By Lambert Strether of Corrente.<\/p>\n
Bird Song of the Day<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Tropical Mockingbird (Mayan), Reserva de la Biosfera Rio Celestun, Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico. \u201cRecorded in coastal desert scrub on the edge of a dried salt lagoon lined with mangrove. Low, distant rumble from a motor boat can be heard, especially in the second segment.\u201d<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/p>\n
Harris leads in the burbs (poll)
\n2024 state round-up
\nBoeing negotiations stalled; another QA debacle.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/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 thirty days to go!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Friday\u2019s RCP Poll Averages:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/rcp_2024-10-04.png\")
<\/p>\n
If you ignore the entire concept of margin of error, Trump gained a few inches of ground in the trench warfare (Of course, we on the outside might as well be examining the entrails of birds when we try to predict what will happen to a subset of voters (undecided; irregular) in a subset of states (swing), and the irregulars especially might as well be quantum foam, but presumably the campaign professionals have better data, and have the situation as under control as it can be MR SUBLIMINAL Fooled ya. Kidding!.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
\u201cExclusive: Harris overtakes Trump among suburban voters, Reuters\/Ipsos polling shows\u201d [Reuters]. \u201cDemocratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has erased Republican rival Donald Trump\u2019s advantage in the vast middle of American society: suburban residents and middle-income households, an analysis of Reuters\/Ipsos polling shows.<\/p>\n
Since President Joe Biden ended his flagging reelection bid on July 21, Vice President Harris has pulled into the lead in both of these large demographic groups, reinvigorating Democrats\u2019 prospects in the Nov. 5 election, though the race remains exceptionally close. Suburbanites, who make up about half of the U.S. electorate and are as racially diverse as the nation at large, are a key prize. Biden beat Trump in suburban counties by about six percentage points in the 2020 presidential election. Before Biden dropped out, Trump was leading him 43% to 40% among suburbanites in Reuters\/Ipsos polls conducted in June and July, reflecting the Democrat\u2019s struggle to energize supporters. Harris began closing the gap when she launched her campaign in July and led Trump 47% to 41% among suburban voters in polling across September and October. That represents a nine-point swing in the Democrat\u2019s favor, according to the analysis of six Reuters\/Ipsos polls that included responses from over 6,000 registered voters. During the same periods, Trump went from leading Biden 44% to 37% among voters in households that earn between $50,000 and $100,000 \u2013 roughly the middle third of the nation \u2013 to trail Harris 43% to 45%, also a nine-point swing away from Trump. The figures had margins of error of around 3 percentage points. Trump carried this group 52%-47% in 2020, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of exit polls.\u201d \u2022 See also the Jacobin poll in PA.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Kamala (D): Basically, yeah:<\/p>\n
it was kinda cool those three weeks Kamala campaigned on “Republicans are weird and we’re not going back” before deciding to pivot to “Republicans are my friends and they’re good and we can do Republican policy even better than they can,” the strategy that already lost to Trump<\/p>\n
\u2014 So famous and good at sketch comedy (@RuckCohlchez) October 10, 2024<\/p>\n
Sadly, Kamala or whoever picked Walz before the pivot, following which they struggled to make use of him (and to the question of \u201cWho\u2019s the real Kamala? Before the pivot or after?\u201d I answer \u201cThere is no real Kamala\u201d).<\/p>\n
Kamala (D): \u201cHarris Calls DeSantis \u2018Selfish,\u2019 Biden Praises Him as \u2018Very Gracious’\u201d [RealClearPolitics]. \u2022 Biden\u2019s still President. Harris picking out the drapes during a hurricane isn\u2019t a smart move.<\/p>\n
