iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Peter Sparding

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

My first take (from work with @abenewman.bsky.social on the EU-US privacy wars) is that this is likely very stupid. ECJ judges are absolutely political, but are relatively insulated from electoral politics and raison d'etat. US interference makes a strong ruling vs Musk more politically attractive.

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Jonathan Ladd @jonathanmladd.com · 23/09/2026

These are still some of the most amazing graphs ever published in a political science book. From: Edward Tufte. 1978. Political Control of the Economy. Princeton University Press.

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Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

A good explainer of one of the problems with a Diesel export ban, namely that it would hit New England states hard. One can assume this would also have consequences for Senate races in Maine and NH.

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John Gramlich @johngramlich.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Lots to absorb in this chart, but look at the changes in Republicans' views of data centers since January. Far more Republicans now see them as bad for the environment, home energy costs and local quality of life. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

Chart showing how Americans' views of data centers have changed in recent months, including among various demographic and political subgroups. The chart is based on two Pew Research Center surveys of U.S. adults, one conducted in January 2026 and the other in August 2026.

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Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I think many researchers and analysts could (should?) say the same about a range of issues unrelated to the conflict right now…. if we are honest.

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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

A Philadelphia family just bought their first home with a $10,000 first-time homebuyer grant funded by a group of Quakers It’s part of the congregation’s racial justice plan to redistribute wealth to Black residents in the Germantown area as a form of reparations

inquirer.com

A Philly family bought their first home thanks to reparations from Quakers in Germantown

Green Street Friends Meeting, a Quaker congregation in Germantown, pledged to spend $50,000 a year for 10 years as part of its reparations work. It’s helping Black Philadelphians become homeowners.

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Eric Columbus @ericcolumbus.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Happy 72nd Birthday to Ruby Bridges, who at the age of 6 desegregated the New Orleans public schools. She’s younger than 30 senators and our last two presidents—and only 7 years older than Barack Obama. The past isn’t past.

Ruby Bridges flanked by three U.S. Marshals on the steps of her school

Norman Rockwell’s painting depicting the event, “The Problem We All Live With,” originally published as a centerfold in the January 14, 1964 issue of Look magazine.

Ruby Bridges talking with President Obama as they look at Rockwell’s painting while it was temporarily displayed at the White House in 2011.

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Bloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 08/09/2026

Students who don't use AI chatbots for schoolwork are scoring better grades than those who do, according to a new report. It's some of the widest-ranging evidence yet that the technology could be hurting young people's learning. bloom.bg/4gHVbZY 📷: Jean-François Fort / Getty Images

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John Burn-Murdoch @jburnmurdoch.ft.com · 03/09/2026

I hereby declare the "learn to code" era officially dead: Big declines in the number of people studying computer science in the last year or two 📉 Chart from this week’s edition of our newsletter on AI and the labour market www.ft.com/content/9183...

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Politico @politico.com · 02/09/2026

EXCLUSIVE: The White House pressured U.S. space companies to skip French President Emmanuel Macron’s space summit in Paris next week. It's a surprise move that left company executives confused about what they should do.

politico.com

White House pushes companies to ditch Macron’s space summit

More than 120 countries are attending the symposium in Paris.

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Matt Grossmann @mattgrossmann.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Our new Michigan survey has 55% of likely voters saying a Trump endorsement makes them less likely to support a candidate (vs. 27% more likely). That is hard for Republicans to overcome. ippsr.msu.edu/news/msu-pol...

ippsr.msu.edu

MSU Poll Shows Democrats Lead, Republicans Coalesce Behind Rogers | Institute for Public Policy and Social Research

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John Gramlich @johngramlich.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Upper-income Republicans are just as likely as lower-income Republicans (61% vs. 62%) to say the term "working class" describes them well. That's not the case among Democrats. Fascinating chart from new @pewresearch.org analysis: www.pewresearch.org/politics/202...

Chart showing demographic differences within each political party in the percentage of adults who say the term "working class" describes them well. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to identify as "working class," regardless of education, income, financial situation or type of work. The chart is based on a January 2026 Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults.

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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 01/09/2026

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party swept three special elections, in a test of whether voters supported his tough stance against President Trump's trade war. One Liberal lawmaker described the election results as a “message” to the U.S.

washingtonpost.com

Canadian special elections indicate voters backing Carney’s stand against Trump

Prime Minister Mark Carney had vowed to match U.S. tariffs "dollar for dollar," unlike other longtime U.S. partners who had raced to cut deals when faced with tariff threats.

