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Reposted by Nicolas Bouchet

John Scott-Railton @jsrailton.bsky.social · 23h

Now we're seeing confirmation of the NSO acquisition.

Mark my words, this is the path through which Pegasus gets put on Americans iPhones & Androids.

This dictatorship-in-a-box belongs nowhere near our constitutional rights.

Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 23h

SCOOP: Spyware maker NSO Group confirmed to us that the company has been acquired by a U.S. investment group.

NSO's spokesperson said the group "has invested tens of millions of dollars in the company and has acquired controlling ownership," but declined to say who is behind the investment.

Spyware maker NSO Group confirms acquisition by US investors | TechCrunch

NSO Group confirmed to TechCrunch that an unnamed group of American investors has taken “controlling ownership” of the surveillance tech maker.

techcrunch.com

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Nate Schenkkan @nateschenkkan.bsky.social · 1d

I like how in the same breath these guys will be like “that’s why we need to put everyone’s eyeball scans on the blockchain”

Michael Derby @michaelsderby.bsky.social · 1d

Conservative tech lord Thiel said tighter financial regulations “were a sign that a singular world government has begun to emerge that could be taken over by an Antichrist figure who could then use it to exert control over people.” Via WashPost

Inside billionaire Peter Thiel’s private lectures: Warnings of ‘the Antichrist’ and U.S. destruction

In leaked recordings of private lectures by tech billionaire Peter Thiel he argued that “the Antichrist” is likely to take the form of a critic of technology.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Hans Gutbrod @hansgutbrod.bsky.social · 1d

great cover, too!

"The Grand Oligarch Hotel: Checking Out of Democracy, Checking into Authoritarianism."
politicsgeo.com/current-issue/

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Kimberly Marten @kimberlymarten.bsky.social · 1d

It gets worse. After he and his family checked in for their flight, got their boarding passes, and cleared security, somebody cancelled their reservations before they could board. Expert hackers now involved? www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/n...

Rutgers Expert on Antifa Tries to Flee to Spain After Death Threats

www.nytimes.com

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Cristian Canțâr @cristiancantir.bsky.social · 1d

... in Central and Eastern Europe, where the Trump admin. seems to be doing everything it can to erode pro-American feeling among both the population and among elites. Source: Mureșan's Facebook, Oct. 7.

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Cristian Canțâr @cristiancantir.bsky.social · 1d

... the Eastern Neighborhood (incl. Moldova) in the EU's 2026 budget to offset partially the U.S. withdrawal of aid to civil society. The EU can, and should, obviously do more, but this proposal is interesting because it's a direct consequence of the U.S.'s own goals ...

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Cristian Canțâr @cristiancantir.bsky.social · 1d

An update: here's a good example of some EU politicians smartly stepping in where an incoherent, short-sighted, and instinctively pro-Kremlin U.S. admin. has just been throwing away soft power: Euro-M.P. Siegfried Mureșan has proposed the addition of 25 million Euros for ...

Cristian Canțâr @cristiancantir.bsky.social · Apr 8

In the last few months, there's been a growing list of self-inflicted and completely unnecessary U.S. foreign policy mistakes in Moldova, which have undermined long-term U.S. national interests like reducing Russian influence in Central and Eastern Europe. Some examples: ...

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Nicolas Bouchet @nickbouchet.bsky.social · 1d

To scroll down or not to scroll down: the central dilemma of this moment in time.

Nate Schenkkan @nateschenkkan.bsky.social · 1d

Dying of embarrassment for my country again

a cat is giving a thumbs up sign while crying .

ALT: a cat is giving a thumbs up sign while crying .

media.tenor.com

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Dan Nexon @dhnexon.bsky.social · 1d

🧵 As an academic whose formative college and graduate experiences took place during the 'modernists' vs. 'neo-primordialist' debates about nationalism, I find the causal ideological & methodological nationalism of even left-wing social media shocking.

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Judah Grunstein @judah-grunstein.bsky.social · 1d

"Rather than antagonize the servicemembers in their midst, citizens .. could instead seize this rare opportunity to bridge the civil-military divide with constructive, respectful, nonconfrontational conversations with them."

Sharing a gift link to this important one by @charlicarpenter.bsky.social.

The Value of Engaging With Troops Deployed to U.S. Cities

The recent deployments of servicemembers to U.S. cities give citizens a rare opportunity to bridge the civil-military divide.

www.worldpoliticsreview.com

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Carnegie Endowment @carnegieendowment.org · 1d

Delegitimizing women and limiting their rights goes hand in hand with democratic backsliding around the world.

@saskiabr.bsky.social explained the relationship between women’s rights and democratic resilience, for @nytimes.com: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/w...

