I suppose it’s possible to consider comet Neowise an omen, but I think it’s very beautiful:
ICYMI: Watch comet Neowise blaze in the Japanese sky as the sun rises pic.twitter.com/XGGKEJzxob
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 19, 2020
Bacteria that eats metal accidentally discovered by scientists in the US CNN. What could go wrong?
US Covid-19 surge could trigger a double-dip recession FT. So much for the V-shaped recovery.
R Is for Recession Unless We Can Go Below 1 John Authers, Bloomberg
When the U.S. sneezes, the world catches a cold. What happens when it has severe COVID-19? Reuters
Tech’s Increasing Dependence on Foreign Students, in Six Charts OneZero
Landmark copyright infringement case against Qatar Airways to be heard in English courts PRS for Music (dk).
#COVID19
‘No mask, no entry. Is that clear enough? That seems pretty clear, right?’ WaPo. Very sad story; we seem to have outsourced mask enforcement to, well, essential workers. “No shirt, no shoes, no mask, no service.” Why is that so hard to understand?
‘Bizarre’ that face masks are a partisan issue, NIH chief says Los Angeles Times
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Smartphones and COVID-19 transmission: What we know so far ABC
Coronavirus can live for four days on animal skin: US military study South China Morning Post
Australian researches detect SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewater from planes and cruise ships News Medical Australia. A single pooled test for aircraft!
Quarantine hotel sex scandal linked to coronavirus outbreak in Australian city of Melbourne CNN (dk). From July 2, still germane. Sex between quarantined international arrivals and — let me guess, privatized… Yep! — guards.
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Russian Elite Given Experimental Covid-19 Vaccine Since April Bloomberg
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Moderna executives hiked their stock sales after announcing positive vaccine trial CBS
Tiny U.K. Company’s Stock Soars 373% as Drug Cuts Covid-19 Risk Bloomberg
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Fauci: ‘The Virus Is a Formidable Foe’ MedScape
State Department releases cable that launched claims that coronavirus escaped from Chinese lab WaPo
Isabel Schnabel: Never waste a crisis – COVID-19, climate change and monetary policy Bank of International Settlements. Read all the way to the end.
The Bahamas to ban most international flights as coronavirus cases surge NBC. Dang.
Sustaining Rural Hospitals After COVID-19 The Case for Global Budgets JAMA
‘The pandemic is gaining momentum’: Africa prepares for surge in infections FT
China?
China’s central bank has better stimulus options than the Fed FT
China Churned Out a Record 3 Million Tons of Steel a Day in June Yahoo Finance
Global warming and illegal land reclamation add to severe floods in China South China Morning Post
China Seizes Tycoon’s Assets The Wire China
Tinker Tailor Soldier Investor – the problem with Chinese stocks Hong Kong Free Press
Doubts raised over widespread use of rapid tests in virus-stricken Indonesia Straits Times
Malaysia and Goldman Sachs restart talks in last-ditch bid to reach 1MDB settlement Straits Times
Malaysia losing up to 25% of palm oil yield due to labour crunch: MPOA Reuters
Syraqistan
Media Conceal—or Celebrate—Depriving Syrians of Food and Medicine FAIR
The Inexorable Collapse of Lebanon Der Spiegel
Could War With Iran Be an October Surprise? New York Magazine
UK/EU
Insults, slammed fists: EU virus summit goes into 4th day AP
Banana Republic Corruption Craig Murray
London real estate having a normal one:
today in london property: room containing single bed, sink and shower, with a hob conveniently located by the bed. yours for only 200k https://t.co/G6eAjLqLqY pic.twitter.com/THW9r1OW0D
— Emma Hope Allwood / EHA (@emmahopeall) July 18, 2020
Trump Transition
Scoop: Trump’s license to skirt the law Axios. Based on John Yoo’s How the Supreme Court’s DACA Decision Harms the Constitution, the Presidency, Congress, and the Country, which was apparently too much, even for Yoo.
Transcript: ‘Fox News Sunday’ interview with President Trump FOX
Trump demands payroll tax cut while GOP eyes benefit cuts for unemployed WaPo.
Gunman posing as delivery driver kills son of U.S. judge presiding over Jeffrey Epstein lawsuit, wounds her husband Globe and Mail. This is the suit brought against Deutsche Bank by investors “who claim the company made false and misleading statements about its anti-money laundering policies and failed to monitor “high-risk” customers including convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.” So “Deutsche Bank” would be better in the headline than “Jeffrey Epstein,” but less clickbait-y.
Police State Watch
Portland Police Union Burns, Officers Assault Crowds During July 18 Protests Portland Mercury
50 Days Of Protest In Portland. A Violent Police Response. This Is How We Got Here. Oregon Public Broadcasting
Partially blinded by police WaPo
We Reviewed Police Tactics Seen in Nearly 400 Protest Videos. Here’s What We Found. Pro Publica
Pelosi, Blumenaur condemn ‘egregious abuses of power’ by Trump against Oregon protestors The Hill. Maybe they’ll send a sternly worded letter:
Yes, Democratic leaders have sent very angry tweets to stop the #PortlandKidnappings.
And Pelosi may tear paper and clap sideways later today, which hopefully will "get under Trump's skin" and stop the fascism.
If that fails, Dem leaders will send a strongly-worded letter. https://t.co/b3Fw3aOYvU
— Peter Daou (@peterdaou) July 19, 2020
The laws they wrote, the programs they funded… “GAHH! Kreplach!”
CBP does end run around warrants, simply buys license plate-reader data Ars Technica
Our Famously Free Press
Worker-Run News Outlets Are Good News for the Labor Movement Truthout
Sports Desk
Opinion: NFL had the most time to deal with COVID-19 and appears to have done the least USA Today
Guillotine Watch
Class Warfare
Labor Group Pushes For Nationwide ‘Strike For Black Lives’ On July 20 Forbes. That’s today!
July 20 Strike for Black Lives: This Historic Organizing Effort Is Demanding Economic Justice for Black Workers Teen Vogue. The Teamsters weigh in:
The #Teamsters Union stands with #StrikeForBlackLives on July 20 because justice for Black communities, with an unequivocal declaration that #BlackLivesMatter, is a necessary first step to winning justice for all workers! Join us – find an action near you: https://t.co/5on3AFAEGp pic.twitter.com/4dp4drJamm
— Teamsters (@Teamsters) July 17, 2020
Google and Lyft Workers Tell Us Why They’re Striking for Black Lives Matter Vice
Hallmark’s Christmas Movie Schedule for 2020 Is Here to Make Your Spirits Bright Good Housekeeping. Something to look forward to at last.
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
