Jokes, no jokes: the philosophy of jokes. The Chronicle of Higher Education (Anthony L.)
The real reason music is deteriorating YouTube (Michael T)
Woman in “distress” before dying at scene of slap BBC. Death by Cult.
Hurricane Beryl hits European insurance stocks Market Watch
FDA bans food additive found in citrus sports drinks and sodas NBC. One of my brothers switched from caramel-colored diet soda to a citrus-based one because caramel coloring was considered unhealthy, and I don’t think he was the only one to make that choice.
Scientists warn bird flu pandemic ‘moving in slow motion’ Reuters
#COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus Disease)
Sorry to interrupt, but COVID-19 is definitely surging again, especially in the Western US, but also across the region. We’re seeing some new variants emerge, especially the KP1, KP2, and KP3 variants. I have friends who have been sick for over a week already, and they’re still not cured, guys.
https://t.co/FfSd1bhGbP pic.twitter.com/7GiUFajNN6— Eric Feigl Ding (@DrEricDing) July 3, 2024
Amazing! Hospitals in Ireland are overflowing with coronavirus. Not everyone is wearing a mask, but they are distributing leaflets about “hospital-acquired coronavirus” to patients and teaching them how to protect themselves. This is a crazy idea that “you are fine just being you.”https://t.co/gqWwwk3MRz pic.twitter.com/ltYB7nM0Ak
— Dr. David Berger, absURdiSTe cROnickLer (@YouAreLobbyLud) July 3, 2024
“Minor strokes, gut problems: Scientists point to past coronavirus links.”
Are you feeling unwell? The cause may go back years.”The cause could be a COVID infection contracted three months ago, 12 months ago or even two years ago.
Any 🔥coronavirus infection can cause all of these things.
ah. pic.twitter.com/FwDY1X0IuI— Turn (@1goodtern) July 2, 2024
Climate and Environment
How can we create a “world without waste”? Here are some ideas from the plastics industry. Grist
UK startup Nyobolt demonstrates four-minute EV charging CNN
AI’s energy needs have caused Google’s emissions to increase by nearly 50% in five years The Guardian (Kevin W.)
Climate change will drive up food prices, central banks worry Financial Times
Historic Mediterranean heatwave hits 50 degrees again
Temperatures above 50°C in four days have never been seen anywhere in Africa before.Algeria 50.4 Hassi Messaoud
Tunisia 49.2 Kairouan Monthly Record
46.9 Syriana’s highest ever record
Morocco 43.0 Errachidia (yesterday) Monthly Record https://t.co/maKBvOQiTJ— Extreme Temperatures Around the World (@extremetemps) July 1, 2024
The National Weather Service predicts temperatures in Death Valley will reach 130°F (54.4°C) next Monday, which would tie the highest temperature ever reliably recorded on Earth. pic.twitter.com/GDsDKwX8eI
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) July 2, 2024
China’s extreme weather threatens crops Bloomberg
Category 5 Hurricane Beryl heads towards Jamaica causing ‘vast damage’ and at least two lives lost ABC Australia (Kevin W)
A new trajectory: Climate change will rapidly impact Canadian agriculture Physical Organization
“We can do better than cut down 1000-year-old trees to make T-shirts” – The complex evolution of viscose The Guardian (Kevin W.)
China?
🇨🇳 Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson: “In reality, it is NATO that has challenged China, interfered in China’s internal affairs, misrepresented and slandered our domestic and foreign policies, and posed serious challenges to China’s interests and security.” pic.twitter.com/JF8Ex20ZUr
— COMBATE |🇵🇷 (@upholdreality) July 2, 2024
EU proposes import tariffs on Chinese Tehran and Shain Financial Times
South of the Border
Maduro vs. US Election Interference: The Battle for Venezuela’s Future Orinoco Tribune. Robin K: “Mr. Guaidó appears to have lost his favorite status.”
Africa
Congolese people fight for their wealth Vijay Prasad, Tricontinental (Akos G)
Kenyan protesters repeatedly overpowered police today, despite heavy tear gas shelling, as initial demonstrations against tax hikes escalated into full-scale anti-government protests, chanting “Occupy all”, and demanding the resignation of President William Ruto. pic.twitter.com/qj7MpJuIxS
— Red (@redstreamnet) July 2, 2024
European Separation
French elections: Rivals unite against Le Pen’s far-right Politico. Remember that normally only two candidates per race qualify to move on to the second round, but French rules state that any candidate with more than 12.5% of the voters (assuming they’re registered; French people, speak up) is also eligible. Turnout was so high that a third candidate qualified in a significant number of districts, leading to scrambles to agree on who would drop out.
Polish PM Tusk mocks German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, criticizes flaws in defense planning Politico (Kevin W.)
Old Brittany
Britain’s housing and immigration crisis in charts Ian Welsh
Gaza
“The death penalty is the solution” – Ben Gvir on Israeli prison overcrowding Palestine Chronicle (Kevin W.)
From last week, still relevant:
Amid the Gaza famine crisis, Israeli occupation forces destroyed approximately 500 acres of greenhouse farmland northwest of Rafah, destroying Gaza’s last source of food supply. pic.twitter.com/gFcOz9wG6j
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) June 29, 2024
Dying of hunger in Gaza is much worse than dying of a bomb Middle East Eye
🚨The Israeli newspaper +972 reported six new cases in Sde Teyman Prison in which IDF soldiers kidnapped Palestinian civilians and raped them, exposing them to the rest of the population.
The sixth report this year calls these rapes systematic and widespread – i.e. crimes against humanity. pic.twitter.com/KQNnDUHxV6
— Muhammad Shehada (@muhammadshehad2) July 1, 2024
Gantz accuses settlers of attacking troops evacuating illegal West Bank outposts: ‘Red line that must not be crossed’ The Israel Times
Rashid Khalidi: The Head and the Sword Interview by Tariq Ali New Left Review (Akos G)
A new cold war
Future developments in Ukraine’s debt negotiations could change the course of the war The Conversation (Kevin W.) This framework is troubling in that it assumes that Ukraine and the West, not Russia, control Ukraine’s fate. But the deadline puts an end to the idea that funding for Ukraine could be structured as a loan. Kevin W. adds:
I understand that the critical period for bondholders is August 1st, and the IMF loan will start soon after. And there are two options: either bondholders get a big write-off, or there is a default as mentioned in the article. Ukraine cannot pay back the money because it is bankrupt, so Washington may organize a bailout. Republicans would be ecstatic about that. Will Ukraine be able to print money and get out of this situation? Probably. Either way, a solution should be found by the end of this month. Zelensky may have to go on the road again to raise funds, but that is a plus for him, because it is safer abroad than in Ukraine.
Big Brother is Watching You
‘Totally invasive’: New app lets you spy on San Francisco bars to see if they’re having a good time San Francisco Standard
Empire Collapse Watch
As tensions rise across the country, the US faces a shortage of aircraft carriers Nikkei
Trump
Following Supreme Court immunity ruling, judge postpones Trump hush money ruling until at least September Associated Press (Kevin W.)
Biden
Democratic leaders convince Biden that he already resigned yesterday Babylon Bee
Biden’s debate performance rips Democratic unity Wall Street Journal. Top stories.
Biden faces new pressure to drop out of the race amid growing Democratic unrest Financial Times. Top story.
Biden is facing an insurrection as 25 Democrats prepare to call for the ailing 81-year-old president to step down after his disastrous debate defeat with Trump, with one lawmaker issuing a chilling warning: Daily Mail. Top Stories.
Is Joe Biden the Democrats’ worst option to beat President Trump? Intercept
Most US voters support Democratic candidate other than Biden for 2024 presidential election: poll Anadolu Agency
Trump raises $331 million in quarterly revenue, outpacing Biden Bloomberg. It’s no wonder that a flood of YouTube ads soliciting funds for Biden appeared before the “fundraising deadline,” which was actually a reporting deadline.
Kamala Harris needs an open convention to beat Trump Ryan Grimm. The theory I’ve heard is that the Democrats’ best chance of beating Trump is for Biden to step down and for Harris to become president a few months before the election. Harris (needs) to convince voters that she can do the job by actually being in office. This isn’t a far-fetched idea, given that most voters know that a vote for Biden is a vote for Harris (who is unlikely to survive to a second term)… except maybe get Jill Biden to go along with it.
Jake Tapper quoted George Orwell to warn Americans about Democrat tactics: “Make no mistake.” The Blaze (Chuck L)
Note the leaked facts = More efforts to get Biden to concede:
The chart is a new internal Biden campaign poll reported by Puck News.
Biden currently trails by seven points in Pennsylvania.
Colorado, Maine, New Mexico and Virginia are shaping up favorably for Trump. pic.twitter.com/pSiiN9mV1O
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePress) July 2, 2024
Biden blames time zone and travel for poor debate performance BBC. Rhodey. If you’re explaining, you’re losing. His trip was only to Europe and he only had six days off.
Illness, dementia, depression: the head of state’s serious illness QJM: International Journal of Medicine. Paul R: “Since 2003. Seems relevant now because of Biden.”
GOP Clown Car
A disturbing interview with Steve Bannon David Brooks, The New York Times (Marv G.)
Supremes
Times of Rage: Critics unleash threats, accusations against Supreme Court following presidential immunity decision Jonathan Turley
Is the president above the law? Sam Husseini
Supreme Court orders review of Texas and Florida laws banning web moderation The Register. There are a lot of big decisions, but this one hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves.
Antitrust
Governing in the Political Twilight Zone Matt Stoller
artificial intelligence
Silicon Valley, USA: Are these “patriots” just harbingers of doom? Responsible national governance
Brazil’s data regulator bans Meta from mining data to train AI models Associated Press
AI learns from kids’ photos even if parents use strict privacy settings Ars Technica
U.S. new-car sales grew barely in the second quarter as still-high prices deterred buyers. Associated Press (Kevin W.)
Class struggle
The Dark Genius of Michel Foucault Compact Magazine (Anthony L)
Why cheap toilet paper is raising alarm bells among some investors The Wall Street Journal (Dr. Kevin)
Novo Nordisk charges Americans with diabetes $969 a month for Ozempic, but sells it for just $59 in Germany. Novo charges Americans with obesity $1,349 a month for Wegobee, but sells it for just $92 in the UK. These drugs cost just $5 to make. Greed kills. pic.twitter.com/jcrdpcgIma
— Warren Gunnels (@GunnelsWarren) July 2, 2024
Today’s Antidote. mgl quote Alaska Daily News:
About 50 American bison graze in a field at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Large Game Research Station on June 19. The bison were transported to Fairbanks from Canada in April and will be shipped to Mint Flats State Wildlife Refuge in July as part of the Alaska Department of Fish and Wildlife’s American Bison Restoration Project.
In April 2015, 100 American bison that had been held for years at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center south of Anchorage were airlifted to a pen near Shagerak, and 30 more arrived by barge later that year.
See yesterday’s link and Antidote du Jour here
