\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, New Providence Island; Lyford Cay, New Providence, Bahamas.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#khan\">Lina Khan out<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Arnade on McDonald\u2019s: <a href=\"#trump-mc\">Trump<\/a> and <a href=\"#adjuster-mc\">The Adjuster<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#kamala\">Kamala\u2019s<\/a> flawless campaign, lol.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#dust\">Bird flu<\/a> carried by dust on the wind.<\/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>Musk GLP<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.75\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Nothing would do more to improve the health, lifespan and quality of life for Americans than making GLP inhibitors super low cost to the public. <\/p>\n<p>Nothing else is even close. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SNGcxzkcqE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/SNGcxzkcqE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1866766638953140733\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 11, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.channelnewsasia.com\/east-asia\/south-korea-people-power-party-yoon-suk-yeol-resignation-martial-law-political-crisis-impeachment-opposition-protests-4795716\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">\u2018We don\u2019t even know who\u2019s running the country\u2019: South Korea\u2019s ruling party stalls for time amid leadership crisis<\/a> Channel News Asia<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"khan\"\/>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"96.018850029638\">\n<p>\u201c\u2018A Gift to the Oligarchs\u2019: Trump Pick to Replace Lina Khan Vowed to End \u2018War on Mergers’\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/andrew-ferguson-ftc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Common Dreams<\/a>]. \u201cPresident-elect Donald Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pick<\/a> to lead the Federal Trade Commission vowed in his job pitch to end current chair Lina Khan\u2019s \u2018war on mergers,\u2019 a signal to an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/trump-lina-khan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">eager corporate America<\/a> that the incoming administration intends to be far more lax on antitrust enforcement. Andrew Ferguson was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2023\/07\/03\/president-biden-announces-nominees-to-bipartisan-boards-and-commissions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">initially nominated<\/a> by President Joe Biden to serve as a Republican commissioner on the bipartisan FTC, and his elevation to chair of the commission will not require Senate confirmation. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/brianstelter\/status\/1866624146538631253\/photo\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">one-page document<\/a> obtained by Punchbowl, Ferguson\u2014who previously worked as chief counsel to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)\u2014pitched himself to Trump\u2019s team as the \u2018pro-innovation choice\u2019 with \u2018impeccable legal credentials\u2019 and \u2018proven loyalty\u2019 to the president-elect. Ferguson\u2019s top agenda priority, according to the document, is to \u2018reverse Lina Khan\u2019s anti-business agenda\u2019 by rolling back \u2018burdensome regulations,\u2019 stopping her \u2018war on mergers,\u2019 halting the agency\u2019s \u2018attempt to become an AI regulator,\u2019 and ditching \u2018novel and legally dubious consumer protection cases.\u2019 Trump announced Ferguson as the incoming administration\u2019s FTC chair as judges in Oregon and Washington state blocked the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons, decisions that one antitrust advocate called a \u2018fantastic culmination of the FTC\u2019s work to protect consumers and workers.’\u201d \u2022 Dang\u2026 <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump Aims to Remake Federal Trade Commission With Two Picks\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/w9yJT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cTrump on Tuesday also said he would nominate the Republican antitrust lawyer Mark Meador as a commissioner. Meador is a former aide to Sen. Mike Lee (R., Utah), who l<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/w9yJT\/https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/gop-led-legislation-would-force-breakup-of-googles-ad-business-11652969185\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ed the introduction of legislation to break up Google<\/a>. His confirmation would give the GOP a majority on the commission. While Meador will require Senate approval, Ferguson won\u2019t. He was already confirmed for his commissioner seat in March and will be able to make the transition to the role of chair.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cCrypto Doesn\u2019t Deserve a Tax Exemption\u201d [Tyler Cowen, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/ae1eh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cThe most obvious argument against the proposal is simply that uniform taxation is better than selective tax exemptions. If a lower capital gains tax rate is preferable, then the goal should be to make a smaller cut that applies to all assets. Exempting a single kind of asset is likely to lead to abuses. You might think that boosting crypto is important now, but which sector or asset will be selected next for special treatment? It may be one you don\u2019t think deserves it.\u201d And: \u201cMany of the leading supporters of Trump\u2019s campaign were crypto-connected companies. You don\u2019t have to think this tax proposal is some kind of payback to realize that this creates problems of perception. Next time around, companies will offer campaigns financial support in the expectation of more favorable tax and regulatory treatment.\u201d \u2022 I still struggle to understand the case for crypto, unless it be that Silicon Valley wants to get into finance, and to compete with Wall Street they need a distinctive competence, which turns out to be fraud (amazing, I know).<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTop Republicans split over strategy to move Trump\u2019s 2025 agenda\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/top-republicans-split-strategy-move-trumps-2025-agenda-rcna183692\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NBC<\/a>]. \u201cThe new Congress will give Trump and Republicans the opportunity to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/republicans-eye-tax-breaks-border-funds-clean-energy-cuts-trump-return-rcna181927\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pass major legislation without the need for any Democratic support<\/a> under a process called \u2018reconciliation\u2019 But whether the GOP will try to link all of its top priorities together in a single package early next year or split major issues across two, smaller bills is a major subject of debate among top Republican leaders. The House\u2019s top tax writer, Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., is warning fellow Republicans against breaking the agenda up into two bills, in which border security and energy policy would come in the first and an extension of Trump\u2019s 2017 tax cut law could come in the second. Delaying the tax legislation risks jeopardizing it, Smith and his allies warn, so they want one sweeping package.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Bizarre Normalcy of Trump 2.0\u201d [Jonathan Chait, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/politics\/government\/the-bizarre-normalcy-of-trump-2-0\/ar-AA1vydUt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Atlantic<\/a>]. So Chait got a promotion to the Atlantic (for some definition of \u201cpromotion\u201d). \u201cA very strange disjuncture has opened up in Washington between the serene mood and the alarming developments that are under way. The surface is calm because the Republican presidential candidate won the election, and Democrats, the only one of the two major parties committed on principle to upholding the legitimacy of election results, conceded defeat and are cooperating in the peaceful transition of power. Whatever energy the chastened Democrats can muster at the moment is aimed inward, at factional struggles over their future direction. Meanwhile, what is actually happening in the capital is, by any rational standard, disturbing. Donald Trump is filling his administration with \u2018loyalists,\u2019 a prerogative that his opponents have grudgingly accepted as his due. Yet he is defining loyalist in maximal terms, including the belief that Trump legitimately won the 2020 election and was justified in his attempt to seize power. The winners are rewriting the history of the insurrection, and their version of history is about to acquire the force of law.\u201d And: \u201cOn Saturday, The New York Times reported that the Trump transition team is asking applicants for high-level positions in the Defense Department and intelligence agencies three questions: which candidate they supported in the past three elections, what they thought about January 6, and whether they believed the 2020 election was stolen. Among the \u2018wrong\u2019 answers, applicants say, are conceding that Trump lost the election or that his supporters should not have tried to overturn the result.\u201d \u2022 As for the 2020 election, see immediately below. (I think all the huffing-and-puffing about Trump picking \u201cloyalists\u201d is absurd. After all, what is he supposed to do? Pick backstabbers? That said, a taste for Kool-Aid shouldn\u2019t be the operational definition of loyalty. Or the ability to lie to get ahead, although this <em>is<\/em> Washington, D.C\u2026.. <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/wisconsin-trump-fake-electors-5624cb3e441f6866da4f2dd452a902bc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cThe state charges against the Trump attorneys and aide are the only ones in Wisconsin. None of the electors have been charged. The 10 Wisconsin electors, Chesebro and Troupis all settled a lawsuit that was brought against them in 2023. There are pending charges related to the fake electors scheme in state and federal courts in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Georgia. Federal prosecutors, investigating Trump\u2019s conduct related to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, said the fake electors scheme originated in Wisconsin. Electors are people appointed to represent voters in presidential elections. The winner of the popular vote in each state determines which party\u2019s electors are sent to the Electoral College, which meets in December after the election to certify the outcome. Two states, Maine and Nebraska, allow their electoral votes to be split between candidates. The Wisconsin complaint details how Troupis, Chesebro and Roman created a document that falsely said Trump had won Wisconsin\u2019s 10 Electoral College votes and then attempted to deliver to to then-Vice President Mike Pence. In the amended complaint filed Tuesday, .\u201d \u2022 I\u2019ve always said that the \u201ccontingent electors\u201d cases were the important, genuine cases in the Democrat lawfare over 2020 \u2014 don\u2019t let the door hit you on the way out, Fani \u2014 because the Trump campaign put civilians in the line of fire, as here. So I\u2019m glad to see this case moving forward.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"63.864115697499\">\n<p><a name=\"kamala\"\/>\u201cNo, Kamala Harris Staffers Did Not Run a \u201cFlawless\u201d Campaign\u201d [Jeet Heer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/politics\/harris-democratic-staff-defeat-responsibility\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Nation<\/a>]. \u201cFor anyone who followed the presidential election of 2024 and regards the victory of Donald Trump as an enormous tragedy for the United States and the world, the great foe of serenity is listening to interviews with Democratic Party strategists. This is a group that has displayed a mind-boggling unwillingness to accept any accountability for losing\u2014for the second time in eight years\u2014to Trump.\u201d Heer seems surprised, as if this were new behavior. More: \u201cStephanie Cutter told Pod Save America that \u201cthe convention demonstrated a lot of enthusiasm for Kamala Harris, a lot of freshness, future oriented, bringing a variety of coalitions together. We had independents, Republicans, Democrats, business leaders, sports figures, everybody coming together around a new way forward and finally turning the page.\u201d It is incredibly revealing that Cutter thinks a winning Democratic coalition consists of \u201cindependents, Republicans, Democrats, business leaders, sports figures\u201d rather than being a multiracial coalition of union members, the broader working class, young people, civil rights activists, feminists environmentalists, and anti-war activists. Hers is a profoundly depoliticized view of the Democratic Party as a vehicle of the bipartisan establishment rather than a coalition fighting to change America. This depoliticized ideology permeated the Harris campaign\u2014and doomed it to failure.\u201d \u2022 Driving the knife home\u2026 <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"trump-mc\"\/>\u201cThe meaning of, and in, McDonald\u2019s\u201d [Chris Arnade, <a href=\"https:\/\/walkingtheworld.substack.com\/p\/the-meaning-of-and-in-mcdonalds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Chris Arnade Walks the World<\/a>]. \u201cTrump\u2019s McDonald\u2019s photo op, which while it has been adjudicated to death, is still a great illustration of what many elites still miss about his appeal. Trump\u2019s superpower has long been signaling to working stiffs that he\u2019s \u2018just like you\u2019 despite being on the surface anything like them. His love of McDonald\u2019s, which I believe is as genuine as any politician can ever have, is one of those signals, and maybe his most effective, because it makes his critics go hyperbolic in a way that signals that they are not \u2018just like you.\u2019 McDonald\u2019s is wildly popular with every group of Americans, uniting every demographic in the US \u2014 it crosses economic class, race, gender, urban versus rural \u2014 with the single exception of the highly educated, especially academics. They alone as a group have moral issues with it, and while they might use it, they do so grudgingly, usually to appease crying kids or for a rest stop on a long trip. So Trump\u2019s embrace of McDonald\u2019s becomes a political twofer. He\u2019s one of you, he is a a back-row guy at heart, and while he should be a member of the front-row, given his education and wealth, he\u2019s not because they despise him for many of the same reasons they look down on you \u2014 for what he eats, how he talks, and for what he believes in, and how he arrives at those beliefs, which isn\u2019t by spending years reading through approved syllabi (<em>techne<\/em>), but having gone out into the world and learned from it, one mistake after the next (<em>metis<\/em>).\u201d \u2022 Well worth reading in full, like everything Arnade writes (for a review of his book <em>Dignity<\/em>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2019\/06\/book-review-chris-arnades-dignity.html\">see NC here<\/a>). And on The Adjuster, arrested in a McDonald\u2019s, <a href=\"#adjuster-mc\">see below<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"21.823686553874\">\n<p>\u201cNewsom\u2019s Big Choice: Single Payer Or His Insurance Donors?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.levernews.com\/newsoms-big-choice-single-payer-or-his-insurance-donors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Lever<\/a>]. From 2022. \u201cThe current push for single-payer may be doomed to the same fate as its predecessors. Even if the bill manages to pass the assembly before the end of the day Monday and passes the state senate, there is no guarantee Newsom will sign it into law. Despite his campaign promise, the California governor has long been allied with insurance companies opposing the reform\u2026. UnitedHealth Group, the nation\u2019s largest health insurer, is also opposing the single-payer bill, and has been pressing its employees to lobby California lawmakers against passing the legislation. The insurance giant has contributed $130,000 to Newsom\u2019s campaigns since 2011, and $513,000 to the state Democratic party since 2007. In 2019, UnitedHealth Group and one of its subsidiaries donated $100,000 to Newsom\u2019s inaugural fund. Now, whether Newsom\u2019s relationship with Blue Shield, Anthem, and UnitedHealth will impact his decision-making on CalCare is an open question, says Court at Consumer Watchdog.\u201d \u2022 Social murder has many accomplices\u2026.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Syndemics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am in earnest \u2014 I will not equivocate \u2014 I will not excuse \u2014 I will not retreat a single inch \u2014 AND I WILL BE HEARD.\u201d \u2013William Lloyd Garrison<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk&null=Risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>); Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>, <del><a href=\"https:\/\/biobot.io\/data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Biobot<\/a><\/del>; includes many counties; <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wastewater Scan<\/a>, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/businesssolutions\/covid-19-index.jsp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a>); \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/iowacovid19tracker.org\/hospitals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Iowa COVID-19 Tracker<\/a>\u201d (in IA, but national data). \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/icemsg.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts<\/a>\u201d (especially on hospitalization by city).<\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put \u201cCOVID\u201d in the subject line. Thank you!<\/p>\n<p>Resources, United States (Local): AK (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/af2efc8bffbf4cdc83c2d1a134354074\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/6d2771faa9da4a2786a509d82c8cf0f7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AR (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/633006d0782b4544bd5113a314f6268a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AZ (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azdhs.gov\/covid19\/data\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); CA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdph.ca.gov\/Programs\/CID\/DCDC\/Pages\/COVID-19\/CalSuWers-Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.marinhhs.org\/surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Marin, dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/healthalerts.stanford.edu\/covid-19\/wastewater-dashboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Stanford, wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/?v=SC2_N&l=Oakland%2C+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Oakland, wastewater<\/a>); CO (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/d79cf93c3938470ca4bcc4823328946b#utility=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); CT (<a href=\"https:\/\/data.ct.gov\/stories\/s\/COVID-19-data\/wa3g-tfvc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); DE (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.delaware.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); FL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/5b9d75ba683849928dc1a49c39ab0b1c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); GA (<a href=\"https:\/\/dph.georgia.gov\/ga-nwss-wastewater-surveillance-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); HI (<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); IA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmmwra.org\/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater reports<\/a>); ID (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Boise; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/?plantId=1056f05c-0e46-4e3d-b007-c0453ba7dc0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Central Idaho; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/#:SARS-CoV-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Coeur d\u2019Alene; dashboard, <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.srhd.org\/topics\/spokane-county-case-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spokane County<\/a>); IL (<a href=\"https:\/\/iwss.uillinois.edu\/wastewater-treatment-plants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); IN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.in.gov\/indiana-covid-19-dashboard-and-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); KS (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov\/160\/COVID-19-in-Kansas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/4456bae8a38f4b6180e008477382fff9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Lawrence); KY (<a href=\"https:\/\/louisville.edu\/envirome\/thecoimmunityproject\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Louisville); LA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldh.la.gov\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/covid-19-wastewater-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MD (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.maryland.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); ME (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/dhhs\/mecdc\/infectious-disease\/epi\/airborne\/coronavirus\/data.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/coronavirus\/stats\/wastewater-surveillance\/dashboard\/sentinel-wastewater-epidemiology-evaluation-project-sweep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/gisportal.state.mi.us\/portal\/apps\/insights\/index.html#\/view\/52bbb104ed574887918f990af9f3debe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/stats\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MO (<a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/f7f5492486114da6b5d6fdc07f81aacf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MS (<a href=\"https:\/\/msdh.ms.gov\/page\/14,0,420.html#Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>MT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapSeries\/index.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; NC (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.ncdhhs.gov\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard)<\/a>; ND (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NE (<a href=\"https:\/\/atlas-dhhs.ne.gov\/Atlas\/Respiratory_Illness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NH (<a href=\"https:\/\/wisdom.dhhs.nh.gov\/wisdom\/dashboard.html?topic=covid-19&subtopic=recurring-updates&indicator=covid-19-wastewater#tabnavbarid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NJ (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.nj.gov\/forms\/datadashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NM (<a href=\"https:\/\/cvprovider.nmhealth.org\/public-dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NV (<a href=\"https:\/\/nvhealthresponse.nv.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/empower.unlv.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Southern NV); NY (<a href=\"https:\/\/mbcolli.shinyapps.io\/SARS2EWSP\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OH (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.ohio.gov\/dashboards\/other-resources\/wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OK (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/51657c21386d4f1a962b1853c76ec589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>OR (<a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/oregon.health.authority.covid.19\/viz\/OregonsCOVID-19DataDashboards-TableofContents\/TableofContentsStatewide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; PA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.pa.gov\/topics\/disease\/coronavirus\/pages\/Cases.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); RI (<a href=\"https:\/\/ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SC (<a href=\"https:\/\/scdhec.gov\/index.php\/covid19\/covid-19-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SD (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.sd.gov\/COVID\/Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/health\/cedep\/ncov\/data.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TX (<a href=\"https:\/\/txdshsea.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/4ae43eefd0f641d59d35c3df82ee59cc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); UT (<a href=\"https:\/\/avrpublic.dhhs.utah.gov\/uwss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/coronavirus\/sars-cov-2-in-wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthvermont.gov\/disease-control\/covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WA (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.wa.gov\/emergencies\/covid-19\/data-dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.bfhd.wa.gov\/cases-and-roadmap-to-recovery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.wisconsin.gov\/covid-19\/wastewater.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); WV (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/oehs.wvdhhr.org\/news\/oehs-coivd-19-information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>); WY (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/covidwastewatermonitor.wyo.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/health-infobase.canada.ca\/covid-19\/wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Government of Canada<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publichealthontario.ca\/en\/Data-and-Analysis\/Infectious-Disease\/COVID-19-Data-Surveillance\/Wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); QC (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inspq.qc.ca\/covid-19\/donnees\/eaux-usees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><em>les eaux us\u00e9es<\/em><\/a>); BC (<a href=\"https:\/\/bccdc.shinyapps.io\/respiratory_wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); BC, Vancouver (<a href=\"https:\/\/metrovancouver.org\/services\/liquid-waste\/testing-for-the-covid-19-virus-in-wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, KF, KidDoc, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n<p>Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n<p>Transmission: H5N1<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"15.880597014925\">\n<p><a name=\"dust\"\/>\u201cCentral Valley is ground zero for bird flu outbreak\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thesungazette.com\/article\/news\/2024\/12\/11\/central-valley-is-ground-zero-for-bird-flu-outbreak\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Sun-Gazette<\/a>]. \u201cThe Central Valley is the epicenter for the bird flu epidemic drastically reducing the state\u2019s poultry supply and slightly dropping its milk supply\u2026. The two farm animal businesses are some of the state\u2019s most important ag industries, clustered in the Central Valley, often just down the road from each other. The names of the affected facilities are not made public. But when more than half of the state\u2019s dairies are quarantined due to the virus and some 8 million chickens in the state had to be destroyed \u2013 including over 5 million egg layers representing about half of the egg laying flock in the Golden State \u2013 Californians will no doubt feel the shortages at the grocery store\u2026. While the state is not releasing the location of the dairies, all 32 of the state\u2019s confirmed cases of bird flu in humans were in the Central Valley, California\u2019s nation\u2019s top dairy producing region\u2026. Both industries are on a similar viral infection timeline which also coincides with the annual wild bird migration, which many experts agree is the original source for the disease.\u201d And eighteen paragraphs down, the buried lead: \u201cNow there is concern the rapid rise in infections at both confined animal facilities may be linked, with one affecting the other. Research shows that , says the industry publication EggNews.\u201d \u2022 Oh.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lambert: CDC\u2019s wastewater page loaded. No Thanksgiving surge that I can see.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.869565217391\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6190476190476\">\n<td valign=\"top\">This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 2<\/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-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283587\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1-300x227.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\/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><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6470588235294\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong> Variants<\/strong> [3] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 7<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Emergency Room Visits<\/strong>[4] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#trends_select_7dayeddiagnosed_00\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 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=\"3.9102564102564\">\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 10:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 5:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-6.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283723\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-6.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-6-300x169.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/>\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 9:<\/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-states.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283589\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-300x188.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=\"3.5932203389831\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> Positivity[9] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 19:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Variants[10] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> 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=\"3.7647058823529\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11] <a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/what-you-should-know\/current-situation-in-the-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 20:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12] <a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronadisease2019\/what-you-should-know\/current-situation-in-the-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 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=\"210.49104253808\">\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>Inflation: \u201cUnited States Consumer Price Index (CPI)\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/consumer-price-index-cpi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cConsumer Price Index CPI in the United States decreased to 315.49 points in November from 315.66 points in October of 2024. The annual inflation rate in the US rose to 2.7% in November, from 2.6% in October and matching markets expectations. On a monthly basis, the CPI increased by 0.3%, the most since April, <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing wins $450.5M contract for Japan\u2019s F-15 Super Interceptor upgrades\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aerotime.aero\/articles\/boeing-f-15-japan-super-interceptor-contract\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Aerotime<\/a>]. \u201cBoeing has been awarded a $450.5 million contract by the US Air Force (USAF) to support the F-15 Japan Super Interceptor Program. Under this contract, , Boeing will acquire the systems needed to upgrade the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) F-15J fleet.\u201d \u2022 Industrial policy\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Stock Is Taking Off. Here\u2019s Why.\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barrons.com\/articles\/boeing-stock-max-jet-production-90582e7d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Barron\u2019s<\/a>]. If you play the ponies\u2026. \u201cWall Street expects Boeing to reach 360 deliveries for all of 2024, according to FactSet. That isn\u2019t enough to make money. At the start of 2024, before the door plug incident, Wall Street projected 2024 deliveries of about 700 jets and net income of about $3.5 billion. The Street has since revised that estimate to a loss of $8.9 billion. Tuesday\u2019s gains leave Boeing shares down about 37% for the year and about 34% since the Alaska Air incident. Shares were up about 1% from just before the strike, when 737 MAX production was paused.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cIs China ready to take on Airbus and Boeing? Not just yet\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.businesstimes.com.sg\/opinion-features\/china-ready-take-airbus-and-boeing-not-just-yet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Business Times<\/a>]. \u201cOne of its selling points [of the COMAC C919] is that it is more environmently friendly than its European and American counterparts. Comac designed its C919 with environmental sustainability as an objective \u2013 the jet made its first commercial flight on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in September. The biofuel can be made from algae or agricultural, forestry, food or even municipal waste. It is claimed to cut carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent compared with petroleum-based jet fuel. It has been reported that GallopAir, a Brunei-based startup airline, has placed an order for the C919. Vietnam Airlines, Indonesia\u2019s TransNusa, Air Asia and Brazil\u2019s Total Linhas Aereas have expressed interest.\u201d \u2022 \u201c919\u201d reminds me of \u201c707,\u201d but 9 is an auspicious number in China.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 51 Neutral (previous close: 48 Neutral) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 56 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 11 at 1:27:47 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"#adjuster-mc\"\/>\u201cThe meaning of, and in, McDonald\u2019s\u201d [Chris Arnade, <a href=\"https:\/\/walkingtheworld.substack.com\/p\/the-meaning-of-and-in-mcdonalds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Chris Arnade Walks the World<\/a>]. Splitting in two what Arnade conceptualized, correctly, as a unity: \u201cI\u2019ve seen two questions raised. The first is, why would someone \u2018so careful\u2019 as Luigi go into a McDonald\u2019s? The second is, how in the world was he noticed?, given that it is a soulless franchise where you should be able to easily blend in, since each is the same, bland, and heavily trafficked space. Yet, after over a decade acquiring an informal PhD in McDonald\u2019s studies, with a minor in mental illness, I could have scripted this latest event <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/27L_BEk8_6I?feature=shared\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">down to the description of the regulars who first noticed him<\/a>. I\u2019m going to go out on a limb here, despite it being too early to do so, and suggest that Luigi is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. I\u2019ve met a lot of those in McDonald\u2019s, because besides providing them with all the things every other customers wants, it is also a \u2018reality safe space.\u2019 It is one of, it not the only, place in the \u2018real world\u2019 they can go, grab a cup out of the garbage can, and sit at their corner table and fit in, at least for an hour or two, without encountering too many dangers. It becomes, for many deeply troubled people, their only life line to normal society. It\u2019s a role McDonald\u2019s, to its credit, has accepted. I\u2019ve witnessed many episodes where the employees and morning regulars go out of their way to help those who come in that are suffering the worst. From free food, to calls for help, to having their husband come and repair their broken-down car, free of charge. Which is why the second question, how in the world was he noticed, isn\u2019t surprising at all. Each McDonald\u2019s is a community, and despite being a franchise built for the immediate and transactional, they\u2019ve become long-term and social. I\u2019m writing this from the McDonald\u2019s in my town, where I do most of my writing when at home, and I \u2018know\u2019 almost all the two dozen or so oddballs that come in, like me, and sit in a corner, either starring at the wall, ranting into a cup, or working on their beat up laptop. The morning regulars, the evolving group of five or so guys who are at the door when it opens (5:30 a.m.), as well as the afternoon regulars, and all the employees all \u2018know\u2019 these oddballs and should a new one come in, sit in a corner, and start acting a bit off, they\u2019ll notice. That almost always that means eventually offering to help, or in this rare case, noticing and calling the police.\u201d \u2022\u00a0For the \u201cMcDonalds as a Community\u201d part, I think Arnade is spot on. For the \u201cLuigi as paranoid schizophrenic\u201d I think both Arnade <em>and<\/em> the regulars may be acting on their priors. The Mighty Wurlitzer is, after all, at this very moment cranking up to the highest possible the message that \u201cThe Claims Adjuster\u201d was crazy, because \u2014 Soviet psychiatry comes to mind, here \u2014 he had, as the cops put it, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/27L_BEk8_6I?feature=shared\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ill will toward corporate America<\/a>.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/walkingtheworld.substack.com\/p\/the-meaning-of-and-in-mcdonalds?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=499208&post_id=152965569&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=2g4s&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email#footnote-4-152965569\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Arnade\u2019s footnote 4 is an answer to this<\/a>, but I think it proves too much. It would be possible, for example, to argue that all Marxists \u201care remarkably logical, but starting from absurd premises,\u201d hence \u201cHigh IQ paranoid schizophrenics.\u201d The cops would love this, of course. As would many conservatives. I mean \u201cFrankly, these parasites simply had it coming.\u201d Insane?<\/p>\n<p>Clarifying:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.7736486486486\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.6756756756757\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">‘No matter how ruthlessly’. That should work both ways then. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VFLO253yFy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/VFLO253yFy<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Priyamvada Gopal \u00a9 (@PriyamvadaGopal) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PriyamvadaGopal\/status\/1866435638184079835\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 10, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Speaking of \u201cstarting from absurd premises\u201d\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLuigi Mangione\u2019s Full Story Isn\u2019t Online\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/DDJMi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Magazine<\/a>]. \u201c[W]hat\u2019s most striking about Mangione\u2019s extensive online dossier is that, had it been compiled <em>before<\/em> the shooting took place, it wouldn\u2019t have raised much alarm. You can spend hours reading these posts, sifting through his follows, and looking for clues about what <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/DDJMi\/https:\/\/maxread.substack.com\/p\/what-type-of-guy-is-the-alleged-uhc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Type of Guy<\/a> he is, but the supportable theories are pretty thin: Mangione had an online profile consonant with his identity and context. He shared and posted and followed like a 20-something striver with a foot in the tech industry, listened to Rogan, and considered himself a rationalist or at least unusually rational.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSF tech CEO\u2019s billboards are \u2018dystopian.\u2019 That\u2019s how he wants it\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfgate.com\/tech\/article\/sf-artisan-billboards-stop-hiring-humans-19969672.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">SFGATE<\/a>]. \u201cThursday afternoon in San Francisco: On one side of Mission Street, hotel workers chanted and banged on a drum outside the Marriott Marquis, part of a monthslong strike for higher wages and more jobs. On the other, a tech company\u2019s billboard proclaimed, \u2018Stop hiring humans.\u2019 Various versions of the provocative advertisements are emblazoned across the city on rotating screen displays on bus shelters and on classic vinyl billboards on poles and buildings, plugging the San Francisco startup Artisan. SFGATE spoke with Artisan\u2019s CEO about the campaign. The company has just 30 employees and is less than 2 years old; its only existing product is an artificial intelligence \u2018sales agent\u2019 called Artisan, built to automate the work of finding and messaging potential customers. It\u2019s a classic AI-age idea, one of many such tools flooding the tech world. But the billboards in San Francisco are less routine. Bleak might be a better word, or mean-spirited. And in a city laden with jargony advertisements, these are easy to understand. Most feature a dark-haired, purple-eyed persona and a few rows of text. Some critique humans and remote work: \u2018Artisans won\u2019t complain about work-life balance\u2019 and \u2018Artisan\u2019s Zoom cameras will never \u2018not be working\u2019 today.\u2019 Others are more direct: \u2018Hire Artisans, not humans.\u2019 Several include the line, \u2018The era of AI employees is here.\u2019 The gist is crystal clear: Artisan is selling automation to employers. In a video spot about the \u2018sales agent\u2019 tool online, Artisan says it works with \u2018no human input\u2019 and \u2018costs 96% less than hiring someone to do her job..’\u201d \u201cArtisan.\u201d Of all the names to choose. <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat Healing Sound\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/GBHED\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Nautilus<\/a>]. \u201cMusic boosts the immune system, in particular immunoglobulin IgA, a substance that travels to the site of mucosal infections by reducing cortisol. When you\u2019re stressed, cortisol shuts down the immune system, because cortisol usually spikes in response to an explicit proximal threat, like a lion running toward you. Over thousands of years of evolution, the cortisol system figured out that if you\u2019re going to have to fight a lion, you\u2019ve got to preserve all your resources to fight or to flee\u2026. So, what does preserving your resources mean at a physiological and metabolic level? It means shutting down your digestive system. That can wait till later. Shutting down your libido, because you don\u2019t have time for that now. Shutting down your immune system. That\u2019s why people with chronic stress have compromised immune systems. And if you can reduce psychological and physical stress, you\u2019re enabling your body\u2019s immune system to do what it\u2019s meant to do. Music can promote IgA levels. They can promote cytokine production, the production of natural killer cells, T cells, plus, they can increase serotonin, which boosts your mood, which in turn, can create this cascade of neurochemical activity.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. Not to go all woo woo, but Long Covid?<\/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-12-10-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From KW:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/marshweed.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"622\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-283719\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/marshweed.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/marshweed-289x300.jpeg 289w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>KW writes: \u201cYahara River Flowage, Madison, Wisconsin A marsh seed pod of some kind, framed in duckweed. A foot from the shore. Dredged decades ago when the neighborhood\u2019s houses were built, these days the marsh is being encouraged to take over.\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-12-11-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-11T14:00:20-05:00\">December 11, 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\/the-collapse-of-syria-brics-and-wishful-thinking.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> The Collapse of Syria, BRICS, and Wishful Thinking<\/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, New Providence Island; Lyford Cay, New Providence, Bahamas. * * * In Case<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88301,"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-88300","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\/88300","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=88300"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88300\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88300"}],"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, New Providence Island; Lyford Cay, New Providence, Bahamas.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#khan\">Lina Khan out<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Arnade on McDonald\u2019s: <a href=\"#trump-mc\">Trump<\/a> and <a href=\"#adjuster-mc\">The Adjuster<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#kamala\">Kamala\u2019s<\/a> flawless campaign, lol.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#dust\">Bird flu<\/a> carried by dust on the wind.<\/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>Musk GLP<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.75\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Nothing would do more to improve the health, lifespan and quality of life for Americans than making GLP inhibitors super low cost to the public. <\/p>\n<p>Nothing else is even close. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SNGcxzkcqE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/SNGcxzkcqE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1866766638953140733\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 11, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.channelnewsasia.com\/east-asia\/south-korea-people-power-party-yoon-suk-yeol-resignation-martial-law-political-crisis-impeachment-opposition-protests-4795716\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">\u2018We don\u2019t even know who\u2019s running the country\u2019: South Korea\u2019s ruling party stalls for time amid leadership crisis<\/a> Channel News Asia<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"khan\"\/>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"96.018850029638\">\n<p>\u201c\u2018A Gift to the Oligarchs\u2019: Trump Pick to Replace Lina Khan Vowed to End \u2018War on Mergers’\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/andrew-ferguson-ftc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Common Dreams<\/a>]. \u201cPresident-elect Donald Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pick<\/a> to lead the Federal Trade Commission vowed in his job pitch to end current chair Lina Khan\u2019s \u2018war on mergers,\u2019 a signal to an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/trump-lina-khan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">eager corporate America<\/a> that the incoming administration intends to be far more lax on antitrust enforcement. Andrew Ferguson was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2023\/07\/03\/president-biden-announces-nominees-to-bipartisan-boards-and-commissions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">initially nominated<\/a> by President Joe Biden to serve as a Republican commissioner on the bipartisan FTC, and his elevation to chair of the commission will not require Senate confirmation. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/brianstelter\/status\/1866624146538631253\/photo\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">one-page document<\/a> obtained by Punchbowl, Ferguson\u2014who previously worked as chief counsel to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)\u2014pitched himself to Trump\u2019s team as the \u2018pro-innovation choice\u2019 with \u2018impeccable legal credentials\u2019 and \u2018proven loyalty\u2019 to the president-elect. Ferguson\u2019s top agenda priority, according to the document, is to \u2018reverse Lina Khan\u2019s anti-business agenda\u2019 by rolling back \u2018burdensome regulations,\u2019 stopping her \u2018war on mergers,\u2019 halting the agency\u2019s \u2018attempt to become an AI regulator,\u2019 and ditching \u2018novel and legally dubious consumer protection cases.\u2019 Trump announced Ferguson as the incoming administration\u2019s FTC chair as judges in Oregon and Washington state blocked the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons, decisions that one antitrust advocate called a \u2018fantastic culmination of the FTC\u2019s work to protect consumers and workers.’\u201d \u2022 Dang\u2026 <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump Aims to Remake Federal Trade Commission With Two Picks\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/w9yJT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cTrump on Tuesday also said he would nominate the Republican antitrust lawyer Mark Meador as a commissioner. Meador is a former aide to Sen. Mike Lee (R., Utah), who l<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/w9yJT\/https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/gop-led-legislation-would-force-breakup-of-googles-ad-business-11652969185\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ed the introduction of legislation to break up Google<\/a>. His confirmation would give the GOP a majority on the commission. While Meador will require Senate approval, Ferguson won\u2019t. He was already confirmed for his commissioner seat in March and will be able to make the transition to the role of chair.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cCrypto Doesn\u2019t Deserve a Tax Exemption\u201d [Tyler Cowen, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/ae1eh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cThe most obvious argument against the proposal is simply that uniform taxation is better than selective tax exemptions. If a lower capital gains tax rate is preferable, then the goal should be to make a smaller cut that applies to all assets. Exempting a single kind of asset is likely to lead to abuses. You might think that boosting crypto is important now, but which sector or asset will be selected next for special treatment? It may be one you don\u2019t think deserves it.\u201d And: \u201cMany of the leading supporters of Trump\u2019s campaign were crypto-connected companies. You don\u2019t have to think this tax proposal is some kind of payback to realize that this creates problems of perception. Next time around, companies will offer campaigns financial support in the expectation of more favorable tax and regulatory treatment.\u201d \u2022 I still struggle to understand the case for crypto, unless it be that Silicon Valley wants to get into finance, and to compete with Wall Street they need a distinctive competence, which turns out to be fraud (amazing, I know).<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTop Republicans split over strategy to move Trump\u2019s 2025 agenda\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/top-republicans-split-strategy-move-trumps-2025-agenda-rcna183692\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NBC<\/a>]. \u201cThe new Congress will give Trump and Republicans the opportunity to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/republicans-eye-tax-breaks-border-funds-clean-energy-cuts-trump-return-rcna181927\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pass major legislation without the need for any Democratic support<\/a> under a process called \u2018reconciliation\u2019 But whether the GOP will try to link all of its top priorities together in a single package early next year or split major issues across two, smaller bills is a major subject of debate among top Republican leaders. The House\u2019s top tax writer, Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., is warning fellow Republicans against breaking the agenda up into two bills, in which border security and energy policy would come in the first and an extension of Trump\u2019s 2017 tax cut law could come in the second. Delaying the tax legislation risks jeopardizing it, Smith and his allies warn, so they want one sweeping package.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Bizarre Normalcy of Trump 2.0\u201d [Jonathan Chait, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/politics\/government\/the-bizarre-normalcy-of-trump-2-0\/ar-AA1vydUt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Atlantic<\/a>]. So Chait got a promotion to the Atlantic (for some definition of \u201cpromotion\u201d). \u201cA very strange disjuncture has opened up in Washington between the serene mood and the alarming developments that are under way. The surface is calm because the Republican presidential candidate won the election, and Democrats, the only one of the two major parties committed on principle to upholding the legitimacy of election results, conceded defeat and are cooperating in the peaceful transition of power. Whatever energy the chastened Democrats can muster at the moment is aimed inward, at factional struggles over their future direction. Meanwhile, what is actually happening in the capital is, by any rational standard, disturbing. Donald Trump is filling his administration with \u2018loyalists,\u2019 a prerogative that his opponents have grudgingly accepted as his due. Yet he is defining loyalist in maximal terms, including the belief that Trump legitimately won the 2020 election and was justified in his attempt to seize power. The winners are rewriting the history of the insurrection, and their version of history is about to acquire the force of law.\u201d And: \u201cOn Saturday, The New York Times reported that the Trump transition team is asking applicants for high-level positions in the Defense Department and intelligence agencies three questions: which candidate they supported in the past three elections, what they thought about January 6, and whether they believed the 2020 election was stolen. Among the \u2018wrong\u2019 answers, applicants say, are conceding that Trump lost the election or that his supporters should not have tried to overturn the result.\u201d \u2022 As for the 2020 election, see immediately below. (I think all the huffing-and-puffing about Trump picking \u201cloyalists\u201d is absurd. After all, what is he supposed to do? Pick backstabbers? That said, a taste for Kool-Aid shouldn\u2019t be the operational definition of loyalty. Or the ability to lie to get ahead, although this <em>is<\/em> Washington, D.C\u2026.. <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/wisconsin-trump-fake-electors-5624cb3e441f6866da4f2dd452a902bc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cThe state charges against the Trump attorneys and aide are the only ones in Wisconsin. None of the electors have been charged. The 10 Wisconsin electors, Chesebro and Troupis all settled a lawsuit that was brought against them in 2023. There are pending charges related to the fake electors scheme in state and federal courts in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Georgia. Federal prosecutors, investigating Trump\u2019s conduct related to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, said the fake electors scheme originated in Wisconsin. Electors are people appointed to represent voters in presidential elections. The winner of the popular vote in each state determines which party\u2019s electors are sent to the Electoral College, which meets in December after the election to certify the outcome. Two states, Maine and Nebraska, allow their electoral votes to be split between candidates. The Wisconsin complaint details how Troupis, Chesebro and Roman created a document that falsely said Trump had won Wisconsin\u2019s 10 Electoral College votes and then attempted to deliver to to then-Vice President Mike Pence. In the amended complaint filed Tuesday, .\u201d \u2022 I\u2019ve always said that the \u201ccontingent electors\u201d cases were the important, genuine cases in the Democrat lawfare over 2020 \u2014 don\u2019t let the door hit you on the way out, Fani \u2014 because the Trump campaign put civilians in the line of fire, as here. So I\u2019m glad to see this case moving forward.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"63.864115697499\">\n<p><a name=\"kamala\"\/>\u201cNo, Kamala Harris Staffers Did Not Run a \u201cFlawless\u201d Campaign\u201d [Jeet Heer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/politics\/harris-democratic-staff-defeat-responsibility\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Nation<\/a>]. \u201cFor anyone who followed the presidential election of 2024 and regards the victory of Donald Trump as an enormous tragedy for the United States and the world, the great foe of serenity is listening to interviews with Democratic Party strategists. This is a group that has displayed a mind-boggling unwillingness to accept any accountability for losing\u2014for the second time in eight years\u2014to Trump.\u201d Heer seems surprised, as if this were new behavior. More: \u201cStephanie Cutter told Pod Save America that \u201cthe convention demonstrated a lot of enthusiasm for Kamala Harris, a lot of freshness, future oriented, bringing a variety of coalitions together. We had independents, Republicans, Democrats, business leaders, sports figures, everybody coming together around a new way forward and finally turning the page.\u201d It is incredibly revealing that Cutter thinks a winning Democratic coalition consists of \u201cindependents, Republicans, Democrats, business leaders, sports figures\u201d rather than being a multiracial coalition of union members, the broader working class, young people, civil rights activists, feminists environmentalists, and anti-war activists. Hers is a profoundly depoliticized view of the Democratic Party as a vehicle of the bipartisan establishment rather than a coalition fighting to change America. This depoliticized ideology permeated the Harris campaign\u2014and doomed it to failure.\u201d \u2022 Driving the knife home\u2026 <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"trump-mc\"\/>\u201cThe meaning of, and in, McDonald\u2019s\u201d [Chris Arnade, <a href=\"https:\/\/walkingtheworld.substack.com\/p\/the-meaning-of-and-in-mcdonalds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Chris Arnade Walks the World<\/a>]. \u201cTrump\u2019s McDonald\u2019s photo op, which while it has been adjudicated to death, is still a great illustration of what many elites still miss about his appeal. Trump\u2019s superpower has long been signaling to working stiffs that he\u2019s \u2018just like you\u2019 despite being on the surface anything like them. His love of McDonald\u2019s, which I believe is as genuine as any politician can ever have, is one of those signals, and maybe his most effective, because it makes his critics go hyperbolic in a way that signals that they are not \u2018just like you.\u2019 McDonald\u2019s is wildly popular with every group of Americans, uniting every demographic in the US \u2014 it crosses economic class, race, gender, urban versus rural \u2014 with the single exception of the highly educated, especially academics. They alone as a group have moral issues with it, and while they might use it, they do so grudgingly, usually to appease crying kids or for a rest stop on a long trip. So Trump\u2019s embrace of McDonald\u2019s becomes a political twofer. He\u2019s one of you, he is a a back-row guy at heart, and while he should be a member of the front-row, given his education and wealth, he\u2019s not because they despise him for many of the same reasons they look down on you \u2014 for what he eats, how he talks, and for what he believes in, and how he arrives at those beliefs, which isn\u2019t by spending years reading through approved syllabi (<em>techne<\/em>), but having gone out into the world and learned from it, one mistake after the next (<em>metis<\/em>).\u201d \u2022 Well worth reading in full, like everything Arnade writes (for a review of his book <em>Dignity<\/em>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2019\/06\/book-review-chris-arnades-dignity.html\">see NC here<\/a>). And on The Adjuster, arrested in a McDonald\u2019s, <a href=\"#adjuster-mc\">see below<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"21.823686553874\">\n<p>\u201cNewsom\u2019s Big Choice: Single Payer Or His Insurance Donors?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.levernews.com\/newsoms-big-choice-single-payer-or-his-insurance-donors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Lever<\/a>]. From 2022. \u201cThe current push for single-payer may be doomed to the same fate as its predecessors. Even if the bill manages to pass the assembly before the end of the day Monday and passes the state senate, there is no guarantee Newsom will sign it into law. Despite his campaign promise, the California governor has long been allied with insurance companies opposing the reform\u2026. UnitedHealth Group, the nation\u2019s largest health insurer, is also opposing the single-payer bill, and has been pressing its employees to lobby California lawmakers against passing the legislation. The insurance giant has contributed $130,000 to Newsom\u2019s campaigns since 2011, and $513,000 to the state Democratic party since 2007. In 2019, UnitedHealth Group and one of its subsidiaries donated $100,000 to Newsom\u2019s inaugural fund. Now, whether Newsom\u2019s relationship with Blue Shield, Anthem, and UnitedHealth will impact his decision-making on CalCare is an open question, says Court at Consumer Watchdog.\u201d \u2022 Social murder has many accomplices\u2026.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Syndemics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am in earnest \u2014 I will not equivocate \u2014 I will not excuse \u2014 I will not retreat a single inch \u2014 AND I WILL BE HEARD.\u201d \u2013William Lloyd Garrison<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk&null=Risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>); Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>, <del><a href=\"https:\/\/biobot.io\/data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Biobot<\/a><\/del>; includes many counties; <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wastewater Scan<\/a>, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/businesssolutions\/covid-19-index.jsp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a>); \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/iowacovid19tracker.org\/hospitals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Iowa COVID-19 Tracker<\/a>\u201d (in IA, but national data). \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/icemsg.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts<\/a>\u201d (especially on hospitalization by city).<\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put \u201cCOVID\u201d in the subject line. Thank you!<\/p>\n<p>Resources, United States (Local): AK (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/af2efc8bffbf4cdc83c2d1a134354074\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/6d2771faa9da4a2786a509d82c8cf0f7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AR (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/633006d0782b4544bd5113a314f6268a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AZ (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azdhs.gov\/covid19\/data\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); CA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdph.ca.gov\/Programs\/CID\/DCDC\/Pages\/COVID-19\/CalSuWers-Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.marinhhs.org\/surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Marin, dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/healthalerts.stanford.edu\/covid-19\/wastewater-dashboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Stanford, wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/?v=SC2_N&l=Oakland%2C+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Oakland, wastewater<\/a>); CO (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/d79cf93c3938470ca4bcc4823328946b#utility=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); CT (<a href=\"https:\/\/data.ct.gov\/stories\/s\/COVID-19-data\/wa3g-tfvc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); DE (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.delaware.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); FL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/5b9d75ba683849928dc1a49c39ab0b1c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); GA (<a href=\"https:\/\/dph.georgia.gov\/ga-nwss-wastewater-surveillance-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); HI (<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); IA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmmwra.org\/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater reports<\/a>); ID (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Boise; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/?plantId=1056f05c-0e46-4e3d-b007-c0453ba7dc0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Central Idaho; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/#:SARS-CoV-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Coeur d\u2019Alene; dashboard, <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.srhd.org\/topics\/spokane-county-case-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spokane County<\/a>); IL (<a href=\"https:\/\/iwss.uillinois.edu\/wastewater-treatment-plants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); IN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.in.gov\/indiana-covid-19-dashboard-and-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); KS (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov\/160\/COVID-19-in-Kansas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/4456bae8a38f4b6180e008477382fff9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Lawrence); KY (<a href=\"https:\/\/louisville.edu\/envirome\/thecoimmunityproject\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Louisville); LA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldh.la.gov\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/covid-19-wastewater-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MD (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.maryland.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); ME (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/dhhs\/mecdc\/infectious-disease\/epi\/airborne\/coronavirus\/data.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/coronavirus\/stats\/wastewater-surveillance\/dashboard\/sentinel-wastewater-epidemiology-evaluation-project-sweep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/gisportal.state.mi.us\/portal\/apps\/insights\/index.html#\/view\/52bbb104ed574887918f990af9f3debe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/stats\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MO (<a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/f7f5492486114da6b5d6fdc07f81aacf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MS (<a href=\"https:\/\/msdh.ms.gov\/page\/14,0,420.html#Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>MT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapSeries\/index.