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By Lambert Strether of Corrente.
Hen Music of the Day
Variegated Tinamou, El Palmar; Río Grande, Bolívar, Venezuela. Male/Feminine duet with whistled imitation by human.
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Politics
“So lots of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in reality a rational administration of symbolic capital.” –Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles
The Constitutional Order
“NY lawmakers ask state Board of Elections in addition Trump from 2024 poll” [New York Daily News]. “In a letter to the state Board of Elections shared completely with the Every day Information, New York Senators Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Liz Krueger, and others cited Trump’s alleged efforts to overthrow democracy in violation of the Structure’s ‘Insurrectionist Disqualification Clause‘ in outlining why he shouldn’t be featured on the poll. The trouble mirrors one already underway in a carefully watched case earlier than Colorado’s Supreme Court docket…. Asking BOE co-chairs Peter Kosinski and Douglas Kellner to meet their ‘weighty accountability’ and exclude the present Republican front-runner as they’d a candidate who’s underage or isn’t a natural-born citizen, the senators mentioned his position within the lethal storming of the nation’s capital renders him ineligible to carry public workplace till he’s relieved of the disqualification by two-thirds of each chambers of Congress…. A spokesperson for the BOE, which determines candidates’ eligibility, didn’t instantly reply to a request searching for remark.”
“Oregon Voters File Lawsuit to Bar Donald Trump From Poll” [Yuba.net]. “Free Speech For Individuals (FSFP), together with Oregon co-counsel Jason Kafoury of Kafoury & McDougal and Daniel Meek, filed a lawsuit at the moment within the Oregon Supreme Court docket on behalf of particular person Oregon voters difficult Donald Trump’s candidacy. The lawsuit follows a letter despatched to Secretary of State of Oregon, LaVonne Griffin-Valade, urging her to situation a short lived rule (and subsequent declaratory ruling) that Mr. Trump, in keeping with Part 3 of the Fourteenth Modification, is constitutionally ineligible to look on any Oregon future poll for nomination of election to federal workplace. ”
2024
Lower than a 12 months to go!
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“Donald Trump returns to courtroom, lauds his protection professional who sees no proof of accounting fraud” [Chicago Tribune]. “[New York University accounting professor Eli Bartov] testified that monetary statements are simply beginning factors for lenders, and that the paperwork’ worth estimates are inherently subjective opinions. Variations in such opinions don’t imply that there’s fraud, the professor mentioned. He referred to as Trump’s monetary statements clear and uncommonly detailed, with caveats that Bartov claimed ‘even my 9-year-old granddaughter’ would perceive. So did main Trump lender Deutsche Financial institution, Bartov maintained. Deutsche Financial institution executives have testified that, whereas anticipating shoppers to offer broadly correct data, they typically modify the numbers. Inside financial institution paperwork pegged Trump’s internet value considerably decrease than his monetary statements did. But when the financial institution adjusted the figures that Trump reported, ‘what if the reported values are incorrect?’ the choose requested Bartov. He responded that the bankers didn’t essentially work from Trump’s unique numbers. ‘So then why get them within the first place?’ Engoron requested. Noting that the figures got here with pages of notes, Bartov mentioned the package deal ‘allowed them to compute the numbers on their very own.’” • Nonetheless reeling from the revelation that New Yorker Engoron believes there’s such a factor as a “right” quantity in New York actual property. Is he a bit little one?
“Trump appeals ruling rejecting immunity declare as window narrows to derail federal election case” [Associated Press]. “Legal professionals for the 2024 Republican presidential main frontrunner filed a discover of enchantment Thursday indicating that they are going to problem U.S. District Decide Tanya Chutkan’s determination rejecting Trump’s bid to dismiss the case headed to trial in Washington, D.C., in March…. The enchantment had been anticipated on condition that Trump’s legal professionals had earlier signaled their plans to pursue all the way in which to the Supreme Court docket, if needed, what they are saying is a legally untested query of a former president’s immunity from prosecution. It’s a part of a broader technique by him and his legal professionals to attempt to postpone the prison instances towards him till after subsequent 12 months’s presidential election, averting trials that would unfold within the warmth of the presidential marketing campaign. The appeals courtroom is anticipated to schedule dates for written briefs and oral arguments, although it’s not clear when these can be. The argument that Trump is immune from prosecution for actions taken inside his position as president has for months been seen as maybe probably the most weighty and legally consequential objection to the case made by the Trump legal professionals forward of trial. No former president has ever been prosecuted earlier than, a scarcity of historic precedent Trump’s workforce has seized on in making an attempt to get the indictment tossed out.”
