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Researchers suggest the Moai statues on Easter island were moved upright by rocking them with ropes, allowing them to “walk” to their destinations
📹 Carl Lipo pic.twitter.com/8LUCyRDpuk
— Science girl (@sciencegirl) September 24, 2026
Microscopic Universes Come Alive in Nikon’s Small World in Motion Contest Colossal
A Gravitational Battle Within the Earth Is Changing the Length of Days Wired
Lego’s biggest set ever is coming out soon: the 12,060-piece Sagrada Família. $800. kottke.org
Britain’s last great airship Aeon
COVID-19/Pandemics
CDC greenlights COVID vaccines for vulnerable children after nearly 1-month delay CIDRAP
Congo Ebola contact tracing falls far short as outbreak spreads, Africa CDC chief says Reuters
Climate/Environment
Melting glaciers, crumbling mountains, and Alaska’s climate crisis NPR
Climate overshoot will leave lasting impacts even after global temperatures fall Phys.org
South of the Border
U.S. military lays groundwork for potential action around Cuba CBS News
Venezuela president returns from US visit with no deals, no firm election date Reuters
Cartel drone ops on the U.S.-Mexico border ‘get more creative every day,’ task force warns Defensescoop
China?
✨🇨🇳118-meter, 40-ton wind turbine blade snakes through a mountain road in Chenzhou, Hunan pic.twitter.com/r7vHKEWn7M
— 🇨🇳XuZhenqing徐祯卿 (@XueJia24682) September 22, 2026
View / The US-China tectonic plates have shifted Semafor
Chinese Automakers Could Take Over 10% Of The U.S. Market If Given The Chance Jalopnik
Clash of the Money Giants: China Lays the Groundwork to Rival the Dollar The American Spectator
U.S., China reach $30 billion tariff deal after Trump-Xi summit Axios
India
‘Shaken faith’: Why are India’s elections under unprecedented scrutiny? Al Jazeera
Amazon bets $3 billion on India’s fast-delivery boom, sources say Reuters
In India, a Surge of Solar Is Keeping Coal Power in Check Yale Environment 360
Africa
UNGA81: Why has Africa’s Security Council reform push remained unresolved? Al Jazeera
Africa wrestles with increasing deaths from non-communicable diseases NPR
The Overlooked Ways Digital Disruption Is Reshaping African Democracy Democracy in Africa
European Disunion
Ceuta crisis reignites debate over suspending the EU’s right to asylum Euronews
EU flags winter energy risk, urges demand cuts and storage flexibility as Middle East turmoil lifts prices Briefs.co
The European Union’s automotive sector needs a plan, not undue protection Bruegel.org
Old Blighty
Top Labour MP Peter Kyle slams Andy Burnham over failure to boost economy as he says UK is still facing ‘growth emergency’ Daily Mail
UK Labour members push to cancel Palantir health data contract Andolu Agency
Israel v. Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria,
Netanyahu walked into the United Nations expecting a global audience—and instead got rows of empty seats.
As he took the podium, diplomats from more than 50 countries walked out. An Israeli tally later counted 77 delegations left the chamber when he entered to speak.
Nothing…
— ThePatrioticBlonde™🇺🇸 (@ImBreckWorsham) September 23, 2026
Israel bans Arab parties from election: Who they are, why it matters Al jazeera
We followed five people in Gaza from dawn to dusk – this is what the headlines don’t tell us The Guardian
The Israeli army acts as if all crimes are permissible—killing without accountability, destruction, demolishing civilians’ property, burning homes, and looting their possessions. This is the genocide that Israel is imposing on Gaza in every sense of the word. pic.twitter.com/sbNPmJkObP
— Parwiz Hamidi _🇵🇸 (@Palestine001_) September 21, 2026
Jeffrey Sachs: Netanyahu goes to the UN to accuse the world of antisemitism while Israel faces an ICC arrest warrant over its conduct in Gaza. Trump’s answer is to attack the court itself.
“Every speech [Netanyahu] has given at the UN has been deranged, and I listen to the… pic.twitter.com/wgw1JxCliz
— 🅰pocalypsis 🅰pocalypseos 🇷🇺 🇨🇳 🅉 (@apocalypseos) September 25, 2026
Iran War
Iran to Launch Larger Strikes If US, Israel Attack Tehran Again – Military Sputnik
BREAKING: IRAN FIRES MINES & MISSILES AT SHIPS IN MAJOR ESCALATION – w/ Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski Mario Nawfal
Tensions between Türkiye and Greece escalate amid deepening imperialist war WSWS
New Not-So-Cold War
At least 16 people killed as Russia and Ukraine trade deadly air strikes France 24
Russia strikes at heart of Ukraine’s digital economy with attacks on ISPs and datacentres The Guardian
The US wants a Ukraine peace deal. Here’s why Russia isn’t biting. The Christian Science Monitor
With a harsh winter ahead, Ukraine is trapped in NATO’s fever dream Aaron Mate substack
Big Brother Is Watching You Watch
New Mexico jury finds Facebook liable for deceiving users about privacy protections AP
Federal privacy law highly unlikely in 2026, leaving states to continue setting their own rules Statescoop
Imperial Collapse Watch
8 sailors attempted suicide on Lincoln carrier group’s long deployment, Navy leader says PBS
More than 12,000 homeless-related fires already reported in LA this year, straining fire crews ABC 7 Eyewitness News
Trump 2.0
The truth behind Donald Trump’s ‘biggest oil deal in world history’ The Guardian
Trump administration can use revamped voter screening tool for now, SCOTUS rules Axios
Trump has Truth Social tantrum over press coverage again after replacing CNN with LindellTV Independent
Trump’s polls sink further in warning sign for GOP The Hill
House Democrats plan vast oversight of Trump administration. Impeachment is an option AP
Is Donald Trump the New Commodus? Larry Johnson
Why Trump May Not Serve Out His Presidency The New Republic
Musk Matters
Tesla workers balk at training Optimus humanoid robots as replacements Ars Technica
SpaceX Just Launched Its 100th Block 5 Rocket: Elon Musk Is Building an Unshakable Financial Fortress 24/7 Wall Street
Democrat Death Watch
Democrats running for office turn sharply against their own party Axios
Fetterman bucks party again, votes against Iran War Powers resolution The Center Square
Immigration
Poll: A crack is emerging in Trump’s coalition over deportations Politico
Trump-appointed judge again holds admin in contempt over deportation Axios
Our No Longer Free Press
Editor’s Notes: Press freedom more important than ever The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Trump will lose his war against the press The Fulcrum
Economy
America’s Diesel Surplus Is an Illusion Larry Johnson
Mr. Market Is Moody
The bond market and stock market are both sounding the alarm that a crash may be coming This Is Money
Average gas price in LA County approaches all-time record high ABC 7 Eyewitness News
The 10-year Treasury yield is at its highest in nearly two decades. How we got here CNBC
AI
Meta puts its AI assistant on a keychain Ars Technica
BREAKING: AI agent incident toll has risen to tens of thousands Gary Marcus
OpenAI admits another rogue agent incident RT
Judges Warn That AI-Generated Lawslop Is Getting So Bad It’s Threatening Courts’ Ability to Function Futurism
ChatGPT-6 Astra cracks 85-year-old 1941 Enigma-coded message in two days — autonomous AI coded its own simulator to crack code that was unsolved since it was shared online back in 2005 Tom’s Hardware
FTC chair says humans will be on the hook for actions of rogue AI agents NY Post
Can Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince save the web from AI? The Verge
The Bezzle
Frisco Counselor Convicted In $26 Million TRICARE Fraud Scheme The Dallas Express
A Deepfake Call Cost Italy’s Biggest Bank €95 Million Trending Topics
Class Warfare
United in debt: America has become a nation of fake rich people The Hill
Guillotine Watch
The Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card sells for $16.5 million, setting a new world record for collectors’ cards. pic.twitter.com/FFUfRG4XYY
— “Pulse” by Shams TV (@PulseInDc) February 18, 2026
Antidote du jour (via)
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here
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