2:00PM Water Cooler 7/24/2024 | bare capitalism

By Lambert Strether of Corrente

Readers, I needed to examine each on marketing campaign finance legislation and the Twenty Fifth Modification so some particulars are lacking. Extra quickly! –lambert

Chicken Music of the Day

Northern Mockingbird, 138 Captains Dr, West Babylon, Suffolk, New York, United States. “Singing from a rooftop. Mimicry contains Black-capped Chickadee, Killdeer, Carolina Wren, Northern Flicker, American Robin (name), Blue Jay, and probably a number of others of lesser constancy.”

In Case You Would possibly Miss…

(1) Impeachment articles in opposition to Harris (frivolous).

(2) How Harris grabbed Biden’s struggle chest.

(3) Solely Google can search Reddit.

(4) The wheel of feelings.

Politics

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

The Constitutional Order (Twenty-Fifth Modification)

“Tennessee Republican information articles of impeachment in opposition to Harris” [The Hill]. “Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) filed articles of impeachment in opposition to Vice President Harris on Tuesday, as Republicans ramp up assaults whereas she launches a presidential marketing campaign…. The submitting expands on beforehand launched articles that focus on Harris’s document on immigration… He added a second article within the new submitting, which claims Harris lined up President Biden’s psychological well-being, constituting a ‘breach of public belief.’” • I don’t the immigration stuff is impeachable, so I’ll skip that half. However listed below are Ogle’ articles of impeachment, and right here is the Twenty-Fifth Modification part, which I’ve helpfully annotated:

[1] I don’t suppose failing to behave upon a putative “ethical obligation” is an impeachable offense “Treason, Bribery, or different excessive Crimes and Misdemeanors”).Right here as soon as once more is the related a part of the Twenty Fifth Modification:

Each time the Vice President and a majority of both the principal officers of the manager departments or of such different physique as Congress could by legislation present, transmit to the President professional tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the Home of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his workplace, the Vice President shall instantly assume the powers and duties of the workplace as Appearing President.

The Twenty Fifth Modification provides the Vice President (Kamala) the energy to “declare” “that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his workplace,” however it imposes no obligation to take action. “Ethical obligation” or no, there’s no Constitutional obligation.

[2] So what?

[3] “Breaches of public belief”, “failing primary expectations,” and “lack of integrity” are usually not excessive crimes and misdeameanors both. Nor are they uncommon in Our Nation’s Capital. “Use each man after his desert, and who shall ‘scape whipping?” –William Shakespeare, Hamlet.

That is frivolous, and it’s no surprise the management doesn’t assist it.

2024

Lower than 4 months to go!

Friday’s RCP Ballot Averages:

Virginia and North Carolina added to the checklist. NC was by no means going for Biden Harris, however Virginia? Yikes!

* * *

Biden Defenestration:

“Biden was deathly pale… Air Pressure One was flying so quick I felt sick: Day by day Mail’s reporter on board reveals the unbelievable inside story of the mad rush to get Joe to Covid isolation – and why she feared for him” [Daily Mail]. “When [Biden] lastly stepped by the door, his look was stunning. He regarded pale, weak, exhausted and shuffled slowly throughout the room. ‘He seems unhealthy,’ one reporter muttered. All of us agreed. [Unmasked,] Biden greeted [and potentially infected] the patrons, shaking arms with households at three totally different tables and posing for selfies. Lastly, a colleague acquired wind of a tip. The president’s subsequent scheduled occasion at UnidosUS had been canceled. ‘Biden has COVID,’ my colleague shouted. Moments later, we might see Karine Jean-Pierre and different senior Biden employees piling into their vans. As soon as he was on board, we reporters rushed to seek out our seats behind the airplane. And almost from the second we lifted off the runway, the fuselage started to shake. It’s not totally unusual for Air Pressure One pilots to drop the hammer. President Trump routinely requested his crew to chop down flight instances by going sooner. However this break-neck pace was uncommon for President Biden…. The conventional flight time from Vegas to Delaware is round 4 and a half hours. We made the journey in three hours and 48 minutes.” • Hmm. Makes you surprise if there have been any sequelae from his earlier two infections (that we all know of).

