A Mysterious Noise in The Ocean Sounds Like Leviathans Talking Science Alert (Chuck L)
Mathematical modeling reveals the explosive secret of the squirting cucumber PhysOrg. Chuck L: “IgNobel Prize candidate?”
‘99% of people don’t know deodorant can kill’ BBC (Robin K)
Video: UW-led research links wildfire smoke exposure with increased dementia risk UW News (Paul R)
A Huge Design Flaw in CPR Dummies Could Have Deadly Consequences Science Alert (Chuck L)
#COVID-19/Pandemics
H5N1 UPDATE
The President of the California Poultry Federation is concerned about the speed highly pathogenic avian influenza is spreading in his state.
“If it doesn’t slow its pace in the next month, we’re in serious trouble.” pic.twitter.com/jV8v5fs7X2
— Outbreak Updates (@outbreakupdates) November 24, 2024
Climate/Environment
At least five dead amid ‘devastating’ flooding as Storm Bert batters UK Guardian (Kevin W)
‘It’s not drought – it’s looting’: the Spanish villages where people are forced to buy back their own drinking water Guardian (Kevin W)
Southern African Nations Hit by Worst Power Outage in Years Bloomberg
It’s the most futuristic train in history: The world rejects it because of who made him EcoNews (Kevin W)
China?
Chinese military disguised as fishing boats? Philippine defence chief raises concerns South China Morning Post
Apple faces ‘difficult’ process to launch its own AI in China Financial Times
Koreas
South of the Border
Biden has confirmed the designation of Nicaragua as a “national security threat” to the US into 2025. It’s a country of 7m people, with a GDP equivalent to that of a mid-size US city. It has one of the lowest defence expenditures in Latin America. https://t.co/tz8KGAUTFJ
— John Perry 🇳🇮 (@johnperry21) November 24, 2024
Uruguay’s left returns to presidency as government vows friendly transition Reuters (Robin K). Perhaps Expat2Uruguay can weigh in, but I recall from past discussions that Uruguay tends to go from center right to center left governments, as in there are political changes, but not all that great.
European Disunion
Possible Europe-US trade war could push euro into parity with the dollar Guardian
Germany’s Looming Existential Crisis Luxuo
German steel giant ThyssenKrupp to slash 11,000 jobs DW (Kevin W)
Romania election stunner: Unexpected hard-right candidate surges in presidential vote Politico (Kevin W)
Reformist leader rallies Romanians to beat back surging pro-Russia hard right Politico (Kevin W)
Old Blighty
Insolvency experts drafted in to fight university cash crunch Telegraph
Financial Crisis Looms Over UK Social Care Sector Pinnacle Gazetter
Israel v. The Resistance
EXPOSED: The UK military sent a disturbing message to every media editor.
“Don’t publish ANY information about UK special forces in Gaza.”
But the truth leaked and now Netanyahu is on the run from the ICC.
Here’s what they were desperately trying to hide (it will shock you): pic.twitter.com/F9SMSr8qZV
— The Muslim Vote (@themuslimvoteuk) November 23, 2024
Tel Aviv and Haifa today. Nearly 4 million Israeli settlers were forced into the bunkers. Israeli media reported direct hits in multiple northern settlements and electricity blackouts. Hezbollah warned you. If you bomb Beirut they will bomb Tel Aviv. Get used to this scene pic.twitter.com/s02KYCGB5H
— Hadi (@HadiNasrallah) November 24, 2024
Hezbollah fires ‘340 missiles’ at Israel, hits Ashdod naval base, Tel Aviv Al Jazeera (Kevin W)
Israeli snipers ‘shoot Palestinians for sport’ The Cradle. Norman Finkelstein has discussed this repeatedly.
