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Brendan Thomas

@altostratus.bsky.social
791 followers 2.2K following 788 posts

Welsh tech industry worker living in East London. Fascinated by science, nature, and geopolitics, and loving the sanity of BlueSky having previously been an avid fan of Twitter.

PostsRepliesMedia
Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
This is awful. A few weeks ago, I spoke to an MP about this very issue. At the time, they were optimistic about changes likely to address mega donor funding of political parties. What an enormous mis-step by Burnham and Labour.
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Alan Jagolinzer @jagolinzer.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Former Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull at the 2026 Cambridge Disinformation Summit: “Murdoch has done more damage to democracy in the English-speaking countries than any other individual alive.” youtube.com/shorts/riRrb...
youtube.com
Malcolm Turnbull
YouTube video by Cambridge Disinformation Summit
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
An Open Letter to Scott Bessent robertreich.substack.com/p/an-open-…
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
The Trump administration is shutting down key anti-corruption measures by reducing shell company transparency. internationalpolicy.org/publications...
internationalpolicy.org
Trump Shuts Down Anti-Corruption Tool - CIP
Shell company registration was a powerful tool in the fight against corruption, and ending that registry makes corruption easier.
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
@samtlevin.bsky.social The 'worm-like creatures' are almost certainly mosquito larvae, and they are found in bodies of still water left open to the air. They are harmless to drink, but their presence suggests poor maintenance of facilities - open water tanks etc. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
ICE detainee reveals video of drinking water apparently contaminated with worm-like creatures
‘Disturbing’ footage shared by California detainee surfaces amid wider complaints about conditions in ICE detention
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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 15/07/2026
The State Department has just put out a tender, offering funding of up to $3 million to European organizations who want to fight against "Supra-national institutions" - presumably the EU - and governments who seek to regulate the internet and end Western Civilization. www.state.gov/drl-nofo-dev...
state.gov
DRL NOFO Developing Civilizational Bonds, Democratic Resilience, and Rule of Law in Europe - United States Department of State
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)Developing Civilizational Bonds, Democratic Resilience, and Rule of Law in EuropeBureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor, Department of StateOpportunity number: ...
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Jim 🔥 @jim.chat · 09/07/2026
🇬🇧 for those complacent enough to think that Thiel & Palantir are US-only problems … or that Reform is a cheap joke … Thank you @nafeez.bsky.social @peterjukes.bsky.social @hardeepmatharu.bsky.social … for shining your light. bylinetimes.com/2026/07/09/p...
bylinetimes.com
Palantir Co-Founder Peter Thiel and Reform UK's Cambridge University Recruitment Pipeline Project Revealed
The world-renowned academic institution has nothing to say in response to a six-month investigation by Byline Times raising serious concerns about the safeguarding of students and foreign influence at...
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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Cambridge University has consistently ignored confidential queries about the concerns raised by James Orr’s activities. Instead, its press office has passed them on directly to Orr’s lawyers. The University has offered no explanation of, or comment on, the extensive findings of this investigation
bylinetimes.com
Palantir Co-Founder Peter Thiel and Reform UK's Cambridge University Recruitment Pipeline Project Revealed
The world-renowned academic institution has nothing to say in response to a six-month investigation by Byline Times raising serious concerns about the safeguarding of students and foreign influence at...
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Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
A) This a properly brilliant piece of investigative journalism by BBC & @hopenot.bsky.social Huge kudos to all involved for doing the job the UK police & CPS failed to do: naming the alleged spymaster & clearly showing Kremlin’s role. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Russia was behind arson attacks targeting PM, BBC reveals
Evidence shows Russians directing the plot and stoking tensions with fake far-right and Muslim groups.
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
@theguardian.com I guess this is a known issue, but pages fail to render on your app when they load. This article for instance www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m... Only when you scroll down do you see the content, but scrolling up hides the content again. I'm on a modern Android device.
