\n<\/p>\n
By Lambert Strether of Corrente.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nBird Song of the Day<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Northern Mockingbird, Quitman Farm, Brooks, Georgia, United States.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#cr\">Continuing Resolution founders<\/a>, DOGE extra-constiutional, Trump opposes debt ceiling<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mangione\">Mangione extradited to New York,<\/a> lawyer claims overcharging.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#boeing\">Boeing<\/a> sells some planes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Biden Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"7.4814814814815\">\n<p>\u201cA Weary Biden Heads for the Exit\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/tpYhJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. \u201cThe biggest box left is a cease-fire in Gaza and if he manages that, it would be a validating triumph for a departing president.\u201d \u2022 Gag me with a spoon.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"55.477075005878\">\n<p><a name=\"cr\"\/>\u201cRepublicans scrap spending bill, under pressure from Trump and Musk\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/politics\/ar-AA1w6RyE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cRepublicans scrapped House Speaker Mike Johnson\u2019s bipartisan plan to avert a government shutdown, as President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk joined a broad swath of the House GOP on Wednesday to condemn a compromise bill that included Democratic policy priorities. The rebuke, which built steadily through the day and culminated with a long written statement from Trump in the late afternoon, has forced Johnson back to the drawing board on a plan to prevent a Christmastime shutdown \u2014 and maintain the support of his chaotic conference to be reelected as speaker early next year.\u201d \u2022 Musk comments:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.462962962963\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.037037037037\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The voice of the people was heard. <\/p>\n<p>This was a good day for America. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/r8K4AcbDYf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/r8K4AcbDYf<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1869521075761234338\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Are we little children of six? This is a dogpile orchestrated on X by the owner of X, in service of the extra-constitutional entity DOGE:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.7017543859649\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"8.1052631578947\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Critics say DOGE isn\u2019t an actual \u201cdepartment.\u201d They\u2019re right. It\u2019s a new way of doing government itself.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VivekGRamaswamy\/status\/1869745193496527183\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 19, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>So, no problem there! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/07\/bidens-slips-cog-second-time-as-tragedy-second-time-as-farce-or-both.html#extra-constitutional\">I inveighed against extra-constitutional entities<\/a> here, when Biden was losing his mind, and it wasn\u2019t clear who, exactly, was running the country. And the same situation obtains today (\u201cHeather Has Two Presidents\u201d). Axelrove is right to ask:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.1271929824561\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.8070175438596\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">So will President-elect Musk join the budget negotiations now?<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/davidaxelrod\/status\/1869512133555486866\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cRand Paul floats Elon Musk for Speaker\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/house\/5048431-rand-paul-elon-musk-speaker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cSen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) suggested Elon Musk serve as Speaker in a Thursday morning post on X following contentious debates over the continuing resolution (CR). \u2018The Speaker of the House need not be a member of Congress,\u2019 Paul wrote. \u2018Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk . . . think about it . . . nothing\u2019s impossible. (not to mention the joy at seeing the collective establishment, aka \u2018uniparty,\u2019 lose their ever-lovin\u2019 minds).\u2019 Later Thursday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said she would be open to supporting Musk to replace Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in a post quoting Paul. \u2018I\u2019d be open to supporting @elonmusk for Speaker of the House. DOGE can only truly be accomplished by reigning in Congress to enact real government efficiency,\u201d Greene wrote on X.\u201d \u2022 Oh, so <em>that\u2019s<\/em> what libertarianism is all about. \u201cA libertarian and an oligarch walk into a bar, and the bartender says: \u2018Sir, what\u2019ll it be?’\u201d \u2022 The debt ceiling was \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/archive\/6705357\/essay-a-bad-idea-whose-time-has-come\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a bad idea whose time has come<\/a>\u201d when introduced in the 1980s. Now it\u2019s a bad idea whose time has gone\u2026.. <\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Trump actually gets the right of it\u2013<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump wants to kill the debt ceiling\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/12\/19\/trump-debt-ceiling-government-shutdown?utm_campaign=editorial&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. \u201cPresident-elect Trump told NBC News he supports abolishing the debt ceiling and is prepared to \u2018lead the charge\u2019 to make it happen. Republicans, including some of Trump\u2019s strongest supporters in Congress, have historically opposed raising the debt ceiling, at least when a Democrat is in office. Now Trump says he\u2019ll push them to scrap it entirely. That pronouncement comes a day after Trump came out against a spending deal, negotiated by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), to keep the government running through March His opposition effectively killed the bill and could lead to a government shutdown at midnight on Saturday. Raising the debt ceiling and funding the government are two separate cliffs Congress repeatedly bumps up against, and Trump is now linking them together. The debt ceiling is a particularly sticky issue for Republicans, as many campaign against running up debts. Conservative members tend to push back on raising the ceiling, particularly when a Democrat is in the White House. Thus, Republicans would likely oppose abolishing the debt ceiling in principle \u2014 but few want to pick a public fight with Trump. The president-elect also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2017\/09\/09\/549215204\/trump-says-debt-ceiling-is-not-necessary-is-he-right\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">floated<\/a> the idea of scrapping the debt ceiling when he was last in office, but nothing came of it. Trump pointed out Thursday that some Democrats have already backed abolishing the ceiling. \u2018If they want to get rid of it, I would lead the charge,\u2019 he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/trump-calls-abolishing-debt-ceiling-rcna184820?taid=67642c2fec353e0001bd763f&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">told NBC<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Lawfare<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"13.924832214765\">\n<p>\u201cFani Willis disqualified as prosecutor on Trump Georgia election case\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/regulation\/court-battles\/5048455-fani-willis-disqualified-trump-georgia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cA Georgia appeals court booted Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis\u2019s (D) office from the 2020 election interference case against President-elect Trump on Thursday due to her relationship with a top prosecutor on the case. The panel described Willis\u2019s relationship with ex-special prosecutor Nathan Wade as a \u2018significant appearance of impropriety.\u2019 The court declined to outright dismiss Trump\u2019s indictment, but disqualifying Willis\u2019s office throws the future of the case \u2014 already complicated by Trump\u2019s impending return to the White House \u2014 further into doubt. \u2018After carefully considering the trial court\u2019s findings in its order, we conclude that it erred by failing to disqualify DA Willis and her office,\u2019 Judge E. Trenton Brown III wrote in the court\u2019s ruling. \u2018The remedy crafted by the trial court to prevent an ongoing appearance of impropriety did nothing to address the appearance of impropriety that existed at times when DA Willis was exercising her broad pretrial discretion about who to prosecute and what charges to bring,\u2019 it continued. The decision leaves open a theoretical possibility another prosecutor could take over the case, but the path forward remains precarious.\u201d \u2022 Too funny. I\u2019d speculate that the Georgia Dems thought Fani Willis was gonna be their next Stacey Abrams. And so she was, except she flamed out faster and worse.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"15.838383838384\">\n<p>\u201cThe Difference That Matters Most Isn\u2019t Between Left and Right\u201d [Jeet Heer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/politics\/anti-system-trump-populism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Nation<\/a>]. \u201cBut left-right isn\u2019t the only relevant taxonomy in politics. Ben Kawaller of The Free Press interviewed AOC-Trump voters for an illuminating TikTok video in which some expressed anger at inflation while others complained about Kamala Harris\u2019s record as a hard-nosed prosecutor. One African American woman said, \u2018Kamala Harris is a puppet.\u2019 When Kawaller asked, \u2018A puppet of who?,\u2019 the woman responded, \u2018A puppet for the system.\u2019 In that succinct phrase, \u2018a puppet for the system,\u2019 we get to the heart of why Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2024\u2014both times running as an anti-system politician channeling the anger of voters who are deeply frustrated by the status quo\u2026. Not just in America but in other advanced democracies around the world, the most salient cleavage right now is not left versus right but system versus anti-system.\u201d \u2022 Change vs. more of the same\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"3.4191176470588\">\n<p>Gonna need a bigger tent:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.5227272727273\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.8727272727273\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Are they really though? \ud83e\udd14 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KKwmNeMYBR\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/KKwmNeMYBR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 screamingmemey (@screamingmemey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/screamingmemey\/status\/1869127551517696231\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 17, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Republican Funhouse<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"17.648780487805\">\n<p>\u201cMusk and Trump are viewed roughly the same by Americans, an AP-NORC poll finds\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-elon-apnorc-poll-favorability-8506a4eed5ac5dcfe818a277e4adf42a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cAbout 4 in 10 Americans have a somewhat or very favorable view of the world\u2019s richest person, very similar to the percentage who view Trump positively. Likewise, about half of adults have a somewhat or very unfavorable view of Musk \u2014 again, similar to Trump\u2026. The relationship between the two men has no parallel in U.S. history, said David Nasaw, biographer of American business tycoons Andrew Carnegie and William Randolph Hearst. He noted that Musk, to a level unlike other tycoons, has relied on subsidies and favorable government decisions for his success from Tesla to SpaceX.\u201d \u2022 So, utterly conflicted. As one would expect an oligarch in government to be, by the mere fact of ownership at scale.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"62.551994198695\">\n<p><a name=\"mangione\"\/>\u201cUnitedHealthcare CEO suspect faces federal murder, stalking charges after returning to NYC\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/unitedhealthcare-ceo-murder-suspect-luigi-mangione-extradition-hearing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CBS<\/a>]. \u201cUnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione is back in New York Thursday after waiving extradition in Pennsylvania. He was ushered from the courtroom to a waiting plane by NYPD detectives after waiving extradition. Mangione could appear in front of a judge in New York City for arraignment in just a matter of hours\u2026. He is then expected to be held at Rikers Island, where he will be in isolation and protective custody because of his high-profile status, sources said.\u201d On the \u201covercharging\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-18-2024-2.html#comment-4149497\">hat tip, alert reader dommage<\/a>): \u201c\u2018The federal government\u2019s reported decision to pile on top of an already overcharged first-degree murder and state terror case is highly unusual and raises serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns. We are ready to fight these charges in whatever court they are brought,\u2019 Manhattan prosecutor-turned-defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo said in a statement Thursday morning.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow New York prosecutors used a terrorism law in the charges against Luigi Mangione\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-luigi-mangione-terrorism-law-7fcb28dcc0106c980b6ecf4aa9cf682f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cIf a defendant is convicted, the \u201ccrime of terrorism\u201d designation boosts the underlying offense into a more serious sentencing category. For example, an assault normally punishable by up to 25 years in prison would carry a potential life sentence.\u201d Exactly as Bragg did with Trump, converting misdemeanors into felonies. More: \u201cThere\u2019s no comprehensive count of cases where the anti-terrorism statute was used, because it can be layered onto many different types of charges, from weapons possession to murder\u2026. In New York City alone, over a half-dozen cases of various sorts have used the terror law, starting with the 2004 indictment of a Bronx gang member. He was accused of killing a 10-year-old girl and paralyzing a man at a christening party\u2026. Courts haven\u2019t set out overarching rules for when a case qualifies. However, the state\u2019s top court said the Bronx gang member\u2019s case did not. The high court overturned his conviction. Justices were skeptical that the shooting \u2014 allegedly targeting a rival gang member \u2014 was meant to intimidate the broader community. They also worried that the meaning of terrorism could be trivialized if \u2018applied loosely in situations that do not match our collective understanding of what constitutes a terrorist act.’\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cEXCLUSIVE: Investigators are convinced \u2018CEO assassin\u2019 Luigi Mangione did NOT act alone\u2026and there are three key clues\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-14205925\/investigators-convinced-CEO-assassin-Luigi-Mangione-accomplice-not-alone.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Daily Mail<\/a>]. For Mangione stans, worth reading in full; too much detail to excerpt. \u201cBut two leaders in the investigative field who have analyzed the case have now told DailyMail.com that some key details are being ignored \u2013 and that those clues point to at least one accomplice to the alleged murderer.\u201d Key point: \u201cThe shooter appears to be on the phone in the [CCTV] video, raising the prospect that an accomplice monitoring Thompson\u2019s movements called him to say that the CEO would shortly be leaving his hotel, the five-star Marriott across the street from the Hilton. \u2018If it were me doing surveillance of this sort, I\u2019d be paying off a door guard or concierge. Like, \u2018Hey man, I\u2019m really trying to see what\u2019s going on with this guy. Can you help me out?\u2019 said [one investigator]. \u2018It just seems like a team that was doing good surveillance and reporting to their client.’\u201d \u2022 Also plenty of issues with the timeline. NOTE Given that \u201cA second industry leader in private intelligence for celebrities and CEOs spoke to DailyMail.com on condition of anonymity due to being close to the case,\u201d I wonder if this story was planted by the defense?<\/p>\n<p>Here is a thread picking away at inconsistences, worth reading in full:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"6.2112676056338\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"15.084507042254\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Mangione described evidence being planted on him in court, specifically the $10K in multiple currencies.<\/p>\n<p>He didn\u2019t mention the manifesto or gun, perhaps under advice from his lawyer, but has maintained he is innocent.<\/p>\n<p>The only thing he has been able to state publicly was this: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9dKXZNv8DS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/9dKXZNv8DS<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 spencer \ud83e\udd88 (@Unpop_Science) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Unpop_Science\/status\/1869380803152793668\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cCopyright Abuse Is Getting Luigi Mangione Merch Removed From the Internet\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.404media.co\/copyright-abuse-is-getting-luigi-mangione-merch-removed-from-the-internet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">404 Media<\/a>]. \u201cAn entity claiming to be United Healthcare is sending bogus copyright claims to internet platforms to get Luigi Mangione fan art taken off the internet, according to the print-on-demand merch retailer TeePublic. An independent journalist was hit with a copyright takedown demand over an image of Luigi Mangione and his family she posted on Bluesky, and other DMCA takedown requests posted to an open database and viewed by 404 Media show copyright claims trying to get \u201cDeny, Defend, Depose\u201d and Luigi Mangione-related merch taken off the internet, though it is unclear who is filing them\u2026. There is no world in which the copyright of a watercolor painting of Luigi Mangione surveillance footage done by Kenaston is owned by United Health Group as it quite literally has nothing to do with anything that the company owns. It is illegal to file a DMCA unless you have a \u201cgood faith\u201d belief that you are the rights holder (or are representing the rights holder) of the material in question\u2026. United Healthcare did not respond to multiple requests for comment\u2026. It is theoretically possible that another entity impersonated United Healthcare to request the removal <a href=\"https:\/\/nyulawreview.org\/issues\/volume-81-number-3\/copyfraud\/?ref=404media.co\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">because copyfraud in general is so common<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe Was Surgeon General \u2014 And He\u2019s Got Thoughts About the Reaction to the United Healthcare Killing\u201d (interview) [Jerome Adams, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/magazine\/2024\/12\/17\/trump-surgeon-general-unitedhealthcare-killing-00194635\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cThis erosion of trust hurts everyone, from the upstream public health policy maker to an ICU doctor who\u2019s trying to provide recommended care for a patient who\u2019s refusing it because they say they don\u2019t believe that the health care system has their best interest at heart. This leads to worse health outcomes. It prolongs public health challenges. And what scares me the most is, without trust, the foundation of our health care system starts to crumble. It makes it difficult to address current and future health issues, and that\u2019s going to impact the new administration. I have said that very publicly that [officials] have to be careful about acknowledging real faults in the prior Covid response, while balancing that against the erosion of trust. In about a month, it\u2019s not going to be on the Biden administration to deal with H5N1 [bird flu]. It\u2019s going to be on the Trump administration. It\u2019s not going to be on the Biden administration to deal with measles outbreaks across the country. It\u2019s going to be on the Trump administration. You can\u2019t un-ring that bell after you\u2019ve helped sow mistrust in many ways, and then expect people to suddenly believe in what you\u2019re saying when you\u2019re in charge.\u201d<\/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:\/\/skylab.cdph.ca.gov\/calwws\/\" 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, thump, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n<p>Stay safe out there!<\/p>\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=\"10.872781065089\">\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 17:<\/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-11.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-11.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-11-300x168.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=\"2.6111111111111\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> National[7] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/healthcare-solutions\/covid-19-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a> December 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 14:<\/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-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-1-300x194.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=\"187.60621274847\">\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 at 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) Continued upward trend since, well, Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n<p>[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants). Positivity is new, but variants have not yet been released.<\/p>\n<p>[11] Deaths low, positivity leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[12] Deaths low, ED leveling out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Employment Situation: \u201cUnited States Initial Jobless Claims\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/jobless-claims\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cInitial jobless claims in the US fell by 22,000 from the previous week to 220,000 on the first week of December, much more than market expectations that they would fall to 230,000, easing concerns of weaker labor conditions following last week\u2019s unexpected surge. The result was in line with the Federal Reserve\u2019s recent projections that few interest rate cuts would be required next year, signaling the FOMC\u2019s view that inflation poses a bigger threat to the economy than a softening labor market.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/philadelphia-fed-manufacturing-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index in the US plunged to -16.4 in December 2024, its lowest level since April 2023, from -5.5 in November and way below expectations of 3, signaling a further weakening in regional manufacturing activity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Kansas Fed Manufacturing Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/kansas-fed-manufacturing-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe Kansas City Fed\u2019s Manufacturing Production Index fell by one point from the previous month to -5 in December of 2024, its second consecutive negative print, and consistent with other surveys flagging contractionary trends in the US manufacturing sector.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Real Estate: \u201cUnited States Existing Home Sales\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/existing-home-sales\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cExisting home sales in the US rose by 4.8% from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 4.15 million in November 2024, the highest in eight months, compared to 3.96 million in October and better than market expectations of 4.07 million.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"boeing \"\/>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Wins $36 Billion Deal From Turkey, Trumping Airbus\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/DbUrO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cBoeing Co. won an order valued at $36 billion from Pegasus Hava Tasimaciligi AS, in its biggest commitment so far this year that deals a blow to rival Airbus SE, previously the preferred choice for the Turkish low-cost airline. The carrier has firm orders for 100 of the as-yet uncertified 737 Max 10 model that it will begin receiving in 2028, with options for another 100, it said in a stock exchange filing. The total value of the agreement assumes that all options are converted, though customers typically negotiate steep discounts for large deals. The accord, the largest order in Pegasus\u2019s history, is an important win for Boeing as it works to overcome the fallout from a prolonged strike and a near-catastrophic accident at the start of the year. For Pegasus, the deal marks a strategic reversal after the carrier said less than two years ago that it wanted to become an all-Airbus operator.\u201d \u2022 Wow, Turkey\u2019s really been in the news lately!<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cTaiwan\u2019s China Airlines splits $12-billion jet deal between Boeing and Airbus\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/aerospace-defense\/taiwans-china-airlines-orders-119-bln-boeing-airbus-jets-2024-12-19\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Reuters<\/a>]. \u2022 Wow, Taiwans\u2019 really been in the news lately!<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cAirline watchdog group demands answers from NTSB regarding Boeing crashes\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.koin.com\/news\/airline-watchdog-group-demands-answers-from-ntsb-regarding-boeing-crashes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">KOIN<\/a>]. \u201cThe Foundation for Aviation Safety, led by former Boeing manager-turned-whistleblower Ed Pierson, is raising concerns about the NTSB\u2019s response to issues with the 737 Boeing Airliners in connection to two deadly plane crashes: 2018\u2019s Lion Air incident and 2019\u2019s Ethiopian Air incident\u2026. The watchdog group claims it uncovered evidence of issues with Boeing\u2019s electrical manufacturing that may hold weight in each case. However, they allege the NTSB is not sharing this information with international agencies and investigators as they should\u2026. Compared to the aftermath of the 2018-19 fatal crashes, the Foundation for Aviation Safety said the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.koin.com\/news\/alaska-airlines-flight-1282\/alaska-airlines-door-plug-incident-ntsb-investigation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NTSB\u2019s investigation into Boeing\u2019s safety issues<\/a> was much more robust for the non-fatal Alaska Airlines incident in which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.koin.com\/news\/portland\/alaska-airlines-flight-diverted-to-pdx\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a door plug blew out a plane mid-air<\/a> above Portland nearly one year ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Bezzle: <\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.3260233918129\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"9.5029239766082\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is blowing up a bit so I want to add that I\u2019ve noticed some ads will open with only a \u201chalf tap\u201d i.e. when you press down to scroll and haven\u2019t lifted your finger yet the link is immediately activated. This would explain why it happens when your intent is simply to scroll.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jordan Fish \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 (@jwordfish) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jwordfish\/status\/1869626850122829964\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 19, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Yes, this happens to me:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.1238938053097\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.7964601769912\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I totally noticed this. Great post. It\u2019s fraud and illegal.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Roy Drones Jr (@chiweethedog) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/chiweethedog\/status\/1869616321794891836?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 19, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>But of course Elon would never manipulate clicks or bots for political purposes, not even for something really important, like DOGE, or Mars colonization\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>The Bezzle:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.2307692307692\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.6923076923077\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">How to use Grok to understand any piece of legislation or large document on the Internet <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1VS81HdhVf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/1VS81HdhVf<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1869477342856511944\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And of course Elon would never manipulate the training sets or prompts\u2026 <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 27 Neutral (previous close: 33 Fear) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 50 (Neutral). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 19 at 12:53:31 PM ET. Quite a swing!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I dunno. This doesn\u2019t feel like New England to me. Am I wrong?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.271186440678\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.0677966101695\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Toward Boston \u2013 1936 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/artbots?