Matt "Winter is here"
@mattrobb.bsky.social
Politics, Education, Strategy, LFC and FF
No conspiracists, anti-vax, QAnon etc please.
No conspiracists, anti-vax, QAnon etc please.
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
This is David Marsh. He went to my old school.
He is one of the small number of European troops who went to Afghanistan and never did much nor went to the front line according to Donald Trump.
He died in 2008 aged 23 in Afghanistan when the patrol car he was in was blown up in Helmand Province.
He is one of the small number of European troops who went to Afghanistan and never did much nor went to the front line according to Donald Trump.
He died in 2008 aged 23 in Afghanistan when the patrol car he was in was blown up in Helmand Province.
January 23, 2026 at 9:36 PM
This is David Marsh. He went to my old school.
He is one of the small number of European troops who went to Afghanistan and never did much nor went to the front line according to Donald Trump.
He died in 2008 aged 23 in Afghanistan when the patrol car he was in was blown up in Helmand Province.
He is one of the small number of European troops who went to Afghanistan and never did much nor went to the front line according to Donald Trump.
He died in 2008 aged 23 in Afghanistan when the patrol car he was in was blown up in Helmand Province.
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
Farage has been touring Davos all week pledging to “fight the globalists” - all funded by a $10 billion trust run on behalf of an Iranian billionaire.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Nigel Farage’s trip to Davos hosted and paid for by family trust of billionaire
Trust says Reform UK leader was invited to WEF event by London-based venture capitalist as an honorary adviser
www.theguardian.com
January 23, 2026 at 10:24 PM
Farage has been touring Davos all week pledging to “fight the globalists” - all funded by a $10 billion trust run on behalf of an Iranian billionaire.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
“…despite a judge ordering the toddler’s release.”
January 23, 2026 at 9:54 PM
“…despite a judge ordering the toddler’s release.”
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
🚨🚨Re #leavingX, a recent study on the artificial intelligence chatbot #Grok embedded on X estimates it created the astonishing number of 3 MILLION sexualized images in 11 DAYS in January, including 23,000 of children. Unforgivable with this evidence to stay on #X. www.politico.eu/article/grok...
Grok could have produced 3 million sexual deepfakes in 11 days, says estimate
European regulators have yet to decide how to handle the explosion of nonconsensual deepfakes on the platform.
www.politico.eu
January 23, 2026 at 11:18 AM
🚨🚨Re #leavingX, a recent study on the artificial intelligence chatbot #Grok embedded on X estimates it created the astonishing number of 3 MILLION sexualized images in 11 DAYS in January, including 23,000 of children. Unforgivable with this evidence to stay on #X. www.politico.eu/article/grok...
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
NEW: The Great Arab Revolt of 1936 was a seminal event in the history of Palestine and Israel that is little known today. A new film and a recently published book explain its importance and contemporary relevance, writes David B. Green. newlinesmag.com/essays/pales...
Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt That Decided History
One of the most important and least remembered events in the history of Arab-Zionist relations has recently been brought to life on the page and screen
newlinesmag.com
January 23, 2026 at 12:57 PM
NEW: The Great Arab Revolt of 1936 was a seminal event in the history of Palestine and Israel that is little known today. A new film and a recently published book explain its importance and contemporary relevance, writes David B. Green. newlinesmag.com/essays/pales...
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
Newly unsealed evidence makes it even clearer that Rubio and Noem knew they were targeting students based solely on their political speech and that they knew this policy was unconstitutional. They just didn’t care. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/u...
January 23, 2026 at 11:30 AM
Newly unsealed evidence makes it even clearer that Rubio and Noem knew they were targeting students based solely on their political speech and that they knew this policy was unconstitutional. They just didn’t care. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/u...
Important graph.
Generally, moving money towards early years is a good thing... providing we're getting the value
Pity we scaled back some of the national testing...
Generally, moving money towards early years is a good thing... providing we're getting the value
Pity we scaled back some of the national testing...
What's happened to spending at different stages of the education spending over recent decades?
