Something Strange Happens to Wolves Infected by an Infamous Mind-Altering Parasite Science Alert
Taking Stock: Dollar Assets, Gold, and Official Foreign Exchange Reserves Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Liberty Street Economics
Would Returning to the Gold Standard Resolve Our Most Pressing Monetary Problems? Charles Hugh Smith, Or Two Minds. No.
CalPERS opposes Elon Musk’s $56 billion pay package amid shareholder discontent WION
The CRE non-crisis rolls on FT
Climate
US and China must take lead in climate fight despite their competitive relationship, top Beijing envoy says South China Morning Post
In search of a market-driven price on carbon S&P Global. Let me know how that works out….
Trees in Distress St Louis Post-Dispatch
Proposed Cooling Policy Would Cause Air Conditioning Usage to Rise, Risking Blackouts RAND
Water
Accusations flare as Mexico City’s water crisis approaches ‘day zero’ Bnamericas
Dozens of Alaskan rivers and streams turn orange, visible from space Interesting Engineering
Understanding Water Advisories The Brockovich Report
Syndemics
Officials investigate unusual surge in flu viruses in Northern California San Francisco Chronicle
The bird flu vaccine is made with eggs. That has scientists worried. CBS
China?
Beware forecasts of doom for Taiwan under Lai Brookings Institution
Debt-Trap Diplomacy J-STOR Daily
Chinese scientists cure diabetes using stem cells in world first NextShak. But if we cure it, what happens t our rents on insulin? Think. people!
Myanmar
Myanmar’s ethnic armies consolidate strongholds as junta weakens, reports say Reuters
Vast concessions threaten Malaysia’s forests: Report Channel News Asia
India
Delhi ‘unbearable’ as temperatures near 50C BBC
Power demand peaks in heatwave-hit Delhi, but temperature readings may be ‘error’ Channel News Asia
Syraqistan
The US-built pier in Gaza broke apart. Here’s how we got here and what might be next Orlando Sentinel
Israel says it seized key Gaza-Egypt corridor as Rafah ground offensive intensifies France24
Pushed to the edge, starved and exhausted, Rafah IDPs struggle to survive The New Arab
Attacks on ICC Show ‘Condemning Hamas’ Is Really About Absolving Israel FAIR
Israel shrugs off UNSC bid to ‘stop the killing’ to continue Rafah assault Al Jazeera
European Disunion
Walking France: Avignon to Pont-Saint-Esprit Chris Arnade, Walking the World
Dear Old Blighty
Favoured Nation New Left Review
Labour promises to hit 18-week NHS waiting target within five years BBC. Ambitious!
New Not-So-Cold War
NATO meets as calls grow to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia France24. Mercouris, more recent than any of these, says striking targets in Russia is coming off the boil.
US Secretary of State hints they may allow Ukraine to strike Russian territory with US weapons and Poland allows Ukraine to use Polish-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia Ukrainska Pravda
NATO Ramps Up Figleaf of Cross-Border Strikes Simplicius the Thinker(s)
U.S. concerned about Ukraine strikes on Russian nuclear radar stations WaPo
How to Win in Ukraine: Pour It On, and Don’t Worry About Escalation RAND. But from May 22.
Ukraine war: influential Russian think tank proposes a ‘demonstrative’ nuclear explosion South China Morning Post
Nato has just 5% of air defences needed to protect eastern flank FT
Image shows a 7-layer defensive line planned for the border between NATO and Russia Insider. Awesome. I assume a PowerPoint comes with it?
NATO Holds First Meeting Of Critical Undersea Infrastructure Network Naval News
Delivery of US weapons to Ukraine helping stabilize frontline, Blinken says Reuters
Soldiers in Ukraine say US-supplied tanks have made them targets for Russian strikes CNN. Oopsie.
Increasingly Effective Russian Electronic Warfare Turning the Tide on the Frontlines – Reports Military Watch
Georgia’s “foreign agents” law is now a reality. When will it take effect and who will it impact? JAM News
Hundreds of Georgian NGOs pledge to defy ‘foreign influence’ law Al Jazeera
Global Elections
South Africa counts ballots in most competitive election since apartheid France24
2024
Jury Instructions & Charges (PDF), People v Donald J. Trump
AIPAC offshoot spending heavily to beat Cori Bush in her primary Politico. Election interference.
The Supremes
82. The Supreme Court’s Four Officers One First
Spook Country
The obscure federal intelligence bureau that got Vietnam, Iraq, and Ukraine right Vox
The Bezzle
Courts rather than arbitrators to decide whether Dogecoin dispute goes to arbitration SCOTUSblog
Exclusive: The Atlantic, Vox Media ink licensing, product deals with OpenAI Axios
Publishing AI Slop Is a Choice Daring Fireball
Digital Watch
Google Researchers Say AI Now Leading Disinformation Vector (and Are Severely Undercounting the Problem) 404 Media. “If you didn’t want to go to Milwaukee, why did you get on the train?” –Father Emil, A Prairie Home Companion (from memory).
Google confirms the leaked Search documents are real The Verge
US judge makes ‘unthinkable’ pitch to use AI to interpret legal texts Reuters
Gavin Newsom warns against perils of over-regulating AI Politico
Boeing
FAA appears poised to grant Boeing extension on safety report Leeham News & Analysis
The 420
K-Pop The Baffler. Ketamine.
Imperial Collapse Watch
Jeffrey Sachs: The Untold History of the Cold War, CIA Coups Around the World, and COVID’s Origin (video) Tucker Carlson, YouTube
Can The B-21 Raider Save America’s Shrinking Bomber Force? 1945. No.
Class Warfare
How Tens of Thousands of Grad Workers Are Organizing Themselves Labor Notes
Seattle isn’t claiming Tukwila’s migrant crisis. But it did start here Seattle Times
Antidote du jour, via JB:
“A little bird singing in the cold.”
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
