Bumblebee population increases 116 times over in ‘remarkable’ Scotland rewilding project The Scotsman
World Beekeeping Awards axe honey prize due to fraud BBC
All Life on Earth Today Descended From a Single Cell. Meet LUCA. Quanta
Digestive contents and food webs record the advent of dinosaur supremacy Nature
The Dogs of Chernobyl Are Experiencing Rapid Evolution, Study Suggests Popular Mechanics
Climate
What to know about the plastic pollution crisis as treaty talks conclude in South Korea AP
Water
After the Klamath River dams came down, salmon came back High Country News
Syndemics
Persistence of spike protein at the skull-meninges-brain axis may contribute to the neurological sequelae of COVID-19 Cell. From the Highlights: “SARS-CoV-2 spike protein persists in the skull-meninges-brain axis in COVID-19 patients. Spike protein is sufficient to induce brain pathological and behavioral changes in mice.”
A Personal Pre-Pandemic Plan Avian Flu Diary
China?
Chinese county grapples with how to lure and reward workers for difficult, low-level jobs South China Morning Post
This is very interesting, and I think a world first: a local government in China has just sold its sky, literally.
This is the government of Pingyin County, Jinan, Shandong Province who sold for 924 million yuan (approximately $130 million) a 30-year concession to operate and… pic.twitter.com/BKUN6JY0Fe
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) November 30, 2024
China permits full foreign ownership of hospitals in key cities CGTN
Kelly Grieco on Indo-Pacific Reactions to Trump’s Reelection The Diplomat
Philippines politics is often mad. It just got crazier Channel News Asia
Syraqistan
Syrian rebels’ advance breaks war’s fragile stalemate FT. Commentary:
whereas nearly all BBC broadcasts, mainstream media articles on Hamas and Hezbollah include canned reminders up top that they have been designated terrorist organizations by their governments.
— Mark Ames (@MarkAmesExiled) November 30, 2024
And:
Just so everyone is clear, the sum total dispositional difference between HTS and ISIS is that HTS fighters are allowed to player soccer.
Otherwise, they are in *complete* agreement on building a Caliphate, enslaving apostates, beheading women, etc.
— Mike DiMino (@mpdimino) November 30, 2024
Syria: Deadly strikes hit Aleppo as rebels seize airport, push towards Hama Middle East Eye
Syrian army withdraws troops from Aleppo to prepare counteroffensive Politico
* * * Israel’s Cease-fire With Lebanon and the Breakdown of the ‘Unity of Fronts’ Won’t End Gaza War Haaretz
Lebanon’s Unbalanced Ceasefire Teeters on the Brink Craig Murray
* * * Iran brings thousands of centrifuges online, defying International Atomic Energy Agency resolution S&P Global
The New Great Game
Georgia’s president will not step down until ‘illegitimate’ election rerun Al Jazeera
US suspends strategic partnership with Georgia Ukrainska Pravda
European Disunion
Notre-Dame: How Europe’s great cathedrals owe much to Muslim craftsmen Middle East Eye
Czech city wants to hire Ukrainians to police due to “problems in diaspora” Ukrainska Pravda
New Not-So-Cold War
Zelensky suggests NATO membership could halt ‘hot phase’ of war The Hill
Zelenskyy agrees to record podcast with American interviewer Lex Fridman Ukrainska Pravda
Zelenskyy’s diplomatic play for Trump Politico
Russian Intel. Elaborates on Western Plans to ‘Freeze’ the Ukrainian Frontlines with NATO Troop Deployments: Preparing For a Second War Military Watch
* * * Russia, Targeting Ukraine’s Grid, Moves to Cut Off Its Nuclear Plants NYT
NATO warships surround Chinese ship suspected of sabotaging undersea internet cables — ship allegedly dragged anchor 100 miles Tom’s Hardware
Desertion threatens to starve Ukraine’s forces at a crucial time in its war with Russia AP
* * * How Biden Made a Mess of Ukraine The Atlantic
Nord Stream: hide-and-seek deep under the Baltic sea Le Monde Diplomatique. No paywall.
Moving Toward Defense as a Service War on the Rocks
Trump Transition
Trump and Republicans in Congress eye an ambitious 100-day agenda, starting with tax cuts AP
The best-case scenario for Trump’s second term Noah Smith, Noahpinion
What is net worth of Trump’s Cabinet? The staggering wealth of his nominees revealed Daily Mail
* * * Trump picks hardline ‘deep state’ critic Kash Patel as new FBI head FT. Commentary:
As @IgnatiusPost put it, when it comes to unearthing “serious abuses” by the FBI’s Russiagate team, Kash Patel “hit pay dirt”: pic.twitter.com/6uXJw1X0Lb
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) December 1, 2024
Pete Hegseth’s Mother Accused Her Son of Mistreating Women for Years NYT. “The Times obtained a copy of the email from another person with ties to the Hegseth family.”
Tulsi smears are an American tradition. They shouldn’t be. Responsible Statecraft
Trump nominates Florida sheriff Chad Chronister to lead the DEA FOX
Trump threatens 100% tariff on BRICS nations in case of dollar replacement Anadolu Agency
Homelessness
The Invisible Man Esquire
Antitrust
Monopsony Power and Poverty: The Consequences of Walmart Supercenter Openings Institute of Labor Economics
Digital Watch
Record-breaking diamond storage can save data for millions of years New Scientist
The Final Frontier
What would happen day by day if aliens made contact with earth, according to ex-NASA expert Daily Mail
Zeitgeist Watch
MPs who backed assisted dying bill say concerns remain BBC
Words matter: ‘enduring intolerable suffering’ and the provider-side peril of Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada Journal of Medical Ethics. Commentary:
“Expressions of pleasure from providers are also a reminder that the psychological impact on providers from involvement in MAiD is an outstanding question.'” https://t.co/rSIJ4WipvD
— Trudo Lemmens (@TrudoLemmens) March 5, 2024
AI-Powered ‘Death Clock’ Promises a More Exact Prediction of the Day You’ll Die Bloomberg
* * * How Humor Takes the Edge off Hard Times Scientific American
Imperial Collapse Watch
Dilemmas Dissident Voice
Thanksgiving Post-Game Festivities
Is turkey the main reason you’re tired after a Thanksgiving meal? Colorado Sun
The collards mystery Yasha Levine, The Weaponized Immigrant
I spent 30 years as a therapist to killers – and no one is born evil BBC
America’s Most Common Dreams—and Why You’re Having Them Newsweek
Antidote du jour (Dr.Haus):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
