The Canadian Premier League Final in Ottawa was played as temperatures dropped to −8°C. Snow kept delaying the match, with field lines being cleared every 15 minutes. Insane.pic.twitter.com/Y2iDcsYzIf
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) January 17, 2026
Patients Once “Paralyzed by Life” Show Lasting Recovery With Implanted Nerve Therapy SciTech Daily
You can now reserve a hotel room on the Moon for $250,000 Ars Technica
Horses can smell human fear when we sweat Phys.org
Reddit Is Suddenly Obsessed With Paris Hilton Cookware Wired
COVID-19/Pandemics
EID Journal: Thrombotic Events and Stroke in the Year After COVID-19 or Other Acute Respiratory Infection Avian Flu Diary
COVID pandemic enters seventh year with no end in sight Boing Boing
Climate/Environment
Iran’s regime has survived war, sanctions, and uprising. Environmental crises may bring it down. Grist
Tiny earthquakes are revealing a dangerous secret beneath California Science Daily
EPA rules that xAI’s natural gas generators were illegally used TechCrunch
US to repeal the basis for its climate rules: What to know Phys.org
South of the Border
Machado vows to lead Venezuela ‘when right time comes’ BBC
Venezuela’s New President Moves to Consolidate Power as Divisions Widen Modern Diplomacy
US issues aviation warnings for eastern Pacific over ‘military activities’ RT
Mexico’s week in review: Sovereignty debate reaches boiling point as Trump ramps up pressure on cartels Mexico News Daily
Colombia, Panama and Grenada – targets of U.S. intervention in the Cold War – see Trump’s actions with dread and déjà vu The Globe and Mail
China?
The Canada-China relationship has been distant and uncertain for nearly a decade.
We’re changing that, with a new strategic partnership that benefits the people of both our nations. pic.twitter.com/2Geqt7Zf1d
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) January 17, 2026
Trump’s protectionist trade policies allow China to swoop in Los Angeles TimesChina Leads Air Logistics Revolution with First Test Flight of Tianma-1000 Unmanned Cargo Plane Military Watch Magazine
China is becoming more sexually liberal – if you are a man The Conversation
China Purchased No U.S. Soybeans An Unprecented Sixth Straight Month Forbes
Photos of China’s Green Energy Transition kottke.org
India
The tallest statue in the World is in India The International Affairs
In the great gig work debate in India, why the framing of ‘flexibility’ runs into economic reality The Indian Express
India turns to small modular nuclear reactors to meet climate targets physicsworld.com
Africa
West/Central Africa reel from humanitarian relief crisis APA News
Yoweri Museveni wins Ugandan election as opponent condemns ‘fake result’ The Guardian
President Hassan Sheikh Condemns Israel’s ‘Land Grab’ as Red Line dawan Africa
After conflicting accounts the Department of HHS confirms the experiment on babies in Guinea-Bissau.
Here’s the story with no paywall. You’re welcome. https://t.co/YBMxqwSsfl pic.twitter.com/ufmSXRSUwZ— Margaret Kimberley (@freedomrideblog) January 17, 2026
European Disunion
France backs Serbia’s EU accession, supports opening of key negotiation chapter Andolu Agency
Polish president slams EU as a ‘fading star’ while warning of Russian imperialism euronews
‘Not for sale’: massive protest in Copenhagen against Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland NPR
Trump: NATO members to face tariffs increasing to 25% until a Greenland purchase deal is struck CNBC
"I’m sick of stupid." With those four words, Republican Senator Thom Tillis didn't just slam a policy; he declared war on the incompetence rotting the White House from the inside.
In a blistering Senate floor takedown that stunned his own party, Tillis went nuclear on top Trump… pic.twitter.com/J4OY3qdE1I— James Tate (@JamesTate121) January 17, 2026
Old Blighty
Britain’s military disaster Our credibility is shot UnHerd
The one measure that can tell us a lot about the state of the UK economy BBC
Israel v. Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iran
International and human rights orgs that have concluded a genocide in Gaza:
International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS)@amnesty@hrw@btselem@MSF@UNHumanRights@UN_HRC@WarOnWant@PHRIsrael@fidh_en@LemkinInstitute
Israel hasn’t hidden it.pic.twitter.com/RQtTbTXJlW
— Dilly Hussain (@DillyHussain88) January 17, 2026
In break with Trump, PM says makeup of key Gaza oversight panel ‘contradicts’ Israeli policy The Times of IsraelPhotos: Gaza ceasefire brings no relief as Israeli bombings continue Al Jazeera
Trump’s ‘board of peace’ appears to seek wider mandate beyond Gaza Al Jazeera
‘If the Resistance Does Not Survive, Lebanon Will Not’: Naim Qassem Warns Amid Escalation The Palestine Chronicle
US paralysis on Iran crisis owes to Navy capacity gaps Asia Times
New Not-So-Cold War
Dark Kiev Moon of Alabama
Zelenskyy demands faster energy imports as Ukraine reels from power outages Al Jazeera
Russia considering strikes on substations serving Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, Ukrainian intelligence says Ukrainska Pravda
Zelensky says Ukraine’s air defence supplies ‘insufficient’ BBC
Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kyiv officials arrive in US for crucial peace talks with Trump envoys The Independent
Big Brother Is Watching You Watch
TSA’s $45 ConfirmID Fee Ties Air Travel Access to Paid Identity Verification Reclaim the Net
Worried about surveillance, states enact privacy laws and restrict license plate readers News8000.com
Imperial Collapse Watch
Homeless shelters for seniors pop up, catering to older adults’ medical needs Apple Valley News Now
Trump 2.0
Doctor Says Trump Appears to Be Showing Signs of a Stroke Futurism
12 ways the Trump administration dismantled civil rights law and the foundations of inclusive democracy in its first year The Conversation
Why Trump wants Canada Expansion is America’s manifest destiny UnHerd
Trump says 8 EU countries to be charged 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland NPR
Musk Matters
Elon Musk is looking for a $134 billion payout from OpenAI and Microsoft engadget
Mother of Elon Musk’s Child Sues xAI Over Grok Abuse Futurism
Elon Musk Considers Buying Ryanair After Calling Its CEO ‘Utter Idiot’ NDTV.com
Democrat Death Watch
Progressive effort to primary Sen. John Fetterman ramps up NBC News
Trump Escalates His War on America as Dems Debate What Words They Can Say Zeteo
Immigration
Trump’s Twin Cities immigration crackdown has made chaos and tension the new normal AP
Racial quotas for immigration are back The Guardian
🚨BREAKING: ICE agents have, once again, trampled the 4th Amendment… illegally breaking down a door and storming into another family home with assault rifles drawn, while children were inside, detaining 6 people, including a 12-year-old boy, without a warrant.
And it gets… pic.twitter.com/rRN6t2Nzxn
— Jesus Freakin Congress (@TheJFreakinC) January 17, 2026
🚨BREAKING: A new video out of Minneapolis shows the truth ICE doesn’t want you to see… compliance does not protect you.
In this video, ICE agents pull up to a vehicle and immediately demand the driver’s ID.
The man calmly asks the most basic, legally protected question: “Why… pic.twitter.com/3mjWa41tJH
— Jesus Freakin Congress (@TheJFreakinC) January 16, 2026
ICE has kidnapped Native Americans and put them in an actual concentration camp.
Three members of the Oglala Sioux tribe are being held at Fort Snelling.
ICE has no jurisdiction over Native Americans.
This should be much bigger news.
— Kelly (@broadwaybabyto) January 17, 2026
Our No Longer Free Press
Trump’s War On Journalism: Officials Proudly Defend Raiding A Journalist’s Home ScheerPost
Evidence Collection as Propaganda Olivier Boyd-Barrett
‘Stars and Stripes’ Responds to Pentagon Targeting ‘Woke’ Independent News Military.com
Mr. Market Is Moody
History offers warning on dollar and deficits Phys.org
China’s Holdings of U.S. Treasuries Fall to 17-Year Low Asia Business Daily
The S&P 500 Is Surging in 2026, but This Stock Market Indicator Could Be Sending a Warning Signal to Investors The Motley Fool
High‑valuation equity markets hinge on strong Q4 profit beat or risk volatility spike Cryptopolitan
AI
Coming soon: We interrupt this ChatGPT session with a very special message from our sponsors The Register
Matthew McConaughey Is Using a Clever Legal Trick to Bludgeon AI Companies Futurism
‘We could hit a wall’: why trillions of dollars of risk is no guarantee of AI reward The Guardian
AI Firms Rush into Healthcare Sector Whalesbook
WA lawmakers look to protect minors from AI chatbots KNKX Public Radio
The Bezzle
January scams surge: Why fraud spikes at the start of the year Fox News
Thai ruling party courts voters by vowing to end Cambodia conflict, close scam hubs SCMP
Guillotine Watch
A 73-year-old bottle of French Burgundy became the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold at auction in 2018, going for $558,000 (approx £439,300). The bottle of 1945 Romanee-Conti sold at Sotheby for more than 17 times its original estimate of $32,000.#France pic.twitter.com/4bbgHquegm
— Mythic Saga (@Mythicsagaa) February 8, 2024
The 5 most expensive whiskies in the world #top5 #expensive #whisky pic.twitter.com/ecgg43l1VX
— Top5expensive (@top5expensive) January 7, 2026
Antidote du jour (via)
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here
File under south of the border.
Patagonia in Argentina is burning.
From the Buenos Aires Times:
https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/firefighters-battle-blazes-as-patagonia-wildfires-spread-to-15000-hectares.phtml
“In break with Trump, PM says makeup of key Gaza oversight panel ‘contradicts’ Israeli policy”
I think that Netanyahu’s problem is that a majority of that Board are not Israelis so that they can have total control of it. Instead, it is made up of hustlers who want to make bank using the reconstruction of Gaza as their preferred method.
Meant to mention something that I came across about that Board-
‘US President Donald Trump wants countries to pay at least $1 billion to remain on the Gaza “Board of Peace” beyond a three-year limit, according to the text of the body’s charter obtained by multiple media outlets.
“Each Member State shall serve a term of no more than three years from this Charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the Chairman,” the document states, according to the Times of Israel. “The three-year membership term shall not apply to Member States that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force.” ‘
https://www.rt.com/news/631096-trump-board-of-peace-seats/
I’m sure that people will want to go on that Board out of the goodness of their hearts.
Big bucks for visas, $45 bucks to let the TSA rummage through your personal info in order to fly, a billion bucks to set on a board renewable every 3 years (for another billion) …..
The T admin is starting to look like a gigantic shakedown operation. / imo
>>you can now reserve a hotel room on the Moon for $250,000
….you can be a chump and give an unsecured 0% loan to a start-up in return for 0% equity.
Or maybe the company is ethical and will sequester the cash properly and not co-mingle it w/regular funds; not holding my breath