\n<\/p>\n
By Lambert Strether of Corrente.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nBird Song of the Day<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Northern Mockingbird, Brewer park, Miami-Dade, Florida, United States.<\/p>\n<p>Beautiful:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.3463687150838\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.0391061452514\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Last night\u2019s radar from the Netherlands. An explosion of birds heading to England! I would guess Redwing. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/eOcXbrDFFo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/eOcXbrDFFo<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jean Roberts (@HeyshamObs) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HeyshamObs\/status\/1849869142180102349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">October 25, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>But not, one hopes, bearing new strains of flu\u2026. <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#hegseth\">Trump DOD pick<\/a> Hegseth.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#frank\">Thomas Frank<\/a> has risen from the grave.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#blame\">Deploy the Blame Cannons<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#boeing\">Boeing layoffs<\/a>, DEI axed.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#silicon\">Sun<\/a> Slated To Be Dimmed by Tech Bros.<\/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>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"45.373642750692\">\n<p>\u201cTrump Builds Out White House Staff as He Returns to Washington\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2024-11-13\/trump-builds-out-white-house-staff-as-he-returns-to-washington\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cDan Scavino, who previously worked in the White House during Trump\u2019s first term, will serve as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff, Trump said in a statement on Wednesday. James Blair, who served as the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee political director, will take on the role of deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs. Taylor Budowich, who served as the CEO of the pro-Trump super political action committee, MAGA Inc., is being tapped as deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel. Those appointments are joining Stephen Miller, who will be deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security advisor. Miller will have a key role in enacting Trump\u2019s immigration policies, which the president-elect has said will center on a mass deportation of illegal immigrants and completing the construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border. The four all were active in Trump\u2019s campaign, an operation which saw the Republican standard-bearer score an unexpectedly decisive electoral victory.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"hegseth\"\/>\u201c\u2018Who the f\u2013k is this guy?\u2019: Defense world reacts to Trump\u2019s surprise Pentagon pick\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/11\/12\/defense-world-reacts-to-trump-pick-pete-hegseth-00189221\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cPresident-elect Donald Trump\u2019s Tuesday night surprise pick of a conservative commentator and television host as his Pentagon chief shocked Washington, which had expected the nominee to be a seasoned lawmaker or someone with defense policy experience. National security officials and defense analysts had braced for surprises from Trump after experiencing his first four years in office. But even grading on that curve, they say the announcement of Fox News host and decorated Army veteran Pete Hegseth caught them totally off-guard. \u2018[Trump] puts the highest value on loyalty,\u2019 Eric Edelman, who served as the Pentagon\u2019s top policy official during the Bush administration, said in an interview. \u2018It appears that one of the main criteria that\u2019s being used is, how well do people defend Donald Trump on television?\u2019 One assessment was more blunt. \u201cWho the fuck is this guy?\u201d said a defense industry lobbyist who was granted anonymity to offer candid views. The lobbyist said they had hoped for \u2018someone who actually has an extensive background in defense. That would be a good start.’\u201d \u2022 \u201cA good start\u201d at what? Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"5.2586206896552\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"13.146551724138\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Yesterday was a bad day for those who endorse “America First” in our foreign policy. <\/p>\n<p>With reported Trump appointments of neocons Elise Stefanik (UN Ambassador), Mike Waltz (National Security Advisor), and\u2026Marco Rubio (Secretary of State), many who hoped that Trump 2.0 would\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/TB1p3FoBob\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/TB1p3FoBob<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Ron Paul (@RonPaul) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RonPaul\/status\/1856459844880085050\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 12, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Hegseth (1):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.9308823529412\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10.482352941176\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Quite something to hear the upcoming US Secretary of Defense admit that the US would lose its “whole power projection system” in the first 20 minutes of a war with China \ud83d\udc47<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6NZ0VzFtvl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/6NZ0VzFtvl<\/a><\/p>\n<p>“The Pentagon has a perfect record in all of its war games against China: we lose\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RnaudBertrand\/status\/1856703906723864686\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Hegseth (2):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.3108974358974\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.208333333333\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Pete Hegseth, Trump\u2019s new pick for Defense Secretary, says if you open up your Bible you will find that God granted Abraham the land of Israel, and this should apparently inform our understanding of the modern Israel-Palestine conflict <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YVtzCQ5s5K\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/YVtzCQ5s5K<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Michael Tracey (@mtracey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mtracey\/status\/1856511575529558237\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>The Department of Governmental Efficiency:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.5063613231552\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.470737913486\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=%24TSLA&src=ctag&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">$TSLA<\/a> This is effectively a joke, and a huge blow to Musk\/Vivek. That is\u2026 if you read the fine print, this new DOGE department will \u201cprovide advice and guidance from outside the government\u201d \u2013 glorified consultants. This is a massive nothing-burger, and quasi fake office. New\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/XHX8oFJoFc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/XHX8oFJoFc<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cFmt8j1ny0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/cFmt8j1ny0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Gordon Johnson (@GordonJohnson19) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GordonJohnson19\/status\/1856520041283629314\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>I view this as a mark of favor to Vivek, although if I were Vivek I\u2019d make sure not to be standing in the shadow of any falling safes.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cDinner at Mar-a-Lago Is for Power Games\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/intelligencer\/article\/donald-trump-inside-mar-a-lago.html?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=f1&utm_campaign=feed-part\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Magazine<\/a>]. \u201cThe billionaire X and Tesla owner is around so much he\u2019s even got his own intro music. \u2018I don\u2019t know if you know this, but Trump DJs Mar-a-Lago from his iPad,\u2019 says Melissa Rein Lively, another frequent presence at the club these days. \u2018So he has a walk-on song for Elon Musk, which is \u2018Space Oddity.’\u201d \u2022 What a great metaphor; if there\u2019s a vibe shift at Mar-a-Lago, it\u2019s probably Trump. And elsewhere? (And speaking of Space Oddity: Anyone care to make book on how long Trump and Musk are BFFs? I wouldn\u2019t call <a href=\"https:\/\/genius.com\/David-bowie-space-oddity-lyrics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Space Oddity\u2019s lyrics<\/a> encouraging, as far as Musk\u2019s fate.)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"150.46751768436\">\n<p><a name=\"blame\"\/><strong>Deploy the Blame Cannons!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Elites Had It Coming\u201d [Thomas Frank, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/opinion\/commentary\/2024\/11\/12\/opinion-elites-had-it-coming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. Amazingly, Frank returns from his ostracism; the Democrats must be indeed panicked, <em>pace<\/em> Silver and Kilgore below. (This version is from the Salt Lake Tribune because the NYT is working hard at preventing the various archives from working.) Worth reading in full: This:<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"17\">\n<p>At the Republican convention in July, JD Vance described the ruination visited on his working-class town in Ohio by NAFTA and trade with China, both of which he blamed at least in part on Mr. Biden, and also the human toll taken by the Iraq War, which he also contrived to blame on Mr. Biden. Today Mr. Vance is the vice president-elect, and what I hope you will understand, what I want you to mull over and take to heart and remember for the rest of your life, is that he got there by mimicking the language that Americans used to associate with labor, with liberals, with Democrats.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>And this:<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"20\">\n<p>\u201cLiberals had nine years to decipher Mr. Trump\u2019s appeal \u2014 and they failed. The Democrats are a party of college graduates, as the whole world understands by now, of Ph.D.s and genius-grant winners and the best consultants money can buy. Mr. Trump is a con man straight out of Mark Twain; he will say anything, promise anything, do nothing. But his movement baffled the party of education and innovation. Their most brilliant minds couldn\u2019t figure him out. I have been writing about these things for 20 years, and I have begun to doubt that any combination of financial disaster or electoral chastisement will ever turn on the lightbulb for the liberals. I fear that \u201890s-style centrism will march on, by a sociological force of its own, until the parties have entirely switched their social positions and the world is given over to Trumpism. Can anything reverse it? Only a resolute determination by the Democratic Party to rededicate itself to the majoritarian vision of old: a Great Society of broad, inclusive prosperity. This means universal health care and a higher minimum wage. It means robust financial regulation and antitrust enforcement. It means unions and a welfare state and higher taxes on billionaires, even the cool ones. It means, above all, liberalism as a social movement, as a coming-together of ordinary people \u2014 not a series of top-down reforms by well-meaning professionals. That seems a long way away today. But the alternative is \u2014 what? To blame the voters? To scold the world for failing to see how noble we are? No. It will take the opposite sentiment \u2014 solidarity \u2014 to turn the world right-side up again.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Because I hardly ever read the Times anymore, I discovered the above only by listening to this YouTube, linked to by alert reader Flora. The title is indeed clickbait, as Yves suggests; the word \u201clandslide\u201d occurs once in the transcript, only to be debunked (colors on a map are not votes). The discussion in fact serious:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Thomas Frank on 2024 Trump LANDSLIDE, Democrats' Working Class COLLAPSE, and More\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZggaRAWdUaU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ZggaRAWdUaU?si=IZ3yol8N0ns8OXgH&t=1181\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">This<\/a> caught my eye (slightly cleaned up):<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"16\">\n<p>[FRANK:] The overturning of the New Deal Democrats, the Great Society Democrats was a generational story. I don\u2019t know if there\u2019s a social science term for it but people never betray their betrayals. Once you do something like that, once you turn the Democratic party, which these guys did in the 1970s, once you turn on the Democratic party and say we\u2019ve had enough of organized labor, and we\u2019ve had enough of the party of the New Deal and all that, you\u2019re never going back. That is what you did as a generation. It is your accomplishment. They\u2019re psychologically incapable of saying \u201cOh, we were wrong, our great moment as a generation was a mistake.\u201d No human can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>One funeral at a time.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s 2004 all over again\u201d [Nate Silver, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.natesilver.net\/p\/its-2004-all-over-again\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Silver Bulletin<\/a>]. \u201cOf course, it didn\u2019t work out so badly for Democrats. Bush\u2019s second term was a disaster, marked by the failure of Social Security reform, the ongoing quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Hurricane Katrina. Democrats had a strong 2006 midterm, gaining 33\u2026 And then Barack Obama romped to the largest Electoral College and popular vote win of the 21st Century so far. Progressivism was in the ascent \u2014 until the Tea Party came along in 2010 and whipped Democrats back to reality again.\u201d Because during the foreclosure crisis the only people [genuflects] Obama rescued were the banksters. More; \u201cIt\u2019s hard not to see the parallels between Bush\u2019s win in 2004 and Donald Trump\u2019s last week. Like Bush, Trump won thanks partly to a surge of votes from Latino and Asian American voters. Like Bush, he\u2019ll win the popular vote \u2014 probably by a margin of around 1.4 percentage points once all votes are counted. He\u2019ll probably come just short of an outright majority, although it will be close, and Trump\u2019s Electoral College margin was more impressive than Bush\u2019s, who was only one state (Ohio) away from losing to Kerry. Certainly, the mood feels very different than after Trump\u2019s first win in 2016. Democrats have approached the outcome in a more cerebral and analytical way than I was expecting, with manifestos about a new way forward for the party and unapologetic shifts away from \u2018wokeness.\u2019 The party is ready to move past the Clintons, the Bidens and the Obamas \u2014 well, unless Michelle Obama decides to run, I guess \u2014 and it would be stunning if there\u2019s any appetite to nominate Harris or Tim Walz again. With a clear, undisputed outcome on relatively high turnout \u2014 likely in the range of 156 million votes, just a hair down from 2020 \u2014 there\u2019s less talk about the term-limited Trump being an existential threat to democracy, rhetoric that may have been persuasive to people like me but never resonated with swing voters. And although you can find people who blame the New York Times for the outcome, for the most part, for 2026 and beyond.\u201d \u2022 Four years of lawfare and \u201cHe\u2019s a fascist!\u201d followed by \u201cNever mind!\u201d and a shift tpoward \u201cconstructive strategic conversation\u201d? Really? Do these people ever listen to themselves? To be fair, maybe in 2028 Democrats can again nominate a charistmatic fresh face who will completely fail to rise to the occasion and normalize and rationalize everything <del>Bush<\/del> Trump did. History may not repeat, but it circles the drain.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDemocrats Were Crushed in 2004, Too. It Didn\u2019t Last Long\u201d [Ed Kilgore, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/politics\/democrats-were-crushed-in-2004-too-it-didn-t-last-long\/ar-AA1tXOWF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Magazine<\/a>]. \u201cIn terms of the shock value of Bush\u2019s reelection, it can credibly be argued that in retrospect the 41st president was a paragon of civility and moderation compared to the 45th\/47th. But that\u2019s not the way it looked to Democrats at the time. George W. Bush was widely regarded on the left as a war-mongering simpleton who had sold his party\u2019s soul to rich people, defense contractors, and Christian fundamentalists.\u201d And the post starts out musing on the importance of history! Bush was a far, far, worse President <em>on policy<\/em> than Trump, although of course Kilfgore, as a Democrat, prizes \u201ccivility and moderation\u201d above all else. More: \u201cAs we now know, the sense of Republican strength and Democratic weakness that was so pervasive on Election Night in 2004 was ephemeral. Within months Bush gave Democrats a unifying issue with his clumsy and immediately unsuccessful efforts to \u201creform\u201d Social Security.\u201d In which, believe it or, the blogosphere played a role. Concluding: \u201cthe further we get from the pandemic and the [million deaths, oh wait\u2026] inflation that followed it, the less Democrats will be held responsible for the chronic unhappiness of the American people. So while Democrats really should conduct a thorough self-examination of what went wrong since 2020, despair is premature and probably unwarranted.\u201d \u2022 They campaigned on \u201cour democracy.\u201d \u201cThis might be our last election!\u201d Then their candidate gets tossed aside like a limp rag, and suddenly everybody\u2019s talking about the next midterms. Talk about a vibe shift!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cScoop: The 2024 blame game finally comes for Hakeem Jeffries\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/11\/13\/hakeem-jeffries-congress-progressives-2024-election\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. Blah blah blah, all the way to this: \u201cJeffries is expected to be unopposed for reelection when House Democrats meet for their leadership elections on Nov. 19. Jayapal bristled at the notion she would withhold her support for Jeffries, saying \u2018he is the leader of our party.\u2019 Still, the senior House progressive who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Axios: \u2018I don\u2019t think anybody ever should take or can take their leadership for granted.’\u201d \u2022 Why not? And how wonderfully clarifying on Jayapal.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cLiz Cheney Was an Electoral Fiasco for Kamala Harris\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/politics\/liz-cheney-electoral-fiasco-kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Nation<\/a>]. \u201cUnfortunately, while many Democratic tacticians were enthusiastic about Cheney\u2019s jumping on board as a Harris backer, Republican voters couldn\u2019t have cared less. The Cheney strategy was an abject failure that added few if any votes to the Democratic total, alienated voters who have no taste for the former GOP representative\u2019s neocon extremism, and stole precious time from an agonizingly short campaign schedule\u2026. This reality is most apparent in the election results from Ripon. The east-central Wisconsin city where abolitionists, land reformers, and utopian socialists founded the Republican Party in 1854 seemed ripe for a cross-party appeal. Ripon has been a Republican stronghold for 170 years, but the city is also a college town that in the past has shown a good measure of enthusiasm for Democrats such as Barack Obama. But that\u2019s not how things played out on Election Day. On November 5, Trump won 53.8 percent of the vote (2,097 ballots) in the city of Ripon, while 45 percent (1,753 ballots) voted for Harris. That was a worse finish for the Democratic ticket than in 2020, when Joe Biden won 46.6 percent (1,820 ballots), while 51.7 percent (2,019 ballots) voted for Trump. But, surely, Ripon was an anomaly. No. Definitely and unequivocally no.