employees are those who are heavily in debt. Presidential candidates are offered intelligence briefings during the election. Trump is facing a much-postponed trial for allegedly secreting troves of highly classified material at Mar-a-Lago. It does not take great deductive skill to see that Trump\u2019s financial quandary poses a national security risk. If insurance companies and friendly billionaires think he is too big a credit risk, who might help him out instead? What sort of collateral could Trump offer in return? Even by America\u2019s recent standards, this creates a new kind of headache.\u201d \u2022 NC commenter DCBlogger told me, long ago, pre-2016, that the one thing that could take Trump down would be proof that he was not rich. And now it seems that Trump faces something akin to a capital strike, in addition to already facing a professional services strike. As for Luce\u2019s psychological reading of the American electorate, I\u2019m not so sure. (\u201cProsperity gospel\u201d is preached by a particularly noxious American Protestant sect; Trump\u2019s childhood minister was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2016\/08\/03\/488513585\/how-positive-thinking-prosperity-gospel-define-donald-trumps-faith-outlook\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Norman Vincent Peale<\/a>, also noxious but not a member of that sect.) \u201cTrump was rich until crooked Democrats stole all his money\u201d is one form of cope that might help, particularly for the aggrieved who feel that what they value has been taken by Democrats as well. \u201cSo what, if Trump is the one to most damage the system\u201d is another.\u201d We\u2019ll see. 2024 is certainly not without interest or drama!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Biden (D): \u201cBiden\u2019s lawfare joke\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/daily-memo\/2928398\/bidens-lawfare-joke\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Washington Examiner<\/a>]. \u201cNo criminal trial has begun, but the swarm of Democratic legal actions has already cost Trump dearly. Of course, that was the idea, or at least part of the idea. And it\u2019s something that Biden himself indirectly acknowledged in a recent speech. It happened in Washington at the Gridiron Dinner, a fancy white-tie gathering of major media figures and the top politicians they cover. Biden delivered a speech that was part comedy routine and part inspirational talk to his media base. And this is a joke Biden told, according to news accounts: \u2018Our big plan to cancel student debt doesn\u2019t apply to everyone. Just yesterday, a defeated-looking man came up to me and said, \u2018I\u2019m being crushed by debt. I\u2019m completely wiped out.\u2019 And I said, \u2018Sorry, Donald, I can\u2019t help you.\u201d Ha ha ha. The media audience, of course, laughed. With one joke, Biden acknowledged the work his party\u2019s lawfare warriors have done in the Trump matter. And how could Biden not be grateful? He\u2019s trailing Trump in the polls, is facing an electorate that largely believes he is too old for a second term, and is underwater in approval ratings for his handling of most issues. No doubt Biden\u2019s joke about bankrupting Trump reflects his satisfaction that the lawfare effort is starting to work. But Biden wants more. In February, Politico <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/02\/09\/white-house-frustration-with-garland-grows-00140813\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">reported<\/a> that Biden has \u2018grumbled to aides and advisers that had [Attorney General Merrick] Garland moved sooner in his investigation into former President Donald Trump\u2019s election interference, a trial may already be underway or even have concluded.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Biden (D): \u201cBiden Has Massive Campaign Cash Lead Over Trump as General Election Begins\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/TCRUQ#selection-5705.0-5708.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cTrump has retained a slight advantage in polls in battleground states, where thin margins will likely decide who wins the presidency in November. Money also doesn\u2019t necessarily equal guaranteed victory; Hillary Clinton bested Trump in the 2016 money race but still lost the White House. And Trump\u2019s fundraising is likely to pick up now that he has replaced the leadership at the RNC and formed a joint-fundraising committee. Nonetheless, Biden\u2019s fundraising advantage lays bare the risks that Trump has going into spring and summer, when he will accept his party\u2019s nomination at the Republican National Convention. His financial health might also reflect the segment of Republicans who say they will refuse to vote for Trump even if he were the nominee, according to surveys of GOP primary voters by AP VoteCast. While the Biden team reported adding $25 million to its total cash holdings in February, Trump\u2019s cash\u2014across the campaign account, the RNC and two PACs\u2014increased by $9.2 million.\u201d \u2022 Handy chart:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/presidential_cash.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"368\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-268854\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/presidential_cash.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/presidential_cash-300x184.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Biden (D): \u201cBiden SHOULD be angry and anxious \u2014 his re-election prospects stink\u201d [Rich Lowry, <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/03\/19\/opinion\/joe-biden-should-be-angry-and-anxious-about-the-2024-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Post<\/a>]. \u201c[A] loss to Trump would instantly vaporize what was to be Biden\u2019s most important legacy \u2014 stopping Trump and supposedly saving American democracy. On his terms, Biden can\u2019t afford to go one-for-two in this endeavor. History isn\u2019t usually kind to one-term presidents. A defeat would be particularly bad for Biden. It would expose his decision to run again for president at age 81, when he\u2019s visibly in decline, as a historic blunder resulting from selfishness and an utter lack of realism. It\u2019d become undeniable that his pick of Kamala Harris, which helped keep Democrats from pushing for him to step aside, was a terrible mistake, and Democrats would be willing to say so. In short, given the personal and political stakes for Biden and how daunting the landscape looks at the moment, Biden would be well-advised to be angry and anxious \u2014 very angry and anxious.\u201d \u2022 I still maintain that given the incredibly weak Democrat bench, Biden was the best choice (and from the purely party perspective, a brokered convention would be an excellent outcome for grandees and apparatchiks, because their power (some of them, at least) would be enhanced, whether or not their candidate won. In some ways, that was the lesson of Clinton\u2019s losing campaign in 2016; certainly key elements of the Clinton apparatus \u2014 press, spooks, party apparatchiks, newly class-conscious PMC \u2014 emerged from the debacle with powers enhanced, not diminished).<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Kennedy (I): \u201cWho\u2019s afraid of RFK?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/opinion\/campaign\/4544730-whos-afraid-of-rfk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201c[Kennedy is] polling at a steady 15 percent average nationally, and even better in some very important states. He\u2019s performing particularly strong with key demographics like Black and Latino voters, as well as young voters \u2014 even beating both Biden and Trump in some polls in that category. \u2018It seems clear that in any of these battleground states where the margins are going to be thin, the more candidates in the race, the worse for Biden,\u2019 Tom Bevan, founder of RealClearPolitics, told me. \u2018A point or two in the big six battleground states could make the difference, depending on where they make the ballot.\u2019 (Trump edges Biden in the RCP average in a two-way race, but he performs even better when RFK is included.) \u2018Making the ballot\u2019 is a key element to this. Right now, , and getting close in another 15 or so. But that\u2019s not going to make the seismic impact he wants, or needs. So pay attention to what happens over the next two months. \u2018Part of the reason he\u2019s choosing a running mate now is that some states don\u2019t allow a presidential candidate on the ballot without a running mate,\u2019 Chris Stirewalt, host of \u2018The Hill Sunday,\u2019 told me. \u2018With the Libertarian nomination, he would have the chance to focus on campaigning. Without it, he will be necessarily focused on ballot access more than anything else.’\u201d \u2022 Not a bad think, if in fact RFK organizes a mass signature-gathering effort (run by his own organization not outsourced to petition gatherers), a la \u201cClean for Gene\u201d in 1968.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en D\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWhy Democrats Are Losing Their Grip on Latino Voters\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/7ZlDS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cSo long as Democrats were viewed as the party of the working class, they could bank on winning large Hispanic majorities. The problem Joe Biden and his party face this year is growing numbers of Hispanics and other nonwhite working-class voters view Democrats as out of touch. White voters without a college degree have been quitting the Democratic Party in earnest since the Obama presidency. Democrats didn\u2019t expect to see Hispanics follow, but that\u2019s what has happened. To the surprise of most political observers, the trend accelerated thanks to Donald Trump. Democrats carried the Hispanic vote by 38 points in 2016. By 2020 that margin had shrunk to 21 points, and among Hispanic men it was down to 17 points. \u2018In 2020, Democrats assumed that they would easily win the Hispanic vote against a president with a history of vitriolic statements against Mexico and Mexican Americans and hostility toward illegal immigration,\u2019 Mr. Judis and Mr. Teixeira write. Instead, Mr. Trump performed significantly better among Latinos than he had four years earlier. Few predict that the GOP will win a majority of the Latino vote this November, but these inroads have smart Democrats terrified.\u201d \u2022 Of course, the Democrats could always do something like pass a 32-hour work week; but at best, they\u2019ll manage <em>not<\/em> to pass it, due to a \u201crevolving villain\u201d (Manchin; Sinema); the filibuster; the Senate Parliamentarian; and, in all cases, those darn Republicans! But vote for us, because we\u2019re \u201cfighting for\u201d!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>#COVID19<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am in earnest \u2014 I will not equivocate \u2014 I will not excuse \u2014 I will not retreat a single inch \u2014 AND I WILL BE HEARD.\u201d \u2013William Lloyd Garrison<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Resources, United States (National): Transmission (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk&null=Risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>); Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/biobot.io\/data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Biobot<\/a>; includes many counties; <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wastewater Scan<\/a>, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/businesssolutions\/covid-19-index.jsp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a>); \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/iowacovid19tracker.org\/hospitals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Iowa COVID-19 Tracker<\/a>\u201d (in IA, but national data). \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/icemsg.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts<\/a>\u201d (especially on hospitalization by city).<\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put \u201cCOVID\u201d in the subject line. Thank you!<\/p>\n<p>Resources, United States (Local): AK (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/af2efc8bffbf4cdc83c2d1a134354074\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/6d2771faa9da4a2786a509d82c8cf0f7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AR (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/633006d0782b4544bd5113a314f6268a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AZ (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azdhs.gov\/covid19\/data\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); CA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdph.ca.gov\/Programs\/CID\/DCDC\/Pages\/COVID-19\/CalSuWers-Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.marinhhs.org\/surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Marin, dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/healthalerts.stanford.edu\/covid-19\/wastewater-dashboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Stanford, wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/?v=SC2_N&l=Oakland%2C+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Oakland, wastewater<\/a>); CO (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/d79cf93c3938470ca4bcc4823328946b#utility=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); CT (<a href=\"https:\/\/data.ct.gov\/stories\/s\/COVID-19-data\/wa3g-tfvc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); DE (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.delaware.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); FL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/5b9d75ba683849928dc1a49c39ab0b1c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); GA (<a href=\"https:\/\/dph.georgia.gov\/ga-nwss-wastewater-surveillance-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); HI (<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); IA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmmwra.org\/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater reports<\/a>); ID (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Boise; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/?plantId=1056f05c-0e46-4e3d-b007-c0453ba7dc0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Central Idaho; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/#:SARS-CoV-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Coeur d\u2019Alene; dashboard, <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.srhd.org\/topics\/spokane-county-case-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spokane County<\/a>); IL (<a href=\"https:\/\/iwss.uillinois.edu\/wastewater-treatment-plants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); IN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.in.gov\/indiana-covid-19-dashboard-and-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); KS (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov\/160\/COVID-19-in-Kansas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/4456bae8a38f4b6180e008477382fff9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Lawrence); KY (<a href=\"https:\/\/louisville.edu\/envirome\/thecoimmunityproject\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Louisville); LA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldh.la.gov\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/covid-19-wastewater-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MD (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.maryland.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); ME (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/dhhs\/mecdc\/infectious-disease\/epi\/airborne\/coronavirus\/data.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/coronavirus\/stats\/wastewater-surveillance\/dashboard\/sentinel-wastewater-epidemiology-evaluation-project-sweep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/gisportal.state.mi.us\/portal\/apps\/insights\/index.html#\/view\/52bbb104ed574887918f990af9f3debe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/stats\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MO (<a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/f7f5492486114da6b5d6fdc07f81aacf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MS (<a href=\"https:\/\/msdh.ms.gov\/page\/14,0,420.html#Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>MT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapSeries\/index.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; NC (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.ncdhhs.gov\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard)<\/a>; ND (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NE (<a href=\"https:\/\/atlas-dhhs.ne.gov\/Atlas\/Respiratory_Illness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NH (<a href=\"https:\/\/wisdom.dhhs.nh.gov\/wisdom\/dashboard.html?topic=covid-19&subtopic=recurring-updates&indicator=covid-19-wastewater#tabnavbarid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NJ (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.nj.gov\/forms\/datadashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NM (<a href=\"https:\/\/cvprovider.nmhealth.org\/public-dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NV (<a href=\"https:\/\/nvhealthresponse.nv.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/empower.unlv.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Southern NV); NY (<a href=\"https:\/\/mbcolli.shinyapps.io\/SARS2EWSP\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OH (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.ohio.gov\/dashboards\/other-resources\/wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OK (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/51657c21386d4f1a962b1853c76ec589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>OR (<a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/oregon.health.authority.covid.19\/viz\/OregonsCOVID-19DataDashboards-TableofContents\/TableofContentsStatewide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; PA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.pa.gov\/topics\/disease\/coronavirus\/pages\/Cases.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); RI (<a href=\"https:\/\/ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SC (<a href=\"https:\/\/scdhec.gov\/index.php\/covid19\/covid-19-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SD (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.sd.gov\/COVID\/Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/health\/cedep\/ncov\/data.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TX (<a href=\"https:\/\/txdshsea.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/4ae43eefd0f641d59d35c3df82ee59cc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); UT (<a href=\"https:\/\/udwq.shinyapps.io\/sarscov2_surv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/coronavirus\/see-the-numbers\/covid-19-in-virginia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); VT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthvermont.gov\/disease-control\/covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WA (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.wa.gov\/emergencies\/covid-19\/data-dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.bfhd.wa.gov\/cases-and-roadmap-to-recovery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.wisconsin.gov\/covid-19\/wastewater.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); WV (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/oehs.wvdhhr.org\/news\/oehs-coivd-19-information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>); WY (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/covidwastewatermonitor.wyo.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/health-infobase.canada.ca\/covid-19\/wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Government of Canada<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publichealthontario.ca\/en\/Data-and-Analysis\/Infectious-Disease\/COVID-19-Data-Surveillance\/Wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); QC (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inspq.qc.ca\/covid-19\/donnees\/eaux-usees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><em>les eaux us\u00e9es<\/em><\/a>); BC (<a href=\"https:\/\/bccdc.shinyapps.io\/respiratory_wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); BC, Vancouver (<a href=\"https:\/\/metrovancouver.org\/services\/liquid-waste\/testing-for-the-covid-19-virus-in-wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, 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, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n<p>Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Vaccines<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cAn intranasal combination vaccine induces systemic and mucosal immunity against COVID-19 and influenza\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41541-024-00857-5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Nature<\/a>]. Since CDC threw Covid and the flu into the same bucket, the vaccine industry responded, which I\u2019m fine with if it works. Mouse study. From the Abstract: \u201cDespite prolonged surveillance and interventions, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza viruses continue to pose a severe global health burden. Thus, we developed a chimpanzee adenovirus-based combination vaccine, AdC68-HATRBD, with dual specificity against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus. When used as a standalone vaccine, intranasal immunization with AdC68-HATRBD induced comprehensive and potent immune responses consisting of immunoglobin (Ig) G, mucosal IgA, neutralizing antibodies, and memory T cells, which protected the mice from BA.5.2 and pandemic H1N1 infections. When used as a heterologous booster, AdC68-HATRBD markedly improved the protective immune response of the licensed SARS-CoV-2 or influenza vaccine. Therefore, whether administered intranasally as a standalone or booster vaccine, this combination vaccine is a valuable strategy to enhance the overall vaccine efficacy by inducing robust systemic and mucosal immune responses, thereby conferring dual lines of immunological defenses for these two viruses.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Infection<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>No, Covid is not \u201cover.\u201d Biobot\u2019s year-on-year chart:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/covid-biobot-year-on-year.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"414\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-268851\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/covid-biobot-year-on-year.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/covid-biobot-year-on-year-300x207.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>(This is an alternative to the Biobot chart I use, \u201cTotal Results,\u201d which I prefer because it gives the history of the pandemic at a glance. The data is the same.)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMild\u201d symptoms:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Those \u201cmild symptoms\u201d you refer to\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2026that cough, runny nose or sore throat\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Those are the initial symptoms of highly infectious diseases like Covid, measles, whooping cough.<\/p>\n<p>The advice to send kids to school with these symptoms is highly irresponsible. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8RjM270wsL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/8RjM270wsL<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Cat in the Hat \ud83d\udc08\u200d\u2b1b \ud83c\udfa9 \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 (@_CatintheHat) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/_CatintheHat\/status\/1771159093681471628\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">March 22, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Policy<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWe Had the Tools\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/guinesspig.ghost.io\/we-had-the-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Guiness Pig Diaries<\/a>]. From 2023, still germane, and worth reading in full. The character names (\u201clike General Manager Tim\u201d) are from a brilliant extended metaphor of a hardware store: \u201c[A] government or health officials [will say we have the tools to deal with Covid-19. No we don\u2019t. We <em>had<\/em> the tools. All we have now are the memories of those tools. We (and by we, I mean collectively, societally we) blew it. We threw the tools away. We traded them in for something we believed was so much better. Why? Because the very leaders we are supposed to trust to look out for our best interests, like General Manager Tim, told us to. They gave us permission. They told us it was more important to get back to normal than to rely on those tools. So many who heard that message took it and ran with it. Like Liz, they twisted it into something much more extreme to fit their own agendas. Not only are masks not required in public anymore, they\u2019re now banned in some places because they remind people that Covid is still a threat, and that\u2019s bad for the economy. Wearing one has become so stigmatized it can get you harassed or assaulted. And then there\u2019s remote work. Not only is it discouraged, it is shamed. There are message campaigns circulating throughout the media about how remote work is bad for productivity, bad for teamwork, bad for the health of remote workers. Speaking of messaging, we don\u2019t have ANY consistent, trustworthy messaging to inform our decisions about Covid anymore. We have \u2018you do you.\u2019 Which is essentially the \u2018customer is always right\u2019 mantra in the world of Covid. Believe whatever the fuck you want, do whatever the fuck you want, and regardless of the consequences for yourself or others, no one can hold you accountable. No one can tell you that you\u2019re wrong. This is now a DIY pandemic. Good luck. When we discovered that there were consequences to sh*tting all over our tools and throwing them away, we wanted them back, like Josh. Covid patients who ended up fighting for their lives in the hospital would beg for the vaccine that they had loudly and proudly refused before they got sick. People who thought vaccines were all they needed to stay well refused to continue masking. Then they found themselves ill with Covid and begged for treatments like monoclonal antibodies, which stopped working a long time ago as variants evolved to escape them. We played dumb when reminded that experts had cautioned us this would happen. We insisted we did everything right. We pretended to be victims when we knew better. We can\u2019t get a lot of those tools back now. It\u2019s too late.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LEGEND<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1) <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> for charts new today; all others are not updated.<\/p>\n<p>2) For a full-size\/full-resolution image, Command-click (MacOS) or right-click (Windows) on the chart thumbnail and \u201copen image in new tab.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>NOTES<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>[1] (Biobot) Our curve has now flattened out at the level of previous Trump peaks. Not a great victory. Note also the area \u201cunder the curve,\u201d besides looking at peaks. That area is larger under Biden than under Trump, and it seems to be rising steadily if unevenly.<\/p>\n<p>[2] (Biobot) Midwest ticks up.<\/p>\n<p>[3] (CDC Variants) As of May 11, genomic surveillance data will be reported biweekly, based on the availability of positive test specimens.\u201d \u201cBiweeekly: 1. occurring every two weeks. 2. occurring twice a week; semiweekly.\u201d Looks like CDC has chosen sense #1. In essence, they\u2019re telling us variants are nothing to worry about. Time will tell.<\/p>\n<p>[4] (ER) \u201cCharts and data provided by CDC, updates Wednesday by 8am. For the past year, using a rolling 52-week period.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Looks like a very gradual leveling off to a non-zero baseline, to me.<\/p>\n<p>[6] (Hospitalization: CDC) Still down. \u201cMaps, charts, and data provided by CDC, updates weekly for the previous MMWR week (Sunday-Saturday) on Thursdays (Deaths, Emergency Department Visits, Test Positivity) and weekly the following Mondays (Hospitalizations) by 8 pm ET\u2020\u201d. <\/p>\n<p>[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[8] (Cleveland) Flattening.<\/p>\n<p>[9] (Travelers: Posivitity) Now up, albeit in the rear view mirror.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants) JN.1 dominates utterly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are no official statistics of interest today.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"boeing\"\/>Manufacturing: \u201cBarnett \u2013 First Amended Complaint 5-4-21_Redacted\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/715444070\/Barnett-First-Amended-Complaint-5-4-21-Redacted\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Scribd<\/a>]. A random selection: \u201c[The late Boeing whistleblower John] Barnett continually insisted on the proper procedures being followed. Barnett complained about . In most cases, the mechanic would come to work to find that the parts s\/he installed the day before were gone. Upper Management ignored the stolen parts problem and insisted that Barnett stop documenting them in e-mails and on CA\u2019s (corrective action EPDs). All corrective action EPD\u2019s for stolen parts were cancelled per Leadership direction without any investigation or corrective action. (Ethics hast he records).\u201d \u2022 Uploaded by Live 5 News, and <em>not<\/em> the prize-winning local paper, the <em>Post and Courier<\/em>, which hasn\u2019t run one single story on Barnett\u2019s <del>assassination<\/del> death since the original story on March 13. No doubt their crack staff is waiting on the police report, but when the local paper maintains complete radio silence, that makes me worry the fix is in at the police department. I mean, couldn\u2019t they at least have run a human interest story on Barnett\u2019s family?<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cAlaska Airlines blowout passenger reveals terrifying moment his socks and shoes were ripped off and his body was \u2018lifted up in the howling wind\u2019 as he sues airline and Boeing along with seven others\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-13224665\/Alaska-Airlines-blowout-passenger-terrifying-moment.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Daily Mail<\/a>]. \u2022 Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">“When one door closes, another one opens.”<\/p>\n<p>\u2013Boeing<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 John Paul (@IAm_JohnPaulAF) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IAm_JohnPaulAF\/status\/1770949951641833723\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">March 21, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Confirms Disappointing Update on 737 Max Engine Issue\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/money\/companies\/boeing-confirms-disappointing-update-on-737-max-engine-issue\/ar-BB1kj7Hi?cvid=8e6d15df45824f1590735b6fe6294f31&ei=27\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MSN<\/a>]. \u201cIn the latest chapter of Boeing\u2019s ongoing saga, the aerospace giant faces a significant setback with its 737 Max series. An engine issue will sideline the fleet for up to a year, further delaying the certification of the eagerly awaited 737 Max 7s and Max 10s models\u2026. [A] glitch in the 737 Max\u2019s anti-ice system, which poses a risk of overheating and damaging the engine. Despite the potential severity of the issue, the airplane manufacturing giant assures that it has never occurred in flight. However, the theoretical risk of components breaking off mid-air has prompted a swift and serious response\u2026. The company\u2019s previous estimates had set the repair timeframe at nine to twelve months. This repair work is not just a matter of replacing parts but involves a deeper understanding of the engine\u2019s air intake dynamics and its broader implications on aircraft performance and safety\u2026. The ramifications of the engine issue extend beyond technical repairs. Certification delays for the 737 Max 7s and Max 10s impact Boeing\u2019s timeline and affect major airlines\u2019 operational plans. For instance, Southwest Airlines, with its all-737 fleet, has had to revise its 2024 capacity projections and earnings forecasts in light of these delays.\u201d \u2022\u00a0This is the issue where pilots had to remind themselves to turn off the anti-ice system in time with a sticky note on their instrument panel.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing in \u2018last chance saloon\u2019, warns Emirates head\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/ad41382f-3279-46ad-9ddd-8f7b0c368f07\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. We already linked to this, but to reinforce: \u201c[Emirates Airline President] Sir Tim Clark told the Financial Times he had seen a \u201cprogressive decline\u201d in Boeing\u2019s standards, which he put down to long-running management and governance mis-steps, including prioritising financial performance over engineering excellence\u2026.. Clark said Boeing\u2019s previous management had made repeated mis-steps, including outsourcing parts of its manufacturing and moving parts of its 787 production to South Carolina to cut costs following battles with unions at its primary base north of Seattle, Washington. Boeing eventually moved all of its 787 production to South Carolina in 2021 but the site has struggled with manufacturing challenges. Clark said Boeing had lost \u2018skills and competencies\u2019 through the move.\u201d \u2022 When the Emirates President says it\u2019s union-busting\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing\u2019s big green disaster\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/heated.world\/p\/boeings-big-green-disaster\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Heated<\/a>]. \u201cThe 737-Max was not the plane Boeing originally intended to make. In 2011, the company announced it was planning to develop an entirely new plane to replace its aging and fuel-guzzling 737 fleet. This new, more fuel-efficient plane would cost billions of dollars and take nearly a decade to make. But Boeing\u2019s then-CEO said it would be worth it. \u2018It\u2019s our judgment that our customers will wait for us,\u2019 he said. Shortly after that announcement, however, Boeing\u2019s CEO was proven wrong. The company\u2019s exclusive customer, American Airlines, announced it was defecting to Boeing\u2019s rival plane manufacturer, Airbus. And Airbus was not making new planes\u2013it was putting new, more fuel-efficient engines on old planes. So in order to compete, Boeing quickly scrapped its plan. Instead, it too decided to put new engines on old planes. The 737 Max was born. From a sustainability perspective, Boeing\u2019s change in direction was disappointing, said [Dan Rutherford, an aviation and sustainability expert with the International Council on Clean Transportation]. While the more fuel-efficient aircraft engines were better for the planet than the older ones, a new plane, he said, would have delivered far more benefits. \u2018If you look at the technologies that can be used to improve the fuel efficiency and reduce emissions for aircraft, it\u2019s basically three big buckets,; he said. Manufacturers could have made the airframe lighter by using lightweight materials, improved the aerodynamics of the plane to reduce drag, and added more advanced engines. That \u2018clean-sheet design\u2019, as it\u2019s known by the industry, would have used less fuel and produced less emissions. A new plane would also have been safer, both in design and because pilots would have been required to train on the new aircraft. But a new design would have cost Boeing and the airlines far more money. So while the strategy may have been good for short-term profit, ultimately, \u2018Boeing\u2019s strategy was bad for the environment and for consumers,\u2019 Rutherford said\u2026. And once accidents and tragedies began to plague the 737 Max\u2014in large part because the new engines compromised the aerodynamics of the plane [for which the disastrous MCAS system was a kludge]\u2014the company\u2019s sustainability marketing soared further.\u201d \u2022 Because of course it did.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 72 Greed (previous close: 74 Greed) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 72 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Mar 22 at 12:56:25 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Holier than Thou<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cChristian group is \u2018luring\u2019 students with free pizza at lunch, Clovis parents say\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fresnobee.com\/news\/local\/education-lab\/article286918600.html#storylink=cpy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Fresno Bee<\/a>]. \u201cThree parents with children attending Reyburn Intermediate and Clovis East High schools said their children were offered free pizza to go to the lecture hall in groups of three to five during their lunch period. Upon arrival, parents said a representative from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes meets with students. After praying and hearing about Christianity, parents said students then receive their free pizza in yellow boxes. \u201cI feel that they\u2019re doing wrong,\u201d one parent with a student at Clovis East told The Fresno Bee. \u201cThey\u2019re basically luring in kids that are under 18, that are still trying to find themselves and are still trying to explore.\u201d The parents who spoke to The Bee asked to remain anonymous, fearing retaliation against them or their children. They also said they were not notified via email, text, permission slip or asked for their consent for the FCA to approach their children.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIntermittent fasting linked to 91% increase in risk of death from heart disease, study says\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/well\/2024\/03\/18\/how-healthy-intermittent-fasting-heart-disease-study-91-percent-risk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Fortune<\/a> (Furzy Mouse)]. \u201cThe safety of intermittent fasting, a popular strategy to lose weight by limiting food intake to certain times, was called into question by a surprise finding from research presented at a medical meeting. Limiting mealtimes to a period of just eight hours a day was linked to a 91% increase in risk of death from heart disease in the study, which was released on Monday in Chicago. The American Heart Association published only an abstract, leaving scientists speculating about details of the study protocol. The study was reviewed by other experts prior to its release, according to the AHA. Lifestyle interventions aimed at weight loss have come under scrutiny as a new generation of drugs help people shed pounds. Some doctors questioned the study\u2019s findings, saying they could have been skewed by differences \u2014 such as underlying heart health \u2014 between the fasting patients and the comparison group, whose members consumed food over a daily period of 12 to 16 hours.\u201d \u2022 I originally misread the headline to imply <em>decrease<\/em>, not increase, so I\u2019m really running this in case that happens to anybody else. That said: Thumbs down on a story driven from a conference abstract. And thumbs up on the dreaded lifestyle change, as opposed to Big Pharma\u2019s latest. At least in my experience, eating less \u2014 especially fewer sweets \u2014 really <em>does<\/em> cause weight loss, hence increased agility, general feeling of fitness. Readers may differ in their views. Endless are the arguments of dieticians!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Guillotine Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMillionaire biohacker Bryan Johnson (who already has a cult-like following) plans to start his own NATION for anti-agers\u2026 where pizza, donuts and alcohol could be illegal\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/health\/article-13214693\/bryan-johnson-biohacker-anti-aging-nation.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=social-twitter_mailonline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Daily Mail<\/a>]. \u2022 Can anybody get a passport? Could this be Mr. Lee\u2019s Greater Hong Kong?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t know what\u2019s gotten into Stoller, but I\u2019m here for it:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This evil predatory scheme is the result of private equity billionaire Tom Gores, and he used the profits from it \u2013 as well as other acquisitions \u2013 to buy the Detroit Pistons. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lLglS3PtuG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/lLglS3PtuG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/matthewstoller\/status\/1770817905938035053\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">March 21, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>(\u201cEvil\u201d is strong language \u2014 and used correctly in this case.) NOTE Yeah, yeah, China. We\u2019re none of us perfect. <\/p>\n<p><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Derek Guy on men\u2019s clothing is one of my guilty pleasures on the Twitter:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rogers is most known for his cardigans, but his attire on the show was actually composed of tailoring (suits, sport coats, and blazers), which he wore when he arrived “home.” He then took that off and changed into a cardigan to signal he had “gotten home from work.” <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/arZEz9Ik5i\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/arZEz9Ik5i<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 derek guy (@dieworkwear) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dieworkwear\/status\/1771032944221827438\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">March 22, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><strong>Contact information for plants<\/strong>: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) <a href=\"hhttps:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/03\/200pm-water-cooler-3-20-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From TH:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/camellia.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-268852\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/camellia.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/camellia-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>TH writes: \u201cI\u2019m not positive, but I believe this is a camelia. It, like so many of my recent submissions, lives at the Sherman Library and Gardens (Corona Del Mar, Newport Beach, California).\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"donate\"\/><strong>Readers<\/strong>: Water Cooler is a standalone entity <em>not<\/em> covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn\u2019t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! <em>Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I\u2019m on the right track with coverage<\/em>. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:<\/p>\n<p>Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-226891\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"606\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png 606w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/03\/200pm-water-cooler-3-22-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day American Robin (migratorius Group), Miguel Hidalgo, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico, Mexico. * * * In Case<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":78724,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[153,183],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-spotlight"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78723"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78723\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Bird Song of the Day<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>American Robin (migratorius Group), Miguel Hidalgo, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico, Mexico.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>(1) More <a href=\"#boeing\">Boeing shenanigans<\/a>, as Barnett\u2019s assassination is gradually memory-holed.<\/p>\n<p>(2) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>2024<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Less than a year to go!<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/free.timeanddate.com\/countdown\/i8ubjj5e\/n179\/cf100\/cm0\/cu1\/ct0\/cs1\/ca0\/cr0\/ss0\/cac000\/cpc000\/pcfff\/tcfff\/fs100\/szw320\/szh135\/tatTime%20left%20to%20Election%20Day%2C%202024\/tac000\/tptTime%20since%20Event%20started%20in\/tpc000\/mac000\/mpc000\/iso2024-11-05T00:00:00\/bo2\/pd2\" allowtransparency=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"322\" height=\"137\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Trump (R): \u201cWhy no one will lend to Trump\u201d [Edward Luce, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/aa383026-ac12-4d39-b6ee-075c2a248fc9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. \u201cFor Donald Trump, it would not be seven times a charm. His first six bankruptcies all took place before he went into politics. Most of these occurred in two phases: in the early 1990s after he had over-extended on a clutch of Atlantic City casinos, then on various properties before and after the 2008 crash. America\u2019s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection got him out of trouble. Since then, Trump has largely made money by licensing his brand name. But there is no easy way out from the $454mn that he owes in damages to the New York legal system. Unlike banks, the law does not take haircuts. There is nothing to stop Trump from being broke and winning the White House. He already had that history of bankruptcy when he won in 2016. But his financial woes create two novel headaches \u2014 one for him, and one for America. For Trump, it undermines his reputation for being rich, which he and his base value highly. Revisions to his net worth cut it from the $10bn he claimed in 2016 to $2.6bn on Forbes\u2019 latest estimate. But these are educated guesses. As a private company, the Trump Organization does not disclose its liabilities. Even if that number proves correct, most of his wealth is locked up in illiquid assets, chiefly real estate such as his landmark towers in New York and the golf clubs. The prospect of bailiffs seizing all the bling they could find from Mar-a-Lago would give schadenfreude to millions. It would also deal a blow to Trump\u2019s idea of himself. He was raised on the prosperity gospel that says your wealth is a measure of your moral worth. To the Maga base, Trump\u2019s wealth is also a yardstick of his cunning. Trump is estimated to have inherited the equivalent today of $413mn from his father, Fred Trump. A quarter of a century after Trump Sr\u2019s death, his son seems unable to cover roughly that amount. Some of Trump\u2019s supporters are puzzled that he has not yet been bailed out by one of his wealthy donors. The answer is that he has a history of not paying what he owes. From the world\u2019s biggest banks to America\u2019s smallest contractors, Trump is expert at stiffing creditors. That is not to mention the class-action winners of those who paid exorbitant fees to study at Trump University, the dissolution of the Trump family\u2019s charitable foundation for a \u2018shocking pattern of illegality\u2019, and the fact that roughly $50mn in Trump 2024 campaign funds has gone to pay his legal bills. Trump\u2019s donors prefer his policies to those of Joe Biden, who has vowed a billionaire tax in his second term. In their personal dealings, however, they seem to validate the former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg\u2019s view that with Trump he knows \u2018a con when I see one.\u2019 All of which makes Trump more of a liability to America. As every spy agency knows, the most at-risk employees are those who are heavily in debt. Presidential candidates are offered intelligence briefings during the election. Trump is facing a much-postponed trial for allegedly secreting troves of highly classified material at Mar-a-Lago. It does not take great deductive skill to see that Trump\u2019s financial quandary poses a national security risk. If insurance companies and friendly billionaires think he is too big a credit risk, who might help him out instead? What sort of collateral could Trump offer in return? Even by America\u2019s recent standards, this creates a new kind of headache.\u201d \u2022 NC commenter DCBlogger told me, long ago, pre-2016, that the one thing that could take Trump down would be proof that he was not rich. And now it seems that Trump faces something akin to a capital strike, in addition to already facing a professional services strike. As for Luce\u2019s psychological reading of the American electorate, I\u2019m not so sure. (\u201cProsperity gospel\u201d is preached by a particularly noxious American Protestant sect; Trump\u2019s childhood minister was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2016\/08\/03\/488513585\/how-positive-thinking-prosperity-gospel-define-donald-trumps-faith-outlook\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Norman Vincent Peale<\/a>, also noxious but not a member of that sect.) \u201cTrump was rich until crooked Democrats stole all his money\u201d is one form of cope that might help, particularly for the aggrieved who feel that what they value has been taken by Democrats as well. \u201cSo what, if Trump is the one to most damage the system\u201d is another.\u201d We\u2019ll see. 2024 is certainly not without interest or drama!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Biden (D): \u201cBiden\u2019s lawfare joke\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/daily-memo\/2928398\/bidens-lawfare-joke\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Washington Examiner<\/a>]. \u201cNo criminal trial has begun, but the swarm of Democratic legal actions has already cost Trump dearly. Of course, that was the idea, or at least part of the idea. And it\u2019s something that Biden himself indirectly acknowledged in a recent speech. It happened in Washington at the Gridiron Dinner, a fancy white-tie gathering of major media figures and the top politicians they cover. Biden delivered a speech that was part comedy routine and part inspirational talk to his media base. And this is a joke Biden told, according to news accounts: \u2018Our big plan to cancel student debt doesn\u2019t apply to everyone. Just yesterday, a defeated-looking man came up to me and said, \u2018I\u2019m being crushed by debt. I\u2019m completely wiped out.\u2019 And I said, \u2018Sorry, Donald, I can\u2019t help you.\u201d Ha ha ha. The media audience, of course, laughed. With one joke, Biden acknowledged the work his party\u2019s lawfare warriors have done in the Trump matter. And how could Biden not be grateful? He\u2019s trailing Trump in the polls, is facing an electorate that largely believes he is too old for a second term, and is underwater in approval ratings for his handling of most issues. No doubt Biden\u2019s joke about bankrupting Trump reflects his satisfaction that the lawfare effort is starting to work. But Biden wants more. In February, Politico <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/02\/09\/white-house-frustration-with-garland-grows-00140813\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">reported<\/a> that Biden has \u2018grumbled to aides and advisers that had [Attorney General Merrick] Garland moved sooner in his investigation into former President Donald Trump\u2019s election interference, a trial may already be underway or even have concluded.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Biden (D): \u201cBiden Has Massive Campaign Cash Lead Over Trump as General Election Begins\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/TCRUQ#selection-5705.0-5708.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cTrump has retained a slight advantage in polls in battleground states, where thin margins will likely decide who wins the presidency in November. Money also doesn\u2019t necessarily equal guaranteed victory; Hillary Clinton bested Trump in the 2016 money race but still lost the White House. And Trump\u2019s fundraising is likely to pick up now that he has replaced the leadership at the RNC and formed a joint-fundraising committee. Nonetheless, Biden\u2019s fundraising advantage lays bare the risks that Trump has going into spring and summer, when he will accept his party\u2019s nomination at the Republican National Convention. His financial health might also reflect the segment of Republicans who say they will refuse to vote for Trump even if he were the nominee, according to surveys of GOP primary voters by AP VoteCast. While the Biden team reported adding $25 million to its total cash holdings in February, Trump\u2019s cash\u2014across the campaign account, the RNC and two PACs\u2014increased by $9.2 million.