{"id":81504,"date":"2024-07-03T18:33:35","date_gmt":"2024-07-03T18:33:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/03\/200pm-water-cooler-7-3-2024-naked-capitalism\/"},"modified":"2024-07-03T18:33:35","modified_gmt":"2024-07-03T18:33:35","slug":"200pm-water-cooler-7-3-2024-naked-capitalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/03\/200pm-water-cooler-7-3-2024-naked-capitalism\/","title":{"rendered":"2:00PM Water Cooler 7\/3\/2024 | naked capitalism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Readers, this post is a pantry clearout mostly for the Covid material I had to blow past during The Late Debate Unpleasantness. There\u2019s a good deal of it, since I just kept postibg until I decided to stop, but maybe you can peruse it all slowly over the holiday. Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n<p>Common Loon, Hayden Lake Property, Burnett, Wisconsin, United States. \u201cOne parent foraging and feeding 2 chicks, one parent tending chicks, and both chicks giving soft wheezy contact\/begging(?) calls. PIWO drumming in background etc. Recorded from kayak.\u201d PIWO = \u201cPileated woodpecker.\u201d<\/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<div id=\"\">\n<p>Less than a half 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> <a name=\"swing\"\/>Friday\u2019s RCP Poll Averages:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/rcp_2024-07-02.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"930\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-274367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/rcp_2024-07-02.png 500w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/rcp_2024-07-02-161x300.png 161w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>RCP takes North Carolina off the table as a Swing State, and replaces it with Virginia. Trump is still holding his own, and this is <em>before<\/em> the debate. Swing States (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/03\/introduction-to-swing-states-in-the-presidential-election-of-2024-general-survey.html\">more here<\/a>) still Brownian-motioning around. Of course, it goes without saying that these are all state polls, therefore bad, and most of the results are within the margin of error. If will be interesting to see whether the verdict in Judge Merchan\u2019s court affects the polling, and if so, how. <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Trump (R): \u201cTrump seeks to set aside his New York hush money guilty verdict after Supreme Court immunity ruling\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-hush-money-supreme-court-immunity-3d97d2e9497a5a208c1309aec7a0cd6a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cThe lawyers argue that the Supreme Court\u2019s decision confirmed a position the defense raised earlier in the case that prosecutors should have been precluded from introducing some evidence they said constituted official presidential acts, according to the letter. In prior court filings, Trump contended he is immune from prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office. His lawyers did not raise that as a defense in the hush money case, but they argued that some evidence \u2014 including Trump\u2019s social media posts about former lawyer Michael Cohen \u2014 comes from his time as president and should have been excluded from the trial because of immunity protections.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trumo (R): \u201cDonald Trump is going to win the election and democracy will be just fine\u201d [Jared Golden, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bangordailynews.com\/2024\/07\/02\/opinion\/opinion-contributor\/jared-golden-donald-trump-going-to-win-election-democracy-be-just-fine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bangor Daily News<\/a>]. \u201cThere are winners and losers in every election. Democrats\u2019 post-debate hand-wringing is based on the idea that a Trump victory is not just a political loss, but a unique threat to our democracy. I reject the premise. Unlike Biden and many others, I refuse to participate in a campaign to scare voters with the idea that Trump will end our democratic system. This Independence Day marks our nation\u2019s 248th birthday. In that time, American democracy has withstood civil war, world wars, acts of terrorism and technological and societal changes that would make the Founders\u2019 head spin. Pearl-clutching about a Trump victory ignores the strength of our democracy. Jan. 6, 2021, was a dark day. But Americans stood strong. Hundreds of police officers protected the democratic process against thousands who tried to use violence to upend it. Judges and state election officials upheld our election laws. Members of Congress, including leaders from both parties, certified the election results. They all are joined in the defense of democracy by the millions of us who, like me, made an oath of allegiance to the United States and to the Constitution when we began our military service, plus hundreds of millions of freedom-loving Americans who won\u2019t let anyone take away our constitutional rights as citizens of the greatest democracy in history. This election is about the economy, not democracy. And when it comes to our economy, our Congress matters far more than who occupies the White House.\u201d \u2022\u00a0A Manchin Democrat\u2026.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"jill\"\/>Biden (D): \u201cFirst Lady Jill Biden on What\u2019s at Stake in 2024\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vogue.com\/article\/first-lady-jill-biden-august-2024-cover-interview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Vogue<\/a>]. Worth reading in full. The first paragraph is wild, but here\u2019s the last one: \u201cThere\u2019s a version of political power that operates the way a motorcade does\u2014slicing through empty roads, flouting rules, making regular folks wait behind barricades. And there\u2019s a version of political power as Jill Biden embodies it, and as she expressed it at the Women for Biden event in Bloomington. This is power from the ground up, built on listening and coalition building. \u2018They underestimate our power because they don\u2019t understand it,\u2019 the first lady told the crowd. \u2018They see our empathy and compassion as a vulnerability. But we know they\u2019re what give us the clarity to fight for what\u2019s right.\u2019 And in so doing, chip away at the hard problems. That\u2019s the gig. Negotiate, reconsider your assumptions, and sometimes, agree to disagree, agree to lose. Only a tyrant would say otherwise.\u201d \u2022 The argument is that Jill Biden embodies this version of of \u201cpolitical power\u201d because she still teaches at a community college. Community colleges are wonderful, important institutions. However, if Jill Biden\u2019s empathy were real, she\u2019d be using her clout as an educator to support ventilation in all educational institutions. at the very least. In fact, both Bidens have been conspicuous in their lack of support for life-saving non-pharmaceutical interventions. So, hagiography. Here\u2019s the cover:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/vogue_jill_biden.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"816\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-274390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/vogue_jill_biden.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/vogue_jill_biden-221x300.png 221w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m no fashion maven, but it looks like a straitjacket to me. Fitting, I suppose.<\/p>\n<p>Biden (D): \u201cCould Democrats replace Biden as their nominee? Here\u2019s how it could happen, and why it\u2019s unlikely\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/replacing-biden-nomination-options-dnc-democratic-convention-d23c02047b6a2c991737915972a2fa4c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cIn 2024, Biden swept all but one primary or caucus and the vast majority of delegates at stake in those contests. Those delegates are considered to be \u2018pledged\u2019 to Biden\u2026. DNC rules encourage but don\u2019t specifically require delegates to vote for the candidate they\u2019re pledged to support. Instead, the rules say, \u2018All delegates to the National Convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.\u2019 In other words, the thousands of delegates Biden won during the primary season are bound only by their consciences to actually cast their votes for Biden when it comes time to select a nominee, although it would be unprecedented for delegates on a wide scale to support a candidate other than the one they were pledged to support. One feature of the party\u2019s rules that makes a delegate revolt against the presumptive nominee unlikely is that .\u201d \u2022 In other words, any \u201cconscience vote\u201d is purely performative. (I once read the Democratic National Convention bylaws, and its crammed with rules structured like this: Rule B undoes Rule A. It was the most accountability-avoiding document I\u2019ve ever read. <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhitmer Disavows \u2018Draft Gretch\u2019 Movement \u2014 and Delivers A Warning to Biden\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/cN72x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cWhen Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer telephoned a senior official with President Biden\u2019s campaign on Friday night, she wanted to convey a clear message: She hated the way her name was being floated as a replacement for Biden and she wasn\u2019t behind the chatter. Whitmer\u2019s conversation with the official, campaign chair Jennifer O\u2019Malley Dillon, was cordial but awkward by its very nature. In the aftermath of the president\u2019s disastrous debate performance last Thursday, no would-be replacement has been the recipient of more wish-casting among despairing Democrats than the second-term Michigan governor. Whitmer, recognizing as much, disavowed the Draft Gretch chatter. She used the call to reiterate her commitment and willingness to help the president but also voiced her concern about how much more difficult the campaign would be now for Biden, I\u2019m told by a person familiar with the call. Even more revealing is how word of the call reached me: from someone close to a potential 2028 Whitmer rival for the Democratic presidential nomination. This person said Whitmer had phoned O\u2019Malley Dillon with more of an unambiguous SOS: to relay that Michigan, in the wake of the debate, was no longer winnable for Biden. That such political bladework is already taking place illustrates how badly her rivals want to wound Whitmer, by portraying her as being disloyal to Biden in his hour of need. Yet it also captures what an extraordinary, and extraordinarily precarious, moment this is for the well-stocked bench of Democratic governors who are eager to succeed Biden.\u201d \u2022 Crabs in a bucket.<\/p>\n<p>She should have checked with Wiillie first:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">When Harris was asked about single payer in the 2019 primary, she endorsed it. Then she was told it meant getting rid of private insurance companies and the next day disavowed it. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/TpfH4bWjOi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/TpfH4bWjOi<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/matthewstoller\/status\/1808329847044719095\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">July 3, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Party on, Garth:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The debate has opened a chasm between the official Democratic Party (Team Biden, loyal electeds, the DNC) and the so-called &#8216;shadow party&#8217; or &#8216;party blob&#8217; (liberal media &amp; donors from the NYT to Wall St and Hollywood).<\/p>\n<p>Will be interesting to see where the real power resides here <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/pycFxv9DTG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/pycFxv9DTG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Matt Karp \ud83c\udf39\ud83e\udd8f\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@karpmj) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/karpmj\/status\/1807781867019456998\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">July 1, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t think this binary is as clear cut as Karp thinks, because Flexians slither from category to category, but Karp is onto something. Stoller proposes a more compex structure:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/stoller_democrats.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"173\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-274397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/stoller_democrats.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/stoller_democrats-300x87.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Same objection re: Flexians above. In addition, they both leave out the spooks. But the spooks are players. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/b411ba0e-62f0-4152-8f61-9a1506f4ac5f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">From the FT<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>One person familiar with the situation said some of the intelligence officials who give Biden his daily intelligence briefing had noticed his decline as early as last year, undermining claims from White House and campaign political figures about the president\u2019s mental acuity.<\/p>\n<p>A whisper not a scream, but the message is clear enough.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Spook Country<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cPalm Beach prosecutor painted Epstein victims as prostitutes, grand jury records show\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/nation-world\/national\/article289667429.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Miami Herald<\/a>]. Yikes:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Grand jury records are normally kept under seal to protect witnesses as well as the integrity of the case. But in the years since the Epstein case was closed in 2008, the Miami Herald uncovered evidence suggesting that Epstein and his battery of high-priced attorneys may have exerted undue influence over the state attorney. The records have remained under seal for 16 years. Earlier this year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, prodded by state lawmakers and Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts Joe Abruzzo, signed a bill to release the files by July 1. The new bill provides for the records to be unsealed if the subject of a grand jury inquiry is dead or the investigation involves sexual activity with a minor. DeSantis noted that making the records public might explain how the wealthy Epstein managed to \u201cengineer an outcome that the average citizen would likely never have been able\u201d to accomplish. The records contain nearly 200 pages, including the testimony of two girls who were molested by Epstein, the New York financier who abused hundreds of underage girls at his Palm Beach mansion between 1996 and 2008. Epstein managed to escape serious charges, in part because the Palm Beach prosecutor at the time, Barry Krischer, elected to charge him with minor prostitution and solicitation rather than bringing a felony sexual assault case.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/barry-krischer-3264685\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Krischer<\/a> is now a state attorney for Florida\u2019s 15th Judicial Circuit (West Pam Beach). <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en D\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>The Democrats\u2019 new base:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">BREAKING: The Hawk Tuah girl, AKA Hailey Welsh, has come out AGAINST Donald Trump in her first-ever interview: <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a no from me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. Absolutely not,\u201d said her friend. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8rxdTYys3m\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/8rxdTYys3m<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MeidasTouch\/status\/1807864845108498465\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">July 1, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019m not joking. I cannot find the Tweet I wanted to pair with this; it was an image of a thirty-something couple replete with what are for me triggers or markers of conservative intent \u2014 cowboy hats and boots, the wrong sort of tattoo, mullets, general air of faintly menacing non-compliance \u2014 who were in fact upper crust working class and not conservative at all, let alone MAGA. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/blogs\/ben-smith\/2008\/04\/dean-defends-2004-statement-008013\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Howard Dean said in 2004<\/a>: \u201cIt\u2019s time that Democrats address guys with gun racks in the back of their trucks.\u201d He was, naturally, excoriated for this (and was shortly thereafter defenestrated for trying to make the Party viable in all 50 states). Twenty years later, I\u2019m guessing those voters are still out there for the taking, although probably independents or disengaged. However, \u201ca creature who has spent his life creating one particular representation of his selfdom will die rather than become the antithesis of that representation\u201d (Frank Herbert). So here we are.<\/p>\n<p>In case you were wondering why Democrats were and are perfectly happy with Biden\u2019s Covid strategy of mass infection without mitigation:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Study: Labor, Retail and Service Workers Experienced 68% of Deaths in First Year of COVID-19 Pandemic<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HHf5viiVKm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/HHf5viiVKm<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Jm6yIntK9t\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/Jm6yIntK9t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 CyFi (@CyFi10) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CyFi10\/status\/1806102714449047727\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Everything\u2019s going according to plan.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Syndemics<\/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>Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&amp;list_select_county=all_counties&amp;data-type=Risk&amp;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>, <del><a href=\"https:\/\/biobot.io\/data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Biobot<\/a><\/del>; 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&amp;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&amp;subtopic=recurring-updates&amp;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>Look for the Helpers<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Mask blocs sound like good things:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Help a newly formed mask bloc as they ramp up their distro efforts!! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8ny6wFA7e0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/8ny6wFA7e0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Charlotte Mask Bloc (@CLT_Mask_Bloc) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CLT_Mask_Bloc\/status\/1806129900891377946\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Sounds like <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Occupy_Sandy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Occupy Sandy<\/a> (oddly <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hurricane_Sandy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">unmentioned on WikiPedia\u2019s Hurricane Sandy page<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Here is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/viewer?mid=1oUcoZ2njj3b5hh-RRDCLe-i8dSgxhno&amp;ll=23.957319675653277%2C0&amp;z=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a map of Covid Action groups<\/a>, includng Mask Blocs:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/covid_action_map.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"534\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-274419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/covid_action_map.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/covid_action_map-300x267.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Airborne Transmission<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Should somebody check in on Canada?<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AirCanada\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@AirCanada<\/a> no longer allows people to use a HEPA filter on board. Truly unimaginable levels of denial about how viruses spread that you have long haul flights with no mask mandate and now you&#8217;re also banning people from using their own mini HEPAs? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UjF0yvkKbi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/UjF0yvkKbi<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BBQI24QPao\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/BBQI24QPao<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Julie S. Lalonde (@JulieSLalonde) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JulieSLalonde\/status\/1806325004566434090\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Why? Vibes?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Transmission: Covid<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>As I\u2019ve been saying:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Sorry to interrupt\u2014but COVID is definitely surging again\u2014 especially in the Western US but also across regions. Several new variants hitting the ground. KP1, KP2, and KP3 variants especially. I know friends sick for over a week already. Not over folks. <br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FfSd1bhGbP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/FfSd1bhGbP<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7GiUFajNN6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/7GiUFajNN6<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DrEricDing\/status\/1808369949376733376\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">July 3, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Maskstravaganza<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cRelative efficacy of masks and respirators as source control for viral aerosol shedding from people infected with SARS-CoV-2: a controlled human exhaled breath aerosol experimental study\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/ebiom\/article\/PIIS2352-3964%2824%2900192-0\/fulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Lancet<\/a>]. \u201cAll masks and respirators significantly reduced exhaled viral load, without fit tests or training. A duckbill N95 reduced exhaled viral load by 98% (95% CI: 97%\u201399%), and significantly outperformed a KN95 (p &lt; 0.001) as well as cloth and surgical masks. Cloth masks outperformed a surgical mask (p = 0.027) and the tested KN95 (p = 0.014). These results suggest that N95 respirators could be the standard of care in nursing homes and healthcare settings when respiratory viral infections are prevalent in the community and healthcare-associated transmission risk is elevated.&#8221; \u2022 No, at all times, because reporting time lags mean that &#8220;prevalence&#8221; is slow to be determined (i.e., there will needless deaths). Why Infection Control won&#8217;t see NPIs as a switch to be thrown once and left on (like, say, plumbing) and not a dial to be constantly jiggered is beyond me (unless it&#8217;s a jobs guarantee for the dial-jiggerers, of course).\n<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Even in these degraded times, there are millions of mask wearers constantly seeking improved product:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We\u2019ve found that the ear loop ones do pass fit tests if you use one of those rubber head straps. But yeah, it\u2019s annoying, so many pretty floral ones I want!<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jessica Ellis (@baddestmamajama) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/baddestmamajama\/status\/1806020188430897153\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an enormous market failure that their needs are not met. Why is that?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Vaccines<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cGilead\u2019s twice-yearly shot to prevent HIV succeeds in late-stage trial\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2024\/06\/20\/gilead-prep-lenacapavir-succeeds-in-phase-3-trial.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNBC<\/a>]. N=2000. \u201cGilead\u2019s experimental twice-yearly medicine to prevent HIV was 100% effective in a late-stage trial, the company said Thursday. None of the roughly 2,000 women in the trial who received the lenacapavir shot had contracted HIV by an interim analysis, prompting the independent data monitoring committee to recommend Gilead unblind the Phase 3 trial and offer the treatment to everyone in the study. Other participants had received standard daily pills. The results bring Gilead one step closer to introducing a new form of pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, and broadening its HIV business. Shares of the company rose about 7% on Thursday.\u201d \u2022 Not quite sure where to file this, since PrEP might not be a vaccine proper (even twice-yearly seems as effecfive as some Covid vaccines). Still, good news.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Sequelae: Covid<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Loss of executive function:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/executive_function.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"576\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-274398\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/executive_function.png 500w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/executive_function-260x300.png 260w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>FInally, more evidence than anecdotes about road rage and running red lights. And a follow-up:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Sure<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/My5f88SxpE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/My5f88SxpE<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/eCCLXZjXvT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/eCCLXZjXvT<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Ou5xCnuNY3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/Ou5xCnuNY3<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2bozKjzWa8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/2bozKjzWa8<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dF8D5BPup2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/dF8D5BPup2<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/CoSdPKMEUJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/CoSdPKMEUJ<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/XQ0a86QWD3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/XQ0a86QWD3<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/TpTcpmbKd2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/TpTcpmbKd2<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Alan Baxter \u265b (@AlanBixter) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AlanBixter\/status\/1807204629941527000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 30, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Treatment: Covid<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Karma in near-real time:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I&#8217;m so so sorry. It&#8217;s utterly wrong. I wonder if we can help: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Q0SunVEuo9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/Q0SunVEuo9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 BQ \ud83d\ude37\ud83d\ude37\ud83d\ude37\ud83d\ude37maskedcounsellor.bsky.social (@BinsQuan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BinsQuan\/status\/1806343559370752083\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Celebrity Watch<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Modeling good behavior is not impossible for celebrities:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Timothee is doing me a solid here by wearing a respirator. He\u2019s my daughter\u2019s favorite actor. She\u2019s 13. She still wears a respirator but now I don\u2019t even have to say a word. I\u2019ll just send her the photo of Paul Atreides masking in real life and it\u2019s like a motivation booster shot <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/pTVFuoScbc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/pTVFuoScbc<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dr. Sean Mullen (@drseanmullen) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/drseanmullen\/status\/1807675225590346160\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">July 1, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"swift\"\/>\u201cStevie Nicks begs fans to wear masks as catching COVID-19 would destroy her voice\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/uk.news.yahoo.com\/stevie-nicks-coronavirus-102237737.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Yahoo Entertainment<\/a>]. \u201cStevie Nicks has begged fans to wear face masks, claiming if she catches COVID-19 she \u2018will probably never sing again.\u2019 The 72-year-old Fleetwood Mac singer urged fans to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously, and adopt precautions to limit the spread of the virus. Nicks wrote on her Facebook page: \u201cA lot of people still aren\u2019t taking the wearing of a simple mask seriously \u2013 or, just trying to be aware of how close you are to others\u2026 It is not political. It is a silent killer hiding in the shadows. It is stalking you. It doesn\u2019t care who you are\u2026It\u2019s just looking for a victim.