Parahawking is an interactive experience of gliding with birds of prey, combining paragliding with falconry

Trained birds of prey fly with paragliders, leading them to thermalspic.twitter.com/3BcBzfjK1s

— Science girl (@sciencegirl) July 23, 2022

Americans worry robots will take jobs, but not theirs Semafor

Tennis May Add Nearly 10 Years to Your Life and Most People Are Ignoring It ZME Science

Shape-Shifting Drug Supercharges Cancer Treatment in Mice SciTech Daily

Voyeurs are not interested in intimacy | Alain de Botton

COVID-19/Pandemics

US Senate’s Fauci hearing renews COVID origin debate but reveals little Al Jazeera

Study suggests Congo’s Ebola outbreak began months before detection Andolu Agency

Climate/Environment

When it comes to climate change, is there a point when adaptation isn’t enough? NPR

Feds to impose new cuts on lower Colorado River states amid climate-fueled megadrought Colorado Newsline

South of the Border

Argentina’s Milei seeks to deport foreigners that spread ‘hate’ of country Al Jazeera

The Costs of the U.S. Blockade of Cuba Dollars & Sense

Venezuela is burning, and I’m forced to watch from afar Global Voices

China?

China just tested a 582-ton fusion magnet with 3x the stored energy of ITER’s, built every component domestically, and did it in 6 years. ITER has 35 member countries, started in 2006, and won’t produce first plasma until 2034.

The magnet is a D-shaped ring 21 meters long. It… https://t.co/doayMl0Ntq

— Aakash Gupta (@aakashgupta) July 28, 2026

China’s EV Market Is Booming. There’s Just One Problem Wired

China’s New YJ-20 Hypersonic ‘Carrier Killer’ Gives Destroyer Fleet a Distinct Combat Advantage Military Watch Magazine

China Now Uses 80% Artificial Sand. Here’s Why That’s A Bigger Deal Than It Sounds ZME Science

China’s tech advances are causing chaos from Silicon Valley to the White House The Guardian

India

India’s Modi says he forgives students who abused him in Cockroach protests Al Jazeera

India approves $8.8 billion offshore exploration scheme to boost energy security Andolu Agency

India’s record renewable generation in July cuts coal’s share in power mix to 1-year low Reuters

Africa

Sovereignty, sarcasm, blame: How North Africa reacted to Ceuta crisis Euronews

Africa’s off-grid solar sector courts mainstream investors with landmark financing deals AP

Africa facing up to $20 billion economic hit from ‘super’ El Niño, AfDB climate chief warns Reuters

European Disunion

Spain hits out at ‘selfish, polarising and unlawful’ reaction of neighbours as EU descends into bitter infighting over ‘invasion’ of 60,000 Moroccans that has already cost 67 lives Daily Mail

The European Union’s enlargement will pull it apart Brussels Signal

EU Commits €10 Billion to Seven AI Gigafactories in Race With US and China Technology.org

Old Blighty

‘Worst we’ve known’: UK turns to imports as drought and heat hit vegetable crops The Guardian

Why Is the UK Stock Market Shrinking? Morningstar

Israel v. Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria

Skys John Sparks, speaking from Jerusalem: “.. the ceasefire in Gaza, the 1st phase was implemented last Oct, its brought about a semblance of peace in Gaza”

Moments later:

Dr James Smith, speaking from Gaza: “I must challenge your correspondent, there is no ceasefire in Gaza” pic.twitter.com/I4854A9BYr

— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) July 31, 2026

Israeli strikes kill four across Gaza, destroy medical supply warehouse Al Jazeera

Tensions rise between Yemen’s Houthis and Saudi Arabia DW

Egypt says investigation into attack on 2 vessels at port ongoing Andolu Agency

Iran War

Scoop: MBS raises concerns over Trump’s plans for massive Iran strikes Axios. Iran not only published a list of targets but also included thumbnails of why they mattered for the benefit of Trump know-nothings, First was the Saudi Ghawar field:

Please be advised:

🔸Ghawar Oil Field in Saudi Arabia
⤴️ Ghawar is the backbone of Saudi Arabia's production, and any disruption to it puts more than 5% of the world's total oil supply at risk.

🔹Abqaiq and Khurais Facilities in Saudi Arabia
⤴️ These are the heart of Saudi… https://t.co/ikP6KT9ygd

— John Hussain (@johnhussainpres) July 31, 2026

Trump TACO’s Again… Thank God! Larry Johnson

This is exactly the scenario Matt Bracken predicted.

Israeli and U.S. aircraft take off in a massive wave for a bombing raid.

Then Iran bombs the bejeezus out of the runways and military bases where those planes eventually need to land.

They therefore can't land, even if they… https://t.co/yb35LIYxRE

— HealthRanger (@HealthRanger) August 2, 2026

The unfortunate reality is that these constant pattern of bombastic threats followed by TACOing just proves to Iran that Trump is not a rational person capable of making a durable and lasting deal.

As a result, Iran is actively incentivized to cause greater damage to the global…

— Brett Erickson (@BrettErickson28) August 2, 2026

World braces for weekend of war as Iran names new targets…as Trump orders fresh round of strikes on Tehran Daily Mail
New Not-So-Cold War

Russian forces strike targets in Ukraine’s Odesa, Mykolaiv ports France 24

Nine killed in strikes on Kyiv, as Ukraine sinks Russian container ship BBC

Zelensky warns air defenses are being overwhelmed as Russia pounds Ukraine, killing 9 CNN

Big Brother Is Watching You Watch

Home Depot faces privacy class action over alleged sale of customer data Top Class Actions

CPSC’s Push for Patient Data Raises Privacy and Legal Questions Healthcare Innovation

Imperial Collapse Watch

Subterranean homeless city discovered in tunnels under Los Angeles NY Post

Inflation, economy cited as shoplifting rises, survey says Scripps News

Trump 2.0

Trump announces controversial plan to keep Todd Blanche as acting Attorney General after Republicans torpedo confirmation Daily Mail

Trump Reaping Whirlwind From His Senate Purges NY Magazine

Trump stands to profit off US policy announcements by selling fast access to his social media posts AP

Trump administration drops Reflecting Pool vandalism charge and admits ‘botched’ repairs BBC

Musk Matters

The full-length interview with Elon Musk | The Economist

Elon Musk is re-entering politics. It might not go as he hopes. MS Now

Short sellers have made a fortune betting against Elon Musk’s SpaceX — but the party won’t last forever NY Post

Democrat Death Watch

Is Israel the new litmus test for Democrats? GZERO

What’s the Matter With the Democratic Party? Compact

Immigration

Breakneck pace in immigration courts is driving up deportation orders AP

More than 25,000 children lose previous legal protections, as federal contract ends NPR

Our No Longer Free Press

Trump’s legal crusade against news media falters AFP

Massachusetts Senate approves journalist shield protections for first time Item Live

Mr. Market Is Moody

Middle East turmoil leaves gas prices exposed The Street

Prediction: The Stock Market Will Hit Big Trouble in August. Here’s How Much the S&P 500 Will Drop if History Repeats. The Motley Fool

Is the government lying to us about inflation? MarketWatch

AI

AI Has Entered The ‘Loss Of Control’ Transition Noema

The More People Learn About AI, the More They Want It Out of Their Lives Futurism

Silicon, Not Software, Will Decide the AI Race Project Syndicate

Chinese President Xi Calls for Accelerated Military AI Integration as Forces Pursue ‘Intelligent Warfare’ Military Watch Magazine

Why Aidoc is taking a generative AI device to the FDA Medtech Dive

The Bezzle

Brazen social media fraud schemes wreak havoc as Trump official issues stark warning for ‘fraudfluencers’ Fox News

VC-backed startups commit more fraud, and researchers think they know why   TechCrunch

Guillotine Watch

Berco’s Popcorn is also called the “Billion dollar popcorn” although it costs nowhere near that much. A typical tin of Berco’s popcorn, containing just over 100 kernels, will cost you around $500. pic.twitter.com/Qoaf4y6dD0

— Picsea (@picsea_shop) April 21, 2023

The most expensive popcorn in the world 🍿 pic.twitter.com/NCJNiuyWgo

— sᵉˡᵗᵃ ✨ (@Menceng_) July 30, 2026

Antidote du jour (via)

See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here