\n<\/p>\n
By Lambert Strether.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nBird Song of the Day<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Allisa Linfield, University Ridge \u2013 The University of Wisconsin Golf Course, Dane, Wisconsin, United States.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#doge\">Who were the strategists who put DOGE together<\/a>?<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#elon\">Should somebody check in on Elon<\/a>?<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#meta\">Meta\u2019s original accumulation of training sets<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\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>DOGE<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"84.334555148284\">\n<p><a name=\"doge\"\/>\u201cHow DOGE cracked Washington: A focus on arcane agencies gave Musk and his allies swift control of government nerve centers\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2025\/02\/21\/politics\/doge-cracked-washington-musk-government-nerve-centers\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. This is good reporting, worth reading in full. \u201cCNN interviews with multiple government officials, plus a review of hundreds of court documents, employment agreements, agency directories and executive branch memos shed new light on the behind-the-scenes preparation and strategy behind DOGE, choreographed, structured, and executed to take swift control of Washington nerve centers\u2026. That plan has undeniably \u2013 and intentionally \u2013 minimized transparency while also maximizing the free rein Musk\u2019s allies have wielded across the federal bureaucracy\u2026. Despite their relative lack of government experience, political appointees with deep ties to Musk, his companies or other major tech firms now sit in key leadership positions across agencies that comprise the federal government\u2019s personnel, technology, property and acquisition operations. The organization that works day-to-day at DOGE\u2019s official home hasn\u2019t been publicly laid out by the White House. But according to multiple sources familiar with the organization, the operation is lean by design, with its central office populated primarily by lawyers and younger staff members\u2026. A cadre of young technology engineers have fanned out across multiple agencies over the past month, appearing in organizational directories with different agency-specific email addresses. Some of those engineers, according to disclosures made public in court filings the last several weeks, are detailed to operate in multiple agencies simultaneously\u2026. Their work has been accelerated by political appointees who took control of agencies including the General Services Administration and Office of Personnel Management on Inauguration Day. OPM in particular has served as a cornerstone of a carefully calibrated interplay between Trump\u2019s expansive executive orders and DOGE\u2019s role in carrying out \u2013 or in many cases, enforcing \u2013 their intent.\u201d Critically: \u201cMusk\u2019s official position as a special government employee operating within the White House and not tied explicitly to DOGE, appears intentional in its design. A special government employee is allowed to maintain their private sector employment \u2013 which in Musk\u2019s case include a collection of space, electric vehicle, AI and social media companies worth billions of dollars. While DOGE may be \u2018overseen\u2019 by Musk, as [press secretary] Leavitt says, .\u201d \u2022 Again, worth reading in full. And I do wonder who the Republican strategists were who crafted the parasitoid entity that inserted its ovipositor into OPM\u2019s head. (Trump does have the ability to pick highly competent people and leave them alone, as for example his excellent Texas-based national polling operation in 2016, only reported after the election; so it looks like that happened here). This is not the Project 2025 blueprint (contrast Project 2025\u2019s views on USAID with what DOGE actually did). I don\u2019t think Susie Wiles has the resum\u00e9. I don\u2019t think the Peter Thiel axis has the knowledge base, though of course Thiel (or Musk) can buy whoever he wants. So, who?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDOGE\u2019s Millions: As Musk and Trump Gut Government, Their Ax-Cutting Agency Gets Cash Infusion\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/doge-trump-musk-funding-foia-congress-transparency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ProPublica<\/a>]. \u201cMost of DOGE\u2019s money, records show, has come in the form of payments from other federal agencies made possible by a nearly century-old law called the Economy Act. To steer those funds to the new department, the Trump administration has treated DOGE as if it were a federal agency. And by dispatching members of its staff to other agencies and having those staffers issue edicts about policy and personnel, DOGE has also behaved as if it has agency-level authority. The use of the Economy Act would seem to subject DOGE to the same open-records laws that cover most federal agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency or the State Department. However, DOGE has refused to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests, saying it operates with executive privileges. Musk has also flip-flopped about whether DOGE\u2019s staff members are paid. Initially he said they were not, but earlier this week he said some of them were. The conflicting stances put the Trump administration in a bind, legal experts say. If DOGE is a federal agency, it can\u2019t shield its records from the public. If it\u2019s not an agency, then DOGE\u2019s tens of millions of dollars in funding weren\u2019t legally allocated and should be returned, some contend. \u2018The administration can\u2019t have it both ways,\u2019 said Adam Grogg, a former deputy general counsel at OMB and now the legal director at Governing for Impact, a left-of-center think tank. \u2018Either it\u2019s an agency covered by FOIA with the authority to do what it\u2019s doing, or it\u2019s purely advising the president and can\u2019t be directing agencies in the way it now is.’\u201d \u2022\u00a0Again, who was the strategist who worked this out? I mean, decapitating the Federal Government is an enormous techical achievement, so who\u2019s the technician?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPentagon seeks to shift $50B in planned funding to new priorities in FY26\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/breakingdefense.com\/2025\/02\/pentagon-seeks-to-shift-50b-in-planned-funding-to-new-priorities-in-fy26\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Breaking Defense<\/a>]. \u201cSecretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered a review of the department\u2019s fiscal 2026 budget plans in order to shift funds from legacy programs towards President Donald Trump\u2019s priorities, including border security and the Iron Dome for America. The goal: Find roughly $50 billion, or 8 percent of the FY26 plan, and reprioritize it.\u201d I had tbought 8% was to be <em>cut<\/em> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/doge-defense-cuts-planning-meeting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CBS<\/a>). Oh well. More: \u201cThis effort would seem to be a parallel but different one from the cuts expected to be pushed by the Elon Musk-led DOGE office, which arrived this week at the Pentagon. Those in defense circles are bracing for a wave of personnel cuts, perhaps as soon as this week, as probationary employees in the civilian workforce have been early targets of DOGE during their other stops. How the idea of cuts lines up with proposals in Congress to increase the department\u2019s budget by either $100 billion or $150 billion through the reconciliation process is unclear, nor is it clear how members of Congress will react to having programs \u2014 potentially major ones \u2014 in their districts impacted. It\u2019s also uncertain when the FY26 budget might actually be delivered to Congress.\u201d \u2022 No, totally not clear\u2026 <\/p>\n<p>\u201cDOGE Staffer Behind Racist Posts Reinstated at Social Security\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/zR35S\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cThe staffer with billionaire Elon Musk\u2019s Department of Government Efficiency who resigned after a report that linked him to racism and eugenics has been reinstated at the Social Security Administration, according to people familiar with the move. Marko Elez, who reportedly advocated for a \u2018eugenic immigration policy\u2019 and argued against mixed-race relationships in posts on X, received support from Musk, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance after his departure earlier this month.\u201d Because who doesn\u2019t support eugenics, especially for the very rich? <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Is Elon OK (1):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.1835443037975\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.5506329113924\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Oh and you\u2019re never gonna believe who gets paid to de-orbit the space station <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nPMX7IJRHD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/nPMX7IJRHD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 David Willis (@ThePrimalDino) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ThePrimalDino\/status\/1892645107368632659\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Is Elon OK (2):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.6260162601626\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.2032520325203\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">this is one of the saddest things I’ve seen on here <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JSLYG8zWmR\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/JSLYG8zWmR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Alison (@TradWife2049) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TradWife2049\/status\/1892694549769916901\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Is Elon OK (3):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.7551724137931\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10.013793103448\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I asked <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/grok\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@grok<\/a> to analyze the last 1,000 posts from Elon Musk for truth and veracity. More than half of what Elon posts on X is false or misleading, while most of the “true” posts are simply updates about his companies. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WSe9Nj3XC1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/WSe9Nj3XC1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Isaac Saul (@Ike_Saul) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Ike_Saul\/status\/1892623014300107253\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Is Elon OK (4):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.8915094339623\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10.377358490566\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">See the moment President Trump\u2019s billionaire adviser on government spending, Elon Musk, was given a \u201cchainsaw of bureaucracy\u201d by Argentina\u2019s President Javier Milei at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in the US. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/N4AeGy3VaV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/N4AeGy3VaV<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AJEnglish\/status\/1892922224858005645\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Yeah, but what\u2019s with the sunglasses?<\/p>\n<p>Then again:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.0589887640449\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"8.1573033707865\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I went to get my front camera cleaned today at the Tesla Service Center in Salem, Oregon today. This was happening. Glad no one was hurt. I get people are upset with Elon but this has gone way too far. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SawyerMerritt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@SawyerMerritt<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/stevenmarkryan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@stevenmarkryan<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TeslaBoomerMama\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@TeslaBoomerMama<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DirtyTesLa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@DirtyTesLa<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DillonLoomis22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@DillonLoomis22<\/a>\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VuF01wZiGF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/VuF01wZiGF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Cesar Roque (@CesarRoqueC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CesarRoqueC\/status\/1892770533156278401\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Then a<em>gain<\/em>:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.5076335877863\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.5229007633588\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia has published a letter sent to him by Trump\u2019s Department of Justice threatening to potentially prosecute him for criticizing Elon Musk. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fCVYBPcj6m\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/fCVYBPcj6m<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NoLieWithBTC\/status\/1892681622551400495\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a name=\"democrats\"\/>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"81.425130325364\">\n<p>\u201cDemocrats May Risk Their Own Tea Party Moment\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/split-ticket.org\/2025\/02\/21\/the-democratic-disconnect\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Split Ticket<\/a>]. \u201cThe scenario I am speculating on here is one where a whole ton of established lawmakers, such as 80-year-old Dick Durbin, are forced to the exits and are replaced by younger, more outwardly-idealistic \u201cfighters\u201d, whether by means of retirement or primary challenges. You may call it a revolution on an age-based axis, or on a \u2018combativeness\u2019 axis, rather than one waged on the traditional, ideological \u2018leftist vs centrist\u2019 front.\u201d Yes, because the left has been run out of the party. More: \u201cThe data suggests that an insurgency is quite possible\u2026. To us, this is wholly unsurprising. For years, Democratic politicians have sold the public on Trump being a unique threat to democracy. Now that he\u2019s in power, does it make sense to suddenly sit back, let him dominate the news, and \u201cwait for him to screw up\u201d? Regardless of the merits of the statement or the strategy, the new message is clearly at odds with what the party has done for a long time, especially as voting Democrats fear the potential long-term consequences of an unbridled Trump administration.\u201d And: The Democrat leadership argues that \u201cTrump isn\u2019t behaving in a manner consistent with the smallest popular vote victory since 2000\u2026. and this will likely lead to broad overreach and chaos that swing voters will quickly sour on. There are signs this approach is working \u2014 as Trump and Musk continue to make news, the President\u2019s approval is rapidly decreasing and is now almost back to neutral, as per FiveThirtyEight\u2019s tracker, which is down from the +8 he began his term with. And as a public opinion and polling nerd, I think this approach actually has the potential to create larger and more lasting gains, so I\u2019m more understanding of it. What I also think is true, however, is that <strong>most Democratic voters are not okay with this approach<\/strong>. And right now, there are simply too many people that hate both Donald Trump and the Democratic Party for this equilibrium to remain.\u201d \u2022 I think it\u2019s pretty simple: The Republicans are directly assaulting the economic capital of the Democrat base, the PMC, by taking their jobs away. This is true whether the assault be on NGOs (foreign and domestic), DEI administrators, or government workers, including scientists (with more assaults on teachers to come). In addition, the PMC face the ascendancy, indeed the formidable combination, of two demon figures: Putin and Trump. We also have AI looming in the background, threatening to eat <em>all<\/em> the jobs, but especially those that involve the creation of documents (i.e., the work of trained, credentialled professionals). So PMC fear is existential, and they are demanding that their party protect them <em>now<\/em>, while they still have their jobs, instead of later, when the midterms roll around. For example\u2013<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018Cowardliness at the top\u2019: Science agency staff revolt over cuts\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/02\/20\/inside-national-science-foundation-firings-00204763\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cThe National Science Foundation went beyond the staff cuts demanded by the Trump administration in a move that set off a frenzied backlash at the science funding agency. NSF fired about 10 percent of its staff at the end of Tuesday, removing 168 people who included most of the agency\u2019s probationary employees and all of its experts, a class of contract workers who are specialists in niche scientific fields. The agency didn\u2019t have to fire its experts but decided to in the interest of fairness, a top NSF official told staffers in an emotionally charged hybrid meeting Tuesday morning at its Alexandria, Virginia, headquarters. Fired NSF staffers were instructed to stop working by 1 p.m. Tuesday, at which point they would be locked out of the agency\u2019s computer network. They had until the end of the day to clean out their desks. To avoid having the stain of a firing on their resumes, staffers were told they could resign. But then they would not be eligible for unemployment payments.\u201d Ouch! More: \u201cThe announcement prompted outrage, confusion and concern from people at the meeting, resulting in a string of scathing all-staff emails from impacted workers. \u2018You are presenting us as trophies in front of OPM,\u2019 one angry employee said in the meeting, referring to the Office of Personnel Management, according to the transcript. \u2018I don\u2019t want to hear anything about how you are sad, how you feel bad for everyone who\u2019s losing their job today.