Saturn’s ocean moon Enceladus could support life JSTOR Daily
The end of retail? Shopping centres are back. The New York Times
Boston should rename its airport after Bill Russell Atlantic
Father’s Day
Explanation:
Sorry, but I love this joke so much that I want to force it on you. pic.twitter.com/jmWtDybKYx
— Fourth ❤️🔥 (@forthrighter) June 13, 2024
climate
Billion-dollar thunderstorm in Florida? Blame it on climate change Bloomberg
‘Stunning’ record-breaking data leaves climate experts perplexed SBS
Swiss Re claims industry failed to predict impact of extreme weather FT
OPINION: A perfect storm for home insurance The Denver Post
water
Weakness in India’s hydropower could lead to greater reliance on coal amid surging demand S&P Global
Panama Canal water resource plan averts shipping crisis Captain
Water shortage in Armenia: causes and how to prevent desertification JAM News
Syndemics
LA County COVID cases, hospitalizations rise as summer FLiRT variant rises LA Times
Traces of bird flu found in Austin sewage, far from dairy farms Bloomberg
CDC A(H5N1) Avian Influenza Response Update: Herd Immunity for A(H5N1) Lineage 2.3.3.4b Virus Bird Flu Diary
China?
Xi Jinping claims US wants China to attack Taiwan FT. Explanation:
A very important scoop from the FT: In a meeting with Ursula von der Leyen in April 2023, Xi Jinping said that the US was “trying to trick China into invading Taiwan, but I will not take the bait.”https://t.co/35SW7TDr3i
I personally believe and know that to be true…
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) June 16, 2024
Sleepwalking to War Foreign Affairs
Evergrande liquidation law firm also investigating other potential claims, including PwC, people said Channel News Asia
Philippines submits petition to UN for extension of continental shelf in South China Sea Channel News Asia
India
Author Arundhati Roy to be tried under anti-terrorism law for comments on Kashmir India Today
Shiraksta
Houthi attacks go unchecked, straining international trade Axios
Israeli army says eight soldiers killed in armored vehicle in southern Gaza France 24
What Benny Gantz’s resignation means for Israeli policy and politics Brookings Institution
* * * Zionism as Textbook Barbarism Carl Beijer
A major shift in attitude New York Review of Books
* * *
A new cold war
Meeting with senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs President of Russia
Putin proposes ceasefire to Ukraine, freezes current BNE front IntelliNews
World leaders to attend Ukraine peace conference, but Russia and China are absent Al Jazeera
Peace between Ukraine and Russia remains elusive, but in 2022 the two countries were in talks. NYT. Commentary:
The Biden administration has said little about the February-April 2022 peace talks that all but ended Russia’s war with Ukraine. The U.S. mainstream media has also remained dutifully silent.
Today, the New York Times broke its own vow of silence with a highly detailed story that included copies of leaked drafts… pic.twitter.com/LUumnf9xAn
— Aaron Mate (@aaronjmate) June 15, 2024
* * * After 27 months of war, Ukraine needs peace (PDF) Magyar Külügyi Intézet. “The West must be careful in its response to the situation, because the situation in a frustrating Ukraine with a belligerent society that may be disillusioned and even resentful towards the West is not what the West, and especially the EU, envisioned.”
President Zelensky to present peace plan to Russia as soon as international agreement is reached France 24
Why Ukraine is not ready for peace talks Bloomberg. Commentary:
I need to put this flag in my office. pic.twitter.com/Esge8R26ue
— Devon ☀️ (@devonzuegel) June 14, 2024
Morality is the enemy of peace Stephen Walt, Foreign Policy
Azov Brigade Commander Thanks US for Approving Use of Weapons – VIDEO Ukrainska Pravda
European Separation
A roar from below New Statesman (DC).
Chart Book 293 ‘No!’ Or the political vacuum at the heart of Germany, Europe’s supposed safe haven after the European elections. Adam Tooze, Chart Book
Dear Old England
Analysis: Why more than half of ASEAN countries will skip Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland Channel News Asia
Border Soufu
Global Elections
Democracy does not come from compromise and fear. Tri Continental
2024
Biden’s love for his son is beautiful and touches my heart. NYT. Commentary:
Joe Biden rages at TikTok star at White House influencer party, threatens to throw phone before aide intervenes pic.twitter.com/n8xrWvqztX
— Charlie Spearing (@charliespiering) June 14, 2024
Billionaire donor’s $800,000 wire transfer to U.S. Chamber of Commerce kicks off dark money The Hill
The Supremes
Origin of the Doctrine of Leading Questions (PDF) University of Michigan Public Law Research Paper No. 24-008. From the abstract: “Rather than upholding separation of powers principles or agency adherence to the letter of their authorizing statutes, the Supreme Court’s Benzene decision is best characterized as a judicial seizure at the expense of both agency expertise and a democratically elected branch of government. This paper shows how the Supreme Court’s missteps in Benzene – including overstating economic costs, ignoring statutory constraints on agency discretion, and deferring to unqualified experts – continue to influence the Supreme Court’s ‘major issue’ decisions and offers suggestions on how courts and agencies can avoid these problems.”
Police State Surveillance
More states restrict ‘excited delirium’ as cause of death in police custody Marshall Project
Digital Watches
New Wi-Fi hijacking attack – All Windows users warned to update now Forbes
* * * Researchers claim GPT-4 passed the Turing test Live Science. Explains:
They claim that GPT4 passed the Turing test because “participants judged GPT-4 to be human 54% of the time.”
This is a 50/50 guess with a bit of statistical noise and a small sample size.
Hmm.
When will this nonsense frenzy end? https://t.co/v3u9SHekq1
— Grady Booch (@Grady_Booch) June 15, 2024
ChatGPT is bullshit (PDF) Ethics and Information Technology. AI = BS (NC, January 2023).
The great AI retreat has begun About Marcus AI
health care
A conspiracy to manipulate medical literature (Excerpt) Matt Bivens, “100 Days”
Zeitgeist Watch
The benefits of being dissatisfied with the world: How to deal with your “Weltzmerz” Big Think
Liberalism as a way of life Notes from the midpoint
Class struggle
No strike yet: American Airlines flight attendants reveal details of negotiations with Washington DC View from the wing
My coworkers are not “human.” Will working alongside a robot lead to a more apathetic attitude? Journal of Business Studies
The Supreme Court’s decision in the Starbucks case proves that the law doesn’t save workers The New York Times
Today’s antidote (Mark Kent):
Bonus Antidotes:
A crow is helping a cat pic.twitter.com/DSEbFfIvN6
— Nadir C. (@EfsoSahne) June 14, 2024
See yesterday’s link and Antidote du Jour here.
