~ Today’s Water Cooler: Politics, syndemics; Trump transition: Gabbard, Hegseth; “That’s quite an act. What do you call it?” LA fires; Tintin now in the public domain ~
Saturday, March 8, 2025
Russia’s Difficult Ukraine End Game Choices and the Issue of “Imposing Terms”
Why Russia’s seeming high class problem of being able to secure a military victory in Ukraine really is a problem.
Musk, Meloni, and the AfD: Trump’s Plan for Reorganizing EU Vassals Comes into Focus
Meloni offers vassalage to the US under faux nationalist packaging. Musk’s support of the Alternative for Germany shows it might be prepared to do the same.
Rebuilding Rate for Santa Cruz Mountains Lightning Complex Fire Bodes Ill for Los Angeles Reconstruction, Even Before Getting to Insolvency of California State FAIR Plan Wildfire Insurance
The pace of rebuilding after the Santa Cruz Mountains wildfire in 2000 bodes ill for the likely speed of Los Angeles reconstruction.
The Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) Lacks Legal Structure and Promised Transparency
DOGE depends on Elon Musk’s charismatic authority. That’s a bad thing.
Health Care AI, Intended To Save Money, Turns Out To Require a Lot of Expensive Humans
Artificial intelligence systems require consistent monitoring and staffing to put in place and to keep them working well. In essence: You need people, and more machines, to make sure the new tools don’t mess up.
Weaponizing the US Dollar. Can It Work?
Michael Hudson refines and extends recent discussions on the future of the dollar, particularly under Trump, and finance-dominated capitalism
Meet the Cats Who Roam Rikers Island
Even cats in a prison setting find human servants!
2:00PM Water Cooler 1/10/2025
~ Today’s Water Cooler: Politics, Syndemics; New Covid data, Covid and mortality; LA Fires: misinformation; SEIU joins AFL-CIO ~
“In 2025, States Will Flip the Script on Taxes to Make the Wealthy Pay Their Fair Share”
State-level activists have been building coalitions to implement higher and more extensive taxes on the wealthy. What are their prospects?
Where is Guaidó 2.0?
While the old Guaidó lives it up in Florida, at somebody’s apparent expense, the new Guaidó, Edmundo González Urritia, appears to be going nowhere.
