This family’s cat turned chef added a dead mouse to the soup, not a bee (Lee)
I know it’s a terrible hobby to cheer, but
Currently leading HuffPost: pic.twitter.com/ma3oBYWm7Q
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) November 4, 2025
Dick Cheney sold the lie of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq to the world and profited from the deaths of millions of Iraqis.
Before becoming vice president, Cheney served as CEO of Halliburton. After the destruction of Iraq, Halliburton wins a no-bid federal contract to rebuild… https://t.co/H8Ltq7eKGt pic.twitter.com/8ncq6kpcBi
— Afshin Rattansi (@afshinrattansi) November 4, 2025
ScienceDaily (Kevin W) Memory problems among young people are becoming alarming. It has existed since before the new coronavirus.
#New Coronavirus Infection/Pandemic
Impact of US COVID-19 excess mortality on Social Security spending NBER. Paul R.: “Coronavirus deaths help SS trust fund.”
Laos Bangkok Post reports polio outbreak
Climate/Environment
With 22 of 34 key indicators at record highs, Earth is showing alarming symptoms of climate change: Report Down to Earth
Forcing changes in internal variability increase the intensity of summer heatwaves in central and northern Europe Nature
The threat of natural extinction is reflected in our own bodies. both have a big impact on health
toilet
Iran’s water crisis puts millions at risk
India’s suspension of Indus Treaty triggers Pakistan water crisis Grand Pinnacle Tribune
China?
China asks US to avoid ‘red line’ after trade ceasefire agreement Bloomberg
China supports domestic AI chips with huge energy subsidies to counter US sanctions WinBuzzer
Japan
Thatcher of Japan Julian Macfarlane
Africa
Nigeria rejects Christian genocide claims as President Trump considers military action Al Jazeera (resilc)
Stay away from Nigeria Daniel Larison
Potential fall of Mali to terrorists could lead to new French-led intervention Andrew Korivko
south of the border
Report: US preparing Mexico mission against anti-cartels, including military and drone strikes (Kevin W)
Venezuela exposes CIA “Casas Belli” conspiracy, arrests suspected operative Orinoco Tribun (Robin K)
Paraguay declares war on ‘narco-terrorists’ Paraguay Post
Mexican mayor killed during Day of the Dead celebrations Guardian (resilc)
discord in europe
Germany’s industrial hollowing is a capital coup: Chinese economic indicators (Robin K)
What secrets still remain in the explosion of Nord Stream II? Poland’s Opaque Game NEO (Michael T)
old blighty
Millions lend money to friends and family to cover essentials BBC
Even former bank MDs can’t get their children into finance-related jobs now eFinancialCareers25 (Micael T)
israel vs resistance
Israel to appoint new military lawyer after rape case of Palestinian prisoner Middle East Eye (resilc)
Israeli settlers filmed torturing lambs in Palestinian-owned pens in Haaretz, West Bank (resilc)
Olive Harvesting Exile Jewish Trend (Susan C)
The myth of US peace talks: Why Washington’s mediation in West Asia continues to crumble The Cradle
The Arab world’s last extremist leader is elusive and defiant The Wall Street Journal
A new war that’s not so cold war
The root cause of the war in Ukraine or why Russia insists on fighting the war in Donbass
imperial collapse watch
Western political lies mark the end of an era Finn Andrin (Michael T.)
The US and the EU had bold plans to counter China’s Belt and Road initiative in Africa’s copper belt. It broke in less than a year. Kevin Walmsley
America’s magical thinking on Ukraine and North Korea American conservatives (resilc)
Highest incarceration rate in the world (including US states) Visual Capitalist (resilc)
Trump 2.0
Trace analysis of 150 U.S. cities shows the most significant reductions in gun violence — Ever The Trace (resilc)
Top FDA drug regulator resigns amid investigation STAT
shutdown
The Trump administration plans to use emergency funds to pay some of the food stamp benefits, BBC. By court order.
Senate Republicans block Democrats from funding SNAP The Hill
Tariffs/Trade
President Trump says China and other countries can’t own Nvidia’s top AI chips Reuters
supremes
“Regular Army” and the Insurrection Act Steve Vladeck
Monday: Tariffs imposed on SCOTUS. Thinking about rare earths Mark Wolk
republican clown car
Full-blown Republican civil war erupts over Israel’s Fuentes, Tucker – breaking point
Democratic Party’s Death Wish
Inside the Democratic Party’s Identity Crisis Unherd. Great phrase making.
Working-class voters think the Democratic Party is “woke” and “weak,” a new Politico poll finds. Paul R.: “It took extensive research to find that out (laughs).”
A year after Trump’s victory, why haven’t Democrats changed their strategy? Norman Solomon, Guardian (resilc)
How Democrats Can Attack Washington Monthly. Well, they’re pretty good at being aggressive.
mamdani
When Zoran Mandani was campaigning in Arabic, he was speaking Old American Juan Cole (Randy K.)
“Mamdani takes Knicks off the rafters after Cuomo sits courtside” https://t.co/yLhhDpBPNp https://t.co/D0LSi5GS6s
— Morris Katz (@katz_morris) November 3, 2025
4 points about early voting in New York City by the numbers THE CITY
President Trump threatens to limit federal funding if Mamdani wins New York mayoral election Anadolu Agency
Mr. Obama called Mr. Mamdani and offered to serve as his “confidential advisor” if he won the Guardian mayoral race. resilc: “Obomba is a bigger fraud than Trump…at least Trump is a public asshole.”
Zoran Mandani’s Parenting Gambling Vox
Our press is no longer free
Teen Vogue ridiculed her for disbanding her political team the day before a “major election”: “A knife in the back” The Wrap (Harvey L) Teen Vogue had a work column. We often linked to that story.
Mr. Market is in a bad mood.
Never have we been more convinced of an impending financial crisis: industry leaders from all walks of life gather to say signs of US economic collapse are undeniable Daily Mail
economy
⚠️The majority of Americans currently live in areas that are already in a recession.
About 88% of the U.S. population lives in states in economic recession, according to a Rosenberg Research analysis of the Fed Beige Book.
Something like this has never happened outside of a technological downturn. pic.twitter.com/fNRIEVRVS4
— Global Market Investor (@GlobalMktObserv) November 2, 2025
Bessent says some ‘sectors’ of economy are in recession Forbes
A.I.
Why AI scientists fail to impress human experts at unparalleled online conferences South China Morning Post
basil
Dark pattern catalog Hall of Shame (resilc)
EQT director Financial Times says privately-funded zombie companies will pile up over the next 10 years
guillotine watch
Trump administration officials Miller, Noem, Rubio embrace bunker mentality in housing reserved for military officers: Independent report
The first castle built in England in about 100 years.
There’s still a lot of work to do, but Piers and Emma’s Fortress promises to be absolutely monumental. #Grand Design pic.twitter.com/oEoI3REAAd
— Grand Designs (@granddesigns) October 30, 2025
class war
Ghost in the Machine Ryan Perkins (Robin K.). Today’s must-read.
Crisis: “Deaths of despair” are rapidly increasing
-The death rate from despair is now *3x* higher than during the Great Depression.
-Deaths from despair have increased 2.7 times since 2000
-Drug overdose death rate is more than five times higher than in 2000
– Alcohol deaths are 4.6 times more than the Great Depression pic.twitter.com/oF3qVjCTgL
— Robert (Infra 🏛️⌛️) (@infraa_) November 1, 2025
She is 93 years old and still looking for work. Why do older Americans work even when they are sick? Business Insider (resic)
Is this rock bottom? Corbin Trent and the Destruction of America. resilc quotes like this:
I keep waiting for someone in power or someone seeking power to say the quiet part out loud. The amount of work needed to rebuild this country is far greater than any lines handed out to Democratic donors or MSNBC committees about “defeating Trump” or “restoring norms.” I keep waiting for someone to look the people in the eyes and say, “I’m not going to vote to go back to the America that we thought we used to have, because for most people, the America we thought we used to have never really existed.”
Why are health care costs so high?Dean Baker
Prisoners could pay up to 83% more for calls thanks to new FCC rules
‘Soul-crushing’: Students condemn Harvard’s grade inflation report Harvard Crimson. ZOMG, right, burn.
BCC significantly increases enrollment thanks to free tuition program iBershires (resilc)
Antidote (via):
bonus:
“Never forget the power of small, sincere actions.”
Penguins have a courtship ritual in which the male finds a carefully selected stone and presents it to the female. This male penguin did it with his keeper.pic.twitter.com/y31ouzZX8i
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) November 3, 2025
Second bonus:
They really wanted the cat to be in the photo 🥺 pic.twitter.com/TuD8z2hnNd
— Nature is amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) November 2, 2025
And third:
One cat is cute. Two cats are just funny 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/CFotJOmviV
— Healthy side of 𝕏 (@itsme_urstruly) November 2, 2025
Click here for yesterday’s link and Antidote du Jour.
