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Links 12/6/2024

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The Secret of Orange Cats Finally Uncovered After 60-Year Search ScienceAlert (Chuck L)

Archaeological dig at Notre-Dame unearths 2,000 years of history France24 (Kevin W)

#COVID-19/Pandemics

Pardon Me, But This Is Bullshit Matt Taibbi. On a pardon for Fauci.

Unknown disease kills 143 in southwest Congo, local authorities say Reuters (Paul R). Our GM was already all over this. His message a full day before based on earlier accounts:

This looks potentially extremely bad.

Hopefully it is some bacteria that does not spread well, but if it is an efficiently spreading respiratory virus, especially if it is “blessed” with an asymptomatic transmission period, we are completely screwed in the post-COVID post-public health world.

Clearly it is not Ebola/Marburg — there are no hemorrhagic symptoms reported, and they know filoviruses there better than anyone.

Quite unlikely it is some new SARS-CoV-2 strain that gestated there, though the symptoms are consistent, and the DRC is precisely the kind of place where you expect something like this to spawn. Because the dead are young. And all respiratory coronaviruses have a skewed mortality distribution towards the old. It is possible some kind of self-destructive immune system freakout phenomenon does develop with a new coronavirus strain in the future, one that makes it more lethal for younger people, but then I would expect different symptoms in the severe cases. Which cannot be excluded based on the limited information provided, but still, more likely it is something else. And they would have known by now if it was a coronavirus given the ubiquity of testing resources.

A lethal flu strain, potentially even an efficient H2H-transmissible H5N1, would be quite possible in principle, but again, if it was that, they would have been able to identify it immediately as there are quick and readily available laboratory methods to figure that out.

But it looks like they have to do the metagenomics work from scratch here. Even taking that into account, it is extremely concerning that they are not saying what it is. It has been ~40 days since the first cases. That is more than enough time to do the sequencing and analysis, even in the DRC.

Meanwhile it is likely already spreading beyond that immediate area, and once it gets to Kinshasa, which is unfortunately quite close geographically, you can forget about containing it if it is efficient at H2H spread…

Access to PPE, a critical tool in fighting bird flu, is mixed across dairy-producing states, records show Investigate Midwest (Robin K)

Why hasn’t the bird flu pandemic started? Science

Climate/Environment

75 Years of Lead in Gasoline Caused 150 Million Mental Health Disorders, Study Finds USAToday

Study indicates “persistent, damaging” effects of glyphosate herbicide exposure on brain health New Lede

Earth Began Absorbing More Sunlight in 2023, Climate Researchers Find arstechnica

Balloon system can produce localized solar electricity for the ground below PhysOrg (Chuck L)

China?

From earlier in the week, still of note:

Koreas

South Korean president’s party leader calls for his suspension Nikkei

South Korea’s President Yoon backs out of plan to visit parliament amid chaos BBC

South Korea Coup Attempt Fails, Putin Erdogan Talk Syria; Kiev Demands NATO, Trump Mulls Plans Alexander Mercouris. A day late to this, but Mercouris’ theory of the short-lived South Korea coup, at the start of his presentation, is the only one I have heard that makes sense.

South Korea: The Deeper Story Behind the Unrest Zeteo. A more conventional account, not as persuasive. Provides useful background as to why the President was in trouble but not the coup attempt.

Yoon’s martial law stunt may cost Korea a lost decade Asia Times (Kevin W)

Africa

European Disunion

‘Macron is primarily responsible for France’s unprecedented and hazardous political situation’ Le Monde

If you click through, you can also get a translation:

Macron to appoint new prime minister ‘in coming days’ as he vows to finish term Euronews

Now the right wants to sprinkle landmines around Aftonbladet via machine translation. Micael T: “‘The problem? The only outsider in the expert group that produced the investigation is employed by the arms industry. More precisely, Saab’s vice president Christer Ahlström.’ – Sweden is sinking hard and fast into the neoliberal sewer of corruption at all levels.”

Old Blighty

UK premier pledges more police officers, 1.5M new homes, fixing NHS as part of ‘Plan for Change’ Anadolu Agency

Israel v. the Resistance

Amnesty International says there is ‘sufficient evidence’ to accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza CNN (Kevin W)

‘Soaked in blood’: Israel hits Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital multiple times Aljzaeera

New Not-So-Cold War

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview to Tucker Carlson, Moscow, December 6, 2024 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Transcript and video.

In Europe, if you’re sitting in the “slop bucket” – don’t gurgle! On the subject of triumphalism. Marat Khairullin Hoo boy:

They believed in the fairy tale about an all-powerful Europe. Recall here – NATO exercises recently resulted in frostbitten idiots and nothing more, and that’s without a real war.

Lavrov and Blinken trade blame for Ukraine war escalation at OSCE meeting in Malta Euronews

Warnings of alleged Russian terrorist acts in Europe are increasing Anti-Spiegel via machine translation

Putin’s pipeline: How the Kremlin outmaneuvered Western oil companies to wrest control of vast flows of Kazakhstan’s crude ICIJ (Robin K)

Syraqistan

Syrian Rebels Storm Hama as Government Forces Withdraw New York Times (Kevin W)

Syrian Crisis Analysis: SAA on Verge of Collapse? Or Have Jihadists Overplayed Their Hand? Simplicius

Report: US Offered To Withdraw Troops From Syria in Exchange for Assad Cutting Ties With Iran Antiwar.com (Kevin W)

Old feuds reignite between Turkish-backed extremists attacking Syria’s Aleppo The Cradle (Kevin W)

Greater Israel, Greater Turkey Julian Macfarlane (Micael T)

Comprador Nation New Left Review. Anthony L: “Pakistan”

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

What is an O.MG Cable? Industrial CT Uncovers Malicious Hardware YouTube

Imperial Collapse Watch

Schizophrenic in America Hal Freeman (Anthony L)

Trump 2.0

An Annotated Copy of the FBI Memo Recapping Charles Kushner’s Scheme to Hire a Prostitute to Seduce His Brother-in-Law and Send a Secretly-Recorded Video “That Captures Them Having Sex” to His Sister Ken Silverstein (Micael T)

Part 2: My Battle with Tulsi Gabbard’s Cult Followers in Hawaii Christine Gralow (Micael T)

Our No Longer Free Press

How the U.S. State Department spends millions of dollars to coordinate Western media and direct investigative journalism against its geopolitical rivals eugyppius (Micael T)

Bluesky CEO Jay Graber isn’t ruling out advertising TechCrunch (Kevin W)

AI

AWS says AI could disrupt everything – and hopes it will do just that to Windows The Register

Boeing

US judge blocks Boeing’s guilty plea in 737 MAX crashes case over fears diversity policies would drive ‘racial considerations’ ABC Australia (Anthony L)

Guillotine Watch

Bitter Americans React to UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Murder: ‘My Empathy Is Out of Network’ Gizmodo

UnitedHealthcare CEO fatally shot, NY Post reports Reddit. Paul R: “Oh my gawrsh. A thread (deleted from the subreddit by reddit mods but still accessible through the direct url) full of actual doctors roasting that CEO. From a toxicology doc: ‘”He is lucky that it happened in December. Imagine how much it would cost when his out-of-pocket minimum reset in January!'”

Health Insurance Companies Erase Leadership Webpages – Pittsburgh Steelworkers Upset Over Trump Blocking US Steel Mike Elk

Class Warfare

There Is No Surplus Elite in America Yascha Mounck

Cradle and All; The devastating cost of Utah’s thriving adoption industry. Mother Jones (Paul R)

Antidote du jour (via):

Ands a bonus (Chuck L):

A second bonus (Chuck L):

See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.

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188 comments

  1. Antifa

    The Crimes Of Congress
    (melody borrowed from It Came Upon A Midnight Clear  by Edmund Sears, 1849)

    The crimes of Congress go on all year, as ethics and honor are sold
    Committee heads defend their turf, and greedy creatures grow old
    Insider trading in their playpen with money the lobbyists bring
    Cold cash gets anything squared away—they’ll take you under their wing

    And when your Party shall beat its drum, you stand with them against the world
    Some stupid rodeo riding goats—you march with flags unfurled
    Your constituents have no brains, a vote is all they can bring
    Not much in DC is out of bounds; at night this place can swing!

    The flood of money has never slowed, where else could lobbyists go?
    The corporate reps meet us every day and contributions grow
    We live like gods with special powers—that magical sound ka-ching
    As greedy as a well fed bull toad that gobbles up anything!

    Near half our job is vacationing on some island with sunsets gold
    The rest is laughing with our peers while bawdy tales are told
    A life of ease and a life of mirth, the staffers do everything
    Now and again you meet with the throng who treat you like a king

    Reply ↓
    1. Samuel Conner

      Thank you — sort of an anti-hymn for the holidays. In the turning of the ages, we finally arrive at where history was always heading, the present neoliberal age of sh!t.

      If one wants a term for this eschatology, perhaps “post-shillenialism” would do.

      Reply ↓
    2. FreeMarketApologist

      Bravo! I love all the contributions to the ‘Naked Capitalism Songbook’, and have always felt that the classic hymn tunes are an under-represented category. Thank you for an excellent and seasonally timely addition.

      Reply ↓
      1. Antifa

        The Joneses
        (melody borrowed from It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas by Meredith Willson, as sung by Bing Crosby)

        We have given up keeping up with the Joneses
        In our bungalow
        We have waved to them now and then, or watched them on CNN
        Discussing Keynes as public gains bestowed

        We have given up keeping up with the Joneses
        Wolves outside our door
        If I got disability, or the Lotto set us free—
        But it’s hard to score

        My wife telecommutes for some corporate suits with commissions plus expense
        Time on the clock getting people to talk and we pay for her VPN
        And if we had to calculate it barely pays the rent

        We have given up keeping up with the Joneses
        Savings running low
        Our grocery bill’s gone to hell, our landlord intends to sell
        They’ll build some condos where my gardens grow

        We have given up keeping up with the Joneses
        Next week we depart
        We’ll take wing without anything but the car we are driving
        To make a fresh start

        (musical interlude)

        We have given up keeping up with the Joneses
        Won’t see us no more
        In the land of the brave and free we have lost financially
        We are truly poor

        How do people endure?

        Reply ↓
        1. mrsyk

          wolves outside our door

          Damned if that phrase hasn’t been going through my head these last few days.
          Thanks again for the poetry.

          Reply ↓
  2. The Rev Kev

    “Greater Israel, Greater Turkey”

    Not possible to have both. Sorry, not sorry. Israel would never tolerate a Greater Turkiye as they are a believer in the One Percent Doctrine aka the Cheney Doctrine who himself gave an example-

    ‘If there’s a 1% chance that Pakistani scientists are helping al-Qaeda build or develop a nuclear weapon, we have to treat it as a certainty in terms of our response. It’s not about our analysis … It’s about our response.’