- HE fallen all the way back to where it was in c.2005
- secondary schools & FE still below 2010
- early years has doubled since 2010
- primary up 12% since 2010
- HE fallen all the way back to where it was in c.2005
- secondary schools & FE still below 2010
- early years has doubled since 2010
- primary up 12% since 2010
January 23, 2026 at 12:49 PM
Important graph.
Generally, moving money towards early years is a good thing... providing we're getting the value
Pity we scaled back some of the national testing...
Generally, moving money towards early years is a good thing... providing we're getting the value
Pity we scaled back some of the national testing...
Useful case example
Once more, a tax on the wealthy fails to collect the expected revenue. Le Monde says it was a "resounding fiscal fiasco".
And once more, proponents say that's because it wasn't stringent enough; opponents say it was doomed from the start.
But possibly they're both wrong...
And once more, proponents say that's because it wasn't stringent enough; opponents say it was doomed from the start.
But possibly they're both wrong...
January 23, 2026 at 11:15 AM
Useful case example
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
“Danish citizens are organising a huge boycott that includes cancelling planned holidays in the US, cancelling subscriptions to on-demand services based in the US & more generally, recommending the use of EU services instead of those provided by American platforms.”
So, same as Canadians.
So, same as Canadians.
January 23, 2026 at 5:52 AM
“Danish citizens are organising a huge boycott that includes cancelling planned holidays in the US, cancelling subscriptions to on-demand services based in the US & more generally, recommending the use of EU services instead of those provided by American platforms.”
So, same as Canadians.
So, same as Canadians.
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
“Sweden’s largest private pension fund has divested $8.8 billion in US Treasuries, the most significant withdrawal yet from American government bonds since Trump’s Greenland crisis erupted, citing “increased risk and unpredictability in US politics,”
thedeepdive.ca/swedens-larg...
thedeepdive.ca/swedens-larg...
Sweden's Largest Pension Fund Dumps $8.8B in US Bonds | the deep dive
Sweden’s largest private pension fund has divested up to $8.8 billion in US Treasuries, marking the most significant withdrawal yet from American government bonds since President Donald Trump’s Greenl...
thedeepdive.ca
January 23, 2026 at 5:08 AM
“Sweden’s largest private pension fund has divested $8.8 billion in US Treasuries, the most significant withdrawal yet from American government bonds since Trump’s Greenland crisis erupted, citing “increased risk and unpredictability in US politics,”
thedeepdive.ca/swedens-larg...
thedeepdive.ca/swedens-larg...
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
“When an individual enters their residence, conceals themselves behind a closed door, and attempts to go about their everyday life, they are willfully impeding the important work of law enforcement officers and engaging in domestic terrorism,” said DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin
ICE Deems Being In Privacy Of Own Home Obstruction Of Justice
WASHINGTON—Warning that any attempt to spend time inside a personal residence constituted hostile interference with federal operations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials announced Thursday...
theonion.com
January 23, 2026 at 1:00 AM
“When an individual enters their residence, conceals themselves behind a closed door, and attempts to go about their everyday life, they are willfully impeding the important work of law enforcement officers and engaging in domestic terrorism,” said DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
We got to talk about the fact that the first target for this is a Black woman which a lot of people in the terminally online world we know these comms staffers (and others) inhabit represent a particular archetype of person who needs to be “humbled.”
We have been rightly afraid of the threat of bad actors using AI to create disinformation.
It's appalling that one of the first of those bad actors is in the White House. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
It's appalling that one of the first of those bad actors is in the White House. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
White House posts digitally altered image of woman arrested after ICE protest
Guardian analysis shows images are the same, with Nekima Levy Armstrong looking composed in original but sobbing after alteration
www.theguardian.com
January 22, 2026 at 9:44 PM
We got to talk about the fact that the first target for this is a Black woman which a lot of people in the terminally online world we know these comms staffers (and others) inhabit represent a particular archetype of person who needs to be “humbled.”
