Introduction
The ever-evolving landscape of global news presents us with stories that illuminate both struggles and triumphs across different regions. From climate concerns to political upheavals, each link below highlights critical issues and developments from around the world. Here is a roundup of significant articles and insights reflecting the current state of affairs.
How a 150-year-old Japanese workshop survived the age of slop and distraction Big Think
‘Walk for Peace’: Buddhist monks arrive in Washington after 108-day journey Al Jazeera, YouTube (resilc)
Away From Pomp of Olympics, Homeless Shiver on Streets of Milan The New York Times (resilc) 🙁
SOLVED: The Fermi silence is not a mystery. It is arithmetic.
The Great Filter isn’t hiding in asteroid impacts, grey goo, or runaway nanobots.
It is already here.
It has always been here.
It is encoded in the single most unforgiving line of mathematics any civilization ever… https://t.co/QLxSUPv921
— Brian Roemmele (@BrianRoemmele) February 9, 2026
Common Sweetener May Damage Critical Brain Barrier, Risking Stroke Science Alert (resilc)
Coffee and Tea Intake, Dementia Risk, and Cognitive Function JAMA. Validation for caffeine enthusiasts: 2 to 3 cups a day may help mitigate dementia risk.
Doctors discover a new virus can cause dementia… affecting 20 million Americans Daily Mail
FDA refuses to review Moderna’s application for mRNA flu vaccine, company states CNN (Kevin W)
#COVID-19/Pandemics
COVID-19 vaccine trust and uptake: the role of media, interpersonal and institutional trust in a large population-based survey The Lancet (Robin K)
Avian flu responsible for mass skua die-off in Antarctica, researchers confirm CIDRAP
Climate and Environment
Another El Niño Already? Insights We Can Gain from It Jim Hansen
Will the Pacific Decadal Oscillation turn neutral (or positive 🫣) this year?
If the negative PDO was natural variability and has *relatively* limited regional and global heat uptake, the next positive (=not good) PDO will lead to further acceleration of global warming. https://t.co/2iTVEOxTSK pic.twitter.com/sF1R7bG4Om
— Leon Simons 🌍 (@LeonSimons8) February 8, 2026
HISTORIC MIDDLE EAST HEAT WAVE
Records of hottest February day in history broken:
33.6°C Sedom, ISRAEL
33.4°C Ghor El Safi, JORDANRecords also established in Jericho, PALESTINE
This exceptional heat will spread across Asia, persisting throughout February. Expect hundreds of new records pic.twitter.com/i60Fv9huXa
— Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) February 8, 2026
Methane levels spiked unexpectedly after 2020 Science Daily (Kevin W)
Study Finds Electric Cars Improve Air Quality The Drive.com
Pesticide Impact on Wildlife Grows Worldwide, Despite Alarming Study Findings The Guardian
Global Political Issues
China
China’s property sales forecast downgraded by S&P as market slump deepens Investing
China intensifies perilous air encounters near Taiwan Financial Times
Is China Targeting Waymo? China Talk
Japan
Caution Advised Over ‘Right-Wing Spiral’ and Its Impact on Japanese Politics Global Times. Consider this has connections to the Chinese government.
China’s Exit from US Treasuries Could Restrict Japan’s Military Budget Asia Times (Kevin W)
Africa
Heat with No End: Climate Models Predict Severe Future for Parts of Africa Modern Ghana
Kenyans Fear for Their Children as Drought Devastates Livestock Addis Standard
South America
Venezuela Ships First Crude Cargo to Israel as Oil Exports Resume Post-Maduro Bloomberg (Kevin W)
🇺🇸 The Pentagon announced the seizure of the Panamanian-flagged tanker “Aquila II” in the Indian Ocean.
The US justified this seizure, stating that the tanker violated the oil blockade in the Caribbean imposed by President Trump. pic.twitter.com/8rf76crebf
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) February 9, 2026
Cuba’s capital airport halts jet fuel availability amid worsening energy crisis Flight Global
El Salvador declares national emergency: Over 600 forest fires reported so far this year Noticias Ambientales
The Port of Chancay: Significant Boost for Extractivism in South America CADTM (Micael T)
European Union Dynamics
Von der Leyen Proposes Changes to Key EU Pillar RT (Kevin W)
Between Paris and Geneva: The Many Facets of Jeffrey Epstein Marc Endeweld (Aurelien). Machine translation here.
How the Epstein Scandal Led to Jack Lang’s Downfall Le Monde
Farmers Report Catastrophic Crop Losses as Storm Marta Hits Spain and Portugal France24
United Kingdom
Gilt Yields Surge Again Amid Political Turmoil, Sparking Concerns of Financial Crisis This is Money
Low-Income Families Face 137-Year Wait for Living Standards to Double, Says UK Think Tank The Guardian
🇬🇧 The Ministry of Justice has ordered the deletion of the UK’s largest court reporting archive.
Courtsdesk, a platform designed to enhance media access to magistrates’ court data, has been instructed to eliminate its archives by the UK’s Ministry of Justice. pic.twitter.com/PRVDWdhRbk
— Europa.com (@europa) February 9, 2026
Hundreds of Flood Warnings and Alerts Issued Across the UK Following Days of Uninterrupted Rain LBC
Middle East Conflict
Israel Utilized Weapons in Gaza that Caused Thousands of Palestinians to Disintegrate Al Jazeera (guurst)
I’m Not Done with You The Baffler. Important reads.
These are the water tanks that the Israeli military detonates to exacerbate thirst and collective suffering in Gaza. This is why Doctors Without Borders are being banned from the occupied Palestinian territories in violation of the Genocide Convention. https://t.co/o7rkTSkxlv
— Nicola Perugini (@PeruginiNic) February 10, 2026
Odds Are 8-1 Trump Won’t Initiate a Gulf War Indian Punchline. Contrary to perspectives from Larry Johnson and rumors shared by Daniel Davis.
Col. Larry Wilkerson: The U.S. Has Reached a Point of No Return. Dialogue Works, YouTube. Wilkerson confirms a scenario previously warned about, starting at 2:20. He received credible information suggesting that Netanyahu might present Epstein documents during his meeting with Trump to coerce him into acting against Iran. If Trump were sufficiently ruthless, he could record the threat from Bibi and have him arrested— blackmail is a crime, after all. However, Trump tends to target only those he perceives as weak.
War and Covert Actions Are Not Effective Solutions for Iran The American Conservative (resilc)
Syria
Turkey’s Army Chief Affirms ‘No Plans to Withdraw’ from Syria Al-Monitor
Ukraine Conflict
In Ukraine, Hypothermia Deaths Increase as Russia Targets Energy Infrastructure Al Jazeera
Is Russia Still Losing? Julian Macfarlane
Who or What Does Putin Represent? Olivier Boyd-Barrett
Expansion of the Dark Fleet Expected as EU Aims to Disrupt Maritime Routes for Russian Oil Splash 247
As Beijing and Moscow Strengthen Ties, Chinese Firms Support Ukraine’s Energy Needs South China Morning Post
Imperial Dynamics
The President’s Violent Actions Have Not Ceased Daniel Larison
Can It Happen Here? Revelations on Joint Chiefs of Staff Surveillance of the White House Lucy Komisar
C. Thi Nguyen Discusses Why Over-Metrication Detracts from Quality Yascha Mounk. A long-held concern. See Management’s Great Addiction Conference Board Review
Trump 2.0
American Optimism Plummets to Record Lows Gallup (resilc)
Trump Plans to Direct Pentagon to Purchase Coal Power for National Security OilPrice. Resilc: “What’s next, horse cavalry?”
ICE Activities
ICE Expands Its Operations Across the U.S. at a Rapid Pace: Here’s What to Expect Next Wired
FAA Shuts Down El Paso and Southern New Mexico Airspace for 10 Days Without Explanation, Citing National Defense El Paso Matters! Paul R: “Looks like an ICE storm brewing.”
Epstein Scandal
If accurate, this suggests that hidden dealings between Trump and Epstein may imply that Israel holds compromising evidence against Trump:
🚨 BREAKING: Lawmakers claim Trump’s personal attorneys — Bondi, Blanche, and Patel — redacted approximately 95% of references to Donald Trump in the Epstein documents — about 950,000 out of over 1 million mentions, by staff estimates.
This is potentially one of the largest…
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) February 10, 2026
Commerce Chief Lutnick Acknowledges Visiting Epstein’s Island During Senate Testimony The Hill
Trump Cabinet Member Involved in Epstein Scandal Popular Information
Democratic Strategies
Lessons Democrats Can Take from the 1992 Election G. Elliott Morris (Robin K)
Policing Trends
Police Brutality in Australia Against Protesters Opposing Genocide Caitlin Johnstone (Kevin W)
From Sydney: A man with his hands up faced police violence during a protest. pic.twitter.com/Ubdo00Y15j
— David Shoebridge (@DavidShoebridge) February 9, 2026
Media Integrity
Economic Outlook
Climate Risks Endanger Credit Ratings for Numerous Countries Economic Times
AI Developments
Trump’s Directive to Hyperscalers: Control Over Data Centers and Power Costs The Register
The Intersection of Politics and AI NBER (resilc)
Cryptocurrency Trends
The Cryptocurrency Revolt Highlights the Fragility Within Trump’s Coalition Axios (resilc)
Study Reveals Deepfake Fraud Occurs on a Massive Scale The Guardian
Bitcoin Stabilizes Under $70,000 Ahead of Wednesday’s U.S. Jobs Report Coindesk
Social Inequality
U.S. Consumer Delinquencies Surge to Highest Level in Nearly a Decade Bloomberg
NYC Private School Tuition Exceeds $70,000 for Upcoming Fall Bloomberg
Does Immigration Positively Affect Health? The Impact of Immigration on Senior Mortality in the U.S. NBER (resilc)
I realized this morning that I’ve crossed over.
It’s irreversible; you can’t go back.
While preparing for work, my wife asked me about the kidnapping story involving Savannah Guffrey and her mother.
Without thinking, I responded, “It’s a psyop.”
She paused and…
— Maryland HODL (BitBonds = Structural Innovation) (@MarylandHODL21) February 10, 2026
Conclusion
This compilation of articles reflects a snapshot of our current global challenges and advancements. From climate change and its impacts on communities to the unfolding narratives of political dynamics, these topics shape our world today. Staying informed about such issues is crucial in fostering understanding and encouraging constructive dialogues as we navigate future uncertainties.
Antidote du jour (Mark T):
A bonus:
A koala at the zoo approaching its favorite zookeeper, getting petted and hugged.
— Science girl (@sciencegirl) February 11, 2026
A second bonus:
Aww.. 😊 pic.twitter.com/IPwO9Yx2d8
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) February 10, 2026
And a third:
Sometimes, the best things in life happen when we least expect them. pic.twitter.com/VSReOM5ks4
— Out of Context Human Race (@NoContextHumans) February 11, 2026
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
