Colorado rattlesnake “mega den” gets national attention via citizen science webcam The Colorado Sun
Endangered crocodiles return to Cambodia BBC
Wall Street feels the Barbarians are Finally Gates Bloomberg. Comment:
#MorganStanley again #GoldmanSachs they hope that the independent budget machine comes without interruption and will increase the payments, it said @PaulJDavies with @umbono
— Bloomberg (@business) July 18, 2024
Has private equity become a Ponzi scheme? It doesn’t make sense
Boston 25 is shrinking. You won’t be surprised to find that private equity is the cause. Dan Kennedy
The weather
With rising CO2 levels, the world’s drylands are turning green YaleEnvironment360
Global Economic Governance: What Does “Growth” Have to Do With It? Ann Pettifor, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The world’s largest unconnected indigenous nation saw loggers in the Peruvian Amazon Anadolu Agency
Water
Shocking study suggests effect of drought is killing key terrestrial species: ‘We know little about them’ The Cooldown
Syndemics
Bird flu may become a human epidemic. How are countries preparing? The environment
The H5N1 pandemic is inevitable – here’s why. Canada’s health watch
US bird flu response builds on lessons learned from COVID (interview) Mandy Cohen, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Cohen: “We have never seen human-to-human transmission of this virus.” But look at 2005; 2006.
GISAID: Structure Intensifies Avian Influenza Diary
China?
China halts nuclear talks with US over Taiwan’s support for Al Jazeera
WTO says China is backtracking on key reforms and lacks transparency on funding South China Morning Post. Comment:
6/6
downward pressure on global growth, there is an upward pressure from equal trade in terms of real comparative advantage. This is why the WTO should focus on eliminating persistent trade imbalances.— Michael Pettis (@michaelxpettis) July 18, 2024
‘A new model of human civilization’: What is so different about the Chinese style of modernization? Channel News Asia
Inside China’s Psychoboom JSTOR Daily
Bangladesh closes universities, colleges permanently after protests Channel News Asia
The Koreans
Korean Nuclear Stocks Rise on Multibillion Dollar Czech Deal Bloomberg
Syracistan
The Israeli military will begin drafting Orthodox men on Sunday. It may solve the government AP
Why is Israel intensifying its attacks when negotiations to stop the explosion in Gaza continue? Al Jazeera
Pro-Israel Lobby Smells Blood in Joint Lawsuit Against Media Critics Pearls and Irritation
Hello Old Blighty
The King’s Speech: a half-baked hotchpotch that delivers something less than the idea of Funding the Future
Muslim vote Craig Murray
New Similar Left Review
The New Cold War
Germany plans to halve military aid to Ukraine BBC
TurkStream instead of LNG: Gazprom floods Southeast Europe with gas pipeline (Google translation) Berliner Zeitung
Donald Trump will seek Russia-Ukraine peace talks if re-elected, says Viktor Orbán FT
Trump on easing restrictions against Russia: We force everyone to leave us Ukrainska Pravda
JD Vance: Ukraine stats don’t cover NYT
Why JD Vance will be ready for Europe Unherd
Ukraine lifts debt moratorium, resumes formal talks with bondholders Reuters
****** A total of 144 combat operations took place on the battlefield in Ukraine during the day, with a heated situation in front of Toretsk in Ukrainska Pravda.
Russia’s withdrawal from Crimea makes a mockery of the West’s growing fears of the Atlantic Council
The Dysfunction of Ukraine’s Parliament as a Governing Body NYT
****** Russia Uses Lawsuits to Fight Western Sanctions Foreign Policy
The President and part of the opposition in Georgia will challenge the “foreign agents” law in the Constitutional Court JAM News
Rethinking Russia’s National Interest
2024
Biden says he will drop out of the race if he is found to have a ‘medical condition’ as pressure from Democrats grows on his independence. Comment:
The thing that can’t be said about all these great WH tests?
Since the “pandemic is over” and no one is being tested anymore unless they have multiple symptoms… it suggests that POTUS has severe symptoms (or is being treated differently than the general public – also important to know).
– Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) July 17, 2024
Also:
One of the most common problems during the covid infection in all waves has been dizziness, loss of balance, muscle weakness, and falls caused by all of them, especially in the elderly.
— tern (@1gootern) July 17, 2024
Hubris; enemies.
The world’s largest uncontacted indigenous nation saw loggers in the Peruvian Amazon
****** Donald Trump Interview Transcript Bloomberg
****** RNC 2024 day 3 updates: JD Vance taps working-class roots in primary as VP nominee ABC
Politico’s mass deportation line
****** Trump Takes Crypto as a ‘Wedge Issue’ as Donors Cheer Him on at Bloomberg
Bitcoin hits 1-month high at $66,000 amid Trump’s pro-crypto Anadolu Agency hopes
SPAC = Special Purpose Acquisition Company:
In any normal country, say the 2004 or 1996 election cycle, this would be a HUGE story and a HUGE embarrassment for the GOP presidential nominee.
But it’s 2024 and it’s Trump so nothing matters.
– Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) July 18, 2024
****** Blind Spot and Lost Route: How the Shooter Got So Close to Trump NYT Comment:
There was an unusual incident at the meeting in the evening, when the US Senators faced the head of the Secret Service here in Milwaukee. More details are coming to the NYT.
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) July 18, 2024
FWIW:
This is wild!
The day before the execution
attempt (Friday, July 12), which appears to be a private equity fund, placed a large bet using Put Options, on Donald Trump’s media and technology company (DJT), which would have received an amount exceeding the value of…— Ezekiel_38_News (@Ezekeli38News) July 18, 2024
****** Changes in vibes – why do they happen? The Marginal Revolution
Supply Chain
Maersk says Red Sea shipping disruption has global consequences Hellenic Shipping News
Health care
US Health Care Now Unaffordable for Almost Half of Americans Newsweek
Nasal Sprays Reduce Sick Days From Respiratory Diseases in High-Risk Patients MedPage Today
Zeitgeist Watch
“It’s All Just Imagination:” Taylor Swift’s Influence on Fan’s Body Image, Disordered Eating, and the Denial of Food Culture Social Science and Medicine.
School Vouchers Should Have Saved Taxpayers Money. Instead They Punched a Big Hole in Arizona’s Budget. ProPublica
Crowdfunding Regulation (PDF) SSRN. From the Discussion: “Crowdfunding, a sound financial method, has gained a lot of power in recent years as a way to raise money for various activities, projects, and businesses from a diverse group of people or organizations. The rapid evolution and widespread adoption of crowdfunding has raised important regulatory considerations to ensure investor protection, market integrity, and the overall stability of the financial system. “
Class War
Amazon Prime Day ‘biggest cause of injury’ to workers, Senate finds CNN
You Can Never Have Too Much Money, Happiness Researcher Finds Bloomberg
What Happened to the Ancient Megafauna? The Nautilus
Antidote du jour (Brian Dell):
See yesterday’s links and the Antidote du Jour here.
