2:00PM Water Cooler 3/18/2024 | bare capitalism

By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Chicken Music of the Day

American Robin, Suffolk, New York, United States. “American Robin singing from the highest of a constructing earlier than daybreak.”

In Case You Would possibly Miss…

(1) Trump can’t put up the surety bond for his $450 million+ high quality.

(2) How that bogus Lengthy Covid paper from John Gerrard made it into the Guardian.

(3) Keef!

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

Biden Administration

About that TikTok Trojan Horse:

Some CIA-backed paramilitary group funded by USAID grants instructed to make use of Twitter by State Dept handlers is likely to be paying 𝕏 $8 a month they usually’re goin after Elon for it pic.twitter.com/4NTqAGT9FU

— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) March 16, 2024

$8 a month is even lower than the cash the Web Analysis Company paid Fb!

2024

Lower than a yr to go!

* * *

Trump (R): “Trump has been unable to get bond for $464 million judgment, his attorneys say” [NBC]. “Former President Donald Trump has not been capable of get a bond to safe the $464 million fraud judgment in opposition to him, his attorneys mentioned in a court docket submitting Monday…. ‘Defendants’ ongoing diligent efforts have confirmed {that a} bond within the judgment’s full quantity is ‘a sensible impossibility,” the submitting mentioned. ‘These diligent efforts have included approaching about 30 surety corporations via 4 separate brokers.’” See NC right here on “surety” (supersedeas) bonds. Extra: “Their efforts, together with ‘numerous hours negotiating with one of many largest insurance coverage corporations on this planet,’ have confirmed that ‘acquiring an enchantment bond within the full quantity’ of the Judgment ‘is just not potential beneath the circumstances introduced,’ the submitting mentioned. The opposite bond corporations is not going to ‘settle for onerous property reminiscent of actual property as collateral,’ however ‘will solely settle for money or money equivalents (reminiscent of marketable securities),’ the submitting mentioned. He additionally famous these corporations usually ‘require collateral of roughly 120% of the quantity of the judgment’ — which might whole about $557 million. ‘As well as, sureties would doubtless cost bond premiums of roughly 2 % per yr with two years upfront—an upfront price over $18 million,’ the submitting mentioned. That $18 million wouldn’t be recoverable even when Trump wins his enchantment. In all, the submitting mentioned, the ‘precise amount of money or money equivalents required ‘to collateralize the bond and have ample capital to run the enterprise and fulfill its different obligations’ strategy[es] $1 billion.’” • All this for a case of puffery in New York actual property!

Trump (R): “Trump Authorized Charges Threaten to Trigger Money Crunch by July” [Bloomberg]. From February, nonetheless germane. “Donald Trump will doubtless drain his conflict chest for authorized charges this summer time, leaving the GOP frontrunner crunched for money simply as his presidential marketing campaign ramps up spending for an anticipated rematch with President Joe Biden.”

* * *

Trump (R): “The Republican Veepstakes, Half One: Choosing an Apprentice, Donald Trump’s Means” [Sabato’s Crystal Ball]. “Vice presidential choice in fashionable instances activates three variables—the presidential candidate who orchestrates the method and makes the choice; the pool of accessible selectees; and the political context. In every determination, a selector considers a particular set of choices in a novel setting and makes strategic decisions. Continuities form vice presidential alternative however each choice has idiosyncratic facets due to the variation in decision-makers, pool, and historic setting in addition to the interplay of these variables. It’s helpful analyzing acquainted patterns, as is completed under and in Half Two, however with Trump dictating this yr’s Republican choice course of, it’s sure to be distinctive. It already is…. Typical knowledge sees Trump as insistent on abject loyalty and accordingly doubtless to decide on somebody who has demonstrated uncritical assist. Sone marketing campaign surrogates/VP wannabes behave constantly with this expectation. Maybe that’s an accurate learn, however Trump’s 2016 course of would possibly counsel some warning in forecasting that Trump will choose the most important sycophant. Earlier than Trump selected Pence from a comparatively shallow pool, Trump’s camp apparently approached then-Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a rival and critic, to affix his ticket. Kasich reportedly declined these overtures however that knowledge level would possibly recommend some willingness to achieve out in quest of electoral benefit. Trump’s success in changing former critics into subordinated supporters (suppose Vance, Rubio, and Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, amongst others.) would possibly encourage him to count on related success with one other politically formidable critic.” • Effectively value a learn.

