Are memories formed on a blank slate? Yurek Alert
‘Speedrunning’ Scientology: TikTok trend causes havoc, church claims ‘hate crime’ Los Angeles Times
Death Valley National Park is experiencing its first major superbloom in a decade as of March-April 2026, as record winter rainfall (over 1.7 to 2.5 inches) transformed the desert landscape with a vibrant carpet of yellow, pink, and purple flowers.pic.twitter.com/YgaHskYSlM
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) April 28, 2026
Climate/Environment
Europe’s climate situation in 2025: record heatwaves occur from the Mediterranean to the Arctic, while glaciers shrink and snowfall decreases World Meteorological Organization
Warm circumpolar deep water moves poleward toward the South Pole Nature
We’re bombing America’s forests with Roundup Mother Jones
Rush to ‘green energy’ minerals negatively impacts the world’s most vulnerable people Climate and Capitalism
April 2026 was an unusually hail month.
pandemic
Here is today’s CDC-censored MedPage coronavirus vaccine paper
Japan
Observing the specter of stagflation in Japan
China?
Christian Zionism has come to the hearts of the Chinese BettBeat Media
MSS Revealed: Foreign Organizations Providing Huge Funds to “Lying Influencers” and Systematically Conducting “Lying Brainwashing” of the Ministry of State Security on WeChat (Translation by Chinaism)
Preparing for China Warwick Powell
syrakistan
Lebanon: Intensifying conflict has left nearly a quarter of the population severely food insecure, according to new IPC analysis World Food Program
Israeli Navy intercepts Global Sumud Fleet ships heading to Gaza and Anadolu
Israel map outlines expanded military-controlled Gaza Strip Reuters
Rat infestation on the rise, pest drop site in Gaza tent city
IDF cuts mental health support as military suicides soar Haaretz
***
Beaten and exhausted, Trump settles on a lax “permanent blockade” strategy as the disabled aircraft carrier Simplicius limps home
Scoop: Commanders to brief Trump on Iran’s new military options on Thursday Axios
US aims to deploy hypersonic missiles against Iran for the first time Bloomberg
discord in europe
Iran war costs EU 500 million euros per day, von der Leyen warns Politico
German government plans major cuts to healthcare, pensions and social security WSWS
Berlin deepens military ties with Washington as rift between Mertz and Trump widens Politico
Albania and US companies sign $6 billion LNG deal to strengthen energy security in Balkans Intellinews
Africa
Algeria and the Sahel in turmoil in Mali Sahel
Or Canada
$200 per barrel oil isn’t out of the question – and could destroy Canada’s health care system Dougald Lamont
old blighty
Supermarkets warn food prices will soon be hit by ‘full force’ of Iran war The Telegraph
A new war that’s not so cold war
President Putin and President Trump discuss May 9 ceasefire and situation surrounding Iran TASS
Defense Minister says Russia will not tolerate military presence of foreign forces in Central Asia IntelliNews
“The Myth of the Russian Invasion”
Ministry of Culture dispatches inspectors to Venice Biennale over Russian pavilion ANSA issue
south of the border
US and Latin American countries criticize China’s retaliation over Panama Canal Al Jazeera
Who is the “big bad wolf” in China-Latin America cooperation? America should look in the mirror Global Times
Lafaire Epstein
Pam Bondi appears before House Oversight Committee on Epstein charges Guardian
Trump 2.0
President Trump plans to add work requirements for public housing Can we still govern?
First Lady Melania Trump welcomes Queen Camilla and children to participate in a cross-cultural education program using Meta VR headsets at the White House in April 2026. pic.twitter.com/eFZPWRZUYW
— Future Adam Curtis B-Roll (@adamcurtisbroll) April 29, 2026
***
Is the Department of Justice lying about Saturday’s “shooting”? doomsday scenario
“Good Liberal” Undiplomatic Assassin
republican funhouse
Johnson quells Farm Bill revolt, moves to pass budget for Reconciliation 2.0 The Hill
Democrats are the worst
‘Dangerous and shameful’: 42 House Democrats help Republicans push Trump spying bill to Senate A common dream
Top Democrats oppose surveillance bill – use lever to vote in favor of bill
big brother is watching you
Gov. Wes Moore claims Maryland prohibits surveillance pricing on groceries. It wasn’t. Bundoggle
imperial collapse watch
Strategic Intimacy Without Trust: Russia, Iran, and the Emerging Anti-Coercion Order Kautilya the Contemplator
accelerationist
Exclusive: US tech giant whose employees wear IDF uniforms to work Nate Baer
supremes
Was the Voting Rights Act a coincidence with the collapse of the Soviet Union?Tony Caron
Supreme Court suggests Trump could scrap TPS for Haitians and Syrians without examining evidence from immigration insiders
immigration
Fear and opportunity: Immigration fraud soars as desperate people are lured by avid scammers during Trump’s election ProPublica
academy glove
How YouTube took over America’s classrooms WSJ
Should schools eliminate homework? Some educators say yes NPR
A.I.
AI bot teaches scientists how to make biological weapons New York Times
Google signs deal to give Pentagon access to AI models for ‘classified work’: Report the Cradle
Groundbreaking new report warns that flawed AI content market is accelerating ‘content cannibalization’ Center for Journalism & Liberty
Total madness. Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Meta collectively spend more money *in a single month* than the Manhattan Project. More than 12 times the Manhattan Project each year.
And what do they have to show for it?
No one is making more money with AI. no one has… pic.twitter.com/1XeMRxDcQX
—Gary Marcus (@GaryMarcus) April 29, 2026
Finally, the AI capabilities we all wanted and needed. Amazon is now creating AI “podcasts” about its products. There, two AI “hosts” discuss the product and answer questions as if it were a call-in show. pic.twitter.com/iSFMYrZeI3
— Katie Notopoulos (@katienotopoulos) April 29, 2026
Certification
your dinner went bad on purpose it went bad on purpose
“Maha”
RFK Jr. talked about “re-raising” his children at Wellness Farm. Meet the man who inspired him NPR
economy
Oil prices soar to wartime highs as U.S. reportedly eyes Iran’s military options Bloomberg
It’s bad when gas price managers literally say their system can’t handle rising prices. pic.twitter.com/OYGWxfUVt4
— Matthew Zeitlin (@MattZeitlin) April 29, 2026
Aramco suspends LPG shipments to Saudi export base until May due to war damage The Cradle
On the contrary, @WSJ: The breakup or absence of OPEC+ would be a disaster for the US oil industry and foreign policy.
No OPEC+ = high price volatility = a blow to high-cost US shale oil, which will be the first victim when oversupply appears.
Have we already forgotten about 2015 and 2020?
more… pic.twitter.com/puA8SSf8Zw
— Bob McNally (@Bob_McNally) April 29, 2026
I don’t think the UAE’s decision to leave OPEC+ has anything to do with oil.
Well, the UAE may have had some leeway with their own quota, as they were the only country other than Saudi Arabia with extra capacity.
But the real issue is timing. Why now? SoH is closed…
— JH (@CRUDEOIL231) April 29, 2026
basil
The price tag for California’s high-speed rail has soared to $231 billion, nearly seven times the estimated 2008 KMPH. At this rate, it will cost $1 trillion by the early 2100s.
class war
Why didn’t Zoran do more to promote unionization? Labor politics
Claire Valdez is trying to bring the labor movement to Congress Hamilton Nolan
Electoralism as containment: Reproducing liberal hegemony within the United StatesLeft William Murphy
Antidote (via):
Click here for yesterday’s link and Antidote du Jour.
