What Michelangelo’s late works reveal about his genius – and his personality aeon (Chuck L)
Critic Magazine’s Odd Couple. Anthony L: “Waugh & Greene”
Yesterday’s Men: The Death of Harper’s Legend (Anthony L)
A black hole 100,000x heavier than the Sun wakes up, lights up a fascinating galaxy Engineering (Chuck L)
The Continuing Mystery of How Water Freezes Quantum Magazine (Kevin W)
A brief history of the mass equation by Stephen Hawking (Chuck L)
#Covid 19
New Insights into Acute and Long Covid Eric Topol (Robin K)
Climate/Environment
Microplastics have been found in semen for the first time, say researchers – raising questions about the impact on sexual health Sky News (Kevin W)
Eastern Australia is facing an immediate gas shortage amid the cold weather, Reuters reports
UK Supreme Court Gives Climate Activists Landmark Win in Oil Drilling Case OilPrice
Ecuador was hit by a power outage that left 18 million in the dark Guardian
China?
America’s reputation on the line at Second Thomas Shoal Asia Times (Kevin W)
The Chinese are able to use high-resolution satellite cameras and AI to track the wake created by US submarines traveling underwater at more than 20 knots (37 kph).
As the largest US nuclear submarine displaces nearly 7,000 tons of water when submerged and… pic.twitter.com/M0o2DBx6X7
— Ignis Rex (@Ignis_Rex) June 22, 2024
DJI drone ban passes in US House — The ‘Counting CCP Drones Act’ will ban all DJI sales in the US if passed by Senate Tom Hardware. Chuck L also tweeted the below:
Crazy, the US is passing a bill called the “Counting CCP Drones Act” that will ban DJI drones in the US.
I checked, DJI has 90% market share of the US hobby market, 70% market share of the industrial market and over 80% market share of the first responder…
– Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) June 20, 2024
US wants Netherlands, Japan to continue restricting China’s chipmaking equipment Reuters (Kevin W). From Thursday, still germane.
Chinese Submarine Captain Reports Big Fire Blast: Did New YJ-21 Hypersonic Missiles Provide Serious Performance Upgrades? Military Watch
Africa
Sudan: Darfur graveyards triple as 25.6M go without food Al-Monitor
Niger revokes French operating license for large uranium mine France24
The breakup of Europe
The French anti-rightist rally ends in a clash before the general election in France 24
Is Berlin ready for the apocalypse? Politicians argue over bunkers and organize a Berliner
Gaza
🚨 Testimony: Dr. Muneer Al Bursh, #GazaThe Director General of the Ministry of Health, reveals the appalling torture methods in Israeli military prisons after the killing of Dr. Iyad al-Rantisi: electric shocks, standing, stretching, and pulling nails during interrogation ‼️ pic.twitter.com/PSRcGB6UiF
– Nour Naim نُور (@NourNaim88) June 19, 2024
Hizbullah Ready to Defeat Israel Moon of Alabama (Kevin W)
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warns Israel of cost of war in Lebanon NPR
The shipping industry is sounding the alarm as another ship sinks in the Red Sea CNN
Hundreds of Orthodox high street protest IDF registration Times of Israel (Kevin W)
Global foreign investment falls for second year as political tensions rise, UN trade body reports
The New Cold War
The price of war is never paid by those responsible…
A Ukrainian soldier wakes up in a hospital, his eyes and arms gone, his life cut short. If there is a woman, she will go, if there was a future, she is gone.
I pray this ends. #UkraineRussianWar #ukraine… pic.twitter.com/u54fdUGLpv– Noctis Draven (@DravenNoctis) June 19, 2024
EU approves 14th package of Russian sanctions, including first-ever measures for LNG sector Euractiv
Japan has unveiled trade restrictions against firms in China, India, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan for allegedly supporting Russia’s war on Ukraine Aljazeera.
Putin warns South Korea against arming Ukraine BBC (Kevin W)
Putin reconsiders nuclear doctrine after state visit to Vietnam Euronews
UKRAINIAN NEO-NAZI GROUP CENTURIA TERRORIZES EUROPEAN CITIZENS AND CREATED A “FOURTH REICH” IN EUROPE Foundation to Battle Injustice (Micael T)
Yellen Says US-Vietnam Ties Don’t Need to Cut Ties With Russia, China US News (Kevin W)
US gives Ukraine priority rights to air defense missiles Politico (Kevin W)
Does Russia Get Better? Mark Wauck
HELIUM BALLOON GOES UP – RUSSIAN HELIUM INDUSTRY GOES WITH NATO John Helmer
Assange
Key evidence missing in Assange’s wiretapping case – media RT (Robin K)
Imperial Collapse Watch
As Chuck L said, “When you lose Niall Ferguson…”
British historian Niall Ferguson warns that if the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union is used as an analogy for today’s situation, it is not China that is playing the role of the Soviet Union, but the United States.
At the end of the Soviet era, constipation … pic.twitter.com/r82WLSvs3E
— DaiWW (@BeijingDai) June 19, 2024
The Ruling Class Finally Awakens to the Truth of America’s Decline Simplicius
The American people don’t realize how disastrous this would be if it really is. And Manning, a Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council, is very well connected in DC so I think maybe we should believe him.
The battle is actually won in 3 things:
1) Industrial power
2)…– Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) June 20, 2024
US over-borrowing risks market volatility, analysts warn Financial Times. It raises the question of why the Treasury did not issue more long-term bonds when rates were so low.
Trump
Trump dramatically increased last month’s bid for Biden Politico
Nevada Judge Dismisses Trump’s Fake Voter Case New York Times (Kevin W)
Trump gets last word in CNN interview after CNN coin-op (Kevin W)
Gunz
Supreme Court upholds law banning domestic abusers from owning guns CBS (Kevin W
All Watch
Pilot’s Union Proposes to Change ‘Cockpit’ to ‘Flight Deck’ to Engage Breitbart (Dr. Kevin). Yes, I know Breitbart but that’s advertising thinking. This is an item from the source. IMHO women pilots are more concerned about pay/promotion/scheduling being discriminated against and beaten up with that kind of nonsense. But for a union to fight over money or power relations can be a task.
The Specter of ‘Indoctrination’ The Chronicle (Anthony L)
Falling Apart, Boeing and Not Boeing Edition
Astronauts stranded in space due to multiple problems with Boeing’s Starliner — and reentry window closes LiveScience (Kevin W)
Can I even buy a car? What you need to know about CNN’s biggest car dealer blackout
The AI
LLMs create more convincing false information than people The Register (Dr. Kevin)
AI is destroying the power grid. Technology firms are looking for a miracle solution. Washington Post (Kevin W)
Let Tim Cook Edward Zitron (Micael T)
Class War
How Home Ownership Became the American Dream Bloomberg
Mercedes Rollsback Wage & Benefit Gains Following Union Defeat – Teamsters Prez to Speak at RNC Convention – Reggie Jackson Speaks on Violence in the South Mike Elk
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s links and the Antidote du Jour here.