\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, Marin, California, United States. \u201cThis bird was languidly singing from an unseen location within an oak tree uphill from the first steep part of the fire road immediately above the end of San Andreas Drive. Mimicked birds include Steller\u2019s Jay (0:12), Northern Flicker (0:16), European Starling (0:31) and American Robin (0:44).\u201d This is yesterday\u2019s bird song, which I accidentally deleted in a post-prandial haze.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#MAGA\">MAGA eviscerates the Tech Bros<\/a> on immigration.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mangione\">Mangione family investments <\/a> in health care (not pretty).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#table\">New Covid charts<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"assassination \"\/>Trump Assassination Attempts (Plural)<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"16.786499215071\">\n<p>\u201cTrial of man accused in Trump assassination attempt in Florida pushed back to September\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/florida-trump-assassination-attempt-routh-56bccedcae955f4db74613d49c7b7262\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cRyan Routh\u2019s trial will begin Sept. 8 instead of the previously scheduled Feb. 10, 2025 start date, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon said in an order released on Monday\u2026. Routh\u2019s attorneys had asked the judge to delay the trial until no earlier than next December, saying they needed more time to review the evidence against him and decide whether to mount an insanity defense. Routh owned 17 cellphones and numerous other electronic devices, and there are hundreds of hours of police body camera and surveillance videos that have been provided to the defense, Routh\u2019s attorneys argued during a hearing two weeks ago in Fort Pierce, Florida. In her order, Cannon said she wanted to err on the side of providing more time given the seriousness of the allegations, but that starting the trial no earlier than December would be an excessive amount. A September trial date didn\u2019t amount to an \u2018unreasonable delay,\u2019 she said\u2026. The judge said that any insanity defense or any request related to Routh\u2019s mental competency must be made by early February. Any visit to the scene of the assassination attempt must be made by the end of February.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Biden Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"17.816058394161\">\n<p>\u201cA Reflective Biden Harbors Some Regrets as His Term Winds Down\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/lfHbP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. \u201cDespite being described by his allies as in a pensive, , mood as the end of his term approaches, the president has not made himself available to answer many questions about his recent actions.\u201d How often is \u201csometimes\u201d? More: \u201cAside from joking about his wealth, Mr. Biden has openly stewed over one of Mr. Trump\u2019s flashier \u2014 and apparently effective \u2014 stunts as president. During the same speech at Brookings, Mr. Biden said he had been \u201cstupid\u201d not to sign his name to Covid stimulus checks that were distributed to Americans early in his term. Mr. Trump emblazoned his signature on checks distributed after a relief bill was passed in the spring of 2020. Mr. Biden and his advisers learned a little something from Mr. Trump\u2019s tendency to scrawl his name on things. By 2023, signs touting infrastructure projects \u201cfunded by President Joe Biden\u2019s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law\u201d began popping up around the country. But those had little political impact compared with a signed check.\u201d \u2022 Bush the Younger signed his checks in the 2000s. Obama, in his miserably inadequate stimulus package, put up no signs, which gave rise to comment. Trump signed his checks. And only in 2023 does Biden\u2019s name go up on signs. Slow learners, or what?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"67.061445261791\">\n<p><a name=\"MAGA\"\/>It was an absolutely wild day on the Twitter today, as MAGA and the Tech Bros tangled on immigration (and (an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health-news\/ozempic-personality-change#What-is-Ozempic-personality-and-is-it-real\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ozempic-addled<\/a>?) Musk destroyed his reputation as a free speech advocate in the soace of a few hours). I can\u2019t cover it all, but here are some of the highlights (and more with orts ands scraps:<\/p>\n<p>DOGE personality Vivek Ramaswamy fired the opening gun:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"908\" height=\"1822\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284681\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek.png 908w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek-150x300.png 150w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek-510x1024.png 510w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek-768x1541.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek-765x1536.png 765w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek-624x1252.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>One quick reaction:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.1851851851852\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.9925925925926\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Apparently Americans now have to outcompete people in the entire world for jobs inside America<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 frog (@i_m_cattle) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/i_m_cattle\/status\/1872325763682431219\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And a second:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.1851851851852\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.9925925925926\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Apparently Americans now have to outcompete people in the entire world for jobs inside America<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 frog (@i_m_cattle) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/i_m_cattle\/status\/1872325763682431219\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>So, so close!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/commodities.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"337\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/commodities.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/commodities-300x169.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>And a third:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.3857142857143\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.1571428571429\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Where would America be without Viveks coming in and defrauding shareholders of 2 billion dollars worth of fake dementia medicine <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/R8LjcK6qOh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/R8LjcK6qOh<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Spinachbrah \ud83e\udd57 (@basedspinach) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/basedspinach\/status\/1872391348906844634\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Hi Vivek [waves]!<\/p>\n<p>And a fourth:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.431718061674\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.295154185022\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Elon Musk promised to pay $47 to swing state voters who signed his America PAC petition. They are still waiting for the payment. This is just the beginning. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5THpwIBmiF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/5THpwIBmiF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Ron Smith (@Ronxyz00) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Ronxyz00\/status\/1872339134565740798\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Hi Elon [waves]!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Noah Smith weighed in; I can\u2019t bear to quote him, but include this screen shot to show the scale of the controversy, since this is only a fraction of the responses, and Smith was by no means the only combatant with a following:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/noah_smith.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"1169\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/noah_smith.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/noah_smith-154x300.png 154w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/noah_smith-526x1024.png 526w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cElon Musk\u2019s Critics Stripped of Verification Badge After Publicly Challenging Billionaire: \u2018The Beginning Stages of Censorship\u2019 [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/tech\/elon-musks-critics-stripped-of-verification-badge-after-publicly-challenging-billionaire-the-beginning-stages-of-censorship\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Mediaite<\/a>]. \u201cSeveral conservative critics of billionaire Trump surrogate Elon Musk were stripped of their verification badges on X after publicly challenging Musk\u2019s stance on immigration. Trump ally Laura Loomer, New York Young Republican Club president Gavin Wax, InfoWars host Owen Shroyer, and the pro-Trump ConservativePAC were all stripped of their verification badges after criticizing Musk\u2019s controversial remarks about American workers and foreign H-1B visa holders. \u2018[Musk] has removed my blue check mark on X because I dared to question his support for H1B visas, the replacement of American tech workers by Indian immigrants, and I questioned his relationship with China,\u2019 wrote Loomer in a post on Musk\u2019s social network X, formerly known as Twitter.’\u201d \u2022 Oopsie!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Trump in 2016:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.3055555555556\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.1777777777778\">\n<p lang=\"qme\" dir=\"ltr\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/W9k5qwMmoO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/W9k5qwMmoO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \ud83c\udfdb Aristophanes \ud83c\udfdb (@Aristos_Revenge) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Aristos_Revenge\/status\/1872427332587450655\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And Trump in 2024:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.2912087912088\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.8736263736264\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Trump staying silent as the H-1B visa disagreements cause major rifts in MAGA world and wannabe MAGA world. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Ok9rE9O9WH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/Ok9rE9O9WH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Yashar Ali \ud83d\udc18 (@yashar) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/yashar\/status\/1872509574931951803\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>This shows, I would speculate, Trump sitting in the catbird seat, and very much aware of it, as Musk and Vivek both take themselves out of the running without Trump needing to lift a finger: Mush for co-Presidency today, Vivek for 2028 (and leaving intelligently silent Vance as the anointed, albeit very early favorite. Great photo, too, I love the painterliness).<\/p>\n<p>Lambert with some hasty comments: The tech bros make a dishonest argument. They call for bringing in the best of the best from all over the world, to keep American competitive, and justify the H1B visa program on those grounds. The difficulty is that there is a visa program for the best of the best, and it\u2019s not the H1B; it\u2019s the O-1. The H1B is being used bring in thousands of (necessarily docile) codes, accountants, etc., with (it is asserted) a median wage of ~$70K. In short form, H1B is for labor arbitrage:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.0471698113208\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.8490566037736\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Lmfao fucking liar, is 70k a year in Austin top .1%? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JuOczTXhNo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/JuOczTXhNo<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6UurWi46pC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/6UurWi46pC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Alexander Augustine (@WurzelRoot) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WurzelRoot\/status\/1872389064235884712\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And more on labor arbitrage:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.9139072847682\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"8.0132450331126\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The reason top tech companies are hiring foreign workers over Americans is simply because they don\u2019t want to pay higher wages. It\u2019s as simple as that <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VivekGRamaswamy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@VivekGRamaswamy<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the evidence: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Urz40Ytszb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/Urz40Ytszb<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/iI1xGwB0t9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/iI1xGwB0t9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 U.S. Tech Workers (@USTechWorkers) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USTechWorkers\/status\/1872322881008636106\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Fascinatintly, the MAGA types know this stuff cold \u2014 through \u201clived experience,\u201d as we say, and are eviscerating the tech bros with pleasing efficiency. Reminds me of the blogosphere c. 2003 \u2013 2006, with everybody jumping in. Very impressive, and just imagine if the so-called left were doing this to the Democrats. (Hilariously, some of the Tech Bro defenders are using Democrat loyalist lines like \u201cNow is not the time!\u201d). I find the whole controversy terrific, and just imagine! A serious argument about policy taking place in public! Merry Christmas.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"95.424299653761\">\n<p><a name=\"mangione\"\/>\u201c\u2018Didn\u2019t Expect This Twist\u2019: Mangione Family Business In The Spotlight After New Info Is Revealed\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/didn-t-expect-twist-woman-110859314.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bored Panda<\/a>]. Summarizing a TikTok video: \u201c[Patriarch Nicholas Mangione] also founded Lorien Health Services, a nursing home at which his grandson, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/luigi-mangiones-cellmates-message-during-live-broadcast-pennsylvania-prison\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">now behind bars<\/a>, volunteered in 2014\u2026. Taking to her TikTok page on Tuesday (December 10), social media content creator Tiffany Cianci further exposed where Mangione\u2019s rumored wealth came from\u2026. The Mangione family owns Lorien Health Services, a network of privately held nursing care facilities in Maryland, as well as the Turf Valley Golf Resort, used for events and networking with healthcare and pharmaceutical representatives, Cianci explained\u2026. Public records revealed the facilities and resort are owned by the ten adult children of Nicholas and Mary Mangione, each holding a 10% stake, with Luigi Mangione\u2019s father, Louis Mangione, identified as president of the development company for these properties\u2026. American government ratings revealed low-quality conditions, with one facility receiving just two stars and 24 health demerits this year\u2014well above the national average. Disturbingly, 83% of low-risk residents reportedly lose control of their bowels or bladder due to inadequate care, far exceeding the national average of 48%. Mangione, who volunteered at these facilities, allegedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reporter-leaks-luigi-mangione-real-manifesto\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">expressed disdain for such systems in a manifesto found during his arrest<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMost Americans Blame Insurance Profits and Denials Alongside Killer in UHC CEO Death, Poll Finds\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/7203940\/americans-blame-insurance-killer-uhc-ceo-poll\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Time<\/a>]. \u201cAbout 7 in 10 adults say that denials for health care coverage by insurance companies, or the profits made by health insurance companies, also bear at least \u201ca moderate amount\u201d of responsibility for Thompson\u2019s death. Younger Americans are particularly likely to see the murder as the result of a confluence of forces rather than just one person\u2019s action.