By Lambert Strether of Corrente.
Chook Music of the Day
Peruvian Meadowlark, Guayaquil – Engunga Hills, Guayas, Ecuador. “Quick grass and bushes doing flight show, and at nightfall with 2 Lesser Nighthawks in flight at finish.” Contains mosquito! And a bee. Grantchester Meadows feeling right here…
In Case You Would possibly Miss…
(1) Trump’s New York trial strikes to charging directions.
(2) Stefanik recordsdata ethics grievance towards Merchan.
(3) Trisha Greenhalgh publishes monumental masks/respirator examine, stomping anti-maskers.
(4) “Belief your immune system.”
Politics
“So lots of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in truth a rational administration of symbolic capital.” –Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles
2024
Lower than a half a 12 months to go!
RCP Ballot Averages, Could 10:
* * * Lambert right here: The charging directions session is an excessive amount of for me to digest right this moment. All I can do is give some highlights, and promise I’ll put my yellow waders on earlier than closing arguments start subsequent Tuesday:
Trump (R) (Bragg/Merchan): On the Heisenbergian object offense (2):
Submit by @ecmclaughlin
View on Threads
Trump (R) (Bragg/Merchan): “Prosecution and protection debate jury directions in Trump’s prison trial” [ABC]. “Trump lawyer Emil Bove requested for a jury instruction that may get at, as he put it, ‘the truth that this whole trial was primarily based on the phrase of an legal professional who labored for President Trump, and he was entitled to attract some inferences from that’ concerning the legality of assorted issues. Nonetheless, the argument offered an issue: the protection mentioned months in the past that it wasn’t going to make use of what’s often known as an advice-of-counsel protection — {that a} defendant’s conduct was guided by a lawyer’s OK. By deciding towards it, the protection didn’t should waive Trump’s attorney-client privilege or flip over numerous paperwork, Decide Juan M. Merchan famous. However, he complained, the protection has since tried to invoke the advice-of-counsel idea beneath completely different names, akin to ‘presence of counsel’ or ‘involvement of counsel.’ ‘My reply hasn’t modified, and actually, I discover it disingenuous so that you can make the argument at this level,” he instructed Bove, who began to rise to reply.”
Trump (R) (Bragg/Merchan: Stefanik recordsdata ethics grievance towards Merchan (good timing):
🚨🚨🚨 I simply filed an official judicial grievance with the New York State Fee on Judicial Conduct towards Performing Supreme Courtroom Justice Juan Merchan for his clear violation of the Guidelines of Judicial Conduct for the New York State Unified Courtroom System attributable to his household… pic.twitter.com/6JjIv7XpTP
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) Could 21, 2024
Right here is part 100.3(E)(1)(d)(iii):
IANAL, however provided that Merchan’s daughter is a Democrat advisor, I’d say Stefanik has a prima facie case.
* * * Trump (R): “Trump’s trials could assist, not damage, his shot on the White Home” [The Hill]. “New polling by our agency, Schoen Cooperman Analysis, signifies that up to now, the continued trials have had nearly no influence on the previous president’s standing with voters nationally. Even when Trump have been compelled to spend the vast majority of his time between now and election time off the marketing campaign path and in courtrooms, solely 22 % of registered voters say they might be much less prone to vote for the previous president, whereas one-quarter of voters really mentioned they might be extra prone to vote for Trump ought to he be compelled to spend a lot of his time in court docket. Notably, a 53 % majority is unmoved by the Trump trials, underscoring that preserving Trump in court docket and off the path possible is not going to be the decisive issue some had presumed. In that very same vein, Schoen Cooperman Analysis’s ballot underscores the very actual likelihood that the indictments towards Trump really profit the previous president by permitting him to reprise a job that he thrives in — enjoying a political martyr. Certainly, there’s appreciable uncertainty as as to if or not the indictments dealing with Trump are respectable or are politically motivated. A 47 % plurality of voters say the indictments are legally sound, but a large 40 % say they’re political persecution. An analogous 48 % say that Trump did one thing fallacious and he ought to be prosecuted, whereas 39 % say that both Trump did one thing fallacious however shouldn’t be prosecuted (13 %) or that Trump did nothing fallacious (26 %). Nonetheless, one-half (50 %) of voters agree that “The indictments towards Donald Trump are a type of election interference, being carried out by liberal prosecutors, the Biden administration, and the Justice Division.” • Schoen’s profession trajectoy is… fascinating.
Trump (R): “No, Biden Did Not Order the FBI to Assassinate Trump at Mar-a-Lago” [Rolling Stone (Furzy Mouse)]. “Paperwork unsealed Tuesday revealed that extra categorized materials was discovered on the former president’s Palm Seaside property after the FBI’s August 2022 raid. Republicans, nevertheless, have zeroed in on customary language in FBI search warrants authorizing using lethal power in acceptable circumstances, claiming Biden and the DOJ needed Trump useless — though he wasn’t even current on the property that day. ‘WOW! I simply got here out of the Biden Witch Hunt Trial in Manhattan, the ‘Icebox,’ and was proven Experiences that Crooked Joe Biden’s DOJ, of their Unlawful and UnConstitutional Raid of Mar-a-Lago, AUTHORIZED THE FBI TO USE DEADLY (LETHAL) FORCE,’ Trump wrote Tuesday of the FBI’s boilerplate authorization to make use of lethal power. “NOW WE KNOW, FOR SURE, THAT JOE BIDEN IS A SERIOUS THREAT TO DEMOCRACY. HE IS MENTALLY UNFIT TO HOLD OFFICE — 25TH AMENDMENT!” In a marketing campaign fundraising e-mail, Trump additional claimed that he ‘practically escaped dying’ and that Biden was ‘locked & loaded able to take me out!’” • Actually, the FBI warrants did authorize lethal power — it’s boilerplate language. That mentioned, the liberal Democrats presently orchestrating a dogpile on this are unlikely to have had relations whacked by cops, or doorways busted down by SWAT groups deployed to the fallacious handle, or stopped after which assaulted for putative tail-light violations, or skilled asset seizure when carrying money. These delectations are reserved for (fractions of) the working class, to whom Trump is making an attempt to enchantment. So flip the document* over and play the opposite facet. NOTE * A vinyl recording medium, for many who got here in late.
* * * Trump (R): “Meet Trump’s ‘Human Printer’” [The Bulwark]. “Every time Donald Trump brandishes a stack of papers or reads a printout of a social media put up, he’s counting on the work of Natalie Harp. Harp, 32, occupies a singular position within the historical past of presidential campaigns: aide who travels with a transportable printer (plus paper and rechargeable batteries in a big bag) whose job is to feed Trump a gentle stream of data on 8.5×11″ items of paper. That approach, the 77-year-old doesn’t should pressure his eyes on a smartphone to learn all of the information that’s match to print in MAGAville. Harp’s nickname on the marketing campaign—’the human printer’—underplays her significance. That’s as a result of in Trump’s orbit [or any powerful person’s], proximity to the principal is energy. And along with her moveable printer on the prepared, Harp is continually round Trump—whether or not she’s sitting near the protection desk within the Manhattan courthouse on weekdays or using the hyperlinks with Trump on Sundays in Florida. Maybe greater than anybody else, Harp gatekeeps a lot of what Trump sees on social media and reads within the information. ‘If you would like the President to see one thing, the perfect route is Natalie,’ says a educated supply who spoke on situation of anonymity to explain the inner workings of Trump’s internal staff and who has handed data to the candidate by way of Harp. ‘Don’t underestimate her significance.’ It’s been an fascinating journey for Harp. She comes from a conservative Christian household in California and graduated from Liberty College in 2015.” • As soon as we had “physique males.” Now we have now “human printers”!
* * * Biden (D): “Liberals sound the alarm: Biden is shedding” [Washington Examiner]. “President Joe Biden is trailing, and liberal pundits are more and more saying he has primarily himself accountable… [I]t is a pattern in elite Democratic and liberal opinion that ought to fear the Biden camp. If that is what persons are prepared to ponder with Trump forward by 1.1 factors nationally within the RealClearPolitics polling common, what occurs if the Democrats lose floor? Or if Trump will get a mistrial, and even an acquittal bounce, ought to he not be convicted within the New York hush cash trial? The Biden marketing campaign would really like Democrats to be affected person. Trump’s polling lead isn’t that large. The polls arguably understated Democratic help within the midterm elections and a few particular elections. Group Biden believes it has the higher floor sport. The choice to debate suggests Bidenworld has some sense that the incumbent is shedding, however outdoors allies see a five-alarm hearth.” • Occasions, pricey boy, occasions. Biden’s election prospects would additionally appear to rely drastically on actions by Putin, Zelensky, Netanyahu, and Xi, none of whom are beneath Biden’s management.
