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SEISMIC SHOWDOWN: WRU confirms date for ‘fight for survival’ EGM
In a high-stakes showdown at the Principality Stadium on April 13, member clubs will vote on a motion of no confidence in Independent Chair Richard Collier-Keywood.
The move comes as 50 rebel clubs — led by the Central Glamorgan District — move to trigger a total clear-out of the union’s board in a desperate bid to save the professional game.
The WRU has reacted with fury to the challenge, issuing a defiant “vote no” recommendation and warning that the revolt could cause “damaging uncertainty” at a pivotal time.
It follows a series of explosive reports by Swansea Bay News, including the publication of secret “smoking gun” minutes that appeared to reveal a secret plan to axe the Ospreys by 2027.
The union has also been rocked by the shock resignation of its professional rugby boss and a High Court legal battle launched by Swansea Council.
Rebel clubs are demanding:
- A vote of no confidence in Chair Richard Collier-Keywood.
- Immediate new elections for all four elected board positions.
- An “immediate hold” on plans to shrink Welsh rugby from four regions to three.
However, the WRU board has hit back, claiming the current leadership has “more than met expectations” and insisting that axing a region is “essential” for financial survival.
In a stinging explanatory note, the union defended its plan to invest £28m in the game while cutting a professional club, calling the move the “overwhelming ask” from its own consultation.
But Swansea Council Leader Rob Stewart has already branded the union’s actions “duplicitous” and called for the immediate resignation of CEO Abi Tierney.
The EGM will also vote on controversial plans to change how the board is made up, with the WRU warning that the rebels’ proposals would be a “serious step backwards” for diversity and good governance.
The union even defended its policy of paying directors, arguing that a return to a purely volunteer-led board would result in a “similar demographic” of wealthy individuals running the game.
With the Ospreys’ future hanging in the balance and legends like Alun Wyn Jones warning of a “rugby black hole,” the April 13 vote is being seen as the most consequential in the history of the Welsh game.
The meeting will be held both in person and online, ensuring that every one of the 282 member clubs can have their say on the future of the national sport.
As the High Court injunction looms and the Competition and Markets Authority watches on, the stage is set for a night that will change Welsh rugby forever.
#AbiTierney #EGM #Ospreys #regionalRugby #RichardCollierKeywood #RugbyCrisis #SwanseaCouncil #WelshRugby #WRU -
‘Green power’ boost for Port Talbot as council green-lights major substation expansion
Neath Port Talbot Council has unanimously approved the major application from National Grid to extend the Margam 275kV substation, located just off Harbour Way.
The project is being hailed as a “key” development that will provide the essential power needed for Tata Steel’s new £1.25 billion electric arc furnace. It follows the appointment of Sir Robert McAlpine as the main contractor for the site’s decarbonisation.
This latest approval comes as Port Talbot motorists already face up to 12 months of roadworks while the wider underground electricity network is upgraded to support the transition.
Council bosses have confirmed that the extended site will connect via underground cables to a separate substation within the Tata Steelworks, feeding the new “green” furnace. Work has already begun on the furnace project, which aims to replace the traditional blast furnaces.
The works at the Margam site will include the construction of a new gas-insulated switchgear hall and a modern control building, replacing older facilities.
Planning officers have confirmed that the project also includes significant upgrades to site lighting, CCTV, and internal access roads, along with a new flood defence wall.
Cllr Rob Jones, representing Margam and Taibach, has described the extension as a “key project” that is essential for the survival of the local industry.
“Without this substation extension taking place… the whole future of steelmaking in Port Talbot and the county borough is at serious risk,” Cllr Jones has warned.
The council has confirmed that the approval is subject to a legal agreement to maintain an off-site ecological management area for the next 30 years to protect local wildlife.
While the substation does not directly supply residential homes in Margam, its role in supporting the major infrastructure upgrade is seen as critical for the region’s economic future.
The move marks another significant milestone for the electric arc furnace project, which was first approved by Neath Port Talbot Council in February 2025. The transition follows the dramatic closure of the Morfa Coke Plant and the blast furnaces, which saw thousands of jobs put at risk. Despite the £500m UK Government funding to support the move, the community continues to show resilience amid the transition.
#Business #electricArcFurnace #greenEnergy #Infrastructure #Margam #NationalGrid #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #PortTalbot #roadworks #TataSteel -
@RuthODay @olliethewobbly @AlexanderRaine7 @APBAreplay @tabletopmania @cwgrody @YakyuNightOwl @oldladyplays @Eilistraee @WolfofWords
#NABA Sometimes it's good to be David Aardsma. For one thing, you're first alphabetically - even before Hank Aaron. Probably helps getting a good seat on the flight. Secondly, you get called up from San Rafael to the San Francisco Seals, and end up doing this...
With the visiting Padres up 7-5, B.J. Ryan comes on for the save in the bottom of the 9th and promptly gets an easy ground out and goes up 0-2 on Alex Sosa - but Sosa fouls off a bunch and then works a walk. That brought up the guy you didn't want up there: Puerto Rican sensation Dario Miranda, the #1 draft pick and highest-paid player in the league - who responds with his second dinger of the game and sends it into extras.
In the 11th, Padres defensive sub Rob Deer (I think he needs to be announced as Rrrrrob Deeeeerrrrr whenever he appears, as he is the Legend of Three True Outcomes) blasts his own 2-run shot following a walk to Clark Robshaw in the top of the frame. Game over, right? Nope - the defense fails the Friars, as Miranda's tailor-made double play is kicked by Robshaw at second base, loading the bases for LF Cipriano Bichetti, Dario's other "Bash Brother", who singles to left...Russell scores, and reserve catcher Ed Ott somehow lumbers around from second ahead of Tony Criscola's throw to tie it up again!
Aardsma comes in for his Seals debut at the top of the 12th - and finishes the 14th with no runs on 2 hits (both to Brooks Robinson), no walks and 2 K's. Impressive enough, but then with Bautista Galan cruising for the Pads in the bottom of the 14th, Bichetti and Costa down on two quick outs, and literally no one left on the bench, the Seals have no choice but to send Aardsma to the plate. (Ratings: 1 for contact and 1 for power. Both out of 100.)
Ball low. Then a called strike. A swing and - wait, is that fair? Down the line! Criscola looking up - it's GONE!
EL Scores
Baltimore 7, Toronto 2
Boston 6, Pittsburgh 4 (10)
Montreal 13, Hartford 3
Ottawa 7, Brooklyn 4
Philadelphia 4, New York 2
WL Scores
Oakland 5, Honolulu 4
Sacramento 9, Hollywood 7
Portland 9, Vancouver 2
San Francisco 10, San Diego 9 (14)
Seattle 4, Los Angeles 1
#BaseballSim #FakeBaseball #WTH #BetterThanRealBaseball #ExceptWeNowHaveAlonso -
@RuthODay @olliethewobbly @AlexanderRaine7 @APBAreplay @tabletopmania @cwgrody @YakyuNightOwl @oldladyplays @Eilistraee @WolfofWords
#NABA Sometimes it's good to be David Aardsma. For one thing, you're first alphabetically - even before Hank Aaron. Probably helps getting a good seat on the flight. Secondly, you get called up from San Rafael to the San Francisco Seals, and end up doing this...
With the visiting Padres up 7-5, B.J. Ryan comes on for the save in the bottom of the 9th and promptly gets an easy ground out and goes up 0-2 on Alex Sosa - but Sosa fouls off a bunch and then works a walk. That brought up the guy you didn't want up there: Puerto Rican sensation Dario Miranda, the #1 draft pick and highest-paid player in the league - who responds with his second dinger of the game and sends it into extras.
In the 11th, Padres defensive sub Rob Deer (I think he needs to be announced as Rrrrrob Deeeeerrrrr whenever he appears, as he is the Legend of Three True Outcomes) blasts his own 2-run shot following a walk to Clark Robshaw in the top of the frame. Game over, right? Nope - the defense fails the Friars, as Miranda's tailor-made double play is kicked by Robshaw at second base, loading the bases for LF Cipriano Bichetti, Dario's other "Bash Brother", who singles to left...Russell scores, and reserve catcher Ed Ott somehow lumbers around from second ahead of Tony Criscola's throw to tie it up again!
Aardsma comes in for his Seals debut at the top of the 12th - and finishes the 14th with no runs on 2 hits (both to Brooks Robinson), no walks and 2 K's. Impressive enough, but then with Bautista Galan cruising for the Pads in the bottom of the 14th, Bichetti and Costa down on two quick outs, and literally no one left on the bench, the Seals have no choice but to send Aardsma to the plate. (Ratings: 1 for contact and 1 for power. Both out of 100.)
Ball low. Then a called strike. A swing and - wait, is that fair? Down the line! Criscola looking up - it's GONE!
EL Scores
Baltimore 7, Toronto 2
Boston 6, Pittsburgh 4 (10)
Montreal 13, Hartford 3
Ottawa 7, Brooklyn 4
Philadelphia 4, New York 2
WL Scores
Oakland 5, Honolulu 4
Sacramento 9, Hollywood 7
Portland 9, Vancouver 2
San Francisco 10, San Diego 9 (14)
Seattle 4, Los Angeles 1
#BaseballSim #FakeBaseball #WTH #BetterThanRealBaseball #ExceptWeNowHaveAlonso -
@RuthODay @olliethewobbly @AlexanderRaine7 @APBAreplay @tabletopmania @cwgrody @YakyuNightOwl @oldladyplays @Eilistraee @WolfofWords
#NABA Sometimes it's good to be David Aardsma. For one thing, you're first alphabetically - even before Hank Aaron. Probably helps getting a good seat on the flight. Secondly, you get called up from San Rafael to the San Francisco Seals, and end up doing this...
With the visiting Padres up 7-5, B.J. Ryan comes on for the save in the bottom of the 9th and promptly gets an easy ground out and goes up 0-2 on Alex Sosa - but Sosa fouls off a bunch and then works a walk. That brought up the guy you didn't want up there: Puerto Rican sensation Dario Miranda, the #1 draft pick and highest-paid player in the league - who responds with his second dinger of the game and sends it into extras.
In the 11th, Padres defensive sub Rob Deer (I think he needs to be announced as Rrrrrob Deeeeerrrrr whenever he appears, as he is the Legend of Three True Outcomes) blasts his own 2-run shot following a walk to Clark Robshaw in the top of the frame. Game over, right? Nope - the defense fails the Friars, as Miranda's tailor-made double play is kicked by Robshaw at second base, loading the bases for LF Cipriano Bichetti, Dario's other "Bash Brother", who singles to left...Russell scores, and reserve catcher Ed Ott somehow lumbers around from second ahead of Tony Criscola's throw to tie it up again!
Aardsma comes in for his Seals debut at the top of the 12th - and finishes the 14th with no runs on 2 hits (both to Brooks Robinson), no walks and 2 K's. Impressive enough, but then with Bautista Galan cruising for the Pads in the bottom of the 14th, Bichetti and Costa down on two quick outs, and literally no one left on the bench, the Seals have no choice but to send Aardsma to the plate. (Ratings: 1 for contact and 1 for power. Both out of 100.)
Ball low. Then a called strike. A swing and - wait, is that fair? Down the line! Criscola looking up - it's GONE!
EL Scores
Baltimore 7, Toronto 2
Boston 6, Pittsburgh 4 (10)
Montreal 13, Hartford 3
Ottawa 7, Brooklyn 4
Philadelphia 4, New York 2
WL Scores
Oakland 5, Honolulu 4
Sacramento 9, Hollywood 7
Portland 9, Vancouver 2
San Francisco 10, San Diego 9 (14)
Seattle 4, Los Angeles 1
#BaseballSim #FakeBaseball #WTH #BetterThanRealBaseball #ExceptWeNowHaveAlonso -
@RuthODay @olliethewobbly @AlexanderRaine7 @APBAreplay @tabletopmania @cwgrody @YakyuNightOwl @oldladyplays @Eilistraee @WolfofWords
#NABA Sometimes it's good to be David Aardsma. For one thing, you're first alphabetically - even before Hank Aaron. Probably helps getting a good seat on the flight. Secondly, you get called up from San Rafael to the San Francisco Seals, and end up doing this...
With the visiting Padres up 7-5, B.J. Ryan comes on for the save in the bottom of the 9th and promptly gets an easy ground out and goes up 0-2 on Alex Sosa - but Sosa fouls off a bunch and then works a walk. That brought up the guy you didn't want up there: Puerto Rican sensation Dario Miranda, the #1 draft pick and highest-paid player in the league - who responds with his second dinger of the game and sends it into extras.
In the 11th, Padres defensive sub Rob Deer (I think he needs to be announced as Rrrrrob Deeeeerrrrr whenever he appears, as he is the Legend of Three True Outcomes) blasts his own 2-run shot following a walk to Clark Robshaw in the top of the frame. Game over, right? Nope - the defense fails the Friars, as Miranda's tailor-made double play is kicked by Robshaw at second base, loading the bases for LF Cipriano Bichetti, Dario's other "Bash Brother", who singles to left...Russell scores, and reserve catcher Ed Ott somehow lumbers around from second ahead of Tony Criscola's throw to tie it up again!
Aardsma comes in for his Seals debut at the top of the 12th - and finishes the 14th with no runs on 2 hits (both to Brooks Robinson), no walks and 2 K's. Impressive enough, but then with Bautista Galan cruising for the Pads in the bottom of the 14th, Bichetti and Costa down on two quick outs, and literally no one left on the bench, the Seals have no choice but to send Aardsma to the plate. (Ratings: 1 for contact and 1 for power. Both out of 100.)
Ball low. Then a called strike. A swing and - wait, is that fair? Down the line! Criscola looking up - it's GONE!
EL Scores
Baltimore 7, Toronto 2
Boston 6, Pittsburgh 4 (10)
Montreal 13, Hartford 3
Ottawa 7, Brooklyn 4
Philadelphia 4, New York 2
WL Scores
Oakland 5, Honolulu 4
Sacramento 9, Hollywood 7
Portland 9, Vancouver 2
San Francisco 10, San Diego 9 (14)
Seattle 4, Los Angeles 1
#BaseballSim #FakeBaseball #WTH #BetterThanRealBaseball #ExceptWeNowHaveAlonso -
MPs accuse WRU of “stitch‑up” as political pressure intensifies over Ospreys’ future
The row has deepened over the past fortnight as the WRU presses ahead with plans linked to the proposed sale of Cardiff Rugby to Y11 — a move that has left the Ospreys facing uncertainty beyond next season and triggered a wave of criticism from players, supporters and local leaders.
Swansea West MP Torsten Bell said he had held fresh meetings with both the WRU and Y11 in the past 48 hours and claimed it was now “clear” that the union was attempting to use Cardiff’s financial collapse to sideline the Ospreys from any future regional structure.
Torsten Bell said:
“It’s now clear that the WRU are trying to use Cardiff going bust to try to force the Ospreys out of professional rugby. They promised an open transparent process to decide which clubs would continue – but are trying to deliver a behind‑closed‑doors stitch‑up to prevent the Ospreys even being able to compete in that process.”
He said support was growing for an Extraordinary General Meeting of the WRU, warning that confidence in the union’s leadership was collapsing.
Torsten Bell said:
“Demand for an EGM is building as people see the chaos being driven by those who are meant to be stewarding our national game. It’s hard to see a way forward now that doesn’t involve a change in leadership at the WRU.”
His intervention follows weeks of mounting frustration across Welsh rugby. Ospreys players have already issued an ultimatum demanding clarity, while Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart has said legal options are being examined if the region is forced out.
Now Swansea East MP Carolyn Harris has added further pressure, calling the situation “deeply troubling” and urging the WRU to halt the process immediately.
Carolyn Harris said:
“It is deeply troubling that proposals are being advanced which would put the future of the Ospreys at risk, particularly when so much work has been done locally to support their move to St Helen’s and secure a sustainable future for top‑flight rugby in Swansea.”
She said supporters and players deserved transparency, not decisions “imposed without proper justification”.
Carolyn Harris said:
“The WRU should pause this process now. Decisions of this scale must be fair, transparent and clearly in the best interests of Welsh rugby as a whole. Supporters, players and communities deserve clarity and reassurance.”
The WRU has faced repeated criticism in recent weeks after senior executives were grilled by MPs in a stop‑start committee hearing that offered little detail on the Ospreys’ future. Ospreys coaches and players have also described meetings with union bosses as confusing and uninformative.
With political pressure now intensifying from both of Swansea’s MPs, the WRU is facing renewed calls to explain how the regional game will operate beyond next season — and whether the Ospreys will be allowed to remain part of it.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Swansea Council blasts WRU over Ospreys threat
The council warns the region faces being wiped out under proposed changes.Ospreys chief breaks silence on WRU plans
Senior figures respond after confirmation of Cardiff Rugby’s proposed sale.Players issue ultimatum as crisis deepens
Squad members demand clarity on the region’s future or will consider their options.WRU bosses grilled by MPs
A tense committee hearing offers little detail on the Ospreys’ long‑term position.Legal options examined as uncertainty grows
#CarolynHarrisMP #Ospreys #Rugby #Swansea #TorstenBell #WelshLabour #WRU
Swansea Council says all avenues are being explored to protect regional rugby. -
L’infolettre du 15 décembre 2025 : le projet Lotto-Intermarché, le cyclo-cross de Namur…
Lotto-Intermarché dévoile enfin son projet
Il aura donc fallu cinq mois entre l’annonce dévoilée précocement par la presse d’une fusion envisagée et l’officialisation d’un billet pour le WorldTour, mais enfin, au bout de l’attente interminable pour bon nombre de cyclistes, mécaniciens, soigneurs, membres des staffs administratifs, le mariage entre Lotto et Intermarché-Wanty est réel. La nouvelle grande formation belge portera le nom de Lotto-Intermarché chez les élites hommes et femmes (et même Intermarché-Lotto en France, en Pologne et au Portugal, pour des raisons marketing), et se nommera Lotto-Groupe Wanty pour la structure de développement. Rien n’a pas par contre filtré sur le groupe cyclo-cross, actuellement sponsorisé par le torréfacteur Charles Liégeois, sous la houlette d’Intermarché-Wanty.
La structure est aussi éclaircie : la licence WorldTour appartient à Captains of Cycling, la coupole cycliste de la Loterie nationale belge. Pour les trois prochaines saisons, ce sera donc bien elle qui mènera les discussions et pourra assurer l’avenir sportif du groupe auprès de l’Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Tant la Loterie nationale que le groupe de distribution Intermarché ont confirmé leur participation à l’équipe pour les trois prochaines saisons “au moins”. Le groupe Wanty s’investit pour sa part pour au moins six ans, confirmant son souhait de développer les jeunes cyclistes vers le haut niveau. D’autres fournisseurs viennent principalement de l’ex-Lotto, avec les vélos Orbea, les vêtements sportifs de Vermarc Sport, les accessoires et casques d’Ekoï ou encore le groupe énergétique Caps.
Ces éléments confirment que c’est bien Lotto qui a mené les débats, après avoir prospecté dès le début de la saison 2025 pour un nouveau partenaire, après le départ de Dstny. Mais après une approche avortée avec Alpecin-Deceuninck des frères Roodhooft, c’est finalement avec Intermarché-Wanty que les négociations ont bien avancé. Des discussions bien poussées par l’administrateur-délégué de la Loterie nationale, Jannie Haek, dont l’animosité envers l’ancien manager de Lotto Stéphane Heulot, qui a décidé de partir en septembre dernier, n’était plus à démontrer. Les pertes affichées par Intermarché-Wanty ces trois dernières années (jusqu’à 2 millions d’euros en 2024) n’ont pas échaudé les principaux partisans de la fusion, qui ont été jusqu’au bout de leur idée, pour un budget évalué à au moins 22 millions d’euros.
Aike Visbeek, Jean-François Bourlart et Kurt Van de Wouwer – Photo : Lotto-IntermarchéLe patron de la structure sera Jean-François Bourlart, jusqu’ici en chargé d’Intermarché-Wanty, et il sera accompagné des deux têtes pensantes sportives des deux précédentes équipes : Kurt Van de Wouwer sera manager sportif de Lotto-Intermarché après avoir déjà mené cette barque chez Lotto, et Aike Visbeek sera le responsable de la performance, comme chez Intermarché-Wanty à l’époque. Le Néerlandais se veut d’ailleurs optimiste quant à la convergence menée cet hiver entre les deux formations : “Il est rapidement apparu que chaque équipe possède des atouts complémentaires. Lotto Cycling Team bénéficie de partenariats solides avec l’Université de Gand et le département du professeur Jan Boone, ainsi que d’une expertise nutritionnelle de haut niveau, pilotée par Britt Lambrecht. De son côté, Intermarché-Wanty apporte une approche de la performance rigoureuse avec un fort accent mis sur la recherche et le développement et l’innovation technique, sous l’impulsion de Mikey van Kruiningen, responsable du matériel. La mise en commun de toutes ces connaissances constitue aujourd’hui un atout considérable pour hisser la nouvelle structure à un niveau supérieur.”
Les valeurs du nouveau groupe belge sont simples : “grandir, construire et gagner ensemble”. Celles et ceux qui n’ont pu être de la partie resteront malgré tout un peu amers, car les places ont été chères pour poursuivre le projet. La communication en interne a laissé bon nombre de déçus sur le bas côté : à part l’annonce des négociations lors d’une visioconférence, le silence a prévalu durant de longues semaines. Certains membres du staff de Lotto qui pensaient rester en raison de leur contrat ont finalement été licenciés, d’autres ont été rappelés dans les derniers délais en vue de l’obtention du statut WorldTour.
Les actrices et acteurs aujourd’hui impliqués dans la nouvelle structure espèrent que cette période d’incertitude est désormais derrière elles et eux, avec l’ambition de faire progresser un groupe qui continue de rêver de succès de prestige malgré un budget toujours pas aligné sur les super-WorldTeams qui dominent les classements ces dernières années. Là aussi, les places sont chères, mais Lotto-Intermarché compte bien sur ses pépites que sont Arnaud De Lie, Lennert Van Eetvelt, Jarno Widar, entre autres. L’absence de Biniam Girmay se fera malheureusement sentir, mais le transfert de l’Érythréen semblait couru d’avance avant même la fin des négociations. L’équipe belgo-belge devra donc avancer avec son noyau principalement belge et l’ambition de faire grandir le cyclisme noir-jaune-rouge, face à d’autres structures belges qui ont choisi une voie plus internationale. Cela portera-t-il ses fruits ? L’assurance que les sponsors ne bougent pas durant les trois prochaines années et que des profils solides mènent la direction est déjà un signe d’un optimisme intéressant.
Grégory Ienco
—
Les effectifs de la nouvelle structure Lotto-Intermarché
Lotto-Intermarché (Élites hommes / WorldTeam)
Toon Aerts 🇧🇪
Huub Artz 🇳🇱
Jenno Berckmoes 🇧🇪
Cédric Beullens 🇧🇪
Vito Braet 🇧🇪
Lars Craps 🇧🇪
Jasper De Buyst 🇧🇪
Arnaud De Lie 🇧🇪
Steffen De Schuyteneer 🇧🇪
Matthew Fox 🇦🇺
Joshua Giddings 🇬🇧
Sébastien Grignard 🇧🇪
Matys Grisel 🇫🇷
Simone Gualdi 🇮🇹
Mathieu Kockelmann 🇱🇺
Felix Ørn-Kristoff 🇳🇴
Milan Menten 🇧🇪
Robin Orins 🇧🇪
Lorenzo Rota 🇮🇹
Jonas Rutsch 🇩🇪
Liam Slock 🇧🇪
Lionel Taminiaux 🇧🇪
Reuben Thompson 🇳🇿
Luca Van Boven 🇧🇪
Taco van der Hoorn 🇳🇱
Lennert Van Eetvelt 🇧🇪
Roel van Sintmaartensdijk 🇳🇱
Baptiste Veistroffer 🇫🇷
Jarno Widar 🇧🇪
Georg Zimmermann 🇩🇪Lotto-Intermarché Ladies (Élites femmes / ProTeam)
Dina Boels 🇧🇪
Julie Brouwers 🇧🇪
Katrijn De Clercq 🇧🇪
Elisabeth Ebras 🇪🇪
Romina Hinojosa Cruz 🇲🇽
Marieke Meert 🇧🇪
Annelies Nijssen 🇧🇪
Linda Riedmann 🇩🇪
Ilken Seynave 🇧🇪
Sandrine Tas 🇧🇪
Lea Lin Teutenberg 🇩🇪
Anna van Wersch 🇳🇱
Sterre Vervloet 🇧🇪
Lani Wittevrongel 🇧🇪Lotto-Groupe Wanty (Espoirs hommes / Développement)
Thibaut Bernard 🇧🇪
Witse Bertels 🇧🇪
Édouard Claisse 🇧🇪
Mauro Cuylits 🇧🇪
Mathias De Keersmaeker 🇧🇪
Halvor Dolven 🇳🇴
Milan Donie 🇧🇪
Niels Driesen 🇧🇪
Kamiel Eeman 🇧🇪
Samuel Greenwell 🇬🇧
Shunsuke Imamura 🇯🇵
Duarte Marivoet 🇧🇪
Tars Poelvoorde 🇧🇪
Keije Solen 🇳🇱
Wouter Toussaint 🇳🇱
Victor Van de Putte 🇧🇪
Lorenz Van de Wynkele 🇧🇪
Lucas Van Gils 🇧🇪
Victor Vaneeckhoutte 🇧🇪
Tuur Verbeeck 🇧🇪➡️ S’inscrire à l’infolettre pour la recevoir gratuitement tous les lundis ⬅️
Les licences WorldTeams et ProTeams distribuées : Cofidis, Q36.5 et Roland refoulés
Comme attendu, l’Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) a révélé, le 10 décembre dernier, les licences WorldTeams et ProTeams pour la saison 2026, avec une série de mentions à noter.
WorldTeams masculines
Toutes les formations candidates au statut WorldTeam et éligibles sur le plan sportif ont obtenu leur sésame pour les trois prochaines années, même NSN Cycling Team qui succède à Israel-Premier Tech, ou Lotto-Intermarché, après le projet de fusion entre les deux entités belges. L’UCI précise toutefois que PicNic-PostNL bénéficie seulement d’une licence pour une année et que des conditions, notamment financières, sont imposées pour une extension de deux saisons supplémentaires. Aucun détail n’a toutefois filtré sur les raisons de cette décision.
- Alpecin-Premier Tech 🇧🇪
- Bahrain Victorious 🇧🇭
- Decathlon-CMA CGM 🇫🇷
- EF Education-EasyPost 🇺🇸
- Groupama-FDJ United 🇫🇷
- INEOS Grenadiers 🇬🇧
- Lidl-Trek 🇩🇪
- Lotto-Intermarché 🇧🇪
- Movistar Team 🇪🇸
- NSN Cycling Team 🇨🇭
- Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 🇩🇪
- Soudal-Quick Step 🇧🇪
- Team Jayco-AlUla 🇦🇺
- Team PicNic-PostNL 🇳🇱
- Team Visma | Lease a Bike 🇳🇱
- UAE Team Emirates-XRG 🇦🇪
- Uno-X Mobility 🇳🇴
- XDS Astana Team 🇰🇿
ProTeams masculines
Même si elles étaient candidates au WorldTour, Cofidis et Q36.5-Pinarello, qui ne faisaient pas partie des 18 meilleures équipes du classement sportif cumulé de 2023 à 2025, restent donc au niveau ProTeam. Toutes les équipes candidates ont reçu leur licence pour la prochaine saison. L’équipe italienne, sous licence hongroise, MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort passe ainsi à l’échelon supérieur, alors que la formation américain Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, menée par George Hincapie, est direction en seconde division.
- Bardiani CSF 🇮🇹
- Burgos-Burpellet-BH 🇪🇸
- Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 🇪🇸
- Cofidis 🇫🇷
- Equipo Kern Pharma 🇪🇸
- Euskaltel-Euskadi 🇪🇸
- MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort 🇭🇺
- Modern Adventure Pro Cycling 🇺🇸
- Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 🇨🇭
- Team Flanders-Baloise 🇧🇪
- Team Novo Nordisk 🇺🇸
- Team Polti VisitMalta 🇮🇹
- Toscana Nippo Rali 🇮🇹
- TotalEnergies 🇫🇷
- Tudor Pro Cycling Team 🇨🇭
- Unibet Rose Rockets 🇫🇷
WorldTeams féminines
Comme chez les hommes, quasiment toutes les équipes candidates au WorldTour ont leur sésame, notamment EF Education-Oatly qui arrive ainsi parmi l’élite. Par contre, le Team PicNic-PostNL doit faire face à la même sanction que chez les hommes : une licence d’un an seulement, et les deux suivantes conditionnées à plusieurs critères.
- AG Insurance-Soudal Team 🇧🇪
- Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto 🇩🇪
- EF Education-Oatly 🇺🇸
- FDJ United-Suez 🇫🇷
- Fenix-Premier Tech 🇧🇪
- Human Powered Health 🇺🇸
- Lidl-Trek 🇩🇪
- Liv-AlUla-Jayco 🇦🇺
- Movistar Team 🇪🇸
- Team PicNic-PostNL 🇳🇱
- Team SD Worx-Protime 🇳🇱
- Team Visma | Lease a Bike 🇳🇱
- UAE Team ADQ 🇦🇪
- Uno-X Mobility 🇳🇴
ProTeams féminines
Cofidis, qui espérait une licence WorldTour mais ne remplissait pas le critère sportif, devra se contenter l’an prochain du statut ProTeam. Lotto-Intermarché obtient un billet en seconde division tout comme la nouvelle équipe française Ma Petite Entreprise. Winspace-Orange Seal, devenue Mayenne Monbana My Pie, reste également parmi les ProTeams. Par contre, l’équipe suisse Roland Le Dévoluy, qui était encore WorldTeam en 2025, descend au niveau continental.
- Cofidis 🇫🇷
- Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi 🇪🇸
- Lotto-Intermarché Ladies 🇧🇪
- Ma Petite Entreprise 🇫🇷
- Mayenne Monbana My Pie 🇫🇷
- St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93 🇫🇷
- Volkerwessels Cycling Team 🇳🇱
Coupe du monde de cyclo-cross à Namur : Brand et Van der Poel enchaînent, les locaux profitent
12.100 personnes, c’est un record, ont assisté dimanche à la désormais mythique manche de la Coupe du monde de cyclo-cross à Namur. Sur les hauteurs de la Citadelle, les Néerlandais ont encore fait la Une, avec Lucinda Brand et Mathieu van der Poel. Mais les Belges n’ont pas démérité, en particulier les Wallons présents pour l’occasion sur leurs terres.
« Juliiiine », « Emeline, go ! », « Antoine, allez ! » : les prénoms ont fusé dans l’enthousiasme ébouriffant de la Citadelle de Namur. Il est rare de voir des spécialistes wallonnes et wallons du cyclo-cross disputer la Coupe du monde de cyclo-cross dans la capitale wallonne, alors à l’annonce de leur départ, le public ne s’y est pas trompé et a encouragé tant et plus les personnalités locales dont l’objectif était principalement de faire bonne figure face aux meilleurs professionnels de la discipline. Du côté des élites femmes, le sélectionneur fédéral Angelo Declercq avait décidé de mettre en avant la championne de Wallonie-Bruxelles Juline Delcommune, une Engissoise de 21 ans qui a déjà participé par le passé à une trentaine de cyclo-cross avec les professionnels depuis… 2022. La protégée de Gérard Bulens, au sein du Team Wilink-Brussels Cycling, comptait bien tenter de profiter de l’ambiance, mais un départ en dernière ligne n’a pu lui permettre de jouer les premiers rôles. « Je suis un peu déçue. J’ai été arrêtée à deux tours de la fin », a-t-elle confié à l’arrivée. « En démarrant dernière, c’est difficile de garder une belle position. Et Namur, c’est hyper dur, c’est technique. Tout le monde me dit que c’est énorme, déjà, d’être ici, sélectionnée, mais pour moi, ce n’est jamais suffisant. (…) On m’arrête à 35 minutes de course, mais pour moi, ce n’est pas assez pour montrer toutes mes capacités sur un tel parcours. Plus j’approche des 50 minutes, mieux c’est. Dommage donc… »
La Belge Juline Delcommune dans le dévers lors du cyclo-cross de Namur, le 14 décembre 2025. – Photo : Alain Vandepontseele/Alain VDP PhotographyL’expérience était aussi impressionnante pour la multiple championne de Belgique de VTT cross-country Emeline Detilleux. Originaire de la province, elle a pu conclure en 30e position, pour… le troisième cyclo-cross de sa carrière professionnelle. « Je suis contente parce que l’objectif était de m’amuser, et c’est ce que j’ai fait », a-t-elle confié avec le sourire à l’arrivée. « J’ai grandi assez vite, je suis déjà en Coupe du monde, je dois donc juste être contente de ma course. Top 30 pour quelqu’un qui n’a plus touché son vélo de cyclo-cross depuis trois semaines et qui découvre la discipline, c’est pas mal ! » Celle qui est partie de la dernière ligne également a conservé sa place autour des 30 premières tout au long de la course a profité de ses qualités techniques pour gérer au mieux et finalement découvrir un sport pour lequel elle pourrait finalement se consacrer un peu plus dans les prochains mois. « Je pense que je peux faire de belles choses. Et la fédération est assez contente que je veuille m’impliquer dans le cyclo-cross. (…) Je suis fière d’avoir pu prendre cette opportunité », ajoute Detilleux qui participera aux Superprestige et Trophée X2O Badkamers de la période des fêtes.
La Belge Émeline Detilleux dans le dévers lors du cyclo-cross de Namur, le 14 décembre 2025. – Photo : Alain Vandepontseele/Alain VDP PhotographyIl n’y avait cependant rien à faire face à la femme de cette saison, la Néerlandaise Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions), encore une fois impériale de bout en bout. Elle a vu un instant la leader de la Coupe du monde Aniek van Alphen (777 Racing) revenir à une quinzaine de secondes avant de repartir de plus belle. Les deux premières places étaient ainsi scellées, alors que la championne de France Amandine Fouquenet (Arkéa-B&B Hôtels) réalisait une sacrée performance pour glaner la troisième place, au bout d’un cross parfaitement géré sur le plan technique. La championne des Pays-Bas Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) réalisait, elle, le chemin qu’il reste à parcourir pour revenir au plus haut niveau, mais sa quatrième place est encourageante pour la suite de l’hiver. La Suissesse Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing), de retour après un hiver blanc, affichait pour sa part toute son expérience pour accrocher le Top 5 dès sa première manche de Coupe du monde de la saison. La championne de Belgique Marion Norbert-Riberolle (Crelan-Corendon), sur un parcours qui lui convient moins bien, a de son côté connu un départ très difficile, la reléguant près du Top 30, avant de réaliser une grande remontée jusqu’à la 13e place : « C’est toujours dur sur la première bosse pour moi. Je suis contente parce que d’habitude, ça va moins bien à Namur. Je suis contente finalement. Et cette année, il n’y avait jamais autant de monde, je n’ai jamais connu ça, ça m’a donné des ailes ! »
La Néerlandaise Lucinda Brand remporte le cyclo-cross de Namur, le 14 décembre 2025. – Photo : Alain Vandepontseele/Alain VDP PhotographyCôté masculin, tous les regards namurois étaient posés sur Antoine Jamin, l’espoir du Team BH Wallonie. Le local de 20 ans avait marqué les esprits avec une cinquième place sur la course des juniors lors des championnats d’Europe sur cette même Citadelle en 2022 et comptait bien tenter de se faire une place malgré son jeune âge et le plateau présent. Finalement 32e à l’arrivée, à un peu plus de quatre minutes du champion du monde Mathieu van der Poel, Jamin restait malgré tout sur sa faim au moment de franchir la ligne. « J’ai fait un bon départ. Après, j’ai voulu un peu me canaliser, je me suis rendu compte que je n’avais pas la plus grande forme. Je suis déjà content de finir la course à une bonne place, même si j’espérais un peu mieux », déclarait-il après avoir repris son souffle sous les acclamations de la foule. « C’est le départ qui allait déterminer ma place. Au fil des tours, je perdais un peu de temps, mais j’ai fait le maximum. (…) Refaire la même chose qu’en juniors, cela allait être difficile, mais j’ai essayé. J’étais un peu moins en forme que prévu ».
Devant, le suspense a longtemps régné. Pour sa reprise, Mathieu van der Poel a confirmé ses déclarations selon lesquelles il n’était pas dans la même forme qu’à son retour dans les labourés, l’an dernier. Le champion du monde a longtemps été malmené par Thibau Nys (Baloise Glowi Lions), et même un temps par Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw) et Lars van der Haar (Baloise Glowi Lions). Dans le dernier tour, une glissade et une chute de Nys a finalement permis au Néerlandais de s’isoler dans les parties plus explosives et de signer un sixième succès en sept courses à Namur. Le champion de Belgique et leader de la Coupe du monde conservait au moins la deuxième place devant Vanthourenhout, confirmant un cap franchi pour la suite de l’hiver.
Découvrez les grands moments de cette quatrième manche de la Coupe du monde de cyclo-cross à Namur, sous la lentille de notre photographe Alain Vandepontseele en cliquant sur ce lien.
Les nouvelles des derniers jours
✍ Transferts
- Sacrée affaire pour INEOS Grenadiers : après avoir tardé à lancer son mercato pour la prochaine saison, l’équipe britannique a annoncé cette semaine l’arrivée de l’Australien Jack Haig, en provenance de Bahrain Victorious. Le grimpeur de 32 ans, troisième de la Vuelta en 2021, a signé pour deux saisons. Une confirmation de la politique de l’équipe de relancer une structure solide pour les courses par étapes.
- L’Irlandaise Caoimhe O’Brien (Cynisca Cycling), âgée de 23 ans, a signé pour au moins une saison avec la WorldTeam américaine EF Education-Oatly. Plutôt explosive, elle s’est distinguée durant ses deux premières saisons professionnelles comme une sprinteuse qui peut franchir les courtes côtes, avec notamment une 9e place sur l’Egmont Cycling Race et sur la Maryland Cycling Classic en 2025.
- La ProTeam française TotalEnergies a fait le plein pour la saison prochaine avec l’arrivée de trois recrues en provenance d’Arkéa-B&B Hôtels, officiellement disparue. Les Français Thibault Guernalec (28 ans), Pierre Thierry (22 ans) et Mathis Le Berre (24 ans) rejoignent ainsi la formation vendéenne pour au moins une saison, la durée de leur contrat n’ayant pas été révélée. TotalEnergies boucle ainsi son effectif de 28 coureurs avec ces derniers transferts.
- Deux autres rescapés d’Arkéa-B&B Hôtels ont retrouvé de la place au sein de l’équipe continentale française CIC Pro Cycling Academy, ex-CIC-U-Nantes Atlantiques : les Français Victor Guerlanec (25 ans) et Léandre Lozouet (21 ans) ont paraphé un contrat d’une saison.
- Parmi les coureurs d’Intermarché-Wanty laissés sur le banc de touche, le Français Alexy Faure-Prost a trouvé refuge chez Picnic-PostNL. Le champion de France espoir de 2023, aujourd’hui âgé de 21 ans et toujours en quête d’un premier succès professionnel, a signé pour un an avec l’équipe néerlandaise, où il pourra révéler ses talents de baroudeur et grimpeur.
- Dans l’autre sens, le Néerlandais Enzo Leijnse (24 ans), qui n’a pas été prolongé chez Picnic-PostNL, a retrouvé un contrat avec l’équipe continentale portugaise Anicolor/Tien 21, qui l’a engagé pour un an.
- La ProTeam française St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93 a poursuivi son renforcement pour la prochaine saison avec les arrivées de l’Américaine Heidi Franz (30 ans, Cynisca Cycling), coureuse expérimentée et habituée du gravel qui a notamment terminé cette saison troisième du Tour du Portugal (avec une étape en prime), et de sa compatriote Caroline Wreszin (24 ans), elle aussi venue du gravel avec plusieurs podiums sur de telles courses d’endurance aux États-Unis.
➡️ Prolongations
- L’équipe Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe a profité de sa présentation annuelle pour confirmer les prolongations pour “plusieurs saisons” (sans autre précision) de trois de ses jeunes leaders. D’abord, l’Italien Giulio Pellizarri (22 ans), vainqueur d’étape et sixième du dernier Tour d’Espagne, et l’Allemand Florian Lipowitz (25 ans), troisième et meilleur jeune du Tour de France 2025. L’Italien Lorenzo Finn (18 ans), coup sur coup champion du monde chez les juniors puis chez les espoirs ces deux dernières saisons, a également signé un nouveau contrat, confirmant son passage chez les professionnels à partir de 2027.
🏥 Sur la touche
- C’est ce qu’on appelle ne pas avoir de bol : l’Italien Davide Formolo doit éviter le vélo pour au moins six semaines à la suite d’une opération à un tendon du pied, nécessaire après une blessure contractée après la chute… d’une tasse de thé sur son pied. L’ex-champion d’Italie, aujourd’hui âgé de 33 ans, l’a révélé sur son compte Instagram, confirmant un possible report de son début de saison en raison de cette déconvenue.
📅 Programme
- C’est la saison des présentations d’équipes, ce qui annonce la saison des révélations de programmes des leaders qui devraient marquer la prochaine année cycliste. Après de nombreuses spéculations à son sujet, le champion olympique Remco Evenepoel a révélé ses grandes lignes de 2026, sans toutefois tout divulguer en vue de l’été. Il reprendra la compétition au Challenge de Majorque, du 28 janvier au 1er février, où un contre-la-montre par équipes permettra à sa nouvelle équipe, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, de peaufiner les détails de cette discipline si particulière, en vue de l’étape d’ouverture du Tour de France. Il sera ensuite au départ du Tour de la Communauté de Valence, du 4 au 8 février, puis du Tour de Catalogne, du 23 au 29 mars. Il participera aux classiques ardennaises (Amstel Gold Race le 19 avril, Flèche Wallonne le 22 avril et Liège-Bastogne-Liège le 26 avril), avant un stage et une participation soit au Critérium du Dauphiné (devenu Tour d’Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), soit au Tour de Suisse, avant le Tour de France (du 4 au 26 juillet), qu’il visera à nouveau.
- Les autres leaders de la Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, clairement concentrée sur les Grands Tours, ont également dévoilé leurs cartes pour la prochaine saison. L’Italien Giulio Pellizarri et l’Australien Jai Hindley se partageront la position de leader sur le Tour d’Italie, alors que l’Allemand Florian Lipowitz suivra un programme similaire à Remco Evenepoel (le Tour de Romandie en plus, les classiques ardennaises en moins) en vue du Tour de France. Le Slovène Primoz Roglic sera pour sa part attendu sur le Tour du Pays basque (du 6 au 11 avril), le Tour de Romandie et le Tour d’Espagne, où il visera un cinquième titre historique.
- L’agenda des stars d’UAE Team Emirates XRG était également largement scruté au vu des combats attendus la saison prochaine avec Evenepoel et Jonas Vingegaard. Tadej Pogacar a ainsi confirmé, sans surprise, que le Tour de France sera son grand objectif de l’année. Mais pas seulement : sa campagne débutera sur le Strade Bianche (7 mars), avant Milan-Sanremo (21 mars), le Tour des Flandres (5 avril), Paris-Roubaix (12 avril), Liège-Bastogne-Liège (26 avril) et le Tour de Romandie, dernière rampe de lancement avant le Tour de Suisse et le Tour de France ensuite.
- Parmi les autres leaders de l’équipe n°1 du peloton contemporain, le Mexicain Isaac del Toro, qui reprendra sur l’UAE Tour (du 16 au 22 février), sera également de la partie sur le Strade Bianche, Milan-Sanremo et le Tour de France. Le Portugais João Almeida, qui sera au départ du Tour de la Communauté de Valence, participera au Tour d’Italie avec Adam Yates, Jan Christen et Antonio Morgado en soutiens. Le champion de Belgique Tim Wellens disputera, lui, l’ensemble des classiques depuis le Circuit Het Nieuwsblad jusqu’à l’Amstel Gold Race.
- Du côté de l’équipe Movistar, alors que l’Espagnol Enric Mas devrait enchaîner le Tour d’Italie et le Tour d’Espagne, le Belge Cian Uijtdebroeks, engagé à grands frais cet hiver, bénéficiera directement d’un traitement de leader. Il reprendra la compétition au Tour de la Communauté de Valence, du 4 au 8 février, avant Paris-Nice (du 8 au 15 mars), le Tour du Pays basque (du 6 au 11 avril), le Tour d’Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (du 7 au 14 juin) et le Tour de France, sur lequel il devrait donc être l’unique patron de l’équipe, à seulement 23 ans.
- Chez Lidl-Trek, également, on a moins partagé les Grands Tours. L’Espagnol Juan Ayuso, grand transfuge de l’hiver, lancera sa saison sur le Tour d’Algarve (du 18 au 22 février) et enchaînera avec Paris-Nice, le Tour du Pays basque, la Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, le Tour d’Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes et le Tour de France. Il sera accompagné sur la Grande Boucle des Danois Mads Pedersen (qui sera sur les classiques depuis Milan-Sanremo jusqu’à Paris-Roubaix) et Mattias Skjelmose (prévu aussi sur Paris-Nice). Le sprinter italien Jonathan Milan est pour l’heure prévu sur Milan-Sanremo et Paris-Roubaix. Sur le Tour d’Italie, Giulio Ciccone sera le leader annoncé avec le Belge Thibau Nys, qui découvrira ainsi les routes italiennes, après un premier Tour de France l’an dernier.
- Enfin, la formation française Decathlon-CMA CGM comptera sur les classiques son nouveau leader Tiesj Benoot, qui retrouvera le peloton sur le Tour d’Algarve avant de participer aux courses printanière depuis le Circuit Het Nieuwsblad (28 février) jusqu’à la Flèche Wallonne. Le sprinter néerlandais Olav Kooij reprendra sur l’UAE Tour et visera probablement le Tour de France. Pour le grimpeur autrichien Felix Gall, le Tour d’Italie sera le grand objectif du début de saison.
- L’Australien Michael Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla) a aussi présenté son programme, avec un accent sur les classiques, évidemment : Milan-Sanremo, Tour des Flandres, Amstel Gold Race et Liège-Bastogne-Liège seront prévus, avant une présence sur le Tour de France.
- La championne du monde Magdeleine Vallieres a confirmé sur le Tour Down Under (du 17 au 19 janvier), pour lancer 2026. Elle étrennera ainsi son maillot arc-en-ciel en Australie avant d’envisager la suite du printemps, dont les classiques ardennaises seront son grand objectif.
- Wielerflits a interrogé l’équipe Fenix-Deceuninck sur le programme de la championne des Pays-Bas de cyclo-cross Puck Pieterse pour la saison hivernale 2025-2026. Après une reprise à Namur, conclue à la quatrième place, la cycliste de 23 ans poursuivra à Anvers (20/12), Coxyde (21/12), Gavere (26/12), Termonde (28/12), Diegem (30/12), Baal (01/01), Zonhoven (04/01) et aux championnats des Pays-Bas (11/01). Ses participations à Benidorm (18/01), Maasmechelen (24/01) et Hoogerheide (25/01) restent par contre entre parenthèses avant l’ultime objectif, le championnat du monde à Hulst (31/01).
🦸♀️ Maillots
- L’équipe NSN Cycling Team, ex-Israel-Premier Tech, avait dévoilé son nouveau nom, elle a désormais affiché ses nouvelles couleurs. Le tricot a été imaginé par Stycle Design, déjà à l’origine des anciennes tuniques d’Intermarché-Wanty, AG Insurance-Soudal et Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal.
- La WorldTeam néerlandaise SD Worx-Protime a quelque peu modifié son maillot pour la prochaine saison : il sera plus bariolé et plus clair en haut, alors que le cuissard sera noir. Et vu qu’elle n’est plus championne du monde sur route, Lotte Kopecky est à la présentation sous ses nouvelles couleurs.
- Chez UAE Team Emirates XRG, le blanc et le noir restent les couleurs dominantes d’un maillot qui connaît finalement peu de changements par rapport à la saison dernière.
- Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe proposera en 2026 un maillot ressemblant à la tunique spéciale présentant lors du dernier Tour de France : majoritairement blanc avec les manches bleues. Le cuissard restera noir.
- Un maillot un peu plus blanc s’annonce pour la Movistar qui a laissé tomber le torse bleu pour ne proposer qu’un “M” bleu.
- L’arlequin de Lidl-Trek restera bien en place en 2026 mais il sera plus dégradé. Le rouge restera cantonné au bras droit et le jaune au bras gauche alors que le torse apparaît plus bleu.
- Decathlon CMA CGM, avec l’arrivée d’un nouveau co-partenaire principal, a ajouté du rouge à son maillot aux différents tons de bleu déjà présents la saison dernière. Ainsi que du noir sur la manche gauche avec l’arrivée d’Adecco.
- Pas de changement pour l’équipe Uno-X Mobility qui a attendu la confirmation de son statut WorldTeam pour arborer ce logo sur la tunique rouge et jaune de ces derniers mois.
🤑 Économie
- Le Tour du Doubs n’aura pas lieu la saison prochaine. Le Vélo Club Morteau-Montbenoît, en charge de l’épreuve 1.1, a expliqué par voie de communiqué que les coûts d’organisation sont devenus de plus en plus importants, face à un soutien public stable. “Afin de préserver la pérennité du club, de concentrer nos moyens sur la sauvegarde et le développement de notre équipe N1 féminine et de garantir la poursuite de nos actions auprès des jeunes, nous faisons le choix responsable de suspendre l’épreuve pour 2026”, ajoute le club. Une réflexion est prévue pour permettre le retour de la course en avril 2027.
