The ‘Steroid Olympics’ Finally Happened, Yet Surprisingly, Clean Athletes Emerged Victorious ZME Science (Dr. Kevin)
Revival of the Fine-Grained Courtyard Block in Amsterdam Courtyard Urbanist (Micael T)
The Dangers of Thought-Terminating Jargon Bentham’s Bulldog (Micael T)
Researchers Dive into Consciousness Commonweal
Passenger Safety at Risk Due to Filming and Bag Retrieval During Emergencies Guardian (resilc). Future Darwin Award candidates.
Seven Concepts to Encourage Distrust of Your Own Mind Skeptic (Micael T)
Ebola Update
🔬 Ebola update.
The recent CDC projection indicates a “65% probability of the outbreak reaching 20,000 cases with thousands of deaths within three months” – keep in mind these are not current numbers.
To understand how this Ebola epidemic reached its present numbers… pic.twitter.com/pA6TJkp4c8
— StarsAndScopes (@StarsAndScopes) June 7, 2026
🚨MMWR: “This is the largest #Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak ever” — and mathematical models from the US CDC suggest it could evolve into one of the biggest in history within three months if the response weakens. Only 20% of patients have been detected and isolated, so there’s a 65% probability of… pic.twitter.com/OTmlXYdX5w
— Cheng-Yi Lee, PhD. (@cylee_tw) June 8, 2026
Confirmed #Ebola cases in the DRC have reached 550, with 101 confirmed fatalities. 19 people have survived and been discharged. Currently, 64.4% of related contacts are being tracked, amounting to 3,489 out of 5,418 contacts — an average of just over 6 contacts monitored per case. This is still inadequate.
— Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 (@HelenBranswell) June 9, 2026
Climate and Environment
🔥🌊 This is completely insane.
The June update of the ENSO anomaly projections for sector 3.4 from the European model surpasses last month’s already concerning predictions.
We might witness an unprecedented El Niño event by autumn… pic.twitter.com/El88WhGufK
— Météovillages (@meteovillages) June 5, 2026
Discovery of Hidden Meltwater in Antarctic Coastal Waters Reveals More Severe Climate Impacts PhysOrg
Warming Seas are Straining North Sea Fish Populations Environment Journal
China Experiences a Series of Radical Weather Events in May Dialogue Earth
New Restrictions Imposed for Vessels in the Panama Canal Amid El Niño Concerns Independent. The canal faces competition for water usage from local farmers.
Colorado Declares a Statewide Drought Emergency CPR
Wildfires Threaten to Reverse America’s Advances on Ozone Pollution, a Major Smog Component The Conversation
China?
China Triples Its Nuclear Submarine Production Capacity, Aiming to Lead Global Output: Next-Gen Vessels Shift Maritime Power Dynamics Military Watch
Chinese Forces Demonstrate Unmanned Technologies in Joint Maneuvers with Mongolia CGTN
Chinese President Xi Jinping Affirms Continued Support for North Korea’s Kim During Rare Pyongyang Visit Channel News Asia
Xi and Kim Discuss Strengthening Relations as North Korea Meeting Continues BBC
US Places Alibaba, BYD, and Other Chinese Tech Giants on Military Company Blacklist South China Morning Post (guurst)
In addressing the common criticism of my earlier post, I have now plotted the extreme poverty rates of the US and China on the same scale, sourced from the World Bank directly.
The outcome remains unchanged: the extreme poverty rate ($3/day PPP) is higher in the US than in China. https://t.co/G98KugxCrv pic.twitter.com/Rd2VAsfIqB
— Jostein Hauge (@haugejostein) June 8, 2026
Africa
Drone Strikes in Tigray Claim Lives as Threats of Resurgence in Conflict Loom Ethiopia Observer
Human Rights Group Reports Eleven Fatalities from Drone Strike in Central Sudan Market Aljazeera
Algiers Initiates New Front Against Morocco Beyond the Sahara Region Atalayar
South of the Border
Cubans Face Endless Outages: No Electricity, No Gas, No Sleep Guardian
Plans for Utilizing Bolivia’s Abundant Mineral Wealth Disrupted by Mass Unrest Bloomberg
European Disunion
European Motorists Reduce Fuel Usage as Energy Crisis Intensifies Financial Times
Global Insights: EU’s Renewed Focus on the Balkans Reflects Heightened Security Concerns Xinhua
German Chancellor’s Controversial Speech: Claims Alternative für Deutschland “Aligns with the Holocaust” eugyppius Micael T: “Says the man who claimed Israel was doing our dirty work in Iran.”
Examining Double Standards and Their Repercussions German Foreign Policy (Micael T)
The Response of Relativists to Recent Poverty Statistics in Germany Nachdenkseiten via machine translation (Michael T)
German Fisheries Struggling Amid Rising Marine Fuel Costs at Risk of Bankruptcy Bastille Post
Old Blighty
UK’s Entire Submarine Fleet for Nuclear Defense Declared Unfit for Service Metro
UK Food Costs Surge as Climate Crisis Affects Farmers and Essential Imports Independent
Zelenskyy Aims for Reform in UK Councils to Allow Display of Ukrainian Flags Guardian (Kevin W)
Israel vs. The Resistance
Iran War Update: Israel Strikes Lebanon Following Trump’s Warning to Netanyahu Aljazeera
Trump Claims He Is Close to Finalizing an Iran Deal for the 37th Time CNN
US Congressman Calls for Investigation into Israel’s 1967 Assault on USS Liberty Aljazeera (Kevin W)
Palestinian Doctor Placed in Solitary Confinement After 17 Months Without Charge Guardian
Conflicting Agendas: Trump and Netanyahu Clash Over Divided Goals in the Middle East Conflict Financial Times
UAE Adjusts Rhetoric Towards Iran Without Changing Policy American Conservative. resilc: “Doubling down with a loser…..”
How Do Israelis in Northern Regions Perceive the Renewed Conflict with Iran? Visit the Local Supermarket Times of Israel
New Not-So-Cold War
NATO Propagandists Once More Claim Ukraine Is Close to Victory Antiwar.com (resilc)
EU Authorizes Mediterranean Ships to Detain Tankers Carrying Russian Oil — Kallas Reports TASS (guurst)
SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR: Ukraine’s Desire to Progress Quickly Towards EU Membership Fuels Tensions between Kyiv, Brussels, and European Capitals as a First Formal Negotiation Session Approaches.
Meeting in the Middle: While Ukraine and Brussels Celebrate the Expected Formal Negotiation Start on June 15 as a Significant Milestone, Kyiv Fears Political Issues Might Delay Its Bid.
Membership Lite: Proposed Interim Solutions by Paris and Berlin, Including “Associate Membership” for Kyiv, Are Causing Anxiety. “In reality, Ukraine is being offered everything except actual membership,” stated Ukraine’s Ambassador to the EU, Vsevolod Chentsov.
Why Tensions Are Rising: Kyiv Desires Multiple Negotiation Clusters to Be Opened by Summer’s End to Inspire Confidence in EU Membership.
Different Perspectives: Brussels Worries about Disenchantment as a Detriment to Ukraine’s Internal Reforms. Legislative Progress Necessary for EU Accession has Slowed Recently.
Zelenskyy: ‘They Are Isolated … They Are Alone’ – Discusses Russia, Putin’s Misinformation, and Defensive Strategies Guardian. Lead Feature.
Nikol Pashinyan and Armenia’s Prospective Future Multipolar Press
Reflections from Tirana, Albania 🇦🇱 pic.twitter.com/Cd50LXBuL6
— Kruja Chronicles (@FilteredZero) June 7, 2026
Surveillance State Concerns
Meta Incensed Over Recent Revelations Regarding Smart Glasses Futurism. Significant Insights.
Imperial Decline Observations
SIPRI Warns of Increasing Warhead Deployments by Nuclear Powers France24
The U.S. Navy Has Historically Been a Tool for Power Projection, but Limitations Become Clear Amid the Iran War Barron’s. resilc: “$1 trillion a year for an obsolete military designed for the 1940s.”
The Virginia-Class Submarine Deal Sheds Light on AUKUS’s True Intentions Pearls and Irritations (Chuck L)
Trump 2.0
Spy Powers Legislation Becomes Latest Casualty of Trump’s Rash Decision-Making Politico
Immigration
Judge Halts $100k Fee on H-1B Visas Set by Trump Administration The Hill
First Somali Referee to Officiate at World Cup Denied Entry to the U.S. RT (Kevin W)
U.S. Undertakes Largest Effort in History to Denaturalize Citizens Accused of Fraud CBS (Chuck L)
Concerns Over Media Integrity
Exploring the Nationwide Movement to Obtain a Specific Court Record Court Watch (Chuck L)
Chris Smalls (@Shut_downAmazon) was assaulted & detained by the IDF.
He was attacked & arrested by ICE.
He stands in solidarity with Cuba and condemned the “progressive” branding of Democrats for their inaction against Israel’s genocidal actions.
This sentiment is seen as “narcissistic” by Jacobin.
Economic Insights
IMF Chief Warns the World Is Not Prepared for Impending Shocks Bloomberg
Government Unveils Grocery Rebate as Recession Looms CBC
OPEC+ Endorses Further Oil Output Increase for July OilPrice
Texas Screwworm Cases Not a Threat to the Food Supply, Asserts Brooke Rollins CNBC. resilc: “Absolutely no issue. This isn’t what I encountered while unloading Eid sheep as a Bahrain Peace Corps volunteer…. I still have PTSD from that time.”
Market Mood Swings
Inflation Concerns Might Finally Shake the Central Bank’s Herd Mentality Telegraph
AI Developments
Helium Scarcity Becoming a Critical Risk for AI Chip Supply Startup Fortune
Warning Signals: The Need for Regulations Surrounding Advanced AI Models May Be Too Late Politico (Kevin W)
Meta Commences $115 Million Job Guarantee Program for Data Center Workforce Axios (Kevin W)
Political Efforts to Limit Kids’ Access to Social Media Will Be Resurrected for AI Regulation Semafor. resilc: “The primary purpose of AI is surveillance.”
The Bezzle
SpaceX Faces Potential for Dramatic Collapse Futurism (Paul R)
xAI Appears More Like a Data Center REIT Than a Pioneering Lab Martin Alderson (Paul R)
Texas Electrical Grid Signals Risks as Data Centers and Crypto Operations Fail Voltage Assessments Reuters
Guillotine Watch
Sam Bankman-Fried, Convicted FTX Founder, Files Formal Appeal for Trump’s Pardon CNBC
Class Warfare
Personal Loan Rates Soar as Rising Living Costs Drive Australians to Record Borrowing Levels Guardian
Gen Z Expresses More Optimism Than Baby Boomers, Yet Feels Less Connected to America, Poll Reveals Union Bulletin
To illustrate this point: My husband is a commercial electrical contractor. He has been an electrician since he was 18. His father and grandfather were electricians as well. He holds only a high school diploma and was among the earliest licensed electrical contractors in… https://t.co/J8VOdVqwoZ pic.twitter.com/i7FRMWhXVq
— ColonelTowner-Watkins (@ColonelTowner) June 7, 2026
Daily Antidote (via):
Bonus:
Playful actions like pawing, chasing, and teasing are typical among wolves and strengthen social ties within the pack pic.twitter.com/BW87B3CUu4
— Nature Unedited (@NatureUnedited) May 31, 2026
A second:
The dispute between two cats concluded in the sea.
As soon as they emerged, their expressions seemed to say, “What just happened?” pic.twitter.com/KonZJ0wLZJ
— 𝗔𝗬𝗕𝗘𝗡İ𝗭🇹🇷 (@npsrar) June 4, 2026
A third:
Drama queen wombat.. 😂 pic.twitter.com/zbAht4Og1X
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) May 31, 2026
And for a different finale:
Champale Anderson, a mother of six from North St. Louis, dedicates her time to ensure children in her community never face hunger.
Every school day, she prepares around 100 lunch bags filled with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruits, juice, cookies, and other snacks… pic.twitter.com/lTvXESRv6R
— Wolf of X (@WolfofX) June 5, 2026
For yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour, click here.