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; NC (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.ncdhhs.gov\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard)<\/a>; ND (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NE (<a href=\"https:\/\/atlas-dhhs.ne.gov\/Atlas\/Respiratory_Illness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NH (<a href=\"https:\/\/wisdom.dhhs.nh.gov\/wisdom\/dashboard.html?topic=covid-19&subtopic=recurring-updates&indicator=covid-19-wastewater#tabnavbarid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NJ (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.nj.gov\/forms\/datadashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NM (<a href=\"https:\/\/cvprovider.nmhealth.org\/public-dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NV (<a href=\"https:\/\/nvhealthresponse.nv.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/empower.unlv.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Southern NV); NY (<a href=\"https:\/\/mbcolli.shinyapps.io\/SARS2EWSP\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OH (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.ohio.gov\/dashboards\/other-resources\/wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OK (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/51657c21386d4f1a962b1853c76ec589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>OR (<a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/oregon.health.authority.covid.19\/viz\/OregonsCOVID-19DataDashboards-TableofContents\/TableofContentsStatewide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; PA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.pa.gov\/topics\/disease\/coronavirus\/pages\/Cases.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); RI (<a href=\"https:\/\/ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SC (<a href=\"https:\/\/scdhec.gov\/index.php\/covid19\/covid-19-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SD (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.sd.gov\/COVID\/Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/health\/cedep\/ncov\/data.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TX (<a href=\"https:\/\/txdshsea.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/4ae43eefd0f641d59d35c3df82ee59cc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); UT (<a href=\"https:\/\/avrpublic.dhhs.utah.gov\/uwss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/coronavirus\/sars-cov-2-in-wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthvermont.gov\/disease-control\/covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WA (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.wa.gov\/emergencies\/covid-19\/data-dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.bfhd.wa.gov\/cases-and-roadmap-to-recovery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.wisconsin.gov\/covid-19\/wastewater.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); WV (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/oehs.wvdhhr.org\/news\/oehs-coivd-19-information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>); WY (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/covidwastewatermonitor.wyo.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/health-infobase.canada.ca\/covid-19\/wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Government of Canada<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publichealthontario.ca\/en\/Data-and-Analysis\/Infectious-Disease\/COVID-19-Data-Surveillance\/Wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); QC (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inspq.qc.ca\/covid-19\/donnees\/eaux-usees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><em>les eaux us\u00e9es<\/em><\/a>); BC (<a href=\"https:\/\/bccdc.shinyapps.io\/respiratory_wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); BC, Vancouver (<a href=\"https:\/\/metrovancouver.org\/services\/liquid-waste\/testing-for-the-covid-19-virus-in-wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, KF, KidDoc, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n<p>Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n<p>Transmission: H5N1<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"15.880597014925\">\n<p><a name=\"dust\"\/>\u201cCentral Valley is ground zero for bird flu outbreak\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thesungazette.com\/article\/news\/2024\/12\/11\/central-valley-is-ground-zero-for-bird-flu-outbreak\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Sun-Gazette<\/a>]. \u201cThe Central Valley is the epicenter for the bird flu epidemic drastically reducing the state\u2019s poultry supply and slightly dropping its milk supply\u2026. The two farm animal businesses are some of the state\u2019s most important ag industries, clustered in the Central Valley, often just down the road from each other. The names of the affected facilities are not made public. But when more than half of the state\u2019s dairies are quarantined due to the virus and some 8 million chickens in the state had to be destroyed \u2013 including over 5 million egg layers representing about half of the egg laying flock in the Golden State \u2013 Californians will no doubt feel the shortages at the grocery store\u2026. While the state is not releasing the location of the dairies, all 32 of the state\u2019s confirmed cases of bird flu in humans were in the Central Valley, California\u2019s nation\u2019s top dairy producing region\u2026. Both industries are on a similar viral infection timeline which also coincides with the annual wild bird migration, which many experts agree is the original source for the disease.\u201d And eighteen paragraphs down, the buried lead: \u201cNow there is concern the rapid rise in infections at both confined animal facilities may be linked, with one affecting the other. Research shows that , says the industry publication EggNews.\u201d \u2022 Oh.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lambert: CDC\u2019s wastewater page loaded. No Thanksgiving surge that I can see.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.869565217391\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6190476190476\">\n<td valign=\"top\">This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 2<\/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-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283587\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1-300x227.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\/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><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6470588235294\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong> Variants<\/strong> [3] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 7<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Emergency Room Visits<\/strong>[4] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#trends_select_7dayeddiagnosed_00\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 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=\"3.9102564102564\">\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 10:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 5:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-6.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283723\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-6.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-6-300x169.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/>\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 9:<\/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-states.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283589\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-300x188.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=\"3.5932203389831\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> Positivity[9] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 19:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Variants[10] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> 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=\"3.7647058823529\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11] <a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/what-you-should-know\/current-situation-in-the-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 20:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12] <a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronadisease2019\/what-you-should-know\/current-situation-in-the-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 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=\"210.49104253808\">\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>Inflation: \u201cUnited States Consumer Price Index (CPI)\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/consumer-price-index-cpi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cConsumer Price Index CPI in the United States decreased to 315.49 points in November from 315.66 points in October of 2024. The annual inflation rate in the US rose to 2.7% in November, from 2.6% in October and matching markets expectations. On a monthly basis, the CPI increased by 0.3%, the most since April, <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing wins $450.5M contract for Japan\u2019s F-15 Super Interceptor upgrades\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aerotime.aero\/articles\/boeing-f-15-japan-super-interceptor-contract\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Aerotime<\/a>]. \u201cBoeing has been awarded a $450.5 million contract by the US Air Force (USAF) to support the F-15 Japan Super Interceptor Program. Under this contract, , Boeing will acquire the systems needed to upgrade the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) F-15J fleet.\u201d \u2022 Industrial policy\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Stock Is Taking Off. Here\u2019s Why.\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barrons.com\/articles\/boeing-stock-max-jet-production-90582e7d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Barron\u2019s<\/a>]. If you play the ponies\u2026. \u201cWall Street expects Boeing to reach 360 deliveries for all of 2024, according to FactSet. That isn\u2019t enough to make money. At the start of 2024, before the door plug incident, Wall Street projected 2024 deliveries of about 700 jets and net income of about $3.5 billion. The Street has since revised that estimate to a loss of $8.9 billion. Tuesday\u2019s gains leave Boeing shares down about 37% for the year and about 34% since the Alaska Air incident. Shares were up about 1% from just before the strike, when 737 MAX production was paused.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cIs China ready to take on Airbus and Boeing? Not just yet\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.businesstimes.com.sg\/opinion-features\/china-ready-take-airbus-and-boeing-not-just-yet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Business Times<\/a>]. \u201cOne of its selling points [of the COMAC C919] is that it is more environmently friendly than its European and American counterparts. Comac designed its C919 with environmental sustainability as an objective \u2013 the jet made its first commercial flight on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in September. The biofuel can be made from algae or agricultural, forestry, food or even municipal waste. It is claimed to cut carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent compared with petroleum-based jet fuel. It has been reported that GallopAir, a Brunei-based startup airline, has placed an order for the C919. Vietnam Airlines, Indonesia\u2019s TransNusa, Air Asia and Brazil\u2019s Total Linhas Aereas have expressed interest.\u201d \u2022 \u201c919\u201d reminds me of \u201c707,\u201d but 9 is an auspicious number in China.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 51 Neutral (previous close: 48 Neutral) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 56 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 11 at 1:27:47 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"#adjuster-mc\"\/>\u201cThe meaning of, and in, McDonald\u2019s\u201d [Chris Arnade, <a href=\"https:\/\/walkingtheworld.substack.com\/p\/the-meaning-of-and-in-mcdonalds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Chris Arnade Walks the World<\/a>]. Splitting in two what Arnade conceptualized, correctly, as a unity: \u201cI\u2019ve seen two questions raised. The first is, why would someone \u2018so careful\u2019 as Luigi go into a McDonald\u2019s? The second is, how in the world was he noticed?, given that it is a soulless franchise where you should be able to easily blend in, since each is the same, bland, and heavily trafficked space. Yet, after over a decade acquiring an informal PhD in McDonald\u2019s studies, with a minor in mental illness, I could have scripted this latest event <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/27L_BEk8_6I?feature=shared\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">down to the description of the regulars who first noticed him<\/a>. I\u2019m going to go out on a limb here, despite it being too early to do so, and suggest that Luigi is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. I\u2019ve met a lot of those in McDonald\u2019s, because besides providing them with all the things every other customers wants, it is also a \u2018reality safe space.\u2019 It is one of, it not the only, place in the \u2018real world\u2019 they can go, grab a cup out of the garbage can, and sit at their corner table and fit in, at least for an hour or two, without encountering too many dangers. It becomes, for many deeply troubled people, their only life line to normal society. It\u2019s a role McDonald\u2019s, to its credit, has accepted. I\u2019ve witnessed many episodes where the employees and morning regulars go out of their way to help those who come in that are suffering the worst. From free food, to calls for help, to having their husband come and repair their broken-down car, free of charge. Which is why the second question, how in the world was he noticed, isn\u2019t surprising at all. Each McDonald\u2019s is a community, and despite being a franchise built for the immediate and transactional, they\u2019ve become long-term and social. I\u2019m writing this from the McDonald\u2019s in my town, where I do most of my writing when at home, and I \u2018know\u2019 almost all the two dozen or so oddballs that come in, like me, and sit in a corner, either starring at the wall, ranting into a cup, or working on their beat up laptop. The morning regulars, the evolving group of five or so guys who are at the door when it opens (5:30 a.m.), as well as the afternoon regulars, and all the employees all \u2018know\u2019 these oddballs and should a new one come in, sit in a corner, and start acting a bit off, they\u2019ll notice. That almost always that means eventually offering to help, or in this rare case, noticing and calling the police.\u201d \u2022\u00a0For the \u201cMcDonalds as a Community\u201d part, I think Arnade is spot on. For the \u201cLuigi as paranoid schizophrenic\u201d I think both Arnade <em>and<\/em> the regulars may be acting on their priors. The Mighty Wurlitzer is, after all, at this very moment cranking up to the highest possible the message that \u201cThe Claims Adjuster\u201d was crazy, because \u2014 Soviet psychiatry comes to mind, here \u2014 he had, as the cops put it, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/27L_BEk8_6I?feature=shared\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ill will toward corporate America<\/a>.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/walkingtheworld.substack.com\/p\/the-meaning-of-and-in-mcdonalds?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=499208&post_id=152965569&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=2g4s&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email#footnote-4-152965569\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Arnade\u2019s footnote 4 is an answer to this<\/a>, but I think it proves too much. It would be possible, for example, to argue that all Marxists \u201care remarkably logical, but starting from absurd premises,\u201d hence \u201cHigh IQ paranoid schizophrenics.\u201d The cops would love this, of course. As would many conservatives. I mean \u201cFrankly, these parasites simply had it coming.\u201d Insane?<\/p>\n<p>Clarifying:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.7736486486486\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.6756756756757\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">‘No matter how ruthlessly’. That should work both ways then. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VFLO253yFy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/VFLO253yFy<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Priyamvada Gopal \u00a9 (@PriyamvadaGopal) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PriyamvadaGopal\/status\/1866435638184079835\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 10, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Speaking of \u201cstarting from absurd premises\u201d\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLuigi Mangione\u2019s Full Story Isn\u2019t Online\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/DDJMi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Magazine<\/a>]. \u201c[W]hat\u2019s most striking about Mangione\u2019s extensive online dossier is that, had it been compiled <em>before<\/em> the shooting took place, it wouldn\u2019t have raised much alarm. You can spend hours reading these posts, sifting through his follows, and looking for clues about what <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/DDJMi\/https:\/\/maxread.substack.com\/p\/what-type-of-guy-is-the-alleged-uhc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Type of Guy<\/a> he is, but the supportable theories are pretty thin: Mangione had an online profile consonant with his identity and context. He shared and posted and followed like a 20-something striver with a foot in the tech industry, listened to Rogan, and considered himself a rationalist or at least unusually rational.