"Moscow can annex territory, stage referenda, rewrite textbooks and erect billboards proclaiming unity. It cannot reliably provide clean water, functioning sewage, or consistent heat to the people it claims as its own." engelsbergideas.com/notebook/rus...

"SUVs offered the industry a simple way of charging more for a vehicle that does the same thing."

Putin and those around him openly declare that their main goal is to destroy the independent state of Ukraine. For them, territorial gains are secondary. The legacy of Kyivan Rus' will always haunt Russian nationalists, for it does not belong to them. Their insecurity is profound.

‘Basically impossible to get them back’: Russia’s mass abduction of Ukrainian children is a war crime, say experts

That was unexpected. All those Lithuanians everywhere!

Russia is using military gear "within weeks" of it leaving the factory, and is weaker than people think, said Michael Carpenter, a former US official.

Impressive. Even more impressive was Iceland becoming the first state to recognize Lithuania's independence. Takk, Ísland!

Seventy years ago, the writer Lewis Mumford warned that urban highways would be a disaster: “This is pyramid building with a vengeance, a tomb of concrete roads and ramps covering the dead corpse of a city.” He was right. We just didn’t listen. Me, in CityLab 🧵

This is our country. And we are holding it together. Long live the brave, free, and independent Republic of Lithuania🇱🇹! #Kovo11 #March11

Water supply of strategic Baltic island Gotland was sabotaged last night. Someone broke into the pump controls and destroyed them. The pumps serve a large part of Gotland (pop 61k) and had it gone unnoticed could have left all island without water. Security services are notified. Water is ok.

Normality bias - ‘the tendency to underestimate the likelihood or impact of a potential hazard, based on the belief that things will continue as they have in the past’ - is a very hard habit to break.

The most important skill for this moment is the capacity to discern between important and unimportant things. Once you filter out all the noise, there are about 20x fewer things on which to focus your attention.

Those living in Russia's neighbourhood know these methods very well. „Fears have grown that Russia is seeking to fuel social unrest in Britain and other western European states via covert digital campaigns aimed at exploiting ethnic and religious tensions.“

“Three lawyers for the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in an Arctic Russian prison camp just under a year ago, were sentenced to prison on Friday, highlighting the risks of having any ties to the opposition in Russia, even for professional lawyer-client relationships.”

There is something primeval in how Lithuania celebrates freedom and pays homage to national heroes. We often turn to fire, as if to embrace it. For us, freedom is always burning. It is young and restless, and delicate. Like a flame. Eager to spread and conquer new territory.

IMPORTANT: Study finds electrifying SUVs/pick-ups could actually INCREASE emissions by using up scarce battery material that could otherwise be used to electrify a lot MORE smaller cars (and e-bikes). Via @sciencedirect.bsky.social SUVs are too big. #CarBloat www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

That is one bold prediction by Wired. Is there still some hope amid an AI-generated storm?

Just look at this graph. We're in for a rough ride.

1000 days since the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine. 3926 days since the beginning of the russian-Ukrainian war and occupation of Crimea. Ukraine keeps resisting because giving up is not an option for us. #UkrainianView

There’s one thing I know for sure after 33 years working in cities all over the world — there’s nothing inevitable or unchangeable about the way your city is. Your city is the result of decisions & choices. Like every city. Different decisions or choices could have been made, and STILL can be made.

OK, so I'll try. Looking good so far. To mark this new beginning, let me share some photos from Neringa, Lithuania. Truly spectacular place!