\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, 34 Peregrine Crossing, Chatham, 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=\"#trump\">Trump presser<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#aoc\">AOC loses key vote<\/a>. If any.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#drones\">Mystery drones<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#ceos\">Crisis hotline for CEOs<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"64.494431677568\">\n<p><a name=\"trump\"\/>\u201cFreewheeling Transparency: Trump Holds First Post-Election News Conference\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolitics.com\/articles\/2024\/12\/16\/a_freewheeling_transparency_trump_holds_first_post-election_news_conference_152097.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">RealClearPolitics<\/a>]. \u201cDonald Trump couldn\u2019t help himself. \u2018We will take a few questions,\u2019 the president-elect told reporters assembled at Mar-a-Lago for an announcement about a $100 billion investment from the Japanese technology company SoftBank. He answered nearly two dozen questions in an hour. What was billed as a press statement became a sweeping press conference, his first since winning the election, signaling the return of Trump\u2019s brand of free-wheeling transparency. His staff had summoned reporters to talk up the new investment, but Trump happily fielded questions on everything from the border wall (the sale of unused material was \u2018almost a criminal act\u2019) to the alleged link between autism and vaccines (\u2018there is something wrong and we are going to find out about it\u2019). Five weeks before Inauguration Day, all three of the major cable networks took Trump live. And the president-elect made news off-the-cuff. Trump said of the drones sighted on the East Coast, \u2018The government knows what is happening,\u2019 contradicting claims from the Biden administration and condemning them for not commenting on their origin. He added that drones had been spotted over his Bedminster estate in New Jersey, and \u2018I decided to cancel my trip.’\u201d \u2022 Wisely. The contrast between the 2016 and 2024 transitions couldn\u2019t be greater. <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cElizabeth Warren asks Trump to set conflict-of-interest rules for Musk\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/T69Ir\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cThe letter sent by email from the Democrat\u2019s Senate office to Trump\u2019s transition team notes that regular members of the Trump Vance 2025 Transition Team operate under an ethics policy that requires them to \u2018avoid both actual and apparent conflicts of interest.\u2019 Those rules, which have been published by the General Services Administration, include prohibition from transition team members working \u2018on particular matters involving specific parties that affect\u2019 their interests. Musk, who is worth $474 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, spent more than $250 million to help elect Trump president and has since embraced the label \u2018first buddy\u2019 to describe his role. He has been a frequent presence at Trump\u2019s side, advising on government formation and taking a lead role in a new effort to cut federal spending. It is not clear what ethics rules, if any, Musk, has agreed to follow in his role as a Trump adviser. \u2018Putting Mr. Musk in a position to influence billions of dollars of government contracts and regulatory enforcement without a stringent conflict of interest agreement in place is an invitation for corruption on a scale not seen in our lifetimes,\u2019 Warren wrote. \u2018As your Transition Team Ethics Plan makes clear, the role of government is not to line the pockets of the wealthiest Americans; a strong, enforceable ethics plan for the world\u2019s richest man is a necessary first step for delivering on that promise.’\u201d \u2022 Well, I\u2019m glad she\u2019s in there punching. And \u201cFirst Buddy\u201d? Dear Lord. But surely a billionaire in government is confliced by definition?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump\u2019s for-profit presidency\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/politics\/391338\/trump-business-truth-social-crypto-liv-hotel-conflicts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">VOX<\/a>]. \u201c\u201dVictory\u201d cologne and perfume. \u2018Crypto President\u2019 watches. Limited-edition \u2018American Eagle\u2019 guitars. T-branded golf shoes and \u2018Fight Fight Fight\u2019 high-top sneakers. These are just a sample of the many products licensed to bear President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s brand, including some that he has promoted on his social media site Truth Social just weeks before his inauguration. If he continues to hawk his merchandise after returning to the White House, that could raise ethical concerns.\u201d \u2022 \u201cDon, I keep tellin ya. <em>Set up a Foundation<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump passes over RFK Jr.\u2019s daughter-in-law for CIA\u2019s No. 2 job\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/HXWLN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cPresident-elect Donald Trump has told close aides he is no longer considering Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s daughter-in-law to serve as deputy director at the CIA, after a campaign by Republican lawmakers who [Yeah, who wants that?], according to people familiar with the matter\u2026. Cotton, a staunch supporter of subversive espionage operations abroad who in the past has advocated the overthrow of Iran\u2019s government, is one of the most hawkish voices on foreign policy in Congress and is expected to chair the Senate Intelligence Committee next year.\u201d \u2022 Hmm\u2026. <\/p>\n<p>On Kennedy at HHS:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/adams_rfk.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"608\" height=\"1644\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284112\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/adams_rfk.png 608w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/adams_rfk-111x300.png 111w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/adams_rfk-379x1024.png 379w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/adams_rfk-568x1536.png 568w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 608px) 100vw, 608px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>I wish Trump + RFK had stuck to MAHA (\u201cMake America Healthy Again\u201d), which was a great and even encouraging idea. This looks like throwing red meat the base.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudge rejects Trump\u2019s bid to toss hush money conviction because of Supreme Court immunity ruling\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-hush-money-conviction-stormy-daniels-908465ed0b7f2005c72226b5b2546260\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. The worthless Bragg case lives on: \u201cA judge Monday refused to throw out President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s hush money conviction because of the U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s recent ruling on presidential immunity. But the overall future of the historic case remains unclear. Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan\u2019s decision blocks one potential off-ramp from the case ahead of the former and future president\u2019s return to office next month. His lawyers have raised other arguments for dismissal, however. It\u2019s unclear when \u2014 or whether \u2014 a sentencing date might be set. Prosecutors have said there should be some accommodation for his upcoming presidency, but they insist the conviction should stand.\u201d \u2022 You\u2019ve gotta give credit to the New York Bar \u2014 Bragg, Merchan, and of course the firm of Paul, Weiss \u2014 for being deeply committed to the bit.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"22.886138613861\">\n<p>\u201cThe Electoral College votes to confirm results for the 2024 presidential election today. Here\u2019s what to know\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/electoral-college-vote-results-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CBS<\/a>]. \u201cAt state capitols across the U.S. Tuesday, the presidential electors will be gathering to cast their electoral votes, formalizing President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThirteen 2020 fake electors will cast real Electoral College votes for Trump on Tuesday\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2024\/12\/17\/politics\/2020-fake-electors-electoral-college-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. \u201cThirteen Republicans who participated in the 2020 fake electors plot, including some who are facing criminal charges, will cast real Electoral College votes Tuesday for President-elect Donald Trump, as electors in the states finalize his victory. These Republican activists hail from Pennsylvania, Michigan and Nevada \u2013 critical battleground states that Trump carried this year, after losing them all in 2020. Four years ago, they signed fake certificates falsely claiming Trump won. They were picked again by Republicans to be electors this year, and will sign the authentic certificates.\u201d \u2022 I don\u2019t accept the \u201cfake\u201d framing. Some of the \u201ccontingent\u201d electors signed in good faith, persauded by the far more culpable Republican lawyers. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"23.801904761905\">\n<p><a name=\"aoc\"\/>\u201cAOC loses key vote in House Oversight race to Gerry Connolly\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/12\/16\/aoc-house-steering-committee-oversight-connolly\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. \u201cHouse Democrats\u2019 Steering and Policy Committee voted to recommend Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) as ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, several sources familiar with the vote told Axios. It\u2019s a huge blow to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez\u2019s (D-N.Y.) hopes of leading the high-profile panel, though the full Democratic caucus still has to vote to approve steering\u2019s pick. It is rare for the caucus to buck the suggestion of steering \u2013 which is closely aligned with Democratic leadership \u2013 but it has happened before. Connolly defeated Ocasio-Cortez 34 to 27 on Monday, according to multiple lawmakers present. Ocasio-Cortez said after the vote that she will continue to contest the role when it goes to a vote of the full caucus. The battle between Ocasio-Cortez, 35, and Connolly, 74, came as several committee ranking members have fallen to challenges from relatively younger colleagues.\u201d \u2022 The full caucus does still need to vote, but as of now, it looks like all that sucking up didn\u2019t buy AOC a thing. Which is a shame, since she\u2019s a great natural talent. Let that be a lesson to you all! (I don\u2019t care about her age: The Democrat leadership needs to be dismantled with a jackhammer, and I don\u2019t much care how it\u2019s done. Just imagine, Pelosi orchestrating the whole thing from a hospital bed in Paris. Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/aoc_connoly.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"916\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284111\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/aoc_connoly.png 500w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/aoc_connoly-164x300.png 164w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSenate Democrats push plan to abolish Electoral College\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/5043206-senate-democrats-abolish-electoral-college\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u2022 <em>This<\/em> is their focus? Really? Don\u2019t ever change, Democrats!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"4.5833333333333\">\n<p>\u201cAmericans Pass Judgment on Their Courts\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/news.gallup.com\/poll\/653897\/americans-pass-judgment-courts.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Gallup<\/a>]. \u2022 Handy chart:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/lawfare_courts.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"362\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/lawfare_courts.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/lawfare_courts-300x181.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Syndemics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am in earnest \u2014 I will not equivocate \u2014 I will not excuse \u2014 I will not retreat a single inch \u2014 AND I WILL BE HEARD.\u201d \u2013William Lloyd Garrison<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk&null=Risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>); Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>, <del><a href=\"https:\/\/biobot.io\/data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Biobot<\/a><\/del>; includes many counties; <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wastewater Scan<\/a>, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/businesssolutions\/covid-19-index.jsp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a>); \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/iowacovid19tracker.org\/hospitals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Iowa COVID-19 Tracker<\/a>\u201d (in IA, but national data). \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/icemsg.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts<\/a>\u201d (especially on hospitalization by city).<\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put \u201cCOVID\u201d in the subject line. Thank you!<\/p>\n<p>Resources, United States (Local): AK (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/af2efc8bffbf4cdc83c2d1a134354074\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/6d2771faa9da4a2786a509d82c8cf0f7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AR (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/633006d0782b4544bd5113a314f6268a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AZ (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azdhs.gov\/covid19\/data\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); CA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdph.ca.gov\/Programs\/CID\/DCDC\/Pages\/COVID-19\/CalSuWers-Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.marinhhs.org\/surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Marin, dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/healthalerts.stanford.edu\/covid-19\/wastewater-dashboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Stanford, wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/?v=SC2_N&l=Oakland%2C+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Oakland, wastewater<\/a>); CO (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/d79cf93c3938470ca4bcc4823328946b#utility=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); CT (<a href=\"https:\/\/data.ct.gov\/stories\/s\/COVID-19-data\/wa3g-tfvc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); DE (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.delaware.