Putting Ukraine’s Grain Export Deal Into Context

I think the deal was more about giving the western powers a fig leaf to letting Russian wheat go to market (and the Russians are on track to have a great harvest). Also, Ukraine has been destroyed by war and oppressions many times in the last 100 years alone and it keeps bouncing back as a bread basket. But in the short term I think the clip below is pretty spot on.

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RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, AUGUST 6

Give it up for this French physicist who posted a photo of a sausage and had people believing it was a main sequence red dwarf star

When War Knocks on Your Door

Radical farmers pledge ‘hardest action ever’ after nitrogen talks

Alarming drop in testosterone levels in young men

The TB Vaccine Mysteriously Protects Against Lots of Things. Now We Know Why

The mystery virus that protects against monkeypox

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RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, AUGUST 4

Oldest DNA from domesticated American horse lends credence to shipwreck folklore

There is more coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef than ever recorded. We’ve had four bleaching events in the last seven years, and record hottest ever heat, the highest CO2 levels recorded since we invented ways to record CO2, and yet, despite all that, the reef is thriving.

Ukraine Forces Endangering Civilians: Amnesty

US Ratifies Finland, Sweden Accession to NATO

The United States says it’s watching ongoing Chinese military drills around Taiwan very closely, while condemning the latest series of ballistic missiles fired over the island as a severe provocation and escalation. The White House has ordered the Ronald Reagan carrier strike group to stay in the area.

What Do We Know About Russia’s Forcible Deportations of Ukrainians?

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RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, AUGUST 3

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry described the latest PLA actions as essentially a “maritime and aerial blockade.”

Germany’s Natural Gas Crunch Could Cause Supply Chains To Collapse

To be precise, the headline should have said Pentecostal churches. Spiritual union: why Gulf migrants are turning to evangelical Christianity

While the infrastructure act authorizes a pilot program to test collecting the personal information needed to charge drivers for their use of roads and highways, it doesn’t answer the far thornier questions about how to protect that data. Will only the feds track drivers? Will each state and locality that currently depends on fuel taxes also monitor drivers? If so, will the data be pooled? Will destinations be tracked along with mileage?

Four dead in South Africa protests over high power costs

IRANIAN PROXIES MAY ATTACK US IN RESPONSE TO IRAQI POLITICAL CRISIS

Kansans vote to uphold abortion rights in their state

Mauna Loa is the largest shield volcano on Earth (above water, at least) – and scientific data reveals more about what might be enough to set off future eruptions.

Newly Discovered Emails Confirm Joe Biden Obstructed Justice For His Son’s Foreign Business Deal

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RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, AUGUST 2

There is a third possibility that is not mentioned. He might have legitimate issues that are not being covered. Why Is the White House Quietly Griping about Zelensky Now?

A Vicious Smear

Canada’s government is now coming for the farmers

Get the Lead Out of Turmeric!

Surprise: Misleadingly-Named “Inflation Reduction Act” Will Raise Taxes Even On The Middle Class

Iran vows to build nukes if provoked, turn NY into ‘hellish ruins’

Earth Is Spinning Faster Than Usual, Leading to the Shortest Day Ever Recorded

China’s 7nm chip surprise reveals more than Beijing might like

HAS TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS STALLED?

US House Speaker Pelosi Lands in Taiwan; Chinese Warplanes Take to Skies

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RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, AUGUST 1

Yes, Things Are Really As Bad As You’ve Heard

Not over yet: Drenching downpours to renew flood threat in hard-hit communities

Public Safety Canada released a statement last week indicating that the gun buyback program is “mandatory for individuals to participate

Here’s the quickest way to grill burgers, according to math

Blackouts Hit Asia As LNG Prices Soar In Tight Global Market

Flipper Zero – Cyber Tool Disguised As A Toy

Common viruses may be triggering the onset of Alzheimer’s disease

Zawahiri’s death is being hailed as a counterterrorism success, but that narrative masks the fact that Afghanistan has become a safe haven for top Al Qaeda leaders