By Lambert Strether of Corrente.
Fowl Music of the Day
Aztec Thrush, Miahuatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico. “Audio recording lifer 🙁 Didn’t discover this within the area, I used to be distracted with recording, after which with flyover Hooded Grosbeak flock.” The standard ranking of this recording is low, presumably due to the highway (?) noise within the background, however I don’t thoughts seems like that; I just like the sense of an actual setting.
Politics
“So most of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are the truth is a rational administration of symbolic capital.” –Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles
The Constitutional Order
“The place efforts to disqualify Trump from 2024 poll stand” [Axios]. Fairly a round-up:
By the numbers: Six circumstances associated to the clause have already been dismissed, together with in Minnesota, New Hampshire, two in Michigan and one other two in Florida, per authorized evaluation by nonprofit publication Lawfare.
- Six circumstances have been voluntarily withdrawn in Idaho, Utah, Oklahoma, Maine, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
- At the very least 19 extra stay pending, together with two in New York, in Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, Montana, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Wisconsin, Vermont, Massachusetts, Virginia, South Carolina, West Virginia, Delaware, Connecticut and New Jersey.
I’m assuming most of those are frivolous fits introduced by people…
Biden Administration
Al Shifa hospital doesn’t appear to have been a propaganda win:
Mossad and CIA intelligence failed once more
Israel admits there aren’t any tunnels getting used beneath Al Shifa hospital.
They’re all concreted up.
Weeks have handed and the Israelis have but to discover a single tunnel or hostage. pic.twitter.com/oA2j9TBoIb
— Iran Observer (@IranObserver0) November 16, 2023
And perhaps was by no means going to be:
Israel claims Al Shifa hospital hides a command middle for Hamas.
Norwegian physician Mads Gilbert, who has labored at Al-Shifa, Gaza for 16 years says there’s “no proof in any respect” for that: “If it was a navy command middle, I might not work there.” pic.twitter.com/KC8Gkuki6R— Faheem (@stoppression) November 11, 2023
I stay baffled on the idea that capturing a “command middle” may have strategic significance. Previous-timers will keep in mind “captured enemy paperwork” from Vietnam. We captured a variety of “command facilities” dropping that struggle, too!
Fairly a haul:
Shifa hospital#IsraelFightsTerror pic.twitter.com/Cz7IQlPfeR
— Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) November 16, 2023
2024
Lower than a yr to go!
* * * “Trump’s new Latino technique casts him as sufferer of socialists” [Axios]. “Former President Trump’s workforce is attempting to construct on the GOP’s current beneficial properties amongst Latinos with a method in Florida that’s aimed toward voters of Cuban, Venezuelan and Colombian descent — and that casts Trump as a sufferer of overzealous socialists. Trump’s efforts to liken his authorized woes and his clashes with Democrats to the difficulties many Latin People have confronted beneath socialist and authoritarian rule characterize a flip in his push to enchantment to the fastest-growing phase of the U.S. voters. This technique was a giant cause why Trump selected Hialeah, Fla., as the positioning of his counter-programming rally throughout final week’s Republican presidential debate. Hialeah is greater than 95% Hispanic, and the overwhelming majority of these residents are Cuban People, a conservative voters that identifies extra with Republicans than many different Latino teams. On the rally, Trump portrayed his ‘persecution’ on felony fees — and what he known as his resistance to communism — as just like what many Cuban People and their households skilled through the communist regime of Fidel Castro… It’s unclear whether or not Trump’s “sufferer” technique that performs properly in Florida will resonate with Mexican People and different Latinos whose households’ backgrounds don’t contain fleeing authoritarian leaders.”
