On the Shattering of Shared Silence
– A Year of Bach
A Scientist’s Search for Dragons and Damsels – Mongabay
Meteor Over Massachusetts Causes Explosion Reports, Sightings from Delaware to Montreal – WBUR
High Density Living, 2000 Years Ago: Inside the Roman Apartment Building – Common Edge
Project Debug: Why Google Wants to Release 32 Million Lab-Bred Mosquitoes in California and Florida – First Post
Climate/Environment
Arctic Ocean Passes ‘Irreversible’ Chemical Tipping Point – Oceanographic
The El Niño signal from CanSIPS has intensified, with the latest run peaking at 2.6˚C above average during December — an increase of 0.6˚C compared to last month. Some extreme scenarios reach 4.1˚C above average. It also shows a stronger positive Indian Ocean Dipole. pic.twitter.com/8UQ1kT8Swz
— Ben Noll (@BenNollWeather) May 31, 2026
Hard to believe I’m even writing this. Meteorological summer hasn’t even begun, yet Paris, France has already logged more days above 32°C (89.6°F) than its annual average. pic.twitter.com/bmU1sjJlF7
— Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) May 31, 2026
Big Five Home Insurers Didn’t Pay Out on Nearly Half of Claims Last Year, Analysis Says – The Independent
Ebola
Ebola Surge Has Reached Brazil, Experts Fear as Outbreak Kills 250 in Central Africa and Aid Struggles to Keep Up – Daily Mail
China to Send Emergency Humanitarian Aid to DR Congo Amid Ebola Outbreak – Anadolu Agency
Pandemics
Search interest for brain fog on Google recently hit an all-time high. pic.twitter.com/JkVC8vSUNI
— Data Report (@CovidDataReport) May 31, 2026
Japan
Softbank Poised to Overtake Toyota as Japan’s Most Valuable Company – Japan Times
Japan Refutes ‘New Militarism’, Accuses China of Rapidly Arming Without Transparency – Reuters
China?
Dirty Laundry – China Articles. An update from the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) regarding AI chip exports to China has been met with embarrassment.
The Antipodes
US Will Send Only Used Nuclear Submarines to Australia under Amended AUKUS Defence Deal – France24
New Zealand Rents and the Permanent War Economy – Un-Diplomatic
The Quad’s New Agenda: Ports, Cables and Minerals – Asia Times
Syraqistan
US Lawmakers Challenge Proposal to Deepen Military Ties with ‘Israel’ – Al Mayadeen
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‘The Ceasefire is a Joke’: Israeli Soldiers Describe Continued Targeted Killings of Palestinians in Gaza – The Cradle
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𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧: 𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗔𝗡 𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗧𝗬 𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗦𝗥𝗔𝗘𝗟’𝗦 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗖 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗞
Israel is currently attempting to market its arrival at Beaufort Castle (Qalaat al-Shaqif) as a major military triumph.… pic.twitter.com/9gYRXVU2HN
— Ibrahim Majed (@IbrahimMajed) May 31, 2026
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IRGC Retaliates with Airbase Strike After US Attack on Sirik Island – Al Mayadeen
Iran and the US Teetering on the Edge of a Renewed Hot War – Larry Johnson
Dubowitz isn’t just any neocon pundit; he is the CEO of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD). FDD is very pro-Israel and is closely advising the administration on Iran policy. When Dubowitz says “for the next two and a half years,” he is basically admitting that the initial… pic.twitter.com/ZDjg5bMoTm
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) May 31, 2026
Are the US-Iran Talks Becoming a Kabuki Theatre Like the US-Russia Negotiations? – GeoPolitiQ
Africa
Somali Piracy Making a Comeback Amid the Iran War – Asia Times
Old Blighty
No. 10 Braced for ‘Excruciating’ Revelations as Messages between Mandelson and Ministers to Be Released – UK Politics Live – The Guardian
UK: Shabana Mahmood Blocks Entry for Podcasters Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker Over Israel Criticism – Middle East Eye
Britain’s Nuclear Renaissance Faces Mounting Cost Pressures – OilPrice
European Disunion
EU Weighs Temporary Freeze on Russia Oil Price Cap Over Iran – Bloomberg. The report neglects to mention that Russia has refused to sell at these “capped” prices, effectively causing the EU to pay premiums through intermediaries.
