This week marks the Naked Capitalism fundraising period, during which 292 supporters have already contributed to our mission of addressing corruption and predatory practices, particularly within the financial sector. We invite you to join our efforts by visiting our donation page, where you can find instructions for donating via check, credit card, debit card, PayPal, Clover, or Wise. To learn more, read about the purpose of this fundraiser, our achievements over the past year, and our current objective, which is to support the commentariat.
Climate & Environment
Energy Department bans ‘climate change’ and ‘emissions’ from official vocabulary – Politico
Investing in coastal real estate? It’s tantamount to gambling on cryptocurrency – Moving Day
European farmers share their struggles as crop losses intensify amid severe drought conditions – The Guardian
Cybernetics in the Anthropocene – E-Flux
The Ethics of Intervening in Natural Processes: Should We Edit Nature? – Aeon
How Humanity Preserved the Ginkgo – The Marginalian
The Koreas
Data center fire brings down 647 South Korean government services – The Register
K-cure: The rising industry of traditional and innovative hangover remedies in South Korea – The Guardian
India
Is India’s ‘Look West’ policy, tied to the Iranian port, at risk? – South China Morning Post
Trump urges India to choose a side: align with the US or face the consequences of a declining hegemon – Firstpost
China
Xi to appeal to Trump for opposition to Taiwan independence in exchange for trade concessions – The Telegraph
US intelligence indicates China is preparing for a potential invasion of Taiwan – ABC
Profits, Policy, and the Reconfiguration of China’s Industrial Landscape – Warwick Powell
Syraqistan
.@UNReliefChief: “Children are succumbing to starvation, their bodies consuming their own organs. The high-protein paste we provide to help them is deemed a luxury and cannot be brought in.” Seriously?
Tom: Seriously… pic.twitter.com/9WAcGCAG5x
— Assal Rad (@AssalRad) September 28, 2025
Exclusive: Trump claims Gaza peace deal is in “final stages” – Axios
Tony Blair’s draft Gaza plan focuses on remote governance with minimal Palestinian representation – Haaretz
Hamas criticizes US plan for Tony Blair’s appointment in Gaza and denies ceasefire proposal receipt – Anadolu Agency
BREAKING: Jeffrey Epstein involved in brokering Israeli security agreement – Drop Site
***
In Genoa, thousands march for Gaza and the Flotilla; dockworkers obstruct containers headed to Israel – Il Fatto Quotidiano (translated)
Italian dockworkers threaten a complete blockade of trade with Israel – Politico
European dockworkers initiate a campaign to boycott vessels transporting arms to Israel – ABNA
Old Blighty
Let’s not overlook the Blairs themselves:
It’s no surprise that Tony Blair advocates for digital IDs, especially with his son owning the firm set to gain £100 billion for their development and management.
Plus, Tony holds £375 million in company shares too. pic.twitter.com/fp0dsuGAp6
— Samantha Smith (@SamanthaTaghoy) September 27, 2025
Starmer hits record lows as the ‘most unpopular PM since polling began’ – The Canary
European Disunion
War propaganda and militarism saturate children’s television programming in Germany – WSWS
Concerns rise as private equity rush to gather funds may disrupt the European sector – FT
EU’s waning influence in the region as China and Russia make significant strides – Intellinews
Moldova Meddling
Moldova’s ruling pro-EU party likely to secure majority in crucial election – TVP
Remarkably, when you suppress opposition parties, ban media with dissenting views, arrest political rivals, restrict unwanted election observers, and frighten voters with threats of EU fund withdrawal… https://t.co/I9vCenn4iL
— George Szamuely (@GeorgeSzamuely) September 28, 2025
Out of 75 polling locations in Italy, only 12 were in Ireland—more Moldovan votes were counted in Ireland compared to Russia, despite the latter hosting about 200 times as many Moldovan voters. Remarkably, polling stations in Russia were on par with those in Japan and Israel.
— Russians With Attitude (@RWApodcast) September 28, 2025
About a year ago, while I was in Paris, the French intelligence services contacted me through an intermediary to seek help in censoring certain Telegram channels ahead of Moldova’s presidential elections.
After reviewing the channels…
— Pavel Durov (@durov) September 28, 2025
New Not-So-Cold War
Believe it or not, Russia is formidable – The Spectator
US is contemplating deploying Tomahawk missiles in Ukraine, awaiting Trump’s final decision – The Straits Times
Ukraine may conduct deep strikes within Russia’s borders, says Kellogg, asserting “no safe havens exist” – Kyiv Independent
Africa
Mali’s Prime Minister criticizes the West and Ukraine at UNGA, suggesting Zelensky’s kamikaze drones are now in the hands of terrorists – Hindustan Times
The World Bank’s arbitration body has mandated Niger to cease all uranium trading from the Somaïr mine, which was nationalized earlier this year from French company Orano SA. pic.twitter.com/lW0dK9qSjq
— African News feed. (@africansinnews) September 28, 2025
South of the Border
Is Tren De Aragua a covert CIA operation to justify military action against Venezuela? – Larry Johnson
Spook Country
FBI deployed nearly 300 plainclothes agents at the Capitol riot, according to reports – RT (Kevin W).
Our Famously Free Press
One in five Americans now turn to TikTok for news, a significant rise since 2020 – Pew Research Center (resilc)
Israel’s success on TikTok – Responsible Statecraft
Trump 2.0
Trump takes over the Oregon National Guard; Oregon files a lawsuit – Willamette Week
A crypto tycoon transitions from being shunned to becoming a financial supporter of Trump – Bloomberg
Underreported memo viewed as a ‘declaration of war’ against Trump’s adversaries – Common Dreams
Democrats en déshabillé
While military presence increased in Portland, Hakeem Jeffries attended a lavish dinner. pic.twitter.com/3ibU3tQeHC
— Silicon Valley Fodder (@Playerinthgame) September 28, 2025
Kamala Harris highlights American fashion at the Phoenix Awards Dinner – Vogue
DSCC Chair Kirsten Gillibrand is organizing a “Tuscan-European style” retreat in Napa, complete with spa treatments and a tour of wine caves featuring #MISen candidate Haley Stevens, coinciding with a government shutdown that threatens thousands of jobs. pic.twitter.com/hgN1VEmXZK
— umichvoter 🏳️🌈 (@umichvoter) September 27, 2025
In a country operating as it should, the supposedly Left political party would mobilize laborers to shut down ports and occupy streets during a right-wing power grab. In the US—where this is almost unthinkable—they merely plead with them politely. https://t.co/TjEQpMpYIN
— Adam Johnson (@adamjohnsonCHI) September 28, 2025
The Fool’s Outline of Necessary Actions – Un-Diplomatic
MAHA
MAHA: Complicating Agriculture for Everyone – The EcoModernist
Weimar Republic
Shooting and fire incidents reported at a Michigan Mormon church – Michigan Advance
Trump mentions that the Michigan church shooting seems to be a ‘targeted attack on Christians’ – The Hill
Rising Mysteries Surrounding Charlie Kirk’s Allegations – Kit Klarenberg
Missouri governor endorses a Trump-backed strategy to gain another House seat – AP
Imperial Collapse Watch
U.S. Military Faces Challenges in Implementing AI Technologies – WSJ
Accelerationists
Investors waste $10 million on a ‘seed round’ for a sports venture involving sperm-racing – San Francisco Standard
Healthcare?
The Algorithm Will See You Now – Works in Progress
Mamdani
Mayor Adams withdraws from NYC mayoral race amid scandals – Gothamist
Groves of Academe
Northwestern University Bars 300 Students from Class for Refusing Compulsory Zionist Training – The North Star
Antitrust
Monopoly Roundup: U.S. Farmers Rebel Against Trump’s Bailout for Argentina – BIG by Matt Stoller
Big Brother Is Watching You Watch
Swiss citizens support electronic identity cards in a tight vote – The Guardian
Document Everything! – Aeon
The Bezzle
Why Current Humanoids Struggle with Dexterity – Rodney Brooks
Tesla Encourages Drowsy Drivers to Utilize ‘Full Self-Driving’—This Could End Badly – Wired
Class Warfare
Survey Shows Americans Use PTO More for Sleep Than for Vacations – Newsweek (PR)
Antidote du jour (via):
For yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour, visit here.