* * * NH: “Shock Ballot: Trump Tied With Biden in Blue New Hampshire” [NH Journal]. “Democrats have all however owned the Granite State’s 4 Electoral School votes, successful seven of the previous eight presidential contests – together with Joe Biden’s eight-point victory over President Donald Trump in 2020. However the newest NHJournal/Praecones Analytica ballot finds Biden tied with Trump in New Hampshire, placing him vulnerable to turning into the primary Democrat to lose the state since Al Gore in 2000.”
* * * “Scoop: Senate Democrats plot reproductive-rights blitz” [Axios]. “Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is planning to zero in on reproductive rights subsequent month — doubtlessly forcing Republicans to take robust votes on points akin to contraception and in vitro fertilization…. The transfer is supposed to faucet into the efficiency of abortion rights as a voter-turnout generator for Democrats 5 months from Election Day. It’s timed to roughly coincide with the two-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Courtroom ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, on June 24…. November poll measures in search of to ensure abortion rights are both locked in or into consideration in a number of states — together with Arizona*, Montana, Nevada* and Florida — that are also house to Senate races that might be pivotal in figuring out management of the chamber subsequent 12 months.” • NOTE * Swing states.
“Biden Is Relying on Abortion to Assist Him Win. That’s Dangerous” [MSN]. “It might really feel like Dobbs has elevated public help for abortion, however three main polls don’t register a lot change in opinion. Gallup has run the identical abortion ballot round every year for many years—through which a majority of respondents, since 1989, mentioned they thought Roe shouldn’t be overturned. As for help for authorized abortion, in Could 2023, Gallup discovered that 34 % of respondents mentioned abortion ought to be authorized in any circumstances. In Could 2022, it was 35 %; in 2021, 32 %. Pew has discovered related numbers through the years, with a rise of just some factors in help for abortion being authorized most often since Dobbs and a slight lower in those that need abortion to be authorized in all circumstances. Total, Dobbs seems to not have considerably modified individuals’s views on whether or not abortion ought to be authorized. A couple of findings within the 2024 Pew ballot additional complicate the picture of abortion as a broadly widespread get-out-the-vote concern. About six in 10 respondents (58 %) mentioned it might be simple for somebody to get an abortion within the space the place they stay, and solely 31 % of respondents mentioned it ought to be simpler. (It’s not instantly clear how these teams overlap.) Amongst Democrats particularly, solely 48 % needed acquiring an abortion to be simpler. This implies that whereas a majority of individuals in the US assume that abortion ought to be authorized in all or most circumstances, about simply as many assume it’s simple to get one, and a few individuals don’t assume it must be any simpler—together with many Democrats.”
“Trump says he’ll ‘by no means advocate’ for contraception restrictions after earlier saying he’s ‘taking a look at’ them” [Politico]. “Donald Trump insisted in a social media put up Tuesday that he has ‘by no means, and can by no means advocate imposing restrictions on contraception or different contraceptives,’ after an interview launched hours earlier included Trump saying he’s ‘taking a look at’ restrictions on contraception. The put up got here after Trump mentioned in an interview with an area TV station in Pittsburgh that he plans to share a coverage on contraception ‘very shortly,’ with out offering particulars. ‘We’re taking a look at that, and I’m going to have a coverage on that very shortly and I believe it’s one thing that you simply’ll discover fascinating,’ Trump instructed KDKA political analyst Jon Delano when requested if he supported any restrictions on an individual’s proper to contraception.” • Effectively completed Susie Wiles.
“Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoes a invoice that may defend entry to contraception” [USA Today]. “Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a sequence of payments handed by the Democratic-controlled Common Meeting Friday, together with one which was aimed toward defending contraception entry…. The invoice that Youngkin vetoed acknowledged that an individual ‘shall have the precise to acquire contraceptives and to interact in contraception’ and that no commonwealth or locality ought to implement any rule that ‘prohibits or restricts the sale, provision, or use of any contraceptives,’ amongst different necessities…. Youngkin argued in a veto assertion that the invoice ‘creates an excessively broad reason for motion towards political subdivisions and oldsters, in addition to medical professionals’ and ‘undermines the elemental proper of oldsters to make choices regarding their youngsters’s upbringing and care.’”
Republican Funhouse
“Mike Johnson loses trio of key coverage aides” [Punchbowl News]. “Three main members of Speaker Mike Johnson’s coverage staff are leaving his workplace by the top of Could, robbing the Home’s high Republican of a crucial core of skilled aides. Brittan Specht, Jason Yaworske and Preston Hill — all of whom additionally labored for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy — are heading to Michael Greatest Methods, a lobbying agency with places of work in D.C. and across the nation. The departure, which is hanging in dimension and in expertise, strips Johnson of a big quantity of experience in his home coverage store. Specht was McCarthy’s coverage director and was key in crafting the Fiscal Duty Act, which raised the debt restrict and set price range ranges for 2 years. Yaworske is a well-respected adviser to the speaker on the appropriations and price range issues. Because the Home Appropriations Committee begins marking up the FY2025 spending payments, Yaworske’s experience on authorities spending is in demand. And Hill, a longtime determine in GOP management, was answerable for overseeing Home Republican coverage in burgeoning coverage areas akin to cryptocurrency, synthetic intelligence in addition to Schooling and the Workforce and Monetary Companies. One other frequent thread right here is that every one three have been on the desk throughout high-stakes negotiations — one thing that may be a rarity on the high ranges of the Republican management.” • If you would like a good friend in Washington, purchase a canine.
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; consists of many counties; Wastewater Scan, consists of 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 happy to contact me on the handle 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!
Maskstravaganza
“Masks and respirators for prevention of respiratory infections: a state of the science assessment” [Trisha Greenhalgh, C. Raina MacIntyre et al’, Clinical Microbiology Review]. Essential. Magisterial. Quoting the Summary in its entirety:
This narrative assessment and meta-analysis summarizes a broad proof base on the advantages—and in addition the practicalities, disbenefits, harms and private, sociocultural and environmental impacts—of masks and masking. Our synthesis of proof from over 100 printed critiques and chosen main research, together with re-analyzing contested meta-analyses of key medical trials, produced seven key findings. First, there’s sturdy and constant proof for airborne transmission of extreme acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and different respiratory pathogens. Second, masks are, if accurately and constantly worn, efficient in decreasing transmission of respiratory ailments and present a dose-response impact. Third, respirators are considerably more practical than medical or fabric masks. Fourth, masks mandates are, total, efficient in decreasing neighborhood transmission of respiratory pathogens. Fifth, masks are essential sociocultural symbols; non-adherence to masking is typically linked to political and ideological beliefs and to extensively circulated mis- or disinformation. Sixth, whereas there’s a lot proof that masks aren’t typically dangerous to the final inhabitants, masking could also be comparatively contraindicated in people with sure medical situations, who could require exemption. Moreover, sure teams (notably D/deaf individuals) are deprived when others are masked. Lastly, there are dangers to the setting from single-use masks and respirators. We suggest an agenda for future analysis, together with improved characterization of the conditions through which masking ought to be really helpful or mandated; consideration to consolation and acceptability; generalized and disability-focused communication help in settings the place masks are worn; and improvement and testing of novel supplies and designs for improved filtration, breathability, and environmental influence.
I have to hustle alongside in order that there’s some on the 2024 elections, so in a bit I’ll circle again right here and embody Greenhalgh’s entertainly brutal stomping of droplet dogmatists and, as a double bonus, An infection Prevention and Management (IPC/IC infesting HICPAC, amongst different locations).
