Dear patient readers,
This weekend is a big holiday in the US, and as usual we will be celebrating by scaling back our coverage until Tuesday, so we hope everyone in the US is well rested.
Mother delighted as son named world’s youngest male artist BBC
“My songs spread like herpes”: How satirical genius Tom Lehrer went from global fame to obscurity Guardian (Dr. Kevin)
The birth of the oldest galaxy in the universe observed for the first time Science Daily (Kevin W)
Progress is being reversed and stroke rates are rising, especially among working-age adults Soon. As Lambert likes to say, this is a mystery. The article claims that Covid has nothing to do with it. I’d like to hear from someone familiar with statistical methods in medicine. After all, stroke rates were declining before, even as factors like obesity and opioid abuse were getting worse.
Mary Lou Retton is sharing an update on her ongoing health issues. CNN. Paul Rubin says his second “It’s a mystery!”
Farmers still not testing enough for bird flu Bloomberg (Massachusetts). Subheadline: Only 40 people nationwide tested for H5N1. Think about it.
These autonomous drones can be charged from the power line ZMEScience (Dr. Kevin). It would be illegal for poor people to do this.
#COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus Disease)
JAMA News Today: “Heart failure mortality rates have reversed over the past decade”
Possible cause: COVID. pic.twitter.com/S4MT6q9z0j
— Mike Hoerger, PhD, MSCR MBA (@michael_hoerger) May 24, 2024
Amazing! Simon Case explains that test and trace worked in countries like Germany because they kept the number of cases down, but in the UK the test and trace system didn’t work because the number of cases was so high.
Hugo Keith: “We knew there was going to be a second wave. We didn’t have the vaccine. We didn’t have the tests…” pic.twitter.com/r4bJFTRQns
— Falk (@implausibleblog) May 23, 2024
Climate and Environment
The “energy transition” will not happen City Journal
China?
China tests ‘power seizure’ capabilities in second day of military drills around Taiwan Reuters
Philippines, Japan close to signing mutual military pact to counter China South China Morning Post
Germany’s defense industry says it needs government help to reduce reliance on China Reuters
European Separation
Denmark’s Secret: How it became the most trusted country in the world and why it matters Guardian (Dr. Kevin)
Beautiful France
French President Emmanuel Macron postpones voting reforms in New Caledonia after deadly riots ABC Australia (Kevin W)
Macron says French troops will remain in New Caledonia ‘as long as necessary’ Al Jazeera
Old Brittany
Must see:
🇬🇧 The real reason Sunak called an early election in July – Andrew Bridgen MP pic.twitter.com/WVsPkeQHrq
— Robin Monotti (@robinmonotti) May 23, 2024
Michael Gove resigns as Conservative Party voter withdrawal continues Politico (Kevin W). UK readers, please feel free to correct me. My impression is that Gove was no worse than a typical Conservative frontbencher. Not that that’s a high standard.
Jeremy Corbyn has been expelled from the Labour Party after confirming he will stand as an independent in the general election. Independent (Kevin W.) Remember George Galloway asked Corbyn to join the Labour Party?
The cost of living crisis has left three million cash-strapped Britons turning to “dangerous” loan sharks, a survey has found. The big problem
Gaza
The decision was supported by almost all the judges. Only one judge, Ugandan Judge Sebutinde, who regularly votes in favor of Israel,
And Barak (the Israeli provisional judge) voted against it. Barak was absent from the court.— Craig Mokhiber (@CraigMokhiber) May 24, 2024
Global outcry for immediate halt to Rafah attacks is too big to ignore: UN relief official Anadolu Agency
BREAKING: Israel bombs tents housing displaced people in immediate response to ICJ ruling pic.twitter.com/yp0WT4bFOS
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) May 24, 2024
* * * Deputy Mayors of Jerusalem. https://t.co/SnMGplaYNu
— Omar H. Rahman (@omarrahman) May 23, 2024
Day 230 of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood: Israel attacks West Bank at ICC request Mondoweiss (Grust)
It’s surreal to watch ethnic cleansing captured on high-definition digital video. https://t.co/Yk7Prpvg9d
— Tom Gara (@tomgara) May 22, 2024
* * * US plans to be ‘deeply involved’ in Gaza after war – Politico RT (Kevin W): So the US is writing checks to fund the war effort but has no say in what happens after. Does that mean they’re also funding Israeli real estate entrepreneurs?
* * * Lethal operations and sadistic experiments: Ukrainian secret “medical” units conduct inhumane experiments on live humans Foundation for Fighting Injustice (Michael T)
The message of Israel’s torture chambers is not just for Palestinians, but for all of us. Middle East Eye (Chuck L)
Gaza protests
Follow the money: How an Israeli-linked billionaire silenced protests at a US university Cher Post (Michael T.)
Police make first arrest for alleged assault on pro-Palestinian protester at UCLA A shared dream. Remember, UCLA was the place where pro-Israel locals stormed in and attacked protesters.