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#artbots<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/hopper?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#hopper<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gyBvYFI4Th\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/gyBvYFI4Th<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Edward Hopper (@artisthopper) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/artisthopper\/status\/1869308140254060828\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>This, however, does:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.3211382113821\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.2276422764228\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Cape Cod Afternoon \u2013 1936 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/artbots?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#artbots<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/hopper?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#hopper<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HJhrn6o81m\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/HJhrn6o81m<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Edward Hopper (@artisthopper) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/artisthopper\/status\/1869371051823575082\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>I feel the ocean off to the right.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"zeitgeist\"\/><strong>Zeitgeist Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAdvanced Civilizations Could be Indistinguishable from Nature\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/169993\/advanced-civilizations-could-be-indistinguishable-from-nature\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Universe Today<\/a>]. \u201cOne of the foundational questions of our day concerns the Fermi Paradox, the contradiction between what seems to be a high probability of extraterrestrial life and the total lack of evidence that it exists\u2026. \u2018As the authors state,\u2019 [researcher Luk\u00e1\u0161] Likav\u010dan writes regarding Haqq-Misra and Baum\u2019s sustainability solution, \u2018the formulation of the Fermi paradox contains a biased presupposition based on the observation of only one planetary community of intelligent species (i.e. humans), which is in turn based on a warped understanding of human history, which assumes that history unfolds in a progressive series of civilizational, colonial expansions.\u2019\u2026. [But if] the planet is primary\u2026 any technosphere will have to be harmonious with planetary conditions. From that perspective, the only successful technosphere is one that folds back into the biosphere, making it very difficult, even impossible, to detect.\u201d \u2022 Hmm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe EU must build on past successes\u201d [Martin Wolf, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/169fec69-3d51-46af-b01a-f1669ecb89e2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. Filing here because of this passage: \u201cEurope should not embrace <a href=\"https:\/\/www.slowboring.com\/p\/what-the-us-and-europe-can-learn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a social model<\/a> that risks delivering the US pathologies of premature death, mass murder and stratospheric rates of incarceration. Yet radical changes are essential.\u201d \u2022 Ignore the haters, Uncle Sam!<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAmazon workers to strike at multiple US warehouses during busy holiday season\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/technology\/amazon-workers-strike-multiple-us-warehouses-during-busy-holiday-season-2024-12-19\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Reuters<\/a>]. \u201cThousands of Amazon.com (AMZN.O), opens new tab workers will walk off the job on Thursday morning, in the crucial final days of the holiday season, after union officials said the retailer failed to come to the bargaining table to negotiate contracts. The strike is a challenge to Amazon\u2019s operations as it races to fulfill orders during its busiest season of the year, although union-represented facilities represent only about 1% of Amazon\u2019s hourly workforce. In the New York City area, for example, the company has multiple warehouses and smaller delivery depots. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters said unionized workers at facilities in New York City; Skokie, Illinois; Atlanta, San Francisco and southern California will join the picket line to seek contracts guaranteeing better wages and work conditions. The Teamsters union has said it represents about 10,000 workers at 10 of the company\u2019s U.S. facilities. Workers at seven of those facilities will walk out on Thursday, the Teamsters said.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cA Knife Forged in Fire\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagomag.com\/chicago-magazine\/january-2024\/a-knife-forged-in-fire\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Chicago Magazine<\/a>]. \u201cHe put it back in the forge and this time heated it until it was in a yellow rage of photons. Again, he fitted the wrench to the glowing end. And then, using his entire body and the leverage of the long-handled wrench, he began twisting and twisting. The metal shed great gray flakes, and the yellow bar gradually turned orange, looking like a twist of taffy as Sam put all of his effort into the now-helical bar until it would turn no more. It was as if he were doing battle not so much with steel but with fire itself, placing the bright yellow bar in the press and then wringing the light right out of it, for that\u2019s what it was, a blade of bright light that he strangled until it went black.\u201d \u2022 Just a touch over-written, but what a neat process!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cISO 8583: The language of credit cards\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/increase.com\/articles\/iso-8583-the-language-of-credit-cards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Increase<\/a>]. \u201cWhen the standard was first defined in 1987, it included the overall structure of the message specification and the names and lengths of the core fields, such as the card number (\u201cprimary account number\u201d) in field 2 and the transaction amount in field 4. The message began with a 4-digit Message Type Indicator code representing whether it was an authorization message, a reversal, or some other message type. This was followed by a bitmap that told the recipient which fields were present. It left room for a few fields that could be used by networks to include network-specific information, and as a result the various card network specifications quickly diverged through a series of nested fields that did not overlap at all. Later versions of the standard greatly increased the number of fields, reducing the need for network-specific behavior for new implementations. Specifications like Visa\u2019s Base I have thousands of clients running on everything from mainframes to devices like ATMs, however, making sweeping backwards incompatible changes next to impossible. As a result, these specifications still largely follow the rules set forth by the original standard from 1987.\u201d \u2022 Also a neat process.<\/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-12-18-2024-2.html\">here<\/a>. From JJD:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/amanita.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"486\" height=\"1080\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/amanita.jpeg 486w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/amanita-135x300.jpeg 135w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/amanita-461x1024.jpeg 461w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 486px) 100vw, 486px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>JJS writes: \u201cAmanita caesarea emerging. One of them knocked out by a squirrel, sadly.\u201d I hope the squirrel didn\u2019t take a bite!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"donate\"\/><strong>Readers<\/strong>: Water Cooler is a standalone entity <em>not<\/em> covered by the annual NC fundraiser. Material here is Lambert\u2019s, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. If you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn\u2019t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! <em>Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I\u2019m on the right track with coverage<\/em>. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:<\/p>\n<p>Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-226891\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"606\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png 606w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .entry-content --><\/p>\n<footer class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\tThis entry was posted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/guest-post\" rel=\"category tag\">Guest Post<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-19-2024-2.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-19T14:00:37-05:00\">December 19, 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\/what-happens-when-trumps-negotiations-over-ukraine-quickly-hit-the-wall.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> What Happens When Trump\u2019s \u201cNegotiations\u201d Over Ukraine Quickly Hit the Wall?<\/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-12-19-2024-2.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day Northern Mockingbird, Quitman Farm, Brooks, Georgia, United States. * * * In Case You Might<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88647,"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-88646","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\/88646","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=88646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88646\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Bird Song of the Day<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Northern Mockingbird, Quitman Farm, Brooks, Georgia, United States.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#cr\">Continuing Resolution founders<\/a>, DOGE extra-constiutional, Trump opposes debt ceiling<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mangione\">Mangione extradited to New York,<\/a> lawyer claims overcharging.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#boeing\">Boeing<\/a> sells some planes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Biden Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"7.4814814814815\">\n<p>\u201cA Weary Biden Heads for the Exit\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/tpYhJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. \u201cThe biggest box left is a cease-fire in Gaza and if he manages that, it would be a validating triumph for a departing president.\u201d \u2022 Gag me with a spoon.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"55.477075005878\">\n<p><a name=\"cr\"\/>\u201cRepublicans scrap spending bill, under pressure from Trump and Musk\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/politics\/ar-AA1w6RyE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cRepublicans scrapped House Speaker Mike Johnson\u2019s bipartisan plan to avert a government shutdown, as President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk joined a broad swath of the House GOP on Wednesday to condemn a compromise bill that included Democratic policy priorities. The rebuke, which built steadily through the day and culminated with a long written statement from Trump in the late afternoon, has forced Johnson back to the drawing board on a plan to prevent a Christmastime shutdown \u2014 and maintain the support of his chaotic conference to be reelected as speaker early next year.\u201d \u2022 Musk comments:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.462962962963\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.037037037037\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The voice of the people was heard. <\/p>\n<p>This was a good day for America. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/r8K4AcbDYf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/r8K4AcbDYf<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1869521075761234338\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Are we little children of six? This is a dogpile orchestrated on X by the owner of X, in service of the extra-constitutional entity DOGE:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.7017543859649\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"8.1052631578947\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Critics say DOGE isn\u2019t an actual \u201cdepartment.\u201d They\u2019re right. It\u2019s a new way of doing government itself.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VivekGRamaswamy\/status\/1869745193496527183\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 19, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>So, no problem there! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/07\/bidens-slips-cog-second-time-as-tragedy-second-time-as-farce-or-both.html#extra-constitutional\">I inveighed against extra-constitutional entities<\/a> here, when Biden was losing his mind, and it wasn\u2019t clear who, exactly, was running the country. And the same situation obtains today (\u201cHeather Has Two Presidents\u201d). Axelrove is right to ask:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.1271929824561\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.8070175438596\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">So will President-elect Musk join the budget negotiations now?<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/davidaxelrod\/status\/1869512133555486866\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cRand Paul floats Elon Musk for Speaker\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/house\/5048431-rand-paul-elon-musk-speaker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cSen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) suggested Elon Musk serve as Speaker in a Thursday morning post on X following contentious debates over the continuing resolution (CR). \u2018The Speaker of the House need not be a member of Congress,\u2019 Paul wrote. \u2018Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk . . . think about it . . . nothing\u2019s impossible. (not to mention the joy at seeing the collective establishment, aka \u2018uniparty,\u2019 lose their ever-lovin\u2019 minds).\u2019 Later Thursday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said she would be open to supporting Musk to replace Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in a post quoting Paul. \u2018I\u2019d be open to supporting @elonmusk for Speaker of the House. DOGE can only truly be accomplished by reigning in Congress to enact real government efficiency,\u201d Greene wrote on X.\u201d \u2022 Oh, so <em>that\u2019s<\/em> what libertarianism is all about. \u201cA libertarian and an oligarch walk into a bar, and the bartender says: \u2018Sir, what\u2019ll it be?’