💉 Dopage
- Provisoirement suspendu depuis le 11 septembre dernier par l’UCI, l’Italien Giovanni Carboni a été licencié par l’équipe Unibet Rose Rockets. “Sans remettre en cause la présomption d’innocence concernant l’enquête de l’UCI, notre enquête interne confirme une violation du devoir de transparence et de loyauté du coureur”, a expliqué la ProTeam française par communiqué. Carboni est pour l’heure suspendu en raison d’anomalies apparues sur son passeport biologique en 2024.
🌈 Sélections
- L’Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) a dévoilé les quotas prévus pour les épreuves cyclistes des Jeux olympiques de Los Angeles en 2028. Sur les courses sur route, pas de changement : les pelotons seront encore très petits, avec seulement 90 qualifiées et 90 qualifiés. Ils et elles seront 35 sur le contre-la-montre. Les quotas seront de 36 cyclistes par sexe en VTT mountain-bike, de 24 par sexe en BMX racing et de 12 par sexe en BMX freestyle. Plus de détails sur les quotas et systèmes de qualification sur le site de l’UCI.
📌 Autres
- La rumeur du mois de novembre est devenue officielle : Jean-René Bernaudeau cède bien sa place de manager général du Team TotalÉnergies à Stéphane Heulot, ancien patron de Lotto. Bernaudeau ne quitte pas la structure, dont il reste PDG, mais Heulot en sera le dirigeant sportif, en charge du développement de l’entreprise et de la recherche de nouveaux sponsors après le départ annoncé de TotalEnergies fin 2026.
- Sans grande surprise, Remco Evenepoel a été choisi par les journalistes sportifs belges en tant que sportif belge de l’année. Il s’agit de son cinquième titre, ce qui le rapproche à un trophée d’Eddy Merckx, qui avait dominé le concours entre 1969 et 1974.
À lire, voir, écouter…
- Ludovic Robeet revient de loin : victime d’un AVC en septembre dernier, le coureur brabançon de la Cofidis a enfin repris le vélo début décembre, après être devenu papa pour la première fois. Une double dose de bonnes nouvelles pour le cycliste de 31 ans qui s’est longuement confié à la RTBF sur son état de santé et ce qu’il envisage pour la suite de sa carrière sportive. “J’aimerais récupérer mes sensations d’avant, même si je crois que ce n’est pas gagné. J’aimerais savoir vivre avec ce qui s’est passé et continuer à évoluer”, explique celui qui envisage un retour à la compétition pour les classiques flandriennes, au printemps. Même si l’objectif est optimiste. C’est à lire et à écouter en cliquant sur ce lien.
- Lancer un planeur à la seule force des jambes ? C’est le défi posé par l’équipe Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe à l’occasion d’une vidéo dans le plus pur style de la boisson énergisante qui sponsorise l’équipe depuis plus d’un an maintenant. Neuf coureurs de la formation allemande ont ainsi été amenés à tracter sur une piste de 1.500 mètres un petit avion, afin de lui permettre de décoller à toute vitesse. L’exploit est majuscule, mais je reste un peu sur ma faim par rapport au manque de données affichées à l’écran (Velon a expliqué par la suite que les cyclistes de tête ont dû pousser plus de 600 watts pendant une minute) et au manque d’explications sur la physique derrière cet exercice particulier. La vidéo est à voir sur la chaîne YouTube de Red Bull Bike.
- Pour la troisième année consécutive, le Turbo Cross va animer les cyclo-cross des fêtes, pour le plus grand plaisir du public flamand toujours avide de spectacle divertissement. Le vidéaste Average Rob et son frère Arno The Kid organisent une nouvelle édition de ce cyclo-cross pour le fun, entre influenceurs et célébrités, cette fois à Hofstade (et non plus à Diegem), à l’occasion du nouveau “Plage Cross”. Le streamer français Rivenzi sera notamment de la partie pour une bataille à suivre sur YouTube et la VRT. Rendez-vous le 22 décembre à 16h45 pour suivre ce moment de détente. Et en attendant, voici un aperçu de l’événement avec le résumé de l’édition 2024.
Pour profiter des retransmissions télévisées des courses cyclistes depuis l’étranger, n’hésitez pas à utiliser NordVPN, un programme vous permettant de rejoindre des réseaux privés virtuels protégés dans le monde entier. Pour accéder à ces retransmissions télévisées depuis le monde entier, un VPN peut vous aider, tout en vous protégeant. NordVPN vous propose un abonnement de deux ans avec une réduction allant jusqu’à 73%. Chaque nouvel abonné recevra par ailleurs trois mois d’abonnement offerts. Des offres combinées avec NordPass et du stockage cloud sont par ailleurs disponibles ! Tout abonnement à NordVPN est un soutien supplémentaire à CyclismeRevue.
Le coin promo
- Comme chaque année, CyclismeRevue vous propose un calendrier complet pour ne rien manquer des cyclo-cross jusqu’à fin février 2026. C’est disponible en cliquant sur ce lien.
- Comme chaque année, nous vous proposons un calendrier à télécharger et à installer sur votre téléphone ou votre ordinateur, pour ne rien manquer des différentes courses professionnelles sur route de l’année, que ce soit chez les femmes ou les hommes. Tous les détails pratiques sont sur ce lien.
- Découvrez le programme TV complet des courses cyclistes (route, piste, cyclo-cross, VTT…) diffusées ces prochaines semaines en Belgique et en France sur notre page spéciale, mise à jour quotidiennement : c’est à voir sur ce lien.
Les résultats des derniers jours
Route
- Tour du Costa Rica 🇨🇷 (2.2)
- 1re étape (12/12) : Jexon Ledezma 🇨🇷 (Costa Rica U23)
- 2e étape (13/12) : Jason Huertas 🇨🇷 (Manza Te-La Selva-Scott)
- 3e étape (14/12) : Santiago Montenegro 🇪🇨 (Movistar-Best PC)
Cyclo-cross
- Velopark Grand Prix Debrecen 🇭🇺 (C1)
- Élites femmes (13/12) : Zuzanna Krzystala 🇵🇱 (Pho3nix Cycling Team)
- Élites hommes (13/12) : Zsombor Takács 🇭🇺 (MBH Bank CSB Ballan Colpack)
- Exact Cross – Leiecross à Courtrai 🇧🇪 (C2)
- Élites femmes (13/12) : Inge van der Heijden 🇳🇱 (Crelan-Corendon)
- Élites hommes (13/12) : Niels Vandeputte 🇧🇪 (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
- HSF System Cup #7 – Hole Vrchy 🇨🇿 (C2)
- Élites femmes (13/12) : Barbora Bukovská 🇨🇿 (DK Bikeshop Racing Team)
- Élites hommes (13/12) : Vaclav Jezek 🇨🇿 (Brilon Racing Team MB)
- Coupe du monde #4 – Namur 🇧🇪 (CDM)
- Élites femmes (14/12) : Lucinda Brand 🇳🇱 (Baloise Glowi Lions)
- Élites hommes (14/12) : Mathieu van der Poel 🇳🇱 (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
- Coupe de France de cyclo-cross #5 – Ouistreham 🇫🇷 (C2)
- Élites femmes (14/12) : Anaïs Morichon 🇫🇷 (Arkéa-B&B Hôtels)
- Élites hommes (14/12) : Gerben Kuypers 🇧🇪 (Charles Liégeois Roastery CX)
- Velopark Cyclo-cross Debrecen 🇭🇺 (C2)
- Élites femmes (14/12) : Zuzanna Krzystala 🇵🇱 (Pho3nix Cycling Team)
- Élites hommes (14/12) : Zsombor Takács 🇭🇺 (MBH Bank CSB Ballan Colpack)
- Cyclocross Del Ponte 🇮🇹 (C2)
- Élites femmes (14/12) : Elisa Ferri 🇮🇹 (FAS Airport Services-Guerciotti)
- Élites hommes (14/12) : Filippo Fontana 🇮🇹 (Carabinieri Olympia)
- Championnats des États-Unis à Fayetteville 🇺🇸 (CN)
- Élites femmes (14/12) : Lizzy Gunsalus 🇺🇸 (CCB Women’s Cycling)
- Élites hommes (14/12) : Eric Brunner 🇺🇸 (Competitive Edge Racing)
- Championnats du Japon à Osaka 🇯🇵 (CN)
- Élites femmes (14/12) : Yui Ishida 🇯🇵 (TRK Works)
- Élites hommes (14/12) : Hijiri Oda 🇯🇵 (Yowamushi Pedal Cycling Team)
L’agenda des prochains jours
Mardi 16 décembre
- Tour du Costa Rica 🇨🇷 (2.2) – 5e étape
- San José > Pérez Zeledón (126,5 km)
- Liste des partants
- Jeux d’Asie du Sud-Est à Bangkok 🇹🇭 (JR) – Course en ligne hommes
- Bangkok > Bangkok
Mercredi 17 décembre
- Tour du Costa Rica 🇨🇷 (2.2) – 6e étape
- Pérez Zeledón > Neily (198 km)
- Liste des partants
- Jeux d’Asie du Sud-Est à Bangkok 🇹🇭 (JR) – Course en ligne femmes
- Bangkok > Bangkok
Jeudi 18 décembre
- Tour du Costa Rica 🇨🇷 (2.2) – 7e étape
- Neily > Buenos Aires (161,6 km)
- Liste des partants
Vendredi 19 décembre
- Tour du Costa Rica 🇨🇷 (2.2) – 8e étape
- Pérez Zeledón > Oreamuno (120 km)
- Liste des partants
Samedi 20 décembre
- Tour du Costa Rica 🇨🇷 (2.2) – 9e étape
- Palmares > Palmares (92,5 km)
- Liste des partants
CYCLO-CROSS
- Coupe du monde #5 – Anvers 🇧🇪 (CDM)
- Infos et partants
- 📺 Direct dès 13h30 sur Pickx+ Sports 1, Eurosport 2 et HBO Max
- Cyclo-cross international de Béthune 🇫🇷 (C2)
Dimanche 21 décembre
- Tour du Costa Rica 🇨🇷 (2.2) – 10e et dernière étape
- La Aurora > La Aurora (99 km)
- Liste des partants
CYCLO-CROSS
- Coupe du monde #6 – Coxyde 🇧🇪 (CDM)
- Infos et partants
- 📺 Direct dès 13h30 sur Pickx Pop-up Sports, Pickx Showcase, Pickx+ Sports 1, VRT 1, Sporza.be, VRT Max, Eurosport 2 et HBO Max
Lundi 22 décembre
CYCLO-CROSS
- Trophée X2O Badkamers #4 – Plage Cross à Hofstade 🇧🇪 (C2)
- Infos et partants
- 📺 Direct dès 13h30 sur VRT 1, Sporza.be et VRT Max, dès 13h35 sur RTL Club et RTL Play, et dès 13h40 sur Eurosport 2 et HBO Max
Merci pour votre lecture !
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Amerikas digitala avrustning hotar internationell säkerhet
Under 2025 har Trumpregimen genomfört en systematisk nedmontering av USA:s kapacitet inom cybersäkerhet, psykologiskt försvar och skydd mot hybrida hot. Flera myndigheter och initiativ som tidigare skyddat amerikanska intressen i den digitala domänen har försvagats eller lagts ned. Administrationen har bland annat avskedat erfarna cybersäkerhetsexperter, omorganiserat bort centrala funktioner, strypt finansiering till forskning om desinformation och stängt ned enheter som övervakat utländska påverkanskampanjer. Dessa åtgärder har motiverats av Trumpregimen med hänvisning till kostnadseffektivitet, minskad byråkrati och ideologiska principer om yttrandefrihet. Det framstår dock som om USA ensidigt avväpnar sig självt på områden där hoten från antagonister nu ökar.
Det pågår en märklig och svårförklarlig utveckling i USA när det gäller skyddet av samhällets digitala säkerhet. Sedan Trumpregimen tillträdde har den i hög fart ägnat sig åt en systematisk nedmontering av det digitala samhällsskydd som under decennier byggts upp för att skydda landet mot främmande makt och kriminalitet. Varför ägnar sig USA åt detta självskadebeteende? Vilka blir konsekvenserna för USA, och vad innebär det för Sverige och Europa? Den här texten är ett försök att bringa klarhet i det som nu sker.
Oroväckande händelser och signaler
Flera anmärkningsvärda händelser har inträffat i närtid. I ett mötesrum på Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) fick hundratals cybersäkerhetsspecialister nyligen beskedet att de verktyg de använder för att spåra och neutralisera cyberhot mot federal infrastruktur kommer att upphöra att fungera. Kontrakten för VirusTotal, en viktig databas för att identifiera malware, och Censys, ett kritiskt verktyg för cyberunderrättelser, har avslutats. Kontraktsanställda vid företag som Nightwing och Peraton har fått lämna in sina tjänstetelefoner då även deras arbete avvecklats.
I ett annat möte, denna gång i utrikesdepartementets lokaler, informerades personalen vid Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Hub (R/FIMI), tidigare känt som Global Engagement Center (GEC), om att deras verksamhet läggs ned helt. Enheten, grundad 2011 och med utökat mandat 2017 med stöd från både republikaner och demokrater, har haft till uppgift att “identifiera, förstå, exponera och motverka utländsk statlig och icke-statlig propaganda och desinformation”. Utrikesminister Marco Rubio motiverade avvecklingen med att verksamheten aktivt ska ha “aktivt tystat och censurerat” amerikaner och att folket inte behöver en “obskyr myndighet” för att skyddas från lögner.
Samtidigt råder en märkbar tystnad bland ledare hos cybersäkerhetsföretag på Wall Street, i Silicon Valley och i tech-hubbar från Boston till Seattle. Detta efter att president Donald Trump utfärdat ett häpnadsväckande presidentdekret riktat mot Christopher Krebs, CISA:s första direktör. Krebs, som sparkades av Trump i november 2020 efter att ha förklarat presidentvalet som säkert, har blivit måltavla för presidentens vrede. Dekretet återkallar hans säkerhetsgodkännande och, ännu mer anmärkningsvärt, drar in alla säkerhetsgodkännanden för anställda vid hans nuvarande arbetsgivare SentinelOne, ett av USA:s ledande cybersäkerhetsföretag.
“Få inom cybersäkerhetsbranschen har kommenterat incidenten av rädsla för vedergällning från Vita huset”, noterar en artikel i Lawfare. Katie Moussouris, VD för Luta Security och tidigare medlem i Cyber Safety Review Board, är en av få som offentligt kritiserat angreppet mot Krebs och SentinelOne: “Att rikta in sig på en tidigare statlig anställd för att ha gjort sitt jobb och utvidga det till deras nuvarande arbetsgivare ett halvt decennium senare kommer att ha en avskräckande effekt som gör oss alla mindre säkra.” Hon tillägger: “Företag kommer att tveka att anställa tidigare statliga cybersäkerhetsexperter, vilket berövar den privata sektorn deras välbehövda erfarenhet och perspektiv, och den federala regeringen kommer att få ännu svårare att locka till sig och behålla talang på toppnivå inom cybersäkerhet.”
I början av april avskedades general Timothy Haugh, fyrstjärnig general och chef för både National Security Agency (NSA) och U.S. Cyber Command – USA:s viktigaste cybersäkerhets- och signalspaningsorganisationer – med omedelbar verkan. Även NSA:s biträdande chef Wendy Noble fick gå. Avskedandena skedde utan offentlig förklaring och väckte omedelbar oro på Capitol Hill och bland säkerhetsexperter. Haugh, tillsatt under Biden-administrationen men enhälligt bekräftad av senaten, ansågs vara en högt respekterad ledare med särskild expertis i att motverka rysk propaganda.
“Detta är en ovärderlig gåva till USA:s motståndare – Kina, Ryssland, Iran och Nordkorea”, kommenterade en anonym säkerhetsanalytiker. Senator Angus King från Maine, medlem i både försvars- och underrättelseutskotten, utbrast: “Denna nyhet kunde inte vara mer allvarlig med tanke på allvaret och vårt behov av cybersäkerhet. Amerikanska institutioner attackeras dagligen.” Representanten Don Bacon, republikan från Nebraska och ordförande för representanthusets utskott för cyberfrågor, skrev på sociala medier: “Han sparkades utan offentlig förklaring. Denna åtgärd hämmar våra cyber- och signalspaningsoperationer.” Dessa avskedanden är bara tidiga steg i en omfattande och pågående omstrukturering av USA:s nationella säkerhetsinfrastruktur, en process som denna text syftar till att belysa.
Ideologi och strategi bakom nedmonteringen
Trumpadministrationens beslut att nedmontera cybersäkerhets- och informationsförsvarsstrukturer förefaller drivas av en kombination av ideologiska övertygelser och strategiska överväganden. En central faktor är en ideologisk skepsis mot statliga verksamheter och aktiviteter som uppfattas begränsa yttrandefrihet. Administrationen har beskrivit myndigheternas arbete mot desinformation som otillbörligt övervakande av amerikansk yttrandefrihet. I april annonserade utrikesminister Marco Rubio stängningen av utrikesdepartementets center mot utländsk desinformation (R/FIMI, tidigare GEC) med motiveringen att kontoret “aktivt tystade och censurerade rösterna hos de amerikaner de var tänkta att tjäna”. Rubio argumenterade i en debattartikel att “American people don’t need an obscure agency to ‘protect’ them from lies’”. Den underliggande logiken är att insatser mot desinformation i sig ses som ett större hot mot fri debatt än desinformationen själv. På samma tema signerade president Trump en exekutiv order om att “stoppa federal censur” på sin första dag tillbaka vid makten, vilken bland annat beordrade justitiedepartementet att utreda desinformationsforskare – utifrån premissen att detta arbete utgör censur. Begreppet “yttrandefrihet” har därmed politiserats och vapeniserats, där Trumpadministrationen menar att statliga motåtgärder mot antagonisters otillbörliga informationspåverkan är liktydigt med att kväsa legitima åsikter.
En annan ideologisk drivkraft är Trumpregimens generella misstro mot det etablerade säkerhets- och underrättelseetablissemanget, som Trump ofta anklagat för partiskhet eller illojalitet. Många av de strukturer som nu försvagats etablerades under tidigare administrationer (t.ex. CISA 2018, GEC 2016) för att hantera hot som rysk valpåverkan, cyberangrepp och konspirationsteorier. Trump och hans allierade har ofta avfärdat eller ifrågasatt dessa hotbilder. Exempelvis ifrågasatte Trump öppet omfattningen av rysk inblandning i valet 2016 och motsatte sig länge beskrivningar av rysk desinformation kring valet 2020. Personer och enheter associerade med att ha påtalat sådana hot har utmålats som politiska motståndare. Ett tydligt exempel är Trumps långvariga konflikt med Christopher Krebs, CISA:s förste chef. Krebs fick sparken 2020 efter att ha vidhållit att presidentvalet var säkert, vilket gick emot Trumps narrativ. När Trump återvände till makten 2025 fortsatte han på denna linje genom att personligen rikta sig mot Krebs. I april 2025 utfärdades ett presidentmemorandum som beordrade en federal utredning av Krebs, drog in hans säkerhetsklassning och suspenderade säkerhetsklassningarna för alla anställda vid Krebs dåvarande arbetsgivare. Denna exceptionella åtgärd har tolkats som en vedergällning mot någon Trump betraktar som illojal, och sänder en signal till andra inom cybersäkerhetsområdet att inte trotsa presidentens narrativ. Sådana personmotiverade attacker visar på ett strategiskt förhållningssätt för att stärka makten kring presidentämbetet. Genom att avskräcka experter från att uttala sig om exempelvis valpåverkan eller IT-sårbarheter som strider mot presidentens intressen, hoppas man eliminera potentiella kritiker inom staten. Effekten blir att myndigheter och experter drar sig för att rapportera hot som inte passar den politiska agendan, vilket underlättar för administrationen att bedriva sin politik ostört.
Ytterligare ett motiv är viljan att “banta ned” staten och minska kostnader under förevändning av effektivitetsvinster. Trump inrättade vid makttillträdet en ny “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) för att granska myndigheter och skära kostnader. Under denna täckmantel har man dock genomfört aktioner som snarare äventyrar säkerheten. Ett uppmärksammat fall är när en grupp DOGE-anställda i mars 2025, ledda av Trumps nytillsatte rådgivare Elon Musk, tog sig in i interna system hos den federala arbetsrättsmyndigheten NLRB under förespegling att de skulle “granska data” för effektivitet. Istället verkar DOGE-teamet ha extraherat stora mängder känslig data om bland annat facklig organisering och pågående rättsfall, och dessutom försökt dölja sina spår genom att be om att aktiviteten inte skulle loggas, stänga av övervakningsverktyg och radera åtkomstloggar manuellt. Cybersäkerhetsexperter jämförde detta beteende med tillvägagångssättet hos kriminella eller statsunderstödda hackare. Även om DOGE:s officiella mandat är att spara pengar, tyder detta exempel på en djupare strategisk agenda. Trumpadministrationen prioriterar kontroll över information framför att upprätthålla normala säkerhetsprocedurer. Att Elon Musk, en tech-miljardär med egna affärsintressen, givits en sådan roll illustrerar dessutom en ideologisk tro på att näringslivets aktörer kan göra statens jobb bättre, även på känsliga områden. Kritiker menar dock att detta snarare öppnar för oligarkiskt inflytande över statens data och undergräver professionella standarder. Historikern Anne Applebaum varnar rentav för att Trump är på väg att förvandla USA till “ett nytt Ryssland” genom att sudda ut gränsen mellan offentligt och privat och gynna egna lojala oligarker – en kurs hon menar måste stoppas.
Nedmonteringen av dessa skyddsstrukturer bottnar i ideologiska övertygelser om att staten inte ska “lägga sig i” informationsflödet – en övertygelse färgad av föreställningen att tidigare åtgärder mot desinformation var politiskt vinklade. Strategiskt tycks man också vilja rensa ut “illojala” element och centralisera informationskontrollen hos presidentens förtrogna. Följden är att många av USA:s “brandväggar” mot cyberangrepp och påverkansoperationer monteras ned, drivet av en blandning av principen om obegränsad yttrandefrihet, misstro mot expertis och en vilja att stärka det egna greppet om informationsagendan.
Inrikespolitiska risker och försvagad demokrati
Trumpadministrationens försvagning av cybersäkerhet och psykologiskt försvar medför allvarliga inrikespolitiska risker. Främst hotas den demokratiska processen och medborgarnas tillit till institutioner när skyddet mot digitala angrepp och desinformation urholkas.
En omedelbar risk är att USA:s val och politiska diskurs blir mer sårbara för informationspåverkan. Genom att aktivt demontera regeringens motståndskraft mot desinformation, exempelvis genom att lägga ned R/FIMI/GEC, lämnas fältet fritt för falska narrativ att spridas okontrollerat. Det gäller både utländska desinformationskampanjer och inhemska aktörers spridning av konspirationsteorier. När staten inte längre aktivt bemöter eller korrigerar vilseledande information, ökar risken att lögner och rykten normaliseras i det offentliga samtalet. Den amerikanska disinformationsexperten Nina Jankowicz påpekar att USA befinner sig i en situation där “pernicious, and deliberate lies – and Americans’ indifference to them – got us here”. När osanningar blir normala inslag i politiken och inte längre bemöts, riskerar medborgarna att fatta beslut baserat på falska premisser. Tilliten till valresultat och demokratiska institutioner kan snabbt erodera. Detta sågs redan efter valet 2020, då konspirationsteorier om valfusk fick fäste hos en stor del av allmänheten, trots motbevis från valmyndigheter. Utan en stark statlig motbild (som de gemensamma uttalanden om valens säkerhet från Krebs och CISA 2020) kan liknande narrativ spridas ohejdade kring kommande val, vilket undergräver demokratins legitimitet.
En relaterad risk är att förtroendet för institutioner – myndigheter, domstolar, media – minskar när de inte längre upplevs kunna stå emot desinformation eller yttre manipulation. Trumpregimens åtgärder har i flera fall direkt riktat sig mot den professionella tjänstemannakåren och säkerhetsexperterna. Massuppsägningar och omplaceringar har redan ägt rum. I april 2025 avskedades exempelvis 1 400 anställda (över 80%) på konsumentskyddsmyndigheten CFPB, ett drag som setts som en politisering av myndigheten. Inom Department of Homeland Security har den nya ledningen (under nomineringen av Kristi Noem) tydligt deklarerat att CISA gått “för långt” och att dess arbete mot desinformation ligger utanför dess kärnuppdrag. Signalpolitiken är att professionella bedömningar kring digitala hot åsidosätts till förmån för politiska prioriteringar. Detta skapar en uppenbar risk för rädsla bland kvarvarande experter. Om de larmar om exempelvis rysk påverkan eller högerextrem desinformation, riskerar de att bli nästa måltavla. Katie Moussouris varnade för den ”avskräckande effekt” som Trumps personangrepp på Chris Krebs har: “targeting a former government employee for doing their job… will have a chilling effect that makes us all less safe”. Hon befarar att företag kan tveka att anställa tidigare offentliganställda experter av rädsla för Vita husets repressalier, och att kompetensflykten på sikt försvagar både statens och privata aktörers förmåga att hantera cyberhot. Redan i februari 2025 placerades hela CISA-enheten som arbetat med att motverka utländska påverkansoperationer på “administrativ ledighet”, i praktiken tagen ur funktion. Internt sänder detta budskapet att dessa frågor inte längre värderas, vilket är demoraliserande och urholkar institutionell kapacitet.
