Links 10/27/2020
Wolf researcher’s new book explores predators, prey on Isle Royale Star Tribune (Chuck L)
Environmentalists worry about potentially devastating oil spill South African (David L) 🙁
Murder hornet’ nest vacuumed out of tree in Washington Reuters (resilc)
Wish I were there: the glory of California’s redwoods Financial Times (David L)
Record rain and flash flooding lash Australia’s east coast – video Guardian
The Explosive Problem of ‘Zombie’ Batteries BBC
Poliisi voimaton ylinopeutta kulkeneen kauko-ohjattavan auton kanssa – ylikomisario: “Ainutlaatuinen tapaus” Uutiset. PJH:
In Hamina, Finland, two weeks ago an RC-car was caught on a speed trap. Its operator played with it apparently sometime during the night on a public road, where a maximum speed of 60 km/h is allowed. The RC drove 70 km/h, which is why the camera caught it. In this news item the police states that it has no way of fining the speeding driver, but they hope it is the last time this happens since a public road is not for playing.
How an Algorithm Blocked Kidney Transplants to Black Patients Wired
After Insurance Won’t Cover It, Mechanical Engineer Builds Own Prosthetic Hand (and an Impact Driver Attachment!) Core77 (resilc)
Humanity is stuck in short-term thinking. Here’s how we escape. MIT Technology Review (David L)
The true dangers of AI are closer than we think MIT Technology Review
After the Digital Tornado Cambridge University (Chuck L)
Study Shows We Might Be Thinking About Joint Injuries in The Wrong Way Science Alert (David L)
The Science of Nerdiness Scientific American (David L)
#COVID-19
How Covid-Safe Is Dining in a Restaurant’s Outdoor Tent? Wall Street Journal
Many healthcare workers have battled COVID as both providers AND as patients.
In this @CDCgov study they made up 6% of adults hospitalized with COVID19. And a high proportion had indications of severe disease:
▪️ ~1/4 were admitted to an ICU
▪️ 4% died.https://t.co/3OJhFKsBhx— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) October 26, 2020
Science/Medicine
Study of effect of imposing and lifting #COVID19 measures in 131 countries. Reopening schools was associated with a 24% increase in the reproduction number (R) after 28 days. This was the second-largest increase, after lifting bans of gatherings (25%).https://t.co/6pJBYuwpwd pic.twitter.com/OhqZlesMIT
— Dr Zoë Hyde (@DrZoeHyde) October 26, 2020
Broadly-targeted autoreactivity is common in severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection MedRxiv. Pre-print. Not good if findings hold up.
AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid Vaccine Produces Immune Response in Older Adults Bloomberg (furzy)
NIH Halts Study Exploring Treating Covid-19 With Lilly Antibody, Remdesivir Wall Street Journal
A pre-print study found mask mandates in Canada reduced weekly cases >25%:https://t.co/dGLEGfSHlM
Wear masks = less cases = less deaths & job losses
— Scott Lear, PhD (@DrScottLear) October 25, 2020
Australia
Europe
Covid: Protests erupt across Italy over anti-virus measures BBC. Hoo boy.
Finance/Economy
The Right Made Trump the Herbert Hoover of the Coronavirus New York Times
It’s Time for the Movie Studios to Step In To Save the Movie Theaters 500ish
China?
US ratchets up China overflights: report Asia Times (Kevin W)
China’s industrial profit growth slows as factory-gate deflation weighs Reuters
Brexit
Key Brexit Software Won’t Be Ready on Time, Developers Warn Bloomberg
New Cold War
Russia knocking Turkish drones from Armenian skies Asia Times (Kevin W)
Big Brother is Watching You Watch
CBP Refuses To Tell Congress How It’s Tracking Americans Without a Warrant Vice
Trump Transition
The Enemies Briefcase Andrew Cockburn, Harper’s (resilc). Important.
All the president’s debts: to whom Donald Trump owes money Financial Times (Scott). Help me. Acknowledges that Trump is underlevered by real estate standards. And creditors are falling all over themselves to lend thanks to super low rates.
Administration Rushes Out Guidelines for Ending Civil Service Protections Defense One (resilc)
It completely changes the story. It means the Steele project was never funded by the Beacon and his sole employer for those reports was the Clinton campaign by way of Perkins Coie. https://t.co/vjCcq9P7id
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) October 26, 2020
Supreme Struggle
GOP Senate confirms Trump Supreme Court pick to succeed Ginsburg The Hill
The Democrats fought Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation the same way Republicans fought Coronavirus. They tried nothing and somehow it didn’t work.
— Albert Lee for the People 🌹 (@AlbertLee2020) October 27, 2020
Amy Coney Barrett, About to Be Confirmed to the Supreme Court, Sees a Scenario in Which Abortion Should Be Punishable by Death Vanity Fair (Dr. Kevin)
The 6-3, 5-4 Supreme Court Ian Welsh. Not to be Pollyannish, but a conservative buddy with a good radar predicts Kaganaugh would uphold Roe v. Wade.
2020
Bernie, Summer Lee & UE Rally Skeptics for Biden in Western PA Mike Elk
In Election Hail Mary, Jared Kushner Tells Black People They’re Lazy and Unambitious Vanity Fair (Dr. Kevin)
No Bumper Crop in 2020 Peter Dorman, Econospeak
The Simpleton Manifesto Persuasion (resilc)
Renewable Energy and the Fallacy of the Red/Blue Divide The Politics of Power (resilc)
Abolishing the Electoral College May Not Save Us Vice (resilc). *Sigh* “What about ‘Constitutional amendment’ don’t you understand?”
More Americans are saying immigration is good for the country Gallup via Barry Ritholtz
Black Injustice Tipping Point
Philadelphia Police fatally shot a 27 year old Black man this afternoon in West Philly. Two officers fired multiple times, and video shows the man was holding a knife about 10 ft away from the officers when they fired. https://t.co/sF631TqiRR
— Anna Orso (@anna_orso) October 26, 2020
Happening #NOW outside Southwest Detectives. A group of residents are protesting the 27 year old’s death, who neighbors identify as Walter Wallace. @PhillyPolice have set up a perimeter around the building @6abc pic.twitter.com/sBa3omW9fk
— Christie Ileto (@Christie_Ileto) October 27, 2020
Portland Reckons With Police Attacks on Protesters After Months of Unrest Intercept. Important. See the video reconstructions.
Calpers Seeks Five-Year Commitment From Next Investment Chief Bloomberg (Kevin W)
Pakistan’s PM Asks Facebook To Ban Islamophobic Content Reuters
Facebook to move into cloud-based gaming Financial Times (Kevin W)
Facebook Steps Into Cloud Gaming — and Another Feud With Apple TechCrunch
The Data of Long-lived Institutions Blog of the Long Now (resilc)
Trans-Universal Zombie Church of the Blissful Ringing Wikipedia. Resilc: “My peeps.”
Class Warfare
The Trump administration’s proposed independent contractor rule would cost workers at least $3.7 billion annually in lost pay and benefits Economic Policy Institute
Antidote du jour. Heresy101:
This photo reminds me of Edward Hoagland’s great essay on the bears of New Jersey, gorging themselves on apples to the point of drunkenness, before, like figures in Breugel’s painting, passing out on car hoods in the parking lot of a shopping mall near the orchards…It’s also photographic proof of the reincarnation of Alexander Cockburn.
And a bonus (John C):
Thai Buddhist monk: I …..will…..keep….. praying…. from r/aww
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
