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American-German Institute @amgerinst.bsky.social · 13h

Germany has been building its military capabilities and coordinating closely with European partners. In our latest podcast, @annakatrein.bsky.social discusses what Germany still needs to do to prepare for strategic independence:

Episode 134: Europe’s Strategic Dependencies

The dynamics of the transatlantic relationship are changing. As Europe faces the changing policies of the United States toward its alliances, Germany is investing in its armed forces at a …

americangerman.institute

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Tim Mak @timkmak.bsky.social · 1d

Here's what you should know today:

The EU will restrict travel for Russian diplomats within the bloc, citing increasing incidents of spies using diplomatic cover.

Russian diplomats must now notify local authorities when traveling between member states.

EU to curb Russian diplomats’ travel as suspected spy attacks mount

Intelligence agencies say sabotage operations are often led by spies posing as diplomats

www.ft.com

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Jeff Rathke @jeffrathke.bsky.social · 2d

"unaware"...🤨

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Abe Newman @abenewman.bsky.social · 3d

1/Striking speech by Macron: The future of European democracy depends on taking back its digital information space. A remarkable turn from Silicon Valley as source of enlightenment to being a purveyor of slop. And the stakes aren't just ad revenue but the nation.
defenddemocracy.eu/macron-democ...

"Europeans, let's wake up!" — Defend Democracy

“We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks.” President Macron on the occasion of German Unity Day, 3 October 2025.

defenddemocracy.eu

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Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 5d

Chris Rufo's disastrous takeover of New College in Florida shows what universities would become if they sign the Trump regime's extortionary "compact."

New College was supposed to model the anti-woke conservative higher-ed Americans crave. Instead, it showed the opposite, and serves as a warning.

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Jeff Rathke @jeffrathke.bsky.social · 5d

Worked in Russia for a few years during transition from Yeltsin to Putin -- this rings very true.

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NPR @npr.org · 8d

JUST IN: President Trump has told top U.S. commanders that the military would be used against "enemy within."

Trump defends use of U.S. military against 'enemy within'

Earlier, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the purpose of the department would exclusively be "war fighting."

n.pr

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Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 9d

'Everything that protects Poland also protests us' - important sentence here by German foreign minister that should be communicated more clearly in Germany.

Johann Wadephul @aussenminister.diplo.de · 9d

Was Polen schützt, schützt auch uns. In diesen Zeiten zählt unsere enge 🇩🇪-🇵🇱 Zusammenarbeit mehr denn je. Von den #Patriot-Systemen in Rzeszów bis zum Schutz kritischer Infrastruktur: Deutschland & Polen stehen Schulter an Schulter. @radek-sikorski.bsky.social

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Brennan Center @brennancenter.org · 10d

The Trump administration is escalating its surveillance of tens of millions of *legal* immigrants, forcing them to refrain from expressing opinions that someone might deem “anti-American.” It’s a clear attack on free speech and the First Amendment. bit.ly/4823Brc

“Continuous Vetting” of All Visa Holders Is Impossible, but the Threat Alone Chills Free Speech

Government claims of AI-powered surveillance create an illusion of total oversight that encourages self-censorship without actually improving security.

www.brennancenter.org

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Kai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · 11d

Troops. In an American city. Using full force.

Your now-regular reminder that Republican members of Congress are letting this happen.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11d

Trump says he’s authorized Hegseth to use “Full Force” against Antifa in “War ravaged” Portland

At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists. I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

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Jeff Rathke @jeffrathke.bsky.social · 13d

Since it's the president saying it, I guess that makes it an Executive Order of Attainder instead of a Bill?

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 13d

Trump on who he wants investigated: "Soros is a name certainly that I keep hearing. I don't know. I hear a lot of different names. I hear names of some pretty rich people that are radical left people. Maybe I hear about a guy named Reid Hoffman."

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Fabian Hoffmann @frhoffmann.bsky.social · 15d

The documents show 2.373 billion euros in funding for Taurus NEO.

This is similar to the 2.1 billion euros reported by Spiegel 11 months ago for 600 missiles. The slight increase may reflect higher material costs or a somewhat larger number of missiles being ordered

www.politico.eu/article/germ...

Germany’s €80B rearmament plan sidelines US weapons

A procurement plan obtained by POLITICO shows Berlin’s rearmament spree will overwhelmingly benefit European industry.

www.politico.eu

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Sam Wang @samwang.bsky.social · 17d

Executive orders cannot supersede federal law or the constitution. Federal law sets visa fees, including for H-1B visas. And the maximum fee is $4,500, according to the
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-113).

Current State Dept. site: travel.state.gov/content/trav...

Fees for Visa Services

This webpage lists visa application fees and other visa related fees collected by Department of State. Note that many immigration-related forms are submitted to the Department of Homeland Security’s U...

travel.state.gov

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Jeff Rathke @jeffrathke.bsky.social · 17d

Resonant essay by @philipkennicott.bsky.social in today’s WaPo. Great opening line:

“Leni Riefenstahl remains a problem to be solved, not because there’s any doubt about who she was, but because we are uncertain as to who we are.”

www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...

Column | More than two decades after her death, Leni Riefenstahl is still lying

A new documentary offers bracing lessons about demagogues and the people who serve them.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Jeff Rathke @jeffrathke.bsky.social · 18d

I worked in RUS during the time Garry Kasparov describes. He gets exactly right how Putin turned the RUS media into a state instrument and crushed any org'zn that dared criticize his rule.

Compare w/FCC and Trump's statements this week...

www.thenextmove.org/p/i-saw-how-...

I Saw How Russia Killed Media Freedom

Censorship is central to the story of Russia’s descent into KGB dictatorship.

www.thenextmove.org

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D. Earl Stephens @dearlstephens.bsky.social · 18d

📌WARNING: As a former managing editor of Stars and Stripes, what Hegseth's Pentagon is pulling with the press is dangerous as hell, anti-American, and will HURT THE TROOPS.

📌Any news organization that advocates for THEM and reports on their quality-of-life issues will potentially be squashed.

🧵

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Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 20d

A Few Thoughts on KimmelGeddon talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/a-few...

A Few Thoughts on KimmelGeddon

Let me start by noting the obvious: What we saw yesterday with...

talkingpointsmemo.com

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Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 22d

This will also be an interesting test case for taking foreign policy decisions by qualified majority. Unlike regular sanctions (which require unanimity) this proposal aims to suspend parts of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which can be done by qualified majority:

Who decides EU policy on Gaza? (Part I)

A look at who can take the EU decisions on Gaza - regarding statements, positions in international organisations and sanctions

open.substack.com

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American-German Institute @amgerinst.bsky.social · Sep 8

AGI President @jeffrathke.bsky.social spoke to ZDF about the Department of Defense's rebrand to the Department of War and what it means for U.S. policy:

Trumps neues Dekret: Das Wort "Kriegsministerium" ist zurück

Das US-Verteidigungsministerium heißt wieder Kriegsministerium. Zumindest im Sprachgebrauch von Präsident Donald Trump und seiner Regierung.

www.zdfheute.de

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Kai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · Sep 7

The cowardice of the academic military is really just stunning.

James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · Sep 6

Over the decades I have spoken at all of the service academies and War Colleges. They've all known I was "a critic" of many policies

This is a really, really ominous development

(AFAcad cancelling a speaker, in endowed-lecture series, because she has criticized Trump.)

gazette.com/military/air...

Air Force Academy cancels lecture after discovering speaker disparaged Trump

Air Force Academy officials have canceled an annual fall lecture because the speaker, Paisley Rekdal, disparaged President Donald Trump online, prompting a harsh critique from the donor, David Jannett...

gazette.com

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Henry Foy @henryjfoy.ft.com · Sep 5

EU hits Google with €2.95bn antitrust fine for search advertising practices, in the face of Trump’s threat of retaliatory tariffs over Brussels’ digital regulations

@bmoens.bsky.social @financialtimes.com

on.ft.com/4mOkV7k

EU hits Google with €2.95bn antitrust fine despite trade tensions with US

[FREE TO READ] Sanction comes despite Trump’s threat of retaliatory tariffs over digital regulations

on.ft.com

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Joseph de Weck @josephdeweck.bsky.social · Aug 26

Mario Draghi hat am 22. August in Rimini eine Rede an Europas Bürgerinnen und Bürger gehalten, die alle lesen sollten. Besonders in Deutschland. Hier die Übersetzung mit einem einführenden Kurzkommentar von Lukas Paul Schmelter und mir.
legrandcontinent.eu/de/2025/08/2...

Mario Draghi: Den Kurs unseres Kontinents ändern - Der Grand Continent

Irgendwo zwischen Trump und Gaza-Tragödie: Ist Europa dazu verdammt, Zuschauer zu bleiben? Nein, sagt Mario Draghi. Er zieht eine schonungslose Bilanz. Und öffnet Perspektiven.

legrandcontinent.eu

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Jeremy Cliffe @jeremycliffe.bsky.social · Aug 24

Just got round to watching Mario Draghi's speech in Rimini in the original Italian. It is easily the most important speech on Europe so far this year and I hope someone (@grandcontinent.bsky.social?‬) publishes it in English and other EU languages soon.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMME...

Mario Draghi’s Full Speech: Europe’s Harsh Reality — Powerless on the Global Stage! -ITALIAN-

YouTube video by EU Debates | eudebates.tv

www.youtube.com

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American-German Institute @amgerinst.bsky.social · Aug 19

What are the legal and political debates in Germany about a possible ban of the far-right Alternative for Germany party? Join AGI on Sept 4 at 10 am ET for a webinar with former Justice Minister Marco Buschmann on the German constitution and party bans:

Germany’s Party Ban Proceedings against the AfD

Speaker: Marco Buschmann, Former Federal Minister of Justice, Federal Republic of Germany Moderator: Eric Langenbacher, Senior Fellow and Director of the Society, Culture & Politics Program, AGI…

americangerman.institute

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Nico Lange @nicolange.bsky.social · Aug 18

Russland ist angeblich gegen Sicherheitsgarantien für die Ukraine, die die Stationierung von Truppen aus NATO-Staaten in der Ukraine beinhalten. Warum denkt überhaupt jemand, dass Sicherheitsgarantien russische Zustimmung brauchen? Es sind Sicherheitsgarantien GEGEN Russland.

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