Dear patient readers,
Happy New Year! Wishing you a wonderful 2026!
All of us here are very grateful for your readership, your comments, your links, and your support. We are honored to serve such a wonderful community.
And let us not forget:
📹 Video: Children in Gaza light candles on New Year’s Evehttps://t.co/PZrNqKbB9z
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) January 1, 2026
* * *
What is Nifty Nugget? NDAA revives 47-year-old military exercise Military Times (Kevin W)
New images reveal what really happens when stars explode ScienceDaily (Kevin W)
Incandescent anger aeon
#COVID-19/Pandemics
Walgreens updates ARI, Covid, and Flu scores for US states to Dec 27, with WW data lagged 1 extra week.Most states have the maximum 10 ARI score, with many 10s for Flu, and IN, MI, NE, OH tied for highest Covid score.CDC wastewater data, Sales of products to treat Covid, and… https://t.co/G212vCmMsY pic.twitter.com/IRurdZcDA5
— CyFi (@CyFi10) January 1, 2026
Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variant RE.1.1 On Track to Dominate and Spark New COVID-19 Surges Thailand Medical News
Persistent Low-Grade Inflammation and Post-COVID Condition: Evidence from the ORCHESTRA Cohort
🔥The ORCHESTRA cohort’s integration of objective biomarkers reveals persistent low-grade inflammation, evidenced by elevated CRP up to 18 months, in up to 60% of patients,… pic.twitter.com/yQpIndYNc4
— Harry Spoelstra (@HarrySpoelstra) December 31, 2025
This is on the people that overhyped immunity to covid
In 2021 I was asked by a high up market person what the future of long covid and disability in the US was.
I told them it would continue to get worse and reinfections would accumulate harm and disability
In 2022 a… https://t.co/sMfH1AGfcm
— AJ Leonardi, MBBS, PhD (@fitterhappierAJ) December 31, 2025
Dear Jon Stewart,
No one randomly owes you information about their health, their loved one’s health, or, understandably, just wanting to avoid Covid, which is the only way to prevent Long Covid. https://t.co/qiAL3h4YsG
— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) December 29, 2025
Climate/Environment
‘There’s no water any more’: How palm oil plantations drained a Guatemalan rainforest community Irish Times (resilc)
China?
Today’s must read:
Thoughts on the Great Carrier Circus, US Arms Sales to Taiwan & China’s Calculated Response 👇
So recently the “United Pirates of America” gathered their floating circus along the first island chain—4 carriers from US, UK & Japan (plus tag-alongs Australia, Norway, Spain) for… pic.twitter.com/vByj11Atk0
— StarBoySAR 🇭🇰 🇨🇳 🥭 (@StarboySAR) December 31, 2025
Xi Jinping vows to reunify China and Taiwan in New Year’s Eve speech Guardian
US or China: Whose bubbles will loom larger in 2026? Asia Times (Kevin W)
Condom tax and cheaper childcare: China’s plan to boost birth rates BBC
No Winter is Insuperable – A New Year’s Message Pekinology
China calls on Netherlands to correct ‘mistake’ over chipmaker Nexperia Aljazeera (Kevin W)
Behind Oklahoma Cannabis Farms, New Yorkers With Ties to Beijing New York Times (resilc)
Japan
Sinkholes and Quake-Hit Roads Expose Japan’s Infrastructure Emergency Bloomberg
South of the Border
China Signals It Won’t Give an Inch to the U.S. in Latin America Wall Street Journal. No archived version yet.
Trump Can’t Keep Quiet About the CIA Attack in Venezuela Daniel Larison
Oil Tanker Fleeing the Coast Guard Now Listed in Russian Ship Database New York Times (resilc)
US forces strike 3 alleged narco-trafficking vessels in international waters Anadolu Agency
European Disunion
2025 was a pivotal year. We knew it would be a decade ago. This is why we added the number 25 to our movement’s name and logo back then. Because we knew that, having failed to democratise, Europe would descend into a cesspit of xenophobia, economic stagnation, rampant inequality,…
— Yanis Varoufakis (@yanisvaroufakis) December 31, 2025
Macron vows to serve ‘until the last second’ of presidency Le Monde
Authorities investigating damage to undersea telecom cables between Finland and Estonia Euronews
BREAKING:
Finnish forces have boarded and seized the 132-meter-long Russian shadow fleet cargo vessel Fitburg moments after it destroyed 5 submarine telecommunication cables between Finland and Estonia by dragging its anchor on the seabed.
🇫🇮🇪🇪🇷🇺 pic.twitter.com/nbAX3Ho6ah
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) December 31, 2025
Israel v. The Resistance
How the Return of Piped Water to Gaza Poses New Risks for Disease and Pollution – Which Could Flood Into Israel Haaretz
Neocons Premature Celebration Over Protests in Iran Larry Johnson
The Precursors for War are in Place. Iran is the Peg to Intense Political Jockeying to define the Post-Trump Future Alastair Crooke (Chuck L)
Saudis v. UAE
Saudi Arabia and UAE bank on different military strengths in Yemen rivalry Middle East Eye (resilc)
US, UAE confer on regional security amid calls for Yemen restraint Middle East Online
This excellent Economist article confirms what we at CTP assessed a couple of weeks ago, that the Emirati escalation in Yemen may have been a response to Saudi Arabia increasing diplomatic pressure on the UAE on Sudan.
We also assessed that Yemen could cause another rebound in… https://t.co/n87hl3q89U pic.twitter.com/w4KMpKBNeF
— Liam Karr (@liam_karr) December 30, 2025
New Not-So-Cold War
2025 End of Year Wrap-Up and Battlefield Projections for 2026 Simplicius
The Separation: Inside the Unraveling U.S.-Ukraine Partnership New York Times
NY Times Expose: CIA Fights Russia – Trump’s Peace Deal Runs on Illusion Moon of Alabama (Kevin W)
* * *
🇺🇦🇷🇺 24 people died as a result of a Ukrainian drone strike on a cafe in the Kherson region on New Year’s Eve
Civilians hit celebrating new years:
“Three Ukranian drones hit a cafe and a hotel on the Black Sea coast in Kherson region.
According to preliminary data, more than… pic.twitter.com/gWdyTLXv8d
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) January 1, 2026
* * *
Downed UAV with a 6kg explosive charge — Russian MOD publishes VIDEO PROOF of Ukrainian attack on Putin’s residence
The attempt was carried out on the night of December 28 to 29
WATCH report by the unit who took down 41 of the 91 drones sent by Kiev https://t.co/J9Tgd8yAJx pic.twitter.com/b7Yv55OlxP
— RT (@RT_com) December 31, 2025
US finds Ukraine did not target Putin in drone strike: Report Anadolu Agency. The Russian footage really does not prove anything but Russia would not publish satellite info if such existed due to not wanting to expose their capabilities and limits. However, John Helmer and Dmitri Liscaris have pointed out “fog of propaganda” details, such as the oddly long time it took for Lavrov (and why Lavrov being the spokesperson on this issue being unusual) to accuse Ukraine, the fact that Putin’s residence is much closer to Latvia and Estonia than Ukraine, and that former Ukraine official Alexi Arestovich has claimed the target was a nuclear command center/bunker, which if so, would in Russia’s nuclear doctrine call for a nuclear response. Helmer stressed that only Arestovich made this claim.
Did the West try to kill Putin Julian Macfarlane. Larry Johnson has a parsimonious explanation, that the point was to (further) poison the negotiations, and Ukraine (or rather official Ukraine) may not have been involved.
Russia is Treating the Latest Drone Attack on the Putin Residence as Something More Sinister Than Just Another Terrorist Attack Larry Johnson. This is a newer post where he has an aside that Zelensky personally may not have been involved.
That does not mean the implications are not serious. Scott Ritter likes to paint in bright colors but that does not mean that he is directionally incorrect: Some thoughts regarding the Ukrainian drone attack that targeted President Putin
* * *
10 moments that defined the Ukraine war in 2025 Ian Proud
2025: Battles and numbers Events in Ukraine
* * *
A Two-Century Failure: European Russophobia and Europe’s Rejection of Peace Jeffrey Sachs. From last week. Apologies for not linking to this sooner.
Discussing Georgia with John Mearsheimer Ian Proud
Why’d Putin Only Lament The Loss Of Some Former Soviet Republics In His First Meeting With Bush? Andrew Korybko
It’s 2026 in Most of the World: Putin Greets it in Russia Karl Sanchez
Big Brother is Watching You Watch
State Sup Ct Says You Waive 4th Amendment Rights When Using Google YouTube
Newborn babies could be given Digital ID in ‘deeply sinister’ expansion of controversial Labour policy discussed in secret by ministers Daily Mail
Imperial Collapse Watch
The Price of American Authoritarianism Foreign Affairs. Robin K:
Be warned! They are keen on how bad Trump is, but (still) think Democrats are a cure. Lump together Hungary, Poland, Turkey (sic), and Venezuela. Nevermind that the first three are historically conservative societies, and that, by contrast, Chavez et al are left–and that they’ve had to govern under constant US sanctions and political pressures.
The Oil Company Drilled. The Government Slaughtered. Who Is Guilty? New York Times (resilc). This sort of thing should be routine as opposed to exceptional
Trump 2.0
Five restraint successes — and five absolute fails — in 2025 Responsible Statecraft
25 Worst Villains of the Trump Admin MEDIAS+ (resilc). Sadly the list is marred by the writer having a bad case of Putin Derangement Syndrome, but hopefully you can filter that out.
