Inside a Colony of Billionaire Bees Forbes
Neural mechanisms of parasite-induced apex behavior in ‘zombie’ Drosophila (Manuscript Accepted). From the abstract: “For at least two centuries, scientists have been captivated by “zombie” behaviors induced by mind-controlling parasites.” In effect!
Trust and public policies Bank for International Settlements
Climate
Wildfire’s Toxic Legacy Leaves Kids Breathless Years Later Bloomberg
Water
Panama Canal imposes navigation restrictions to deal with worsening drought Bloomberg
#COVID19
Maternal SARS-CoV-2, placental changes and brain damage in 2 newborns (case reports) Pediatrics. “The constellation of clinical findings, placental pathology, and immunohistochemical changes strongly suggests that second-trimester maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection with placentitis triggered an inflammatory response and oxidative stress injury to the fetoplacental unit that affected the fetal brain. The demonstration of SARS-CoV-2 in the deceased infant’s brain also raises the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 infection of the fetal brain directly contributed to ongoing brain injury. In both infants, neurological signs at birth mimicked the presentation of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy of the newborn, and neurological sequelae progressed well beyond the neonatal period.
Decreased expression of antiviral innate immune gene in the placenta following maternal infection with SARS-CoV-2 American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. From the comment: “[P]pregnant individuals with even a mild course of COVID-19 disease at any time during pregnancy and any body habitus are also susceptible to placental innate immune suppression of SARS-CoV-2. It is unclear whether an impaired placental immune response correlates with other vital functions and might underlie the increased risk of stillbirth associated with maternal COVID-19. Interestingly, our findings parallel those of other studies in mice indicating ‘viral priming’, whereby an initial viral infection impairs placental and cervical immunity, thereby increasing the risk of subsequent infection.
A good question:
People who talk about the “damage of containment” must shut up or answer this question:
Where would you have put all the bodies?— tern (@1goodtern) November 15, 2022
IIRC, New York lacked freezer space.
China?
Hong Kong mask makers report ‘surprise’ spike in sales as Covid-19, flu cases surge 3 months after mandate removed SCMP. If it’s surprising, it just shows the CCP “Covid is over” Propaganda is just as thick as the United States! UNITED STATES !
From the top of the transom, a friend of GF is reporting on hospital ventilation in China:
This afternoon, I went to a local hospital in the municipality of Y, Z Major, where I spoke with Doctor X, who manages the Covid-19 virus control service. They were very helpful, providing all sorts of details on how they control the virus:
There are two main technical changes they have made to all wards, including ICU and A&E wards:
According to Doctor X:
They turned off and blocked all central air conditioning systems. Instead, they installed separate air conditioning units in each room. UVC germicidal lamps installed in each room. Towers must be activated every 6 hours for 30 minutes. It’s very inconvenient, she says, because there shouldn’t be anyone in the room when the UVC lamp is on.
Interesting on UVC. These are just hospitals. I wonder if China is developing this approach for the rest of the country, right? And why are they only doing it now?
* * * China bans some chip sales from US firm Micron NYT
‘Stupid ball’ changed everything: Says US President Biden on US-China relations Trade standard. Full quote: “[T]his stupid balloon that carried two freight cars containing spy equipment. Oh.
Biden says US and China should see ‘thaw very soon’ Channel News Asia
Why nations seeking protection between the US and China should look to Vietnam, not the Philippines South China Morning Post
Syrian
Pakistan needs a new vision – an intra-elite war is not the answer AlJazeera
Against the current: an Iraqi artist fights to save the nautical tradition France 24
European disunity
‘I should sue them for defamation’ – Patrick Lefevere hits back at Gazzetta Dello Sport accusations that Evenepoel fled Giro d’Italia CyclingUptoDate. Just as macabre press on “Covid is over” in Italy as here.
Facebook parent Meta hits record fine for transferring European user data to US PA
“Very impressive” electoral victory for the Greek conservatives France 24
Dear old Blighty
They say it openly: Brexit has failed. But what comes next can be very dark indeed Guardian
New not so cold war
Why are we in Ukraine? Harpers. Take a cup of coffee. (I’m not sure there’s a diplomatic solution, though. The US should be able to get a deal done. How could that be?)
It is not enough for Ukraine to win. Russia must lose. Eliot Cohen, The Atlantic
Put Ukraine on the UN Security Council Bernard-Henri Lévy, WSJ
* * * Biden said Zelenskyy gave ‘flat assurance’ he wouldn’t use F-16s in Russia: Live updates from Ukraine USA today. In fact, “Russian geographic territory”, so in Big Z’s mind, he now has permission to use F-16s in Crimea. Preparing Big Z for the shiv?
Mr. President, what the people of Ukraine stand for and what you have achieved is something the whole world must watch.
I speak for America when I say we are impressed with what you have done so far. pic.twitter.com/uPKsTXAJW0
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 21, 2023
Russia says transferring F-16s to Ukraine would raise NATO question AlJazeera
* * * Military briefing: how Russia is strengthening its front line for the Ukrainian counter-offensive FT
Senior Ukrainian commander fighting around Bakhmut says military experts who describe Russian soldiers as only ‘stupid and miserable’ are wrong Business Intern
Ukraine war – live: kyiv aims to ‘encircle’ Putin’s troops in Bakhmut as Russia claims to have captured the city Independent. Let me know how it works.
* * * It’s time for Ukraine to launch an anti-corruption counteroffensive Policy
Leaked recordings reveal shocking state corruption in ‘US-ruled’ Moldova The gray area
South of the border
5 Trade Moves China Made in 2023 in Latin America – America’s Traditional Backyard South China Morning Post
Mexico refuses to cede trade bloc presidency to Peru’s de facto president Dispatch of the people. From last week, but the most informative and timely English post I can find. Readers?
Biden Administration
Yellen says June 1 is a ‘deadline’ to raise the debt ceiling Reuters
Debt ceiling talks turn to finger-pointing and frustration as deal remains elusive WSJ. In the meantime:
MAGA House Republicans are threatening a default that could cost us millions of jobs and trigger a recession.
All because they are demanding deep cuts that will hurt hard-working families – even as they protect tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations.
⁰ I have a plan for… pic.twitter.com/8kiBsJRprj— President Biden (@POTUS) May 21, 2023
McCarthy says Biden calls for ‘productive’ debt limit, leaders to meet Monday The hill
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Debt Ceiling Crisis Week FOX
* * * Monopolies roundup: the debt ceiling and a major victory against the airlines Matt Stoller, BIG
2024
Hunter Biden faces appeal to key business associates in Arkansas lawsuit Jonathan Turley
The bezzle
Part 2: What is KPMG’s bank audit quality history with the PCAOB and the SEC? (excerpt) Francine McKenna, The Dig
digital watch
OpenAI CEO predicts that AI will one day give birth to twins, their names will be God and Satan onion
Crackdown on risky chemicals that could derail the chip industry FT
Supply chain
The COVID boom is not yet over for shipping line ‘owners’ Hellenic Shipping News
Zeitgeist Watch
How The American Dream Convinces People Loneliness Is Normal PA. “During the pandemic, Murthy’s report found, people tightened their groups of friends and reduced the time spent with them. According to the report, Americans spent 20 minutes a day with friends in 2020, up from an hour a day two decades ago. Admittedly, this was during the peak of COVID. The trend, however, is clear, especially among young people aged 15 to 24. Yes, this is why non-pharmaceutical interventions to clean the air in public spaces would have been important, given that vaccines do not prevent transmission.
Imperial Collapse Watch
American trains and buses are racing towards a cliff New York Review
America’s surprise revival: the suburbs Axios
Taught for America Year zero
The strange death of education reform, part one Matt Yglesias, Boring Slow. Second part.
Class struggle
The CEO of Warner Bros. mocked Boston University graduation: ‘Pay your writers!’ MarketWatch. More like this, please.
Underwage Plus Advice: A Bad Deal for Workers CEPR
Gripping Writers Find Their Villain: Netflix NYT
Rigged Capitalism and the Rise of Pluto-Populism: On Martin Wolf’s “The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism” Book review in Los Angeles
Waste your time, your life may depend on it The friendly society
What number comes next? The Integer Sequence Encyclopedia knows. NYT. The examples given show a lot of interaction between digit and number. But what if the numbers are, say, Katovik figures? Or cuneiform? It seems strange that a sequence of integers is not portable from one representation to another.
Antidote of the day (via):
See Yesterday’s Links and Today’s Antidote here.
