Chuck L: “Definitely something bigger than the 4-minute mile in 1954.”
The sub 2 hour marathon barrier has been broken in London
Sebastian Sawe: 1:59:30
Yomif Kejelcha: 1:59:414:34/mile for 26.2 miles… crazypic.twitter.com/f3LqVSLa2Y
— Marcus Milione (@MarcusMilione) April 26, 2026
This tiny mammal survived the dinosaur apocalypse and changed life Earth Science Daily (Kevin W)
DNA research recently rewrote the origins of the human species Science Daily (Kevin W)
‘A wonderful time capsule’: A fascinating history of Oxford University’s medieval library BBC (Kevin W)
Commentary on Noah Smith’s “The Simple Problem of Consciousness” by Noah Smith Brad DeLong
Climate/Environment
The Next ‘Forever Chemical’ May Already Be In The Air. Scientists Still Don’t Understand What Makes Famous Machines
An El Nino forecast pointing to the strongest event in decades is raising concerns about global crop production as farmers again face supply disruptions related to the Iran war
Extreme heat damages food systems in unexpected ways Observer
Building a large dam between Alaska and Russia could prevent the collapse of the AMOC, scientists told Live Science. More dangerous than other geoengineering ideas as they can be reversed or limited.
Amazon restoration masks diversity loss as fire, drought and hurricanes reshape forest edges PhsyOrg
ISU study finds pollinator ‘extinction vortex’ Iowa Capital Dispatch (Robin K)
New York City is at high risk of flooding that could leave 4.4 million people exposed to severe damage, a study found LiveScience.
Lake Superior ‘zombie’ fish outbreak leaves researchers searching for answers MPR News (Chuck L)
China?
Analysis – Under cover of trade deal with Trump, China expands economic pressure toolkit Reuters
Banned: China to welcome Dutch trade minister amid Nexperia, ASML argues South China Morning Post
China’s ‘metal battery’ could make renewable energy storage cheaper NewsBytes. Chuck L: “
Researchers at Nanjing University have developed a new way to make pure hydrogen directly from seawater using sunlight.
They created a special material (cobalt phosphide in carbon nitride) that can survive in sea water. When sunlight hits it, it splits water into hydrogen and oxygen—no… pic.twitter.com/vKCiiiZ34P
– Smart Science (@SmartScience) April 26, 2026
India
Democracy vs. Religion in India Consortium News
Southeast Asia
The US is not providing aid for the fallout from the Iran war, said Thailand’s foreign minister The Washington Post (Kevin W). Rumor has it that Thailand is getting oil from Angola…but what I can say is, this will reduce but not close the gap.
Cambodia slams Thailand for military violence Khymer Times
Africa
The country’s growing shock exposes North Africa’s fragile food system, Caliber
Egypt wants to separate Ethiopia and diplomacy blitz in Africa as countries fight over water World News
Sudan: Millions of citizens on the brink of starvation amid hunger, siege, and unemployment CounterCurrents
UAE paid Colombian soldiers to help RSF commit genocide in Sudan The Cradle (Kevin W)
The Congolese army said on Sunday it shot down a Rwandan military drone in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Anadolu Agency.
South of the Border
US strike kills three on suspected narco boat as death toll in operation reaches 185 Guardian
The breakup of Europe
France and Greece want to delay payment of Covid debt and EU bonds Politico
The EU’s biggest ban on toxic chemicals has been hit by ‘extremely frustrating’ delays The Guardian
Poland’s population will decline by 31.6% by 2100, says Eurostat BNE Intellnews
Old Blighty
The government is preparing for a possible shortage of goods from Iran’s independent war
MSM silent on Starmer arson trial – yet no special reporting restrictions Canary (Colonel Smithers)
Does the Royal Navy have more admirals than ships? Navy Lookout (Colonel Smithers)
One is funny! King Charles made Melania Trump giggle during a visit to the White House beehive Daily Mail
Israel v. The Resistance
‘300-tonne crane’ needed to remove Palestinian flag from Dublin Spire Irish Times (PlutoniumKun). BWAHAHA
Deadly Israeli attack exacerbates Gaza’s water shortage Guardian Guardian
IDF ATTACKS SOUTHERN LEBANON, ‘ROADS’ TO CIVIL ATTACKS | Robert Inlakesh Rachel Blevins (Chuck L)
****** US Carrier Teams in Position for Next Round as Trump “Dissatisfied” with Iranian Simplicius Demands
Trump closed the corner as Iran won more diplomatic; Putin praises Iranian Janta Ka Reporter. You have clips of Karoline Levitt doing her usual jerkface while confirming that Iran is now refusing to discuss nuclear enrichment; see also Pakistan’s statement of support to the UN Security Council on behalf of itself and other key players.
Note the Bloomberg landing page:
The US is being ‘humiliated’ by Iran, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told the Financial Times
Iranian Leaders Divided… Trump Administration by Larry Johnson
🚨 BREAKING : Pakistan Makes Historic Decision on Iran! 🚨
Pakistan Rewrites Regional Trade Map!
