Links 10/8/2020
In a changing Saudi Arabia, the first dog cafe delights pet lovers EuroNews (resilc)
An Earlier Universe Existed Before the Big Bang, and Can Still Be Observed today, Says Nobel Winner Telegraph
Scarlet fever is making a comeback after being infected with a toxic virus, researchers say abc.net.au (Kevin W)
New England’s Forests Are Sick. They Need More Tree Doctors. New York Times
Trump Infected
Trump Symptom-Free for 24 Hours, Says White House Doctor Wall Street Journal
Head of White House security office is ‘gravely ill with coronavirus and has been hospitalized since September’ – raising suspicions that it was him who brought the virus to the center of government Daily Mail. Lambert has wanted the WH spread traced….
#COVID-19
From Mark T:
A South African musician released a very catchy track at the end of 2019, called “Jerusalema”. A bunch of creative young Angolans then produced a video clip to accompany the track early this year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=613A9d6Doac
The clip went viral through the lockdowns in southern Africa. Dance challenges are now being issued from schools through to companies, and it’s spread to Europe too, especially among health care workers.
The Nairobi Women’s Hospital Jerusalema dance YouTube
Bredasdorp High School in the Western Cape You Tube. This brought a tear to my eye: a combination of seeing shorts and blazers again, along with mixed race pupils. Everything was segregated when I was at school in the 80s.
Airlink | Jerusalema Challenge. YouTube. Like the employees dancing on the wing.
Science/Medicine
Trump calls coronavirus treatment he received a ‘cure’ Financial Times
A Global Data Effort Probes Whether Covid Causes Diabetes Wired
Glycaemic control improved in people with type 1 diabetes during lockdown Practical Diabetes
Covid: more than 80% of positive UK cases in study had no core symptoms Guardian
New Study Finds No Direct Link Between Subway & COVID-19 Spread Gothamist
VCO a potential antiviral agent against COVID-19 — Filipino research Philippine Council for Health Research and Development. As in “virgin cocoanut oil”. Zero details but worth watching.
Why herd immunity strategy is regarded as fringe viewpoint Guardian (resilc)
US
Top US immunologist quits health role over Trump Covid response Guardian. Resilc: “Now we’re left with only collaborators like Fauci and the missing woman doc who sleeps with fishes in the Potomac……..”
America’s internet wasn’t prepared for online school The Verge (resilc)
COVID-19 sparks national security concerns with top brass in quarantine The Hill
This is a national security catastrophe that was absolutely avoidable — but for one man’s arrogant posturing around mask refusal.
Step back and think about this. https://t.co/8ZOqNZHSP0
— Carl T. Bergstrom (@CT_Bergstrom) October 6, 2020
The rules for NFL’s injured reserve/COVID-19 list, explained USA Today
COVID surge at UA could have been prevented Tuscon.com (Arizona Slim)
Finance/Economy
White House lurches in new direction on stimulus talks, pushing for airline aid Washington Post (UserFriendly)
The pandemic could end Texas’s oil boom—and start something better Popular Science
Scorched-Earth Heisenberg Report (resilc). Useful history of why the stimulus deal went south.
China?
Negative views of China and Xi Jinping at record levels: international survey South China Morning Post
US Explores Curbs On Ant Group, Tencent Payment Systems Bloomberg
Booming demand for Chinese assets boosts renminbi’s global role Financial Times. The “assets” here are debt.
What Kind of Superpower Will China Be? Atlantic (resilc)
Australian housing market ‘eerily quiet’ as squabbling scares off Chinese South China Morning Post (J-LS)
New Cold War
Former Intel Officials Try To Downplay Ratcliffe’s Russiagate Releases Antiwar.com (Kevin W). Pence tried referencing this in the debate, but you would have had to know most of the plot to get the drift of his gist.
DNI declassifies Brennan notes, CIA memo on Hillary Clinton ‘stirring up’ scandal between Trump, Russia Fox (resilc)
RAY McGOVERN: Trump Orders Russiagate Documents Declassified ConsortiumNews
Intel Sources: CIA Director Gina Haspel Banking On Trump Loss To Keep Russiagate Documents Hidden The Federalist (Chuck L). Yes, The Federalist, but a story not being covered and they have two sources, which is more than the New York Times sometimes has.
Golden Dawn leader and ex-MPs found guilty in landmark trial Guardian (resilc)
Syraqistan
Will Russia Sell Its S-400 Air Defense Platform to Iran? The National Interest (resilc)
Sole survivor? Saudi Arabia doubles down on oil to outlast rivals Reuters
Trump Transition
Who Is QAnon Evangelist, QMap Creator, and Former Citigroup Exec Jason Gelinas? Bloomberg (furzy)
Getting an H-1B visa is about to get really really hard Quartz (resilc)
Veep Debate. Some of us watched it so you didn’t have to. IMHO, all it did was confirm that neither would make for a good President.
Kamala Harris & Mike Pence 2020 Vice Presidential Debate Transcript Rev
Pence, Harris dodge direct answers in policy-focused debate The Hill
Glad I sat outta the debate sounds like they were fighting over who hated the environment more.
— Anarchist 🍂🎃🍂 Cat Lady (@SparklyAnarchy) October 8, 2020
2020
Republican fears grow over rising Democratic tide The Hill. Wellie, maybe they shouldn’t have put all their eggs in the Jeb! basket in 2016.
‘They are afraid’: Trump loses edge with seniors in Florida Financial Times
Biden receives a nationally televised, hourlong infomercial Politico. Even my 92 year old mother, who generally tunes out politics, perked up when we wound up accidentally had it on for 5 mins and said it didn’t seem right.
Where Does Joe Biden Really Stand on Trade? American Prospect
Biden rips up photo of Bernie Sanders during SNL appearance Beet Press (UserFriendly)
Biden Affirms: “I Will Eliminate Your Student Debt” Forbes (Kevin W). Lambert featured (and picked apart) in Water Cooler yesterday.
In Florida, the Gutting of a Landmark Law Leaves Few Felons Likely to Vote ProPublica
US Politics Isn’t ‘Polarized’; It’s In Almost Universal Agreement Caitlin Johnstone (David L)
Our Famously Free Press
Facebook Widens Ban On Political Ads As Alarm Rises Over Election New York Times
After the QAnon Ban, Who’s Next? Matt Taibbi
“This Gravy Train Is Coming to an End”: News Media Begins to Contemplate a Post-Trump White House Vanity Fair
Facebook’s latest “groups” disaster will only make it more toxic ars technica
Netflix indicted by grand jury in Texas for distribution of ‘Cuties’ Just the News (Chuck L)
AT&T’s DSL Phaseout Is Leaving Poor, Rural Users Behind Wired (resilc). Recall I complained about this in NYC with Verizon…It’s not just about DSL v. wired, it’s that copper works when power fails. And getting off DSL is all about getting out of common carrier regulations.
‘Suddenly It Lifted Off’: Tesla Model Y Roof Flies Off as Driver Hits US Highway Sputnik (Kevin W)
The FAA is opening the door a crack for self-flying drones like Skydio to reach their potential The Verge. Resilc: “Self driving cars were such a success, why not move on…..”
CalPERS chooses new head of trust level portfolio management Pensions & Investments
Class Warfare
‘Great Polarization’ may be next for world’s richest, UBS says Bloomberg
Antidote du jour. From RP, and abject apologies for not having seen this sooner in my overloaded inbox:
In memory of Sunner…
who taught me about unconditional love and that we can communicate with our animals here and continue to when they transition
that spirit manifests in legions of forms and while soul retains its individuality we are all connected
and that any damn coffee cup was fair game for an attack if I wasn’t paying attention when I held it
And a bonus (guurst):
One of the nicest tree-marking ‘dances’ caught by a trail camera at the Land of the Leopard nature reserve in the Far East of Russia @Leopard_land pic.twitter.com/6qb22A97Nv
— The Siberian Times (@siberian_times) October 7, 2020
And an extra bonus (Jim D):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