\u201d \u2022 Handy chart:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/presidential_cash.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"368\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-268854\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/presidential_cash.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/presidential_cash-300x184.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Biden (D): \u201cBiden SHOULD be angry and anxious \u2014 his re-election prospects stink\u201d [Rich Lowry, <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/03\/19\/opinion\/joe-biden-should-be-angry-and-anxious-about-the-2024-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Post<\/a>]. \u201c[A] loss to Trump would instantly vaporize what was to be Biden\u2019s most important legacy \u2014 stopping Trump and supposedly saving American democracy. On his terms, Biden can\u2019t afford to go one-for-two in this endeavor. History isn\u2019t usually kind to one-term presidents. A defeat would be particularly bad for Biden. It would expose his decision to run again for president at age 81, when he\u2019s visibly in decline, as a historic blunder resulting from selfishness and an utter lack of realism. It\u2019d become undeniable that his pick of Kamala Harris, which helped keep Democrats from pushing for him to step aside, was a terrible mistake, and Democrats would be willing to say so. In short, given the personal and political stakes for Biden and how daunting the landscape looks at the moment, Biden would be well-advised to be angry and anxious \u2014 very angry and anxious.\u201d \u2022 I still maintain that given the incredibly weak Democrat bench, Biden was the best choice (and from the purely party perspective, a brokered convention would be an excellent outcome for grandees and apparatchiks, because their power (some of them, at least) would be enhanced, whether or not their candidate won. In some ways, that was the lesson of Clinton\u2019s losing campaign in 2016; certainly key elements of the Clinton apparatus \u2014 press, spooks, party apparatchiks, newly class-conscious PMC \u2014 emerged from the debacle with powers enhanced, not diminished).<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Kennedy (I): \u201cWho\u2019s afraid of RFK?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/opinion\/campaign\/4544730-whos-afraid-of-rfk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201c[Kennedy is] polling at a steady 15 percent average nationally, and even better in some very important states. He\u2019s performing particularly strong with key demographics like Black and Latino voters, as well as young voters \u2014 even beating both Biden and Trump in some polls in that category. \u2018It seems clear that in any of these battleground states where the margins are going to be thin, the more candidates in the race, the worse for Biden,\u2019 Tom Bevan, founder of RealClearPolitics, told me. \u2018A point or two in the big six battleground states could make the difference, depending on where they make the ballot.\u2019 (Trump edges Biden in the RCP average in a two-way race, but he performs even better when RFK is included.) \u2018Making the ballot\u2019 is a key element to this. Right now, , and getting close in another 15 or so. But that\u2019s not going to make the seismic impact he wants, or needs. So pay attention to what happens over the next two months. \u2018Part of the reason he\u2019s choosing a running mate now is that some states don\u2019t allow a presidential candidate on the ballot without a running mate,\u2019 Chris Stirewalt, host of \u2018The Hill Sunday,\u2019 told me. \u2018With the Libertarian nomination, he would have the chance to focus on campaigning. Without it, he will be necessarily focused on ballot access more than anything else.’\u201d \u2022 Not a bad think, if in fact RFK organizes a mass signature-gathering effort (run by his own organization not outsourced to petition gatherers), a la \u201cClean for Gene\u201d in 1968.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en D\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWhy Democrats Are Losing Their Grip on Latino Voters\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/7ZlDS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cSo long as Democrats were viewed as the party of the working class, they could bank on winning large Hispanic majorities. The problem Joe Biden and his party face this year is growing numbers of Hispanics and other nonwhite working-class voters view Democrats as out of touch. White voters without a college degree have been quitting the Democratic Party in earnest since the Obama presidency. Democrats didn\u2019t expect to see Hispanics follow, but that\u2019s what has happened. To the surprise of most political observers, the trend accelerated thanks to Donald Trump. Democrats carried the Hispanic vote by 38 points in 2016. By 2020 that margin had shrunk to 21 points, and among Hispanic men it was down to 17 points. \u2018In 2020, Democrats assumed that they would easily win the Hispanic vote against a president with a history of vitriolic statements against Mexico and Mexican Americans and hostility toward illegal immigration,\u2019 Mr. Judis and Mr. Teixeira write. Instead, Mr. Trump performed significantly better among Latinos than he had four years earlier. Few predict that the GOP will win a majority of the Latino vote this November, but these inroads have smart Democrats terrified.\u201d \u2022 Of course, the Democrats could always do something like pass a 32-hour work week; but at best, they\u2019ll manage <em>not<\/em> to pass it, due to a \u201crevolving villain\u201d (Manchin; Sinema); the filibuster; the Senate Parliamentarian; and, in all cases, those darn Republicans! But vote for us, because we\u2019re \u201cfighting for\u201d!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>#COVID19<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am in earnest \u2014 I will not equivocate \u2014 I will not excuse \u2014 I will not retreat a single inch \u2014 AND I WILL BE HEARD.\u201d \u2013William Lloyd Garrison<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Resources, United States (National): Transmission (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk&null=Risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>); Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/biobot.io\/data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Biobot<\/a>; includes many counties; <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wastewater Scan<\/a>, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/businesssolutions\/covid-19-index.jsp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a>); \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/iowacovid19tracker.org\/hospitals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Iowa COVID-19 Tracker<\/a>\u201d (in IA, but national data). \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/icemsg.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts<\/a>\u201d (especially on hospitalization by city).<\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put \u201cCOVID\u201d in the subject line. Thank you!<\/p>\n<p>Resources, United States (Local): AK (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/af2efc8bffbf4cdc83c2d1a134354074\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/6d2771faa9da4a2786a509d82c8cf0f7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AR (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/633006d0782b4544bd5113a314f6268a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AZ (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azdhs.gov\/covid19\/data\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); CA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdph.ca.gov\/Programs\/CID\/DCDC\/Pages\/COVID-19\/CalSuWers-Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.marinhhs.org\/surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Marin, dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/healthalerts.stanford.edu\/covid-19\/wastewater-dashboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Stanford, wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/?v=SC2_N&l=Oakland%2C+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Oakland, wastewater<\/a>); CO (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/d79cf93c3938470ca4bcc4823328946b#utility=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); CT (<a href=\"https:\/\/data.ct.gov\/stories\/s\/COVID-19-data\/wa3g-tfvc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); DE (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.delaware.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); FL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/5b9d75ba683849928dc1a49c39ab0b1c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); GA (<a href=\"https:\/\/dph.georgia.gov\/ga-nwss-wastewater-surveillance-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); HI (<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); IA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmmwra.org\/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater reports<\/a>); ID (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Boise; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/?plantId=1056f05c-0e46-4e3d-b007-c0453ba7dc0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Central Idaho; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/#:SARS-CoV-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Coeur d\u2019Alene; dashboard, <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.srhd.org\/topics\/spokane-county-case-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spokane County<\/a>); IL (<a href=\"https:\/\/iwss.uillinois.edu\/wastewater-treatment-plants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); IN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.in.gov\/indiana-covid-19-dashboard-and-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); KS (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov\/160\/COVID-19-in-Kansas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/4456bae8a38f4b6180e008477382fff9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Lawrence); KY (<a href=\"https:\/\/louisville.edu\/envirome\/thecoimmunityproject\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Louisville); LA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldh.la.gov\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/covid-19-wastewater-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MD (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.maryland.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); ME (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/dhhs\/mecdc\/infectious-disease\/epi\/airborne\/coronavirus\/data.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/coronavirus\/stats\/wastewater-surveillance\/dashboard\/sentinel-wastewater-epidemiology-evaluation-project-sweep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/gisportal.state.mi.us\/portal\/apps\/insights\/index.html#\/view\/52bbb104ed574887918f990af9f3debe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/stats\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MO (<a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/f7f5492486114da6b5d6fdc07f81aacf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MS (<a href=\"https:\/\/msdh.ms.gov\/page\/14,0,420.html#Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>MT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapSeries\/index.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; NC (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.ncdhhs.gov\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard)<\/a>; ND (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NE (<a href=\"https:\/\/atlas-dhhs.ne.gov\/Atlas\/Respiratory_Illness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NH (<a href=\"https:\/\/wisdom.dhhs.nh.gov\/wisdom\/dashboard.html?topic=covid-19&subtopic=recurring-updates&indicator=covid-19-wastewater#tabnavbarid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NJ (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.nj.gov\/forms\/datadashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NM (<a href=\"https:\/\/cvprovider.nmhealth.org\/public-dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NV (<a href=\"https:\/\/nvhealthresponse.nv.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/empower.unlv.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Southern NV); NY (<a href=\"https:\/\/mbcolli.shinyapps.io\/SARS2EWSP\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OH (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.ohio.gov\/dashboards\/other-resources\/wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OK (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/51657c21386d4f1a962b1853c76ec589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>OR (<a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/oregon.health.authority.covid.19\/viz\/OregonsCOVID-19DataDashboards-TableofContents\/TableofContentsStatewide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; PA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.pa.gov\/topics\/disease\/coronavirus\/pages\/Cases.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); RI (<a href=\"https:\/\/ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SC (<a href=\"https:\/\/scdhec.gov\/index.php\/covid19\/covid-19-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SD (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.sd.gov\/COVID\/Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/health\/cedep\/ncov\/data.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TX (<a href=\"https:\/\/txdshsea.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/4ae43eefd0f641d59d35c3df82ee59cc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); UT (<a href=\"https:\/\/udwq.shinyapps.io\/sarscov2_surv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/coronavirus\/see-the-numbers\/covid-19-in-virginia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); VT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthvermont.gov\/disease-control\/covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WA (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.wa.gov\/emergencies\/covid-19\/data-dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.bfhd.wa.gov\/cases-and-roadmap-to-recovery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.wisconsin.gov\/covid-19\/wastewater.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); WV (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/oehs.wvdhhr.org\/news\/oehs-coivd-19-information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>); WY (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/covidwastewatermonitor.wyo.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/health-infobase.canada.ca\/covid-19\/wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Government of Canada<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publichealthontario.ca\/en\/Data-and-Analysis\/Infectious-Disease\/COVID-19-Data-Surveillance\/Wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); QC (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inspq.qc.ca\/covid-19\/donnees\/eaux-usees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><em>les eaux us\u00e9es<\/em><\/a>); BC (<a href=\"https:\/\/bccdc.shinyapps.io\/respiratory_wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); BC, Vancouver (<a href=\"https:\/\/metrovancouver.org\/services\/liquid-waste\/testing-for-the-covid-19-virus-in-wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, 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, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n<p>Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Vaccines<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cAn intranasal combination vaccine induces systemic and mucosal immunity against COVID-19 and influenza\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41541-024-00857-5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Nature<\/a>]. Since CDC threw Covid and the flu into the same bucket, the vaccine industry responded, which I\u2019m fine with if it works. Mouse study. From the Abstract: \u201cDespite prolonged surveillance and interventions, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza viruses continue to pose a severe global health burden. Thus, we developed a chimpanzee adenovirus-based combination vaccine, AdC68-HATRBD, with dual specificity against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus. When used as a standalone vaccine, intranasal immunization with AdC68-HATRBD induced comprehensive and potent immune responses consisting of immunoglobin (Ig) G, mucosal IgA, neutralizing antibodies, and memory T cells, which protected the mice from BA.5.2 and pandemic H1N1 infections. When used as a heterologous booster, AdC68-HATRBD markedly improved the protective immune response of the licensed SARS-CoV-2 or influenza vaccine. Therefore, whether administered intranasally as a standalone or booster vaccine, this combination vaccine is a valuable strategy to enhance the overall vaccine efficacy by inducing robust systemic and mucosal immune responses, thereby conferring dual lines of immunological defenses for these two viruses.