Links 12/20/2025 | naked capitalism

Kangaroos fix their posture to save energy at high hopping speeds, study shows PhysOrg. An IgNobel candidate?

Pumas in Patagonia started feasting on penguins — but now they’re behaving strangely, a new study finds Live Science (resilc)

Drones detect deadly virus in Arctic whales’ breath BBC (resilc)

Wow! Aerial view of Mt. Kilimanjaro 😍

📹 eric.thimba (IG)pic.twitter.com/P3JgLKx6i2

— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) December 19, 2025

Most Top-Achieving Adults Weren’t Elite Specialists in Childhood, New Study Finds Wall Street Journal (resilc)

#COVID-19/Pandemics

A COVID infection can literally impact a man’s future children…

A new study in suggests that COVID-19 infection in fathers could have consequences that extend beyond their own health, potentially affecting the mental well-being of their offspring.

Researchers at the Florey… pic.twitter.com/kEYYUAJxxV

— Shining Science (@ShiningScience) December 19, 2025

A New H3N2 Influenza Strain Is Raising Concerns About This Flu Season JAMA

The U.S. is now facing a:

30-year high in measles cases and a 10-year high in whooping cough

These diseases were once rare because vaccines worked. pic.twitter.com/eAhDKMejdB

— Dr. Catharine Young (@DrCatharineY) December 19, 2025

Climate/Environment

The problems with the word degrowth Rebelion via machine translation (Micael T). Lordie, the sanctimoniousness about negative connotations. There WILL be sacrifice, FFS. The question is whether it is somewhat orderly to minimize harm, or chaotic and therefore more destructive than necessary.

How climate breakdown is putting the world’s food in peril – in maps and charts Guardian

Warmer ocean currents significantly destabilize ice sheets, driving their retreat PhysOrg

Hydrogen emissions are ‘supercharging’ the warming impact of methane Carbon Brief

Drought and torrential rains are the biggest climate threat to birds in the Mediterranean CREAF

Poland “slams brakes” on green rollout to keep coal – analysts Montel News

China?

China Now Generates 2X More Electricity Than USA: How Will This Alter The Tech Race? CNA Insider, YouTube

China’s Growing Pile of Long-Term Debt to Deepen Pricing Stress Bloomberg

‘Decisive end’ to China’s property boom as residential construction hits 25-year low Macao News

China cuts US Treasury holdings to lowest level since 2008 amid debt ceiling fears South China Morning Post

China Satellite Obliterates Starlink Using a Dim 2-Watt Laser Fired from 36,000 KM in Space India Defence Review (resilc)

Africa

In Senegal, climate change is adding to historic tension between farmers and herders Independent

European Disunion

Angry farmers block Brussels roads with tractors over Mercosur trade deal Aljazeera

German government to borrow more than $600B next year Anadolu Agency

🚨 BREAKING: VILNIUS ERUPTS 🇱🇹🔥THOUSANDS IN THE STREETS — “THIS IS NO LONGER DEMOCRACY”

Vilnius is on fire tonight — politically.

Thousands of Lithuanians have flooded the streets around parliament and government buildings, openly accusing their own rulers of selling the… pic.twitter.com/9mMg37S1bb

— Slavic Networks (@SlavicNetworks) December 19, 2025

Old Blighty

Food production no longer profitable for English farms, says review Financial Times

Israel v. The Resistance

I was sitting in the clinic on the first morning of the cold wave, the kind of cold that does not merely touch the body but gnaws at the soul. A journalist had written to me earlier, asking about the weather and its effects on patients. I read the message and thought I would…

— Dr. Ezzideen (@ezzingaza) December 13, 2025

🚨UN agencies and more than 200 international and local NGOs operating in Palestine warned Wednesday that Israel’s new registration regime for international aid groups threatens to dismantle life-saving humanitarian operations in Gaza amid acute winter hardship and continued… https://t.co/fG4JlaR1fe pic.twitter.com/Gzn71Z2qm1

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) December 18, 2025

Palestinian prisoners speak out about how they were raped in Israeli jails Middle East Eye

New Not-So-Cold War

Disaster summit for Merz and von der Leyen Nachdenkseiten via machine translation. Micael T: “Not a desaster. It was a success. They got 90B more than they had before the summit and the cherry on top is the impoverishment of the EU population.”

An attempted robbery resulted in the humiliation of the European bureaucracy Vzgylad via machine translation. Micael T: “Russian disinformation. You can only be humiliated if you have some dignity and pride. Of which the EU-tards running this clownshow have none.”

