NYC rat drags doughnut across subway tracks to share with rodent date, sweet video shows New York Post (Li). Rats are supposed to make good pets.
Roosters may have passed the self-recognition test PhysOrg (David L)
Oyster fight: The humble sea creature could hold the key to restoring coastal waters. Developers hate it. MIT Technology Review (David L)
Climate/Environment
Why did Hurricane Otis get so strong, so fast? Yale Climate Connections (David L)
Indigenous people and climate change: With the Inuit when the ice melts France24 (furzy)
The committee asks the Storting to immediately stop oil exploration Norway Posten
China?
US, China ‘working towards’ Biden-Xi meeting next month on Apec sidelines, White House says South China Morning Post. Xi skipped the G20 and some thought it was to assure he would not be buttonholed by Biden.
China Is Transitioning Economically, And So Far Successfully Ian Welsh (Micael T)
European Disunion
The secret rifts and rows consuming EU’s top corridors Modern Diplomacy (Micael T)
Old Blighty
Nigel Farage called ‘sketchy crackpot’ in secret NatWest emails Independent (Paul R)
Gaza
Israeli forces fight through the night as ground operations in Gaza intensify Financial Times
Israel-Hamas war live updates: Israel pounds Gaza in ‘heaviest’ bombardments to date; rejects UN’s ‘despicable’ call for truce CNBC
‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’ Day 21: Gaza Health Ministry releases names of martyrs after Biden cast doubts on death toll Mondoweiss
Israel’s Ground War Against Hamas: What to Know Max Boot, Council for Foreign Relations
Mobilization has been declared in Gaza.
Hamas Press Statement:
“In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful
Cutting off communications and the Internet from the Gaza Strip, and escalating the bombardment, by land, sea and air, on residential neighborhoods; It…
— — GEROMAN — time will tell – 👀 — (@GeromanAT) October 27, 2023
* * * 10 trucks loaded with relief and medical supplies crossed into Gaza amid Israeli onslaught Anadolu Agency
* * * BREAKING: The UN today voted 120-14 to halt the Israel-Hamas fighting. Huge blow to the Netanyahu government and a recognition by the world that the indiscriminate bombing of civilians violates international law.
Keep pushing. They hear you.⤵️https://t.co/Es37RItOSE pic.twitter.com/rHpV7lOSmw
— Steven Donziger (@SDonziger) October 27, 2023
Notice how BBC buries the significance of the UN vote in plain sight:
This is important: China at the UN explains its position after it was berated by Israel for not supporting a US-led resolution that called for a “humanitarian pause” instead of a full ceasefire in Gaza.
The UN Chinese ambassador explains that it “condemns all acts that harm… https://t.co/XkUw5iQ7WE
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) October 27, 2023
* * * ⚠️ HAPPENING NOW AT NYC’S GRAND CENTRAL STATION: THOUSANDS OF JEWS AND ALLIES HOLD AN EMERGENCY SIT-IN, DEMANDING A CEASEFIRE IN GAZA. WE’RE TAKING OVER THE GRAND CONCOURSE. WE’RE REFUSING TO ALLOW A GENOCIDE BE CARRIED OUT IN OUR NAMES. CEASEFIRE NOW! NEVER AGAIN FOR ANYONE! ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/gyD3bqp4mJ
— Jewish Voice for Peace (@jvplive) October 27, 2023
* * * A Plan to Defeat Hamas and Avoid a Bloodbath New York Times (David L)Escalations Cannot Be Stopped – The White House Is Rattled; Escalations Might All Fuse Into ‘One’ Alastair Crooke
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard recruits volunteers to fight in Gaza France24 (furzy)
People who claim the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force authorizes military action in Iraq or Syria, or against Iran, either haven’t read it or don’t care what it says.
The 2001 AUMF doesn’t authorize operations in or against any of those countries. Nor does it…
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) October 27, 2023
* * * Israel blasts ‘antisemitic’ Amnesty over finding of ‘war crimes, by all parties’ Politico
Israeli tech workers consider leaving for US following Hamas attacks: sources New York Post (Li)
October 7 testimonies reveal Israel’s military ‘shelling’ Israeli citizens with tanks, missiles Grayzone
New Not-So-Cold War
Ukraine’s Prospects Dim as Russian Gains Grow Simplicius the Thinker
Here is Mike Johnson’s position on Ukraine aid.
He will not link it to Israel aid but says that he does not plan abandoning aid to Ukraine. He says he does want accountability measures on any future aid.
Not exactly the answer many wanted to hear.
Still, an improvement over… pic.twitter.com/qZvOfqTF2g
— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) October 27, 2023
🇺🇦❤️🇷🇺 Ex-Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered are now begging to fight along side the Russian army to defeat Zelensky.
The new volunteer battalion “Bogdan Khmelnitsky” will be incorporated into the DPR army.
Currently, the battalion is undergoing the procedure of obtaining… pic.twitter.com/WgqMfPV0g0
— Spetsnaℤ 007 🇷🇺 (@Alex_Oloyede2) October 27, 2023
Syraqistan
US diplomacy lost traction in Middle East. Isolating Iran no longer possible. Indian Punchline (Kevin W)
Big Brother is Watching You Watch
Vulnerabilities in Cellphone Roaming Let Spies and Criminals Track You Across the Globe Intercept
Imperial Collapse Watch
>Poll reveals more Americans are rejecting the Constitution and embracing violence International Affairs (Micael T)
Analyzing Putin’s Speech From His Meeting With Representatives Of Religious Associations Andrew Korybko (Chuck L)
“Europe no longer plays a role” – Hungarian political scientist on Valdai Club 2023 Nachdenkseiten via machine translation (Micael T)
Russia’s Sino-Indo Balancing Act Has An Increasingly Important Infrastructure Component Andrew Korybko
Trump
Daughter Ivanka Trump must testify at Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial, New York judge rules Politico
Biden
FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Takes Action to Create More Affordable Housing by Converting Commercial Properties to Residential Use White House
…The newly obtained emails show Hunter’s associates thanking Baucus and the OVP for their help. While the media and the Bidens now insist that it was only the “illusion” of influence, it is becoming increasingly obvious that Joe Biden knew of the influence peddling and fostered…
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) October 27, 2023
Ep. 34 Of all of Biden’s crimes, backing the Ukrainian government as it throws priests in jail may be the most revealing. pic.twitter.com/ZCVV4uPzs9
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) October 26, 2023
GOP Clown Car
New House Speaker: Russia, China, and Iran Are New Axis of Evil Antiwar.com (furzy)
Christian conservatives cheer one of their own as Mike Johnson assumes Congress’ most powerful seat Associated Press (Kevin W)
Gunz
Maine shooting suspect Robert Card found dead after 2-day manhunt, officials say CBS
House Speaker Mike Johnson Blames Mass Shootings on “the Human Heart,” in Case You Were Thinking the GOP Might Actually Do Something About Guns Vanity Fair
Our No Longer Free Press
Meta wants Threads to be the ‘de facto platform’ for online public conversations The Verge. Kevin W:
Related article “Mark Zuckerberg’s $46.5 billion loss on the metaverse is so huge it would be a Fortune 100 company—but his net worth is up even more than that‘
Understanding Investing Regime Change Barry Ritholtz
US economy expanding? CADTM (Micael T)
Crapification
Self-Checkout Is a Failed Experiment Atlantic (furzy)
The surprisingly subtle ways Microsoft Word has changed how we use language BBC (Dr. Kevin). WTF, people use and pay attention to the Word functions?!?!
3g sunsetting killing Subaru Outback batteries YCombinator (Paul R)
Inflation
Food and Housing Costs Still Shoot Through the Roof Counterpunch
Antitrust
Google Paid How Much to Be the Default Search Engine? Gizmodo (Kevin W)
Google loses fight to hide 2021 money pit: $26B in default contracts ars technica (David L)
The Banality of Price Fixing Lee Hepner (Dr. Kevin)
AI
AIs could soon run businesses – it’s an opportunity to ensure these ‘artificial persons’ follow the law The Conversation
New Tool Defends Artists by “Poisoning” AI Image Generators MyModernMet (David L)
Is AI Mimicking Consciousness or Truly Becoming Aware? Neuroscience News (David L
Class Warfare
I was innocent, but police seized my car and stalled for years. Their scheme has to stop. USA Today (furzy). Police used to limit themselves to keeping most of the haul from drug and illegal gambling busts…..
Shuggies in San Francisco – What’s Fueling the New Maximalist Restaurant Design Trends Eater (Dr. Kevin). This is so ugly I have to think it is intended to turn tables fasters, as the garish Dunkin Donuts colors are also designed to achieve.
Central Banks: Can Engines of Inequality Become Engines of Growth? Douglald Lamont (Micael T)
‘Great Economist’ Taylor Swift Is Now a Billionaire Newser (Dr. Kevin)
Antidote du jour. From tiebie66:
“Suzi hiding in plain sight”. Suzi loves this game. When I hold the sock open, she comes running to put her head in
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
