Links 5/8/2026 | naked capitalism

Learning to Speak Owl Interlochen Public Radio

There Is No ‘Hard Problem Of Consciousness’ Noema

“Are We Kind of Being Pricks?” Arbitrary Lines

Climate/Environment

Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere just hit a ‘depressing’ new record Scientific American

The fading climate shields Mongabay

Military slow-rolled news of jet fuel leak at base near Washington Responsible Statecraft

Trump’s NOAA cuts would save less than a day and a half of Iran War spending HEATED

Hantavirus

Hantavirus-Infected Cruise Ship: Trump Says Americans ‘Should Be Fine’ As Experts Question US Preparedness Forbes. At least four U.S. states are “monitoring” people who have returned home from the cruise ship.

KLM flight attendant hospitalized after contact with hantavirus cruise ship passenger NL Times

Third British national has suspected hantavirus infection, government says BBC

Argentina battles record hantavirus surge amid diplomatic firestorm with WHO Anadolu Agency

“Super-Spreaders” and Person-to-Person Transmission of Andes Virus in Argentina New England Journal of Medicine. From 2020. Evidence of airborne transmission. The measures that eliminated spread: isolation of patient, quarantining of close contacts, and prohibiting large social gatherings in affected spots.

WHO throwing more dirt on its grave:

Yes, this. The incubation period is up to two months, so there is no way for her to be able to state this. Calm-mongering again. It doesn’t help in the long run. Or short run, frankly.

This statement of hers is logically inconsistent, so it destroys confidence. https://t.co/tDlazYR5FL

— Dr David Berger BSc MBBS MRCP(UK) FRACGP-RG DTM+H (@YouAreLobbyLud) May 7, 2026

Humanity’s hubris vs the precautionary principle.

The virus, ANDV, will do what it will do. Pandemic? History tells us “NO.” But history is in the past.

Let me show you what the studies tell us – and why I am livid that the WHO is insisting that surgical masks are ok.

🧵 https://t.co/RaKcS48cfx

— Lazarus Long (@LazarusLong13) May 7, 2026

And the CDC?

The CDC Fired All Its Cruise Ship Inspectors Before the Hantavirus Outbreak Futurism

Trump administration cut funding to study hantavirus behind the deadly cruise ship outbreak Scientific American

Pandemics

A lot of the freaking out about #hantavirus is a psychological defense mechanism against the ongoing threat of #Covid.

‘Displacement’ allows people to redirect valid concerns about repeat SARS2 infections toward much lower probability concerns about hanta, neutralizing anxiety. https://t.co/2Q8HG18UKq pic.twitter.com/QwoI1dPDuq

— Mike Hoerger, PhD MSCR MBA (@michael_hoerger) May 7, 2026

they’d tell you it wasn’t happening anymore and get you to ignore it as people drop dead “mysteriously” and become disabled in droves just like they’ve done with the current pandemic https://t.co/3NCtkUpxmP

— heather 💫 (@_hxneyglow) May 7, 2026

2020 is haunting us, and hantavirus is the séance Unbiased Science

Autoantibodies against type I IFNs in patients with life-threatening COVID-19 Science

Epidemiologists Confirm First Airborne Transmission Of Mar-A-Lago Face The Onion

The Koreas

The United States’ Korea Strategy Is Working Against Itself Foreign Policy

Japan

China slams Japan’s first post-WWII offensive missile launch overseas CGTN

China?

Xi Travels Less but the World Is Coming to Beijing Asia Society

The Silicon-Based Era Has Arrived — But Who Gets to Ride It? Fred Gao, Inside China

Southeast Asia

After Hormuz, Southeast Asia Sees the Potential Value of Tolling the Strait of Malacca Council on Foreign Relations

Syraqistan

Israel Kills Son of Hamas Leader Khalil al-Hayya as it Pushes Maximalist Demands in Gaza Talks Drop Site

The deliberate restriction of food and aid led to alarming malnutrition levels in Gaza Medecins Sans Frontieres

GLAN And Sky News Investigation Seeks Truth From Israeli Forces Over The Disappearance Of Civilian Women In Gaza Global Legal Action Network

Israeli forces accused of sexually abusing Sumud Flotilla activists Al Mayadeen

Israeli ‘double tap’ strike hits paramedics in south Lebanon hours after renewed bombing of Beirut The Cradle

***

US Bombs Iran’s Qeshm Port and Bandar Abbas Antiwar

Gulf States Lift Restrictions That Blocked ‘Project Freedom’ in Strait of Hormuz WSJ

