The world’s largest operating steam locomotive weighs 1.2 million pounds. Now a historic train may be coming to your town Smithsonian Magazine
The lost sublimity of nature: Mini-philosophy
Astronomers detect sugar in interstellar space for the first time Science News. But no spices?
Climate/Environment
Talk slide deck: Have we entered a new normal? Unraveling climate change
How to Handle Rain Bombs New York City Policy Forum. “New York City has experienced all four of its most extreme precipitation events in the past four years.”
Wildfires in Spain, France and Italy kill 3 firefighters France 24
pandemic
U.S. measles cases hit record high in 34 years Science News
Why the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history is becoming more difficult AP
toilet
‘Five-alarm fire’: Western reservoirs that supply water to California drop to record lows Los Angeles Times
Japan
JPMorgan and other U.S. banks will help finance Japan’s $550 billion U.S. investment plan, sources say Reuters
China?
‘Collapse’: President Trump’s Boeing deal causes confusion at Beijing Politico
Was it made “with” China? — Shi Zhan, on the rise of the renminbi and the creation of a “shadow China” overseas Sinicization
China issue diplomacy in the Gulf. Is there at least a problem?
Southeast Asia
When the Indonesian middle class takes to the streets FULCRUM
India
Student protests against Prime Minister Modi surge across India TRT World
India’s dependence on fertilizer leaves agriculture vulnerable East Asia Forum
syrakistan
Israel firebombs house where children were sleeping in latest serial killing scene
This doesn’t get much coverage, but it deserves more coverage. Israel destroyed medical facilities in the Gaza Strip. Patients are dying every day. This does not allow Gazans to rebuild hospitals or evacuate patients.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court… https://t.co/0dzd2YITkj
— Shayel Ben Ephraim (@academic_la) July 20, 2026
Nearly half of Israeli government participates in March vote on Gaza settlements +972 Magazine
I’m a genocide researcher. We are entering a frightening new era. new york times
***
Trump approves Saudi nuclear deal with uranium enrichment without safeguards New Arab
Houthis resume attacks on shipping, claim attacks on two Saudi tankers
Islamabad condemns Houthi threat against Riyadh, warns against targeting Pakistan’s maritime interests DAWN
Aurangzeb seeks $10 billion support from US DAWN
***
Iranian missiles alone won’t end America’s presence in the Middle East – Contemplator Kautilya
As the war between Iran and the US intensifies, the Kurdish invasion ‘conspiracy’ is back in the spotlight – Amwazi
Africa
ECOWAS, Morocco – Supports Nigeria Atlantic Gas Pipeline Project L’Intelligencer
Trump administration considering military options in Mali, WaPo officials say
old blighty
More Thoughts on Andy Burnham as Prime Minister Cooper Lee Press
discord in europe
EU poised to bow to new US tariffs after current government expires Euronews
US government doesn’t want Europe to talk about US technology ‘kill switch’ Reuters
Chartbook 460 Greedflation and the China Shock: Can Europe’s Auto Industry Be Saved Without Exacerbating the Cost of Living Crisis?Adam Tooze
A new war that’s not so cold war
Iran’s exclusive attack on a CIA facility raises questions about Russia’s possible role, Reuters reports. The result is terrible.
After meeting with Russia’s Lavrov, Rubio says U.S. commits to help end war in Ukraine, but no quick deal NBC News
Last month’s Euronext #wheat just hit its highest since June 2024, and CBOT is once again approaching the $7 handle.
The market is finally starting to pay attention to the turmoil in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.
Here’s what we wrote last week: “Until Russia finds an effective way to repel Ukraine…” pic.twitter.com/H1v39jysPG
— Andrei Sizov (@sizov_andre) July 22, 2026
Military revolution? ukraine events
imperial collapse watch
US Polar Security Cutter costs more than $6 billion, postponed to 2033, GAO warns captain
The Impact of Private Equity on U.S. Manufacturing Private Equity Stakeholder Project
GM is secretly turning into a subscription company Business Insider
Own nothing, upgrade everything: Apple’s new Klarna deal Computer World
iOS 27 code suggests Apple could restrict leased devices after missing payments 9to5 Mac
Lafaire Epstein
Epstein scandal: Suspected French model scout and recruiter found dead, Le Monde
south of the border
Why won’t the Pentagon say whether it’s using AI to blow up boats in the Caribbean? After-action report
Latin America’s rightward shift boosts investor confidence, says BMI IntelliNews
greatest democracy
The billionaires behind Ramaswamy’s smear campaign Oligarch Watch
‘Exponentially different levels’ of billionaire spending in California capital and major cities
Pentagon proposes new secret authority to withhold unclassified records from public access law CBS News
Reconsidering constitutional binding in intermittent LPE projects
Trump 2.0
House passes settlement framework for voting restrictions with Pentagon backing on The Hill. And the House of Representatives passes the 2027 NDAA, which includes anti-war provisions to combine U.S. and Israeli militaries.
‘Politically impossible situation’: New poll finds Trump supporters are losing patience with Iran war Politico
Red Scare 2.0 Unpopular Front
Trump officials asked how they could target Antifa as a foreign terrorist organization, given that it’s unclear what “antifa” even is.
“Basically, a foreign terrorist organization needs three things: it needs to be foreign, it needs to be a terrorist, and it needs to be an organization.” pic.twitter.com/CsHZCCMU2O
— Prem Thakker (@prem_thakker) July 21, 2026
Democrats are the worst
This is a stupid trick that Democrats have been using against their supporters for years.
If something they are trying to oppose (such as the NDAA) “must pass,” they will ensure that there are enough Democratic votes to pass it, even by a one-vote margin.
Then tell all the other Democrats: … https://t.co/jsN3YHVGSX
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) July 22, 2026
republican funhouse
Fossil fuel money behind Republicans’ wildfire blame game
A.I.
What happened to TheNumbers.com should worry us all
OpenAI’s disconcerting hack of HuggingFace Gary Marcus
big brother is watching you
Flock “opposes removal of equipment”: Email reveals why town placed bag over Flock camera 404 Media
police state surveillance
ICE is secretly arresting more people than ever before, according to the latest data Austin Kocher
academy glove
Rural New York school district becomes one of the first schools to introduce humanoid robots to classrooms New York Focus
“Maha”
RFK Jr. questions Mexico’s link to Taylor Farms facility, says cyclosporiasis outbreak ‘under control’ NBC News
You can blame the government for diarrhea lettuce bon appétit.
Nation Casino
Calci enters biopharmaceuticals with clinical trials and FDA-approved predicted market STAT
America’s future nurses are betting their school tuition on Calci
The only thing Congress has banned is itself, but can it still govern?
class war
A homeless man has been charged with a felony for camping. He was one of the first NPRs. As we return to serfdom, we cross yet another Rubicon.
A Southern California city made landlords pay when tenants were forced out due to rent increases. The courts then intervened with LAist.
BREAKING: HUD plans to block federal funding for housing by burying crisis memos in paperwork
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