\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, Miller Drive Roost (Brewer Park), Miami-Dade, Florida, United States. Very pretty!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#h1b\">H1B controversy<\/a> rolls along.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#h1b\">Trump\u2019s AI czar<\/a> helping H1Bers with fraudulent remittances.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#norovirus\">Norovirus <\/a>surge.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#amazon\">Amazon<\/a> attacks third-party sellers again.<\/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>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"28.29020979021\">\n<p><a name=\"h1b\"\/>\u201cThe Great Fake H1-B Controversy\u201d [Roger Simon, <a href=\"https:\/\/americanrefugees.substack.com\/p\/the-great-fake-h1-b-controversy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">American Refugees<\/a>]. \u201cThis fits the internal MAGA dispute over H1-B visas to the proverbial T. The only ones who profit from this kerfuffle, or whatever it is, are the left and their fading media allies, desperate for something to latch onto about MAGA and .\u201d It\u2019s so funny to see party regulars, of whichever party, coming up with the same talking points. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSteve Bannon Slams \u2018Toddler\u2019 Elon Musk After Tesla Owner Tells Critics To \u2018F**k Yourself In the Face\u2019 As MAGA Civil War Rages On\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/politics\/steve-bannon-slams-toddler-elon-musk-after-tesla-owner-tells-critics-to-fk-yourself-in-the-face-as-maga-civil-war-rages-on\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Mediaite<\/a>]. \u201cSomeone please notify \u2018Child Protective Services\u2019\u2014 need to do a \u2018wellness check\u2019 on this toddler,\u2019 Bannon wrote on Gettr on Friday night in response to Musk telling his critics to \u2018fuck yourself in the face.\u2019\u2026 In followup posts on Gettr, Bannon argued that H-1B visas are used as a \u2018tool\u2019 of the tech industry to drive wages down [correct] and he told Musk to \u2018bring it.\u2019\u2026 On his War Room podcast on Friday, Bannon referred to tech leaders like Musk as \u2018on the spectrum\u2019 and incapable of taking criticism. \u2018The nerds don\u2019t take criticism,\u2019 he said. \u2018They\u2019re kind of, you know, they\u2019re a little bit all on the spectrum, right? They don\u2019t know\u2013 they\u2019re not deep in social skills.’\u201d \u2022 Not sure Bannon is all that strong on social skills either. Or the political class generally, lacking empathy as they seem to do. Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.7315789473684\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"8.1947368421053\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Who the fuck tells millions of Americans to go fuck themselves in the face and then tells them a day later to post more positivity?<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Donhammed Trumpistan (@TheRealDon85) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealDon85\/status\/1873436539902152885\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 29, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Can confirm I saw both of President Musk\u2019s tweets go by.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"14.505119453925\">\n<p>That\u2019s the stuff to give the troops:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"5.15625\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"13.125\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Green Party spoiled another major race for us (PA SEN), just the latest on a very long list.<\/p>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DNC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@DNC<\/a> Chair, I\u2019ll go on permanent offense, not just taking up the legal fight during ballot access. We\u2019ll dismantle these Republican-enablers\u2019 infrastructure. The gloves come off.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 James Skoufis (@JamesSkoufis) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JamesSkoufis\/status\/1872738094434435382\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs DNC chair, I\u2019ll keep Greens off the ballot!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs the Democratic brand toxic? A growing number of Dems wonder if going \u2018independent\u2019 will help them win\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/12\/29\/democrats-running-independent-toxic-brand-001832\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cA group of operatives at major Democratic media firms are in talks about creating a company that would help elect left-leaning independents, according to a person familiar with the discussions who was granted anonymity to talk about internal planning. The business would also back populist Democrats.\u201d \u2022 Oh, swell.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"34.613008130081\">\n<p>\u201cLuigi Mangione\u2019s indictment is another example of the dangers of terror charges\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/truthout.org\/articles\/luigi-mangiones-indictment-is-another-example-of-the-dangers-of-terror-charges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TruthOut<\/a>]. \u201cTacking terrorism onto the indictment allows the district attorney to upgrade the murder charges from the second to the first degree; under New York law, first-degree murder charges are normally reserved for crimes like serial or mass killings or the murder of police officers\u2026. It\u2019s hard not to see the bloated charges in the context of Mangione\u2019s recent ascent to quasi-folk hero status\u2026. This outpouring of public resentment has unnerved health care executives. Corporations scrambled to scrub information about their C-suites from the internet and called up private security details. Bragg made a broad reference to this fear in a press conference. \u2018This was a killing that was intended to evoke terror and we\u2019ve seen that reaction,\u2019 he told reporters on December 17. \u2018This was not an ordinary killing.’\u201d \u2022 With a good review of other \u201cterrorism\u201d charges, including camping at Cop City.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnitedHealthcare taught us ways to deny claims: Former employee\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsnationnow.com\/health\/unitedhealthcare-ways-deny-claims-former-employee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NewsNation<\/a>]. \u201d A former UnitedHealthcare claims representative says employees were systematically trained to deny medical claims and rush distressed customers off phone lines, revealing internal practices at the nation\u2019s largest health insurer amid growing scrutiny of the industry. Natalie Collins, who worked for UnitedHealthcare for nine months, said Saturday on \u2018NewsNation Prime\u2019 that staff received \u2018so many different ways to deny\u2019 claims during their two to three months of training, with supervisors often standing behind representatives instructing them on denial methods. \u2018We weren\u2019t given proper instruction to actually pay the claim, and there wasn\u2019t enough monies in certain files in certain companies to pay medical claims,\u2019 Collins said. \u2018We would have to just get the client off the phone as fast as we could.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cKansas once required voters to prove citizenship. That didn\u2019t work out so well\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/kansas-noncitizen-voting-proof-of-citizenship-50d56a0b8d1f0fde15480aab3db67f4f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cKansas imposed a proof-of-citizenship requirement over a decade ago that grew into one of the biggest political fiascos in the state in recent memory. The law, passed by the state Legislature in 2011 and implemented two years later, ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens who were otherwise eligible to vote. That was 12% of everyone seeking to register in Kansas for the first time. Federal courts ultimately declared the law an unconstitutional burden on voting rights, and it hasn\u2019t been enforced since 2018. Kansas provides a cautionary tale about how pursuing an election concern that in fact is extremely rare risks disenfranchising a far greater number of people who are legally entitled to vote. The state\u2019s top elections official, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, championed the idea as a legislator and now says states and the federal government shouldn\u2019t touch it. \u2018Kansas did that 10 years ago,\u2019 said Schwab, a Republican. \u2018It didn\u2019t work out so well.’\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><a name=\"norovirus\"\/>Transmission: Norovirus<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"40.816417910448\">\n<p>\u201cNorovirus cases are rising in the U.S., CDC data shows\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/12\/30\/norovirus-symptoms-cases-outbreak-us-cdc-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. Cases of a highly contagious stomach bug are rising across the U.S., according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Norovirus can cause ghastly bouts of vomiting and diarrhea as a result of inflammation of the of the stomach and intestines, per the CDC. It\u2019s also the number one cause of foodborne illness in the U.S., according to the health agency\u2026. The virus often spreads in \u2018confined spaces\u2019 like cruise ships, day care centers, and college dorms, the journal added.\u201d \u2022\u00a0Tranmission is said to be droplet-based: Vomit, feces\u2026 So I had to check, \u201cconfined spaces\u201d being a red flag\u2013<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAerosol Transmission of Norovirus\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC10818780\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Viruses<\/a>]. \u201cNorovirus (NoV) is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide. A comprehensive understanding of the transmission mode is of great significance for the prevention and control of the NoV infection. Currently, the transmission modes of NoV include contact, food-borne, water-borne and aerosol transmission. The first three modes are more common, while aerosol transmission is seldom reported\u2026. NoV aerosol transmission often occurs simultaneously with person-to-person transmission, including the contact with infected individuals and contaminated environments. Therefore, a rigorous investigation and analysis are required when determining the transmission mode. There is also a lack of standard sampling equipment and procedures for viral aerosols, which hinders a better understanding of the source, concentration, particle size, residence time, movement and distribution of viral aerosols. In addition, we need to establish an effective in vitro culture system to evaluate the infectivity of NoV aerosols, which is another challenge that that is currently exists. At present, most cases of NoV aerosols are related to vomiting, and diarrhea-related ones are less common. Further research is needed to investigate the role of diarrhea and toilet flushing in the transmission of NoV aerosols, including the concentration of aerosols in toilets and their infectivity. Recent reports have indicated salivary transmission as a new mode of transmission [74]. Therefore, it is essential to explore whether activities such as coughing, talking, sneezing and other behaviors of infected individuals contribute to the aerosol transmission of NoV. It is necessary to further explore the aerosol transmission mechanism of NoV to provide a theoretical basis for formulating prevention and control policies.\u201d \u2022 We don\u2019t know because we\u2019re not checking. Can\u2019t we at least rule aerosol transmission out?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: A little more orange and red around Ohio; no rise at JFK, EWR, ORD, LAX.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.872781065089\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.625\">\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-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284797\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4-300x211.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-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><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6521739130435\">\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\"> <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=\"3.9102564102564\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span>New York[5] <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.health.ny.gov\/daily-hospitalization-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York State<\/a>, data December 27:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 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-14.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284798\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-14.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-14-300x169.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=\"3.5789473684211\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> Positivity[9] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 9:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Variants[10] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> 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=\"162.52094147373\">\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>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Chicago PMI\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/chicago-pmi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe Chicago Business Barometer, also known as the Chicago PMI, dropped further to 36.9 in December 2024, compared to November\u2019s 40.2 and missing market forecasts of 42.5. The latest data indicated that Chicago\u2019s economic activity contracted for the 13th consecutive month, recording its steepest decline since May.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/dallas-fed-manufacturing-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe Dallas Fed\u2019s Texas manufacturing activity index moved up six points to 3.4 in December 2024, its first positive reading since April 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"amazon\"\/>Retail: \u201cAmazon sellers are in revolt over a new policy they say hurts profits and gives up guarded business data\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.modernretail.co\/technology\/amazon-sellers-are-in-revolt-over-a-new-policy-they-say-hurts-profits-and-gives-up-guarded-business-data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Modern Retail<\/a>]. \u201d Starting March 10, 2025, Amazon will only pay back sellers for the product manufacturing cost, not the full retail cost, which is how the e-tailer currently reimburses sellers for lost or damaged items. \u2026 What\u2019s more, in order to calculate the payouts, sellers have one of two options. They can let Amazon determine the manufacturing cost. In the announcement, Amazon said such estimates would be \u2018based on a comprehensive evaluation of comparable products sold by Amazon, by other sellers and through wholesale channel.\u2019 Still, sellers who spoke to Modern Retail said they\u2019re worried that this could lead to inaccurate or low-ball estimates. Alternatively, sellers can provide their manufacturing costs, such as proof of cost of sourcing, directly to Amazon. For sellers, this raises serious privacy concerns over how exactly their private manufacturing cost data will be used.\u201d Indeed! More: \u201cA Wall Street Journal investigation from 2020 found that Amazon has allegedly used data from third-party sellers to help develop its private-label goods. Brands have claimed that Amazon copies their products and undercuts them with prices that make it difficult to compete. Amazon has since pulled back on its private-label business to alleviate regulatory scrutiny. \u2026 To AmpliSell\u2019s [Joshua] Rawe, Amazon sellers have two \u2018closely guarded secrets\u2019: one, their manufacturing cost data. And two, who their manufacturer is. \u2018With Amazon saying, \u2018Hey, give us your cost,\u2019 that\u2019s like giving up your competitive advantage to these sellers,\u2019 Rawe said. \u2018They\u2019re like, \u2018Well if I give you my cost, you\u2019re going to go out and figure out how to source it cheaper and create an Amazon brand of my product.\u2019 That\u2019s every seller\u2019s worst fear.’\u201d \u2022 In the midst of being sued by FTC as a monopoly, too.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cSouth Korea to inspect Boeing aircraft as it struggles to find cause of plane crash that killed 179\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/south-korea-muan-jeju-air-crash-investigation-37561308a8157f6afe2eb507ac5131d5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cThe Boeing 737-800 plane operated by South Korean budget airline Jeju Air aborted its first landing attempt for reasons that aren\u2019t immediately clear. Then, during its second landing attempt, it received a bird strike warning from the ground control center before its pilot issued a distress signal. The plane landed without its front landing gear deployed, overshot the runway, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into a fireball. Alan Price, a former chief pilot at Delta Air Lines and now a consultant, said the Boeing 737-800 is a \u2018proven airplane\u2019 that belongs to a different class of aircraft than the Boeing 737 Max jetliner that was linked to fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019.\u201d Oh. More: \u201cVideo of the crash indicated that the pilots did not deploy flaps or slats to slow the aircraft, suggesting a possible hydraulic failure, and did not manually lower the landing gear, suggesting they did not have time, said John Cox, a retired airline pilot and CEO of Safety Operating Systems in St. Petersburg, Florida.\u201d And: \u201cOther observers said the videos showed the plane was suffering from suspected engine trouble but the landing gear malfunction was likely a direct reason for the crash. They said there wouldn\u2019t likely be a link between the landing gear problem and the suspected engine issue. Earlier Monday, another Boeing 737-800 plane operated by Jeju Air returned to Seoul\u2019s Gimpo International Airport shortly after takeoff when the pilot detected a landing gear issue.\u201d And: \u201cJoo said officials were reviewing whether there might have been communication problems between air traffic controllers and the pilot.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cSouth Korea tragedy is ninth incident with Boeing this YEAR including 6,000ft drop, in-flight fire, Vilnius airport crash\u2026as well as mysterious death of safety whistleblower\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-14234009\/South-Korea-tragedy-incident-Boeing-YEAR-feet-fire-crash-death-safety-whistleblower.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Daily Mail<\/a>]. \u2022 A good, and sadly lengthy, roundup.<\/p>\n<p>Tech: \u201cElon Musk\u2019s xAI Secures Funding of $6B as Grok Transforms X\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasdaq.com\/articles\/elon-musks-xai-secures-funding-6b-grok-transforms-x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NASDAQ<\/a>]. \u201cElon Musk\u2019s artificial intelligence venture, xAI, has secured a staggering $6 billion in its latest funding round, according to a TechCrunch report, citing a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Thursday. This brings the company\u2019s total capital raised to $12 billion in just one year, signaling its rise in the competitive AI landscape\u2026.. According to a Financial Times report, only existing xAI investors were eligible to participate in this round, with up to 25% of shares reserved for those who had supported Musk\u2019s acquisition of the social media platform Twitter, now called X. This exclusive approach indicates Musk\u2019s strategy of rewarding loyal stakeholders while aiming for xAI\u2019s rumored valuation of $50 billion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tech: \u201cElon Musk\u2019s xAI lands $6B in new cash to fuel AI ambitions\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2024\/12\/25\/elon-musks-xai-lands-billions-in-new-cash-to-fuel-ai-ambitions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TechCrunch<\/a>]. \u201cX recently got a \u2018Grok button\u2019 designed to help users discover \u2018relevant context\u2019 and dive deeper into trending discussions and real-time events.\u201d \u2022 If I were Elon, I\u2019d be feeding the X firehouse right into Groks\u2019s training sets (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/ai-generated-data-can-poison-future-ai-models\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">autocoprophagy<\/a> in near-real time), because the potential for manipulation is obvious.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 30 Fear (previous close: 34 Fear) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 29 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed).Last updated Dec 30 at 2:36:02 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p>Rapture Index: Closes down one on drought. \u201cRain chips away at general drought conditions\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.raptureready.com\/rapture-ready-index\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Rapture Ready<\/a>]. Record High, October 10, 2016: 189. Current: 181. (Remember that bringing on the Rapture is good.) \u2022 Hard to believe the Rapture Index isn\u2019t at an all-time high. Doesn\u2019t the collapse of Syria bring the Third Temple closer? Do these people know something we don\u2019t?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Luigi?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.264367816092\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.0459770114943\">\n<p lang=\"it\" dir=\"ltr\">Caravaggio <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vA3No66R05\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/vA3No66R05<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Art Gallery (@X_ArtGallery) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/X_ArtGallery\/status\/1868283627160981975\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 15, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cLong COVID Lawsuits Coming, but Not Likely to Succeed\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/cLv6B\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MedScape<\/a>]. \u201d just when COVID lawsuits appear to be dwindling out, legal experts see a new lawsuit risk on the horizon \u2014 long COVID claims. While some say it\u2019s doubtful the claims will succeed, the lawsuits could still create legal headaches for doctors in the form of time and money. Long COVID claims are defined as complaints that allege that a diagnosis of long COVID was missed or delayed and that caused harm or injury. Lawsuits may also include claims in which patients allege that they were misdiagnosed as having long COVID when they were really suffering from another condition. The risk of long COVID lawsuits underscores the importance of physicians taking proactive steps to protect themselves from liability when treating patients who might have the condition, say legal experts. \u2018There are legal standards that say new, unestablished scientific principles shouldn\u2019t be first tested by a jury, they should be recognized and established within their [professional] area,\u201d Kolbert said. \u2018While we are seeing lawsuits related to long COVID, I think it is truly putting the cart before the horse, because there needs to be societal recognition that we\u2019re still learning how to define and treat long COVID.’\u201d \u2022 Maybe, but when we leave the horse in front of the cart, nothing happens either\u2026. <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy default, capital will matter more than ever after AGI\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/forum.effectivealtruism.org\/posts\/qLEhNdeQpecFR9rF7\/by-default-capital-will-matter-more-than-ever-after-agi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Effective Altruism Forum<\/a>]. \u201cFirst: labour means human mental and physical effort that produces something of value. Capital goods are things like factories, data centres, and software\u2014things humans have built that are used in the production of goods and services. I\u2019ll use \u2018capital\u2019 to refer to both the stock of capital goods and to the money that can pay for them. I\u2019ll say \u201cmoney\u201d when I want to exclude capital goods. The key economic effect of AI is that it makes capital a more and more general substitute for labour. There\u2019s less need to pay humans for their time to perform work, because you can replace that with capital (e.g. data centres running software replaces a human doing mental labour).\u201d \u2022 \u201cAlways was.\u201d Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ai_capital.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"263\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284783\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ai_capital.png 500w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ai_capital-300x158.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Interestingly parallel to <a href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/business\/2022\/06\/wilhoits-law-conservatives-frank-wilhoit.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wilhoit<\/a>: \u201cConservatism consists of exactly one proposition \u2026There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHere Come The Anti-Woke Venture Capitalists\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/davidjeans\/2024\/12\/23\/anti-woke-venture-capital-new-founding\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Forbes<\/a>]. \u201cEarlier this year, a little-known company called New Founding made headlines when it announced plans to build a Christian enclave in Kentucky \u2014 an \u2018aligned community\u201d where owners could \u2018disappear from the cultural insanity of the broader country.\u2019 But building a village was just the beginning. Now, New Founding has launched a venture capital fund to invest in what it calls \u2018aligned companies,\u2019 startups that oppose progressive ideologies and are intent on both \u2018cultural and economic disruption.\u2019 It\u2019s one of a small but growing number of VCs vocally rejecting \u2018wokeism\u2019 and building their investment thesis on core conservative values\u2026 New Founding CEO Nate Fischer told Forbes these investments are the beginnings of a \u2018parallel economy\u2019 offering conservative versions of mainstream services it views as too liberal, like Google\u2019s ad-tech products. \u2018There\u2019s a large share of people who feel that their views are almost entirely absent from the institutions that are shaping the future,\u2019 Fischer explained. \u2018And there\u2019s a real acute need and hunger for alternatives.\u201d\u2026 At least one Silicon Valley leader is on board. Marc Andreessen \u2014 a cofounder of the venture giant Andreessen Horowitz, or A16z, who has also railed against \u2018wokeism\u2019 \u2014 is among those backing New Founding\u2019s venture fund.\u201d \u2022 Why have we put the people who enshittified Google, social media, and every platform they\u2019ve touched in charged of society-wide capital allocation?<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Neoliberalism\u2019s inflection point in the real economy?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.6856060606061\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.3939393939394\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Why is 1971 such an inflection point in so many data sets? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/S5c6SQxlU3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/S5c6SQxlU3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 0x146.gfy (@The0xReport) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/The0xReport\/status\/1872932036262109493\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 28, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Did we not discuss this topic at some point? I used to collect charts like this. Like when real wages flattened.<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .entry-content --><\/p>\n<footer class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\tThis entry was posted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-30-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-30T14:00:58-05:00\">December 30, 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\/6-fracking-billionaires-and-climate-denial-groups-behind-trumps-cabinet.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> 6 Fracking Billionaires and Climate Denial Groups Behind Trump\u2019s Cabinet<\/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-12-30-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day Northern Mockingbird, Miller Drive Roost (Brewer Park), Miami-Dade, Florida, United States. Very pretty! * *<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":89085,"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-89084","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\/89084","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=89084"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89084\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89084"}],"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, Miller Drive Roost (Brewer Park), Miami-Dade, Florida, United States. Very pretty!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#h1b\">H1B controversy<\/a> rolls along.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#h1b\">Trump\u2019s AI czar<\/a> helping H1Bers with fraudulent remittances.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#norovirus\">Norovirus <\/a>surge.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#amazon\">Amazon<\/a> attacks third-party sellers again.<\/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>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"28.29020979021\">\n<p><a name=\"h1b\"\/>\u201cThe Great Fake H1-B Controversy\u201d [Roger Simon, <a href=\"https:\/\/americanrefugees.substack.com\/p\/the-great-fake-h1-b-controversy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">American Refugees<\/a>]. \u201cThis fits the internal MAGA dispute over H1-B visas to the proverbial T. The only ones who profit from this kerfuffle, or whatever it is, are the left and their fading media allies, desperate for something to latch onto about MAGA and .\u201d It\u2019s so funny to see party regulars, of whichever party, coming up with the same talking points. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSteve Bannon Slams \u2018Toddler\u2019 Elon Musk After Tesla Owner Tells Critics To \u2018F**k Yourself In the Face\u2019 As MAGA Civil War Rages On\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/politics\/steve-bannon-slams-toddler-elon-musk-after-tesla-owner-tells-critics-to-fk-yourself-in-the-face-as-maga-civil-war-rages-on\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Mediaite<\/a>]. \u201cSomeone please notify \u2018Child Protective Services\u2019\u2014 need to do a \u2018wellness check\u2019 on this toddler,\u2019 Bannon wrote on Gettr on Friday night in response to Musk telling his critics to \u2018fuck yourself in the face.\u2019\u2026 In followup posts on Gettr, Bannon argued that H-1B visas are used as a \u2018tool\u2019 of the tech industry to drive wages down [correct] and he told Musk to \u2018bring it.\u2019\u2026 On his War Room podcast on Friday, Bannon referred to tech leaders like Musk as \u2018on the spectrum\u2019 and incapable of taking criticism. \u2018The nerds don\u2019t take criticism,\u2019 he said. \u2018They\u2019re kind of, you know, they\u2019re a little bit all on the spectrum, right? They don\u2019t know\u2013 they\u2019re not deep in social skills.’\u201d \u2022 Not sure Bannon is all that strong on social skills either. Or the political class generally, lacking empathy as they seem to do. Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.7315789473684\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"8.1947368421053\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Who the fuck tells millions of Americans to go fuck themselves in the face and then tells them a day later to post more positivity?<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Donhammed Trumpistan (@TheRealDon85) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealDon85\/status\/1873436539902152885\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 29, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Can confirm I saw both of President Musk\u2019s tweets go by.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"14.505119453925\">\n<p>That\u2019s the stuff to give the troops:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"5.15625\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"13.125\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Green Party spoiled another major race for us (PA SEN), just the latest on a very long list.<\/p>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DNC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@DNC<\/a> Chair, I\u2019ll go on permanent offense, not just taking up the legal fight during ballot access. We\u2019ll dismantle these Republican-enablers\u2019 infrastructure. The gloves come off.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 James Skoufis (@JamesSkoufis) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JamesSkoufis\/status\/1872738094434435382\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs DNC chair, I\u2019ll keep Greens off the ballot!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs the Democratic brand toxic? A growing number of Dems wonder if going \u2018independent\u2019 will help them win\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/12\/29\/democrats-running-independent-toxic-brand-001832\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cA group of operatives at major Democratic media firms are in talks about creating a company that would help elect left-leaning independents, according to a person familiar with the discussions who was granted anonymity to talk about internal planning. The business would also back populist Democrats.\u201d \u2022 Oh, swell.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"34.613008130081\">\n<p>\u201cLuigi Mangione\u2019s indictment is another example of the dangers of terror charges\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/truthout.org\/articles\/luigi-mangiones-indictment-is-another-example-of-the-dangers-of-terror-charges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TruthOut<\/a>]. \u201cTacking terrorism onto the indictment allows the district attorney to upgrade the murder charges from the second to the first degree; under New York law, first-degree murder charges are normally reserved for crimes like serial or mass killings or the murder of police officers\u2026. It\u2019s hard not to see the bloated charges in the context of Mangione\u2019s recent ascent to quasi-folk hero status\u2026. This outpouring of public resentment has unnerved health care executives. Corporations scrambled to scrub information about their C-suites from the internet and called up private security details. Bragg made a broad reference to this fear in a press conference. \u2018This was a killing that was intended to evoke terror and we\u2019ve seen that reaction,\u2019 he told reporters on December 17. \u2018This was not an ordinary killing.’\u201d \u2022 With a good review of other \u201cterrorism\u201d charges, including camping at Cop City.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnitedHealthcare taught us ways to deny claims: Former employee\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsnationnow.com\/health\/unitedhealthcare-ways-deny-claims-former-employee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NewsNation<\/a>]. \u201d A former UnitedHealthcare claims representative says employees were systematically trained to deny medical claims and rush distressed customers off phone lines, revealing internal practices at the nation\u2019s largest health insurer amid growing scrutiny of the industry. Natalie Collins, who worked for UnitedHealthcare for nine months, said Saturday on \u2018NewsNation Prime\u2019 that staff received \u2018so many different ways to deny\u2019 claims during their two to three months of training, with supervisors often standing behind representatives instructing them on denial methods. \u2018We weren\u2019t given proper instruction to actually pay the claim, and there wasn\u2019t enough monies in certain files in certain companies to pay medical claims,\u2019 Collins said. \u2018We would have to just get the client off the phone as fast as we could.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cKansas once required voters to prove citizenship. That didn\u2019t work out so well\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/kansas-noncitizen-voting-proof-of-citizenship-50d56a0b8d1f0fde15480aab3db67f4f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cKansas imposed a proof-of-citizenship requirement over a decade ago that grew into one of the biggest political fiascos in the state in recent memory. The law, passed by the state Legislature in 2011 and implemented two years later, ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens who were otherwise eligible to vote. That was 12% of everyone seeking to register in Kansas for the first time. Federal courts ultimately declared the law an unconstitutional burden on voting rights, and it hasn\u2019t been enforced since 2018. Kansas provides a cautionary tale about how pursuing an election concern that in fact is extremely rare risks disenfranchising a far greater number of people who are legally entitled to vote. The state\u2019s top elections official, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, championed the idea as a legislator and now says states and the federal government shouldn\u2019t touch it. \u2018Kansas did that 10 years ago,\u2019 said Schwab, a Republican. \u2018It didn\u2019t work out so well.’\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><a name=\"norovirus\"\/>Transmission: Norovirus<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"40.816417910448\">\n<p>\u201cNorovirus cases are rising in the U.S., CDC data shows\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/12\/30\/norovirus-symptoms-cases-outbreak-us-cdc-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. Cases of a highly contagious stomach bug are rising across the U.S., according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Norovirus can cause ghastly bouts of vomiting and diarrhea as a result of inflammation of the of the stomach and intestines, per the CDC. It\u2019s also the number one cause of foodborne illness in the U.S., according to the health agency\u2026. The virus often spreads in \u2018confined spaces\u2019 like cruise ships, day care centers, and college dorms, the journal added.\u201d \u2022\u00a0Tranmission is said to be droplet-based: Vomit, feces\u2026 So I had to check, \u201cconfined spaces\u201d being a red flag\u2013<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAerosol Transmission of Norovirus\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC10818780\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Viruses<\/a>]. \u201cNorovirus (NoV) is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide. A comprehensive understanding of the transmission mode is of great significance for the prevention and control of the NoV infection. Currently, the transmission modes of NoV include contact, food-borne, water-borne and aerosol transmission. The first three modes are more common, while aerosol transmission is seldom reported\u2026. NoV aerosol transmission often occurs simultaneously with person-to-person transmission, including the contact with infected individuals and contaminated environments. Therefore, a rigorous investigation and analysis are required when determining the transmission mode. There is also a lack of standard sampling equipment and procedures for viral aerosols, which hinders a better understanding of the source, concentration, particle size, residence time, movement and distribution of viral aerosols. In addition, we need to establish an effective in vitro culture system to evaluate the infectivity of NoV aerosols, which is another challenge that that is currently exists. At present, most cases of NoV aerosols are related to vomiting, and diarrhea-related ones are less common. Further research is needed to investigate the role of diarrhea and toilet flushing in the transmission of NoV aerosols, including the concentration of aerosols in toilets and their infectivity. Recent reports have indicated salivary transmission as a new mode of transmission [74]. Therefore, it is essential to explore whether activities such as coughing, talking, sneezing and other behaviors of infected individuals contribute to the aerosol transmission of NoV. It is necessary to further explore the aerosol transmission mechanism of NoV to provide a theoretical basis for formulating prevention and control policies.\u201d \u2022 We don\u2019t know because we\u2019re not checking. Can\u2019t we at least rule aerosol transmission out?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: A little more orange and red around Ohio; no rise at JFK, EWR, ORD, LAX.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.872781065089\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.625\">\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-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284797\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4-300x211.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-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><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6521739130435\">\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\"> <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=\"3.9102564102564\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span>New York[5] <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.health.ny.gov\/daily-hospitalization-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York State<\/a>, data December 27:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 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-14.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284798\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-14.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-14-300x169.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=\"3.5789473684211\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> Positivity[9] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 9:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Variants[10] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> 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=\"162.52094147373\">\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>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Chicago PMI\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/chicago-pmi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe Chicago Business Barometer, also known as the Chicago PMI, dropped further to 36.9 in December 2024, compared to November\u2019s 40.2 and missing market forecasts of 42.5. The latest data indicated that Chicago\u2019s economic activity contracted for the 13th consecutive month, recording its steepest decline since May.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/dallas-fed-manufacturing-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe Dallas Fed\u2019s Texas manufacturing activity index moved up six points to 3.4 in December 2024, its first positive reading since April 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"amazon\"\/>Retail: \u201cAmazon sellers are in revolt over a new policy they say hurts profits and gives up guarded business data\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.modernretail.co\/technology\/amazon-sellers-are-in-revolt-over-a-new-policy-they-say-hurts-profits-and-gives-up-guarded-business-data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Modern Retail<\/a>]. \u201d Starting March 10, 2025, Amazon will only pay back sellers for the product manufacturing cost, not the full retail cost, which is how the e-tailer currently reimburses sellers for lost or damaged items. \u2026 What\u2019s more, in order to calculate the payouts, sellers have one of two options. They can let Amazon determine the manufacturing cost. In the announcement, Amazon said such estimates would be \u2018based on a comprehensive evaluation of comparable products sold by Amazon, by other sellers and through wholesale channel.\u2019 Still, sellers who spoke to Modern Retail said they\u2019re worried that this could lead to inaccurate or low-ball estimates. Alternatively, sellers can provide their manufacturing costs, such as proof of cost of sourcing, directly to Amazon. For sellers, this raises serious privacy concerns over how exactly their private manufacturing cost data will be used.\u201d Indeed! More: \u201cA Wall Street Journal investigation from 2020 found that Amazon has allegedly used data from third-party sellers to help develop its private-label goods. Brands have claimed that Amazon copies their products and undercuts them with prices that make it difficult to compete. Amazon has since pulled back on its private-label business to alleviate regulatory scrutiny. \u2026 To AmpliSell\u2019s [Joshua] Rawe, Amazon sellers have two \u2018closely guarded secrets\u2019: one, their manufacturing cost data. And two, who their manufacturer is. \u2018With Amazon saying, \u2018Hey, give us your cost,\u2019 that\u2019s like giving up your competitive advantage to these sellers,\u2019 Rawe said. \u2018They\u2019re like, \u2018Well if I give you my cost, you\u2019re going to go out and figure out how to source it cheaper and create an Amazon brand of my product.\u2019 That\u2019s every seller\u2019s worst fear.’\u201d \u2022 In the midst of being sued by FTC as a monopoly, too.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cSouth Korea to inspect Boeing aircraft as it struggles to find cause of plane crash that killed 179\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/south-korea-muan-jeju-air-crash-investigation-37561308a8157f6afe2eb507ac5131d5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cThe Boeing 737-800 plane operated by South Korean budget airline Jeju Air aborted its first landing attempt for reasons that aren\u2019t immediately clear. Then, during its second landing attempt, it received a bird strike warning from the ground control center before its pilot issued a distress signal. The plane landed without its front landing gear deployed, overshot the runway, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into a fireball. Alan Price, a former chief pilot at Delta Air Lines and now a consultant, said the Boeing 737-800 is a \u2018proven airplane\u2019 that belongs to a different class of aircraft than the Boeing 737 Max jetliner that was linked to fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019.\u201d Oh. More: \u201cVideo of the crash indicated that the pilots did not deploy flaps or slats to slow the aircraft, suggesting a possible hydraulic failure, and did not manually lower the landing gear, suggesting they did not have time, said John Cox, a retired airline pilot and CEO of Safety Operating Systems in St. Petersburg, Florida.\u201d And: \u201cOther observers said the videos showed the plane was suffering from suspected engine trouble but the landing gear malfunction was likely a direct reason for the crash. They said there wouldn\u2019t likely be a link between the landing gear problem and the suspected engine issue. Earlier Monday, another Boeing 737-800 plane operated by Jeju Air returned to Seoul\u2019s Gimpo International Airport shortly after takeoff when the pilot detected a landing gear issue.\u201d And: \u201cJoo said officials were reviewing whether there might have been communication problems between air traffic controllers and the pilot.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cSouth Korea tragedy is ninth incident with Boeing this YEAR including 6,000ft drop, in-flight fire, Vilnius airport crash\u2026as well as mysterious death of safety whistleblower\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-14234009\/South-Korea-tragedy-incident-Boeing-YEAR-feet-fire-crash-death-safety-whistleblower.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Daily Mail<\/a>]. \u2022 A good, and sadly lengthy, roundup.<\/p>\n<p>Tech: \u201cElon Musk\u2019s xAI Secures Funding of $6B as Grok Transforms X\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasdaq.com\/articles\/elon-musks-xai-secures-funding-6b-grok-transforms-x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NASDAQ<\/a>]. \u201cElon Musk\u2019s artificial intelligence venture, xAI, has secured a staggering $6 billion in its latest funding round, according to a TechCrunch report, citing a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Thursday. This brings the company\u2019s total capital raised to $12 billion in just one year, signaling its rise in the competitive AI landscape\u2026.. According to a Financial Times report, only existing xAI investors were eligible to participate in this round, with up to 25% of shares reserved for those who had supported Musk\u2019s acquisition of the social media platform Twitter, now called X. This exclusive approach indicates Musk\u2019s strategy of rewarding loyal stakeholders while aiming for xAI\u2019s rumored valuation of $50 billion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tech: \u201cElon Musk\u2019s xAI lands $6B in new cash to fuel AI ambitions\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2024\/12\/25\/elon-musks-xai-lands-billions-in-new-cash-to-fuel-ai-ambitions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TechCrunch<\/a>]. \u201cX recently got a \u2018Grok button\u2019 designed to help users discover \u2018relevant context\u2019 and dive deeper into trending discussions and real-time events.\u201d \u2022 If I were Elon, I\u2019d be feeding the X firehouse right into Groks\u2019s training sets (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/ai-generated-data-can-poison-future-ai-models\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">autocoprophagy<\/a> in near-real time), because the potential for manipulation is obvious.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 30 Fear (previous close: 34 Fear) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 29 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed).Last updated Dec 30 at 2:36:02 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p>Rapture Index: Closes down one on drought. \u201cRain chips away at general drought conditions\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.raptureready.com\/rapture-ready-index\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Rapture Ready<\/a>]. Record High, October 10, 2016: 189. Current: 181. (Remember that bringing on the Rapture is good.) \u2022 Hard to believe the Rapture Index isn\u2019t at an all-time high. Doesn\u2019t the collapse of Syria bring the Third Temple closer? Do these people know something we don\u2019t?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Luigi?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.264367816092\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.0459770114943\">\n<p lang=\"it\" dir=\"ltr\">Caravaggio <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vA3No66R05\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/vA3No66R05<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Art Gallery (@X_ArtGallery) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/X_ArtGallery\/status\/1868283627160981975\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 15, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cLong COVID Lawsuits Coming, but Not Likely to Succeed\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/cLv6B\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MedScape<\/a>]. \u201d just when COVID lawsuits appear to be dwindling out, legal experts see a new lawsuit risk on the horizon \u2014 long COVID claims. While some say it\u2019s doubtful the claims will succeed, the lawsuits could still create legal headaches for doctors in the form of time and money. Long COVID claims are defined as complaints that allege that a diagnosis of long COVID was missed or delayed and that caused harm or injury. Lawsuits may also include claims in which patients allege that they were misdiagnosed as having long COVID when they were really suffering from another condition. The risk of long COVID lawsuits underscores the importance of physicians taking proactive steps to protect themselves from liability when treating patients who might have the condition, say legal experts. \u2018There are legal standards that say new, unestablished scientific principles shouldn\u2019t be first tested by a jury, they should be recognized and established within their [professional] area,\u201d Kolbert said. \u2018While we are seeing lawsuits related to long COVID, I think it is truly putting the cart before the horse, because there needs to be societal recognition that we\u2019re still learning how to define and treat long COVID.’\u201d \u2022 Maybe, but when we leave the horse in front of the cart, nothing happens either\u2026. <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy default, capital will matter more than ever after AGI\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/forum.effectivealtruism.org\/posts\/qLEhNdeQpecFR9rF7\/by-default-capital-will-matter-more-than-ever-after-agi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Effective Altruism Forum<\/a>]. \u201cFirst: labour means human mental and physical effort that produces something of value. Capital goods are things like factories, data centres, and software\u2014things humans have built that are used in the production of goods and services. I\u2019ll use \u2018capital\u2019 to refer to both the stock of capital goods and to the money that can pay for them. I\u2019ll say \u201cmoney\u201d when I want to exclude capital goods. The key economic effect of AI is that it makes capital a more and more general substitute for labour. There\u2019s less need to pay humans for their time to perform work, because you can replace that with capital (e.g. data centres running software replaces a human doing mental labour).\u201d \u2022 \u201cAlways was.\u201d Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ai_capital.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"263\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284783\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ai_capital.png 500w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ai_capital-300x158.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Interestingly parallel to <a href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/business\/2022\/06\/wilhoits-law-conservatives-frank-wilhoit.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wilhoit<\/a>: \u201cConservatism consists of exactly one proposition \u2026There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHere Come The Anti-Woke Venture Capitalists\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/davidjeans\/2024\/12\/23\/anti-woke-venture-capital-new-founding\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Forbes<\/a>]. \u201cEarlier this year, a little-known company called New Founding made headlines when it announced plans to build a Christian enclave in Kentucky \u2014 an \u2018aligned community\u201d where owners could \u2018disappear from the cultural insanity of the broader country.\u2019 But building a village was just the beginning. Now, New Founding has launched a venture capital fund to invest in what it calls \u2018aligned companies,\u2019 startups that oppose progressive ideologies and are intent on both \u2018cultural and economic disruption.\u2019 It\u2019s one of a small but growing number of VCs vocally rejecting \u2018wokeism\u2019 and building their investment thesis on core conservative values\u2026 New Founding CEO Nate Fischer told Forbes these investments are the beginnings of a \u2018parallel economy\u2019 offering conservative versions of mainstream services it views as too liberal, like Google\u2019s ad-tech products. \u2018There\u2019s a large share of people who feel that their views are almost entirely absent from the institutions that are shaping the future,\u2019 Fischer explained. \u2018And there\u2019s a real acute need and hunger for alternatives.\u201d\u2026 At least one Silicon Valley leader is on board. Marc Andreessen \u2014 a cofounder of the venture giant Andreessen Horowitz, or A16z, who has also railed against \u2018wokeism\u2019 \u2014 is among those backing New Founding\u2019s venture fund.\u201d \u2022 Why have we put the people who enshittified Google, social media, and every platform they\u2019ve touched in charged of society-wide capital allocation?<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Neoliberalism\u2019s inflection point in the real economy?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.6856060606061\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.3939393939394\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Why is 1971 such an inflection point in so many data sets? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/S5c6SQxlU3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/S5c6SQxlU3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 0x146.gfy (@The0xReport) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/The0xReport\/status\/1872932036262109493\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 28, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Did we not discuss this topic at some point? I used to collect charts like this. Like when real wages flattened.<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .entry-content --><\/p>\n<footer class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\tThis entry was posted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-30-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-30T14:00:58-05:00\">December 30, 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\/6-fracking-billionaires-and-climate-denial-groups-behind-trumps-cabinet.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> 6 Fracking Billionaires and Climate Denial Groups Behind Trump\u2019s Cabinet<\/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-12-30-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day Northern Mockingbird, Miller Drive Roost (Brewer Park), Miami-Dade, Florida, United States. Very pretty! * *<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":89085,"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-89084","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\/89084","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=89084"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89084\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Northern Mockingbird, Miller Drive Roost (Brewer Park), Miami-Dade, Florida, United States. Very pretty!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#h1b\">H1B controversy<\/a> rolls along.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#h1b\">Trump\u2019s AI czar<\/a> helping H1Bers with fraudulent remittances.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#norovirus\">Norovirus <\/a>surge.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#amazon\">Amazon<\/a> attacks third-party sellers again.<\/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>Trump Transition<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"28.29020979021\">\n<p><a name=\"h1b\"\/>\u201cThe Great Fake H1-B Controversy\u201d [Roger Simon, <a href=\"https:\/\/americanrefugees.substack.com\/p\/the-great-fake-h1-b-controversy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">American Refugees<\/a>]. \u201cThis fits the internal MAGA dispute over H1-B visas to the proverbial T. The only ones who profit from this kerfuffle, or whatever it is, are the left and their fading media allies, desperate for something to latch onto about MAGA and .\u201d It\u2019s so funny to see party regulars, of whichever party, coming up with the same talking points. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSteve Bannon Slams \u2018Toddler\u2019 Elon Musk After Tesla Owner Tells Critics To \u2018F**k Yourself In the Face\u2019 As MAGA Civil War Rages On\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/politics\/steve-bannon-slams-toddler-elon-musk-after-tesla-owner-tells-critics-to-fk-yourself-in-the-face-as-maga-civil-war-rages-on\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Mediaite<\/a>]. \u201cSomeone please notify \u2018Child Protective Services\u2019\u2014 need to do a \u2018wellness check\u2019 on this toddler,\u2019 Bannon wrote on Gettr on Friday night in response to Musk telling his critics to \u2018fuck yourself in the face.\u2019\u2026 In followup posts on Gettr, Bannon argued that H-1B visas are used as a \u2018tool\u2019 of the tech industry to drive wages down [correct] and he told Musk to \u2018bring it.\u2019\u2026 On his War Room podcast on Friday, Bannon referred to tech leaders like Musk as \u2018on the spectrum\u2019 and incapable of taking criticism. \u2018The nerds don\u2019t take criticism,\u2019 he said. \u2018They\u2019re kind of, you know, they\u2019re a little bit all on the spectrum, right? They don\u2019t know\u2013 they\u2019re not deep in social skills.’\u201d \u2022 Not sure Bannon is all that strong on social skills either. Or the political class generally, lacking empathy as they seem to do. Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.7315789473684\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"8.1947368421053\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Who the fuck tells millions of Americans to go fuck themselves in the face and then tells them a day later to post more positivity?<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Donhammed Trumpistan (@TheRealDon85) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheRealDon85\/status\/1873436539902152885\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 29, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Can confirm I saw both of President Musk\u2019s tweets go by.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"14.505119453925\">\n<p>That\u2019s the stuff to give the troops:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"5.15625\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"13.125\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Green Party spoiled another major race for us (PA SEN), just the latest on a very long list.<\/p>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DNC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@DNC<\/a> Chair, I\u2019ll go on permanent offense, not just taking up the legal fight during ballot access. We\u2019ll dismantle these Republican-enablers\u2019 infrastructure. The gloves come off.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 James Skoufis (@JamesSkoufis) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JamesSkoufis\/status\/1872738094434435382\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 27, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs DNC chair, I\u2019ll keep Greens off the ballot!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs the Democratic brand toxic? A growing number of Dems wonder if going \u2018independent\u2019 will help them win\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/12\/29\/democrats-running-independent-toxic-brand-001832\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cA group of operatives at major Democratic media firms are in talks about creating a company that would help elect left-leaning independents, according to a person familiar with the discussions who was granted anonymity to talk about internal planning. The business would also back populist Democrats.\u201d \u2022 Oh, swell.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"34.613008130081\">\n<p>\u201cLuigi Mangione\u2019s indictment is another example of the dangers of terror charges\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/truthout.org\/articles\/luigi-mangiones-indictment-is-another-example-of-the-dangers-of-terror-charges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TruthOut<\/a>]. \u201cTacking terrorism onto the indictment allows the district attorney to upgrade the murder charges from the second to the first degree; under New York law, first-degree murder charges are normally reserved for crimes like serial or mass killings or the murder of police officers\u2026. It\u2019s hard not to see the bloated charges in the context of Mangione\u2019s recent ascent to quasi-folk hero status\u2026. This outpouring of public resentment has unnerved health care executives. Corporations scrambled to scrub information about their C-suites from the internet and called up private security details. Bragg made a broad reference to this fear in a press conference. \u2018This was a killing that was intended to evoke terror and we\u2019ve seen that reaction,\u2019 he told reporters on December 17. \u2018This was not an ordinary killing.’\u201d \u2022 With a good review of other \u201cterrorism\u201d charges, including camping at Cop City.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnitedHealthcare taught us ways to deny claims: Former employee\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsnationnow.com\/health\/unitedhealthcare-ways-deny-claims-former-employee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NewsNation<\/a>]. \u201d A former UnitedHealthcare claims representative says employees were systematically trained to deny medical claims and rush distressed customers off phone lines, revealing internal practices at the nation\u2019s largest health insurer amid growing scrutiny of the industry. Natalie Collins, who worked for UnitedHealthcare for nine months, said Saturday on \u2018NewsNation Prime\u2019 that staff received \u2018so many different ways to deny\u2019 claims during their two to three months of training, with supervisors often standing behind representatives instructing them on denial methods. \u2018We weren\u2019t given proper instruction to actually pay the claim, and there wasn\u2019t enough monies in certain files in certain companies to pay medical claims,\u2019 Collins said. \u2018We would have to just get the client off the phone as fast as we could.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cKansas once required voters to prove citizenship. That didn\u2019t work out so well\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/kansas-noncitizen-voting-proof-of-citizenship-50d56a0b8d1f0fde15480aab3db67f4f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cKansas imposed a proof-of-citizenship requirement over a decade ago that grew into one of the biggest political fiascos in the state in recent memory. The law, passed by the state Legislature in 2011 and implemented two years later, ended up blocking the voter registrations of more than 31,000 U.S. citizens who were otherwise eligible to vote. That was 12% of everyone seeking to register in Kansas for the first time. Federal courts ultimately declared the law an unconstitutional burden on voting rights, and it hasn\u2019t been enforced since 2018. Kansas provides a cautionary tale about how pursuing an election concern that in fact is extremely rare risks disenfranchising a far greater number of people who are legally entitled to vote. The state\u2019s top elections official, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, championed the idea as a legislator and now says states and the federal government shouldn\u2019t touch it. \u2018Kansas did that 10 years ago,\u2019 said Schwab, a Republican. \u2018It didn\u2019t work out so well.’\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><a name=\"norovirus\"\/>Transmission: Norovirus<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"40.816417910448\">\n<p>\u201cNorovirus cases are rising in the U.S., CDC data shows\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/12\/30\/norovirus-symptoms-cases-outbreak-us-cdc-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. Cases of a highly contagious stomach bug are rising across the U.S., according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Norovirus can cause ghastly bouts of vomiting and diarrhea as a result of inflammation of the of the stomach and intestines, per the CDC. It\u2019s also the number one cause of foodborne illness in the U.S., according to the health agency\u2026. The virus often spreads in \u2018confined spaces\u2019 like cruise ships, day care centers, and college dorms, the journal added.\u201d \u2022\u00a0Tranmission is said to be droplet-based: Vomit, feces\u2026 So I had to check, \u201cconfined spaces\u201d being a red flag\u2013<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAerosol Transmission of Norovirus\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC10818780\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Viruses<\/a>]. \u201cNorovirus (NoV) is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide. A comprehensive understanding of the transmission mode is of great significance for the prevention and control of the NoV infection. Currently, the transmission modes of NoV include contact, food-borne, water-borne and aerosol transmission. The first three modes are more common, while aerosol transmission is seldom reported\u2026. NoV aerosol transmission often occurs simultaneously with person-to-person transmission, including the contact with infected individuals and contaminated environments. Therefore, a rigorous investigation and analysis are required when determining the transmission mode. There is also a lack of standard sampling equipment and procedures for viral aerosols, which hinders a better understanding of the source, concentration, particle size, residence time, movement and distribution of viral aerosols. In addition, we need to establish an effective in vitro culture system to evaluate the infectivity of NoV aerosols, which is another challenge that that is currently exists. At present, most cases of NoV aerosols are related to vomiting, and diarrhea-related ones are less common. Further research is needed to investigate the role of diarrhea and toilet flushing in the transmission of NoV aerosols, including the concentration of aerosols in toilets and their infectivity. Recent reports have indicated salivary transmission as a new mode of transmission [74]. Therefore, it is essential to explore whether activities such as coughing, talking, sneezing and other behaviors of infected individuals contribute to the aerosol transmission of NoV. It is necessary to further explore the aerosol transmission mechanism of NoV to provide a theoretical basis for formulating prevention and control policies.\u201d \u2022 We don\u2019t know because we\u2019re not checking. Can\u2019t we at least rule aerosol transmission out?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: A little more orange and red around Ohio; no rise at JFK, EWR, ORD, LAX.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.872781065089\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.625\">\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-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284797\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4-300x211.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-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><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6521739130435\">\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\"> <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=\"3.9102564102564\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span>New York[5] <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.health.ny.gov\/daily-hospitalization-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York State<\/a>, data December 27:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 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-14.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-284798\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-14.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-14-300x169.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=\"3.5789473684211\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> Positivity[9] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> December 9:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Variants[10] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> 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=\"162.52094147373\">\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>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Chicago PMI\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/chicago-pmi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe Chicago Business Barometer, also known as the Chicago PMI, dropped further to 36.9 in December 2024, compared to November\u2019s 40.2 and missing market forecasts of 42.5. The latest data indicated that Chicago\u2019s economic activity contracted for the 13th consecutive month, recording its steepest decline since May.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/dallas-fed-manufacturing-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe Dallas Fed\u2019s Texas manufacturing activity index moved up six points to 3.4 in December 2024, its first positive reading since April 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"amazon\"\/>Retail: \u201cAmazon sellers are in revolt over a new policy they say hurts profits and gives up guarded business data\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.modernretail.co\/technology\/amazon-sellers-are-in-revolt-over-a-new-policy-they-say-hurts-profits-and-gives-up-guarded-business-data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Modern Retail<\/a>]. \u201d Starting March 10, 2025, Amazon will only pay back sellers for the product manufacturing cost, not the full retail cost, which is how the e-tailer currently reimburses sellers for lost or damaged items. \u2026 What\u2019s more, in order to calculate the payouts, sellers have one of two options. They can let Amazon determine the manufacturing cost. In the announcement, Amazon said such estimates would be \u2018based on a comprehensive evaluation of comparable products sold by Amazon, by other sellers and through wholesale channel.\u2019 Still, sellers who spoke to Modern Retail said they\u2019re worried that this could lead to inaccurate or low-ball estimates. Alternatively, sellers can provide their manufacturing costs, such as proof of cost of sourcing, directly to Amazon. For sellers, this raises serious privacy concerns over how exactly their private manufacturing cost data will be used.\u201d Indeed! More: \u201cA Wall Street Journal investigation from 2020 found that Amazon has allegedly used data from third-party sellers to help develop its private-label goods. Brands have claimed that Amazon copies their products and undercuts them with prices that make it difficult to compete. Amazon has since pulled back on its private-label business to alleviate regulatory scrutiny. \u2026 To AmpliSell\u2019s [Joshua] Rawe, Amazon sellers have two \u2018closely guarded secrets\u2019: one, their manufacturing cost data. And two, who their manufacturer is. \u2018With Amazon saying, \u2018Hey, give us your cost,\u2019 that\u2019s like giving up your competitive advantage to these sellers,\u2019 Rawe said. \u2018They\u2019re like, \u2018Well if I give you my cost, you\u2019re going to go out and figure out how to source it cheaper and create an Amazon brand of my product.\u2019 That\u2019s every seller\u2019s worst fear.’\u201d \u2022 In the midst of being sued by FTC as a monopoly, too.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cSouth Korea to inspect Boeing aircraft as it struggles to find cause of plane crash that killed 179\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/south-korea-muan-jeju-air-crash-investigation-37561308a8157f6afe2eb507ac5131d5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Associated Press<\/a>]. \u201cThe Boeing 737-800 plane operated by South Korean budget airline Jeju Air aborted its first landing attempt for reasons that aren\u2019t immediately clear. Then, during its second landing attempt, it received a bird strike warning from the ground control center before its pilot issued a distress signal. The plane landed without its front landing gear deployed, overshot the runway, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into a fireball. Alan Price, a former chief pilot at Delta Air Lines and now a consultant, said the Boeing 737-800 is a \u2018proven airplane\u2019 that belongs to a different class of aircraft than the Boeing 737 Max jetliner that was linked to fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019.\u201d Oh. More: \u201cVideo of the crash indicated that the pilots did not deploy flaps or slats to slow the aircraft, suggesting a possible hydraulic failure, and did not manually lower the landing gear, suggesting they did not have time, said John Cox, a retired airline pilot and CEO of Safety Operating Systems in St. Petersburg, Florida.\u201d And: \u201cOther observers said the videos showed the plane was suffering from suspected engine trouble but the landing gear malfunction was likely a direct reason for the crash. They said there wouldn\u2019t likely be a link between the landing gear problem and the suspected engine issue. Earlier Monday, another Boeing 737-800 plane operated by Jeju Air returned to Seoul\u2019s Gimpo International Airport shortly after takeoff when the pilot detected a landing gear issue.