2:00PM Water Cooler 2/26/2025 | naked capitalism

By Lambert Strether.

Readers, the fundraiser for Lambert’s very nearly gold* retirement watch + all Lambert’s Water Cooler work done in 2024 is ongoing. The goal is 400 donors; as of this writing, we have 171, or 42% of goal. Progress! Thank you Any amount helps! If you can give a little, give a little. If you can give a lot, give a lot! Thank you all so much! –lambert NOTE * Surprised nobody has picked up on the Pratchett reference. You’ve got to pay attention!

Bird Song of the Day

American Robin, Off Steese Highway; Nome Creek Road, Alaska, United States. “Cee calls.” Whatever they are!

In Case You Might Miss…

1. DOGE has an acting administrator.
2. Gavin Newsome launches podcast.
3. Problems with 737 FAA exemptions.

Politics

“So many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.” –Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles

Trump Administration

“Live updates: Trump, joined by Musk, holds first Cabinet meeting” [NBC]. “Trump convened his Cabinet secretaries for the first meeting of his new term today, gathering agency leaders who are working to implement his agenda at a spitfire pace — and the billionaire adviser whose work on Trump’s behalf is touching all of their agencies…. ‘He’s sacrificing a lot,’ Trump said as he introduced Musk. ‘He’s getting a lot of praise, I’ll tell you, but he’s also getting hit.’ Musk’s efforts have prompted resistance from some Cabinet secretaries, including several who recently instructed staff to put aside a directive coming from Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency that required a five-point response to the question, ‘What did you do last week?’”

“Elon Musk is wearing out his welcome at the White House” [The Hill]. • Maybe yes, maybe no. If so, I would imagine Susie Wiles will resolve the matter. Since she works the press through layers of indirection, I would watch the daily mail.

* * *

Is Elon OK?

Why is this plane not flying in a straight line? pic.twitter.com/jsQXI9kmvu

— Ryan Petersen (@typesfast) February 25, 2025

DOGE

“This is who the White House says is the DOGE acting administrator” [CBS]. “White House official said Tuesday that Amy Gleason is the acting administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency, after the White House struggled to answer who is technically at the top of the organizational chart. Gleason declined to comment on her appointment as acting DOGE administrator. Gleason’s LinkedIn lists her as a U.S. Digital Services senior adviser, and she has a background in consulting and the medical field. When CBS News spoke to Gleason on Tuesday morning ahead of her announcement as DOGE acting administrator, she said she was in Mexico and declined to comment further. Gleason’s role as acting administrator came as a surprise to USDS employees who, like Gleason, were folded into DOGE, CBS News learned Tuesday evening. Those employees learned of her new position ‘in the past few hours’ even though they had been asking for weeks who was going to fill the job, CBS News was told. On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that Gleason had been in the job for ‘quite some time, at least several weeks, maybe a month.’ When asked why DOGE employees only learned of her role yesterday, Leavitt said ‘you would have to ask them’ and ‘they’re clearly unaware, I don’t know.’ In various court cases concerning DOGE’s activities, Justice Department lawyers have been asked multiple times to identify who is leading DOGE, including just last week. The government lawyers have said they did not know.” • In Mexico. Well, at least we have Gleason to thank for clarifying that remote work is indeed ok.

“Who is Amy Gleason, the interim administrator of DOGE?” [The Hill]. “Gleason was a part of the United States Digital Service between 2018 and 2021, per her LinkedIn, and assisted the coronavirus pandemic federal response of the White House, The Associated Press reported. The New York Times reported that the DOGE interim administrator said five years ago that medical system-related irritations she faced following her daughter’s illness diagnosis sparked a focus on health care reforms in Gleason. She worked at a health company-centered investment firm as a chief product officer in the wake of President Trump’s first term with health care executive Brad Smith, the Times reported. The outlet reported that Jared Kushner and Smith previously assisted in the response to the coronavirus together. The Associated Press reported that Smith has been involved with DOGE. The Times reported that those close to the matter said that Musk began to be advised on cost-cutting efforts by the health care executive last year, with Gleason being brought along by Smith in conversations about cost-cutting.” • “Brought along”?

“The DOGE Acting Administrator Isn’t New to the Trump World” [Mother Jones]. “Amy Gleason [was] the US government’s problem solver in the early days of the data-starved response to the Covid pandemic and a seasoned worker in the health space… This is Gleason’s second time working in US Digital Services, now turned DOGE. In her first tour, which started in 2018 and carried through the frenzied and chaotic pandemic response, she pushed the bounds of existing bureaucracy to meet the crisis’ demand. Gleason was interviewed on Reveal’s Covid Tracking Project series, where she described long hours and the frequent hurdles she encountered in an effort to create an effective emergency response…. The issue led her to create HHS Protect, a data system that eventually became a comprehensive hospital data tracker, though it first generated outcry from the CDC and the public over delays in information.” • HHS Protect was built by Palantir. Oh.

* * *

One for the receipts wall (not that receipts wall):

BREAKING: NPR has obtained a State Department document revealing that the Biden administration planned to allocate only $483,000 in the 2025 fiscal year for electric vehicle purchases—far less than the $400 million Drop Site revealed was being set aside for Tesla vehicles under… https://t.co/J6BiasFBtO

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) February 26, 2025

2028

Shanahan 2028:

https://t.co/DVG22QvInq

— Nicole Shanahan (@NicoleShanahan) February 25, 2025

Democrats en déshabillé

“Gavin Newsom is launching his own podcast — and inviting MAGA favorites” [Politico]. “Gavin Newsom will soon host his own podcast where the California governor will mix it up with MAGA personalities, open his vast Rolodex for frank conversations with Democrats about how to come back from the wilderness and break news on consequential policy decisions. The solo venture from a likely presidential aspirant comes as Democrats writ large struggle to keep pace with the onslaught of actions from President Donald Trump and Republicans. Leaders from across the minority party are casting about for a compelling message while trying to break through in an increasingly siloed media environment. The podcast space, with its proliferation of Trump-friendly personalities, has proven especially challenging for Democrats.” • As if it were a messaging problem…

Syndemics

“I am in earnest — I will not equivocate — I will not excuse — I will not retreat a single inch — AND I WILL BE HEARD.” –William Lloyd Garrison

Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot; includes many counties; Wastewater Scan, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); “Iowa COVID-19 Tracker” (in IA, but national data). “Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts” (especially on hospitalization by city).

Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put “COVID” in the subject line. Thank you!

Resources, United States (Local): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater reports); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur d’Alene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard); NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard); PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (wastewater); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV (wastewater); WY (wastewater).

Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (Government of Canada).

Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux usées); BC (wastewater); BC, Vancouver (wastewater).

Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, KF, KidDoc, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, thump, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3).

Stay safe out there!

TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts

Manufacturing: “ALPA opposes Boeing’s latest 737 Max 7 and 10 exemption request” [Flight Global]. “Opposition has arisen to a regulatory exemption Boeing has requested for the 737 Max 7’s and Max 10’s stall-management yaw damper (SMYD), while Boeing continues insisting its proposal poses no safety threat and that the SMYD is well proven….. But the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) is pushing back, asking the FAA to reject Boeing’s request on safety grounds. ‘ALPA believes the certification of the SMYD system should be concluded before entry into service,’ the union told the FAA in a 3 February letter. ‘ALPA furthermore does not agree with the 3.5 years Boeing is asking for an exemption.’ The union warns the exemption would mean the software would be permitted to meet a reduced reliability threshold.”

Manufacturing: “Boeing No. 2 executive’s role narrowed to focus on fixing commercial plane unit” [CNBC]. “Boeing commercial airplanes head Stephanie Pope will focus on the recovery of the company’s crucial and challenged plane-making unit under a reorganization that ends her role as the company’s chief operating officer but leaves her as the No. 2 executive. The move narrows the focus and responsibility of Pope. She already headed the unit making planes for airlines around the world and was the executive tasked with improving safety and raising airplane production following a series of accidents. Pope’s role as chief operating officer ended as of Feb. 19, the company said on Tuesday. Boeing does not plan to fill the chief operating officer position, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly. Boeing shares were barely changed in after-hours trade.”

Today’s Fear & Greed Index: 23 Extreme Fear (previous close: 22 Extreme Fear) [CNN]. One week ago: 46 (Neutral). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Feb 26 at 1:44:02 PM ET.

Musical Interlude

I should really be doing another song with a “Goodbye” theme, but I missed the Pulp era. I cannot remember the alert reader who introduced me to “Common People” but thank you:

And it does seem to be a finale…

News of the Wired

“Bifurcation: The secret giant islands formed when rivers split” [Starkey Comics]. “There is a secret giant island in North America that includes more than a third the area of the USA and Canada.”

Lambert here: I included a similar feature to the Water Cooler plant long, long ago at my old blog, where a very dedicated team assembled the images, and even ran guessing games! I confess the idea was inspired by Yves’ “Antidotes,” though I forget whether I trampled on her branding, there, with “Plantidote” or not. I never did here!

Readers, the plants have been a wonderful addition, as the many compliments from readers have shown. Personally, I really enjoyed curating the images you sent in — though almost everyone who entered the queue came out — and especially when we could discuss photography together, and how to improve our work. 2,643 (plus 1) Water Coolers is 2,643 (plus 1) photographs. That’s a lot! Thank you all so much.

Contact information for plants: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. From JennyBesserit:

JennyBesserit writes: “Japanese maple tree leaves after a rainshower. Portland, Maine, November 2024. Wishing you wellness! Your Covid posts have literally saved my life as an autoimmune person.”

Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. Material here is Lambert’s, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. If you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn’t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I’m on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals: