By Lambert Strether of Corrente.
Chicken Music of the Day
American Goldfinch, Audrey Carroll Audubon Sanctuary, Frederick, Maryland, United States. “Quiet vocalization accompanied by wing flicking.”
Politics
“So lots of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are the truth is a rational administration of symbolic capital.” –Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles
Biden Administration
“TL(PM) DIGEST: Nonetheless no ‘Ukraine fatigue’ in sight” [The Liberal Patriot]. “A brand new Reuters/Ipsos poll reveals that almost two-thirds of Individuals again continued army help to Ukraine, with majorities of Republicans (56 %) and independents (57 %) becoming a member of 81 % of Democrats in favor of ongoing help. Two-thirds additionally say that they’re extra more likely to help a presidential candidate who backs army help to Ukraine as properly. Why does it matter? These outcomes present that often-predicted ‘Ukraine fatigue’ has nonetheless but to overhaul the American public—and that help for Ukraine’s battle in opposition to Russian aggression needs to be seen as a political winner throughout occasion strains. Predictions that the American folks will finally get uninterested in backing Kyiv have repeatedly fallen in need of the mark, at the same time as many ‘America First’ conservatives rail in opposition to continued help. Good politics and good coverage don’t at all times coincide, however on Ukraine they very a lot appear to take action. President Biden and the bipartisan coalition in favor of help to Ukraine have little to concern politically for doing the best factor right here.”
2024
I assume it’s time for the Countdown Clock!
* * * “President Biden denies he was current throughout alleged Hunter Biden 2017 textual content” [CNN]. “President Joe Biden on Wednesday emphatically denied that he was concerned or current when his son Hunter Biden is alleged to have texted a Chinese language enterprise accomplice in 2017, claiming that he was sitting with his father. Requested whether or not he was concerned within the enterprise dealings or was sitting with Hunter when the message was despatched, Biden advised reporters Wednesday, ‘No. I wasn’t.’ Requested once more, Biden replied extra forcefully, ‘No.’ The White House has previously declined to say whether Biden was present through the alleged change. The questions referred to a portion of the testimony through which a IRS supervisor-turned-whistleblower advised Home lawmakers that Justice Division prosecutors denied requests to look into messages allegedly from Hunter Biden the place he used his father as leverage to strain a Chinese language firm into paying him. ‘,’in response to testimony the whistleblower gave to Congress, which quotes from texts which can be allegedly from Hunter Biden to the CEO of a Chinese language fund administration firm. The message continues: ‘Inform the director that I want to resolve this now earlier than it will get out of hand. And now means tonight.’ The message goes onto say, ‘I’ll make sure that between the person sitting subsequent to me and each particular person he is aware of and my capacity to without end maintain a grudge that you’ll remorse not following my path. I’m sitting right here ready for the decision with my father.’” • Hunter — pricey Hunter! — is quite imperious, right here. I ponder the place he will get that from?
“Biden has began utilizing CPAP machine for sleep apnea” [Axios]. “President Biden has not too long ago began to make use of a CPAP machine to deal with his sleep apnea, the White Home confirmed Wednesday…. Biden began utilizing the machine not too long ago to enhance his sleep high quality, per a White Home official. Earlier medical data from 2008 confirmed that Biden had a recurring subject of sleep apnea, a typical situation through which ‘your respiratory stops and restarts many occasions when you sleep,’ per the Nationwide Institutes of Well being.” • Naturally, I checked: “Sleep apnea linked to long-COVID signs” [CIDRAP].
* * * “Trump sues E. Jean Carroll for defamation over post-trial rape declare” [Boston Globe]. “The previous president on Tuesday night time filed a counterclaim accusing Carroll of trashing his repute by publicly accusing him of rape throughout a Might 10 look on CNN, regardless of jurors concluding a day earlier that his actions through the alleged 1996 assault hadn’t gone that far. Trump ‘has been the topic of serious hurt to his repute, which, in flip, has yielded an inordinate quantity of damages sustained in consequence,’ in response to the submitting.” • It’s like the entire Trump subsection is over-run with lawsuits….