Hezbollah Launches ‘Largest Attack Yet’ Against Israel + Iran Preparing Its Retaliation Rachel Bevins, YouTube
Israeli airstrikes intensify in Lebanon amid rumors of imminent ceasefire agreement Arab News
Israeli Cabinet set to vote on Lebanon cease-fire deal Anadolu Agency
Four Gentlemen Tour the Bekaa Valley Craig Murray (Anthony L)
Washington Post Calls For Selective (Non-)Prosecution Of War Crimes Moon of Alabama (Kevin W)
New Not-So-Cold War
Medvedev:
“American politicians and journalists are seriously discussing the implications of transferring nuclear weapons to Kiev. It seems my grim joke about the mad, senile Biden deciding to exit life dramatically, taking a significant portion of humanity with him, is turning… pic.twitter.com/o08A8jDXpY
— Zlatti71 (@Zlatti_71) November 26, 2024
Discussions over sending European troops to Ukraine reignited Le Monde. Hoo boy.
NATO admiral urges businesses to prepare for ‘wartime scenario’ RT
Britain’s Kursk Invasion Backfires Kit Klarenberg (Kevin W)
Threat of world war is ‘serious and real’ Poland says as Putin steps up threats against West Independent
Europe Can’t Make Ukraine Enough Weapons—So It’s Paying Kyiv to Do It Wall Street Journal. As if Russia can’t destroy production facilities….although that does mean there will be even less of a functioning Ukraine economy when the war finally ends.
Propaganda 101 x 1000000: “Ukraine Will Win” Mike Hampton. Some goodies in this piece.
Imperial Collapse Watch
Who Takes International Law Seriously? Daniel Larison
Trump 2.0
Trump Pentagon pick attacks UN and Nato and urges US to ignore Geneva conventions Guardian (Kevin W). Hegseth is at least as vulnerable to sexual misconduct allegations as Gaetz. If he’s not pressured on this front, it confirms the power of the MIC (as in there are plenty of hawks, so it’s not as if Hegseth is not replaceable, but the point is not to dust Trump up when he has put forward a hawk)
Trump’s Cabinet Picks Aren’t Looking Good For Peace In Ukraine Caitlin Johnstone (Kevin W)
Trump and GOP eye new limits on Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Washington Post
Trump to kick trans soldiers out of army – Times RT
Congress’s Jan. 6 Investigation Looks Less and Less Credible Jonathan Turley
2024 Aftermath
In deep blue Minneapolis, many Somali voters withheld support for Harris MPR News (Chuck L)
Abortion
Texas Lawmakers Push for New Exceptions to State’s Strict Abortion Ban After the Deaths of Two Women ProPublica
Our No Longer Free Press
Social media age ban inquiry flooded with 15,000 submissions after Elon Musk weighs in ABC Australia (Anthony L)
Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom has suffered a serious stroke, a post on his X account says Associated Press
The Bezzle
Political practitioners poorly predict which messages persuade the public PNAS. Paul R: “They are as clueless as laypeople. Maybe their focus group testing helps weed out the duds. Article is paywalled and abstract doesn’t mention that.” Moi: BWAHAHA!
How Morgan Stanley Courted Dodgy Customers to Build a Wealth-Management Empire Wall Street Journal
The Promise of Duolingo The Dial (Anthony L). BTW this is very similar to the sort of fluency I achieved with French (big reason was my first high school teacher avoided spoken practice because he did not want us picking up his French Canadian accent). I could read at a very high level, including difficult poetry but could barely speak. However, I did have a pretty good accent and a big vocabulary, so the French were not annoyed at my attempts.
Scammers Are Stealing Billions From Americans’ Bank Accounts. Here’s What You Need to Know. Consumer Reports (Robin K)
Class Warfare
Amazon workers in 20 countries to protest or strike on Black Friday Guardian
Six-Figure Job Market Faces ‘White-Collar Recession’ As LinkedIn Reports 26% Drop In Engineering Roles Beinziga (ma)
Antidote du jour (via):
And a bonus. As much as this is funny, I do feel sorry for the gaslighted cats:
When you call your cat through surveillance for the first time pic.twitter.com/XPv4Pr0Tup
— Why you should have a cat (@ShouldHaveCat) November 23, 2024
And a second bonus (Li). Moar cats!
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