“Trump’s violent discuss reveals indicators of taking on Congress” [The Hill]. “[Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)] noticed that Trump acknowledged earlier than most different politicians the anger brewing in American society and seized on it for political achieve, however he warned it’s a harmful path for the nation’s leaders. ‘I don’t know if he modified [norms] or just responded to what he noticed from different individuals. I believe he sensed that the American individuals have been permitting this to go on, and he’s taken benefit of it, but it surely’s not the path that I believe our nation ought to go,’ he mentioned. ‘I actually do consider that the Founding Fathers wished us to get collectively right here in Washington, work out our variations, and they don’t anticipate us to be caning each other,’ he added.” • So I’m not the one one with the caning of Sumner in thoughts…
* * * “DeSantis targets China, however takes money from Chinese language-backed firm” [Orlando Sentinel]. “Gov. Ron DeSantis has gone on the offensive in opposition to Chinese language affect in current months, signing a invoice limiting what land Chinese language firms and residents should buy in Florida and suspending state scholarships to 4 Florida faculties over alleged hyperlinks to China. However this August he took a verify for greater than $11,000 from the CEO of a Tampa refrigerant firm with direct backing from China. It was simply the newest in years of economic help that the corporate, iGas USA, has given DeSantis. Final yr DeSantis held a rally on the Chinese language-backed refrigerant firm’s Tampa complicated. The rally and contributions are a part of a current wave of political giving by iGas and entities related to its CEO, Xianbin ‘Ben’ Meng. All instructed, the businesses and staff have made greater than $1.1 million in federal and state political contributions previously 5 years, with 98% of the cash going to Republican candidates and committees. The most important share of that cash, $340,000, went to DeSantis and committees affiliated with him.” • Oh.
* * * “Biden Is Tearing His Personal Coalition Aside” [The Nation]. “Joe Biden hasn’t gotten America right into a land struggle in Asia but, however in each different manner he’s repeating LBJ’s mistake of considering weapons and butter go collectively. Via his infrastructure invoice and the Inflation Discount Act, Biden has admirably returned big-ticket social spending to the White Home agenda. However he has been equally involved to reassert American hegemony, financing the struggle in Ukraine, promising extra money to Israel because it carries out its bombing of Gaza, and pivoting towards a great-power competitors with China that might simply develop into a brand new chilly struggle. Just like the Chilly Battle liberals, Biden has embraced a navy Keynesianism that sees weapons and butter as mutually self-supporting. In late October, Politico reported, ‘The White Home has been quietly urging lawmakers in each events to promote the struggle efforts overseas as a possible financial growth at dwelling. Aides have been distributing speaking factors to Democrats and Republicans who’ve been supportive of continued efforts to fund Ukraine’s resistance to make the case that doing so is nice for American jobs.’ Nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan has been a significant advocate of this new navy Keynesianism.” However: “like LBJ earlier than him, Biden will discover {that a} guns-and-butter consensus is brittle and satisfies nobody. Limitless struggle isn’t standard. Voters are already souring on the concept of sending extra help to Ukraine, and polls present majority help for a cease-fire in Gaza…. By attempting to hammer out a guns-and-butter consensus that only a few outdoors the elite help, Biden is tearing aside each his personal coalition and American society.”
“Has Biden’s electoral coalition fractured?” [The Hill]. “Based on the ballot, 22 % of Black voters in these battleground states say they’d vote for Donald Trump over Joe Biden in subsequent yr’s presidential election…. No Democratic presidential candidate for the reason that civil rights period has earned lower than 80 % of the Black vote…. Due to his help for Israel, President Biden may lose Muslim votes, particularly in Michigan, one of many key battleground states. He may lose progressive voters normally and younger voters particularly — two extra key elements within the Democratic coalition. He would possibly even lose help of one other bloc that traditionally has voted (overwhelming) for Democratic presidents — Jewish voters, who consider that there are components within the Democratic Social gathering which are anti-Israel, anti-Jewish and even pro-Hamas…. Lastly, there’s one other quantity within the ballot that tells us quite a bit about what People are considering. 56 % of registered voters in these six battleground states have both a considerably or very unfavorable view of Joe Biden. As for Donald Trump: He is available in with a 57 % unfavorable quantity. So if it’s a Trump vs. Biden rematch, the one factor we all know with some certainty is that voters want they’d each simply go away.”
