Happy birthday to Jonathan the tortoise, who was born in the same decade that John Brown first conceived of what would become the raid at Harper’s Ferry pic.twitter.com/CBDIUGiwQC
— Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) January 3, 2024
Pig N’ Fords: Model T drivers carry pigs while racing in Tillamook Oregonian, YouTube (furzy)
Deep Beneath Earth’s Surface, Clues to Life’s Origins Quanta (David L)
Navajo Nation Objects To Landing Human Remains On Moon, Prompting Last-Minute White House Meeting CNN
This weird physical trait makes liberals vote for Trump and republicans for Biden ZMEScience (Dr. Kevin)
Fat positivity is a fantasy Unherd
Construction of Reality: Who You Feel With Ian Welsh (Micael T). What about those who have no tribe? Or if you believe in Myers Briggs, are not “feeling” people?
Justice vs. Vengeance — Is There a Difference? Living Philosophy (Micael T).. The Greeks definitely thought there was. Look at how Athena rein in their scope of authority per myth and as commemorated in various plays, notably Euripedes’ The Furies.
Here’s Why Multitasking Gets Trickier And Even Dangerous as We Age ScienceAlert (Chuck L)
The abolition of paper and the pompous rule of the present Branko Milanovic. The effort to eliminate paper records is over the top reckless. What happens in a collapse scenario when chips become scarce? No one will know anything. The loss of information and related productive know-how will dwarf that of the Dark Ages.
Finally, we know why pee is yellow Live Science (Dr. Kevin)
#COVID-19
Don’t say you can’t make events COVID safer. This activism action had 400+ people engaged. Everyone wore N95 masks and tested 2 days in a row to make sure this event would be accessible to everyone. #CommunityCare #COVIDSafer #FreePalenstine #Activism #Inclusion pic.twitter.com/H3idf2o3mU
— Lindsay Briggs (@ChicoSexProf) January 4, 2024
Hydroxychloroquine could have caused 17,000 deaths during COVID, study finds Politico (Kevin W)
From a study in Thailand, “Natural infection of SARS-CoV-2 in dogs associated with fatal disease is first reported..
Pathological findings of SARS-CoV-2-infected dogs reveal severe diffuse alveolar damage, pulmonary hyalinization and fibrosis, and syncytial formation, together…— Hiroshi Yasuda (保田浩志) (@Yash25571056) January 5, 2024
Climate/Environment
Free rain barrel program helps Duluth residents get involved in flood prevention Yale Climate Connections
Extreme winter cold grips Russia RT (Kevin W)
Ice cover in North America’s Great Lakes hits lowest level for 50 years Financial Times. My brother in Escanaba mentioned this. No icebreaker in March this year?
Subsidence risk on the U.S. East Coast EurekaAlert (Chuck L)
Consumer Reports Finds ‘Widespread’ Presence of Plastics In Food Reuters
China?
Tit-for-tat wargames rumble and churn South China Sea Asia Times
China’s electric vehicle dominance presents a challenge to the west Financial Times
‘Revolutionary’ design: Chinese scientists invent the most powerful detonation engine for hypersonic flight South China Morning Post (Chuck L)
Gaza
‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’ Day 91: As hunger and cold take their toll in Gaza, all eyes turn to Lebanon Mondoweiss
Palestine SitRep: Lebanese Resistance Causes Enemy Losses – Is Ready To Fight Off Attacks Moon of Alabama (Kevin W). We get a shout out.
About 4% of Gaza’s population dead, missing, injured: Rights monitor Anadolu Agency
Inside Israel’s torture camp for Gaza detainees +972 (guurst)
Israel PM’s wife Sara Netanyahu accuses Gaza hostage families of ‘helping Hamas’ New Arab (Kevin W)
The new Israeli plan for the ‘day after’ is to divide Gaza into small territories with local collaborating leaders in control of some, limited aspects of their internal functioning. Very novel idea, definitely never been done before. https://t.co/vmVTB5mCIO pic.twitter.com/P0DIxCaqut
— Josh Kadish (@kadish_josh) January 4, 2024
The dialectics of nationalism Yasha Levine (Dr. Kevin)
Qatar’s Balancing Act in Gaza Foreign Affairs (BC). See subhead: “Doha Will Have to Cut Ties With Hamas—but First It Can Broker a Hostage Deal With Israel.” Like we can tell the #1 or #2 LNG producer, depending on the year, what to do.