\u2019 \u2018You screwed people, hardworking people, who trusted the word of this agency, left their careers, wherever they came from,\u2019 they added. \u2018That\u2019s on all of you. Take some accountability.\u2019 An NSF official apologized to the fired workers, noting that they were \u2018following orders\u2019 from the Trump administration.\u201d \u2022 \u201cOnly following orders\u201d is a rather unfortunate locution!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne Simple Question for Democrats\u201d [Ruy Teixeira, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.liberalpatriot.com\/p\/one-simple-question-for-democrats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Liberal Patriot<\/a>]. The deck: \u201cWhat would the working class say?\u201d And: \u201cIt needn\u2019t be. There\u2019s one simple question\u2014a sort of test\u2014that would illuminate the path forward for Democrats. What would the working class say (WWWCS)?\u201d \u2022 The Democrats would rather die as a party than do this. NOTE Well\u2026 The counter-argument is that Democrats have a leader-shaped hole in their heads. A candidate (?) they accepted as a leader \u2014 changing direction all at once, like a school of fish, as they did with Kamala when given permission \u2014 could ask that. But nobody else, and probably nobody on the way up. Anyhow, highly theoretical, since I see nobody in the offing.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Republican Funhouse<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"31.939160569888\">\n<p>\u201cDOGE bites Republicans\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/playbook\/2025\/02\/21\/doge-bites-republicans-00205402\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cA number of Congressional Republicans are starting to flee the blowback of his Department of Government Efficiency\u2019s slash-and-burn approach to federal budget cuts, driven by growing evidence of a groundswell of concern among groups of ordinary voters. And if you think this is only a dynamic in moderate swing seats, consider this morning\u2019s newsletter a wake-up call.\u201d And:<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"19.628336755647\">\n<p>In an R+18 district: Speaking at a business luncheon yesterday in Westerville, Ohio, GOP Rep. Troy Balderson \u201cdescribed President Donald Trump\u2019s flurry of executive orders as \u2018getting out of control\u2019 \u2026. [and] expressed some pushback to the idea of sole decision-making power lying with Trump and billionaire advisor Elon Musk,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dispatch.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2025\/02\/20\/trump-executive-orders-troy-balderson-ohio-congress-gop-republican\/79329526007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the Columbus Dispatch\u2019s Samantha Hendrickson<\/a> reports. \u201c\u2018Congress has to decide whether or not the Department of Education goes away,\u2019 Balderson asserted. \u2018Not the president, not Elon Musk.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In deep-red Georgia: Last night in Roswell, Georgia, an overflow crowd packed into a town hall forum for GOP Rep. Rich McCormick, barraging him with pointed questions and accusatory comments about DOGE\u2019s cuts. His staff \u201cseemed caught off guard by the massive crowd of hundreds that gathered,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/politics\/mccormick-confronted-by-angry-crowd-over-support-for-trumps-agenda\/A4FRX7YIUFD2RK7SFTNOKGMDQY\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution\u2019s Greg Bluestein<\/a>. (This is a district Trump carried by 22 points just three months ago.)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe private GOP panic over the slash-and-burn DOGE firings\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/02\/20\/gop-lawmaker-doge-cut-panic-00205282\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cGOP lawmakers unleashed a frantic flurry of calls and texts after federal agencies undertook the latest firings this past weekend, with Republicans particularly worried about cuts affecting public safety and health roles. Trump\u2019s legislative affairs team, headed by former JD Vance aide James Braid, took the brunt of the frenetic fallout, according to four Republicans granted anonymity to discuss the conversations. For the most part, Republican members are publicly cheering the administration\u2019s push to slash the federal government, which is being led by billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk with Trump\u2019s blessing. But privately, many are feeling helpless to counter the meat-ax approach that has been embraced so far, with lawmakers especially concerned about the dismissal of military veterans working in federal agencies as well as USDA employees handling the growing bird flu outbreak affecting poultry and dairy farms. \u2018I thought we were supposed to be in a new era of meritocracy. Not the indiscriminate firing of people,\u2019 said one Republican congressional aide granted anonymity to speak candidly.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Syndemics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am in earnest \u2014 I will not equivocate \u2014 I will not excuse \u2014 I will not retreat a single inch \u2014 AND I WILL BE HEARD.\u201d \u2013William Lloyd Garrison<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk&null=Risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>); Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>, <del><a href=\"https:\/\/biobot.io\/data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Biobot<\/a><\/del>; includes many counties; <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wastewater Scan<\/a>, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/businesssolutions\/covid-19-index.jsp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a>); \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/iowacovid19tracker.org\/hospitals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Iowa COVID-19 Tracker<\/a>\u201d (in IA, but national data). \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/icemsg.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts<\/a>\u201d (especially on hospitalization by city).<\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put \u201cCOVID\u201d in the subject line. Thank you!<\/p>\n<p>Resources, United States (Local): AK (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/af2efc8bffbf4cdc83c2d1a134354074\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/6d2771faa9da4a2786a509d82c8cf0f7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AR (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/633006d0782b4544bd5113a314f6268a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AZ (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azdhs.gov\/covid19\/data\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); CA (<a href=\"https:\/\/skylab.cdph.ca.gov\/calwws\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.marinhhs.org\/surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Marin, dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/healthalerts.stanford.edu\/covid-19\/wastewater-dashboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Stanford, wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/?v=SC2_N&l=Oakland%2C+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Oakland, wastewater<\/a>); CO (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/d79cf93c3938470ca4bcc4823328946b#utility=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); CT (<a href=\"https:\/\/data.ct.gov\/stories\/s\/COVID-19-data\/wa3g-tfvc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); DE (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.delaware.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); FL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/5b9d75ba683849928dc1a49c39ab0b1c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); GA (<a href=\"https:\/\/dph.georgia.gov\/ga-nwss-wastewater-surveillance-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); HI (<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); IA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmmwra.org\/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater reports<\/a>); ID (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Boise; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/?plantId=1056f05c-0e46-4e3d-b007-c0453ba7dc0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Central Idaho; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/#:SARS-CoV-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Coeur d\u2019Alene; dashboard, <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.srhd.org\/topics\/spokane-county-case-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spokane County<\/a>); IL (<a href=\"https:\/\/iwss.uillinois.edu\/wastewater-treatment-plants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); IN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.in.gov\/indiana-covid-19-dashboard-and-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); KS (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov\/160\/COVID-19-in-Kansas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/4456bae8a38f4b6180e008477382fff9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Lawrence); KY (<a href=\"https:\/\/louisville.edu\/envirome\/thecoimmunityproject\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Louisville); LA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldh.la.gov\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/covid-19-wastewater-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MD (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.maryland.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); ME (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/dhhs\/mecdc\/infectious-disease\/epi\/airborne\/coronavirus\/data.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/coronavirus\/stats\/wastewater-surveillance\/dashboard\/sentinel-wastewater-epidemiology-evaluation-project-sweep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/gisportal.state.mi.us\/portal\/apps\/insights\/index.html#\/view\/52bbb104ed574887918f990af9f3debe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/stats\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MO (<a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/f7f5492486114da6b5d6fdc07f81aacf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MS (<a href=\"https:\/\/msdh.ms.gov\/page\/14,0,420.html#Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>MT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapSeries\/index.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; NC (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.ncdhhs.gov\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard)<\/a>; ND (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NE (<a href=\"https:\/\/atlas-dhhs.ne.gov\/Atlas\/Respiratory_Illness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NH (<a href=\"https:\/\/wisdom.dhhs.nh.gov\/wisdom\/dashboard.html?topic=covid-19&subtopic=recurring-updates&indicator=covid-19-wastewater#tabnavbarid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NJ (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.nj.gov\/forms\/datadashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NM (<a href=\"https:\/\/cvprovider.nmhealth.org\/public-dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NV (<a href=\"https:\/\/nvhealthresponse.nv.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/empower.unlv.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Southern NV); NY (<a href=\"https:\/\/mbcolli.shinyapps.io\/SARS2EWSP\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OH (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.ohio.gov\/dashboards\/other-resources\/wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OK (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/51657c21386d4f1a962b1853c76ec589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>OR (<a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/oregon.health.authority.covid.19\/viz\/OregonsCOVID-19DataDashboards-TableofContents\/TableofContentsStatewide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; PA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.pa.gov\/topics\/disease\/coronavirus\/pages\/Cases.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); RI (<a href=\"https:\/\/ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SC (<a href=\"https:\/\/scdhec.gov\/index.php\/covid19\/covid-19-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SD (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.sd.gov\/COVID\/Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/health\/cedep\/ncov\/data.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TX (<a href=\"https:\/\/txdshsea.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/4ae43eefd0f641d59d35c3df82ee59cc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); UT (<a href=\"https:\/\/avrpublic.dhhs.utah.gov\/uwss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/coronavirus\/sars-cov-2-in-wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthvermont.gov\/disease-control\/covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WA (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.wa.gov\/emergencies\/covid-19\/data-dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.bfhd.wa.gov\/cases-and-roadmap-to-recovery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.wisconsin.gov\/covid-19\/wastewater.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); WV (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/oehs.wvdhhr.org\/news\/oehs-coivd-19-information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>); WY (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/covidwastewatermonitor.wyo.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/health-infobase.canada.ca\/covid-19\/wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Government of Canada<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publichealthontario.ca\/en\/Data-and-Analysis\/Infectious-Disease\/COVID-19-Data-Surveillance\/Wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); QC (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inspq.qc.ca\/covid-19\/donnees\/eaux-usees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><em>les eaux us\u00e9es<\/em><\/a>); BC (<a href=\"https:\/\/bccdc.shinyapps.io\/respiratory_wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); BC, Vancouver (<a href=\"https:\/\/metrovancouver.org\/services\/liquid-waste\/testing-for-the-covid-19-virus-in-wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, KF, KidDoc, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, thump, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n<p>Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n<p>Immune Dysregulation<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"25.909136295557\">\n<p>\u201cImmunological and Antigenic Signatures Associated with Chronic Illnesses after COVID-19 Vaccination\u201d (preprint) [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.medrxiv.org\/content\/10.1101\/2025.02.18.25322379v1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">medRxiv<\/a>]. Corresponding author kiko Iwasaki is sound, IMNHO. \u201cCOVID-19 vaccines have prevented millions of COVID-19 deaths. Yet, a small fraction of the population reports a chronic debilitating condition after COVID-19 vaccination, often referred to as post-vaccination syndrome (PVS). To explore potential pathobiological features associated with PVS, we conducted a decentralized, cross-sectional study involving 42 PVS participants and 22 healthy controls enrolled in the Yale LISTEN study. Compared with controls, PVS participants exhibited differences in immune profiles, including reduced circulating memory and effector CD4 T cells (type 1 and type 2) and an increase in TNF\u03b1+ CD8 T cells. PVS participants also had lower anti-spike antibody titers, primarily due to fewer vaccine doses. Serological evidence of recent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation was observed more frequently in PVS participants. Further, individuals with PVS exhibited elevated levels of circulating spike protein compared to healthy controls. These findings reveal potential immune differences in individuals with PVS that merit further investigation to better understand this condition and inform future research into diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.\u201d And from the body: \u201cThe molecular mechanisms of PVS remain largely unknown. However, there is considerable overlap in self-reported symptoms between long COVID and PVS, as well as shared exposure to SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein in the context of inflammatory responses during infection or vaccination. In susceptible individuals, vaccines may contribute to long-term symptoms by multiple mechanisms. For example, vaccine components, such as mRNA, lipid nanoparticles, and adenoviral vectors, trigger activation of pattern recognition receptors. Thus, unregulated stimulation of innate immunity could lead to chronic inflammation.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.919540229885\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6470588235294\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> February 17<\/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\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4-300x197.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\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6712328767123\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong> Variants<\/strong> [3] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> February 15<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> <strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> 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> February 15 <\/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\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1-300x230.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\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287665\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-3-300x159.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=\"3.9759036144578\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> New York[5] <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.health.ny.gov\/daily-hospitalization-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York State<\/a>, data February 20:<\/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> February 20:<\/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\/02\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287669\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8-300x170.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\/02\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287666\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-3-300x297.