By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Chook Music of the Day

Purple-throated Loon, Drizzle Lake, Haida Gwaii, Skeena-Queen Charlotte, British Columbia, Canada. “Wail duet, Plesiosaur duet. Breeding pair in territory.” Appears like Pink Floyd! “Drizzle Lake” is sweet, too. So Canadian!

Politics

“So most of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in truth a rational administration of symbolic capital.” –Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles

Biden Administration

“White Home ‘Nutcracker’ vacation video attracts blended opinions” [The Hill]. • Right here it’s:

A little bit of magic, surprise, and pleasure dropped at you by the gifted tappers of Dorrance Dance, performing their playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite.

Get pleasure from! 💕 pic.twitter.com/qXtCm4t37o

— Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) December 13, 2023

I dunno. If I have been in Biden’s West Wing, I don’t assume “faucet dancing” can be phrase I’d need related to the administration simply now. (OTOH, possibly “tap-dancing” is Dr. Biden’s refined method of indicating her existential place going into 2024.*) That mentioned, not an knowledgeable in faucet, however context-free, I’d say the video is fairly good! NOTE * Additionally, kudos for the right use of the Oxford comma.

2024

Lower than a 12 months to go!

* * *

“The thriller of the lacking binder: How a group of uncooked Russian intelligence disappeared underneath Trump” [CNN]. The binder is a MacGuffin (“In criminal tales it’s nearly all the time the necklace, and in spy tales it’s most all the time the papers.” — Alfred Hitchcock). Listed below are the primary two paragraphs: “A binder containing extremely labeled data associated to Russian election interference went lacking on the finish of Donald Trump’s presidency, elevating that a number of the most intently guarded nationwide safety secrets and techniques from the US and its allies might be uncovered, instructed CNN. Its disappearance, which has not been beforehand reported, was so regarding that briefed Senate Intelligence Committee leaders final 12 months concerning the lacking supplies and the federal government’s efforts to retrieve them, the sources mentioned.” Please forgive my skepticism _{MR SUBLIMINAL BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!! You’re an excessive amount of, Lambert!} relating to the sourcing. Are we actually to imagine that after three years (1,060 days) of hysterical and motivated assaults on Trump, orchestrated by these identical spook or spook-adjacent figures, together with 4 — Is it 4? I lose observe — ongoing felony investigations, considered one of which already entails labeled paperwork, that this viral matter by no means got here up — till it appeared like Trump would possibly beat the calendar on a number of the instances, or win his Supreme Courtroom case on immunity? Anyhoo, the piece is value a learn, as a result of it’s a type of costly well-crafted mobile-friendly items, with little animations — CNN actually splashed out, kudos — however I’d take it with a truckload of salts. In spite of everything, if the story was actually good, wouldn’t the spooks have planted it with Ignatius?

“Why Trump Is Profitable” [RealClearPolitics]. “Former President Donald Trump is the overwhelming favourite to win the Republican presidential nomination: The newest Des Moines Register/NBC Information ballot exhibits Trump at 51% in Iowa, up 8% since October, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a distant second at 19% and Nikki Haley at 16%. In keeping with analyst Steve Kornacki, there may be an enthusiasm hole in favor of Trump: 70% of Trump supporters say their minds are made up. He’s presently at 72% favorability with Iowa caucusgoers. Within the basic, Trump can be up. And he’s not up by a small margin. He’s up considerably. Donald Trump, if the election have been held at the moment, would grow to be president of the USA. In keeping with a Wall Avenue Journal ballot over the weekend, Trump leads President Joe Biden 47% to 43% within the nationwide polls; if third-party and unbiased candidates enter the combination, that lead jumps to 6 factors, 37% to 31%. What’s extra, based on the newest CNN ballot, Trump leads Biden by 10 factors in Michigan; he leads by 5 in Georgia. There are two causes for this. First, Joe Biden is very, terribly unpopular…. This brings us to the second purpose Trump is main Biden within the polls proper now: he’s not within the information. That’s additionally the rationale he’s up in Iowa head and shoulders above the remainder of the candidates. As a result of he’s not within the information, he’s beating Biden — that takes the electability argument away from DeSantis and Haley. And since he’s not within the information, everybody has been capable of look away from Trump’s loopy, which has all the time been his Achilles heel. Paradoxically, probably the greatest issues ever to occur to Trump politically was his social media ban: it has made him practically invisible. So, right here’s the query: Will issues keep this fashion?” • If you happen to view this election as steady, the reply is sure. If risky, no.

