By Lambert Strether of Corrente<\/p>\n
Bird Song of the Day<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Mountain Wren-Babbler, Mount Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. \u201cSinging individual was once fed by another individual, receiving a caterpillar while it continued singing. It started singing after human imitation of a few song notes it made before the recording.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBirds Star in Spectacular Scenes for This Year\u2019s Audubon Photography Awards\u201d [Colossal]. Here\u2019s one:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/turkey.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/p>\n
(1) Allan McDonald and the Challenger debacle.<\/p>\n
(2) Trump erases Biden money advantage after Bragg verdict.<\/p>\n
(3) Unexpected Bourdieu stan.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Look for the Helpers<\/p>\n
\u201cRemembering Allan McDonald: He Refused To Approve Challenger Launch, Exposed Cover-Up\u201d [NPR]. \u201cMcDonald persistently cited three reasons for a delay: freezing overnight temperatures that could compromise the booster rocket joints; ice forming on the launchpad and spacecraft that could damage the orbiter heat tiles at launch; and a forecast of rough seas at the booster rocket recovery site. He also told NASA officials, \u2018If anything happens to this launch, I wouldn\u2019t want to be the person that has to stand in front of a board of inquiry to explain why we launched.\u2019 \u2026 \u2018There are two ways in which [McDonald\u2019s] actions were heroic,\u2019 recalls Mark Maier, who directs a leadership program at Chapman University and produced a documentary about the Challenger launch decision. \u2018One was on the night before the launch, refusing to sign off on the launch authorization and continuing to argue against it,\u2019 Maier says. \u2018And then afterwards in the aftermath, exposing the cover-up that NASA was engaged in.\u201d This part is amazing: \u201cTwelve days after Challenger exploded, McDonald stood up in a closed hearing of a presidential commission investigating the tragedy. He was \u2018in the cheap seats in the back\u2019 when he raised his hand and spoke. He had just heard a NASA official completely gloss over a fundamental fact\u2026. Former Secretary of State William Rogers chaired the commission and stared into the auditorium, squinting in the direction of the voice. \u2018I\u2019ll never forget Chairman Rogers said, \u2018Would you please come down here on the floor and repeat what I think I heard?\u201d McDonald said.\u201d \u2022 Wouldn\u2019t happen today\u2026.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
My email address is down by the plant; please send examples of there (\u201cHelpers\u201d in the subject line). In our increasingly desperate and fragile neoliberal society, everyday normal incidents and stories of \u201cthe communism of everyday life\u201d are what I am looking for (and not, say, the Red Cross in Hawaii, or even the UNWRA in Gaza).<\/p>\n
Politics<\/p>\n
\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
2024<\/p>\n
Less than a half a year to go!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Friday\u2019s RCP Poll Averages:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/rcp_2024-06-21.png\")
<\/p>\n
At this point, we should entertain the hypothesis that the Bragg verdict is a damp squib, unless Biden can somehow leverage it in the debate. Swing States (more here) still Brownian-motioning around. Of course, it goes without saying that these are all state polls, therefore bad, and most of the results are within the margin of error. If will be interesting to see whether the verdict in Judge Merchan\u2019s court affects the polling, and if so, how. NOTE Sorry for the excess red dots; I can\u2019t seem to make them go away!<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Trump (R): \u201cDonald Trump Hit by Devastating Poll From Fox News\u201d [Newsweek]. \u201conald Trump trailed President Joe Biden in a Fox News 2024 presidential poll for the first time since late last year. A survey of 1,095 registered voters from the conservative news network showed that Biden is leading his presumptive Republican rival by two points (50 percent to 48 percent)\u2026. he June Fox News poll is the first one the network has conducted since Trump became the first U.S. president in history to be convicted of a crime. \u2026. Other factors Fox News suggests have contributed to Biden\u2019s improvement in the polls are more voters considering the U.S. economy to be in \u201cexcellent or good\u201d shape, and the president recently announcing tougher immigration policies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump (R): \u201cTrump vs. Biden Polls: A Close Race Gets Even Closer\u201d [Ed Kilgore, New York Magazine]. \u201cAll in all, it\u2019s hard to claim evidence for a significant change in the race now that the 45th president is a convicted criminal. Though perhaps the small signs of erosion in his support will quell some of the ever-present panic among Democrats who don\u2019t understand why Biden isn\u2019t rolling toward an easy victory. Trump does, however, maintain a much broader path to 270 electoral votes given his sizable leads in Sun Belt battleground states (Arizona, Nevada, and particularly Georgia and North Carolina). At this point, Biden still needs to sweep the Rust Belt states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and avoid upsets elsewhere. Many Trump backers appear to believe that the former president\u2019s overall national lead in most polls guarantees victory given his Electoral College advantage in both 2016 (when he won) and 2020 (when he narrowly lost). But there\u2019s a lot of evidence that changes in both candidates\u2019 bases of support since 2020 could shrink or even reverse Trump\u2019s ability to outperform his popular vote in the Electoral College.\u201d And: \u201cThe residual effect of Trump\u2019s criminal conviction may not be fully known until he\u2019s sentenced on July 11. And another criminal trial before November (still possible in the federal case involving the January 6 insurrection) could affect perceptions of the scofflaw former president as well.\u201d \u2022 Doubling down on ponies never helps.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Trump (D): \u201cTrump\u2019s felony conviction fuels a donation surge that narrows Biden\u2019s advantage\u201d [WaPo]. \u2022 So how\u2019s that lawfare thing workin\u2019 out for ya?<\/p>\n
Trump (R): \u201cTrump raised so much last month he erased Biden\u2019s cash advantage\u201d [Politico]. \u201cFormer President Donald Trump\u2019s huge May fundraising haul erased President Joe Biden\u2019s longstanding cash advantage as the two gear up for a rematch. Trump\u2019s campaign had $116.6 million in the bank at the end of May, compared to $91.6 million for Biden. But the former president\u2019s campaign filing Thursday showed a significant surge in the final two days of the month \u2014 the day the jury handed down a guilty verdict and the day after. Just looking at large-dollar donations, the campaign reported receiving at least six times as many daily donations those two days compared to a typical day. And the fundraising spike was likely even greater, considering that doesn\u2019t include unitemized donations of less than $200 or any donations that the joint fundraising contributions hadn\u2019t yet transferred. In total, Trump\u2019s campaign and the RNC reported just over $170 million cash on hand combined at the end of May, overtaking Biden and the Democratic National Committee, which reported just shy of $157 million.\u201d And: \u201cThe latest campaign finance filings with the Federal Election Commission also revealed how Biden has continued to build out his campaign apparatus, while Trump has largely held onto cash.\u201d \u2022\u00a0Yep. Hitherto, no air war from Trump at all, constant bombardment from Biden. Just like Clinton in 2016, the Biden campaign need to constantly pump air into the balloon to keep it aloft. But now\u2013<\/p>\n
Trump (R): \u201cTimothy Mellon, Secretive Donor, Gives $50 Million to Pro-Trump Group\u201d [New York Times]. The deck: \u201cThe cash from Mr. Mellon, a reclusive billionaire who has also been a major donor to a super PAC supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is among the largest single disclosed gifts ever.\u201d Whoopsie, sorry Bobby. More: \u201cTimothy Mellon, a reclusive heir to a Gilded Age fortune, donated $50 million to a super PAC supporting Donald J. Trump the day after the former president was convicted of 34 felonies, according to new federal filings, an enormous gift that is among the largest single disclosed contributions ever. The donation\u2019s impact on the 2024 race is expected to be felt almost immediately. Within days of the contribution, the pro-Trump super PAC, Make America Great Again Inc., said in a memo that it would begin reserving $100 million in advertising through Labor Day.\u201d \u2022 Let the air war begin (though I bet they backload the advertising and hang onto some cash).<\/p>\n
