Part 2: Current state of the housing market. Calculated risk overview for mid-December 2024
climate
World’s largest iceberg emerges from vortex and heads north Anadolu Agency
A treasure trove of secrets still hidden in the forests of Africa Al Jazeera
syndrome
CDC wastewater testing detects H5 in 11 states Bird Flu Diary
Virus spreads on US FOX, cats and zoo animals die from bird flu
China?
China’s manufacturing industry in the next 20 years will aim to be cheap, high quality and high-tech: Expert CGTN
China needs incentives to strengthen lean grassroots public institutions, economic leaders tell South China Morning Post
China vows to crack down on illegal spy camera recordings as incidents of hotel room voyeurism increase Channel News Asia
India
PM Modi’s $6 billion submarine plan derailed by sea tests Bloomberg
BJP’s attack on America’s ‘deep state’ reflects growing global debate Business Standard
South Korea
Was South Korea’s coup d’état an attempt to restart the Korean War?
K-pop, carols and free food at South Korean impeachment demonstration Channel News Asia
syrakistan
HTS leader emphasizes need to evolve from ‘revolutionary spirit’ Anadolu Agency
“Syria will not get involved in the conflict with Israel”: HTS chief breaks silence on Israeli attack Press TV
Blinken admits US contact with Syrian rebel group The Hill
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Syria’s 25th Armored Division continues to fight jihadists despite government collapse: can they hold out? military watch
IAEA says Iran agrees to strengthen monitoring of major nuclear enrichment facilities France 24
Press TV, Iran: “Israeli invasion” [in Syria] gilbert doctorow
discord in europe
Former soccer player becomes BBC chairman, deepening turmoil in Georgia
Protests continue in Tbilisi with winemakers, doctors, IT experts marching on the 16th JAM News
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Transnistria stocks firewood as Moldova enters state of emergency BNE Intellinews
The Abolition of Democracy in Europe Craig Murray
Dear Old Blighty
Big Brother The Pub Curmudgeon
A new war that’s not so cold war
Ukraine’s Endgame Julian Barnes, NYT
The price of Russia’s victory
In the escalation debate, the outcome will determine the national interest.
Bureaucratic hero syndrome is ruining Ukraine and America The Spectator
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Ukraine’s spotted fortress helps Russia advance into the FT
War map reveals Russian advance as Ukrainian fortifications are destroyed
Drones attack Chechnya’s capital, likely targeting riot police and special forces bases Ukraineska Pravda
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Zelenskiy says Ukraine will build food supply system for Syria Reuters
Ukrainian authorities postpone US mineral deal to get Trump to sign – NYT Ukraineska Pravda
Corruption and Russia’s illegal gold trade RAND
new amazing game
Central Asian Military and Asian Geopolitics The Diplomat
digital clock
OpenAI whistleblower found dead in San Francisco apartment, Mercury News. Deck: “Suthir Balaji, 26, alleged that the company was violating copyright laws.”
ACLU not happy after US police officers use AI to write police reports
Trump administration transition
About 3 in 10 people have high confidence in President Trump regarding Cabinet, spending and military oversight: AP-NORC poll
Will Hegseth’s nomination survive? daily howler
Marin praises Hegseth’s efforts to ingratiate himself with the Republican Party behind closed doors: He’s ‘doing it’
ABC agrees to donate $15 million to Donald Trump’s presidential library to settle defamation lawsuit Associated Press
spook country
Commentary: Spy alliance “Five Eyes” should let Japan join Channel News Asia
supremes
Constitutional Federalism and the Nature of Confederation (PDF) GW Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2024-64. From the summary: “Following the declaration of independence, the former British colonies in North America became “free and independent nations,” a status endowed with all the rights and powers of other sovereign nations under the laws of nations. Under this law, states can alienate sovereign rights and powers in binding legal instruments, but only if the instruments meet certain requirements. ace [Emmerich de] Vattel [(1760)] Explaining, and echoed by Hamilton in The Federalist, all means used to alienate such rights and powers are subject to important background rules designed to avoid misunderstanding and war: Legal measures can alienate the rights and powers of a sovereign only if they do so clearly and expressly, by condition or by unavoidable implication. Documents that failed this test left sovereignty and authority with their original owners. ”
our famous free news agency
‘Do we even exist?’ Robot news site casts shadow over Northwest town Seattle Times
Haunted Papers Local News Initiative
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Merger completes, creates lifestyle brand and McClatchy Media, expands Miami Herald’s reach
supply chain
Fitch Rating: Global Shipping Outlook Stable in 2025 Greek Shipping News
health care
Ohio Supreme Court hands victory to CVS, Walgreens, Walmart in nationwide opioid case Pharmacist Steve
FDA has not inspected this drug factory after seven recalls for the same defect, one of which was potentially deadly ProPublica
the final frontier
Extraterrestrial life may look nothing like life on Earth, so astrobiologists are devising a framework to study how complex systems evolve Space.com
Christmas pre-game festival
Stay sober and have a happy holiday season with tips from AP experts
Notes: Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol JSTOR Daily
imperial collapse watch
US Army and US Navy successfully test LRHW hypersonic missile Navy News. LRHW = Long Range Hypersonic Weapon.
class war
Luigi Mangione latest: Manhattan prosecutors could end extradition fight as top New York lawyer named suspect in CEO’s murder Independent
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Amazon workers union approves strikes at two The Hill warehouses in New York. Amazon Teamsters.
Railway and labor union split, fight over labor certificates
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How Walter Benjamin’s iconic anti-fascist essay escaped the epicenter of European literature
Global Rules for Art: The Emergence and Disintegration of the Cultural World Economy Nonsite.org
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The Shining Big Lie: Our lives are better now – no, we are poorer, poorer Charles Smith, of two minds
Temporary antidote (H. Zell):
Click here for yesterday’s link and Antidote du Jour.
