How genes shape birdsong, even when birds grow up far from home The Conversation
Tiny lightning bolts discovered in water droplets—and it might explain how life began on Earth StudyFinds
SpaceX Crew-10 docks at space station, Starliner astronauts to soon return to Earth Interesting Engineering
Climate/Environment
Severe weather disaster: 37 dead after destructive tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms, sweep across US Accuweather
Acid spill devastates Zambia’s Kafue River Africa News
Heatwave economy: How rising temperatures are dividing the rich and poor RT
Water
California, Arizona and Nevada all agree: The Trump administration needs to fix a key Colorado River dam Los Angeles Times
Texas is running out of water. Here’s why and what state leaders plan to do about it. Texas Tribune
Texas population continues growing faster than any other state Texas Standard
Electricity and Water Are Required To Run Data Centers. Texas Is Running Short on Both. Dallas Observer
Pandemics
We Were Badly Misled About the Event That Changed Our Lives Zeynep Tufekci, New York Times
Another cat food brand recalled due to possible bird flu contamination The Independent
China?
China unveils plan to boost domestic consumption The Business Times
Some highlights:Stock market is a major focus: “Expand asset-based income channels and take multiple measures to stabilize the stock market. Strengthen strategic reserves and market stabilization mechanisms. Accelerate the removal of barriers preventing long-term funds—such as… pic.twitter.com/OHlCw61DYN
— 李其 Lizzi (@wstv_lizzi) March 16, 2025
China’s Naura rising to the chip-making equipment challenge Asia Times
China ramps up criticism of Li Ka-shing’s BlackRock ports deal The Business Times
Tensions over Taiwan Pekingnology
Syraqistan
Mapping US attacks on Yemen Al Jazeera. “At least 40 US air raids in Yemen have killed at least 32 people and injured 101, most of them women and children.”
The US dropped bombs on a Cancer Center and medical facilities in Yemen.
A Cancer Center.
Over 151 Yemeni civilians killed and injured in the last 2 days.
They are deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
This is a war crime and a crime against humanity. pic.twitter.com/rIEtMu6duL
— sarah (@sahouraxo) March 16, 2025
Houthis Attempt Attack on Carrier Harry S. Truman After U.S. Strikes in Yemen USNI News
🤔 Passing Thought
If I’m a guerrilla force like Ansarullah, and have, say, 1000 antiquated drones/ASCMs, and a dozen previously withheld but much more capable ASBMs … I’d bleed off US air defenses with my old stuff, and then launch the good stuff in a single salvo. https://t.co/GfVNthmHgC
— Will Schryver (@imetatronink) March 17, 2025
Al-Houthi vows blockade against US ships amid series of airstrikes Al Mayadeen
US Will Keep Hitting Houthis until Shipping Attacks Stop, Hegseth Says Asharq Al-Awsat
Is the Trump Administration Using Yemen as an Excuse to Attack Iran? Larry Johnson, Sonar21
US attack on Yemen reportedly aided by Bahrain, KSA, Qatar, and UAE:
⚡️British KC2 Refueling Aircraft spotted off Jeddah likely refueling fighters
⚡️American RC-135V Rivet Joint Spy Plane & a KC-135R Tanker are returning to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar 🇶🇦
⚡️American MQ-4C Triton from Al Dhafra AB 🇦🇪 heading toward Yemen, transponders switched off https://t.co/hHqs3B2Css pic.twitter.com/Eaet23iWFt
— MenchOsint (@MenchOsint) March 15, 2025
US Considering Recognition of Somaliland in Exchange for Military Base Militarnyi
***
The Hidden Reason Behind Netanyahu’s Ugly, Shocking Firing of Israel’s Shin Bet Chief Haaretz
Israel gets 3 fighter jets from US amid uncertainty over Gaza ceasefire Anadolu Agency
***
Israel bombs south Lebanon three times in 24 hours, expands occupation The Cradle
Syria strikes Lebanon after blaming Hezbollah for killing troops Bloomberg.
The Israeli regime has occupied huge swathes of Syrian territory.
So what do Jolani and his al-Qaeda/ISIS thugs do?
They attack the Lebanese border.
— Seyed Mohammad Marandi (@s_m_marandi) March 16, 2025
Iraq Seizes More than One Ton of Captagon Pills Shipped from Syria Asharq Al-Awsat. “Chemical courage.”
The short version of where I think we are:
In the last 3 weeks, 5 trillion has been wiped off the American stock markets.
In the next 3 weeks, it’s going to be 2-5 times that at least, as all signs indicate a wide, direct war between Iran and Yemen and Israel and the US is…
— Alon Mizrahi (@alon_mizrahi) March 16, 2025
European Disunion
Southeast Europe erupts in weekend of protests Bne Intellinews
Serbian police reportedly use sonic cannon against protesters Bne Intellinews
Germany’s Greens support historic rearmament programme WSWS
Germany faces cuts along with financial package, Merz says DW
Rearmament is a noble lie Unherd
Merkel rejects accusations that she was always trying to “understand Putin” Ukrainska Pravda
Criminalizing Diplomacy: When War Is Peace Glenn Diesen’s Substack
Dead of Winter Doomberg. “Is another European energy crisis in the offing?”
New Not-So-Cold War
Trump and Putin expected to speak this week as US pushes for Russia-Ukraine ceasefire Reuters
UK proposes Western peacekeeping mission of 10,000 troops in Ukraine The Kyiv Independent
Macron says Russia’s permission not needed to deploy troops in Ukraine The Guardian
Macron and Starmer are playing dumb. Time and again they are told that peacekeepers must be from non-NATO states. No, we will send tens of thousands – just lay it out – you want to give military aid to the neo-Nazis in Kiev. That means war with NATO. Consult with Trump, scumbags.
— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) March 16, 2025
Boots-on-Ground Theater Conceals Raging Impotence of Toothless Euro-Prats Simplicius
🇺🇦 Ukraine has almost run out of missiles for the Samp-T air defense system, — Corriere della Sera.
According to the Italian publication, Ukrainian authorities have been asking Italy and France to send missiles for several weeks, but the governments of these countries are in no…
— dana (@dana916) March 16, 2025
Trump 2.0
Trump ‘voids’ Biden’s pardons after ex president used autopen signature and moves to investigate Fauci and Cheney Daily Mail
‘Beyond My Wildest Dreams’: The Architect of Project 2025 Is Ready for His Victory Lap Politico
Patrick Lawrence: Season of the Sophists Scheerpost
DOGE
Education Department staff cuts could limit options for families of kids with disabilities AP. Commentary:
Another agency diverting its resources to prioritize the foreign government of Israel and its lobby is ICE, which according to Haaretz has “paused its human trafficking and drug smuggling investigations to have agents monitor social media for posts and likes from pro-Palestinian… pic.twitter.com/zNB70xyUEz
— Harrison Berger (@BergerPosts) March 16, 2025
‘‘Delete’ is one of their favorite terms’: Inside DOGE’s IRS takeover ahead of tax season CNN
The Revenue and Distributional Effects of IRS Funding The Budget Lab at Yale “If the IRS shrinks by 50% (a workforce decrease of about 50,000 people),3 we estimate that this significant reduction in IRS staffing and resulting IRS capacity to collect revenues would result in $395 billion ($350 billion net) forgone revenue over the 10-year budget window.4 If the lack of IRS resources leads to a substantial increase in noncompliance, net forgone revenue could rise by $2.4 trillion over 10-years.”
AFTER ELON MUSK PROMISED CYBERTRUCKS COULD FUNCTION AS BOATS, ONE FELL INTO A HARBOR FOR A PERFECT TEST Futurism
Democrats en Déshabillé
Democratic Party’s favorability hits record low: Poll The Hill
Immigration
Trump administration deports hundreds of immigrants even as a judge orders their removals be stopped AP
A timeline of how the Trump administration raced to use the Alien Enemies Act yesterday, delivering 250 Venezuelan people to El Salvador’s brutal prison system without any chance to defend themselves, just before a judge could stop the planes. pic.twitter.com/YXzS1o1j1O
— Adam Isacson (@adam_wola) March 16, 2025
During the “war on terror,” the US practiced extraordinary rendition— kidnapping terror suspects and transporting them to secret prisons in foreign countries where they were tortured. That was a scandal.
This is similar, but much, much worse.
— Megan K. Stack (@Megankstack) March 16, 2025
‘Maga since forever’: mercenary mogul Erik Prince pushes to privatize Trump deportation plans The Guardian
Police State Watch
Pro-Israel group says it has ‘deportation list’ and has sent ‘thousands’ of names to Trump officials The Guardian
ICE relentlessly pursued this Fulbright scholar and forced her to flee the country because she had liked some pro-Palestine posts and signed onto a letter calling for Palestinian liberation.
Even the most basic expressions of support for Palestinian human rights or critique of… pic.twitter.com/Vn677TTJoX
— Krystal Ball (@krystalball) March 16, 2025
Obama Legacy
Always worth a reminder that Obama inherited ICE as a fledgling agency, increased its budget 300%, established a nationwide network of detention centres and expanded the ‘secure communities’ enforcement program from 14 counties under Bush Jr to all 3,181 jurisdictions in America https://t.co/eHEJy7UlH0
— Nate Bear (@NateB_Panic) March 16, 2025
AI
OpenAI and Google’s dark new campaign to dismantle artists’ protections Blood in the Machine
Tastes of almost-Friday Internal Exile. LLMs and “creative writing”.
Imperial Collapse Watch
French MEP demands the US ‘give us back the Statue of Liberty’ France24
A Tougher World for the Biggest Bully Tarik Cyril Amar
Supply Chain
Chokepoints Are The Focus Of A New Cold War gCaptain
Finland turns down US request for eggs YLE
Antitrust
Monopoly Round-Up: The Week Everyone Realized Apple Is Decaying BIG by Matt Stoller
Class Warfare
America Is Missing The New Labor Economy – Robotics Part 1Semi Analysis
The rebellious role of peasants in European history Michael Robert’s Blog
Tracing L.A.’s Mexican and Irish Connection for St. Patrick’s Day LA Taco
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