    Israel will never let a nation near it’s borders have a powerful military that can threaten it. It does not matter that Erdogan would never do so but what is important is that under a future leader it could. And they would use the Kurds to create a new civil war as there is a long history between the Kurds and the Turks-

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdish%E2%80%93Turkish_conflict

    The only reason it is not happening is that currently Israel needs Turkiye as a transit nation for oil from Azerbaijan but if that need goes away, than that is when it will start. Sure Turkiye is part of NATO but in a crunch, who will the US and its allies support – Israel or Turkiye?

    Reply ↓
    1. Mikel

      “Sure Turkiye is part of NATO but in a crunch, who will the US and its allies support – Israel or Turkiye?”

      And that is the drop mic question.

      Reply ↓
    2. Mikel

      Now I have to ask:
      Who would Russia choose in an Israel vs Turkiye dilemma?

      In a push comes to shove situation, does Russia think there could be some middle ground that could be navigated?

      Reply ↓
      1. John k

        Russia needs turkey, at least for now. Russia doesn’t need Israel for anything.
        Imo If Israel loses this war it would hurt us and west, so maybe that’s Russian pref. Granted, Russia is distracted at the moment by ukr/georgia.. Once ukr capitulates Russia might be more active in ME.

        Reply ↓
  3. funemployed

    Just spent some time on reddit. A few observations and thoughts:

    The mood is downright celebratory. More Joy here than for the Harris campaign for sure. One of the most upvoted posts is an image of the killer in the act, overlayed by a video game HUD awarding “karma.” Title of the post is “Everybody liked that.” Other top posts include a letter to UHC from a doctor treating a child with cancer, and the book that apparently inspired the words “Deny. Defend. Depose” that were carved into the shell casings. This book is selling out right now.

    Reddit’s moderation policies are governed by corporate goons and spooks. They are obviously trying to stem the tide and obviously failing. Given that the general sentiment among the comments that have gotten through – basically, that the killing was justified and shouldn’t be punished – I can only imagine what the thousands of deleted comments said.

    A lot of comments of people who were startled by their initial reaction of indifference/satisfaction, and have seriously reconsidered their stance on vigilante justice in a definitely pro-vigilante justice way.

    A whole lot of “snitches get stitches” comments and general vibe of wanting to shelter and protect the killer. His legal defense fund will be crowdfunded well enough to go toe to toe with the big boys.

    Several wink-wink info on the identity and likely whereabouts of another CEO who just greenlighted another monstrous policy.

    A great many legitimately funny jokes – gallows humor in full tilt.

    General consensus that Thompson is indeed a mass murderer, and should be treated as such.

    I suppose it doesn’t need saying but I can’t help but thinking of how many socially isolated, armed, hurt, angry people out there, who have hero fantasies, and have their whole social lives on the internet.

    I also can’t help thinking about what the reaction will be if this becomes a trend. God help us all.

    Reply ↓
    1. funemployed

      I’d also add that people seem to be underestimating the difficulties of stopping a solitary assassin seeking a heroic death. And also underestimating the likelihood of copycats seeking out softer targets if they can’t get to the big dogs. I will be very surprised if this is a solitary incident.

      Reply ↓
      1. ChrisFromGA

        I worry about some young person who may emulate the assassin and do so in a less competent way, ruining their life by getting sucked into the criminal justice system.

        Note that I am not so worried about the next victim.

        Reply ↓
        1. The Rev Kev

          So he was going to squeal? Hmmm. We need some conformation if that ever happens. Paging Seth Rich to the Ouija Board.

          Reply ↓
          1. JohnA

            He was also separated from his wife, maybe she had a motive to hire a hit man as well and disguise it as a disgrunted insuree.

            Reply ↓
          2. Yves Smith Post author

            Dore should not be flogging such ridiculous ideas. Guys at the CEO level do not do that. For insider trading, FFS? That’s a fine at worst.

            For real crimes, the lower downs take the fall, as with Warren Buffet and finite reinsurance. Two of his guys did time when he was if anything more guilty.

            Reply ↓
            1. JohnA

              I should have added sarc. As a European I almost never comment on matters American, but if there is going to be a thread about possible motives and conspiracies, might as well include all angles.

              Reply ↓
        2. Louis Fyne

          a pro assassin would have had a backup weapon and not be so sloppy hanging at the scene. and attacked the victim at closer range.

          beyond the health nexus, i assume the perp. will share a lot with the Butler PA assassin. Around guns, a mish-mash of political views across the spectrum.

          A stunning combo of competence and incompetence.

          Reply ↓
          1. Mikel

            Hiring too much of a pro would have called attention to other suspects than an alleged person aggrieved over the claims process. That produces hundreds or thousands of suspects.

            But just my mystery writer imagination in overdrive….

            Reply ↓
            1. mrsyk

              Trying to judge whether the hit was a hired job by the performance seems dubious. The shooter had to have someone inside to alert him when the mark was leaving the building. Shooter is on the phone directly before the hit. This isn’t conclusive on the hired gun issue either. That’s a hotel with an entire staff of which any of them could have had a tragic experience with UH.
              The fact that we don’t have a name from the facial recognition, dna, fingerprint evidence at this point is leaning me towards the shooter isn’t USian.
              Here’s my favorite fun thesis found at the bottom of last night’s whiskey glass. It’s an Iranian sleeper cell, part of a network of such, who’s mission is to create havoc and gain popularity by assassinating publicly unpopular CEOs. Doesn’t seem so likely this morning.

              Reply ↓
              1. Mikel

                “The shooter had to have someone inside to alert him when the mark was leaving the building.”

                And even that gets especially interesting. Hotel staff or investort day attendee?

                Reply ↓
                  1. ambrit

                    The police will adopt their usual public propaganda position (PPP,) and will initially emulate the victim and deny all claims.
                    This is not as farfetched as it seems. One of our neighbours recently made a call to 911 for a medical issue and was not amused by the experience.
                    Lowest Common Denominator is the “New and Improved” public service mantra.

                    Reply ↓
      3. FreeMarketApologist

        “…the likelihood of copycats seeking out softer targets…”

        This. How gleeful will everybody be when hospital nurses are gunned down because some armed but insufficiently knowledgable individual thought the nurse was responsible for the death of a loved one? When a bank clerk is shot because the ATM outside wouldn’t provide $100 from an account with $50 in it?

        We are a small-minded and savage species.

        Reply ↓
        1. Wukchumni

          An awful lot of times mass murders by gun in the USA are disgruntled employees who take innocent lives along with the object of their ire, and nobody praises the perp in those instances.

          Reply ↓
        2. albrt

          This actually happens fairly often to ordinary doctors, lawyers, and other parties perceived as responsible for bad things.

          Reply ↓
        3. Late Introvert

          Well, that already happens, doesn’t it? And for once this time it wasn’t like that. Thanks for your concern.

          Reply ↓
      4. Bsn

        When one has nothing to loose and are perhaps on their death bed because of these incredible policies, it’s no wonder.

        Reply ↓
    2. Wukchumni

      On one hand, all of the insurance company tv commercials tend to be a joke, you’ve got Flo, that idiot with an emu, a white guy named Mayhem, a talking gecko, a talking duck, Dr. Rick-who warns us not to be like our parents, NFL players horsing around, etc.

      Is it any wonder they joke around with us when we are denied payment/care for when once in awhile we really need coverage?

      Reply ↓
      1. The Rev Kev

        It’s sort of like the Superannuation guarantee that was brought into Oz back in the 90s. It was only discovered later that the only thing ‘guaranteed’ was that you had to pay into it.

        Reply ↓
          1. The Rev Kev

            He’s lying his face off. We have both social security – not tied to our jobs – and superannuation as well which derives a lot of its income from the jobs that we do. This is an attempt to do an Obamacare on social security in America by trying to substitute superannuation which means that it will still be tied to the jobs that you do but only really works for members of the PMC. If they establish it they can turn around and say ‘See. We have this superannuation program so Americans no longer need social security anymore.’ And I am sure that the Democrats would ‘fight’ to stop this happening-

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superannuation_in_Australia

            Reply ↓
          2. flora

            Nah. Musk tweeted a fairly non-committal “that’s interesting” response to an execrable tweet from US Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee. Dore covers it. utube. ~30 minutes.

            Elon Musk Targeting Social Security Is HUGE Mistake!

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geof8_YmmIg

            Shorter: this reponse to Sen. Lee from John Manganaro.

            Dissecting a GOP Senator’s Misleading Social Security Attack

            https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2024/12/04/dissecting-a-gop-senators-misleading-social-security-attack/

            Reply ↓
            1. Mikel

              Imagine a government filled, not just with empathy challenged people, but CERTIFIED empathy challenged people.
              That’s DOGE.

              Reply ↓
    3. Katniss Everdeen

      amerians have a rich tradition of celebrating the killing of villains who “kill americans.” Think Osama bin Laden.

      Having said that, I’d say if this “criminal” is caught and tried, there’s a very real chance of a jury verdict ala OJ Simpson.

      Reply ↓
      1. Louis Fyne

        I still can’t decide will Trump (unintentionally) accelerate or (against-the-odds) slow the anti-Capitol District rebellion in Panem.

        Reply ↓
        1. steppenwolf fetchit

          Trump will accelerate the anti-Panem policies and actions coming from the Capitol District.
          Trump’s elevation and empowerment of Musk and Ramaswami should make that clear.

          The TrumpAdmin will probably try to cause and then accelerate Civil War/Violence among the various color codable factions within Panem itself. Its hard to predict how. Maybe through such clever tricks as trying to use enough heavy-handed violence in “Democrat” Cities to round up illegal aliens so as to cause violent obstruction to the roundups by pro-illegal-alien sympathisers.

          The TrumpAdmin would hope that this would then give the TrumpAdmin an excuse to invoke the Insurrection Act against those cities and send in National-Christianist-friendly military formations to conquer and occupy those cities. ( The TrumpAdmin would try using an anti-woke crusade and purge in order to find out which parts of the armed forces would be most sympathetic and supportive of conquering and occupying “Democrat Cities” if provided with Trumpist officers).

          What if elements of the TrumpAdmin were to start throwing out of helicopters the leftists who organized the “abandon Harris” movement? The irony would be so heavy that even people with a severe irony deficiency would notice it.

          Reply ↓
          1. Dornbirn Panther

            That is an inspired work of fiction. Complete with a revenge fantasy directed towards those who didn’t deliver their votes to Harris.TDS is a heck of a drug.

            You’ll be relieved (disappointed?) when you eventually realize that Trump and company will do harm in the typically banal way of cutting grandma’s benefits down to catfood level.

            Reply ↓
            1. steppenwolf fetchit

              Trump supporters and Trumpologists accuse Trump critics of TDS in the same way that Israel supporters and Ziopologists accuse Israel critics of antisemitism.
              It is the first card they reach for.

              Time will tell if my comment is an inspired work of fiction or an inspired work of prediction or a combination of both. We have four years to find out.

              ” Him that is not surprised when the future comes, lives very close to the truth.”
              John L. King

              Expect the unexpected. ( Though, how can one really know what that is or will be?)

              Reply ↓
    4. Carolinian

      Our elites may start to remember that the first Gilded Age in the late 19th century was also a time when anarchists were regularly tossing bombs–the cartoon kind with fuses–and attempting assassinations. And in Europe as well as the US

      https://www.history.com/news/eight-times-queen-victoria-survived-attempted-assassinations

      All of which is to say that upper class predators are doubtless right to be worried about their security but from their victims rather than MAGA.

      Reply ↓
        1. Louis Fyne

          successful assassins often benefit from sheer luck (Archduke).

          NYC perp. benefitted from a complacent CEO, who reportedly was aware of threats against him personnally.

          given the perp’s sloppiness (distance at first shot), A bodyguard tailing the CEO *might* have been able to limit the incident to a serious wound.

          Reply ↓
          1. Wukchumni

            Last fall I was eating lunch about 8 feet away from Mark Zuckerberg and his daughter here in Tiny Town, and as far as I could tell there was no security, and i’d like to relate that they were discussing taking over the world, but all I got out of the conversation was his daughter asking Zuck where the bathroom was.

            Reply ↓
      2. Wukchumni

        The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914 by Barbara Tuchman is a fine read of the era of assassinations, as world leaders get bumped off right up until the very eve of WW1, with the Jean Jaurès assassination being especially costly, as a strident voice of anti-militarism was silenced.

        Reply ↓
    5. Dr. John Carpenter

      Last night, a friend pointed out the country hasn’t been this united since 9/11. Really interesting point.

      Reply ↓
    6. k

      Private Equity and Insurance COs –
      source: our friends at McKinsey (sarc.)

      When it comes to insurance, though, PE investments are rising. Following a lull since 2022, the value of private investments has jumped from approximately $20 billion in 2022 and 2023 to $27 billion so far in 2024. While consolidating distribution remains the dominant theme2—especially among brokers—the areas of claims services, specialty underwriters, and insurance software have all become more of a core focus for PE investors. The catalyst? Aside from the sector’s inherent appeal, investors see clear value-creation levers, including taking what we call a “back to brilliant basics” approach to granular data; the opportunity to use AI and other technologies to reduce expenses, improve technical performance, and reduce the loss ratio or propel growth; and the ability to acquire and retain top talent to spur innovation and operational excellence.

      Reply ↓
    7. earthling

      There is justifiable satisfaction on dozens of subreddits, not because people are bloodthirsty, but because of the situation, where a company like UH is just simply not accountable to decency or law or reasonable standards. When protest and voting and lawsuits don’t change anything and tyrants remain in charge of life and death? What’s left? Violence, as in all of human history.

      “if this becomes a trend. God help us all.” I’m sorry, I’m with the redditors, I think we are already long into God Help Us territory. Any new trend to break the hammerlock of the insurance companies is a welcome change, however ugly violence seems to high-minded pearl-clutchers.

      John Grisham’s book The Rainmaker was fiction inspired by reality, and showed us in excruciating detail how an ill patient was put through hell by insurers determined to deny care. That was 30 long years ago, and not a damn thing has improved, it’s only gotten worse and worse and worse.

      What I find stunning and appalling is the dramatic media and police response to make this the biggest manhunt in a decade, like the future of the world depends on getting this guy. Meh. Where are they when someone truly innocent and good, but poor, gets killed? Reminds me of that photo of heavily armed swat team uniforms defending some bank from the awful dangers of street protestors.

      Reply ↓
      2. funemployed

        I’m not worried for the billionaires. I’m worried about the use of widespread disorganized violence as justification by the ruling class for going full police state mode, and the inevitable suffering that will result from that.

        Reply ↓
        1. flora

          Left out of most US history books about the Great Depression was the rising threat of real violence toward bankers foreclosing on farmers in the small towns and other instances. For example, a farm foreclosure sale would be announced, flyers and posters printed up, and on the day of the sale several many local farmers would come to the sale with shotgun or rifle, not to menace anyone, but word had gone ’round that anyone bidding on the property would be shot. One banker was shot in the leg by a farm owner. When the banker turned to the country sheriff accompanying him, the sheriff said it was time for the banker and him leave. The farmer was not arrested. Kicking a hornets nest isn’t a good idea. Farmers had been pushed too far. Things were breaking down in many areas in many ways during the Great Depression, including the law. And that as much as anything spurred FDR’s New Deal programs. The country was coming apart. Comforable, well fed titans of business might object. They did object. They were sitting on a powder keg and didn’t know it. FDR knew it. Germany got Herr Moustashe and the US got FDR. We were lucky. / my 2 cents

          Reply ↓
          1. flora

            adding:

            In the case of farming, the Great Depression years coincided with the Dust Bowl years and 2 years of grasshopper plague eating everything chewable, even the wooden handles on shovels and brooms. Farmers in many areas could not bring in a crop.

            The New Deal programs – like cropland set asides (dust bowl inspired), crop insurance (disaster inspired), etc – were a corrective to the excesses of capitalism, to the then failures of capitalism. The New Deal programs saved capitalism.

            Reply ↓
              1. steppenwolf fetchit

                I think that Wall Street hated the counter-Wall Street reforms most of all.
                I think that those other things were hated by the entirety of the Old Family Dynastic Oligarchy for whom Wall Street worked.

                Reply ↓
        2. ambrit

          The ruling class has already made the decision to go “full police state mode.” Literally anything will be accepted as a ‘trigger’ for the implementation of that dying spasm of imperial thinking. When the State implements any police state program, said elite has already classified the general population as “other” with all that that entails.
          The violence will come, as Policy. The People will have to respond with counter-violence simply to survive.
          It can be argued that ‘violence’ need not be overt oppression by the Organs of State Security. The Insurance companies, with their gatekeeping functions concerning many aspects of basic societal and personal needs, are perfect entities with which a stealth culling of the population can be carried out. In this regard, the now “liquidated” CEO was an ‘asset’ of the elites and thus, a legitimate target for anti-elite actions.
          As I read somewhere concerning a WW-1 general’s statue in London: When you kill one person, you often hang for murder. When you don a uniform and kill a hundred thousand people, they erect a statue to you.

          Reply ↓
    8. Jason Boxman

      I wonder if the suspect might be killed while “resisting” arrest. Certainly resolves the possibility of an acquittal by a sympathetic jury. The elite need to know someone has their back in a dangerous world!

      Reply ↓
      1. Yves Smith Post author

        I wonder if A suspect will be killed while “resisting” arrest. Notice we have him not looking exactly the same across pix, with one having both a different coat and a different backpack that the others.

        Reply ↓
    9. tongorad

      I agree with the Chapo’s Traphouse kids, the last time the US was this united/harmonious was 9-11 (online at least). Imagine if there was a political party that could leverage this mass discontent for real change…

      Reply ↓
  4. Wukchumni

    Whoa-oh-oh
    Whoa-oh-oh
    Whoa-oh-oh
    Whoa-oh-oh

    Hark the herald gunshots ring
    “Glory to the CEO insurance King!
    Peace on earth and mercy mild
    Lack of coverage reconciled”
    Joyful, all ye insured rise
    Join the triumph of the turned down coverage lies
    Let the unknown assailant proclaim:
    “Justice is served to the despised”
    Hark! The herald gunshots ring
    “Glory to the CEO insurance King!”

    Whoa-oh-oh
    Whoa-oh-oh
    Whoa-oh-oh
    Whoa-oh-oh

    Reply ↓
  5. ChrisFromGA

    This is the end for Scranton Joe

    Sung to the tune of, “Border Radio” by the Blasters

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmaXdkC0zE4

    One more month left, Joe’s mind’s still gone
    The neurons fire too slow
    He tries to remember the name of his wife
    This is the end for Scranton Joe

    Zelensky calls toll-free and requests an old song
    Something to soothe the final blow
    He prays to himself that wherever Joe is
    He’s sending love and bags of Powell’s dough

    This song comes from nineteen forty-two
    Dedicated to a mind that’s gone!
    Fifty White House dolts outta work fo’ sho’

    This is the end for Scranton Joe!
    This is the end for Scranton Joe!

    He thinks of his son, asleep in his room
    And how his bank account will grow
    He thinks of Obama and his hope and change
    While waiting for the moving team to show

    [Bar room piano]

    This cat comes from nineteen forty-two
    Dedicated to a mind that’s gone!
    Blinken’s pumpin’ gas down at a Texaco

    This is the end for Scranton Joe!
    This is the end for Scranton Joe!

    The beat goes on but he can’t concentrate
    He wonders why he has to go
    Two score midnights and his term is gone
    He’s listening to the sound of his death throes

    This song comes from nineteen forty-two
    Dedicated to a man who’s gone
    Blinken’s pumpin’ gas down at a Texaco

    This is the end for Scranton Joe
    This is the end for Scranton Joe!
    This is the end for Scranton Joe!

    Reply ↓
  8. The Rev Kev

    “The Secret of Orange Cats Finally Uncovered After 60-Year Search”

    ‘Two independent teams of researchers found any fiery-hued fuzz on our beloved clawed floofs is likely the result of a missing segment of DNA in a non-protein-coding part of the cat’s genome.’

    Well that explains the colour. But have they found the DNA yet that explains the behaviour of orange cats themselves?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iN7GG3oXbA (9:51 mins)

    Reply ↓
  9. upstater

    Ever wonder what causes some inflation? How about price push inflation in the rail industry. 28% of freight tonnage moves by rail.

    What Wall Street analysts are asking and railroads are saying going into 2025: Analysis Trains magazine

    My key takeaway is the industry is price-gouging by use of near monopoly status and a lack of regulation by stuffed shirts like Mayo Pete (obviously Trump will be light-touch also)

    >UP officials acknowledged inflation is not easy to overcome, and the railroad is successfully pricing above inflation

    >NS [Norfolk Southern] executives said they are confident pricing will outpace inflation in most markets

    >Canadian National also expects pricing ahead of inflation

    I wonder how much this vulture makes per year for his “analysis”:

    >”One analyst questioned CSX’s decision to ratify labor agreements early, suggesting a lower-cost deal might be possible later.”

