As the Epstein Files reveal blackmailable acts by many leaders of the Western and Arab world, there's a positive side.

Law and democracy in the US are wounded but not dead. Two politicians from opposing parties, Massie and Khanna, are making progress in using law to release the Epstein Files.

Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the world wide web in 1989, feels control of the internet has been seized by commercial interests.

Compounding the problem is monopolisation.

If it’s not too late to fix it, what would a pro-humanity internet look like?
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

The oldest human rock art was reported this month. The hand prints in Sulawesi (Indonesia) date to at least 67,800 years ago.

The artists were probably Melanesians. Melanesians were displaced from Sulawesi by Asiatic seafarers (Austronesians) around 3,000 years ago.
www.abc.net.au/news/science...

Lena Petrova says Larry Fink's WEF comments about inequality were not based on real concern for the working class.

She says Fink is worried about growing dislike for WEF elites, which will accelerate as AI takes white collar jobs.

How will the masses be managed?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV0b...

Vijay Prashad says in Iran 'the abrupt 30-40% currency drop is a classic hallmark of external financial manipulation.'

And the transition from labor strikes to coordinated urban violence suggests outside intervention.

This eroded after the internet was disabled. peoplesdispatch.org/2026/01/13/s...

Zhytomyr Oblast is in northern Ukraine.

The awarding of this lithium deposit to Trump-linked investors suggests Trump did a deal with Putin about which parts of Ukraine Russia would remain 'independent'.

'Independent' means the resources will be used to pay off Zelensky's debts to the West.

Israeli control of Milei?

Sebastian Salgado says Israeli immigrants can access the same pension funds that Argentines access, even if they've never worked in Argentina.

And says Milei now allows settlement of land burnt by fires, so Israelis are lighting forest fires!
twitter.com/TheGrayzoneN...

As the US prepares to steal Venezuelan oil, could Syria be the model?

The US was allegedly stealing 83% of Syria's oil in 2022. Assad was angry.

The US still has soldiers in Syria, presumably still stealing oil. Locals (ISIS?) attacked them last month.
morningstaronline.co.uk/article/us-f...

Thoughtful article on how to write for social media.

'To be successful on social media, you need hooks, visuals, and brevity... in a world shaped by shrinking attention spans.'

This is very different from academic writing, where nuance and detail are expected.
medium.com/@jan.rosenow...

Just in case you're tired of all the chaos in the US...

Here's a reminder that the rest of the world still exists, and is full of wonder...

Yuval Harari says the combination of human intelligence and human stupidity makes us dangerous.

We build nuclear weapons, knowing they could destroy the world. We're now developing AI, knowing it could escape our control.
bsky.app/profile/robd...

This morning in Brisbane, Cyclone Alfred has fizzled. The winds have calmed. The roads will soon be busy again.

Further north, there is flooding in Java. Kanlaon volcano in the Philippines continues to let off steam.

But no major Pacific cyclones yet in 2025.
www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/20...