\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, Quitman Farm, Brooks, Georgia, United States.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#doge\">DOGE<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#kamala\">Kamala\u2019s future<\/a>. If any.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#tech\">The state of tech<\/a>: like industrial chemical accident.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#table\">Covid wastewater:<\/a> Good news.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"helper\"\/><strong>Look for the Helpers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I <em>think<\/em> this is helping:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.66015625\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.3125\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Man warms up bird’s feet to unfreeze! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ngz9uposfi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/ngz9uposfi<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Nature is Amazing \u2618\ufe0f (@AMAZlNGNATURE) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AMAZlNGNATURE\/status\/1868516569296310754\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 16, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Will the other birds reject this bird, since it\u2019s been held by a human?<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>My email address is down by the plant; please send examples of there (\u201cHelpers\u201d in the subject line). In our increasingly desperate and fragile neoliberal society, everyday <em>normal<\/em> incidents and stories of \u201cthe communism of everyday life\u201d are what I am looking for (and not, say, the Red Cross in Hawaii, or even the UNWRA in Gaza).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Biden Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Good ol\u2019 Scranton Joe:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"6.6016713091922\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"15.844011142061\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Michael Conahan took $2,800,000 in bribes from a private prison in exchange for locking up 2300 kids, one of whom committed suicide.<\/p>\n<p>Biden commuted his sentence.<\/p>\n<p>Steven Donziger won a $9 bn lawsuit against Chevron & got locked up for 3.5 in retaliation.<\/p>\n<p>He was not pardoned. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jR1G9Br0gx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/jR1G9Br0gx<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Climate Defiance (@ClimateDefiance) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ClimateDefiance\/status\/1868497823391719574\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 16, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"139.61753021723\">\n<p>\u201cBernie Sanders Warns U.S. Is Becoming an Oligarchy\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/politics\/politics-news\/bernie-sanders-america-oligarchy-1235206685\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Rolling Stone<\/a>]. \u201cBecoming?\u201d \u201c\u2018We are moving rapidly into an oligarchic form of society. Never before in American history have so few billionaires, so few people, have so much wealth and so much power,\u2019 the senator said. \u2018Never before has there been so much concentration of ownership, sector after sector, power of Wall Street,\u2019 he continued. \u2018And never before in American history \u2014 and we better talk about this \u2014 have the people on top had so much political power. We can\u2019t go around the world saying, \u2018Oh, well, you know, in Russia Putin has an oligarchy.\u2019 Well, we got our oligarchy here too.\u2019 \u2026 In a video released Friday, Sanders said, \u2018In 2024, just 150 billionaire families spent nearly $2 billion to purchase candidates.’\u201d \u2022 If only Sanders weren\u2019t the loine voice saying this. If only he had conducted himself such that he <em>wasn\u2019t<\/em> the one voice saying this. It\u2019s tragic.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cDr. Oz Exposed for Colossal, Multimillion-Dollar Conflict of Interest\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/post\/189391\/dr-oz-conflict-interest-stocks-medicare-medicaid?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SF_TNR&utm_source=Twitter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The New Republic<\/a>]. \u201cDr. Mehmet Oz, the daytime television host Donald Trump has picked to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, may have a direct financial stake in three companies that would do business with the agency he intends to run. A review of Oz\u2019s 2022 tax disclosure by Accountable.US revealed that the Trump ally owned up to $26 million stake in Sharecare, a digital health company co-founded by Oz that operates CareLinx, the \u201cexclusive in-home care supplemental benefit program\u201d used by 1.5 million Medicare Advantage enrollees. The company went private in 2024, so it\u2019s unknown whether Oz still owns a stake in the company. Novo Nordisk, which produces Ozempic and Wegovy among other drugs, is also a client of Sharecare. As head of CMS, Oz has considerable impact on the pharmaceutical industry\u2014but with business ties like these, it\u2019s equally likely that these drug companies could have a profound impact on him.\u201d \u2022 $26 million? Oz is a patzer. Surely the same logic applies to every single billionaire in Trump\u2019s cabinet? After all, what is an oligarchy but conflict of interest on the grand scale?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump\u2019s CDC pick wouldn\u2019t let go of false theory vaccines cause autism\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/qYJpN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cA Washington Post review of Weldon\u2019s public comments, media appearances and congressional letters along with accounts of those who worked with him reveal a portrait of a politician and physician who emphasized the experiences of individuals while dismissing dozens of studies based on data from hundreds of thousands of patients that showed no link between vaccines and autism\u2026. And yet, Weldon has also expressed support for coronavirus and flu vaccines in media interviews and private conversations \u2014 offering both shots to patients who want them. His mixed stances on vaccines indicate a willingness to agree with some mainstream public health guidance, some political opponents say\u2026. \u2018I give shots, I believe in vaccination,\u2019 Weldon told <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/qYJpN\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/29\/health\/dave-weldon-cdc.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the New York Times<\/a> in a recent interview. He said both his adult children are fully immunized but declined to say whether he still believes a link exists between autism and vaccines.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. Headline a bit deceptive then.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow Fast Can Trump Enact His 2025 Agenda?\u201d [Ed Kilgore, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/politics\/how-fast-can-trump-enact-his-2025-agenda\/ar-AA1vT3h7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Magazine<\/a>]. \u201cThe key to implementing Trump\u2019s legislative agenda will be the budget-reconciliation process that enables Congress to bypass the Senate filibuster and enact a big package of new laws on an up-or-down party-line vote. This is how Trump got his tax cuts in 2017 and how he tried to repeal Obamacare. Items in a budget-reconciliation bill must be focused on fiscal matters, but it\u2019s still a huge asset to a party that controls the White House and both chambers of Congress. It\u2019s beginning to look like Team Trump wants two budget-reconciliation bills, one focused on authorizing the huge buildup in border-security resources necessary for Trump\u2019s mass deportation of undocumented immigrants and another aimed at extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts. There\u2019s increasing talk of a very quick start on the first bill. Since the 119th Congress will be sworn in on January 3, Congress could get moving on a budget resolution setting up this bill even before Trump takes office.\u201d \u2022 This post provides a useful timeline for Trump\u2019s first year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBehind the Curtain: Creators & destroyers\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/12\/16\/trump-cabinet-picks-creators-destroyers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. \u201cThink of President-elect Trump\u2019s top Cabinet and West Wing officials in two big buckets: The Creators are charged with stoking a booming, AI-enabled economy, including a low jobless rate \u2014 the \u2018golden age of America\u2019 that Trump promised after he won. The Destroyers are the more controversial picks \u2014 wired to disrupt existing institutions, and acting on smoldering grievances against the organizations they\u2019ve been picked to lead. This creators-plus-destroyers dynamic dominates the behind-the-scenes jockeying for jobs and influence. Expect jarring swings between popular, pro-growth moves and ruthless government gutting and payback. It\u2019s the Trump Way.\u201d Interesting binary. More: \u201cThe Creators are concentrated on Trump\u2019s economic team, including Treasury nominee Scott Bessent, a hedge-fund veteran with Wall Street cred.\u201d And: \u201cThe Destroyers are out for revenge \u2014 sometimes for Trump, sometimes for themselves, sometimes born of ideology. Then they\u2019ll rebuild in MAGA\u2019s image. These are picks where Trump has gone with this gut. Trump is hellbent on retribution against the FBI for investigating him. Thus the aggressive pick of hardliner Kash Patel for FBI director. Trump would be happy to return the Pentagon, the biggest bureaucracy of them all, to its roots \u2014 center it around the needs of warfighters, and tear down and rebuild a broken procurement system. A transition source says Trump told Pete Hegseth, his choice for SecDef: \u2018I expect you to do more with less. They\u2019re spending too much money, and we\u2019re not getting anything for all that money.’\u201d Where\u2019s the lie? More: \u201cSo Trump fought back when Hegseth\u2019s confirmation chances looked shaky after a series of damaging articles last month. But a ferocious operation by Trump\u2019s inner circle now has Hegseth on track for confirmation, barring damaging new information. You can see Trump\u2019s deep mistrust of the intelligence community in his selection of former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would bring radically new instincts and priorities to HHS \u2014 and, some public-health critics contend, undermine the mission.\u201d \u2022 Well worth a read.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"doge\"\/>\u201cBringing Elon to a knife fight\u201d [Jennifer Pahlka, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatingpolicy.com\/p\/bringing-elon-to-a-knife-fight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Eating Policy<\/a>]. \u201cA lot of the government tech community is skipping the hand wringing; they\u2019ve basically just grabbed a bag of popcorn and are watching in real time as Elon and Vivek learn all the things they\u2019ve known, lived, and absolutely hated for their entire time in public service. They don\u2019t see DOGE as their savior, but they are feeling vindicated after years of shouting into the void. I am struck by how different the tone of the DOGE conversation is between political leaders on the left and the people who\u2019ve been fighting in the implementation trenches. One group is terrified they\u2019ll succeed. The other is starting to ask a surprising question (or at least I am): What if even billionaires can\u2019t disrupt the system we have built?\u201d \u2022 So far, DOGE is a just a volunteer organization. I could volunteer to reform government too, and even get friends to join the \u201ceffort.\u201d So what? But DOGE is a lot like what Hyman Minksy said about money: \u201cEveryone can create money; the problem is to get it accepted.\u201d How does DOGE get \u201caccepted?\u201d How, exactly, is DOGE going to transition from handwaving potential to kinetic force within (or at least <em>affecting<\/em> government? Nobody seems to ask. Jawboning? Executive orders? <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndustrial and business groups send Trump a deregulatory wish list\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/environment\/story\/2024-12-15\/industrial-polluters-send-trump-a-deregulatory-wish-list\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Los Angeles Times<\/a>]. \u201cMore than a hundred industrial trade groups and chambers of commerce are urging President-elect Donald Trump to weaken or eliminate numerous Biden administration regulations on energy, air pollution, recycling, worker heat protections, consumer safeguards and corporate financing, claiming that the rules are \u2018strangling\u2019 the nation\u2019s economy. In a 21-page letter addressed to Trump and his presumptive Cabinet, the groups requested changes to dozens of \u2018burdensome regulations that are stifling investment, making us less competitive in the world, limiting innovation and threatening the very jobs we are all working to create right here in America.\u2019 Among other actions, the Dec. 5 letter urges Trump to resume exports of liquefied natural gas, support legislation boosting the use of nuclear energy, repeal new emission standards for coal- and gas-fired power plants, relax newly proposed standards for soot and PFAS \u2018forever\u2019 chemicals, pause implementation of worker heat standards, limit the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s food traceability requirements and fight efforts to impose \u2018right-to-repair\u2019 rules, which provide consumers with tools and instructions to fix their damaged electronics instead of throwing them away.\u201d \u2022 What a weird picture of themselves these people must have. Does any CEO sit down and ask themselves, first thing, \u201cHow many jobs can I create?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cClashes Are Coming for Trump Officials Dining Out in DC\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonian.com\/2024\/12\/11\/clashes-are-coming-for-trump-officials-dining-out-in-dc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Washingtonian<\/a>]. \u201cThis time around, with a full Republican sweep of government, an even larger cast of divisive characters, and no Trump Hotel in which to congregate, the MAGA crowd is likely to feel even more omnipresent [(?)] when they swagger into DC. Inevitably, that will lead to clashes in a fiercely blue, politically engaged city where Home Rule is under threat, countless jobs are at risk, and less than 7 percent of voters picked Trump in the first place. \u2018The shift in politics will be visceral across several aspects of daily life. You expect the masses to just ignore RFK eating at Le Diplomate on a Sunday morning after a few mimosas and not to throw a drink in his face?,\u2019 says Zac Hoffman, a DC restaurant veteran who is now a manager at the National Democratic Club (but has never worked at Le Diplomate). Hoffman is concerned that it won\u2019t just be a safety risk or disruption for the officials targeted, but also for restaurant staff and fellow diners. \u2018If you\u2019re just going out for a nice dinner or it\u2019s your anniversary or birthday and, God forbid, RFK Jr. is sitting next to you, now you\u2019re going to be dealing with whatever repercussions happen from that.\u2019 Dining decorum and \u2018civility\u2019 were already hot button issues during the last Trump administration. In 2018, when news about family separations at the border had reached a fever pitch, Democratic congresswoman Maxine Waters called on the public to \u2018push back\u2019 on Trump Cabinet members they encountered in restaurants, department stores, or gas stations and tell them \u2018they\u2019re not welcome anymore, anywhere.\u2019 More recently, liberal activists tried to enlist hospitality workers in aiding with public disruptions. In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, a liberal advocacy group called ShutDownDC\u2014which interrupted Justice Brett Kavanaugh\u2019s dinner at Morton\u2019s steakhouse\u2014offered $250 to DC service workers who shared real-time sightings of other justices involved in the abortion decision.\u201d \u2022 Democrats can\u2019t organize DC into today\u2019s equivalent of Parisian <em>sans culottes<\/em>, oh no no. But they can get some poor waitstaff in trouble so that they can harass some demon figure or other. Pathetic.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"19.691403379868\">\n<p><a name=\"kamala\"\/>\u201cKamala Harris grapples with her future in a wounded Democratic Party\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/politics\/kamala-harris-grapples-with-her-future-in-a-wounded-democratic-party\/ar-AA1vWnyQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cIn the wake of her own 2024 loss, Vice President Kamala Harris and her allies are grappling with what her political future holds and debating whether the unofficial rule still applies \u2014 specifically, whether her first shot at the White House as the Democratic nominee should also be her only one, given the extraordinary circumstances of Harris\u2019s 107-day sprint to Election Day.\u201d And: \u201cSome of her donors and supporters, particularly those in her home state, hope she will run for governor of California in 2026. But in 2015, when she was state attorney general and a rising star deciding on her next move, Harris decided not to seek that job after extensive discussions with advisers. She listed the pros and cons of running for governor versus senator on a legal pad, aides said, concluding that the Senate was a better fit for her interests and her strengths as a former prosecutor. But as soon as she lost to Trump on Nov. 5, some Harris supporters seized on the idea of a gubernatorial run, including wealthy donors eager to see her take a leadership role in such a powerful post. \u2018,\u2019 one Harris confidante said.\u201d\u2022\u00a0Lol. <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/TlrvTKhdX9k?si=-cWq5SzqQ30Pjutj&t=154\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Musical interlude<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"39.088455772114\">\n<p>\u201cProgressives should defend Biden\u2019s legacy to protect their future\u201d [E.J. Dionne, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/pU6Y0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cHe changed the paradigm of economic policy from a view that prosperity stems from rewarding \u2018job creators\u2019 at the top to what he called a \u2018middle-out\u2019 and \u2018bottom-up\u2019 strategy. It wasn\u2019t just a slogan. In recent years, wage growth among low- and middle-income workers has outpaced that of higher-income groups.\u201d But: \u201c[T]he administration\u2019s [failed] to promote the president\u2019s achievements while responding effectively to discontent.\u201d \u2022 Seems to be a full court press:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.4444444444444\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.3333333333333\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We think that this detailed look at what the president did and why will be of interest as we head into the future. We are pleased to bring it to you.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ZAr6IdDPT7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/ZAr6IdDPT7<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 David Dayen (@ddayen) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ddayen\/status\/1868660544816984107\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 16, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d certainly rather see Biden at The Prospect than with those weasels over at the Center for American Progress. That said, I\u2019m with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/economy\/bidenomics-failure-inflation-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">James Galbraith<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"40\">\n<p>At the same time, jobs were beginning to come back\u2014but what jobs? In economic mythology, American life centers on work\u2014on character-building, strength-testing, skill-demanding engagement with the physical world, on the farm, the range, the factory, the construction site or the open road. But most jobs today aren\u2019t like that; practically all new jobs in America for the past 60 years have been in services\u2014in shops, offices, restaurants; in accounting, bookkeeping, maintenance, and other minor professions. Most such jobs are neither secure nor well-paid, and it often takes two or more to sustain a middle-class household. Costs of commuting and child care make many secondary jobs barely profitable to hold. Covid relief and enforced unemployment gave many Americans a break, which they used to reassess their relationship to work. Many decided not to return, which is why the jobless rate fell and remained low, even though the employment-to-population ratio never fully recovered.<\/p>\n<p>As the economy began to open up again, employers needed workers. Vacancies rose. What to do? The option of raising wages (and improving working conditions) is never attractive, since the gains must be given to all workers, not merely those newly hired or rehired. The alternative is to put a squeeze on those who have left the labor force until they feel the pinch and come back, hat in hand, seeking a job. And this could be done, with the complicity of the Biden team, by letting Covid benefits expire, and by hiking interest rates. Price increases, directly boosting profits, also added to the pressure on the not-employed. Is it a surprise that people do not like being pressured to take \u201cbullshit jobs\u201d?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Or as <a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/joe-biden-bidenomics-economy-inflation-unemployment-1851721053\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Quartz summarizes<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"18\">\n<p>Galbraith comes from the left to suggest the problem with Bidenomics is not what it accomplished, but what it didn\u2019t do: It didn\u2019t generate much better pay for low-wage service jobs, it didn\u2019t put to rest the fear many Americans have that their jobs are not secure, and it didn\u2019t reverse the decline in real purchasing power.<\/p>\n<p>Despite all the stimulus money, despite all the investment in infrastructure and construction jobs, and all the support \u2014 now ended \u2014 to give people healthcare and housing assistance \u2014 the rich were simply getting richer while the average Joe or Jane was still just one paycheck away from disaster.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\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><a name=\"mask\"\/>Maskstravaganza<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"4.7901234567901\">\n<p>Symbols aren\u2019t tools?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.3180428134557\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"9.480122324159\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Masks \/ Respirators are *tools* to drastically reduce the risk of infection from airborne pathogens. Their transformation into political and sociological *symbols* has been a huge hindrance to addressing risk. Demonising *individuals* who do or do not mask just makes this worse.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Conor Browne (@brownecfm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/brownecfm\/status\/1867539271034286249\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Symbol manipulators surely believe symbols are tools.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.875984251969\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6363636363636\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span>This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 9<\/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-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284043\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2-300x186.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-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><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6417910447761\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong> Variants<\/strong> [3] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> 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> December 7<\/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-er-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283866\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-er-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-er-natl-300x157.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 13:<\/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 12:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8-300x189.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283867\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1-283x300.png 283w\" 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=\"2.5714285714286\">\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> December 7:<\/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\/12\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283870\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-300x203.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=\"3.6\">\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 25:<\/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 25:<\/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-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283868\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2-300x188.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-variants-travelers-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283869\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1.png 1902w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-300x211.png 300w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-1024x719.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-768x539.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-1536x1079.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-624x438.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1902px) 100vw, 1902px\"\/><\/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=\"168.67852834741\">\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) Up generally, seeing a little more red, but nothing new at the major international hubs. Interestingly, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.calculatedriskblog.com\/2024\/12\/december-13th-covid-update-covid-in.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Calculated Risk is watching wastewater too<\/a>.<\/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) A little uptick.<\/p>\n<p>[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Leveled out.<\/p>\n<p>[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[8] (Cleveland) Up!<\/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>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States NY Empire State Manufacturing Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/ny-empire-state-manufacturing-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe NY Empire State Manufacturing Index fell to 0.20 in December 2024 from 31.2 in November which was the highest reading since December 2021, and well below forecasts of 12. The reading showed business activity in the NY state held steady, following a big rise in the previous month.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing\u2019s Year of Crisis Leaves Investors Wary of Beaten-Up Stock\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/boeing-crisis-leaves-investors-wary-130000093.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201d What was supposed to be a comeback year for Boeing Co. has turned into its worst stock-market plunge since 2008, and if Wall Street is right, the plane-maker\u2019s shares may have only a modest recovery in store in 2025\u2026. The stock is down 35% this year, placing it among the 20 biggest decliners in the S&P 500 Index. The shares have stabilized over the past month, but investors remain wary. They point to the string of crises in 2024 that shook their confidence in Boeing\u2019s prospects and the risk that it will suffer should trade friction build anew under President-elect Donald Trump. \u2018Just staying out of the news would be a win for Boeing at this point,\u2019 said Eric Clark, portfolio manager of the Rational Dynamic Brands Fund.\u201d \u2022\u00a0And speaking of public relations\u2013<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cPig Stench Causes KLM Boeing 787-9 To Divert To Bermuda\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/pig-stench-klm-boeing-787-9-divert-bermuda\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Simple Flying<\/a>]. \u201cKLM Flight 685 was diverted to Bermuda after the smell of a herd of swine from below decks wafted through the cabin\u2026. The crew reported an \u201cobnoxious smell from cargo coming from pigs probably, which may have something to do with the oxygen environment in the cockpit.\u2019\u2026. The diversion was not an emergency. There was no Mayday call, no PAN call, and no emergency services were required. The pigs were unloaded and taken to a \u201csecure location at the island during their impromptu holiday stayover.\u201d \u2022 Obviously not Boeing\u2019s fault, but they can\u2019t catch a break, can they?<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Delays Mean Trump Won\u2019t Fly on a New Air Force One\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/politics\/boeing-delays-mean-trump-won-t-fly-on-a-new-air-force-one\/ar-AA1vLAm8?ocid=iehpELMEMhx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cPresident-elect Donald Trump didn\u2019t get to fly on a new Air Force One during his first term. He likely won\u2019t get to fly on a new presidential plane in his second term, either. The long-delayed project has fallen so far behind schedule that Boeing has told the Air Force that it expects to deliver the new jets after Trump leaves the White House, according to people familiar with the matter. That means the airplanes wouldn\u2019t be ready until 2029 or later. Frustrated with the delays, Trump raised the project with Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg when the two men had a phone conversation in November. As he prepares to return to the White House, Trump has repeatedly asked advisers about the status of Boeing\u2019s work.Boeing used to be a great American company, he has told aides, according to people briefed on the discussions. What happened to them? Trump has asked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Bezzle: Why don\u2019t we have a Strategic Baseball Card Reserve?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.720207253886\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.7720207253886\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Charles Schwab says Bitcoin could hit $500,000 \u2013 $1 million if Trump establishes a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BLKN2STIqb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/BLKN2STIqb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/unusual_whales\/status\/1868370692233957732\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 15, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Can anybody explain to me what is \u201cStrategic\u201d about a \u201cStrategic Bitcorn Reserve,\u201d and why it\u2019s not simply an outright subsidy to these crooks and fraudsters?<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 56 Greed (previous close: 50 Neutral) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 48 (Neutral). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 16 at 1:19:55 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p>Rapture Index: Closes down one on Plagues. \u201cThe lack of activity has downgraded this category\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.raptureready.com\/rapture-ready-index\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Rapture Ready<\/a>]. Record High, October 10, 2016: 189. Current: 182. (Remember that bringing on the Rapture is good.) \u2022 Hard to believe the Rapture Index is going <em>down<\/em>. Doesn\u2019t the collapse of Syria bring the Third Temple closer? Do these people know something we don\u2019t?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>David with the head of Goliath:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.264367816092\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.0459770114943\">\n<p lang=\"it\" dir=\"ltr\">Caravaggio <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vA3No66R05\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/vA3No66R05<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Art Gallery (@X_ArtGallery) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/X_ArtGallery\/status\/1868283627160981975\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 15, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Chairoscuro!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe right believes the healthcare CEO shooting suspect is a \u2018liberal wacko\u2019. The truth is complicated\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2024\/dec\/16\/unitedhealthcare-suspect-political-beliefs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Guardian<\/a>]. \u201cTrump, with his undeniable knack for tapping into the anger and concerns of his supporters, has noticeably been silent on Thompson\u2019s killing\u2026. It is revealing that Trump, the arch-populist, has stayed silent. The incoming president, so good at riding the waves of public opinion, has at times been a fierce critic of healthcare companies himself\u2026. \u2018For years, patients have been shocked to receive unexpected bills for thousands of dollars in medical services they never agreed to. The first America First Healthcare Plan bans this deeply unfair practice. We will end surprise medical billing. The days of ripping off American patients are over,\u2019 Trump said in North Carolina in 2020, announcing an ultimately doomed effort to rein in the likes of UnitedHealthcare\u2026. \u2018President Donald J Trump is very shrewd, and he understands what is happening here. He understands that it\u2019s his base too. So he\u2019s going to be very calculated,\u2019 [Nina] Turner said.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"tech\">\u201cNever Forgive Them\u201d [Ed Zitron, <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wheresyoured.at\/never-forgive-them\/?ref=ed-zitrons-wheres-your-ed-at-newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Where\u2019s Your Ed At?<\/a>] An impressive rant, worth reading in full. This caught my eye: \u201cI\u2019m not writing this to complain, but because I believe \u2014 as I hinted at a few weeks ago \u2014 that we are in the midst of the largest-scale ecological disaster of our time, because almost every single interaction with technology, which is required to live in modern society, has become actively adversarial to the user. These issues hit everything we do, all the time, a constant onslaught of interference, and I believe it\u2019s so much bigger than just social media and algorithms \u2014 though they\u2019re a big part of it, of course. In plain terms, everybody is being fucked with constantly in tiny little ways by most apps and services, and I believe that billions of people being fucked with at once in all of these ways has profound psychological and social consequences that we\u2019re not meaningfully discussing. The average person\u2019s experience with technology is one so aggressive and violative that I believe it leaves billions of people with a consistent low-grade trauma. We seem, as a society, capable of understanding that social media can hurt us, unsettle us, or make us feel crazed and angry, but I think it\u2019s time to accept that the rest of the tech ecosystem undermines our wellbeing in an equally-insidious way. And most people don\u2019t know it\u2019s happening, because everybody has accepted deeply shitty conditions for the last ten years.\u201d And: \u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t people feel insane? Why wouldn\u2019t the internet, where we\u2019re mostly forced to live, drive most people crazy? How are we not discussing the fact that so much of the internet is riddled with poison? How are we not treating the current state of the tech industry like an industrial chemical accident? Is it because there are too many people at fault? Is it because fixing it would require us to truly interrogate the fabric of a capitalist death cult?\u201d\u2022 He\u2019s not wrong, is he?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow Silicon Valley is disrupting democracy\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.technologyreview.com\/2024\/12\/13\/1108459\/book-review-silicon-valley-democracy-techlash-rob-lalka-venture-alchemists-marietje-schaake-tech-coup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MIT Technology Review<\/a>]. \u201cOne thing [Rob Lalka\u2019s The Venture Alchemists] is particularly effective at is deflating the myth that these entrepreneurs were somehow gifted seers of (and investors in) a future the rest of us simply couldn\u2019t comprehend or predict. Sure, someone like Thiel made what turned out to be a savvy investment in Facebook early on, but he also made some very costly mistakes with that stake. As Lalka points out, Thiel\u2019s Founders Fund dumped tens of millions of shares shortly after Facebook went public, and Thiel himself went from owning 2.5% of the company in 2012 to 0.000004% less than a decade later (around the same time Facebook hit its trillion-dollar valuation). Throw in his objectively terrible wagers in 2008, 2009, and beyond, when he effectively shorted what turned out to be one of the longest bull markets in world history, and you get the impression he\u2019s less oracle and more ideologue who happened to take some big risks that paid off.\u201d \u2022 And that\u2019s before we get to Marc Andreessen.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cA Blind Beetle Named Hitler?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/daily.jstor.org\/a-blind-beetle-named-hitler\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">JSTOR<\/a>]. \u201cNaming species is no simple task: a scientist doesn\u2019t just assign a name and call it a day. Taxonomy is a carefully structured process governed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/1625546?mag=a-blind-beetle-named-hitler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">strict international rules<\/a> such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iaptglobal.org\/icn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">International Code of Nomenclature<\/a> for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/24084095?mag=a-blind-beetle-named-hitler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">algae, fungi and plants<\/a>.\u201d Dang. Algae should be honorary plants, too. More: \u201cOne example is Anophthalmus hitleri, a blind beetle. The species was named by amateur Austrian entomologist Oskar Scheibel as a tribute to Adolf Hitler\u2026 Today the beetle is critically endangered, partly because of its appeal to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/12\/26\/science\/taxonomy-beetle-insects-hitler.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">those who collect Nazi memorabilia<\/a>. The enduring legacy of racist, offensive terms in scientific nomenclature raises important questions about ethics in naming and the power of language in maintaining or dismantling colonial legacies.\u201d \u2022 Leave the name. It\u2019s karma.<\/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 WB: <\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/garlic.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"827\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284041\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/garlic.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/garlic-218x300.jpg 218w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>WB writes: \u201cOur garlic chives are getting ready for winter.\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\/guest-post\" rel=\"category tag\">Guest Post<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-16-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-16T14:00:37-05:00\">December 16, 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\/misperceptions-and-demand-for-democracy-under-authoritarianism.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> Misperceptions and Demand For Democracy under Authoritarianism<\/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-12-16-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day Northern Mockingbird, Quitman Farm, Brooks, Georgia, United States. * * * In Case You Might<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88521,"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-88520","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\/88520","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=88520"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88520\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88520"}],"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, Quitman Farm, Brooks, Georgia, United States.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#doge\">DOGE<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#kamala\">Kamala\u2019s future<\/a>. If any.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#tech\">The state of tech<\/a>: like industrial chemical accident.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#table\">Covid wastewater:<\/a> Good news.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"helper\"\/><strong>Look for the Helpers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I <em>think<\/em> this is helping:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.66015625\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.3125\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Man warms up bird’s feet to unfreeze! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ngz9uposfi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/ngz9uposfi<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Nature is Amazing \u2618\ufe0f (@AMAZlNGNATURE) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AMAZlNGNATURE\/status\/1868516569296310754\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 16, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Will the other birds reject this bird, since it\u2019s been held by a human?<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>My email address is down by the plant; please send examples of there (\u201cHelpers\u201d in the subject line). In our increasingly desperate and fragile neoliberal society, everyday <em>normal<\/em> incidents and stories of \u201cthe communism of everyday life\u201d are what I am looking for (and not, say, the Red Cross in Hawaii, or even the UNWRA in Gaza).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Biden Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Good ol\u2019 Scranton Joe:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"6.6016713091922\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"15.844011142061\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Michael Conahan took $2,800,000 in bribes from a private prison in exchange for locking up 2300 kids, one of whom committed suicide.<\/p>\n<p>Biden commuted his sentence.<\/p>\n<p>Steven Donziger won a $9 bn lawsuit against Chevron & got locked up for 3.5 in retaliation.<\/p>\n<p>He was not pardoned. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jR1G9Br0gx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/jR1G9Br0gx<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Climate Defiance (@ClimateDefiance) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ClimateDefiance\/status\/1868497823391719574\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 16, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"139.61753021723\">\n<p>\u201cBernie Sanders Warns U.S. Is Becoming an Oligarchy\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/politics\/politics-news\/bernie-sanders-america-oligarchy-1235206685\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Rolling Stone<\/a>]. \u201cBecoming?\u201d \u201c\u2018We are moving rapidly into an oligarchic form of society. Never before in American history have so few billionaires, so few people, have so much wealth and so much power,\u2019 the senator said. \u2018Never before has there been so much concentration of ownership, sector after sector, power of Wall Street,\u2019 he continued. \u2018And never before in American history \u2014 and we better talk about this \u2014 have the people on top had so much political power. We can\u2019t go around the world saying, \u2018Oh, well, you know, in Russia Putin has an oligarchy.\u2019 Well, we got our oligarchy here too.\u2019 \u2026 In a video released Friday, Sanders said, \u2018In 2024, just 150 billionaire families spent nearly $2 billion to purchase candidates.’\u201d \u2022 If only Sanders weren\u2019t the loine voice saying this. If only he had conducted himself such that he <em>wasn\u2019t<\/em> the one voice saying this. It\u2019s tragic.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cDr. Oz Exposed for Colossal, Multimillion-Dollar Conflict of Interest\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/post\/189391\/dr-oz-conflict-interest-stocks-medicare-medicaid?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SF_TNR&utm_source=Twitter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The New Republic<\/a>]. \u201cDr. Mehmet Oz, the daytime television host Donald Trump has picked to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, may have a direct financial stake in three companies that would do business with the agency he intends to run. A review of Oz\u2019s 2022 tax disclosure by Accountable.US revealed that the Trump ally owned up to $26 million stake in Sharecare, a digital health company co-founded by Oz that operates CareLinx, the \u201cexclusive in-home care supplemental benefit program\u201d used by 1.5 million Medicare Advantage enrollees. The company went private in 2024, so it\u2019s unknown whether Oz still owns a stake in the company. Novo Nordisk, which produces Ozempic and Wegovy among other drugs, is also a client of Sharecare. As head of CMS, Oz has considerable impact on the pharmaceutical industry\u2014but with business ties like these, it\u2019s equally likely that these drug companies could have a profound impact on him.\u201d \u2022 $26 million? Oz is a patzer. Surely the same logic applies to every single billionaire in Trump\u2019s cabinet? After all, what is an oligarchy but conflict of interest on the grand scale?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump\u2019s CDC pick wouldn\u2019t let go of false theory vaccines cause autism\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/qYJpN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cA Washington Post review of Weldon\u2019s public comments, media appearances and congressional letters along with accounts of those who worked with him reveal a portrait of a politician and physician who emphasized the experiences of individuals while dismissing dozens of studies based on data from hundreds of thousands of patients that showed no link between vaccines and autism\u2026. And yet, Weldon has also expressed support for coronavirus and flu vaccines in media interviews and private conversations \u2014 offering both shots to patients who want them. His mixed stances on vaccines indicate a willingness to agree with some mainstream public health guidance, some political opponents say\u2026. \u2018I give shots, I believe in vaccination,\u2019 Weldon told <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/qYJpN\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/29\/health\/dave-weldon-cdc.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the New York Times<\/a> in a recent interview. He said both his adult children are fully immunized but declined to say whether he still believes a link exists between autism and vaccines.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. Headline a bit deceptive then.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow Fast Can Trump Enact His 2025 Agenda?\u201d [Ed Kilgore, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/politics\/how-fast-can-trump-enact-his-2025-agenda\/ar-AA1vT3h7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Magazine<\/a>]. \u201cThe key to implementing Trump\u2019s legislative agenda will be the budget-reconciliation process that enables Congress to bypass the Senate filibuster and enact a big package of new laws on an up-or-down party-line vote. This is how Trump got his tax cuts in 2017 and how he tried to repeal Obamacare. Items in a budget-reconciliation bill must be focused on fiscal matters, but it\u2019s still a huge asset to a party that controls the White House and both chambers of Congress. It\u2019s beginning to look like Team Trump wants two budget-reconciliation bills, one focused on authorizing the huge buildup in border-security resources necessary for Trump\u2019s mass deportation of undocumented immigrants and another aimed at extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts. There\u2019s increasing talk of a very quick start on the first bill. Since the 119th Congress will be sworn in on January 3, Congress could get moving on a budget resolution setting up this bill even before Trump takes office.\u201d \u2022 This post provides a useful timeline for Trump\u2019s first year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBehind the Curtain: Creators & destroyers\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/12\/16\/trump-cabinet-picks-creators-destroyers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. \u201cThink of President-elect Trump\u2019s top Cabinet and West Wing officials in two big buckets: The Creators are charged with stoking a booming, AI-enabled economy, including a low jobless rate \u2014 the \u2018golden age of America\u2019 that Trump promised after he won. The Destroyers are the more controversial picks \u2014 wired to disrupt existing institutions, and acting on smoldering grievances against the organizations they\u2019ve been picked to lead. This creators-plus-destroyers dynamic dominates the behind-the-scenes jockeying for jobs and influence. Expect jarring swings between popular, pro-growth moves and ruthless government gutting and payback. It\u2019s the Trump Way.\u201d Interesting binary. More: \u201cThe Creators are concentrated on Trump\u2019s economic team, including Treasury nominee Scott Bessent, a hedge-fund veteran with Wall Street cred.\u201d And: \u201cThe Destroyers are out for revenge \u2014 sometimes for Trump, sometimes for themselves, sometimes born of ideology. Then they\u2019ll rebuild in MAGA\u2019s image. These are picks where Trump has gone with this gut. Trump is hellbent on retribution against the FBI for investigating him. Thus the aggressive pick of hardliner Kash Patel for FBI director. Trump would be happy to return the Pentagon, the biggest bureaucracy of them all, to its roots \u2014 center it around the needs of warfighters, and tear down and rebuild a broken procurement system. A transition source says Trump told Pete Hegseth, his choice for SecDef: \u2018I expect you to do more with less. They\u2019re spending too much money, and we\u2019re not getting anything for all that money.’\u201d Where\u2019s the lie? More: \u201cSo Trump fought back when Hegseth\u2019s confirmation chances looked shaky after a series of damaging articles last month. But a ferocious operation by Trump\u2019s inner circle now has Hegseth on track for confirmation, barring damaging new information. You can see Trump\u2019s deep mistrust of the intelligence community in his selection of former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would bring radically new instincts and priorities to HHS \u2014 and, some public-health critics contend, undermine the mission.\u201d \u2022 Well worth a read.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"doge\"\/>\u201cBringing Elon to a knife fight\u201d [Jennifer Pahlka, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatingpolicy.com\/p\/bringing-elon-to-a-knife-fight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Eating Policy<\/a>]. \u201cA lot of the government tech community is skipping the hand wringing; they\u2019ve basically just grabbed a bag of popcorn and are watching in real time as Elon and Vivek learn all the things they\u2019ve known, lived, and absolutely hated for their entire time in public service. They don\u2019t see DOGE as their savior, but they are feeling vindicated after years of shouting into the void. I am struck by how different the tone of the DOGE conversation is between political leaders on the left and the people who\u2019ve been fighting in the implementation trenches. One group is terrified they\u2019ll succeed. The other is starting to ask a surprising question (or at least I am): What if even billionaires can\u2019t disrupt the system we have built?\u201d \u2022 So far, DOGE is a just a volunteer organization. I could volunteer to reform government too, and even get friends to join the \u201ceffort.\u201d So what? But DOGE is a lot like what Hyman Minksy said about money: \u201cEveryone can create money; the problem is to get it accepted.\u201d How does DOGE get \u201caccepted?\u201d How, exactly, is DOGE going to transition from handwaving potential to kinetic force within (or at least <em>affecting<\/em> government? Nobody seems to ask. Jawboning? Executive orders? <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndustrial and business groups send Trump a deregulatory wish list\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/environment\/story\/2024-12-15\/industrial-polluters-send-trump-a-deregulatory-wish-list\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Los Angeles Times<\/a>]. \u201cMore than a hundred industrial trade groups and chambers of commerce are urging President-elect Donald Trump to weaken or eliminate numerous Biden administration regulations on energy, air pollution, recycling, worker heat protections, consumer safeguards and corporate financing, claiming that the rules are \u2018strangling\u2019 the nation\u2019s economy. In a 21-page letter addressed to Trump and his presumptive Cabinet, the groups requested changes to dozens of \u2018burdensome regulations that are stifling investment, making us less competitive in the world, limiting innovation and threatening the very jobs we are all working to create right here in America.\u2019 Among other actions, the Dec. 5 letter urges Trump to resume exports of liquefied natural gas, support legislation boosting the use of nuclear energy, repeal new emission standards for coal- and gas-fired power plants, relax newly proposed standards for soot and PFAS \u2018forever\u2019 chemicals, pause implementation of worker heat standards, limit the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s food traceability requirements and fight efforts to impose \u2018right-to-repair\u2019 rules, which provide consumers with tools and instructions to fix their damaged electronics instead of throwing them away.\u201d \u2022 What a weird picture of themselves these people must have. Does any CEO sit down and ask themselves, first thing, \u201cHow many jobs can I create?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cClashes Are Coming for Trump Officials Dining Out in DC\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonian.com\/2024\/12\/11\/clashes-are-coming-for-trump-officials-dining-out-in-dc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Washingtonian<\/a>]. \u201cThis time around, with a full Republican sweep of government, an even larger cast of divisive characters, and no Trump Hotel in which to congregate, the MAGA crowd is likely to feel even more omnipresent [(?)] when they swagger into DC. Inevitably, that will lead to clashes in a fiercely blue, politically engaged city where Home Rule is under threat, countless jobs are at risk, and less than 7 percent of voters picked Trump in the first place. \u2018The shift in politics will be visceral across several aspects of daily life. You expect the masses to just ignore RFK eating at Le Diplomate on a Sunday morning after a few mimosas and not to throw a drink in his face?,\u2019 says Zac Hoffman, a DC restaurant veteran who is now a manager at the National Democratic Club (but has never worked at Le Diplomate). Hoffman is concerned that it won\u2019t just be a safety risk or disruption for the officials targeted, but also for restaurant staff and fellow diners. \u2018If you\u2019re just going out for a nice dinner or it\u2019s your anniversary or birthday and, God forbid, RFK Jr. is sitting next to you, now you\u2019re going to be dealing with whatever repercussions happen from that.\u2019 Dining decorum and \u2018civility\u2019 were already hot button issues during the last Trump administration. In 2018, when news about family separations at the border had reached a fever pitch, Democratic congresswoman Maxine Waters called on the public to \u2018push back\u2019 on Trump Cabinet members they encountered in restaurants, department stores, or gas stations and tell them \u2018they\u2019re not welcome anymore, anywhere.\u2019 More recently, liberal activists tried to enlist hospitality workers in aiding with public disruptions. In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, a liberal advocacy group called ShutDownDC\u2014which interrupted Justice Brett Kavanaugh\u2019s dinner at Morton\u2019s steakhouse\u2014offered $250 to DC service workers who shared real-time sightings of other justices involved in the abortion decision.\u201d \u2022 Democrats can\u2019t organize DC into today\u2019s equivalent of Parisian <em>sans culottes<\/em>, oh no no. But they can get some poor waitstaff in trouble so that they can harass some demon figure or other. Pathetic.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"19.691403379868\">\n<p><a name=\"kamala\"\/>\u201cKamala Harris grapples with her future in a wounded Democratic Party\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/politics\/kamala-harris-grapples-with-her-future-in-a-wounded-democratic-party\/ar-AA1vWnyQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cIn the wake of her own 2024 loss, Vice President Kamala Harris and her allies are grappling with what her political future holds and debating whether the unofficial rule still applies \u2014 specifically, whether her first shot at the White House as the Democratic nominee should also be her only one, given the extraordinary circumstances of Harris\u2019s 107-day sprint to Election Day.\u201d And: \u201cSome of her donors and supporters, particularly those in her home state, hope she will run for governor of California in 2026. But in 2015, when she was state attorney general and a rising star deciding on her next move, Harris decided not to seek that job after extensive discussions with advisers. She listed the pros and cons of running for governor versus senator on a legal pad, aides said, concluding that the Senate was a better fit for her interests and her strengths as a former prosecutor. But as soon as she lost to Trump on Nov. 5, some Harris supporters seized on the idea of a gubernatorial run, including wealthy donors eager to see her take a leadership role in such a powerful post. \u2018,\u2019 one Harris confidante said.\u201d\u2022\u00a0Lol. <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/TlrvTKhdX9k?si=-cWq5SzqQ30Pjutj&t=154\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Musical interlude<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"39.088455772114\">\n<p>\u201cProgressives should defend Biden\u2019s legacy to protect their future\u201d [E.J. Dionne, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/pU6Y0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cHe changed the paradigm of economic policy from a view that prosperity stems from rewarding \u2018job creators\u2019 at the top to what he called a \u2018middle-out\u2019 and \u2018bottom-up\u2019 strategy. It wasn\u2019t just a slogan. In recent years, wage growth among low- and middle-income workers has outpaced that of higher-income groups.\u201d But: \u201c[T]he administration\u2019s [failed] to promote the president\u2019s achievements while responding effectively to discontent.\u201d \u2022 Seems to be a full court press:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.4444444444444\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.3333333333333\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We think that this detailed look at what the president did and why will be of interest as we head into the future. We are pleased to bring it to you.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ZAr6IdDPT7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/ZAr6IdDPT7<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 David Dayen (@ddayen) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ddayen\/status\/1868660544816984107\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 16, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d certainly rather see Biden at The Prospect than with those weasels over at the Center for American Progress. That said, I\u2019m with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/economy\/bidenomics-failure-inflation-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">James Galbraith<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"40\">\n<p>At the same time, jobs were beginning to come back\u2014but what jobs? In economic mythology, American life centers on work\u2014on character-building, strength-testing, skill-demanding engagement with the physical world, on the farm, the range, the factory, the construction site or the open road. But most jobs today aren\u2019t like that; practically all new jobs in America for the past 60 years have been in services\u2014in shops, offices, restaurants; in accounting, bookkeeping, maintenance, and other minor professions. Most such jobs are neither secure nor well-paid, and it often takes two or more to sustain a middle-class household. Costs of commuting and child care make many secondary jobs barely profitable to hold. Covid relief and enforced unemployment gave many Americans a break, which they used to reassess their relationship to work. Many decided not to return, which is why the jobless rate fell and remained low, even though the employment-to-population ratio never fully recovered.<\/p>\n<p>As the economy began to open up again, employers needed workers. Vacancies rose. What to do? The option of raising wages (and improving working conditions) is never attractive, since the gains must be given to all workers, not merely those newly hired or rehired. The alternative is to put a squeeze on those who have left the labor force until they feel the pinch and come back, hat in hand, seeking a job. And this could be done, with the complicity of the Biden team, by letting Covid benefits expire, and by hiking interest rates. Price increases, directly boosting profits, also added to the pressure on the not-employed. Is it a surprise that people do not like being pressured to take \u201cbullshit jobs\u201d?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Or as <a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/joe-biden-bidenomics-economy-inflation-unemployment-1851721053\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Quartz summarizes<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"18\">\n<p>Galbraith comes from the left to suggest the problem with Bidenomics is not what it accomplished, but what it didn\u2019t do: It didn\u2019t generate much better pay for low-wage service jobs, it didn\u2019t put to rest the fear many Americans have that their jobs are not secure, and it didn\u2019t reverse the decline in real purchasing power.<\/p>\n<p>Despite all the stimulus money, despite all the investment in infrastructure and construction jobs, and all the support \u2014 now ended \u2014 to give people healthcare and housing assistance \u2014 the rich were simply getting richer while the average Joe or Jane was still just one paycheck away from disaster.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\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><a name=\"mask\"\/>Maskstravaganza<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"4.7901234567901\">\n<p>Symbols aren\u2019t tools?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.3180428134557\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"9.480122324159\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Masks \/ Respirators are *tools* to drastically reduce the risk of infection from airborne pathogens. Their transformation into political and sociological *symbols* has been a huge hindrance to addressing risk. Demonising *individuals* who do or do not mask just makes this worse.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Conor Browne (@brownecfm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/brownecfm\/status\/1867539271034286249\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Symbol manipulators surely believe symbols are tools.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.875984251969\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6363636363636\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span>This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 9<\/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-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284043\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2-300x186.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-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><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6417910447761\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong> Variants<\/strong> [3] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> 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> December 7<\/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-er-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283866\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-er-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-er-natl-300x157.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 13:<\/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 12:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8-300x189.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283867\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1-283x300.png 283w\" 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=\"2.5714285714286\">\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> December 7:<\/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\/12\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283870\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-300x203.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=\"3.6\">\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 25:<\/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 25:<\/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-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283868\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2-300x188.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-variants-travelers-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283869\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1.png 1902w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-300x211.png 300w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-1024x719.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-768x539.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-1536x1079.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-624x438.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1902px) 100vw, 1902px\"\/><\/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=\"168.67852834741\">\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) Up generally, seeing a little more red, but nothing new at the major international hubs. Interestingly, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.calculatedriskblog.com\/2024\/12\/december-13th-covid-update-covid-in.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Calculated Risk is watching wastewater too<\/a>.<\/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) A little uptick.<\/p>\n<p>[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Leveled out.<\/p>\n<p>[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[8] (Cleveland) Up!<\/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>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States NY Empire State Manufacturing Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/ny-empire-state-manufacturing-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe NY Empire State Manufacturing Index fell to 0.20 in December 2024 from 31.2 in November which was the highest reading since December 2021, and well below forecasts of 12. The reading showed business activity in the NY state held steady, following a big rise in the previous month.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing\u2019s Year of Crisis Leaves Investors Wary of Beaten-Up Stock\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/boeing-crisis-leaves-investors-wary-130000093.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201d What was supposed to be a comeback year for Boeing Co. has turned into its worst stock-market plunge since 2008, and if Wall Street is right, the plane-maker\u2019s shares may have only a modest recovery in store in 2025\u2026. The stock is down 35% this year, placing it among the 20 biggest decliners in the S&P 500 Index. The shares have stabilized over the past month, but investors remain wary. They point to the string of crises in 2024 that shook their confidence in Boeing\u2019s prospects and the risk that it will suffer should trade friction build anew under President-elect Donald Trump. \u2018Just staying out of the news would be a win for Boeing at this point,\u2019 said Eric Clark, portfolio manager of the Rational Dynamic Brands Fund.\u201d \u2022\u00a0And speaking of public relations\u2013<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cPig Stench Causes KLM Boeing 787-9 To Divert To Bermuda\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/pig-stench-klm-boeing-787-9-divert-bermuda\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Simple Flying<\/a>]. \u201cKLM Flight 685 was diverted to Bermuda after the smell of a herd of swine from below decks wafted through the cabin\u2026. The crew reported an \u201cobnoxious smell from cargo coming from pigs probably, which may have something to do with the oxygen environment in the cockpit.\u2019\u2026. The diversion was not an emergency. There was no Mayday call, no PAN call, and no emergency services were required. The pigs were unloaded and taken to a \u201csecure location at the island during their impromptu holiday stayover.\u201d \u2022 Obviously not Boeing\u2019s fault, but they can\u2019t catch a break, can they?<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Delays Mean Trump Won\u2019t Fly on a New Air Force One\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/politics\/boeing-delays-mean-trump-won-t-fly-on-a-new-air-force-one\/ar-AA1vLAm8?ocid=iehpELMEMhx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cPresident-elect Donald Trump didn\u2019t get to fly on a new Air Force One during his first term. He likely won\u2019t get to fly on a new presidential plane in his second term, either. The long-delayed project has fallen so far behind schedule that Boeing has told the Air Force that it expects to deliver the new jets after Trump leaves the White House, according to people familiar with the matter. That means the airplanes wouldn\u2019t be ready until 2029 or later. Frustrated with the delays, Trump raised the project with Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg when the two men had a phone conversation in November. As he prepares to return to the White House, Trump has repeatedly asked advisers about the status of Boeing\u2019s work.Boeing used to be a great American company, he has told aides, according to people briefed on the discussions. What happened to them? Trump has asked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Bezzle: Why don\u2019t we have a Strategic Baseball Card Reserve?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.720207253886\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.7720207253886\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Charles Schwab says Bitcoin could hit $500,000 \u2013 $1 million if Trump establishes a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BLKN2STIqb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/BLKN2STIqb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/unusual_whales\/status\/1868370692233957732\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 15, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Can anybody explain to me what is \u201cStrategic\u201d about a \u201cStrategic Bitcorn Reserve,\u201d and why it\u2019s not simply an outright subsidy to these crooks and fraudsters?<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 56 Greed (previous close: 50 Neutral) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 48 (Neutral). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 16 at 1:19:55 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p>Rapture Index: Closes down one on Plagues. \u201cThe lack of activity has downgraded this category\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.raptureready.com\/rapture-ready-index\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Rapture Ready<\/a>]. Record High, October 10, 2016: 189. Current: 182. (Remember that bringing on the Rapture is good.) \u2022 Hard to believe the Rapture Index is going <em>down<\/em>. Doesn\u2019t the collapse of Syria bring the Third Temple closer? Do these people know something we don\u2019t?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>David with the head of Goliath:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.264367816092\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.0459770114943\">\n<p lang=\"it\" dir=\"ltr\">Caravaggio <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vA3No66R05\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/vA3No66R05<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Art Gallery (@X_ArtGallery) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/X_ArtGallery\/status\/1868283627160981975\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 15, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Chairoscuro!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe right believes the healthcare CEO shooting suspect is a \u2018liberal wacko\u2019. The truth is complicated\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2024\/dec\/16\/unitedhealthcare-suspect-political-beliefs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Guardian<\/a>]. \u201cTrump, with his undeniable knack for tapping into the anger and concerns of his supporters, has noticeably been silent on Thompson\u2019s killing\u2026. It is revealing that Trump, the arch-populist, has stayed silent. The incoming president, so good at riding the waves of public opinion, has at times been a fierce critic of healthcare companies himself\u2026. \u2018For years, patients have been shocked to receive unexpected bills for thousands of dollars in medical services they never agreed to. The first America First Healthcare Plan bans this deeply unfair practice. We will end surprise medical billing. The days of ripping off American patients are over,\u2019 Trump said in North Carolina in 2020, announcing an ultimately doomed effort to rein in the likes of UnitedHealthcare\u2026. \u2018President Donald J Trump is very shrewd, and he understands what is happening here. He understands that it\u2019s his base too. So he\u2019s going to be very calculated,\u2019 [Nina] Turner said.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"tech\">\u201cNever Forgive Them\u201d [Ed Zitron, <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wheresyoured.at\/never-forgive-them\/?ref=ed-zitrons-wheres-your-ed-at-newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Where\u2019s Your Ed At?<\/a>] An impressive rant, worth reading in full. This caught my eye: \u201cI\u2019m not writing this to complain, but because I believe \u2014 as I hinted at a few weeks ago \u2014 that we are in the midst of the largest-scale ecological disaster of our time, because almost every single interaction with technology, which is required to live in modern society, has become actively adversarial to the user. These issues hit everything we do, all the time, a constant onslaught of interference, and I believe it\u2019s so much bigger than just social media and algorithms \u2014 though they\u2019re a big part of it, of course. In plain terms, everybody is being fucked with constantly in tiny little ways by most apps and services, and I believe that billions of people being fucked with at once in all of these ways has profound psychological and social consequences that we\u2019re not meaningfully discussing. The average person\u2019s experience with technology is one so aggressive and violative that I believe it leaves billions of people with a consistent low-grade trauma. We seem, as a society, capable of understanding that social media can hurt us, unsettle us, or make us feel crazed and angry, but I think it\u2019s time to accept that the rest of the tech ecosystem undermines our wellbeing in an equally-insidious way. And most people don\u2019t know it\u2019s happening, because everybody has accepted deeply shitty conditions for the last ten years.\u201d And: \u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t people feel insane? Why wouldn\u2019t the internet, where we\u2019re mostly forced to live, drive most people crazy? How are we not discussing the fact that so much of the internet is riddled with poison? How are we not treating the current state of the tech industry like an industrial chemical accident? Is it because there are too many people at fault? Is it because fixing it would require us to truly interrogate the fabric of a capitalist death cult?\u201d\u2022 He\u2019s not wrong, is he?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow Silicon Valley is disrupting democracy\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.technologyreview.com\/2024\/12\/13\/1108459\/book-review-silicon-valley-democracy-techlash-rob-lalka-venture-alchemists-marietje-schaake-tech-coup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MIT Technology Review<\/a>]. \u201cOne thing [Rob Lalka\u2019s The Venture Alchemists] is particularly effective at is deflating the myth that these entrepreneurs were somehow gifted seers of (and investors in) a future the rest of us simply couldn\u2019t comprehend or predict. Sure, someone like Thiel made what turned out to be a savvy investment in Facebook early on, but he also made some very costly mistakes with that stake. As Lalka points out, Thiel\u2019s Founders Fund dumped tens of millions of shares shortly after Facebook went public, and Thiel himself went from owning 2.5% of the company in 2012 to 0.000004% less than a decade later (around the same time Facebook hit its trillion-dollar valuation). Throw in his objectively terrible wagers in 2008, 2009, and beyond, when he effectively shorted what turned out to be one of the longest bull markets in world history, and you get the impression he\u2019s less oracle and more ideologue who happened to take some big risks that paid off.\u201d \u2022 And that\u2019s before we get to Marc Andreessen.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cA Blind Beetle Named Hitler?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/daily.jstor.org\/a-blind-beetle-named-hitler\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">JSTOR<\/a>]. \u201cNaming species is no simple task: a scientist doesn\u2019t just assign a name and call it a day. Taxonomy is a carefully structured process governed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/1625546?mag=a-blind-beetle-named-hitler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">strict international rules<\/a> such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iaptglobal.org\/icn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">International Code of Nomenclature<\/a> for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/24084095?mag=a-blind-beetle-named-hitler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">algae, fungi and plants<\/a>.\u201d Dang. Algae should be honorary plants, too. More: \u201cOne example is Anophthalmus hitleri, a blind beetle. The species was named by amateur Austrian entomologist Oskar Scheibel as a tribute to Adolf Hitler\u2026 Today the beetle is critically endangered, partly because of its appeal to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/12\/26\/science\/taxonomy-beetle-insects-hitler.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">those who collect Nazi memorabilia<\/a>. The enduring legacy of racist, offensive terms in scientific nomenclature raises important questions about ethics in naming and the power of language in maintaining or dismantling colonial legacies.\u201d \u2022 Leave the name. It\u2019s karma.<\/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 WB: <\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/garlic.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"827\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284041\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/garlic.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/garlic-218x300.jpg 218w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>WB writes: \u201cOur garlic chives are getting ready for winter.\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\/guest-post\" rel=\"category tag\">Guest Post<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-16-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-16T14:00:37-05:00\">December 16, 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\/misperceptions-and-demand-for-democracy-under-authoritarianism.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> Misperceptions and Demand For Democracy under Authoritarianism<\/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-12-16-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day Northern Mockingbird, Quitman Farm, Brooks, Georgia, United States. * * * In Case You Might<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88521,"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-88520","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\/88520","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=88520"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88520\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Northern Mockingbird, Quitman Farm, Brooks, Georgia, United States.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#doge\">DOGE<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#kamala\">Kamala\u2019s future<\/a>. If any.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#tech\">The state of tech<\/a>: like industrial chemical accident.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#table\">Covid wastewater:<\/a> Good news.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"helper\"\/><strong>Look for the Helpers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I <em>think<\/em> this is helping:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.66015625\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.3125\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Man warms up bird’s feet to unfreeze! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ngz9uposfi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/ngz9uposfi<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Nature is Amazing \u2618\ufe0f (@AMAZlNGNATURE) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AMAZlNGNATURE\/status\/1868516569296310754\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 16, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Will the other birds reject this bird, since it\u2019s been held by a human?<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>My email address is down by the plant; please send examples of there (\u201cHelpers\u201d in the subject line). In our increasingly desperate and fragile neoliberal society, everyday <em>normal<\/em> incidents and stories of \u201cthe communism of everyday life\u201d are what I am looking for (and not, say, the Red Cross in Hawaii, or even the UNWRA in Gaza).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Biden Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Good ol\u2019 Scranton Joe:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"6.6016713091922\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"15.844011142061\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Michael Conahan took $2,800,000 in bribes from a private prison in exchange for locking up 2300 kids, one of whom committed suicide.<\/p>\n<p>Biden commuted his sentence.<\/p>\n<p>Steven Donziger won a $9 bn lawsuit against Chevron & got locked up for 3.5 in retaliation.<\/p>\n<p>He was not pardoned. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jR1G9Br0gx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/jR1G9Br0gx<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Climate Defiance (@ClimateDefiance) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ClimateDefiance\/status\/1868497823391719574\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 16, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"139.61753021723\">\n<p>\u201cBernie Sanders Warns U.S. Is Becoming an Oligarchy\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/politics\/politics-news\/bernie-sanders-america-oligarchy-1235206685\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Rolling Stone<\/a>]. \u201cBecoming?\u201d \u201c\u2018We are moving rapidly into an oligarchic form of society. Never before in American history have so few billionaires, so few people, have so much wealth and so much power,\u2019 the senator said. \u2018Never before has there been so much concentration of ownership, sector after sector, power of Wall Street,\u2019 he continued. \u2018And never before in American history \u2014 and we better talk about this \u2014 have the people on top had so much political power. We can\u2019t go around the world saying, \u2018Oh, well, you know, in Russia Putin has an oligarchy.\u2019 Well, we got our oligarchy here too.\u2019 \u2026 In a video released Friday, Sanders said, \u2018In 2024, just 150 billionaire families spent nearly $2 billion to purchase candidates.’\u201d \u2022 If only Sanders weren\u2019t the loine voice saying this. If only he had conducted himself such that he <em>wasn\u2019t<\/em> the one voice saying this. It\u2019s tragic.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cDr. Oz Exposed for Colossal, Multimillion-Dollar Conflict of Interest\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/post\/189391\/dr-oz-conflict-interest-stocks-medicare-medicaid?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SF_TNR&utm_source=Twitter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The New Republic<\/a>]. \u201cDr. Mehmet Oz, the daytime television host Donald Trump has picked to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, may have a direct financial stake in three companies that would do business with the agency he intends to run. A review of Oz\u2019s 2022 tax disclosure by Accountable.US revealed that the Trump ally owned up to $26 million stake in Sharecare, a digital health company co-founded by Oz that operates CareLinx, the \u201cexclusive in-home care supplemental benefit program\u201d used by 1.5 million Medicare Advantage enrollees. The company went private in 2024, so it\u2019s unknown whether Oz still owns a stake in the company. Novo Nordisk, which produces Ozempic and Wegovy among other drugs, is also a client of Sharecare. As head of CMS, Oz has considerable impact on the pharmaceutical industry\u2014but with business ties like these, it\u2019s equally likely that these drug companies could have a profound impact on him.\u201d \u2022 $26 million? Oz is a patzer. Surely the same logic applies to every single billionaire in Trump\u2019s cabinet? After all, what is an oligarchy but conflict of interest on the grand scale?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump\u2019s CDC pick wouldn\u2019t let go of false theory vaccines cause autism\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/qYJpN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cA Washington Post review of Weldon\u2019s public comments, media appearances and congressional letters along with accounts of those who worked with him reveal a portrait of a politician and physician who emphasized the experiences of individuals while dismissing dozens of studies based on data from hundreds of thousands of patients that showed no link between vaccines and autism\u2026. And yet, Weldon has also expressed support for coronavirus and flu vaccines in media interviews and private conversations \u2014 offering both shots to patients who want them. His mixed stances on vaccines indicate a willingness to agree with some mainstream public health guidance, some political opponents say\u2026. \u2018I give shots, I believe in vaccination,\u2019 Weldon told <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/qYJpN\/https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/29\/health\/dave-weldon-cdc.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the New York Times<\/a> in a recent interview. He said both his adult children are fully immunized but declined to say whether he still believes a link exists between autism and vaccines.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. Headline a bit deceptive then.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow Fast Can Trump Enact His 2025 Agenda?\u201d [Ed Kilgore, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/politics\/how-fast-can-trump-enact-his-2025-agenda\/ar-AA1vT3h7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Magazine<\/a>]. \u201cThe key to implementing Trump\u2019s legislative agenda will be the budget-reconciliation process that enables Congress to bypass the Senate filibuster and enact a big package of new laws on an up-or-down party-line vote. This is how Trump got his tax cuts in 2017 and how he tried to repeal Obamacare. Items in a budget-reconciliation bill must be focused on fiscal matters, but it\u2019s still a huge asset to a party that controls the White House and both chambers of Congress. It\u2019s beginning to look like Team Trump wants two budget-reconciliation bills, one focused on authorizing the huge buildup in border-security resources necessary for Trump\u2019s mass deportation of undocumented immigrants and another aimed at extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts. There\u2019s increasing talk of a very quick start on the first bill. Since the 119th Congress will be sworn in on January 3, Congress could get moving on a budget resolution setting up this bill even before Trump takes office.\u201d \u2022 This post provides a useful timeline for Trump\u2019s first year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBehind the Curtain: Creators & destroyers\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/12\/16\/trump-cabinet-picks-creators-destroyers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. \u201cThink of President-elect Trump\u2019s top Cabinet and West Wing officials in two big buckets: The Creators are charged with stoking a booming, AI-enabled economy, including a low jobless rate \u2014 the \u2018golden age of America\u2019 that Trump promised after he won. The Destroyers are the more controversial picks \u2014 wired to disrupt existing institutions, and acting on smoldering grievances against the organizations they\u2019ve been picked to lead. This creators-plus-destroyers dynamic dominates the behind-the-scenes jockeying for jobs and influence. Expect jarring swings between popular, pro-growth moves and ruthless government gutting and payback. It\u2019s the Trump Way.\u201d Interesting binary. More: \u201cThe Creators are concentrated on Trump\u2019s economic team, including Treasury nominee Scott Bessent, a hedge-fund veteran with Wall Street cred.\u201d And: \u201cThe Destroyers are out for revenge \u2014 sometimes for Trump, sometimes for themselves, sometimes born of ideology. Then they\u2019ll rebuild in MAGA\u2019s image. These are picks where Trump has gone with this gut. Trump is hellbent on retribution against the FBI for investigating him. Thus the aggressive pick of hardliner Kash Patel for FBI director. Trump would be happy to return the Pentagon, the biggest bureaucracy of them all, to its roots \u2014 center it around the needs of warfighters, and tear down and rebuild a broken procurement system. A transition source says Trump told Pete Hegseth, his choice for SecDef: \u2018I expect you to do more with less. They\u2019re spending too much money, and we\u2019re not getting anything for all that money.’