Coffee and Provocation

Darwin's Stolen Books Are Returned

Two of Darwin's original notebooks that were stolen some 20 years ago from the Cambridge library, have been returned.

Paying California Farmers Not to Grow

As part of a $2.9-billion plan to try to keep water flowing in California rivers, the state will pay farms to keep thousands of acres vacant this growing season. The goals is to keep upwards of 824,000 acre-feet of water every year in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. One acre-foot of water adds up to around 325,000 gallons of water.

An Irish Welcome to Russian Terrorists
The Russian Embassy in Ireland is running out of fuel for heating and hot water and is complaining that numerous Irish oil companies have refused to deliver supplies.

"Balance of Nature" Supplements
It's scientology profiteering made manifest by "Hubbard College," aka L. Ron Hubbard.

Russia's Canine Victims

Nearly 500 dogs in a Ukrainian shelter died of hunger and thirst during Russia's unprovoked war on Ukriane.

The End of US Crazy Ants?

The tawny crazy ants (Nylanderia fulva) that have invaded the southeastern US  may have met their match in the form of a fungus-like pathogen that uses spring-loaded barbs to pierce the ants' stomach cells.

Good News:  Big Joro Spiders Eat Stinkbugs

The big Joro spiders that we are told to expect an invasion of this year are one of the few insects that eat stinkbugs.

Seize It All, and Size It Now
More than $17 billion of assets – including offshore bank accounts, yachts, private jets and luxury properties in London, Tuscany and the French Riviera – have been linked to 35 oligarchs and Russian officials alleged to have close ties to Vladimir Putin.

The Five Universal Laws of Human Stupidity

This is why we can't have nice things.

Amazon's Slave Overseers Are Unhappy

Amazon plans to block and flag employee posts on an internal messaging app that contain keywords pertaining to labor unions, according to internal company documents reviewed by The Intercept. An automatic word monitor would block terms like “slave labor,” “prison,” and “plantation,” as well as “restrooms” — presumably related to reports of Amazon employees relieving themselves in bottles to meet punishing quotas.

No Negotiating With Butchers

Poland PM Mateusz Morawiecki has a message for French President  Macron: “We don’t discuss, we don’t negotiate with criminals. All we should do is to fight them. Nobody negotiated with Hitler. Would you really negotiate with Hitler, Stalin or Pol Pot?”