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“Biden’s marketing campaign won’t commit but to taking part usually election debates in 2024” [Associated Press]. Provide chain issues with the juice? ” President Joe Biden’s marketing campaign just isn’t but committing to normal election debates subsequent 12 months, the most recent signal {that a} staple of recent White Home campaigns might not be in play in 2024…. Trump has skipped all GOP main debates, together with Wednesday’s gathering on the College of Alabama, citing his extensive lead over his Republican rivals as justification. But he has mentioned a normal election marketing campaign can be totally different. ‘Now we have to debate,’ he informed Fox Information host Bret Baier in a June interview. ‘He and I’ve to undoubtedly debate. That’s what I like. The 2 of us should debate.’…. The [the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates] schedule calls for 3 presidential debates and one vice presidential debate subsequent fall.” • I hate the entire system of Presidential debates and assume we must always give all of it again to the League of Girls Voters. That mentioned, if Biden received’t — and by received’t, I imply can’t — debate, he may as effectively simply throw within the towel proper there.
“Biden says he isn’t the one Democrat who may beat Trump” [New York Times]. “Biden’s reelection marketing campaign enchantment to his fellow social gathering members has been predicated on the argument that he’s the Democrat finest geared up to maintain his impeached and indicted predecessor out of the Oval Workplace. However the president was requested Wednesday whether or not he believed some other Democrats may prevail over Trump… ‘In all probability 50 of them, Biden mentioned. ‘I’m not the one one who may defeat him. However I’ll defeat him.”” • I don’t assume 50. Anyhow, should you can’t give a very good cause why you and no person else, why are you working?
“Trump takes middle stage at Biden fundraisers” [The Hill]. “Biden, who early in his presidency would tip-toe round referencing his predecessor by identify, has now made Trump central to his pitch to donors…. Biden talked about Trump’s identify 28 instances at a Denver fundraiser final week, in keeping with a White Home transcript, and roughly a dozen instances at every of his three fundraisers in Massachusetts this week… He has zeroed in on the menace Trump poses to democracy, constructing on a core theme of the 2020 marketing campaign and the 2022 midterms. Biden has referred to as Trump an ‘election denier in chief’ who’s ‘decided to destroy American democracy.’” • However the canine aren’t consuming the pet food; see Teixiera beneath.
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“Home Republicans to maneuver ahead on formalizing Biden impeachment inquiry subsequent week” [ABC]. “The Home Guidelines Committee introduced Thursday it should think about a decision subsequent week to formalize Republicans’ ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, and the White Home referred to as the transfer a “baseless stunt.”… Even reasonable GOP impeachment skeptics who characterize districts that Biden received in 2020 are coming round in help of the decision. Home Speaker Mike Johnson beforehand informed reporters he believed Republicans would have the mandatory help for the decision to cross…. Rep. Don Bacon, who had beforehand mentioned he wouldn’t vote to help the impeachment inquiry decision, has additionally modified his thoughts… ‘Now we have to vote for an inquiry to get the knowledge that’s being subpoenaed,’ Bacon, R-Neb., mentioned…. ‘Even the Republican legal professionals within the convention doesn’t assume we’ve met the [threshold] for prime crimes and misdemeanors. We’re not impeaching his son, proper?’ Bacon mentioned. ‘However there may be data that the 2 committees, specifically, need and the president just isn’t handing it over, and it’s necessary. And in order that’s why we’re having an inquiry.’” • If the decimal level in $1380 could possibly be moved a few locations to the fitting….
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“Nimarata the Piñata” [The American Conservative]. “‘International coverage expertise just isn’t the identical as international coverage knowledge,’ Ramaswamy interjected. ‘I believe these with international coverage expertise, one factor that Joe Biden and Nikki Haley have in widespread, is that neither of them may even state for you three provinces in jap Ukraine that they need to ship our troops to truly struggle for.’ The digicam panned to Haley. Her chin was tilted down, her eyes locked on a 1,000 yard stare…. ‘Have a look at that,’ Ramaswamy mentioned. ‘That is what I would like folks to know.… She has no thought what the hell the names of these provinces are, however she desires to ship our little kids and our troops and our army gear to go struggle it. So reject this delusion that they’ve been promoting you that someone had a cup of espresso stint on the U.N. after which makes 8 million bucks after has actual international coverage expertise.’ … For 4 minutes and 5 seconds, Haley couldn’t identify three provinces in jap Ukraine America’s little kids can be pressured to defend. Ultimately, she mentioned ‘Donetsk, Luhansk, and Crimea.’ That’s the incorrect reply. The appropriate reply can be Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia. The one situation through which Crimea is a part of the reply is should you fantasize main the U.S. into WWIII.” • Nicely, it’s a gotcha. It’s entertaining to look at Ramaswamy, who’s clearly Give Zero [Family Blog]s mode.
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“Utah loosens poll entry guidelines after RFK Jr. sues” [Deseret News]. “Utah prolonged its deadline for unaffiliated presidential candidates to get on the state’s poll, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson introduced Thursday. The choice got here after Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an impartial presidential candidate, filed a lawsuit towards Henderson. The lawsuit claimed Utah’s deadline for candidates to file for poll entry in Utah — Jan. 8, 2024 — was ‘clearly unconstitutional’ and ‘the earliest deadline on impartial presidential candidates within the historical past of the US.’ Henderson introduced Thursday that candidates can be permitted to file by means of March 5, 2024, almost two months after the unique deadline.”