\u201d \u2022 The debt ceiling was \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/archive\/6705357\/essay-a-bad-idea-whose-time-has-come\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a bad idea whose time has come<\/a>\u201d when introduced in the 1980s. Now it\u2019s a bad idea whose time has gone\u2026.. <\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Trump actually gets the right of it\u2013<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump wants to kill the debt ceiling\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/12\/19\/trump-debt-ceiling-government-shutdown?utm_campaign=editorial&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. \u201cPresident-elect Trump told NBC News he supports abolishing the debt ceiling and is prepared to \u2018lead the charge\u2019 to make it happen. Republicans, including some of Trump\u2019s strongest supporters in Congress, have historically opposed raising the debt ceiling, at least when a Democrat is in office. Now Trump says he\u2019ll push them to scrap it entirely. That pronouncement comes a day after Trump came out against a spending deal, negotiated by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), to keep the government running through March His opposition effectively killed the bill and could lead to a government shutdown at midnight on Saturday. Raising the debt ceiling and funding the government are two separate cliffs Congress repeatedly bumps up against, and Trump is now linking them together. The debt ceiling is a particularly sticky issue for Republicans, as many campaign against running up debts. Conservative members tend to push back on raising the ceiling, particularly when a Democrat is in the White House. Thus, Republicans would likely oppose abolishing the debt ceiling in principle \u2014 but few want to pick a public fight with Trump. The president-elect also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2017\/09\/09\/549215204\/trump-says-debt-ceiling-is-not-necessary-is-he-right\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">floated<\/a> the idea of scrapping the debt ceiling when he was last in office, but nothing came of it. Trump pointed out Thursday that some Democrats have already backed abolishing the ceiling. \u2018If they want to get rid of it, I would lead the charge,\u2019 he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/trump-calls-abolishing-debt-ceiling-rcna184820?taid=67642c2fec353e0001bd763f&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">told NBC<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Lawfare<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"13.924832214765\">\n<p>\u201cFani Willis disqualified as prosecutor on Trump Georgia election case\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/regulation\/court-battles\/5048455-fani-willis-disqualified-trump-georgia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cA Georgia appeals court booted Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis\u2019s (D) office from the 2020 election interference case against President-elect Trump on Thursday due to her relationship with a top prosecutor on the case. The panel described Willis\u2019s relationship with ex-special prosecutor Nathan Wade as a \u2018significant appearance of impropriety.\u2019 The court declined to outright dismiss Trump\u2019s indictment, but disqualifying Willis\u2019s office throws the future of the case \u2014 already complicated by Trump\u2019s impending return to the White House \u2014 further into doubt. \u2018After carefully considering the trial court\u2019s findings in its order, we conclude that it erred by failing to disqualify DA Willis and her office,\u2019 Judge E. Trenton Brown III wrote in the court\u2019s ruling. \u2018The remedy crafted by the trial court to prevent an ongoing appearance of impropriety did nothing to address the appearance of impropriety that existed at times when DA Willis was exercising her broad pretrial discretion about who to prosecute and what charges to bring,\u2019 it continued. The decision leaves open a theoretical possibility another prosecutor could take over the case, but the path forward remains precarious.\u201d \u2022 Too funny. I\u2019d speculate that the Georgia Dems thought Fani Willis was gonna be their next Stacey Abrams. And so she was, except she flamed out faster and worse.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"15.838383838384\">\n<p>\u201cThe Difference That Matters Most Isn\u2019t Between Left and Right\u201d [Jeet Heer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/politics\/anti-system-trump-populism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Nation<\/a>]. \u201cBut left-right isn\u2019t the only relevant taxonomy in politics. Ben Kawaller of The Free Press interviewed AOC-Trump voters for an illuminating TikTok video in which some expressed anger at inflation while others complained about Kamala Harris\u2019s record as a hard-nosed prosecutor. One African American woman said, \u2018Kamala Harris is a puppet.\u2019 When Kawaller asked, \u2018A puppet of who?,\u2019 the woman responded, \u2018A puppet for the system.\u2019 In that succinct phrase, \u2018a puppet for the system,\u2019 we get to the heart of why Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2024\u2014both times running as an anti-system politician channeling the anger of voters who are deeply frustrated by the status quo\u2026. Not just in America but in other advanced democracies around the world, the most salient cleavage right now is not left versus right but system versus anti-system.\u201d \u2022 Change vs. more of the same\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"3.4191176470588\">\n<p>Gonna need a bigger tent:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.5227272727273\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.8727272727273\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Are they really though? \ud83e\udd14 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KKwmNeMYBR\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/KKwmNeMYBR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 screamingmemey (@screamingmemey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/screamingmemey\/status\/1869127551517696231\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 17, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Republican Funhouse<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"17.648780487805\">\n<p>\u201cMusk and Trump are viewed roughly the same by Americans, an AP-NORC poll finds\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-elon-apnorc-poll-favorability-8506a4eed5ac5dcfe818a277e4adf42a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cAbout 4 in 10 Americans have a somewhat or very favorable view of the world\u2019s richest person, very similar to the percentage who view Trump positively. Likewise, about half of adults have a somewhat or very unfavorable view of Musk \u2014 again, similar to Trump\u2026. The relationship between the two men has no parallel in U.S. history, said David Nasaw, biographer of American business tycoons Andrew Carnegie and William Randolph Hearst. He noted that Musk, to a level unlike other tycoons, has relied on subsidies and favorable government decisions for his success from Tesla to SpaceX.\u201d \u2022 So, utterly conflicted. As one would expect an oligarch in government to be, by the mere fact of ownership at scale.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"62.551994198695\">\n<p><a name=\"mangione\"\/>\u201cUnitedHealthcare CEO suspect faces federal murder, stalking charges after returning to NYC\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/unitedhealthcare-ceo-murder-suspect-luigi-mangione-extradition-hearing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CBS<\/a>]. \u201cUnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione is back in New York Thursday after waiving extradition in Pennsylvania. He was ushered from the courtroom to a waiting plane by NYPD detectives after waiving extradition. Mangione could appear in front of a judge in New York City for arraignment in just a matter of hours\u2026. He is then expected to be held at Rikers Island, where he will be in isolation and protective custody because of his high-profile status, sources said.\u201d On the \u201covercharging\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-18-2024-2.html#comment-4149497\">hat tip, alert reader dommage<\/a>): \u201c\u2018The federal government\u2019s reported decision to pile on top of an already overcharged first-degree murder and state terror case is highly unusual and raises serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns. We are ready to fight these charges in whatever court they are brought,\u2019 Manhattan prosecutor-turned-defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo said in a statement Thursday morning.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow New York prosecutors used a terrorism law in the charges against Luigi Mangione\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-luigi-mangione-terrorism-law-7fcb28dcc0106c980b6ecf4aa9cf682f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cIf a defendant is convicted, the \u201ccrime of terrorism\u201d designation boosts the underlying offense into a more serious sentencing category. For example, an assault normally punishable by up to 25 years in prison would carry a potential life sentence.\u201d Exactly as Bragg did with Trump, converting misdemeanors into felonies. More: \u201cThere\u2019s no comprehensive count of cases where the anti-terrorism statute was used, because it can be layered onto many different types of charges, from weapons possession to murder\u2026. In New York City alone, over a half-dozen cases of various sorts have used the terror law, starting with the 2004 indictment of a Bronx gang member. He was accused of killing a 10-year-old girl and paralyzing a man at a christening party\u2026. Courts haven\u2019t set out overarching rules for when a case qualifies. However, the state\u2019s top court said the Bronx gang member\u2019s case did not. The high court overturned his conviction. Justices were skeptical that the shooting \u2014 allegedly targeting a rival gang member \u2014 was meant to intimidate the broader community. They also worried that the meaning of terrorism could be trivialized if \u2018applied loosely in situations that do not match our collective understanding of what constitutes a terrorist act.’\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cEXCLUSIVE: Investigators are convinced \u2018CEO assassin\u2019 Luigi Mangione did NOT act alone\u2026and there are three key clues\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-14205925\/investigators-convinced-CEO-assassin-Luigi-Mangione-accomplice-not-alone.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Daily Mail<\/a>]. For Mangione stans, worth reading in full; too much detail to excerpt. \u201cBut two leaders in the investigative field who have analyzed the case have now told DailyMail.com that some key details are being ignored \u2013 and that those clues point to at least one accomplice to the alleged murderer.\u201d Key point: \u201cThe shooter appears to be on the phone in the [CCTV] video, raising the prospect that an accomplice monitoring Thompson\u2019s movements called him to say that the CEO would shortly be leaving his hotel, the five-star Marriott across the street from the Hilton. \u2018If it were me doing surveillance of this sort, I\u2019d be paying off a door guard or concierge. Like, \u2018Hey man, I\u2019m really trying to see what\u2019s going on with this guy. Can you help me out?\u2019 said [one investigator]. \u2018It just seems like a team that was doing good surveillance and reporting to their client.’\u201d \u2022 Also plenty of issues with the timeline. NOTE Given that \u201cA second industry leader in private intelligence for celebrities and CEOs spoke to DailyMail.com on condition of anonymity due to being close to the case,\u201d I wonder if this story was planted by the defense?<\/p>\n<p>Here is a thread picking away at inconsistences, worth reading in full:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"6.2112676056338\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"15.084507042254\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Mangione described evidence being planted on him in court, specifically the $10K in multiple currencies.<\/p>\n<p>He didn\u2019t mention the manifesto or gun, perhaps under advice from his lawyer, but has maintained he is innocent.<\/p>\n<p>The only thing he has been able to state publicly was this: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9dKXZNv8DS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/9dKXZNv8DS<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 spencer \ud83e\udd88 (@Unpop_Science) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Unpop_Science\/status\/1869380803152793668\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cCopyright Abuse Is Getting Luigi Mangione Merch Removed From the Internet\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.404media.co\/copyright-abuse-is-getting-luigi-mangione-merch-removed-from-the-internet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">404 Media<\/a>]. \u201cAn entity claiming to be United Healthcare is sending bogus copyright claims to internet platforms to get Luigi Mangione fan art taken off the internet, according to the print-on-demand merch retailer TeePublic. An independent journalist was hit with a copyright takedown demand over an image of Luigi Mangione and his family she posted on Bluesky, and other DMCA takedown requests posted to an open database and viewed by 404 Media show copyright claims trying to get \u201cDeny, Defend, Depose\u201d and Luigi Mangione-related merch taken off the internet, though it is unclear who is filing them\u2026. There is no world in which the copyright of a watercolor painting of Luigi Mangione surveillance footage done by Kenaston is owned by United Health Group as it quite literally has nothing to do with anything that the company owns. It is illegal to file a DMCA unless you have a \u201cgood faith\u201d belief that you are the rights holder (or are representing the rights holder) of the material in question\u2026. United Healthcare did not respond to multiple requests for comment\u2026. It is theoretically possible that another entity impersonated United Healthcare to request the removal <a href=\"https:\/\/nyulawreview.org\/issues\/volume-81-number-3\/copyfraud\/?ref=404media.co\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">because copyfraud in general is so common<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe Was Surgeon General \u2014 And He\u2019s Got Thoughts About the Reaction to the United Healthcare Killing\u201d (interview) [Jerome Adams, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/magazine\/2024\/12\/17\/trump-surgeon-general-unitedhealthcare-killing-00194635\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cThis erosion of trust hurts everyone, from the upstream public health policy maker to an ICU doctor who\u2019s trying to provide recommended care for a patient who\u2019s refusing it because they say they don\u2019t believe that the health care system has their best interest at heart. This leads to worse health outcomes. It prolongs public health challenges. And what scares me the most is, without trust, the foundation of our health care system starts to crumble. It makes it difficult to address current and future health issues, and that\u2019s going to impact the new administration. I have said that very publicly that [officials] have to be careful about acknowledging real faults in the prior Covid response, while balancing that against the erosion of trust. In about a month, it\u2019s not going to be on the Biden administration to deal with H5N1 [bird flu]. It\u2019s going to be on the Trump administration. It\u2019s not going to be on the Biden administration to deal with measles outbreaks across the country. It\u2019s going to be on the Trump administration. You can\u2019t un-ring that bell after you\u2019ve helped sow mistrust in many ways, and then expect people to suddenly believe in what you\u2019re saying when you\u2019re in charge.\u201d<\/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:\/\/skylab.cdph.ca.gov\/calwws\/\" 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, thump, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n<p>Stay safe out there!<\/p>\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=\"10.872781065089\">\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 17:<\/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-11.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-11.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-11-300x168.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=\"2.6111111111111\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> National[7] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/healthcare-solutions\/covid-19-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a> December 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 14:<\/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-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-1-300x194.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=\"187.60621274847\">\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 at 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) Continued upward trend since, well, Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n<p>[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants). Positivity is new, but variants have not yet been released.<\/p>\n<p>[11] Deaths low, positivity leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[12] Deaths low, ED leveling out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Employment Situation: \u201cUnited States Initial Jobless Claims\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/jobless-claims\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cInitial jobless claims in the US fell by 22,000 from the previous week to 220,000 on the first week of December, much more than market expectations that they would fall to 230,000, easing concerns of weaker labor conditions following last week\u2019s unexpected surge. The result was in line with the Federal Reserve\u2019s recent projections that few interest rate cuts would be required next year, signaling the FOMC\u2019s view that inflation poses a bigger threat to the economy than a softening labor market.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/philadelphia-fed-manufacturing-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index in the US plunged to -16.4 in December 2024, its lowest level since April 2023, from -5.5 in November and way below expectations of 3, signaling a further weakening in regional manufacturing activity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Kansas Fed Manufacturing Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/kansas-fed-manufacturing-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe Kansas City Fed\u2019s Manufacturing Production Index fell by one point from the previous month to -5 in December of 2024, its second consecutive negative print, and consistent with other surveys flagging contractionary trends in the US manufacturing sector.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Real Estate: \u201cUnited States Existing Home Sales\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/existing-home-sales\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cExisting home sales in the US rose by 4.8% from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 4.15 million in November 2024, the highest in eight months, compared to 3.96 million in October and better than market expectations of 4.07 million.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"boeing \"\/>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Wins $36 Billion Deal From Turkey, Trumping Airbus\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/DbUrO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cBoeing Co. won an order valued at $36 billion from Pegasus Hava Tasimaciligi AS, in its biggest commitment so far this year that deals a blow to rival Airbus SE, previously the preferred choice for the Turkish low-cost airline. The carrier has firm orders for 100 of the as-yet uncertified 737 Max 10 model that it will begin receiving in 2028, with options for another 100, it said in a stock exchange filing. The total value of the agreement assumes that all options are converted, though customers typically negotiate steep discounts for large deals. The accord, the largest order in Pegasus\u2019s history, is an important win for Boeing as it works to overcome the fallout from a prolonged strike and a near-catastrophic accident at the start of the year. For Pegasus, the deal marks a strategic reversal after the carrier said less than two years ago that it wanted to become an all-Airbus operator.\u201d \u2022 Wow, Turkey\u2019s really been in the news lately!<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cTaiwan\u2019s China Airlines splits $12-billion jet deal between Boeing and Airbus\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/aerospace-defense\/taiwans-china-airlines-orders-119-bln-boeing-airbus-jets-2024-12-19\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Reuters<\/a>]. \u2022 Wow, Taiwans\u2019 really been in the news lately!<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cAirline watchdog group demands answers from NTSB regarding Boeing crashes\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.koin.com\/news\/airline-watchdog-group-demands-answers-from-ntsb-regarding-boeing-crashes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">KOIN<\/a>]. \u201cThe Foundation for Aviation Safety, led by former Boeing manager-turned-whistleblower Ed Pierson, is raising concerns about the NTSB\u2019s response to issues with the 737 Boeing Airliners in connection to two deadly plane crashes: 2018\u2019s Lion Air incident and 2019\u2019s Ethiopian Air incident\u2026. The watchdog group claims it uncovered evidence of issues with Boeing\u2019s electrical manufacturing that may hold weight in each case. However, they allege the NTSB is not sharing this information with international agencies and investigators as they should\u2026. Compared to the aftermath of the 2018-19 fatal crashes, the Foundation for Aviation Safety said the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.koin.com\/news\/alaska-airlines-flight-1282\/alaska-airlines-door-plug-incident-ntsb-investigation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NTSB\u2019s investigation into Boeing\u2019s safety issues<\/a> was much more robust for the non-fatal Alaska Airlines incident in which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.koin.com\/news\/portland\/alaska-airlines-flight-diverted-to-pdx\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a door plug blew out a plane mid-air<\/a> above Portland nearly one year ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Bezzle: <\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.3260233918129\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"9.5029239766082\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is blowing up a bit so I want to add that I\u2019ve noticed some ads will open with only a \u201chalf tap\u201d i.e. when you press down to scroll and haven\u2019t lifted your finger yet the link is immediately activated. This would explain why it happens when your intent is simply to scroll.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jordan Fish \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 (@jwordfish) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jwordfish\/status\/1869626850122829964\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 19, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Yes, this happens to me:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.1238938053097\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.7964601769912\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I totally noticed this. Great post. It\u2019s fraud and illegal.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Roy Drones Jr (@chiweethedog) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/chiweethedog\/status\/1869616321794891836?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 19, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>But of course Elon would never manipulate clicks or bots for political purposes, not even for something really important, like DOGE, or Mars colonization\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>The Bezzle:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.2307692307692\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.6923076923077\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">How to use Grok to understand any piece of legislation or large document on the Internet <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1VS81HdhVf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/1VS81HdhVf<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1869477342856511944\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And of course Elon would never manipulate the training sets or prompts\u2026 <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 27 Neutral (previous close: 33 Fear) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 50 (Neutral). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 19 at 12:53:31 PM ET. Quite a swing!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I dunno. This doesn\u2019t feel like New England to me. Am I wrong?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.271186440678\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.0677966101695\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Toward Boston \u2013 1936 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/artbots?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#artbots<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/hopper?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#hopper<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gyBvYFI4Th\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/gyBvYFI4Th<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Edward Hopper (@artisthopper) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/artisthopper\/status\/1869308140254060828\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>This, however, does:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.3211382113821\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.2276422764228\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Cape Cod Afternoon \u2013 1936 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/artbots?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#artbots<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/hopper?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#hopper<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HJhrn6o81m\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/HJhrn6o81m<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Edward Hopper (@artisthopper) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/artisthopper\/status\/1869371051823575082\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>I feel the ocean off to the right.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"zeitgeist\"\/><strong>Zeitgeist Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAdvanced Civilizations Could be Indistinguishable from Nature\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/169993\/advanced-civilizations-could-be-indistinguishable-from-nature\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Universe Today<\/a>]. \u201cOne of the foundational questions of our day concerns the Fermi Paradox, the contradiction between what seems to be a high probability of extraterrestrial life and the total lack of evidence that it exists\u2026. \u2018As the authors state,\u2019 [researcher Luk\u00e1\u0161] Likav\u010dan writes regarding Haqq-Misra and Baum\u2019s sustainability solution, \u2018the formulation of the Fermi paradox contains a biased presupposition based on the observation of only one planetary community of intelligent species (i.e. humans), which is in turn based on a warped understanding of human history, which assumes that history unfolds in a progressive series of civilizational, colonial expansions.\u2019\u2026. [But if] the planet is primary\u2026 any technosphere will have to be harmonious with planetary conditions. From that perspective, the only successful technosphere is one that folds back into the biosphere, making it very difficult, even impossible, to detect.\u201d \u2022 Hmm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe EU must build on past successes\u201d [Martin Wolf, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/169fec69-3d51-46af-b01a-f1669ecb89e2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. Filing here because of this passage: \u201cEurope should not embrace <a href=\"https:\/\/www.slowboring.com\/p\/what-the-us-and-europe-can-learn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a social model<\/a> that risks delivering the US pathologies of premature death, mass murder and stratospheric rates of incarceration. Yet radical changes are essential.\u201d \u2022 Ignore the haters, Uncle Sam!<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAmazon workers to strike at multiple US warehouses during busy holiday season\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/technology\/amazon-workers-strike-multiple-us-warehouses-during-busy-holiday-season-2024-12-19\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Reuters<\/a>]. \u201cThousands of Amazon.com (AMZN.O), opens new tab workers will walk off the job on Thursday morning, in the crucial final days of the holiday season, after union officials said the retailer failed to come to the bargaining table to negotiate contracts. The strike is a challenge to Amazon\u2019s operations as it races to fulfill orders during its busiest season of the year, although union-represented facilities represent only about 1% of Amazon\u2019s hourly workforce. In the New York City area, for example, the company has multiple warehouses and smaller delivery depots. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters said unionized workers at facilities in New York City; Skokie, Illinois; Atlanta, San Francisco and southern California will join the picket line to seek contracts guaranteeing better wages and work conditions. The Teamsters union has said it represents about 10,000 workers at 10 of the company\u2019s U.S. facilities. Workers at seven of those facilities will walk out on Thursday, the Teamsters said.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cA Knife Forged in Fire\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagomag.com\/chicago-magazine\/january-2024\/a-knife-forged-in-fire\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Chicago Magazine<\/a>]. \u201cHe put it back in the forge and this time heated it until it was in a yellow rage of photons. Again, he fitted the wrench to the glowing end. And then, using his entire body and the leverage of the long-handled wrench, he began twisting and twisting. The metal shed great gray flakes, and the yellow bar gradually turned orange, looking like a twist of taffy as Sam put all of his effort into the now-helical bar until it would turn no more. It was as if he were doing battle not so much with steel but with fire itself, placing the bright yellow bar in the press and then wringing the light right out of it, for that\u2019s what it was, a blade of bright light that he strangled until it went black.