In Case You Missed It…

…a week of Mad Biologist posts:

Have an Easy Fast

Fetterman and the Ancient Flute

What Is the Freedom Caucus’ End Game?

The Partisan Gap on MMR Vaccines

‘My Rich Friends Will Pay Ridiculous Amounts for My Property’ Isn’t a Valid Defense Against Fraud

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Links 9/29/23

Links for you. Science:

THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION PLAN FOR OPERATIONS DURING A LAPSE IN APPROPRIATIONS
Why September’s record-warm temperatures have scientists so worried
Crocodiles Spotted Pushing Dog In River To Safety Instead Of Eating It: Researchers who described the incredible scene also said that the reptiles appeared drawn to marigold flowers.
Congress May Help Tribes Restore America’s National Mammal: The bipartisan Indian Buffalo Management Act would help spur one of the country’s most unique conservation movements.
Water Hazard: We’re scared of sharks. They should be scared of us.
China’s quest for human genetic data spurs fears of a DNA arms race
A NASA capsule carrying pieces of an asteroid successfully lands in Utah

Other:

The Missing Inflation Data: The Biden administration is getting bad data and bad advice — but there’s a way out. (this is good, but neglects an additional factor: rental prices have skyrocketed, and that massively cuts spending power for a large swath of people)
You’ve Persuaded Us Already: When it comes to the idea that conservatism has embraced fascism and supremacy, nobody is more persuasive than conservatives themselves. An essay on bullies and the margins of permission in the USA.
Demand for life sciences lab space has slowed in Boston area and nationally, report says
Prominent Democrats Are Calling On Sen. Bob Menendez To Resign: Party leaders “absolutely” should push the New Jersey senator out of office over his corruption charges, said Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota.
A Cape Cod clinic has begun offering medication abortions, and a faith-based group is pushing alternatives
UAW reports Sen. Tim Scott to labor board over ‘you strike, you’re fired’ remark (good!)
At 100-years-old, Patricia Bartevian still a fixture at her Boylston Street shop
Which president had the most shutdowns? Reagan, with an asterisk.
The Impatience of Job: The story is perfect for our harrowing times. But we’ve been reading it all wrong.
Amid rising antisemitism, the vivid language of Yiddish makes a comeback
The Absurdity of Washington Brain: Where what matters in House Republican strategy doesn’t actually matter
Egyptian presidential hopeful targeted by Predator spyware
Winning the Ideas, Losing the Politics
Football coaching’s ‘Madden’ generation: They grew up playing ‘Madden NFL,’ the megahit video game. Now they’re using it to teach in college and the pros.
They Don’t Mean Any Of It
First the megadealers conquered the art world. Next up, museums. As museums play it safe, four powerful galleries are stepping onto their turf — taking risks and defining artistic value
Other People Are Doing It Wrong
How the National Gallery has broken its Corcoran promise: In 2014, the National Gallery took the Corcoran’s art. Now, it no longer plans to use the building for major contemporary art shows. (basically, they stripped the Corcoran for parts)
At Smith College, 372 boxes full of fascinating feminist history. The new book ‘50 Years of Ms.’ led me to an essential collection, and questions about why so much of the women’s movement has been forgotten.
Misinformation research is buckling under GOP legal attacks: An escalating campaign, led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and other Republicans, has cast a pall over programs that study political disinformation and the quality of medical information online
This Spanish city has been restricting cars for 24 years. Here’s what we can learn from it
For $18.65, famous artist designs racial justice windows for National Cathedral
The Menendez Scandal Reflects The World That SCOTUS Built
Dangerous missteps more than tripled over 3 years in Md. hospitals: The Maryland Department of Health lost access to patient safety data as harm to patients spiked during the pandemic years
Too Hot For the Heritage Foundation! In the Trump-era GOP civil war, a pair of scholars at the think tank signed the wrong manifesto. (rooting for injuries)
Craptacular Is More Like It

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‘My Rich Friends Will Pay Ridiculous Amounts for My Property’ Isn’t a Valid Defense Against Fraud

At least for now. Marcy Wheeler gives a very good summary of the recent New York state court ruling against Trump, finding $850 million to $3.2 billion of fraudulent estimates by Trump. Wheeler notes (boldface mine):

Which brings us to one of the most telling passages in Engoron’s ruling. He quotes Trump as saying that market value of all this doesn’t matter because the Saudis will happily pay whatever he demands.

