How Legos went from humble toy to criminal black market item fueled by L.A. heists Los Angeles Times
Mysterious monoliths are appearing across the world. Here’s what we know. Vox
What If We’re Stuck Down Here? Defector
Climate/Environment
Top 14 hottest places on Earth from Tunisia to Kuwait, as heatwaves sweep much of world The National
The Extreme Weather Report, June 22, 2024. pic.twitter.com/Sgkl6hBnV8
— Yellow Dot Studios (@weareyellowdot) June 22, 2024
Downward Mobilisation The Break Down. The deck: “Private investment cannot and should not drive decarbonisation. It’s obvious: we need the state.”
It was meant to be a Christian utopia. Now this Nigerian community is helpless against rising seas AP
Water
Not just a Gulf problem: Mississippi River farm runoff pollutes upstream waters Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Pandemics
COVID infection endangers pregnancies and newborns. Why aren’t parents being warned? The Gauntlet
BMJ Paper at Center of COVID Vax Deaths Controversy Gets Expression of Concern MedPage Today
Foresight*: Pathogens from the Permafrost German Institute for International and Security Affairs. “Combating the Spread of an Animal-borne Disease with or without Russia.”
India
Africa
Why exactly are major international firms leaving the Nigerian market? An Africanist Perspective
Coup-hit Niger was betting on a China-backed oil pipeline as a lifeline. Then the troubles began AP
Japan
Marines Add New “Littoral” Combat Unit to Okinawa to Defend Japan & Philippines Warrior Maven
Only 10.4% want PM Kishida to continue to serve: Kyodo poll Kyodo News
Are Tokyo’s public toilets the new tourist attractions? Here are 13 unique ones worth visiting Channel News Asia
China?
China’s Vulnerability Paradox: How the World’s Largest Consumer Transformed Global Commodity Markets (book excerpt) Pekingnology
South China Sea: Philippines’ anti-ship missile base puts Scarborough Shoal in cross hairs South China Morning Post
In Southeast Asia, the Authorities Are the Biggest Gun Dealers in Town The Diplomat
Syraqistan
Dozens killed in northern Gaza during Israeli assassination attempt The Cradle
JENIN: Israeli forces tied an injured Palestinian man to the hood of their vehicle, using him as a human shield during a raid in the Occupied West Bank city. pic.twitter.com/wht3rBVuhX
— Hamdah Salhut (@hamdahsalhut) June 22, 2024
The Collapse of Zionism New Left Review
***
US offers assurances to Israel this week in the event of full-blown war with Hezbollah CNN
Addendum: And no, the US helping out with a couple squadrons of naval strike aircraft from a carrier sitting off the coast is not going to meaningfully change the operational balance in South Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/enIcBy9H91
— Armchair Warlord (@ArmchairW) June 23, 2024
***
Yemeni, Iraqi Resistance jointly target five Israeli-bound ships Al Mayadeen
Houthi claims of attack on US aircraft carrier are false: US officials Al Arabiya
European Disunion
The dangerous framing of a Putin Puppet Left Bloc. Clare Daly.
EPP snubs hearing before Brussels court on von der Leyen’s Commission candidacy Euractiv
German automakers pressure EU leaders to drop China EV tariffs Nikkei Asia
Paris’ Rise as Finance Hub at Risk After Macron’s Election Call Bloomberg
🇫🇷elections. Bardella: as PM I will order an audit of public finances because they are in such a dire state that we won’t be able to keep our expensive promises on pensions, VAT etc.
In fact, all figures are public, published by the 🇫🇷 treasury every month. RN backpedaling again. https://t.co/NkLk6rfU3Y— Giovanni Capoccia @gcapoccia.bsky.social (@gcapoccia1) June 22, 2024
New Not-So-Cold War
South Korea, Japan, US agree on ‘close’ security cooperation in wake of Putin-Kim summit Anadolu Agency
EU allegedly mulls security partnerships with Japan, South Korea baha
Nothing to worry about? South Korea sounds the alarm Gilbert Doctorow
South Korean Military Power: Lessons Europe can Learn from Seoul The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies
***
Negotiations needed to end war in Ukraine but Putin ‘cannot be trusted,’ says Mark Milley The Kyiv Independent
Rerouting of Russia trade to add more Caucasus, Central Asia growth in 2024-2025, says Oxford Economics Intellinews
Old Blighty
Farage’s children Wrong Side of History
Sunak, Starmer slam Farage claim that EU, NATO ‘provoked’ invasion of Ukraine Politico
The housing market scam that the Labour Party has ruled out solving The Canary
South of the Border
Driving Capital Phenomenal World. “The USMCA, the IRA, and Mexico’s electric vehicle boom.”
Spook Country
Trump
Democrats en déshabillé
The Junior Partner Strategy Left Notes
Democratic National Convention Will Treat Influencers Like Press This Year Gizmodo
2024
Democrats ramp up efforts to block RFK Jr. from appearing on ballots across the nation CNN
Imperial Collapse Watch
The Zero Sovereignty System Philip Pilkington, Postliberal Order
Boeing
Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787’s windscreen cracks at 40K feet, forcing terrified crew to reroute San Francisco-bound flight New York Post
Problems at Boeing cast a shadow over 777 freighter conversion certification The Loadstar
The US still cannot get its astronauts back to earth due to Boeing technical problems.
(The US used to rely on Russia to ferry its astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS)).
“What was meant to be a one-week stay in space for astronauts Suni Williams and… https://t.co/KviuLkKcTT pic.twitter.com/JLgreqx1Nd
— ⏳Towhee 🌏☮️ (@amborin) June 22, 2024
Healthcare?
These Big Health Insurers Covered Fewer People in the Commercial Market in 2023 Than They Did in 2013. Yet Profits Were Up. Here’s How. HEALTH CARE un-covered
FDA Warns Yet Another Birth Tissue Company MedPage Today
Antitrust
Inside FICO and the Credit Bureau Cartel BIG by Matt Stoller
Police State Watch
COMPANY LINKED TO FEDERAL EXECUTION SPREE SAYS IT WILL NO LONGER PRODUCE KEY DRUG The Intercept
Groves of Academe
The Crackdown on Campus Protests is Just Beginning In These Times
Digital Watch
Publishers’ lawsuit leads to removal of 500,000 books from Internet Archive Techspot
Microsoft admits no guarantee of sovereignty for UK policing data Computer Weekly
Zuckerberg, other Meta executives denied employees’ pleas to fund youth safety programs: Report Washington Examiner
Guillotine Watch
Thirteen arrested after fireworks from yacht spark forest fire on Greek island The Guardian
The Bezzle
Arizona toddler rescued after getting trapped in a Tesla with a dead battery The Verge
The State Wants to Nationalize Second Mortgages. What Possibly Can Go Wrong? Mises Institute
Class Warfare
Does the US have a housing shortage—or an affordable housing shortage? 48 Hills
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