\u201d \u2022 Just a touch over-written, but what a neat process!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cISO 8583: The language of credit cards\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/increase.com\/articles\/iso-8583-the-language-of-credit-cards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Increase<\/a>]. \u201cWhen the standard was first defined in 1987, it included the overall structure of the message specification and the names and lengths of the core fields, such as the card number (\u201cprimary account number\u201d) in field 2 and the transaction amount in field 4. The message began with a 4-digit Message Type Indicator code representing whether it was an authorization message, a reversal, or some other message type. This was followed by a bitmap that told the recipient which fields were present. It left room for a few fields that could be used by networks to include network-specific information, and as a result the various card network specifications quickly diverged through a series of nested fields that did not overlap at all. Later versions of the standard greatly increased the number of fields, reducing the need for network-specific behavior for new implementations. Specifications like Visa\u2019s Base I have thousands of clients running on everything from mainframes to devices like ATMs, however, making sweeping backwards incompatible changes next to impossible. As a result, these specifications still largely follow the rules set forth by the original standard from 1987.\u201d \u2022 Also a neat process.<\/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-12-18-2024-2.html\">here<\/a>. From JJD:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/amanita.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"486\" height=\"1080\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/amanita.jpeg 486w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/amanita-135x300.jpeg 135w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/amanita-461x1024.jpeg 461w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 486px) 100vw, 486px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>JJS writes: \u201cAmanita caesarea emerging. One of them knocked out by a squirrel, sadly.\u201d I hope the squirrel didn\u2019t take a bite!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"donate\"\/><strong>Readers<\/strong>: Water Cooler is a standalone entity <em>not<\/em> covered by the annual NC fundraiser. Material here is Lambert\u2019s, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. If you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn\u2019t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! <em>Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I\u2019m on the right track with coverage<\/em>. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:<\/p>\n<p>Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-226891\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"606\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png 606w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .entry-content --><\/p>\n<footer class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\tThis entry was posted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/guest-post\" rel=\"category tag\">Guest Post<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-19-2024-2.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-19T14:00:37-05:00\">December 19, 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\/what-happens-when-trumps-negotiations-over-ukraine-quickly-hit-the-wall.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> What Happens When Trump\u2019s \u201cNegotiations\u201d Over Ukraine Quickly Hit the Wall?<\/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-12-19-2024-2.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day Northern Mockingbird, Quitman Farm, Brooks, Georgia, United States. * * * In Case You Might<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88647,"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-88646","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\/88646","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=88646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88646\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Northern Mockingbird, Quitman Farm, Brooks, Georgia, United States.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#cr\">Continuing Resolution founders<\/a>, DOGE extra-constiutional, Trump opposes debt ceiling<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mangione\">Mangione extradited to New York,<\/a> lawyer claims overcharging.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#boeing\">Boeing<\/a> sells some planes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Biden Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"7.4814814814815\">\n<p>\u201cA Weary Biden Heads for the Exit\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/tpYhJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. \u201cThe biggest box left is a cease-fire in Gaza and if he manages that, it would be a validating triumph for a departing president.\u201d \u2022 Gag me with a spoon.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"55.477075005878\">\n<p><a name=\"cr\"\/>\u201cRepublicans scrap spending bill, under pressure from Trump and Musk\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/politics\/ar-AA1w6RyE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cRepublicans scrapped House Speaker Mike Johnson\u2019s bipartisan plan to avert a government shutdown, as President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk joined a broad swath of the House GOP on Wednesday to condemn a compromise bill that included Democratic policy priorities. The rebuke, which built steadily through the day and culminated with a long written statement from Trump in the late afternoon, has forced Johnson back to the drawing board on a plan to prevent a Christmastime shutdown \u2014 and maintain the support of his chaotic conference to be reelected as speaker early next year.\u201d \u2022 Musk comments:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.462962962963\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.037037037037\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The voice of the people was heard. <\/p>\n<p>This was a good day for America. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/r8K4AcbDYf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/r8K4AcbDYf<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1869521075761234338\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Are we little children of six? This is a dogpile orchestrated on X by the owner of X, in service of the extra-constitutional entity DOGE:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.7017543859649\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"8.1052631578947\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Critics say DOGE isn\u2019t an actual \u201cdepartment.\u201d They\u2019re right. It\u2019s a new way of doing government itself.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VivekGRamaswamy\/status\/1869745193496527183\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 19, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>So, no problem there! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/07\/bidens-slips-cog-second-time-as-tragedy-second-time-as-farce-or-both.html#extra-constitutional\">I inveighed against extra-constitutional entities<\/a> here, when Biden was losing his mind, and it wasn\u2019t clear who, exactly, was running the country. And the same situation obtains today (\u201cHeather Has Two Presidents\u201d). Axelrove is right to ask:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.1271929824561\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.8070175438596\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">So will President-elect Musk join the budget negotiations now?<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/davidaxelrod\/status\/1869512133555486866\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cRand Paul floats Elon Musk for Speaker\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/house\/5048431-rand-paul-elon-musk-speaker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cSen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) suggested Elon Musk serve as Speaker in a Thursday morning post on X following contentious debates over the continuing resolution (CR). \u2018The Speaker of the House need not be a member of Congress,\u2019 Paul wrote. \u2018Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk . . . think about it . . . nothing\u2019s impossible. (not to mention the joy at seeing the collective establishment, aka \u2018uniparty,\u2019 lose their ever-lovin\u2019 minds).\u2019 Later Thursday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said she would be open to supporting Musk to replace Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in a post quoting Paul. \u2018I\u2019d be open to supporting @elonmusk for Speaker of the House. DOGE can only truly be accomplished by reigning in Congress to enact real government efficiency,\u201d Greene wrote on X.\u201d \u2022 Oh, so <em>that\u2019s<\/em> what libertarianism is all about. \u201cA libertarian and an oligarch walk into a bar, and the bartender says: \u2018Sir, what\u2019ll it be?’\u201d \u2022 The debt ceiling was \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/archive\/6705357\/essay-a-bad-idea-whose-time-has-come\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a bad idea whose time has come<\/a>\u201d when introduced in the 1980s. Now it\u2019s a bad idea whose time has gone\u2026.. <\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Trump actually gets the right of it\u2013<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump wants to kill the debt ceiling\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/12\/19\/trump-debt-ceiling-government-shutdown?utm_campaign=editorial&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. \u201cPresident-elect Trump told NBC News he supports abolishing the debt ceiling and is prepared to \u2018lead the charge\u2019 to make it happen. Republicans, including some of Trump\u2019s strongest supporters in Congress, have historically opposed raising the debt ceiling, at least when a Democrat is in office. Now Trump says he\u2019ll push them to scrap it entirely. That pronouncement comes a day after Trump came out against a spending deal, negotiated by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), to keep the government running through March His opposition effectively killed the bill and could lead to a government shutdown at midnight on Saturday. Raising the debt ceiling and funding the government are two separate cliffs Congress repeatedly bumps up against, and Trump is now linking them together. The debt ceiling is a particularly sticky issue for Republicans, as many campaign against running up debts. Conservative members tend to push back on raising the ceiling, particularly when a Democrat is in the White House. Thus, Republicans would likely oppose abolishing the debt ceiling in principle \u2014 but few want to pick a public fight with Trump. The president-elect also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2017\/09\/09\/549215204\/trump-says-debt-ceiling-is-not-necessary-is-he-right\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">floated<\/a> the idea of scrapping the debt ceiling when he was last in office, but nothing came of it. Trump pointed out Thursday that some Democrats have already backed abolishing the ceiling. \u2018If they want to get rid of it, I would lead the charge,\u2019 he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/donald-trump\/trump-calls-abolishing-debt-ceiling-rcna184820?taid=67642c2fec353e0001bd763f&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">told NBC<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Lawfare<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"13.924832214765\">\n<p>\u201cFani Willis disqualified as prosecutor on Trump Georgia election case\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/regulation\/court-battles\/5048455-fani-willis-disqualified-trump-georgia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cA Georgia appeals court booted Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis\u2019s (D) office from the 2020 election interference case against President-elect Trump on Thursday due to her relationship with a top prosecutor on the case. The panel described Willis\u2019s relationship with ex-special prosecutor Nathan Wade as a \u2018significant appearance of impropriety.\u2019 The court declined to outright dismiss Trump\u2019s indictment, but disqualifying Willis\u2019s office throws the future of the case \u2014 already complicated by Trump\u2019s impending return to the White House \u2014 further into doubt. \u2018After carefully considering the trial court\u2019s findings in its order, we conclude that it erred by failing to disqualify DA Willis and her office,\u2019 Judge E. Trenton Brown III wrote in the court\u2019s ruling. \u2018The remedy crafted by the trial court to prevent an ongoing appearance of impropriety did nothing to address the appearance of impropriety that existed at times when DA Willis was exercising her broad pretrial discretion about who to prosecute and what charges to bring,\u2019 it continued. The decision leaves open a theoretical possibility another prosecutor could take over the case, but the path forward remains precarious.\u201d \u2022 Too funny. I\u2019d speculate that the Georgia Dems thought Fani Willis was gonna be their next Stacey Abrams. And so she was, except she flamed out faster and worse.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>2024 Post Mortem<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"15.838383838384\">\n<p>\u201cThe Difference That Matters Most Isn\u2019t Between Left and Right\u201d [Jeet Heer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/politics\/anti-system-trump-populism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Nation<\/a>]. \u201cBut left-right isn\u2019t the only relevant taxonomy in politics. Ben Kawaller of The Free Press interviewed AOC-Trump voters for an illuminating TikTok video in which some expressed anger at inflation while others complained about Kamala Harris\u2019s record as a hard-nosed prosecutor. One African American woman said, \u2018Kamala Harris is a puppet.\u2019 When Kawaller asked, \u2018A puppet of who?,\u2019 the woman responded, \u2018A puppet for the system.\u2019 In that succinct phrase, \u2018a puppet for the system,\u2019 we get to the heart of why Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2024\u2014both times running as an anti-system politician channeling the anger of voters who are deeply frustrated by the status quo\u2026. Not just in America but in other advanced democracies around the world, the most salient cleavage right now is not left versus right but system versus anti-system.