Chuck L.: “Probably a bigger record than the 4-minute mile in 1954.”
The sub-2 hour marathon barrier is broken in London.
Sabastian Thor: 1:59:30
Yomif Kejelcha: 1:59:41
42.2 miles at 4:34/mile…insane.pic.twitter.com/f3LqVSLa2Y
— Marcus Milione (@MarcusMilione) April 26, 2026
This tiny mammal survived the dinosaur apocalypse and changed lives, Earth Science Daily (Kevin W)
DNA research has truly rewritten the origins of humanity Science Daily (Kevin W)
‘A remarkable time capsule’: The fascinating history of Oxford University’s 750-year-old medieval library BBC (Kevin W)
Comments on Noah Smith’s “Moderately Simple Problems of Consciousness” Brad DeLong
Climate/Environment
The next Forever Chemical may already be here. Scientists still don’t understand what it does
With predictions of the strongest El Niño phenomenon in decades, farmers also face supply disruptions linked to the Iran war, raising concerns about global crop production.
Extreme heat is negatively impacting food systems in unexpected ways Observer
Scientists say building a giant dam between Alaska and Russia could prevent AMOC from collapsing. It is much less harmful than other geoengineering ideas because it can be reversed or mitigated.
Amazon recovery masks diversity loss as fires, droughts and storms reshape forest edges PhsyOrg
ISU study reveals ‘extinction spiral’ for pollinators Iowa Capital Dispatch (Robin K)
New York City is at great risk of flooding, study finds 4.4 million people could be exposed to extreme damage
Researchers seek answers as ‘zombie’ fish increase in Lake Superior MPR News (Chuck L)
China?
Analysis: Under cover of trade ceasefire with Trump, China expands economic pressure toolkit Reuters
Unauthorized: China welcomes Dutch trade minister amid standoff between Neexperia and ASML South China Morning Post
China’s ‘iron flow batteries’ could make renewable energy storage cheaper NewsBytes Chuck L:”
Researchers at Nanjing University have developed a new method to use sunlight to produce clean hydrogen directly from seawater.
They created a special material (cobalt phosphide on carbon nitride) that is safe to put in seawater. When exposed to sunlight, it splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. no… pic.twitter.com/vKCiiiZ34P
— Smart Science (@SmartScience) April 26, 2026
India
Democracy vs. Religious Consortium in India News
Southeast Asia
The United States is not providing any aid in the aftermath of the Iran war, Thailand’s foreign minister told the Washington Post (Kevin W). Rumor has it that Thailand is getting its oil from Angola…but as far as I know, this will close the gap, but not close it.
Cambodia accuses Thailand of military invasion Khymer Times
Africa
Rising geopolitical shocks expose North Africa’s fragile food systems
Egypt tries to isolate Ethiopia with diplomatic blitz in Africa as countries conflict over water
Sudan: Millions of civilians on the brink of starvation amid starvation, siege and international inaction
UAE funds Colombian mercenaries to support RSF genocide in Sudan The Cradle (Kevin W)
The Congolese army announced on Sunday that it had shot down a Rwandan military drone in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
south of the border
Three people killed on suspected drug ship in US airstrike, bringing election death toll to 185 The Guardian
discord in europe
France, Greece seek postponement of coronavirus debt repayments, increase in EU debt Politico
EU’s biggest ever toxic chemical ban hit by ‘extremely frustrating’ delays The Guardian
Poland’s population will decline by 31.6% by 2100, Eurostat says BNE Intelnews
old blighty
Government steps up plans for potential shortages due to Iran war Independence
MSM silent on trial of Starmer arsonist – no special reporting restrictions yet Canary (Colonel Smithers)
Does the Royal Navy have more admirals than ships? Naval Observer (Captain Smithers)
One is interesting! King Charles makes Melania Trump giggle during White House beehive visit Daily Mail
israel vs resistance
‘300 tonne crane’ required to remove Palestinian flag from Dublin Spire, Irish Times (PlutoniumKun). Bwahahaha
Deadly Israeli attack worsens Gaza water crisis Guardian
IDF lured into southern Lebanon and ‘drowned’ in ambush | Robert Inrakesh Rachel Blevins (Chuck L)
* * *
US airline group stands ready for next round after President Trump says Simplicius is ‘unhappy’ with Iran’s demands
President Trump was cornered as Iran scored multiple diplomatic victories. President Putin praises Iranian reporter Jantaka. There’s a clip of Caroline Levitt putting on her usual snarky face while effectively confirming that Iran currently refuses to discuss nuclear enrichment. See also the statement in support of Pakistan on behalf of itself and other major powers in the UN Security Council.
Note the Bloomberg landing page:
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says the US is ‘humiliated’ by Iran Financial Times
Iranian leadership is not divided…Trump administration is Larry Johnson
🚨Breaking News: Pakistan takes historic decision against Iran! 🚨
Pakistan is rewriting the regional trade map!
In a major strategic move, Pakistan formally allowed Iran to trade with third countries through its territory.
The Department of Commerce said, “Transit… pic.twitter.com/3tF7b2pS97
— Sadafzbaloch (@sadafzbaloch) April 26, 2026
See comments:
🚨Breaking news:
The Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, will announce the withdrawal from the Republic of Sharjah and the UAE 🇦🇪
The Republic of Sharjah is more than just a headline, it is also a warning that the region is entering a new era.
Please observe carefully. pic.twitter.com/7JXlaABejr
— Ʌ฿ͮ̐Ŋ (son of Ðaraawiish)🐎🇸🇴 (@RealAbyan) April 26, 2026
‘We just want to go home’ on board ship stranded in Strait of Hormuz The Times
Pirates near Somalia hijack cargo ship off Galakad Gulf News
A new war that’s not so cold war
Fake news alert: Russia is not planning amphibious attacks in the Baltic Sea Andrew Korybko
Ukraine War: Lifting the Current Cloud of Disinformation. What was the real cause of Russia’s strategic shift? Simplicius (Kevin W)
big brother is watching over you
President Trump uses assassination to justify expanding spying powers Asia Times (Kevin W)
imperial collapse watch
Fareed Zakaria has come to a sharp conclusion this week, and it’s worth noting. In a Washington Post column and accompanying video, he argued that President Trump’s contempt for America’s allies had finally crossed a threshold from which he could not easily recover.
Zakaria’s point is…
— Gandarb (@Microinteracti1) April 26, 2026
Empire Returns: Managed Neglect and Internal Colonialism in the United States John Robb (Michael T.)
🚨They tried to do to Mali what they did to Syria.
Russia’s Afrika Korps released a battle report.
Between 10,000 and 12,000 fighters attacked Bamako, Sebale, Gao, Kidal, and Kati simultaneously.
More than 1,000 people were incapacitated. 500 for Gao alone. 300 in Kati. 200 people in Bamako. And that is…
— S͎a͎l͎a͎d͎i͎n͎🇸🇴⚖️🕋✍️ (@InaHassan3) April 26, 2026
Embrace your autonomy John Robb (Michael T.)
Serious trouble creeps in anytime, anywhere Olivier Boyd-Barrette (Chuck L)
Trump 2.0
American spy in the Vatican Ken Krippenstein
President Trump accused of siding with Big Ag over key supporters in major blow to MAHA alternative network
supremes
Supreme Court to consider use of ‘geofence warrants’ by law enforcement The Hill
Supreme Court to hear arguments in landmark herbicide roundup case, New York Times (Kevin W). There is no archive version yet.
FRB
Handoff: How the 1951 Treasury Fed Agreement was overtaken by front-end dollar machine Shanaka Anslem Perera. I haven’t thought about this paper yet because I’m on the move. Perera generally identifies important facts that others miss, but tends to make overly strong forms of argument based on them.
Our press is no longer free
Jimmy Kimmel rejects White House criticism of Melania Trump’s widow joke BBC
economy
Iran war’s impact on Asia: crops rot, schools close, rationing
Stagflation is here: Donald doesn’t like what happens next! antiwar.com
Supercars feared to stall due to Strait of Hormuz blockade Telegraph
Japan’s largest power company JERA said it could not provide earnings forecasts for the fiscal year ending March 2027, citing energy market uncertainty stemming from the Iran war.
Structural gas demand destruction threatens global LNG market Oil prices
Will the Iran war reshape the auto industry? D.W.
Iran war disrupts circuit board supply chain, raising costs for tech companies Channel News Asia
A.I.
Dario Amodei, Hype, AI Safety, and the Explosion of a Vibe-Coded AI Disaster Gary Marcus
UK government admits it underestimated AI’s carbon emissions by 136,000pc
basil
Private equity backers raise new conflict concerns over sweetheart deals Financial Times
guillotine watch
US big game hunter crushed to death by elephant The Guardian
How a tax loophole drained funds from schools and enriched Trump’s megadonors
class war
World hunger reaches its worst level in years as aid funding collapses, UN warns Politico
National Security Undiplomatically Undermining American Farmers (Chuck L.)
Antidote (via):
And a bonus (Chuck L). It’s not an AI, it’s a domesticated rhinoceros. A small dog can be seen nearby.
A rhino approaches a photographer and asks to be given a wound on its abdomen. Now you know why having opposable thumbs is beneficial 🤣 pic.twitter.com/ThlbnJlJrF
— Interesting stuff (@awkwardgoogle) April 26, 2026
And the second (Bob H):
Research shows that watching a beaver eat cabbage reduces stress levels by 15% pic.twitter.com/UsodlU6Mif
— Nature Unedited (@NatureUnedited) April 13, 2026
Click here for yesterday’s link and Antidote du Jour.
