Links 10/5/2025

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Bezos predicts that millions will live in space kind of soon TechCrunch

Physicists maneuver DNA molecules using electrical fields, offering real-time control Phys.org

The Fatima Sun Miracle: Much More Than You Wanted To Know Astral Codex Ten

Have we passed peak social media? Financial Times

COVID-19/Pandemics

Vaccinated but Still Got COVID? A New Study Helps Explains Why SciTech Daily

COVID-19 and the United States: Governance, Corruption, and Social Fragmentation Portola Planet

Climate/Environment

Meat Is a Leading Emissions Source – But Few Outlets Report on It, Analysis Finds Sentient Media

Antarctica sees similar climate change effects as Greenland: Study Phys.org

South of the Border

Venezuela accuses US of planning to impose ‘puppet government’ in country Andolu Agency

US military poised to seize ports and airfields in Venezuela as Trump strikes a fourth ‘narco-terrorist’ boat Daily Mail

Venezuela as America’s next foreign policy disaster Asia Times

Argentina: the chainsaw breaks down CADTM

China?


China is making big aircraft carrier moves. Here’s how its flattops stack up against the US Navy. Business Insider

China to launch commercial underwater data center — facility expected to consume 90% less power for cooling Tom’s Hardware

Is China Winning the Race for Robotics? AI Insider

Inside Tibet’s Digital Prison: PLA And Police Merge To Enforce China’s Grip – Analysis Eurasia Review

India

India’s tech talent pipeline is sputtering The Register

India–U.S. Relations: Between Breakthroughs and Breakdowns Modern Diplomacy

Africa

Is Africa the New Luxury Travel Frontier, Why Are So Many Travelers Choosing Safaris in Kenya, Tanzania, and Namibia? Travel and Tour World

Trans Africa Campaign calls for visa-free travel across the continent The Independent Online

European Disunion

Europe’s Defense Push Has Money—but No Mandate International Policy Digest

Populist billionaire and Trump supporter Babis cruises to Czech election win CNN

Curbing powers of human rights court won’t solve migration issues, says Council of Europe chief Euractiv

Old Blighty

The extinction of British liberalism UnHerd

UK Government Dismisses Public Outcry, Pushes Ahead with Controversial Digital ID Plan Reclaim the Net

Israel v. Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iran


How Fury Over Israel’s Qatar Attack Pushed Netanyahu on Gaza NY Times

Dozens killed in Gaza despite Trump’s call for Israel to halt bombing Reuters

The Trump Gaza Plan Could Work, With or Without Hamas Politico

Israel’s army announces shift to defensive operations in Gaza amid Trump plan, local media reports Euro News

Drop Site Urges the Immediate Release of Global Sumud Flotilla Participants, Including Drop Site Journalist Alex Colston Drop Site. NC anticipated that even with Sumud passengers and crew allegedly only being detained, they would be roughed up and that could include torture.

New Not-So-Cold War

Russia strikes hit two passenger trains in northern Ukraine France 24

Ukraine war briefing: China providing Russia with intelligence on missile targets, Ukrainian official claims The Guardian

Trump Has Been Bamboozled About Ukraine’s War Prospects Larry Johnson

Ukraine Strikes Russian Missile Corvette 1,000 km Inside Homeland in Bold Lake Assault United 24 Media

Ukraine and Russia exchange strikes in escalating attacks on energy sites TRT World

Big Brother Is Watching You Watch

Digital ID threatens privacy and security: experts warn The Valley Vanguard

Location-tracking apps: A harmful invasion of privacy or a great tool to keep loved ones safe? SBS News

Imperial Collapse Watch

DAVID MARCUS: Portland’s dystopia delusion coming to a city near all of us Fox News

Triangle food pantries fear government shutdown could strain resources, spike demand WRAL News

Trump 2.0

Trump Just Issued Two of His Most Dangerous Directives Yet Zeteo

Trump’s Blueprint to Crush the Left Draws from Decades of Counterterrorism Policy Drop Site

The FBI is weighing an arrest and perp walk for Comey — and suspended an agent for refusing to help, sources say CBS News

First Circuit Rules Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Executive Order is Unconstitutional Reason.com

After Trump’s Medicaid Cuts, Patients at Rural Maine Clinics Feel the Fallout New York Times

Musk Matters

45 Elon Musk DOGE staff still on White House payroll and exempt from shutdown Cryptopolitan

Tesla and xAI Staff Are Fleeing as Musk Becomes Increasingly Erratic Futurism

Elon Musk Plans Optimus Robots for Mars by 2026, Experts Warn of Challenges WebPro News

Man buys used Tesla only to discover it’s banned from Supercharger network CBS

Democrat Death Watch

Democrats are fretting about N.J. governor’s race Axios

Commentary: Who can save the Democratic Party? Yakima Herald Republic

Immigration

Trump authorises National Guard deployment to Chicago despite objections Al Jazeera

