Readers, the fundraiser for Lambert’s very nearly gold retirement watch + all Lambert’s Water Cooler work done in 2024 is ongoing. The goal is 400 donors; so far, we have 132, or 33% of goal (I am very grateful). Any amount helps! If you can give a little, give a little. If you can give a lot, give a lot! Thank you all so much! –lambert
Top finance ministers snub G20 as global co-operation comes under strain FT
The Big Picture Project Syndicate. URL: there-goes-america.
The Path to American Authoritarianism Foreign Affairs
Climate
Mechanisms behind a steep rise in temperature Arctic News
Renowned physicist warns of unseen dangers in farming technique: ‘Single biggest destructive force on the planet today’ The Cooldown
Syndemics
Steps to prevent and respond to an H5N1 epidemic in the USA Nature
As Texas measles outbreak grows, parents are choosing to vaccinate kids NBC
China?
China gets taste of victory in US tech war thanks to talent, supply chains, organisation South China Morning Post
China could take peacekeeping role in post-war Ukraine – but at what cost? South China Morning Post
Chinese foodies pose as mourners to try funeral home’s noodles BBC
Japanese “goods” | Chinese “guzi” Language Log
The Koreas
Only 31% of South Koreans think unification with North ‘beneficial’ to them Anadolu Agency
Syraqistan
Trump promotes bold vision for Gaza in video that hints at how ‘Riviera of the Middle East’ could look Daily Mail. Holy moley:
JUST IN: President Trump shares a video of an AI vision for the Gaza Strip, ends with Trump having drinks at a pool with Benjamin Netanyahu.
The video also features bearded men in bikini tops.
Nothing could have prepared me for this. pic.twitter.com/1tO19aFN2t
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 26, 2025
AI slop de slop.
Desperation grows in northern Gaza as Palestinians struggle to rebuild their homes AP
Israel’s West Bank offensive: Prelude to annexation? Anadolu Agency
Bibas family threatens to sue Israeli govt as official propaganda on hostage killings unravels The Grayzone. Commentary:
Wow more israeli hostages continue to throw israel under the bus.
Noa Argamani is speaking at the UN and blames israeli air strikes for killing her fellow captive Yossi Sharabi.
They lied about the Bibas family too, they lie about everything!!
pic.twitter.com/XzXhCb9ygt
— JonnyUtd (@Fx1Jonny) February 25, 2025
Israel and Hamas strike hostage exchange deal, keeping ceasefire intact EuroNews
‘We are still at war’: Syria’s Kurds battle Turkey months after Assad’s fall BBC
Syria’s New Rulers Are Working To Unify Military Power New Lines Magazine
More than 160 Gazan medics held in Israeli prisons amid reports of torture Guardian
A brief history of Israel’s theft and trafficking of Palestinian organs Mondoweiss
European Disunion
How Germany’s enduring East-West divide is pushing voters to the fringes France24
Dear Old Blighty
Celotex – A Century of Deaths 3 Quarks Daily. The insulation used in Grenfell Tower. See here and here.
New Not-So-Cold War
Ukraine agrees minerals deal with US FT. Commentary:
Boris Johnson endorses the Trump/Ukraine minerals deal, comparing it to lend-lease for Britain in WWII. He says it will ensure long-term US funding of Ukraine, and contains provisions Putin will never accept. Why do the most hardcore Ukraine war supporters love this deal so much? pic.twitter.com/xXcEywqfe6
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) February 25, 2025
And:
This is why it was dumb and premature for everyone to get all frantic about the Trump/Zelensky verbal spat last week. What was the underlying policy result? US and Ukraine agree to a bilateral pact that codifies long-term US financing and a de facto ‘security guarantee,’ US… https://t.co/GEAD92I6rF
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) February 26, 2025
‘An Extraordinary Act of Extortion’ Foreign Policy
WSJ: Ukraine could maintain current pace of war until summer without US aid Ukrainska Pravda
Kiev Regime Not Just Zelensky Must Go; Trump Outsmarts Macron, US-Russia UN Win, EU/UK Shock (video) Alexander Mercouris, YouTube
Kremlin denies Donald Trump’s claim it agreed to plans for British and international peacekeepers in Ukraine Daily Mail
Lifting sanctions against Russia is off the table for now – Trump Ukrainska Pravda
Poland on opening Cluster 6 in negotiations with Ukraine: it will be tough discussion Ukrainska Pravda. “Cluster” indeed!
South of the Border
After trade dispute, Mexico officially bans the planting of GM corn Reuters
Chile declares emergency as power outage plunges country into darkness Al Jazeera
O Canada!
White House official pushes to axe Canada from Five Eyes intelligence group FT
Liberal party leadership candidates in Canada debate who is best to deal with Trump AP. Tag team, including a Ukromnazi and a central banker.
Trump Administration
US House passes budget resolution to cut taxes and spending by trillions FT. Commentary:
Trump allies circulate mass deportation plan calling for ‘processing camps’ and a private citizen ‘army’ Politico
Fox News White House correspondent blasts new pool policy The Hill
More gusanos, please:
The popularity of the ‘Mar-a-Lago face’ soars in Trump’s inner circle El Pais
DOGE
How Can We Know if Government Payments Stop? An Exploratory analysis of Banking System Warning Signs Nathan Tankus, Notes on the Crises. Important!
Does Amy Gleason Know She’s DOGE Administrator? New York Magazine
Fired cybersecurity chief for Veterans Affairs site warns that health and financial data is at risk AP
Spook Country
Gabbard to fire more than 100 intelligence officers over “explicit” chats Axios. Smooth move!
FBI Also Wants to Break iCloud Advanced Data Protection Michael Tsai
The Bezzle
Crypto trader’s last post before suicide live goes viral, ‘ask yourself if it matters…’ Live Mint. Commentary:
How to buy your way out of a federal lawsuit Popular Information. Coinbase.
Digital Watch
Satya Nadella says AI is yet to find a killer app that matches the combined impact of email and Excel The Register
Delivering Malware Through Abandoned Amazon S3 Buckets Schneier on Security
Hackers Are Using Fake GitHub Code to Steal Your Bitcoin: Kaspersky CoinDesk
The Final Frontier
Asteroid 2024 YR4 is no longer a threat to Earth, scientists say AP. More here.
Mars once had oceans, ‘vacation-style’ beaches, study suggests Anadalu Agency
Zeitgeist Watch
How people think about being alone shapes their experience of loneliness Nature
Groves of Academe
An Accurate Organizational Chart of Your University McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. Can confirm.
Class Warfare
How an obscure advisory board lets utilities steal $50b/year from ratepayers Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
The Long Nights and Drug Addiction That Drove a Banker to Insider Trading WSJ
What Felt Impossible Became Possible Dan SInker
Antidote du jour (Martin Falbisoner):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
