The Strawberry Moon Marks a Sweet Start to Summer Atlas Obscura. This evening.
Thriving Garden in Sealed Bottle Hasn’t Been Watered in Over 40 Years My Modern Met
3M, DuPont Stocks Are Soaring on PFAS Settlement. A Big Overhang Is Gone. Barron’s
The Sackler ruling and the failure of liberal legalism Carl Beijer
Climate
As Ocean Oxygen Levels Dip, Fish Face an Uncertain Future Yale360
Why a Warmer Ocean is Triggering Peru’s Worst Dengue Outbreak Bloomberg
Drought Tightens Grip Across the Corn Belt, 34% of Corn Now Hit with Drought AgWeb
#COVID19
The minimizers have a lot to answer for:
Smart Thermometer–Based Participatory Surveillance to Discern the Role of Children in Household Viral Transmission During the COVID-19 Pandemic JAMA, with headline translated into English: More than 70% of US household COVID spread started with a child, study suggests Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. Remember when conventional wisdom instantly congealed around the claim that children didn’t get Covid? For example:
SARS-CoV-2 pandemic severity in Canada and peer nations (PDF) The Public Health Agency of Canada. From the Conclusion: “Canada’s relatively strong pandemic response during the first two years of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic resulted in large numbers of deaths, hospitalizations and ICU admissions averted relative to responses in the US and UK, and more modest gains relative to France. A disease control stance focussed on elimination rather than mitigation, as was pursued in Australia during the same time period, would have resulted in further health and economic benefits.”
Myth: Natural Immunity is Better than Vaccination Michael Olesen, Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts. “Proudly blocked by V. Prasad.”
Douglas County judge rules driver in fatal 2021 crash not guilty due to COVID symptoms KETV. Commentary: “Ready for your endemic insurance increases?”
Austria not liable for Ischgl ski resort COVID outbreak Deutsche Welle. Remember that superspreader event? Seems like a decade ago.
COVID-19 outbreaks at 7 N.B. long-term care homes after mask mandate for employees lifted CBC. Yes, the last thing they saw was a smile….
The Pandemic Caused a Baby Boom in Red States and a Bust in Blue States Scientfic American
As mpox worries return ahead of Pride, a leather convention offers hope WaPo
China?
China Real Estate: Still very relevant on Earth JP Morgan
Shangri-La Dialogue: the right time to talk is now, US defence chief Lloyd Austin says in swipe at China South China Morning Post
US has more military experience, but China has infrastructure to grow capabilities at a faster rate: Analysts Channel News Asia
An “Axis of Seven” to supplement SCO Indian Punchline (Rev Kev). SCO = Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Myanmar
Can the Sagaing Forum Take Myanmar’s Spring Revolution to the Next Level? The Irrawaddy
The Koreas
On Hallyu London Review of Books
Syraqistan
Pakistan’s always-troubled democracy is on the brink once again Brookings Institution
New Not-So-Cold War
Speech by Secretary Blinken: “Russia’s Strategic Failure and Ukraine’s Secure Future.” U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Russia. Times commentary.
The Importance of Uniform as Ukraine Contemplates an Offensive Larry Johnson, A Son of the American Revolution. More spreadsheet thinking; what is countable is fungible (tanks, troops, training, etc.).
Attacks inside Russia raise questions about next phase of Ukraine war (transcript) PBS
US looking to Japan to buy TNT for Ukraine artillery: report The Hill
Ukraine’s Ticking Nuclear Time Bomb The Daily Beast. Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Idea: Ukraine should stop shelling it.
Russia is spending surprisingly little on its war on Ukraine Insider
Ursula, no ceasefire. Duda, Putin has not lost. OPEC cancels MSM? Newsmax, Moscow or Iowa (video) Alex Christoforou, YouTube. Christoforou says YouTube is going full MiniTrue on his archives, removing videos embarassing to Biden.
Biden Administration
US debt ceiling: Joe Biden says ‘crisis averted’ as he celebrates deal in first Oval Office address South China Morning Post
This Is What Biden Says Is A “Big Win” Lever News
Debt limit deal claws back unspent COVID relief money NPR. Lagging indicator, or leading? Since this is the stupidest timeline, I’d say we clawed back the money just before we’re going to need it. But that’s just me.
2024
Person alleging Biden criminal bribery scheme is a ‘highly credible’ FBI source used since Obama admin: source FOX. Surely not as credible as Steele, however.
Democrats with a small “d”:
Don’t be fooled – Trump’s presidential run is gaining more and more momentum Guardian (Re Silc).
Arizona Supreme Court Rejects GOP Challenge to Mail-in Voting Democracy. On balloting, see NC here.
Spook Country
Israeli agent drowned in Italian boat accident was part of mission targeting Iranian weapons: Media report Anadolu Agency. “Senseless, accidental if you believe in accidents…” –Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow. Read all the way to the end.
Our Famously Free Press
Inside The Meltdown at CNN The Atlantic and Here’s Our Analysis of The Atlantic’s Chris Licht Profile AdWeek. Democrats determined to prevent a second major platforn slipping from their grasp? And, of course, successfully dogpiling a CEO will teach a lesson to lot of other CEOs.
Digital Watch
Peering inside the black box of AI PNAS. Perhaps the opacity is the point? After all, if an AI’s decisions work to the benefit (profit) of its owner, isn’t that all we need to know? Meanwhile, the latest Opera release has a new feature:
Are AI luminaries too freaked out by their creation? Nonzero
The Bezzle
The rare license plates that sell for millions Alts. “People are now paying millions. For a license plate.” Works for the bitcoin ordinals!
The 420
Why Rastafari smoke marijuana for sacramental reasons and the faith’s other beliefs AP
Gunz
Former Gun Company Executive Explains Roots of America’s Gun Violence Epidemic ProPublica
Zeitgeist Watch
The QAnon Shaman Is Out of Prison and Selling Yoga Leggings Now Vice (Furzy Mouse). Nature is healing.
Utah primary schools ban Bible for ‘vulgarity and violence’ BBC (Brunches with Cats).
Imperial Collapse Watch
Lockheed Martin Boosts Earnings Outlook Citing Billions Of Innocent People Still Left To Kill The Onion
‘Do I have regrets? … Hell yeah,’ says Davenport mayor after partial collapse of Iowa building AP. Too easy….
Class Warfare
The Perfect Storm That Created the Housing Crisis CityWatch
Year-over-year Rent Growth Continues to Decelerate Calculated Risk
Dockworkers Shut Down, Slow Cargo Operations at West Coast Ports WSJ
‘Lost’ and ‘Dark Crystal’ Writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach on AI in Hollywood and Why TV Writers Must Be on Set Variety
ChatGPT took their jobs. Now they walk dogs and fix air conditioners. Washington Post
The Biggest Problem With The Western Left Is That It Doesn’t Exist Caitlin Johnstone (Rev Kev).
High-flown English New Left Review. Martin Amis.
The Other Side of the Needle’s Eye Plough
Antidote du Jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
