Bryan Johnson, the billionaire with his own entire lab and personal doctors, whose sole mission in life and business is to attain immortality, had his lung capacity reduced by 15% from a “mild” case COVID.
Because there is no such thing as a “mild” infection. pic.twitter.com/jkVl610Bsx
— Covid Caution – LP.8.1, NB.1.8.1, XFC, XEC (@CovidCaution) July 20, 2025
Everyone who has EVER had Covid should be carefully monitoring their vitals & listening to their bodies.
Do not exercise or attempt strenuous activity for at least 6-8 weeks after Covid. Don’t “push through” or ignore symptoms. This virus is VASCULAR.
It could save your life. https://t.co/lZiEJGXO52
— Laura Miers (@LauraMiers) July 21, 2025
Today on CBS Mornings Health Watch, per CDC data, the rate of young children going to the Emergency Room due to COVID is at the highest level since March.
It’s July. pic.twitter.com/2Zw6LrswcY
— Jammer (@acrossthemersey) July 21, 2025
Why the Southern jet stream is shifting – and what it means Earth.com
For the record, temps OK where I am, fine with windows all open and a good fan (admittedly I have acclimated):
BRUTAL HEAT ALLOVER ASIA
Temperatures again >51C in Middle East, 46C in Central Asia.
In IRAN 40C at 2000m asl ! Again close the world record for that altitude.In CHINA MINIMUM 34.7C at Turpan after the maxes above 50C of yesterday.
Thousands of records next days allover Asia pic.twitter.com/i2CbiwZHfN
— Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) July 21, 2025
With an increased global demand for matcha and record temperatures hitting Japan, supplies see an abrupt halt, causing prices to hit an all-time high SupplyChainDigital
Istanbul experienced its driest June in the last 65 years, receiving almost no rainfall last month Daily Sabah
States of emergency, agricultural disaster declared in parts of drought-stricken Manitoba CBC
Climate crisis causing food price spikes around the world, scientists say Aljazeera
Top central banker defends climate work after US pushback Financial Times
Trump’s $1tn for Pentagon to add huge planet-heating emissions, study shows Guardian
Why we urgently need to talk about geoengineering New Scientist
The World Is Entering a Dark New Era of Hydroterrorism Foreign Policy. We were warning about potable water being the resource first to come under acute pressure, and hence a driver of conflict, from the inception of this site.
China Threatens Response to EU Sanctions on Banks, Firms Bloomberg
China land sales in smaller cities hit lowest level in a decade Financial Times
China begins building world’s largest dam, fuelling fears in India BBC
China’s bug-inspired tech to detect missiles 20,000x faster than US Interesting Engineering (Chuck L)
On July 19, 2025, China killed the silicon wafer. And with it, ASML’s monopoly, TSMC’s moat, and every American chip sanction. You just didn’t hear the explosion. Time to break it down. (1/21)https://t.co/v2fFYwXEWW
— William Huo (@wmhuo168) July 20, 2025
How a Chinese defector forced Xi to support Putin Lei’s Real Talk, YouTube. Note this “support” is not the extensive economic support China is providing to Russia by defying US sanctions, but the backstory for Wang Yi’s very-much-out-of-Chinese-diplomatic-character dressing down of Kaja Kallas in which he said China would not let Russia lose in Ukraine because China was next on the menu. We ran another presentation by her which made some bold claims but she has very extensive substantiation from public appearances and statements. Here she is relying on social media accounts in China.
Koreas
The strange disappearance of the US-North Korea conflict Asia Times (Kevin W)
Myanmar
The U.S. shouldn’t ignore the starving Rohingya of Myanmar Washington Post
Nearly half of Myanmar’s Chin state population displaced due to conflict, says refugee report Burma News International
Blitz, Beijing, and Ethnic Fractures: How Myanmar’s Junta Rebounded in Shan State Irrawaddy
Africa
How gold has become the lifeblood of Sudan’s war economy Arab News
European Disunion
Watching Tucker take this fake German journalist apart over Nordstream and Germany being a humiliated vassal is one of the cringiest things I’ve ever watched. But it tells you where Germany is as a country right now. Very sad. 🇩🇪📉 pic.twitter.com/hvD1B6yqyf
— Philip Pilkington (@philippilk) July 21, 2025
Tariffs an unwelcome shock to a German economy already battling an exports slowdown Irish Times
Dutch charities unable to meet soaring demand for summer help as child poverty grows NL Times
Asylum Suspended: Greece Begins Migrant Detentions Greek Reporter
Old Blighty
Millions will die from infections as UK aid budget is cut The Times
‘Broken’ water industry in England and Wales faces tighter controls under new watchdog Guardian (Kevin W)
As two million starve in Gaza, British police beat up pensioners protesting against Israel Council Estate Media
Israel v. The Resistance
UK, France and 23 other nations demand Israel’s war on Gaza ‘must end now’ Aljazeera (resilc). Sigh. This is the geopolitical version of “I want a pony.”
Please click through to read in full:
This morning, I awoke as one might awaken in a grave, not rested, but returned from the underworld, gasping for something that no longer exists.
Water.
Twelve days without a drop in our pipes. Twelve days of swollen tongues, of children crying not from pain but from a thirst so…
— Dr. Ezzideen (@ezzingaza) July 20, 2025
Palestinian man walks calmly in Hebron with his arms raised. The Israeli soldiers shoots him in the back.
This happens all the time for a simple reason: The impunity the US & Europe provide Israel not only enables this, it encourages the steady increase of Israeli war crimes. pic.twitter.com/NmSuhcjvuk
— Trita Parsi (@tparsi) July 21, 2025
Israel’s genocide is big business – and the face of the future:
The Financial Times revealed this month that a cabal of Israeli investors, one of the world’s top business consulting groups and a think-tank headed by former British prime minister Tony Blair had been secretly…
— Jonathan Cook (@Jonathan_K_Cook) July 21, 2025
* * * A rare bit of good news:
Canada’s RCMP probe and Belgium’s arrests mark a shift that Zionist networks long feared: the machinery of international law beginning to turn against Israeli war criminals instead of protecting them.
In Canada, the RCMP’s “structural investigation” under the Crimes Against…
— Thomas Keith (@iwasnevrhere_) July 21, 2025
* * * Israel blindsides Trump in self-serving effort to break up Syria Responsible Statecraft
* * * The Houthis shatter European pretensions to naval power Economist
* * * War on Iran: The rule, not exception, of U.S. foreign policy Brian Berletic, Beijing Review (Chuck L)
Trump says US will strike Iran’s nuclear sites again ‘if necessary’ Anadolu Agency
IDF chief says army must prepare for multi-arena wars: ‘Campaign against Iran isn’t over’ Times of Israel
* * * After Iran, Will Egypt Be Next? American Conservative (resilc)
Caucasus
Zangezur Corridor to make it possible to transport 15 mln tonnes of cargo per year at first stage – Azerbaijani president Interfax
New Not-So-Cold War
Grave Nation: Ukrainian Cemetery Mega-Project Reveals Dimming Military Hopes Simplicius. The underlying Le Monde story via machine translation. As of our go-live time, there was no corresponding version on the English language site.
Doomsday☄️Air Defense Suppressed💥Battle for Kondrativka⚔️ DRG Already in Pokrovsk Military Summary, YouTube. If you have been following battlefield action, the fall of Pokrovsk will be a huge deal, since it will enable the Russians to flank the last defense line in the Donbass, Slaviansk and Kramatorsk (which are also not-trivial cities in their own right).
Russians enter Pokrovsk – Ukrainska Pravda sources Ukrainska Provda. While an admission against interest, notice the spin.
More Unnecessary Bellicosity From a Senior US General Raises Tensions with Russia Larry Johnson. Further discussion of a development we have covered.
Imperial Collapse Watch
Not Knowing The ‘Enemy’ Moon of Alabama
US Navy and Coast Guard Shipbuilding in Disarray and No US Commercial Shipbuilding What’s Going on With Shipping, YouTube (resilc)
US Navy’s next-gen destroyer looking like a money pit Asia Times (Kevin W)
The Enshittification of American Power Wired (resilc). From last week, still germane.
US nukes deployed to England for first time in over a decade UK Defence Journal
The myth of Western liberal democracy Thomas Fazi, Unherd
Trump 2.0
‘A disaster for all of us’: US scientists describe impact of Trump cuts Guardian
US judge questions legality of Trump’s Harvard funding cut: Report Anadolu Agency
Trump’s funding cut stalls water projects, increasing risks for millions Reuters
Federal cuts leave Los Angeles County health system in crisis Los Angeles Times
Tariffs
Trump tariffs live updates: Prospects for India, EU deals falter as Trump pushes for higher tariffs Yahoo
As Trump’s tariff deadline looms, economists see calm before the storm Aljazeera. Assumes no TACO.
Stellantis Says Profit Plunged as Tariffs Began to Bite New York Times (resilc). Stellantis was already in desperate shape.
Immigration
ICE will ‘flood the zone’ in NYC Politico
Courts allowing ICE lawyers to remain anonymous BoingBoing
L’affaire Jeffrey Epstein
Epstein furor upends House for second week in row The Hill
Mr. Market is Moody
Political and economic volatility wipes $320bn off global profits Financial Times
AI
The Hater’s Guide To The AI Bubble Ed Zitron. Today’s must read, for the caliber of the writing as well as the content.
Leaked Document Reveals Troubling Details About How AI Is Really Being Trained Futurism
Is Spotify Streaming Unauthorized AI Knockoffs of Dead Musicians? Ted Gioia
The Bezzle
JPMorgan explores lending against clients’ cryptocurrency Financial Times
“Crypto” is Silicon Valley Speak for Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Counterpunch (resilc)
Tesla Driver Testifies Autopilot Failed to Prevent Fatal Crash New York Times (Kevin W)
Class Warfare
Trucking’s uneasy relationship with new tech BBC (Kevin W)
Antidote du jour (via):
And a bonus (Chuck L):
What is actually happening here? pic.twitter.com/CLaJqjSNoL
— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) July 20, 2025
A second bonus:
Incredible moment hero dog saves another dog stranded on a surfboard..🐕🐾🥺❤️ pic.twitter.com/wXNnCwQwY6
— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) July 21, 2025
And a third:
Our asshole cat is genuinely obsessed & in love with our blind daughter 🤍
My daughter is 1.5 years old & is starting to walk, especially with using walls & furniture as guidance. Our most feisty cat is her biggest supporter 🥹🫶 pic.twitter.com/Zxdj6Aen9F
— cats with threatening auras (@catshealdeprsn) July 21, 2025
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