* * *

Trump (R): “How Trump’s Allies Are Profitable the Struggle Over Disinformation” [New York Times]. From the index propagandists for RussiaGate and Iraqi WMDs. “The arguments strike on the coronary heart of an unsettled query in fashionable American political life: In a world of limitless on-line communications, through which anybody can attain enormous numbers of individuals with unverified and false data, the place is the road between defending democracy and trampling on the precise to free speech?” • Let’s not be foolish. The road is “electing my man.” Subsequent, please. Commentary:

The New York Instances talked about me 24 instances as the highest story on the entrance web page of the Sunday Version.

They tried successful piece. All I noticed have been two phrases:

“Profitable Efficiently.” pic.twitter.com/nl3sIdeCAI

— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) March 18, 2024

Seems to be just like the Instances hates Mike Benz as a lot because the Wall Avenue Journal hates Lina Khan…

* * *

Biden (R): “Behind the scenes, Biden has grown indignant and anxious about re-election effort” [NBC]. “Surrounded by protecting aides who need to decrease the possibilities of a flub, the 81-year-old president has chafed at restraints that he sees as counter to his pure instincts as a retail politician, a 3rd individual acquainted with inside discussions mentioned…. ‘Biden stood up in entrance of the entire world and mentioned, ‘I’m prepared. I’m the man who can take down Donald Trump,” mentioned Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash. ‘So, he goddamn nicely higher do it. We don’t have time for him to be frightened about whether or not or not individuals are saying issues proper or the ballot numbers are the place they need to be. I need centered vitality and never defensive anger.’… Biden has once in a while directed his ire at his tightknit senior workers. Given the successes he has had in passing consequential payments and enhancing the economic system, Biden was irritated that his message wasn’t sinking in with the broader citizens, the sources mentioned…. At instances, Biden will get options that battle with each other. Some advisers have instructed him he ought to stroll sooner out of concern that his gait feeds impressions that he’s too previous. And but the White Home is sufficiently frightened about him tripping that he has taken to boarding Air Drive One by way of a shorter staircase via the stomach of the aircraft, forgoing the enduring picture of the president waving from the primary doorway excessive above the tarmac. ‘He’s in all probability a bit mad at himself for not being extra forceful with the workers,’ an individual acquainted with inside discussions mentioned. Privately, Biden questions whether or not he ought to belief his intestine instincts over the steerage coming from the array of advisers tending to his political pursuits, this individual added.” • Effectively, at the least Biden hasn’t bitten anybody. So there’s that.

* * *

Kennedy (I): “Who’s Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and why is he working for president?” [Associated Press]. The workers: “Kennedy is seeking to his household and his allies within the anti-vaccine world to workers his marketing campaign, constructing a management group that’s gentle on expertise working in politics. His marketing campaign supervisor is Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, his daughter-in-law who served as a CIA officer and has not labored in politics earlier than. His communications director, Del Bigtree, is founding father of the Knowledgeable Consent Motion Community, an anti-vaccine group…. Press secretary Stefanie Spear was an editor for the Youngsters’s Well being Protection information web site. Charles Eisenstein, a New Age creator, is an adviser. Kennedy additionally has workers and volunteers unfold all through states and centered on gathering signatures to get him on the poll.” • I want Kennedy had caught with Waterkeeper Alliance….

