\n<\/p>\n
Bird Song of the Day<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Brown Thrasher, Elkinsville Rd. and Kirk\u2019s Ford Rd., Brown, Indiana, United States. Grab a cup of coffee for nineteen minutes of thrashing!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#trump\">Trump\u2019s first week<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#dems2028\">Democrats for 2028<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#surviving\">Surviving pandemics<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"trump\"\/>Trump Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"140.73073454949\">\n<p>\u201cScoop: How Trump\u2019s \u2018black box\u2019 limits outside influences\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2025\/01\/26\/trump-white-house-inner-circle-influence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. \u201cPresident Trump is surprising \u2014 even frustrating \u2014 some longtime friends in his second administration\u2019s early days with fewer leaks, a lack of exploitable rivalries, and tighter restrictions on access to him. Why it matters: No modern president has done more \u2014 across more areas of American policy, culture and life \u2014 than Trump in the past six days. This new operating style and system enabled a strategy of flooding the nation with so many huge moves that it\u2019s hard for critics to attack specific ones.\u201d And: \u201cIt\u2019s stunning to veterans of Trump\u2019s first West Wing. But at least in Week 1, the new government has mirrored the discipline of his 2024 campaign operation \u2014 another sharp contrast with his previous teams\u2026. There\u2019s a \u2018strong silo system\u2019 that has kept advocates and special interests from forum-shopping and end-running administration officials, the lobbyist added.\u201d Interestingly: \u201cThe biggest change of all, Axios has learned, is that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and other aides have clamped down on the ability of random friends and reporters to call Trump directly. Until now, if you had his phone number and called, Trump would answer and talk to you \u2014 and maybe even act on whatever you suggested. Now, Trump wants to focus more on work and has less time for bull sessions so he\u2019s less prone to answer his phone.\u201d \u2022 Of course, some might suggest that we want Trump to \u201cwork\u201d as little possible.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConfident, organised, still freewheeling: Trump 2.0 has learned from past\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c17ew9ezw0ko\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">BBC<\/a>]. \u201cThe stacks of leather-bound executive orders piled high on the Resolute Desk illustrate how the Trump 2.0 era is set against a different political landscape from four years ago \u2013 one which has produced a more emboldened commander-in-chief\u2026. \u2018It\u2019s been much more disciplined, on-point and issue-focused,\u2019 said Lawrence Muir, a former official in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Mr Muir, who was tasked with hiring administration personnel as part of the 2016 Trump transition team, told the BBC his work was \u2018essentially discarded\u2019 by the incoming White House at the time. \u2018They did not have a great idea about what they were supposed to be producing, or how to produce it,\u2019 he said. \u2018[Trump\u2019s] doing much better this time in terms of what he\u2019s getting out, getting it out efficiently, and knowing how it has to be enforced down through the agencies.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump\u2019s agenda is about to hit a make-or-break moment\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/01\/27\/republican-retreat-trump-doral-gop-agenda-00002101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cHouse Republicans are heading to President Donald Trump\u2019s Miami-area resort for their annual policy retreat\u2026. The biggest task for the gathering at Trump National Doral: Finalize a budget blueprint plan for the massive, party-line bill they\u2019re planning, touching energy, border security and tax policy. But to do that, Republicans need to decide what will go in that package \u2014 with the price tag of Trump\u2019s priorities reaching $10 trillion over 10 years \u2014 versus what might be included in a separate, bipartisan government funding bill that will be negotiated with Democrats over the next seven weeks. The fate of a necessary debt ceiling increase is top of mind\u2026. The planned retreat discussions have been tailored to show attending members the possibilities for the way forward and to take their temperatures on potential spending cuts, according to three Republicans with direct knowledge of the planning. Leaders will have to carefully balance sometimes competing interests from various GOP factions.\u201d And: \u201cCentrists are also relaying their concerns to GOP leaders about some committees\u2019 plans to target pieces of the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that provides food aid benefits for more than 40 million low-income Americans\u2026. Those proposals are relatively more palatable for GOP lawmakers in competitive districts than the massive cuts to current benefits some conservatives would prefer. But they\u2019re still politically divisive and could provide Democrats major campaign fodder in blue and purple districts ahead of the 2026 midterms.\u201d \u2022\u00a0But cutting Medicaid, though easy and fun, won\u2019t get those trillions. It never does.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump actions could wreak havoc on South Florida\u2019s sizeable Colombian population\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/Aug1i\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Miami Herald<\/a>]. \u201cFlorida is home to 473,606 Colombians, according to the U.S. Census data. The state has long been a magnet for new arrivals from the South American country who are seeking a place where there are many Spanish speakers, a warm climate and a ready-made community.\u201d \u2022 Interestingly, the story doesn\u2019t sat what percentage of those new arrivals have their papers in order.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump wants to tackle inflation. Will these top actions bring prices down?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/w2nck\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. The deck: \u201cHere\u2019s six key actions, executive orders and promises, from this past week and how they would affect inflation.\u201d More: \u201c\u2018The reality is, inflation of the type we have gets embedded into the economy and takes a long time to wring out,\u2019 said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum, a conservative think tank. \u2018There aren\u2019t many quick solutions.’\u201d Be that as it may, the six: Immigration crackdowns, deportations [\u25b2]; New tariffs and trade policies [\u25b2]; Expanding oil and gas drilling, other energy overhauls [\u25bc]; Rolling back regulations [\u25bc]; Undoing Biden\u2019s efforts to lower prescription drug prices[?]; Lowering interest rates[\u25b2].\u201d \u2022 Triangles for what WaPo thinks could go up, or down.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump shocks the system. Will he solve problems voters care about most?\u201d [Dan Balz, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/other\/trump-shocks-the-system-will-he-solve-problems-voters-care-about-most\/ar-AA1xSBSx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cThe larger issue for Trump, and what ultimately will determine the political and substantive success of his second term, is whether this flurry of activity signaling a major course change will result in the betterment of the lives of the voters who supported him in November. Getting rid of DEI offices and personnel will cheer his most loyal supporters and hurt a federal workforce in a nation becoming more ethnically diverse. It won\u2019t necessarily help families struggling to pay bills. Deporting millions of undocumented immigrants in fact could raise food prices and further labor shortages\u2026. Shocking the system is one thing. Providing tangible results to people is another.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>2028<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"22.837455830389\">\n<p><a name=\"dems2028\"\/>\u201cThe 12 Democrats who make the most sense for 2028\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/7t6Zy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. Starts out well: \u201cSave for a few months at the tail end of the 2024 campaign, the party hasn\u2019t had an authoritative, dominant leader for a long time.\u201d Really? 2024? Who was that? Anyhow, here are the 12, starting with #12: Tim Walz, Josh Stein, Andy Beshear, Gavin Newsom, Raphael G. Warnock, Wes Moore, Ruben Gallego, John Fetterman, Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Gretchen Whitmer, and \u2014 at #1! \u2014 Josh Shapiro. It\u2019s been a long time since I deployed the \u201cPlease kill me now\u201d trope\u2026. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Our Famously Free Press<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"29.591194968553\">\n<p>\u201cToo Much News, Redux\u201d [Jon Allsop, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cjr.org\/the_media_today\/too-much-news-redux.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Columbia Journalism Review<\/a>]. \u201cI noted in 2020 that the \u2018basic rhythms\u2019 of the news business aren\u2019t designed to cope with deluges of huge stories: whatever the day\u2019s news, it must be stretched or shrunk to fill roughly the same number of newspaper column inches or cable news hours; the internet, of course, theoretically offers near-infinite space for news coverage to expand, but many digital formats\u2014from homepages to newsletters\u2014themselves have spatial limits, and that\u2019s before we get into strained newsroom resources and apparently diminished audience buy-in, as Stelter pointed out last week. These constraints make it hard for the news media, as a collective apparatus, to communicate proportion. We have tools for organizing stories by importance\u2014back in 2020, I noted that the New York Times had run thirty-three banner front-page print headlines in less than six months, smashing even its election-year average\u2014but the constant blare of headlines, as I noted, can have a \u2018flattening effect, making it harder, over a long period of time, to distinguish actual news from attention hustling.\u2019 The problem of proportionality is recurring now. A story previewing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s potentially radical plans to \u2018target vaccines\u2019 should he be confirmed as health and human services secretary appeared about halfway down a major Politico newsletter on Friday; yesterday, the CIA lab-leak story made the front page of the Times, but only in brief form at the very bottom. Needless to say that in the summer of 2020, both these stories would have been earth-shaking.\u201d \u2022\u00a0Allsop complains of Trump\u2019s tendency to make news, or at least news stories \u2014 \u201cflood the zone with sh*t\u201d \u2014 but I think there are more stories out there, as one would expect as a function of slow civilizational collapse (newsrooms are smaller too).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a name=\"democrats\"\/>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"52.947705969413\">\n<p>\u201cPlaybook: A tough Week One for Democrats\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/playbook\/2025\/01\/26\/a-tough-week-one-for-democrats-00200631\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cOn Saturday, at their winter meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, Democrats will make their first consequential decision since their November drubbing: selecting a new chair of the DNC. In the opening days of the new administration, Democrats have struggled to frame Republicans, careening from the critique that Trump has surrounded himself with \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/HeartlandSignal\/status\/1881803479842177318\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">broligarchs<\/a>,\u2019 as Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) put it, to <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepJerryNadler\/status\/1881474208771055639\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">whether Elon Musk made a Nazi salute<\/a>. Senate Democrats have zigged and zagged on their Cabinet confirmation votes. Of course, not all nominees are equal. But they are clearly divided over tactics in responding to Trump\u2019s program.\u201d \u2022 Maybe \u2014 hear me out \u2014 the important Democrat problems aren\u2019t at the tactical level? <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the wilderness: Democrats struggle to navigate the politics of new Trump era\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/jan\/26\/democrats-trump-return\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Guardian<\/a>]. \u201c\u2018He\u2019s been in office less than a week, and you\u2019ve already seen a federal court with a judge who was appointed by a Republican president \u2013 a president that much of the conservative movement in America upholds \u2013 say that he\u2019s operating blatantly unconstitutionally,\u2019 said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of the non-profit legal group Democracy Forward. \u2018I think what you\u2019re going to see is more sophisticated legal responses this time because civil society, I think, is much more organized and savvy to this playbook.\u2019 Democracy Forward is one of more than 350 organizations that have joined a coalition known as Democracy 2025, which has the explicit aim of \u2018disrupting any efforts by the Trump-Vance administration to attack our rights.\u2019 \u2018The message that we want to send to all Americans across the country is thbe doing is demanding a president and a Congress that does the same thing,\u2019 Perryman said.\u201d \u2022\u00a0So, doubling down on lawfare. 350 organizatioat there are lawyers and advocates who are going to be in court every single day fighting for your rights, and what we need to ns is not a sign of strength. It\u2019s a sign of weakness. Nor are these NGOs representative of \u201ccivil society\u201d as a whole. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump Just Broke the Law. Blatantly. And He Might Get Away With It\u201d [Michael Tomaskey, <a href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/article\/190704\/trump-fires-inspectors-general-broke-law-blatantly\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The New Republic<\/a>]. On Trump firing the 15 Inspectors General: \u201cUnder the original law, presidents had to give Congress 30 days\u2019 notice about their intent to fire an I.G. and just supply some vague reason why. President Barack Obama\u2019s excuse for firing the I.G. of national service programs was simply a lack of confidence in the guy. Then came Trump. As Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith wrote at Lawfare in 2022, \u2018More frequently than prior presidents, [Trump] manipulated vacancies and related laws to fire or dismiss disliked inspectors general and replace them, pursuant to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 (FVRA), with a more like-minded or pliant official.\u2019 So Congress, through a larger defense bill, amended the I.G. law by replacing the word \u2018reasons\u2019 with the phrase \u2018substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons.\u2019 In sum, Congress toughened this law because of Trump. And now, Trump has broken the provision that was added in response to his flouting of the original law! That he broke the law is obvious. He didn\u2019t give 30 days\u2019 notice. He didn\u2019t provide any \u2018substantive rationale.\u2019 He didn\u2019t provide any reason at all. He just did it. And he told reporters Saturday that it was all fine. \u2018It\u2019s a very common thing to do,\u2019 he said. Once he says that, we know that basically every Republican, and Fox News and Sinclair and the rest of the propaganda chamber, are going to say the same thing. Lindsey Graham on Sunday hilariously admitted that \u2018technically, yeah,\u2019 Trump broke the law but Graham wasn\u2019t losing any sleep over it.\u201d \u2022 It\u2019s a good thing that four solid years of lawfare (eight, if you count RussiaGate) didn\u2019t make people cynical about Democrat accusations of illegality, because this thing looks like it could have legs.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"19.496296296296\">\n<p>\u201cColumn: The rise of Silicon Valley, from indifference to lords of the political universe\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/column-rise-silicon-valley-indifference-110028668.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Los Angeles Times<\/a>]. \u201cWhen the high and mighty of Silicon Valley assumed their privileged perch at the swearing-in of President Trump, it was an ostentatious show of wealth and power unlike any before. \u2018You could go back to the Gilded Age and you could have a similar concentration of capital and power. You know, Rockefeller and Carnegie,\u2019 said historian Margaret O\u2019Mara, citing two of the richest men who ever bestrode the earth. \u2018But they weren\u2019t on the dais of the inauguration.\u2019\u2026. The explanation for their propinquity lies not in the creation of some whiz-bang, life-changing, paradigm-bending consumer product, or the shining virtues or particularly fertile minds that grace Silicon Valley\u2019s fruited plain. \u2018It\u2019s one of the oldest truisms in politics,\u2019 said Larry Gerston, a San Jos\u00e9 State political science professor emeritus, who\u2019s followed the tech industry from a front-row seat for decades. \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/business\/story\/2024-12-13\/tech-billionaires-zuckerberg-bezos-and-altman-donate-to-trumps-inauguration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Money buys access<\/a>.\u2019 Bezos\u2019 Amazon and Zuckerberg\u2019s Meta were among the tech firms that tithed $1 million each to help pay for Trump\u2019s inauguration. Musk invested more than a quarter of a billion dollars to help elect Trump. Given his conjoined-twin closeness to the 47th president, it appears money well spent.’\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\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>Airborne Transmission<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"8.0795454545455\">\n<p>Airborne governance, interesting concept:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.8381088825215\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"12.315186246418\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">COVID19 shows that scientific mediation towards the general public, but also between many disciplines, was essential. Airborne transmission is a good example with a huge number of stakeholders, terminologies\u2026 Governance of this exceptionally complex system is the No 1 issue. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1bo4sBKm9j\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/1bo4sBKm9j<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 LET’S AIR (@nousaerons) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nousaerons\/status\/1883454714710556890\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>But commentary, putting the diagram in context:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.4460227272727\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.559659090909\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I love how “equipment suppliers” is this little teeny-tiny inconsequential add-on in the bottom when it’s the single failure point and almost every thing the rest might accomplish absolutely relies it\ud83d\ude02<\/p>\n<p>Remember when you all thought you could just buy off-the-shelf air purifiers\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rJONCMMo4p\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/rJONCMMo4p<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Nukit (@NukitToBeSure) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NukitToBeSure\/status\/1883490147553169617\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Transmission: H5N1<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"32.619538834951\">\n<p>\u201c2nd Edition Ready For The Next One: A Guide to H5N1 Preparation\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/s\/4beff5c3a0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ko-Fi<\/a>]. Description: \u201cWhile much of the US struggles to see the oncoming avian flu pandemic as a true public health threat, Sharon offers a way forward into an uncertain, chaotic future with a special focus on H5N1 preparation. Includes all the material in her H5N1 prep essays along with printable bonus material, like health preparations and talking points & communication strategies.\u201d \u2022 Haven\u2019t evaluated it, but it <em>is<\/em> paid for on a sliding scale starting at zero, so perhaps some kind soul in the readership would like to take a look.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow the Messy Process of Milking Cows Can Spread Bird Flu\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/DTyKO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. From December 5, 2024: \u201c[D]ata strongly suggests that the virus, known as H5N1, has spread primarily* through milk. It replicates quickly in the udders of infected cows, which produce milk with sky-high levels of the pathogen. Droplets of milk can splash into dairy workers\u2019 faces, while milk-splattered equipment and vehicles can transport the virus from cow to cow\u2026. In theory, a virus that spreads through milk should be easier to control than one that floats invisibly in the air. But a look inside the modern dairy industry reveals that milk-based transmission is profoundly worrying. \u2018Milk is hugely problematic,\u2019 said Seema Lakdawala, a virologist at Emory University.\u201d \u2022 Detail on how humans and robots milk cows. Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/milking_machines.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"1171\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-286174\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/milking_machines.png 500w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/milking_machines-128x300.png 128w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/milking_machines-437x1024.png 437w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>I only know what I read in the papers, so perhaps some kind reader can comment on this solution.<\/p>\n<p>NOTE * If HN51 travels on dust blown by the wind, the \u201cprimarily\u201d claim could turn out to be false. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a name=\"mask\"\/>Maskstravaganza<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Masking and class:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.2014925373134\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.044776119403\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">A great deal of resistance to wearing masks is that it is now a social status signifier<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 sawawawawa (@sawawawawa3) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sawawawawa3\/status\/1882911213828636709\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Prevention: Covid<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"11.80487804878\">\n<p>Covid-consciousness as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/terms\/h\/hodl.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">HODL<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"5.2571428571429\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"13.142857142857\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This right here is the play. Hold. Just hold. 1 is less than 2, 2 is less than 3, hold, just hold as best you can for as long as you can. Let time pass, let solutions manifest, wait. Don’t trade your forever for a false “right now.” <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9FFx0It7O7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/9FFx0It7O7<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Steve the Book Guy (@SteveTheBookGuy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SteveTheBookGuy\/status\/1883482917827133555\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>I think it\u2019s good not to be infected, and the next best thing is to put off being infected; the advantages of, say, not getting brain damage compound.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"surviving\"\/>How to survive a pandemic (<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/drseanmullen\/status\/1883776837559427323?s=12\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">thread<\/a>):<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/surviving_pandemic.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"660\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-286172\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/surviving_pandemic.png 500w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/surviving_pandemic-227x300.png 227w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"\/><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Personal Risk Assessment<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>So they tell us:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.6371681415929\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.2389380530973\">\n<p lang=\"es\" dir=\"ltr\">Under control <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/RteVlBnSje\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/RteVlBnSje<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dr Evonne T Curran NursD \ud83d\udc99\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@EvonneTCurran) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EvonneTCurran\/status\/1883861502605861362\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 27, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Indeed, the CDC data seems to have paused onTrump\u2019s order (except for National Hospitalization, oddly). How I wish we had Biobot\u2019s wastewater charts back!<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.879174852652\">\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 13<\/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=\"3.8961038961039\">\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\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> January 24:<\/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-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-286161\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-2-288x300.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=\"2.7179487179487\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> National[7] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/healthcare-solutions\/covid-19-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a> January 27:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> Ohio[8] <a href=\"https:\/\/clevelandcliniclabs.com\/respiratory-virus-surveillance-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Cleveland Clinic<\/a> January 18:<\/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-states-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-286163\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-2-300x189.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-286162\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2-300x198.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Travelers Data<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.5932203389831\">\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=\"108.95273661808\">\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>National Activity: \u201cUnited States Chicago Fed National Activity Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/chicago-fed-national-activity-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economy<\/a>]. \u201cThe Chicago Fed National Activity Index for the US increased to 0.15 in December 2024, the highest reading in seven months, compared to an upwardly revised -0.01 in November. The reading showed economic growth increased in December, with production-related indicators contributing 0.19 (vs +0.03 in November) and employment-related indicators adding (vs unchanged).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/dallas-fed-manufacturing-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing may soon sell some of its businesses. That could finally boost the stock\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/story\/boeing-may-soon-sell-some-of-its-businesses-that-could-finally-boost-the-stock-8a5527cf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MarketWatch<\/a>]. \u201cLeaders at Boeing Co. have been struggling to turn the company around after years of bad headlines. Now, some investors are hoping they\u2019ll look to a new tactic: selling some of its businesses, which could shore up the company\u2019s balance sheet and lift the stock from its doldrums. There are a few discrete businesses within the aerospace and defense behemoth that could generate cash, including Boeing\u2019s Jeppesen navigation unit and Boeing\u2019s parts distribution business. In conversations with MarketWatch, some investors also have raised the possibility of changes to Boeing\u2019s satellite-launch joint venture with Lockheed Martin Corp.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBudget airline Ryanair cuts passenger traffic goal again on Boeing delays\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2025\/01\/27\/ryanair-cuts-passenger-traffic-goal-again-on-boeing-delays.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNBC<\/a>]. \u201c[Ryanair CFO Neil Sorahan], who said he recently returned from a trip to Boeing\u2019s production facilities into Seattle, said he\u2019d seen \u2018huge improvements in relation to supply chain and everything else\u2019 in recent months. \u2018I have a high level of confidence that the remaining nine aircraft that we need to get to 181 \u2018Gamechangers\u2019 along with the existing fleet will come in,\u2019 he added. Sorahan said that Boeing appeared to have \u2018turned the corner,\u2019 adding that he was hopeful Ryanair would not need to cut its traffic targets even further.\u201d \u2022 I hope its true. Regardless, kudos to whoever took Sorahan round the plant\u2026. <\/p>\n<p>Tech: Nate, Nate:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.4444444444444\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.555555555556\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">ChatGPT is incredibly dangerous to the very people whose limited skills entice them to use it.<\/p>\n<p>An output that sounds vaguely credible will be mistaken for *actual* credibility right up to the moment an expert lays eyes on.<\/p>\n<p>You’re being sold an automated Dunning-Kruger trap. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4uow0EFVSQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/4uow0EFVSQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 David Z. Morris (@davidzmorris) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/davidzmorris\/status\/1883584045659128290\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.561797752809\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"9.7949438202247\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">it kinda baffles me how many people straight up do not care about the ai hallucinations. they’re so impressed by software that answers their questions that it doesn’t even matter to them that the answers are often totally wrong or pulled from a random\/unreliable\/biased source <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HxjrP0Noae\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/HxjrP0Noae<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 rural juror no. 2 (@resurrecti0ns) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/resurrecti0ns\/status\/1883535515452088323\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Tech: Matty, Matty:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"5.3275862068966\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"13.318965517241\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I am old enough to remember travel agents. You went to them with dates. They did the work, found the best price, explained everything. They did the work you now do for free. Airlines advertised to them, not you. Like supermarket checkers, I don\u2019t mind paying ppl to do work. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GzDuprffpN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/GzDuprffpN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dr. Thrasher (@thrasherxy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thrasherxy\/status\/1883528874891632669\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"5.7222222222222\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"14.08547008547\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Somewhat true that being an empathetic person in a country that is rounding up families, bombing babies, letting senior citizens die on the street, forcing teens to give birth, and publicly executing people with no trial can cause depression or anxiety. <\/p>\n<p>Beats sociopathy imo! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9LpooHrpW9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/9LpooHrpW9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Kate Willett (@katewillett) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/katewillett\/status\/1883217110924730708\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Tech: Can this be true?<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/llm_listicles.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"1102\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-286171\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/llm_listicles.png 500w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/llm_listicles-136x300.png 136w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/llm_listicles-465x1024.png 465w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>It does make sense that the tech bros, being bottom feeders, would stuff their training sets with the cheapest possible content\u2026 <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 38 Fear (previous close: 48 Neutral) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 37 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Jan 27 at 1:49:14 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p>Rapture Index: Closes unchanged. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.raptureready.com\/rapture-ready-index\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Rapture Ready<\/a>]. Record High, October 10, 2016: 189. Current: 181. (Remember that bringing on the Rapture is good.) \u2022 This is a tough crowd. Surely Trump\u2019s first week brought the Rapture closer?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How New England (1):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.3319672131148\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.2622950819672\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rooms for Tourists \u2013 1945 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/artbots?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#artbots<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/hopper?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#hopper<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BNjw26L6Nd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/BNjw26L6Nd<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Edward Hopper (@artisthopper) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/artisthopper\/status\/1882695105334624369\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>How New England (2):<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/addams.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"568\" height=\"748\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-286175\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/addams.jpeg 568w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/addams-228x300.jpeg 228w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"zeitgeist\"\/><strong>Zeitgeist Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow to Weather the Storm\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/kottke.org\/25\/01\/how-to-weather-the-storm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Kottle.org<\/a>]. All about the feels. That said: \u201cI\u2019ve decided that part of what I\u2019m doing to weather the storm is to keep doing what I\u2019m doing here on kottke.org \u2014 that is, highlighting the creativity of humanity, telling the truth about what\u2019s going on in the world, sharing dumb stuff that makes us laugh \u2014 and continue to develop an online community built around those things via the comments and other means.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"guillotine\"\/><strong>Guillotine Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Wage Crisis of 2025: 73% of Workers Struggle Beyond Basic Living Expenses\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.resume-now.com\/job-resources\/careers\/wage-reality-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Resume Now<\/a>]. Self-reported, but in a way that\u2019s the point: \u201cA recent survey by Resume Now reveals that financial stress has reached a breaking point for American workers, with 73% of employees struggling to afford anything beyond their basic living expenses.\u201d And:<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"45.623424369748\">\n<ol>\n<li>12% often cannot afford basic living expenses, and 24% struggle to cover essentials.<\/li>\n<li>Only 6% are able to save for the future.<\/li>\n<li>One-third of workers say their salary has not kept up with inflation.<\/li>\n<li>55% think their salary is lower than it should be.<\/li>\n<li>29% have moved to lower-cost areas or housing to navigate financial strain.<\/li>\n<li>3 in 10 have taken on debt to cover living expenses.<\/li>\n<li>Only 4% of workers feel truly valued in their role.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.9276595744681\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"12.31914893617\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Absolutely wild statistic.<\/p>\n<p>There really are 2 Americas.<\/p>\n<p>And not a single politician, public figure, or business leader is in this bottom 75th percentile group: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QhHqWLIti9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/QhHqWLIti9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Amy Nixon (@texasrunnerDFW) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/texasrunnerDFW\/status\/1883250799436001710\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat an Insomniac Knows\u201d [Adam Gopnik, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/1VlcP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The New Yorker<\/a>]. \u201c[Matthew Walker, who runs the Center for Human Sleep Science, at Berkeley,] suggests that humans are made for \u2018biphasic\u2019 sleep\u2014that is, two sleep sessions per day. People in traditional communities where everyone naps live longer than people in modernized ones where they don\u2019t. The siesta is lifesaving. Walker even conjectures that our peculiar sleep patterns may explain our evolutionary advance. We sleep less than other primates, but get relatively more REM sleep, and the dreams it brings, than our monkey and ape cousins. It is during REM sleep, Walker insists, that we engage in \u2019emotional processing.\u2019 The mnemonic collisions during this phase forge new connections among our experiences, and we wake not merely refreshed but revived and enlightened by our re-wrought neural networks.\u201d \u2022 Hmm.<\/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-1-24-2025.html\">here<\/a>. From Timotheus:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gingko.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-286158\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gingko.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gingko-225x300.jpeg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Timotheus writes: \u201cEvening view of a beloved giant gingko on Broadway and 211th Street, Manhattan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"donate\"\/><strong>Readers<\/strong>: Water Cooler is a standalone entity <em>not<\/em> covered by the annual NC fundraiser. Material here is Lambert\u2019s, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. If you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn\u2019t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! <em>Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I\u2019m on the right track with coverage<\/em>. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:<\/p>\n<p>Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-226891\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"606\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png 606w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .entry-content --><\/p>\n<footer class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\tThis entry was posted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/guest-post\" rel=\"category tag\">Guest Post<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2025\/01\/200pm-water-cooler-1-27-2025.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2025-01-27T14:00:47-05:00\">January 27, 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\/what-france-loses-by-closing-its-military-bases-in-africa.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> What France Loses by Closing Its Military Bases in Africa<\/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<\/blockquote>\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-1-27-2025.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bird Song of the Day Brown Thrasher, Elkinsville Rd. and Kirk\u2019s Ford Rd., Brown, Indiana, United States. Grab a cup of coffee for nineteen minutes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":90250,"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-90249","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\/90249","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=90249"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90249\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Brown Thrasher, Elkinsville Rd. and Kirk\u2019s Ford Rd., Brown, Indiana, United States. Grab a cup of coffee for nineteen minutes of thrashing!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/strong> <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#trump\">Trump\u2019s first week<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#dems2028\">Democrats for 2028<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#surviving\">Surviving pandemics<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"trump\"\/>Trump Administration<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"140.73073454949\">\n<p>\u201cScoop: How Trump\u2019s \u2018black box\u2019 limits outside influences\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2025\/01\/26\/trump-white-house-inner-circle-influence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Axios<\/a>]. \u201cPresident Trump is surprising \u2014 even frustrating \u2014 some longtime friends in his second administration\u2019s early days with fewer leaks, a lack of exploitable rivalries, and tighter restrictions on access to him. Why it matters: No modern president has done more \u2014 across more areas of American policy, culture and life \u2014 than Trump in the past six days. This new operating style and system enabled a strategy of flooding the nation with so many huge moves that it\u2019s hard for critics to attack specific ones.\u201d And: \u201cIt\u2019s stunning to veterans of Trump\u2019s first West Wing. But at least in Week 1, the new government has mirrored the discipline of his 2024 campaign operation \u2014 another sharp contrast with his previous teams\u2026. There\u2019s a \u2018strong silo system\u2019 that has kept advocates and special interests from forum-shopping and end-running administration officials, the lobbyist added.\u201d Interestingly: \u201cThe biggest change of all, Axios has learned, is that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and other aides have clamped down on the ability of random friends and reporters to call Trump directly. Until now, if you had his phone number and called, Trump would answer and talk to you \u2014 and maybe even act on whatever you suggested. Now, Trump wants to focus more on work and has less time for bull sessions so he\u2019s less prone to answer his phone.\u201d \u2022 Of course, some might suggest that we want Trump to \u201cwork\u201d as little possible.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConfident, organised, still freewheeling: Trump 2.0 has learned from past\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c17ew9ezw0ko\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">BBC<\/a>]. \u201cThe stacks of leather-bound executive orders piled high on the Resolute Desk illustrate how the Trump 2.0 era is set against a different political landscape from four years ago \u2013 one which has produced a more emboldened commander-in-chief\u2026. \u2018It\u2019s been much more disciplined, on-point and issue-focused,\u2019 said Lawrence Muir, a former official in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Mr Muir, who was tasked with hiring administration personnel as part of the 2016 Trump transition team, told the BBC his work was \u2018essentially discarded\u2019 by the incoming White House at the time. \u2018They did not have a great idea about what they were supposed to be producing, or how to produce it,\u2019 he said. \u2018[Trump\u2019s] doing much better this time in terms of what he\u2019s getting out, getting it out efficiently, and knowing how it has to be enforced down through the agencies.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump\u2019s agenda is about to hit a make-or-break moment\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/01\/27\/republican-retreat-trump-doral-gop-agenda-00002101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cHouse Republicans are heading to President Donald Trump\u2019s Miami-area resort for their annual policy retreat\u2026. The biggest task for the gathering at Trump National Doral: Finalize a budget blueprint plan for the massive, party-line bill they\u2019re planning, touching energy, border security and tax policy. But to do that, Republicans need to decide what will go in that package \u2014 with the price tag of Trump\u2019s priorities reaching $10 trillion over 10 years \u2014 versus what might be included in a separate, bipartisan government funding bill that will be negotiated with Democrats over the next seven weeks. The fate of a necessary debt ceiling increase is top of mind\u2026. The planned retreat discussions have been tailored to show attending members the possibilities for the way forward and to take their temperatures on potential spending cuts, according to three Republicans with direct knowledge of the planning. Leaders will have to carefully balance sometimes competing interests from various GOP factions.\u201d And: \u201cCentrists are also relaying their concerns to GOP leaders about some committees\u2019 plans to target pieces of the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that provides food aid benefits for more than 40 million low-income Americans\u2026. Those proposals are relatively more palatable for GOP lawmakers in competitive districts than the massive cuts to current benefits some conservatives would prefer. But they\u2019re still politically divisive and could provide Democrats major campaign fodder in blue and purple districts ahead of the 2026 midterms.\u201d \u2022\u00a0But cutting Medicaid, though easy and fun, won\u2019t get those trillions. It never does.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump actions could wreak havoc on South Florida\u2019s sizeable Colombian population\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/Aug1i\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Miami Herald<\/a>]. \u201cFlorida is home to 473,606 Colombians, according to the U.S. Census data. The state has long been a magnet for new arrivals from the South American country who are seeking a place where there are many Spanish speakers, a warm climate and a ready-made community.\u201d \u2022 Interestingly, the story doesn\u2019t sat what percentage of those new arrivals have their papers in order.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump wants to tackle inflation. Will these top actions bring prices down?\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/w2nck\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. The deck: \u201cHere\u2019s six key actions, executive orders and promises, from this past week and how they would affect inflation.\u201d More: \u201c\u2018The reality is, inflation of the type we have gets embedded into the economy and takes a long time to wring out,\u2019 said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum, a conservative think tank. \u2018There aren\u2019t many quick solutions.’\u201d Be that as it may, the six: Immigration crackdowns, deportations [\u25b2]; New tariffs and trade policies [\u25b2]; Expanding oil and gas drilling, other energy overhauls [\u25bc]; Rolling back regulations [\u25bc]; Undoing Biden\u2019s efforts to lower prescription drug prices[?]; Lowering interest rates[\u25b2].\u201d \u2022 Triangles for what WaPo thinks could go up, or down.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump shocks the system. Will he solve problems voters care about most?\u201d [Dan Balz, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/other\/trump-shocks-the-system-will-he-solve-problems-voters-care-about-most\/ar-AA1xSBSx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. \u201cThe larger issue for Trump, and what ultimately will determine the political and substantive success of his second term, is whether this flurry of activity signaling a major course change will result in the betterment of the lives of the voters who supported him in November. Getting rid of DEI offices and personnel will cheer his most loyal supporters and hurt a federal workforce in a nation becoming more ethnically diverse. It won\u2019t necessarily help families struggling to pay bills. Deporting millions of undocumented immigrants in fact could raise food prices and further labor shortages\u2026. Shocking the system is one thing. Providing tangible results to people is another.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>2028<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"22.837455830389\">\n<p><a name=\"dems2028\"\/>\u201cThe 12 Democrats who make the most sense for 2028\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/7t6Zy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">WaPo<\/a>]. Starts out well: \u201cSave for a few months at the tail end of the 2024 campaign, the party hasn\u2019t had an authoritative, dominant leader for a long time.\u201d Really? 2024? Who was that? Anyhow, here are the 12, starting with #12: Tim Walz, Josh Stein, Andy Beshear, Gavin Newsom, Raphael G. Warnock, Wes Moore, Ruben Gallego, John Fetterman, Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Gretchen Whitmer, and \u2014 at #1! \u2014 Josh Shapiro. It\u2019s been a long time since I deployed the \u201cPlease kill me now\u201d trope\u2026. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Our Famously Free Press<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"29.591194968553\">\n<p>\u201cToo Much News, Redux\u201d [Jon Allsop, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cjr.org\/the_media_today\/too-much-news-redux.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Columbia Journalism Review<\/a>]. \u201cI noted in 2020 that the \u2018basic rhythms\u2019 of the news business aren\u2019t designed to cope with deluges of huge stories: whatever the day\u2019s news, it must be stretched or shrunk to fill roughly the same number of newspaper column inches or cable news hours; the internet, of course, theoretically offers near-infinite space for news coverage to expand, but many digital formats\u2014from homepages to newsletters\u2014themselves have spatial limits, and that\u2019s before we get into strained newsroom resources and apparently diminished audience buy-in, as Stelter pointed out last week. These constraints make it hard for the news media, as a collective apparatus, to communicate proportion. We have tools for organizing stories by importance\u2014back in 2020, I noted that the New York Times had run thirty-three banner front-page print headlines in less than six months, smashing even its election-year average\u2014but the constant blare of headlines, as I noted, can have a \u2018flattening effect, making it harder, over a long period of time, to distinguish actual news from attention hustling.\u2019 The problem of proportionality is recurring now. A story previewing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s potentially radical plans to \u2018target vaccines\u2019 should he be confirmed as health and human services secretary appeared about halfway down a major Politico newsletter on Friday; yesterday, the CIA lab-leak story made the front page of the Times, but only in brief form at the very bottom. Needless to say that in the summer of 2020, both these stories would have been earth-shaking.\u201d \u2022\u00a0Allsop complains of Trump\u2019s tendency to make news, or at least news stories \u2014 \u201cflood the zone with sh*t\u201d \u2014 but I think there are more stories out there, as one would expect as a function of slow civilizational collapse (newsrooms are smaller too).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a name=\"democrats\"\/>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"52.947705969413\">\n<p>\u201cPlaybook: A tough Week One for Democrats\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/playbook\/2025\/01\/26\/a-tough-week-one-for-democrats-00200631\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cOn Saturday, at their winter meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, Democrats will make their first consequential decision since their November drubbing: selecting a new chair of the DNC. In the opening days of the new administration, Democrats have struggled to frame Republicans, careening from the critique that Trump has surrounded himself with \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/HeartlandSignal\/status\/1881803479842177318\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">broligarchs<\/a>,\u2019 as Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) put it, to <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepJerryNadler\/status\/1881474208771055639\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">whether Elon Musk made a Nazi salute<\/a>. Senate Democrats have zigged and zagged on their Cabinet confirmation votes. Of course, not all nominees are equal. But they are clearly divided over tactics in responding to Trump\u2019s program.\u201d \u2022 Maybe \u2014 hear me out \u2014 the important Democrat problems aren\u2019t at the tactical level? <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the wilderness: Democrats struggle to navigate the politics of new Trump era\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/jan\/26\/democrats-trump-return\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Guardian<\/a>]. \u201c\u2018He\u2019s been in office less than a week, and you\u2019ve already seen a federal court with a judge who was appointed by a Republican president \u2013 a president that much of the conservative movement in America upholds \u2013 say that he\u2019s operating blatantly unconstitutionally,\u2019 said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of the non-profit legal group Democracy Forward. \u2018I think what you\u2019re going to see is more sophisticated legal responses this time because civil society, I think, is much more organized and savvy to this playbook.\u2019 Democracy Forward is one of more than 350 organizations that have joined a coalition known as Democracy 2025, which has the explicit aim of \u2018disrupting any efforts by the Trump-Vance administration to attack our rights.\u2019 \u2018The message that we want to send to all Americans across the country is thbe doing is demanding a president and a Congress that does the same thing,\u2019 Perryman said.\u201d \u2022\u00a0So, doubling down on lawfare. 350 organizatioat there are lawyers and advocates who are going to be in court every single day fighting for your rights, and what we need to ns is not a sign of strength. It\u2019s a sign of weakness. Nor are these NGOs representative of \u201ccivil society\u201d as a whole. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrump Just Broke the Law. Blatantly. And He Might Get Away With It\u201d [Michael Tomaskey, <a href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/article\/190704\/trump-fires-inspectors-general-broke-law-blatantly\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The New Republic<\/a>]. On Trump firing the 15 Inspectors General: \u201cUnder the original law, presidents had to give Congress 30 days\u2019 notice about their intent to fire an I.G. and just supply some vague reason why. President Barack Obama\u2019s excuse for firing the I.G. of national service programs was simply a lack of confidence in the guy. Then came Trump. As Bob Bauer and Jack Goldsmith wrote at Lawfare in 2022, \u2018More frequently than prior presidents, [Trump] manipulated vacancies and related laws to fire or dismiss disliked inspectors general and replace them, pursuant to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 (FVRA), with a more like-minded or pliant official.\u2019 So Congress, through a larger defense bill, amended the I.G. law by replacing the word \u2018reasons\u2019 with the phrase \u2018substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons.\u2019 In sum, Congress toughened this law because of Trump. And now, Trump has broken the provision that was added in response to his flouting of the original law! That he broke the law is obvious. He didn\u2019t give 30 days\u2019 notice. He didn\u2019t provide any \u2018substantive rationale.\u2019 He didn\u2019t provide any reason at all. He just did it. And he told reporters Saturday that it was all fine. \u2018It\u2019s a very common thing to do,\u2019 he said. Once he says that, we know that basically every Republican, and Fox News and Sinclair and the rest of the propaganda chamber, are going to say the same thing. Lindsey Graham on Sunday hilariously admitted that \u2018technically, yeah,\u2019 Trump broke the law but Graham wasn\u2019t losing any sleep over it.\u201d \u2022 It\u2019s a good thing that four solid years of lawfare (eight, if you count RussiaGate) didn\u2019t make people cynical about Democrat accusations of illegality, because this thing looks like it could have legs.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"19.496296296296\">\n<p>\u201cColumn: The rise of Silicon Valley, from indifference to lords of the political universe\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/column-rise-silicon-valley-indifference-110028668.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Los Angeles Times<\/a>]. \u201cWhen the high and mighty of Silicon Valley assumed their privileged perch at the swearing-in of President Trump, it was an ostentatious show of wealth and power unlike any before. \u2018You could go back to the Gilded Age and you could have a similar concentration of capital and power. You know, Rockefeller and Carnegie,\u2019 said historian Margaret O\u2019Mara, citing two of the richest men who ever bestrode the earth. \u2018But they weren\u2019t on the dais of the inauguration.\u2019\u2026. The explanation for their propinquity lies not in the creation of some whiz-bang, life-changing, paradigm-bending consumer product, or the shining virtues or particularly fertile minds that grace Silicon Valley\u2019s fruited plain. \u2018It\u2019s one of the oldest truisms in politics,\u2019 said Larry Gerston, a San Jos\u00e9 State political science professor emeritus, who\u2019s followed the tech industry from a front-row seat for decades. \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/business\/story\/2024-12-13\/tech-billionaires-zuckerberg-bezos-and-altman-donate-to-trumps-inauguration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Money buys access<\/a>.\u2019 Bezos\u2019 Amazon and Zuckerberg\u2019s Meta were among the tech firms that tithed $1 million each to help pay for Trump\u2019s inauguration. Musk invested more than a quarter of a billion dollars to help elect Trump. Given his conjoined-twin closeness to the 47th president, it appears money well spent.’\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\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>Airborne Transmission<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"8.0795454545455\">\n<p>Airborne governance, interesting concept:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.8381088825215\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"12.315186246418\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">COVID19 shows that scientific mediation towards the general public, but also between many disciplines, was essential. Airborne transmission is a good example with a huge number of stakeholders, terminologies\u2026 Governance of this exceptionally complex system is the No 1 issue. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1bo4sBKm9j\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/1bo4sBKm9j<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 LET’S AIR (@nousaerons) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nousaerons\/status\/1883454714710556890\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>But commentary, putting the diagram in context:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.4460227272727\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.559659090909\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I love how “equipment suppliers” is this little teeny-tiny inconsequential add-on in the bottom when it’s the single failure point and almost every thing the rest might accomplish absolutely relies it\ud83d\ude02<\/p>\n<p>Remember when you all thought you could just buy off-the-shelf air purifiers\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rJONCMMo4p\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/rJONCMMo4p<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Nukit (@NukitToBeSure) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NukitToBeSure\/status\/1883490147553169617\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Transmission: H5N1<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"32.619538834951\">\n<p>\u201c2nd Edition Ready For The Next One: A Guide to H5N1 Preparation\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/s\/4beff5c3a0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ko-Fi<\/a>]. Description: \u201cWhile much of the US struggles to see the oncoming avian flu pandemic as a true public health threat, Sharon offers a way forward into an uncertain, chaotic future with a special focus on H5N1 preparation. Includes all the material in her H5N1 prep essays along with printable bonus material, like health preparations and talking points & communication strategies.\u201d \u2022 Haven\u2019t evaluated it, but it <em>is<\/em> paid for on a sliding scale starting at zero, so perhaps some kind soul in the readership would like to take a look.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow the Messy Process of Milking Cows Can Spread Bird Flu\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/DTyKO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times<\/a>]. From December 5, 2024: \u201c[D]ata strongly suggests that the virus, known as H5N1, has spread primarily* through milk. It replicates quickly in the udders of infected cows, which produce milk with sky-high levels of the pathogen. Droplets of milk can splash into dairy workers\u2019 faces, while milk-splattered equipment and vehicles can transport the virus from cow to cow\u2026. In theory, a virus that spreads through milk should be easier to control than one that floats invisibly in the air. But a look inside the modern dairy industry reveals that milk-based transmission is profoundly worrying. \u2018Milk is hugely problematic,\u2019 said Seema Lakdawala, a virologist at Emory University.\u201d \u2022 Detail on how humans and robots milk cows. Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/milking_machines.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"1171\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-286174\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/milking_machines.png 500w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/milking_machines-128x300.png 128w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/milking_machines-437x1024.png 437w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>I only know what I read in the papers, so perhaps some kind reader can comment on this solution.<\/p>\n<p>NOTE * If HN51 travels on dust blown by the wind, the \u201cprimarily\u201d claim could turn out to be false. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a name=\"mask\"\/>Maskstravaganza<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Masking and class:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.2014925373134\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.044776119403\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">A great deal of resistance to wearing masks is that it is now a social status signifier<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 sawawawawa (@sawawawawa3) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sawawawawa3\/status\/1882911213828636709\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Prevention: Covid<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"11.80487804878\">\n<p>Covid-consciousness as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/terms\/h\/hodl.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">HODL<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"5.2571428571429\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"13.142857142857\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This right here is the play. Hold. Just hold. 1 is less than 2, 2 is less than 3, hold, just hold as best you can for as long as you can. Let time pass, let solutions manifest, wait. Don’t trade your forever for a false “right now.” <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9FFx0It7O7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/9FFx0It7O7<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Steve the Book Guy (@SteveTheBookGuy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SteveTheBookGuy\/status\/1883482917827133555\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>I think it\u2019s good not to be infected, and the next best thing is to put off being infected; the advantages of, say, not getting brain damage compound.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"surviving\"\/>How to survive a pandemic (<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/drseanmullen\/status\/1883776837559427323?s=12\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">thread<\/a>):<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/surviving_pandemic.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"660\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-286172\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/surviving_pandemic.png 500w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/surviving_pandemic-227x300.png 227w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"\/><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Personal Risk Assessment<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>So they tell us:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.6371681415929\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.2389380530973\">\n<p lang=\"es\" dir=\"ltr\">Under control <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/RteVlBnSje\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/RteVlBnSje<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dr Evonne T Curran NursD \ud83d\udc99\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@EvonneTCurran) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EvonneTCurran\/status\/1883861502605861362\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 27, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Indeed, the CDC data seems to have paused onTrump\u2019s order (except for National Hospitalization, oddly). How I wish we had Biobot\u2019s wastewater charts back!<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.879174852652\">\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 13<\/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=\"3.8961038961039\">\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\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> National [6] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/covidnetdashboard\/de\/powerbi\/dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> January 24:<\/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-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-286161\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-2-288x300.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=\"2.7179487179487\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> National[7] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/healthcare-solutions\/covid-19-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a> January 27:<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> Ohio[8] <a href=\"https:\/\/clevelandcliniclabs.com\/respiratory-virus-surveillance-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Cleveland Clinic<\/a> January 18:<\/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-states-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-286163\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-2-300x189.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-286162\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2-300x198.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Travelers Data<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.5932203389831\">\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=\"108.95273661808\">\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>National Activity: \u201cUnited States Chicago Fed National Activity Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/chicago-fed-national-activity-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economy<\/a>]. \u201cThe Chicago Fed National Activity Index for the US increased to 0.15 in December 2024, the highest reading in seven months, compared to an upwardly revised -0.01 in November. The reading showed economic growth increased in December, with production-related indicators contributing 0.19 (vs +0.03 in November) and employment-related indicators adding (vs unchanged).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/tradingeconomics.com\/united-states\/dallas-fed-manufacturing-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Trading Economics<\/a>]. <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing may soon sell some of its businesses. That could finally boost the stock\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/story\/boeing-may-soon-sell-some-of-its-businesses-that-could-finally-boost-the-stock-8a5527cf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MarketWatch<\/a>]. \u201cLeaders at Boeing Co. have been struggling to turn the company around after years of bad headlines. Now, some investors are hoping they\u2019ll look to a new tactic: selling some of its businesses, which could shore up the company\u2019s balance sheet and lift the stock from its doldrums. There are a few discrete businesses within the aerospace and defense behemoth that could generate cash, including Boeing\u2019s Jeppesen navigation unit and Boeing\u2019s parts distribution business. In conversations with MarketWatch, some investors also have raised the possibility of changes to Boeing\u2019s satellite-launch joint venture with Lockheed Martin Corp.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cBudget airline Ryanair cuts passenger traffic goal again on Boeing delays\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2025\/01\/27\/ryanair-cuts-passenger-traffic-goal-again-on-boeing-delays.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNBC<\/a>]. \u201c[Ryanair CFO Neil Sorahan], who said he recently returned from a trip to Boeing\u2019s production facilities into Seattle, said he\u2019d seen \u2018huge improvements in relation to supply chain and everything else\u2019 in recent months. \u2018I have a high level of confidence that the remaining nine aircraft that we need to get to 181 \u2018Gamechangers\u2019 along with the existing fleet will come in,\u2019 he added. Sorahan said that Boeing appeared to have \u2018turned the corner,\u2019 adding that he was hopeful Ryanair would not need to cut its traffic targets even further.\u201d \u2022 I hope its true. Regardless, kudos to whoever took Sorahan round the plant\u2026. <\/p>\n<p>Tech: Nate, Nate:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.4444444444444\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"11.555555555556\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">ChatGPT is incredibly dangerous to the very people whose limited skills entice them to use it.<\/p>\n<p>An output that sounds vaguely credible will be mistaken for *actual* credibility right up to the moment an expert lays eyes on.<\/p>\n<p>You’re being sold an automated Dunning-Kruger trap. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4uow0EFVSQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/4uow0EFVSQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 David Z. Morris (@davidzmorris) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/davidzmorris\/status\/1883584045659128290\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.561797752809\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"9.7949438202247\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">it kinda baffles me how many people straight up do not care about the ai hallucinations. they’re so impressed by software that answers their questions that it doesn’t even matter to them that the answers are often totally wrong or pulled from a random\/unreliable\/biased source <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HxjrP0Noae\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/HxjrP0Noae<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 rural juror no. 2 (@resurrecti0ns) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/resurrecti0ns\/status\/1883535515452088323\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Tech: Matty, Matty:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"5.3275862068966\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"13.318965517241\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I am old enough to remember travel agents. You went to them with dates. They did the work, found the best price, explained everything. They did the work you now do for free. Airlines advertised to them, not you. Like supermarket checkers, I don\u2019t mind paying ppl to do work. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GzDuprffpN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">https:\/\/t.co\/GzDuprffpN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dr. Thrasher (@thrasherxy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thrasherxy\/status\/1883528874891632669\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>And:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"5.7222222222222\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"14.08547008547\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Somewhat true that being an empathetic person in a country that is rounding up families, bombing babies, letting senior citizens die on the street, forcing teens to give birth, and publicly executing people with no trial can cause depression or anxiety. <\/p>\n<p>Beats sociopathy imo! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9LpooHrpW9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/9LpooHrpW9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Kate Willett (@katewillett) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/katewillett\/status\/1883217110924730708\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Tech: Can this be true?<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/llm_listicles.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"1102\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-286171\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/llm_listicles.png 500w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/llm_listicles-136x300.png 136w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/llm_listicles-465x1024.png 465w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>It does make sense that the tech bros, being bottom feeders, would stuff their training sets with the cheapest possible content\u2026 <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 38 Fear (previous close: 48 Neutral) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 37 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Jan 27 at 1:49:14 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p>Rapture Index: Closes unchanged. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.raptureready.com\/rapture-ready-index\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Rapture Ready<\/a>]. Record High, October 10, 2016: 189. Current: 181. (Remember that bringing on the Rapture is good.) \u2022 This is a tough crowd. Surely Trump\u2019s first week brought the Rapture closer?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How New England (1):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.3319672131148\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"4.2622950819672\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Rooms for Tourists \u2013 1945 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/artbots?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#artbots<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/hopper?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">#hopper<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BNjw26L6Nd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/BNjw26L6Nd<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Edward Hopper (@artisthopper) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/artisthopper\/status\/1882695105334624369\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>How New England (2):<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/addams.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"568\" height=\"748\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-286175\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/addams.jpeg 568w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/addams-228x300.jpeg 228w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 568px) 100vw, 568px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"zeitgeist\"\/><strong>Zeitgeist Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow to Weather the Storm\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/kottke.org\/25\/01\/how-to-weather-the-storm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Kottle.org<\/a>]. All about the feels. That said: \u201cI\u2019ve decided that part of what I\u2019m doing to weather the storm is to keep doing what I\u2019m doing here on kottke.org \u2014 that is, highlighting the creativity of humanity, telling the truth about what\u2019s going on in the world, sharing dumb stuff that makes us laugh \u2014 and continue to develop an online community built around those things via the comments and other means.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"guillotine\"\/><strong>Guillotine Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Wage Crisis of 2025: 73% of Workers Struggle Beyond Basic Living Expenses\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.resume-now.com\/job-resources\/careers\/wage-reality-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Resume Now<\/a>]. Self-reported, but in a way that\u2019s the point: \u201cA recent survey by Resume Now reveals that financial stress has reached a breaking point for American workers, with 73% of employees struggling to afford anything beyond their basic living expenses.\u201d And:<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"45.623424369748\">\n<ol>\n<li>12% often cannot afford basic living expenses, and 24% struggle to cover essentials.<\/li>\n<li>Only 6% are able to save for the future.<\/li>\n<li>One-third of workers say their salary has not kept up with inflation.<\/li>\n<li>55% think their salary is lower than it should be.<\/li>\n<li>29% have moved to lower-cost areas or housing to navigate financial strain.<\/li>\n<li>3 in 10 have taken on debt to cover living expenses.<\/li>\n<li>Only 4% of workers feel truly valued in their role.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Commentary:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"4.9276595744681\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"12.31914893617\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Absolutely wild statistic.<\/p>\n<p>There really are 2 Americas.<\/p>\n<p>And not a single politician, public figure, or business leader is in this bottom 75th percentile group: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QhHqWLIti9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/QhHqWLIti9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Amy Nixon (@texasrunnerDFW) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/texasrunnerDFW\/status\/1883250799436001710\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">January 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"wired\"\/><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat an Insomniac Knows\u201d [Adam Gopnik, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/1VlcP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The New Yorker<\/a>]. \u201c[Matthew Walker, who runs the Center for Human Sleep Science, at Berkeley,] suggests that humans are made for \u2018biphasic\u2019 sleep\u2014that is, two sleep sessions per day. People in traditional communities where everyone naps live longer than people in modernized ones where they don\u2019t. The siesta is lifesaving. Walker even conjectures that our peculiar sleep patterns may explain our evolutionary advance. We sleep less than other primates, but get relatively more REM sleep, and the dreams it brings, than our monkey and ape cousins. It is during REM sleep, Walker insists, that we engage in \u2019emotional processing.\u2019 The mnemonic collisions during this phase forge new connections among our experiences, and we wake not merely refreshed but revived and enlightened by our re-wrought neural networks.\u201d \u2022 Hmm.<\/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-1-24-2025.html\">here<\/a>. From Timotheus:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gingko.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-286158\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gingko.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/gingko-225x300.jpeg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Timotheus writes: \u201cEvening view of a beloved giant gingko on Broadway and 211th Street, Manhattan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"donate\"\/><strong>Readers<\/strong>: Water Cooler is a standalone entity <em>not<\/em> covered by the annual NC fundraiser. Material here is Lambert\u2019s, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. If you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn\u2019t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! <em>Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I\u2019m on the right track with coverage<\/em>. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:<\/p>\n<p>Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-226891\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"606\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution.png 606w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/contribution-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!<\/p>\n<div class=\"printfriendly pf-alignleft\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"border:none;-webkit-box-shadow:none; -moz-box-shadow: none; box-shadow:none; padding:0; margin:0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/print-button-gray.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- .entry-content --><\/p>\n<footer class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\tThis entry was posted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/guest-post\" rel=\"category tag\">Guest Post<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/category\/water-cooler\" rel=\"category tag\">Water Cooler<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/2025\/01\/200pm-water-cooler-1-27-2025.html\" title=\"2:00 pm\" rel=\"bookmark\"><time class=\"entry-date updated\" datetime=\"2025-01-27T14:00:47-05:00\">January 27, 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\/what-france-loses-by-closing-its-military-bases-in-africa.html\" rel=\"prev\"><span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2190<\/span> What France Loses by Closing Its Military Bases in Africa<\/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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