By Lambert Strether of Corrente.
Extra quickly! –lambert
Fowl Tune of the Day
Brown Thrasher, Hammonasset Seaside SP, New Haven, Connecticut, United States.
In Case You May Miss…
- Trump to vary “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America.”
- “FBI Is Nonetheless Hiding Particulars of Russiagate”: Aaron Maté.
- HPMV in China.
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
Trump Transition
“Coming quickly: Gulf of America” [Politico]. “‘We’re going to be altering the title of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has an exquisite ring. That covers loads of territory,’ Trump stated. ‘The Gulf of America. What an exquisite title. And it’s acceptable.’ It marked Trump’s newest pledge to increase the USA’ attain all through the world, following statements about annexing Canada and Greenland.” • Monroe could be proud. I’m not positive how toponyms are standardized in the USA, or internationally, however little question there’s an entity to which Trump might handle his issues.
Lawfare
“FBI Is Nonetheless Hiding Particulars of Russiagate, Newly Launched Doc Exhibits” [Aaron Maté, RealClearInvestigations]. “In response to a Freedom of Data request filed by RealClearInvestigations in August 2022, the FBI on Dec. 31, greater than two years later, launched a closely redacted copy of the doc that opened an explosive and unprecedented counterintelligence probe of the sitting president as an agent of the Russian authorities…. The Digital Communication, dated Could 16, 2017, claimed to have an ‘articulable factual foundation’ to suspect that Trump ‘wittingly or unwittingly’ was illegally performing on behalf of Russia, and accordingly posing ‘threats to the nationwide safety of the USA.’” So Trump might have been “unwittingly” a Russian spy? Isn’t that a little bit over-broad? “The investigation of Trump was undertaken on the behest of then-acting FBI director Andrew McCabe, one week after Trump had fired his former boss and mentor, James B. Comey…. Based on the declassified doc, McCabe’s determination was accepted by FBI Assistant Director Invoice Priestap, who had additionally signed off on the opening of Crossfire Hurricane; and Jim Baker, the FBI basic counsel. Baker was a longtime good friend of Michael Sussmann, a lawyer for the presidential marketing campaign of Hillary Clinton, and a key determine within the dissemination of Clinton-funded disinformation to the FBI that falsely tied Trump to Russia… After leaving the FBI, Baker served as deputy basic counsel at Twitter, the place he backed the corporate’s censorship of reporting on the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop computer, primarily based on yet one more conspiracy concept that the laptop computer information had been Russian disinformation.” • And that’s simply the beginnging of the story.
2026
“Outgoing US transport chief says Boeing has extra to do after 737 MAX” [Reuters]. “Buttigieg, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2020, has stated he has not made any plans for future jobs, however is seen by some Democrats as a possible candidate for Michigan governor in 2026.” • Michigan? Buttigieg goes to carpetbag Michigan?
Democrats en déshabillé
“New Dem additions to a plum panel are spurring non-public angst” [Politico]. “An under-the-radar determination so as to add Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and about half a dozen different members to the Home Power and Commerce is inflicting some angst amongst Home Democrats, in line with three individuals conversant in the matter who had been granted anonymity to element non-public discussions. In an uncommon transfer, the Steering and Coverage panel stuffed six out of the seven open slots on the Power and Commerce Committee Tuesday morning and left the final place open for a 10-way race. The spots had been extremely aggressive, and a few lawmakers are questioning why sure members like Ocasio-Cortez had been chosen whereas others had been left to compete for the final open spot…. Since [2020], Ocasio-Cortez has claimed an inside monitor within the caucus, paying dues to the caucus’ marketing campaign arm and making up with different lawmakers. She additionally backed away from help for main challenges when she mounted an unsuccessful bid to be the highest Democrat on the Oversight Committee final month. The committee has broad jurisdiction over well being care, power, know-how and different coverage areas that will probably be within the highlight within the new Congress, because the GOP takes full management of Washington. The panel chaired by Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) has an extended custom of bipartisanship.”
