Lambert and I, and many readers, agree that Ukraine has prompted the worst informational environment ever. We hope readers will collaborate in mitigating the fog of war — both real fog and stage fog — in comments. None of us need more cheerleading and link-free repetition of memes; there are platforms for that. Low-value, link-free pom pom-wavers will be summarily whacked.
And for those who are new here, this is not a mere polite request. We have written site Policies and those who comment have accepted those terms. To prevent having to resort to the nuclear option of shutting comments down entirely until more sanity prevails, as we did during the 2015 Greek bailout negotiations and shortly after the 2020 election, we are going to be ruthless about moderating and blacklisting offenders.
–Yves
P.S. Also, before further stressing our already stressed moderators, read our site policies:
Please do not write us to ask why a comment has not appeared. We do not have the bandwidth to investigate and reply. Using the comments section to complain about moderation decisions/tripwires earns that commenter troll points. Please don’t do it. Those comments will also be removed if we encounter them.
The Mysterious, Vexing, and Utterly Engrossing Search for the Origin of Eels Hakai
The inflation fight: are central banks going too far, too fast? FT
Bond Market Meltdown Captures Inflation Fears, Recession Forecasts, Capitulation Risk The Street
Climate
Why the Rush to Mine Lithium Could Dry Up the High Andes E360
Water
In America, Clean Water Is Becoming a Luxury Mother Jones
#COVID19
Long-term neurologic outcomes of COVID-19 Nature. From the Discussion:
In this study [drawn from VA data] involving 154,068 people who had COVID-19, 5,638,795 contemporary controls and 5,859,621 historical controls, which altogether correspond to 14,064,985 person-years of follow up, we show that beyond the first 30 days of infection, people with COVID-19 are at increased risk of an array of neurologic disorders spanning several disease categories including stroke (both ischemic and hemorrhagic), cognition and memory disorders, peripheral nervous system disorders, episodic disorders, extrapyramidal and movement disorders, mental health disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, sensory disorders and other disorders including Guillain–Barré syndrome, and encephalitis or encephalopathy. The risks and burdens were evident in subgroups based on age, race, sex, obesity, smoking, ADI, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, hyperlipidemia, hypertension or immune dysfunction. The risks were evident even in people who did not need hospitalization during the acute phase of the infection and increased according to the care setting of the acute phase of the disease from nonhospitalized to hospitalized to admitted to intensive care. The findings were consistent in comparisons involving the contemporary control group and the historical control group. The results were robust to challenge in sensitivity analyses; the application of negative-exposure and negative-outcome controls yielded results consistent with prior expectations. Altogether, our results show that the risks and burdens of neurologic disorders in the COVID-19 group at 12 months are substantial.
NOTE * Good thing, then, that the CDC’s “community levels” metric is weighted so that mitigation guidance is issued only after the hospitalization load (a lagging indicator) increases. Rochelle, Ashish, Jha, good job.
SARS-CoV-2 Secondary Attack Rates in Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Household Contacts during Replacement of Delta with Omicron Variant, Spain Emerging Infectious Diseases, CDC. 466 household contacts from 227 index cases . From the Abtstract: “Our data suggest vaccine evasion might be a cause of rapid spread of the Omicron variant. We recommend a focus on developing vaccines with long-lasting protection against severe disease, rather than only against infectivity.”
CDC says some nursing homes and hospitals no longer need to require universal masking CBS. Andy Cuomo? Is that you?
These parents are making DIY air purifiers for Philly schools. They want one in every city classroom. Philadelphia Inquirer (MR).
Is the Covid-19 pandemic over? The answer is more art than science Stat
Biden Says the Pandemic Is Over. Is It? BU Today. “From a fundamental scientific perspective, a pandemic cannot be declared over by a single country, since pandemics involve all countries.”
China?
As US IPO Market Languishes, Listings Head East to Booming China Yahoo Finance (ctlieee).
The typical Chinese adult is now richer than the typical European adult, a new wealth report finds Insider
China shifts US bond holdings offshore, potentially beyond the reach of any future currency sanctions, report says Insider
Why are some shopping malls in Shanghai so few? Reporter’s visit: I can’t blame the epidemic, I have a hard injury What China Reads. In Shanghai, malls have recovered unevenly.
