\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, Ensenachos, Sancti Sp\u00edritus, Cuba. \u201cOne singing in trees out back of 3400 building.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#krugman\">Krugman<\/a> hangs up his keyboard.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#thompson\">UnitedHealthcare shooting:<\/a> Details continue to emerge.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#inequity\">Inequity aversion<\/a> solely in humans?<\/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>Biden Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"11.822878228782\">\n<p>\u201cBiden is considering preemptive pardons for officials and allies before Trump takes office\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/biden-pardons-trump-f36ead0eb92ea30e47cbfddfaf326f20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cPresident Joe Biden is weighing whether to issue sweeping pardons for officials and allies who the White House fears could be unjustly targeted by President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s administration, a preemptive move that would be a novel and risky use of the president\u2019s extraordinary constitutional power. The deliberations so far are largely at the level of White House lawyers. But Biden himself has discussed the topic with some senior aides, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday to discuss the sensitive subject\u2026. While the president\u2019s pardon power is absolute, Biden\u2019s use in this fashion would mark a significant expansion of how they are deployed, and some Biden aides fear it could lay the groundwork for an even more drastic usage by Trump. They also worry that issuing pardons would feed into claims by Trump and his allies that the individuals committed acts that necessitated immunity.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"64.359798994975\">\n<p>\u201cHegseth says he won\u2019t withdraw as he struggles as Trump\u2019s Defense pick\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/12\/05\/hegseth-senate-nomination-00192919\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cPete Hegseth spent this week attempting to woo senators \u2014 and others \u2014 as he fought to remain Donald Trump\u2019s pick for secretary of Defense. He met with wary and supportive lawmakers, his lawyer tried to shoot down misconduct allegations and even his mother went on Fox to defend her son\u2026. But without [Jodi] Ernst, who serves on the Armed Services Committee and is a veteran and sexual assault survivor, along with other skeptical Republicans like Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, Hegseth\u2019s confirmation appears in jeopardy.\u201d And: \u201c\u2018I\u2019m a different man than I was years ago, and that\u2019s a redemption story that I think a lot of Americans appreciate, and I know from fellow vets that I\u2019ve spent time with, they resonate with that as well,\u2019 Hegseth said in response to the allegations. \u2018You fight, you go do tough things in tough places on behalf of your country, and sometimes that changes you a little bit.’\u201d \u2022 Honey, I\u2019ve changed!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump aides say Pete Hegseth still has a chance to be confirmed as defense head\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2024\/dec\/06\/pete-hegseth-confirmation-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Guardian<\/a>]. \u201cTrump himself has not expended any real political capital by calling holdouts on Hegseth\u2019s behalf, the Trump aides working on his nomination have, both with senators and inside Trumpworld to ensure he has the president-elect\u2019s backing. Hegseth\u2019s team, which includes aides who are close to the vice-president-elect JD Vance and Trump\u2019s eldest son Don Jr, represent a particularly powerful group that has the ability to reach Republican senators and the Trump inner circle. The trickiest hurdle for Hegseth, the people said, appears for now at least to be convincing Republican senator Joni Ernst to back his nomination or ensuring her resistance does not embolden her close colleagues in the Senate to vote against him. Ernst, an Iowa Republican and combat veteran who has spoken about being sexually assaulted herself, had a closed-door meeting with Hegseth on Wednesday but did not offer her endorsement when she emerged, as well as in an interview on Fox News the following morning. For a number of our senators, they want to make sure that any allegations are cleared, and that\u2019s why we have to have a very thorough vetting process,\u201d Ernst told Fox News, agreeing with the host Bill Hemmer that she had not reached a \u2018yes\u2019 on Hegseth. The continued resistance from Ernst sparked complaints from Trump\u2019s team at Mar-a-Lago, where the transition operation is headquartered, that Ernst was content to sink Hegseth\u2019s nomination because she was interested in the job herself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProject 2025 pressuring US Republican senators to confirm Pete Hegseth as defence chief\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/world\/united-states-canada\/article\/3289578\/architect-project-2025-pressuring-republican-senators-confirm-pete-hegseth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cThe think-tank behind Project 2025, the conservative blueprint linked to US president-elect Donald Trump, is launching an effort to back Trump\u2019s imperilled selection for secretary of defence in its latest attempt to wield influence in the incoming Republican administration. Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said on Thursday that his group will spend US$1 million to pressure senators unwilling to back Pete Hegseth, whose nomination to lead the Pentagon has come into question over his views on women serving in combat and reports about his personal behaviour.\u201d \u2022 South China Morning Post rips an AP story from the wire\u2026. <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump Names David Sacks as White House AI and Crypto Czar\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/money\/markets\/trump-names-david-sacks-as-white-house-ai-and-crypto-czar\/ar-AA1vm8HK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cDonald Trump says he is selecting venture capitalist David Sacks of Craft Ventures LLC to serve as his artificial intelligence and crypto czar, a newly created position that underscores the president-elect\u2019s intent to boost two rapidly developing industries. \u2018David will guide policy for the Administration in Artificial Intelligence and Cryptocurrency, two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness. David will focus on making America the clear global leader in both areas,\u2019 Trump said Thursday in a post on his Truth Social network. Trump said that Sacks would also lead the Presidential Council of Advisors for Science and Technology.\u201d \u2022 The United States is already a world leader in fraud, so what exactly is Sacks going to do that\u2019s different?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump names ICE chief and makes another round of immigration announcements\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2024\/12\/05\/congress\/trump-ice-chief-rodney-scott-00192974\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cTrump said he was nominating Rodney Scott as commissioner of Customs and Border Protection. Scott served for almost three decades in the Border Patrol, and as the chief of the agency during the last year of the Trump administration and beginning of the Biden administration. He helped implement Trump\u2019s Remain in Mexico Policy, Title 42 and Safe Third Country agreements. Trump also announced he was tapping Caleb Vitello, who\u2019s currently the assistant director of the Office of Firearms and Tactical Programs in Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to serve as acting director of ICE.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"19.796529024536\">\n<p>\u201c5 Takeaways From the 2024 Elections Now That They\u2019re Finally Over\u201d [Ed Kilgore, <a href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/intelligencer\/article\/2024-election-5-takeaways.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Magazine<\/a>]. \u201c[T]otal GOP control of the federal government probably won\u2019t last more than two years, and there are no particular signs of an electoral realignment down ballot. Republican triumphalism and Democratic despair are equally unmerited from the perspective of the election itself.\u201d And concluding: \u201cSo the smart expectation going forward is continued partisan polarization and highly contested elections, not some red apocalypse.\u201d The ever-level-headed Kilgore is always worth a read. This, however, caught my eye: \u201d The GOP gains among Democratic \u201cbase\u201d constituencies (especially Latinos and young voters) that received so much attention this year are most easily explained by short-term reaction to deeply negative economic perceptions rather than some fundamental alienation from the Democratic Party that we can take for granted going forward.\u201d \u2022 I\u2019m not so sure. I keep going back to that extraordinary map of counties showing shifts to blue, or red. And almost the entire country was red. That universality argues to me that there\u2019s something deeper going on than \u201cshort term reaction,\u201d and I\u2019d speculate it\u2019s a reaction to PMC governance <em>as such<\/em>. This codes as wokeness, of course, but the PMC is more than our national HR department. The also extraordinary outpouring of reactions to the Thompson shooting fit into this speculation (which probably won\u2019t be leveraged by Republicans, and <em>can\u2019t<\/em> be by Democrats (\u201cI can\u2019t cut my throat two ways,\u201d as Toby Esterhase remarks somewhere in <em>Tinker, Tailor<\/em>)). But by somebody?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> Campaign Finance<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"12.472972972973\">\n<p>\u201cElon Musk donated more than $250mn to Donald Trump\u2019s campaign, electoral filings show\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/5f962d83-01d8-4a2d-9d36-a1bfed400c00\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. \u201cElon Musk donated more than $250mn to Donald Trump\u2019s election campaign, including at least $75mn in the final weeks before the vote, US electoral filings have revealed.\u201d \u2022 At some point, Musk\u2019s gonna forget that Trump is the President, not him\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Our Famously Free Press<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"28.395833333333\">\n<p><a name=\"krugman\"\/>\u201cPaul Krugman retires as Times columnist\u201d (press release) [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytco.com\/press\/paul-krugman-retires-as-times-columnist\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The New York Times Company<\/a>]. \u201cPaul is an important figure in the recent history of Times Opinion. Time and again, he took on the big fights, grappled with policy deeply and seriously, held the powerful to account and spoke hard truths \u2014 sometimes as a lonely voice arguing unfashionable positions. He was a strong, clear, early opponent of the American invasion of Iraq and spent years shining a light on the lies and consequences involved with that war. He was a principled critic of George W. Bush\u2019s leadership and many of his policy priorities and, with lucid prose, helped readers understand the implications of the Bush tax cuts and his proposed privatization of Social Security. And Paul was plenty tough on Bush\u2019s successor, too: Barack Obama hadn\u2019t even taken office in 2009 when Paul memorably took apart the president-elect\u2019s prescription for the Great Recession: \u2018The economic plan he\u2019s offering isn\u2019t as strong as his language about the economic threat,\u2019 Paul wrote. \u201cIn fact, it falls well short of what\u2019s needed.’\u201d \u2022 After election 2000, Krugman was one of the very few major figures, on either side of the aisle, willing to call out Bush (Al Franken, amazingly, being the only other I can recall. The Democrats were absolutely supine). I was living in Philly at the time, and when I would go into Barnes and Noble, I would be confronted with a stacks upon stacks and shelf after shelf of pro-Bush books; I performed a small act of resistance by turning the visible books over to hide the covers. Krugman (and Franken) are the only voices from that time I remember, and Krugman deserves credit for that (no matter his subsequent evolution and the problems with mainstream economics generally).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPutin\u2019s Pals Say Tucker Carlson Is Acting as a Secret Back-Channel to Trump\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/putins-pals-say-tucker-carlson-is-acting-as-a-secret-back-channel-to-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Daily Beast<\/a>]. \u2022 And this is bad why? Who do we want for the job? Vicky Nuland?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The Wizard of Kalorama\u2122<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"19.856887298748\">\n<p>\u201cObama calls political \u2018divisiveness\u2019 one of the \u2018greatest challenges of our time’\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2024\/12\/05\/congress\/obamas-first-remarks-00192967\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cFormer President Barack Obama called out divisiveness and polarization as \u2018one of the greatest challenges of our time,\u2019 as he avoided any specific political references in his first public remarks since the election\u2026.. \u2018It\u2019s about recognizing that in a democracy, power comes from forging alliances and building coalitions\u2026 not only for the woke, but also for the waking,\u2019 Obama told the crowd of about 650 participants at the Obama Foundation event on Chicago\u2019s South Side, just a few miles from where Obama\u2019s presidential center is under construction.\u201d \u2022 I wonder how many of the 650 \u201cparticipants\u201d were from the neighborhood. Anyhow, as far as \u201cdivisiveness and polarization\u201d and polarization, I have not forgotten or forgiven how, 2024 \u2013 2008 = 16 years ago, at Daily Kos, \u201cYou\u2019re a racist\u201d was literally the second move in the Obot script. Like calling somebody a fascist, calling somebody a racist is a bell you can\u2019t unring. They didn\u2019t learn a thing, did they?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"43.698113207547\">\n<p>Like baseball card collection, but of oligarchs:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.4454277286136\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.315634218289\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Besides Donald Trump, Elon Musk and his fellow DOGE head Vivek Ramaswamy, at least 11 billionaires will be serving key roles in the administration. <\/p>\n<p>Whether it acts as a government for billionaires could test and potentially tarnish his populist legacy. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/29dm9mSJ3s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/29dm9mSJ3s<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/x4pm6Dc0Sn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/x4pm6Dc0Sn<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Axios (@axios) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/axios\/status\/1865019816584544474\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 6, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Mix \u2019em! Match \u2019em! Share \u2019em with your friends! There are, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bangkokpost.com\/business\/general\/2914681\/global-billionaires-wealth-up-17-#:~:text=ZURICH%20-%20The%20wealth%20held%20by,bank%20UBS%20said%20on%20Thursday.