Realignment and Legitimacy
“Luigi Mangione Courtroom Case Hit With Delay” [Newsweek]. “On Monday, prosecutors and protection attorneys collectively requested further time to organize the case for trial, additional delaying proceedings. Attorneys for either side agreed in a letter to the courtroom to increase the deadline for indicting the accused, Luigi Mangione, from January 18 to February 17. Mangione, 26, is at present charged via a legal criticism, a preliminary doc filed in opposition to people earlier than a proper indictment is issued. Prosecutors acknowledged that they consulted with the protection workforce and agreed on the necessity to prolong the indictment deadline, citing the significance of permitting “each events ample preparation for pretrial proceedings and the trial itself.’ • The Federal case, which presumably the incoming administration must get a deal with on.
“Luigi Mangione visited gun vary on Thailand trip months earlier than UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killing: report” [New York Post]. “Accused killer Luigi Mangione hit up an costly gun vary throughout a visit to Thailand — simply months earlier than he allegedly gunned down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson within the Massive Apple, his journey associates have claimed. The 26-year-old accused murderer visited the gun vary after leaving the US on a solo Asia journey early final yr, two German vacationers who met him throughout his travels instructed TMZ’s new ‘Luigi Mangione: The Thoughts of a Killer‘ documentary. Mangione opted to skip a seaside day and head to the vary as an alternative, in line with the buddies — who had been solely recognized as Paul and Max… The pair, who stated they traveled extensively with Mangione via Asia, additionally claimed he was obsessive about Indian writer Jash Dholani’s guide “Hit Reverse: New Concepts From Outdated Books,” which examines philosophical viewpoints from a variety of authors. He even apparently bought 400 copies of the guide and flew to Mumbai to attempt to give the writer his private suggestions, the German vacationers stated.” • Hmm.
Syndemics
“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
Covid Sources, United States (Nationwide): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot; consists of many counties; Wastewater Scan, consists of drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); “Iowa COVID-19 Tracker” (in IA, however nationwide information). “An infection Management, Emergency Administration, Security, and Common Ideas” (particularly on hospitalization by metropolis).
Lambert right here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To replace any entry, do be happy to contact me on the handle given with the vegetation. 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 studies); 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 (wastewater); 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, KF, KidDoc, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, sq. coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, thump, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3).
Keep protected on the market!
Transmission: HPMV
“China’s newest virus surge is the human metapneumovirus (HMPV), which has additionally seen spikes within the U.S. Listed here are the signs and whether or not it could possibly be the subsequent pandemic” [Fortune]. “However HMPV just isn’t new, and the U.S. has additionally seen spikes, which receded, most lately in spring of 2023. HMPV is ‘in all probability way more widespread than we all know,’ Dr. Georges Benjamin, government director of the American Public Well being Affiliation, beforehand instructed Fortune. ‘We’re discovering it extra actually because we’re testing individuals for respiratory illnesses post-COVID and RSV,’ he says. Human metapneumovirus is a number one explanation for acute respiratory an infection, in line with the American Lung Affiliation. As with RSV, most people have been contaminated with HMPV by age 5. Whereas the overwhelming majority will fare tremendous at house, as many as 10% of pediatric hospitalizations are because of decrease respiratory infections brought on by the virus, in line with the Nationwide Library of Drugs. A 2010 research discovered that it was the one of the widespread viruses amongst 256 kids hospitalized with respiratory illnesses, second solely to RSV. On the subject of aged adults, about 22 in each 10,000 are hospitalized with the virus annually—significantly seniors with heart problems, in line with a 2013 article within the journal Viruses. Signs are just about an identical to different respiratory viruses, and testing is critical to inform them aside. As with its relative, RSV, HMPV has the potential to hit tougher for the younger and the aged, in addition to for these with weakened immune techniques.”