\u201d \u2022 Change vs. more of the same\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"3.4191176470588\">\n<p>Gonna need a bigger tent:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.5227272727273\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.8727272727273\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Are they really though? \ud83e\udd14 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KKwmNeMYBR\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/KKwmNeMYBR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 screamingmemey (@screamingmemey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/screamingmemey\/status\/1869127551517696231\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 17, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Republican Funhouse<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"17.648780487805\">\n<p>\u201cMusk and Trump are viewed roughly the same by Americans, an AP-NORC poll finds\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-elon-apnorc-poll-favorability-8506a4eed5ac5dcfe818a277e4adf42a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cAbout 4 in 10 Americans have a somewhat or very favorable view of the world\u2019s richest person, very similar to the percentage who view Trump positively. Likewise, about half of adults have a somewhat or very unfavorable view of Musk \u2014 again, similar to Trump\u2026. The relationship between the two men has no parallel in U.S. history, said David Nasaw, biographer of American business tycoons Andrew Carnegie and William Randolph Hearst. He noted that Musk, to a level unlike other tycoons, has relied on subsidies and favorable government decisions for his success from Tesla to SpaceX.\u201d \u2022 So, utterly conflicted. As one would expect an oligarch in government to be, by the mere fact of ownership at scale.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"62.551994198695\">\n<p><a name=\"mangione\"\/>\u201cUnitedHealthcare CEO suspect faces federal murder, stalking charges after returning to NYC\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/unitedhealthcare-ceo-murder-suspect-luigi-mangione-extradition-hearing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CBS<\/a>]. \u201cUnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione is back in New York Thursday after waiving extradition in Pennsylvania. He was ushered from the courtroom to a waiting plane by NYPD detectives after waiving extradition. Mangione could appear in front of a judge in New York City for arraignment in just a matter of hours\u2026. He is then expected to be held at Rikers Island, where he will be in isolation and protective custody because of his high-profile status, sources said.\u201d On the \u201covercharging\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-18-2024-2.html#comment-4149497\">hat tip, alert reader dommage<\/a>): \u201c\u2018The federal government\u2019s reported decision to pile on top of an already overcharged first-degree murder and state terror case is highly unusual and raises serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns. We are ready to fight these charges in whatever court they are brought,\u2019 Manhattan prosecutor-turned-defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo said in a statement Thursday morning.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow New York prosecutors used a terrorism law in the charges against Luigi Mangione\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/unitedhealthcare-ceo-killing-luigi-mangione-terrorism-law-7fcb28dcc0106c980b6ecf4aa9cf682f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cIf a defendant is convicted, the \u201ccrime of terrorism\u201d designation boosts the underlying offense into a more serious sentencing category. For example, an assault normally punishable by up to 25 years in prison would carry a potential life sentence.\u201d Exactly as Bragg did with Trump, converting misdemeanors into felonies. More: \u201cThere\u2019s no comprehensive count of cases where the anti-terrorism statute was used, because it can be layered onto many different types of charges, from weapons possession to murder\u2026. In New York City alone, over a half-dozen cases of various sorts have used the terror law, starting with the 2004 indictment of a Bronx gang member. He was accused of killing a 10-year-old girl and paralyzing a man at a christening party\u2026. Courts haven\u2019t set out overarching rules for when a case qualifies. However, the state\u2019s top court said the Bronx gang member\u2019s case did not. The high court overturned his conviction. Justices were skeptical that the shooting \u2014 allegedly targeting a rival gang member \u2014 was meant to intimidate the broader community. They also worried that the meaning of terrorism could be trivialized if \u2018applied loosely in situations that do not match our collective understanding of what constitutes a terrorist act.’\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cEXCLUSIVE: Investigators are convinced \u2018CEO assassin\u2019 Luigi Mangione did NOT act alone\u2026and there are three key clues\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-14205925\/investigators-convinced-CEO-assassin-Luigi-Mangione-accomplice-not-alone.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Daily Mail<\/a>]. For Mangione stans, worth reading in full; too much detail to excerpt. \u201cBut two leaders in the investigative field who have analyzed the case have now told DailyMail.com that some key details are being ignored \u2013 and that those clues point to at least one accomplice to the alleged murderer.\u201d Key point: \u201cThe shooter appears to be on the phone in the [CCTV] video, raising the prospect that an accomplice monitoring Thompson\u2019s movements called him to say that the CEO would shortly be leaving his hotel, the five-star Marriott across the street from the Hilton. \u2018If it were me doing surveillance of this sort, I\u2019d be paying off a door guard or concierge. Like, \u2018Hey man, I\u2019m really trying to see what\u2019s going on with this guy. Can you help me out?\u2019 said [one investigator]. \u2018It just seems like a team that was doing good surveillance and reporting to their client.’\u201d \u2022 Also plenty of issues with the timeline. NOTE Given that \u201cA second industry leader in private intelligence for celebrities and CEOs spoke to DailyMail.com on condition of anonymity due to being close to the case,\u201d I wonder if this story was planted by the defense?<\/p>\n<p>Here is a thread picking away at inconsistences, worth reading in full:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"6.2112676056338\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"15.084507042254\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Mangione described evidence being planted on him in court, specifically the $10K in multiple currencies.<\/p>\n<p>He didn\u2019t mention the manifesto or gun, perhaps under advice from his lawyer, but has maintained he is innocent.<\/p>\n<p>The only thing he has been able to state publicly was this: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9dKXZNv8DS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/9dKXZNv8DS<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 spencer \ud83e\udd88 (@Unpop_Science) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Unpop_Science\/status\/1869380803152793668\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center><br \/>\n<center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cCopyright Abuse Is Getting Luigi Mangione Merch Removed From the Internet\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.404media.co\/copyright-abuse-is-getting-luigi-mangione-merch-removed-from-the-internet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">404 Media<\/a>]. \u201cAn entity claiming to be United Healthcare is sending bogus copyright claims to internet platforms to get Luigi Mangione fan art taken off the internet, according to the print-on-demand merch retailer TeePublic. An independent journalist was hit with a copyright takedown demand over an image of Luigi Mangione and his family she posted on Bluesky, and other DMCA takedown requests posted to an open database and viewed by 404 Media show copyright claims trying to get \u201cDeny, Defend, Depose\u201d and Luigi Mangione-related merch taken off the internet, though it is unclear who is filing them\u2026. There is no world in which the copyright of a watercolor painting of Luigi Mangione surveillance footage done by Kenaston is owned by United Health Group as it quite literally has nothing to do with anything that the company owns. It is illegal to file a DMCA unless you have a \u201cgood faith\u201d belief that you are the rights holder (or are representing the rights holder) of the material in question\u2026. United Healthcare did not respond to multiple requests for comment\u2026. It is theoretically possible that another entity impersonated United Healthcare to request the removal <a href=\"https:\/\/nyulawreview.org\/issues\/volume-81-number-3\/copyfraud\/?ref=404media.co\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">because copyfraud in general is so common<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe Was Surgeon General \u2014 And He\u2019s Got Thoughts About the Reaction to the United Healthcare Killing\u201d (interview) [Jerome Adams, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/magazine\/2024\/12\/17\/trump-surgeon-general-unitedhealthcare-killing-00194635\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cThis erosion of trust hurts everyone, from the upstream public health policy maker to an ICU doctor who\u2019s trying to provide recommended care for a patient who\u2019s refusing it because they say they don\u2019t believe that the health care system has their best interest at heart. This leads to worse health outcomes. It prolongs public health challenges. And what scares me the most is, without trust, the foundation of our health care system starts to crumble. It makes it difficult to address current and future health issues, and that\u2019s going to impact the new administration. I have said that very publicly that [officials] have to be careful about acknowledging real faults in the prior Covid response, while balancing that against the erosion of trust. In about a month, it\u2019s not going to be on the Biden administration to deal with H5N1 [bird flu]. It\u2019s going to be on the Trump administration. It\u2019s not going to be on the Biden administration to deal with measles outbreaks across the country. It\u2019s going to be on the Trump administration. You can\u2019t un-ring that bell after you\u2019ve helped sow mistrust in many ways, and then expect people to suddenly believe in what you\u2019re saying when you\u2019re in charge.\u201d<\/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:\/\/skylab.cdph.ca.gov\/calwws\/\" 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, thump, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n<p>Stay safe out there!<\/p>\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=\"10.872781065089\">\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 17:<\/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-11.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-11.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-11-300x168.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=\"2.6111111111111\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> National[7] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/healthcare-solutions\/covid-19-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a> December 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 14:<\/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-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-1-300x194.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=\"187.60621274847\">\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 at 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) Continued upward trend since, well, Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n<p>[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants). Positivity is new, but variants have not yet been released.<\/p>\n<p>[11] Deaths low, positivity leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[12] Deaths low, ED leveling out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Employment Situation: \u201cUnited States Initial Jobless Claims\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/jobless-claims\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cInitial jobless claims in the US fell by 22,000 from the previous week to 220,000 on the first week of December, much more than market expectations that they would fall to 230,000, easing concerns of weaker labor conditions following last week\u2019s unexpected surge. The result was in line with the Federal Reserve\u2019s recent projections that few interest rate cuts would be required next year, signaling the FOMC\u2019s view that inflation poses a bigger threat to the economy than a softening labor market.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/philadelphia-fed-manufacturing-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index in the US plunged to -16.4 in December 2024, its lowest level since April 2023, from -5.5 in November and way below expectations of 3, signaling a further weakening in regional manufacturing activity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Kansas Fed Manufacturing Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/kansas-fed-manufacturing-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe Kansas City Fed\u2019s Manufacturing Production Index fell by one point from the previous month to -5 in December of 2024, its second consecutive negative print, and consistent with other surveys flagging contractionary trends in the US manufacturing sector.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Real Estate: \u201cUnited States Existing Home Sales\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/existing-home-sales\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cExisting home sales in the US rose by 4.8% from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 4.15 million in November 2024, the highest in eight months, compared to 3.96 million in October and better than market expectations of 4.07 million.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"boeing \"\/>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Wins $36 Billion Deal From Turkey, Trumping Airbus\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/DbUrO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cBoeing Co. won an order valued at $36 billion from Pegasus Hava Tasimaciligi AS, in its biggest commitment so far this year that deals a blow to rival Airbus SE, previously the preferred choice for the Turkish low-cost airline. The carrier has firm orders for 100 of the as-yet uncertified 737 Max 10 model that it will begin receiving in 2028, with options for another 100, it said in a stock exchange filing. The total value of the agreement assumes that all options are converted, though customers typically negotiate steep discounts for large deals. The accord, the largest order in Pegasus\u2019s history, is an important win for Boeing as it works to overcome the fallout from a prolonged strike and a near-catastrophic accident at the start of the year. For Pegasus, the deal marks a strategic reversal after the carrier said less than two years ago that it wanted to become an all-Airbus operator.\u201d \u2022 Wow, Turkey\u2019s really been in the news lately!<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cTaiwan\u2019s China Airlines splits $12-billion jet deal between Boeing and Airbus\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/aerospace-defense\/taiwans-china-airlines-orders-119-bln-boeing-airbus-jets-2024-12-19\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Reuters<\/a>]. \u2022 Wow, Taiwans\u2019 really been in the news lately!<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cAirline watchdog group demands answers from NTSB regarding Boeing crashes\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.koin.com\/news\/airline-watchdog-group-demands-answers-from-ntsb-regarding-boeing-crashes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">KOIN<\/a>]. \u201cThe Foundation for Aviation Safety, led by former Boeing manager-turned-whistleblower Ed Pierson, is raising concerns about the NTSB\u2019s response to issues with the 737 Boeing Airliners in connection to two deadly plane crashes: 2018\u2019s Lion Air incident and 2019\u2019s Ethiopian Air incident\u2026. The watchdog group claims it uncovered evidence of issues with Boeing\u2019s electrical manufacturing that may hold weight in each case. However, they allege the NTSB is not sharing this information with international agencies and investigators as they should\u2026. Compared to the aftermath of the 2018-19 fatal crashes, the Foundation for Aviation Safety said the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.koin.com\/news\/alaska-airlines-flight-1282\/alaska-airlines-door-plug-incident-ntsb-investigation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NTSB\u2019s investigation into Boeing\u2019s safety issues<\/a> was much more robust for the non-fatal Alaska Airlines incident in which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.koin.com\/news\/portland\/alaska-airlines-flight-diverted-to-pdx\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a door plug blew out a plane mid-air<\/a> above Portland nearly one year ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Bezzle: <\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.3260233918129\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"9.5029239766082\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is blowing up a bit so I want to add that I\u2019ve noticed some ads will open with only a \u201chalf tap\u201d i.e. when you press down to scroll and haven\u2019t lifted your finger yet the link is immediately activated. This would explain why it happens when your intent is simply to scroll.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jordan Fish \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 (@jwordfish) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jwordfish\/status\/1869626850122829964\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 19, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Yes, this happens to me:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.1238938053097\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.7964601769912\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I totally noticed this. Great post. It\u2019s fraud and illegal.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Roy Drones Jr (@chiweethedog) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/chiweethedog\/status\/1869616321794891836?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 19, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>But of course Elon would never manipulate clicks or bots for political purposes, not even for something really important, like DOGE, or Mars colonization\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>The Bezzle:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.2307692307692\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.6923076923077\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">How to use Grok to understand any piece of legislation or large document on the Internet <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1VS81HdhVf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/1VS81HdhVf<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1869477342856511944\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And of course Elon would never manipulate the training sets or prompts\u2026 <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 27 Neutral (previous close: 33 Fear) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 50 (Neutral). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 19 at 12:53:31 PM ET. Quite a swing!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I dunno. This doesn\u2019t feel like New England to me. Am I wrong?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.271186440678\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.0677966101695\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Toward Boston \u2013 1936 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/artbots?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#artbots<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/hopper?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#hopper<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gyBvYFI4Th\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/gyBvYFI4Th<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Edward Hopper (@artisthopper) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/artisthopper\/status\/1869308140254060828\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>This, however, does:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.3211382113821\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.2276422764228\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Cape Cod Afternoon \u2013 1936 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/artbots?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#artbots<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/hopper?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#hopper<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HJhrn6o81m\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/HJhrn6o81m<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Edward Hopper (@artisthopper) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/artisthopper\/status\/1869371051823575082\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 18, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>I feel the ocean off to the right.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"zeitgeist\"\/><strong>Zeitgeist Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAdvanced Civilizations Could be Indistinguishable from Nature\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.universetoday.com\/169993\/advanced-civilizations-could-be-indistinguishable-from-nature\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Universe Today<\/a>]. \u201cOne of the foundational questions of our day concerns the Fermi Paradox, the contradiction between what seems to be a high probability of extraterrestrial life and the total lack of evidence that it exists\u2026. \u2018As the authors state,\u2019 [researcher Luk\u00e1\u0161] Likav\u010dan writes regarding Haqq-Misra and Baum\u2019s sustainability solution, \u2018the formulation of the Fermi paradox contains a biased presupposition based on the observation of only one planetary community of intelligent species (i.e. humans), which is in turn based on a warped understanding of human history, which assumes that history unfolds in a progressive series of civilizational, colonial expansions.\u2019\u2026. [But if] the planet is primary\u2026 any technosphere will have to be harmonious with planetary conditions. From that perspective, the only successful technosphere is one that folds back into the biosphere, making it very difficult, even impossible, to detect.\u201d \u2022 Hmm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe EU must build on past successes\u201d [Martin Wolf, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/169fec69-3d51-46af-b01a-f1669ecb89e2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. Filing here because of this passage: \u201cEurope should not embrace <a href=\"https:\/\/www.slowboring.com\/p\/what-the-us-and-europe-can-learn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a social model<\/a> that risks delivering the US pathologies of premature death, mass murder and stratospheric rates of incarceration. Yet radical changes are essential.\u201d \u2022 Ignore the haters, Uncle Sam!<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAmazon workers to strike at multiple US warehouses during busy holiday season\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/technology\/amazon-workers-strike-multiple-us-warehouses-during-busy-holiday-season-2024-12-19\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Reuters<\/a>]. \u201cThousands of Amazon.com (AMZN.O), opens new tab workers will walk off the job on Thursday morning, in the crucial final days of the holiday season, after union officials said the retailer failed to come to the bargaining table to negotiate contracts. The strike is a challenge to Amazon\u2019s operations as it races to fulfill orders during its busiest season of the year, although union-represented facilities represent only about 1% of Amazon\u2019s hourly workforce. In the New York City area, for example, the company has multiple warehouses and smaller delivery depots. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters said unionized workers at facilities in New York City; Skokie, Illinois; Atlanta, San Francisco and southern California will join the picket line to seek contracts guaranteeing better wages and work conditions. The Teamsters union has said it represents about 10,000 workers at 10 of the company\u2019s U.S. facilities. Workers at seven of those facilities will walk out on Thursday, the Teamsters said.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cA Knife Forged in Fire\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagomag.com\/chicago-magazine\/january-2024\/a-knife-forged-in-fire\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Chicago Magazine<\/a>]. \u201cHe put it back in the forge and this time heated it until it was in a yellow rage of photons. Again, he fitted the wrench to the glowing end. And then, using his entire body and the leverage of the long-handled wrench, he began twisting and twisting. The metal shed great gray flakes, and the yellow bar gradually turned orange, looking like a twist of taffy as Sam put all of his effort into the now-helical bar until it would turn no more. It was as if he were doing battle not so much with steel but with fire itself, placing the bright yellow bar in the press and then wringing the light right out of it, for that\u2019s what it was, a blade of bright light that he strangled until it went black.\u201d \u2022 Just a touch over-written, but what a neat process!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cISO 8583: The language of credit cards\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/increase.com\/articles\/iso-8583-the-language-of-credit-cards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Increase<\/a>]. \u201cWhen the standard was first defined in 1987, it included the overall structure of the message specification and the names and lengths of the core fields, such as the card number (\u201cprimary account number\u201d) in field 2 and the transaction amount in field 4. The message began with a 4-digit Message Type Indicator code representing whether it was an authorization message, a reversal, or some other message type. This was followed by a bitmap that told the recipient which fields were present. It left room for a few fields that could be used by networks to include network-specific information, and as a result the various card network specifications quickly diverged through a series of nested fields that did not overlap at all. Later versions of the standard greatly increased the number of fields, reducing the need for network-specific behavior for new implementations. Specifications like Visa\u2019s Base I have thousands of clients running on everything from mainframes to devices like ATMs, however, making sweeping backwards incompatible changes next to impossible. As a result, these specifications still largely follow the rules set forth by the original standard from 1987.\u201d \u2022 Also a neat process.<\/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-12-18-2024-2.html\">here<\/a>. From JJD:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/amanita.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"486\" height=\"1080\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/amanita.jpeg 486w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/amanita-135x300.jpeg 135w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/amanita-461x1024.jpeg 461w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 486px) 100vw, 486px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>JJS writes: \u201cAmanita caesarea emerging. One of them knocked out by a squirrel, sadly.\u201d I hope the squirrel didn\u2019t take a bite!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"donate\"\/><strong>Readers<\/strong>: Water Cooler is a standalone entity <em>not<\/em> covered by the annual NC fundraiser. Material here is Lambert\u2019s, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. If you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn\u2019t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! <em>Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I\u2019m on the right track with coverage<\/em>. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:<\/p>\n<p>Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-226891\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"606\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png 606w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .entry-content --><\/p>\n<footer class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\tThis entry was posted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/guest-post\" rel=\"category tag\">Guest Post<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-19-2024-2.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-19T14:00:37-05:00\">December 19, 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\/what-happens-when-trumps-negotiations-over-ukraine-quickly-hit-the-wall.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> What Happens When Trump\u2019s \u201cNegotiations\u201d Over Ukraine Quickly Hit the Wall?<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"nav-next list-posts-newer\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/nav>\n<p><!-- .nav-single --><\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- #comments .comments-area --><\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- #content --><br \/>\n<!-- #primary --><\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- #secondary --><\/p>\n<footer id=\"colophon\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t\t<!-- .site-info --><br \/>\n\t\t<\/footer>\n<p><!-- #colophon --><br \/>\n\t\t<!-- #main.wrapper --><br \/>\n<!-- #page --><br \/>\n<!-- .mobile-menu-wrap --><\/p>\n<p><!-- Blog Reader Pooling - removed 09\/16\/2015 by M. 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Bird Song of the Day Northern Mockingbird, Quitman Farm, Brooks, Georgia, United States. * * * In Case You Might<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88647,"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-88646","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\/88646","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=88646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88646\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}