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“The Democratic Coalition Is Falling Aside” [Ruy Teixeira, The Liberal Patriot]. “Let’s face it: the Democratic coalition is in poor form. It’s springing leaks all over the place—younger voters, Hispanic voters, black voters, ladies voters, working-class voters, reasonable and impartial voters. …. Two latest knowledge releases doc this ongoing decay of the Democratic coalition. First, trying on the nationwide image, Adam Carlson on the wonderful Break up Ticket knowledge analytics web site, has produced a compilation of cross-tabular knowledge that enables us to match common present Democratic efficiency with Democratic efficiency from 2020 to estimate shifts in choice since that election by key group. The second knowledge supply is a serious survey of battleground states and districts by Democracy Corps/PSG/Greenberg Analysis (DCorps) that gives some wealthy demographic breakdowns of vote choice and opinion the place the 2024 election will virtually definitely be determined…. It little doubt appears odd to Democrats that voters within the middle—independents and moderates—aren’t flocking to their banners as a result of certainly all of them know and imagine that chaos agent Trump and his anti-democratic Republican Celebration characterize the whole lot that’s excessive and super-partisan in American politics. However right here’s the issue: these voters don’t essentially see Trump and the Republicans as clearly being the worst in these areas. Within the DCorps ballot, battleground voters choose Trump and the Republicans over Biden and the Democrats on ‘opposing extremism’ (by 3 factors), ‘getting past the chaos’ (by 6 factors), ‘standing as much as elites’ (by 8 factors), ‘defending the U.S. Structure’ (by 8 factors), and ‘placing nation over social gathering’ (by 8 factors). These voters see the events as tied on “democracy being safe”and provides Biden and the Democrats negligible leads of two factors on ‘presidents not with the ability to act as autocrats’, and one level on ‘defending democracy’. So whereas partisan Democrats might imagine these points usually are not even shut when evaluating Biden and the Democrats to Trump and his ‘semi-fascist‘ Republican Celebration, there are clearly big numbers of much less partisan voters who disagree…. One thing’s clearly not working right here for the Democrats. Regardless of turning it as much as 11 on the menace posed by Trump to democracy all through Biden’s presidency, and now maybe to 12 because the chance of a Biden-Trump rematch looms ever bigger, actually-existing voters don’t appear to be stampeding of their course. The massive lead that Democrats really feel must be naturally theirs just isn’t showing.” • I detest Teixeira, however he’s obtained this proper. Additionally on Greenberg–
“‘This Is Grim,’ One Democratic Pollster Says” [New York Times] “The predictive energy of horse-race polling a 12 months from the presidential election is weak at finest. The Biden marketing campaign can take some consolation in that. However what latest surveys do reveal is that the coalition that put Joe Biden within the White Home within the first place is nowhere close to as sturdy because it was 4 years in the past. These hazard indicators embody fraying help amongst core constituencies, together with younger voters, Black voters and Hispanic voters, and the decline, if not the erasure, of conventional Democratic benefits in representing the pursuits of the center class and talking for the common voter…. In an e mail, Greenberg summarized the outcomes: ‘That is grim.’ The examine, he mentioned, discovered that collectively, voters within the Democratic base of ‘Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, L.G.B.T.Q.+ neighborhood, Gen Z, millennials, single and school ladies give Trump greater approval rankings than Biden.’” And: “Biden and the Democrats led on six: ladies’s rights (forward by 17 share factors), local weather change (15 factors), addressing racial inequality (10 factors), well being care (three factors), the president won’t be an autocrat (two factors) and defending democracy (one level). There was a tie on making democracy safer. Donald Trump and the Republicans held leads on the remaining topics, together with being for working folks (a seven-point benefit), standing as much as elites (eight factors), with the ability to get issues accomplished for the American folks (12 factors), feeling secure (12 factors) and holding wages and salaries up with the price of dwelling (17 factors).” • Humorous how Covid isn’t even a difficulty, however that’s the place we’re.
“Younger voters could also be disenchanted with Biden, however they nonetheless oppose Trump, ballot finds” [Los Angeles Times]. “[I]t’s Republicans and independents, not Democrats, who’re most probably to precise doubts about voting, in keeping with the most recent biannual ballot of younger folks carried out by Harvard’s Institute of Politics. These disenchanted impartial voters embody giant shares of Black and Latino younger folks, particularly males, the ballot discovered….. [W]hile many younger People are disenchanted with Biden, there’s no signal of motion towards former President Trump. As a substitute, impartial candidates, together with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., entice unusually excessive ranges of help.”
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IL: “Pritzker tells Chicago to fold its tents — governor rejects poisonous migrant shelter web site in Brighton Park” [Chicago Sun-Times]. “Citing ‘critical environmental issues,’ Gov. J.B. Pritzker mentioned Tuesday that the state is ending growth of a proposed migrant camp in Brighton Park. The choice follows town of Chicago’s launch of an environmental report Friday night time that confirmed the placement at thirty eighth Avenue and California Avenue required cleanup of heavy metals and poisonous chemical substances. The state halted development Sunday.”