* * * “Joe Manchin says he ‘completely’ would think about working for president in 2024: Senator gained’t rule out potential third-party bid that might dent Biden’s possibilities” [Daily Mail]. “Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin mentioned Wednesday he would ‘completely’ think about a presidential run, giving himself till round Tremendous Tuesday to determine whether or not to launch a third-party bid for the White Home…. As for Biden, he instructed [NBC’s Meet the Press host Kristen Welker], ‘I’m afraid that Joe Biden’s been pushed too far to the left.’ ‘Can he come again? We’ll see,’ the senator added. ‘However the backside line is that’s not the Joe Biden that we thought was being elected, to go that far left.’”
“‘No Labels’ chief says group launching 2024 candidate committee: Manchin deserves ‘severe consideration’” [FOX]. “Former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman — who served as each a Democrat and Impartial — mentioned Wednesday if 2024 turns into a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, he may see Manchin as a possible candidate for the group to unite round. Nonetheless, he underlined there is no such thing as a assure ‘No Labels’ will certainly area a candidate. ‘Joe Manchin is a good friend of mine. He’s a terrific centrist. He actually has walked the stroll and labored on bipartisan problem-solving in Congress,’ mentioned Lieberman, who was additionally the 2000 presidential running-mate for Al Gore.” • What horrible political judgment Gore had, to make sure. Placing Lieberman on the nationwide stage.
* * * Centrism:
RFK Jr says the quiet half out loud:
Israel is a stronghold for us…It is like having an plane provider within the Center East…If Israel disappears, Russia, China and the BRICS+ nations will management 90% of the world’s oil, and this might be a catastrophe.pic.twitter.com/OWmu2peyFF
— Danny Haiphong (@SpiritofHo) November 8, 2023
Merch:
Break the duopoly in fashion! Get your official Cornel West 2024 marketing campaign merch at https://t.co/lx0HUKP1I9#CornelWest2024 pic.twitter.com/T7q5AqO6fM
— Cornel West (@CornelWest) November 15, 2023
I just like the look!
PMC gatekeeping, as typical:
.@abbydphillip spoke to @AndrewYang on CNN tonight about Biden’s Democratic challengers Dean Phillips and …Manchin (huh?) …and Newsom (huh?)
There IS one other precise Democratic candidate right here – polling larger than Phillips, at 16% amongst Democratic leaning voters on the…
— Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) November 11, 2023
* * * “Governor JB Pritzker outlines plans for migrant consumption middle, funds for shelter” [ABC7]. “Governor JB Pritzker laying out new emergency steps as 1000’s of migrants await shelter in Chicago…. The governor saying the coverage and the funding Thursday, saying they needed to step in an present this help with temperatures anticipated to plummet subsequent week. ‘To get individuals off of the streets as we head into winter, the state of Illinois will make investments an extra $160 million through the Division of Human Companies, particularly to deal with these bottlenecks,’ Governor Pritzker mentioned. A part of the cash, $30 million might be to arrange an consumption middle for when the migrants first arrive in Chicago to both assist them discover a place to remain, or get them to their subsequent vacation spot in one other metropolis.” And: “RELATED: Chicago migrants could have 60-day restrict to shelter stays, Mayor Johnson pronounces.”
Democrats en Déshabillé
Affected person readers, evidently individuals are truly studying the back-dated submit! However I’ve not up to date it, and there are various updates. So I must do this. –lambert
I’ve moved my standing remarks on the Democrat Social gathering (“the Democrat Social gathering is a rotting corpse that may’t bury itself”) to a separate, back-dated submit, to which I’ll periodically add materials, summarizing the addition right here in a “reside” Water Cooler. (Hopefully, some Bourdieu.) It seems that defining the Democrat Social gathering is, the truth is, a tough drawback. I do assume the paragraph that follows is on level all the way in which again to 2016, if not earlier than:
The Democrat Social gathering is the political expression of the category energy of PMC, their base (lucidly defined by Thomas Frank in Pay attention, Liberal!). ; if the Democrat Social gathering didn’t exist, the PMC must invent it. . (“PMC” modulo “class expatriates,” in fact.) Second, all of the working components of the Social gathering reinforce one another. Go away apart characterizing the relationships between components of the Social gathering (ka-ching, however not totally) these components comprise a community — a Flex Web? An iron octagon? — of funders, distributors, apparatchiks, electeds, NGOs, and miscellaneous mercenaries, with property within the press and the intelligence neighborhood.
Notice, in fact, that the category energy of the PMC each expresses and is restricted 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.
* * * “The Squad Is About to Combat for Its Political Life” [Slate]. “One of many largest, bitterest, and costliest political battles of the 2024 election cycle has emerged: The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, one of the vital highly effective, best-funded affect operations in Washington, is planning to go all out to knock the famed “Squad”—the small group of extremely seen and standard progressive legislators of shade, most of them ladies—out of workplace…. Critically, all of them reject big-money backing, surviving on simply grassroots help and small-dollar fundraising… Within the 2022 midterms, the Israel foyer turned the biggest single-issue outdoors spender in Democratic primaries, pouring in almost $30 million through the tremendous PAC the United Democracy Venture, and hundreds of thousands extra through the Democratic Majority for Israel PAC. It was an astronomical sum of money, largely directed at knocking progressives out of the primaries, largely in open and redrawn seats. Regardless of there being fewer vacancies in 2024, that cash determine is anticipated to no less than triple.” It will be helpful to have a proof of why AIPAC’s marketing campaign isn’t election interference by a overseas energy. Extra: “To date, [lol]. Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries—who took extra money from the Israel foyer in 2022 than from some other group and is featured prominently on the lobbying group’s web site (alongside Home Republican management)—hasn’t tried to dissuade the primarying of those progressive Democratic incumbents. He may simply publicly disavow such spending and make it clear to candidates that accepting such help is in opposition to caucus coverage; in 2019, Home Democrats made it an official coverage to blacklist any Democratic advisor or political group who aided a progressive challenger in opposition to a sitting Democratic incumbent forward of the 2020 elections. However to this point Jeffries has solely managed to say: ‘. I believe Home Democrats are going to proceed to help one another.’” • Odd. Jeffries appears to assume the Democrat Social gathering is a few kind of cash laundering operation.
Realignment and Legitimacy
“The panel charged with recommending modifications to Massachusetts’s seal and motto simply disbanded. It didn’t provide particular substitutes for both.” [Boston Globe]. • Amusing portrait of a very dysfunctional committee.
#COVID19
“I’m in earnest — I can’t equivocate — I can’t excuse — I can’t retreat a single inch — AND I WILL BE HEARD.” –William Lloyd Garrison
Assets, United States (Nationwide): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot; consists of many counties; Wastewater Scan, consists of drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); “Iowa COVID-19 Tracker” (in IA, however nationwide knowledge). “An infection Management, Emergency Administration, Security, and Common Ideas” (particularly on hospitalization by metropolis).
Lambert right here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To replace any entry, do be happy to contact me on the handle given with the crops. Please put “COVID” within the topic line. Thanks!
Assets, United States (Native): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater studies); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur d’Alene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard); NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard); PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (dashboard); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV (wastewater); WY (wastewater).
Assets, Canada (Nationwide): Wastewater (Authorities of Canada).
Assets, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux usées); BC, Vancouver (wastewater).
Hat tricks to useful readers: anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, sq. coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Utah, Bob White (3).
Keep protected on the market!
Covid is Airborne
Dentists v. docs:
the 4 well being care places of work I visited lately for a medical problem did the minimal required, no masks necessities or reminders to do something for covid. Air flow/filtration was no matter was a part of the constructing or medical tools.
— Dr James Morris (@James___Morris) November 15, 2023
I believe the distinction is that dentistry — cleansing, drilling, extracting — as an aerosol-generating process, and so dentists are aerosol-conscious. Against this, docs are used to considering of aerosols as being generated in working theatres, and as merely produced by respiration, speaking, shouting, and many others. There’s little skilled excuse for this, in fact, however “one funeral at a time.”