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
EXCLUSIVE: A young Afghanistan-born graduate living in Scotland is facing her dream to become a nurse 'slipping away' as her asylum claim remains in limbo
Nursing graduate sees dream to save lives 'slipping away' amid Home Office limbo
www.thenational.scot
January 22, 2026 at 10:47 PM
EXCLUSIVE: A young Afghanistan-born graduate living in Scotland is facing her dream to become a nurse 'slipping away' as her asylum claim remains in limbo
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
ICE is detaining U.S. citizen children, even when passports are shown - this is to terrorize neighborhoods. Witness it?
📍 Note time, place, names.
📹 Film—lawfully, clearly.
📞 Call CPS + immigrant hotlines.
📝 Send proof to legal advocates.
✋ Do not interfere.
Support: www.gofundme.com/f/PAXIS
📍 Note time, place, names.
📹 Film—lawfully, clearly.
📞 Call CPS + immigrant hotlines.
📝 Send proof to legal advocates.
✋ Do not interfere.
Support: www.gofundme.com/f/PAXIS
January 22, 2026 at 9:14 PM
ICE is detaining U.S. citizen children, even when passports are shown - this is to terrorize neighborhoods. Witness it?
📍 Note time, place, names.
📹 Film—lawfully, clearly.
📞 Call CPS + immigrant hotlines.
📝 Send proof to legal advocates.
✋ Do not interfere.
Support: www.gofundme.com/f/PAXIS
📍 Note time, place, names.
📹 Film—lawfully, clearly.
📞 Call CPS + immigrant hotlines.
📝 Send proof to legal advocates.
✋ Do not interfere.
Support: www.gofundme.com/f/PAXIS
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
Next week Netanyahu will honour Charlie Kirk as a “fighter against antisemitism” even though Kirk revelled in anti-Jewish conspiracy theories.
My piece on how the Israeli far-right will welcome any racist as long as they hate Muslims more than they hate Jews
comment.press/as220126
My piece on how the Israeli far-right will welcome any racist as long as they hate Muslims more than they hate Jews
comment.press/as220126
Netanyahu, Charlie Kirk and the whitewashing of antisemitism
Jerusalem gives Jew-hate a free pass
comment.press
January 22, 2026 at 7:08 PM
Next week Netanyahu will honour Charlie Kirk as a “fighter against antisemitism” even though Kirk revelled in anti-Jewish conspiracy theories.
My piece on how the Israeli far-right will welcome any racist as long as they hate Muslims more than they hate Jews
comment.press/as220126
My piece on how the Israeli far-right will welcome any racist as long as they hate Muslims more than they hate Jews
comment.press/as220126
Worse than you could possibly imagine.
The director of the FBI: "I don't read."
His staff (paraphrased): "he doesn’t like meetings in office settings. What he wants is social events."
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
His staff (paraphrased): "he doesn’t like meetings in office settings. What he wants is social events."
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
January 22, 2026 at 7:52 PM
Worse than you could possibly imagine.
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
Gross.
January 22, 2026 at 7:39 PM
Gross.
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
Death toll in Afghanistan when NATO answered the US’s call:
- 453 Britons
- 158 Canadians
- 89 French
- 59 Germans
- 53 Italians
- 44 Danes
- 17 Spaniards
“Stayed a little back, off the front lines “!
No one in the media will call him out over this lie or any of the others he spouts.
- 453 Britons
- 158 Canadians
- 89 French
- 59 Germans
- 53 Italians
- 44 Danes
- 17 Spaniards
“Stayed a little back, off the front lines “!
No one in the media will call him out over this lie or any of the others he spouts.
Trump on NATO: "I've always said, will they be there if we ever needed them? That's really the ultimate test. I'm not sure of that. We've never needed them. They'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan and this or that. And they did. They stayed a little back, off the front lines."
January 22, 2026 at 6:32 PM
Death toll in Afghanistan when NATO answered the US’s call:
- 453 Britons
- 158 Canadians
- 89 French
- 59 Germans
- 53 Italians
- 44 Danes
- 17 Spaniards
“Stayed a little back, off the front lines “!
No one in the media will call him out over this lie or any of the others he spouts.
- 453 Britons
- 158 Canadians
- 89 French
- 59 Germans
- 53 Italians
- 44 Danes
- 17 Spaniards
“Stayed a little back, off the front lines “!
No one in the media will call him out over this lie or any of the others he spouts.
Another bar of professional standards / public service lowered by the Trump administration
If ever anyone needed evidence that leadership behaviours matter... this administration is providing hourly material
If ever anyone needed evidence that leadership behaviours matter... this administration is providing hourly material
If confirmed, this really is a new low, where a state agency is altering image of real events with an intent to deceive the public.
It appears that the White House edited this image using AI
January 22, 2026 at 5:51 PM
Another bar of professional standards / public service lowered by the Trump administration
If ever anyone needed evidence that leadership behaviours matter... this administration is providing hourly material
If ever anyone needed evidence that leadership behaviours matter... this administration is providing hourly material
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
So it was Badenoch *personally* who stabbed Britain in the back during the Greenland crisis! Simply unbelievable. Ought to be a resignation matter.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
How Badenoch’s meeting with Mike Johnson led to Trump’s Chagos deal rant
A brief encounter set off a chain of events that culminated in a public rebuff to the US president from Keir Starmer
www.theguardian.com
January 22, 2026 at 9:58 AM
So it was Badenoch *personally* who stabbed Britain in the back during the Greenland crisis! Simply unbelievable. Ought to be a resignation matter.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
After illegally abducting Maduro, Trump has just sold $250M of Venezuela's oil to Vitol.
John Addison, a senior trader at Vitol who helped broker the deal, gave $6M to Trump's 2024 campaign.
Pay-to-play imperialism.
John Addison, a senior trader at Vitol who helped broker the deal, gave $6M to Trump's 2024 campaign.
Pay-to-play imperialism.
January 22, 2026 at 1:00 AM
After illegally abducting Maduro, Trump has just sold $250M of Venezuela's oil to Vitol.
John Addison, a senior trader at Vitol who helped broker the deal, gave $6M to Trump's 2024 campaign.
Pay-to-play imperialism.
John Addison, a senior trader at Vitol who helped broker the deal, gave $6M to Trump's 2024 campaign.
Pay-to-play imperialism.
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
Liam’s mom dressed him in all those layers to keep her little boy warm and safe in this frigid weather, packed his book-bag w/ everything he’d need for a good day at school, and then our govt stole him out of their driveway. Used her little boy as bait. These people are monsters.
This picture making the rounds on reddit, Columbia Heights. I'm not OK.
January 22, 2026 at 3:47 AM
Liam’s mom dressed him in all those layers to keep her little boy warm and safe in this frigid weather, packed his book-bag w/ everything he’d need for a good day at school, and then our govt stole him out of their driveway. Used her little boy as bait. These people are monsters.
This is fascinating thread about the ICE / Minneapolis situation. Worth reading in full, then reflecting on.
I came to Minneapolis to report on what's going on, and one of the main questions I showed up with is "just what is the scale of the resistance?" After all, we're all used to the news calling Portland a "war zone" or whatever when it's just some protests in one part of town.
January 22, 2026 at 9:00 AM
This is fascinating thread about the ICE / Minneapolis situation. Worth reading in full, then reflecting on.
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
Ban children on social media so Jew haters can spout and rioters can advocate burning people to death - once more Kemi Badenoch demonstrates she never makes mistakes.
Hell of an argument for banning social media for under 16s from Kemi this.
Get kids off it so we can be free to carry on destroying our democracy and tearing apart our society without them.
Get kids off it so we can be free to carry on destroying our democracy and tearing apart our society without them.
January 21, 2026 at 10:26 PM
Ban children on social media so Jew haters can spout and rioters can advocate burning people to death - once more Kemi Badenoch demonstrates she never makes mistakes.
Reposted by Matt "Winter is here"
America’s alliances cannot survive continual bouts of arm-wrestling brought about by a president who thinks allies have no value. European leaders must prepare for a global realignment
The true danger posed by Donald Trump
Despite a tactical retreat, great risks remain
econ.st
January 22, 2026 at 4:00 AM
America’s alliances cannot survive continual bouts of arm-wrestling brought about by a president who thinks allies have no value. European leaders must prepare for a global realignment