Saturday, February 7, 2026

The Humanitarian Case for Another Arab Oil Embargo

Will the Gulf States again use an oil embargo to increase leverage against the US and Israel?

Using Opioid Settlement Cash for Police Gear Like Squad Cars and Scanners Sparks Debate

A look at how different communities are deploying opioid settlement cash. But no clear data on policing versus treatment.

A Ramble Through The Social Media World, Looking for Twitter’s Replacement

Going all the way around the barn to end up where I started.

2:00PM Water Cooler 10/23/2023

~ Today’s Water Cooler: Open Thread ~

The Future of Mining Is Deeper, Darker, and Riskier

As mining companies delve ever deeper into the Earth, new tools — from AI to metal-eating microbes — will guide the way.

“Effective Altruism” Network Infiltrates Congress, Federal Agencies to Create Silicon Valley Favoring AI Policies

How Silicon Valley has taken over the AI agenda in the Beltway, for fun and above all, profit.

Links 10/23/2023

The Art of the Mini-Trade Deal: 2,000 Missing Variables and Counting

EU trade policy also relies to a large extent on ‘mini-deals’. The scope and the legal nature of these mini-deals vary considerably, and while most are invisible, some of them may be quite important in terms of their impact on trade.

In Which Lambert Confesses He Stans for K-Pop, and Explains Why

“I wanna know, know, know, know”

Memo on the Final Solution for One State – Israel or Palestine

Why the war between Israel and Palestine is moving towards very bad outcomes.

Links 10/22/2023

Wolf Richter: Why Longer-Dated Treasury Yields Spiked. It’s Not Magic: Yield Solves All Demand Problems

Tsunami of issuance meets Fed QT, Skittish Foreign Buyers, and US buyers demanding to be compensated for the risks of out-of-control deficits in an inflationary environment.

Israel Intends to Make Gaza Uninhabitable by Cutting Power Permanently

Israel is now making no bones about the fact that it intends to make it impossible for humans, as in Palestinians, to live in Gaza.

Links 10/21/2023

India Expected To Reject Russian Demand To Pay For Oil In Chinese Yuan

As we warned, bilateral trade, here to avoid using the dollar, is messy. Russia is balking at taking more Indian rupees in payment for oil.