FOLLOWING IN THE CREATIVE FOOTSTEPS OF FOXES Atmos
PALEONTOLOGISTS FIND SKELETON THAT WEIRDLY LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE BARNEY THE PURPLE DINOSAUR Futurism
How night lizards survived the asteroid that ended the dinosaurs Phys.org
Climate/Environment
Great Lakes scientists discover new lifeform microbe, name it ShipGoo1 Bridge Michigan
Legume Gone: The Shocking Reasons for a Tree’s Extinction in India The Revelator
In War Zones, a Race to Save Key Seeds Needed to Feed the World Yale Environment 360
The Koreas
China?
China’s AI industrial policy High Capacity
The electrification imperative Ember Energy
Africa
The US-brokered “peace deal” between the DRC and Rwanda is actually wild.
The US is getting access to $2 trillion worth of DRC minerals in exchange for forcing the withdrawal of Rwandan-backed M23 militias. That’s one-tenth of the DRC’s total mineral wealth, more than any…
— Jason Hickel (@jasonhickel) June 29, 2025
Old Blighty
Work begins on future British nuclear attack submarine UK Defence Journal
O Canada
Canada rescinds Digital Services Tax after Trump cuts off U.S. trade talks CNBC
Syraqistan
Israeli Forces Kill 86 Palestinians in Gaza Over 24 Hours, Including Aid Seekers Antiwar
There is no medicine left here. Not for the body. Not for the soul.
I have long spoken of the disintegration of Gaza’s hospitals: how we labor beneath roofs that leak shrapnel, beside beds where children lie half-alive. The World Health Organization calls it a collapse. Collapse…
— Dr. Ezzideen (@ezzingaza) June 28, 2025
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Intercepted Iranian communication suggest limited damage from US strikes: Report Anadolu Agency
Iran denies rumors about talks with US, says no date set Al Mayadeen
Iran orders deportation of undocumented Afghans Intellinews
Iranian parliament outlaws use of Elon Musk’s Starlink internet services Intellinews
“The war on sovereignty.” Patrick Lawrence, The Floutist
One noteworthy thing about Iran’s borders is, unlike much of the Middle East, they were not drawn for them.
The territory they hold today looks much the same as the realms they have held since antiquity. pic.twitter.com/JyRbKk7OJB
— 𝗠𝗮я𝗮𝘁 (@maratkaryan) June 27, 2025
***
‘Vindicated’: Unscathed by war, Gulf states look to capitalise on Israel and Iran’s losses Middle East Eye
(🚨) WAIT… WHAT??
Agents of Trump business and political partners MBS, MBZ and el-Sisi were secretly in the White House as Trump agreed to go to war with their enemy Iran?
How is this not the big news right now? How is this not bigger than every other story media is covering? pic.twitter.com/3RgDqaSDkk
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) June 27, 2025
A very interesting news report coming out of Israel: Syria is not ready for a permanent agreement with Israel or for joining the Abraham Accords at the moment; it is interested instead in going back to the 1974 ceasefire agreement (signed after the 1973 war), which will force an…
— Alon Mizrahi (@alon_mizrahi) June 30, 2025
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Turkey nears Eurofighter deal as Germany drops export ban Bulgarian Military
Turkey-US defense row may be resolved by end of year, says US ambassador Turkish Minute
Deep Dive: Will Israel’s war on Iran end Turkey’s peace with the PKK? Amwaj
Pezeshkian ‘urges’ Aliyev to investigate if Israel used Azerbaijani territory to attack Iran OC Media
***
Starmer condemns ‘appalling hate speech’ at Glastonbury – as organiser says anti-IDF chants ‘crossed a line’ Sky News. Video:
the chant we will all be repeating, thanks to the brilliant Bob Vylan who made all the Zionists go insane with rage:
DEATH, DEATH, DEATH TO THE IDF
DEATH, DEATH TO THE IDF
DEATH, DEATH TO THE IDF
DEATH, DEATH TO THE IOF
DEATH, DEATH TO THE I0F
DEATH, DEATH TO THE IOF pic.twitter.com/aXTyokvSmg— ☀️👀 (@zei_squirrel) June 28, 2025
Commentary:
Call me old fashioned but I find murdering thousands of innocent people more disturbing than words? But that’s just me https://t.co/LxZNAkUrPC
— James Kavanagh (@JamesKavanagh_) June 28, 2025
I’m a British Jew in England
I didn’t interpret #DeathToTheIDF as a call for people to kill me because
1. I’m not in the IDF
2. It doesn’t call for the death of individuals – the clue is in “The IDF”
3. I’m not brain dead
— Stop The Bollocks with Mirabel (@MirabelTweets1) June 29, 2025
***
🇦🇷🇵🇸 Meanwhile in Argentina pic.twitter.com/Ogrn0m4OWs
— Monitor𝕏 (@MonitorX99800) June 29, 2025
Mujeres pintan la bandera palestina en unas escaleras de Orgosolo, Cerdeña, Italia. pic.twitter.com/9sknr7i0J0
— Capitán Swing (@Capitan_Swing) June 5, 2025
European Disunion
Germany’s Greens push for interior ministers’ meeting on banning AfD DPA International
Bulgaria: Anti-Euro Protests Intensify as Sofia Faces 10-Day Blockade Novinite
Thousands set up street blockades in Serbia after arrests of anti-government protesters Euronews
New Not-So-Cold War
SITREP 6/29/25: Russia Launches Largest Drone Swarm of Entire War as Ukraine Gets Forgotten Simplicius
Last night’s strike package represented one of the most complex saturation attacks Russia has mounted since autumn, choreographing waves of loitering munitions and stand-off weapons to erode Ukrainian air defenses across the entire depth of the country. Over 450 combat drones,… pic.twitter.com/u4m6vTmFEp
— Thomas Keith (@iwasnevrhere_) June 29, 2025
Ukraine to withdraw from treaty banning anti-personnel mines Euractiv
US soldiers drop live grenades from drone in Germany, say tactic will soon be part of normal training Stars and Stripes
UK launched huge operation to find suspected Russian double agent in MI6 The Guardian. “Exclusive: Operation Wedlock lasted up to 20 years and took MI5 teams across world amid panic about ‘another Philby’”
Azov vs. Azov Azov Lobby Blog
The Caucasus
‘Russian trace’ suspected in Armenian clergy: Another priest faces criminal charges JAM News
South of the Border
“Liberation Day”
With 10 days to go, Trump tariff deals poised to fall short of sweeping trade reforms Straits Times
U.S. will send tariffs letters in coming days, deals not needed, Trump says Axios
Trump 2.0
Republicans steamroll toward final vote on Trump’s tax and spending cuts bill Semafor
GOP tax bill would mean 11.8 million people uninsured, $1.1 trillion in health cuts The Hill
Public Land Sale Out, But Senate GOP Megabill Still Attacks Planet Common Dreams
Thom Tillis won’t seek re-election after clash with Trump over ‘big beautiful bill’ The Guardian
How the reconciliation bill would change America Can We Still Govern?
***
Trump plans to announce TikTok buyer in two weeks Axios. Always “two weeks.”
Elon Musk Returns to Politics by Trolling Iran and Torching Trump’s Big Bill Gizmodo
“The first rule in Trump’s Washington: Don’t write anything down” Election Law Blog
Mamdani
Norman Finkelstein: Zohran Mamdani Has Struck A Winning BLOW Against The Israel Lobby Norman Finkelstein (Video)
Vote blue no matter who? Not if the oligarchs don’t want the blue candidate. https://t.co/MwoR2z4lcJ
— Margaret Kimberley (@freedomrideblog) June 29, 2025
Chartbook 394 “A City we can afford”: capitalism and democracy in New York Adam Tooze
This exchange is like a cartoon.
Zohran: Here’s a detailed explanation of how we can make groceries more affordable.
CNN: Soviet Union grocery stores?
CNN’s Erin Burnett expresses fear of Zohran Mamdani opening Soviet style grocery stores in NYC.
I’m not kidding. pic.twitter.com/uA1dkZiU5u
— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) June 29, 2025
I don’t live in NYC nor do I want to but one thing to mention is that I know the idea of public grocery stores has become easy fodder for critics, but if you move past the politics, there’s precedent. This isn’t some radical new idea in the U.S.
The USDA, under both Republican… https://t.co/2Vg6eiQy1Y
— Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop) June 29, 2025
Antitrust
Monopoly Round-Up: The $100 Billion Race to Become the Home Buying Super App BIG by Matt Stoller
Green Social Housing: Lessons from Vienna Climate and Community
Gunz
Multiple people dead as shooter attacks firefighters responding to North Idaho brush fire Idaho Capital Sun
Big Brother Is Watching You Watch
Sinaloa cartel used phone data and surveillance cameras to find FBI informants, DOJ says Reuters
AI
Hundreds of workers mobilize to ‘Stop Gen AI’ and help each other survive AI automation Blood in the Machine
People Are Being Involuntarily Committed, Jailed After Spiraling Into “ChatGPT Psychosis” Futurism
Police State Watch
Bounty hunters deputized by ICE, terrorizing law-abiding people at their place of work. This is terrible & doesn’t make us safer. We’ve learned she has a pending asylum case. I’ll continue to demand accountability for ICE targeting immigrants trying to follow the legal process. https://t.co/ajl4xiJGfz
— Rep. Scott Peters (@RepScottPeters) June 27, 2025
ICE arrest Pasadena mother without warrant—turns out they abducted wrong person.
Only 2 of 3 agents had a badge—none were in uniform.
“I didn’t know if I was witnessing a hate crime or a kidnapping,” said witness.
Video cuts off just as daughter begs, “Call the police.”
“And… pic.twitter.com/Or1BZgWA24
— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨💻 (@LongTimeHistory) June 29, 2025
Guillotine Watch
Is Being ‘Filthy Rich’ Immoral? Why Society Views Extreme Wealth As Wrong StudyFinds
Clear understanding of social connections propels strivers up the social ladder EurekAlert!
The world’s oldest boomerang is even older than we thought, but it’s not Australian ZME Science
Class Warfare
‘Central bank of central banks’ warns of rising inflation risks Semafor
— michael e. v. knight (@michaelevknight) June 26, 2025
Biology Lessons In Degrowth The George Tsakraklides View
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.