“Joe Rogan praises Trump for ‘excellent’ reply declaring he would finish Russia-Ukraine warfare as president” [FOX]. “Rogan then lamented that the anti-war left of his youth is lacking in motion, saying institution Democrats and Republicans seem united to extend the warfare in Ukraine. ‘They’re all united on this concept that they need to proceed. There’s nobody, whether or not it’s a Republican or a Democrat,” he noticed, recalling that Democrats of the previous have been “at all times anti-war, at all times.’” Not so! Extra: ‘He went on to say, ‘That is the primary time the place the Democrats are, like, wholesale shopping for the narrative and ‘We’ve got to cease Putin. We’ve got to help Ukraine.’ I imply, what number of Democrat, peaceable those who used to have syringes of their Twitter bio now have a Ukraine flag?’ Rogan praised Trump for his rhetoric in a CNN City Corridor in Might, the place the 2024 candidate boasted he may finish the Russia-Ukraine warfare in a single day if he have been re-elected president. ‘If I’m president, I’ll have that warfare settled in sooner or later, 24 hours,’ Trump declared, saying he would meet with presidents of each international locations.”
“Trump needs to maintain ‘communists’ and ‘Marxists’ out of the US. Right here’s what the legislation says” [Associated Press]. “Throughout his speech Trump stated he would use a selected part of U.S. immigration legislation — Part 212 (f) — to bar ‘all communists and all Marxists.’ That part provides broad authority to bar individuals who aren’t U.S. residents coming into the nation if their entry can be ‘detrimental to the pursuits of america.’ … He additionally stated there must be a “new legislation” to deal with communists and Marxists who grew up in America, however didn’t elaborate on what it will embrace.” • I’m positive liberal Democrat will get behind this, so what’s the difficulty?
* * * “DeSantis needs Disney trial held after presidential election” [Orlando Sentinel]. The deck: “Disney’s attorneys suggest July 15, 2024, the identical day the Republican Nationwide Conference begins in Milwaukee.” Extra: “DeSantis has made his quarrel with Disney a centerpiece of his bid for president. He devoted a chapter in his e-book “The Braveness to be Free’ to Disney. However David Jolly, a political analyst important of the governor, stated he thinks DeSantis has overplayed his hand. The problem received’t translate properly with basic election voters, and his Republican main challengers have an avenue to assault him for meddling with enterprise, he stated. ‘For a governor that constructed his marketing campaign on a slogan of by no means again down, he positive is working away from this subject,’ stated Jolly, a former Tampa Bay-area congressman.” • Really, I feel DeSantis is true on the deserves (although I don’t know if he’s promoting it that method). Disney’s “tourism oversight district” (“Reedy Creek“) feels like an unlucky mixture of an organization and a sovereign state, to me. Not one thing conservatives needs to be any favor of.
“Comedians are beginning to mock Ron DeSantis. What it means for the 2024 candidate” [McClatchy]. “DeSantis’ entrance into standard web tradition will be learn two methods. On one hand, it indicators his rising relevance in a main marketing campaign that features 10 different GOP candidates: There aren’t any Nikki Haley or Tim Scott impressionists — not less than not but. Alternatively, most research of political humor present it having an overwhelmingly unfavourable impact on folks’s opinions of the particular person being parodied….. There are caveats to the thesis. [Dr. Jody Baumgartner, a professor of political science at East Carolina University] stated the higher identified the politician is, the much less affect an impersonation has on mass notion. Because of this continued impressions of the previous president received’t transfer the dial irrespective of how humorous or prevalent they’re. ‘The Trump humor received’t have any impact in any way. And I imply none,’ Baumgartner stated.” • I learn the jokes. They’re not superb.
* * * “Vivek Ramaswamy’s rise to semi-prominence, defined” [Vox]. “The 37-year-old former biotech CEO and first-time candidate has been omnipresent in the media. He’s been campaigning vigorously within the early states. And in latest months, he’s polled comparably with candidates like Mike Pence and Nikki Haley, within the hunt for third place behind Trump and DeSantis — getting between 1 and 5 % help nationally. That isn’t precisely a ballot surge that terrifies the frontrunners simply but, but it surely’s nonetheless spectacular for an unknown to rise to that degree. Ramaswamy has gotten up to now by means of a mixture of expertise, message, and cash. After making an estimated half-billion-dollar fortune from his biotech startup ($10 million of which he’s put into his campaign so far), Ramaswamy grew to become an outspoken commentator criticizing ‘woke capitalism,’ often spotlighted on Fox Information. His pocketbook and networking capacity additionally helped him get onto the conservative groups event circuit. The mainstream media, in the meantime, has realized Ramaswamy is prepared and prepared to take any interview, and that he makes for good TV, although it may come at a value for the journalist conducting the interview. Throughout a CNN appearance, host Don Lemon grew to become exasperated with Ramaswamy’s unusual historic claims concerning the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation’s function within the civil rights motion, and huffed, ‘It’s insulting that you just’re sitting right here, no matter ethnicity you’re, ‘splaining to me what it’s wish to be Black in America.’ Lemon was fired by CNN days later, and the interview reportedly played a task. Ramaswamy had been speaking nonsense, however what did that matter? He’d owned the lib.” • Ten million isn’t a lot.
