Dear valued readers,
We appreciate your patience during yesterday’s Cloudflare outage, which unfortunately disrupted our usual posting schedule. Today, I’m back with an assortment of intriguing articles and updates for you.
UC Berkeley Scientists Celebrate Breakthrough in Understanding Whale Communication – SFGate
No Free Play – Children’s Parties Ending in Chaos – Aftonbladet (translated by Micael T)
Asymmetry: Insights on Vulnerability – Samuel Kimbriel
Super-Recognizers Excel in Facial Recognition – Proceedings of the Royal Society of Biological Sciences. I, on the other hand, am not a good recognizer!
Microplastics: A Potential Contributing Factor to Heart Disease – Science Daily (Anthony L)
#COVID-19/Pandemics
Sometimes I see charts that leave me speechless.
Alzheimer’s.
Late onset.Don’t deceive yourself about this one. pic.twitter.com/lXAJ8jbswf
— tern (@1goodtern) November 17, 2025
Climate/Environment
U.S. Rejection of Climate Science: A Call to Action – Eugene Linden, Los Angeles Times
<p><a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/methane-brazil-oxford-university-b2867094.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rising Methane Pollution: UN Reports Potential for Reduction</a> - Independent</p> <p><a href="https://nysfocus.com/2025/11/18/nyc-flood-protection-edgemere" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Forgotten Communities in NYC as Seawalls Are Built</a> - NYSFocus</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2025/nov/17/india-heatwave-manesar-haryana-state-this-is-climate-breakdown" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">‘I Couldn’t Breathe’: A Scary Insight into Climate Breakdown</a> - The Guardian</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Arctic, as we knew it, is vanishing before our eyes… Crazy warm anomalies up to ~20°C! 😱</p> <p>Where are the cold anomalies that deniers claim balance the warm ones? They barely exist...</p> <p>Via <a href="https://twitter.com/WeatherProf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">@WeatherProf</a> <a href="https://t.co/GIEGhwTjYa" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">pic.twitter.com/GIEGhwTjYa</a></p> <p>— Melaine Le Roy (@subfossilguy) <a href="https://twitter.com/subfossilguy/status/1990195872244904325?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">November 16, 2025</a></p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/17/landslides-kill-dozens-as-heavy-rains-lash-southeast-asia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Landslides Cause Casualties Following Heavy Rains in Southeast Asia</a> - Al Jazeera</p> <p><a href="https://qazinform.com/news/wheat-could-require-dramatically-more-water-during-future-heat-waves-scientists-warn-63837d/amp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wheat: A Crop Needing More Water Amid Future Heat Waves</a> - Qazinform</p> <p><a href="https://billmitchell.org/blog/?p=62911" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Achieving a Degrowth Future Calls for Systemic Change, Not Just Green Deals</a> - Bill Mitchell</p>
Japan-China Relations
China Halts Japanese Seafood Imports Amid Ongoing Dispute – Reuters
<p><a href="https://link.foreignpolicy.com/view/6442800188c29c4d7651a715pdafv.15m7/f3ef579b" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Escalation in China-Japan Tensions</a> - Foreign Policy</p> <p>Note: Twitter embeds are currently not functional, but a video was included.</p> <p><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" src="https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-19-at-6.33.50 PM.png" alt="" width="600" height="222" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-301608" /></p> <p><a href="https://archive.is/ayyrp#selection-1177.0-1177.60" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">China and Japan's Spiraling Taiwan Conflict</a> - Economist</p> <p><a href="https://asiatimes.com/2025/11/japans-no-longer-ambiguous-stance-on-taiwan/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Japan’s Clear Stance on Taiwan</a> - Asia Times (Kevin W)</p> </blockquote>Africa
Nestlé Under Fire for Adding Sugar in Cereals Sold in Africa – Guardian (resilc)
<p><a href="https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2025-11-18-hunger-pangs-to-hit-21m-kenyans-by-january" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hunger Crisis Looms in Kenya</a> - The Star</p>South of the Border
Trump Sanctions CIA Covert Operations in Venezuela – Anadolu Agency
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F23y3fM7EBE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sheriff David Hathaway Speaks Out on Government-Sanctioned Killings</a> - Judge Napolitano, YouTube. More informative than anticipated.</p>European Disunion
Mearsheimer: Forecasting a Bleak Future for Europe – American Conservative (Michael Hudson)
<p><a href="https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/11/thousands-of-french-winegrowers-protest-as-crisis-deepens/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Winegrowers in France Protest Amid Escalating Crisis</a> - The Drinks Business</p> <p><a href="https://www-expressen-se.translate.goog/nyheter/sverige/islamister-flyr-sverige-lamnar-efter-sig-miljoner-i-obetalda-skatteskulder/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=de&_x_tr_pto=wapp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Islamists Exit Sweden, Leaving Unpaid Tax Debts</a> - Expressen (translated)</p>Old Blighty
UK Labour Party to Permit Authorities to Confiscate Jewelry from Asylum Seekers – Common Dreams
<p><a href="https://archive.ph/2025.11.17-095213/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/11/17/nhs-faces-doom-loop-without-ai-says-blairs-son/#selection-2285.4-2285.53" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NHS in a 'Doom Loop' Without AI, According to Euan Blair</a> - Telegraph. Colonel Smithers remarks, “Where there’s a trough, there’s a Blair.” An insightful comment from our COVID Brain Trust:</p> <blockquote> <p>Holy Cow!</p> <p>We are surrounded by snake oil salesmen!<br/>“Productivity doom loop” sounds dreadful! But I suspect that may very well occur if AI tools manage NHS operations. Unbelievable, indeed.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2025/nov/18/deeply-shocking-nigel-farage-faces-fresh-claims-of-racism-and-antisemitism-at-school" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">‘Deeply Shocking’: Nigel Farage Faces New Allegations of Racism</a> - Guardian (Colonel Smithers)</p>Israel vs. The Resistance
Confirmed: Limited Hebrew translations overlook explicit calls for violence. Surprised they allowed Grok to acknowledge this. https://t.co/O9oPjbq2xA pic.twitter.com/XyKCN9CFIh
— Ali Ahmadi (@AliR_Ahmadi) November 17, 2025
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">⭕️ Israel’s “Iron Coffin” Torture</p> <p>Palestine Prisoners Media documented a Palestinian’s harrowing experience of being confined for 10-12 nights in an iron cage referred to as the “coffin.” <a href="https://t.co/KorTwDUgqX" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">pic.twitter.com/KorTwDUgqX</a></p> <p>— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/DropSiteNews/status/1990574463922901100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">November 18, 2025</a></p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/polish-company-nitro-chem-tnt-us-mk-80-israel-gaza-nazis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Poland Reutilizes a Nazi Factory to Produce TNT for Gaza</a> - DropSite (Robin K)</p> <p><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/1312a12a-5404-4cb2-adc0-b11db118b079" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Iranian Nuclear Experts Conduct Covert Meeting with Russian Arms Institute</a> - Financial Times</p> <p><a href="https://www.iranintl.com/en/202511177841" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flooding Occurs in Western Iran Following Severe Drought</a> - Iran International</p> <p><a href="https://www.intellinews.com/iran-s-snow-cover-plummets-98-6-as-water-crisis-deepens-411789/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dramatic Drop in Iran's Snow Cover Contributes to Water Crisis</a> - Intelli News</p>The New Cold War
Allegations of Polish Sabotage: Tensions Rise Against Russia Amid Ukrainian Downfall – Simplicius
<p><a href="https://archive.is/tF8v1#selection-369.0-369.57" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scoop: U.S. Drafts New Strategy to End Ukraine Conflict</a> - Axios. If true, this represents a significant policy shift. With the prior Alaska stance rejected, this seemingly indicates a push for renewed negotiations, though trust remains elusive.</p> <p><a href="https://larrycjohnson.substack.com/p/ukraines-days-are-numbered" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ukraine's Days May Be Numbered</a> - Larry Johnson</p>Big Brother is Watching You
Google Collects Extensive Data from Downgraded Nest Thermostats – The Verge
Imperial Collapse Watch
Living Backwards – Aurelien
<p><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/books/2025/11/paul-kingsnorth-against-the-machine/684848/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Critical Review of a New Book on Progress</a> - Atlantic (Anthony L)</p>Trump 2.0
Trump Blurs the Line Between Military and Politics, Warn Ex-Officers – The Guardian (resilc)
<p><a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/trump-designates-saudi-arabia-as-a-major-non-nato-us-ally/3747569" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trump Marks Saudi Arabia as a Major Non-NATO Ally</a> - Anadolu Agency</p> <p><a href="https://archive.is/wSa84" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trump Denies CIA Assessment of Saudi Leader’s Involvement in Journalist Murder</a> - Wall Street Journal</p> <p><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/18/appeals-court-penalty-trump-lawsuit-hillary-clinton-00658614" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Appeals Court Weighs $1M Sanction Against Trump in Lawsuit Against Hillary Clinton</a> - Politico</p> <p><a href="https://oligarchwatch.substack.com/p/the-billionaire-trump-chose-to-lead" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Billionaire Appointed to Lead NASA is Linked to Chinese Government</a> - Oligarch Watch</p>Immigration Issues
EXCLUSIVE: Health Crisis for ICE Detainees Sparked by Trump Administration – Popular Information
<p><a href="https://www.404media.co/contractor-paying-random-people-300-to-physically-track-immigrants-for-ice/?ref=daily-stories-newsletter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Contractor Offers $300 to Locals for Tracking Immigrants for ICE</a> - 404 Media</p>L’affaire Epstein
We apologize for the YouTube embeds that may not work locally, yet many intriguing and vital discussions have emerged since Musk’s visit to the White House, affecting how tweets are displayed.
Senate Moves to Mandate Release of Epstein Files, Sending Bill to Trump – Time
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXO6QLbVaKg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Epstein’s Brother Claims GOP Is Scrubbing Files of Notable Names</a> - Kim Iversen, YouTube (fk)</p> <p>A noteworthy tweet from Ryder (credit to Chuck L): “This press meeting could mark the end for this president.”</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/pdh1dYvvrsk?si=4djCEjosBZH5BbrM" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p><a href="https://newrepublic.com/post/203339/quiet-piggy-trump-female-reporter-epstein" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Different Incident: “Quiet Piggy”: Trump Scolds Female Reporter on Epstein</a> - New Republic</p> <p><a href="https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/epstein-bill-passes-as-top-official" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Epstein Bill Passes as Top Officials Consider Blocking Transparency</a> - Ken Klippenstein (fk)</p> <p><a href="https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/jeffrey-epstein-ariane-de-rothschild-ehud-barak-swiss-bank-israeli-cyberweapons" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Epstein Pursued Rothschild Bank for Financing Israeli Cyberweapons</a> - DropSite</p>GOP Circus
Federal Court Rejects Texas Republicans’ Redrawn Congressional Map – NBC (Kevin W)
Market Trends
Analyzing Whether S&P 500 and Nasdaq Have Reached Their Peak – Michael Shedlock.
Exploring the Impact of Shutdowns on America’s Food Supply Chain – Grist
Artificial Intelligence
Financial Community Rattled by Nvidia’s Earnings Report – Futurism
Be sure to read this noteworthy tweet:
🦔CoreWeave incurs $310M in interest costs against $51.9M in operating income, effectively borrowing to cover prior loans. This AI data center debuted at $40 per share in March, peaked at $187 in June, and has since dropped to around $75.pic.twitter.com/jRRvhkmJrJ
— Hedgie (@HedgieMarkets) November 17, 2025
<p><a href="https://archive.is/Idpeo#selection-2665.0-2665.60" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Surge in AI Demand Disrupts Memory Chip Market</a> - Nikkei. Readers report drastic price increases for RAM.</p> <p><a href="https://asiatimes.com/2025/11/americas-ai-giants-surging-strong-and-swift-into-india/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">American AI Companies Expanding Rapidly into India</a> - Asia Times (Kevin W)</p>The Bezzle
2025’s Bitcoin Crash Trails Behind Bonds and Gold – Bloomberg
<p><a href="https://oilprice.com/Finance/the-Markets/How-Soaring-Energy-Demand-Helped-Push-Bitcoin-Below-90000.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How Rising Energy Demand Contributed to Bitcoin's Drop Below $90,000</a> - OilPrice (resilc)</p> <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5fsLN69Erg&t=502s" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tech Billionaires Discover New Wealth Extraction Methods | Featuring John Russell</a> - YouTube (resilc)</p>Class Warfare
Elon Musk Projected to Earn More than All U.S. Elementary School Teachers Combined – Washington Post (resilc)
Antidote of the Day (via):
For yesterday’s updates and antidote, you can find them here.
