Monthly Archives: May 2026

May 31, 2026

• Links 5/31/2026
  by Haig Hovaness 6:55 am

• The Sunday Morning Movie Presents: Howling For God (1998) Run Time: 1H 3M and Bonus: Ya Zamene Ahu (1970) Run Time:20M
  by semper loquitur 6:30 am

• Shutting Down Federal Bee Labs Threatens Bees, Beekeepers and the US Food System
  by Conor Gallagher 5:00 am

May 30, 2026

• Links 5/30/2026
  by Yves Smith 6:55 am

• Manufacturing Consent for Trump’s Invasion of Cuba
  by Yves Smith 6:36 am

• A New Iron Curtain Is Inevitable
  by Yves Smith 6:16 am

May 29, 2026

• Coffee Break: Ancient Art, the Return of Analog, Science in Distress, and Death Is for Losers
  by KLG 2:00 pm

• When ICE Ramped Up Enforcement, US‑Born Workers Didn’t See Any Economic Gains
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 5/29/2026
  by Conor Gallagher 6:58 am

• Iran War: New Reports of Agreement on Memo of Understanding Effectively Shot Down by Bessent as He Also Repeats Threats Against Oman; Israel Attacks Beirut; More Warnings of Energy Price Cliff Plus Claim Trump Made Illegal Below-Market SPR Sales
  by Yves Smith 6:53 am

• In His “Radical Centralism” Essay, Tony Blair Is, As Usual, Talking His Book
  by Nick Corbishley 6:44 am

• It’s Not Just High Gas Prices – Inflation Is Now Spreading Through the US Economy
  by Yves Smith 2:02 am

May 28, 2026

• Is the AI Data Center Boom Building the Infrastructure for Tokenization and Control?
  by Curro Jimenez 2:00 pm

• The Brits, French, & Germans Are Now Right on Russia’s Doorstep
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 5/28/2026
  by Conor Gallagher 6:58 am

• Iran War: US Attacks Iran for Second Day as Trump Rejects Leaked Iranian Outline of Terms, Threatens to Bomb Oman; US Draining of Strategic Petroleum Reserve to Contain Energy Prices Means Energy Cliff Arrives Sooner
  by Yves Smith 5:15 am

• Electile Dysfunction—Why Can’t the Democrats Get Their Polls Up?
  by Yves Smith 4:00 am

• Satyajit Das: Book Essay: In Western Eyes – A History of the idea of the West
  by Yves Smith 2:05 am

May 27, 2026

• Coffee Break: Trump-Endorsed Paxton Crushes Bush-Era Relic Cornyn
  by Nat Wilson Turner 2:00 pm

• Blair Invokes AI to Revive TINA, Denying TIARA
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 5/27/2026
  by Yves Smith 6:59 am

• Iran War: Negotiations Deadlocked on Fundamental Issues as Media Keeps Up Happy Talk; Iran Promises Retaliation as US Still Coiled to Strike
  by Yves Smith 6:56 am

• And Then There Was One: The Eurasian Unity Project Runs Out of Trade Route Options as Washington Successfully Spreads Chaos
  by Conor Gallagher 5:00 am

• A Short History of Sportswriting: The Clues Are on the Billionaires’ Scorecards
  by Yves Smith 2:51 am

May 26, 2026

• Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – The Cuba Temptation
  by Haig Hovaness 2:00 pm

• A More Resilient Europe Faces a Renewed Energy Shock – But Difficult Trade-Offs May Resurface
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 5/26/2026
  by Yves Smith 6:59 am

• Iran War: US and Iran Exchange Fire as Trump Reveals Extent of Israel Capture With Barmy Abrams Accord Proposal; Continued Denial of Approaching Energy Crunch After Reserves Depleted
  by Yves Smith 6:57 am

• Puerto Rico’s Trump-Adjacent Governor Warns of an Imminent US Attack on Cuba
  by Nick Corbishley 6:43 am

May 25, 2026

• Coffee Break: Resistance Meets Reaction, Pope, Pension Funds, Data Centers, Trump Crypto Edition
  by Nat Wilson Turner 2:00 pm