* * * “RFK Jr.: ‘I’m proud that President Trump likes me’” [The Hill]. “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. refused to criticize former President Trump on Wednesday night time and stated he was flattered by latest feedback from Trump praising him as a ‘common sense man.’ Requested by moderator Elizabeth Vargas what Kennedy thinks about Trump, Kennedy stated: “I’m not going to assault different folks personally.” He then went a step additional, expressing delight that he has acquired constructive affirmations not too long ago from Trump, who’s embroiled in authorized troubles because the main Republican presidential contender within the GOP main. He additionally referred to the previous president in current tense. ‘I’m proud that President Trump likes me,’ he stated. Trump was the newest determine on the best to defend Kennedy in an look this week on ‘The Howie Carr Present.’ ‘Simply grasp in,’ Trump suggested Kennedy. ‘He’s been very good to me, I’ve truly had a really good relationship with him over time. He’s a really good man, and a great man.’”
Glenn is making “rhetorically adept” do quite a whole lot of work. The clip is on vaccines:
What stunned me once I interviewed RFK is he is far more rhetorically adept than I had identified. He is solely getting higher.
For the crime of difficult Biden and his proxy warfare in Ukraine, he’ll, after all, be mauled by company media. We’ll see if he can speak round them: https://t.co/LZPnEX36ln
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 29, 2023
RFK: “I’ve by no means been anti-vaccine…. Vaccines needs to be examined.” Wellie, I’m making an attempt to keep away from placing on my yellow waders right here, so I went again to 2005’s “Deadly Immunity” (since retracted by each Rolling Stone and Slate) the place RFK, within the course of of constructing his bones with the anti-vax neighborhood, quotes one Mark Blaxill approvingly and unqualifiedly: “The harm attributable to vaccine publicity is very large. It’s greater than asbestos, greater than tobacco, greater than something you’ve ever seen.” (The Rolling Stone article focuses on thimerosal, alleged to trigger autism in a study by one Andrew Wakefield retracted for fraud.) And don’t gish gallop me on this. NOTE * One of many savage ironies right here, after all, is that the actions of each our public well being authorities and Huge Pharma on Covid vaccines have been so egregious as to throw gasoline on the anti-vax hearth. We mandated what we should always not have (vaccines) and didn’t mandate what we should always have (non-pharmaceutical interventions).
Republican Funhouse
“Home Republicans embark on a mission: Avenge Trump” [NBC]. “Home Republicans are utilizing the powers of their majority to hold out Donald Trump’s quest for retribution in opposition to his political adversaries, bolstering the indicted former president’s 2024 marketing campaign message that he’s the sufferer of a wide-ranging conspiracy by ‘villains’ who should be introduced down. The battle to avenge Trump started on the primary day of the brand new Congress, and it has grown almost six months into the GOP majority, led by Trump’s staunchest allies within the convention and often getting a serving to hand from Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. They’re combating to ‘expunge’ his impeachments. They’ve punished his most outspoken Democratic critics. They’re investigating legislation enforcement entities that charged Trump. They crafted a ‘weaponization’ panel that channels his grievances. Swing-district Republicans are in a bind between the desires of their pro-Trump GOP base and Trump-skeptical independents.” And: “Within the newest transfer to prop up Trump, key Republicans are pushing to expunge his two impeachments — one in 2019 for abuse of energy by pressuring Ukraine’s president to research his marketing campaign rival Joe Biden and one in 2021 for inciting the Jan. 6 rebel. The resolutions, which may cross with a majority vote within the Home, would quantity to a symbolic pro-Trump vote with out authorized or sensible affect. Trump was acquitted each occasions due to inadequate Senate Republican votes to convict.” • “Expunge” feels like a phrase some guide made up…
2020 Submit Mortem
“Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss was an inside job” [NY Post]. “Rating half a degree for Donald Trump. It seems he was on to one thing together with his declare the 2020 election was rigged, although not in the best way he thinks. The soiled deed didn’t occur in places of work in Arizona or Georgia, the place Republicans supposedly have been banished whereas Democrats counted duffel luggage filled with late-arriving votes. Nor did Trump lose as a result of computer systems have been wired to rob him of victory. As a substitute, the dishonest that probably denied Trump a second time period was very near dwelling. In reality, it was an inside job. There are quite a few bombshells within the congressional testimony of two IRS whistleblowers, however essentially the most vital is that members of Trump’s Division of Justice helped to tip the 2020 election to his opponent by slow-walking the investigation into Hunter Biden. The interference with the probe started as quickly because it seemed like Joe Biden was going to win the Democrats’ nomination. That’s the allegation made by supervising agent Gary Shapley, who detailed steps he and different IRS investigators needed to take to collect proof in opposition to Hunter for large tax fraud and different crimes. They deliberate to execute search warrants in New York, California, Arkansas and Washington, DC. Shapley stated he and different IRS investigators needed to take to collect proof in opposition to Hunter for large tax fraud and different crimes. In addition they needed to go looking Joe Biden’s Delaware visitor home as a result of Hunter spent a whole lot of time there. The probers laid out their plan in a possible trigger memo, but it surely was inexplicably rejected by DOJ attorneys. ‘After former Vice President Joseph Biden grew to become the presumptive Democratic nominee for president in early April 2020, profession DOJ officers dragged their ft on the IRS taking these investigative steps,’ Shapley testified. ‘By June 2020, those self same profession officers have been already delaying overt investigative actions.’ Noting that the rejections got here lengthy earlier than the probes ran afoul of the Justice Division’s rule to ‘stand down’ on political circumstances inside 60 or 90 days of an election, Shapley stated bluntly: ‘It was obvious that DOJ was purposely slow-walking investigative actions on this matter.’” • The entire Hunter Biden’s laptop computer imbroglio, together with the letter from 50 former (lol) intelligence operatives “baselessly,” because the phrase is, claiming the laptop computer was a Russian plant, together with the media suppression, very a lot in proof in The Twitter information, was there for anybody to see through the election itself. I’ll by no means perceive why Trump didn’t make a frontal assault on his actual enemies through the election, as an alternative of going the election theft route after the occasion. Maybe the spook involvement scared him off, which doesn’t bode properly for a second Trump administration.
Democrats en Déshabillé
Affected person readers, plainly individuals are truly studying the back-dated publish! However I’ve not up to date it, and there are a lot of updates. So I should try this. –lambert
I’ve moved my standing remarks on the Democrat Celebration (“the Democrat Celebration is a rotting corpse that may’t bury itself”) to a separate, back-dated post, to which I’ll periodically add materials, summarizing the addition right here in a “stay” Water Cooler. (Hopefully, some Bourdieu.) It seems that defining the Democrat Celebration is, the truth is, a tough drawback. I do assume the paragraph that follows is on level all the best way again to 2016, if not earlier than:
The Democrat Celebration is the political expression of the category energy of PMC, their base (lucidly defined by Thomas Frank in Pay attention, Liberal!). ; if the Democrat Celebration didn’t exist, the PMC must invent it. . (“PMC” modulo “class expatriates,” after all.) Second, all of the working components of the Celebration reinforce one another. Go away apart characterizing the relationships between parts of the Celebration (ka-ching, however not completely) these parts comprise a community — a Flex Web? An iron octagon? — of funders, distributors, apparatchiks, electeds, NGOs, and miscellaneous mercenaries, with property within the press and the intelligence neighborhood.
Be aware, after all, that the category energy of the PMC each expresses and is restricted by different courses; oligarchs and American gentry (see ‘industrial mannequin’ of Ferguson, Jorgensen, and Jie) and the working class spring to thoughts. Suck up, kick down.
* * * “Candidate Says Mississippi Democratic Celebration Chair ‘Undermined Democracy,’ Ought to Be Changed” [Mississippi Free Press]. “The report says the 77-year-old occasion chair despatched a reply that included [Mississippi Democratic Party State Executive Director Andre Wagner] and the DNC officers through which he harshly criticized the state government director. ‘Mr. Wagner, you don’t converse for the chair, and you’re out of order,’ Mississippi Immediately reported [Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Tyree Irving] as saying. “I’m an completed jurist. I do know and perceive issues that you just can’t know or perceive as a result of: you do not need the training degree, you don’t possess the private or vicarious expertise that I’ve, and you recognize nothing concerning the historic political panorama of Mississippi. You aren’t able to talk for the Mississippi Democratic Celebration or say how the Mississippi Democratic Celebration will spend any funds with out being granted that authority to talk, and it has not been granted to you. You’re a salaried worker and nothing else. It’s essential to discover your house and keep in it.’” • Pricey me!
Realignment and Legitimacy
“One of many Most Efficient Political Fundraising Pitches Is Really a Rip-off” [Politico]. “Have you ever acquired an e mail or textual content message from a politician promising that your contribution shall be matched 2x, 10x or have a 1,500 % affect? Should you’ve contributed to a candidate not too long ago, you’re probably on donor lists that end in a relentless bombardment of e mail and textual content message solicitations that includes some variation of those claims…. With tens of millions of match solicitations hitting inboxes day by day, have you ever ever puzzled who’s matching your contribution? In just about each case, no person is. It’s a rip-off…. [M]ost everyone seems to be doing it. Democrats and Republicans, state and federal candidates, campaigns and committees, are all getting in on the rip-off, enabled by fundraising distributors who privately acknowledge the seediness of all of it. Campaigns are so hooked on the tactic that some demand distributors make use of it or else.” • Examples:
Appears just like the stuff Mothership does for Democrats….
#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); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); “Iowa COVID-19 Tracker” (in IA, however nationwide information). NEW “Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts” (particularly on hospitalization by metropolis).
Lambert right here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort.
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 reports); 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 (Government of Canada).
Sources, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux usées); BC, Vancouver (wastewater).
Hat tricks to useful readers: anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (9), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, sq. coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Utah, Bob White (3).
Keep protected on the market!
Search for the Helpers
I love individuals who may also help out like this a lot:
“Is that for air? I used to be confused b/c I knew I hadn’t turned the ceiling system up.”
In order that’s one thing to ask about/for. Flip it on & up, guys.
“Sure,” I stated. “The CO2 is excessive in right here, & C02 is a proxy for different issues folks exhale.”
“A tiny bit excessive, or actually excessive?” /2
— J. Offir, Ph.D. (@dontwantadothis) June 28, 2023
And the ethical:
“Is that for air? I used to be confused b/c I knew I hadn’t turned the ceiling system up.”
In order that’s one thing to ask about/for. Flip it on & up, guys.
“Sure,” I stated. “The CO2 is excessive in right here, & C02 is a proxy for different issues folks exhale.”
“A tiny bit excessive, or actually excessive?” /2
— J. Offir, Ph.D. (@dontwantadothis) June 28, 2023
Celeb Watch
“Madonna Discovered Unresponsive, Rushed To NYC ICU: Supervisor, Report” [Upper East Side Patch]. “The famed singer developed a severe bacterial an infection and can spend a number of days in an ICU, her supervisor wrote on Instagram.”
Immune System Dysregulation?
“When COVID meets Candida: exploring the alarming surge of C. auris in Israel” [News Medical Life Sciences]. “C. auris incidence in 2021-22 corresponded with the surge in coronavirus illness 2019 (COVID-19) circumstances. Surges in C. auris circumstances occurred in January-March 2021, June-November 2021, and January-Might 2022, synchronous with the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron waves, respectively.”
“Abdomen Virus Spreads By means of Cruise Ships at Quickest Tempo in Years” [Wall Street Journal]. • ‘Tis a thriller!
“Lab staff, monkeys check constructive for tuberculosis at Norton Shores biomedical analysis facility” [WZZM]. • ‘Tis a thriller!
“Why tuberculosis circumstances have risen lately after a long time of decline” [NBC]. • ‘Tis a thriller!
“Tuberculosis rising after pandemic-era decline; NY caseload 40% greater than nationwide price” [Gothamist]. • ‘Tis a thriller!
Prevention
“COVITRAP Anti Covid Nasal Spray 150 Sprays” [DrewInSeAsia Shop]. “COVITRAP Anti Covid Nasal Spray 150 Sprays.” • Dear, at $25.00 a pop. I can’t advocate this vendor, besides to say that the location appears to have improved from the final time I visited. Nonetheless ready for approval in, say, Israel (I checked the Enovid vendor, however no pleasure).