\u201d \u2022 Hmm.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWill the jury let Luigi Mangione get away with murder?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/opinion\/judiciary\/5056942-mangione-murder-trial-nullifier\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cFeatured centrally in the criminal defense lawyer\u2019s toolbox is a determination to find the most effective method of prying open the deepest thoughts of jurors, particularly the elusive nullifier \u2014 those jurors whose most intimate\u202fviews motivate them to work to acquit a trial defendant regardless of the facts, even in the face of strong evidence of guilt. Of course, it is the prosecutor\u2019s duty to exclude them. My heresy notwithstanding, it is indeed the defense lawyer\u2019s righteous obligation to identify those nullifiers and try to seat them.\u202f\u201d And: \u201cAnd prosecutors here are not without fault in providing would-be nullifiers with grist for the mill. They share some responsibility for the spike in public sentiment for Mangione by charging terrorism and raising the offense level to Murder 1 in one jurisdiction, threatening a possible death penalty in another jurisdiction, and participating in a food fight over who takes him to trial first. The piling on, the escorts with body armor and rifles, the perp walking and the overcharging\u202fintensify his folk-hero standing and add fuel to a potential nullification fire that is already burning bright.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cInsanity Defense Is Luigi Mangione\u2019s Only Option: Attorney\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/luigi-mangione-brian-thompson-murder-new-york-insanity-plea-2006493\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Newsweek<\/a>]. \u201cGreg Germain, an attorney with over 30 years of experience, said that he doesn\u2019t believe it will be a case of jury nullification, in which a jury acquits the accused out of sympathy for them or their cause. Germain, who teaches law at Syracuse University in New York, said that, given the weight of evidence, insanity is likely the only defense that will work. \u201cIt\u2019s hard for me to imagine jury nullification. People may not like their health insurance companies, but I don\u2019t think they will condone murdering insurance executives in the street,\u201d [Germain] said. \u2018The only possible defense I could imagine is insanity, which is very hard to establish in a planned case like this,\u2019 he said.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cNordstrom, Maison Margiela Latest Brands Caught Up in Public\u2019s Fascination With Luigi Mangione\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/pop-culture\/culture-news\/luigi-mangione-nordstrom-sweater-1236778497\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Women\u2019s Wear Daily<\/a>]. \u201cLevi\u2019s, Peak Design, Tommy Hilfiger and Monopoly were previously referenced in news stories and social media posts about the [Mangione] case, with Peak Design\u2019s CEO Peter Dering facing social media backlash and threats after he informed The New York Times that he had contacted the New York Police Department\u2019s tip line. Dering got involved with the case after several people had texted him that the shooter appeared to be wearing a Peak Design backpack in surveillance images. \u2018What we see with Mangione is he has quickly become a folk hero and a fashion folk hero. It\u2019s almost like the movie \u2018The Joker,\u2019 where people dressed like him,\u2019 Diana Rickard, a criminal justice professor at the City University of New York, previously told WWD about Mangione\u2019s online popularity.\u201d \u2022 So if you want to serve on the jury, don\u2019t wear the sweater\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLetters to the Editor: Enough with the constant media coverage of Luigi Mangione\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/opinion\/letters-to-the-editor\/story\/2024-12-27\/enough-with-the-constant-media-coverage-of-luigi-mangione\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Los Angeles Times<\/a>]. \u201cEnough of repeatedly seeing Mangione\u2019s smugly defiant image on TV news and in newspaper photos. Same goes for any pre-trial publicity of his skewed ideological conceits. Let criminal proceedings take their course. Once Mangione has been tried, ample pertinent evidence will be available for the public to cast judgment on him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBets on CEO Murder Suspect\u2019s Fate Test Rules on Event Contracts\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/6dWjG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg]. <\/a>\u201cContracts offered by Kalshi Inc., a New York-based exchange, allow retail traders to put money on the outcome of nearly anything. Kalshi listed wagers on Dec. 11 related to Thompson\u2019s death that included whether the suspect, Luigi Mangione, would be extradited to New York from Pennsylvania, whether he acted alone and whether he\u2019ll be convicted or plead guilty. Two days later, trading suddenly halted, with Kalshi telling customers it made the decision \u2018after receiving notice from our regulators,\u2019 according to messages reviewed by Bloomberg News. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Kalshi declined to comment. The CFTC, which regulates Kalshi, bans futures trading linked to crimes including assassination, terrorism and war if the agency decides the so-called events contracts are against the public interest.\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>Transmission: Covid<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Happy anniversary:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.4583333333333\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.6666666666667\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It has been five years. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/l8AEcpoBIi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/l8AEcpoBIi<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Adam Wong (@Engineer_Wong) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Engineer_Wong\/status\/1872673524659507268\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/>Lambert here: The chart I find <em>really<\/em> weird is New York. It\u2019s not really flat; what we see is a very gradual increase. I don\u2019t know how to give an account for that. Note that New York State as a whole is up:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284679\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state.png 2264w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-1024x557.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-768x418.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-1536x836.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-2048x1114.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-624x340.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2264px) 100vw, 2264px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>I can\u2019t give an account for this either. (I track New York City because of its status as an international hub for air travel, and its history.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.922562141491\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.625\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 16<\/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-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3-300x182.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-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><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6712328767123\">\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 21<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> <strong>Emergency Room Visits<\/strong>[4] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#trends_select_7dayeddiagnosed_00\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 21<\/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-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284307\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1-300x177.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-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-er-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-er-natl-1-300x172.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=\"3.9634146341463\">\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 24:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 26:<\/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-13.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-13.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-13-300x168.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-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-2-300x291.png 300w\" 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 23:<\/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-positivity-states-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284637\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-300x187.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=\"3.6307692307692\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> Positivity[9] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 9:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> Variants[10] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 9<\/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-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-4.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-4-300x164.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-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-3-300x216.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Deaths<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.7647058823529\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11] <a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/what-you-should-know\/current-situation-in-the-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 20:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12] <a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronadisease2019\/what-you-should-know\/current-situation-in-the-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 20:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl-1-300x161.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-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284303\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-1-300x183.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<td wp_automatic_readability=\"156.03279896812\">\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 more red and more orange, but nothing new at major hubs. <\/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) Slow and small but steady increase.<\/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>There are no offical statistics of interest today.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Real Estate: \u201cBoom in US retail real estate defies prediction of ecommerce apocalypse\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/dd845d85-12a6-42bd-92e2-27b9d1070232\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. \u201cVacancies at open-air shopping centres in the US have dropped to historically low levels, defying forecasts of a retail apocalypse caused by the rise of ecommerce.\u00a0Landlords of complexes anchored by big-box chains, discount merchants and supermarkets have gained power to raise rents as leases expire. New construction has been stymied by higher interest rates and soaring building costs. Only 6.2 per cent of outdoor shopping centre space is currently available for rent, according to property data company CoStar, the lowest since it began tracking availability in 2006. The trend stands in contrast with enclosed shopping malls, where vacancies are rising.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. Must be something about outdoor air\u2026. <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing\u2019s space business could experience liftoff in 2025\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/boeing-vulcan-space-turnaround-1851729240\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Quartz<\/a>]. \u201cThe Motley Fool reports that there\u2019s significant investor intrigue surrounding the company\u2019s space program after its rough 2024\u2026. The key to those efforts could be Boeing\u2019s Vulcan rockets, which Amazon will be using for a number of space launches next year. Additionally, the company is anticipating an approval to run national security missions for the U.S. government. A brighter 2025 would mark a needed turnaround for Boeing. .\u201d \u2022\u00a0Oh noes:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Clarke and Dawe - The Front Fell Off\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3m5qxZm_JqM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing battles brain drain as engineers chase the allure of space\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/5dea45ef-25c7-4b5c-ad8a-9984ec66bf53\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. \u201cBoeing is cutting jobs by 10 per cent across the company, and this month a second round of lay-offs brought the total of union-represented engineers leaving to 400. The blow to morale comes as engineers \u2014 freed from the \u2018velvet handcuffs\u2019 of long-term benefits \u2014 are contrasting Boeing\u2019s turmoil with the allure of space companies staking out exciting goals. The average tenure of a Boeing engineer has fallen over the past decade from 16.4 years to 12.6 years, according to data from the union representing 12,000 Boeing engineers, the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace. Tenure shortened in almost every age bracket, with employees in their 20s and 30s averaging fewer years, as well as those in their late 40s through 65. The risk of this \u2018brain drain\u2019, as analysts, recruiters and union officials have described it, is that it drags on current operations and could make it harder for Boeing to launch its next new plane. \u2018All of this experience is gone,\u2019 said Matt Kempf, SPEEA\u2019s senior director for compensation and retirement. That raises concerns because \u2018aerospace engineers aren\u2019t made, they\u2019re grown.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tech: \u201cMicrosoft and OpenAI have a financial definition of AGI: Report\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2024\/12\/26\/microsoft-and-openai-have-a-financial-definition-of-agi-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TechCrunch<\/a>]. \u201cMicrosoft and OpenAI have a very specific, internal definition of artificial general intelligence (AGI) based on the startup\u2019s profits, according to a new report from The Information. And by this definition, OpenAI is many years away from reaching it. The two companies reportedly signed an agreement last year stating OpenAI has only achieved AGI when it develops AI systems that can generate at least $100 billion in profits. That\u2019s far from the rigorous technical and philosophical definition of AGI many expect.