Ohio police find raccoon holding meth pipe during traffic stop NBC (Micael T)
Lion fatally attacks owner in southern Iraq Rudaw. Micael T: “What is wrong with keeping pets that can’t kill you?”
Gene mutations help flowers mimic foul odor to attract carcass-loving pollinators PhysOrg
Demonology aeon
If Everyone Has Trauma, Everyone Has Trauma Freddie deBoeer. “this is less dismissive than it sounds.”
News you can use!
“By adding “udm=14” to your Google search URL, you can strip away all the AI summaries, knowledge panels, and ads that clutter the results. This doesn’t improve the actual search results, but it provides a cleaner, distraction-free interface reminiscent of Google’s early days.”…
— Barry Ritholtz (@Ritholtz) May 11, 2025
Nitrous oxide abuse and associated neurological diseases PMC. (Robin K)
Kava smuggling to NT Indigenous communities spikes after import controls lifted, leaders say ABC Australia (Robin K)
#COVID-19
Singapore sees rise in COVID-19 cases as authorities say ‘periodic’ waves are expected Channel News Asia. Also cheery headline here: “Covid resurgence ‘no cause for alarm’”
The rapid spread of measles Reuters
Climate/Environment
The Greenhouse Gas CO₂ equivalent concentration is now about 573 ppm.
Which would take 206% of preindustrial CO₂!
That’s a stronger GHG forcing change than occured between the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, when global sea levels were ~130 meters lower than today) and 1750! https://t.co/s76oyNLWaP pic.twitter.com/FHmKWenoYs
— Leon Simons (looking up) (@LeonSimons8) May 11, 2025
Beekeepers across the U.S. see unprecedented honeybee die-offs Spectrum Local News
Warmest decade on record leaves trail of misery across Africa Daily Maverick
Climate crisis threatens the banana, the world’s most popular fruit, research shows Guardian
Munich Re Profit Halves on €1.1 Billion Hit From LA Wildfires Bloomberg
China?
Under What Circumstances Might the US Dollar and the Yuan Both Crash? Michael Shedlock. A must read.
China Bolsters Export Controls on Critical Minerals OilPrice (Kevin W)
After the U.S. and China pause tariffs, rare mineral exports are now in the spotlight for future trade deals Fortune (Kevin W). So China still has leverage as talks are in play.
Chinese companies purge supply chain of foreign parts amid US trade war Financial Times
Trump and China call off the divorce Politico (Kevin W). Assumes against considerable evidence that agreements by Trump have any meaning.
US eases trade war, pursues ‘strategic decoupling’ from China Asia Times (Kevin W). Good luck with that.
🤡🌏 The Clown-World Tariff War
The US tariff war / trade embargo threat against China has turned into a humiliating clown-world debacle for Trump and his entourage of clueless macroeconomic imbeciles. pic.twitter.com/jeP7BFWbrp
— Will Schryver (@imetatronink) May 13, 2025
Escalation fears rise in Japan following Chinese moves near Senkakus Japan Times
2025 Philippine elections: Candidates, voting, results, winners Rappler
South of the Border
US coercive measures against Venezuela in violation of international law: “Makes the economy scream” Nachdenkseiten via machine translation (Micael T)
European Disunion
A Bad End Followed by a Worse Start Tarik Cyril Amar
EDITORIAL: Sweden’s new drones are already useless Expressen via machine translation. Micael T: “And these fools are lusting for a war with Russia. So it is not about killing Russia, it is about killing their own population.”
Old Blighty
UK jobs slowdown hits education and healthcare as spending cuts bite Financial Times
UK jobs market continues to weaken BBC
UK’s Starmer, under pressure from Farage, tightens migration rules Reuters
Pension funds ‘to unlock up to £50bn’ of investment, with half for UK firms Guardian (Kevin W)
Israel v. the Resistance
Pope Leo XIV Calls for Peace in Gaza, End to Israeli Blockade on Aid Antiwar.com (Kevin W)
US-Hamas talks show that peace is possible Aaron Mate
Gaza’s hospitals cannot provide food to recovering patients Aljazeera (resilc)
Ben Gvir says Israel must ‘stop procrastinating’ and ‘open gates of hell’ on Gaza Times of Israel
🚨🇺🇸🇮🇱 BREAKING: TRUMP will be SKIPPING ISRAEL VISIT on his first trip abroad as President. pic.twitter.com/mPbjb89gnJ
— Legitimate Targets (@LegitTargets) May 13, 2025
Yuval Raphael: Israel’s Eurovision entry says she has practised being booed BBC (resilc)
New Not-So-Cold War
How Russia views the new Germany under Merz Anti-Spiegel (Micael T)
Polish Army Receives New Batch of Enhanced American Abrams Tanks Military Watch
An Immediate Peace Is The Best One Ukraine Can Ever Get Moon of Alabama (Kevin W)
EU readies capital controls and tariffs to safeguard Russia sanctions Financial Times. Nothing like doubling down on failure.
Western Leaders Continue To Live In A Delusional LaLa Land With Respect To The Ukraine War Ian Welsh (Micael T)
Putin on Putin Julian Macfarlane
Imperial Collapse Watch
“I’m concerned about the whole airspace”: Transportation sec. says flight disruptions could spread Salon
Newark Airport Air Traffic Staffing Shortage Forces Delays New York Times. resilc: “USA USA is a no fly zone.”
The Suicide of American Empire CounterPunch (resilc)
Traffic Fatalities Are a Choice asterisk (Micael T). But gun deaths now higher, so what’s the bother?
The Illusion of American Generosity American Conservative
Trump 2.0
Trump’s White House has let scammers fleece regular people The Verge (resilc)
Qatari Royals Give Trump a Plane Talking Points Memo
Past presidents couldn’t keep gifts of lions or horses. How could Trump accept a jet from Qatar? CNN (Kevin W)
Trump’s Drug-Price Crackdown, Like His Trade War, Could Be More Bark Than Bite Wall Street Journal. As we said when announced…except the trade war is creating a lot of disruption. By contrast, drug prices are up, suggesting no one who counts is much worried. I hope to write on this.
Donald Trump leans left in bid to revive flagging poll numbers Financial Times. While the poors feel the impact of 30% tariffs on China….
Who benefits from tax legislation so far Axios
Trump again tries to defund NPR and PBS, sparking a new congressional battle Iowa Capital Dispatch (Robin K)
RFK Jr. Swims in D.C.’s Rock Creek, Which Flows With Sewage and Bacteria New York Times. resilc: “Can he take Trump swimming too?”
Tariffs
Russia seen as largest Bitcoin mining beneficiary if Trump’s tariffs hit in full, industry expert says The Block (resilc)(resilc)
How Tariffs Could Make Americans’ Hobbies More Expensive New York Times (resilc). From two weeks ago, still germane.
When an Arsonist Poses as a Firefighter Paul Krugman. resilc: “Ya can’t tell your tariffzzzzzzzzz w/o a flowchart these daze.”
Immigration
‘Gestapo Nation’ – Inside the ICE Arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Work-Bites
Trump administration welcomes 59 white South Africans as refugees to the US Aljazeera (resilc)
The Tyranny of Last Year’s Budget Arnold Kling (resilc)
Democrat Death Wish
House Democrat starts ‘abundance movement’-inspired caucus Politico
Police State Watch
Students Studying at Columbia Library Were Suspended for Protest They Took No Part In Intercept
Our No Longer Free Press
Multiple Western Press Outlets Have Suddenly Pivoted Hard Against Israel Caitlin Johnstone (Kevin W). About time.
Mr. Market Is Moody
Panic as US vacation rental boom collapses and owners rush to sell at steep discounts Daily Mail (Li)How the Debt Ceiling Is Now Pouring Liquidity into Financial Markets, only to Suck it Back Out Very Fast Later this Year Wolf Richter
Exchange rate uncertainty, tariff hikes, and adjustment costs VoxEU
Nissan to cut 20,000 jobs globally, reports say Sky. The continued shrinkage of the conventional car biz.
Guillotine Watch
INVESTORS SAY UNITEDHEALTH’S GREED GOT ITS CEO MURDERED — AND COST THEM MILLIONS Futurism (Micael T)
Elon Musk’s Boring Company Is in Talks With Government Over Amtrak Project New York Times (resilc)
Antidote du jour (via):
And a bonus:
Look, what I can do..🐾😍 pic.twitter.com/7nO7CiRsxg
— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) May 12, 2025
A second bonus:
A sea lion appears at a hotel, goes for a quick swim, and then takes a lounge chair off a man
pic.twitter.com/NmXhhanxsb
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) May 12, 2025
And a third:
Caption this 😅 pic.twitter.com/RH44RqqZUJ
— why you should have an animal (@ShouldHaveAnima) May 13, 2025
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