U.S. intelligence says Iran can outlast Trump’s Hormuz blockade for months WaPo

The real cost of the Iran War: $72 billion for the first 60 days Stephen Semler

Oil price bets ahead of Iran war news totalled $7bn, shows reporting Reuters

European Disunion

More than 50,000 pupils expected to strike over German rearmament policy The Guardian

Africa

The IMF and the Limits of Sovereigntism Foreign Exchanges

Old Blighty

Early English council results show Reform gains and Labour losses as counting yet to begin in Scotland and Wales BBC

New Not-So-Cold War

Moscow Threatens Mass Strikes on Kiev Center Should Zelensky Disturb Sacred V-Day Ceremonies Simplicius

Hoo boy:

‼️The Armed Forces of Ukraine, in violation of the ceasefire announced by Russia, carried out 887 drone strikes – Russian Defense Ministry

— Zlatti71 (@Zlatti_71) May 8, 2026

EU prepares for ‘potential’ talks with Vladimir Putin, says official FT

GORDON HAHN: UKRAINE’S MAIDAN REGIME, ARMY, AND PEOPLE ARE NOT ON THE SAME PAGE Natylie’s Place

Imperial Collapse Watch

Will Global Oil and Gas Disruptions Enable U.S. Energy Domination? Warwick Powell

American Elites Have Reverse Empire Dysmorphia Ian Welsh

South of the Border

The US ramps up pressure on Mexico and Colombia in its new drug control strategy El Pais. “Drug control strategy”?

Trump’s Killing Spree Isn’t Stopping the Flow of Drugs Into the U.S. Nick Turse, The Intercept

L’affaire Epstein

Lutnick admits to having prolonged ties to Epstein in closed-door interview Politico

THE ARCHITECTURE OF BLACKMAIL – THE FALSE CLOAK OF SECURITY Fabio Marchio, ComeDonChisciotte.org (translation via GeoPolitiQ)

Trump 2.0

Trump’s 10% global tariffs ruled illegal: Who will be impacted by the ‘narrow block’ decision? Financial Express

Trump admin kills Canadian-owned wind project — and demands investment in fossil fuels instead National Observer

Democrats Suck

Kamala Harris wants the DNC to release its autopsy report of the 2024 campaign NBC News

What A Day: What Autopsy? Crooked

Big Brother Is Watching You Watch

Extortion Using Smart Glasses Is a Thing Now Gizmodo

Kids say they can beat age checks by drawing on a fake mustache The Register

Groves of Academe

The Canvas Hack Is a New Kind of Ransomware Debacle Wired

Sports Desk

ICE Is Coming to the World Cup Migrant Insider

Philadelphia Sheraton hotel workers threaten to strike during World Cup The Keystone

Ads in AI Chatbots? An Analysis of How Large Language Models Navigate Conflicts of Interest arXiv

‘HELLO BOSS’: Inside the Chinese Realtime Deepfake Software Powering Scams Around the World 404 Media

Breaking news: “they hadn’t figured out how OpenAI would pay for it” Gary Marcus

We linked to this monstrosity yesterday, but to hammer home the point some more:

People still aren’t processing how insane this is.

They’re weaponizing the ‘Military Authority’ to fast-track the largest data center on Earth in Utah and using “military operations” & “national security” to shut down any public opposition.

“Diabolical” is an understatement. pic.twitter.com/k0YiwKrBOl

— Jason Bassler (@JasonBassler1) May 7, 2026

Imagine a building a half-mile wide. Now imagine that building stretches from Seattle to Portland. That’s what they’re gonna build in Utah. Utahns showed up in droves to oppose it. The 3-man county commission passed it anyway. This is “democracy.” Lol

I don’t normally advocate… https://t.co/YQ9u8nyRyV pic.twitter.com/p0ftfFbzv2

— Sam Parker 🇺🇸🧯 (@BasedSamParker) May 7, 2026

Antitrust

Lucky Strike Accused of Building ‘Illegal Bowling Monopoly’ Front Office Sports

Mr. Market

‘Not a Chance Hormuz Opens’: How Wall Street’s new NACHO trade bets on a prolonged oil shock CNBC

Agriculture

Fertilizer Scarcity Will Affect Harvests and Food Supplies Morning Ag Clips

Trump Agriculture Chief Claims ‘Golden Age’ Is Coming. US Farmers Say They’re ‘Barely, Barely Getting By’ Common Dreams

Class Warfare