{"id":85408,"date":"2024-10-03T23:13:55","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T23:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2024\/10\/03\/200pm-water-cooler-10-3-2024-naked-capitalism\/"},"modified":"2024-10-03T23:13:55","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T23:13:55","slug":"200pm-water-cooler-10-3-2024-naked-capitalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2024\/10\/03\/200pm-water-cooler-10-3-2024-naked-capitalism\/","title":{"rendered":"2:00PM Water Cooler 10\/3\/2024 | naked capitalism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><em><strong>By Lambert Strether of Corrente.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Extremely patient readers, I\u2019m afraid brunch got utterly out of control. So this is quite skeletal, although I will add in as much as I can, as fast as I can! In the meantime, talk amongst yourselves! \u2013lambert<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bird Song of the Day<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/asset\/470091781\/embed\" height=\"300\" width=\"640\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Blue Mockingbird, along the canal, Oaxaca, MX (17,2, -96,751), Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#smith\">Trump and the Jack Smith brief<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#boeing\">Boeing<\/a> and <a name=\"ila\">Longshoremen<\/a> strikes.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#ucla\">UCLA tools up<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/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><a name=\"assassination \"\/>Trump Assassination Attempts (Plural)<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cTake him out\u201d?!?<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">NEW: Crowd starts clapping after &#8216;The View&#8217; co-host Sunny Hostin appears to suggest that Melania Trump wants to k*ll Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Hostin says Melania wants to &#8220;take [Trump] out&#8221; because she &#8220;hates&#8221; him.<\/p>\n<p>Hostin: &#8220;I think she hates him. So we can all agree on that. That&#8217;s a\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/99p2xokU8P\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/99p2xokU8P<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CollinRugg\/status\/1841865077714256352\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">October 3, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>See Stoller in 2017, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@matthewstoller\/on-mocking-dying-working-class-white-people-d0ea653a91a9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">On Mocking Dying Working Class White People<\/a>.\u201d Liberal Democrats have been wishing death on their political enemies for some time. Now they yuk it up on daytime television.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Less than forty days 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=\"rcp\"\/>Friday\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolitics.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">RCP<\/a> Poll Averages:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/rcp_2024-09-27.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"760\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-279432\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/rcp_2024-09-27.png 500w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/rcp_2024-09-27-197x300.png 197w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>This week\u2019s crop of flag-of-convenience Democrat celebrities and generals didn\u2019t turn the tide either. Despite the micturition and lamentation (very much including my own) about the Trump campaign dogging it when the election is theirs to win (see Gallup, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/news.gallup.com\/poll\/651092\/2024-election-environment-favorable-gop.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">2024 Election Environment Favorable to GOP<\/a>\u201d on the issues) do note the steady deterioration in Kamala\u2019s position in the (aggregated) top battlegrounds. (Of course, we on the outside might as well be examining the entrails of birds when we try to predict what will happen to a subset of voters (undecided; irregular) in a subset of states (swing), and the irregulars especially might as well be quantum foam, but presumably the campaign professionals have better data, and have the situation as under control as it can be <sub>MR SUBLIMINAL Fooled ya. Kidding!<\/sub>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBattleground States Wrap-Up: Race Remains Effectively Tied\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/stories\/analysis\/battleground-states-wrap-up-race-remains-effectively-tied\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">RealClearPolling<\/a>]. \u201cThe latest round of swing state polling indicates that neither Trump nor Harris has made significant gains in the swing states. In the RealClearPolitics Average of the Top Battleground States, the race is again a dead-even tie, meaning any small changes in the race over the next month could decide who wins the presidency. If these RCP Averages hold until Election Day, the race will be incredibly close. As the RCP No Toss-Up Map shows, if the election were decided by the current averages, Trump would win with 281-257 electoral votes. However, the outcome hinges on Pennsylvania, where Trump leads by just 0.1 points, leaving the election a toss-up with a little over a month to go until Election Day.\u201d \u2022 Then again\u2013<\/p>\n<p>If I turn all the leans Red or Blue at 270toWin, but give Harris North Carolina (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/09\/hurricane-helene-hits-hard-in-north-carolina-a-swing-state.html\">based on Helene depressing Republican turnout<\/a> in Western North Carolina (\u201cEvents, dear boy. Events\u201d)), Harris wins, making \u2014 to my dismay \u2014 Pennsylvania irrelevant:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.270towin.com\/maps\/8jPjG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.270towin.com\/map-images\/8jPjG.png\" width=\"800\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>(Then again, if Michigan goes red, and Trump wins Pennsylvania, Trump wins.)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInvestors turn to volatility trades to profit from tight US election\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/736f991b-a19d-44fa-92d8-f383b0d0e0e3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. \u201c[T]he tight race means trading volatility is seen as a safer bet than trying to guess which stocks or sectors will do well from a victory for former president Donald Trump or vice-president Kamala Harris. \u2018Our base case is still that this is basically a toss-up, and most clients have coalesced around the same view,\u2019 said Stuart Kaiser, head of US equity trading strategy at Citi. \u2018If you talk to a client who thinks it\u2019s 60-40 in favour of Trump, you could talk about owning bank stocks. If you think Kamala is more likely to win, trading a basket makes sense,\u2019 he added. \u2018But if you think it\u2019s 50-50, it will be very hard to trade directionally, it\u2019s more of a vol trade.\u2019 Trading volatility typically requires investors to use more complicated derivatives trades, leading to a range of complex strategies with names such as \u2018straddles\u2019 and \u2018collars\u2019 that involve buying and selling several derivatives tied to individual stocks or an index such as the S&amp;P 500.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOctober surprises are piling up, but a toss-up race seems impervious to shocks\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2024\/10\/03\/politics\/october-surprises-trump-harris-analysis\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. \u201cThe White House is grappling with three challenges that could threaten the vice president\u2019s hopes and offer an opening to the Republican nominee\u2019s narrative of Biden-era negligence. A month before Election Day, the US faces the grave possibility of being dragged into a Middle East conflagration; a port workers\u2019 strike could harm inflation-weary consumers; and political pressure is rising in the fallout of Hurricane Helene. Trump, meanwhile, was hit on Wednesday by the unsealing of a 165-page document in which special counsel Jack Smith gives the fullest picture of his case in the federal 2020 election interference case. The ex-president has pleaded not guilty, but the filing re-injected his attempt to steal the last election into the frantic endgame of a campaign partially shaped by Democrats\u2019 claims he poses an existential threat to American democracy. Each situation highlights potential vulnerabilities for both candidates as voters make up their minds. The trio of tests facing Harris comes with potential economic, political and humanitarian consequences if the administration errs. And the new scrutiny of Trump\u2019s behavior after the 2020 election could cause some voters to again question his fitness for the Oval Office.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Kamala (D): \u201cOpinion: Vance is right. Harris and Walz are a threat to Americans\u2019 free speech\u201d [Jonathan Turley, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/opinion\/2024\/10\/03\/vance-debate-harris-walz-first-amendment\/75483782007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">USA Today<\/a>]. On \u201cfire in a croweded theatre: \u201c[Walz] cited a case in which socialists Charles Schenck and Elizabeth Baer were arrested and convicted of violating the Espionage Act of 1917. Their \u2018crime\u2019 was to pass out flyers in opposition to the military draft during World War I. Schenck and Baer called on their fellow citizens not to \u2018submit to intimidation\u2019 and to \u2018assert your rights.\u2019 They argued, \u2018If you do not assert and support your rights, you are helping to deny or disparage rights which it is the solemn duty of all citizens and residents of the United States to retain.\u2019 They also described the military draft as \u2018involuntary servitude.\u2019 Holmes used his \u2018fire in a theater\u2019; line to justify the abusive conviction and incarceration. At the House hearing, when I was trying to explain that the justice later walked away from the line and Schenck was effectively overturned in 1969 in Brandenburg v. Ohio, [Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y.] cut me off and said, \u2018We don\u2019t need a law class here.\u2019 In the vice presidential debate, Walz showed that he and other Democratic leaders most certainly do need a class in First Amendment law.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kamala (D): \u201cVP Kamala Harris announces 100% reimbursement of local Helene response costs during remarks in Augusta\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wabe.org\/vp-kamala-harris-announces-100-reimbursement-of-local-helene-response-costs-during-remarks-in-augusta\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WABE<\/a>]. \u201cVice President Kamala Harris announced Wednesday that President Joe Biden has approved Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp\u2019s request for 100% reimbursement of local costs of responding to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene during remarks in Augusta, Georgia. Harris said the federal reimbursement will cover costs for services like food, water and shelter provided by local governments, debris removal and emergency services.\u201d \u2022 Meanwhile\u2013<\/p>\n<p>Kamala (D):<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">NEW: Kamala Harris kindly offers $750 to Americans who have lost their homes due to flooding from Hurricane Helene.<\/p>\n<p>The development comes as the Biden administration is now bragging about providing 67 Starlink satellites to impacted communities.<\/p>\n<p>For reference, the United States\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/sTM6iix7G9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/sTM6iix7G9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CollinRugg\/status\/1841601067978539473\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">October 2, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>But:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">$750 should handle it\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qaOlpWIpmp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/qaOlpWIpmp<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 @amuse (@amuse) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/amuse\/status\/1841796985772204496\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">October 3, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>And: <\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Dear Ukraine, if you could send a few billion dollars to the Hurricane Helene victims, that would be great! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/d4i4IS15U4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/d4i4IS15U4<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 dianafrancisco (@dianafr55045805) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dianafr55045805\/status\/1841912147535921408\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">October 3, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>I am not certain that $750 will be the entire payment. Nevertheless, directionally this is correct: The empire matters orders of magnitude more to our ruling class than the domestic population (though is not at all the way a MAGA voter would express the matter). On the bright side, I can put the $750 against the $600 Biden still owes me, so I come out ahead!<\/p>\n<p>Kamala (D): \u201cTim Walz\u2019s Long Game Will Pay Off\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/politics\/walz-vance-debate-clips-jan-6\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Nation<\/a>]. \u201cThe classic example of a slow-fuse debate moment that ended up having an impact is Gerald Ford\u2019s famous gaffe in his 1976 debate with Jimmy Carter. Fending off critiques that his foreign policy was indifferent to the oppression of the USSR, Ford declared, \u201cI don\u2019t believe that the Poles consider themselves dominated by the Soviet Union.\u201d Ford\u2019s point was a subtle one: that even under Soviet rule, Poles had a spirit of resistance. But his wording made it sound like he was flippantly disregarding Soviet imperial domination of Eastern Europe\u2026. Over the next few days, the full import of Ford\u2019s words began to sink in, especially after they were highlighted over and over again in press coverage. The fact that Ford, far from clarifying his remarks, stubbornly dug in only made matters worse. Ford lost crucial days in an election and solidified his reputation as an out-of-touch oaf\u2026. Tuesday\u2019s debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz is likely to play out with the same slow-fuse dynamic\u2026. The instant polling done after the debate shows that it was basically a wash\u2026. But even these poll numbers should be treated as preliminary, because Walz very smartly played a long game in the debate\u2026. The key to Walz\u2019s strategy was not to go after Vance directly (since very few voters care about the vice president); rather, Walz got Vance to commit himself to one of Trump\u2019s most unpopular actions, inciting the January 6 attack on the Capitol (Walz\u2019s damning \u201cnon-answer\u201d). The Harris campaign is right to focus on this exchange. Even more than Gerald Ford\u2019s Poland gaffe, it\u2019s an error that illuminates\u2014in an easy-to-understand way\u2014everything wrong with a candidate. Vance\u2019s comments show not just his own moral cravenness but also the way Trump has bullied all those who work with him into accepting the Big Lie about the 2024 campaign. If the Harris campaign and its surrogates keep pushing this clip, they can bog down the Trump campaign for days if not weeks in defending the indefensible.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. An old debate strategy called sand-bagging, although in this case the blow lands after the debate is over. Should be happening already, with only 33 days to go.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"smith\"\/>Trump (R) (Smith\/Chutkan): \u201cOne Month Before Election Day, Judge Chutkan Allows Jack Smith to Broadcast His Evidence\u201d [Andrew McCarthy, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/wJ2ao\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">National Review<\/a>]. \u201cSmith has argued, preposterously, that \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/o\/wJ2ao\/https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/2023\/09\/guilty-or-not-trump-deserves-due-process\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the public<\/a>\u2018 \u2014 by which he means Democrats \u2014 has a right to a speedy trial because of the importance of the Trump cases. To the contrary, the Constitution gives only the defendant a speedy-trial right, which defendants may and frequently do waive if they need more time to prepare their defense (also a constitutional right). The public has an interest in a just trial, not a prompt one \u2014 and there is nothing just about prosecutors\u2019 filing four indictments against their party\u2019s political rival with the objective of trying him before Election Day in a manner that gives him inadequate time to prepare for trial, let alone prepare for four trials\u2026. And as for the asserted <em>importance<\/em> of the cases, it lies in their <em>political consequence<\/em> (if any), which is a factor that prosecutors and judges are not supposed to weigh; <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/o\/wJ2ao\/https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/2024\/02\/only-the-supreme-court-can-settle-the-trump-immunity-question\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">there are unambiguous Justice Department rules to this effect<\/a>. For the umpteenth time, this is not to minimize Trump\u2019s activities in connection with the 2020 election \u2014 the stop-the-steal scheme and the Capitol riot (for which I\u2019ve repeatedly said Trump was rightly impeached, and should have been convicted and disqualified from future office; and over which I\u2019ve repeatedly argued that Republicans were nuts to nominate him, as opposed to a more nationally viable candidate who, by now, would be ten points up against Kamala Harris). It is to stress that is not a legitimate law-enforcement or judicial priority to force a pre-election trial of those charges.\u201d \u2022 On the Smith brief FWIW:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">A bit of tit for tat:<\/p>\n<p>Last night, Trump\u2019s lawyers filed a motion asking Chutkan to allow them to file a similarly excessive response to Jack Smith\u2019s behemoth of an \u201cimmunity motion\u201d and to extend deadline for filing.<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s response to Smith\u2019s 165-page dossier is due Oct 17. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/x4QTHgOWkT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/x4QTHgOWkT<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Julie Kelly \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@julie_kelly2) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/julie_kelly2\/status\/1841829742002991256\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">October 3, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Case for the defense (though last I checked, Rasmussen was a polling operation, so what\u2019s up with this?<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Lots of shrill noise today about 2020 election fraud. President Trump says 2020 was \u201crigged.\u201d Evidence collected by official state and court case investigations indicate that it was. Evidence links by state are for readers below. Dig in. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SchLyucrRV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/SchLyucrRV<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Rasmussen_Poll\/status\/1841636362589450609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">October 3, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Trump (R) (Smith\/Chutkan): \u201c11 damning details in Jack Smith\u2019s new brief in the Trump election case\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/10\/02\/jack-smith-trump-election-brief-details-00182287\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cMuch of Smith\u2019s brief focused on Trump\u2019s state of mind in the weeks leading up to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Smith described a slew of conversations suggesting that the then-president knew his claims of election fraud were spurious. And Smith laid out evidence that Trump\u2019s sole objective was to stay in power \u2014 not, as he and his lawyers have claimed, to exercise legitimate authority over election integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trump (R): \u201cTrump calls Jack Smith filing \u2018pure election interference\u2019 \u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsnationnow.com\/politics\/2024-election\/trump-jack-smith-pure-election-interference\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NewsNation<\/a>]. \u201cFormer President Donald Trump called the unsealing of documents in his election interference case by special counsel Jack Smith a \u201cweaponization of the government\u201d during an exclusive interview with NewsNation on Wednesday in Houston, Texas. The Republican nominee was at a private fundraiser when he told NewsNation\u2019s Ali Bradley that Smith is a \u2018deranged person\u2019 following the dismissal of his separate classified documents case in July. \u2018This was a weaponization of the government \u2026 and released 30 days before the election,\u2019 Trump said of Wednesday\u2019s developments. \u2018My poll numbers have gone up instead of down. It is pure election interference.\u2019 The interview came after prosecutors, in a court filing unsealed Wednesday, said Trump \u201cresorted to crimes\u201d after losing the 2020 election by disregarding the advice of his vice president and other aides.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Trump (R): \u201cTrump floats deporting legal Haitian migrants living in Ohio\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/10\/03\/trump-springfield-haitian-migrants-tps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. \u201cTrump, speaking to NewsNation in Houston, Texas, said he would revoke the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants and \u2018bring them back to their country.\u2019 \u2018In my opinion, it\u2019s not legal. It\u2019s not legal for anybody to do,\u2019 Trump said. TPS is a federal program that allows migrants from some countries to legally live in the United States for a certain period when the conditions in their home country are unsafe. Migrants from Haiti, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Venezuela are among some countries eligible for the program, requiring participants to re-register with the Department of Homeland Security each year. Haitians have been included in the TPS program since January 22, 2010, following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that killed around 220,000 people.\u201d \u2022\u00a0For some definition of \u201clegal.\u201d 2010 seems like rather a long time ago.<\/p>\n<p>Trump (R): \u201cMelania Trump says she forced Donald to drop hardline immigration policy\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2024\/oct\/03\/melania-trump-donald-immigration-jacket-slogan-book\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Guardian<\/a>]. \u201cRegarding child separations, she continues [in her book]: \u2018While I support strong borders, what was going on at the border was simply unacceptable. I immediately addressed my deep concerns with Donald regarding the family separations, emphasizing the trauma it was causing these families. As a mother myself, I stressed: \u2018The government should not be taking children away from their parents.\u2019 I communicated with great clarity \u2026 \u2018This has to stop.\u2019 \u2018Donald assured me that he would investigate the issue, and on 20 June, he announced the end of the family separation policy.\u2019 The first lady\u2019s intervention was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2018\/06\/20\/621930721\/melania-trump-pressured-president-trump-to-change-family-separation-policy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">reported<\/a> at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Kennedy (I): \u201cExclusive: Multiple Women Claiming Romantic Relationships With RFK Jr. Threaten His Standing in Trump Orbit\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/politics\/exclusive-multiple-women-claiming-romantic-relationships-with-rfk-jr-threaten-his-standing-in-trump-orbit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Mediate<\/a>]. \u201cAt least three women are claiming to have had romantic relationships with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in just the last year, as he pursued a long-shot bid for the presidency, Mediaite has learned.\u201d Well, \u201cthree\u201d is \u201cmultiple,\u201d so. More: \u201cKennedy has long been dogged by allegations of infidelity\u2026. In an interview with The New York Sun, several days after Mediaite first reached out to Kennedy for comment, he was asked about the news of his alleged relationship with Nuzzi. He declined to speak about that specific story, but joked to his host, \u2018I have so many skeletons in my closet, if they could vote I\u2019d be king of the world.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbortion Rights, Elections, Criminal Justice, and Much More: The 2024 State Ballot Issues to Watch\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/ajo3Z\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Larry Sabato\u2019s Crystal Ball<\/a>]. \u201d This year, 41 states have at least one measure on the ballot for voters to weigh in on, and many have multiple measures. The highest-profile issue on the ballot this year\u2014as was the case in 2022 and 2023\u2014is abortion. In all, 10 states have pro-abortion rights measures on the ballot, including such purple and red states as Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, and South Dakota. Nebraska also has an anti-abortion measure on the ballot.