‘Massive’ goldfish weighing 9 pounds found in South Carolina lake NBC

Monarch butterfly population plummets at Pismo Beach grove: ‘These numbers are so bad’ Sacramento Bee

SPACs On The Rise On Wall Street And Beyond Agence France Presse

Warning bells jingle for December climate Barents Observer

Republican lawyer resigns appointed state post over treatment of data analyst Miami Herald. The resignation letter:

My resignation letter to Governor Desantis. pic.twitter.com/Wc78tgr6Ef

— Ron F. (@RonGOPVet4Biden) December 8, 2020

#COVID19

Towards an accurate and systematic characterisation of persistently asymptomatic infection with SARS-CoV-2 The Lancet. From the Abstract: “Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from individuals without symptoms contributes to pandemic spread, but the extent of transmission from persistently asymptomatic individuals remains unknown. We describe three methodological issues that hinder attempts to estimate this proportion. First, incomplete symptom assessment probably overestimates the asymptomatic fraction. Second, studies with inadequate follow-up misclassify pre-symptomatic individuals. Third, serological studies might identify people with previously unrecognised infection, but reliance on poorly defined antibody responses and retrospective symptom assessment might result in misclassification. We provide recommendations….”

* * *

FDA Head Stephen Hahn On What’s Next For Pfizer Vaccine In Fast-Moving Process NPR. Here are all Pfizer’s submissions; here’s Pfizer’s “briefing document”, which I searched for “all-cause mortality” after vaccination. No hits. Readers, what else?

Detailed data on AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine show it has moderate efficacy STAT

Yes, your boss can fire you if you refuse to get a Covid vaccine CNBC

* * *

Summary of Guidance for Public Health Strategies to Address High Levels of Community Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and Related Deaths, December 2020 CDC

‘Astonishing’ Amount Of Masks Thrown Out During Pandemic: Scientists HuffPo.

California’s new COVID-19 restrictions place burden on workers and small business owners WSWS

The Real Reason Americans Aren’t Quarantining The Atlantic. “Some people they like to go out dancing And other people, they have to work.“

China?

How red-flagging coal can help align belt and road projects with China’s climate ambitions South China Morning Post

China and Nepal agree on new height for Mount Everest Channel News Asia

India

India farmers block railway tracks, roads in national action against new laws Channel News Asia

India’s Police Detain Opposition Leaders As Farmers’ Agitation Grows NYT

“We Brought Our Own Food”: Farmers Refuse Lunch At Meet With Government NDTV

Farmers’ protest shows Modi’s politics is caught between India’s two middle classes The Print

Did You Think the New Laws Were Only About the Farmers? The Wire

The Koreas

COVID Fatigue: Seoul Subway Data Shows Koreans are Tired of Social Distancing The Blue Roof. “Pandemic fatigue is real and quantifiable.”

How to Buy Time on the Korean Peninsula After Trump’s Theatrics Foreign Policy

Covid forces Davos forum to move to Singapore BBC

Syraqistan

Some of those involved in killing of Iranian nuclear scientist arrested, official says Reuters

OPCW executives praised whistleblower and criticized Syria cover-up, leaks reveal Aaron Maté, The Grayzone

U.S. Leaves Behind Afghan Bases — and a Legacy of Land Disputes NYT

Possible Eritrea Troop Sightings Signal Wider Ethiopia Fight Bloomberg

Brexit

Boris Johnson heads to Brussels with Brexit talks still stuck and UK to drop plan to breach international law Politico

UK agrees to EU officials permanently stationed in Northern Ireland ahead of PM’s Brussels trip The Telegraph

Future of the City: how London’s reach will shrink after Brexit FT

Builders run short of supplies as UK port holdups raise Brexit concerns Guardian

Border Force using out-of-date technology to decide who can enter UK, report finds Sky News

ING: Russia de-dollarising Intellinews

UK/EU

UK will break ranks with EU and halt US tariffs over state subsidies FT

COVID-19 rages in German regions with far-right leanings Agence France Presse

Devastated by Covid, Latin America Is Now Unprepared for Vaccine Bloomberg

Trump Transition

White House proposes dramatically lower unemployment benefit in exchange for $600 stimulus check WaPo

More than 42 million student loan borrowers don’t have to resume payments until February CNBC

2020

Justices won’t stop Pennsylvania from certifying election for Biden and Texas tries Hail Mary to block election outcome (updated) SCOTUSblog

NV Supreme Court denies Trump campaign lawsuit seeking overturn of presidential election Nevada Independent

Biden Transition

Biden is forming a business-friendly administration Yahoo Finance. Handy list, updates in thread:

BIDEN WH STAFF SO FAR:

➡️Venture capital executive (@RonaldKlain).
➡️Former pharmaceutical, insurance lobbyist (Steve Ricchetti).
➡️Top Dem recipient of Big Oil $ (@cedricrichmond).
➡️Co-founder of firm that represents pharma & private equity (@jomalleydillon).

— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) November 17, 2020

Biden’s Choice For Pentagon Chief Further Erodes a Key U.S. Norm: Civilian Control Glenn Greenwald

Biden’s reliance on retired military brass sets off alarm bells Politico

Scoop: Mayor Pete may get China post Axios. Yes, you want somebody with gravitas to deal with Xi.

Democrats in Disarray

Effort to Take on Surprise Medical Billing in Coronavirus Stimulus Collapses The Intercept. Thanks, Richie Neal. Good job, Mass Democrats.

Our Famously Free Press

At NYT, Now You See Corporate Influence, Now You Don’t FAIR

Police State Watch

Providing police with military gear does not reduce crime or protect officers: Studies ABC

Health Care

Why some eastern Idahoans are being served, arrested and sometimes jailed over medical debt East Idaho News

Imperial Collapse Watch

Biden Wants America to Lead the World. It Shouldn’t. Peter Beinart, NYT

Majority of millennials see catastrophic war as real possibility, and believe there should be limits International Committee of the Red Cross

Scientists Are Slamming A Report Saying Microwave Attacks Could Have Caused “Havana Syndrome” In US Diplomats Buzzfeed

Class Warfare

WWI Trench Disease Is Reappearing Among People Experiencing Homelessness Gizmodo (TH).

The coming war on the hidden algorithms that trap people in poverty MIT Technology Review

Neal Katyal and the Depravity of Big Law The New Republic

No, Pandemic UI didn’t kill jobs Noah Smith, Noahpinion

Antidote du jour (via):

Bonus antidote:

Beavers have built their first dam in Exmoor in more than 400 years. Video from Exmoor shows beavers stripping bark off trees and putting twigs in place. The National Trust released the animals near Minehead in January.

Read more here: https://t.co/JwksmMMLJa pic.twitter.com/LrXz0SiTdS

— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 1, 2020

See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here