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.
Corgi Con returns to San Francisco’s Ocean Beach this weekend after three-year hiatus hoodline (David L)
Native bee key to social evolution: Bridge between flying solo or as a colony PhysOrg (David L)
More than 20 million farm animals die on way to abattoir in US every year | Animal welfare Guardian (resilc) 🙁
In ‘Seed Stories,’ Photographer Thierry Ardouin Unveils the Stunning Diversity of Plants Colossal (furzy)
New Milky Way Visualizations Show the Dance of Millions of Stars in Incredible Detail Gizmodo (resilc)
Photographer Spends Two Years Building Enormous Wet Plate Camera and Turning Bus Into Darkroom MyModernMet (David L)
How Light and Noise Pollution Confound Animals’ Senses Atlantic (resilc)
Research into falling sperm counts finds ‘alarming’ levels of chemicals in male urine samples Euronews (furzy)
The First Authoritarian: Popper’s Plato The Hedgehog Review (Anthony L)
#COVID-19
Science/Medicine
Newest Omicron Covid-19 lineages gaining ground in United States STAT (Dr. Kevin)
📍DOUBLE REINFECTIONS—wow, both PM Justin Trudeau and Biden’s HHS Secretary Becerra got *reinfected* with #COVID19–from same conference—➡️when did Becerra last get infected? May 18th 2022—not even a full month ago! Trudeau in Jan 2022. I worry it’s reinfections due to #BA5/#BA4. https://t.co/8s3M3Bk0Fz
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) June 13, 2022
So now this MD says he is being careful again…
Dr. Bob Wachter, UCSF’s chair of medicine, says his wife, Katie Hafner, is doing “not great” weeks after getting COVID and is suffering brain fog and other symptoms. https://t.co/fD1u2zGdxc
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) June 13, 2022
US
Long Covid is a ‘national crisis.’ So why are grants taking so long to get? Science (resilc)
IM Doc flipped out when he saw this tweet. And GM confirmed that it’s not true, that more died under Biden even if you give him a one-month grace period after he was sworn in:
My approach has brought down COVID deaths by 90%.
It’s opened schools and businesses that were shuttered.
And it’s created the greatest jobs recovery in American history. 8.7 million new jobs in just 16 months – an all-time record.
— President Biden (@POTUS) June 14, 2022
In a Rush to Supply PPE, U.S. Importers Were Scammed for Millions Undark
Monkeypox
World Health Organization will rename monkeypox because ‘it’s RACIST and discriminatory towards Africa’ Daily Mail
Climate/Environment
Mexico City. June, 2022.
If you’re not worried, you’re not paying attention. pic.twitter.com/eerXEvhh5s
— Eugenio Perea (@eperea) June 13, 2022
Intense helicopter footage shows why Yellowstone National Park just closed Mashable (David L)
Floods May Leave Yellowstone Landscape ‘Dramatically Changed’ Forever Bloomberg (David L)
China?
Taiwan-US security talks to discuss weapons, strategies to defend island South China Morning Post
Chinese depositors left in dark as three local banks freeze deposits Reuters (furzy)
Entire Sydney suburbs plunged into darkness as more power outages loom 7News. I would have been spared in my old stomping grounds. But this is early winter down under. Daily highs in Sydney in mid-upper 60s and lows in mid 40s. What gives? I gather it has to do with price caps. But why are those being triggered now>?
Sri Lanka government workers get Fridays off to grow food ahead of shortages Guardian (resilc)
Brexit
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin says UK does not ‘fully get’ Good Friday Agreement amid plans to override parts of Northern Ireland Protocol Sky (resilc)
Pleased to have a letter with Lord Anderson (@bricksilk) and Lord Pannick in today’s Times on the unlawfulness of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill. https://t.co/bdzjqdFt2P pic.twitter.com/fGsmzUx7LS
— Mark Elliott (@ProfMarkElliott) June 15, 2022
Beyond the Brexit sound and fury, a legal quagmire awaits Politico
Old Blighty
The British rail strike: Mobilise the entire working class against the Johnson government! WSWS
Nicola Sturgeon unveils case for Scottish independence BBC (resilc)
‘Everywhere. Everything. Everyone’: Drugs are back in the EU Associated Press
Bolsonaro Asked Biden For Help Against Lula Who “Threatens US Interests” BrasilWire (Judith)
New Not-So-Cold War
Why the West Lusts After Ukraine Larry Johnson (Chuck L)
* * * Ukraine Shells Donetsk, Russia Demands Surrender in Severodonetsk, Economic Crises Ukraine, West Alexander Mercouris, YouTube. Note his first section on non/mis reporting in the West.
Ukraine – Killing Surrendering Soldiers, Shelling Civilians Moon of Alabama. FWIW, the Russian Ministry of Defense tends to be conservative in what it says.
DC shifts to damage control as Ukraine defense fades Asia Times (resilc)
* * * Remember when everyone who warned this exact thing would happen was called a Putin apologist https://t.co/Ni6nj0f54S
— Paul Gottinger (@PaulGottinger) June 15, 2022
This is what Germany gets for stealing the German Gozprom assets (as in the infrastructure) and then not taking care of them: Gazprom to cut pumping via Nord Stream by 40% owing to Siemens delaying repairs and maintenance, gas prices exceed $1,000/1,000 cubic meters in EU Interfax (guurst) resulting in: Europe’s Gas Prices Surge 13% As Russia Reduces Nord Stream Flow OilPrice
Freeport LNG Gives New Timeline for Restarting Exports From Gulf Coast Plant Hit By Fire qCaptain. Key part:
EU looks to Israel as it battles Russian energy ‘blackmail’ Financial Times. Note:
While Israel says the field lies in an area recognised by the UN as its exclusive economic zone, Lebanon says the area is disputed…
Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hizbollah, said earlier this month that his group was ready to act if Israel began drilling before an agreement was reached.
Serbia’s president warns oil imports from Russia could come to a halt in Nov Interfax (guurst)
* * * GT Investigates: Western freelance journalists expose NATO propaganda fomenting Ukraine crisis, suffer merciless attacks by ‘civilized’ West Global Times. Remember that Global Times is a China house organ.
‘The Crusade against Bolchevism’. Vichy regime propaganda during WW2 https://t.co/OdHyoBZKHf #MapPorn pic.twitter.com/pOXpoGsLyX
— MapPorn (@MapPornTweet) June 14, 2022
Syraqistan
📍DOUBLE REINFECTIONS—wow, both PM Justin Trudeau and Biden’s HHS Secretary Becerra got *reinfected* with #COVID19–from same conference—➡️when did Becerra last get infected? May 18th 2022—not even a full month ago! Trudeau in Jan 2022. I worry it’s reinfections due to #BA5/#BA4. https://t.co/8s3M3Bk0Fz
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) June 13, 2022
Big Brother Is Watching You Watch
Hacking Tesla’s Remote Key Cards Bruce Schneier
1/6
Jan. 6 committee abruptly postpones Wednesday hearing NBC (furzy)
GOP Clown Car
Trump-Backed State Rep. Russell Fry Defeats Rep. Tom Rice in South Carolina Race Wall Street Journal
Democrats en déshabillé
Democrats Who Want to Replace Biden in 2024 Have Lost Touch With Reality New Republic
Do Democrats Already Have Their Own Trump That Could Win in 2024? Yahoo. Resilc: “OK, OK, Liz Chaney is starting to look better.”
DACA turns 10 with Dreamers no closer to solid ground The Hill
Reps. Lee, Pocan want to exact the largest single-year budget cut in DoD history Responsible Statecraft. Resilc: “The few in Congre$$ worth a damn.”
Supremes
U.S. Supreme Court insulates federal agents from accountability Reuters (Dr. Kevin)
Disney’s animated film with same-sex couple will not be shown in 14 countries France24 (resilc)
Murder-Suicides by Pilots Are Vexing Airlines as Deaths Mount Bloomberg (BC)
Supply Chain/Inflation
ECB Is Discussing Crisis Strategy as Well as Pandemic Program Reinvestments Bloomberg
Supply chains: DHL boss warns port congestion will remain in 2023 news.com.au (resilc)
Wall Street is on a one way trip to misery until Fed hikes stop, market forecaster Jim Bianco warns CNBC (Kevin W)
The Bitcoin Crash Is Taking El Salvador’s Big Bet With It Vice (resilc)
Coinbase to cut almost a fifth of staff as crypto crunch worsens Financial Times
Bitcoin’s Unrelenting Selloff Puts Prices on Verge of $20,000 Bloomberg
Margin Debt Unwinds Further amid Massacre of High-Flying Stocks and Forced Selling Wolf Street
Class Warfare
How Do We Get a Wage-Price Spiral When Wage Growth Is Slowing? CounterPunch (resilc)
Antidote du jour. Winter is coming, eventually:
And a bonus (guurst). My kind of cat!
Mr. Dracula is his name…🐈🐾🧛😅 pic.twitter.com/fnvnnZa88j
— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) June 13, 2022
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
