Reposted by Stijn SmismansJake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 09/10/2026New working paper: the Norwegian wealth tax was a huge success. The "exodus" of wealthy people never happened (less than 100 individuals left). Tax revenue increased by 71.5%. No changes in business activity or investment. www.nber.org/papers/w35854 151150516478
Reposted by Stijn SmismansAdam Kinzinger @adamkinzinger.substack.com · 29/07/2026A mother gave the government her fingerprints, tax records, and DNA to get her 6-year-old daughter back. She did everything officials asked. ICE used that information to find and arrest her. A child welfare system became a deportation tool. open.substack.com/pub/adamkinz...open.substack.comICE Turned Family Reunification Into A Deportation ListA program created to place migrant children with relatives has become a pipeline for deportation arrests. 641106875714
Reposted by Stijn SmismansEsther @elhopkins.bsky.social · 03/06/2026And what does long Covid look like? Well it could be your neighbour with heart problems or a child with a persistent chronic lung problem. Or a friend with mental health problems. And there is a huge failure to inform on Post infection risks. www.wbur.org/news/2026/06...wbur.orgThe scope of long COVID is bigger than we think, Mass. researchers sayThe disease has always been tricky to define. A study from Mass General Brigham suggests the healthcare system is missing millions of long COVID cases. 23419
Reposted by Stijn SmismansDr Elisa Perego @elisaperego78.bsky.social · 20/05/2026Six years ago today the term #LongCovid was first used as a Twitter hashtag. A single tweet by a patient linked together a growing grassroots movement of people, who weren't recovering from covid. Across the world, we're still fighting for research and treatment of our disease 818183
Reposted by Stijn SmismansPeter Geoghegan @petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 15/05/2026🔴 Keir Starmer promised to crackdown on "Slapps" - abusive libel cases to silence journalists and critics Then Labour quietly dropped it We can reveal why: a three-year lobbying blitz by libel lawyers who've acted for Russian oligarchs, Epstein + more democracyforsale.substack.com/p/how-lawyer...democracyforsale.substack.comHow lawyers to the super-rich strangled Labour's Slapp billExclusive: A discreet lobbying campaign by lawyers who have acted for oligarchs and the super-rich told government that reforming England's libel laws was too difficult. 281144727
Reposted by Stijn SmismansParis Marx @parismarx.com · 29/01/2026baffling that the media isn’t making more of an issue out of how carney is gutting key federal agencies/depts and what that’s going to mean for gov capacity when we’re supposed to be more independent and capable. food inspection, health canada, statscan, global affairs — all being cut, and more 10435179
Reposted by Stijn SmismansCongresswoman Delia C. Ramirez @ramirez.house.gov · 26/01/2026The officer who shot Alex worked for DHS for 8 years. The officer who shot Renee worked for DHS for over 10 years. Both are considered “highly trained.” The problem isn’t "training." DHS was built to violate our rights and has been empowered to act with impunity. We must MELT ICE and dismantle DHS. 30796433222
Reposted by Stijn SmismansJacqueline Sweet @jsweetli.bsky.social · 24/01/2026Alex Pretti, the man killed by federal agents today in Minneapolis, appears to have been a registered nurse, an athlete, a son and a brother, with ties to Colorado and Wisconsin. Here is a photo he used for several accounts. 415147676693
Reposted by Stijn SmismansJulia Partheymüller @schnizzl.bsky.social · 24/01/2026Latest ChatGPT model uses Elon Musk’s Grokipedia as source, tests reveal Guardian found OpenAI’s platform cited Grokipedia on topics including Iran and Holocaust deniers www.theguardian.com/technology/2...theguardian.comLatest ChatGPT model uses Elon Musk’s Grokipedia as source, tests revealGuardian found OpenAI’s platform cited Grokipedia on topics including Iran and Holocaust deniers 062
Reposted by Stijn Smismansmolly conger @socialistdogmom.bsky.social · 24/01/2026they're executing moms and nurses in the street. they're using preschoolers as bait. they're stealing people's dads and grandmas and children. they're tear gassing babies. they're staking out schools. there is no remedy but abolition. any proposal that doesn't start there is an act of violence. 241273929833
Reposted by Stijn SmismansMax Berger @maxberger.bsky.social · 24/01/2026I hope that Democrats realize what’s happening in Minnesota is also a dry run for what the regime has planned for the midterms. 484130482953