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Far too little attention is being paid to Russia's war against sanctions, with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan playing a major part. See also the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which is delivering essential components to Russia from China, India, and the EU. oilprice.com/Energy/Energ...
oilprice.com
The Central Asian Corridor Powering Russia’s Wartime Trade | OilPrice.com
A new watchdog report alleges that Central Asian states and Caucasus transit routes remain central to Russia’s efforts to evade Western sanctions and procure dual-use goods for its war machine.
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
I'm certain the scale of the systemic damage being done by the Trump administration is not being fully appreciated, and may not be for some time. The 24 sacked board members of The National Science Board were tasked with advocating for education and research. www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
Trump fires NSF's oversight board
Dismissal of the National Science Board is widely seen as latest move to erase NSF’s independence
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Joshi Herrmann @joshih.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
I have three court hearings to attend in three months. Two subjects of our reporting are suing us. Journalism is threatened by abusive legal threats aimed at silencing reporting. The Government needs to #StopSLAPPs. Please share and write to your MP. manchestermill.co.uk/three-courts...
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Former lawyer, Jenny Cohn consistently produces clear, informative, well sourced, and detailed reporting that reflects her diligence and sharp mind. The links between Orban's Hungary and prominent MPs, academics, and think tanks is stark, and very much deserves to have more light shone on it.
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Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 07/04/2026
Earthset from Artemis II. I am overcome.
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
An excellent explainer by Dr Aaron Thierry that covers the non-linear growth of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere. I have no idea how people can in good conscience invest in the fossil fuel industry.
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Alan Jagolinzer @jagolinzer.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Discussion of why we built the Cambridge Disinformation Summit. “Why do people listen to blatant liars who have a track record of bullshitting people? Why do people pay attention to, believe and defend what they say despite all the counter-evidence?" ccodactivity.substack.com/p/discussing...
ccodactivity.substack.com
Discussing Disinformation #3 Professor Alan Jagolinzer
Earlier this year, the CCOD sat down with Alan Jagozlinzer – Professor of Financial Accounting at the University of Cambridge and organiser of the Cambridge Disinformation Summit.
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Elizabeth Warren @elizabeth-warren.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
ABC, Meta, X, and Paramount promised as much as $63 million in donations to Trump's future Presidential Library. But now the Library Fund is dissolved, leaving the American people in the dark on the fate of millions of dollars. Where did that money go? I’m pushing for answers.
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
In 2018, Boris Johnson amongst others warned Trump against his decision to abandon the Iran Nuclear Agreement. Advice given to Trump at the time was pertinent, but has somehow been forgotten. hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2018...
hansard.parliament.uk
Iran Nuclear Deal - Hansard - UK Parliament
Hansard record of the item : 'Iran Nuclear Deal' on Wednesday 9 May 2018.
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
On Farage becoming incensed during an interview this week, I recall seeing the administration of councils as a test Reform would likely fail. Rhetoric only takes you so far. I hope Farage, his followers, and his well resourced benefactors face increasing scrutiny.
Reform party poster pledging to "Reduce council waste and cut your taxes"
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
A concise, compelling, and well written summary of the US war in Iran and of other foreign policy decisions in today's Times newspaper. I have not always agreed with William Hague, but I cannot fault this piece. www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
thetimes.com
Prepare for chaos unleashed by Ayatollah Khamenei’s fall
Death of the Iranian dictator is undeniably positive but Trump’s great gamble pushes the world into an uncertain future
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
@tbenner.bsky.social Thanks for this excellent open article in IP Quarterly outlining the changing inport and export markets, the traps being put in place by China, the likely outcomes if little is done, and the opportunities that the EU has in trading with allies. ip-quarterly.com/en/germanys-...
ip-quarterly.com
Germany’s China Shock
For a long time, Germany’s political and business elites have chosen to ignore the economic threat emanating from Xi Jinping’s China. It’s now time to confront it.
