I lit up the track on the starting grid, right before the race kicked off 🔥 pic.twitter.com/wL0JLQlsIC
— Sarah Lezito (@sarahlezito) June 9, 2025
Largest-ever supernova catalog provides further evidence dark energy is weakening Space.com
Quantum Scientists Have Built a New Math of Cryptography Quanta Magazine
Scapegoating the Algorithm Asteriskmag.com
COVID-19/Pandemics
Other nations had a pandemic reckoning. Why hasn’t the US? Christian Science Monitor
Physicians Leaving Medicare Remains High After the Pandemic, Raising Concerns About Workforce Stability Managed Healthcare Executive
Trends in obesity defined by body mass index among adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic Canadian Medical Association Journal
Climate/Environment
Air pollution raises risk of dementia, say Cambridge scientists The Guardian
Climate chaos is threatening Pakistan’s food security. Can it adapt in time? SCMP
Boykoff: In the time of global climate cooperation, the US stands out as a pariah Daily Camera
China?
China offered a “huge” bus for the whole EU delegation. For the first time, they were not greeted by any high ranking officials, the lowest diplomatic protocol ever.
Compare that with the highest level of ceremony to welcome the General Secretary & President of Vietnam in 2024 https://t.co/Y18OZrggko pic.twitter.com/VCPFKUiopz
— wrenevans (@wrenevans217208) July 25, 2025
China’s Maglev train just hit 404 mph in under 7 seconds and it’s not even at full speed
pic.twitter.com/XygJJyCZRE— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) July 26, 2025
Taiwanese voters reject a bid to remove lawmakers from a China-friendly party NPR
China’s Baby Bonus: Can Cash Incentives Convince Young Chinese to Have Kids? Barron’s
This cliff side swing in China.
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) July 13, 2025
South of the Border
Mexico issues warning telling citizens it is now UNSAFE to travel to popular US state Daily Mail
Brazil scrambles as U.S. tariff deadline looms, talks stall Reuters
Milei tames inflation, but Argentines still struggle to afford basics Al Jazeera
Africa
The Surprising Durability Of Africa’s Colonial Borders Noema
Ancient Migration Routes That Were Swallowed by the Sea Once Led Ancient Humans Outside of Africa Discover
Africa Becomes A Premier Destination For UltraLuxury Tourism Travel and Tour World
European Disunion
Hungary’s Orban says he will not back EU budget unless funds released Reuters
European Union-China summit: sharp tensions between Beijing and Brussels World Socialist Web Site
Europe is significantly boosting its defense spending. Can the continent become a military superpower? Northeastern Global News
Old Blighty
The Ulsterisation of English politics Unherd
A UK Government Order Threatens the Privacy and Security of All Internet Users Internet Society
The children of Gaza are starving.
Not because the world couldn’t help, but because the world refused to help. pic.twitter.com/cogopcMAMB
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) July 26, 2025
Israel v. Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iran
Israeli children caught on camera stomping on Gaza-bound aid
A disturbing act that symbolizes the dehumanization of an entire population. Food for the starving, treated with contempt. pic.twitter.com/zkv83Txpdr
— Zohran Mamdani (@zohranmamdani) July 26, 2025
Gaza is true test of humanity.
What’s happening is sooo brutal.
A whole nation is locked up and deprived of everything.
Governments instead of taking action to stop it, they push it further, supply arms, funding and extend time by bla bla speeches.
Move to end the GEN0C!D pic.twitter.com/8JNO7lrdTm— Faris Ali (@FarisMhdAli) July 26, 2025
Israel Is Changing the Legal System Governing the West Bank To Accelerate Annexation: Report ScheerPost
Trump team rethinks Gaza strategy after six months of failure Axios
Syria, Israel hold talks in Paris over conflict in southern Syria’s Suwayda Al Jazeera
New Not-So-Cold War
No NATO for Ukraine is key to jumpstarting stalled talks Responsible Statecraft
US, China confront each other on Ukraine at United Nations Reuters
The incessant noise of the Shahed drone is driving Ukraine to despair El Pais
Big Brother Is Watching You Watch
UK Online Age Verification Triggers Chaos, Site Bans, VPN Surge Reclaim the Net
Microsoft Faces Backlash Over Windows Ads, Privacy Issues, Unwanted AI WebProNews
Altman warns of privacy issues while using ChatGPT for certain purposes Cryptopolitan
Imperial Collapse Watch
Trump vs. homelessness LAist
Nashville mother seeks justice for son who died from fentanyl overdose in private prison News Channel 5 Nashville
Trump 2.0
Trump bids to release Epstein grand jury files – what secrets might they hold? The Guardian
Trump plays golf in Scotland while protesters take to the streets and decry his visit AP
Wall Street analysts believe Trump’s trade deals are going to be ruled illegal by the SCOTUS Cryptopolitan
Trump wins again: Columbia’s $200 million fine will reshape higher education | Opinion USA Today
Musk Matters
Elon Musk is threatening to put third-party candidates on the ballot. Democrats are giddy. Politico
Tesla investors are growing wary of Elon Musk’s futuristic promises CNBC
Elon Musk fires back at Trump’s claim that his companies will still enjoy subsidies Business Insider
Democrat Death Watch
Democrats tumble in new poll Politico
Ousted DNC Vice-Chair David Hogg’s Plans To Remake Dem Party Are Falling Flat Tampa Free Press
Immigration
In rush for immigration arrests, a shift by ICE to ‘incredibly aggressive’ tactics, advocates say Maryland Matters
More immigrants will fight deportations alone as Trump ramps up enforcement Axios
Our No Longer Free Press
The FCC’s Paramount/Skydance Decision Aims To Reshape Broadcast Journalism by Bureaucratic Fiat Reason
Fired ABC Reporter Terry Moran Claims Trump Plans to End Press Freedom and Must Be ‘Stopped’ Breitbart
Mr. Market Is Moody
Would a weaker dollar be a good thing for the US? The Hill
Famed market bear Albert Edwards warns of an ‘everything bubble’ in US stocks and home prices that could soon pop Business Insider
Apollo’s Torsten Sløk warns of continued deterioration in quality of CPI data Seeking Alpha
AI
Watch: A themed event focused on the development of the AI industry was held in Shanghai on July 26 when the World Artificial intelligence Conference kicked off. During this event, the “2025 AI Persons of the Year” were announced. This gathering, which combines technology and… pic.twitter.com/r8BIY9EgxW
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) July 26, 2025
China proposes global AI cooperation body to guide tech development Andolu AgencyTech companies building massive AI data centers should pay to power them The Hill
Would you ever swap human artists for AI in your playlist Fox News
Huawei shows off AI computing system to rival Nvidia’s top product Reuters
The Bezzle
AI-fueled crypto scams are booming, up 456% — and no one is safe, expert warns NY Post
UnitedHealth says it’s under federal investigation for civil fraud AP
Guillotine Watch
This is the Sultan of Brunei.
He owns 600 Rolls-Royces, and his palace has 1,788 rooms.
Here are 6 ridiculous facts about the world’s most expensive lifestyle: pic.twitter.com/lLggCnGbQx
— The Forex Complex (@TheForexComplex) April 2, 2025
The stunning $310,000,000 Jubilee superyacht – built for the late Emir of Qatar and now for sale 💦😮 pic.twitter.com/nTnLvUpLgL
— Earl Karanja (@Earlsimxx) June 12, 2018
Antidote du jour (via)
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here
‘Science girl
@gunsnrosesgirl3
This cliff side swing in China.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QE5DEQjmoQ
I concur. Nope, never (to what kind of accelerations and decelerations is one subject in that contraption, anyway?)
Which leads me to the next thought. After seeing all those oversized swings, hyperfast maglev trains, giant dams, colossal bridges, futuristic-looking new cities, electronics-endowed everything, and so on and so forth, I have that uneasy feeling that in one or two generations, China will face a daunting maintenance task. Not just because of the sheer amount of infrastructure, but also the fact that it will have been built and set up in a very concentrated time frame (i.e. much of it will age and start breaking down approximately at the same time).
I keep thinking of 1970’s/80’s Japan when I see those clips. I’m old enough to remember the ‘holy crap, the future is here, it’s Japan’ tone of every TV/newspaper report from Japan in those days.
If you read someone like Alex Kerr’s rant ‘Dogs and Demons’, or the now defunct but brilliant Spike Japan Blog you’ll see one potential future. The abandoned theme park is of course a near constant in dystopian manga/anime/cinema from Japan. The Japanese countryside is littered with the remains of boom day dreams.
On a more mundane level, every country tends to look a little grubby 2-4 decades after a construction boom (if it’s a boom in concrete, of course stone and brick age better). South Korea towns and cities can look very dingy and poor because of this, despite the wealth and success of the economy. Many Celtic Tiger developments in Ireland now look really horrible, even when they are still structurally sound (sometimes of course, they are not).
That video needs a trigger warning! My palms are sweating lol
I did retail foreign exchange in LA for many years and it was a good adjunct to the aged round metal disc biz, in that the retail banks in the City of Angles were terrified of different colored other peoples money, and it also brought into the store a different kind of customer, typically more well heeled than the usual rabble, plus it was profitable-whats not to like?
Around 1990 I’d get calls from a female voice wanting to know what i’d pay for a $10,000 Brunei banknote?
The first vision of beauty and grace walked through the door and a deal was made, and over the course of a year or 2, maybe a dozen beyond beautiful women all sold me one of these, and after a few of them I got curious, what was going on here?
All the Sultan’s men had been scouring nightclubs and hangouts, looking for gorgeous women to impress and entice with a no obligation US $8k windfall…
The story emerged later about what went down…
SHANNON MARKETIC FLEW TO BRUNEI last year to do some “”promotional” work for the sultan. She’d done a lot of that kind of thing–inspirational speeches, ribbon cuttings–since being crowned Miss USA from California in 1992. But when she and six other women arrived in the oil-rich strip on the South China Sea, Marketic says, she soon discovered that her billionaire host wasn’t interested in her salesmanship–at least not the kind she’s used at car-dealership openings. First the women had their passports confiscated. Then they were taken to the 1,788-room palace. On their first night, she and the others were drugged, she says; when she awoke, her clothes were “”disheveled.” After being tested for sexually transmitted diseases, she claims, she was forced to entertain men at party after party. “”We were advised that if we were told we were going to “tea,’ or not to wear makeup, that meant the person we were going to visit was going to have sexual relations with us,” Marketic said in a complaint filed in federal court in Los Angeles. The 26-year-old beauty queen says she wasn’t allowed to leave for 32 days.
Her Wikipedia entry says the following-
‘After 18 months of litigation, a judge dismissed the suit on the grounds that the Sultan had sovereign immunity as head of state.’
It’s good to be the king.
‘Sarah Lezito
@sarahlezito
I lit up the track on the starting grid, right before the race kicked off 🔥’
Had to look up who Sarah Lezito was and was surprised to see that she is only 32 years old. She is reckoned to be the best female stuntwoman in the world and was Scarlett Johansson’s double in the motorcycling scenes in The Avengers 2. She’s got some skills-
https://www.bmw-motorrad.co.za/en/experience/stories/roadster/madame-freestyler.html
Went to the Riata Ranch International Wild West Show and dinner last night here in Tiny Town, and if you like young girls turning tricks, wow-they’re good.
Not in the same realm as Sarah’s ride, as their mounts all have exactly 1 horsepower.
Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEQ85hpg8xs
I’ve been riding a motorcycle (the same one) for 35 years now, maybe because I am a super-conservative rider to whom it would never occur to haul the bike over very far in a turn, let alone the other more spectacular stunts this young woman achieves.
But it is impressive!
re: Trump team rethinks Gaza strategy after six months of failure Axios
Archive link for those blocked by the subscribe wall
4-6 months ago my Israeli colleagues were emphatic that the ultimate outcome was to be a ‘Palestinian State’ negotiated by Netanyahu as part of his ‘get out of jail package’ (“he is the only one who can make it happen without getting murdered”). Scare quotes around ‘Palestinian State’ because they were indirectly clear that this would not be a fully equal and sovereign state but a state-in-name-only as part of a transitional state between the current status and what comes next. However due to the increasingly fragile nature of Netanyahu’s ruling coalition I do not think this is something he can allow to happen given it is the Ben Gvir/Smotrich faction holding his government together. The turning point was probably the reinvasion of Gaza in April; before then it was probably possible.
The point they didn’t make in comparing Huawei’s CloudMatrix 384 system and Nvidia’s GB200 NVLink 72. Huawei’s Cloud Matrix 384 system will play well in China, but not in the rest of the world where power constraints are a consideration. In the rest of the world, NVIDIA’s GB200/NVLink72 system will continue to be a system of choice because of its efficiency. For comparison Huawei system uses 560 kW—four times Nvidia’s ~140 kW—making it less efficient at 0.54 PFLOPS/kW vs. Nvidia’s 1.29.
Well, Huawei’s system uses 5 times the processors, which I believe was the take-home-message; they developed an architecture (unified bus) that allows 384 chips from 2018 to outperform 70+ chips from 2024. So, what happens when they use 500 chips from 2025, for example?
Of course China has power constraints – it imports most of it’s energy – more significantly it has serious sanction constraints which force it to use anything else than NVIDIA for HPC. And apparently that is possible.
Entries above for the Guillotine Watch. Prospective Bond villain shown with his stacks of gold and his “epically” secretive yet massive yacht / warship. I say epically as such a ship would be kinda hard to lose by a US intelligence or MI6 intelligence…I kid of course.
That yacht must include a futures contract on fuel. I just can’t imagine the upkeep and expenses, just to keep the machinery all running.
And he might be riding a camel and living in a tent were it not for our addiction to oil.
I immediately had three thoughts as I took in today’s Guillotine Watch entries. The first was that these ultimate examples of the worst aspects of humanity are the type of geopolitical “allies” most desired by the capitalist West. That they represent the exact opposite of our expressed Western “ideals” says it all. They are allowed to exist because they serve a purpose. From that observation, my second thought was that given our own accelerating trajectory toward financial-techno feudalism, this is where we ourselves are headed: 600 Rolls-Royces and yachts worth a third of a billion dollars for our own fintech Overlords while the rest of us are steadily dispossessed.
Given those two observations, my third thought, more of a fantasy really, is pretty much captured in the title of this section: Guillotine Watch.
The first entry shows how bad is AI at “drawing” gold bars.
The second entry show what US Navy would call a bargain. Brand new, cheap, and seaworthy vessel.
Re; Tech companies building massive AI data centers should pay to power them
How your electric bill may be paying for big data centers’ energy use
…our analysis finds that the public has been forced to pay billions of dollars for data center growth.
Privatize the profits, socialize the costs.
What’s mind-blowing are the secret agreements that many public utilities have with large businesses– sweetheart deals or special rates unavailable to you and I that we get to pay for: more taxation by another name.
Not quite. Taxation is something that a government levies on you. Paying the electricity bill for AI data centers for people like Bezos & Zuckerberg so that they don’t have to pay it is just a rort.
If the utilities are public, just how do they justify the secret agreements?
I’m sure that they would claim that such information was ‘proprietary’ and would risk commercial secrets being released if publicly known.
A short bus is a perfect fit for the special bunch.
Maybe they found it exciting to sit on a bus for the first time ever. A whole bunch of heads of state probably had that feeling at the funeral of QE2 when the logistics and costs that the UK couldn’t (or wouldn’t) pay meant loads of them had to be bussed to the Abbey! ;)
Or maybe a nearby short pier?
Re “AI-fueled crypto scams are booming, up 456% — and no one is safe, expert warns”
Well, no one foolish enough to use electronic gambling tokens is safe.
I averted my inclination to vomit so early in the day. From above, the Terry Moran take on freedoms and such came forth during a podcast interview with Chris “tingle in his pants” Matthews. Matthews maybe the OG anchor for MSNBC, when it gets to the topic of that channel and covering their two term “love fest” for the Obama administration.
I had once thought that Moran was your basic lifer, as a generally unbiased reporter for a major news media channel. Guess I had that pegged wrong.
A perfect place for “Press X to Doubt” meme.
Re “Apollo’s Torsten Sløk warns of continued deterioration in quality of CPI data”
Garbage in, garbage out.
I’m kind of partial to John Auther’s “anti-core” CPI anyway …
https://adamtooze.substack.com/p/chartbook-327-from-anti-core-to-felt
‘wrenevans
@wrenevans217208
China offered a “huge” bus for the whole EU delegation. For the first time, they were not greeted by any high ranking officials, the lowest diplomatic protocol ever.’
Not just a bus but the airport bus. I think that the Chinese have had a gut-full of the EU by now with all their threats and demands. Kaja Kallas was in China a fortnight ago to meet with her counterpart Foreign Minister Wang Yi and reports are that it degenerated into a shouting match. Don’t know why but Kallas was probably ordering the Chinese to cut off all contact with Russia or some such imperious demand. Vdl seems to think too that she can order the Chinese to force the Russian Federation to stop the war in the Ukraine and just accept the loss. But I have to remind myself that it was VdL that got Kallas into her job so this will be EU foreign policy. You would need a complete change of leadership in the EU before the Chinese stat giving them some respect. Any worse and the next time that VdL or Kallas comes to China, the Chinese will probably just send a taxi to pick them up.
Nah. We are already one foot into “no Ukraine for Ukraine” territory.
re: Grace Kelly
VANITY FAIR
Inside the Photoshoot That Forever Changed Grace Kelly’s Image
In April 1955, Grace Kelly was not yet a princess, but she was already an icon. A photoshoot with Howell Conant in Jamaica produced not only indelible images, but a relationship between artist and subject that would last the rest of her life.
By Fabrice Argelas
July 24, 2025
https://archive.is/8DZ4k
Luxury “ecotourism” in Africa. More settler colonialism.