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Internationale Politik Quarterly @ipq.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

NEW‼️🇺🇸 With the #midterms tilting in the @democrats.org favor, there's a chance that the US Congress will once again act as a stronger counterweight to Donald Trump’s presidency, writes @psparding.bsky.social It may even have an impact on US foreign policy, too. ip-quarterly.com/en/will-us-c...

ip-quarterly.com

Will the US Congress Reassert Its Powers?

With the midterms tilting in the Democrats’ favor, there is a chance that Congress will once again act as a stronger counterweight to Donald Trump’s presidency.

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Henning Hoff @henninghoff.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Much recommend this by @psparding.bsky.social ! It’s only two months now before the midterms on November 3 … will change be coming to America? And US foreign policy?

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Toronto Star @thestar.com · 28/08/2026

Star Editorial Board: We cannot assume Americans will make better choices in future elections. We cannot count on things going back to the way they were.

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Prof Dynarski @dynarski.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

23% drop in student visas to US in 2025 57% drop from India alone catastrophic for research and learning, here and abroad www.insidehighered.com/news/global/...

Graph of visas issued to students per month in 2024 and 2025

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Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 25/08/2026

Related: "To be clear, the administration is trying hard to protect U.S. sovereignty. But it is trampling all over foreign sovereignty in the way it is pressing against domestic regulations abroad and trying to coerce other governments to follow U.S. security policies."

ielp.worldtradelaw.net

Is There No Going Back on Trade? What Is the Path Forward? A Response to Lighthizer

Former U.S. Trade Rep. Bob Lighthizer has a new essay in Foreign Affairs, and I have some thoughts. I'm going to start with his brief big picture points on the direction of U.S. trade policy, and then...

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Karthik Sankaran @rajakorman.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

I have a piece in WPR today about a peeve I am constantly peeving about here—the U.S’s fundamentally asymmetric view of sovereignty. Hope you find it of interest. www.worldpoliticsreview.com/us-soveriegn...

worldpoliticsreview.com

America’s Regard for Sovereignty Is a One-Way Street

The Trump administration invokes sovereignty to resist international law while using its power to violate the sovereignty of others.

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Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

“The Canadians also pressed the United States for a level of certainty that the deal would not be scrapped overnight by the Trump administration. But the United States maintained that it would retain the power to change tariff policy against Canada at any time, irrespective of the agreement”

nytimes.com

How U.S.-Canada Tariff Negotiations Turned Into an All-Out Trade War (Gift Article)

Detailed accounts of the final hours of the negotiations show that, while the United States offered Canada what it said was the best deal of any country, what Canada had to give up in exchange was see...

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James Cameron @jjjcameron.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

"The U.S. Marine Corps had notified its South Korean counterpart in June that Middle East operational demands would prevent the deployment of forces for the biennial exercise known as Ssangyong, or 'Twin Dragons,' the South Korean Marine Corps said on Monday."

nytimes.com

U.S. Marines Cancel Drill With South Korea, Citing Iran War Demands

The move to call off the high-profile event was communicated in June, South Korea said. President Trump shortened another joint military exercise earlier this month.

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Drew Scanlon @drewscanlon.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Hi Internet! I'm Drew and THIS IS MY FACE. If this GIF has ever brought you joy in the past, I humbly ask you to consider making a donation to the National MS Society. It would mean a lot to me and to those I know affected by the disease! Donate at blinkingguy.com

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Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Alaska's GOP governor earlier this year vetoed a bill that would have set limits to individual campaign donations. Then what happened? Voters on Tuesday approved a citizen-led ballot initiative that institutes very similar reforms. By a 40%+ margin.

boltsmag.org

After Years of Runaway Spending, Alaskans Vote to Reinstate Cap on Campaign Donations - Bolts

Five years after a federal court ruling introduced unlimited spending in Alaska elections, voters there hit back on Tuesday, defying their Republican governor and approving new limits that restrict th...

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Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

The near perfect timing of DC summer storms to coincide with the evening commute is something to behold.

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.eu · 30/07/2026

The German government is working on a plan on what to do if regions vote in extreme-right AFD governments which may not allow NATO troop movements or may otherwise want to impede defence policies and Russia deterrence. www.n-tv.de/politik/Sorg...

n-tv.de

Sorge vor AfD-Wahlerfolgen - Bund arbeitet an Nato-Notfallplan

Im September werden in Sachsen-Anhalt und Mecklenburg-Vorpommern neue Landtage gewählt. In Umfragen liegt die AfD klar vorn. Die Sorge vor einem Wahlerfolg führt in Berlin laut einem Bericht zu konkre...

