Democratic, anachronistic, fun. How the city survives the FT
Economics 101 Aeon
The weather
Are markets the right tool to decarbonize electricity? (transcription) Volts
‘One simple trick’ Paris used to cut air pollution by 40% ahead of Olympics Elektrek
Water
Riots erupt in drought-stricken central Algeria amid months of water shortage AP
Syndemics
In dribs and drabs, USDA reports suggest bird flu outbreak in dairy cattle will be a challenge and Global health leader criticizes ‘irrational’ US response to bird flu outbreak among cattle STAT. Comment:
To say “We are playing with fire” w/ H5N1 bird flu is an understatement
We allow this virus to escape every opportunity we have had to contain it
My concern that it jumps out at people is increasing every day (~equal to spread…) and we never check it!
— Michael Mina (@michaelmina_lab) June 12, 2024
****** Most COVID-19 patients have died in understaffed hospitals, new data shows Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy
China?
China has become a scientific superpower The Economist. Comment:
China’s growth to this extent was astonishingly fast: “In 2003 America produced 20 times more paper than China…paper from 2022 in China will be…
– Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) June 14, 2024
China Posts Deflation But US Doesn’t Benefit As Bonds Weak Bloomberg
China’s Middle Class Fears for Its Economic Future Bloomberg
Malaysia returns $156m in stolen 1MDB funds, US embassy says Al Jazeera
Philippines to Restore Subic Bay Airfield for South China Sea Ops Naval News
India
Indian Startup 3D Prints Rocket Engine in Just 72 Hours IEEE Spectrum
in Myanmar
Myanmar Junta Boss Orders More Irrawaddy Military’s Top Copper Cleanup
Syracistan
Fires caused by Hezbollah rockets threaten ‘strategic sites’ in Israel: Official Anadolu Agency
How ‘Israel’ Lost the North indi.ca
Israel must target the infrastructure of the Lebanese people to suppress Hezbollah, said the head of the IDSF to the Jerusalem Post. IDSF = Israel Defense and Security Forum.
Street fighting rages in Rafah as Biden blames Hamas for delaying ceasefire France24
****** Gaza resistance sources say fears are growing that the US territory will be used to expel Palestinians Mondoweiss.
The US military is considering temporarily dismantling a fishing facility off the coast of Gaza for a second time due to rough sea conditions CNN (ChrisFromGA).
****** Who Is Barak Hiram, The IDF General Who Ordered the Burning of Tanks at a Kibbutz Home with 13 Hostages Inside? Haaretz
Hamas’s Sinwar said he hailed the high death toll in Gaza as a ‘necessary sacrifice’ Times of Israel (Furzy Mouse).
Olive Trees of Palestine JSTOR Daily
The breakup of Europe
Fighting on two fronts, France’s Macron is flagging ‘extremist fever’ on the right and left France24. Comment:
Later that day, Marion Maréchal announces that he met with the RN and makes it clear that the condition they set for the alliance is to eliminate Zemmour… Remember that the group Reconquête Maréchal and Zemmour belong to was founded by Zemmour.
– Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) June 13, 2024
Macron’s party in danger of extinction, says the FT election forecast. Stake: “The coalition agreement on the left means that the presidential coalition may come out of the run-offs with the far right.”
A fight breaks out in Italy’s Parliament after a lawmaker takes action over official CBS
After Euroscepticism the New Left Review
Hello Old Blighty
Rishi Sunak’s aide placed a bet on election day ahead of the Guardian’s announcement
The super-rich may leave the UK because of Labour’s plans for estate taxes on trusts Reuters
The New Cold War
Ukraine-US security agreement to be submitted to Congress, will be legally binding Ukraiska Pravda
Biden strikes security deal with Zelenskyy – but Politico questions his future. “The agreement is between the current US administration and Ukraine only and will not be ratified by Congress.”
Zelenskiy calls on G7 leaders to approve ‘Marshall Plan’ for Ukraine reconstruction Reuters
****** Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says China’s Xi told him not to sell to Russia Reuters But:
Bad time for the G7 today. Zelensky says he had a phone conversation with President Xi, and Xi assured him that China would not provide Russia with weapons to use against Ukraine. Biden insists on correcting Zelensky, says China is “actually helping Russia” pic.twitter.com/Qil8XgM9GI
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) June 13, 2024
****** Ukraine Jails Socialist Writer, Bans World Wide Web Site Matt Taibbi, Racket News
Pressure and threats aimed at Texty.org.ua were reported after the publication of a study by opponents of Ukrainian aid in the US Urkinska Pravda
****** Ukraine draft woes leave West under pressure to plug troop shortages The Conversation
From prison to trenches: Ukraine’s attempt to turn prisoners into soldiers CNN
****** Ukraine extends blackout as Russian bombing continues BBC
Ukraine says without additional air cover there won’t be enough power for winter Reuters
****** Updates from the Council of Ukraine on foreign relations
How the Shift of Power Dynamics Eastward Affects the Evolution of the Ukraine Crisis Valdai Discussion Club
The Supremes
Supreme Court upholds Starbucks over Biden labor board in ‘Memphis 7’ union case USA Today
Supreme Court Unanimously Maintains Access to AP’s Widely Used Abortion Medicines
Second Time as Farce: The Folly of New Anti-CFPB Arguments Adam Levitin, Credit Slips
Spook Land
OpenAI adds former NSA official to its Axios board. Comment:
OpenAI recently hired the guy who was in charge of mass surveillance at the NSA. He spied on dozens of Americans without British spies to evade US law enforcement. Give them unlimited test access to US networks. It tells you everything you need to know about OpenAI.
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) June 14, 2024
The Stanford Internet Observatory is disbanding The Platformer
A digital clock
The payoff from AI projects is ‘horrendous’, biz leaders complain to the Register. Comment:
It’s not an accident. It’s not “just innocent” to be manipulated by AI. You NEED to be able to see and distinguish the truth. You NEED to know how the world works at a basic level.
Because deceiving you with small animals and flowers is only the beginning of something worse. pic.twitter.com/JTLsQaY21D
– Dr. Holly Walters (@Manigarm) June 13, 2024
WWDC, Apple Intelligence, Apple Aggregates AI (not paywalled) Stratechery
Guillotine Watch
‘I love you guys!’: Elon Musk gets $44.9bn pay contract after Tesla poll Al Jazeera
McKinsey Boss’s Next Big Consulting Project: His Firm WSJ
Imperial Collapse Watch
American Messianism Paul R. Grenier, Landmarks. Stake: “Evil, when it is in its power, is not regarded as evil but as necessity or obligation.”
For king and country? Young Europeans may not be willing to fight Politico
Class War
Big Union Win for Virginia Schools in Unexpected Bargaining Legal Staff Notes
Wells Fargo fires employees for ‘imitation’ by being on their keyboards FT
The invisible hand of the health industry is boxing Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic
Centuries of a Child Res Obscura
Antidote du jour (Forest & Kim Starr):
See yesterday’s links and the Antidote du Jour here.
