Octopus Intelligence Is Unlike Anything We Know Mind Matters (David L)
Purr-fectly unexpected: Cat-astrophe as nail tech invades cat café Thaiger (furzy)
Kelping is a ‘global phenomenon’ sweeping the world of humpback whales, scientists say Live Science (David L)
Sea Lion Escapes From Central Park Zoo Enclosure During Flooding New York Times (David L). On the NYC flooding generally, see New York City: State of emergency declared over flash flooding BBC (furzy)
Did animal evolution begin with a predatory lifestyle? PhysOrg
Earthworms contribute significantly to global food production Nature (Dr. Kevin)
An Invasive Mosquito Threatens Catastrophe in Africa New York Times (Dr. Kevin)
Spider Venom That Causes Penile Necrosis Could Work as an Alternative to Viagra ScienceAlert. Chuck L: “Guys, inspect a banana bunch carefully before picking it up.”
FDA Wants to Oversee Lab Tests It Says Put Patients ‘At Risk’ New York Times (Kevin W).
Decreasing biodiversity may promote spread of viruses: Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Dr. Kevin)
The ends of knowledge aeon
#COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers pro-atherogenic inflammatory responses in human coronary vessels Nature (ma)
Distinguishing features of Long COVID identified through immune profiling Nature (furzy)
I have asked the Covid Brain Trust about this tweet. One of my concerns is that Covid bad effects are often attributed to the vaccines, but this cohort is cancer survivors in many cases taking immunosuppressive drugs and thus regularly monitored:
Professor of Oncology at St George’s Hospital Medical School, London: “At the end of last year I reported that I was seeing melanoma patients who had been stable for years relapse after their first booster (their third injection). I was told it was merely a coincidence and to… pic.twitter.com/YZ3b4BRo52
— Robin Monotti (@robinmonotti) September 29, 2023
Climate/Environment
Desalination system could produce freshwater that is cheaper than tap water MIT Technology Review (David L)
Louisiana saltwater intrusion declared a federal emergency Axios
China?
U.S. corn prices slump as top buyer China turns to Brazil Nikkei. Oops!
Alarm in Taiwan as online map appears to show PLA ‘Trojan horse’ flight South China Morning Post
India
India’s not the China alternative Wall Street thinks Asia Times (Kevin W)
*India 2018, Justin Trudeau invited a terrorist for dinner*
•Canadian PM Justin Trudeau was in India for a week-long trip in 2018.
•Justin Trudeau was hosting an official dinner at the Canadian High Commissioner’s residence in New Delhi.
•Jaspal Atwal, a terrorist convicted… pic.twitter.com/bsEmgSzAQu
— Facts (@BefittingFacts) September 30, 2023
European Disunion
Slovaks vote in tight election as ex-PM Fico eyes return DW
Hungary, Poland didn’t attend meeting on Ukrainian agricultural exports – European Commission Interfax
New Not-So-Cold War
Russia has decided not to restore some of the cities in the new regions Orenda News
In a shift, McCarthy floats a clean stopgap without Ukraine aid The Hill
Ukraine Receives Last of Promised Western Tank Classes with Abrams Deliveries: How Will They Be Deployed? Military Watch
The New Atlas LIVE: Mark Sleboda on West Pivots to “Long War” in Ukraine, Industry to Decide Victor Brian Berletic, YouTube. This is very long but Sleboda is energetic and has lots of factoids about battlefield issues. Big takeaway is he thinks Russia will take a lot longer to subdue Ukraine than the likes of Scott Ritter and Douglas Macgregor think. Since Sleboda is in Moscow, this may reflect Russia managing expectations of its citizens way down so as to avoid negative surprises.
Russia-Ukraine war live: Ex-Prigozhin aide to oversee volunteer fighters Aljazeera
Canada’s honoring of Nazi vet exposes Ottawa’s longstanding Ukraine policy Grayzone. From mid-week, still germane.
I don’t think North Americans today grasp how common this old racist notion of Russians as “Asiatic/Mongols therefore bad barbarians who threaten western civilization” is among east/central Europeans + Georgians—not just meathead nationalists, but also liberal/NGO “democrats” https://t.co/2JSStS06n9
— Mark Ames (@MarkAmesExiled) September 29, 2023
Armenia-Azerbaijan
It’s 1.30am here in Goris, Armenia near the border with Nagorno-Karabakh.4 buses just came in with more Armenian families. One minister here told me over 100,000 people have crossed into Armenia, nearly 85% of the total population. “It’s a modern genocide” he said. pic.twitter.com/XODwSZpyt4
— Bel Trew (@Beltrew) September 29, 2023
An image from an Azerbaijani stamp issued in 2020, showing a special exterminator for Nagorno-Karabakh.
