In our rapidly changing world, staying informed about the latest scientific studies, environmental crises, and global political developments is essential. Here’s a roundup of noteworthy articles that shed light on diverse topics ranging from animal behavior to climate challenges and international relations.
Rats and Tiny Cars
Rats love driving tiny cars, even when they don’t get treats – Ars Technica (Paul R)
Reflections on Robert Skidelsky
Robert Skidelsky death – some recollections – Bill Mitchell. He gave a very nice blurb for my book.
Language Revivals
How to pronounce Middle English – Dead Language Society (Micael T)
Pathogen Prevention
A new way to stop global spread of pathogen once linked to Ireland’s Great Famine – STK (Micael T)
Life Perception
Why your life feels fake: an antidote to the life you were sold – Dan Koe (Micael T)
Voting and Longevity
VOTING IS LINKED TO LIVING LONGER – Penn Social Policy & Research (Dr. Kevin)
Future Nutrition?
Could humans become “Sun-eaters” in the future? – Big Think
COVID-19/Pandemics
C.D.C. Cancels Publication of Study Showing Benefits of Covid Vaccines – New York Times
Climate/Environment
Cocaine pollution gives salmon wanderlust – Science (Micael T)
Kenya’s drought-stricken elephants are desperate for help – Animal Survival
World food systems ‘pushed to the brink’ by extreme heat, UN warns – Guardian
The development of El Niño has progressed rapidly.
Waters in the subsurface Pacific Ocean have now reached a gaudy 6˚C (11˚F) above average.
This warmth is rising toward the ocean’s surface and aligns with projections of a super El Niño later this year. pic.twitter.com/670R6onsBc
— Ben Noll (@BenNollWeather) April 22, 2026
Extreme weather a growing threat to democracy, report says – Africa News
EU drought fuels decade-long trend, raising alarms over worsening land vitality – Brussels Times
Geoengineering could protect Amazon rainforest from climate change – PhysOrg
98 per cent of meat and dairy sustainability pledges are greenwashing – New Scientist
Scientists just found where airborne microplastics really come from – Science Daily (Kevin W)
China?
White House accuses China of AI technology theft ahead of Xi and Trump’s meeting next month – Independent
US sounds alarm on China’s AI distillation as DeepSeek V4 debuts – Asia Times (Kevin W)
View from China: The People’s Liberation Army has figured out the trump card of the US military – International Affairs (Micael T)
Goldman Sachs leads record renminbi borrowing by US banks – Financial Times
Japan
Breaking the Postwar Taboo: Japan Lifts Its Ban on Lethal Arms Exports – The Diplomat
European Disunion
Stagflation warning lights flash for the eurozone as private sector contracts in April – Politico
No legal path to suspend Spain from NATO, officials say as Washington reportedly weighs options – Euractiv
EU formally approves 90bn euro Ukraine loan and new sanctions on Russia – Aljazeera
Old Blighty
UK consumers turn gloomiest about economy since records began in 1978 – Yahoo
Mobile data could be rationed to tackle soaring costs of Iran war – The Times
A grim week for Starmer – but things could be about to get worse – BBC (Kevin W)
UK shuts down unit tracking Israeli war crimes – Guardian – RT (Kevin W)
Israel vs. The Resistance
So the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says, “Iranians asked to talk in person to the US envoys, and they have asked for the meeting,” when the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, arrived in Islamabad and will leave in a few hours.
Envoys Steve Witkoff and…
— Elijah J. Magnier 🇪🇺 (@ejmalrai) April 24, 2026
FM Araghchi will hold no talks with US officials during Islamabad visit
— Iran News 24 (@IRanMediaco) April 25, 2026
US Shifting “Clear” Objectives in IRAN WAR /Robert Barnes & Lt Col Daniel Davis
WHY THE WESTERN SECULAR MIND CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE IRAN WAR
“Some fifteen years ago I wrote that western reliance on its lens of secular rationality was no longer adequate as a means to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It was becoming obvious — even then — that the… https://t.co/Ik9hugtMwY
— Robin Monotti (@robinmonotti) April 24, 2026
The ongoing US-Iran war has forcefully opened the world’s eyes to a startling reality about the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Their highest-ranking military generals and nuclear scientists are deeply grounded in the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant.The biting irony here is that… pic.twitter.com/GBC7f5CVK8
— Chetuya Math Chinagolum (@Chetuyachinago) April 24, 2026
Day 57: expecting great violence – Alon Mizrahi (Chuck L)
JUST IN: 🇺🇸 Largest US naval buildup since the Iraq War now underway in the Middle East, Fox News reports.
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) April 25, 2026
Houthis have discussed implementing Red Sea tolls, says UK security firm – Lloyd’s List
Israel launches fresh strikes in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire extension – Anadolu Agency
As the world moves on, Gaza keeps shrinking – The Times
New Not So Cold War
Russia Counterattacks Ukraine’s Counteroffensive in Zaporizhia – History Legends
Brief Frontline Report – April 24th, 2026 – Marat Khairullin and Mikhail Popov
Putin’s ratings hit post-war low as internet crackdown becomes lightning rod for discontent – Intellinews
Russia Prepares to Fight Europe… White House Setting the Stage to Renew Attack on Iran – Larry Johnson
Big Brother is Watching You Watch
France Confirms Data Breach At Government Agency That Manages Citizens’ IDs – TechCrunch
Imperial Collapse Watch
New Study Warns U.S. Suffering Extreme Depletion of Missile Stockpiles Due to Iran War – Military Watch
NEW EPISODE: Fireside discussion in Idaho.
Today a Navy SEAL, an A-10 pilot, and a Green Beret answer the question that no one seems to want to face head on:
Should our young men and women join the military and fight in Iran?
Live now. Share with someone who needs to see… https://t.co/TbjKYDzcNg pic.twitter.com/KnR35mx96A
— The David Rutherford Show (@drutherfordshow) April 24, 2026
Ceasefires that Don’t Cease Fire – Olivier Boyd-Barrett
Timothy Leary—1960s Acid Guru—May Have Been Among the CIA’s Greatest Assets – Covert Action (fk)
‘The Falklands are British’: UK blasts report of Trump mulling NATO reprisals – The Hill
Who Decides What Is a Just War? Imperial Violence and the Lies We Tell About Peace – Jeff Rich
Trump 2.0
Bad Vibes and the Trump Betrayal – Dean Baker
Justice Department drops investigation into Federal Reserve and Jerome Powell – NBC
Leavitt says Powell probe ‘not necessarily dropped,’ ‘just under a different authority’ – The Hill
Kash Patel has admitted to alcohol-related crimes, report reveals, as Trump stands by FBI director – Independent
GOP Clown Car
Speaker Johnson’s beginning of the end – Noah Berlatsky (Chuck L)
Democrats Suck
British Labour Party Operative Imran Ahmed Now Key Cog in Democrats’ Censorship Machinery – Paul Thacker (Chuck L)
Mr. Market is Giddy
Stock markets are too high and set to fall, says Bank of England deputy – BBC
Economy
US Oil Drillers Scale Back as Global Supply Crunch Continues – OilPrice
Global shipping order may never recover from Hormuz – Asia Times
How Iran war has triggered soaring cost of medicines – Aljazeera. As we and many others warned, now happening
Rice shortages loom amid Iran conflict challenges – The Grocer
AI
Meta to lay off 8,000 as part of AI efficiency push – Axios
New Gas-Powered Data Centers Could Emit More Greenhouse Gases Than Entire Nations – Wired
Maine Gov. Janet Mills vetoes ban on data center construction – NBC (Kevin W)
OpenAI Says Its New GPT-5.5 Model Is More Efficient and Better At Coding – The Verge
Repairing the Ruins: Why AI Can’t Replace Education National – Catholic Register (Chuck L)
The Bezzle
New York Sues Coinbase and Gemini, Seeking To Halt Unlicensed Prediction Market Businesses – Associated Press
I have two stacks on my desk. The left stack is financial disclosure forms from members of Congress. The right stack is waivers for members who filed their financial disclosures late.
The right stack is always taller.
On Wednesday morning, I watched a soldier get arrested on…
— Peter Girnus 🦅 (@gothburz) April 24, 2026
Guillotine Watch
Palantir’s technofascist manifesto calls for universal draft – Oligarch Watch. Covered before but more noise about this appalling proposal is warranted.
A Cheeky Neoliberal Consideration Against Billionaires – NESCIO13
Today’s Antidote
For yesterday’s insights, check out here.
