2:00PM Water Cooler 9/30/2024 | bare capitalism

By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Affected person readers, this will likely be a bit of shorter than regular, as a result of I need to hustle alongside and end up a publish on Katrina Helene. –lambert

Fowl Music of the Day

Now with the precise birdsong, dang. John was an excellent proofreader, want he was nonetheless right here. –lambert

Mourning Warbler, Shannondale Springs Wildlife Managment Space, Jefferson, West Virginia, United States. “As per Wil Hershberger, this recording is of an grownup male Mourning Warbler (Geothlypis philadelphia) that was visually recognized and in sight all through the recording. This recording was initially archived as Mourning Warbler, however the identification was later mistakenly modified by an ML archivist because of the similarity of this fowl’s music to the music of Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica). The topic has been modified again to Mourning Warbler as per the recordist.” Class errors abound.

In Case You May Miss…

1. Routh pleads harmless.
2. Occasion management of the poll.
3. IAM/Boeing talks halt on defined-benefit pensions.

Search for the Helpers

My e-mail tackle is down by the plant; please ship examples of there (“Helpers” within the topic line). In our more and more determined and fragile neoliberal society, on a regular basis regular incidents and tales of “the communism of on a regular basis life” are what I’m in search of (and never, say, the Purple Cross in Hawaii, and even the UNWRA in Gaza).

Politics

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

Trump Assassination Makes an attempt (Plural)

“Man accused of trying to assassinate Trump pleads not responsible to federal costs” [Seattle Times]. Routh didn’t fireplace any rounds and didn’t have Trump in his line of sight, officers have mentioned. He left behind a digital digicam, a backpack, a loaded SKS-style rifle with a scope and a plastic bag containing meals. Prosecutors have mentioned that he had written of his plans to kill Trump in a handwritten word months earlier than his Sept. 15 arrest wherein he referred to his actions as a failed ‘assassination try on Donald Trump’ and supplied $150,000 for anybody who might ‘end the job.’ That word was in a field that Routh had apparently dropped off on the dwelling of an unidentified witness months earlier than his arrest. Monday’s listening to was held earlier than a Justice of the Peace choose. However additional proceedings will likely be overseen by U.S. District Decide Aileen Cannon, who was appointed to the bench by Trump and was additionally assigned to the felony case accusing the previous president of illegally hoarding labeled paperwork at his Mar-a-Lago property.”

Biden Administration

“High Democrat Backs Lina Khan As Donors Search Her Ouster” [HuffPo]. “South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, some of the influential Democrats within the nation, on Thursday praised Federal Commerce Fee Chair Lina Khan’s work, endorsing her continued tenure as the US’ prime antitrust regulator. Clyburn spoke to HuffPost in a joint interview with Khan to tout the FTC’s $48 million settlement this week with Invitation Houses, a company landlord that the FTC accused of bilking renters for tens of millions of {dollars} in junk charges, and hiding these charges via false promoting. In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Clyburn had investigated allegedly unlawful evictions performed by Invitation Houses in his capability as chair of the Home Choose Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Disaster. Invitation Houses can also be a significant landlord in Clyburn’s dwelling state. Requested in regards to the Democratic megadonors from the enterprise world who’ve been pushing Vice President Kamala Harris to drop Khan if Harris wins the 2024 White Home race, Clyburn described the general public strain as ‘foolishness.’ ‘Must be fired for what? For doing all your job? I feel she’s doing a superb job. I feel this is a sign of doing that job,’ he mentioned, referring to the Invitation Houses settlement. ‘I think that individuals who signify Invitation Houses might want her to get replaced by any individual who wouldn’t do their jobs.’” • Canny transfer by Khan. That mentioned, Kamala has but to offer her a hug.

2024

Lower than forty days to go!

Friday’s RCP Ballot Averages:

This week’s crop of flag-of-convenience Democrat celebrities and generals didn’t flip the tide both. Regardless of the micturition and lamentation (very a lot together with my very own) in regards to the Trump marketing campaign dogging it when the election is theirs to win (see Gallup, “2024 Election Surroundings Favorable to GOP” on the problems) do word the regular deterioration in Kamala’s place within the (aggregated) prime battlegrounds. (In fact, we on the skin may as effectively be inspecting the entrails of birds after we attempt to predict what’s going to occur to a subset of voters (undecided; irregular) in a subset of states (swing), and the irregulars particularly may as effectively be quantum foam, however presumably the marketing campaign professionals have higher knowledge, and have the state of affairs as below management as it may be _{MR SUBLIMINAL Fooled ya. Kidding!}.