• Links 5/25/2026
  by Conor Gallagher 6:58 am

• Iran War: Trump-Claimed Agreement Coming Apart as Iran Sticks to Long-Held Positions and Republican Stalwarts Rebel; Experts Argue It May Be Only to Temporize
  by Yves Smith 6:54 am

• Who Do Members of the Military Serve? 
  by Conor Gallagher 6:00 am

• Private Equity Now Owns 1 in 8 Apartment Units, a 50 Percent Increase Since 2021
  by Conor Gallagher 5:00 am

May 24, 2026

• Links 5/24/2026
  by Haig Hovaness 6:55 am

• The Sunday Morning Movie Presents: Vampira (1971) Run Time: 44M Bonus: Tangerine Dream
  by semper loquitur 6:30 am

• Russia Launches Largest Missile Attack Against Kiev of War 
  by Conor Gallagher 5:30 am

• Iran War: Trump Announces Iran Deal with Iran Already Disputing His Claims; Hawk Heads Exploding; Even if Pact Concluded, Strait of Hormuz Traffic Expected to Reach Only 40% of Old Level by Year End
  by Yves Smith 3:36 am

May 23, 2026

• Links 5/23/2026
  by Yves Smith 6:59 am

• Iran War: Trump and Top Officials Cancel Holiday Plans, Suggesting Imminent Attack; Walmart Reports Consumers Self-Rationing Gas
  by Yves Smith 6:57 am

• Ex-CIA Officer John Kiriakou Breaks Down Spy Movies
  by Yves Smith 5:00 am

• Lavrov Elaborated on the US’ Plans To Eternally Control the EU’s Energy Market
  by Yves Smith 4:00 am

May 22, 2026

• Coffee Break: The Furies are Coming for US
  by KLG 2:00 pm

• Links 5/22/2026
  by Conor Gallagher 6:58 am

• Iran War: Quelle Surprise! Vanishingly Unlikely “Deal” Visibly Falling Apart as US Consumer Spending Crumbling
  by Yves Smith 6:54 am

• The US Just Went Full Orwellian on Cuba and Argentina
  by Nick Corbishley 6:44 am

• Climate Denier Group Pushes States to Embrace Coal Power for Data Centers
  by Yves Smith 2:56 am

• Holiday Coverage Note
  by Yves Smith 1:00 am

May 21, 2026

• Establishment Democrats Still Don’t Get Why They Lost in 2024
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 5/21/2026
  by Conor Gallagher 6:55 am

• Iran War: Trump-Netanyahu Dust-Up Over Negotiations – Bona Fide or Deception? Oil Speculators Cheer Three Supertankers Leaving Gulf, as Continued Bond and Financial Market Decline Seems Likely
  by Yves Smith 5:17 am

• Satyajit Das: The Global Economy – A Very Uncertain Future!
  by Yves Smith 4:00 am

• Norway Wants To Lead a “Viking Bloc” for Containing Russia in Northern Europe
  by Yves Smith 3:45 am

May 20, 2026

• Coffee Break: AIPAC Wins in Kentucky, Loses in Pennsylvania
  by Nat Wilson Turner 2:00 pm

• Why Public Policy’s Core Value Should Be Equality
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 5/20/2026
  by Yves Smith 6:59 am

• Iran War: US Experts and Iran Still Expect Major Attack; Wall Street Journal Debunks Trump Claim of Gulf State Intervention; Bond Rout Intensifies
  by Yves Smith 6:53 am

• The One Big Beautiful Bill Act and Medical Education in These United States
  by KLG 6:45 am

• Michael Hudson Warns: Imminent Economic Catastrophe – War, Oil Crisis & Bond Market Panic
  by Yves Smith 3:56 am

May 19, 2026

• Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – Ukraine Drone Escalation Peril
  by Haig Hovaness 2:00 pm

• Are People Just “Lower-Value Human Capital”?
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 5/19/2026
  by Yves Smith 6:59 am

• Iran War: Trump’s Latest TACO on Iran Strike Pits Gulf States Against Israel; Bond Market Tremors Add to Hard-to-Deny Signs of Economic Stress
  by Yves Smith 6:58 am

• US-Israeli Plan to Neo-Colonise Latin America Hits Resistance in Bolivia
  by Nick Corbishley 6:51 am

• Seasonal Patterns That Farmers Trusted for Generations Have Suddenly Turned Unpredictable
  by Yves Smith 4:38 am

May 18, 2026

• Coffee Break: Primaries, Redistricting Reveal American Political Fault Lines
  by Nat Wilson Turner 2:00 pm

• Macroeconomics of Tariffs with Global Production and Finance Networks
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 5/18/2026
  by Conor Gallagher 6:58 am

• Iran War: Trumps Makes New Threat as Buildup Continues; Middle East Data Centers, Key to US Military, at Risk; More Recognition of Risk of Shortages Like Impact of Scarce Diesel
  by Yves Smith 6:54 am

• Covid and Public Health Establishment Work Together to Make Next Pandemic More Likely
  by Conor Gallagher 5:00 am

• Trump Admin Claims of Cuban Plans for Drone Attacks Denounced as ‘Ludicrous Pretext’ for War
  by Conor Gallagher 4:00 am

May 17, 2026

• Breaking: Ukraine Fires Hundreds of Drones at Moscow
  by Yves Smith 7:33 am

• Links 5/17/2026
  by Haig Hovaness 6:55 am

• The Sunday Morning Movie Presents: Dersu Uzala (1975) Run Time: 2H 21M Bonus: Bizarre New Band!
  by semper loquitur 6:30 am

• Interpreting Lavrov’s Proposal That India Mediate Between Iran & The Gulf Kingdoms
  by Conor Gallagher 6:00 am

• Iran War: More Speculation that US Will Restart War, Along with Possible UAE Operation Against Key Iran Island, Big Explosion at Israel Weapons Factory; Yet More on Imminent Real Economy Damage
  by Yves Smith 3:53 am

May 16, 2026

• Links 5/16/2026
  by Yves Smith 6:59 am

• Iran War: Economic Pressures Rise and Bond Market Jitters Increase as Gulf States Rebel, Constraining Trump Even More
  by Yves Smith 6:58 am

• Michael Hudson: US Designs on Iran and the Trump-Xi Summit
  by Yves Smith 4:47 am

May 15, 2026

• Coffee Break: Scientists and the Growth Economy, Sternly Worded Letters, Scientist Runs Afoul of RFKJr, Timothy Snyder with the Editor of Science, and Wither Food
  by KLG 2:00 pm

• South Korea Will Remain a Key Part of the US’ Chinese Containment Plans
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 5/15/2026
  by Conor Gallagher 6:56 am

• Washington Is Closer Than Ever to Pulling Off Its 66-Year Dream of Regime Change in Cuba
  by Nick Corbishley 6:45 am

• Iran War: Trump in China, Ship Seized in the Strait, War Powers Vote Comes This Close, Saudis Make Peaceward Moves
  by Nat Wilson Turner 6:30 am

• Ready or Not, AI Government is Already Here
  by Yves Smith 3:49 am

May 14, 2026

• Spanish Politics Take the International Stage: Pedro Sanchez vs. Isabel Ayuso
  by Curro Jimenez 2:00 pm

• Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa: How They Stack Up on Reusing Waste
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 5/14/2026
  by Conor Gallagher 6:57 am

• Iran War: Tanker War Lite as Trump Comes Even More Unglued and Real Economy Damage Becomes More Visible
  by Yves Smith 6:54 am

• China’s Real Estate Reckoning: Lessons from Japan’s Lost Decade
  by Yves Smith 1:39 am

• ‘Hands Off Our Pensions’: Belgian Workers Take to the Streets in General Strike Against Austerity Measures
  by Yves Smith 1:00 am

May 13, 2026

• Coffee Break: Epstein Class All-In on Massie Primary But Do Midterms Matter?
  by Nat Wilson Turner 2:00 pm

• The Russian Triad Is Now on the Same Page Regarding Southern-Emanating Threats from NATO
  by Yves Smith 9:59 am

• Links 5/13/2026
  by Yves Smith 6:59 am

• Iran War: Iran Escalates With Threat of Even Higher Level of Enrichment, Assertion of Larger Gulf Control Area as US Revealed to Have Lost 39 Planes and Press Gives Ever More Coverage to Economic Damage; Israel Political Meltdown Could Stymie Further Attacks; Trump More Visibly Losing His Mind
  by Yves Smith 6:57 am