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Positivity<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"2.6842105263158\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> National[7] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/healthcare-solutions\/covid-19-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a> February 17:<\/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> February 15:<\/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\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287391\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1.png 2396w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-624x351.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2396px) 100vw, 2396px\"\/><\/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\/02\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2-300x196.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Travelers Data<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.5789473684211\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> Positivity[9] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> January 27:<\/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> January 27 <\/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\/02\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2-300x182.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<\/span><\/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\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287474\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-2-300x231.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 25:<\/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 25:<\/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\/02\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-286757\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl-300x202.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<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-286972\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1-300x186.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\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) Down, 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, but no exponential growth either, Odd.<\/p>\n<p>[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[8] (Cleveland) Continued upward trend since, well, Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n<p>[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants). Positivity is new, but variants have not yet been released.<\/p>\n<p>[11] Deaths low, positivity leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[12] Deaths low, ED leveling out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are no official statistics of interest today.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cTesla recalls 376,000 vehicles in US over power steering, shares drop\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/autos-transportation\/tesla-recalls-380000-vehicles-us-over-power-steering-issue-2025-02-21\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Reuters<\/a>]. \u201cThe recall follows a more than year-long probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after some Tesla owners reported steering failures. Some were unable to turn the wheel while others cited increased effort. More than 50 vehicles were allegedly towed due to the issue, NHTSA said last year. Reuters reported in late 2023 that tens of thousands of owners had experienced premature failures of suspension or steering parts since 2016, citing Tesla documents and interviews with customers and former employees. In a filing with NHTSA, Tesla said some 2023 Model 3 sedans and Model Y crossovers running older software could face an overvoltage breakdown, potentially overstressing motor drive components on the printed circuit board. Tesla said that if this overstress condition occurs while the vehicle is in motion, steering remains unaffected, and a visual alert is triggered. But once the vehicle stops, the steering assist may fail and remain disabled when it moves again. As of January 10, Tesla has identified 3,012 warranty claims and 570 field reports that may be related to the condition but said it had no reports of any crashes related to the condition. , which remains open.\u201d \u2022 Oh no, of course not, because otherwise regulation might be a good thing.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"meta\"\/>Tech: \u201cMeta claims torrenting pirated books isn\u2019t illegal without proof of seeding\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/tech-policy\/2025\/02\/meta-defends-its-vast-book-torrenting-were-just-a-leech-no-proof-of-seeding\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ars Technica<\/a>]. \u201cSeeding refers to sharing a torrented file after the download completes, and because there\u2019s allegedly no proof of such \u2018seeding,\u2019 Meta insisted that authors cannot prove Meta shared the pirated books with anyone during the torrenting process. Whether or not Meta actually seeded the pirated books could make a difference in a copyright lawsuit from book authors including Richard Kadrey, Sarah Silverman, and Ta-Nehisi Coates. Authors had previously alleged that Meta unlawfully copied and distributed their works through AI outputs\u2014an increasingly common complaint that so far has barely been litigated. But Meta\u2019s admission to torrenting appears to add a more straightforward claim of unlawful distribution of copyrighted works through illegal torrenting, which has long been considered established case-law. Authors have alleged that \u201cMeta deliberately engaged in one of the largest data piracy campaigns in history to acquire text data for its LLM training datasets, torrenting and sharing dozens of terabytes of pirated data that altogether contain many millions of copyrighted works.\u201d \u2022 The Bearded One refers to this sort of theft as \u201coriginal accumulation,\u201d and IMNSHO it\u2019s the basis of AI, given that no training sets = no AI. Here is a massive thread of internal technical communication at Meta:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.156862745098\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.4705882352941\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">“what is the probability of getting arrested for using Torrents in the USA?” \/2 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/IwmtsFw2XF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/IwmtsFw2XF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jason Kint (@jason_kint) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jason_kint\/status\/1892977446397321618\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Worth a read!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 41 Fear (previous close: 45 Neutral) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 44 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Feb 21 at 1:06:14 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cRooms and Buildings Have a Life of Their Own in Eamon Monaghan\u2019s Uncanny Dioramas\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2025\/02\/eamon-monaghan-under-the-floorboards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">This is Colossal<\/a>]. \u201cIn the artist\u2019s current solo exhibition, Under the Floorboards at Moskowitz Bayse, the sculptures jump off the wall, angles jutting this way and that. Beams intersect with appliances; floor boards bend; stairways emerge from nowhere and terminate in open space; and radiator steam infiltrates everything in its path. \u2018Foggy Pipes\u2019 (2025), cardboard, tin foil, aluminum wire, epoxy clay, and watercolor, 34 x 70 x 18 inches Monaghan draws on the work of 20th-century underground legends like cartoonist R. Crumb or clay animator Bruce Bickford.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/road_refrigerator.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"429\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-287672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/road_refrigerator.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/road_refrigerator-300x215.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Like MC Escher. But cute.<\/p>\n<p><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAncient switch to soft food gave us an overbite\u2014and the ability to pronounce \u2018f\u2019s and \u2018v\u2019s\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/content\/article\/ancient-switch-soft-food-gave-us-overbite-and-ability-pronounce-f-s-and-v-s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Science<\/a>]. \u201cDon\u2019t like the F-word? Blame farmers and soft food. When humans switched to processed foods after the spread of agriculture, they put less wear and tear on their teeth. That changed the growth of their jaws, giving adults the overbites normal in children. Within a few thousand years, those slight overbites made it easy for people in farming cultures to fire off sounds like \u201cf\u201d and \u201cv,\u201d opening a world of new words. The newly favored consonants, known as labiodentals, helped spur the diversification of languages in Europe and Asia at least 4000 years ago; they led to such changes as the replacement of the Proto-Indo-European pat\u0113r to Old English faeder about 1500 years ago, according to linguist and senior author Balthasar Bickel at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. The paper shows \u2018that a cultural shift can change our biology in such a way that it affects our language,\u2019 says evolutionary morphologist Noreen Von Cramon-Taubadel of the University at Buffalo, part of the State University of New York system, who was not part of the study.\u201d \u2022 Fast! Whether Jackpot-fast is another question.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReality has a surprising amount of detail\u201d [<a href=\"http:\/\/johnsalvatier.org\/blog\/2017\/reality-has-a-surprising-amount-of-detail\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">John Salvatier<\/a>]. The author begins with the example of building a set of stairs. But: \u201cIf you\u2019re a programmer, you might think that the fiddliness of programming is a special feature of programming, but really it\u2019s that everything is fiddly, but you only notice the fiddliness when you\u2019re new, and in programming you do new things more often.\u201d \u2022 This is why my aesthetic stresses depth of field; to capture the detail. Reality is more a like a super-detailed model railroad than not.<\/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\/02\/200pm-water-cooler-2-20-2025.html\">here<\/a>. From MV:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/fort_worth_2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"486\" height=\"1080\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-287663\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/fort_worth_2.jpeg 486w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/fort_worth_2-135x300.jpeg 135w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/fort_worth_2-461x1024.jpeg 461w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 486px) 100vw, 486px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>MV writes: \u201cFort Worth Botanic Garden.\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<\/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\/02\/200pm-water-cooler-2-21-2025.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether. Bird Song of the Day Allisa Linfield, University Ridge \u2013 The University of Wisconsin Golf Course, Dane, Wisconsin, United States. * *<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":91306,"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-91305","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\/91305","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=91305"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91305\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Bird Song of the Day<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Allisa Linfield, University Ridge \u2013 The University of Wisconsin Golf Course, Dane, Wisconsin, United States.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#doge\">Who were the strategists who put DOGE together<\/a>?<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#elon\">Should somebody check in on Elon<\/a>?<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#meta\">Meta\u2019s original accumulation of training sets<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\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>DOGE<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"84.334555148284\">\n<p><a name=\"doge\"\/>\u201cHow DOGE cracked Washington: A focus on arcane agencies gave Musk and his allies swift control of government nerve centers\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2025\/02\/21\/politics\/doge-cracked-washington-musk-government-nerve-centers\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. This is good reporting, worth reading in full. \u201cCNN interviews with multiple government officials, plus a review of hundreds of court documents, employment agreements, agency directories and executive branch memos shed new light on the behind-the-scenes preparation and strategy behind DOGE, choreographed, structured, and executed to take swift control of Washington nerve centers\u2026. That plan has undeniably \u2013 and intentionally \u2013 minimized transparency while also maximizing the free rein Musk\u2019s allies have wielded across the federal bureaucracy\u2026. Despite their relative lack of government experience, political appointees with deep ties to Musk, his companies or other major tech firms now sit in key leadership positions across agencies that comprise the federal government\u2019s personnel, technology, property and acquisition operations. The organization that works day-to-day at DOGE\u2019s official home hasn\u2019t been publicly laid out by the White House. But according to multiple sources familiar with the organization, the operation is lean by design, with its central office populated primarily by lawyers and younger staff members\u2026. A cadre of young technology engineers have fanned out across multiple agencies over the past month, appearing in organizational directories with different agency-specific email addresses. Some of those engineers, according to disclosures made public in court filings the last several weeks, are detailed to operate in multiple agencies simultaneously\u2026. Their work has been accelerated by political appointees who took control of agencies including the General Services Administration and Office of Personnel Management on Inauguration Day. OPM in particular has served as a cornerstone of a carefully calibrated interplay between Trump\u2019s expansive executive orders and DOGE\u2019s role in carrying out \u2013 or in many cases, enforcing \u2013 their intent.\u201d Critically: \u201cMusk\u2019s official position as a special government employee operating within the White House and not tied explicitly to DOGE, appears intentional in its design. A special government employee is allowed to maintain their private sector employment \u2013 which in Musk\u2019s case include a collection of space, electric vehicle, AI and social media companies worth billions of dollars. While DOGE may be \u2018overseen\u2019 by Musk, as [press secretary] Leavitt says, .\u201d \u2022 Again, worth reading in full. And I do wonder who the Republican strategists were who crafted the parasitoid entity that inserted its ovipositor into OPM\u2019s head. (Trump does have the ability to pick highly competent people and leave them alone, as for example his excellent Texas-based national polling operation in 2016, only reported after the election; so it looks like that happened here). This is not the Project 2025 blueprint (contrast Project 2025\u2019s views on USAID with what DOGE actually did). I don\u2019t think Susie Wiles has the resum\u00e9. I don\u2019t think the Peter Thiel axis has the knowledge base, though of course Thiel (or Musk) can buy whoever he wants. So, who?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDOGE\u2019s Millions: As Musk and Trump Gut Government, Their Ax-Cutting Agency Gets Cash Infusion\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/doge-trump-musk-funding-foia-congress-transparency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ProPublica<\/a>]. \u201cMost of DOGE\u2019s money, records show, has come in the form of payments from other federal agencies made possible by a nearly century-old law called the Economy Act. To steer those funds to the new department, the Trump administration has treated DOGE as if it were a federal agency. And by dispatching members of its staff to other agencies and having those staffers issue edicts about policy and personnel, DOGE has also behaved as if it has agency-level authority. The use of the Economy Act would seem to subject DOGE to the same open-records laws that cover most federal agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency or the State Department. However, DOGE has refused to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests, saying it operates with executive privileges. Musk has also flip-flopped about whether DOGE\u2019s staff members are paid. Initially he said they were not, but earlier this week he said some of them were. The conflicting stances put the Trump administration in a bind, legal experts say. If DOGE is a federal agency, it can\u2019t shield its records from the public. If it\u2019s not an agency, then DOGE\u2019s tens of millions of dollars in funding weren\u2019t legally allocated and should be returned, some contend. \u2018The administration can\u2019t have it both ways,\u2019 said Adam Grogg, a former deputy general counsel at OMB and now the legal director at Governing for Impact, a left-of-center think tank. \u2018Either it\u2019s an agency covered by FOIA with the authority to do what it\u2019s doing, or it\u2019s purely advising the president and can\u2019t be directing agencies in the way it now is.’\u201d \u2022\u00a0Again, who was the strategist who worked this out? I mean, decapitating the Federal Government is an enormous techical achievement, so who\u2019s the technician?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPentagon seeks to shift $50B in planned funding to new priorities in FY26\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/breakingdefense.com\/2025\/02\/pentagon-seeks-to-shift-50b-in-planned-funding-to-new-priorities-in-fy26\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Breaking Defense<\/a>]. \u201cSecretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered a review of the department\u2019s fiscal 2026 budget plans in order to shift funds from legacy programs towards President Donald Trump\u2019s priorities, including border security and the Iron Dome for America. The goal: Find roughly $50 billion, or 8 percent of the FY26 plan, and reprioritize it.