Links 11/1/19

Unraveling the Secret Origins of an AmazonBasics Battery OneZero

The powerful forces reshaping America’s capital markets FT

Dan Rasmussen: The Private Equity Boom is Risk for Main Street The Reformed Broker

‘Not on my list’: private California firms fight fires, raise concerns Agence France Presse

German court dismisses climate change challenge to Merkel Deutsche Welle

Brexit

Jeremy Corbyn sets campaign tone by targeting rich individuals FT

There’s been a surge of young people registering to vote in the past 24 hours CNN (dk).

Brutal attack sends shockwaves through Irish borders FT

Toxic regulations, not the fire brigade, are to blame for the Grenfell deaths The Spectator. C’mon, man.

Syraqistan

Russia, the Indispensable Nation in the Middle East Foreign Affairs. The Blob lost. Let the search for traitors begin!

How the New Syria Took Shape NYT (TP). VIsually represents this post on the correllation of forces in Syria in yesterdays Links.

Death toll in Yemen war reaches 100,000 Guardian

Saudi Arabia hosts its first WWE women’s wrestling match BBC

China?

China Hints at Greater Hong Kong Role, From Schools to Elections Bloomberg

China vows bolstered legal measures over Hong Kong protests AP

Domestic workers search for rights amid pro-democracy protests Al Jazeera

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China Oct. factory activity expands at fastest pace in over two years: Caixin PMI Reuters

No Trump or Pence in Bangkok Has Asia Questioning U.S. Strategy Bloomberg

Cambodian oil: the dream that refuses to die Nikkei Asian Review

Survivors say burning train took 20 minutes to stop, 74 dead ABC

Bolivia to audit hotly contested presidential election after protests turn deadly France24

Impeachment

The most important part of the Democrats’ impeachment resolution Vox

Trump’s audacious impeachment defense CNN

What Do Scholars Say About the Impeachment Power? and The Strategic Underpinning—and the Limits—of the Republican ‘Due Process’ Defense of Donald Trump LawFare

The Failed FBI Plot to Paint Trump Doing Deals with Putin Larry Johnson, Sic Semper Tyrannis. It’s extraordinary — by which, I suppose that I now mean it’s completely normal — that after three years of hysteria, RussiaGate, which from day one was couched as impeachment-worthy, doesn’t even feature in the actual impeachment inquiry, now that we have one, even though the cast of characters and what LeCarré would calk the “handwriting” are both the same. Which doesn’t in and of itself invalidate UkraineGate. But holy moley.

Adam Schiff Is No Friend of Progressives Truthdig (DG). DG writes:

What we have here is the center-right of the Democrats fighting with the rightwing-by-definition Republicans for control of the spoils. Sort-a like the Clinton impeachment, but with narrower grounds. And Joe Manchin lurking in there somewhere, as a swing vote, like Joe Lieberman but somehow even less appetizing. As if I would write “appetizing” about Joe Lieberman.

This all is much uglier than meets the eye and getting uglier.

Schiff says transcripts from impeachment inquiry interviews could come ‘as early as next week’ CNN.

What Can We Expect from Televised Impeachment Hearings? The New Yorker

New Cold War

US diplomat says ‘open skies’ treaty with Russia is intact FT

Trump Transition

USDA finalizes location for research agencies in Kansas City The Federal Times

Trump Says He’s Swapping New York for Florida as Main Residence Bloomberg

L’Affaire Joffrey Epstein

What’s Going on With Jeffrey Epstein’s Autopsy? Rolling Stone. Dueling forensic pathologists!

Big Brother Is Watching You Watch

The FBI is Tracking Our Faces in Secret. We’re Suing. ACLU

Waterfront Toronto board votes to keep Sidewalk Labs’ Quayside project alive CBC

Police State Watch

Police blew up an innocent man’s house in search of an armed shoplifter. Too bad, court rules. MSN

Sports Desk

Nationals Admit World Series Win Would Be Way Sweeter If Franchise Was Still In Montréal The Onion

My Life As A Minor League Baseball Clown Deadspin

Our Famously Free Press

The dread hand of private equity ended up killing Deadspin Guardian

‘It opens a new front that regulators can attack’: can Twitter’s political ad ban force Facebook’s hand? The Drum

Mods! The Baffler. On The New Yorker.

Max Blumenthal Arrest Exposes Hypocrisy of Western Media and ‘Human Rights’ NGOs FAIR

Health Care

Air Ambulances Are Bankrupting Us (and No One Cares) MedPage Today. Thanks, private equity!

Class Warfare

Chicago teachers’ strike ends after 11 days. CPS will have 5 make-up days of school USA Today

Lots of Job Hunting, but No Job, Despite Low Unemployment NYT

Colleges Should Not Have to Have Food Pantries The Nation

Societies change their minds faster than people do The Economist

Still messing with our heads LRB. “He’s ridin’ around in the back of a staff car, his body’s gone but his head’s in a glass jar…”

Antidote du jour (via):

Bonus antidote:

See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.