An archaeologist unlocks the mysteries of Mexico’s fascination with crocodiles Mexico Daily News
Investors regain some bargaining power. But not as much as you think. Institutional investor. Limited partners in PE.
The stark choice of “risk reduction” facing economies Mohamed El-Erian, FT
Another blow for the return to the office: everyone has allergies WSJ. Allergies.
Climate
Norwegian oil fund sides with climate activists against ExxonMobil and Chevron FT
The climate war between states heat map
Science and the legal rights of nature (abstract) Science. “The right to evolve.” Hmm. “Let ‘er rip” embodied that, right?
Leaked Brownstone Institute emails reveal support for child labor and underage smoking Walker Bragman, Important Context. Because freedom, without a doubt.
#COVID19
Evolutionary characteristics of host-adapted SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants Nature. “[E]high infectivity of Omicron sublines” in China (popularization).
Ending Zero-Covid Coming Home for China Ian Welsh (MT).
China?
Xinhua Commentary: Risk reduction is just decoupling in disguise Xinhua
China’s port power Foreign Affairs
Chinese C919: Inaugural commercial flight will cover the busiest domestic route on Sunday South China Morning Post
With strong allies like Japan and Australia, the United States can afford to divert attention from the Indo-Pacific when it needs to. South China Morning Post
Burma
Myanmar junta turns to Iran for missiles and drones The Irrawaddy
Myanmar and China hold border trade fair in Nay Pyi Taw Xinhua
India
Indian Prime Minister Modi concludes visit to Australia with new agreements on migration and green hydrogen Channel News Asia
Dear old Blighty
The Conservatives have a dirty secret: they don’t want to cut immigration Telegraph. We have 400 year old lawns to roll!
Silencing the skeptics about British cuisine:
oh shit yeah pic.twitter.com/Kn9Lky8ucM
– fucked up foods (@fuckedupfoods) May 24, 2023
New not so cold war
36 Hours in Bakhmut: One Unit’s Desperate Battle to Hold the Russians Back WSJ
US hopes to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in Ukraine Indian punch line. Quoting MacGregor: ” [The United States is] not a land power anywhere but in our own hemisphere. We are above all an aerospace and maritime power, a bit like Great Britain. And what does that mean? When things are bad for us, we leave, we fly away, we go home… That’s always what we do. Finally, we leave. And I think that’s on the agenda now.
* * * Extract from the monthly meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group:
Ukraine is able to liberate all territories, but not in the near future – General Milley Ukraine Pravda
F-16s won’t be ‘magic weapon’ to win war in Ukraine, US general warns New York Post. Miley again.
As Ukraine close to getting another weapon off its wishlist, Democrats are asking for more defense one
* * * Ukraine’s upcoming counter-offensive has a good chance of succeeding The Atlantic Council
Ukraine’s next counter-offensive? Lower your aim CEPA
* * * The Rise of Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov – NV Profile New Voice of Ukraine. We should ask This guys where is Zaluzhnyi; he probably knows!
Ukraine is already looking to a post-war digital future Gillian Tett, FT. The Nazis only had IBM Punch Cards. So progress!
NATO’s Dirty War in Ukraine: Are Ukrainian Neo-Nazi Divisions Deploying NATO-supplied Chemical Weapons? The Canadian Patriot (MT). Gateway drugs?
Interpretation of Thursday’s three nuclear-related news items Newsletter from Andrew Korybko
A Supernatural Spectacle: The Untold Story of the World’s Biggest Nuclear Bomb Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. From 2021, still relevant.
Biden Administration
Why are these Biden officials leaving their most important positions? Alabama Moon (Chuck L).
“Towards an agreement” on the debt ceiling Policy. “It’s time to get the president off the bench.” Or the stretcher.
US says it will limit visas for those seen as ‘undermining’ Bangladesh elections Thread. Hmm. How long before this policy is applied to national elections?
The Supremes
Supreme Court Restricts Clean Water Act SCOTUSblog
Samuel Alito’s assault on the wetlands is so indefensible that he lost Brett Kavanaugh Slate
“The position of the Court is that no one can tell them what to do” FAIR
2024
DeSantis fires Trump over COVID lockdowns: ‘He ceded the country to Fauci’ FOX
digital watch
Minnesota governor approves sweeping right to repair tech law The register
Why Risk Management in Enterprise IT Systems Starts with Reducing Complexity Digital Actuaries
Baaaad Banks
Credit Suisse ordered to pay former Georgian prime minister $926m FT
The Joffrey Epstein Affair
JPMorgan Chase says Jeffrey Epstein paid US Virgin Islands governor’s children’s tuition CNBC. Pass the popcorn.
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon set to be questioned in Jeffrey Epstein cases FT
Health care
Column: This company made billions by surprise billing helpless ER patients. Then justice came Los Angeles Time
Part D (05/25/23) (podcast) Death Panel. “[W]hy private Medicare Part D plans are able to deny necessary care to people with rare diseases, and what it says about the US welfare state. Comment:
This is why we, the public, have the right to reject the policies established by @CMSGov. Specifically for covid you can do it here and ask cms to include covid as part of their hac discount program. https://t.co/LMLiajf73v pic.twitter.com/2HwiixbyaC
— Andrew Wang, PhD, MPH, CPH (@AWangMPH) May 26, 2023
sports office
Imperial Collapse Watch
Startups Bring Silicon Valley Ethics to a Heavy Military-Industrial Complex NYT. “Ethos” like what? Fraud? Rental extraction as a way of life?
Guillotine watch
The man who spends $2 million a year to turn 18 trades blood with his father and son Bloomberg
Class struggle
Eating disorder helpline lays off staff, switches to chatbot after unionization Vice. No doubt the backers approved. I guess the left is so dejected that it is no longer necessary for NGOs to co-opt it?
Billionaire who funds ‘police abolition’ activists invests in private security startup Lee Fang. The Pritzker Family wallet could be interesting.
A model of influence economy NUMBER. “The assorted pairing between sellers and influencers remains under endogenous influence, with the principle of maximum differentiation recovered within the limit of costless style acquisition.” In English please.
During the reign of Cleopatra A collection of absolute pedantry
Antidote of the day (via):
By any rational standard, ecological engineers are more important than Supreme Court Justices.
See Yesterday’s Links and Today’s Antidote here.