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); FL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/5b9d75ba683849928dc1a49c39ab0b1c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); GA (<a href=\"https:\/\/dph.georgia.gov\/ga-nwss-wastewater-surveillance-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); HI (<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); IA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmmwra.org\/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater reports<\/a>); ID (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Boise; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/?plantId=1056f05c-0e46-4e3d-b007-c0453ba7dc0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Central Idaho; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/#:SARS-CoV-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Coeur d\u2019Alene; dashboard, <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.srhd.org\/topics\/spokane-county-case-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spokane County<\/a>); IL (<a href=\"https:\/\/iwss.uillinois.edu\/wastewater-treatment-plants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); IN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.in.gov\/indiana-covid-19-dashboard-and-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); KS (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov\/160\/COVID-19-in-Kansas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/4456bae8a38f4b6180e008477382fff9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Lawrence); KY (<a href=\"https:\/\/louisville.edu\/envirome\/thecoimmunityproject\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Louisville); LA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldh.la.gov\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/covid-19-wastewater-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MD (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.maryland.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); ME (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/dhhs\/mecdc\/infectious-disease\/epi\/airborne\/coronavirus\/data.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/coronavirus\/stats\/wastewater-surveillance\/dashboard\/sentinel-wastewater-epidemiology-evaluation-project-sweep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/gisportal.state.mi.us\/portal\/apps\/insights\/index.html#\/view\/52bbb104ed574887918f990af9f3debe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/stats\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MO (<a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/f7f5492486114da6b5d6fdc07f81aacf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MS (<a href=\"https:\/\/msdh.ms.gov\/page\/14,0,420.html#Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>MT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapSeries\/index.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; NC (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.ncdhhs.gov\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard)<\/a>; ND (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NE (<a href=\"https:\/\/atlas-dhhs.ne.gov\/Atlas\/Respiratory_Illness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NH (<a href=\"https:\/\/wisdom.dhhs.nh.gov\/wisdom\/dashboard.html?topic=covid-19&subtopic=recurring-updates&indicator=covid-19-wastewater#tabnavbarid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NJ (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.nj.gov\/forms\/datadashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NM (<a href=\"https:\/\/cvprovider.nmhealth.org\/public-dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NV (<a href=\"https:\/\/nvhealthresponse.nv.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/empower.unlv.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Southern NV); NY (<a href=\"https:\/\/mbcolli.shinyapps.io\/SARS2EWSP\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OH (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.ohio.gov\/dashboards\/other-resources\/wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OK (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/51657c21386d4f1a962b1853c76ec589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>OR (<a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/oregon.health.authority.covid.19\/viz\/OregonsCOVID-19DataDashboards-TableofContents\/TableofContentsStatewide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; PA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.pa.gov\/topics\/disease\/coronavirus\/pages\/Cases.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); RI (<a href=\"https:\/\/ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SC (<a href=\"https:\/\/scdhec.gov\/index.php\/covid19\/covid-19-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SD (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.sd.gov\/COVID\/Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/health\/cedep\/ncov\/data.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TX (<a href=\"https:\/\/txdshsea.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/4ae43eefd0f641d59d35c3df82ee59cc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); UT (<a href=\"https:\/\/avrpublic.dhhs.utah.gov\/uwss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/coronavirus\/sars-cov-2-in-wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthvermont.gov\/disease-control\/covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WA (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.wa.gov\/emergencies\/covid-19\/data-dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.bfhd.wa.gov\/cases-and-roadmap-to-recovery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.wisconsin.gov\/covid-19\/wastewater.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); WV (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/oehs.wvdhhr.org\/news\/oehs-coivd-19-information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>); WY (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/covidwastewatermonitor.wyo.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/health-infobase.canada.ca\/covid-19\/wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Government of Canada<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publichealthontario.ca\/en\/Data-and-Analysis\/Infectious-Disease\/COVID-19-Data-Surveillance\/Wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); QC (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inspq.qc.ca\/covid-19\/donnees\/eaux-usees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><em>les eaux us\u00e9es<\/em><\/a>); BC (<a href=\"https:\/\/bccdc.shinyapps.io\/respiratory_wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); BC, Vancouver (<a href=\"https:\/\/metrovancouver.org\/services\/liquid-waste\/testing-for-the-covid-19-virus-in-wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, KF, KidDoc, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n<p>Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n<p>Airborne Transmission<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"4.7814910025707\">\n<p>Ventilation priorities for the next airborne syndemic:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.2709580838323\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.389221556886\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Schools, for example, are v effective propagators of outbreaks:<br \/>\u2013 Large numbers of contacts<br \/>\u2013 Indoor air quality often poor<br \/>\u2013 Long duration of exposure<br \/>\u2013 Universal attendance<br \/>\u2013 Children don’t live alone: they live in households with other age groups -> community spread.<\/p>\n<p>2\/<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Amanda Kvalsvig (@AmandaKvalsvig) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AmandaKvalsvig\/status\/1867676957623857484\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Walgreen\u2019s positivity hasn\u2019t gone up, but it hasn\u2019t gone down, either.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.882352941176\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6190476190476\">\n<td valign=\"top\">This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 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 16:<\/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-9.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284105\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-9.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-9-300x190.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=\"2.6666666666667\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> National[7] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/healthcare-solutions\/covid-19-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a> December 16:<\/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-posivity-states.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-posivity-states.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-posivity-states-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/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=\"211.4555808656\">\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) Seeing a little more red, but nothing new 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>Retail Sales: \u201cUnited States Retail Sales YoY\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/retail-sales-annual\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cRetail Sales in the United States increased 3.8% year-on-year in November 2024, the biggest annual rise since December last year, and following an upwardly revised 2.9% gain in October.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Industrial Production MoM\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/industrial-production-mom\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Industrial Production<\/a>]. \u201cIndustrial production in the United States fell by 0.1% from the previous month in November of 2024 to extend the 0.4% contraction in October, and contrasting with market expectations of a 0.2% rise. The result was consistent with other surveys that pointed to softness in US manufacturing, unveiling the sector\u2019s struggle ahead of potential tariffs by President-elect Trump next year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Capacity: \u201cUnited States Capacity Utilization\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/capacity-utilization\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cCapacity utilization in the US fell to 76.8% in November 2024, the lowest reading since April 2021, from a downwardly revised 77% in October and below forecasts of 77.3%. The rate is now 2.9 percentage points below its long-run average.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cOne Boeing factory has been safe from layoffs and is about to start hiring\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/one-boeing-factory-safe-layoffs-194400014.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Quartz<\/a>]. \u201cAlthough Boeing (BA) has been slow to restart production of the planes built by its unionized workforce and has been laying many of them off amid a year of struggles, the company announced it would be making a big investment in a non-unionized plant. The planemaker said last week that it would be sinking $1 billion in the South Carolina plant where it builds 787 Dreamliners and creating 500 jobs there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 52 Neutral (previous close: 56 Greed) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 47 (Neutral). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 17 at 1:39:53 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mystery Drones<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"drones\"\/>\u201cDrone detectors in New Jersey have found \u2018little or no evidence\u2019 of wrongdoing, governor says\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/drones-mystery-new-jersey-york-b37fda04755803392178b1f39b76ccd8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cMurphy told reporters in Trenton that there were 12 sightings of suspected drones in the state on Saturday and one on Sunday. He declined to go into detail about the detection equipment, but said it was powerful enough to disable the drones, although he added that is not legal on U.S. soil\u2026 Federal officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, have repeatedly said there are no signs that any drone operators have shown bad intent, nor is there evidence of foreign involvement.\u201d \u2022 So, that\u2019s alright then.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDrones latest: FBI addresses mystery lights over East Coast as public warned not to shoot them down\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/world\/americas\/drones-new-jersey-east-coast-updates-b2665148.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Independent<\/a>]. \u201c\u2018Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones,\u2019 the federal agencies said.\u201d But not planets? More: \u2018 and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.\u2019 The FBI office in Newark has meanwhile moved to caution the public against trying to shoot down the unmanned devices, warning they could injure themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t panic \u2013 those mystery drones over New Jersey might not be so mysterious after all\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/cameras\/drones\/dont-panic-those-mystery-drones-over-new-jersey-might-not-be-so-mysterious-after-all\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Techradar<\/a>]. A new theory: \u201cThere was a larger drone test conducted either by the local or federal government or a company that wanted to see how well a delivery fleet operated at night. Since 2021, the FAA has authorized some drone night flights, though the drones still have to remain at elevations under 400 feet. That may account for why these drones have been so visible. They\u2019re larger and cannot break the rules by flying in air space reserved for airplanes.\u201d Those would be the SUV-sized drones (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/game-of-drones-watch-the-skies.html\">see NC here<\/a>). And: \u201cAfter that initial flight (and maybe a few subsequent ones), undiscerning eyes started to think that any light in the sky that they could not identify was also a drone. Drones of the size most people claim they\u2019re seeing, by the way, are not easy to fly, and night flights would require even more expertise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMilitary expert says \u2018government knows the source\u2019 of drones amid mystery sightings\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/world-news\/us-news\/military-expert-says-government-knows-the-source-of-drones-amid-mystery-sightings-101734448819893.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Hindustan Times<\/a>]. Additional theorizing: \u201c[Col. William] Dunn, an attack helicopter pilot who spent 33 years in the Marine Corps, said that he believes the \u2018drones originate from inside the US\u2019 because \u2018it\u2019s very difficult to fly an airplane the size of a vehicle into the United States without being detected.\u2019 He went on to say that \u2018a large drone has got to be refueled,\u2019 suggesting that the drones that were recently spotted in New Jersey must have been refuelled somewhere within the country.\u201d \u2022 These are, again, the SUV-sized drones (and not the bright lights in the sky, which are planes, or planets).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMystery as radioactive shipment goes missing in New Jersey amid drone invasion\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sciencetech\/article-14198587\/radioactive-shipment-missing-new-jersey-drone-invasion.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Daily Mail<\/a>]. \u201cA piece of medical equipment used for cancer scans was shipped from the Nazha Cancer Center in Newfield on December 2 for disposal, but the \u2018shipping container arrived at its destination damaged and empty.