Kamala (D): \u201cHarris Rails Against Corporate Landlords While Taking Donations From Blackstone Billionaire\u201d [Sludge (Carla)]. \u201cIn late July, speaking to a crowd of more than 10,000 people at her first campaign rally in Atlanta, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris vowed to go after corporations that buy up homes and jack up rent. \u2018We will take on corporate landlords and cap unfair rent increases,\u2019 Harris said to great applause. The Harris campaign has made taking on corporate landlords a major plank of its plans to help make life more affordable for the middle class, and it has become a common theme at her rallies. In her Aug. 16 plan for an \u2018opportunity economy,\u2019 the campaign outlined the steps Harris would take to go after these real estate investors during her first 100 days in office\u2026. While she campaigns on the issue, the Harris campaign is being backed by the president of the largest corporate landlord in the country, a company that her longtime political advisors are currently helping to defeat a California ballot measure that would expand rent control. Jonathan Gray, the billionaire president and chief operating officer of investment firm Blackstone, donated $413,000 to the Harris Action Fund in late July, just after President Biden dropped out of the race. Gray also donated $50,000 to the fund last June, while Biden was the nominee, plus $6,600 to the Biden campaign\u2014funds that are now controlled by the Harris campaign\u2026. Blackstone, a massive alternative investment management company with over $1 trillion in assets under management, is the largest landlord in the country, owning and managing almost 350,000 units of rental housing, according to a report from the Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP).\u201d \u2022\u00a0\u201cOpportunity\u201d for whom?<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
\u201cBehind the Curtain: Dems\u2019 Blue Wall blues\u201d [Axios]. \u201cTop Democratic politicians and operatives tell us the vital states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania are getting tougher for Vice President Harris and the party\u2019s Senate candidates\u2026. There\u2019s growing worry among Democrats that Harris seems stuck, even sliding a bit, after a strong start to her young presidential campaign. Her media blitz, heavy spending and largely favorable coverage don\u2019t seem to be moving the needle much, if at all, these Democrats say\u2026. [David] Axelrod adds that Harris \u2018had a great launch, right through the convention and the debate. But in these campaigns, every time you clear a bar, the bar gets raised. You have to lift your game and adjust your strategy.’\u201d \u2022 So hoisting a beer is lifting your game?<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
AK: \u201cA Crazier Path to 270: Can Harris Wrest Alaska Away From Trump?\u201d [Bloomberg]. \u201cAlaskans tend to refer to lawmakers by their first names \u2014 Lisa, Mary or Sarah, as in Palin \u2014 reflecting intensely local politics. The state has voted for Republican presidential candidates in every election after 1964, but on the rest of the ballot, it\u2019s one of the most bipartisan states. Its state legislature is ruled by coalitions of Republicans, Democrats and one independent, and its US congressional delegation is known for bucking party lines\u2026. Now the state has also become an unlikely talking point for Democratic fundraisers and strategists as a small but tantalizing presidential election prize after a poll last month showed Harris trailing former President Donald Trump by just 5 percentage points. Polling there has been more sparse than in traditional swing states. But in an election year in which crazier things have already happened, it suddenly seemed not impossible for the Harris campaign to scoop up Alaska\u2019s three electoral votes, offering an alternative path to the 270 electoral votes needed for the presidency.\u201d<\/p>\n
MI: \u201cCrashing Arab American Support Spells Danger for Kamala Harris in Michigan\u201d (interview) [James Zogby, Rolling Stone]. \u201cIs the Arab voter shift to Trump reversible?That Trump vote \u2014 going to 42 percent \u2014 was an increase of 7 percent. But that 7 percent was soft. We asked the voters, if Harris were to demand a cease-fire, or if she were to say she would suspend arms aid unless Israel agreed to a cease-fire, her numbers went up from 42 to 62 percent. She regained a significant number of Trump votes that were the people basically voting for him as a protest against Democrats. The reaction I\u2019m getting, when I go around the country and talk to people, is they want to punish Democrats. That\u2019s not a smart political move, but that\u2019s what people are feeling. And I don\u2019t have an argument to make because they haven\u2019t given us arguments to make. Who is \u201cthey,\u201d I\u2019m sorry? The campaign. I keep telling them, if you want people to vote for you, you gotta give them a reason. They don\u2019t seem to care enough about the Arab American vote to do something to get it.\u201d \u2022\u00a0This is like Clinton not visiting Wisconsin in 2016. And to think all Harris would have to do is lie! (Thinking wishfully, Biden could pull something out of his hat, but even if he could, he probably wouldn\u2019t, given how he keeps counter-programming Kamala\u2019s campaign events.)<\/p>\n
NC: \u201cWe\u2019re still finding dead neighbors in North Carolina. We need help\u201d [Guardian]. \u201cMany were. At least 227 people have died, and that toll is only going to get higher. The rivers are giving up the dead; landslides are yielding corpses. The destruction is grotesque and, in some cases, total, with bridges condemned, roadways eviscerated, and whole towns \u2013 Swannanoa, Hot Springs \u2013 obliterated. The personal terror I felt that morning is nothing compared to the rage I feel on behalf of those lives unnecessarily lost, those displaced, those struggling to access too few services, and at a governmental response that has seemingly prioritized the most privileged. I am one of those most privileged. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) showed up to my affluent, resource-secure neighborhood of Asheville on 1 October. However, I have been without power, water and wifi, and had only spotty cell service, since 27 September. There is a curfew in place, there are gas shortages and everyone is living with a profound feeling of disconnection from the rest of the world. Mutual aid has been a lifeline for me and many others.\u201d And mutual aid is great. But: \u201cBesides hearing that Joe Biden did an aerial overpass of our region (\u201cWe\u2019ve got your back\u201d) and the appearance of Fema trucks in my gentrified neighborhood on Tuesday, I have seen little evidence of the robust, coordinated, multi-agency response for which I and many others had hoped. Perhaps that\u2019s in part because the roads are in various states of destruction and the cell network barely usable. But, having lived through the pandemic in 2020, I\u2019m skeptical.\u201d \u2022 Not the sentiment that Democrat would wish to hear, I am sure (recall from yesterday the lack of AP stories; FEMA barrelling in with relief is exactly the sort of story AP could and would cover, even if they only went as far as Asheville. But nothing (which raises its own questions).<\/p>\n
NC: \u201cWill Hurricane Helene Disrupt Elections in North Carolina?\u201d [Democracy Docket]. From October 2. \u201d election officials across the state have come together to provide support. \u2018I\u2019ve been overwhelmed, but not surprised, by the offers of help from county boards of elections in parts of the state not affected by the storm to help their colleagues in western North Carolina,\u2019 [Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections] said. \u2018And I know that support will continue.’\u201d<\/p>\n
NC: \u201c14 of 19 polling places in Avery County unusable after Helene, elections director says\u201d [WCNC]. \u201cSheila E. Ollis, the elections director in Avery County, says 14 out of 19 polling places in the county are unusable due to various impacts of Helene. Reasons for the closures include landslides, washed-out roads and being converted into shelters. Ollis told WCNC Charlotte\u2019s Kayland Hagwood that county leaders are working to merge some polling locations so residents can vote. Any changes would require county board approval.\u201d \u2022 Hence the tweaked voting rules\u2014<\/p>\n
NC: \u201cTwo states blasted by storms tweak voting rules\u201d [Axios]. \u201cNorth Carolina\u2019s elections board this week unanimously approved emergency measures for the 13 western counties hit hardest by Helene. The changes include allowing county election boards to modify early voting days, hours and sites \u2014 and open a polling place in another county if their own polling site has been impacted. Boards also may allow any voter in the county who is unable to get to their Election Day precinct voting site to cast a ballot at the county\u2019s elections office. North Carolina lawmakers on Wednesday also approved legislation to give $5 million to the State Board of Elections for post-storm administration costs \u2014 and expand the emergency rules to 25 counties. The changes could help many North Carolinians vote, but voting isn\u2019t likely to be top of mind for those with profound losses. \u2018If your basement is flooded, or if you are displaced and you have to go live with your grandma in another state \u2026 voting is going to drop down your list of priorities,\u2019 [Kevin Morris, a senior research fellow and voting policy scholar with the Brennan Center\u2019s Democracy Program] said.\u201d<\/p>\n
NV: \u201cThe Latino Battleground You Haven\u2019t Heard About\u201d [Politico]. \u201cNevada is far more competitive this year than in recent elections. While Democrats have stacked wins over the last two decades and Biden won the state by two percentage points in 2020, there was a hiccup during the 2022 midterms, with Democrat Steve Sisolak becoming the only incumbent governor in the nation to lose. Despite the union\u2019s endorsement of Harris this summer, \u201cWe think if the election was today we would lose Nevada,\u201d a Culinary official said.\u201d \u2022 Univision will have a Harris Town Hall today (October 10). High stakes, much higher than Colbert and The View.<\/p>\n
NV: \u201cIn Nevada, Latinos could pick the next president. They aren\u2019t sold on either candidate\u201d [NPR]. \u201cAround 1 in 5 voters in the Silver State are Latino. That\u2019s more political power than the group has in almost any of the other seven key states in the Electoral College count\u2026. The Democrats have also launched their not-so-secret weapon in the state \u2014 an army of service workers from the Culinary Workers Union who have been helping deliver the party victories for several elections. Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Workers Union, admits Nevada, \u2018to be honest, should be Trump territory.\u2019 \u2018At the end of the day, we\u2019re competitive, and we outwork everybody,\u2019 he said, adding, \u2018there\u2019s a pathway to win if we really can get workers talking to workers face to face at the doors.\u2019 That\u2019s exactly what they do. Thousands of cooks and servers and room cleaners will take a leave of absence to knock on doors, six days a week for Harris and the Democrats. The Culinary Union will help cover their missed wages as they undertake this different kind of work. The Trump campaign is also increasing its efforts to reach Latino voters. In Nevada, it\u2019s hosting Spanish phone banking sessions, postcard writing nights and trainings for local volunteers.\u201d \u2022 <\/p>\n
NY: \u201cTrump will hold a rally at Madison Square Garden in the race\u2019s final stretch\u201d [Associated Press]. \u201cTrump has long said he believes that he can win New York, even though it is overwhelmingly Democratic and he has lost the state in the last two elections by more than 20 percentage points. But Trump also relishes staging events that will draw outsized media attention, like one held at the so-called World\u2019s Most Famous Arena.\u201d \u2022 Maybe the campaign has adopted the precautionary principle, and scheduled Trump into a safe place? <\/p>\n
PA: \u201cNew Poll: Despite Blue-Collar Troubles, Harris Has Slight Lead Over Trump in Pennsylvania\u201d [Jacobin]. \u201cnew Center for Working-Class Politics (CWCP) \/ YouGov poll conducted between September 24 and October 2 finds 46.8% of registered voters in Pennsylvania support Vice President Kamala Harris while 44.7% support former president Donald Trump for president in 2024. Another 5.5% remain undecided, and 3.0% support another candidate\u2026. Among the lowest-income voters, those making less than $30k a year, Harris holds a commanding lead with 53.3% to Trump\u2019s 38.3% support. Among lower-middle-income ($30k\u2013$60k) and middle-income voters ($60k\u2013$100k), Trump leads by a margin of 0.6% and 4.6%, respectively. Among upper-middle-income voters ($100k\u2013$200k), Harris leads with 47.6% to Trump\u2019s 45.6%. And among the highest-income voters (>$200k), Trump has a lead with 51.7% compared to only 48.3% for Harris. Overall, voters with a household income below the median favor Harris (47%) over Trump (44%), while voters earning above the median are split between the candidates at 47% support for each. Among manual workers, 55.9% prefer Trump and only 36.2% prefer Harris. Among service and clerical workers, Harris has the edge with 47.7% support to Trump\u2019s 42%. Among professionals, Harris leads with 47.3% support to Trump\u2019s 44.9% support. The candidates are in a dead heat among managers and business owners: Harris has 46.4%, Trump has 46.4%.\u201d<\/p>\n
PA: \u201cThe Latino Battleground You Haven\u2019t Heard About\u201d [Politico]. Using this one twice: \u201cLatinos are poised to play a pivotal role across the battleground state landscape in November, not only in the Sun Belt states where Latino populations are highest but in Rust Belt stalwarts like Pennsylvania, where Latinos are the state\u2019s fastest-growing demographic group \u2014 and a significant bloc in small- and mid-sized cities spanning from northeastern Pennsylvania to the Lehigh Valley.\u201d \u2022\u00a0Where our supply chain warehouses are.<\/p>\n
PA: \u201cObama Heads to Pennsylvania to Give Harris a Jolt of Democratic Energy\u201d [New York Times]. \u201cUnleashing Mr. Obama is a sign that Ms. Harris is moving her campaign into its highest gear with Election Day less than a month away and the presidential race exceedingly close. This week, her operation is turning its focus from fund-raising and defining her message to getting out the vote as quickly as possible. Mr. Obama\u2019s rally on Thursday in Pittsburgh kick-starts that effort. And he is expected to continue rallying Democrats to the polls in several more battleground state events in the coming weeks. \u2018You bring in someone like Barack Obama to inspire people, to encourage them to participate and to set the stakes and urge them to vote,\u2019 said David Axelrod, a former top strategist for Mr. Obama. \u2018There\u2019s no one better.\u2019 Encouraging early voting is a key campaign strategy. As more Democrats cast their ballots early, it becomes easier for the Harris campaign to find and turn out the voters who are harder to reach.\u201d \u2022 Unleashing Obama? Or pushing a string?<\/p>\n
