The awesome work of land art that collapses time and space Aeon (Chuck L)
Paleontology rocked by organic molecules found in 66-million-year-old dinosaur bones Science Daily (Kevin W)
Freud in the Age of Therapy-Speak Hedgehog Review (Micael T)
#COVID-19?Pandemics
Ugh… Barry Ritholtz (resilc)
Climate/Environment
Late Paleozoic Ice Age warming event hints at potential climate ‘tipping point’ PhysOrg
Phytoplankton dramatically decline following El Niño arrival Oceanographic Magazine
Greenland Meltwater Is Bending Europe’s Jet Stream Into Record Heatwaves TechTimes
Western Europe’s record heat drives wildfires and economic losses The Nation
Goldbergkees (Hohe Tauern, AT)
2021 | 2026Look at the incredible impact this summer’s heatwaves (which aren’t over yet) have had on this small glacier! 🧊🔥https://t.co/NhuTSfCuKX
Hurry up if you want to see Austrian glaciers! 😰
🎥Via @LanderVanTricht pic.twitter.com/0VIGaf8vqF
— Melaine Le Roy (@subfossilguy) August 13, 2026
Water temperatures in the Persian Gulf, the hottest sea on the planet, have reached as high as 97°F (36°C), over the past week as the region endures an extreme heatwave.
Some cities in Iran have experienced weeks of temperatures near 50°C (122°F).
The extraordinarily warm… pic.twitter.com/ZqV4KBTnnj
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) August 11, 2026
Potatoes ‘boil’ in the ground as record heatwave sweeps across swathes of Asia Guardian
Firefighters pulled from fires after threats, harassment along Idaho/Oregon border CBS2 Idaho News (resilc)
China?
For China, Trump’s new drone tariffs threaten to deepen trade rift with US South China Morning Post
The West studies China’s power — but not its civilization Asia Times (Kevin W)
China’s Best Music in 2026 (So Far) ChinaTalk
Tiktok wouldn’t open at all’: Taiwan simulates an internet blackout, with an eye on China threat Guardian
Koreas
North Korea fumes over upcoming US-South Korea military drills Aljazeera
Japan
U.S. and Japan plan world’s deepest undersea mine to challenge China Japan Times
India
“Water Is Our Red Line”: Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif’s New Threat On Indus Water NDTV
Africa
Eritrea, a rising power along a global shipping artery DW
Thousands flee drought in Somalia amid sharp aid decline Aljazeera
Refugees, lost trade and security costs: how conflict in one African country drives up debt for its neighbours The Conversation
Sahel Nations Face ‘Unprecedented’ Assault On Civil Society Eurasian Review
Drone attacks on energy infrastructure deepen Libya’s energy crisis Aljazeera
Southeast Asia
Magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes off Indonesia’s coast, killing at least 20 and toppling buildings Associated Press
Will Thailand’s potential BrahMos deal fuel ‘mini-arms race’ with Cambodia? South China Morning Post
South of the Border
Venezuela wants its gold back from Bank of England Financial Times
Cuba slams Dominican decision to expel its diplomats, blames US pressure CGTN
Gangs ramp up attacks in Haiti, fueling concerns over security of upcoming elections Haitian Times
European Disunion
Europe wants @you: Armies go digital to recruit young soldiers Euractiv
Five Contracts, One River Craig Tindale. On the knock-on effects of low water levels in the Rhine
Nuclear power plants are being shut down as Europe’s drought becomes an energy crisis CNBC
Old Blighty
UK Steps Up Scrutiny of Defense Supply Chain After China Scare Bloomberg. No archived version yet.
UK economic growth slows down as Iran war pushes up energy prices Guardian
Forget the credit crunch, we are now in the climate crunch Independent
Advisor to Climate-Sceptic Reform UK Laments ‘Disaster’ of A Harvest DeSmog
Why London’s creative industries can’t sustain world-class culture on poverty-level pay. ArtUplugged (Micael T)
‘Mayfair means money’: A walk through the Gulf elite’s favourite part of London Middle East Eye. FWIW, they had bought it up by 1984, when I had a four-month project and McKinsey’s offices were nearby, in St. James’. Mayfair had become a ghost town (save Bond Street/New Bond Street). When I was next there for a bit, in 1997, it looked like the landlords had gotten more sensible. There was a lot more active habitation of residential properties.