Ex-Pentagon Analyst: Mideast Crisis May Spiral Out of Control After Beirut and Kerman Blasts Sputnik
Iran raises the red flag of revenge on the dome of Jamkaran Mosque.
The reason: Attack near the cemetery in Kerman.
The last time the red flag of revenge was raised over this mosque was after the assassination of Qasem Soleimani on January 3, 2020.
It was taken down after the… pic.twitter.com/K0a6qwmoeD
— Clash Report (@clashreport) January 5, 2024
Shipping stocks jump as freight costs soar amid Red Sea tensions Yahoo! Finance (Kevin W)
Red Sea Attacks Leave Tankers With Choice: Accept the Risks or Lose Money New York Times (Kevin W). Alexander Mercouris discussed reports that the US is planning to attack the Houthis. Good luck with that.
New Not-So-Cold War
God save you, Chiba! Marat Khairullin
Under the Radar: Major CIA Revelations Expose Secret Agreements and Boundaries in Ukraine Simplicius the Thinker
Ukraine’s German Armour Getting Stuck in the Winter Mud: T-80 Tanks with Turbine Engines Praised For Much Greater Mobility Military Watch
Ukraine De Facto Became NATO’s Testing Ground for Digital Warfare Against Russia – Moscow Sputnik (Micael T)
EU Commissioner wants restrictions on Ukrainian exports RT (Kevin W)
Syraqistan
Iraqis: Don’t use our country as a ‘proxy battleground’ Responsible Statecraft
How Iran Perceives Turkey’s Rise in the South Caucasus Global Affairs (Micael T)
Imperial Collapse Watch
Interesting interview in French magazine Le Point of Emmanuel Todd, one of the last great French intellectual, over his latest book “The Defeat of the West” (and actually what he says will be the last book he’ll ever write).
Todd is particularly renowned for having been one of… pic.twitter.com/kDD2yjlQlp
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) January 5, 2024
Alaska Airlines grounds 737 Max 9 planes after window blows out mid-air BBC and Boeing Wants FAA To Exempt MAX 7 From Safety Rules To Get It in the Air Seattle Times
1/6
Former Guard Official Says Army Retaliated for His Account of Jan. 6 Delay New York Times (Kevin W)
Trump
US Supreme Court to hear Trump appeal of Colorado ballot disqualification Reuters
Biden
Roadworthy in ’24? The man supposed to stop Donald Trump is an unpopular 81-year-old Economist
Nice save, Jill! First lady rushed to embrace zoned-out Biden, 81, after he finished speech, then went into trance-like state on-stage Daily Mail. #2 story.
House prepares contempt of Congress resolution for Hunter Biden The Hill
Joe Biden is so deeply and passionately devoted to the urgency of Democracy that he’s doing everything possible to imprison his leading opponent, criminalize his movement, and (as federal courts found) censor the internet.
But his anti-democratic measures are to save Democracy. https://t.co/6hHOXyPkDd
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 5, 2024
FBI Goes After Citizen for Requesting Raffensperger Investigation in Georgia UndercoverDC (furzy)
GOP Clown Car
Kevin W says the replies were “brutal”:
Russia said once they take Ukraine, Poland and the Baltics are next. This is about preventing war. We don’t want our men and women to have to go and fight.
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) January 5, 2024
Democrats en déshabillé
Complaint alleges Dean Phillips’ presidential campaign illegally coordinated with super PAC StarTribune
Immigration
New York To Sue Bus Companies … For Busing People Jonathan Turley
Gunz
Wayne LaPierre announces resignation as leader of the NRA days ahead of civil trial CNN (Kevin W)
As gun violence increases, active shooter defense industry booms CBS. Paul R: “The free market provideth.”
G18 Desert Eagle Military Series M1911 Pistol Gun Model Bricks Building Blocks Toys for Children Boy Kids Gifts AliExpress. Userfriendly: “What could possibly go wrong here? ”
December jobs report caps another year of strong job growth Economic Policy Institute
Initial claims: the return of “almost nobody is getting laid off” Angry Bear
US Moves Closer To Filing Sweeping Antitrust Case Against Apple New York Times
AI
What the AI copyright fights are truly about: Human labor versus endless machines The Register
Class Warfare
Places ravaged by opioids are giving Republicans the upper hand Economist (Dr. Kevin)
F.D.A. to Issue First Approval for Mass Drug Imports to States from Canada New York Times (furzy)
Natural Asset Companies latest in land schemes Tri-State Livestock News (Chuck L)
Antidote du jour. Tracie H: “Potted Pussy Willow, of sorts.”
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