And now the thread (right here is the ThreadReader model):
On [genuflects] RCTs:
We searched extensively for high-quality proof in all fields. We did NOT assume that every one RCT proof was “gold customary”, nor that every one non-RCT proof was “low-quality”. Certainly, we questioned whether or not the RCT deserves its hallowed standing on this area. 6/ pic.twitter.com/ozZuRoh3FW
— Trisha Greenhalgh (@trishgreenhalgh) Could 22, 2024
On the one first rate RCT, which HICPAC suppressed:
We searched extensively for high-quality proof in all fields. We did NOT assume that every one RCT proof was “gold customary”, nor that every one non-RCT proof was “low-quality”. Certainly, we questioned whether or not the RCT deserves its hallowed standing on this area. 6/ pic.twitter.com/ozZuRoh3FW
— Trisha Greenhalgh (@trishgreenhalgh) Could 22, 2024
On [genuflects] IC/IPC (An infection Management/An infection Prevention and Management):
We searched extensively for high-quality proof in all fields. We did NOT assume that every one RCT proof was “gold customary”, nor that every one non-RCT proof was “low-quality”. Certainly, we questioned whether or not the RCT deserves its hallowed standing on this area. 6/ pic.twitter.com/ozZuRoh3FW
— Trisha Greenhalgh (@trishgreenhalgh) Could 22, 2024
On the stupidest of the numerous silly anti-masker speaking factors:
We searched extensively for high-quality proof in all fields. We did NOT assume that every one RCT proof was “gold customary”, nor that every one non-RCT proof was “low-quality”. Certainly, we questioned whether or not the RCT deserves its hallowed standing on this area. 6/ pic.twitter.com/ozZuRoh3FW
— Trisha Greenhalgh (@trishgreenhalgh) Could 22, 2024
All of which explains why this Brownnose Institute weasel immediately slithered out of his scrimy burrow to defend the discredited anti-mask Cochrane examine:
The primary model of this meta evaluation of bodily interventions to cease virus unfold got here out in 2006. It has been up to date ever since. The conclusion: they do not work. Everybody knew this in 2020. https://t.co/9dkxquBo6Y
— Jeffrey A Tucker (@jeffreyatucker) Could 20, 2024
Notice that the Cochrane examine was funded, at one take away, by Brownstone Institute darkish cash, as I present right here, and Brownstone additionally snuck one in every of their creatures, Carl Heneghan, into the examine as an unlisted writer however with out credit score, violating Cochrane’s putatively rigorous requirements.
Denial and Cope
(1) “Belief your immune system”:
Haha.
Trusting your immune system.What a fully ****ing silly factor to say. https://t.co/XiqDjOYTaZ
— tern (@1goodtern) Could 19, 2024
(2) “Belief your immune system”:
“Hey babe, I do not need to – they’re uncomfortable. Do not you belief your immune system?” -Marc Veldhoen
/s
— Existential Bread (@exist_bread) Could 21, 2024
(3) “Belief your immune system”:
My immune system attacked my thyroid (hashimoto’s illness). I don’t belief it and can improve at each alternative.
— Hurricane henri bréboeuf 🇨🇦🐧 (@HenriBreboeuf) Could 22, 2024
(4) “Belief your immune system”:
I’ve SLE and Hashimoto’s. My immune system nearly killed me with a uncommon and aggressive type of lymphoma. Lately, I used to be a bit of too aggressive with the dental floss, reducing my gum. My immune system determined sepsis was the suitable treatment. Belief my immune system? Ha!
— Eva Hamilton she/her (@TOknitter) Could 22, 2024
I don’t perceive the mentality behind this oft-repeated piece of folks knowledge in any respect. I belief my eyes, however I put on glasses. I belief my ft, however I put on sneakers. “Expertise has taught mankind the need of auxiliary precautions,” as Madison put it. However not all agree–
(5) “Belief your immune system”:
#donotcomplytoanotherlie #freespeech with a #sticker. #donotcomply. #Godisgood and he gave us an immune system that may fight something. #wethepeople have to care for ourselves #holistically. We will’t belief our medical system. https://t.co/Pw4p8av4Hg
— TruthforWethePeople (@TammyQue_1111) Could 22, 2024
(6) “Belief your immune system”…. A-a-a-a-n-d this Brownnose Institute weasel crawls out of his gap once more:
Having studied and written about all of this for 4 years, and searching even on the prevailing pandemic plans for the long run, it’s my thought of opinion that the entire protocol was designed for one objective. The intention from the start was to protect the immunological…
— Jeffrey A Tucker (@jeffreyatucker) Could 21, 2024
Learn that fastidiously. It’s the subtlest justification for mass homicide I’ve ever seen.