* * *

Vance-Walz debate:

“Why the Vance-Walz Debate Is Primed To Be Messy” [Time]. “With voting already underway in some states—together with Minnesota—and no extra made-for-television occasions on the books earlier than Nov. 5’s Election Day, this undercard debate takes on an significance unseen within the fashionable period. Each Vance and Walz stay clean slates to a lot of America; as a lot as 1 / 4 of the citizens not too long ago instructed pollsters they’ve actually heard of Trump’s and Harris’ operating mates, in line with surveys from the Pew Analysis Heart. Vance was barely higher recognized than Walz, though Vance carried greater unfavorable numbers amongst these with an opinion.”

* * *

“She’s all the time wanting up.” By some means all of them suppose alike; Iit’s nearly like Gleichschaltung:

Kamala (D): Tomorrow belongs to me (1):

Kamala (D): Tomorrow belongs to me (2):

To be clear, I consider the fascist smorgasbord is a groaning buffet, and each events partake from it freely, one purpose this election is a Sophie’s Selection.

* * *

Trump (R): “Why has Melania Trump returned to public life now?” [The New Statesman]. “She does what she likes, and what she likes is to shy from consideration and never inform anybody what she is considering. However her digital absence from the marketing campaign and the centre of American political life is unsustainable. Her latest catapult into the information cycle is her recognition of that. The memoir, the movies, the Christmas baubles: that is how she is rectifying her multi-year-long retreat. What this means is that she, like her husband, is prepared to modify up methods when she has one thing to promote. If she will get it proper, Melania may very well be precisely what Trump’s marketing campaign wants.” • Effectively… And promoting books.

* * *

Trump (R) (James/Erdogan): “Appellate judges skeptical of New York civil fraud case towards Trump” [Reuters]. “Members of the five-judge panel on the Appellate Division – the mid-level state appellate court docket listening to arguments in Trump’s attraction – appeared involved about attainable overreach by James. Two of the judges interrupted Judith Vale, the lawyer arguing for New York, throughout her opening assertion to ask if there have been every other examples of the state suing over personal enterprise transactions between subtle events below a regulation geared toward defending market integrity. Each case that you simply cite entails harm to shoppers, harm to {the marketplace},’ Justice David Friedman instructed Vale. ‘We don’t have something like that right here,’ Friedman added, saying that no person ‘misplaced any cash.’ The judges additionally puzzled about what constraints utilized to the regulation James cited in bringing the case – one that’s usually used to go after fraudsters who goal susceptible shoppers. ‘How can we draw a line or no less than put up guardrails? Justice Peter Moulton requested. Vale, the state’s deputy solicitor common, mentioned the statute – often called Govt Regulation 63(12) – is broadly geared toward stopping fraud and illegality, and was due to this fact acceptable in Trump’s case. ‘When danger is injected into the market, that does harm the counterparties and it does harm the market as an entire,’ Vale mentioned.”

Trump (R) (James/Erdogan): “Huge civil fraud verdict towards Trump will get frosty reception at New York appeals court docket” [Politico]. “Throughout oral arguments on Thursday, some members of the five-judge appeals court docket panel instructed that New York Legal professional Common Tish James had overstepped through the use of the actual New York fraud statute she used to carry the case towards Trump. As quickly as Deputy Solicitor Common Judith Vale, arguing for James, started her opening remarks, she was lower off by Affiliate Justice David Friedman, who questioned whether or not her workplace had ever earlier than used the statute ‘to upset a personal enterprise transaction that was between equally subtle companions.’ The justices’ questions echoed considered one of Trump’s central strains of protection: He has argued that nobody was harmed by the inflated valuations.”

