Links 1/15/2026 | naked capitalism

Salt: Not Just a Rock We Eat — Part I Enlightened Omnivore

Climate/Environment

World’s sinking river deltas put over 236mn people at risk Intellinews

NASA reports record heat but omits reference to climate change France24

Air pollution denial is now EPA policy HEATED

Coal power generation falls in China and India for first time since 1970s The Guardian

Pandemics

Dementia timebomb warning as scientists find Alzheimer’s proteins in long Covid patients’ blood Daily Mail. Full study.

Ten mechanisms by which Covid infection could increase dementia risk:

— tern (@1goodtern) January 14, 2026

The Koreas

Special counsel demands death penalty for Yoon over martial law declaration; ruling set for Feb. 19 Yonhap

China?

Beijing tells Chinese firms to stop using US and Israeli cybersecurity software Reuters

Taiwan, US set to coproduce 155mm shells Taipei Times

Trump Declared a Space Race With China. The US Is Losing Wired

U.S. Government initiated 4.5-year lawfare program against Chinese nickel mining through Indonesian labor unions All-Source Intelligence

Syraqistan

Witkoff announces launch of ‘phase two’ of Trump’s Gaza plan New Arab

🔴 Several of the US and Israeli officials now shaping Gaza’s postwar governance were previously central to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the Financial Times reports. The failed aid scheme facilitated the daily killings of starving Palestinians by Israeli soldiers, and… https://t.co/tYFFikmreS pic.twitter.com/R6tpo2GNXp

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) January 14, 2026

Deconstructing Trump’s Gaza ‘Peace’ Plan (w/ Norman Finkelstein) The Chris Hedges Report

***

Trump says he’s been assured Tehran has stopped killing protesters as Iran reopens its airspace – live The Guardian

US Ramping Up to Attack Iran… But Larry Johnson

Iran warns of retaliation if Trump strikes, US withdraws some personnel from bases Reuters.

🇺🇸⚔️🇮🇱➖🛢 Oil prices fall by 5% after Trump’s statements about Iran “stopping” the killings of rioters, suggesting that whatever strikes directed at Iran may be postponed for the time being.

However, due to the Trump Administration’s close ties with betting sites like… pic.twitter.com/GK6ukfMh3X

— dana (@dana916) January 14, 2026

Exclusive: Armed Kurdish groups sought to cross into Iran from Iraq, sources say Reuters

Former Head of Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate: There Is A ‘Very Significant Influence Operation By The US’ In Iran. The Dissident

We reported tonight on Channel 14: foreign actors are arming the protesters in Iran with live firearms, which is the reason for the hundreds of regime personnel killed.

Everyone is free to guess who is behind it.

— תמיר מורג Tamir Morag (@Tamir114) January 13, 2026

Iran protest-riots can only achieve US-Israeli intervention, ‘shadow CIA’ concludes The Grayzone

This should be a monumental scandal.

At the exact same time that Netanyahu flew to DC to convince Trump to launch another attack on Iran…. Israeli officials were in Russia giving secret guarantees that they wouldn’t attack Iran.

THEN Israel activated its armed Mossad agents… https://t.co/H8Utwpp62h pic.twitter.com/6qoG8FiF94

— Mel (@Villgecrazylady) January 14, 2026

Maidan massacre in Ukraine déjà vu in NYT, Guardian & other reports from Iran with no evidence needed & no questions asked:

“Witnesses spoke of seeing snipers positioned on rooftops in downtown Tehran and firing into crowds; of peaceful protests turning abruptly into scenes of… pic.twitter.com/xDXusqLxq0

— Ivan Katchanovski (@I_Katchanovski) January 14, 2026

***

“Praise Allah, There Are Still People Like You”: Jeffrey Epstein Nurtured Israel-Emirates Ties Before Abraham Accords Drop Site

Qatar and UAE to join US-led effort to bolster technology supply chain Express Tribune

Africa

‘Last straw’: Somalia cuts UAE ties after Yemen separatist’s illegal entry Al Jazeera

Is China doing “colonialism” in Africa? Jason Hickel

US Launches Two More Airstrikes in Somalia Antiwar

European Disunion

European nations to send troops to Greenland as US annexation threats escalate CNN

Now Is Europe’s Opportunity to Reach Out to Russia The Mercenary Diplomat. It’s been the opportunity for decades.

Ukraine able to buy weapons from non-European suppliers with €90bn EU loan The Guardian

Fantasy “Loan” for Ukraine Gets Adjusted Again as EU Faces Priorities Reality Check Simplicius

EXCLUSIVE: EU to become ‘military powerhouse,’ von der Leyen told MEPs Euractiv

Europe shifted right — it’s time centrists do too, says Manfred Weber Politico

Former Corsican separatist leader Orsoni assassinated at mother’s funeral France24

Old Blighty

Peter Thiel’s New Model Army How to Survive the Broligarchy

Government drops plans for mandatory digital ID to work in UK BBC

New Not-So-Cold War

‘The strangler’, pt I Events in Ukraine

Ukraine’s tech prodigy becomes new minister of defense Politico

Why’d The US Signal Support For NATO Troops In Ukraine? Andrew Korybko

If Europe starts attacking Russian cargo ships, all bets are off Responsible Statecraft

South of the Border

US gets first $500 million Venezuelan oil deal, holding some proceeds in Qatar Semafor. Quite the arrangement.

Trump officials eye private security contractors to safeguard oil assets in Venezuela CNN

Chinese Supertankers Turn Back as US Moves Ahead to Extort Venezuelan Crude Venezuelanalysis

Russian State Oil Company Confirms Continued Operations and Energy Projects in Venezuela Orinoco Tribune

Pentagon bought device through undercover operation some investigators suspect is linked to Havana Syndrome CNN. Gotta attack; can’t have Cuba with these WMDs!

Trump 2.0

Dingbat Imperialism, the Lowest Stage of Capitalism Unpopular Front

Trump Beats Back GOP Rebellion on War Powers as Two Pivotal Senators Flip NOTUS

Trump flips off worker who called him ‘pedophile protector’ RT

The Trump administration can’t stop winking at white nationalists Vox

Police State Watch

Exclusive: Secret ICE Programs Revealed Ken Klippenstein. Important.

Second person in a week shot by federal immigration agent in Minneapolis Minnesota Reformer

Gov. Tim Walz encourages Minnesotans to film ICE agents for future prosecutions Minnesota Reformer

House Homeland Democrats launch investigation into Noem with eyes on impeachment The Hill

We Found More Than 40 Cases of Immigration Agents Using Banned Chokeholds and Other Moves That Can Cut Off Breathing ProPublica

MAHA

A new entry in the dietary guidelines: advice on maintaining healthy testosterone levels STAT

Testosterone: The Great Male Optimization Myth Psychology Today

Democrats en déshabillé

Do the Democrats Have the Guts to Outflank Trump on Defense Industry Looting? Wall Street’s War on Workers

Why Elizabeth Warren Declared War on Abundance Billionaires Liberty and Power

Bodyguards for a Broken System America’s Undoing

Our Famously Free Press

De-Banked Scott Ritter. Ritter’s accounts zeroed out without explanation.

F.B.I. Searches Home of Washington Post Journalist in a Leak Investigation New York Times

Boeing

Faulty Engine Mount Discovered In UPS MD-11 Crash Was Flagged By Boeing 15 Years Ago Simple Flying

Immigration

US to pause immigrant visa processing for 75 countries including Egypt, Iraq and Yemen The National

US sees net negative migration for first time in decades amid Trump admin enforcement, economists say Fox News

How AI Destroys Institutions UC Law Journal

The Bezzle

Data Centers Are Pushing Arizona’s Grid to a Breaking Point Distilled

Oracle sued by bondholders over losses tied to AI buildout Reuters

Cerebras scores OpenAI deal worth over $10 billion ahead of AI chipmaker’s IPO CNBC

Class Warfare