Science Is Popping
“One thing Terrible”
Lambert right here: I’m getting the sensation that the “One thing Terrible” is perhaps a sawtooth sample — variant after variant — that averages out to a completely excessive plateau. A lot of exceptionally nasty sequelae, most definitely deriving from immune dysregulation (says this layperson). To which we’d add mind harm, together with character adjustments therefrom.
* * * “Lengthy-term results of SARS-CoV-2 an infection on human mind and reminiscence” [Nature]. From the Summary: “This overview primarily offers the molecular foundations for understanding the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 invading human mind and the molecular foundation of SARS-CoV-2 an infection interfering with human mind and reminiscence, that are related to the immune dysfunction, syncytia-induced cell loss of life, the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 an infection, microclots and biopsychosocial facets.” • Helpful chart:
Case Knowledge
NOT UPDATED From BioBot wastewater data from June 26:
For now, I’m going to make use of this nationwide wastewater information as the very best proxy for case information (ignoring the medical case information portion of this chart, which for my part “goes dangerous” after March 2022, for causes as but unexplained). Not less than we will spot traits, and evaluate present ranges to equal previous ranges.
Variants
NOT UPDATED From CDC, June 24:
Lambert right here: Unsure what to make of this. I’m used to seeing a brand new variant take down the beforehand dominant variant. Right here it appears to be like like we’ve a “tag group,” all working collectively to chop XBB.1.5 all the way down to measurement. I positive hope the volunteers doing Pangolin, on which this chart depends, don’t all transfer on the inexperienced fields and pastures new (or have their entry to services reduce by directors of sick intent).
CDC: “As of Might 11, genomic surveillance information shall be reported biweekly, primarily based on the supply of constructive check specimens.” “Biweeekly: 1. occurring each two weeks. 2. occurring twice per week; semiweekly.” Appears like CDC has chosen sense #1. In essence, they’re telling us variants are nothing to fret about. Time will inform.
Covid Emergency Room Visits
From CDC NCIRD Surveillance, from June 24:
NOTE “Charts and information offered by CDC, updates Wednesday by 8am. For the previous 12 months, utilizing a rolling 52-week interval.” So not your 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 suitable for eachMR SUBLIMINAL I hate these folks a lot. Discover additionally that this chart reveals, not less than for its time interval, that Covid is not seasonal, despite the fact that CDC is making an attempt to get us to imagine that it’s, presumably to allow them to piggyback on the prevailing institutional equipment for injections.
Positivity
NOT UPDATED From Walgreens, June 26:
-1.5%. Nonetheless chugging alongside, although absolutely the numbers are nonetheless very small relative to June 2022, say.
From CDC June 5:
Lambert right here: That is the CDC’s “Traveler-Primarily based Genomic Surveillance” information. They are saying “maps,” however I don’t see one….
Deaths
Iowa COVID-19 Tracker, June 28:
Lambert right here: The WHO information is nugatory, so I changed it with the Iowa Covid Knowledge Tracker. Their methodology: “These information have been sourced, by way of the API from the CDC: https://information.cdc.gov/NCHS/Situations-Contributing-to-COVID-19-Deaths-by-Stat/hk9y-quqm. This visualization updates on Wednesday evenings. Knowledge are provisional and are adjusted weekly by the CDC.” I can’t appear to get a pop-up that reveals a complete of the three causes (prime proper). Readers?
Total: 1,168,100 – 1,167,832 = 268 (268 * 365 = 97,820 deaths per 12 months, right now’s YouGenicist™ quantity for “dwelling with” Covid (fairly a bit greater than the minimizers would love, although they will speak themselves into something. If the YouGenicist™ metric retains chugging alongside like this, I could should resolve that is what the powers-that-be contemplate “mission completed” for this specific tranche of loss of life and illness).
• “CNN analyst slammed after writing COVID deaths are being overcounted: ‘TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATE” [New York Post] “[Leanna] Wen, who writes an occasional Washington Submit column offering her observations on the pandemic, masking and different COVID-related topics, cited sources claiming that the majority ‘sufferers recognized with COVID are literally within the hospital for another sickness.’ The article is titled, ‘We are overcounting COVID deaths and hospitalizations. That’s a problem.’ … Wen started her column with some obvious skepticism concerning the CDC’s newest COVID-19 loss of life stats: ‘Based on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, america is experiencing round 400 COVID deaths day-after-day. At that price, there can be almost 150,000 deaths a 12 months. However are these Individuals dying from COVID or with COVID?’ The physician claimed that ‘Understanding this distinction is essential to placing the persevering with toll of the coronavirus into perspective. Figuring out how probably it’s an an infection will end in hospitalization or loss of life helps folks weigh their very own threat.’” • Properly, that doesn’t assist my private threat evaluation for vascular illness, mind harm, Lengthy Covid, or any illness ensuing from immune dysregulation, all of which might be categorised as “with” and never “from.” Nevertheless, I commend Wen for her dedication to the minimizing bit, ka-ching. In the meantime:
😲Leana Wen was simply within the hospital
Wen advised Anderson Cooper “I am simply getting over pneumonia myself… final week I had extreme shortness of breath & chest ache & ended up being hospitalized for pneumonia”
(speaking to Cooper abt Madonna’s an infection)https://t.co/UE0fluLffW
— Moriah (Galores Flying Circus) (@GaloresCircus) June 29, 2023
Extra Deaths
NOT UPDATED Extra deaths (The Economist), printed June 28:
Lambert right here: Nonetheless some encouragement! Unsure why this was up to date so quickly; it used to take weeks. The little blip upward? Based on a machine-learning model. (The CDC has an extra estimate too, however because it ran without end with an enormous typo within the Legend, I figured no person was actually taking a look at it, so I obtained rid it. )
Stats Watch
Employment State of affairs: “United States Preliminary Jobless Claims” [Trading Economics]. “The variety of Individuals submitting for unemployment advantages fell by 26,000 from the prior week’s 20-month excessive to 239,000 on the week ending June twenty fourth, the sharpest drop since October 2021 and under market estimates of 265,000. The outcomes considerably prolonged the interval of labor-market resilience to greater borrowing prices from the Federal Reserve, easing latest considerations of a marked softening.”
GDP: “United States GDP Progress Price” [Trading Economics]. “The US economic system grew by an annualized 2% on quarter in Q1 2023, properly above 1.3% within the second estimate, and forecasts of 1.4%. Client spending progress accelerated greater than anticipated to 4.2%, the strongest in almost two years (vs 3.8% within the second estimate) regardless of stubbornly excessive inflation. Spending on sturdy items surged 16.3% and providers rose 3.2%.”
Immediately’s Worry & Greed Index: 79 Excessive Greed (earlier shut: 77 Greed) [CNN]. One week in the past: 75 (Excessive Greed). (0 is Excessive Worry; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Jun 29 at 1:45 PM ET.
The 420
“Chicken That Can Learn Everybody’s Ideas Welcomed As Keynote Speaker Of Psychedelics Convention” [The Onion]. • Sounds just like the “iridescent magpie” must be my subsequent fowl….
Guillotine Watch
“Girls Interviewing for Invoice Gates’s Personal Workplace Had been Requested Sexually Express Questions” [Wall Street Journal]. • How… Epstein-esque.
Information of the Wired
Paying it ahead or maybe easy neighborliness:
Contact info for crops: Readers, be happy to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) learn how to ship me a verify in case you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn how to ship me photos of crops. Greens are tremendous! Fungi and coral are deemed to be honorary crops! If you would like your deal with to look as a credit score, please place it at the beginning of your mail in parentheses: (thus). In any other case, I’ll anonymize through the use of your initials. See the earlier Water Cooler (with plant) here. From CH:
CH writes: “Significantly recognize the ‘No extra Might’ hyperlink and succinct commentary. Connected is my prolonged model ‘no mow springtime’ with some crimson and purple clover in bloom. City Durham, central NC.”
Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not coated by the annual NC fundraiser. So in case you see a hyperlink you particularly like, or an merchandise you wouldn’t see wherever else, please don’t hesitate to specific your appreciation in tangible kind. Keep 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. After I get no donations for 5 or ten days I get nervous. Extra tangibly, a relentless trickle of donations helps me with bills, and I think about that trickle when setting fundraising objectives:
Right here is the display screen that may seem, which I’ve helpfully annotated:
Should you hate PayPal, you may e mail me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will provide you with instructions on ship a verify. Thanks!