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">says UBS<\/a>, about 2700 billionaires in the world, and we have 11 of them in the Trump administration, a not negligible absolute numbers. It\u2019s interesting to have oligarchs working directly in government, rather like the boss firing the managers and coming onto the shop floor because of course they can do it better. The press coverage will naturally be sycophantic\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA Bipartisan Slippage in Standards\u201d [Peggy Noonan, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/ltCuF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cIt is embarrassing as a citizen to see the president of the United States pardon his son, and in such an all-encompassing way, for any legal transgression going back nearly 11 years, which feels like a concession to the assumption that his more interesting law-stretching or -breaking may be yet unknown. The president had promised frequently and explicitly that he wouldn\u2019t pardon his son, that he\u2019d play it straight and let the course of justice play out. Which means he knew it was important to people, to how they viewed him, and so he lied to reassure them. All this did what others have said: lowered trust in political leaders, made the cynical more cynical\u2026. The pardon struck me as a bitter action, too. A president who cared about public opinion, or even that of his own party, wouldn\u2019t have done it, or quite this way. It\u2019s the president flipping the bird to an ungrateful (and also rather decadent!) nation that coldly turned on him after a single debate, and then elected that tramp Donald Trump\u2014they deserve what they get\u2026 As to the Politico report that the White House is considering pre-emptive pardons for officials not yet even accused or convicted of breaking the law, wow. If that is true it makes you wonder. What have our leaders been up to the past four years that they require such unprecedented forgiveness? Even with fears of a vengeful Trump Justice Department, pre-emptive pardons are an excessive move. Now to the incoming administration\u2019s slippage of standards, the exotic cabinet picks that veer from \u2018that\u2019s a stretch\u2019 to \u2018that\u2019s insane.\u2019 The more exotic nominees\u2014Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at Health and Human Services, Pete Hegseth at Defense, Kash Patel at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mehmet Oz at Medicare and Medicaid Services\u2014don\u2019t have backgrounds that fit the jobs. Taken together they look like people who want to blow things up.\u201d You say \u201cblow things up\u201d like that\u2019s a bad thing. And finally: \u201cToo many of the Trump nominees have said, one way or another, that they intend to take out the deep state, but they should start explaining exactly what they mean. The deep state isn\u2019t really a conservative insight, and it isn\u2019t a new one.\u201d \u2022 It\u2019s an earworm, not to be explained.<\/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>Origins Debate<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"18.919491525424\">\n<p>\u201cWuhan lab samples hold no close relatives to virus behind COVID\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-024-03982-2?utm_source=Live+Audience&utm_campaign=2c6e76bf4d-nature-briefing-daily-20241206&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b27a691814-2c6e76bf4d-51088184\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Nature<\/a>]. \u201cAfter years of rumours that the virus that causes COVID-19 escaped from a laboratory in China, the virologist at the centre of the claims has presented data on dozens of new coronaviruses collected from bats in southern China. At a conference in Japan this week, Shi Zhengli, a specialist on bat coronaviruses, reported that none of the viruses stored in her freezers are the most recent ancestors of the virus SARS-CoV-2. Shi was leading coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), a high-level biosafety laboratory, when the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in that city. Soon afterwards, theories emerged that the virus had leaked \u2014 either by accident or deliberately \u2014 from the WIV. Shi has consistently said that SARS-CoV-2 was never seen or studied in her lab. But some commentators have continued to ask whether one of the many bat coronaviruses her team collected in southern China over decades was closely related to it. Shi promised to sequence the genomes of the coronaviruses and release the data. The latest analysis, which has not been peer reviewed, includes data from the whole genomes of 56 new betacoronaviruses, the broad group to which SARS-CoV-2 belongs, as well as some partial sequences. All the viruses were collected between 2004 and 2021.\u201d \u2022 Big if true. Seems a little late.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lambert: Sadly, I cannot get CDC\u2019s wastewater page to load. Hopefully Monday.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.952157598499\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.625\">\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 25<\/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\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-300x185.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-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282925\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4-300x202.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.68\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> 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> December 7<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span><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 30<\/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\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283444\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-300x255.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\/12\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1-300x173.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=\"3.9506172839506\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> New York[5] <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.health.ny.gov\/daily-hospitalization-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York State<\/a>, data December 5:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 5:<\/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\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283446\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-3-300x170.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\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-300x297.png 300w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-150x150.png 150w\" 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> December 2:<\/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 23:<\/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\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-natl-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282982\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2-300x192.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/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=\"3.6417910447761\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> Positivity[9] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 19:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> Variants[10] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 4:<\/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\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-1.png 642w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-1-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-1-624x327.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\"\/><\/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\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283445\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-300x218.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=\"3.7818181818182\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> 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 20:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> 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 20:<\/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\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl-300x163.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\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<td wp_automatic_readability=\"188.26051215063\">\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) XEC takes over. 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) Leveled out.<\/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) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants). Positivity is new, but variants have not yet been released.<\/p>\n<p>[11] Deaths low, positivity leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[12] Deaths low, ED leveling out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Employment Situation: \u201cUnited States Unemployment Rate\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/unemployment-rate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe unemployment rate in the United States went up to 4.2% in November of 2024 from 4.1% in the prior month, in line with market expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"boeing\">Manufacturing: \u201cFAA administrator says Boeing still not producing MAX planes after strike\u201d [<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/aerospace-defense\/faa-administrator-says-boeing-still-not-producing-max-planes-after-strike-2024-12-05\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Reuters<\/a>]. [FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker] said Boeing\u2019s plan is to slowly restart production later this month and he plans another meeting in January as the company ramps up\u2026. He declined to say when he thought the FAA would restore Boeing\u2019s ability to produce more than 38 planes per month, but said he would be surprised if it was less than multiple months before they get close to the 38 maximum\u2026. Whitaker, who announced another audit of Boeing in October, has said it could take five years for Boeing to reform its safety culture, but noted the planemaker has deployed a new parts management system and improved training, adding, \u2018What I saw this week was really what I expected to see.\u2019 He wants Boeing to adopt an effective Safety Management System, which are a set of policies and procedures to proactively identify and address potential operational hazards. \u2018We haven\u2019t seen evidence of it working the way it\u2019s supposed to work, where your risk assessment is driving your behavior,\u2019 Whitaker said. The National Transportation Safety Board has also said Boeing\u2019s SMS failed to catch problems years earlier.\u201d And: \u201cWhitaker said he has had some preliminary conversations with the Trump transition team and plans more, adding it was too early in the conversation to say if he expects to remain in the job.\u201d \u2022 Nice little litmus test.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing pauses surveillance plan to track employees at the office\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/6eeMH#selection-2075.5-2078.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Seattle Times<\/a> (PI)]. \u201cHours after The Seattle Times asked Boeing about a program to install digital surveillance sensors in its Everett offices, the company said it has \u2018paused our pilot program at all locations and will keep employees updated.\u2019 Boeing began Monday installing \u2018workplace occupancy sensors\u2019 in the main Everett office towers that use motion detectors and cameras mounted in ceiling tiles above workstations, conference rooms and common areas. The sensors are intended to gather information that\u2019s then analyzed using artificial intelligence to feed data to Boeing real estate and facilities managers about how many people are coming to the office and using specific spaces, and for how long. For people already concerned about how their internet and cellphone use can be tracked outside work, this new form of workplace surveillance proved unwelcome, despite Boeing\u2019s insistence that it doesn\u2019t invade anyone\u2019s personal privacy. The plan was outlined to employees last week and one was creeped out enough at the prospect to share the PowerPoint presentation with The Seattle Times. \u2018It scared me to my core,\u2019 said the employee, who declined to provide their name. \u2018What you can see is, to say the least, evil.\u2019 Whether from such reactions or from the press inquiry on Thursday, Boeing has backed off for now.\u2019 And: \u201cBoeing\u2019s presentation gave employees fulsome assurances that the \u2018sensors do not capture any identifiable information.’\u201d \u2022 Of course, of course. Is it possibly that Ortberg is evem worse than Calhoun?<\/p>\n<p>Tech: \u201cWhy is printer ink so expensive?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalrightsbytes.org\/topics\/why-is-printer-ink-so-expensive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Digital Rights Bytes<\/a>]. \u201cPrinter companies have several methods to make it hard for you, and for competitors, to replace their expensive first-party cartridges\u2026 Competition: The printer companies have a very concentrated market\u2014an oligopoly. After gobbling one another up, only five major companies are left standing. Legal: Printer companies rely on a mix of \u201cintellectual property\u201d (IP) laws to block third parties from reverse engineering their printers \u2026. Technical: Ink cartridges from the big companies often now include microchips designed to stop you from using third-party ink. It\u2019s possible to make a program that lies to your printer on your behalf, so that a $5 third-party ink cartridge tells your printer, \u201cYup, I\u2019m an HP ink cartridge.\u201d But printer companies also exploit their devices\u2019 always-on network connections to push \u201cupdates\u201d to your printer that cause them to reject third-party ink cartridges from companies that have braved the legal risks to provide you with cheaper ink.\u201d And; \u201cSo why do printer companies charge so much for ink? .\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 54 Greed (previous close: 55 Neutral) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 67 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 6 at 1:41:43 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"thompson\"\/> More on the UnitedHealth shooting. I tried to cut out as much duplication as possible:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHunt for the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare\u2019s CEO reveals new clues about movements in New York\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/unitedhealthcare-ceo-manhattan-shooting-death-48590215ba756741bbaadeeb6255d135\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cInvestigators believe the suspect may have traveled to New York last month on a bus that originated in Atlanta, one of the law enforcement officials said\u2026. Investigators have learned the man lowered his mask at the front desk of the hostel because he was flirting with the woman who checked him in, one of the law enforcement officials told the AP, leading to a photo of his face. The woman told investigators that during that encounter she asked to see his smile and he pulled down his mask [amateur], the official said. Investigators believe the suspect used a fake New Jersey identification card when he checked in at the hostel, the official said.