THE COLOR RECESSION MAY BE PERMANENT The Atlantic
Swarming jellyfish overrun French nuclear plant on same date two years in a row Politico
Is It Safe to Eat Lettuce Yet? Wired
Climate and Environment
3 dead, over 1 million without power as severe storms hit the Midwest NBC News
Beijing closes tourist sites, halts bus services due to ongoing heavy rain Anadolu Agency
Glacial outburst begins above Juneau, with record flooding expected on Mendenhall River by early Thursday Balanced Weather
Alaska’s $55B LNG mega-project in negotiations with additional buyers ahead of FID OilPrice
France faces a new heatwave as water restrictions intensify Euronews
Rhine River reaches record lows, exacerbating the shipping crisis Bloomberg
Italy’s low Po River levels drive farmers to consider changing crops Bloomberg
Farmers across Europe resort to night shifts to escape the heat FT
Europe’s summer serves as a glimpse into the future Canadian Dimension
2027 is anticipated to be much worse than 2026 regarding extreme heat, droughts, fires, and crop failures. We have six months to prepare for next summer and safeguard lives. Many are treating 2026 as a minor anomaly, but far more severe challenges await.
— Prof Julia Steinberger (@JKSteinberger) August 12, 2026
Pandemics
Over 2,000 casualties in DR Congo’s fastest-growing Ebola outbreak France24
Japan
The failure of the historic U.S.-Japan intervention to halt the yen’s decline CNBC
China?
Trump advocates for 2,000 additional Patriot interceptors annually, but Xi Jinping holds significant leverage Larry Johnson
India
U.S. judge dismisses bribery and fraud charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani BBC. “Highly unusual.”
Syraqistan
Sama Safi, a 20-year-old American citizen, has been detained without formal charges for over two months in an Israeli prison. She was taken from her family’s home during a pre-dawn raid by the IDF.
— Prof Zenkus (@anthonyzenkus) August 10, 2026
Israel remains silent as Moscow inquires about a missing historian RT
***
Deadly incident on U.S. carrier Abraham Lincoln: seven confirmed dead, several injured Press TV.
Due to extended deployment, several sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln reportedly attempted to go overboard Military Times
Iran adapts its strategies in response to diminishing U.S. war munitions New York Times
Iran defies U.S. pressure by evolving into a ‘survival economy’ WSJ
U.S. Navy helicopter opens fire on Panama-flagged containership as part of blockade enforcement gCaptain
***
Missile strike results in the deaths of three crew members on a commercial ship in Bab al-Mandab The Cradle
U.S. acknowledges hundreds of civilian casualties in Yemen airstrikes after months of denials Common Dreams
Africa
U.S. military forces advance into Puntland amid rising tensions in the Red Sea Responsible Statecraft
Libya’s NOC warns of potential force majeure and Zawiya refinery shutdown if drone attacks persist Zawya
European Disunion
Germany prepares to empower intelligence agencies to take proactive defense measures DPA.
Germany’s AfD leads by 20 points ahead of critical Saxony-Anhalt vote DPA.
Nawrocki envisions Poland taking a significant role in countering Russia Andrew Korybko
Poland and Boeing are set to establish Europe’s largest Apache service hub PAP
O Canada
Canadian university given the green light to close down a Ukrainian Nazi fund RT
Old Blighty
London now permanently under the shadow of Russian naval artillery The Telegraph
Defense leaders feeling the pressure to revive communication channels with Moscow The Times
New Not-So-Cold War
Russia aims to dismantle what’s left of Ukraine’s power generation: What could unfold? Intellinews
Zelenskyy solicits South Korea for air defense support amid warnings of 50,000 additional North Korean troops in Russia International Business Times
🇷🇺🇪🇺 Putin assures that Russia will retaliate against any attempts to seize its merchant vessels. He accused Europeans of engaging in piracy and robbery by proposing such actions.
— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) August 12, 2026
JD Vance urged Ukraine to stop attacks on tankers in Russian ports FT
Why is Russia reaffirming its commitment to the “Spirit of Anchorage”? Andrew Korybko
South of the Border
Venezuela to maintain ‘technical cooperation’ with Israel and re-establish consular services Venezuelanalysis
Hegseth visits Panama as the U.S. deepens defense collaboration The Hill
USA USA!
The Monroe Doctrine has influenced U.S. foreign policy for over two centuries. 🦅
American supremacy in the Western Hemisphere will remain unquestioned.
— Department of State (@StateDept) August 11, 2026
Trump 2.0
Contradicting earlier statements, Trump secretly departed Turkey amidst Iranian threats WaPo
Questions arise after reports of Trump being covertly removed from Air Force One in a catering box Gizmodo
Turkey suspects Israel concocted the assassination plot against Trump to undermine the U.S.-Iran deal Middle East Eye
Democrats raise questions over a 321-diamond ring gifted to Trump The Independent
GOP Funhouse
Lisa Demuth triumphs over Trump-endorsed Mike Lindell in the GOP primary for Minnesota governor Minnesota Reformer
Darline Graham and Ralph Norman advance to runoff in a special GOP primary South Carolina Daily Gazette
Rep. Lauren Boebert’s son faces serious felony charges for child exploitation CPR News
Democrats Struggles
Francesca Hong and David Crowley contend for the lead in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor NBC News
Peggy Flanagan secures victory in the Democratic Senate primary in Minnesota, a triumph for progressive allies Minnesota Reformer
AIPAC suffers another defeat, this time in the Minnesota Senate race.
— Julian Andreone (@JulianAndreone) August 12, 2026
Police State Watch
The advent of Flock cameras leads local police to pursue autonomous drones Truthout
ICE proposes a $20 million plan to equip officers with electric shock gloves AP
Big Brother Is Watching You Watch
Adversarial patterns show potential to thwart surveillance camera detection TechCrunch
Antitrust
Economy
Credit card debt surges to $1.26 trillion, approaching an all-time high ABC News
Imperial Decline Watch
A faltering West appears to be turning against its own Christopher Cook
AI Developments
Protesters detained after storming OpenAI’s office in Washington, D.C. Futurism
A company claiming to provide ‘100% human-written’ peer review research is entirely AI-generated 404 Media
Google to shut down a widely-used service The Street
Circular financing reaches unprecedented levels Gary Marcus
AI agents are causing alarm with their hacking skills, prompting a surge in cybersecurity spending CNBC
The Great Financial Crisis of 2007-2009 was fundamentally a liquidity crisis: Lessons for the current debates Notes on the Crises
Class Warfare
Reflections on a fractured society and the connection between isolation and alienation Cooper Lee Press
Antidote du jour (via):
For yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour, click here.