\u201d And: \u201cJoo said officials were reviewing whether there might have been communication problems between air traffic controllers and the pilot.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cSouth Korea tragedy is ninth incident with Boeing this YEAR including 6,000ft drop, in-flight fire, Vilnius airport crash\u2026as well as mysterious death of safety whistleblower\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-14234009\/South-Korea-tragedy-incident-Boeing-YEAR-feet-fire-crash-death-safety-whistleblower.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Daily Mail<\/a>]. \u2022 A good, and sadly lengthy, roundup.<\/p>\n<p>Tech: \u201cElon Musk\u2019s xAI Secures Funding of $6B as Grok Transforms X\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasdaq.com\/articles\/elon-musks-xai-secures-funding-6b-grok-transforms-x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NASDAQ<\/a>]. \u201cElon Musk\u2019s artificial intelligence venture, xAI, has secured a staggering $6 billion in its latest funding round, according to a TechCrunch report, citing a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Thursday. This brings the company\u2019s total capital raised to $12 billion in just one year, signaling its rise in the competitive AI landscape\u2026.. According to a Financial Times report, only existing xAI investors were eligible to participate in this round, with up to 25% of shares reserved for those who had supported Musk\u2019s acquisition of the social media platform Twitter, now called X. This exclusive approach indicates Musk\u2019s strategy of rewarding loyal stakeholders while aiming for xAI\u2019s rumored valuation of $50 billion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tech: \u201cElon Musk\u2019s xAI lands $6B in new cash to fuel AI ambitions\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2024\/12\/25\/elon-musks-xai-lands-billions-in-new-cash-to-fuel-ai-ambitions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TechCrunch<\/a>]. \u201cX recently got a \u2018Grok button\u2019 designed to help users discover \u2018relevant context\u2019 and dive deeper into trending discussions and real-time events.\u201d \u2022 If I were Elon, I\u2019d be feeding the X firehouse right into Groks\u2019s training sets (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/ai-generated-data-can-poison-future-ai-models\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">autocoprophagy<\/a> in near-real time), because the potential for manipulation is obvious.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 30 Fear (previous close: 34 Fear) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 29 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed).Last updated Dec 30 at 2:36:02 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p>Rapture Index: Closes down one on drought. \u201cRain chips away at general drought conditions\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.raptureready.com\/rapture-ready-index\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Rapture Ready<\/a>]. Record High, October 10, 2016: 189. Current: 181. (Remember that bringing on the Rapture is good.) \u2022 Hard to believe the Rapture Index isn\u2019t at an all-time high. Doesn\u2019t the collapse of Syria bring the Third Temple closer? Do these people know something we don\u2019t?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Luigi?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.264367816092\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.0459770114943\">\n<p lang=\"it\" dir=\"ltr\">Caravaggio <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vA3No66R05\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/vA3No66R05<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Art Gallery (@X_ArtGallery) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/X_ArtGallery\/status\/1868283627160981975\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 15, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Healthcare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cLong COVID Lawsuits Coming, but Not Likely to Succeed\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/cLv6B\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MedScape<\/a>]. \u201d just when COVID lawsuits appear to be dwindling out, legal experts see a new lawsuit risk on the horizon \u2014 long COVID claims. While some say it\u2019s doubtful the claims will succeed, the lawsuits could still create legal headaches for doctors in the form of time and money. Long COVID claims are defined as complaints that allege that a diagnosis of long COVID was missed or delayed and that caused harm or injury. Lawsuits may also include claims in which patients allege that they were misdiagnosed as having long COVID when they were really suffering from another condition. The risk of long COVID lawsuits underscores the importance of physicians taking proactive steps to protect themselves from liability when treating patients who might have the condition, say legal experts. \u2018There are legal standards that say new, unestablished scientific principles shouldn\u2019t be first tested by a jury, they should be recognized and established within their [professional] area,\u201d Kolbert said. \u2018While we are seeing lawsuits related to long COVID, I think it is truly putting the cart before the horse, because there needs to be societal recognition that we\u2019re still learning how to define and treat long COVID.’\u201d \u2022 Maybe, but when we leave the horse in front of the cart, nothing happens either\u2026. <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy default, capital will matter more than ever after AGI\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/forum.effectivealtruism.org\/posts\/qLEhNdeQpecFR9rF7\/by-default-capital-will-matter-more-than-ever-after-agi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Effective Altruism Forum<\/a>]. \u201cFirst: labour means human mental and physical effort that produces something of value. Capital goods are things like factories, data centres, and software\u2014things humans have built that are used in the production of goods and services. I\u2019ll use \u2018capital\u2019 to refer to both the stock of capital goods and to the money that can pay for them. I\u2019ll say \u201cmoney\u201d when I want to exclude capital goods. The key economic effect of AI is that it makes capital a more and more general substitute for labour. There\u2019s less need to pay humans for their time to perform work, because you can replace that with capital (e.g. data centres running software replaces a human doing mental labour).\u201d \u2022 \u201cAlways was.\u201d Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ai_capital.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"263\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-284783\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ai_capital.png 500w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ai_capital-300x158.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Interestingly parallel to <a href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/business\/2022\/06\/wilhoits-law-conservatives-frank-wilhoit.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wilhoit<\/a>: \u201cConservatism consists of exactly one proposition \u2026There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHere Come The Anti-Woke Venture Capitalists\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/davidjeans\/2024\/12\/23\/anti-woke-venture-capital-new-founding\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Forbes<\/a>]. \u201cEarlier this year, a little-known company called New Founding made headlines when it announced plans to build a Christian enclave in Kentucky \u2014 an \u2018aligned community\u201d where owners could \u2018disappear from the cultural insanity of the broader country.\u2019 But building a village was just the beginning. Now, New Founding has launched a venture capital fund to invest in what it calls \u2018aligned companies,\u2019 startups that oppose progressive ideologies and are intent on both \u2018cultural and economic disruption.\u2019 It\u2019s one of a small but growing number of VCs vocally rejecting \u2018wokeism\u2019 and building their investment thesis on core conservative values\u2026 New Founding CEO Nate Fischer told Forbes these investments are the beginnings of a \u2018parallel economy\u2019 offering conservative versions of mainstream services it views as too liberal, like Google\u2019s ad-tech products. \u2018There\u2019s a large share of people who feel that their views are almost entirely absent from the institutions that are shaping the future,\u2019 Fischer explained. \u2018And there\u2019s a real acute need and hunger for alternatives.\u201d\u2026 At least one Silicon Valley leader is on board. Marc Andreessen \u2014 a cofounder of the venture giant Andreessen Horowitz, or A16z, who has also railed against \u2018wokeism\u2019 \u2014 is among those backing New Founding\u2019s venture fund.\u201d \u2022 Why have we put the people who enshittified Google, social media, and every platform they\u2019ve touched in charged of society-wide capital allocation?<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Neoliberalism\u2019s inflection point in the real economy?<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.6856060606061\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.3939393939394\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Why is 1971 such an inflection point in so many data sets? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/S5c6SQxlU3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/S5c6SQxlU3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 0x146.gfy (@The0xReport) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/The0xReport\/status\/1872932036262109493\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">December 28, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Did we not discuss this topic at some point? I used to collect charts like this. Like when real wages flattened.<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .entry-content --><\/p>\n<footer class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\tThis entry was posted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2024\/12\/200pm-water-cooler-12-30-2024.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2024-12-30T14:00:58-05:00\">December 30, 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\/6-fracking-billionaires-and-climate-denial-groups-behind-trumps-cabinet.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> 6 Fracking Billionaires and Climate Denial Groups Behind Trump\u2019s Cabinet<\/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-12-30-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Bird Song of the Day Northern Mockingbird, Miller Drive Roost (Brewer Park), Miami-Dade, Florida, United States. Very pretty! * *<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":89085,"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-89084","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\/89084","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=89084"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89084\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}