Trump (R): \u201cTrump\u2019s postconviction fundraising surge wipes out cash deficit\u201d [The Hill]. \u2022 You\u2019d think a party as spook-adjacent as the Democrats would understand the concept of blowback.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Biden (D): \u201cBiden\u2019s First Re-Election Test\u201d [Seymour Hersh]. \u201cFirst of all, there is a serious concern among the Democratic Party leadership and the major Democratic fundraisers, primarily the big donors in New York City, about Biden\u2019s ability to defeat Trump in November. This is, of course, not to be spoken of in public. A major touchstone for many will be Biden\u2019s performance in the debate. The president is going to need to match the intensity he demonstrated at his State of the Union address in March next week to keep his contributors happy. A shaky performance, I have been told by two longtime politicos who have direct knowledge, will increase pressure on Democratic Party to do something drastic, and unprecedented, before the November election.\u201d \u2022 When things get so bad that owners feel it\u2019s time for them to step in and run the company themselves, things generally go from bad to worse.<\/p>\n
Biden (D): \u201c1 big thing: Dems fear Biden loss\u201d [Axios]. Many senior Democrats \u2014 including some of President Biden\u2019s aides \u2014 doubt his theory for victory, which relies on voter fears about Jan. 6, political violence, democracy and Donald Trump\u2019s character\u2026. A Democratic strategist in touch with the campaign tells Axios: \u2018It is unclear to many of us watching from the outside whether the president and his core team realize how dire the situation is right now, and whether they even have a plan to fix it. That is scary.\u2019 People close to Biden tell Axios they worry about raising concerns in meetings, because his longtime loyalists can exile dissenters. Biden\u2019s inner circle has full faith in the strategy developed by the president and his longtime aide, Mike Donilon. That puts them on an island. Polls show Biden tied or behind, even after a slight bump after Trump\u2019s criminal conviction. Biden\u2019s former chief of staff Ron Klain, who has known Donilon for decades, told Axios the inner circle\u2019s view boils down to: \u2018In Mike I trust.’\u201d \u2022 \u201cPeople close to Biden\u201d think Biden might bite them, like his dogs. That\u2019s a problem. Presumably, they\u2019ve talked to \u201cDoctor\u201d Jill, who I assume rations his meds, because who else, and gotten nowhere, possibly for the same reason.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Biden (D): \u201cDo Liberals Have It All Wrong About How to Beat Trump?\u201d [New York Magazine]. The deck: \u201cBacked by Reid Hoffman, a centrist polling picks a big fight in the Democratic Party.\u201d More: \u201c\u201dThere is a lot of polling out there, but what we felt was missing from all of it was polling that is just victory-minded,\u201d says Evan Roth Smith, Blueprint\u2019s lead pollster, and the founding partner of the political-consulting firm Slingshot Strategies. \u201cThe Democratic Party needs polling that just says, \u2018We have to win this election, and so here is where the electorate is, here is what the Democratic Party has done and can credibly run on.; Let\u2019s see what works and just tell everybody what we find\u2026.. The EV tax credit and college-debt relief are both losers, according to Blueprint\u2019s data, because they are both coded as preoccupations of the elite; instead, what Biden should be focusing on is his efforts to bring down the cost of pharmaceuticals, take on big corporations, tax the rich, and lower prices in the face of rising inflation. Roth Smith believes Democrats talk too much about Trump\u2019s odious character, his legal liabilities, and the threat he poses to democracy instead of his economic record that includes a massive tax cut for the rich, which Blueprint found to be staggeringly unpopular. These unorthodox findings have helped make Blueprint the buzzy polling outfit of 2024, its findings pinging around the internet and making their way into articles where reporters and pundits try to make sense of an election cycle that so far has avoided familiar narratives.\u201d \u2022 So Trump better not waste any more time on EVs? As his Vegas speech showed he did (the candidate\u2019s time being a campaign\u2019s most valuable resource).<\/p>\n
Biden (D): All true:<\/p>\n
Biden v. Ticketmaster
Biden v. Amazon
Biden v. Crypto
Biden v. Big Banks
Biden v. Big Ag
Biden v. Big Social <\/p>\n
There’s a reason that The Money Power (as they called it 130 years ago) is flocking to Trump and it’s not because they’ve decided he’s stable. <\/p>\n
\u2014 Zephyr Teachout (@ZephyrTeachout) June 21, 2024<\/p>\n
