Do Elephants Have Souls? The New Atlantis
Big Bear’s Beloved Bald Eagles Lay 1st Egg Of 2024 Season (cam) Banning-Beaumont, CA Patch
Lessons from a lifetime in investment FT. Read all the way to the end.
IMF’s Summer of Discontent? The Ideas Letterd
Climate
A Counterintuitive Effect of Global Warming The Atlantic:
“Medieval cathedral builders learned from their design mistakes over the centuries, and their undertakings were a far larger drain on the economic resources and people power of their day than anything yet discussed for stabilizing the climate in the twenty-first century,” [William H.] Calvin wrote 26 years ago. “We may not have centuries for acquiring wisdom, and it would be wise to compress our learning into the years immediately ahead.”
Global groundwater depletion is accelerating, but is not inevitable (press release) University of California, Santa Barbara
#COVID19
US scientists proposed to make viruses with unique features of SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan US Right to Know. Oh. About page.
The emergence of JN.1 is an evolutionary ‘step change’ in the COVID pandemic. Why is this significant? The Conversation
‘On par with cancer and heart disease’: Experts, patients warn Congress about the burden of long COVID as the government blows through $1.15 billion without finding a cure Fortune. Find a cure? NIH didn’t even look for a mechanism!
China?
Exclusive: China presses Iran to rein in Houthi attacks in Red Sea, sources say Reuters
China Signals More Targeted Stimulus to Come Bloomberg. Commentary:
3/3
But if the problem is that these sectors already have easy access to capital and only lack the demand needed to justify additional investment, then it’s hard to see how this new PBoC policies will matter much.— Michael Pettis (@michaelxpettis) January 26, 2024
In Hong Kong, decades of wealth gains evaporate on China’s watch Al Jazeera
Chinese leader Xi Jinping calls for ‘deep reflection’ on frequent accidents after latest deadly accident South China Morning Post
Why are Vietnam’s schools so good? The Economist. Cf. this, from the Bullitt County Geneological Society:
(Missing are Geography, Physiology, Civil Government, and History because I didn’t to take up an entire screen.)
India
‘Too much poison’: Attacks on Indian Muslims grow after Ram temple ceremony Al Jazeera
Syraqistan
‘Thank God for the Houthis’: why Arab world is backing Yemen rebels FT
Maersk ships in US Navy convoy forced to retreat under Houthi missile attack Trade Winds. Commentary:
Lost amid all the other news breaking in the last 24 hours is one particularly disturbing story: the United States Navy lost a battle at sea yesterday.
CENTCOM put out an anodyne press release yesterday stating that afternoon, “Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists fired three…
— Armchair Warlord (@ArmchairW) January 25, 2024
Red Sea diversions add nearly a million dollars per voyage to shipping costs while doubling transit time Hellenic Shipping News
Who Benefits From the Turmoil in The Red Sea? Unpacking the Roles of Iran, the US and China Elijah J. Magnier
When you’ve lost Chatham House….
Chatham House is one of the most prestigious international relations think tanks so when its director @bronwenmaddox gives her annual lecture, it is an occasion.
Last night she said “Israel has always had objectives that are difficult to reconcile – one is getting hostages…— Patrick Wintour (@patrickwintour) January 24, 2024
NYPD probing reported chemical attack against students during pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia USA Today (Craig H.). “Skunk,” discussed in yesterday’s links.
US to supply F-35, F-15 fighter jets to Israel amid Gaza war Anadolu Agency
European Disunion
French farmers block roads, dump produce as protest moves closer to Paris France24
Dear Old Blighty
‘Outrageous’ tea recipe involving pinch of salt draws US embassy comment Guardian. Commentary:
New Not-So-Cold War
Ukraine opens criminal probe into downing of Russian military plane France24
Ukrainian intelligence does not rule out PoWs on downed Russian plane BBC
Bloomberg suggests Putin is willing to negotiate Ukrainska Pravda. More freelancing? Isn’t this a job for Ignatius?
Slovakia’s PM says there is no military solution to Russia-Ukraine conflict Anadolu Agency
Ukraine Is Losing the Drone War Foreign Affairs
Zelenskyy welcomes start of preparations for Ukraine’s EU accession talks Anadolu Agency
Volodymyr Zelensky’s theatre of nightmares The New Statesman
South of the Border
Ecuadoran police arrest nearly 70 people who tried to take over a hospital France24. The “gang”/”police” dichotomy seems a litte facile. More on-the-ground sources needed.
Chaos in Ecuador New Left Review
2024
“I Am Done Voting for the Lesser of Two Evils. I Will Not Vote for Joe Biden in 2024.” In These Times
Spook Country
N.S.A. Buys Americans’ Internet Data Without Warrants, Letter Says NYT
The Kids Online Safety Act Would Harm LGBTQ+ Youth, Restrict Access to Information and Community Teen Vogue. Watch out for the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). It’s always all about the children, until it isn’t.
The Bezzle
GM’s driverless car company Cruise is under investigation by several agencies KQED
Digital Watch
Apple’s EU Core Technology Fee Could Bankrupt Freemium App Developers MacRumors
iPhone Apps Secretly Harvest Data When They Send You Notifications, Researchers Find Gizmodo. I turn all Notifications off.
We Asked A.I. to Create the Joker. It Generated a Copyrighted Image. NYT
What Happened to My Search Engine? Ted Gioa, The Honest Broker
How lock-in hurts design Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
Antitrust
FTC drills into Amazon, Microsoft, Google over billions pledged to OpenAI, Anthropic The Register. The deck: “Khaaaaaaan! Khaaaaaaaaaaan!”
Boeing
China permits Boeing to deliver 737 MAX 8 to local customers: Report Business Standard. India.
Healthcare
Will All Seniors Eventually Have No Choice but Medicare Advantage? MedPage Today
Realignment and Legitimacy
25 Republican governors back Texas in escalating border standoff with US government BBC
Eagle Pass is today’s Fort Sumter. Biden must federalize the Texas National Guard. Will Bunch, Philadelphia Inquirer
Imperial Collapse Watch
Recruiting issues:
Software troubles delay F-35 fighter jet deliveries … again The Register
Living New Deal Living New Deal. Glory days:
Class Warfare
Uncommon wealth Times Literary Supplement
Survey: Surprising number of managers want sick employees to come to work WTOP
Young people from poorer families make fewer friends (press release) University of Zurich
A new global gender divide is emerging FT. Well worth a read.
What is incoherence? Aeon
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
