The Geopolitical Economy of Space Resources e-flux
Space Pirates Are No Longer Confined To Works Of Science Fiction Jalopnik
Goldman Sachs Lifts U.S. Recession Probability to 35% Morningstar
Climate/Environment
Climate skeptics have new favorite graph; it shows the opposite of what they claim The Climate Brink
SCOOP: A leaked memo reveals a huge list of terms banned by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, including “climate,” “vulnerable,” and “safe drinking water.”
The department is responsible for monitoring crops to make sure they are not diseased and can be used for food. pic.twitter.com/DKFnaa0hRu
— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) March 30, 2025
So Long Just Stop Oil, and Thanks for All the Soup ArtReview
China?
Humanoid Robots Are Lousy Coworkers. China Wants to Be First to Change That. WSJ
Secret Pentagon memo on China, homeland has Heritage fingerprints WaPo
US Defence Secretary Hegseth downgrades Russian threat, focus exclusively on Taiwan in new foreign policy strategy Bne Intellinews
European Disunion
Ukraine ceasefire to increase Russian threat in Baltic region, ministers warn FT
Estonian MPs pass bill to limit voting rights for Russian minority France24
Imagine being the “chief of diplomacy” and taking cringe photos like this.
This is one of many reasons the EU shouldn’t be taken seriously. pic.twitter.com/gYGDRCeDgZ
— Olga Bazova (@OlgaBazova) March 30, 2025
***
The time has come to punish Orbán, Germany’s next government says Politico
Isar Aerospace completes first orbital launch vehicle test flight in Norway Euronews
🇩🇪Epic footage of the crash of the German Spectrum carrier rocket. The test flight lasted 44 seconds.
The rocket, built by the private company Isar Aerospace, was launched from the Norwegian Andøya spaceport. It was the first launch of a carrier rocket from continental Europe.… pic.twitter.com/kKOLq1jPxb
— Zlatti71 (@Zlatti_71) March 30, 2025
Old Blighty
UK will buy US fighter jets despite Europe’s fears about Trump The Times
30+ Met police smash down Quaker meeting house doors to raid anti-genocide gathering The Skwawkbox
Blind people set to lose thousands in benefits still cannot read details of Labour’s welfare reform plans The Independent
O Canada
‘Extremely concerned’: UN tells Canada to stop Track 2 MAID Canadian Affairs
1/ Ever hear of a “charity” that lobbies like Big Oil? Meet Dying With Dignity Canada (DWDC). Since 2020, this group pushing assisted dying has quietly amassed outsized influence in Ottawa. Their lobbying might shock you. Buckle up for some facts.
— Kurt Goddard (@kurtgoddard) March 30, 2025
Syraqistan
Israel wants to occupy and ‘cleanse’ Gaza, Likud lawmaker says Jerusalem Post
We will see to the general security in the Gaza Strip and will allow the realization of the Trump plan for voluntary migration. This is the plan. We are not hiding this and are ready to discuss it at any time.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) March 30, 2025
In Gaza, Almost Every IDF Platoon Keeps a Human Shield, a Sub-army of Palestinian Slaves Haaretz
Horror-film-level war crime here, mass execution of medical workers, with more evidence emerging daily
— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) March 30, 2025
Billionaire Netanyahu Confidant Expedited Qatari Cash Deliveries to Gaza, at Hamas’ Request Haaretz
***
Yemeni Armed Forces target US carrier E-2 AEW aircraft: Exclusive Al Mayadeen
Iran rejects direct nuclear talks with Trump, open to indirect negotiations Al Jazeera
Trump Threatens ‘Unseen’ Bombing of Iran as B-2 Stealth Fleet Forward Deployed Military Watch
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Lessons from Fallujah: War Returnees Face Long-Term Health Risks from Heavy Metal Exposure Brown University Watson Institute for International & Public Affairs
Iraqis made a bronze monument to honor the guy who threw a shoe at President George W. Bush. 🇮🇶 pic.twitter.com/rg7fxVL8LM
— Alan MacLeod (@AlanRMacLeod) March 27, 2025
Africa
US Carries Out Strike Against IS In Somalia AFP
New Not-So-Cold War
‘Pissed off’ at Putin, Trump threatens Russian oil tariffs Politico
Big picture: Trump proposes the US and Russia normalize relations in exchange for Russia surrendering in Ukraine. That’s the size of it. Trump has failed and the war will continue. Amateurs.
— Peter Lavelle (@PLCROSSTALK) March 30, 2025
Countries to send military team to Ukraine for “reassurance force” planning Espreso
EU/Zelensky Defy Trump; Kiev Breaks Energy Truce, EU Won’t Relax Sanctions; Huge Oreshnik Production Alexander Mercouris (Video)
***
The Partnership: The Secret History of the War in Ukraine The New York Times
New York Times Fantasy Tale of Ukraine’s Almost Great Victory Over Russia Larry Johnson, Son of the New American Revolution
Secret History: ‘Bombshell’ NYT Report Uncovers True Depth of US Involvement in Ukraine War Simplicius
Interesting article, but not much new information. We’ve known that the Ukrainian army is a mindless zombie entirely controlled by NATO (in particular, American and British officers) for three years now. The US had total control over the entire chain of command and the kill chain… pic.twitter.com/O2v1fnapK6
— Russians With Attitude (@RWApodcast) March 30, 2025
South of the Border
Ecuador is preparing for US forces, plans show, as Noboa calls for help battling gangs CNN
Secret Bukele Deal Lies Behind Trump’s El Salvador Deportations Drop Site
Trump 2.0
Trump officials, allies grow anxious about April 2 tariffs Politico
The Trade Policy We Need The American Prospect
WrestleMania Doomberg
***
Top Vaccine Official Resigns From FDA MedPage Today
***
Chartbook 366: “Servants of the Damned” or how Trump has put a bit of stick about with BigLaw. Adam Tooze, Chartbook
Trump won’t rule out seeking a third term in the White House, tells NBC News ‘there are methods’ for doing so NBC News
VP Vance
The reactionary right is not a monolith Programmable Mutter
SignalGate
CIA Ops Veteran Calls Signal Scandal “the tip of the iceberg” Spy Talk
Immigration
SCOOP: ICE Revoking Students’ Immigration Statuses Without Their or the University’s Knowledge Zeteo
Johns Hopkins tells faculty not to ‘intervene’ in potential ICE detainments on campus Baltimore Banner
Some thoughts from a historian of US immigration and citizenship law:
Police State Watch
Private groups work to identify and report student protesters for possible deportation AP
Groves of Academe
‘Canary in the coalmine of totalitarianism’: how Columbia went from a home for Edward Said to a punching bag for Trump Alice Speri, The Guardian
‘Climate of fear’: Montreal doctor says NYU cancelled her presentation CTV News
Elite Colleges in Trump’s Crosshairs Rush to Bond Market at Record Pace Bloomberg
Screening Room
No work, shelved projects, menace of OTT: Bollywood insiders reveal how the film industry is crashing Mid-day
Silicon Valley
Uber’s Bastards II Edward Ongweso Jr, The Tech Bubble
A former Meta employee reviews the new Facebook memoir Rest of World
Supply Chain
Molecules of Freedom Phenomenal World
AI
Studio Ghibli in the age of A.I. reproduction Read Max
Sam Altman Says OpenAI Team “Needs Sleep” As Ghibli-Style AI Art Goes Viral NDTV
People Making AI Studio Ghibli Images Are Now Producing Fake Legal Letters to Go With Their Fake Art Gizmodo. Lots of commentary on this all over the X. Here are a few:
1.
AI “art” cannot create anything new. Your AI art (even a single Ghibli-wannabe image) requires the theft of thousands of artists, and also requires incredible amounts of computing power and natural resources! It just feels easy and simple bc all you do is type in a prompt
— Chris Alvino (@ChrisAlvino) March 30, 2025
2.
“I don’t consume the method, I consume the product” is actually a pitch perfect summation of how consumerism has permanently damaged how people perceive art
— 「Indigo」⚢ (@FoolPlanet) March 29, 2025
3.
“make a colorful manga cartoon about how silicon valley could start out progressive and move towards right-wing reactionary politics over time” pic.twitter.com/s624VRpRbH
— Quinn Slobodian (@zeithistoriker) March 26, 2025
4.
“AI art is the official art of 21st century fascism”
— jønny🔻 🇵🇸 !فلسطين حرة (@jonnysocialism) March 30, 2025
Healthcare?
A Favorite State Solution for Lowering Drug Prices Doesn’t Actually Work Boondoggle
Antitrust
Monopoly Round-Up: Tariffs, Abundance and Why America Can’t Build BIG by Matt Stoller
Imperial Collapse Watch
Major US Bridges at High Risk of Being Struck by ShipsJohn Hopkins University
In Your Face: The Brutal Aesthetics of MAGA Mother Jones
Review of Finance Aesthetics: A Critical Glossary e-flux
Class Warfare
They Are Going to Take Everything If We Don’t Stop Them How Things Work
The Landlord’s Game: Lizzie Magie and Monopoly’s Anti-Capitalist Origins (1903) The Public Domain Review
Antidote du jour (via):
Bonus:
In case you missed the solar eclipse yesterday, we have obtained the high quality video of the event for your enjoyment. pic.twitter.com/2jgbLOsc9C
— Olga Bazova (@OlgaBazova) March 30, 2025
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
