By Lambert Strether of Corrente.
Hen Tune of the Day
Japanese Meadowlark (Japanese), Kissimmee Prairie Protect, Okeechobee, Florida, United States. “Tune.” I feel I hear a propeller airplane within the background? Plus many bugs and different birds….
In Case You Would possibly Miss…
(1) New Trump’s New York trial begins to wrap up.
(2) Biden’s path to victory interviewed.
(3) A way for decrapifying Google search.
Politics
“So lots of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in reality a rational administration of symbolic capital.” –Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles
Biden Administration
“Prime US drug company a notable holdout in Biden’s push to loosen federal marijuana restrictions” [Associated Press]. “‘DEA has not but made a willpower as to its views of the suitable schedule for marijuana,’ reads a sentence tucked 13 pages into Garland’s 92-page order final Thursday outlining the Biden administration proposal to shift pot from its present Schedule I alongside heroin and LSD to the much less tightly regulated Schedule III with such medicine as ketamine and a few anabolic steroids. Inside data accompanying the order point out the DEA despatched a memo to the Justice Division in late January looking for further scientific enter to find out whether or not marijuana has an accepted medical use, a key requirement for reclassification. However these considerations have been overruled by Justice Division attorneys, who deemed the DEA’s standards ‘impermissibly slim.’ A number of present and former DEA officers instructed the AP they imagine politics could also be at play, contending the Justice Division is transferring ahead with the marijuana reclassification as a result of President Joe Biden desires to make use of the problem to woo voters in his re-election marketing campaign and wasn’t prepared to offer the DEA time for extra research that doubtless would have dragged past Election Day. These officers additionally famous that whereas the Managed Substances Act grants the lawyer basic duty for regulating the sale of harmful medicine, federal regulation nonetheless delegates the authority to categorise medicine to the DEA administrator. ‘It’s crystal clear to me that the Justice Division hijacked the rescheduling course of, putting politics above public security,’ mentioned Derek Maltz, a retired agent who as soon as headed the DEA’s Particular Operations Division. ‘If there’s scientific proof to assist this determination, then so be it. However you’ve bought to let the scientists consider it.’ Former DEA Administrator Tim Shea mentioned the putting absence of Milgram’s sign-off suggests she was backing ‘the DEA professionals.’”
2024
Lower than a half a 12 months to go!
RCP Ballot Averages, Might 10:
* * * Trump (R) (Bragg/Merchan) “Prosecutors relaxation their case in Trump’s hush cash trial” [Politico]. “It’s not clear how lengthy the presentation of Trump’s protection will final, however the decide presiding over the case, Justice Juan Merchan, mentioned he expects closing arguments to happen subsequent Tuesday, after Memorial Day weekend. Then the jury will start deliberating.”
Trump (R) (Bragg/Merchan) “Reside updates: Protection rests with out Trump testifying in hush cash case” [Associated Press]. “Court docket will resume at 2:15 p.m. ET [today], when prosecutors and the protection will talk about the directions that shall be given to jurors earlier than they begin deliberating. Deliberations are anticipated as early as subsequent Wednesday…. The charging convention is a chance for prosecutors and the protection to weigh in on how they need the jury to be instructed within the regulation and what the decision sheet will seem like. On the convention, the events might talk about how the fees are organized and the weather of against the law — spelled out within the regulation — that the prosecution must show past an affordable doubt to realize a conviction. They’ll present the decide with their variations of directions and the decision sheet — a kind the jury fills out itemizing every cost and the potential verdicts — however it’ll in the end be as much as Decide Merchan to resolve learn how to instruct the jury. Jury directions are a roadmap to the generally complicated legalities concerned within the case. They aren’t designed to sway the jury a method or one other, however fairly to make sure jurors have an excellent understanding of the fees they’re weighing and the legal guidelines concerned.”
Trump (R) (Bragg/Merchan): “Brad Smith: What I’d have instructed the Trump jury” [Washington Examiner]. “The aim of his hoped-for testimony, Smith mentioned, was ‘to put out the methods the regulation [FECA] has been interpreted in ways in which won’t be apparent.’ For example, Smith cited the phrase ‘for the aim of influencing an election,’ which has been heard throughout a lot evaluation of the trial. ‘You learn the regulation and it says that something meant for the aim of influencing an election is a contribution or an expenditure,’ Smith defined. ‘However that’s not in reality the whole thing of the regulation. There may be the obscure, and separate from the definitional half, concept of non-public use, which is a separate a part of the regulation that claims you possibly can’t divert marketing campaign funds to private use. That has a variety of particular prohibitions, like you possibly can’t purchase a rustic membership membership, you possibly can’t usually pay your self a wage or residing bills, you possibly can’t go on trip — all these sorts of issues. After which it features a broader, basic prohibition that claims you possibly can’t divert [campaign funds] to any obligation that might exist even when you weren’t working for workplace.’ … ‘[W]e would have talked about ‘for the aim of influencing an election’ shouldn’t be a subjective take a look at, like ‘What was my intention?’ — it’s an goal take a look at. So hiring marketing campaign workers is for the aim of influencing an election…. ‘Return to 1999. Hillary Clinton buys a home in New York. She purchased it clearly to affect the election — I imply completely, proper? — as a result of she needed to have a residence in New York. It’s completely indeniable — that could be a cause why she purchased it. Nevertheless it’s not a marketing campaign expenditure.” • A thread from Smith:
Trump (R) (Bragg/Merchan) “Individuals v. Trump” [Politico]. “Blanche requested if Cohen has a monetary curiosity within the consequence of the trial. Cohen conceded that he did, however disputed Blanche’s suggestion that Cohen would profit extra from Trump being convicted. ‘It’s higher if he’s not, for me, as a result of it offers me extra to speak about sooner or later,’ Cohen mentioned.” • I hardly suppose so. If Trump is convicted, now we have the spectacle of Maddow fawning over Cohen to look ahead to. An entire new market!
Trump (R) (Bragg/Merchan) “Highlights from day 19 of Donald Trump’s hush cash trial: Prosecution rests” [Associated Press]. After Blanche asks for a dismissal: “‘Trump lawyer Blanche beseeched the decide to ‘not let this case go to the jury counting on Mr. Cohen’s testimony,’ arguing Cohen had not solely lied repeatedly underneath oath up to now, however once more whereas testifying on this trial. However Decide Merchan appeared unmoved by the argument, asking the protection lawyer whether or not he believed that ‘as a matter of regulation, this particular person’s so undeserving of perception that it shouldn’t even be thought-about by the jury?’ Blanche mentioned that he did. ‘You mentioned his lies are irrefutable,’ the decide replied. ‘‘” • Will depend on whether or not the Trump protection workforce stored the “Blue No Matter Who” sorts off the jury, I’d say.
Trump (R) (Bragg/Merchan): “5 massive takeaways from Day 19 of Trump’s hush cash trial” [ABC]. “Robert Costello, a former lawyer for Cohen, had spent lower than quarter-hour on the witness stand when Decide Juan Merchan sustained a string of the state’s objections. After one such interjection, Costello was heard muttering underneath his breath, ‘Jeez.’ That extracurricular musing prompted Merchan to dismiss jurors and situation Costello a stern rebuke, ordering him to uphold “correct decorum in my courtroom.’… The matter appeared settled. However seconds later, Merchan barked: ‘Are you staring me down?’ With that, Merchan took the extraordinary step of clearing reporters from the courtroom. After a couple of minutes, reporters and jurors returned and Merchan resumed proceedings with out addressing the matter.”
* * * Trump (R) “Georgia focus group voter on Trump trials: ‘We’d like a solution’” [Axios]. “Most Georgia swing voters say they’re skeptical that former President Trump would face severe punishment over his felony indictments, even when he’s convicted, in accordance with our newest Engagious/Sago focus teams. These voters, who voted for President Biden in 2020 after voting for Trump in 2016, mentioned they suppose the ex-president is getting particular remedy over his 4 felony indictments. It’s an indication of the broad mistrust amongst voters of the felony justice system, notably when coping with some of the well-known politicians on the earth…. ‘Another common particular person would nonetheless be in jail or home arrest or one thing,’ mentioned Marquetta F….. 11 contributors out of 14 mentioned they suppose that Trump shouldn’t be being handled like different felony defendants. 5 are registered Democrats, three are Republicans, and 6 are independents…. Whereas most Georgia swing voters say the continuing New York felony case shouldn’t be altering their views of Trump, they nonetheless would love his trials to be resolved earlier than the election, though that’s trying more and more unlikely. ‘If we’re going to carry him accountable, it must be earlier than he has the chance to presumably get the best workplace within the land again, we want a solution, sure or no,’ mentioned Joel M.” • If the voters suppose Trump is getting particular remedy, that cuts in opposition to Trump’s narrative. Hmm.
* * * Trump (R): “Donald Trump deletes video publish on Reality Social referencing ‘unified Reich’” [New York Post]. “The video appeared to make use of a web based template, titled ‘Newspaper Classic Historical past Headlines Promo,’ to focus on the potential results of a Trump victory…. One other reference within the Trump video seemed to be taken straight from a Wikipedia entry on World Battle I stating that ‘German industrial power and manufacturing had considerably elevated after 1871, pushed by the creation of a unified Reich.’” • First Reich: Holy Roman Empire. Second Reich: Imperial Germany. Third Reich: The Nazis. 1871 refers back to the Second. Nonetheless, who gave this nimrod staffer entry to Trump’s account? I don’t suppose Susie Wiles is pleased proper now, given the Democrat pearl-clutching.
* * * Biden (D): “‘By no means Trump?’ ‘By no means Biden’ voters may loom bigger” [WaPo]. “Whereas a lot has been product of “By no means Trump” Republicans, “By no means Biden” voters seem to loom even bigger — at the least for now…. [In 2020], at the least 50 p.c of voters mentioned not solely that they weren’t voting for Trump, however that there was no probability they might. At most, simply 4 in 10 mentioned the identical of Biden. That’s now flipped. The newest ballot to point out that is Monday’s New York Occasions-Siena School ballot of six key swing states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Throughout these states, 46 p.c of registered voters mentioned there was no probability they’d vote for Trump, whereas 52 p.c mentioned the identical of Biden. That’s the largest hole thus far, together with an earlier Occasions ballot and CNN polling as not too long ago as final month. However even with smaller gaps, each such ballot in current months has proven extra ‘By no means Biden’ voters than ‘By no means Trump’ ones. And in 3 of 4 such polls since November, it’s been a majority of voters who say they’ll by no means vote for Biden — simply because it was with Trump in 2020.” • Hmm.
Biden (D): “Alarmed Democrats flee Biden’s ailing model in battleground states” [The Hill]. “‘When you go on the market and do a spotlight group, the main focus teams all say, ‘He’s 200 years previous. You bought to be kidding me.’ And the worst half about it’s for unaffiliated voters or those that haven’t made up their thoughts, they have a look at this and say: ‘It’s important to be kidding us. These are our decisions?’ They usually indict us for not taking it critically,’ mentioned a Democratic senator who requested anonymity to debate the alarm sparked by Biden’s weak ballot numbers in battleground states. Polls have proven that 40 p.c of registered voters in battleground states weren’t too happy or by no means happy with the candidates within the presidential election. The senator mentioned Democratic colleagues ‘know this can be a drawback’ but in addition notice it’s too late to do something about it and that ‘that is the ticket now we have to get behind and now we have to win with this ticket.’ ‘We’ll see how a lot gravity we will defy,’ the lawmaker mentioned of senators in robust races who’re polling higher than Biden.” Numerous good element for every state. After which this: “‘Individuals preserve saying, ‘” the senator mentioned of constituents who’re baffled over Biden’s determination to run for a second time period. ‘That’s such a prevalent feeling.’” • On “drained,” I ponder if voters are projecting, and in the event that they, too, wish to “take a go.”
Biden (D): “How can Biden save America from Trump’s return to the White Home? Drop out of the race” [USA Today]. “If Democrats have been to appoint Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, he’d beat Trump like LeBron James posting up Kevin Hart. There are lots of others, together with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey. Trump would look previous and unhinged subsequent to their youthful competence and sober characters. And whereas Vice President Kamala Harris, who polls worse in opposition to Trump than Biden does, would have been a severe menace to take the nomination in open primaries, there is no such thing as a probability a conference of Biden delegates would choose her. They wish to beat Trump too badly to take that threat.” • First trial balloon for Josh Shapiro….
* * * Kennedy (I): “RFK Jr. lists voting deal with at Westchester residence — that’s in foreclosures and the place neighbors have by no means seen him” [New York Post]. “Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lists his residence to vote as a tony Westchester County deal with — which is in foreclosures proceedings for non-payment, courtroom data present. The unbiased candidate claims his voting deal with is 84 Croton Lake Street In Katonah, although he isn’t the proprietor of the million-dollar, in-arrears property, doesn’t present up in resident searches for it, and a few longtime neighbors — and even native authorities — have been shocked on the notion it’s his residence. ‘No … he doesn’t reside right here,’ an area cop insisted Sunday…. The Kennedy marketing campaign insisted in a Sunday night time assertion that the house is RFK Jr.’s ‘official deal with.’ ‘He receives mail there. His driver’s license is registered there. His vehicle is registered there. His voting registration is from there. His searching, fishing, falconry, and wildlife rehabilitation licenses are from there. He pays lease to the proprietor,’ the marketing campaign mentioned.
* * * “Trump vs. Biden Polls: Joe Might Want a Rust Belt Sweep” [Ed Kilgore, New York Magazine]. Better of breed on the Swing State style, to date; element, polling. Effectively value a learn. “It’s the battleground-state polling that needs to be most alarming to Group Biden for the easy cause that he’s persistently trailing in three Solar Belt states (Arizona, Georgia, Nevada) that have been essential to his 2020 win. In the event that they (together with one other aggressive southern state, North Carolina) seem out of attain for the incumbent later within the marketing campaign season, his path to victory might depend upon a sweep in three extremely aggressive Rust Belt states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin…. For now, a Biden sweep of Rust Belt battleground states appears a likelier guess. In Michigan, Trump leads within the RCP head-to-head averages by 0.3 p.c, whereas Biden leads by 0.3 p.c in a five-way race. In Pennsylvania, it’s Trump by two factors in each a two-way and five-way contest. And in Wisconsin, Trump leads by 0.6 p.c in a head-to-head race and by 1.2 p.c with minor candidates added in. . That will come, in fact, with a assured problem of the result by Group Trump, however that’s a digital certainty in any case in need of a Biden landslide. At this level, the president’s workforce would take any kind of win with pleasure and aid, even when they should struggle Trump and his mobs for a pair extra months to make it stick. All in all, the trail to a second Biden time period is dangerously slim.” • Yep. And Kennedy is a wild card.
“Biden and Trump Hunt for Breakthrough Second in Stagnant Election” [Wall Street Journal]. “For a lot of Individuals, the race between two universally recognized however broadly disliked candidates has had the low drone of background noise. Many have rushed to their political camps, just about positive of how they are going to vote this fall regardless of their displeasure with the selection earlier than them. However the campaigns are keen to verify their core supporters are totally engaged and dedicated to voting—they usually wish to transfer sooner fairly than later to achieve the roughly one-third of voters who stay persuadable and up for grabs…. Biden’s aides and allies have lengthy argued that many Individuals aren’t totally dialed into the race and that after they acknowledge that it’s a selection between Biden and Trump, the incumbent’s approval scores will rise. … Trump sees an upside and has been overtly calling on Biden to debate him for months. His workforce thinks that placing the 2 on stage collectively will remind voters of Biden’s age—a big vulnerability, in accordance with Trump’s advisers—and that Trump will profit from that distinction.”
* * * “Why election polls have been so fallacious in 2016 and 2020 — and what’s altering to repair that” [CNBC]. “Heading into the 2024 rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden, pollsters are attempting quite a lot of methods to keep away from repeating historical past and to precisely seize the elusive Trump vote. For one, pollsters have adjusted their method to “weighting,” a technique that assigns a multiplier to every respondent to alter how a lot their reply sways the general ballot consequence. Pollsters have at all times used weighting to assemble survey samples that precisely replicate the citizens by way of gender, age, race or revenue. However after 2016, they’re taking specific care to weight training.” A proxy for sophistication. Extra: “‘Some individuals will begin a ballot, they’ll inform you who they’re going to vote for after which they are saying, ‘I’m achieved. I don’t wish to speak to you anymore. Goodbye,’” Don Levy, director of the Siena School Analysis Institute, which helps conduct polls for the New York Occasions, instructed CNBC. ‘In 2020 and 2022, we didn’t depend these individuals.’ However this time round, Levy says they’re counting the ‘drop-offs.’ They discovered that if that they had counted these impatient respondents in 2020 and 2022, their ballot outcomes would have moved ‘a few level and 1 / 4 within the Trump course,’ Levy mentioned, eliminating roughly 40% of their error. Levy added that SCRI can be taking an additional step to focus on Trump voters by modeling their pattern to incorporate the next survey quota for people who find themselves thought-about ‘high-probability Trump voters in rural areas.’”
“Senate Democrats don’t imagine Biden’s unhealthy polls, both” [Axios]. • However there’s actually no evaluation explaining why they don’t.
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* * *
Syndemics
“I’m in earnest — I cannot equivocate — I cannot excuse — I cannot retreat a single inch — AND I WILL BE HEARD.” –William Lloyd Garrison
Covid 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 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 happy to contact me on the deal with given with the crops. 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 stories); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur d’Alene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard); NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard); PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (dashboard); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV (wastewater); WY (wastewater).
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 protected on the market!
Airborne Transmission
One other good evaluate for NuKit:
Our evaluate of the Nukit Tempest is reside:
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🔈 It generated simply 41.8 dB
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Excellent work by @NukitToBeSure!https://t.co/LvEHRzYHse
— HouseFresh (@ThisHouseFresh) Might 20, 2024
Transmission: H5N1
“Allow them to eat Viruses” [Anthony J. Leonardi, The Easy Chair]. “I can’t inform if it’s a race to the underside with requirements, or that we like feasting on viruses and swimming in sewage to show our personal vigour. It appears we lower corners on security in an effort to make vitamin extra reasonably priced. If it finally ends up sparking one other pandemic, nevertheless, we’ll all bear the associated fee. I suppose that’s what is supposed by privatizing positive aspects and nationalizing losses. In my view, chicken flu is now endemic in cattle. Which means, there are much more alternatives for it to cross into people. Moreover, the virus is poorly tailored to human receptors, and may refine. It might refine to facilitate human to human unfold and see its lethality rise as a consequence of higher adaptation. Sadly, due to what we’re prepared to simply accept so far as the chance of viruses goes, it’s fairly potential that there shall be a human H5N1 pandemic. I like to recommend, as I’ve at all times achieved, preparation. This entails a inventory of N95, a plan with household and associates, and a protected harbour.” • The “protected harbour” half shouldn’t be really easy. One has a “go bag,” however the place to go?
Maskstravaganza
“Some NC Home Republicans oppose anti-mask invoice” [WRAL]. “Rep. Erin Pare, the one Republican from Wake County within the state legislature, mentioned that now that the invoice is within the Home, she’ll struggle for the general public well being exception to be added again in — whereas additionally nonetheless supporting one other provision within the invoice, to extend felony penalties for individuals who commit crimes whereas carrying masks…. She’s not alone in voicing considerations from the appropriate. Rep. John Torbett, R-Gaston, additionally wrote that he’d assist including again within the language permitting individuals to put on masks for public well being causes. Torbett is technically listed because the invoice’s lead sponsor, however that’s solely as a result of the Senate took a invoice he had sponsored, with the aim of accelerating felony penalties for individuals who put on masks to commit crimes, and rewrote it to additionally do away with the general public well being exception for mask-wearing. ‘I’ll attempt to put again redundant language to make clear the medical use being OK,’ Torbett mentioned.” • A hopeful signal. The invoice has not but handed, and appears to be stalled, for now (“engrossed“).
“Docs rail in opposition to proposed ban in opposition to public masking” [North Carolina Health News]. “Banning masks, even for medical functions, is prone to generate lawsuits, some say. Tara Muller, a coverage lawyer with Incapacity Rights North Carolina, despatched a letter to state senators final week contending that the invoice [HB237], if handed, would result in violations of the NC Individuals with Disabilities Safety Act, the Individuals With Disabilities Act, and the People With Disabilities in Training Act, or IDEA. ‘These incapacity rights legal guidelines assure individuals with disabilities equal entry to public areas and the appropriate to be moderately accommodated as wanted for equal entry,’ Muller mentioned in her letter. ‘When individuals with disabilities are denied entry to their communities, institutionalization and segregation from the neighborhood is an actual chance and one which violates their rights pursuant to the Olmstead determination to reside in probably the most built-in settings.’”
Caption: “A face masks sported by DHHS Sec. Mandy Cohen and NC Emergency Supervisor Mike Sprayberry on the Emergency Operations Middle on Might 19, 2020 throughout the COVID pandemic. Photograph credit score: NC Dept of Public Security”
Life’s little ironies…. (After all, the masks is material, presumably so the brand may very well be embroidered onto it, so even then Mandy was prioritizing public relations over well being, not to mention modeling good habits. Nonetheless.)