Australia considering buying first few nuclear submarines from the US instead of building them onshore Sydney Morning Herald
Solomon Islands’ prime minister, saying it had been maligned for China pact, denounces US South China Morning Post
Myanmar
Myanmar’s Multiple Crises: A Recipe for Disaster Reporting ASEAN
Leaders of S. Korea, Japan agree to strive to improve ties AP
India
INS Vikrant: Why India’s aircraft carrier is no match for China Al Jazeera
Syraqistan
Iran protests flare anew hours after pro-government rallies Hurriyet Daily News
Ukraine expels the ambassador of Iran — because of the drones used by Russia in the war Babel
European Disunion
Italy’s election campaign ends, tensions between EU and right flares Reuters. Commentary:
Italy’s neofascist about-to-be-prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, can’t be blamed on Russia because she and her neofascist party are pro-NATO, pro-Ukraine, anti-Putin. So instead, they’ve decided to blame the return of Italian neofascism on nerds.https://t.co/3ttrZJtEMT
— Mark Ames (@MarkAmesExiled) September 22, 2022
Silvio Berlusconi: Ex-PM defends Russian war on eve of Italian election BBC
Old Blighty
Pound tumbles below $1.09 after Kwarteng’s £45bn tax cut package FT
A budget that harms everyone except the very rich Mainly Macro. Commentary:
The best hope is that the Tories will boot Truss out. Otherwise, disaster looms. Tax Research UK
I remember this also:
I remember this clearly too. It was a point of pride and self-confidence that we did not feel the need to be so ostentatious. A decade of austerity, awful government, and the worst press in the world constantly obfuscating the source of our problems, has reduced us to insecurity. https://t.co/JmQcopeZYt
— Liam Bright (@lastpositivist) September 24, 2022
New Not-So-Cold War
Azov Delegation Visits the US Ukes, Kooks & Spooks (guurst). Lining up real estate opportunities and cable gigs, no doubt.
U.S. prepared to impose more costs on Russia over Ukraine referendums Reuters. Incomprehensibly, Ukraine shelling Donetsk didn’t tip the referenda in their favor.
Occupied Ukraine holds Kremlin-staged vote on joining Russia AP. The most neutral headline I can find; the Twitter is utterly polluted.
Russia Can’t Protect Its Allies Anymore Foreign Policy
Ukraine War Shows the US Military Isn’t Ready for War With China Bloomberg
Millennials, assembled: At UN, younger leaders rise AP
Biden Administration
There’s No Reason Puerto Rico Had to Go Through This Again Slate
Fact Check: Rep. Rashida Tlaib Said Progressives Must Oppose Israeli Apartheid The Intercept
Cherokee Nation launches campaign to seat Tribe’s delegate in US House Muskogee Phoenix
Brazil’s China-Heavy Election The Diplomat
2024
What you need to know about the complex legal challenges to Ron DeSantis’s migrant flights The Hill
All the Governor’s Men Bolts Magazine. More DeSantis.
Democrats en Deshabillé
L.A. County sheriff’s unit accused of targeting political enemies, vocal critics LA Times
Republican Funhouse
Where GOP governors are transporting migrants Axios
Big Brother Is Watching You Watch
A Danish City Built Google Into Its Schools—Then Banned It Wired
Short-sighted:
Users of glassess beware! You may be leaking secret data during Zoom/Skype/etc videoconferences. Screen reflected in glasses, then visible during a videoconferencing. School-grade physics/optics sufficient to understand the exploit equations. https://t.co/D2CxQ6GEyH pic.twitter.com/hvaT8RBUCy
— Lukasz Olejnik (@lukOlejnik) September 21, 2022
Intelligence Community
CIA launches a podcast, hoping to ‘demystify’ the agency and boost recruitment Miami Herald. Happy anniversary:
Today marks the 75th anniversary since the CIA was formed. Since 1947 it has been destabilising the world all to protect American interests here is a thread documenting just some of its crimes. pic.twitter.com/2L3RJk6fU8
— Friendly Neighborhood Comrade (@SpiritofLenin) September 18, 2022
The Bezzle
The $8.6 Billion Startup That Helps Governments Trace Crypto Bloomberg
Sports Desk
ESPN Milwaukee Sidelines Brett Favre Amid Welfare Scandal Front Office Sports
Realignment and Legitimacy
Georgia secretary of state to replace election equipment accessed by Trump allies The Hill. Revise the headline to see the problem: “Georgia secretary of state to replace
election equipmentpens and paper accessed by Trump allies.”
Imperial Collapse Watch
The Navy Accused Him of Arson. Its Own Investigation Showed Widespread Safety Failures ProPublica
Tech:
Class Warfare
‘Bro, How Do I Fix This?’: Home Depot Workers Form Independent Union Labor Notes
The One Where a Finance Bro Paid Me to Run His Tinder Account for (and While Pretending to Be) Him Nandini Balial, Zora
Antidote du jour (via):
Bonus Antidote (ctlieee):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