Transmission: Monkeypox
“CDC points stark warning on speedy unfold of deadlier Mpox pressure” [FOX32]. “he Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) issued a stark warning to People this week concerning the speedy unfold of a deadlier type of Mpox presently sweeping by way of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Whereas the outbreak has but to achieve the shores of the US, the CDC has intensified surveillance measures as a precautionary measure. In response to the escalating state of affairs, the CDC and well being officers suggested people at excessive danger to get vaccinated and take mandatory precautions. This suggestion is especially pertinent for these with weakened immune programs.” • And what would these “precautions” be? Something non-pharmaceutical?
Prevention
“May Placing Neosporin in Your Nostril Fend Off COVID?” [Scientific American]. We linked to this PNAS examine again in April. “”This can be a analysis examine—it’s not a medical examine, and it’s definitely not supposed for individuals to go on the market and begin utilizing Neosporin day-after-day,’ says Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale College and a co-author of the brand new analysis. ‘It’s simply an preliminary pilot examine.’ Iwasaki hadn’t heard concerning the curiosity in nasal Neosporin early within the pandemic, however she is working to search out new makes use of for extensively obtainable merchandise, and the favored ointment matches that invoice. Intriguingly, one of many three antibiotics it incorporates is neomycin, which is an aminoglycoside compound—a gaggle of chemical substances that she and different researchers had, in 2018, decided elevated resistance to a spread of viruses in mice. When an aminoglycoside encounters a bacterium and acts as an antibiotic, the compound interferes with the microbe’s skill to make proteins. However that’s not how Neosporin may combat off viruses. As an alternative on this case. That system acknowledges overseas substances usually, in distinction to the adaptive immune system, which acknowledges and assaults particular overseas supplies it has encountered earlier than. Particularly, neomycin seems to set off the expression of what scientists name interferon-stimulated genes: a set of tons of of genes—even perhaps one tenth of a human’s genes—that seem to play a job within the innate immune system. Throughout an an infection, the physique produces a compound known as interferon that binds to those genes and dials up the innate immune system. Neomycin seems to perform the identical consequence, though the scientists aren’t positive precisely how. ‘It’s principally tricking the host into considering there’s a viral an infection and inducing these protecting genes,’ Iwasaki says. Within the new analysis, she and her colleagues examined neomycin in a handful of various experiments. In a single, they handled mice nasally with concentrated neomycin, then gave them the virus that causes COVID (additionally by way of a nasal route). Handled mice misplaced much less weight and have been much less prone to die from the an infection. In a separate experiment, the researchers gave already contaminated mice neomycin, and the impact was related. The findings counsel that neomycin each protected the mice from an infection and helped them combat it off.” • Looks as if that is low price, low danger, very excessive achieve?
Lambert right here: Affected person readers, I’m going to should rethink this fantastically formatted desk. Biobot knowledge is gone, CDC variant knowledge features, ER visits are useless, CDC stopped obligatory hospital knowledge assortment, New York Occasions dying knowledge has stopped. (Notice that the 2 metrics the hospital-centric CDC cared about, hospitalization and deaths, have each gone darkish). Ideally I’d exchange hospitalization and dying knowledge, however I’m unsure how. I may also increase the wastewater part to incorporate (yech) Verily knowledge, H5N1 if I can get it. Recommendations and sources welcome. UPDATE I changed the Occasions dying knowledge with CDC knowledge. Amusingly, the URL doesn’t embody parameters to assemble the tables; one should reconstruct then manually every time. Caltrops abound.
TABLE 1: Every day Covid Charts
LEGEND
1) ★ for charts new right this moment; all others aren’t up to date.
2) For a full-size/full-resolution picture, Command-click (MacOS) or right-click (Home windows) on the chart thumbnail and “open picture in new tab.”
NOTES
[1] (Biobot) Lifeless.
[2] (Biobot) Lifeless.
[3] (CDC Variants) FWIW, provided that the mannequin fully missed KP.2.
[4] (ER) CDC appears to have killed this off, for the reason that hyperlink is damaged, I believe in favor of this factor. I’ll attempt to affirm. UPDATE Sure, go away it to CDC to kill a web page, after which announce it was archived a day later. And heaven forfend CDC ought to clarify the place to go to get equal knowledge, if any. I favored the ER knowledge, as a result of it appeared actually arduous to sport.
