Generous and patient readers, please forgive me for mentioning that the 2024 Water Cooler fundraiser is ongoing. –lambert
Love them or hate them, hyenas are getting the last laugh National Geographic
Dealmaking slowdown leaves private equity with record unsold assets FT. Somebody call a wh-a-a-a-a-bulance!
Take note, downtowns: Crystal City suffered its office apocalypse and came out better Greater Greater Washington
Perpetually growing meat! pharyngula. Just like “Chicken Little” in The Space Merchants!
Climate
The Great Barrier Reef’s latest bout of bleaching is the fifth in eight summers – the corals now have almost no reprieve The Conversation
Breaking The Ice: Frederic Tudor’s Frozen Empire Investor Amnesia
Water
Colorado ranchers sentenced after tampering with rain gauges to increase crop subsidies CBS
#COVID19
We ignored AIDS. Let’s not repeat the mistake on long COVID Newark Star-Ledger. Again, mass media starting to get out in from of CDC and the public health establishment.
On the impact of mass screening for SARS-CoV-2 through self-testing in Greece Frontiers in Public Health. From the Abstract: “Screening programs that pre-emptively and routinely test population groups for disease at a massive scale were first implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in a handful of countries. One of these countries was Greece, which implemented a mass self-testing program during 2021. In contrast to most other non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), mass self-testing programs are particularly attractive for their relatively small financial and social burden… Conservative estimates show that the program reduced the reproduction number by 4%, hospitalizations by 25%, and deaths by 20%, translating into approximately 20,000 averted hospitalizations and 2,000 averted deaths in Greece between April and December 2021.”
China?
China’s ‘two sessions’ 2024: new mandate, party control push central bank beyond ordinary role South China Morning Post. Headline on the front page: “‘A whole new ball game’: China’s central bank looks to learn from US blunders.”
Behind the doors of a Chinese hacking company, a sordid culture fueled by influence, alcohol and sex AP. What, no “cuddle puddles“?
Myanmar
Fears of mass migration from Myanmar as military plans to draft thousands Al Jazeera
Sealed fate: The second sons of Ta’ang State Frontier Myanmar
India
LS polls: Will do away with ‘secular’ in Preamble, says Karnataka BJP MP Business Standard
The Koreas
South Korea begins suspending licences of 4,900 striking doctors; leaves door open for dialogue Channel News Asia
Africa
Thousands of Chinese workers leave Africa as lack of funding and impact of pandemic take their toll South China Morning Post
Syraqistan
Muslim countries announce start of Ramadan in shadow of Gaza war Al Jazeera
Hamas Bets on Ramadan to Help It Survive Israel’s Assault WSJ
Israeli police block entry of Palestinians to Al-Aqsa Mosque Anadolu Agency
* * * Israel’s Chief Sephardic Rabbi: If They Force Us to Go to the Army, We’ll All Leave the Country Haaretz (Furzy Mouse). “The soldiers succeed thanks to the Torah learners.”
Spook, Terrorist or Criminal? America’s Mysterious Files on Netanyahu Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. From 1996, still germane.
* * * Can ships carrying aid help avert famine in Gaza? FT. No.
Desperate to Escape Gaza Carnage, Palestinians Are Forced to Pay Exorbitant Fees to Enter Egypt The Intercept (Furzy Mouse).
European Disunion
Portugal’s centre right claims victory in election marked by populist surge France24
New Not-So-Cold War
Furious critics compare Pope’s call for Ukraine to wave ‘white flag’ to Nazi appeasement NY Post
France’s Macron postpones trip to Ukraine Reuters. Commentary:
Masterful takedown by Dominique de Villepin, former French Prime Minister, of Macron’s utterly irresponsible rhetoric on sending NATO ground troops to Ukraine (Villepin himself calls it irresponsible).
I translated it in full, because I think it’s so important people are aware… pic.twitter.com/z1v8mGNYYb
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) March 10, 2024
NATO Should Not Accept Ukraine—for Ukraine’s Sake Stephen Walt, Foreign Policy
This Prophetic Academic Now Foresees the West’s Defeat NYT
* * * SITREP 3/11/24: Patriots Blown Up as Mix-Messaged NATO Fumbles On Simplicius the Thinker(s)
Vital Russian Supply Lines In Black Sea Cut By Ukrainian Drones Naval News. Or not–
Has the U.S. Ceded the Black Sea to Russia? Maritime Executive
“The drive isn’t the same as at 19, but I know why I’m here.” 10 years of fighting for Ukraine JAM News. An Azov.
* * * ‘Novorossiya’ rising from ashes like phoenix M. K. Bhadrakumar, Indian Punchline\
Ukraine war is changing the global arms trade Deutsche Welle
UPDATE TO “Did the West Intentionally Incite Putin to War?” Gordon Hahn
US uranium miners resurrected by nuclear revival and Ukraine war FT
Haiti
Haiti’s capital ‘under siege’ as armed gangs attack key infrastructure France24
US mulls deploying Marine security team to Haiti amid gang crisis Marine Corps Times. Note: URL shows original headline: “elite-marine-security-team-deploys-to-haiti-amid-gang-crisis.” Except not:
Marine Corps Times has issued a massive correction: US troops are NOT on the ground in Haiti, and are being discussed as a contingency. pic.twitter.com/rRwLxNqJux
— Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) March 8, 2024
Blooper? Last minute change of plans?
Biden Administration
Biden administration to bring port crane manufacturing back to the US Seatrade Maritime
Why astronomers are worried about 2 major telescopes right now Space.com
2024
What’s Really Going On with Immigration? Neil Howe, Demography Unplugged
Antitrust
How 16 Companies are Dominating the World’s Google Search Results (2024 Edition) Detailed
Healthcare
Need help with a big medical bill? How a former surgeon general is fighting a $5,000 tab USA Today. Jerome Adams
Digital Watch
The De-Google Project Tim Bray
Palantir’s NHS-stealing Big Lie Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic. On Palantir and the NHS, see NC here, here, and here.
Welcome to the Valley of the Creepy AI Dolls WIred
49% of founders say they’re considering quitting their startup this year Sifted
Bushnell
Will Aaron Bushnell’s Death Trigger Anarchism Witch Hunt? The Intercept
Our Famously Free Press
How Pseudo-Intellectualism Ruined Journalism William Deresiewicz, Persuasion
The Oscars
Hayao Miyazaki scoops second Oscar with The Boy And The Heron Channel News Asia
On the Red Carpet London Review of Books
* * * Jonathan Glazer Condemns ‘Occupation’ and Violence in Israel and Gaza NYT. Shudder quotes? Really? What Glazer said: “Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people.” What Variety says Glazer said. Commentary:
.@Variety should really correct this this. This is not at all what Jonathan Glazer said. It’s missing some key words. https://t.co/opSIBf8rSY pic.twitter.com/2VtV1ysjrV
— Avi Asher-Schapiro (@AASchapiro) March 11, 2024
Who edited this? Could they at least have signaled the omission with an ellipsis?
Class Warfare
The 0 dark thirty shift: At work with the sweepers, lifties and corduroy farmers who keep Colorado resorts humming Colorado Sun
Getting food delivered in New York is simple. For the workers who do it, getting paid is not AP
The Billionaire And The Con Artist Forbes
Forecaster Peter Turchin: ‘The US is in a much more perilous state than Russia’ FT
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