\u201d I had tbought 8% was to be <em>cut<\/em> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/doge-defense-cuts-planning-meeting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CBS<\/a>). Oh well. More: \u201cThis effort would seem to be a parallel but different one from the cuts expected to be pushed by the Elon Musk-led DOGE office, which arrived this week at the Pentagon. Those in defense circles are bracing for a wave of personnel cuts, perhaps as soon as this week, as probationary employees in the civilian workforce have been early targets of DOGE during their other stops. How the idea of cuts lines up with proposals in Congress to increase the department\u2019s budget by either $100 billion or $150 billion through the reconciliation process is unclear, nor is it clear how members of Congress will react to having programs \u2014 potentially major ones \u2014 in their districts impacted. It\u2019s also uncertain when the FY26 budget might actually be delivered to Congress.\u201d \u2022 No, totally not clear\u2026 <\/p>\n<p>\u201cDOGE Staffer Behind Racist Posts Reinstated at Social Security\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/zR35S\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cThe staffer with billionaire Elon Musk\u2019s Department of Government Efficiency who resigned after a report that linked him to racism and eugenics has been reinstated at the Social Security Administration, according to people familiar with the move. Marko Elez, who reportedly advocated for a \u2018eugenic immigration policy\u2019 and argued against mixed-race relationships in posts on X, received support from Musk, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance after his departure earlier this month.\u201d Because who doesn\u2019t support eugenics, especially for the very rich? <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Is Elon OK (1):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.1835443037975\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.5506329113924\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Oh and you\u2019re never gonna believe who gets paid to de-orbit the space station <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nPMX7IJRHD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/nPMX7IJRHD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 David Willis (@ThePrimalDino) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ThePrimalDino\/status\/1892645107368632659\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Is Elon OK (2):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.6260162601626\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.2032520325203\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">this is one of the saddest things I’ve seen on here <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JSLYG8zWmR\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/JSLYG8zWmR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Alison (@TradWife2049) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TradWife2049\/status\/1892694549769916901\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Is Elon OK (3):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.7551724137931\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10.013793103448\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I asked <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/grok\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@grok<\/a> to analyze the last 1,000 posts from Elon Musk for truth and veracity. More than half of what Elon posts on X is false or misleading, while most of the “true” posts are simply updates about his companies. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WSe9Nj3XC1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/WSe9Nj3XC1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Isaac Saul (@Ike_Saul) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Ike_Saul\/status\/1892623014300107253\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Is Elon OK (4):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.8915094339623\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10.377358490566\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">See the moment President Trump\u2019s billionaire adviser on government spending, Elon Musk, was given a \u201cchainsaw of bureaucracy\u201d by Argentina\u2019s President Javier Milei at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in the US. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/N4AeGy3VaV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/N4AeGy3VaV<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AJEnglish\/status\/1892922224858005645\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Yeah, but what\u2019s with the sunglasses?<\/p>\n<p>Then again:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.0589887640449\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"8.1573033707865\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I went to get my front camera cleaned today at the Tesla Service Center in Salem, Oregon today. This was happening. Glad no one was hurt. I get people are upset with Elon but this has gone way too far. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SawyerMerritt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@SawyerMerritt<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/stevenmarkryan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@stevenmarkryan<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TeslaBoomerMama\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@TeslaBoomerMama<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DirtyTesLa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@DirtyTesLa<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DillonLoomis22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@DillonLoomis22<\/a>\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VuF01wZiGF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/VuF01wZiGF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Cesar Roque (@CesarRoqueC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CesarRoqueC\/status\/1892770533156278401\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Then a<em>gain<\/em>:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.5076335877863\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.5229007633588\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia has published a letter sent to him by Trump\u2019s Department of Justice threatening to potentially prosecute him for criticizing Elon Musk. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fCVYBPcj6m\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/fCVYBPcj6m<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NoLieWithBTC\/status\/1892681622551400495\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a name=\"democrats\"\/>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"81.425130325364\">\n<p>\u201cDemocrats May Risk Their Own Tea Party Moment\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/split-ticket.org\/2025\/02\/21\/the-democratic-disconnect\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Split Ticket<\/a>]. \u201cThe scenario I am speculating on here is one where a whole ton of established lawmakers, such as 80-year-old Dick Durbin, are forced to the exits and are replaced by younger, more outwardly-idealistic \u201cfighters\u201d, whether by means of retirement or primary challenges. You may call it a revolution on an age-based axis, or on a \u2018combativeness\u2019 axis, rather than one waged on the traditional, ideological \u2018leftist vs centrist\u2019 front.\u201d Yes, because the left has been run out of the party. More: \u201cThe data suggests that an insurgency is quite possible\u2026. To us, this is wholly unsurprising. For years, Democratic politicians have sold the public on Trump being a unique threat to democracy. Now that he\u2019s in power, does it make sense to suddenly sit back, let him dominate the news, and \u201cwait for him to screw up\u201d? Regardless of the merits of the statement or the strategy, the new message is clearly at odds with what the party has done for a long time, especially as voting Democrats fear the potential long-term consequences of an unbridled Trump administration.\u201d And: The Democrat leadership argues that \u201cTrump isn\u2019t behaving in a manner consistent with the smallest popular vote victory since 2000\u2026. and this will likely lead to broad overreach and chaos that swing voters will quickly sour on. There are signs this approach is working \u2014 as Trump and Musk continue to make news, the President\u2019s approval is rapidly decreasing and is now almost back to neutral, as per FiveThirtyEight\u2019s tracker, which is down from the +8 he began his term with. And as a public opinion and polling nerd, I think this approach actually has the potential to create larger and more lasting gains, so I\u2019m more understanding of it. What I also think is true, however, is that <strong>most Democratic voters are not okay with this approach<\/strong>. And right now, there are simply too many people that hate both Donald Trump and the Democratic Party for this equilibrium to remain.\u201d \u2022 I think it\u2019s pretty simple: The Republicans are directly assaulting the economic capital of the Democrat base, the PMC, by taking their jobs away. This is true whether the assault be on NGOs (foreign and domestic), DEI administrators, or government workers, including scientists (with more assaults on teachers to come). In addition, the PMC face the ascendancy, indeed the formidable combination, of two demon figures: Putin and Trump. We also have AI looming in the background, threatening to eat <em>all<\/em> the jobs, but especially those that involve the creation of documents (i.e., the work of trained, credentialled professionals). So PMC fear is existential, and they are demanding that their party protect them <em>now<\/em>, while they still have their jobs, instead of later, when the midterms roll around. For example\u2013<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018Cowardliness at the top\u2019: Science agency staff revolt over cuts\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/02\/20\/inside-national-science-foundation-firings-00204763\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cThe National Science Foundation went beyond the staff cuts demanded by the Trump administration in a move that set off a frenzied backlash at the science funding agency. NSF fired about 10 percent of its staff at the end of Tuesday, removing 168 people who included most of the agency\u2019s probationary employees and all of its experts, a class of contract workers who are specialists in niche scientific fields. The agency didn\u2019t have to fire its experts but decided to in the interest of fairness, a top NSF official told staffers in an emotionally charged hybrid meeting Tuesday morning at its Alexandria, Virginia, headquarters. Fired NSF staffers were instructed to stop working by 1 p.m. Tuesday, at which point they would be locked out of the agency\u2019s computer network. They had until the end of the day to clean out their desks. To avoid having the stain of a firing on their resumes, staffers were told they could resign. But then they would not be eligible for unemployment payments.\u201d Ouch! More: \u201cThe announcement prompted outrage, confusion and concern from people at the meeting, resulting in a string of scathing all-staff emails from impacted workers. \u2018You are presenting us as trophies in front of OPM,\u2019 one angry employee said in the meeting, referring to the Office of Personnel Management, according to the transcript. \u2018I don\u2019t want to hear anything about how you are sad, how you feel bad for everyone who\u2019s losing their job today.\u2019 \u2018You screwed people, hardworking people, who trusted the word of this agency, left their careers, wherever they came from,\u2019 they added. \u2018That\u2019s on all of you. Take some accountability.\u2019 An NSF official apologized to the fired workers, noting that they were \u2018following orders\u2019 from the Trump administration.\u201d \u2022 \u201cOnly following orders\u201d is a rather unfortunate locution!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne Simple Question for Democrats\u201d [Ruy Teixeira, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.liberalpatriot.com\/p\/one-simple-question-for-democrats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Liberal Patriot<\/a>]. The deck: \u201cWhat would the working class say?\u201d And: \u201cIt needn\u2019t be. There\u2019s one simple question\u2014a sort of test\u2014that would illuminate the path forward for Democrats. What would the working class say (WWWCS)?\u201d \u2022 The Democrats would rather die as a party than do this. NOTE Well\u2026 The counter-argument is that Democrats have a leader-shaped hole in their heads. A candidate (?) they accepted as a leader \u2014 changing direction all at once, like a school of fish, as they did with Kamala when given permission \u2014 could ask that. But nobody else, and probably nobody on the way up. Anyhow, highly theoretical, since I see nobody in the offing.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Republican Funhouse<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"31.939160569888\">\n<p>\u201cDOGE bites Republicans\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/playbook\/2025\/02\/21\/doge-bites-republicans-00205402\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cA number of Congressional Republicans are starting to flee the blowback of his Department of Government Efficiency\u2019s slash-and-burn approach to federal budget cuts, driven by growing evidence of a groundswell of concern among groups of ordinary voters. And if you think this is only a dynamic in moderate swing seats, consider this morning\u2019s newsletter a wake-up call.\u201d And:<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"19.628336755647\">\n<p>In an R+18 district: Speaking at a business luncheon yesterday in Westerville, Ohio, GOP Rep. Troy Balderson \u201cdescribed President Donald Trump\u2019s flurry of executive orders as \u2018getting out of control\u2019 \u2026. [and] expressed some pushback to the idea of sole decision-making power lying with Trump and billionaire advisor Elon Musk,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dispatch.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2025\/02\/20\/trump-executive-orders-troy-balderson-ohio-congress-gop-republican\/79329526007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the Columbus Dispatch\u2019s Samantha Hendrickson<\/a> reports. \u201c\u2018Congress has to decide whether or not the Department of Education goes away,\u2019 Balderson asserted. \u2018Not the president, not Elon Musk.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In deep-red Georgia: Last night in Roswell, Georgia, an overflow crowd packed into a town hall forum for GOP Rep. Rich McCormick, barraging him with pointed questions and accusatory comments about DOGE\u2019s cuts. His staff \u201cseemed caught off guard by the massive crowd of hundreds that gathered,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/politics\/mccormick-confronted-by-angry-crowd-over-support-for-trumps-agenda\/A4FRX7YIUFD2RK7SFTNOKGMDQY\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution\u2019s Greg Bluestein<\/a>. (This is a district Trump carried by 22 points just three months ago.)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe private GOP panic over the slash-and-burn DOGE firings\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/02\/20\/gop-lawmaker-doge-cut-panic-00205282\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cGOP lawmakers unleashed a frantic flurry of calls and texts after federal agencies undertook the latest firings this past weekend, with Republicans particularly worried about cuts affecting public safety and health roles. Trump\u2019s legislative affairs team, headed by former JD Vance aide James Braid, took the brunt of the frenetic fallout, according to four Republicans granted anonymity to discuss the conversations. For the most part, Republican members are publicly cheering the administration\u2019s push to slash the federal government, which is being led by billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk with Trump\u2019s blessing. But privately, many are feeling helpless to counter the meat-ax approach that has been embraced so far, with lawmakers especially concerned about the dismissal of military veterans working in federal agencies as well as USDA employees handling the growing bird flu outbreak affecting poultry and dairy farms. \u2018I thought we were supposed to be in a new era of meritocracy. Not the indiscriminate firing of people,\u2019 said one Republican congressional aide granted anonymity to speak candidly.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Syndemics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am in earnest \u2014 I will not equivocate \u2014 I will not excuse \u2014 I will not retreat a single inch \u2014 AND I WILL BE HEARD.\u201d \u2013William Lloyd Garrison<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk&null=Risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>); Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>, <del><a href=\"https:\/\/biobot.io\/data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Biobot<\/a><\/del>; includes many counties; <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wastewater Scan<\/a>, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/businesssolutions\/covid-19-index.jsp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a>); \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/iowacovid19tracker.org\/hospitals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Iowa COVID-19 Tracker<\/a>\u201d (in IA, but national data). \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/icemsg.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts<\/a>\u201d (especially on hospitalization by city).<\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put \u201cCOVID\u201d in the subject line. Thank you!<\/p>\n<p>Resources, United States (Local): AK (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/af2efc8bffbf4cdc83c2d1a134354074\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/6d2771faa9da4a2786a509d82c8cf0f7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AR (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/633006d0782b4544bd5113a314f6268a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AZ (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azdhs.gov\/covid19\/data\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); CA (<a href=\"https:\/\/skylab.cdph.ca.gov\/calwws\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.marinhhs.org\/surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Marin, dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/healthalerts.stanford.edu\/covid-19\/wastewater-dashboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Stanford, wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/?v=SC2_N&l=Oakland%2C+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Oakland, wastewater<\/a>); CO (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/d79cf93c3938470ca4bcc4823328946b#utility=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); CT (<a href=\"https:\/\/data.ct.gov\/stories\/s\/COVID-19-data\/wa3g-tfvc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); DE (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.delaware.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); FL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/5b9d75ba683849928dc1a49c39ab0b1c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); GA (<a href=\"https:\/\/dph.georgia.gov\/ga-nwss-wastewater-surveillance-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); HI (<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); IA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmmwra.org\/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater reports<\/a>); ID (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Boise; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/?plantId=1056f05c-0e46-4e3d-b007-c0453ba7dc0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Central Idaho; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/#:SARS-CoV-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Coeur d\u2019Alene; dashboard, <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.srhd.org\/topics\/spokane-county-case-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spokane County<\/a>); IL (<a href=\"https:\/\/iwss.uillinois.edu\/wastewater-treatment-plants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); IN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.in.gov\/indiana-covid-19-dashboard-and-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); KS (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov\/160\/COVID-19-in-Kansas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/4456bae8a38f4b6180e008477382fff9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Lawrence); KY (<a href=\"https:\/\/louisville.edu\/envirome\/thecoimmunityproject\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Louisville); LA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldh.la.gov\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/covid-19-wastewater-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MD (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.maryland.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); ME (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/dhhs\/mecdc\/infectious-disease\/epi\/airborne\/coronavirus\/data.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/coronavirus\/stats\/wastewater-surveillance\/dashboard\/sentinel-wastewater-epidemiology-evaluation-project-sweep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/gisportal.state.mi.us\/portal\/apps\/insights\/index.html#\/view\/52bbb104ed574887918f990af9f3debe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/stats\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MO (<a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/f7f5492486114da6b5d6fdc07f81aacf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MS (<a href=\"https:\/\/msdh.ms.gov\/page\/14,0,420.html#Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>MT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapSeries\/index.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; NC (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.ncdhhs.gov\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard)<\/a>; ND (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NE (<a href=\"https:\/\/atlas-dhhs.ne.gov\/Atlas\/Respiratory_Illness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NH (<a href=\"https:\/\/wisdom.dhhs.nh.gov\/wisdom\/dashboard.html?topic=covid-19&subtopic=recurring-updates&indicator=covid-19-wastewater#tabnavbarid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NJ (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.nj.gov\/forms\/datadashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NM (<a href=\"https:\/\/cvprovider.nmhealth.org\/public-dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NV (<a href=\"https:\/\/nvhealthresponse.nv.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/empower.unlv.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Southern NV); NY (<a href=\"https:\/\/mbcolli.shinyapps.io\/SARS2EWSP\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OH (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.ohio.gov\/dashboards\/other-resources\/wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OK (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/51657c21386d4f1a962b1853c76ec589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>OR (<a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/oregon.health.authority.covid.19\/viz\/OregonsCOVID-19DataDashboards-TableofContents\/TableofContentsStatewide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; PA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.pa.gov\/topics\/disease\/coronavirus\/pages\/Cases.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); RI (<a href=\"https:\/\/ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SC (<a href=\"https:\/\/scdhec.gov\/index.php\/covid19\/covid-19-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SD (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.sd.gov\/COVID\/Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/health\/cedep\/ncov\/data.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TX (<a href=\"https:\/\/txdshsea.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/4ae43eefd0f641d59d35c3df82ee59cc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); UT (<a href=\"https:\/\/avrpublic.dhhs.utah.gov\/uwss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/coronavirus\/sars-cov-2-in-wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthvermont.gov\/disease-control\/covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WA (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.wa.gov\/emergencies\/covid-19\/data-dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.bfhd.wa.gov\/cases-and-roadmap-to-recovery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.wisconsin.gov\/covid-19\/wastewater.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); WV (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/oehs.wvdhhr.org\/news\/oehs-coivd-19-information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>); WY (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/covidwastewatermonitor.wyo.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/health-infobase.canada.ca\/covid-19\/wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Government of Canada<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publichealthontario.ca\/en\/Data-and-Analysis\/Infectious-Disease\/COVID-19-Data-Surveillance\/Wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); QC (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inspq.qc.ca\/covid-19\/donnees\/eaux-usees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><em>les eaux us\u00e9es<\/em><\/a>); BC (<a href=\"https:\/\/bccdc.shinyapps.io\/respiratory_wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); BC, Vancouver (<a href=\"https:\/\/metrovancouver.org\/services\/liquid-waste\/testing-for-the-covid-19-virus-in-wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, KF, KidDoc, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, thump, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n<p>Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n<p>Immune Dysregulation<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"25.909136295557\">\n<p>\u201cImmunological and Antigenic Signatures Associated with Chronic Illnesses after COVID-19 Vaccination\u201d (preprint) [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.medrxiv.org\/content\/10.1101\/2025.02.18.25322379v1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">medRxiv<\/a>]. Corresponding author kiko Iwasaki is sound, IMNHO. \u201cCOVID-19 vaccines have prevented millions of COVID-19 deaths. Yet, a small fraction of the population reports a chronic debilitating condition after COVID-19 vaccination, often referred to as post-vaccination syndrome (PVS). To explore potential pathobiological features associated with PVS, we conducted a decentralized, cross-sectional study involving 42 PVS participants and 22 healthy controls enrolled in the Yale LISTEN study. Compared with controls, PVS participants exhibited differences in immune profiles, including reduced circulating memory and effector CD4 T cells (type 1 and type 2) and an increase in TNF\u03b1+ CD8 T cells. PVS participants also had lower anti-spike antibody titers, primarily due to fewer vaccine doses. Serological evidence of recent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation was observed more frequently in PVS participants. Further, individuals with PVS exhibited elevated levels of circulating spike protein compared to healthy controls. These findings reveal potential immune differences in individuals with PVS that merit further investigation to better understand this condition and inform future research into diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.\u201d And from the body: \u201cThe molecular mechanisms of PVS remain largely unknown. However, there is considerable overlap in self-reported symptoms between long COVID and PVS, as well as shared exposure to SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein in the context of inflammatory responses during infection or vaccination. In susceptible individuals, vaccines may contribute to long-term symptoms by multiple mechanisms. For example, vaccine components, such as mRNA, lipid nanoparticles, and adenoviral vectors, trigger activation of pattern recognition receptors. Thus, unregulated stimulation of innate immunity could lead to chronic inflammation.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.919540229885\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6470588235294\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> February 17<\/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\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4-300x197.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\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6712328767123\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong> Variants<\/strong> [3] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> February 15<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> <strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> 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> February 15 <\/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\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1-300x230.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\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287665\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-3-300x159.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=\"3.9759036144578\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> New York[5] <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.health.ny.gov\/daily-hospitalization-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York State<\/a>, data February 20:<\/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> February 20:<\/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\/02\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287669\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8-300x170.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\/02\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287666\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-3-300x297.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Positivity<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"2.6842105263158\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> National[7] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/healthcare-solutions\/covid-19-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a> February 17:<\/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> February 15:<\/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\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287391\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1.png 2396w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-624x351.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2396px) 100vw, 2396px\"\/><\/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\/02\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2-300x196.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Travelers Data<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.5789473684211\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> Positivity[9] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> January 27:<\/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> January 27 <\/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\/02\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2-300x182.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<\/span><\/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\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287474\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-2-300x231.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 25:<\/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 25:<\/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\/02\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-286757\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl-300x202.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<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-286972\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1-300x186.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\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) Down, 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, but no exponential growth either, Odd.<\/p>\n<p>[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[8] (Cleveland) Continued upward trend since, well, Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n<p>[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants). Positivity is new, but variants have not yet been released.<\/p>\n<p>[11] Deaths low, positivity leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[12] Deaths low, ED leveling out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are no official statistics of interest today.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cTesla recalls 376,000 vehicles in US over power steering, shares drop\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/autos-transportation\/tesla-recalls-380000-vehicles-us-over-power-steering-issue-2025-02-21\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Reuters<\/a>]. \u201cThe recall follows a more than year-long probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after some Tesla owners reported steering failures. Some were unable to turn the wheel while others cited increased effort. More than 50 vehicles were allegedly towed due to the issue, NHTSA said last year. Reuters reported in late 2023 that tens of thousands of owners had experienced premature failures of suspension or steering parts since 2016, citing Tesla documents and interviews with customers and former employees. In a filing with NHTSA, Tesla said some 2023 Model 3 sedans and Model Y crossovers running older software could face an overvoltage breakdown, potentially overstressing motor drive components on the printed circuit board. Tesla said that if this overstress condition occurs while the vehicle is in motion, steering remains unaffected, and a visual alert is triggered. But once the vehicle stops, the steering assist may fail and remain disabled when it moves again. As of January 10, Tesla has identified 3,012 warranty claims and 570 field reports that may be related to the condition but said it had no reports of any crashes related to the condition. , which remains open.\u201d \u2022 Oh no, of course not, because otherwise regulation might be a good thing.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"meta\"\/>Tech: \u201cMeta claims torrenting pirated books isn\u2019t illegal without proof of seeding\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/tech-policy\/2025\/02\/meta-defends-its-vast-book-torrenting-were-just-a-leech-no-proof-of-seeding\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ars Technica<\/a>]. \u201cSeeding refers to sharing a torrented file after the download completes, and because there\u2019s allegedly no proof of such \u2018seeding,\u2019 Meta insisted that authors cannot prove Meta shared the pirated books with anyone during the torrenting process. Whether or not Meta actually seeded the pirated books could make a difference in a copyright lawsuit from book authors including Richard Kadrey, Sarah Silverman, and Ta-Nehisi Coates. Authors had previously alleged that Meta unlawfully copied and distributed their works through AI outputs\u2014an increasingly common complaint that so far has barely been litigated. But Meta\u2019s admission to torrenting appears to add a more straightforward claim of unlawful distribution of copyrighted works through illegal torrenting, which has long been considered established case-law. Authors have alleged that \u201cMeta deliberately engaged in one of the largest data piracy campaigns in history to acquire text data for its LLM training datasets, torrenting and sharing dozens of terabytes of pirated data that altogether contain many millions of copyrighted works.\u201d \u2022 The Bearded One refers to this sort of theft as \u201coriginal accumulation,\u201d and IMNSHO it\u2019s the basis of AI, given that no training sets = no AI. Here is a massive thread of internal technical communication at Meta:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.156862745098\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.4705882352941\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">“what is the probability of getting arrested for using Torrents in the USA?” \/2 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/IwmtsFw2XF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/IwmtsFw2XF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jason Kint (@jason_kint) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jason_kint\/status\/1892977446397321618\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Worth a read!