* * *

MI: “Scoop: Rep. Elissa Slotkin warns Harris is “underwater” in Michigan” [Axios]. “‘I’m not feeling my greatest proper now about the place we’re on Kamala Harris in a spot like Michigan,’ Slotkin mentioned throughout a digital fundraiser on Wednesday with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), in line with a recording. ‘We’ve her underwater in our polling,’ Slotkin added. Spokespeople for Slotkin’s marketing campaign didn’t reply to requests for remark. It’s commonplace for campaigns to color themselves because the polling underdog as a fundraising tactic.” • No, and Slotkin is a CIA Democrat; two causes she’d by mendacity.

* * *

Democrats en Déshabillé

“The Mississippi elites who broke democracy” [Unherd]. “A 21-year navy profession gave [Ty Pinkins] a passport filled with stamps, three fight excursions, a Bronze Star, and a job within the White Home. After retirement, Pinkins earned not one however two regulation levels from Georgetown College. He turned down the large cash of a Washington regulation agency for the Delta. Again in his hometown, Rolling Fork, Mississippi, [Ty] Pinkins printed a memoir, 23 Miles and Working, and litigated a whole bunch of civil circumstances for the underprivileged. In 2021, he made nationwide information by submitting a federal lawsuit on behalf of fired black farm labourers, who had been changed by white South Africans. Submitting go well with and testifying earlier than Congress on the difficulty, he pressured a settlement. Taking word was Mississippi’s lone Democratic Congressman, Bennie Thompson. The chair of the January 6 Choose Committee tapped Pinkins to run for the native faculty board. By the point Pinkins realized of Thompson’s need, he had already publicly declared his candidacy for [a] Senate seat.” You’ll by no means guess what occurred subsequent: “In idea, Thompson and state Democratic chair Cheikh Taylor promised Pinkins, the one Democrat to announce for the race, their celebration’s full help. However although he knew the competition can be an uphill battle, Pinkins by no means anticipated a significant hurdle can be Bennie Thompson — his personal Congressman and the very politician to first have seen his skills. At first, his cellphone calls asking for endorsements went unanswered. Then, when his cellphone did ring, respondents attacked, apparently upset that Pinkins’ hadn’t adopted Thompson’s recommendation and run for his native faculty board. As Will Colom, a outstanding black Mississippi lawyer and celebration donor allegedly instructed him: ‘You’ll lose. You’re a loser. And you’ll all the time be a loser.’ A younger Mississippi state consultant additionally phoned. ‘Who the hell do you suppose you’re, getting your title on the poll?’ they yelled. ‘You could undergo us gatekeepers.’ Gatekeeper. The time period shocked Pinkins. Occasion insiders refused to help him just because, as he tells me, ‘I didn’t ask anybody, ‘can I please run?” The candidate’s astonishment went past private ambition. With its pungent whiff of machine politics, what Pinkins calls Mississippi’s ‘Gatekeeper Syndrome’ is the very downside ‘stopping our democracy on the state stage from blossoming.’” • As I’ve typically mentioned, management over the poll is the distinctive competence of the trendy political celebration (although Democrats clearly do it higher than Republicans, for causes I don’t perceive).

Realignment and Legitimacy

“Consciousness of ‘Latinx’ will increase amongst US Latinos, and ‘Latine’ emerges instead” [Associated Press]. “‘Latino’ and ‘Hispanic’ have lengthy been essentially the most outstanding phrases used to explain folks within the U.S. with roots in Latin America and Spain. However during the last a number of years, ‘Latinx’ has grow to be a de-facto gender impartial various to Latino and Hispanic, in line with a brand new examine by race and ethnicity researchers. Regardless of the elevated consciousness of the time period amongst Latinos — 47% have heard of it — solely 4% or 1.9 million folks use ‘Latinx’ to explain themselves, a rise of 1 p.c since 2019, in line with the examine by the Pew Analysis Heart. “‘Latinx’ is extra broadly recognized amongst U.S. Latinos immediately, however nonetheless few embrace it,’ mentioned Mark Lopez, Pew’s director of race and ethnicity analysis. Of the Latinos who’ve heard the time period, 36% view the utilization of the time period as a foul factor as a substitute of a superb factor, in line with the examine. And with opinions blended, about ‘Latinx,’ a brand new time period has emerged: ‘Latine’ (pronounce LA TEE NEH). That time period has gained reputation amongst folks from Latin American nations and Spanish audio system who’ve pushed for the time period for use as a substitute of ‘Latinx,’ as a result of in Spanish ‘e’ can be utilized to higher word gender neutrality, mentioned Josh Guzmán, an affiliate professor of gender research on the College of California at Los Angeles. Within the U.S., ‘Latinx’ has extra reputation than ‘Latine.’ Solely 18% of Hispanics have heard of the latter, in line with the Pew examine. But 75% of U.S. Latinos surveyed suppose the phrases shouldn’t be used to explain the inhabitants, and 81% largely choose ‘Hispanic’ and ‘Latino.’” • America’s HR division, the PMC, have to be actually ticked off at their failure to get rid of oldthink.

