9, 12, 10, 28, 2, 23.

This is Deep State Radio, coming to you direct from our super secret studio in the

third sub-basement of the Ministry of Snark in Washington, D.C. and from other undisclosed

locations across America and around the world.

Hello and welcome to another episode of the podcast. Frankly, it's not an episode I particularly

wanted to do, although it contains many of our favorite people. We have with us today

here in New York City. Of course, since it's Thursday, Ryan Goodman of NYU Law School

and just Security, Hi Ryan. Hi David.

And also from New York City, our friend Pulitzer Prize-winning author and pandemic expert,

Laurie Garrett. Hi Laurie, how are you? I'm great.

And of course, since it's Thursday in Washington, D.C. we have Dr. Kavita Patel of the Brookings

Institution, formerly of the Obama White House health team and a practicing physician.

Hi Kavita, how are you? Hi David. We're going to try to end this on the optimistic note.

I promise. I guarantee that won't happen. I know the three of you and I know where these

things are going. When I say I didn't want to have this conversation, I'll look forward

to the opportunity to talk to you guys. But here we are, in August, almost every state

in the United States is showing increase in number of COVID cases, increase in number

of COVID hospitalization. Around the world, many countries are showing this, even the United

Kingdom, which declared Monday was freedom day and they got rid of all their COVID restrictions

are seeing an increase. They just ignored that. France has instituted new restrictions

on the end vaccinated. But, you know, while we're dealing with a second or a third or

fourth wave in some of these places, in the emerging world, they're still in the first

...