2:00PM Water Cooler 2/14/2024 | bare capitalism

By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Blissful Valentine’s Day!

Chicken Music of the Day

Purple Finch (Western), 51588 NW Hayward Rd, Washington, Oregon, United States. “Consuming mulberries, sprinkler noise, towhee calls excerpted.” I like decoding the background noises, too.

Politics

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

Lambert right here: I added one other “Constitutional Order” part: “Conference.” This retains taking place….

The Constitutional Order (Rebellion)

The Constitutional Order (Conference)

2024

Lower than a 12 months to go!

* * *

Trump (R): “Trump’s NV Sweep Clarifies GOP Race, However Election Is Murkier Than Ever” [Matt Taibbi, RealClearPolitics]. Be aware the bio: “Matt Taibbi is an award-winning creator, investigative reporter, and the writer of Racket Information. He writes an election 2024 marketing campaign column for RealClearPolitics.” Fascinating. Extra: “At Trump occasions, reporters at all times make beelines for caricatures in MAGA hats, ignoring the wide range of different supporters who present up and normally watch from close to rear exits or curtains. An 80-year-old Arizona resident who retains a Vegas rental got here up for the occasion and lingered close to the press part. I requested what introduced him right here. ‘Simply all of the misrepresentation,’ he stated. ‘On the UFO challenge. All of the bullshit.’ ‘The Space 51 stuff?’ ‘Completely,’ he stated. ‘I’ve seen them.’ About Trump, he stated, ‘I’m an enormous fan of him. I hate what’s happening.’ I shrugged. In case you don’t hear at the least one shocking clarification for coming to a Trump rally, you’re in all probability not working the gang sufficient. This 12 months, even UFOs aren’t precisely a far-out challenge anymore. However ‘I hate what’s happening’ will probably be a component of virtually any supporter’s story at Trump crowds. That the Nevada major was basically determined in a back-room deal by a Republican Social gathering management that gamed the setup in Trump’s favor could be odd in some other election 12 months. .” Like that’s a nasty factor? In 2020, after Sanders gained Nevada “a free-falling Biden was the beneficiary of one other back-room deal, rumored to have been brokered by Barack Obama, wherein Buttigieg and Senator Amy Klobuchar dropped out, consolidating inside-track votes behind Biden. Since that second, little or no has been predictable or logical about American politics. Right here in Las Vegas, we had two largely symbolic elections, a principally predetermined supply of 26 actual delegates, and ultimately, a celebration. If we’re celebrating something, it’s doubtless our passage to the unknown. .” • Buckle up!

Trump (R): “Trump’s Trials Are on a Collision Course With November” [NOTUS]. “‘I believe Trump is out over his skis. He believes the Jack Smith D.C. case revolving across the Jan. 6 occasions, and associated makes an attempt to stop the peaceable switch of energy, just isn’t going to go earlier than the election,’ stated lawyer Ty Cobb, who represented Trump throughout Robert Mueller’s probe into election interference. ‘It’s the one one of many instances that I believe stands an opportunity of going ahead. It’s conceivable the New York case goes, however sadly that case is the poster baby for Trump’s argument that politicians are out to get him.’ Ought to the Supreme Courtroom take up the case and proceed slowly, it will successfully finish the likelihood that Trump may wind up going through trial for fees associated to election interference and the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on the Capitol earlier than he’s up for reelection once more. As Smith’s election interference investigation hangs in limbo, Manhattan DA Bragg’s case in opposition to Trump may, considerably unexpectedly, wind up going to trial as quickly as March. Trump has filed a number of appeals that slowed the case, and just lately a movement to dismiss the case on the grounds that it’s political and never relevant to state legislation. But when Choose Juan M. Merchan declines Trump’s movement to dismiss the case this week, it may put it on monitor to trial in a matter of weeks.”

Trump (R): “Trump’s new Supreme Courtroom gambit doesn’t even attempt to cover that it’s a delaying tactic” [CNN]. On Trump’s immunity declare: “The textual content of Trump’s submitting to the court docket at instances feels considerably frivolous. In tone and depth, it contrasts to the tightly argued repudiation of his claims for immunity final week by three appeals court docket judges that was broadly praised by authorized students. And it mirrored the terribly broad and unbelievable imaginative and prescient of virtually unconstrained presidential energy to which Trump warmed in workplace and that he seems to relish regaining if he wins November’s election forward of a time period he has vowed could be dedicated to retribution in opposition to his enemies.” • I don’t perceive why generally Trump picks legal professionals who’re wonderful, and generally picks clowns. Identical with the staffers and entourage (like that ghoul Giuliani. Why was he wherever close to the candidate?) It’s baffling.

Trump (R): “A Transient Oral Historical past of Wayne Barrett, the First Journalist to Doggedly Cowl Donald Trump” [Vanity Fair]. “WAYNE BARRETT: After I didn’t nibble on the carrot, [Trump] tried the stick, recounting the story of how a lawsuit he filed had damaged a reporter whose copy had irritated him. DAVID SCHNEIDERMAN: Then as we [the Village Voice] received nearer to publishing, Trump had Roy Cohn—who was his lawyer/consigliere and in addition was Rupert’s man. So, Roy Cohn referred to as Victor Kovner, our lawyer: ‘Trump goes to sue you guys, and also you’re going to be bankrupt over this.’ We don’t give a sh*t. All these items had been new. We hadn’t seen Trump performed out in any method. The Occasions had run fairly easy stuff about his offers. However that is all of the traditional Donald Trump stuff. He was going to sue us and bankrupt us. I stated, ‘He’s not going to sue us, as a result of he’s not going to destroy Murdoch’s factor. He likes Murdoch, and Murdoch likes him for the Put up.’ VICTOR KOVNER: There was no swimsuit. That was the primary time, however not the final, wherein Wayne centered on the Trump-Roy Cohn relationship. Cohn would complain in regards to the Voice, however he by no means sued us, nor did Trump. WAYNE BARRETT: In case you had been in your late twenties or your early thirties and also you had been trying to hitch your self to a wagon that may pull you ahead—should you may sit down with Roy Cohn and be charmed—there was one thing fallacious with you. I had lunch many instances with Roy Cohn. Roy Cohn ate along with his fingers. I child you not. He introduced somewhat glass inside his coat pocket. He would pop little white drugs when he thought you weren’t trying. He was probably the most satanic determine I ever met in my life. He was nearly reptilian.” • Not a pleasant particular person in any respect. Like Roger Stone.

* * *

Haley (R): “‘He IS Unhinged!’ Nikki Haley Tells TODAY That ‘Diminished’ Trump Is Struggling His Personal Cognitive Decline” [Mediate]. • Haley’s funders paying her to hold round and mark up Trump for the overall. This isn’t a VP play…

* * *

Biden (D): “Biden’s upcoming bodily examination won’t embody a cognitive check, White Home says” [FOX]. “‘Does the White Home suppose that the thought of the president taking a cognitive check as part of this bodily is a reputable concept?. a reporter requested. ‘I’m simply gonna say what Dr. O’Connor stated to me a few 12 months in the past when [Biden’s physical] was launched,’ Jean-Pierre responded. ‘The president proves day-after-day [in] how he operates and the way he thinks, by coping with world leaders, by making troublesome choices on behalf of the American individuals – whether or not it’s home or it’s nationwide safety.’” • Video:

Biden’s upcoming bodily examination won’t embody a cognitive check, White Home says https://t.co/TXjR5SRf5D #FoxNews

— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) February 14, 2024

Appears like Biden isn’t letting his staffers defend him; they will’t probably have although this was a good suggestion.

“Democrats ought to seize their smelling salts for a protracted case of the vapors” [Irish Times]. “As soon as, when my father was in West Virginia on police enterprise, a person approached him and demanded to find out about “rumours” that president Franklin Roosevelt was “crippled”. The person threatened to beat up my father or anybody who stated FDR was in a wheelchair. My dad, a D.C. police detective, served on FDR’s protecting element…. Like others round Roosevelt, my dad stored a decent lip in regards to the paralysis of the president, who didn’t wish to appear weak. Dad assured the West Virginia ruffian that Roosevelt was ‘a fantastic, athletic man.’” However immediately: “In a world on hearth, with republicans in Congress spiralling into farce, the Biden crew clearly has no plan for tips on how to take care of the president’s age besides to protect him and conceal him and browbeat reporters who level out that his psychological state – just like the delusional Trump’s – is a real challenge. Biden isn’t just in a bubble; he’s in bubble wrap. Cosseting and closeting Uncle Joe all the best way to the tip – eschewing city halls and the Tremendous Bowl interview – are simply not going to work. Occurring defence, when Trump is on offence, just isn’t going to work. Relying on Trump’s vileness to safe the win, as Hillary Clinton did, just isn’t going to work. Democrats ought to seize their smelling salts for a protracted case of the vapours. It’s going to be a most virulent, violent 12 months.” • But when they begin working Biden arduous, this from C. Northcote Parkinson on succession issues. From Parkinson’s Legislation (PDF):

The one drawback is that the Democrats ought to have began this course of proper after the modterms. They’ve X, however no Y.

Biden (D): “Democrats May Want a Plan B. Right here’s What It Appears Like” [Politico]. “A late-entering white knight candidate isn’t an possibility at this level, although solely about 3 p.c of the overall delegates have been awarded to this point. That’s as a result of by the tip of this month, submitting deadlines for major poll entry could have handed in all however six states and the District of Columbia (Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon and South Dakota). Even when a candidate managed to get on the ballots in all these states — and even when they gained each single delegate accessible in them — it nonetheless wouldn’t make a lot of a dent in opposition to Biden’s delegate haul. Biden will doubtless amass extra delegates on March 5, Tremendous Tuesday, within the state of California than from these six states and D.C. mixed.” Quick ahead: “Biden would announce he wouldn’t settle for the nomination and launch his delegates to again a special nominee….. Not lengthy after Biden’s announcement, a spate of personal polls testing numerous candidates within the basic election would immediately be floated to determine totally different figures’ Trump-slaying credentials. Between June 4 and Aug. 19, when the occasion’s conference begins in Chicago, senior Democrats would jockey for place to interchange Biden within the form of battle not seen in a long time in American politics.” And: “The opposite prime prospects have already been enjoying the lengthy recreation in anticipation of such a second, constructing nationwide manufacturers and burnishing their reputations as crew gamers. Blue-state Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois have been among the many most energetic surrogates, which is able to serve them nicely as they search the allegiance of conference delegates. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been a vigorous Biden defender, vouching for him with Arab People in Michigan and serving there as Biden’s marketing campaign co-chair. The Democrats’ conference, sometimes a staid affair, could be crammed with drama. Whereas Democrats stripped their so-called ‘superdelegates’ of most of their energy after 2016, these present and former occasion leaders and elected officers would get a vote on a possible second poll on the conference. That will give them important sway in choosing a nominee in a flooring battle, however maybe on the expense of reopening the 2016-era controversy in regards to the position performed by occasion elites in stifling Bernie Sanders’ possibilities on the nomination.” • For my views on Newsom, see right here; shorter: Na ga occur, too Californian. Pritzker recommends himself, regardless of his girth, for his house state (Obama’s, and wherein very coincidentally the Democrat Nationwide Conference is to be held), his billionaire standing and largesse as a donor. As far as I can inform, he’s been an OJ governor on the Democrat scorching button points (defending public libraries, and so forth). I imagine he’s personable. As for “Huge Gretch,” there’s that curious kidnapping episode that FBI agent provocateurs labored so arduous to result in. I suppose that makes her a feminist heroine, standing as much as the loony proper, and so forth, till the spooks got here to her rescue, however the entire odd episode makes me surprise if she’s received backing I don’t find out about. In any case, the true query is what the “education habits” within the superdelegate hive thoughts will probably be, and who will drive it. Oh, and the article says that “Biden would nonetheless stay a kingmaker.” I disagree. I believe The Wizard of Kalorama™ would be the kingmaker.

* * *

Biden (D): “Opening Assertion by Mr. Anthony Bobulinski” (PDF) (transcript) [House Oversight and Accountability Committee]. “I wish to be crystal clear: from my direct private expertise and what I’ve subsequently come to study, it’s clear to me that Joe Biden was “the Model” being offered by the Biden household. His household’s international affect peddling operaCon – from China to Ukraine and elsewhere – offered out to international actors who had been looking for to achieve affect and entry to Joe Biden and the USA authorities. Joe Biden was greater than a parCcipant in and beneficiary of his household’s enterprise; he was an enabler, regardless of being buffered by a fancy scheme to keep up believable deniability. The one cause any of those internaConal enterprise transacCons passed off – with tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars} flowing on to the Biden household – was as a result of Joe Biden was in excessive workplace. The Biden household enterprise was Joe Biden, interval. Different key gamers have made this level clear as nicely: Hunter Biden himself has adamantly acknowledged it in a wide range of communicaCons, as did one other Biden household enterprise affiliate, Devon Archer, in his tesCmony final 12 months. Overseas naConals on the opposite facet of those transacCons – together with from China, Ukraine and Romania – have additionally defined how and why these transacCons passed off. As soon as once more, I’d name that intensive proof.”

Biden (D): “Biden met with chairman of Chinese language power agency Hunter did enterprise with in 2017, ex-associate testifies” [FOX]. “The Home Oversight Committee advised Fox Information Digital that it could ‘now affirm Joe Biden met with practically each [oh?] international nationwide who funneled cash to his son, together with Russian oligarch Yelena Baturina, Romanian oligarch Kenes Rakishev, Burisma’s company secretary Vadym Pozharsky, Jonathan Li of BHR, and CEFC Chairman Ye Jianming.’ Biden attended dinners at Washington D.C. restaurant Cafe Milano in Georgtown with Baturina, Rakishev and Pozharsky in 2014 and 2015. Biden additionally met with Li of BHR in China in 2013. Biden met with Ye on the assembly in 2017, in keeping with testimony from Hunter Biden’s ex-business companions Rob Walker and Devon Archer.” • Burnishing the model…

Biden (D): “Biden ID’d as ‘chairman’ in son’s Chinese language enterprise deal; president has met most of international execs” [Washington Times]. “Hunter Biden referred to his father as ‘the chairman’ in a bunch chat with enterprise companions working to safe a multimillion-dollar take care of a Chinese language power firm, in keeping with proof produced by Home lawmakers investigating President Biden over corruption allegations.” • The Home Oversight and Accountability Committee wants one other timeline. Beginning to be an excessive amount of yarn!

* * *

Kennedy (I): “‘The Marketing campaign Is a Mess’: RFK Jr. Hit With Workers Exodus Over ‘Lavish Spending’ and ‘Amateurish’ Management” [Mediaite]. “Fourteen members of Kennedy24 have resigned because the begin of the 12 months, together with 12 subject employees and two important employees, in keeping with a number of sources who spoke with Mediaite on the situation of anonymity. One supply near the marketing campaign pinned the turmoil on two leaders: Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, marketing campaign supervisor and Kennedy’s daughter-in-law, and Del Bigtree, an anti-vaccine activist who serves because the marketing campaign’s communications director…. A serious level of competition throughout the marketing campaign has been the eye-watering payouts to marketing campaign management revealed in FEC experiences. Bigtree’s agency KFP Consulting was paid $35,000 in December; it has made $90,000 off the marketing campaign in complete to this point. Starlight Saint, the LLC registered to marketing campaign COO Matthew Sanders, makes $21,000 a month. Extra Lovely World, the LLC registered to marketing campaign adviser Charles Eisenstein, made $21,667 a month in October, November, and December 2023.’ When the experiences got here out and everybody noticed the obscene sum of money some individuals are making, whereas they’re usually paying for their very own promotional supplies out of pocket and may’t get their fuel stipend coated, many individuals began considering these individuals are scamming and skimming to line their pockets,’ one marketing campaign employee stated. ‘That is out of alignment with the message of the candidate.’”” • $35,000? The decimal level’s within the fallacious place. That stated, relative to staffers paying for their very own brochures and signage, it’s quite a bit.

* * *

“This Is Glorious Information For John McCain” [Eschaton]. “I do suppose immigration is sort of at all times a type of ‘cable information bubble’ points, and that numerous biases in protection result in ‘everybody’ considering that no matter Republicans are pretending to be mad about that day is the central marketing campaign challenge. May very well be fallacious!” • If Republicans plan to turn into the occasion of the working class, they’re clearly not going to do it by giving them management of the technique of manufacturing, or with common concrete materials enhancements, and even with minor tweaks like (say) sick go away. However they may have the ability to do it by blocking non-citizen entrants to the labor market.

Our democracy:

In an election 12 months within the UK and US, Covid is political cyanide.

All the primary candidates need to faux it is over or immediately destroy their possibilities of a majority.

— tern (@1goodtern) February 14, 2024

#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; 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 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 deal with 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 experiences); 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!

Elite Maleficence

“Washington Put up: CDC to ease Covid-19 isolation steerage” [CNN]. “‘This can be a reckless coverage change that can solely serve to of Covid and Lengthy Covid,’ Dr. Eric Topol, founder and director of the Scripps Analysis Translational Institute, stated in an e-mail. Topol co-authored one of many first critiques of asymptomatic Covid-19 infections. Wastewater surveillance knowledge printed by the CDC means that Covid-19 continues to be circulating at excessive ranges throughout the US, however the company notes that “infections are inflicting extreme illness much less often than earlier within the pandemic.’ Nonetheless, tens of hundreds of individuals are hospitalized with Covid-19 and lots of of individuals die from the virus every week. There have been about 21,000 Covid-19 hospitalizations in the course of the week ending February 3, in keeping with the newest CDC knowledge. That’s about 20% decrease than this time final 12 months however greater than 3 times greater than the low level from this summer time.” • NOTE That’s not a bug. It’s a characteristic. “They wish to infect us.” Commentary:

BREAKING ⚠️

CDC saying only a brisk stroll across the block as isolation for measles

— Jess (@MeetJess) February 13, 2024

And:

The CDC lastly realized that folks don’t have sufficient sick days to take off 5 days twice a 12 months as a consequence of sickness so that they gave up, proper?

— Disabled Physician (@DisabledDoctor) February 14, 2024

CDC limiting entry to public well being knowledge. One can solely surprise why:

The US Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Servives is planning to restrict how public well being and well being providers researchers can receive entry to knowledge ordinarily used to reply questions that concern emergent well being dangers and repair modifications. This isn’t a brand new type of privateness… https://t.co/XdKtJlidrK

— Stefan Kertesz, MD, MSc (@StefanKertesz) February 13, 2024

* * *

CDPH and CDC’s balancing act:

‘Balancing’ Covid motion in opposition to the economic system turned 0% motion in opposition to Covid, 100% motion for the economic system. Equally, ‘hybrid immunity’ turned ‘simply get contaminated’, minus any vaccination. As with local weather motion, the endgame is – do nothing. https://t.co/cEhURmHbxA pic.twitter.com/VB8EdZ3Soq

— Henry Madison (@RageSheen) February 11, 2024

One other view of CDC’s balancing act:

The concept any isolation is required just isn’t based mostly on science. The virus will unfold for 100000 years. It is much less deadly than flu now. Settle for it and transfer on. https://t.co/GR1OkPSSTr

— Vinay Prasad MD MPH (@VPrasadMDMPH) February 14, 2024

Bizarre flex on the 100,000 12 months Reich, however OK. Extra to the purpose, GBD ghoul Prasad is shamelessly mendacity; Covid is extra deadly than the Flu (JAMA; The Lancet: “On this comparative evaluation of long-term well being outcomes of individuals admitted to hospital for COVID-19 versus these admitted to hospital for seasonal influenza, we present that absolutely the charges of loss of life, antagonistic well being outcomes, and health-care utilisation are excessive for each viruses, however considerably increased for COVID-19 in comparison with seasonal influenza.” And naturally mortality isn’t the one metric.

* * *

“Hospitals Deny Immunocompromised Sufferers’ ADA Requests For Masks” [Judy Stone, Forbes]. “Earlier than a latest hospital go to, Christine Hyperlink requested that her healthcare suppliers put on masks due to her autoimmune illness and medicines that additional suppress her immune system. A phlebotomist initially refused her request, leaving her feeling ‘shocked, scared.’ Escalating her concern to the Mass Common Brigham’s affected person advocacy workplace, she obtained this response: ‘Whereas the request by a affected person to an worker to put on a masks just isn’t an ADA-related lodging, it’s a patient-centered and trauma knowledgeable greatest observe, and we encourage sufferers to make this request with the supplier who’s ordering the testing. The supplier would decide if it will be within the sufferers’ greatest curiosity clinically to have employees put on a masks whereas interacting with the affected person. Then they would wish to speak the choice to all employees offering providers to the affected person, resembling phlebotomy employees.’ The affected person advocate’s response left Hyperlink feeling, ‘silly for considering that Mass Common Brigham would really care sufficient to observe the legislation concerning cheap lodging. As an alternative I used to be gaslit about my wants.’” Keep in mind that Mass Common Brigham is an enormous participant in CDC’s HICPAC, which is setting new requirements for care. That is the coverage they wish to impose on everybody.” And: “Hyperlink knew that the ADA contains being immunocompromised [that is, MGH was lying] as a coated situation. She can be extra decided than another sufferers. She referred to as the Division of Justice’s ADA line and filed a grievance with the Massachusetts Lawyer Common’s workplace in October, tailored from one made accessible by lawyer Matthew Cortland on their Patreon web page. She has not obtained any response from Massachusetts past acknowledging her submission. She has since written her state home consultant, senator and governor, with out getting any assist.” • This is a superb article, nicely price studying in full.

* * *

The felt expertise of hegemony (1):

That is the half I don’t perceive, the half that’s like a zombie film.

The felt expertise of hegemony (2):

The felt expertise of hegemony (3):

TABLE 1: Every day Covid Charts

LEGEND

1) ★ for charts new immediately; all others will not be 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] No backward revisions. The uptick is actual (at the least to Biobot).

[2] Biobot knowledge suggests an increase within the Northeast, which drove the Biobot spike. MRWA knowledge doesn’t recommend that, as of February 8:

Right here, FWIW, is Verily nationwide knowledge as of February 14:

And regional knowledge for HHS Area, the Northeast:

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

[4] Doesn’t assist Biobot knowledge. “Charts and knowledge supplied by CDC, updates Wednesday by 8am. For the previous 12 months, utilizing a rolling 52-week interval.” So not the complete pandemic, FFS (the implicit message right here being that Covid is “identical to the flu,” which is why the seasonal “rolling 52-week interval” is acceptable for each_{MR SUBLIMINAL I hate these individuals a lot}. Discover additionally that this chart reveals, at the least for its time interval, that Covid is not seasonal, although CDC is attempting to get us to imagine that it’s, presumably to allow them to piggyback on the prevailing institutional equipment for injections. And naturally, we’re not even entering into the standard of the wastewater websites that we’ve got as a proxy for Covid an infection general.

[5] Lower for the town not aligns with wastewater knowledge (if certainly Biobot’s spike is actual).

[6] Nonetheless down “Maps, charts, and knowledge 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] It might be attention-grabbing to survey this inhabitants typically; these are individuals who, regardless of a tsunami of official propaganda and large peer strain, went and received examined anyhow.

[8] Lambert right here: Share and absolute numbers down.

[9] Up, albeit within the rear view mirror.

Stats Watch

There aren’t any official statistics of curiosity immediately.

Pharma: “Biogen sees demand rise for brand new Alzheimer’s drug” [Axios]. • Why, I ponder. ‘Tis a thriller!

Tech: “Your AI Girlfriend Is a Information-Harvesting Horror Present” [Gizmodo]. “as your robotic love story unfolds, there’s a tradeoff you might not notice you’re making. In line with a brand new research from Mozilla’s *Privateness Not Included undertaking, AI girlfriends and boyfriends harvest shockingly private info, and nearly all of them promote or share the info they accumulate. ‘To be completely blunt, AI girlfriends and boyfriends will not be your pals,’ stated Misha Rykov, a Mozilla Researcher, in a press assertion. ‘Though they’re marketed as one thing that can improve your psychological well being and well-being, they concentrate on delivering dependency, loneliness, and toxicity, all whereas prying as a lot knowledge as doable from you.’ Mozilla dug into 11 totally different AI romance chatbots, together with in style apps resembling Replika, Chai, Romantic AI, EVA AI Chat Bot & Soulmate, and CrushOn.AI. Each single one earned the Privateness Not Included label, placing these chatbots among the many worst classes of merchandise Mozilla has ever reviewed. The apps talked about on this story didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark. You’ve heard tales about knowledge issues earlier than, however in keeping with Mozilla, AI girlfriends violate your privateness in “disturbing new methods.” For instance, CrushOn.AI collects particulars together with details about sexual well being, use of medicine, and gender-affirming care. 90% of the apps might promote or share consumer knowledge for focused adverts and different functions, and greater than half gained’t allow you to delete the info they accumulate. Safety was additionally an issue. Just one app, Genesia AI Pal & Accomplice, met Mozilla’s minimal safety requirements. One of many extra hanging findings got here when Mozilla counted the trackers in these apps, little bits of code that accumulate knowledge and share them with different corporations for promoting and different functions. Mozilla discovered the AI girlfriend apps used a median of two,663 trackers per minute, although that quantity was pushed up by Romantic AI, which referred to as a whopping 24,354 trackers in only one minute of utilizing the app.” • That’s a whole lot of trackers!

Tech: “Solely actual individuals can patent innovations — not AI — US authorities says” [CNN]. “On Tuesday, the US Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO) stated that to acquire a patent, an actual particular person will need to have made a ‘important contribution’ to the invention and that solely a human being could be named as an inventor on a patent. The official steerage printed this week gives a lift to innovators by reassuring them that their innovations involving AI could be patented, whereas persevering with to enshrine human creativity and ingenuity by establishing primary expectations about how AI may make or break a patent utility. The rules mirror the Biden administration’s swift strikes to get forward of synthetic intelligence points.” • Hmm. That really feels like one thing to look into. Do we’ve got any patent experts in the home?

In the present day’s Concern & Greed Index: 72 Greed (earlier shut: 68 Greed) [CNN]. One week in the past: 75 (Excessive Greed). (0 is Excessive Concern; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Feb 13 at 1:37:54 PM ET.

Guillotine Watch

NGOs, who wants ’em:

They’re doing the type of provisioning one would anticipate a authorities to do.

Class Warfare

More durable to offshore providers?

“Former House Depot CEO sounds alarm on ‘super shift’ in labor market” [FOX]. “A former prime company America government is warning that the U.S. economic system just isn’t on a quick monitor to restoration, as increased inflation and extra mass layoffs loom over markets. ‘The overall inhabitants won’t be duped by this aversion to try to blame inflation on company America. It begins on the uncooked supplies, it begins at transportation, it begins at power,’ former House Depot and Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli stated on ‘Cavuto: Coast to Coast’ Monday. ‘An entire host of issues which might be driving this up, wage will increase.’ ‘We’re now seeing individuals being laid off,’ he continued, ‘In case you have a look at chips, they’ve laid off nearly 40,000 individuals. We’re seeing an amazing shift in employment on the market the place individuals are being laid off.’ Within the final two weeks, corporations like Cisco, Snap, Estée Lauder, Amazon, Citigroup and UPS have all introduced layoffs as executives tighten their belts amid fee volatility. The tempo of job cuts by U.S. employers accelerated at the beginning of 2024, as a latest report from enterprise agency Challenger, Grey & Christmas discovered that corporations deliberate 82,307 job cuts in January, a considerable 136% improve from the earlier month.”

Information of the Wired

“Issues We Didn’t Know About Ourselves” [KK]. “However the smartphone — a small pocketable display screen – was in no way anticipated. It was an entire shock as a result of nobody thought it will be doable to have interaction with such a tiny display screen. It was a shock to everybody (together with me) {that a} display screen smaller than my palm could be sufficient to observe a film, or learn a guide, or get your information. That form of habits appeared to go in opposition to ‘what everyone is aware of’ about film watching and guide studying. Actually the thought of an interesting micro-window appeared opposite to what we thought we knew about our physiology – that we would have liked a large view with excessive constancy, and that it was unnatural and uncomfortable to have to limit our gazes into such a tiny display screen. Seems we had been very fallacious. We have now zero bother watching hours of films on this sliver of a display screen. This consolation with a small display screen was one among many issues we didn’t find out about ourselves. There are such a lot of different issues we didn’t find out about ourselves. We had been portray and observing pictures for hundreds of years earlier than we found that we are able to idiot our personal eyes and minds to understand movement by quickly flicking a collection of pictures with minor alterations. These illusions are referred to as motion pictures. We didn’t know we had this means to understand movement till we had the expertise to manifest this means. In different phrases, we couldn’t have recognized this about ourselves till we invented cinema. We’re discovering one thing related with VR. We didn’t know we could be satisfied of the presence of one thing by producing a volumetric, spatial picture of it. Rendering a picture spatial makes it really feel like it’s current, even when our logical thoughts is aware of it’s not. This trick makes VR worlds really feel actual. We additionally couldn’t have recognized this about our personal eyes till we invented VR expertise. I’m fairly positive that we didn’t know that we people a lot choose private consideration to private privateness. Till we invented the expertise of social media, we thought we naturally favored privateness over consideration, however we had been additionally fallacious about that. We discovered that when given a alternative individuals choose to disclose themselves to get private consideration moderately than the obscurity of privateness. All this could make us surprise what number of different issues we don’t find out about ourselves?” • I’m positive the pandemic taught us many classes….

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AF writes: “Right here’s one among my favourite perennials. It’s a smoke bush after a light-weight rain.”

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