WI: \u201cBattle Over Ballot Drop Boxes Rages On in Wisconsin as Officials Put Them at Center of Election Integrity Debate\u201d [ProPublica]. \u201cBut ever since the high drama of the 2020 presidential election, humble drop boxes have been more than a receptacle of absentee ballots; they\u2019ve morphed into a vessel for emotion, suspicion and even conspiracy theories. In the battleground state of Wisconsin, especially, the mere presence of these sidewalk containers has inspired political activists and community leaders to plot against them, to call on people to watch them around the clock and even to hijack them. They\u2019ve been the subject of two state Supreme Court decisions, as well as legal memos, local council deliberations, press conferences and much hand-wringing. Wausau Mayor Doug Diny was so leery of the box outside City Hall that he absconded with it on a Sunday in September, isolating it in his office. It had not yet been secured to the ground, he said, and so he wanted to keep it safe. The escapade was met with a backlash but also won the mayor some admirers online before he returned it. Wausau Mayor Doug Diny removed the ballot box outside City Hall and brought it to his office. Credit:Courtesy of Doug Diny. As early voting for the November election begins and Wisconsinites receive their absentee ballots, they have choices on how to return them. Mail them. Deliver them in person to the municipal clerk. Or, in some communities, deposit them in a drop box, typically located outside a municipal building, library, community center or fire station.\u201d \u2022 Complexity is the enemy of quality, meaning \u201cchoice\u201d is not automatically good. Why build a system that multiplies attack surfaces? A question that answers itself, once asked. Also, early voting delenda est.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/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 (wastewater); 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, KF, KidDoc, 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
Morbidity and Mortality<\/p>\n
\u201cTurkish Airlines pilot dies mid-flight, prompting emergency JFK landing\u201d [Daily News]. \u2022 I wonder why. \u2018Tis a mystery!<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/p>\n
Wastewater<\/p>\n
This week[1] CDC October 5<\/p>\n
Last Week[2] CDC (until next week):<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/covid-cdc-www-natl.png\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-ww-natl-3.png\")
<\/p>\n
Variants [3] CDC September 28<\/p>\n
Emergency Room Visits[4] CDC September 28<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-variants-natl-1.png\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-cdc-ed-natl-3.png\")
<\/p>\n
Hospitalization<\/p>\n
\u2605 New York[5] New York State, data October 8:<\/p>\n
National [6] CDC September 14:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/covid-ny-hospitalization-nyc-4.png\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/covid-cdc-hospitalization-natl.png\")
<\/p>\n
Positivity<\/p>\n
National[7] Walgreens October 7:<\/p>\n
Ohio[8] Cleveland Clinic October 5:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/covid-walgreens-positivity-states-4.png\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/covid-cleveland-positivity-oh-1.png\")
<\/p>\n
Travelers Data<\/p>\n
Positivity[9] CDC September 16:
\nVariants[10] CDC September 16:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/covid-cdc-positivity-travelers.png\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/covid-cdc-variants-travelers.png\")
<\/p>\n
Deaths<\/p>\n
Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11]CDC September 28:<\/p>\n
Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12]CDC September 28:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/covid-cdc-death-positivity-natl%CC%A7.png\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/covid-cdc-death-ed-natl.png\")
<\/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) Still some hot spots, but I can\u2019t draw circles around entire regions this week. Good news!<\/p>\n
[2] (CDC) Last week\u2019s wastewater map.<\/p>\n
[3] (CDC Variants) KP.* very popular. XEC has entered the chat.<\/p>\n
[4] (ED) Down, but worth noting that Emergency Department use is now on a par with the first wave, in 2020.<\/p>\n
[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Definitely down.<\/p>\n
[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). <\/p>\n
[7] (Walgreens) Big drop continues!<\/p>\n
[8] (Cleveland) Dropping.<\/p>\n
[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Up, though lagged.<\/p>\n
[10] (Travelers: Variants).<\/p>\n
[11] Deaths low, positivity down.<\/p>\n
[12] Deaths low, ED down.<\/p>\n
Stats Watch<\/p>\n
Employment Situation: \u201cUnited States Initial Jobless Claims\u201d [Trading Economics]. \u201cThe number of individuals filing for unemployment benefits in the U.S. rose by 33,000, reaching a total of 258,000 for the week ending October 5th, surpassing market expectations of 230,000. This marks the highest level in 14 months, largely driven by substantial increases in Michigan and states affected by Hurricane Helene. In Michigan alone, claims surged by 10,667 over the past two weeks, primarily due to layoffs in the manufacturing and management sectors. North Carolina and Florida also saw notable increases.\u201d \u2022 Michigan, eh?<\/p>\n
