Groundbreaking ancient genome research shows surprising acceleration of human evolution Nature
Conflicts have memories: Why local wars follow unique trajectories Irregular Warfare Initiative
Climate/Environment
Numerous Forest Service plans could be overturned after Boundary Waters mining vote Stateline
Newly recognized pollutants are widespread in the atmosphere Phys.org
March 2026 was the third worst drought month on record for the United States.
The single worst month was July and August 1934, when the infamous Dust Bowl occurred. pic.twitter.com/iBt50BW8Y9
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) April 16, 2026
California waters continue to set heat records Los Angeles Times
Judges overseeing landmark Louisiana oil case have financial interest in defendant Floodlight
pandemic
The number of unclaimed burials in New York City spikes early in the coronavirus pandemic, suggesting worsening inequality CIDRAP
Researchers point out similarities between plague victims and the coronavirus pandemic CTV News
‘This is a powder keg’: Romania leads EU food challenge due to low vaccination rate The Guardian
South Korea
Looking for crude oil and naphtha supplies with South Korea, Algeria, and Libya amid Middle East conflict Yonhap News
Japan
Cooperation between Japan and NATO has entered a new “concrete” stage, the special envoy for the alliance in Tokyo tells The Japan Times
China?
Should the US buy from CXMT? China Talk
3D map of Chongqing subway system.
Chongqing is called the “Mountain City”. Building a subway here is more difficult than in a normal city.
The total length of Chongqing’s subway is over 550 kilometers, making it the 7th longest in the world. pic.twitter.com/J3MJLqjlyJ
— Li Zexin 李泽欣 (@XH_Lee23) April 17, 2026
Southeast Asia
Indonesia and US forge defense partnership Intellinews
US to create high-tech manufacturing zone in Philippines WSJ
High debt ties Philippines’ hands in response to energy crisis: IMF The Star
India
‘Machines are down’: Fuel shortage disrupts Uttar Pradesh’s wheat harvest Down to Earth
Interview: Why India and other Asian powers need to fundamentally rethink their Gulf strategy India Inside Out by Rohan Venkat
syrakistan
As the world focuses on Iran, Israel’s ‘engineered starvation policy’ in Gaza Al Jazeera
All They Find is Sand London Book Review
***
Drone kills Lebanese man minutes after Trump says he bans Israeli anti-war strikes
What happened in Islamabad regarding Lebanon? dispute forum
***
Iran reaffirms its control over the Strait of Hormuz amid US “piracy and blockade”, says on Press TV. And before that…
President Trump claims Iran has agreed to indefinitely halt its nuclear program ANadolu Agency
President Trump says Strait of Hormuz is ‘fully open’ as US continues blockade of Iranian ports FOX News
Iran requests coordination of Revolutionary Guards via Hormuz Reuters
Personally, I believe that perhaps President Trump is saying all this nonsense about the deal with Iran so that he can later claim that “Iran did not keep its promises,” i.e., promises that Iran never made. It is likely that Trump and Netanyahu will carry out another murderous attack.
Iran is ready.
— Syed Mohammad Marandi (@s_m_marandi) April 17, 2026
Iranian hardliners attack Araghchi’s Horms tweet as ‘incomplete and misleading’ Intellinews
Africa
Israel appoints first Somaliland ambassador after Gieska’s approval
US launches airstrikes on Somalia as US-backed government claims al-Shabaab inflicts heavy casualties
IMF tells Nigerians to suffer in silence as war pushes West African oil prices above $113 a week
Forest Robbery and the Geography of Governance in Nigeria African Political Economy Review
discord in europe
Brussels proposes ‘voluntary’ sharing of jet fuel as shortage looms Euractiv
old blighty
Starmer’s cliché: “I was in the dark.” Please don’t believe it. He’s deeply involved Jonathan Cook
A new war that’s not so cold war
War: Better Late than Never by Julian MacFarlane
Budanov – Russian agent?Ukrainian events
south of the border
US will help Peru ‘take back’ Chancay port from China, Congress president says South China Morning Post
I am the Republic Phenomenal World
Trump 2.0
Trump says no stone will be left unturned by FBI investigation into missing NASA and nuclear research scientist The Independent
UFO scientist who warned ‘my life is in danger’ before being found dead at 34 becomes 11th mystery incident Daily Mail
White House aims to build lunar orbiting reactor by 2028 Oil prices
***
New Pentagon leader ties to company that trained Khashoggi’s killers: Responsible Nation Strategy
MAGA increasingly believes Trump assassination attempt was staged Wired
Democrats are the worst
Ilhan Omar blames ‘accounting errors’, claims she’s not wealthy…despite claims of up to $30 million in assets Daily Mail
imperial collapse watch
The Epstein cabal is targeting all of America as Iran orchestrates a precarious cease-fire – and the war is far from over. Fiorella Isabel and Vanessa Beeley
they needed a recession
Why did the US run out of missiles in Iran? doomsday scenario
big brother is watching you
Sold out at 2am – Part 1 Rear File
The shocking secrets of Madison Square Garden’s surveillance machine Wired
Home Depot shareholders to vote on whether parking cameras can help ICE customers find Immigration Insider
agriculture
Optimism wanes for progressive hardwinter wheat farmers
High-tech robot dogs patrol to protect valuable corn crops The Fence Post
academy glove
A place I once called home Synergy
Florida billionaire wants more private schools. So they’re building it themselves. WSJ
our famous free news agency
Online personalities and comedians overtake TV and newspapers as major news sources The Hollywood Reporter
antitrust law
Newly unsealed records reveal Amazon’s price-fixing tactics, claims California attorney general The Guardian
Mr. Market
760 million dollars due to oil shortage. Set up 20 minutes before Holmes’ announcement.
This is the third time.
March 23: $500 million short — 15 minutes before President Trump delays attack on Iran. Crude oil fell 15%.
April 7: $950 million shortfall — hours before US-Iran ceasefire.
April 17: $760 million shortfall — 20 minutes ago…
— Qassem Al Ali (@AlaliQasem) April 17, 2026
economy
Hold the Champagne: Oil recovery faces weeks-long delays as supply chain shock deepens. “A few weeks”?
Middle East energy production losses from Iran war will take about two years to recover: IEA chief Business Times
guillotine watch
The Alternative Reality of Lauren Sanchez Bezos Oligarch
A.I.
Spotify AI hijacking crisis intensifies: Prominent jazz musicians wake up to fake album releases and artist page takeovers Digital Music News
How Angine de Poitrin’s complex math rock defied text-based music generation AI formulas Laughing Squid
class war
If more restaurants did this pic.twitter.com/S2QU7WuP59
— 👑 (@coffeedo_o) April 17, 2026
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