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLichtman blames bad election prediction on disinformation, Elon Musk\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/media\/4985630-allan-lichtman-musk-disinformation-election-prediction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cLichtman pointed to conservative media platforms and Musk, who poured millions into President-elect Trump\u2019s campaign and has become one of his loudest media cheerleaders, as a factor in his inaccurate prediction. Musk had helped fuel the spread of false or misleading information online about issues like immigration, hurricane relief and the war in Ukraine, Lichtman said, effectively \u2018putting his thumb on the scales.’\u201d \u2022 Another way of saying this is that Lichtman\u2019s model isn\u2019t valid any more, because our political economy changed out from under it.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>The House:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.3731778425656\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.370262390671\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Slim and razor thin: The GOP is on pace to have the smallest House majority at the start of a Congress since Alaska & Hawaii became states. <\/p>\n<p>If this past Congress is any guide, we could be looking at one of the least productive Houses in the last 50 years\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0JVy3zvoeK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/0JVy3zvoeK<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ForecasterEnten\/status\/1856716919237193927\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>The Senate:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThune elected Senate majority leader\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/4987959-senator-john-thune-elected\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cThune has served as Senate Republican whip, the No. 2-ranking position in the Senate GOP leadership, since 2019, and largely managed operation of the Senate floor after McConnell suffered a concussion from a fall in 2023\u2026. Thune is well liked among his Senate Republican colleagues, and his affable, humble approach to managing the conference has earned the trust and confidence of fellow GOP senators\u2026 He crossed swords with Trump in December 2020 when he whipped colleagues to oppose an effort by Trump allies to block the certification of President Biden\u2019s victory in the presidential race. Thune declared the effort to throw out Biden electors would \u2018go down like a shot dog,\u2019 prompting an angry response from Trump, who called him a \u2018RINO\u2019 and called for him to face a primary challenge in 2022. Trump\u2019s threat of political retaliation didn\u2019t amount to much, as Thune easily won reelection. Thune tried to mend fences with Trump in recent months by visiting his home at Mar-a-Lago in March and toning down any criticism of the GOP presidential nominee when asked about his controversial statements.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Our Famously Free Press<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"28.42\">\n<p>\u201cWith Surge in New Users, Bluesky Emerges as X Alternative\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/dnyuz.com\/2024\/11\/12\/with-surge-in-new-users-bluesky-emerges-as-x-alternative\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. \u201c[Bluesky] has gained more than a million new users in the week since the election, a company spokeswoman, Emily Liu, said on Tuesday. The majority of the new users live in the United States, Canada and Britain, she added\u2026. New or freshly active users on the platform include celebrities (the rapper Flavor Flav, the author John Green), Democratic political figures (Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary) and media personalities (Mehdi Hasan, Molly Jong-Fast).\u201d \u2022 Wow, Molly Jong-Fast. I\u2019m sold.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGuardian will no longer post on Elon Musk\u2019s X from its official accounts\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/media\/2024\/nov\/13\/the-guardian-no-longer-post-on-x-twitter-elon-musk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Guardian<\/a>]. \u201cIn an announcement to readers, the news organisation said it considered the benefits of being on the platform formerly called Twitter were now outweighed by the negatives, citing the \u2018often disturbing content\u2019 found on it.\u201d \u2022 I practically live on Twitter, and the algo occasionally feeds me stuff on the Azovs. So\u2026 <\/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&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk&null=Risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>); Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>, <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&l=Oakland%2C+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Oakland, wastewater<\/a>); CO (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/d79cf93c3938470ca4bcc4823328946b#utility=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); CT (<a href=\"https:\/\/data.ct.gov\/stories\/s\/COVID-19-data\/wa3g-tfvc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); DE (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.delaware.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); FL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/5b9d75ba683849928dc1a49c39ab0b1c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); GA (<a href=\"https:\/\/dph.georgia.gov\/ga-nwss-wastewater-surveillance-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); HI (<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); IA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmmwra.org\/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater reports<\/a>); ID (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Boise; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/?plantId=1056f05c-0e46-4e3d-b007-c0453ba7dc0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Central Idaho; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/#:SARS-CoV-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Coeur d\u2019Alene; dashboard, <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.srhd.org\/topics\/spokane-county-case-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spokane County<\/a>); IL (<a href=\"https:\/\/iwss.uillinois.edu\/wastewater-treatment-plants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); IN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.in.gov\/indiana-covid-19-dashboard-and-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); KS (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov\/160\/COVID-19-in-Kansas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/4456bae8a38f4b6180e008477382fff9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Lawrence); KY (<a href=\"https:\/\/louisville.edu\/envirome\/thecoimmunityproject\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Louisville); LA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldh.la.gov\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/covid-19-wastewater-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MD (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.maryland.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); ME (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/dhhs\/mecdc\/infectious-disease\/epi\/airborne\/coronavirus\/data.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/coronavirus\/stats\/wastewater-surveillance\/dashboard\/sentinel-wastewater-epidemiology-evaluation-project-sweep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/gisportal.state.mi.us\/portal\/apps\/insights\/index.html#\/view\/52bbb104ed574887918f990af9f3debe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/stats\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MO (<a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/f7f5492486114da6b5d6fdc07f81aacf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MS (<a href=\"https:\/\/msdh.ms.gov\/page\/14,0,420.html#Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>MT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapSeries\/index.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; NC (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.ncdhhs.gov\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard)<\/a>; ND (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NE (<a href=\"https:\/\/atlas-dhhs.ne.gov\/Atlas\/Respiratory_Illness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NH (<a href=\"https:\/\/wisdom.dhhs.nh.gov\/wisdom\/dashboard.html?topic=covid-19&subtopic=recurring-updates&indicator=covid-19-wastewater#tabnavbarid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NJ (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.nj.gov\/forms\/datadashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NM (<a href=\"https:\/\/cvprovider.nmhealth.org\/public-dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NV (<a href=\"https:\/\/nvhealthresponse.nv.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/empower.unlv.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Southern NV); NY (<a href=\"https:\/\/mbcolli.shinyapps.io\/SARS2EWSP\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OH (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.ohio.gov\/dashboards\/other-resources\/wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OK (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/51657c21386d4f1a962b1853c76ec589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>OR (<a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/oregon.health.authority.covid.19\/viz\/OregonsCOVID-19DataDashboards-TableofContents\/TableofContentsStatewide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; PA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.pa.gov\/topics\/disease\/coronavirus\/pages\/Cases.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); RI (<a href=\"https:\/\/ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SC (<a href=\"https:\/\/scdhec.gov\/index.php\/covid19\/covid-19-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SD (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.sd.gov\/COVID\/Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/health\/cedep\/ncov\/data.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TX (<a href=\"https:\/\/txdshsea.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/4ae43eefd0f641d59d35c3df82ee59cc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); UT (<a href=\"https:\/\/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>Airborne Transmission: Covid<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"8.1801495581237\">\n<p>\u201cMeasurements and Simulations of Aerosol Released while Singing and Playing Wind Instruments\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/full\/10.1021\/acsenvironau.1c00007#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">American Chemical Society<\/a>]. From 2021 (!). From the Abstract: \u201d We found that plumes from musical performance were highly directional, unsteady and varied considerably in time and space. Aerosol number concentration measured at the bell of the clarinet was comparable to that of singing. Face and bell masks attenuated plume velocities and lengths and decreased aerosol concentrations measured in front of the masks. CFD modeling showed differences between indoor and outdoor environments and that the lowest risk of airborne COVID-19 infection occurred at less than 30 min of exposure indoors and less than 60 min outdoors.\u201d \u2022 Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.9752186588921\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10.600583090379\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">& the other one that shows how to reduce the aerosols: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/INMR0jreYu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/INMR0jreYu<\/a><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why I\u2019ve been SO irate w music ed since the beginning; we did the research. We started protecting students. & then they went right along with the great unmasking & let it spread thru ensembles<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \u2728\ud83c\udfb6Kristennnn\ud83c\udf49\u2728 (@singingsox) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/singingsox\/status\/1856393864581689449\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 12, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Helpful EPA guidance:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.85\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"12.125\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">If you\u2019re fighting for clean air in your school district, in your vocation, in your state or province or in a lawsuit, you can now point to the US <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EPA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@EPA<\/a>\u2018s guidance that ASHRAE should be consulted, specifically Standard 241: Control of Infectious Aerosols.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lYRUugYByT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/lYRUugYByT<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JlwSsNB40o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/JlwSsNB40o<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Blake Murdoch (@BlakeMMurdoch) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BlakeMMurdoch\/status\/1853255377401626967\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 4, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Transmission: H5N1<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"7.2537960954447\">\n<p>How is it that Bonnie Henry is still in office?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"7.3506289308176\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"17.295597484277\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Full force H5N1 has a 58% mortality rate, it is AIRBORNE, foodborne, waterborne, fomite, blood borne, poo, etc. Bonnie Henry, laughs & states, ON VIDEO, there will be no public safety measures for human to human transmission \u2623\ufe0f. This is criminal <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/n6KgXdlatu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/n6KgXdlatu<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Sass (@sasswashere) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sasswashere\/status\/1856471799489339606\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 12, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>I know I should do a Bonnie Henry takedown, but\u2026 some figures are too repellent even for me.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a name=\"mask\"\/>Maskstravaganza<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"10.509065550907\">\n<p>\u201cThe Multiplicative Power of Masks\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/aatishb.com\/maskmath\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Aatish Bhatia \u2a09 Minute Physics<\/a>]. \u201cWe now know that masks have an outsized effect on slowing the spread of COVID-19. And yet, some people oppose wearing masks because they view this as a personal choice rather than a public health issue. This misses the big picture because masks protect the wearer and the people around them. This two-way protection makes widespread mask-wearing a powerful way to extinguish an epidemic. By doing the math on masks, we\u2019ll see how when 60% of people wear 60% effective masks, disease transmission drops by as much as 60% \u2014 roughly what\u2019s needed to stop the spread of COVID-19.\u201d \u2022 And whatever the <em>next<\/em> airborne pandemic might be.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.843373493976\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6190476190476\">\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> November 4<\/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\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282039\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2-300x196.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\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281871\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1-300x245.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6417910447761\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong> Variants<\/strong> [3] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 9<\/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> November 2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282038\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1-300x238.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281868\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-natl-300x192.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\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.8513513513514\">\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 November 12:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 8:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282171\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-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\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1-300x292.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\" wp_automatic_readability=\"2.5915492957746\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> National[7] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/healthcare-solutions\/covid-19-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a> November 11:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Ohio[8] <a href=\"https:\/\/clevelandcliniclabs.com\/respiratory-virus-surveillance-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Cleveland Clinic<\/a> November 9:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282040\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282107\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-300x199.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\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.5862068965517\">\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> October 21:<\/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> October 21:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281869\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-300x186.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281870\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-300x209.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\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.76\">\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> November 2:<\/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> November 2:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivty-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281867\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivty-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivty-natl-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281866\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-1-300x177.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<td wp_automatic_readability=\"143.80816941686\">\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) Good news!<\/p>\n<p>[2] (CDC) Last week\u2019s wastewater map.<\/p>\n<p>[3] (CDC Variants) KP.* still popular. XEC has entered the chat. That WHO label, \u201cOmmicron,\u201d has done a great job normalizing successive waves of infection.<\/p>\n<p>[4] (ED) Down.<\/p>\n<p>[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Steadily down.<\/p>\n<p>[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). Actually improved; it\u2019s now one of the few charts to show the entire course of the pandemic to the present day.<\/p>\n<p>[7] (Walgreens) Down.<\/p>\n<p>[8] (Cleveland) Down.<\/p>\n<p>[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Down.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants). Now XEC.<\/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>There are no official statistics of interest today.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"boeing\"\/>\u201cWhy Boeing Killed DEI\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.city-journal.org\/article\/why-boeing-killed-dei\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">City Journal<\/a>]. \u201cEarlier this month, Boeing\u2019s newly installed CEO, Kelly Ortberg, quietly dismantled the DEI department and accepted the resignation of the office\u2019s vice president. To understand how this happened, we reached out to [an] insider.\u201d \u201c[INSIDER]: [Ortberg] is looking at every business and every process with fresh eyes, asking the basic question, \u2018Does this help us build airplanes?\u2019 HR organizations like to make the argument that you need the right mix of skin color and gender preference to perform and innovate. But everyone who has had to build things knows that what really drives value is integrity, hard work, and technical expertise. This doesn\u2019t mean that bias doesn\u2019t exist and that we don\u2019t need to fight it, but he [Ortberg] gets that the best culture directly promotes values and results, not identity groups.\u201d And: \u201coeing more than anything needs an aligned workforce focused on building airplanes, and it\u2019s an easy decision to reject the divisive and U.S.-centric language of DEI in favor of a unified vision for a diverse, global company.\u201d \u2022 Thing is, if Boeing were a co-op like Mondragon, I can see that Boeing asking exactly the same question: \u201cDoes this help us build airplanes?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Forecasts 67% Growth In Global Air Cargo Fleet By 2043, Driven By Asia Demand\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/11\/r\">Benzinga<\/a>]. \u201cBoeing projects a 4% annual increase in air cargo traffic through 2043, anticipating a 67% growth in the global freighter fleet. Asia-Pacific leads demand, requiring 980 new freighters; North America follows with 955 as Boeing forecasts robust e-commerce growth.\u201d \u2022 Plus freighters have less reputational and legal risk; if they fall out of the sky, there are no pesky passengers.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cWhat Can Be Learned From Boeing\u2019s Downfall?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/gOKDs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Forbes<\/a>]. \u201d Once-proud society that honored engineering successes and problem-solving gave way to a perspective that undervalued technical knowledge in favor of financial results. Since the company\u2019s fundamental safety criteria were violated, this decline of basic values not only harmed employee morale but also resulted in oversights and expensive blunders. Clearly, fostering innovation and preserving quality depend on a mission-driven culture whereby staff members are empowered to defend business ideals. <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/gOKDs\/https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/jimosman\/2024\/10\/19\/why-boeings-35-wage-hike-is-a-game-changer-for-us-labor-markets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Companies that want long-term success must stick to their basic goal and acknowledge the importance of the knowledge of their staff, particularly in sectors where quality and safety take front stage<\/a>.\u201d \u2022 Take software \u2014 please!<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Faces Risk as It Starts Job Cuts in Tight Labor Market\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/money\/companies\/boeing-faces-risk-as-it-starts-job-cuts-in-tight-labor-market\/ar-AA1u0nLg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201c[T]he company is staffed for peak production levels it likely won\u2019t see for years, especially after a 53-day strike largely halted work in its plants across the west coast. Boeing had 171,000 employees at the start of this year, 12% more than the 153,000 it employed five years earlier, when its factories were at their pre-crisis peak\u2026. \u2018We need to reset priorities and create a leaner, more focused organization,\u2019 Ortberg said during an Oct. 23 earnings call. The cuts are intended to \u2018focus on consolidation of areas where we\u2019re not efficient, and we need to continue to focus on reducing non-essential activity.’\u201d \u2022 Defense\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Manufacting: \u201cBoeing layoffs weren\u2019t just a strike threat\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/boeing-layoffs-begin-this-week-1851696372\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Quartz<\/a>]. \u201cReuters reports that the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, the union representing Boeing engineers, received word from Boeing that 60-day layoff notices would be issued to its members this Friday. Seattle-area CBS (PARA) affiliate KIRO says that the machinists\u2019 union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, has no updates to share\u2026. When Boeing first announced the layoffs, it blamed the move on \u2018near-term challenges\u2019 tied to the strike. But it is becoming clearer that the company\u2019s cash-conscious caution will not end now that the machinists are back at work. Despite raising mountains of cash to refill its stoppage-drained coffers, the company still has a long way to go to dig itself out of the $6 billion loss it incurred last quarter.\u201d \u2022 Maybe axe the troublemakers? I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll find out.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 69 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: 58 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Nov 13 at 1:25:26 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Winter is coming:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.8348416289593\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"8.0995475113122\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Not much playing on the ice on this frigid winter day. People are just trying to get to a warm home. By Aert van der neer, d. OTD in 1677. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/c924dedM8v\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/c924dedM8v<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dr. Peter Paul Rubens (@PP_Rubens) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PP_Rubens\/status\/1855338520698659054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 9, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"zeitgeist\"\/><strong>Zeitgeist Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"silicon\"\/>\u201cSilicon Valley\u2019s Elite Pour Money Into Blotting Out the Sun\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/nB6ic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201c[T[here are people working in semi-secret on technology to tweak the weather, even if they\u2019re nowhere close to controlling hurricanes. A growing number of Silicon Valley founders and investors are backing research into blocking the sun by spraying reflective particles high in the atmosphere or making clouds brighter. The goal is to quickly cool the planet. A couple of startups are already trying to deploy this untested technology or betting governments will eventually use it, while a cluster of Bay Area nonprofits are backing research into its planetary impact. With the world hotter than at any point in human history and emissions showing no sign of falling, the pitch is that dimming the sun is a relatively cheap way to turn the heat down. \u2018\u2018 said Andrew Lockley, a UK-based independent researcher in the field scientists call geoengineering. \u2018History will judge whether that\u2019s a good thing or a bad thing.’\u201d Well, that\u2019s re-assuring. \u201cMany tech types turn to science fiction for inspiration, and in the case of geoengineering there\u2019s a template: Neal Stephenson\u2019s 2021 novel Termination Shock. The plot follows a Texas billionaire who takes climate matters into his own hands by building the world\u2019s biggest gun to shoot particles into the sky to reflect incoming sunlight.\u201d \u2022 But only certain sorts of science fiction; I don\u2019t think Ursula LeGuin, Philip K. DIck, or even WIlliam Gibson figure largely in the tech bro <em>Weltanschauung<\/em>. For a review of <em>Termination Shock<\/em>, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2023\/06\/the-ironies-of-neal-stephenson-thoughts-on-his-thriller-termination-shock.html\">The Ironies of Neal Stephenson: Thoughts on His Thriller, Termination Shock<\/a> at NC.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy Social Anxiety Cheat Sheet for Mingling\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.adamgrant.info\/my-social-anxiety-cheat-sheet-for-mingling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Adam Grant<\/a>]. \u201cI got this advice from a manager about dealing with people in general and love it. People like to talk about themselves and they like it when you encourage them to do so. When you get people to keep talking about themselves, it\u2019s less work for you, and it makes them feel good talking to you.\u201d \u2022 Hmm.<\/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\/11\/200pm-water-cooler-11-11-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From expat2uruguay:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/cuttings.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"449\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-282168\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/cuttings.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/cuttings-300x225.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>expat2uruguay writes: \u201cSpring cuttings waiting for further processing tomorrow and hopefully to become new plants.\u201d Uruguay being in the Southern hemisphere.<\/p>\n<p>Once more, kind readers, thanks to those who have sent in plant images. However, the queue is still short, and that always makes me nervous. Do you have an images to send in, especially of autumn produce or winter projects? Thank you!<\/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!<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .entry-content --><\/p>\n<footer class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\tThis entry was posted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/guest-post\" rel=\"category tag\">Guest Post<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/11\/200pm-water-cooler-11-13-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-11-13T14:00:46-05:00\">November 13, 2024<\/time><\/a><span class=\"by-author\"> by <span class=\"author vcard\"><a class=\"url fn n\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/author\/lambert-strether\" title=\"View all posts by Lambert Strether\" rel=\"author\">Lambert Strether<\/a><\/span><\/span>.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"author-info\" wp_automatic_readability=\"20.197005056398\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .author-avatar --><\/p>\n<div class=\"author-description\" wp_automatic_readability=\"35.467911318553\">\n<h2>About Lambert Strether<\/h2>\n<p>Readers, I have had a correspondent characterize my views as realistic cynical. Let me briefly explain them. I believe in universal programs that provide concrete material benefits, especially to the working class. Medicare for All is the prime example, but tuition-free college and a Post Office Bank also fall under this heading. So do a Jobs Guarantee and a Debt Jubilee. Clearly, neither liberal Democrats nor conservative Republicans can deliver on such programs, because the two are different flavors of neoliberalism (\u201cBecause markets\u201d). I don\u2019t much care about the \u201cism\u201d that delivers the benefits, although whichever one does have to put common humanity first, as opposed to markets. Could be a second FDR saving capitalism, democratic socialism leashing and collaring it, or communism razing it. I don\u2019t much care, as long as the benefits are delivered. <br \/>\n <br \/>\nTo me, the key issue \u2014 and this is why Medicare for All is always first with me \u2014 is the tens of thousands of excess \u201cdeaths from despair,\u201d as described by the Case-Deaton study, and other recent studies. That enormous body count makes Medicare for All, at the very least, a moral and strategic imperative. And that level of suffering and organic damage makes the concerns of identity politics \u2014 even the worthy fight to help the refugees Bush, Obama, and Clinton\u2019s wars created \u2014 bright shiny objects by comparison. Hence my frustration with the news flow \u2014 currently in my view the swirling intersection of two, separate Shock Doctrine campaigns, one by the Administration, and the other by out-of-power liberals and their allies in the State and in the press \u2014 a news flow that constantly forces me to focus on matters that I regard as of secondary importance to the excess deaths. What kind of political economy is it that halts or even reverses the increases in life expectancy that civilized societies have achieved? I am also very hopeful that the continuing destruction of both party establishments will open the space for voices supporting programs similar to those I have listed; let\u2019s call such voices \u201cthe left.\u201d Volatility creates opportunity, especially if the Democrat establishment, which puts markets first and opposes all such programs, isn\u2019t allowed to get back into the saddle. Eyes on the prize! I love the tactical level, and secretly love even the horse race, since I\u2019ve been blogging about it daily for fourteen years, but everything I write has this perspective at the back of it.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .author-link\t-->\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!-- .author-description -->\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!-- .author-info --><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/footer>\n<p><!-- .entry-meta --><br \/>\n\t<!-- #post --><\/p>\n<nav class=\"nav-single\">\n<h3 class=\"assistive-text\">Post navigation<\/h3>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"nav-previous list-posts-older\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/11\/global-fury-after-state-dept-claims-israel-not-violating-us-law-by-blocking-gaza-aid.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> Global Fury After State Dept Claims Israel Not Violating US Law by Blocking Gaza Aid<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"nav-next list-posts-newer\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/nav>\n<p><!-- .nav-single --><\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- #comments .comments-area --><\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- #content --><br \/>\n<!-- #primary --><\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- #secondary --><\/p>\n<footer id=\"colophon\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t\t<!-- .site-info --><br \/>\n\t\t<\/footer>\n<p><!-- #colophon --><br \/>\n\t\t<!-- #main.wrapper --><br \/>\n<!-- #page --><br \/>\n<!-- .mobile-menu-wrap --><\/p>\n<p><!-- Blog Reader Pooling - removed 09\/16\/2015 by M. 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Beautiful: Last night\u2019s radar from the Netherlands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":87142,"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-87141","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\/87141","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=87141"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87141\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Bird Song of the Day<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Northern Mockingbird, Brewer park, Miami-Dade, Florida, United States.<\/p>\n<p>Beautiful:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.3463687150838\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.0391061452514\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Last night\u2019s radar from the Netherlands. An explosion of birds heading to England! I would guess Redwing. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/eOcXbrDFFo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/eOcXbrDFFo<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jean Roberts (@HeyshamObs) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HeyshamObs\/status\/1849869142180102349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">October 25, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>But not, one hopes, bearing new strains of flu\u2026. <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#hegseth\">Trump DOD pick<\/a> Hegseth.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#frank\">Thomas Frank<\/a> has risen from the grave.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#blame\">Deploy the Blame Cannons<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#boeing\">Boeing layoffs<\/a>, DEI axed.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#silicon\">Sun<\/a> Slated To Be Dimmed by Tech Bros.<\/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>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"45.373642750692\">\n<p>\u201cTrump Builds Out White House Staff as He Returns to Washington\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2024-11-13\/trump-builds-out-white-house-staff-as-he-returns-to-washington\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cDan Scavino, who previously worked in the White House during Trump\u2019s first term, will serve as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff, Trump said in a statement on Wednesday. James Blair, who served as the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee political director, will take on the role of deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs. Taylor Budowich, who served as the CEO of the pro-Trump super political action committee, MAGA Inc., is being tapped as deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel. Those appointments are joining Stephen Miller, who will be deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security advisor. Miller will have a key role in enacting Trump\u2019s immigration policies, which the president-elect has said will center on a mass deportation of illegal immigrants and completing the construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border. The four all were active in Trump\u2019s campaign, an operation which saw the Republican standard-bearer score an unexpectedly decisive electoral victory.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"hegseth\"\/>\u201c\u2018Who the f\u2013k is this guy?\u2019: Defense world reacts to Trump\u2019s surprise Pentagon pick\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/11\/12\/defense-world-reacts-to-trump-pick-pete-hegseth-00189221\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cPresident-elect Donald Trump\u2019s Tuesday night surprise pick of a conservative commentator and television host as his Pentagon chief shocked Washington, which had expected the nominee to be a seasoned lawmaker or someone with defense policy experience. National security officials and defense analysts had braced for surprises from Trump after experiencing his first four years in office. But even grading on that curve, they say the announcement of Fox News host and decorated Army veteran Pete Hegseth caught them totally off-guard. \u2018[Trump] puts the highest value on loyalty,\u2019 Eric Edelman, who served as the Pentagon\u2019s top policy official during the Bush administration, said in an interview. \u2018It appears that one of the main criteria that\u2019s being used is, how well do people defend Donald Trump on television?\u2019 One assessment was more blunt. \u201cWho the fuck is this guy?\u201d said a defense industry lobbyist who was granted anonymity to offer candid views. The lobbyist said they had hoped for \u2018someone who actually has an extensive background in defense. That would be a good start.’\u201d \u2022 \u201cA good start\u201d at what? Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"5.2586206896552\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"13.146551724138\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Yesterday was a bad day for those who endorse “America First” in our foreign policy. <\/p>\n<p>With reported Trump appointments of neocons Elise Stefanik (UN Ambassador), Mike Waltz (National Security Advisor), and\u2026Marco Rubio (Secretary of State), many who hoped that Trump 2.0 would\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/TB1p3FoBob\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/TB1p3FoBob<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Ron Paul (@RonPaul) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RonPaul\/status\/1856459844880085050\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 12, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Hegseth (1):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.9308823529412\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10.482352941176\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Quite something to hear the upcoming US Secretary of Defense admit that the US would lose its “whole power projection system” in the first 20 minutes of a war with China \ud83d\udc47<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6NZ0VzFtvl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/6NZ0VzFtvl<\/a><\/p>\n<p>“The Pentagon has a perfect record in all of its war games against China: we lose\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RnaudBertrand\/status\/1856703906723864686\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Hegseth (2):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.3108974358974\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.208333333333\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Pete Hegseth, Trump\u2019s new pick for Defense Secretary, says if you open up your Bible you will find that God granted Abraham the land of Israel, and this should apparently inform our understanding of the modern Israel-Palestine conflict <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YVtzCQ5s5K\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/YVtzCQ5s5K<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Michael Tracey (@mtracey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mtracey\/status\/1856511575529558237\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>The Department of Governmental Efficiency:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.5063613231552\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.470737913486\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=%24TSLA&src=ctag&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">$TSLA<\/a> This is effectively a joke, and a huge blow to Musk\/Vivek. That is\u2026 if you read the fine print, this new DOGE department will \u201cprovide advice and guidance from outside the government\u201d \u2013 glorified consultants. This is a massive nothing-burger, and quasi fake office. New\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/XHX8oFJoFc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/XHX8oFJoFc<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cFmt8j1ny0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/cFmt8j1ny0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Gordon Johnson (@GordonJohnson19) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GordonJohnson19\/status\/1856520041283629314\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>I view this as a mark of favor to Vivek, although if I were Vivek I\u2019d make sure not to be standing in the shadow of any falling safes.