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Links 7/2/2026

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Remote-controlled cockroach swarm can now breathe underwater New Scientist

2 people arrested after hanging a banner about ‘the power of love’ on Empire State Building antenna AP

Supersonic Flights Over Land Closer to Reality Under US Plan Bloomberg. Too much flyover country between Wall Street and Silicon Valley.

Climate/Environment

Copernicus Marine and Copernicus Climate Change: Daily global sea surface temperatures break records for the time of year The Copernicus Climate Change Service

“Heat dome” has become established across eastern United States Balanced Weather

As Heat Wave Spreads Across the US, Data Centers Strain Electrical Grids Truthout

6 things to know about heat illness Your Local Epidemiologist

Death toll exceeds 20,000 across Europe in June 2026 heat wave Christopher W. Callahan

Banks are financing the fossil fuel industry’s next growth strategy Grist

Pandemics

One Health: Mapping reported modes of transmission of HPAI A (H5N1) to humans: A scoping review Avian Flu Diary

Japan

Export Controls as Strategy: Beijing Raises Pressure on Tokyo Amid Rising Security Frictions George Chen

China?

US House committee opens investigation into Merck, AbbVie China drug trials Reuters

China’s 15th Five-Year Energy Plan: Security Shifts From Fossil Imports to New-Energy Tech Inside China

Taiwan’s War on Renewables ChinaTalk

Syraqistan

Board of Peace prepares gated Gaza camps under expanding Israeli occupation: Report The Cradle

Washington is subsidizing Israel’s booming global arms trade Responsible Statecraft

Babies were ‘special targets’ of Israeli killings – UN probe panel chief RT

The Secret History of Polymarket – Part 1 Unlimited Hangout

Israel, U.S. Move Forward With Embassy on Jerusalem Land Said to Be Expropriated From Palestinians Haaretz

US Navy chopper goes down in Arabian Sea, one service member goes missing Firstpost

Old Blighty

Starmer Lied: Britain Is Cutting £11 Billion from Frontline Defence Ian Proud

Nurseries, vets and shops: the sectors where private equity plays a big role The Guardian

Britain suffers biggest fall in wealth in the rich world The Telegraph

Russian spies considered Mandelson a ‘privileged contact’ The Telegraph. Based on a leaked report from our old friend, Christopher Steele.

European Disunion

Berlin makes bid to build more US weaponry in Germany AFP

From Sanctions to Martial Law and a State of Emergency Patrick Baab, Forum Geopolitica

New Not-So-Cold War

Why Russia Never Stops Negotiating: A Millennium of Strategic Statecraft Kautilya the Contemplator

Manhunt after bomb injures Ukrainian oligarch in Monaco BBC

Bombed Ukrainian oligarch could expose Kiev’s corruption – former French spy RT

The Golden Billion, Russian Style Marat Khairullin

Imperial Collapse Watch

The New Fed Chair’s Plan to Cancel $39T Debt Crisis: Top Economist Steve Keen

Why is it so expensive to replace lead pipes in Chicago? WBEZ

Michigan’s Mega-Deals Are a Warning to Everyone Boondoggle

L’affaire Epstein

Doug Band, former aide to Bill Clinton, repeatedly tells panel he cannot recall interactions with Epstein: Sources ABC News

South of the Border

Venezuela Earthquakes, Deadly Sanctions And Media Deception Nate Bear

First presence since Chavez showed them the door in 2009 over killing Palestinians:

Nicolás Maduro sued in US court over alleged extrajudicial killings in Venezuela Euronews

Does the Pentagon even know who its boat strikes are killing? Responsible Statecraft

Trump 2.0

Trump must pay E. Jean Carroll $5m after Supreme Court denies sex abuse verdict appeal USA Today

Trump takes first flight on Qatar-gifted Air Force One jet DPA International

Tucker Carlson Says Trump Is ‘Not A Man In Charge Of His Own Life’—Wants To Build New Third Party Forbes

***

Trump declines to renew major trade deal with Canada, Mexico The Hill

Missing Links Phenomenal World

***

Trump administration puts religious freedom at heart of US health policy The Guardian

GOP Funhouse

Tom Kean Jr. Sought Help for Depression. He Hasn’t Made It Easy for Others to Do the Same. Mother Jones

The Uniparty

Without Causes New Left Review. A response to Hillary’s recent FT argument, “The world may not like Trump’s Gaza plan — but there is no alternative.”