&#8217;\u201d Nicks and her masked entourage at a Taylor d concert:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Stevie Nicks recording Taylor Swift as she dedicates a song to her and you want me to listen to stan twitter vibes?!?! THIS IS REAL LIFE <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/kqCNHDiF6b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/kqCNHDiF6b<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \u2729 CEL \u2729 (@moonlithoax) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/moonlithoax\/status\/1807551345634976107\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 30, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>And so, in a nice gesture, Swift plays <a href=\"https:\/\/genius.com\/Taylor-swift-clara-bow-lyrics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">\u201cClara Bow\u201d<\/a> and dedicates it to Nicks:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Taylor Swift talking about Stevie Nicks &amp; performing \u201cClara Bow\u201d for the first time <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5Fo7rPOHBX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/5Fo7rPOHBX<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Stevie Nicks\u2019 Life In Photos (@StevieInPhotos) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/StevieInPhotos\/status\/1807543133607231820\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 30, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Unmasked, naturally. We\u2019ll just hope Swift wasn\u2019t superspreading that day. Yes, she\u2019s still at it:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">YES because I\u2019m so ill and caught it from seeing Taylor at Wembley \ud83d\ude2b <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/W5f9SIB0uJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/W5f9SIB0uJ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Katy (@KatyElizabethx) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KatyElizabethx\/status\/1807405381884260473\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 30, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>SARS never sleeps:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u201cYoung was originally reluctant to get back into touring after COVID. In 2022, when announcing he would not be performing at Farm Aid, he wrote, \u201cI will not be at Farmaid this year. I am not ready for that yet. I don\u2019t think it is very safe in the pandemic. I miss it very much.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/XoPqs06ajc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/XoPqs06ajc<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 #9 Dream (@GayFabFourFan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GayFabFourFan\/status\/1806159208469`172687\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Too sick to pray:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Willy Nelson announces that he can&#8217;t return to his tour due to discovering that SARS is in fact not at all mild <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tzfRF3nLfN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/tzfRF3nLfN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 The fed up Chef (@TheChefsGardens) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheChefsGardens\/status\/1806303313069068345\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Sounds of silence:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">2023 article -Paul Simon unlikely to perform live again due to sudden hearing loss attributed to a severe case of COVID | The Transmission | University of Nebraska Medical Center <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YmJGwKUJ7a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/YmJGwKUJ7a<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Martha Young- JD, MBA, N95-clean the air: (@mryoung151) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mryoung151\/status\/1807754911548920251\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">July 1, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Tour de France:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Willy Nelson announces that he can&#8217;t return to his tour due to discovering that SARS is in fact not at all mild <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tzfRF3nLfN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/tzfRF3nLfN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 The fed up Chef (@TheChefsGardens) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheChefsGardens\/status\/1806303313069068345\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Personal RIsk Assessment<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cFREE box of Black N95s! (WE FOUND SOME FINALLY!)\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/co2radical.com.au\/2024\/06\/24\/free-box-of-black-n95s-we-found-some-finally\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CO2 Radical<\/a>]. \u201cI don\u2019t want to tempt fate, but I haven\u2019t had a single day\u2019s illness since 2019, and I\u2019m loving it. It has required attention and diligence, but it is at least possible for those of us without school age kids, and I can\u2019t see that my life has been made worse overall by the total absence of illness, at the expense of missing a few indoor dining experiences. It is bitterly ironic to me that, just at the time in our history when we are coming to understand the huge role of chronic inflammation and viruses in causing all kinds of diseases, including cancers (e.g. cervical) and neurological disease (e.g. MS), we have deliberately chosen to let a novel coronavirus with known multi-system effects and persistence infect and reinfect the entire population, including, for Heaven\u2019s sake, all our kids. \u2018Reckless\u2019 does not begin to describe it.\u201d \u2022 \u201cDeath cult\u201d might do.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>\u201cChoosing to mask\u201d:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Your reminder that:<br \/>\u2013 Covid and other respiratory diseases are on the uptick<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Airports\/ planes are higher risk environments <\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Choosing to mask is a great way to protect yourself and others around you who may be vulnerable (I have asthma, wife has cancer).<br \/>\ud83d\ude37\ud83d\udc4d\ud83c\udffd <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FSI2pQDIPO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/FSI2pQDIPO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JeromeAdamsMD\/status\/1806311734652596465\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> Elite Maleficence<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/07\/gbd\"\/>How\u2019s that workin\u2019 out for ya:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">How many millions of people died or are suffering with long covid because of asinine predictions like this? I mean seriously. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qCyy3P4OBv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/qCyy3P4OBv<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 David Christopher \ud83c\udfe5\ud83e\udd7c\ud83d\udd2c\ud83c\udf49 (@MLS_Dave) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MLS_Dave\/status\/1807447800583500023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 30, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>But GBD goons are still making bank\u2026<\/p>\n<p>The eugenics train always leaves on time:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Again, anyone who is touting &#8220;hybrid immunity&#8221; but only encouraging vaccination for the &#8220;most vulnerable&#8221; and not working to improve mitigation is, de facto, promoting reinfection-based immunity for everyone else moving forward. Also, immunity wanes and immunity escape evolves. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/V63CjFInIH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/V63CjFInIH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 T. Ryan Gregory (@TRyanGregory) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TRyanGregory\/status\/1805945477172457844\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>\u201cExperts Confirm COVID-19 Is Surging \u2014 Here\u2019s What That Means for Your Disney World Trip\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/allears.net\/2024\/06\/30\/experts-confirm-covid-19-is-surging-heres-what-that-means-for-your-disney-world-trip\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">All Ears<\/a>]. \u201cSo what does this mean for your Disney World trip? Well, we recommend potentially , especially before eating. Hand sanitizer is great, but if you can take an extra second to wash your hands with soap and water, that\u2019s even better\u2026. Additionally, we know it is quite unfortunate to be sick on your Disney World trip, but please don\u2019t go into the parks when you\u2019re not feeling well and think it could be because you\u2019re sick with something contagious.\u201d \u2022 Focus on fomites. Nothing on airborne transmission. Nothing on asymptomatic transmission. Four years in [pounds head on desk]. <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMission accomplished\u201d (1):<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Infectious disease minimizers, listen. You won. Very few people are protecting themselves or their families against COVID now. In fact, your messaging has been so effective that they aren&#8217;t even worried about measles or pertussis or TB either. Take a break. Rest on your laurels. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nKN5lgONla\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/nKN5lgONla<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 T. Ryan Gregory (@TRyanGregory) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TRyanGregory\/status\/1804906383432667581\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 23, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMission accomplished\u201d (2):<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Bottom line is that the public response to the ongoing pandemic is over<\/p>\n<p>You will get infected and deal with it however your employer and your health insurance company see fit<\/p>\n<p>Continual waves of illness, disability and death will be considered unremarkable and a personal problem <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vOwN4ftS8o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/vOwN4ftS8o<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 wsbgnl (@wsbgnl) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wsbgnl\/status\/1806624048295915662\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 28, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>MIssion accomplished (3), the return of the repressed:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&#8220;no one cares anymore?&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FCIValxfX9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/FCIValxfX9<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KtASQh60Wt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/KtASQh60Wt<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Lazarus Long (@LazarusLong13) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LazarusLong13\/status\/1806399430989431144\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>MIssion accomplished (4), Darwin Awards for everyone:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is the \u201cnew normal\u201d people have chosen. <\/p>\n<p>Virologists hosting a huge in person event with no masks or mitigations. <\/p>\n<p>Fellow virologists missing the conference where they were presenting Covid studies\u2026 because they have Covid. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s astounding. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/CIpRRRDD4k\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/CIpRRRDD4k<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Kelly (@broadwaybabyto) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/broadwaybabyto\/status\/1806825430483185670\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 28, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>One of the earliest case studies of aerosol transmission took place in a church choir:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">In 2020, a choir followed the COVID protocols at the time \u2013 washing their hands and staying feet apart from each other \u2013 but the virus still spread, resulting in two deaths. It confirmed aerosol researchers\u2019 belief that the virus was airborne. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/CSbjz4y1Iq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/CSbjz4y1Iq<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/bdDOutzPas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/bdDOutzPas<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/60Minutes\/status\/1807573587038978324\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">July 1, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>How is it that churches never picked up on this? Why didn\u2019t pastors protect their congregations?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Social Norming<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cMild\u201d:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I want to be very clear: I\u2019m experiencing only MILD symptoms from the bite and I will be in the office tomorrow for the all hands. See you soon! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/yXCazWu0iK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/yXCazWu0iK<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Mar Hicks (@histoftech) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/histoftech\/status\/1807381524427235384\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 30, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>My Twitter feed is hardly representative. Nevertheless:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Same. Been called &#8220;boring&#8221; &amp; &#8220;WHACKO&#8221; (world authority of something or other) by my family. While my friends, most of whom have tertiary educations, remain silent &amp; steadfastly ignore COVID. Very strange. I will never be able to unsee our societal reaction to the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Tania J. Spencer (@TaniaJSpencer) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TaniaJSpencer\/status\/1807043419694674056\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 29, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Readers, has this happened to you?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Readers, I could not update these charts before I hit the road. \u2013lambert<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"covid\"\/><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] (CDC) This week\u2019s wastewater map, with hot spots annotated. Worse than <em>two<\/em> weeks ago. New York is a hot again, and Covid is spreading up the Maine Coast just in time for the Fourth of July weekend, in another triumph for Administration policy. On that Bay area hotspot:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Examples \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Marin: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/pMS1d89ZQ2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/pMS1d89ZQ2<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Santa Clara County: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/m1Sjbfmork\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/m1Sjbfmork<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Violet Blue\u00ae (@violetblue) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/violetblue\/status\/1806189679487996324\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>[2] (CDC) Last week\u2019s wastewater map.<\/p>\n<p>[3] (CDC Variants) LB.1 coming up on the outside.<\/p>\n<p>[4] (ER) This is the best I can do for now. At least data for the entire pandemic is presented.<\/p>\n<p>[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Now acceleration, which <em>is<\/em> compatible with a wastewater decrease, but still not a good feeling .(The New York city area has form; in 2020, as the home of two international airports (JFK and EWR) it was an important entry point for the virus into the country (and from thence up the Hudson River valley, as the rich sought to escape, and then around the country through air travel.)<\/p>\n<p>[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). This is the best I can do for now. Note the assumption that Covid is seasonal is built into the presentation, which in fact shows that Covid is <em>not<\/em> seasonal. At least data for the entire pandemic is presented.<\/p>\n<p>[7] (Walgreens) Still going up! (Because there is data in \u201ccurrent view\u201d tab, I think white states here have experienced \u201cno change,\u201d as opposed to have no data.)<\/p>\n<p>[8] (Cleveland) Still going up!<\/p>\n<p>[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Up. Those sh*theads at CDC have changed the chart so that it doesn\u2019t even run back to 1\/21\/23, as it used to, but now starts 1\/1\/24. There\u2019s also no way to adjust the time rasnge. CDC really doesn\u2019t want you to be able to take a historical view of the pandemic, or compare one surge to another. In an any case, that\u2019s why the shape of the curve has changed.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants) Same deal. Those sh*theads. I\u2019m leaving this here for another week because I loathe them so much:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/last_week.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"601\" height=\"544\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-272941\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/last_week.png 601w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/last_week-300x272.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>[11] Deaths low, but positivity up.<\/p>\n<p>[12] Deaths low, ED up.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are no official statistics today as of this writing.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Mr. Market: \u201cWall Street Seems Calm. A Closer Look Shows Something Else\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/dnyuz.com\/2024\/06\/28\/wall-street-seems-calm-a-closer-look-shows-something-else\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. \u201cA slowdown in inflation has boosted investor confidence in the economy this year and, combined with an intense [and totally organic] fervor for artificial intelligence, provided the backdrop to a rally that has beaten all expectations\u2026. More than 200 companies, or roughly 40 percent of the stocks in the index, are at least 10 percent below their highest level of this year. Almost 300 companies, or roughly 60 percent of the index, are more than 10 percent above their low for the year. And each group includes 65 companies that have actually swung both ways. Traders say this lack of correlated movement \u2014 known as dispersion \u2014 among individual stocks is at historic extremes, undermining the idea that markets have been blanketed by tranquillity. One measure of this, an index from the exchange operator Cboe Global Markets, shows that dispersion rose after the coronavirus pandemic, as tech stocks soared while shares of other companies suffered. It has stayed high, in part because of the staggering appreciation of a select few stocks on A.I.\u2019s cutting edge, analysts say. This is presenting an opportunity for Wall Street, as investment funds and trading desks pile into dispersion trading, a strategy that typically uses derivatives to bet that index volatility will remain low while turbulence in individual stocks will stay high. \u2018It\u2019s everywhere,\u2019 said Stephen Crewe, a longtime dispersion trader and partner at Fulcrum Asset Management. He believes these dynamics have surpassed even the most hotly anticipated economic data in terms of their importance to financial markets. \u2018It almost doesn\u2019t matter about G.D.P. or inflation data at the moment,\u2019 he added.  \u2014 most likely because of a [totally organic] spark that ignites widespread selling.\u201d \u2022 Hmm.<\/p>\n<p>The Bezzle: \u201cAn alleged $100 million fraud scheme could affect up to 50,000 people. Here\u2019s what to do if you\u2019re one of them\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.self.com\/story\/adhd-medication-shortage-telehealth#intcid=_self-article-right-rail_7ed0dd16-6058-4740-a807-1a62aa445a4b_popular4-1_fallback_cral-top2-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Self<\/a>]. \u201cIf you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you may have had a hard time getting your medications refilled because of drug shortages that date back to 2022\u2014which are still ongoing, BTW. But now a federal health care fraud case against Done Global Inc., a California-based digital health company that calls itself a \u2018hybrid ADHD clinic,\u2019 could make it even harder for up to 50,000 adults across the US, according to a CDC health advisory released last week. (The agency also said that people who use \u2018other similar subscription-based telehealth platforms could experience a disruption to their treatment,\u2019 although it\u2019s not clear what companies they are talking about or how many more people might be affected.) According to the US Department of Justice, the company allegedly took advantage of telemedicine rules put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic to push its medical providers to prescribe Adderall and other stimulant drugs, even when they weren\u2019t medically necessary, and spent millions of dollars on \u2018deceptive\u2019 social media advertising.\u201d \u2022 Some Sackler mini-me?<\/p>\n<p>Tech: If AI can\u2019t make a hamburger\u2026.<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">could be worse of course<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/OucpeV9nKU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/OucpeV9nKU<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Leigh Beadon (@leighbeadon) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/leighbeadon\/status\/1806010502595879074\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear &amp; Greed Index: 49 Neutral (previous close: 47 Fear) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 39 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Jul 2 at 12:42:35 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Climate<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>News you can use, especially <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-news\/health-officials-florida-keys-issue-local-dengue-fever-alert-rcna159931\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">where mosquitos are a vector<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"lt\" dir=\"ltr\">Genius. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/appropedia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@appropedia<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LonnyGrafman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@LonnyGrafman<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/emilio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@emilio<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SdT5tIsaLQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/SdT5tIsaLQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 FluSCIM Lucas Gonzalez (@lucasgonzalez) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/lucasgonzalez\/status\/1805853299582673186\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p><strong>Book Nook<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Never never never never never:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">why use many word when few word do trick? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JXwKOBNzLQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/JXwKOBNzLQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 yasmin (@ycsm1n) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ycsm1n\/status\/1806791334394724830\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">June 28, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p><strong>Games<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cFortnite\u2019s Metallica concert showed how sprawling the game has become\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2024\/6\/29\/24187226\/fortnite-metallica-concert-interview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Verge<\/a>]. \u201cLast weekend, Metallica graced the virtual stage in Fortnite, but the event was more than just a heavy metal concert. It was one piece in a weeks-long rollout of modes and content, which really drove home just how large and complex the game has become. The battle royale has steadily morphed into an entire ecosystem of games and experiences, and the Metallica crossover might\u2019ve been the most complex to date.\u201d \u2022 Next, political debates? Who will go first? Kamala?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Anxiety Economy\u201d [Charles Hugh Smith, <a href=\"https:\/\/charleshughsmith.blogspot.com\/2024\/06\/the-anxiety-economy.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Of Two Minds<\/a>]. \u201cIn summary: wage earners never recovered from the 2008 meltdown. No wonder the gap between the cheerleaders\u2019 delusional insistence that we\u2019re all getting richer in every way, every day and the lived reality of the work force who didn\u2019t have the means to buy stocks at the 2009 bottom or buy a portfolio of rental houses in 2010. We\u2019re told to stop being so darn negative even as the tsunami of inequality washes away the beach chairs of the bottom 90%. The Anxiety Economy is remarkably profitable for the top few and remarkably unhealthy for everyone else. They\u2019re pleased to prescribe us meds to take the edge off the Anxiety Economy, but meds won\u2019t fix what\u2019s broken in our economy or social order.\u201d \u2022 And some meds are not taken in pill form.<\/p>\n<p><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMeet the American who created highway rest areas, Allan Williams, small-town engineer\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/lifestyle\/meet-american-created-highway-rest-areas-allan-williams-small-town-engineer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">FOX<\/a>]. \u201cChrysler, Ford and General Motors, each in Detroit, Michigan, emerged as the world\u2019s three biggest automakers early in the Roaring \u201920s. Customers needed somewhere to go to make their engines purr \u2013 and a safe, convenient way to get there. The job fell upon the shoulders of small-town Michigan visionaries who paved the way for the automobile to leave the city and become synonymous with the open American highway. Allan Williams, the first-ever highway engineer in rural Ionia County, proved perhaps the most influential among them. He conceived and created America\u2019s first roadside rest area in 1929. The idea took off faster than a big-block Motown muscle car 40 years later. The highway rest stop, however, was only the most visible of the many contributions Williams made to the speed, safety and convenience of the American highway system we all benefit from today. \u2018He was living at a time when he had the ability to really do some big things and make some big changes in Michigan, but also actually in our nationwide history,\u2019 Sigrid Bergland, a historian with the Michigan Department of Transportation, told Fox News Digital. Highway road maps, road signs and even snow plows were all influenced by his curiosity, intellect, varied skills and vision.\u201d \u2022 Strange, looking back, to think that such seemingly permanent things as tbe Interstate Highway System, with its cloverleaf exits and rest stops, is younger than I am. And that credit cards \u2014 for gas \u2014 were once a new thing. Also, bugs smasked on the windshield\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLanguage is primarily a tool for communication rather than thought\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-024-07522-w#Abs1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Nature<\/a>]. From the Abstract: \u201cHere we bring recent evidence from neuroscience and allied disciplines to argue that in modern humans, language is a tool for communication, contrary to a prominent view that we use language for thinking. We begin by introducing the brain network that supports linguistic ability in humans. We then review evidence for a double dissociation between language and thought, and discuss several properties of language that suggest that it is optimized for communication. We conclude that although the emergence of language has unquestionably transformed human culture, language does not appear to be a prerequisite for complex thought, including symbolic thought. Instead, language is a powerful tool for the transmission of cultural knowledge; it plausibly co-evolved with our thinking and reasoning capacities, and only reflects, rather than gives rise to, the signature sophistication of human cognition.\u201d \u2022 P<\/p>\n<p><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=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/06\/200pm-water-cooler-6-26-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From WB:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/cacti.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"491\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-274393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/cacti.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/cacti-300x246.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>WB writes: \u201cSome nice-to-look-at, artsy-fartsy cacti reflections from Carefree, AZ.\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 three or four 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 &amp; 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 &amp; 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\/07\/200pm-water-cooler-7-3-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Readers, this post is a pantry clearout mostly for the Covid material I had to blow past during The Late Debate Unpleasantness. There\u2019s a good<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":81505,"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-81504","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\/81504","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=81504"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81504\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}