Links 7/17/2026

Medieval Courts Put Murderous Pigs on Trial and the Records Are Stranger Than Fiction ZME Science Artist Builds a Fully Stocked Bird-Sized Bar to Make Friends With the Local Crows Laughing Squid Lettuce supplier is potential source of cyclosporiasis outbreak, investigators say WaPo Climate/Environment The images and air quality numbers coming out of affected areas of Canada and the US are shocking. Hope NC readers are staying safe out there. Wildfire Smoke Is Health-Ruining. Here’s How to Prevent Heart and Lung Damage Wired Air quality is the worst in these US cities amid Canada wildfires USA Today Why the United States Keeps Choking on Canadian Smoke Colin McCarthy “Just put the fires out!” Ever seen a boreal wildfire? I have. I used to fight them. When fire behaviour becomes extreme, you’re not getting close to them. The radiant heat from a crown fire is face-melting from hundreds of metres away. All attempts at direct attack will… pic.twitter.com/TfIr67Iz1C — Kyle Brittain (@BadWeatherKyle) July 16, 2026 A major new wildfire outbreak is now underway across interior Pacific Northwest, with dozens (or more) new wildfires already popping up in eastern Oregon & Washington following tens of thousands of lightning strikes in region experiencing moderate to extreme drought. #ORwx #WAwx pic.twitter.com/t6dxb6fV9q — Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) July 17, 2026 Flooding in Texas…Again (July, 2026)! My Weather Corner The Strongest El Niño Ever The Climate Brink Seeding clouds with seawater could change Earth’s weather and prevent a super El Nino: Study Down to Earth Pandemics Measles cases in 2026 are set to surpass last year’s total. Here’s why ABC News ACIP vote on combo measles vaccine could especially affect families in greater need CIDRAP China? Why is Trump Trying to Start a New War with China? Larry Johnson China’s ‘Green Great Wall’ tames desert growth, but scientists warn the fight is not over AP Liu Shijin: China Saves Too Much to Grow Inside China India Manufacturing Revolt New Left Review Syraqistan Israeli war chief tells Pentagon that occupation forces will remain in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza The Cradle Vance throwing dirt at Israel and promoting the fantasy of a schism between Israel and the US is obvious psyop. In fact, it is the most telltale sign that the US is about to embark on a major escalation – together with Israel. Most likely, the decision to start a bigger war and… https://t.co/L4JKMVLuWb — Alon Mizrahi (@alon_mizrahi) July 16, 2026 Shahid Baqaei Hospital, a children’s cancer treatment centre in Ahvaz, was evacuated last night after the US attacked a nearby location. This barbaric attack, reminiscent of Israel’s atrocities against healthcare facilities, caused severe suffering and anxiety upon the… pic.twitter.com/xv3W7SY2X9 — Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) July 16, 2026 They pressured Carter to invade Kharg Island too. He didn’t. Responsible Statecraft US Navy’s Iran deployment exposes an empire stretched to the limit Al Mayadeen Ansarallah Vows to Block Saudi Access to Bab al-Mandab After Strikes on Sana’a Drop SiteUS Approves Nearly $2 Billion Arms Sale for Saudi Arabia After Escalation in Yemen Antiwar Africa Why is it so difficult (and crazy expensive) to fly within Africa? Ken Opalo Of heroes and hero worship? Some musings on the first chapter of ‘The Big Conservation Lie’ by John Mbaria and Mordecai Ogada Review of African Political Economy Old Blighty European Disunion EU takes inspiration from Trump with bonfire of banking rules Politico Fears over foreign influence in France, as Musk backs Le Pen presidential bid Radio France Internationale Meloni shaken as her own allies torpedo flagship reform Intellinews New Not-So-Cold War Political Crisis in Kiev as Shrinking Zelensky Ousts Popular Defense Minister Simplicius Scott Ritter v. Gilbert Doctorow: Is Russia Losing the War? Natylie’s Place Imperial Collapse Watch Watters: Women on base, you better be careful. Port calls, women in Asia, you better be careful. Because these guys are going to be wild animals and you better watch out. pic.twitter.com/R95gFpYEmA — Acyn (@Acyn) July 16, 2026 U.S. Navy Just Detonated “Experimental Explosion” Off Florida Coast Inside the Magic South of the Border Senior defense officials looking at Cuba military options CBS News In other words, a US military invasion of Venezuela https://t.co/RnLi2pMCxO — Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) July 17, 2026 Trump 2.0 Trump declassifies intelligence claiming Chinese interference in 2020 US elections France24 ‘Trump Is Trying to End Our Democracy’: Alarm as President Attacks Elections Ahead of Midterms Common Dreams We watched Trump’s dangerous and deranged speech so you don’t have to. Here are the moments you need to know about: — He openly laid groundwork to challenge the midterms. He claimed our elections were “compromised,” clearly setting up the justification to tamper with results… pic.twitter.com/5Qg3yzU3jJ — MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) July 17, 2026 *** Miller Labels Leftists a “Cancer” That World Must “Root Out” in Fascistic Speech Truthout Stephen Miller says NSPM-7 will lead to the debanking, defunding and disruption of left-wing “political terrorists that are operating in our country.” pic.twitter.com/f8149D3r52 — Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) July 16, 2026 Marco Rubio says Antifa is being directly aided by Iran and Cuba through a massive international network that seeks to attack the West with terrorism and propaganda. “They despise the West because the West is great.” pic.twitter.com/20o7JSLdKY — Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) July 16, 2026 Husband of Code Pink founder being investigated under federal foreign agent and tax lawsCBS News *** Exclusive: Truth Social to license its data to Wall Street Axios Trump Teleprompter Operator On Leave After Betting On President’s Speeches HuffPost Democrats Suck Performative Voting: Voting “Against” “Aid” When “Netanyahu” Says he Doesn’t Want It Sam Husseini AI The really big one Business Insider The Great AI News Heist Boondoggle Book publishers sue Google for copyright infringement over Gemini AI training The Guardian The Accelerationists Sports Desk What VAR tells us about AI Blood in the Machine Could you score a World Cup penalty kick? Many men say yes YouGov FIFA—Not U.S. Economy—Is Big World Cup Winner So Far Forbes Wildfire Smoke Threatens World Cup Final in New York TeleSur Our Famously Free Press Anatomy of a Struggle Session Matt Taibbi How Matt Taibbi’s ‘Anatomy of a Struggle Session’ Article Is Detached From Reality. The Dissident “MAHA” Inside RFK Jr.’s push to dismantle decades of U.S. vaccine policy CNN She Blew It: CDC Director Nominee Tanks in Senate Hearing MedPage Today Casino Nation Kalshi pulls plug on planned flight cancellation contracts Fortune Class Warfare The Globalisation of Markets and the Localisation of Hunger Ann Pettifor Beyond the Interregnum Savage Minds Antidote du jour (via): See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here. “Why is Trump Trying to Start a New War with China?” No idea why Trump is doing something so stupid. He has turned the war with Iran hot again while he enables long range missiles strikes into Russia. This being the case, he has decided that the best thing that he can do is pick a fight with China again. President Xi is supposed to visit the US in September but if Trump keeps this up, perhaps Xi will call the visit off to a more better time. Say, after the 2028 US Federal election? I do have my suspicions here. I am given to understand that elections in the US are run by the individual States and not the Federal government. And for months Trump has tried to blackmail individual States to get them to hand over to him their electoral rolls. (Maybe he should have asked the Chinese to do it for him based on his rant.) Whatever. So perhaps Trump wants to throw out the idea that it should be the Federal government that organizes Federal elections and not the States. I think that requires a change to the US Constitution but maybe one of Trump’s lawyers assures him that all he would need to do is to make a Presidential finding and then it could be done. Trump does have a habit of ignoring laws remember so perhaps this is on his mind. Crazy. And contrast with Bloomberg piece we had in Links yesterday: Trump’s Aides See China Cheating on Trade, But Shun Retaliation Bloomberg https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/trump-aides-see-china-cheating-163826999.html What can I read in the psycho-dynamics of Proffessor Doctorow, who bolds only the words “Russian Victory”? File under Big Brother. (and the holding company? / ;) Tucker Carlson interviews Benn Jordan on Flock cameras and former Pawtucket, Rhode Island policeman and whistleblower Noel Pichardo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH3QGv2L9ng “Air quality is the worst in these US cities amid Canada wildfires” I suppose that Trump could charge Canada tariffs on the import of all that unnecessary smoke. So unfair. Not like the superior smoke coming off American forests burning which is the best in the world. People are amazed at its quality. re: Miller Labels Leftists a “Cancer” That World Must “Root Out” in Fascistic Speech – Truthout Are the oligarchs getting nervous? / ;) A coupla months ago, didn’t Trump come out with a list of dangerous ideas to America? And included were those critical of Capitalism? My thanks to the NC community as we deal with the smoke from the wildfires. We made a Corsi-Rosenthal box last night to mitigate the air quality and relied on posts here for instructions and analysis. Re Taibbi–I don’t even bother to check his RSS feed any more. Used to be good. And it is remarkable the degree to which free speech warriors like Taibbi and Turley don’t seem to have a problem with Israel and the Lobby. Both have met with a lot of financial success in recent times if conclusions must be drawn. “Medieval Courts Put Murderous Pigs on Trial and the Records Are Stranger Than Fiction” I read how in Roman times that if a child chocked to death on say an apple, then they would put that tree on trial for their death. And if found guilty, they would chop down that tree an burn it. Did it bring back that kid? No, but it may have helped those parents get some closure. Years ago here in Oz I read about a circus worker that was walking by an elephant when it grabbed the guy and killed him. A tragedy to be sure. But then I read how this elephant had done the same to this woman and before her another person. That is three deaths but people defended that elephant. It was then I began to wonder if those Romans had a point.