Lambert and I, and many readers, agree that Ukraine has prompted the worst informational environment ever. We hope readers will collaborate in mitigating the fog of war — both real fog and stage fog — in comments. None of us need more cheerleading and link-free repetition of memes; there are platforms for that. Low-value, link-free pom pom-wavers will be summarily whacked.
And for those who are new here, this is not a mere polite request. We have written site Policies and those who comment have accepted those terms. To prevent having to resort to the nuclear option of shutting comments down entirely until more sanity prevails, as we did during the 2015 Greek bailout negotiations and shortly after the 2020 election, we are going to be ruthless about moderating and blacklisting offenders.
–Yves
P.S. Also, before further stressing our already stressed moderators, read our site policies:
Please do not write us to ask why a comment has not appeared. We do not have the bandwidth to investigate and reply. Using the comments section to complain about moderation decisions/tripwires earns that commenter troll points. Please don’t do it. Those comments will also be removed if we encounter them.
Of meat and men: why the American barbecue is about friendship not food The Economist (KS)
The misconception that there is no sound in space originates because most space is a ~vacuum, providing no way for sound waves to travel. A galaxy cluster has so much gas that we’ve picked up actual sound. Here it’s amplified, and mixed with other data, to hear a black hole! pic.twitter.com/RobcZs7F9e
— NASA Exoplanets (@NASAExoplanets) August 21, 2022
A Global Tsunami: How Did the Tonga Tsunami Jump From Ocean to Ocean? SciTechDaily
Medical error: An epidemic compounded by gag laws STAT (KS)
Docs Not Talking About Anal Sex May Put Women at Risk Medscape (KS)
#COVID-19
Scientists hope nasal vaccines will help halt Covid transmission The Guardian
Antibody “master key” discovery could neutralize all COVID variants New Atlas (DL) FWIW the Covid brain trust does not buy this. Among other things, the underlying work was done pre Omicron and they’ve tried to force fit Omicron into their thesis, not very convincingly.
Monkeypox
Monkeypox vaccine not ‘a silver bullet,’ WHO says, as breakthrough cases emerge ABC (GB)
For the first time, monkeypox has been reported in a minor in New York state CNN (KW)
Climate/Environment
EU carbon price hits record as gas shortages force return to coal FT
China?
The plunge in dry bulk shipping: Ominous signal on China’s economy? FreightWaves
China Seeks to Stabilize Property With Loans, Lower Rates Bloomberg
China plans to use chemicals to generate rain to protect its grain harvest NPR
With Burns crossing the line, Chinese will not indulge such words and deeds: Global Times editorial Global Times
India
India buys discounted Venezuelan petcoke to replace coal Mint
India’s $3 billion Predator drone deal with US at advanced stages, certain issues being sorted out: Report Times of India
India likely to approve emergency acquisition powers for defence forces Mint
Singapore to repeal colonial era law criminalizing sex between men, says prime minister CNN
Old Blighty
GPs could prescribe money off energy bills under Treasury plan The Guardian (KW)
Sizewell C nuclear plant funding approved despite Tory split The Guardian
Mitsotakis celebrates end of EU ‘enhanced surveillance’ but debt burden remains Neos Kosmos
New Not-So-Cold War
Biden discusses Ukraine nuclear plant fears with European leaders The Hill
Ukraine Bought Weapons, Drones With Crypto Donations CoinDesk
Ukraine war veterans on how Kiev plundered US aid, wasted soldiers, endangered civilians, and lost the war The Greyzone (KW)
US taunts Russia to escalate in Ukraine Indian Punchline (KW)
Top Russian diplomat dismisses hopes of negotiated end to Ukraine war FT
Turkey and Ukraine sign agreement for reconstruction of war-torn country Middle East Eye
* * * Ukraine calls on Canada to cancel gas turbine sanctions waiver as German chancellor set to visit CBC. Yves adds: “And here you thought Russia was silly to insist on getting it in writing.”
Gazprom to Shut Pipeline for Three Days in New Shock to Europe Bloomberg
Germany rules out delay to nuclear phaseout DW
Germany likely to miss gas storage targets, warns energy regulator Reuters
* * * Dept. of hhhm:
Two days ago, 1+1, one of Ukraine’s largest TV channels, showed a story about Alexander Dugin, titled “He controls Putin”, calling him “Putin’s brain” and “ideologue of the Russian civilization”. pic.twitter.com/UmRqaQKA9X
— Russians With Attitude (@RWApodcast) August 21, 2022
Imran Khan: Pakistan police charge ex-PM under terrorism act BBC
Syraqistan
IMF loan to help Egypt absorb shock of global economic crisis, attract FDIs: Head of parliament’s budget committee Daily News Egypt
Egypt: Sale of state assets to Saudi and UAE wealth funds divides opinion Middle East Eye
UAE ambassador to return to Iran after six-year absence France24
GOP drops scathing review of Afghanistan withdrawal, White House reacts Responsible Statecraft
Trump Raid
The Final Days of the Trump White House: Chaos and Scattered Papers NYT
Donald Trump Hints at Fourth Amendment Violation in Mar-a-Lago ‘Break-In’ Newsweek
Schiff suggests Justice Department share Trump affidavit details with Congress The Hill
Other Trump
Trump Wants Concentration Camps and Presidential Control of Domestic Troops Defense One (KW). Trump: “The next president needs to send the National Guard to the most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago until safety can be restored.”
The Complete Guide to All the Ways Donald Trump Is Legally Screwed Vanity Fair (furzy). To see how many times we’ve been there before, cue Jimmy Dore, starting at 1:50 if you must skip ahead.
2024
2024 meets 2022: Trump, Pence, others ramp up for allies in midterms WaPo (KW)
GOP Clown Car
Appeals court temporarily blocks subpoena to Graham in Georgia election-fraud probe Politico
“Disgusting and Appalling”: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Introduced A Bill That Criminalizes Performing Transgender Medical Care Vanity Fair (furzy)
Abortion
Louisiana board stalls New Orleans flood aid over city officials’ position on abortion Insider (KW)
The Sins of the High Court’s Supreme Catholics The New Yorker (furzy)
Texas schools hanging ‘In God We Trust’ signs after new state law requiring donated signs be posted Fox News
Gunz
How U.S. gun laws and South Florida ports help fuel Haiti’s escalating gang violence Miami Herald
Supply Chain/Inflation
Indonesia looks to sorghum as wheat substitute as noodle lovers worry about price increase Straits Times
Investors warn of ‘disconnect’ as markets price in early Fed rate cut Financial Times
Class Warfare
2,000 workers begin eight-day strike at UK’s largest container port in Felixstowe WSWS
AL Coal Miners Must Pay $13 Million in Damages for Strike, Biden’s NLRB Rules Truthout (DK)
Antidote du jour (via):
And a bonus:
Watch a drama_queen cat fake injury in hopes of coming inside pic.twitter.com/WszrXejB2F
— Gabriele Corno (@Gabriele_Corno) August 21, 2022
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
