Patient readers, I apologize that this Links is a bit lengthy and there are several long reads. In an excess of zeal, I over-collected link candidates, and I found it too hard to let go of some of them. Take what you like, and leave the rest! –lambert
The Economics Of Bee Farms Alts.co
Felipe M Medalla: Beyond just a bellwether – the capital markets as catalyst for dynamic and inclusive economic growth Bank of International Settlements
Why is it so hard to buy things that work well? Dan Luu (Jason Boxman). Very dense, very long, very thought-provoking. “[I]f we think about things from the vendor side of things, there’s little incentive to produce working products since the combination of the fog of war plus making false claims about a product working seems to be roughly as good as making a working product…, and it’s much cheaper.
Climate
A major showdown is brewing over what counts as a carbon credit Bloomberg
EV Makers Confront the ‘Nickel Pickle’ WSJ
Solar panels – an eco-disaster waiting to happen? BBC
The money behind the coming wave of climate litigation FT
#COVID19
Cute puppy. The video is worth watching:
While I’ve been busy with my eye surgeries, John Campbell has been busy making misinformation videos. There’s too many for us to cover them all, but one that particularly caught our attention was a video about the WHO, vaccination, and multiple sclerosis.https://t.co/ldE9nSgl14
— Dr Susan Oliver (PhD) (@DrSusanOliver1) June 5, 2023
(More confirmation here.) A soothing bedside manner isn’t everything….
Face masks to return at Tour de France to limit COVID-19 cases in the peloton Cycling News. “Baggy Blues,” by the photos. Better than nothing!
Molnupiravir Use and 30-Day Hospitalizations or Death in Previously Uninfected Non-hospitalized High-risk Population with COVID-19 (accepted manuscript) The Journal of Infectious Diseases. From the Abstract: “We used a matched cohort study design to determine the rate of hospitalization or death within 30 days of COVID-19 diagnosis among [Molnupiravir (MPV)] treated and untreated controls. Participants were non-hospitalized, previously uninfected Veterans…. A significant benefit was observed in asymptomatic but not in symptomatic persons…. MPV was not associated with a reduction in hospitalization or death within 30 days of COVID-19 diagnosis. A subgroup of patients presenting without symptoms experienced a benefit.” Sure would be helpful if we had testing!
The Scientist and the Bats Pro Publica. Via Mike the Mad Biologist, who comments: “This is the kind of research that dies with budget cuts.”
China?
China – The number of new COVID-19 cases in Beijing has nearly quadrupled since previous week – June 2, 2023 FluTrackers
Iron ore to the moon as China stimulates property! Macrobusiness
America Is Winning Against China in Oceania RAND
India
Odisha Train Accident: A Monumental Tragedy Madras Courier. Well worth a read:
Like East Palestine for stupid — and greedy?– but several orders of magnitude worse. 288+ lives lost, 700+ injuries, due to a signal failure (not just a hot box), which calls the safety of the entire rail system into question (if it was not already).
In Maharashtra, ‘Upper’ Caste Men Kill Youth Who Ensured Village Celebrated Ambedkar Jayanti The Wire
Syraqistan
Rule-based, predictable Turkish economy key for prosperity, says new finance minister Anadalu Agency. The more I hear the term “rules-based,” the more sinister it seems. Who makes the rules? And how?
Who is looting Yemen’s oil, and where does it all go? The Cradle
European Disunion
German police raids on Last Generation climate activists spike recruitment France24
Poland opposition stages major anti-government protest Deutsche Welle
Dear Old Blighty
Eight reasons why the Post Office compensation scheme is a scandal Tax Policy Associates
NHS Glasgow bosses admit paying private investigators to spy on relatives of dead patients Daily Record
Our New Not-So-Cold War
The Battle of Bakhmut: Postmortem Big Serge Thought. Grab a cup of coffee, but well worth a read.
Pro-Ukraine fighters attack southern Russia; offer to trade POWs Al Jazeera
What is Ukraine doing in the town of Shebekino, Belgorod oblast and what consequences may we expect? Gilbert Doctorow
Satellite Images Reveal Russian Defenses for Ukraine Counteroffensive WSJ
Biden’s Adviser: Ukraine to achieve success and take back strategically significant territory Ukrainska Pravda
Ukraine’s military pleads for silence around long-awaited counteroffensive: ‘Plans love silence’ Globe and Mail. So why did Big Z go and get himself interviewed at WSJ?
NATO’s big gamble in Ukraine has failed Zorawar Daulet Singh, Money Control
Use of NATO arms for attack in Russia raises doubts about Kyiv’s controls WaPo
Inside the high-stakes clash for control of Ukraine’s story Semafor
Russia behind 225% spike in shadowy oil transfers at sea Hellenic Shipping News. Willing seller, willing buyer…
Biden Administration
Non-binary ex-Biden official Sam Brinton arrested for yet another baggage theft FOX. They should have worked through Hunter!
Ex-Anheuser-Busch exec reveals how lefty investment firms pressure companies to go woke NY Post. For some definition of “lefty.”
B-a-a-a-d Banks
US banks prepare for losses in rush for commercial property exit FT
Big Banks Could Face 20% Boost to Capital Requirements WSJ
Digital Watch
Failed Expectations: A Deep Dive Into the Internet’s 40 Years of Evolution CircleID
The Politics of Technology: Stochastic Parrots Joe Costello, Life in the 21st Century
Why the AI boom is not a dotcom redux FT. No, it’s even more stupid and greedy.
Healthcare
US cancer drug shortage forces doctors to ration life-saving treatments FT (KLG). KLG: “How can a generic drug be “unavailable”? Or any essential drug for that matter.”
Global transmission suitability maps for dengue virus transmitted by Aedes aegypti from 1981 to 2019 Nature
Groves of Academe
Curricular Wars and Averting Auschwitz The Wire
As AI-Enabled Cheating Roils Colleges, Professors Turn to an Ancient Testing Method WSJ. Good.
Our Famously Free Press
Breaking News at the End of the Earth Esquire
Guillotine Watch
Company Insiders Made Billions Before SPAC Bust WSJ. Good thing I was sitting down.
Marc Heu Patisserie Paris: A place for Hmong grandmas to shy teenagers Sahan Journal. In St Paul, MN.
Class Warfare
A Billionaire Conserving Montana Is Funding the Group Bulldozing the Atlanta Forest In These Times. Quite a portfolio!
Directors Guild Avoids Strike, Makes Deal with Streamers and Studios Gizmodo
Quite a statement from management:
Just give the workers what they want. They more than deserve it. Why is this so hard?
United Airlines pilots union votes to authorize a strike vote Reuters
Why you don’t have to worry about a US airline strike disrupting your summer travel plans CNN
The frictionless life goes on FT. The deck: “Deglobalisation is hardly inconveniencing me at all.” And speaking of the frictionless life–
AFL-CIO Budget Is a Stark Illustration of the Decline of Organizing Splinter
Falling Behind: The Growing Gap in Life Expectancy Between the United States and Other Countries, 1933–2021 American Journal of Public Health. From the Abtract: “The US life expectancy disadvantage began in the 1950s and has steadily worsened over the past 4 decades. Dozens of globally diverse countries have outperformed the United States. Causal factors appear to have been concentrated in the Midwest and South.” For some definition of “causal factors.”
Escape from the Market Boston Review
Mathematicians Find Hidden Structure in a Common Type of Space Wired
The Wonder Waller Barley. “Drystone walling brought me peace.”
Antidote du Jour (via):
Bonus Antidote:
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