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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 29/07/2026

The 30-year Treasury yield, which moves with inflation expectations, jumped to 5.21 per cent, their highest level since mid-2007. Follow live updates: ft.trib.al/p9TMRwZ

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Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

“The effort to prepare contingency measures in case China again weaponizes critical raw materials …. forms part of 34 non-public measures formulated in Germany’s national security council aimed at strengthening resilience and reducing strategic dependencies, according to one of the people.”

bloomberg.com

Germany Maps China’s Weaknesses in Preparation for a Trade War

German officials are working behind the scenes to identify Chinese economic vulnerabilities that they could exploit if the European Union finds itself in a trade war with the world’s second-largest ec...

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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Please enjoy this home security footage of an oddly human-like bear raiding a fridge in Lake Tahoe www.wsj.com/us-news/blac...

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Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

“Koizumi’s remarks come as the government weighs updates to key documents outlining Japan’s security policy — including a possible revision of the country’s decades-old pledge not to produce, possess or host nuclear weapons.”

japantimes.co.jp

Japan ‘cannot avoid’ nuclear weapons debate, defense chief Koizumi says

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi’s remarks come as the government weighs revising the country’s decades-old pledge not to produce, possess or host nuclear arms.

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Felix Bohr @felixbohr.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Adam von Trott zu Solz, Jurist, AA-Diplomat, lehnt die „Unterwerfung unter jede Ordnung“ ab. Er kämpft ab 1939 für den Sturz des NS-Regimes, ist Teil des Kreisauer Kreises, trifft Brandt in Schweden. Stauffenberg besucht Trott am Abend vor dem Attentat – Trott macht ihm Mut. 1/2

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Dhruva Jaishankar @dhruvajaishankar.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

A quick dispatch from Down Under. As India's PM Modi visited Australia last week and the two countries agreed to a wide-ranging defense framework, the prospects for defense industrial co-production might be under-appreciated. www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpre...

lowyinstitute.org

India’s defence export rise opens a door for Australia

India’s defence industrial base has grown faster than most realise – and with it comes a chance for partnerships.

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Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

A very insightful discussion in this @gmfus.bsky.social podcast on the EU response to growing economic challenges from China with the excellent @noahbarkin.bsky.social

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Christopher Mims @mims.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

I really do think now is a time to read history. It is a powerful reminder that the past of the U.S., specifically, is full of extremely dark moments when it seemed all was lost. (It wasn't.)

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Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 19/06/2026

Hot off the trade policy presses: "USTR Announces Initiation of Section 301 Investigation of Germany’s Persistent Underpayment for Innovative Pharmaceutical Products" This will be a fun and controversial one! Tagging @jamielove.bsky.social @hyoyoonkang.bsky.social

ustr.gov

USTR Announces Initiation of Section 301 Investigation of Germany’s Persistent Underpayment for Innovative Pharmaceutical Products

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Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Germany now all-time World Cup top scorer according to the BBC

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Mark E. Poasts @lolphillies.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

“Scots discovering tailgating” could be a real Prometheus stealing fire moment

Facebook post from Scottish soccer fan - The busses have stopped at some park thing near the ground and there's American guys making food and giving people free beers and stuff
Some Haiti fans here as well, what a bunch of good guys
wtf is going on man, what an experience this is man holy shit

With photos of people boozing in a parking lot

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Keerthika Uthayakumar @keerthikau.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

NBA teams were 4-750 when down by 20 or more in the 4th quarter of a playoff game over the last 30 years. They are now 5-750. Knicks come back from 20 in the fourth quarter, the second time they've come back from down 20 in the fourth THIS POSTSEASON.

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Ben Casselman @bencasselman.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

The Cleveland Fed's median and trimmed-mean CPI measures look basically identical to core -- up 2.9% year-over-year.

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Robin Brooks @robin-j-brooks.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Last night I wrote an imagined conversation with my friends Brad Setser and @gagnonmacro.bsky.social on what Japan should do. We disagree on whether intervention makes sense - I don't - and I thought it'd be helpful to tease out where and why we disagree... robinjbrooks.substack.com/p/what-shoul...

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Joey Politano🏳️‍🌈 @josephpolitano.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

US data center construction rose to a new record high in official data released today, hitting a pace of nearly $51B/yr (and this only includes data center facilities, not the expensive computers within) Spending is up 28% over the last year and 268% since the launch of ChatGPT

A graph of data center construction, which rises to record highs in the wake of ChatGPT's launch

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Tobias Gehrke @tobiasgehrke.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Big weeks in Brussels and EU capitals to see if the chilling effect of Chinese coercive threats will continue to hold sway over Europe’s trade and industrial agenda. Beijing’s coercive leverage works best when it quietly constrains Europe’s policy space... 1/

ecfr.eu

How China’s silent coercion has Europe sanctioning itself – European Council on Foreign Relations

Beijing no longer needs to actively deploy economic coercion to shape Europe’s economic agenda in its interest

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