Alzheimer’s Mortality Lowest for Taxi, Ambulance Drivers MedPage Today
First baby conceived via breakthrough fertility tech born New Atlas
Human Minibrains Launched Into Space Thrived in an Unexpected Way Science Alert
Climate/Environment
Biden’s LNG-Export Study Presents ‘Speed Bump’ for Trump BNN Bloomberg
Developers eye Louisiana, Texas coasts for offshore carbon storage Floodlight
Pandemics
Flu surveillance flags probable H5 avian flu case in Delaware CIDRAP
India
India-Russia energy deal underscores Modi’s multiforeign policy Semafor
Japan
Honda, Nissan eye merger talks to form world’s 3rd biggest auto group Kyodo News
China?
Chinese astronauts complete world record-breaking spacewalk at 9 hours South China Morning Post
China’s factories seek to Trump-proof business by going global The Business Times
China Dominates Global Containership Construction as Korean Shipyards Face Decline gCaptain
Why Anti-China Economics is Failing Un-Diplomatic
Cratering Effects: Chinese Missile Threats to US Air Bases in the Indo-Pacific The Stimson Center
Old Blighty
Prince Andrew spy scandal rocks British establishment Politico
Hundreds of websites to shut down under UK’s ‘chilling’ internet laws The Telegraph
Private Equity Is Making Big Money From UK’s Most Vulnerable Bloomberg
European Disunion
Slovak, Hungarian, Austrian and Italian groups sign declaration backing continued gas transit through Ukraine Bne Intellinews
Syraqistan
Western powers expand engagements with new leadership in Syria The New Arab
US veterans: Didn’t we fight Al Qaeda terrorists for a reason? Responsible Statecraft
Reporter: Is $10,000,000 for Jolani still valid?
Miller: It is
Reporter: So if someone arrested him and gave him to US, he/she is gonna take 10 million dollars
Miller: I’m not gonna deal with hypotheticals
Matt Lee: The reward can’t be claimed by a government official… pic.twitter.com/Z1H5ka10pv
— Assal Rad (@AssalRad) December 17, 2024
Netanyahu: Israeli troops will occupy Syria buffer zone for ‘foreseeable future’ AP
Hezbollah without Damascus: Adapting in the wake of a severed supply line The Cradle
***
Turkiye masses troops on Syria border, invasion ‘imminent’: Report The Cradle
Trump Comments on Turkey’s ‘Unfriendly Takeover’ of Syria Using Proxy Forces: Regular Forces Deploy to Aleppo Military Watch
Turkish government bans metalworkers’ strike as war in Middle East deepens WSWS
Turkey, one of the world’s most dangerous places to work, and one of the most hostile to trade unions Equal Times
***
Israel launches first domestically-built quantum computer Globes
Israeli Spyware Firm Paragon Sold to U.S., as Trump’s Digital Arsenal Grows Haaretz
To succeed in defense-tech, Israeli startups must stake their claim in the US CTech
***
Irish support for Palestinians stands firm, despite Israeli anger Al Jazeera
Illegal munitions flights to Israel continue through Irish territory The Ditch
New Not-So-Cold War
Trump Says It Was ‘Stupid’ for Biden to Let Ukraine Use US Weapons to Strike Deeper into Russia AP
Talk is cheap News Forensics
***
FSB Arrests Ukraine-Recruited Terrorist For Deadly Blast That Killed General Kirillov Sputnik
Throwing Gasoline on the Fire, Ukraine Murders Russian General and Aide with a Bomb Larry Johnson, Sonar21
Russia – Agree To Be Provoked Or Fall For Lucy’s Football? Moon of Alabama
***
Zelensky insists on direct US ties amidst Orban’s remarks KBN
NATO takes over coordination of military aid to Kyiv from US, source says Reuters
No concrete plan yet to deploy Western troops to Ukraine — Berlin The New Voice of Ukraine
As US pushes Kyiv to lower draft age, why won’t Ukraine conscript younger men? The Kyiv Independent
South of the Border
US, Trinidad and Tobago Renew Military Agreements as PM Denies ‘Venezuela Conflict’ Troop Deployment Venezuelanalysis
O Canada
No more middle road Canadian Dimension
Trump Transition
Is Trump Playing for Keeps? The American Conservative
Big Brother is Watching You Watch
CCTV Cameras Are Everywhere — And They’re Changing How Your Brain Works ZME Science
Boeing
NASA astronauts who flew on Boeing’s spaceship to remain in space even longer NBC News
Imperial Collapse Watch
Ukraine and Syria, A Western Plan Goes Awry Larry Johnson, Sonar21
AI
Character.ai Lets Users Role Play With Chatbots Based on School Shooters Gizmodo
Uber for Nursing: How an AI-Powered Gig Model Is Threatening Health Care Roosevelt Institute
Healthcare?
Medical debt to be eliminated for 23,000 residents: governor NBC Connecticut
Los Angeles County announces $2 billion Medical Debt Relief Program CBS News
Guillotine Watch
Luigi Mangione Charged With Murder as ‘An Act of Terrorism’ for Killing of Insurance CEO Common Dreams
UnitedHealth Gets Luigi Mangione T-Shirt Pulled With Copyright Complaint Gizmodo
Four Luigi Mangione Documentaries Are in the Works (So Far) Vulture
***
Giant Companies Took Secret Payments to Allow Free Flow of Opioids New York Times
“Unprecedented” decline in teen drug use continues, surprising experts Ars Technica
Our Famously Free Press
NYT Panics Over Outrage at Insurance Companies FAIR
The New York Times Ignored Source’s Doubts About Hamas Docs Provided by Israel Drop Site
So CNN is now no longer claiming it freed him. https://t.co/iV5ZawpGuK pic.twitter.com/0LqWwCAkn4
— gathara (@gathara) December 17, 2024
The Bezzle
Tesla is having major issue with its self-driving computer inside new cars Electrek
Trump team to scrap car-crash disclosure rule opposed by Tesla – report GlobalData
Driverless bus service in Scotland to be withdrawn due to lack of interest The Guardian
Class Warfare
An Interview With a Boxer Who Is Paying the Price How Things Work
Meet My Pal, the Ancient Philosopher Nautilus
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.