By Lambert Strether of Corrente.
Chicken Tune of the Day
American Robin, Suffolk, New York, United States. “American Robin singing from the highest of a constructing earlier than daybreak.”
In Case You May Miss…
(1) Trump can’t put up the surety bond for his $450 million+ wonderful.
(2) How that bogus Lengthy Covid paper from John Gerrard made it into the Guardian.
(3) Keef!
Politics
“So most of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in actual fact a rational administration of symbolic capital.” –Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles
Biden Administration
About that TikTok Trojan Horse:
Some CIA-backed paramilitary group funded by USAID grants informed to make use of Twitter by State Dept handlers is likely to be paying 𝕏 $8 a month and so they’re goin after Elon for it pic.twitter.com/4NTqAGT9FU
— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) March 16, 2024
$8 a month is even lower than the cash the Web Analysis Company paid Fb!
2024
Lower than a yr to go!
* * * Trump (R): “Trump Authorized Charges Threaten to Trigger Money Crunch by July” [Bloomberg]. From February, nonetheless germane. “Donald Trump will possible drain his struggle chest for authorized charges this summer time, leaving the GOP frontrunner crunched for money simply as his presidential marketing campaign ramps up spending for an anticipated rematch with President Joe Biden.”
* * * Trump (R): “The Republican Veepstakes, Half One: Choosing an Apprentice, Donald Trump’s Method” [Sabato’s Crystal Ball]. “Vice presidential choice in trendy instances activates three variables—the presidential candidate who orchestrates the method and makes the choice; the pool of obtainable selectees; and the political context. In every determination, a selector considers a particular set of choices in a singular setting and makes strategic selections. Continuities form vice presidential selection however each choice has idiosyncratic elements due to the variation in decision-makers, pool, and historic setting in addition to the interplay of these variables. It’s helpful analyzing acquainted patterns, as is completed beneath and in Half Two, however with Trump dictating this yr’s Republican choice course of, it’s sure to be distinctive. It already is…. Typical knowledge sees Trump as insistent on abject loyalty and accordingly possible to decide on somebody who has demonstrated uncritical help. Sone marketing campaign surrogates/VP wannabes behave constantly with this expectation. Maybe that’s an accurate learn, however Trump’s 2016 course of may counsel some warning in forecasting that Trump will choose the largest sycophant. Earlier than Trump selected Pence from a comparatively shallow pool, Trump’s camp apparently approached then-Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a rival and critic, to affix his ticket. Kasich reportedly declined these overtures however that information level may counsel some willingness to succeed in out searching for electoral benefit. Trump’s success in changing former critics into subordinated supporters (assume Vance, Rubio, and Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, amongst others.) may encourage him to anticipate comparable success with one other politically bold critic.” • Properly value a learn.
* * * Trump (R): “How Trump’s Allies Are Successful the Struggle Over Disinformation” [New York Times]. From the index propagandists for RussiaGate and Iraqi WMDs. “The arguments strike on the coronary heart of an unsettled query in trendy American political life: In a world of limitless on-line communications, through which anybody can attain enormous numbers of individuals with unverified and false info, the place is the road between defending democracy and trampling on the precise to free speech?” • Let’s not be foolish. The road is “electing my man.” Subsequent, please. Commentary:
The New York Instances talked about me 24 instances as the highest story on the entrance web page of the Sunday Version.
They tried a success piece. All I noticed had been two phrases:
“Successful Efficiently.” pic.twitter.com/nl3sIdeCAI
— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) March 18, 2024
Appears to be like just like the Instances hates Mike Benz as a lot because the Wall Road Journal hates Lina Khan…
* * * Biden (R): “Behind the scenes, Biden has grown indignant and anxious about re-election effort” [NBC]. “Surrounded by protecting aides who wish to reduce the probabilities of a flub, the 81-year-old president has chafed at restraints that he sees as counter to his pure instincts as a retail politician, a 3rd particular person aware of inside discussions mentioned…. ‘Biden stood up in entrance of the entire world and mentioned, ‘I’m prepared. I’m the man who can take down Donald Trump,” mentioned Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash. ‘So, he goddamn nicely higher do it. We don’t have time for him to be fearful about whether or not or not individuals are saying issues proper or the ballot numbers are the place they need to be. I need targeted power and never defensive anger.’… Biden has every so often directed his ire at his tightknit senior workers. Given the successes he has had in passing consequential payments and enhancing the financial system, Biden was irritated that his message wasn’t sinking in with the broader citizens, the sources mentioned…. At instances, Biden will get recommendations that battle with each other. Some advisers have informed him he ought to stroll quicker out of concern that his gait feeds impressions that he’s too previous. And but the White Home is sufficiently fearful about him tripping that he has taken to boarding Air Power One through a shorter staircase by way of the stomach of the aircraft, forgoing the enduring picture of the president waving from the principle doorway excessive above the tarmac. ‘He’s in all probability slightly mad at himself for not being extra forceful with the workers,’ an individual aware of inside discussions mentioned. Privately, Biden questions whether or not he ought to belief his intestine instincts over the steering coming from the array of advisers tending to his political pursuits, this particular person added.” • Properly, not less than Biden hasn’t bitten anybody. So there’s that.
