Horses can plan and strategise, new study shows BBC
Taylor Swift Cancellations Deal Blow to Insurers: Sources Insurance Journal
Climate
The uninsurable world: rethinking how to cover for climate damage FT
How the most powerful environmental groups help greenwash Big Meat’s climate impact Vox
Amazon soil may store billions more tonnes of carbon than once thought New Scientist
China builds with manufactured sand, easing worry about overmining and environmental cost South China Morning Post
A Lot Was Riding on This Wind Farm. Then Giant Shards Washed Up in Nantucket. WSJ
Syndemics
Results of Influenza Risk Assessment Tool Pandemic Flu, CDC:
The current overall individual and population health risk to the general public posed by the avian influenza A(H5N1) virus presently spreading in cows, poultry, and other mammals remains low. Systematic comparisons of data related to this avian influenza A(H5N1) virus using the Influenza Risk Assessment Tool (IRAT) to data from other influenza A viruses has scored this virus’s future pandemic potential as “moderate risk” based on information through June 26, 2024. This is similar to previous assessments of earlier avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses.
to evaluate the potential of a representative novel influenza virus to gain the ability for person-to-person spread and the resulting potential public health impact if that were to happen, compared to other viruses evaluated in past IRAT reports.
Long COVID science, research and policy Nature. From the Abstract: “The cumulative global incidence of long COVID is around 400 million individuals, which is estimated to have an annual economic impact of approximately $1 trillion—equivalent to about 1% of the global economy… Addressing the challenge of long COVID requires an ambitious and coordinated—but so far absent—global research and policy response strategy.”
Colorado: CVMA Statement On Influenza A (HPAI H5N1) in Domestic cats Avian Flu Diary
India
Sebi chief’s response raises new questions, admits key points: Hindenburg Business Standard. Avani
Iconic Irani cafes serving creamy chai and fresh samosas face extinction in Indian city BBC
St. Martin’s in Bangladesh — the tiny island that Hasina has accused US of wanting & its importance The Print
China?
As Philippines, Vietnam close ranks, China adopts ‘divide and conquer’ approach South China Morning Post
Syraqistan
U.S. prepares for crucial week as Gaza deal faces “now-or-never” moment Axios
Iran’s senior military commander in Russia: Crushing response to Israel ‘on its way’ Press TV
U.S. rushes firepower to the Middle East as Israel braces for retaliation from Iran NBC
* * * Rights group refutes Israel’s list of alleged targets in Gaza school attack Anadolu Agency
Israel shrugs off school-strike critics to issue new Gaza evacuation order Al Jazeera
* * * “The domestic debate here about the rape of a Palestinian inmate at one of our torture centers may be a bit misleading” Ori Goldberg, ThreadReader
Video and Airplane Sketch Raise New Questions About Saudi Ties to 9/11 NYT
European Disunion
Can France Be Governed? The Globalist. The deck: “A report from La France Profonde.”
Dear Old Blighty
Far-right disorder had ‘clear’ Russian involvement, says ex-MI6 spy Guardian
More than a quarter of Brits would travel abroad knowing they had Covid Independent
New Not-So-Cold War
Ukrainian troops now up to 30km inside Russia, Moscow says BBC
‘Thousands’ of troops part of incursion aiming to ‘destabilise’ Russia, says top Ukrainian official France24
Russia evacuates Kursk, moving troops from the front line to retake the region occupied by AFU BNE Intellinews
Ukraine must decide what to do with territory it holds in Russia – The Hill Ukrainska Pravda. Original headline.
Why Ukraine’s Surprise Incursion on Russia Should Give Us Hope Time
* * * Russia sets Ukrainian nuclear power plant on fire, says Zelenskyy Politico
IAEA reports hearing explosions near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant before fire Ukrainska Pravda
SITREP 8/11/24: Desperate for Escalation, Zelensky Bombs Zaporozhye Nuke Plant in Frustration Simplicius, Simplicius the Thinker
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reports no changes in radiation level in country Ukrainska Pravda
Biden Administration
Judge orders CDC to stop deleting emails of departing staff, calling it ‘likely unlawful’ Politico
Antitrust
Monopoly Round-Up: The 2024 CNBC Shadow Campaign to Fire Lina Khan Matt Stoller, BIG
2024
“F*** These Trump-Loving Techies”: Hollywood Takes on Silicon Valley in an Epic Presidential Brawl Hollywood Reporter
Spook Country
The CIA Sent Him Deep Undercover to Spy on Islamic Radicals. It Cost Him Everything Rolling Stone. Commentary:
My prof from Lebanon said spotting a spy in the Arab world is so easy to them and they really don’t gaf. He said when giving directions it’s like “okay so you see that spy over there? What you’re gonna do is turn left where he’s at…”
— Maya! (@mazhakusu) August 11, 2024
Digital Watch
ChatGPT unexpectedly began speaking in a user’s cloned voice during testing Ars Technica. Commentary:
Honestly, what is ChatGPT good for? This morning, I thought that I’d *finally found* a use: I asked it to organize my citations in alphabetical order. And it did. A perfect job! Except that it literally just made up 50 new citations! Non-existent papers like this one. 👇 WTF. pic.twitter.com/hQPIG8v4Uu
— Dr. Émile P. Torres (@xriskology) August 9, 2024
The Bezzle
Celsius targets Tether, Badger DAO, Compound, and Netanyahu’s niece and nephew in lawsuits The Block
“Carbon neutral” Bitcoin operation founded by coal plant operator wasn’t actually carbon neutral Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
Zeitgeist Watch
Supply Chain
The new maritime statecraft FT
Dangerous cargoes and container ship fires back in the spotlight Seatrade Maritime News
Boeing
NTSB chief rips Boeing over lack of 737 Max answers The Hill
The Olympics
Noah Lyles’ collapse with Covid: How not to manage health at the Olympics STAT
Imperial Collapse Watch
F-35 Numbers Surpass 1000 Fighters: How America’s Stealth Fleet Gained a Coveted Numerical Edge Miltary Watch
Class Warfare
How an Instagram-Perfect Life in the Hamptons Ended in Tragedy NYT
Taylor Swift and Bach Can Thank Ancient Temples for Modern Music Scientific American
12,000-year-old Aboriginal sticks may be evidence of the oldest known culturally transmitted ritual in the world Live Science
Antidote du jour (Dave Grickson):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