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cDinner at Mar-a-Lago Is for Power Games\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/intelligencer\/article\/donald-trump-inside-mar-a-lago.html?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=f1&utm_campaign=feed-part\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Magazine<\/a>]. \u201cThe billionaire X and Tesla owner is around so much he\u2019s even got his own intro music. \u2018I don\u2019t know if you know this, but Trump DJs Mar-a-Lago from his iPad,\u2019 says Melissa Rein Lively, another frequent presence at the club these days. \u2018So he has a walk-on song for Elon Musk, which is \u2018Space Oddity.’\u201d \u2022 What a great metaphor; if there\u2019s a vibe shift at Mar-a-Lago, it\u2019s probably Trump. And elsewhere? (And speaking of Space Oddity: Anyone care to make book on how long Trump and Musk are BFFs? I wouldn\u2019t call <a href=\"https:\/\/genius.com\/David-bowie-space-oddity-lyrics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Space Oddity\u2019s lyrics<\/a> encouraging, as far as Musk\u2019s fate.)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"150.46751768436\">\n<p><a name=\"blame\"\/><strong>Deploy the Blame Cannons!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Elites Had It Coming\u201d [Thomas Frank, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/opinion\/commentary\/2024\/11\/12\/opinion-elites-had-it-coming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. Amazingly, Frank returns from his ostracism; the Democrats must be indeed panicked, <em>pace<\/em> Silver and Kilgore below. (This version is from the Salt Lake Tribune because the NYT is working hard at preventing the various archives from working.) Worth reading in full: This:<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"17\">\n<p>At the Republican convention in July, JD Vance described the ruination visited on his working-class town in Ohio by NAFTA and trade with China, both of which he blamed at least in part on Mr. Biden, and also the human toll taken by the Iraq War, which he also contrived to blame on Mr. Biden. Today Mr. Vance is the vice president-elect, and what I hope you will understand, what I want you to mull over and take to heart and remember for the rest of your life, is that he got there by mimicking the language that Americans used to associate with labor, with liberals, with Democrats.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>And this:<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"20\">\n<p>\u201cLiberals had nine years to decipher Mr. Trump\u2019s appeal \u2014 and they failed. The Democrats are a party of college graduates, as the whole world understands by now, of Ph.D.s and genius-grant winners and the best consultants money can buy. Mr. Trump is a con man straight out of Mark Twain; he will say anything, promise anything, do nothing. But his movement baffled the party of education and innovation. Their most brilliant minds couldn\u2019t figure him out. I have been writing about these things for 20 years, and I have begun to doubt that any combination of financial disaster or electoral chastisement will ever turn on the lightbulb for the liberals. I fear that \u201890s-style centrism will march on, by a sociological force of its own, until the parties have entirely switched their social positions and the world is given over to Trumpism. Can anything reverse it? Only a resolute determination by the Democratic Party to rededicate itself to the majoritarian vision of old: a Great Society of broad, inclusive prosperity. This means universal health care and a higher minimum wage. It means robust financial regulation and antitrust enforcement. It means unions and a welfare state and higher taxes on billionaires, even the cool ones. It means, above all, liberalism as a social movement, as a coming-together of ordinary people \u2014 not a series of top-down reforms by well-meaning professionals. That seems a long way away today. But the alternative is \u2014 what? To blame the voters? To scold the world for failing to see how noble we are? No. It will take the opposite sentiment \u2014 solidarity \u2014 to turn the world right-side up again.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Because I hardly ever read the Times anymore, I discovered the above only by listening to this YouTube, linked to by alert reader Flora. The title is indeed clickbait, as Yves suggests; the word \u201clandslide\u201d occurs once in the transcript, only to be debunked (colors on a map are not votes). The discussion in fact serious:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Thomas Frank on 2024 Trump LANDSLIDE, Democrats' Working Class COLLAPSE, and More\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZggaRAWdUaU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ZggaRAWdUaU?si=IZ3yol8N0ns8OXgH&t=1181\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">This<\/a> caught my eye (slightly cleaned up):<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"16\">\n<p>[FRANK:] The overturning of the New Deal Democrats, the Great Society Democrats was a generational story. I don\u2019t know if there\u2019s a social science term for it but people never betray their betrayals. Once you do something like that, once you turn the Democratic party, which these guys did in the 1970s, once you turn on the Democratic party and say we\u2019ve had enough of organized labor, and we\u2019ve had enough of the party of the New Deal and all that, you\u2019re never going back. That is what you did as a generation. It is your accomplishment. They\u2019re psychologically incapable of saying \u201cOh, we were wrong, our great moment as a generation was a mistake.\u201d No human can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>One funeral at a time.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s 2004 all over again\u201d [Nate Silver, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.natesilver.net\/p\/its-2004-all-over-again\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Silver Bulletin<\/a>]. \u201cOf course, it didn\u2019t work out so badly for Democrats. Bush\u2019s second term was a disaster, marked by the failure of Social Security reform, the ongoing quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Hurricane Katrina. Democrats had a strong 2006 midterm, gaining 33\u2026 And then Barack Obama romped to the largest Electoral College and popular vote win of the 21st Century so far. Progressivism was in the ascent \u2014 until the Tea Party came along in 2010 and whipped Democrats back to reality again.\u201d Because during the foreclosure crisis the only people [genuflects] Obama rescued were the banksters. More; \u201cIt\u2019s hard not to see the parallels between Bush\u2019s win in 2004 and Donald Trump\u2019s last week. Like Bush, Trump won thanks partly to a surge of votes from Latino and Asian American voters. Like Bush, he\u2019ll win the popular vote \u2014 probably by a margin of around 1.4 percentage points once all votes are counted. He\u2019ll probably come just short of an outright majority, although it will be close, and Trump\u2019s Electoral College margin was more impressive than Bush\u2019s, who was only one state (Ohio) away from losing to Kerry. Certainly, the mood feels very different than after Trump\u2019s first win in 2016. Democrats have approached the outcome in a more cerebral and analytical way than I was expecting, with manifestos about a new way forward for the party and unapologetic shifts away from \u2018wokeness.\u2019 The party is ready to move past the Clintons, the Bidens and the Obamas \u2014 well, unless Michelle Obama decides to run, I guess \u2014 and it would be stunning if there\u2019s any appetite to nominate Harris or Tim Walz again. With a clear, undisputed outcome on relatively high turnout \u2014 likely in the range of 156 million votes, just a hair down from 2020 \u2014 there\u2019s less talk about the term-limited Trump being an existential threat to democracy, rhetoric that may have been persuasive to people like me but never resonated with swing voters. And although you can find people who blame the New York Times for the outcome, for the most part, for 2026 and beyond.\u201d \u2022 Four years of lawfare and \u201cHe\u2019s a fascist!\u201d followed by \u201cNever mind!\u201d and a shift tpoward \u201cconstructive strategic conversation\u201d? Really? Do these people ever listen to themselves? To be fair, maybe in 2028 Democrats can again nominate a charistmatic fresh face who will completely fail to rise to the occasion and normalize and rationalize everything <del>Bush<\/del> Trump did. History may not repeat, but it circles the drain.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDemocrats Were Crushed in 2004, Too. It Didn\u2019t Last Long\u201d [Ed Kilgore, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/politics\/democrats-were-crushed-in-2004-too-it-didn-t-last-long\/ar-AA1tXOWF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Magazine<\/a>]. \u201cIn terms of the shock value of Bush\u2019s reelection, it can credibly be argued that in retrospect the 41st president was a paragon of civility and moderation compared to the 45th\/47th. But that\u2019s not the way it looked to Democrats at the time. George W. Bush was widely regarded on the left as a war-mongering simpleton who had sold his party\u2019s soul to rich people, defense contractors, and Christian fundamentalists.\u201d And the post starts out musing on the importance of history! Bush was a far, far, worse President <em>on policy<\/em> than Trump, although of course Kilfgore, as a Democrat, prizes \u201ccivility and moderation\u201d above all else. More: \u201cAs we now know, the sense of Republican strength and Democratic weakness that was so pervasive on Election Night in 2004 was ephemeral. Within months Bush gave Democrats a unifying issue with his clumsy and immediately unsuccessful efforts to \u201creform\u201d Social Security.\u201d In which, believe it or, the blogosphere played a role. Concluding: \u201cthe further we get from the pandemic and the [million deaths, oh wait\u2026] inflation that followed it, the less Democrats will be held responsible for the chronic unhappiness of the American people. So while Democrats really should conduct a thorough self-examination of what went wrong since 2020, despair is premature and probably unwarranted.\u201d \u2022 They campaigned on \u201cour democracy.\u201d \u201cThis might be our last election!\u201d Then their candidate gets tossed aside like a limp rag, and suddenly everybody\u2019s talking about the next midterms. Talk about a vibe shift!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cScoop: The 2024 blame game finally comes for Hakeem Jeffries\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/11\/13\/hakeem-jeffries-congress-progressives-2024-election\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. Blah blah blah, all the way to this: \u201cJeffries is expected to be unopposed for reelection when House Democrats meet for their leadership elections on Nov. 19. Jayapal bristled at the notion she would withhold her support for Jeffries, saying \u2018he is the leader of our party.\u2019 Still, the senior House progressive who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Axios: \u2018I don\u2019t think anybody ever should take or can take their leadership for granted.’\u201d \u2022 Why not? And how wonderfully clarifying on Jayapal.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cLiz Cheney Was an Electoral Fiasco for Kamala Harris\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/politics\/liz-cheney-electoral-fiasco-kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Nation<\/a>]. \u201cUnfortunately, while many Democratic tacticians were enthusiastic about Cheney\u2019s jumping on board as a Harris backer, Republican voters couldn\u2019t have cared less. The Cheney strategy was an abject failure that added few if any votes to the Democratic total, alienated voters who have no taste for the former GOP representative\u2019s neocon extremism, and stole precious time from an agonizingly short campaign schedule\u2026. This reality is most apparent in the election results from Ripon. The east-central Wisconsin city where abolitionists, land reformers, and utopian socialists founded the Republican Party in 1854 seemed ripe for a cross-party appeal. Ripon has been a Republican stronghold for 170 years, but the city is also a college town that in the past has shown a good measure of enthusiasm for Democrats such as Barack Obama. But that\u2019s not how things played out on Election Day. On November 5, Trump won 53.8 percent of the vote (2,097 ballots) in the city of Ripon, while 45 percent (1,753 ballots) voted for Harris. That was a worse finish for the Democratic ticket than in 2020, when Joe Biden won 46.6 percent (1,820 ballots), while 51.7 percent (2,019 ballots) voted for Trump. But, surely, Ripon was an anomaly. No. Definitely and unequivocally no.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLichtman blames bad election prediction on disinformation, Elon Musk\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/media\/4985630-allan-lichtman-musk-disinformation-election-prediction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cLichtman pointed to conservative media platforms and Musk, who poured millions into President-elect Trump\u2019s campaign and has become one of his loudest media cheerleaders, as a factor in his inaccurate prediction. Musk had helped fuel the spread of false or misleading information online about issues like immigration, hurricane relief and the war in Ukraine, Lichtman said, effectively \u2018putting his thumb on the scales.’\u201d \u2022 Another way of saying this is that Lichtman\u2019s model isn\u2019t valid any more, because our political economy changed out from under it.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>The House:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.3731778425656\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.370262390671\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Slim and razor thin: The GOP is on pace to have the smallest House majority at the start of a Congress since Alaska & Hawaii became states. <\/p>\n<p>If this past Congress is any guide, we could be looking at one of the least productive Houses in the last 50 years\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0JVy3zvoeK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/0JVy3zvoeK<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ForecasterEnten\/status\/1856716919237193927\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>The Senate:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThune elected Senate majority leader\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/4987959-senator-john-thune-elected\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cThune has served as Senate Republican whip, the No. 2-ranking position in the Senate GOP leadership, since 2019, and largely managed operation of the Senate floor after McConnell suffered a concussion from a fall in 2023\u2026. Thune is well liked among his Senate Republican colleagues, and his affable, humble approach to managing the conference has earned the trust and confidence of fellow GOP senators\u2026 He crossed swords with Trump in December 2020 when he whipped colleagues to oppose an effort by Trump allies to block the certification of President Biden\u2019s victory in the presidential race. Thune declared the effort to throw out Biden electors would \u2018go down like a shot dog,\u2019 prompting an angry response from Trump, who called him a \u2018RINO\u2019 and called for him to face a primary challenge in 2022. Trump\u2019s threat of political retaliation didn\u2019t amount to much, as Thune easily won reelection. Thune tried to mend fences with Trump in recent months by visiting his home at Mar-a-Lago in March and toning down any criticism of the GOP presidential nominee when asked about his controversial statements.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Our Famously Free Press<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"28.42\">\n<p>\u201cWith Surge in New Users, Bluesky Emerges as X Alternative\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/dnyuz.com\/2024\/11\/12\/with-surge-in-new-users-bluesky-emerges-as-x-alternative\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. \u201c[Bluesky] has gained more than a million new users in the week since the election, a company spokeswoman, Emily Liu, said on Tuesday. The majority of the new users live in the United States, Canada and Britain, she added\u2026. New or freshly active users on the platform include celebrities (the rapper Flavor Flav, the author John Green), Democratic political figures (Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary) and media personalities (Mehdi Hasan, Molly Jong-Fast).\u201d \u2022 Wow, Molly Jong-Fast. I\u2019m sold.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGuardian will no longer post on Elon Musk\u2019s X from its official accounts\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/media\/2024\/nov\/13\/the-guardian-no-longer-post-on-x-twitter-elon-musk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Guardian<\/a>]. \u201cIn an announcement to readers, the news organisation said it considered the benefits of being on the platform formerly called Twitter were now outweighed by the negatives, citing the \u2018often disturbing content\u2019 found on it.\u201d \u2022 I practically live on Twitter, and the algo occasionally feeds me stuff on the Azovs. So\u2026 <\/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&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk&null=Risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>); Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>, <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&l=Oakland%2C+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Oakland, wastewater<\/a>); CO (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/d79cf93c3938470ca4bcc4823328946b#utility=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); CT (<a href=\"https:\/\/data.ct.gov\/stories\/s\/COVID-19-data\/wa3g-tfvc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); DE (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.delaware.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); FL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/5b9d75ba683849928dc1a49c39ab0b1c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); GA (<a href=\"https:\/\/dph.georgia.gov\/ga-nwss-wastewater-surveillance-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); HI (<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); IA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmmwra.org\/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater reports<\/a>); ID (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Boise; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/?plantId=1056f05c-0e46-4e3d-b007-c0453ba7dc0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Central Idaho; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/#:SARS-CoV-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Coeur d\u2019Alene; dashboard, <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.srhd.org\/topics\/spokane-county-case-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spokane County<\/a>); IL (<a href=\"https:\/\/iwss.uillinois.edu\/wastewater-treatment-plants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); IN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.in.gov\/indiana-covid-19-dashboard-and-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); KS (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov\/160\/COVID-19-in-Kansas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/4456bae8a38f4b6180e008477382fff9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Lawrence); KY (<a href=\"https:\/\/louisville.edu\/envirome\/thecoimmunityproject\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Louisville); LA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldh.la.gov\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/covid-19-wastewater-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MD (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.maryland.