Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Willem Sas

CSbungo @csbungo.bsky.social · 4d

Helpfully I explained to some pointing tourists that Glaswegians had much longer legs back in the day

Mackintosh house up at Glasgow Uni. The front door is several feet off the ground with access being via the adjoining Hunterian

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Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · 5d

In 2012, I published a book about the collapse in trust in the mainstream media. I argued that a widely trusted media establishment was probably incompatible with a polarized party system that is heavily sorted by ideology. /1 www.jonathanmladd.com/why-american...

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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 9d

President Macron:
“We were very naive to leave our public space to social media networks controlled by US or Chinese companies that don’t share our interests and not interested in survival of our democracies.”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MggN...

French President Macron Speaks at German Unity Day Ceremony | WION LIVE

YouTube video by WION

www.youtube.com

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laurentfranckx.bsky.social @laurentfranckx.bsky.social · 9d

Imagine an alternative universe where, after WW1, the advisors of Woodrow Wilson would have prevailed

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laurentfranckx.bsky.social @laurentfranckx.bsky.social · 10d

Europe’s astonishing drop in illegal migration

"In the first eight months of this year 112,000 people crossed illegally into Europe, down 21% from a year earlier. The drop is an even more impressive 52% from the comparable period in 2023"

www.economist.com/internationa...
From The Economist

Europe’s astonishing drop in illegal migration

Europe’s big, invisible wall is slowing boat crossings by migrants

www.economist.com

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Willem Sas @willemsas.bsky.social · 10d

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Alan Beattie @alanbeattie.bsky.social · 11d

But I was told that Keir Starmer’s conference speech marked a pivot away from imitating Reform and towards a bold new liberal something! I WAS PROMISED!

on.ft.com/4mGqFPF

UK to scrap right of refugees to seek permanent residency after 5 years

Policy comes as Keir Starmer seeks to toughen stance on immigration and fend off Reform UK

on.ft.com

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Christian Odendahl @codendahl.bsky.social · 16d

Just saw an epic TV rant by Robert #Habeck on the state of the German economy from May 2019.

He was very prescient, and basically everyone around the table thought he’d gone mad. There is a reason why Germany is in this mess.

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Caroline de Gruyter @carolinedegruyter.bsky.social · 15d

Europa is helemaal niet zo’n watje tegenover Trump
Mijn column in @nrc.nl
www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...

Column | Europa is helemaal niet zo’n watje tegenover Trump

Klein, onopvallend berichtje, dinsdag, in de financiële pers: de Europese Commissie, die werkt aan een regeling waarbij burgers en bedrijven veiliger data kunnen delen met financiële instellingen, slu...

www.nrc.nl

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Willem Sas @willemsas.bsky.social · 22d

Punt is niet dat je ongelijk hebt, punt is dat de kiezer daar onvoldoende van op de hoogte was, of dat niet geloofde.

En symbolen zijn belangrijk vrees ik..

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Willem Sas @willemsas.bsky.social · Apr 26

Waarom populisme extreme economische schade veroorzaakt, en dat zich niet electoraal vanzelf rechtzet, m’n opinie:

www.tijd.be/opinie/algem...

Populisme lost zichzelf niet op

Populisten floreren in de economische chaos die ze zelf creëren. De democratie moet dus actief worden verdedigd.

www.tijd.be

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John Burn-Murdoch @jburnmurdoch.ft.com · Apr 22

Striking stat from @kellycnbc.bsky.social on this:

The rise in treasury yields since Trump’s tariffs were announced leads to an increase in US debt interest payments that is larger than all the DOGE savings.

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Willem Sas @willemsas.bsky.social · Apr 22

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Willem Sas @willemsas.bsky.social · Apr 20

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Jacob Edenhofer @jacobedenhofer.bsky.social · Apr 17

Some thoughts on the strategic rationale behind the "Brandmauer” – the cordon sanitaire vis-à-vis the AfD – and the challenges associated with maintaining it. Seems pertinent, given that senior CDU/CSU figures regularly float the idea of ditching it and exploring avenues for closer cooperation.

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Sander Tordoir @sandertordoir.bsky.social · Apr 9

Critical reactions on this. That’s fine I get it. Worth gauging and probing US intentions for Europe I’d say.

US provides demand, China mainly supply, making the former despite everything a more logical dance partner for trade surplus EU…

Sander Tordoir @sandertordoir.bsky.social · Apr 8

WH confirms that China will be subject to an additional 50% tariff in counter-retaliation - effective tomorrow.

The US may be engineering decoupling from China and will want others to follow, break trade in two. EU should explore anti-China as part of deal.

Will push financial system to edge.

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Coen Graamans @sn0r.bsky.social · Apr 10

My name is Bond. Eurobond.

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Willem Sas @willemsas.bsky.social · Apr 9

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Michael Stambolis @mstambolis.bsky.social · Apr 8

For academics in the US: the University of Toulouse has quickly put together a program to help bring scholars to France whose work is under attack by the Trump administration. The priorities area are: humanities, climate sciences, health, and space research.

en.univ-toulouse.fr/news/toulous...

Toulouse Welcomes U.S. Researchers Facing Unprecedented Challenges | Communauté d'universités et établissements de Toulouse

In response to the targeted and drastic budget cuts threatening scientific research in the United States, the Toulouse academic community is launching an initiative to host researchers whose work is a...

en.univ-toulouse.fr

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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · Apr 6

On the one hand, the Trump administration says it wants Europe to spend more on defense. On the other hand, administration officials, including DC attorney nominee Ed Martin, back pro-Russian European politicians and parties who oppose defense spending
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

New Martin disclosures show outreach to right-wing politicians in Europe

Interim D.C. U.S. attorney Ed Martin boosted members of Germany’s AfD, Poland’s Law and Justice, and Viktor Orban’s party in Hungary before taking office in January.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Willem Sas @willemsas.bsky.social · Apr 2

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Terzake @terzake.bsky.social · Apr 1

"We zitten in een polycrisis: begroting, veiligheid, wonen,... Is het wel de moment? Maar wat we aan het doen waren, die voorlopige regering, was erger."

@willemsas.bsky.social. Is een minderheidsregering in Brussel de oplossing? Bekijk hier de #terzake reportage: vrtnws.be/p.j1Zeo9N6dGx

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Dani Rodrik @drodrik.bsky.social · Mar 29

I have no inside knowledge of this but it sure looks like it was done to placate Trump. It won’t work and it’s shameful. www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

Harvard Dismisses Leaders of Center for Middle Eastern Studies | News | The Harvard Crimson

Interim Harvard Dean of Social Science David M. Cutler ’87 dismissed the director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, professor of Turkish Studies Cemal Kafadar, and its associate director, Hist...

www.thecrimson.com

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Willem Sas @willemsas.bsky.social · Mar 28

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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · Mar 27

‘It’s become almost the norm’: Misinformation ramping up during election, expert www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/alb...

Me: "...if you feel like something is playing to your rage, playing to your grievances, those kinds of emotional responses should be a red flag to pause & to double check the veracity..."

‘It’s become almost the norm’: Misinformation ramping up during election, expert says

www.ctvnews.ca

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