However, (1) Biden isn\u2019t running on any of this (though it will be interesting to see if he pivots in the debate (and now, dicking around with \u201cfees\u201d won\u2019t be enough)), and (2) all these examples, every single one, are Democrats \u201cfighting for.\u201d Who\u2019s so say that the DOJ in a second Biden Administration won\u2019t step in and extort settle from these malefactors, exactly like DOJ\u2019s unconconscionable \u201cdeferred prosecution agreement\u201d with Boeing?<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
\u201cDNC\u2019s Zoom nomination plans forge ahead amid talk of ditching Biden\u201d [Washington Times]. \u201cEarly this month, the DNC advanced a plan to approve the nomination of the Biden-Harris ticket virtually ahead of the convention. Party leaders initiated the move when it appeared that Ohio wouldn\u2019t change its Aug. 7 filing deadline for presidential candidates to appear on the ballot, which would have made the nomination at the Chicago convention too late for Mr. Biden. Ohio has since moved the filing deadline to Sept. 1 [missed this, sorry \u2013lambert], but Democrats say they don\u2019t trust the Republican-led state legislature and governor and are pushing forward with a virtual nomination. The DNC has not disclosed a date for the virtual roll call. Josh Putnam, party rules expert and founder of FHQ Strategies LLC, a nonpartisan political consulting venture, said a virtual vote would have to wait until after July 13, when Indiana Democrats select convention delegates. Mr. Putnam said the virtual vote may be more of a contingency plan at this point. \u2018The party was simultaneously creating some insurance but also buying themselves some time to figure out the particulars of any would-be virtual vote, including the timing,\u2019 Mr. Putnam said. A virtual vote would lock in the Biden-Harris ticket and thwart a convention floor fight over increasing concerns about the incumbents\u2019 chances of winning reelection.\u201d \u2022 Maybe the DNC can hire the same firm that wrote the app for the Iowa 2020 caucus\u2026. <\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
The Debate: \u201cTrump gets the final word at CNN debate after coin flip\u201d [CNN]. \u201cFormer President Donald Trump will get the final word when he debates President Joe Biden on CNN next week, after a coin flip to determine podium placement and the order of closing statements. The coin landed on the Biden campaign\u2019s pick \u2014 tails \u2014 which meant his campaign got to choose whether it wanted to select the president\u2019s podium position or the order of closing statements. Biden\u2019s campaign chose to select the right podium position, which means the Democratic president will be on the right side of television viewers\u2019 screens and his Republican rival will be on viewers\u2019 left. Trump\u2019s campaign then chose for the former president to deliver the last closing statement, which means Biden will go first at the conclusion of the debate.\u201d \u2022 Any debater knows that speaking last is an enormous advantage. I think the Biden campaign really stumbled, here. The closing statement is only two minutes, so Trump can\u2019t ramble, but it\u2019s possible to do a lot of damage in two minutes, and presumbly Trump\u2019s team will prep well for what could be the climax of his political career (if he takes Biden down).<\/p>\n
The Debate: \u201cTrump primes response in case of strong Biden debate showing\u201d [The Hill]. \u201cTrump and other conservatives have in recent days floated the baseless claim that if Biden does well at next week\u2019s debate in Atlanta, it will be because he\u2019s using some kind of performance enhancer. \u2018Republicans would be wise to play down expectations,\u201d one Republican strategist said. \u201cMake the point that Biden is a good debater.\u2019 Trump has so far declined to make that case. Instead, he\u2019s fluctuated between claims that Biden is feeble and incompetent, and preemptively trying to create a narrative that if Biden does well, it\u2019s because he had the help of some unnamed, mysterious substance. \u2018He\u2019s gonna be so pumped up. He\u2019s gonna be pumped up,\u2019 Trump told supporters at a Wisconsin rally Tuesday\u2026. Trump and other conservatives have in recent days floated the baseless claim that if Biden does well at next week\u2019s debate in Atlanta, it will be because he\u2019s using some kind of performance enhancer.\u201d \u2022 Biden\u2019s performance fluctuates greatly, as we\u2019ve seen since at least Iowa 2020. A stimulant of some kind is a perfectly reasonable explanation (\u201cjuiced up\u201d). Hopefully Trump doesn\u2019t over-egg the pudding on this in the debate.<\/p>\n
The Debate: \u201cIs the Debate To Be Biden\u2019s Last Stand?\u201d [Steve Huntley, John Kass News]. \u201cSo why an early debate? Influential Democrats might see it as the last chance to save the party in November. These movers and shakers might figure that if Biden has a crippling debate performance of disconnected ramblings, meaningless utterances, angry outbursts and undeniable mental decline, there\u2019s still time to persuade him to drop out and for the national convention in late July to produce a replacement.\u201d And here\u2019s some lateral thinking: \u201cHarris is the focus of yet another option getting a little media talk in Washington. This idea would be, keep Biden on the ticket but have Harris drop out, opening the way for a replacement vice presidential nominee better viewed by the voters as a legitimate potential president.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. Just not Hillary, mkay?<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Biden (D): \u201cDOJ concealing info on probe into whether Hunter Biden violated \u2018debauchery\u2019 law, watchdog says\u201d [FOX]. \u201cA government watchdog group filed suit in Delaware federal court this week, seeking to compel the Justice Department to produce records that may determine whether Hunter Biden should be further investigated under a 1910 law relating to \u2018prostitution or debauchery.\u2019 The Heritage Foundation\u2019s Oversight Project petitioned theing from a time when prostitution was more prevalent in urban areas, states it is a felony to \u2018knowingly transport\u2026 in interstate or foreign commerce\u2026 any woman or girl for the purpose of prostituti same Wilmington bench where Biden was found guilty on gun charges this month, contending that there is a significant amount of evidence the first son was being probed on Mann Act grounds. The law, stemmon or debauchery.’\u201d \u2022 Presumably the Supreme Court would rule, and quite sensibly, in favor of debauchery, but were there business records violations?<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Republican Funhouse<\/p>\n
\u201cRepublican arrested after \u2018chasing an adult dancer on a road while waving a gun at 2:45am\u2019\u2026 and his campaign releases bizarre statement\u201d [Daily Mail]. \u201cNeil Friske, 62, has a record as a hardline conservative and has put faith and family at the heart of his campaign to be reelected to the state House of Representatives. He was arrested after chasing an adult dancer following a disagreement, according to the Michigan Information and Research Service, which covers the state capitol.\u201d \u2022 Classic.<\/p>\n
Syndemics<\/p>\n
\u201cI am in earnest \u2014 I will not equivocate \u2014 I will not excuse \u2014 I will not retreat a single inch \u2014 AND I WILL BE HEARD.\u201d \u2013William Lloyd Garrison<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot; includes many counties; Wastewater Scan, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); \u201cIowa COVID-19 Tracker\u201d (in IA, but national data). \u201cInfection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts\u201d (especially on hospitalization by city).<\/p>\n
Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put \u201cCOVID\u201d in the subject line. Thank you!<\/p>\n
Resources, United States (Local): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater reports); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur d\u2019Alene; 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).<\/p>\n
Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (Government of Canada).<\/p>\n
Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux us\u00e9es); BC (wastewater); BC, Vancouver (wastewater).<\/p>\n
Hat tips to helpful 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, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n
Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Airborne Transmission<\/p>\n
\u201cVentilation matters \u2013 why clean air is vital to health\u201d [National Engineering Policy Centre]. UK. \u201cEffective ventilation is essential to protecting public health \u2013 buildings need to be able to \u201cbreathe\u201d and get a supply of fresh air. Preventing the spread of infections in the first place is better than trying to manage illness, and people should be able to have confidence that the air in the buildings they use is safe to breathe. You wouldn\u2019t want to drink dirty water so neither should you want to breathe in dirty air!\u201d \u2022 This is swipe-friendly and uses non-technical language, so at first seems light-weight, but it covers a lot, with may good resources (especially for building managers). Meanwhile, don\u2019t be like this:<\/p>\n
Tell me you’re panicking b\/c of potential bird flu after not caring about ventilation for 4 years without telling me you’re panicking.<\/p>\n
Burnaby Hospital as of this afternoon per friend who is there.<\/p>\n
