Horses can plan and strategize, new study shows BBC
Taylor Swift contract cancellation hits insurers: sources Insurance Journal
climate
An Uninsurable World: Rethinking How We Compensate for Climate Damage FT
Amazon soils may store billions of tonnes of carbon than previously thought New Scientist
China builds with artificial sand to ease concerns about over-mining and environmental costs South China Morning Post
There was a lot at stake in this wind farm, and huge pieces of it washed up on Nantucket Island. The Wall Street Journal
Syndemics
Influenza Risk Assessment Tool Results Pandemic Influenza, CDC:
The individual and population health risks to the general public posed by avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses currently circulating in cattle, poultry, and other mammals Remaining Low. A systematic comparison of data related to this avian influenza A(H5N1) virus with data for other influenza A viruses using the Influenza Risk Assessment Tool (IRAT) showed that the future Based on information available up to June 26, 2024, it assessed the likelihood of a pandemic as a “medium risk.” Same as previous evaluation of the previous avian influenza A(H5N1) virus.
To assess the likelihood that a representative novel influenza virus will acquire the ability to transmit from person to person, relative to other viruses assessed in previous IRAT reports, and the potential public health impacts that would result if this were to occur.
Long COVID science, research, and policy Nature. From the abstract: “The global cumulative number of long COVID cases is estimated at about 400 million, with an annual economic impact of about $1 trillion, equivalent to about 1% of the global economy…Addressing the challenge of long COVID requires an ambitious, coordinated, but so far lacking, global research and policy response strategy.”
Colorado: CVMA Statement on Influenza A (HPAI H5N1) in Domestic Cats Bird flu diary
India
Sebi’s response raises new questions and acknowledges an important point: Hindenburg Business Standard. AVANI
China?
China adopts ‘divide and rule’ approach as Philippines and Vietnam grow closer South China Morning Post
Shiraksta
US prepares for crucial week as Gaza deal reaches ‘now or never’ moment Axios
Iranian military official in Russia: “Comprehensive counterattack against Israel has yet to begin” Press TV
US rushes firepower to Middle East as Israel braces for Iranian retaliation NBC
* * * Rights group denies Israeli list of targets for Gaza school attacks Anadolu Agency
Israel ignores criticism of school strikes, issues new evacuation order from Gaza Al Jazeera
* * * “The domestic debate over the rape of a Palestinian prisoner in one of our torture facilities may be a bit misleading.” Oli Goldberg, Thread Leader
Video and plane sketch raise new questions about Saudi Arabia’s 9/11 ties The New York Times
European Separation
Can France be governed? Globalist. Deck: “Report from La France Profonde”
Dear Old England
Ex-MI6 spy claims Russia was ‘clearly’ behind far-right unrest Guardian
More than a quarter of Britons would travel abroad knowing they had coronavirus Independent
A new cold war
Ukrainian troops now up to 30km into Russia, Moscow says BBC
Ukrainian official says ‘thousands’ of troops take part in invasion aimed at ‘destabilising’ Russia France 24
Russia withdrew from Kursk and moved troops from the front line to retake areas held by the AFU. BNE Intellectual News
Ukraine must decide what to do with Russian territory – The Hill Ukrainska Pravda. Original headline.
Why Ukraine’s surprise invasion of Russia gives us hope time
* * * Zelensky: Russia sets fire to Ukrainian nuclear power plant Politico
IAEA reports explosion heard near Zaporizhia nuclear power plant before fire Ukrainska Pravda
SITREP 8/11/24: President Zelensky, desperate to escalate the situation, bombs Zaporizhia nuclear facility in frustration Simplicius, the Thinker
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reports no change in radiation levels in the country Ukrainska Pravda
Biden Administration
Judge orders CDC to stop deleting former employee’s emails, saying it’s “likely illegal” Politico
Antitrust
Monopoly Recap: The Shadow Campaign to Fire Lina Khan from CNBC in 2024 Matt Stoller, BIG
2024
‘Kill the Trump-loving techies’: Hollywood challenges Silicon Valley to presidential election brawl The Hollywood Reporter
Spook Country
The CIA secretly deployed him as a spy for Islamic extremists. And the price was high. Rolling Stone magazine. Commentary:
According to a professor from Lebanon, it is very easy for them to spot spies in the Arab world, and they don’t care at all. When they give directions, they’re like, “Okay, do you see the spy over there? Turn left where he is…”
— Maya! (@mazhakusu) August 11, 2024
Digital Watch
ChatGPT unexpectedly started speaking in a cloned voice of the user during testing Ars Technica. Explains:
Honestly, what good is ChatGPT? I thought I finally found a use for it this morning. I asked it to organize my citations alphabetically. And it did. Perfect job! Except it literally created 50 new citations! For papers that don’t exist. 👇 What the heck. pic.twitter.com/hQPIG8v4Uu
— Dr. Emil P. Torres (@xriskology) August 9, 2024
Basil
Celsius targets Tether, BadgerDAO, Compound, Netanyahu’s niece and nephew for lawsuits block
‘Carbon-neutral’ Bitcoin business founded by coal-fired power plant operator wasn’t actually carbon-neutral Cory Doctorow, Pluralism
Zeitgeist Watch
supply chain
New Maritime Nation Strategy FT
Hazardous cargo and container ship fires bring attention back to spotlight Seatrade Maritime News
Boeing
NTSB chief slams Boeing for lack of answers on 737 MAX The Hill
Olympic
Noah Lyles falls ill with coronavirus: Why you shouldn’t have health care at the Olympics status
Empire Collapse Watch
debt-35 Over 1000 Fighters: How America’s Stealth Fleet Gained Numerical Superiority Military Watches
Class struggle
How an Instagram-perfect life in the Hamptons ended in tragedy The New York Times
Taylor Swift and Bach can thank ancient temples for the wellspring of modern music Scientific American
12,000-year-old Aboriginal stick may provide evidence of world’s oldest culturally transmitted ritual Live Science
Today’s antidote (Dave Glickson):
See yesterday’s link and the Antidote du Jour here.
