Saturday, 1 February 2020

Global headlines - 1 February, 2020


## Global Ponzi meltdown/House of Cards/global cooling/deflationary collapse ##
Amazon's Jeff Bezos, already the wealthiest person on the planet, just got billions richer
SK Hynix posts lowest profit in seven years, warns of growing uncertainties
South Korea’s SK Hynix, a chip supplier to Apple Inc and Huawei, on Friday warned of growing uncertainties, after posting its lowest quarterly profit in seven years, hit by a protracted industry downturn.

## Airline death spiral ##
The lawsuit alleges an incident involving a "dirty little secret": that cabin air on Boeing's commercial aircraft, except for its 787 Dreamliner, could be filled with toxins.
Boeing discloses U.S. SEC probe over 737 MAX
Boeing on Friday disclosed it was being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission over the 737 MAX accidents.

## Fault lines/flashpoints/powder kegs/military/war drums ##

## Energy/resources ##
Eskom looking at nuclear power reactors (South Africa)
Forgive me for not getting excited. There's nothing wrong with fuel cells, or with hydrogen, but since hydrogen isn't an energy source, the fuel cell/hydrogen combination does nothing to solve the underlying problem, which is the huge energy gap between fossil fuels and renewables. -- RF

## Got food? ##
The Danger Downstream
Farm pollutants from multiple states feed a massive dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Shrimpers pay the cost.
Study Estimates Actual Coronavirus Case Count in Wuhan May Be Near 76,000
Outbreaks of xenophobia in west as coronavirus spreads
Incidents of hostility towards Asian people reported in Italy, France, Canada and UK

## Intelligence/security/internet/cyberwar ##
FBI probes use of Israeli firm’s spyware in personal and government hacks
Russia Threatens Facebook, Twitter With $100K Fines
Russia’s communications watchdog said Friday it has launched fresh proceedings against Facebook and Twitter over their failure to comply with local data laws.

## Propaganda/censorship/fake news/alternative facts ##
US General Claims Iran Plotting Attacks on Americans in Africa

## Systemic breakdown/collapse/unsustainability ##
F-35's Gun That Can't Shoot Straight Adds to Its Roster of Flaws
Add a gun that can’t shoot straight to the problems that dog Lockheed Martin Corp.’s $428 billion F-35 program, including more than 800 software flaws.
There are two major causes: First is exceeding complexity, which makes it easy for errors and flaws to creep in, and makes it difficult to fix them. The second is the very large energy expenditure required to build something so complex ("embodied energy"). -- RF

## China ##
Travelers breach China virus lockdown by taking bridge over Yangtze
People are leaving and entering China’s Hubei province by foot over a bridge spanning the Yangtze river despite a virtual lockdown on vehicle traffic due to a coronavirus epidemic that has killed about 200 people.

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