* * *

“Trump is overperforming, however there’s a method again for Biden” [Stanley Greenberg, Financial Times]. Attention-grabbing to see Greenberg within the FT. “The rationale Donald Trump is presently overperforming as an anti-system, anti-immigrant candidate is that Joe Biden hasn’t realised but the principles of the following US presidential election.  The 2024 race is being formed by three distinctive components. First, the inflation produced by the financial system restarting after the pandemic, provide chain issues, rising power costs following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the excessive price of meals. Second, heightened anger at profiteering by massive firms and more and more seen monopolies. And third, surging ranges of migration brought on by wars, political unrest and excessive climate…. So, Trump will overperform so long as nearly 60 per cent of voters select him and the Republicans over Biden and the Democrats on ‘your wages and wage maintaining with the price of dwelling’, dealing with ‘crime’ and the ‘border’. And people are three of the highest 4 points dealing with the nation. When voters hear the Inflation Discount Act is right here ‘to avoid wasting you cash’, that message is welcomed by 52 per cent of voters — seven factors above Biden’s vote. The Biden administration can be nicely positioned to speak about profiteering and what it has executed to shift energy from Wall Avenue and massive companies. Its appointments to regulatory companies have made it clear staff have a proper to organise, have introduced a contemporary antitrust lawsuit towards Amazon and have issued new tips for mergers. And messaging on the financial system that begins with the rivalry that ‘financial energy is concentrated within the arms of massive banks’ and insists Biden has ‘an agenda to shift energy away from company giants and company executives’ is welcomed by 53 per cent of voters.” • Biden doing one thing that might assist staff and trigger screams of ache from CEOs or higher, banksters, can be begin. I don’t assume Biden has it in him.

“Hunter Biden bursts into public view: Right here’s how the president’s son will play a central function in 2024” [USA Today]. “On the White Home, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned the president knew about his son’s plan to talk out, and ‘the president was definitely accustomed to what his son was going to say.’” • “Communicate out,” good Lord. So I take it that additionally means Biden was conscious of that Hunter — Expensive Hunter! — deliberate to defy a Home subpoena, an act for which Republicans (Bannon; Navarro) have been tried and convicted?

* * *

“The Actual Cause Ron DeSantis’s Marketing campaign Is Rotting” [Frank Bruni, New York Times]. Soi disant restaurant critic Bruni in positive kind: “”whereas DeSantis’s downward trajectory recollects the unhappy arcs of Rudy Giuliani within the 2008 presidential race and Scott Walker eight years later, an enormous a part of the reason is peculiar to him. It’s a deficit of pleasure. His joylessness is why it’s so disagreeable to look at him, whether or not he’s at a lectern or a state truthful, dressed up or dressed down, demonizing schoolteachers or migrants or Mickey Mouse…. However even earlier than his marketing campaign’s stench of demise, he usually bore the expression of somebody catching a whiff of one thing foul. And a bitter puss will not be the sweetest bait. It’s not the neatest presidential audition.” • I’m nearly rooting for DeSantis, now. And I’ve taken a dislike to the man.

* * *

“Swing-State, Working-Class Blues” [Ruy Teixeira, The Liberal Patriot]. “A run of nationwide polls have had Biden shedding to Trump however, even worse, so have quite a few swing-state polls. The newest are of Michigan and Georgia by CNN. Within the former, Biden is behind by 10 factors; within the latter, he’s trailing by 5 factors. Peering into the crosstabs, it’s clear that Biden’s woes in these states have lots to do with declining assist amongst working-class voters. Let’s overview a number of the related knowledge, beginning with Michigan.” Hurrah! Teixeira mentioned “working class,” not “ working class”! Extra: “Michigan: In comparison with Biden’s profitable effort in 2020, the autumn off in working-class assist urged right here is precipitous…. Georgia: In 2020, Biden misplaced Georgia working-class voters by simply 6 factors, so his present 14-point deficit is an 8-point swing towards him…. Nationwide: Biden’s working-class approval ranking on dealing with the financial system is simply 26 p.c. Among the many college-educated, in distinction, it’s a extra respectable 43 p.c.” Concluding: Biden’s path to victory in 2024 in fact goes by way of the important thing swing states everyone talks about. However individuals ought to notice that the trail to victory in these swing states goes by way of the working-class voters in these states, voters amongst whom he has been shedding crucial assist. He and his marketing campaign will both repair this drawback or they are going to lose.” • Watching Teixeira morph into Thomas Frank is sort of a horror film. However there’s a sure thrill to it….

* * *

IA: “Prime evangelical chief says he doesn’t imagine ballot exhibiting sturdy Trump assist in Iowa” [The Hill]. “Bob Vander Plaats, an influential Iowa evangelical chief, mentioned he doesn’t imagine current polling that exhibits evangelical voters nonetheless assist former President Trump. ‘I don’t imagine them, and there’s a purpose I don’t imagine them – as a result of it doesn’t match up in any respect to what I’m listening to on the bottom,’ Vander Plaats instructed The Washington Submit on Thursday. He mentioned he’s an enormous fan of Ann Selzer, an Iowa political pollster, however mentioned she has gotten it improper up to now. Vander Plaats’s interview got here greater than a month after he endorsed Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), who continues to path the previous president in each state and nationwide polls. In keeping with Determination Desk HQ, which has not too long ago partnered with The Hill, the newest polling exhibits DeSantis incomes 17 p.c assist amongst Iowa voters, whereas Trump is within the lead with 54 p.c.”

MI: “Trump Pulls Forward in Michigan as Union, Girls Voters Bitter on Biden” [Bloomberg]. “Trump led Biden 46% to 42% within the ballot performed Nov. 27-Dec. 5, after they have been tied in the identical survey executed in October and early November. Trump’s lead is simply throughout the ballot’s margin of error of 4 share factors. The previous president now leads within the month-to-month monitoring ballot of all seven swing states that may determine the 2024 presidential election…. Early polls aren’t indicator of the outcomes a 12 months from now, and the Democratic celebration has simply began focused messaging to assist Biden within the state, Michigan Democratic Get together Chair Lavora Barnes mentioned in an interview. She expects the erosion of labor assist to cease as soon as the UAW rallies its members. ‘When the UAW turns its deal with this election, when labor unions all flip their deal with this election, they’ll do not forget that that is the president who has stood with them, and stood by them 12 months after 12 months, and can proceed to,’ Barnes mentioned in an interview. ‘And they’re going to come to the Democrats. I’m certain of that.’” • No railroad staff in Michigan, then? (That is additionally earlier than some Muslim voters organized themselves to say they’d had it with Biden on Gaza.)

Republican Funhouse

Democrats en Déshabillé

Affected person readers, it appears that evidently persons are really studying the back-dated publish! However I’ve not up to date it, and there are lots of updates. So I should try this. –lambert

I’ve moved my standing remarks on the Democrat Get together (“the Democrat Get together is a rotting corpse that may’t bury itself”) to a separate, back-dated publish, to which I’ll periodically add materials, summarizing the addition right here in a “stay” Water Cooler. (Hopefully, some Bourdieu.) It seems that defining the Democrat Get together is, in truth, a tough drawback. I do assume the paragraph that follows is on level all the best way again to 2016, if not earlier than:

The Democrat Get together is the political expression of the category energy of PMC, their base (lucidly defined by Thomas Frank in Hear, Liberal!). ; if the Democrat Get together didn’t exist, the PMC must invent it. . (“PMC” modulo “class expatriates,” in fact.) Second, all of the working components of the Get together reinforce one another. Go away apart characterizing the relationships between components of the Get together (ka-ching, however not fully) these components comprise a community — a Flex Web? An iron octagon? — of funders, distributors, apparatchiks, electeds, NGOs, and miscellaneous mercenaries, with belongings within the press and the intelligence group.