Ur ett rättsstatsperspektiv innebär utvecklingen också risk för ökat maktmissbruk och politisering. När organ som skulle skydda mot hybridpåverkan istället används för att gynna presidentens egen agenda, förvanskas deras syfte. DOGE-incidenten på NLRB är ett oroande exempel, där Vita huset tycks ha utnyttjat tillgången till data för potentiellt politiska syften istället för att skydda myndighetens dataintegritet. Det liknar hur auktoritära regimer agerar genom att använda statens resurser för att bevaka inre opposition, vilket riskerar att underminera medborgarnas rättigheter och förtroendet för statens opartiskhet. Nina Jankowicz påpekar oroväckande drag. “Löften om brottsutredningar av politiska fiender, utplånandet av den professionella statsapparaten, olaglig upplösning av en myndighet, en oligark som kontrollerar regeringen. Om vi såg motsvarande hända i något annat land skulle vi kalla det en demokratisk kris.” Hennes uttalande speglar hur de inrikespolitiska effekterna av Trumps politik nu börjar likna en auktoritär stat mer än en stabil demokrati.
Den inrikespolitiska hotbilden visar att USA:s demokratiska motståndskraft nu försvagas. När samhällets immunsystem mot informationspåverkan slås ut, blir det enklare för lögner och desinformation att styra eller påverka opinionen. När nyckelpersoner och myndigheter inom cybersäkerhet tystas eller försvinner, ökar sårbarheten för digitala angrepp. Och när medborgarna ser institutioner rämna genom utrensningar och maktmissbruk, riskerar cynismen och misstron att breda ut sig. Både informerade medborgare och robusta institutioner, demokratins fundament, är nu satta under tryck i Trumps USA 2025.
Antagonister utnyttjar maktvakuumet
Med USA:s pågående nedmontering av försvaret mot cyber- och informationshot uppstår ett farligt maktvakuum som antagonistiska aktörer skyndar att utnyttja. Både främmande makt och icke-statliga aktörer kan dra fördel av att USA inte längre bevakar och bemöter attacker som tidigare. Hotbilden mot USA och dess allierade håller därmed på att förändras och förvärras.
En tydlig konsekvens är att statsaktörer som Ryssland, Kina, Iran och Nordkorea får friare spelrum att genomföra cyberangrepp och desinformationskampanjer. Dessa länder har investerat massivt i hybridkrigföring. Tidigare uppskattningar från utrikesdepartementet visar att Ryssland spenderar ca 1,5 miljarder dollar årligen på utländska påverkansoperationer, Iran runt 1,26 miljarder och Kina “flertals miljarder” på propaganda och informationskrigföring. Samtidigt har USA avvecklat sitt främsta verktyg för att bevaka och svara på sådana kampanjer genom stängningen av R/FIMI/GEC. Kontrasten är slående. USA har ensidigt avrustat medan motståndarna rustar upp. Som senator Jeanne Shaheen noterade: “Moskva och Peking firar varje gång den här administrationen monterar ned ännu ett utrikespolitiskt verktyg”. Ryska och kinesiska strateger ser en gyllene möjlighet att intensifiera sina operationer när USA självmant kliver av spelplanen.
När det gäller cybersäkerhet innebär personalneddragningar och resursindragningar att USA:s detektions- och försvarsförmåga försvagas. Hundratals cybersäkerhetsspecialister inom CISA har informerats om att kritiska verktyg för “threat hunting” inte längre kommer vara tillgängliga. I april meddelades internt att CISA slutar använda malware-databasen VirusTotal och tjänsten Censys för hotinformation, som del av “bredare nedskärningar”. Utan dessa verktyg blir det svårare att upptäcka skadlig kod och cyberangrepp i tid. Samtidigt har höga chefer med ansvar för cybersäkerhet lämnat sina poster, antingen frivilligt eller efter påtryckningar. I april avgick exempelvis tjänstemän på CISA som lett initiativet “Secure by Design”. Dessutom fick NSA:s chef och vice chef sparken. Ett abrupt ledarskapsvakuum vid NSA, USA:s största signalspanings- och cyberförsvarsorganisation, kan hämma förmågan att identifiera och stoppa avancerade statsstödda hackare. Risken för framgångsrika dataintrång mot amerikanska mål ökar nu markant. Säkerhetsföretag har redan noterat att kinesiska aktörer intensifierat sina intrångsförsök mot amerikansk infrastruktur under våren 2025, möjligen i förvissningen om att motståndet försvagas.
Att DOGE-teamet under Elon Musk kunde extrahera känsliga data från NLRB och kringgå säkerhetskontroller straffritt kan dessutom signalera till utländska underrättelsetjänster att intern tillsyn och säkerhet är eftersatt, vilket kan underlätta spionage. Om en amerikansk myndighet (DOGE) kan agera så, vad hindrar en välplacerad insider från att göra detsamma för främmande makt? När Vita huset självt signalerar att loggar kan stängas av och spår döljas, urholkas inneboende kontrollmekanismer, och sårbarheten för infiltration eller korruption ökar.
Inom skyddet mot informationspåverkan är effekten lika oroande. Genom att sluta bekämpa utländsk desinformation lämnar USA fältet vidöppet för propaganda som syftar till att splittra befolkningen och undergräva demokratin. Ryska trollfabriker kan nu operera med minskad risk för upptäckt. Under Trumps första mandatperiod vidtogs åtgärder mot ryska påverkansaktörer, men i den nya politiska miljön 2025 är sådana motåtgärder osannolika. FBI och underrättelseorganen har fått tydliga signaler att arbete mot desinformation inte prioriteras. Detta kan leda till att analyser om utländsk påverkan tonas ned internt, vilket låter fientliga narrativ rota sig djupare.
Ett förväntat scenario är att Kreml intensifierar sina informationsoperationer inför presidentvalet 2028. Tidigare fanns en moteld från underrättelsetjänster, plattformar och myndigheter. År 2025, med officiella kanaler tystade, kan ryska aktörer agera med större djärvhet. Liknande gäller Kina, som kan utnyttja frånvaron av amerikansk motpropaganda för att sprida sin syn på känsliga ämnen utan att bli utpekade som desinformatörer.
Men det är inte bara statliga aktörer som gynnas. Även icke-statliga antagonistiska aktörer, som extremistiska rörelser online, kan frodas. Arbetet mot inhemsk extremism har avstannat, och Trump har ofta trivialiserat vissa hot. Med mindre statlig övervakning kan radikaliserande desinformation spridas mer ohindrat, vilket kan öka risken för inrikes terrorism eller politiskt våld. Jankowicz formulerar det träffande: “Det kommer inte att bedrivas något motverkande av desinformation under Trumpadministrationen – bara ett omfamnande av den”. Detta antyder att regimen till och med kan använda desinformation som ett verktyg. Om regeringen själv sprider eller förstärker konspirationsteorier, förstärks ett “brus” i informationsmiljön som hindrar saklig debatt. Gränsen mellan yttre och inre hot suddas ut när presidentens narrativ går i takt med antagonistiska aktörers. Viss desinformation kan se en ömsesidig förstärkning mellan Trumps retorik och utländsk propaganda. Skillnaden är att tidigare bemöttes sådana narrativ aktivt av amerikanska institutioner; nu sker ingen samordnad dementi.
Den sammanlagda hotbilden blir en där angreppen ökar i frekvens och genomslagskraft. USA:s tidigare strategi att ”skapa kostnader” för angripare är satt ur spel. Förändringen riskerar att göra antagonistiska aktörer modigare. Som Jankowicz konstaterar innebär Trumps nya policy att Vita huset “kanoniserat lögner och konspirationsteorier om dem som bemöter desinformation”, vilket “ytterligare sporrar utländska aktörer och profitörer på desinformation som fortsätter att förorena vårt informationslandskap”. Både främmande stater och inhemska krafter som tjänar på kaos känner sig nu uppmuntrade. Resultatet blir inte bara att USA oftare drabbas, utan att angreppen riskerar träffa hårdare eftersom samhällets immunförsvar försvagats. Effekten riskerar att sprida sig även utanför USA:s gränser.
Ett globalt förändrat säkerhetslandskap
USA:s reträtt från ledarrollen inom digital säkerhet påverkar hela det internationella säkerhetslandskapet. Under decennier har USA varit en hörnsten i det globala samarbetet mot cyberhot och desinformation. När Trumpregimen nu intar en isolationistisk eller negativ hållning uppstår en betydande kompetens- och resurslucka, särskilt för Europa.
En omedelbar följd är att viktiga multilaterala initiativ kan försvagas. Inom NATO har USA traditionellt drivit utvecklingen av gemensamma cyberförsvarsförmågor. Nu finns risken att USA inte längre prioriterar dessa frågor. När amerikanska representanter tonar ned hotet från rysk desinformation, kan det leda till splittring inom alliansen. Europeiska NATO-länder, som ser rysk informationskrigföring som ett akut hot, kan finna att USA inte längre är en pålitlig partner. Sverige, som nyligen gick med i NATO med förhoppning om ökat digitalt stöd, kan behöva förlita sig mer på europeiska samarbeten.
Även utanför NATO, i forum som FN, innebär den nya amerikanska hållningen problem. USA har tidigare förespråkat internationella normer mot cyberattacker. Under Trump 2025 är det mindre troligt att USA fortsätter driva sådana normer. Detta skapar utrymme för Kina och Ryssland att fylla tomrummet med sina mer auktoritära visioner för cybersuveränitet och informationskontroll, vilket kan leda till en glidning bort från en fri och öppen internetordning.
För Europa innebär USA:s tillbakadragande att man tvingas axla mer ansvar. EU har tagit steg för att hantera digitala hot genom handlingsplaner, lagstiftning som Digital Services Act (DSA) och investeringar i cyberförsvar. Men EU:s insatser har ofta skett i samspel med amerikanska åtgärder. Om denna koordinering försvinner minskar effektiviteten. Sverige, med sin Myndighet för psykologiskt försvar, och dess systerorganisationer i Europa kan behöva utöka sin verksamhet för att kompensera. Ironiskt nog kan Trumps tillbakadragande ge bränsle åt europeisk egen kapacitet, men frågan är om EU kan fylla USA:s skor helt.
Transatlantiska företag påverkas också. Många stora sociala medie-plattformar är amerikanska. Tidigare har amerikanska administrationer pressat dem att ta ansvar för falskt innehåll. Under Trump 2025 är signalen den motsatta. Om USA slutar pressa plattformarna att motverka desinformation, kommer EU stå ensam i att försöka reglera dem via lagar som DSA – Digital Services Act. Det kan leda till en regleringsklyfta och komplicera samarbetet mellan USA och Europa kring tech-politik.
På det storpolitiska planet signalerar USA:s minskade engagemang en reträtt från globalt ledarskap. Europeiska länder undrar om de kan lita på USA:s säkerhetsgarantier generellt. Om USA ignorerar hybridkrigföring mot Europa, hur påverkar det NATO:s artikel 5? Det transatlantiska bandet slits tunnare när hotbildsuppfattningen divergerar, vilket gynnar auktoritära utmanare.
I förlängningen kan auktoritära stater stärka sitt globala inflytande i den digitala domänen. Kinas modell för “cyber suveränitet” kan få vind i seglen. Utvecklingsländer kan i högre grad vända sig till Kina för övervakningssystem. Tidigare amerikanskt stöd till oberoende media och civilsamhälle via USAID dras nu in, vilket innebär att kinesiska och ryska narrativ lättare kan få grogrund i länder där demokratin kämpar.
För Europa och Sverige specifikt innebär detta en mer otämjd informationsmiljö. Rysk desinformation som får verka oemotsagd i USA kan lättare spilla över till Europa. Konspirationsteorier som normaliseras i USA kan dyka upp i den svenska debatten. Svenska myndigheter kan inte längre peka på amerikanska faktagranskningar som stöd och kan till och med behöva hantera att USA självt blir en källa till desinformation. USA:s förändrade position i Ukraina förstärker redan ryska narrativ, vilket ställer NATO-allierade inför dilemmat att behöva säga emot Washington – en ovan situation som sannolikt skapar diplomatisk friktion.
USA:s reträtt försätter Europas och världens demokratier i ett nytt landskap där de måste fylla tomrummet eller riskera att motståndarna flyttar fram sina positioner. För Sverige innebär det ökat fokus på nationell och europeisk samverkan, samtidigt som man behöver planera för scenarier där USA är mindre närvarande i säkerhetsarbetet än förväntat. Den globala digitala säkerheten har blivit svårare att upprätthålla när dess historiska förkämpe abdikerat.
Långsiktiga konsekvenser
Den utveckling vi ser under Trumpregimen 2025 – där en demokratiskt vald regering medvetet monterar ned sitt eget lands skydd mot påverkansoperationer och cyberattacker – är närmast utan motstycke i modern historia. Sedan andra världskriget har västliga demokratier strävat efter att stärka sin motståndskraft, inte försvaga den. Inte ens under tidigare kontroversiella perioder har något liknande skett. Trump är unik i det att han förnekar eller nedtonar hot som säkerhetsetablissemanget anser reella och använder det som skäl att ta bort försvarsmekanismerna. Omfattningen 2025 är mycket större än under hans första mandatperiod. Vi ser en president som aktivt plockar isär existerande försvar mitt under pågående angrepp.
Historikern Anne Applebaum har varnat för en utveckling liknande den i Putins Ryssland, där statsapparaten blir ett verktyg för en maktelit. Skillnaden är att Ryssland byggde upp en massiv intern desinformationsapparat, medan USA nu varken vill sprida sin egen kontra-propaganda eller stoppa fiendens – i praktiken en ensidig avväpning på informationsfronten.
De långsiktiga konsekvenserna ser ut att bli djupgående. Västliga demokratier har kunnat stå emot hot genom samordning med USA som nav. Utan USA:s ledarskap minskar den kollektiva resiliensen. Vissa amerikanska kapaciteter, som NSA:s signalspaning, går inte lätt att ersätta. Västvärlden kan bli mer sårbar för strategiska chocker.
Om USA permanent lämnar fältet, skapas ett maktvakuum som auktoritära aktörer fyller. Kina kan etablera sig som dominerande inom “informationssäkerhet”, vilket ofta innebär censur och propaganda. Ryska narrativ kan vinna större global publik. Autokratiska normer kan normaliseras, och tilltron till objektiv sanning undergrävas globalt.
För USA självt är de långsiktiga följderna potentiellt ödesdigra. Genom att låta desinformation frodas riskerar det politiska klimatet att bli alltmer post-sanningsartat, där stora delar av befolkningen inte ens delar gemensam faktabas. Det försvårar möjligheterna till rationell politisk debatt och arbete. Det kan också bana väg för att antidemokratiska rörelser växer. Historien visar att när misstron mot institutioner blir tillräckligt utbredd, öppnar det dörren för illiberala demagoger. Trump själv är symtom på detta, men om hans åtgärder ytterligare urholkar tilliten kan ännu mer extrema krafter få fotfäste i USA framöver. De skyddsbarriärer (formella och informella) som ska finnas mot maktmissbruk riskerar förtvina ytterligare. På lång sikt kan USA hamna i en spiral av demokratisk tillbakagång, där institutionell kompetens tar årtionden att återuppbygga. Att blanda ihop politik och cybersäkerhet på detta sätt “blurs politics and cybersecurity” och “makes all of us less safe”, som cybersäkerhetsexperten Rob Joyce varnade nyligen.
USA:s agerande kan också få andra demokratier att svikta. Dels rent praktiskt, genom att hot som startar i USA sprider sig (t.ex. QAnon-konspirationen som började i USA men spred sig till Europa). Dels som exempel. Det finns redan tecken på att politiker i andra länder, inspirerade av Trump, ifrågasätter sina länders institutioner på liknande sätt. Om Trumpismens syn på desinformation (att det är en förevändning för censur) vinner anhängare globalt, kan fler länder dra ned på sina försvar, vilket skulle göra demokratiers position globalt mera utsatt. Vi kan paradoxalt nog hamna i en situation där västvärldens öppenhet och pluralism urholkas av inre krafter som utnyttjar just öppenheten för att sprida split och misstro – utan att motkrafter sätts in.
Ytterst kan långsiktiga försvagningar av västliga demokratier i cyber- och informationsdomänen påverka den globala maktbalansen. Informationsöverlägsenhet och teknologiskt kunnande har varit en styrka för demokratierna. Om den fördelen tappas kan autokratier och despoter får ett större övertag i detta århundradets geopolitiska landskap. Det innebär inte nödvändigtvis traditionell militär dominans, men kontroll över narrativ, möjligheten att så kaos i motståndares samhällen, och förmågan att störa kritisk infrastruktur vid behov. Europas avskräckning gentemot exempelvis ryska hybridaggressioner kan riskerar bli otillräcklig.
De långsiktiga kulturella effekterna bör inte heller underskattas. En generation kan växa upp i USA i ett medielandskap där staten inte främjar informerade medborgare. Om skolor och civilsamhälle inte får stöd i arbetet med källkritik, riskerar kunskapsresistens och cynism att bli norm. Det sprids vidare globalt via sociala medier. Europas demokratier riskerar utsättas för konsekvenserna av denna utveckling. Lögnens normalisering är svår att vända. Men faran är inte bara lögnerna i sig, utan att människor vänjer sig vid dem och blir likgiltiga så länge egna intressen gynnas. På sikt hotar detta själva idén om ett upplyst demokratiskt samhälle – en väg vi inte vill vandra.
Referenser
Project 2025 Aims to Derail Efforts to Stop Election Disinformation, Brennan Center for Justice, https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/project-2025-aims-derail-efforts-stop-election-disinformation
Trump administration shutters US office countering foreign disinformation, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/16/trump-state-department-foreign-disinformation
There will be no combatting disinformation during the Trump administration — only embracing it, WEXFO, https://wexfo.no/2025/02/20/there-will-be-no-combatting-disinformation-during-the-trump-administration-only-embracing-it/
A whistleblower’s disclosure details how DOGE may have taken sensitive labor data, NPR News, https://www.npr.org/2025/04/15/nx-s1-5355896/doge-nlrb-elon-musk-spacex-security
Trump’s DHS pick says CISA is “far off-mission” and should be smaller, Nextgov/FCW, https://www.nextgov.com/people/2025/01/trumps-dhs-pick-says-cisa-way-mission-and-should-be-smaller/402308/
CISA warns threat hunting staff of end to Google, Censys contracts as agency cuts set in, Nextgov/FCW, https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2025/04/cisa-warns-threat-hunting-staff-end-google-censys-contracts-agency-cuts-set/404680/
NSF begins terminating select grant funding, Nextgov/FCW, https://www.nextgov.com/policy/2025/04/nsf-begins-terminating-select-grant-funding/404698/
State Department moves cyber and intelligence bureaus under agencywide reorg, Nextgov/FCW, https://www.nextgov.com/policy/2025/04/state-department-moves-cyber-and-intelligence-bureaus-under-agencywide-reorg/404753/
Whistleblower details how DOGE may have taken sensitive NLRB data, NPR All Things Considered, https://www.npr.org/2025/04/15/nx-s1-5355896/doge-nlrb-elon-musk-spacex-security
The Downfall of the Global Engagement Center and Disappearing Guardrails Against Disinformation, Tech Policy Press, https://www.techpolicy.press/the-downfall-of-the-global-engagement-center-and-disappearing-guardrails-against-disinformation
Trump vs. Krebs and the Sound of Silence, Lawfare, https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/trump-vs-krebs-and-the-sound-of-silence
HISTORIAN: Trump Turning America Into Russia Unless We STOP HIM (w/ Anne Applebaum), The Bulwark, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvRF9S_5tTI
#Cybersäkerhet #Demokrati #DemokratiskaSamtalet #DigitalResiliens #USA
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Maine unions and community unite for May Day
Hundreds of thousands of workers marched and rallied on May Day—International Workers Day—making it the largest International Workers Day since 2006 when two million immigrant workers left work to demand their rights. Protests were organized in 1,300 locations, large and small; no doubt the first May Day protest in most of these sites. Maine stood out with more than 5,000 participating spread over 26 towns and cities, from Madawaska to Orono to Portland, where almost 2,000 marched and rallied. And in Wayne—population 1,000—seventy people turned out for both morning and evening rallies, one of the highest per capita demonstrations in the country.
Memory and sacrifice play a role in sustaining working-class culture. No 1886. No Haymarket Martyrs. No May Day. More recently, the 2006 May Day protests provided a living link to the past. And UAW president Sean Fain’s call for unions to align contracts and lead a 2028 general strike has introduced May Day to a whole new generation of labor organizers.
As the saying goes, the best organizing tool is a bad boss and Trump is one of the worst bosses possible. Repression and mass layoffs do not always provoke resistance, but this time targeted workers put up a critical mass of opposition. For instance, thousands of teachers from across the country responded to a call by the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers for walk-ins in March to protest Trump’s destruction of the Department of Education, including teachers at Deering High School and Rowe Elementary in Portland.
And many unions have been fighting the bosses all along, linking struggles in specific workplaces to the more general need to defend working-class rights today. The Maine State Nurses Association led a rally to protest Medicaid cuts in March, organized a mass town hall meeting to prevent the closure of the obstetrics department in the small town of Houlton, and saw some of its most active members take a leading role in May Day.
Pair these factors with decades of bi-partisan misery in necessities such as housing, health care, education, inflation, and union busting alongside escalating racism, misogyny, transphobia and homophobia, nationalism, genocidal militarism in Gaza, and anti-immigrant bigotry and it’s not surprising young workers are angry. But objective conditions do not create action on their own. Organized forces with the credibility and capacity to think through a strategy and then put it into practice are required. Fortunately, Chicago’s working class has created this necessary element.
[Read next: The future of housing is public]
According to Jesse Sharkey, past president of the Chicago Teachers Union and lead organizer with the newly-formed May Day Strong coalition, “Chicago became a center of May Day organizing this year for two reasons—first, there was a local coalition that got a lot of people involved. Activists from the immigrants rights community were extremely important in initiating it, and they held open meetings. They invited anyone who wanted to help organize. That drew in trade unionists, and many others. On a second front, Chicago was in the middle of initiating a national call for May Day protests… The call for that effort came from the Chicago Teachers Union and a handful of allied organizations such as Midwest Academy, Bargaining for the Common Good, and the Action Center on Race and the Economy. The NEA also played an extremely helpful role. In late March, we had about 220 people from over 100 organizations join us in Chicago to start planning for May 1 actions. The reason we were able to initiate such a widespread effort was because we have a past practice of closely linking trade union fights to wider working class demands. In places where local unions have worked with community and activist groups, we had networks of communication and trust. Then, once that effort had reached a certain critical mass, some of the big national networks like Indivisible and 50501 got on board and that really grew the reach of the day.”
It’s not that the CTU and immigrant community organizers in Chicago were the only ones thinking about May Day, but their action provided a framework to draw together and amplify similar efforts across the country and to nationalize the protest by providing a framework and resources for labor and community organizers in hundreds of towns and cities. Chicago didn’t create May Day 2025, but it did open a door. Here in Maine, a broad group of organizers came together to walk through that door.
Maine DSA’s Labor Rising working group began discussing May Day plans late in 2024 and we eventually decided to help initiate an organizing meeting open to all community groups and unions. UAW graduate students participated in a preliminary meeting to brainstorm ideas and leaders from the Maine AFL-CIO convened statewide union conference calls. On April 12, more than 70 people attended a meeting in the South Portland Teamsters’ Hall where the group democratically planned Portland’s May Day and adopted the slogan Strength in Solidarity. Working groups took up all aspects of the action and all important decisions came back to the coalition for votes. By the latter part of April, the Maine Education Association and AFL-CIO leaders called for actions all across the state, amplifying the Chicago May Day Strong call and dramatically broadening what the Portland May Day committee could organize on its own.
May Day in Portland began with a rally at the University of Southern Maine to back UAW graduate students’ demands for a first contract, which the administration has stalled for more than 500 days. UAW graduate worker Miranda led the crowd chanting “What’s disgusting? Union busting!” We marched to the Post Office to hear from postal workers, including APWU president Scott Adams. “When our postal service is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” Members of the Portland Education Association led the rally at Portland High School and teacher Bobby Shaddox taught everyone to sing an updated version of Billy Bragg’s There is Power in a Union. “The union forever, defending our rights, down with the tyrants, all workers unite!” Headlining the stop, The Pelikanne, a trans high school student poet, shared their own revolutionary vision with all those assembled. From there, we went up the block to Monument Square to hear Jay Gruber, a member of the librarian’s union, and others at a brief rally before taking Congress Street to march to the final rally at Congress Square Park. Highlights at the final rally included Alana Schaeffer, president of the Metal Trades Council, representing 4,000 workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, members of the Maine Coalition for Palestine, Osgood from Portland Outright, Anthony Abdullah from the Maine State Nurses Association, and others. Twenty-five other towns held actions, bringing the total number of Maine participants to over 5,000, the largest Maine May Day anyone can remember. All in all, it was a good day for Maine workers.
[Listen to Maine Mural, DSA’s podcast, latest episode featuring Presente! Maine immigrants rights organizers]
We face a long, complicated road where political pressures to return to passivity and demoralization will persist. Trump is happy and he is strong. There’s no point in underestimating the damage he is going to inflict on working class communities in the coming years. We are not yet powerful enough to stop him. But May Day 2025 constituted a small step towards healing deep wounds in the American working class and it points us in the right direction.
What did May Day teach us? Fittingly, the last word goes to Kirsten Roberts, a rank-and-file Chicago teacher. “The most important element of May Day 2025 is the explicit entry of organized and unorganized labor into resistance to Trump. Trump’s attacks are aimed directly at dividing the working class and turning ordinary people against one another while the billionaires rob and plunder us all. An agenda for working class unity can be built when we stand up for those most victimized and vilified by the right wing bigots AND when we stand together to fight for the things that the billionaire class has denied us—the fight for healthcare, education, housing, and good paying jobs for starters. For decades we’ve been told by both parties that funding war, incarceration, and border militarization are their priorities. May Day showed that working people have another agenda. Now let’s organize to win it.”
*Parts of this article will appear in an extended form examining May Day 2025 beyond Maine in DSA’s journal Socialist Forum.
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Maine unions and community unite for May Day
Hundreds of thousands of workers marched and rallied on May Day—International Workers Day—making it the largest International Workers Day since 2006 when two million immigrant workers left work to demand their rights. Protests were organized in 1,300 locations, large and small; no doubt the first May Day protest in most of these sites. Maine stood out with more than 5,000 participating spread over 26 towns and cities, from Madawaska to Orono to Portland, where almost 2,000 marched and rallied. And in Wayne—population 1,000—seventy people turned out for both morning and evening rallies, one of the highest per capita demonstrations in the country.
Memory and sacrifice play a role in sustaining working-class culture. No 1886. No Haymarket Martyrs. No May Day. More recently, the 2006 May Day protests provided a living link to the past. And UAW president Sean Fain’s call for unions to align contracts and lead a 2028 general strike has introduced May Day to a whole new generation of labor organizers.
As the saying goes, the best organizing tool is a bad boss and Trump is one of the worst bosses possible. Repression and mass layoffs do not always provoke resistance, but this time targeted workers put up a critical mass of opposition. For instance, thousands of teachers from across the country responded to a call by the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers for walk-ins in March to protest Trump’s destruction of the Department of Education, including teachers at Deering High School and Rowe Elementary in Portland.
And many unions have been fighting the bosses all along, linking struggles in specific workplaces to the more general need to defend working-class rights today. The Maine State Nurses Association led a rally to protest Medicaid cuts in March, organized a mass town hall meeting to prevent the closure of the obstetrics department in the small town of Houlton, and saw some of its most active members take a leading role in May Day.
Pair these factors with decades of bi-partisan misery in necessities such as housing, health care, education, inflation, and union busting alongside escalating racism, misogyny, transphobia and homophobia, nationalism, genocidal militarism in Gaza, and anti-immigrant bigotry and it’s not surprising young workers are angry. But objective conditions do not create action on their own. Organized forces with the credibility and capacity to think through a strategy and then put it into practice are required. Fortunately, Chicago’s working class has created this necessary element.
[Read next: The future of housing is public]
According to Jesse Sharkey, past president of the Chicago Teachers Union and lead organizer with the newly-formed May Day Strong coalition, “Chicago became a center of May Day organizing this year for two reasons—first, there was a local coalition that got a lot of people involved. Activists from the immigrants rights community were extremely important in initiating it, and they held open meetings. They invited anyone who wanted to help organize. That drew in trade unionists, and many others. On a second front, Chicago was in the middle of initiating a national call for May Day protests… The call for that effort came from the Chicago Teachers Union and a handful of allied organizations such as Midwest Academy, Bargaining for the Common Good, and the Action Center on Race and the Economy. The NEA also played an extremely helpful role. In late March, we had about 220 people from over 100 organizations join us in Chicago to start planning for May 1 actions. The reason we were able to initiate such a widespread effort was because we have a past practice of closely linking trade union fights to wider working class demands. In places where local unions have worked with community and activist groups, we had networks of communication and trust. Then, once that effort had reached a certain critical mass, some of the big national networks like Indivisible and 50501 got on board and that really grew the reach of the day.”
It’s not that the CTU and immigrant community organizers in Chicago were the only ones thinking about May Day, but their action provided a framework to draw together and amplify similar efforts across the country and to nationalize the protest by providing a framework and resources for labor and community organizers in hundreds of towns and cities. Chicago didn’t create May Day 2025, but it did open a door. Here in Maine, a broad group of organizers came together to walk through that door.
Maine DSA’s Labor Rising working group began discussing May Day plans late in 2024 and we eventually decided to help initiate an organizing meeting open to all community groups and unions. UAW graduate students participated in a preliminary meeting to brainstorm ideas and leaders from the Maine AFL-CIO convened statewide union conference calls. On April 12, more than 70 people attended a meeting in the South Portland Teamsters’ Hall where the group democratically planned Portland’s May Day and adopted the slogan Strength in Solidarity. Working groups took up all aspects of the action and all important decisions came back to the coalition for votes. By the latter part of April, the Maine Education Association and AFL-CIO leaders called for actions all across the state, amplifying the Chicago May Day Strong call and dramatically broadening what the Portland May Day committee could organize on its own.
May Day in Portland began with a rally at the University of Southern Maine to back UAW graduate students’ demands for a first contract, which the administration has stalled for more than 500 days. UAW graduate worker Miranda led the crowd chanting “What’s disgusting? Union busting!” We marched to the Post Office to hear from postal workers, including APWU president Scott Adams. “When our postal service is under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” Members of the Portland Education Association led the rally at Portland High School and teacher Bobby Shaddox taught everyone to sing an updated version of Billy Bragg’s There is Power in a Union. “The union forever, defending our rights, down with the tyrants, all workers unite!” Headlining the stop, The Pelikanne, a trans high school student poet, shared their own revolutionary vision with all those assembled. From there, we went up the block to Monument Square to hear Jay Gruber, a member of the librarian’s union, and others at a brief rally before taking Congress Street to march to the final rally at Congress Square Park. Highlights at the final rally included Alana Schaeffer, president of the Metal Trades Council, representing 4,000 workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, members of the Maine Coalition for Palestine, Osgood from Portland Outright, Anthony Abdullah from the Maine State Nurses Association, and others. Twenty-five other towns held actions, bringing the total number of Maine participants to over 5,000, the largest Maine May Day anyone can remember. All in all, it was a good day for Maine workers.
[Listen to Maine Mural, DSA’s podcast, latest episode featuring Presente! Maine immigrants rights organizers]
We face a long, complicated road where political pressures to return to passivity and demoralization will persist. Trump is happy and he is strong. There’s no point in underestimating the damage he is going to inflict on working class communities in the coming years. We are not yet powerful enough to stop him. But May Day 2025 constituted a small step towards healing deep wounds in the American working class and it points us in the right direction.
What did May Day teach us? Fittingly, the last word goes to Kirsten Roberts, a rank-and-file Chicago teacher. “The most important element of May Day 2025 is the explicit entry of organized and unorganized labor into resistance to Trump. Trump’s attacks are aimed directly at dividing the working class and turning ordinary people against one another while the billionaires rob and plunder us all. An agenda for working class unity can be built when we stand up for those most victimized and vilified by the right wing bigots AND when we stand together to fight for the things that the billionaire class has denied us—the fight for healthcare, education, housing, and good paying jobs for starters. For decades we’ve been told by both parties that funding war, incarceration, and border militarization are their priorities. May Day showed that working people have another agenda. Now let’s organize to win it.”
*Parts of this article will appear in an extended form examining May Day 2025 beyond Maine in DSA’s journal Socialist Forum.
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"Wray proposes a detailed series of recommendations to unions for things they should demand in their contracts to maximize their chances to capitalize on the opportunities afforded by the Platform Work Directive, such as establishing a "governance body" within the company "to govern data formation, storage, handling and security issues. This body should include shop stewards and all members of the body should receive data training."
He also sets out technological tactics that unions can fund and capitalize on to maximize their use of the directive, such as hacking apps to allow gig workers to increase their earnings. He writes warmly of "the sock-puppet method," where many test accounts are used to place and book work through platforms to monitor their pricing systems to detect collusion and price rigging. This has been successfully used in Spain to create the basis for an ongoing lawsuit over price collusion.
The new world of algorithmic management and the new Platform Work Directive offers many opportunities to organized labor. However, there is always the possibility that an employer will simply refuse to follow the law – as Uber has done, after it was found guilty of violating data disclosure work and was fined €6,000/day until it came into compliance. Uber's now paid €500,000 in fines and has not disclosed the data that the law and the courts require of it.
With algorithmic management, bosses have figured out new ways to evade the law and steal from workers. The Platform Work Directive gives workers and unions a whole suite of new tools to force bosses to play fair. It's not going to be easy, but the technological capacity workers and unions develop here can be repurposed to wage all-out digital class warfare."
https://pluralistic.net/2025/09/25/roboboss/#counterapps
#EU #PWD #PlatformWorkDirective #AlgorithmicManagement #Roboboss #GigEconomy #Precarity
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Gedurende de laatste weken van het jaar 2024 her-publiceerden we beeld en tekst van auteurs. In 2025 gaan we daar mee door. Hieronder een tekst van Ad van Dun, eerder in het BD gepubliceerd op 19 november 2013.
Kom, breek de spiegel, dan kunnen we elkaar ontmoeten.[i]
Rust is een hartskwaliteit, net als vreugde, echtheid, toewijding of helderheid.
Hartskwaliteit wordt niet veroorzaakt maar heerst uit zichzelf, het is de ingeboren werking, het meest elementaire, meest natuurlijke potentieel van ons menselijk bewustzijn.
Maar niet iedereen komt toe aan de beleving van die ingeboren, existentiële rust.
Twee onrustbronnen spelen ons parten: verstoring en onbegrip. Nog niet volledig gevestigde rust kan verstoord worden door allerlei factoren, en we kunnen een verkeerd idee erop na houden over wat rust is.In zijn diepste betekenis is rust een ander woord voor vervulling, gemoedsrust, volheid van beleving, vrede in je hart, “nirvana”. Dit is de meest grondige rust die je als mens kunt verlangen: duurzaam, uit zichzelf werkend, krachtig en ontspannen.
Op de juiste manier begrepen en concreet getoetst aan alle aspecten van oefenen, is echte rust een actieve en intensieve beleving, geen passiviteit, geen af zijn van onrust maar een alleen maar gesterkt worden door rust.[ii]In de geconditioneerde, onrustige staat manifesteren we woekering en aandoening;
we worden er getekend door wens, woede en waan, de drie basale existentiële “vergiften” die ons maken tot een verwarde, onvrije sterveling.
In vroeger tijden werden deze drie karmische vertekeningen aangeduid met melancholie, agressie en hysterie. Uiteraard komen zulke onrustige gemoedsgesteldheden voor in allerlei gradaties, combinaties en doseringen, maar het optreden ervan verwijst altijd naar opgelopen spanning, naar onafheid.Geen cel in ons lijf trilt rustig, zolang bewustwording onvoldoende ruimte en gezag krijgt. We komen blind en moeizaam ter wereld; als we niet toekomen aan oefenen en wakker worden, zullen we er weer net zo blind en moeizaam vandaan gaan. Boeddha zei het al: leven is lijden, zolang mijn woekerende behoeftigheid niet wordt opgelost.
Maar dat laatste is nog niet zo eenvoudig want we bevinden ons in een lastig parket: we worden omgeven door een hoop drukte van zintuiglijkheid en decennia lang al zijn we opgezadeld met de bedrieglijke werking van een onaffe en ingevulde geest. Deze stoorfactoren zorgen voor onrust, binnen en buiten ons.Nu zul je dit niet altijd zo direct ervaren.
Er is een grote kans dat jouw onrustbeleving getemperd wordt door verworven condities, persoonlijk of maatschappelijk van aard, die rustgevend werken en die een tegenwicht vormen tegen de diepere onrustbarende wetmatigheden van het bestaan.
We hebben ons gewapend, hanteren gericht maatregelen, weten gepaste houdingen in te nemen, koesteren specifieke waarden – maar vooral: we hebben geleerd om soepele grenzen te trekken: voldoende ruim om te ademen en te opereren, maar ook voldoende strak om angst en onzekerheid buiten de deur te houden.
Dus geven we niet thuis als het leven ons nogal hartelijk, onverwachts of pertinent uitnodigt om onszelf helemaal te vertrouwen en ons onbekommerd kenbaar te maken, d.w.z. onvoorwaardelijk en zonder grenzen te leunen in de bron van leven die we zijn.Zazen (meditatie) is je overgeven aan het leven, leunend in de branding van de schepping. Daarom is zitten:
1. zonder bewegen, roerloos
2. zonder geluid, geruisloos
3. vóór de woorden
4. vóór het denken
5. voeling hebben
6. waarheid vertrouwen
7. leven gezag geven
8. adem laten ademen
9. bedoeling toelaten
10. eenheid belichamen
De gereduceerde, starre en zelf gecreëerde versie van bestaanszekerheid op basis van ik-houvast is het gevolg van ons verkeerd idee over wat rust is.
We zien het verschil niet tussen tijdelijke, geconditioneerde rust (procesrust) en onvoorwaardelijk gevestigde rust (gemoedsrust, levenshouding).
De rust die een voortdurende inspanning vraagt om stand te kunnen houden is geen ware rust.
De zekerheid die steeds opnieuw bevestigd en beargumenteerd wil worden is geen betrouwbare zekerheid.
Kleine ik pulseert in een continue staat van onzekerheid – de scheve relatie met ons lijf (opgeblazen of verwaarloosd) getuigt ervan – en die onzekerheid is de grondoorzaak van onrust.
Ons tastend en grijpend bestaan lijkt zekerheid te creëren maar op de bodem van ons bestaan heerst ongewisheid. Daarom hebben we zo goed geleerd ons leven in te vullen.Ongewisheid doet je je heil zoeken in verlokkelijke vermogens van maakbaarheid. Alle middelen die je in huis hebt ga je gebruiken om het leven in de meest wenselijke vorm te gieten. Maar zodra je hieraan toegeeft verlies je je relatie met het leven zelf uit het oog; je mens-zijn, de totaliteit van de grote werkelijkheid en de kleurrijke beleving ervan die jij belichaamt: alle adel wordt verruild voor hachjebewaking en zelfpromotie.
Korte-termijn welbevinden en opportunisme hebben jou voor zich weten te winnen en de waarheidsliefde die jou voorgoed kan bevrijden heeft het nakijken.Omdat de verblinde, uit onrust geboren opstelling noodgedwongen gebruik maakt van beeldvorming en illusie (interpretatie, voorkeur, sturing) is er altijd een factor bedrog in het spel – alleen al omdat waarheid genegeerd wordt en niet bewust wordt meegewogen.
Dit blijkt onder andere uit alle strategie en manipulatie die je hanteert, bijvoorbeeld in je omgang met familie en collega’s. Maar veel wezenlijker nog blijkt dit uit de manier waarop je met jezelf omgaat. Je blijkt ertoe te neigen jezelf goed te praten, je verzamelt argumenten, vergelijkt, projecteert – dagelijks gaat de meeste energie naar het managen en optimaliseren van alle aannames temidden van de reële onbestendigheid.
Deze subtiele vorm van zelfbedrog is een onophoudelijke en diepe bron van onrust.Het hierboven geschetste mechanisme laat zich praktisch het beste typeren met de droge term “egoïsme”. Wijzen van alle tijden en tradities starten in hun onderricht bij de beperking en pijn van ego-waan. Zij wijden hun leven aan het loslaten ervan en aan het openen en bevrijden van een dieper en substantiëler vermogen: hartskwaliteit.
Zelfs al gaat hun oefenweg, net als de onze, vaak met de nodige moeite gepaard, de oprechte, betrouwbare intentie ervan schenkt hun uiteindelijk de diepste kracht.Wie wijsheid vooropstelt, begint met eerlijk worden en stopt met indruk willen maken.
Je bewijzen tegenover jezelf en anderen is geen rustgevende activiteit, is slechts oponthoud, een onzinnige zijweg. Vervuld leven heeft geen bevestiging nodig, net zoals een werkelijk geïnspireerde kunstenaar geen notie van omgeving of doelstelling erop na houdt.
Als volheid van beleving eenmaal is blootgelegd, stelt dit je zó krachtig gerust dat bevestiging irrelvant en verder zoeken oninteressant gaat voelen.
Je beseft en weet uit ervaring: echte kwaliteit van leven werkt alleen maar hier en nu, en volledig uit zichzelf. Dit is een intiem inzicht en tegelijkertijd een grote wetmatigheid; het gezag ervan, eenmaal gevestigd, geeft je instant vertrouwen en rust.Twijfel je soms nog? Kijk dan eens nuchter hoe het kleine scenario je voor de gek houdt.
Met al zijn denken en verbeelden en suggereren doet het ego niks anders dan indruk maken, vooral op zichzelf, als strelende bevestiging van goed bezig zijn.
Maar zodra iemand anders net zo opzichtig bevestiging zou komen zoeken en indruk komt maken bij ons, wijzen we hem of haar zonder veel omhaal af. Met zoveel zichtbare ijdelheid of gekunsteldheid willen we liever niet geconfronteerd worden, het herinnert ons te openlijk aan ons eigen onwaardige bekokstoof.De verborgen onruststoker, de bron van ons egoïsme, die dit hele spel, dit continu fluctueren tussen macht en onmacht, rust en onrust, ergens in onszelf organiseert en voedt en gaande houdt, wordt in het boeddhisme Mara genoemd: de god van bedrog, van schijn, van dood. Hij is de verpersoonlijking van ons kleine ik, van dát aspect van ons bewustzijn dat een eigen leven is gaan leiden. Losgeweekt van de universele, wetmatige context is het ik zich onaf en geïsoleerd gaan voelen, en sindsdien maakt het zich met een potsierlijke ijdelheid wijs dat het wezenlijk maakbaar en leefbaar is.
Maar de actuele realiteit die ik maar al te vaak vaststel luidt: er is altijd nog onrust in me.
Na al die jaren die ik geïnvesteerd heb in oprecht onderzoek en vrij gekozen, maakbare groei schenkt Mara geen rust hier. En intussen heeft mijn innerlijkheid, mijn niet-maakbare boeddhanatuur onvoldoende realiteit gekregen en is nog steeds niet gevestigd.
Dit is de gespletenheid van ons existentieel dualisme: grote ik (Boeddha) én kleine ik (Mara), vertrouwen én argwaan, rust én onrust.
Hier begint mijn feitelijke bewustwording: ik ben de belevingsruimte waarin zowel boeddhanatuur (potentieel) als maracultuur (conditionering) aanwezig zijn, dharma én karma werken hier tegelijkertijd. Maar er is toch maar één werkelijkheid?
Hoe zit dat?Twee zelven is op den duur onleefbaar.
De oplossing van ons innerlijk conflict is te vinden in bewust afwegen, op hartsniveau navoelen wat beide polen werkelijk behelzen en te bieden hebben.
Je zult ze gaan verhelderen en onderscheiden, je gaat beide een eigen plek geven en wel zó, dat dharma de stevige, onwrikbare kern vormt en karma een steeds lichter en ruimtelijk werkende periferie. Dit is ook de manier waarop Mara door Boeddha op zijn nummer werd gezet toen hij – kleine ik dus – probeerde het gezag van Boeddha’s geest te ondermijnen. Mara’s dreigende demonen en verleidelijke dochters, de symbolen van onze karmische agressie en begeerte, legden het af tegen Boeddha’s niet stuk te krijgen hartsjuweel, d.w.z. tegen de kracht van zijn heldere, stevig gevestigde innerlijkheid.Het loont om je wat te verdiepen in Mara’s aard en invloedssfeer, zoals het ook loont om Boeddha goed te kennen.[i] Mara heerst over het rijk van behoeftigheid (kamaloka). Hij zaait onrust en verwarring, hebzucht en haat, wekt angst, stimuleert houvast en begrenzing.
Hoe kleiner jij wordt, hoe groter hij zich zal voelen.De weg van ontwaken verloopt van je verward voelen door omslachtig maar ongrijpbaar maragedoe (egoïsme), via het herwinnen van je oorspronkelijke helderheid (de fase van “Boemara”: je weet dat je een boeddha bent maar je strijdt nog met conditioneringen), naar een definitief bevrijd inzetten van je innerlijk potentieel (bodhisattvaschap).
Uiteindelijk zal ons oefenen rust vinden, er zijn immers geen onrustige boeddha’s, geen gedeprimeerde boeddha’s, geen blinde boeddha’s. Een boeddha leeft vreugdevol en krachtig, vorstelijk gezeten op een verfijnd geurende lotusbloem, het symbool van onze open, bloeiende innerlijkheid, een wijs en mededogend hart.Denk niet: dit is een sprookje, of: leuk en aardig, maar niet voor mij bedoeld.
Hoezo zou je dat denken? Wat maakt jou verschillend van alle leraren en boeddha’s die de oefenweg hebben bewandeld? Ook zij zijn allemaal gestart temidden van zwakte en onrust (denk aan losbol Shakyamuni’s jeugdjaren in materiële overvloed maar in geestelijke nood). Ook zij hebben moeten zoeken en strijden, hebben vertrouwen moeten vinden temidden van twijfel, dapper steun gezocht op momenten van angst en tegenslag – net als jij.Besef je hoe je jezelf voor de gek kunt houden?
Zonder dat je het beseft kun je je leven zomaar verloren laten gaan.
Vóór je het weet sta je aan het eind van dit korte bestaan en vraag je je verbijsterd – maar te laat – af wat er in godsnaam aan de hand is. De bedoeling van wat er op dat moment gaande is ontgaat je volkomen, net zoals dat zelfs nu, terwijl je toch in je kracht staat, in grote lijnen het geval is.Wie gelooft in karma (Mara dus) propageert een leven van probleemloos plezier, vol onnadenkendheid, steeds kinderlijk de korste weg kiezend naar gemak.
Maar de dharma (je geweten, werkelijkheidsbesef) tapt uit een heel ander vaatje; het leert ons juist dat lijden en moeite niet vermeden maar overwonnen moeten worden, via mededogend toelaten en wijs hanteren.Hartsbewustzijn, je centrale bestaansplek en krachtbron, is niet te misleiden met goedkope praatjes en maniertjes. Hoezeer je je ook bombardeert met ondermijning of camoufleert met ophemeling, de rustige puurheid van je hart wordt er niet geraakt: bodhicitta (waarheidsliefde, je vervullingswens) is niet stuk te krijgen. De intrinsieke goedheid ervan blijft je altijd wekken, want niemand kiest vrijwillig voor wrok, voor vastzitten, voor pijn, honger, ongeluk. In ons hart werkt de drang naar geluk en dat motief vindt zijn rust en voltooiing bij daadwerkelijke levenskwaliteit.
VERLOOPverwardheldervrijLASTIGVALLENblind:
iedereenbewust:
leraarontwaakt:
niemandBELEVINGik-waan
(geïsoleerd)tweepoligheid
(fluctuerend)eenheid
(verbonden)GEDAANTEego
(Mara)beoefenaarbodhisattva
(Boeddha)PELGRIMAGEsterveling
(krijger)kluizenaar
(kunstenaar)wijze
(koning)FASENkarma
bestrijdenploppunt
(ommekeer)dharma
bevorderenASPECTENlichaamademgeestOEFENINGshila
(discipline)samadhi
(beleving)prajna
(transcendentie)KARAKTEReindig
(“De weg leidt naar het einde van de weg.”)transformatief
(“Vorm is leegte, leegte is vorm.”)eindeloos
(“Eenheidswegen eindeloos, ik zweer hen te begaan.”)Het perspectief van de weg…
Zie dus het gezagsverschil: grote ik verdient alle gezag in me.
Kleine ik mag nóg zo bedrieglijke snippers strooien of verlokkelijke deuntjes fluisteren, ik zie helder hoe dit slechts suggestief, onbetrouwbaar maaksel is dat elk moment opnieuw wisselt van toon en kleur en inhoud.
De noodzaak van spirituele hygiëne is me volkomen duidelijk: oefenen is simpelweg een basale levensnoodzaak op deze behoeftige plek, een natuurlijke voorziening voor de ontvankelijke bewustwordingswezens die wij mensen zijn.