I’d give this a pass as commendable year 1-2 but GTFO this level of bodge now!?! pic.twitter.com\/NfR2TDxz66<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ian is 1453 days w\/o a covid incident and counting (@ianwrob) June 21, 2024<\/p>\n
Transmission: H5N1<\/p>\n
CDC: \u201cWe don\u2019t know anything\u201d:<\/p>\n
Are they serious? pic.twitter.com\/4ugx2oqy3B<\/p>\n
\u2014 Outbreak Updates (@outbreakupdates) June 20, 2024<\/p>\n
Science: \u201cYes you do\u201d:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/cdc_flu.png\")
<\/p>\n
Maskstravaganza<\/p>\n
\u201cAssociation of institutional masking policies with healthcare-associated SARS-CoV-2 infections in Swiss acute care hospitals during the BA.4\/5 wave (CH-SUR study): a retrospective observational study\u201d [Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control]. From the Abstract: \u201cWe included 2\u2019980 SARS-CoV-2 infections from 13 institutions, 444 (15%) were classified as healthcare-associated. Between June 20 and June 30, 2022, six (46%) institutions switched to a more stringent mask policy. The percentage of healthcare-associated infections subsequently declined in institutions with policy switch but not in the others. In particular, the switch from situative masking (standard precautions) to general masking of HCW in contact with patients was followed by a strong reduction of healthcare-associated infections (rate ratio 0.39, 95% CI 0.30\u20130.49).\u201d \u2022 So one-way masking, where the HCW masks up only when you ask them to, doesn\u2019t work (or, more precisely, works to sicken and kill people). News you can use!<\/p>\n
\u201cEffect of wearing N95 facemasks on the mode of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the indoor environment of a hospital\u201d [Aerosol Science and Technology]. \u201cIn this study, three distinct interior hospital environments were selected for surface and airborne viral sampling to ascertain the impact of wearing an N95 facemask on the spread of the virus. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detectable in the air of an emergency intensive care unit corridor, where over 30% of mobile personnel did not wear N95 facemasks strictly. By contrast, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detectable in the air of a geriatric respiratory diseases ward or in that of an emergency laboratory, where N95 facemasks were mandatory for both mobile staff and patients. Additionally, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in all object surface samples collected in this study (p\u2009<\u20090.05). These results indicate that surface contact transmission should be further investigated as a possible mode of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and that the strictness of N95 facemask usage may influence indoor transmission of aerosol-dominated types of SARS-CoV-2. The present findings could contribute to reducing the spread of both SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory diseases and could advance the understanding of how SARS-CoV-2 spreads.” \u2022 Idea: Get SARS-CoV-2 out of the air and it won’t land on the surfaces….
\n“Study Confirms One Type of COVID Mask Is ‘Significantly Better’ Than Others” [ScienceAlert]. \u201cA team led by researchers at the University of Maryland in the US asked 44 volunteers with COVID-19 to breathe into a bespoke device called the Gesundheit II Machine, which can measure the number of virus particles in exhaled breath. Four different mask types were tested this way, and the participants were told to vary their vocalizations while wearing the masks \u2013 one of the tests involved singing \u201cHappy Birthday\u201d, for example. Each volunteer completed a 30-minute breathing session with a mask on, and another 30-minute session with no mask as a control. Of the four types of masks tested, the duckbill N95 mask came out on top: it blocked 99 percent of large particles and 98 percent of small particles from getting out into the air. Overall, 98 percent of the viral load was blocked by the N95. \u2018The research shows that any mask is much better than no mask, and an N95 is significantly better than the other options,\u2019 says Donald Milton, an environmental health scientist and clinician at the University of Maryland.\u201d<\/p>\n
Censorship and Propaganda<\/p>\n
This high-level, two-phase analysis of \u201csocial norming\u201d is as good as any I\u2019ve seen:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/two_phases.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Do the two phases match up with your memories, readers? (Sorry for the smallish type, but I needed to quote the entire thread.)<\/p>\n
Elite Maleficence<\/p>\n
Why can\u2019t all hospitals be like the VA?<\/p>\n
The VA (veterans admin) does two nasal swabs on everyone who goes to their ER. They test for covid and two flu strains. There’s also have a “community” level\/rating on the website so you can know the local levels at that location. <\/p>\n
Smaller sampling of people, but it’s something.<\/p>\n
\u2014 SARmedic (@SARmedic911) June 21, 2024<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Bad data:<\/p>\n
Expect between 2.8 million and 3.5 million new Covid cases each week for the next month. There will be no record of these cases. There will be no record of the Covid hospitalizations or LongCovid cases that occur as a result. There will be no record at all. It may be bad for\u2026 <\/p>\n
\u2014 Laura Miers (@LauraMiers) June 21, 2024<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/p>\n
LEGEND<\/p>\n
1) \u2605 for charts new today; all others are not updated.<\/p>\n
2) For a full-size\/full-resolution image, Command-click (MacOS) or right-click (Windows) on the chart thumbnail and \u201copen image in new tab.\u201d<\/p>\n
NOTES<\/p>\n
[1] (CDC) This week\u2019s wastewater map, with hot spots annotated. The numbers in the right hand column are identical. The dots on the map are not.<\/p>\n
[2] (CDC) Last week\u2019s wastewater map.<\/p>\n
[3] (CDC Variants) KP.3 dominating.<\/p>\n
[4] (ER) This is the best I can do for now. At least data for the entire pandemic is presented.<\/p>\n
[5] (Hospitalization: NY) A slight decrease followed by a return to a slight, steady increase. (The New York city area has form; in 2020, as the home of two international airports (JFK and EWR) it was an important entry point for the virus into the country (and from thence up the Hudson River valley, as the rich sought to escape, and then around the country through air travel.)<\/p>\n
[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). This is the best I can do for now. Note the assumption that Covid is seasonal is built into the presentation. At least data for the entire pandemic is presented.<\/p>\n
[7] (Walgreens) 4.3%; big jump. (Because there is data in \u201ccurrent view\u201d tab, I think white states here have experienced \u201cno change,\u201d as opposed to have no data.)<\/p>\n
[8] (Cleveland) Still going up!<\/p>\n
[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Up. Those sh*theads at CDC have changed the chart so that it doesn\u2019t even run back to 1\/21\/23, as it used to, but now starts 1\/1\/24. There\u2019s also no way to adjust the time rasnge. CDC really doesn\u2019t want you to be able to take a historical view of the pandemic, or compare one surge to another. In an any case, that\u2019s why the shape of the curve has changed.<\/p>\n
[10] (Travelers: Variants) Same deal. Those sh*theads. I\u2019m leaving this here for another week because I loathe them so much:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/last_week.png\")
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[11] Deaths low, but positivity up.<\/p>\n
[12] Deaths low, ED up.<\/p>\n
Stats Watch<\/p>\n
There are no official statistics of interest today.<\/p>\n
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Finance: \u201cWhy PayPal\u2019s Comeback Plan Could Take Years, If It Works At All\u201d [Forbes]. \u201cNearly a decade after its spin-off from eBay (which acquired the payments startup in 2002), PayPal still has a profitable franchise, with over $4 billion in net income in 2023. Its digital financial network of 220 million monthly active customers is one of the world\u2019s largest, standing behind juggernauts like Apple Pay and China\u2019s Alipay. While PayPal has done dozens of acquisitions and entered nearly as many new business lines, more than 60% of its $14 billion in gross profits still comes from the PayPal button, according to Autonomous Research. That\u2019s the icon people click to pay for anything from tchotchkes on eBay or Etsy to diapers from Target. Many users still see it as a safer way to transact instead of trusting an unfamiliar website or person. But transaction growth for PayPal\u2019s branded button is slowing\u2013last year, it grew just 7% in dollar terms, compared with about 9% for ecommerce overall.\u201d \u2022 Wall Street wants \u201cinnovation.\u201d Please, no.<\/p>\n
Instead, the Justice Department plans to offer Boeing what is known as a deferred prosecution agreement, which is often used to impose monitoring and compliance obligations on businesses accused of financial crimes or corruption, as opposed to trying to convict the company. The agreement will stipulate that Boeing install a federal monitor to oversee safety improvements, according to the people familiar with the situation. Federal prosecutors said in May that Boeing had violated a previous deferred prosecution agreement by failing to set up and maintain a program to detect and prevent violations of U.S. anti-fraud laws.\u201d \u2022 Oh.<\/p>\n