• The Missing Elephant: India’s Silence on the US-Israel-Iran War
  by Yves Smith 5:30 am

• Tech Billionaires Accelerate Homelessness Crisis
  by Conor Gallagher 5:00 am

May 12, 2026

• Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – Ageing Patriots
  by Haig Hovaness 2:00 pm

• AI is Hungry for Power and You Are Footing the Bill
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 5/12/2026
  by Yves Smith 6:57 am

• Iran War: More Trump Sound and Fury as Financial Times and Old Line Neocon Robert Kagan Declare War on Iran Conflict; Plastics and Other Shortages Becoming Visible
  by Yves Smith 6:55 am

• Is This the End of Keir Rodney Starmer (As UK Prime Minister)?
  by Nick Corbishley 6:45 am

• How the Green Revolution Went Awry: Food Systems and Policies Undermining Food Security
  by Yves Smith 5:34 am

May 11, 2026

• Coffee Break: Trump Admin Combines Reality Show Nonsense With Very Real Grifting
  by Nat Wilson Turner 2:00 pm

• Putin’s Misleading Factoids on Russia-Israel Ties
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 5/11/2026
  by Conor Gallagher 6:58 am

• Iran War: Iran’s Response to US Proposal Deemed “Totally Unacceptable,” as Bibi Makes Even More Demands; Xi Summit Confirmed; Crunch in Physical Oil Eases as Traders Back Off
  by Yves Smith 6:54 am

• The Same Democrats Behind War Crimes ‘R’ Us Are Preparing to Sell You an Imperial Rebrand for 2028
  by Conor Gallagher 5:00 am

• Why ‘De-Risking’ May Not Deliver a Large Peace Dividend
  by Conor Gallagher 4:00 am

May 10, 2026

• Links 5/10/2026
  by Haig Hovaness 6:55 am

• The Sunday Morning Movie Presents: The Man Who Stole The Sun (1979) Run Time: 2H 27M Plus Bonus Short Silent Film!
  by semper loquitur 6:30 am

• Criminalizing Childhood: When the Justice System Fails America’s Youth
  by Conor Gallagher 5:00 am

• Iran War: Momentary Quiet as Iran Withholds Answer on US Proposal; Iran Asserts Control Over Persian Gulf Cables; Debate Over US Destruction of Iran Tankers, Iran Destroyer Attacks
  by Yves Smith 3:34 am

May 9, 2026

• Links 5/9/2026
  by Yves Smith 6:59 am

• Iran War: Iran Yet to Answer US Proposal as Recent Exchange of Fire in Gulf Exposes US Weapons Shortages; More on Poor Prospects for Global Economy, Resumption of Old Normal Gulf Traffic Levels
  by Yves Smith 6:57 am

• When Poverty Makes You Sick: The Hidden Cost of Neglecting Youth Health
  by Yves Smith 4:31 am

May 8, 2026

• Coffee Break: Counterfeit Scientific Papers, Deep Fakes, CDC on the Ropes, MAHA, and Hope from the Middle of the Country
  by KLG 2:00 pm

• England Is Splitting Apart as Labour Collapses
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 5/8/2026
  by Conor Gallagher 6:59 am

• Are the US and Israel Planning to Use Morocco As a Weapon Against Spain?
  by Nick Corbishley 6:45 am

• Iran War: Lull Before Expected Big Strikes or Is Trump Stuck?
  by Yves Smith 5:53 am

• Who Gives a Hug – China Changes Its Position Towards Iran, US
  by Yves Smith 1:23 am

May 7, 2026

• Musk vs. Altman: The Feud of a New Elite Bidding for Power
  by Curro Jimenez 2:00 pm

• Russia’s Threat of a Massive Retaliatory Strike on Kiev Likely Isn’t A Bluff
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 5/7/2026
  by Conor Gallagher 6:58 am

• Iran War: Iran Pushes Back Against Trump “Deal Is Nigh” as More Evidence of US Failure Emerges, Including Gulf State Mini-Revolt, Even More US Base Destruction, Jet Fuel Price Rise Damage, Conservative Opposition to Trump Climbdown
  by Yves Smith 5:30 am

• Understanding the Rise in CEO Age
  by Yves Smith 2:40 am

• Heartland Institute Podcast Questions Whether All Americans ‘Should Have the Right to Vote’
  by Yves Smith 2:00 am

