Links 1/25/2025 | naked capitalism

This Is Why You Can’t Hula Hoop, According to Science ScienceAlert (Chuck L)

New evidence pushes back arrival of early hominins in Europe ScienceDaily (Kevin W)

The Oldest Beer Receipt (Circa 2050 BC) Open Culture (Micael T)

Africa’s Oldest Written Languages

We were taught that the Sumerians were the first to use a written script about 5000 years ago, and that written languages spread out from there to the rest of the world.

However, scholars now recognize that writing was independently developed… pic.twitter.com/KCDA7KDXRr

— Typical African (@Joe__Bassey) January 22, 2025

Research to Ruin: The Worsening Spectre of Academic Fraud C2C Journal (Dr. Kevin)

Myrtle Beach in South Carolina….pic.twitter.com/w0ZmMEmoND

— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) January 22, 2025

#COVID-19/Pandemics

“I’m not overly concerned about my youngest kids getting COVID.”

“Also, my one year old was in the ER with COVID and 2 other viruses.” pic.twitter.com/Kzj8Ukb34E

— Jammer (@acrossthemersey) January 25, 2025

For two years I’ve been screaming this into an empty void:

H5N1 bird flu does not need to go human to human for it to cause incalculable damage to the way humans live.

300 million birds are dead because of it already, and it’s still going.

It’s reshaping the natural world.

— tern (@1goodtern) January 23, 2025

China?

Why the world is holding its breath for a Chinese rebound The Times

How The Chinese Beat Trump And OpenAI Moon of Alabama (Kevin W)

‘Dam for a dam’: India, China edge towards a Himalayan water war Aljazeera

BREAKING: CHINESE TAIKONAUTS MAKE OXYGEN AND ROCKET FUEL IN SPACE

Series of experiments on the Shenzhou-19 have for the first time produced oxygen and the ingredients for rocket fuel, bringing long-haul crewed missions a step closer to reality⬇️

[LONG POST OPEN TO READ]
–
The… pic.twitter.com/A5AapynaTY

— ChenKojira 🇨🇳 (@ChenKojira) January 25, 2025

Africa

Panic spread in Goma on Thursday, with M23 rebels moving toward the city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as they battle the Congolese military DW

Europe overhauls funding to Tunisia after Guardian exposes migrant abuse Guardian

Sudan’s army carries out ethnic killings in Gezira state Aljazeera

South of the Border

A border in flames: Petro and Maduro accuse each other over conflict that has displaced thousands El Pais

European Disunion

Europe hasn’t grasped the real economic threat from Trump Politico (Micael T)

Eurozone Countries Outlook 2025: Europe’s running out of road Think.ing

Germany’s super-rich do not create wealth – they skim it off Jacobin via machine translation (Micael T)

The big AfD bluff – a party neoliberal to the core Nachdenkseiten via machine translation (Micael T)

Poland on track to cut benefits for Ukrainian refugees EurActiv

Slovak PM accuses opposition of planning coup to topple him BBC

Old Blighty

Steep drop in consumer confidence amid concerns of ‘dark days ahead’ Independent

Israel v. The Resistance

In Syria’s Golan Heights buffer zone, residents fear Israel is making a land grab
NPR

Israel’s security chief says focus switching to West Bank BBC

Trump designates Yemen’s Houthis as a ‘foreign terrorist organization’ Reuters

* * *

The Worst Blood Libel in History, and the Reason I’m Hated Most in Israel Alon Mizrahi

New Not-So-Cold War

Trump Raises Heat on Russia with Belligerent New Threats Simplicius

Bloomberg: Who says “sanctions”? Russia’s budget revenue surges to record in December 2024 International Affairs (Micael T)

Did Trump Halt Aid to Ukraine? Larry Johnson. We corrected widespread mis-reporting in comments before the Pentagon announcement. Some smaller sites had done a careful reading of the Executive Orders and were disputing the claim that Trump had suspended arms shipments to Ukraine.

Beyond the Battlefield: atrocities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine against civilians Security Council, Arria-Formula Meeting. AG: “Begins at ca. 17:00.”

Russian security official Sergei Shoigu warns in an interview published this morning that the risk of an armed clash between nuclear powers is rising Time of Israel

Caucasus

Occupied Abkhazia Faces Electricity Crisis Jamestown Foundation

Syraqistan

Turkish troops set to remain in Syria: Defense Ministry sources Daily Sabah

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

Behind ‘Salt Typhoon’ – US Intelligence Agencies’ Mass Surveillance of Its Citizens Sputnik (Micael T)

Trump 2.0

10 Things Found By Trump’s Team When Cleaning Out The White House Babylon Bee

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White House says migrant deportation flights with military aircraft have begun The Hill

Trump to deploy troops to US-Mexico border in hardline immigration strategy Guardian

Two Battles Roiling Trump World: War with Iran and H1B Visas DropSite

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Donald Trump calls on Opec to push down global oil prices Financial Times. And I would like a pony. Also wants central banks to lower interest rates….which should increase groaf, and with it, energy prices.

Trump is destroying the “green agenda” in favor of Russia Vzyglad via machine translation (Michael T)

* * *

Trump’s DOJ asks Supreme Court to freeze cases on student debt, environment The Hill

Trump demands California voter ID law for wildfire relief and threatens FEMA upon arrival in North Carolina Independent. Note Trump is also demanding California reverse environmental policy.

Trump’s rapid changes in US government stun federal workers Reuters

* * *

Hegseth confirmed as Trump’s defense secretary in tie-breaking vote despite turmoil over his conduct Associated Press

Hegseth, What to Expect. Andrew Cockburn

Donald Trump in fiery call with Denmark’s prime minister over Greenland Financial Times (Kevin W)

Trump revokes security protection for Covid adviser Fauci BBC (Kevin W)

NYC subway violence is concentrated at a sliver of stations and times, report finds Gothamist. Several are critical and active hubs. The Lex and 59th Station being on the list is a particularly bad look. Big commuter station, only three platforms, should not be hard to have an adequate police presence.

Our No Longer Free Press

The Trump “Litmus Test” Scott Ritter

AUDIO: State Dept’s Miller Admits to Blackballing Journalist Sam Husseini Decensored News

US Congress proposes bill to allow AI to prescribe drugs and medical treatment Congress (Paul R)

Scientific Journal Publishes AI-Generated Rat with Gigantic Penis In Worrying Incident Vice (Dr. Kevin)

Sam Altman-Elon Musk Feud Timeline: AI Billionaires Bark Over Trump-Endorsed Stargate AI Project Forbes (Micael T)

The Bezzle

This Is Why Your Furniture Sucks Now More Perfect Union (Paul R)

Amazon’s Just Walk Out at Fresh stores ‘relied on more than 1,000 people in India watching and labeling videos to ensure accurate checkouts’ Daily Mail (Li)

Guillotine Watch

Tax breaks on gold bars and jets help put a ‘$3B hole’ in NY’s pockets, lawmaker says Gothamist

Class Warfare

2024 US home sales hit lowest level in nearly 30 years with ownership increasingly out of reach Associated Press

Supply-Sider New Left Review. Anthony L: “On Stiglitz on Rawls.”

Antidote du jour: Cheryl K: “Baby vicuña in the Pampas, Argentina”:

And a bonus (Chuck L):

the rare & seldom seen Cajun Snowfish… pic.twitter.com/gMO9fmuUPS

— Jared (@1Bonehed) January 21, 2025

And a second bonus (Chuck L). This is a real dear-riding clan, even though that photo is way too perfect-looking:

A young woman belonging to the Tsaatan tribe in Mongolia, Central Asia, riding a deer. The Tsaatan are a tribe of around 500 people – who are considered the last reindeer herders in Mongolia. pic.twitter.com/b3jzGvPuOE

— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) January 19, 2025

And a third (Chuck L):