Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Biden Slips a Cog: Second Time as Tragedy, Second Time as Farce, or Both?

The aftermath of Biden’s debate with Trump critiqued as drama.

2:00PM Water Cooler 7/2/2024

~ Today’s Water Cooler: Politics, syndemics; stay safe, new Covid charts; Trump holds his own, pre-debate; Presidential immunity after Trump v. United States ~

Links 7/2/2024

Mexico Scores Major Victory Against Bayer-Owned Monsanto As Corn War With US Reaches Pivotal Moment

“Reason has ultimately prevailed in favour of life, health, nature, biodiversity and food sovereignty.” After a four-year legal battle on multiple fronts with Mexico’s AMLO government, Monsanto has finally thrown in the towel. Last Tuesday, Mexico’s National Council of Humanities, Sciences and Technologies (Conahcyt) announced that two Mexican divisions of Monsanto — now subsidiaries of […]

Biden’s De Facto EV Mandate at Risk After Supreme Court ‘Chevron’ Ruling

A look at just one implication of the fresh Chevron Supreme Court ruling demonstrates how far-reaching it is.

Confronting NATO’s War Summit in Washington

Yet another NATO summit has escalation on the agenda, despite the weakening of the West’s position.

2:00PM Water Cooler 7/1/2024

~ Today’s Water Cooler: Supreme Court decision on Presidential immunity and Open Thread ~

Puppies Behind Bars and the Question of the Role of Prisons

A beautifully written story about a program which has inmates train service dogs shows some of our conflicts about the purpose of prisons.

Links 7/1/2024

The EU ‘Doom Loop’: Bloc Set to Embrace More Austerity Despite Evidence It Will Cause Further Rightward Shift

The National Rally wins first round in France. Why do the self-described centrists keep making it so easy for the far right?

How Camping Bans − Like the One the Supreme Court Just Upheld − Can Fit into ‘Hostile Design’: Strategies to Push Out Homeless People

The US Supreme Court decides it is not cruel to make it illegal for homeless people to sleep.

Balancing Green Goals and Financial Realities: Labour’s Net Zero Dilemma

Yet another example of inadequate green targets meeting the notion that even that much action is somehow too costly.

Capital in the 21st Century: Ownership of the Firms Producing Raw Materials

Investors from outside the EU control a significant share of the capital of global listed companies involved in the mining of cobalt, copper, lithium, nickel, and rare earths, underscoring the need to enhance the EU’s strategic autonomy and devise a metal-specific strategy going forward.

Links 6/30/2024

Status of US Dollar as Global Reserve Currency: Central Banks Diversify from USD-Assets to Other Currencies and to Gold

Long, slow erosion of the US dollar’s dominance. China’s renminbi keeps losing ground, many other currencies gain, as does gold