Brand Hype Has Existed Since the Bronze Age, Scientists Discover 404 Media
2,200-year-old Roman shipwreck reveals ancient waterproofing secrets Science Daily (Kevin W)
Chinese stem cell therapy reverses heart failure in 90% of patients in landmark trial South China Morning Post
#COVID-19/Pandemics
Climate/Environment
Recent Temperature and Energy Imbalance Trends Point to Higher Estimates of Future Warming ESS Open Archive
I did the math on this, and the combined Nino regions right now have about 60% more absolute excess heat than the 1997 El Niño. That’s a huge jump in 30 years. https://t.co/u4Tif33Mus
— Jeff Berardelli (@WeatherProf) August 19, 2026
How an ‘unprecedented’ super El Nino could reshape extreme weather for 12 of Asia’s biggest cities Independent
The Strongest El Niño on Record Lands on the Tightest Energy Market in Years OilPrice
Giant whales move into Greenland waters as ice disappears BBC
“Extreme drought is changing Britain’s wildlife – and some effects won’t be seen until next year…
“In some parts of the world, species have evolved to adapt to extreme heat and drought. However in Britain, which has a history of cold winters, cool summers and abundant rain, there hasn’t been any pressure to evolve such adaptations.”
https://theconversation.com/extreme-drought-is-changing-britains-wildlife-and-some-effects-wont-be-seen-until-next-year-289419Firefighters sound alarm as US faces critical staffing shortage: ‘We don’t have enough people’ Guardian
Pakistan’s ‘red chili capital’ faces a climate crisis threatening its signature crop YNet
Water
The “Asian water tower” is losing 24 billion tonnes of groundwater every year Asia Times (Kevin W)
The Drying Tears of the Himalayas: Why Kashmir’s Water Crisis is a Warning to the World Rising Kashmir
In drought-stricken France, tankers supply drinking water TBS News
Amid extreme heat, water grows scarce around Berlin DW
‘Climate Camp’ trains kids for future droughts in Hungary CGTN
China?
Flood of discounted auction homes deepens China’s property slump Asia Times (Kevin W)
China to build environmental monitoring station near disputed Scarborough Shoal South China Morning Poat
Hundreds of Tibetans protest China’s ethnic unity law by shaving heads Aljazeera
Japan
Japan bond yields rise as oil gains stoke fresh inflation concerns Investing Live
Japan’s historic yen intervention has ‘turbo-charged’ the carry trade CNBC
Koreas
South Korea’s economy at risk as Trump throws it under bus Asia Times (Kevin W)
North Korea fires 10 missiles day after Trump curtails South Korea joint drills Guardian
Southeast Asia
Myanmar military offensive targets land for Russia-backed port project Reuters
Africa
Sudan war: 200,000 newly displaced as fighting and floods intensify UN
Somalia faces another hunger crisis and the UN food agency head says it has far less funds to help Independent
Fighting breaks out in western Tigray as Ethiopia and TPLF trade blame Hiiraan
Over 200,000 people newly displaced in Sudan’s Kordofan as fighting rages Aljazeera
Des centaines de Tunisiens manifestent à Tunis contre le président Kais Saied, dénonçant les coupures d’électricité et les pénuries d’eau potable#BFM2 pic.twitter.com/4sRWIVocfe
— BFM (@BFMTV) August 20, 2026
South of the Border
US pummels Cuban economy with new sanctions on mining, construction Aljazeera
First group of deportees arrives in troubled Haiti after US ends TPS program Independent
US military assists Ecuador in 1st land operation against cartels ABC
European Disunion
Heatwaves and energy crunch: Can Europe withstand a double shock? Aljazeera
Europe’s hollowed-out armies: The race to find 100,000 soldiers Euronews
Record German debt sales deepen strains for Europe’s battered bond market Reuters
Denmark deploys first conscripts to Greenland Euractiv
Strömmer’s new prisons became a clown show Aftonbladet via machine translation. Micael T: “Sweden rents prison-space in Estonia. Slight problem: Estonia refuses to let the prisoners into the country.”
Old Blighty
John Healey warned to limit Budget borrowing amid bond sell-off Financial Times
Councils across the UK are increasingly turning towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) as they try to fill a looming £4bn financial black hole BBC. Let me know how that works.
Prince Harry and six others face privacy case legal bill of up to £34.5m BBC. BWAHAHA.
Israel v. The Resistance
Arms sales to Israel are slowing. But that’s only half the story +972 (resilc)
Disappointed the BBC cancelled my interview on Israel’s killing of Hind Rajab
2 producers eagerly reached out. They confirmed the time & one called to prepare a brief for the anchor
She asked me whether Israel’s announcement is positive, I explained in detail it was a cover up.… pic.twitter.com/pE3oP9K2xc
— Muhammad Shehada (@muhammadshehad2) August 19, 2026
Iran War
Iranian Oil Supply to Chinese Refiners Squeezed by US Blockade Bloomberg
How China and Russia could hobble Trump’s plans to isolate Iran Aljazeera
Iran’s Weapons Production Doubled in Past Year Despite US, Israeli Strikes Sputnik (Robin K)
Pentagon says over 750 US troops wounded during war on Iran The Cradle (resilc)
Trump’s Iran blockade suffers massive blow as China refuses to cooperate | Janta Ka Reporter. Many good clips, including Lindsey Graham’s sister, now a Senator, melting down in an interview.
Twenty Years of Hawkish Lies Daniel Larison
Syraqistan
Pakistan Says It Shot Down Taliban Drone, Rejects Afghan Strike Claims Kabul Tribune
Pakistani forces kill five militants in restive southwest amid surge in attacks Arab News
New Not-So-Cold War
The proxy war between Russia and NATO is gradually but inexorably approaching its final act – a direct armed conflict between them. On the other side of the divide, there is a belief that sooner or later (given the significant pace at which drones are being produced for Ukraine),… pic.twitter.com/ee26UGcVW7
— 🇷🇺 STANISLAV KRAPIVNIK 🇷🇺 (@STANISKRAPIVNIK) August 21, 2026
Ukraine’s Ultranationalist War On History Kit Klarenberg
Big Brother is Watching You Watch
U.S. Citizen Who Deleted Phone’s Data Says His Prosecution Puts Privacy at Risk New York Times (resilc)
Imperial Collapse Watch
How China destroyed US sanctions against Iran, Russia, and North Korea YouTube (resilc)
Army will shut down a unit in Europe focused on learning drone warfare Associated Press (Kevin W)
Brazil on the brink of overtaking U.S. as top agricultural exporter Seeking Alpha (resilc)
Why America Won’t Copy Sweden’s Cheap Highway Fix YouTube (Micael T)
Trump 2.0
Exclusive: Navy weighs renaming carrier slated to honor Black war hero, potentially switching it to Trump CNN (resilc)
The Art of the Self-Deal Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal (resilc)
Two Years Ago, They Revered Trump; Now, They Ridicule and Revile Him New Republic (resilc)
Supreme Court says Trump can continue ballroom work as it weighs case Washington Post
Massie, Greene slam Trump’s move to lower beef prices The Hill
Tariffs
American tariffs on Canadian goods take effect after trade talks fall apart CBC (resilc)
BREAKING: Trade talks between the US and Canada have collapsed and the US has imposed new 50% tariffs on billions of dollars of Canadian goods.
Details include:
1. Canada’s Prime Minister Carney vows to retaliate with «dollar for dollar» tariffs on the US
2. The tariffs will…
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) August 22, 2026
Economy
‘Perfect storm’ brews for global food supply this winter as grain prices soar CNBC
ZOMG, the diesel crunch will get worse:
#Canada: US refiners are facing a looming supply drop from their biggest foreign crude supplier at a time when they need the oil the most.
Canada supplies the US with more than 4 million barrels a day of crude, most produced in the oil-rich heartland of northern Alberta and then…
— Giovanni Staunovo🛢 (@staunovo) August 21, 2026
The Iran war energy crisis is just getting started Reuters
Western oil refinery closures set to continue despite war shock Financial Times
Walmart posts weakest growth in years, a worrying sign of inflation-weary Americans Washington Post
Why does everything feel like a scam? Your Brain on Money (resilc). About practical effects of inflation.
Mr. Market is Getting Nervous
‘Rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic’: Bonds erase the impact of Treasury’s intervention NBC
US long-term bonds slide as Treasury secretary Bessent’s intervention fails to soothe investors Financial Times (Kevin W)
It Won’t Take Much to Burst the Stock Market Bubble Bloomberg
AI
You’re Already Funding the AI Bubble — and You’ll Pay for the Bust Benzinga
The Bezzle
Trump targets 1,000+ annual U.S. space launches by 2030 Seeking Alpha. resilc: “Golden era of Musk welfare.”
Private credit risks remain at large Financial Times. An editorial
Class Warfare
Natalie Harp’s taxpayer-funded salary under fire as it’s compared to pay of USS Lincoln sailors The Mirror (resilc)
Antidote du jour:
And a bonus (Robin K):
Look how this lovebird strips the leaves removing each midvein to tuck amongst its feathers for safe keeping…
Rather than taking each piece home separately, this is a more efficient way of gathering and transporting nest building material.. pic.twitter.com/vtupjjpjvx
— Nature & Animals🌴 (@naturelife_ok) August 15, 2026
A second bonus:
Meet the duo who truly define partners for life.
Officer Brian Santos and his K9 partner Kyra steal hearts with a dance break at the Cocoa Police Department in Florida (They’re like a family since 2018). pic.twitter.com/ecrXK88dGe
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) August 20, 2026
And a third:
Istanbul really is a city of cats 🥹 pic.twitter.com/vA12BG5eYl
— smooth (@Smoothfund) August 13, 2026
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
