KKR founder sued for taking huge payouts for nothing The Wall Street Journal
Private equity’s interest in audits is alarming FT
climate
No buzz, just an uneasy buzz: Insect decline and a wet, quiet spring in 2024 Silence. Description:
As I wander around this old family farm in the Finnish countryside of Satakunta, I am awed by the abundance of insects. The air is full of insects, there are butterflies and lizards in abundance and this little corner of the country is just teeming with life. pic.twitter.com/pH4hoqi2Dq
— Thomas Gibson (@GibsonTomgibo) August 5, 2024
* * * Self-sufficiency in circular batteries Cory Doctorow, Pluralism
Massive fire in Mercedes-Benz EV raises industry safety concerns The Wall Street Journal
Labor shortage poses obstacle to realizing electric buses Labor Notes
* * * Florida’s largest insurance company says it needs to raise premiums by 93 percent Newsweek
Offset burns Politico
Syndemics
The feared summer surge of COVID cases has arrived. Here’s the latest on symptoms and treatment luck
COVID data quietly fades away as case numbers rise prism
* * * A research team led by a professor at Kyoto University develops immune cells that attack cells infected with the new coronavirus Mainichi Shimbun (SocalJimObjects).
* * * Colorado: First bulk milk test results add nine more cows to list of affected dairy herds Bird flu diary
Overdose deaths are finally starting to decline. Here’s why. Scientific American
water
How French drains work Practical Engineering
China?
Guangzhou shows why China is so attractive to countries in the Global South Diplomat
Changing attitudes among young people in China mean they are seeking work in fields traditionally considered blue-collar Channel News Asia
China’s housing market may gain support as rental yields exceed deposit rates, economists say Yicai Global. Explanation:
5/5
One option is to hold government bonds rather than real estate and use the interest to pay rent, but at the very least, the expected infinite rise in property prices is not the only justification for buying instead of renting.— Michael Pettis (@michaelxpettis) August 7, 2024
China confirms discovery of large natural gas field in South China Sea South China Morning Post
Are prominent critics of the Chinese Communist Party fraudsters? NPR
India
Where in Asia does India belong and where is it heading? wire
Can India really become a global manufacturing powerhouse? Channel News Asia
Big challenges face Bangladesh’s new interim leader Muhammad Yunus Al Jazeera. Yunus.
Protesters force four Bangladesh central bank deputy governors to resign Business Standard
Bangladesh garment factories reopen with hope after PM Hasina returns home Business Standard
Great Game
“Talk of project cancellation”: Luger Laboratory in Georgia may lose US support JAM News
Shiraksta
Islamic coalition meets to say Israel is responsible for Hamas’ Haniyeh assassination Anadolu Agency
Iran to respond to Hamas leader killing ‘at the appropriate time’ BBC
Biden fears ‘catastrophic war’, warns Iran of attack, pressures Netanyahu to make deal Haaretz
Israel would provoke regional war with pre-emptive strike, needs US support: Israeli general Anadolu Agency
* * * Israel vows to kill Hamas’ new leader, Sinwar, as US warns of escalation France 24
* * * Britain’s largest private pension fund sells £80m of Israeli assets FT
Western ambassadors skip Nagasaki memorial visit after Israel ignores them Channel News Asia
‘What have we lost everything for?’: Anger grows against Hamas in Gaza as war drags on 972 Magazine
European Separation
US decision to withdraw from INF Treaty leaves nuclear ‘Sword of Damocles’ hanging over Europe’s head Reporting to protect democracy
A new cold war
Why did Ukraine launch a cross-border attack against Russia? BBC. Commentary:
Afternoon Ukraine news!
The Ukrainian Army’s Hail Mary attack on Kursk continues to dominate the headlines. I have attached a map from Sofa General Staff* showing the current situation. Last night, Ukrainian forces reportedly made some progress west from their initial attack… pic.twitter.com/GVUJvxHYQJ— Armchair Warlord (@ArmchairW) August 8, 2024
What were Ukraine’s objectives in the Battle of Kursk? BNE Intellectual News
Trump’s running mate rejected calls from Ukraine’s intelligence chief and air force commander – WP Ukrainska Pravda
Something is rotten in the current state of Russia’s defense industry land
Russian natural gas shipments continue through Ukraine Ukrainska Pravda
South of the Border
Even if the name is changed, it’s still an attempted coup… Orinoco Tribune
Venezuelan military rejects opposition claims, pledges ‘absolute loyalty’ to President Maduro France 24
2024
Spook Country
FBI searches former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter’s New York home: ‘Federal investigation continues’ FOX. Commentary:
Scott Ritter, a vocal critic of the US proxy war in Ukraine and the Israeli government, says the FBI searched his home for suspected violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
In addition to the implications for free speech here, it’s noteworthy that this is happening at the very same time… https://t.co/XDavnjyoO0
— Aaron Mate (@aaronjmate) August 7, 2024
America’s Stasi: Tulsi Gabbard acknowledges ‘Silent Sky’ nightmare (No paywall) Matt Taibbi, Racquet News
Big Brother is Watching You
Booming Industry of AI Age Scanners Targeting Children’s Faces The Washington Post
Digital Watches
Burst Damage Ed Zitron, where is your Ed?
This is the beginning of the end of the generative AI boom Blood in the Machine
* * * New Study: So far, AI hasn’t disrupted search or influenced Google Spark Tro
Olympic
Tom Cruise performs death-defying stunt at dystopian Olympics closing ceremony France 24
health care
When private investment companies buy hospitals, they are less able to care for patients, says top medical researcher Gretchen Morgenson, NBC
The Crump Incident: How Modern Medicine Treats It 3 quarks daily
Class struggle
What’s happening in Louisville could solve the housing crisis Tressie McMillan Cotton, The New York Times
The absurdity of human perception George Tsakraklides
The wisdom of the school of fish Nautilus
Baltic connections in the medieval world The Engelsberg Idea
Today’s antidote (Alan Manson):
See yesterday’s link and the Antidote du Jour here.