“What are the issues with hermetic properties?” [National Post]. “Nonetheless, there are air-purification methods that neutralize the air utilizing . These gadgets present air purification and odour elimination across the clock — holding your indoor air clear and recent.” • No no no no no:
3/ A few of these by-products are recognized to be dangerous. Some are suspected to be dangerous based mostly on their chemical construction and similarities to chemical substances we all know could be dangerous, and we don’t have good tox knowledge for almost all (these could or might not be significantly dangerous).
— Richard Corsi, PhD, PE (Texas) (@CorsIAQ) November 16, 2023
Maskstravaganza
Since masks seem like medical home equipment, it’s no shock individuals affiliate them with sickness, not security, not to mention collective security:
MaskLab simply retains delivering with these beautiful designs.
In the meantime, 3M is simply completely giving up on having any position in fascinated about the way forward for masks aesthetics, sigh.
P.S. If anybody wants a MaskLab code for 15% off, https://t.co/xHKYni2yIXhttps://t.co/fiBPn87mj1 pic.twitter.com/x0nz4AVokd
— Dr Rebecca Richardson (@mavisclare) November 15, 2023
“One thing Terrible”
Lambert right here: I’m getting the sensation that the “One thing Terrible” is perhaps a sawtooth sample — variant after variant — that averages out to a completely excessive plateau. A lot of exceptionally nasty sequelae, almost certainly deriving from immune dysregulation (says this layperson). To which we would add mind injury, together with character modifications therefrom.
* * *
Lambert right here: A lot of indicators up, beginning with wastewater. (The one I fear about essentially the most is ER visits, since I believe that knowledge is difficult to recreation, and who desires to go to the ER, anyhow?) I believe it’s time to ship the kinfolk these clippings you saved on mind injury (additionally, in fact, the 2022 clippings: right here, right here. And the 2020 one).
Case Information
NOT UPDATED From BioBot wastewater knowledge, November 13:
Lambert right here: Circumstances up, simply in time for Thanksgiving (and tinfoil hat time: That is the, er, inflection level CDC was attempting to hide after they gave the contract to Verily and didn’t guarantee a seamless transition).
Regional knowledge:
In every single place!
Variants
NOT UPDATED From CDC, November 11:
Lambert right here: Prime of the leaderboard: HV.1, EG.5 a powerful second, with FL.1.15.1 and XBB.1.1.16.6 trailing. No BA.2.86 (though that has confirmed up in CDC’s airport testing). Nonetheless a Bouillabaisse…
From CDC, October 28:
Lambert right here: I positive 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 reduce by directors of in poor health intent).
CDC: “As of Might 11, genomic surveillance knowledge might be reported biweekly, based mostly on the supply of constructive take a look at specimens.” “Biweeekly: 1. occurring each two weeks. 2. occurring twice every week; semiweekly.” Appears to be like like CDC has chosen sense #1. In essence, they’re telling us variants are nothing to fret about. Time will inform.
Covid Emergency Room Visits
NOT UPDATED From CDC NCIRD Surveillance, November 11:
Lambert right here: Slight will increase in some age teams, conforming to wastewater knowledge. Solely every week’s lag, so this can be our greatest present nationwide, present indicator till Verily will get its home so as (and dealing class-centric, since I might doubt the higher crust goes to the ER).
NOTE “Charts and knowledge offered by CDC, updates Wednesday by 8am. For the previous yr, utilizing a rolling 52-week interval.” So not your complete pandemic, FFS (the implicit message right here being that Covid is “similar to the flu,” which is why the seasonal “rolling 52-week interval” is suitable for eachMR SUBLIMINAL I hate these individuals a lot. Discover additionally that this chart reveals, no less than for its time interval, that Covid is not seasonal, regardless that CDC is attempting to get us to consider that it’s, presumably to allow them to piggyback on the prevailing institutional equipment for injections.