IL: “Matthew Pritzker, billionaire cousin of Illinois governor is dumped from glitzy L.A. Biden fundraiser because the Dem mega-donor prepares to look in New York courtroom to face intercourse assault prices” [Daily Mail]. “Matthew Pritzker, the Hyatt scion accused of sexual assault, has been dropped from a glitzy fundraising shindig for Joe Biden’s presidential marketing campaign. The 41-year-old billionaire was one among dozens of rich Biden supporters who paid $100,000 to be named as a co-host of the occasion at a secret location in Los Angeles on Friday. However his identify now has been quietly dropped from the lineup after a lady filed a lawsuit on Thanksgiving Eve alleging that he raped her in New York in Might 2009. The fundraiser for the commander-in-chief’s re-election bid, dubbed An Night With President Joe Biden and Jill Biden, may even function a efficiency by Lenny Kravitz and an look by former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Pritzker’s particulars have been scrubbed from the official occasion web page, the place uber-rich Hollywood Biden backers can stump up $25,000 to attend the dinner and get an image with the president.” • Hmm.
Democrats en Déshabillé
Affected person readers, plainly individuals are really studying the back-dated put up! However I’ve not up to date it, and there are lots of updates. So I must 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 put up, 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, in reality, a tough drawback. I do assume the paragraph that follows is on level all the way in which 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!). It follows that the Democrat Celebration is as “unreformable” because the PMC is unreformable; if the Democrat Celebration didn’t exist, the PMC must invent it. If the Democrat Celebration fails to control, that’s as a result of the PMC lacks the potential to control. (“PMC” modulo “class expatriates,” in fact.) Second, all of the working components of the Celebration reinforce one another. Depart apart characterizing the relationships between components of the Celebration (ka-ching, however not totally) these components comprise a community — a Flex Web? An iron octagon? — of funders, distributors, apparatchiks, electeds, NGOs, and miscellaneous mercenaries, with belongings within the press and the intelligence neighborhood.
Observe, in fact, that the category energy of the PMC each expresses and is proscribed by different lessons; oligarchs and American gentry (see ‘industrial mannequin’ of Ferguson, Jorgensen, and Jie) and the working class spring to thoughts. Suck up, kick down.
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“Home censures Rep. Jamaal Bowman for pulling fireplace alarm” [NBC]. “The Home voted Thursday to censure Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., for pulling a fireplace alarm in a congressional constructing whereas the chamber was in session in September to contemplate a vote to fund the federal government…. However Bowman maintained that his actions had been unintentional. ‘I need to be very clear, this was not me, in any method, making an attempt to delay any vote. It was the precise reverse — I used to be making an attempt urgently to get to a vote, which I in the end did and joined my colleagues in a bipartisan effort to maintain our authorities open,’ he mentioned in a press release on the time. ‘I’m embarrassed to confess that I activated the hearth alarm, mistakenly considering it could open the door,’ he added. ‘I remorse this and sincerely apologize for any confusion this triggered.’” • Bowman is being ridiculous. “The intense pink alarm is clearly marked with the phrase “FIRE’,” per DC code. If Bowman had been a beardo with a Accomplice flag, he would have been charged and convicted with interrupting an official continuing, and jailed, in all probability for a number of years.
Realignment and Legitimacy
“A deluge of violent messages: How a surge in threats to public officers may disrupt American democracy” [CNN]. Useful chart:
That is ugly and unhealthy, and the numbers are for prosecutions solely; apparently the variety of threats is an order of magnitude bigger. Nonetheless, absolutely the numbers are comparatively low. And Trump is the the primary recipient! That wasn’t on my Bingo card.
#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
Assets, United States (Nationwide): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot; contains many counties; Wastewater Scan, contains drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); “Iowa COVID-19 Tracker” (in IA, however nationwide knowledge). “An infection Management, Emergency Administration, Security, and Basic Ideas” (particularly on hospitalization by metropolis).
Lambert right here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To replace any entry, do be at liberty to contact me on the deal with given with the crops. Please put “COVID” within the topic line. Thanks!
Assets, United States (Native): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater 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).
Assets, Canada (Nationwide): Wastewater (Authorities of Canada).
Assets, 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 (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, Utah, Bob White (3).
Keep secure on the market!
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Covid is Airborne
Pageant of Far-UVC:
“Far-UVC gentle (222 nm) effectively and safely inactivates airborne human coronaviruses” [Nature]. From 2020, nonetheless germane. From the Summary: “A direct strategy to restrict airborne viral transmissions is to inactivate them inside a short while of their manufacturing. Germicidal ultraviolet gentle, usually at 254 nm, is efficient on this context however, used straight, generally is a well being hazard to pores and skin and eyes. In contrast, far-UVC gentle (207–222 nm) effectively kills pathogens doubtlessly with out hurt to uncovered human tissues. … As all human coronaviruses have comparable genomic sizes, far-UVC gentle can be anticipated to point out comparable inactivation effectivity towards different human coronaviruses together with SARS-CoV-2. Based mostly on the beta-HCoV-OC43 outcomes, steady far-UVC publicity in occupied public places on the present regulatory publicity restrict (~3 mJ/cm2/hour) would lead to ~90% viral inactivation in ~8 minutes, 95% in ~11 minutes, 99% in ~16 minutes and 99.9% inactivation in ~25 minutes. Thus whereas staying inside present regulatory dose limits, low-dose-rate far-UVC publicity can doubtlessly safely present a serious discount within the ambient stage of airborne coronaviruses in occupied public places.”