Humiliation for Merz, UVLD and the EU Oliver Boyd-Barrett

NATO’s 1937 moment Andrew Mongaghan

Russia’s Oil Exports Face Delays as Tankers Take 70% Longer Route OilPrice

Merz is going to allow the BND to carry out sabotage operations outside Germany Top War (Micael T)

Putin vows no more wars if West treats Russia with respect BBC (resilc)

Vladimir Putin Leaves No Doubt About Russia’s Demands to End the War in Ukraine… Do Donald Trump and Steve Witkoff Understand? Larry Johnson

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

BUMPY RIDE: The TSA will begin charging travelers a $45 fee if they arrive at airport security checkpoints without an acceptable ID — including a REAL ID or passport.

The policy will be implemented starting Feb. 1, 2026 and is nonrefundable. pic.twitter.com/PcBHiDZOwO

— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 1, 2025

Imperial Collapse Watch

Future War? Julian Macfarlane

Trump’s Drone Strikes Are Wrong. Obama’s Were, Too New York Times

Trump 2.0

Saagar NEAR TEARS Over Trump’s White House DESECRATION Breaking Points, YouTube. Trust me, watch this.

Kennedy Center gets new signage bearing Trump’s name CNN

Nine of the largest pharma companies ink deals with Trump to lower drug prices CNBC (Kevin W)

Exclusive: Top lawyer for military joint chiefs told chairman that officers should retire if faced with an unlawful order CNN (resilc)

Immigration

Magaziner Dismantles Kristi Noem Over Deporting Veterans and Families Egberto Willies. The video clip is a wowser.

Noise machines installed by LA Home Depot ‘torture’ for day laborers, advocates say Guardian (resilc)

Trump Administration Tries to Stop Some Immigrants From Driving Trucks New York Times

Mamdani

Mamdani Appointee Resigns After Decade-Old Antisemitic Posts Re-emerge New York Times. The Gray Lady put this piece outside its paywall.

Our No Longer Free Press

RESURGENT EUROPEAN FASCISM. THE JACQUES BAUD CASE Michael Basta (resilc)

TikTok’s new boss Oligarch Watch<

The Australian Israel Lobby Is Flat-Out Saying They Want A Ban On Criticism Of Israel Caitlin Johnstone (Kevin W)

Resolutions Introduced in Congress Challenge EU and UK Online Censorship Laws’ Influence on US Free Speech Reclaim the Net

U.S. Will Pay $450,000 to Wildfire Fighters With Cancer New York Times (resilc)

Revealed: how Toyota uses retro-style games and prizes to urge US workers to lobby politicians Guardian

CalPERS’ $60 billion investment in ‘climate solutions’ lacks environmental standards, transparency CalMatters (Joseph R)

L’affaire Epstein

Todd Blanche says DOJ won’t release full Esptein files to Congress by Friday deadline The Hill

Massie says DOJ’s Epstein release ‘grossly fails’ to meet legal obligations The Hill

Economy

‘A Singularly Turbulent Time’: Deeper Uncertainty in Store for Global Economy New York Times

Mr. Market is High

Look around: Bubbles are everywhere Bloomberg

As we have repeatedly said, QE was an asset swap designed to increase real estate and security prices and did so:

It was a 17 year mirage fueled by QE and zero rates.

Instead of taking our medicine and throwing the bad acting bankers in jail we went this route.

Now everyone thinks they’re a genius just sitting 100% long in the market with all of their wealth.

It’s all a giant con https://t.co/mvMHHzqrih

— QE Infinity (@StealthQE4) December 17, 2025

Budding G7 recession prompts hunt for real yields Reuters

AI Hackers Are Coming Dangerously Close to Beating Humans Wall Street Journal (resilc)

Water levels across the Great Lakes are falling – just as US data centers move in Guardian

The Bezzle

Bitcoin Crashing Is Actually Awesome News for Regular People, Economist Says Futurism

Guillotine Watch

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are awarding $5 million to a leader in neurodiversity education Associated Press (resilc). This is ridiculous. If they were serious, they’d spend >$50 million for a research program or a couple of chairs.

Class Warfare

How Jane Austen revealed the economic basis of society Economist (Dr. Kevin)

British playwright, screenwriter Tom Stoppard (1937-2025): Dazzling, erudite, damaged by history WSWS

Antidote du jour (via):

And a bonus: