Rare footage: Houdini’s first jump into the icy New York River, 1907
— Science Girl (@sciencegirl) January 23, 2026
Nanoparticles that destroy disease proteins could open up new treatments for dementia and cancer SciTech Daily
The artificial womb market is here 3 quarks every day
This startup aims to send 1,000 human remains into space in 2027 at an affordable price TechCrunch
Monster neutrinos could be messengers of ancient black holes Quanat Magazine
New coronavirus infection/pandemic
CDC calculates the continuing burden of COVID-19 live
How America’s withdrawal from the WHO could affect flu vaccinations, epidemics, and future pandemics Fast Company
Climate/Environment
New filtration technology could revolutionize removal of PFAS ‘permanent chemicals’
Solar and wind overtake fossil fuels in EU Semafor
Despite President Trump’s claims, winter storms do not disprove climate change. Scientists explain why. CBS News
south of the border
Venezuela’s interim president revise oil law, break with Chavez model Al Jazeera
Trump administration considers naval blockade to block Cuban oil imports Politico
Mexico reconsiders oil shipments to Cuba after US pressure and rising geopolitical tensions MyIndMakers
Argentina’s F-16 contract signals strategic shift to Washington Argentina Report
China?
“China will lose the US market…”
“We don’t care. The world is big enough that the U.S. is not the entire world market.”
🤷♂️ Victor Gao was not kidding. https://t.co/G4G2ofVh3D pic.twitter.com/JSWVm8JD0a
— Li Zexin 李泽欣 (@XH_Lee23) January 19, 2026
Big Winner: China America Prospects
China unveils swarm of 200 powerful AI drones that can be controlled by a single soldier – ‘intelligent algorithms’ allow individual units to work together autonomously even after losing communication with operator Tom’s Hardware
Pentagon shifts focus away from China in new defense strategy NBC News
China ranks highest overall BBC
India
National Girl Child Day: India is moving towards a fairer society, says government India Tribune
Europe and India seek closer ties with ‘mother of all trades’ AFP
India advances in clean electrification race Grand Pinnacle Tribune
Africa
Remittances prioritized over aid as Africa turns to stablecoins Cryptopolitan
AGES 2026 will showcase Africa’s leading pipeline of investment-ready green projects.
South Africa declares national disaster due to flooding and severe weather San Diego Voices and Views
discord in europe
Europe needs a ‘massive wake-up call’ over housing crisis, says EU commissioner France 24
Merz heads to Italy to meet Meloni with new ideas to shake up EU bureaucracy Euronews
The EU finally used economic blackmail against Trump. But the market forced him to resign
Does Europe need a modern-day Octavian Augustus? Practical reform lessons for a divided union A new eastern perspective
old blighty
UK border technology budget to increase by £100m as Home Office targets small boat crossings The Register
I ran out of aspirin! Pharmacies handing out aspirin to the most serious heart patients due to ‘alarming’ shortage in UK Daily Mail
Israel vs. Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iran
This is not Hiroshima or Nagasaki, this is northern Gaza. pic.twitter.com/8yntAP22FL
—Global Insight Journal (@GlobalIJournal) January 22, 2026
Israel is turning the Yellow Line that divides Gaza into a physical barrier site
Khamenei was in hiding ahead of a possible U.S. attack, opposition news site Times of Israel reported.
How Israeli settler violence empties Palestinian villages DW
“Impunity will not last forever”: What gives Francesca Albanese hope +972
Israel and Syria to conclude US-brokered security agreement “soon” as “development accelerates significantly,” Syrian sources tell i24NEWS
A new war that’s not so cold war
How Soviet urban planning is helping Russia freeze Ukraine BBC
Russia launches large-scale attack on Ukraine’s largest city, targeting energy infrastructure Euronews
Ukraine calls trilateral talks with US, Russia “constructive” to end war Axios
big brother is watching you
ICE scans civilians’ faces and tells them they’re in a terrorist database
Microsoft hands over BitLocker keys to FBI, exposing users to major privacy flaws Cryptopolitan
imperial collapse watch
New York’s new mayor wakes up and vows to stop removing filthy homeless encampments across Manhattan Daily Mail
Former NFL lineman Kevin Johnson found dead in Los Angeles homeless camp NBC 4 Los Angeles
Trump 2.0
What medium-term forecasts tell us about Trump’s central struggles Ipsos
President Trump threatens Canada with 100% tariffs over China deal Al Jazeera
Europe rides the tiger: Jeffrey Sachs on NATO, Trump, and the ‘collapse of the rules-based order’
Has Donald Trump gone too far this week as the world finally fights back? guardian
ICE Rampage
MINNEAPOLIS LIVE UPDATES: Video appears to contradict federal government’s account of New York Times killing
I want to be clear about what this is depicting: an immigration officer throwing a woman to the ground. Registered nurse Alex Preti, who was at the scene as a legal observer, was filming and went to help the woman get up. He was then pepper sprayed and thrown to the ground for no apparent reason. Many…
— Ryan Grimm (@ryangrim) January 24, 2026
I want to be clear about what this is depicting: an immigration officer throwing a woman to the ground. Registered nurse Alex Preti, who was at the scene as a legal observer, was filming and went to help the woman get up. He was then pepper sprayed and thrown to the ground for no apparent reason. Many…
— Ryan Grimm (@ryangrim) January 24, 2026
It may sound insane, but it’s true. Pam Bondi today sent a letter to Minnesota officials saying that if Minnesota turns over its voter files to the Trump administration, ICE will withdraw from the state.
They openly use state violence as a bargaining chip to seize control of electoral infrastructure. https://t.co/v5L9ByI4eK pic.twitter.com/gRZ6SnU1Zf
— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) January 25, 2026
President Trump limits humanitarian programs, cancels visas, shrinking legal immigration channels KCTV 5.com
Pepper sprayed during detention: Searing scenes spark outrage NY Times
musk is important
Elon Musk is so unlikable that his feuds with random airlines are having a staggering impact on sales, CEO Futurism says
“Peace” or “peace”? Musk mocks President Donald Trump’s new peace commission on Euronews in Davos
Elon Musk just said at Davos that Tesla will sell humanoid robots next year, but he’s actually giving the gadget a bad name.
Democratic Party Death Watch
Virginia Democrat’s bill to increase prison time for violent crimes is causing problems for law enforcement, experts warn FOX News
James Carville says Jasmine Crockett’s rhetoric offends ‘humane’ people New York Post
Our press is no longer free
Nevada Press Association defends press freedom after court bans reporters The Fallon Post
Documents proving the Trump administration arrested students who criticized Israel Mother Jones
Mr. Market is in a bad mood.
Stock markets are sending signals that inflation could spike Business Insider
Bitcoin’s weakness versus gold and stocks puts quantum computing concerns back into focus CoinDesk
Meet David Bateman, the man who invested $1 billion in physical silver ahead of historic cryptopolitan gathering
A.I.
Noema: The AI-powered web is undermining itself
Designing AI-friendly technical assessments Anthropic.com
A new challenge for AI labs: Are you trying to make money? TechCrunch
Prepare for the AI advertising apocalypse The Verge
basil
Toronto man posed as a pilot to score hundreds of free flights, prosecutors tell Guardian
Gavin Newsom slams suspect arrested in Los Angeles $23 million homeless fraud investigation: ‘Zero vetting’ New York Post
guillotine watch
Veeky James’s 30th birthday cake is “currently the most expensive cake in Africa” and costs 18 million naira 🤯🎂🔥 pic.twitter.com/YU3u4uuG4x
— Oindamra🙄 (@dammiedammie35) June 9, 2025
Top 5 most expensive wedding cakes in the world #Top 5 #expensive #Wedding cake pic.twitter.com/PlyudLX74l
— Top5expensive (@top5expensive) November 20, 2025
Antidote (via)
See yesterday’s link and antidote here