\u201d \u2022 I would like to know what kind of mask; I\u2019ve seen \u201cski mask\u201d specified, but it\u2019s hard for me to imagine checking in wearing a ski mask, even in a very rough hostel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSearch continues for gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO in New York\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/Oz9i5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cPolice reiterated on Thursday that they believe the attack was premeditated, which raised questions about how and why the shooter was able to locate Thompson \u2014 who was staying in a different hotel \u2014 at that specific time and place. While Wednesday\u2019s investor conference had been announced last month, the location was not specifically included in that information.\u201d Oh. Oligarchs settling their differences, then? But: \u201cNew York is teeming with surveillance cameras, and footage from one <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/Oz9i5\/https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/investigations\/2024\/12\/05\/unitedhealthcare-ceo-shooting-timeline\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">obtained by The Washington Post<\/a> appeared to show that about a half-hour before the shooting, the individual later identified as a person of interest exited the 57th Street station for the F Train and headed down Sixth Avenue toward the Hilton. Images released by police also seemed to show that person had used cash to buy something at a Starbucks before the shooting.\u201d And: \u201cInvestigators are waiting for DNA test results on items they think may have belonged to the shooter \u2014 a water bottle and a cellphone abandoned near the crime scene, according to the official.\u201d So, amateur?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWas Brian Thompson\u2019s Killer a Hit Man? Unlikely, Experts Say\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/dnyuz.com\/2024\/12\/06\/was-brian-thompsons-killer-a-hit-man-unlikely-experts-say\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. \u201c[David Shapiro, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, and a former F.B.I. special agent] added: \u2018In terms of a professional hit man, that seems unlikely. It would be very hard to get somebody to do something like this. It\u2019s very high risk.’\u201d And: \u201cthe shooter left a trail of clues.\u201d Besides the Starbucks and the hostel: \u201cAfter the shooting, the police found not only the shell casings but also a cellphone that they are examining. None of this looks like the work of a professional, the experts said.\u201d And: \u201c\u2018I think he planned this as meticulously as his abilities allow,\u2019 said [Michael C. Farkas, a defense attorney who has worked as a New York City homicide prosecutor]. \u2018And he\u2019s probably intelligent enough to know the odds of evading capture indefinitely are not in his favor,\u2019 he said. \u2018He clearly wanted to send a message, and he is trying to get away.’\u201d \u2022 <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHit Men Aren\u2019t What You Think\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/news-and-politics\/2024\/12\/unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-shot-suspect.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Slate<\/a>]. \u201cThe thing that struck me was the fact that he knew where [Thompson] was going to be and when he was going to be there. Generally, you get that information by observing the individual. You find their schedule and their routine, and then you intercept them somewhere along the line on their routine. This was obviously not a routine setting. So he had to have some reason to believe that Thompson was going to be coming out of that door at an approximate time to be able to lay in wait. Because it\u2019s Manhattan, standing around waiting risks the likelihood of being challenged by a cop or security guard coming by, which suggests that he had reason to know when the guy was going to be coming out. It suggests some sort of inside information.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnline sleuths are racing to catch the UnitedHealthcare CEO\u2019s killer\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/QCDtZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cThe early evidence shared by police has largely been composed of images from New York\u2019s vast infrastructure of surveillance cameras, a mix of public and private recording devices that investigators routinely access to identify and track criminal suspects throughout the city. In 2021, as part of a crowdsourcing project, volunteers with the human-rights group Amnesty International counted more than 25,000 cameras on buildings, poles and streetlights across New York City. Stanford University researchers that year estimated that New York\u2019s camera density was nearly four times higher than Los Angeles. The murder scene\u2019s location in one of Manhattan\u2019s busiest districts probably ensured the man was recorded from many angles, said Ralph Cilento, a former commander of detectives with the New York police who retired in 2021 and now teaches police science at John Jay College. \u2018Midtown is like the Iron Dome of cameras,\u2019 Cilento said, referencing the rocket-repelling air-defense system that blankets the Israeli skies. \u2018You cannot get into Manhattan at all now without being caught on camera.\u2019 But finding and gathering all that visual evidence can require considerable effort \u2014 and take more time than some sleuths on social media are prepared to give. \u2018They will track the guy all the way through the city,\u2019 he said, but \u201cit\u2019s extraordinarily tedious work.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe spotlight is on health insurance companies. Patients are telling their stories of denied claims, bankruptcy and delayed care\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/lifestyle\/spotlight-health-insurance-companies-patients-014648180.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Yahoo News<\/a>]. \u201cFor many, the cost of life-saving care is too high, and medical debt is the No. 1 cause of bankruptcy in America. That is to say nothing of the emotional labor of navigating the complex system. With Thompson\u2019s killing and the Anthem policy, there\u2019s been widespread response with a similar through line: a pervasive contempt for the state of health insurance in the United States. The most illustrative reactions, though are the personal ones, the tales of denied claims, battles with insurance agents, delayed care, filing for bankruptcy and more.\u201d \u2022 Interesting to see \u201cemotional labor\u201d sneak in there; I would say it\u2019s labor, first and foremost.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"inequity\"\/>\u201cNo evidence for inequity aversion in non-human animals: a meta-analysis of accept\/reject paradigms\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/royalsocietypublishing.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1098\/rspb.2024.1452\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Proceedings B<\/a>]. The Abstract: \u201cDisadvantageous inequity aversion (IA), a negative response to receiving less than others, is a key building block of the human sense of fairness. While some theorize that IA is shared by species across the animal kingdom, others argue that it is an exclusively human evolutionary adaptation to the selective pressures of cooperation among non-kin. Essential to this debate is the empirical question of whether non-human animals are averse towards unequal resource distributions. Over the past two decades, researchers have reported that individuals from a wide range of taxa exhibit IA; tasks where participants can reject or accept a given distribution of rewards delivered the bulk of this evidence. Yet these results have been questioned on both conceptual and empirical grounds. In the largest empirical investigation of non-human IA to date, we synthesize the primary data from 23 studies using accept\/reject tasks, covering 60 430 observations of 18 species. We find no evidence for IA in non-human animals in these tasks. This finding held across all species in the dataset and pre-registered subsets (all species reported to exhibit IA, primates reported to exhibit IA, chimpanzees and capuchin monkeys). Alternative interpretations of the data and implications for the evolution of fairness are discussed.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. People with pets, do you agree?<\/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\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-5-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From SV:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/olive_tree.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"1080\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-283434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/olive_tree.jpeg 525w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/olive_tree-146x300.jpeg 146w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/olive_tree-498x1024.jpeg 498w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>SV writes: \u201cOlive orchard near Corning CA. The offramp Billboard reads: THE OLIVE PIT.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"donate\"\/><strong>Readers<\/strong>: Water Cooler is a standalone entity <em>not<\/em> covered by the annual NC fundraiser. 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\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-6-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-06T14:00:55-05:00\">December 6, 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\/12\/trump-tariffs-exchange-rates-and-the-strong-dollar-problem-the-message-of-elections-in-the-us-and-japan.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> Trump, Tariffs, Exchange Rates, and the Strong Dollar Problem: The Message of Elections in the US and Japan<\/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\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-6-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day Northern Mockingbird, Ensenachos, Sancti Sp\u00edritus, Cuba. \u201cOne singing in trees out back of 3400 building.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88105,"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-88104","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\/88104","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=88104"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88104\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88104"}],"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, Ensenachos, Sancti Sp\u00edritus, Cuba. \u201cOne singing in trees out back of 3400 building.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#krugman\">Krugman<\/a> hangs up his keyboard.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#thompson\">UnitedHealthcare shooting:<\/a> Details continue to emerge.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#inequity\">Inequity aversion<\/a> solely in humans?<\/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>Biden Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"11.822878228782\">\n<p>\u201cBiden is considering preemptive pardons for officials and allies before Trump takes office\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/biden-pardons-trump-f36ead0eb92ea30e47cbfddfaf326f20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cPresident Joe Biden is weighing whether to issue sweeping pardons for officials and allies who the White House fears could be unjustly targeted by President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s administration, a preemptive move that would be a novel and risky use of the president\u2019s extraordinary constitutional power. The deliberations so far are largely at the level of White House lawyers. But Biden himself has discussed the topic with some senior aides, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday to discuss the sensitive subject\u2026. While the president\u2019s pardon power is absolute, Biden\u2019s use in this fashion would mark a significant expansion of how they are deployed, and some Biden aides fear it could lay the groundwork for an even more drastic usage by Trump. They also worry that issuing pardons would feed into claims by Trump and his allies that the individuals committed acts that necessitated immunity.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"64.359798994975\">\n<p>\u201cHegseth says he won\u2019t withdraw as he struggles as Trump\u2019s Defense pick\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/12\/05\/hegseth-senate-nomination-00192919\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cPete Hegseth spent this week attempting to woo senators \u2014 and others \u2014 as he fought to remain Donald Trump\u2019s pick for secretary of Defense. He met with wary and supportive lawmakers, his lawyer tried to shoot down misconduct allegations and even his mother went on Fox to defend her son\u2026. But without [Jodi] Ernst, who serves on the Armed Services Committee and is a veteran and sexual assault survivor, along with other skeptical Republicans like Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, Hegseth\u2019s confirmation appears in jeopardy.\u201d And: \u201c\u2018I\u2019m a different man than I was years ago, and that\u2019s a redemption story that I think a lot of Americans appreciate, and I know from fellow vets that I\u2019ve spent time with, they resonate with that as well,\u2019 Hegseth said in response to the allegations. \u2018You fight, you go do tough things in tough places on behalf of your country, and sometimes that changes you a little bit.’\u201d \u2022 Honey, I\u2019ve changed!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump aides say Pete Hegseth still has a chance to be confirmed as defense head\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2024\/dec\/06\/pete-hegseth-confirmation-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Guardian<\/a>]. \u201cTrump himself has not expended any real political capital by calling holdouts on Hegseth\u2019s behalf, the Trump aides working on his nomination have, both with senators and inside Trumpworld to ensure he has the president-elect\u2019s backing. Hegseth\u2019s team, which includes aides who are close to the vice-president-elect JD Vance and Trump\u2019s eldest son Don Jr, represent a particularly powerful group that has the ability to reach Republican senators and the Trump inner circle. The trickiest hurdle for Hegseth, the people said, appears for now at least to be convincing Republican senator Joni Ernst to back his nomination or ensuring her resistance does not embolden her close colleagues in the Senate to vote against him. Ernst, an Iowa Republican and combat veteran who has spoken about being sexually assaulted herself, had a closed-door meeting with Hegseth on Wednesday but did not offer her endorsement when she emerged, as well as in an interview on Fox News the following morning. For a number of our senators, they want to make sure that any allegations are cleared, and that\u2019s why we have to have a very thorough vetting process,\u201d Ernst told Fox News, agreeing with the host Bill Hemmer that she had not reached a \u2018yes\u2019 on Hegseth. The continued resistance from Ernst sparked complaints from Trump\u2019s team at Mar-a-Lago, where the transition operation is headquartered, that Ernst was content to sink Hegseth\u2019s nomination because she was interested in the job herself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProject 2025 pressuring US Republican senators to confirm Pete Hegseth as defence chief\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/world\/united-states-canada\/article\/3289578\/architect-project-2025-pressuring-republican-senators-confirm-pete-hegseth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cThe think-tank behind Project 2025, the conservative blueprint linked to US president-elect Donald Trump, is launching an effort to back Trump\u2019s imperilled selection for secretary of defence in its latest attempt to wield influence in the incoming Republican administration. Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said on Thursday that his group will spend US$1 million to pressure senators unwilling to back Pete Hegseth, whose nomination to lead the Pentagon has come into question over his views on women serving in combat and reports about his personal behaviour.\u201d \u2022 South China Morning Post rips an AP story from the wire\u2026. <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump Names David Sacks as White House AI and Crypto Czar\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/money\/markets\/trump-names-david-sacks-as-white-house-ai-and-crypto-czar\/ar-AA1vm8HK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cDonald Trump says he is selecting venture capitalist David Sacks of Craft Ventures LLC to serve as his artificial intelligence and crypto czar, a newly created position that underscores the president-elect\u2019s intent to boost two rapidly developing industries. \u2018David will guide policy for the Administration in Artificial Intelligence and Cryptocurrency, two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness. David will focus on making America the clear global leader in both areas,\u2019 Trump said Thursday in a post on his Truth Social network. Trump said that Sacks would also lead the Presidential Council of Advisors for Science and Technology.\u201d \u2022 The United States is already a world leader in fraud, so what exactly is Sacks going to do that\u2019s different?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump names ICE chief and makes another round of immigration announcements\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2024\/12\/05\/congress\/trump-ice-chief-rodney-scott-00192974\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cTrump said he was nominating Rodney Scott as commissioner of Customs and Border Protection. Scott served for almost three decades in the Border Patrol, and as the chief of the agency during the last year of the Trump administration and beginning of the Biden administration. He helped implement Trump\u2019s Remain in Mexico Policy, Title 42 and Safe Third Country agreements. Trump also announced he was tapping Caleb Vitello, who\u2019s currently the assistant director of the Office of Firearms and Tactical Programs in Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to serve as acting director of ICE.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"19.796529024536\">\n<p>\u201c5 Takeaways From the 2024 Elections Now That They\u2019re Finally Over\u201d [Ed Kilgore, <a href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/intelligencer\/article\/2024-election-5-takeaways.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Magazine<\/a>]. \u201c[T]otal GOP control of the federal government probably won\u2019t last more than two years, and there are no particular signs of an electoral realignment down ballot. Republican triumphalism and Democratic despair are equally unmerited from the perspective of the election itself.\u201d And concluding: \u201cSo the smart expectation going forward is continued partisan polarization and highly contested elections, not some red apocalypse.\u201d The ever-level-headed Kilgore is always worth a read. This, however, caught my eye: \u201d The GOP gains among Democratic \u201cbase\u201d constituencies (especially Latinos and young voters) that received so much attention this year are most easily explained by short-term reaction to deeply negative economic perceptions rather than some fundamental alienation from the Democratic Party that we can take for granted going forward.\u201d \u2022 I\u2019m not so sure. I keep going back to that extraordinary map of counties showing shifts to blue, or red. And almost the entire country was red. That universality argues to me that there\u2019s something deeper going on than \u201cshort term reaction,\u201d and I\u2019d speculate it\u2019s a reaction to PMC governance <em>as such<\/em>. This codes as wokeness, of course, but the PMC is more than our national HR department. The also extraordinary outpouring of reactions to the Thompson shooting fit into this speculation (which probably won\u2019t be leveraged by Republicans, and <em>can\u2019t<\/em> be by Democrats (\u201cI can\u2019t cut my throat two ways,\u201d as Toby Esterhase remarks somewhere in <em>Tinker, Tailor<\/em>)). But by somebody?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> Campaign Finance<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"12.472972972973\">\n<p>\u201cElon Musk donated more than $250mn to Donald Trump\u2019s campaign, electoral filings show\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/5f962d83-01d8-4a2d-9d36-a1bfed400c00\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. \u201cElon Musk donated more than $250mn to Donald Trump\u2019s election campaign, including at least $75mn in the final weeks before the vote, US electoral filings have revealed.\u201d \u2022 At some point, Musk\u2019s gonna forget that Trump is the President, not him\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Our Famously Free Press<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"28.395833333333\">\n<p><a name=\"krugman\"\/>\u201cPaul Krugman retires as Times columnist\u201d (press release) [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytco.com\/press\/paul-krugman-retires-as-times-columnist\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The New York Times Company<\/a>]. \u201cPaul is an important figure in the recent history of Times Opinion. Time and again, he took on the big fights, grappled with policy deeply and seriously, held the powerful to account and spoke hard truths \u2014 sometimes as a lonely voice arguing unfashionable positions. He was a strong, clear, early opponent of the American invasion of Iraq and spent years shining a light on the lies and consequences involved with that war. He was a principled critic of George W. Bush\u2019s leadership and many of his policy priorities and, with lucid prose, helped readers understand the implications of the Bush tax cuts and his proposed privatization of Social Security. And Paul was plenty tough on Bush\u2019s successor, too: Barack Obama hadn\u2019t even taken office in 2009 when Paul memorably took apart the president-elect\u2019s prescription for the Great Recession: \u2018The economic plan he\u2019s offering isn\u2019t as strong as his language about the economic threat,\u2019 Paul wrote. \u201cIn fact, it falls well short of what\u2019s needed.’\u201d \u2022 After election 2000, Krugman was one of the very few major figures, on either side of the aisle, willing to call out Bush (Al Franken, amazingly, being the only other I can recall. The Democrats were absolutely supine). I was living in Philly at the time, and when I would go into Barnes and Noble, I would be confronted with a stacks upon stacks and shelf after shelf of pro-Bush books; I performed a small act of resistance by turning the visible books over to hide the covers. Krugman (and Franken) are the only voices from that time I remember, and Krugman deserves credit for that (no matter his subsequent evolution and the problems with mainstream economics generally).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPutin\u2019s Pals Say Tucker Carlson Is Acting as a Secret Back-Channel to Trump\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/putins-pals-say-tucker-carlson-is-acting-as-a-secret-back-channel-to-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Daily Beast<\/a>]. \u2022 And this is bad why? Who do we want for the job? Vicky Nuland?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The Wizard of Kalorama\u2122<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"19.856887298748\">\n<p>\u201cObama calls political \u2018divisiveness\u2019 one of the \u2018greatest challenges of our time’\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2024\/12\/05\/congress\/obamas-first-remarks-00192967\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cFormer President Barack Obama called out divisiveness and polarization as \u2018one of the greatest challenges of our time,\u2019 as he avoided any specific political references in his first public remarks since the election\u2026.. \u2018It\u2019s about recognizing that in a democracy, power comes from forging alliances and building coalitions\u2026 not only for the woke, but also for the waking,\u2019 Obama told the crowd of about 650 participants at the Obama Foundation event on Chicago\u2019s South Side, just a few miles from where Obama\u2019s presidential center is under construction.\u201d \u2022 I wonder how many of the 650 \u201cparticipants\u201d were from the neighborhood. Anyhow, as far as \u201cdivisiveness and polarization\u201d and polarization, I have not forgotten or forgiven how, 2024 \u2013 2008 = 16 years ago, at Daily Kos, \u201cYou\u2019re a racist\u201d was literally the second move in the Obot script. Like calling somebody a fascist, calling somebody a racist is a bell you can\u2019t unring. They didn\u2019t learn a thing, did they?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"43.698113207547\">\n<p>Like baseball card collection, but of oligarchs:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.4454277286136\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.315634218289\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Besides Donald Trump, Elon Musk and his fellow DOGE head Vivek Ramaswamy, at least 11 billionaires will be serving key roles in the administration. <\/p>\n<p>Whether it acts as a government for billionaires could test and potentially tarnish his populist legacy. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/29dm9mSJ3s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/29dm9mSJ3s<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/x4pm6Dc0Sn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/x4pm6Dc0Sn<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Axios (@axios) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/axios\/status\/1865019816584544474\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 6, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Mix \u2019em! Match \u2019em! Share \u2019em with your friends! There are, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bangkokpost.com\/business\/general\/2914681\/global-billionaires-wealth-up-17-#:~:text=ZURICH%20-%20The%20wealth%20held%20by,bank%20UBS%20said%20on%20Thursday.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">says UBS<\/a>, about 2700 billionaires in the world, and we have 11 of them in the Trump administration, a not negligible absolute numbers. It\u2019s interesting to have oligarchs working directly in government, rather like the boss firing the managers and coming onto the shop floor because of course they can do it better. The press coverage will naturally be sycophantic\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA Bipartisan Slippage in Standards\u201d [Peggy Noonan, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/ltCuF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cIt is embarrassing as a citizen to see the president of the United States pardon his son, and in such an all-encompassing way, for any legal transgression going back nearly 11 years, which feels like a concession to the assumption that his more interesting law-stretching or -breaking may be yet unknown. The president had promised frequently and explicitly that he wouldn\u2019t pardon his son, that he\u2019d play it straight and let the course of justice play out. Which means he knew it was important to people, to how they viewed him, and so he lied to reassure them. All this did what others have said: lowered trust in political leaders, made the cynical more cynical\u2026. The pardon struck me as a bitter action, too. A president who cared about public opinion, or even that of his own party, wouldn\u2019t have done it, or quite this way. It\u2019s the president flipping the bird to an ungrateful (and also rather decadent!) nation that coldly turned on him after a single debate, and then elected that tramp Donald Trump\u2014they deserve what they get\u2026 As to the Politico report that the White House is considering pre-emptive pardons for officials not yet even accused or convicted of breaking the law, wow. If that is true it makes you wonder. What have our leaders been up to the past four years that they require such unprecedented forgiveness? Even with fears of a vengeful Trump Justice Department, pre-emptive pardons are an excessive move. Now to the incoming administration\u2019s slippage of standards, the exotic cabinet picks that veer from \u2018that\u2019s a stretch\u2019 to \u2018that\u2019s insane.\u2019 The more exotic nominees\u2014Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at Health and Human Services, Pete Hegseth at Defense, Kash Patel at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mehmet Oz at Medicare and Medicaid Services\u2014don\u2019t have backgrounds that fit the jobs. Taken together they look like people who want to blow things up.\u201d You say \u201cblow things up\u201d like that\u2019s a bad thing. And finally: \u201cToo many of the Trump nominees have said, one way or another, that they intend to take out the deep state, but they should start explaining exactly what they mean. The deep state isn\u2019t really a conservative insight, and it isn\u2019t a new one.\u201d \u2022 It\u2019s an earworm, not to be explained.<\/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>Origins Debate<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"18.919491525424\">\n<p>\u201cWuhan lab samples hold no close relatives to virus behind COVID\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-024-03982-2?utm_source=Live+Audience&utm_campaign=2c6e76bf4d-nature-briefing-daily-20241206&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b27a691814-2c6e76bf4d-51088184\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Nature<\/a>]. \u201cAfter years of rumours that the virus that causes COVID-19 escaped from a laboratory in China, the virologist at the centre of the claims has presented data on dozens of new coronaviruses collected from bats in southern China. At a conference in Japan this week, Shi Zhengli, a specialist on bat coronaviruses, reported that none of the viruses stored in her freezers are the most recent ancestors of the virus SARS-CoV-2. Shi was leading coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), a high-level biosafety laboratory, when the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in that city. Soon afterwards, theories emerged that the virus had leaked \u2014 either by accident or deliberately \u2014 from the WIV. Shi has consistently said that SARS-CoV-2 was never seen or studied in her lab. But some commentators have continued to ask whether one of the many bat coronaviruses her team collected in southern China over decades was closely related to it. Shi promised to sequence the genomes of the coronaviruses and release the data. The latest analysis, which has not been peer reviewed, includes data from the whole genomes of 56 new betacoronaviruses, the broad group to which SARS-CoV-2 belongs, as well as some partial sequences. All the viruses were collected between 2004 and 2021.\u201d \u2022 Big if true. Seems a little late.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lambert: Sadly, I cannot get CDC\u2019s wastewater page to load. Hopefully Monday.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.952157598499\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.625\">\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 25<\/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\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-300x185.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-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282925\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4-300x202.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.68\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> 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> December 7<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span><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 30<\/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\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283444\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-300x255.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\/12\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1-300x173.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=\"3.9506172839506\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> New York[5] <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.health.ny.gov\/daily-hospitalization-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York State<\/a>, data December 5:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 5:<\/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\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283446\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-3-300x170.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\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-300x297.png 300w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-150x150.png 150w\" 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> December 2:<\/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 23:<\/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\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-natl-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282982\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2-300x192.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/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=\"3.6417910447761\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> Positivity[9] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 19:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> Variants[10] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 4:<\/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\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-1.png 642w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-1-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-1-624x327.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\"\/><\/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\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283445\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-300x218.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=\"3.7818181818182\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> 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 20:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> 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 20:<\/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\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl-300x163.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\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<td wp_automatic_readability=\"188.26051215063\">\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) XEC takes over. 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) Leveled out.<\/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) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants). Positivity is new, but variants have not yet been released.<\/p>\n<p>[11] Deaths low, positivity leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[12] Deaths low, ED leveling out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Employment Situation: \u201cUnited States Unemployment Rate\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/unemployment-rate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe unemployment rate in the United States went up to 4.2% in November of 2024 from 4.1% in the prior month, in line with market expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"boeing\">Manufacturing: \u201cFAA administrator says Boeing still not producing MAX planes after strike\u201d [<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/aerospace-defense\/faa-administrator-says-boeing-still-not-producing-max-planes-after-strike-2024-12-05\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Reuters<\/a>]. [FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker] said Boeing\u2019s plan is to slowly restart production later this month and he plans another meeting in January as the company ramps up\u2026. He declined to say when he thought the FAA would restore Boeing\u2019s ability to produce more than 38 planes per month, but said he would be surprised if it was less than multiple months before they get close to the 38 maximum\u2026. Whitaker, who announced another audit of Boeing in October, has said it could take five years for Boeing to reform its safety culture, but noted the planemaker has deployed a new parts management system and improved training, adding, \u2018What I saw this week was really what I expected to see.\u2019 He wants Boeing to adopt an effective Safety Management System, which are a set of policies and procedures to proactively identify and address potential operational hazards. \u2018We haven\u2019t seen evidence of it working the way it\u2019s supposed to work, where your risk assessment is driving your behavior,\u2019 Whitaker said. The National Transportation Safety Board has also said Boeing\u2019s SMS failed to catch problems years earlier.\u201d And: \u201cWhitaker said he has had some preliminary conversations with the Trump transition team and plans more, adding it was too early in the conversation to say if he expects to remain in the job.\u201d \u2022 Nice little litmus test.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing pauses surveillance plan to track employees at the office\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/6eeMH#selection-2075.5-2078.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Seattle Times<\/a> (PI)]. \u201cHours after The Seattle Times asked Boeing about a program to install digital surveillance sensors in its Everett offices, the company said it has \u2018paused our pilot program at all locations and will keep employees updated.\u2019 Boeing began Monday installing \u2018workplace occupancy sensors\u2019 in the main Everett office towers that use motion detectors and cameras mounted in ceiling tiles above workstations, conference rooms and common areas. The sensors are intended to gather information that\u2019s then analyzed using artificial intelligence to feed data to Boeing real estate and facilities managers about how many people are coming to the office and using specific spaces, and for how long. For people already concerned about how their internet and cellphone use can be tracked outside work, this new form of workplace surveillance proved unwelcome, despite Boeing\u2019s insistence that it doesn\u2019t invade anyone\u2019s personal privacy. The plan was outlined to employees last week and one was creeped out enough at the prospect to share the PowerPoint presentation with The Seattle Times. \u2018It scared me to my core,\u2019 said the employee, who declined to provide their name. \u2018What you can see is, to say the least, evil.\u2019 Whether from such reactions or from the press inquiry on Thursday, Boeing has backed off for now.\u2019 And: \u201cBoeing\u2019s presentation gave employees fulsome assurances that the \u2018sensors do not capture any identifiable information.’\u201d \u2022 Of course, of course. Is it possibly that Ortberg is evem worse than Calhoun?<\/p>\n<p>Tech: \u201cWhy is printer ink so expensive?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalrightsbytes.org\/topics\/why-is-printer-ink-so-expensive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Digital Rights Bytes<\/a>]. \u201cPrinter companies have several methods to make it hard for you, and for competitors, to replace their expensive first-party cartridges\u2026 Competition: The printer companies have a very concentrated market\u2014an oligopoly. After gobbling one another up, only five major companies are left standing. Legal: Printer companies rely on a mix of \u201cintellectual property\u201d (IP) laws to block third parties from reverse engineering their printers \u2026. Technical: Ink cartridges from the big companies often now include microchips designed to stop you from using third-party ink. It\u2019s possible to make a program that lies to your printer on your behalf, so that a $5 third-party ink cartridge tells your printer, \u201cYup, I\u2019m an HP ink cartridge.\u201d But printer companies also exploit their devices\u2019 always-on network connections to push \u201cupdates\u201d to your printer that cause them to reject third-party ink cartridges from companies that have braved the legal risks to provide you with cheaper ink.\u201d And; \u201cSo why do printer companies charge so much for ink? .\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 54 Greed (previous close: 55 Neutral) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 67 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 6 at 1:41:43 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"thompson\"\/> More on the UnitedHealth shooting. I tried to cut out as much duplication as possible:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHunt for the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare\u2019s CEO reveals new clues about movements in New York\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/unitedhealthcare-ceo-manhattan-shooting-death-48590215ba756741bbaadeeb6255d135\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cInvestigators believe the suspect may have traveled to New York last month on a bus that originated in Atlanta, one of the law enforcement officials said\u2026. Investigators have learned the man lowered his mask at the front desk of the hostel because he was flirting with the woman who checked him in, one of the law enforcement officials told the AP, leading to a photo of his face. The woman told investigators that during that encounter she asked to see his smile and he pulled down his mask [amateur], the official said. Investigators believe the suspect used a fake New Jersey identification card when he checked in at the hostel, the official said.\u201d \u2022 I would like to know what kind of mask; I\u2019ve seen \u201cski mask\u201d specified, but it\u2019s hard for me to imagine checking in wearing a ski mask, even in a very rough hostel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSearch continues for gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO in New York\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/Oz9i5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cPolice reiterated on Thursday that they believe the attack was premeditated, which raised questions about how and why the shooter was able to locate Thompson \u2014 who was staying in a different hotel \u2014 at that specific time and place. While Wednesday\u2019s investor conference had been announced last month, the location was not specifically included in that information.\u201d Oh. Oligarchs settling their differences, then? But: \u201cNew York is teeming with surveillance cameras, and footage from one <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/Oz9i5\/https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/investigations\/2024\/12\/05\/unitedhealthcare-ceo-shooting-timeline\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">obtained by The Washington Post<\/a> appeared to show that about a half-hour before the shooting, the individual later identified as a person of interest exited the 57th Street station for the F Train and headed down Sixth Avenue toward the Hilton. Images released by police also seemed to show that person had used cash to buy something at a Starbucks before the shooting.\u201d And: \u201cInvestigators are waiting for DNA test results on items they think may have belonged to the shooter \u2014 a water bottle and a cellphone abandoned near the crime scene, according to the official.\u201d So, amateur?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWas Brian Thompson\u2019s Killer a Hit Man? Unlikely, Experts Say\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/dnyuz.com\/2024\/12\/06\/was-brian-thompsons-killer-a-hit-man-unlikely-experts-say\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. \u201c[David Shapiro, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, and a former F.B.I. special agent] added: \u2018In terms of a professional hit man, that seems unlikely. It would be very hard to get somebody to do something like this. It\u2019s very high risk.’\u201d And: \u201cthe shooter left a trail of clues.\u201d Besides the Starbucks and the hostel: \u201cAfter the shooting, the police found not only the shell casings but also a cellphone that they are examining. None of this looks like the work of a professional, the experts said.\u201d And: \u201c\u2018I think he planned this as meticulously as his abilities allow,\u2019 said [Michael C. Farkas, a defense attorney who has worked as a New York City homicide prosecutor]. \u2018And he\u2019s probably intelligent enough to know the odds of evading capture indefinitely are not in his favor,\u2019 he said. \u2018He clearly wanted to send a message, and he is trying to get away.’\u201d \u2022 <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHit Men Aren\u2019t What You Think\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/news-and-politics\/2024\/12\/unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-shot-suspect.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Slate<\/a>]. \u201cThe thing that struck me was the fact that he knew where [Thompson] was going to be and when he was going to be there. Generally, you get that information by observing the individual. You find their schedule and their routine, and then you intercept them somewhere along the line on their routine. This was obviously not a routine setting. So he had to have some reason to believe that Thompson was going to be coming out of that door at an approximate time to be able to lay in wait. Because it\u2019s Manhattan, standing around waiting risks the likelihood of being challenged by a cop or security guard coming by, which suggests that he had reason to know when the guy was going to be coming out. It suggests some sort of inside information.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnline sleuths are racing to catch the UnitedHealthcare CEO\u2019s killer\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/QCDtZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cThe early evidence shared by police has largely been composed of images from New York\u2019s vast infrastructure of surveillance cameras, a mix of public and private recording devices that investigators routinely access to identify and track criminal suspects throughout the city. In 2021, as part of a crowdsourcing project, volunteers with the human-rights group Amnesty International counted more than 25,000 cameras on buildings, poles and streetlights across New York City. Stanford University researchers that year estimated that New York\u2019s camera density was nearly four times higher than Los Angeles. The murder scene\u2019s location in one of Manhattan\u2019s busiest districts probably ensured the man was recorded from many angles, said Ralph Cilento, a former commander of detectives with the New York police who retired in 2021 and now teaches police science at John Jay College. \u2018Midtown is like the Iron Dome of cameras,\u2019 Cilento said, referencing the rocket-repelling air-defense system that blankets the Israeli skies. \u2018You cannot get into Manhattan at all now without being caught on camera.\u2019 But finding and gathering all that visual evidence can require considerable effort \u2014 and take more time than some sleuths on social media are prepared to give. \u2018They will track the guy all the way through the city,\u2019 he said, but \u201cit\u2019s extraordinarily tedious work.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe spotlight is on health insurance companies. Patients are telling their stories of denied claims, bankruptcy and delayed care\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/lifestyle\/spotlight-health-insurance-companies-patients-014648180.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Yahoo News<\/a>]. \u201cFor many, the cost of life-saving care is too high, and medical debt is the No. 1 cause of bankruptcy in America. That is to say nothing of the emotional labor of navigating the complex system. With Thompson\u2019s killing and the Anthem policy, there\u2019s been widespread response with a similar through line: a pervasive contempt for the state of health insurance in the United States. The most illustrative reactions, though are the personal ones, the tales of denied claims, battles with insurance agents, delayed care, filing for bankruptcy and more.\u201d \u2022 Interesting to see \u201cemotional labor\u201d sneak in there; I would say it\u2019s labor, first and foremost.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"inequity\"\/>\u201cNo evidence for inequity aversion in non-human animals: a meta-analysis of accept\/reject paradigms\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/royalsocietypublishing.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1098\/rspb.2024.1452\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Proceedings B<\/a>]. The Abstract: \u201cDisadvantageous inequity aversion (IA), a negative response to receiving less than others, is a key building block of the human sense of fairness. While some theorize that IA is shared by species across the animal kingdom, others argue that it is an exclusively human evolutionary adaptation to the selective pressures of cooperation among non-kin. Essential to this debate is the empirical question of whether non-human animals are averse towards unequal resource distributions. Over the past two decades, researchers have reported that individuals from a wide range of taxa exhibit IA; tasks where participants can reject or accept a given distribution of rewards delivered the bulk of this evidence. Yet these results have been questioned on both conceptual and empirical grounds. In the largest empirical investigation of non-human IA to date, we synthesize the primary data from 23 studies using accept\/reject tasks, covering 60 430 observations of 18 species. We find no evidence for IA in non-human animals in these tasks. This finding held across all species in the dataset and pre-registered subsets (all species reported to exhibit IA, primates reported to exhibit IA, chimpanzees and capuchin monkeys). Alternative interpretations of the data and implications for the evolution of fairness are discussed.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. People with pets, do you agree?<\/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\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-5-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From SV:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/olive_tree.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"1080\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-283434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/olive_tree.jpeg 525w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/olive_tree-146x300.jpeg 146w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/olive_tree-498x1024.jpeg 498w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>SV writes: \u201cOlive orchard near Corning CA. The offramp Billboard reads: THE OLIVE PIT.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"donate\"\/><strong>Readers<\/strong>: Water Cooler is a standalone entity <em>not<\/em> covered by the annual NC fundraiser. 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\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-6-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-06T14:00:55-05:00\">December 6, 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\/12\/trump-tariffs-exchange-rates-and-the-strong-dollar-problem-the-message-of-elections-in-the-us-and-japan.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> Trump, Tariffs, Exchange Rates, and the Strong Dollar Problem: The Message of Elections in the US and Japan<\/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\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-6-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day Northern Mockingbird, Ensenachos, Sancti Sp\u00edritus, Cuba. \u201cOne singing in trees out back of 3400 building.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88105,"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-88104","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\/88104","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=88104"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88104\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Northern Mockingbird, Ensenachos, Sancti Sp\u00edritus, Cuba. \u201cOne singing in trees out back of 3400 building.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#krugman\">Krugman<\/a> hangs up his keyboard.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#thompson\">UnitedHealthcare shooting:<\/a> Details continue to emerge.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#inequity\">Inequity aversion<\/a> solely in humans?<\/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>Biden Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"11.822878228782\">\n<p>\u201cBiden is considering preemptive pardons for officials and allies before Trump takes office\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/biden-pardons-trump-f36ead0eb92ea30e47cbfddfaf326f20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cPresident Joe Biden is weighing whether to issue sweeping pardons for officials and allies who the White House fears could be unjustly targeted by President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s administration, a preemptive move that would be a novel and risky use of the president\u2019s extraordinary constitutional power. The deliberations so far are largely at the level of White House lawyers. But Biden himself has discussed the topic with some senior aides, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday to discuss the sensitive subject\u2026. While the president\u2019s pardon power is absolute, Biden\u2019s use in this fashion would mark a significant expansion of how they are deployed, and some Biden aides fear it could lay the groundwork for an even more drastic usage by Trump. They also worry that issuing pardons would feed into claims by Trump and his allies that the individuals committed acts that necessitated immunity.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"64.359798994975\">\n<p>\u201cHegseth says he won\u2019t withdraw as he struggles as Trump\u2019s Defense pick\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/12\/05\/hegseth-senate-nomination-00192919\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cPete Hegseth spent this week attempting to woo senators \u2014 and others \u2014 as he fought to remain Donald Trump\u2019s pick for secretary of Defense. He met with wary and supportive lawmakers, his lawyer tried to shoot down misconduct allegations and even his mother went on Fox to defend her son\u2026. But without [Jodi] Ernst, who serves on the Armed Services Committee and is a veteran and sexual assault survivor, along with other skeptical Republicans like Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, Hegseth\u2019s confirmation appears in jeopardy.\u201d And: \u201c\u2018I\u2019m a different man than I was years ago, and that\u2019s a redemption story that I think a lot of Americans appreciate, and I know from fellow vets that I\u2019ve spent time with, they resonate with that as well,\u2019 Hegseth said in response to the allegations. \u2018You fight, you go do tough things in tough places on behalf of your country, and sometimes that changes you a little bit.’\u201d \u2022 Honey, I\u2019ve changed!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump aides say Pete Hegseth still has a chance to be confirmed as defense head\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2024\/dec\/06\/pete-hegseth-confirmation-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Guardian<\/a>]. \u201cTrump himself has not expended any real political capital by calling holdouts on Hegseth\u2019s behalf, the Trump aides working on his nomination have, both with senators and inside Trumpworld to ensure he has the president-elect\u2019s backing. Hegseth\u2019s team, which includes aides who are close to the vice-president-elect JD Vance and Trump\u2019s eldest son Don Jr, represent a particularly powerful group that has the ability to reach Republican senators and the Trump inner circle. The trickiest hurdle for Hegseth, the people said, appears for now at least to be convincing Republican senator Joni Ernst to back his nomination or ensuring her resistance does not embolden her close colleagues in the Senate to vote against him. Ernst, an Iowa Republican and combat veteran who has spoken about being sexually assaulted herself, had a closed-door meeting with Hegseth on Wednesday but did not offer her endorsement when she emerged, as well as in an interview on Fox News the following morning. For a number of our senators, they want to make sure that any allegations are cleared, and that\u2019s why we have to have a very thorough vetting process,\u201d Ernst told Fox News, agreeing with the host Bill Hemmer that she had not reached a \u2018yes\u2019 on Hegseth. The continued resistance from Ernst sparked complaints from Trump\u2019s team at Mar-a-Lago, where the transition operation is headquartered, that Ernst was content to sink Hegseth\u2019s nomination because she was interested in the job herself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProject 2025 pressuring US Republican senators to confirm Pete Hegseth as defence chief\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/world\/united-states-canada\/article\/3289578\/architect-project-2025-pressuring-republican-senators-confirm-pete-hegseth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cThe think-tank behind Project 2025, the conservative blueprint linked to US president-elect Donald Trump, is launching an effort to back Trump\u2019s imperilled selection for secretary of defence in its latest attempt to wield influence in the incoming Republican administration. Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said on Thursday that his group will spend US$1 million to pressure senators unwilling to back Pete Hegseth, whose nomination to lead the Pentagon has come into question over his views on women serving in combat and reports about his personal behaviour.\u201d \u2022 South China Morning Post rips an AP story from the wire\u2026. <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump Names David Sacks as White House AI and Crypto Czar\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/money\/markets\/trump-names-david-sacks-as-white-house-ai-and-crypto-czar\/ar-AA1vm8HK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cDonald Trump says he is selecting venture capitalist David Sacks of Craft Ventures LLC to serve as his artificial intelligence and crypto czar, a newly created position that underscores the president-elect\u2019s intent to boost two rapidly developing industries. \u2018David will guide policy for the Administration in Artificial Intelligence and Cryptocurrency, two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness. David will focus on making America the clear global leader in both areas,\u2019 Trump said Thursday in a post on his Truth Social network. Trump said that Sacks would also lead the Presidential Council of Advisors for Science and Technology.\u201d \u2022 The United States is already a world leader in fraud, so what exactly is Sacks going to do that\u2019s different?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump names ICE chief and makes another round of immigration announcements\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2024\/12\/05\/congress\/trump-ice-chief-rodney-scott-00192974\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cTrump said he was nominating Rodney Scott as commissioner of Customs and Border Protection. Scott served for almost three decades in the Border Patrol, and as the chief of the agency during the last year of the Trump administration and beginning of the Biden administration. He helped implement Trump\u2019s Remain in Mexico Policy, Title 42 and Safe Third Country agreements. Trump also announced he was tapping Caleb Vitello, who\u2019s currently the assistant director of the Office of Firearms and Tactical Programs in Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to serve as acting director of ICE.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"19.796529024536\">\n<p>\u201c5 Takeaways From the 2024 Elections Now That They\u2019re Finally Over\u201d [Ed Kilgore, <a href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/intelligencer\/article\/2024-election-5-takeaways.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Magazine<\/a>]. \u201c[T]otal GOP control of the federal government probably won\u2019t last more than two years, and there are no particular signs of an electoral realignment down ballot. Republican triumphalism and Democratic despair are equally unmerited from the perspective of the election itself.\u201d And concluding: \u201cSo the smart expectation going forward is continued partisan polarization and highly contested elections, not some red apocalypse.\u201d The ever-level-headed Kilgore is always worth a read. This, however, caught my eye: \u201d The GOP gains among Democratic \u201cbase\u201d constituencies (especially Latinos and young voters) that received so much attention this year are most easily explained by short-term reaction to deeply negative economic perceptions rather than some fundamental alienation from the Democratic Party that we can take for granted going forward.\u201d \u2022 I\u2019m not so sure. I keep going back to that extraordinary map of counties showing shifts to blue, or red. And almost the entire country was red. That universality argues to me that there\u2019s something deeper going on than \u201cshort term reaction,\u201d and I\u2019d speculate it\u2019s a reaction to PMC governance <em>as such<\/em>. This codes as wokeness, of course, but the PMC is more than our national HR department. The also extraordinary outpouring of reactions to the Thompson shooting fit into this speculation (which probably won\u2019t be leveraged by Republicans, and <em>can\u2019t<\/em> be by Democrats (\u201cI can\u2019t cut my throat two ways,\u201d as Toby Esterhase remarks somewhere in <em>Tinker, Tailor<\/em>)). But by somebody?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> Campaign Finance<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"12.472972972973\">\n<p>\u201cElon Musk donated more than $250mn to Donald Trump\u2019s campaign, electoral filings show\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/5f962d83-01d8-4a2d-9d36-a1bfed400c00\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. \u201cElon Musk donated more than $250mn to Donald Trump\u2019s election campaign, including at least $75mn in the final weeks before the vote, US electoral filings have revealed.\u201d \u2022 At some point, Musk\u2019s gonna forget that Trump is the President, not him\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Our Famously Free Press<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"28.395833333333\">\n<p><a name=\"krugman\"\/>\u201cPaul Krugman retires as Times columnist\u201d (press release) [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytco.com\/press\/paul-krugman-retires-as-times-columnist\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The New York Times Company<\/a>]. \u201cPaul is an important figure in the recent history of Times Opinion. Time and again, he took on the big fights, grappled with policy deeply and seriously, held the powerful to account and spoke hard truths \u2014 sometimes as a lonely voice arguing unfashionable positions. He was a strong, clear, early opponent of the American invasion of Iraq and spent years shining a light on the lies and consequences involved with that war. He was a principled critic of George W. Bush\u2019s leadership and many of his policy priorities and, with lucid prose, helped readers understand the implications of the Bush tax cuts and his proposed privatization of Social Security. And Paul was plenty tough on Bush\u2019s successor, too: Barack Obama hadn\u2019t even taken office in 2009 when Paul memorably took apart the president-elect\u2019s prescription for the Great Recession: \u2018The economic plan he\u2019s offering isn\u2019t as strong as his language about the economic threat,\u2019 Paul wrote. \u201cIn fact, it falls well short of what\u2019s needed.’\u201d \u2022 After election 2000, Krugman was one of the very few major figures, on either side of the aisle, willing to call out Bush (Al Franken, amazingly, being the only other I can recall. The Democrats were absolutely supine). I was living in Philly at the time, and when I would go into Barnes and Noble, I would be confronted with a stacks upon stacks and shelf after shelf of pro-Bush books; I performed a small act of resistance by turning the visible books over to hide the covers. Krugman (and Franken) are the only voices from that time I remember, and Krugman deserves credit for that (no matter his subsequent evolution and the problems with mainstream economics generally).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPutin\u2019s Pals Say Tucker Carlson Is Acting as a Secret Back-Channel to Trump\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/putins-pals-say-tucker-carlson-is-acting-as-a-secret-back-channel-to-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Daily Beast<\/a>]. \u2022 And this is bad why? Who do we want for the job? Vicky Nuland?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The Wizard of Kalorama\u2122<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"19.856887298748\">\n<p>\u201cObama calls political \u2018divisiveness\u2019 one of the \u2018greatest challenges of our time’\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2024\/12\/05\/congress\/obamas-first-remarks-00192967\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cFormer President Barack Obama called out divisiveness and polarization as \u2018one of the greatest challenges of our time,\u2019 as he avoided any specific political references in his first public remarks since the election\u2026.. \u2018It\u2019s about recognizing that in a democracy, power comes from forging alliances and building coalitions\u2026 not only for the woke, but also for the waking,\u2019 Obama told the crowd of about 650 participants at the Obama Foundation event on Chicago\u2019s South Side, just a few miles from where Obama\u2019s presidential center is under construction.\u201d \u2022 I wonder how many of the 650 \u201cparticipants\u201d were from the neighborhood. Anyhow, as far as \u201cdivisiveness and polarization\u201d and polarization, I have not forgotten or forgiven how, 2024 \u2013 2008 = 16 years ago, at Daily Kos, \u201cYou\u2019re a racist\u201d was literally the second move in the Obot script. Like calling somebody a fascist, calling somebody a racist is a bell you can\u2019t unring. They didn\u2019t learn a thing, did they?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"43.698113207547\">\n<p>Like baseball card collection, but of oligarchs:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.4454277286136\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.315634218289\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Besides Donald Trump, Elon Musk and his fellow DOGE head Vivek Ramaswamy, at least 11 billionaires will be serving key roles in the administration. <\/p>\n<p>Whether it acts as a government for billionaires could test and potentially tarnish his populist legacy. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/29dm9mSJ3s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/29dm9mSJ3s<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/x4pm6Dc0Sn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/x4pm6Dc0Sn<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Axios (@axios) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/axios\/status\/1865019816584544474\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 6, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Mix \u2019em! Match \u2019em! Share \u2019em with your friends! There are, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bangkokpost.com\/business\/general\/2914681\/global-billionaires-wealth-up-17-#:~:text=ZURICH%20-%20The%20wealth%20held%20by,bank%20UBS%20said%20on%20Thursday.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">says UBS<\/a>, about 2700 billionaires in the world, and we have 11 of them in the Trump administration, a not negligible absolute numbers. It\u2019s interesting to have oligarchs working directly in government, rather like the boss firing the managers and coming onto the shop floor because of course they can do it better. The press coverage will naturally be sycophantic\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA Bipartisan Slippage in Standards\u201d [Peggy Noonan, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/ltCuF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cIt is embarrassing as a citizen to see the president of the United States pardon his son, and in such an all-encompassing way, for any legal transgression going back nearly 11 years, which feels like a concession to the assumption that his more interesting law-stretching or -breaking may be yet unknown. The president had promised frequently and explicitly that he wouldn\u2019t pardon his son, that he\u2019d play it straight and let the course of justice play out. Which means he knew it was important to people, to how they viewed him, and so he lied to reassure them. All this did what others have said: lowered trust in political leaders, made the cynical more cynical\u2026. The pardon struck me as a bitter action, too. A president who cared about public opinion, or even that of his own party, wouldn\u2019t have done it, or quite this way. It\u2019s the president flipping the bird to an ungrateful (and also rather decadent!) nation that coldly turned on him after a single debate, and then elected that tramp Donald Trump\u2014they deserve what they get\u2026 As to the Politico report that the White House is considering pre-emptive pardons for officials not yet even accused or convicted of breaking the law, wow. If that is true it makes you wonder. What have our leaders been up to the past four years that they require such unprecedented forgiveness? Even with fears of a vengeful Trump Justice Department, pre-emptive pardons are an excessive move. Now to the incoming administration\u2019s slippage of standards, the exotic cabinet picks that veer from \u2018that\u2019s a stretch\u2019 to \u2018that\u2019s insane.\u2019 The more exotic nominees\u2014Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at Health and Human Services, Pete Hegseth at Defense, Kash Patel at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mehmet Oz at Medicare and Medicaid Services\u2014don\u2019t have backgrounds that fit the jobs. Taken together they look like people who want to blow things up.\u201d You say \u201cblow things up\u201d like that\u2019s a bad thing. And finally: \u201cToo many of the Trump nominees have said, one way or another, that they intend to take out the deep state, but they should start explaining exactly what they mean. The deep state isn\u2019t really a conservative insight, and it isn\u2019t a new one.\u201d \u2022 It\u2019s an earworm, not to be explained.<\/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>Origins Debate<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"18.919491525424\">\n<p>\u201cWuhan lab samples hold no close relatives to virus behind COVID\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-024-03982-2?utm_source=Live+Audience&utm_campaign=2c6e76bf4d-nature-briefing-daily-20241206&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b27a691814-2c6e76bf4d-51088184\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Nature<\/a>]. \u201cAfter years of rumours that the virus that causes COVID-19 escaped from a laboratory in China, the virologist at the centre of the claims has presented data on dozens of new coronaviruses collected from bats in southern China. At a conference in Japan this week, Shi Zhengli, a specialist on bat coronaviruses, reported that none of the viruses stored in her freezers are the most recent ancestors of the virus SARS-CoV-2. Shi was leading coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), a high-level biosafety laboratory, when the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in that city. Soon afterwards, theories emerged that the virus had leaked \u2014 either by accident or deliberately \u2014 from the WIV. Shi has consistently said that SARS-CoV-2 was never seen or studied in her lab. But some commentators have continued to ask whether one of the many bat coronaviruses her team collected in southern China over decades was closely related to it. Shi promised to sequence the genomes of the coronaviruses and release the data. The latest analysis, which has not been peer reviewed, includes data from the whole genomes of 56 new betacoronaviruses, the broad group to which SARS-CoV-2 belongs, as well as some partial sequences. All the viruses were collected between 2004 and 2021.\u201d \u2022 Big if true. Seems a little late.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lambert: Sadly, I cannot get CDC\u2019s wastewater page to load. Hopefully Monday.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.952157598499\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.625\">\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 25<\/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\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-300x185.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-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282925\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4-300x202.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.68\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> 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> December 7<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span><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 30<\/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\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283444\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-300x255.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\/12\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1-300x173.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=\"3.9506172839506\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> New York[5] <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.health.ny.gov\/daily-hospitalization-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York State<\/a>, data December 5:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 5:<\/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\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283446\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-3-300x170.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\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-300x297.png 300w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-150x150.png 150w\" 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> December 2:<\/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 23:<\/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\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-natl-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-282982\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2-300x192.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/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=\"3.6417910447761\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> Positivity[9] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 19:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> Variants[10] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 4:<\/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\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-1.png 642w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-1-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-1-624x327.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\"\/><\/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\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283445\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-300x218.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=\"3.7818181818182\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> 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 20:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> 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 20:<\/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\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl-300x163.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\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<td wp_automatic_readability=\"188.26051215063\">\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) XEC takes over. 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) Leveled out.<\/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) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants). Positivity is new, but variants have not yet been released.<\/p>\n<p>[11] Deaths low, positivity leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[12] Deaths low, ED leveling out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Employment Situation: \u201cUnited States Unemployment Rate\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/unemployment-rate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe unemployment rate in the United States went up to 4.2% in November of 2024 from 4.1% in the prior month, in line with market expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"boeing\">Manufacturing: \u201cFAA administrator says Boeing still not producing MAX planes after strike\u201d [<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/aerospace-defense\/faa-administrator-says-boeing-still-not-producing-max-planes-after-strike-2024-12-05\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Reuters<\/a>]. [FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker] said Boeing\u2019s plan is to slowly restart production later this month and he plans another meeting in January as the company ramps up\u2026. He declined to say when he thought the FAA would restore Boeing\u2019s ability to produce more than 38 planes per month, but said he would be surprised if it was less than multiple months before they get close to the 38 maximum\u2026. Whitaker, who announced another audit of Boeing in October, has said it could take five years for Boeing to reform its safety culture, but noted the planemaker has deployed a new parts management system and improved training, adding, \u2018What I saw this week was really what I expected to see.\u2019 He wants Boeing to adopt an effective Safety Management System, which are a set of policies and procedures to proactively identify and address potential operational hazards. \u2018We haven\u2019t seen evidence of it working the way it\u2019s supposed to work, where your risk assessment is driving your behavior,\u2019 Whitaker said. The National Transportation Safety Board has also said Boeing\u2019s SMS failed to catch problems years earlier.\u201d And: \u201cWhitaker said he has had some preliminary conversations with the Trump transition team and plans more, adding it was too early in the conversation to say if he expects to remain in the job.\u201d \u2022 Nice little litmus test.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing pauses surveillance plan to track employees at the office\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/6eeMH#selection-2075.5-2078.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Seattle Times<\/a> (PI)]. \u201cHours after The Seattle Times asked Boeing about a program to install digital surveillance sensors in its Everett offices, the company said it has \u2018paused our pilot program at all locations and will keep employees updated.\u2019 Boeing began Monday installing \u2018workplace occupancy sensors\u2019 in the main Everett office towers that use motion detectors and cameras mounted in ceiling tiles above workstations, conference rooms and common areas. The sensors are intended to gather information that\u2019s then analyzed using artificial intelligence to feed data to Boeing real estate and facilities managers about how many people are coming to the office and using specific spaces, and for how long. For people already concerned about how their internet and cellphone use can be tracked outside work, this new form of workplace surveillance proved unwelcome, despite Boeing\u2019s insistence that it doesn\u2019t invade anyone\u2019s personal privacy. The plan was outlined to employees last week and one was creeped out enough at the prospect to share the PowerPoint presentation with The Seattle Times. \u2018It scared me to my core,\u2019 said the employee, who declined to provide their name. \u2018What you can see is, to say the least, evil.\u2019 Whether from such reactions or from the press inquiry on Thursday, Boeing has backed off for now.\u2019 And: \u201cBoeing\u2019s presentation gave employees fulsome assurances that the \u2018sensors do not capture any identifiable information.’\u201d \u2022 Of course, of course. Is it possibly that Ortberg is evem worse than Calhoun?<\/p>\n<p>Tech: \u201cWhy is printer ink so expensive?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalrightsbytes.org\/topics\/why-is-printer-ink-so-expensive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Digital Rights Bytes<\/a>]. \u201cPrinter companies have several methods to make it hard for you, and for competitors, to replace their expensive first-party cartridges\u2026 Competition: The printer companies have a very concentrated market\u2014an oligopoly. After gobbling one another up, only five major companies are left standing. Legal: Printer companies rely on a mix of \u201cintellectual property\u201d (IP) laws to block third parties from reverse engineering their printers \u2026. Technical: Ink cartridges from the big companies often now include microchips designed to stop you from using third-party ink. It\u2019s possible to make a program that lies to your printer on your behalf, so that a $5 third-party ink cartridge tells your printer, \u201cYup, I\u2019m an HP ink cartridge.\u201d But printer companies also exploit their devices\u2019 always-on network connections to push \u201cupdates\u201d to your printer that cause them to reject third-party ink cartridges from companies that have braved the legal risks to provide you with cheaper ink.\u201d And; \u201cSo why do printer companies charge so much for ink? .\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 54 Greed (previous close: 55 Neutral) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 67 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 6 at 1:41:43 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"thompson\"\/> More on the UnitedHealth shooting. I tried to cut out as much duplication as possible:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHunt for the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare\u2019s CEO reveals new clues about movements in New York\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/unitedhealthcare-ceo-manhattan-shooting-death-48590215ba756741bbaadeeb6255d135\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cInvestigators believe the suspect may have traveled to New York last month on a bus that originated in Atlanta, one of the law enforcement officials said\u2026. Investigators have learned the man lowered his mask at the front desk of the hostel because he was flirting with the woman who checked him in, one of the law enforcement officials told the AP, leading to a photo of his face. The woman told investigators that during that encounter she asked to see his smile and he pulled down his mask [amateur], the official said. Investigators believe the suspect used a fake New Jersey identification card when he checked in at the hostel, the official said.\u201d \u2022 I would like to know what kind of mask; I\u2019ve seen \u201cski mask\u201d specified, but it\u2019s hard for me to imagine checking in wearing a ski mask, even in a very rough hostel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSearch continues for gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO in New York\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/Oz9i5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cPolice reiterated on Thursday that they believe the attack was premeditated, which raised questions about how and why the shooter was able to locate Thompson \u2014 who was staying in a different hotel \u2014 at that specific time and place. While Wednesday\u2019s investor conference had been announced last month, the location was not specifically included in that information.\u201d Oh. Oligarchs settling their differences, then? But: \u201cNew York is teeming with surveillance cameras, and footage from one <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/Oz9i5\/https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/investigations\/2024\/12\/05\/unitedhealthcare-ceo-shooting-timeline\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">obtained by The Washington Post<\/a> appeared to show that about a half-hour before the shooting, the individual later identified as a person of interest exited the 57th Street station for the F Train and headed down Sixth Avenue toward the Hilton. Images released by police also seemed to show that person had used cash to buy something at a Starbucks before the shooting.\u201d And: \u201cInvestigators are waiting for DNA test results on items they think may have belonged to the shooter \u2014 a water bottle and a cellphone abandoned near the crime scene, according to the official.\u201d So, amateur?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWas Brian Thompson\u2019s Killer a Hit Man? Unlikely, Experts Say\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/dnyuz.com\/2024\/12\/06\/was-brian-thompsons-killer-a-hit-man-unlikely-experts-say\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. \u201c[David Shapiro, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, and a former F.B.I. special agent] added: \u2018In terms of a professional hit man, that seems unlikely. It would be very hard to get somebody to do something like this. It\u2019s very high risk.’\u201d And: \u201cthe shooter left a trail of clues.\u201d Besides the Starbucks and the hostel: \u201cAfter the shooting, the police found not only the shell casings but also a cellphone that they are examining. None of this looks like the work of a professional, the experts said.\u201d And: \u201c\u2018I think he planned this as meticulously as his abilities allow,\u2019 said [Michael C. Farkas, a defense attorney who has worked as a New York City homicide prosecutor]. \u2018And he\u2019s probably intelligent enough to know the odds of evading capture indefinitely are not in his favor,\u2019 he said. \u2018He clearly wanted to send a message, and he is trying to get away.’\u201d \u2022 <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHit Men Aren\u2019t What You Think\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/news-and-politics\/2024\/12\/unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-shot-suspect.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Slate<\/a>]. \u201cThe thing that struck me was the fact that he knew where [Thompson] was going to be and when he was going to be there. Generally, you get that information by observing the individual. You find their schedule and their routine, and then you intercept them somewhere along the line on their routine. This was obviously not a routine setting. So he had to have some reason to believe that Thompson was going to be coming out of that door at an approximate time to be able to lay in wait. Because it\u2019s Manhattan, standing around waiting risks the likelihood of being challenged by a cop or security guard coming by, which suggests that he had reason to know when the guy was going to be coming out. It suggests some sort of inside information.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnline sleuths are racing to catch the UnitedHealthcare CEO\u2019s killer\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/QCDtZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cThe early evidence shared by police has largely been composed of images from New York\u2019s vast infrastructure of surveillance cameras, a mix of public and private recording devices that investigators routinely access to identify and track criminal suspects throughout the city. In 2021, as part of a crowdsourcing project, volunteers with the human-rights group Amnesty International counted more than 25,000 cameras on buildings, poles and streetlights across New York City. Stanford University researchers that year estimated that New York\u2019s camera density was nearly four times higher than Los Angeles. The murder scene\u2019s location in one of Manhattan\u2019s busiest districts probably ensured the man was recorded from many angles, said Ralph Cilento, a former commander of detectives with the New York police who retired in 2021 and now teaches police science at John Jay College. \u2018Midtown is like the Iron Dome of cameras,\u2019 Cilento said, referencing the rocket-repelling air-defense system that blankets the Israeli skies. \u2018You cannot get into Manhattan at all now without being caught on camera.\u2019 But finding and gathering all that visual evidence can require considerable effort \u2014 and take more time than some sleuths on social media are prepared to give. \u2018They will track the guy all the way through the city,\u2019 he said, but \u201cit\u2019s extraordinarily tedious work.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe spotlight is on health insurance companies. Patients are telling their stories of denied claims, bankruptcy and delayed care\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/lifestyle\/spotlight-health-insurance-companies-patients-014648180.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Yahoo News<\/a>]. \u201cFor many, the cost of life-saving care is too high, and medical debt is the No. 1 cause of bankruptcy in America. That is to say nothing of the emotional labor of navigating the complex system. With Thompson\u2019s killing and the Anthem policy, there\u2019s been widespread response with a similar through line: a pervasive contempt for the state of health insurance in the United States. The most illustrative reactions, though are the personal ones, the tales of denied claims, battles with insurance agents, delayed care, filing for bankruptcy and more.\u201d \u2022 Interesting to see \u201cemotional labor\u201d sneak in there; I would say it\u2019s labor, first and foremost.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"inequity\"\/>\u201cNo evidence for inequity aversion in non-human animals: a meta-analysis of accept\/reject paradigms\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/royalsocietypublishing.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1098\/rspb.2024.1452\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Proceedings B<\/a>]. The Abstract: \u201cDisadvantageous inequity aversion (IA), a negative response to receiving less than others, is a key building block of the human sense of fairness. While some theorize that IA is shared by species across the animal kingdom, others argue that it is an exclusively human evolutionary adaptation to the selective pressures of cooperation among non-kin. Essential to this debate is the empirical question of whether non-human animals are averse towards unequal resource distributions. Over the past two decades, researchers have reported that individuals from a wide range of taxa exhibit IA; tasks where participants can reject or accept a given distribution of rewards delivered the bulk of this evidence. Yet these results have been questioned on both conceptual and empirical grounds. In the largest empirical investigation of non-human IA to date, we synthesize the primary data from 23 studies using accept\/reject tasks, covering 60 430 observations of 18 species. We find no evidence for IA in non-human animals in these tasks. This finding held across all species in the dataset and pre-registered subsets (all species reported to exhibit IA, primates reported to exhibit IA, chimpanzees and capuchin monkeys). Alternative interpretations of the data and implications for the evolution of fairness are discussed.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. People with pets, do you agree?<\/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\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-5-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From SV:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/olive_tree.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"525\" height=\"1080\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-283434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/olive_tree.jpeg 525w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/olive_tree-146x300.jpeg 146w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/olive_tree-498x1024.jpeg 498w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>SV writes: \u201cOlive orchard near Corning CA. The offramp Billboard reads: THE OLIVE PIT.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"donate\"\/><strong>Readers<\/strong>: Water Cooler is a standalone entity <em>not<\/em> covered by the annual NC fundraiser. 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\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-6-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-06T14:00:55-05:00\">December 6, 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\/12\/trump-tariffs-exchange-rates-and-the-strong-dollar-problem-the-message-of-elections-in-the-us-and-japan.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> Trump, Tariffs, Exchange Rates, and the Strong Dollar Problem: The Message of Elections in the US and Japan<\/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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Bird Song of the Day Northern Mockingbird, Ensenachos, Sancti Sp\u00edritus, Cuba. \u201cOne singing in trees out back of 3400 building.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88105,"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-88104","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\/88104","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=88104"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88104\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}