Why banks are flying gold bars on commercial flights from London to NYC NY Post
Climate
Here’s the ugliest global-warming chart you’ll ever need to see The Register
Scientists sound alarm after collecting unprecedented data from world’s oceans: ‘The broken records … have become a broken record’ The Cool Down
Syndemics
5 years after COVID, Americans are split on whether it’s still a threat FOX
China?
China welcomes its new ‘AI civil servants’, but not everyone is happy South China Morning Post
China outlines key tasks to deepen rural reforms, advance rural revitalization CGTN
Political theorist Daniel A. Bell reflects on China’s melding of Confucius and Marx South China Morning Post
India
Why a mega river-linking plan has sparked massive protests in India BBC
Syraqistan
There is no evidence Hamas killed members of the Bibas family. Israel is using their death to manufacture consent for genocide. Mondoweiss
Israel delays Palestinian prisoner release after Hamas’ ‘humiliating’ treatment of hostages, Netanyahu says FOX
Israel delays release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees following recovery of six Israeli hostages from Gaza CNN
U.S. Envoy Witkoff, About to Visit Mideast for Cease-fire Talks, Says Hamas Must Physically Leave Gaza Haaretz
Israel sends tanks into West Bank for first time in decades, says fleeing Palestinians can’t return AP
Israel expands West Bank offensive, says troops to remain ‘for next year’ Al Jazeera
Netanyahu says Israeli army to stay in Syria buffer zone ‘indefinitely’ Anadolu Agency
European Disunion
Germany’s historic election — in charts FT. Commentary:
German election results by age cohort. Young voters shifted massively to the far left (Linke) and to the far right (AfD). The established conservative (Union) and Labour (SPD) parties are but shadows of their former selves. Lesson for all establishment parties around the world:… pic.twitter.com/MkCM3JozQ4
— Simon Kuestenmacher (@simongerman600) February 23, 2025
Merz vows “independence” from U.S. after claiming Germany election win Axios
‘Perfect fig leaf’: Germany’s far-right AfD party candidate Alice Weidel helps its normalisation Daily Mail
Germany’s conservatives celebrate, but far right enjoy record result BBC
The protests in Serbia are historic, the world shouldn’t ignore them Al Jazeera
Dear Old Blighty
How the UK’s ‘least attractive’ accent is now ‘one of the sexiest’ thanks to TikTok Daily Maild
New Not-So-Cold War
Mariupol defender’s dream comes true as Ukrainian polar explorers fly Azov flag in Antarctica – video Ukrainska Pravda
Economic partnership will protect the Ukrainian people and the US taxpayer Scott Bessent, FT. The deck: “Trump’s bold international leadership aligns interests and benefits all.”
Trump envoy: US companies could do business in Russia if peace deal is reached Ukrainska Pravda
Officer Dmitriev: how a Kyiv-born financier became the main negotiator between Putin and Trump Ukrainska Pravda
Zelensky says he’s “ready” to resign if it brings peace or Ukraine joins NATO Axios
Trump Administration
Ex-Secret Service agent and conservative media personality Dan Bongino picked as FBI deputy director AP
California governor asks Congress for nearly $40 billion for Los Angeles wildfire relief AP
‘Dark MAGA’ spreads as conservatives embrace Musk’s influence on Trump AP
Trump and Musk aren’t the first to make deep cuts. Clinton-era Reinventing Government saved billions AP
Democrat Activist Cited for Battery and Trespass at Republican Town Hall, Legislator Threatened Kootenai Journal
DOGE
Speed up the Breakdown Quinn Slobiian, New York Review of Books. Wll worth a read.
How to DOGE USAID Phenomenal World
The Incompetence of DOGE Is a Feature, Not a Bug Wired
Doge versus business FT
Trump and Elon Musk are floating ‘DOGE dividends.’ Low-income Americans might not benefit. NBC
Healthcare
Dr. Vinay Prasad Embraces Policy-Based Evidence Making Science-based Medicine
Demographic Variation In US Outpatient Hydroxychloroquine And Ivermectin Use During The COVID-19 Pandemic RAND
Supply Chain
The Sand Crisis No One is Talking About SciTech Daily
Digital Watch
Microsoft Cancels Leases for AI Data Centers, Analyst Says Bloombergd
American AI Is High on Its Own Supply Foreign Policy
If you thought training AI models was hard, try building enterprise apps with them The Register
Class Warfare
Strategic Wealth Accumulation Under Transformative AI Expectations (preprint) arXiv
20 Industries That Are Slowly But Surely “Dying,” According To People Who Have Worked In Them Buzzfeeed
A Radical New Proposal For How Mind Emerges From Matter Noema
Antidote du jour (Derek and Julie Ramsey (Ram-Man)):
Normally I don’t run zoo images, but lions in the snow….
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
