Odds and Ends — 4 December 2021

over 2 years ago

Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, and Debt:

Where’s the paper, ink, lightbulbs? U.S. offices struggle with supply shortages

Rabobank: The IMF Warning Of "Economic Collapse" Should Get Headlines

The undisputed, overwhelming winner of the US regulatory approach to crypto: the Cayman Islands.

Due to lack of clarity & constant threats here, a huge & growing number of US-built projects are using a Cayman foundation structure thanks to friendly laws there.

Will we fix this?
— Jake Chervinsky (@jchervinsky) December 3, 2021

Coronavirus News, Analysis, and Opinion:

Anti-Vaxxer Tried to Dodge Shot by Wearing Fake Arm

An Italian man is facing charges of fraud after turning up for his Covid-19 vaccine wearing a fake arm.
So determined was he to dodge the jab but still obtain a health pass, the anti-vaxxer may have paid hundreds of euros for the silicone prosthetic.

Booster Results Raise Hopes of Beating Omicron

Booster jabs ‘massively’ strengthen the body’s defenses against Covid, according to key results that have raised hopes of strong protection from the Omicron variant.
A third dose not only increased antibody levels thirtyfold, but roughly tripled levels of T-cells, a part of the immune system that experts believe could be the critical weapon against the heavily mutated Omicron strain.

NEW: today’s update from Gauteng, now on a log scale to better show current trajectories.

Steepness of lines shows how much faster the growth in cases and positivity is now vs past waves, and hospital admissions are now steepening too as the acceleration in cases feeds through. pic.twitter.com/xBNGzxmwhC
— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) December 2, 2021

“It’s clear that Republicans have decided that the fate of the Biden presidency is tied to Covid. And Republicans have chosen to be on the side of the virus.” — Democratic strategist Eric Schultz, quoted by the Associated Press.

Politics:

Eastman takes the Fifth with Jan. 6 committee

Eastman’s decision is an extraordinary assertion by someone who worked closely with Trump to attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. He met with Trump and pushed state legislative leaders to reject Biden’s victory in a handful of swing states and appoint alternate electors to the Electoral College, effectively denying Biden’s victory.

Trump Lawyers Ordered to Pay $175K

A group of lawyers aligned with former President Donald Trump — including Sidney Powell and Lin Wood — were ordered Thursday by a federal judge to collectively pay more than $175,000 in sanctions-related fees stemming from a bogus election fraud lawsuit they filed last year.

Feds Could Release ‘Alternative Mueller Report’ Soon

An unpublished investigative compilation sometimes referred to as the ‘Alternative Mueller Report’ has been located in Justice Department files and could be released soon.
A top deputy to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, Andrew Weissmann, revealed in a book he published last year that the team he headed prepared a summary of all its work — apparently including details not contained in the final report made public in 2019.

Adventures in Delusional Thinking

Far-right activist Ammon Bundy believes his voluntary Idaho gubernatorial campaign stops satisfy his court-mandated community service connected to a trespassing conviction in July.

U.S. State Department phones hacked with Israeli company spyware

Book May Force Meadows to Waive Executive Privilege

Jan. 6 investigators have tried to pry information from Mark Meadows for months. Now, excerpts from his forthcoming book have piqued the select committee’s interest.
In interviews, members of the committee say Meadows may have damaged his case for maintaining the secrecy of his contacts with former President Donald Trump on Jan. 6 by divulging selected details in his book, due to publish Tuesday.

Colorado Secretary of State warns of 'slow motion' Jan. 6 happening now

GOP Tactics Herald a Grim New Era

This week’s Senate gridlock, however, amounted to more than simply getting the old band back together for one more gig. After a 10-month flurry of legislating, it heralded a potentially excruciating new era of governing for President Biden and other Democratic leaders, who must deal not only with an emboldened GOP leadership that sees House and Senate majorities well within their grasp, but a cadre of conservatives eager to hijack the basic processes of government if only to make a point.

U.S. Intel Says Russia Plans Ukraine Invasion

As tensions mount between Washington and Moscow over a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, U.S. intelligence has found the Kremlin is planning a multi-front offensive as soon as early next year involving up to 175,000 troops.

Wisconsin Republicans’ Election Investigator Threatens To Jail Mayors Of Green Bay, Madison