Reposted by Stijn SmismansNicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 19/01/2026Here is only at first paradoxical reaction I believe we will see more of - AfD member of the Bundestag Kay Gottschalk argues the US tariffs over Greendland call for more European sovereignty, a European military alliance, a German nuke and ends his video with the slogan "Long live Europe". 1229077
Reposted by Stijn Smismans404 Media @404media.co · 15/01/2026SCOOP: Internal ICE material and testimony from an official obtained by 404 Media provides the clearest link yet between the technological infrastructure Palantir is building for ICE and the agency’s activities on the ground. Inside the app called ELITE—what ICE uses to find neighborhoods to raid.404media.co‘ELITE’: The Palantir App ICE Uses to Find Neighborhoods to RaidInternal ICE material and testimony from an official obtained by 404 Media provides the clearest link yet between the technological infrastructure Palantir is building for ICE and the agency’s activit... 11841132373
Reposted by Stijn SmismansKyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 13/01/2026Breaking NYT: The Pentagon used a secret aircraft painted to look like a civilian plane in its first boat attack, according to officials briefed on the matter. The laws of armed conflict forbid combatants from feigning civilian status. That is a war crime called "perfidy."nytimes.comU.S. Attacked Boat With Aircraft That Looked Like a Civilian Plane 14782765812100
Stijn Smismans @europollaw.bsky.social · 07/01/2026We underestimate how dangerous Starmer 's 'pragmatism' is for the country 010
Reposted by Stijn SmismansBen Crum @bencrum.nl · 19/12/2025. @vkreilinger.bsky.social: "Is the #EU24 the new EU?" I have mixed feelings about the "solution" used yesterday to provide the 90 bn loan to Ukraine On the one hand, this is the way that the European Council should have handled the Hungary-problem for long; much better than "bribing" them ... 2153
Reposted by Stijn SmismansDavid Higham @oldtrotter.bsky.social · 19/12/2025Good piece on Miliband’s achievements here. The only point I would make is that decarbonising the grid is the easy part of achieving net zero. We’ll have to see what happens when people have to change their behaviour app.prospectmagazine.co.uk/story/71896/...app.prospectmagazine.co.ukWhat is Labour actually good at?In a government of few policy successes, one portfolio stands out 343
Reposted by Stijn SmismansPeter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 14/12/2025YouTube channels spreading fake, anti-Labour videos have amassed more than a billion views this year, as opportunists attempt to use AI-generated content to profit from political division in the UK www.theguardian.com/technology/2...theguardian.comYouTube channels spreading fake, anti-Labour videos viewed 1.2bn times in 2025Exclusive: More than 150 anonymous channels using cheap AI tools to spread false stories about Keir Starmer, study finds 2020398
Reposted by Stijn SmismansGabriel Zucman @gabrielzucman.bsky.social · 12/12/2025Now with the same productivity as the US, “core EU” also has more leisure time, higher life expectancy, less inequality No matter how you look at it, it is a clearly superior economic performance 7412102
Reposted by Stijn Smismanslucynoakes1.bsky.social @lucynoakes1.bsky.social · 11/12/2025Ongoing decimation of British universities part 252: Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email. Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk 31236287
Reposted by Stijn SmismansLong Covid Advocacy @longcovidadvoc.com · 11/12/2025❌ Punitive Attendance Policies are unlawful discrimination. 👉 They breach the Equality Act ignore DfE guidance, and are a safeguarding & public health issue. Schools should not punish children for illness especially during a flu surge. What we received today 😓👇 1419
Reposted by Stijn SmismansGeorge Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 11/12/2025This is what you don't hear every time this junktank appears on the BBC. *Why not?* Great exposure by Sam and @desmog.com 21773363
Reposted by Stijn SmismansPeter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 07/12/2025Covid fraud under the Tories cost the taxpayer £10.9 billion The counter-fraud and error measures during the pandemic under the Conservative Government were accused of being 'so lax they may as well have left the door wide open' www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...mirror.co.ukCovid fraud under the Tories cost the taxpayer £10.9 billionThe counter-fraud and error measures during the pandemic under the Conservative Government were accused of being 'so lax they may as well have left the door wide open' 31624335
Reposted by Stijn SmismansLuke Piper @lukepiper.bsky.social · 27/11/2025I'm not sure how much it is appreciated that there will be significant emigration coming. Those here on graduate visas coming to an end, the toughening up of skilled worker rules re. salaries/sponsorable roles and the 'earned settlement' changes to come. Lots of people are going to leave. 1418069
