Dragonflies swarm beachgoers at Rhode Island’s Misquamicut Beach WCBB. It’s an annual event.
Macro problems on the horizon Splash 247
US consumers show signs of flagging, companies and analysts warn FT
Big Law Confronts Tail Risk Threat to Private Equity Bankruptcy Bloomberg
Winemaker SPAC with Dozens of Brands, Result of PE-Firm Backed Rollup, Files for Bankruptcy 3 Years after SPAC Merger Wolf Street
Odd Lots Newsletter: Maybe the Fed Is Too Data Dependent? Bloomberg
Climate
Huge California wildfire tears through 5,000 acres every hour BBC
Generative AI requires massive amounts of power and water, and the aging U.S. grid can’t handle the load CNBC
Complex life on Earth may be much older than thought BBC
Earth’s plate tectonics fired up hundreds of millions of years earlier than we thought, ancient crystals reveal Space.com
Syndemics
Coronavirus: Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf says coronavirus approach ‘has failed’ BBC
Tourists warned of Covid surge in Greece, Cyprus, Portugal and Malta The Mirror
China?
China’s population facing ‘largest absolute population loss’, UN says South China Morning Post
ASEAN top diplomats discuss South China Sea disputes, Myanmar fighting Al Jazeera
Posing as ‘Alicia,’ This Man Scammed Hundreds Online. He Was Also a Victim. WSJ
Pakistan under pressure to renegotiate hefty Chinese power deals Nikkei Asia. Commentary:
There’s a whole genre of videos on TikTok showing off the expensive homes and lifestyles of the super-rich in Pakistan. This is in context of a country where most people are poor to the point of food insecurity. You can imagine the warped political economy that allows this. pic.twitter.com/M5JuHOje87
— Murtaza Hussain (@MazMHussain) July 27, 2024
The Koreas
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is driving South Korea arms industry boom South China Morning Post
K-Pop Reimagined Bloomberg
Indonesia moves to reduce Chinese ownership of nickel projects FT
Syraqistan
‘They were just kids. What did they do wrong?’: In Majdal Shams, a town caught between Israel and Hezbollah mourns its young CNN. Commentary:
“You murderer, get out of here!”
Syrian Druze residents of the town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights expel Israeli Finance Minister and other members of the Likud (Netanyahu’s party) from the funeral of the 12 youths who were killed after a missile fell on a… pic.twitter.com/UeQ4AXj6Zb
— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) July 28, 2024
Ministers authorize Netanyahu, Gallant to order retaliation for deadly Golan strike Times of Israel
All-out War in the North? Israel’s Reaction to Majdal Shams Attack Will Be the Deciding Factor Haaretxz
Forecasting the Probability of War Between Israel and Hezbollah RAND
Erdogan says Turkey might enter Israel to help Palestinians Reuters
Which countries have sanctioned Israeli settlers – and does it mean much? Al Jazeera
Colonialist pr0n:
US medics who volunteered in Gaza demand arms embargo over ‘unbearable cruelty’ inflicted by Israel Guardian
European Disunion
‘Naked blue man’ breaks his silence over ‘grossly offensive’ Last Supper parody at Olympics opening ceremony – as French Catholic church blasts the ‘derision and mockery of Christianity’ Daily Mail
EU firms resist European Commission plan to screen private investment in China South China Morning Post
GDP per capita in the five largest European economies FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Dear Old Blighty
Nation ‘broke & broken’, says new UK govt as it plans to repair economy Business Standard
Rachel Reeves is going for broke Funding the Future. Commentary:
New Not-So-Cold War
Russia Punches Through Weakened Lines in Eastern Ukraine NYT
Russia’s Iskander-M Missile System Ends Month of Major Successes with Critical Strike on Ukraine’s Rocket Artillery: HIMARS and Tanks Lost Military Watch
Only ‘brute force’ can compel draft-age Ukrainians in Europe to go home and fight: ‘Sputnik Globe’ interview Gilbert Doctorow
Only six Ukrainian pilots trained to fly new F-16 fighter jets The Telegraph
Ukraine Would Lose a Quarter of its Territory if Ceasefire Called Now Kyiv Post
UBN: Ukrainian business confidence falling as war pressures mount BNE Intellinews
Putin Warns of New Cold War Triggered by US Missiles in Germany Bloomberg
Subscriber Mailbag – Answers (7/28/24) Simplicius the Thinker(s)
South of the Border
Latin American leaders react with mixed responses to Venezuela election results Anadolu Agency
2024
Harris claimed Biden was completely fit to continue in office, despite many documented encounters in past year FOX
The Bezzle
Inside the Harvard Business School Ponzi Scheme NYT
Why many nonprofit (wink, wink) hospitals are rolling in money WaPo
Digital Watch
Dear Google, who wants an AI-written fan letter? TechCrunch
TikTok to Ban Some Criticisms of Zionism Following Pressure from NGO Backed by Former Israeli Intelligence Officials Lee Fang
Secure Boot is completely broken on 200+ models from 5 big device makers Ars Technica
Column: Why hugely profitable corporations won’t spend enough to keep hackers from stealing your private info LA Times
It’s not just Boeing. Challenges mount for Airbus and aviation industry Seattle Times
Supply Chain
Dark fleet additions see Cook Islands become a top 30 flag Splash 247
Indian oil importers’ thirst for Russian crude drives dark fleet demand Seatrade Maritime News
Imperial Collapse Watch
“Raiders, Rulers, and Traders: The Horse and the Rise of Empires” by David Chaffetz Asian Review of Books
Class Warfare
Where are the world’s millionaires and how is wealth divided globally? Al Jazeera
Bosses regain the upper hand in hiring FT
Top pilots’ union sounds alarm as regulators consider smaller crew sizes Guardian
The spectacular rise and surprising staying power of the George Foreman Grill The Hustle
Antidote du jour (Derek Keats):”
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
