How rental ‘libraries of things’ have become the new way to save money Guardian
New form of bond emerges from Sri Lanka’s $13bn restructuring talks FT
A body–brain circuit that regulates body inflammatory responses Nature. “We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings.” From the Abstract: “The brain-evoked transformation of the course of an immune response offers new possibilities in the modulation of a wide range of immune disorders, from autoimmune diseases to cytokine storm and shock.”
Climate
Study reveals how much carbon damage would cost corporations if they paid for their emissions AP. Commentary:
Pandemics
WHO Overturns Dogma on Airborne Disease Spread. The CDC Might Not Act on It. MedPage Today. WHO’s report, which has its problems.
COVID-19 an ‘occupational disease’ triggering workers’ comp benefits, appeals court rules Colorado Politics. Now let’s see some lawsuits.
A lot of people may already have antibodies to H5N1- which is really good news. Maybe. Deplatform Disease
Substantial rise in mpox cases prompts NYC health alert Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy
On Seeking Vacation Absolution. Chloe Humbert, Teams Human
China?
Can China’s Real Estate Market Avoid a Japan-Style Drop? Nippon
Cover Story: U.S. Widens China Trade Fight to Shipbuilding Which It Lost Decades Ago Caixin Global
China’s middle class is stressed. Can its growing mental health industry lend a helping hand? Channel News Asia
Chinese health chief Ma Xiaowei steps down after steering nation through pandemic and defending strict zero-Covid South China Morning Post
Myanmar
Myanmar ethnic armed group says it captured hundreds of junta personnel Channel News Asia
Syraqistan
Live updates: Israel begins military operation in Rafah, hours after Hamas agrees to a cease-fire AP. Commentary:
“I think we should’ve gone into Rafah yesterday already… There are no uninvolved (civilians) there. You have to go in and kill and kill and kill… We have to kill them before they kill us”
That’s Shimon Boker, vice chairman of the World Likud, the international arm of… pic.twitter.com/1CAJkFjRHR— B.M. (@ireallyhateyou) May 6, 2024
Meta-commentary:
And I went up there, I said, “Shrink, I want to kill. I mean, I wanna, I wanna kill. Kill. I wanna, I wanna see, I wanna see blood and gore and guts and veins in my teeth. Eat dead burnt bodies. I mean kill, Kill, KILL, KILL.” And I started jumpin up and down yelling, “KILL, KILL, ” and he started jumpin’ up and down with me and we was both jumping up and down yelling, “KILL, KILL.” And the seargent came over, pinned a medal on me, sent me down the hall, said, “You’re our boy.”
Alice’s Restaurant”
Israeli troops gain operational control of Gazan side of Rafah Crossing, IDF says FOX
US to continue efforts to stop Israel’s military operation in Rafah: Official Anadolu Agency. “Fighting for.”
Text of the Gaza ceasefire proposal approved by Hamas Al Jazeera
Arab nations warm to peacekeeping force for Gaza FT
Maersk Warns Red Sea Impact Widens Creating Capacity Constraints and Costs Maritime Executive
Israel bombs UNRWA building in Gaza Strip, claiming it was ‘Hamas base’ Anadolu Agency
Israel Accuses Al Jazeera Of Being Mouthpiece For Journalism The Onion. Commentary:
Regarding Israel shutting down Al Jazeera, some history on US attacks on Al Jazeera: The US bombed its offices in Afghanistan in 2001 and Sami al-Hajj, an Al Jazeera cameraman, was kidnapped and sent to Guantanamo Prison for 6 years. In 2003, the NY Stock Exchange banned Al…
— jeremy scahill (@jeremyscahill) May 6, 2024
New Not-So-Cold War
Russia warns Britain it could strike back after Cameron remark on Ukraine Reuters
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 6, 2024 Institute for the Study of War. “The Kremlin appears to be re-intensifying a reflexive control campaign targeting Western decision-making using nuclear threats and diplomatic manipulation.”
Russia to hold nuclear drills following ‘threats’ from West BBC
United States on Russia’s upcoming nuclear drills: Irresponsible rhetoric and Russia should simply withdraw – US Strategic Communications Coordinator Kirby on nuclear rhetoric Ukrainska Pravda
Ukraine’s pitch to new soldiers: ‘Choose your own adventure’ FT
Satellite images show Russia no longer using Crimean bridge to supply troops in Ukraine Independent
Travel Notes, St Petersburg, April-May 2024: second installment Gilbert Doctorow, Armageddon Newsletter
Gig work in Georgia: “Another hell” JAM News
South of the Border
Walking Buenos Aires (excerpt) Chris Arnade Walks the World
Global Elections
European elections: One month ahead, the French badly need to start doing their homework France24
Facebook Black Market for Ad Accounts Looms Over India Election Tech Transparency Project
Indian politicians are bringing the dead on the campaign trail, with help from AI Rest of World
Biden Administration
The SEC’s power grab on digital assets threatens US innovation FT. You say “threatens innovation” like that’s a bad thing.
FTC Bans Noncompete Agreements in Most Cases James Moore
The Supremes
Blockbuster cases abound as Supreme Court enters opinion season Courthouse News
2024
‘Politico’ Misses Mark in Story on Who’s Funding Pro-Palestine Protests Against Biden Rolling Stone
MMT
There are six reasons why we need taxes Funding the Future
Meanwhile, bogus posturing:
Medicare is stronger and Social Security remains strong.
My economic plan has helped extend Medicare solvency by a decade.
And I am committed to extending Social Security solvency by making the rich pay their fair share.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 7, 2024
Since Federal taxes don’t “pay for” Federal funding.
Digital Watch
For AI, a Few Seconds of Power Becomes a Booming Business WSJ
Dear Stack Overflow denizens, thanks for helping train OpenAI’s billion-dollar LLMs The Register. Open theft, the basis (“primitive accumulation”) of the AI “industry.”
Our Famously Free Press
Clarifying:
The New York Times has won a Pulitzer for its “wide ranging and revelatory coverage” of Oct. 7th and Israel’s ensuing mass murder campaign. A top journalism prize for laundering Israeli gov’t lies and whitewashing its atrocities. What a joke. https://t.co/2vnbFm0hRW
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) May 6, 2024
Also clarifying:
Stop giving out Pulitzer Prizes until someone tells the real story of Jeff Epstein.
— Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) May 7, 2024
Patrick Lawrence: Of Journalists, Students and Power ScheerPost
New Claim Puts ‘WaPo’ Boss Will Lewis in Crosshairs of Murdoch Scandal Daily Beast
Groves of Academe
Encampment in Harvard Yard Harvard Office of the President. It’s not clear to me why an anti-genocide encampment is not part of Harvard’s “academic mission,” whereas a commencement ceremony, heart-warming though the presentation of credentials may be, is.
When the hammer came down at U.V.A. The Racket
Boeing
The FAA investigates after Boeing says workers in South Carolina falsified 787 inspection records AP
Boeing Starliner’s first crewed mission scrubbed TechCrunch
Boeing Locks Out Firefighters While Negotiating With Machinists Forbes
Realignment and Legitimacy
On the political psychology of killer chimpanzees Carl Beijer
The Illiberalism at America’s Core The New Republic
Liberalism without Accountability London Review of Books
Tech bro fascism looks like a lot like old-fashioned fascism Boing Boing
Gunz
Thanks, guys:
Guillotine Watch
Run, Bezos, Run Crooked Timber. Hilarious deadpan.
Class Warfare
The End of Lean Production… and What’s Ahead Kim Moody, Labor Notes
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
