Links 12/27/2025 | naked capitalism

When Will My Pornographic Shrek Christmas Ornament Arrive? 404 Media

Wild hogs wreak economic havoc for Mississippi agriculture Associated Press

Why Britain has a deer problem – leaving damage that costs millions BBC (Kevin W)

A new superconductor breaks rules physicists thought were fixed ScienceDaily (Kevin W)

A Myth for Understanding Modern Mental Chaos CocotteMinute

Conservative and Christian? US right champions psychedelic drugs Guardian (Kevin W)

How Dad’s Fitness May Be Packaged and Passed Down in Sperm RNA Quanta (fk)

This common food ingredient may shape a child’s health for life Science News (fk)

I’m a Pathologist: The “Biological Cost” of Ozempic and Mounjaro YouTube

‘Ozempic Teeth’: Another Effect of GLP-1 Agonists? MedPage Today. Not included in video above.

How weight-loss drugs are reshaping fitness gyms Axios

#COVID-19/Pandemics

‘Super flu’ sends NYC flu cases to highest level in a decade New York Post

How most of my conversations go:

Me: “Mild Covid causes cancer, immunodeficiency, permanent multi-organ damage, & premature death.”

Them: “No it doesn’t, you’re lying. Prove it.”

Me: Presents 6-years of confirmed science & data…

Them: “Liar. Blocked.”

— Laura Miers (@LauraMiers) December 26, 2025

Climate/Environment

Declared extinct in 2025: A look back at some of the species we lost Mongabay

Record fossil fuel emissions in 2025 despite renewables buildout, report says Mongabay

China launches satellite to aid in early extreme weather detection China Daily

A year under water: Record floods sweep Vietnam from megacities to tourist hubs in 2025 eVinExpress

In India’s desert state, global drinks giants grapple with water scarcity and local anger malaymail

Pablo Escobar’s Chital Deer: The New Biological Crisis Threatening Colombia’s Magdalena Medio Noticas Ambientales

Photos show California slammed with heavy rain, mudslides from storm USA Today

China?

China Industrial Profits Decline in November as Demand Cools Bloomberg

Revealed: the answer key to your year-end China-watching test Pekinology

HAINAN: THE $113 BILLION MISPRICING

On December 18, 2025, China executed the largest customs architecture change since WTO accession.

Wall Street coverage: Paragraph 17.

What actually happened:

Hainan became a separate customs territory.

74% of all tariff lines now enter at… https://t.co/OrIS9YeR3Q pic.twitter.com/TyL5BRtUbR

— Shanaka Anslem Perera ⚡ (@shanaka86) December 26, 2025

Southeast Asia

Myanmar’s incomplete general election: 5 things to know Nikkei

Thailand, Cambodia halt fighting which killed dozens over 20 days Anadolu Agency

Thailand, Cambodia sign immediate ceasefire agreement Bangkok Post. Note:

The foreign ministers of Thailand and Cambodia both said on Saturday that they would visit Yunnan on Sunday and Monday to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for talks about border issues.

On Friday, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reaffirmed that Thailand would accept a 72-hour ceasefire but would not agree to resume border negotiations at positions held before the latest clashes, insisting that Thailand “cannot retreat” from secured areas.

Africa

Why bomb Sokoto? Trump’s strikes baffle Nigerians Financial Times

3 tomahawks failed to explode out of 12?

That’s pretty bad pic.twitter.com/OivQCQ70DD

— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) December 27, 2025

South of the Border

Former CIA Venezuela chief is raiding clients from Rubio-affiliated lobbying firm while the US continues seizing oil tankers Jack Poulson (Dr. Kevin)

The Unexpected Winner of Rising American Tariffs Is Mexico Wall Street Journal. Lead story. No archived version yet.

‘Cocaine, gold and meat’: how Colombia’s Amazon became big business for crime networks Guardian

European Disunion

Italy and Spain shake off ‘periphery’ tag as borrowing premiums hit 16-year low Financial Times

Have Germans finally had enough of propaganda sold as expertise? Tarik Cyril Amar

Israel v. The Resistance

Inside the mind of Yossi Cohen: A Mossad chief’s adventure into the shadows – exclusive Jerusalem Post (resilc). Would be great if John Kirakou would comment on this.

Israel ranks last in 2025 global Nation Brands Index Jerusalem Post (Dr. Kevin)

Arab countries condemn Israel’s recognition of breakaway Somaliland region Anadolu Agency

The newest Palestinian concentration camp, where they can die quietly, out of sight, no blame on Israel because it’s brown people killing brown people. https://t.co/2oufKy6jQb

— Kathleen Tyson (@Kathleen_Tyson_) December 27, 2025

Iranian navy seizes ‘foreign’ oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz Euronews (resilc)

Iran Captures American Ship To Avenge Venezuela Piracy? IRGC Drops Dramatic Visuals Of Oil Tanker Times of India

Iran just embarrassed Israel like we’ve never seen.

They’ve hacked into the former Israeli Prime Minister’s Phone, and exposed his secrets…

How will Israel respond to this? pic.twitter.com/lGAUWeHCTz

— Alex Barnicoat (@AlexBarnicoat_) December 26, 2025

New Not-So-Cold War

Zelensky plans to meet Trump on Sunday for talks on ending Russian war BBC (Kevin W)

Trump tempers Zelensky’s optimism on peace plan The Hill

Thousands without power in Kyiv after massive Russian attack BBC

Brief Frontline Report – December 26th, 2025 Marat Khairullin and Mikhail Popov

SITREP 12/26/25: AFU Flees Gulyaipole, as Russia Stumbles in Murky Kupyansk Simplicius

The Kupiansk infowar Events in Ukraine

Why Does the West Hate Russia? Larry Johnson

Another very important testimony on what happened in the now infamous Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations in Türkiye, 6 weeks into the war.

This time by Jean-Daniel Ruch 👇, who was Switzerland’s ambassador to Türkiye at the time.

He confirms other accounts that it is the West -… pic.twitter.com/VTA9lTNeQj

— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) December 18, 2024

Imperial Collapse Watch

They Spread Corruption And Call It Peace indi.ca (resilc)

PEJORISM IS FOR THE US AND ITS ALLIES –THE WESTERN WORLD IS GOING TO GET WORSE – WHILE MELIORISM IS FOR RUSSIA AND INDIA John Helmer

Trump 2.0

Billboard campaign urging troops to disobey orders from Trump administration launches in Tampa WTSP (resilc)

Trump is literally selling pardons.

According to the WSJ, there’s an “official track” and a faster one where you corner him at Mar-a-Lago, say the magic words “unjust persecution,” and walk away clean.

Lobbyists quote prices up to $6M.

No process. No ethics. Just cash and… pic.twitter.com/Hdra7vuTKy

— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) December 26, 2025

Trump, allies lean into religious messaging on Christmas The Hill. Larry Wilkerson sputtered about this on his latest talk on Dialogue Works

South Park Writer Snagged ‘Trump-Kennedy Center’ Web Domains Months Ago Gizmodo (Dr. Kevin)

The Importance of Time Based Analysis: Getting Bethlehem Out of Christmas Sam Husseini

Immigration

Immigration lawyers say the H-1B chaos is forcing tough business calls Business Insider

L’affaire Epstein

Condensed my sub stream on Epstein Origins down to 4 hours so could post on X. It starts as an analysis of the shoddy New York Times attempt at answering the question before proceeding to answer the question ourselves. Enjoy the journey! pic.twitter.com/YjRj6cg86C

— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) December 24, 2025

Our No Longer Free Press

Silicon Valley’s billionaire elite can’t engineer our consent Sydney Morning Herald (resilc)

Scoop: Journalist Glenn Greenwald exposes a shameful fact at the heart of StopAntisemitism’s “Antisemite of the Year” award. pic.twitter.com/2WEg5mIn6O

— gato fumador (@KweenInYellow) December 27, 2025

Economy

How Americans are responding to the ‘affordability crisis’ CNBC. resilc: “Bombing Nigeria should fix this….”

Retreating from EVs could be hazardous for Western carmakers Economist

Trump Has a New Auto Loan Tax Break. Here’s Who Could Benefit. New York Times. resilc: “The trouble is ALL new cars have serious quality issues and are designed NOT to last the loan term.”

The Economic Divide Between Big and Small Companies Is Growing Wall Street Journal

The AI bubble is all over now, baby blue Gary Marcus

Global Memory Shortage Crisis: Market Analysis and the Potential Impact on the Smartphone and PC Markets in 2026 IDC. Due to AI.

Both of these influencers are successful – but only one is human BBC (Kevin W)

Is an AI-Powered Toy Terrorizing Your Child? Futurism

Cursor CEO Warns Vibe Coding Builds ‘Shaky Foundations’ That Eventually Crumble Fortune

Palantir’s Palestine: How AI Gods Are Building Our Extinction BettBeat

AI data centers may soon be powered by retired Navy nuclear reactors from aircraft carriers and submarines — firm asks U.S. DOE for a loan guarantee to start the project Tom’s Hardware (resilc)

The Bezzle

The Gloves Are Off in the Fight for Your Right to Repair Wired (resilc)

European divergence. Stablecoin flows. Southern Air Transport. Hamas explained. Adam Tooze

Guillotine Watch

Champagne, Caviar Bumps, and Celebrities: Inside Aspen’s St. Regis World Snow Polo Championship Vanity Fair (resilc). Ignacio remarked:

Snow polo is probably the most posh “sport” ever. There was even a World Championship which was celebrated in Tianjin (China) between 2011-2017. In St Moritz a snow polo Tournament has been running since 1985 very much in the posh style of the Aspen as reported by V.F. Vomitive in my opinion. Horses are adapted to snow and I believe the field is prepared so there is not ice below the snow which must have appropriate characteristics for these events. It is all about luxury, expensive meals, aperitifs, fancy snow clothing etc.

St. Moritz and Snow Polo are one and the same

In 2026, Will Americans Finally Turn Against Oligarchs? Matt Stoller

A Wealth Tax Floated in California Has Billionaires Thinking of Leaving New York Times (resilc)

Class Warfare

Goldman Sachs expects layoffs to keep rising—and says investors are punishing the stocks of companies that slash staff Fortune. A change from a trend that the Wall Street Journal, among others, had been flogging.

The great unchurching of America Axios

Damn this New York Times Analysis Garrett Baldwin

Antidote du jour (via):

And a bonus: