We predicted the new CDC head, Rochelle Walensky, would do badly. A New York Times story shows how she’s underperforming our low expectations
Recent Items
Friday, December 26, 2025
“Just Scandalous”: CDC Withholding Most of the Covid Data It Gathers. What Is It Trying to Hide?
Topics: Banana republic, Doomsday scenarios, Dubious statistics, Health care, Media watch, Pandemic, Politics, Regulations and regulators, Science and the scientific method
Posted by Yves Smith at 5:05 am | 91 Comments »
Trudeau Invokes Emergencies Act: Power Without Responsibility?
After weeks of inaction against truckers, Trudeau invoked the After weeks of looking impotent, Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Ac to end the truckers’ protests. Was this a winning move?
Topics: Banana republic, Globalization, Guest Post, Pandemic, Politics, Regulations and regulators
Posted by Yves Smith at 1:21 am | 87 Comments »
War on Cash: Banks Crack Down on Independent ATMs
Banks crack down on independent ATM operators in the latest salvo in the war on cash.
Topics: Banana republic, Banking industry, Guest Post, Pandemic, Ridiculously obvious scams
Posted by Jerri-Lynn Scofield at 9:55 am | 41 Comments »
Links 2/20/2022
Topics: Guest Post, Links
Posted by Jerri-Lynn Scofield at 6:55 am | 277 Comments »
EU Chief Defends Vaccine Patents as ‘Precious’ as South Africa Demands Waiver
Failure to grant patent waivers under the WTO’s TRIPS Agreement has stalled ramping up of production in Africa and other developing countries of coronavirus vaccines.
Topics: Africa, Doomsday scenarios, Guest Post, Health care, India, Legal, Pandemic, Politics, Regulations and regulators, Ridiculously obvious scams
Posted by Jerri-Lynn Scofield at 6:54 am | 11 Comments »
Links 2/19/2022
Topics: Links
Posted by Yves Smith at 6:55 am | 143 Comments »
Russian Black Box Defence Against American Booby Trap Offence
Debunking the bizarre claims that the Russian side is unwilling to negotiate.
Topics: Doomsday scenarios, Guest Post, New McCarthyism, Politics, Russia
Posted by Yves Smith at 5:46 am | 70 Comments »
California Bill Would Allow Citizens to Enforce Assault Weapon Ban
Turnabout is fair play: A proposed California assualt weapon bill uses the private enforcement scheme of a notorious Texas anti-abortion law
Topics: Banana republic, Guest Post, Health care, Legal, Politics, Regulations and regulators
Posted by Yves Smith at 5:11 am | 35 Comments »
2:00PM Water Cooler 2/18/2022
~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
Topics: Water Cooler
Posted by Lambert Strether at 2:00 pm | 117 Comments »
How Corporations Use Public School Workforce ‘Pipelines’ to Harvest Students’ Data and Train Narrowly Skilled, Exploitable Staff
A new corporate scheme: hijack vocational programs to meet narrow, immediate needs, leaving students with short shelf-life skills.
Topics: Banana republic, Guest Post, Income disparity, Politics, Regulations and regulators, Social policy, The destruction of the middle class
Posted by Yves Smith at 9:55 am | 25 Comments »
Links 2/18/2022
Topics: Links
Posted by Lambert Strether at 6:55 am | 175 Comments »
Mexico Tries and Fails to Get Michoacan’s “Green Gold” (Avocados) Back on the Market [Updated]
Is there more to this story than we are being told?
Topics: Guest Post
Posted by Nick Corbishley at 6:51 am | 27 Comments »
New Data: Omicron BA.2 More Contagious and Severe than BA.1, Yet Officials Committed to Relaxing Protections
[Jaws theme song] BA.2 is coming….Maybe it won’t be that terrible, but you might get out of the water.
Topics: Doomsday scenarios, Health care, Pandemic, Politics, Science and the scientific method, The destruction of the middle class
Posted by Yves Smith at 4:15 am | 97 Comments »
What Is Going to Happen in Ukraine?
Ukraine tensions are at the boiling point. Where might this go?
Topics: Doomsday scenarios, Guest Post, Politics, Russia
Posted by Yves Smith at 4:10 am | 82 Comments »
2:00PM Water Cooler 2/17/2022
~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
Topics: Guest Post, Water Cooler
Posted by Lambert Strether at 2:00 pm | 113 Comments »