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSF tech CEO\u2019s billboards are \u2018dystopian.\u2019 That\u2019s how he wants it\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfgate.com\/tech\/article\/sf-artisan-billboards-stop-hiring-humans-19969672.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">SFGATE<\/a>]. \u201cThursday afternoon in San Francisco: On one side of Mission Street, hotel workers chanted and banged on a drum outside the Marriott Marquis, part of a monthslong strike for higher wages and more jobs. On the other, a tech company\u2019s billboard proclaimed, \u2018Stop hiring humans.\u2019 Various versions of the provocative advertisements are emblazoned across the city on rotating screen displays on bus shelters and on classic vinyl billboards on poles and buildings, plugging the San Francisco startup Artisan. SFGATE spoke with Artisan\u2019s CEO about the campaign. The company has just 30 employees and is less than 2 years old; its only existing product is an artificial intelligence \u2018sales agent\u2019 called Artisan, built to automate the work of finding and messaging potential customers. It\u2019s a classic AI-age idea, one of many such tools flooding the tech world. But the billboards in San Francisco are less routine. Bleak might be a better word, or mean-spirited. And in a city laden with jargony advertisements, these are easy to understand. Most feature a dark-haired, purple-eyed persona and a few rows of text. Some critique humans and remote work: \u2018Artisans won\u2019t complain about work-life balance\u2019 and \u2018Artisan\u2019s Zoom cameras will never \u2018not be working\u2019 today.\u2019 Others are more direct: \u2018Hire Artisans, not humans.\u2019 Several include the line, \u2018The era of AI employees is here.\u2019 The gist is crystal clear: Artisan is selling automation to employers. In a video spot about the \u2018sales agent\u2019 tool online, Artisan says it works with \u2018no human input\u2019 and \u2018costs 96% less than hiring someone to do her job..’\u201d \u201cArtisan.\u201d Of all the names to choose. <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat Healing Sound\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/GBHED\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Nautilus<\/a>]. \u201cMusic boosts the immune system, in particular immunoglobulin IgA, a substance that travels to the site of mucosal infections by reducing cortisol. When you\u2019re stressed, cortisol shuts down the immune system, because cortisol usually spikes in response to an explicit proximal threat, like a lion running toward you. Over thousands of years of evolution, the cortisol system figured out that if you\u2019re going to have to fight a lion, you\u2019ve got to preserve all your resources to fight or to flee\u2026. So, what does preserving your resources mean at a physiological and metabolic level? It means shutting down your digestive system. That can wait till later. Shutting down your libido, because you don\u2019t have time for that now. Shutting down your immune system. That\u2019s why people with chronic stress have compromised immune systems. And if you can reduce psychological and physical stress, you\u2019re enabling your body\u2019s immune system to do what it\u2019s meant to do. Music can promote IgA levels. They can promote cytokine production, the production of natural killer cells, T cells, plus, they can increase serotonin, which boosts your mood, which in turn, can create this cascade of neurochemical activity.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. Not to go all woo woo, but Long Covid?<\/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-12-10-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From KW:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/marshweed.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"622\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-283719\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/marshweed.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/marshweed-289x300.jpeg 289w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>KW writes: \u201cYahara River Flowage, Madison, Wisconsin A marsh seed pod of some kind, framed in duckweed. A foot from the shore. Dredged decades ago when the neighborhood\u2019s houses were built, these days the marsh is being encouraged to take over.\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-12-11-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-11T14:00:20-05:00\">December 11, 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\/the-collapse-of-syria-brics-and-wishful-thinking.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> The Collapse of Syria, BRICS, and Wishful Thinking<\/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-12-11-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day Northern Mockingbird, New Providence Island; Lyford Cay, New Providence, Bahamas. * * * In Case<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88301,"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-88300","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\/88300","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=88300"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88300\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Northern Mockingbird, New Providence Island; Lyford Cay, New Providence, Bahamas.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#khan\">Lina Khan out<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Arnade on McDonald\u2019s: <a href=\"#trump-mc\">Trump<\/a> and <a href=\"#adjuster-mc\">The Adjuster<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#kamala\">Kamala\u2019s<\/a> flawless campaign, lol.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#dust\">Bird flu<\/a> carried by dust on the wind.<\/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>Musk GLP<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.75\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Nothing would do more to improve the health, lifespan and quality of life for Americans than making GLP inhibitors super low cost to the public. <\/p>\n<p>Nothing else is even close. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SNGcxzkcqE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/SNGcxzkcqE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1866766638953140733\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 11, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.channelnewsasia.com\/east-asia\/south-korea-people-power-party-yoon-suk-yeol-resignation-martial-law-political-crisis-impeachment-opposition-protests-4795716\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">\u2018We don\u2019t even know who\u2019s running the country\u2019: South Korea\u2019s ruling party stalls for time amid leadership crisis<\/a> Channel News Asia<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"khan\"\/>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"96.018850029638\">\n<p>\u201c\u2018A Gift to the Oligarchs\u2019: Trump Pick to Replace Lina Khan Vowed to End \u2018War on Mergers’\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/andrew-ferguson-ftc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Common Dreams<\/a>]. \u201cPresident-elect Donald Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pick<\/a> to lead the Federal Trade Commission vowed in his job pitch to end current chair Lina Khan\u2019s \u2018war on mergers,\u2019 a signal to an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/news\/trump-lina-khan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">eager corporate America<\/a> that the incoming administration intends to be far more lax on antitrust enforcement. Andrew Ferguson was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2023\/07\/03\/president-biden-announces-nominees-to-bipartisan-boards-and-commissions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">initially nominated<\/a> by President Joe Biden to serve as a Republican commissioner on the bipartisan FTC, and his elevation to chair of the commission will not require Senate confirmation. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/brianstelter\/status\/1866624146538631253\/photo\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">one-page document<\/a> obtained by Punchbowl, Ferguson\u2014who previously worked as chief counsel to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)\u2014pitched himself to Trump\u2019s team as the \u2018pro-innovation choice\u2019 with \u2018impeccable legal credentials\u2019 and \u2018proven loyalty\u2019 to the president-elect. Ferguson\u2019s top agenda priority, according to the document, is to \u2018reverse Lina Khan\u2019s anti-business agenda\u2019 by rolling back \u2018burdensome regulations,\u2019 stopping her \u2018war on mergers,\u2019 halting the agency\u2019s \u2018attempt to become an AI regulator,\u2019 and ditching \u2018novel and legally dubious consumer protection cases.\u2019 Trump announced Ferguson as the incoming administration\u2019s FTC chair as judges in Oregon and Washington state blocked the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons, decisions that one antitrust advocate called a \u2018fantastic culmination of the FTC\u2019s work to protect consumers and workers.’\u201d \u2022 Dang\u2026 <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump Aims to Remake Federal Trade Commission With Two Picks\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/w9yJT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cTrump on Tuesday also said he would nominate the Republican antitrust lawyer Mark Meador as a commissioner. Meador is a former aide to Sen. Mike Lee (R., Utah), who l<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/w9yJT\/https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/gop-led-legislation-would-force-breakup-of-googles-ad-business-11652969185\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ed the introduction of legislation to break up Google<\/a>. His confirmation would give the GOP a majority on the commission. While Meador will require Senate approval, Ferguson won\u2019t. He was already confirmed for his commissioner seat in March and will be able to make the transition to the role of chair.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cCrypto Doesn\u2019t Deserve a Tax Exemption\u201d [Tyler Cowen, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/ae1eh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cThe most obvious argument against the proposal is simply that uniform taxation is better than selective tax exemptions. If a lower capital gains tax rate is preferable, then the goal should be to make a smaller cut that applies to all assets. Exempting a single kind of asset is likely to lead to abuses. You might think that boosting crypto is important now, but which sector or asset will be selected next for special treatment? It may be one you don\u2019t think deserves it.\u201d And: \u201cMany of the leading supporters of Trump\u2019s campaign were crypto-connected companies. You don\u2019t have to think this tax proposal is some kind of payback to realize that this creates problems of perception. Next time around, companies will offer campaigns financial support in the expectation of more favorable tax and regulatory treatment.\u201d \u2022 I still struggle to understand the case for crypto, unless it be that Silicon Valley wants to get into finance, and to compete with Wall Street they need a distinctive competence, which turns out to be fraud (amazing, I know).<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTop Republicans split over strategy to move Trump\u2019s 2025 agenda\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/top-republicans-split-strategy-move-trumps-2025-agenda-rcna183692\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NBC<\/a>]. \u201cThe new Congress will give Trump and Republicans the opportunity to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/republicans-eye-tax-breaks-border-funds-clean-energy-cuts-trump-return-rcna181927\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pass major legislation without the need for any Democratic support<\/a> under a process called \u2018reconciliation\u2019 But whether the GOP will try to link all of its top priorities together in a single package early next year or split major issues across two, smaller bills is a major subject of debate among top Republican leaders. The House\u2019s top tax writer, Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., is warning fellow Republicans against breaking the agenda up into two bills, in which border security and energy policy would come in the first and an extension of Trump\u2019s 2017 tax cut law could come in the second. Delaying the tax legislation risks jeopardizing it, Smith and his allies warn, so they want one sweeping package.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Bizarre Normalcy of Trump 2.0\u201d [Jonathan Chait, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/politics\/government\/the-bizarre-normalcy-of-trump-2-0\/ar-AA1vydUt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Atlantic<\/a>]. So Chait got a promotion to the Atlantic (for some definition of \u201cpromotion\u201d). \u201cA very strange disjuncture has opened up in Washington between the serene mood and the alarming developments that are under way. The surface is calm because the Republican presidential candidate won the election, and Democrats, the only one of the two major parties committed on principle to upholding the legitimacy of election results, conceded defeat and are cooperating in the peaceful transition of power. Whatever energy the chastened Democrats can muster at the moment is aimed inward, at factional struggles over their future direction. Meanwhile, what is actually happening in the capital is, by any rational standard, disturbing. Donald Trump is filling his administration with \u2018loyalists,\u2019 a prerogative that his opponents have grudgingly accepted as his due. Yet he is defining loyalist in maximal terms, including the belief that Trump legitimately won the 2020 election and was justified in his attempt to seize power. The winners are rewriting the history of the insurrection, and their version of history is about to acquire the force of law.\u201d And: \u201cOn Saturday, The New York Times reported that the Trump transition team is asking applicants for high-level positions in the Defense Department and intelligence agencies three questions: which candidate they supported in the past three elections, what they thought about January 6, and whether they believed the 2020 election was stolen. Among the \u2018wrong\u2019 answers, applicants say, are conceding that Trump lost the election or that his supporters should not have tried to overturn the result.\u201d \u2022 As for the 2020 election, see immediately below. (I think all the huffing-and-puffing about Trump picking \u201cloyalists\u201d is absurd. After all, what is he supposed to do? Pick backstabbers? That said, a taste for Kool-Aid shouldn\u2019t be the operational definition of loyalty. Or the ability to lie to get ahead, although this <em>is<\/em> Washington, D.C\u2026.. <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/wisconsin-trump-fake-electors-5624cb3e441f6866da4f2dd452a902bc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cThe state charges against the Trump attorneys and aide are the only ones in Wisconsin. None of the electors have been charged. The 10 Wisconsin electors, Chesebro and Troupis all settled a lawsuit that was brought against them in 2023. There are pending charges related to the fake electors scheme in state and federal courts in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Georgia. Federal prosecutors, investigating Trump\u2019s conduct related to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, said the fake electors scheme originated in Wisconsin. Electors are people appointed to represent voters in presidential elections. The winner of the popular vote in each state determines which party\u2019s electors are sent to the Electoral College, which meets in December after the election to certify the outcome. Two states, Maine and Nebraska, allow their electoral votes to be split between candidates. The Wisconsin complaint details how Troupis, Chesebro and Roman created a document that falsely said Trump had won Wisconsin\u2019s 10 Electoral College votes and then attempted to deliver to to then-Vice President Mike Pence. In the amended complaint filed Tuesday, .\u201d \u2022 I\u2019ve always said that the \u201ccontingent electors\u201d cases were the important, genuine cases in the Democrat lawfare over 2020 \u2014 don\u2019t let the door hit you on the way out, Fani \u2014 because the Trump campaign put civilians in the line of fire, as here. So I\u2019m glad to see this case moving forward.