Testing and Monitoring: H5N1
“Transfer over, wastewater. Retailer-bought milk may very well be one other technique to observe the chicken flu outbreak in cows” [STAT]. “Scientists from the College of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Most cancers Middle have managed to generate a full genetic sequence of H5N1 virus from milk, a growth they counsel means commercially bought milk merchandise may very well be used to observe the progress of the chicken flu outbreak in dairy cattle and to verify for essential modifications within the virus over time. With dairy farmers nonetheless reluctant to permit testing of their cattle, scientists attempting to evaluate whether or not the outbreak is rising or waning are in the dead of night. Likewise, their surveillance for essential modifications within the viruses — modifications that might sign the virus is evolving to be higher capable of infect mammals — has been hampered by the restricted information being shared by the U.S. Division of Agriculture.” • If and when H5N1 mutates, and the (human)
pansyndemic hits, hat tip to the dairy farmers, a hearty “properly achieved” to CDC, and massive ups to the (captured) USDA.
Transmission: H5N1
“HPAI dairy herd an infection case report” [Dairy Extension, Michigan State University]. “This report is what was recognized and reported on day 15 of the HPAI an infection in a herd of roughly 500 lactating cows. … It started in a barn with two pens of cattle that had three water fountains, the middle one being shared. They needed to attempt to confine the illness to a single group or at the least a single barn. They modified their wash cycle in milking in order that it washed after this group of cows. No matter their efforts*, HPAI unfold to all teams of lactating cattle on the farm. …. Based mostly on the variety of cows with elevated temperatures and subtracting out the conventional fee, they imagine 40% of the lactating herd was contaminated… Clearly, by day 15, the total influence of the illness has not but been felt. Nonetheless, the farmer did some price estimations. He has spent $5,000 – $7,500 in further medical provides. Although the prices of those widespread drugs are low, the quantity wanted has been fairly excessive. There was the lack of milk, lack of high quality premium, elevated labor and loss of some pregnancies leading to culling animals. He estimates the associated fee for this herd of roughly 500 cows at $30,000 – $40,000. The proprietor of the farm on this case report understands that this doesn’t embody the potential longer-term prices. One other farmer mentioned that some herds are seeing signs for 4 to 6 weeks. Further unfavourable impacts embody elevated culls of animals that don’t recuperate considerably and elevated weight achieve of late lactation cows that recuperate feed consumption however not milk output. ‘It has been a whole lot of work, hectic on the cows and admittedly overwhelming,’ the farmer mentioned. As required by regulation, this farmer reported the illness to the Michigan Division of Agriculture and Rural Growth (MDARD). He believes it can be crucial for the business to grasp the illness.” NOTE * Maybe as a result of H5N1 is airborne?
“Michigan stories 3 extra H5N1 outbreaks in dairy herds” [Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy]. “The Michigan Division of Agriculture and Rural Growth (MDRAD) right now reported three extra H5N1 avian flu outbreaks in dairy herds… In a press release, the MDARD mentioned the three newly affected dairy herds are in Clinton, Gratiot, and Ionia counties, all of which have been affected in current outbreaks. … In keeping with the MDARD’s line checklist, Michigan has now reported 18 outbreaks in dairy cows in 9 counties, probably the most of any state.” • Hmm. Michigan is a swing state….
“The Hen-Flu Host We Ought to Fear About” [Katherine Wu, The Atlantic]. “[T]]he virus doesn’t appear to have acquired what Webby considers probably the most essential modification, one that might assist it extra effectively enter human-airway cells within the first place. To try this, H5N1 would want to regulate its skill to latch on to specific sugars on cell surfaces, which successfully function locks to the cell’s inside. For many years, although, the virus has most popular the model of these sugars that’s mostly discovered within the gastrointestinal tract of birds, and nonetheless appears to. Consultants would actually begin to fear, [WHO’s Richard] Webby mentioned, if it began glomming very tightly as a substitute onto those mostly present in human airways. That mentioned, the distinction between these sugars is architecturally fairly small. And though scientists may colloquially name some chicken receptors and others human receptors, mammals can produce chicken receptors, and vice versa. (People, as an example, have chicken receptors of their eyes, which doubtless explains why the farm employee who seems to have caught H5N1 from a dairy cow developed solely conjunctivitis.) The precise animal host might encourage the virus to modify its desire from birds to people—and pigs match that invoice. They only so occur to harbor each chicken receptors and human receptors of their respiratory tract, giving the flu viruses that infect them loads of alternative to remodel.” • One thing to observe…
Sequelae: Covid
“When Cells Flip Towards Us: The Ferroptosis Hyperlink in COVID-19 Lung Destruction” [SciTech Daily]. “In extreme COVID-19 instances, the lungs can undergo in depth injury, resulting in life-threatening circumstances comparable to pneumonia, irritation, and acute respiratory misery syndrome. Till not too long ago, the underlying trigger of those wide-ranging lung reactions had not been clearly understood. Researchers at Columbia and the Columbia College Irving Medical Middle have make clear this thriller in new analysis printed in Nature Communications. The examine discovered that ferroptosis, a type of cell dying first named and recognized at Columbia in 2012, is the most important cell dying mechanism that underlies COVID-19 lung illness. The discovering signifies that intentionally halting ferroptosis with therapeutic drug candidates might enhance COVID-19 outcomes.” And: “Ferroptosis was first reported by Professor Stockwell in 2012. Ferroptosis is an uncommon type of cell dying through which sure cells die as a result of their outer fats layers collapse. It differs from the commonest type of cell dying, which happens each in illness contexts and in regular processes like ageing and entails cells chopping up the molecules of their inside.”
Elite Maleficence
“Too Many Deaths, Too Many Left Behind: A Individuals’s Exterior Evaluation of the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention’s COVID-19 Pandemic Response” [AJPM Focus] (AJPM Focus is the official open entry journal of the Affiliation for Prevention Instructing and Analysis and the American School of Preventive Medication; Elsevier). From the Summary: “The authors used a modified Delphi course of to establish core pandemic administration areas, which fashioned the premise for a survey and literature evaluate. Their evaluation yields 3 overarching shortcomings of the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention’s pandemic administration: (1) Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention management downplays the intense impacts and aerosol transmission dangers of COVID-19, (2) Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention management has aligned public steerage with industrial and political pursuits over scientific proof, and (3) Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention steerage focuses on particular person selection fairly than emphasizing prevention and fairness. As an alternative, the company should [oh?] companion with communities most impacted by the pandemic and encourage individuals to guard each other utilizing layered protections to lower COVID-19 transmission. As a result of rising variants can already evade present vaccines and coverings and Lengthy COVID may be disabling and lacks definitive remedy, multifaceted, sustainable approaches to the COVID-19 pandemic are important to guard individuals, the financial system, and future generations.” • As now we have been saying for fairly a while. Nonetheless, since CDC will do none of these issues, it needs to be burned to the bottom, the rubble plowed underneath, and the bottom salted. (The authors embody each Harvard Medical personnel and Individuals’s CDC members. Fascinating!)
“Lengthy-COVID codes in well being report might dramatically underestimate its prevalence” [Center for Disease Research and Policy]. “Lengthy COVID is probably going far more prevalent than indicated in digital well being report (EHR) diagnostic or referral codes, London Faculty of Hygiene and Tropical Medication researchers report in eClinicalMedicine…. A complete of 55,465 sufferers have been flagged for lengthy COVID, with 20,025 diagnostic codes and 35,440 referral codes. The incidence of latest lengthy COVID rose steadily within the data throughout 2021, peaking in January 2022 after which declining…. The authors mentioned that validation of consequence measures is required to raised seize long-COVID instances. “Nationwide survey information means that many individuals within the UK undergo with lengthy COVID, however comparatively few instances are recorded in main care,” they concluded. “We’ve proven that utilizing EHR diagnostic or referral codes sadly has main limitations in figuring out and ascertaining true instances and timing that severely restrict its utility in shedding gentle on causal pathways to forestall or deal with Lengthy COVID.”
Lambert right here: Affected person readers, I’m going to should rethink this fantastically formatted desk. Biobot information is gone, CDC variant information capabilities, ER visits are useless, CDC stopped obligatory hospital information assortment, New York Occasions dying information has stopped. (Be aware that the 2 metrics the hospital-centric CDC cared about, hospitalization and deaths, have each gone darkish). Ideally I’d exchange hospitalization and dying information, however I’m unsure how. I may also broaden the wastewater part to incorporate (yech) Verily information, H5N1 if I can get it. Options and sources welcome. UPDATE I changed the Occasions dying information with CDC information. Amusingly, the URL doesn’t embody parameters to assemble the tables; one should reconstruct then manually every time. Caltrops abound.
TABLE 1: Day by day Covid Charts
LEGEND
1) ★ for charts new right now; 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] (Biobot) Lifeless.
[2] (Biobot) Lifeless.
[3] (CDC Variants) FWIW, provided that the mannequin utterly missed KP.2.
[4] (ER) CDC appears to have killed this off, for the reason that hyperlink is damaged, I feel in favor of this factor. I’ll attempt to verify. UPDATE Sure, depart 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 preferred the ER information, as a result of it appeared actually laborious to sport.
[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Tiny uptick, we’ll see if it’s a blip. I suppose to a tame epidemiologist it seems like “endemicity,” however to me it seems like one other tranche of lethality.
[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) Slight uptick.
[8] (Cleveland) Leveling out.
[9] (Vacationers: Posivitity) Up and down.
[10] (Vacationers: Variants) KP.2 enters the chat, as does B.1.1.529 (with backward revision).
[11] CDC’s information and visualization, nonetheless being up to date.
Stats Watch
There are not any official statistics of curiosity right now.
Tech: “With JPMorgan, Mastercard on board in biometric ‘breakthrough’ 12 months, you could quickly begin paying together with your face” [CNBC]. “‘Our give attention to biometrics as a safe technique to confirm identification, changing the password with the particular person, is on the coronary heart of our efforts on this space,’ mentioned Dennis Gamiello, govt vice chairman of identification merchandise and innovation at Mastercard. He added that primarily based on constructive suggestions from the pilot and its analysis, the checkout expertise will come to extra new markets later this 12 months… The patron case is tied to the rising significance of loyalty applications. Most quick-service eating places require customers to supply their loyalty info to earn rewards — which suggests pulling out a cellphone, opening an app, discovering the hyperlink to the loyalty QR code, after which presenting the QR code to the cashier or reader. For cost, customers are usually selecting between pulling out their pockets, deciding on a bank card, after which dipping or tapping the cardboard or pulling out their cellphone, opening it with Face ID, after which presenting it to the reader. Miller says PopID simplifies this course of by requiring simply tapping an on-screen button, after which trying briefly at a digital camera for each loyalty check-in and cost.” • Another reason to get rid of money, eh?
Tech: These fellas by no means cease arising with nice concepts:
Satya Nadella says Home windows PCs could have a photographic reminiscence function known as Recall that can bear in mind and perceive every part you do in your pc by taking fixed screenshots pic.twitter.com/Gubi4DGHcs
— Tsarathustra (@tsarnick) Might 20, 2024
Who will they promote the info to?
In the present day’s Worry & Greed Index: 62 Greed (earlier shut: 64 Greed) [CNN]. One week in the past: 56 (Greed). (0 is Excessive Worry; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Might 21 at 1:41:03 PM ET.
The Gallery
A much less well-known sundown:
Sundown by Monet pic.twitter.com/cQezU0c9g3
— Impressions (@impression_ists) Might 16, 2024
Information of the Wired
What if the worst of humanity wasn’t in control of every part for as soon as https://t.co/P29bknAjIj
— Lauren McKenzie (@TheMcKenziest) Might 20, 2024
Contact info for crops: Readers, be happy to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) learn the way to ship me a verify in case you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn the way to ship me pictures of crops. Greens are nice! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary crops! If you need your deal with to seem as a credit score, please place it firstly 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 Amfortas:
Amfortas writes: “That’s the Bee Tree, a lil proper of middle.” The one reference to the bee tree I can discover is from 2020:
northern texas hill nation: i’ve pears and peaches beginning to bud, greater than a month sooner than final 12 months(which was too early, it turned out: needed to have burn barrels for a “late” freeze.)
bees within the bee tree are awake and wandering and hungry….and shampoo residue makes you odor like a flower, it appears… so i’ve been feeding them on the entrance to the brand new hive….once more, a month sooner than i meant.
Perahps if there’s a extra present reference, Amfortas will qualify
Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not coated by the annual NC fundraiser. So when you see a hyperlink you particularly like, or an merchandise you wouldn’t see wherever else, please don’t hesitate to precise your appreciation in tangible kind. Bear in mind, a tip jar is for tipping! Common constructive suggestions each makes me really feel good and lets me know I’m heading in the right direction with protection. Once I get no donations for 3 or 4 days I get fearful. Extra tangibly, a continuing trickle of donations helps me with bills, and I consider that trickle when setting fundraising objectives:
Right here is the display that can seem, which I’ve helpfully annotated:
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