Lambert and I, and lots of readers, agree that Ukraine has prompted the worst informational setting ever. We hope readers will collaborate in mitigating the fog of struggle — each actual fog and stage fog — in feedback. None of us want extra cheerleading and link-free repetition of memes; there are platforms for that. Low-value, link-free pom pom-wavers shall be summarily whacked.
And for individuals who are new right here, this isn’t a mere well mannered request. We have now written website Insurance policies and those that remark have accepted these phrases. To stop having to resort to the nuclear possibility of shutting feedback down solely till extra sanity prevails, as we did through the 2015 Greek bailout negotiations and shortly after the 2020 election, we’re going to be ruthless about moderating and blacklisting offenders.
–Yves
P.S. Additionally, earlier than additional stressing our already confused moderators, learn our website insurance policies:
Please don’t write us to ask why a remark has not appeared. We should not have the bandwidth to analyze and reply. Utilizing the feedback part to complain about moderation selections/tripwires earns that commenter troll factors. Please don’t do it. These feedback can even be eliminated if we encounter them.
Hallelujah and Leonard Cohen’s ‘secret chord’ Monetary Instances
New Zealand: Seal breaks into marine biologist’s house BBC
Artist Reimagines Cats as Royalty in Conventional Portraits of Folks My Fashionable Met (David L)
Freya the walrus: Did she must be euthanised? BBC (David L)
Wave created by Tonga volcano eruption reached 90 meters—9 instances taller than 2011 Japan tsunami PhysOrg (David L)
Algorithms Can Now Mimic Any Artist. Some Artists Hate It Wired (David L)
Backbone-like floating platform harnesses water wave power YankoDesign (Kevin W)
‘Life hates surprises’: Can an formidable concept unify biology, neuroscience and psychology? Scroll (David L)
#COVID-19
Covid lockdown has affected every of us in our personal distinctive little methods. pic.twitter.com/6JW4PSxYzV
— TG (@TG22110) August 20, 2022
Science/Medication
SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern: spike protein mutational evaluation and epitope for broad neutralization Nature. GM says that is off-base:
It is a pre-Omicron paper (observe the preliminary submission date — December 7 2021) that was then someway tailored to incorporate some Omicron information, and in the long run grew to become a little bit of a jumbled mess.
The ab6 monoclonal they’re specializing in must be destroyed by the newer Omicron variants (discover how Epsilon escapes it essentially the most, then Delta).
One mustn’t place an excessive amount of hope on exploiting “vulnerabilities”, conserved epitopes, and many others. Up to now mainly not one of the variant-proof monoclonals has survived. And that’s simply inside 2.5 years of evolution. Sotrovimab was purported to be bulletproof as a result of it got here from a SARS1 affected person, however then first BA.1 took a dent and BA.2 totally escaped it.
So monoclonals seems like they are going to be an limitless thredmill.
Not that it issues a lot for most individuals — the times of Florida handing out free monoclonals like sweet are over, and for many of the world there was by no means any entry to start with.
“A research from Houston Methodist discovered some #LongCovid sufferers don’t get sufficient blood to their coronary heart.. The flexibility of endothelial cells, which play a key function in dilating arteries.. was diminished by 20% amongst 101 lengthy covid sufferers who participated”https://t.co/GGHqRly4mM
— charlos (@loscharlos) August 19, 2022
US
‘Most have thrown their arms up’: has the US forgotten about Covid? Guardian (resilc)
Monkeypox
Superb. We’re 4% of the world’s inhabitants, 25% of worldwide Covid deaths, 20-25% of Covid circumstances, 35% of MPX circumstances. American exceptionalism! https://t.co/wziBShXE9N
— Dr. Thrasher (@thrasherxy) August 20, 2022
King County declares public well being emergency over monkeypox outbreak Seattle Instances (furzy)
Local weather/Setting
Scientists Suppose They’ve Discovered a Shockingly Easy Option to Degrade ‘Perpetually Chemical compounds’ ScienceAlert. Chuck L: “Might be massive.”
Methane supercharges local weather change. The U.S. has a brand new plan to slash it. Nationwide Geographic (David L)
Why Photo voltaic Energy Is Failing Amid Document-Breaking Warmth OilPrice
UK Charging Infrastructure Is Struggling To Maintain Up With Hovering EV Gross sales OilPrice. Resilc: “Auto induced brownouts forward.”
France’s river Loire units new lows as drought dries up its tributaries Reuters
That is the Loire, the longest river in France. It is gone now. It evaporated. That hasn’t occurred in not less than 2000 years, and sure not at any time in recorded human historical past. pic.twitter.com/oqbKwBuzC5
— DCPetterson (@dcpetterson) August 19, 2022
China?
China’s drills to alter US army assumptions Asia Instances (guurst)
China jails tycoon Xiao Jianhua for 13 years, slapping an unprecedented US$8 billion high-quality on his Tomorrow Group South China Morning Put up (resilc). We featured the Bloomberg model yesterday.
German dependence on China rising ‘at great tempo’, analysis exhibits Reuters (resilc)
Share of births outdoors marriage, by nation Marginal Revolution (resilc). Plenty of nations lacking…
Previous Blighty
Revealed: Liz Truss personally supported cuts to NHS and medical doctors’ pay Guardian (Kevin W)
New Not-So-Chilly Battle
John Mearsheimer’s newest article on Ukraine in “International Affairs” – a critique Gilbert Doctorow (guurst). Necessary.
Self-explanatory. Andrei Martyanov (guurst). Kinzhals in Kaliningrad and different issues.
Ukraine struggle of attrition at inflection level Indian Punchline. Kevin W:
I might disagree along with his concept {that a} struggle of attrition will depart Russia weakened. The final years of the US Civil Battle, the Union fought it as a struggle of attrition and emerged as an influence home.
On Russian invasion, US intel bought it proper — however policymakers stumbled Accountable Statecraft. On the technique failure however observe additionally: Zelensky ignored the early 2022 warnings. Was it as a result of he was dedicated to a March Donbass offensive and satisfied himself that Russia was merely bristling to attempt to stop it? Or was it as a result of US intel had additionally warned of a spring offensive in 2021 that by no means got here to cross?
Ukraine struggle: Russia to permit inspectors at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant – Putin BBC
* * * How Russia is dodging Western sanctions with gray-market imports DW. Resilc: “Gee, who wooda guessed??????”
The Squeeze on Russia Is Loosening Matthew C. Klein (resilc)
* * * Russia to Halt Nord Stream Fuel Flows to Europe, Citing Pipeline Upkeep Wall Road Journal. Humorous how these articles by no means point out that Putin has repeatedly supplied to produce Europe through Nord Stream 2.
Was ist #Ampel-Wahnsinn? Einen #Wirtschaftskrieg anfangen,der uns mehr schadet als Russland. Danach Verbraucher ua. mit #Gasumlage zur Kasse bitten, um damit teures&klimaschädliches #LNG-Fuel von US-Konzernen zu kaufen, die dabei exorbitante Profite machen🙈https://t.co/XpqAzgVuW9
— Sahra Wagenknecht (@SWagenknecht) August 19, 2022
Germany Dangers a Manufacturing unit Exodus as Vitality Costs Chunk Laborious Bloomberg (Kevin W)
France opposes Spain’s gasoline pipeline venture – media RT (Kevin W)
The New World Vitality Order: A Battle Of Attrition Forbes (resilc)
Syraqistan
DEVELOPING: Particulars on new nuclear deal accredited by Iran The Cradle (resilc)
🚨🚨Breaking: This morning, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) raided Al-Haq’s workplace in Ramallah, confiscated gadgets and shut down the primary entrance with an iron plate abandoning a army order declaring the group illegal 1/2 pic.twitter.com/Y8yqRdU4Db
— Al-Haq الحق (@alhaq_org) August 18, 2022
Huge Brother Is Watching You Watch
Montana flagged bugs in cow app exploited in alleged China hack Al Jazeera (resilc). Cows want apps??? Wouldn’t cameras in and outdoors barns suffice?
Imperial Collapse Watch
US Air Power grounds Osprey fleet after harmful clutch downside DefenseNews (resilc)
US bombs Somalia for the third time this summer time Accountable Statecraft. Resilc: “A trillion a yr wasted…….but the largest information is Liz Cheney.”
Different Trump
Courtroom orders launch of DOJ memo on Trump obstruction in Mueller probe Washington Put up (Kevin W)
The Donald J. Trump Information to Getting Away With Something Atlantic. Resilc: “Why is that this simply Trump? It’s all wealthy/highly effective individuals in USA USA.”
Liz Cheney and Trump are the Two Faces of American Totalitarianism Richard (RJ) Eskow (furzy)
Biden
A BFD Dan Somewhat and Elliot Kirschner (furzy). Um, not if you take a look at spending per yr.
Armed… auditors? The IRS turns into the most recent goal of GOP misinformation Guardian (resilc)
Pathetically, Hillary Clinton is smearing Bernie Sanders as sexist once more. Jacobin (resilc)
Abortion
Decide: Prosecutors can not implement Michigan’s abortion ban Politico (Kevin W)
With out Roe v. Wade, what it means when miscarriage is against the law Washington Put up (furzy)
HBO Max removes practically 200 episodes of ‘Sesame Road’ Washington Put up. Kevin W: “As a result of they had been instructing youngsters concerning the letter ‘Z’?”
Twitter Tells Workers Bonuses Might Halve on Efficiency: NYT Bloomberg
Physicians see spike in misbehavior, report says and Dangerous doctor office conduct: What their colleagues are noticing Becker Assessment (Dr. Kevin)
Pissed off pharmacists are opting out of the insurance coverage system, saving some prospects lots of of {dollars} a month NBC (dk)
Class Warfare
A center class vacation itinerary vs a working class vacation itinerary Every day Mash
Starbucks ordered to reinstate US staff fired amid union marketing campaign Guardian (Kevin W)
If Everybody Is King Then No One Is Caitlin Johnstone (Kevin W)
The 2028 L.A. Olympics Are Already Making a Housing Catastrophe New Republic (resilc)
Antidote du jour. Stephen T: “What the modern sheep shall be sporting this fall…”:
And a bonus (Chuck L):
Enormous pod of dolphins noticed off Laguna Seaside in California pic.twitter.com/myjXuDkNzp
— Gabriele Corno (@Gabriele_Corno) August 19, 2022
A second bonus:
Accountable bear picks up fallen visitors cone pic.twitter.com/mA83uFHJpH
— Gabriele Corno (@Gabriele_Corno) August 19, 2022
See yesterday’s Hyperlinks and Antidote du Jour right here.
