Why I Became a Birdwatcher Nautilus
Ostrich and emu ancestor could fly, scientists discover Phys.org
Climate/Environment
Only a third of world’s river basins experienced normal conditions in 2024 The Guardian
Increased emissions threaten solar infrastructure in India: Study Down to Earth
This Brick Is the World’s Most Boring Climate Solution Atmos
Pandemics
CDC ends telework for employees with disabilities, union says Government Executive
How do you get people to care about COVID-19? Here’s what I’ve learned as an organizer. The Sick Times
India
India Makes Waves: Navy Joins 40-Nation South China Sea Drill With US, Japan India Narrative
US-India Move Toward Mutually Beneficial Trade Talks India Narrative
China?
Trump’s China trip many hinge on Boeing and soybean deals, sources say South China Morning Post
Taiwan pledges US$10 billion in U.S. farm product purchases over four years Focus Taiwan
China drops Google antitrust probe during US trade talks FT
AI firm DeepSeek writes less-secure code for groups China disfavors WaPo
From Research Academy to State Venture Capitalist: The transformation of Chinese Academy of Sciences Sinocities
Will China be the first to bring humanoid robots into the home? Think China
Testing Humanoid Robots to the Limit
Professor He Kong’s team from the Active Intelligent Systems (ACT) Lab at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen, China, has released a video showcasing a “violence test” designed to challenge the limits of… https://t.co/B01K1ez8g6 pic.twitter.com/97161kcnHh
— RoboHub🤖 (@XRoboHub) September 15, 2025
Flying cars crash into each other at Chinese air show BBC
Syraqistan
🚨Israel is forcing Gazans on “death marches” southwards to an area with “disease outbreaks” & “civil chaos”
Israel has already forced 370,000 to flee Gaza city, about 800,000 are still there unable to evacuate or refusing to (since it’s equally unsafe in the south). pic.twitter.com/9SZVESrP24
— Muhammad Shehada (@muhammadshehad2) September 17, 2025
Israel using booby-trapped vehicles to displace residents and destroy central neighbourhoods in Gaza City Euro-Med
‘Will Blow Up in Our Faces’ Israel Using Gazan Militias for Military Operations in Exchange for Pay and Territory Haaretz
“Israeli responses are becoming so boring. They say the same thing every time — they’re producing the responses by ChatGPT these days. They spend so much money in the foreign ministry on propaganda, you’d think they’d come up with something original.
They never engage with the… https://t.co/dUdWu5PM5m pic.twitter.com/liGXjNS4cu
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) September 16, 2025
Smotrich says a Gaza ‘real estate bonanza’ as stock market tumbles over Netanyahu ‘Super Sparta’ speech New Arab
Bernie Sanders becomes first US senator to say Israel committing genocide in Gaza The Guardian
In wake of Charlie Kirk Assassination, the Genie of ‘America First’ vs ‘Israel First’ is out of the bottle Conflicts Forum (Video). Danny Haiphong interview of Alastair Crooke.
House seeks to expand secretive arms stockpile used in Gaza war Responsible Statecraft
‘United States of Israel’: Bipartisan US delegation draws backlash for largest-ever foreign trip Middle East Eye
Families of US citizens killed by Israel say Trump administration refuses to investigate Middle East Eye
Following U.S. request, Japan won’t recognize Palestinian state Asahi Shimbun
BCG to train staff on ‘humanitarian principles’ after Gaza outcry FT
Old Blighty
Trade, Ukraine, Gaza: Starmer pleading for concessions from Trump Euronews
GSK pledges $30bn US investment as UK’s pharma woes deepen BBC
US tech giants pledge $42 billion in UK investment as Trump tours Blighty The Register. Data centers galore.
St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle will provide the incredible setting tonight for the State Banquet, with a 165-foot-long table, as King Charles III and Queen Camilla host President Donald J. Trump, First Lady Melania, and 160 other guests 🇬🇧🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/2qMUwzDu3s
— Mambo Italiano (@mamboitaliano__) September 17, 2025
More than a quarter of children in the UK are growing up hungry, research finds The Independent
European Disunion
Over 800,000 expected to join French protests against budget cuts Euractiv
In Praise of Small Things. Aurelien
New Not-So-Cold War
Germany Backs Further Use of Frozen Russian Assets for Ukraine Bloomberg
Polish military delegation to visit Ukraine to study air defense experience Kyiv Independent
Ukraine to receive Patriot, HIMARS missiles, Zelensky says Kyiv Independent
Europeans still waking up to the same ‘Groundhog Day’ soundtrack by Sonny and Cher Ian Proud
Dead Bodies Don’t Lie — The Truth About Ukraine’s Military Casualties Larry Johnson
Trump’s Ukraine Envoy Says the US Could ‘Kick Russia’s Ass’ Antiwar
Russian team comes dead last in Hungary’s annual grave digging contest Intellinews
***
Poland’s border closure risks choking EU-China trade Politico
GREAT MOMENTS IN THE HISTORY OF CHRYSTIA FREELAND’S FAILURE TO HAVE ACHIEVED MORE FOR UKRAINIAN FASCISM (2013-2025) THAN HER GRANDFATHER ACHIEVED AS HITLER’S PROPAGANDIST AND SPY (1939-45) John Helmer
L’affaire Epstein
SWAWELL: If you don’t know how many times Trump’s name appears in the Epstein files, it could be at least 1,000 times
PATEL: It’s not
SWAWELL: Is it at least 500 times?
PATEL: No
SWALWELL: Is it at least 100 times?
PATEL: No
SWALWELL: Then what is the number?
PATEL: The… pic.twitter.com/jvn8peuUi4
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 17, 2025
South of the Border
Pentagon Lawyers Raise Concerns Over Trump’s Strikes on Alleged Drug Boats WSJ
Tens of thousands protest Dundee’s Ecuador mine project near key water reserve Reuters
Our Famously Free Press
BREAKING UPDATE: The government pressured ABC — and ABC caved. The timing of ABC’s decision, on the heels of the FCC chairman’s pledge to the network to “do this the easy way or the hard way,” tells the whole story. Another media outlet withered under government pressure,…
— FIRE (@TheFIREorg) September 17, 2025
This is apparently the full clip that led to Kimmel being taken off the air indefinitely. Hear this for yourself & decide whether or not this warranted a removal from air. https://t.co/q6SFi9cnaQ
— Evan Newton (@_evannewton_) September 18, 2025
Note on Jimmy Kimmel Matt Taibbi
They couldn’t even wait a year to morph into the Democrats and become the Internet police. At least that party tells you straight up they want to censor you; these guys built an entire brand for five years pretending they were against this stuff. https://t.co/aoyEiWD1Wj
— Branko Marcetic (@BMarchetich) September 17, 2025
Trump 2.0
The Pendulum Swings: Free Speech Falls Under Tread of Prophecy Simplicius
Trump says designating anti-fascist Antifa movement a ‘terrorist organization’ France24
House Republicans Urge Treasury to Investigate Code Pink, PYM, BreakThrough Media and other Anti-Genocide Left-Wing Orgs
House Oversight Chair James Comer and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna sent a 5-page letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent asking for a formal review of Neville… https://t.co/iWjC9WdH2J
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) September 16, 2025
🚨 The Earth just tilted off its axis.
Tucker Carlson is now calling out Trump’s own regime, accusing it of using Charlie Kirk’s assassination as a pretext to abolish the First Amendment, round up Americans, and Nazify the country.
Yes. He said that. And he’s not wrong. pic.twitter.com/cy5oYXbJb4
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) September 17, 2025
***
A 12-foot golden statue of Donald Trump holding a Bitcoin is displayed outside the U.S. Capitol as the Federal Reserve announces an interest rate cut, September 2025. pic.twitter.com/1V8HaiUqUs
— Future Adam Curtis B-Roll (@adamcurtisbroll) September 17, 2025
Police State Watch
Republicans eye a crime bill for Trump, and for the midterms Semafor
Defense Bill Opens Door To Guns-For-Hire At The Border The Lever
Airlines Sell 5 Billion Plane Ticket Records to the Government For Warrantless Searching 404 Media
Weimar Republic
Charlie Kirk shooting: Kash Patel grilled at hearing, classes resume at UVU USA Today
After Charlie Kirk’s Murder, Elite Arrogance Still On Full Display Matt Taibbi
Healthcare?
Doctor who left patient during operation to have sex with nurse allowed to practise The Guardian
Surgeon General pick had supplement company deals Axios
AI
Meta launches new Ray-Ban smart glasses in step towards ‘superintelligence’ The Independent
OpenAI says models are programmed to make stuff up instead of admitting ignorance The Register
Delegation to AI can increase dishonest behavior Phys.org
After child’s trauma, chatbot maker allegedly forced mom to arbitration for $100 payout Ars Technica
Anthropic irks White House with limits on models’ use Semafor. The AI Bluesky?
Screening Room
Kneel Before Zod The Baffler
Guillotine Watch
Most Of Billionaires’ $7.6 Trillion Has Never Been Taxed Americans for Tax Fairness
Mr. Market
Fed’s rate cut comes with caveats, leaving investors lukewarm Reuters
Funds Shifting Away From US Assets Due to Trump, Mercer Says Bloomberg
Class Warfare
The Moral Decay of Debt Charles Hugh Smith
FACE TO FACE WITH THE SCALE OF THE COSMOS IEEE Spectrum
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
