The best neighbor imaginable.
Awww, how nice. pic.twitter.com/9bQwSVkEL1
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) August 21, 2024
Researchers capture video of possible wolf-dog hybrid in northern Minnesota MPRNews (Chuck L)
Looks like Audrey at the start:
The Queen of Night blooms only once a year – in the dead of night. Before dawn, the flower wilts away. It arrived in China from Mexico in 1645. But don’t throw the dead flower away: its medicinal properties make it popular across Asia. pic.twitter.com/BwLO4s1LI6
— Nury Vittachi (@NuryVittachi) August 22, 2024
New virus that causes ‘staggering disease’ discovered in US – and it can kill pet cats and those in the wild Independent (Robin K)
Long-hidden family scandal in Jamestown colony revealed 400 years later by ancient DNA CNN (Kevin W)
Where crashing cars is the point Economist. I completely get this interest even though I never went to a demolition derby. My absolute favorite toy as a toddler was a crash car.
#COVID-19
GOOD NEWS: The US government has announced that it will again offer free at-home Covid tests starting in late September.
You will be able to get 4 more free test kits sent through the mail. pic.twitter.com/QuRiMbkk8f
— Dr. Lucky Tran (@luckytran) August 23, 2024
COVID-19: Hospitalizations at highest level since winter
There are currently more than 1,200 people with COVID-19 in hospital in Quebec, and more than 30 deaths reported each week.https://t.co/CegLix6xHL via @mtlgazette— alan drummond (@alandrummond2) August 22, 2024
Climate/Environment
Amid Changing Climate, Colorado Plans to Restore the Wolverine Undark (Kevin W)
Water-Related Conflict On The Rise Across The World, Study Finds Forbes
Cities are trying to cut down on cars. Some states are standing in their way. Yale Climate Connections
China?
China AI devs using cloud services to game US chip sanctions The Register
Advanced IC packaging is next front in the chip wars Asia Times (Kevin W)
🇨🇳 GRENADE-DRONE
A Chinese drone company has unveiled a remote-controlled “grenade” that can fly like a drone pic.twitter.com/i62Q6RiYuv
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) August 22, 2024
Readouts of Xi-Starmer call Pekinology
Koreas
Why North Korea may find the South’s new vision for unification provocative The Conversation (Kevin W). This is a feature, not a bug. South Korea does not want reunification because it cannot afford it. The unification of West Germany and the GDR due to much lower incomes in the GDR. It was very costly and was “solved” by serious wage repression. The gap between income per capita for South Korea v. North Korea is a chasm compared to that of West Germany and the GDR when the USSR fell. See Reuters in 2024, reporting on a growth surge in North Korea in 2023:
North Korea’s nominal gross national income in 2023 was estimated to be 1.59 million won ($1,147.56) per capita, equivalent to just 3.4% of the South’s 47.25 million won.
Hyper-Aggressive Monetary Expansion Kicks Into Overdrive in Myanmar Irrawaddy
Africa
Fuel scarcity stifles economic activities as SMEs battle mounting losses The Sun (Nigeria)
Sudan: 20 Tons of Life-Saving Medicines Airdropped teleSUR (Robin K)
European Disunion
German Private Sector Contraction Deepens RTTNews
Germany’s far-left disrupter claims credit for limiting aid to Ukraine. Financial Times
Old Blighty
Nigel Farage could be the real winner if Labour lets teens vote Politico (Kevin W)
Royal Society of Medicine embraces ‘tweakments’ and cosmetic surgery The Times (Dr. Kevin)
Gaza
Gaza live: Dozens killed across Gaza as Israeli army forces new displacement Middle East Eye
Israeli opposition leader Lieberman says ‘no more food, no more goods’ into Gaza Middle East Eye (guurst)
Cash crisis worsens already dire situation for Palestinians in Gaza as all banks halt operations Associated Press
* * * Iran will hit Israel, ball is in US-Israeli court Indian Punchline (Kevin W)
Iran’s response to Israel is coming, with Mohammad Marandi Electronic Intifada, YouTube
* * * Greek oil tanker on fire and adrift after multiple attacks in Red Sea Aljazeera (Kevin W)
New Not-So-Cold War
Despite Russian Fumbles, Ukraine Continues to Unspool Simplicius
Ukraine to begin production of 155mm shells using Norwegian military technologies Euromaidan (Robin K)
US announces new round of military assistance for Ukraine Aljazeera. $125 million does not rise to the level of being couch lint.
Here’s why Russia won’t talk to Ukraine RT (Robin K)
Putin is kneeling in front of the Beslan memorial, ‘City of Angels’. Today was not the day of remembrance, which would happen later, on September 1st.
