Hibernating bears don’t get blood clots. Now scientists know why ScienceNews
Underwater volcanic eruption in Tonga was most powerful natural explosion in a century ZME Science
$200,000 in dimes stolen from trailer parked at Walmart in Northeast Philly, police say PhillyVoice
Climate/Environment
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS SUE TO STOP FRACKING IN OHIO STATE PARKS The Allegheny Front
After infiltrating Standing Rock, TigerSwan pitched its ‘counterinsurgency’ playbook to other oil companies Grist
Wildfire season is starting early, with three major fires burning across Nebraska Nebraska Examiner
Water
TikTok Is Obsessed With Water. Experts Are Concerned Rolling Stone
ChatGPT needs to ‘drink’ a water bottle’s worth of fresh water for every 20 to 50 questions you ask, researchers say Business Insider
Urban water crises driven by elites’ unsustainable consumption Nature
#COVID-19
XBB.1.6 picks up speed in US
The WHO’s technical advisory group on COVID vaccine composition met in the middle of March in to review the performance of bivalent COVID vaccines and establish a timeline for a new recommendations for 2023.
Mmm’k https://t.co/6VfxfoLwAo
— Jess (@MeetJess) April 14, 2023
New (Itchy) COVID Symptom Reported as ‘Arcturus’ Fuels NY Area Spread NBC New York
NYT Blames US Public for Collapse of Pandemic Safety Net FAIR
Old Blighty
RMT and RCN set to strike again – as nurses stick two fingers up at their union The Canary
“Are you now or have you ever been a supporter of Jeremy Corbyn?” The Left Berlin
The Koreas
S. Korea, U.S., Japan agree to hold missile defense, anti-sub drills regularly to counter N.K. threats Yonhap
China?
China trade: ‘surprise’ exports surge led by Asean shipments, fall of imports eases SCMP
The Perilous Path of Trying to Keep China Down Eunomia
Montana close to becoming 1st state to completely ban TikTok AP
Is US-Vietnam pledge to boost ties after Antony Blinken’s Hanoi visit mere ‘diplomatic symbolism’? SCMP
New Not-So-Cold War
Ukrainians said to pull back in Bakhmut as Moscow launches new push Reuters
Ukraine needs effective security guarantees even before joining NATO – Zelenskyy Ukrainska Pravda
Why China’s Leader Hasn’t Called the President of Ukraine New York Times. A mystery.
***
China urges the US to correct its wrongdoings with Russia-related sanctions against Chinese firms ‘typically unilateral, illegal’ Global Times
Hungary Quits Russian-led Bank Day After US Sanctions AFP
Hungary’s prime minister called U.S. a main adversary, leaked documents say NBC News
Orban calls US a friend after he pulls out of Russian-dominated IIB Intellinews
Italy’s Meloni acknowledges ‘anomalies’ in Russian escape AP
***
Russian labour crisis looming as unemployment falls and emigration rises Intellinews
Russian oil exports rise above pre-Ukraine war levels as India and China take 90% of Moscow’s crude The Independent
L’affaire Leaker
Former CIA chief says Greene ‘not fit to hold public office’ The Hill
US officials knew of more Chinese spy balloons, according to Pentagon leaks The Guardian
Look what’s going on here:
First the NYT (jointly with CIA-front Bellingcat) and WPost hunted down, exposed and ensured the arrest of the 21-year-old leaker.
Now they’re having a party with the docs, publishing one “EXCLUSIVE” after the next as if they bravely “obtained” them: pic.twitter.com/Izqn5mtXHq
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 15, 2023
Nintendo Wants Discord Subpoenaed To Reveal Leaker Of Unreleased ‘Zelda’ Artbook Techdirt
Syraqistan
Analysis: Fighting erupts in Sudan after months of tension Al Jazeera
Sudan: US warns Khartoum over allowing Russia to build Red Sea naval base Middle East Eye. From September.
Israel: Will crisis-plagued Netanyahu start a war to save his skin? Middle East Eye
Israel seeks direct US support for anti-Iran operations: Pentagon leaks The Cradle
2024
Republican donor retreat suggests Donald Trump is far from a coronation Politico
Mike Pence was booed at an NRA event, while Trump was greeted with a 2-minute standing ovation Business Insider
Trump Rakes in Over $15 Million in Post-Indictment Fundraising Haul Newsweek
Biden’s poll numbers look grim as he preps for reelection bid Politico
Democrats en déshabillé
Railroad Workers United: “We Would Never Concede Our Right to Strike” Jacobin. A response to Dems, such as AOC who said she was acting on the wishes of RWU when she voted to break the strike.
Can Movements Stop Politicians From Selling Out? Dissent Magazine
The Supremes
HOW THE COURT IS PITTING WORKERS AGAINST EACH OTHER The Law and Political Economy Project
Police State Watch
Crypto-Loving Cop Mayor Puts Robot Dogs Back on the NYPD Gizmodo
The NYPD Can Now Shoot GPS Trackers at Your Car Jalopnik
Abortion
Home Pregnancy Tests Could Now Put Women in Danger Wired
Imperial Collapse Watch
Ex-C.I.A. Psychologist Re-enacts Interrogation Techniques for Guantánamo Court New York Times
Losing Wars and Losing Recruits Counterpunch
U.S. COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS DESTABILIZING AFRICAN NATIONS The Intercept
Class Warfare
SVB bailout for everyone except affordable housing projects Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
Rutgers union gets core demand met as ‘unusual’ faculty strike draws attention nationally NorthJersey.com
World Bank Cafeteria Workers Struggle To Afford Food Or Rent, Union Says DCist
Tech
Parler shuts down as new owner says conservative platform needs big revamp Ars Technica
AI
No Stress: Superyacht that uses AI to monitor power consumption Interesting Engineering
‘Overemployed’ Hustlers Exploit ChatGPT To Take On Even More Full-Time Jobs Vice
Elon Musk founds new AI company called X.AI The Verge
The Bezzle
The End of Faking It in Silicon Valley New York Times. We’ll see.
Man gets prison time after feds discover $3.4 billion in stolen Bitcoin hidden inside a Cheetos popcorn tin and underground safe Business Insider
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