\u201d Where\u2019s the lie? More: \u201cSo Trump fought back when Hegseth\u2019s confirmation chances looked shaky after a series of damaging articles last month. But a ferocious operation by Trump\u2019s inner circle now has Hegseth on track for confirmation, barring damaging new information. You can see Trump\u2019s deep mistrust of the intelligence community in his selection of former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would bring radically new instincts and priorities to HHS \u2014 and, some public-health critics contend, undermine the mission.\u201d \u2022 Well worth a read.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"doge\"\/>\u201cBringing Elon to a knife fight\u201d [Jennifer Pahlka, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatingpolicy.com\/p\/bringing-elon-to-a-knife-fight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Eating Policy<\/a>]. \u201cA lot of the government tech community is skipping the hand wringing; they\u2019ve basically just grabbed a bag of popcorn and are watching in real time as Elon and Vivek learn all the things they\u2019ve known, lived, and absolutely hated for their entire time in public service. They don\u2019t see DOGE as their savior, but they are feeling vindicated after years of shouting into the void. I am struck by how different the tone of the DOGE conversation is between political leaders on the left and the people who\u2019ve been fighting in the implementation trenches. One group is terrified they\u2019ll succeed. The other is starting to ask a surprising question (or at least I am): What if even billionaires can\u2019t disrupt the system we have built?\u201d \u2022 So far, DOGE is a just a volunteer organization. I could volunteer to reform government too, and even get friends to join the \u201ceffort.\u201d So what? But DOGE is a lot like what Hyman Minksy said about money: \u201cEveryone can create money; the problem is to get it accepted.\u201d How does DOGE get \u201caccepted?\u201d How, exactly, is DOGE going to transition from handwaving potential to kinetic force within (or at least <em>affecting<\/em> government? Nobody seems to ask. Jawboning? Executive orders? <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndustrial and business groups send Trump a deregulatory wish list\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/environment\/story\/2024-12-15\/industrial-polluters-send-trump-a-deregulatory-wish-list\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Los Angeles Times<\/a>]. \u201cMore than a hundred industrial trade groups and chambers of commerce are urging President-elect Donald Trump to weaken or eliminate numerous Biden administration regulations on energy, air pollution, recycling, worker heat protections, consumer safeguards and corporate financing, claiming that the rules are \u2018strangling\u2019 the nation\u2019s economy. In a 21-page letter addressed to Trump and his presumptive Cabinet, the groups requested changes to dozens of \u2018burdensome regulations that are stifling investment, making us less competitive in the world, limiting innovation and threatening the very jobs we are all working to create right here in America.\u2019 Among other actions, the Dec. 5 letter urges Trump to resume exports of liquefied natural gas, support legislation boosting the use of nuclear energy, repeal new emission standards for coal- and gas-fired power plants, relax newly proposed standards for soot and PFAS \u2018forever\u2019 chemicals, pause implementation of worker heat standards, limit the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s food traceability requirements and fight efforts to impose \u2018right-to-repair\u2019 rules, which provide consumers with tools and instructions to fix their damaged electronics instead of throwing them away.\u201d \u2022 What a weird picture of themselves these people must have. Does any CEO sit down and ask themselves, first thing, \u201cHow many jobs can I create?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cClashes Are Coming for Trump Officials Dining Out in DC\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonian.com\/2024\/12\/11\/clashes-are-coming-for-trump-officials-dining-out-in-dc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Washingtonian<\/a>]. \u201cThis time around, with a full Republican sweep of government, an even larger cast of divisive characters, and no Trump Hotel in which to congregate, the MAGA crowd is likely to feel even more omnipresent [(?)] when they swagger into DC. Inevitably, that will lead to clashes in a fiercely blue, politically engaged city where Home Rule is under threat, countless jobs are at risk, and less than 7 percent of voters picked Trump in the first place. \u2018The shift in politics will be visceral across several aspects of daily life. You expect the masses to just ignore RFK eating at Le Diplomate on a Sunday morning after a few mimosas and not to throw a drink in his face?,\u2019 says Zac Hoffman, a DC restaurant veteran who is now a manager at the National Democratic Club (but has never worked at Le Diplomate). Hoffman is concerned that it won\u2019t just be a safety risk or disruption for the officials targeted, but also for restaurant staff and fellow diners. \u2018If you\u2019re just going out for a nice dinner or it\u2019s your anniversary or birthday and, God forbid, RFK Jr. is sitting next to you, now you\u2019re going to be dealing with whatever repercussions happen from that.\u2019 Dining decorum and \u2018civility\u2019 were already hot button issues during the last Trump administration. In 2018, when news about family separations at the border had reached a fever pitch, Democratic congresswoman Maxine Waters called on the public to \u2018push back\u2019 on Trump Cabinet members they encountered in restaurants, department stores, or gas stations and tell them \u2018they\u2019re not welcome anymore, anywhere.\u2019 More recently, liberal activists tried to enlist hospitality workers in aiding with public disruptions. In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, a liberal advocacy group called ShutDownDC\u2014which interrupted Justice Brett Kavanaugh\u2019s dinner at Morton\u2019s steakhouse\u2014offered $250 to DC service workers who shared real-time sightings of other justices involved in the abortion decision.\u201d \u2022 Democrats can\u2019t organize DC into today\u2019s equivalent of Parisian <em>sans culottes<\/em>, oh no no. But they can get some poor waitstaff in trouble so that they can harass some demon figure or other. Pathetic.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"19.691403379868\">\n<p><a name=\"kamala\"\/>\u201cKamala Harris grapples with her future in a wounded Democratic Party\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/politics\/kamala-harris-grapples-with-her-future-in-a-wounded-democratic-party\/ar-AA1vWnyQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cIn the wake of her own 2024 loss, Vice President Kamala Harris and her allies are grappling with what her political future holds and debating whether the unofficial rule still applies \u2014 specifically, whether her first shot at the White House as the Democratic nominee should also be her only one, given the extraordinary circumstances of Harris\u2019s 107-day sprint to Election Day.\u201d And: \u201cSome of her donors and supporters, particularly those in her home state, hope she will run for governor of California in 2026. But in 2015, when she was state attorney general and a rising star deciding on her next move, Harris decided not to seek that job after extensive discussions with advisers. She listed the pros and cons of running for governor versus senator on a legal pad, aides said, concluding that the Senate was a better fit for her interests and her strengths as a former prosecutor. But as soon as she lost to Trump on Nov. 5, some Harris supporters seized on the idea of a gubernatorial run, including wealthy donors eager to see her take a leadership role in such a powerful post. \u2018,\u2019 one Harris confidante said.\u201d\u2022\u00a0Lol. <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/TlrvTKhdX9k?si=-cWq5SzqQ30Pjutj&t=154\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Musical interlude<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"39.088455772114\">\n<p>\u201cProgressives should defend Biden\u2019s legacy to protect their future\u201d [E.J. Dionne, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/pU6Y0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cHe changed the paradigm of economic policy from a view that prosperity stems from rewarding \u2018job creators\u2019 at the top to what he called a \u2018middle-out\u2019 and \u2018bottom-up\u2019 strategy. It wasn\u2019t just a slogan. In recent years, wage growth among low- and middle-income workers has outpaced that of higher-income groups.\u201d But: \u201c[T]he administration\u2019s [failed] to promote the president\u2019s achievements while responding effectively to discontent.\u201d \u2022 Seems to be a full court press:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.4444444444444\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.3333333333333\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We think that this detailed look at what the president did and why will be of interest as we head into the future. We are pleased to bring it to you.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ZAr6IdDPT7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/ZAr6IdDPT7<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 David Dayen (@ddayen) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ddayen\/status\/1868660544816984107\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 16, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d certainly rather see Biden at The Prospect than with those weasels over at the Center for American Progress. That said, I\u2019m with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/economy\/bidenomics-failure-inflation-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">James Galbraith<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"40\">\n<p>At the same time, jobs were beginning to come back\u2014but what jobs? In economic mythology, American life centers on work\u2014on character-building, strength-testing, skill-demanding engagement with the physical world, on the farm, the range, the factory, the construction site or the open road. But most jobs today aren\u2019t like that; practically all new jobs in America for the past 60 years have been in services\u2014in shops, offices, restaurants; in accounting, bookkeeping, maintenance, and other minor professions. Most such jobs are neither secure nor well-paid, and it often takes two or more to sustain a middle-class household. Costs of commuting and child care make many secondary jobs barely profitable to hold. Covid relief and enforced unemployment gave many Americans a break, which they used to reassess their relationship to work. Many decided not to return, which is why the jobless rate fell and remained low, even though the employment-to-population ratio never fully recovered.<\/p>\n<p>As the economy began to open up again, employers needed workers. Vacancies rose. What to do? The option of raising wages (and improving working conditions) is never attractive, since the gains must be given to all workers, not merely those newly hired or rehired. The alternative is to put a squeeze on those who have left the labor force until they feel the pinch and come back, hat in hand, seeking a job. And this could be done, with the complicity of the Biden team, by letting Covid benefits expire, and by hiking interest rates. Price increases, directly boosting profits, also added to the pressure on the not-employed. Is it a surprise that people do not like being pressured to take \u201cbullshit jobs\u201d?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Or as <a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/joe-biden-bidenomics-economy-inflation-unemployment-1851721053\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Quartz summarizes<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"18\">\n<p>Galbraith comes from the left to suggest the problem with Bidenomics is not what it accomplished, but what it didn\u2019t do: It didn\u2019t generate much better pay for low-wage service jobs, it didn\u2019t put to rest the fear many Americans have that their jobs are not secure, and it didn\u2019t reverse the decline in real purchasing power.<\/p>\n<p>Despite all the stimulus money, despite all the investment in infrastructure and construction jobs, and all the support \u2014 now ended \u2014 to give people healthcare and housing assistance \u2014 the rich were simply getting richer while the average Joe or Jane was still just one paycheck away from disaster.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\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><a name=\"mask\"\/>Maskstravaganza<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"4.7901234567901\">\n<p>Symbols aren\u2019t tools?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.3180428134557\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"9.480122324159\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Masks \/ Respirators are *tools* to drastically reduce the risk of infection from airborne pathogens. Their transformation into political and sociological *symbols* has been a huge hindrance to addressing risk. Demonising *individuals* who do or do not mask just makes this worse.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Conor Browne (@brownecfm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/brownecfm\/status\/1867539271034286249\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Symbol manipulators surely believe symbols are tools.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.875984251969\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6363636363636\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span>This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 9<\/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-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284043\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2-300x186.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-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><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6417910447761\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong> Variants<\/strong> [3] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> 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> December 7<\/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-er-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283866\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-er-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-er-natl-300x157.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 13:<\/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 12:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284044\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8-300x189.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283867\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1-283x300.png 283w\" 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=\"2.5714285714286\">\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> December 7:<\/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\/12\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283870\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-300x203.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=\"3.6\">\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 25:<\/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 25:<\/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-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283868\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2-300x188.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-variants-travelers-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-283869\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1.png 1902w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-300x211.png 300w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-1024x719.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-768x539.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-1536x1079.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-1-624x438.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1902px) 100vw, 1902px\"\/><\/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=\"168.67852834741\">\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) Up generally, seeing a little more red, but nothing new at the major international hubs. Interestingly, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.calculatedriskblog.com\/2024\/12\/december-13th-covid-update-covid-in.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Calculated Risk is watching wastewater too<\/a>.<\/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) A little uptick.<\/p>\n<p>[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Leveled out.<\/p>\n<p>[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[8] (Cleveland) Up!<\/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>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States NY Empire State Manufacturing Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/ny-empire-state-manufacturing-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe NY Empire State Manufacturing Index fell to 0.20 in December 2024 from 31.2 in November which was the highest reading since December 2021, and well below forecasts of 12. The reading showed business activity in the NY state held steady, following a big rise in the previous month.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing\u2019s Year of Crisis Leaves Investors Wary of Beaten-Up Stock\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/boeing-crisis-leaves-investors-wary-130000093.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201d What was supposed to be a comeback year for Boeing Co. has turned into its worst stock-market plunge since 2008, and if Wall Street is right, the plane-maker\u2019s shares may have only a modest recovery in store in 2025\u2026. The stock is down 35% this year, placing it among the 20 biggest decliners in the S&P 500 Index. The shares have stabilized over the past month, but investors remain wary. They point to the string of crises in 2024 that shook their confidence in Boeing\u2019s prospects and the risk that it will suffer should trade friction build anew under President-elect Donald Trump. \u2018Just staying out of the news would be a win for Boeing at this point,\u2019 said Eric Clark, portfolio manager of the Rational Dynamic Brands Fund.\u201d \u2022\u00a0And speaking of public relations\u2013<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cPig Stench Causes KLM Boeing 787-9 To Divert To Bermuda\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/simpleflying.com\/pig-stench-klm-boeing-787-9-divert-bermuda\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Simple Flying<\/a>]. \u201cKLM Flight 685 was diverted to Bermuda after the smell of a herd of swine from below decks wafted through the cabin\u2026. The crew reported an \u201cobnoxious smell from cargo coming from pigs probably, which may have something to do with the oxygen environment in the cockpit.\u2019\u2026. The diversion was not an emergency. There was no Mayday call, no PAN call, and no emergency services were required. The pigs were unloaded and taken to a \u201csecure location at the island during their impromptu holiday stayover.\u201d \u2022 Obviously not Boeing\u2019s fault, but they can\u2019t catch a break, can they?<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Delays Mean Trump Won\u2019t Fly on a New Air Force One\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/politics\/boeing-delays-mean-trump-won-t-fly-on-a-new-air-force-one\/ar-AA1vLAm8?ocid=iehpELMEMhx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cPresident-elect Donald Trump didn\u2019t get to fly on a new Air Force One during his first term. He likely won\u2019t get to fly on a new presidential plane in his second term, either. The long-delayed project has fallen so far behind schedule that Boeing has told the Air Force that it expects to deliver the new jets after Trump leaves the White House, according to people familiar with the matter. That means the airplanes wouldn\u2019t be ready until 2029 or later. Frustrated with the delays, Trump raised the project with Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg when the two men had a phone conversation in November. As he prepares to return to the White House, Trump has repeatedly asked advisers about the status of Boeing\u2019s work.Boeing used to be a great American company, he has told aides, according to people briefed on the discussions. What happened to them? Trump has asked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Bezzle: Why don\u2019t we have a Strategic Baseball Card Reserve?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.720207253886\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.7720207253886\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Charles Schwab says Bitcoin could hit $500,000 \u2013 $1 million if Trump establishes a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BLKN2STIqb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/BLKN2STIqb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/unusual_whales\/status\/1868370692233957732\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 15, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Can anybody explain to me what is \u201cStrategic\u201d about a \u201cStrategic Bitcorn Reserve,\u201d and why it\u2019s not simply an outright subsidy to these crooks and fraudsters?<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 56 Greed (previous close: 50 Neutral) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 48 (Neutral). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 16 at 1:19:55 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p>Rapture Index: Closes down one on Plagues. \u201cThe lack of activity has downgraded this category\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.raptureready.com\/rapture-ready-index\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Rapture Ready<\/a>]. Record High, October 10, 2016: 189. Current: 182. (Remember that bringing on the Rapture is good.) \u2022 Hard to believe the Rapture Index is going <em>down<\/em>. Doesn\u2019t the collapse of Syria bring the Third Temple closer? Do these people know something we don\u2019t?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>David with the head of Goliath:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.264367816092\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.0459770114943\">\n<p lang=\"it\" dir=\"ltr\">Caravaggio <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vA3No66R05\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/vA3No66R05<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Art Gallery (@X_ArtGallery) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/X_ArtGallery\/status\/1868283627160981975\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 15, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Chairoscuro!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe right believes the healthcare CEO shooting suspect is a \u2018liberal wacko\u2019. The truth is complicated\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2024\/dec\/16\/unitedhealthcare-suspect-political-beliefs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Guardian<\/a>]. \u201cTrump, with his undeniable knack for tapping into the anger and concerns of his supporters, has noticeably been silent on Thompson\u2019s killing\u2026. It is revealing that Trump, the arch-populist, has stayed silent. The incoming president, so good at riding the waves of public opinion, has at times been a fierce critic of healthcare companies himself\u2026. \u2018For years, patients have been shocked to receive unexpected bills for thousands of dollars in medical services they never agreed to. The first America First Healthcare Plan bans this deeply unfair practice. We will end surprise medical billing. The days of ripping off American patients are over,\u2019 Trump said in North Carolina in 2020, announcing an ultimately doomed effort to rein in the likes of UnitedHealthcare\u2026. \u2018President Donald J Trump is very shrewd, and he understands what is happening here. He understands that it\u2019s his base too. So he\u2019s going to be very calculated,\u2019 [Nina] Turner said.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"tech\">\u201cNever Forgive Them\u201d [Ed Zitron, <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wheresyoured.at\/never-forgive-them\/?ref=ed-zitrons-wheres-your-ed-at-newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Where\u2019s Your Ed At?<\/a>] An impressive rant, worth reading in full. This caught my eye: \u201cI\u2019m not writing this to complain, but because I believe \u2014 as I hinted at a few weeks ago \u2014 that we are in the midst of the largest-scale ecological disaster of our time, because almost every single interaction with technology, which is required to live in modern society, has become actively adversarial to the user. These issues hit everything we do, all the time, a constant onslaught of interference, and I believe it\u2019s so much bigger than just social media and algorithms \u2014 though they\u2019re a big part of it, of course. In plain terms, everybody is being fucked with constantly in tiny little ways by most apps and services, and I believe that billions of people being fucked with at once in all of these ways has profound psychological and social consequences that we\u2019re not meaningfully discussing. The average person\u2019s experience with technology is one so aggressive and violative that I believe it leaves billions of people with a consistent low-grade trauma. We seem, as a society, capable of understanding that social media can hurt us, unsettle us, or make us feel crazed and angry, but I think it\u2019s time to accept that the rest of the tech ecosystem undermines our wellbeing in an equally-insidious way. And most people don\u2019t know it\u2019s happening, because everybody has accepted deeply shitty conditions for the last ten years.\u201d And: \u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t people feel insane? Why wouldn\u2019t the internet, where we\u2019re mostly forced to live, drive most people crazy? How are we not discussing the fact that so much of the internet is riddled with poison? How are we not treating the current state of the tech industry like an industrial chemical accident? Is it because there are too many people at fault? Is it because fixing it would require us to truly interrogate the fabric of a capitalist death cult?\u201d\u2022 He\u2019s not wrong, is he?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow Silicon Valley is disrupting democracy\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.technologyreview.com\/2024\/12\/13\/1108459\/book-review-silicon-valley-democracy-techlash-rob-lalka-venture-alchemists-marietje-schaake-tech-coup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MIT Technology Review<\/a>]. \u201cOne thing [Rob Lalka\u2019s The Venture Alchemists] is particularly effective at is deflating the myth that these entrepreneurs were somehow gifted seers of (and investors in) a future the rest of us simply couldn\u2019t comprehend or predict. Sure, someone like Thiel made what turned out to be a savvy investment in Facebook early on, but he also made some very costly mistakes with that stake. As Lalka points out, Thiel\u2019s Founders Fund dumped tens of millions of shares shortly after Facebook went public, and Thiel himself went from owning 2.5% of the company in 2012 to 0.000004% less than a decade later (around the same time Facebook hit its trillion-dollar valuation). Throw in his objectively terrible wagers in 2008, 2009, and beyond, when he effectively shorted what turned out to be one of the longest bull markets in world history, and you get the impression he\u2019s less oracle and more ideologue who happened to take some big risks that paid off.\u201d \u2022 And that\u2019s before we get to Marc Andreessen.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cA Blind Beetle Named Hitler?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/daily.jstor.org\/a-blind-beetle-named-hitler\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">JSTOR<\/a>]. \u201cNaming species is no simple task: a scientist doesn\u2019t just assign a name and call it a day. Taxonomy is a carefully structured process governed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/1625546?mag=a-blind-beetle-named-hitler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">strict international rules<\/a> such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iaptglobal.org\/icn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">International Code of Nomenclature<\/a> for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/24084095?mag=a-blind-beetle-named-hitler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">algae, fungi and plants<\/a>.\u201d Dang. Algae should be honorary plants, too. More: \u201cOne example is Anophthalmus hitleri, a blind beetle. The species was named by amateur Austrian entomologist Oskar Scheibel as a tribute to Adolf Hitler\u2026 Today the beetle is critically endangered, partly because of its appeal to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/12\/26\/science\/taxonomy-beetle-insects-hitler.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">those who collect Nazi memorabilia<\/a>. The enduring legacy of racist, offensive terms in scientific nomenclature raises important questions about ethics in naming and the power of language in maintaining or dismantling colonial legacies.\u201d \u2022 Leave the name. It\u2019s karma.<\/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 WB: <\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/garlic.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"827\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284041\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/garlic.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/garlic-218x300.jpg 218w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>WB writes: \u201cOur garlic chives are getting ready for winter.\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\/guest-post\" rel=\"category tag\">Guest Post<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-16-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-16T14:00:37-05:00\">December 16, 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\/misperceptions-and-demand-for-democracy-under-authoritarianism.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> Misperceptions and Demand For Democracy under Authoritarianism<\/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, Quitman Farm, Brooks, Georgia, United States. * * * In Case You Might<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88521,"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-88520","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\/88520","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=88520"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88520\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}