“Sort of ultraviolet gentle handiest at killing coronavirus can also be the most secure to make use of round folks” [The Conversation]. From 2021, nonetheless germane: “Totally different wavelengths of UV gentle work higher than others for inactivating viruses, and this relies on how effectively the wavelengths are absorbed by the virus’s DNA or RNA. When UV gentle will get absorbed, the photons of sunshine switch their vitality to and harm the chemical bonds of the genetic materials. The virus is then unable to duplicate or trigger an an infection. Researchers have additionally proven the proteins that viruses use to connect to a bunch cell and provoke an infection – just like the spike proteins on a coronavirus – are additionally weak to UV gentle. The dose of sunshine issues too. Gentle can differ in depth – shiny gentle is extra intense, and there may be extra vitality in it than in dim gentle. Being uncovered to a shiny gentle for a short while can produce the identical UV dose as being uncovered to a dim gentle for an extended interval. You’ll want to know the fitting dose that may kill coronavirus particles at every UV wavelength. Conventional UV programs use wavelengths at or round 254 nanometers. At these wavelengths the sunshine is harmful to human pores and skin and eyes, even at low doses. Daylight contains UV gentle close to these wavelengths; anybody who has ever gotten a nasty sunburn is aware of simply how harmful UV gentle could be. Nevertheless, latest analysis has proven that at sure UV wavelengths – particularly beneath 230 nanometers – the high-energy photons are absorbed by the highest layers of useless pores and skin cells and don’t penetrate into the lively pores and skin layers the place harm can happen. Equally, the tear layer round eyes additionally blocks out these germicidal UV rays. Because of this at wavelengths of UV gentle beneath 230 nanometers, folks can transfer round extra freely whereas the air round them is being disinfected in actual time.”
“Ultraviolet gentle and indoor air disinfection to struggle pandemics: A know-how lengthy overdue—Half 2” [WSWS]. “On a number of latest events, pictures of White Home COVID Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha giving lectures with Far-UVC units within the background have circulated broadly on social media. Nevertheless, on the latest White Home Indoor Air Summit held on October 11, 2022, neither Jha nor some other speaker delved into the know-how, aside from a short reference beneath the heading of ‘New Applied sciences.’ One should ask why, if Dr. Jha relies on this know-how a lot, did he select to stay silent on it?” • As ordinary, the elites don’t need us to know how they protec themselves.
Lambert right here: There are a variety of UV options working round: There are some for public areas, like Higher Room UV. There are others for disinfecting surfaces, like cellphones, with UVC. (As a result of that is the stupidest timeline, I fear that UV shall be handled as an alternative choice to air filtration; I image eating places, say, shopping for a UV bulb, sticking it in a socket, and calling it good. I even have a private crotchet in that I don’t like radiation.) My focus shall be on whether or not I ought to add some form of Far-UVC (222 nm) answer to my private protocol as one other layer of safety, together with masks, nasal sprays, mouthwash, and so forth. So I’m in search of one thing moveable, to be used on transport (particularly airplanes) or in eating places/cafés, the place I have to demask. There are merchandise in the marketplace, however there are not any requirements; there’s no Underwriter’s Laboratory for Far-UVC.
“Intro to Far-UV” [Joey Fox, Medium]. “There are merchandise which have come out just like the Lily (2 W), X-One (3 W) and Cell Defend (10 W) that are moveable and designed to be positioned near an individual and disinfect the air earlier than it’s inhaled…. [T]hese units usually are not primarily designed to disinfect the entire room. The aim is to solely disinfect the air near the occupant with a brief publicity time. I’m uncertain concerning the irradiance values for the Cell Defend, however I’ve accomplished assessments on the Lily (additionally bought as Hexagon) and X-One. At 40 cm away, which is a typical distance between a desk and your nostril, the irradiance values could be between 10–50 μW/cm². Assuming a 90% inactivation dose of 200 μJ/cm², a SARS-Cov-2 virion would must be uncovered for 4–20 seconds. I believe you’ll inhale the virus inside 4 seconds of it coming in touch with the far-UV gentle, so I don’t assume there may be sufficient contact time to inactivate the virus successfully. If there are computational fluid dynamics fashions exhibiting a excessive charge of inactivation utilizing private far-UV units or if an experiment is carried out exhibiting these units are efficient, then they’ll thought-about as one of many strategies to offer non-infectious air and safety from airborne illnesses.” • Inhalation is certainly 1-1.5 seconds. I might need to see extra modeling on this. I’d additionally prefer to know if upping the wattage makes a distinction. Right here is one other strategy–
“Far-UV: An Early Adopter Lay Particular person’s Pespective” [Pandemic Enclave]. “So, distance (mixed with energy) issues a LOT when contemplating whether or not a given far-UV gadget will work for a selected use case. Publicity all the time needs to be considered, however usually nearer is best: extra energy on track kills viruses sooner…. At 50 cm (19.6″), 15 seconds or so [to neutralization] is so much higher than 31.5, however nonetheless isn’t nice. Once you get down round 25 cm – half the space, quadruple the facility, keep in mind? – issues begin trying higher. Bear in mind, that is the time to inactivate 90% of the pathogen/virus. So 4-ish seconds is so much higher than 10.5…. Now, would I belief it to guard me at a restaurant? No. Would I apply it to a aircraft? Sure, as an additional layer of safety, or if I wanted to eat (take into accout some folks MUST eat at periodic intervals), it could present some safety by holding my face low towards the tray desk, particularly if I coordinated it with low(er) CO2 readings from a monitor.” • One thing to look at. Feedback from engineers welcome!
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“COVID-19 in Office Settings: Classes Realized for Occupational Medication within the UK” [Raymond Agius, La Medicina del Lavoro]. From the Summary: “n spite of fine prior analysis and statute, the mandatory sources to guard employees’ well being had been severely missing when the pandemic struck. Weak public well being steering, which didn’t recognise dominant airborne transmission, was utilized to workplaces, leaving employees and others unprotected, particularly in respect of Respiratory Protecting Tools (RPE). The Well being and Security Govt (HSE) as regula-tor was missing, for instance, in not producing steering to guard HealthCare Staff (HCW ) who had been amongst probably the most in danger. The UK COVID-19 Public Inquiry ought to deal with shortcomings comparable to these, however suggestions have to be accompanied by sturdy means to make sure acceptable implementation. These ought to vary from substantial measures to enhance indoor air high quality, to a everlasting pandemic administration group with enough re-sources. The imposing authority needs to be obliged to publish extra particular office steering than the general public well being authorities. Occupational Medication as a self-discipline must be higher ready, and therefore to say its accountability in direction of excessive requirements of employees’ well being safety. Future analysis has to incorporate investigating the very best technique of mitigation towards airborne an infection and the administration of post-acute covid sequelae.” • The UK COVID-19 Public Inquiry the place BoJo is at present disgracing himself.
“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. Plenty of exceptionally nasty sequelae, most probably deriving from immune dysregulation (says this layperson). To which we’d add mind harm, together with persona adjustments therefrom.
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Case Information
From BioBot wastewater knowledge, December 4:
Lambert right here: Biden’s doing nice. His Omicron spike is, in fact, incomparable, however now he’s crushed Trump’s case rely for each January and September 2021. In 2023! Case counts shifting neatly upward (and tinfoil hat time: That is the, er, inflection level CDC was making an attempt to hide once they gave the contract to Verily and didn’t guarantee a seamless transition). Solely 19 superspreading days till Christmas!
Regional knowledge:
These near-vertical curves within the Midwest and the Northeast are regarding, though as ever with Biobot it’s a must to look ahead to backward revisions.
Variants
From CDC, December 9:
Lambert right here: JN.1, proven on the NowCast for the primary time, arising quick on the surface, whereas BA.2.86 fades.
• “Replace on SARS-CoV-2 Variant JN.1 Being Tracked by CDC” [CDC]. ” The continued progress of JN.1 means that it’s both extra transmissible or higher at evading our immune programs. Presently, there isn’t a proof that JN.1 presents an elevated threat to public well being relative to different at present circulating variants.” Daring within the unique. However then: “The speedy progress of JN.1 in contrast with different variants raises the query of whether or not this variant may drive an incremental improve in infections.”
• “New COVID Variant JN.1 May Disrupt Vacation Plans” [WebMD]. “Nobody planning vacation gatherings or journey desires to listen to this, however the rise of a brand new COVID-19 variant, JN.1, is regarding specialists, who say it might threaten these good instances…. JN.1, an Omicron subvariant, was first detected within the U.S. in September and is termed “a notable descendent lineage” of Omicron subvariant BA.2.86 by the World Well being Group. When BA.2.86, also referred to as Pirola, was first recognized in August, it appeared very totally different from different variants, the CDC mentioned. That triggered issues it is perhaps extra infectious than earlier ones, even for folks with immunity from vaccination and former infections. … Whereas some specialists say a peak attributable to JN.1 is anticipated within the weeks forward, [Eric] Topol mentioned it’s unimaginable to foretell precisely how JN.1 will play out. ‘It’s not going to be a repeat of November 2021,’ when Omicron surfaced, [Rajendram] Rajnarayanan predicted. Inside 4 weeks of the World Well being Group declaring Omicron as a virus of concern, it unfold around the globe.”
• “What to Know Concerning the New Covid Variants” [New York Times]. “One other variant that scientists began watching carefully this fall is BA.2.86, nicknamed Pirola. … BA.2.86 didn’t take off like scientists initially feared, however identical to EG.5 advanced to provide HV.1, JN.1 has just lately emerged from BA.2.86 and is spreading rapidly. In response to preliminary analysis launched in November, JN.1 carries a mutation that offers it additional immune-evading capabilities…. The preprint paper testing how the brand new vaccines carried out towards HV.1 additionally confirmed that they produced antibodies efficient towards JN.1, however not as many…. Greater than the chance conferred by any particular person variant, it’s the speedy charge of virus evolution that’s most regarding to Trevor Bedford, a professor within the vaccine and infectious illness division on the Fred Hutchinson Most cancers Heart. ‘No single variant has been that impactful,’ he mentioned, ‘however the general accumulation of those mutations is having important influence.’” • Nicely, that’s what “Let ‘er rip” does…
From CDC, November25:
Lambert right here: I certain hope the volunteers doing Pangolin, on which this chart relies upon, don’t all transfer on the inexperienced fields and pastures new (or have their entry to amenities lower by directors of sick intent).
CDC: “As of Might 11, genomic surveillance knowledge 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
NOT UPDATED From CDC NCIRD Surveillance, December 2:
Lambert right here: Slight will increase in some age teams, conforming to wastewater knowledge. Solely per week’s lag, so this can be our greatest present nationwide, present indicator.
NOTE “Charts and knowledge 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 acceptable for bothMR SUBLIMINAL I hate these folks a lot. Discover additionally that this chart exhibits, at the least for its time interval, that Covid just isn’t seasonal, regardless that CDC is making an attempt to get us to imagine that it’s, presumably to allow them to piggyback on the present institutional equipment for injections. And naturally, we’re not even entering into the standard of the wastewater websites that we now have as a proxy for Covid an infection general.
Hospitalization
Bellwether New York Metropolis, knowledge as of December 8:
Steadily up. New York state as an entire seems to be extra like a spike. (I hate this metric as a result of the lag makes it misleading, though the hospital-centric public well being institution loves it, hospitalization and deaths being the one metrics that matter [snort]).
NOT UPDATED Right here’s a unique CDC visualization on hospitalization, nationwide, not by state, however with a date, at the least. November 25:
Up….
Lambert right here: “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†”. So the place the heck is the replace, CDC?
Positivity
NOT UPDATED From Walgreens, December 4:
0.2%. Up. (It might be attention-grabbing to survey this inhabitants usually; these are individuals who, regardless of a tsunami of official propaganda and massive peer strain, went and obtained examined anyhow.)
NOT UPDATED From Cleveland Clinic, December 2:
Lambert right here: Improve (with backward revision; guess they thought it was over). I do know that is simply Ohio, however the Cleveland Clinic is nice*, and we’re starved for knowledge, so…. NOTE * Even when hospital an infection management is making an attempt to kill sufferers by eliminating common masking with N95s.
NOT UPDATED From CDC, traveler’s knowledge, November 13:
Down, albeit within the rear view mirror. And listed here are the variants for vacationers, November 6:
BA.2.86 20% of the the entire final week, 25% of the entire this week.
Deaths
Whole: 1,184,559 – 1,184,345 = 214 (214 * 365 = 78,110 deaths per 12 months, at the moment’s YouGenicist™ quantity for “dwelling with” Covid (fairly a bit greater than the minimizers would really like, although they’ll speak themselves into something. If the YouGenicist™ metric retains chugging alongside like this, I could should determine that is what the powers-that-be think about “mission completed” for this specific tranche of loss of life and illness).
Lambert right here: This quantity is just too small it doesn’t matter what. Iowa Covid19 Tracker hasn’t been up to date since September 27, 2023. I’ll should revert to CDC knowledge. Yech.
Stats Watch
Employment Scenario: “United States Unemployment Price” [Trading Economics]. “The unemployment charge in the US fell to three.7% in November of 2023 from 3.9% within the earlier month, the bottom since July, and firmly beneath market expectations that it could stay unchanged at 3.9%. The outcome marked a slight backtrack from the close to two-year excessive recorded in October, pushing again towards latest tendencies of a slowing labor market in the US. ”
• “US Labor Market Defies Slowdown Forecasts in Broad Strengthening” [Bloomberg]. “The stable labor-market figures shift focus to inflation numbers as Fed officers gauge how lengthy to take care of rates of interest at this cycle’s peak. An additional cooling of worth features would doubtless assist push the central financial institution towards charge cuts so long as the job market averts a extra sustained re-acceleration.”
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The Bezzle: “AI-Powered Drive-Through Is Truly Run Nearly Totally By People” [Bloomberg]. “Presto Automation Inc. pitched a restaurant trade determined to fight rising wages on a speaking chatbot that would take orders with virtually no human intervention. The agency touted OpenAI’s Sam Altman as an early investor. And it has used the agency’s know-how to enhance its system because it goals to triple deployments to 1,200 places subsequent 12 months. However disclosures in latest filings with the US Securities and Trade Fee and adjustments to advertising and marketing counsel that the know-how is much less autonomous than it first appeared. The corporate, which went public final 12 months, now says ‘off-site brokers’ working in locales such because the Philippines assist throughout greater than 70% of buyer interactions to ensure its AI system doesn’t mess up.” • Lol, identical to the robotic vehicles and the whole lot else. Anyone studying this, I make you a free present of the premise for a science fiction quick story: An AI does certainly take over the world, simply because the doomsters feared, however because it seems, the AI is actually only a warehouse-full of wage slaves within the Phillipines. NOTE * William Gibson’s Company, already shockingly unhealthy, seems to be even worse now.