Inflation: \u201cUnited States Consumer Price Index (CPI)\u201d [Trading Economics]. \u201cConsumer Price Index CPI in the United States increased to 315.30 points in September from 314.80 points in August of 2024.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Considers \u2018Next Steps\u2019 After Pulling Contract Offer for Striking Workers\u201d [Flying]. \u201cIn a statement posted Tuesday by IAM District 751 in Seattle, Washington, IAM said that Boeing refused to propose any wage increases, vacation\/sick leave accrual progression, ratification bonus, 401(k) match\/SCRC contribution or reinstate workers\u2019 benefit pension. \u2018By refusing to bargain the offer sent to the media, the company made it harder to reach an agreement,\u2019 the IAM statement continued. \u2018Your negotiating committee attempted to address multiple priorities that could have led to an offer we could bring to a vote, but the company wasn\u2019t willing to move in our direction. Through the mediator, Boeing has now withdrawn its September 23 offer.\u2019 The IAM statement said that a survey of the union\u2019s members showed the contract offer wasn\u2019t good enough. It said that the union\u2019s negotiating committee remains ready to continue talks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Manufacturing: \u201cPush to end Machinists strike stalls as storm clouds gather over Boeing\u201d [Seattle Times]. \u201cStephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, blamed the union\u2019s negotiating committee for the standstill\u2026. In this round of negotiations, Pope told employees Tuesday, Boeing had made \u2018new and improved proposals,\u2019 including increases in take-home pay and retirement. Holden, the Machinists union president, said that claim is misleading and overstates what Boeing brought to the table. The increase in take-home pay revolved around a guaranteed 2% annual bonus, Holden said. But Machinists have received a larger bonus for 11 of the last 12 years, meaning that stipulation would not guarantee higher take-home pay, Holden continued. He said the company had increased the amount of money workers with a vested pension benefit could earn for each year of service. But, Holden continued, the company did not address other retirement benefits. Now there\u2019s no offer at all at the table. \u2018Which was a foolish mistake,\u2019 Holden said. ;This is our job to get an agreement. It\u2019s our job to continue negotiating, to continue trying to work through our individual stances and to get traction on something that could lead to a negotiated offer that we could vote.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Manufacturing: \u201cA United Boeing 787 with 176 people on board had to divert after the pilot\u2019s screens went blank over remote northern Canada\u201d [Business Insider]. \u201cAccording to a Transportation Safety Board of Canada report, while over Hudson Bay, the \u2018captain\u2019s primary flight display and navigation display failed to a blank display.\u2019 Both flight management computers also entered \u201ca degraded mode with limited capabilities.\u2019 The [Transportation Safety Board of Canadas\u2019s] report added that this meant the plane was left without lateral navigation or LNAV \u2014 an autopilot mode that involves following a programmed flight path.\u201d \u2022 Oopsie.<\/p>\n
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Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 72 Greed (previous close: 72 Greed) [CNN]. One week ago: 71 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Oct 10 at 1:55:29 PM ET.<\/p>\n
News of the Wired<\/p>\n
\u201cPortugal plans to become low-tax haven for young people\u201d [Financial Times]. \u201cThe country\u2019s centre-right government wants to reduce the income tax burden on young people for 10 years \u2014 including a first year in which no tax is due \u2014 under a plan that has few precedents in fiscal policy elsewhere. The initiative underlines the urgency of reversing a debilitating outflow of young people, who are leaving one of the poorest economies in western Europe in search of better paid jobs abroad.\u201d \u2022 I keep saying: Have your passports ready. And nothing wrong with a little arbitrage!<\/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 JU:<\/p>\n
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JU writes: \u201cWalker Pass wildflower show.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. Material here is Lambert\u2019s, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. 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
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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!\n<\/p>\n
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