UMass biologists discover what may be the world’s loudest birds WBUR
Why were Victorian elites so effective? Works in Progress
Life on a hair trigger Aeon
Sniffer dogs, bloodstain patterns and ballistics evidence under the microscope in new studies EurekAlert!
Climate/Environment
Climate damage cost up to 4 times higher as 1.5°C overshoot risks grow: Report Down to Earth
A Transforming Ocean: Key Takeaways and a Ten-Year Outlook from Ocean State Report 10 Climate Uncovered
Climate Crisis Likely Caused World’s Largest Penguin Colony to ‘Crash’ Common Dreams
New Documents Add to Evidence in Climate Deception Case Against ExxonMobil Inside Climate News
Oh….ok #Isaias is now a hurricane. A very rare special update from the NHC and recon plane is finding 75mph winds and this is still ahead of pace and in line with rapid intensification on the models. The eye is trying to appear on satellite but it’s clear it has a small but compact one.
Still a VERY favorable environment this has with it next 36 hours.
— Mighty Muffins (@Mighty__Muffins) October 8, 2026
Just did some number crunching using latest (Oct 1) ECMWF seasonal data, and I must say that I’ve never seen such high predictive confidence in a very wet California winter. This is a truly extraordinary forecast amid a record-strength El Niño event. [Thread: please read to end.] https://t.co/VPBiGVaq2a
— Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) October 6, 2026
Pandemics
Kenya confirms first Ebola case as man dies in Nairobi after DRC return Al Jazeera
China?
State-Linked Yuyuantantian Signals Beijing’s Possible Approach to Breaking the China-EU Trade Deadlock Geopolitechs
The taxman comes for China’s offshore riches FT
BREAKING 🚨: China
Chinese Stocks are now underperforming the S&P 500 by the largest margin in history 📉 📉 https://t.co/Iz03HyjdPG
— Barchart (@Barchart) October 7, 2026
Syraqistan
Gaza’s newborns are fighting for survival in a healthcare system on the brink, three years into Israel’s genocide New Arab
It Didn’t Start on October 7 Michael Sfard
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At least 81 US aircraft destroyed, damaged during war on Iran: Report The Cradle
Hardline Iranian MPs move to impeach foreign minister over UN General Assembly talks Euronews
Iranian Ex-Oil Minister Dismisses Trump’s Claims on Resignation Tasnim
Qalibaf Warns of Enemy Plot to Foment Insecurity in Iran Tasnim
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Israeli Forces Shoot and Wound Another Civilian in Southwest Syria Antiwar
Reports: Syria May Send Troops to Yemen To Help Saudi Arabia Fight Ansar Allah Antiwar
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Pakistan secures $1.2 billion IMF bailout deal at key stage Al Mayadeen
Old Blighty
Northern Ireland schools told to ‘wear more clothes’ as energy bills soar. Here’s why Eastern Eye
European Disunion
In Athens, Rubio Calls For Western Renewal, Urges Europe To Rebuild Strength RFE/RL
🇬🇷|The Greek people are on the streets, and they are naming the enemy. They are not confused. They know who is selling their future: Marco Rubio, the Trump administration, and the Greek government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis. This is not a protest for wages alone. It is a revolt against a colonial arrangement. The U.S. Secretary of State arrives in Athens to finalize the sale of F-35 fighter jets and to deepen military cooperation. The Greek government has banned all public gatherings to shield him from the people. Riot police have deployed chemical agents to disperse demonstrators. The message from the ruling class is clear: the interests of Washington are more important than the rights of Greeks.
The Crime Scene: Syntagma Square, Athens
On Tuesday, October 6, 2026, thousands of Greeks gathered at Syntagma Square and marched toward the U.S. Embassy. Student associations, trade unions, and political parties carried Palestinian and Cuban flags. They chanted: “Murderer Rubio is not welcome,” “Greece does not want to participate in massacres,” “Out with the killers of peoples”.
The demonstrators were protesting the sixth round of the Greece-U.S. Strategic Dialogue, which Rubio came to formalize. The agenda included bilateral defense and security cooperation, the signing of a memorandum between the Greek Armed Forces and the Florida National Guard, and a ceremony marking the opening of a new wing at the U.S. Embassy.
This is the institutionalization of occupation.
🔫 The Real Deal: F-35s and the Militarization of Greece
Rubio’s visit was accompanied by the finalization of the sale of 20 F-35 fighter jets to Greece, with pilot training scheduled to begin in 2027. Greece is also acquiring other advanced U.S. weapons systems.
The message is simple: Washington is arming Greece for war. The Greek government is spending billions on U.S. weapons while teachers, nurses, and pensioners are told there is no money. The U.S.-NATO bases in Souda Bay, Larissa, Alexandroupoli, and Aktio are being upgraded and expanded. Greek territory is being turned into a launch pad for U.S. imperialist aggression in the Middle East and beyond.
💰 The Energy Heist: Chevron, ExxonMobil, and the Looting of Greek Resources
While the streets burned, the real transfer of wealth was happening behind closed doors. In February 2026, a consortium led by Chevron was granted exclusive rights to explore and exploit hydrocarbons in maritime zones south of the Peloponnese and Crete. Two months later, ExxonMobil signed a similar deal for exploratory drilling in the northwestern Ionian Sea.
This is not “energy security.” This is the looting of Greek resources by American oil giants, brokered by the Mitsotakis government. The same government that claims it cannot afford to pay its teachers is handing over Greece’s energy wealth to the same corporations that have destroyed the planet.
🛑 The State Terror: Chemical Agents and Bans
The Greek police, under the command of the Mitsotakis government, did not simply stand by. They banned all public outdoor gatherings in central Athens from 6 a.m. Wednesday. They deployed drones and thousands of officers to monitor the protests. And when protesters marched toward the U.S. Embassy, riot police used chemical agents to stop them.
The Mitsotakis government is not a government of the Greek people. It is a colonial administration that uses its police to protect the interests of Washington from the people of Greece.
🔗 The Wider Context: A People in Revolt
This was not an isolated day of protest. For months, Greece has been paralyzed by strikes and demonstrations. Public-sector unions like ADEDY and GSEE, along with the Communist Party-linked PAME, have led general strikes against EU-imposed austerity. In September 2026, 35,000 workers rallied against new tax rises and spending cuts. Pensioners are planning further mobilizations.
The anger is real. Wages are stagnant. The cost of living is soaring. And the government’s response is to buy more weapons, sell more of the country to Chevron and ExxonMobil, and send more Greek soldiers to train with the Florida National Guard.
#TheTruth: Colonized by Consent
The Greek people know what is happening. The KKE has called for a “popular uprising” against the U.S.-NATO bases. The protesters in Syntagma Square are not fooled by the government’s lies. They see Rubio for what he is: a representative of a genocidal empire that is waging war on Iran and Palestine, and they see their own government for what it is: a collaborator.
This is the truth they do not want you to see. Marco Rubio came to Athens to collect the bounty. The F-35s, the Chevron contracts, the ExxonMobil deals, the Florida National Guard memorandum these are the instruments of Greece’s vassalage. And the Greek people, on the streets with Palestinian flags in their hands, are the only ones telling the truth.
— Aprajita Nafs Nefes 🦋 Ancient Believer (@aprajitanefes) October 7, 2026
Rubio says no US military buildup in Iceland without Reykjavík’s consent Arctic Today
France’s Student Protests Ana Vracar
Spain housing protest figure, 87, dies two weeks after eviction TRT World
An exact date of Hungary adopting the euro emerged with new roadmap proposed Daily News Hungary
EU drops sponsorship of disinformation conference at Trump officials’ request The Guardian. “…the first time the conference appears to have entertained the idea that the US could be a disinformation actor in Europe.”
New Not-So-Cold War
Russia Smashes Key Zaporozhzie Dnieper Bridge; Huge Strike Shatters Kiev; Total Ukraine AD Collapse Alexander Mercouris
THE RUSSIAN RULING CLASS TAKES ITS HOLIDAY OUTSIDE THE WAR, THE WORKING CLASS STAYS HOME AND TAKES COVER John Helmer
Just counting videos, tens of thousands of Ukrainian women have resisted busification of men. That makes them the largest women’s anti-war movement worldwide. And that’s not counting millions of women who hide, feed, clothe and protect 2 million Ukrainian men avoiding the draft.
— Almut Rochowanski (@rochowanski) October 6, 2026
Ukraine Support Tracker: only EUR 41.7 billion of Germany’s EUR 100 billion went to Ukraine Kiel Institute
Some notes on my situation in Latvia:
What I am observing at the moment is a threat of very severe extrajudicial punishment for speaking my mind and providing original opinions and analysis.
The reason they opt for persona non grata status is the desire to deny me justice in the court system where the case – as senior politicians involved in attacking openly admit – won’t hold water. This is why I interpret the situation as an instance of political persecution.
The threat is accompanied with a character assassination campaign involving far right infowar and fake news outfits which deliberately distort my views on the conflict.
The goal of the attack is to destroy my life and to put a gag on me as a notable voice in public debate on the Russo-Ukranian war.
— Leonid Ragozin (@leonidragozin) October 7, 2026
South of the Border
The Donroe Doctrine of Epstein Nears Completion: Brazil Makes a Last Stand for Latin America, as Israeli Influence Expands Fiorella Isabel and Vanessa Beeley
Nicolas Maduro, wife expected to face new US charges for alleged torture of Americans Anadolu Agency
Guantanamo Dispatch: Another Confession Is Ruled Inadmissible in 9/11 Case Just Security
Trump 2.0
The Speech That Gets You Banned From America Ken Klippenstein
Whistleblower says Trump demanded FBI probe into protesters over a TikTok he saw CNN
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‘Honey Please’: Kimberly Guilfoyle Pushed Donor to Wire $100,000 to Her Amex Account WSJ
Michael Dell defends Trump Accounts’ shift to individual company stocks Yahoo! Finance
Flight attendants’ union shares safety concerns over Trump’s DC arch AP
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The Human Cost of The War Nobody Is Counting: Sulfur, Fertilizer and an Email from Florida Larry Johnson
Trump Might Order Another Iran Strike Before the Midterms The Atlantic
Midterms 2026
‘We’re in a huge war. Inflation is still high. The economy’s bad’ Diplomatic, by Laura Rozen
Voters Will Soon Decide the Fate of America’s Trillion Dollar AI Buildout Distilled
2028
Hegseth, a potential 2028 candidate, installs Musk as key Pentagon advisor Oligarch Watch
Imperial Collapse Watch
Soldiers Wounded by Iranian Drone Strike Accuse Military Health Care System of Failing Them Military.com
VA built dozens of new veteran health centers but can’t find enough doctors and staff CNN
Americans Are Losing The Long Game Noema
Evaluation of U.S. Policies to Increase Domestic Access to Critical Minerals RAND
The China rare earth metals fix: still over a trillion dollars and a decade away Kevin Walmsley
Economy
The Northeast’s reliance on heating oil is turning into a crisis Grist
Big Brother Is Watching You Watch
Anthropic reports Florida woman’s Claude ‘diary’ threat to shoot up sheriff’s office, felony charge follows — it’s at least the third such conversation to reach police since August Tom’s Hardware
Antitrust
Paramount Stock CRUSHED After Merger with Warner Discovery Closes Matt Stoller
Groves of Academe
At town hall, students, workers denounce University of Michigan–Los Alamos nuclear weapons data center WSWS
Bernard Brodie, Nuclear Lunatics, and the Folly of “Giving the President Options” Un-Diplomatic
AI
Court throws out killer’s sentence after judge said he ‘loved’ AI video of slain man NBC News
An AI “mind-reading” tool can reconstruct what you’re looking at from a brain scan MIT Technology Review
Datacentre company Firmus’s high flying valuation may be coming back down to earth ahead of expected ASX debut The Guardian
Class Warfare
Gig workers are also renters The Gig Economy Project
The War Against Accumulated Capital Hamilton Nolan
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
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