Something strange happens to wolves infected with an infamous mind-altering parasite Scientific alert
Taking stock: assets in dollars, gold and official foreign exchange reserves Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Liberty Street Economics
Would returning to the gold standard solve our most pressing monetary problems? Charles Hugh Smith, or Two Spirits. No.
CalPERS opposes Elon Musk’s $56 billion pay package amid shareholder discontent WION
The non-crisis of the CRE continues FT
Climate
US, China must take lead in climate fight despite competitive relationship, Beijing special envoy says says the South China Morning Post
In search of a market-driven carbon price Global S&P. Let me know how it goes….
Trees in distress Post-shipment from St Louis
Proposed cooling policy would lead to increased air conditioning usage, risking power outages RAND
Water
Accusations fly as Mexico City’s water crisis nears ‘day zero’ Americas
Dozens of Alaskan rivers and streams turn orange, visible from space Interesting engineering
Understanding water advisories The Brockovich Report
Syndemics
Officials investigate unusual surge in flu viruses in Northern California Chronicle of San Francisco
The bird flu vaccine is made from eggs. This worries scientists. CBS
China?
Beware of doomsday predictions for Taiwan under Lai Brookings Institution
Debt Trap Diplomacy J-STOR Daily
Chinese scientists cure diabetes using stem cells: a world first NextShak. But if we cure it, what will happen to our insulin pensions? Think. people!
Burma
Myanmar’s ethnic armies consolidate strongholds as junta weakens, reports say Reuters
Vast concessions threaten Malaysia’s forests: report Asia News Channel
India
Delhi “unbearable” with temperatures close to 50°C BBC
Power demand peaks in heatwave-hit Delhi, but temperature readings could be ‘errors’ Asia News Channel
Syria
The US-built pier in Gaza collapsed. Here’s how we got here and what could be next Orlando Sentinel
* * * Israel claims to have seized key Gaza-Egypt corridor as Rafah ground offensive intensifies France 24
Pushed to the limit, hungry and exhausted, the displaced people of Rafah struggle to survive The new Arabic
* * * Attacks on the ICC show that “condemning Hamas” is really about exonerating Israel FAIR
Israel ignores UN Security Council proposal to ‘end the killings’ and continue assault on Rafah Al Jazeera
European disunity
France on foot: from Avignon to Pont-Saint-Esprit Chris Arnade, Traveling the World
Dear old Blighty
Favored nation New left-wing review
Labor vows to hit 18-week NHS wait target within five years BBC. Ambitious!
A new not-so-cold war
NATO meets as calls grow to let Ukraine strike targets in Russia France 24. Mercouris, newer than any of them, says strikes on targets in Russia are coming out of the boil.
US Secretary of State Hints He May Allow Ukraine to Strike Russian Territory With US Weapons And Poland allows Ukraine to use Polish-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia Ukrainian Pravda
NATO steps up cross-border strikes Simplicius the thinker(s)
US concerned about Ukrainian strikes on Russian nuclear radar WaPo stations
How to win in Ukraine: pour in and don’t worry about escalation RAND. But from May 22.
* * * War in Ukraine: Influential Russian think tank proposes ‘demonstrative’ nuclear explosion South China Morning Post
* * * NATO only has 5% of the air defenses needed to protect the East FT sidewall
Image shows 7-tier defensive line planned for NATO-Russia border Insider. Awesome. I assume a PowerPoint comes with it?
NATO Holds First Critical Underwater Infrastructure Network Meeting Naval News
* * * US arms delivery to Ukraine helps stabilize frontline, Blinken says Reuters
Ukrainian soldiers say US-supplied tanks made them targets for Russian strikes CNN. Oopsie.
Increasingly Effective Russian Electronic Warfare Turns Trend On Front Lines – Reports Military watch
* * * Hundreds of Georgian NGOs pledge to challenge ‘foreign influence’ law Al Jazeera
World elections
South Africa counts ballots in most competitive election since apartheid France 24
2024
Jury Instructions and Fees (PDF), The People Against Donald J. Trump
AIPAC branch spends massively to beat Cori Bush in primary Policy. Election interference.
The Supremes
Scary country
The obscure federal intelligence office that ruled in favor of Vietnam, Iraq and Ukraine Voice
Beak
Courts rather than arbitrators to decide whether Dogecoin dispute is subject to arbitration SCOTUS Blog
Exclusive: The Atlantic, Vox Media ink licensing, product deals with OpenAI Axios
Publishing AI Slop is a choice Bold Fireball
Digital watch
Google researchers say AI is now the main vector of misinformation (and seriously underestimate the problem) 404 Media. “If you didn’t want to go to Milwaukee, why did you take the train?” –Father Emil, a Prairie Home Companion (from memory).
Google confirms leaked research documents are real The edge
US judge makes ‘unthinkable’ argument in favor of using AI to interpret legal texts Reuters
Boeing
FAA appears ready to grant Boeing safety report extension Leeham News & Analysis
The 420
K-Pop The deflector. Ketamine.
Imperial Collapse Watch
Jeffrey Sachs: The Untold Story of the Cold War, CIA Coups Around the World, and the Origin of COVID (video) Tucker Carlson, YouTube
Can the B-21 Raider save America’s dwindling bomber force? (1945No
Class struggle
How tens of thousands of graduate workers organize themselves Working notes
Seattle takes no credit for Tukwila migrant crisis. But it started here Seattle Times
Antidote of the day, via JB:
“A little bird that sings in the cold.”
See yesterday’s links and Antidote du Jour here.
