2:00PM Water Cooler 4/9/2024 | bare capitalism

By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Chicken Music of the Day

American Goldfinch, Rocky Rill Farm; Black Walnut Grove, Whitfield, Georgia, United States.

Politics

“So lots of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are the truth is a rational administration of symbolic capital.” –Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles

2024

Lower than a 12 months to go!

RCP Ballot Averages, April 5

Right here is Friday’s RCP ballot. Trump continues to be up in all of the Swing States (extra right here), however nonetheless main with one exception: PA. I’ve highlighted it once more, (1) as a result of BIden is now up there, and (2) it’s an outlier, has been for weeks. Why isn’t Trump doing properly there? (I’ll work out a greater means to do that, however for now: Blue dot = transfer towards Biden; crimson dot = transfer towards Trump. No statistical signficance to any of it, and state polls are unhealthy anyhow!)

* * *

Trump (R): “What I Noticed Working at The Nationwide Enquirer Throughout Donald Trump’s Rise” [New York Times]. Necessary (and in addition very humorous). From a former editor: “On the heart of the case is the accusation that Trump took half in a scheme to show The Nationwide Enquirer and its sister publications into an arm of his 2016 presidential marketing campaign. The paperwork detailed three “hush cash” funds made to a sequence of people to ensure their silence about doubtlessly damaging tales within the months earlier than the election. As a result of this was completed with the objective of serving to his election possibilities, the case implied, these funds amounted to a type of unlawful, undisclosed marketing campaign spending. And, Bragg argued, as a result of Trump created paperwork to make the funds look like common authorized bills, that amounted to a prison effort at a coverup. Trump has denied the fees in opposition to him.” And: “Then the Bragg indictment outlined, in plain and unafraid black and white, the schemes that felt so opaque and contentious and complicated once I needed to navigate my means via them in actual time. Nevertheless it was the 13-page assertion of details that introduced me to tears. On Web page 3, prosecutors outlined ‘The Catch and Kill Scheme to Suppress Damaging Data,’ and it revealed to me that I had been managing a newsroom with improvised explosive gadgets planted in every single place. The key deal that was made at Trump Tower, the place Pecker instructed Cohen he would act because the marketing campaign’s ‘eyes and ears.’ The hush-money payoffs. The plot to publish damaging tales about Trump’s rivals. A scheme to affect the 2016 election. Every thing lastly match into place. There have been no extra secrets and techniques, and I wasn’t alone anymore. Everybody now knew.” • If this story is appropriate, then framing Bragg’s concept of the case as “hush cash” — see headline above — is fallacious, and Trump turns into a kind of minor-League Berlusconi.

Trump (R): “Trump sues NY decide overseeing hush cash case in effort to delay trial” [The Hill]. “Decide Juan Merchan’s gag order bars Trump from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, court docket workers and the decide’s household… Weeks later, the decide expanded his order to incorporate assaults in opposition to his household and Bragg’s household following a sequence of posts Trump made in regards to the decide’s daughter, who works at a progressive political consulting agency. Merchan’s daughter, Loren, is an government on the digital company Genuine, which boasts purchasers together with distinguished Democrats President Biden and Vice President Harris. Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y) is a previous shopper. Loren Merchan can also be the topic of the previous president’s efforts to recuse the decide from the case — an effort he has mounted twice. The latest bid got here Friday, when Trump requested the decide to recuse as a result of his daughter has a ‘direct monetary curiosity’ within the former president’s case, given the agency’s work for his 2024 presidential election opponents.”

Trump (R): “Appeals court docket decide denies Trump’s bid to delay subsequent week’s hush cash trial” [NBC]. “Justice Lizbeth González of the state Appellate Division issued the ruling after attorneys for the previous president argued the trial wanted to be halted as a result of ‘an neutral jury can’t be chosen proper now based mostly on prejudicial pretrial publicity.’ González rejected the request in a one-line ruling late Monday afternoon with no rationalization.” Can’t blame a man for attempting! However: “González’s ruling impacts solely Trump’s request for a delay, not his underlying change-of-venue movement.”

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Trump (R): “Trump favorabilty amongst Latinos rising as Biden’s falls: Survey” [The Hill]. “The Axios/Ipsos survey exhibits Biden’s favorability amongst Latinos has fallen 6 factors since final summer time — 47 % in June 2023 to 41 % final month. Trump’s favorability amongst Latinos in the identical time interval rose from 29 % to 32 %.” • That’s so much.

Trump (R): “Donald Trump crashes out of the Bloomberg wealthy listing as a result of his meme inventory nosediving” [Business Insider]. “Donald Trump has crashed out of the ranks of the world’s 500 wealthiest folks after the worth of his meme inventory nosedived. The previous president has fallen off the Bloomberg Billionaires Index as his web value has dropped beneath the $5.8 billion required to make the lower. Forbes’ wealthy listing pegs Trump’s whole wealth at $4.8 billion, rating him 659th on the planet. Trump held a high 300 spot on Bloomberg’s index only some days in the past, forward of the likes of George Soros, Mark Cuban, Giorgio Armani, Reed Hastings, and Bernie Marcus.” • ONly #659. “There aren’t very lots of the Shing.” –Ursula LeGuin

Trump (R): “GOP senators, hopefuls fall according to Trump’s abortion stance” [WaPo]. “GOP candidates working for Senate in swing states are largely embracing the states’ rights message on abortion that Donald Trump outlined yesterday. The previous president tried to defang the problem by neither endorsing nor explicitly ruling out a 15-week federal abortion ban, as an alternative saying in a video message that states ought to decide their very own abortion legal guidelines. It’s the most recent evolution of Republicans’ shifting place on abortion, as they’ve labored to discover a message palatable for voters who’ve bucked Republican candidates’ antiabortion positions since Roe v. Wade was overturned practically two years in the past. Trump has adopted what the Nationwide Republican Senatorial Committee has been encouraging Republican candidates to do for months: keep away from calling for a nationwide abortion ban and help exceptions for rape, incest and when the lifetime of the mom is in danger. That message has been acquired and adopted by most GOP Senate candidates who’ve softened beforehand strict antiabortion stances and moved away from backing a nationwide ban.”

Trump (R): “Trump Moderating on Abortion Is Biden’s Worst Nightmare” [Newsweek]. “If Trump continues to place himself on the center of this problem, he’ll discover himself in a terrific place heading to the 2024 presidential election. With a less-than-ideal report on immigration, crime, and the financial system, Democrats have been banking on abortion to draw independents and mobilize their base. The sport is altering now. If Democrats don’t try to maneuver to the center, permitting Trump to be seen because the one who’s keen to reasonable, they’ll lose. Screaming “liar” is a nasty technique. For all of his troubles, one problem that Trump doesn’t have is showing disingenuous. His want to maneuver the Republican Occasion away from political fights on abortion is an actual one. Denying can work to some extent, however when social conservative factions categorical their disgruntlement and Trump doubles down, it’s unhealthy information for Biden’s technique.”

Trump (R): “Trump’s “moderation” on abortion is a lie” [VOX]. “[Biden] loved a double-digit benefit on just one problem: by 47 factors to 35 factors, voters mentioned they trusted the president over Trump to deal with abortion coverage…. Trump’s presidency left comparatively few lasting marks on American public coverage. However as he has repeatedly boasted because the Supreme Courtroom’s 2022 Dobbs choice, it was his judicial appointments that enabled the overturning of Roe v. Wade — and thus, the avalanche of abortion restrictions that adopted its demise… Trump understands that each one it is a main political legal responsibility… Taken as an entire, Trump’s assertion constitutes a sound political gambit. Given the constraints imposed by his coalition and report, “I feel abortion coverage ought to be left as much as the states, though rape victims ought to all the time be capable of get an abortion, and new child infants shouldn’t be executed” is about essentially the most expedient stance that Trump may take…. As soon as in workplace, Trump will face no binding political constraints, as he will likely be ineligible to run for one more time period. Within the occasion that Republicans discover a method to get a federal abortion ban via Congress, there may be each motive to consider Trump will reward the Christian proper’s loyalty.” However: “Lengthy rendered a dead-letter statute by Roe, Comstock bans the supply of ‘each article or factor designed, tailored, or supposed for producing abortion.’ Conservative authorized scholar Jonathan F. Mitchell — who represented Trump earlier than the Supreme Courtroom final 12 months — has prompt that Comstock bans not solely the supply of abortion drugs, however of all of the tools required to conduct an abortion process. ‘We don’t want a federal ban when now we have Comstock on the books,’ Mitchell instructed the Instances. Mitchell went on to say that he hoped Trump ‘doesn’t know in regards to the existence of Comstock, as a result of I simply don’t need him to shoot off his mouth. I feel the pro-life teams ought to hold their mouths shut as a lot as doable till the election.’” • Nicely.

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Biden (D): “Boomers ship shock power for Biden” [Axios]. “Child boomers are on monitor to make President Biden the primary Democrat to hold the senior vote since Al Gore in 2000.” And: “Previous folks vote at excessive charges. Youthful ones don’t.”

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Kennedy (I): “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Qualifies for Nebraska Poll” [KLIN]. “Nebraskans will be capable of solid their vote for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as an Impartial Candidate for President, because the Kennedy marketing campaign introduced they’ve collected the mandatory 2,500 signatures wanted to qualify for the 2024 November basic election poll. In truth, in accordance with the Kennedy marketing campaign, they’ve practically double the required quantity — accumulating greater than 4,800 signatures from Nebraska voters.” • Double the required quantity of ballots is totally mandatory, since Democrat legal professionals will problem each single one.

Kennedy (U): “RFK Jr. poll guide on Trump voters: Biden is our ‘mutual enemy’” [The Hill]. “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s marketing campaign is pushing again on feedback made by considered one of their consultants, wherein she mentioned his supporters share with former President Trump’s supporters a ‘mutual enemy’ in President Biden. In a video, Rita Palma, who’s engaged on poll entry methods to get Kennedy on as many state ballots as doable as an unbiased, was giving a chat to non-Biden voters about Kennedy’s path…. Kennedy marketing campaign director Amaryllis Fox moved to make clear the feedback as they circulated on the web. Fox mentioned in a press release that whereas Palma was introduced on lately as a ‘poll entry guide,’ she emphasised that ‘she has no involvement in — or entry to — electoral technique, nationally or in New York.’ ‘The video circulating was not taken at a marketing campaign occasion. Palma was talking as a non-public citizen and her statements by no means mirror marketing campaign technique, the only real purpose of which is to win the White Home with votes from former Trump and Biden supporters alike,’ Fox mentioned.” • Seems like a “Kinsley gaffe” to me.

* * *

“Colorado officers warn of latest frontier in election denial as extra Republicans refuse to certify vote totals” [Gazette Xtra]. “Since 2020, a small however rising variety of county canvass boards have had Republican members refuse to log out on vote tallies, in accordance with state information. These objections haven’t jeopardized the precise certification of elections, and Colorado’s system has extra processes in place to cease rogue canvass boards from stopping the finalizing of outcomes. Nevertheless it serves as an sick omen of potential efforts to sow mistrust in voting heading into this 12 months’s major and basic elections, a number of state and county election officers mentioned in interviews with The Denver Put up. The canvass, accomplished after every election by a bipartisan county board made up of the clerk and the appointees of the native Republican and Democratic occasion chairs, largely serves as a verify that there weren’t extra ballots counted than solid. Following the state’s March 5 presidential primaries, Republican board members in Boulder, El Paso and Jefferson counties alongside the Entrance Vary refused to log out on the canvass.” • The difficulty appears to be signature verification for mail-in ballots.

Our Famously Free Press

“Behind the Curtain: America’s actuality distortion machine” [Axios]. “[T]right here’s compelling proof we’ve been trapped in a actuality distortion bubble — social media, cable TV and tribal political wars — lengthy sufficient to warp our view of the fact round us. Sure, deep divisions exist on some matters. However on nearly each subject of month-to-month outrage, it’s a fringe view — or instance — amplified by the loudest voices on social media and politicians driving it. No, most Christians aren’t white Christian nationalists who see Donald Trump as a God-like determine. Most are ignoring politics and wrestling with their religion. No, most school professors aren’t attempting to silence conservatives or flip children into liberal activists. Most are educating math, or physics, or biology…. This new ballot by the AP and the NORC Heart for Public Affairs Analysis exhibits a placing quantity of settlement on some very large matters. Roughly 90% or extra of Individuals — Republicans and Democrats — agree the next rights and freedoms are extraordinarily or essential to a functioning America:

And: “The acceptance of former President Trump’s language and techniques by so many Republicans may be partly defined by this actuality distortion phenomenon. His base usually feasts off edge-case outrages — wacky liberal professors saying wacky issues, unlawful immigrants committing brutal however remoted crimes, surges in shootings in particular cities.” • And the reverse, for various outrages, by Democrats. In the meantime, many of the really vital outrages — local weather, Covid, dominance of finance capital — stay fortunately and silently bipartisan and never “divisive” in any respect. Though I need to confess that ballot is an enormous political achievement. “Equal safety underneath he regulation” wasn’t even a shibboleth for many of human historical past.

Clinton Legacy

“Hillary Clinton to college students on Gaza: Can we speak with, not shout at, one another?” [Boston Globe]. Clinton: “I really feel strongly that I’ve a voice and I’m going to maintain utilizing it.” • Swell.

Republican Funhouse

“The FISA Combat and What it Means for Johnson’s Speakership” [The American Conservative]. “Part 702 of FISA, which was initially supposed to allow the international surveillance of international individuals abroad, is the particular provision of FISA set to run out in simply over every week’s time. Home Speaker Mike Johnson, underneath immense stress from the best of his convention given Georgia’s Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene already has a movement to vacate ready within the hopper, might want to thread the needle between one more divide between the Home GOP to get this piece of laws throughout the end line. FISA has come underneath growing scrutiny from the best wing of the GOP convention because it was an integral participant within the Russiagate hoax and the Biden administration’s investigations into Individuals on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Nonetheless, Part 702 nonetheless has its defenders among the many Home GOP ranks. The dynamic at play throughout the convention is properly encapsulated by the 2 Home committees warring over what a FISA reauthorization invoice would possibly entail. The Home Intelligence Committee, led by Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio needs few reforms if any and has the backing of the intelligence and nationwide safety businesses. In the meantime, the Home Judiciary Committee, headed by a unique Ohioan, Rep. Jim Jordan, needs to grab the uncommon alternative to reform FISA in its renewal.” And: “Johnson may both let FISA expire, which is extremely unlikely, or deliver a clear FISA reauthorization to the ground underneath suspension of the principles. Bringing a clear FISA reauthorization would doubtless cross, however conservatives like Davidson who’re upset with the Speaker’s dealing with of FISA renewal would possibly inform Greene it’s time to take the movement to vacate out of the hopper.”

“Notes on the State of Politics: March 28, 2024” [Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball]. “As soon as Gallagher resigns on April 19, the Republican Home edge will likely be simply 217-213. And based mostly on the sequencing above, Democrats will lower that to 217-214 assuming Kennedy wins on April 30. That can go away a interval of some weeks of that tiny GOP majority till the three different Secure Republican seats are crammed from late Could to late June. The hazard for Republicans can be if there are a number of extra resignations between now and the tip of April—. The present guidelines stipulate {that a} single member can power a vote to overthrow the speaker—the identical tactic that resulted in McCarthy being deposed. If the Home supported that movement, there would then be a subsequent speaker vote the place Democrats, assuming full attendance and occasion unity, may elect a speaker. Republicans, assuming they obtained the bulk again and have been unified (a giant assumption lately, though the prospect of a Democratic speaker taking on may spur unity), may take the speakership again as soon as they themselves have the bulk. Or, a cut up 214-214 Home may fail to provide a speaker if a movement to vacate handed—now we have already seen the bulk occasion, the Republicans, have problem electing a speaker in each January and in October, and every time the Home doesn’t have a speaker, the primary order of enterprise is electing a speaker (as we additionally noticed final 12 months). A newly-formed majority may additionally change the principles to make it tougher to power a movement to vacate the speakership—though a brand new majority may change the principles once more afterward. As congressional skilled Matt Glassman of the Authorities Affairs Institute reminded us as we bounced a few of these eventualities off of him: ‘The Home, in any case, is a majoritarian establishment. Nothing can cease a hellbent majority from getting its means.’ … The ‘what ifs’ listed here are nearly limitless, and that doesn’t even point out the likelihood that there may very well be one other revolt initiated by a Republican member in opposition to Speaker Mike Johnson (R, LA-4) even when Republicans stay within the majority—simply final week, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R, GA-14) filed a movement to vacate the speakership final week, though she will not be following via on forcing a vote for the time being.” • Entertaining!

Realignment and Legitimacy

“The Left Can’t Make Use of the Gaza Conflict” [Sublation Media]. “The American left has been drifting aimlessly since Bernie Sanders’ defeat in 2020. All the most important problems with the 10s have dropped off the political agenda. There isn’t any longer any critical speak of Medicare-For-All or Tuition-Free-School. Healthcare and better training stay prohibitively costly. And in the meantime, the housing market has change into an absolute nightmare. The worth of a typical dwelling has elevated greater than twice as quick as inflation because the Nineteen Sixties, and better rates of interest through the Biden years have pushed mortgages past the attain of hundreds of thousands. We’re shortly approaching a breaking level, the place a house will now not be a believable a part of the American dream, even for a lot of college-educated professionals. However the left has little or no to say about any of this. As an alternative, it has a terrific deal to say about Gaza…. The American left will not be in place to assist the Gazans, and it’s not in place to assist the Gazans exactly due to the litany of strategic errors it has remodeled the previous decade… The nation-state system is a contingent function of a selected historic second in capitalism. More and more, nation-states are unable to unravel irreducibly international issues. They can’t handle flows of capital and folks. They can’t maintain strong public companies or sturdy shopper bases, as a result of they continually compete with each other on tax charges and wages. These issues won’t be solved by returning to twentieth century notions of nationwide liberation. They are going to intensify and deepen, with grim penalties for folks all world wide.”

Pandemics

“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

Covid Sources, United States (Nationwide): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot; contains many counties; Wastewater Scan, contains drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); “Iowa COVID-19 Tracker” (in IA, however nationwide information). “An infection Management, Emergency Administration, Security, and Common Ideas” (particularly on hospitalization by metropolis).

Lambert right here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To replace any entry, do be at liberty to contact me on the handle given with the vegetation. 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 reviews); 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 secure on the market!

Immune Dysregulation

See additionally at “Stellate Ganglion” underneath “Therapy: Covid.”

Sequelae: Covid

It’s not regular for teenagers to be sick on a regular basis (1):

I’ve by no means heard this. Anybody with children that may affirm? pic.twitter.com/ymt9rOk7YI

— Philip Marks🆘🆘 (@Philipmarks87) April 5, 2024

It’s not regular for teenagers to be sick on a regular basis (2):

Do not get me fallacious, it’s regular to your children to get a couple of snot-related issues throughout their first 12 months in daycare. It’s NOT regular to your baby to be hospitalized repeatedly, to get a number of extreme viruses, or to be continuous on antibiotics. That’s covid immune harm.

— Sharon Astyk (@SharonAstyk) April 8, 2024

I ought to in all probability exit on the Mommy blogs or on Reddit to verify the pervasiveness of this “sick on a regular basis” sentiment, however on the Twitter, it will get talked about at so much. Readers?

* * *

“Plasma-based antigen persistence within the post-acute section of COVID-19” (Correspondence) [The Lancet]. From the Summary: “Persistent signs amongst some people who develop COVID-19 have led to the speculation that SARS-CoV-2 would possibly, in some type or location, persist for lengthy durations following acute an infection…. To handle these limitations, we evaluated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antigens in once-thawed plasma from a properly characterised group of 171 adults… In contrast with these not hospitalised, individuals who required hospitalisation for acute COVID-19 have been practically twice as prone to have SARS-CoV-2 antigens detected… Amongst individuals not hospitalised, these with worse self-reported well being throughout acute COVID-19 had better post-acute antigen detection … These findings counsel the affect of the acute section of an infection in establishing a persistent SARS-CoV-2 reservoir. Coupled with a 2024 examine of replication-competent virus in blood throughout acute an infection, our findings counsel that SARS-CoV-2 would possibly seed distal websites via the bloodstream and set up protected reservoirs in some websites. Alternatively, extra extreme acute an infection may very well be a marker of upper inoculum in websites of major an infection, which then have a better likelihood of evading immune clearance…. To mitigate considerations that vaccination in opposition to SARS-CoV-2 or latest reinfections may have an effect on interpretation of constructive outcomes,1 we studied specimens largely collected earlier than these occurrences. Most samples have been collected earlier than the emergence of the Delta and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants, when reinfections turned widespread.” • I don’t very like the Disclosures, although.

Therapy: Covid

“Stellate Ganglion Block to Deal with Lengthy COVID-19 Syndrome, A 41 affected person Retrospective Cohort Examine” (preprint) [medRxiv (DG)]. N = 41. “As a result of evolving nature of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, therapy protocols for the sickness are in a continuing state of evolution. The early stage of lengthy COVID-19 syndrome contributes to a dearth of therapy protocols based mostly on empirical proof, whereas the absence of a conclusive pathophysiological understanding additional complicates the event of such protocols…. On this 41-patient cohort examine from a continual ache administration observe, the usage of both unilateral or bilateral stellate ganglion block (SGB) was explored to handle signs related to lengthy COVID-19 syndrome. Outcomes indicated {that a} substantial proportion of sufferers (86%) skilled a discount of their signs following SGB therapy.” And: “Within the context of lengthy COVID-19, an overactive sympathetic system mixed with an underactive vagus nerve may disrupt the stability between these programs, probably permitting unchecked irritation to persist. This continued irritation could be a central ingredient in signs attribute of lengthy COVID-19, autonomic dysfunction with the continual irritation leading to dysregulation of the stability between the sympathetic and parasympathetic programs.” • Here’s a press launch on the identical therapy restoring the sense of odor. (FWIW, the vagus nerve could also be related postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS), so this account has some narrative plausibility, no less than.

Elite Maleficence

“The USDA Isn’t Inspiring Confidence With Its Chicken Flu Response” [Newsweek]. “[T]he USDA mentioned, “There continues to be no concern in regards to the security of the business milk provide as a result of merchandise are pasteurized earlier than coming into the market.” That is true typically—however not on a regular basis. Commonplace business observe is to pasteurize milk by heating it to 161 levels Fahrenheit for no less than 15 seconds. However these requirements have been designed to kill identified micro organism, and it might take for much longer to kill viruses. Analysis into coronaviruses discovered that it took 3 minutes at temperatures above 160 levels Fahrenheit to kill the virus on surfaces. It’s not secure to imagine pasteurized milk is secure from H5N1and once more, there isn’t any point out by both the USDA or FDA that they’re testing it to search out out…. Moreover, the USDA mentioned, “Dairies are required to ship solely milk from wholesome animals into processing for human consumption; milk from impacted animals is being diverted or destroyed.” Once more, it seems that the USDA is anticipating farms to adjust to this voluntarily, with no extra inspections or oversight. … The USDA ends by saying farmers are “urged” to make modifications to scale back the unfold of illness. However as a longtime watchdog of the business and a veterinary epidemiologist, we’ve seen repeatedly how massive agricultural companies sacrifice well being, security, and the humane therapy of animals within the pursuit of revenue. There isn’t any motive they’ll change now. However this time, the stakes are too excessive to disregard. The USDA must make it clear that they’ve a deal with on this drawback earlier than it’s too late.” • Oh pricey. One other Federal company we’ll have to burn to the bottom…..

“AABP Decides to Reference Cattle Illness as Bovine Influenza A Virus (BIAV)” [Bovine Veterinarian]. “On Sunday night, the American Affiliation of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) [@AABP2015], launched a letter to its media companions to replace them on how the group will reference the rising cattle illness, presently confirmed in dairy herds in six states, shifting ahead. ‘As a result of this an infection in cattle will not be the identical as extremely pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), after considerate consideration and dialogue with many consultants, the AABP will now seek advice from this as Bovine Influenza A Virus (BIAV), which extra precisely depicts it,’ wrote Geni Wren, director of selling and communications for the group, in an e mail accompanying the letter… Gingrich and Capel are asking different organizations, state animal well being officers, diagnostic labs, and state and federal businesses to make use of Bovine Influenza A Virus (BIAV) ‘so we may be in keeping with our messaging and higher distinguish the illness syndrome in cattle from the pathogenesis in birds. We consider it can be crucial for the general public to grasp the distinction to keep up confidence within the security and accessibility of beef and dairy merchandise for shoppers,’ they wrote.” • Cool, cool, each time H5N1 jumps species we give it a unique identify. That ought to assist us get a deal with on the scenario!

TABLE 1: Each day Covid Charts

LEGEND

1) ★ for charts new right this moment; all others aren’t 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 at a degree far above valleys underneath Trump. Not a terrific victory. Word additionally the realm “underneath the curve,” moreover taking a look at peaks. That space is bigger underneath Biden than underneath Trump, and it appears to be rising steadily if erratically.

[2] (Biobot) No backward revisons….

[3] (CDC Variants) As of Could 11, genomic surveillance information will likely be reported biweekly, based mostly on the provision of constructive check specimens.” “Biweeekly: 1. occurring each two weeks. 2. occurring twice every week; semiweekly.” Seems to be like CDC has chosen sense #1. In essence, they’re telling us variants are nothing to fret about. Time will inform.

[4] (ER) CDC appears to have killed this off, because the hyperlink is damaged, I feel in favor of this factor. I’ll attempt to affirm. UPDATE Sure, go away it to CDC to kill a web page, after which announce it was archived a day later. And heaven forfend CDC ought to clarify the place to go to get equal information, if any. I appreciated the ER information, as a result of it appeared actually exhausting to recreation…

[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Seems to be like a really gradual leveling off to a non-zero baseline, to me.

[6] (Hospitalization: CDC) Nonetheless down. “Maps, charts, and information supplied by CDC, updates weekly for the earlier MMWR week (Sunday-Saturday) on Thursdays (Deaths, Emergency Division Visits, Take a look at 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 completely.

[11] Seems to be just like the Instances isn’t reporting loss of life information any extra? Possibly I want to return to The Economist:

Stats Watch

Sentiment: “United States NFIB Enterprise Optimism Index” [Trading Economics]. “The NFIB Small Enterprise Optimism Index within the US fell for a 3rd consecutive month to 88.5 in March 2024, the bottom since December 2012 and properly beneath forecasts of 90.2. “Enterprise homeowners proceed to handle quite a few financial headwinds. Inflation has as soon as once more been reported as the highest enterprise drawback on Essential Avenue and the labor market has solely eased barely”, mentioned NFIB Chief Economist Invoice Dunkelberg. Twenty-five % of homeowners reported that inflation was their single most essential drawback in working their enterprise (greater enter and labor prices), up two factors from February. Additionally, the online % of homeowners who count on actual gross sales to be greater decreased eight factors from February to a web damaging 18%. Moreover, homeowners’ plans to fill open positions proceed to sluggish.”

Tech: “OpenAI prepares to struggle for its life as authorized troubles mount” [WaPo]. “As OpenAI’s high executives huddled with world leaders this previous summer time — touting the advantages of its ChatGPT with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron — comic Sarah Silverman was getting ready to take the corporate to court docket. Silverman’s go well with, which alleged the corporate stole her work when it used her memoir, ‘The Bedwetter,’ to coach its synthetic intelligence merchandise, was on the bleeding fringe of a authorized blitz that has exploded in latest months. OpenAI has been hit with greater than a dozen high-profile lawsuits and authorities investigations since Silverman’s grievance. High authors together with Jodi Picoult and media corporations together with the New York Instances have additionally alleged that the corporate violates copyright regulation by coaching the algorithms that energy well-liked companies like ChatGPT on their work. Billionaire Elon Musk sued OpenAI for diverging from its unique nonprofit mission. And authorities businesses in the US and Europe are investigating whether or not the corporate ran afoul of competitors, securities and shopper safety legal guidelines in a number of regulatory probes….. Below siege, OpenAI is popping to among the world’s high authorized and political human minds. It has employed about two dozen in-house legal professionals since March 2023 to work on points together with copyright, in accordance with a Washington Put up evaluation of LinkedIn. The corporate has posted a job for an antitrust lawyer — with a wage of as much as $300,000 — to deal with the growing scrutiny in the US and Europe of its partnership with Microsoft. It has additionally retained among the high U.S. regulation companies, together with Cooley and Morrison Foerster, to characterize it in key circumstances.” • That’s good.

Tech: “Worth of zero-day exploits rises as corporations harden merchandise in opposition to hackers” [TechCrunch]. “On Monday, startup Crowdfense revealed its up to date worth listing for these hacking instruments, that are generally generally known as ‘zero-days’ as a result of they depend on unpatched vulnerabilities in software program which are unknown to the makers of that software program. Corporations like Crowdfense and considered one of its opponents, Zerodium, declare to accumulate these zero-days with the objective of reselling them to different organizations, normally authorities businesses or authorities contractors, which declare they want the hacking instruments to trace or spy on criminals. Crowdfense is now providing between $5 million and $7 million for zero-days to interrupt into iPhones; as much as $5 million for zero-days to interrupt into Android telephones; as much as $3 million and $3.5 million for Chrome and Safari zero-days, respectively; and $3 million to $5 million for WhatsApp and iMessage zero-days. In its earlier worth listing, revealed in 2019, the very best payouts that Crowdfense was providing have been $3 million for Android and iOS zero-days.mThe enhance in costs comes as corporations like Apple, Google, and Microsoft are making it tougher to hack their gadgets and apps, which implies their customers are higher protected.”

Transportation: “Norfolk Southern, victims attain $600M settlement for 2023 East Palestine prepare derailment” [Canton Repository]. “The lead attorneys representing the victims and Norfolk Southern introduced on Tuesday that the 2 sides have reached an settlement in precept. The multi-million-dollar deal nonetheless must be permitted by U.S. District Courtroom Decide Benita Pearson in Youngstown…. [The lead attorneys for the victims] mentioned the settlement settlement would offer fee to residents and companies in East Palestine and the affected surrounding communities, pending court docket approval. It additionally features a voluntary program to compensate people in a 10-mile radius for previous, current and future private accidents ensuing from chemical publicity. The attorneys additionally mentioned the settlement cash can be along with any monies that Norfolk Southern has beforehand made accessible via neighborhood help and different funds…. If permitted by Pearson, the settlement would resolve all plaintiff circumstances consolidated into the class-action lawsuit. It doesn’t resolve separate lawsuits filed by state and federal businesses in opposition to Norfolk Southern for the environmental cleanup. These are nonetheless pending.”

Transportation: “Norfolk Southern Agrees To Pay $600 Million In Settlement Over Ohio Prepare Derailment” [Associated Press]. “[R]esidents fear the cash not solely gained’t go far sufficient to cowl future well being wants that may very well be great but in addition gained’t quantity to a lot as soon as divvied up. ‘It’s not nowhere close to my wants, not to mention what the well being results are going to be 5 or 10 years down the street,’ mentioned Eric Cozza, who lived simply three blocks from the derailment and had 47 relations residing inside a mile (1.61 kilometers)…. The settlement, which doesn’t embody or represent any admission of legal responsibility, wrongdoing or fault, represents solely a small slice of the $3 billion in income Norfolk Southern generated simply within the first three months of this 12 months. East Palestine resident Krissy Ferguson known as the settlement a ‘heart-wrenching day.’ ‘I simply really feel like we’ve been victimized over and over and over,’ she mentioned. ‘We fought and we’re nonetheless preventing. And contamination continues to be flowing down the creeks. Persons are nonetheless sick. And I feel those that had the ability to struggle took a straightforward means out.’… Jami Wallace, too, worries about having a settlement with out understanding the long-term influence of the derailment. ‘I would like to see the numbers as a result of in my view, taking a plea deal solely is in the very best curiosity of the attorneys,’ she mentioned. ‘They’re all going to get their cash. However we’re the residents which are nonetheless going to be left to endure.’ Think about that Cozza mentioned he spent about $8,000 to maneuver out of city and that together with medical payments from assessments and the price of changing all his contaminated belongings exhausted what little financial savings he had. And he can’t put a worth on the 10-year relationship he misplaced or the way in which his prolonged household was scattered after the derailment.” And: “The NTSB’s full investigation into the reason for the derailment gained’t be full till June, however the company has mentioned that an overheating wheel bearing on one of many railcars, which wasn’t detected in time by a trackside sensor, doubtless induced the crash.” • On the bearing, I used to be appropriate; see right here and right here [lambert blushes modestly]. (It’s additionally attention-grabbing that the protection from Canton (fifty miles away from East Palestine) principally consists of the reporter emptying his Rolodex of legal professionals, whereas the AP talks to the locals. Discouraging, as a result of on a narrative like this, I get so uninterested in studying The Hill, The Guardian, and the opposite permitted sources, and attempt to monitor down native reporting. Oh properly.)

Immediately’s Concern & Greed Index: 57 Greed (earlier shut: 66 Greed) [CNN]. One week in the past: 62 (Greed). (0 is Excessive Concern; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Apr 9 at 1:51:14 PM ET.

Zeitgeist Watch

“Anger is eradicated with the disposal of a paper written due to provocation” [Nature]. “Anger suppression is essential in our every day life, as its failure can typically result in the breaking down of relationships in households. Thus, efficient methods to suppress or neutralise anger have been examined. This examine exhibits that bodily disposal of a chunk of paper containing one’s written ideas on the reason for a provocative occasion neutralises anger, whereas holding the paper didn’t. On this examine, individuals wrote temporary opinions about social issues and acquired a handwritten, insulting remark consisting of low evaluations about their composition from a accomplice. Then, the individuals wrote the trigger and their ideas in regards to the provocative occasion. Half of the individuals (disposal group) disposed of the paper within the trash can (Experiment 1) or within the shredder (Experiment 2), whereas the opposite half (retention group) stored it in a file on the desk. All of the individuals confirmed an elevated subjective ranking of anger after receiving the insulting suggestions. Nonetheless, the subjective anger for the disposal group decreased as little as the baseline interval, whereas that of the retention group was nonetheless greater than that within the baseline interval in each experiments. We suggest this technique as a robust and easy method to get rid of anger.” • So turning anger into artwork isn’t an possibility?

“Zzzzzzz” [London Review of Books]. “Why​ will we sleep?The behavior is just about common amongst animals, although it takes all kinds of types…. But there may be nonetheless no scientific consensus on precisely what operate sleep fulfils, why it’s so common, or why it’s essential sufficient to outweigh the plain evolutionary drawback of rendering animals briefly defenceless in opposition to hazard…. Probably the most fundamental questions’ about sleep, [author Kenneth] Miller concludes, ‘nonetheless lack particular solutions.’ As I’ve urged right here! However concluding: “There’s rather more consensus on the query of why we don’t sleep. Fashionable life has mounted what Miller describes as ‘an ongoing, and ever escalating, assault on sleep’: our always-on work tradition, with its shifts and double jobs, ubiquitous sound and lightweight air pollution, and the blue mild from screens and digital gadgets which throws our circadian rhythms into confusion. The ever increasing marketplace for sleep optimisation is a response to this ever escalating assault, however shopper and life-style treatments stay least accessible to those that want them most: working folks, notably those that are additionally parenting, in low-quality housing and noisy city environments throughout the globe. It’s exhausting to not discover that each one these trendy anxieties and pressures are primarily no completely different from people who led to the start of sleep science greater than 100 years in the past, within the glare of the electrical mild.” • Value a learn for the potted historical past of sleep science.

Information of the Wired

Dad.

Contact data for vegetation: Readers, be at liberty to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) learn how to ship me a verify if you’re allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn how to ship me photographs of vegetation. Greens are effective! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary vegetation! In order for you your deal with to seem as a credit score, please place it in the beginning 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 TH:

TH writes: “Aconite is without doubt one of the first blooms of the season. A contented sight!”

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