Word, in fact, that the category energy of the PMC each expresses and is proscribed by different lessons; oligarchs and American gentry (see ‘industrial mannequin’ of Ferguson, Jorgensen, and Jie) and the working class spring to thoughts. Suck up, kick down.

* * *

“Michelle Wu’s segregated Christmas celebration exposes the left’s regressive views on race” [New York Post]. “On Thursday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu defended her determination to host an ‘Electeds of Shade Vacation Get together,’ excluding the town council’s seven white members. The race-based soirée got here to mild as a result of an aide by chance despatched an invite to each member, then awkwardly needed to do some quick dis-inviting. The mayor bizarrely defined: ‘It’s my intention that we are able to, once more, be a metropolis that lives our values and create house for all types of communities to return collectively.’” • This was an official operate; the invitation was despatched by Wu’s director of Metropolis Council relations. I feel that electeds in an official capability have to not less than fake they’ll get alongside, particularly in a metropolis like Boston, which has a horrid racial historical past (and to be clear, not placing a Purple Line cease at Roxbury was “dis-invitation” on the grand scale, carried out by individuals who (presumably) determine as White. Nonetheless, pretend it, can’t you?).

Our Famously Free Press

#COVID19

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

Sources, United States (Nationwide): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot; contains many counties; Wastewater Scan, contains drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); “Iowa COVID-19 Tracker” (in IA, however nationwide knowledge). “An infection Management, Emergency Administration, Security, and Normal 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 tackle 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 reviews); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur d’Alene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard); NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard); PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (dashboard); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV (wastewater); WY (wastewater).

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

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

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

Keep secure on the market!

Maskstravaganza

The way it must be:

Had an echocardiogram this morning. I used to be masked, as was the echo tech. She had the sniffles/ was clearing her throat throat.
A number of factors:
1) She ideally ought to’ve stayed dwelling from work – however in the true world, that’s not all the time a selection for individuals. This additional underscores… pic.twitter.com/mDF9RVxxOm

— Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) December 15, 2023

The way it shouldn’t be (GM) (1):

As a result of what a newly mobilising ECMO affected person wants is to catch COVID from the unmasked nursing employees. Dig the plastic aprons, although.
Sluggish handclap, Gold Coast College Hospital. 👏👏👏https://t.co/DPmKdMVni5 pic.twitter.com/lBUCW46GFo

— Dr David Berger, aBsuRdiSTe cROnickLeR (@YouAreLobbyLud) December 14, 2023

The way it shouldn’t be (GM) (2):

I don’t need to be overly crucial of you, overworked employees at Westmead.

However after we come to go to our buddies in shared rehab wards and they’re sharing with Covid constructive unmasked individuals, no hepafilters & your employees aren’t masked, I truthfully must say what the precise fuck. pic.twitter.com/xAAMA2daTu

— Sam Connor (@criprights) December 14, 2023

Therapy

“Lengthy-term outcomes following hospital admission for COVID-19 versus seasonal influenza: a cohort research” [The Lancet]. From the Summary: “We aimed to do a comparative analysis of each acute and long-term dangers and burdens of a complete set of well being outcomes following hospital admission for COVID-19 or seasonal influenza…. For this cohort research we used the health-care databases of the US Division of Veterans Affairs to analyse knowledge from 81 280 members admitted to hospital for COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and June 30, 2022, and 10 985 members admitted to hospital for seasonal influenza between Oct 1, 2015, and Feb 28, 2019…. Though charges of demise and opposed well being outcomes following hospital admission for both seasonal influenza or COVID-19 are excessive, this comparative evaluation exhibits that hospital admission for COVID-19 was related to greater long-term dangers of demise and opposed well being outcomes in practically each organ system (apart from the pulmonary system) and important cumulative extra [disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs)] than hospital admission for seasonal influenza.” • Unsurprisingly, Covid will not be “simply the flu.” And on the identical Lancet research–

