Links 1/4/2025 | naked capitalism

2025 Bug of the Year Nominees New Zealand Bug of the Year

Where the next financial crisis could emerge FT

Climate

Do Carbon Offsets Offset Carbon? American Economic Journal: Applied Economics

Canadian forests are more conducive to high-severity fires in recent decades Science

‘Mystery volcano’ that erupted and cooled Earth in 1831 has finally been identified CNN

Freighthopping Doomberg (PI).

Syndemics

5 years after it appeared, things we know and still don’t know about COVID PBS. 900 deaths a week. Pretty normal for a new tranche of lethality under Rule #2, well done all.

Covid surges across US after holidays amid low booster uptake Guardian

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Alterations in Cellular Gene Expression Due to Co-Infection With Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus and SARS-CoV-2: Implications for Disease Severity Journal of Medical Virology. From the Abstract: “These data provide a molecular basis for understanding whether patients with pre-existing oncogenic herpesvirus infections are at increased risk for more severe COVID-19 or for developing virus-associated cancers even after full recovery from COVID-19.”

China?

Antony Blinken: ‘China has been trying to have it both ways’ Financial Times. Blinken: “We have reason to believe that China engaged Russia [on nuclear weapons] and said: ‘Don’t go there.’” If true, I propose, then, that China continue to have it both ways.

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What to expect from Chinese monetary policy in 2025 China Banking News

Holiday travel boom ignites China’s economic vibrancy CGTN

China’s tech giants vow to fix algorithm issues amid government crackdown South China Morning Post

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China’s overqualified youth taking jobs as drivers, labourers and film extras BBC

How Global South can resist US hegemony and its isolationism South China Morning Post

Myanmar

Q&A: Leader of Myanmar’s shadow government talks civil war strategy in 2025 Al Jazeera

Syraqistan

Israeli Settlers Pressured, the Cabinet Approved. Now Annexation Is Creeping Into West Bank’s Area B Haaretz

Yemen’s Houthis say they carried out 22 attacks against US, Israeli targets in a week Anadolu Agency

Israeli army bombs Damascus outskirts, seizes control of Syrian water sources The Cradle

European Disunion

Macron Appoints Zombie Government in France Brave New Europe

Europe readies for scattergun defence-spend bonanza FT

Dear Old Blighty

Scores of firefighters left with chronic health conditions years after tackling deadly Grenfell Tower fire Daily Mail. “Everything is like Grenfell.”

New Not-So-Cold War

Flagship Ukrainian brigade trained in France goes AWOL Telegraph

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Kremlin not willing to change its conditions for ending war – ISW Ukrainska Pravda

Supporting Ukraine Is in Trump’s Interest Project Syndicate

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‘We’re in the end game’: Why Kyiv’s blow to Russian gas threatens to divide Europe The Telegraph

Starved of Russian gas, industry shuts down in breakaway Moldovan region Reuters

Transnistria refuses to purchase gas from the West, awaits help from Russia Ukrainska Pravda

How the Kremlin is giving up Transnistria to regain control over Moldova European Pravda

Russia’s Cable-Cutting Could Threaten Europe’s Whole Energy Supply Foreign Policy

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An Ignored US Diplomat’s Warning on Russia Consortium News

The political dilemma facing Russian politicians The Spectator

Transcript of ‘Dialogue Works’ edition of 3 January Gilbert Doctorow

South of the Border

Panama reports sharp drop in irregular migration through Darien Gap Al Jazeera

Biden Administration

Biden blocks $14B sale of US Steel to Japanese firm Anadolu Agency. Commentary:

Oops.White House copy-and-pastes from a previous presidential order on a Chinese real estate transaction and uses it for the Nippon Steel announcement. And forgets to delete the title. pic.twitter.com/8ibeSYujxI

— Ken Moriyasu (@kenmoriyasu) January 3, 2025

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The US’s Worst Fears of Chinese Hacking Are on Display in Guam Bloomberg

White House confirms hack of Treasury Department’s sanctions office Anadolu Agency

Trump Transition

A user’s manual to certifying the presidential election FOX

Only one spiteful group wants to see Trump sentenced before inauguration Andrew McCarthy, FOX. Merchan’s order:

Justice Juan Merchan has DENIED Donald Trump’s motion to dismiss his hush-money indictment and vacate the guilty verdict and ordered him to appear for sentencing next Friday at 9:30 a.m. virtually or in person. pic.twitter.com/GEGOMPp043

— Molly Crane-Newman (@molcranenewman) January 3, 2025

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House approves new rules protecting Mike Johnson from ouster Axios

Kamala Harris botches one of her final acts as VP… and J.D. Vance can’t wipe the smile off his face Daily Mail

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Trump appoints (and rebukes) Morgan Ortagus as deputy Middle East envoy Axios

Greenland’s PM pushes for independence from Denmark amid Trump’s interest EuroNews. Commentary:

NEW: Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede calls for independence from Denmark as Donald Trump ramps up his calls for acquiring the territory.

“It is now time to take the next step for our country,” Egede said.

“Like other countries in the world, we must work to remove the… pic.twitter.com/uiRXzchjN7

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 4, 2025

The Blob

Top 10 Think Tanks That Receive Funding Pentagon Contractors Think Tank Funding Tracker. Handy chart:

Spook Country

Las Vegas Bomber Story Takes An Alarming Turn Larry Johnson, Sonar 21. Commentary:

NEW: FBI says they have “strong evidence” that the email shared on Shawn Ryan’s show *was* sent by Livelsberger before the explosion.

The statement was made just 1 hour after Ryan released the episode.

In the email, the individual believed to be Livelsberger said the NJ drones… pic.twitter.com/9ZpGlmrPW0

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 3, 2025

Driver of exploding Cybertruck left letters of anguish: ‘I needed to cleanse my mind’ LA Times

Suspect in Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion previously appeared on reality show Anadolu Agency. No kidding:

Laughs aside, I think the US doesn’t really know what it’s doing, and there’s a real chance a covert civil war is already being fought between different arms of the gigantic security apparatus. Or it could be the quiet stage of an actual war.

I’m saying this regarding the…

— Alon Mizrahi (@alon_mizrahi) January 4, 2025

The tweet is worth reading in full.

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Incongruities (1):

BREAKING: Las Vegas Metro police release message found on Matthew Livelsberger’s phone in Tesla cybertruck.

“This was not a terrorist attack, it was a wake up call.” pic.twitter.com/dvl5oD9RYS

— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) January 4, 2025

Incongruities (2):

Zero chance these 2 letters were written by the same people.

The white one reads like it was written by Jack Posobiec and the email reads like it was written by Jack Bauer.

Everything about this case is weird AF and I don’t know what to believe. pic.twitter.com/tdIsj4lZC6

— Mel (@Villgecrazylady) January 4, 2025

Incongruities (3):

He was (most recently) a special forces sergeant (18Z) in the army’s MOS 18, within the special forces Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA).

From all the data, it seems he was working on Ukraine, frequently in country, probably focusing on drone tech use and development against… pic.twitter.com/F85AUPWceJ

— Joe Quinn (@SeosQuinn) January 3, 2025

What a shame Ryan Routh wasn’t around to help him.

Incongruities (4). Once again:

Both his army ID and passport were found in the truck, having, almost miraculously, survived the fire that burned his body, and the interior of the truck, beyond recognition.

So yeah, super sketchy. pic.twitter.com/XDPW8tM4sL

— Joe Quinn (@SeosQuinn) January 3, 2025

This whole thread is worth a read.

Zeitgeist Watch

Abby Martin of The Empire Files:

Making art has been keeping me sane. Just finished this little piece 🔵 Salt Divine, 11 x 14″, collage & paint pen pic.twitter.com/nM3w04V6Yz

— Abby Martin (@AbbyMartin) January 3, 2025

Digital Watch

Good to know:

False alarm.

It’s porn: https://t.co/rckofBv3N7 https://t.co/Q0UgAxpJsz

— Proton (@ProtonPrivacy) January 3, 2025

Our Famously Free Press

Washington Post Cartoonist Ann Telnaes Quits After Bezos-Owned Paper Kills Trump Satire Piece The Wrap. Commentary:

Ann Telnaes, who has worked at The Washington Post as an editorial cartoonist since 2008, says her cartoon below was killed — and now she has quit the paper pic.twitter.com/ThHbQiATOS

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 4, 2025

Supply Chain

Cass acquires ocean, airfreight invoice audit platform Freight Waves. Commentary:

The intersection of finance and supply chain is increasingly important.

In the latest illustration, Cass Information Systems just acquired Acuitive Solutions’ freight audit platform. AcuAudit focuses on ocean, air and drayage shipments.

Cass was the industry pioneer in freight…

— Benjamin Gordon 🇺🇸 🇮🇱 🇺🇦 🚚 ✈️ (@benjaminhgordon) January 3, 2025

The Final Frontier

The other space control: who does what in the national security space enterprise Space News

Book Nook

Happy birthday (yesterday):

“Not all those who wander are lost…”

J.R.R. Tolkien

Tolkien was born OTD in 1892. pic.twitter.com/AD6v8DKrS2

— leahmcelrath.bsky.social (@leahmcelrath) January 4, 2025

Class Warfare