In a major strategic move, Pakistan has officially allowed Iran to trade with third countries through its territory.
The Department of Commerce has released the “Transport… pic.twitter.com/3tF7b2pS97
– Sadaf Baloch (@sadafzbaloch) April 26, 2026
See comments:
🚨 New News:
Emir of Sharjah His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi is expected to declare the REPUBLIC OF SHARJAH and secede from the UAE 🇦🇪
The Republic of Sharjah is not just a headline… it is a warning that the region is entering a new era.
Look closely. pic.twitter.com/7JXlaABejr
– Ʌ฿ҮӐŊ (son of Ðaraawiish)🐎🇸🇴 (@RealAbyan) April 26, 2026
On a ship stuck in the Strait of Hormuz: ‘We just want to go home’ The Times
Pirates near Somalia hijack cargo ship from Garacad Gulf News
The New Cold War
Fake News Alert: Russia Is Not Planning a Dangerous Attack in the Baltics Andrew Korybko
The War in Ukraine: Unraveling the Current Cloud of Disinfo. What Really Caused Russia’s Change in Strategy? Simplicius (Kevin W)
Big Brother Watching Watching
Trump uses murder to justify expanding surveillance powers Asia Times (Kevin W)
Imperial Collapse Watch
Fareed Zakaria came to a sharp end this week, and it deserves attention. In his Washington Post column and accompanying video, he says that Trump’s contempt for America’s allies has finally crossed a line from which there is no easy return.
The point is Zakaria…
– Gandalv (@Microinteracti1) April 26, 2026
The Empire Comes Home: Managed Negligence and Internal Colonialism in the United States John Robb (Micael T)
🚨 They are trying to do in Mali what they did in Syria.
Russia’s Africa Corps recently released its war report:
10,000 to 12,000 soldiers attacked Bamako, Sévaré, Gao, Kidal, and Kati simultaneously.
More than 1,000 are neutral. 500 in Gao only. 300 in Cat. 200 in Bamako. And that…
— S͎a͎l͎a͎d͎i͎n͎🇸🇴⚖️🕋✍️ (@InaHassan3) April 26, 2026
Embracing Independence John Robb (Micael T)
Everywhere, all the time, there are big problems Olivier Boyd-Barrett (Chuck L)
Trump 2.0
US spies in the Vatican Ken Klippenstein
Trump has been accused of siding with Big Ag over key supporters in the massive MAHA Alternet strike
The upper ones
Supreme Court to weigh in on use of ‘geofence warrants’ by law enforcement The Hill
Supreme Court to Hear Arguments in Landmark Roundup Weedkiller Case New York Times (Kevin W). No version has been archived yet.
Fed
THE HANDOFF: How the 1951 Treasury Deal Was Undone by Former Dollar Machine Shanaka Anslem Perera. Because of being in transit, you haven’t thought about this thesis yet. Often, Perera identifies important facts that others have missed, but then tends to make claims of extremely strong forms based on them.
Ours is No Longer Free
Jimmy Kimmel dismisses White House criticism of widow Melania’s BBC joke
The economy
The impact of the Iran war on Asia: rotting crops, closed schools and valuations The Times
No Stagflation: Donald Won’t Like What Happens Next! Antiwar.com
Supercars are at risk of being stopped by the Strait of Hormuz blockade Telegraph
Japan’s largest energy producer, JERA, said it would not be able to provide a forecast for its fiscal year’s revenue until March 2027, blaming uncertainty in the energy market caused by the Iran-Nikkei war.
Destruction of Structural Gas Demand Threatens Global LNG Market OilPrice
Will the Iran war reshape the auto industry? DW
The war in Iran disrupts the supply chain of the regional board, increasing the costs of technology companies Channel News Asia
The AI
Dario Amodei, hype, AI security, and the explosion of AI disasters vibe-coded by Gary Marcus
The UK government has admitted it underestimated AI’s carbon emissions by 136,000pc Telegraph.
Bezzle
Supporters of private equity are raising new arguments about the Financial Times’ lover’s deals
Guillotine Watch
US hunter dies after being mauled by elephants The Guardian
How The Tax Cut Spent Schools And Enriched Trump Megadonor The Lever
Class War
Global hunger hits worst level in years as funding falls, UN warns Politico
National Security Eats American Farmers Alive Un-Diplomatic (Chuck L)
Antidote du jour (via):
And a bonus (Chuck L). Not AI but a captured rhinoceros. See a small dog nearby.
Rhino goes to the photographer and asks for stomach scratches. And now we see why there are benefits to having opposable thumbs 🤣 pic.twitter.com/ThlbnJlJrF
– Awkward Stuff (@awkwardgoogle) April 26, 2026
And secondly (Bob H):
Research shows that watching a beaver eat cabbage reduces stress levels by 15% pic.twitter.com/UsodlU6Mif
— Nature Unedited (@NatureUnedited) April 13, 2026
See yesterday’s links and the Antidote du Jour here.