\u2019 The device, known as a \u2018pin source,\u2019 contained a small amount of Germanium-68 (Ge-68) that is used to calibrate a medical scanner\u2019s accuracy. If handled without proper gear, it can cause radiation poisoning.\u201d \u2022 If you buy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/game-of-drones-watch-the-skies.html#theory3\">the search for radioactivity theory<\/a>, the timeline is wrong: The big (HPGe), SUV-sized drones first appeared in November 18. In any case, the dosage from the medical equipment is small, disproportionate to the effort.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Annals of Religion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSurvivors seek a reckoning as FBI investigates child sex abuse in little-known Christian sect\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/christian-sect-child-sex-abuse-scandal-a94073c27168a7998c1a225f72672a3d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. I\u2019m filing this here because of the headline, but in fact it\u2019s the institutional structure of the sect that interests me: \u201d Nearly every detail about the religious group Lisa Webb\u2019s family belonged to was hidden from the outside world. Its followers met in homes rather than churches. Its leadership structure was hard to discern, its finances opaque. [The group known as the \u2018Two by Twos\u2019] didn\u2019t even have an official name\u2026. [T]he sect has largely avoided legal repercussions, protected by its decentralized structure, hidden finances and state laws that limit the timeline for criminal charges\u2026. The sect, also known to its members as \u2018The Way\u2019 or \u2018The Truth,\u2019 was founded in Ireland in 1897 by William Irvine, who railed against the existence of churches. The only way to spread Christianity, he argued, was to do as Jesus instructed in the Book of Matthew: to send apostles out to live among those they sought to convert\u2026 [T]he sect\u2019s aversion to property leaves it without apparent assets that might be used to pay settlements, legal experts say\u2026. The sect grew as volunteer preachers \u2014 known as workers \u2014 went \u201ctwo by two\u201d to live in the family homes of followers for days or weeks at a time. Sect historians say there were up to a few million members just a few decades ago, but current estimates put the figure at 75,000 to 85,000 worldwide\u2026. Workers are supposed to shun worldly possessions, relying on followers for food, shelter and transportation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"ceos\"\/>\u201cNew Crisis Hotline for CEOs?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenklippenstein.com\/p\/new-crisis-hotline-for-ceos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ken Klipperstein<\/a>]. Differrent from the political parties? \u201cNew York state is considering creating a special hotline exclusively for CEOs to report perceived threats, CNN reported this morning. Nice little reminder of just how responsive government can be when it comes to corporate executives\u2026. The lack of any concrete threat hasn\u2019t stopped officials from preparing for one. Last Thursday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul told MSNBC\u2019s Morning Joe about her plans to hold a \u201cproactive\u201d meeting on Tuesday with 175 corporate representatives as well as Homeland Security and counterterrorism officials to discuss how to share intelligence with corporate security, according to Kathy Wylde, CEO of the Partnership for New York City\u2026. \u2018Demonization of corporate executives is not new,\u2019 Wylde told Politico last week. \u2018It was part of the rhetoric in the financial crisis of 2008-09.’\u201d \u2022 Remember in the S&L crisis, when corporate executives actually went to jail? That was before Obama, of course.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShock poll: 41 percent of young voters find killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO acceptable\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/healthcare\/5044269-poll-finds-41-percent-find-killing-unacceptable\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cThe survey from Emerson College Polling found 68 percent of all respondents found the actions of the person who shot and killed Thompson unacceptable. But a startling 24 percent of those aged 18-29 found it \u2018somewhat acceptable,\u2019 and 17 percent of that group found it completely acceptable.\u201d \u2022 Hoo boy. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMIT study explains why laws are written in an incomprehensible style\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2024\/mit-study-explains-laws-incomprehensible-writing-style-0819#:~:text=MIT%20cognitive%20scientists%20believe%20the,convey%20a%20sense%20of%20authority.&text=Legal%20documents%20are%20notoriously%20difficult%20to%20understand%2C%20even%20for%20lawyers.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MIT News<\/a>]. \u201cLegal documents frequently have long definitions inserted in the middle of sentences \u2014 a feature known as \u2018center-embedding.\u2019 Linguists have previously found that this kind of structure can make text much more difficult to understand. \u2018Legalese somehow has developed this tendency to put structures inside other structures, in a way which is not typical of human languages,\u2019 [Edward Gibson, an MIT professor of brain and cognitive sciences] says. Just as magic spells are written with a distinctive style that sets them apart from everyday language, the convoluted style of legal language appears to signal a special kind of authority, the researchers say. \u2018In English culture, if you want to write something that\u2019s a magic spell, people know that the way to do that is you put a lot of old-fashioned rhymes in there. We think maybe center-embedding is signaling legalese in the same way,\u2019 Gibson says.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c90-hour-a-week Wall Street bankers snorting lines of Adderall at their desks\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/world-news\/2024\/12\/15\/90-hour-a-week-wall-street-bankers-snorting-adderall-desks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Telegraph<\/a>]. \u2022 Our capital allocation is going great.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbsinthe: From Green Fairy to Moral Panic\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.historytoday.com\/archive\/history-matters\/absinthe-green-fairy-moral-panic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">History Today<\/a>]. \u201cUnderlying absinthe\u2019s dramatic fall from grace was a change in consumers. Once the expensive drink of the French bourgeoisie and artists, absinthe became more affordable in the second half of the 19th century, whereupon workers, women and those in the French colonies, from North Africa to Indochina, began drinking it. Consequently, absinthe came to be blamed for working-class criminality in general and, more specifically, for the acts of the revolutionary Communards after the siege of Paris in 1871. The author Maxime du Camp, for example, described these Communards in his 1881 book Convulsions of Paris, as \u2018knights of debauchery and apostles of absinthe\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cU2\u2019s Larry Mullen Jr: my dyscalculia makes \u2018counting like climbing Everest’\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/vGH8O\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Times<\/a>]. \u201cLarry Mullen Jr, the U2 drummer, has revealed that he cannot count or add numbers because he suffers from dyscalculia \u2014 a learning disability that affects numeracy\u2026. \u2018When people watch me play sometimes, they say, \u2018you look pained\u2019. I am pained because I\u2019m trying to count the bars,\u2019 Mullen said. \u2018I had to find ways of doing this \u2014 and counting bars is like climbing Everest.\u2019\u2026 About 6 per cent of the UK\u2019s population suffers from dyscalculia, according to the Dyscalculia Network.\u201d \u2022 6%? Really?<\/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-12-16-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From tennesseewaltzer:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/pumpkin.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284103\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/pumpkin.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/pumpkin-300x225.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Tennesseewaltzer writes: \u201cFall Pumpkins\u2013always a sign of the change of season.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"donate\"\/><strong>Readers<\/strong>: Water Cooler is a standalone entity <em>not<\/em> covered by the annual NC fundraiser. Material here is Lambert\u2019s, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. If you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn\u2019t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! <em>Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I\u2019m on the right track with coverage<\/em>. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:<\/p>\n<p>Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-226891\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"606\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png 606w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .entry-content --><\/p>\n<footer class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\tThis entry was posted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-17-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-17T14:00:24-05:00\">December 17, 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\/tom-neuburger-why-ceos-and-the-very-rich-should-receive-enhanced-protection.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> Tom Neuburger: Why CEOs and the Very Rich Should Receive Enhanced Protection<\/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, 34 Peregrine Crossing, Chatham, Georgia, United States. * * * In Case You<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88563,"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-88562","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\/88562","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=88562"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88562\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88562"}],"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, 34 Peregrine Crossing, Chatham, 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=\"#trump\">Trump presser<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#aoc\">AOC loses key vote<\/a>. If any.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#drones\">Mystery drones<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#ceos\">Crisis hotline for CEOs<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"64.494431677568\">\n<p><a name=\"trump\"\/>\u201cFreewheeling Transparency: Trump Holds First Post-Election News Conference\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolitics.com\/articles\/2024\/12\/16\/a_freewheeling_transparency_trump_holds_first_post-election_news_conference_152097.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">RealClearPolitics<\/a>]. \u201cDonald Trump couldn\u2019t help himself. \u2018We will take a few questions,\u2019 the president-elect told reporters assembled at Mar-a-Lago for an announcement about a $100 billion investment from the Japanese technology company SoftBank. He answered nearly two dozen questions in an hour. What was billed as a press statement became a sweeping press conference, his first since winning the election, signaling the return of Trump\u2019s brand of free-wheeling transparency. His staff had summoned reporters to talk up the new investment, but Trump happily fielded questions on everything from the border wall (the sale of unused material was \u2018almost a criminal act\u2019) to the alleged link between autism and vaccines (\u2018there is something wrong and we are going to find out about it\u2019). Five weeks before Inauguration Day, all three of the major cable networks took Trump live. And the president-elect made news off-the-cuff. Trump said of the drones sighted on the East Coast, \u2018The government knows what is happening,\u2019 contradicting claims from the Biden administration and condemning them for not commenting on their origin. He added that drones had been spotted over his Bedminster estate in New Jersey, and \u2018I decided to cancel my trip.’\u201d \u2022 Wisely. The contrast between the 2016 and 2024 transitions couldn\u2019t be greater. <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cElizabeth Warren asks Trump to set conflict-of-interest rules for Musk\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/T69Ir\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cThe letter sent by email from the Democrat\u2019s Senate office to Trump\u2019s transition team notes that regular members of the Trump Vance 2025 Transition Team operate under an ethics policy that requires them to \u2018avoid both actual and apparent conflicts of interest.\u2019 Those rules, which have been published by the General Services Administration, include prohibition from transition team members working \u2018on particular matters involving specific parties that affect\u2019 their interests. Musk, who is worth $474 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, spent more than $250 million to help elect Trump president and has since embraced the label \u2018first buddy\u2019 to describe his role. He has been a frequent presence at Trump\u2019s side, advising on government formation and taking a lead role in a new effort to cut federal spending. It is not clear what ethics rules, if any, Musk, has agreed to follow in his role as a Trump adviser. \u2018Putting Mr. Musk in a position to influence billions of dollars of government contracts and regulatory enforcement without a stringent conflict of interest agreement in place is an invitation for corruption on a scale not seen in our lifetimes,\u2019 Warren wrote. \u2018As your Transition Team Ethics Plan makes clear, the role of government is not to line the pockets of the wealthiest Americans; a strong, enforceable ethics plan for the world\u2019s richest man is a necessary first step for delivering on that promise.’\u201d \u2022 Well, I\u2019m glad she\u2019s in there punching. And \u201cFirst Buddy\u201d? Dear Lord. But surely a billionaire in government is confliced by definition?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump\u2019s for-profit presidency\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/politics\/391338\/trump-business-truth-social-crypto-liv-hotel-conflicts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">VOX<\/a>]. \u201c\u201dVictory\u201d cologne and perfume. \u2018Crypto President\u2019 watches. Limited-edition \u2018American Eagle\u2019 guitars. T-branded golf shoes and \u2018Fight Fight Fight\u2019 high-top sneakers. These are just a sample of the many products licensed to bear President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s brand, including some that he has promoted on his social media site Truth Social just weeks before his inauguration. If he continues to hawk his merchandise after returning to the White House, that could raise ethical concerns.\u201d \u2022 \u201cDon, I keep tellin ya. <em>Set up a Foundation<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump passes over RFK Jr.\u2019s daughter-in-law for CIA\u2019s No. 2 job\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/HXWLN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cPresident-elect Donald Trump has told close aides he is no longer considering Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s daughter-in-law to serve as deputy director at the CIA, after a campaign by Republican lawmakers who [Yeah, who wants that?], according to people familiar with the matter\u2026. Cotton, a staunch supporter of subversive espionage operations abroad who in the past has advocated the overthrow of Iran\u2019s government, is one of the most hawkish voices on foreign policy in Congress and is expected to chair the Senate Intelligence Committee next year.\u201d \u2022 Hmm\u2026. <\/p>\n<p>On Kennedy at HHS:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/adams_rfk.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"608\" height=\"1644\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284112\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/adams_rfk.png 608w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/adams_rfk-111x300.png 111w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/adams_rfk-379x1024.png 379w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/adams_rfk-568x1536.png 568w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 608px) 100vw, 608px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>I wish Trump + RFK had stuck to MAHA (\u201cMake America Healthy Again\u201d), which was a great and even encouraging idea. This looks like throwing red meat the base.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudge rejects Trump\u2019s bid to toss hush money conviction because of Supreme Court immunity ruling\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-hush-money-conviction-stormy-daniels-908465ed0b7f2005c72226b5b2546260\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. The worthless Bragg case lives on: \u201cA judge Monday refused to throw out President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s hush money conviction because of the U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s recent ruling on presidential immunity. But the overall future of the historic case remains unclear. Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan\u2019s decision blocks one potential off-ramp from the case ahead of the former and future president\u2019s return to office next month. His lawyers have raised other arguments for dismissal, however. It\u2019s unclear when \u2014 or whether \u2014 a sentencing date might be set. Prosecutors have said there should be some accommodation for his upcoming presidency, but they insist the conviction should stand.\u201d \u2022 You\u2019ve gotta give credit to the New York Bar \u2014 Bragg, Merchan, and of course the firm of Paul, Weiss \u2014 for being deeply committed to the bit.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"22.886138613861\">\n<p>\u201cThe Electoral College votes to confirm results for the 2024 presidential election today. Here\u2019s what to know\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/electoral-college-vote-results-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CBS<\/a>]. \u201cAt state capitols across the U.S. Tuesday, the presidential electors will be gathering to cast their electoral votes, formalizing President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThirteen 2020 fake electors will cast real Electoral College votes for Trump on Tuesday\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2024\/12\/17\/politics\/2020-fake-electors-electoral-college-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. \u201cThirteen Republicans who participated in the 2020 fake electors plot, including some who are facing criminal charges, will cast real Electoral College votes Tuesday for President-elect Donald Trump, as electors in the states finalize his victory. These Republican activists hail from Pennsylvania, Michigan and Nevada \u2013 critical battleground states that Trump carried this year, after losing them all in 2020. Four years ago, they signed fake certificates falsely claiming Trump won. They were picked again by Republicans to be electors this year, and will sign the authentic certificates.\u201d \u2022 I don\u2019t accept the \u201cfake\u201d framing. Some of the \u201ccontingent\u201d electors signed in good faith, persauded by the far more culpable Republican lawyers. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"23.801904761905\">\n<p><a name=\"aoc\"\/>\u201cAOC loses key vote in House Oversight race to Gerry Connolly\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/12\/16\/aoc-house-steering-committee-oversight-connolly\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. \u201cHouse Democrats\u2019 Steering and Policy Committee voted to recommend Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) as ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, several sources familiar with the vote told Axios. It\u2019s a huge blow to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez\u2019s (D-N.Y.) hopes of leading the high-profile panel, though the full Democratic caucus still has to vote to approve steering\u2019s pick. It is rare for the caucus to buck the suggestion of steering \u2013 which is closely aligned with Democratic leadership \u2013 but it has happened before. Connolly defeated Ocasio-Cortez 34 to 27 on Monday, according to multiple lawmakers present. Ocasio-Cortez said after the vote that she will continue to contest the role when it goes to a vote of the full caucus. The battle between Ocasio-Cortez, 35, and Connolly, 74, came as several committee ranking members have fallen to challenges from relatively younger colleagues.\u201d \u2022 The full caucus does still need to vote, but as of now, it looks like all that sucking up didn\u2019t buy AOC a thing. Which is a shame, since she\u2019s a great natural talent. Let that be a lesson to you all! (I don\u2019t care about her age: The Democrat leadership needs to be dismantled with a jackhammer, and I don\u2019t much care how it\u2019s done. Just imagine, Pelosi orchestrating the whole thing from a hospital bed in Paris. Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/aoc_connoly.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"916\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284111\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/aoc_connoly.png 500w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/aoc_connoly-164x300.png 164w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSenate Democrats push plan to abolish Electoral College\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/5043206-senate-democrats-abolish-electoral-college\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u2022 <em>This<\/em> is their focus? Really? Don\u2019t ever change, Democrats!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"4.5833333333333\">\n<p>\u201cAmericans Pass Judgment on Their Courts\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/news.gallup.com\/poll\/653897\/americans-pass-judgment-courts.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Gallup<\/a>]. \u2022 Handy chart:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/lawfare_courts.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"362\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/lawfare_courts.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/lawfare_courts-300x181.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Syndemics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am in earnest \u2014 I will not equivocate \u2014 I will not excuse \u2014 I will not retreat a single inch \u2014 AND I WILL BE HEARD.\u201d \u2013William Lloyd Garrison<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk&null=Risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>); Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>, <del><a href=\"https:\/\/biobot.io\/data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Biobot<\/a><\/del>; includes many counties; <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wastewater Scan<\/a>, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/businesssolutions\/covid-19-index.jsp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a>); \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/iowacovid19tracker.org\/hospitals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Iowa COVID-19 Tracker<\/a>\u201d (in IA, but national data). \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/icemsg.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts<\/a>\u201d (especially on hospitalization by city).<\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put \u201cCOVID\u201d in the subject line. Thank you!<\/p>\n<p>Resources, United States (Local): AK (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/af2efc8bffbf4cdc83c2d1a134354074\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/6d2771faa9da4a2786a509d82c8cf0f7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AR (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/633006d0782b4544bd5113a314f6268a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AZ (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azdhs.gov\/covid19\/data\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); CA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdph.ca.gov\/Programs\/CID\/DCDC\/Pages\/COVID-19\/CalSuWers-Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.marinhhs.org\/surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Marin, dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/healthalerts.stanford.edu\/covid-19\/wastewater-dashboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Stanford, wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/?v=SC2_N&l=Oakland%2C+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Oakland, wastewater<\/a>); CO (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/d79cf93c3938470ca4bcc4823328946b#utility=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); CT (<a href=\"https:\/\/data.ct.gov\/stories\/s\/COVID-19-data\/wa3g-tfvc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); DE (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.delaware.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); FL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/5b9d75ba683849928dc1a49c39ab0b1c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); GA (<a href=\"https:\/\/dph.georgia.gov\/ga-nwss-wastewater-surveillance-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); HI (<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); IA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmmwra.org\/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater reports<\/a>); ID (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Boise; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/?plantId=1056f05c-0e46-4e3d-b007-c0453ba7dc0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Central Idaho; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/#:SARS-CoV-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Coeur d\u2019Alene; dashboard, <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.srhd.org\/topics\/spokane-county-case-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spokane County<\/a>); IL (<a href=\"https:\/\/iwss.uillinois.edu\/wastewater-treatment-plants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); IN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.in.gov\/indiana-covid-19-dashboard-and-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); KS (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov\/160\/COVID-19-in-Kansas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/4456bae8a38f4b6180e008477382fff9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Lawrence); KY (<a href=\"https:\/\/louisville.edu\/envirome\/thecoimmunityproject\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Louisville); LA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldh.la.gov\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/covid-19-wastewater-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MD (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.maryland.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); ME (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/dhhs\/mecdc\/infectious-disease\/epi\/airborne\/coronavirus\/data.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/coronavirus\/stats\/wastewater-surveillance\/dashboard\/sentinel-wastewater-epidemiology-evaluation-project-sweep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/gisportal.state.mi.us\/portal\/apps\/insights\/index.html#\/view\/52bbb104ed574887918f990af9f3debe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/stats\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MO (<a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/f7f5492486114da6b5d6fdc07f81aacf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MS (<a href=\"https:\/\/msdh.ms.gov\/page\/14,0,420.html#Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>MT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapSeries\/index.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; NC (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.ncdhhs.gov\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard)<\/a>; ND (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NE (<a href=\"https:\/\/atlas-dhhs.ne.gov\/Atlas\/Respiratory_Illness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NH (<a href=\"https:\/\/wisdom.dhhs.nh.gov\/wisdom\/dashboard.html?topic=covid-19&subtopic=recurring-updates&indicator=covid-19-wastewater#tabnavbarid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NJ (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.nj.gov\/forms\/datadashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NM (<a href=\"https:\/\/cvprovider.nmhealth.org\/public-dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NV (<a href=\"https:\/\/nvhealthresponse.nv.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/empower.unlv.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Southern NV); NY (<a href=\"https:\/\/mbcolli.shinyapps.io\/SARS2EWSP\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OH (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.ohio.gov\/dashboards\/other-resources\/wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OK (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/51657c21386d4f1a962b1853c76ec589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>OR (<a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/oregon.health.authority.covid.19\/viz\/OregonsCOVID-19DataDashboards-TableofContents\/TableofContentsStatewide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; PA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.pa.gov\/topics\/disease\/coronavirus\/pages\/Cases.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); RI (<a href=\"https:\/\/ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SC (<a href=\"https:\/\/scdhec.gov\/index.php\/covid19\/covid-19-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SD (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.sd.gov\/COVID\/Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/health\/cedep\/ncov\/data.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TX (<a href=\"https:\/\/txdshsea.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/4ae43eefd0f641d59d35c3df82ee59cc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); UT (<a href=\"https:\/\/avrpublic.dhhs.utah.gov\/uwss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/coronavirus\/sars-cov-2-in-wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthvermont.gov\/disease-control\/covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WA (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.wa.gov\/emergencies\/covid-19\/data-dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.bfhd.wa.gov\/cases-and-roadmap-to-recovery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.wisconsin.gov\/covid-19\/wastewater.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); WV (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/oehs.wvdhhr.org\/news\/oehs-coivd-19-information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>); WY (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/covidwastewatermonitor.wyo.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/health-infobase.canada.ca\/covid-19\/wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Government of Canada<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publichealthontario.ca\/en\/Data-and-Analysis\/Infectious-Disease\/COVID-19-Data-Surveillance\/Wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); QC (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inspq.qc.ca\/covid-19\/donnees\/eaux-usees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><em>les eaux us\u00e9es<\/em><\/a>); BC (<a href=\"https:\/\/bccdc.shinyapps.io\/respiratory_wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); BC, Vancouver (<a href=\"https:\/\/metrovancouver.org\/services\/liquid-waste\/testing-for-the-covid-19-virus-in-wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, KF, KidDoc, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n<p>Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n<p>Airborne Transmission<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"4.7814910025707\">\n<p>Ventilation priorities for the next airborne syndemic:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.2709580838323\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.389221556886\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Schools, for example, are v effective propagators of outbreaks:<br \/>\u2013 Large numbers of contacts<br \/>\u2013 Indoor air quality often poor<br \/>\u2013 Long duration of exposure<br \/>\u2013 Universal attendance<br \/>\u2013 Children don’t live alone: they live in households with other age groups -> community spread.<\/p>\n<p>2\/<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Amanda Kvalsvig (@AmandaKvalsvig) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AmandaKvalsvig\/status\/1867676957623857484\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Walgreen\u2019s positivity hasn\u2019t gone up, but it hasn\u2019t gone down, either.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.882352941176\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6190476190476\">\n<td valign=\"top\">This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 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 16:<\/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-9.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284105\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-9.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-9-300x190.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=\"2.6666666666667\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> National[7] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/healthcare-solutions\/covid-19-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a> December 16:<\/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-posivity-states.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-posivity-states.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-posivity-states-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/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=\"211.4555808656\">\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) Seeing a little more red, but nothing new 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>Retail Sales: \u201cUnited States Retail Sales YoY\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/retail-sales-annual\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cRetail Sales in the United States increased 3.8% year-on-year in November 2024, the biggest annual rise since December last year, and following an upwardly revised 2.9% gain in October.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Industrial Production MoM\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/industrial-production-mom\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Industrial Production<\/a>]. \u201cIndustrial production in the United States fell by 0.1% from the previous month in November of 2024 to extend the 0.4% contraction in October, and contrasting with market expectations of a 0.2% rise. The result was consistent with other surveys that pointed to softness in US manufacturing, unveiling the sector\u2019s struggle ahead of potential tariffs by President-elect Trump next year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Capacity: \u201cUnited States Capacity Utilization\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/capacity-utilization\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cCapacity utilization in the US fell to 76.8% in November 2024, the lowest reading since April 2021, from a downwardly revised 77% in October and below forecasts of 77.3%. The rate is now 2.9 percentage points below its long-run average.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cOne Boeing factory has been safe from layoffs and is about to start hiring\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/one-boeing-factory-safe-layoffs-194400014.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Quartz<\/a>]. \u201cAlthough Boeing (BA) has been slow to restart production of the planes built by its unionized workforce and has been laying many of them off amid a year of struggles, the company announced it would be making a big investment in a non-unionized plant. The planemaker said last week that it would be sinking $1 billion in the South Carolina plant where it builds 787 Dreamliners and creating 500 jobs there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 52 Neutral (previous close: 56 Greed) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 47 (Neutral). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 17 at 1:39:53 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mystery Drones<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"drones\"\/>\u201cDrone detectors in New Jersey have found \u2018little or no evidence\u2019 of wrongdoing, governor says\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/drones-mystery-new-jersey-york-b37fda04755803392178b1f39b76ccd8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cMurphy told reporters in Trenton that there were 12 sightings of suspected drones in the state on Saturday and one on Sunday. He declined to go into detail about the detection equipment, but said it was powerful enough to disable the drones, although he added that is not legal on U.S. soil\u2026 Federal officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, have repeatedly said there are no signs that any drone operators have shown bad intent, nor is there evidence of foreign involvement.\u201d \u2022 So, that\u2019s alright then.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDrones latest: FBI addresses mystery lights over East Coast as public warned not to shoot them down\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/world\/americas\/drones-new-jersey-east-coast-updates-b2665148.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Independent<\/a>]. \u201c\u2018Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones,\u2019 the federal agencies said.\u201d But not planets? More: \u2018 and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.\u2019 The FBI office in Newark has meanwhile moved to caution the public against trying to shoot down the unmanned devices, warning they could injure themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t panic \u2013 those mystery drones over New Jersey might not be so mysterious after all\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/cameras\/drones\/dont-panic-those-mystery-drones-over-new-jersey-might-not-be-so-mysterious-after-all\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Techradar<\/a>]. A new theory: \u201cThere was a larger drone test conducted either by the local or federal government or a company that wanted to see how well a delivery fleet operated at night. Since 2021, the FAA has authorized some drone night flights, though the drones still have to remain at elevations under 400 feet. That may account for why these drones have been so visible. They\u2019re larger and cannot break the rules by flying in air space reserved for airplanes.\u201d Those would be the SUV-sized drones (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/game-of-drones-watch-the-skies.html\">see NC here<\/a>). And: \u201cAfter that initial flight (and maybe a few subsequent ones), undiscerning eyes started to think that any light in the sky that they could not identify was also a drone. Drones of the size most people claim they\u2019re seeing, by the way, are not easy to fly, and night flights would require even more expertise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMilitary expert says \u2018government knows the source\u2019 of drones amid mystery sightings\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/world-news\/us-news\/military-expert-says-government-knows-the-source-of-drones-amid-mystery-sightings-101734448819893.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Hindustan Times<\/a>]. Additional theorizing: \u201c[Col. William] Dunn, an attack helicopter pilot who spent 33 years in the Marine Corps, said that he believes the \u2018drones originate from inside the US\u2019 because \u2018it\u2019s very difficult to fly an airplane the size of a vehicle into the United States without being detected.\u2019 He went on to say that \u2018a large drone has got to be refueled,\u2019 suggesting that the drones that were recently spotted in New Jersey must have been refuelled somewhere within the country.\u201d \u2022 These are, again, the SUV-sized drones (and not the bright lights in the sky, which are planes, or planets).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMystery as radioactive shipment goes missing in New Jersey amid drone invasion\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sciencetech\/article-14198587\/radioactive-shipment-missing-new-jersey-drone-invasion.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Daily Mail<\/a>]. \u201cA piece of medical equipment used for cancer scans was shipped from the Nazha Cancer Center in Newfield on December 2 for disposal, but the \u2018shipping container arrived at its destination damaged and empty.\u2019 The device, known as a \u2018pin source,\u2019 contained a small amount of Germanium-68 (Ge-68) that is used to calibrate a medical scanner\u2019s accuracy. If handled without proper gear, it can cause radiation poisoning.\u201d \u2022 If you buy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/game-of-drones-watch-the-skies.html#theory3\">the search for radioactivity theory<\/a>, the timeline is wrong: The big (HPGe), SUV-sized drones first appeared in November 18. In any case, the dosage from the medical equipment is small, disproportionate to the effort.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Annals of Religion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSurvivors seek a reckoning as FBI investigates child sex abuse in little-known Christian sect\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/christian-sect-child-sex-abuse-scandal-a94073c27168a7998c1a225f72672a3d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. I\u2019m filing this here because of the headline, but in fact it\u2019s the institutional structure of the sect that interests me: \u201d Nearly every detail about the religious group Lisa Webb\u2019s family belonged to was hidden from the outside world. Its followers met in homes rather than churches. Its leadership structure was hard to discern, its finances opaque. [The group known as the \u2018Two by Twos\u2019] didn\u2019t even have an official name\u2026. [T]he sect has largely avoided legal repercussions, protected by its decentralized structure, hidden finances and state laws that limit the timeline for criminal charges\u2026. The sect, also known to its members as \u2018The Way\u2019 or \u2018The Truth,\u2019 was founded in Ireland in 1897 by William Irvine, who railed against the existence of churches. The only way to spread Christianity, he argued, was to do as Jesus instructed in the Book of Matthew: to send apostles out to live among those they sought to convert\u2026 [T]he sect\u2019s aversion to property leaves it without apparent assets that might be used to pay settlements, legal experts say\u2026. The sect grew as volunteer preachers \u2014 known as workers \u2014 went \u201ctwo by two\u201d to live in the family homes of followers for days or weeks at a time. Sect historians say there were up to a few million members just a few decades ago, but current estimates put the figure at 75,000 to 85,000 worldwide\u2026. Workers are supposed to shun worldly possessions, relying on followers for food, shelter and transportation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"ceos\"\/>\u201cNew Crisis Hotline for CEOs?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenklippenstein.com\/p\/new-crisis-hotline-for-ceos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ken Klipperstein<\/a>]. Differrent from the political parties? \u201cNew York state is considering creating a special hotline exclusively for CEOs to report perceived threats, CNN reported this morning. Nice little reminder of just how responsive government can be when it comes to corporate executives\u2026. The lack of any concrete threat hasn\u2019t stopped officials from preparing for one. Last Thursday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul told MSNBC\u2019s Morning Joe about her plans to hold a \u201cproactive\u201d meeting on Tuesday with 175 corporate representatives as well as Homeland Security and counterterrorism officials to discuss how to share intelligence with corporate security, according to Kathy Wylde, CEO of the Partnership for New York City\u2026. \u2018Demonization of corporate executives is not new,\u2019 Wylde told Politico last week. \u2018It was part of the rhetoric in the financial crisis of 2008-09.’\u201d \u2022 Remember in the S&L crisis, when corporate executives actually went to jail? That was before Obama, of course.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShock poll: 41 percent of young voters find killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO acceptable\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/healthcare\/5044269-poll-finds-41-percent-find-killing-unacceptable\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cThe survey from Emerson College Polling found 68 percent of all respondents found the actions of the person who shot and killed Thompson unacceptable. But a startling 24 percent of those aged 18-29 found it \u2018somewhat acceptable,\u2019 and 17 percent of that group found it completely acceptable.\u201d \u2022 Hoo boy. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMIT study explains why laws are written in an incomprehensible style\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2024\/mit-study-explains-laws-incomprehensible-writing-style-0819#:~:text=MIT%20cognitive%20scientists%20believe%20the,convey%20a%20sense%20of%20authority.&text=Legal%20documents%20are%20notoriously%20difficult%20to%20understand%2C%20even%20for%20lawyers.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MIT News<\/a>]. \u201cLegal documents frequently have long definitions inserted in the middle of sentences \u2014 a feature known as \u2018center-embedding.\u2019 Linguists have previously found that this kind of structure can make text much more difficult to understand. \u2018Legalese somehow has developed this tendency to put structures inside other structures, in a way which is not typical of human languages,\u2019 [Edward Gibson, an MIT professor of brain and cognitive sciences] says. Just as magic spells are written with a distinctive style that sets them apart from everyday language, the convoluted style of legal language appears to signal a special kind of authority, the researchers say. \u2018In English culture, if you want to write something that\u2019s a magic spell, people know that the way to do that is you put a lot of old-fashioned rhymes in there. We think maybe center-embedding is signaling legalese in the same way,\u2019 Gibson says.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c90-hour-a-week Wall Street bankers snorting lines of Adderall at their desks\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/world-news\/2024\/12\/15\/90-hour-a-week-wall-street-bankers-snorting-adderall-desks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Telegraph<\/a>]. \u2022 Our capital allocation is going great.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbsinthe: From Green Fairy to Moral Panic\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.historytoday.com\/archive\/history-matters\/absinthe-green-fairy-moral-panic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">History Today<\/a>]. \u201cUnderlying absinthe\u2019s dramatic fall from grace was a change in consumers. Once the expensive drink of the French bourgeoisie and artists, absinthe became more affordable in the second half of the 19th century, whereupon workers, women and those in the French colonies, from North Africa to Indochina, began drinking it. Consequently, absinthe came to be blamed for working-class criminality in general and, more specifically, for the acts of the revolutionary Communards after the siege of Paris in 1871. The author Maxime du Camp, for example, described these Communards in his 1881 book Convulsions of Paris, as \u2018knights of debauchery and apostles of absinthe\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cU2\u2019s Larry Mullen Jr: my dyscalculia makes \u2018counting like climbing Everest’\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/vGH8O\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Times<\/a>]. \u201cLarry Mullen Jr, the U2 drummer, has revealed that he cannot count or add numbers because he suffers from dyscalculia \u2014 a learning disability that affects numeracy\u2026. \u2018When people watch me play sometimes, they say, \u2018you look pained\u2019. I am pained because I\u2019m trying to count the bars,\u2019 Mullen said. \u2018I had to find ways of doing this \u2014 and counting bars is like climbing Everest.\u2019\u2026 About 6 per cent of the UK\u2019s population suffers from dyscalculia, according to the Dyscalculia Network.\u201d \u2022 6%? Really?<\/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-12-16-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From tennesseewaltzer:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/pumpkin.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284103\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/pumpkin.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/pumpkin-300x225.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Tennesseewaltzer writes: \u201cFall Pumpkins\u2013always a sign of the change of season.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"donate\"\/><strong>Readers<\/strong>: Water Cooler is a standalone entity <em>not<\/em> covered by the annual NC fundraiser. Material here is Lambert\u2019s, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. If you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn\u2019t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! <em>Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I\u2019m on the right track with coverage<\/em>. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:<\/p>\n<p>Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-226891\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"606\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png 606w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .entry-content --><\/p>\n<footer class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\tThis entry was posted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-17-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-17T14:00:24-05:00\">December 17, 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\/tom-neuburger-why-ceos-and-the-very-rich-should-receive-enhanced-protection.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> Tom Neuburger: Why CEOs and the Very Rich Should Receive Enhanced Protection<\/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-12-17-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day Northern Mockingbird, 34 Peregrine Crossing, Chatham, Georgia, United States. * * * In Case You<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88563,"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-88562","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\/88562","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=88562"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88562\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Northern Mockingbird, 34 Peregrine Crossing, Chatham, 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=\"#trump\">Trump presser<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#aoc\">AOC loses key vote<\/a>. If any.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#drones\">Mystery drones<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#ceos\">Crisis hotline for CEOs<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"64.494431677568\">\n<p><a name=\"trump\"\/>\u201cFreewheeling Transparency: Trump Holds First Post-Election News Conference\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolitics.com\/articles\/2024\/12\/16\/a_freewheeling_transparency_trump_holds_first_post-election_news_conference_152097.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">RealClearPolitics<\/a>]. \u201cDonald Trump couldn\u2019t help himself. \u2018We will take a few questions,\u2019 the president-elect told reporters assembled at Mar-a-Lago for an announcement about a $100 billion investment from the Japanese technology company SoftBank. He answered nearly two dozen questions in an hour. What was billed as a press statement became a sweeping press conference, his first since winning the election, signaling the return of Trump\u2019s brand of free-wheeling transparency. His staff had summoned reporters to talk up the new investment, but Trump happily fielded questions on everything from the border wall (the sale of unused material was \u2018almost a criminal act\u2019) to the alleged link between autism and vaccines (\u2018there is something wrong and we are going to find out about it\u2019). Five weeks before Inauguration Day, all three of the major cable networks took Trump live. And the president-elect made news off-the-cuff. Trump said of the drones sighted on the East Coast, \u2018The government knows what is happening,\u2019 contradicting claims from the Biden administration and condemning them for not commenting on their origin. He added that drones had been spotted over his Bedminster estate in New Jersey, and \u2018I decided to cancel my trip.’\u201d \u2022 Wisely. The contrast between the 2016 and 2024 transitions couldn\u2019t be greater. <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cElizabeth Warren asks Trump to set conflict-of-interest rules for Musk\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/T69Ir\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cThe letter sent by email from the Democrat\u2019s Senate office to Trump\u2019s transition team notes that regular members of the Trump Vance 2025 Transition Team operate under an ethics policy that requires them to \u2018avoid both actual and apparent conflicts of interest.\u2019 Those rules, which have been published by the General Services Administration, include prohibition from transition team members working \u2018on particular matters involving specific parties that affect\u2019 their interests. Musk, who is worth $474 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, spent more than $250 million to help elect Trump president and has since embraced the label \u2018first buddy\u2019 to describe his role. He has been a frequent presence at Trump\u2019s side, advising on government formation and taking a lead role in a new effort to cut federal spending. It is not clear what ethics rules, if any, Musk, has agreed to follow in his role as a Trump adviser. \u2018Putting Mr. Musk in a position to influence billions of dollars of government contracts and regulatory enforcement without a stringent conflict of interest agreement in place is an invitation for corruption on a scale not seen in our lifetimes,\u2019 Warren wrote. \u2018As your Transition Team Ethics Plan makes clear, the role of government is not to line the pockets of the wealthiest Americans; a strong, enforceable ethics plan for the world\u2019s richest man is a necessary first step for delivering on that promise.’\u201d \u2022 Well, I\u2019m glad she\u2019s in there punching. And \u201cFirst Buddy\u201d? Dear Lord. But surely a billionaire in government is confliced by definition?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump\u2019s for-profit presidency\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/politics\/391338\/trump-business-truth-social-crypto-liv-hotel-conflicts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">VOX<\/a>]. \u201c\u201dVictory\u201d cologne and perfume. \u2018Crypto President\u2019 watches. Limited-edition \u2018American Eagle\u2019 guitars. T-branded golf shoes and \u2018Fight Fight Fight\u2019 high-top sneakers. These are just a sample of the many products licensed to bear President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s brand, including some that he has promoted on his social media site Truth Social just weeks before his inauguration. If he continues to hawk his merchandise after returning to the White House, that could raise ethical concerns.\u201d \u2022 \u201cDon, I keep tellin ya. <em>Set up a Foundation<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump passes over RFK Jr.\u2019s daughter-in-law for CIA\u2019s No. 2 job\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/HXWLN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cPresident-elect Donald Trump has told close aides he is no longer considering Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s daughter-in-law to serve as deputy director at the CIA, after a campaign by Republican lawmakers who [Yeah, who wants that?], according to people familiar with the matter\u2026. Cotton, a staunch supporter of subversive espionage operations abroad who in the past has advocated the overthrow of Iran\u2019s government, is one of the most hawkish voices on foreign policy in Congress and is expected to chair the Senate Intelligence Committee next year.\u201d \u2022 Hmm\u2026. <\/p>\n<p>On Kennedy at HHS:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/adams_rfk.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"608\" height=\"1644\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284112\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/adams_rfk.png 608w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/adams_rfk-111x300.png 111w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/adams_rfk-379x1024.png 379w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/adams_rfk-568x1536.png 568w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 608px) 100vw, 608px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>I wish Trump + RFK had stuck to MAHA (\u201cMake America Healthy Again\u201d), which was a great and even encouraging idea. This looks like throwing red meat the base.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cJudge rejects Trump\u2019s bid to toss hush money conviction because of Supreme Court immunity ruling\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-hush-money-conviction-stormy-daniels-908465ed0b7f2005c72226b5b2546260\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. The worthless Bragg case lives on: \u201cA judge Monday refused to throw out President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s hush money conviction because of the U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s recent ruling on presidential immunity. But the overall future of the historic case remains unclear. Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan\u2019s decision blocks one potential off-ramp from the case ahead of the former and future president\u2019s return to office next month. His lawyers have raised other arguments for dismissal, however. It\u2019s unclear when \u2014 or whether \u2014 a sentencing date might be set. Prosecutors have said there should be some accommodation for his upcoming presidency, but they insist the conviction should stand.\u201d \u2022 You\u2019ve gotta give credit to the New York Bar \u2014 Bragg, Merchan, and of course the firm of Paul, Weiss \u2014 for being deeply committed to the bit.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"22.886138613861\">\n<p>\u201cThe Electoral College votes to confirm results for the 2024 presidential election today. Here\u2019s what to know\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/electoral-college-vote-results-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CBS<\/a>]. \u201cAt state capitols across the U.S. Tuesday, the presidential electors will be gathering to cast their electoral votes, formalizing President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThirteen 2020 fake electors will cast real Electoral College votes for Trump on Tuesday\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2024\/12\/17\/politics\/2020-fake-electors-electoral-college-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. \u201cThirteen Republicans who participated in the 2020 fake electors plot, including some who are facing criminal charges, will cast real Electoral College votes Tuesday for President-elect Donald Trump, as electors in the states finalize his victory. These Republican activists hail from Pennsylvania, Michigan and Nevada \u2013 critical battleground states that Trump carried this year, after losing them all in 2020. Four years ago, they signed fake certificates falsely claiming Trump won. They were picked again by Republicans to be electors this year, and will sign the authentic certificates.\u201d \u2022 I don\u2019t accept the \u201cfake\u201d framing. Some of the \u201ccontingent\u201d electors signed in good faith, persauded by the far more culpable Republican lawyers. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"23.801904761905\">\n<p><a name=\"aoc\"\/>\u201cAOC loses key vote in House Oversight race to Gerry Connolly\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/12\/16\/aoc-house-steering-committee-oversight-connolly\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. \u201cHouse Democrats\u2019 Steering and Policy Committee voted to recommend Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) as ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, several sources familiar with the vote told Axios. It\u2019s a huge blow to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez\u2019s (D-N.Y.) hopes of leading the high-profile panel, though the full Democratic caucus still has to vote to approve steering\u2019s pick. It is rare for the caucus to buck the suggestion of steering \u2013 which is closely aligned with Democratic leadership \u2013 but it has happened before. Connolly defeated Ocasio-Cortez 34 to 27 on Monday, according to multiple lawmakers present. Ocasio-Cortez said after the vote that she will continue to contest the role when it goes to a vote of the full caucus. The battle between Ocasio-Cortez, 35, and Connolly, 74, came as several committee ranking members have fallen to challenges from relatively younger colleagues.