Watch the full ‘Pink Moon’ rise into the sky on April 6 Live Science
‘Coherent’ radio signal detected from alien planet, prompting hope in search for life Independent
Saving The Endangered Snow Leopard Madras Courier
Cat jumps on imam leading Ramadan prayers in Algeria BBC
‘Bees are sentient’: inside the stunning brains of nature’s hardest workers Guardian
Robotic beehive provides vital life support to chilly honeybees New Atlas
Climate
Coal phaseout’s pace needs to be sharply accelerated to meet Paris goals: Report Anadolu Agency
Power generation grows at fastest pace in 33 years, fuelled by coal Business Standard
California (Sort-of) Banned Small EVs When it Banned Gasoline Cars Energy Institute at Haas
The ice in Antarctica has melted before, says study Phys.org
#COVID19
The evolution of SARS-CoV-2 Nature
SARS-CoV-2 ORF8: A Rapidly Evolving Immune and Viral Modulator in COVID-19 Viruses
A new approach to a Covid-19 nasal vaccine shows early promise CNN
NTSB blames pilot error, air traffic control for dramatic midair collision near Centennial Airport in 2021 Colorado Sun. NTSB needs to get post-Covid brainfog on its post-crash investigative protocol ASAP.
China?
China is ghosting the United States Politico
China’s intensifying nuclear-armed submarine patrols add complexity for US, allies: Analysts Channel News Asia
China offers unified train ticketing app for all Belt and Road countries Channel News Asia
Tokyo ‘has come alive again’ as Japan sheds COVID-19 curbs, says governor Koike Channel News Asia. “Life” = “Commerce.” There you have it.
India
Embattled Adani Group trumpets stable ties with international lenders Business Standard
India opts against AI regulation Tech Crunch
Syraqistan
‘Red line’: World reaction to Israeli attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque Al Jazeera. Helpful!
European Disunion
‘A failure’: French union leaders denounce pension reform meeting with PM Borne France24
New Not-So-Cold War
Leopard II Tank Shipment to Ukraine Faces Setback Ahead of Counteroffensive Newsweek
Should Leftists Support Sending Weapons To Ukraine? Passage
Ukrainian drone crashes near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant – Russian media Reuters
Russia’s ultranationalists appear increasingly vulnerable after pro-war blogger’s killing CNBC. Unblushingly accepting assassinating civilians in locations very far from the front, in an undeclared proy war. That’s our PMC!
Explained: Ukraine’s fight for Bakhmut Deutsche Welle
The tragedy of the war in Ukraine: a reply to Kagarlitsky Canadian Dimension
Putin as Shakespearean Demon or Tragic Hero? American Committee for US-Russia Accord
Is America’s global preeminence under threat? The Hill
Americans Must Choose The American Conservative (Re Silc).
Ukraine 2014: The Tipping Point of Terror Covert Action Magazine
Clinton regrets persuading Ukraine to give up nuclear weapons RTE. Nazis with nuclear weapons. What could go wrong?
South of the Border
The Amazon Has Lost All Subjectivity The Baffler
Brazil’s Bolsonaro testifies about receiving gifts of Saudi jewelry Anadolu Agency
Biden Administration
Biden admin slammed for ‘breathtaking’ proposal slashing dairy access for low-income moms, kids FOX
What We Learned From The Forgotten Train Disaster That Sparked FEMA The Brockovich Report
2024
The Gaping Hole in the Middle of the Trump Indictment Politico. The deck: “What exactly are the ‘other crimes’ the former president is alleged to have committed that justify bringing the case?” Reminds me of this exchange (from memory) from the great Tomb of Dracula comic:
HORRIFIED BYSTANDER: But what crime has he committed?
DRACULA: Crime?! His very possession of life is his crime!
No time is a bad time to reread Mark Fisher’s Exiting the Vampire Castle.
More on the indictment from John Bolton (!):
Always contemptuous: Donald Trump violates the respect and decorum requested by Judge Juan Merchan in his criminal case NY Daily News. I guess the judge won’t be dismissing Bragg’s “case,” then?
Donald Trump indictment changes 2024 race, but not the way you think FOX
No One Is Above The Law? Give Me A Break The Federalist
Trump Derangement Syndrome Returns Black Agenda Report
Karen McDougal: Who is the second woman in Trump case? BBC. I think there are too many characters on the stage now, as it is.
5 Other Modern Presidents who Should have been Indicted for their Crimes Juan Cole (Re Silc). You can skip the first paragraph. Commentary:
Can’t we indict all ex-Presidents?
— Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) April 2, 2023
Tech
Google’s AI chatbot Bard is still being rushed Business Insider. “Some of the contractors told Insider that they just aren’t given enough time to corroborate and check the most accurate answer.” So how much for “accuracy” then? Say, two bucks an hour?
Cut through the AI disinformation: Stanford’s free report measures trends in artificial intelligence Boing Boing. An appalling piece of puffery; I am surprised at Boing Boing. The “free report” is equally appalling, equally puffery, 365 pages long, and available under Creative Commons license to maximize, er, propagation. Always look for the funders:
Three AI vendors and an “Effective Altruism” NGO. Guys, come on.
AI is entering an era of corporate control The Verge. A different Stanford report.
Developers Are Connecting Multiple AI Agents to Make More ‘Autonomous’ AI Vice
Supply Chain
Russia notched record-high oil sales last week despite sanctions and production cuts Markets Insider
Russia says grain deal being implemented but shipments going to wrong destinations Anadolu Agency
Zeitgeist Watch
Most existing methods found to be ineffective for counteracting conspiracy beliefs Phys.org. Read all the way to the end.
Bob Lee, creator of Cash App and former CTO of Square, stabbed to death TechCrunch
Class Warfare
Drowning in Deposits New Left Review. What the Bearded One calls an “accumulation crisis,” but what I call “too much money sloshing about.”
Are robot waiters the future? Some restaurants think so Associated Press. Franchises, certainly..
Antidote du jour (via CC):
CC writes: “The mother sheep is named Platypus and lives in Ireland. She is shown here with her baby, just born in the last week or so.”
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