    Wall Street gives their todie executives orders, executives respond like trained seals. It is a real commentary the the executives brazenly admit they are pricing services above infaltion… thereby fueling inflation. The wage settlements imposed on union workers by the Biden Administration did not match inflation; new 5 year agreements through 2030 have been negotiated with 3% annual increases. I guess the sell-out union misleaders think inflation will moderate. NOT.

    Reply ↓
    1. earthling

      Thank you. Inflation is overwhelming to those not blessed with big portfolios, and infects every bit of life. At some point you realize if we were all buying goods and services from people and small companies that weren’t out for rampant growth and rampant greed (that we all foot the bill for) living would be an awful lot cheaper. Large corporations have become a parasite attached to human life, enormous vampire squids.

      Reply ↓
  10. The Rev Kev

    ‘Djole 🇷🇸
    @onlydjole
    🇩🇪👈🇨🇳‼️ After her harsh criticism of the Chinese leadership and lessons on how China should behave towards Russia, Baerbock was coldly thrown out with all the German journalists.‼ The Chinese side quickly canceled the joint press conference.’

    Based on this as well as other incidents the past few years, I think that the Chinese have had enough. They are a world power but to have smaller nations come to them and try to dictate their foreign policy, threaten them with ‘consequences’ if they don’t obey, put arbitrary taxes on their goods and to cap it all off to have these demands delivered by a second-rate person like Baerbock is just too much. Washington would never stand for such belligerency so why should Beijing?

    Reply ↓
    1. CA

      https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?g=1pNzi

      August 4, 2014

      Real per capita Gross Domestic Product for China and Germany, 1977-2023

      (Percent change)

      https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?g=1pNzk

      August 4, 2014

      Real per capita Gross Domestic Product for China and Germany, 1977-2023

      (Indexed to 1977)

      https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2024/October/weo-report?c=223,924,132,134,532,534,536,158,546,922,112,111,&s=PPPGDP,PPPSH,&sy=2000&ey=2023&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1

      October 15, 2024

      Gross Domestic Product based on purchasing-power-parity

      2023

      China ( 33,552)
      Germany ( 5,876)

      Reply ↓
    2. John Wright

      I remember an explanation for Baerbock’s behavior.

      She was a champion trampoline artist in her youth.

      Unfortunately, she practiced a great deal in a low-ceilinged basement.

      But one can’t believe everything one reads on the Internet.

      Reply ↓
      1. Late Introvert

        That’s funny. Many athletes suffer from head trauma. I got my own concussions as a youth:

        1) bicycle
        2) ice skates
        3) mini-bike

        1 and 2 were bad, with black-outs, vomiting, scabs to the face and huge bumps to the head. 3 was more like a head rush.

        Reply ↓
  11. Joker

    Mesmerising and beautiful patterns made in the bubbling lava at Iceland’s new eruption pic.twitter.com/i65TZsEJVb
    — Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) December 4, 2024

    Looks like there’s turmoil in the depts of Hell, probably because the new guy wants to revamp their health insurance.

    Reply ↓
  12. Wukchumni

    $99k
    I’ve been waiting so long
    Oh, $99k
    What could go wrong?
    Oh, $99k
    I love you

    $99k
    You keep playing your part
    Oh, $99k
    How can we be apart
    Oh, $99k
    I love you

    I never thought a virtual tulip bubble would happen
    It feels quite the same
    I don’t want you to hurt anyone anymore
    I knew it would never work out
    No one aside from Satoshi to blame
    You know I love you, $99k

    $99k
    You keep exposing only demand
    Oh, $99k
    They don’t know what is planned
    Oh, $99k
    I love you

    I never thought a virtual tulip bubble would happen
    It feels quite the same
    I don’t want you to hurt anyone anymore
    I knew it would never work out
    No one aside from Satoshi to blame
    You know I love you, $99k

    $99k
    I can’t take it no more
    Oh, $99k
    Oh, we were so sure
    Oh, $99k
    I love you
    $99k

    I love you
    $99k

    I love you

    99, by Toto

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVS_-rlD4XQ

    Reply ↓
  13. The Rev Kev

    ‘WW2 The Eastern Front
    @ShoahUkraine
    I had no idea who Salome Zourabichvili, the President of Georgia, was until six months ago. However, she kept appearing on my feed every day, so I did a little digging to see what her family was up to during World War II. Lo and behold, Michael Kedia, Salome Zourabichvili’s maternal (uncle), was the head of the Georgian desk for the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA) and worked under Reinhard Heydrich!’

    Isn’t it amazing the number of EU and NATO leaders that have Nazis in the closet and not the Resistance. Same with the British royal family and I would not be surprised to see the same with other royal families. Check out Prince Phillip’s family. There is a great book to be written listing all these leaders and their Nazi connections but there is a problem. Where would you publish it? Not the UK or the EU and certainly not North America. And I suspect that any publisher that tried to do so would find themselves under extremely heavy pressure to desist – or else.

    Reply ↓
    1. ambrit

      Mosfilm could produce it as a multi-part series and RT could stream it. Throw in the Romanovs for good measure and the Global South would applaud.

      Reply ↓
    2. Wukchumni

      My dad was 17 and living in Prague when Heydrich was assassinated, and he never ever talked about the war* as the memories must have been horrific, who knows how many innocent Czechs had to pay with their lives for offing him, as many as 5,000 by some accounts.

      Daddy-o and I were walking in Prague around the turn of the century and he casually pointed over to a most undescript wall that he related was the very same one where unfortunate locals were lined up to be shot sans offer of a last cigarette.

      * we loved Hogan’s Heroes on the telly growing up, funny WW2 with idiotic Germans as an added bonus. Dad would be on the edge of the living room as it started, and say something such as…

      ‘They weren’t stupid-you know!’

      …give a disparaging look our way and then go into his bedroom for the duration of the show

      Reply ↓
      1. Jessica

        Wukchumni,
        The actor who played the French guy had been in the Resistance in real life and the actors who played Klink and Schultz had both left Germany because of the Nazis. Before the Klink actor would accept the role, he had it put into his contract that his character had to be a buffoon.

        Reply ↓
        1. Wukchumni

          The actor who played Klink was a first cousin of Victor Klemperer, whose diary I Will Bear Witness is a must read, if you want to understand what was going on in real-time in the 3rd Reich, as observed by a critical thinker who read between the lines, and was a WW1 Jewish vet married to a gentile.

          Reply ↓
        2. The Rev Kev

          Both Werner Klemperer and John Banner were in the US Army in WW2 but back then Banner had a higher rank than Klemperer. According to Robert Clary who played French Corporal LeBeau, Banner told him that he lost a lot of his family in the Holocaust.

          Reply ↓
          1. Steven A

            John Banner was an Austrian stage actor on tour in Switzerland when the Anschluss happened. He couldn’t go home, so he found his way to the USA.

            @Wukchumi: those were my maternal grandfather’s exact words when somebody asked him about Hogan’s Heros. His family were Black Sea Germans from what is now Ukraine. He served in the Canadian Provost Corps during WWII.

            Reply ↓
    3. CA

      “Isn’t it amazing the number of EU and NATO leaders that have Nazis in the closet and not the Resistance…”

      Amazing, and critically important since these leaders have not distanced themselves from these closet relations.

      Reply ↓
  14. sarmaT

    Now the right wants to sprinkle landmines around Aftonbladet via machine translation. Micael T: “‘The problem? The only outsider in the expert group that produced the investigation is employed by the arms industry. More precisely, Saab’s vice president Christer Ahlström.’ – Sweden is sinking hard and fast into the neoliberal sewer of corruption at all levels.”

    I don’t get it. Do they think that they could fight a war without using mines? Do they think that they could go to war against Russia, and win because they have mines? Are they just moralizing, in order to counter their deeds (of sending weapons to Banderites)?

    Reply ↓
  15. The Rev Kev

    “Lavrov, Blinken trade barbs at OSCE Malta meeting’

    I suppose that Lavrov does not really want to be at the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe ministerial summit but has to so that Russia can spike any stupid ideas put up there. But it is still a stacked deck here. Maria Zakharova was supposed to be there as well but at the last moment her visa was yanked, even though she would have been part of the Russian diplomatic party. So the OSCE plays these children’s games and Lavrov is supposed to respect them?

    Reply ↓
    2. The Rev Kev

      Can’t be from 2003. In that year Baerbock was only 23 years-old and was still studying at the University of Hamburg. So maybe 2023 if it was an old video.

      Reply ↓
      1. CA

        https://x.com/RnaudBertrand/status/1864212231011094738

        Arnaud Bertrand @RnaudBertrand

        I see everyone sharing this video. * It is going viral, as if it happened during Annaleena Baerbock’s trip to Beijing yesterday

        * https://x.com/mazzenilsson/status/1864064308356772070/video/1

        It’s not true: this is an old video from March 2023, during her previous visit to China. People sharing this should know better: it showcases Qin Gang who isn’t Foreign Minister anymore…

        The joint press conference went so badly back then that this time around the Chinese decided not to organize one at all (Baerbock apparently had a press conference, but all alone).

        2:36 AM · Dec 4, 2024

        Reply ↓
  17. Vikas

    Re: The Baerbock video: FWIW, Arnaud Bertrand responds in the tweet that follows that this is an old video from some years ago. Of course, with her, it’s always Groundhog’s Day.

    Reply ↓
  18. Carolinian

    Re Taibbi–that’s just a short excerpt for we non subscribers but surely such a blanket pardon move by the Bidenistas would be the ultimate form of corruption from an administration and president rife with corruption. Dem tolerance of Biden is of a piece with DC’s tolerance of Gaza. As Noah Cross says at the end of Chinatown: “under the right circumstances people are capable of anything.”

    Forget it Jake it’s DC-town.

    Reply ↓
    1. Screwball

      Biden’s pardons will be welcomed by many. My PMC friends think he should pardon half of DC to protect them from Trump’s Red Hat army. This will also be their excuse instead of asking the question – if they were pardoned – what crimes did they commit. In their eyes, these people have done nothing wrong – they are hero’s to them. I was told last week Fauci has done more for humanity than all of congress combined. That’s a mouthful in a couple of ways…

      These are the same people who say Tulsi Gabbard is a Russian asset, but when asked if that were true, how could someone working for Russia be Lt. Colonel in the the Army Reserves. Wouldn’t you think she was vetted by someone? Where is your proof? Because she is getting paid by Russia was the answer. No proof of course, other than what the Daily Beast and the Bulwurk podcast says.

      These people live in and make up their own reality and facts and whatever they think is true. Anyone who doesn’t agree with them is an idiot, no-nothing, and most likely a Trumper. There really isn’t much sense trying to talk to them. I only do it for the entertainment.

      Reply ↓
      1. Carolinian

        Clearly being a wealthy and powerful member of the DC/NY establishment constitutes “under the right circumstances.” And their dominance of the media allows them to lead many others across the country down the same path.

        There’s nothing new in any of this other than perhaps the extra dose of hypocrisy in constantly claiming they are for democracy and for justice and for the welfare of the public at large.

        Reply ↓
        1. pjay

          This is obviously about the pardon of Hunter and not a blanket pardon for everyone. But it’s very good and relevant to the general topic of Biden administration corruption.

          Reply ↓
      2. Emma

        Thank you! What always bothered me is just how little Biden appears to have gotten in return for 50+ years of venality and corruption. You’d think that he would be as rich as Pelosi, Clinton, or Obama after so many years of carrying water for Delaware banks, arms industry, Zionist billionaires of various stripes and such.

        Instead Dear Hunter still has to grift for himself with these low seven figure Ukrainian jobs and NFT art scams. He has two mediocre houses in Delaware and a couple old American muscle cars. He could have made it to the same place as a mediocre pharma or insurance executive, which wouldn’t be beyond the reach of an unethical, plagiarizing Syracuse Law grad.

        Reply ↓
  19. The Rev Kev

    Ruh roh. This just in-

    ‘Romania’s Constitutional Court has annulled the results of the first round of the national presidential election after independent candidate Calin Georgescu clinched a surprise win last month.

    However, on Friday, the country’s constitutional court issued a ruling annulling “the entire electoral process regarding the election of the President of Romania” and announced that the whole process will be resumed in its entirety at a later date.

    Earlier in the day, Romanian media reported that judges of the court had gathered for an urgent meeting to examine a large number of requests to annul the election. The demands cited recently declassified intelligence documents by the Supreme Defense Council, which claimed that there were irregularities to Georgescu’s result.

    The documents alleged that Georgescu’s candidacy was improperly promoted online by paid influencers along with extremist right-wing groups and persons with ties to organized crime. The documents also suggested that Russia may have tried to influence the election, but did not directly accuse Moscow of interference.’

    https://www.rt.com/news/608846-romania-court-elections-cancelled/

    This is what happens when the Globalist candidate loses. Couldn’t they have just counted Romanian diaspora votes instead to get the results that they wanted?

    Reply ↓
    2. Kouros

      Aparently the diaspora’s votes went for Georgescu…

      Shit, shit, shit country (tzara de cacat). This is the neo-phanariote period of Romania.

      The guy doesn’t want the war to continue and doesn’t want Romania to be draged into it and have Romanins sent to die in the Bloodlands. It happened before due to Germany’s manipulations. Now the US has taken the place of the noozis and is more than willing and eager to send other people as cannon foder against Russian guns.

      At least in WWII Romania had a legitimate reason to attack USSR. Soviets took a good chunk in 1940, with the wink wink, nod nod of Germans. Now, there is absolutely no reason.

      I really had a big fit in the car listening to CBC news about this “bombshell” news.

      Reply ↓
      1. Jester

        Of course there is a reason, and it’s the same one. Romanians still want those same lands. They are already a part of the war, but are half-assing it for some reason. That’s no way to fight wars. I say, do things properly, and send a couple of armies eastwards.

        Reply ↓
  20. mrsyk

    Earth Began Absorbing More Sunlight in 2023, Climate Researchers Find , the key contributor appears to be the loss of low-level clouds.
    “The cloud-related albedo reduction is apparently largely due to a pronounced decline of low-level clouds over the northern mid-latitude and tropical oceans, in particular the Atlantic,” the researchers say.
    This is pretty bad news on the climate front. Cloud feedback (albedo loss due to cloud loss feeding itself) is the one ring to rule them all. It’s in the middle of the direct line between sun and earth. Here are a few sobering links related to cloud-loss and increasing temperatures. This is rabbit hole stuff, and thoroughly depressing.
    The first two are a study published in the journal Nature Geoscience (abstract, it’s paywalled) and an article from Esquire about the study. From 2019, becoming more germane by the day.

    Possible climate transitions from breakup of stratocumulus decks under greenhouse warming
    I’ve Got to Admit I Didn’t See the Death of Clouds Coming

    This from Sam Carana at Arctic News
    Clouds feedback

    Reply ↓
  21. The Rev Kev

    “Syrian Crisis Analysis: SAA on Verge of Collapse? Or Have Jihadists Overplayed Their Hand? ”

    ‘The US has reportedly attacked pro-Iranian Iraqi militias heading into Syria at the al-Bukamal crossing, not to mention targets near Deir Ez Zour.’

    The US is now coming out front and center supporting these Jihadist attacks. You’ll wanna believe that no US base in Iraq will be safe going forward. Payback is a thing in this part of the world. You think that the Russians will help them with advanced drones and munitions?

    Reply ↓
    1. ChrisFromGA

      I suspect that there is a fair amount of exaggeration and Pentagon self-glorification in that report. I’m sure a few gratuitous kicks in the nuts were delivered, but as an effective method of preventing those militias from getting into the game, I doubt it.

      Gotta justify next years budget increase.

      Reply ↓
        1. ChrisFromGA

          Bruce Smith, the Bills sack king, is retired now, and LT is long retired as well. Reggie White, Derrick Thomas, the glory days of NFL defenses.

          Lots of great memories of 78 wrecking havoc in the opposing offense’s backfield. Those were all happy sacks!

          Reply ↓
            1. ChrisFromGA

              I have a friend whose sister lives right next door to Bruce Smith in VA Beach. He’s apparently quite the good neighbor, and still active in hotel development in the Virginia area. I haven’t tried to finagle an invite to her compound to meet Bruce and thank him for the great moments at old Rich Stadium.

              Watching JA17 take it to the house in the snow a la Superman was quite thrilling.

              Reply ↓
      1. The Rev Kev

        Probably they were stand-off attacks so out of range of manpads. The US also used artillery in their attacks as well in support of the new Caliphate of Syria. But this time the western media are saying that these Jihadists are ‘diverse’ I kid you not.

        Reply ↓
          1. The Rev Kev

            Right up to the moment when Ernst Roehm and his buddies were given the chop as part of a deal between the Nazi party and the Wehrmacht. They had outlived their usefulness. Same will happen in the Syrian Caliphate if it happens.

            Reply ↓
  22. Ignacio

    Unknown disease kills 143 in southwest Congo, local authorities say Reuters (Paul R)-

    If this is a new zoonotic viral disease among the main suspects for virus source in this region might be the bonobo (Primates, Pan paniscus). According to the next 2021 paper: Potential zoonotic pathogens hosted by endangered bonobos, the virus more frequenly found in bonobos are adenovirus, quite possibly respiratory. No sarbecovirus, poxvirus (and others) were found in that study. If the sources are others, (rodents, bats) you can expand the list by a lot.

    Reply ↓
    1. Ignacio

      This is what the paper states about Adenovirus:

      Here, adenovirus carriage was very high in both wild and semicaptive bonobos, and great genetic diversity was highlighted. Human mastadenovirus C (HAdV-C) was present in bonobos cohabiting with humans and those released in the forest. These results reinforce the exchange between human and bonobo viruses, since we detected a HAdV-C strain in a bonobo very close to strains detected in humans (Fig. 3). In addition, the presence of AdVs in wild bonobos is evidence of the continuous circulation of adenoviruses in the bonobo population; we have identified the same viruses in individuals living in semicaptivity (in Lola) as well as those that were released in the wild 4 years ago. It is highly likely that bonobos released in Ekolo were already infected by these adenoviruses at that time, so it seems that we observed the persistence of HAdV-C in bonobos. This is not surprising because in humans, HAdV species C has the capacity to establish persistent infection in intestinal T lymphocytes of the digestive tract37. Furthermore, the presence of persistent and/or latent AdV infections in the gut of great apes, including bonobos, has been observed23 and should be considered in the design and interpretation of human and NHP studies (including vaccine development) with adenovirus vectors.

      In our recent study on AdV circulation in African humans and NHPs, HAdV-B, HAdV-C, HAdV-D and HAdV-E were found in both humans and/or NHPs from the Congo. We demonstrated a possible jump of a human strain of HAdV-C to gorillas, and, vice versa, a gorilla strain of HAdV-C to humans sharing the same living area in the Congo33. HAdV-B members were detected in Lola and HAdV-E in Ekolo, and they were previously reported in captive bonobos from the Jacksonville Zoo, USA23. In a study of 800 fecal samples from wild African great apes and humans to investigate the evolutionary history and zoonotic potential of hominine HAdVs, HAdV-B and -E were frequently detected in wild gorillas (55%) and chimpanzees (25%), respectively. It was shown that HAdV-B circulating in humans are of zoonotic origin and have probably affected global human health for most of our species lifetime24. The finding in HAdVs in bonobo which have been reintroduced into the wild is very alarming and shows the risk of such reintroduction programs. In our study, the Lola Ya sanctuary followed the international recommendations for reintroduction38. In addition, because of the methodology, it could be possible that very divergent segments were not picked up by the primers, especially those of simian AdVs. Therefore, the nonidentified AdVs here could be SAdVs or AdVs from other species, which were not amplified by the applied primers. Furthermore, a DNA polymerase fragment was selected in order to be highly conserved. It is therefore no surprise that the fragment was found to be considerably conserved.

      Reply ↓
      1. mrsyk

        Thank you. Correct me if I’m wrong, I’m seeing that by age teenagers are the leading group of victims. Weird. My wife mentioned confounders like malnutrition, but she was puzzled by this as well.

        Reply ↓
    2. Mikel

      Adenovirus…J&J made adenovirus-based vaccines. Don’t know how applicable that is to this situation, but it just crossed my mind when I saw the word.

      Reply ↓
        1. Ignacio

          No. These vectors are based on very common and well known human adenovirus but are defective, cannot replicate lacking one or some essential genes for replication. But treatments (efficient ones) there aren’t available.

          Reply ↓
  23. Mikel

    “a team at EPFL in switzerland just published a paper where they restored walking in people with spinal cord injuries using deep brain stimulation (DBS)…”

    What’s being shown is more than publishing a paper!
    Good news.

    Reply ↓
  24. ChrisFromGA

    Gaza ceasefire … wait for it … bad!

    https://thehill.com/opinion/international/5024261-netanyahu-and-trump-may-cut-a-cynical-and-costly-gaza-deal/

    You can’t make this stuff up. Blinken spends 6 months fruitlessly pursuing the elusive art of the deal … and the press laps it up, mindlessly parroting the lie that a deal is imminent. Never mind that it was always a lie. But when Orangemanbaduh is now about to take the stage … CEASEFIREBADUH !!

