Indian man who fed water to cheetahs in viral video restored in job BBC
Climate/Environment
Exploring the risks of ‘cascading’ tipping points in a warming world Carbon Brief
Pandemics
Research links COVID to poor kidney outcomes in US youth CIDRAP
😮This is just stunning.
*Authorised* illness absence:still 37% up in Primary Schoolsstill 50% up in Secondary Schoolsand 🚨 an astonishing 74% up in Schools for Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
The most vulnerable children, the children most in… pic.twitter.com/EOvoATucED
— tern (@1goodtern) April 14, 2025
Ever-Shifting Definitions of “Immunity” Pandemic Accountability Index
Texas measles outbreak grows; Michigan, Pennsylvania report new outbreaks CIDRAP
US measles cases are undercounted, experts say, but real numbers are proving hard to pin down CNN
Some measles response plans crash to a halt after Trump cuts Minnesota Reformer
Las Vegas schools face alarming measles vaccination shortfall Las Vegas Review-Journal
‘THE LAST OF US’ SEASON 2’S DYSTOPIA IS MORE MIRROR THAN MAKE-BELIEVE Atmos
The Koreas
The unbearable lightness of Korean cute Chris Arnade Walks the World
China?
U.S. Plans to Use Tariff Negotiations to Isolate China WSJ
US to demand EU pulls away from China in return for cutting tariffs Irish Times
China Q1 GDP growth beats expectations, but US tariff shock dims outlook Business Times
The coming US-China financial divorce Asia Times
1/6SCMP: “Yu has been outspoken in his advocacy for the reduction of China’s US Treasury bill holdings and has advised Beijing to stay alert for any attempts to use the country’s foreign assets against it.”
https://t.co/mFnKRj9Es5 via @scmpnews
— Michael Pettis (@michaelxpettis) April 15, 2025
China’s Ukraine Supporters: an “Infantile Disorder” by Zhang Wenmu Sinification
DeepSeek Is Already Being Applied Widely Across China’s Industries, And Used For Government Surveillance And Propaganda TechDirt
European Disunion
EU to ban Serbia if president joins Putin’s victory parade The Telegraph
EU rejects overhauling agrifood and tech rules to avoid Trump tariffs Euractiv
US energy envoy urges Europe to lock in long-term LNG deals with American suppliers at Budapest LNG summit Bne Intellinews
Incoming German chancellor intends to send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine WSWS
O Canada
On the Historical Unity of Americans and Canadians Nemets
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Tourism Pitch to Canadians is Tone-Deaf and Insulting Dougald Lamont’s Substack
Syraqistan
Fed Up With Israeli Displacement Orders, Palestinians in Gaza City Refuse to Leave Drop Site
Washington prepares new shipment of bombs for Israel ahead of ‘vigorous expansion’ of Gaza assault The Cradle
Yemeni factions plan ground offensive against Houthis amid US strikes, officials say Middle East Eye
Will Yemen turn its missiles on the UAE and Saudi Arabia? The Cradle
US tells Israel it will begin withdrawing troops from Syria within 2 months Ynet
Another US aircraft carrier in Mideast waters ahead of Iran-US nuclear talks AP
Scoop: Trump holds situation room meeting on Iran nuclear deal negotiations Axios
Like ChatGPT, only secret: This is Genie, the IDF’s artificial intelligence Ynet
Africa
America’s tariff wars present no upside opportunities for African economies An Africanist Perspective
New Not-So-Cold War
Ukraine Confirms Sumy Strike Target – Russian Build Up For Summer Campaign Moon of Alabama
Putin Says Nyet To Trump’s Ultimatum Of Unconditional Ceasefire/Are Russian Forces Gunning To Take Kiev? The Real Politick with Mark Sleboda (Video)
Lavrov Paints Fuller Picture in Interview with Kommersant karlof1’s Geopolitical Gymnasium
The Ukrainian National Guard’s 12th Azov Brigade announced the formation of the 1st National Guard Azov Corps, which includes the National Guard’s 1st, 12th, 14th, 15th, and 20th brigades.https://t.co/LlxS4HIaoV pic.twitter.com/LxK7ZkSGka
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) April 15, 2025
One reason why the Ukrainians are so desperate for a ceasefire is that they want to finish their army reforms in peace.
They have been working on introducing a corps system to improve organization, command & control for their brigades. The first such corps has now been…
— Russians With Attitude (@RWApodcast) April 15, 2025
South of the Border
10,000 US troops begin arriving at Mexico border Responsible Statecraft
Digital Dams: How U.S.-Brazil AI Cooperation Could Help America’s AI Ambitions Flow RAND
Trump takes aim at a key Cuban export: Its worldwide medical missions New York Times
Trump 2.0
Trump’s Tariff Threat for Imported Medicines Poses Political Risks New York Times
NVIDIA: Made in America (by Taiwan) Interconnected
Trump’s in-the-know plan to demolish the US economy Asia Times
The outlook for new orders from NY Fed regional manufacturers literally hit the lowest level in the history of the survey. (HT: @fcastofthemonth) pic.twitter.com/vkbaVJTG4c
— Joe Weisenthal (@TheStalwart) April 15, 2025
***
Judge rebukes Trump officials for not securing return of wrongly deported man The Guardian
Pete Hegseth Is Gutting Pentagon Programs to Reduce Civilian Casualties The Intercept
Top Hegseth adviser Dan Caldwell put on leave in Pentagon leak probe Reuters
Michael Wolff Suggests Trump Team Floated a Don Jr. Outdoors Show as a Way for Warners to Curry Favor With White House Hollywood Reporter
DOGE
Pentagon’s ‘SWAT team of nerds’ resigns en masse Politico
A whistleblower’s disclosure details how DOGE may have taken sensitive labor data NPR
This Tax Day, an IRS in Crisis Can We Still Govern?
The Tactics Elon Musk Uses to Manage His ‘Legion’ of Babies—and Their Mothers WSJ
SignalGate
Here’s What Happened to Those SignalGate Messages Wired
Democrats en déshabillé
Biden’s antisemitism envoy on deporting students:
“I’m coming down right smack dab in the middle…I don’t oppose many of the things that are being done. I just wish they would be done more deftly.”
Shameful equivocation by someone who should know better.https://t.co/3rZP0m7jjq
— Dylan Williams (@dylanotes) April 15, 2025
Concerned citizens dissolve a broken political brand Art Cullen’s Notebook
The Two Movements The American Prospect. “The task at hand is to reassure elites who oppose Trump that the public is behind them, and instill in them the will to fight.”
The People Are Resisting While the Elites Are Surrendering The Nation
Police State Watch
What are “Nihilistic Violent Extremists”? Ken Klippenstein
Trump’s AG dodges questions on deporting ‘violent’ US citizens to El Salvador Firstpost
Donald Trump, Silicon Valley, and the Neoliberal Roots of an Unlikely Alliance Vanity Fair
Groves of Academe
Screen recording for proof. This is Columbia’s “resources for international students”, linking to the ICE website to report people. Columbia University is not safe for international students. pic.twitter.com/2RUGCH66Q2
— Layla 🪬 (@itslaylas) April 15, 2025
Supply Chain
FDA warns consumers not to use counterfeit Ozempic (semaglutide) found in U.S. drug supply chain US Food ad Drug Administration (press release)
AI
OpenAI is building a social network The Verge
Healthcare?
Some Tax-Exempt Hospitals Are Building Real Estate Empires HEALTH CARE un-covered
Imperial Collapse Watch
Bad News: The Navy’s Latest Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier Won’t Be Ready Until 2029 1945
Class Warfare
Unions, Not Just Factories, Will Make America Great Labor Politics
Homeless man in SLO just won $1 million on a Lottery scratcher San Luis Obispo Tribune
Time travel, future fear, and the banal indignity of nostalgia thefsb
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