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
@dangoyal.bsky.social I saw you share this fascinating open access Nature article on X. Thank you. Research by Germain Gauthier, Roland Hodler, Philine Widmer, Ekaterina Zhuravskaya, at the Department of Economics, University of St.Gallen, St.Gallen, Switzerland. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
The political effects of X’s feed algorithm - Nature
Among users initially on a chronological feed, 7 weeks of exposure to X’s algorithmic feed in 2023 shifted political attitudes and account-following behaviour in a more conservative direction compared...
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
This is such a pressing issue. It could be argued that the likes of Bamford, Ashcroft, Lebedev, and Hintze, who have all been given peerages, bough enormous power and impacted the decision to hold an EU referendum, its terms, and its outcome. This should also be a national security issue.
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
@preetbharara.bsky.social - Some interesting talking points here from the brilliant Jenny Cohn. Could you share an opinion? In these dynamic times, there is a strong interest in election integrity and the possible federalisation of elections in the US.
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Angry @angrystaffer.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
From what they’re saying, it’s someone close to Trump getting caught communicating with a foreign intelligence operative. I don’t know what it was related to, but I’m deeply concerned that the NSA Director and Deputy Director were both fired around the time of the complaint.
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Sarah Kendzior @sarahkendzior.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
I've been covering Trump and Epstein's rape cases for a decade. It takes a toll. I don't charge for my work because it's wrong to paywall in times of peril. But if you appreciate what I do, consider being a paying subscriber. Thank you. sarahkendzior.substack.com/p/jackhammer...
sarahkendzior.substack.com
Jackhammering Into the Sewer
A look through the Epstein files.
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Joel D. Anderson @joelanderson.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
this headline is almost misleading because there's actually a handful of allegations against trump in here. am i living under a rock or something? is this just no longer a big deal? www.tmz.com/2026/01/30/t...
tmz.com
Trump Accused In Epstein Files of Forcing Underage Girl To Perform Oral Sex
Bombshell allegation in the latest Epstein Files document release ... an underage girl claims she was forced to perform oral sex on Donald Trump approximately 35 years ago in New Jersey.
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
It would normally go without saying that public officials should be held to account, especially over something so blatantly egregious. (I'm watching all this unfold from the UK and am horrified. I also worry about the long term effects of connecting thousands of people with extreme views via ICE.)
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
This is an excellent thread and it is worth reading some of the deep dive articles within it that describe governance models increasingly being seen in autocratic leaning states. The term 'Neo-Royalism' seems especially appropriate.
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
Nuanced interview with @johnsipher.bsky.social on Secrets and Spies that seems especially pertinent. He discusses Congressional oversight, China, disinformation (see also 'reflexive control'), the realities of Russian aggression, oppression, and Russia's possible futures. youtu.be/EfRdJ98XJz8?...
youtu.be
How Good Are Vladimir Putin's Spies?
YouTube video by Secrets & Spies: Espionage | Global Issues
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Le Monde in English @english.lemonde.fr · 23/12/2025
Israel NGO registration rules could lead to collapse of aid into Gaza
lemonde.fr
Israel NGO registration rules could lead to collapse of aid into Gaza
New administrative rules imposed on international organizations have already led to the exclusion of several groups from the Palestinian enclave. Humanitarian actors say they are deeply concerned for civilians.
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
Enormous sums of money have been devoted to climate misinformation or disinformation and social media is awash with it. Alex Epstein and Bjorn Lomberg are just two of many perpetrators. The best sources of climate information come from experts not affiliated with the fossil fuel industry. See below.
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
Mohammed bin Salman visited the White House in person the day before the scheduled release of the Epstein files. I wonder whether the Trump administration, Jared Kushner included, is also protecting him. www.npr.org/2025/11/18/g...
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Rachel Maddow @maddow.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
abc7chicago.com/post/bulgari...
abc7chicago.com
Bulgarian Chicago business owner dies in ICE custody, sparking calls for 'immediate investigation'
A Bulgarian business owner who lived in Chicago for decades and was arrested during an immigration enforcement 'blitz' has died while in the custody of ICE at a private prison in Michigan, the ABC7 I-...
