Rep. @brotherjones.bsky.social at the CA state capitol: “We chanted ‘we will not go back’ — I burned a confederate flag outside the chamber to send a message we will not go back to the times in which our folks were met with Billy clubs & the blast of the fire hose…” 🇺🇸

The is Zarbiv’s full quote about Gaza demolitions: Gazans “will be returning to nowhere. Tens of thousands of families are left without papers, without childhood photos, without ID cards, they remain with nothing. If they return, they will not know where their home is. All they will find is sand.”

The title of this essay comes from a quotation by Avraham Zarbiv, the rabbinical judge and IDF reservist bulldozer operator who is the public face of the semi-irregular force of military and contractor earthmover operators who have both pushed for and executed mass demolition operations in Gaza

As tech bosses like Sam Altman play an increasingly influential role in our lives, concerns are growing over how much we really know about these powerful individuals.

The US enforcing a blockade puts China and the US in direct and immediate conflict 👇

Europe doesn't want Tehran or Trump tolls on the Strait of Hormuz but it's up to shipping companies themselves whether to pay per barrel and/or $2 million per ship.

I converted to Catholicism last week. Here’s why it’s necessary for the United States to invade Vatican City and install its own pope.

Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal seemingly bribed Trump to lower tariffs on Canadian steel. Curious what EU and Canadian trade authorities knew, and when they knew it.

Hegseth just fired the Army Chief Gen Randy George. Immediately. Gen George the most competent and experienced combat leaders I have ever encountered. Courage. Integrity. Takes care of soldiers. A government of gangsters.

Trump's rambling press conference raises new questions about Joe Biden's mental state.

Gen AI has become ubiquitous in the EU Bubble. I found this artefact in a newsletter this morning.

Everyone needs to stop what they’re doing and watch this video. “It seems like there’s a lack of diversity here today, and it’s mostly people who look like you and me, and I just…?” This lady’s response is🔥

The Athletic | Tiger Woods was arrested for a DUI at 1 o'clock in the afternoon after flipping his SUV. Could he be a future candidate for Secretary of War?

Nouriel Roubini foresees "escalation and a US-Israeli victory (with regime collapse in a few months) as more likely than escalation and a US-Israeli defeat." NB: escalation is also the scenario he personally favors: "Trying to finish the job is better than the alternatives."

When a supposed member state of the EU, Hungary, is using the talking points of a supposed EU ally, the US, to justify election interference that will undermine the EU, that is a truly grotesque situation.

Non-negligible chance that Deutsche Bank is improving its abject image rather than Brussels. May be a script worth flipping.

after much deliberation and giving AI the benefit of the doubt, Wikipedia editors have had enough of AI slop. New policy bans LLM generated content, periodt www.404media.co/wikipedia-ba...

Heckuva job Rutte

This is very interesting on Bayer's role in the pharma-military industrial complex. Trump needs Bayer's white phosphorus for warfare. Meanwhile the German company appears to be getting sweeteners for its glyphosate weed killer business.

One of the reasons US IT billionaires supported Trump was that they expected his regime to be able to pressure EU to loosen its regulations and grow their business. Totally opposite is happening: we are only beginning to see the long lasting business damage that Trump is causing to US companies.

Wow. Looks like Trump just lost Amazon Web Services its contract with Finland for cloud-based management of election information. No price given. But would be interesting to know how soon European digital sovereignty might start to mean something to US hyperscalers' bottom lines.

The way this numbers station story made it into so many big UK and US media at similar moments seemed a bit weird to me. The net effect was that any threat from Iran seemed even more salient.

Let's crush this grotesque flirtation before it gains anymore steam. There is no common ground with Tucker Carlson. There is no common ground with those who claim common ground with Tucker Carlson. There are no "good" fascists vs. "bad" fascists. Fascists=fascists.