\u201d \u2022 So, the definition of AGI is how big the bezzle gets? Novel! Still, serious money. For those who understand the stakes\u2013<\/p>\n<p>Tech: \u201cParents of OpenAI Whistleblower Don\u2019t Believe He Died By Suicide, Order Second Autopsy\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/sfist.com\/2024\/12\/26\/parents-of-openai-whistleblower-dont-believe-he-died-by-suicide-order-second-autopsy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">SFist<\/a>]. \u201cThe parents have hired an attorney, Phil Kearney, and they have commissioned a second, independent autopsy.\u201d \u2022 Hmm.<\/p>\n<p>Shipping: A thread on ship-breaking with wonderful photos:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"5.6126984126984\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"13.815873015873\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">At the murky end of our supply chains lies this: The Chittagong breaking yards in Bangladesh, one of many places where old ships go to die.<\/p>\n<p>But how is shipbreaking done, what are the consequences, and is there a better way?<\/p>\n<p>A thread. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UopsnkAx7F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/UopsnkAx7F<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jordan Taylor (@Jordan_W_Taylor) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Jordan_W_Taylor\/status\/1872607626384822381\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>We did some coverage on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2016\/11\/200pm-water-cooler-1132016-2.html#gadani\">the Gadani shipbreaking disaster<\/a> in Pakistan, back in the day.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 33 Fear (previous close: 35 Fear) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 28 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 27 at 1:02:05 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Catching up on my reading:<\/p>\n<p>Vanessa Bell:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.4208754208754\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"9.4074074074074\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Vanessa Bell’s painting from 1934 shows the artist Duncan Grant reading a book. They had moved into Charleston, Sussex in 1916 and made it the kind of English bohemian gathering place that inspires television dramas. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SHH58dlfyN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/SHH58dlfyN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Richard Morris (@ahistoryinart) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ahistoryinart\/status\/1871925177086566774\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 25, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Fairfield Porter:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.9667630057803\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10.578034682081\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">‘Man Seated Near Lamp.’ (1953) Fairfield Porter was a painter and art critic and is best known for working against the grain, a figurative painter, during the heyday of 20thC American abstraction. Some of his work recalls the paintings of Milton Avery and John Marin. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wV7YyRnxs5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/wV7YyRnxs5<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Richard Morris (@ahistoryinart) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ahistoryinart\/status\/1827427025612673525\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">August 24, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Twitter search comes up big time:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.6350574712644\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.5287356321839\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Maid Reading in a Library, by Swiss painter Edouard John Mentha (1915). In private collection. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wI3vuox5Q2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/wI3vuox5Q2<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 WikiVictorian (@wikivictorian) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wikivictorian\/status\/1866958639199818057\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 11, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And for the Alma-Tadema stans, of whom we have at least one:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.763698630137\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.6438356164384\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">A Reading of Homer (detail) by Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1885) <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gIYGGWRLLP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/gIYGGWRLLP<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Art or Other Things (@ArtorOtherThing) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ArtorOtherThing\/status\/1866784999854460982\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 11, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Food<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is America too:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.7120418848168\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.7486910994764\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">anyway, remember that dude from Kentucky filming himself trying garlic naan and butter chicken for the the first time <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0hrg9c6vTy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/0hrg9c6vTy<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Trung Phan (@TrungTPhan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TrungTPhan\/status\/1872441019117211938\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Guillotine Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMark Zuckerberg denies building 5K-square-foot \u2018Doomsday bunker\u2019 under $270M Hawaii compound, saying it\u2019s \u2018like a basement’\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/12\/26\/business\/mark-zuckerberg-denies-doomsday-bunker-under-270m-hawaii-mansion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Post<\/a>]. \u201cMark Zuckerberg dismissed reports that he is building a 5,000-square-foot \u2018Doomsday bunker\u2019 underneath a $270 million compound in Hawaii \u2014 insisting instead that it\u2019s just a \u2018little shelter.\u2019 The 40-year-old tech tycoon was asked during a Dec. 19 interview with Bloomberg about rumors that he is constructing an underground facility beneath his 1,400-acre home on the island of Kauai, one of the most northern islands in the Northern Pacific archipelago. \u2018No, I think [you <em>think<\/em>??] that\u2019s just like a little shelter. It\u2019s like a basement,\u2019 Zuckerberg, the third wealthiest person in the world behind Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, told Bloomberg\u2019s Emily Chang. Mark Zuckerberg in a blue shirt discussing life and tech during an interview at his Lake Tahoe retreat. Several wealthy individuals have been rumored to have constructed vast tunnels and underground networks in preparation for potential disaster, including PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Tesla CEO Musk and disgraced rapper Kanye \u2018Ye\u2019 West. Zuckerberg, who as of Thursday boasted a net worth valued by Bloomberg Billionaires Index at $215 billion, has insisted that the aim of the ranch is to raise \u201cworld-class\u201d cattle on beer and macadamia nuts in order to \u2018create some of the highest quality beef in the world.’\u201d \u2022 Nuttier than a fruitcake.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBatteries\u201d [<a href=\"http:\/\/www.hanssummers.com\/homebrew\/homebrewbattery.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Hans Summers<\/a>]. \u201cAll over the place on the internet, you can read about the classic school science project, sticking two dissimilar metals into a lemon and generating some small amount of power. Sometimes potatoes. You can even buy \u201ckits\u201d to do this in toystores. What seems to be generally lacking is any measurements on such batteries. How much power can they supply? And for how long? And what factors are involved to determine these parameters? Sure, you can power an LCD clock, until the lemon dries out. But they consume a miniscule current anyway. I found some websites which claimed that a single lemon will produce 0.5V and 1mA of current. They didn\u2019t say how long for. Several lemons in series are supposedly enough to light an LED.\u201d \u2022 Useful post-Jackpot?<\/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-12-26-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From AF:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/soil.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284670\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/soil.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/soil-300x225.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>AF writes: \u201cMy winter project right now is trying to improve the soil quality in the raised beds I built earlier this year. I had to use poor quality soil to keep costs down so I\u2019ve taken inspiration from hugelkultur and permaculture to improve the soil. I started with a layer of small logs topped with crushed leaves and other yard debris. I used cheap organic raised bed mix with a middle layer of crushed egg shells and some more crushed leaves. Topped everything off with grass clippings and currently adding a final layer of crushed leaves. I can\u2019t make compost on this property so I\u2019m taking the rest of the crushed leaves and making leaf mold but I don\u2019t think it will be ready for a couple years. It was probably a mistake to do 17\u2033 tall beds but at least my arms are noticeably bigger!\u201d My goodness, what a glorious setting! Can readers comment on the technique? I had good luck with hugelkultur and tomatoes, but it\u2019s hard to have bad luck with tomatoes\u2026. <\/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-12-27-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-27T14:00:51-05:00\">December 27, 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\/links-12-27-2024.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> Links 12\/27\/2024<\/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-12-27-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day Northern Mockingbird, Marin, California, United States. \u201cThis bird was languidly singing from an unseen location<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88965,"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-88964","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\/88964","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=88964"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88964\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88964"}],"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, Marin, California, United States. \u201cThis bird was languidly singing from an unseen location within an oak tree uphill from the first steep part of the fire road immediately above the end of San Andreas Drive. Mimicked birds include Steller\u2019s Jay (0:12), Northern Flicker (0:16), European Starling (0:31) and American Robin (0:44).\u201d This is yesterday\u2019s bird song, which I accidentally deleted in a post-prandial haze.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#MAGA\">MAGA eviscerates the Tech Bros<\/a> on immigration.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mangione\">Mangione family investments <\/a> in health care (not pretty).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#table\">New Covid charts<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"assassination \"\/>Trump Assassination Attempts (Plural)<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"16.786499215071\">\n<p>\u201cTrial of man accused in Trump assassination attempt in Florida pushed back to September\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/florida-trump-assassination-attempt-routh-56bccedcae955f4db74613d49c7b7262\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cRyan Routh\u2019s trial will begin Sept. 8 instead of the previously scheduled Feb. 10, 2025 start date, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon said in an order released on Monday\u2026. Routh\u2019s attorneys had asked the judge to delay the trial until no earlier than next December, saying they needed more time to review the evidence against him and decide whether to mount an insanity defense. Routh owned 17 cellphones and numerous other electronic devices, and there are hundreds of hours of police body camera and surveillance videos that have been provided to the defense, Routh\u2019s attorneys argued during a hearing two weeks ago in Fort Pierce, Florida. In her order, Cannon said she wanted to err on the side of providing more time given the seriousness of the allegations, but that starting the trial no earlier than December would be an excessive amount. A September trial date didn\u2019t amount to an \u2018unreasonable delay,\u2019 she said\u2026. The judge said that any insanity defense or any request related to Routh\u2019s mental competency must be made by early February. Any visit to the scene of the assassination attempt must be made by the end of February.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Biden Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"17.816058394161\">\n<p>\u201cA Reflective Biden Harbors Some Regrets as His Term Winds Down\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/lfHbP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. \u201cDespite being described by his allies as in a pensive, , mood as the end of his term approaches, the president has not made himself available to answer many questions about his recent actions.\u201d How often is \u201csometimes\u201d? More: \u201cAside from joking about his wealth, Mr. Biden has openly stewed over one of Mr. Trump\u2019s flashier \u2014 and apparently effective \u2014 stunts as president. During the same speech at Brookings, Mr. Biden said he had been \u201cstupid\u201d not to sign his name to Covid stimulus checks that were distributed to Americans early in his term. Mr. Trump emblazoned his signature on checks distributed after a relief bill was passed in the spring of 2020. Mr. Biden and his advisers learned a little something from Mr. Trump\u2019s tendency to scrawl his name on things. By 2023, signs touting infrastructure projects \u201cfunded by President Joe Biden\u2019s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law\u201d began popping up around the country. But those had little political impact compared with a signed check.\u201d \u2022 Bush the Younger signed his checks in the 2000s. Obama, in his miserably inadequate stimulus package, put up no signs, which gave rise to comment. Trump signed his checks. And only in 2023 does Biden\u2019s name go up on signs. Slow learners, or what?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"67.061445261791\">\n<p><a name=\"MAGA\"\/>It was an absolutely wild day on the Twitter today, as MAGA and the Tech Bros tangled on immigration (and (an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health-news\/ozempic-personality-change#What-is-Ozempic-personality-and-is-it-real\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ozempic-addled<\/a>?) Musk destroyed his reputation as a free speech advocate in the soace of a few hours). I can\u2019t cover it all, but here are some of the highlights (and more with orts ands scraps:<\/p>\n<p>DOGE personality Vivek Ramaswamy fired the opening gun:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"908\" height=\"1822\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284681\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek.png 908w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek-150x300.png 150w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek-510x1024.png 510w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek-768x1541.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek-765x1536.png 765w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek-624x1252.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>One quick reaction:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.1851851851852\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.9925925925926\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Apparently Americans now have to outcompete people in the entire world for jobs inside America<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 frog (@i_m_cattle) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/i_m_cattle\/status\/1872325763682431219\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And a second:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.1851851851852\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.9925925925926\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Apparently Americans now have to outcompete people in the entire world for jobs inside America<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 frog (@i_m_cattle) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/i_m_cattle\/status\/1872325763682431219\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>So, so close!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/commodities.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"337\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/commodities.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/commodities-300x169.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>And a third:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.3857142857143\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.1571428571429\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Where would America be without Viveks coming in and defrauding shareholders of 2 billion dollars worth of fake dementia medicine <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/R8LjcK6qOh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/R8LjcK6qOh<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Spinachbrah \ud83e\udd57 (@basedspinach) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/basedspinach\/status\/1872391348906844634\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Hi Vivek [waves]!<\/p>\n<p>And a fourth:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.431718061674\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.295154185022\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Elon Musk promised to pay $47 to swing state voters who signed his America PAC petition. They are still waiting for the payment. This is just the beginning. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5THpwIBmiF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/5THpwIBmiF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Ron Smith (@Ronxyz00) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Ronxyz00\/status\/1872339134565740798\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Hi Elon [waves]!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Noah Smith weighed in; I can\u2019t bear to quote him, but include this screen shot to show the scale of the controversy, since this is only a fraction of the responses, and Smith was by no means the only combatant with a following:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/noah_smith.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"1169\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/noah_smith.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/noah_smith-154x300.png 154w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/noah_smith-526x1024.png 526w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cElon Musk\u2019s Critics Stripped of Verification Badge After Publicly Challenging Billionaire: \u2018The Beginning Stages of Censorship\u2019 [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/tech\/elon-musks-critics-stripped-of-verification-badge-after-publicly-challenging-billionaire-the-beginning-stages-of-censorship\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Mediaite<\/a>]. \u201cSeveral conservative critics of billionaire Trump surrogate Elon Musk were stripped of their verification badges on X after publicly challenging Musk\u2019s stance on immigration. Trump ally Laura Loomer, New York Young Republican Club president Gavin Wax, InfoWars host Owen Shroyer, and the pro-Trump ConservativePAC were all stripped of their verification badges after criticizing Musk\u2019s controversial remarks about American workers and foreign H-1B visa holders. \u2018[Musk] has removed my blue check mark on X because I dared to question his support for H1B visas, the replacement of American tech workers by Indian immigrants, and I questioned his relationship with China,\u2019 wrote Loomer in a post on Musk\u2019s social network X, formerly known as Twitter.’\u201d \u2022 Oopsie!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Trump in 2016:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.3055555555556\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.1777777777778\">\n<p lang=\"qme\" dir=\"ltr\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/W9k5qwMmoO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/W9k5qwMmoO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \ud83c\udfdb Aristophanes \ud83c\udfdb (@Aristos_Revenge) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Aristos_Revenge\/status\/1872427332587450655\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And Trump in 2024:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.2912087912088\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.8736263736264\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Trump staying silent as the H-1B visa disagreements cause major rifts in MAGA world and wannabe MAGA world. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Ok9rE9O9WH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/Ok9rE9O9WH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Yashar Ali \ud83d\udc18 (@yashar) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/yashar\/status\/1872509574931951803\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>This shows, I would speculate, Trump sitting in the catbird seat, and very much aware of it, as Musk and Vivek both take themselves out of the running without Trump needing to lift a finger: Mush for co-Presidency today, Vivek for 2028 (and leaving intelligently silent Vance as the anointed, albeit very early favorite. Great photo, too, I love the painterliness).<\/p>\n<p>Lambert with some hasty comments: The tech bros make a dishonest argument. They call for bringing in the best of the best from all over the world, to keep American competitive, and justify the H1B visa program on those grounds. The difficulty is that there is a visa program for the best of the best, and it\u2019s not the H1B; it\u2019s the O-1. The H1B is being used bring in thousands of (necessarily docile) codes, accountants, etc., with (it is asserted) a median wage of ~$70K. In short form, H1B is for labor arbitrage:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.0471698113208\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.8490566037736\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Lmfao fucking liar, is 70k a year in Austin top .1%? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JuOczTXhNo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/JuOczTXhNo<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6UurWi46pC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/6UurWi46pC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Alexander Augustine (@WurzelRoot) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WurzelRoot\/status\/1872389064235884712\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And more on labor arbitrage:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.9139072847682\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"8.0132450331126\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The reason top tech companies are hiring foreign workers over Americans is simply because they don\u2019t want to pay higher wages. It\u2019s as simple as that <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VivekGRamaswamy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@VivekGRamaswamy<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the evidence: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Urz40Ytszb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/Urz40Ytszb<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/iI1xGwB0t9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/iI1xGwB0t9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 U.S. Tech Workers (@USTechWorkers) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USTechWorkers\/status\/1872322881008636106\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Fascinatintly, the MAGA types know this stuff cold \u2014 through \u201clived experience,\u201d as we say, and are eviscerating the tech bros with pleasing efficiency. Reminds me of the blogosphere c. 2003 \u2013 2006, with everybody jumping in. Very impressive, and just imagine if the so-called left were doing this to the Democrats. (Hilariously, some of the Tech Bro defenders are using Democrat loyalist lines like \u201cNow is not the time!\u201d). I find the whole controversy terrific, and just imagine! A serious argument about policy taking place in public! Merry Christmas.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"95.424299653761\">\n<p><a name=\"mangione\"\/>\u201c\u2018Didn\u2019t Expect This Twist\u2019: Mangione Family Business In The Spotlight After New Info Is Revealed\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/didn-t-expect-twist-woman-110859314.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bored Panda<\/a>]. Summarizing a TikTok video: \u201c[Patriarch Nicholas Mangione] also founded Lorien Health Services, a nursing home at which his grandson, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/luigi-mangiones-cellmates-message-during-live-broadcast-pennsylvania-prison\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">now behind bars<\/a>, volunteered in 2014\u2026. Taking to her TikTok page on Tuesday (December 10), social media content creator Tiffany Cianci further exposed where Mangione\u2019s rumored wealth came from\u2026. The Mangione family owns Lorien Health Services, a network of privately held nursing care facilities in Maryland, as well as the Turf Valley Golf Resort, used for events and networking with healthcare and pharmaceutical representatives, Cianci explained\u2026. Public records revealed the facilities and resort are owned by the ten adult children of Nicholas and Mary Mangione, each holding a 10% stake, with Luigi Mangione\u2019s father, Louis Mangione, identified as president of the development company for these properties\u2026. American government ratings revealed low-quality conditions, with one facility receiving just two stars and 24 health demerits this year\u2014well above the national average. Disturbingly, 83% of low-risk residents reportedly lose control of their bowels or bladder due to inadequate care, far exceeding the national average of 48%. Mangione, who volunteered at these facilities, allegedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reporter-leaks-luigi-mangione-real-manifesto\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">expressed disdain for such systems in a manifesto found during his arrest<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMost Americans Blame Insurance Profits and Denials Alongside Killer in UHC CEO Death, Poll Finds\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/7203940\/americans-blame-insurance-killer-uhc-ceo-poll\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Time<\/a>]. \u201cAbout 7 in 10 adults say that denials for health care coverage by insurance companies, or the profits made by health insurance companies, also bear at least \u201ca moderate amount\u201d of responsibility for Thompson\u2019s death. Younger Americans are particularly likely to see the murder as the result of a confluence of forces rather than just one person\u2019s action.\u201d \u2022 Hmm.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWill the jury let Luigi Mangione get away with murder?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/opinion\/judiciary\/5056942-mangione-murder-trial-nullifier\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cFeatured centrally in the criminal defense lawyer\u2019s toolbox is a determination to find the most effective method of prying open the deepest thoughts of jurors, particularly the elusive nullifier \u2014 those jurors whose most intimate\u202fviews motivate them to work to acquit a trial defendant regardless of the facts, even in the face of strong evidence of guilt. Of course, it is the prosecutor\u2019s duty to exclude them. My heresy notwithstanding, it is indeed the defense lawyer\u2019s righteous obligation to identify those nullifiers and try to seat them.\u202f\u201d And: \u201cAnd prosecutors here are not without fault in providing would-be nullifiers with grist for the mill. They share some responsibility for the spike in public sentiment for Mangione by charging terrorism and raising the offense level to Murder 1 in one jurisdiction, threatening a possible death penalty in another jurisdiction, and participating in a food fight over who takes him to trial first. The piling on, the escorts with body armor and rifles, the perp walking and the overcharging\u202fintensify his folk-hero standing and add fuel to a potential nullification fire that is already burning bright.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cInsanity Defense Is Luigi Mangione\u2019s Only Option: Attorney\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/luigi-mangione-brian-thompson-murder-new-york-insanity-plea-2006493\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Newsweek<\/a>]. \u201cGreg Germain, an attorney with over 30 years of experience, said that he doesn\u2019t believe it will be a case of jury nullification, in which a jury acquits the accused out of sympathy for them or their cause. Germain, who teaches law at Syracuse University in New York, said that, given the weight of evidence, insanity is likely the only defense that will work. \u201cIt\u2019s hard for me to imagine jury nullification. People may not like their health insurance companies, but I don\u2019t think they will condone murdering insurance executives in the street,\u201d [Germain] said. \u2018The only possible defense I could imagine is insanity, which is very hard to establish in a planned case like this,\u2019 he said.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cNordstrom, Maison Margiela Latest Brands Caught Up in Public\u2019s Fascination With Luigi Mangione\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/pop-culture\/culture-news\/luigi-mangione-nordstrom-sweater-1236778497\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Women\u2019s Wear Daily<\/a>]. \u201cLevi\u2019s, Peak Design, Tommy Hilfiger and Monopoly were previously referenced in news stories and social media posts about the [Mangione] case, with Peak Design\u2019s CEO Peter Dering facing social media backlash and threats after he informed The New York Times that he had contacted the New York Police Department\u2019s tip line. Dering got involved with the case after several people had texted him that the shooter appeared to be wearing a Peak Design backpack in surveillance images. \u2018What we see with Mangione is he has quickly become a folk hero and a fashion folk hero. It\u2019s almost like the movie \u2018The Joker,\u2019 where people dressed like him,\u2019 Diana Rickard, a criminal justice professor at the City University of New York, previously told WWD about Mangione\u2019s online popularity.\u201d \u2022 So if you want to serve on the jury, don\u2019t wear the sweater\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLetters to the Editor: Enough with the constant media coverage of Luigi Mangione\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/opinion\/letters-to-the-editor\/story\/2024-12-27\/enough-with-the-constant-media-coverage-of-luigi-mangione\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Los Angeles Times<\/a>]. \u201cEnough of repeatedly seeing Mangione\u2019s smugly defiant image on TV news and in newspaper photos. Same goes for any pre-trial publicity of his skewed ideological conceits. Let criminal proceedings take their course. Once Mangione has been tried, ample pertinent evidence will be available for the public to cast judgment on him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBets on CEO Murder Suspect\u2019s Fate Test Rules on Event Contracts\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/6dWjG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg]. <\/a>\u201cContracts offered by Kalshi Inc., a New York-based exchange, allow retail traders to put money on the outcome of nearly anything. Kalshi listed wagers on Dec. 11 related to Thompson\u2019s death that included whether the suspect, Luigi Mangione, would be extradited to New York from Pennsylvania, whether he acted alone and whether he\u2019ll be convicted or plead guilty. Two days later, trading suddenly halted, with Kalshi telling customers it made the decision \u2018after receiving notice from our regulators,\u2019 according to messages reviewed by Bloomberg News. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Kalshi declined to comment. The CFTC, which regulates Kalshi, bans futures trading linked to crimes including assassination, terrorism and war if the agency decides the so-called events contracts are against the public interest.\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>Transmission: Covid<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Happy anniversary:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.4583333333333\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.6666666666667\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It has been five years. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/l8AEcpoBIi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/l8AEcpoBIi<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Adam Wong (@Engineer_Wong) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Engineer_Wong\/status\/1872673524659507268\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/>Lambert here: The chart I find <em>really<\/em> weird is New York. It\u2019s not really flat; what we see is a very gradual increase. I don\u2019t know how to give an account for that. Note that New York State as a whole is up:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284679\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state.png 2264w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-1024x557.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-768x418.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-1536x836.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-2048x1114.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-624x340.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2264px) 100vw, 2264px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>I can\u2019t give an account for this either. (I track New York City because of its status as an international hub for air travel, and its history.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.922562141491\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.625\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 16<\/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-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3-300x182.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-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><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6712328767123\">\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 21<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> <strong>Emergency Room Visits<\/strong>[4] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#trends_select_7dayeddiagnosed_00\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 21<\/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-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284307\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1-300x177.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-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-er-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-er-natl-1-300x172.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=\"3.9634146341463\">\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 24:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 26:<\/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-13.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-13.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-13-300x168.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-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-2-300x291.png 300w\" 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 23:<\/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-positivity-states-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284637\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-300x187.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=\"3.6307692307692\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> Positivity[9] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 9:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> Variants[10] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 9<\/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-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-4.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-4-300x164.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-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-3-300x216.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Deaths<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.7647058823529\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11] <a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/what-you-should-know\/current-situation-in-the-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 20:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12] <a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronadisease2019\/what-you-should-know\/current-situation-in-the-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 20:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl-1-300x161.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-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284303\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-1-300x183.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<td wp_automatic_readability=\"156.03279896812\">\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 more red and more orange, but nothing new at major hubs. <\/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) Slow and small but steady increase.<\/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>There are no offical statistics of interest today.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Real Estate: \u201cBoom in US retail real estate defies prediction of ecommerce apocalypse\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/dd845d85-12a6-42bd-92e2-27b9d1070232\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. \u201cVacancies at open-air shopping centres in the US have dropped to historically low levels, defying forecasts of a retail apocalypse caused by the rise of ecommerce.\u00a0Landlords of complexes anchored by big-box chains, discount merchants and supermarkets have gained power to raise rents as leases expire. New construction has been stymied by higher interest rates and soaring building costs. Only 6.2 per cent of outdoor shopping centre space is currently available for rent, according to property data company CoStar, the lowest since it began tracking availability in 2006. The trend stands in contrast with enclosed shopping malls, where vacancies are rising.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. Must be something about outdoor air\u2026. <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing\u2019s space business could experience liftoff in 2025\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/boeing-vulcan-space-turnaround-1851729240\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Quartz<\/a>]. \u201cThe Motley Fool reports that there\u2019s significant investor intrigue surrounding the company\u2019s space program after its rough 2024\u2026. The key to those efforts could be Boeing\u2019s Vulcan rockets, which Amazon will be using for a number of space launches next year. Additionally, the company is anticipating an approval to run national security missions for the U.S. government. A brighter 2025 would mark a needed turnaround for Boeing. .\u201d \u2022\u00a0Oh noes:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Clarke and Dawe - The Front Fell Off\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3m5qxZm_JqM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing battles brain drain as engineers chase the allure of space\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/5dea45ef-25c7-4b5c-ad8a-9984ec66bf53\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. \u201cBoeing is cutting jobs by 10 per cent across the company, and this month a second round of lay-offs brought the total of union-represented engineers leaving to 400. The blow to morale comes as engineers \u2014 freed from the \u2018velvet handcuffs\u2019 of long-term benefits \u2014 are contrasting Boeing\u2019s turmoil with the allure of space companies staking out exciting goals. The average tenure of a Boeing engineer has fallen over the past decade from 16.4 years to 12.6 years, according to data from the union representing 12,000 Boeing engineers, the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace. Tenure shortened in almost every age bracket, with employees in their 20s and 30s averaging fewer years, as well as those in their late 40s through 65. The risk of this \u2018brain drain\u2019, as analysts, recruiters and union officials have described it, is that it drags on current operations and could make it harder for Boeing to launch its next new plane. \u2018All of this experience is gone,\u2019 said Matt Kempf, SPEEA\u2019s senior director for compensation and retirement. That raises concerns because \u2018aerospace engineers aren\u2019t made, they\u2019re grown.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tech: \u201cMicrosoft and OpenAI have a financial definition of AGI: Report\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2024\/12\/26\/microsoft-and-openai-have-a-financial-definition-of-agi-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TechCrunch<\/a>]. \u201cMicrosoft and OpenAI have a very specific, internal definition of artificial general intelligence (AGI) based on the startup\u2019s profits, according to a new report from The Information. And by this definition, OpenAI is many years away from reaching it. The two companies reportedly signed an agreement last year stating OpenAI has only achieved AGI when it develops AI systems that can generate at least $100 billion in profits. That\u2019s far from the rigorous technical and philosophical definition of AGI many expect.\u201d \u2022 So, the definition of AGI is how big the bezzle gets? Novel! Still, serious money. For those who understand the stakes\u2013<\/p>\n<p>Tech: \u201cParents of OpenAI Whistleblower Don\u2019t Believe He Died By Suicide, Order Second Autopsy\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/sfist.com\/2024\/12\/26\/parents-of-openai-whistleblower-dont-believe-he-died-by-suicide-order-second-autopsy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">SFist<\/a>]. \u201cThe parents have hired an attorney, Phil Kearney, and they have commissioned a second, independent autopsy.\u201d \u2022 Hmm.<\/p>\n<p>Shipping: A thread on ship-breaking with wonderful photos:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"5.6126984126984\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"13.815873015873\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">At the murky end of our supply chains lies this: The Chittagong breaking yards in Bangladesh, one of many places where old ships go to die.<\/p>\n<p>But how is shipbreaking done, what are the consequences, and is there a better way?<\/p>\n<p>A thread. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UopsnkAx7F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/UopsnkAx7F<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jordan Taylor (@Jordan_W_Taylor) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Jordan_W_Taylor\/status\/1872607626384822381\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>We did some coverage on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2016\/11\/200pm-water-cooler-1132016-2.html#gadani\">the Gadani shipbreaking disaster<\/a> in Pakistan, back in the day.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 33 Fear (previous close: 35 Fear) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 28 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 27 at 1:02:05 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Catching up on my reading:<\/p>\n<p>Vanessa Bell:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.4208754208754\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"9.4074074074074\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Vanessa Bell’s painting from 1934 shows the artist Duncan Grant reading a book. They had moved into Charleston, Sussex in 1916 and made it the kind of English bohemian gathering place that inspires television dramas. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SHH58dlfyN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/SHH58dlfyN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Richard Morris (@ahistoryinart) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ahistoryinart\/status\/1871925177086566774\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 25, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Fairfield Porter:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.9667630057803\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10.578034682081\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">‘Man Seated Near Lamp.’ (1953) Fairfield Porter was a painter and art critic and is best known for working against the grain, a figurative painter, during the heyday of 20thC American abstraction. Some of his work recalls the paintings of Milton Avery and John Marin. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wV7YyRnxs5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/wV7YyRnxs5<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Richard Morris (@ahistoryinart) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ahistoryinart\/status\/1827427025612673525\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">August 24, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Twitter search comes up big time:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.6350574712644\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.5287356321839\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Maid Reading in a Library, by Swiss painter Edouard John Mentha (1915). In private collection. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wI3vuox5Q2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/wI3vuox5Q2<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 WikiVictorian (@wikivictorian) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wikivictorian\/status\/1866958639199818057\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 11, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And for the Alma-Tadema stans, of whom we have at least one:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.763698630137\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.6438356164384\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">A Reading of Homer (detail) by Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1885) <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gIYGGWRLLP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/gIYGGWRLLP<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Art or Other Things (@ArtorOtherThing) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ArtorOtherThing\/status\/1866784999854460982\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 11, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Food<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is America too:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.7120418848168\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.7486910994764\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">anyway, remember that dude from Kentucky filming himself trying garlic naan and butter chicken for the the first time <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0hrg9c6vTy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/0hrg9c6vTy<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Trung Phan (@TrungTPhan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TrungTPhan\/status\/1872441019117211938\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Guillotine Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMark Zuckerberg denies building 5K-square-foot \u2018Doomsday bunker\u2019 under $270M Hawaii compound, saying it\u2019s \u2018like a basement’\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/12\/26\/business\/mark-zuckerberg-denies-doomsday-bunker-under-270m-hawaii-mansion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Post<\/a>]. \u201cMark Zuckerberg dismissed reports that he is building a 5,000-square-foot \u2018Doomsday bunker\u2019 underneath a $270 million compound in Hawaii \u2014 insisting instead that it\u2019s just a \u2018little shelter.\u2019 The 40-year-old tech tycoon was asked during a Dec. 19 interview with Bloomberg about rumors that he is constructing an underground facility beneath his 1,400-acre home on the island of Kauai, one of the most northern islands in the Northern Pacific archipelago. \u2018No, I think [you <em>think<\/em>??] that\u2019s just like a little shelter. It\u2019s like a basement,\u2019 Zuckerberg, the third wealthiest person in the world behind Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, told Bloomberg\u2019s Emily Chang. Mark Zuckerberg in a blue shirt discussing life and tech during an interview at his Lake Tahoe retreat. Several wealthy individuals have been rumored to have constructed vast tunnels and underground networks in preparation for potential disaster, including PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Tesla CEO Musk and disgraced rapper Kanye \u2018Ye\u2019 West. Zuckerberg, who as of Thursday boasted a net worth valued by Bloomberg Billionaires Index at $215 billion, has insisted that the aim of the ranch is to raise \u201cworld-class\u201d cattle on beer and macadamia nuts in order to \u2018create some of the highest quality beef in the world.’\u201d \u2022 Nuttier than a fruitcake.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBatteries\u201d [<a href=\"http:\/\/www.hanssummers.com\/homebrew\/homebrewbattery.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Hans Summers<\/a>]. \u201cAll over the place on the internet, you can read about the classic school science project, sticking two dissimilar metals into a lemon and generating some small amount of power. Sometimes potatoes. You can even buy \u201ckits\u201d to do this in toystores. What seems to be generally lacking is any measurements on such batteries. How much power can they supply? And for how long? And what factors are involved to determine these parameters? Sure, you can power an LCD clock, until the lemon dries out. But they consume a miniscule current anyway. I found some websites which claimed that a single lemon will produce 0.5V and 1mA of current. They didn\u2019t say how long for. Several lemons in series are supposedly enough to light an LED.\u201d \u2022 Useful post-Jackpot?<\/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-12-26-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From AF:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/soil.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284670\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/soil.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/soil-300x225.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>AF writes: \u201cMy winter project right now is trying to improve the soil quality in the raised beds I built earlier this year. I had to use poor quality soil to keep costs down so I\u2019ve taken inspiration from hugelkultur and permaculture to improve the soil. I started with a layer of small logs topped with crushed leaves and other yard debris. I used cheap organic raised bed mix with a middle layer of crushed egg shells and some more crushed leaves. Topped everything off with grass clippings and currently adding a final layer of crushed leaves. I can\u2019t make compost on this property so I\u2019m taking the rest of the crushed leaves and making leaf mold but I don\u2019t think it will be ready for a couple years. It was probably a mistake to do 17\u2033 tall beds but at least my arms are noticeably bigger!\u201d My goodness, what a glorious setting! Can readers comment on the technique? I had good luck with hugelkultur and tomatoes, but it\u2019s hard to have bad luck with tomatoes\u2026. <\/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-12-27-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-27T14:00:51-05:00\">December 27, 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\/links-12-27-2024.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> Links 12\/27\/2024<\/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-12-27-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day Northern Mockingbird, Marin, California, United States. \u201cThis bird was languidly singing from an unseen location<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88965,"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-88964","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\/88964","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=88964"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88964\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Northern Mockingbird, Marin, California, United States. \u201cThis bird was languidly singing from an unseen location within an oak tree uphill from the first steep part of the fire road immediately above the end of San Andreas Drive. Mimicked birds include Steller\u2019s Jay (0:12), Northern Flicker (0:16), European Starling (0:31) and American Robin (0:44).\u201d This is yesterday\u2019s bird song, which I accidentally deleted in a post-prandial haze.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#MAGA\">MAGA eviscerates the Tech Bros<\/a> on immigration.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#mangione\">Mangione family investments <\/a> in health care (not pretty).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#table\">New Covid charts<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"assassination \"\/>Trump Assassination Attempts (Plural)<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"16.786499215071\">\n<p>\u201cTrial of man accused in Trump assassination attempt in Florida pushed back to September\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/florida-trump-assassination-attempt-routh-56bccedcae955f4db74613d49c7b7262\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cRyan Routh\u2019s trial will begin Sept. 8 instead of the previously scheduled Feb. 10, 2025 start date, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon said in an order released on Monday\u2026. Routh\u2019s attorneys had asked the judge to delay the trial until no earlier than next December, saying they needed more time to review the evidence against him and decide whether to mount an insanity defense. Routh owned 17 cellphones and numerous other electronic devices, and there are hundreds of hours of police body camera and surveillance videos that have been provided to the defense, Routh\u2019s attorneys argued during a hearing two weeks ago in Fort Pierce, Florida. In her order, Cannon said she wanted to err on the side of providing more time given the seriousness of the allegations, but that starting the trial no earlier than December would be an excessive amount. A September trial date didn\u2019t amount to an \u2018unreasonable delay,\u2019 she said\u2026. The judge said that any insanity defense or any request related to Routh\u2019s mental competency must be made by early February. Any visit to the scene of the assassination attempt must be made by the end of February.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Biden Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"17.816058394161\">\n<p>\u201cA Reflective Biden Harbors Some Regrets as His Term Winds Down\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/lfHbP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. \u201cDespite being described by his allies as in a pensive, , mood as the end of his term approaches, the president has not made himself available to answer many questions about his recent actions.\u201d How often is \u201csometimes\u201d? More: \u201cAside from joking about his wealth, Mr. Biden has openly stewed over one of Mr. Trump\u2019s flashier \u2014 and apparently effective \u2014 stunts as president. During the same speech at Brookings, Mr. Biden said he had been \u201cstupid\u201d not to sign his name to Covid stimulus checks that were distributed to Americans early in his term. Mr. Trump emblazoned his signature on checks distributed after a relief bill was passed in the spring of 2020. Mr. Biden and his advisers learned a little something from Mr. Trump\u2019s tendency to scrawl his name on things. By 2023, signs touting infrastructure projects \u201cfunded by President Joe Biden\u2019s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law\u201d began popping up around the country. But those had little political impact compared with a signed check.\u201d \u2022 Bush the Younger signed his checks in the 2000s. Obama, in his miserably inadequate stimulus package, put up no signs, which gave rise to comment. Trump signed his checks. And only in 2023 does Biden\u2019s name go up on signs. Slow learners, or what?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"67.061445261791\">\n<p><a name=\"MAGA\"\/>It was an absolutely wild day on the Twitter today, as MAGA and the Tech Bros tangled on immigration (and (an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health-news\/ozempic-personality-change#What-is-Ozempic-personality-and-is-it-real\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ozempic-addled<\/a>?) Musk destroyed his reputation as a free speech advocate in the soace of a few hours). I can\u2019t cover it all, but here are some of the highlights (and more with orts ands scraps:<\/p>\n<p>DOGE personality Vivek Ramaswamy fired the opening gun:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"908\" height=\"1822\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284681\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek.png 908w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek-150x300.png 150w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek-510x1024.png 510w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek-768x1541.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek-765x1536.png 765w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vivek-624x1252.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 908px) 100vw, 908px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>One quick reaction:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.1851851851852\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.9925925925926\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Apparently Americans now have to outcompete people in the entire world for jobs inside America<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 frog (@i_m_cattle) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/i_m_cattle\/status\/1872325763682431219\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And a second:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.1851851851852\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.9925925925926\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Apparently Americans now have to outcompete people in the entire world for jobs inside America<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 frog (@i_m_cattle) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/i_m_cattle\/status\/1872325763682431219\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>So, so close!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/commodities.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"337\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/commodities.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/commodities-300x169.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>And a third:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.3857142857143\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.1571428571429\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Where would America be without Viveks coming in and defrauding shareholders of 2 billion dollars worth of fake dementia medicine <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/R8LjcK6qOh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/R8LjcK6qOh<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Spinachbrah \ud83e\udd57 (@basedspinach) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/basedspinach\/status\/1872391348906844634\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Hi Vivek [waves]!<\/p>\n<p>And a fourth:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.431718061674\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.295154185022\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Elon Musk promised to pay $47 to swing state voters who signed his America PAC petition. They are still waiting for the payment. This is just the beginning. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5THpwIBmiF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/5THpwIBmiF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Ron Smith (@Ronxyz00) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Ronxyz00\/status\/1872339134565740798\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Hi Elon [waves]!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Noah Smith weighed in; I can\u2019t bear to quote him, but include this screen shot to show the scale of the controversy, since this is only a fraction of the responses, and Smith was by no means the only combatant with a following:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/noah_smith.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"1169\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/noah_smith.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/noah_smith-154x300.png 154w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/noah_smith-526x1024.png 526w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cElon Musk\u2019s Critics Stripped of Verification Badge After Publicly Challenging Billionaire: \u2018The Beginning Stages of Censorship\u2019 [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/tech\/elon-musks-critics-stripped-of-verification-badge-after-publicly-challenging-billionaire-the-beginning-stages-of-censorship\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Mediaite<\/a>]. \u201cSeveral conservative critics of billionaire Trump surrogate Elon Musk were stripped of their verification badges on X after publicly challenging Musk\u2019s stance on immigration. Trump ally Laura Loomer, New York Young Republican Club president Gavin Wax, InfoWars host Owen Shroyer, and the pro-Trump ConservativePAC were all stripped of their verification badges after criticizing Musk\u2019s controversial remarks about American workers and foreign H-1B visa holders. \u2018[Musk] has removed my blue check mark on X because I dared to question his support for H1B visas, the replacement of American tech workers by Indian immigrants, and I questioned his relationship with China,\u2019 wrote Loomer in a post on Musk\u2019s social network X, formerly known as Twitter.’\u201d \u2022 Oopsie!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Trump in 2016:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.3055555555556\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.1777777777778\">\n<p lang=\"qme\" dir=\"ltr\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/W9k5qwMmoO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/W9k5qwMmoO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \ud83c\udfdb Aristophanes \ud83c\udfdb (@Aristos_Revenge) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Aristos_Revenge\/status\/1872427332587450655\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And Trump in 2024:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.2912087912088\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.8736263736264\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Trump staying silent as the H-1B visa disagreements cause major rifts in MAGA world and wannabe MAGA world. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Ok9rE9O9WH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/Ok9rE9O9WH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Yashar Ali \ud83d\udc18 (@yashar) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/yashar\/status\/1872509574931951803\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>This shows, I would speculate, Trump sitting in the catbird seat, and very much aware of it, as Musk and Vivek both take themselves out of the running without Trump needing to lift a finger: Mush for co-Presidency today, Vivek for 2028 (and leaving intelligently silent Vance as the anointed, albeit very early favorite. Great photo, too, I love the painterliness).<\/p>\n<p>Lambert with some hasty comments: The tech bros make a dishonest argument. They call for bringing in the best of the best from all over the world, to keep American competitive, and justify the H1B visa program on those grounds. The difficulty is that there is a visa program for the best of the best, and it\u2019s not the H1B; it\u2019s the O-1. The H1B is being used bring in thousands of (necessarily docile) codes, accountants, etc., with (it is asserted) a median wage of ~$70K. In short form, H1B is for labor arbitrage:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.0471698113208\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.8490566037736\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Lmfao fucking liar, is 70k a year in Austin top .1%? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JuOczTXhNo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/JuOczTXhNo<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6UurWi46pC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/6UurWi46pC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Alexander Augustine (@WurzelRoot) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WurzelRoot\/status\/1872389064235884712\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And more on labor arbitrage:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.9139072847682\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"8.0132450331126\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The reason top tech companies are hiring foreign workers over Americans is simply because they don\u2019t want to pay higher wages. It\u2019s as simple as that <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VivekGRamaswamy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@VivekGRamaswamy<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the evidence: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Urz40Ytszb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/Urz40Ytszb<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/iI1xGwB0t9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/iI1xGwB0t9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 U.S. Tech Workers (@USTechWorkers) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USTechWorkers\/status\/1872322881008636106\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 26, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Fascinatintly, the MAGA types know this stuff cold \u2014 through \u201clived experience,\u201d as we say, and are eviscerating the tech bros with pleasing efficiency. Reminds me of the blogosphere c. 2003 \u2013 2006, with everybody jumping in. Very impressive, and just imagine if the so-called left were doing this to the Democrats. (Hilariously, some of the Tech Bro defenders are using Democrat loyalist lines like \u201cNow is not the time!\u201d). I find the whole controversy terrific, and just imagine! A serious argument about policy taking place in public! Merry Christmas.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"95.424299653761\">\n<p><a name=\"mangione\"\/>\u201c\u2018Didn\u2019t Expect This Twist\u2019: Mangione Family Business In The Spotlight After New Info Is Revealed\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aol.com\/didn-t-expect-twist-woman-110859314.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bored Panda<\/a>]. Summarizing a TikTok video: \u201c[Patriarch Nicholas Mangione] also founded Lorien Health Services, a nursing home at which his grandson, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/luigi-mangiones-cellmates-message-during-live-broadcast-pennsylvania-prison\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">now behind bars<\/a>, volunteered in 2014\u2026. Taking to her TikTok page on Tuesday (December 10), social media content creator Tiffany Cianci further exposed where Mangione\u2019s rumored wealth came from\u2026. The Mangione family owns Lorien Health Services, a network of privately held nursing care facilities in Maryland, as well as the Turf Valley Golf Resort, used for events and networking with healthcare and pharmaceutical representatives, Cianci explained\u2026. Public records revealed the facilities and resort are owned by the ten adult children of Nicholas and Mary Mangione, each holding a 10% stake, with Luigi Mangione\u2019s father, Louis Mangione, identified as president of the development company for these properties\u2026. American government ratings revealed low-quality conditions, with one facility receiving just two stars and 24 health demerits this year\u2014well above the national average. Disturbingly, 83% of low-risk residents reportedly lose control of their bowels or bladder due to inadequate care, far exceeding the national average of 48%. Mangione, who volunteered at these facilities, allegedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boredpanda.com\/reporter-leaks-luigi-mangione-real-manifesto\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">expressed disdain for such systems in a manifesto found during his arrest<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMost Americans Blame Insurance Profits and Denials Alongside Killer in UHC CEO Death, Poll Finds\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/7203940\/americans-blame-insurance-killer-uhc-ceo-poll\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Time<\/a>]. \u201cAbout 7 in 10 adults say that denials for health care coverage by insurance companies, or the profits made by health insurance companies, also bear at least \u201ca moderate amount\u201d of responsibility for Thompson\u2019s death. Younger Americans are particularly likely to see the murder as the result of a confluence of forces rather than just one person\u2019s action.\u201d \u2022 Hmm.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWill the jury let Luigi Mangione get away with murder?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/opinion\/judiciary\/5056942-mangione-murder-trial-nullifier\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cFeatured centrally in the criminal defense lawyer\u2019s toolbox is a determination to find the most effective method of prying open the deepest thoughts of jurors, particularly the elusive nullifier \u2014 those jurors whose most intimate\u202fviews motivate them to work to acquit a trial defendant regardless of the facts, even in the face of strong evidence of guilt. Of course, it is the prosecutor\u2019s duty to exclude them. My heresy notwithstanding, it is indeed the defense lawyer\u2019s righteous obligation to identify those nullifiers and try to seat them.\u202f\u201d And: \u201cAnd prosecutors here are not without fault in providing would-be nullifiers with grist for the mill. They share some responsibility for the spike in public sentiment for Mangione by charging terrorism and raising the offense level to Murder 1 in one jurisdiction, threatening a possible death penalty in another jurisdiction, and participating in a food fight over who takes him to trial first. The piling on, the escorts with body armor and rifles, the perp walking and the overcharging\u202fintensify his folk-hero standing and add fuel to a potential nullification fire that is already burning bright.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cInsanity Defense Is Luigi Mangione\u2019s Only Option: Attorney\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/luigi-mangione-brian-thompson-murder-new-york-insanity-plea-2006493\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Newsweek<\/a>]. \u201cGreg Germain, an attorney with over 30 years of experience, said that he doesn\u2019t believe it will be a case of jury nullification, in which a jury acquits the accused out of sympathy for them or their cause. Germain, who teaches law at Syracuse University in New York, said that, given the weight of evidence, insanity is likely the only defense that will work. \u201cIt\u2019s hard for me to imagine jury nullification. People may not like their health insurance companies, but I don\u2019t think they will condone murdering insurance executives in the street,\u201d [Germain] said. \u2018The only possible defense I could imagine is insanity, which is very hard to establish in a planned case like this,\u2019 he said.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cNordstrom, Maison Margiela Latest Brands Caught Up in Public\u2019s Fascination With Luigi Mangione\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/pop-culture\/culture-news\/luigi-mangione-nordstrom-sweater-1236778497\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Women\u2019s Wear Daily<\/a>]. \u201cLevi\u2019s, Peak Design, Tommy Hilfiger and Monopoly were previously referenced in news stories and social media posts about the [Mangione] case, with Peak Design\u2019s CEO Peter Dering facing social media backlash and threats after he informed The New York Times that he had contacted the New York Police Department\u2019s tip line. Dering got involved with the case after several people had texted him that the shooter appeared to be wearing a Peak Design backpack in surveillance images. \u2018What we see with Mangione is he has quickly become a folk hero and a fashion folk hero. It\u2019s almost like the movie \u2018The Joker,\u2019 where people dressed like him,\u2019 Diana Rickard, a criminal justice professor at the City University of New York, previously told WWD about Mangione\u2019s online popularity.\u201d \u2022 So if you want to serve on the jury, don\u2019t wear the sweater\u2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLetters to the Editor: Enough with the constant media coverage of Luigi Mangione\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/opinion\/letters-to-the-editor\/story\/2024-12-27\/enough-with-the-constant-media-coverage-of-luigi-mangione\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Los Angeles Times<\/a>]. \u201cEnough of repeatedly seeing Mangione\u2019s smugly defiant image on TV news and in newspaper photos. Same goes for any pre-trial publicity of his skewed ideological conceits. Let criminal proceedings take their course. Once Mangione has been tried, ample pertinent evidence will be available for the public to cast judgment on him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBets on CEO Murder Suspect\u2019s Fate Test Rules on Event Contracts\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/6dWjG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg]. <\/a>\u201cContracts offered by Kalshi Inc., a New York-based exchange, allow retail traders to put money on the outcome of nearly anything. Kalshi listed wagers on Dec. 11 related to Thompson\u2019s death that included whether the suspect, Luigi Mangione, would be extradited to New York from Pennsylvania, whether he acted alone and whether he\u2019ll be convicted or plead guilty. Two days later, trading suddenly halted, with Kalshi telling customers it made the decision \u2018after receiving notice from our regulators,\u2019 according to messages reviewed by Bloomberg News. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Kalshi declined to comment. The CFTC, which regulates Kalshi, bans futures trading linked to crimes including assassination, terrorism and war if the agency decides the so-called events contracts are against the public interest.\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>Transmission: Covid<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Happy anniversary:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.4583333333333\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.6666666666667\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It has been five years. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/l8AEcpoBIi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/l8AEcpoBIi<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Adam Wong (@Engineer_Wong) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Engineer_Wong\/status\/1872673524659507268\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/>Lambert here: The chart I find <em>really<\/em> weird is New York. It\u2019s not really flat; what we see is a very gradual increase. I don\u2019t know how to give an account for that. Note that New York State as a whole is up:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284679\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state.png 2264w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-1024x557.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-768x418.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-1536x836.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-2048x1114.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ny_state-624x340.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2264px) 100vw, 2264px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>I can\u2019t give an account for this either. (I track New York City because of its status as an international hub for air travel, and its history.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.922562141491\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.625\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 16<\/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-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3-300x182.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-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><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6712328767123\">\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 21<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> <strong>Emergency Room Visits<\/strong>[4] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#trends_select_7dayeddiagnosed_00\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 21<\/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-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284307\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1-300x177.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-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-er-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-er-natl-1-300x172.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=\"3.9634146341463\">\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 24:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 26:<\/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-13.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-13.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-13-300x168.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-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-2-300x291.png 300w\" 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 23:<\/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-positivity-states-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284637\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-300x187.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=\"3.6307692307692\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> Positivity[9] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 9:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> Variants[10] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 9<\/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-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-4.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-4-300x164.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-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-3-300x216.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Deaths<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.7647058823529\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11] <a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/what-you-should-know\/current-situation-in-the-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 20:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12] <a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronadisease2019\/what-you-should-know\/current-situation-in-the-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> November 20:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl-1-300x161.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-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284303\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-deaths-ed-natl-1-300x183.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<td wp_automatic_readability=\"156.03279896812\">\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 more red and more orange, but nothing new at major hubs. <\/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) Slow and small but steady increase.<\/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>There are no offical statistics of interest today.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Real Estate: \u201cBoom in US retail real estate defies prediction of ecommerce apocalypse\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/dd845d85-12a6-42bd-92e2-27b9d1070232\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. \u201cVacancies at open-air shopping centres in the US have dropped to historically low levels, defying forecasts of a retail apocalypse caused by the rise of ecommerce.\u00a0Landlords of complexes anchored by big-box chains, discount merchants and supermarkets have gained power to raise rents as leases expire. New construction has been stymied by higher interest rates and soaring building costs. Only 6.2 per cent of outdoor shopping centre space is currently available for rent, according to property data company CoStar, the lowest since it began tracking availability in 2006. The trend stands in contrast with enclosed shopping malls, where vacancies are rising.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. Must be something about outdoor air\u2026. <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing\u2019s space business could experience liftoff in 2025\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/boeing-vulcan-space-turnaround-1851729240\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Quartz<\/a>]. \u201cThe Motley Fool reports that there\u2019s significant investor intrigue surrounding the company\u2019s space program after its rough 2024\u2026. The key to those efforts could be Boeing\u2019s Vulcan rockets, which Amazon will be using for a number of space launches next year. Additionally, the company is anticipating an approval to run national security missions for the U.S. government. A brighter 2025 would mark a needed turnaround for Boeing. .\u201d \u2022\u00a0Oh noes:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Clarke and Dawe - The Front Fell Off\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3m5qxZm_JqM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing battles brain drain as engineers chase the allure of space\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/5dea45ef-25c7-4b5c-ad8a-9984ec66bf53\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Financial Times<\/a>]. \u201cBoeing is cutting jobs by 10 per cent across the company, and this month a second round of lay-offs brought the total of union-represented engineers leaving to 400. The blow to morale comes as engineers \u2014 freed from the \u2018velvet handcuffs\u2019 of long-term benefits \u2014 are contrasting Boeing\u2019s turmoil with the allure of space companies staking out exciting goals. The average tenure of a Boeing engineer has fallen over the past decade from 16.4 years to 12.6 years, according to data from the union representing 12,000 Boeing engineers, the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace. Tenure shortened in almost every age bracket, with employees in their 20s and 30s averaging fewer years, as well as those in their late 40s through 65. The risk of this \u2018brain drain\u2019, as analysts, recruiters and union officials have described it, is that it drags on current operations and could make it harder for Boeing to launch its next new plane. \u2018All of this experience is gone,\u2019 said Matt Kempf, SPEEA\u2019s senior director for compensation and retirement. That raises concerns because \u2018aerospace engineers aren\u2019t made, they\u2019re grown.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tech: \u201cMicrosoft and OpenAI have a financial definition of AGI: Report\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2024\/12\/26\/microsoft-and-openai-have-a-financial-definition-of-agi-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TechCrunch<\/a>]. \u201cMicrosoft and OpenAI have a very specific, internal definition of artificial general intelligence (AGI) based on the startup\u2019s profits, according to a new report from The Information. And by this definition, OpenAI is many years away from reaching it. The two companies reportedly signed an agreement last year stating OpenAI has only achieved AGI when it develops AI systems that can generate at least $100 billion in profits. That\u2019s far from the rigorous technical and philosophical definition of AGI many expect.\u201d \u2022 So, the definition of AGI is how big the bezzle gets? Novel! Still, serious money. For those who understand the stakes\u2013<\/p>\n<p>Tech: \u201cParents of OpenAI Whistleblower Don\u2019t Believe He Died By Suicide, Order Second Autopsy\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/sfist.com\/2024\/12\/26\/parents-of-openai-whistleblower-dont-believe-he-died-by-suicide-order-second-autopsy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">SFist<\/a>]. \u201cThe parents have hired an attorney, Phil Kearney, and they have commissioned a second, independent autopsy.\u201d \u2022 Hmm.<\/p>\n<p>Shipping: A thread on ship-breaking with wonderful photos:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"5.6126984126984\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"13.815873015873\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">At the murky end of our supply chains lies this: The Chittagong breaking yards in Bangladesh, one of many places where old ships go to die.<\/p>\n<p>But how is shipbreaking done, what are the consequences, and is there a better way?<\/p>\n<p>A thread. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UopsnkAx7F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/UopsnkAx7F<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jordan Taylor (@Jordan_W_Taylor) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Jordan_W_Taylor\/status\/1872607626384822381\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>We did some coverage on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2016\/11\/200pm-water-cooler-1132016-2.html#gadani\">the Gadani shipbreaking disaster<\/a> in Pakistan, back in the day.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 33 Fear (previous close: 35 Fear) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 28 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 27 at 1:02:05 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Catching up on my reading:<\/p>\n<p>Vanessa Bell:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.4208754208754\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"9.4074074074074\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Vanessa Bell’s painting from 1934 shows the artist Duncan Grant reading a book. They had moved into Charleston, Sussex in 1916 and made it the kind of English bohemian gathering place that inspires television dramas. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SHH58dlfyN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/SHH58dlfyN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Richard Morris (@ahistoryinart) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ahistoryinart\/status\/1871925177086566774\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 25, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Fairfield Porter:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.9667630057803\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10.578034682081\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">‘Man Seated Near Lamp.’ (1953) Fairfield Porter was a painter and art critic and is best known for working against the grain, a figurative painter, during the heyday of 20thC American abstraction. Some of his work recalls the paintings of Milton Avery and John Marin. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wV7YyRnxs5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/wV7YyRnxs5<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Richard Morris (@ahistoryinart) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ahistoryinart\/status\/1827427025612673525\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">August 24, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Twitter search comes up big time:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.6350574712644\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.5287356321839\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Maid Reading in a Library, by Swiss painter Edouard John Mentha (1915). In private collection. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wI3vuox5Q2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/wI3vuox5Q2<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 WikiVictorian (@wikivictorian) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wikivictorian\/status\/1866958639199818057\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 11, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And for the Alma-Tadema stans, of whom we have at least one:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.763698630137\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.6438356164384\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">A Reading of Homer (detail) by Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1885) <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gIYGGWRLLP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/gIYGGWRLLP<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Art or Other Things (@ArtorOtherThing) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ArtorOtherThing\/status\/1866784999854460982\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 11, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Food<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is America too:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.7120418848168\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.7486910994764\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">anyway, remember that dude from Kentucky filming himself trying garlic naan and butter chicken for the the first time <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0hrg9c6vTy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/0hrg9c6vTy<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Trung Phan (@TrungTPhan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TrungTPhan\/status\/1872441019117211938\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Guillotine Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMark Zuckerberg denies building 5K-square-foot \u2018Doomsday bunker\u2019 under $270M Hawaii compound, saying it\u2019s \u2018like a basement’\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/12\/26\/business\/mark-zuckerberg-denies-doomsday-bunker-under-270m-hawaii-mansion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Post<\/a>]. \u201cMark Zuckerberg dismissed reports that he is building a 5,000-square-foot \u2018Doomsday bunker\u2019 underneath a $270 million compound in Hawaii \u2014 insisting instead that it\u2019s just a \u2018little shelter.\u2019 The 40-year-old tech tycoon was asked during a Dec. 19 interview with Bloomberg about rumors that he is constructing an underground facility beneath his 1,400-acre home on the island of Kauai, one of the most northern islands in the Northern Pacific archipelago. \u2018No, I think [you <em>think<\/em>??] that\u2019s just like a little shelter. It\u2019s like a basement,\u2019 Zuckerberg, the third wealthiest person in the world behind Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, told Bloomberg\u2019s Emily Chang. Mark Zuckerberg in a blue shirt discussing life and tech during an interview at his Lake Tahoe retreat. Several wealthy individuals have been rumored to have constructed vast tunnels and underground networks in preparation for potential disaster, including PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Tesla CEO Musk and disgraced rapper Kanye \u2018Ye\u2019 West. Zuckerberg, who as of Thursday boasted a net worth valued by Bloomberg Billionaires Index at $215 billion, has insisted that the aim of the ranch is to raise \u201cworld-class\u201d cattle on beer and macadamia nuts in order to \u2018create some of the highest quality beef in the world.’\u201d \u2022 Nuttier than a fruitcake.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBatteries\u201d [<a href=\"http:\/\/www.hanssummers.com\/homebrew\/homebrewbattery.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Hans Summers<\/a>]. \u201cAll over the place on the internet, you can read about the classic school science project, sticking two dissimilar metals into a lemon and generating some small amount of power. Sometimes potatoes. You can even buy \u201ckits\u201d to do this in toystores. What seems to be generally lacking is any measurements on such batteries. How much power can they supply? And for how long? And what factors are involved to determine these parameters? Sure, you can power an LCD clock, until the lemon dries out. But they consume a miniscule current anyway. I found some websites which claimed that a single lemon will produce 0.5V and 1mA of current. They didn\u2019t say how long for. Several lemons in series are supposedly enough to light an LED.\u201d \u2022 Useful post-Jackpot?<\/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-12-26-2024.html\">here<\/a>. From AF:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/soil.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284670\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/soil.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/soil-300x225.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>AF writes: \u201cMy winter project right now is trying to improve the soil quality in the raised beds I built earlier this year. I had to use poor quality soil to keep costs down so I\u2019ve taken inspiration from hugelkultur and permaculture to improve the soil. I started with a layer of small logs topped with crushed leaves and other yard debris. I used cheap organic raised bed mix with a middle layer of crushed egg shells and some more crushed leaves. Topped everything off with grass clippings and currently adding a final layer of crushed leaves. I can\u2019t make compost on this property so I\u2019m taking the rest of the crushed leaves and making leaf mold but I don\u2019t think it will be ready for a couple years. It was probably a mistake to do 17\u2033 tall beds but at least my arms are noticeably bigger!\u201d My goodness, what a glorious setting! Can readers comment on the technique? I had good luck with hugelkultur and tomatoes, but it\u2019s hard to have bad luck with tomatoes\u2026. <\/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-12-27-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-27T14:00:51-05:00\">December 27, 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\/links-12-27-2024.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> Links 12\/27\/2024<\/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, Marin, California, United States. \u201cThis bird was languidly singing from an unseen location<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88965,"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-88964","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\/88964","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=88964"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88964\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}