Flowers Are Evolving to Have Less Sex NYT
The Accidental Origin of Capybara Open Air Hot Baths Laughing Squid
Should Endangered Turtles Have Legal Rights? Smithsonian
Is the west talking itself into decline? FT
Might as Well Throw Jobs Data Against the Wall John Authers, Bloomberg. Just like Covid data, funny thing. Handy chart:
Does make you wonder how many other statistics are like that. Tinfoil hat time: Was Biobot staff really out for the holidays? Or for… some other reason?
Climate
Corporate Media Fed COP 28 Carbon Capture Confusion FAIR
Sail renaissance takes to the seas but reaches for the skies Seatrade Maritime
Wind farms and carbon capture want the same turf off Louisiana’s coast. Who gets it? Times-Picayune
In the scar of New Mexico’s largest wildfire, a legal battle is brewing over the cost of suffering Source New Mexico
#COVID19
Virological characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 JN.1 variant (correspondence) The Lancet. “Taken together, these results suggest that JN.1 is one of the most immune-evading variants to date.”
‘Pirola’ JN.1 is the probable future of the COVID pandemic, experts warn—but you didn’t hear it from the WHO Fortune. Time for a new Greek letter?
Opinion: The U.S. is facing the biggest COVID wave since Omicron. Why are we still playing make-believe? Eric Topol, LA Times
Do You Have the Flu, RSV, COVID, or a Cold? WebMD. Who knows? There’s no testing.
Sick with COVID and the flu: Double infections hit California hard LA Times. “When a county enters the ‘medium’ COVID-19 hospitalization level, those at high risk of getting very sick should wear a high-quality mask — such as a KF94, KN95, or N95 mask — when indoors in public, the CDC says.” The absurdity: “When a county enters the ‘medium’ auto-accident hospitalization level, those at high risk of crashing should wear their seatbelts” [pounds head on desk].
Study describes clinical features that may lead to long COVID Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. Nature here and here.
Long COVID is a double curse in low-income nations — here’s why Nature
China?
China’s propaganda chiefs told to ‘sing loudly about bright economic prospects’ South China Morning Post
China and US hold rival military drills in disputed South China Sea France24
Health officials expect peak winter flu season to hit Hong Kong next week as infections show upwards trend South China Morning Post. Note the deck: “Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan urges public to get vaccinated against flu, coronavirus to maximise protection against respiratory illnesses.” “Respiratory illness” is a misnomer for Covid, given its vascular and neurological effects, let alone Long Covid. These tropes are as global as the PMC is global.
Malaysia gripped in wave of denials, accusations over alleged ‘Dubai Move’ plot to topple Anwar govt Channel News Asia
The Koreas
North Korea fires over 200 rounds of artillery shells near South Korean islands Straits Times
South Korea’s Two Border Islands: Five Things To Know Agence France Presse
Japan
Haneda accident outcome the sum of decades of integrated air safety lessons The Air Current (PI).
Syraqistan
Genocide in Gaza John J. Mearsheimer, John’s Substack. On South Africa’s filing at the International Court of Justice.
Turkey, Malaysia Back South Africa’s ICJ Genocide Case Against Israel Common Dreams
US hasn’t formally assessed if Israel violating human rights Politico
Gaza: ‘Disease spreading’ in Jabalia as garbage piles up France24. Everything’s going according to plan.
Israeli defence minister outlines new phase in Gaza war Al Jazeera
Israel trying to ‘export its crisis’ by assassinating deputy Hamas leader: Senior official Anadolu Agency
War on Gaza: Israeli police having difficulty finding sexual assault victims from 7 October attack, says report Middle East Eye
CNN Runs Gaza Coverage Past Jerusalem Team Operating Under Shadow of IDF Censor The Intercept
The Charge Sheet Against Netanyahu The Globalist
Israel Supreme Court Delivers Setback to Campaign to Remove Checks on Netanyahu NYT
Turkish Government Green Lights Aircraft Carrier And 4 Additional I-Class Frigates Naval News
European Disunion
UK foreign secretary meets with Kosovo’s president, British troops in Pristina Anadolu Agency. Hmm.
New Not-So-Cold War
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister explains why it is now easier to defeat Russia than in times of Cold War Ukrainska Pravda
‘We’re out of money’: US exhausts security funds for Ukraine Defense News
White House says Russia used missiles from North Korea to strike Ukraine Channel News Asia
Russia moves forward with Iran deal to purchase ballistic missiles, report says FOX
Explainer: Ukraine considers changing mobilisation rules as war with Russia drags on Reuters
NATO’s War Problem: Weak Armor Weapons and Strategy
Healthcare
My Unraveling. I had my health. I had a job. And then, abruptly, I didn’t. New York Magazine. A must-read.
Insurance companies are forcing psychiatrists like me to stop accepting their coverage STAT. “This is the business model — customers pay for the right to be deprived of the product they’re purchasing.” Worth reading in full.
The Bezzle
Real Estate ‘Visionary’ Allegedly Behind Massive, Viral Airbnb Fraud Charged Court Watch
Digital Watch
Google Just Disabled Cookies for 30 Million Chrome Users. Here’s How to Tell If You’re One of Them. Gizmodo
California senator files bill prohibiting agencies from working with unethical AI companies The Verge. That’s gonna stifle innovation….
More AI hullabaloocinations:
Your Car Is Tracking You. Abusive Partners May Be, Too. NYT
Police State Watch
New Jersey Used COVID Relief Funds to Buy Banned Chinese Surveillance Cameras 404 Media. Because of course they did.
Supply Chain
Argentina’s Grain Exports Could Jump 40% Due to Favourable Weather Bimco
Global Trade Braces for Unprecedented Geopolitical Challenges in 2024 Hellenic Shipping News
Realignment and Legitimacy
The Great Clarification James Howard Kunstler, Clusterf*ck Nation
Guillotine Watch
As workers ate lunch today, CEOs had already earned the equivalent of their annual salary The Canary
Class Warfare
Tesla strike in Sweden is biggest test yet of Elon Musk’s anti-union stance WaPo
SpaceX sues US agency that accused it of firing workers critical of Elon Musk Reuters
The Magnificent Seven is not the only concentration America should worry about Gillian Tett, FT. The deck: “Ownership of equities suggests that US democratic shareholder capitalism is more myth than reality.”
The New Geography of American Growth Apricitas Economics. Handy chart:
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
