Paws on the ground: How Colorado got its wolves back High Country News
A new study reports 309 lab acquired infections and 16 pathogen lab escapes between 2000 and 2021 Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Flowering plant undoes 100 million years of evolution, shows signs of self-pollination Down to Earth
The Unending Quest To Build A Better Chicken NOEMA
Octopus DNA Reveals Clues to When the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Last Collapsed Smithsonian Mag
Climate/Environment
Shocking Wake-Up Call: First Marine Fish Declared Extinct Due to Humans Science Alert
Geologists say plastic rocks are now a thing ZME Science
Water
Water’s worth: It sits beneath Nebraska’s farmland and has serious value. But who owns it? Flatwater Free Press
Secret Acres: Boom or bubble? High farmland prices encourage investors, concern farmers Investigate Midwest
#COVID-19
It’s normal for your colds to last for weeks, remember?
https://t.co/URWuo2LENK— T. Ryan Gregory (@TRyanGregory) December 23, 2023
“Mystery illness surging through Britain after Christmas parties as Covid cases skyrocket”
Mystery. Solved by the end of the sentence.https://t.co/oqk7Mjl8NW
— Prognostic Chats (@PrognosticChats) December 22, 2023
Old Blighty
Downbeat UK growth data adds to picture of an economy going nowhere The Guardian
“Anti-terror” arrests in UK over support for Palestinian resistance Asa Winstanley, Palestine is Still the Issue
Africa
Oil Giant Angola to Exit OPEC in Output Quota Clash allAfrica
China?
Taiwan reports more Chinese planes, warships near island as election approaches The Straits Times. More importantly, on the economic front (Chuck L):
So it begins
China ends parts of ECFA (trade concessions for Taiwan products).
The Taiwan reunification process will be multipronged, multiyear process, that starts with economic warfare.
🧵
1/8 pic.twitter.com/Fp8RZJrJla— Zhao DaShuai 无条件爱国🇨🇳 (@zhao_dashuai) December 23, 2023
European Disunion
Germany to keep some coal units in service longer than expected Mining.com
(Chuck L):
At least 50 fertilizer production facilities have closed in Europe. This is stated in a report by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (a major financial group among the world’s top ten).
Fertilizer production in the EU has become completely unprofitable due to gas prices. 75% of the… pic.twitter.com/DPZyf6CJpc
— Mats Nilsson (@mazzenilsson) December 23, 2023
Freyr Battery Receives Shareholder Approval For Redomicile to USA High North News
Syraqistan
More than 200 dead in 24 hours in Gaza as Israeli raids turn ‘more intense’ Al Jazeera
In unprecedented slaughter of Gaza civilians, US claims Israel is the “victim” Aaron Mate
***
Gaza’s Allies Are Preparing Gradual Belligerent Steps to Stop the Israeli-US War Elijah J. Magnier
Israel-affiliated merchant vessel hit by aerial vehicle off India Reuters
Iran rejects US claims it is ‘deeply involved’ in Houthi attacks in Red Sea Al Jazeera
This is a stunning development and major defeat for US power in West Asia.
First, the US Navy admitted it didn’t have the ships for the mission.
Then, France, Italy and Spain withdrew from the coalition.
Now, finally, the US has backed down, citing the fear that Ansarullah… https://t.co/t9FysDCOON
— David Miller (@Tracking_Power) December 23, 2023
***
Israel is losing the war against Hamas – but Netanyahu and his government will never admit it The Guardian
Israel planning to end ground operation in Gaza in ‘3rd phase of war’: Media Anadolu Agency. “The third phase includes ending the ground operation in the Gaza Strip, reducing army forces and demobilizing reserves, resorting to air strikes, and establishing a buffer zone on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip.”
