Lambert and I, and many readers, agree that Ukraine has prompted the worst informational environment ever. We hope readers will collaborate in mitigating the fog of war — both real fog and stage fog — in comments. None of us need more cheerleading and link-free repetition of memes; there are platforms for that. Low-value, link-free pom pom-wavers will be summarily whacked.
And for those who are new here, this is not a mere polite request. We have written site Policies and those who comment have accepted those terms. To prevent having to resort to the nuclear option of shutting comments down entirely until more sanity prevails, as we did during the 2015 Greek bailout negotiations and shortly after the 2020 election, we are going to be ruthless about moderating and blacklisting offenders.
–Yves
P.S. Also, before further stressing our already stressed moderators, read our site policies:
Please do not write us to ask why a comment has not appeared. We do not have the bandwidth to investigate and reply. Using the comments section to complain about moderation decisions/tripwires earns that commenter troll points. Please don’t do it. Those comments will also be removed if we encounter them.
Do Animals Dream? Atlantic (David L). Of course they do but I am not sure how often. I have seem my cats in REM sleep.
Colorado Springs man becomes fourth person to push a peanut up Pikes Peak with his nose Colorado Public Radio (David L).
This robot dog just taught itself to walk MIT Technology Review (David L). Kill it with fire.
Human-on-a-chip system replicates rare neuromuscular disorders, finds new treatment without animal testing ZMEScience (Dr. Kevin)
“Self-boosting vaccines” load multiple drug doses into a single shot New Atlas (furzy)
The Enemy of Promise Christian Lorentzen, Harpers (Anthony L). On Christopher Hitchens.
#COVID-19
Science/Medicine
SARS-CoV-2 infection produces chronic pulmonary epithelial and immune cell dysfunction with fibrosis in mice Science (David L)
Study results encourage SARS-CoV-2–infected mothers breastfeed to protect infants from COVID News-medical.net (Kevin W)
A Nasal Spray Seems to Help Clear Coronavirus in Clinical Trial Gizomdo (David L)
US
COVID sick leave crisis: Workers are running out of time off, and companies don’t care. Slate (resilc)
CDC ends its COVID program for cruise ships saying they can ‘manage their own COVID-19 mitigation’ USA Today (Kevin W)
Monkeypox is about to spread like wildfire because we’re not prepared. pic.twitter.com/B6TQjEIuDe
— #FreeMarvinGuy (@GNCordova) July 18, 2022
Climate/Environment
Corinne Le Quéré: ‘Could we just adapt to climate change? The answer is no’ Financial Times (David L)
IT’S JUST THE WEATHER pic.twitter.com/4dkb9seafA
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) July 18, 2022
Nearly half of EU exposed to ‘warning’ drought levels, report says Euronews (resilc). If you were already worried about hunger this fall….ag output in Europe is certain to fall well below expectations.
‘Melted Runway’ Halts Flights Out of British Military Base Gizmodo (Kevin W)
Watch: Train is surrounded by wildfires in Spain BBC (resilc)
State of the environment: shocking report shows how Australia’s land and wildlife are being gradually destroyed Guardian (Kevin W)
California went big on rooftop solar. Now that’s a problem for landfills Yahoo (Brian C)
China?
Record-breaking Chinese bridge clears hurdle to faster transport in border province South China Morning Post. Resilc: “It would take 20 years to build this in USA USA.”
Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan next month amid China tensions Financial Times. Hoo boy. We can only hope she gets Covid again. One hates to wish ill, but if she fell and broke a hip, that would put her out of commission even longer…..
China Warns Taiwan Visit by Pelosi Would Have ‘Grave Impact’ Bloomberg
Africa Live: Nigerian outrage as wanted man made chief BBC (resilc)
Old Blighty
Second Live Tory Leadership Debate Cancelled After Sunak and Truss Pull Out Sputnik (Kevin W)
Trust me, watch to at least 1:05:
Tory leadership debate! pic.twitter.com/cNs1kKN8Ip
— Matt Green (@mattgreencomedy) July 18, 2022
Which candidate has the most public support and is the most likely to win the next election? And is that even the right question? Conservative Home
Italy’s hard-right parties ready to fill void if Draghi fulfils threat to quit Financial Times
New Not-So-Cold War
OPERATION Z – DON’T INTERRUPT Helmholtz Smith, Son of the New American Revolution.
Why Russia Is Not Running Out Of Ammo. Andrei Martyanov
* * * ‘Putin Wanted Less NATO. He Got More NATO.’ Atlantic (resilc). The triumphalism seems premature. Putin’s “less NATO” was less NATO on Russia’s borders. Recall that Ukraine was NATO lite, with its military trained to NATO standards. Even though Russia is still understandably touchy about NATO members with missiles as neighbors, the SMO has revealed NATO to be a paper tiger. On top of that, the EU is immolating itself on its Russia economic sanctions and its members likely won’t have the dough or public support to rearm (see this anecdata from the UK). Plus it is not a given that Sweden and Finland will join. Erdogan had made clear that he expects payment in full for the various bribes to get Turkey to approve Finland and Sweden membership, and he has yet to see the money.
U.S. Security Cooperation with Ukraine United States Department of State. Resilc: “Remember when you pay estimated taxes…..”
Interview: Archbishop Gallagher on Vatican diplomacy, Ukraine and the threat of World War III America Magazine (Robert K)
* * * Canada Sends Repaired Gazprom Turbine To Germany OilPrice (Kevin W). As I read this, the very earliest it could arrive is July 22. But Ukraine acts as if it has a vote: Ukrainians won’t accept Canada’s decision to return Nord Stream turbine to Russia – Zelensky Interfax.
FWIW, the Russian Foreign Ministry reaffirmed that Nord Stream gas would be supplied as usual once scheduled routine maintenance was completed (see here in the weekly press conference on July 14). But on July 15, Wolfgang Munchau, who was once believed to be a reporter, completely misrepresents Zakharova in his July 15 post. It’s enough to make a rational person extend the Scott Ritter principle on Ukraine, that 100% of what Ukraine says is a lie, to the West’s commentary on Russia generally.
Exclusive: Russia’s Gazprom declares force majeure on some gas supplies to Europe Reuters (BC). This story went live yesterday AM early. As it reads, the action applies to all of one EU customer, and recall that Gazprom customers are usually private utilities, and often more than one per EU nation. So there are a lot of them. Recall also that Putin issues a decree that provided for special economic retaliatory measures. The initial targets were various Gazprom Germania subsidiaries and JV partners, presumably because Gazprom Germania was nationalized by Germany and then stole Gazprom assets, such as storage units. Consistent with this being a narrow action, I did not see this story featured at Bloomberg, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, nor mentioned on the Russian Foreign Ministry, Kremlin, TASS or Interfax sites.
Analyst says EU shows more caution in imposing new sanctions on Russia as they hurt bloc TASS
* * * Meeting of Council for Strategic Development and National Projects Kremlin. Note:
As you know, it is not just that restrictions are being deliberately and specifically used against Russia today, but the near total closure of access to foreign high-tech products….This is exactly where they are trying to put up obstacles for us in order to restrain the development of Russia. It is clear that this is a big challenge for our country.
However, we are not going to give up, feel at a loss or, as some of our well-wishers predict, fall back decades. Of course not. On the contrary, realising the enormous pile of difficulties we are facing, we will intensively and competently look for new solutions, effectively use the existing sovereign technological reserves, and develop domestic innovative companies….
I understand that this is a difficult task…One of the main goals is to further develop end-to-end technologies.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s article «Staged incidents as the Western approach to doing politics», published in Izvestia newspaper Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Ukraine war: Putin to visit Iran in rare international trip BBC (resilc)
Pakistan Rupee Drops to Record, Bonds Fall as Fitch Cuts Outlook Bloomberg
Syraqistan
Militias Armed And Ready As Libya’s New NOC Lifts Oil Blockade OilPrice (resilc)
Israel sends veiled threat to attorneys of outlawed Palestinian NGOs +972 (guurst)
Belarus reveals mass executions of Iraqi refugees by Polish soldiers Al Mayadeen. Chuck L: “Almost a month old but….”
Big Brother is Watching You Watch
Toronto’s Scrapped Smart City Reflects Distrust in Tech SURFACE (resilc)
Imperial Collapse Watch
Human rights abuses by US, allies persistent, systematic: FM spokesperson Global Times. China will keep eyepoking the West every time US officials make a stink about Uighurs.
How the U.S. Enables ‘Reckless Driving’ By Its Clients Daniel Larison
In case you missed it:
This is the real reason Assange is in prison. #FreeAssange https://t.co/rxIQoaM9dj
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) July 15, 2022
1/6
Two Trump White House officials expected to testify at prime-time Jan. 6 hearing Thursday NBC (furzy)
Democrats en déshabillé
John Fetterman is the kind of political communicator the Left needs Jacobin. Resilc: “Too bad he is near death, if he wins should challenge Byedone right on. Fuck the DNC man.”
SEN. JOE MANCHIN AND HIS WIFE DIRECTED MILLIONS TO THE WILDLIFE AREA SURROUNDING VACATION CONDO Intercept (Paul R)
The House will vote on legislation protecting marriage equality after Clarence Thomas said the Supreme Court should ‘reconsider’ gay marriage decision Business Insider (Kevin W)
Abortion
Just 3 Weeks Post-Roe, The Stories Emerging Are Worse Than Anyone Imagined Jezebel (Dr. Kevin)
Read this story a few days ago and it hasn’t left me. San Diego cops stood by while a woman was terrorized by a stalker in her home for 12 hours, even as neighbors begged them to do something. Stalker then emerged and told them the woman was dead. https://t.co/DUeCpNOj53
— April Wolfe (@AWolfeful) July 18, 2022
Supply Chain/Inflation
Will Falling Oil Prices Alter The Fed’s Aggressive Rate Hike Plan? OilPrice. IMHO this decline is temporary and due to China’s off and on lockdowns and knock-on effects.
FOCUS ON MÍLA – Ardian partners with Iceland’s national telecoms network Ardian. Paul R: “Entire Iceland telecom infrastructure may be sold to private equity.”
The Bezzle
Constant scam attempts are impacting our mental health Washington Post
Shrimps and whales keep crypto afloat Bangkok Post (furzy)
Class Warfare
Sacramento’s homeless population soars by 67% and is now HIGHER than San Francisco while crime rises in tandem with robbery up 42% and rapes nearly doubling: Activists blame skyrocketing price of rentals for the crisis in California’s capital city Daily Mail. Lead story in US edition.
The Age of Weird Men: Gonzo Politicians From Berlusconi to BoJo CounterPunch. Resilc:
I was welding in the barn the other day with New England NPR station on. Katie Tur was promoting her book. Guy asks will you ever run for office. HELL NO was the response. She told story of Congressional friend who said all we do is raise money all the time. That when in Congress you have to make it look like you want to do something, but if you actually do something, it becomes a very significant danger to your career. More money will be raised against you than if you only look like you will change things. So only look like you want to change things is best. Explains sen. crapo, if he really exists
Antidote du jour. From Tucson.com via Jim H. No tortoises were hurt:
And a bonus:
Poor dog.. pic.twitter.com/F5Ly2zoNtK
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) July 18, 2022
And a second bonus (Mark T):
Holy crap this is wonderful pic.twitter.com/kSUiQd0XQP
— David (@p4ndr_) July 15, 2022
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