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Terje Helland @terjehelland.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
If the West wants leverage in Georgia, the path is proven: name names, sanction enablers, hit money and mobility. This system is fragile once loyalty becomes more dangerous than exit. 11/12
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
In summary, Kushner's position in government does not qualify him to negotiate foreign peace treaties. "Private citizens are banned from unauthorized foreign negotiations under the Logan Act. Furthermore, accepting payments from foreign governments is restricted under the Foreign Emoluments Clause."
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Peter Jukes @peterjukes.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
Just 13k more signatures and the call for a public inquiry into Russian interference has to be debate in Parliament petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
petition.parliament.uk
Petition: Call a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy
We are concerned about reported efforts from Russia to influence democracy in the US, UK, Europe and elsewhere. We believe we must establish the depth and breadth of possible Russian influence campaig...
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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 29/11/2025
Time to ask: In whose interests is American foreign policy being conducted?
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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 29/11/2025
"By dangling multibillion-dollar rare-earth and energy deals, Moscow could reshape the economic map of Europe—while driving a wedge between America and its traditional allies" Read this excellent @wsj.com account of the business deals behind the "peace"negotiations www.wsj.com/world/russia...
wsj.com
Make Money Not War: Trump’s Real Plan for Peace in Ukraine
The Kremlin pitched the White House on peace through business. To Europe’s dismay, the president and his envoy are on board.
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
This requires close inspection.
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
@dekleptocracy.bsky.social Great to see your ideas gaining traction. Democratic countries have enormous leverage over Russia through sanctions, yet they need to be applied and enforced. I'm also reminded of the ball bearing crisis, which China helped avert. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
theguardian.com
West is ‘missing obscure sanctions that could set back Russia’s war machine’
US group Dekleptocracy identifies additives for military vehicles’ lubricants and tyres as potential vulnerabilities
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
A gift article from The Atlantic authored by the very capable Anne Applebaum covering the latest US 'peace deal'. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
theatlantic.com
The Murky Plan That Ensures a Future War
Who will benefit from the White House’s 28-point proposal for Ukraine?
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IPES-Food @ipes-food.org · 19/11/2025
🚨The global rise of #UltraProcessedFoods isn’t accidental – it’s powered by a corporate playbook. ⚕️A must-read @thelancet.com paper maps how junk food giants block regulation, control narratives & reshape food policy in their favour. And what we can do about it👇 👉 www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
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Brittany Trang @brittanytrang.com · 08/11/2025
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death. Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written." Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating. 🧪🧬🧫
statnews.com
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 01/11/2025
Outstanding. I love London for its diversity and this confident advert by New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani gave me a sense of joy that has been rare in recent political discourse. This refreshing and unifying approach is likely to be projected much more widely if he wins on November 4th.
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Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Trump Org’s income in the first half of 2024 was $51 million. In the first half of 2025 it rose to $864 million. A massive percentage came from foreigners. It should be the biggest scandal in the history of American politics. But few even care. www.reuters.com/investigatio...
reuters.com
Inside the Trump family’s global crypto cash machine
The U.S. president’s family raked in more than $800 million from sales of crypto assets in the first half of 2025 alone, a Reuters examination found, on top of potentially billions more in unrealized “on paper” gains. Much of that cash came from foreign sources as Donald Trump's sons touted their business on an international investor roadshow.
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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
this is a fearless, clear, alarming explainer by @edwardluce.bsky.social on how Trump is trampling over democratic norms in the USA www.ft.com/content/1377...
ft.com
The Trump Supremacy
Opponents in disarray, allies in line, followers enthralled — the US president is already on his way to building a new world order
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Brendan Thomas @altostratus.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
This is a cause I believe strongly in. Religious schools entrench segregation, discriminate against SEN children, and can constrain rather than open young minds. I support the work Humanists UK is doing.
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