Why do you assume Rudolph is a male reindeer? BBC (Dr. Kevin)
Drinking Tea and Coffee Linked To Lower Risk of Head and Neck Cancer in Study Guardian
Young mammoth remains found nearly intact in Siberian permafrost Reuters (Robin K)
Engineers Achieve Quantum Teleportation Over Active Internet Cables TechSpot
Commercial Tea Bags Release Millions of Microplastics, Entering Human Intestinal Cells MedicalXpress
Climate/Environment
Tribunal says Mexico violated trade agreement in banning GM corn The New Lede
China?
The ‘Invisible Wall’ Amplifying China’s Population Doom Loop Wall Street Journal
European Disunion
EU burns through gas storage at fastest rate since energy crisis Financial Times
François Bayrou’s failed gamble Le Monde
New Not-So-Cold War
Large frontline summary 17-23 December 2024 Marat Khairullin
India’s Share of Russian Arms Exports Surges Since May: Further Major Deals Expected Military Watch
EU candidate’s president eyeing attack on Russian peacekeepers – Moscow RT
Syraqistan
The “king-makers” pull the rug from Syria, yet again… A “Greek tragedy” begins Alastair Crooke
Turkey advances Syria engagement with energy plans and refugee return BNE
Big Brother is Watching You Watch
Health Care Giant Ascension Says 5.6 Million Patients Affected In Cyberattack ars technica
Imperial Collapse Watch
South Pacific nation to declare independence – media RT (Robin K)
Biggest Banks Sue the Federal Reserve Over Annual Stress Tests CNBC
Woke Watch
The Supreme Court Case Over Trans Youth Could Also Decimate Women’s Equality Politico
AI
Encyclopedia Britannica Is Now an AI Company Gizmodo
The Bezzle
Defaults on leveraged loans soar to highest in 4 years Financial Times
Guillotine Watch
When I met Luigi Mangione Unherd. While a very helpful window into Mangione as a person, I object to his depiction of Brian Thompson as a “tiny cog in a a vast and unfair system” and depicting him as subordinate to actuaries.
McKinsey Agrees to Pay Another $650 Million to Avoid Trial Over U.S. Opioid Crisis CocotteMinute (Micael T). And they managed to get this story held to the dead Christmas-New Years period.
Class Warfare
Walmart Sued Over Illegally Opening Bank Accounts For Delivery Drivers The Verge
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.