\n<\/p>\n
Bird Song of the Day<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Brown Thrasher, Finger Lakes National Forest; Dunn Road, Tompkins, New York, United States.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#nuke\"> Trump wants nuclear reduction talks<\/a> with China, Russia.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#schedulef\">Trump<\/a> readies Schedule F assault.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#energy\">Energy in the executive<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#martin\">George R.R. Martin<\/a> back in print.<\/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>Capitol Seizure<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"10.436860068259\">\n<p>\u201cTrump freed a Jan. 6 defendant charged with assaulting police. DOJ had him arrested again on a gun charge\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/01\/22\/trump-jan-6-defendant-gun-charge-005863\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cA Jan. 6 defendant whose felony assault charges were dismissed a day earlier was <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.dcd.276643\/gov.uscourts.dcd.276643.1.0_1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">arrested Wednesday<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.flmd.430804\/gov.uscourts.flmd.430804.1.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">federal gun charges<\/a> that have been pending for nearly two years in Florida\u2026. But Ball\u2019s charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm remained pending and unconnected to his Jan. 6 case. According to that indictment, Ball has previously been convicted of domestic violence battery by strangulation in June 2017, resisting law enforcement with violence and battery of a law enforcement officer in October 2021. It\u2019s unclear if U.S. marshals executed the arrest warrant on Ball prior to his release on the Jan. 6 charges. However, it\u2019s the first docketed federal criminal case in Washington since Trump\u2019s inauguration.\u201d \u2022 Amusing!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Biden Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"13.898107714702\">\n<p>\u201cJoe Biden Clearly Thinks Donald Trump Isn\u2019t Bluffing\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/news-and-politics\/2025\/01\/joe-biden-pardons-donald-trump-january-6-no-bluff.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Slate<\/a>]. \u201cBiden issued a second round of preemptive pardons, as stunning as the first. They were granted to five members of his immediate family. The recipients are his brothers and sister, James Biden, Frank Biden, and Valerie Biden Owens, and their spouses, John Owens and Sara Biden. None of them is well known to the public. None has been a prominent critic of Trump. That he would feel the need to protect them tells us how deeply fearful Biden is about the lengths to which Trump will go to punish any member of what Trump and his allies label the \u2018Biden Crime Family\u2019.\u201d \u2022 Or they were all wetting their beaks.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a name=\"trump\"\/>Trump Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"163.32839421089\">\n<p>This just in:<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"nuke\"\/>\u201cTrump wants nuclear reduction talks with China, Russia\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/5102798-trump-urges-nuclear-talks-russia-china\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cPresident Trump while addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday said that he wants to hold talks with Russia and China about reducing nuclear weapon stockpiles. Trump during his first term failed to bring China into negotiations to extend a nuclear arms treaty with Russia, called New START, which places key limits on deployed nuclear weapons and expires February 2026. U.S. and Russian participation in the treaty effectively froze during the Biden administration, as Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to impose costs on Washington for supporting Ukraine militarily. Putin has also threatened the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine to try to deter U.S. and European military support for Kyiv. Addressing the global forum, Trump recounted talks with Putin ahead of the 2020 U.S. election about denuclearization talks and how \u2018China would have come along.\u2019 \u2018We want to see if we can denuclearize, and I think that\u2019s very possible,\u2019 Trump said. \u2018And I can tell you that President Putin wanted to do it, he and I wanted to do it. We had a good conversation with China, they would have been involved, and that would have been an unbelievable thing for the planet.’\u201d \u2022 Good, but now do climate.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump wants nuclear reduction talks with China, Russia : <\/p>\n<p>\u201cPresident Trump, Crypto Billionaire\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/nMvyc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cDonald Trump doesn\u2019t always separate his personal interests from his public obligations, and a howling example is his sudden new status as a crypto billionaire. The President is inviting trouble with what looks like remarkably poor judgment. Crypto markets have boomed since Mr. Trump\u2019s election in part on expectations of friendlier regulation. And so be it. Animal spirits have been rising all around. But Mr. Trump and his family have tried to cash in on the mania by minting Trump-branded coins\u2026. Unlike Trump-stamped tumblers ($42) and pickleball paddles ($180), crypto tokens are vehicles for speculation. Like other cryptocurrencies, their price is volatile. After surging roughly 10-fold after its launch, $TRUMP\u2019s price has since fallen by half\u2026. All of this creates flashing-red political risks and ethical conflicts. Start with who may be buying the tokens. A business or foreign official with interests before the federal government might seek to curry favor with Mr. Trump by announcing plans to buy millions of his token to pump up the price. Or, worse, whispering to Mr. Trump that he\u2019s made the purchases, since crypto holdings aren\u2019t disclosed. If Mr. Trump\u2019s regulators then act in a way that aids crypto or the person seeking the favor, he\u2019ll be accused of aiding the buyer in service of presidential self-dealing. The President might claim immunity by saying the regulation is part of his official duties, but that won\u2019t remove the political taint. That also won\u2019t stop civil lawsuits . A President isn\u2019t immune from lawsuits for actions taken before becoming President under the Supreme Court\u2019s Clinton v. Jones (1997) ruling. Mr. Trump has created a regulatory nightmare for Paul Atkins, his highly qualified nominee to run the SEC. Mr. Atkins was crypto-friendly long before his nomination, but now any regulatory move he takes that the industry supports will be attacked as helping Mr. Trump\u2019s business. If the token\u2019s price drops, buyers who lose money could argue that Mr. Trump failed to make required securities disclosures about the risks. Democratic state Attorneys General could seek restitution for investors.\u201d And importantly: \u201cNo careful President would get anywhere near this kind of political risk, and we can\u2019t recall any President who has. Where are Mr. Trump\u2019s lawyers? \u2026 The crypto caper is a worrisome sign that Mr. Trump\u2019s current advisers don\u2019t understand the difference any better than he does, or that they are too cowed to speak up.\u201d\u2022 Again I ask whether Susie Wiles knew about this, or whether the first she heard was what she read in the papers.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"schedulef\"\/>\u201cTrump hires fed-firing mastermind\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/01\/18\/trump-hires-fed-firing-mastermind-00199154\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cPresident-elect Donald Trump is bringing back a senior White House official who led his first-term push to make it easier to fire civil servants. James Sherk, who served as a special assistant on domestic policy during Trump\u2019s first term, will return to serve in the White House Domestic Policy Council, Trump announced Saturday. Sherk has worked at the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute during the Biden administration. Sherk was central to the Trump administration\u2019s efforts to make it easier to fire some federal employees using a classification called Schedule F. That effort generated an outcry from civil servants, and the Biden administration moved quickly to reverse course. The incoming Trump administration has made it clear that it plans to pursue drastic reforms to the federal workforce, and Sherk is poised to be central to those efforts. Trump has vowed to \u201cshatter the deep state\u201d and make it easier to fire \u2018rogue bureaucrats.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The dude wouldn\u2019t know a Communist if [insert joke here]:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.7583081570997\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"12.371601208459\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Everything Donald Trump is dismantling will be parked at a bunch of communist 501c3\u2019s until the next Democrat President, when it will be quickly restored to government.<\/p>\n<p>The Trump admin MUST go after the left wing non profits to secure long term victories. Break them. Strike.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Oilfield_Rando\/status\/1882165959533936775\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, institutionally he\u2019s quite right; that\u2019s what the NGOs will do.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cGabbard\u2019s nomination on shaky ground\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.semafor.com\/article\/01\/22\/2025\/gabbards-nomination-on-shaky-ground\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Semafor<\/a>]. \u201cTulsi Gabbard\u2019s bid to become Donald Trump\u2019s director of national intelligence is on shaky ground, with Republican lawmakers raising private concerns and the president urging her to get aggressive. Republicans are particularly hesitant about her past statements that some have read as too warm toward Vladimir Putin and former Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad, whom Gabbard met with in 2017. She\u2019s also questioned some intelligence-gathering tools, though she recently endorsed a provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that allows warrantless surveillance of foreign targets and has the power to sweep up domestic US communications.\u201d \u2022 Gabbard shifted position on Section 702 to appease national security goons, and then a <a href=\"https:\/\/subscriber.politicopro.com\/article\/2025\/01\/federal-court-says-section-702-queries-violate-fourth-amendment-00200042\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Federal District Court struck it down<\/a>, as we saw yesterday. If Gabbard gives these people the vapors, she\u2019s the right person for the job.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSenate panel sets hearing on Tulsi Gabbard nomination\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/national-security\/5102767-tulsi-gabbard-hearing-intelligence-committee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cThe Senate Intelligence Committee has scheduled a hearing to review the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard to serve as director of national intelligence. The Jan. 30 hearing comes after Democrats resisted the scheduling of an earlier hearing, saying they still didn\u2019t have the full slate of background checks, ethics disclosures and paperwork on a candidate whose overall qualifications have sparked their concern. She has also been seeking to explain her past support of Snowden, saying she didn\u2019t feel the intelligence community had sufficient channels for raising concerns. That explanation has not rested well with all Intelligence Committee lawmakers, however, who have called the National Security Agency leaker a traitor.\u201d \u2022 Would have been helpful if Trump pardoned Snowden immediately. That would put the cat among the pigeons. (Of course, the real reason Gabbard is a \u201ctraitor\u201d in these people\u2019s minds is that she left the Democrat Party.)<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"energy\"\/>Energy in the executive:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoocy: Biden Staff Would Be In Such A Hurry To Get Us Out, \u2018Trump Seemed Willing To Talk About Anything’\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolitics.com\/video\/2025\/01\/21\/doocy_biden_staff_would_be_in_such_a_hurry_to_get_us_out_trump_seemed_willing_to_talk_about_anything.