A butterfly collector in Africa with more than 4.2 million seeks to share them for the future Associated Press (Robin K)
The dill of a lifetime? In a nation that’s enduring its own sour patch, the pickle dominated 2024 Associated Press (Robin K)
Volcanic Activity Beneath Yellowstone’s Massive Caldera Could Be on The Move ScienceAlert (Chuck L)
Chemistry textbooks need rewriting after new Cardiff University discovery Nation Cymru (Robin K). From December, still germane
GPS Spoofing: New Electronic Threat in Civilian Airspace IEEE Spectrum (Chuck L)
The Hypothalamic Hotspot: Revealing the Brain’s Secret to Aging SciTech Daily (Chuck L)
This Rare Neurological Condition Can Cause an Addiction to Jokes ScienceAlert (Chuck L)
Molecular jackhammers’ ‘good vibrations’ eradicate cancer cells Rice News. From December, still germane
Exercise May Be the ‘Most Potent Medical Intervention Ever Known’ PBS
#COVID-19/Pandemics
After a long lull, Covid-19 levels are surging in the US CNN (Paul R)
FDA begins testing aged raw cow’s milk cheese samples nationwide for bird flu ABC. Hhhm. I looked into this some time ago. Aged cheese was considered safe. Is this just a war v. raw milk, or a real risk?
How Ebola Hijacks Human Skin for Its Silent Spread SciTech Daily (Chuck L)
Climate/Environment
Microplastics Found In Multiple Human Organ Tissues Correlated With Lesions PhysOrg
California Will Require Insurance Companies To Offer Coverage In Wildfire Zones Fast Company
Traffic lights will have a fourth color in 2025 — Here’s what it means EcoNews (Kevin W). Please tell me who is going to get states and municipalities to pay for this.
China?
Five things at the top of China’s agenda for 2025 The Conversation (Kevin W)
What to know about string of US hacks blamed on China BBC. Surprisingly even-handed headline.
China to Build Thorium Molten-Salt Reactor in 2025 IEEE Spectrum (Chuck L)
India
India Again Delays Rules To Break Payments Duopoly TechCrunch
A unique dispute has emerged between villagers of #Karnataka‘s Bommanahal and #AndhraPradesh‘s Medehal over a buffalo’s ownership, leading to clashes.
Villages lodge complaints at Moka police station, requesting DNA verification to determine the buffalo’s origins.
Read here 🔗… pic.twitter.com/8NWhg0Emba
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) January 2, 2025
Africa
African nation tells French troops to leave RT (Robin K)
Ivory Coast says French troops to leave country after decades Al Jazeera (Kevin W)
South of the Border
Mexico Faces 500 Million-Liter Tequila Crisis As Demand Slows, Tariff Threats Rise Bottle Raiders
O Canada
Majority of Justin Trudeau’s caucus calls on him to quit Politico
European Disunion
EU targeting of Orbán should worry other member states Thomas Fazi, Unherd
Sahra Wagenknecht, Condition of Germany, NLR 146, March–April 2024 New Left Review. Robin K:
I almost wept as I read this interview. Do we have political leaders in the US, among the states, who can speak with such clarity, based in such thoughtful analysis, and without resorting to sloganeering and pandering? Please, someone point them out.
Israel v. The Resistance
LIVE: New Year’s Day massacre: Israel kills dozens of Palestinians in Gaza Aljazeera (Robin K)
“I’m not exaggerating when I say that 99% of the people I talk to [in Gaza] just want to die and think that death will finally give them a rest from all this,” says Palestinian journalist @HossamShabat. “The Israeli government has created hell on earth for the people of Gaza.”… https://t.co/JwdraP3MkK pic.twitter.com/wZedspVhrI
— Decensored News (@decensorednews) January 2, 2025
Even ‘Good Israelis’ Are Part of the Broad Circle of Tacit Consent to War Crimes Haaretz (Robin K)
Tens of thousands of people gathered on Istanbul’s Galata Bridge on New Year’s Day to express solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/RRF4sZtZzg
— DW News (@dwnews) January 2, 2025
EU Officials Will Claim Ignorance of Israel’s War Crimes. This Leaked Document Shows What They Knew. Intercept (Robin K)
US Has Given Israel $22 Billion in Military Aid Since October 2023 Antiwar.com (Kevin W)
Top 5 Domestically-Sourced Weapons Shaping Mideast Conflict Sputnik (Robin K)
New Not-So-Cold War
2025 – Ukraine On The Verge Of Defeat Moon of Alabama
National mourning after mass shooting in Montenegro BBC
Syraqistan
US sends largest convoy into Syria since fall of Assad – media RT (Robin K)
🚨🇸🇾🇮🇱 Syria will come to HAUNT Israel
Playing with jihadists is always a dangerous game.
HTS may be docile now, but let’s see what happens in 10-20 years.
Netanyahu should’ve studied what happened between the Bolsheviks and Germany. https://t.co/U2w0mGPrGf pic.twitter.com/eR8A8p5Ys2
— NewRulesGeopolitics (@NewRulesGeo) December 31, 2024
Imperial Collapse Watch
Poll: American institutions? 1 in 5 say ‘let them burn’ MPR News (Chuck L)
Big tech isn’t gonna solve our problems Responsible Statescraft (Kevin W)
Onward ho! End of year wrap-up and a look ahead to 2025 Simplicius (Kevin W)
🚨🌏💥2025 – Global Chaos and War
@jacksonhinklle and @InfraHaz join us to discuss what awaits the world in 2025. Spoiler alert: It’s going to be absolutely insane!(1:51) 2024 – Middle East, Europe, and Russia-Ukraine
(11:44) Netanyahu – 2024 Man of the Year?
(18:28)… pic.twitter.com/CYpqimql6T— NewRulesGeopolitics (@NewRulesGeo) December 30, 2024
2025 Starts in the USA with Multiple Bad Bangs Larry Johnson
On ISIS & New Orleans Court Watch. Chuck L: “The reporter neglected to mention the ISIS supporters in the neocon think tanks.”
Trump 2.0
Donald Trump’s ‘Maganomics’ will damage growth, economists tell FT polls Financial Times
Jack Smith drops appeal of classified docs case against Trump’s co-defendants Just the News
Biden
White House Insists Jimmy Carter Is Still Sharp And Focused Behind Closed Doors Babylon Bee. Biden was the winner of Alex Christoforu’s 2024 Clown World of the Year Award.
SEC Writes Off $10 Billion in Fines It Can’t Collect Wall Street Journal
Our No Longer Free Press
A New Year’s Resolution: Let’s Get the United States Out of the Censorship Business Jonathan Turley
AI
AI Needs So Much Power, It’s Making Yours Worse Bloomberg
Insane – AI is soon going to be close to free for everyone in China one day.
I’ve always said even though the US have an edge in AI chips, China’s innovation means they can do more with less—and I’m seeing it firsthand doing my AI PhD here. I’ve been experimenting with China’s… pic.twitter.com/1z1CLY2Z3V
— livinlavidaluke (@96Stats) January 1, 2025
Class Warfare
What an Unregulated School Voucher Program Looks Like ProPublica (Robin K)
Brand prescription drugs to rise an average 4.5% in 2025 Seeking Alpha (Kevin W)
Why Breakfast Is Busting Your Food Budget Wall Street Journal. No increases like that here.
Antidote du jour (via):
And a bonus (Chuck L):
BBC crew rescues trapped penguins pic.twitter.com/WK0KoMsdF3
— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) January 1, 2025
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