As Democratic Institutions Erode, Women See a Loss of Rights

www.nytimes.com

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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 2d

Utterly sinister and deeply threatening to democracy:

"plans to deploy America's counter-terrorism apparatus... as well as the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department against certain left-wing groups it accuses of funding and organizing political violence"

Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 2d

President Donald Trump's threatened crackdown on the finances and activities of liberal non-profits and groups opposed to his agenda is a multi-agency effort with top White House aide Stephen Miller playing a central role, according to officials.

www.reuters.com/legal/govern...

www.reuters.com

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Christopher Miller @christopherjm.ft.com · 2d

A series of massive Russian air strikes in the past week have disabled nearly 60 per cent of Ukraine’s gas production, raising fears of winter shortages.

"We need billions of cubic meters of gas more during the heating season."

Our interviews with CEOs of Naftogaz and DTEK:
on.ft.com/439o4qs

Russia destroys 60% of Ukraine’s gas production ahead of winter

[FREE TO READ] Moscow’s intensified bombing campaign seeks to ‘break our spirit’, says head of state energy group

on.ft.com

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Judah Grunstein @judah-grunstein.bsky.social · 2d

From this more thoroughly reported AP piece, it seems Putin has indeed agree to compensate the victims. So a complete capitulation to Aliev's demands.

Putin says Russian air defenses were responsible for Azerbaijani jet's crash last year, killing 38

President Vladimir Putin said Russia’s air defense were to blame for downing an Azerbaijani jetliner in December that killed 38 people.

apnews.com

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The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 2d

We are happy to introduce a long-requested feature — Kyiv Independent members can now pay for monthly or annual memberships using PayPal.

We’ve also expanded our payment features, and now there is no need to pay for conversion fees when paying in EUR, GBP, CAD, or AUD.

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Lisa Fazio @lkfazio.bsky.social · 2d

"American civil society has more than enough financial and organizational muscle to stop this authoritarian offensive. But it requires collective resolve. And it requires leadership, which has been in painfully short supply."

www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

Harvard Must Take a Stand Against Trump’s Compact | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson

Harvard, rather than quietly pursuing its own appeasement strategy, should lead the way to preserve academic freedom and democracy.

www.thecrimson.com

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The Insider @theins.press · 2d

“Russia arrested me in absentia, but an American court said I faced no danger back home”: How Russians are being deported from the U.S.

The Insider spoke with deportees to learn what they endured in American detention centers and upon return to Russia.

“Russia arrested me in absentia, but an American court said I faced no danger back home”: How Russians are being deported from the U.S.

In the summer of 2025, the United States began mass deportations of Russians who had sought asylum in the country. In June and August alone, more than 100 people were flown out under heavy guard on ch...

theins.press

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Zsuzsanna Vegh @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social · 2d

Andrej Babiš may become the second prime minister from the far-right EU group Patriots for Europe but he is not Orbán. His comeback brings both change and continuity in Prague.

My post-election assessment for @gmfus.bsky.social

www.gmfus.org/news/czechia...

Czechia Is No Hungary

www.gmfus.org

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Maryam Aldossari @maryamaldossari.bsky.social · 2d

Saudi Arabia’s investment in Twitter boosted its influence while being used at home to silence regime critics. “They’re surveillance states.They’re police states. They want to use the latest tech to stay in power and surveil their populations.” www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Money talks: the deep ties between Twitter and Saudi Arabia

The long read: Saudi Arabia’s investment in Twitter increased its influence in Silicon Valley while being used at home to shut down critics of the regime

www.theguardian.com

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Anton Barbashin @abarbashin.bsky.social · 2d

Oversimplifying but still.
Ukraine’s message to EU: support us now or Russia will attack Estonia
Russia’s message to EU: stop supporting Ukraine now or Russia will attack Estonia

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Marcus Michaelsen @mmichae1sen.bsky.social · 2d

As the US shifts from fighting transnational repression to facilitating it, Europe needs to step up: condemn Trumps actions and provide shelter for dissidents fleeing authoritarianism. Great piece by @nateschenkkan.bsky.social

Nate Schenkkan @nateschenkkan.bsky.social · 2d

New from me in @foreignpolicy.com: how the US has gone from leading a global push against transnational repression, to proactively supporting it:

foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/08/t...

Trump Is Supporting Transnational Repression

Instead of sheltering pro-democracy dissidents, America is now returning them for arrest.

foreignpolicy.com

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Nicolas Bouchet @nickbouchet.bsky.social · 2d

Excellent article

Money talks: the deep ties between Twitter and Saudi Arabia

The long read: Saudi Arabia’s investment in Twitter increased its influence in Silicon Valley while being used at home to shut down critics of the regime

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Nicolas Bouchet

Kevin Rothrock @kevinrothrock.me · 2d

mastodon libs put bluesky libs to shame

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Jasmin Mujanović @jasminmuj.bsky.social · 2d

The Serbia-Kosovo issue is now a cold war, in all but name. We should not expect a resumption of meaningful diplomatic negotiations until there is a change of government in Belgrade.

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Jasmin Mujanović @jasminmuj.bsky.social · 2d

The Kosovo-Serbia “dialogue” is finished. Its final chapter was written by Belgrade’s paramilitary operation in Banjska. Vucic lashing out at Kosovo over its procurement of Skydagger drones is just his petulant acknowledgment that the security situation on the ground is no longer his dictate.

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