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 41 Fear (previous close: 45 Neutral) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 44 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Feb 21 at 1:06:14 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cRooms and Buildings Have a Life of Their Own in Eamon Monaghan\u2019s Uncanny Dioramas\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2025\/02\/eamon-monaghan-under-the-floorboards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">This is Colossal<\/a>]. \u201cIn the artist\u2019s current solo exhibition, Under the Floorboards at Moskowitz Bayse, the sculptures jump off the wall, angles jutting this way and that. Beams intersect with appliances; floor boards bend; stairways emerge from nowhere and terminate in open space; and radiator steam infiltrates everything in its path. \u2018Foggy Pipes\u2019 (2025), cardboard, tin foil, aluminum wire, epoxy clay, and watercolor, 34 x 70 x 18 inches Monaghan draws on the work of 20th-century underground legends like cartoonist R. Crumb or clay animator Bruce Bickford.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/road_refrigerator.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"429\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-287672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/road_refrigerator.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/road_refrigerator-300x215.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Like MC Escher. But cute.<\/p>\n<p><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAncient switch to soft food gave us an overbite\u2014and the ability to pronounce \u2018f\u2019s and \u2018v\u2019s\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/content\/article\/ancient-switch-soft-food-gave-us-overbite-and-ability-pronounce-f-s-and-v-s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Science<\/a>]. \u201cDon\u2019t like the F-word? Blame farmers and soft food. When humans switched to processed foods after the spread of agriculture, they put less wear and tear on their teeth. That changed the growth of their jaws, giving adults the overbites normal in children. Within a few thousand years, those slight overbites made it easy for people in farming cultures to fire off sounds like \u201cf\u201d and \u201cv,\u201d opening a world of new words. The newly favored consonants, known as labiodentals, helped spur the diversification of languages in Europe and Asia at least 4000 years ago; they led to such changes as the replacement of the Proto-Indo-European pat\u0113r to Old English faeder about 1500 years ago, according to linguist and senior author Balthasar Bickel at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. The paper shows \u2018that a cultural shift can change our biology in such a way that it affects our language,\u2019 says evolutionary morphologist Noreen Von Cramon-Taubadel of the University at Buffalo, part of the State University of New York system, who was not part of the study.\u201d \u2022 Fast! Whether Jackpot-fast is another question.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReality has a surprising amount of detail\u201d [<a href=\"http:\/\/johnsalvatier.org\/blog\/2017\/reality-has-a-surprising-amount-of-detail\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">John Salvatier<\/a>]. The author begins with the example of building a set of stairs. But: \u201cIf you\u2019re a programmer, you might think that the fiddliness of programming is a special feature of programming, but really it\u2019s that everything is fiddly, but you only notice the fiddliness when you\u2019re new, and in programming you do new things more often.\u201d \u2022 This is why my aesthetic stresses depth of field; to capture the detail. Reality is more a like a super-detailed model railroad than not.<\/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\/02\/200pm-water-cooler-2-20-2025.html\">here<\/a>. From MV:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/fort_worth_2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"486\" height=\"1080\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-287663\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/fort_worth_2.jpeg 486w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/fort_worth_2-135x300.jpeg 135w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/fort_worth_2-461x1024.jpeg 461w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 486px) 100vw, 486px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>MV writes: \u201cFort Worth Botanic Garden.\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<\/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\/02\/200pm-water-cooler-2-21-2025.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether. Bird Song of the Day Allisa Linfield, University Ridge \u2013 The University of Wisconsin Golf Course, Dane, Wisconsin, United States. * *<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":91306,"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-91305","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\/91305","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=91305"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91305\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Allisa Linfield, University Ridge \u2013 The University of Wisconsin Golf Course, Dane, Wisconsin, United States.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><strong>In Case You Might Miss\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"#doge\">Who were the strategists who put DOGE together<\/a>?<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#elon\">Should somebody check in on Elon<\/a>?<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#meta\">Meta\u2019s original accumulation of training sets<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\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>DOGE<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"84.334555148284\">\n<p><a name=\"doge\"\/>\u201cHow DOGE cracked Washington: A focus on arcane agencies gave Musk and his allies swift control of government nerve centers\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2025\/02\/21\/politics\/doge-cracked-washington-musk-government-nerve-centers\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. This is good reporting, worth reading in full. \u201cCNN interviews with multiple government officials, plus a review of hundreds of court documents, employment agreements, agency directories and executive branch memos shed new light on the behind-the-scenes preparation and strategy behind DOGE, choreographed, structured, and executed to take swift control of Washington nerve centers\u2026. That plan has undeniably \u2013 and intentionally \u2013 minimized transparency while also maximizing the free rein Musk\u2019s allies have wielded across the federal bureaucracy\u2026. Despite their relative lack of government experience, political appointees with deep ties to Musk, his companies or other major tech firms now sit in key leadership positions across agencies that comprise the federal government\u2019s personnel, technology, property and acquisition operations. The organization that works day-to-day at DOGE\u2019s official home hasn\u2019t been publicly laid out by the White House. But according to multiple sources familiar with the organization, the operation is lean by design, with its central office populated primarily by lawyers and younger staff members\u2026. A cadre of young technology engineers have fanned out across multiple agencies over the past month, appearing in organizational directories with different agency-specific email addresses. Some of those engineers, according to disclosures made public in court filings the last several weeks, are detailed to operate in multiple agencies simultaneously\u2026. Their work has been accelerated by political appointees who took control of agencies including the General Services Administration and Office of Personnel Management on Inauguration Day. OPM in particular has served as a cornerstone of a carefully calibrated interplay between Trump\u2019s expansive executive orders and DOGE\u2019s role in carrying out \u2013 or in many cases, enforcing \u2013 their intent.\u201d Critically: \u201cMusk\u2019s official position as a special government employee operating within the White House and not tied explicitly to DOGE, appears intentional in its design. A special government employee is allowed to maintain their private sector employment \u2013 which in Musk\u2019s case include a collection of space, electric vehicle, AI and social media companies worth billions of dollars. While DOGE may be \u2018overseen\u2019 by Musk, as [press secretary] Leavitt says, .\u201d \u2022 Again, worth reading in full. And I do wonder who the Republican strategists were who crafted the parasitoid entity that inserted its ovipositor into OPM\u2019s head. (Trump does have the ability to pick highly competent people and leave them alone, as for example his excellent Texas-based national polling operation in 2016, only reported after the election; so it looks like that happened here). This is not the Project 2025 blueprint (contrast Project 2025\u2019s views on USAID with what DOGE actually did). I don\u2019t think Susie Wiles has the resum\u00e9. I don\u2019t think the Peter Thiel axis has the knowledge base, though of course Thiel (or Musk) can buy whoever he wants. So, who?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDOGE\u2019s Millions: As Musk and Trump Gut Government, Their Ax-Cutting Agency Gets Cash Infusion\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/doge-trump-musk-funding-foia-congress-transparency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ProPublica<\/a>]. \u201cMost of DOGE\u2019s money, records show, has come in the form of payments from other federal agencies made possible by a nearly century-old law called the Economy Act. To steer those funds to the new department, the Trump administration has treated DOGE as if it were a federal agency. And by dispatching members of its staff to other agencies and having those staffers issue edicts about policy and personnel, DOGE has also behaved as if it has agency-level authority. The use of the Economy Act would seem to subject DOGE to the same open-records laws that cover most federal agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency or the State Department. However, DOGE has refused to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests, saying it operates with executive privileges. Musk has also flip-flopped about whether DOGE\u2019s staff members are paid. Initially he said they were not, but earlier this week he said some of them were. The conflicting stances put the Trump administration in a bind, legal experts say. If DOGE is a federal agency, it can\u2019t shield its records from the public. If it\u2019s not an agency, then DOGE\u2019s tens of millions of dollars in funding weren\u2019t legally allocated and should be returned, some contend. \u2018The administration can\u2019t have it both ways,\u2019 said Adam Grogg, a former deputy general counsel at OMB and now the legal director at Governing for Impact, a left-of-center think tank. \u2018Either it\u2019s an agency covered by FOIA with the authority to do what it\u2019s doing, or it\u2019s purely advising the president and can\u2019t be directing agencies in the way it now is.’\u201d \u2022\u00a0Again, who was the strategist who worked this out? I mean, decapitating the Federal Government is an enormous techical achievement, so who\u2019s the technician?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPentagon seeks to shift $50B in planned funding to new priorities in FY26\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/breakingdefense.com\/2025\/02\/pentagon-seeks-to-shift-50b-in-planned-funding-to-new-priorities-in-fy26\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Breaking Defense<\/a>]. \u201cSecretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered a review of the department\u2019s fiscal 2026 budget plans in order to shift funds from legacy programs towards President Donald Trump\u2019s priorities, including border security and the Iron Dome for America. The goal: Find roughly $50 billion, or 8 percent of the FY26 plan, and reprioritize it.\u201d I had tbought 8% was to be <em>cut<\/em> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/doge-defense-cuts-planning-meeting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CBS<\/a>). Oh well. More: \u201cThis effort would seem to be a parallel but different one from the cuts expected to be pushed by the Elon Musk-led DOGE office, which arrived this week at the Pentagon. Those in defense circles are bracing for a wave of personnel cuts, perhaps as soon as this week, as probationary employees in the civilian workforce have been early targets of DOGE during their other stops. How the idea of cuts lines up with proposals in Congress to increase the department\u2019s budget by either $100 billion or $150 billion through the reconciliation process is unclear, nor is it clear how members of Congress will react to having programs \u2014 potentially major ones \u2014 in their districts impacted. It\u2019s also uncertain when the FY26 budget might actually be delivered to Congress.\u201d \u2022 No, totally not clear\u2026 <\/p>\n<p>\u201cDOGE Staffer Behind Racist Posts Reinstated at Social Security\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/zR35S\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Bloomberg<\/a>]. \u201cThe staffer with billionaire Elon Musk\u2019s Department of Government Efficiency who resigned after a report that linked him to racism and eugenics has been reinstated at the Social Security Administration, according to people familiar with the move. Marko Elez, who reportedly advocated for a \u2018eugenic immigration policy\u2019 and argued against mixed-race relationships in posts on X, received support from Musk, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance after his departure earlier this month.\u201d Because who doesn\u2019t support eugenics, especially for the very rich? <\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Is Elon OK (1):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.1835443037975\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.5506329113924\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Oh and you\u2019re never gonna believe who gets paid to de-orbit the space station <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nPMX7IJRHD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/nPMX7IJRHD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 David Willis (@ThePrimalDino) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ThePrimalDino\/status\/1892645107368632659\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Is Elon OK (2):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"1.6260162601626\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"5.2032520325203\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">this is one of the saddest things I’ve seen on here <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JSLYG8zWmR\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/JSLYG8zWmR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Alison (@TradWife2049) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TradWife2049\/status\/1892694549769916901\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Is Elon OK (3):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.7551724137931\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10.013793103448\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I asked <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/grok\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@grok<\/a> to analyze the last 1,000 posts from Elon Musk for truth and veracity. More than half of what Elon posts on X is false or misleading, while most of the “true” posts are simply updates about his companies. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WSe9Nj3XC1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/WSe9Nj3XC1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Isaac Saul (@Ike_Saul) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Ike_Saul\/status\/1892623014300107253\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Is Elon OK (4):<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.8915094339623\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"10.377358490566\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">See the moment President Trump\u2019s billionaire adviser on government spending, Elon Musk, was given a \u201cchainsaw of bureaucracy\u201d by Argentina\u2019s President Javier Milei at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in the US. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/N4AeGy3VaV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/N4AeGy3VaV<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AJEnglish\/status\/1892922224858005645\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Yeah, but what\u2019s with the sunglasses?<\/p>\n<p>Then again:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"3.0589887640449\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"8.1573033707865\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I went to get my front camera cleaned today at the Tesla Service Center in Salem, Oregon today. This was happening. Glad no one was hurt. I get people are upset with Elon but this has gone way too far. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SawyerMerritt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@SawyerMerritt<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/stevenmarkryan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@stevenmarkryan<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TeslaBoomerMama\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@TeslaBoomerMama<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DirtyTesLa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@DirtyTesLa<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DillonLoomis22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">@DillonLoomis22<\/a>\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VuF01wZiGF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/VuF01wZiGF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Cesar Roque (@CesarRoqueC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CesarRoqueC\/status\/1892770533156278401\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Then a<em>gain<\/em>:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.5076335877863\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"7.5229007633588\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia has published a letter sent to him by Trump\u2019s Department of Justice threatening to potentially prosecute him for criticizing Elon Musk. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fCVYBPcj6m\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/fCVYBPcj6m<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NoLieWithBTC\/status\/1892681622551400495\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a name=\"democrats\"\/>Democrats <em>en d\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"81.425130325364\">\n<p>\u201cDemocrats May Risk Their Own Tea Party Moment\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/split-ticket.org\/2025\/02\/21\/the-democratic-disconnect\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Split Ticket<\/a>]. \u201cThe scenario I am speculating on here is one where a whole ton of established lawmakers, such as 80-year-old Dick Durbin, are forced to the exits and are replaced by younger, more outwardly-idealistic \u201cfighters\u201d, whether by means of retirement or primary challenges. You may call it a revolution on an age-based axis, or on a \u2018combativeness\u2019 axis, rather than one waged on the traditional, ideological \u2018leftist vs centrist\u2019 front.\u201d Yes, because the left has been run out of the party. More: \u201cThe data suggests that an insurgency is quite possible\u2026. To us, this is wholly unsurprising. For years, Democratic politicians have sold the public on Trump being a unique threat to democracy. Now that he\u2019s in power, does it make sense to suddenly sit back, let him dominate the news, and \u201cwait for him to screw up\u201d? Regardless of the merits of the statement or the strategy, the new message is clearly at odds with what the party has done for a long time, especially as voting Democrats fear the potential long-term consequences of an unbridled Trump administration.\u201d And: The Democrat leadership argues that \u201cTrump isn\u2019t behaving in a manner consistent with the smallest popular vote victory since 2000\u2026. and this will likely lead to broad overreach and chaos that swing voters will quickly sour on. There are signs this approach is working \u2014 as Trump and Musk continue to make news, the President\u2019s approval is rapidly decreasing and is now almost back to neutral, as per FiveThirtyEight\u2019s tracker, which is down from the +8 he began his term with. And as a public opinion and polling nerd, I think this approach actually has the potential to create larger and more lasting gains, so I\u2019m more understanding of it. What I also think is true, however, is that <strong>most Democratic voters are not okay with this approach<\/strong>. And right now, there are simply too many people that hate both Donald Trump and the Democratic Party for this equilibrium to remain.\u201d \u2022 I think it\u2019s pretty simple: The Republicans are directly assaulting the economic capital of the Democrat base, the PMC, by taking their jobs away. This is true whether the assault be on NGOs (foreign and domestic), DEI administrators, or government workers, including scientists (with more assaults on teachers to come). In addition, the PMC face the ascendancy, indeed the formidable combination, of two demon figures: Putin and Trump. We also have AI looming in the background, threatening to eat <em>all<\/em> the jobs, but especially those that involve the creation of documents (i.e., the work of trained, credentialled professionals). So PMC fear is existential, and they are demanding that their party protect them <em>now<\/em>, while they still have their jobs, instead of later, when the midterms roll around. For example\u2013<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018Cowardliness at the top\u2019: Science agency staff revolt over cuts\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/02\/20\/inside-national-science-foundation-firings-00204763\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cThe National Science Foundation went beyond the staff cuts demanded by the Trump administration in a move that set off a frenzied backlash at the science funding agency. NSF fired about 10 percent of its staff at the end of Tuesday, removing 168 people who included most of the agency\u2019s probationary employees and all of its experts, a class of contract workers who are specialists in niche scientific fields. The agency didn\u2019t have to fire its experts but decided to in the interest of fairness, a top NSF official told staffers in an emotionally charged hybrid meeting Tuesday morning at its Alexandria, Virginia, headquarters. Fired NSF staffers were instructed to stop working by 1 p.m. Tuesday, at which point they would be locked out of the agency\u2019s computer network. They had until the end of the day to clean out their desks. To avoid having the stain of a firing on their resumes, staffers were told they could resign. But then they would not be eligible for unemployment payments.\u201d Ouch! More: \u201cThe announcement prompted outrage, confusion and concern from people at the meeting, resulting in a string of scathing all-staff emails from impacted workers. \u2018You are presenting us as trophies in front of OPM,\u2019 one angry employee said in the meeting, referring to the Office of Personnel Management, according to the transcript. \u2018I don\u2019t want to hear anything about how you are sad, how you feel bad for everyone who\u2019s losing their job today.\u2019 \u2018You screwed people, hardworking people, who trusted the word of this agency, left their careers, wherever they came from,\u2019 they added. \u2018That\u2019s on all of you. Take some accountability.\u2019 An NSF official apologized to the fired workers, noting that they were \u2018following orders\u2019 from the Trump administration.\u201d \u2022 \u201cOnly following orders\u201d is a rather unfortunate locution!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne Simple Question for Democrats\u201d [Ruy Teixeira, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.liberalpatriot.com\/p\/one-simple-question-for-democrats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Liberal Patriot<\/a>]. The deck: \u201cWhat would the working class say?\u201d And: \u201cIt needn\u2019t be. There\u2019s one simple question\u2014a sort of test\u2014that would illuminate the path forward for Democrats. What would the working class say (WWWCS)?\u201d \u2022 The Democrats would rather die as a party than do this. NOTE Well\u2026 The counter-argument is that Democrats have a leader-shaped hole in their heads. A candidate (?) they accepted as a leader \u2014 changing direction all at once, like a school of fish, as they did with Kamala when given permission \u2014 could ask that. But nobody else, and probably nobody on the way up. Anyhow, highly theoretical, since I see nobody in the offing.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Republican Funhouse<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"31.939160569888\">\n<p>\u201cDOGE bites Republicans\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/playbook\/2025\/02\/21\/doge-bites-republicans-00205402\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cA number of Congressional Republicans are starting to flee the blowback of his Department of Government Efficiency\u2019s slash-and-burn approach to federal budget cuts, driven by growing evidence of a groundswell of concern among groups of ordinary voters. And if you think this is only a dynamic in moderate swing seats, consider this morning\u2019s newsletter a wake-up call.\u201d And:<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"19.628336755647\">\n<p>In an R+18 district: Speaking at a business luncheon yesterday in Westerville, Ohio, GOP Rep. Troy Balderson \u201cdescribed President Donald Trump\u2019s flurry of executive orders as \u2018getting out of control\u2019 \u2026. [and] expressed some pushback to the idea of sole decision-making power lying with Trump and billionaire advisor Elon Musk,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dispatch.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2025\/02\/20\/trump-executive-orders-troy-balderson-ohio-congress-gop-republican\/79329526007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the Columbus Dispatch\u2019s Samantha Hendrickson<\/a> reports. \u201c\u2018Congress has to decide whether or not the Department of Education goes away,\u2019 Balderson asserted. \u2018Not the president, not Elon Musk.’\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In deep-red Georgia: Last night in Roswell, Georgia, an overflow crowd packed into a town hall forum for GOP Rep. Rich McCormick, barraging him with pointed questions and accusatory comments about DOGE\u2019s cuts. His staff \u201cseemed caught off guard by the massive crowd of hundreds that gathered,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/politics\/mccormick-confronted-by-angry-crowd-over-support-for-trumps-agenda\/A4FRX7YIUFD2RK7SFTNOKGMDQY\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution\u2019s Greg Bluestein<\/a>. (This is a district Trump carried by 22 points just three months ago.)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe private GOP panic over the slash-and-burn DOGE firings\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/02\/20\/gop-lawmaker-doge-cut-panic-00205282\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Politico<\/a>]. \u201cGOP lawmakers unleashed a frantic flurry of calls and texts after federal agencies undertook the latest firings this past weekend, with Republicans particularly worried about cuts affecting public safety and health roles. Trump\u2019s legislative affairs team, headed by former JD Vance aide James Braid, took the brunt of the frenetic fallout, according to four Republicans granted anonymity to discuss the conversations. For the most part, Republican members are publicly cheering the administration\u2019s push to slash the federal government, which is being led by billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk with Trump\u2019s blessing. But privately, many are feeling helpless to counter the meat-ax approach that has been embraced so far, with lawmakers especially concerned about the dismissal of military veterans working in federal agencies as well as USDA employees handling the growing bird flu outbreak affecting poultry and dairy farms. \u2018I thought we were supposed to be in a new era of meritocracy. Not the indiscriminate firing of people,\u2019 said one Republican congressional aide granted anonymity to speak candidly.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Syndemics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am in earnest \u2014 I will not equivocate \u2014 I will not excuse \u2014 I will not retreat a single inch \u2014 AND I WILL BE HEARD.\u201d \u2013William Lloyd Garrison<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk&null=Risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>); Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>, <del><a href=\"https:\/\/biobot.io\/data\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Biobot<\/a><\/del>; includes many counties; <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Wastewater Scan<\/a>, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/businesssolutions\/covid-19-index.jsp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a>); \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/iowacovid19tracker.org\/hospitals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Iowa COVID-19 Tracker<\/a>\u201d (in IA, but national data). \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/icemsg.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts<\/a>\u201d (especially on hospitalization by city).<\/p>\n<p>Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put \u201cCOVID\u201d in the subject line. Thank you!<\/p>\n<p>Resources, United States (Local): AK (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/af2efc8bffbf4cdc83c2d1a134354074\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/6d2771faa9da4a2786a509d82c8cf0f7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AR (<a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/633006d0782b4544bd5113a314f6268a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); AZ (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azdhs.gov\/covid19\/data\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); CA (<a href=\"https:\/\/skylab.cdph.ca.gov\/calwws\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.marinhhs.org\/surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Marin, dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/healthalerts.stanford.edu\/covid-19\/wastewater-dashboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Stanford, wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/?v=SC2_N&l=Oakland%2C+CA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Oakland, wastewater<\/a>); CO (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.colorado.gov\/data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/d79cf93c3938470ca4bcc4823328946b#utility=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); CT (<a href=\"https:\/\/data.ct.gov\/stories\/s\/COVID-19-data\/wa3g-tfvc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); DE (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.delaware.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); FL (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/5b9d75ba683849928dc1a49c39ab0b1c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); GA (<a href=\"https:\/\/dph.georgia.gov\/ga-nwss-wastewater-surveillance-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); HI (<a href=\"https:\/\/health.hawaii.gov\/coronavirusdisease2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); IA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmmwra.org\/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=57\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater reports<\/a>); ID (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Boise; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idahopublichealth.com\/district-2\/novel-coronavirus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/data.wastewaterscan.org\/?plantId=1056f05c-0e46-4e3d-b007-c0453ba7dc0d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Central Idaho; <a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.verily.com\/#:SARS-CoV-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Coeur d\u2019Alene; dashboard, <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.srhd.org\/topics\/spokane-county-case-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spokane County<\/a>); IL (<a href=\"https:\/\/iwss.uillinois.edu\/wastewater-treatment-plants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); IN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.in.gov\/indiana-covid-19-dashboard-and-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); KS (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov\/160\/COVID-19-in-Kansas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/experience.arcgis.com\/experience\/4456bae8a38f4b6180e008477382fff9\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Lawrence); KY (<a href=\"https:\/\/louisville.edu\/envirome\/thecoimmunityproject\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>, Louisville); LA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ldh.la.gov\/coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/info-details\/covid-19-wastewater-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MD (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.maryland.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); ME (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maine.gov\/dhhs\/mecdc\/infectious-disease\/epi\/airborne\/coronavirus\/data.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/coronavirus\/stats\/wastewater-surveillance\/dashboard\/sentinel-wastewater-epidemiology-evaluation-project-sweep\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/gisportal.state.mi.us\/portal\/apps\/insights\/index.html#\/view\/52bbb104ed574887918f990af9f3debe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/diseases\/coronavirus\/stats\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); MO (<a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/f7f5492486114da6b5d6fdc07f81aacf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); MS (<a href=\"https:\/\/msdh.ms.gov\/page\/14,0,420.html#Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>MT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapSeries\/index.html?appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; NC (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.ncdhhs.gov\/dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard)<\/a>; ND (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.nd.gov\/health\/coronavirus\/cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NE (<a href=\"https:\/\/atlas-dhhs.ne.gov\/Atlas\/Respiratory_Illness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NH (<a href=\"https:\/\/wisdom.dhhs.nh.gov\/wisdom\/dashboard.html?topic=covid-19&subtopic=recurring-updates&indicator=covid-19-wastewater#tabnavbarid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); NJ (<a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.nj.gov\/forms\/datadashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NM (<a href=\"https:\/\/cvprovider.nmhealth.org\/public-dashboard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); NV (<a href=\"https:\/\/nvhealthresponse.nv.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/empower.unlv.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>, Southern NV); NY (<a href=\"https:\/\/mbcolli.shinyapps.io\/SARS2EWSP\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OH (<a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.ohio.gov\/dashboards\/other-resources\/wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); OK (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/51657c21386d4f1a962b1853c76ec589\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); <del>OR (<a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/oregon.health.authority.covid.19\/viz\/OregonsCOVID-19DataDashboards-TableofContents\/TableofContentsStatewide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>)<\/del>; PA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.pa.gov\/topics\/disease\/coronavirus\/pages\/Cases.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); RI (<a href=\"https:\/\/ri-department-of-health-covid-19-data-rihealth.hub.arcgis.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SC (<a href=\"https:\/\/scdhec.gov\/index.php\/covid19\/covid-19-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); SD (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.sd.gov\/COVID\/Dashboard.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TN (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/health\/cedep\/ncov\/data.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); TX (<a href=\"https:\/\/txdshsea.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/dashboards\/4ae43eefd0f641d59d35c3df82ee59cc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); UT (<a href=\"https:\/\/avrpublic.dhhs.utah.gov\/uwss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VA (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/coronavirus\/sars-cov-2-in-wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); VT (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthvermont.gov\/disease-control\/covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WA (<a href=\"https:\/\/doh.wa.gov\/emergencies\/covid-19\/data-dashboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/covid19.bfhd.wa.gov\/cases-and-roadmap-to-recovery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dashboard<\/a>); WI (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhs.wisconsin.gov\/covid-19\/wastewater.