Dogs protect us if we go to Hell. That’s why we worship them The Times
Where do your pumpkins come from? Illinois keeps the crown Investigate Midwest
Why is Halloween starting so much earlier each year? A business professor explain The Conversation
Cocoa prices are high: How can consumers save on Halloween candy? Yahoo! Finance
How Vampire Bats Keep From Starving Laughing Squid
Private equity spies opportunity from states’ push to secure critical minerals FT
Climate/Environment
One dead after rare tornado topples construction cranes near Paris AFP
Brazil approves oil drilling near mouth of Amazon River DW
California’s ‘zone zero’ fire rules clash with LA’s need for shade LAist
Microplastics May Be Tied to Vascular Dementia Cases, Review Finds Science Alert
A new era of treatments for microplastics is emerging. Here’s what to know. WaPo
Pandemics
Post-Pandemic COVID-19 linked with high numbers of workforce absences and exits Yale School of Public Health
Africa
Madagascar erupts, Indian Ocean power dynamics in flux The Cradle
Japan
What to expect for Japan’s economy under Sanae Takaichi, its 1st female prime minister AP
Japanese family businesses are facing a succession crisis. That is fueling a private equity boom CNBC
China?
A Troubled $140 Billion Bet on China Property Gets Even Worse Bloomberg
Forever Xi Jinping? Perhaps Not Sinocism
PLA Purges ChinaTalk. The view from Langley.
Trump Expects Taiwan on Agenda for Xi Meeting, Predicts Trade Deal Bloomberg
China’s crude oil imports from Russia rise in September despite US pressure South China Morning Post
China’s rare earth magnet exports to US plunge 29% as tensions simmer South China Morning Post
US and Australia sign critical-minerals agreement as a way to counter China ABC News
Despite US push, China poised to dominate rare earths for years Al Jazeera
Has China Put America Into the pre-WWII “Japan Trap?” Ian Welsh
Old Blighty
A tale of two chants: Why Starmer now casts even the British police as antisemitic Jonathan Cook
36 Minute Trials and No Jury – Starmer’s Fascist Mass Courts Craig Murray. From a few days ago but not to be missed.
Syraqistan
The Burden of Imprecision: on the limitation of statistics Mondoweiss
‘Guardian of animals’: Fears north Gaza’s only vet has been killed by Israel forces during truce New Arab
Gaza government says 986 aid trucks entered Gaza Strip since ceasefire, far short of agreed total Anadolu Agency
Leaked Al Jazeera Report Names 30,000 Israeli Air Force Personnel Tied to Gaza War Crimes TeleSur
One target at a time: The logic that helped Israeli liberals commit genocide 972 Magazine
Official figures show record number of Israelis emigrating abroad Anadolu Agency
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EU criticised for pausing sanctions on Israel in response to Trump Gaza efforts The Guardian
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US envoy renews threats against Lebanon as Israeli warplanes strike south The Cradle
US To Keep Troops at Ain al-Asad Air Base in Western Iraq, Reversing Withdrawal Plan Antiwar
Russia prepared to expand cooperation with Iran ‘in all areas’: Kremlin The Cradle
European Disunion
German banks push private equity funds to retail investors FT
EU plans next Russia sanctions, while current package is blocked Euractiv
Massive explosion, fire, and black smoke at oil refinery near Budapest – videos and photos Daily News Hungary.
New Not-So-Cold War
Trump’s hope for quick second summit with Putin may be stalled as pre-meeting tabled for now CNN
Media Reveals Trump’s Private ‘Inversion’ of Ukraine War Beliefs Simplicius
Britain and Poland plan treaty to deter Russia and cut migration The Times
PATRICK LAWRENCE: Desperation Row Consortium News
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Russia, China sign off on Northern Route shipping deal to slash global freight times Intellinews
The Bering Strait Tunnel Will Likely Remain A Pipe Dream Andrew Korybko
South of the Border
Bolivia to restore US ties cut nearly two decades ago, says Paz Buenos Aires Times
Colombia Recalls Ambassador to U.S. Amid New Diplomatic Rift Over Petro-Trump Dispute TeleSur
Trump 2.0
“No Kings” Is About More Than Trump Ken Klippenstein
“No Kings” Redux: Necessary But Insufficient (and Somewhat Misdirected) Counterpunch
US appeals court lets Trump send troops to Portland USA Today
CHICAGO MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON HIGHLIGHTS THE ‘ANCESTORS’ IN PUSH FOR A GENERAL STRIKE Black Enterprise
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What You Should Know About Russ Vought, Trump’s Shadow President ProPublica
AG PAM BONDI CLEARED THE WAY FOR ISRAEL’S FOREIGN INFLUENCE OPERATION
On her 1st day, newly appointed AG Pam Bondi, disbanded the Foreign Influence Task Force, the DOJ office responsible for enforcing FARA. The change specifically limits DOJ prosecutors from criminally charging… pic.twitter.com/gm2XzkZeCZ
— GenXGirl (@GenXGirl1994) October 18, 2025
Donald Trump DEMOLISHES part of the White House to make way for his new golden ballroom Daily Mail
Weimar Republic
ICE Agents Can Now Be Arrested in Chicago Migrant Insider
Exclusive: FEMA Workers Improperly Collected Data About Politics of Disaster Victims Matt Taibbi, Racket News
Why We Must Protect Both Turning Point and Mark Bray Jonathan Turley
Police State Watch
ICE boosts weapons spending 700% Popular Information. “…there have also been significant purchases of chemical weapons and “guided missile warheads and explosive components.” Seems rather important.
Denver quietly signs deal with Flock to fly AI drones for police calls KUSA-TV Denver
Our Famously Free Press
Independent newspapers disappear as private investment firms take over Axios
Accelerationists
Now this is a proper novelty. pic.twitter.com/a0uRsOkwo0
— Adrian (@blagojevism) October 19, 2025
Imperial Collapse Watch
US army taps private equity groups to help fund $150bn revamp FT
How military’s ‘safe’ plan to fire munitions over Interstate 5 went off the rails with CHP cruiser hit Los Angeles Times
Big Brother Is Watching You Watch
Hackers Say They Have Personal Data of Thousands of NSA and Other Government Officials 404 Media
DHS Asks OpenAI to Unmask User Behind ChatGPT Prompts, Possibly the First Such Case Gizmodo
Healthcare?
The Secret Campaign to Silence Critics of a Hospital Real Estate Empire Mother Jones
Private equity takeover of hospitals led to rise in Medicare emergency patient deaths, says study The Guardian
Democrats en déshabillé
Of course the DNC is trying to torpedo his campaign:
You shouldn’t have to fight in stupid foreign wars, get injured, and watch your friends die to be lucky enough to get health care and support.@grahamformaine just gets it man. There’s no other way to say it. pic.twitter.com/ujLeQVekU6
— Maine (@TheMaineWonk) October 20, 2025
Antitrust
AWS outage exposes Achilles heel: central control plane The Register
AI
FTC Disappears Lina Khan’s Thoughts on AI Gizmodo
The legal battle over AI continues: AI artist files lawsuit seeking copyright protection Yahoo! News
Meta Employee Creates AI App That Deepfakes the Dream Vacation You Couldn’t Afford Futurism
Fashion
This man simply walked into the fashion show wearing a garbage bag – and no one thought it was strange until security found him
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) October 20, 2025
Zeitgeist Watch
Google Has a Bedbug Infestation in Its New York Offices Wired
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
