The Himalayan skyscraper.
Rheum nobile rises two metres above rock and snow. Its translucent bracts let light in while blocking UV, creating a greenhouse-like microclimate that warms and protects its flowers from extreme cold.pic.twitter.com/ThRgNehF5Z
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) January 16, 2026
Perhaps People Are Cynical About Success in the Creative Arts for a Reason Freddie deBoer
COVID-19/Pandemics
‘Staring over the edge’: South Carolina measles outbreak doubles in a week NBC
🧬 Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong : « Le Covid détruit le gène p53, notre bouclier anticancer.
Aux États-Unis, les cancers tête-cou explosent. pic.twitter.com/nMV8IRJJyr
— Camille Moscow 🇷🇺 🌿 ☦️ (@camille_moscow) January 15, 2026
Climate/Environment
Reaching net zero won’t be enough to limit global temperatures to 1.5°C IPE
Mapped: how the world is losing its forests to wildfires Guardian
Climate Change May Be Making Pain Harder To Manage One Green Planet
OCEANIA RECORD HEAT EVERYWHERE
Minimum 28.4C MajuroHOTTEST JANUARY NIGHT IN HISTORYAll tropics are smashing record after record like never before,specially of record warm nights https://t.co/ztYRaadgiO
— Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) January 17, 2026
After 20 Years, A Deal to Protect Amazon Forests is Falling Apart The Energy Mix
Europe’s crop droughts to worsen despite rising rainfall, study shows Open Access Government
Detailed map reveals groundwater levels across the U.S. PhysOrg (Micael T)
Roper: New England’s energy policies Are unaffordable, unreliable, unrealistic – and Vermont is leading the pack Vermont Daily Chronicle (resilc)
Water
The Middle East’s Next War Will Be Over Water Times of Israel
China?
Canada agrees to cut tariff on Chinese EVs in return for lower tariffs on Canadian farm products Associated Press
China curbs high-frequency trading to de-risk markets Asia Times (Kevin W)
Diao Daming: the costs of studying China at a distance Pekingology
China Targets the Algorithms That Made Loyal Shoppers Pay More SixthTone
Thousands of Chinese Fishing Boats Quietly Form Vast Sea Barriers New York Times. Archiving not directing to the article proper.
Southeast Asia
Italian-Thai projects halted after fatal accidents Bangkok Post
South of the Border
CIA director had two-hour meeting with new Venezuelan leader in Caracas BBC
European Disunion
Trump floats new tariffs in push to acquire Greenland CNBC (resilc). The sooner the Supreme Court removes (well, effectively downgrades, Trump would still have less potent tariff weapons if the Supremes rule as expected) this bludgeon, the better.
‘We’re talking to NATO’ on Greenland: Trump Anadolu Agency
What we know about the US and European military presence in Greenland ABC Australia
Now Hear This: The United States Does Not Need Greenland Malcolm Nance, YouTube. Marred by Putin Derangement Syndrome and some errors like saying the US can fly military aircraft out of Maine. We closed the one airbase there many years ago. But he has just been to Greenland and provides details from that. Also sets forth how NATO members have a lot of cards to play, from cutting off intel to denying overflights to Danish shipping giant Maersk refusing transport to the US. Having said that, the EU state deployment of forces is utterly pathetic and I don’t have the impression that any of the retaliatory measures Nance describes are being threatened privately, let alone seriously contemplated. At a minimum, you’d see leaks to the press or laundered through NGOs and pundits if there was an intent to show some steel.
Why Greenland’s future is important to Silicon Valley Pitchbook
BATTLE ON THE ICE Nato plans for fighter jet dogfights over Greenland as Kremlin issues ‘extraordinary’ statement to oppose Trump takeover The Sun (resilc)
LGBTQ rights in Greenland Wikipedia (resilc)
* * *
Germany news: Economy narrowly avoids 3rd year of recession DW
* * *
France has real opportunity to leave NATO — newspaper TASS
* * *
This is what happened when Stockholm abolished snow removal Arbetet via machine translation (Micael T)
Old Blighty
Dad’s Army! Veterans aged up to 65 to be recalled to serve as Russia threat grows Daily Mail (resilc)
UK Government to give cash payouts to people in financial crisis BBC
‘People don’t even know if help is coming’: Cornish villagers frustrated by lack of help after Storm Goretti Guardian
Say what you will about Trump, but unlike Starmer he knows his own power – and how to use it Aditya Chakrabortty, Guardian (Colonel Smithers)
Israel v. The Resistance
Trump names Tony Blair, Jared Kushner to Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ Aljazeera
All war is based on deception Julian Macfarlane. On Iran body counts and the US “Never mind.”
The Iran Playbook John Mearsheimer
🚨🇷🇺🇮🇷Russia may help Iran to sink an US aircraft carrier
A potential Middle East war was just defused in a dramatic 48-hour power play. The US moved to the brink. On Jan 12, it urgently advised all citizens to leave Iran, a historical prelude to missile launches. The USS Gerald… pic.twitter.com/haBLxA7xWp
— NewRulesGeopolitics (@NewRulesGeo) January 16, 2026
Iran – The ‘Ragtag Network Of Activists’ Run By The State Department Moon of Alabama (Kevin W)
Scoop: Mossad director visits U.S. for Iran consultations Axios
How Trump could hit Iran Edward Luttwak, Unherd. Hawks gotta hawk.
