2:00PM Water Cooler 3/4/2024 | bare capitalism

By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Affected person readers, the Supreme Courtroom choice on Anderson, the Colorado Part Three case that sought to throw Trump off the poll beneath Part Three of the Fourteenth Modification, dropped simply as I used to be beginning, so I needed to concentrate on that (and spend a while doing a cheerful dance). The remainder of Water Cooler is greater than just a little gappy, so let me go to work remedying that now… –lambert

Fowl Tune of the Day

Speckled Warbler, Coominglah State Forest (-24.9097, 150.9734), North Burnett, Queensland, Australia.

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

The Constitutional Order (Rebellion)

“Colorado can’t disqualify Donald Trump for working for president beneath revolt clause, U.S. Supreme Courtroom guidelines” [Colorado Sun]. “The U.S. Supreme Courtroom unanimously dominated Monday that Donald Trump ought to seem on Colorado’s presidential major poll and that any votes forged for him be counted, rejecting a Colorado Supreme Courtroom discovering that the Republican is disqualified from working for president once more as a result of he violated the so-called revolt clause within the Structure. The excessive courtroom’s justices dominated that on the subject of presidential and different federal candidates, Congress, not states, are answerable for imposing the clause, Part 3 of the 14th Modification… Additional, a majority of the justices discovered that Congress must move particular laws to implement Part 3 of the 14th modification.” • So, Part 5 just isn’t a hood decoration. 9-0. I wouldn’t go as far as to name Federalist Society luminaries Baude and Paulsen frivolous, however….

“Supreme Courtroom retains Trump on poll, rejects Colorado voter problem” [WaPo]. “The choice leaves Trump because the main candidate for the Republican nomination and for now removes the Supreme Courtroom from instantly figuring out the trail of the 2024 presidential election. The justices fast-tracked the problem from voters in Colorado…. In an indication of the excessive courtroom’s consciousness of the election calendar, the justices took the bizarre step of saying the opinion on the Supreme Courtroom’s web site on a day when the courtroom just isn’t in session, as a substitute of issuing it from the bench later this month…. Trump reacted to the choice with a short, all-caps message on his social media web site. ‘BIG WIN FOR AMERICA!!!’ he wrote.”

“States can’t kick Trump off poll, Supreme Courtroom says” [Politico]. “States don’t have any authority to take away Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential poll, the Supreme Courtroom dominated unanimously Monday, short-circuiting efforts by his detractors to declare him disqualified over his function within the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol. The justices didn’t weigh in on the fraught query of whether or not Trump engaged in an revolt by trying to subvert the 2020 election outcomes or stoking the violence on Jan. 6. However the excessive courtroom dominated in an unsigned opinion that solely Congress, not the states, can disqualify a presidential candidate beneath the Structure’s ‘revolt clause.”… The consequence — which got here someday earlier than the Tremendous Tuesday primaries — was anticipated.’” • Right here is the opinion:

“Donald J. Trump, Petitioner v. Norma Anderson, et al.” (PDF) [Supreme Court of the United States]. Since this can be a unanimous opinion — i.e., I don’t have to fret about entering into mattress with members of the Federalist Society — let me do a brief comfortable dance for stating a few of the salient options of the case in “Technique to Kick Trump Off the Poll Beneath the Fourteenth Modification Already Inflicting Chaos (So In Re Griffin Was Accurately Determined)“:

Baude and Paulsen aren’t doing a critical studying. In [Justice Samuel] Chase’s phrase [from In Re Griffin], “it should be ascertained what explicit people are embraced by the definition,” we acknowledge what within the programming and math worlds known as a set membership perform: “A perform that specifies the diploma to which a given enter [say, Alexander Stephens] belongs to a set [say, insurrectionists].” That’s, we have to decide the set of all insurrectionists; how can we “confirm” that potential “inputs” to that set belong to it? That methodology of ascertainment is unknown, which is why “efficient outcomes, proceedings, proof, selections, and enforcement of choices, roughly formal, are indispensable.” We don’t must do comparable “ascertainment” for birthright citizenship, privileges or immunities, due course of, and equal safety; all these are nicely understood, as the tactic to establish an insurrectionist was not (provided that it had by no means been completed earlier than!). Chase conclude that these strategies can “these can solely be offered by Congress.”

The Supreme Courtroom didn’t get all mathy. However:

“Ascertainment”, then, is a central challenge.

And I wrote:

What Chase in Griffin sought to keep away from, and Baude and Paulsen incited by “Sweep and Drive” has now come to move, pushed by an unholy alliance of Federalist Society members and liberal Democrat NGOs _{MR SUBLIMINAL Does the courtroom give me go away to slay them outright?}[1]. We have now “varied” “State” “actors” “exercising their typical authority with respect to such issues” as each Colorado and Maine have disqualifed Trump from the poll.

And what do we have now? Two totally different (“varied”) branches of presidency, judicial and govt, in two states utilizing two utterly totally different evidentiary requirements. Add one or two extra states, one other department, and some extra evidentiary requirements, and also you’ve obtained a combinatorial explosion of “typical authority”! … Chief Justice Chase writes in In Re Griffin:

[A] building, which should essentially event , mustn’t ever be most popular to a building which can event neither, or neither in so nice diploma, except the phrases of the instrument completely require such desire.

“Nice private and non-private mischief” is precisely what is occurring right here. That is the Pandora’s field that “Sweep and Drive” has gleefully opened. These already whacky outcomes present the clearest potential indication that Griffin was accurately determined, and that there ought to be nationwide laws to deal with the ascertainment points Chase described.

And the Supreme Courtroom centered on totally different evidentiary requirements as nicely:

In addition to the chaotic consequence:

Now, to be truthful, I solely used the phrase “chaos” within the headline; for no matter motive, the Courtroom, whereas citing to Griffen for “ascertainment,” did not cite to Griffin for the seeminly synonymous “nice private and non-private mischief,” or for Chase’s precept of building based mostly on avoiding it. However [lambert preens modestly] not too dangerous for a humble blogger, particularly within the face of an avalanche of propaganda differing views throughout the political spectrum from liberal Democrats to By no means Trumpers. Take that, Larry Tribe! Take that, J. Michael Luttig! And what a disgrace to see explicit lawfare undertaking come to naught (apart from the fundraising, in fact).

NOTE: Studying the choice, 9-0 is as near an open-and-shut case as there may be, whatever the frothing and stamping of motivated reasoners. I don’t suppose we must always infer the Courtroom’s views on upcoming Trump circumstances from this consequence.

Capitol Seizure

“Some Jan. 6 sentences have been improperly lengthened, appeals courtroom guidelines” [Politico]. “A federal appeals courtroom panel dominated Friday that Jan. 6 defendants who obstructed Congress’ work had their sentences improperly lengthened by judges who decided that they’d interfered with the ‘administration of justice.’… Federal sentencing tips encourage judges to use the ‘administration of justice’ enhancement to defendants who disrupt judicial proceedings like grand jury investigations or courtroom hearings. The enhancement can enhance beneficial sentences by greater than a 12 months. The Justice Division has routinely requested judges to use the enhancement to defendants who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, arguing that the session of Congress that day — meant to rely electoral votes and certify the outcomes of the 2020 election — ought to be thought of the equal of a judicial continuing.” That’s a goofy argument! Congress and the Judiciary are separate branches of presidency! And so: “A 3-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Courtroom of Appeals rejected that argument in an attraction introduced by Larry Brock, a Jan. 6 defendant who was sentenced final 12 months to a two-year jail time period for obstructing Congress’ proceedings. U.S. District Choose John Bates — a George W. Bush appointee — calculated Brock’s sentence by together with the enhancement for interfering with ‘administration of justice.’ …. Brock was among the many earliest rioters to breach the Capitol, carrying navy gear and surging with the mob onto the Senate ground. The appeals courtroom panel affirmed Brock’s felony conviction for his motion however ordered Bates to resentence him with out the enhancement hooked up. ‘Brock’s interference with one stage of the electoral faculty vote-counting course of — whereas little question endangering our democratic processes and briefly derailing Congress’s constitutional work — didn’t intervene with the ‘administration of justice,” wrote Choose Patricia Millett in a unanimous ruling joined by Judges Cornelia Pillard and Judith Rogers.” • I really like this use of the phrase “enhancement.”

2024

Lower than a 12 months to go!

* * *

Biden (D): “How Biden aides try to guard the president from protests” [The HIU]. ” President Joe Biden’s workforce is more and more taking extraordinary steps to reduce disruption from pro-Palestinian protests at its occasions by making them smaller, withholding their precise places from the media and public till his arrival, avoiding faculty campuses and, In not less than one, for instance, contemplate hiring a non-public firm to display screen individuals. The efforts resulted in no disruptions to occasions organized by the White Home or the marketing campaign for Biden within the 5 weeks since he was interrupted a dozen occasions throughout a speech on abortion rights in Virginia. However they’ve additionally resulted in Biden showing earlier than fewer voters and failing to personally interact with a few of the key constituencies whose help he has struggled to win, similar to younger voters.” You say “Preserve Biden wrapped in tissue paper” like that’s a foul factor. Extra: “Lots of Biden’s current public appearances have been what the White Home calls “OTR stops.” These are presidential visits to firms or residences that weren’t beforehand publicly introduced and marked as ‘off the document.’ Biden aides describe such stops as environment friendly and progressive methods for him to fulfill voters. They mentioned the occasions additionally usually generate constructive native protection whereas additionally offering the marketing campaign with materials to share on its digital platforms. ‘I believe in some unspecified time in the future [after Labor Day?] you’re going to see him do these large rallies and massive crowds as a result of that’s finally the way you attain a big swath of voters,’ mentioned a Democratic ally within the marketing campaign. A Democratic strategist impressed by the staging at Biden’s pupil mortgage forgiveness occasion famous that whereas the precautions have been comprehensible for would-be protesters, such measures pose a long-term political problem for the occasion if its presidential candidate is unable to take action to carry giant rallies on the college campus. However for now, a Biden adviser mentioned, the small occasions tactic is anticipated to ‘proceed in perpetuity.” • Hmm (and an odd supply, through).

Biden (D): “Biden’s drawback is with swing voters, not together with his base” [Nate Silver, Silver Bulletin]. “Democrats ought to in all probability root for decrease moderately than increased turnout in November, a giant change from the Obama years. (In a bit of excellent information for Biden, this additionally implies that he’ll in all probability acquire floor when pollsters shift over polls of registered voters to polls of doubtless voters.)… [Swing voters] are people who find themselves explicitly stating to pollsters that they’re switching their vote from 2020. There are a considerable variety of them. However these vote-switchers largely don’t come from the core of the Democratic base. Among the many roughly half of Biden 2020 voters within the Occasions ballot who described themselves as Democratic major voters, a comparatively wholesome 91 p.c mentioned they plan to vote for Biden once more. Individuals who vote in primaries are typically extra politically energetic and extra loyal to their occasion. But when Biden is retaining solely 83 p.c of his 2020 vote general, that means he’s doing fairly poorly with individuals who voted for him in 2020 however who are usually not loyal Democratic major voters. Solely about 75 p.c of this group say they’ll vote for Biden once more…. [T]he widespread assumption amongst Democrats that they will simply run again their 2020 technique or take a web page from the Obama 2012 playbook seems to be flawed. There are nonetheless loads of swing voters, they usually’re swinging towards Trump.” • So Democrats ought to suppress the vote? Harris may assist with that?

Biden (D): “Biden vs. Trump Polls: Joe’s Battleground Downside” [Ed Kilgore, New York Magazine]. “In the newest batch of battleground state polls, from Bloomberg–Morning Seek the advice of, Biden trailed Trump in a head-to-head matchup by 9 factors in North Carolina, six factors in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Nevada, 4 factors in Wisconsin, and two factors in Pennsylvania. In a five-way trial warmth together with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West, and Jill Stein, Trump’s lead ballooned to 10 factors in North Carolina, 9 factors in Arizona and (shockingly) Pennsylvania, seven factors in Georgia and Nevada, and 6 factors in Wisconsin. The five-way race truly shaved some extent off Trump’s lead in Michigan…. the hazard indicators are there that Biden might must have a definite battleground-state technique even when he pulls right into a nationwide lead over Trump and some other rivals.” • Not seeing any signal of that.

Biden (D): “For Democrats Pining for an Various, Biden Staff Has a Message: Get Over It” [New York Times]. “‘There isn’t a council of elders and I’m unsure if there was that an incumbent president, regardless of who it was, would hearken to them,’ mentioned David Plouffe, the architect of President Barack Obama’s campaigns and one of many strategists who helped him choose Mr. Biden as his vice-presidential working mate in 2008. ‘He thinks, ‘Hey, I received and I beat the man who’s going to run towards me and I can do it once more.’” And: “The place most Democrats are,’ mentioned Mr. Plouffe, ‘is, ‘OK, that is going to be actually arduous, a excessive diploma of problem, however finally there’s in all probability sufficient of the nation who doesn’t need to enroll in a second Trump time period that we will make this work.’” Extra: “An vital second for the president to say himself will come on Thursday night time when he delivers his State of the Union tackle to what traditionally ought to be his largest tv viewers of the 12 months. He’ll speak about his document and what he desires to do for the subsequent 4 years. However as vital as any coverage pronouncement might be how he presents himself.”

Biden (D): “Jill Biden places Donald Trump on discover as her marketing campaign function comes into focus” [CNN]. “As the primary girl embarks on a three-day, four-stop battleground state marketing campaign swing, launching the “Girls for Biden-Harris” coalition, her function within the reelection effort is turning into clearer. The marketing campaign is wanting to make use of a high surrogate to prepare – and mobilize – feminine voters heading into the overall election, all whereas delivering a transparent message about Trump.” I’d have thought Harris had that job? Extra: “The primary girl can be touring by way of Arizona, Nevada and Wisconsin, and she or he’s anticipated to courtroom Black and Latino communities because the marketing campaign appears to be like to make inroads with these key demographic teams. A lot of the primary girl’s work within the early phases of the marketing campaign has centered on crisscrossing the nation for fundraisers, however within the months forward she’s anticipated to turn into a extra frequent presence on the path advocating on behalf of her husband and his agenda.” • “Simply name me ‘Edith Wilson‘!”

* * *

“The pipe dream presidential candidacy of Gavin Newsom or Michelle Obama” [Orange County Register]. “Together with her title on the poll, Harris has by no means misplaced an election, successful her races for San Francisco district legal professional, California legal professional basic, U.S. Senate and vice chairman. She doesn’t consider she’s disqualified due to her so-called cackle. Nor does she contemplate herself having failed to find out the ‘root trigger’ of the three-year large inflow of unlawful immigration when all however the hosts on MSNBC know the basis trigger is Biden’s reversal of Trump’s border insurance policies. In her identification occasion, she checks two containers as a feminine who identifies as black. Blacks are probably the most loyal a part of the Democratic base, with black ladies extra loyal than the boys. In a September 2023 article about its CBS Information/YouGov ballot, CBS Information wrote, ‘Black Democrats are probably the most captivated with Harris right this moment, as they have been three years in the past.’ For the explanations outlined above, black voters — notably black feminine voters — would resent a ploy to forged Harris apart, however there may be one caveat: The substitute must be a well-liked black feminine. Solely two match the invoice: Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama. Winfrey doesn’t need the gig and, regardless of the hopeful hypothesis, neither does Obama. She hates politics. So, Harris it’s.” • Obama, Clinton, Biden, Harris. Fairly a document. Anyhow, Harris did do nicely in debate with Biden (“that little woman was me“), however that’s a low bar. It stays to be seen how she would do in a debate with Trump (“that little boy was me” could be too scrumptious…).

“Gov. Pritzker in Nevada, Virginia, pushing for reproductive rights, fundraising for state events” [Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times]. “And to leap forward, if you wish to know if I believe Pritzker, in his second time period as Illinois governor, will someday run for president, I do. It’s nothing he mentioned. I’m simply studying the tea leaves. The sensible affect of being a billionaire is that the issues Pritzker is doing now that may very well be construed as helpful to a presidential bid — utilizing his fortune to make large contributions to candidates and causes he believes in, particularly within the space of reproductive rights — are issues he was doing earlier than he was governor and could be doing anyway, regardless of if he ever runs for the White Home. That’s how he defined it to me.” And: “The are 4 important Pritzker lanes: 1) Pritzker’s official function as governor, the place beneath his watch Illinois has turn into a haven for abortion rights; 2) Pritzker’s political operation and the JB for Governor marketing campaign fund; 3) Pritzker’s private political contributions and his means to lift cash from others; 4) Suppose Large America, which shares workplace area and employees together with his political store. Pritzker can be a high surrogate for the Biden marketing campaign. In a below-the-radar journey to Washington final month, Pritzker and different governors met with Vice President Kamala Harris at her residence to speak in regards to the marketing campaign. ‘I believe she wished to listen to our views about how it’s going, the election that’s, and what extra the marketing campaign can do and what was taking place in our particular person states.’ I requested Pritzker for his takeaways from that assembly, and he mentioned, ‘I believe there was little question that not less than within the room, there was a typical understanding that immigration and reproductive rights are the 2 most vital points that can assist demotivate or encourage folks to vote and that the president wants to deal with each of these himself instantly, with assist from all of us.’”

* * *

Democrats en Déshabillé

“The Return of the Clintons” [New York Magazine]. “By late November, Invoice discovered himself nearer to the middle of presidential politics than he’d been since Hillary ran in 2016. He and Joe Biden hadn’t talked in individual in a number of months, however he had been making no secret to mates that he thought Biden wasn’t getting the credit score he deserved for his accomplishments. Tucked right into a quiet nook of Air Drive One on the way in which to Georgia for Rosalynn Carter’s memorial service, the forty second president repeated the sentiment to the forty sixth, chewing over the distinctive challenges of the presidency as nearly nobody else may. Flying south from Washington, they mentioned Biden’s obstacles in a political setting warped by Trump — how arduous it had gotten to focus public consideration on what Biden was doing and the way difficult it had turn into to show across the nationwide feeling in regards to the financial system. Hillary wasn’t a part of that dialog, however she was on the aircraft, too — together with Michelle Obama and Jill Biden — and she or he had loads of her personal ideas as Biden entered 2024 working behind her outdated foe within the polls. In current months, the previous secretary of state has begun convening teams of mates and political allies for personal dinners to speak by way of the approaching election season and to drum up badly wanted help for Democratic candidates, beginning with the president. The classes are sometimes on the Clintons’ major residence in Chappaqua, however extra typically at their home in Washington, not removed from the residence of Vice-President Kamala Harris, with whom she has quietly been maintaining in contact.” • Through TV Tropes, “Raised Hand of Survival“:

#COVID19

“I’m in earnest — I cannot equivocate — I cannot excuse — I cannot retreat a single inch — AND I WILL BE HEARD.” –William Lloyd Garrison

Assets, 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 knowledge). “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 vegetation. Please put “COVID” within the topic line. Thanks!

Assets, 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).

Assets, Canada (Nationwide): Wastewater (Authorities of Canada).

Assets, 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!

Covid is Airborne

America just isn’t a critical nation:

HEPA filtering on Italian trains.

It CAN be completed. The air CAN be made secure to breathe. It’s only the desire which is missing.

WE MUST DEMAND CLEAN, SAFE PUBLIC AIR. @CO2RadicalAus https://t.co/Vu4fZnSKiT pic.twitter.com/tRcWwKkQuR

— Dr David Berger, aBsuRdiSTe cROnickLeR (@YouAreLobbyLud) March 3, 2024

Elite Maleficence

Level, counterpoint:

I’d have an interest to know the place anarchist fashions of healthcare are being pursued. “Masks blocs”? Readers?

TABLE 1: Each day Covid Charts

LEGEND

1) ★ for charts new right this moment; 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) Biobot drops, conformant to Walgreen positivity knowledge (if that’s certainly not an information artifact). Word, nonetheless, the world “beneath the curve,” moreover taking a look at peaks. That space is bigger beneath Biden than beneath Trump, and it appears to be rising steadily if erratically.

[2] (Biobot) Regional separation re-emerges.

[3] (CDC Variants) As of Might 11, genomic surveillance knowledge might be reported biweekly, based mostly on the supply of constructive check specimens.” “Biweeekly: 1. occurring each two weeks. 2. occurring twice per 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) Doesn’t help Biobot knowledge. “Charts and knowledge offered by CDC, updates Wednesday by 8am. For the previous 12 months, utilizing a rolling 52-week interval.”

[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Not flattening.

[6] (Hospitalization: CDC) Nonetheless down. “Maps, charts, and knowledge 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) That’s a giant drop! It will be attention-grabbing to survey this inhabitants usually; these are individuals who, regardless of a tsunami of official propaganda and massive peer stress, went and obtained examined anyhow.

[8] (Cleveland) Flattening, in line with Biobot knowledge.

[9] (Vacationers: Posivitity) Down, albeit within the rear view mirror.

[10] (Vacationers: Variants) Backward revisions take away NV.1 knowledge. JN.1 dominates completely.

Stats Watch

There are not any official statistics of curiosity right this moment.

Transportation: “Three Norfolk Southern trains derail in Pennsylvania” [The Hill]. “Three Norfolk Southern trains derailed after a collision in japanese Pennsylvania that, up to now, has not induced any accidents or launched hazardous supplies. The incident occurred close to Easton, Pa., Saturday morning alongside the Lehigh River. The Nationwide Transportation Security Board (NTSB) mentioned an unknown variety of automobiles from these trains have derailed. ‘Preliminary data signifies that an eastbound NS prepare struck a stopped NS prepare on the identical observe,’ NTSB mentioned in an announcement to The Hill. ‘The wreckage from the placing prepare spilled onto an adjoining observe and was struck by a westbound NS prepare. The collision led to the derailment of an unknown variety of automobiles.’” • Collision Scheduled Railroading. This retains taking place, doesn’t it?

At this time’s Concern & Greed Index: 79 Excessive Greed (earlier shut: 77 Excessive Greed) [CNN]. One week in the past: 75 (Excessive Greed). (0 is Excessive Concern; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Mar 4 at 12:37:23 PM ET.

Rapture Index: Closes down one on local weather. ” The shortage of exercise has downgraded this class” [Rapture Ready]. Document Excessive, October 10, 2016: 189. Present: 187. (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?

Class Warfare

“SPEEA: Pilot Contract Talks Illustrate Boeing Security Tradition Issues” [Yahoo Finance]. “The union for Flight Technical and Security Pilots with Boeing’s Flight Operations Group says it has first-hand expertise of the sorts of safety-culture issues [the FAA] reported on earlier this week…. ‘To place this in context,’ [Ray Goforth, SPEEA Executive Director] mentioned, ‘Boeing has systematically hollowed out the SPEEA Pilot Instructors Unit, changing valued Boeing experience with contractors. The ensuing degradation in knowledgeable recommendation given to Boeing’s airline prospects is one other instance of the safety-culture drawback highlighted by the FAA.’…. In one other unusual flip, Boeing requested SPEEA’s negotiators to signal a retroactive Non-Disclosure Settlement in order that the union couldn’t inform its members how a lot they have been being underpaid in comparison with their friends. SPEEA declined; Goforth referred to as the request ‘bizarre.’” • Seems to be like that new lawyer Boeing promoted to move up HR is already arduous at work!

Information of the Wired

“Impact of intestine microbiome modulation on muscle perform and cognition: the PROMOTe randomised managed trial” [Nature]. “Research counsel that inducing intestine microbiota adjustments might alter each muscle physiology and cognitive behaviour. Intestine microbiota might play a job in each anabolic resistance of older muscle, and cognition. On this placebo managed double blinded randomised managed trial of 36 twin pairs (72 people), aged ≥60, every twin pair are block randomised to obtain both placebo or prebiotic each day for 12 weeks. Resistance train and branched chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation is prescribed to all individuals. Outcomes are bodily perform and cognition…. Our outcomes exhibit that low cost and available intestine microbiome interventions might enhance cognition in our ageing inhabitants.” • Now do Lengthy Covid.

“Movement Blur All of the Approach Down” [Pierre Cusa]. “Movement blur began out purely as a movie artifact, the results of a topic transferring whereas the digicam’s shutter is open. This artifact turned out to be fascinating, particularly for movies, as a result of it improves the perceptual similarity between a video and a pure scene, one thing I’ll dive into on this part…. [T]right here already exists a pure blur on the photoreceptor degree, a phenomenon typically referred to as movement smear. So why can we add synthetic movement blur in movies, and what’s the hyperlink between movement smear and movement blur?” • Do a whole lot of math, so MEGO. Nevertheless, as a photographer, I really like movement blur. Slightly like Millet making an attempt to color a peasant truly dropping a potato right into a furrow; not as simple because it appears to be like!

Contact data for vegetation: Readers, be happy to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) learn how to ship me a test in case you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn how to ship me photographs of vegetation. Greens are high quality! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary vegetation! 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 TH:

TH writes: “This pretty flower is a Scabiosa columbaria, ‘Pink Mist’. It lives on the Sherman Library and Gardens in Corona Del Mar, California. I simply love the whole lot about it, however principally the colour!” Good bokeh!

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