May 6, 2026

• Coffee Break: Self-Dealing and Self-Deluding Two Sides of Trump and His Ilk
  by Nat Wilson Turner 2:00 pm

• Economic Management in War: Professor Michael Hudson in Discussion with Ian Proud
  by Yves Smith 9:58 am

• Links 5/6/2026
  by Yves Smith 6:59 am

• Iran War: Trump “Pauses” Failed Operation Freedom, Rubio Claims End to Epic Fury With Strait of Hormuz Still Blockaded and Alarms About Real World Damage Rising
  by Yves Smith 6:58 am

• The Credibility Crisis in Science
  by KLG 6:45 am

• Karaganov’s Candid Assessment Of Europe Shows The World What Russian Hardliners Think
  by Yves Smith 2:59 am

May 5, 2026

• Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – Endangered Warships
  by Haig Hovaness 2:00 pm

• The Fertility Panic Is a Racist, Sexist Tool to Push More Austerity
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 5/5/2026
  by Conor Gallagher 6:55 am

• Iran War: Iran Targets US Warships, US Reports Small Successful Gulf Transit, Iran Hits UAE; Putin Call for Middle East to Be a WMD-Free Zone, Challenging Israel Nuclear Program; US Renewed Strikes Still Look Imminent
  by Yves Smith 6:54 am

• Claudia Sheinbaum Is Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place
  by Nick Corbishley 6:45 am

• “Watch Out for the Chinese Supremacist, Imperialist Mindbenders”
  by Yves Smith 5:40 am

May 4, 2026

• Coffee Break: Abundance Bro Seth London & Lis Smith’s Caper Typifies State of the Art Dem Dark Money Schemes
  by Nat Wilson Turner 2:00 pm

• HHS’ Healthy Food Agenda Puts Hospitals on Notice About Patients’ Meals
  by Yves Smith 9:55 am

• Links 5/4/2026
  by Conor Gallagher 6:55 am

• Iran War: Peak Chaos as Trump Announces “Humanitarian” Convoy to Enter Strait to Free Trapped Ships, Soon Walked Back by Officialdom; Negotiations Reported as Collapsing as Iran Toughens Position; UAE Enters War
  by Yves Smith 5:18 am

• Artificial Stupidity in the Persian Gulf
  by Conor Gallagher 5:00 am

• US Energy Push In Western Balkans Sparks Tension with Brussels
  by Conor Gallagher 4:00 am

May 3, 2026

• Links 5/3/2026
  by Haig Hovaness 6:55 am

• The Sunday Morning Movie Presents: Iphigenia (1977) Run Time 2H 8M
  by semper loquitur 6:30 am

• What’s in the Price of a Gallon of Gas?
  by Conor Gallagher 5:00 am

• Iran War: Trump Whinges About Iran Proposal, China Rejects New US Secondary Sanctions, Ansar Allah Threatens Saudis
  by Yves Smith 3:47 am

May 2, 2026

• Links 5/2/2026
  by Yves Smith 6:59 am

• Iran War: Trump Leans Towards Another Attack on Iran as More Weapons Arrive; Further Confirmation of US Base Damage in Theater; More on War Cost; El Niño as Famine Multiplier
  by Yves Smith 6:58 am

• The Licensing Revolution: Is Resistance to the End of Ownership Futile?
  by Yves Smith 2:27 am

May 1, 2026

• Coffee Break: American Science in the Crosshairs, Nuclear Nightmares, and a Vision of a Good Life
  by KLG 2:00 pm

• US Judge Calls Proposed Bayer Roundup Settlement a “Filthy” Deal
  by Yves Smith 10:17 am

• Links 5/1/2026
  by Conor Gallagher 6:55 am

• Iran War: Trump Mulls Kinetic Options, Mojtaba Warns, US Consumers Suffer
  by Yves Smith 6:54 am

• Leaked Audio Files Point to Israeli Involvement in Trump’s Pardon of Honduran “Narco-President” Juan Orlando Hernández
  by Nick Corbishley 6:45 am

• Trump’s Neo-Reagan Doctrine Is Rolling Back Russian Influence Across The World
  by Yves Smith 2:46 am