\u201d \u2022 Enormous roundup of all the state ballots.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>CA: \u201cFederal judge stops implementation of California misinformation law\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.courthousenews.com\/federal-judge-stops-implementation-of-california-misinformation-law\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Courthouse News<\/a>]. \u201cA federal judge ruled Wednesday that California\u2019s law prohibiting altered election-related communications doesn\u2019t pass constitutional scrutiny and the state can\u2019t enforce it. The decision by U.S. District Senior Judge John Mendez to issue a preliminary injunction is a win for Christopher Kohls, known online as \u201cMr. Reagan,\u201d who argued in his lawsuit that Assembly Bill 2839 made computer-generated parody illegal. Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, a Santa Cruz Democrat, wrote the law banning digitally manipulated communications, like mailers and video ads, that are false or misleading and target an election worker, elected official, voting equipment or people running for office four months before an election. People who receive such content would be able to seek damages from the distributor. Kohls, who has some 360,000 YouTube subscribers, calls political satire a fundamental First Amendment right. His suit is similar to one filed Monday in federal court by conservative humor website The Babylon Bee, which targeted two bills, one of them being AB 2839. \u2018We are gratified that the district court agreed with our analysis that new technologies do not change the principles behind First Amendment protections,\u2019 Theodore Frank, one of Kohls\u2019 attorneys, said in a statement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>MI: \u201cHaunted by 2016, some Michigan Democrats worry that Harris remains ill-defined in swing state\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/michigan-democrats-harris-election-voters-46306c264cd27fa553eda0c2df55ced7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cDemocrats in the state have seemed ascendant since [2016], controlling the governorship, both Senate seats and the state legislature. But some party leaders here are worried that trend is not enough to put distance between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Harris\u2019 campaign is banking on the fact that they have spent considerably more money than Trump on ads and have a stronger voter outreach program. Michigan is a state that Harris almost certainly must win to capture the White House, and Democrats\u2019 concerns are rooted in the fear that polls don\u2019t register all Trump supporters both here and in other battleground states as the campaign enters a critical final phase.\u201d And the Muslim\/Uncommitted vote: \u201cThe death of a Dearborn resident, who Dingell and other community leaders this week said was killed in south Lebanon, has only ignited anger in the traditionally Democratic area. Kamel Ahmad Jawad\u2019s death was confirmed Wednesday by a spokesperson for the White House\u2019s National Security Council\u2026. Harris may overcome divisions within the Democratic coalition by boosting voter turnout in Wayne County, home to Detroit, where low turnout in 2016 contributed to Clinton\u2019s loss. Black community leaders noted that excitement surged when Harris entered the race in the summer, and that some momentum continues in the majority-Black city of Eastpointe, just north of Detroit.\u201d Interestingly: \u201c\u2018Democrats\u2019 financial resources absolutely dwarf anything that the Republicans have,\u2019 said former Republican Michigan Gov. John Engler. \u201cBut Trump is making stops in locations that have never had presidential visits before, and those are impactful with margins this close.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NC: \u201cHow Will Hurricane Helene Affect This Wildly Close Election?\u201d [Ed Kilgore, <a href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/intelligencer\/article\/how-will-hurricane-helene-affect-this-wildly-close-election.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Magazine<\/a>]. On North Carolina: \u201cObviously people who have lost homes or other possessions to high winds and (especially) flooding and\/or who lack power or other essentials for an extended period of time are especially dependent on emergency assistance and may be grateful if it arrives expeditiously. Beyond for those immediately affected, the perceived competence and compassion of government entities dealing with disaster relief and recovery efforts can affect how voters assess those in office, particularly in a high-profile situation like that created by Helene. An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aei.org\/politics-and-public-opinion\/elections\/did-hurricane-sandy-get-obama-reelected\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">American Enterprise Institute<\/a> study of [Hurricane] Sandy suggested that the Obama administration\u2019s response to the storm was a major factor in the incumbent\u2019s ability to win late deciders in 2012, topped by this finding: \u2018Fully 15 percent of the electorate rated Obama\u2019s hurricane response as <em>the most important factor<\/em> in their vote.\u2019 At the other end of the spectrum, the George W. Bush administration\u2019s tardy, confused, and seemingly indifferent response to the calamity of Hurricane Katrina in August and September of 2005 had an enduringly negative effect on perceptions of his presidency, even though it occurred nowhere close to a national election, as Reid Wilson explained\u2026 While FEMA and HUD are typically the federal agencies most involved in disaster response and recovery, presidential leadership in a disaster always gets attention, too, and the risk of negative publicity or graphic displays of unmet needs won\u2019t go away immediately. Bureaucratic backlogs in distributing funds and approving applications for assistance could cause voter unhappiness long after the initial damage is addressed. The bottom line is that barring unexpected developments or a major series of screwups in the federal response, Hurricane Helene is likely to mark a big moment in the lives of people in and near the areas of devastation but probably won\u2019t much affect their voting behavior. Obviously the campaigns and their allies will need to adjust their get-out-the-vote operations and show some sensitivity to the suffering of people whose lives were turned upside down. We can only hope the election itself and its aftermath don\u2019t add violence and trauma to the damage done.\u201d \u2022 These questions can be answered empirically, at least in North Carolina, by reporting on roads being open, precincts open, and people\u2019s reactions generally. Of course, the press would have to go outside Asheville to do this, so answers seem unlikely.<\/p>\n<p>PA: \u201cIn the presidential election\u2019s most important state, the race is a dead heat\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/articles\/in-the-presidential-elections-most-important-state-the-race-is-a-dead-heat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Brookings<\/a>]. \u201cIn 2024, all roads lead to Pennsylvania, the largest of the seven swing states. In all probability, the winner of the state will win the election. It is the state that each candidate can least afford to lose. If Kamala Harris wins Pennsylvania as well as Michigan and Wisconsin, she will have 270 electoral votes, whatever happens in the contested southern and southwestern states. If Donald Trump wins Pennsylvania as well as Georgia and North Carolina, he will have 270 electoral votes, whatever happens in the southwest or the upper Midwest\u2026 Harris\u2019 path to victory in Pennsylvania faces a key hurdle: The Democratic advantage in voter registration has continued the erosion that began right after the Obama surge of 2008. Since 2020, the Democratic edge has been cut in half, from 686,000 to just 343,000, while Republican and Independent registration has continued to increase. As a share of the total electorate, Republican registration rose from 39.0% in 2020 to 40.2% this year while the Democratic share fell from 46.5% to 44.1%, reducing the Democratic edge from 7.5 points to 3.9 points.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>PA: \u201cAnother \u2018Hard Tie\u2019 in the Race for President in PA\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpennsylvania.com\/articles\/2024\/10\/02\/another_hard_tie_in_the_race_for_president_in_pa_1062555.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">RealClearPennsylvania<\/a>]. \u201cIndependent voters say that Trump would be better for their personal finances by a 50\u201338% margin. Since the top issue for all voters remains the economy, that\u2019s advantage Trump. The next most important issue to voters is threats to democracy, followed by immigration. Pennsylvania is on a razor\u2019s edge in both the presidential and Senate races.\u201d \u2022 Interesting, that #2.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote><\/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:\/\/avrpublic.dhhs.utah.gov\/uwss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/coronavirus\/sars-cov-2-in-wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/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, KF, KidDoc, 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><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: At last, the wastewater data looks improved. Apparenltly, we dodged a \u201cBack to School\u201d bullet, at least at the national level. The wastewater drop is reinforced by the positivity numbers as well.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> September 23<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Last Week[2] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> (until next week):<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-279439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3-300x209.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" style=\"align: left; margin-left: 0px !important; padding: 9px 0 9px 0;\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-279086\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2.png 602w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2-300x188.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 602px) 100vw, 602px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong> Variants<\/strong> [3] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> September 28<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> <strong>Emergency Room Visits<\/strong>[4] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#trends_select_7dayeddiagnosed_00\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> September 21<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-279437\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1-300x226.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-279435\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-3-300x172.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Hospitalization<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> New York[5] <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.health.ny.gov\/daily-hospitalization-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York State<\/a>, data October 1:<\/td>\n<td>\n<blockquote>\n<p> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> September 7:<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-279732\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-300x171.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-279083\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-2-300x265.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Positivity<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> National[7] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/healthcare-solutions\/covid-19-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a> September 30:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Ohio[8] <a href=\"https:\/\/clevelandcliniclabs.com\/respiratory-virus-surveillance-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Cleveland Clinic<\/a> September 26:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-279575\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-4.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-4-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-279731\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-300x217.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Travelers Data<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">Positivity[9] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> September 9:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">Variants[10] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> September 9:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-279436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-3-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-279438\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-3-300x214.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Deaths<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11]<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/what-you-should-know\/current-situation-in-the-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> September 21:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12]<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronadisease2019\/what-you-should-know\/current-situation-in-the-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> September 21:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-death-positivity-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-279434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-death-positivity-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-death-positivity-natl-1-300x185.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <span class=\"Apple-tab-span\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-death-ed-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-279433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-death-ed-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-death-ed-natl-1-300x201.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\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. Much less intense!<\/p>\n<p>[2] (CDC) Last week\u2019s wastewater map.<\/p>\n<p>[3] (CDC Variants) KP.* very popular. XEC has entered the chat.<\/p>\n<p>[4] (ED) Down, but worth noting that Emergency Department use is now on a par with the first wave, in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Definitely down.<\/p>\n<p>[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). <\/p>\n<p>[7] (Walgreens) Big drop continues!<\/p>\n<p>[8] (Cleveland) Dropping.<\/p>\n<p>[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Up, though lagged.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants).<\/p>\n<p>[11] Deaths low, positivity down.<\/p>\n<p>[12] Deaths low, ED down.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Employment Situation: \u201cUnited States Initial Jobless Claims\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/jobless-claims\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the US rose by 6,000 from the previous week to 225,000 on the period ending September 28th, surpassing market expectations of 220,000 to mark a new three-week high. The rise in claims kept initial counts above the averages recorded earlier this year, reinforcing the trend of a softening labor market and supporting predictions that the Federal Reserve will implement rate cuts in each remaining decision this year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Employment SItuation: \u201cUnited States Challenger Job Cuts\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/cha\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cUS employers announced 72,821 job cuts in September 2024, slightly down from 75,891 in August, but 53% higher than 47,457 a year earlier. Technology announced the most job cuts\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Factory Orders\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/factory-orders\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cNew orders for US manufactured goods eased by 0.2% from the previous month to $590.4 billion in August of 2024, trimming the downwardly revised 4.9% jump in the previous month, and missing forecasts that it would have remained unchanged.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"ila\"\/>\u201cEveryone Is Getting the Dockworkers Strike All Wrong\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/technology\/2024\/10\/dockworkers-strike-union-international-longshoremens-association-economy.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Salon<\/a>]. \u201cYes, it\u2019s a story about modern-day labor anxieties and union leverage\u2014but it\u2019s also about something far more complex than your typical workers-vs.-bosses toss-up\u2026. But the dockworkers of today have to be skilled, knowledgeable, and dexterous enough to ensure that the incoming freight trucks, the hefty equipment, the potentially hazardous cargo, and the boats themselves operate safely and smoothly throughout all steps of the process\u2026 That premium on skill and labor, added to the union\u2019s historic strength, makes these dockworkers \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/prospect.org\/blogs-and-newsletters\/tap\/2024-10-01-longshore-workers-strike-economically-justified\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the highest-paid blue-collar workers in the country<\/a>,\u2019 as the American Prospect notes\u2026 The main sticking point, however, is displacement. The business interests in charge of the ports want to embed more self-propelling technology within dock work, whether that constitutes automated trucks, gates, or cranes. This trend has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/2024\/10\/01\/dock-worker-strike-jobs-pay-automation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">taken off<\/a> at dozens of ports across the world. Still, multiple studies and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.itf-oecd.org\/sites\/default\/files\/docs\/container-port-automation.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">real-world examples<\/a> have shown that full or semi-automation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/10\/02\/business\/dock-workers-strike-automation-nightcap\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">does not actually do much to reduce costs or increase efficiency at the docks<\/a>, although in certain applications, it can help to ensure human safety. And therein lies another primary conflict about tech at the docks: The Maritime Alliance is interested in leaving some leeway for automation, but the dockworkers want absolutely <em>none<\/em>. The work may be grueling, but it\u2019s among the few organized blue-collar professions that can offer its employees a solid lifestyle and dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"boeing\"\/>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Jet Catches Fire Before Takeoff, Prompting Airport Closure\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mensjournal.com\/news\/boeing-engine-catches-fire-italy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Men\u2019s Journal<\/a>]. \u201cAlmost 200 travelers were evacuated from a Boeing jet as walls of flames spewed from one of the engines, video shared to X (formerly Twitter) shows. The incident occurred early on Wednesday morning at Italy\u2019s Brindisi Airport shortly before a Boeing 737 operated by Ryanair was scheduled to take off. Smoke filled the cabin as crews quickly responded and evacuated the jet, but not before one passenger captured footage of the flames licking the plane\u2019s window.\u201d \u2022 Whoops. (Reuters mentions \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/passengers-evacuated-ryanair-plane-italy-after-fumes-seen-2024-10-03\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">fumes<\/a>.\u201d)<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing\u2019s Frail Finances Give Strikers All the Power\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/VM0yf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cThe company is in a dire financial position, burning through billions of dollars of cash and teetering at the edge of having its credit rating cut to junk. The company has floated the idea of raising $10 billion or more by selling shares, which wouldn\u2019t happen until the strike is resolved. The approximately 33,000 machinists on strike know this. Time is on their side. \u2026 Boeing needs to reach a deal with its striking workers and crank up aircraft production. The backlog of aircraft orders is piling up. This is cash and financial relief just waiting to be unlocked. No doubt a hefty pay raise will squeeze future profit margins, but it\u2019s unlikely the company, being in such as weakened state, can outlast the determination of its workers\u2026. It\u2019s time for new Chief Executive Officer Kelly Ortberg to settle this strike and begin to repair labor relations. Without buy-in from its workforce, the company can\u2019t begin to change a factory-floor culture that had eroded on safety and quality to the point where the Federal Aviation Administration had to intervene.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center><\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear &amp; Greed Index: 67 Greed (previous close: 68 Greed) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 68 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Oct 3 at 1:53:13 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"zeitgeist\"\/><strong>Zeitgeist Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Surely not?<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">friend saw this guy on the apps lol <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/NuwYYp4CNv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/NuwYYp4CNv<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 mindy\ud83c\udf37 (@mindyisser) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mindyisser\/status\/1841638409065918861\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">October 3, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For Alma-Tadema stans, thread worth reading in full:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is a 1436 painting by Flemish master Jan van Eyck, of Mary, Jesus, and saints.<\/p>\n<p>You might think it&#8217;s just an ordinary devotional painting \u2014 think again\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lgcGoYNnu9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/lgcGoYNnu9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Culture Critic (@Culture_Crit) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Culture_Crit\/status\/1841469480213377312\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">October 2, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p><strong>Groves of Academe<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"ucla\"\/>\u201cStudents and faculty object to UCLA\u2019s purchase of more military hardware\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/lapublicpress.org\/2024\/10\/ucla-military-hardware-protest-ab481\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Los Angeles Public Press<\/a>]. \u201cThe University of California Regents approved the purchase of military equipment at September\u2019s UC Regents meeting at UCLA. The unanimous vote took place behind closed doors while the UCLA Police Department (UCPD), dressed in riot gear, forced those who came to give public comment outside of the building. The approved purchases include 3,000 rounds of pepper munitions, 500 rounds of 40mm impact munitions, 12 drones, and nine less-lethal launchers across six University of California campuses.\u201d \u2022 Oh.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>No:<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Call me old-fashioned, but I thought we\u2019d pretty much sorted the design of the cup. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zP1tmG9Mtd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/zP1tmG9Mtd<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Henry Moeran (@henrymoeranBBC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/henrymoeranBBC\/status\/1841407968404804008\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">October 2, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Make that holder coin-operated, and you\u2019ve got a rentier\u2019s cup.<\/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\/10\/200pm-water-cooler-10-1-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From TH:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/crazy.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-279770\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/crazy.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/crazy-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>TH writes: \u201cThis is one of those that might drive you crazy. Vertical lines are correct and even the horizontal railing is good, but the breakwater just above it gives an illusion of off-kilterness (word?).\u201d Readers?<\/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. Material here is Lambert\u2019s, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. 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!\n<\/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\/10\/200pm-water-cooler-10-3-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Extremely patient readers, I\u2019m afraid brunch got utterly out of control. So this is quite skeletal, although I will add<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":85409,"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-85408","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\/85408","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=85408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85408\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}