I believe that, in the midst of the current crisis, this place holds special significance for him and for Russia. Putin… pic.twitter.com/9vOx6JRtMC
— Russians With Attitude (@RWApodcast) August 20, 2024
Syraqistan
Iraq and Turkiye: A strategic realignment amidst regional shifts The Cradle
Big Brother is Watching You Watch
Microsoft plans Windows security overhaul after CrowdStrike outage Financial Times (Kevin W). This announcement is very late in coming.
Imperial Collapse Watch
The American Empire is Losing Money in Europe. Will It Abandon Europe Glenn Diesen (Micael T)
Navy Could Sideline 17 Support Ships Due to Manpower Issues USNI (Kevin W)
Airpower on a budget: US to revive light fighter concept Asia Times (Kevin W)
Trump
X and Meta Employees Meet With MAGA Hub Sludge (TF)
I doubt this is a winning to pitch to anyone other than the stereotypical California health obsessive who has the time and money to eat only very pure foods (according to their standards) and experiment with alternate treatments (which IMHO can be very helpful but finding good modalities and then practitioners within them is often hit or miss). That cohort is not big enough to sustain a campaign and I am not sure even rich enough in total even to give much of a boost. But perhaps all of this talk about health is to cover for a plan to make RFK, Jr. head of the CIA, which would get him or Trump killed were anyone to get word.
LISTEN 🔥
Robert Kennedy Jr. makes an incredible speech at President Trump’s rally
“Don’t you want a president who is going to make America healthy again?” pic.twitter.com/itoEnVfJs6
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 24, 2024
However:
My old Dem buddies have been flooding me with frantic calls, texts, and emails. Unlike Ro, I wouldn’t dream of airing those private conversations publicly, but the message is clear: they’re terrified of the idea of our movement joining forces with Donald Trump. When I point out…
— Nicole Shanahan (@NicoleShanahan) August 22, 2024
Kamala
Harris’ Hollow Words on Gaza Daniel Larison
The reason I criticize the Democrats so much can be explained in the aphorism “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” The Democratic Party exists to ensure that good people will do nothing.
Gaza is such a perfect example of this. When…
— Caitlin Johnstone (@caitoz) August 23, 2024
Uncommitted Pennsylvania Voter: “She wasn’t clear enough on the policies… I still don’t feel like she’s ready. She should wait. I don’t want to personally vote for someone that’s a backup.” pic.twitter.com/KLcBDBiRow
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 23, 2024
“She’s completely incompetent!” | Norman Finkelstein is not impressed with Kamala Harris Smart Cookies, YouTube (britzklieg). From two weeks ago but refreshingly unabashed.
GOP Clown Car
Republican-led States Challenge Effort to Aid Undocumented Spouses New York Times
Our No Longer Free Press
Has the Online Left Given Up? Jacobin (UserFriendly). I never knew the “Online Left” was A Thing. Nevertheless, the successful Democrat neutering of Sanders played a big role.
There can be no freedom without free speech Scott Ritter (Chuck L)
Antitrust
Justice Department Sues RealPage, Alleging It Enabled Price-Fixing On Rents CBS
Mr. Market Gets What It Wants
Fed’s Powell, in policy shift, says ‘time has come’ to cut rates Reuters (Kevin W)
The last great engine of the world economy is sputtering out Telegraph
Rate cuts won’t prevent a recession and the economy is deteriorating ‘quite rapidly,’ investment strategist says Business Insider
Quantitative Tightening Goes Global for the First Time, in Test for Markets Bloomberg
Bank of Japan governor Kazuo Ueda warns global markets are ‘unstable Financial Times
Guillotine Watch
Elon Musk was just forced to reveal who really owns X. Here’s the list Yahoo! Finance (Kevin W)
Class Warfare
Canada forces arbitration in freight train labor dispute to avert economic crisis. Union cries foul and later Canadian union threatens to strike against freight railroad hours after trains resume service Associated Press (Kevin W)
Railway Shutdown Threatens Agriculture And Bill Gates Is The Largest Share Holder Of CN Rail!! Odysee (DO)
“Greeks can have vacations in the village, not on the islands,” says Minister Defend Democracy (Micael T)
Revisiting How Many People Have Filed Bankruptcy Credit Slips
Antidote du jour. Tracie H: “This is a skipper butterfly spotted on a brief stroll around the seaside town of Corona Del Mar (California) – The butterfly was kind enough to let me intrude on its flower visit”
A bonus (Chuck L):
When my wife asks me why I need thermal goggles I send her this: pic.twitter.com/bExxJIiwTC
— Giga Based Dad (@GigaBasedDad) August 22, 2024
And a second bonus. The word “heroic” is used too casually in the US. This man took real risk and so IMHO the label fits:
This guy goes out into a frozen lake to rescue a dog
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) August 21, 2024
And another bonus:
100% a daddys boy 🐈⬛ pic.twitter.com/lw1ilBWDOv
— Why you should have a cat (@ShouldHaveCat) August 23, 2024
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