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); WV (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/oehs.wvdhhr.org\/news\/oehs-coivd-19-information\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>); WY (<del><a href=\"https:\/\/covidwastewatermonitor.wyo.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a><\/del>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (<a href=\"https:\/\/health-infobase.canada.ca\/covid-19\/wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Government of Canada<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publichealthontario.ca\/en\/Data-and-Analysis\/Infectious-Disease\/COVID-19-Data-Surveillance\/Wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); QC (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inspq.qc.ca\/covid-19\/donnees\/eaux-usees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><em>les eaux us\u00e9es<\/em><\/a>); BC (<a href=\"https:\/\/bccdc.shinyapps.io\/respiratory_wastewater\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>); BC, Vancouver (<a href=\"https:\/\/metrovancouver.org\/services\/liquid-waste\/testing-for-the-covid-19-virus-in-wastewater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wastewater<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, KF, KidDoc, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, thump, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n<p>Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n<p>Immune Dysregulation<\/p>\n<blockquote wp_automatic_readability=\"25.909136295557\">\n<p>\u201cImmunological and Antigenic Signatures Associated with Chronic Illnesses after COVID-19 Vaccination\u201d (preprint) [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.medrxiv.org\/content\/10.1101\/2025.02.18.25322379v1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">medRxiv<\/a>]. Corresponding author kiko Iwasaki is sound, IMNHO. \u201cCOVID-19 vaccines have prevented millions of COVID-19 deaths. Yet, a small fraction of the population reports a chronic debilitating condition after COVID-19 vaccination, often referred to as post-vaccination syndrome (PVS). To explore potential pathobiological features associated with PVS, we conducted a decentralized, cross-sectional study involving 42 PVS participants and 22 healthy controls enrolled in the Yale LISTEN study. Compared with controls, PVS participants exhibited differences in immune profiles, including reduced circulating memory and effector CD4 T cells (type 1 and type 2) and an increase in TNF\u03b1+ CD8 T cells. PVS participants also had lower anti-spike antibody titers, primarily due to fewer vaccine doses. Serological evidence of recent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation was observed more frequently in PVS participants. Further, individuals with PVS exhibited elevated levels of circulating spike protein compared to healthy controls. These findings reveal potential immune differences in individuals with PVS that merit further investigation to better understand this condition and inform future research into diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.\u201d And from the body: \u201cThe molecular mechanisms of PVS remain largely unknown. However, there is considerable overlap in self-reported symptoms between long COVID and PVS, as well as shared exposure to SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein in the context of inflammatory responses during infection or vaccination. In susceptible individuals, vaccines may contribute to long-term symptoms by multiple mechanisms. For example, vaccine components, such as mRNA, lipid nanoparticles, and adenoviral vectors, trigger activation of pattern recognition receptors. Thus, unregulated stimulation of innate immunity could lead to chronic inflammation.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p><a name=\"table\"\/><strong>TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody wp_automatic_readability=\"10.919540229885\">\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Wastewater<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6470588235294\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> This week[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#wastewater-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> February 17<\/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\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-4-300x197.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\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3-300x190.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.6712328767123\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong> Variants<\/strong> [3] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#variant-proportions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> February 15<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\"> <strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> 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> February 15 <\/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\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1-300x230.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\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287665\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-3-300x159.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=\"3.9759036144578\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: gold;\">\u2605<\/span> New York[5] <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.health.ny.gov\/daily-hospitalization-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York State<\/a>, data February 20:<\/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> February 20:<\/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\/02\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287669\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-8-300x170.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\/02\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287666\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-3.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl-3-300x297.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Positivity<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"2.6842105263158\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> National[7] <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walgreens.com\/healthcare-solutions\/covid-19-index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Walgreens<\/a> February 17:<\/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> February 15:<\/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\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287391\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1.png 2396w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-2048x1152.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-1-624x351.png 624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2396px) 100vw, 2396px\"\/><\/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\/02\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-2-300x196.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr colspan=\"2\">\n<td valign=\"top\"><strong>Travelers Data<\/strong><\/td>\n<td\/>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\" wp_automatic_readability=\"3.5789473684211\">\n<td valign=\"top\"> Positivity[9] <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/#traveler-genomic-surveillance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CDC<\/a> January 27:<\/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> January 27 <\/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\/02\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers-2-300x182.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><span class=\"Apple-tab-span\">\t<\/span><\/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\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-287474\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers-2-300x231.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 25:<\/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 25:<\/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\/02\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-286757\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-deaths-positivity-natl-300x202.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<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-286972\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-1-300x186.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\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) Down, 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, but no exponential growth either, Odd.<\/p>\n<p>[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[8] (Cleveland) Continued upward trend since, well, Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n<p>[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[10] (Travelers: Variants). Positivity is new, but variants have not yet been released.<\/p>\n<p>[11] Deaths low, positivity leveling out.<\/p>\n<p>[12] Deaths low, ED leveling out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stats Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are no official statistics of interest today.<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing: \u201cTesla recalls 376,000 vehicles in US over power steering, shares drop\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/autos-transportation\/tesla-recalls-380000-vehicles-us-over-power-steering-issue-2025-02-21\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Reuters<\/a>]. \u201cThe recall follows a more than year-long probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after some Tesla owners reported steering failures. Some were unable to turn the wheel while others cited increased effort. More than 50 vehicles were allegedly towed due to the issue, NHTSA said last year. Reuters reported in late 2023 that tens of thousands of owners had experienced premature failures of suspension or steering parts since 2016, citing Tesla documents and interviews with customers and former employees. In a filing with NHTSA, Tesla said some 2023 Model 3 sedans and Model Y crossovers running older software could face an overvoltage breakdown, potentially overstressing motor drive components on the printed circuit board. Tesla said that if this overstress condition occurs while the vehicle is in motion, steering remains unaffected, and a visual alert is triggered. But once the vehicle stops, the steering assist may fail and remain disabled when it moves again. As of January 10, Tesla has identified 3,012 warranty claims and 570 field reports that may be related to the condition but said it had no reports of any crashes related to the condition. , which remains open.\u201d \u2022 Oh no, of course not, because otherwise regulation might be a good thing.<\/p>\n<p><a name=\"meta\"\/>Tech: \u201cMeta claims torrenting pirated books isn\u2019t illegal without proof of seeding\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/tech-policy\/2025\/02\/meta-defends-its-vast-book-torrenting-were-just-a-leech-no-proof-of-seeding\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ars Technica<\/a>]. \u201cSeeding refers to sharing a torrented file after the download completes, and because there\u2019s allegedly no proof of such \u2018seeding,\u2019 Meta insisted that authors cannot prove Meta shared the pirated books with anyone during the torrenting process. Whether or not Meta actually seeded the pirated books could make a difference in a copyright lawsuit from book authors including Richard Kadrey, Sarah Silverman, and Ta-Nehisi Coates. Authors had previously alleged that Meta unlawfully copied and distributed their works through AI outputs\u2014an increasingly common complaint that so far has barely been litigated. But Meta\u2019s admission to torrenting appears to add a more straightforward claim of unlawful distribution of copyrighted works through illegal torrenting, which has long been considered established case-law. Authors have alleged that \u201cMeta deliberately engaged in one of the largest data piracy campaigns in history to acquire text data for its LLM training datasets, torrenting and sharing dozens of terabytes of pirated data that altogether contain many millions of copyrighted works.\u201d \u2022 The Bearded One refers to this sort of theft as \u201coriginal accumulation,\u201d and IMNSHO it\u2019s the basis of AI, given that no training sets = no AI. Here is a massive thread of internal technical communication at Meta:<\/p>\n<p><center wp_automatic_readability=\"2.156862745098\"> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" wp_automatic_readability=\"6.4705882352941\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">“what is the probability of getting arrested for using Torrents in the USA?” \/2 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/IwmtsFw2XF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/IwmtsFw2XF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jason Kint (@jason_kint) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jason_kint\/status\/1892977446397321618\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">February 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Worth a read!<\/p>\n<p><center>* * *<\/center> <\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 41 Fear (previous close: 45 Neutral) [<a href=\"https:\/\/money.cnn.com\/data\/fear-and-greed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>]. One week ago: 44 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Feb 21 at 1:06:14 PM ET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cRooms and Buildings Have a Life of Their Own in Eamon Monaghan\u2019s Uncanny Dioramas\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2025\/02\/eamon-monaghan-under-the-floorboards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">This is Colossal<\/a>]. \u201cIn the artist\u2019s current solo exhibition, Under the Floorboards at Moskowitz Bayse, the sculptures jump off the wall, angles jutting this way and that. Beams intersect with appliances; floor boards bend; stairways emerge from nowhere and terminate in open space; and radiator steam infiltrates everything in its path. \u2018Foggy Pipes\u2019 (2025), cardboard, tin foil, aluminum wire, epoxy clay, and watercolor, 34 x 70 x 18 inches Monaghan draws on the work of 20th-century underground legends like cartoonist R. Crumb or clay animator Bruce Bickford.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/road_refrigerator.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"429\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-287672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/road_refrigerator.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/road_refrigerator-300x215.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Like MC Escher. But cute.<\/p>\n<p><strong>News of the Wired<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAncient switch to soft food gave us an overbite\u2014and the ability to pronounce \u2018f\u2019s and \u2018v\u2019s\u201d [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/content\/article\/ancient-switch-soft-food-gave-us-overbite-and-ability-pronounce-f-s-and-v-s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Science<\/a>]. \u201cDon\u2019t like the F-word? Blame farmers and soft food. When humans switched to processed foods after the spread of agriculture, they put less wear and tear on their teeth. That changed the growth of their jaws, giving adults the overbites normal in children. Within a few thousand years, those slight overbites made it easy for people in farming cultures to fire off sounds like \u201cf\u201d and \u201cv,\u201d opening a world of new words. The newly favored consonants, known as labiodentals, helped spur the diversification of languages in Europe and Asia at least 4000 years ago; they led to such changes as the replacement of the Proto-Indo-European pat\u0113r to Old English faeder about 1500 years ago, according to linguist and senior author Balthasar Bickel at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. The paper shows \u2018that a cultural shift can change our biology in such a way that it affects our language,\u2019 says evolutionary morphologist Noreen Von Cramon-Taubadel of the University at Buffalo, part of the State University of New York system, who was not part of the study.\u201d \u2022 Fast! Whether Jackpot-fast is another question.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReality has a surprising amount of detail\u201d [<a href=\"http:\/\/johnsalvatier.org\/blog\/2017\/reality-has-a-surprising-amount-of-detail\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">John Salvatier<\/a>]. The author begins with the example of building a set of stairs. But: \u201cIf you\u2019re a programmer, you might think that the fiddliness of programming is a special feature of programming, but really it\u2019s that everything is fiddly, but you only notice the fiddliness when you\u2019re new, and in programming you do new things more often.\u201d \u2022 This is why my aesthetic stresses depth of field; to capture the detail. Reality is more a like a super-detailed model railroad than not.<\/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\/02\/200pm-water-cooler-2-20-2025.html\">here<\/a>. From MV:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/fort_worth_2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"486\" height=\"1080\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-287663\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/fort_worth_2.jpeg 486w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/fort_worth_2-135x300.jpeg 135w, https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/fort_worth_2-461x1024.jpeg 461w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 486px) 100vw, 486px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>MV writes: \u201cFort Worth Botanic Garden.\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<\/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\/02\/200pm-water-cooler-2-21-2025.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lambert Strether. Bird Song of the Day Allisa Linfield, University Ridge \u2013 The University of Wisconsin Golf Course, Dane, Wisconsin, United States. * *<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":91306,"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-91305","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\/91305","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=91305"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91305\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}