In a complex world filled with emerging challenges, the interplay between empathy, societal responsibilities, and international relations is more critical than ever. This article explores various topics, from global health updates to environmental issues, trade relations, and geopolitical tensions, offering insights into our ever-evolving landscape.
The Last Frontier of Empathy: Why We Still Struggle to See Ourselves as Animals – Guardian (Kent Y)
Why Don’t People Return Their Shopping Carts? A (Somewhat) Scientific Investigation – Behavioral Scientist (resilc). This observation says a lot about American behavior…
What’s in the Junk? – London Review of Books. Anthony L states: “The notion that intelligence can be traced to a specific gene is a fundamental misunderstanding—akin to suggesting there’s a gene for ‘handsomeness.’”
#COVID-19/Pandemics
⚠️ Japanese Mutant H3N2 Flu Update:
Seasonal influenza cases in Kawasaki have surged dramatically, entering the “large/explosive” epidemic phase, with ongoing acceleration.
Current numbers far exceed those from previous years.
Japan is also grappling with continuous HPAI activity (mainly H5N1)…pic.twitter.com/ynrUQsUde5
— Dr. Richard Hirschson (@richardhirschs1) November 16, 2025
#H5N5 #H5N1 #H3N2 @CDCgov @USDA
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Update: What We Know About the WA H5N5 Case
Here’s a summary of confirmed details surrounding the H5N5 case in Washington, including many alarming signs. 🚩
Public health concerns are rising…pic.twitter.com/5Je8Zl0ITZ
— K-in-CT 😷😷😷 (@KinCONN) November 18, 2025
It seems inevitable that a major Marburg outbreak is on the horizon.
The 21-day incubation period is particularly concerning. pic.twitter.com/NmVhZzsSwn
— tern (@1goodtern) November 16, 2025
Climate/Environment
Not a new revelation, but still startling.
👉 Given that the carbon half-life in the atmosphere is 50 years, 📈 1👇 demonstrates the responsibility of wealthy nations in pushing the world toward catastrophic climate change.
👉 📈2 indicates that while wealthy nations have made some progress, emerging economies must now take the lead in emissions reductions…pic.twitter.com/hPNTHwbo6B— Richard Baldwin (@BaldwinRE) November 18, 2025
Tyson Agrees to Settlement Over Climate-Smart Beef Claims – The New Lede
China?
One component that Tesla is finding difficult to replace is the lithium-iron phosphate battery. China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology, also known as CATL, has been a key supplier of this battery to Tesla.
— Paul Triolo (@pstAsiatech) November 17, 2025
BYD, Xpeng, and Rivals Race to Shore Up Growth as Investors Turn Skeptical – Nikkei
The Vanishing Craft of Journalism in China – Pekingology
Japan
Japan’s Takaichi Has Few Good Options to End China’s Retaliation – Bloomberg
Japan Protests Chinese Ships’ Intrusion Near Senkakus – Nippon
Japan’s Economy Contracts as Exports Suffer Under U.S. Tariffs – Independent
Koreas
Korea Faces Longest Sustained Decline in Youth Employment Rate Since 2009 Global Financial Crisis – Korea Joongang Daily
India
Gold and Silver Rush Widen India’s October Trade Deficit Despite Strong Overall Outlook – NDTV. This coincides with India’s U.S. Exports Jumping Despite 50% Tariffs as Trade Tensions Ease – BBC
Nine Killed as Explosives Linked to Delhi Blast Detonate at Kashmir Police Station – Independent
Deadly Blasts in Delhi and Islamabad Raise Tensions Between India and Pakistan w/ John Helmer – Dimitri Liscaris on YouTube
Bangladesh
Protests Erupt as Verdict Against Bangladesh’s Deposed Leader Sheikh Hasina is Announced – BBC
Africa
Ethiopia Accuses Eritrea of Violating Its Territorial Integrity – DNE Africa
Sudan’s Army Captures Two Areas in North Kordofan as RSF Burns More Bodies – Al Jazeera
Jailed Tunisian Politicians Go on Hunger Strike Against Presidential Crackdown – Financial Times
South of the Border
Will Ecuador Allow U.S. Troops on Its Soil? – DW
After Gen Z Protest March in Mexico, Government and Critics Clash as Trump Raises Concerns about ‘Big Problems’ South of the Border – Los Angeles Times
America’s Invasion of Mexico: Digital Nomads Disrupt Neighborhoods – Unherd
European Disunion
Fears of a French Industrial Crisis Persist Despite €30 Billion in Investments – Le Monde
The German Economy – Sozialismus, Machine Translation (Micael T)
Denmark’s Drive to Conscription: Teenage Girls Under Pressure – The Times
Old Blighty
Mahmood: Take Back Migrants or Face Visa Ban – Telegraph
Gangs Acquire Haulage Firms to Steal Lorryloads of Goods – BBC
Israel vs. The Resistance
UN Security Council Approves Trump’s Gaza “Peace Plan,” Permitting U.S.-Israeli Control Over Gaza’s Future – Mondoweiss
Surge in Palestinian Deaths in Israeli Custody, With Reports of Rampant Abuse – Associated Press (guurst)
Tensions Escalate as Israeli Troops Attack UN Forces in Southern Lebanon – Arab Weekly
Why Is the “Progressive International” Not Supporting Uniting for Peace? – Sam Husseini
What’s the Shadowy Organization Taking Gaza Palestinians to South Africa? – Al Jazeera
🇿🇦 South Africa’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola noted that the recent transfer of Palestinians from Gaza to his country appears to be “a clearly orchestrated operation.”
▪️ “It does seem to represent a broader agenda to remove Palestinians from Palestine to various locations…”https://t.co/JXENDXKny8
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) November 18, 2025
The Global Zionist Organ Trafficking Conspiracy – Kit Klarenberg
Violence Erupts After Iraqi Vote as MP’s Guards Storm Peshmerga Home – Arab News
Iran Rejects Prospects for Talks as West Increases Pressure Over Nuclear Issue – Al Jazeera
New Not-So-Cold War
Insights from Politico’s European morning newsletter. Note that this discussion omits two key points highlighted by Alexander Mercouris in recent broadcasts: first, that Euroclear has threatened legal action should the Commission attempt to proceed with asset seizure; and second, that the Commission has not entertained the possibility of halting funding to Ukraine.
ONE MONTH TO SAVE UKRAINE: European leaders will convene in Brussels on December 18 for the final European Council summit of 2025. The stakes are high: they must devise a strategy to ensure Ukraine remains financially afloat as it navigates through next year—critical for its security and survival.
Past Difficulties: Allies of Kyiv are eager to avoid a repeat of October’s EUCO, where Belgium opposed using a monumental €140 billion of frozen Russian assets to support a reparations loan, citing legal uncertainties. Since then, diplomats have expressed frustration at the Commission for not addressing these concerns ahead of time. On Monday, in a letter obtained by POLITICO, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned capitals that failure to move forward could lead to costly national or EU borrowing and urged them to find a resolution…
Broader Concerns: Increasingly, other countries are critical of the Commission’s inaction, which they perceive as prioritizing the Russian assets plan over viable options. “There is no realistic alternative but to use frozen assets,” stated a diplomat from a Central European nation…
Urgency is Key: Ukraine’s EU ambassador, Vsevolod Chentsov, indicated to Playbook that “a swift agreement on the reparations loan is essential” to guarantee predictable funding starting early 2026, without burdening taxpayers…
Finnish Perspective: During an interview with Playbook’s Nick Vinocur in Brussels on Monday, Finnish President Alexander Stubb suggested the EU might have to settle for a “combination” of the three proposed options: utilizing Russian assets along with national and EU borrowing.
Ukraine is Buying Fighter Jets with Money It Doesn’t Have? – Moon of Alabama
BREAKING:
🇷🇺🇺🇦 An assassination attempt was thwarted against Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoygu while at Troyekurovskoye Cemetery in Moscow. TASS reports two Russians attempted to detonate an explosive device targeting Shoygu…pic.twitter.com/2gbQtk2kt2
— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) November 18, 2025
Our Son of a Bitch – Events in Ukraine
NATO Raises Alarm as Russia Finalizes Nuclear-Powered Burevestnik Missile – Euronews
The U.S. Is Provoking Russia with Old Aircraft as a B-52H Nuclear Bomber Approaches the Russian Arctic Over Finland – International Affairs (Michael T)
Poland’s Railroad Sabotage Incident Raises Suspicion – Andrew Korybko
NATO Faces Logistics Challenges in Moving Tanks Across the EU Amid Russian Threats – Le Monde
Syraqistan
Military Escalation: Clashes Renew Between National Guards and Government Forces in Al-Suwaidaa – SyriaHR
Pakistan-Taliban Relations Deteriorate as Both Nations Exchange Insults Amid Clashes – News18
The Caucasus
‘Time is Running Out’: Serbia Prepares for a Potential Winter Energy Crisis – Pryor Information
Big Brother is Watching You Watch
This App Allows ICE to Monitor Vehicles and Their Owners Nationwide – 404 Media
We Hacked Flock Safety Cameras in Under 30 Seconds – YouTube (Friend)
Imperial Collapse Watch
Ready for War: Charting a Course for Industrial Preparedness – CIMSEC. “I can’t even…” on multiple levels.
Trump 2.0
Trump’s Control Over Republicans Shows Signs of Easing – Wall Street Journal. Lead Story. No archive available yet.
Trump Claims America is Experiencing a ‘Golden Age’ While Straining to Address Affordability Issues – New York Times (resilc). Trump reveals he is a less effective propagandist than Goebbels.
Trump ‘More Likely to Win the Lottery’ than Prevail in BBC Lawsuit – Telegraph
Trump DOJ’s James Comey Case Faces Increasing Judicial Criticism – The Hill
Trump, Ignoring MAGA Critics, Poised to Strengthen U.S. Ties with Saudi Arabia – Politico
Trump’s ‘Saudi First’ Foreign Policy Persists – Daniel Larison
L’affaire Epstein
Trump’s SHOCK REVERSAL on Epstein Files in Last-Minute Loss – Breaking Points
“National Security” Prevents Release of Epstein Files – Ken Klippenstein
As Summers Sought Clandestine Relationship, Epstein Acted as His ‘Wing Man’ – Harvard Crimson (resilc)
Larry Summers Expresses ‘Deep Shame’ Following New Epstein Emails, Pausing Public Engagements – CNN
Mamdani
How Young Zohran Mamdani Voters Persuaded Their Parents to Support Them – Gothamist
Economy
From Boom to Bust: An Inside Look at the U.S. Boat Market Crash – YouTube (resilc)
Fed Vice Chair Attributes Lack of Progress on Inflation to Tariffs – Michael Shedlock
A New Rare Earth Crisis is Developing as Yttrium Shortages Widen – Reuters
Mr. Market is Moody
QE is on the Horizon: Tracing the 2008 Foundations of Fed Dominance – Investing
Nuclear Stocks Crash, With Potential Returns Still Years Away – OilPrice
AI
Google CEO Warns ‘No Company Will Be Immune’ If the AI Bubble Bursts – BBC. This certainly sounds like a threat.
Construction Spending on Data Centers and Other Structures: Boom on One Side, Bust on the Other – Wolf Richter
The Bezzle
Crypto Market Loses $1.2 Trillion as Traders Turn Away from Speculative Assets – Financial Times. Lead Story. No archived version yet.
Crypto’s Riskiest Coins Plunge to Lows Not Seen Since the Pandemic – Bloomberg
The Crypto Industry’s $28 Billion In ‘Dirty Money’ – New York Times. (resilc: “There’s certainly more to the story.”)
U.S. Politicians and Their Net Worth – YouTube (resilc)
Class Warfare
Fueling Debt: Rising Utility Costs Overwhelm American Families – Century Foundation
Fascism of Yesterday and Today – Rebelion, Machine Translation (Micael T)
Antidote du jour ( via):
A bonus. Avoiding a Darwin Award:
This lady kept getting too close to the elk. Both the elk and spectators had gotten fed up as the bull prepared to charge, with onlookers yelling at her to back off. pic.twitter.com/5emW5aAkGn
— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) November 17, 2025
A second bonus:
The easy way to get your dog to take medicine…
— Tansu Yegen (@TansuYegen) November 17, 2025
And a third:
The dynamic between cats and birds has intrigued humans for centuries, both from a biological and cultural standpoint. pic.twitter.com/drd9Z8wpOZ
— We don’t deserve cats 😺 (@catsareblessing) November 17, 2025
For further insights, see yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