Syndemics

“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

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 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 tackle 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 stories); 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 (wastewater); 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, KidDoc, 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!

LEGEND

1) ★ for charts new immediately; all others should not up to date.

2) For a full-size/full-resolution picture, Command-click (MacOS) or right-click (Home windows) on the chart thumbnail and “open picture in new tab.”

NOTES

[1] (CDC) This week’s wastewater map, with scorching spots annotated. A lot much less intense!

[2] (CDC) Final week’s wastewater map.

[3] (CDC Variants) KP.* extremely popular. XEC has entered the chat.

[4] (ED) Down, however value noting that Emergency Division use is now on a par with the primary wave, in 2020.

[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Positively down.

[6] (Hospitalization: CDC).

[7] (Walgreens) Huge drop continues!

[8] (Cleveland) Dropping.

[9] (Vacationers: Positivity) Up, although lagged.

[10] (Vacationers: Variants).

[11] Deaths low, positivity down.

[12] Deaths low, ED down.

Stats Watch

Manufacturing: “United States Chicago PMI|” [Trading Economics]. “The Chicago Enterprise Barometer, also referred to as the Chicago PMI, edged as much as 46.6 in September 2024 from 46.1 in August and in comparison with forecasts of 46.2. Nonetheless, the Barometer has remained in contractionary territory for twenty-four of the previous 25 months.”

Manufacturing: “United States Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index” [Trading Economics]. “The Federal Reserve Financial institution of Dallas’ common enterprise exercise index for manufacturing in Texas edged greater to -9 in September of 2024 from -9.7 within the earlier month, indicating the softest pessimism within the sector since January 2023.”

Finance: “A ton of individuals are actually underwater on their automobile loans” [Jalopnik]. A brand new survey reveals that 31 p.c of American drivers who financed their automobile are underwater on their loans. The issue is even worse for EV homeowners – 46 p.c of these people have damaging fairness of their electrical automobiles. Furthering the difficulty is the truth that over half of the drivers surveyed overestimated their car’s worth.” • Finest economic system ever!

Tech: As a result of there aren’t any hurricanes in Silicon Valley (1):

Tech: As a result of there aren’t any hurricanes in Silicon Valley (2):

Tech: “Main outage: Verizon confirms it’s working to revive service after widespread complaints” [CNN]. “Complaints to Verizon’s verified account on X present that clients have been annoyed by a scarcity of cell service and an incapability to hook up with the community. Many Verizon iPhone clients complained that their telephones had been caught in “SOS” mode Monday morning, permitting solely emergency calls through satellite tv for pc.” • Hmm.

Manufacturing: “Newest talks between Boeing and its putting machinists break off with out progress, union says” [Associated Press]. “No additional negotiation dates have been scheduled after Friday’s session led by federal mediators, IAM District 751 mentioned. The union added that it remained ‘open to talks with the corporate, both direct or mediated’…. The strike will not disrupt airline flights anytime quickly, however has put extra strain on an organization that has already confronted a sequence of economic, authorized and mechanical challenges this yr.”

Mnaufacturing: “Boeing’s long-lost pension is on the middle of broken-down strike talks” [Quartz]. “‘Whereas conversations have been direct, we didn’t make progress on the pension difficulty,’ the union mentioned in an replace to membership on Friday. ‘The corporate stays adamant that it’ll not unfreeze the outlined profit plan.’ After the 30,000-plus employees represented by the IAM went on strike earlier this month following the rejection of a contract that may have given them 25% raises. The union was looking for a 40% improve, and a since-rejected ‘greatest and remaining provide’ of a 30% bump was deemed ‘a blatant present of disrespect’ as a result of the corporate didn’t search to barter it first. In the meantime, beneath the floor of wage negotiations, a push to revive defined-benefit pensions has emerged. These retirement plans, which give assured payouts to long-serving staff after retirement, have been a part of Boeing’s advantages bundle till 2014. That yr, a contract extension shifted employees to defined-contribution plans like 401(okay)s. Main firms like Boeing began shifting away from pensions as a result of ensuring all these employees obtained their promised retirement pay was a major legal responsibility. Outlined-contribution plans put that danger on the employees themselves as a substitute as a result of they’re those primarily liable for constructing their nest eggs.” “Has emerged”? Notice lack of company; not the union management, apparently….

Manufacturing: “Boeing suppliers concern long-term jobs hit from strike” [Reuters]. “Till not too long ago, Boeing had pledged to take as a lot stock from suppliers as attainable to maintain provide strains “scorching” or energetic. However Boeing’s skill to help suppliers is fading. The corporate’s credit standing is hovering at near junk standing, and its protection arm has been dropping as a lot because it used to make.” • Money not forthcoming?

Manufacturing: “For This Boeing Household, the Job Is the Similar. The Payoff Isn’t” [Wall Sreet Journal]. “Some 33,000 members of Boeing’s largest union have been on strike since Sept. 13, costing the jet maker a whole bunch of tens of millions of {dollars} per week and imperiling its turnaround effort. Members overwhelmingly rejected a contract that may have raised pay by 25% over 4 years. Boeing sweetened its provide to a 30% improve, which the union mentioned nonetheless falls quick. The union says Boeing, previously decade, has raised wages by 8%—not sufficient when inflation has elevated nationally by greater than 46% in the identical interval. Employees are seeing actual declines of their lifestyle, and that’s driving a tougher line on union contracts at Boeing and elsewhere, mentioned Rep. Adam Smith, (D., Wash.) who has represented the area since 1997. ‘Your wages merely didn’t sustain with the price of housing, schooling, power, the whole lot,’ he mentioned. “It’s not simply the wages they [not “we”] are making, however the expense of the world round them.’”

Manufacturing: “Federal Decide in Texas Will Hear Arguments Over Boeing’s Plea Deal in 737 Max Case” [Manufacturing.net]. “A federal choose on Friday ordered a listening to subsequent month over Boeing’s settlement to plead responsible to conspiracy in reference to the 737 Max jetliner, two of which crashed, killing 346 folks. Households of a number of the passengers killed within the crashes object to the settlement. They need to put Boeing on trial, the place it might face more durable punishment. U.S. District Courtroom Decide Reed O’Connor set a listening to for Oct. 11 in Fort Value, Texas. Boeing is accused of deceptive regulators who authorised minimal, computer-based coaching for Boeing 737 pilots earlier than they may fly the Max. Boeing wished to stop regulators from requiring coaching in flight simulators, which might have raised the associated fee for airways to function the airplane. The Justice Division argued in court docket filings that conspiracy to defraud the federal government is essentially the most critical cost it could possibly show. Prosecutors mentioned they lack proof to point out that Boeing’s actions triggered the crashes in 2018 in Indonesia and 2019 in Ethiopia.”

At present’s Concern & Greed Index: 73 Greed (earlier shut: 67 Greed) [CNN]. One week in the past: 63 (Greed). (0 is Excessive Concern; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Sep 30 at 1:21:16 PM ET.

Rapture Index: Closes unchanged [Rapture Ready]. Document Excessive, October 10, 2016: 189. Present: 180. (Do not forget that bringing on the Rapture is nice.) • Laborious to consider the Rapture Index goes down. Do these folks know one thing we don’t?

Video games

“What Fiction Writers Can Be taught from Dungeons & Dragons” [Literary Hub]. “Within the late Nineteen Eighties, my mates and I knew one thing referred to as Dungeons & Dragons existed—and we knew that it was for us. However no store in our little upstate New York hometown carried the books, and the World Huge Net was nonetheless a couple of years off. We did have a set of the cube, so we labored with the scraps we’d gleaned from associated books and video video games, crafting guidelines and settings to assist us inform the tales we wished to inform. It was a messy course of, however it labored. Over numerous weekends and summer time nights, we performed our imaginary characters via marvelous journeys, high-stakes intrigues, and absurd escapades. Tabletop roleplaying video games had been round for some fifteen years at this level, however we felt we have been tapping into one thing each mythic and new. Which is strictly what we have been doing. D&D owes its existence to a peculiar mixture of historical legend and folklore, fantasy literature, tactical wargames, and improvisational theater. Now fifty years outdated, the sport is extra in style than ever, however what retains it new is the gamers who collect with mates to make it their very own.” • I used to be born a lot too early for D&D. Too dangerous!

“Steam Removes Pressured Arbitration Clause, Avid gamers Can Now Sue Valve” [404 Media]. “In a fairly notable phrases of service replace, Valve has eliminated the pressured arbitration clause from Steam’s subscriber settlement, which means customers will now have the power to sue Valve over disputes, and also will have higher skill to file class-action lawsuits towards the corporate…. Valve didn’t say precisely why it removed its pressured arbitration clause. However the firm is presently being sued in a category motion lawsuit in Washington state over the dominance of the Steam platform and over claims that it has overcharged for some video games. The plaintiffs in that case really went to arbitration and satisfied an arbitrator that the pressured arbitration clause shouldn’t apply to them, and have been allowed to sue.” • Good!

Gallery

I’m wondering if Van Gogh ever painted a canine in a manger:

And:

Zeitgeist Watch

I might file this below “Search for the helpers,” too, although it takes a while to prove that means.

Tradcath seeks Hobbiton:

Class Warfare

“US East and Gulf Coast Ports Face Imminent Shutdown as Union Publicizes Intent to Strike” [gCaptain]. “The Worldwide Longshoremen’s Affiliation (ILA) on Sunday introduced plans for a widespread strike in any respect Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports, scheduled to start at 12:01 am on Tuesday, October 1, 2024…. The strike would contain 85,000 ILA members and affect ports from Maine to Texas, the ILA mentioned in a Sunday replace posted to Fb. ‘United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) refuses to handle a half-century of wage subjugation the place Ocean Carriers earnings skyrocketed from tens of millions to mega-billion {dollars}, whereas ILA longshore wages remained flat,’ the replace mentioned. The potential work stoppage will have an effect on 45,000 port employees at 36 ports liable for dealing with greater than 40% of complete containerized items getting into the US. The strike additionally comes at a very difficult time for ocean provide chains, which have already confronted important disruptions in 2024 attributable to conflicts within the Purple Sea, drought within the Panama Canal, and the Baltimore bridge collapse. The disruptions, mixed with sturdy U.S. demand, have already triggered common spot freight charges from the Far East to the U.S. East Coast to extend by over 300% between December 2023 and early July 2024, in line with Xeneta. Regardless of the excessive stakes, the Biden administration has indicated that the president doesn’t plan to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act, a federal regulation that enables presidential intervention in labor disputes that create a nationwide emergency.”

Information of the Wired

“Alien ‘Cryptoterrestrials’ Might Be Secretly Hiding Deep Underground, Harvard Scientists Declare” [Popular Mechanics]. “The authors overtly marvel if [unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs)] maintain people from the longer term, trying to examine their very own historical past and avoiding identification for concern of damaging timelines. Lastly, and maybe most daringly, their writing takes time to include the theological, questioning if our proposed ‘aliens’ are actually a breed of ‘earthbound angels.’” • Our timeline is fairly broken already…

Contact info for crops: Readers, be happy to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) learn the way to ship me a verify in case you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn the way to ship me photographs of crops. Greens are tremendous! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary crops! If you would like your deal with to look as a credit score, please place it at 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 ST:

ST writers: “The rose bush in entrance of my home blooms on the oddest occasions. Right here’s a present instance.”

Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not lined by the annual NC fundraiser. Materials right here is Lambert’s, and doesn’t categorical the views of the Bare Capitalism website. In the event you see a hyperlink you particularly like, or an merchandise you wouldn’t see anyplace else, please don’t hesitate to precise your appreciation in tangible type. 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 3 or 4 days I get nervous. Extra tangibly, a continuing trickle of donations helps me with bills, and I consider that trickle when setting fundraising objectives: