Sand cat: the amazing animal that doesn’t need to drink water ZME Science
Father of hundreds gets sperm donation ban from Dutch court Reuters
Is There a Wrong Way to Take a Midday Nap? MedPage Today
Climate/Environment
Climate change: Spain breaks record temperature for April BBC. (Kevin W)
‘Endless record heat’ in Asia as highest April temperatures recorded The Guardian
Swiss National Bank rejects demands of climate change activists Reuters
TotalEnergies urges rejection of climate resolution submitted by shareholders Reuters
BP shareholders reject climate activist resolution but support grows Reuters. (Kevin W)
#COVID-19
“We’re letting you know that several people who attended the [Epidemic Intelligence Service] Conference have tested positive for COVID-19,” a CDC branch chief wrote in an email to staff on Friday.https://t.co/5OzTB7bmgE
— Soo Youn (@lalasoo) April 28, 2023
Thread. In August 2022 we learned:
“COVID-19 may be linked to a rise in bacterial brain infections in children. Doctors at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital of Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Mich., saw a worrisome 236% rise in these infections & wondered why.” https://t.co/3ull9SOePs
— Laura Miers (@LauraMiers) April 28, 2023
Fatal fungus outbreak worries Nevada lawmakers, more help wanted Las Vegas Review Journal. Separate from above.
Old Blighty
All state schools in England may shut in ‘unprecedented’ coordinated strikes The Guardian
The Lucky Country
SE Asia schools Australia in art of strategic equilibrium Asia Times
India
India accuses China of violating border agreements AP
The Koreas
There Is No Case for South Korean Nuclear Weapons Eunomia. The deck: “The U.S. would also be a poor ally if it allowed one of its principal Asian allies to make a serious error like this.”
China?
Congressional China panel preps proposals to rapidly arm Taiwan Defense News
Taiwan detects mainland Chinese combat drones circling the island ‘for the first time’ South China Morning Post
US friend-shoring hurts China’s industrial profits Asia Times
New Not-So-Cold War
U.S. Wires Ukraine With Radiation Sensors to Detect Nuclear Blasts New York Times. The deck: “The federal National Nuclear Security Administration is setting up an advanced network that can verify an attacker’s identity.”
***
China shifts gear on Ukraine mediation Indian Punchline (K Warner)
Kremlin spokesman terms Xi-Zelensky call as ‘sovereign matter’ for China, Ukraine TASS
The EU can’t find most of Russia’s $300bn of frozen reserves Intellinews
Ukraine warns grain import bans play into Russia’s war propaganda Euractiv
Kazakhstan spooked by US warning of secondary sanctions Eurasianet
***
Denmark’s Armed Forces confirm Russian ship was seen near the site of Nord Stream explosion Ukrainska Pravda. So now it wasn’t just six guys on a yacht?
US corporations cash in on Ukraine’s oil and gas Geopolitical Economy Report
India is on track to become Europe’s largest supplier of refined fuels this month while simultaneously buying record amounts of Russian crude, according to data from analytics firm Kpler https://t.co/6EaSP9Bt9N
— Bloomberg Energy (@BloombergNRG) April 28, 2023
Is Serbia a pro-Putin outpost? Unherd
Soviet Operational Art: Troubled Beginnings Big Serge Thought
Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party backs Erdogan’s rival for president Al Jazeera
South of the Border
US sanctions Mexican resort timeshare fraud linked to cartel AP
Syraqistan
Unease in Israel as US depletes reserve stockpiles to fuel Ukraine war: Report The Cradle
Iran FM says embassies in Saudi Arabia, Iran to open ‘within days’ Dawn
B-a-a-a-a-d Banks
First Republic most likely headed for FDIC receivership, sources say; shares drop 40% CNBC
Fed report on SVB collapse faults bank’s managers — and central bank regulators CNBC. The full report.
Biden Administration
Biden has a new pitch to reup a controversial surveillance program. And Republicans might like it. Politico
Government report shows steep decline in FBI’s ‘backdoor searches’ on Americans Politico. The deck: “The data strengthens the administration’s case that the bureau doesn’t need new civil liberties safeguards from Congress. But early reactions suggest lawmakers remain unswayed.”
The Orbán government acquired the secret photos and emails of Hunter Biden Daily News Hungary
2024
Ron DeSantis in Guantánamo: how questions about his past haunt the Florida governor The Guardian. Poor Ron.
The DeSantis School The Baffler
Jan. 6 convict embraces Trump at campaign event, calls for Pence’s execution The Hill
Trump Could Definitely Beat Biden New York Magazine
Democrats en déshabillé
American Liberalism Is Exhausted Jacobin
The Supremes
U.S. Supreme Court justices take lavish gifts — then raise the bar for bribery prosecutions Ohio Capital Journal. (Paul R): “Dept. of you can’t make this up.”
Jane Roberts, who is married to Chief Justice John Roberts, made $10.3 million in commissions from elite law firms, whistleblower documents show Insider
Alito: I Know Who Likely Leaked the Dobbs Decision Jonathan Turley
Healthcare
FDA warns of security vulnerability in Illumina’s DNA sequencing machines STAT
Illumina to chase $100M-plus in cuts as margins narrow Fierce Biotech
‘More than half of my paycheck goes to rent’: young US doctors push to unionize The Guardian
Police State Watch
“A way to throw kids away”: Texas’ troubled juvenile justice department is sending more children to adult prisons Texas Tribune
THE DOJ IS USING “FOREIGN AGENTS” ACCUSATIONS TO REPRESS BLACK LIBERATION ORGANIZERS The Real News Network
Resisting AFRICOM and beyond MR Online
AI?
Judge slams Tesla for claiming Musk quotes captured on video may be deepfakes Ars Technica (Kevin W)
Tencent Cloud announces Deepfakes-as-a-Service for $145 The Register
Abortion
Nebraska abortion ban tied to cardiac activity falls one vote short; 20-week limit remains intact Nebraska Examiner
Imperial Collapse Watch
Industry Out of Phase With Supercomputers IEEE (ctlieee). The deck: “Chip-industry changes threaten U.S. supercomputing.”
Supply Chain
Threat to freighters as parts shortages hobble airlines, manufacturers and MRO The Loadstar
Class Warfare
UAW president ‘disgusted’ by automaker buyout: Stellantis to offer deals to 33K workers ClickOnDetroit
Private Equity Is Gutting America — and Getting Away With It New York Times
‘Dirty Dozen’ Dangerous Employers Named for Workers Memorial Day Labor Notes
Tech
Washington passes law requiring consent before companies collect health data The Verge
The Bezzle
Coinbase’s “Wells Response” Vs. SEC: Is The Crypto Firm Digging Its Own Grave? The Deep Dive
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