You remember posters depicting a whole race as vermin from somewhere? https://t.co/pDsUbc5ydA pic.twitter.com/EwdvIYD0ty— Janine ♰ (@JanineE1) September 30, 2023
Syraqistan
Iran plans to build oil refinery in central Syria in partnership with Venezuela The Cradle
New footage from 26 September showing a US convoy, roughly 2 kilometers long, looting Syrian oil near Qamishli, moving east towards the Semalka border crossing and heading for Iraqi Kurdistan. pic.twitter.com/6E1d8CwTXh
— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) September 29, 2023
Big Brother is Watching You Watch
Does US privacy regulation trump a state’s biometrics law? Supreme Court to decide Biometric Update< Kia and Hyundai Blame TikTok and Instagram For Their Cars Getting Stolen Vice
Imperial Collapse Watch
>U.S. ‘Leadership’ Isn’t Necessary or Desirable Daniel Larison
Empty Chair Diplomacy 2.0 at the United Nations Counnterpunch
SCOTT RITTER LIVE: WHAT WILL THE END OF WAR IN UKRAINE LOOK LIKE? YouTube. ZOMG, liste to the four minutes staring at 1:19:30 on the India-Middle East Economic Corridor proposed by Biden.
Trump
Top US general taking steps to protect family after Trump death comments Reuters (furzy)
Gen. Milley Warns of Fealty to Dictators, in Exit Speech Aimed at Trump Wall Street Journal
Trump Co-Defendant in Georgia Election Case Pleads Guilty New York Times
Biden
Federal investigators floated sex trafficking charges against Hunter Biden according to a document released by Republican members on the House Ways and Means Committee Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Planning to Announce Independent Run Mediate (li)
Feinstein R.I.P.
Please click through to read in full:
I met Senator Diane Feinstein once, in the lead up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. She had just recently been assigned to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (in 2001), and it was in that capacity that she had a senior staffer from the committee ask me to come to Washington… pic.twitter.com/QQPA04hP22
— Scott Ritter (@RealScottRitter) September 29, 2023
My memory of Dianne Feinstein will always be when she was on the floor of the Senate during the financial crisis, and the Brown-Vitter amendment to break up the big banks came up. “This is America, isn’t it?” she said, and gave a thumbs down. https://t.co/bOPTSZEh8f
— Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) September 29, 2023
Shutdown Row
Hard-liners plot to replace McCarthy with a deputy as shutdown looms Democratic Underground (furzy)
Gaetz war against McCarthy could leave Dems playing kingmaker CNN (Kevin W)
Defense Secretary Austin’s salary cut to $1 under GOP budget plan Military News (BC)
How a US government shutdown could disrupt science Nature (Dr. Kevin)
Immigration
Tunisia expels hundreds of sub-Saharan African migrants from Sfax amid crackdown France24
Abortion
Meet the women finding ways to resist US abortion bans France24
With no opposition in the room, a rural Texas county makes traveling for an abortion on its roads illegal Texas Tribune (furzy)
GOP Clown Car
Anti-Trump Republicans fail to sway voters – NYT RT (Kevin W)
Our No Longer Free Press
Supreme Court to hear cases on Florida, Texas social media laws The Hill
AI
Microsoft (MSFT) Sees Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear Energy as Dynamic Duo Bloomberg (furzy)
What Lina Khan’s antitrust case could mean for Amazon Financial Times
Class Warfare
Teachers made 26.4% less than other similarly educated professionals EPI
UAW Escalates Strike Action Against Ford & GM, but Spares Stellantis – 25,000 Autoworkers Now on Strike Mike Elk
Why the UAW Strike is More Important Than the 2024 Election (and We Need You) Status Coup (Userfriendly)
Minimum Wage for Fast Food Workers Jumps 30% to $20 Per Hour in California Michael Shedlock
US judge refuses to block Medicare from negotiating drug prices Reuters (furzy)
Antidote du jour:
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here