\u201d \u2022 The full caucus does still need to vote, but as of now, it looks like all that sucking up didn\u2019t buy AOC a thing. Which is a shame, since she\u2019s a great natural talent. Let that be a lesson to you all! (I don\u2019t care about her age: The Democrat leadership needs to be dismantled with a jackhammer, and I don\u2019t much care how it\u2019s done. Just imagine, Pelosi orchestrating the whole thing from a hospital bed in Paris. Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/aoc_connoly.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"916\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284111\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/aoc_connoly.png 500w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/aoc_connoly-164x300.png 164w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSenate Democrats push plan to abolish Electoral College\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/5043206-senate-democrats-abolish-electoral-college\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u2022 <em>This<\/em> is their focus? Really? Don\u2019t ever change, Democrats!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"4.5833333333333\">\n<p>\u201cAmericans Pass Judgment on Their Courts\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/news.gallup.com\/poll\/653897\/americans-pass-judgment-courts.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Gallup<\/a>]. \u2022 Handy chart:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/lawfare_courts.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"362\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/lawfare_courts.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/lawfare_courts-300x181.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Syndemics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am in earnest \u2014 I will not equivocate \u2014 I will not excuse \u2014 I will not retreat a single inch \u2014 AND I WILL BE HEARD.\u201d \u2013William Lloyd Garrison<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk&null=Risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>); Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>, <del><a href=\"https:\/\/biobot.io\/data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Biobot<\/a><\/del>; includes many counties; <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wastewater Scan<\/a>, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/businesssolutions\/covid-19-index.jsp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a>); \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/iowacovid19tracker.org\/hospitals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Iowa COVID-19 Tracker<\/a>\u201d (in IA, but national data). \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/icemsg.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts<\/a>\u201d (especially on hospitalization by city).<\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put \u201cCOVID\u201d in the subject line. Thank you!<\/p>\n<p>Resources, United States (Local): AK (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/af2efc8bffbf4cdc83c2d1a134354074\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/6d2771faa9da4a2786a509d82c8cf0f7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AR (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/633006d0782b4544bd5113a314f6268a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AZ (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azdhs.gov\/covid19\/data\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); CA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdph.ca.gov\/Programs\/CID\/DCDC\/Pages\/COVID-19\/CalSuWers-Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.marinhhs.org\/surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Marin, dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/healthalerts.stanford.edu\/covid-19\/wastewater-dashboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Stanford, wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/?v=SC2_N&l=Oakland%2C+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Oakland, wastewater<\/a>); CO (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/d79cf93c3938470ca4bcc4823328946b#utility=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); CT (<a href=\"https:\/\/data.ct.gov\/stories\/s\/COVID-19-data\/wa3g-tfvc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); DE (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.delaware.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); FL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/5b9d75ba683849928dc1a49c39ab0b1c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); GA (<a href=\"https:\/\/dph.georgia.gov\/ga-nwss-wastewater-surveillance-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); HI (<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); IA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmmwra.org\/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater reports<\/a>); ID (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Boise; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/?plantId=1056f05c-0e46-4e3d-b007-c0453ba7dc0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Central Idaho; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/#:SARS-CoV-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Coeur d\u2019Alene; dashboard, <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.srhd.org\/topics\/spokane-county-case-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spokane County<\/a>); IL (<a href=\"https:\/\/iwss.uillinois.edu\/wastewater-treatment-plants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); IN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.in.gov\/indiana-covid-19-dashboard-and-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); KS (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov\/160\/COVID-19-in-Kansas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/4456bae8a38f4b6180e008477382fff9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Lawrence); KY (<a href=\"https:\/\/louisville.edu\/envirome\/thecoimmunityproject\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Louisville); LA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldh.la.gov\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/covid-19-wastewater-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MD (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.maryland.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); ME (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/dhhs\/mecdc\/infectious-disease\/epi\/airborne\/coronavirus\/data.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/coronavirus\/stats\/wastewater-surveillance\/dashboard\/sentinel-wastewater-epidemiology-evaluation-project-sweep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/gisportal.state.mi.us\/portal\/apps\/insights\/index.html#\/view\/52bbb104ed574887918f990af9f3debe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/stats\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MO (<a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/f7f5492486114da6b5d6fdc07f81aacf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MS (<a href=\"https:\/\/msdh.ms.gov\/page\/14,0,420.html#Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>MT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapSeries\/index.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; NC (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.ncdhhs.gov\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard)<\/a>; ND (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NE (<a href=\"https:\/\/atlas-dhhs.ne.gov\/Atlas\/Respiratory_Illness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NH (<a href=\"https:\/\/wisdom.dhhs.nh.gov\/wisdom\/dashboard.html?topic=covid-19&subtopic=recurring-updates&indicator=covid-19-wastewater#tabnavbarid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NJ (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.nj.gov\/forms\/datadashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NM (<a href=\"https:\/\/cvprovider.nmhealth.org\/public-dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NV (<a href=\"https:\/\/nvhealthresponse.nv.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/empower.unlv.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Southern NV); NY (<a href=\"https:\/\/mbcolli.shinyapps.io\/SARS2EWSP\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OH (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.ohio.gov\/dashboards\/other-resources\/wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OK (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/51657c21386d4f1a962b1853c76ec589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>OR (<a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/oregon.health.authority.covid.19\/viz\/OregonsCOVID-19DataDashboards-TableofContents\/TableofContentsStatewide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; PA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.pa.gov\/topics\/disease\/coronavirus\/pages\/Cases.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); RI (<a href=\"https:\/\/ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SC (<a href=\"https:\/\/scdhec.gov\/index.php\/covid19\/covid-19-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SD (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.sd.gov\/COVID\/Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/health\/cedep\/ncov\/data.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TX (<a href=\"https:\/\/txdshsea.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/4ae43eefd0f641d59d35c3df82ee59cc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); UT (<a href=\"https:\/\/avrpublic.dhhs.utah.gov\/uwss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/coronavirus\/sars-cov-2-in-wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthvermont.gov\/disease-control\/covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WA (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.wa.gov\/emergencies\/covid-19\/data-dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.bfhd.wa.gov\/cases-and-roadmap-to-recovery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.wisconsin.gov\/covid-19\/wastewater.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); WV (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/oehs.wvdhhr.org\/news\/oehs-coivd-19-information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>); WY (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/covidwastewatermonitor.wyo.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/health-infobase.canada.ca\/covid-19\/wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Government of Canada<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publichealthontario.ca\/en\/Data-and-Analysis\/Infectious-Disease\/COVID-19-Data-Surveillance\/Wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); QC (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inspq.qc.ca\/covid-19\/donnees\/eaux-usees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><em>les eaux us\u00e9es<\/em><\/a>); BC (<a href=\"https:\/\/bccdc.shinyapps.io\/respiratory_wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); BC, Vancouver (<a href=\"https:\/\/metrovancouver.org\/services\/liquid-waste\/testing-for-the-covid-19-virus-in-wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, KF, KidDoc, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n<p>Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n<p>Airborne Transmission<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"4.7814910025707\">\n<p>Ventilation priorities for the next airborne syndemic:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.2709580838323\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.389221556886\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Schools, for example, are v effective propagators of outbreaks:<br \/>\u2013 Large numbers of contacts<br \/>\u2013 Indoor air quality often poor<br \/>\u2013 Long duration of exposure<br \/>\u2013 Universal attendance<br \/>\u2013 Children don’t live alone: they live in households with other age groups -> community spread.<\/p>\n<p>2\/<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Amanda Kvalsvig (@AmandaKvalsvig) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AmandaKvalsvig\/status\/1867676957623857484\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 13, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Walgreen\u2019s positivity hasn\u2019t gone up, but it hasn\u2019t gone down, either.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.882352941176\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6190476190476\">\n<td valign=\"top\">This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 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 16:<\/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-9.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284105\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-9.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-9-300x190.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=\"2.6666666666667\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> National[7] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/healthcare-solutions\/covid-19-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a> December 16:<\/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-posivity-states.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-posivity-states.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-posivity-states-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/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=\"211.4555808656\">\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) Seeing a little more red, but nothing new 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>Retail Sales: \u201cUnited States Retail Sales YoY\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/retail-sales-annual\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cRetail Sales in the United States increased 3.8% year-on-year in November 2024, the biggest annual rise since December last year, and following an upwardly revised 2.9% gain in October.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Industrial Production MoM\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/industrial-production-mom\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Industrial Production<\/a>]. \u201cIndustrial production in the United States fell by 0.1% from the previous month in November of 2024 to extend the 0.4% contraction in October, and contrasting with market expectations of a 0.2% rise. The result was consistent with other surveys that pointed to softness in US manufacturing, unveiling the sector\u2019s struggle ahead of potential tariffs by President-elect Trump next year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Capacity: \u201cUnited States Capacity Utilization\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/capacity-utilization\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cCapacity utilization in the US fell to 76.8% in November 2024, the lowest reading since April 2021, from a downwardly revised 77% in October and below forecasts of 77.3%. The rate is now 2.9 percentage points below its long-run average.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cOne Boeing factory has been safe from layoffs and is about to start hiring\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/one-boeing-factory-safe-layoffs-194400014.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Quartz<\/a>]. \u201cAlthough Boeing (BA) has been slow to restart production of the planes built by its unionized workforce and has been laying many of them off amid a year of struggles, the company announced it would be making a big investment in a non-unionized plant. The planemaker said last week that it would be sinking $1 billion in the South Carolina plant where it builds 787 Dreamliners and creating 500 jobs there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 52 Neutral (previous close: 56 Greed) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 47 (Neutral). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 17 at 1:39:53 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mystery Drones<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"drones\"\/>\u201cDrone detectors in New Jersey have found \u2018little or no evidence\u2019 of wrongdoing, governor says\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/drones-mystery-new-jersey-york-b37fda04755803392178b1f39b76ccd8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cMurphy told reporters in Trenton that there were 12 sightings of suspected drones in the state on Saturday and one on Sunday. He declined to go into detail about the detection equipment, but said it was powerful enough to disable the drones, although he added that is not legal on U.S. soil\u2026 Federal officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, have repeatedly said there are no signs that any drone operators have shown bad intent, nor is there evidence of foreign involvement.\u201d \u2022 So, that\u2019s alright then.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDrones latest: FBI addresses mystery lights over East Coast as public warned not to shoot them down\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/world\/americas\/drones-new-jersey-east-coast-updates-b2665148.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Independent<\/a>]. \u201c\u2018Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones,\u2019 the federal agencies said.\u201d But not planets? More: \u2018 and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.\u2019 The FBI office in Newark has meanwhile moved to caution the public against trying to shoot down the unmanned devices, warning they could injure themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon\u2019t panic \u2013 those mystery drones over New Jersey might not be so mysterious after all\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/cameras\/drones\/dont-panic-those-mystery-drones-over-new-jersey-might-not-be-so-mysterious-after-all\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Techradar<\/a>]. A new theory: \u201cThere was a larger drone test conducted either by the local or federal government or a company that wanted to see how well a delivery fleet operated at night. Since 2021, the FAA has authorized some drone night flights, though the drones still have to remain at elevations under 400 feet. That may account for why these drones have been so visible. They\u2019re larger and cannot break the rules by flying in air space reserved for airplanes.\u201d Those would be the SUV-sized drones (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/game-of-drones-watch-the-skies.html\">see NC here<\/a>). And: \u201cAfter that initial flight (and maybe a few subsequent ones), undiscerning eyes started to think that any light in the sky that they could not identify was also a drone. Drones of the size most people claim they\u2019re seeing, by the way, are not easy to fly, and night flights would require even more expertise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMilitary expert says \u2018government knows the source\u2019 of drones amid mystery sightings\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/world-news\/us-news\/military-expert-says-government-knows-the-source-of-drones-amid-mystery-sightings-101734448819893.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Hindustan Times<\/a>]. Additional theorizing: \u201c[Col. William] Dunn, an attack helicopter pilot who spent 33 years in the Marine Corps, said that he believes the \u2018drones originate from inside the US\u2019 because \u2018it\u2019s very difficult to fly an airplane the size of a vehicle into the United States without being detected.\u2019 He went on to say that \u2018a large drone has got to be refueled,\u2019 suggesting that the drones that were recently spotted in New Jersey must have been refuelled somewhere within the country.\u201d \u2022 These are, again, the SUV-sized drones (and not the bright lights in the sky, which are planes, or planets).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMystery as radioactive shipment goes missing in New Jersey amid drone invasion\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sciencetech\/article-14198587\/radioactive-shipment-missing-new-jersey-drone-invasion.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Daily Mail<\/a>]. \u201cA piece of medical equipment used for cancer scans was shipped from the Nazha Cancer Center in Newfield on December 2 for disposal, but the \u2018shipping container arrived at its destination damaged and empty.\u2019 The device, known as a \u2018pin source,\u2019 contained a small amount of Germanium-68 (Ge-68) that is used to calibrate a medical scanner\u2019s accuracy. If handled without proper gear, it can cause radiation poisoning.\u201d \u2022 If you buy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/game-of-drones-watch-the-skies.html#theory3\">the search for radioactivity theory<\/a>, the timeline is wrong: The big (HPGe), SUV-sized drones first appeared in November 18. In any case, the dosage from the medical equipment is small, disproportionate to the effort.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Annals of Religion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSurvivors seek a reckoning as FBI investigates child sex abuse in little-known Christian sect\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/christian-sect-child-sex-abuse-scandal-a94073c27168a7998c1a225f72672a3d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. I\u2019m filing this here because of the headline, but in fact it\u2019s the institutional structure of the sect that interests me: \u201d Nearly every detail about the religious group Lisa Webb\u2019s family belonged to was hidden from the outside world. Its followers met in homes rather than churches. Its leadership structure was hard to discern, its finances opaque. [The group known as the \u2018Two by Twos\u2019] didn\u2019t even have an official name\u2026. [T]he sect has largely avoided legal repercussions, protected by its decentralized structure, hidden finances and state laws that limit the timeline for criminal charges\u2026. The sect, also known to its members as \u2018The Way\u2019 or \u2018The Truth,\u2019 was founded in Ireland in 1897 by William Irvine, who railed against the existence of churches. The only way to spread Christianity, he argued, was to do as Jesus instructed in the Book of Matthew: to send apostles out to live among those they sought to convert\u2026 [T]he sect\u2019s aversion to property leaves it without apparent assets that might be used to pay settlements, legal experts say\u2026. The sect grew as volunteer preachers \u2014 known as workers \u2014 went \u201ctwo by two\u201d to live in the family homes of followers for days or weeks at a time. Sect historians say there were up to a few million members just a few decades ago, but current estimates put the figure at 75,000 to 85,000 worldwide\u2026. Workers are supposed to shun worldly possessions, relying on followers for food, shelter and transportation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"ceos\"\/>\u201cNew Crisis Hotline for CEOs?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenklippenstein.com\/p\/new-crisis-hotline-for-ceos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ken Klipperstein<\/a>]. Differrent from the political parties? \u201cNew York state is considering creating a special hotline exclusively for CEOs to report perceived threats, CNN reported this morning. Nice little reminder of just how responsive government can be when it comes to corporate executives\u2026. The lack of any concrete threat hasn\u2019t stopped officials from preparing for one. Last Thursday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul told MSNBC\u2019s Morning Joe about her plans to hold a \u201cproactive\u201d meeting on Tuesday with 175 corporate representatives as well as Homeland Security and counterterrorism officials to discuss how to share intelligence with corporate security, according to Kathy Wylde, CEO of the Partnership for New York City\u2026. \u2018Demonization of corporate executives is not new,\u2019 Wylde told Politico last week. \u2018It was part of the rhetoric in the financial crisis of 2008-09.’\u201d \u2022 Remember in the S&L crisis, when corporate executives actually went to jail? That was before Obama, of course.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShock poll: 41 percent of young voters find killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO acceptable\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/healthcare\/5044269-poll-finds-41-percent-find-killing-unacceptable\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cThe survey from Emerson College Polling found 68 percent of all respondents found the actions of the person who shot and killed Thompson unacceptable. But a startling 24 percent of those aged 18-29 found it \u2018somewhat acceptable,\u2019 and 17 percent of that group found it completely acceptable.\u201d \u2022 Hoo boy. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMIT study explains why laws are written in an incomprehensible style\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2024\/mit-study-explains-laws-incomprehensible-writing-style-0819#:~:text=MIT%20cognitive%20scientists%20believe%20the,convey%20a%20sense%20of%20authority.&text=Legal%20documents%20are%20notoriously%20difficult%20to%20understand%2C%20even%20for%20lawyers.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MIT News<\/a>]. \u201cLegal documents frequently have long definitions inserted in the middle of sentences \u2014 a feature known as \u2018center-embedding.\u2019 Linguists have previously found that this kind of structure can make text much more difficult to understand. \u2018Legalese somehow has developed this tendency to put structures inside other structures, in a way which is not typical of human languages,\u2019 [Edward Gibson, an MIT professor of brain and cognitive sciences] says. Just as magic spells are written with a distinctive style that sets them apart from everyday language, the convoluted style of legal language appears to signal a special kind of authority, the researchers say. \u2018In English culture, if you want to write something that\u2019s a magic spell, people know that the way to do that is you put a lot of old-fashioned rhymes in there. We think maybe center-embedding is signaling legalese in the same way,\u2019 Gibson says.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c90-hour-a-week Wall Street bankers snorting lines of Adderall at their desks\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/world-news\/2024\/12\/15\/90-hour-a-week-wall-street-bankers-snorting-adderall-desks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Telegraph<\/a>]. \u2022 Our capital allocation is going great.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbsinthe: From Green Fairy to Moral Panic\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.historytoday.com\/archive\/history-matters\/absinthe-green-fairy-moral-panic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">History Today<\/a>]. \u201cUnderlying absinthe\u2019s dramatic fall from grace was a change in consumers. Once the expensive drink of the French bourgeoisie and artists, absinthe became more affordable in the second half of the 19th century, whereupon workers, women and those in the French colonies, from North Africa to Indochina, began drinking it. Consequently, absinthe came to be blamed for working-class criminality in general and, more specifically, for the acts of the revolutionary Communards after the siege of Paris in 1871. The author Maxime du Camp, for example, described these Communards in his 1881 book Convulsions of Paris, as \u2018knights of debauchery and apostles of absinthe\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cU2\u2019s Larry Mullen Jr: my dyscalculia makes \u2018counting like climbing Everest’\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/vGH8O\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Times<\/a>]. \u201cLarry Mullen Jr, the U2 drummer, has revealed that he cannot count or add numbers because he suffers from dyscalculia \u2014 a learning disability that affects numeracy\u2026. \u2018When people watch me play sometimes, they say, \u2018you look pained\u2019. I am pained because I\u2019m trying to count the bars,\u2019 Mullen said. \u2018I had to find ways of doing this \u2014 and counting bars is like climbing Everest.\u2019\u2026 About 6 per cent of the UK\u2019s population suffers from dyscalculia, according to the Dyscalculia Network.\u201d \u2022 6%? Really?<\/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-12-16-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From tennesseewaltzer:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/pumpkin.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284103\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/pumpkin.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/pumpkin-300x225.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Tennesseewaltzer writes: \u201cFall Pumpkins\u2013always a sign of the change of season.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"donate\"\/><strong>Readers<\/strong>: Water Cooler is a standalone entity <em>not<\/em> covered by the annual NC fundraiser. Material here is Lambert\u2019s, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. If you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn\u2019t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! <em>Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I\u2019m on the right track with coverage<\/em>. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:<\/p>\n<p>Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-226891\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"606\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png 606w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .entry-content --><\/p>\n<footer class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\tThis entry was posted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-17-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-17T14:00:24-05:00\">December 17, 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\/tom-neuburger-why-ceos-and-the-very-rich-should-receive-enhanced-protection.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> Tom Neuburger: Why CEOs and the Very Rich Should Receive Enhanced Protection<\/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, 34 Peregrine Crossing, Chatham, Georgia, United States. * * * In Case You<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88563,"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-88562","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\/88562","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=88562"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88562\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}