* * * Kennedy (I): “Who’s Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and why is he operating for president?” [Associated Press]. The workers: “Kennedy is trying to his household and his allies within the anti-vaccine world to workers his marketing campaign, constructing a management crew that’s gentle on expertise working in politics. His marketing campaign supervisor is Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, his daughter-in-law who served as a CIA officer and has not labored in politics earlier than. His communications director, Del Bigtree, is founding father of the Knowledgeable Consent Motion Community, an anti-vaccine group…. Press secretary Stefanie Spear was an editor for the Kids’s Well being Protection information web site. Charles Eisenstein, a New Age creator, is an adviser. Kennedy additionally has workers and volunteers unfold all through states and targeted on gathering signatures to get him on the poll.” • I want Kennedy had caught with Waterkeeper Alliance….
Kennedy (I): “RFK Jr. to call rich lawyer Nicole Shanahan as operating mate in prez run: report” [New York Post]. Who? “Shanahan, a Democratic donor who was as soon as married to Google cofounder Sergey Brin, funded Kennedy’s dear Tremendous Bowl marketing campaign business, Mediaite reported Saturday.” • Nominating Shanahan could appear to be a wise transfer to RFK (cash) however it is going to be seen for the genuinely silly concept that it’s the first time she opens her mouth on the path, or the primary smidge of oppo is launched. RFK is sort of a ship with no keel, blown hither and yon by the wind.
Democrats en Déshabillé
Oh, for what as soon as was:
FDR campaigning for his second time period which he gained in a landslide. “The forces of organized cash are unanimous of their hatred for me – and I welcome their hatred.” Virtually hate speech in immediately’s political phrases pic.twitter.com/qYIJ9dakh2
— Nate Bear (@NateB_Panic) March 18, 2024
That’s a cheerful warrior!
“Will Bernie Sanders’ proposed 32-hour workweek cross Congress?” [ABC News]. • Provided that Biden needs a shot at profitable a second time period.
#COVID19
“I’m in earnest — I can’t equivocate — I can’t excuse — I can’t retreat a single inch — AND I WILL BE HEARD.” –William Lloyd Garrison
Sources, United States (Nationwide): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot; consists of many counties; Wastewater Scan, consists of drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); “Iowa COVID-19 Tracker” (in IA, however nationwide information). “An infection Management, Emergency Administration, Security, and Normal Ideas” (particularly on hospitalization by metropolis).
Lambert right here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To replace any entry, do be happy to contact me on the tackle given with the crops. Please put “COVID” within the topic line. Thanks!
Sources, United States (Native): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater stories); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur d’Alene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard); NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard); PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (dashboard); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV (wastewater); WY (wastewater).
Sources, Canada (Nationwide): Wastewater (Authorities of Canada).
Sources, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux usées); BC (wastewater); BC, Vancouver (wastewater).
Hat tricks to useful 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, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, sq. coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3).
Keep protected on the market!
Media
The creator of that article within the Guardian is @natasha__may, who’s a well being reporter for Guardian Australia. Her solely supply is Dr. John Gerrard, the chief medical officer of Queensland. How did one thing this at odds with peer reviewed science make the worldwide version? 🤔 https://t.co/2GoPTwfIem
— Chris Richards 🐬🖖🏻 eclecticradical .bsky.social (@EclecticRadical) March 15, 2024
Elite Maleficence
“Well being staff concern it’s income earlier than safety as CDC revisits airborne transmission” [NBC News]. #HICPAC. “Now, [Peg Seminario, an occupational health expert, and a former director at the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations] and lots of others fear that the CDC is repeating previous errors because it develops a vital set of tips that hospitals, nursing properties, prisons, and different amenities that present well being care will apply to manage the unfold of infectious illnesses. The rules replace these established almost 20 years in the past. They are going to be used to determine protocols and procedures for years to come back… ‘If we utilized these draft tips initially of this pandemic, there would have been even much less safety than there may be now — and it’s fairly dangerous now,’ Seminario mentioned.” The place the hell was the AFL-CIO then, and the place is it now? Extra: “Though critics are glad to see final yr’s draft reconsidered, they continue to be involved. “The CDC must be sure that this steering doesn’t give employers leeway to prioritize income over safety,” mentioned Jane Thomason, the lead industrial hygienist on the union Nationwide Nurses United. She’s a part of a rising coalition of specialists from unions, the American Public Well being Affiliation, and different organizations placing collectively an out of doors assertion on parts that should be included within the CDC’s tips, such because the significance of air filtration and N95 masks.” And the final line: “However that enter will not be considered.” • If the present #HICPAC membership has their manner, the reply to the “exterior assertion” is not going to be “No.” Will probably be “Hell, no.”
Why didn’t we simply make Vanness Hudgens head of the CDC?
this being the official cdc tips now 😭 https://t.co/CRRGq4JQfQ
— ✧ (@northstardoll) March 18, 2024
If solely any individual would write the identical guide for america!
So excited to announce that my chapter analyzing the politics of “letting COVID rip” in Australia has been printed within the Analysis Handbook on Public Administration and COVID-19!
For those who preferred my #COVIDHegemony items within the Canberra Instances/Croakey, you then’ll love this! 👇 pic.twitter.com/Mycuzij2ZP
— Dr Blair Williams🏳️🌈♀️ (@BlairWilliams26) March 18, 2024
Want I had a PDF… I’d overview it!
TABLE 1: Every day Covid Charts
LEGEND
1) ★ for charts new immediately; all others are usually not up to date.
2) For a full-size/full-resolution picture, Command-click (MacOS) or right-click (Home windows) on the chart thumbnail and “open picture in new tab.”
NOTES
[1] (Biobot) Our curve has now flattened out on the degree of earlier Trump peaks. Not an excellent victory. Be aware additionally the world “beneath the curve,” apart from peaks. That space is bigger beneath Biden than beneath Trump, and it appears to be rising steadily if erratically.
[2] (Biobot) Midwest ticks up.
[3] (CDC Variants) As of Could 11, genomic surveillance information might be reported biweekly, based mostly on the provision of optimistic check specimens.” “Biweeekly: 1. occurring each two weeks. 2. occurring twice per week; semiweekly.” Appears to be like like CDC has chosen sense #1. In essence, they’re telling us variants are nothing to fret about. Time will inform.
[4] (ER) “Charts and information offered by CDC, updates Wednesday by 8am. For the previous yr, utilizing a rolling 52-week interval.”
[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Not flattening.
[6] (Hospitalization: CDC) Nonetheless down. “Maps, charts, and information offered by CDC, updates weekly for the earlier MMWR week (Sunday-Saturday) on Thursdays (Deaths, Emergency Division Visits, Check Positivity) and weekly the next Mondays (Hospitalizations) by 8 pm ET†”.
[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.
[8] (Cleveland) Flattening.
[9] (Vacationers: Posivitity) Now up, albeit within the rear view mirror.
[10] (Vacationers: Variants) JN.1 dominates totally.
Stats Watch
There are not any official statistics of curiosity immediately.
Manufacturing: “Inside Boeing’s surprising personnel scandals: Drug dealing, love triangle and murder-suicide” [New York Post]. “[S]ources beforehand informed The Publish police had dusted [Barnett’s] automotive for fingerprints inside and outside, a extremely uncommon transfer in suicide instances.” • First place I’ve seen this declare sourced.
Manufacturing: “The final days of the Boeing whistleblower” [Fortune]. “The day gone by, Barnett had been on a roll as a video digicam recorded the occasion. “John testified for 4 hours in questioning by my co-counsel Brian,” says Turkewitz. ‘This was following seven hours of cross examination by Boeing’s attorneys on Thursday. He was actually glad to be telling his aspect of the story, excited to be fielding our questions, doing an excellent job. It was explosive stuff. As I’m sitting there, I’m pondering, ‘That is one of the best witness I’ve ever seen.” At one level, says Turkewitz, the Boeing lawyer protested that Barnett was reciting the main points of incidents from a decade in the past, and particular dates, with out paperwork. As Turkevitz remembers the trade, Barnett fired again, ‘. I’ve needed to stay it.’ That Friday, Barnett’s testimony ended at round 5 PM, and the events reconvened an hour later. ‘John was actually drained and didn’t wish to testify any extra that day,’ says Turkewitz. ‘. He’d informed his mother that he’d be house on Sunday, and it took him two days to drive house. I instructed that we break for per week or two. .” • Once more, the place’s Barnett’s laptop? (And the place are his backups, if any?)
Manufacturing: NC will get a shout-out (“Swampy” is Barnett):
Swampy was discovered together with his finger on the set off of a silver pistol. A doctor who’s an everyday contributor to the indespensable web site #NakedCapitalism says it is a main purple flag pic.twitter.com/371RrAfIoH
— moe tkacik (@moetkacik) March 15, 2024
Manufacturing: “Boeing’s Ache Spreads to Vacationers as Airways Lower Again on Plans” [Bloomberg]. “Boeing Co.’s disastrous begin to 2024 is spilling over to airways and their passengers as manufacturing delays on the US planemaker exacerbate an already nascent scarcity of single-aisle jets that kind the spine of economic air journey.
United Airways Holdings Inc., Southwest Airways Co. and Ryanair Holdings Plc are among the many corporations scrambling to answer lowered deliveries from Boeing because the planemaker focuses on fixing high quality lapses uncovered by the Jan. 5 accident on an Alaska Airways flight. With the busy summer time journey season in view, carriers say they’re trimming schedules and searching for options to 737s they’ve already ordered, whereas additionally contending with points afflicting narrowbodies from Airbus SE. Even Boeing appears unsure when the planes might be prepared as a military of US inspectors sift by way of its factories, which means the corporate can’t make any agency predictions when issues may return to regular.” • Crowded planes and airports this summer time, greater than normal, oh pleasure.
Manufacturing: “Boeing Felony Probe Widens With Seattle Grand Jury Subpoena” [Bloomberg]. “The division seems to be working on two tracks. It’s trying into whether or not the door plug blowout falls beneath and violates the federal government’s 2021 deferred-prosecution settlement with the corporate over two earlier deadly crashes of its 737 Max jetliner. The division additionally may decide there’s sufficient proof to think about the Jan. 5 incident as a standalone legal investigation.”
At this time’s Concern & Greed Index: 73 Greed (earlier shut: 70 Greed) [CNN]. One week in the past: 70 (Greed). (0 is Excessive Concern; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Mar 18 at 1:04:02 PM ET.
Rapture Index: Closes unchanged [Rapture Ready]. Document Excessive, October 10, 2016: 189. Present: 186. (Keep in mind that bringing on the Rapture is good.) NOTE on #42 Plagues: “The coronavirus pandemic has maxed out this class.” Extra trustworthy than most! • Goat sacrificers irrelevant? Atlantic meridional overturning circulation irrelevant?
The Conservatory
“5 strings, three notes, two fingers and one a**gap – that’s all it takes to play guitar!” Keith Richards: The whole 1992 interview” [GuitarPlayer]. Nice enjoyable. ” I at all times discovered the islands like Jamaica and reggae so fascinating. To me, it was simply one other manifestation of the motion of rhythm and concord and melody over the face of the planet. That’s what counts to me. I look upon issues in a bizarre gentle. I can provide the historical past of the world – simply give me their music. Give me a tribe’s music, and I’ll let you know how they stay, what they scent like, virtually. That might give me extra info than speaking to them or ’em. I can get extra info out of their music first-off than anything. There’s no mendacity whenever you’re enjoying music.Precisely. Because of this the Iron Curtain went down. It was denims and rock and roll that took that wall down in the long term. It wasn’t all these atomic weapons and that dealing with down and massive bullshit. What lastly crumbled it was the fuckin’ music, man. You can not cease it. It’s essentially the most subversive factor.” • Unsure. Perhaps Keith ought to say in his lane, which is a fairly superb lane. Or possibly not!
Information of the Wired
I’m not feeling wired immediately.
Contact info for crops: Readers, be happy to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) learn the way to ship me a test if you’re allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn the way to ship me photos of crops. Greens are wonderful! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary crops! If you would like your deal with to look as a credit score, please place it initially of your mail in parentheses: (thus). In any other case, I’ll anonymize through the use of your initials. See the earlier Water Cooler (with plant) right here. From Late Introvert:
Late Intovert’s file identify: “FrontYardFromAtticWindow_05.jpg.” Appears to be like attractive (and good digicam angle). Wouldn’t be good to stroll on these paths in naked ft!
Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not coated by the annual NC fundraiser. So when you see a hyperlink you particularly like, or an merchandise you wouldn’t see anyplace else, please don’t hesitate to precise your appreciation in tangible kind. Keep in mind, a tip jar is for tipping! Common optimistic suggestions each makes me really feel good and lets me know I’m heading in the right direction with protection. Once I get no donations for 5 or ten days I get fearful. Extra tangibly, a continuing trickle of donations helps me with bills, and I think about that trickle when setting fundraising objectives:
Right here is the display that may seem, which I’ve helpfully annotated:
For those who hate PayPal, you’ll be able to electronic mail me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I gives you instructions on tips on how to ship a test. Thanks!
