Author: Jerri-Lynn Scofield, he has served as a securities lawyer and derivatives trader. She is currently writing a book about textile craftsmen.

It’s the annual time again: the annual “naked capitalism” fundraising event.

I have been looking forward to it because I am going to write one of my favorite posts of the year, and thank the naked capitalist community for reading my posts, and thank you for your shrewd and thoughtful comments. Naked capitalist commentary is the best commentary, and it is an honor to write for you.

In these terrible COVID times, it is extremely important to keep this community alive and prosperous. Since the Great Financial Crisis and the Trump era, trust in public institutions has been severely weakened. This collapse has accelerated during the pandemic, as the specter of climate catastrophe is faintly visible in the background, or appears in the foreground through wildfires or weather catastrophes.So if you thank us for our efforts to build a community in the face of this decline, then you can make your own contribution Here, by check (we like checks!), debit or credit card, or PayPal.

Many mainstream media have emphasized that the return of Democrats-the adults in the room-to the temple of power will restore some sense to our national politics. what! Alas, in the field of public health, as Joe Biden famously predicted, in many other areas, nothing has changed at all.

For two reasons, naked capitalism has become the preferred location for fair and critical COVID reporting. Yves formed a knowledgeable COVID think tank: IM Doc, GM, Ignacio, and KLG. They ask questions as they please, and ask and try to answer questions that neither the World Health Organization (WHO) nor the federal agencies responsible for formulating US public health policy have properly addressed.

Equally important is the role readers play in shaping the scope of the report and the discussion in the post. You refuse to accept irrational, inadequately informative, and ideologically driven COVID reports frequently published by members of the blue and red teams and their media supporters. Your interest and participation ensure that NC’s COVID posts and links regularly generate lively and informed debates. Not slogans and nonsense.

Now, one thing I have learned from IM Doc is that the hysteria characterized by mainstream COVID reports is largely wrong. This pandemic is terrible for most of us-not to mention millions of people around the world have died of the disease or “recovered”-but now we find ourselves suffering from continuing health effects, For example, long-term COVID. But this does not mean that being in a state of perpetual hysteria and panic is a rational response.

Let us not forget that for large technology companies, especially large pharmaceutical companies, COVID is an asset. Recent news reports have focused on the billions of dollars in profits that Pfizer and Moderna booked during the pandemic. They are not alone. That gravy train will not stop anytime soon. Our current COVID policy is meaningless unless people look at it through less optimistic, profit-seeking glasses.

For those seeking a sane place to debate COVID, this is neither a safe haven for red or blue thinking, it is. But it takes money to turn on the lights here. Whether it is a large pharmaceutical company, a large technology company, or their accomplices-I am looking at you, the Gates Foundation-are not interested in providing reasonable, well-thought-out funding for where we are and where we need to move next. support.

So, readers, it’s up to you. Please support our efforts. Every dollar helps. Do your best, whether it’s $5, $50 or $5,000, Through our tips jar. If you can give a lot, then give a lot. If you can only give a little, then give a little. If you cannot afford to donate, please share and discuss our posts with your friends and family.

Although it is the biggest story of our time, COVID is not the only focus of our attention. Every two-week weekend, when I do DJ for the site, I follow an unofficial personal rule: unless the event overwhelmingly stipulates otherwise, at least half of the four original and cross-posts I upload, usually three This article focuses on issues beyond the pandemic. Of course, the normal rationing of Links always includes adequate COVID coverage. However, I think I am not the only one who cannot fully immerse in the swamp of COVID. This fate will drive me crazy. Instead, I try to highlight non-COVID issues in many of the posts I write or publish.

First of all, as long as I have been reading the site, let alone writing for it, a common NC theme is the corruption of the political system. The basic rule here: follow the money. With Trump being replaced by Biden, the band members may be different, but they still sing the same old tunes. Those who pay the piper will play the tune. When analyzing legal and regulatory issues, tracking funds is particularly important.

Another topic of great interest to readers: global environmental disasters. This of course means climate change. But other threats are not ruled out: plastic is everywhere, and this problem will only worsen as our elites seem to think that just recycling fairies can solve this mess. Other environmental doomsday scenarios include loss of biodiversity, destruction of habitats, and other ways humans continue to degrade ecosystems through the use of chemicals: pesticides, chemicals forever. Glyphosate, phthalates, etc.

Now, whenever I plan Links, I always look for positive stories to offset the dominant doom and gloomy overwhelming tone. So, in a similar way, I will end by discussing two such positive stories. When I was studying with him in the early 1980s, one thing Noam Chomsky emphasized was never succumb to despair. I have not always been able to successfully resist this temptation, especially now, when I am running around in the quagmire of COVID despair. But I will try. For those who appreciate these efforts, Tip jar there.

The first question, I have been discussing for a while: the right to repair. Biden supported this concept in an executive order this summer, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), led by the new chairman, Lina Khan, announced a new active enforcement policy.

Last week, Apple-a well-known repair rival-performed a major climb and changed its position to automatically disable the new iPhone’s facial recognition function unless the screen repair is done by Apple or a special third-party repair service. Apple’s initial position threatened the economic survival of unauthorized third-party repair services, as screen repairs accounted for a large portion of its revenue. Cynics may say that Apple may have just read tea and realized that its hardline stance is just to induce the FTC to cite an example from it. Or, Apple decides to listen to its customers to seek change.

Looking to the future, I predict that further progress will be made in terms of maintenance rights, which will be a boon for consumers. When simple repairs can extend the life of a product, why does the company’s anti-repair policy force you to replace the products you own? Not to mention, to prevent you from throwing it away, which leads to a world waste crisis.

In the past year, another area where good news has appeared is the sports station. I come from a family that loves sports. I am a proud third-generation fan of the New York Yankees. I also pay attention to football (aka football) and cricket. I noticed from the response to the sports link I posted that many members of the commentator have at least a short-term interest in sports, and some have a deep understanding of these topics.

The mainstream media does not report the political economy of sports well, although there is a lot of money running around in the sports world. Just a few days ago, I saw a piece of news that the top 50 state employees were all basketball coaches or (American) football coaches from public universities. Sports reports often either praise athletes or worship management and owners.

However, sports is a child, regardless of background, with extraordinary talent (and drive, and good luck)-can enter 1% of the field. I admire the vast majority of athletes, most of them do not even reach the level of Bull Durham, have never seen such a wealth of wealth. (I mention here how Manchester United and English international football player Marcus Rashford used his sporting reputation not only for his own benefit, but also to force the British government to change its food policy for school children. Honor!)

States have put in place measures to enable “student athletes” to benefit from their names, images, and licenses—that is, endorsements. The major university administration organization NCAA has succumbed to the inevitable and allowed such permits. In addition, in June of this year, the current Supreme Court (including the Trump trio) issued an antitrust opinion, indicating that it may pay more attention to the issue of college sports.

Bottom line: The previous status quo—”student athletes” created huge incomes for their universities, and they didn’t see this themselves—now it will change. This is a good thing. Or I think so. However, the devil will be in the details. Allowing college athletes to sign endorsement agreements does not seem to pose a threat to college income itself. The more basic compensation problem is completely different. I will pay close attention to this field to see what the future holds.

So, I ended up repeating, Tip jar there. I look forward to continuing to write for the audience of these critical thinkers and to learn from your comments and criticisms. Thank you for your generous support! May the naked capitalist community prosper.