The Violence of Facelifts – Unherd
🚨3I/ATLAS Just Got Bluer Than the Sun and Nobody Knows Why
3I/ATLAS is rapidly evolving. As it reached perihelion on October 29, this interstellar object brightened significantly, presenting a hue bluer than the Sun itself. This was recently confirmed by Avi Loeb using data from STEREO, SOHO, and more.
For details, see pic.twitter.com/UP48mn01Xs— Skywatch Signal (@UAPWatchers) October 30, 2025
From Poison to Power: How Lead Exposure Shaped Human Intelligence – ScienceDaily (Anthony L)
#COVID-19/Pandemics
Coronavirus Detected in Samples from 96% of Flights – AirSpot
⚠️ BREAKING:
Virologist warns of pandemic risk as bird flu spreads in Germany 🇩🇪
German virologist Klaus Stöhr has issued a warning about the expanding H5N1 outbreak in Germany, suggesting that it has the potential to trigger a pandemic due to its virulent characteristics. He is calling for immediate vigilance and preparedness. pic.twitter.com/dEmwjlBmIg
— SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) (@COVID19_disease) October 31, 2025
Climate & Environment
2025 State of the Climate Report: A Planet on the Brink – BioScience Oxford
After a brief decline earlier this year (following record warmth in 2024), global temperatures are on the rise again. The past two days have registered the hottest temperatures on record for this time of year in ERA5, marking the highest anomalies since January. pic.twitter.com/P9ObtsPBiZ
— Zeke Hausfather (@hausfath) October 28, 2025
China?
Chinese Pundits Claim Victory Following Trump’s Trade Concessions – Asia Times (Kevin W)
China’s Delay on Rare Earth Exports Presents Opportunity for the US to Mitigate Beijing’s Market Control – Associated Press (Kevin W). Note the discrepancies between the article’s text and headline. Is AP practicing soft self-censorship?
China’s NBS Manufacturing PMI Drops to 49 in October, Signaling Deepening Contraction – Action Forex
China’s Housing Market Faces Deepening Slump Due to Oversupply – PropertyGuru
Koreas
How North Korea Plans to Counter South Korea’s Nuclear Submarine Initiatives – NKPro
Antipodes
Australia’s Housing Market on the Verge of Becoming Sub-Prime – MacroBusiness
Africa
Reports of Hundreds Killed at Hospital in Sudan as Evidence of RSF Atrocities Grows – The Guardian
Sudanese Military Expels UN Food Aid Officials Amid Escalating Conflict – BBC
Tanzania Experiences Unprecedented Protests Over ‘Sham Election’ – Financial Times
South of the Border
Maduro Aligns with Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran as US Influence Grows in the Caribbean – Anadolu Agency
Venezuela Under Attack – Vanessa Beeley and UK Column
European Disunion
ECB Holds Interest Rates Steady Amid Concerns Over Eurozone Inflation – The Guardian
Euro-Homeless: A Time to Hit the Trash Heaps? – TopWar (Micael T)
The Municipal Toolbox: Addressing Housing Shortages – Makroskop via machine translation (Micael T)
Poland’s Aspirations for Great Power Status Resurface After Centuries – Forum Geopolitica (Micael T)
What Dismal Fate Awaits EU States? Just Look into the Dutch Crystal Ball – RT (Micael T)
The Left Triumphs in the Irish Presidential Election By a Significant Margin – Counterpunch (resilc)
Old Blighty
Rachel Reeves Encourages British Investments Amid Wall Street’s AI Bubble Concerns – Politico
Israel vs. The Resistance
Testing Boundaries – James Dorsey
Nearly 1,000 Barriers Erected by Israel in the West Bank During Gaza Conflict, Report Says – Independent
Lebanese President Commands Army to Address Israeli Invasions Following Fatal Raid – The Guardian
Iran Resumes Development of its Ballistic Missile Program – Long War Journal
Dubai’s Dark Reality: Unveiling the Truth Behind Wealth and Glamour – The Standard (resilc)
New Not-So-Cold War
NATO’s Tripartite Response to Recent Russian Developments Heightens War Risks – Andrew Korybko
Moscow Will Not Accept Peace Without Reassessing the Post-1991 Order – Global Affairs (Micael T)
Calls for Changes in Ukraine’s Military Exit Regulations for Young Men – Nachdenkseiten via machine translation (Micael T)
The Christchurch Massacre and its Links to Ukraine – Events in Ukraine
Imperial Collapse Watch
US Begins Troop Reduction in Romania – Politico
Recent Leaks Expose the Failures of EU/US-Supported Belarusian ‘Opposition’ – The Grayzone
Trump 2.0
Trump’s Disability Eligibility Rules Will Hit Red States Hard – ProPublica. Observations from NYC-Birmingham direct flights indicate a greater proportion of wheelchair users than other routes.
Chuck L comments, “When you’ve lost Bill Kristol…”
Purges of senior military personnel are happening.
If this were occurring elsewhere, we would understand what it signifies right away.
It’s challenging to accept that it is transpiring here. However, it is…
https://t.co/ESDlODaPj6— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) October 30, 2025
‘Startup City’ Initiatives Meet with Trump Officials to Advocate for Deregulated ‘Freedom Cities’ – Wired (Paul R)
Shortage of Pennies as Banks and Retailers Feel Impact of US Mint Halting Production – Associated Press (Kevin W). This reflects ongoing inefficiencies; Australia abolished the penny before 2002, requiring retailers to round transactions to the nearest five cents.
Concerns Grow at the FDA Under Vinay Prasad’s Leadership Amid Staff Exodus – STAT
Shutdown
Court Blocks Trump Administration’s Move to Suspend SNAP Benefits for Millions – The Guardian (Kevin W). This action only provides a few weeks of emergency funding, although plaintiffs argue additional coins could be found.
Tariffs
America’s Suez – Warwick Powell
Republican Lawmakers Argue Argentinian Beef Imports Undermine American Cattle Producers – The Hill (resilc)
Immigration
Reports of Unmarked Vehicles Used by ICE in Arrests Across the US: ‘Agency Seeks to Operate Like a Ghost’ – Los Angeles Times (Paul R)
Heartbreaking Video Captures ICE Detaining Mother for Not Memorizing Social Security Number – Mirror (resilc)
US Sets Refugee Limit at 7,500, Prioritizing White South Africans – The Guardian
Charlie Kirk
Lawsuits Emerge from State Employees Fired Over Charlie Kirk’s Posts – The Hill
Mamdani
Billionaires Pour Money Into Stopping Zohran Mamdani’s NYC Mayoral Candidacy – CNBC (Li)
Kathy Hochul Acknowledges Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Tax the Rich’ Plan Would Impact NY’s Middle Class: ‘I Cannot Support That’ – New York Post
Poll Predicts New York Will Suffer Under Mamdani, Despite Support for His Candidacy – Daily Mail (Li)
Police State Watch
Pentagon Directs State National Guards to Form ‘Quick Reaction Forces’ for Crowd Control – The Guardian
Our No Longer Free Press
Stephen Miller’s Wife Confronts Cenk: Threatening Deportation – Breaking Points. This is both entertaining and may reflect growing desperation among Israeli supporters in the US, facing a lost narrative.
As mentioned:https://t.co/KfJ4Jqsc61
— Lara Friedman (@LaraFriedmanDC) November 1, 2025
Background:
Tucker Carlson expresses his disdain for Christian Zionists, highlighting them as a dangerous heresy within Christianity.
He cites figures like Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, John Bolton, Karl Rove, and George W. Bush as examples.
Carlson argues that Christian Zionism… pic.twitter.com/741M5Tuvbj
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) October 28, 2025
EU Parliament Might Restrict Russian Media – Politico – RT (Micael T)
Mr. Market is Moody
Analyzing the Potential Severity of the Private-Credit Crisis by Looking at the 1929 Example – Barrons
BlackRock Faces $500m Loss Due to Shadow Banking Crisis – Telegraph. BlackRock entered this sector quite late.
Surge in Private Credit Sparks Fears of Upcoming Financial Crisis – NPR
Risks for Oracle Bonds Increase Amid Concerns Over AI Spending Surges – Bloomberg
Economy
A Historic Wave of Capacity Reduction Approaching – Freight News
Federal Reserve Plans to Streamline Top Banking Oversight Board – Financial Times
The Bezzle
Eye-Popping Statistic of the Day:
Nvidia’s market capitalization now exceeds the GDP of every nation except the US and China
Entirely normal pic.twitter.com/s6N0YTBC3
— Ankur Nagpal (@ankurnagpal) October 29, 2025
NVIDIA × Samsung – The Barter Arrangement:
I provide you 50,000 GPUs, you supply me with memory chips. We both recognize revenue without cash changing hands.Exploring the Record-Breaking ‘Hyperion’ Corporate Bond Transaction – Financial Times
Meta Stock Takes a Hit as Investors React to Zuckerberg’s Excessive AI Investments – Futurism
How a Major Pharma Company is Exploiting the Pentagon – The Lever
Big Tech’s Futile Struggles Against Mortality – New Statesman (Micael T)
Guillotine Watch
Auction House Sotheby’s to Sell Maurizio Cattelan’s 18-Karat Gold Toilet – ART News
Class Warfare
Mapping Family Debt Strain Across the U.S. – Visual Capitalist (resilc)
⚠️ The US Job Market is in RECESSION:
The long-term unemployment rate (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) now accounts for 25.7% of all unemployed individuals, the highest rate in four years.
When this measure first exceeded 25% during the FINANCIAL CRISIS, the US was well over a year into recession. pic.twitter.com/yq0P1JlngN
— Global Markets Investor (@GlobalMktObserv) October 29, 2025
Americans Struggling Under Mounting Auto Loan Debt – CNBC
Chipotle Stock Falls as Company Reports Young People Can No Longer Afford Their Food – Yahoo
Antidote du Jour (via):
And a bonus (Chuck L):
A pride of lions being pranked by an elephant 😂 pic.twitter.com/IlklIlXwMz
— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) October 30, 2025
A second bonus:
The dog looked completely bewildered, staring at the officer as if to say, “Sir, I need some context.”pic.twitter.com/5WNJxAjkUg
— Puppies 🐶 (@PuppiesIover) October 31, 2025
For further reading, see yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