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); ME (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/dhhs\/mecdc\/infectious-disease\/epi\/airborne\/coronavirus\/data.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/coronavirus\/stats\/wastewater-surveillance\/dashboard\/sentinel-wastewater-epidemiology-evaluation-project-sweep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/gisportal.state.mi.us\/portal\/apps\/insights\/index.html#\/view\/52bbb104ed574887918f990af9f3debe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/stats\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MO (<a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/f7f5492486114da6b5d6fdc07f81aacf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MS (<a href=\"https:\/\/msdh.ms.gov\/page\/14,0,420.html#Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>MT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapSeries\/index.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; NC (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.ncdhhs.gov\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard)<\/a>; ND (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NE (<a href=\"https:\/\/atlas-dhhs.ne.gov\/Atlas\/Respiratory_Illness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NH (<a href=\"https:\/\/wisdom.dhhs.nh.gov\/wisdom\/dashboard.html?topic=covid-19&subtopic=recurring-updates&indicator=covid-19-wastewater#tabnavbarid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NJ (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.nj.gov\/forms\/datadashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NM (<a href=\"https:\/\/cvprovider.nmhealth.org\/public-dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NV (<a href=\"https:\/\/nvhealthresponse.nv.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/empower.unlv.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Southern NV); NY (<a href=\"https:\/\/mbcolli.shinyapps.io\/SARS2EWSP\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OH (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.ohio.gov\/dashboards\/other-resources\/wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OK (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/51657c21386d4f1a962b1853c76ec589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>OR (<a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/oregon.health.authority.covid.19\/viz\/OregonsCOVID-19DataDashboards-TableofContents\/TableofContentsStatewide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; PA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.pa.gov\/topics\/disease\/coronavirus\/pages\/Cases.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); RI (<a href=\"https:\/\/ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SC (<a href=\"https:\/\/scdhec.gov\/index.php\/covid19\/covid-19-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SD (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.sd.gov\/COVID\/Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/health\/cedep\/ncov\/data.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TX (<a href=\"https:\/\/txdshsea.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/4ae43eefd0f641d59d35c3df82ee59cc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); UT (<a href=\"https:\/\/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>Airborne Transmission: Covid<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"8.1801495581237\">\n<p>\u201cMeasurements and Simulations of Aerosol Released while Singing and Playing Wind Instruments\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/full\/10.1021\/acsenvironau.1c00007#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">American Chemical Society<\/a>]. From 2021 (!). From the Abstract: \u201d We found that plumes from musical performance were highly directional, unsteady and varied considerably in time and space. Aerosol number concentration measured at the bell of the clarinet was comparable to that of singing. Face and bell masks attenuated plume velocities and lengths and decreased aerosol concentrations measured in front of the masks. CFD modeling showed differences between indoor and outdoor environments and that the lowest risk of airborne COVID-19 infection occurred at less than 30 min of exposure indoors and less than 60 min outdoors.\u201d \u2022 Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.9752186588921\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10.600583090379\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">& the other one that shows how to reduce the aerosols: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/INMR0jreYu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/INMR0jreYu<\/a><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why I\u2019ve been SO irate w music ed since the beginning; we did the research. We started protecting students. & then they went right along with the great unmasking & let it spread thru ensembles<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \u2728\ud83c\udfb6Kristennnn\ud83c\udf49\u2728 (@singingsox) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/singingsox\/status\/1856393864581689449\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 12, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Helpful EPA guidance:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.85\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"12.125\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">If you\u2019re fighting for clean air in your school district, in your vocation, in your state or province or in a lawsuit, you can now point to the US <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EPA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@EPA<\/a>\u2018s guidance that ASHRAE should be consulted, specifically Standard 241: Control of Infectious Aerosols.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lYRUugYByT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/lYRUugYByT<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JlwSsNB40o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/JlwSsNB40o<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Blake Murdoch (@BlakeMMurdoch) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BlakeMMurdoch\/status\/1853255377401626967\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 4, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Transmission: H5N1<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"7.2537960954447\">\n<p>How is it that Bonnie Henry is still in office?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"7.3506289308176\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"17.295597484277\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Full force H5N1 has a 58% mortality rate, it is AIRBORNE, foodborne, waterborne, fomite, blood borne, poo, etc. Bonnie Henry, laughs & states, ON VIDEO, there will be no public safety measures for human to human transmission \u2623\ufe0f. This is criminal <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/n6KgXdlatu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/n6KgXdlatu<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Sass (@sasswashere) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sasswashere\/status\/1856471799489339606\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 12, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>I know I should do a Bonnie Henry takedown, but\u2026 some figures are too repellent even for me.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a name=\"mask\"\/>Maskstravaganza<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"10.509065550907\">\n<p>\u201cThe Multiplicative Power of Masks\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/aatishb.com\/maskmath\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Aatish Bhatia \u2a09 Minute Physics<\/a>]. \u201cWe now know that masks have an outsized effect on slowing the spread of COVID-19. And yet, some people oppose wearing masks because they view this as a personal choice rather than a public health issue. This misses the big picture because masks protect the wearer and the people around them. This two-way protection makes widespread mask-wearing a powerful way to extinguish an epidemic. By doing the math on masks, we\u2019ll see how when 60% of people wear 60% effective masks, disease transmission drops by as much as 60% \u2014 roughly what\u2019s needed to stop the spread of COVID-19.\u201d \u2022 And whatever the <em>next<\/em> airborne pandemic might be.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.843373493976\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6190476190476\">\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> November 4<\/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\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282039\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2-300x196.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\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281871\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1-300x245.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6417910447761\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong> Variants<\/strong> [3] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 9<\/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> November 2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282038\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1-300x238.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281868\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-natl-300x192.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\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.8513513513514\">\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 November 12:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 8:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282171\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-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\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1-300x292.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\" wp_automatic_readability=\"2.5915492957746\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> National[7] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/healthcare-solutions\/covid-19-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a> November 11:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Ohio[8] <a href=\"https:\/\/clevelandcliniclabs.com\/respiratory-virus-surveillance-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Cleveland Clinic<\/a> November 9:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282040\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282107\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-300x199.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\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.5862068965517\">\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> October 21:<\/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> October 21:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281869\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-300x186.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281870\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-300x209.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\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.76\">\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> November 2:<\/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> November 2:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivty-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281867\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivty-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivty-natl-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281866\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-1-300x177.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<td wp_automatic_readability=\"143.80816941686\">\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) Good news!<\/p>\n<p>[2] (CDC) Last week\u2019s wastewater map.<\/p>\n<p>[3] (CDC Variants) KP.* still popular. XEC has entered the chat. That WHO label, \u201cOmmicron,\u201d has done a great job normalizing successive waves of infection.<\/p>\n<p>[4] (ED) Down.<\/p>\n<p>[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Steadily down.<\/p>\n<p>[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). Actually improved; it\u2019s now one of the few charts to show the entire course of the pandemic to the present day.<\/p>\n<p>[7] (Walgreens) Down.<\/p>\n<p>[8] (Cleveland) Down.<\/p>\n<p>[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Down.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants). Now XEC.<\/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>There are no official statistics of interest today.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"boeing\"\/>\u201cWhy Boeing Killed DEI\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.city-journal.org\/article\/why-boeing-killed-dei\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">City Journal<\/a>]. \u201cEarlier this month, Boeing\u2019s newly installed CEO, Kelly Ortberg, quietly dismantled the DEI department and accepted the resignation of the office\u2019s vice president. To understand how this happened, we reached out to [an] insider.\u201d \u201c[INSIDER]: [Ortberg] is looking at every business and every process with fresh eyes, asking the basic question, \u2018Does this help us build airplanes?\u2019 HR organizations like to make the argument that you need the right mix of skin color and gender preference to perform and innovate. But everyone who has had to build things knows that what really drives value is integrity, hard work, and technical expertise. This doesn\u2019t mean that bias doesn\u2019t exist and that we don\u2019t need to fight it, but he [Ortberg] gets that the best culture directly promotes values and results, not identity groups.\u201d And: \u201coeing more than anything needs an aligned workforce focused on building airplanes, and it\u2019s an easy decision to reject the divisive and U.S.-centric language of DEI in favor of a unified vision for a diverse, global company.\u201d \u2022 Thing is, if Boeing were a co-op like Mondragon, I can see that Boeing asking exactly the same question: \u201cDoes this help us build airplanes?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Forecasts 67% Growth In Global Air Cargo Fleet By 2043, Driven By Asia Demand\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/11\/r\">Benzinga<\/a>]. \u201cBoeing projects a 4% annual increase in air cargo traffic through 2043, anticipating a 67% growth in the global freighter fleet. Asia-Pacific leads demand, requiring 980 new freighters; North America follows with 955 as Boeing forecasts robust e-commerce growth.\u201d \u2022 Plus freighters have less reputational and legal risk; if they fall out of the sky, there are no pesky passengers.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cWhat Can Be Learned From Boeing\u2019s Downfall?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/gOKDs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Forbes<\/a>]. \u201d Once-proud society that honored engineering successes and problem-solving gave way to a perspective that undervalued technical knowledge in favor of financial results. Since the company\u2019s fundamental safety criteria were violated, this decline of basic values not only harmed employee morale but also resulted in oversights and expensive blunders. Clearly, fostering innovation and preserving quality depend on a mission-driven culture whereby staff members are empowered to defend business ideals. <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/gOKDs\/https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/jimosman\/2024\/10\/19\/why-boeings-35-wage-hike-is-a-game-changer-for-us-labor-markets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Companies that want long-term success must stick to their basic goal and acknowledge the importance of the knowledge of their staff, particularly in sectors where quality and safety take front stage<\/a>.\u201d \u2022 Take software \u2014 please!<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Faces Risk as It Starts Job Cuts in Tight Labor Market\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/money\/companies\/boeing-faces-risk-as-it-starts-job-cuts-in-tight-labor-market\/ar-AA1u0nLg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201c[T]he company is staffed for peak production levels it likely won\u2019t see for years, especially after a 53-day strike largely halted work in its plants across the west coast. Boeing had 171,000 employees at the start of this year, 12% more than the 153,000 it employed five years earlier, when its factories were at their pre-crisis peak\u2026. \u2018We need to reset priorities and create a leaner, more focused organization,\u2019 Ortberg said during an Oct. 23 earnings call. The cuts are intended to \u2018focus on consolidation of areas where we\u2019re not efficient, and we need to continue to focus on reducing non-essential activity.’\u201d \u2022 Defense\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Manufacting: \u201cBoeing layoffs weren\u2019t just a strike threat\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/boeing-layoffs-begin-this-week-1851696372\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Quartz<\/a>]. \u201cReuters reports that the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, the union representing Boeing engineers, received word from Boeing that 60-day layoff notices would be issued to its members this Friday. Seattle-area CBS (PARA) affiliate KIRO says that the machinists\u2019 union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, has no updates to share\u2026. When Boeing first announced the layoffs, it blamed the move on \u2018near-term challenges\u2019 tied to the strike. But it is becoming clearer that the company\u2019s cash-conscious caution will not end now that the machinists are back at work. Despite raising mountains of cash to refill its stoppage-drained coffers, the company still has a long way to go to dig itself out of the $6 billion loss it incurred last quarter.\u201d \u2022 Maybe axe the troublemakers? I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll find out.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 69 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: 58 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Nov 13 at 1:25:26 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Winter is coming:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.8348416289593\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"8.0995475113122\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Not much playing on the ice on this frigid winter day. People are just trying to get to a warm home. By Aert van der neer, d. OTD in 1677. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/c924dedM8v\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/c924dedM8v<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dr. Peter Paul Rubens (@PP_Rubens) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PP_Rubens\/status\/1855338520698659054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 9, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"zeitgeist\"\/><strong>Zeitgeist Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"silicon\"\/>\u201cSilicon Valley\u2019s Elite Pour Money Into Blotting Out the Sun\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/nB6ic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201c[T[here are people working in semi-secret on technology to tweak the weather, even if they\u2019re nowhere close to controlling hurricanes. A growing number of Silicon Valley founders and investors are backing research into blocking the sun by spraying reflective particles high in the atmosphere or making clouds brighter. The goal is to quickly cool the planet. A couple of startups are already trying to deploy this untested technology or betting governments will eventually use it, while a cluster of Bay Area nonprofits are backing research into its planetary impact. With the world hotter than at any point in human history and emissions showing no sign of falling, the pitch is that dimming the sun is a relatively cheap way to turn the heat down. \u2018\u2018 said Andrew Lockley, a UK-based independent researcher in the field scientists call geoengineering. \u2018History will judge whether that\u2019s a good thing or a bad thing.’\u201d Well, that\u2019s re-assuring. \u201cMany tech types turn to science fiction for inspiration, and in the case of geoengineering there\u2019s a template: Neal Stephenson\u2019s 2021 novel Termination Shock. The plot follows a Texas billionaire who takes climate matters into his own hands by building the world\u2019s biggest gun to shoot particles into the sky to reflect incoming sunlight.\u201d \u2022 But only certain sorts of science fiction; I don\u2019t think Ursula LeGuin, Philip K. DIck, or even WIlliam Gibson figure largely in the tech bro <em>Weltanschauung<\/em>. For a review of <em>Termination Shock<\/em>, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2023\/06\/the-ironies-of-neal-stephenson-thoughts-on-his-thriller-termination-shock.html\">The Ironies of Neal Stephenson: Thoughts on His Thriller, Termination Shock<\/a> at NC.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy Social Anxiety Cheat Sheet for Mingling\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.adamgrant.info\/my-social-anxiety-cheat-sheet-for-mingling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Adam Grant<\/a>]. \u201cI got this advice from a manager about dealing with people in general and love it. People like to talk about themselves and they like it when you encourage them to do so. When you get people to keep talking about themselves, it\u2019s less work for you, and it makes them feel good talking to you.\u201d \u2022 Hmm.<\/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\/11\/200pm-water-cooler-11-11-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From expat2uruguay:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/cuttings.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"449\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-282168\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/cuttings.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/cuttings-300x225.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>expat2uruguay writes: \u201cSpring cuttings waiting for further processing tomorrow and hopefully to become new plants.\u201d Uruguay being in the Southern hemisphere.<\/p>\n<p>Once more, kind readers, thanks to those who have sent in plant images. However, the queue is still short, and that always makes me nervous. Do you have an images to send in, especially of autumn produce or winter projects? Thank you!<\/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!<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .entry-content --><\/p>\n<footer class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\tThis entry was posted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/guest-post\" rel=\"category tag\">Guest Post<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/11\/200pm-water-cooler-11-13-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-11-13T14:00:46-05:00\">November 13, 2024<\/time><\/a><span class=\"by-author\"> by <span class=\"author vcard\"><a class=\"url fn n\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/author\/lambert-strether\" title=\"View all posts by Lambert Strether\" rel=\"author\">Lambert Strether<\/a><\/span><\/span>.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"author-info\" wp_automatic_readability=\"20.197005056398\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .author-avatar --><\/p>\n<div class=\"author-description\" wp_automatic_readability=\"35.467911318553\">\n<h2>About Lambert Strether<\/h2>\n<p>Readers, I have had a correspondent characterize my views as realistic cynical. Let me briefly explain them. I believe in universal programs that provide concrete material benefits, especially to the working class. Medicare for All is the prime example, but tuition-free college and a Post Office Bank also fall under this heading. So do a Jobs Guarantee and a Debt Jubilee. Clearly, neither liberal Democrats nor conservative Republicans can deliver on such programs, because the two are different flavors of neoliberalism (\u201cBecause markets\u201d). I don\u2019t much care about the \u201cism\u201d that delivers the benefits, although whichever one does have to put common humanity first, as opposed to markets. Could be a second FDR saving capitalism, democratic socialism leashing and collaring it, or communism razing it. I don\u2019t much care, as long as the benefits are delivered. <br \/>\n <br \/>\nTo me, the key issue \u2014 and this is why Medicare for All is always first with me \u2014 is the tens of thousands of excess \u201cdeaths from despair,\u201d as described by the Case-Deaton study, and other recent studies. That enormous body count makes Medicare for All, at the very least, a moral and strategic imperative. And that level of suffering and organic damage makes the concerns of identity politics \u2014 even the worthy fight to help the refugees Bush, Obama, and Clinton\u2019s wars created \u2014 bright shiny objects by comparison. Hence my frustration with the news flow \u2014 currently in my view the swirling intersection of two, separate Shock Doctrine campaigns, one by the Administration, and the other by out-of-power liberals and their allies in the State and in the press \u2014 a news flow that constantly forces me to focus on matters that I regard as of secondary importance to the excess deaths. What kind of political economy is it that halts or even reverses the increases in life expectancy that civilized societies have achieved? I am also very hopeful that the continuing destruction of both party establishments will open the space for voices supporting programs similar to those I have listed; let\u2019s call such voices \u201cthe left.\u201d Volatility creates opportunity, especially if the Democrat establishment, which puts markets first and opposes all such programs, isn\u2019t allowed to get back into the saddle. Eyes on the prize! I love the tactical level, and secretly love even the horse race, since I\u2019ve been blogging about it daily for fourteen years, but everything I write has this perspective at the back of it.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .author-link\t-->\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!-- .author-description -->\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!-- .author-info --><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/footer>\n<p><!-- .entry-meta --><br \/>\n\t<!-- #post --><\/p>\n<nav class=\"nav-single\">\n<h3 class=\"assistive-text\">Post navigation<\/h3>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"nav-previous list-posts-older\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/11\/global-fury-after-state-dept-claims-israel-not-violating-us-law-by-blocking-gaza-aid.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> Global Fury After State Dept Claims Israel Not Violating US Law by Blocking Gaza Aid<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"nav-next list-posts-newer\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/nav>\n<p><!-- .nav-single --><\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- #comments .comments-area --><\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- #content --><br \/>\n<!-- #primary --><\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- #secondary --><\/p>\n<footer id=\"colophon\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t\t<!-- .site-info --><br \/>\n\t\t<\/footer>\n<p><!-- #colophon --><br \/>\n\t\t<!-- #main.wrapper --><br \/>\n<!-- #page --><br \/>\n<!-- .mobile-menu-wrap --><\/p>\n<p><!-- Blog Reader Pooling - removed 09\/16\/2015 by M. Lacourse --><br \/>\n<!-- <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"nc-hide\" src=\"http:\/\/t.blogreaderproject.com\/t.gif?c9a0f3c0f2425bc76f3b4c3baf750ea8\" alt=\"\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\"> --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp footer --><\/p>\n<\/td>\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\/11\/200pm-water-cooler-11-13-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day Northern Mockingbird, Brewer park, Miami-Dade, Florida, United States. Beautiful: Last night\u2019s radar from the Netherlands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":87142,"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-87141","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\/87141","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=87141"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87141\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Northern Mockingbird, Brewer park, Miami-Dade, Florida, United States.<\/p>\n<p>Beautiful:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.3463687150838\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.0391061452514\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Last night\u2019s radar from the Netherlands. An explosion of birds heading to England! I would guess Redwing. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/eOcXbrDFFo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/eOcXbrDFFo<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jean Roberts (@HeyshamObs) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HeyshamObs\/status\/1849869142180102349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">October 25, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>But not, one hopes, bearing new strains of flu\u2026. <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#hegseth\">Trump DOD pick<\/a> Hegseth.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#frank\">Thomas Frank<\/a> has risen from the grave.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#blame\">Deploy the Blame Cannons<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#boeing\">Boeing layoffs<\/a>, DEI axed.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#silicon\">Sun<\/a> Slated To Be Dimmed by Tech Bros.<\/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>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"45.373642750692\">\n<p>\u201cTrump Builds Out White House Staff as He Returns to Washington\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2024-11-13\/trump-builds-out-white-house-staff-as-he-returns-to-washington\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cDan Scavino, who previously worked in the White House during Trump\u2019s first term, will serve as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff, Trump said in a statement on Wednesday. James Blair, who served as the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee political director, will take on the role of deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs. Taylor Budowich, who served as the CEO of the pro-Trump super political action committee, MAGA Inc., is being tapped as deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel. Those appointments are joining Stephen Miller, who will be deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security advisor. Miller will have a key role in enacting Trump\u2019s immigration policies, which the president-elect has said will center on a mass deportation of illegal immigrants and completing the construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border. The four all were active in Trump\u2019s campaign, an operation which saw the Republican standard-bearer score an unexpectedly decisive electoral victory.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"hegseth\"\/>\u201c\u2018Who the f\u2013k is this guy?\u2019: Defense world reacts to Trump\u2019s surprise Pentagon pick\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/11\/12\/defense-world-reacts-to-trump-pick-pete-hegseth-00189221\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cPresident-elect Donald Trump\u2019s Tuesday night surprise pick of a conservative commentator and television host as his Pentagon chief shocked Washington, which had expected the nominee to be a seasoned lawmaker or someone with defense policy experience. National security officials and defense analysts had braced for surprises from Trump after experiencing his first four years in office. But even grading on that curve, they say the announcement of Fox News host and decorated Army veteran Pete Hegseth caught them totally off-guard. \u2018[Trump] puts the highest value on loyalty,\u2019 Eric Edelman, who served as the Pentagon\u2019s top policy official during the Bush administration, said in an interview. \u2018It appears that one of the main criteria that\u2019s being used is, how well do people defend Donald Trump on television?\u2019 One assessment was more blunt. \u201cWho the fuck is this guy?\u201d said a defense industry lobbyist who was granted anonymity to offer candid views. The lobbyist said they had hoped for \u2018someone who actually has an extensive background in defense. That would be a good start.’\u201d \u2022 \u201cA good start\u201d at what? Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"5.2586206896552\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"13.146551724138\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Yesterday was a bad day for those who endorse “America First” in our foreign policy. <\/p>\n<p>With reported Trump appointments of neocons Elise Stefanik (UN Ambassador), Mike Waltz (National Security Advisor), and\u2026Marco Rubio (Secretary of State), many who hoped that Trump 2.0 would\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/TB1p3FoBob\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/TB1p3FoBob<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Ron Paul (@RonPaul) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RonPaul\/status\/1856459844880085050\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 12, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Hegseth (1):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.9308823529412\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10.482352941176\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Quite something to hear the upcoming US Secretary of Defense admit that the US would lose its “whole power projection system” in the first 20 minutes of a war with China \ud83d\udc47<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6NZ0VzFtvl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/6NZ0VzFtvl<\/a><\/p>\n<p>“The Pentagon has a perfect record in all of its war games against China: we lose\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RnaudBertrand\/status\/1856703906723864686\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Hegseth (2):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.3108974358974\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.208333333333\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Pete Hegseth, Trump\u2019s new pick for Defense Secretary, says if you open up your Bible you will find that God granted Abraham the land of Israel, and this should apparently inform our understanding of the modern Israel-Palestine conflict <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YVtzCQ5s5K\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/YVtzCQ5s5K<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Michael Tracey (@mtracey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mtracey\/status\/1856511575529558237\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>The Department of Governmental Efficiency:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.5063613231552\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.470737913486\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=%24TSLA&src=ctag&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">$TSLA<\/a> This is effectively a joke, and a huge blow to Musk\/Vivek. That is\u2026 if you read the fine print, this new DOGE department will \u201cprovide advice and guidance from outside the government\u201d \u2013 glorified consultants. This is a massive nothing-burger, and quasi fake office. New\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/XHX8oFJoFc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/XHX8oFJoFc<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cFmt8j1ny0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/cFmt8j1ny0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Gordon Johnson (@GordonJohnson19) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GordonJohnson19\/status\/1856520041283629314\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>I view this as a mark of favor to Vivek, although if I were Vivek I\u2019d make sure not to be standing in the shadow of any falling safes.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cDinner at Mar-a-Lago Is for Power Games\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/intelligencer\/article\/donald-trump-inside-mar-a-lago.html?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=f1&utm_campaign=feed-part\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Magazine<\/a>]. \u201cThe billionaire X and Tesla owner is around so much he\u2019s even got his own intro music. \u2018I don\u2019t know if you know this, but Trump DJs Mar-a-Lago from his iPad,\u2019 says Melissa Rein Lively, another frequent presence at the club these days. \u2018So he has a walk-on song for Elon Musk, which is \u2018Space Oddity.’\u201d \u2022 What a great metaphor; if there\u2019s a vibe shift at Mar-a-Lago, it\u2019s probably Trump. And elsewhere? (And speaking of Space Oddity: Anyone care to make book on how long Trump and Musk are BFFs? I wouldn\u2019t call <a href=\"https:\/\/genius.com\/David-bowie-space-oddity-lyrics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Space Oddity\u2019s lyrics<\/a> encouraging, as far as Musk\u2019s fate.)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"150.46751768436\">\n<p><a name=\"blame\"\/><strong>Deploy the Blame Cannons!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Elites Had It Coming\u201d [Thomas Frank, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/opinion\/commentary\/2024\/11\/12\/opinion-elites-had-it-coming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. Amazingly, Frank returns from his ostracism; the Democrats must be indeed panicked, <em>pace<\/em> Silver and Kilgore below. (This version is from the Salt Lake Tribune because the NYT is working hard at preventing the various archives from working.) Worth reading in full: This:<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"17\">\n<p>At the Republican convention in July, JD Vance described the ruination visited on his working-class town in Ohio by NAFTA and trade with China, both of which he blamed at least in part on Mr. Biden, and also the human toll taken by the Iraq War, which he also contrived to blame on Mr. Biden. Today Mr. Vance is the vice president-elect, and what I hope you will understand, what I want you to mull over and take to heart and remember for the rest of your life, is that he got there by mimicking the language that Americans used to associate with labor, with liberals, with Democrats.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>And this:<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"20\">\n<p>\u201cLiberals had nine years to decipher Mr. Trump\u2019s appeal \u2014 and they failed. The Democrats are a party of college graduates, as the whole world understands by now, of Ph.D.s and genius-grant winners and the best consultants money can buy. Mr. Trump is a con man straight out of Mark Twain; he will say anything, promise anything, do nothing. But his movement baffled the party of education and innovation. Their most brilliant minds couldn\u2019t figure him out. I have been writing about these things for 20 years, and I have begun to doubt that any combination of financial disaster or electoral chastisement will ever turn on the lightbulb for the liberals. I fear that \u201890s-style centrism will march on, by a sociological force of its own, until the parties have entirely switched their social positions and the world is given over to Trumpism. Can anything reverse it? Only a resolute determination by the Democratic Party to rededicate itself to the majoritarian vision of old: a Great Society of broad, inclusive prosperity. This means universal health care and a higher minimum wage. It means robust financial regulation and antitrust enforcement. It means unions and a welfare state and higher taxes on billionaires, even the cool ones. It means, above all, liberalism as a social movement, as a coming-together of ordinary people \u2014 not a series of top-down reforms by well-meaning professionals. That seems a long way away today. But the alternative is \u2014 what? To blame the voters? To scold the world for failing to see how noble we are? No. It will take the opposite sentiment \u2014 solidarity \u2014 to turn the world right-side up again.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Because I hardly ever read the Times anymore, I discovered the above only by listening to this YouTube, linked to by alert reader Flora. The title is indeed clickbait, as Yves suggests; the word \u201clandslide\u201d occurs once in the transcript, only to be debunked (colors on a map are not votes). The discussion in fact serious:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Thomas Frank on 2024 Trump LANDSLIDE, Democrats' Working Class COLLAPSE, and More\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZggaRAWdUaU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ZggaRAWdUaU?si=IZ3yol8N0ns8OXgH&t=1181\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">This<\/a> caught my eye (slightly cleaned up):<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"16\">\n<p>[FRANK:] The overturning of the New Deal Democrats, the Great Society Democrats was a generational story. I don\u2019t know if there\u2019s a social science term for it but people never betray their betrayals. Once you do something like that, once you turn the Democratic party, which these guys did in the 1970s, once you turn on the Democratic party and say we\u2019ve had enough of organized labor, and we\u2019ve had enough of the party of the New Deal and all that, you\u2019re never going back. That is what you did as a generation. It is your accomplishment. They\u2019re psychologically incapable of saying \u201cOh, we were wrong, our great moment as a generation was a mistake.\u201d No human can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>One funeral at a time.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s 2004 all over again\u201d [Nate Silver, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.natesilver.net\/p\/its-2004-all-over-again\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Silver Bulletin<\/a>]. \u201cOf course, it didn\u2019t work out so badly for Democrats. Bush\u2019s second term was a disaster, marked by the failure of Social Security reform, the ongoing quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Hurricane Katrina. Democrats had a strong 2006 midterm, gaining 33\u2026 And then Barack Obama romped to the largest Electoral College and popular vote win of the 21st Century so far. Progressivism was in the ascent \u2014 until the Tea Party came along in 2010 and whipped Democrats back to reality again.\u201d Because during the foreclosure crisis the only people [genuflects] Obama rescued were the banksters. More; \u201cIt\u2019s hard not to see the parallels between Bush\u2019s win in 2004 and Donald Trump\u2019s last week. Like Bush, Trump won thanks partly to a surge of votes from Latino and Asian American voters. Like Bush, he\u2019ll win the popular vote \u2014 probably by a margin of around 1.4 percentage points once all votes are counted. He\u2019ll probably come just short of an outright majority, although it will be close, and Trump\u2019s Electoral College margin was more impressive than Bush\u2019s, who was only one state (Ohio) away from losing to Kerry. Certainly, the mood feels very different than after Trump\u2019s first win in 2016. Democrats have approached the outcome in a more cerebral and analytical way than I was expecting, with manifestos about a new way forward for the party and unapologetic shifts away from \u2018wokeness.\u2019 The party is ready to move past the Clintons, the Bidens and the Obamas \u2014 well, unless Michelle Obama decides to run, I guess \u2014 and it would be stunning if there\u2019s any appetite to nominate Harris or Tim Walz again. With a clear, undisputed outcome on relatively high turnout \u2014 likely in the range of 156 million votes, just a hair down from 2020 \u2014 there\u2019s less talk about the term-limited Trump being an existential threat to democracy, rhetoric that may have been persuasive to people like me but never resonated with swing voters. And although you can find people who blame the New York Times for the outcome, for the most part, for 2026 and beyond.\u201d \u2022 Four years of lawfare and \u201cHe\u2019s a fascist!\u201d followed by \u201cNever mind!\u201d and a shift tpoward \u201cconstructive strategic conversation\u201d? Really? Do these people ever listen to themselves? To be fair, maybe in 2028 Democrats can again nominate a charistmatic fresh face who will completely fail to rise to the occasion and normalize and rationalize everything <del>Bush<\/del> Trump did. History may not repeat, but it circles the drain.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDemocrats Were Crushed in 2004, Too. It Didn\u2019t Last Long\u201d [Ed Kilgore, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/politics\/democrats-were-crushed-in-2004-too-it-didn-t-last-long\/ar-AA1tXOWF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Magazine<\/a>]. \u201cIn terms of the shock value of Bush\u2019s reelection, it can credibly be argued that in retrospect the 41st president was a paragon of civility and moderation compared to the 45th\/47th. But that\u2019s not the way it looked to Democrats at the time. George W. Bush was widely regarded on the left as a war-mongering simpleton who had sold his party\u2019s soul to rich people, defense contractors, and Christian fundamentalists.\u201d And the post starts out musing on the importance of history! Bush was a far, far, worse President <em>on policy<\/em> than Trump, although of course Kilfgore, as a Democrat, prizes \u201ccivility and moderation\u201d above all else. More: \u201cAs we now know, the sense of Republican strength and Democratic weakness that was so pervasive on Election Night in 2004 was ephemeral. Within months Bush gave Democrats a unifying issue with his clumsy and immediately unsuccessful efforts to \u201creform\u201d Social Security.\u201d In which, believe it or, the blogosphere played a role. Concluding: \u201cthe further we get from the pandemic and the [million deaths, oh wait\u2026] inflation that followed it, the less Democrats will be held responsible for the chronic unhappiness of the American people. So while Democrats really should conduct a thorough self-examination of what went wrong since 2020, despair is premature and probably unwarranted.\u201d \u2022 They campaigned on \u201cour democracy.\u201d \u201cThis might be our last election!\u201d Then their candidate gets tossed aside like a limp rag, and suddenly everybody\u2019s talking about the next midterms. Talk about a vibe shift!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cScoop: The 2024 blame game finally comes for Hakeem Jeffries\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/11\/13\/hakeem-jeffries-congress-progressives-2024-election\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. Blah blah blah, all the way to this: \u201cJeffries is expected to be unopposed for reelection when House Democrats meet for their leadership elections on Nov. 19. Jayapal bristled at the notion she would withhold her support for Jeffries, saying \u2018he is the leader of our party.\u2019 Still, the senior House progressive who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Axios: \u2018I don\u2019t think anybody ever should take or can take their leadership for granted.’\u201d \u2022 Why not? And how wonderfully clarifying on Jayapal.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cLiz Cheney Was an Electoral Fiasco for Kamala Harris\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/politics\/liz-cheney-electoral-fiasco-kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Nation<\/a>]. \u201cUnfortunately, while many Democratic tacticians were enthusiastic about Cheney\u2019s jumping on board as a Harris backer, Republican voters couldn\u2019t have cared less. The Cheney strategy was an abject failure that added few if any votes to the Democratic total, alienated voters who have no taste for the former GOP representative\u2019s neocon extremism, and stole precious time from an agonizingly short campaign schedule\u2026. This reality is most apparent in the election results from Ripon. The east-central Wisconsin city where abolitionists, land reformers, and utopian socialists founded the Republican Party in 1854 seemed ripe for a cross-party appeal. Ripon has been a Republican stronghold for 170 years, but the city is also a college town that in the past has shown a good measure of enthusiasm for Democrats such as Barack Obama. But that\u2019s not how things played out on Election Day. On November 5, Trump won 53.8 percent of the vote (2,097 ballots) in the city of Ripon, while 45 percent (1,753 ballots) voted for Harris. That was a worse finish for the Democratic ticket than in 2020, when Joe Biden won 46.6 percent (1,820 ballots), while 51.7 percent (2,019 ballots) voted for Trump. But, surely, Ripon was an anomaly. No. Definitely and unequivocally no.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLichtman blames bad election prediction on disinformation, Elon Musk\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/media\/4985630-allan-lichtman-musk-disinformation-election-prediction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cLichtman pointed to conservative media platforms and Musk, who poured millions into President-elect Trump\u2019s campaign and has become one of his loudest media cheerleaders, as a factor in his inaccurate prediction. Musk had helped fuel the spread of false or misleading information online about issues like immigration, hurricane relief and the war in Ukraine, Lichtman said, effectively \u2018putting his thumb on the scales.’\u201d \u2022 Another way of saying this is that Lichtman\u2019s model isn\u2019t valid any more, because our political economy changed out from under it.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>The House:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.3731778425656\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.370262390671\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Slim and razor thin: The GOP is on pace to have the smallest House majority at the start of a Congress since Alaska & Hawaii became states. <\/p>\n<p>If this past Congress is any guide, we could be looking at one of the least productive Houses in the last 50 years\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0JVy3zvoeK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/0JVy3zvoeK<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ForecasterEnten\/status\/1856716919237193927\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>The Senate:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThune elected Senate majority leader\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/4987959-senator-john-thune-elected\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cThune has served as Senate Republican whip, the No. 2-ranking position in the Senate GOP leadership, since 2019, and largely managed operation of the Senate floor after McConnell suffered a concussion from a fall in 2023\u2026. Thune is well liked among his Senate Republican colleagues, and his affable, humble approach to managing the conference has earned the trust and confidence of fellow GOP senators\u2026 He crossed swords with Trump in December 2020 when he whipped colleagues to oppose an effort by Trump allies to block the certification of President Biden\u2019s victory in the presidential race. Thune declared the effort to throw out Biden electors would \u2018go down like a shot dog,\u2019 prompting an angry response from Trump, who called him a \u2018RINO\u2019 and called for him to face a primary challenge in 2022. Trump\u2019s threat of political retaliation didn\u2019t amount to much, as Thune easily won reelection. Thune tried to mend fences with Trump in recent months by visiting his home at Mar-a-Lago in March and toning down any criticism of the GOP presidential nominee when asked about his controversial statements.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Our Famously Free Press<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"28.42\">\n<p>\u201cWith Surge in New Users, Bluesky Emerges as X Alternative\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/dnyuz.com\/2024\/11\/12\/with-surge-in-new-users-bluesky-emerges-as-x-alternative\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. \u201c[Bluesky] has gained more than a million new users in the week since the election, a company spokeswoman, Emily Liu, said on Tuesday. The majority of the new users live in the United States, Canada and Britain, she added\u2026. New or freshly active users on the platform include celebrities (the rapper Flavor Flav, the author John Green), Democratic political figures (Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary) and media personalities (Mehdi Hasan, Molly Jong-Fast).\u201d \u2022 Wow, Molly Jong-Fast. I\u2019m sold.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGuardian will no longer post on Elon Musk\u2019s X from its official accounts\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/media\/2024\/nov\/13\/the-guardian-no-longer-post-on-x-twitter-elon-musk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Guardian<\/a>]. \u201cIn an announcement to readers, the news organisation said it considered the benefits of being on the platform formerly called Twitter were now outweighed by the negatives, citing the \u2018often disturbing content\u2019 found on it.\u201d \u2022 I practically live on Twitter, and the algo occasionally feeds me stuff on the Azovs. So\u2026 <\/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&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk&null=Risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>); Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>, <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&l=Oakland%2C+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Oakland, wastewater<\/a>); CO (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/d79cf93c3938470ca4bcc4823328946b#utility=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); CT (<a href=\"https:\/\/data.ct.gov\/stories\/s\/COVID-19-data\/wa3g-tfvc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); DE (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.delaware.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); FL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/5b9d75ba683849928dc1a49c39ab0b1c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); GA (<a href=\"https:\/\/dph.georgia.gov\/ga-nwss-wastewater-surveillance-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); HI (<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); IA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmmwra.org\/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater reports<\/a>); ID (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Boise; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/?plantId=1056f05c-0e46-4e3d-b007-c0453ba7dc0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Central Idaho; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/#:SARS-CoV-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Coeur d\u2019Alene; dashboard, <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.srhd.org\/topics\/spokane-county-case-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spokane County<\/a>); IL (<a href=\"https:\/\/iwss.uillinois.edu\/wastewater-treatment-plants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); IN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.in.gov\/indiana-covid-19-dashboard-and-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); KS (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov\/160\/COVID-19-in-Kansas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/4456bae8a38f4b6180e008477382fff9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Lawrence); KY (<a href=\"https:\/\/louisville.edu\/envirome\/thecoimmunityproject\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Louisville); LA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldh.la.gov\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/covid-19-wastewater-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MD (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.maryland.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); ME (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/dhhs\/mecdc\/infectious-disease\/epi\/airborne\/coronavirus\/data.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/coronavirus\/stats\/wastewater-surveillance\/dashboard\/sentinel-wastewater-epidemiology-evaluation-project-sweep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/gisportal.state.mi.us\/portal\/apps\/insights\/index.html#\/view\/52bbb104ed574887918f990af9f3debe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/stats\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MO (<a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/f7f5492486114da6b5d6fdc07f81aacf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MS (<a href=\"https:\/\/msdh.ms.gov\/page\/14,0,420.html#Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>MT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapSeries\/index.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; NC (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.ncdhhs.gov\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard)<\/a>; ND (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NE (<a href=\"https:\/\/atlas-dhhs.ne.gov\/Atlas\/Respiratory_Illness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NH (<a href=\"https:\/\/wisdom.dhhs.nh.gov\/wisdom\/dashboard.html?topic=covid-19&subtopic=recurring-updates&indicator=covid-19-wastewater#tabnavbarid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NJ (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.nj.gov\/forms\/datadashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NM (<a href=\"https:\/\/cvprovider.nmhealth.org\/public-dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NV (<a href=\"https:\/\/nvhealthresponse.nv.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/empower.unlv.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Southern NV); NY (<a href=\"https:\/\/mbcolli.shinyapps.io\/SARS2EWSP\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OH (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.ohio.gov\/dashboards\/other-resources\/wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OK (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/51657c21386d4f1a962b1853c76ec589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>OR (<a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/oregon.health.authority.covid.19\/viz\/OregonsCOVID-19DataDashboards-TableofContents\/TableofContentsStatewide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; PA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.pa.gov\/topics\/disease\/coronavirus\/pages\/Cases.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); RI (<a href=\"https:\/\/ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SC (<a href=\"https:\/\/scdhec.gov\/index.php\/covid19\/covid-19-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SD (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.sd.gov\/COVID\/Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/health\/cedep\/ncov\/data.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TX (<a href=\"https:\/\/txdshsea.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/4ae43eefd0f641d59d35c3df82ee59cc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); UT (<a href=\"https:\/\/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>Airborne Transmission: Covid<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"8.1801495581237\">\n<p>\u201cMeasurements and Simulations of Aerosol Released while Singing and Playing Wind Instruments\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/full\/10.1021\/acsenvironau.1c00007#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">American Chemical Society<\/a>]. From 2021 (!). From the Abstract: \u201d We found that plumes from musical performance were highly directional, unsteady and varied considerably in time and space. Aerosol number concentration measured at the bell of the clarinet was comparable to that of singing. Face and bell masks attenuated plume velocities and lengths and decreased aerosol concentrations measured in front of the masks. CFD modeling showed differences between indoor and outdoor environments and that the lowest risk of airborne COVID-19 infection occurred at less than 30 min of exposure indoors and less than 60 min outdoors.\u201d \u2022 Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.9752186588921\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10.600583090379\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">& the other one that shows how to reduce the aerosols: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/INMR0jreYu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/INMR0jreYu<\/a><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why I\u2019ve been SO irate w music ed since the beginning; we did the research. We started protecting students. & then they went right along with the great unmasking & let it spread thru ensembles<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \u2728\ud83c\udfb6Kristennnn\ud83c\udf49\u2728 (@singingsox) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/singingsox\/status\/1856393864581689449\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 12, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Helpful EPA guidance:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.85\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"12.125\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">If you\u2019re fighting for clean air in your school district, in your vocation, in your state or province or in a lawsuit, you can now point to the US <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EPA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@EPA<\/a>\u2018s guidance that ASHRAE should be consulted, specifically Standard 241: Control of Infectious Aerosols.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lYRUugYByT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/lYRUugYByT<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JlwSsNB40o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/JlwSsNB40o<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Blake Murdoch (@BlakeMMurdoch) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BlakeMMurdoch\/status\/1853255377401626967\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 4, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Transmission: H5N1<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"7.2537960954447\">\n<p>How is it that Bonnie Henry is still in office?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"7.3506289308176\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"17.295597484277\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Full force H5N1 has a 58% mortality rate, it is AIRBORNE, foodborne, waterborne, fomite, blood borne, poo, etc. Bonnie Henry, laughs & states, ON VIDEO, there will be no public safety measures for human to human transmission \u2623\ufe0f. This is criminal <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/n6KgXdlatu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/n6KgXdlatu<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Sass (@sasswashere) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sasswashere\/status\/1856471799489339606\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 12, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>I know I should do a Bonnie Henry takedown, but\u2026 some figures are too repellent even for me.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a name=\"mask\"\/>Maskstravaganza<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"10.509065550907\">\n<p>\u201cThe Multiplicative Power of Masks\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/aatishb.com\/maskmath\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Aatish Bhatia \u2a09 Minute Physics<\/a>]. \u201cWe now know that masks have an outsized effect on slowing the spread of COVID-19. And yet, some people oppose wearing masks because they view this as a personal choice rather than a public health issue. This misses the big picture because masks protect the wearer and the people around them. This two-way protection makes widespread mask-wearing a powerful way to extinguish an epidemic. By doing the math on masks, we\u2019ll see how when 60% of people wear 60% effective masks, disease transmission drops by as much as 60% \u2014 roughly what\u2019s needed to stop the spread of COVID-19.\u201d \u2022 And whatever the <em>next<\/em> airborne pandemic might be.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.843373493976\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6190476190476\">\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> November 4<\/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\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282039\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2-300x196.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\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281871\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1-300x245.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6417910447761\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong> Variants<\/strong> [3] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 9<\/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> November 2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282038\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1-300x238.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281868\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-natl-300x192.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\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.8513513513514\">\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 November 12:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 8:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282171\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-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\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1-300x292.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\" wp_automatic_readability=\"2.5915492957746\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> National[7] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/healthcare-solutions\/covid-19-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a> November 11:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Ohio[8] <a href=\"https:\/\/clevelandcliniclabs.com\/respiratory-virus-surveillance-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Cleveland Clinic<\/a> November 9:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282040\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282107\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-300x199.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\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.5862068965517\">\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> October 21:<\/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> October 21:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281869\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-300x186.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281870\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-300x209.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\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.76\">\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> November 2:<\/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> November 2:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivty-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281867\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivty-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivty-natl-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-281866\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-1-300x177.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<td wp_automatic_readability=\"143.80816941686\">\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) Good news!<\/p>\n<p>[2] (CDC) Last week\u2019s wastewater map.<\/p>\n<p>[3] (CDC Variants) KP.* still popular. XEC has entered the chat. That WHO label, \u201cOmmicron,\u201d has done a great job normalizing successive waves of infection.<\/p>\n<p>[4] (ED) Down.<\/p>\n<p>[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Steadily down.<\/p>\n<p>[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). Actually improved; it\u2019s now one of the few charts to show the entire course of the pandemic to the present day.<\/p>\n<p>[7] (Walgreens) Down.<\/p>\n<p>[8] (Cleveland) Down.<\/p>\n<p>[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Down.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants). Now XEC.<\/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>There are no official statistics of interest today.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"boeing\"\/>\u201cWhy Boeing Killed DEI\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.city-journal.org\/article\/why-boeing-killed-dei\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">City Journal<\/a>]. \u201cEarlier this month, Boeing\u2019s newly installed CEO, Kelly Ortberg, quietly dismantled the DEI department and accepted the resignation of the office\u2019s vice president. To understand how this happened, we reached out to [an] insider.\u201d \u201c[INSIDER]: [Ortberg] is looking at every business and every process with fresh eyes, asking the basic question, \u2018Does this help us build airplanes?\u2019 HR organizations like to make the argument that you need the right mix of skin color and gender preference to perform and innovate. But everyone who has had to build things knows that what really drives value is integrity, hard work, and technical expertise. This doesn\u2019t mean that bias doesn\u2019t exist and that we don\u2019t need to fight it, but he [Ortberg] gets that the best culture directly promotes values and results, not identity groups.\u201d And: \u201coeing more than anything needs an aligned workforce focused on building airplanes, and it\u2019s an easy decision to reject the divisive and U.S.-centric language of DEI in favor of a unified vision for a diverse, global company.\u201d \u2022 Thing is, if Boeing were a co-op like Mondragon, I can see that Boeing asking exactly the same question: \u201cDoes this help us build airplanes?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Forecasts 67% Growth In Global Air Cargo Fleet By 2043, Driven By Asia Demand\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/11\/r\">Benzinga<\/a>]. \u201cBoeing projects a 4% annual increase in air cargo traffic through 2043, anticipating a 67% growth in the global freighter fleet. Asia-Pacific leads demand, requiring 980 new freighters; North America follows with 955 as Boeing forecasts robust e-commerce growth.\u201d \u2022 Plus freighters have less reputational and legal risk; if they fall out of the sky, there are no pesky passengers.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cWhat Can Be Learned From Boeing\u2019s Downfall?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/gOKDs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Forbes<\/a>]. \u201d Once-proud society that honored engineering successes and problem-solving gave way to a perspective that undervalued technical knowledge in favor of financial results. Since the company\u2019s fundamental safety criteria were violated, this decline of basic values not only harmed employee morale but also resulted in oversights and expensive blunders. Clearly, fostering innovation and preserving quality depend on a mission-driven culture whereby staff members are empowered to defend business ideals. <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/gOKDs\/https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/jimosman\/2024\/10\/19\/why-boeings-35-wage-hike-is-a-game-changer-for-us-labor-markets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Companies that want long-term success must stick to their basic goal and acknowledge the importance of the knowledge of their staff, particularly in sectors where quality and safety take front stage<\/a>.\u201d \u2022 Take software \u2014 please!<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Faces Risk as It Starts Job Cuts in Tight Labor Market\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/money\/companies\/boeing-faces-risk-as-it-starts-job-cuts-in-tight-labor-market\/ar-AA1u0nLg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201c[T]he company is staffed for peak production levels it likely won\u2019t see for years, especially after a 53-day strike largely halted work in its plants across the west coast. Boeing had 171,000 employees at the start of this year, 12% more than the 153,000 it employed five years earlier, when its factories were at their pre-crisis peak\u2026. \u2018We need to reset priorities and create a leaner, more focused organization,\u2019 Ortberg said during an Oct. 23 earnings call. The cuts are intended to \u2018focus on consolidation of areas where we\u2019re not efficient, and we need to continue to focus on reducing non-essential activity.’\u201d \u2022 Defense\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Manufacting: \u201cBoeing layoffs weren\u2019t just a strike threat\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/boeing-layoffs-begin-this-week-1851696372\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Quartz<\/a>]. \u201cReuters reports that the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, the union representing Boeing engineers, received word from Boeing that 60-day layoff notices would be issued to its members this Friday. Seattle-area CBS (PARA) affiliate KIRO says that the machinists\u2019 union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, has no updates to share\u2026. When Boeing first announced the layoffs, it blamed the move on \u2018near-term challenges\u2019 tied to the strike. But it is becoming clearer that the company\u2019s cash-conscious caution will not end now that the machinists are back at work. Despite raising mountains of cash to refill its stoppage-drained coffers, the company still has a long way to go to dig itself out of the $6 billion loss it incurred last quarter.\u201d \u2022 Maybe axe the troublemakers? I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll find out.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 69 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: 58 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Nov 13 at 1:25:26 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Winter is coming:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.8348416289593\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"8.0995475113122\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Not much playing on the ice on this frigid winter day. People are just trying to get to a warm home. By Aert van der neer, d. OTD in 1677. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/c924dedM8v\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/c924dedM8v<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dr. Peter Paul Rubens (@PP_Rubens) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PP_Rubens\/status\/1855338520698659054\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">November 9, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"zeitgeist\"\/><strong>Zeitgeist Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"silicon\"\/>\u201cSilicon Valley\u2019s Elite Pour Money Into Blotting Out the Sun\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/nB6ic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201c[T[here are people working in semi-secret on technology to tweak the weather, even if they\u2019re nowhere close to controlling hurricanes. A growing number of Silicon Valley founders and investors are backing research into blocking the sun by spraying reflective particles high in the atmosphere or making clouds brighter. The goal is to quickly cool the planet. A couple of startups are already trying to deploy this untested technology or betting governments will eventually use it, while a cluster of Bay Area nonprofits are backing research into its planetary impact. With the world hotter than at any point in human history and emissions showing no sign of falling, the pitch is that dimming the sun is a relatively cheap way to turn the heat down. \u2018\u2018 said Andrew Lockley, a UK-based independent researcher in the field scientists call geoengineering. \u2018History will judge whether that\u2019s a good thing or a bad thing.’\u201d Well, that\u2019s re-assuring. \u201cMany tech types turn to science fiction for inspiration, and in the case of geoengineering there\u2019s a template: Neal Stephenson\u2019s 2021 novel Termination Shock. The plot follows a Texas billionaire who takes climate matters into his own hands by building the world\u2019s biggest gun to shoot particles into the sky to reflect incoming sunlight.\u201d \u2022 But only certain sorts of science fiction; I don\u2019t think Ursula LeGuin, Philip K. DIck, or even WIlliam Gibson figure largely in the tech bro <em>Weltanschauung<\/em>. For a review of <em>Termination Shock<\/em>, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2023\/06\/the-ironies-of-neal-stephenson-thoughts-on-his-thriller-termination-shock.html\">The Ironies of Neal Stephenson: Thoughts on His Thriller, Termination Shock<\/a> at NC.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy Social Anxiety Cheat Sheet for Mingling\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.adamgrant.info\/my-social-anxiety-cheat-sheet-for-mingling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Adam Grant<\/a>]. \u201cI got this advice from a manager about dealing with people in general and love it. People like to talk about themselves and they like it when you encourage them to do so. When you get people to keep talking about themselves, it\u2019s less work for you, and it makes them feel good talking to you.\u201d \u2022 Hmm.<\/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\/11\/200pm-water-cooler-11-11-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From expat2uruguay:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/cuttings.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"449\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-282168\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/cuttings.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/cuttings-300x225.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>expat2uruguay writes: \u201cSpring cuttings waiting for further processing tomorrow and hopefully to become new plants.\u201d Uruguay being in the Southern hemisphere.<\/p>\n<p>Once more, kind readers, thanks to those who have sent in plant images. However, the queue is still short, and that always makes me nervous. Do you have an images to send in, especially of autumn produce or winter projects? Thank you!<\/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!<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .entry-content --><\/p>\n<footer class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\tThis entry was posted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/guest-post\" rel=\"category tag\">Guest Post<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/11\/200pm-water-cooler-11-13-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-11-13T14:00:46-05:00\">November 13, 2024<\/time><\/a><span class=\"by-author\"> by <span class=\"author vcard\"><a class=\"url fn n\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/author\/lambert-strether\" title=\"View all posts by Lambert Strether\" rel=\"author\">Lambert Strether<\/a><\/span><\/span>.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"author-info\" wp_automatic_readability=\"20.197005056398\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .author-avatar --><\/p>\n<div class=\"author-description\" wp_automatic_readability=\"35.467911318553\">\n<h2>About Lambert Strether<\/h2>\n<p>Readers, I have had a correspondent characterize my views as realistic cynical. Let me briefly explain them. I believe in universal programs that provide concrete material benefits, especially to the working class. Medicare for All is the prime example, but tuition-free college and a Post Office Bank also fall under this heading. So do a Jobs Guarantee and a Debt Jubilee. Clearly, neither liberal Democrats nor conservative Republicans can deliver on such programs, because the two are different flavors of neoliberalism (\u201cBecause markets\u201d). I don\u2019t much care about the \u201cism\u201d that delivers the benefits, although whichever one does have to put common humanity first, as opposed to markets. Could be a second FDR saving capitalism, democratic socialism leashing and collaring it, or communism razing it. I don\u2019t much care, as long as the benefits are delivered. <br \/>\n <br \/>\nTo me, the key issue \u2014 and this is why Medicare for All is always first with me \u2014 is the tens of thousands of excess \u201cdeaths from despair,\u201d as described by the Case-Deaton study, and other recent studies. That enormous body count makes Medicare for All, at the very least, a moral and strategic imperative. And that level of suffering and organic damage makes the concerns of identity politics \u2014 even the worthy fight to help the refugees Bush, Obama, and Clinton\u2019s wars created \u2014 bright shiny objects by comparison. Hence my frustration with the news flow \u2014 currently in my view the swirling intersection of two, separate Shock Doctrine campaigns, one by the Administration, and the other by out-of-power liberals and their allies in the State and in the press \u2014 a news flow that constantly forces me to focus on matters that I regard as of secondary importance to the excess deaths. What kind of political economy is it that halts or even reverses the increases in life expectancy that civilized societies have achieved? I am also very hopeful that the continuing destruction of both party establishments will open the space for voices supporting programs similar to those I have listed; let\u2019s call such voices \u201cthe left.\u201d Volatility creates opportunity, especially if the Democrat establishment, which puts markets first and opposes all such programs, isn\u2019t allowed to get back into the saddle. Eyes on the prize! I love the tactical level, and secretly love even the horse race, since I\u2019ve been blogging about it daily for fourteen years, but everything I write has this perspective at the back of it.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .author-link\t-->\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!-- .author-description -->\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!-- .author-info --><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/footer>\n<p><!-- .entry-meta --><br \/>\n\t<!-- #post --><\/p>\n<nav class=\"nav-single\">\n<h3 class=\"assistive-text\">Post navigation<\/h3>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"nav-previous list-posts-older\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/11\/global-fury-after-state-dept-claims-israel-not-violating-us-law-by-blocking-gaza-aid.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> Global Fury After State Dept Claims Israel Not Violating US Law by Blocking Gaza Aid<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"nav-next list-posts-newer\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/nav>\n<p><!-- .nav-single --><\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- #comments .comments-area --><\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- #content --><br \/>\n<!-- #primary --><\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- #secondary --><\/p>\n<footer id=\"colophon\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t\t<!-- .site-info --><br \/>\n\t\t<\/footer>\n<p><!-- #colophon --><br \/>\n\t\t<!-- #main.wrapper --><br \/>\n<!-- #page --><br \/>\n<!-- .mobile-menu-wrap --><\/p>\n<p><!-- Blog Reader Pooling - removed 09\/16\/2015 by M. 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