“Joe Biden’s COVID Hubris is the Nail in His Re-Elect Coffin” [Julia Doubleday, The Gauntlet (PI)]. “The reality is that to the DC machine, Joe was, identical to the remainder of us, finally disposable. He served his function by serving capital; his maskless face as an aged man in public was the final word propaganda for the disappearance of the virus that ended his profession as absolutely as he claimed to have ended it. He gave his profession, his physique and his thoughts to advance the pursuits of the ruling class, to the detriment of us all. They are saying life’s a seaside, Joe. I assume it’s for you, now.” • He claimed to have ended Covid. Then Covid ended him.

The Marketing campaign Path:

Harris (D): “Biden dropped his reelection plans. What occurs to his marketing campaign struggle chest?” (interview) [Sean Cooksey, NPR]. Cooksey is the Republican Chair of the Federal Election Fee (FEC). “Properly, I believe it’s actually sophisticated, is the quick reply. I imply, we take a step again to contemplate the scenario – that is actually unprecedented by way of fashionable political historical past, and positively by way of marketing campaign finance legislation. We’ve a presidential nominee or a presumptive nominee dropping out simply weeks earlier than his social gathering conference. And he’s – what he’s trying to do is to offer his total committee, the money and all of the property…. [o]ver to a different particular person.” Q: We get that. So can she use that cash? Properly, once more, I believe it’s going to must undergo a course of by the FEC. I believe I count on there’s going to be in all probability challenges to that on the company and possibly within the courts, as properly… Yeah. I believe there’s quite a few totally different avenues that I might count on totally different events to problem this tried switch, this tried change to the presidential committees. There’s a course of by which personal events can file complaints with the Federal Election Fee. There’s additionally a course of by which they prospectively ask for advisory opinions. One of many issues with these processes is they will take a variety of time, and we don’t have a variety of time till the election, I believe we’re at 106 days out. And so I believe there’s going to be a variety of challenges within the courts as properly.” • Whether or not or not there are grounds for injunction, I don’t know. (Although now I’m wondering if redirecting Biden’s web site to ActBlue instantly upon his defenestration is without doubt one of the transferring elements right here.) Cooksey tweeted the related marketing campaign finance legislation:

11 C.F.R. § 110.1(b)(3):

“If the candidate just isn’t a candidate within the basic election, all contributions made for the overall election shall be both returned or refunded to the contributors or redesignated …, or reattributed …, as applicable.”

— Sean Cooksey (@SeanJCooksey) July 21, 2024

And acquired a nastygram in return:

Home Democrats at the moment are attempting to silence me as @FEC Chairman for elevating questions on President Biden giving VP Harris all of his marketing campaign money. All I did was quote federal rules.

Why are Democrats afraid of the legislation? pic.twitter.com/pYPJOSkPbh

— Sean Cooksey (@SeanJCooksey) July 23, 2024

We don’t even have even the sketchiest kind of proof of Biden “giving” Harris “all his marketing campaign money.” Plainly Harris simply took it; the method did appear a bit brusque. I believe the matter activates the 2 phrases “redesignated” or “reattributed” in 11 C.F.R. § 110.1. I’m not a marketing campaign finance legislation maven, but when both implies a course of on the FEC, potential litigants may need a degree (primarily based on strict textual studying):

The Biden-Harris campaigns might have requested for an expedited authorized advisory opinion from the FEC earlier than performing. Given the unprecedented nature of the scenario, that may have been the moral factor to do. As an alternative, they took benefit of the sluggish timeline to resolve complaints…

— Laura Powell (@LauraPowellEsq) July 24, 2024

* * *

Syndemics

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

Covid 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 handle given with the crops. 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 (wastewater); BC, Vancouver (wastewater).

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

Keep protected on the market!

