RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, APRIL 12, 2024

Is Hezbollah’s Barrage On Israel Prelude To Much Larger Iranian Attack?

US intel said to indicate Iran could strike ‘Israeli soil’ in next 24 to 48 hours

Lebanon: Killing of official unleashes fury against Syrians

These issues raise questions about the readiness of many European navies and armed forces

Germany’s transport minister is threatening to ban driving on weekends to meet climate goals if the ruling coalition does not pass reforms to the Climate Protection Act by July.

Europe turning blind eye to Hamas and Hezbollah networks in its territory

The ‘supercore’ inflation measure shows Fed may have a real problem on its hands

Inside the Terrifyingly Competent Trump 2024 Campaign

Not really relevant to world events but it does serve to indicate some of the culture war issues that are lurking underneath the surface of some other countries. An abandoned truck appeared on a New Zealand beach. A father and three kids were missing. Then the story got darker—and stranger.

RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, APRIL 11, 2024

Ukraine Situation Report: Kyiv’s Biggest Power Plant Destroyed

European Gas Prices Soar As Russian Retribution Puts Kyiv in the Dark

American drones aren’t performing as well as those from other countries, like China’s, in Ukraine.

The Biden administration expects Iran’s response in the coming days — as early as this weekend, according to one of the U.S. officials. “We’re still in that window” for an Iranian response, said the second official. But Iran is “looking to calibrate it, so they essentially don’t overplay their hand.”

Drone sights, gunmen on trucks and a deadly mistake: How aid convoy turned into tragedy

Hamas tells negotiators it doesn’t have 40 Israeli hostages needed for first round of ceasefire

Yields Soar After Catastrophic 10Y Treasury Auction

As we pour more of our savings into indexes, we should beware that capital markets may be reaching a tipping point.

Insurers Spy On Houses Via Aerial Imagery, Seeking Reasons To Cancel Coverage

Judging purely on what I see going on around me, it is mostly heroin and other similar drugs. They are a problem in urban areas as well but a lot more likely that emergency services will be on hand to save the day if you overdose in an urban area. Also, a lot of people I know are dying in car accidents after taking drugs and I suspect in urban areas these people would have less lethal commutes. Long drives on twisty roads go really poorly with a drug habit. I am not saying the other things mentioned in the article are not a factor but they have always been true about rural areas, the drug thing is what is new in my lifetime. The urban-rural death divide is getting alarmingly wider for working-age Americans

So many things about this story seem too incredible to be true but Government is backing up her story. Title does not even come close to conveying how strange and incredible this story is. Idaho woman, 85, fatally shot home intruder in ‘heroic’ act of self-defense.

Fairbuds are Fairphone’s proof that we really could make better tiny gadgets

RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, APRIL 10, 2024

A dam breach in Russia’s south forced thousands to flee their flooded homes. Volunteers describe trying to save the animals left behind.

What do Texan red heifers have to do with Al-Aqsa and a Jewish temple? This is a Jewish perspective on the same thing but maybe because I am tired I found it barely coherent. Red Heifer, Amalek, and Reactions of Nations

Contradicting Netanyahu, Gallant told Austin no date set for Rafah op

Hamas Says Has ‘No Ability’ To Release Even 40 Israeli Hostages, Suggesting Most Murdered

Fitch downgrades China sovereign credit outlook on debt fears

Are Iranian drones turning the tide of Sudan war?

Americans are still not worried enough about the risk of world war

Resilient U.S. Container Imports Continue to Surge Despite Supply Chain Challenges

Ground-up chicken waste fed to cattle may be behind bird flu outbreak in US cows

I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust.

Alzheimer’s Is More Common in Women, And This May Help Explain Why

Army Seeking Retirees To Come Back To Work Amid Manpower Crisis. “There is no age limitation, although personnel older than 70 are not normally recalled,” the message states.

Another 80 year cycle.

RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, APRIL 9, 2024

If there is a Rafah attack date, maybe PM should tell IDF

Unnamed US intelligence sources told CNN, however, that Iran is unlikely to attack Israel directly out of fear of American and Israeli reprisal, and will instead urge its various proxies in the region to launch attacks on its behalf in the coming days.

Why is China canceling US wheat shipments?

America is losing its GPS dominance to China’s BeiDou satnav

THE FEDS ARE COMING FOR “EXTREMIST” GAMERS

San Francisco’s Train System is Still Running on Floppy Disks

Today’s most interesting link even allowing for the fact that the man is talking up his own products. If nothing else, you will come to understand what happens when a fan of StarCraft starts making real weapons. The Revolution Of AI-Enabled Autonomous Piloting With Shield AI’s Brandon Tseng

RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, APRIL 8, 2024

Ukraine Situation Report: Russian Anti-Drone Electronic Warfare Tank Captured

Russia seeks gasoline from Kazakhstan in case of shortages

‘Putin, help us!’ Protesters in southern Russia demand compensation after dam breach causes thousands of homes to flood

Now, Israel will either need a new strategy or make bigger concessions to Hamas to get back more hostages.

Top Iranian general killed in Damascus strike sat on Hezbollah’s decision-making body

The world is taking notice of the threat posed by the ISKP, a group that recruits heavily from Central Asia to carry out its brutal attacks.

The French government is targeting a Catholic priest for calling homosexuality a “weakness” and declaring that homosexual acts and relationships are sinful.

€500B remains unspent from EU’s Covid recovery fund

Wholesale Used Car Prices Declined in March; Down 14.7% Year-over-year

10Y Yield Jumps To 2024 High although not yet at the peak hit in 2023 Chart puts this in context although it has the flaw of not being inflation adjusted.

RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, APRIL 7, 2024

IDF ends active ground invasion, completely withdraws from southern Gaza

Lebanese Christian official kidnapped, sectarian tensions flare

China’s maternity services put on notice as the country faces an ‘obstetrics winter’

San Francisco Bill Would Let People Sue Grocery Stores for Closing Too Quickly

Why gas prices in California ‘have gone ballistic’

Very educational but long. Anatomy of a credit card rewards program

Why the death of the honeybee was greatly exaggerated

No Major Damage Seen At Russian Air Base After Drone Attack

India will enter Pakistan to kill terrorists who run away there, defense minister says

Mexico cuts diplomatic ties with Ecuador after raid on embassy in Quito

It is funny that the argument that this is too expensive to build these stations in Europe or America. The price they quote is way under what it costs to build gas station. China is betting on battery swaps to tackle EV chargers shortage

What’s behind China’s gold-buying spree?

According to a new Gallup survey, only 30% of Americans say they regularly attend religious services (2021-2023). That marks a -12 percentage point decline from 2000-2003 (42%).

In jaw-dropping decision, judge strikes down all New York recreational cannabis rules

Bird flu may be spreading in cows via milking and herd transport

RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, APRIL 5, 2024

Ukraine Situation Report: Claims Swirl Around Drone Attack On Russian Fighter-Bomber Base

Missing from the headline is the word “might.” House Republicans To Link Ukraine Aid to LNG Project Approvals

Israel, U.S. believe Iran is about to retaliate for Israeli bombing of Syria consulate

Moreover, he said a truce must be contingent on Hamas releasing hostages — a position the US has long held, but has apparently been moving away from in recent weeks as the humanitarian situation worsens.

Notes on El Salvador

NYC and tri-state rocked by biggest area earthquake since 1884, sending terrified residents into the streets

Scientists still baffled from giant human skeletons up to 10 feet tall decades after initial discovery

Our highest confidence area is northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The reason is that high pressure will be firmly in place for these locations on Monday, virtually guaranteeing mostly sunny skies. If you want to be confident of seeing the eclipse in North America, this is the place to be.

IT HAS BECOME almost a cliche to say that New York is behind on building renewable energy. One factor? There aren’t enough wires to move new clean energy from the remote areas where most solar and wind farms are built to the population centers where the most energy gets used. And New York, like much of the country, is painfully overdue to string up more of those wires.

RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, APRIL 4, 2024

Russia Has ‘Almost Completely’ Rebuilt Its Military: US Official

The World Faces A Natural Gas Glut Not Seen in Decades. Two warmer winters in a row have lifted natural gas inventories in the United States and Europe and have eased concerns about supply, which were sparked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the cutoff of most of Russia’s pipeline gas supply to the EU.

IDF halts leave for combat troops, intel chief warns ‘worst is yet to come’

Iran’s grasp is loosening on its eastern borders

How China’s local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) became China’s most complex economic challenge.

THE CRISIS IN EAST ASIA: KOREA OR TAIWAN?

Taiwan Earthquake Update: 9 People Dead, 50 Missing, and 900 Injured

How a steel ball protected Taiwan’s tallest skyscraper in an earthquake

Is an African debt crisis returning?

Botswana threatens to send 20,000 elephants to Germany

Behind a paywall, but the chart showing us debt issuance is not.