Reposted by Stijn SmismansLeana Hosea @leanahosea.bsky.social · 13/11/2025Israel attacked Palestinian water sources over 250 times in 5 years, data reveals. Armed forces & settlers used bombs, dogs, poison & machinery to attack people & infrastructure. It's "an important part of a genocidal strategy" says Pedro Arrojo-Agudo www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...theguardian.comIsrael attacked Palestinian water sources over 250 times in five years, data revealsArmed forces and settlers used bombs, dogs, poison and machinery to attack people and infrastructure at key sites 4104101
Reposted by Stijn SmismansJannik Jansen @jannikjansen.bsky.social · 13/11/2025Today’s Omnibus vote has rolled over an already perforated cordon sanitaire in the European Parliament. For the first time, the EPP sided with far-right groups on a file key to the Commission’s agenda. Make no mistake: this was no accident and it’s unclear whether the centrist coalition can recover🧵 33218
Reposted by Stijn SmismansDr Rachel Broady @drrachelbroady.bsky.social · 01/11/2025It's not a grassroots working class movement. "Wherever we looked for prominent flaggers and leaders of this movement, we found people smugglers and sex doll salesmen, people with dubious criminal pasts and people willing to put in a good word for Adolf Hitler." manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...manchestermill.co.ukThe men who raised the flagsNigel Farage says this summer’s movement was led by ‘ordinary people’ expressing their patriotism. That’s not what we found 7254166
Reposted by Stijn SmismansMark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 01/11/2025It’s not going to be 🇪🇺. And it’s certainly not going to be 🇨🇳. Or 🇨🇦 or 🇬🇧 or 🇯🇵 or anyone else. It’s just going to be lots of needless destruction, on both the scientific and human levels. 1275
Reposted by Stijn SmismansJavi Ibarrondo @jibarrondo.bsky.social · 31/10/2025Exclusive: Future of chronic disease journal in limbo after cuts at CDC | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti... 🧪science.orgExclusive: Future of chronic disease journal in limbo after cuts at CDCResearchers dismayed by the targeting of Preventing Chronic Disease’s editorial staff 055
Reposted by Stijn SmismansJonathan Hopkin @jonathanhopkin.eurosky.social · 27/10/2025Amazing how a few TikToks of e-bike thieves can create a completely false impression observer.co.uk/news/nationa...observer.co.uk‘Lawless London’ is safer than it’s been in decadesOfficial data suggests the capital may be safer than at any time in the past half century, comfortably beating other major cities 15219
Reposted by Stijn SmismansMarc With A C @wilch2710.bsky.social · 27/10/2025No one, especially the bbc this morning, has mentioned how these contracts were set up by the tories. 2710
Reposted by Stijn SmismansAdam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 23/10/2025Michael Gove personally intervened to ensure that a Conservative donor's firm was awarded a multimillion pound covid contract. Private correspondence reveals that Ciga Healthcare’s Brexit-supporting owner had pushed Gove to “take control” of the process. The contract was awarded just days laterbylinetimes.comMichael Gove Lobbied Government Officials to Hand Conservative Donor Multimillion Pound Covid ContractPrivate correspondence seen by Byline Times reveals that Ciga Healthcare's Brexit-supporting owner had pushed Gove to "take control" of the process 74671425
Reposted by Stijn SmismansSunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 18/10/2025Sunday Times interview Tory "rising star" Katie Lam She is clear she wants lots of legal migrants to be told to "go home" so as "to leave a mostly but not entirely culturally coherent group of people" (The interviewer suggests she is scrapping ILR or stripping people of it) 101323124
Reposted by Stijn SmismansEuropeanPowell @europeanpowell.bsky.social · 25/09/2025Given this EXTENSIVE presence across UK institutions, Palantir involvement in Brit Card is not just possible - it’s PROBABLE. MY FOI DEMANDS ANSWERS ON: ✅ Is Palantir contracted for Brit Card technology? ✅ What’s the contract value & scope? ✅ How will our biometric/personal data be used? 29139
Reposted by Stijn SmismansSam “The Great Pumpkin” Thielman @samthielman.com · 26/09/2025When there’s a lot of hand-wringing over how Farage got elected in a little while, this will be the answer. When you ask people if they want fascism or diet fascism they’re never going to pick the low-calorie version 630384
Reposted by Stijn SmismansDorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 25/09/2025What a way to live your life. I only personally know (or knew) one person who’s self-radicalised and it’s a sad and horrible thing to watch every redeeming feature burned on the altar of right-wing fuckery. What’s left isn’t pretty 1314016
Reposted by Stijn SmismansIan Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 22/09/2025The true question right now is whether you believe in the moral character of the British public. If you do, you'll want to have the fight with Reform. You'll believe that the public will hate the idea of breaking up families, spying on & deporting people who've worked here for years. 1301924487
Reposted by Stijn SmismansWill Davies @will-davies.bsky.social · 22/09/2025Re the new Reform pledge, a sports writer has already got to the heart of the matter better than the politics commentators www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comWhat is the endgame in this toxic immigration debate: is it friends and neighbours thrown out of the country? | Jonthan LiewThe notion of remigration was abstract, but the right is dragging it towards respectability. If the goal is homogeneous whiteness, they should say it, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Liew 44326
Reposted by Stijn SmismansPaul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 21/09/2025This is why they had to invent ‘Antifa’, as an organisation. 48723
Reposted by Stijn SmismansOliver @oliver48.bsky.social · 19/09/2025Not only the BBC is sucking up to hate spewing fascists 35635
Reposted by Stijn SmismansLaurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 20/09/2025"The law firms that capitulated to Trump are finally having to make good on their deal with the devil ... By entering into these deals, these law firms have helped Trump to chip away at [the rule of law] and become complicit in his attack on our legal system." www.publicnotice.co/p/law-firms-...publicnotice.coThe lawyers who cavedBig Law firms finally have to hold up their end of a Trumpian bargain. 15222
Reposted by Stijn SmismansCas Mudde @casmudde.bsky.social · 18/09/2025The far-right majority in the Dutch parliament (BBB-FvD-JA21-PVV-SGP-VVD) has just designated “Antifa” a terrorist organization. This is a dark day for Dutch democracy and the final nail in the coffin of the VVD as a serious liberal democratic party.rd.nlKamermeerderheid vindt Antifa terroristische organisatieEen meerderheid in de Tweede Kamer wil dat Nederland, in navolging van de Verenigde Staten, de extreemlinkse beweging Antifa aanmerkt als terroristische organisatie. Een motie daartoe van Lidewij de V... 40743394
Reposted by Stijn SmismansDeclan Gaffney @greyskiesthinking.bsky.social · 17/09/2025Most people working in this area have known for years that DWP's figures on trends in out-of-work benefit caseloads are complete junk but have struggled to find more accurate figures. Ben has now produced an estimated time series and the discrepancy is huge. Nobody should be using these stats! 27344
Reposted by Stijn SmismansMujtaba Rahman @mijrahman.bsky.social · 17/09/2025‼️🇪🇺🇺🇦 All eyes are on Trump's second state visit to the UK, yet a far more important development is unfolding in Brussels, where senior EU officials are closing in on a plan to use the roughly €200 billion in frozen Russian assets in Euroclear to support Ukraine 642799
Reposted by Stijn SmismansFionna O’Leary @fascinatorfun.bsky.social · 16/09/2025Hallo Trump! Windsor Castle 511237
Reposted by Stijn SmismansStop Trump Coalition @ukstoptrump.bsky.social · 15/09/2025FOR WEDNESDAY: Here is the route of the march against Trump & the far right GATHER: 2pm Portland Place (BBC) MARCH: at 3pm RALLY: 5pm at Parliament Square!! 10270179
Reposted by Stijn SmismansZack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 15/09/2025This is thinly disguised homophobia by Farage. The same far-right figures who have spent years coming for my trans friends & colleagues are emboldened again against anything different from their "normal." Today and everyday I stand with the whole LGBTQIA+ community. Your struggle is my struggle. 621208318
Reposted by Stijn SmismansSunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 14/09/2025There is a serious failure in UK govt, politics & media to take sufficiently seriously what Musk said & meant with "fight back or die" = Violence (interethnic civil war) is inevitable so pre-emptive violence - vs migrants, minorities & political opponents - is necessary to avoid existential erasure 10546237
Reposted by Stijn SmismansDuncan Robinson @duncanrobinson.bsky.social · 14/09/2025Shot, chaser Young men more likely to vote Green than Reform. Young men second most progressive group of any demographic. Combined right-wing vote barely bigger than Green vote alone for young men 12541571320