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"63.864115697499\">\n<p><a name=\"kamala\"\/>\u201cNo, Kamala Harris Staffers Did Not Run a \u201cFlawless\u201d Campaign\u201d [Jeet Heer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/politics\/harris-democratic-staff-defeat-responsibility\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Nation<\/a>]. \u201cFor anyone who followed the presidential election of 2024 and regards the victory of Donald Trump as an enormous tragedy for the United States and the world, the great foe of serenity is listening to interviews with Democratic Party strategists. This is a group that has displayed a mind-boggling unwillingness to accept any accountability for losing\u2014for the second time in eight years\u2014to Trump.\u201d Heer seems surprised, as if this were new behavior. More: \u201cStephanie Cutter told Pod Save America that \u201cthe convention demonstrated a lot of enthusiasm for Kamala Harris, a lot of freshness, future oriented, bringing a variety of coalitions together. We had independents, Republicans, Democrats, business leaders, sports figures, everybody coming together around a new way forward and finally turning the page.\u201d It is incredibly revealing that Cutter thinks a winning Democratic coalition consists of \u201cindependents, Republicans, Democrats, business leaders, sports figures\u201d rather than being a multiracial coalition of union members, the broader working class, young people, civil rights activists, feminists environmentalists, and anti-war activists. Hers is a profoundly depoliticized view of the Democratic Party as a vehicle of the bipartisan establishment rather than a coalition fighting to change America. This depoliticized ideology permeated the Harris campaign\u2014and doomed it to failure.\u201d \u2022 Driving the knife home\u2026 <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"trump-mc\"\/>\u201cThe meaning of, and in, McDonald\u2019s\u201d [Chris Arnade, <a href=\"https:\/\/walkingtheworld.substack.com\/p\/the-meaning-of-and-in-mcdonalds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Chris Arnade Walks the World<\/a>]. \u201cTrump\u2019s McDonald\u2019s photo op, which while it has been adjudicated to death, is still a great illustration of what many elites still miss about his appeal. Trump\u2019s superpower has long been signaling to working stiffs that he\u2019s \u2018just like you\u2019 despite being on the surface anything like them. His love of McDonald\u2019s, which I believe is as genuine as any politician can ever have, is one of those signals, and maybe his most effective, because it makes his critics go hyperbolic in a way that signals that they are not \u2018just like you.\u2019 McDonald\u2019s is wildly popular with every group of Americans, uniting every demographic in the US \u2014 it crosses economic class, race, gender, urban versus rural \u2014 with the single exception of the highly educated, especially academics. They alone as a group have moral issues with it, and while they might use it, they do so grudgingly, usually to appease crying kids or for a rest stop on a long trip. So Trump\u2019s embrace of McDonald\u2019s becomes a political twofer. He\u2019s one of you, he is a a back-row guy at heart, and while he should be a member of the front-row, given his education and wealth, he\u2019s not because they despise him for many of the same reasons they look down on you \u2014 for what he eats, how he talks, and for what he believes in, and how he arrives at those beliefs, which isn\u2019t by spending years reading through approved syllabi (<em>techne<\/em>), but having gone out into the world and learned from it, one mistake after the next (<em>metis<\/em>).\u201d \u2022 Well worth reading in full, like everything Arnade writes (for a review of his book <em>Dignity<\/em>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2019\/06\/book-review-chris-arnades-dignity.html\">see NC here<\/a>). And on The Adjuster, arrested in a McDonald\u2019s, <a href=\"#adjuster-mc\">see below<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"21.823686553874\">\n<p>\u201cNewsom\u2019s Big Choice: Single Payer Or His Insurance Donors?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.levernews.com\/newsoms-big-choice-single-payer-or-his-insurance-donors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Lever<\/a>]. From 2022. \u201cThe current push for single-payer may be doomed to the same fate as its predecessors. Even if the bill manages to pass the assembly before the end of the day Monday and passes the state senate, there is no guarantee Newsom will sign it into law. Despite his campaign promise, the California governor has long been allied with insurance companies opposing the reform\u2026. UnitedHealth Group, the nation\u2019s largest health insurer, is also opposing the single-payer bill, and has been pressing its employees to lobby California lawmakers against passing the legislation. The insurance giant has contributed $130,000 to Newsom\u2019s campaigns since 2011, and $513,000 to the state Democratic party since 2007. In 2019, UnitedHealth Group and one of its subsidiaries donated $100,000 to Newsom\u2019s inaugural fund. Now, whether Newsom\u2019s relationship with Blue Shield, Anthem, and UnitedHealth will impact his decision-making on CalCare is an open question, says Court at Consumer Watchdog.\u201d \u2022 Social murder has many accomplices\u2026.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Syndemics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am in earnest \u2014 I will not equivocate \u2014 I will not excuse \u2014 I will not retreat a single inch \u2014 AND I WILL BE HEARD.\u201d \u2013William Lloyd Garrison<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk&null=Risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>); Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>, <del><a href=\"https:\/\/biobot.io\/data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Biobot<\/a><\/del>; includes many counties; <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wastewater Scan<\/a>, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/businesssolutions\/covid-19-index.jsp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a>); \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/iowacovid19tracker.org\/hospitals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Iowa COVID-19 Tracker<\/a>\u201d (in IA, but national data). \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/icemsg.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts<\/a>\u201d (especially on hospitalization by city).<\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put \u201cCOVID\u201d in the subject line. Thank you!<\/p>\n<p>Resources, United States (Local): AK (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/af2efc8bffbf4cdc83c2d1a134354074\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/6d2771faa9da4a2786a509d82c8cf0f7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AR (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/633006d0782b4544bd5113a314f6268a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AZ (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azdhs.gov\/covid19\/data\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); CA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdph.ca.gov\/Programs\/CID\/DCDC\/Pages\/COVID-19\/CalSuWers-Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.marinhhs.org\/surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Marin, dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/healthalerts.stanford.edu\/covid-19\/wastewater-dashboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Stanford, wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/?v=SC2_N&l=Oakland%2C+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Oakland, wastewater<\/a>); CO (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/d79cf93c3938470ca4bcc4823328946b#utility=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); CT (<a href=\"https:\/\/data.ct.gov\/stories\/s\/COVID-19-data\/wa3g-tfvc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); DE (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.delaware.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); FL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/5b9d75ba683849928dc1a49c39ab0b1c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); GA (<a href=\"https:\/\/dph.georgia.gov\/ga-nwss-wastewater-surveillance-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); HI (<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); IA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmmwra.org\/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater reports<\/a>); ID (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Boise; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/?plantId=1056f05c-0e46-4e3d-b007-c0453ba7dc0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Central Idaho; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/#:SARS-CoV-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Coeur d\u2019Alene; dashboard, <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.srhd.org\/topics\/spokane-county-case-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spokane County<\/a>); IL (<a href=\"https:\/\/iwss.uillinois.edu\/wastewater-treatment-plants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); IN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.in.gov\/indiana-covid-19-dashboard-and-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); KS (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov\/160\/COVID-19-in-Kansas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/4456bae8a38f4b6180e008477382fff9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Lawrence); KY (<a href=\"https:\/\/louisville.edu\/envirome\/thecoimmunityproject\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Louisville); LA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldh.la.gov\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/covid-19-wastewater-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MD (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.maryland.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); ME (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/dhhs\/mecdc\/infectious-disease\/epi\/airborne\/coronavirus\/data.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/coronavirus\/stats\/wastewater-surveillance\/dashboard\/sentinel-wastewater-epidemiology-evaluation-project-sweep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/gisportal.state.mi.us\/portal\/apps\/insights\/index.html#\/view\/52bbb104ed574887918f990af9f3debe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/stats\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MO (<a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/f7f5492486114da6b5d6fdc07f81aacf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MS (<a href=\"https:\/\/msdh.ms.gov\/page\/14,0,420.html#Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>MT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapSeries\/index.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; NC (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.ncdhhs.gov\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard)<\/a>; ND (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NE (<a href=\"https:\/\/atlas-dhhs.ne.gov\/Atlas\/Respiratory_Illness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NH (<a href=\"https:\/\/wisdom.dhhs.nh.gov\/wisdom\/dashboard.html?topic=covid-19&subtopic=recurring-updates&indicator=covid-19-wastewater#tabnavbarid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NJ (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.nj.gov\/forms\/datadashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NM (<a href=\"https:\/\/cvprovider.nmhealth.org\/public-dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NV (<a href=\"https:\/\/nvhealthresponse.nv.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/empower.unlv.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Southern NV); NY (<a href=\"https:\/\/mbcolli.shinyapps.io\/SARS2EWSP\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OH (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.ohio.gov\/dashboards\/other-resources\/wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OK (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/51657c21386d4f1a962b1853c76ec589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>OR (<a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/oregon.health.authority.covid.19\/viz\/OregonsCOVID-19DataDashboards-TableofContents\/TableofContentsStatewide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; PA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.pa.gov\/topics\/disease\/coronavirus\/pages\/Cases.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); RI (<a href=\"https:\/\/ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SC (<a href=\"https:\/\/scdhec.gov\/index.php\/covid19\/covid-19-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SD (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.sd.gov\/COVID\/Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/health\/cedep\/ncov\/data.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TX (<a href=\"https:\/\/txdshsea.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/4ae43eefd0f641d59d35c3df82ee59cc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); UT (<a href=\"https:\/\/avrpublic.dhhs.utah.gov\/uwss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/coronavirus\/sars-cov-2-in-wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthvermont.gov\/disease-control\/covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WA (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.wa.gov\/emergencies\/covid-19\/data-dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.bfhd.wa.gov\/cases-and-roadmap-to-recovery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.wisconsin.gov\/covid-19\/wastewater.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); WV (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/oehs.wvdhhr.org\/news\/oehs-coivd-19-information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>); WY (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/covidwastewatermonitor.wyo.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/health-infobase.canada.ca\/covid-19\/wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Government of Canada<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publichealthontario.ca\/en\/Data-and-Analysis\/Infectious-Disease\/COVID-19-Data-Surveillance\/Wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); QC (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inspq.qc.ca\/covid-19\/donnees\/eaux-usees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><em>les eaux us\u00e9es<\/em><\/a>); BC (<a href=\"https:\/\/bccdc.shinyapps.io\/respiratory_wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); BC, Vancouver (<a href=\"https:\/\/metrovancouver.org\/services\/liquid-waste\/testing-for-the-covid-19-virus-in-wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, KF, KidDoc, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n<p>Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n<p>Transmission: H5N1<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"15.880597014925\">\n<p><a name=\"dust\"\/>\u201cCentral Valley is ground zero for bird flu outbreak\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thesungazette.com\/article\/news\/2024\/12\/11\/central-valley-is-ground-zero-for-bird-flu-outbreak\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Sun-Gazette<\/a>]. \u201cThe Central Valley is the epicenter for the bird flu epidemic drastically reducing the state\u2019s poultry supply and slightly dropping its milk supply\u2026. The two farm animal businesses are some of the state\u2019s most important ag industries, clustered in the Central Valley, often just down the road from each other. The names of the affected facilities are not made public. But when more than half of the state\u2019s dairies are quarantined due to the virus and some 8 million chickens in the state had to be destroyed \u2013 including over 5 million egg layers representing about half of the egg laying flock in the Golden State \u2013 Californians will no doubt feel the shortages at the grocery store\u2026. While the state is not releasing the location of the dairies, all 32 of the state\u2019s confirmed cases of bird flu in humans were in the Central Valley, California\u2019s nation\u2019s top dairy producing region\u2026. Both industries are on a similar viral infection timeline which also coincides with the annual wild bird migration, which many experts agree is the original source for the disease.\u201d And eighteen paragraphs down, the buried lead: \u201cNow there is concern the rapid rise in infections at both confined animal facilities may be linked, with one affecting the other. Research shows that , says the industry publication EggNews.\u201d \u2022 Oh.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lambert: CDC\u2019s wastewater page loaded. No Thanksgiving surge that I can see.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.869565217391\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6190476190476\">\n<td valign=\"top\">This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 2<\/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-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283587\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1-300x227.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\/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><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6470588235294\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong> Variants<\/strong> [3] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 7<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Emergency Room Visits<\/strong>[4] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#trends_select_7dayeddiagnosed_00\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 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=\"3.9102564102564\">\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 10:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 5:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-6.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283723\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-6.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-6-300x169.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/>\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 9:<\/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-states.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283589\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-300x188.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=\"3.5932203389831\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> Positivity[9] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 19:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Variants[10] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> 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=\"3.7647058823529\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11] <a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/what-you-should-know\/current-situation-in-the-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 20:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12] <a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronadisease2019\/what-you-should-know\/current-situation-in-the-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 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=\"210.49104253808\">\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>Inflation: \u201cUnited States Consumer Price Index (CPI)\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/consumer-price-index-cpi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cConsumer Price Index CPI in the United States decreased to 315.49 points in November from 315.66 points in October of 2024. The annual inflation rate in the US rose to 2.7% in November, from 2.6% in October and matching markets expectations. On a monthly basis, the CPI increased by 0.3%, the most since April, <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing wins $450.5M contract for Japan\u2019s F-15 Super Interceptor upgrades\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aerotime.aero\/articles\/boeing-f-15-japan-super-interceptor-contract\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Aerotime<\/a>]. \u201cBoeing has been awarded a $450.5 million contract by the US Air Force (USAF) to support the F-15 Japan Super Interceptor Program. Under this contract, , Boeing will acquire the systems needed to upgrade the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) F-15J fleet.\u201d \u2022 Industrial policy\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Stock Is Taking Off. Here\u2019s Why.\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barrons.com\/articles\/boeing-stock-max-jet-production-90582e7d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Barron\u2019s<\/a>]. If you play the ponies\u2026. \u201cWall Street expects Boeing to reach 360 deliveries for all of 2024, according to FactSet. That isn\u2019t enough to make money. At the start of 2024, before the door plug incident, Wall Street projected 2024 deliveries of about 700 jets and net income of about $3.5 billion. The Street has since revised that estimate to a loss of $8.9 billion. Tuesday\u2019s gains leave Boeing shares down about 37% for the year and about 34% since the Alaska Air incident. Shares were up about 1% from just before the strike, when 737 MAX production was paused.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cIs China ready to take on Airbus and Boeing? Not just yet\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.businesstimes.com.sg\/opinion-features\/china-ready-take-airbus-and-boeing-not-just-yet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Business Times<\/a>]. \u201cOne of its selling points [of the COMAC C919] is that it is more environmently friendly than its European and American counterparts. Comac designed its C919 with environmental sustainability as an objective \u2013 the jet made its first commercial flight on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in September. The biofuel can be made from algae or agricultural, forestry, food or even municipal waste. It is claimed to cut carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent compared with petroleum-based jet fuel. It has been reported that GallopAir, a Brunei-based startup airline, has placed an order for the C919. Vietnam Airlines, Indonesia\u2019s TransNusa, Air Asia and Brazil\u2019s Total Linhas Aereas have expressed interest.\u201d \u2022 \u201c919\u201d reminds me of \u201c707,\u201d but 9 is an auspicious number in China.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 51 Neutral (previous close: 48 Neutral) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 56 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 11 at 1:27:47 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"#adjuster-mc\"\/>\u201cThe meaning of, and in, McDonald\u2019s\u201d [Chris Arnade, <a href=\"https:\/\/walkingtheworld.substack.com\/p\/the-meaning-of-and-in-mcdonalds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Chris Arnade Walks the World<\/a>]. Splitting in two what Arnade conceptualized, correctly, as a unity: \u201cI\u2019ve seen two questions raised. The first is, why would someone \u2018so careful\u2019 as Luigi go into a McDonald\u2019s? The second is, how in the world was he noticed?, given that it is a soulless franchise where you should be able to easily blend in, since each is the same, bland, and heavily trafficked space. Yet, after over a decade acquiring an informal PhD in McDonald\u2019s studies, with a minor in mental illness, I could have scripted this latest event <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/27L_BEk8_6I?feature=shared\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">down to the description of the regulars who first noticed him<\/a>. I\u2019m going to go out on a limb here, despite it being too early to do so, and suggest that Luigi is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. I\u2019ve met a lot of those in McDonald\u2019s, because besides providing them with all the things every other customers wants, it is also a \u2018reality safe space.\u2019 It is one of, it not the only, place in the \u2018real world\u2019 they can go, grab a cup out of the garbage can, and sit at their corner table and fit in, at least for an hour or two, without encountering too many dangers. It becomes, for many deeply troubled people, their only life line to normal society. It\u2019s a role McDonald\u2019s, to its credit, has accepted. I\u2019ve witnessed many episodes where the employees and morning regulars go out of their way to help those who come in that are suffering the worst. From free food, to calls for help, to having their husband come and repair their broken-down car, free of charge. Which is why the second question, how in the world was he noticed, isn\u2019t surprising at all. Each McDonald\u2019s is a community, and despite being a franchise built for the immediate and transactional, they\u2019ve become long-term and social. I\u2019m writing this from the McDonald\u2019s in my town, where I do most of my writing when at home, and I \u2018know\u2019 almost all the two dozen or so oddballs that come in, like me, and sit in a corner, either starring at the wall, ranting into a cup, or working on their beat up laptop. The morning regulars, the evolving group of five or so guys who are at the door when it opens (5:30 a.m.), as well as the afternoon regulars, and all the employees all \u2018know\u2019 these oddballs and should a new one come in, sit in a corner, and start acting a bit off, they\u2019ll notice. That almost always that means eventually offering to help, or in this rare case, noticing and calling the police.\u201d \u2022\u00a0For the \u201cMcDonalds as a Community\u201d part, I think Arnade is spot on. For the \u201cLuigi as paranoid schizophrenic\u201d I think both Arnade <em>and<\/em> the regulars may be acting on their priors. The Mighty Wurlitzer is, after all, at this very moment cranking up to the highest possible the message that \u201cThe Claims Adjuster\u201d was crazy, because \u2014 Soviet psychiatry comes to mind, here \u2014 he had, as the cops put it, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/27L_BEk8_6I?feature=shared\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ill will toward corporate America<\/a>.\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/walkingtheworld.substack.com\/p\/the-meaning-of-and-in-mcdonalds?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=499208&post_id=152965569&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=2g4s&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email#footnote-4-152965569\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Arnade\u2019s footnote 4 is an answer to this<\/a>, but I think it proves too much. It would be possible, for example, to argue that all Marxists \u201care remarkably logical, but starting from absurd premises,\u201d hence \u201cHigh IQ paranoid schizophrenics.\u201d The cops would love this, of course. As would many conservatives. I mean \u201cFrankly, these parasites simply had it coming.\u201d Insane?<\/p>\n<p>Clarifying:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.7736486486486\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.6756756756757\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">‘No matter how ruthlessly’. That should work both ways then. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VFLO253yFy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/VFLO253yFy<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Priyamvada Gopal \u00a9 (@PriyamvadaGopal) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PriyamvadaGopal\/status\/1866435638184079835\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 10, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Speaking of \u201cstarting from absurd premises\u201d\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLuigi Mangione\u2019s Full Story Isn\u2019t Online\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/DDJMi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Magazine<\/a>]. \u201c[W]hat\u2019s most striking about Mangione\u2019s extensive online dossier is that, had it been compiled <em>before<\/em> the shooting took place, it wouldn\u2019t have raised much alarm. You can spend hours reading these posts, sifting through his follows, and looking for clues about what <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/DDJMi\/https:\/\/maxread.substack.com\/p\/what-type-of-guy-is-the-alleged-uhc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Type of Guy<\/a> he is, but the supportable theories are pretty thin: Mangione had an online profile consonant with his identity and context. He shared and posted and followed like a 20-something striver with a foot in the tech industry, listened to Rogan, and considered himself a rationalist or at least unusually rational.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSF tech CEO\u2019s billboards are \u2018dystopian.\u2019 That\u2019s how he wants it\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfgate.com\/tech\/article\/sf-artisan-billboards-stop-hiring-humans-19969672.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">SFGATE<\/a>]. \u201cThursday afternoon in San Francisco: On one side of Mission Street, hotel workers chanted and banged on a drum outside the Marriott Marquis, part of a monthslong strike for higher wages and more jobs. On the other, a tech company\u2019s billboard proclaimed, \u2018Stop hiring humans.\u2019 Various versions of the provocative advertisements are emblazoned across the city on rotating screen displays on bus shelters and on classic vinyl billboards on poles and buildings, plugging the San Francisco startup Artisan. SFGATE spoke with Artisan\u2019s CEO about the campaign. The company has just 30 employees and is less than 2 years old; its only existing product is an artificial intelligence \u2018sales agent\u2019 called Artisan, built to automate the work of finding and messaging potential customers. It\u2019s a classic AI-age idea, one of many such tools flooding the tech world. But the billboards in San Francisco are less routine. Bleak might be a better word, or mean-spirited. And in a city laden with jargony advertisements, these are easy to understand. Most feature a dark-haired, purple-eyed persona and a few rows of text. Some critique humans and remote work: \u2018Artisans won\u2019t complain about work-life balance\u2019 and \u2018Artisan\u2019s Zoom cameras will never \u2018not be working\u2019 today.\u2019 Others are more direct: \u2018Hire Artisans, not humans.\u2019 Several include the line, \u2018The era of AI employees is here.\u2019 The gist is crystal clear: Artisan is selling automation to employers. In a video spot about the \u2018sales agent\u2019 tool online, Artisan says it works with \u2018no human input\u2019 and \u2018costs 96% less than hiring someone to do her job..’\u201d \u201cArtisan.\u201d Of all the names to choose. <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat Healing Sound\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/GBHED\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Nautilus<\/a>]. \u201cMusic boosts the immune system, in particular immunoglobulin IgA, a substance that travels to the site of mucosal infections by reducing cortisol. When you\u2019re stressed, cortisol shuts down the immune system, because cortisol usually spikes in response to an explicit proximal threat, like a lion running toward you. Over thousands of years of evolution, the cortisol system figured out that if you\u2019re going to have to fight a lion, you\u2019ve got to preserve all your resources to fight or to flee\u2026. So, what does preserving your resources mean at a physiological and metabolic level? It means shutting down your digestive system. That can wait till later. Shutting down your libido, because you don\u2019t have time for that now. Shutting down your immune system. That\u2019s why people with chronic stress have compromised immune systems. And if you can reduce psychological and physical stress, you\u2019re enabling your body\u2019s immune system to do what it\u2019s meant to do. Music can promote IgA levels. They can promote cytokine production, the production of natural killer cells, T cells, plus, they can increase serotonin, which boosts your mood, which in turn, can create this cascade of neurochemical activity.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. Not to go all woo woo, but Long Covid?<\/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-12-10-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From KW:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/marshweed.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"622\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-283719\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/marshweed.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/marshweed-289x300.jpeg 289w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>KW writes: \u201cYahara River Flowage, Madison, Wisconsin A marsh seed pod of some kind, framed in duckweed. A foot from the shore. Dredged decades ago when the neighborhood\u2019s houses were built, these days the marsh is being encouraged to take over.\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-12-11-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-11T14:00:20-05:00\">December 11, 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\/the-collapse-of-syria-brics-and-wishful-thinking.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> The Collapse of Syria, BRICS, and Wishful Thinking<\/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, New Providence Island; Lyford Cay, New Providence, Bahamas. * * * In Case<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88301,"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-88300","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\/88300","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=88300"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88300\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}