“CNA Explains: What’s HMPV, why are circumstances rising in China and do you have to be nervous?” [Channel News Asia]. “Professor Paul Tambyah, a Senior Marketing consultant on the Nationwide College Hospital’s (NUH) Division of Infectious Ailments, famous that Chinese language well being officers have tremendously stepped up surveillance of acute respiratory infections with higher diagnostics and deployment of know-how. ‘It isn’t stunning that extra HMPV infections are being picked up. This does occur in China each winter frequently, particularly in northern China,’ Prof Tambyah stated. ‘The underside line is that we shouldn’t be overly involved as there are not any studies of a significant public well being impression from the elevated detection in Northern China (however) after all, all this might change with extra information,’ he added. Public well being consultants have famous important variations between each [HMPV and SARS-CoV-2], with HMPV usually much less extreme with a decrease mortality fee.”
TABLE 1: Day by day Covid Charts
Lambert: New York Metropolis hospitalization is one in every of oldest and most constant datasets, and it’s going up; approaching “leap” territory after the vacations. I don’t like that in any respect, and I just like the New York state information even much less:
| Wastewater | |
| This week[1] CDC December 30 | Final week[2] CDC (till subsequent week): |
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| Variants [3] CDC December 21 | Emergency Room Visits[4] CDC December 28 |
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| Hospitalization | |
| ★ New York[5] New York State, information January 6: | Nationwide [6] CDC Janurary 2, 2005: |
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| Positivity | |
| ★ Nationwide[7] Walgreens January 6: | ★ Ohio[8] Cleveland Clinic January 4: |
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| Vacationers Information | |
| Positivity[9] CDC December 16: | Variants[10] CDC December 16 |
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| Deaths | |
| Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11] CDC November 20: | Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12] CDC November 20: |
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LEGEND
1) ★ for charts new as we speak; all others are usually not 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] (CDC) Seeing extra pink and extra orange, however nothing new at main hubs.
[2] (CDC) Final week’s wastewater map.
[3] (CDC Variants) XEC takes over. That WHO label, “Ommicron,” has performed an excellent job normalizing successive waves of an infection.
[4] (ED) Slightly uptick.
[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Sluggish and small however regular enhance.
[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). Leveling out.
[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.
[8] (Cleveland) Continued upward pattern since, nicely, Thanksgiving.
[9] (Vacationers: Positivity) Leveling out.
[10] (Vacationers: Variants). Positivity is new, however variants haven’t but been launched.
[11] Deaths low, positivity leveling out.
[12] Deaths low, ED leveling out.
Stats Watch
Provide Chain: “United States LMI Logistics Managers Index” [Trading Economics]. “The Logistics Supervisor’s Index dropped to 57.3 in December 2024 from 58.4 in November, the bottom in 4 months. This slowdown was largely pushed by a seasonal lower in Stock Ranges, which fell by 6.1 factors to 50.0, signaling no total change. Nevertheless, this masks the underlying developments: upstream corporations like producers and wholesalers noticed stock ranges rise to 57.9 because of elevated imports, whereas downstream retailers skilled a major decline in stock ranges, dropping to 33.9, as anticipated throughout the vacation season.”
Employment Scenario: “United States Job Openings” [Trading Economics]. “The variety of job openings elevated by 259,000 to eight,098 million in November 2024, from an upwardly revised 7.839 million in October and above market expectations of seven.70 million. The variety of job openings elevated in skilled and enterprise providers (+273,000), finance and insurance coverage (+105,000), and personal instructional providers (+38,000) however decreased in info (-89,000).”
Manfacturing: “Boeing wants to start out designing a brand new aircraft quickly to assist flip issues round, former CEO says” [Business Insider]. “Phil Condit, who led the planemaker from 1996 to 2003, instructed The Wall Avenue Journal, ‘You’ve acquired to get individuals enthusiastic about what they’re doing. You don’t come to work only for a paycheck. You come to work since you care about what you’re doing.’” • Unsure I’d give an entire lot of weight to a former Boeing CEO’s views on labor…..
Manufacturing: “Boeing progresses on manufacturing enchancment plan” [Manufacturing Dive]. “‘Because the strike ended, I spoke instantly with the CEO [Kelly Ortberg] in regards to the significance of adhering to safety-management ideas as Boeing resumed manufacturing,’ outgoing FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker stated within the company’s Jan. 3 weblog put up reflecting on the yr because the Alaska Airways incident. ‘It’s clear that message hit house, as Boeing spent a full month post-strike ensuring the required security steps had been taken earlier than restarting manufacturing.’” • “An entire month”…..
Tech: “Uber And Lyft Will Roll Out Robotaxis This 12 months. However There’s A Downside” [InsideEVs]. “The robotaxis, nevertheless, have a mountain to climb by way of security, public belief and logistics. Waymo riders are dealing with a brand new type of harassment as individuals have been hostile in direction of self-driving vehicles—vandalising, threatening passengers and obstructing the autos. Common Motors’ Cruise robotaxi division suspended operations final yr after one in every of its Chevrolet Bolt EVs dragged a pedestrian in San Francisco.” • Oh,
Right now’s Concern & Greed Index: 26 Concern (earlier shut: 27 Concern) [CNN]. One week in the past: 33 (Concern). (0 is Excessive Concern; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Jan 2 at 1:24:36 PM ET.
Rapture Index: Closes down one on drought. “Rain chips away at basic drought circumstances” [Rapture Ready]. Report Excessive, October 10, 2016: 189. Present: 181. (Do not forget that bringing on the Rapture is nice.) • Arduous to imagine the Rapture Index isn’t at an all-time excessive. Doesn’t the collapse of Syria carry the Third Temple nearer? Do these individuals know one thing we don’t?
Gallery
Awwwww!
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901)
Margot, 1881
oil on canvas, 76×88 cm
non-public assortment pic.twitter.com/OK7kUjidI9— Edward Elderman (@edwereddie) January 5, 2025
Musical Interlude
Flubs and all, from a reside efficiency…
Fairly the rhythm part, Wyman and Watts. Wyman is mostly buried to this point down within the combine you don’t hear him.
Public Well being
“Fluoride Publicity and Youngsters’s IQ Scores: A Systematic Evaluation and Meta-Evaluation” [JAMA]. Meta. “This systematic evaluation and meta-analysis discovered inverse associations and a dose-response affiliation between fluoride measurements in urine and consuming water and youngsters’s IQ throughout the massive multicountry epidemiological literature. There have been restricted information and uncertainty within the dose-response affiliation between fluoride publicity and youngsters’s IQ when fluoride publicity was estimated by consuming water alone at concentrations lower than 1.5 mg/L. These findings could inform future complete public well being risk-benefit assessments of fluoride exposures.” • Maybe some variety reader who’s actually professional in methodology will have a look,
“Mistletoe” [Anderson Valley Advertiser]. “[John Lee, MD, a family practitioner in Mill Valley, back in 1967] was then enhancing the Marin Medical Society Bulletin and on the look-out for matters for his month-to-month column. He got here throughout an article in a Harvard alumni publication describing the pagan rituals of the Celts who lived within the British Isles within the millennium earlier than Christ. For his or her winter solstice celebration, the Celtic clergymen -Druids- would gather berries from timber bearing mistletoe. Coincidentally, Lee had simply learn an merchandise within the Journal of the American Medical Affiliation stating that mistletoe accommodates a compound similar to progesterone. He had an perception: ‘The berries had been life in the course of that chilly European winter, when every thing else was bleak and apparently lifeless. The Druids known as mistletoe ‘a present from the gods.’ They’d take these berries and blend them with scorching mead [an alcohol drink made from fermented honey] and they’d all have a weeklong occasion the place items had been exchanged and they’d have fun that the solar was going to return and winter wouldn’t imply the top of the world. ‘When a girl takes progesterone after which quits, a interval is induced. I spotted the mead laced with mistletoe would lower everybody’s inhibitions and enhance everybody’s libido for his or her four- or five-day occasion. It was free intercourse! And after 4 or 5 days of celebration they’d stop. All the ladies would have their intervals, and no infants would happen. No marvel they known as it ‘a present from the Gods!’ Lee compares the invention that mistletoe prevented being pregnant to the invention that limes prevented scurvy -a main advance within the annals of medication. ‘The sailors didn’t comprehend it was Vitamin C. The Celts didn’t comprehend it was progesterone. They only knew it labored.’” • And loads of drugs remains to be that approach, for good or unwell…
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