Try not to let moose lick your car, Parks Canada warns, as more salt-seeking animals flock to highways CBC
NASA Finally Cracks Open the Asteroid Sample Container Gizmodo
These are the biggest global risks we face in 2024 and beyond World Economic Forum. Handy chart:
The sudden prominence of wrongthink is interesting, but do you notice anything missing? Something that perhaps affects you, but not the Davos attendees?
Slower for Longer — Inflation Has Stopped Falling Bloomberg
The Origins of Economic Multipolarity (PDF) Philip Pilkington, Connectivity Project. Handy charts:
Climate
2024 looks to be worse than 2023 Artic News
The Feeling of Losing Snow The Atlantic
Footsteps in the snow:
The Science of Snowflakes:
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#COVID19
There’s a Huge Covid Surge Right Now and Nobody Is Talking About It Wired
Average Cost of Providing Hospital Care to COVID-19 Patients Increased Over First Two Years of Pandemic RAND
Study: Confusing government COVID reporting requirements led to disparities in hospital data sharing Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy
China?
China’s exports rise, but deflation persists as economy enters 2024 on shaky footing Reuters
China is fast losing its place as must-have in the global portfolios Business Standard
Taiwan election 2024: silence in Brussels lays bare EU divisions on Taipei South China Morning Post
Ten crises: The political economy of China’s development Wen Tiejun, Liberation School
Myanmar
Myanmar conflict: China unlikely to ‘pull the carpet’ on junta and accept resistance group’s olive branch South China Morning Post
Syraqistan
Public sitting held on Thursday 11 January 2024, at 10 a.m., at the Peace Palace, President Donoghue presiding, in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel) (PDF) International Court of Justice. Media reaction:
While the eyes of the world were glued to the live images of South Africa’s trial against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), most Western media refused to broadcast the historic event. It is only the second time in the history of the Genocide Convention that one… pic.twitter.com/4H9MPF5rYy
— red. (@redstreamnet) January 11, 2024
‘Nothing will stop this suffering, except an order from this court’ — SA sets out the evidence against Israel Daily Maverick
Day one of the ICJ genocide hearing against Israel: Key takeaways Al Jazeera
Israel Google ad accuses South Africa of ‘blood libel’ when searching for ICJ ‘genocide’ case Middle East Eye
US, British militaries launch massive retaliatory strike against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen AP. Casus belli:
US and UK carry out strikes against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen CNN. Commentary:
CNN is just loving these strikes. They keep saying how “grave” and “serious” the situation is, but all of their reporters & anchors are palpably excited and full of bravado. Their guests are hawks cheering on the bombs. No analysis or skepticism whatsoever. It’s sickening.
— Tim Shorrock (@TimothyS) January 12, 2024
What’s Behind the Surge in Attacks by Yemen’s Houthis RAND
Iran seizes Gulf oil tanker in new threat to Middle East shipping FT
Maybe Israel isn’t in any hurry to find out how many hostages are actually in Gaza tunnels:
This is huge: https://t.co/oI0ImicOJg
Top Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth confirms Israel used the “Hannibal directive” on Oct 7th, which calls to kill Israeli hostages along with their captors.
This is the exact quote from the paper:
“At midnight on October 7, the IDF…
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) January 12, 2024
Israel’s Man in Black The Table. Bibi’s successor?
How Israel’s war on Gaza exposed Zionism as a genocidal cult Middle East Eye (NL).
U.S. Middle East Policy Has Failed Foreign Policy. Blinken makes John Bolton look like Talleyrand:
“What I heard from so many of the leaders is trying to make sure this conflict doesn’t spread”
So naturally you decided to bomb Yemen… https://t.co/6eTy5VqY05
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) January 12, 2024
Gaza and New York New Left Review. Grab a cup of coffee.
European Disunion
Brussels prepares concessions to Viktor Orbán over Ukraine aid FT
France’s new government announced with only one major change at the foreign ministry AP
Davies on Subsidiarity and EU Law Legal Theory Blog
Dear Old Blighty
Recycling… In Fifth-Century Britain JSTOR Daily
New Not-So-Cold War
Russia’s upper hand puts US-Ukraine at a crossroads Responsible Statecraft. Mixed metaphor.
Ukraine’s defense minister says new version of draft mobilization law already prepared Anadolu Agency
Ukraine has no major achievements in front because Russians control sky – Zelenskyy Ukrainska Pravda
US failed to accurately track about $1 billion in arms sent to Ukraine: Watchdog ABC
A Step to the Right: Two Weeks with Right Sector, Jan-February 2014 Events in Ukraine. When all the Ukrainian PMC flee the sinking ship to become hotel clerks in London, taxi drivers in Manhattan, or bush league pundits on cable, Right Sector will remain.
South of the Border
Huge ancient city found in the Amazon BBC
Biden Administration
The EPA Isn’t Playing Around With Its $2 Billion Cummins Diesel Emissions Penalty The Drive
EBay to Pay $3 Million Penalty for Employees Sending Live Cockroaches, Fetal Pig to Bloggers WSJ
Spook Country
Invisible Ink: At the CIA’s Creative Writing Group The Paris Review. There’s a history here.
Supply Chain
Fireside Friday, January 12, 2024 A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry:
[A]s A.T. Mahan famously pointed out, the value of the sea is as a conveyance. And my goodness, what value it has. Roughly 80% of all goods move by sea; sea-freight is thus larger by share of tonnes-per-kilometer than every other method of conveyance combined.
We got too accustomed to peaceful seas Freight Waves
Boeing
BOMBASTIC! Boeing Going Through An Internal Crisis Airliners.net. Via Stoller. From 2003, still germane.
Undamaged plug exit on Alaska Max 9 had fasteners tightened during assembly The Air Current
Stephanie Pope faces turbulent start as Boeing’s new co-pilot FT. Pope is a financial analyst from McDonnell Douglas….
Digital Watch
Google and Bing put nonconsensual deepfake porn at the top of some search results NBC. It’s so odd that no scientists are working to make an AI that is, say, virtuous. Or loving.
Sports Desk
The Onion Looks Back On Bill Belichick’s 24,000-Year Reign Of Darkness The Onion
Class Warfare
The True Dangers of Long Trains ProPublica
Chamber of Commerce calls for more “optimistic” message on economy Axios
Australia’s cost-of-living crisis isn’t about the price of groceries. It’s about wealth distribution Guardian
The REAL AI automation threat to workers Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic. Shorter:
How to think like a Bayesian Psyche
Antidote du jour (via):
Bonus antidote:
Double bonus antidote:
Good kitties!
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here
