Who Would Win a Fight Between Knights and Samurais? History Defined
Climate/Environment
Extreme rain in China caused $2.2 billion in road damage, further straining public purse Reuters
Deforestation has killed half a million people in past 20 years, study finds The Guardian
Watch your step: a silent killer in the soil The Narwhal
Pandemics
Why scientists are rethinking the immune effects of SARS-CoV-2 The BMJ
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for long COVID: a prospective registry Nature
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CDC director ousted after RFK Jr. pushed her to change vaccine policy WaPo
A Looming National Security Crisis of Incoherent Contradictions Pandemic Accountability Index
India
Trump’s Tariff Policy is Empowering BRICS… A Look at India and China Larry Johnson
China?
No Nvidia H20 China sales; AI chip capacity; Correct view of the history of World War II Sinocism
China rejects Trump proposal to join US-Russia nuclear disarmament talks South China Morning Post
Africa
A path to peace in Sudan The Continent
France Deploys Strike Fighters Near Sudan as French-Backed Militias Lose Ground Military Watch
Old Blighty
Thames Water agrees to £24.5m payment plan as ‘backstop date’ set Express
Syraqistan
Scoop: Tony Blair and Jared Kushner brief Trump on Gaza post-war plans Axios
Exclusive: US contractors in Gaza pursued MEE journalist before his killing Middle East Eye
Israeli army, settlers unite in collective punishment of Al-Mughayyir +972 Mag
Greece Hands Key Arms Plant to Israel
Israel’s SK Group has fully acquired Greece’s Hellenic Vehicle Industry (ELBO), sparking backlash.
SK, which already owned 79% since 2021, now controls 100%, turning ELBO into its first European base for armored vehicle production.… pic.twitter.com/AtxuHiNH57
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 27, 2025
Israeli official Alexandrovich skips US court hearing on child sex charges Al Jazeera
US Envoy Barrack Cuts Tour of South Lebanon Short in Face of Protests Antiwar
Microsoft Workers Arrested After Occupying C-Suite to Protest Israel’s Use of Azure in Gaza Common Dreams
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France, Germany and UK prepare to reimpose sanctions on Iran FT
Despite move to avert nuclear crisis, Russia faces explosive allegations in Iran Amwaj
European Disunion
EU industry chief warns of US trade deal review if Trump’s tech demands continue Politico
US envoy summoned by Denmark over ‘Trump’s spies in Greenland’ The Telegraph
German car industry sheds 51,500 jobs in a year DW
Germany: Rheinmetall opens new artillery ammunition factory DW
With Finance Minister’s Ukraine visit, Germany escalates war with Russia and austerity at home WSWS
French minority government’s potential collapse puts economy in stalemate Anadolu Agency
Peace in Ukraine spells disaster for mainstream political parties in Europe Ian Proud
New Not-So-Cold War
SITREP 8/28/25: Trump Scoffs at Russian Interests in Gross Display of Hubris Simplicius
Russia hits EU and British Council buildings in Kyiv New Voice of Ukraine
Fantasy plan has NATO, US heavily involved in Ukraine peacekeeping Responsible Statecraft
What’s next for Donbas? Julian MacFarlane
Can Russia weather Ukrainian drone attack fuel crisis? Intellinews
Russia’s Sanctioned Arctic LNG Plant Boosts Output to New Record Bloomberg
Exxon Held Secret Talks With Rosneft About Going Back to Russia WSJ
Wait, so now it’s the German deep state that blew up their own critical infrastructure via a Ukrainian surrogate trained by the Bundeswehr? Who conveniently “died” weeks after Trump won?
Classic spook massage, endless trap doors.https://t.co/qKPkVt4OmU— Mark Ames (@MarkAmesExiled) August 27, 2025
Caucasus
Turkey breaks ground on its section of the TRIPP rail corridor Eurasianet
South of the Border
Mexico to Raise Tariffs on Imports From China After US Push Bloomberg
China will let Maduro sink rather than confront US warships Intellinews
Argentina’s Milei pelted with stones on campaign trail amid corruption protests France24
Trump 2.0
Trump’s “War Department” Is All About Appearances Ken Klippenstein
Thinking Ahead to the Full Military Takeover of Cities Hamilton Nolan
‘Alligator Alcatraz’ to be vacated in compliance with court order to shut it The Guardian
Police State Watch
DC Grand Jury Refuses to Indict Folk Hero Who Tossed Sandwich at CBP Officer Truthout
Democrats en déshabillé
77% of registered Democrats say Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. But only 6% of congressional Democrats (13) have called it a genocide.
75% of reg Dems oppose military aid to Israel. But only 19% of congressional Democrats (40) are co-sponsoring the Block the Bombs Act. https://t.co/zldqhUBctr
— aaron from queens 🇵🇸 (@aaronnarraph) August 27, 2025
How Former Biden Officials Defend Their Gaza Policy The New Yorker
Lew was chief of staff and treasury secretary under Obama and helped gut welfare under Clinton. He’s currently a visiting professor at the School of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University—just another war criminal molding the future American elite:
I just… pic.twitter.com/NHAFDvxadw
— Barry Malone (@malonebarry) August 26, 2025
GOP Funhouse
On the Decline of Elite-Educated Republicans in Congress Cambridge University Press
Imperial Collapse Watch
China’s billionaires are building private universities to challenge Stanford. It might work. Kevin Walmsley
Immigration
That reported multi-million decline in US immigrants just doesn’t add up Peterson Institute for International Economics
Gunz
Two children dead in Annunciation Church shooting Minnesota Reformer
Tragedy after Turkish wedding as celebratory gunfire kills groom Turkish Minute
MAHA
The CDC quietly scaled back a surveillance program for foodborne illnesses NBC News
AI
The Hero’s Journey What We Lost
Sports Desk
The Women’s Basketball Boom Dissent. “Can they leverage the sport’s growing popularity into a better deal for players?”
Groves of Academe
Beverly Hills Unified School District board members vote to fly Israeli flags inside schools CBS News
The Leader of Trump’s Assault on Higher Education Has a Troubled Legal and Financial History ProPublica
Our Famously Free Press
Big Brother Is Watching You Watch
Flock Wants to Partner With Consumer Dashcam Company That Takes ‘Trillions of Images’ a Month 404 Media
Zeitgeist Watch
The grift artist Mills Baker
Mr. Market’s Bubble
Nvidia’s AI chip sales surged again in latest quarter, but worries about a tech bubble persist AP
Why Trump’s Attack on the Fed Isn’t Spooking Wall Street Nathan Tankus, Politico
US Firms Racing Through $1 Trillion Buyback Spree in Record Time Yahoo! Finance
Class Warfare
What can be learned from states that made good faith efforts with work requirements? Can We Still Govern?
Why We Remember Katrina Black Agenda Report
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