The defenses Donald Trump attempts to articulate in his sworn deposition are wholly without basis in law or fact. He claims that if the values of the property have gone up in the years since the SFCs were submitted, then the numbers were not inflated at that time (i.e.; “but you take the 2014 statement, if something is much more valuable now — or, I guess, we’ll have to pick a date which was a little short of now. But if something is much more valuable now, then the number that I have down here is a. low number”) [citation omitted] He also seems to imply that the numbers cannot be inflated because he could find a “buyer from Saudi Arabia” to pay any price he suggests.10 [citation omitted]

10 This statement may suggest influence buying more than savvy investing.

This is their out. This is the out that Jared Kushner already pursued. This may be the underlying basis for Trump’s LIV golf tournament deal.

Trump confessed, in a sworn deposition, that if he can’t make objective reality match his own delusions, he’s sure the Saudis will bail him out.

An interesting service the Saudis are offering.

The biggest mistake professional Democrats made was not going after Trump for violating the emoluments clause, both in terms of politics and because he violated Article 2 of the Constitution every fucking day while he was president.

At least, the State of New York is getting at some of the corruption. And if professional Democrats didn’t suck at their jobs, they would be bashing him with his admission.

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The Partisan Gap on MMR Vaccines

Recently, a Washington Post article discussed some KFF polling data on U.S. attitudes towards vaccination. Most of the focus was on a huge partisan divide in willingness to get vaccinated for COVID, influenza, and RSV. But The Discourse missed what I think is the most critical part of the polling:

KFF’s headline really gets it wrong here since for MMR vaccination to be effective, we need at least 95% coverage. 87% just isn’t enough.

Hopefully, most of the missing thirteen percent of Republicans are simply delaying vaccination, which is still really fucking stupid because it puts kids at risk of childhood diseases that can kill or cripple them until they’re vaccinated. If they’re not though, and that’s more likely in those states with generous ‘religious’ exemptions, then we’ll be below the threshold needed to prevent widescale spread.

Anti-vaccinationism is a murderous grift, and shame on Republicans for embracing it so wholeheartedly.

Posted in Conservatives, Fucking Morons, Vaccination | Leave a comment

Links 9/28/23

Links for you. Science:

Worm that jumps from rats to slugs to human brains has invaded Southeast US (paper here)
Intranasal mRNA-LNP vaccination protects hamsters from SARS-CoV-2 infection (promising, now the Biden administration needs to fast track it)
Seventy-plus nations sign historic high seas treaty, paving way for ratification
An ancient arrow in near-intact condition is a fascinating find in Norway’s melting ice
CDC recommends RSV vaccine for pregnant women ahead of virus season
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection and Postacute Risk of Non–Coronavirus Disease 2019 Infectious Disease Hospitalizations: A Nationwide Cohort Study of Danish Adults Aged ≥50 Years

Other:

In Hospitals, Viruses Are Everywhere. Masks Are Not. (gift link)
The Strong Towns Movement is Simply Right-Libertarianism Dressed in Progressive Garb: Strong Towns’ critique of America’s car-centric sprawl sounds appealing. But its proposed solutions rely on a conservative politics that prioritizes ‘wealth creation’ over just and equitable urban planning.
Family Punditry: Catching up with the nepo babies of the right
At the Vote Pray Stand Summit, Christian Parents and Their “Rights” Take Center Stage
Federal regulators rip MBTA after finding agency violated safety order
Robert Menendez’s Family Business: The New Jersey senator was indicted by the Justice Department for a series of charges straight out of The Sopranos.
Exposing the Dark Side of the Fashion Industry
Democrats Are on a Winning Streak That Could Transform Our Politics: Recent victories in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire special elections suggest Democrats can score huge wins in the fight to control state legislatures. That changes everything.
Is Thomas Sowell a Legendary “Maverick” Intellectual or a Pseudo-Scholarly Propagandist?
Rupert Murdoch Leaves News Corp on His Own Terms
Official Disapproval
Democrats Can Stand Up for Trans Kids—and Win
Murdoch’s Audience of Two: Was Rupert’s ‘retirement’ notice intended to signify his ride off into the sunset or denote his full-blown support of Lachlan—or, more likely, was it meant for an audience of his daughters, Liz and Prue, whose votes may control the family trust?
Fed Up With the Homelessness Crisis, the Sacramento County DA Sues the City
The Unlikely World Leader Who Just Dispelled Musk’s Utopian AI Dreams: Benjamin Netanyahu is not buying what the billionaire is selling. He may have a point.
Mitch McConnell Will Not Go Gently Into the Senate Goodnight: Even if the senator wanted to retire, there’s no way he’ll let Kentucky’s Democratic governor choose his replacement, even temporarily.
As judges, we’ve made thousands of bail decisions. Here’s the truth about detention and public safety (again, the mainland colony of the District of Columbia has had no bail for decades)
Florida’s “War on Woke” Is Spurring a Brain Drain: Thanks to Ron DeSantis’s education policies, the state is seeing an unprecedented exodus of teachers, professors, and college students.
Money Is Pouring Into AI. Skeptics Say It’s a ‘Grift Shift.’
Trump says he always had autoworkers’ backs. Union leaders say his first-term record shows otherwise
China Keeps Trying to Crush Them. Their Movement Keeps Growing.
Who’s Bankrolling the Shutdown Showdown?
These Women Tried to Warn Us About AI
Think this summer was bad? It might be the best one you and I will ever see
Here’s what happens when the government shuts down
North Carolina Republicans Just Passed a Massive Power Grab to Seize Control of Elections

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Links 9/27/23

Links for you. Science:

Vaccine specialist Peter Hotez: scientists are ‘under attack for someone else’s political gain’
What next for COVID evolution? Untangling the mysteries of antigenic turnover
A Medieval French Skeleton Is Rewriting the History of Syphilis. Christopher Columbus was blamed for bringing syphilis to Europe. New DNA evidence suggests it was already there. Maybe both stories are true.
The Ongoing Risk Of Long COVID: What are the rates of ongoing COVID-19 symptoms in 2023 and beyond? (might have to write about this; my estimate throughout the pandemic, among the vaccinated, has been 1-2% too, and my take on the Australian study is that three percent is a reasonable number for that study, not the higher values, given the effects on working. I do worry that he’s downplaying what one percent means–it’s not good at all)
Why We’ll Never Live in Space
Under a Hellish Ocean Habitat, Bizarre Animals Are Lurking: For the first time, scientists observed tubeworms and other complex ocean creatures dwelling beneath hydrothermal vents.

Other:

Trump Is the Reason Women Can’t Get Abortions: The former president wants you to believe he is a moderate on abortion. He isn’t.
DeSantis vows to end federal funding of COVID-19 vaccines (as bad as Biden has been on COVID policy, Republicans would be even worse)
The GOP’s Plan to Ban Birth Control (Part I): Redefining Contraception as ‘Abortion’
High earners who left DC during pandemic cost city $3 billion in tax revenue, data reveals (they moved to Prince George’s County mostly, so this might be a largely mini-Black high-earner exodus?)
Americans trying to get new covid vaccine hit insurance snags, face bills: Now that the government is no longer buying and distributing all the shots, Americans must endure the usual insurance company headaches (the Biden administration shouldn’t want to piss off early adopters, as they will disproportionately be Democrats as well as people who really want the vaccine)
GOP Prez Wannabes’ Plans for Government: Dangerous—and Really Dumb
The Return of the Marriage Plot: Why everyone is suddenly so eager for men and women to get hitched.
Americans’ COVID-19 Concerns Rise, but Still Restrained
Wow, You Can’t Even Pound A Quart Of Whiskey At The Airport For Less Than $60 Anymore
Federal prosecutors indict Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez: The fact that the Biden-era Justice Department is prosecuting a Democratic senator ahead of his re-election race doesn’t help GOP conspiracy theorists. (and the entire New Jersey Democratic state establishment called for him to resign only after nine hours; contrast with, let’s say, Texas Republicans)
Elon May Have Accidentally Revealed How ExTwitter Usage Has Dropped Massively Since His Takeover
Allegations against Rudy Giuliani and Russell Brand show sexual abuse is a selling point for MAGA: The quickest way to be a hero to Donald Trump fanboys? Face multiple, credible sexual assault allegations
What men are thinking about when they think about the Roman Empire. Is the measure of a man really based on ancient Rome?
Milk antibody response after 3rd COVID-19 vaccine and SARS-CoV-2 infection and implications for infant protection
7 ways the pandemic changed the Washington commute
Bloody Murdoch: As much as anyone, the Fox News mogul is responsible for America’s conservative crackup. What did it get him? (very good)
New habits are making more commutes miserable: Data shows the disproportionate return of cars at the expense of transit has shaken a balance between road and rail networks in the D.C. region
Of Course Clarence Thomas Was Getting Cozy With Koch Donors
This is the grave of John Lomax.
“A stunning betrayal” Gavin Newsom vetoes bill protecting trans kids in California (he’s running–in 2028)
Texas Revamps Houston Schools, Closing Libraries and Angering Parents: As part of a state takeover plan, libraries in underperforming schools are becoming spaces for disruptive students to watch lessons on computers.
The Off-Kilter Beauty of the City’s Shabby, Singular Storefronts: And the photographers who made it their life’s work to document them.
AIPAC Targets Black Democrats — While the Congressional Black Caucus Stays Silent
The Coming Collapse of the U.S. Health Care System
Why Detroit, America’s poorest city, doesn’t have an L.A.-sized homeless problem
What James Baldwin Got Wrong About Black Antisemitism

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What Is the Freedom Caucus’ End Game?