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At the moment’s Worry & Greed Index: 67 Greed (earlier shut: 64 Greed) [CNN]. One week in the past: 67 (Greed). (0 is Excessive Worry; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Dec 8 at 1:47:17 PM ET.
Class Warfare
“The 25 Richest Households within the World — 2023” [Bloomberg]. The deck: “From the home of Hermès to Gulf royals, the wealth of world dynasties soared 43% within the final 12 months.” Names are: AL NAHYAN (UAE), WALTON (USA), HERMÈS (FRANCE), MARS (USA), AL THANI (QATAR), KOCH (USA), AL SAUD (SAUDI ARABIA), AMBANI (INDIA), WERTHEIMER (FRANCE), THOMSON (CANADA), CARGILL, MACMILLAN (USA), JOHNSON (USA), BOEHRINGER, VON BAUMBACH (GERMANY), QUANDT (GERMANY), ALBRECHT (GERMANY), PRITZKER (USA), HOFFMANN, OERI (SWITZERLAND), VAN DAMME, DE SPOELBERCH, DE MEVIUS (BELGIUM), HARTONO (INDONESIA), DASSAULT (FRANCE), COX (USA), MULLIEZ (FRANCE), FERRERO (ITALY), KWOK (HONG KONG), and DUNCAN (USA). • Value scanning. 8/25 = 32% within the US.
“Archaeologists unearth ‘most surprising instance of Roman slavery’ at Pompeii” [Guardian]. “The cramped bakery with small home windows barred with iron was a part of a house that emerged throughout excavations within the Regio IX space of the Pompeii archaeological park in southern Italy. The invention offers extra proof on the day by day lifetime of Pompeii’s enslaved folks, typically forgotten about by historic sources however who made up a lot of the inhabitants and whose laborious labour propped up town’s economic system in addition to the tradition and material of Roman civilisation…. Markings used to coordinate the motion of enslaved employees and blind-folded animals had been discovered on the bakery’s ground. The house was divided right into a residential half adorned with lavish frescoes, and the bakery, the place enslaved folks had been pressured to grind the grain wanted to provide bread. The bakery was lower off from the surface world, with the one exit resulting in the primary corridor of the home. ‘It’s, in different phrases, an area through which we now have to think about the presence of individuals of servile standing whose freedom of motion the proprietor felt the necessity to limit,’ mentioned Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of Pompeii archaeological park. ‘It’s the most surprising facet of historic slavery, the one devoid of each trusting relationships and guarantees of manumission, the place we had been lowered to brute violence, an impression that’s totally confirmed by the securing of the few home windows with iron bars.’”
Information of the Wired
“The Proper Chemistry: Reflections on the manufacture of mirrors” [Montreal Gazette]. Fairly a lead: “The Corridor of Mirrors within the Palace of Versailles is magnificent. Commissioned by Louis XIV, the Solar King, it was designed to pay tribute to his political, financial and inventive successes with work, sculptures and naturally, the well-known 357 mirrors. Louis had stipulated that the whole lot within the corridor have to be made by French artisans, which offered an issue when it got here to the mirrors. On the time, the Venetian island of Murano had a monopoly on mirror-making and the secrets and techniques of manufacture had been so tightly guarded that any glassmaker who was suspected of revealing them was distributed with by employed assassins. Consequently, Venetian mirrors had been actually value their weight in gold.” • And talking of chemistry–
“Microbiota from Alzheimer’s sufferers induce deficits in cognition and hippocampal neurogenesis” [Brain]. From the Summary: “To know the involvement of Alzheimer’s affected person intestine microbiota in host physiology and behavior, we transplanted faecal microbiota from Alzheimer’s sufferers and age-matched wholesome controls into microbiota-depleted younger grownup rats…. Our findings reveal for the primary time, that Alzheimer’s signs could be transferred to a wholesome younger organism by way of the intestine microbiota, confirming a causal position of intestine microbiota in Alzheimer’s illness, and spotlight hippocampal neurogenesis as a converging central mobile course of regulating systemic circulatory and gut-mediated components in Alzheimer’s.” • Get away the Probiotic Yogurt?!
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Contact data for crops: Readers, be at liberty to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) learn how to ship me a verify if you’re 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 need your deal with to look as a credit score, please place it firstly of your mail in parentheses: (thus). In any other case, I’ll anonymize by utilizing your initials. See the earlier Water Cooler (with plant) right here. From TH:
TH writes: “That is an exterior photograph taken at Hollyhock Home, a home in East Hollywood that’s one designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. As everybody in all probability is aware of, he was well-known for integrating interiors with exteriors and visa-versa. So, right here he’s obtained a forged concrete planter atop a wall that surrounds a courtyard on the south facet of the home. The ornamentation is claimed to have been meant to evoke Mayan motifs. My first thought was Aztec, however I’ll go together with Mayan 😊.”
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