A new cold war
SITREP 5/24/24: The delegitimization of Zelenskyy has escalated dangerously, bringing the situation to a crisis point Simplicius the Thinker
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov: Europe as a partner has been irrelevant for Russia for at least a generation International Affairs (Michael T)
No planes flying – satellites are silent. How does Tobol work?
UK: No joke. The UK has been afraid of the Russian “Tobol” for a few weeks now, and the skies over London are closed. But not just over London, but also over neighboring European countries. As a result, no planes are flying… pic.twitter.com/M0tBoWtqQr
— Peacemaker (@peacemaket71) May 23, 2024
US condemns Russian anti-satellite weapon launch, Western countries and Russia mutually veto UN Security Council resolution on space weapons, Zelensky calls on NATO to shoot down Russian missiles, and more… Mark Slevoda, Political Misfit
Big Brother is Watching You
Apple Wi-Fi location system could be used for tracking purposes around the world The Register (Chuck L)
Samsung to force independent repair shops to share customer data and tip off people who use aftermarket parts, leaked contracts reveal 404 Media (Michael T)
Empire Collapse Watch
U.S. Congressman wants defense companies to cheat the government Jacobin (Kevin W.)
Suspicious Eagle: Why did the Pentagon spend $756 million on a hypersonic missile that doesn’t fly? Sputnik. See above.
U.S. House Committee Proposes ‘Automatic’ Draft Registration Antiwar.com (Kevin W)
Geopolitical risk is top concern for global family offices, UBS survey finds Reuters
The “rules-based order” is the enemy of international law Daniel Larrison
Trump
This was before a big holiday weekend, so New York gets really empty then.
Jokes aside, don’t be fooled by them. Here’s Trump’s actual crowd in the Bronx. If you zoom in, you can see him rambling on stage. pic.twitter.com/f50HxLvXnL
— Hoodlum🇺🇸 (@NotHoodlum) May 24, 2024
Biden
Americans aren’t being fooled by Biden’s lies about the economy The Hill (Kevin W.)
House of Representatives Passes Bill to Block Federal Reserve from Issuing Digital Dollar The Hill (Kevin W). Note the title: CBDC Anti-Surveillance National Law.
Supremes
Democrats predict Supreme Court crisis in second Alito flag debate The Hill: Not only did Ruth Bader Ginsburg remain on the Supreme Court to vote in favor of abortion rights despite having cancer, but she also feels uncomfortable pointing out that she denounced Trump when he first ran for office. So the appearance of impartiality hasn’t been maintained all that well in recent years.
abortion
Why paying women to have children doesn’t work Economist (Farzi)
The press is no longer free
Twitter files have grown: Have your posts been replaced with “dog pictures, quinoa recipes, and sports scores”? Matt Taibbi: I commented to Lambert that one of my two Twitter feeds has been flooded with cute animal videos lately, and my news feed, hours after the International Court of Justice in Rafah ordered Israel to withdraw, shows nothing on that feed, even though I follow Max Blumenthal-type people.
EVs are twice as likely to hit pedestrians as gasoline-powered cars Oil prices. Some blame the victims, with the theory that pedestrians can’t hear electric cars. Electric cars are many tons heavier than older cars. Poor braking may also be a factor. Is there data on accidents in general?
Frontier Airlines CEO urges crackdown on ‘rampant abuse’ of airport wheelchair services CNBC (Kevin W)
artificial intelligence
Sam Altman is a liar Ed Zitron (Michael T.)
Google promises a better search experience, but now it’s telling you to put glue on your pizza The Verge (Michael T)
Google pays Reddit $60 million for Fucksmith to tell users to eat glue 404 Media. Michael T: “But of course faxsmiths get nothing.”
Basil
The failed prophet Harpers (Anthony L)
‘Unacceptable’: Spotify disables Car Thing devices without refunds in December Ars Technica (Kevin W)
Class struggle
Polls show that most Americans mistakenly believe the U.S. is in a recession CNBC. That means most Americans are personally in a recession.
Associated Press (Kevin W.) This amount is for lint off the couch, so here it is.
Today’s antidote. Steven T: “A snail strolling through downtown Tillamook, Oregon.”:
And a bonus (fur): It may seem mean to make captive animals perform tricks, but the sea lions at the Central Park Children’s Zoo loved it. And they got plenty of fish for their trouble.
Each seal has a special shape that they have learned to hunt in the water, and when the seals find it, the staff hand out their favorite treats and praise them for a job well done. pic.twitter.com/3Ni8VpFlhN
— Oregon Zoo (@OregonZoo) May 23, 2024
And a second bonus from Fergie who is in the hospital with multiple hairline fractures in her pelvis. Her doctor told her to stay in the hospital for 3 months. She is fighting back and intends to go home sooner and be looked after by a housekeeper. I and other friends (including one who ended up needing a second surgery and hospitalization because he went home too soon after the fracture) have been very strict with her. she Her hipster friends have been telling her strongly that this is not wise (keep in mind Fergie only needs extreme bed rest to recover, not surgery), and I think this is a statement of how she feels.
Mood…😂 pic.twitter.com/O9u7xujymA
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) May 24, 2024
See yesterday’s link and the Antidote du Jour here.