Trump ends effort to bring National Guard to Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland Washington Post
Trump Delays New Tariff Hike on Furniture, Kitchen Cabinets Bloomberg. More TACO.
7 takeaways from Jack Smith’s congressional testimony Politico
U.S. removal of panels honoring Black soldiers at WWII cemetery in the Netherlands draws backlash NBC (resilc)
Lauren Boebert claims Trump’s veto of safe drinking water bill is retaliation Guardian (Kevin W)
Trump rips Colorado governor, DA over Tina Peters incarceration: ‘May they rot in hell’ The Hill
US federal agents investigate Minneapolis childcare centres BBC (Kevin W)
GOP Clown Car
Megyn Kelly BRUTALIZES Mark Levin!! Young Turks, YouTube
Supremes
Roberts avoids clashes with Trump in end-of-year judiciary report The Hill
Mamdani
Zohran Mamdani becomes first New York mayor sworn in using Koran Telegraph
Mamdani wants to change the tax code. Here’s what that could look like. Gothamist
Zohran Mamdani to press ahead with tax rises for New York City millionaires Financial Times. No archived version yet.
How California built one of the world’s biggest public-sector IT systems The Register. Too soon to tell if this goes under The Bezzle. Paul R notes: “I hadn’t heard about this before. Based on Peoplesoft, not a good sign these days.”
Our No Longer Free Press
The demise of Bari Weiss has already begun The Grayzone, YouTube. I hate to second-guess the great Max Blumenthal, but Bari Weiss floundering does not mean she is likely to be ousted all that soon. Look at the leadership of major governments all over the West. Serial screwups with low popular support stay in their post and do not seem to be going anywhere. Weiss was not hired to be competent at running a network. She was hired for abject loyalty to Israel and her willingness to take marching orders from the Ellisons, which means not caring about journalistic integrity.
The West has found a way to end free speech Ricky Hale and Council Estate Media. Fine long-form treatment of the disgraceful and alarming Jacques Baud case.
DOJ Sent Letters to Medical Journals. Then What Happened? MedPage Today
Mr. Market is Schizoid
A reader sent this tweet:
🚨 THE SYSTEM IS BREAKING IN REAL-TIME
I’ve been trading futures for two decades.
I’ve seen volatility, crashes and squeezes.
But I have NEVER seen the CME raise margins on a major commodity by 30% overnight…
for the second time in a single week.
Look at the document… pic.twitter.com/c9foqFLVm3
— NoLimit (@NoLimitGains) December 31, 2025
Veteran trader and MMT authority Warren Mosler was so gracious as to comment:
It’s limited to a few metals?
Not in currencies, rates, equities, lumber, grains, etc. etc?Economic data softening post tariff and ev credit etc. front running but no dramatic collapse.Even crypto vol is down after the large sell off?Am I missing something?
When they raised margins on silver in 1980 with price hitting a high of maybe 60 it ended the rally.Maybe they’re thinking same this time?In any case, it’s a way to maybe cool some speculation.But from the headlines from the last few days, seems maybe a ‘producer’ was hedging output with sales offutures, and had margin calls large enough to force a short covering liquidation, causing the spike to 80.
Even though a producer or holder of physical silver has physical silver that was equally up in market value, lenders still limit how much they’ll lend against it which can force liquidation.
AI
Pax Silica and the weaponization of AI supply chains: The new front in US global economic warfare The Cradle
Yanis Varoufakis: Deepfakes of me are taking over YouTube YouTube
The Bezzle
Crackdown on crypto tax evasion comes into force Financial Times
Guillotine Watch
Chuck L: “Where are the Oreshniks when you need them?”
Hundreds of billionaires are on the same island 🏝 for new years eve 🤔 pic.twitter.com/6eZ5EeZeq7
— mrredpillz jokaqarmy (@JOKAQARMY1) December 31, 2025
Billionaires added record $2.2tn in wealth in 2025 Guardian
Class Warfare
Over 6 million Americans on Medicare will now need to get prior authorization from AI for these 17 procedures MarketWatch (resilc)
The Deaths of Despair Crisis Was Underway Before Opioids Arrived SciTech Daily (Chuck L)
Investors are buying close to half the empty lots in LA burn zones, report says LAist (Paul R)
Antidote du jour (via):
A New Year’s bonus:
Auld Lang Syne on the cello with my dog. Happy New Year from Ireland! pic.twitter.com/ubIEFDUYe8
— Patrick Dexter (@patrickdextervc) December 31, 2025
A second bonus:
He’s got the moves!
The cutest animal videos of all time: https://t.co/BATEhuC4lU pic.twitter.com/Gv8FmwDx2g
— Fascinating (@fasc1nate) December 9, 2025
And a third:
A RARE white moose appeared in the forest
Real animal, real mutation — only a few hundred exist pic.twitter.com/sM40OH8sW9
— RT (@RT_com) December 20, 2025
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