    So funny how the MSM change their tune and find a conscience, now that Blinken is busy lining up a think-tank gig.

    Reply ↓
    1. Mikel

      Anytime there is talk of ceasefire, diplomacy, etc., another Whac-A-Mole conflict pops up or reignites.
      That said…I think there is more backdoor dealing with Israel going on by countries mentioned and unmentioned.

      Reply ↓
      1. ChrisFromGA

        Post-State dept career ideas for Antony:

        +Driving an Amazon truck? (He couldn’t deliver a ceasefire, but he’ll deliver your package!)
        +Kabuki theater troupe member?
        +Other?

        Reply ↓
        1. amfortas the hippie

          naked in a dusty pit in gaza, making mud bricks 18 hours per day, on bread and water, until he expires.

          note: i said the same damned thing about dick and george back when, but with iraq.

          Reply ↓
        2. curlydan

          professional poker player. his poker face is so bad that he’d hopefully be broke, destitute, and homeless within a few weeks.

          Reply ↓
  25. Mikel

    South Korean President Yoon’s behavior and statements seem so “Manchurian Candidate”.
    Just a fleeting thought…

    Reply ↓
    1. hk

      More like Romanian Constitutional Court, methinks. Plus, he read too much of fantady stories about past coups in SK written by his former friends. (Yoon was former right hand man to the alleged leftist president of SK, Moon Jae-In, who gained power via lawfare–he was the choef lawfare man, basically. He became a “rightist” only after defecting to the other side after losing out in the power struggle in his old faction.)

      Reply ↓
  26. Camelotkidd

    Boy, the Kushner’s are real model of virtue. Charles will be a splendid ambassador to France

    Kushner had never liked CW2 — Billy Schulder, his sister’s husband — but he also knew a lot about what made him tick, which led to the specific type of trap he set up to ensnare him. In his memoir “Let Me Finish: Trump, the Kushners, Bannon, New Jersey, and the Power of In-Your-Face Politics,” Christie said the first thing he asked CW1 — Schulder’s wife Esther — after the couple brought him an envelope with the sex tape why she was sure her brother was responsible for it. Esther responded instantly, Christie wrote. “‘Charlie plays on people’s weaknesses. Billy has a weakness.’ She patted her husband’s shoulder and nodded at the envelope. ‘Charlie played on it’.”

    Reply ↓
  28. AG

    Moon of Alabama

    Ukraine Has Stopped ATACMS Strikes On Russia
    As further ATACMS strikes on Russia seem to have stopped this timeline is of interest.

    https://www.moonofalabama.org/2024/12/ukraine-has-stopped-atacms-strikes-on-russia.html#more

    p.s. Mercouris was repeating claims apparently made by Postol very recently on “Dialogue Works”.
    I haven´t checked if he re-considered since MoA made following statement in the end of above post.

    MoA:

    “During several interviews in recent days MIT Prof. Ted Postol disagreed (vid) with Putin’s claim. Postol describes the Oreshnik impacts as shallow surface explosions with the force of about 1.5 times the weight equivalent in TNT explosives. With an estimated warhead weight of 100 kilogram the impact of each of the Oreshnik’s 36 warheads would be no bigger than a regular small bomb. This would make them mostly useless against anything but large area surface targets.

    I am doubtful that Postol got this right:

    Putin is usually extraordinary well informed and not in the habit of making false claims. If he states that Oreshnik warheads have deep penetration capabilities then they are likely to have these.
    It would make little to no sense for the Russian’s to demonstrate the Oreshnik on hardened targets, as the bunkers of the Yuzhmash machine plant are, if it does not have significant effects on these. It would be a bluff that could and would be immediately called by the Pentagon specialist inspecting the localities and observing the effects.
    The U.S. is taking the strike seriously. It has reacted by stopping support for further Ukrainian ATACMS strikes on Russia.

    Weapon experts like Postol have little experience with hypersonic projectiles which impact at 10 times the speed of sound. I believe that his assessment is sincere. He also applies the necessary caveats. But I doubt that he, like most other experts, has sufficient experience with the effects of dart like hypersonic projectiles to further back up his claims.

    I thus recommend, if only out of abundance of caution, to assume that the Russian claims of bunker busting capabilities of Oreshnik missiles are very real.”

    Reply ↓
    1. AndrewJ

      I’m in the middle of a disagreement with a very bright friend, who is fully bought in to the usual MSM worldview of an incompetent Russia, about the Oreshnik missile and whether or not it’s a milestone development or nothing new. I’ve been thinking a lot about it.
      One of my thoughts was that Western intelligence wouldn’t mind seeing it in action again, the better to learn it’s capabilities. One strike is fine, why not another? It’s just Ukraine, that’s what proxies are for. The weapon is designed for strikes against hardened underground targets, but that does mean the evidence of it’s success is easy to hide.
      (On that topic, a Forbes piece recently claimed that new high res photos of the Yuzhmash facility strike showed little damage. I can’t find these high res photos, though. Do Forbes journalists get access to better aerial reconnaissance than e we do?)
      If Ukraine has actually stopped ATACMS strikes into Russia, I wonder if Gen. Gerasimov’s threatened that the next Oreshnik target would be something NATO would actually prefer not be turned into a smoking hole in the ground.

      Reply ↓
      1. AG

        Martyanov alluded to the likelihood that this stuff (photographs) is of course top secret.
        So if it matters, Forbes won´t have it.
        This is considered national security.

        re: your friend – as my post on the NATO Greenpeace study below goes – the notion that RU is still inferior – like foreva – even if we are the bad guys – is still pertinent with Western think – be it MSM-believers or not. Among the worst political comments that I have heard came from scientists btw. They even force RU PhDs in Europe to break off their research and send them back! It´s totally fucking insane.

        Reply ↓
      2. Donaldo

        Oreshnik is nothing new, for Russians. For everyone else, it’s something they can only talk about, because they surely can’t make one.

        Reply ↓
      3. skippy

        I share the view that – why – would Russia deploy this weapon system for the first time in combat, especially considering the target, with all the West/World watching if it was just a hard to hit ballistic missile. Huge amount of forward military and political capital involved e.g. why would Russia risk all that and have the whole thing go splat and be a plaything for Western propaganda.

        Not that heaps of damage occurred to critical electrical/mechanical equipment, yet it seems the underground levels were the primary target. That is where the really important stuff and people are at IMO.

        I also view the physics involved more with an eye to meteors/asteroids. As such, deep perpetration is back filled which then, too the casual observer obscures the amount of damage and energy in relationship to the impact crater. All that really matters too me is how far it went down and contra the Western fixation on salt the earth level devastation like in Gaza, WWII aerial bombing of cities, etc. If this system can penetrate hardened underground targets without excessive damage above ground – whoooboy …

        Just imagine the minds of the decision makers and critical infrastructure grocking that there is no safe place, no means to defend against an attack, even if informed that it is coming due to short time between launch and impact.

        As such regardless of everything else I think the results of this strike was substantial.

        Reply ↓
        1. juno mas

          Well, I’ll believe Postal’s assessment when regular activity returns to the ‘undamaged’ facility. No more ATACMS entering the Russian mainland is telling. Oreshnik was effectnik.

          Reply ↓
  29. AG

    Perhaps those who are knowledgeable can weigh in.

    A few weeks ago I posted a GREENPEACE study claiming that NATO is basically 10 times stronger than the Russians.

    Now it is being used by the antiwar movement which is ok. But to spread false impressions about the RU army is a bit like selling some old tropes of Western supremacy (albeit identified as malign, despicable and war-mongering) in new design.

    A new text from yesterday sums up the study
    here:
    Greenpeace study – rearmament not necessary
    https://archive.is/3sbW8

    or for German speakers
    https://www.nachdenkseiten.de/?p=125796

    The most important parts translated:

    – “Peace and conflict researcher Herbert Wulf and journalist Christopher Steinmetz have now investigated this question for the NGO Greenpeace in the study “When is enough enough?” The results of this study fundamentally contradict the calls for even more arms spending. In terms of military spending, large weapons systems, troop strength, military readiness and arms procurement and production, NATO is already vastly superior to Russia and there is no reason to assume that this will change any time soon to NATO’s disadvantage. Even without the USA, the European states are clearly superior to Russia. Only in the case of nuclear weapons is there the much-quoted balance of terror, here NATO and Russia are on an equal footing; also in terms of the associated delivery systems and second-strike capabilities.”

    -“Today, NATO countries together spend about ten times as much money on their armed forces as Russia. Of course, these figures cannot be compared 1:1 – a German professional soldier costs significantly more than a Russian professional soldier, and the purchase price of a German tank is also considerably higher.”

    -“The defense budget of the European countries is higher than the entire Russian state budget. ”

    -“It is not Russia, but NATO, and especially the European NATO states, that are rearming on a gigantic scale.”

    -“The imbalance becomes even clearer when you look at the current military balance of power. In all types of weapons – with the exception of strategic bombers – NATO has a superiority of at least four to one.”

    -“NATO currently has 3.3 million soldiers under arms – Russia has 1.3 million, of which 780,000 are stationed east of the Urals and play a minor role in the alleged “threat scenario” for Europe. There are currently more than two million soldiers from NATO countries stationed in Europe. Russia has just 540,000, although it is not even clear whether this number is sustainable due to the high losses in the Ukraine war. Should a war break out, NATO has 3.4 million reservists. It is NATO, not Russia, that has a vast superiority in manpower.”

    -“Now, one could certainly argue that the sheer number of large weapons systems does not allow any clear conclusions to be drawn about their effectiveness on the battlefield; for example, the notorious battle tanks, the delivery of which to Ukraine was so intensely debated here, seem to have played hardly any role on either side in the Ukraine war. But this debate should be led by military experts. The arms buildup debate is primarily about money”

    The imbalance becomes even clearer when you look at the current military balance of power. In all types of weapons – with the exception of strategic bombers – NATO has a superiority of at least four to one. Even if you exclude the USA, the European NATO states have a clear superiority over Russia; for example, they have around 6,300 operational battle tanks, while Russia has around 2,000, although the Russian figures should be viewed with caution in view of the high losses in the Ukraine war. In addition, NATO’s weapons systems are more modern than Russia’s in almost all areas. For example, the NATO states have 900 of the most modern fifth generation fighter aircraft, while Russia only has twelve.“

    Reply ↓
    1. Donaldo

      Weigh in on what exactly? Greenpeace is neither green, nor peace. This looks like run-of-the-mill NGO material. You can slap RAND/ISW/RUSI sticker on it, and no one would notice.

      Reply ↓
      1. AG

        >”Weigh in on what exactly?” –
        for instance double-check whether there are a few points – besides the mundane budget figures – in this report that may make sense (militarily) – points which I do not see.

