Reindeer Sleep and Eat Simultaneously, Saving Precious Time in the Short Arctic Summer Smithsonian
Alien World Denser Than Steel Confounds Our Understanding of Planet Formation Scientific American
Central banks rethink forecasting after failures on inflation FT
Climate
How a thumb-sized climate migrant with a giant crab claw is disrupting the Northeast’s Great Marsh ecosystem The Conversation
Guy Who Urged Planting a Trillion Trees Begs People to Stop Planting So Many Trees Yahoo News. Don’t plant trees; grow forests.
Maybe it wasn’t the hurricane that blew up the Maui wildfires Wildfire Today
Water
The Fate of the West’s Water Rests on the Shoulders of This 27-Year-Old Politicos
The Price of Water and the Ongoing Colonization of Nature: Australian Cases in Global Context MR Online
#COVID19
Concerning Report Suggests COVID-19 Sub-Variant JN.1 is Behind China’s Increasing Death Rates The Weather Channel (!).
Epidemiology of COVID-19 in Infants in the United States: Incidence, Severity, Fatality, and Variants of Concern Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. From the Abstract: “More than half a million US infants contracted COVID-19 by March 2022. Longitudinal assessment of long-term infant SARS-CoV-2 infection sequelae remains a critical research gap. Extremely low infant vaccination rates (<5%), waning adult immunity and continued viral exposure risks suggest that infant COVID-19 will remain a persistent public health problem.” I’m so old I remember when children didn’t get infected at all!
China?
Foreign investors unwind $33bn bet on China growth rebound FT
Some Chinese state developers leave suppliers in lurch with unpaid bills Channel News Asia
China’s Bigger Regional Banks Absorb More Smaller Peers to Lessen Risks Yi Cai Global
Beijing hit by record December lows, longest cold wave since 1951, China The Watchers
In bid to counter China, US ramps up effort to boost military ties in Asia Al Jazeera
Vietnam’s ‘bamboo diplomacy’ shifts into higher gear Channel News Asia
Chinese families of Malaysian flight MH370 victims urge new search after experts say plane could be found ‘within days’ South China Morning Post
India
Vladimir Putin News: Modi “willing to do his utmost” to resolve Russia-Ukraine issue: President Putin invites PM to visit Russia Times of India
Punch: The Forefather Of Cocktails Madras Courier
Syraqistan
Next steps in Gaza war ‘to be strong and profound’: Israeli War Cabinet member Benny Gantz Anadolu Agency
The Trouble with a Cease-Fire RAND
Why moving to the Sinai peninsula is the solution for Gaza’s Palestinians The Jerusalem Post. “The facts demonstrate that the northern Sinai Peninsula is an ideal location to develop a spacious resettlement for the people of Gaza.” Still boggled at “spacious.”
Maersk Puts Dozens of Vessels Back on Schedule for Travel Via Suez Canal Marine Link
Iran-Houthis tap AIS tracking tech for high sea attacks Asia Times
How AIS works and what it does The Nautical Institute
On foot and by donkey cart, thousands flee widening Israeli assault in central Gaza AP
Under the rubble: The missing in Gaza Al Jazeera
Israeli Soldier Dies of Superbug Infection From Contaminated Gaza Soil The Messenger. Real estate developers will have to pave everything over.
Scandal-stained Israeli ‘rescue’ group fuels October 7 fabrications The Grayzone. Re-upping from early December, still germane. Expanded commentary:
Who are the Israeli refuseniks picking jail over the Gaza war? Al Jazeera
Why is Israel’s bid to fill labor gap with foreign workers drawing ire from Indian unions? Anadolu Agency
Gas, Gaza, and Western imperialism Mondoweiss
New Not-So-Cold War
The Biden Administration Is Quietly Shifting Its Strategy in Ukraine Politico
Ukraine Doesn’t Need All Its Territory to Defeat Putin NYT
America’s Choices in Ukraine Foreign Policy. Sponsored content (!). From the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft?
Is the West considering peace talks with Russia regarding Ukraine? What scenarios are being prepared? JAM New
The Ukrainian Conflict: Echoes of the Cuban Missile Crisis and Russia’s Strategic Interests Valdai Discussion Club. The deck: “Ukraine has moved the centre of its sovereignty beyond the country’s borders, which was a mistake by the elites that costs Ukrainian society very dearly.” An alternative:
Zelensky’s former assistant Arestovich proposes to unite Russia and Ukraine and file a class action lawsuit against the West:
“Now we will kill each other by hundreds, tens of thousands, for Avdiivka, Yar Hours, and more. And why? What do we get from this — both Russia and… pic.twitter.com/csm93wEgk9
— Victor vicktop55 (@vicktop55) December 24, 2023
The Belarus source give me pause. Still interesting.
The Blob inverted Churchill: “War-war is better than jaw-jaw” (apocryphal):
Yet another insider Ukrainian source confirms that Russia and Ukraine reached a peace deal in Istanbul in April 2022.
Amb. Oleksandr Chalyi is a veteran Ukrainian diplomat who took part in the talks. He says “we were very close… to finalize our war with some peaceful… https://t.co/0XqUR0ghUd
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) December 28, 2023
How Serbian Authorities Declared “Maidan Scenario” and What Will Happen Next European Pravda
A new Sputnik feature article worth reading on the attempted regime change operation in Belgrade these past several days Gilbert Doctorow. Hmm.
Kremlin says Russia sees attempts by 3rd parties to provoke unrest in Serbia Anadolu Agency
Ukrainian Artillerymen Report 60-80 Percent Fall in Firing Rates Due to Crippling Munitions Shortages Military Watch
Zaluzhnyi defends law PhD thesis on secret topic Ukrainska Pravda. The subject was military discipline, so who knows what Zaluzhnyi has in mind for the
fresh meatnew recruits…Economy Minister warns of delays to salaries, pensions if Western aid stops Kyiv Independent
Ukrainian Voices? New Left Review
Russia I am Trying to Forget Bill Totten’s Weblog
South of the Border
Mexico’s automotive exports continue to skyrocket Mexico News Daily
The Wizard of Kalorama™
Obama drops annual favorite movies list, including 3 produced by his media company The Hill. #1: Barack Obama, starring Barack Obama as “Barack Obama.”
Spook Country
4-year campaign backdoored iPhones using possibly the most advanced exploit ever Ars Technica
The Conservatory
Studio Trickery New Left Review. Paul is the author’s favorite Beatle.
Zeitgeist Watch
KPD: Argument over dog waste leads to fatal shooting in N. Knoxville WATE. Loss of executive function….
Class Warfare
With some flight attendants on welfare, Alaska Airlines faces contract fight Seattle Times
Pizza Huts in California, including Sacramento, laying off drivers rather than pay $20 minimum wage Sacramento Bee
Hooters: An Employment Law Nightmare On Labor
Measuring income inequality: A primer on the debate Brookings Institution
Oligarchy and Democracy The American Interest
Stop and Watch the Bees The Free Press
Antidote du jour (via):
Bonus antidote:
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