“COVID-19 v. Flu: A ‘way more severe menace,’ new research into long-term dangers concludes” [Fortune]. “Virtually from the beginning of SARS-CoV-2’s rampage across the globe, researchers and epidemiologists warned that it appeared to behave in a different way than identified viruses, notably seasonal flu. That included not solely COVID-19’s basic contagiousness in comparison with flu viruses, but additionally its capacity to trigger clotting issues within the veins and arteries, lead to lack of odor and/or style, and even result in a uncommon multisystem inflammatory syndrome in kids. That message was taken kind of severely, relying on geography and, usually, politics. However as a brand new research makes clear, the warnings have proved darkly prophetic…. The end result: COVID-19 poses a a lot greater danger, each within the quick run and long run, than flu. However the flu stays “a formidable foe,” [senior author Ziyad Al-Aly] says. ‘Going into this winter season the place instances of COVID and flu are rising, individuals ought to be certain that they’re vaccinated for each, and for RSV in the event that they qualify, and take precautions to decrease their danger.’ … ‘We trivialize COVID infections at our peril,’ says Al-Aly. ‘The target proof is evident, whether or not it’s a first an infection or reinfection, COVID remains to be a severe menace to human well being.’”

“One thing Terrible”

Lambert right here: I’m getting the sensation that the “One thing Terrible” could be a sawtooth sample — variant after variant — that averages out to a completely excessive plateau. Plenty of exceptionally nasty sequelae, most definitely deriving from immune dysregulation (says this layperson). To which we would add mind harm, together with character modifications therefrom.

* * *

Elite Maleficence

It will certain be a disgrace if LaGarde contaminated the complete convention:

Narrator: Covid is contagious, particularly if coughing. https://t.co/z9A2eYS47t

— Trisha Greenhalgh (@trishgreenhalgh) December 15, 2023

Case Knowledge

NOT UPDATED From BioBot wastewater knowledge, December 11:

Lambert right here: Ultimately Biden’s crushed each considered one of Trump’s earlier spikes, so a spherical of applause for The Large Man. The slight plateauing within the nationwide numbers doesn’t make sense to me as a result of I can’t see an natural purpose for it (except the unfold from Thanksgiving is in some way being damped out, which appears implausible). I’m guessing backward revision will make the plateau go away. Solely 14 superspreading days till Christmas!

Regional knowledge:

Exhausting to see why the regional break up (and it certain can be good to have extra granular knowledge). Climate forcing Northerners indoors? Appears facile. There’s snow within the Rockies (inexperienced shade, West), for instance.

Variants

NOT UPDATED From CDC, December 9:

Lambert right here: JN.1, proven on the NowCast for the primary time, arising quick on the skin, whereas BA.2.86 fades.

From CDC, November25:

Lambert right here: I certain hope the volunteers doing Pangolin, on which this chart relies upon, don’t all transfer on the inexperienced fields and pastures new (or have their entry to amenities minimize by directors of ailing intent).

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

Covid Emergency Room Visits

From CDC NCIRD Surveillance, December 9:

Lambert right here: Right here additionally we see one thing of a pause, just like the wastewater. Solely per week’s lag, so this can be our greatest present nationwide, present indicator.

NOTE “Charts and knowledge supplied by CDC, updates Wednesday by 8am. For the previous 12 months, utilizing a rolling 52-week interval.” So not the complete pandemic, FFS (the implicit message right here being that Covid is “identical to the flu,” which is why the seasonal “rolling 52-week interval” is suitable for each_{MR SUBLIMINAL I hate these individuals a lot}. Discover additionally that this chart exhibits, not less than for its time interval, that Covid is not seasonal, regardless that CDC is attempting to get us to imagine that it’s, presumably to allow them to piggyback on the prevailing institutional equipment for injections. And naturally, we’re not even moving into the standard of the wastewater websites that we’ve as a proxy for Covid an infection general.

Hospitalization

Bellwether New York Metropolis, knowledge as of December 15:

Up but once more. Drawing the gray line to point out that the extent can’t be categorized as negligible over the lifetime of the pandemic. New York state as a complete appears to be like extra like a spike. (I hate this metric as a result of the lag makes it misleading, though the hospital-centric public well being institution loves it, hospitalization and deaths being the one metrics that matter [snort]).

Right here’s a distinct CDC visualization on hospitalization, nationwide, not by state, however with a date, not less than. December 9:

Transferring forward briskly!

Lambert right here: “Maps, charts, and knowledge supplied by CDC, updates weekly for the earlier MMWR week (Sunday-Saturday) on Thursdays (Deaths, Emergency Division Visits, Check Positivity) and weekly the next Mondays (Hospitalizations) by 8 pm ET†”. So the place the heck is the replace, CDC?

Positivity

NOT UPDATED From Walgreens, December 11:

0.5%. Up. (It will be fascinating to survey this inhabitants usually; these are individuals who, regardless of a tsunami of official propaganda and massive peer stress, went and obtained examined anyhow.)

NOT UPDATED From Cleveland Clinic, December 2:

Lambert right here: Improve (with backward revision; guess they thought it was over). I do know that is simply Ohio, however the Cleveland Clinic is sweet*, and we’re starved for knowledge, so…. NOTE * Even when hospital an infection management is attempting to kill sufferers by eliminating common masking with N95s.

From CDC, traveler’s knowledge, November 20:

=

Turning upward.

Down, albeit within the rear view mirror. And listed below are the variants for vacationers, November 20:

BA.2.86 blasting upward. This may be an ideal early warning system, if the warning have been in truth early as a substitute of weeks late, good job, CDC.

Deaths

NOT UPDATED Right here is the New York Instances, based mostly on CDC knowledge, December 2:

That absolutely the numbers of deaths are down, however the share of deaths is up, is fascinating.

Stats Watch

Manufacturing: “United States NY Empire State Manufacturing Index” [Trading Economics]. “The NY Empire State Manufacturing Index sank to -14.5 in December 2023, the bottom studying in 4 months, signalling that enterprise exercise in NY declined.”

Manufacturing: “United States Industrial Manufacturing MoM” [Trading Economics]. “Industrial manufacturing within the US rose by 0.2% from the earlier month in November of 2023, trimming the upwardly revised 0.9% decline from the earlier month, and barely beneath market expectations of a 0.3% enhance.”

Capability: “United States Capability Utilization” [Trading Economics]. “Capability utilization within the US edged as much as 78.8% in November of 2023 from a downwardly revised 78.7% in October, and beneath forecasts of 79.1%.”

Tech: “Amazon drone supply government who oversaw security, FAA relations departs the corporate” [CNBC]. “Sean Cassidy, Prime Air’s director of security, flight operations and regulatory affairs, introduced his departure from the corporate final week in an inner observe to workers, a duplicate of which was seen by CNBC. Amazon employed Cassidy, a former Alaska Airways pilot and vice chairman of the world’s largest pilots union, in 2015 to supervise strategic partnerships within the drone program…. In August 2020, Amazon acquired Half 135 certification from the FAA, permitting it to make use of drones to ship packages, however with some restrictions. Final 12 months, Amazon introduced it might start testing drone deliveries in two small markets in California and Texas. However simply as this system seemed to be set to develop, Prime Air in January was by [sic] affected layoffs as a part of broader job cuts at Amazon. It has additionally been beset with regulatory setbacks and has struggled to fulfill supply objectives. In August, the unit misplaced two executives key to its operations, CNBC beforehand reported. David Carbon, Amazon’s drone supply head and a former Boeing government, beforehand set an inner goal to make 10,000 deliveries in 2023 between its two check websites. Amazon mentioned in October that its drones have ‘safely delivered a whole lot of home items’ in School Station, Texas, since December 2022, and it’s starting treatment supply by drone within the space. The announcement didn’t say what number of deliveries have been made in Lockeford, California, the corporate’s different check web site.” • “A whole lot”!

Tech: “Threads is formally beginning to check ActivityPub integration” [The Verge]. “Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted on Threads that the platform is starting to check making Threads posts obtainable on Mastodon and different ActivityPub-supporting companies. Zuckerberg wrote that making Threads work with the interoperable customary ‘will give individuals extra selection over how they work together and it’ll assist content material attain extra individuals.’ Becoming a member of the fediverse — the decentralized world of social media that features Mastodon, Pixelfed, and different companies that every one interoperate by way of ActivityPub — has been on the Threads staff’s to-do checklist for the reason that very starting. Instagram head Adam Mosseri instructed The Verge in July that he believed decentralizing the platform was key to creating it related to a brand new technology of creators.” • Not that requirements aren’t good, they’re, however followers all the time need them.

