Links 9/3/2020
Saving Central Asia’s Ice Age antelope Third Pole
Russia’s permafrost is melting Intellinews. On permafrost, see NC here.
Corporate zombies: Anatomy and life cycle Bank of International Settlements. “We find a rise in the share of zombie firms from 4% in the late 1980s to 15% in 2017.” I thought the whole point of being a zombie was not to have a life cycle. Apparently not!
Wirecard and me: Dan McCrum on exposing a criminal enterprise FT
Danske Debt Scandal Triggers FSA Probe and Police Scrutiny Bloomberg
#COVID-19
CDC Sends COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance With Fall Timeline Contagion Live. The CDC letter:
This is the letter @CDCgov sent to states asking them to prepare for the large-scale distribution of COVID-19 vaccines by November 1st, two days before Election Day.
h/t @saraecook pic.twitter.com/TINuA61uxc— Weijia Jiang (@weijia) September 2, 2020
DHL warns of Covid-19 vaccine delivery problems FT. Refrigeration.
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Community Outbreak Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Among Bus Riders in Eastern China JAMA. So, that first South China Morning Post story on airborne transmission holds up.
Oscillations in U.S. COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality Data Reflect Diagnostic and Reporting Factors American Society for Microbiology
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We Can Solve the Coronavirus-Test Mess Now—If We Want To The New Yorker
Could Rapid Coronavirus Testing Help Life Return To Normal? (transcript) NPR
The Power of Antibody-Based Surveillance NEJM
A workable strategy for COVID-19 testing: stratified periodic testing rather than universal random testing Oxford Review of Economic Policy
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Does convalescent plasma help treat Covid-19? The NIH says we don’t yet know. Vox
Covid-19 research shows downsides of face shields and valve masks South China Morning Post
Herd Immunity Is Not a Strategy The Atlantic
China?
Hong Kong: Beijing cracks down while the financial centre thrives FT
Why China’s subprime credit crisis would benefit from a debt amnesty South China Morning Post
Pentagon’s latest salvo against China’s growing might: Cold War bombers Reuters
The Koreas
Application of Safeguards in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (PDF) International Atomic Energy Agency. “However, no operation of the plant that provides the steam necessary for reprocessing activities was observed. Therefore, it is almost certain that no reprocessing activity took place and that the plutonium produced in the 5MW(e) reactor during the most recent operational cycle has not been separated.”
Will Grab ride out the pandemic, or crash without a single dollar in profit? Globe_
The New Normal:
VIDEO: Indonesian dentist boosts patients’ mood with colourful hazmat suits pic.twitter.com/TcD0SDJMrd
— AFP news agency (@AFP) September 3, 2020
India
India’s stealth capture of border territory angers China, as New Delhi bans more Chinese apps including PUBG South China Morning Post
Infosys to hire 12,000 more Americans – especially the cheapest ones it can find The Register
Australian special forces Instagram account mocks war crime allegations, calls to ‘Make Diggers Violent Again’ ABC Australia
Syraqistan
Turkey Slams U.S. Decision to Ease Its Arms Embargo on Cyprus Bloomberg
UK/EU
Nearly 30,000 tonnes of sewage sludge containing human waste to enter UK Guardian
More than 10% of British shops vacant, survey shows Reuters
Germany’s Far-Right Is Fired Up After Its Fantasy Almost Came True Vice (Re Silc).
More than 200 lawyers file judicial complaint against Judge Lewis A. Kaplan over abusive targeting of human rights advocate Steven Donziger International Association of Democratic Lawyers. See also here.
New Cold War
Novichok, Navalny, Nordstream, Nonsense Craig Murray
RussiaGate
Fuming Rachel Maddow Spends Entire Show Just Pointing Wildly At Picture Of Putin The Onion. From 2018, still germane.
Trump Transition
Trump threatens funding to Democratic-led cities over unrest CNN
The Postal Service is fending off pressures before its regulator and federal courts, but it’s already suffered one setback. Government Executive
Mnuchin Denies Meddling in Postal Service to Help Trump Bloomberg
Baltimore postal facility sat on 68,000 pieces of election mail for 5 days ahead of primary, audit shows Baltimore Sun
2020 hindsight brings corrupted radiation testing into focus at the EPA – Part 1 Bay View
2020
Organizer of Trump boat parades in Florida facing charge of threatening neighbor The Hill
Slumlord president Donald Trump shames California Democrats on eviction ban Yasha Levine, Immigrants as a Weapon
Democrats in Disarray
Pelosi claims hair salon scandal was a ‘set-up’ Politico. Who set her up? Putin? No but seriously, why not just have a stylist come to her house? She could offer them ice cream as an extra inducement…..
Legislature leaves much undone CalMatters. “[L]egislative leaders — and Newsom — opted for risk-avoidance and hope that Democrat Joe Biden will unseat Republican President Donald Trump in November and then provide California with many billions of dollars to buy its way out of difficulty.” California Democrat oligarchy slipping some cogs.
Police reforms face defeat as California Democrats block George Floyd-inspired bills Sacramento Bee. But of course.
Big Brother Is Watching You Watch
Court rules NSA phone snooping illegal — after 7-year delay Politico. So pardon Snowden?
Doorbell Cameras Like Ring Give Early Warning Of Police Searches, FBI Warned The Intercept. “Hey Alexa, flush the stash.”
Protests and Riots
Portland mayor to leave home targeted by protesters Reuters. Trump reacts:
Mayor Wheeler just got harassed out of his own home in Portland by so-called “friendly protesters”. The Anarchists, Agitators and Looters treat him HORRIBLY, even though he is so nice and respectful to them. Criminals only understand strength!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 2, 2020
So much for Wheeler’s property values…
Aaron ‘Jay’ Danielson had tracked Portland protests. He was near home after a pro-Trump rally when he died. Oregon Live
White Supremacists Are Invading American Cities To Incite a Civil War Washington Monthly
Caught in the ‘kettle:’ The inside story of Swann Street WUSA9. Washington, DC.
Black Injustice Tipping Point
His Brother Called for Help after He Was Acting Strangely. Police Knelt on Him until He Was Brain Dead. The Appeal. This keeps happening.
Internet Calls Death at South Philly Playground a Lynching, Relatives of Deceased Say Otherwise Philadelphia City Life
Imperial Collapse Watch
Fort Hood commander loses post, denied transfer after incidents at Army base NBC
Class Warfare
The Trouble with Disparity Adolph Reed, nonsite.org
The Privileged Have Entered Their Escape Pods Douglas Rushkoff, OneZero (JB). Anybody think the Zong Massacre won’t repeat itself, as Musk heaves the “cargo” out of Starship‘s airlocks for the insurance money?
“All of a Sudden a Lot of These Families Wanted a Yard”: How the Pandemic Gold Rush Is Remaking the Housing Market Vanity Fair. The pandemic is treating some people very, very well. None of them “essential.”
Upper West Sider Who Broke Her (Rent-Stabilized!) Lease to Flee to Vermont Finds Rural Bliss Didn’t Last West Side Rag
Antidote du jour (via):
Bonus antidote:
Please enjoy a 1-minute respite from this Twitter cesspool.
This is amazing.
Birds, bruh…pic.twitter.com/O5N3O9fZIG
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) September 1, 2020
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
