Did elephant energetics decide Hannibal’s Alpine crossing route? Phys.org
Early Americans’ primary diet was mammoths, other large mammals EurekAlert!
Humanity’s Apex Predator Is on the Move. We’re Not Ready. MedPage Today
Mormon crickets flood Idaho, sheriff’s office reminds public to contact pest control, not police ABC4
Climate/Environment
Collapse of AMOC ocean current may already be locked in New Scientist
Summer flash flooding once again becoming a major story in 2026 as it did last year Balanced Weather
After a Weekend of Heavy Rains, Chicago’s Deep Tunnel Is Almost Full Chicago Sun-Times
Heat Dome Locks Over Western Europe: Extended Run for Excessive Heatwave establishes Severe Weather Europe
Guest post: France’s June heatwave caused more than 2,700 heat-related deaths Carbon Brief
Ebola
Ebola deaths in Congo top 500 as health workers threaten to strike AP
The Koreas
South Korea’s Mineral Diplomacy Lands in Ulaanbaatar — With China Watching Closely George Chen
China?
Alibaba Gets Reprieve From Lobbying Ban Tied To Pentagon’s Curbs Bloomberg
Hormuz tests the PRC petrochemical build-out CHINA POLICY leads
Southeast Asia
Trump resort rises on Vietnam graveyard as US links grow Asia Times
Syraqistan
Israeli command system identified 850,000 targets in Gaza and Lebanon wars, says supplier The Guardian
***
IRGC says it targeted 85 US military sites in response to US attacks Al Mayadeen
US revokes Iran oil waiver after Hormuz attacks Al-Monitor
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Ireland bans imports from Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine Al Mayadeen
Explosions rock Damascus, wounding 18, as French President Macron visits Syria New Arab
European Disunion
Trump attacks Spain calling it a ‘wasted cause’ and orders trade to stop Euronews
Africa
US Launches Airstrike in Somalia for Third Day in a Row Antiwar
UAE-backed military base taking shape in Somaliland’s Berbera Al Mayadeen
IS-Sahel’s Nigeria Claims Signal a New Jihadist Frontier Jamestown
O Canada
Canadian Defence Attaché Met With Azov Brigade’s Fundraising Arm The Maple
Old Blighty
Political rivals vow to boycott byelection after Farage quits as MP The Guardian
New Not-So-Cold War
Ukraine attacks Russian oil tankers RT
Russia targets Samsung-Ukraine missile plant in overnight strike – MOD RT
Monaco Bombing Suspect Murdered by Military Intelligence Officer, Ukrainian Authorities Say Kyiv Post
NATO Summit
Air defence discussions will dominate the Ankara Nato summit Intellinews
U.S. Advances ATACMS Co-Production Germany Plan to Strengthen NATO Deterrence Defense Feeds
The PAC3 Scam Julian MacFarlane
Trump Revives Greenland Push, Citing Chinese and Russian Arctic Activity gCaptain
US to lift CAATSA sanctions on Türkiye, consider restoring F-35 program: Trump Turkiye Today
Trump’s Push for F-35 Deal With Turkey Sets Up Potential Clash With Congress WSJ
The Ankara Doctrine Savage Minds
US Defence Secretary Hegseth to visit Israel amid concerns over potential F-35 sale to Turkey Middle East Monitor
South of the Border
Cuba Partially Restores Power 28 Hours After Nationwide Blackout Amid U.S. Oil Blockade TeleSur
Trump 2.0
Trump’s SNAP Cuts Leave States and Counties Facing Spiraling Hunger Crisis Truthout
GOP Funhouse
Ken Paxton Vowed to Crack Down on “Illegal Voting.” He May Have Violated Texas Election Law. ProPublica
Trump birthright citizenship push poses headaches for divided GOP The Hill
Can DSA Really Win Red America? Les Leopold
Democrats Suck
Troy Jackson Files to Explore Senate Bid as Graham Platner Faces Growing Calls to Exit Common Dreams
⚡️Maine Democratic Party: “Unfortunately Graham Platner’s team has repeatedly reached out to us… to put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like. We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic… https://t.co/l9GftNS9UU
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) July 8, 2026
Unclear where Reckoning Action, which is working with the Democratic Women’s Caucus to change House ethics rules to make it easier to come forward with claims of inappropriate behavior, gets its funding:
Cheyenne Hunt, who personally connected former Platner girlfriend Jenny Racicot with journalists at POLITICO and CNN, is offering resources and support to Platner staffers who resign in solidarity with Racicot. Hunt is the executive director of Reckoning Action, a nonprofit… https://t.co/eKBMXPZVTH
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) July 8, 2026
I know I’m old-fashioned this way, but I still think due process is the best way (ie: the only reliable way) to determine guilt and the truth of accusations.
Online mobs and trial by media are infinitely more unreliable for all sorts of reasons that should be obvious.
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) July 7, 2026
Our Famously Free Press
Imperial Collapse Watch
Selective Service war gaming a ‘special skills’ draft Responsible Statecraft
American mercenary firm expands with launch of ‘the largest shoot house on the East Coast’ All-Source Intelligence
Afghan national who fought with U.S. forces died of allergic reaction in ICE custody AP
Police State Watch
ICE Killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo on a Houston Street Today. It’s Using the Same Script It Always Uses. Migrant Insider
ICE’s Internal Watchdog Is Now Investigating Online Critics Wired
The Accelerationists
You’re obsessing over the wrong Peter Thiel conference How to Survive the Broligarchy
AI
Trump Wants to Fast Track AI Inside Climate News
Exclusive-US cyber agency is using Anthropic’s Mythos to audit government code, sources say Reuters
Meta Now Lets Anyone Use Your Instagram Photos in AI Images—Unless You Opt Out Wired
Guillotine Watch
Absolutely bananas’: San Francisco homes sell for $1m above asking price amid AI boom The Guardian
‘This world ain’t right’: A 72-year-old is swept up in SF’s flood of evictions San Francisco Standard
Class Warfare
What Is Capitalist Exploitation, and Why Is It Wrong? Left Notes
Our outrage could redeem us Art Cullen
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
“Canadian Defence Attaché Met With Azov Brigade’s Fundraising Arm”
And I’m sure that at the end of it, those Azov guys & gals gave the Canadian attaché a souvenir in the form of a shoulder patch as a token of gratitude. The inclusion of a Swastika on that patch may have been a bit egregious though.
the sad long history of canada and ukrainian nazis continues. the shame of the north.
Platner is a replay of Al Franken, now with NEW! IMPROVED! rape charges……. so either indict him or keep running to November. I have not noticed any Gaza genocide charges by any DNC group vs Biden and Trump tho