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Infection<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>No, Covid is not \u201cover.\u201d Biobot\u2019s year-on-year chart:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/covid-biobot-year-on-year.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"414\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-268851\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/covid-biobot-year-on-year.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/covid-biobot-year-on-year-300x207.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>(This is an alternative to the Biobot chart I use, \u201cTotal Results,\u201d which I prefer because it gives the history of the pandemic at a glance. The data is the same.)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMild\u201d symptoms:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Those \u201cmild symptoms\u201d you refer to\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2026that cough, runny nose or sore throat\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Those are the initial symptoms of highly infectious diseases like Covid, measles, whooping cough.<\/p>\n<p>The advice to send kids to school with these symptoms is highly irresponsible. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8RjM270wsL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/8RjM270wsL<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Cat in the Hat \ud83d\udc08\u200d\u2b1b \ud83c\udfa9 \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 (@_CatintheHat) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/_CatintheHat\/status\/1771159093681471628\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">March 22, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Policy<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWe Had the Tools\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/guinesspig.ghost.io\/we-had-the-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Guiness Pig Diaries<\/a>]. From 2023, still germane, and worth reading in full. The character names (\u201clike General Manager Tim\u201d) are from a brilliant extended metaphor of a hardware store: \u201c[A] government or health officials [will say we have the tools to deal with Covid-19. No we don\u2019t. We <em>had<\/em> the tools. All we have now are the memories of those tools. We (and by we, I mean collectively, societally we) blew it. We threw the tools away. We traded them in for something we believed was so much better. Why? Because the very leaders we are supposed to trust to look out for our best interests, like General Manager Tim, told us to. They gave us permission. They told us it was more important to get back to normal than to rely on those tools. So many who heard that message took it and ran with it. Like Liz, they twisted it into something much more extreme to fit their own agendas. Not only are masks not required in public anymore, they\u2019re now banned in some places because they remind people that Covid is still a threat, and that\u2019s bad for the economy. Wearing one has become so stigmatized it can get you harassed or assaulted. And then there\u2019s remote work. Not only is it discouraged, it is shamed. There are message campaigns circulating throughout the media about how remote work is bad for productivity, bad for teamwork, bad for the health of remote workers. Speaking of messaging, we don\u2019t have ANY consistent, trustworthy messaging to inform our decisions about Covid anymore. We have \u2018you do you.\u2019 Which is essentially the \u2018customer is always right\u2019 mantra in the world of Covid. Believe whatever the fuck you want, do whatever the fuck you want, and regardless of the consequences for yourself or others, no one can hold you accountable. No one can tell you that you\u2019re wrong. This is now a DIY pandemic. Good luck. When we discovered that there were consequences to sh*tting all over our tools and throwing them away, we wanted them back, like Josh. Covid patients who ended up fighting for their lives in the hospital would beg for the vaccine that they had loudly and proudly refused before they got sick. People who thought vaccines were all they needed to stay well refused to continue masking. Then they found themselves ill with Covid and begged for treatments like monoclonal antibodies, which stopped working a long time ago as variants evolved to escape them. We played dumb when reminded that experts had cautioned us this would happen. We insisted we did everything right. We pretended to be victims when we knew better. We can\u2019t get a lot of those tools back now. It\u2019s too late.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LEGEND<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1) <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> for charts new today; all others are not updated.<\/p>\n<p>2) For a full-size\/full-resolution image, Command-click (MacOS) or right-click (Windows) on the chart thumbnail and \u201copen image in new tab.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>NOTES<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>[1] (Biobot) Our curve has now flattened out at the level of previous Trump peaks. Not a great victory. Note also the area \u201cunder the curve,\u201d besides looking at peaks. That area is larger under Biden than under Trump, and it seems to be rising steadily if unevenly.<\/p>\n<p>[2] (Biobot) Midwest ticks up.<\/p>\n<p>[3] (CDC Variants) As of May 11, genomic surveillance data will be reported biweekly, based on the availability of positive test specimens.\u201d \u201cBiweeekly: 1. occurring every two weeks. 2. occurring twice a week; semiweekly.\u201d Looks like CDC has chosen sense #1. In essence, they\u2019re telling us variants are nothing to worry about. Time will tell.<\/p>\n<p>[4] (ER) \u201cCharts and data provided by CDC, updates Wednesday by 8am. For the past year, using a rolling 52-week period.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Looks like a very gradual leveling off to a non-zero baseline, to me.<\/p>\n<p>[6] (Hospitalization: CDC) Still down. \u201cMaps, charts, and data provided by CDC, updates weekly for the previous MMWR week (Sunday-Saturday) on Thursdays (Deaths, Emergency Department Visits, Test Positivity) and weekly the following Mondays (Hospitalizations) by 8 pm ET\u2020\u201d. <\/p>\n<p>[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[8] (Cleveland) Flattening.<\/p>\n<p>[9] (Travelers: Posivitity) Now up, albeit in the rear view mirror.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants) JN.1 dominates utterly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are no official statistics of interest today.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"boeing\"\/>Manufacturing: \u201cBarnett \u2013 First Amended Complaint 5-4-21_Redacted\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/715444070\/Barnett-First-Amended-Complaint-5-4-21-Redacted\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Scribd<\/a>]. A random selection: \u201c[The late Boeing whistleblower John] Barnett continually insisted on the proper procedures being followed. Barnett complained about . In most cases, the mechanic would come to work to find that the parts s\/he installed the day before were gone. Upper Management ignored the stolen parts problem and insisted that Barnett stop documenting them in e-mails and on CA\u2019s (corrective action EPDs). All corrective action EPD\u2019s for stolen parts were cancelled per Leadership direction without any investigation or corrective action. (Ethics hast he records).\u201d \u2022 Uploaded by Live 5 News, and <em>not<\/em> the prize-winning local paper, the <em>Post and Courier<\/em>, which hasn\u2019t run one single story on Barnett\u2019s <del>assassination<\/del> death since the original story on March 13. No doubt their crack staff is waiting on the police report, but when the local paper maintains complete radio silence, that makes me worry the fix is in at the police department. I mean, couldn\u2019t they at least have run a human interest story on Barnett\u2019s family?<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cAlaska Airlines blowout passenger reveals terrifying moment his socks and shoes were ripped off and his body was \u2018lifted up in the howling wind\u2019 as he sues airline and Boeing along with seven others\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-13224665\/Alaska-Airlines-blowout-passenger-terrifying-moment.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Daily Mail<\/a>]. \u2022 Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">“When one door closes, another one opens.”<\/p>\n<p>\u2013Boeing<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 John Paul (@IAm_JohnPaulAF) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IAm_JohnPaulAF\/status\/1770949951641833723\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">March 21, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Confirms Disappointing Update on 737 Max Engine Issue\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/money\/companies\/boeing-confirms-disappointing-update-on-737-max-engine-issue\/ar-BB1kj7Hi?cvid=8e6d15df45824f1590735b6fe6294f31&ei=27\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MSN<\/a>]. \u201cIn the latest chapter of Boeing\u2019s ongoing saga, the aerospace giant faces a significant setback with its 737 Max series. An engine issue will sideline the fleet for up to a year, further delaying the certification of the eagerly awaited 737 Max 7s and Max 10s models\u2026. [A] glitch in the 737 Max\u2019s anti-ice system, which poses a risk of overheating and damaging the engine. Despite the potential severity of the issue, the airplane manufacturing giant assures that it has never occurred in flight. However, the theoretical risk of components breaking off mid-air has prompted a swift and serious response\u2026. The company\u2019s previous estimates had set the repair timeframe at nine to twelve months. This repair work is not just a matter of replacing parts but involves a deeper understanding of the engine\u2019s air intake dynamics and its broader implications on aircraft performance and safety\u2026. The ramifications of the engine issue extend beyond technical repairs. Certification delays for the 737 Max 7s and Max 10s impact Boeing\u2019s timeline and affect major airlines\u2019 operational plans. For instance, Southwest Airlines, with its all-737 fleet, has had to revise its 2024 capacity projections and earnings forecasts in light of these delays.\u201d \u2022\u00a0This is the issue where pilots had to remind themselves to turn off the anti-ice system in time with a sticky note on their instrument panel.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing in \u2018last chance saloon\u2019, warns Emirates head\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/ad41382f-3279-46ad-9ddd-8f7b0c368f07\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. We already linked to this, but to reinforce: \u201c[Emirates Airline President] Sir Tim Clark told the Financial Times he had seen a \u201cprogressive decline\u201d in Boeing\u2019s standards, which he put down to long-running management and governance mis-steps, including prioritising financial performance over engineering excellence\u2026.. Clark said Boeing\u2019s previous management had made repeated mis-steps, including outsourcing parts of its manufacturing and moving parts of its 787 production to South Carolina to cut costs following battles with unions at its primary base north of Seattle, Washington. Boeing eventually moved all of its 787 production to South Carolina in 2021 but the site has struggled with manufacturing challenges. Clark said Boeing had lost \u2018skills and competencies\u2019 through the move.\u201d \u2022 When the Emirates President says it\u2019s union-busting\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing\u2019s big green disaster\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/heated.world\/p\/boeings-big-green-disaster\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Heated<\/a>]. \u201cThe 737-Max was not the plane Boeing originally intended to make. In 2011, the company announced it was planning to develop an entirely new plane to replace its aging and fuel-guzzling 737 fleet. This new, more fuel-efficient plane would cost billions of dollars and take nearly a decade to make. But Boeing\u2019s then-CEO said it would be worth it. \u2018It\u2019s our judgment that our customers will wait for us,\u2019 he said. Shortly after that announcement, however, Boeing\u2019s CEO was proven wrong. The company\u2019s exclusive customer, American Airlines, announced it was defecting to Boeing\u2019s rival plane manufacturer, Airbus. And Airbus was not making new planes\u2013it was putting new, more fuel-efficient engines on old planes. So in order to compete, Boeing quickly scrapped its plan. Instead, it too decided to put new engines on old planes. The 737 Max was born. From a sustainability perspective, Boeing\u2019s change in direction was disappointing, said [Dan Rutherford, an aviation and sustainability expert with the International Council on Clean Transportation]. While the more fuel-efficient aircraft engines were better for the planet than the older ones, a new plane, he said, would have delivered far more benefits. \u2018If you look at the technologies that can be used to improve the fuel efficiency and reduce emissions for aircraft, it\u2019s basically three big buckets,; he said. Manufacturers could have made the airframe lighter by using lightweight materials, improved the aerodynamics of the plane to reduce drag, and added more advanced engines. That \u2018clean-sheet design\u2019, as it\u2019s known by the industry, would have used less fuel and produced less emissions. A new plane would also have been safer, both in design and because pilots would have been required to train on the new aircraft. But a new design would have cost Boeing and the airlines far more money. So while the strategy may have been good for short-term profit, ultimately, \u2018Boeing\u2019s strategy was bad for the environment and for consumers,\u2019 Rutherford said\u2026. And once accidents and tragedies began to plague the 737 Max\u2014in large part because the new engines compromised the aerodynamics of the plane [for which the disastrous MCAS system was a kludge]\u2014the company\u2019s sustainability marketing soared further.\u201d \u2022 Because of course it did.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 72 Greed (previous close: 74 Greed) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 72 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Mar 22 at 12:56:25 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Holier than Thou<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cChristian group is \u2018luring\u2019 students with free pizza at lunch, Clovis parents say\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fresnobee.com\/news\/local\/education-lab\/article286918600.html#storylink=cpy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Fresno Bee<\/a>]. \u201cThree parents with children attending Reyburn Intermediate and Clovis East High schools said their children were offered free pizza to go to the lecture hall in groups of three to five during their lunch period. Upon arrival, parents said a representative from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes meets with students. After praying and hearing about Christianity, parents said students then receive their free pizza in yellow boxes. \u201cI feel that they\u2019re doing wrong,\u201d one parent with a student at Clovis East told The Fresno Bee. \u201cThey\u2019re basically luring in kids that are under 18, that are still trying to find themselves and are still trying to explore.\u201d The parents who spoke to The Bee asked to remain anonymous, fearing retaliation against them or their children. They also said they were not notified via email, text, permission slip or asked for their consent for the FCA to approach their children.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIntermittent fasting linked to 91% increase in risk of death from heart disease, study says\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/well\/2024\/03\/18\/how-healthy-intermittent-fasting-heart-disease-study-91-percent-risk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Fortune<\/a> (Furzy Mouse)]. \u201cThe safety of intermittent fasting, a popular strategy to lose weight by limiting food intake to certain times, was called into question by a surprise finding from research presented at a medical meeting. Limiting mealtimes to a period of just eight hours a day was linked to a 91% increase in risk of death from heart disease in the study, which was released on Monday in Chicago. The American Heart Association published only an abstract, leaving scientists speculating about details of the study protocol. The study was reviewed by other experts prior to its release, according to the AHA. Lifestyle interventions aimed at weight loss have come under scrutiny as a new generation of drugs help people shed pounds. Some doctors questioned the study\u2019s findings, saying they could have been skewed by differences \u2014 such as underlying heart health \u2014 between the fasting patients and the comparison group, whose members consumed food over a daily period of 12 to 16 hours.