Israel v. The Resistance
This investigation by the Financial Times is staggering in its findings and in its scope and methodological rigor. Some of the findings, backed up by incredible levels of forensic evidence:
1) Israel completed much of its systematic destruction across Israeli-occupied southern… https://t.co/rw0BnOQdSA
— Shaiel Ben-Ephraim (@academic_la) August 12, 2026
Lebanese Americans sue US over Israel’s rights abuses in Lebanon war Aljazeera
Iran War
Trump threatens to declare strait of Hormuz ‘territory of the United States’ Guardian (Kevin W)
Judiciary chief to ‘simple-minded’ Trump: Iran is owner and ruler of Strait of Hormuz PressTV
Iran says ‘no decision’ made to resume US talks Anadolu Agency. The subhead points out what we and others have repeatedly stressed: “Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says exchanges through Qatar, Pakistan do not amount to negotiations.”
Note that some YouTubers are flogging a report from Hormuz Letter, which we have pointed out has run rumors that proved to be inaccurate, that claimed that the UAE had sent funds and gold to Iran and these were presumed to be the return of frozen assets. Mario Nawfal mentioned the claim to Professor Marandi. Marandi immediately asked what the source was, governmental or the press. Nawfal said neither. Marandi was clearly skeptical, noting UAE assets would have been obtained via sanctions. He did not unpack but I took that to mean UN sanctions, as in the UN would have to authorize release, and that has not happened. Marandi politely said, “We’ll see.” The fact that Iran is focusing on the UAE in its attacks on vessels is inconsistent with this having occurred. See: UAE accuses Iran of attacks on two ADNOC vessels in Strait of Hormuz Aljazeera
“In light of recent attacks by Iran, which have forced Emirati men to flee the country, the Ministry of Defense of the United Arab Emirates is calling on Emirati women to enroll in military academies.”
Not a good look to have Emirati men “flee” UAE leaving state defence to… https://t.co/YOuhRjo6p8
— Kathleen Tyson (@Kathleen_Tyson_) August 13, 2026
BREAKING: Iran has just unveiled a comprehensive exhibition of US and Israeli aircraft wreckage recovered during the Iran war at an underground IRGC Aerospace Force air-defense base.
According to the IRGC:
1. Wreckage on display includes a US F-15E, multiple MQ-9 Reapers,… pic.twitter.com/fl5HEIQowa
— The Hormuz Letter (@HormuzLetter) August 14, 2026
Gulf Oil Giants Are Spending Billions to Build Ways Around Strait of Hormuz New York Times
BREAKING: Yemen’s Houthi group targets Aramco facility in Saudi Arabia’s Najran city, Houthi-affiliated media outlet Saba news agency reports
🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/wSWHLdrJYT pic.twitter.com/20ICLh0bI3
— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) August 14, 2026
The Houthis are giving Saudi facilities no respite. Further attacks against Aramco’s installations have been recorded, indicating that Iran is sustaining the escalation Jul/Ago with its regional allies while buying time to increase its missile production.
And what does this… pic.twitter.com/2iR7sVf77M
— Patricia Marins (@pati_marins64) August 15, 2026
This is just one Yemeni tribe declaring its response to the call of the leader of the revolution, Sayyid Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, and announcing its mobilization and readiness to wage the battle to liberate Yemen and lift the siege on it.
Yemen, government, people,… pic.twitter.com/5hO2lRJNAO
— ابراهيم ناجي Ibrahim Naji (@Ibrahym22Nagi) August 14, 2026
New Not-So-Cold War
A pissing war: August war development. Rapid worsening on Dobropillia/Druzhkivka directions Events in Ukraine
Putin warns Western countries: If you seize our merchant ships, we will seize yours.
He assessed that NATO is “infiltrating the Pacific region” and that this increases the “risk of conflict.”
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry MEDVEDEV: “Russia has the… pic.twitter.com/Y1Z09sWHO6
— 𝕊𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕻𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤 (@SprinterPress) August 12, 2026
Major Russian grain export terminals hit in Ukraine Black Sea port attack BBC
Ukraine’s farmers despair as Russia’s Black Sea blockade traps their harvest Reuters
Another Polish-Ukrainian Grain Crisis Is On The Horizon Andrew Korybko
Imperial Collapse Watch
The Expanding Murder Spree Daniel Larison
US Presses Allies on Ideological Loyalty Ahead of Troop Cuts Bloomberg
Bombshell Report: Touted “Futuristic” 155mm Factory in Texas Produced Zero Shells in MIC Mega-Flop Similicius. America as a can’t do country.
US anti-satellite push revs up space arms race with China, Russia Asia Times (Kevin W)
Trump dismisses mental health concerns on USS Lincoln aircraft carrier Al Jazeera. Patton slapping soldiers who went to evacuation centers due to battle fatigue in the much more manly World War II era went over very badly in the US.
US says 19 million recalled eggs pose deadly risk https://t.co/uggPG67Xxc
— The Straits Times (@straits_times) August 15, 2026
Trump 2.0
Kennedy Center Board Decides to Inscribe Trump’s Name on Building New York Times. resilc: “How about a new inscription on the Statue of Liberty too? ‘Totally f’d up by djt’”
How Trump’s Unprecedented Effort to Prosecute Noncitizen Voters Fell Apart ProPublica
Mark Kelly on aircraft carrier catapult order: ‘Donald Trump knows nothing about this stuff’ The Hill
Immigration
The cost of deportations Economic Policy Institute
Democrats Suck
Leak: Top Democratic Org’s “Anti-Extremism” Project Targets Left Ken Klippenstein
Our No Longer Free Press
France’s Top Court Kills the Under-15 Social Media Ban Reclaim the Net. Mirabile dictu!
Economy
Oil: Can τhe World Withstand Six More Months οf War? Tovima
Diesel prices overtake jet fuel in Europe as global shortage widens Reuters
The World Is Running Short on Diesel. Major Conflicts Are Making It Worse. International Business Times
The US believes it can impose an indefinite blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. This is a lie because the world can’t resist 4 more weeks without gas, and with only a few million barrels crossing daily. America will scream first.
— Elijah J. Magnier 🇪🇺 (@ejmalrai) August 14, 2026
* * * Mortgage costs pushed higher by US stand-off with Iran Financial Times
BREAKING: The US Government officially posts its largest July budget deficit in history, at -$432 billion, due to an acceleration in federal spending.
Interest on US debt rose +$26 billion from last July’s levels to an alarming $118 billion for the month.
This puts total…
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) August 13, 2026
Mr. Market Should Be More Worried
Yen’s slide to weekly loss prompts bets for another intervention CNBC
BREAKING 🚨: Japan
Japan’s 2-Year Yield hits 1.66%, the highest level in 31 years 🤯 👀 pic.twitter.com/c0KVaqPKnx
— Barchart (@Barchart) August 15, 2026
BREAKING: Duetsche Bank $DB estimates the total yen carry trade inflating global assets is around $20 trillion, or 505% of Japan’s entire GDP.
— Financelot (@FinanceLancelot) August 13, 2026
BREAKING🇩🇪: Germany’s 30-year Bund yield hits its highest level since 2011. pic.twitter.com/uOf8rd8e6B
— Hedgeye (@Hedgeye) August 14, 2026
AI-driven surge in bond yields could be next risk for markets and growth Reuters
The Treasury market’s toxic codependency Financial Times
US sells 30-year bonds at highest borrowing costs since 2001 Financial Times
AI
Wall Street giants bet Nvidia’s AI chips will defy the laws of finance Financial Times
The Real Reason Data Center Gas Power Plants Are So Dirty Wired (resilc)
The Bezzle
How Big Tech’s Earnings Are Inflated by Other Tech Companies Wall Street Journal (resilc)
Kalshi Ordered to Cease Most Operations in Washington State New York Times (resilc)
Treasury’s own analysts disagree.
In May, GAO found that U.S. shell companies continue to pose significant illicit finance risks, citing Treasury’s 2026 National Money Laundering Risk Assessment, which documented shell companies laundering the proceeds of drug trafficking,… https://t.co/hQ5M0H7E5G
— Jessica Tillipman (@JTillipman) August 12, 2026
Guillotine Watch
Luigi Mangione enters guilty plea in NYC federal court Gothamist
Zuck’s super duper future 404 Media
The American Sports Plutocracy Is Bullshit Derek Thompson (Micael T)
“Forcing everybody to start smoking cigarettes” Caleb Ecarna
Antidote du jour (via):
Australian farmer Ben Jackson, couldn’t attend his aunt’s funeral, so he put out food in a heart shape for his sheep, in a beautiful tribute pic.twitter.com/2pqtviunMU
— Science girl (@sciencegirl) August 14, 2026
This is the least serious creature on the planet 😂 pic.twitter.com/GckVppkL3a
— Nature Unedited (@NatureUnedited) August 14, 2026
A cat touched a fogged-up window and discovered that it could draw pic.twitter.com/Kyn7faCM3I
— We Assess and Draw Cats 🐾 (@WeAssessCats) August 14, 2026
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
