And… TRO granted! A sweet Christmas present for @imranahmed.bsky.social, @counterhate.com--& for their mission of fighting antisemitism & protecting kids online. Also nice for our all-star legal team. A lump of coal in the stockings of authoritarians & the merchants of disinformation

Bulgarian man dies in private prison in Michigan after ICE roundup. He'd been in Chicago for three decades and was diabetic. Wife says "they treated him like an animal." abc7chicago.com/post/bulgari...

The regime for processing personal data of Europeans in the US is unstable at the best of times. Now throw in the Trump administration's mounting attacks on the US legal order. Time for @maxschrems.bsky.social to step in.

The alt-reality of Trump-watching. Fred Kempe at the @atlanticcouncil.bsky.social makes not a single reference to how the National Security Strategy's prescriptions for Europe rest explicitly on cultivating the far right to entrench white supremacy. Beggars belief tbh.

By Jeffrey Epstein's pool, a statue channeling a colonial-era trope from Belgium. "Epstein was, after all, someone who saw people as objects.” H/t @leocendro.bsky.social

So what's the outcome? 2️⃣5️⃣ of the 27 Commissioners have posted in the last week 2️⃣4️⃣ of the 27 generally post every week (Albuquerque has never been on X, Ribera is sporadic, McGrath has somehow stopped) 0️⃣ have stopped as a result of what Twitter has become since the Musk takeover

Pretty crazy that nearly all of the EU Commission is still on X even as Elon Musk is literally talking about destroying the EU. You can leave X. It's really not that difficult.

The European Commission has just said it will keep posting its news to X even after Musk compared the EU to the Fourth Reich. Musk has "freedom of speech" to make "the craziest statements" says @ec.europa.eu. What are we even doing here. h/t @diegoinbxl.bsky.social

America’s betrayal of Europe is by now official policy. And yet European national leaders pledge allegiance to the United States.

It's an insult to our four-legged friends but one that's well worth it. www.wsj.com/arts-culture...

You gotta love this for the neofascist AfD because a Hitler imitator addressing their youth conference embarrasses them to their very core. www1.wdr.de/fernsehen/ak...

X as "a Russian nesting doll of bullshit" with "fake people yelling at fake people for being fake" enabling a "nothing is true everything is possible moment" is the best burn for long time in crowded field. Kudos @cwarzel.bsky.social @micahloewinger.bsky.social and NPR. pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm

I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture. They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1

Everything about this might be the saddest thing I’ve ever seen

I've had a missile blow up next to my airplane, been shot at dozens of times by anti-aircraft fire, and launched into orbit — all for my country. I never thought I'd see a President call for my execution. Trump doesn’t understand the Constitution, and we're all less safe for it.

I don’t want to seem out of touch but I don’t actually understand the economy anymore.

I just got a nearly 45% bill hike from @microsoft.com which is one of the world's top three richest corporations for an annual subscription to its standard suite of apps. If anyone else is grabbing pitchforks I'll happily join you. Surely only monopolies can pull this shit. Paging @ec.europa.eu.

Imagine turning on the TV or radio and knowing what you’re about to see isn’t engineered to drive outrage, clicks, or profit, but to inform, educate, connect. That’s the role of public broadcasters like BBC, NPR, PBS, NOS, RTP, and it´s under attack. open.substack.com/pu... 1/3

Historic. Commentators making parallels with early 1930s accommodation with Nazis. Long story short: conservatives combine with far right and neofascists to pass legislation. The vote was about business supply chains but will be remembered as another waypoint on the EU's lurch rightwards.

Vanishingly rare, if you click on this kind of bait.

Border militarization klaxon. Merging of migration and defense policies in Europe continues apace with announcement of €250mln purchase of drones to stop hybrid threats like incursions by other drones, and presumably migrants. h/t @gerardofortuna.bsky.social ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

1/ The US Government has quietly removed a memorial to Black soldiers who died in World War II from the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, South Limburg. The move follows a complaint from the right-wing Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission. ⬇️

Definitely not the most uplifting podcast for the weekend 😬, but a very insightful listen for those concerned about how rapidly reactionary and far-right ideas are spreading across Europe. From the @euscream.bsky.social podcast series by @jameskanter.bsky.social euscream.com/ep-107-shame...

How to talk about Gaza remains highly divisive in European journalism and the way it's playing out has significant implications for press freedom. Story @theintercept.com

What if EU simplification agenda is exactly what Trump wants from Europe? A self defeating move depriving itself of its only super-power Listen to @euscream.bsky.social with @jameskanter.bsky.social

Dutch election result = one more constructive voice at EU top table. Good. But one swallow does not make summer, writes @sophieintveld.bsky.social. Pro-European these days can even mean disregarding the constitutional order laid down in the EU Treaties.

Seems we've forgotten how far-right we've gone.

I take the point on the military innovation. I also think he's right on some of the nonsense EU Horizon money gets spent on. But he seems less coherent on the role of the state and politics and he neglects key aspects of Europe's latest failure to meet the moment. Quick thoughts. 🧵

Maybe we should get ASML and SAP to start making cars since European automakers are such laggard carbon junkies.

Europe you are now a tariff taker — but are you hearing this message because it's a mistake of epochal proportions to enrich your enemy unless, that is, you plan to join his destructive endeavours.

getting ready for the best eve

Must read on the lawsuits in the United States and the policy battles in Brussels that will determine whether journalism can still exist as an economic activity in the age of AI.

What about being better citizens of the planet that made them rich.

Every so often you run across yet another reminder of how shameful the story of this era is going to be in the history books someday. On so many levels, including the dystopian cheery tone of this NYT caption…

The United States of white supremacism strikes again. Sickening.

Good column from @grimmse.bsky.social on the utter idiocy of market fundamentalism when trying to encourage green alternatives. Guess what, high prices turn out to be "socially unfair and ultimately ineffective".

Never go full Cabaret

Von der Leyen has been serenaded by a mariachi band and responded with "Viva la vida" as part of trade ties with Mexico writes @gerardofortuna.bsky.social who notes it was one of "the weirdest moments of her mandate so far" yet where is the video, as it could be a rare interesting one of VDL.

Many people are outraged that Trump is demolishing part of the White House. But of course Trump can't do it without help. It's ACECO LLC of Silver Spring MD ("full-service demolition") that is tearing down the People's House. You can call them and let them know how you feel. 1/

Brussels police confiscate tents and sleeping bags Sunday morning from a planned People's Encampment outside @ec.europa.eu aimed at pressuring EU to suspend EU-Israel association agreement.

Woof justice: Flying dogs count as luggage, EU court rules

Hoods off! Economic anxiety, right, corporate and establishment hacks? www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/u...

This racist violent rhetoric from Young Republicans is disgusting. I'm sure past and present members of the International Young Democrat Union like Youth of the European People's Party and European Young Conservatives will want to condemn their US counterpart. Right? www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

"If you have another election ... " Ominous if there.

Europe in most "dangerous situation" since WWII and Denmark ready to "down" Russian drones, says PM Mette Frederiksen @eu2025dk.bsky.social at #euco

More on that supposed threat from a radical left.

Big climate alarm: European mayors have warned the EU about prospect of forced evacuation of their cities for "large periods of the year" due to 45-50 degrees centigrade heat, says @ec.europa.eu's Exec VP Teresa Ribera, who also calls for systems to anticipate "catastrophic" events.

The mifepristone fight is back out in the open, and Europe needs to be on guard too. The far right and ultraconservatives will eliminate choice for women if they can.