Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Clever headline in the French daily, Libération - a reference to Jean-Marie Le Pen’s infamous quip that the Nazi gas chambers were a “detail” in WWII history. That was before France’s far-right National Front party rebranded itself as the National Rally. 020
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 20/09/2026The Economist with the U.S. #midterms caveat piece: “Republican chances to hold the chamber [the House of Representatives] are at 10% and not 1% for plausible reasons. And Americans have seen Mr #Trump’s Houdini act before.” 020
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 03/09/2026The #NYTimes’s Adam Kushner on “a weird summer for the #Pentagon”. #Hegseth 020
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 07/07/2026If anyone’s come across a better editorial cartoon at the juncture of the #WorldCup and #geopolitics, I’d love to see it. 061
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 19/06/2026An AI-generated tongue-in-cheek photo posted on the X platform shows “the Oval Office after Trump’s return from Versailles”. 031
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 16/06/2026French #newspapers (in stark contrast to quality American news outlets that take pains to wall off fact from opinion) aren’t shy about proclaiming their political orientation. It’s part of #France’s journalistic culture and, in the case of left-leaning Libération, makes for some great headlines. 020
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 09/06/2026The punny headline in Libération combines the #WorldCup trophy with an expression meaning to hold something under one’s control. The subhead reads: “President Donald #Trump has succeeded in making the tournament his own, pushing the sport itself into the background in favor of business interests.” 000
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 18/05/2026Editorial cartoon in #China’s state-controlled press. Text reads: “Relax, I’ve got this under control.” #Trump #Xi 020
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 17/05/2026Editorial cartoon by Nick Anderson. #VotingRightsAct #Trump #SCOTUS 021
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 15/05/2026Sobering perspective from MS NOW’s James Downie. #Trump 000
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 05/05/2026Quotable: “The less talent they have, the more pride, vanity and arrogance they have. All these fools, however, find other fools who applaud them.” - #Erasmus, 1509 068
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 04/05/2026Russia lost ground in #Ukraine in April, marking first time that’s happened in nearly three years. (Source: AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War) #Russia 030
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 02/05/2026Donald #Trump’s war of choice against #Iran is already as unpopular with Americans as previous wars in #Vietnam and #Iraq. (Source: What a Day, ‘Crooked’) 011
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 12/04/2026After 16 years presiding over #Hungary’s rule-of-law-eroding “illiberal democracy”, during which he tightened the noose on the government, press, judiciary, business & academic life, Viktor #Orban’s been booted out by voters. Unlike his ally #Trump (who endorsed him publicly) Orban conceded defeat. 040
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 28/03/2026Rogue nation: Under its Socialist prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, #Spain has so far bucked the continental trend towards more overt racism and a mainstreaming of the extreme right. But Le Monde reports it is not immune to the kind of polarization afflicting so many democratic societies. #immigration 010
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 27/03/2026And then this happened in Vladimir #Putin’s #Russia. 011
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 11/03/2026The headline in #France’s leading satirical newspaper: “Under fire from his base and falling in the polls, #Trump turns again to his weapons of mass distraction in #Iran.” 020
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 06/03/2026“This is the first indication that another major U.S. adversary is participating in the war.” -The Washington Post 000
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 03/03/2026Is #Trump’s gambit “in some ways, even more careless and ill-considered than [George W.] Bush’s?” asks Matt Berg in the ‘What a day’ newsletter. #Iran #Mideast 000
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 02/03/2026The #Spanish government has objected to an operation that it considers outside of international law, The #NYTimes reports. #Iran #Trump 020
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 01/03/2026Roman Sheremeta, an associate professor of economics at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, and a close observer of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, “updated” this 2012 tweet by Donald #Trump. 030
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 28/02/2026Just before the U.S. and Israel attacked #Iran, the foreign minister of Oman dashed to Washington D.C. to try to reassure the #Trump administration that ongoing talks in Geneva were making real progress. He went on CBS News to say that a deal was within reach, The Guardian reports. 174
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 22/02/2026Twilight Zone-ish: a U.S. president may be on the brink of going to war with no explanation as to why. Not long ago, when the U.S. went to war on false pretenses - read, “weapons of mass destruction” - its president at least took pains to invent a lie for public opinion. No more. #Iran #Trump 030
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 15/02/2026Nick Anderson’s editorial #cartoon captures the wilful brutality driving an American administration that has shocked and horrified much of America, and the world. #PamBondi #Trump 062
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 28/01/2026Denmark’s PM, Mette Frederiksen, speaking at #SciencesPo, warns about the pernicious effects of social media on our ability to concentrate and look at the big picture.”The algorithms support the very black and white way of looking at the world. But #democracy is the opposite. It’s the opposite.” 121
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 28/01/2026“We are under huge pressure. We are trying to push back from the outside, but handle our people who are afraid…scared…The feeling in #Greenland hasn’t been good.” : Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the prime minister of Greenland, speaking alongside his #Danish counterpart at #SciencesPo #Europe #NATO 010
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 26/01/2026Quotable: “No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices.” - Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965), a #radio and #TV reporter who was one of the early pioneers of American broadcast #journalism. #tyranny 120
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 26/01/2026The question put to a panel of commentators this morning on LCI, a #French 24-hour news channel: “Is #America breaking up?” #USA 020
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 20/01/2026Really enjoyed a 45-min #France24 special with journalist/filmmaker David Thompson, brilliantly presented by Pauline Paccard, digging into JD #Vance’s arc from calling #Trump “Hitler” to becoming one of the most powerful VPs in US history, and a potential #MAGA heir. 020
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 02/01/2026Ouch! Can we all agree that Libération should stick to punning in #French - in which it’s in a league of its own? #Mamdani 030
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 01/01/2026“Enhanced tax credits that have helped reduce the cost of #health insurance for the vast majority of Affordable Care Act enrollees expired overnight, cementing higher health costs for millions of Americans at the start of the New Year.” AP reports. #Trump instead seems to have prioritized pasta: 010
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 20/12/2025The #Trump administration violated federal law by failing to divulge ALL the #Epstein files by a Congressionally mandated deadline. What it did release is so heavily redacted as to make the whole exercise all but pointless. It’s a study in deliberate obfuscation. 041
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 18/12/2025Here is a chart from the FT showing the top 50 foreign companies by assets in #Russia in 2024. Around half are in #financial services. (Source: KSE Institute, Yale, FT Research) 010
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 12/12/2025Opinion: Editorial cartoon by Ann Telnaes. #immigrants #Trump 0114
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 28/11/2025Important contextual reporting from The Guardian on why #Putin will not budge from his maximalist demands in his war against #Ukraine. 010
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 26/11/2025Michael McFaul was the U.S. ambassador to #Russia from 2012-2014, during Barack Obama’s administration. 031
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 26/11/2025And then this happened: Bloomberg News has reviewed leaked audio files (excerpt below) of a private call in which Trump envoy Steve #Witkoff is heard advising #Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov, on the best way to present the #Ukraine “peace plan” to Donald #Trump. 131
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 19/11/2025CNN’s Reliable Sources cuts to the quick on Donald #Trump’s open contempt for reporters who ask him questions he doesn’t like. #journalism #pressfreedom 000
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 05/11/2025Quotable: “As Eugene Debs once said, I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity.” -New York City’s Mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, referring to a Socialist icon. #NYC 030
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 31/10/2025Trump has stopped to using hunger as a weapon, writes Dan Rather and Team Steady. #shutdown #food 000
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 23/10/2025The #NYTimes, on how “ #Trump is wasting no time in tearing down the East Wing” of the White House: 100
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 19/10/2025An editorial cartoon from Pulitzer Prize-winning political satirist, Matt Wuerker. #Trump 022
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 17/10/2025As a TV commentator who speaks Russian and has lived in #Russia, I believe I have a degree of credibility in “analyzing” Putin’s motives in his war against #Ukraine. Not so with #Trump. “Analyzing” him is a losing proposition. He’s guided by egocentricity, and flips on a dime. Here’s the #NYTimes: 021
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 16/10/2025The #CIA is hiring. I can’t imagine what the person who ends up getting this job will spend their days doing. The current CIA director, in his confirmation hearing, testified that his CIA would be “going places no one else can go, and doing things no one else can do.” Any thoughts, Ethics Attorney? 021
Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 12/10/2025Natalia Antelava on Coda Story, writing about the conversations we are not having in a social media world that encourages the simplistic or titillating narrative. 010