Nepali mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa reaches Everest summit for an unprecedented 32nd time – Anadolu Agency
Check out this timelapse capturing the remarkable growth of a vine, showcasing both its nastic movements to find support and its thigmotropic responses to grip and hold on.
📽: Roger P Hangarter pic.twitter.com/BBPAp9os7j
— Wonder of Science (@wonderofscience) May 14, 2026
Unmanned Waymo taxis have been roaming Atlanta neighborhoods, circling cul-de-sacs for hours in the early morning.
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) May 15, 2026
The original Doom soundtrack has been officially archived in the Library of Congress – Engadget
We still cannot observe dark matter. But could we hear it instead? – Space.com
Those Goddamn Federalist Papers – HOGELAND’S BAD HISTORY
Climate and Environment
Deep within the equatorial Pacific, an extraordinary concentration of above-average ocean temperatures is poised to surface, marking a record in our measurements.
— Matthew Gross (@HurricaneAddict) May 17, 2026
Experts urge WHO to classify the climate crisis as a global public health emergency – The Guardian
Wildfires are reshaping the public lands in the Western US – Colorado Newsline
Do renewable energy sources lower electricity costs or raise them? – Bright Spots
In the midst of a fertilizer crisis, Africa has a chemical-free alternative: Agroecology – Al Jazeera
Ebola Concerns
The Ebola epidemic linked to the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda has been declared a public health emergency of international concern – World Health Organization
The reports of unlinked #Ebola cases in Kampala and Kinshasa are extremely alarming.
Kampala and Kinshasa are densely populated cities with significant regional and international transit routes.
— Krutika Kuppalli, MD FIDSA (@KrutikaKuppalli) May 17, 2026
Public health experts attribute WHO’s declaration of an emergency for the Ebola outbreak in DRC and Uganda to cuts in aid from Trump – Common Dreams
In the Ebola outbreak, several Americans in the Congo are believed to have been in contact with suspected cases – STAT. “Efforts are in motion to securely evacuate certain Americans from the DRC. Compounding this challenge is that one of the facilities capable of isolating and treating individuals exposed to high-consequence pathogens is currently occupied by Americans from the MV Hondius, the cruise ship linked to a recent hantavirus outbreak.”
Hantavirus Updates
A Canadian from the hantavirus-affected cruise ship tests positive – BBC
Water Resources
The US plan regarding the Colorado River could reduce water supply for Arizona, California, and Nevada by up to 40% – The Guardian
China Relations
Fact Sheet: President Trump secures landmark agreements with China, benefiting American workers, farmers, and industry – The White House
Taiwan will not be ‘sacrificed or traded away,’ says Lai following Trump’s remarks – Focus Taiwan
Chinese hegemony is not occurring… – Un-Diplomatic
Beijing takes a firm stance on digital currencies – East Asia Forum
India
India is investing in data centers despite rising concerns regarding water and energy use – Mongabay
Middle East Highlights
Israel plans to establish a military compound on the site of a UNRWA office it demolished – TRT World
In the Iraqi Desert, two Israeli outposts were kept secret for months – New York Times
ICC Prosecutor seeks arrest warrants for Israeli officials, sources claim – Haaretz
Israel’s northern strategy: Hezbollah reveals weaknesses of Israel’s ‘Arrows of the North’ – The Cradle
***
From Mutual Suspicion to Cooperation: How the U.S. Learned to Rely on Pakistan – Drop Site
Pakistan’s New Approach to Limited Warfare May Not be Sustainable – War on the Rocks
***
Trump’s Hormuz shipping insurance initiative has generated no business – Financial Times
⚡️BREAKING
Iran has inaugurated an insurance company to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Vessels are required to pay their premiums using Bitcoin.
This move could disrupt major marine insurance companies.
— Iran Observer (@IranObserver0) May 16, 2026
FBI offers substantial reward for a former military operative who defected to Iran – The Canary
European Developments
The EU’s foreign policy chief warns that the U.S., China, and Russia are working to undermine a unified Europe – Anadolu Agency
Spanish PM Sánchez faces historical defeat in major Andalusian election – Euronews
African Affairs
Trump claims a US military operation has eliminated ISIS leadership in Nigeria – Antiwar
UK Observations
Frequent changes in British Prime Ministers raise the question: Could addressing poverty secure their positions? – Big Issue. Politicians who effectively combat neoliberalism could see longevity in office.
New Cold War Analysis
Putin has signed a decree simplifying the process for residents of Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region to acquire Russian citizenship – Anadolu Agency
It baffles me why the Russians would target anything in Kiev in response to Ukraine’s display of military weakness; however, one should never hinder an enemy during their mistakes.
— Armchair Warlord (@ArmchairW) May 18, 2026
The Spoiled Prince of Kiev is Bleeding – Tarik Cyril Amar
With Friends Like These… – Landmarks: A Journal of International Dialogue
Income inequality in Russia hits a record high in the past 18 years. – Natylie’s Place: Understanding Russia
Imperial Dynamics
Technocratic Takeover: The Dismantling of Nations for AI Control with Fiorella & Vanessa Beeley – WBAI
Defense firms aggressively lobby to postpone US ban on Chinese rare earth magnets – Financial Times
The US may require another decade to remedy its $1.2 trillion rare earth crisis – Bloomberg
South American Developments
BREAKING: US armed forces and Bolivian police are preparing a joint operation to detain Evo Morales and target indigenous communities nearby.
Documents leaked by dissenting police officers have confirmed the plan. pic.twitter.com/ZFvK7ggwMn
— Ollie Vargas (@Ollie_Vargas_) May 16, 2026
Venezuela transfers Maduro’s financier to US as a gesture of loyalty to Trump – Intellinews
Analyzing the Economic Consequences of the War – Phenomenal World
Trump Administration Watch
How Trump’s New Counterterrorism Policy Puts You at Greater Risk – The Intercept
GOP Landscape
Iran War vs. Epstein Files – Ken Klippenstein. “What Gallrein embodies is a trajectory both parties have been quietly steering toward for twenty-five years: the national security state’s emergence as a source of political legitimacy, independent of democratic accountability, and not responsive to the public it claims to serve.”
Senator Bill Cassidy is defeated in the Senate primary in Louisiana – The American Conservative
Republican politicians obstructing the recovery of America’s national symbol, the American bison, are not true conservatives – Ben Goldsmith
Surveillance Concerns
The Stakes in Chatrie v. United States – Tech Policy Press
Mamdani Perspectives
Finding Solutions – Ghost Runner. “Mamdani and Menin’s Budgeting Status Quo.”
Food Safety Issues
Complaints about food safety have surged following USDA budget cuts – Investigate Midwest
AI Developments
AI emerges as the new symbol of American capitalism – Blood in the Machine
Malta provides free access to ChatGPT Plus for all adults who complete an AI course – Malta News Agency
The U.S. utilizes AI to track insider trading on Polymarket – Wired
Prediction Markets
‘They can influence the results they claim to forecast’ – is Polymarket capable of swaying an election? – The Nerve
Capitalism and Economics
Declining wages and escalating credit card debt – Stephen Semler
The housing market is showing signs of a K-shaped recovery – Yahoo! Finance
Market Trends
Bond market turmoil escalates as investors worry about a ‘stagflationary shock’ due to rising oil prices – The Guardian
Class Struggles
We Have Optimized Fragility, Failure, Denial–and Rage – Charles Hugh Smith
Antidote of the Day (via):
Check out yesterday’s Links and Antidote of the Day here.