Tech: From Mastodon:

At this time’s Worry & Greed Index: 71 Greed (earlier shut: 69 Greed) [CNN]. One week in the past: 66 (Greed). (0 is Excessive Worry; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Dec 14 at 1:43:30 PM ET.

The Conservatory

“The bizarre world of superstar coaching: how Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Madonna get in form for his or her exhibits” [Guardian]. “ing a pop star used to imply having a pleasant face and voice, and studying a number of dance routines. That not cuts it on the high, as Taylor Swift reminded us final week, when she revealed how she had ready for her Eras tour. ‘On daily basis I might run on the treadmill, singing the complete set checklist out loud,’ she instructed Time journal. ‘Quick for quick songs, and a jog or a quick stroll for sluggish songs. Then I had three months of dance coaching, as a result of I needed to get it in my bones.’ In case you have seen Eras stay, or watched it on the cinema, you’ll know why she needed to put within the work. Half pop extravaganza, half endurance feat, it entails nearly three hours of costume modifications, vigorous dancing and sprints from one finish of the stage to the opposite – all whereas belting out songs. As the color rises in Swift’s face and the sweat gathers at her hairline, you begin to really feel drained your self. Swift will not be distinctive. Beyoncé’s movie Renaissance additionally paperwork the bodily labour required for a tour, whereas 65-year-old Madonna’s present Celebration tour, which is because of conclude subsequent April after 78 exhibits, makes clear how lengthy that dedication can final. ‘We deal with them as athletes: what stress goes to be placed on the physique?’ says Dan Roberts. A private coach based mostly in London, he’s considered one of a handful of health professionals engaged in what he calls the ‘bizarre world of superstar coaching’. Most frequently, it entails getting actors in form for superhero roles (or shirtless scenes); a few of his shoppers are on Broadway, on stage for 2 hours an evening for six months at a time. However he additionally works with royalty and well-known musicians. Nondisclosure agreements imply he can’t identify names – however he can communicate usually.” • Identical for Okay-Pop. OTOH, Keith Richards remains to be going sturdy at 79, after a lifetime of extra, so….

Zeitgeist Watch

“Satanic show inside Iowa State Capitol destroyed, man charged: officers” [FOX]. “Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds condemned the show’s presence, however mentioned it must be countered with extra speech. ‘Like many Iowans, I discover the Satanic Temple’s show within the Capitol completely objectionable,’ Reynolds mentioned. “, and I encourage all these of religion to affix me at the moment in praying over the Capitol and recognizing the Nativity scene that might be on show ― the true purpose for the season.” • And talking of Devil’s spawn–

Ebook Nook

“Cheney’s e book tops NYT print and e-book bestseller lists” [The Hill]. “The New York Instances e book bestseller lists for the week ending Dec. 9 lists Cheney’s new e book, “Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning,” within the high spot for all hardcover nonfiction books and for mixed nonfiction e-books and hardcover books. Her e book was printed Dec. 5.” I like the concept of liberal Democrats dashing out at hand Dick Cheney’s daughter their cash. And: “There are rumors that Cheney would possibly run for president in 2024 on a third-party ticket, however she has not but made an announcement. The previous lawmaker says she is not going to do something that might danger placing Trump again within the White Home.” And: “‘The framers explicitly warned us that the checks and balances are solely as efficient because the individuals chargeable for carrying them out,’ Cheney wrote in an op-ed in The Wall Avenue Journal printed Wednesday.” • Flawed, improper, improper. The checks and balances are designed to work regardless “the individuals carrying them out.” Cheney’s a constitutionally illiterate idiot. Federalist 51:

However the nice safety towards a gradual focus of the a number of powers in the identical division, consists in giving to those that administer every division, the required constitutional means, and private motives, to withstand encroachments of the others. The availability for defence should on this, as in all different instances, be made commensurate to the hazard of assault. Ambition should be made to counteract ambition. The curiosity of the person should be related with the constitutional rights of the place.

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