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">RealClearPolitics<\/a>] \u201cAnytime that we would go into the Oval Office, for example, like I was for almost an hour last night with President Biden, the staff would be in such a hurry to get us out. And President Biden would just smile, and there were people yelling [(!!)]. They didn\u2019t want him off script. They wanted him telling us whatever was on a note card that they had printed for him. Whereas last night, President Trump seemed willing to talk about anything. You could have asked him stuff from the news page, the gossip page, the sports page. He wants to put his fingerprints on everything, and his staff seemed like they were happy just to sit back and let it happen?\u201d \u2022 People <em>yelling<\/em>?! Like \u201cNo Joe! Don\u2019t go there!\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump warns he\u2019ll adjourn Congress to make recess appointments. How would that work?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/trump-recess-appointments-adjourning-congress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CBS<\/a>]. \u201cPresident Trump is threatening to use his powers to adjourn Congress so he can make recess appointments for at least some of his top Cabinet nominees and their deputies, enabling them to begin running the largest federal departments. Mr. Trump most recently raised the prospect of plunging the executive and legislative branches into uncharted constitutional territory during his White House meeting Tuesday with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, mulling the option if Democrats opt to slow-walk or delay his top national security and public health nominees, according to two people familiar with the meetings. \u2018This remains a significant possibility in the eyes of the White House,\u2019 one of the people familiar with the meetings said, emphasizing this is not expected to happen this week, but remains under active consideration.\u201d Article II, Section 3: \u201cAnd in Case of Disagreement between [both Houses], with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, [the President] may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper.\u201d Amusingly, since the Republicans control both Houses, it would be easy for Johnson and Thune to engineer a disagreement! But: \u201cIt is unclear how long Mr. Trump would recess Congress, given that a possible government shutdown looms in mid-March and Republican leaders have set an April goal of passing massive economic, tax and immigration legislation that would authorize Mr. Trump\u2019s plans to cut inflation and taxes and dramatically overhaul border security policy.\u201d \u2022 Trump would adjourn Congress for as it took to make the recess appointments. They would then reconvene. Of course, this would \u201cmake a mockery,\u201d etc. etc. but here we are!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump\u2019s Rush List for Security Clearances Poses Risks, and Congress Will Have No Oversight\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/m42aF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NOTUS<\/a>]. \u201cIn an unprecedented move experts say could present a major national security risk, Donald Trump is handing out temporary top secret security clearances to White House staff without any of the usual background checks. \u2018It seems unnecessary given that interim clearances can go through the normal procedure and be done in just a few days,\u2019 especially with a White House request for expedited processing, the president of the Federal Clearance Assistance Service, William Henderson, told NOTUS. \u2018If you\u2019re the clearance authority and somebody gives you a name and says, \u2018Give this person a clearance,\u2019 you don\u2019t know if his brother is working for the Mossad. You don\u2019t know anything about it,\u2019 Henderson added. Republican Senators either ceded trust to President Trump or deflected questions about security concerns \u2014 ranging from Sen. Rick Scott\u2019s, \u2018I believe the president\u2019s going to do the right thing to keep our country safe,\u2019 to Sen. Thom Tillis\u2019 \u2018I haven\u2019t looked at it, I think due diligence is pretty important.\u2019 Democrats pointed to a more nefarious reason than pure convenience: Trump could be slipping people into top positions that wouldn\u2019t otherwise pass security muster.\u201d \u2022 Russians, no doubt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Memo: Trump 2.0 comes into focus\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/administration\/5101484-trump-second-term-72-hours\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cTrump has been delivering on the \u201cshock and awe\u201d approach that his allies promised\u2026. Beyond the pardons, the new president\u2019s first days back at the White House have offered a bracing reminder of the chaotic showmanship in which he revels\u2026. In total, Trump\u2019s actions have elicited a mix of shock and familiarity among the president\u2019s fans and foes alike\u2026 The bottom line is that the opposition party is bracing for four more years like the past three days. For Democrats, it\u2019s a bleak prospect.\u201d \u2022 One thing I don\u2019t understand is that word \u201cchaos,\u201d often used by Democrats as the ultimate indictment of Trump\u2019s style of governance. What\u2019s more \u201cchaotic\u201d than a genocide and a proxy war with a nuclear power?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump\u2019s blizzard of orders gets pushback, questions from GOP lawmakers\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/5101526-trump-executive-orders-gop-concerns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cPresident Trump\u2019s blizzard of executive orders during the first few days of his presidency has sent Republican lawmakers scrambling to make sense of what impact they\u2019ll have on the country, and some GOP senators are already raising questions and concerns. Republicans were surprised by Trump\u2019s order to immediately pause the disbursement of funds under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which they fear would stop funding to key projects in their home states. \u2018Some of it is not helpful,\u2019 said a senior Republican aide who noted Trump\u2019s team would have been wise to provide more detail about the scope of the orders or could have waited until some of his nominees cleared Senate committees before taking actions that were likely to prompt legislative pushback.\u201d \u2022 Hmm.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cRFK Jr. plans to keep a financial stake in lawsuits against the drugmaker Merck\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/shots-health-news\/2025\/01\/22\/nx-s1-5271582\/rfk-hpv-vaccine-merck\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NPR<\/a>]. \u201cEven if Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is confirmed as the next Health and Human Services secretary, he still plans to collect fees from Wisner Baum, a law firm suing Merck over claims that the pharmaceutical company failed to properly warn consumers about risks from its HPV vaccine, Gardasil, according to new filings with the Office of Government Ethics. Kennedy will only collect the fees if Wisner Baum wins, and only for cases that aren\u2019t against the United States or in which the United States isn\u2019t a party and doesn\u2019t have \u2018a direct or substantial interest,\u2019 according to the filings. \u2018Pursuant to the referral agreement, I am entitled to receive 10% of fees awarded in contingency fee cases referred to the firm,\u2019 Kennedy wrote in his signed ethics agreement. \u2018I am not trying these cases, I am not an attorney of record for the cases, and I will not provide representational services in connection with the cases during my appointment to the position of Secretary.’\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>DOGE<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"8.5090909090909\">\n<p>\u201cMaybe We Do Need DOGE\u201d (interview) [Jennifer Pahlka, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/podcasts\/archive\/2025\/01\/elon-musk-doge-government-efficiency\/681366\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Atlantic<\/a>]. Interesting example of the hiring process, but too long to quote. Search on \u201cwe say we\u2019re going to hire on the basis of merit.\u201d Worth a read.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Our Famously Free Press<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"23.533477321814\">\n<p>\u201cThree Disturbing Signs of Fourth Estate Failure\u201d [Bill Scher, <a href=\"https:\/\/washingtonmonthly.com\/2025\/01\/23\/three-disturbing-signs-of-fourth-estate-failure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Washington Monthly<\/a>]. The first: \u201cDavid Marchese, co-host of The New York Times\u2019s podcast The Interview, conducted a friendly chat with a pro-dictatorship political theorist, Curtis Yarvin, whom Vice President J.D. Vance once cited to argue in favor of a purge of civil servants. Marchese asked, \u2018Why is democracy so bad, and why would having a dictator solve the problem?\u2019 Yarvin replied by arguing Franklin D. Roosevelt operated as a dictator: \u2018Just read the last 10 paragraphs of F.D.R.\u2019s first inaugural address, in which he essentially says: \u2018Hey, Congress, give me absolute power, or I\u2019ll take it anyway.\u2019 So did F.D.R. actually take that level of power? Yeah, he did.\u2019 The problem with Yarvin\u2019s response is that Roosevelt, upon becoming president in the depths of the Great Depression, did not \u2018essentially\u2019 take power against the will of Congress or threaten as much. He merely raised the possibility of asking Congress to give him emergency powers if the legislative process ran aground. \u2022 Scher then cites to the speech, and is correct (although my recollection is that Yarbin is not \u201cpro-dictatorship\u201d but monarchist (!!), which is supported by <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Curtis_Yarvin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wikipedia<\/a>). Pretty amazing to watch the Times allow the chief spokeshole of the \u201cneo-reactionary movement\u201d throw FDR under the bus!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a name=\"democrats\"\/>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"21.898908673176\">\n<p>\u201cProgressives focus their ire on US \u2018oligarchy’\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/campaign\/5100871-progressives-oligarchy-democrats-corporate-interests\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cProgressives are focusing their messaging on being anti-oligarchy, training their sights not just on Republicans but also on Democrats they argue are too beholden to corporate interests\u2026. But they aren\u2019t just looking at Trump. Liberals are also forcing a conversation about their own party\u2019s money-in-politics problem, hoping to redirect the focus ahead of the midterms. Justice Democrats is now recruiting dozens of new candidates, while Sen. Bernie Sanders\u2019s (I-Vt.) former 2020 campaign manager is now running to chair the Democratic National Committee. Meanwhile, strategists are working to protect members of the Squad from defeats. \u2018November\u2019s election is a mandate for the Democratic Party to clean up shop,\u2019 said Usamah Andrabi, communications director of Justice Democrats, the most prominent group in charge of nurturing new progressive candidates for the House and Senate\u2026. For many on the left, the re-brand is long overdue. For nearly a decade, ever since Sanders angered establishment figures in Hillary Clinton\u2019s inner circle with a primary bid, moderate Democrats have relied on similar corporate influences as Republicans to various degrees. Many operatives still haven\u2019t fully denounced corporate money funding elections, with many watching the donor-first approach work effectively for the GOP. Trump\u2019s recent success has amplified that. By surrounding himself with the top 1 percent of the 1 percent, progressives say the president has created a prime backdrop for Democrats to create a contrast on campaign finance, their agreed-upon top issue for their party this year.\u201d \u2022 \u201cTheir agreed-upon top issue.\u201d Oh, is that it?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"33.04092920354\">\n<p>Those who made Sanders impossible made Trump inevitable:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.5789473684211\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.0526315789474\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">wild to be on the front page of Reddit <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gWSqXsBO4x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/gWSqXsBO4x<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 David Sirota (@davidsirota) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/davidsirota\/status\/1882260300331983321\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 23, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Second Trump Presidency, Brought to You by YouTubers\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/graphics\/2025-youtube-podcast-men-for-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cAs Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th US President on Monday, he was surrounded by his family, donors and wealthy tech executives. Just a few feet farther away stood a political newcomer who\u2019s been credited with encouraging lots of votes: Joe Rogan. The fact that Rogan, the host of the world\u2019s most popular podcast, watched from the Capitol Rotunda as Republican luminaries like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis were confined to overflow speaks volumes about the new dynamics at play in Washington and the media writ large. Over the past two years, a set of massively popular podcasters and streamers cemented themselves as the new mainstream source of information for millions of young men, and, according to a new Bloomberg analysis, used their perch to rally these constituents in support of Trump and the political right.\u201d Handy guest chart:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/manosphere.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"671\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-286007\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/manosphere.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/manosphere-268x300.png 268w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>And: \u201cYet even as the podcasts have tried to brand themselves uniquely, similar themes and characters appear across the network. Bloomberg\u2019s analysis of 2,002 episodes across the shows reveals how closely interconnected the podcasters\u2019 relationships are, and how much the shows\u2019 talking points overlap. Over the past two years, 152 guests made an appearance on at least two of the shows. Recurring characters are common, not just as guests, but as \u201cfriends of the shows,\u201d including the UFC CEO White and comedian Shane Gillis. The effect gives viewers a sense of being inducted into a virtual, close-knit friend group from home.\u201d \u2022 So, if I have this right, politics were being practiced?<\/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>Vaccines: Covid<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"17.735294117647\">\n<p>\u201cINQ000474703 \u2013 Report from Professor Daniel Prieto-Alhambra, titled Covid-19 Vaccines: risks, benefits and how to prepare for the next pandemic, dated September 2024\u201d (PDF) [<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.public-inquiry.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/22201025\/INQ000474703.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">UK Covid-19 Inquiry<\/a>]. Page 70: \u201c6.2 Regarding the monitoring of effectiveness, the MHRA and public health agencies like the UKHSA and Public Health Scotland generated very rapid data on the impact of Covid-19 variants on vaccine effectiveness, sometimes being the first in the world to generate such evidence. This was only possible due to the existence of world-leading virus genomic testing capacity linked to unique expertise and rich NHS data. These mechanisms should continue to exist, and national agencies should continue to be provided with the resources to obtain and deliver the necessary knowledge at speed and with enough quality. 6.3. Finally, the early vaccination rollout campaign resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths being averted, making the UK the country with the highest number of lives saved during the pandemic due to Covid-19 vaccines in the whole WHO-Europe region. However, certain population groups had a lower uptake of vaccines, including groups at high risk of severe outcomes such as ethnic minority groups and pregnant women.\u201d \u2022 \u201cVery rapid data.\u201d What a concept.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Vaccines: H5N1<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"12.818941504178\">\n<p>\u201cEgg shortages, higher prices spike as bird flu grows\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2025\/01\/21\/bird-flu-egg-prices-avian-influenza-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. \u201cLast week, the Department of Health and Human Services announced it would give Moderna approximately $590 million to accelerate bird flu vaccine trials.\u201d \u2022 Remember that we need eggs to make killed virus vaccines, so we\u2019re in an, er, chicken or egg situation here. I can\u2019t resist:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Pink Flamingos (1972) - Eggman Scene\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/elzEOs2pY38?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Sequelae: Covid<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"16.506352087114\">\n<p>\u201cDisseminated Coccidioidomycosis Following Travel to an Endemic Region and COVID-19 infection: Case Report and Case-based Literature Review\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2949918625000099\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Medical Reports<\/a>]. \u201cCoccidioidomycosis, also known as valley fever, is a fungal infection caused by inhalation of soilborne spores. It primarily affects the respiratory system and presents with symptoms ranging from mild flu-like illness to severe pneumonia. Here we report a case of a 68-year-old male with fevers, worsening fatigue, and rash following a recent COVID-19 diagnosis. The patient had traveled to Florida, Arizona, Mexico, and Nevada within a month prior to symptom onset. Imaging revealed a lung nodule with associated mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Biopsy confirmed disseminated coccidioidomycosis. This case emphasizes the necessity of including coccidioidomycosis in the differential diagnosis for patients with respiratory symptoms and rashes, particularly those with recent travel to endemic regions.\u201d \u2022 NOTE \u201cIn people with HIV, disseminated (extrapulmonary) coccidioidomycosis is an AIDS-defining condition.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/clinicalinfo.hiv.gov\/en\/glossary\/coccidioidomycosis#:~:text=The%20infection%20starts%20in%20the,is%20an%20AIDS-defining%20condition.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">HIV\/AIDS Glossary<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Elite Maleficence<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"5.9710843373494\">\n<p>Yes, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-health-communications-cdc-hhs-fda-1eeca64c1ccc324b31b779a86d3999a4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">whatever Trump is doing with reporting is bad<\/a>, but we\u2019re used to bad:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.2869822485207\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.431952662722\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I\u2019m laughing at all the people who said NOTHING\u2014absolutely NOTHING\u2014when the previous administration got rid of all our Covid data & ended the public health emergency amid record Covid, & they didn\u2019t say a thing when Americans died prematurely in record numbers for 4 years, & they\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Laura Miers (@LauraMiers) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LauraMiers\/status\/1882091248938344630\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: I don\u2019t like a lot of this week\u2019s charts. In wastewater, too many red dots concentrated in the Midwest and the Atlantic coast, so I started circling areas in red, again. New York\u2019s weirdly persistent higher hospitalization rate continues. Traveler positivity is up, and worse, the dominant traveler variants are JN* and KP*, which, while present in the national variants, are very low. And in the two death charts, the projected deaths seem to have leveled out, when in the past they decreased. Nothing earth-shattering, but it does make me queasy, and it\u2019s well after the holiday bump.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.840040241449\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6190476190476\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> January 10<\/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\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2-300x209.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\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285430\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6417910447761\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong> Variants<\/strong> [3] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> January 18<\/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> January 11<\/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\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-variants-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-variants-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-300x230.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\/2025\/01\/covid-ccd-ed-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-ccd-ed-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-ccd-ed-natl-300x159.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=\"3.8513513513514\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> New York[5] <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.health.ny.gov\/daily-hospitalization-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York State<\/a>, data January 16:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> Janurary 16:<\/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\/2025\/01\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-9.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285888\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-9.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-9-300x169.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\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1-288x300.png 288w\" 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=\"2.5507246376812\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> National[7] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/healthcare-solutions\/covid-19-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a> January 13:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Ohio[8] <a href=\"https:\/\/clevelandcliniclabs.com\/respiratory-virus-surveillance-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Cleveland Clinic<\/a> January 4:<\/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\/2025\/01\/covid-walgreens-positivity-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-walgreens-positivity-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-walgreens-positivity-natl-300x189.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" height=\"428\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-285157\"\/><\/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=\"3.5932203389831\">\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 30:<\/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 30<\/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\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2.png 608w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2-300x161.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 608px) 100vw, 608px\"\/><\/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\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285681\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-2-300x210.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=\"3.76\">\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> January 11:<\/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> January 11:<\/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\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-death-positivity.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-death-positivity.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-death-positivity-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\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-death-ed.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285673\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-death-ed.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-death-ed-300x174.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<td wp_automatic_readability=\"162.96087183627\">\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) Definitely jumped.<\/p>\n<p>[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[8] (Cleveland) Continued upward trend since, well, Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n<p>[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants). Positivity is new, but variants have not yet been released.<\/p>\n<p>[11] Deaths low, positivity leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[12] Deaths low, ED leveling out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Employment Situation: \u201cUnited States Initial Jobless Claims\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/jobless-claims\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cInitial jobless claims in the US rose by 6,000 from the previous week to 223,000 in the period ending January 18th, slightly ahead of market expectations of 220,000, to mark the sharpest rise in six weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Kansas Fed Manufacturing Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/kansas-fed-manufacturing-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe Kansas City Fed\u2019s Manufacturing Production Index fell by three points from the previous month to -9 in January 2025, the lowest level since September 2024. The latest data revealed a modest contraction in regional factory activity, marking the third consecutive month of decline.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cTrump DOT secretary pick pledges to maintain Boeing 737 MAX production cap\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aerotime.aero\/articles\/sean-duffy-dot-secretary-nominee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Aerotime<\/a>]. \u201c[Sean Duffy,] nominated by President Donald Trump to head the US Department of Transportation (DOT) has pledged to maintain a cap on Boeing 737 MAX production that was put in place following the Alaska Airlines incident last year when a door plug separated from a plane midflight.\u201d And: \u201c\u2018The cap will be maintained and will be lifted when I, in consultation with the career safety experts at FAA and the Administrator, have confidence that a production increase will not reduce the quality of the aircraft being produced,\u2019 wrote Duffy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cUnion investigates claims that Boeing is sending work to non-union locations\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/aerospace-defense\/union-investigates-claims-that-boeing-is-sending-work-non-union-locations-2025-01-23\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Reuters<\/a>]. \u201cBoeing\u2019s engineering union is formally investigating claims from its members that the company is moving work to non-union locations in the United States and overseas.<\/p>\n<p>The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) formally began investigating the allegations in December, when it requested relevant information from Boeing, the union\u2019s Director of Strategic Development Rich Plunkett said Wednesday\u2026. In October, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said the company would cut roughly 10% of its workforce, or 17,000 jobs\u2026 In November and December, Boeing issued layoff notices to more than 4,000 U.S. workers, including 660 to SPEEA members, according to publicly-available state employment records and the union. Soon after the first round of notices went out, SPEEA officials started hearing from members that \u2018at least some of the work that was being performed by those subject to layoffs is now being sent to other Boeing locations,\u2019 Plunkett said.\u201d \u2022 Boeing management just can\u2019t help itself, can it?<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 46 Neutral (previous close: 43 Fear) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 34 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Jan 23 at 1:51:17 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Berries:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.45\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.64\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">“Winter Fruits” by Yu Chengyou <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VW1tGvpQ5j\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/VW1tGvpQ5j<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Marysia (@marysia_cc) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/marysia_cc\/status\/1877975480814719052\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"zeitgeist\"\/><strong>Zeitgeist Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cTouchscreen dashboards have finally taken over and ruined driving\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/cars\/features\/touchscreen-dashboards-have-taken-over\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Telegraph<\/a>]. \u201cAn S&P Global Mobility survey of car owners found that 97 per cent of new cars released after 2023 contain at least one touchscreen\u2026. Chris Longmore, from the automotive design consultancy Drive, believes the touchscreen takeover is largely cost-driven. He said: \u2018Tesla showed the way. By having everything on the screen, you can reduce the tooling needed to make switches and maybe going forwards do away with centre consoles altogether and [the cost of] making the panels you need for them.’\u201d And: \u2018One glimmer on the horizon is that safety ratings body Euro Ncap has said that any car that doesn\u2019t have easy-to-use tactile controls such as stalks or buttons for controls such as wipers, indicators and hazard lights won\u2019t be able to achieve the top five stars. William Porter, the policy manager for safety charity IAM Roadsmart, added: \u2018While we welcome Euro Ncap\u2019s approach, we\u2019ll have to wait to see if the car makers take heed or if cost and aesthetics win out. We know distracted driving kills a lot of people, but there are no figures to say exactly how many and what the distraction was. Touchscreens are a relatively new technology and we\u2019d like to see some more in-depth research into them and the effect they have on driving.\u201d \u2022 Well, the \u201cLet\u2019s wait \u2019til the bodies pile up\u201d is certainly working for pandemics\u2026.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump\u2019s Immigration Threats Are Already Wrecking the Food Industry\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/post\/190555\/donald-trump-immigration-deportations-farm-workers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The New Republic<\/a>]. \u201cBakersfield, California, saw a massive drop off in the number of field workers showing up for work last week after Border Patrol agents in unmarked Chevy Suburbans rounded up and detained immigrants in the area, profiling individuals they believed to be field workers, reported CalMatters. The end result: acres of unpicked oranges roasting in the California sun at the height of the season. Bakersfield makes up a small portion of California\u2019s Central Valley, which produces approximately a quarter of the nation\u2019s food. Kern County, where Bakersfield is located, has ranked within the top three agricultural counties in the nation for the last several years, largely off the backs of undocumented laborers, who are estimated to comprise more than half of the county\u2019s workforce, according to CalMatters. Losing the bulk of America\u2019s agricultural workforce overnight is a recipe for \u2018absolute economic devastation,\u2019 according to Richard S. Gearhart, an associate professor of economics at Cal State-Bakersfield, who spoke with the nonprofit news outlet. \u2018You are talking about a recession-level event if this is the new long-term norm,\u2019 Gearhart said, arguing that the end result of Trump\u2019s policies will be felt in the grocery store check-out lines across America. The 47th president has effectively promised a full-throttle immigration crackdown for the next four years\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018World Economic Forum\u2019 Panel: Trump Has Defeated Us, The Professional Managerial Class Who Believed History Was Over\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolitics.com\/video\/2025\/01\/22\/world_economic_forum_panel_trump_has_defeated_us_the_professional_managerial_class_who_believed_history_was_over.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">RealClearPolitics<\/a>]. \u201cYale University Professor Walter Reed adds: \u2018I think we need to also factor in not only who has won (Trump) but also who has lost, which is to say us.\u2019 \u2018By \u2018us,\u2019 I mean the general intellectual, professional, managerial people who believed history was over, and we were merely administering and managing things according to clear and known rules,\u2019 he explained. \u2018Something new, not necessarily better, but new, is moving into the center.’\u201d \u2022 Fukuyama\u2019s <em>The End of History and the Last Man<\/em> came out in 1992. Are we really saying the PMC believed it, collectively, since then?<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"martin\"\/>\u201cGeorge R.R. Martin has co-authored a physics paper\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/science\/2025\/01\/george-r-r-martin-has-co-authored-a-physics-paper\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ars Technica<\/a>]. \u201cbestselling sci-fi\/fantasy author George R.R. Martin has instead added a different item to his long list of publications: a peer-reviewed physics paper just published in the American Journal of Physics that he co-authored. The paper derives a formula to describe the dynamics of a fictional virus that is the centerpiece of the Wild Cards series of books, a shared universe edited by Martin and Melinda M. Snodgrass, with some 44 authors contributing\u2026. [Author] Tregillis acknowledges that this might not be a good exercise for the beginning physics student, given that it involves multiple steps and covers many concepts that younger students might not fully comprehend. Nor does he suggest adding it to the core curriculum. Instead, he recommends it for senior honors seminars to encourage students to explore an open-ended research question.\u201d \u2022 Anything to avoid finishing Game of Thrones. (Wild Cards, however, seems on point.)<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Contact information for plants<\/strong>: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2025\/01\/200pm-water-cooler-1-22-2025.html\">here<\/a>. From :<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/rose_bush.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-286005\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/rose_bush.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/rose_bush-225x300.jpeg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>A lovely rosebush, with a bonus\u2026.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"donate\"\/><strong>Readers<\/strong>: Water Cooler is a standalone entity <em>not<\/em> covered by the annual NC fundraiser. Material here is Lambert\u2019s, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. If you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn\u2019t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! <em>Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I\u2019m on the right track with coverage<\/em>. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:<\/p>\n<p>Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-226891\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"606\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png 606w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .entry-content --><\/p>\n<footer class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\tThis entry was posted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2025\/01\/200pm-water-cooler-1-23-2025.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2025-01-23T14:00:37-05:00\">January 23, 2025<\/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\/2025\/01\/more-kentucky-dirty-dealings-attorney-general-schemes-to-leave-hundreds-of-millions-in-pension-recovery-on-the-table-give-sweetheart-payout-to-attorneys-to-settle-claims-against-private-equity-king.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> More Kentucky Dirty Dealings: Attorney General Schemes to Leave Hundreds of Millions in Pension Recovery on the Table, Give Sweetheart Payout to Attorneys, To Settle Claims Against Private Equity Kingpins KKR and Blackstone, Including Ones by Plaintiffs the AG Does Not Represent<\/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\/2025\/01\/200pm-water-cooler-1-23-2025.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bird Song of the Day Brown Thrasher, Finger Lakes National Forest; Dunn Road, Tompkins, New York, United States. * * * In Case You Might<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":90092,"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-90091","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\/90091","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=90091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90091\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Brown Thrasher, Finger Lakes National Forest; Dunn Road, Tompkins, New York, United States.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#nuke\"> Trump wants nuclear reduction talks<\/a> with China, Russia.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#schedulef\">Trump<\/a> readies Schedule F assault.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#energy\">Energy in the executive<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#martin\">George R.R. Martin<\/a> back in print.<\/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>Capitol Seizure<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"10.436860068259\">\n<p>\u201cTrump freed a Jan. 6 defendant charged with assaulting police. DOJ had him arrested again on a gun charge\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/01\/22\/trump-jan-6-defendant-gun-charge-005863\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cA Jan. 6 defendant whose felony assault charges were dismissed a day earlier was <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.dcd.276643\/gov.uscourts.dcd.276643.1.0_1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">arrested Wednesday<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.flmd.430804\/gov.uscourts.flmd.430804.1.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">federal gun charges<\/a> that have been pending for nearly two years in Florida\u2026. But Ball\u2019s charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm remained pending and unconnected to his Jan. 6 case. According to that indictment, Ball has previously been convicted of domestic violence battery by strangulation in June 2017, resisting law enforcement with violence and battery of a law enforcement officer in October 2021. It\u2019s unclear if U.S. marshals executed the arrest warrant on Ball prior to his release on the Jan. 6 charges. However, it\u2019s the first docketed federal criminal case in Washington since Trump\u2019s inauguration.\u201d \u2022 Amusing!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Biden Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"13.898107714702\">\n<p>\u201cJoe Biden Clearly Thinks Donald Trump Isn\u2019t Bluffing\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/news-and-politics\/2025\/01\/joe-biden-pardons-donald-trump-january-6-no-bluff.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Slate<\/a>]. \u201cBiden issued a second round of preemptive pardons, as stunning as the first. They were granted to five members of his immediate family. The recipients are his brothers and sister, James Biden, Frank Biden, and Valerie Biden Owens, and their spouses, John Owens and Sara Biden. None of them is well known to the public. None has been a prominent critic of Trump. That he would feel the need to protect them tells us how deeply fearful Biden is about the lengths to which Trump will go to punish any member of what Trump and his allies label the \u2018Biden Crime Family\u2019.\u201d \u2022 Or they were all wetting their beaks.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a name=\"trump\"\/>Trump Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"163.32839421089\">\n<p>This just in:<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"nuke\"\/>\u201cTrump wants nuclear reduction talks with China, Russia\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/5102798-trump-urges-nuclear-talks-russia-china\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cPresident Trump while addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday said that he wants to hold talks with Russia and China about reducing nuclear weapon stockpiles. Trump during his first term failed to bring China into negotiations to extend a nuclear arms treaty with Russia, called New START, which places key limits on deployed nuclear weapons and expires February 2026. U.S. and Russian participation in the treaty effectively froze during the Biden administration, as Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to impose costs on Washington for supporting Ukraine militarily. Putin has also threatened the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine to try to deter U.S. and European military support for Kyiv. Addressing the global forum, Trump recounted talks with Putin ahead of the 2020 U.S. election about denuclearization talks and how \u2018China would have come along.\u2019 \u2018We want to see if we can denuclearize, and I think that\u2019s very possible,\u2019 Trump said. \u2018And I can tell you that President Putin wanted to do it, he and I wanted to do it. We had a good conversation with China, they would have been involved, and that would have been an unbelievable thing for the planet.’\u201d \u2022 Good, but now do climate.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump wants nuclear reduction talks with China, Russia : <\/p>\n<p>\u201cPresident Trump, Crypto Billionaire\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/nMvyc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wall Street Journal<\/a>]. \u201cDonald Trump doesn\u2019t always separate his personal interests from his public obligations, and a howling example is his sudden new status as a crypto billionaire. The President is inviting trouble with what looks like remarkably poor judgment. Crypto markets have boomed since Mr. Trump\u2019s election in part on expectations of friendlier regulation. And so be it. Animal spirits have been rising all around. But Mr. Trump and his family have tried to cash in on the mania by minting Trump-branded coins\u2026. Unlike Trump-stamped tumblers ($42) and pickleball paddles ($180), crypto tokens are vehicles for speculation. Like other cryptocurrencies, their price is volatile. After surging roughly 10-fold after its launch, $TRUMP\u2019s price has since fallen by half\u2026. All of this creates flashing-red political risks and ethical conflicts. Start with who may be buying the tokens. A business or foreign official with interests before the federal government might seek to curry favor with Mr. Trump by announcing plans to buy millions of his token to pump up the price. Or, worse, whispering to Mr. Trump that he\u2019s made the purchases, since crypto holdings aren\u2019t disclosed. If Mr. Trump\u2019s regulators then act in a way that aids crypto or the person seeking the favor, he\u2019ll be accused of aiding the buyer in service of presidential self-dealing. The President might claim immunity by saying the regulation is part of his official duties, but that won\u2019t remove the political taint. That also won\u2019t stop civil lawsuits . A President isn\u2019t immune from lawsuits for actions taken before becoming President under the Supreme Court\u2019s Clinton v. Jones (1997) ruling. Mr. Trump has created a regulatory nightmare for Paul Atkins, his highly qualified nominee to run the SEC. Mr. Atkins was crypto-friendly long before his nomination, but now any regulatory move he takes that the industry supports will be attacked as helping Mr. Trump\u2019s business. If the token\u2019s price drops, buyers who lose money could argue that Mr. Trump failed to make required securities disclosures about the risks. Democratic state Attorneys General could seek restitution for investors.\u201d And importantly: \u201cNo careful President would get anywhere near this kind of political risk, and we can\u2019t recall any President who has. Where are Mr. Trump\u2019s lawyers? \u2026 The crypto caper is a worrisome sign that Mr. Trump\u2019s current advisers don\u2019t understand the difference any better than he does, or that they are too cowed to speak up.\u201d\u2022 Again I ask whether Susie Wiles knew about this, or whether the first she heard was what she read in the papers.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"schedulef\"\/>\u201cTrump hires fed-firing mastermind\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/01\/18\/trump-hires-fed-firing-mastermind-00199154\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cPresident-elect Donald Trump is bringing back a senior White House official who led his first-term push to make it easier to fire civil servants. James Sherk, who served as a special assistant on domestic policy during Trump\u2019s first term, will return to serve in the White House Domestic Policy Council, Trump announced Saturday. Sherk has worked at the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute during the Biden administration. Sherk was central to the Trump administration\u2019s efforts to make it easier to fire some federal employees using a classification called Schedule F. That effort generated an outcry from civil servants, and the Biden administration moved quickly to reverse course. The incoming Trump administration has made it clear that it plans to pursue drastic reforms to the federal workforce, and Sherk is poised to be central to those efforts. Trump has vowed to \u201cshatter the deep state\u201d and make it easier to fire \u2018rogue bureaucrats.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The dude wouldn\u2019t know a Communist if [insert joke here]:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.7583081570997\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"12.371601208459\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Everything Donald Trump is dismantling will be parked at a bunch of communist 501c3\u2019s until the next Democrat President, when it will be quickly restored to government.<\/p>\n<p>The Trump admin MUST go after the left wing non profits to secure long term victories. Break them. Strike.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Oilfield_Rando\/status\/1882165959533936775\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, institutionally he\u2019s quite right; that\u2019s what the NGOs will do.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cGabbard\u2019s nomination on shaky ground\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.semafor.com\/article\/01\/22\/2025\/gabbards-nomination-on-shaky-ground\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Semafor<\/a>]. \u201cTulsi Gabbard\u2019s bid to become Donald Trump\u2019s director of national intelligence is on shaky ground, with Republican lawmakers raising private concerns and the president urging her to get aggressive. Republicans are particularly hesitant about her past statements that some have read as too warm toward Vladimir Putin and former Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad, whom Gabbard met with in 2017. She\u2019s also questioned some intelligence-gathering tools, though she recently endorsed a provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that allows warrantless surveillance of foreign targets and has the power to sweep up domestic US communications.\u201d \u2022 Gabbard shifted position on Section 702 to appease national security goons, and then a <a href=\"https:\/\/subscriber.politicopro.com\/article\/2025\/01\/federal-court-says-section-702-queries-violate-fourth-amendment-00200042\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Federal District Court struck it down<\/a>, as we saw yesterday. If Gabbard gives these people the vapors, she\u2019s the right person for the job.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSenate panel sets hearing on Tulsi Gabbard nomination\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/national-security\/5102767-tulsi-gabbard-hearing-intelligence-committee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cThe Senate Intelligence Committee has scheduled a hearing to review the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard to serve as director of national intelligence. The Jan. 30 hearing comes after Democrats resisted the scheduling of an earlier hearing, saying they still didn\u2019t have the full slate of background checks, ethics disclosures and paperwork on a candidate whose overall qualifications have sparked their concern. She has also been seeking to explain her past support of Snowden, saying she didn\u2019t feel the intelligence community had sufficient channels for raising concerns. That explanation has not rested well with all Intelligence Committee lawmakers, however, who have called the National Security Agency leaker a traitor.\u201d \u2022 Would have been helpful if Trump pardoned Snowden immediately. That would put the cat among the pigeons. (Of course, the real reason Gabbard is a \u201ctraitor\u201d in these people\u2019s minds is that she left the Democrat Party.)<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"energy\"\/>Energy in the executive:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoocy: Biden Staff Would Be In Such A Hurry To Get Us Out, \u2018Trump Seemed Willing To Talk About Anything’\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolitics.com\/video\/2025\/01\/21\/doocy_biden_staff_would_be_in_such_a_hurry_to_get_us_out_trump_seemed_willing_to_talk_about_anything.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">RealClearPolitics<\/a>] \u201cAnytime that we would go into the Oval Office, for example, like I was for almost an hour last night with President Biden, the staff would be in such a hurry to get us out. And President Biden would just smile, and there were people yelling [(!!)]. They didn\u2019t want him off script. They wanted him telling us whatever was on a note card that they had printed for him. Whereas last night, President Trump seemed willing to talk about anything. You could have asked him stuff from the news page, the gossip page, the sports page. He wants to put his fingerprints on everything, and his staff seemed like they were happy just to sit back and let it happen?\u201d \u2022 People <em>yelling<\/em>?! Like \u201cNo Joe! Don\u2019t go there!\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump warns he\u2019ll adjourn Congress to make recess appointments. How would that work?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/trump-recess-appointments-adjourning-congress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CBS<\/a>]. \u201cPresident Trump is threatening to use his powers to adjourn Congress so he can make recess appointments for at least some of his top Cabinet nominees and their deputies, enabling them to begin running the largest federal departments. Mr. Trump most recently raised the prospect of plunging the executive and legislative branches into uncharted constitutional territory during his White House meeting Tuesday with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, mulling the option if Democrats opt to slow-walk or delay his top national security and public health nominees, according to two people familiar with the meetings. \u2018This remains a significant possibility in the eyes of the White House,\u2019 one of the people familiar with the meetings said, emphasizing this is not expected to happen this week, but remains under active consideration.\u201d Article II, Section 3: \u201cAnd in Case of Disagreement between [both Houses], with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, [the President] may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper.\u201d Amusingly, since the Republicans control both Houses, it would be easy for Johnson and Thune to engineer a disagreement! But: \u201cIt is unclear how long Mr. Trump would recess Congress, given that a possible government shutdown looms in mid-March and Republican leaders have set an April goal of passing massive economic, tax and immigration legislation that would authorize Mr. Trump\u2019s plans to cut inflation and taxes and dramatically overhaul border security policy.\u201d \u2022 Trump would adjourn Congress for as it took to make the recess appointments. They would then reconvene. Of course, this would \u201cmake a mockery,\u201d etc. etc. but here we are!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump\u2019s Rush List for Security Clearances Poses Risks, and Congress Will Have No Oversight\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/m42aF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NOTUS<\/a>]. \u201cIn an unprecedented move experts say could present a major national security risk, Donald Trump is handing out temporary top secret security clearances to White House staff without any of the usual background checks. \u2018It seems unnecessary given that interim clearances can go through the normal procedure and be done in just a few days,\u2019 especially with a White House request for expedited processing, the president of the Federal Clearance Assistance Service, William Henderson, told NOTUS. \u2018If you\u2019re the clearance authority and somebody gives you a name and says, \u2018Give this person a clearance,\u2019 you don\u2019t know if his brother is working for the Mossad. You don\u2019t know anything about it,\u2019 Henderson added. Republican Senators either ceded trust to President Trump or deflected questions about security concerns \u2014 ranging from Sen. Rick Scott\u2019s, \u2018I believe the president\u2019s going to do the right thing to keep our country safe,\u2019 to Sen. Thom Tillis\u2019 \u2018I haven\u2019t looked at it, I think due diligence is pretty important.\u2019 Democrats pointed to a more nefarious reason than pure convenience: Trump could be slipping people into top positions that wouldn\u2019t otherwise pass security muster.\u201d \u2022 Russians, no doubt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Memo: Trump 2.0 comes into focus\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/administration\/5101484-trump-second-term-72-hours\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cTrump has been delivering on the \u201cshock and awe\u201d approach that his allies promised\u2026. Beyond the pardons, the new president\u2019s first days back at the White House have offered a bracing reminder of the chaotic showmanship in which he revels\u2026. In total, Trump\u2019s actions have elicited a mix of shock and familiarity among the president\u2019s fans and foes alike\u2026 The bottom line is that the opposition party is bracing for four more years like the past three days. For Democrats, it\u2019s a bleak prospect.\u201d \u2022 One thing I don\u2019t understand is that word \u201cchaos,\u201d often used by Democrats as the ultimate indictment of Trump\u2019s style of governance. What\u2019s more \u201cchaotic\u201d than a genocide and a proxy war with a nuclear power?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump\u2019s blizzard of orders gets pushback, questions from GOP lawmakers\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/senate\/5101526-trump-executive-orders-gop-concerns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cPresident Trump\u2019s blizzard of executive orders during the first few days of his presidency has sent Republican lawmakers scrambling to make sense of what impact they\u2019ll have on the country, and some GOP senators are already raising questions and concerns. Republicans were surprised by Trump\u2019s order to immediately pause the disbursement of funds under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which they fear would stop funding to key projects in their home states. \u2018Some of it is not helpful,\u2019 said a senior Republican aide who noted Trump\u2019s team would have been wise to provide more detail about the scope of the orders or could have waited until some of his nominees cleared Senate committees before taking actions that were likely to prompt legislative pushback.\u201d \u2022 Hmm.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cRFK Jr. plans to keep a financial stake in lawsuits against the drugmaker Merck\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/shots-health-news\/2025\/01\/22\/nx-s1-5271582\/rfk-hpv-vaccine-merck\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NPR<\/a>]. \u201cEven if Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is confirmed as the next Health and Human Services secretary, he still plans to collect fees from Wisner Baum, a law firm suing Merck over claims that the pharmaceutical company failed to properly warn consumers about risks from its HPV vaccine, Gardasil, according to new filings with the Office of Government Ethics. Kennedy will only collect the fees if Wisner Baum wins, and only for cases that aren\u2019t against the United States or in which the United States isn\u2019t a party and doesn\u2019t have \u2018a direct or substantial interest,\u2019 according to the filings. \u2018Pursuant to the referral agreement, I am entitled to receive 10% of fees awarded in contingency fee cases referred to the firm,\u2019 Kennedy wrote in his signed ethics agreement. \u2018I am not trying these cases, I am not an attorney of record for the cases, and I will not provide representational services in connection with the cases during my appointment to the position of Secretary.’\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>DOGE<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"8.5090909090909\">\n<p>\u201cMaybe We Do Need DOGE\u201d (interview) [Jennifer Pahlka, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/podcasts\/archive\/2025\/01\/elon-musk-doge-government-efficiency\/681366\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Atlantic<\/a>]. Interesting example of the hiring process, but too long to quote. Search on \u201cwe say we\u2019re going to hire on the basis of merit.\u201d Worth a read.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Our Famously Free Press<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"23.533477321814\">\n<p>\u201cThree Disturbing Signs of Fourth Estate Failure\u201d [Bill Scher, <a href=\"https:\/\/washingtonmonthly.com\/2025\/01\/23\/three-disturbing-signs-of-fourth-estate-failure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Washington Monthly<\/a>]. The first: \u201cDavid Marchese, co-host of The New York Times\u2019s podcast The Interview, conducted a friendly chat with a pro-dictatorship political theorist, Curtis Yarvin, whom Vice President J.D. Vance once cited to argue in favor of a purge of civil servants. Marchese asked, \u2018Why is democracy so bad, and why would having a dictator solve the problem?\u2019 Yarvin replied by arguing Franklin D. Roosevelt operated as a dictator: \u2018Just read the last 10 paragraphs of F.D.R.\u2019s first inaugural address, in which he essentially says: \u2018Hey, Congress, give me absolute power, or I\u2019ll take it anyway.\u2019 So did F.D.R. actually take that level of power? Yeah, he did.\u2019 The problem with Yarvin\u2019s response is that Roosevelt, upon becoming president in the depths of the Great Depression, did not \u2018essentially\u2019 take power against the will of Congress or threaten as much. He merely raised the possibility of asking Congress to give him emergency powers if the legislative process ran aground. \u2022 Scher then cites to the speech, and is correct (although my recollection is that Yarbin is not \u201cpro-dictatorship\u201d but monarchist (!!), which is supported by <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Curtis_Yarvin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wikipedia<\/a>). Pretty amazing to watch the Times allow the chief spokeshole of the \u201cneo-reactionary movement\u201d throw FDR under the bus!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a name=\"democrats\"\/>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"21.898908673176\">\n<p>\u201cProgressives focus their ire on US \u2018oligarchy’\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/campaign\/5100871-progressives-oligarchy-democrats-corporate-interests\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Hill<\/a>]. \u201cProgressives are focusing their messaging on being anti-oligarchy, training their sights not just on Republicans but also on Democrats they argue are too beholden to corporate interests\u2026. But they aren\u2019t just looking at Trump. Liberals are also forcing a conversation about their own party\u2019s money-in-politics problem, hoping to redirect the focus ahead of the midterms. Justice Democrats is now recruiting dozens of new candidates, while Sen. Bernie Sanders\u2019s (I-Vt.) former 2020 campaign manager is now running to chair the Democratic National Committee. Meanwhile, strategists are working to protect members of the Squad from defeats. \u2018November\u2019s election is a mandate for the Democratic Party to clean up shop,\u2019 said Usamah Andrabi, communications director of Justice Democrats, the most prominent group in charge of nurturing new progressive candidates for the House and Senate\u2026. For many on the left, the re-brand is long overdue. For nearly a decade, ever since Sanders angered establishment figures in Hillary Clinton\u2019s inner circle with a primary bid, moderate Democrats have relied on similar corporate influences as Republicans to various degrees. Many operatives still haven\u2019t fully denounced corporate money funding elections, with many watching the donor-first approach work effectively for the GOP. Trump\u2019s recent success has amplified that. By surrounding himself with the top 1 percent of the 1 percent, progressives say the president has created a prime backdrop for Democrats to create a contrast on campaign finance, their agreed-upon top issue for their party this year.\u201d \u2022 \u201cTheir agreed-upon top issue.\u201d Oh, is that it?