Dear patient readers,<\/p>\n
In lieu of an Iran war post, you are getting extra Links with an Iran War section. The short version of the state of play is Trump has not launched his widely-expected attack, claiming Iran is negotiating. Iran has not confirmed; if I were Iran, I would deny right before the market opening on Monday. Iran is also continuing its attacks even though for the moment the US has paused. Netanyahu is coming to Washington for Lindsey Graham\u2019s wake next week. It is possible that the latest Trump pullback was to buy another week to finalize plans with Israel. <\/p>\n
It is inconceivable that Iran and the US can agree on even a skimpy MOU-type agreement. Iran is expected to further upped its bar in light of the MOU failure and the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz control, as well as other US offenses like not returning any of Iran\u2019s frozen funds. Professor Mohamed Marandi has stated any new deal will include cessation of hostilities in Yemen and Gaza. Iran is sure to require US performance on delivering frozen funds before getting out of bed.<\/p>\n
And of course Iran is not ceding control of Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
* * * <\/p>\n
Ancient ape fossil in Egypt challenges the story of human origins Science Daily (Kevin W)<\/p>\n
Contagious Cancer Found in North American Catfish Wired (resilc)<\/p>\n
Scientists Uncover Lost \u2018Golden Age\u2019 of Languages That Ended 1,000 Years Ago 404 Media<\/p>\n
5 Raw Quotes From America\u2019s Largest Raw-Milk Dairy Owner ProPublica (Robin K)<\/p>\n
#COVID-19\/Pandemics<\/p>\n
U.S. Measles Case Count Breaks Record Associated Press<\/p>\n
Ebola is gaining momentum in another part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where escalating violence is hampering efforts to find patients and contain the virus <\/p>\n
\u2014 Bloomberg (@business) July 25, 2026<\/p>\n
Climate\/Environment<\/p>\n
Even camels can\u2019t cope: Africa\u2019s ships of the desert hit by rising temperatures BBC<\/p>\n
Global sea-surface temperatures just reached their 50th consecutive record hot day and are expected to continue to rise for another month.<\/p>\n
This is so far beyond ‘bonkers’ (technical climate science term) that the Climate 8-ball has decided to start drinking early today. pic.twitter.com\/UACDjQAhy5<\/p>\n
\u2014 Prof. Eliot Jacobson (@EliotJacobson) July 22, 2026<\/p>\n
Gob\u00b7smack\u00b7ing \/GAHB-smack-ing\/ (adjective)
Definition: When subsurface El Ni\u00f1o anomaly map Legend needs to be increased to +9C\/+16\u00b0F above climatology to measure said Godzilla El Ni\u00f1o event. #elnino #insaneinthemembrane pic.twitter.com\/JiYG12V3ur<\/p>\n
\u2014 Jeff Berardelli (@WeatherProf) July 23, 2026<\/p>\n
Stranded houseboats and grounded cruise ships: Europe\u2019s rivers are shrinking amid heat and drought CNN<\/p>\n
Climate crisis-driven heat \u2018sucking soils dry\u2019 as extreme drought hits Europe Guardian<\/p>\n
National Drought Group steps up response as latest heatwave impacts water supplies and nature Farming UK<\/p>\n
NOAA has categorized the ongoing marine heatwave in the Mediterranean as a Category 4, extreme marine heatwave.<\/p>\n
Sea surface temperatures are exceeding 5\u00b0C (9\u00b0F) above normal in several parts of the Mediterranean Sea, with water temperatures now reaching 31\u00b0C (88\u00b0F). This\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/4A2EKus9oE<\/p>\n
\u2014 Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) July 21, 2026<\/p>\n
Japan records first \u2018cruelly hot day\u2019 as temperatures pass 40C Independent<\/p>\n
Global Warming Unmakes Winter in the US West Inside Climate News<\/p>\n
China?<\/p>\n
China announces live fire drills in Taiwan Strait Reuters<\/p>\n
Chinese chip stocks dive as overvaluation defies Beijing\u2019s rescue Asia Times (Kevin W)<\/p>\n
China Coast Guard Reports Third Clash With Philippines This Week Bloomberg<\/p>\n
Japan<\/p>\n
US warns against excessive yen volatility, calls for BOJ rate hikes Reuters<\/p>\n
Tokyo rebuts China\u2019s assertion remote Japan island in Pacific is a rock Japan Today<\/p>\n
US and Japan clash over meltdown liability in $40bn nuclear power deal Financial Times<\/p>\n
India<\/p>\n
In India, fear has switched sides Aljazeera<\/p>\n
India rejects Pakistan\u2019s \u2018baseless\u2019 claims at Asean, says Indus Waters Treaty to remain on hold FirstPost<\/p>\n
India\u2019s Quiet Strategy to Challenge China at the Strait of Malacca Brandon Weichert<\/p>\n
Southeast Asia<\/p>\n
\u2018We feel like we are failing\u2019: Myanmar doctor speaks out as health system teeters on \u2018brink of collapse\u2019 Guardian<\/p>\n
Thailand presses on with Cambodia border fence Bangkok Post<\/p>\n
Africa<\/p>\n
Trump \u2018weighing military action in Mali\u2019 Express <\/p>\n
Sudan: Fears of atrocities as RSF surrounds key city DW<\/p>\n
O Canada<\/p>\n
Canada will do whatever it takes in trade war with US, says Carney AlArabiya<\/p>\n
Trump Tries to Blow Up Canada Bridge Deal After Opening Ceremony Drama New Republic<\/p>\n
South of the Border<\/p>\n
What a US war with Cuba would really look like Responsible Statecraft (resilc)<\/p>\n
Trump 2.0 is Backing Bolivia\u2019s Militarized Crackdown on Dissent Inkstick<\/p>\n
European Disuion<\/p>\n
Europe Loses LNG Bidding War to Asia WION<\/p>\n
Europe Heads Into Winter With Its Weakest Gas Cushion In 15 Years OilPrice<\/p>\n
Trump vows to investigate EU over fining of US tech companies BBC (Kevin W)<\/p>\n
Chaotic sanctions negotiations expose cracks in EU front versus Russia Euronews. BWAHAHA<\/p>\n
The sound of the new German megalomania Overton via machine translation (resilc)<\/p>\n
Food price fears after Europe\u2019s heatwave destroys estimated \u20ac2bn of crops AOL<\/p>\n
Spain prepares for 47C heatwave as holiday destinations face brutal temperatures Independent<\/p>\n
Ireland urged to put pressure on Germany over pro-Palestinian activist\u2019s trial Guardian (Colonel Smithers)<\/p>\n
Old Blighty<\/p>\n
Omnibus wankers and Britain\u2019s only pensioner Mic Wright (Colonel Smithers)<\/p>\n
Israel v. The Resistance<\/p>\n
Israelis Continue To Show Just How Psychotic They Are Kim Iversen, YouTube<\/p>\n
Israeli Banks Threaten to Cut Off Palestinian Economy, Deepening Crisis New York Times<\/p>\n
Israeli ministers lead mass Al-Aqsa Mosque raid Middle East Eye<\/p>\n
\u201cI SEE ISRAEL DISAPPEARING AS A JEWISH STATE\u201d \u2013 Col. Larry Wilkerson YouTube (resilc)<\/p>\n
Israel carries out blasts across south Lebanon despite \u2018ceasefire\u2019 deal Aljazeera<\/p>\n
* * * <\/p>\n
America Knows Nukes. It Just Can\u2019t Build Them Anymore. Tell that to the Saudis Sonar 21<\/p>\n
Iran War<\/p>\n
Daily digest: 2026-07-25 NO1<\/p>\n
Iran reports no new US attacks as Gulf tensions remain high Aljazeera (live feed)<\/p>\n
Trump Seethes as Iran War Spirals Anew With No End in Sight Bloomberg<\/p>\n
#Iran FM Araghchi says Iran will not accept a ceasefire until its demands regarding Strait of Hormuz are met. He clarified that the issue is not a lack of mediators, noting Pakistan & Qatar continue to relay messages, but rather US approach, which he stated “must be corrected.” pic.twitter.com\/Ygj74DJDoK<\/p>\n
\u2014 Iran Nuances (@IranNuances) July 24, 2026<\/p>\n
BREAKING: China directly rejects Trump’s latest Truth Social claim that Xi told him China would not sell weapons to Iran under any circumstances, saying “as a comprehensive strategic partner, China strongly supports Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty, security, and national\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014 The Hormuz Letter (@HormuzLetter) July 24, 2026<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s Kurds in Iraq: a deferred front on Tehran\u2019s border NoonPost<\/p>\n
The Revolutionary Guard issues a warning: Immediately stay away from an area within a 500-meter radius of the locations where US forces are secretly stationed Rezistance (Ruben N)<\/p>\n
This is particularly funny since the UK has pretty much no navy:<\/p>\n
A White House official confirms the U.S. and U.K want to convene the Strait of Hormuz confernece next week <\/p>\n
\u2014 Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) July 24, 2026<\/p>\n
Arrests, denials and missing images: Gulf states\u2019 response to Iranian strikes France24 (Ruben N)<\/p>\n
NASA’s FIRMS satellite imagery now shows a significant thermal anomaly at the Saudi Aramco Jazan refinery, consistent with a major fire in the area following the reported Yemeni missile strikes.<\/p>\n
Smoke columns continue to rise over Jizan, Saudi Arabia, hours after the reported\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/tFp7uTESQP<\/p>\n
\u2014 The Hormuz Report (@HormuzReport) July 25, 2026<\/p>\n
Ferocious Iran strikes hit US bases; Trump hesitates on \u2018massive attack\u2019 threat | Janta Ka Reporter YouTube<\/p>\n
Lloyd\u2019s closes Strait of Hormuz by threat to invalidate marine insurance if Iran is paid for transit. <\/p>\n
One consequence of the wars in Ukraine and Iran will be Global South shipping insurance permanently leaving Lloyd\u2019s for Asian underwriters. <\/p>\n
\u2014 Kathleen Tyson (@Kathleen_Tyson_) July 24, 2026<\/p>\n
Syraqistan<\/p>\n
Pakistan army chief vows to press on with operations against militancy in Balochistan Arab News<\/p>\n
\u2018Collapsed\u2019: Roadblocks, internet blackout leave Pakistani Kashmir in limbo Aljazeera<\/p>\n
New Not-So-Cold War<\/p>\n
Shipping Suspended on Ukraine\u2019s Black Sea Corridor Due to Increased Attacks Maritime Executive<\/p>\n
Russia is establishing a blockade of Ukrainian ports by attacking port infrastructure and ships along Ukraine\u2019s entire Black Sea coastline \u2014 seemingly with the purpose of making Ukraine a de facto landlocked state. pic.twitter.com\/gXV2qsMWKU<\/p>\n
\u2014 Glenn Diesen (@Glenn_Diesen) July 25, 2026<\/p>\n
Ukrainian Drone Strikes Set Wildberries Warehouses Ablaze Across Russia Novinite<\/p>\n
The Sixth Red Scare, Not the Second Undiplomatic (Micael T)<\/p>\n
Dro-ligarch wars Events in Ukraine<\/p>\n
Imperial Collapse Watch<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udea8ICC member states vote 82 to 43 to remove Karim Khan as prosecutor<\/p>\n
Regardless of where people stand on this, the vote doesn’t undermine the credibility of the charges against Netanyahu which were thoroughly examined & approved by ICC judges<\/p>\n
The main concern now is if Israel,\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/rXZZsDIMqf<\/p>\n
\u2014 Muhammad Shehada (@muhammadshehad2) July 24, 2026<\/p>\n
New surveillance commons means the end of military concealment Asia Times (Kevin W)<\/p>\n
Cyclospora outbreak expands to nine US states, health officials say BBC (Kevin W)<\/p>\n
Trump 2.0<\/p>\n
DOGE and the Trump administration pushed 7,800 workers out of Social Security.<\/p>\n
Now it’s scrambling to hire people back as seniors face longer waits for fewer appointments.<\/p>\n
What did Trump and DOGE accomplish besides making it harder for people to get the benefits they earned?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) July 24, 2026<\/p>\n
Trump Orders Warnings Placed at \u2018Inaccurate\u2019 Smithsonian History Museum New York Times (Kevin W)<\/p>\n
Tariffs<\/p>\n
Trump imposes new double-digit tariffs on dozens of countries Aljazeera<\/p>\n
Asia disputes forced labour claims used to justify latest US tariffs Straits News<\/p>\n
Tariffs, Yet Again Barry Ritholtz (resilc)<\/p>\n
Immigration<\/p>\n
Rural states need immigration most Green Gazette (Robin K)<\/p>\n
Report: Dozens of ICE and CBP Agents Have Abused Women and Children Mother Jones<\/p>\n
Democrats Suck<\/p>\n
Democrats brush off fears within party about threat of democratic socialists The Hill<\/p>\n
Our No Longer Free Press<\/p>\n
The Resistance Liberal Lawyers Helping Trump Take Over the Media Matt Stoller<\/p>\n
Economy<\/p>\n
Running on borrowed time: The world\u2019s oil buffer is shrinking as inflation risks build CNBC<\/p>\n
Why hasn\u2019t the energy crisis happened yet? Will oil become the Black Swan of the century? Let\u2019s look at the mechanisms Ismaele (Ruben N)<\/p>\n
OIL PRICE MANIPULATION IS UNRAVELING \u2013 w\/ Philip Pilkington YouTube<\/p>\n
Yemen Heats Up\u2026 A New Threat to the Global Oil Supply Larry Johnson<\/p>\n
U.S. Refinery Utilization Hits 96.2% as Fuel Markets Tighten Worldwide OilPrice<\/p>\n
Middle East conflict sends shockwaves across global gas markets AzerNews <\/p>\n
How shipping insurance rates are rising, as Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb shut down Aljazeera<\/p>\n
Investor alert: Rare earth mining isn\u2019t paying off Kevin Walmsley (Kevin W)<\/p>\n
Panama Canal\u2019s El Ni\u00f1o Concerns Prompt Carrier Surcharges, New Draft Restrictions WWD. I took Panama off my list for expat destinations early because it was poor in food sufficiency and was having water shortage issues years ago. The canal and farmers compete. <\/p>\n
Mr. Market Should Be More Worried<\/p>\n
Global Reliance on US Equities Flashes Alarm, Along With China Corporate Debt Bloomberg<\/p>\n
AI Debt Competing with Treasuries Is Adding to Lofty US Yields Bloomberg<\/p>\n
AI<\/p>\n
Meet All The Middle Aged Women Who Don\u2019t Exist Charlotte\u2019s Book (resilc)<\/p>\n
AI does not appear to be boosting productivity, analysts at Barclays have said Telegraph <\/p>\n
AXA warns AI is no substitute for care as UK mental health hits crisis point Insurance Business Magazine<\/p>\n
Google reports $6bn cash burn last quarter as it raises AI spending again Financial Times<\/p>\n
AI companies are hiding more debt than you think | Ed Zitron YouTube<\/p>\n
Hidden debt of US tech giants soars to $1.65 trillion MSN <\/p>\n
Guillotine Watch<\/p>\n
Elon\u2019s horrible, no good, very bad day Caleb Ecarna<\/p>\n
SpaceX Merging with Tesla as Stock Plummets \u2013 Bet Against Elon Musk YouTube (resilc)<\/p>\n
Tesla stock suffers double-digit drop on carmaker\u2019s worst day in years Guardian\n<\/p>\n
Class Warfare<\/p>\n
New Fed research suggests far fewer Americans own homes than widely believed CBS (Kevin W)<\/p>\n
Antidote du jour (via):<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/00-lion-and-cub.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
A bonus<\/p>\n
The young goat that lost its mother in a wolf attack in Sivas and was rejected by the rest of the herd started going to sleep with the shepherd dogs every night so it wouldn\u2019t be alone pic.twitter.com\/qdVaiI2jFK<\/p>\n
\u2014 Nature Unedited (@NatureUnedited) July 23, 2026<\/p>\n
A second bonus:<\/p>\n
After a heavy snowfall in the US, the zoo staff opened the gates for the penguins so they could go out and explore as if it were their natural habitat. pic.twitter.com\/7VB8YwDgBP<\/p>\n
\u2014 Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) July 22, 2026<\/p>\n
And a third:<\/p>\n
A guy went out to see what his dog was up to and discovered it happily playing with a capybara. pic.twitter.com\/caqd6aaIgF<\/p>\n
\u2014 The Figen (@TheFigen_) July 22, 2026<\/p>\n
See yesterday\u2019s Links and Antidote du Jour here.<\/p>\n
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