With a shutdown looming–and given the (relative) advance planning happening at federal agencies, it appears the Biden administration isn’t going to knuckle under, so it’s pretty likely–I can’t figure out how the Freedom Caucus thinks their little tantrum will play out.

I understand why they want to do this: they are anti-government radicals (Rep. Good has said 75% of federal spending is unnecessary). But I don’t see how they’ll get what they want. Democrats believe (along with many Republicans), and I think correctly, that this will only benefit Democrats. It seems like the Freedom Caucus believes that they can overrun not only the House, but also the Senate and the White House, solely through intensity of will. While Democrats don’t exactly have a long history of brave stands, they simply have to do nothing, other than agree to what already negotiated months ago.

This is why I think the shutdown might not happen: there’s no good end game for Freedom Caucus Republicans. Then again, most wars begin because one side (or both) underestimates their opponents, so it will likely happen.

Update: Ryan Grim details the utter stupidity of the Republican strategy.

Posted in Conservatives, Democrats, Fucking Morons | 2 Comments

Links 9/26/23

Links for you. Science:

Many people hate wasps, but research shows they’re smarter than you might think and ecologically important
One Health Approach to Globalizing, Accelerating, and Focusing Amphibian and Reptile Disease Research—Reflections and Opinions from the First Global Amphibian and Reptile Disease Conference
Continued selection on cryptic SARS-CoV-2 observed in Missouri wastewater
Convalescent plasma may lessen the odds of long COVID
Identification of mobile genetic elements with geNomad
Ghost forests haunt the East Coast, harbingers of sea-level rise. Stands of dead and dying trees are spreading. Researchers are trying to track their movements and their implications.

Other:

Return to the office? These workers quit instead. (I bet they don’t think the economy is doing well!)
Airlines Are Just Banks Now
Tesla is the next biggest union target in the United States. Sorry, Elon Musk
Smithsonian American Art Museum Unveils Renovated Modern And Contemporary Galleries
The SATs Will Be Different Next Year, and That Could Be a Game-Changer
This Is About As Fiery As You’ll Ever See Merrick Garland
Va. lawmakers seek recognition of tribe erased by ‘paper genocide’
Taking Inclusion Seriously: Kevin Elliott’s Democracy for Busy People
The Story of Lorem Ipsum: How Scrambled Text by Cicero Became Used by Typesetters Everywhere
Warren County tries to control local library in LGBTQ+ book debate
Donald Trump Is Trying The Same Trick That Got Him Elected In 2016: On abortion and a few other issues, the former president is using all sorts of rhetorical misdirection to avoid being tagged as an extremist. (in other words, lying)
City of Yes Yes Yes! Adams Calls for Elimination of Parking Mandates on ALL New Housing
Remember when NFTs sold for millions of dollars? 95% of the digital collectibles may now be worthless. (only 95%?)
Northwest D.C. Little League has been cheating for years, lawsuit alleges (lol)
To understand how much trouble the GOP is in from abortion watch this ad running now in *Kentucky*
Brain Spike
Here are the documents the Google antitrust trial judge didn’t want you to see: We hope they’ll come back online officially — but for now, here they are.
Clarence Thomas secretly participated in Koch network donor events
The Spy Who Shushed Me: How the Government Is Removing Our Right to Read in Private
Senator Robert Menendez Is Indicted in New York: Mr. Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, was charged six years after his trial in a different corruption case ended in a hung jury.
The Sycophant (good, but I think this said it better)
How a Government Shutdown Could Upend Virginia’s Key Legislative Elections
Are “Never Trump” Republicans Actually Just Democrats Now? Some are already hardcore progressives. And pollsters, politicians, and analysts from both parties say it may just be a matter of time before the rest switch parties, too.
This D.C. Artist’s Work Was Stolen From A Local Gallery. But She’s Not Calling The Cops
Transit in the Washington region has a future, if we plan for it
Elon Musk, a ‘bike crash’ and the ever-anxious mob

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Fetterman and the Ancient Flute

Recently, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer loosened the dress code, and, in response, Senator John Fetterman donned his trademark hoodie. Naturally, Republicans worked themselves into high dudgeon* over this. Sen. Rand Paul, designated asshole of the Senate (though closely challenged by Ted Cruz), went so far as to pose in a bath robe on the Senate steps (Paul kinda gave off the whole ‘Borat in a mankini’ vibe akshually).