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Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 41 Fear (previous close: 40 Fear) [CNN]. One week ago: 38 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Jun 21 at 1:40:17 PM ET.<\/p>\n
Public Health<\/p>\n
\u201cThe NIH Intramural ME Study: \u201cLies, Damn Lies, and Statistics\u201d (Part 1)\u201d [Thoughts about M.E.]. M.E. = Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. I know nothing about M.E. at all; but after watching NIH blow $1 billion (now $1.6 billion) on Long Covid with nothing to show for it, I can well believe the post title. Perhaps this four-part series will be useful to any M.E. advocates in the readership who aren\u2019t already familiar with it.<\/p>\n
Fa-Fa-Fa-Fashion<\/p>\n
This men\u2019s clothing account is one of my hidden vices; it really explains both manufacturing and aesthetics:<\/p>\n
In his book Distinction, Pierre Bourdieu notes that the notion of Good Taste is nothing more than the preferences and habits of the ruling class. In American culture, this class is represented by the likes of William Buckley and George Plimpton. pic.twitter.com\/yEicq8Iecy<\/p>\n
\u2014 derek guy (@dieworkwear) June 20, 2024<\/p>\n
Plus he stans for Bourdieu, the only account I know on the Twitter that does.<\/p>\n
The Screening Room<\/p>\n
\u201cSmiles of a Summer Night (video, full length) [Ingmar Bergman, YouTube (Furzy Mouse)]. \u2022 For the summer solstice.<\/p>\n
The Gallery<\/p>\n
This time not wallpaper, but an actual wall:<\/p>\n
Landscape \u2013 House on the Left pic.twitter.com\/DMoQc8CpFo<\/p>\n
\u2014 Edouard Vuillard (@edouardvuillard) June 20, 2024<\/p>\n
Class Warfare<\/p>\n
\u201cNearly half of Dell\u2019s full-time workforce in the U.S. has rejected returning to the office. They\u2019d rather work from home than get promoted\u201d [Fortune]. \u201cRemote workers were willing to defy company policy because the perks of staying at home simply outweighed what they believed working in person had to offer. \u2018The more time I have to spend in the office, the less time, money, and personal space I have for all of that,\u2019 an employee told Insider. \u2018I can do my job just as well from home and have all of those personal benefits as well.\u2019 Other employees found that returning to in-person work simply wasn\u2019t practical given the nature of their job. \u2018My team is spread out around the world. Almost 90% of the team did the same, as in our case there was no real advantage going to the office,\u2019 another employee said. Multiple Dell employees told Insider they work with team members in different time zones and held meetings requiring them to be on the clock at times when being on-site wouldn\u2019t be appropriate. Others said they lived too far away from a company location or that a Dell office near them had recently been shut down. Dell did not immediately respond to Fortune\u2019s request for comment, but told Insider it believes \u201cin-person connections paired with a flexible approach are critical to drive innovation and value differentiation.’\u201d \u2022 \u201cDrive\u201d is one of those words. \u201cDrive innovation\u201d is one of those pjhrase. In any case, Dell just optimized for office politicians. I\u2019m sure that will go well.<\/p>\n
How the interview went:<\/p>\n
True for most times ..
Hello World pic.twitter.com\/YSlgu3UUbF<\/p>\n
\u2014 MiracleRen (@Mozalioness) June 21, 2024<\/p>\n
News of the Wired<\/p>\n
Dad.<\/p>\n
\ud83e\udd23 pic.twitter.com\/w8ylA5H554<\/p>\n
\u2014 Kairn Savage (@SavageKairn) June 20, 2024<\/p>\n
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Contact information for plants: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. From MR:<\/p>\n
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MR writes: \u201cAzalea with swarming bees, NC. This was not a good location for a hive, so the \u201cbee man\u201d was summoned. At dusk he encouraged them into a new hive box, with an audience of neighborhood children and adults and some education of both. He has relocated the hive a few miles away.\u201d Fantastic! And how nice that MR\u2019s locality has a bee man!<\/p>\n
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Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn\u2019t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I\u2019m on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:<\/p>\n
Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:<\/p>\n
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If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!<\/p>\n
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