Links 6/20/2026 | naked capitalism

At 1,000 years old, Sherwood Forest’s Major Oak is finally dead Nottingham Post (Micael T)

Defining Christian Humanism Comment (Robin K)

Byzantine & Medieval Art Isn’t Supposed to Look “Real” Sacred Images Project (Micael T)

Forget Stoicism. Skepticism is the ancient philosophy we need today. Big Think

The Ghost Roads of Ireland’s Great Famine JSTOR (Micael T)

The Cult of the Enhanced Self Derek Thompson (Micael T)

Ebola

🇨🇩 The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ebola outbreak has spread across 33 health zones in three provinces, with 896 confirmed cases and 232 deaths reported one month after the outbreak was declared.

A WHO official warned the virus may still be spreading undetected,… pic.twitter.com/LM99VBh2pq

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) June 19, 2026

Climate/Environment

The ocean has shielded us from the worst of climate change. Now it is running a fever Guardian

It’s not just Nino 3.4 heating up because of the growing El Nino — the entire global ocean is seeing record daily sea surface temperatures. Yesterday saw the 14th consecutive new daily record.

Here are the updated daily color stripes: pic.twitter.com/bvGShRndkT

— Prof. Eliot Jacobson (@EliotJacobson) June 16, 2026

El Niño was sparked by a Kelvin wave that shifted huge amounts of warm water from west to east across the undersea Pacific since April.

And now, a new Kelvin wave is forming.

Yet more warm water will move toward the eastern Pacific and El Niño forecasts may trend even stronger. pic.twitter.com/Me2Y8sItWd

— Ben Noll (@BenNollWeather) June 17, 2026

Souring seas: Ocean acidification threatens the world’s food supply Oceanographic

Compound droughts hit plant growth much harder than scientists expected Earth

Russia Deploys Emergency Crews to Siberia as Krasnoyarsk Wildfires Nearly Quadruple in Size Moscow Times

Water

Nairobi: Eastlands residents struggle to cope as water shortages worsen Citizen

Rising temperatures may increase flood risk through river ‘whiplash’, study finds Guardian

China?

China raises ‘serious concern’ over US-Japan ‘extended nuclear deterrence’ Anadolu Agency

Taiwan presses Washington for billions in weapons as China tensions grow Independent

First Close Look at China’s Unique Newly Launched Nuclear Submarine with Enhanced Stealth Military Watch

Japan

Yen teeters on cusp of 40-year low, pound firms Reuters

Japan raids ice cream giants over price-fixing allegations BBC

Koreas

North Korea says treaty with Russia ‘essential legal weapon’ for stability Korea Herald

Southeast Asia

Myanmar military airstrike kills seven civilians in Rakhine state Aljazeera

South of the Border

Cuban churches forced to ration Communion wafers CathNews

Bolivian blockades strangle economy, pressuring centre-right leader Financial Times

A shattered peace: Inside Colombia’s never-ending drug war San Juan Daily Star

Ecuadorian troops to be deployed in Guayas to strengthen security operations against criminal groups Reuters

Africa

Africa’s multipolar scramble GIS Reports

An attack by armed men on an airport in Niger’s capital has killed 11 soldiers and two civilians, authorities said, five months after a major assault Aljazeera

Ethiopia election 2026: Tigray excluded and on edge DW

Western countries warn of atrocities, imminent RSF escalation in Sudan’s al-Obeid Reuters

Somalia warns Israel against meddling in Somaliland Aljazeera

European Disunion

‘We are living in a permanent time of crisis,’ says former ECB president Trichet TrustNet

Hegseth announces review of US forces in Europe as he lambasts NATO allies in Brussels meeting Euronews

Old Blighty

UK Posts Highest Budget Deficit for Any May Since the Pandemic Bloomberg

Number of shoplifters brandishing weapons surges Telegraph

NHS patients face worst drug shortages on record, say pharmacists and GPs Guardian

Despite sending four Palestine Action activists away to prison last week with sentences totalling 32 years, Mr Justice Johnson is still hounding their lead barrister Mr Menon, who was summoned to the High Court this morning to face a new application for Contempt of Court. Rajiv… pic.twitter.com/JieAw1h0fV

— Real Media (@RealMediaGB) June 19, 2026

Hollow State End Game John Robb (Micael T)

Authoritarian Babyism All That Is Solid (Micael T)

Israel v. The Resistance

Tanker owners still reluctant to send ships through the Strait of Hormuz TradeWinds

Diplomatic agreements may lead to Israel-Iran escalation, former Navy commander warns Jerusalem Post

Syraqistan

Syria reports new Israeli incursion into Quneitra village amid ongoing border tensions Arab News

New Not-So-Cold War

Stanislav Krapivnik: Russia’s Offensive Gains Speed & Anger Boils Over in Moscow Glenn Diesen

Zelensky Gives Belarus 7-Day Ultimatum in Unexpected Threat Simplcius

Finland’s parliament passes bill in support of lifting total ban on nuclear weapons Euronews

A new Arctic-class gas carrier has been put into operation in Russia

▪️At the “Zvezda” shipyard, the gas carrier “Konstantin Posiet” was put into operation. The vessel was built for year-round transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the Arctic, — states Sovcomflot… pic.twitter.com/RJM6xu40Pv

— S p r i n t e r (@SprinterPress) June 18, 2026

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

If you thought Flock cameras were concerning, meet what comes next.

A company called Leonardo has developed a system called ELSAG SignalTrace. It broke into public awareness just days ago and is already being marketed to law enforcement agencies across the country. It makes… pic.twitter.com/3LZRr2EfCF

— 0️⃣BlackBetty ⚓️ (@BabyD1111229) June 18, 2026

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Imperial Collapse Watch

The ghosts of the ‘rules-based world order’ CounterFire

Trade Wars Are Giving Birth to ‘Open Plurilateralism’ Bloomberg

See this part of the tweet:

Every time you drive past one of these upgraded cameras, the sensor sweeps up the unique electronic identifiers of every device in your vehicle. Your cell phone. Your smartwatch. Your wireless headphones. Your fitness tracker. Your laptop. Your tablet. Your car’s own infotainment system. Your tire pressure sensors. Your vehicle’s Bluetooth hotspot.

Scoop: FulcrumSec Leaks Novo Nordisk Data After $25M Demand Goes Unpaid DataBreaches.Net (Micael T)

Trump 2.0

Trump says there are ‘no limits’ to his power The Hill. Um, Trump is asking for God to smite him.

What Americans think about Trump’s handling of Iran, according to a new AP-NORC poll Associated Press

Israel NDAA Provision ‘Section 219’ Faces Bipartisan Blowback From House Lawmakers Military.com

Italy nixes envoy’s U.S. visit as leader Meloni “stunned” by Trump comments: “Neither I nor Italy beg” CBS

GOP Clown Car

‘Coordinated effort’: Kansas Republican leaders have a plan to cancel the 2026 U.S. Senate election Kansas Reflector. If this plot is underway in Kansas, similar ones are sure to be in motion in other states

Supremes

Supreme Court limits power of federal government to disarm drug users CNN

Economy

Fertiliser price shocks could have ‘lasting effects’ on food production GTR

Global fertilizer trade down 30% ANBA

From human urine to worm manure: unusual fertilisers boosted by Gulf conflict Financial Times

Global exports downturn deepens in May as war hits trade in services S&P Global

Insurers seek to define ‘war’ as risk rises of global power clashes Financial Times

Central banks are repatriating gold bars Vzglayd via machine translation (Micael T)

Mr. Market Needs a Therapist

For warning signs of the next global financial crisis, watch the activities of both banks and nonbanks Atlantic Council

AI

‘We created a monster’: companies rein in AI usage as costs strain budgets Financial Times

Norway severely curtails AI use in elementary school Reuters

Exclusive: Neuroscience journal editor resigns over automation concerns Transmitter (timotheus)

The New Geopolitics of AI: Water, Energy, and the Battle for Computational Power Modern Diplomacy

Guillotine Watch

Turns Out, There Really Is a Cabal of Elite Crazies Trying to Control the World Esquire (Ann)

Antidote du jour. Tracie H: “This is a male Costa’s Hummingbird. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned him yet, but he hangs out on this branch whenever there is a high wind. He seems to love balancing and fighting the wind–aerobics for birds, I guess”:

And a bonus:

The speed of a merganser running on water.pic.twitter.com/HD4rTpyx7j

— Wonder of Science (@wonderofscience) June 14, 2026

A second bonus:

🤣😅 Which Parrot is a better actor? pic.twitter.com/nAGn1vWFiD

— Amazing Nature (@AmazingNature00) June 14, 2026

A third:

How it started vs how it’s going pic.twitter.com/niYv78tQ9I

— Puppies & Positivity (@Puppieslover) June 14, 2026

And a different sort of bonus:

When a family in Vermont reached out to Baltimore restaurant owner Steve Chu asking for the recipe of a favorite dish enjoyed by their terminally ill loved one, they expected instructions.

Instead, they received something far more meaningful.

Steve Chu, co-owner of Ekiben,… pic.twitter.com/u9BTRrOCNE

— Wolf of X (@WolfofX) June 14, 2026

See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.