Alastair Crooke breaks down the IRAN WAR GAME. | Ep. 1 The Cradle, YouTube
New Not-So-Cold War
Ceremony for presenting letters of credence President of Russia
Vladimir Putin Puts Donald Trump and NATO on Notice Larry Johnson
Oreshnik vs Lviv Targets [i] Black Mountain Analysis
Stoltenberg calls on Western countries to engage in dialogue with Russia TASS (Micael T)
The former Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin, explains that the only way the west can avoid decades of war with Russia is to assure that Ukraine pushes Russia completely out of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea.
“There isnt any other choice” pic.twitter.com/jihU4MU17j
— SPRAVDI — Stratcom Centre (@StratcomCentre) January 16, 2026
Big Brother is Watching You Watch
‘ELITE’: The Palantir App ICE Uses to Find Neighborhoods to Raid 404 Media
Hackers Are Spreading Malware Through LinkedIn Comments Now Vice
Imperial Collapse Watch
De-Escalating Prior to Escalating Olivier Boyd-Barrett (Chuck L)
The united West is dead Politico
World must brace for turbulent two years, Davos report warns The National
Trump 2.0
Backlash to Trump has been more severe in his second term G. Elliott Morris
CNN poll finds majority of Americans say Trump is focused on the wrong priorities CNN (resilc)
On Foreign Policy, Trump 2.0 Is Dangerously Unrestrained American Conservative. Gee, ya think?
Pentagon begins overhaul of ‘woke’ newspaper Washington Post. Robin K: “Who knew S&S was woke?”
ICE Rampage
Why Does “Deportation” Require an Arsenal for a Purge? W.A. Lawrence
ICE Agents Arrest Workers From Mexican Restaurant Where They Just Ate Mediaite (resilc)
Leaked memo: “De-escalation is key” Ken Klippenstein
People are literally doing looney tunes gags on ICE and we’re supposed to feel really bad about that https://t.co/vx2Ip2TSGg
— Anon (@Greynxgga69) January 16, 2026
* * *
New Evidence Reveals Renee Good Was Still Alive When ICE Blocked Medic New Republic
Here’s Kaden Rummler. He’s a 21 year old who was protesting the fatal murder of Renee Good by an ICE. He’s now permanently blind in his left eye. pic.twitter.com/t65yTdlllJ
— ᗰᗩƳᖇᗩ (@LePapillonBlu2) January 15, 2026
MAHA
MAHA says its new food pyramid is affordable and healthy. We asked experts STAT
Study debunks Trump claim that paracetamol causes autism Guardian
Gunz
‘I killed Daddy’: Pennsylvania boy, 11, shoots dad after Nintendo Switch taken away, courts docs say CNN. Note the victim had made a stab safety. Weapon was locked in a safe. My father always unloaded his weapons and locked his guns and ammo separately.
Our No Longer Free Press
Life Under a Clicktatorship Don Moynihan (resilc)
Economy
Geopolitics is warping multinationals’ commercial decisions Economist. Notice the propaganda: Multinationals should enjoy primacy over the nation-states that make their existence possible.
Copper blows up: Speculators are hoarding metals that are needed by manufacturers, builders Kevin Walmsley (Kevin W)
US lawmakers introduce bill to create $2.5 billion critical-minerals stockpile Reuters
Hamm to Halt Drilling in Bakken Shale on Lower Crude Prices Bloomberg
Food Inflation Gets Hot, but Not Every Item: A Look at Beef, Chicken, Coffee, Eggs, Dairy, Fruit & Vegetables, “Other Foods” Wolf Richter
AI
Will Google Become Our AI-Powered Central Planner? Matt Stoller
ChatGPT to start showing users ads based on their conversations CNN (Kevin W)
Trump moves to make tech giants pay for surging power costs Bloomberg
The Hidden Energy Costs of Artificial Intelligence OilPrice. resilc: “Thus the move to Greenland.”
Manual Transmission Thwarts Thieves’ Attempt To Steal A Woman’s (Kia) Soul Jalopnik (resilc)
The Bezzle
The Biggest U.S. Crypto Company Asserts Its Power in Washington New York Times
Class Warfare
Landholder vs stockholder aeon
Mapped: Paid Vacation Days Across Europe Visual Capitalist (resilc)
Antidote du jour (via):
And a bonus:
Bees work together save their stranded buddy pic.twitter.com/qOu23JAOuU
— Science girl (@sciencegirl) January 16, 2026
A second bonus:
A man turned his window into a special place after he began receiving daily visits from a great kiskadee, which soon started bringing its friends to enjoy it together. pic.twitter.com/pXnQXLTHjI
— The Figen (@TheFigen_) January 16, 2026
And a third (Chuck L):
🔊 SOUND UP 🔊
Lek Chailert ~ “If anyone still doesn’t believe that Elephants have feelings like humans, this video might help you understand them better.
When Faa Mai wants me to sing for her, she gently takes my hand with her trunk and leads me to the spot where she wants me… pic.twitter.com/p18FCbzFpJ
— PROTECT ALL WILDLIFE (@Protect_Wldlife) January 16, 2026
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