***
Chances of war with Lebanon ‘increasing’: Tel Aviv The Cradle
Israelis wanted ‘pre-emptive strike’ on Lebanon: Did Biden halt it? Al Mayadeen
IDF strikes Hezbollah command center in response to border attacks from Lebanon The Times of Israel
***
Is Iraq really divided on resistance operations against US targets? The Cradle
New Not-So-Cold War
Ukrainian Artillerymen Report 60-80 Percent Fall in Firing Rates Due to Crippling Munitions Shortages Military Watch Magazine
Europe Must Ramp Up Its Support for Ukraine Foreign Affairs
London mayor agrees to send scrap cars to Ukraine Kyiv Independent
🇩🇪Germany has started talking about raising taxes for the sake of Ukraine.
Monika Schnitzer, a member of the economic Council of the Government of the FRG:
“Special times require special measures. Solidarity with Ukraine as the introduction of an income tax surcharge for…
— Zlatti71 (@djuric_zlatko) December 23, 2023
New Polish foreign minister visits Kyiv on first overseas trip, pledging continued support for Ukraine Notes from Poland
Oof. Estonia’s internal affairs minister says the country is willing to round up and forcibly return Ukrainian refugees who are drafted into the military. They just need to amend the existing extradition agreement with Kyiv. https://t.co/0EOHLMHyqe
— Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) December 23, 2023
Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov makes news Gilbert Doctorow
Mechanized Stalinism Big Serge Thought
The Caucasus
Corridor games in the South Caucasus. What are the stakes? View from Baku JAM News
The United States talks peace but means conflict: What is behind the new ambassador’s hasty arrival? AzeMedia
Azerbaijani regime rushes to cement legitimacy as internal tensions brew Eurasianet
South of the Border
Argentines to Prepare National Strike Against Milei’s Abuses TeleSur
Javier Milei’s Argentina looks to veteran diplomat to mend ties with China: reports South China Morning Post
The Geopolitical Ripple: How China-US Tensions Reshape Business in Latin America The Diplomat
Biden Administration
The Grifter Defense: The Bidens Move to Embrace Influence Peddling with a Twist Jonathan Turley
2024
In her speech, American politician ( brainwashed) Nikki Haley says that H@mas was helped by Russian intelligence because October 7 is Putin’s birthday
“ Why Putin? Because he was more joyful than anyone about this attack, due to the switching of attention from Ukraine to… pic.twitter.com/y8hyC1NEY2
— S p r i n t e r (@Sprinter99800) December 23, 2023
In Connecticut, a rare election do-over could oust a sitting mayor NBC News
Texas Republicans in one rural county will hand count ballots. Experts say it’s “a recipe for disaster.” Texas Tribune. See NC on hand counted ballots here.
The Supremes
Angry About Your Kid’s After-School Satan Club? Blame Clarence Thomas. The New Republic
Our Famously Free Press
When The New Yorker Tried to Preempt a Future Biden Impeachment Consortium News
AI
Ethical Terminators, or how DoD learned to stop worrying and love AI: 2023 Year in Review Breaking Defense
Apple seeks multiyear deals with publishers to train its generative AI Interesting Engineering
Police State Watch
Out of Sight Bolts Mag. “Officials have responded to an overcrowding crisis in Texas’ largest jail by shipping more people from Houston to far-flung, for-profit lockups with even worse oversight.”
Groves of Academe
Open letter to the Columbia administration Rashid Khalidi, Mondoweiss
The Bezzle
Tesla Recalls May Be “Insufficient,” Cabin Cameras Also Appear to Be Overheating The Deep Dive
You’re Supposed To Be Glad Your Tesla Is A Brittle Heap Of Junk Defector
Did The Grand Theft Auto Hacker Do It With An Amazon Fire Stick While Under Police Custody? The Deep Dive
Class Warfare
2023 Is San Francisco’s Deadliest Year on Record for Drug Overdoses San Francisco Public Press
With some flight attendants on welfare, Alaska Airlines faces contract fight Seattle Times
Local communities keep trying to help workers. Corporate lobbyists and Florida politicians keep teaming up to stop them. Seeking Rents
Why Labor Unions Should Join the Housing Fight Law and Political Economy Project
Antidote du jour (via):
Bonus:
In a world where you can be anything, be kind 🙏 pic.twitter.com/pLsxDDMFxC
— WOW ANIMALS (@WOW_ANIMALS1) December 23, 2023
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