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"33.04092920354\">\n<p>Those who made Sanders impossible made Trump inevitable:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.5789473684211\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.0526315789474\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">wild to be on the front page of Reddit <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gWSqXsBO4x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/gWSqXsBO4x<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 David Sirota (@davidsirota) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/davidsirota\/status\/1882260300331983321\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 23, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Second Trump Presidency, Brought to You by YouTubers\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/graphics\/2025-youtube-podcast-men-for-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cAs Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th US President on Monday, he was surrounded by his family, donors and wealthy tech executives. Just a few feet farther away stood a political newcomer who\u2019s been credited with encouraging lots of votes: Joe Rogan. The fact that Rogan, the host of the world\u2019s most popular podcast, watched from the Capitol Rotunda as Republican luminaries like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis were confined to overflow speaks volumes about the new dynamics at play in Washington and the media writ large. Over the past two years, a set of massively popular podcasters and streamers cemented themselves as the new mainstream source of information for millions of young men, and, according to a new Bloomberg analysis, used their perch to rally these constituents in support of Trump and the political right.\u201d Handy guest chart:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/manosphere.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"671\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-286007\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/manosphere.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/manosphere-268x300.png 268w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>And: \u201cYet even as the podcasts have tried to brand themselves uniquely, similar themes and characters appear across the network. Bloomberg\u2019s analysis of 2,002 episodes across the shows reveals how closely interconnected the podcasters\u2019 relationships are, and how much the shows\u2019 talking points overlap. Over the past two years, 152 guests made an appearance on at least two of the shows. Recurring characters are common, not just as guests, but as \u201cfriends of the shows,\u201d including the UFC CEO White and comedian Shane Gillis. The effect gives viewers a sense of being inducted into a virtual, close-knit friend group from home.\u201d \u2022 So, if I have this right, politics were being practiced?<\/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>Vaccines: Covid<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"17.735294117647\">\n<p>\u201cINQ000474703 \u2013 Report from Professor Daniel Prieto-Alhambra, titled Covid-19 Vaccines: risks, benefits and how to prepare for the next pandemic, dated September 2024\u201d (PDF) [<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.public-inquiry.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/22201025\/INQ000474703.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">UK Covid-19 Inquiry<\/a>]. Page 70: \u201c6.2 Regarding the monitoring of effectiveness, the MHRA and public health agencies like the UKHSA and Public Health Scotland generated very rapid data on the impact of Covid-19 variants on vaccine effectiveness, sometimes being the first in the world to generate such evidence. This was only possible due to the existence of world-leading virus genomic testing capacity linked to unique expertise and rich NHS data. These mechanisms should continue to exist, and national agencies should continue to be provided with the resources to obtain and deliver the necessary knowledge at speed and with enough quality. 6.3. Finally, the early vaccination rollout campaign resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths being averted, making the UK the country with the highest number of lives saved during the pandemic due to Covid-19 vaccines in the whole WHO-Europe region. However, certain population groups had a lower uptake of vaccines, including groups at high risk of severe outcomes such as ethnic minority groups and pregnant women.\u201d \u2022 \u201cVery rapid data.\u201d What a concept.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Vaccines: H5N1<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"12.818941504178\">\n<p>\u201cEgg shortages, higher prices spike as bird flu grows\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2025\/01\/21\/bird-flu-egg-prices-avian-influenza-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. \u201cLast week, the Department of Health and Human Services announced it would give Moderna approximately $590 million to accelerate bird flu vaccine trials.\u201d \u2022 Remember that we need eggs to make killed virus vaccines, so we\u2019re in an, er, chicken or egg situation here. I can\u2019t resist:<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Pink Flamingos (1972) - Eggman Scene\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/elzEOs2pY38?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Sequelae: Covid<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"16.506352087114\">\n<p>\u201cDisseminated Coccidioidomycosis Following Travel to an Endemic Region and COVID-19 infection: Case Report and Case-based Literature Review\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2949918625000099\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Medical Reports<\/a>]. \u201cCoccidioidomycosis, also known as valley fever, is a fungal infection caused by inhalation of soilborne spores. It primarily affects the respiratory system and presents with symptoms ranging from mild flu-like illness to severe pneumonia. Here we report a case of a 68-year-old male with fevers, worsening fatigue, and rash following a recent COVID-19 diagnosis. The patient had traveled to Florida, Arizona, Mexico, and Nevada within a month prior to symptom onset. Imaging revealed a lung nodule with associated mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Biopsy confirmed disseminated coccidioidomycosis. This case emphasizes the necessity of including coccidioidomycosis in the differential diagnosis for patients with respiratory symptoms and rashes, particularly those with recent travel to endemic regions.\u201d \u2022 NOTE \u201cIn people with HIV, disseminated (extrapulmonary) coccidioidomycosis is an AIDS-defining condition.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/clinicalinfo.hiv.gov\/en\/glossary\/coccidioidomycosis#:~:text=The%20infection%20starts%20in%20the,is%20an%20AIDS-defining%20condition.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">HIV\/AIDS Glossary<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Elite Maleficence<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"5.9710843373494\">\n<p>Yes, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-health-communications-cdc-hhs-fda-1eeca64c1ccc324b31b779a86d3999a4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">whatever Trump is doing with reporting is bad<\/a>, but we\u2019re used to bad:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.2869822485207\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.431952662722\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I\u2019m laughing at all the people who said NOTHING\u2014absolutely NOTHING\u2014when the previous administration got rid of all our Covid data & ended the public health emergency amid record Covid, & they didn\u2019t say a thing when Americans died prematurely in record numbers for 4 years, & they\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Laura Miers (@LauraMiers) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LauraMiers\/status\/1882091248938344630\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: I don\u2019t like a lot of this week\u2019s charts. In wastewater, too many red dots concentrated in the Midwest and the Atlantic coast, so I started circling areas in red, again. New York\u2019s weirdly persistent higher hospitalization rate continues. Traveler positivity is up, and worse, the dominant traveler variants are JN* and KP*, which, while present in the national variants, are very low. And in the two death charts, the projected deaths seem to have leveled out, when in the past they decreased. Nothing earth-shattering, but it does make me queasy, and it\u2019s well after the holiday bump.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.840040241449\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6190476190476\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> January 10<\/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\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-2-300x209.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\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285430\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-1-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6417910447761\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong> Variants<\/strong> [3] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> January 18<\/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> January 11<\/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\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-variants-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-variants-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-300x230.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\/2025\/01\/covid-ccd-ed-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-ccd-ed-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-ccd-ed-natl-300x159.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=\"3.8513513513514\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> New York[5] <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.health.ny.gov\/daily-hospitalization-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York State<\/a>, data January 16:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> Janurary 16:<\/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\/2025\/01\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-9.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285888\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-9.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-9-300x169.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\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-1-288x300.png 288w\" 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=\"2.5507246376812\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> National[7] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/healthcare-solutions\/covid-19-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a> January 13:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> Ohio[8] <a href=\"https:\/\/clevelandcliniclabs.com\/respiratory-virus-surveillance-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Cleveland Clinic<\/a> January 4:<\/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\/2025\/01\/covid-walgreens-positivity-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-walgreens-positivity-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-walgreens-positivity-natl-300x189.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" height=\"428\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-285157\"\/><\/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=\"3.5932203389831\">\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 30:<\/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 30<\/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\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2.png 608w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2-300x161.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 608px) 100vw, 608px\"\/><\/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\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285681\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-2-300x210.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=\"3.76\">\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> January 11:<\/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> January 11:<\/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\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-death-positivity.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-death-positivity.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-death-positivity-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\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-death-ed.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-285673\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-death-ed.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-death-ed-300x174.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<td wp_automatic_readability=\"162.96087183627\">\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) Definitely jumped.<\/p>\n<p>[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[8] (Cleveland) Continued upward trend since, well, Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n<p>[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants). Positivity is new, but variants have not yet been released.<\/p>\n<p>[11] Deaths low, positivity leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[12] Deaths low, ED leveling out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Employment Situation: \u201cUnited States Initial Jobless Claims\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/jobless-claims\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cInitial jobless claims in the US rose by 6,000 from the previous week to 223,000 in the period ending January 18th, slightly ahead of market expectations of 220,000, to mark the sharpest rise in six weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Kansas Fed Manufacturing Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/kansas-fed-manufacturing-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. \u201cThe Kansas City Fed\u2019s Manufacturing Production Index fell by three points from the previous month to -9 in January 2025, the lowest level since September 2024. The latest data revealed a modest contraction in regional factory activity, marking the third consecutive month of decline.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cTrump DOT secretary pick pledges to maintain Boeing 737 MAX production cap\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aerotime.aero\/articles\/sean-duffy-dot-secretary-nominee\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Aerotime<\/a>]. \u201c[Sean Duffy,] nominated by President Donald Trump to head the US Department of Transportation (DOT) has pledged to maintain a cap on Boeing 737 MAX production that was put in place following the Alaska Airlines incident last year when a door plug separated from a plane midflight.\u201d And: \u201c\u2018The cap will be maintained and will be lifted when I, in consultation with the career safety experts at FAA and the Administrator, have confidence that a production increase will not reduce the quality of the aircraft being produced,\u2019 wrote Duffy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cUnion investigates claims that Boeing is sending work to non-union locations\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/aerospace-defense\/union-investigates-claims-that-boeing-is-sending-work-non-union-locations-2025-01-23\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Reuters<\/a>]. \u201cBoeing\u2019s engineering union is formally investigating claims from its members that the company is moving work to non-union locations in the United States and overseas.<\/p>\n<p>The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) formally began investigating the allegations in December, when it requested relevant information from Boeing, the union\u2019s Director of Strategic Development Rich Plunkett said Wednesday\u2026. In October, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said the company would cut roughly 10% of its workforce, or 17,000 jobs\u2026 In November and December, Boeing issued layoff notices to more than 4,000 U.S. workers, including 660 to SPEEA members, according to publicly-available state employment records and the union. Soon after the first round of notices went out, SPEEA officials started hearing from members that \u2018at least some of the work that was being performed by those subject to layoffs is now being sent to other Boeing locations,\u2019 Plunkett said.\u201d \u2022 Boeing management just can\u2019t help itself, can it?<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 46 Neutral (previous close: 43 Fear) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 34 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Jan 23 at 1:51:17 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Berries:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.45\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.64\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">“Winter Fruits” by Yu Chengyou <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VW1tGvpQ5j\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/VW1tGvpQ5j<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Marysia (@marysia_cc) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/marysia_cc\/status\/1877975480814719052\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"zeitgeist\"\/><strong>Zeitgeist Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cTouchscreen dashboards have finally taken over and ruined driving\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/cars\/features\/touchscreen-dashboards-have-taken-over\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Telegraph<\/a>]. \u201cAn S&P Global Mobility survey of car owners found that 97 per cent of new cars released after 2023 contain at least one touchscreen\u2026. Chris Longmore, from the automotive design consultancy Drive, believes the touchscreen takeover is largely cost-driven. He said: \u2018Tesla showed the way. By having everything on the screen, you can reduce the tooling needed to make switches and maybe going forwards do away with centre consoles altogether and [the cost of] making the panels you need for them.’\u201d And: \u2018One glimmer on the horizon is that safety ratings body Euro Ncap has said that any car that doesn\u2019t have easy-to-use tactile controls such as stalks or buttons for controls such as wipers, indicators and hazard lights won\u2019t be able to achieve the top five stars. William Porter, the policy manager for safety charity IAM Roadsmart, added: \u2018While we welcome Euro Ncap\u2019s approach, we\u2019ll have to wait to see if the car makers take heed or if cost and aesthetics win out. We know distracted driving kills a lot of people, but there are no figures to say exactly how many and what the distraction was. Touchscreens are a relatively new technology and we\u2019d like to see some more in-depth research into them and the effect they have on driving.\u201d \u2022 Well, the \u201cLet\u2019s wait \u2019til the bodies pile up\u201d is certainly working for pandemics\u2026.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"class\"\/><strong>Class Warfare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump\u2019s Immigration Threats Are Already Wrecking the Food Industry\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/post\/190555\/donald-trump-immigration-deportations-farm-workers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The New Republic<\/a>]. \u201cBakersfield, California, saw a massive drop off in the number of field workers showing up for work last week after Border Patrol agents in unmarked Chevy Suburbans rounded up and detained immigrants in the area, profiling individuals they believed to be field workers, reported CalMatters. The end result: acres of unpicked oranges roasting in the California sun at the height of the season. Bakersfield makes up a small portion of California\u2019s Central Valley, which produces approximately a quarter of the nation\u2019s food. Kern County, where Bakersfield is located, has ranked within the top three agricultural counties in the nation for the last several years, largely off the backs of undocumented laborers, who are estimated to comprise more than half of the county\u2019s workforce, according to CalMatters. Losing the bulk of America\u2019s agricultural workforce overnight is a recipe for \u2018absolute economic devastation,\u2019 according to Richard S. Gearhart, an associate professor of economics at Cal State-Bakersfield, who spoke with the nonprofit news outlet. \u2018You are talking about a recession-level event if this is the new long-term norm,\u2019 Gearhart said, arguing that the end result of Trump\u2019s policies will be felt in the grocery store check-out lines across America. The 47th president has effectively promised a full-throttle immigration crackdown for the next four years\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018World Economic Forum\u2019 Panel: Trump Has Defeated Us, The Professional Managerial Class Who Believed History Was Over\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolitics.com\/video\/2025\/01\/22\/world_economic_forum_panel_trump_has_defeated_us_the_professional_managerial_class_who_believed_history_was_over.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">RealClearPolitics<\/a>]. \u201cYale University Professor Walter Reed adds: \u2018I think we need to also factor in not only who has won (Trump) but also who has lost, which is to say us.\u2019 \u2018By \u2018us,\u2019 I mean the general intellectual, professional, managerial people who believed history was over, and we were merely administering and managing things according to clear and known rules,\u2019 he explained. \u2018Something new, not necessarily better, but new, is moving into the center.’\u201d \u2022 Fukuyama\u2019s <em>The End of History and the Last Man<\/em> came out in 1992. Are we really saying the PMC believed it, collectively, since then?<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"martin\"\/>\u201cGeorge R.R. Martin has co-authored a physics paper\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/science\/2025\/01\/george-r-r-martin-has-co-authored-a-physics-paper\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ars Technica<\/a>]. \u201cbestselling sci-fi\/fantasy author George R.R. Martin has instead added a different item to his long list of publications: a peer-reviewed physics paper just published in the American Journal of Physics that he co-authored. The paper derives a formula to describe the dynamics of a fictional virus that is the centerpiece of the Wild Cards series of books, a shared universe edited by Martin and Melinda M. Snodgrass, with some 44 authors contributing\u2026. [Author] Tregillis acknowledges that this might not be a good exercise for the beginning physics student, given that it involves multiple steps and covers many concepts that younger students might not fully comprehend. Nor does he suggest adding it to the core curriculum. Instead, he recommends it for senior honors seminars to encourage students to explore an open-ended research question.\u201d \u2022 Anything to avoid finishing Game of Thrones. (Wild Cards, however, seems on point.)<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Contact information for plants<\/strong>: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2025\/01\/200pm-water-cooler-1-22-2025.html\">here<\/a>. From :<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/rose_bush.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-286005\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/rose_bush.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/rose_bush-225x300.jpeg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>A lovely rosebush, with a bonus\u2026.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"donate\"\/><strong>Readers<\/strong>: Water Cooler is a standalone entity <em>not<\/em> covered by the annual NC fundraiser. Material here is Lambert\u2019s, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. If you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn\u2019t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! <em>Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I\u2019m on the right track with coverage<\/em>. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:<\/p>\n<p>Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-226891\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"606\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png 606w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .entry-content --><\/p>\n<footer class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\tThis entry was posted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2025\/01\/200pm-water-cooler-1-23-2025.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2025-01-23T14:00:37-05:00\">January 23, 2025<\/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\/2025\/01\/more-kentucky-dirty-dealings-attorney-general-schemes-to-leave-hundreds-of-millions-in-pension-recovery-on-the-table-give-sweetheart-payout-to-attorneys-to-settle-claims-against-private-equity-king.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> More Kentucky Dirty Dealings: Attorney General Schemes to Leave Hundreds of Millions in Pension Recovery on the Table, Give Sweetheart Payout to Attorneys, To Settle Claims Against Private Equity Kingpins KKR and Blackstone, Including Ones by Plaintiffs the AG Does Not Represent<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"nav-next list-posts-newer\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/nav>\n<p><!-- .nav-single --><\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- #comments .comments-area --><\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- #content --><br \/>\n<!-- #primary --><\/p>\n<p>\t<!-- #secondary --><\/p>\n<footer id=\"colophon\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t\t<!-- .site-info --><br \/>\n\t\t<\/footer>\n<p><!-- #colophon --><br \/>\n\t\t<!-- #main.wrapper --><br \/>\n<!-- #page --><br \/>\n<!-- .mobile-menu-wrap --><\/p>\n<p><!-- Blog Reader Pooling - removed 09\/16\/2015 by M. 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