Transmission: Covid

“Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 virus in saliva, stool, and urine samples of COVID-19 sufferers in Bihar, India Open Entry” [Microbiology Research]. From the Summary: “In addition to inhalation as a route for transmission, feco-oral has additionally been proposed. Its transmission to sewage techniques is a rising public well being problem…. This cross-sectional observational examine was performed from January 2021 to March 2022 on human non-respiratory samples. A complete of 345samples together with saliva (116), stool (97), and urine (132) had been collected from 143 COVID-19 circumstances. Samples had been analysed for SARS-CoV-2 by multiplex RT-PCR focused in opposition to E, ORF 1ab, and RdRp genes. On this examine, out of 143cases, a complete of 107 (74.8%) had been optimistic for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in a minimum of one of many nonrespiratory samples. There’s a excessive prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 virus in non-respiratory samples.” And: “The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA within the faeces of COVID-19 sufferers signifies potential feco-oral transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Along with this, the excretion of SARS-CoV-2 in human stool and saliva is a priority of public well being significance, particularly in creating international locations like India the place open defecation and spitting in public is a rampant observe. Additionally, stray animals could get contaminated and may function a supply of an infection for people. The sewage system may also be a possible supply of viral outbreaks, group unfold, and a future surveillance technique. Nevertheless, these potential routes of transmission want additional investigation.”

Maskstravaganza

Masks whereas swimming (!), a thread:

It’s pool and seaside season! Will a respirator work for swimming and water parks (or bathe sans hair washing)?

Utilizing my PortaCount 8020A, I examined probably the most accessible & inexpensive water resistant respirator, 3M Aura 1870+, after 6 and eight hours of damage on the pool (1.5hrs whole of… pic.twitter.com/xwx00hGI8V

— Stealthy Jess 🇨🇦 💜 (@AdvancedTweaker) July 24, 2024

Movie star Watch

Profitable gold within the FAFO Olympics:

Yesterday: Australia’s Olympic workforce chief stated one water polo participant had covid however they had been ‘treating covid no in a different way to different bugs….this is not Tokyo.”

At present: pic.twitter.com/4uHwfWHG34

— Nate Bear (@NateB_Panic) July 24, 2024

Elite Maleficence

One other sure-to-be maskless convention, arising:

Please inform me the pandemic preparation group has learnt one thing from the disastrous WHO AIRBORNE disinformation response to SARS-CoV-2??

Is the main target nonetheless simply on vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics, and surveillance?

Is nobody discussing the lesson concerning the important… https://t.co/jnjR8KgarD pic.twitter.com/AgkRAAPJgw

— John Johnston (@JOHNJOHNSTONED) July 24, 2024

“Is nobody discussing the lesson concerning the important position of transmission mitigation methods and the elemental significance of getting the mode of transmission proper?” Till the powers-that-be can determine the right way to cost hire for the air, the “mode of transmission” will not be of “elementary significance,” no.

Lambert right here: Appears to be like like the vacation journey dumped accelerant on the pre-existing surge; see particularly the expansion in wastewater “scorching spots.” Keep protected on the market!

Tech: “CrowdStrike presents a $10 apology present card to make an apology for outage” [TechCrunch]. “CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity agency that crashed tens of millions of computer systems with a botched replace everywhere in the world final week, is providing its companions a $10 Uber Eats present card as an apology, in accordance with a number of individuals who say they acquired the present card, in addition to a supply who additionally acquired one…. ‘To specific our gratitude, your subsequent cup of espresso or late evening snack is on us!’”

Tech: “Google Is the Solely Search Engine That Works on Reddit Now Because of AI Deal” [404 Media]. “Google is now the one search engine that may floor outcomes from Reddit, making one of many internet’s most dear repositories of person generated content material unique to the web’s already dominant search engine. When you use Bing, DuckDuckGo, Mojeek, Qwant or another various search engine that doesn’t depend on Google’s indexing and search Reddit through the use of “web site:reddit.com,” you’ll not see any outcomes from the final week. DuckDuckGo is at present turning up seven hyperlinks when looking Reddit, however gives no knowledge on the place the hyperlinks go or why, as a substitute solely saying that ‘We wish to present you an outline right here however the web site received’t permit us.’ Older outcomes will nonetheless present up, however these search engines like google and yahoo are now not in a position to crawl’ Reddit, that means that Google is the one search engine that can flip up outcomes from Reddit going ahead. Looking for Reddit nonetheless works on Kagi, an impartial, paid search engine that buys a part of its search index from Google. The information reveals how Google’s close to monopoly on search is now actively hindering different corporations’ capacity to compete at a time when Google is going through rising criticism over the standard of its search outcomes. And whereas neither Reddit or Google responded to a request for remark, it seems that the exclusion of different search engines like google and yahoo is the results of a multi-million greenback deal that provides Google the correct to scrape Reddit for knowledge to coach its AI merchandise. They’re [Reddit] killing every thing for search however Google,’ Colin Hayhurst, CEO of the search engine Mojeek instructed me on a name.” • And naturally, as regular, Google “scraping” Reddit means stealing the labor of a whole bunch of hundreds of customers. “Unique accumulation,” because the Bearded One calls it. All for a power-hungry bullshit generator no person ever requested for, however the Bros thought could be an ideal thought!

Tech: Hat tip, Silicon Valley:

At present’s Worry & Greed Index: 43 Worry (earlier shut: 55 Impartial) [CNN]. One week in the past: 58 (Greed). (0 is Excessive Worry; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Jul 24 at 12:37:17 PM ET.

Zeitgeist Watch

Fascinating graphic:

Fascinating thought however I’m unsure I settle for the classes or the strategy (Spinoza distinguishes between feelings and emotions, although with out the textual content at hand I can’t say why. However I’m unsure this wheel does). In the meantime, a fraction inside the Democrat Celebration is clearly feeling robust feelings, collectively, after Kamala’s annunciation. I don’t know the place to position them on this wheel (nor do I perceive them within the first place).

Class Warfare

“Excessive wealth has a deadening impact on the super-rich – and that threatens us all” [George Monbiot, Guardian]. “Excessive wealth can severely hamper enjoyment. As Michael Mechanic paperwork in his e-book, Jackpot, there are two teams of people that have to consider cash on a regular basis: the very poor and the very wealthy. Immense wealth possesses you simply as a lot as you possess it: managing it turns into a full-time job. You don’t know whom to belief; you can begin to think about your mates aren’t mates in any respect; it might dominate and poison your loved ones relationships. It might probably hole you out, socially, intellectually and morally. However I believe there may be an additional corroding side of wealth that hasn’t been broadly mentioned. Nice wealth flattens the world. When you can go anyplace and do something, every thing is over the horizon. You pace previous the native and the actual, in the direction of an endlessly escalating excellent of luxurious: the higher marina, the larger yacht, the personal jet, the super-home. The satisfaction horizon can retreat earlier than you. Place has no that means, aside from as a setting that may impress the buddies you now not belief. However anybody who’s impressed by cash just isn’t value impressing.”

Information of the Wired

“Relationships are coevolutionary loops” [Escaping Flatland]. “That is what I infer once I see somebody who’s comfy of their distinctive strangeness, too. There in all probability exists somebody who enabled that evolution of character. A father or mother, a good friend group, a partner. It’s uncommon for folks to come back into themselves if nobody is happy and inquisitive about their core, their potential. We’d like somebody who provides us area to unfold…. For me, that is Johanna. We first met when she was 21 and I used to be 22 and later grew to become a pair. What’s me in me has unfolded primarily in her firm. This has been a mutual unfolding; we spoke one another into being. This essay is about how we made our first dwelling collectively. By dwelling I don’t imply simply the bodily construction, however the emotional area by which the coevolutionary loop performs out.” • Hmm.

Nonetheless, progress nonetheless does happen:

Contact info 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 examine if you’re allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn how to ship me pictures of crops. Greens are effective! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary crops! In order for you your deal with to look 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 timotheus:

Timotheus writes: “Tobacco as ornament.”

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