monstrification ion
Scientists explain why ‘harmless’ shark ate swimmer in frigid temperatures – world’s first scientific warning
New DNA evidence reveals what really killed Napoleon’s army in 1812 ZME Science
Dupont Metro Sticker Wars Overthinking
Climate/Environment
Melissa intensifies extremely rapidly, with devastating impact expected on Jamaica; look to the tropics
New satellite data reveals changes in Earth’s once balanced energy system, Eos
Something very strange is happening…
Typically, temperatures in the Arctic begin to drop during this time.
There is little sign of that happening at the moment, and if anything, temperatures could rise again. pic.twitter.com/hs15pZY9Vp
— Met4Cast 🍂 (@Met4CastUK) October 25, 2025
pandemic
‘Every time I step out, the first thing I think of is my forehead’: Women undergoing hair transplants The Guardian
The scars of the pandemic: Understanding interstitial lung disease after COVID-19
WHN joins the chorus: Medical masks are not PPE World Health Network
The great divide: How different COVID-19 response strategies have shaped the pandemic’s outcome New Zealand Public Health Communication Center
Tuberculosis cases are surging in the UK: symptoms and advice you need to know The Independent
toilet
Fishing in the wrong place LRB
Japan
Observing Japan in Abe’s shadow
Takaichi to lift Japan’s defense export ban Asia Times
China?
U.S. and China sign major trade deal ahead of Trump-Xi deal Business Times
The Illusion of American Leverage Warwick Powell. for example:
(1) U.S. auto factories are weeks away from chip shutdown, lobby group says on Bloomberg
(2) Margins and mutual benefits expand as China shifts to exporting luxury goods and becomes less dependent on the U.S.: South China Morning Post report
(3) China’s industrial profits rose 21.6% in September, the largest increase in almost two years CNBC
(4) China’s pharmaceutical leverage is a “nuclear option” in US trade negotiations Bloomberg
China’s economic success is changing Western media coverage South China Morning Post
Stabilizing the US-China conflict RAND I linked to Simplicius’ article yesterday about this, but I’ll go into a little more detail.
A completely unusual paper by RAND University, the leading think tank of the US military-industrial complex, and another important sign that the US deep state, despite all the chaos and noise, is moving away from deterring China and towards embracing coexistence (literally, they… pic.twitter.com/AHNLfVuv6m
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) October 25, 2025
🇺🇸🇨🇳Beware of “analysts” (in this case Arnaud Bertrand) who tout “peace” between the US and China based on obscure thesis divorced from reality.
Arnault is waving his hands around the Landland document as if it were evidence of some kind of “backsliding” in US policy of encirclement and containment… pic.twitter.com/Ba7OznWmkG
— Brian Berletic (@BrianJBerletic) October 26, 2025
Navy helicopter and jet crash in South China Sea, separate incident Navy Times
US joins Cambodia and Thailand in granting 0% tariffs to Malaysia Intellinews
syrakistan
Revealed: ‘New Gaza’ plan – and the four militias Israel will help defeat Hamas Sky News
Israeli excavations around Al Aqsa threaten to cause partial collapse of mosque: Statement Al Arabiya. That’s certainly convenient.
President Trump’s paradox: He opposes Israel’s annexation of the West Bank in words, but actually approves of it
Baby, Boom: How to keep Israeli kids busy on vacation? Take them to the Haaretz Minefield
President Trump’s road to Riyadh: The geopolitics of AI and energy infrastructure American Affairs Journal
PKK says it will withdraw all troops from Türkiye to northern Iraq Middle East Eye
Amwazi’s killing of Sunni candidate casts shadow over Iraq election
old blighty
British military leaders say they want to share nuclear weapons with Germany Telegraph
discord in europe
China humiliated Germany: no one in China wants to meet with German politician Infodefense. There is a strong argument that Germany is humiliating itself.
Germany is doing to itself what not even defeat in World War II could do Tariq Cyril Amar
Flashy hardware, weak strategy: Is Poland, NATO’s largest defense spender, preparing for the right war? Notes from Poland
Mac talks about the civil war in Europe Mark Wolk https://meaninginhistory.substack.com/p/mac-on-the-civil-war-in-europe?
Hungary’s new energy plan quietly redefines Russia as a risk Daily News Hungary
Exclusive: EU considers following US lead and ending support for global health fund Euractiv
A new war that’s not so cold war
Russia launches world’s longest-range missile: Burevestnik can fly around the world thousands of times before attacking Military Watch Magazine
President Trump may not follow through on Russian oil and Tomahawk Indian punchlines
Europe’s Plan B for Ukraine Politico. “EU countries could be asked to raise tens of billions of euros in joint debt as part of a ‘Plan B’ to keep Ukraine afloat after Belgium blocked plans to use frozen Russian assets as a financial lifeline for Kiev, according to three EU diplomats.”
Lithuania closes border crossing with Belarus indefinitely after third consecutive night of airspace violations by balloons Kiev independence
south of the border
Argentine investor poised for rally after Millei victory Buenos Aires Times
Venezuela condemns US-backed military exercises by Trinidad and Tobago as hostile provocation Orinoco Tribune
From Baghdad to Caracas: Washington Manual on Sanctions and War Z Network
Lithium bankruptcy leaves Latin American towns in ruins
spook country
How secret agents are taking over US foreign policy SpyTalk
Trump 2.0
The risks of appointing Trump as military spender: Can he still govern?
Trump administration announces federal food aid will no longer be distributed starting November 1st during government shutdown, CBS News announces
Conservatives think President Trump hasn’t gone far enough Boston Review
Trump says he will not run for vice president in the 2028 US presidential election The Straits Times
immigration
SCOOP: ICE List Shares Evidence with Letitia James Immigration Insider
Deshabille Democratic Party
California Governor Gavin Newsom says he’s ‘lying’ if he denies plans to consider presidential race NBC News
mamdani
I know you meant it in a racist way against Mamdani, but it’s mostly something along the lines of, “Vote for Cuomo or we’ll do another 9/11.” https://t.co/EVzSxHVLiy
–Matt Reeve?? (@Matt Reeve) October 25, 2025
Wars Come Home
How to kill a saboteur and escape New Lines Mag
police state surveillance
Federal authorities arrest Laugh Factory’s night manager, deploy tear gas nearby
Trump administration turns to US Navy to accelerate construction of migrant detention center network CNN
imperial collapse watch
Golden Fleet: US looks to new generation of warships to regain superiority at sea Interesting engineering
accelerationist
What fellow fascist techies get wrong about Prometheus Lit Hub
academy glove
Higher education institutions’ rush to adopt AI means more than AI defectors
Educated Slave Today in Ancient Roman History
health care?
Monopoly Recap: Obamacare is done. What’s next? BIG by Matt Stoller
PNHP’s New Report Reveals Medicare Advantage Equity Illusion Healthcare
Against Fairness: A Vindication of Old-Fashioned Equality 3 Quarks Daily
our famous free news agency
NYT warns progressives fair as millions march against fascism
The White House shared this Washington Post op-ed written by members of the Abu Shabaab gang from multiple accounts.
The post then replied with a gift link. The editorial was promoted by a pro-Israel PR firm. Israel supported these gangs.
The rot is deep https://t.co/YFrubVUVY2
— Ryan Grimm (@ryangrim) October 25, 2025
sports desk
make sport sacred again
friendly sky
More than 8,000 US flights delayed due to lack of air traffic control Channel News Asia
Air traffic controllers are about to miss out on their first paycheck. Some people are now forced to take on side jobs. NBC News
A.I.
Real estate is entering the age of AI slop Wired
class war
Benefits of unified ownership Works in Progress
Antidote (via):
Click here for yesterday’s link and Antidote du Jour.
