Canterbury Commute Dead Language Society (Micael T)
We’ve Been Getting Ancient Greeks The Hedgehog Review (Micael T)
Why Does Science Fiction Music Sound Like That? JSTOR (Micael T)
“Experts Say,” Um, No They Don’t Bentham’s Bulldog (Micael T)
The smelly baby problem Virginia Postrel (Micael T)
How American Dads Are Becoming The Parents Their Dads Never Were By Derek Thompson
Partying in an age of fixed expectations: Can hedonism and wellness really coexist? Alex Gunner
COVID-19/Pandemics
Mental involvement:
➡️ PET study shows neuroinflammation in Long COVID
→ associated with fatigue, brain fog👉 Probably driven by immune response, not direct infection 7/ pic.twitter.com/DpLlhw1PpY
– Vipin M. Vashishtha (@vipinkur) May 1, 2026
Exciting new research from @PlzSolveCFS: What happens to T cells in Chronic COVID and ME/CFS? 🤔👇
In this talk, researchers
Dr. Liisa Selin, Dr. Ayano Kohlgruber, and Dr. Roshan Kumar discuss their new work, arguing that dysfunctional T-cells drive MECFS and… pic.twitter.com/Ndi13XiW68– Long COVID Labs (@longcovidlabs) May 1, 2026
Climate/Environment
Scientists warn it may be too late to save ‘luxury plants’ used to make coffee, chocolate, and wine Earth.com
Back to breeding low methane cows Farmers Weekly
The quiet debate is at the heart of the Lowy Institute’s energy transition
Salmon are becoming river ‘ghosts’ as brutal droughts and violent floods wreak unprecedented toll on their treacherous journey to the Pacific Ocean, scientists tell Eurasia Review.
Over the Past 20 Years Antarctica’s Deep Sea Has Been Warming, Scientists Reveal Time
Europe hit by record heat, ice loss and hot sea conditions according to weather report France24
Rainforest loss slows after year, but still ’11 football fields per minute’ South China Morning Post
Rare earth mines poison Mekong rivers, threaten ‘world’s kitchen’ Arab News
More than 60 percent of the US is covered in drought as the impacts worsen The Washington Post
China?
The impact of Hormuz? How the US, China are increasing tensions over the Panama Canal Aljazeera
Top Russian Expert Criticizes China’s “Reasonable” Response to Recent US Moves Andrew Korybko
Japan
Another framework for Japanese intervention
Japan sold 35 billion dollars bought at about 80 yen to the dollar at about 160 yen, booking a huge profit that reduced Japan’s total public debt – and in the process reduced Japan’s high public debt.
– Brad Setser (@Brad_Setser) May 1, 2026
Japan Weighs $3 Billion in Energy Subsidies as LNG Crunch Bites OilPrice
Japanese travelers to China drop off heavily in the Bangkok Post embassy queue
Africa
Sudan’s civil war: ‘Genocide’ clearly DW
Ethiopia Accuses Tigray Rebels of Joining Hands with Eritrea, Armed Group FirstPost
Jihadists encourage unity against the Mali junta as the Bamako blockade begins France24
Southeast Asia
Former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi is under house arrest, the BBC says. The best story.
South of the Border
Mexican Democracy (#MorningPressConferenceFromThePeople from the National Palace. Wednesday, April 29, 2026 YouTube). Rafael Z:
In Mexico democracy is practiced every day by having the president communicate with the citizens presenting his work and be open to any questions of the people. This time his presentation is translated into English, which is why I am sending it to you.
Cuba is running out of time. We need fuel now to save lives Guardian
The breakup of Europe
US to reduce troop levels in Germany by 5,000 amid Trump and Merz BBC (Kevin W)
Europe LOST: Preparations for War at Every Level | Dr. Ulrike Guérot Studies in Neutrality. Robin K: “Pascal Lottaz hosts an enlightening discussion about tensions within the EU/NATO.”
The French economy records zero growth in the first quarter of France24
Old Blighty
Thousands of UK companies face collapse as financial crisis deepens amid Iran war and tax hikes
Israel v. The Resistance
Gaza aid flotilla activists taken to Heraklion airport to be put back on board
‘Another famine could be a nightmare’: Gaza’s descent into new food crisis National News
From Iran to Lebanon: the “Gaza model” is now the standard way of the Israeli-American war Thomas Fazi
An Israeli merchant delayed the unloading of a ship carrying Russian grain in Haifa Vzglayd through machine translation. Micael T: “So the EU has power over the zionazis? It just chooses not to use it for good purposes.”
A View from Lebanon: Who Will We Be When Things Get Tough? Nate Hagen
Trump renews invitation to pardon Netanyahu – Axios RT (Kevin W)
Why the 60-day War Powers Resolution deadline doesn’t bind presidents Discussion (Kevin W)
Endless War Based on Lies Daniel Larison
The New Cold War
Fraudsters have started targeting Russians with glagol-blasting SMS with machine translation (Micael T)
May 2, 2014: Ukrainian Pro-Maidan Right Sector terrorists kill at least 48 anti-Maidan protesters in Odessa Eva Karene Bartlett
Russia increases its air strikes against Ukraine: The number of attacks has reached the new Table Briefings
Lithuania indicts 13 for alleged Russia-linked murder and sabotage of defense network
Why Russia is popular in the Global South Kamil Galeev (Randy K)
Mobilization mafia Events in Ukraine
Trump 2.0
Why Trump May Regret Iran War Foreign Policy. Frames like this give me courage. If Trump could be sorry, he would be sorry for the war now. And the writers seem unable to understand that the war has driven Iran mad. This is the point made by Alexander Mercouris, that those who win a war, even if it comes at a high cost, are always strong. And besides, whether Iran is now a fourth superpower is a matter of debate. That idea was unthinkable before this war.
Trump on US Navy Ship Seizure:
It is a very profitable business. We are like pirates. pic.twitter.com/erWDQmJWnw
– Acyn (@Acyn) May 2, 2026
Trump says he will raise tariffs on EU cars to 25% Reuters. Unless Trump has a Commerce Department study that supports the move, this tariff is illegal.
National Terrorism John Robb (Micael T). Important
Believe Everything You Read Memory Hole (fk)
Fed
After Powell’s Top Decision to Stay at the Fed New York Times (Kevin W)
Trump gets angry as Jerome Powell plans future at Federal Reserve The Hill. “Scenes” as opposed to “programs”? Seriously?
Democracies are simple
Pundits are wrong about Democrats’ “lost” voters G. Elliott Morris
The story Epstein
Epstein’s ‘suicide note’ found by cellmate – NYT RT
Ours is No Longer Free
Press freedom around the world drops to its lowest level in 25 years Aljazeera
Hearing that the Daily Wire has laid off more than 50% of its staff today.
As much as I despise what their bosses put me and my family through there are many good people working there with families to support who could use prayer.
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) May 1, 2026
The economy
Billions in food are at risk because of the war in Iran, a fertilizer boss told the BBC. This metric is meaningless. Craig Tindale estimated the decline in global production in key crop categories since the war + El Nino. Forgive my sloppy screenshot:
Global energy shock testing limits for oil reserves Monde Diplomatique
Why U.S. Oil Companies Are Not Plugging the Global Energy Gap New York Times (Kevin W)
Asian currencies collapse in heat of Iran war Asia Times (Kevin W). Erm, the baht is where it was last year.
Tankers Move From Fuels To Crude Trade As War Boosts Oil Flows
Not being trusted
Who Really Controls the Music Industry in 2026? | Live Nation, Spotify, and Labels Buy Everything Vinyl Culture (Micael T)
The AI
“A model that produces code that compiles and passes the tests given to it is not the same as a model that produces correct, secure, maintainable, well-built software” Gary Marcus
Pentagon strikes deals with 7 Big Tech companies after fleeing Anthropic CNN (Kevin W)
Bezzle
Security of Oil Resources: The New Energy Subprime in Three Dimensions 3D News. The total path is too small to be a system risk. More foam index.
Guillotine Watch
Elon Musk’s disappointing Judd Legum test
Menus shrinking for Dubai chefs as Iran war makes tomatillos, scallops hard to source Internazionale
Class War
Who Rules America? Inside the Hidden Architecture of the Ruling Class William Murphy
CEO pay rises in 2025, 20 times faster than Guardian’s staff
Antidote du jour. John U: “A Few Toms Walk the Road”:
Bonus
A farmer in rural Ireland noticed that one of his cows would bleat for hours every time he went to the train station to pick up supplies.
Moved by her grief, he began to take her with him. Everyone was surprised that the cow quickly learned the habit. He would wait quietly… pic.twitter.com/CJ44OIFSLf
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) April 30, 2026
Second bonus:
Two cows saw their owner coming home and jumped up to greet him like big puppies. pic.twitter.com/AvM2vA5qsT
— The Figen (@TheFigen_) April 30, 2026
And thirdly:
A Slovakian woman visits the lions she raised as cubs. Their parents were used in circuses throughout Eastern Europe and were rejected at birth pic.twitter.com/bzbmdJ042h
— Nature Unedited (@NatureUnedited) April 30, 2026
See yesterday’s links and the Antidote du Jour here.
