craziest bird sounds
— Science Girl (@sciencegirl) February 13, 2026
A closer look at King Tut’s footwear: The pharaoh was buried with more than 80 pairs of sandals made of gold and papyrus ZME Science
NASA lacks non-life explanation for what rover finds on Mars
The interesting life of a smart slime mold Knowable Magazine
America’s healthier past is a myth McGill University
New coronavirus infection/pandemic
Scientists finally solve the mystery behind rare coronavirus vaccine blood clots SciTech Daily
Exclusive: Major US infectious disease center suspends pandemic preparations Nature
Climate/Environment
Britain’s relentless rain shows climate predictions are working as expected
President Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency Determines Climate Change Doesn’t Threaten Public Health – Evidence Shows Otherwise
south of the border
As the Nuestra América fleet prepares to counter the U.S. blockade, join forces with the voices of the Cuban left to build an anti-imperialist movement
US Southern Command sinks new ship, 3 killed near Venezuela Euronews
The debate over hydraulic fracturing in Mexico: Energy sovereignty versus environmental risk El Pais
China?
Chinese robot company AGIBOT unveiled its latest real-life adult robot, AGIBOT A3, in Shanghai on Friday. #AgiBot #humanoid robot #Kung Fu Master #FutureTech pic.twitter.com/Bfrd7HRGQ6
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) February 14, 2026
China unveils world’s largest flying car FOX News
Deciphering China’s new space philosophy Phys.org
China’s missing elite: The high-stakes gamble behind Xi’s crackdown – Analysis Jerusalem Post
China leaves America behind on clean energy Inside Climate News
India
India doubles state-backed venture capital, approves $1.1 billion fund TechCrunch
India’s historic national strike leaves 300 million people on the streets MR Online
“India is deeply tied to strategic autonomy”: S Jaishankar NDTV
Africa
South African Prime Minister Ramaphosa approves dissolution of state-run energy giant Eskom Semafor
South Africa deploys military to fight illegal mining and gang violence Jurist News
Africa’s water crisis reveals the collapse of the global financial order
discord in europe
EU moves to abolish infinite scroll Politico
Germany’s party system is no longer functional. NachDenk Seiten.de
Switzerland to vote on population cap of 10 million people
old blighty
Keir Starmer’s government’s death knell Racket News
He ran away but can’t stay hidden: pressure mounts on Andrew to talk to police The Guardian
Israel vs. Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iran
This is the remains of Al-Aqsa University in western Gaza.
The Israeli occupation did more than just bomb universities. They tried to destroy it and erase its very existence from memory.
This too is cultural genocide. pic.twitter.com/GNg4xRJr7Y
— noorii 🔮🍉 (@nooriireads) February 10, 2024
‘We are not protected’ as Israel expands control over the West Bank, says Hebron mayor BBC
Israel arrests military official for betting on polymarkets using inside information about upcoming attacks
Israel’s “Yellow Line” is a death trap for Palestinians. We drove there. truth
At least 54 Palestinians injured by Israeli settler in West Bank attack on Al Jazeera
Digital Iron Dome: How the US and Israel are Weaponizing Real-Time Networks Futuredude Substack
A new war that’s not so cold war
Ukraine seeks 20-year security guarantee from U.S. for peace deal The Guardian
Russia’s war in Ukraine has made its formidable air defense an even tougher challenge for NATO, air force analysts warn Business Insider
Zelenskiy says all power plants in Ukraine were damaged but the energy system is still functioning Kyiv Post
big brother is watching you
Australian states expand facial recognition and biometric digital ID systems to take back the internet
They Cover Our Agents and Reveal Our Speech Bashir Ali’s Substack
Meta adds facial recognition function to smart glasses that identify people in real time, hoping that people will become distracted by political turmoil and lose interest in looking to the future
imperial collapse watch
Homeless campers removed from Brownsville railroad tracks have ‘no place to go’ Pensacola News Journal
Judge holds LA liable for property confiscated from homeless people KESQ News
Trump 2.0
How ‘Ordinary’ Voters Feel About Trump Now Strength In Numbers Substack
Donald Trump “remains very serious” about buying Greenland, Danish leader Mette Frederiksen tells Daily Mail
President Trump promotes mandatory voter ID ahead of midterm elections Andre Agency
Federal judge explains why lawmaker who made video insulting Trump can’t be jailed Reason.com
musk is important
Elon Musk’s X to start trading in cryptocurrencies and stocks within ‘weeks’ CoinDesk
Grok’s market share soars amid intense regulatory backlash against deepfakes Cryptopolitan
Democratic Party Death Watch
John Fetterman denounces anti-Israel ‘corruption’ within Democratic Party, rejects AOC’s claim of Gaza ‘genocide’ FOX News
No major Democrats in Louisiana’s two major races: ‘You can’t force anyone to run’ nola.com
immigration
Trump administration seeks data from tech companies on Americans critical of immigration officials: Andre news agency reports
‘South Texas will never be red again’: Home builders warn Republicans over Trump’s immigration raids Politico
More than 4,400 court decisions find ICE illegally detaining immigrants The American Bazaar
Our press is no longer free
Journalist Don Lemon pleads not guilty in Minnesota church protest case Free Speech Center
The $31 million question: Are Trump’s settlements actually changing journalism? washington times
Mr. Market is in a bad mood.
Europe seeks ‘safer distance’ from dollar assets Macaubusiness.com
Gold falls below $5,000, silver slumps after US jobs report explodes Investing.com
Why good economic news didn’t spark a broad stock market rally Detroit Free Press
A.I.
Chatbot Enthusiast Predicts AI’s New Normal Semafor
AI agent publishes hit piece about me theshamblog.com
Spotify says its best developers haven’t written a single line of code since December thanks to AI TechCrunch
Minimum Standards for Taking AI Seriously How Things Work Substack
basil
US federal judge sentences Praetorian CEO to 20 years in prison for $200 million Bitcoin fraud Cryptopolitan
FBI investigating Missouri man wanted in $220 million cattle fraud case KMBC News
guillotine watch
The ultra-wealthy are shedding their luxury assets. Forget about fine wine, great art, and luxurious mansions. Callum Williams, senior economics writer at The Economist, investigates the growth of ultra-luxury services: https://t.co/T7dX70ZS9E pic.twitter.com/ZM5bl9HtFd
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) December 17, 2025
July 19th
metlife stadium
East Rutherford, New Jersey
It will probably be the most expensive ticket ever sold in North America. pic.twitter.com/4Avjzz5Pyz
— Jim Bianco (@biancoresearch) December 23, 2025
Antidote (via)
See yesterday’s link and antidote here