        Because >”You can slap RAND/ISW/RUSI sticker on it, and no one would notice” is exactly the problem.
        But here is the wrinkle: The people using this “RUSI” stuff righ now are the only ones you get for negotiations with Russia at least as German public is concerned. THIS is the peace movement. There is no other.
        And one has to “work” with what there is.
        Which is of course Lavrov´s problem.
        But if there ever was a German election dream outcome (which won´t happen) they would operate with these “RUSI” assumptions.

        p.s. The Greenpeace study has two mentions of RUSI. But I have to go thru thoroughly now.

        Reply ↓
      2. AG

        To understand why a German peace movement operates with such an odd Greenpeace study see following interview with anti-RU hawk Arndt Freytag von Loringhoven. His views are standard now.

        He is former Vice President of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security + former diplomat in Poland and the Czech Republic, lower posts in Moscow too.

        Arndt Freytag von Loringhoven co-authored a new book about RU as a threat.
        “Putin’s Attack on Germany”

        BERLINER ZEITUNG

        To at least hint at the idiotically twisted dishonesty a few parts:

        Von Loringhoven: “NATO with its entire arsenal is far superior to Russia”
        Former top diplomat Arndt Freytag von Loringhoven on the question of whether Donald Trump is acting in Russia’s interest or whether he will surprise everyone.

        https://archive.is/a1wiR

        “(…)
        I fear that such hybrid attacks will become more frequent and that they will benefit the Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) and AfD alliance.

        Can you really mention BSW and AfD in the same breath here? Ms. Weidel rejects the Taurus broadcast to Ukraine because she says: The Germans themselves need it. The AfD absolutely wants to strengthen the Bundeswehr. Would the AfD be able to join forces with the other parties here?

        When it comes to arms deliveries to Ukraine or peace negotiations, I don’t see any major differences between BSW and AfD. When it comes to strengthening the Bundeswehr, things may be different.
        (…)
        What role does the West’s superior technology play, for example in satellites? Isn’t Russia absolutely inferior?

        If you compare NATO with Russia with its entire arsenal of capabilities, it is far superior to Moscow, for example in space, cyber or air power. But we are comparing a multilateral alliance with a country, a dictatorship, that can make decisions much more easily and stick to them for a long time.
        (…)
        According to your book, the areas of “disinformation, propaganda, cyberattacks” – as the subtitle says – are not an end in themselves. The head of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), Bruno Kahl, said at your book launch that Russia is preparing for a hot war. Could the hybrid war become a hot war?

        That cannot be ruled out. In my opinion, two things would have to come together. Firstly, a continuation of the massive military buildup in Russia, which has been going on for some time. And secondly, the intention to really wage war against the West. However, that will only happen if Russia gets the impression that there is no longer any strong cohesion among the NATO countries. That is precisely what the hybrid component aims to do: weaken our cohesion.

        You were also ambassador to Poland. The Poles are massively rearming, now spending 3.5 percent of GDP on the military. The Polish army is preparing to become the strongest in Europe. Is this the right path?

        I think so. In Poland, this is also due to the geopolitical situation, with borders to Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Poland is now a frontline state, as Germany was during the Cold War. Poland has a very different sense of threat. It is about deterrence: rearming not in order to wage war, but precisely to prevent it. That has always been NATO’s raison d’etre. If Russia now becomes a threat to peace in Europe again, it is only logical that we too should rebuild our former strength. Only on this basis should political agreements be sought, in disarmament or in peace negotiations. Without a strong backbone, Russia will not respect us.

        Isn’t nuclear deterrence enough? Russia would have to be mad to attack NATO.

        Deterrence is precisely the language of power and strength that Russia understands. NATO has continually adapted its doctrine and, for example, in the 1960s moved from the original principle of massive nuclear retaliation to a “flexible response”. It had nuclear and conventional forces and thus had numerous variables with which it could deliberately keep the enemy in the dark about its own reaction. If we only had nuclear weapons today, Russia could consider low-threshold actions that would not justify nuclear retaliation and to which we would then have no response. Just as Mr. Kahl suggested that perhaps Spitsbergen would be occupied because of its raw materials or perhaps Estonia because it is home to citizens of Russian origin.

        But if the Russians invaded Estonia, wouldn’t that be an alliance case and would that be nuclear again?

        We need flexible response options – today also in the event of cyber or hybrid attacks. And we must clearly demonstrate our solidarity to the outside world. That depends above all on Washington. During his first term in office, Donald Trump once expressed doubts about his support in an emergency when it came to Montenegro. Such doubts could invite Russia to test the USA’s solidarity with small countries. It would be good to clarify this as quickly as possible.
        (…)
        Trump won the election.

        One has to be very careful when making statements about simple causalities. Voter behavior is highly complex. Cause and effect are very difficult to quantify.

        Does this mean that the federal election campaign needs to proceed with sensitivity?

        Definitely, exactly that – with increased attention.
        (…)”

        And no, not a single word on Oreshnik of course.

        Reply ↓
      3. AG

        Just as a case in point for your comment – the GREENPEACE “thingy” among ISW of course has also CHATHAM HOUSE listed as source.

        Like this 64-page beauty:

        Assessing Russian plans for military regeneration
        Modernization and reconstitution challenges for Moscow’s war machine
        Research paper Published 9 July 2024

        https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/07/assessing-russian-plans-military-regeneration

        Naturally a first quick look confirms every suspicion.
        So sadly in Germany RUSI and ISW are the ultimate sources.
        Frankly this drives me mad.

        Even if one doesn´t know anything about anything – it should raise alarm if a “research paper” with such financial backing brings up almost only negative examples and arguments against that very side in this conflict that has been deemed an enemy of mankind by the very institute that has issued the research paper. Where is the critical counter-balance in this system? It´s not there. This has zero right to call itself academic, research, scholarship. It´s propaganda. Nothing more.

        Reply ↓
        1. Donaldo

          Rummaging through trash in search of something of value would drive anyone mad, sooner or later. I guess, now you know why Martyanov is so dismissive. It’s all crap. Made for idi*ts, by idi*ts.

          P.S. Speaking of research papers, I remember one saying that corn syrup in not more harmful than sugar (also, not better). It was funded by some corn syrup manufacturers organization. It did have an educational value for me, because I learned from it that corn syrup manufacturers organizations are a thing that exist.

          Reply ↓
    2. Kouros

      “they have around 6,300 operational battle tanks” only European members. This is a big toadsie.

      As for AD systems, let’s not even start the discussion…

      Reply ↓
      1. AG

        Lets assume I tell them. Lets assume I put numbers and arguments on the table. You think the peace movement gonna thank me? Surely not.

        Not even if I explain to them that their Russia-is-so-weak argument only reproduces the ideology just from the other side and eventually might even be used by the war hawks against them, just the way the woke talking points have become a curse for many in the progressive movement .

        Eventually Russia will always be inferior to us, the West. And that conviction is systemic. THAT is the real issue here.

        Reply ↓
        1. AG

          Thanks.
          Handy links.

          (How does one prove that a Chatham House study is worthless. It´s lot of work no one will do. I remember when I first looked into a US Senate Foreign Relations´ Russia intereference report. It was insane several Hundred pages. Thousands of – worthless – footnotes.)

          But a chuckle a day helps definitely.

          Reply ↓
  30. amfortas the hippie

    here, on the eastern edge of the West Texas Training Area, we often see and hear military aircraft, doing their thing. the boundary is just to my east, so one sees more of them towards the west.
    here lately…for 3 weeks or so…ive seen just a whole mess of airborn miliray hardware headed east…as in out of said training area.
    2 groups of 6 or 8 of those large and loud double rotor choppers…several groups of 10 or more apache-looking attack choppers…and i have heard a lot more over the horizon, both north and south of me, all heading east.i have also heard a lot of what are unmistakably C 130’s and those big C-5’s…also headed east, and rather low…but always late at night…damned things shake the house and cause the dog to whimper.
    last time i witnessed this level of movement of materiel was during the run-up to dick and george’ invasion of iraq.

    given where i am located, to my west…a 12 hour drive away…is Ft Bliss….i cant think of another base thataway with that kind of hardware. Goodfellow, in san angelo is a shell, these days….for instance.
    Ft Hood…or whatever theyre callin it now…is 2+ hours to my northeast..trajectories didnt indicate that as a destination.
    also had a bunch of those trainers…little fast fighter jets zooming around for weeks. this is unusual for right here, because we’re so close to the boundary.
    all of these aircraft have been flying uncharacteristically low, too…based on sight, as well as sound/vibration.
    (there are rules about altitude…and i have even called the air force to bitch somebody out long ago when a Kiowah buzzed our herd…i could see the pilot’s face…couldnt have been 150 feet over neighbor’s field behind me)

    so anyhoo…just an observation from a long time observer of military aircraft out here…spidey sense and experience(2003) says something is afoot.
    ……..

    notably, had to go over and help mom unload her “supply run”(her term, as she has suddenly got the fear of trump induced shortages in her)…and i mentioned all the activity, and that somethings happening. she says, “well, there are a lot of hotspots we need to tend to”.
    this poked me, likely as intended,lol…and i related that none of them were necessary, and most of them were downright reckless and stupid…and that neither russia nor china nor iran have delusions of imperialism(eliciting a scoff)…that such talk from Maddow was pure projection, and that it was USA who has the Imperial Disease(PK Dick)…
    i wandered off before she could get all crazy on me….having already done the sheeps and such over there.

    Dems, even out here in isolation, really believe the propaganda.
    its not an act.
    mom has even wished that trump’s would be assassins had been better shots…and related that putin needs to be taken out before he invades europe.
    and that china is taking over the world, that theres no genocide in gaza, and that iran is the cause of all the trouble in the near east.
    sigh.

    Reply ↓
    1. mrsyk

      That there’s a discouraging report from the field. Let’s hope your canary in the coal mine is wrong the second time around.
      You get a take from your mom on Thompson? Supporting vigilanteism is looking bipartisan amongst the masses, just the “lists” are different.

      Reply ↓
    2. scott s.

      Well, interwebs suggest that West Texas Training Area is used for training/certification of Army Reserve and Guard aviation units so that might be a training rotation for brigade-level air.

      Reply ↓
  31. pjay

    Predictably, the “Tulsi as Cult member” story is reemerging, nicely intertwined with the “cozying up to dictators” narrative, the anti-LGBTQ stuff, and loads of other useful information. Thanks to “Spytalk” for keeping us all informed about the *real* conspiracies that threaten us!

    I’m waiting for Spytalk’s expose on little Marco.

    Reply ↓
    1. Mark Gisleson

      I’d love to know more about Gabbard but not from Gralow whose purple prose makes her allegations sound vituperous. I was just listening to this week’s podcast from Taibbi and Kirn and during the story review at the end (Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death) Kirn weighs in on why you need to overwrite to convey horror, how authors use excessive detail to pull you in by mesmerizing you with extra words. Kirn says this is why horror novels are so long.

      If you read Gralow closely, she’s alleging very little but using a lot of words to do so. First paragraph sets the mood with a question that isn’t answered until the 16th paragraph, all the intervening text being a massive effort to make sure you share the author’s opinions of the people she trashes in drive-by asides.

      It would be a pity if Gralow is right about Gabbard because if she is, she’s aggressively undermining her case with all this trash talk. I’ve read her before and it’s always this unsatisfying which is (or is not) bizarre given her employment as…well, I’m not sure what her job title is given her “about” section on her blog (not her Substack):

      Christine Gralow holds Master’s degrees in journalism and education. She studied at U.C. Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, where she won a Bloomberg Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting. She also wrote about autism for a New York Times education blog. Since 2003, Christine has worked as a special educator. She decided to return part-time to journalism after stumbling upon concerning activity in her community.

      Just me or does this say pretty much nothing about her experience? What is a special educator? The award was won while she was in grad school? What did she write and who published it? So I googled and I found a Medium page by a supporter of Gabbard’s old cult who trashed Gralow thoroughly (and generically using a typical cult spin on purple prose: unfootnoted and linkless ad hominem ad hominems). Also not satisfying.

      Gabbard runs a tight ship. That’s what cult survivors do, and they tend to hang out with fellow cult survivors. This is very normal human behavior. Is Gabbard running a cult of personality or simply fronting for a group of supportive and like-minded tightlipped Hawaiians? I think it’s the latter but then again I thought Tim Walz was a great politician because of how he ran his campaigns before joining Team Harris. Doesn’t change the fact that everything Gralow accuses Gabbard’s team of is simple due diligence for a major campaign dealing with a hostile “reporter,” or the fact that the preponderance of her accusations are about how Gabbard’s people treat her personally.

      Reply ↓
  32. Roger Blakely

    75 Years of Lead in Gasoline Caused 150 Million Mental Health Disorders, Study Finds USAToday

    Gasoline with lead in it was a crime against humanity. I have no doubt that my life was impacted.

    Air quality in the Los Angeles Basin in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s was horrible. The lives of a generation were destroyed in ways that we will never know.

    How bad was it? People involved in hazardous waste cleanup can tell you that dirt needs to be dug out and carted off as hazardous waste due to its lead content at any location in Southern California where over decades rain drained off of the freeway.

    I have heard that there is at least one study indicating that air pollution involving leaded gasoline predicts a high crime rate fifteen years in the future. Air pollution involving leaded gasoline predicts a high crime rate better than any other factor.

    Reply ↓
    1. jobs

      The book “Trust Us, We’re Experts!”, by Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber, has a chapter “Faster cars, slower kids” which also mentions the impact on crime.

      Reply ↓
  33. Wukchumni

    Lets get ready to rumble dept: {just felt a 1.3468!}

    Cali has been real uppity as of late, and a 7.0 would really put the hurt on a big city, thankfully it was centered out in the ocean.

    Reply ↓
  34. AG

    I assume Craig Murray will be among tomorrow´s links. But to call attention to his new one:

    The End of Pluralism in the Middle East

    “A truly seismic change in the Middle East appears to be happening very fast. At its heart is a devil’s bargain – Turkey and the Gulf States accept the annihilation of the Palestinian nation and creation of a Greater Israel, in return for the annihilation of the Shia minorities of Syria and Lebanon and the imposition of Salafism across the Eastern Arab world.

    This also spells the end for Lebanon and Syria’s Christian communities, as witness the tearing down of all Christmas decorations, the smashing of all alcohol and the forced imposition of the veil on women in Aleppo now.”

    https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2024/12/the-end-of-pluralism-in-the-middle-east/

    Reply ↓
    1. pjay

      A very depressing assessment. It also fits like a glove with the “Abraham Accords” approach of the first Trump administration, which is shaping up to be that of the second administration as well. I will reserve judgment until there is more evidence; I’ve read such dire predictions before (remember the shocking days of the ISIS “caliphate”?). But it is amazing how fast the narrative can change from one with Israel on the verge of collapse and the US on its way out.

      Reply ↓
    2. steppenwolf fetchit

      I remember years ago during the Syrian –Jihadi war ( ” Civil War”), that Colonel Lang over at Sic Semper Tyrannis came to this understanding of that war within a few weeks of its outbreak and from that point onward supported and sympathised with the Syrian Arab Republic and the Syrian Arab Army.

      And when the CLEJ ( Cannibal Liver Eating Jihadis) and their supportive civilians had retreated into Idlib, he was writing that CLEJ in Idlib should be regarded as a cancer in need of immediate liquidation and elimination from existence. And events prove him to have been correct.

      Reply ↓
    3. The Rev Kev

      A bit blatant that CNN had an interview with the leader of these Jihadists that is not only listed along with his organization on the US State Department terrorist list but also has a reward on his head. It might very well be the end of Lebanon and Syria’s Christian communities as the US was just fine and dandy with the destruction of Iraq’s christian community while they occupied that country. And of course they are not saying boo about all the Israeli attacks on their Christian community either. Maybe those Christians can go to a country that actually respects such communities. Say, Iran.

      Reply ↓
  35. Maxwell Johnston

    The Tucker Carlson – Lavrov Interview

    Both interviews are excellent (CNN also interviewed Ryabkov). Less edgy but much more substantive than Tucker’s interview with Putin last February. There is a vast gap in erudition between Lavrov/Ryabkov on the one hand, and Blinken/Baerbock/Lammy on the other, a gap that becomes a chasm when one considers that Lavrov/Ryabkov are speaking in a foreign language.

    Ever since Trump’s victory, there’s been all manner of dubious ideas re RU/UKR being floated in the western MSM: the collapsing ruble, RU is eager to negotiate, EU peacekeepers to UKR, freeze the war along the conflict line and then allow UKR to enter NATO, etc. Even the normally sober-minded Andrew Korybko has published a nutty scenario under which RU sells gas to Germany via a USA-owned NordStream and cuts its energy exports to China:

    https://asiatimes.com/2024/12/a-ukraine-war-deal-that-puts-the-energy-squeeze-on-china/

    The Lavrov/Ryabkov interviews (surely approved by Putin) are RU’s polite way of pouring ice-cold Siberian water over all of these ideas. RU might negotiate with USA over a new RU-Europe security architecture (with UKR conflict resolution as a subset of that), but I cannot imagine that RU will cut a deal with USA over UKR in isolation. RU might agree with a post-Zelensky regime (more like a one-way dictation of terms reflecting the facts on the ground), but not with the USA or the Euros. That train has left the station. Note Lavrov’s comment at about the 47.30 mark (quoting his boss): “…..we would never be back at the situation of early 2022…..”

    We live in interesting times, and it looks like 2025 will be even more interesting than the past three years.

    Reply ↓
    1. AG

      Thanks for this assessment.

      However – I could live really well with much less “interesting”.
      My entire daily routine has been upset by this.

      Admittedly I have learned an awful lot (like from NC e.g.) – Mercouris himself coined that insight of a “very steep learning curve” – but it also did eat away an awful lot of time from other content and matters.
      May be that´s just me. But I can´t have it to be running around not knowing what is truly going on “over my head.”

      Reply ↓
      1. juno mas

        The Lavrov interview will expose many English speakers to likely the worlds preeminent diplomat. He eloquently notes the many achievements of the American people, in the beginning, while subsequently exposing the feckless lies of the current political class, in the end.

        Reply ↓
  36. Emma

    Don’t lose hope too quickly. SAA is still fighting vigorously in Hamas and reinforcements are coming in. They’re using psy-op to scare the civilian population and also deploying trolls ( including many working for Qatar funded media who established their credibility with reporting on Gaza) to divide the resistance.

    If you have the time, this segment is the best one I found to go through all the ups and downs of contesting Hama right now.

    https://youtu.be/crOpqUFFGec?si=raTHoI_F1eAlFwVK

    I do have to say – when are Russia and China finally going to stop pretending like they can still be friends or non-enemies with the various tentacles of the US empire? Is there really any benefit to building ten extra rungs into the escalation ladder if the Americans/Israelis are just going to blow through them all and believe that Russia is too chicken for nuclear war and anyways nuclear war is no biggie.

    Reply ↓
  37. Pat

    Fallon’s intense questioning and refusal to back down did not elicit the response you would probably expect from a NYer who still tears up at their memories of 9/11 and of the first responders they knew that were lost. It was that indignation at the questions needed to be stuffed up the sanctimonious twit who immediately got defensive and yelled about the politicization of 9/11.
    First off I don’t care that he helped in the clean up. His presence at the memorial event decades later amid the lack of presence of working Secret Service was the subject. And that was a legitimate question. If the details for the current and former President were combined, just answer and explain how.
    Two, 9/11 has been about politics for almost the entire time since the day it happened. Same as the faux respect paid for veterans on Veterans and Memorial Day. Politicians use their actions regarding those events as a calling card all the time. Personally I believe that the annual ceremony about it should have been returned to the families and survivors over 15 years ago. Not because I don’t believe people shouldn’t remember it. I do. But I also believe they should remember the events leading up the invasion of Iraq, the bombing of the Murrow building in Oklahoma City, and more controversial the various coups we have enabled in South America and the catastrophic consequences from them, let’s start with Chile. But mindless veneration does no one anyone good.
    (I am also adamant that big salute to the troops are just as patently phony and useless as shown by the thousands of homeless veterans we have, and so many promises reneged on for the veterans.)

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    1. AG

      The only thing I know is this: 3 years after 9/11 I was in that burger restaurant in Brighton Beach. The staff spoke very openly about 9/11 and as openly stated: well that was Manhattan, not us, we don´t live here, and may be they deserved it.

      Correct me, but I have the impression this “dark side” of this story has been totally omitted. Countless people think that way. But you won´t find it documented anywhere. “The unwritten legacy of 9/11”.

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      1. Pat

        There are multiple dark sides to it, starting with a lot about the buildings themselves. Moving past the multiple things that don’t make sense about the events of the day, multiple issues with the aftermath from invasion of another country and pushing through unconstitutional laws, there is the government lying about the air, not to mention corruption surrounding the memorial. And no one should ever forget that it actually allowed for open embracing of anti Muslim positions and laws. It is a black hole of dark sides.

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  38. ChrisPacific

    Re: Opposite directions

    Our dog used to race constantly from one to the other of us in this situation. It was a reliable way to tire her out in off-lead areas.

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