iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Energy analysts mostly agree that European nations’ decision to release #diesel from strategic reserves will have little Impact. The move smacks of a cave-in to #Trump, who called it a “great thing”. He needs lower prices at the pump to boost #Republicans’ chances of keeping control of Congress.

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Clever 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.

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

From The #NYTimes: When #Trump met with # Xi in the Oval Office, the WH « allowed a limited number of photojournalists, but no print reporters, to attend. During the event, Mr. Trump made a remark about how the Chinese had the friendliest #press corps, according to photographers who were present. »

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

The 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.”

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Happy 175th (and one day) anniversary to the #NYTimes, my lifelong lodestar. It’s why I got into #journalism. And it’s why I’ve stayed in this profession through all its iterations, keeping me honest - or striving to be honest - in a field where ethics vary wildly. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/o...

nytimes.com

Opinion | A.G. Sulzberger: The Story of America, Told in 15 Million First Drafts of History

The Times has witnessed the country’s transformation. It will keep its eyes open.

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Some important resources in the ongoing fight against 911 conspiracy theories. False narratives, those refuted by facts, delegitimize democratic government and demonize innocent groups, James Lindsay, of the Council on Foreign Relations, writes. www.cfr.org/articles/ten...

cfr.org

Ten Resources Debunking September 11 Conspiracy Theories | Council on Foreign Relations

Twenty-five years after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and the crash of United Flight 93, conspiracy theories about what happened that day continue to flourish.

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Vladimir #Putin was the first foreign leader to call George W. Bush on the day of the 9/11 attacks. According to recently declassified transcripts, he told the U.S. president, referring to the attackers: “We need to destroy them like rats, or buy them off.” nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-boo...

nsarchive.gwu.edu

The Bush-Putin Transcripts: How Vladimir Putin and George W. Bush Bonded Over Terrorism

Washington, D.C., January 7, 2026 - Russian president Vladimir Putin was the first foreign leader to call George W. Bush on his birthday in July 2001 and on the day of the 9/11 attacks, and the two pr...

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The #NYTimes’s Adam Kushner on “a weird summer for the #Pentagon”. #Hegseth

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

The #NYTimes: “President #Trump’s Air Force One subterfuge…pales in comparison to the secrecy surrounding President Vladimir V. #Putin…whose activity is shrouded in so much mystery that journalists have tried to track it by assessing the wilting of his office plants.” www.nytimes.com/2026/08/12/w...

nytimes.com

For Trump, Secret Flight Was a Stunning Ruse. For Putin, ‘a Regular Tuesday.’

President Trump’s Air Force One subterfuge pales in comparison to the secrecy surrounding Russia’s president, whose fixation on security has reached new heights in recent years.

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

“ #Greenland Energy has retained Phil McGraw, better known as Dr Phil, a prominent rightwing former chatshow host who served on #Trump’s religious freedom commission, to make a documentary series that will ‘capture the mission of these modern-day wildcatters’.” www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...

theguardian.com

Greenland issues ‘strong warning’ as Trump-linked oil firm prepares to drill

Island’s government says no approval given after Greenland Energy brings kit ashore for exploratory drilling

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Reposted by Douglas Herbert

Pew Research Center @pewresearch.org · 05/08/2026

Democrats are about twice as likely as Republicans to say learning a language other than English is important. Do you think learning a second language is important? 💬

CHart showing Democrats are more likely than Republicans to see language learning as important for U.S. children.

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

The “New-Yorkification” of US #newspapers: “By 2025, 1 out of every 12 U.S. newspaper jobs (8.3%) was based in #Manhattan. What was once one of America’s least centralized industries is increasingly squeezed into a few square miles of Midtown.” www.niemanlab.org/2026/08/u-s-...

niemanlab.org

U.S. news jobs are more than 3× more likely to be based in Manhattan than they were 25 years ago

Ten years ago, I wrote a piece on how the internet was sucking journalistic resources out of the middle of the country and concentrating it on the coasts — primarily New York City. While digital publi...

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Reposted by Douglas Herbert

Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

The Trump administration has assessed that the Pentagon's drug interdiction program, which has now produced enormous casualty numbers, is having no affect on the actual interdiction of drugs from Latin America to the US. Its purpose is pure entertainment value, apparently.

washingtonpost.com

Deadly U.S. boat strikes have failed to curb cocaine supply, Pentagon and DEA officials say

The president says Operation Southern Spear has virtually ended drug trafficking by sea. Pentagon and DEA analysts have concluded otherwise.

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Journalism is all about great #storytelling - capturing the human experience in all its multi-faceted complexity. This #NYTimes account of an extended #NorthKorean family’s flight to freedom is a masterclass in its genre. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/21/w...

nytimes.com

A Family’s Daring Escape From North Korea

Their resolve for freedom hardened during the pandemic, when they lived through a crippling food shortage and were forced to witness frequent public executions.

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Reposted by Douglas Herbert

Jana Zikmundova @jzk55.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Sadly, this means spending large parts of summer, now a deadly season, indoors. Until when ❔️🟥

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Poynter’s senior #media writer, Tom Jones, asks: “Should networks turn over airtime for #Trump to push unproven claims of a rigged election from six years ago? Should they give him free rein on the air to continue peddling #misinformation about election results that he has never accepted?”

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

If anyone’s come across a better editorial cartoon at the juncture of the #WorldCup and #geopolitics, I’d love to see it.

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Reposted by Douglas Herbert

Dave Keating @davekeating.substack.com · 03/07/2026

Following reports that the US ambassador ordered Belgian police to remove two journalists from the massive "🇺🇸Freedom 250" event in Cinquantenaire Park on Sunday, now there are reports that the enormous fireworks display there damaged the historic buildings in the park.

belganewsagency.eu

Investigation into damage in Brussels' Jubelpark after American ambassador's celebration

An investigation is underway to determine whether fireworks from the American ambassador's celebration damaged the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels. Among those who identified the damage e...

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

“…few far-right voices aligned with Mr. #Trump have criticized him over the scale of his personal haul, reported this week, or the conflict inherent in his status as a major #cryptocurrency industry operator and its top policymaker.” (#NYTimes) #ConflictOfInterest www.nytimes.com/2026/07/02/u...

nytimes.com

MAGA Base Stays Quiet After Trump Reports Billions in Personal Gains

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

The Guardian reports: “A generation of young Britons who were locked out of the 2016 #EU referendum because of their age now believe that #Brexit has failed, with a majority demanding a fresh vote to rejoin the EU, exclusive polling shows.” #GenZ www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

theguardian.com

Three in five gen Z Britons would like new vote to rejoin EU, poll finds

Exclusive: Data reveals 60% of 18 to 28-year-olds would vote to rejoin bloc if given the opportunity

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

The “unquiet American”, indeed. The NYTimes reports on the serial offensive behavior that has made Charles Kushner, #Trump’s son-in-law and the ambassador to France, a pariah here in #Paris. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/20/w...

nytimes.com

The Unquiet American: Charles Kushner Brings Trump Diplomacy to France

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

A moving tribute to Barack #Obama’s legacy, leavened with hope for the future, by Michelle Obama - with a tearful Barack looking on. The highlight of the week, and perhaps the year, so far. #MichelleObama www.google.com/search?q=pbs...

google.com

Google Search

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

“I don’t believe in building #libraries or museums. It’s most likely going to be a hotel with a beautiful building underneath and a 747 Air Force One in the lobby.” - Donald #Trump, in March, on the proposal for a $1 billion, 50-floor Miami skyscraper, with gold statues of himself.

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

An AI-generated tongue-in-cheek photo posted on the X platform shows “the Oval Office after Trump’s return from Versailles”.

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

French #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.

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

NYTimes Opinion Columnist Michelle Goldberg nails it in her factually airtight style. “…the confluence of America’s failure in #Iran and #Trump’s Temu colosseum should paint a clear picture of decadence, rot and weakness trying to conceal itself behind macho kitsch.” www.nytimes.com/2026/06/15/o...

nytimes.com

Opinion | A Garish Spectacle of American Decline

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

One U.S.-based political commentator said #Trump’s “carnival of violence” on the South Lawn of the White House epitomizes the “chaos” and “self-serving” of the president’s second term. MS Now digs deeper into what critics see as a cesspool of presidential #corruption. #UFC www.ms.now/news/trump-u...

ms.now

How Trump and his allies could profit from the UFC fight at the White House

The president bought stock in UFC’s parent company before announcing the fight, designed branded medallions for sale and is holding a $1 million-per-plate fundraiser the night before.

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Ahead of next week’s G7 summit in Evian, Pierre Haski discusses a new study among 15 #European countries showing a total collapse in Europeans’ perception of the U.S. as an “ally”. Perhaps not surprising, but clearly an appalling own goal by the U.S. under #Trump. www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/...

radiofrance.fr

Il n’y a plus qu’un Européen sur dix pour considérer les États-Unis comme un « allié »

A l'approche de sa venue -en principe- en France pour le Sommet du G7, une étude dans 15 pays européens montre un effondrement de la confiance dans les États-Unis. Comment le président américain se co...

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

The 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.”

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Quotable: “The world has not grown tired of #Ukraine, as you long hoped it would. But there is growing fatigue with #Russia.” -Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr #Zelensky, in an open letter to Vladimir #Putin calling for face-to-face talks

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Outstanding data-driven journalism by The New York Times, which analyzed how much time his #Cabinet members spend flattering or praising Donald #Trump - or criticizing his political opponents - during marathon Cabinet meetings. #NYTimes www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

nytimes.com

How Trump’s Cabinet Speaks to Him: Praise, Accolades and Lots of Criticizing Opponents

The New York Times reviewed over a dozen hours of cabinet meeting footage to analyze how President Trump’s administration speaks to him. Many pack their speaking time with praise and flattery.

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Editorial cartoon in #China’s state-controlled press. Text reads: “Relax, I’ve got this under control.” #Trump #Xi

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

A reality check. (source: #NYTimes): “ #Russia has a lopsided economic relationship with #China. China supplies more than a third of its imports and buys more than a quarter of its exports, but Russia accounts for only about 4 percent of China’s international trade - a smaller share than Vietnam’s.”

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Douglas Herbert @dougdecodes.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Sobering perspective from MS NOW’s James Downie. #Trump

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