Kennedy (I): “RFK Jr. to call rich legal professional Nicole Shanahan as working mate in prez run: report” [New York Post]. Who? “Shanahan, a Democratic donor who was as soon as married to Google cofounder Sergey Brin, funded Kennedy’s dear Tremendous Bowl marketing campaign business, Mediaite reported Saturday.” • Nominating Shanahan might appear to be a wise transfer to RFK (cash) however it is going to be seen for the genuinely silly thought that it’s the first time she opens her mouth on the path, or the primary smidge of oppo is launched. RFK is sort of a ship with no keel, blown hither and yon by the wind.

Democrats en Déshabillé

Oh, for what as soon as was:

FDR campaigning for his second time period which he gained in a landslide. “The forces of organized cash are unanimous of their hatred for me – and I welcome their hatred.” Virtually hate speech in at present’s political phrases pic.twitter.com/qYIJ9dakh2

— Nate Bear (@NateB_Panic) March 18, 2024

That’s a cheerful warrior!

“Will Bernie Sanders’ proposed 32-hour workweek move Congress?” [ABC News]. • Provided that Biden needs a shot at profitable a second time period.

#COVID19

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

Sources, United States (Nationwide): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot; contains many counties; Wastewater Scan, contains drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); “Iowa COVID-19 Tracker” (in IA, however nationwide knowledge). “An infection Management, Emergency Administration, Security, and Common Ideas” (particularly on hospitalization by metropolis).

Lambert right here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To replace any entry, do be happy to contact me on the handle given with the crops. Please put “COVID” within the topic line. Thanks!

Sources, United States (Native): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater experiences); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur d’Alene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard); NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard); PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (dashboard); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV (wastewater); WY (wastewater).

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

Sources, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux usées); BC (wastewater); BC, Vancouver (wastewater).

Hat tricks to useful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, sq. coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3).

Keep secure on the market!

Media

I puzzled how John Gerrard’s wretched Australian piece on Lengthy Covid bought platformed on the Guardian, parallel to being immediately amplified by Murdoch and his merry males. Right here’s why:

The creator of that article within the Guardian is @natasha__may, who’s a well being reporter for Guardian Australia. Her solely supply is Dr. John Gerrard, the chief medical officer of Queensland. How did one thing this at odds with peer reviewed science make the worldwide version? 🤔 https://t.co/2GoPTwfIem

— Chris Richards 🐬🖖🏻 eclecticradical .bsky.social (@EclecticRadical) March 15, 2024

Elite Maleficence

“Well being staff worry it’s income earlier than safety as CDC revisits airborne transmission” [NBC News]. #HICPAC. “Now, [Peg Seminario, an occupational health expert, and a former director at the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations] and lots of others fear that the CDC is repeating previous errors because it develops an important set of pointers that hospitals, nursing houses, prisons, and different services that present well being care will apply to regulate the unfold of infectious illnesses. The rules replace these established almost twenty years in the past. They are going to be used to ascertain protocols and procedures for years to return… ‘If we utilized these draft pointers firstly of this pandemic, there would have been even much less safety than there’s now — and it’s fairly unhealthy now,’ Seminario mentioned.” The place the hell was the AFL-CIO then, and the place is it now? Extra: “Though critics are glad to see final yr’s draft reconsidered, they continue to be involved. “The CDC must be sure that this steerage doesn’t give employers leeway to prioritize income over safety,” mentioned Jane Thomason, the lead industrial hygienist on the union Nationwide Nurses United. She’s a part of a rising coalition of specialists from unions, the American Public Well being Affiliation, and different organizations placing collectively an outdoor assertion on parts that should be included within the CDC’s pointers, such because the significance of air filtration and N95 masks.” And the final line: “However that enter is probably not considered.” • If the present #HICPAC membership has their manner, the reply to the “outdoors assertion” is not going to be “No.” Will probably be “Hell, no.”

Why didn’t we simply make Vanness Hudgens head of the CDC?

this being the official cdc pointers now 😭 https://t.co/CRRGq4JQfQ

— ✧ (@northstardoll) March 18, 2024

If solely any individual would write the identical guide for the USA!

So excited to announce that my chapter analyzing the politics of “letting COVID rip” in Australia has been printed within the Analysis Handbook on Public Administration and COVID-19!

In the event you appreciated my #COVIDHegemony items within the Canberra Instances/Croakey, then you definitely’ll love this! 👇 pic.twitter.com/Mycuzij2ZP

— Dr Blair Williams🏳️‍🌈♀️ (@BlairWilliams26) March 18, 2024

Want I had a PDF… I’d overview it!

TABLE 1: Each day Covid Charts

LEGEND

1) ★ for charts new at present; 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) Our curve has now flattened out on the degree of earlier Trump peaks. Not an amazing victory. Notice additionally the realm “beneath the curve,” moreover peaks. That space is bigger beneath Biden than beneath Trump, and it appears to be rising steadily if inconsistently.

[2] (Biobot) Midwest ticks up.

[3] (CDC Variants) As of Could 11, genomic surveillance knowledge might be reported biweekly, primarily based on the supply of constructive take a look at specimens.” “Biweeekly: 1. occurring each two weeks. 2. occurring twice per week; semiweekly.” Seems to be like CDC has chosen sense #1. In essence, they’re telling us variants are nothing to fret about. Time will inform.

[4] (ER) “Charts and knowledge offered by CDC, updates Wednesday by 8am. For the previous yr, utilizing a rolling 52-week interval.”

[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Not flattening.

[6] (Hospitalization: CDC) Nonetheless down. “Maps, charts, and knowledge offered by CDC, updates weekly for the earlier MMWR week (Sunday-Saturday) on Thursdays (Deaths, Emergency Division Visits, Take a look at Positivity) and weekly the next Mondays (Hospitalizations) by 8 pm ET†”.

[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.

[8] (Cleveland) Flattening.

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

[10] (Vacationers: Variants) JN.1 dominates completely.

Stats Watch

There are not any official statistics of curiosity at present.

Manufacturing: “The Whistleblower And The Company: The Case Towards Boeing” [FITSNews]. “[Robert] Turkewitz, who had represented Barnett from the start of [his whistleblower retaliation] case, instructed reporters ‘it made no sense’ for Barnett to take his personal life when he was so near last vindication.” • This is a wonderful round-up from a South Carolina supply not solely the Barnett case, however why Barnett was blowing the whistle. Value studying in full (and the place the heck is the prizewinning Charleson Submit & Courier on this? Their final story on Barnett was March 14. Can’t they discover their manner out of the tank? Oh, and FITS advances the story by publishing the incident report. Issues I need to know: Why was the gun in Barnett’s hand? Why did the police mud the automobile for finger prints (under)? What did the observe learn? The place is Barnett’s laptop?

Manufacturing: “Inside Boeing’s stunning personnel scandals: Drug dealing, love triangle and murder-suicide” [New York Post]. “[S]ources beforehand instructed The Submit police had dusted [Barnett’s] automobile for fingerprints in and out, a extremely uncommon transfer in suicide instances.” • First place I’ve seen this declare sourced.

Manufacturing: “The final days of the Boeing whistleblower” [Fortune]. “The day past, Barnett had been on a roll as a video digicam recorded the occasion. “John testified for 4 hours in questioning by my co-counsel Brian,” says Turkewitz. ‘This was following seven hours of cross examination by Boeing’s attorneys on Thursday. He was actually completely happy to be telling his aspect of the story, excited to be fielding our questions, doing an amazing job. It was explosive stuff. As I’m sitting there, I’m pondering, ‘That is the very best witness I’ve ever seen.” At one level, says Turkewitz, the Boeing lawyer protested that Barnett was reciting the main points of incidents from a decade in the past, and particular dates, with out paperwork. As Turkevitz remembers the change, Barnett fired again, ‘. I’ve needed to reside it.’ That Friday, Barnett’s testimony ended at round 5 PM, and the events reconvened an hour later. ‘John was actually drained and didn’t need to testify any extra that day,’ says Turkewitz. ‘. He’d instructed his mother that he’d be dwelling on Sunday, and it took him two days to drive dwelling. I urged that we break for per week or two. .” • Once more, the place’s Barnett’s laptop? (And the place are his backups, if any?)

Manufacturing: NC will get a shout-out (“Swampy” is Barnett):

Manufacturing: “Boeing’s Ache Spreads to Vacationers as Airways Minimize Again on Plans” [Bloomberg]. “Boeing Co.’s disastrous begin to 2024 is spilling over to airways and their passengers as manufacturing delays on the US planemaker exacerbate an already nascent scarcity of single-aisle jets that kind the spine of economic air journey.

United Airways Holdings Inc., Southwest Airways Co. and Ryanair Holdings Plc are among the many corporations scrambling to answer decreased deliveries from Boeing because the planemaker focuses on fixing high quality lapses uncovered by the Jan. 5 accident on an Alaska Airways flight. With the busy summer time journey season in view, carriers say they’re trimming schedules and searching for alternate options to 737s they’ve already ordered, whereas additionally contending with points afflicting narrowbodies from Airbus SE. Even Boeing appears unsure when the planes might be prepared as a military of US inspectors sift via its factories, that means the corporate can’t make any agency predictions when issues would possibly return to regular.” • Crowded planes and airports this summer time, greater than standard, oh pleasure.

Manufacturing: “Boeing Legal Probe Widens With Seattle Grand Jury Subpoena” [Bloomberg]. “The division seems to be working on two tracks. It’s trying into whether or not the door plug blowout falls beneath and violates the federal government’s 2021 deferred-prosecution settlement with the corporate over two earlier deadly crashes of its 737 Max jetliner. The division additionally may decide there’s sufficient proof to think about the Jan. 5 incident as a standalone legal investigation.”

At the moment’s Concern & Greed Index: 73 Greed (earlier shut: 70 Greed) [CNN]. One week in the past: 70 (Greed). (0 is Excessive Concern; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Mar 18 at 1:04:02 PM ET.

Rapture Index: Closes unchanged [Rapture Ready]. Document Excessive, October 10, 2016: 189. Present: 186. (Keep in mind that bringing on the Rapture is good.) NOTE on #42 Plagues: “The coronavirus pandemic has maxed out this class.” Extra trustworthy than most! • Goat sacrificers irrelevant? Atlantic meridional overturning circulation irrelevant?

The Conservatory

“5 strings, three notes, two fingers and one a**gap – that’s all it takes to play guitar!” Keith Richards: The entire 1992 interview” [GuitarPlayer]. Nice enjoyable. ” I at all times discovered the islands like Jamaica and reggae so fascinating. To me, it was simply one other manifestation of the motion of rhythm and concord and melody over the face of the planet. That’s what counts to me. I look upon issues in a bizarre gentle. I can provide the historical past of the world – simply give me their music. Give me a tribe’s music, and I’ll let you know how they reside, what they scent like, virtually. That may give me extra data than speaking to them or ’em. I can get extra data out of their music first-off than the rest. There’s no mendacity while you’re enjoying music.Precisely. Because of this the Iron Curtain went down. It was denims and rock and roll that took that wall down in the long term. It wasn’t all these atomic weapons and that going through down and massive bullshit. What lastly crumbled it was the fuckin’ music, man. You can not cease it. It’s probably the most subversive factor.” • Undecided. Possibly Keith ought to say in his lane, which is a fairly superb lane. Or possibly not!

Information of the Wired

I’m not feeling wired at present.

Contact data 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 examine if you’re allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn the way to ship me photographs of crops. Greens are high quality! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary crops! If you’d like 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 Late Introvert:

Late Intovert’s file identify: “FrontYardFromAtticWindow_05.jpg.” Seems to be beautiful (and good digicam angle). Wouldn’t be good to stroll on these paths in naked ft!

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