The world’s largest rays may be diving to extreme depths to build a mental map of the vast ocean Phys.org
‘Chicago’s rat holes’ were not created by rats, says rodent researcher Chicago Sun-Times
Mitochondrial defects cause deadly diseases: Mitochondrial repair is becoming much easier Nature
Study: We’re losing the battle against drug-resistant infections faster than we thought NPR
Climate/Environment
CrOP30: Why burning food for land-demanding biofuels accelerates the climate crisis Transport and Environment
The 2025 floods changed the very “foundation” of agriculture in Punjab: its soil structure
Catastrophe insurance losses exceed $100 billion for 6th consecutive year Bloomberg
Trump’s budget cuts lead to lack of weather data, impacting deadly Alaska storm forecast CNN
pandemic
Want to call the CDC to report a possible disease outbreak? Information on MedPage today
Gauntlet beyond reason
South Korea
The US has withdrawn its request for a $350 billion all-cash investment, South Korea’s top diplomat, the Hankyoreh, says.
Japan
Economic and diplomatic anxiety rising due to political impasse Asahi Shimbun
US expects Japan to stop buying Russian energy: Anadolu Treasury secretary
India
India’s transition process from Russian oil will be ‘over in no time’: Donald Trump Indian Express
Mumbai Police arrests TISS students who participated in rally in honor of GN Sai Baba the Wire. “Sai Baba, who was more than 90 percent disabled and confined to a wheelchair, was imprisoned for 10 years for suspected links to the banned Communist Party of India.”
China?
Why is China suppressing Christian groups? Hindustan Times explains the Chinese government’s actions against the Zion Church and the “tariff relationship”
Top venture capitalist tours China, declares Western energy companies ‘uninvestable’ Kevin Walmsley
Chinese merchant fleet avoids Western-controlled waters for first shipment through Russia’s Arctic military surveillance
The Gulf turns east: how Central Asia became the new financial frontier
WATCH: As the US closes tariff avoidance routes through Southeast Asia, what’s next for businesses and workers in the region? channel news asia
old blighty
‘The Fraud’ links Labor Secretary Steve Reid to hacked data scandal The Canary
Or Canada
Canada flies in lockstep with the US Canadian Dimension
Pakistan/Afghanistan
Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to 48-hour ceasefire after deadly border clashes Press TV
syrakistan
Two killed in Israel attack in Gaza despite ceasefire Al Jazeera
Israel still hosts thousands of Palestinians Steven Semler
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, speaking at an event in the southern border city of Sderot, vowed that “there will be Jewish settlements in Gaza.”
His declaration came days after a ceasefire with Hamas forced Israeli forces to withdraw from some areas… https://t.co/kgK7LbMOe3
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) October 14, 2025
US Central Command issues warning to Hamas against President Trump’s anti-war stance
‘No shame’: UK invites private companies to compete for Gaza reconstruction contract Middle East Eye
Nearly 30 companies are listed in the Gaza reconstruction plan. Many say they are not involved
***
Israeli forces enter rural Syrian village Arab News
Syria’s Al Shara aims to rebuild ties with Russia in first Kremlin talks Intellinews
Syria’s time bomb: Responsible national craft
discord in europe
The companies most dependent on frozen and licensed Nexperia components in Europe are VW, BMW, Stellantis, Bosch, ASML, Siemens and Airbus. Was Germany not hollowing out its industry fast enough to satisfy the Trump administration? Replacement will take 12-18 days… https://t.co/Klft0HER1M pic.twitter.com/NGnpxg1mJW
— Kathleen Tyson (@Kathleen_Tyson_) October 15, 2025
Unclear new EU budget could fuel Euroscepticism, top auditor warns Euractiv
A new war that’s not so cold war
Europe’s NATO allies pledge to buy more US weapons under PURL plan for Ukraine Euronews
EU to be ‘ready’ for war with Russia by 2030 Politico
President Trump admits proxy war in Ukraine and Zelenskyy is a proxy: Trump said Zelenskyy wants to launch an attack and that he will decide after the meeting whether Zelenskyy will go for it. pic.twitter.com/mGa9IvHFAH
— Ivan Katchanovski (@I_Katchanovski) October 15, 2025
This is crazy: between 100,000 and 250,000 AFU soldiers deserted
That’s at least a quarter of the power. Maybe more. DNA is from British sources, not Russian sources
UKR Pravda has recently had a hole in its front line that is several kilometers long and is covering it with…
— Ben Aris (@bneeditor) October 15, 2025
‼ ️🇺🇲🇷🇺 “Kaliningrad and Sevastopol will be destroyed in the first hours” — there will not be a war between Russia and NATO like the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war,” said Gen. Ben Hodges, former commander of US forces in Europe.
📌 “If Russia attacks Poland in 2025…” pic.twitter.com/sdB9jeiIT5
— Visioner (@visionergeo) October 14, 2025
Defense Minister says after Hegseth meeting that the US has confirmed the continued presence of troops in Poland Note from Poland
Special Interview: Sean McMeekin Thoughts on the Big Surge
south of the border
U.S. is working to double aid to Argentina to $40 billion using private sources Associated Press
New attack in Caribbean kills 6 Venezuelans; President Trump approves deadly CIA covert operation in Venezuela
That means two B-52 bombers, part of the nuclear deterrent and global strike operations force AFGSC, are currently on a flight path off the coast of Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/2RuGB5qCEV
— New Left EViews (@NewLeftEViews) October 15, 2025
Lafaire Epstein
Bank of America and BNY sued over alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein New York Post
Trump 2.0
US approves new bank backed by billionaire with ties to Trump FT
President Trump’s “very wealthy” private donors have offered to pay the salaries of U.S. military personnel if funds run out due to the U.S. government shutdown.
Any guesses? pic.twitter.com/lo0Og6hiXf
— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) October 14, 2025
Why are American troops occupying American cities? seymour hersh
Inside the fight against Antifa by Ken Krippenstein
‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose young Republican’s racist chats Politico
Gorilla Radio — What everyone needs to know about the Trump-Miller White House where Prime Minister Carney is misjudged (and he’s not the only one) John Helmer
***
Federal judge temporarily blocks President Trump’s layoffs The Hill
Why the government shutdown is likely to last until November Yahoo! Finance
Deshabille Democratic Party
Democratic Establishment Targets Maine Working-Class Senate Candidate Graham Platner A Common Dream
What this document describes, a calculated American effort to reorient the Western left from class struggle to cultural criticism, from groups to individuals, from socialism to liberal moralism, resonates almost prophetically with the forgotten work of Michel Kulkar. pic.twitter.com/Oeh9000uG3
— Hispanic American Studies (@hispano_studies) October 15, 2025
immigration
Family visit to military base ends with ICE deportation of Marine father Military.com
imperial collapse watch
Pentagon retreats from fight against climate change as heat and storms hit troops
Learn from defeat? Aurelian
Army general says he’s using AI to improve ‘decision making’ Ars Technica
brave new world
Autonomous attack robot dog capable of firing grenades unveiled in US – Interesting engineering
Maha
Inside the FDA, career employees explain how political pressure is affecting their work STAT
From medicine to mysticism: The radicalization of Florida’s top physician Mother Jones
academy glove
Brown University joins forces with MIT to reject Trump’s academic funding deal Al-Mayadeen
The White House released funding agreements to all higher education institutions. Christian Science Monitor
big brother is watching you
Inside the SF Civilian Surveillance State 48 Hills
Flock’s gunshot detection microphone starts hearing human voices Tech Dirt
health care?
A closer look at why the proportion of uninsured children is increasing Public Health Watch
A.I.
Lawyer arrested for using AI while explaining why he used AI in court 404 Media
Man who stored AI-generated ‘robot porn’ on government computer loses access to nuclear secrets 404 Media
economy
The used car market is collapsing Jacobin
Gain-of-function monetary policy racket news
basil
Mr. Market Floss Bonanza
The frothiest AI bubble is in energy stocks WSJ
An Nvidia-backed company is planning a massive AI data center in West Texas. The real deal. “The self-powered Horizon campus will span 500 acres and utilize gas from the Permian Basin. ”
class war
Early success of Atlanta’s city-owned grocery store sparks debate over government’s role FOX News
When bread becomes a weapon: Rethinking hunger on World Food Day The Wire
Sacrificing the present for the expected Memory Scantron
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