People ask me ALL the time how I can consume so much news and stay sane – well relatively sane. There are two sides to my answer. One, I “need” to understand what’s going on, because it’s how I make sense of the world. Two, I can do this AND detach myself from the emotions (most of the time), because there are many MANY distractions and the important news – which is not on the front pages – is where my attention always remains.
I look at everything through the lens of the polycrisis, constantly pulling the different stories together into the bigger, more important view of how it all connects. I’m fun at parties, really!
I care deeply about the world and what is going on, but I also care deeply about making sense of it, so I can help others deal with the overwhelm. Not everything we are responding to matters, but it does matter that we are cognizant of the what’s important so we can prepare ourselves, our families and our communities.
On The Sh*t Show yesterday (which was fabulous) we were so drawn in by Michael Haupt’s big picture view, we didn’t get to discuss the important news that mattered. So today, I am summarizing what we didn’t have a chance to discuss, with a few brief comments.
Not everything is worth paying attention to, but that doesn’t mean it’s worth ignoring either, so here we go.
A week in news
We had the LA riots and all that entailed, the Musk/Trump stand-off/make-up distraction, and of course, the devastating Air India crash, which took so many lives.
However, we planned to start with this story, and willl definitely discuss this on the next show, because it’s important – Global Economy Set for Weakest Run Since 2008 Outside of Recessions.
Highlights – Heightened trade tensions and policy uncertainty are expected to drive global growth down this year to its slowest pace since 2008 outside of outright global recessions.
Global growth is projected to slow to 2.3 percent in 2025, nearly half a percentage point lower than the rate that had been expected at the start of the year. A global recession is not expected.
Assuming developing economies other than China are able to sustain an overall GDP growth of 4 percent—the rate forecast for 2027—it would take them about two decades to return to their pre-pandemic trajectory with respect to economic output.
Some views
- Global economy on track for worst decade since 1960s, World Bank warns | CNN Business
- World Bank lifts ban on nuclear power, considers upstream gas projects | World News – Business Standard
- Trump’s trade war could drag global economic growth to the lowest since the 1960s, World Bank says
Nuclear war
We did discuss this, but sharing it here, as this story just didn’t sit right. Tulsi Gabbard, the US Director of National Intelligence (and she’s a strange one), released this video, June 11th, warning that the world is closer to nuclear war than ever and is accusing unnamed political elites of trying to foment conflict between world powers.
While I don’t disagree that nuclear war is a very bad idea, this whole performance just didn’t feel right. I mean, does this essentially mean the current US Government is incapable of stopping such an eventuality? You can watch it here if you haven’t seen it already.
The right celebrated this, whereas the left was more like WTF!
- US intel chief warns global nuclear annihilation is closer than ever | The Straits Times
- Tulsi Gabbard’s SHOCKING nuclear war warning
- ‘Just plain weird’: Tulsi Gabbard warns of a ‘nuclear holocaust’ in a new social media video
Iran escalation
As we were preparing the content for the show on Thursday, I asked the question – what’s going on here? This is some of the coverage coming out at this point.
US to partially evacuate embassy in Iraq as Iran tensions rise
By the time we woke up on Friday, Israel had struck Iran, with devastating consequences.
This is NOT a good development, and apparently, the US were none the wiser – Trump didn’t want Israel to strike Iran but they did it anyway | CNN Politics. It links to the nuclear story above, because I thought Trump was going to solve all the wars and bring peace?
The NYT certainly don’t think he’s got the ability to deliver on his promise of being a peacemaker, and we aren’t seeing any proof of success either – anywhere – Trump Talks Big on Global Diplomacy, but His Goals Are in Tatters – The New York Times.
A nice visual capture.
Three more pieces
Chris Hedges posted this article on X: The Folly of A War With Iran and I agree with many of his points, but both Iran and Russia are not in the strongest position right now. It doesn’t mean both are not dangerous, but one has been hit hard and suffered very important losses, while the other has been at war for three years and war is expensive – both economic, weapon stockpiles, soldiers, and domestic support as the body bags keep coming home.