\u201d \u2022 I originally misread the headline to imply <em>decrease<\/em>, not increase, so I\u2019m really running this in case that happens to anybody else. That said: Thumbs down on a story driven from a conference abstract. And thumbs up on the dreaded lifestyle change, as opposed to Big Pharma\u2019s latest. At least in my experience, eating less \u2014 especially fewer sweets \u2014 really <em>does<\/em> cause weight loss, hence increased agility, general feeling of fitness. Readers may differ in their views. Endless are the arguments of dieticians!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Guillotine Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMillionaire biohacker Bryan Johnson (who already has a cult-like following) plans to start his own NATION for anti-agers\u2026 where pizza, donuts and alcohol could be illegal\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/health\/article-13214693\/bryan-johnson-biohacker-anti-aging-nation.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=social-twitter_mailonline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Daily Mail<\/a>]. \u2022 Can anybody get a passport? Could this be Mr. Lee\u2019s Greater Hong Kong?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t know what\u2019s gotten into Stoller, but I\u2019m here for it:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This evil predatory scheme is the result of private equity billionaire Tom Gores, and he used the profits from it \u2013 as well as other acquisitions \u2013 to buy the Detroit Pistons. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lLglS3PtuG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/lLglS3PtuG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/matthewstoller\/status\/1770817905938035053\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">March 21, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>(\u201cEvil\u201d is strong language \u2014 and used correctly in this case.) NOTE Yeah, yeah, China. We\u2019re none of us perfect. <\/p>\n<p><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Derek Guy on men\u2019s clothing is one of my guilty pleasures on the Twitter:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rogers is most known for his cardigans, but his attire on the show was actually composed of tailoring (suits, sport coats, and blazers), which he wore when he arrived “home.” He then took that off and changed into a cardigan to signal he had “gotten home from work.” <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/arZEz9Ik5i\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/arZEz9Ik5i<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 derek guy (@dieworkwear) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dieworkwear\/status\/1771032944221827438\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">March 22, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><strong>Contact information for plants<\/strong>: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) <a href=\"hhttps:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/03\/200pm-water-cooler-3-20-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From TH:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/camellia.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-268852\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/camellia.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/camellia-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>TH writes: \u201cI\u2019m not positive, but I believe this is a camelia. It, like so many of my recent submissions, lives at the Sherman Library and Gardens (Corona Del Mar, Newport Beach, California).\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"donate\"\/><strong>Readers<\/strong>: Water Cooler is a standalone entity <em>not<\/em> covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn\u2019t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! <em>Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I\u2019m on the right track with coverage<\/em>. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:<\/p>\n<p>Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-226891\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"606\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png 606w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/03\/200pm-water-cooler-3-22-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day American Robin (migratorius Group), Miguel Hidalgo, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico, Mexico. * * * In Case<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":78724,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[153,183],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-spotlight"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78723"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78723\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>American Robin (migratorius Group), Miguel Hidalgo, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico, Mexico.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<p>(1) More <a href=\"#boeing\">Boeing shenanigans<\/a>, as Barnett\u2019s assassination is gradually memory-holed.<\/p>\n<p>(2) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>2024<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Less than a year to go!<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/free.timeanddate.com\/countdown\/i8ubjj5e\/n179\/cf100\/cm0\/cu1\/ct0\/cs1\/ca0\/cr0\/ss0\/cac000\/cpc000\/pcfff\/tcfff\/fs100\/szw320\/szh135\/tatTime%20left%20to%20Election%20Day%2C%202024\/tac000\/tptTime%20since%20Event%20started%20in\/tpc000\/mac000\/mpc000\/iso2024-11-05T00:00:00\/bo2\/pd2\" allowtransparency=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"322\" height=\"137\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Trump (R): \u201cWhy no one will lend to Trump\u201d [Edward Luce, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/aa383026-ac12-4d39-b6ee-075c2a248fc9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. \u201cFor Donald Trump, it would not be seven times a charm. His first six bankruptcies all took place before he went into politics. Most of these occurred in two phases: in the early 1990s after he had over-extended on a clutch of Atlantic City casinos, then on various properties before and after the 2008 crash. America\u2019s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection got him out of trouble. Since then, Trump has largely made money by licensing his brand name. But there is no easy way out from the $454mn that he owes in damages to the New York legal system. Unlike banks, the law does not take haircuts. There is nothing to stop Trump from being broke and winning the White House. He already had that history of bankruptcy when he won in 2016. But his financial woes create two novel headaches \u2014 one for him, and one for America. For Trump, it undermines his reputation for being rich, which he and his base value highly. Revisions to his net worth cut it from the $10bn he claimed in 2016 to $2.6bn on Forbes\u2019 latest estimate. But these are educated guesses. As a private company, the Trump Organization does not disclose its liabilities. Even if that number proves correct, most of his wealth is locked up in illiquid assets, chiefly real estate such as his landmark towers in New York and the golf clubs. The prospect of bailiffs seizing all the bling they could find from Mar-a-Lago would give schadenfreude to millions. It would also deal a blow to Trump\u2019s idea of himself. He was raised on the prosperity gospel that says your wealth is a measure of your moral worth. To the Maga base, Trump\u2019s wealth is also a yardstick of his cunning. Trump is estimated to have inherited the equivalent today of $413mn from his father, Fred Trump. A quarter of a century after Trump Sr\u2019s death, his son seems unable to cover roughly that amount. Some of Trump\u2019s supporters are puzzled that he has not yet been bailed out by one of his wealthy donors. The answer is that he has a history of not paying what he owes. From the world\u2019s biggest banks to America\u2019s smallest contractors, Trump is expert at stiffing creditors. That is not to mention the class-action winners of those who paid exorbitant fees to study at Trump University, the dissolution of the Trump family\u2019s charitable foundation for a \u2018shocking pattern of illegality\u2019, and the fact that roughly $50mn in Trump 2024 campaign funds has gone to pay his legal bills. Trump\u2019s donors prefer his policies to those of Joe Biden, who has vowed a billionaire tax in his second term. In their personal dealings, however, they seem to validate the former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg\u2019s view that with Trump he knows \u2018a con when I see one.\u2019 All of which makes Trump more of a liability to America. As every spy agency knows, the most at-risk employees are those who are heavily in debt. Presidential candidates are offered intelligence briefings during the election. Trump is facing a much-postponed trial for allegedly secreting troves of highly classified material at Mar-a-Lago. It does not take great deductive skill to see that Trump\u2019s financial quandary poses a national security risk. If insurance companies and friendly billionaires think he is too big a credit risk, who might help him out instead? What sort of collateral could Trump offer in return? Even by America\u2019s recent standards, this creates a new kind of headache.\u201d \u2022 NC commenter DCBlogger told me, long ago, pre-2016, that the one thing that could take Trump down would be proof that he was not rich. And now it seems that Trump faces something akin to a capital strike, in addition to already facing a professional services strike. As for Luce\u2019s psychological reading of the American electorate, I\u2019m not so sure. (\u201cProsperity gospel\u201d is preached by a particularly noxious American Protestant sect; Trump\u2019s childhood minister was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2016\/08\/03\/488513585\/how-positive-thinking-prosperity-gospel-define-donald-trumps-faith-outlook\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Norman Vincent Peale<\/a>, also noxious but not a member of that sect.) \u201cTrump was rich until crooked Democrats stole all his money\u201d is one form of cope that might help, particularly for the aggrieved who feel that what they value has been taken by Democrats as well. \u201cSo what, if Trump is the one to most damage the system\u201d is another.\u201d We\u2019ll see. 2024 is certainly not without interest or drama!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Biden (D): \u201cBiden\u2019s lawfare joke\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/daily-memo\/2928398\/bidens-lawfare-joke\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Washington Examiner<\/a>]. \u201cNo criminal trial has begun, but the swarm of Democratic legal actions has already cost Trump dearly. Of course, that was the idea, or at least part of the idea. And it\u2019s something that Biden himself indirectly acknowledged in a recent speech. It happened in Washington at the Gridiron Dinner, a fancy white-tie gathering of major media figures and the top politicians they cover. Biden delivered a speech that was part comedy routine and part inspirational talk to his media base. And this is a joke Biden told, according to news accounts: \u2018Our big plan to cancel student debt doesn\u2019t apply to everyone. Just yesterday, a defeated-looking man came up to me and said, \u2018I\u2019m being crushed by debt. I\u2019m completely wiped out.\u2019 And I said, \u2018Sorry, Donald, I can\u2019t help you.\u201d Ha ha ha. The media audience, of course, laughed. With one joke, Biden acknowledged the work his party\u2019s lawfare warriors have done in the Trump matter. And how could Biden not be grateful? He\u2019s trailing Trump in the polls, is facing an electorate that largely believes he is too old for a second term, and is underwater in approval ratings for his handling of most issues. No doubt Biden\u2019s joke about bankrupting Trump reflects his satisfaction that the lawfare effort is starting to work. But Biden wants more. In February, Politico <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/02\/09\/white-house-frustration-with-garland-grows-00140813\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">reported<\/a> that Biden has \u2018grumbled to aides and advisers that had [Attorney General Merrick] Garland moved sooner in his investigation into former President Donald Trump\u2019s election interference, a trial may already be underway or even have concluded.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Biden (D): \u201cBiden Has Massive Campaign Cash Lead Over Trump as General Election Begins\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/TCRUQ#selection-5705.0-5708.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cTrump has retained a slight advantage in polls in battleground states, where thin margins will likely decide who wins the presidency in November. Money also doesn\u2019t necessarily equal guaranteed victory; Hillary Clinton bested Trump in the 2016 money race but still lost the White House. And Trump\u2019s fundraising is likely to pick up now that he has replaced the leadership at the RNC and formed a joint-fundraising committee. Nonetheless, Biden\u2019s fundraising advantage lays bare the risks that Trump has going into spring and summer, when he will accept his party\u2019s nomination at the Republican National Convention. His financial health might also reflect the segment of Republicans who say they will refuse to vote for Trump even if he were the nominee, according to surveys of GOP primary voters by AP VoteCast. While the Biden team reported adding $25 million to its total cash holdings in February, Trump\u2019s cash\u2014across the campaign account, the RNC and two PACs\u2014increased by $9.2 million.\u201d \u2022 Handy chart:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/presidential_cash.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"368\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-268854\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/presidential_cash.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/presidential_cash-300x184.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Biden (D): \u201cBiden SHOULD be angry and anxious \u2014 his re-election prospects stink\u201d [Rich Lowry, <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/03\/19\/opinion\/joe-biden-should-be-angry-and-anxious-about-the-2024-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Post<\/a>]. \u201c[A] loss to Trump would instantly vaporize what was to be Biden\u2019s most important legacy \u2014 stopping Trump and supposedly saving American democracy. On his terms, Biden can\u2019t afford to go one-for-two in this endeavor. History isn\u2019t usually kind to one-term presidents. A defeat would be particularly bad for Biden. It would expose his decision to run again for president at age 81, when he\u2019s visibly in decline, as a historic blunder resulting from selfishness and an utter lack of realism. It\u2019d become undeniable that his pick of Kamala Harris, which helped keep Democrats from pushing for him to step aside, was a terrible mistake, and Democrats would be willing to say so. In short, given the personal and political stakes for Biden and how daunting the landscape looks at the moment, Biden would be well-advised to be angry and anxious \u2014 very angry and anxious.\u201d \u2022 I still maintain that given the incredibly weak Democrat bench, Biden was the best choice (and from the purely party perspective, a brokered convention would be an excellent outcome for grandees and apparatchiks, because their power (some of them, at least) would be enhanced, whether or not their candidate won. In some ways, that was the lesson of Clinton\u2019s losing campaign in 2016; certainly key elements of the Clinton apparatus \u2014 press, spooks, party apparatchiks, newly class-conscious PMC \u2014 emerged from the debacle with powers enhanced, not diminished).<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Kennedy (I): \u201cWho\u2019s afraid of RFK?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/opinion\/campaign\/4544730-whos-afraid-of-rfk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201c[Kennedy is] polling at a steady 15 percent average nationally, and even better in some very important states. He\u2019s performing particularly strong with key demographics like Black and Latino voters, as well as young voters \u2014 even beating both Biden and Trump in some polls in that category. \u2018It seems clear that in any of these battleground states where the margins are going to be thin, the more candidates in the race, the worse for Biden,\u2019 Tom Bevan, founder of RealClearPolitics, told me. \u2018A point or two in the big six battleground states could make the difference, depending on where they make the ballot.\u2019 (Trump edges Biden in the RCP average in a two-way race, but he performs even better when RFK is included.) \u2018Making the ballot\u2019 is a key element to this. Right now, , and getting close in another 15 or so. But that\u2019s not going to make the seismic impact he wants, or needs. So pay attention to what happens over the next two months. \u2018Part of the reason he\u2019s choosing a running mate now is that some states don\u2019t allow a presidential candidate on the ballot without a running mate,\u2019 Chris Stirewalt, host of \u2018The Hill Sunday,\u2019 told me. \u2018With the Libertarian nomination, he would have the chance to focus on campaigning. Without it, he will be necessarily focused on ballot access more than anything else.’\u201d \u2022 Not a bad think, if in fact RFK organizes a mass signature-gathering effort (run by his own organization not outsourced to petition gatherers), a la \u201cClean for Gene\u201d in 1968.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en D\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWhy Democrats Are Losing Their Grip on Latino Voters\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/7ZlDS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cSo long as Democrats were viewed as the party of the working class, they could bank on winning large Hispanic majorities. The problem Joe Biden and his party face this year is growing numbers of Hispanics and other nonwhite working-class voters view Democrats as out of touch. White voters without a college degree have been quitting the Democratic Party in earnest since the Obama presidency. Democrats didn\u2019t expect to see Hispanics follow, but that\u2019s what has happened. To the surprise of most political observers, the trend accelerated thanks to Donald Trump. Democrats carried the Hispanic vote by 38 points in 2016. By 2020 that margin had shrunk to 21 points, and among Hispanic men it was down to 17 points. \u2018In 2020, Democrats assumed that they would easily win the Hispanic vote against a president with a history of vitriolic statements against Mexico and Mexican Americans and hostility toward illegal immigration,\u2019 Mr. Judis and Mr. Teixeira write. Instead, Mr. Trump performed significantly better among Latinos than he had four years earlier. Few predict that the GOP will win a majority of the Latino vote this November, but these inroads have smart Democrats terrified.\u201d \u2022 Of course, the Democrats could always do something like pass a 32-hour work week; but at best, they\u2019ll manage <em>not<\/em> to pass it, due to a \u201crevolving villain\u201d (Manchin; Sinema); the filibuster; the Senate Parliamentarian; and, in all cases, those darn Republicans! But vote for us, because we\u2019re \u201cfighting for\u201d!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>#COVID19<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am in earnest \u2014 I will not equivocate \u2014 I will not excuse \u2014 I will not retreat a single inch \u2014 AND I WILL BE HEARD.\u201d \u2013William Lloyd Garrison<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Resources, United States (National): Transmission (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk&null=Risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>); Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/biobot.io\/data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Biobot<\/a>; includes many counties; <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wastewater Scan<\/a>, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/businesssolutions\/covid-19-index.jsp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a>); \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/iowacovid19tracker.org\/hospitals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Iowa COVID-19 Tracker<\/a>\u201d (in IA, but national data). \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/icemsg.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts<\/a>\u201d (especially on hospitalization by city).<\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put \u201cCOVID\u201d in the subject line. Thank you!<\/p>\n<p>Resources, United States (Local): AK (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/af2efc8bffbf4cdc83c2d1a134354074\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/6d2771faa9da4a2786a509d82c8cf0f7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AR (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/633006d0782b4544bd5113a314f6268a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AZ (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azdhs.gov\/covid19\/data\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); CA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdph.ca.gov\/Programs\/CID\/DCDC\/Pages\/COVID-19\/CalSuWers-Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.marinhhs.org\/surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Marin, dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/healthalerts.stanford.edu\/covid-19\/wastewater-dashboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Stanford, wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/?v=SC2_N&l=Oakland%2C+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Oakland, wastewater<\/a>); CO (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/d79cf93c3938470ca4bcc4823328946b#utility=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); CT (<a href=\"https:\/\/data.ct.gov\/stories\/s\/COVID-19-data\/wa3g-tfvc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); DE (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.delaware.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); FL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/5b9d75ba683849928dc1a49c39ab0b1c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); GA (<a href=\"https:\/\/dph.georgia.gov\/ga-nwss-wastewater-surveillance-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); HI (<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); IA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmmwra.org\/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater reports<\/a>); ID (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Boise; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/?plantId=1056f05c-0e46-4e3d-b007-c0453ba7dc0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Central Idaho; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/#:SARS-CoV-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Coeur d\u2019Alene; dashboard, <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.srhd.org\/topics\/spokane-county-case-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spokane County<\/a>); IL (<a href=\"https:\/\/iwss.uillinois.edu\/wastewater-treatment-plants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); IN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.in.gov\/indiana-covid-19-dashboard-and-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); KS (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov\/160\/COVID-19-in-Kansas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/4456bae8a38f4b6180e008477382fff9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Lawrence); KY (<a href=\"https:\/\/louisville.edu\/envirome\/thecoimmunityproject\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Louisville); LA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldh.la.gov\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/covid-19-wastewater-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MD (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.maryland.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); ME (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/dhhs\/mecdc\/infectious-disease\/epi\/airborne\/coronavirus\/data.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/coronavirus\/stats\/wastewater-surveillance\/dashboard\/sentinel-wastewater-epidemiology-evaluation-project-sweep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/gisportal.state.mi.us\/portal\/apps\/insights\/index.html#\/view\/52bbb104ed574887918f990af9f3debe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/stats\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MO (<a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/f7f5492486114da6b5d6fdc07f81aacf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MS (<a href=\"https:\/\/msdh.ms.gov\/page\/14,0,420.html#Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>MT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapSeries\/index.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; NC (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.ncdhhs.gov\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard)<\/a>; ND (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NE (<a href=\"https:\/\/atlas-dhhs.ne.gov\/Atlas\/Respiratory_Illness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NH (<a href=\"https:\/\/wisdom.dhhs.nh.gov\/wisdom\/dashboard.html?topic=covid-19&subtopic=recurring-updates&indicator=covid-19-wastewater#tabnavbarid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NJ (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.nj.gov\/forms\/datadashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NM (<a href=\"https:\/\/cvprovider.nmhealth.org\/public-dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NV (<a href=\"https:\/\/nvhealthresponse.nv.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/empower.unlv.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Southern NV); NY (<a href=\"https:\/\/mbcolli.shinyapps.io\/SARS2EWSP\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OH (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.ohio.gov\/dashboards\/other-resources\/wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OK (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/51657c21386d4f1a962b1853c76ec589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>OR (<a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/oregon.health.authority.covid.19\/viz\/OregonsCOVID-19DataDashboards-TableofContents\/TableofContentsStatewide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; PA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.pa.gov\/topics\/disease\/coronavirus\/pages\/Cases.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); RI (<a href=\"https:\/\/ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SC (<a href=\"https:\/\/scdhec.gov\/index.php\/covid19\/covid-19-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SD (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.sd.gov\/COVID\/Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/health\/cedep\/ncov\/data.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TX (<a href=\"https:\/\/txdshsea.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/4ae43eefd0f641d59d35c3df82ee59cc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); UT (<a href=\"https:\/\/udwq.shinyapps.io\/sarscov2_surv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/coronavirus\/see-the-numbers\/covid-19-in-virginia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); VT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthvermont.gov\/disease-control\/covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WA (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.wa.gov\/emergencies\/covid-19\/data-dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.bfhd.wa.gov\/cases-and-roadmap-to-recovery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.wisconsin.gov\/covid-19\/wastewater.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); WV (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/oehs.wvdhhr.org\/news\/oehs-coivd-19-information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>); WY (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/covidwastewatermonitor.wyo.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/health-infobase.canada.ca\/covid-19\/wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Government of Canada<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publichealthontario.ca\/en\/Data-and-Analysis\/Infectious-Disease\/COVID-19-Data-Surveillance\/Wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); QC (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inspq.qc.ca\/covid-19\/donnees\/eaux-usees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><em>les eaux us\u00e9es<\/em><\/a>); BC (<a href=\"https:\/\/bccdc.shinyapps.io\/respiratory_wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); BC, Vancouver (<a href=\"https:\/\/metrovancouver.org\/services\/liquid-waste\/testing-for-the-covid-19-virus-in-wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, 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, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n<p>Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Vaccines<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cAn intranasal combination vaccine induces systemic and mucosal immunity against COVID-19 and influenza\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41541-024-00857-5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Nature<\/a>]. Since CDC threw Covid and the flu into the same bucket, the vaccine industry responded, which I\u2019m fine with if it works. Mouse study. From the Abstract: \u201cDespite prolonged surveillance and interventions, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza viruses continue to pose a severe global health burden. Thus, we developed a chimpanzee adenovirus-based combination vaccine, AdC68-HATRBD, with dual specificity against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus. When used as a standalone vaccine, intranasal immunization with AdC68-HATRBD induced comprehensive and potent immune responses consisting of immunoglobin (Ig) G, mucosal IgA, neutralizing antibodies, and memory T cells, which protected the mice from BA.5.2 and pandemic H1N1 infections. When used as a heterologous booster, AdC68-HATRBD markedly improved the protective immune response of the licensed SARS-CoV-2 or influenza vaccine. Therefore, whether administered intranasally as a standalone or booster vaccine, this combination vaccine is a valuable strategy to enhance the overall vaccine efficacy by inducing robust systemic and mucosal immune responses, thereby conferring dual lines of immunological defenses for these two viruses.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Infection<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>No, Covid is not \u201cover.\u201d Biobot\u2019s year-on-year chart:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/covid-biobot-year-on-year.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"414\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-268851\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/covid-biobot-year-on-year.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/covid-biobot-year-on-year-300x207.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>(This is an alternative to the Biobot chart I use, \u201cTotal Results,\u201d which I prefer because it gives the history of the pandemic at a glance. The data is the same.)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMild\u201d symptoms:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Those \u201cmild symptoms\u201d you refer to\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2026that cough, runny nose or sore throat\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Those are the initial symptoms of highly infectious diseases like Covid, measles, whooping cough.<\/p>\n<p>The advice to send kids to school with these symptoms is highly irresponsible. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8RjM270wsL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/8RjM270wsL<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Cat in the Hat \ud83d\udc08\u200d\u2b1b \ud83c\udfa9 \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 (@_CatintheHat) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/_CatintheHat\/status\/1771159093681471628\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">March 22, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Policy<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWe Had the Tools\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/guinesspig.ghost.io\/we-had-the-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Guiness Pig Diaries<\/a>]. From 2023, still germane, and worth reading in full. The character names (\u201clike General Manager Tim\u201d) are from a brilliant extended metaphor of a hardware store: \u201c[A] government or health officials [will say we have the tools to deal with Covid-19. No we don\u2019t. We <em>had<\/em> the tools. All we have now are the memories of those tools. We (and by we, I mean collectively, societally we) blew it. We threw the tools away. We traded them in for something we believed was so much better. Why? Because the very leaders we are supposed to trust to look out for our best interests, like General Manager Tim, told us to. They gave us permission. They told us it was more important to get back to normal than to rely on those tools. So many who heard that message took it and ran with it. Like Liz, they twisted it into something much more extreme to fit their own agendas. Not only are masks not required in public anymore, they\u2019re now banned in some places because they remind people that Covid is still a threat, and that\u2019s bad for the economy. Wearing one has become so stigmatized it can get you harassed or assaulted. And then there\u2019s remote work. Not only is it discouraged, it is shamed. There are message campaigns circulating throughout the media about how remote work is bad for productivity, bad for teamwork, bad for the health of remote workers. Speaking of messaging, we don\u2019t have ANY consistent, trustworthy messaging to inform our decisions about Covid anymore. We have \u2018you do you.\u2019 Which is essentially the \u2018customer is always right\u2019 mantra in the world of Covid. Believe whatever the fuck you want, do whatever the fuck you want, and regardless of the consequences for yourself or others, no one can hold you accountable. No one can tell you that you\u2019re wrong. This is now a DIY pandemic. Good luck. When we discovered that there were consequences to sh*tting all over our tools and throwing them away, we wanted them back, like Josh. Covid patients who ended up fighting for their lives in the hospital would beg for the vaccine that they had loudly and proudly refused before they got sick. People who thought vaccines were all they needed to stay well refused to continue masking. Then they found themselves ill with Covid and begged for treatments like monoclonal antibodies, which stopped working a long time ago as variants evolved to escape them. We played dumb when reminded that experts had cautioned us this would happen. We insisted we did everything right. We pretended to be victims when we knew better. We can\u2019t get a lot of those tools back now. It\u2019s too late.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>LEGEND<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1) <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> for charts new today; all others are not updated.<\/p>\n<p>2) For a full-size\/full-resolution image, Command-click (MacOS) or right-click (Windows) on the chart thumbnail and \u201copen image in new tab.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>NOTES<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>[1] (Biobot) Our curve has now flattened out at the level of previous Trump peaks. Not a great victory. Note also the area \u201cunder the curve,\u201d besides looking at peaks. That area is larger under Biden than under Trump, and it seems to be rising steadily if unevenly.<\/p>\n<p>[2] (Biobot) Midwest ticks up.<\/p>\n<p>[3] (CDC Variants) As of May 11, genomic surveillance data will be reported biweekly, based on the availability of positive test specimens.\u201d \u201cBiweeekly: 1. occurring every two weeks. 2. occurring twice a week; semiweekly.\u201d Looks like CDC has chosen sense #1. In essence, they\u2019re telling us variants are nothing to worry about. Time will tell.<\/p>\n<p>[4] (ER) \u201cCharts and data provided by CDC, updates Wednesday by 8am. For the past year, using a rolling 52-week period.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Looks like a very gradual leveling off to a non-zero baseline, to me.<\/p>\n<p>[6] (Hospitalization: CDC) Still down. \u201cMaps, charts, and data provided by CDC, updates weekly for the previous MMWR week (Sunday-Saturday) on Thursdays (Deaths, Emergency Department Visits, Test Positivity) and weekly the following Mondays (Hospitalizations) by 8 pm ET\u2020\u201d. <\/p>\n<p>[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[8] (Cleveland) Flattening.<\/p>\n<p>[9] (Travelers: Posivitity) Now up, albeit in the rear view mirror.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants) JN.1 dominates utterly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are no official statistics of interest today.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"boeing\"\/>Manufacturing: \u201cBarnett \u2013 First Amended Complaint 5-4-21_Redacted\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/715444070\/Barnett-First-Amended-Complaint-5-4-21-Redacted\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Scribd<\/a>]. A random selection: \u201c[The late Boeing whistleblower John] Barnett continually insisted on the proper procedures being followed. Barnett complained about . In most cases, the mechanic would come to work to find that the parts s\/he installed the day before were gone. Upper Management ignored the stolen parts problem and insisted that Barnett stop documenting them in e-mails and on CA\u2019s (corrective action EPDs). All corrective action EPD\u2019s for stolen parts were cancelled per Leadership direction without any investigation or corrective action. (Ethics hast he records).\u201d \u2022 Uploaded by Live 5 News, and <em>not<\/em> the prize-winning local paper, the <em>Post and Courier<\/em>, which hasn\u2019t run one single story on Barnett\u2019s <del>assassination<\/del> death since the original story on March 13. No doubt their crack staff is waiting on the police report, but when the local paper maintains complete radio silence, that makes me worry the fix is in at the police department. I mean, couldn\u2019t they at least have run a human interest story on Barnett\u2019s family?<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cAlaska Airlines blowout passenger reveals terrifying moment his socks and shoes were ripped off and his body was \u2018lifted up in the howling wind\u2019 as he sues airline and Boeing along with seven others\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-13224665\/Alaska-Airlines-blowout-passenger-terrifying-moment.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Daily Mail<\/a>]. \u2022 Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">“When one door closes, another one opens.”<\/p>\n<p>\u2013Boeing<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 John Paul (@IAm_JohnPaulAF) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IAm_JohnPaulAF\/status\/1770949951641833723\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">March 21, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Confirms Disappointing Update on 737 Max Engine Issue\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/money\/companies\/boeing-confirms-disappointing-update-on-737-max-engine-issue\/ar-BB1kj7Hi?cvid=8e6d15df45824f1590735b6fe6294f31&ei=27\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MSN<\/a>]. \u201cIn the latest chapter of Boeing\u2019s ongoing saga, the aerospace giant faces a significant setback with its 737 Max series. An engine issue will sideline the fleet for up to a year, further delaying the certification of the eagerly awaited 737 Max 7s and Max 10s models\u2026. [A] glitch in the 737 Max\u2019s anti-ice system, which poses a risk of overheating and damaging the engine. Despite the potential severity of the issue, the airplane manufacturing giant assures that it has never occurred in flight. However, the theoretical risk of components breaking off mid-air has prompted a swift and serious response\u2026. The company\u2019s previous estimates had set the repair timeframe at nine to twelve months. This repair work is not just a matter of replacing parts but involves a deeper understanding of the engine\u2019s air intake dynamics and its broader implications on aircraft performance and safety\u2026. The ramifications of the engine issue extend beyond technical repairs. Certification delays for the 737 Max 7s and Max 10s impact Boeing\u2019s timeline and affect major airlines\u2019 operational plans. For instance, Southwest Airlines, with its all-737 fleet, has had to revise its 2024 capacity projections and earnings forecasts in light of these delays.\u201d \u2022\u00a0This is the issue where pilots had to remind themselves to turn off the anti-ice system in time with a sticky note on their instrument panel.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing in \u2018last chance saloon\u2019, warns Emirates head\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/ad41382f-3279-46ad-9ddd-8f7b0c368f07\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. We already linked to this, but to reinforce: \u201c[Emirates Airline President] Sir Tim Clark told the Financial Times he had seen a \u201cprogressive decline\u201d in Boeing\u2019s standards, which he put down to long-running management and governance mis-steps, including prioritising financial performance over engineering excellence\u2026.. Clark said Boeing\u2019s previous management had made repeated mis-steps, including outsourcing parts of its manufacturing and moving parts of its 787 production to South Carolina to cut costs following battles with unions at its primary base north of Seattle, Washington. Boeing eventually moved all of its 787 production to South Carolina in 2021 but the site has struggled with manufacturing challenges. Clark said Boeing had lost \u2018skills and competencies\u2019 through the move.\u201d \u2022 When the Emirates President says it\u2019s union-busting\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing\u2019s big green disaster\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/heated.world\/p\/boeings-big-green-disaster\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Heated<\/a>]. \u201cThe 737-Max was not the plane Boeing originally intended to make. In 2011, the company announced it was planning to develop an entirely new plane to replace its aging and fuel-guzzling 737 fleet. This new, more fuel-efficient plane would cost billions of dollars and take nearly a decade to make. But Boeing\u2019s then-CEO said it would be worth it. \u2018It\u2019s our judgment that our customers will wait for us,\u2019 he said. Shortly after that announcement, however, Boeing\u2019s CEO was proven wrong. The company\u2019s exclusive customer, American Airlines, announced it was defecting to Boeing\u2019s rival plane manufacturer, Airbus. And Airbus was not making new planes\u2013it was putting new, more fuel-efficient engines on old planes. So in order to compete, Boeing quickly scrapped its plan. Instead, it too decided to put new engines on old planes. The 737 Max was born. From a sustainability perspective, Boeing\u2019s change in direction was disappointing, said [Dan Rutherford, an aviation and sustainability expert with the International Council on Clean Transportation]. While the more fuel-efficient aircraft engines were better for the planet than the older ones, a new plane, he said, would have delivered far more benefits. \u2018If you look at the technologies that can be used to improve the fuel efficiency and reduce emissions for aircraft, it\u2019s basically three big buckets,; he said. Manufacturers could have made the airframe lighter by using lightweight materials, improved the aerodynamics of the plane to reduce drag, and added more advanced engines. That \u2018clean-sheet design\u2019, as it\u2019s known by the industry, would have used less fuel and produced less emissions. A new plane would also have been safer, both in design and because pilots would have been required to train on the new aircraft. But a new design would have cost Boeing and the airlines far more money. So while the strategy may have been good for short-term profit, ultimately, \u2018Boeing\u2019s strategy was bad for the environment and for consumers,\u2019 Rutherford said\u2026. And once accidents and tragedies began to plague the 737 Max\u2014in large part because the new engines compromised the aerodynamics of the plane [for which the disastrous MCAS system was a kludge]\u2014the company\u2019s sustainability marketing soared further.\u201d \u2022 Because of course it did.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 72 Greed (previous close: 74 Greed) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 72 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Mar 22 at 12:56:25 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Holier than Thou<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cChristian group is \u2018luring\u2019 students with free pizza at lunch, Clovis parents say\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fresnobee.com\/news\/local\/education-lab\/article286918600.html#storylink=cpy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Fresno Bee<\/a>]. \u201cThree parents with children attending Reyburn Intermediate and Clovis East High schools said their children were offered free pizza to go to the lecture hall in groups of three to five during their lunch period. Upon arrival, parents said a representative from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes meets with students. After praying and hearing about Christianity, parents said students then receive their free pizza in yellow boxes. \u201cI feel that they\u2019re doing wrong,\u201d one parent with a student at Clovis East told The Fresno Bee. \u201cThey\u2019re basically luring in kids that are under 18, that are still trying to find themselves and are still trying to explore.\u201d The parents who spoke to The Bee asked to remain anonymous, fearing retaliation against them or their children. They also said they were not notified via email, text, permission slip or asked for their consent for the FCA to approach their children.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIntermittent fasting linked to 91% increase in risk of death from heart disease, study says\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/well\/2024\/03\/18\/how-healthy-intermittent-fasting-heart-disease-study-91-percent-risk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Fortune<\/a> (Furzy Mouse)]. \u201cThe safety of intermittent fasting, a popular strategy to lose weight by limiting food intake to certain times, was called into question by a surprise finding from research presented at a medical meeting. Limiting mealtimes to a period of just eight hours a day was linked to a 91% increase in risk of death from heart disease in the study, which was released on Monday in Chicago. The American Heart Association published only an abstract, leaving scientists speculating about details of the study protocol. The study was reviewed by other experts prior to its release, according to the AHA. Lifestyle interventions aimed at weight loss have come under scrutiny as a new generation of drugs help people shed pounds. Some doctors questioned the study\u2019s findings, saying they could have been skewed by differences \u2014 such as underlying heart health \u2014 between the fasting patients and the comparison group, whose members consumed food over a daily period of 12 to 16 hours.\u201d \u2022 I originally misread the headline to imply <em>decrease<\/em>, not increase, so I\u2019m really running this in case that happens to anybody else. That said: Thumbs down on a story driven from a conference abstract. And thumbs up on the dreaded lifestyle change, as opposed to Big Pharma\u2019s latest. At least in my experience, eating less \u2014 especially fewer sweets \u2014 really <em>does<\/em> cause weight loss, hence increased agility, general feeling of fitness. Readers may differ in their views. Endless are the arguments of dieticians!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Guillotine Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMillionaire biohacker Bryan Johnson (who already has a cult-like following) plans to start his own NATION for anti-agers\u2026 where pizza, donuts and alcohol could be illegal\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/health\/article-13214693\/bryan-johnson-biohacker-anti-aging-nation.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=social-twitter_mailonline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Daily Mail<\/a>]. \u2022 Can anybody get a passport? Could this be Mr. Lee\u2019s Greater Hong Kong?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t know what\u2019s gotten into Stoller, but I\u2019m here for it:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This evil predatory scheme is the result of private equity billionaire Tom Gores, and he used the profits from it \u2013 as well as other acquisitions \u2013 to buy the Detroit Pistons. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lLglS3PtuG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/lLglS3PtuG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/matthewstoller\/status\/1770817905938035053\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">March 21, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>(\u201cEvil\u201d is strong language \u2014 and used correctly in this case.) NOTE Yeah, yeah, China. We\u2019re none of us perfect. <\/p>\n<p><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Derek Guy on men\u2019s clothing is one of my guilty pleasures on the Twitter:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rogers is most known for his cardigans, but his attire on the show was actually composed of tailoring (suits, sport coats, and blazers), which he wore when he arrived “home.” He then took that off and changed into a cardigan to signal he had “gotten home from work.” <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/arZEz9Ik5i\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/arZEz9Ik5i<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 derek guy (@dieworkwear) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dieworkwear\/status\/1771032944221827438\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">March 22, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><strong>Contact information for plants<\/strong>: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) <a href=\"hhttps:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/03\/200pm-water-cooler-3-20-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From TH:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/camellia.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-268852\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/camellia.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/camellia-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>TH writes: \u201cI\u2019m not positive, but I believe this is a camelia. It, like so many of my recent submissions, lives at the Sherman Library and Gardens (Corona Del Mar, Newport Beach, California).\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"donate\"\/><strong>Readers<\/strong>: Water Cooler is a standalone entity <em>not<\/em> covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn\u2019t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! <em>Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I\u2019m on the right track with coverage<\/em>. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:<\/p>\n<p>Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-226891\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"606\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png 606w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/03\/200pm-water-cooler-3-22-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day American Robin (migratorius Group), Miguel Hidalgo, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico, Mexico. * * * In Case<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":78724,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[153,183],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-spotlight"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78723"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78723\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}