Exactly 10 years ago suicide bombers detonated two bombs at Brussels Airport one at Maelbeek metro station. These brief profiles of the 32 people who died will leave a lasting impact on anyone who reads them. @maajtee.bsky.social

X celebrates its 20th anniversary amid a 15% drop in European users following its transformation into an integrated app under Elon Musk.

Does the EU have a coherent plan for the European autonomy its leaders talk about? The folks @greenpeace.eu are saying not really, and to make their point they've anointed Ursula von der Leyen as concierge for Trump Towers Schuman.

The editor of The Economist already knows Tucker Carlson's views can be "abhorrent" but is keen to "understand" them and I am struggling to understand why that's a good reason to give a clickbait shock jock who has normalized white supremacism top billing in the world's preeminent news magazine.

The $600 billion reason broligarchs need to take your job.

Cyprus President Nikos Christodulides publicly disagrees with NATO Mark Rutte over the ability of European Union to become autonomous and to show mutual support; praises Greece France Italy Spain and Netherlands for de facto activation of EU's Article 42.7. @epc-official.bsky.social

Trump "request for Chinese help is a black swan moment" "The hegemon is inviting its challenger to extract it from the most combustible region. Read that again & ponder where China’s incentive lies. Why interrupt your enemy while he's making a mistake?" www.ft.com/content/1...

War on Iran seen as potential disaster for Europe: - a refugee emergency at a scale that far exceeds 2015-16; - a return to buying Russian energy that will boost Putin's war machine; - a shortfall in stocks of interceptors that are needed by Ukraine.

Brussels faces Ankara and Denizli in the race for Europe's democracy crown, promising local engagement and diverse initiatives if victorious.

Which EUCO leader will publicly remind De Wever that fighting just wars is costly? And that that's why we're in the fight alongside Ukraine? De Wever also blocked seizure of Russian assets.

With millions displaced by the attacks on Iran, Europe's von der Leyen doubles down on externalization: "what the future holds remains unclear and necessitates the full mobilisation of every #migration diplomacy tool we have at our disposal."

'“The Mole of Reason,” he said, “is blind only in the sense that it can detect the resistance of an unsolved problem, without knowing whether there will be a solution; but it is stubborn enough to press on ahead in the underground passages.”'

Non-state actor Palantir combines data from government contracts in a process that enables it to become more powerful than the states it supposedly serves. Great explainer from @carolecadwalla.bsky.social.

It’s crystal clear now that Trump has lost control of this war. He badly misjudged Iran’s ability to retaliate. The region is on fire. 1/ I’m going to explain to you in this🧵what I’ve learned - in part from closed door briefings - about the four biggest current crises.

The is the federal government telling news stations to provide favorable coverage of the war or their licenses will be pulled. A truly extraordinary moment. We aren't on the verge of a totalitarian takeover. WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. Act like it.

260mln for a project that "aims" at capturing carbon? You'd think CCS has had more than enough funding by now. Call this by its name: state aid for BASF and Air Liquide dressed as science. ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Brussels slams Venice. EU threatens to suspend funding for Biennale Foundation for allowing Russian pavilion. ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

X is a fascist propaganda website.

maybe I'm focusing on the wrong thing here but this is the wildest shit I've ever heard a white South African say and I study racism for a living

*FYI*

"Kristi [Noem] did a great job of setting us up for success," said Pete Hegseth. Renee Good and Alex Pretti were unavailable for comment.

Over the years I've had complaints about @wired.com and some of its focus/editors. But it's doing its best work in *ages* over the last few years. The idea that a Palantir bro needs to buy it because sometimes it calls out fascism, is ridiculous.

Traffic will be closed off and replaced by two stages for a unique electronic music party in the Belgian capital.

“Describe Hegseth’s war effort in Iran in three words or less”

A top Belgian official says the US is no longer an ally. Concerns range from unilateral military moves to policies undermining European healthcare.

It really is fascinating how overt it now is that there are certain - really not controversial - ideas that you aren’t allowed to say on television.