This gives you a sense of the impact on Iran and who was killed – The Iranian Generals, Scientists Killed by Israeli Strikes | TIME.
And this got a bit of a wow from me – very surprised – A Miscalculation by Iran Led to Israeli Strikes’ Extensive Toll, Officials Say – The New York Times.
Obviously, a story to watch, and a moment with catastrophic escalation potential that will have dire consequences for the world, including economic impacts.
Fertility
An on-going issue in the news, but this article doesn’t focus on the other factors at play, like the impact of chemicals and plastics in the environment – World fertility rates in ‘unprecedented decline’, UN says.
Planetary news
I can attest to this – World Bank: 1.8 billion South Asians at risk to extreme heat by 2030. The Wet bulb temperature, or feels like temperature, was 39°C in Singapore today, with humidity hovering around 80%. My son was out playing rugby in it, and I do not like that at all.
Many people have no choice but to be exposed to heat extremes for weeks, sometimes months, at a time. We are not far off a mass casualty event.
Already, more than 60% of households and businesses in South Asia (which includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal), have experienced extreme heat in the past five years, and 75% expect it to get much worse in the next decade. It’s guaranteed!
Extreme heat isn’t just bad for humans, it’s bad for all life, including agriculture.
It’s a good time to stock up on apricot jam if you love it because Supply of popular fruit plummets as severe frost devastates crops: ‘Catastrophic losses’.
In Turkey’s Malatya Province, which produces 85% of Turkey’s apricots, it has suffered catastrophic losses, with production expected to drop from 750,000 tons to just 10,000 tons in 2025.
Other countries impacted include Moldova, Bulgaria, and Greece.
Want to understand the impact of the AMOC collapse at 2°C and 4°C of warming? A useful AMOC Collapse Visualization Map has been released.
If you prefer to read about it, here you go: Ocean current ‘collapse’ could trigger ‘profound cooling’ in northern Europe – even with global warming – Carbon Brief.
- One-in-10 winters in London could see cold extremes approaching -20C
- Winter extremes in Oslo in Norway, could plummet to around -48C
Although we never really hear about what that impact looks like for those of us in the Global South, have you noticed that? At least we have the AMOC visualisation tool now.
This certainly won’t be helping the AMOC – Greenland ice melted 17 times faster amid May heatwave, say scientists.
But don’t worry if you’re in the US, because you’ll now have very limited information, so you can just pretend it’s not happening. Problem solved – Major US climate website likely to be shut down after almost all staff fired | Trump administration | The Guardian
This is super important – ‘Ticking timebomb’: sea acidity has reached critical levels, threatening entire ecosystems – study | Ocean acidification | The Guardian. Essentially, this means the seventh planetary boundary was crossed five years ago!
Ocean acidification, often called the “evil twin” of the climate crisis, is caused when carbon dioxide is rapidly absorbed by the ocean, where it reacts with water molecules leading to a fall in the pH level of the seawater. It damages coral reefs and other ocean habitats and, in extreme cases, can dissolve the shells of marine creatures.
The planetary boundary for ocean acidification is defined as when the concentration of calcium carbonate in seawater is more than 20% below preindustrial levels.
The deeper in the ocean they looked, the worse the findings were. At 200 metres below the surface, 60% of global waters had breached the “safe” limit for acidification.
Goodbye corals, oysters, mussels and anything with a shell.
My friends, if we lose the corals, it really is game over – As world gets hotter, what happens when coral reefs die? | Malay Mail.
A pretty crazy story. As the world heats up, there’s more moisture in the atmosphere, and it appears that even in places with plenty of rainfall, the atmosphere’s “evaporative demand” is soaking up moisture faster than it can be replaced. This means, as warming accelerates, the atmosphere will pull more and more water out of soils, rivers and plants – yikes! The atmosphere’s growing thirst is making droughts worse, even where it rains | The Current
As if life isn’t hard enough already – Kabul at risk of becoming first modern city to run out of water, report warns | Afghanistan | The Guardian.
You may have already forgotten this, but Nigeria suffered terrible human casualties in its recent flooding – Over 700 People Are Dead In Nigeria After It Was Hit By Massive Floods Believed To Be The Worst In 60 Years.
Nowhere near the same number of deaths, but San Antonio is also seeing significant losses from floods right now, with many more missing – Death Toll Rises to 11 in San Antonio Flooding – The New York Times.
When AI gets it wrong
Interesting that it can be attributed directly to AI chatbots – Why AI chatbots are wrong about these LA protest photos. How can anyone believe anything anymore?
A quirkier one – be wary of AI huh?
My mate Joe Augustin is a very level-headed guy in all ways, and he’s gone deep on AI, so when he says this scares him, it’s worth taking note- Meta to pay nearly $15 billion for Scale AI stake, The Information reports – CNA.
The Madleen
Do you know what REALLY bothers me?The terrible, disgusting ways people speak to and about Greta Thunberg. She’s got more courage than anyone on the world stage right now, and she’s absolutely right! The criticism of her focusing on this versus climate change is complete ignorance. Climate justice is at the very heart of the fight.
Nice work by Owen Jones here – Compare the courage of Greta Thunberg’s Gaza aid mission with the inaction and complicity of western governments | Owen Jones | The Guardian.
The article finishes with – The Madleen did not make it to Gaza’s shores. Yet its crew exposed an obscenity that has repulsed western citizens, who will one day force their governments to cease their complicity – which is why, in the end, Israel will lose.
Peter Thiel
I’ve mentioned Thiel a few times, but here’s an interesting take – Indicted Oligarch Malofeev Cites Peter Thiel As an Argument for the “Autocratic Way.” A networked state with tech overlords, could be coming to a city near you, if we don’t wake up to this risk.
The shit show continues and it’s going to be a BIG one in the US today, where we’re already seeing US Vets arrested, even one using a walker.
Stay sane, the arc of history is long and the idiots fail eventually, but look for and support those speaking up for birthing a new world. That’s what we need right now.
Here’s a little David Graeber reminder on how things work. We don’t ever, EVER give into despair, because then they win!
Favorite memes, cartoons, Tweets, etc…
TACO man is almost forgotten, but when I talked last week about this being another distraction, I think I was on the right track.
I feel for all members of the different arms of the US military right now.
Fair?
This! But again, TACO man has been in action – at least it’s a good outcome Trump Shifts Deportation Focus, Pausing Raids on Farms, Hotels and Eateries – The New York Times.
Indeed! Avoid all plastic if you can, all, not just single use.
And finally, be careful who you listen to. It’s worth learning from the experts. They might not always be right, but they’ll definitely be right a lot more than the alternatives on offer today.
My content and my pals
It was a delight to host Michael Haupt as our first special guest on The Sh*t Show this week, and we had a beautiful, big, bold conversation. To give you a sense of Michael’s work, read this and then look around for more. He’s got amazing ideas, and it will definitely help you look at the world, and all of our problems, with fresh eyes – The Coming Global Currency Reset (before 2030)
Here’s the show if you missed it. One of the great ones, I promise, and definitely WORTH YOUR TIME! As Joe said, if you want to know you’re watching real video content, then go for longform. Short form can easily be AI manipulated. And to those who say: I’ve got no time. How does Joe Rogan get millions watching his three-hour shows? If his audience is willing to spend time with him, don’t you think it’s time the rest of us got wise to that?
Joe’s been making tunes again, here’s his latest, inspired by last weeks Weekend Reads – The Orange and White Fight by UnexcitableQuest625 | Suno
Dig into the news
Plenty more to read, listen to or watch, so do click through to the reads at the image below, and a reminder, this platform has articles going back weeks, so have a scan and read/watch/listen to whatever jumps out at you.
Let me know what caught your attention? Or share with me what has your attention now? There’s a lot going on, which means none of us can cover everything. Besides, it’s always great to get feedback so I know I’m delivering something of value.
Cheers
Andrea
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