What We Can Learn From Ancient History (and What We Can’t) Chronicle of Higher Education (Anthony L)

How to get 7th graders to smoke Adam Mastroianni

#COVID-19

MDA5-autoimmunity and interstitial pneumonitis contemporaneous with the COVID-19 pandemic (MIP-C) Lancet. KLG notes: “I suppose the AIDS-associated conditions would be Kaposi sarcoma, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (P. jirovecii now IIRC), CMV-mediated retinitis/blindness, severe thrush (Candida albicans)…”
FDA warns about using over-the-counter COVID-19 tests from Cue Health UPI. FDA letter here. ma:
This is fairly disturbing, especially since I bought one of their $500 machines with tests, though I have not yet had occasion to use it. I guess I’ll be part of the Class Action?! The FDA letter–dated last Thursday– specifically says:
“We request that you take immediate action to cease the sale and distribution of your Cue Health COVID-19 Test and your Cue Health COVID-19 Test for Home and Over The Counter (OTC) Use…” but their website seems to still be selling them, and I found no reference to the FDA letter on the website, in a cursory look.
Hmmm………Theranos, is that you?!

Climate/Environment

2023 Temperatures Were Warmest We’ve Seen For At Least 2,000 Years ars technica

China?

Biden administration intensifies economic war against China WSWS (Micael T). I am reminded of a line from the movie Elizabeth. When her advisers are urging her to take the initiative with Spain, the queen intones: “I do no like wars. They have uncertain outcomes.”
Small, well-built Chinese EV called the Seagull poses a big threat to the US auto industry Associated Press (Kevin W)
Cargo cult: Why America cannot have nice things Asia Times (Kevin W)
China Considers Government Buying of Unsold Homes to Save Property Market Bloomberg
Using Comparative & Absolute Advantage To Explain China’s Rise Ian Welsh (Micael T)

European Disunion

Beware of American “help”, or how the US undermined European energy security International Affairs (Micael T)
As Denmark plans to make national service mandatory for young women, some say they are ready to ‘send a signal to Russia’ ABC Australia. Kevin W: “For the Russians to fight the Danes, they would first have to fight their way through the entirety of Poland and then northern Germany.”
EU Adopts New Rules to Manage Migrant Arrivals & Create Uniform Procedures SchengenVisa

Gaza

Israeli forces push into Rafah as attacks intensify DW
Why the Israeli army is invading northern Gaza a second time Mondoweiss
Biden administration plans $1bn arms shipment to Israel BBC
US encouraging Arab states to join multinational postwar force in Gaza Financial Times. Contrary to Israeli plans to completely empty Gaza
UN refugee agency reports fresh arson attempt by Israelis on Jerusalem headquarters Anadolu Agency
Israel claims lowest civilian casualty ratio in history RT (Kevin W). Yes, thanks to the perverse definition of all Gazans, including children, as combatants. I hope this nonsense produces a Streisand-effect boomerang.

Gaza Protests

UCLA attackers exposed: meet the violent Zionist agitators LA police haven’t arrested The Grayzone (Kevin W)
North Carolina bill to curb mask-wearing in protests could make it illegal for medical reasons too Associated Press (Paul R). North Carolina had been on my list of places to consider living post-Alabama….I’d be in a mess now since I mask all the time in public places. Readers who live there, please e-mail or call your reps and raise holy hell.
Reflections on Student Activism William Hartung, TomDispatch

New Not-So-Cold War

Ukraine SitRep: An Army And Country At Their End Moon of Alabama (Kevin W)
Ukraine war live updates: Under heavy Russian fire, Ukraine withdraws troops from parts of besieged Kharkiv region CNBC. Interesting that this story is above the fold.
Ukrainian military stole money intended for fortifications – local media RT (Kevin W). Quelle surprise!
Kiev is intensifying its “Ukrainianization offensive”, a genuine cultural genocide, with the complicity of the collective West. Eastern Angle (Micael T)
You cannot make this up. The fact that nightclubs in Kiev still have a good business is an offense to all the men who’ve been thrown into trucks and sent to the front lines, most of whom die pronto. More proof of our moral bankruptcy:
WATCH: U.S. Secretary of State Blinken plays guitar at a Ukrainian nightclub. pic.twitter.com/pAJ5aq7v2T
— NBC News () May 14, 2024
Putin resets compass for voyage ahead India Punchline

Erdogan Holds Emergency Meeting Following Warning of Possible Coup – Reports Sputnik

Syraqistan

Strategic setbacks for US, Israel as the Resistance Axis gains ground in Syria The Cradle

The Caucuses

Foreign agents law passed, riots in front of parliament Anti-Spigel via machine translation (Micael T)

Thousands protest after Georgia Parliament passes ‘foreign agents’ bill Al Jazeera (Kevin W)

The West is mobilizing against Georgia Anti-Spigel via machine translation (Micael T)

Imperial Collapse Watch

In explaining why Niger is kicking out U.S. troops, Niger's prime minister tells that U.S. officials tried to dictate which countries Niger could partner with in a manner he viewed as disrespectful:
He said the Nigerien leaders took particular umbrage at remarks…
— John Hudson () May 14, 2024
US lags behind Russia in electronic warfare – ex-Pentagon official RT. Confirming what we’ve been saying for a while, which means the gap is undeniably large.
Canadian and US imperialism “modernizing” NORAD for global war WSWS (Micael T)
You Can’t Run Industrial Policy OR A War Economy Under Neoliberalism Ian Welsh (Micael T)

Trump

Unfixable: Michael Cohen Faces a Reckoning of Biblical Proportions on Cross Examination Jonathan Turley. Assuming Trump’s counsel can execute…
Stormy Daniels’ husband says they’ll likely leave country if Trump is acquitted CNN

Biden

Afroman – Hunter Got High (Official Video) YouTube (Mark G)
Fact check: Biden again falsely claims inflation was 9% when he became president CNN

2024

Warning signs for Trump: 5 takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries Politico
The GOP’s chances at winning the Senate just skyrocketed Washington Post

Antitrust

The Walls Are Closing In On John Deere’s Tractor Repair Monopoly 404media

Falling Down Boeing Airplanes

The DOJ is acknowledging that Boeing has fucked up so bad this year their conduct actually violates the weakest sweetheart deal in the history of sweetheart deals. Progress. https://t.co/SCGZJ6GWVL
— moe tkacik () May 15, 2024

The Bezzle

Your Margin and Your Life Steve Keen. Today’s must read. On how the crisis-causing bubble of private debt is getting bigger, with margin debt a particularly worrisome feature.
‘My whole library is wiped out’: what it means to own movies and TV in the age of streaming services Guardian (Kevin W). Lordie. Own disks if you are attached to the content.

Guillotine Watch

Sussexes’ Archewell charity could be suspended over late tax returns Telegraph
Global players feature in Dubai property leaks Dawn (Micael T). More property as money-laundering.

Class Warfare

All labor is skilled labor pic.twitter.com/wyF9CtqYA4
— Nina Turner () May 14, 2024
The spread of Walmart in the 1980s shattered Southern politics, that’s *purely* a trade and antitrust story. The civil rights movement is not why the South went to the right.
Also West Virginia was never Republican. The story of civil rights delivering the south to the right… https://t.co/duhf6caqPS
— Matt Stoller () May 15, 2024
Walmart to Lay Off and Relocate Workers Wall Street Journal
Scott Galloway: How the US is destroying young people’s future TED Talks. UserFriendly:
Quite a good short talk. Ethically and content-wise, working class / populist. It makes a few points where I was waiting for audience members heads to explode. Very highly recommended.
Jack Conroy and the Lost Era of Proletarian Literature Nation (Anthony L)

Antidote du jour. Robert H sent this image from a Suzanne L:

A bonus:

A bear riding in a motorcycle sidecar waving to people.
Just a normal day in Russia… pic.twitter.com/SjHn6J8YyG
— Nature is Amazing ☘️ () May 13, 2024

And a second bonus (Chuck L):

Bros in Morocco return a stranded leatherback turtle to the ocean using an ingenious method pic.twitter.com/ggpByU4IET
— Nature is Amazing ☘️ () May 13, 2024

See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.