[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Barely, however distinctly up. The NY city space has type; in 2020, as the house of two worldwide airports (JFK and EWR) it was an essential entry level for the virus into the nation (and from thence up the Hudson River valley, because the wealthy sought to flee, and across the nation by way of air journey). So my pure inclination is to see how wastewater at JFK and EWR is doing. CDC, earlier than it determined to butcher wastewater visualization, offered knowledge all the way down to the sewage remedy plant stage, so I might verify the Brooklyn plant for JFK (and in addition the Brooklyn plant for LGA). Effectively, that’s now not potential, however the Verily [vomits quietly] wastewater web site — Biobot being kaput — offers knowledge on EWR. Right here it’s:
So, New York Metropolis Hospitalization up, Covid from air journey up. Make of that what you’ll. Covid can also be up in Singapore and France, you’ll recall.
[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) 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 knowledge and visualization, nonetheless being up to date.
Stats Watch
Housing: “United States Current Dwelling Gross sales” [Trading Economics]. “Current house gross sales within the US declined 1.9% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annualized charge of 4.14 million items in April 2024, the bottom in three months, in comparison with an upwardly revised 4.22 million in March and forecasts of 4.21 million. “Dwelling gross sales modified little total, however the upper-end market is experiencing a large achieve attributable to extra provide coming onto the market,” mentioned NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. Gross sales declined within the 4 main US areas.”
Tech: “OpenAI No Longer Takes Security Significantly” [Lawfare] “For top-tier AI researchers who, like Sustskever and Leike, are severely involved about AI danger, OpenAI is arguably the perfect place on the earth to work. It’s the main lab pursuing AGI. It presently has the perfect AI programs—essential objects of examine for security work. It has top-notch expertise and immense assets. For an engineer hoping to assist clear up the alignment drawback and make sure that superior AI advantages, moderately than harms, people, a job at OpenAI is difficult to beat. It is usually arguably the place to be for somebody who hopes to be well-positioned to sound the alarm if and when a very harmful AI system arrives. Thus, if Leike, Kokotajlo, and O’Keefe are being trustworthy once they say that AI danger is lethal critical, then their departures ought to themselves represent alarm bells. By leaving OpenAI, they’re foregoing maybe the perfect alternative to make substantive progress on the issue that, by their lights, is an important. The one cause for them to depart could be if it have been clear that OpenAI actually had deserted its dedication to supporting security work.” • Notice the supply, and be aware the photographs right here. So, hmm.
At this time’s Concern & Greed Index: 61 Greed (earlier shut: 62 Greed) [CNN]. One week in the past: 61 (Greed). (0 is Excessive Concern; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Could 22 at 1:21:43 PM ET.
The Gallery
Talking of waves:
Gustave Courbet, The Wave pic.twitter.com/KKWxC2rUpf
— Impressions (@impression_ists) Could 20, 2024
Given Courbet’s “complicated” political beliefs, maybe there’s a subtext right here.
Information of the Wired
I’m not feeling wired right this moment (or all too wired, I’m unsure).
Contact data for vegetation: 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 if you’re allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn the way to ship me photos of vegetation. Greens are fantastic! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary vegetation! If you would like your deal with to seem as a credit score, please place it at first 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 GS:
GS writes: “Fern Timber, Flecker Gardens, Cairns QLD Australia.” Seems to be like a dinosair’s crudité!
Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not coated by the annual NC fundraiser. So for those who see a hyperlink you particularly like, or an merchandise you wouldn’t see anyplace else, please don’t hesitate to precise your appreciation in tangible type. Keep in mind, a tip jar is for tipping! Common optimistic suggestions each makes me really feel good and lets me know I’m heading in the right direction with protection. Once I get no donations for 3 or 4 days I get nervous. Extra tangibly, a relentless trickle of donations helps me with bills, and I consider that trickle when setting fundraising targets:
Right here is the display screen that can seem, which I’ve helpfully annotated:
In case you hate PayPal, you’ll be able to e-mail me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I gives you instructions on how you can ship a verify. Thanks!