Bulgaria the Latest Addition to the EU’s Excessive Deficit Club – Intellinews
Seems extreme even by US standards, where military presence is a staple at sporting events:
All-Out Militarisation in France: Army and Soldiers Equipped with Machine Guns Open the Rugby Match at the Mayol Stadium in Toulon and Place Ball on the Field. Thanks to our comrades at @FranceInsoumise for this. Never a more critical time for the International Anti-War… pic.twitter.com/VNQ4GHljFd
— Stop the War Coalition (@STWuk) May 31, 2026
New Not-So-Cold War
European Wargames Bolster West’s Delusions While Conveniently Stoking Fears – Simplicius
World War 2030 – Events in Ukraine
France and Allies Intercept Sanctioned Russian Oil Tanker in Atlantic – France24
The Russian Government Has Imposed a Ban on the Export of Jet Fuel – Top War
Zelensky: US Doesn’t Make Enough Anti-Ballistic Missiles – Antiwar
Imperial Collapse Watch
The American Missile Crisis – Contrary Research
Ancient Soviet Wisdom Can Help You Thrive During American Decline – Nefarious Russians
American Power – Phenomenal World. A Collection of Essays on the Subject.
South of the Border
‘Now More Than 200 Trump Summary Executions’ as US Bombs Another Boat – Common Dreams
Palantir Expands Its Influence Across Latin America – TeleSur
VIPS MEMO: Avoiding Catastrophic Failure in Cuba – Consortium News
L’affaire Epstein
The PayPal Mafia, the Architecture of Power and the Rothschild Connection – Margherita Furlan
Trump 2.0
Trump Admin Uses Iran War Oil Shock to Push Drilling in Alaskan Wilderness – Truthout
Democrats Suck
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani Did Not Attend the City’s Israel Day Parade, Becoming the First Mayor in Its 61-Year History Not to Take Part. It Was Attended by NY Senator Chuck Schumer, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Israel’s Extremist Finance Minister Smotrich Who Calls for… https://t.co/BZY4dFWrDF
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) May 31, 2026
Come with me as I learn about each person at the official Israeli delegation at today’s Israel Day Parade in New York City. These are the people some of my fellow Jewish and other New Yorkers demanded Mayor Mamdani stand with today. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/3vn0U9PvWB
— Rafael Shimunov 🍉 🕎 (@rafaelshimunov) June 1, 2026
AIPAC Is Funneling Pro-Israel Money to Candidates and Covering Its Tracks – Haaretz
Chuck Schumer Lays Out Democrats’ Plan to Fight Trump’s ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Fund in the Senate – NBC News. When Has Chuck Ever Let You Down?
The Uniparty
The Billionaires Have Two Parties: The Great Plains Has One – Les Leopold
Police State Watch
Newark Sets Curfew Around ICE Jail After More Clashes Between Cops and Protesters – Gothamist
The War on Drugs Isn’t Over. It’s Being Privatised. – Democracy for Sale
After Uvalde, Texas Stuffed Schools Full of Cops. They Brutalized Students. – The Intercept
The Accelerationists
‘There is No Way to Stop This’: ‘Biotech Barbie’ Cathy Tie on Her Mission to Genetically Modify Babies – The Guardian
AI
Major Teachers Union Pleads With Elementary Schools to Stop Giving Young Kids AI – Futurism
How Anthropic Used AI Ethics Slop to Play the Pope and Eclipse OpenAI – Blood in the Machine
The Bezzle
Monopoly Round-Up: After SpaceX Goes Public, Does the Stock Market Finally Fall? – Matt Stoller
Market Concentration is Creating ‘Fragility’: Only 60% of S&P 500 Stocks are Above Their 200-Day Average – Yahoo! Finance
Agriculture
The Architect Making America’s Food System Legible – Scheerpost
Class Warfare
Dislocation and Deaths of Despair in Neoliberal America – Marx & Friends
Parallel Universes – MR Online. Marx’s Capital and Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake.
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