Hospitalization
Bellwether New York Metropolis, knowledge as of November 15:
Decline flattens. (I hate this metric as a result of the lag makes it misleading, though the hospital-centric public well being institution loves it, hospitalization and deaths being the one metrics that matter [snort]).
NOT UPDATED Right here’s a special CDC visualization on hospitalization, nationwide, not by state, however with a date, no less than. November 4:
Lambert right here: “Maps, charts, and knowledge offered by CDC, updates weekly for the earlier MMWR week (Sunday-Saturday) on Thursdays (Deaths, Emergency Division Visits, Check Positivity) and weekly the next Mondays (Hospitalizations) by 8 pm ET†”. So the place the heck is the replace, CDC?
Positivity
NOT UPDATED From Walgreens, November 13:
-1.4%. However bouncing round. (It will be fascinating to survey this inhabitants usually; these are individuals who, regardless of a tsunami of official propaganda and large peer strain, went and acquired examined anyhow.)
NOT UPDATED From Cleveland Clinic, November 11:
Lambert right here: Enhance (with backward revision; guess they thought it was over). I do know that is simply Ohio, however the Cleveland Clinic is nice*, and we’re starved for knowledge, so…. NOTE * Even when hospital an infection management is attempting to kill sufferers by eliminating common masking with N95s.
From CDC, traveler’s knowledge, October 29:
Down, albeit within the rear view mirror. And listed below are the variants for vacationers, nonetheless from October 23:
Sudden huge BA.2.86 look. This variant chart has not been up to date, which makes me surprise if CDC is gaming the info, and BA.2.86 is worse than we predict.
Deaths
Complete: 1,182,163 – 1,181,963 = 200 (200 * 365 = 73,000 deaths per yr, as we speak’s YouGenicist™ quantity for “dwelling with” Covid (fairly a bit larger than the minimizers would really like, although they will discuss themselves into something. If the YouGenicist™ metric retains chugging alongside like this, I may must determine that is what the powers-that-be think about “mission achieved” for this specific tranche of demise and illness).
Extra Deaths
The Economist, November 16:
Lambert right here: Based mostly on a machine-learning mannequin.
Stats Watch
Employment State of affairs: “United States Preliminary Jobless Claims” [Trading Economics]. “The variety of People submitting for unemployment advantages rose by 13,000 to 231,000 on the week ending November eleventh, the very best in almost three months, and properly above market expectations of 220,000. Within the meantime, persevering with claims rose by 18,000 to 1,865,000 within the earlier week, the very best in almost two years and sharply above market forecasts of 1,847,000, suggesting that jobseekers are having a tougher time find appropriate employment.”
Manufacturing: “United States Industrial Manufacturing” [Trading Economics]. “US industrial manufacturing declined by 0.7% year-on-year in October 2023, following a revised 0.2% contraction within the earlier month.”
Manufacturing: “United States Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index” [Trading Economics]. “The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index within the US elevated 3.1 factors however remained destructive at -5.9 in November 2023, higher than market forecasts of -9. That is the index’s sixteenth destructive studying previously 18 months.”
Manufacturing: “United States Kansas Fed Manufacturing Index” [Trading Economics]. “The Kansas Metropolis Fed’s Manufacturing Manufacturing index was at -3 in November of 2023, bettering from -8 within the earlier month however sustaining the destructive territory for the third consecutive interval. Each sturdy items and nondurable items manufacturing indices ticked up barely within the interval, though the previous remained under zero.”
Tech: “Mother and pop retailers are chopping software program spending, creating jitters on Wall Avenue” [CNBC]. “Analysts are seeing a pullback in software program spending by eating places, retailers, and different native and regional companies, that are responding to weaker client traits…. Over the previous 20 years, small companies have accounted for 40% of U.S. gross home product, based on the Chamber of Commerce. In addition they make use of 46% of the American workforce…. Buyers throughout the sector are attempting to determine if SMB spending has bottomed or if companies are nonetheless in search of alternatives to slim down their software program portfolio ought to the financial image dampen additional.”
Tech: “Dangerous Bots Account for 73% of Web Site visitors: Evaluation” [Security Week]. “The highest 5 classes of Dangerous Bot assaults are pretend account creation, account takeovers, scraping, account administration, and in-product abuse. These haven’t modified from Q2, aside from in-product abuse changing card testing. The most important will increase in assaults from Q2 to Q3 are SMS toll fraud (up 2,141%), account administration (up 160%), and pretend account creation (up 23%). The highest 5 focused industries are expertise (Dangerous Bots comprise 76% of its web visitors); gaming (29% of visitors); social media (46%), e-commerce (65%), and monetary providers (45%). If a bot fails in its function, there’s a rising tendency for the criminals to modify to human operated fraud farms. Arkose estimates there have been greater than 3 billion fraud farm assaults in H1 2023…. .” Oh. Extra: “Crime-as-a-service permits wannabe criminals who could have the intent however not the talents to have interaction in cybercrime. “The large rise of CaaS has fully modified the economics for adversaries” continued Gosschalk. ‘It’s less expensive to assault firms and the assaults are simply higher as a result of it’s a dev store that’s doing the assaults as an alternative of simply particular person cybercriminals.’ The persevering with improve within the quantity of Dangerous Bots suggests they continue to be worthwhile for the criminals. The arrival of gen-AI will enhance the efficiency of Dangerous Bots, whereas the expansion of CaaS will improve the variety of Dangerous Bot operators; so, it should worsen. The one resolution is Dangerous Bot detection and mitigation to restrict the entry of the bots to their human or system targets.” • Thanks, Silicon Valley. “Crime as a Service” looks as if a William Gibson theme, although amazingly he didn’t invent the phrase. Exhausting to consider the mind geniuses who invented AI didn’t see this coming…. However perhaps not!
Tech: “Europe’s hidden safety disaster” [Irish Council for Civil Liberties]. “Our investigation highlights a widespread commerce in knowledge about delicate European personnel and leaders that exposes them to blackmail, hacking and compromise, and undermines the safety of their organisations and establishments. These knowledge move from Actual-Time Bidding (RTB), an promoting expertise that’s lively on nearly all web sites and apps. RTB includes the broadcasting of delicate knowledge about individuals utilizing these web sites and apps to giant numbers of different entities, with out safety measures to guard the info. This happens billions of instances a day. Our examination of tens of 1000’s of pages of RTB knowledge reveals that EU navy personnel and political resolution makers are focused utilizing RTB. This report additionally reveals that Google and different RTB corporations ship RTB knowledge about individuals within the U.S. to Russia and China, the place nationwide legal guidelines allow safety companies to entry the info. RTB knowledge are additionally broadcast broadly inside the EU in a free-for-all, which implies that overseas and non-state actors can not directly receive them, too. RTB knowledge usually embrace location knowledge or time-stamps or different identifiers that make it comparatively straightforward for unhealthy actors to hyperlink them to particular people. Overseas states and non-state actors can use RTB to spy on the right track people’ monetary issues, psychological state, and compromising intimate secrets and techniques. Even when goal people use safe gadgets, knowledge about them will nonetheless move through RTB from private gadgets, their buddies, household, and compromising private contacts.” • Thanks, Silicon Valley.
Tech: Love the “make actual” button:
I believe I must go lie down. https://t.co/WxScGQTEKZ pic.twitter.com/wT6a7q6juZ
— Kevin Cannon (@multikev) November 15, 2023
For some definition of “actual”…..
As we speak’s Worry & Greed Index: 55 Impartial (earlier shut: 53 Impartial) [CNN]. One week in the past: 38 (Worry). (0 is Excessive Worry; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Nov 16 at 12:28:03 PM ET. Based mostly on what? Arms dealing?
The Gallery
‘Tis the season:
Ice Floes on the Seine at Bougival https://t.co/OV32xFEcqQ pic.twitter.com/QbhFNuQz8W
— 𝘽𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙠𝙤𝙠𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚 (@BangkokLife) November 16, 2023
I keep in mind a portray of snow by Pisarro on the Boston MFA that captured the glittery whiteness of recent snow on crisp, sunny day. Whiteness, no less than from a couple of toes away; shut up, the snow was tiny dots of various vivid colours: purple, blue, yellow…
Class Warfare
“UAW-Common Motors contract has sufficient votes for ratification” [Politico]. “United Auto Employees members at Common Motors had sufficient votes Thursday to ratify their contract with the corporate, based on a tracker maintained by the union, checking the primary of three bins wanted to formally finish the strike in opposition to the Detroit automakers…. Votes at Ford and Stellantis have been nonetheless ongoing as ofThursday morning.
“Starbucks staff strike at 200 union shops on Purple Cup Day” [Axios]. • Good. Additionally good:
Teamsters do not cross picket traces! Because of them not crossing our picket to ship tomorrow’s provides, any scabs at our Starbucks tomorrow morning will not have milk, cups, sandwiches, or dignity https://t.co/7ubgnyZchE pic.twitter.com/1X6QmxPNiO
— Sara Mughal (@_SaraMughal) November 16, 2023
Information of the Wired
“The Reality is At all times Made from Particulars” [Raptitude]. “When you have been instructed to attract a leaf, you would possibly draw a inexperienced, vaguely eye-shaped factor with a stem. However whenever you examine an actual leaf, say an elm leaf, it’s acquired rather more happening than that drawing. It has rounded serrations alongside its edges, and the tip of every serration is the tip of a raised vein, which runs from the stem within the center. Tiny ripples span the channels between the veins, and small capillaries divide every phase into little “counties” with irregular borders. I may go on for pages….. The Data Age is clearly pushing us in the direction of low-res conclusions on questions that warrant deep, lengthy, high-res consideration. Take into account our poor hominid brains, attempting to kind a coherent worldview out of monetized feeds product of low-resolution takes on essentially the most complicated subjects conceivable — financial methods, local weather, illness, race, intercourse and gender. Unsurprisingly, amidst the unimaginable quantity of data coming at us, there’s been a surge in low-res, ideologically-driven views: the world is like this, these individuals are like that, X is nice, Y is unhealthy, A causes B. Not difficult, bro…. …. I can’t assist however assume we’d profit from a aware intention to see issues when it comes to their particulars once more, dialing up the default decision at which we interact with each our experiences and our concepts. The world exists in infinite decision, and that’s what we’re constructed for. The reality is product of particulars, they usually go all the way in which down. Any concepts about it simply relaxation on the highest.” • Clearly a congenial set of concepts for me. Properly price a learn!
Contact data for crops: Readers, be happy to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) learn how to ship me a verify in case you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn how to ship me photographs of crops. Greens are high quality! Fungi and coral are deemed to be honorary crops! If you would like your deal with to seem as a credit score, please place it in the beginning of your mail in parentheses: (thus). In any other case, I’ll anonymize through the use of your initials. See the earlier Water Cooler (with plant) right here. From griffen:
griffen writes: “I dont have a bucket listing however in late September visited parks in SD, and right here at Devils Tower in Wyoming. Fairly unimaginable go to, hikes.”
Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not lined by the annual NC fundraiser. So if you happen to see a hyperlink you particularly like, or an merchandise you wouldn’t see wherever else, please don’t hesitate to precise your appreciation in tangible kind. Bear in mind, a tip jar is for tipping! Common constructive suggestions each makes me really feel good and lets me know I’m heading in the right direction with protection. After I get no donations for 5 or ten days I get apprehensive. Extra tangibly, a continuing trickle of donations helps me with bills, and I consider that trickle when setting fundraising targets:
Right here is the display that can seem, which I’ve helpfully annotated:
When you hate PayPal, you possibly can e-mail me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will provide you with instructions on learn how to ship a verify. Thanks!