Trump administration offers migrant children $2,500 to voluntarily return to home countries Spectrum News 1

Over 40,000 Non-ICE Officers Have Been Diverted to Support Immigration Crackdown, Report Finds The Latin Times

Our No Longer Free Press

Hot Type: ‘What the Hell Are We Doing Here?’ Byline Supplement

Deer: Speechless Freedom Beavercreek News-Current

Mr. Market Is Moody

Gold rally spells trouble for the dollar UnHerd

With the US government dark, alternate sources show a sluggish September for jobs Reuters

AI

The AI bubble is 17 times the size of the dot-com frenzy — and four times the subprime bubble, analyst says MarketWatch

AI has designed thousands of potential antibiotics. Will any work? Nature

AI Endangering Tourists by Sending Them to Nonexistent Landmarks in Hazardous Locations Futurism

Has the AI apocalypse arrived? Not yet, new study suggests The Hill

The Bezzle

UK fraudster to plead guilty in NY court for massive fine-wine scam Euro News

Meta account suspension scam hides FileFix malware Fox News

Guillotine Watch

Antidote du jour (via)

And a bonus. Chuck L: “AI or not, too good not to send:

See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here

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15 comments

  1. Louis Fyne

    Happy Lunar-Autumn Festival weekend to everyone who celebrates (or to Normie-American, fall full moon time—the moon was glorious in my neck of the woods)

    If you want Trump to cause a real revolution, he should follow my wishes—-move USA Thanksgiving to October, like Canada Thanksgiving

    The weather’s better, and USA Turkey Day is too close to Christmas!

    Reply
    1. Wukchumni

      Thanksgiving comes and goes, with nary a loss to the 1,500 or so wild turkeys that call Tiny Town home. They simply refer to it as Thursday.

      A flock of a couple dozen squatters on the all cats and no cattle ranch filed a quitclaim deed and got it notarized, nobody expecting fowl play in such a fashion.

      They’ve given us 30 days to get our stuff out of the house.

      Reply
  2. The Rev Kev

    “Populist billionaire and Trump supporter Babis cruises to Czech election win”

    Not so much being a Trump supporter but telling his voters that he wanted to concentrate on Czech issues such as restoring pension benefits, cutting taxes, undoing unpopular austerity measures, and reviving subsidies for students and seniors while the other guy was saying what the country needed to do was to send more money to Zelensky. Hopefully the EU will not try to annul these election results.

    Reply
  3. Wukchumni

    True confessions of a consumer…

    I bought a Pet Rock when I was 14, it was a 70’s thing-you wouldn’t understand. When Pets.com came along around the turn of the century, I resisted temptation along with the other dot.coms destined for Palookaville. I guess the bubble bursting was bad for the Bay Area, but I didn’t feel a thing-even though at one point I was considering investing in anvil.com stock.

    As far as I know, AI has had almost no impact in my life, and yet the national economy is now based on it, if you were to follow stock evaluations.

    I had no idea the immensity of the AI bubble, on top of everything else frothy and headed for a tumble or two.

    When I was a kid, with 3 pieces of Bazooka Joe gum, I could blow a bubble within a bubble, within a bubble.

    But i’ve got nothing on goings on, so widespread.

    Reply
  4. ChrisFromGA

    Re: AI/Mo Gawdat video

    I couldn’t last more than 3 minutes without feeling nauseated. What a bunch of drivel!

    The Yale-Brookings study cited in The Hill directly contradicts his claims. As far as “making calendar entries,” I can tell you that the first time “AI” screws up staging an important meeting with C-level folks, or a sales meeting, it will be thrown out the window faster than Randy Moss racing down the sidelines with the football towards the end zone.

    Reply
    1. Judith

      Question: do these AI proselytizers actually believe what they are saying or is it just snake oil? More and more people are questioning the hype, but $$$ is still being made.

      Reply
      1. ChrisFromGA

        I think it’s both – some are just cynical snake-oil salesmen, but others seem to have a religious fervor about their proclamations, i.e. they are true believers.

        Reply
    1. Pat

      Funny that the comments hit upon the first thought I had that the passengers weren’t your average civilians. That it was a freight train with one passenger car only increases my belief that if any casualties beyond train personnel were like grandmas and kiddies they were unwilling human shields, but it is more likely military traveling with the “freight”.

      Reply
  5. The Rev Kev

    ‘Irlandarra
    @aldamu_jo
    Senator Elissa Slotkin just asked Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth if he’s been given the order to shoot at unarmed protesters. Hegseth struggles to simply answer the question, and instead goes on the attack. Slotkin is having none of it.’

    Slotkin was really ripping Hegseth a new one because he refused to answer a simple question about the Rules of Engagement. Turns out that Slotkin is actually a heavyweight whereas Hegseth is more a fake it til you make it sort of guy-

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elissa_Slotkin

    Of course there is always the thought that Hegseth was really riled because it was a women that was nailing his hide to the barn.

    Reply

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