Slumming in Bronze, Venari Marksrat is a useful martyr (39 mana, Noxious Fumes rule set, only Death and Fire available).

Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, and Debt:

For Hive Power Up Day, I staked 144.842 $HIVE.

France on the verge of passing stringent crypto firm licensing laws

Sam Bankman-Fried Cosplayed as a Genius. The Facts Reveal His Incredible Stupidity

Coronavirus News, Analysis, and Opinion:

’Potential lab incident’: FBI director Wray speaks publicly for 1st time on COVID-19 origin

Chinese state media calls out Elon Musk over coronavirus tweet

How an infectious disease expert interprets conflicting reports on COVID-19’s origins

Politics:

Trump Loses It Over Murdoch’s Admission About Fox Hosts Endorsing Big Lie

“Why is Rupert Murdoch throwing his anchors under the table, which also happens to be killing his case and infuriating his viewers…?”

Um, maybe because he’s not willing to lie under oath? It really says something that Trump doesn’t understand.

Macron lays out ‘new era’ for France’s reduced presence in Africa

Drones Attack Russia From All Sides

Scrounging for Tanks for Ukraine, Europe’s Armies Come Up Short

Nearly a month after Berlin gave European allies permission to send German-made tanks to Ukraine, the flow of tanks so many leaders vowed would follow seems more like a trickle.
Some nations have discovered that the tanks in their armory don’t actually work or lack spare parts. Political leaders have encountered unanticipated resistance within their own coalitions, and even from their defense ministries. And some armies had to pull trainers out of retirement to teach Ukrainian soldiers how to use old-model tanks.

Matt Gaetz awkwardly caught citing Chinese propaganda to justify Ukraine aid cuts

Feds Looking Into Trump’s ‘Recount’ Campaign

When the Federal Elections Commission rejected a recent Freedom of Information Act request related to Donald Trump’s ‘recount’ expenses after the 2020 election, the campaign watchdog had a conspicuous reason for turning down the petition: Trump’s political spending after he left the White House is currently the subject of an FEC enforcement matter.

Right-Wing Justices Conjure Up Lawn Care Strawman To Juxtapose With Supposedly Elite Student Debtors

McCarthy and GOP Pump Brakes on January 6 Footage

House Republicans are pumping the brakes on the release of Jan. 6 surveillance footage they’ve offered to Fox News host Tucker Carlson and going on offense against Democrats who have spent the past week slamming the move.
Republican leaders are emphasizing that no clips will be broadcast without prior security clearance while accusing Democrats of neglecting the same precautions during the investigation by the House select committee last year — a charge the Democrats quickly rejected.

Capitol Hill’s Great Unifier

The legacy of the 118th Congress — even amid its high-profile divisions — is set to be defined by an unprecedented focus on the threat emanating from the Chinese government
With President Biden wielding a veto and Republicans prioritizing sweeping investigations, China is the only issue positioned to pierce Capitol Hill’s bitter partisan bubble on a consistent — and meaningful — basis.
It’s a testament to just how far the bipartisan consensus on China has shifted over the past six years, as the relationship between the world’s two largest economies threatens to spiral into more direct confrontation.

Serendipity:

DALL-E 2 and Midjourney can be a boon for industrial designers

^{Badge thanks to @arcange}

^{Join Hive using my referral link}

What is Hive?