There do seem to be some people genuinely, if ridiculously, discomforted by the whole thing: Washington Post center-right columnist Kathleen Parker became so deranged, she claimed Trump had a good sense of style. Which explains a lot about Parker’s op-eds. But I digress.

Regarding the actual distress, it’s amazing that centrists and conservatives are letting Fetterman live rent-free in their heads, especially since conservatives spend far too much time trying to troll others. Of course, given that Fetterman realizes he’s pissing off the right people, he’s going to keep doing it–and use it to make political points: he recently told House Republicans that if they manage to pass a budget on time, he’ll wear a suit for a whole week (hopefully, not the same suit…).

But what we need to realize is that this is same sort of ersatz outrage that accompanied Lizzo’s playing of an old flute from the Smithsonian at one of her concerts. Conservatives howled so loudly, one would have thought she masturbated on stage with said flute, rather than just playing it (Lizzo is a trained flautist), never mind that this was the Smithsonian’s idea in the first place.

So when is the last time you heard about The Desecration of the Flute? It was nothing but bullshit, disguised as rage. If Republicans were smart, they would stop making a big deal about Fetterman’s Sartorial Splendor–he likely would stop. But Republicans need to gin up their outrage machine and there are enough centrist suckers in the legacy media to indulge this absurdity for a while, so Sartorial Splendor it is.

*I’ve always wondered what low dudgeon looks like.

Posted in Conservatives, Fucking Morons | 2 Comments

Links 9/25/23

Links for you. Science:

‘True rarity’: Gigantic alligator gar caught and released in Texas reservoir could break 2 world records
‘I couldn’t believe the data’: how thinking in a foreign language improves decision-making
Will sweat help us survive climate change?
Justice for Neanderthals! What the debate about our long-dead cousins reveals about us
Does the risk of getting long Covid increase each time you get reinfected?
Cycle Threshold Values as Indication of Increasing SARS-CoV-2 New Variants, England, 2020–2022

Other:

Trump is lying about his “moderate” abortion stance — he will ban it nationwide (if nothing else, he lies about everything, so why take anything he says seriously?)
John Fetterman would be particularly hard to body-double
Jann Wenner’s bias against women and Black musicians is shocking – but not surprising
Both politically and legally, Trump’s classified docs defense weakens
D.C. Councilmember Focuses On Increased Penalties And Policing In Slate Of Public Safety Bills (Pinto is bad, and we need to vote her out–I speak as a constituent of hers)
Auto Giants Refusing Union Demands Paid Just 1% in Federal Taxes on $42 Billion in Profits
WMATA Plans To Rename Metrobus Routes. It Wants Your Ideas
How to Cool Down a City
‘Trump scooped us’: Dems sound alarm on Biden’s handling of the auto worker strike (just fly out there and shake hands at the picket line, FFS)
Stop yesterday from stealing tomorrow’s housing on Connecticut Avenue
The MBTA’s latest closures have left commuters in the lurch once again
Homes in parts of the U.S. are “essentially uninsurable” due to rising climate change risks
2 Gay Dads Helped Uncover $767,000 Embezzlement Scheme in Texas Town Where ‘Officials Called Them Homophobic Slurs’
Doing the Marriage Thing Again
How Biden can stop Trump’s union stunt in its tracks
Showing “Respect” For the Legal System Means Being Honest About Its Failures
Charlottesville rezoning critics accused of employing ‘dog whistles’
She Invented Being an Influencer — And Was Vilified for It
The mistake hospitals made on Covid-19
Breathe
Following layoffs, Boston University announces ‘inquiry’ into Ibram Kendi’s Antiracist Center
A Bill Extending D.C.’s Lease On RFK Site Advanced In The House. Is The Drive For A New Stadium Nearing The End Zone?
Republican congresswoman comes up with most bizarre defense yet for Jan. 6
Republican Support for the U.A.W. Is a Big LOL: When the G.O.P. was in power, it consistently sided with employers and blocked legislation supported by labor unions. (more simply, they control the non-union workshop states, and could change them to be pro-union, but choose not to do so)
Meet Molly Michael, the ‘witness from hell’ for Donald Trump’s defense
Bears raid a Krispy Kreme doughnut van making deliveries on an Alaska military base

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