Democrats Suck

Dinosaur Democrats Meet Asteroid Ken Klippenstein

The Accelerationists

Agriculture

Texas: Screwworm Detections (n=29) Spread to 12 Counties Avian Flu Diary

Supply Chain

The Anti-Amazon Phenomenal World

Sports Desk

Former NFL Star Chris Johnson Reveals ALS Diagnosis at 39, Uses a Computer to Speak People

Police State Watch

ICE Finds a New Way to Dodge Congress About a Secret Protester Database Mother Jones

“MAHA”

‘This Is the PFAS Presidency’: Trump EPA Approves Another Forever Chemical Pesticide Common Dreams

Guillotine Watch

The Bezzle

An Explosion Knocked Out Anduril’s Rocket Motor Test Site in Mississippi Wired

SpaceX IPO sparks race for luxury housing in Southern California Los Angeles Times

AI

OpenAI proposes handing Trump administration 5% stake FT

Meta is reportedly building its own cloud business Engadget

Judge refuses to dismiss state AGs’ Meta child addiction lawsuit Quartz

Class Warfare

Crime Pays: The Egg Bandits Made A Thousand Times the Fine They Just Paid for Price Fixing Matt Stoller

Dismissals of Unfair Labor Practice Charges Have Surged Under Trump Truthout

Antidote du jour (via):

See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.

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78 comments

  1. The Rev Kev

    ‘Chase Passive Income
    @chasedownleads
    Donald Trump didn’t make his first billion in crypto until age 80
    Relax, you still have time’

    And yet he once called crypto a scam. Guess his attitude changed when he figured that he could get in on the scam.

    Reply ↓
  3. Trees&Trunks

    From Sanctions to Martial Law and a State of
    Emergency.
    “In January 2026, the German Bundestag transposed EU Directive 2024/1226 into national law and tightened its provisions. The governing parties—the CDU/CSU and the SPD—voted in favor. The Greens (B 90/Grüne) and The Left abstained.”
    – Die Linke fighting as hard as they can for the Germans.

    EU is really proving why we must to war with Russia to defend our freedom
    Now, if you repost RT you will be prosecuted.

    https://tass.com/world/2154415

    A fistful of EU-Values for you!

    Reply ↓
  4. leaf

    I have a twitter account from which I have never posted anything, just using it to follow accounts for news and creating lists for filtering feeds. Yesterday I got a pop up saying I needed to download the twitter app and upload some biometric data, pictures of my hand, to continue using my account. Has this happened to anyone else?

    According to this business human rights organization, the verification company AU10TIX is based in Israel and staffed by former Shin Bet agents, which is not a good sign. I think I will walk away from my twitter account.
    https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/x-corps-biometric-data-sharing-with-israeli-firm-raises-privacy-concerns/

    Reply ↓
    1. albrt

      I do not have a Xitter account, but I have recently canceled my paypal and gmail accounts due to similar demands mostly revolving around giving them access to my phone. I am probably going to have to sue paypal because they refuse to give me back the money in the account unless I comply with their demands for biometric info and access to my phone.

      Reply ↓
      1. t

        PayPal has a long history of finding reasons not to give back small amounts when the account is rarely used.

        Reply ↓
    2. Christian B

      I just make bookmarks using xcancel(dot)com of people I find interesting. It is a little slower but it takes money away from Elon and it stops the algorithm from affecting my brain. I put the bookmarks in folder groups in Firefox and can open them all at once.

      Reply ↓
      1. leaf

        That sounds like a good workaround, I will definitely try it out
        Besides xcancel I think another mirror is nitter(dot)poast(dot)org which has worked for me when xcancel is down for whatever reason

        Reply ↓
  5. The Rev Kev

    “Climber couple arrested after scaling Empire State Building antenna for apparent marriage proposal”

    I got squeamish when I realized how high they were and without any support. But this AP News clip missed the most important part of this story -the guy proposing to her-

    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kXmnDRgx_Wg

    I could be wrong but I don’t think that she knew that it was coming judging by her reaction.

    Reply ↓
      1. mrsyk

        I remember that! I was of an impressionable age at the time..
        I imagine most readers here know this, but it’s worth mentioning that the top of the Empire State Building was designed as a dirigible docking station.

        Reply ↓
            1. Carolinian

              “‘Twas beauty killed the beast.”

              Meaning Fay Wray. At one point stop motion Kong tries to take off her frock.

              Reply ↓
      2. gk

        `Ed Koch decided not to prosecute if Petit would put on a show for newYorkers, Imagine how the legacy press would react if Mamdani did something similar.

        Reply ↓
      1. t

        And of course, in the iconic film “King Kong,” the eponymous giant ape famously scaled the Empire State Building.

        Nice to see a spark of life in a news report.

        Reply ↓
  6. Es s Ce Tera

    Re: TL:DR The US is going to help Israel build concentration camps in Gaza

    In case it’s not obvious, the image is AI generated. Also, note the UN vehicle at the gates.

    Reply ↓
    1. The Rev Kev

      I noted the same thing too. I guess that it is to give this concept a veneer of respectability. But there won’t be any huts at all but they will just be tents and overcrowded ones at that. The Israelis will control any water, food, medicine and electricity going in and it will be precious little at that. In the end they will be a sort of slow motion extermination camps as diseases run rife through them.

      Reply ↓
    1. pjay

      Yes. I was a bit surprised that there was no mention of this yesterday, though the Klippenstein post above covers it today. His post is appropriately titled ‘Dinosaur Democrats Meet Asteroid’ – the Establishment-backed Democrat was a *30 year* incumbent!

      Expect more loud fear-mongering from Trump about “godless communists” trying to take over the US – and during our 250th birthday!

      Reply ↓
        1. grateful dude

          MK Ultra: everybody misses the tale of Cinque (see Patty Hearst, aka Tanya), who “escaped” from Vacaville Prison in Ca after surviving a “behavior modification” program there. Someone who also survived said program as well told me that one is given totally disabling drugs then after a few days of lying on the floor drooling on the floor, a walk to the shower without incident is rewarded with a lighter dose. Any problems start the medication again. WIkipedia does mention some rat-work for law enforcement, and some association with theb CIA.

          Cinque was designed to be the leader of an armed revolutionary cult, i.e. The Symbionese Liberation Army that killed itself (really?) after being cornered in a Los Angeles basement.

          This just a story someone told me then.

          Reply ↓
        2. fjallstrom

          I watched until the end and the great ape and the biplanes were cool and all but I think you linked the wrong video :)

          Reply ↓
  8. Yushan

    “Britain suffers biggest fall in wealth in the rich world”

    Wealth, as measured by the value of assets such as property and stocks, has been rapidly eroded after inflation soared following the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Britain suffered a worse inflation shock than other developed nations as energy costs leapt.

    A slowdown in the housing market has also fuelled the wealth slump.

    First, the article gets it right: inflation makes us poorer. But then suddenly inflation makes us richer?! Rising house prices is also inflation! It is still the same house, the same basic need, but you are now paying more for it!

    This fetish with house price inflation needs to stop. Even the BBC calls it “house price growth“, as if something is actually growing. It is one of the main reasons for the cost of living crisis, because real estate prices eventually work their way into all other prices and costs.

    Reply ↓
  9. flora

    re: Judge refuses to dismiss state AGs’ Meta child addiction lawsuit – Quartz

    Thanks for the link. Important story, imo.

    Reply ↓
      1. flora

        adding for those unfamiliar:
        The Cedars Sinai hospital system is one of the most highly regarded hospital/medical systems in the US. On par with the Mayo system.

        Reply ↓
    2. ChrisFromGA

      It sounds like Meta’s legal problems are really starting to mount. I am sure that Zuck has billions to defend these suits with, but state AG’s also have deep pockets. Once there is judgment, the class action lawyers will smell blood and start circling. Such a shame, I tell ya!

      Reply ↓
      1. erstwhile

        Not to worry: john roberts will curry favor with zukerberg and have his court, in time, dismiss any and all charges against that most personable of all corporations. After all, isn’t that’s what american jurisprudence is all about?

        Reply ↓
  10. The Rev Kev

    “”Heat dome” has become established across eastern United States”

    Looks like Trump was right. America is the hottest country. /sarc

    And his energy policies will ensure that America gets even hotter.

    Reply ↓
  11. Carolinian

    Re heat dome–my friend in AZ reports that the Grand Canyon North Rim is on fire again after the historic lodge already burned up in a previous year.

    Meanwhile we Southrons are used to it in the summer if less so the vicious thunderstorms.

    Reply ↓
    1. The Rev Kev

      The way that the climate is shifting, those vicious thunderstorms may become part of the new normal. Don’t know if that means that window shutters will become standard on homes but whole-house surge protectors will be.

      Reply ↓
    2. Alice X

      I went for a walk yesterday (SE Michigan) in the cool of the evening, the temp was 98°F. As long as I wasn’t in the sun, it wasn’t so bad. At least until I got back to my 76°F hovel when found out how hot I was. Oh boy, can’t wait for the energy bill, sarc/. Just going out now and it’s already 92°F, but we’ve seen worse.

      Reply ↓
      1. Screwball

        NW Ohio here so we are in the same region. It was 98 here yesterday too. My air conditioning has barely stopped the last few days. More tomorrow as it will be in the high 90s and then a break to only 91 on Saturday the 4th.

        Energy bill…I just got mine yesterday and it was elevated over the prior month. Not to the extent the next one will be. Hoo boy!

        Reply ↓
      2. Carolinian

        In AZ right now they go out to walk at 5 am. The famous trails like Camelback have been closed because tourists keep getting heat stroke.

        So even for the desert this weather is considered extreme.

        Reply ↓
  12. Tom Stone

    The Merger of the US “Defense” industry and that of the US “Intelligence” services with those of Israel, with Israel in charge reveals an astounding degree of corruption in the US Congress.
    And it’s not just astoundingly corrupt, it is astoundingly stupid.
    Merging these two is going to make the Times/Warner- AOL deal look like a brilliant success.

    Reply ↓
    1. The Rev Kev

      I bet that means that the Five Eyes will now become the Six Eyes and Israel will want a peek at the intelligence of the other members.

      Reply ↓
    2. Screwball

      I don’t know how much it would matter, but I’m guessing a very large part of or population doesn’t even know about this. Most don’t have a clue what’s going on in the middle east or the Ukraine/Russia war either. We have no news, only propaganda. Or if you choose to believe any of the elected people who lie all the time, which many do.

      FUBAR

      Reply ↓
  13. The Rev Kev

    ‘Glenn Greenwald
    @ggreenwald
    Time for the big meteor? A repulsive Brazilian influencer with 32 million Instagram followers named Viih Tube, and her reality TV husband, created a “reality show” competition for their 11 domestic servants (nannies, cooks, drivers, cleaners, etc).’

    When the revolution comes, it will be people like this that will be first up against a wall.

    Reply ↓
  14. The Rev Kev

    “Dinosaur Democrats Meet Asteroid”

    Some of these elderly Democrat politicians remind me of what the French said of their own elderly politicians a century or more a go. They said that it was not enough to know that one had died but that it was necessary to push them over to make sure. The Democrat ones only want to leave Capital Hill in a pine box and it was not long ago that one Congresswoman was found to be living in an aged care facility but was still a member of Congress. So maybe it is time to talk about the third rail of politicians – an age limit of about 70 to weed out the worse cases. That one measure alone would have eliminated people like Biden, Trump and Pelosi.

    Reply ↓
      1. The Rev Kev

        I was just reading yesterday that recently he had been found unconscious so not looking good for him. And in his eventual passing, he will make the world a bit more better.

        Reply ↓
        1. Balakirev

          “I was just reading yesterday that recently he had been found unconscious…”

          How could they tell?

          Reply ↓
      2. ChrisFromGA

        https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5951357-mitch-mcconnell-health-hospitalization/

        McConnell’s staff said on June 22 that he was “working closely with staff on Senate business and Kentucky matters as he continues his recovery.”

        The senior senator from Kentucky hasn’t voted since June 11.

        I don’t think hasn’t been seen in public since June 14 .. sounds like we need a proof of life.

        PS – this is another headache for the GOP majority, without Freeze Frame, there is one less vote for anything that they want to pass the Senate.

        Reply ↓
      3. Henry Moon Pie

        Calling Jonathan Silver and Andrew McCarthy. But they’ll have to pull it off for far longer than a weekend. The term of Democratic Governor, Andy Beshear, runs until January, 2027.

        Reply ↓
        1. wol

          If the current national mood holds, Beshear’s characterizing the genocide as a ‘litmus test’ is a non-starter.

          Reply ↓
  16. herman_sampson

    Re: Climate

    From the Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2539 for Friday, June 26th, 2026
    https://www.arnewsline.org/news/2026/6/25/amateur-radio-newsline-report-2539-for-friday-june-26th-2026

    : This summer, three new satellites are expected to be launched to serve as the equivalent of fire towers in the sky, Three FireSat satellites are being readied by the nonprofit Earth Fire Alliance and its wildfire-detection program, which is satellite-based. The three FireSats have received support from a $26 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund. The initiative also has the support of Google.

    The FireSats are expected to monitor for wildfires in critical and sensitive areas at least twice a day, with a special emphasis on the Amazon Basin, which is known to be particularly vulnerable.

    The Earth Fire Alliance released a statement saying that it hopes to have more satellites in place to assist with such monitoring so that every point on the planet will be seen every 20 minutes.

    This is Daniel Garcia W2DIY.

    Reply ↓
  17. lyman alpha blob

    RE: Russian spies considered Mandelson a ‘privileged contact’

    That one could have also been posted under “L’affaire Epstein” since it seems a rather transparent attempt to paint a well known Epstein associate as a Russian spy instead.

    Reply ↓
    1. flora

      My goodness. T wants to do ‘Americana’ for the 250th with a national State Fair without knowing the first thing about state fairs?

      What could go wrong? /

      Reply ↓
  19. Alice X

    I’ve just re read the Declaration. It seems to me there is, at the start, a worthwhile conceptual basis for a new overthrow of our present tyranny. The second part based on grievances, concluding with the slur of the indigenous* not so much.

    My 2¢

    *The colonials wanted the NW (North and West of the Ohio river, to the Mississippi River) territories (King George had promised it to their indigenous allies against the French).

    Reply ↓
  22. chris

    Not sure what to do about this, but when viewing NC using Android and Firefox I get an ad that takes up the entire screen and which does not have a close option. It seems to be minimized or off when viewing using the desktop view. Thought others should know in case this problem is affecting more people.

    Reply ↓
  23. The Rev Kev

    ‘Irlandarra
    @martinez_j7902
    The bodyguards killed Charlie Kirk; in this video, we can see how they get rid of the evidence of the crime.
    None of them covered for another shot or looked for the shooter because they blew Charlie up with a bomb in his mic.’

    https://xcancel.com/martinez_j7902/status/2072371661844709493#m (1:11 min video)

    Can’t say how true it is as the videos I have seen of Charlie Kirk getting shot stop just after he was hit.

    Reply ↓
  24. Tom Stone

    Rev, the official story of the Charlie Kirk assassination is a crock of shit, beyond that I can’t say.
    This is also true of the Kennedy Assassinations, the killings of MLK and Fred Hampton and the destruction of Building Seven on 9/11.
    Those are just the examples that come readily to mind, there are plenty of others.
    The interesting thing to me is how thin the official story is, it’s as bad or worse than the Novichok/Skripal fable.
    TPTB no longer bother to come up with a plausible story because they don’t feel they have to, it’s “Get in line or get hurt”.

    Reply ↓
    1. The Rev Kev

      That is the most insulting part. That they don’t even try to make up plausible stories anymore like with the Epstein death. You would think that Charlie Kirk being a bit of a conservative icon would rate a special investigation under a Republican government but it is just a case of ‘Naw, it’s be fine’ and that is it. And you start asking any questions that a decent investigator would ask and straight away it is all accusations of being a conspiracy theorist. If that video is on the up and up, it points to highly trained people who had practiced for it and I for one would like to know what happened to the memory cards pulled out of the video cameras showing Charlie Kirk’s death by a Turning Point staffer.

      Reply ↓

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