Bron Stiltij-weblog.Meditatie
geen proces maar beleving
geen greep maar overgave
geen beweging maar ruimte
[1] Cleary, Thomas & Cleary J.C. (vert.): The Blue Cliff Record (Hekigan Roku). Boston 1992, p. 184
[1] Zoals ook de ontspanning die door wegvallen van spanning een geconditioneerde vorm van ontspanning is, tegenover de onvoorwaardelijke ontspanningskwaliteit die zich openbaart dankzij het toelaten van kracht.
[1] Het valt de meesten van ons moeilijk om meditatie als een natuurlijke beleving te zien en te hanteren.
Maar als jouw nood, de zoektocht van je hart, oprecht is en jij de valkuilen ziet van compensatie, zelfbedrog, afleiding etc., dan zul je dankzij oefenen helemaal kunnen thuiskomen in jezelf, in het leven. Je leert je lichaam opnieuw kennen (openbarend hoe interessant levend vlees kan zijn), je durft je te laten zakken in de ademoceaan (je laten ademen door het leven, ademwater worden) en je ontdekt de transcendente bodem van alle bestaan: hartsbewustzijn dat als een bron zorgt voor alle kwaliteit (je wordt verhelderd en gerustgesteld, gedragen in dharmawerking [het Sanskriet woord “dharma” betekent letterlijk: het dragende; ook etymologisch verwant]).[1] Mara’s werking wordt o.a. uiteengezet in de volgende Mahayana-soetra’s: Prajnaparamita (vertaald door Edward Conze: Perfect wisdom; the short Prajnaparamita Texts. London 1973 & The perfection of wisdom in eight thousand lines. Dehli 1994 & The large sutra on perfect wisdom. Berkeley 1975), Vimalakirti en Suramgamasamadhi (vertaald door Etienne Lamotte: Suramgamasamadhisutra. Delhi 2003 & The teaching of Vimalakirti. Oxford 1976). Maar ook in de Theravada-soetra’s (Pali-teksten) is er de nodige aandacht voor de capriolen van Mara. Er is zelfs een “boek van Mara” (Breet, Jan de & Janssen, Rob: Samyutta Nikaya – De verzameling van thematisch geordende leerredes 1. Rotterdam 2009, p. 179).
[1] Laat het leven je rust geven. Zet tijdens zazen je wekkertje op een vaste, door jou gekozen tijdsduur en sta pas op als de tijd verstreken is. Zo geef je gezag aan de neutrale werking van wijsheid; kleine ik kan hierdoor leren zich te beheersen, geduld te oefenen, rust te vinden. Waardeer je vermogen om los te laten en wees kritisch op je neiging tot optreden en invullen. Jouw oefentijd is een heilige periode waarin je geen enkele functie hebt, waarin er niets is dat stoort of nodig is en waar alle ruimte heerst voor louter beleven. Details: zie de Stiltij-wisgids (pdf).
Dit is een automatisch geplaatst bericht via ActivityPub.
#AdVanDun #bewegen #gepasteHoudingen #hartskwaliteit #mara #mechanisme #rust #zazen #zitten
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Swansea legend Gary Monk tipped for Barrow hot seat
BetVictor’s latest odds put Monk at 8/1, alongside Steve Bruce, Neil McDonald and Mike Williamson. For Swans fans, the name jumps off the page: Monk isn’t just another candidate, he’s a club legend who captained City from the lower leagues all the way to Wembley glory.
Monk’s Swansea story
Monk first arrived at the Vetch in 2004, when Swansea were scrapping in League Two. A no‑nonsense centre‑half, he quickly became a dressing‑room leader and was handed the captain’s armband. Under his watch, Swansea climbed the divisions, winning the League One title in 2008 and establishing themselves in the Championship.
He was on the pitch at Wembley in 2011 when Swansea beat Reading in the play‑off final to reach the Premier League for the first time. Two years later, he was lifting silverware — sharing the honour with Ashley Williams as Swansea stunned Bradford to win the 2013 League Cup, the club’s first major trophy in its 100‑year history.
Gary Monk pictured in his early days at Swansea City — the defender would go on to captain the club through promotions and lift silverware.
(Image: Swansea City AFC)When Michael Laudrup was sacked in 2014, Monk stepped straight from the dressing room into the dugout. His first game in charge was the South Wales derby — and he delivered in style, beating Cardiff 3–0. That summer he was confirmed as permanent boss, ending his playing career.
The 2014‑15 season was his high point as manager. Swansea stunned Manchester United at Old Trafford on the opening day, then went on to complete doubles over both United and Arsenal. Monk’s side finished 8th in the Premier League with a record points tally, earning him the Manager of the Month award in August.
His reign ended in December 2015 after a poor run, but by then he had clocked up 12 years of service to Swansea City — a decade as captain and two years as manager.
Gary Monk on the touchline during his time as Swansea City manager — guiding the club to a record Premier League finish.
(Image: Swansea City AFC)Monk’s Cambridge chapter
After leaving Swansea, Monk’s managerial journey took him through Birmingham City, Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday before landing at Cambridge United in March 2024. He signed a two‑year deal and was unveiled with the club’s scarf around his shoulders, tasked with steadying the ship in League One.
His spell lasted just under a year. By February 2025, Cambridge were rooted to the bottom of the table, eight points adrift of safety, and the club parted ways with him after a poor run of results. In total, Monk managed nine wins during his tenure.
Although brief, the stint kept him connected to the dugout and demonstrated his willingness to take on challenges outside the top flight. That Cambridge link adds another layer of intrigue to his name appearing in the betting for Barrow’s vacancy.
Other names in the mix at Barrow FC
Leading the market for the Barrow vacancy is Steve Evans at 5/1, with Simon Grayson, David Unsworth and John Brady all priced at 10/1. Former Wales boss Rob Page is a 20/1 outsider, while ex‑Swans manager Russell Martin is listed at 25/1.
Swansea flavour in the Barrow betting
With Monk, Martin and Page all featuring, the odds for Barrow’s next manager carry a distinctly Swansea‑tinged flavour. Whether Monk is tempted by the challenge at Holker Street remains to be seen — but the betting suggests he’s firmly in the frame.
Barrow currently compete in League Two, but the club has ambitions to climb higher, and the managerial shortlist reflects that. For Monk, it wouldn’t be a return to the fourth tier — it would be a fresh chapter at a club looking to punch above its weight.
#BarrowFC #CambridgeUnitedFC #FootballManager #GaryMonk #HeadCoach #SwanseaCityFC
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Büchau, Yann @nobodyinperson
Feldwick, Mark @MarkIngs
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Gusmão, Felipe @fgusmao
Hart-Davis, Damon @DamonHD
Jehn, Florian Ulrich @florianjehn
Jones, Oliver AH @Dr_Oli_Jones
Killam, Daniel @dantheclamman
Mann, Michael E @MichaelEMann
Manuel, Ivan Ruiz @IvanRManuel
McKinney, Zeke J @ZekeMD
Osborn, Mark @MicrobialLife
O'Shea, Bethany @DrBethRocks
Parent, Essi @essi
Pomeranz, Justin PZ @PZ_ecology
Pyle, Greg @gregpyle
Ruiz Manuel, Ivan @IvanRManuel
Sigmund, Gabriel @GabrielS
Sims, Kerry @DrKerryS
Sultana, Farhana @farhanasultana
Tate, Brandon K @brandontate
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Weintraub, Michael N @mnweintraub
Zourek, Leonard @leonardzourekTrunk Environmentalists
Environmental Toxicology
Feldwick, Mark @MarkIngs
Hammer, Sjúrður @sjurdur
Pyle, Greg @gregpyle
Reichman, Suzie M @SuzieReichman
Whitehead, Andrew @andrewwhiteheadEpidemiology
Alwan, Nisreen A @nisreen
Bassani, Diego G @dgbassani
Bastian, Hilda @hildabast
Basu, Arindam @arinbasu1
Baxter, Nancy @enenbee
Bazaco, Michael @MCBazacoPhD
Bergstrom, Carl T @ct_bergstrom
Bolker, Ben @bbolker
Borrell, Luisa N @lborrell
Chiong, Winston @winstonchiong
D'Angelo, Nico @nicod
Fagherazzi, Guy @gfaghe
Feldman, Ryan @EMPoisonPharmD
Fontenelle, Leonardo Ferreira @lffontenelle
Funk, Sebastian @sbfnk
Ghafari, Mahan @mghafari
Gonsalves, Gregg @gregggonsalves
Handel, Andreas @andreashandel
Hernan, Miguel @MiguelHernan
Hill, Edward M @EdMHill
Hyde, Zoë @DrZoeHyde
Jamal, Alainna J @alainnajj
Kinney, Gregory L @mycotropic
Kline, David @DavidKline
Kucharski, Adam @adamjkucharski
Ley, Sylvia @sylvialey
Meesters, Christian @rupdecat
Mekaru, Sumiko @Sumiko_Mekaru
Moss, Rob @rob_models
Murray, Eleanor J @epiellie
Newman, Kira L @KiraNewmanMDPhD
Pearce, Neil @nepearce
Peiper, Nicholas C @doctorpipes
Polis, Chelsea B @cbpolis
Salemi, Jason L @JasonSalemi
Schrom, John @johnschrom
Sesay, Cecirahim @cecirahim
Smith, Tara C @aetiology
Tennant, Peter WG @pwgtennant
Thelwall, Simon @simonthelwall
Tobin, Martin D @martin_tobin
Wakeham, David @wakehamAMR
Wallace, Katrine @EpidemiologistKat
Walsh, Michael @EpiDoctor• Genetic Epidemiology
Hodcroft, Emma @firefoxx66
Meesters, Christian @rupdecat
Retchless, Adam C @adamr
Tobin, Martin D @martin_tobin• Wildlife Epidemiology
Shriner, Susan A @SusanAShrinerFedi.Directory Epidemiology
Evolutionary Science
Albert, Victor A @PlantEvoGenomics
Anderson, Chris @c_n_anderson
Arnold, Sarah EJ @sejarnold
Aylward, Frank O @foaylward
Barber, Matthew F @bioBarber
Barker, Michael S @MikeBarker
Benham, Phred M @TheSaltySparrow
Bergstrom, Carl T @ct_bergstrom
Blazanin, Michael @mikeblazanin
Bolker, Ben @bbolker
Clarke, John T @jclarkepaleo
Constantinides, Bede @bede
Corman, Victor Max @vmcorman
Davison, Angus @snailman
Débarre, Florence @flodebarre
Delph, Lynda @LyndaDelph
Eisen, Jonathan @phylogenomics
Enquist, Brian J @bjenquist
Fisher, Diana O @Diana_mammalecology
Ghafari, Mahan @mghafari
Gogarten, Jan F @communities
Grau-Bové, Xavier @xgrau
Gregory, T Ryan @TRyanGregory
Hakala, Sanja @SanjaHakala
Hancock, John M @jmhancock
Hartberg, Yasha @yasha
Iwaniuk, N Andrew @brainsevolve
Jarochowska, Emilia @Emiliagnathus
Kane, Emily A @TheKaneLab
Katzourakis, Aris @ariskatzourakis
Kellie, Dax J @daxkellie
Kennard, Andrew @askennard
Knell, Robert J @robknell
Knudson, Alexander H @Knudson_H
Koene, Joris M @jkoene
Kovács, Ákos T @EvolvedBiofilm
Kristensen, Nadiah Pardede @nadiah
LeBoeuf, Adria @Adria
Leighton, Gavin M @GMcLeanLeighton
Lenski, Richard @RELenski
Louvel, Guillaume @GullumLuvl
Lukas, Dieter @DieterLukas
McCutcheon, John @mcsymbiont
Meuthen, Denis @DenisMeuthen
Moreau, Corrie S @CorrieMoreau
Neher, Richard @richardneher
Nelson, Chase W @chasewnelson
Osmond, Matthew @mmosmond
Ralph, Peter L @petrelharp
Schreiber, Sebastian @SebastianSchreiber
Ross-Ibarra, Jeffrey @jrossibarra
Schürch, Roger @schuemaa
Sheard, Catherine @sheardcat
Shropshire, Dylan J @ShropshireJD
Simon, Alexis @alxsim
Slotte, Tanja @tanjaslotte
Sponheimer, Matt @spon
Stajich, Jason @hyphaltip
Strepsipzerg, Max Aubry @StrepsipZerg
Szala, Anna @anna
Tzovaras, Bastian Greshake @gedankenstuecke
Vlieger, Leon @inqbiol
Warrington, Miya H @MiyaWarrington
White, Rhys Thomas @Rhys
Yoder, Jeremy B @jbyFedi.Directory Evolutionary Biology
FoodScience
Hammann, Simon @simonhammann
Kupferschmidt, Kai @kakapeGenomics
Albert, Victor A @PlantEvoGenomics
Aninta, Sabhrina Gita @sagitaninta
Bayer, Philipp @PhilippBayer
Benham, Phred M @TheSaltySparrow
Breitbart, Mya @virome_girl
Clare, Elizabeth L @ProfBatGirl
Coassin, Stefan @stncsn
Constantinides, Bede @bede
Davison, Angus @snailman
Eisen, Jonathan @phylogenomics
Fisher, Simon E @ProfSimonFisher
Friedberg, Iddo @iddux
Gebhard, Christian @basepair
Grau-Bové, Xavier @xgrau
Gregory, T Ryan @TRyanGregory
Guhlin, Joseph @josephguhlin
Gunter, Chris @girlscientist
Hamilton, Bruce A @bahome
Hancock, John M @jmhancock
Johnsson, Martin @mrtnj
Katzourakis, Aris @ariskatzourakis
Kieser, Silas @silask
Konda, Prathyusha @prats
Lenski, Richard @RELenski
Louvel, Guillaume @GullumLuvl
MacLean, Dan @danmaclean
McCutcheon, John @mcsymbiont
Mäklin, Tommi @themaklin
Maurizio, Paul L @paul
Meesters, Christian @rupdecat
Mutalik, Vivek K @vivek_mutalik
Neher, Richard @richardneher
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Phinney, Brett S @UCDProteomics
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Zakour, Nouri Ben @genomissGitHub Palaeogenomicists
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Leterrier, Christophe @christlet
Lindsay, Grace W @Neurograce
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Popescu, Gabriela K @PopStarLab
Schultz, Simon R @neuralengine
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Sutterer, Matthew J @mjsutterer
Thakur, Dhananjay P @dhananjaythakur
Timberlake, Ben @ByBenTimberlake
van Bree, Sander @sandervanbree
Wu, Wayne @attninactionGitHub Neuroscience
Pharmacology
Bartos, Piia @piiabartos
Case, Sami @samilcase
Elsilä, Lauri @laurielsila
Faradilla, Meutia @meutiafaradilla
Feldman, Ryan @EMPoisonPharmD
Konrad, David @dbkonrad
Moleman, Peter @MolemanPeter
Rutz, Adriano @adafede
Wilkins, Justin J @justinwilkinsPharmacometrics
Smith, Mike K @MikeKSmith
Wilkins, Justin J @justinwilkinsPhysiology
Caspar, Kai R @nomascus
Glazier, Amelia @ameliaglazier
Hoffman, Kari L @karihoffman
Olson, Christopher R @ChristophROlson
Schumacher, Michael A @schumacher
Tomasson, Michael H @tomasson
Umbers, Kate DL @kateumbers
Wayne, Nancy L @nancylwaynePsychiatry
Anderson, Chase TM @ChaseTMAnderson
Briscoe, Joshua @jcbriscoe
Eckert, Anna-Lena @eckertal
Lam, Raymond W @DrRaymondLam
Lee, Kangjoo @kangjoolee
Reeder, Michael @admin
Turban, Jack L @jackturban
Urgelés, Diego @urgelesfollowlists.online Psychiatrists
Scientific Computing
Eickhoff, Carsten @carsten
Frost, Jarvist Moore @Jarvist
Jambor, Helena @helenajambor• Computational Biology
Andreani, Virgile @Armavica
Argyropoulos, Christos @ChristosArgyrop
Bahlai, Christie @cbahlai
Carpenter, Anne E @DrAnneCarpenter
Clark, Chase M @chasingmicrobes
Fagherazzi, Guy @gfaghe
Gatto, Laurent @lgatto
Gómez-Dans, José @jgomezdans
Hauck, Judith @jhauck
Hill, Edward M @EdMHill
Hoffman, Kari L @karihoffman
Hubbard, Philip @philiphubbard
Hyseni, Fjola @fjola
Jarosz, Wojciech @wjarosz
Jessen, Walter @wj
John, Yohan J @DrYohanJohn
Kanev, Jacob @jkanev
Kedzierska, Kasia Zofia @kzkedzierska
Kucharavy, Andrei @andrei_chiffa
Louvel, Guillaume @GullumLuvl
MaClean, Dan @danmaclean
Mendes, Pedro @gepasi
O'Donnell, Cian @cian
MacLean, Dan @danmaclean
Meesters, Christian @rupdecat
Mendes, Pedro @gepasi
Moore, Jason H @moorejh
Moss, Rob @rob_models
Ross, Noam @noamross
Scott, Eric R @LeafyEricScott
Sinha, Manisha @manisha
Stévant, Isabelle @IsabelleStevant
Stowell, Dan @danstowell
Viscownti, Alessia @alesssia
Winkler, Tilo @twinkler• Climate Modelling
Easterbrook, Steve @steve
Ilyina, Tatiana @TatianaIlyinaFedi.Directory Data Visualisation
Soil Science
Cardinael, Rémi @remicardinael
Moorberg, Colby J @ColbyDigsSoil
Schymanski, Stanislaus J @schymans
Schwerdtner, Ulrike @UliSchwerdtnerTaxonomy
Brabant, Craig @mutillidae
Brignoli, Gino @gino
De Vivo, Mattia @mdv
Hobern, Donald @dhobern
Musetti, Luciana @DrLu_Musetti
Plazi Species @plazi_speciesToxicology
Feldman, Ryan @EMPoisonPharmD
Trebach, Joshua D @jtrebachVeterinary Medicine
Firth, Clair @Buxton_Vienna
MacPhee, Daniel J @dmacphee
Mekaru, Sumiko @Sumiko_Mekaru
Nordquist, Rebecca @renordquist
van Vlie, Arnoud @dutchscientist
Voss, Sarah J @Sarah_J_Voss
Wakeham, David @wakehamAMRMore extensive lists on Mastodon can be found exploring the following
Fedi.Directory - Science & Humanities
find.sciences.social - Find Academics on Mastodon
GitHub - Academics on Mastodon Lists
TrueSciPhi - Curated science, philosophy, and mathematics lists covering podcasts, Mastodon, and Bluesky
Trunk - allows you to mass-follow a bunch of people(Click to access Formal, Natural (Life & Physical) & Social Sciences)
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"Wray proposes a detailed series of recommendations to unions for things they should demand in their contracts to maximize their chances to capitalize on the opportunities afforded by the Platform Work Directive, such as establishing a "governance body" within the company "to govern data formation, storage, handling and security issues. This body should include shop stewards and all members of the body should receive data training."
He also sets out technological tactics that unions can fund and capitalize on to maximize their use of the directive, such as hacking apps to allow gig workers to increase their earnings. He writes warmly of "the sock-puppet method," where many test accounts are used to place and book work through platforms to monitor their pricing systems to detect collusion and price rigging. This has been successfully used in Spain to create the basis for an ongoing lawsuit over price collusion.
The new world of algorithmic management and the new Platform Work Directive offers many opportunities to organized labor. However, there is always the possibility that an employer will simply refuse to follow the law – as Uber has done, after it was found guilty of violating data disclosure work and was fined €6,000/day until it came into compliance. Uber's now paid €500,000 in fines and has not disclosed the data that the law and the courts require of it.
With algorithmic management, bosses have figured out new ways to evade the law and steal from workers. The Platform Work Directive gives workers and unions a whole suite of new tools to force bosses to play fair. It's not going to be easy, but the technological capacity workers and unions develop here can be repurposed to wage all-out digital class warfare."
https://pluralistic.net/2025/09/25/roboboss/#counterapps
#EU #PWD #PlatformWorkDirective #AlgorithmicManagement #Roboboss #GigEconomy #Precarity
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"Wray proposes a detailed series of recommendations to unions for things they should demand in their contracts to maximize their chances to capitalize on the opportunities afforded by the Platform Work Directive, such as establishing a "governance body" within the company "to govern data formation, storage, handling and security issues. This body should include shop stewards and all members of the body should receive data training."
He also sets out technological tactics that unions can fund and capitalize on to maximize their use of the directive, such as hacking apps to allow gig workers to increase their earnings. He writes warmly of "the sock-puppet method," where many test accounts are used to place and book work through platforms to monitor their pricing systems to detect collusion and price rigging. This has been successfully used in Spain to create the basis for an ongoing lawsuit over price collusion.
The new world of algorithmic management and the new Platform Work Directive offers many opportunities to organized labor. However, there is always the possibility that an employer will simply refuse to follow the law – as Uber has done, after it was found guilty of violating data disclosure work and was fined €6,000/day until it came into compliance. Uber's now paid €500,000 in fines and has not disclosed the data that the law and the courts require of it.
With algorithmic management, bosses have figured out new ways to evade the law and steal from workers. The Platform Work Directive gives workers and unions a whole suite of new tools to force bosses to play fair. It's not going to be easy, but the technological capacity workers and unions develop here can be repurposed to wage all-out digital class warfare."
https://pluralistic.net/2025/09/25/roboboss/#counterapps
#EU #PWD #PlatformWorkDirective #AlgorithmicManagement #Roboboss #GigEconomy #Precarity
-
"Wray proposes a detailed series of recommendations to unions for things they should demand in their contracts to maximize their chances to capitalize on the opportunities afforded by the Platform Work Directive, such as establishing a "governance body" within the company "to govern data formation, storage, handling and security issues. This body should include shop stewards and all members of the body should receive data training."
He also sets out technological tactics that unions can fund and capitalize on to maximize their use of the directive, such as hacking apps to allow gig workers to increase their earnings. He writes warmly of "the sock-puppet method," where many test accounts are used to place and book work through platforms to monitor their pricing systems to detect collusion and price rigging. This has been successfully used in Spain to create the basis for an ongoing lawsuit over price collusion.
The new world of algorithmic management and the new Platform Work Directive offers many opportunities to organized labor. However, there is always the possibility that an employer will simply refuse to follow the law – as Uber has done, after it was found guilty of violating data disclosure work and was fined €6,000/day until it came into compliance. Uber's now paid €500,000 in fines and has not disclosed the data that the law and the courts require of it.
With algorithmic management, bosses have figured out new ways to evade the law and steal from workers. The Platform Work Directive gives workers and unions a whole suite of new tools to force bosses to play fair. It's not going to be easy, but the technological capacity workers and unions develop here can be repurposed to wage all-out digital class warfare."
https://pluralistic.net/2025/09/25/roboboss/#counterapps
#EU #PWD #PlatformWorkDirective #AlgorithmicManagement #Roboboss #GigEconomy #Precarity
-
"Wray proposes a detailed series of recommendations to unions for things they should demand in their contracts to maximize their chances to capitalize on the opportunities afforded by the Platform Work Directive, such as establishing a "governance body" within the company "to govern data formation, storage, handling and security issues. This body should include shop stewards and all members of the body should receive data training."
He also sets out technological tactics that unions can fund and capitalize on to maximize their use of the directive, such as hacking apps to allow gig workers to increase their earnings. He writes warmly of "the sock-puppet method," where many test accounts are used to place and book work through platforms to monitor their pricing systems to detect collusion and price rigging. This has been successfully used in Spain to create the basis for an ongoing lawsuit over price collusion.
The new world of algorithmic management and the new Platform Work Directive offers many opportunities to organized labor. However, there is always the possibility that an employer will simply refuse to follow the law – as Uber has done, after it was found guilty of violating data disclosure work and was fined €6,000/day until it came into compliance. Uber's now paid €500,000 in fines and has not disclosed the data that the law and the courts require of it.
With algorithmic management, bosses have figured out new ways to evade the law and steal from workers. The Platform Work Directive gives workers and unions a whole suite of new tools to force bosses to play fair. It's not going to be easy, but the technological capacity workers and unions develop here can be repurposed to wage all-out digital class warfare."
https://pluralistic.net/2025/09/25/roboboss/#counterapps
#EU #PWD #PlatformWorkDirective #AlgorithmicManagement #Roboboss #GigEconomy #Precarity
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L’infolettre du 15 décembre 2025 : le projet Lotto-Intermarché, le cyclo-cross de Namur…
Lotto-Intermarché dévoile enfin son projet
Il aura donc fallu cinq mois entre l’annonce dévoilée précocement par la presse d’une fusion envisagée et l’officialisation d’un billet pour le WorldTour, mais enfin, au bout de l’attente interminable pour bon nombre de cyclistes, mécaniciens, soigneurs, membres des staffs administratifs, le mariage entre Lotto et Intermarché-Wanty est réel. La nouvelle grande formation belge portera le nom de Lotto-Intermarché chez les élites hommes et femmes (et même Intermarché-Lotto en France, en Pologne et au Portugal, pour des raisons marketing), et se nommera Lotto-Groupe Wanty pour la structure de développement. Rien n’a pas par contre filtré sur le groupe cyclo-cross, actuellement sponsorisé par le torréfacteur Charles Liégeois, sous la houlette d’Intermarché-Wanty.
La structure est aussi éclaircie : la licence WorldTour appartient à Captains of Cycling, la coupole cycliste de la Loterie nationale belge. Pour les trois prochaines saisons, ce sera donc bien elle qui mènera les discussions et pourra assurer l’avenir sportif du groupe auprès de l’Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Tant la Loterie nationale que le groupe de distribution Intermarché ont confirmé leur participation à l’équipe pour les trois prochaines saisons “au moins”. Le groupe Wanty s’investit pour sa part pour au moins six ans, confirmant son souhait de développer les jeunes cyclistes vers le haut niveau. D’autres fournisseurs viennent principalement de l’ex-Lotto, avec les vélos Orbea, les vêtements sportifs de Vermarc Sport, les accessoires et casques d’Ekoï ou encore le groupe énergétique Caps.
Ces éléments confirment que c’est bien Lotto qui a mené les débats, après avoir prospecté dès le début de la saison 2025 pour un nouveau partenaire, après le départ de Dstny. Mais après une approche avortée avec Alpecin-Deceuninck des frères Roodhooft, c’est finalement avec Intermarché-Wanty que les négociations ont bien avancé. Des discussions bien poussées par l’administrateur-délégué de la Loterie nationale, Jannie Haek, dont l’animosité envers l’ancien manager de Lotto Stéphane Heulot, qui a décidé de partir en septembre dernier, n’était plus à démontrer. Les pertes affichées par Intermarché-Wanty ces trois dernières années (jusqu’à 2 millions d’euros en 2024) n’ont pas échaudé les principaux partisans de la fusion, qui ont été jusqu’au bout de leur idée, pour un budget évalué à au moins 22 millions d’euros.
Aike Visbeek, Jean-François Bourlart et Kurt Van de Wouwer – Photo : Lotto-IntermarchéLe patron de la structure sera Jean-François Bourlart, jusqu’ici en chargé d’Intermarché-Wanty, et il sera accompagné des deux têtes pensantes sportives des deux précédentes équipes : Kurt Van de Wouwer sera manager sportif de Lotto-Intermarché après avoir déjà mené cette barque chez Lotto, et Aike Visbeek sera le responsable de la performance, comme chez Intermarché-Wanty à l’époque. Le Néerlandais se veut d’ailleurs optimiste quant à la convergence menée cet hiver entre les deux formations : “Il est rapidement apparu que chaque équipe possède des atouts complémentaires. Lotto Cycling Team bénéficie de partenariats solides avec l’Université de Gand et le département du professeur Jan Boone, ainsi que d’une expertise nutritionnelle de haut niveau, pilotée par Britt Lambrecht. De son côté, Intermarché-Wanty apporte une approche de la performance rigoureuse avec un fort accent mis sur la recherche et le développement et l’innovation technique, sous l’impulsion de Mikey van Kruiningen, responsable du matériel. La mise en commun de toutes ces connaissances constitue aujourd’hui un atout considérable pour hisser la nouvelle structure à un niveau supérieur.”
Les valeurs du nouveau groupe belge sont simples : “grandir, construire et gagner ensemble”. Celles et ceux qui n’ont pu être de la partie resteront malgré tout un peu amers, car les places ont été chères pour poursuivre le projet. La communication en interne a laissé bon nombre de déçus sur le bas côté : à part l’annonce des négociations lors d’une visioconférence, le silence a prévalu durant de longues semaines. Certains membres du staff de Lotto qui pensaient rester en raison de leur contrat ont finalement été licenciés, d’autres ont été rappelés dans les derniers délais en vue de l’obtention du statut WorldTour.
Les actrices et acteurs aujourd’hui impliqués dans la nouvelle structure espèrent que cette période d’incertitude est désormais derrière elles et eux, avec l’ambition de faire progresser un groupe qui continue de rêver de succès de prestige malgré un budget toujours pas aligné sur les super-WorldTeams qui dominent les classements ces dernières années. Là aussi, les places sont chères, mais Lotto-Intermarché compte bien sur ses pépites que sont Arnaud De Lie, Lennert Van Eetvelt, Jarno Widar, entre autres. L’absence de Biniam Girmay se fera malheureusement sentir, mais le transfert de l’Érythréen semblait couru d’avance avant même la fin des négociations. L’équipe belgo-belge devra donc avancer avec son noyau principalement belge et l’ambition de faire grandir le cyclisme noir-jaune-rouge, face à d’autres structures belges qui ont choisi une voie plus internationale. Cela portera-t-il ses fruits ? L’assurance que les sponsors ne bougent pas durant les trois prochaines années et que des profils solides mènent la direction est déjà un signe d’un optimisme intéressant.
Grégory Ienco
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Les effectifs de la nouvelle structure Lotto-Intermarché
Lotto-Intermarché (Élites hommes / WorldTeam)
Toon Aerts 🇧🇪
Huub Artz 🇳🇱
Jenno Berckmoes 🇧🇪
Cédric Beullens 🇧🇪
Vito Braet 🇧🇪
Lars Craps 🇧🇪
Jasper De Buyst 🇧🇪
Arnaud De Lie 🇧🇪
Steffen De Schuyteneer 🇧🇪
Matthew Fox 🇦🇺
Joshua Giddings 🇬🇧
Sébastien Grignard 🇧🇪
Matys Grisel 🇫🇷
Simone Gualdi 🇮🇹
Mathieu Kockelmann 🇱🇺
Felix Ørn-Kristoff 🇳🇴
Milan Menten 🇧🇪
Robin Orins 🇧🇪
Lorenzo Rota 🇮🇹
Jonas Rutsch 🇩🇪
Liam Slock 🇧🇪
Lionel Taminiaux 🇧🇪
Reuben Thompson 🇳🇿
Luca Van Boven 🇧🇪
Taco van der Hoorn 🇳🇱
Lennert Van Eetvelt 🇧🇪
Roel van Sintmaartensdijk 🇳🇱
Baptiste Veistroffer 🇫🇷
Jarno Widar 🇧🇪
Georg Zimmermann 🇩🇪Lotto-Intermarché Ladies (Élites femmes / ProTeam)
Dina Boels 🇧🇪
Julie Brouwers 🇧🇪
Katrijn De Clercq 🇧🇪
Elisabeth Ebras 🇪🇪
Romina Hinojosa Cruz 🇲🇽
Marieke Meert 🇧🇪
Annelies Nijssen 🇧🇪
Linda Riedmann 🇩🇪
Ilken Seynave 🇧🇪
Sandrine Tas 🇧🇪
Lea Lin Teutenberg 🇩🇪
Anna van Wersch 🇳🇱
Sterre Vervloet 🇧🇪
Lani Wittevrongel 🇧🇪Lotto-Groupe Wanty (Espoirs hommes / Développement)
Thibaut Bernard 🇧🇪
Witse Bertels 🇧🇪
Édouard Claisse 🇧🇪
Mauro Cuylits 🇧🇪
Mathias De Keersmaeker 🇧🇪
Halvor Dolven 🇳🇴
Milan Donie 🇧🇪
Niels Driesen 🇧🇪
Kamiel Eeman 🇧🇪
Samuel Greenwell 🇬🇧
Shunsuke Imamura 🇯🇵
Duarte Marivoet 🇧🇪
Tars Poelvoorde 🇧🇪
Keije Solen 🇳🇱
Wouter Toussaint 🇳🇱
Victor Van de Putte 🇧🇪
Lorenz Van de Wynkele 🇧🇪
Lucas Van Gils 🇧🇪
Victor Vaneeckhoutte 🇧🇪
Tuur Verbeeck 🇧🇪➡️ S’inscrire à l’infolettre pour la recevoir gratuitement tous les lundis ⬅️
Les licences WorldTeams et ProTeams distribuées : Cofidis, Q36.5 et Roland refoulés
Comme attendu, l’Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) a révélé, le 10 décembre dernier, les licences WorldTeams et ProTeams pour la saison 2026, avec une série de mentions à noter.
WorldTeams masculines
Toutes les formations candidates au statut WorldTeam et éligibles sur le plan sportif ont obtenu leur sésame pour les trois prochaines années, même NSN Cycling Team qui succède à Israel-Premier Tech, ou Lotto-Intermarché, après le projet de fusion entre les deux entités belges. L’UCI précise toutefois que PicNic-PostNL bénéficie seulement d’une licence pour une année et que des conditions, notamment financières, sont imposées pour une extension de deux saisons supplémentaires. Aucun détail n’a toutefois filtré sur les raisons de cette décision.
- Alpecin-Premier Tech 🇧🇪
- Bahrain Victorious 🇧🇭
- Decathlon-CMA CGM 🇫🇷
- EF Education-EasyPost 🇺🇸
- Groupama-FDJ United 🇫🇷
- INEOS Grenadiers 🇬🇧
- Lidl-Trek 🇩🇪
- Lotto-Intermarché 🇧🇪
- Movistar Team 🇪🇸
- NSN Cycling Team 🇨🇭
- Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 🇩🇪
- Soudal-Quick Step 🇧🇪
- Team Jayco-AlUla 🇦🇺
- Team PicNic-PostNL 🇳🇱
- Team Visma | Lease a Bike 🇳🇱
- UAE Team Emirates-XRG 🇦🇪
- Uno-X Mobility 🇳🇴
- XDS Astana Team 🇰🇿
ProTeams masculines
Même si elles étaient candidates au WorldTour, Cofidis et Q36.5-Pinarello, qui ne faisaient pas partie des 18 meilleures équipes du classement sportif cumulé de 2023 à 2025, restent donc au niveau ProTeam. Toutes les équipes candidates ont reçu leur licence pour la prochaine saison. L’équipe italienne, sous licence hongroise, MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort passe ainsi à l’échelon supérieur, alors que la formation américain Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, menée par George Hincapie, est direction en seconde division.
- Bardiani CSF 🇮🇹
- Burgos-Burpellet-BH 🇪🇸
- Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 🇪🇸
- Cofidis 🇫🇷
- Equipo Kern Pharma 🇪🇸
- Euskaltel-Euskadi 🇪🇸
- MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort 🇭🇺
- Modern Adventure Pro Cycling 🇺🇸
- Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 🇨🇭
- Team Flanders-Baloise 🇧🇪
- Team Novo Nordisk 🇺🇸
- Team Polti VisitMalta 🇮🇹
- Toscana Nippo Rali 🇮🇹
- TotalEnergies 🇫🇷
- Tudor Pro Cycling Team 🇨🇭
- Unibet Rose Rockets 🇫🇷
WorldTeams féminines
Comme chez les hommes, quasiment toutes les équipes candidates au WorldTour ont leur sésame, notamment EF Education-Oatly qui arrive ainsi parmi l’élite. Par contre, le Team PicNic-PostNL doit faire face à la même sanction que chez les hommes : une licence d’un an seulement, et les deux suivantes conditionnées à plusieurs critères.
- AG Insurance-Soudal Team 🇧🇪
- Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto 🇩🇪
- EF Education-Oatly 🇺🇸
- FDJ United-Suez 🇫🇷
- Fenix-Premier Tech 🇧🇪
- Human Powered Health 🇺🇸
- Lidl-Trek 🇩🇪
- Liv-AlUla-Jayco 🇦🇺
- Movistar Team 🇪🇸
- Team PicNic-PostNL 🇳🇱
- Team SD Worx-Protime 🇳🇱
- Team Visma | Lease a Bike 🇳🇱
- UAE Team ADQ 🇦🇪
- Uno-X Mobility 🇳🇴
ProTeams féminines
Cofidis, qui espérait une licence WorldTour mais ne remplissait pas le critère sportif, devra se contenter l’an prochain du statut ProTeam. Lotto-Intermarché obtient un billet en seconde division tout comme la nouvelle équipe française Ma Petite Entreprise. Winspace-Orange Seal, devenue Mayenne Monbana My Pie, reste également parmi les ProTeams. Par contre, l’équipe suisse Roland Le Dévoluy, qui était encore WorldTeam en 2025, descend au niveau continental.
- Cofidis 🇫🇷
- Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi 🇪🇸
- Lotto-Intermarché Ladies 🇧🇪
- Ma Petite Entreprise 🇫🇷
- Mayenne Monbana My Pie 🇫🇷
- St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93 🇫🇷
- Volkerwessels Cycling Team 🇳🇱
Coupe du monde de cyclo-cross à Namur : Brand et Van der Poel enchaînent, les locaux profitent
12.100 personnes, c’est un record, ont assisté dimanche à la désormais mythique manche de la Coupe du monde de cyclo-cross à Namur. Sur les hauteurs de la Citadelle, les Néerlandais ont encore fait la Une, avec Lucinda Brand et Mathieu van der Poel. Mais les Belges n’ont pas démérité, en particulier les Wallons présents pour l’occasion sur leurs terres.
« Juliiiine », « Emeline, go ! », « Antoine, allez ! » : les prénoms ont fusé dans l’enthousiasme ébouriffant de la Citadelle de Namur. Il est rare de voir des spécialistes wallonnes et wallons du cyclo-cross disputer la Coupe du monde de cyclo-cross dans la capitale wallonne, alors à l’annonce de leur départ, le public ne s’y est pas trompé et a encouragé tant et plus les personnalités locales dont l’objectif était principalement de faire bonne figure face aux meilleurs professionnels de la discipline. Du côté des élites femmes, le sélectionneur fédéral Angelo Declercq avait décidé de mettre en avant la championne de Wallonie-Bruxelles Juline Delcommune, une Engissoise de 21 ans qui a déjà participé par le passé à une trentaine de cyclo-cross avec les professionnels depuis… 2022. La protégée de Gérard Bulens, au sein du Team Wilink-Brussels Cycling, comptait bien tenter de profiter de l’ambiance, mais un départ en dernière ligne n’a pu lui permettre de jouer les premiers rôles. « Je suis un peu déçue. J’ai été arrêtée à deux tours de la fin », a-t-elle confié à l’arrivée. « En démarrant dernière, c’est difficile de garder une belle position. Et Namur, c’est hyper dur, c’est technique. Tout le monde me dit que c’est énorme, déjà, d’être ici, sélectionnée, mais pour moi, ce n’est jamais suffisant. (…) On m’arrête à 35 minutes de course, mais pour moi, ce n’est pas assez pour montrer toutes mes capacités sur un tel parcours. Plus j’approche des 50 minutes, mieux c’est. Dommage donc… »
La Belge Juline Delcommune dans le dévers lors du cyclo-cross de Namur, le 14 décembre 2025. – Photo : Alain Vandepontseele/Alain VDP PhotographyL’expérience était aussi impressionnante pour la multiple championne de Belgique de VTT cross-country Emeline Detilleux. Originaire de la province, elle a pu conclure en 30e position, pour… le troisième cyclo-cross de sa carrière professionnelle. « Je suis contente parce que l’objectif était de m’amuser, et c’est ce que j’ai fait », a-t-elle confié avec le sourire à l’arrivée. « J’ai grandi assez vite, je suis déjà en Coupe du monde, je dois donc juste être contente de ma course. Top 30 pour quelqu’un qui n’a plus touché son vélo de cyclo-cross depuis trois semaines et qui découvre la discipline, c’est pas mal ! » Celle qui est partie de la dernière ligne également a conservé sa place autour des 30 premières tout au long de la course a profité de ses qualités techniques pour gérer au mieux et finalement découvrir un sport pour lequel elle pourrait finalement se consacrer un peu plus dans les prochains mois. « Je pense que je peux faire de belles choses. Et la fédération est assez contente que je veuille m’impliquer dans le cyclo-cross. (…) Je suis fière d’avoir pu prendre cette opportunité », ajoute Detilleux qui participera aux Superprestige et Trophée X2O Badkamers de la période des fêtes.
La Belge Émeline Detilleux dans le dévers lors du cyclo-cross de Namur, le 14 décembre 2025. – Photo : Alain Vandepontseele/Alain VDP PhotographyIl n’y avait cependant rien à faire face à la femme de cette saison, la Néerlandaise Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions), encore une fois impériale de bout en bout. Elle a vu un instant la leader de la Coupe du monde Aniek van Alphen (777 Racing) revenir à une quinzaine de secondes avant de repartir de plus belle. Les deux premières places étaient ainsi scellées, alors que la championne de France Amandine Fouquenet (Arkéa-B&B Hôtels) réalisait une sacrée performance pour glaner la troisième place, au bout d’un cross parfaitement géré sur le plan technique. La championne des Pays-Bas Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) réalisait, elle, le chemin qu’il reste à parcourir pour revenir au plus haut niveau, mais sa quatrième place est encourageante pour la suite de l’hiver. La Suissesse Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing), de retour après un hiver blanc, affichait pour sa part toute son expérience pour accrocher le Top 5 dès sa première manche de Coupe du monde de la saison. La championne de Belgique Marion Norbert-Riberolle (Crelan-Corendon), sur un parcours qui lui convient moins bien, a de son côté connu un départ très difficile, la reléguant près du Top 30, avant de réaliser une grande remontée jusqu’à la 13e place : « C’est toujours dur sur la première bosse pour moi. Je suis contente parce que d’habitude, ça va moins bien à Namur. Je suis contente finalement. Et cette année, il n’y avait jamais autant de monde, je n’ai jamais connu ça, ça m’a donné des ailes ! »
La Néerlandaise Lucinda Brand remporte le cyclo-cross de Namur, le 14 décembre 2025. – Photo : Alain Vandepontseele/Alain VDP PhotographyCôté masculin, tous les regards namurois étaient posés sur Antoine Jamin, l’espoir du Team BH Wallonie. Le local de 20 ans avait marqué les esprits avec une cinquième place sur la course des juniors lors des championnats d’Europe sur cette même Citadelle en 2022 et comptait bien tenter de se faire une place malgré son jeune âge et le plateau présent. Finalement 32e à l’arrivée, à un peu plus de quatre minutes du champion du monde Mathieu van der Poel, Jamin restait malgré tout sur sa faim au moment de franchir la ligne. « J’ai fait un bon départ. Après, j’ai voulu un peu me canaliser, je me suis rendu compte que je n’avais pas la plus grande forme. Je suis déjà content de finir la course à une bonne place, même si j’espérais un peu mieux », déclarait-il après avoir repris son souffle sous les acclamations de la foule. « C’est le départ qui allait déterminer ma place. Au fil des tours, je perdais un peu de temps, mais j’ai fait le maximum. (…) Refaire la même chose qu’en juniors, cela allait être difficile, mais j’ai essayé. J’étais un peu moins en forme que prévu ».
Devant, le suspense a longtemps régné. Pour sa reprise, Mathieu van der Poel a confirmé ses déclarations selon lesquelles il n’était pas dans la même forme qu’à son retour dans les labourés, l’an dernier. Le champion du monde a longtemps été malmené par Thibau Nys (Baloise Glowi Lions), et même un temps par Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw) et Lars van der Haar (Baloise Glowi Lions). Dans le dernier tour, une glissade et une chute de Nys a finalement permis au Néerlandais de s’isoler dans les parties plus explosives et de signer un sixième succès en sept courses à Namur. Le champion de Belgique et leader de la Coupe du monde conservait au moins la deuxième place devant Vanthourenhout, confirmant un cap franchi pour la suite de l’hiver.
Découvrez les grands moments de cette quatrième manche de la Coupe du monde de cyclo-cross à Namur, sous la lentille de notre photographe Alain Vandepontseele en cliquant sur ce lien.
Les nouvelles des derniers jours
✍ Transferts
- Sacrée affaire pour INEOS Grenadiers : après avoir tardé à lancer son mercato pour la prochaine saison, l’équipe britannique a annoncé cette semaine l’arrivée de l’Australien Jack Haig, en provenance de Bahrain Victorious. Le grimpeur de 32 ans, troisième de la Vuelta en 2021, a signé pour deux saisons. Une confirmation de la politique de l’équipe de relancer une structure solide pour les courses par étapes.
- L’Irlandaise Caoimhe O’Brien (Cynisca Cycling), âgée de 23 ans, a signé pour au moins une saison avec la WorldTeam américaine EF Education-Oatly. Plutôt explosive, elle s’est distinguée durant ses deux premières saisons professionnelles comme une sprinteuse qui peut franchir les courtes côtes, avec notamment une 9e place sur l’Egmont Cycling Race et sur la Maryland Cycling Classic en 2025.
- La ProTeam française TotalEnergies a fait le plein pour la saison prochaine avec l’arrivée de trois recrues en provenance d’Arkéa-B&B Hôtels, officiellement disparue. Les Français Thibault Guernalec (28 ans), Pierre Thierry (22 ans) et Mathis Le Berre (24 ans) rejoignent ainsi la formation vendéenne pour au moins une saison, la durée de leur contrat n’ayant pas été révélée. TotalEnergies boucle ainsi son effectif de 28 coureurs avec ces derniers transferts.
- Deux autres rescapés d’Arkéa-B&B Hôtels ont retrouvé de la place au sein de l’équipe continentale française CIC Pro Cycling Academy, ex-CIC-U-Nantes Atlantiques : les Français Victor Guerlanec (25 ans) et Léandre Lozouet (21 ans) ont paraphé un contrat d’une saison.
- Parmi les coureurs d’Intermarché-Wanty laissés sur le banc de touche, le Français Alexy Faure-Prost a trouvé refuge chez Picnic-PostNL. Le champion de France espoir de 2023, aujourd’hui âgé de 21 ans et toujours en quête d’un premier succès professionnel, a signé pour un an avec l’équipe néerlandaise, où il pourra révéler ses talents de baroudeur et grimpeur.
- Dans l’autre sens, le Néerlandais Enzo Leijnse (24 ans), qui n’a pas été prolongé chez Picnic-PostNL, a retrouvé un contrat avec l’équipe continentale portugaise Anicolor/Tien 21, qui l’a engagé pour un an.
- La ProTeam française St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93 a poursuivi son renforcement pour la prochaine saison avec les arrivées de l’Américaine Heidi Franz (30 ans, Cynisca Cycling), coureuse expérimentée et habituée du gravel qui a notamment terminé cette saison troisième du Tour du Portugal (avec une étape en prime), et de sa compatriote Caroline Wreszin (24 ans), elle aussi venue du gravel avec plusieurs podiums sur de telles courses d’endurance aux États-Unis.
➡️ Prolongations
- L’équipe Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe a profité de sa présentation annuelle pour confirmer les prolongations pour “plusieurs saisons” (sans autre précision) de trois de ses jeunes leaders. D’abord, l’Italien Giulio Pellizarri (22 ans), vainqueur d’étape et sixième du dernier Tour d’Espagne, et l’Allemand Florian Lipowitz (25 ans), troisième et meilleur jeune du Tour de France 2025. L’Italien Lorenzo Finn (18 ans), coup sur coup champion du monde chez les juniors puis chez les espoirs ces deux dernières saisons, a également signé un nouveau contrat, confirmant son passage chez les professionnels à partir de 2027.
🏥 Sur la touche
- C’est ce qu’on appelle ne pas avoir de bol : l’Italien Davide Formolo doit éviter le vélo pour au moins six semaines à la suite d’une opération à un tendon du pied, nécessaire après une blessure contractée après la chute… d’une tasse de thé sur son pied. L’ex-champion d’Italie, aujourd’hui âgé de 33 ans, l’a révélé sur son compte Instagram, confirmant un possible report de son début de saison en raison de cette déconvenue.
📅 Programme
- C’est la saison des présentations d’équipes, ce qui annonce la saison des révélations de programmes des leaders qui devraient marquer la prochaine année cycliste. Après de nombreuses spéculations à son sujet, le champion olympique Remco Evenepoel a révélé ses grandes lignes de 2026, sans toutefois tout divulguer en vue de l’été. Il reprendra la compétition au Challenge de Majorque, du 28 janvier au 1er février, où un contre-la-montre par équipes permettra à sa nouvelle équipe, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, de peaufiner les détails de cette discipline si particulière, en vue de l’étape d’ouverture du Tour de France. Il sera ensuite au départ du Tour de la Communauté de Valence, du 4 au 8 février, puis du Tour de Catalogne, du 23 au 29 mars. Il participera aux classiques ardennaises (Amstel Gold Race le 19 avril, Flèche Wallonne le 22 avril et Liège-Bastogne-Liège le 26 avril), avant un stage et une participation soit au Critérium du Dauphiné (devenu Tour d’Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), soit au Tour de Suisse, avant le Tour de France (du 4 au 26 juillet), qu’il visera à nouveau.
- Les autres leaders de la Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, clairement concentrée sur les Grands Tours, ont également dévoilé leurs cartes pour la prochaine saison. L’Italien Giulio Pellizarri et l’Australien Jai Hindley se partageront la position de leader sur le Tour d’Italie, alors que l’Allemand Florian Lipowitz suivra un programme similaire à Remco Evenepoel (le Tour de Romandie en plus, les classiques ardennaises en moins) en vue du Tour de France. Le Slovène Primoz Roglic sera pour sa part attendu sur le Tour du Pays basque (du 6 au 11 avril), le Tour de Romandie et le Tour d’Espagne, où il visera un cinquième titre historique.
- L’agenda des stars d’UAE Team Emirates XRG était également largement scruté au vu des combats attendus la saison prochaine avec Evenepoel et Jonas Vingegaard. Tadej Pogacar a ainsi confirmé, sans surprise, que le Tour de France sera son grand objectif de l’année. Mais pas seulement : sa campagne débutera sur le Strade Bianche (7 mars), avant Milan-Sanremo (21 mars), le Tour des Flandres (5 avril), Paris-Roubaix (12 avril), Liège-Bastogne-Liège (26 avril) et le Tour de Romandie, dernière rampe de lancement avant le Tour de Suisse et le Tour de France ensuite.
- Parmi les autres leaders de l’équipe n°1 du peloton contemporain, le Mexicain Isaac del Toro, qui reprendra sur l’UAE Tour (du 16 au 22 février), sera également de la partie sur le Strade Bianche, Milan-Sanremo et le Tour de France. Le Portugais João Almeida, qui sera au départ du Tour de la Communauté de Valence, participera au Tour d’Italie avec Adam Yates, Jan Christen et Antonio Morgado en soutiens. Le champion de Belgique Tim Wellens disputera, lui, l’ensemble des classiques depuis le Circuit Het Nieuwsblad jusqu’à l’Amstel Gold Race.
- Du côté de l’équipe Movistar, alors que l’Espagnol Enric Mas devrait enchaîner le Tour d’Italie et le Tour d’Espagne, le Belge Cian Uijtdebroeks, engagé à grands frais cet hiver, bénéficiera directement d’un traitement de leader. Il reprendra la compétition au Tour de la Communauté de Valence, du 4 au 8 février, avant Paris-Nice (du 8 au 15 mars), le Tour du Pays basque (du 6 au 11 avril), le Tour d’Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (du 7 au 14 juin) et le Tour de France, sur lequel il devrait donc être l’unique patron de l’équipe, à seulement 23 ans.
- Chez Lidl-Trek, également, on a moins partagé les Grands Tours. L’Espagnol Juan Ayuso, grand transfuge de l’hiver, lancera sa saison sur le Tour d’Algarve (du 18 au 22 février) et enchaînera avec Paris-Nice, le Tour du Pays basque, la Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, le Tour d’Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes et le Tour de France. Il sera accompagné sur la Grande Boucle des Danois Mads Pedersen (qui sera sur les classiques depuis Milan-Sanremo jusqu’à Paris-Roubaix) et Mattias Skjelmose (prévu aussi sur Paris-Nice). Le sprinter italien Jonathan Milan est pour l’heure prévu sur Milan-Sanremo et Paris-Roubaix. Sur le Tour d’Italie, Giulio Ciccone sera le leader annoncé avec le Belge Thibau Nys, qui découvrira ainsi les routes italiennes, après un premier Tour de France l’an dernier.
- Enfin, la formation française Decathlon-CMA CGM comptera sur les classiques son nouveau leader Tiesj Benoot, qui retrouvera le peloton sur le Tour d’Algarve avant de participer aux courses printanière depuis le Circuit Het Nieuwsblad (28 février) jusqu’à la Flèche Wallonne. Le sprinter néerlandais Olav Kooij reprendra sur l’UAE Tour et visera probablement le Tour de France. Pour le grimpeur autrichien Felix Gall, le Tour d’Italie sera le grand objectif du début de saison.
- L’Australien Michael Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla) a aussi présenté son programme, avec un accent sur les classiques, évidemment : Milan-Sanremo, Tour des Flandres, Amstel Gold Race et Liège-Bastogne-Liège seront prévus, avant une présence sur le Tour de France.
- La championne du monde Magdeleine Vallieres a confirmé sur le Tour Down Under (du 17 au 19 janvier), pour lancer 2026. Elle étrennera ainsi son maillot arc-en-ciel en Australie avant d’envisager la suite du printemps, dont les classiques ardennaises seront son grand objectif.
- Wielerflits a interrogé l’équipe Fenix-Deceuninck sur le programme de la championne des Pays-Bas de cyclo-cross Puck Pieterse pour la saison hivernale 2025-2026. Après une reprise à Namur, conclue à la quatrième place, la cycliste de 23 ans poursuivra à Anvers (20/12), Coxyde (21/12), Gavere (26/12), Termonde (28/12), Diegem (30/12), Baal (01/01), Zonhoven (04/01) et aux championnats des Pays-Bas (11/01). Ses participations à Benidorm (18/01), Maasmechelen (24/01) et Hoogerheide (25/01) restent par contre entre parenthèses avant l’ultime objectif, le championnat du monde à Hulst (31/01).
🦸♀️ Maillots
- L’équipe NSN Cycling Team, ex-Israel-Premier Tech, avait dévoilé son nouveau nom, elle a désormais affiché ses nouvelles couleurs. Le tricot a été imaginé par Stycle Design, déjà à l’origine des anciennes tuniques d’Intermarché-Wanty, AG Insurance-Soudal et Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal.
- La WorldTeam néerlandaise SD Worx-Protime a quelque peu modifié son maillot pour la prochaine saison : il sera plus bariolé et plus clair en haut, alors que le cuissard sera noir. Et vu qu’elle n’est plus championne du monde sur route, Lotte Kopecky est à la présentation sous ses nouvelles couleurs.
- Chez UAE Team Emirates XRG, le blanc et le noir restent les couleurs dominantes d’un maillot qui connaît finalement peu de changements par rapport à la saison dernière.
- Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe proposera en 2026 un maillot ressemblant à la tunique spéciale présentant lors du dernier Tour de France : majoritairement blanc avec les manches bleues. Le cuissard restera noir.
- Un maillot un peu plus blanc s’annonce pour la Movistar qui a laissé tomber le torse bleu pour ne proposer qu’un “M” bleu.
- L’arlequin de Lidl-Trek restera bien en place en 2026 mais il sera plus dégradé. Le rouge restera cantonné au bras droit et le jaune au bras gauche alors que le torse apparaît plus bleu.
- Decathlon CMA CGM, avec l’arrivée d’un nouveau co-partenaire principal, a ajouté du rouge à son maillot aux différents tons de bleu déjà présents la saison dernière. Ainsi que du noir sur la manche gauche avec l’arrivée d’Adecco.
- Pas de changement pour l’équipe Uno-X Mobility qui a attendu la confirmation de son statut WorldTeam pour arborer ce logo sur la tunique rouge et jaune de ces derniers mois.
🤑 Économie
- Le Tour du Doubs n’aura pas lieu la saison prochaine. Le Vélo Club Morteau-Montbenoît, en charge de l’épreuve 1.1, a expliqué par voie de communiqué que les coûts d’organisation sont devenus de plus en plus importants, face à un soutien public stable. “Afin de préserver la pérennité du club, de concentrer nos moyens sur la sauvegarde et le développement de notre équipe N1 féminine et de garantir la poursuite de nos actions auprès des jeunes, nous faisons le choix responsable de suspendre l’épreuve pour 2026”, ajoute le club. Une réflexion est prévue pour permettre le retour de la course en avril 2027.
💉 Dopage
- Provisoirement suspendu depuis le 11 septembre dernier par l’UCI, l’Italien Giovanni Carboni a été licencié par l’équipe Unibet Rose Rockets. “Sans remettre en cause la présomption d’innocence concernant l’enquête de l’UCI, notre enquête interne confirme une violation du devoir de transparence et de loyauté du coureur”, a expliqué la ProTeam française par communiqué. Carboni est pour l’heure suspendu en raison d’anomalies apparues sur son passeport biologique en 2024.
🌈 Sélections
- L’Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) a dévoilé les quotas prévus pour les épreuves cyclistes des Jeux olympiques de Los Angeles en 2028. Sur les courses sur route, pas de changement : les pelotons seront encore très petits, avec seulement 90 qualifiées et 90 qualifiés. Ils et elles seront 35 sur le contre-la-montre. Les quotas seront de 36 cyclistes par sexe en VTT mountain-bike, de 24 par sexe en BMX racing et de 12 par sexe en BMX freestyle. Plus de détails sur les quotas et systèmes de qualification sur le site de l’UCI.
📌 Autres
- La rumeur du mois de novembre est devenue officielle : Jean-René Bernaudeau cède bien sa place de manager général du Team TotalÉnergies à Stéphane Heulot, ancien patron de Lotto. Bernaudeau ne quitte pas la structure, dont il reste PDG, mais Heulot en sera le dirigeant sportif, en charge du développement de l’entreprise et de la recherche de nouveaux sponsors après le départ annoncé de TotalEnergies fin 2026.
- Sans grande surprise, Remco Evenepoel a été choisi par les journalistes sportifs belges en tant que sportif belge de l’année. Il s’agit de son cinquième titre, ce qui le rapproche à un trophée d’Eddy Merckx, qui avait dominé le concours entre 1969 et 1974.
À lire, voir, écouter…
- Ludovic Robeet revient de loin : victime d’un AVC en septembre dernier, le coureur brabançon de la Cofidis a enfin repris le vélo début décembre, après être devenu papa pour la première fois. Une double dose de bonnes nouvelles pour le cycliste de 31 ans qui s’est longuement confié à la RTBF sur son état de santé et ce qu’il envisage pour la suite de sa carrière sportive. “J’aimerais récupérer mes sensations d’avant, même si je crois que ce n’est pas gagné. J’aimerais savoir vivre avec ce qui s’est passé et continuer à évoluer”, explique celui qui envisage un retour à la compétition pour les classiques flandriennes, au printemps. Même si l’objectif est optimiste. C’est à lire et à écouter en cliquant sur ce lien.
- Lancer un planeur à la seule force des jambes ? C’est le défi posé par l’équipe Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe à l’occasion d’une vidéo dans le plus pur style de la boisson énergisante qui sponsorise l’équipe depuis plus d’un an maintenant. Neuf coureurs de la formation allemande ont ainsi été amenés à tracter sur une piste de 1.500 mètres un petit avion, afin de lui permettre de décoller à toute vitesse. L’exploit est majuscule, mais je reste un peu sur ma faim par rapport au manque de données affichées à l’écran (Velon a expliqué par la suite que les cyclistes de tête ont dû pousser plus de 600 watts pendant une minute) et au manque d’explications sur la physique derrière cet exercice particulier. La vidéo est à voir sur la chaîne YouTube de Red Bull Bike.
- Pour la troisième année consécutive, le Turbo Cross va animer les cyclo-cross des fêtes, pour le plus grand plaisir du public flamand toujours avide de spectacle divertissement. Le vidéaste Average Rob et son frère Arno The Kid organisent une nouvelle édition de ce cyclo-cross pour le fun, entre influenceurs et célébrités, cette fois à Hofstade (et non plus à Diegem), à l’occasion du nouveau “Plage Cross”. Le streamer français Rivenzi sera notamment de la partie pour une bataille à suivre sur YouTube et la VRT. Rendez-vous le 22 décembre à 16h45 pour suivre ce moment de détente. Et en attendant, voici un aperçu de l’événement avec le résumé de l’édition 2024.
Pour profiter des retransmissions télévisées des courses cyclistes depuis l’étranger, n’hésitez pas à utiliser NordVPN, un programme vous permettant de rejoindre des réseaux privés virtuels protégés dans le monde entier. Pour accéder à ces retransmissions télévisées depuis le monde entier, un VPN peut vous aider, tout en vous protégeant. NordVPN vous propose un abonnement de deux ans avec une réduction allant jusqu’à 73%. Chaque nouvel abonné recevra par ailleurs trois mois d’abonnement offerts. Des offres combinées avec NordPass et du stockage cloud sont par ailleurs disponibles ! Tout abonnement à NordVPN est un soutien supplémentaire à CyclismeRevue.
Le coin promo
- Comme chaque année, CyclismeRevue vous propose un calendrier complet pour ne rien manquer des cyclo-cross jusqu’à fin février 2026. C’est disponible en cliquant sur ce lien.
- Comme chaque année, nous vous proposons un calendrier à télécharger et à installer sur votre téléphone ou votre ordinateur, pour ne rien manquer des différentes courses professionnelles sur route de l’année, que ce soit chez les femmes ou les hommes. Tous les détails pratiques sont sur ce lien.
- Découvrez le programme TV complet des courses cyclistes (route, piste, cyclo-cross, VTT…) diffusées ces prochaines semaines en Belgique et en France sur notre page spéciale, mise à jour quotidiennement : c’est à voir sur ce lien.
Les résultats des derniers jours
Route
- Tour du Costa Rica 🇨🇷 (2.2)
- 1re étape (12/12) : Jexon Ledezma 🇨🇷 (Costa Rica U23)
- 2e étape (13/12) : Jason Huertas 🇨🇷 (Manza Te-La Selva-Scott)
- 3e étape (14/12) : Santiago Montenegro 🇪🇨 (Movistar-Best PC)
Cyclo-cross
- Velopark Grand Prix Debrecen 🇭🇺 (C1)
- Élites femmes (13/12) : Zuzanna Krzystala 🇵🇱 (Pho3nix Cycling Team)
- Élites hommes (13/12) : Zsombor Takács 🇭🇺 (MBH Bank CSB Ballan Colpack)
- Exact Cross – Leiecross à Courtrai 🇧🇪 (C2)
- Élites femmes (13/12) : Inge van der Heijden 🇳🇱 (Crelan-Corendon)
- Élites hommes (13/12) : Niels Vandeputte 🇧🇪 (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
- HSF System Cup #7 – Hole Vrchy 🇨🇿 (C2)
- Élites femmes (13/12) : Barbora Bukovská 🇨🇿 (DK Bikeshop Racing Team)
- Élites hommes (13/12) : Vaclav Jezek 🇨🇿 (Brilon Racing Team MB)
- Coupe du monde #4 – Namur 🇧🇪 (CDM)
- Élites femmes (14/12) : Lucinda Brand 🇳🇱 (Baloise Glowi Lions)
- Élites hommes (14/12) : Mathieu van der Poel 🇳🇱 (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
- Coupe de France de cyclo-cross #5 – Ouistreham 🇫🇷 (C2)
- Élites femmes (14/12) : Anaïs Morichon 🇫🇷 (Arkéa-B&B Hôtels)
- Élites hommes (14/12) : Gerben Kuypers 🇧🇪 (Charles Liégeois Roastery CX)
- Velopark Cyclo-cross Debrecen 🇭🇺 (C2)
- Élites femmes (14/12) : Zuzanna Krzystala 🇵🇱 (Pho3nix Cycling Team)
- Élites hommes (14/12) : Zsombor Takács 🇭🇺 (MBH Bank CSB Ballan Colpack)
- Cyclocross Del Ponte 🇮🇹 (C2)
- Élites femmes (14/12) : Elisa Ferri 🇮🇹 (FAS Airport Services-Guerciotti)
- Élites hommes (14/12) : Filippo Fontana 🇮🇹 (Carabinieri Olympia)
- Championnats des États-Unis à Fayetteville 🇺🇸 (CN)
- Élites femmes (14/12) : Lizzy Gunsalus 🇺🇸 (CCB Women’s Cycling)
- Élites hommes (14/12) : Eric Brunner 🇺🇸 (Competitive Edge Racing)
- Championnats du Japon à Osaka 🇯🇵 (CN)
- Élites femmes (14/12) : Yui Ishida 🇯🇵 (TRK Works)
- Élites hommes (14/12) : Hijiri Oda 🇯🇵 (Yowamushi Pedal Cycling Team)
L’agenda des prochains jours
Mardi 16 décembre
- Tour du Costa Rica 🇨🇷 (2.2) – 5e étape
- San José > Pérez Zeledón (126,5 km)
- Liste des partants
- Jeux d’Asie du Sud-Est à Bangkok 🇹🇭 (JR) – Course en ligne hommes
- Bangkok > Bangkok
Mercredi 17 décembre
- Tour du Costa Rica 🇨🇷 (2.2) – 6e étape
- Pérez Zeledón > Neily (198 km)
- Liste des partants
- Jeux d’Asie du Sud-Est à Bangkok 🇹🇭 (JR) – Course en ligne femmes
- Bangkok > Bangkok
Jeudi 18 décembre
- Tour du Costa Rica 🇨🇷 (2.2) – 7e étape
- Neily > Buenos Aires (161,6 km)
- Liste des partants
Vendredi 19 décembre
- Tour du Costa Rica 🇨🇷 (2.2) – 8e étape
- Pérez Zeledón > Oreamuno (120 km)
- Liste des partants
Samedi 20 décembre
- Tour du Costa Rica 🇨🇷 (2.2) – 9e étape
- Palmares > Palmares (92,5 km)
- Liste des partants
CYCLO-CROSS
- Coupe du monde #5 – Anvers 🇧🇪 (CDM)
- Infos et partants
- 📺 Direct dès 13h30 sur Pickx+ Sports 1, Eurosport 2 et HBO Max
- Cyclo-cross international de Béthune 🇫🇷 (C2)
Dimanche 21 décembre
- Tour du Costa Rica 🇨🇷 (2.2) – 10e et dernière étape
- La Aurora > La Aurora (99 km)
- Liste des partants
CYCLO-CROSS
- Coupe du monde #6 – Coxyde 🇧🇪 (CDM)
- Infos et partants
- 📺 Direct dès 13h30 sur Pickx Pop-up Sports, Pickx Showcase, Pickx+ Sports 1, VRT 1, Sporza.be, VRT Max, Eurosport 2 et HBO Max
Lundi 22 décembre
CYCLO-CROSS
- Trophée X2O Badkamers #4 – Plage Cross à Hofstade 🇧🇪 (C2)
- Infos et partants
- 📺 Direct dès 13h30 sur VRT 1, Sporza.be et VRT Max, dès 13h35 sur RTL Club et RTL Play, et dès 13h40 sur Eurosport 2 et HBO Max
Merci pour votre lecture !
Vous retrouverez votre prochaine infolettre le lundi 22 décembre dans votre boîte aux lettres numérique !
N’hésitez pas à partager cette infolettre avec vos proches et à nous suivre sur CyclismeRevue.be ainsi que nos réseaux sociaux pour ne rien manquer de l’actualité cycliste.
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#4 #5 #6 #7 #CoupeDuMonde #cycloCross #Licences #LottoIntermarché #maillots #Namur #ProTeams #UCI #UCIWorldTour #WorldTeams
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Indian Peter’s Penny Post: the thread about Edinburgh first local postal service, house numbers and street directories
This thread is a write-up of a talk given for the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust in June 2023. It has been split across multiple sections for ease of reading.
This vacance is a heavy doom
The Rising of the Session, Robert Fergusson
On Indian Peter’s Coffee Room,
For a’ his china pigs are toom;
Nor do we see
In wine the sicker bisket’s soom
As light’s a flee.In this verse, the “lights” that Robert Fergusson refers to are the men of law of the Court of Session in 18th century Edinburgh, fleeing the city in the summer to their country houses, away from the stench of the Old Town. Indian Peter’s Coffee Room was a small establishment within the Parliament Hall itself, the outer house of the Court of Session, Scotland’s supreme civil court, it’s patrons being the men of the law who conducted their business there. The “china pigs” are the drinks vessels and are empty now the customers are gone, and the “sicker biskets soom” is the dipping of small, sweet biscuits into the wine.
Part 1. Indian Peter.
So who was “Indian Peter”? Before we can go any further in our story it is very important to understand some of his long and complex life history, as it is relevant to his character and his motivations in later life. Indian Peter was Peter Williamson, born 1730 in Aberdeenshire. He was the son of a farmer and as a boy was sent to live with an aunt in Aberdeen. Aged 13, while hanging around the quayside in that city, he was tricked aboard a ship under false pretences and imprisoned. Not long thereafter he was part of a cargo of 70 abducted boys and girls who were taken to North America on board the ship Planter to be sold as a slave labour. On arrival in the New World, the vessel was shipwrecked, and the children were abandoned to their fate. When it was clear that they had survived, their captors returned and took them for sale. Peter was sold for £16 to a Scots settler who had arrived in America by the same method he had. He was as fortunate as his circumstances could allow him and his new master treated him well and schooled him.
The master died when Peter was aged 17, leaving him his horse, saddle and £120. With little reason to return to Scotland, Williamson settled down to farm and marry. His wife’s family were planters of some means and he was given a good property to work by his father-in-law. His recent good fortune however took a turn for the worse in 1754 when the farm was raided and burnt to the ground by the native Lenape people: the Delaware Indians. His wife was absent at the time but Peter was taken captive and forced to carry off his best possessions as booty. He spent some time as a captive with the Delaware, acting as a porter. During this experience he claimed to have been tortured and to have seen other settlers tortured or killed, but also picked up some of their customs (which he would later adopt and which would personify him in Edinburgh).
“The Indian Threatens Peter Williamson”, from The Red True Story Book, 1895, an illustration by H. J. FordAfter 4 months of captivity, Williamson seized a night time opportunity and escaped under the cover of the noise and activity of wild hogs and managed to return to the planter community. Tragically he found that his wife had died two months previously. Motivated by loss or revenge, he joined a British regiment in the Seven Years War to fight against the French and their Indian allies, serving for 18 months before being captured and imprisoned for the third time in his life in 1756 at the Battle of Oswego.
The Battle of Fort Oswego, where a French, Canadian and Indian force overwhelmed British defenders. Photogravure by John Henry Walker, 1877, from Journal de MontréalWounded, he was sent to a camp in Quebec he was soon fortunate to be repatriated to Britain in a prisoner exchange and that same year landed a broken man in Plymouth. Paid off from the army due to injury with a paltry sum, he headed for “home” in Aberdeen but ran out of his funds in York. It was here he ingratiated himself with some gentlemen who published an account of his life’s adventure in a book called “French and Indian Cruelty”. The book was a success and with the money he made from it he was able to return to Aberdeen, intending to sell his book and settle down. However the Aberdeen magistrates, who he had accused of being complicit in his abduction as a boy (and that of hundreds of other children) had other ideas and had him arrested and his books impounded. To secure his release, he had to agree to sign a retraction of his story and accusations, to pay a fine of 10 shillings, and to have his books publicly burned by the town executioner.
Spurned by his home town, he headed south to Edinburgh where he ingratiated himself amongst some men of the law. Appalled by his tale, they agreed to help him sue the Magistrates of Aberdeen. Williamson was able to build up a convincing legal case, supported by many witnesses, and surprised everyone by winning. He was awarded £100 in damages and his expenses. The magistrates, represented by one Walter Scott (the father of Sir Walter Scott) appealed, and lost. Settling in Edinburgh with his award, he re-published his book and set himself up as a tavern keeper on the Parliament Square. A sign over the door of his establishment reputedly read “PETER WILLIAMSON, VINTNER FROM THE OTHER WORLD“. When business was slow, he would don the guise of a Delaware Indian which he had managed to procure and perform a “war dance” in the High Street. Thus he became an accepted eccentric in the city’s social scene as “Indian Peter“, “Peter Williamson of the Mohawk Nation” and the “King of the Indians“.
He moved his business into the Parliament Hall as a coffee house, with the men of the law being his primary clientèle. He was also popular amongst the literary men and as well as Fergusson his shop was patronised by James Boswell and Sir Walter Scott and he was a correspondent with Ben Franklin.
“The Parliament Close and Public Characters of Edinburgh, Fifty Years Since”, in the style of John Kay, 1849, the bustling legal heart of the city in Williamson’s timeIndian Peter was not content to just live the life of a coffee house keeper and local celebrity however, and showed an irrepressible entrepreneurial streak. During a visit to London, he bought a portable printing press, which he returned to Edinburgh. Unable to break the closed ranks of the city’s printers for training, he instead taught himself how to operate it and went into business as a printer, publisher and book seller. At times he also ran a small bank (offering to exchange bank notes for “ready money, books or coffee” and even ran a lottery offering two squirrels as the prize!
Transcription of one of Williamson’s bank notes, which was probably more of a joke and gimmick amongst his friends than a serious business propositionThe name “Ready Money Bank” was a jibe aimed at some of the Scottish banks, which at this time issued “option clause” notes, where your note, when presented for redemption, was at risk of being paid out not in cash but for a note of another bank.
Peter Williamson. A caricature by John Kay from 1791 called “Travells eldest son talks with a Cherokee chief” © Edinburgh City LibrariesBut it was in 1773 where Williamson’s two greatest contributions to the City are made; he establishes a Penny Post (only the second such service in the British Isles) and he began compiling and publishing street directories of the city and its principal residents. It is now that our story really begins. So why are these innovations of his so important? Firstly, they allowed anyone to send communications within the city, quickly, reliably and (relatively) cheaply and they told you to whom to send it and where! It is the beginning of a modern communication network within the city, a city which was just beginning to break free of the ancient confines of the Old Town and across the Nor’ Loch valley to the opportunities, space and clear air of the New Town. The Postal Museum states “in particular, the Edinburgh Penny Post [was] influential in establishing the pattern for the Provincial English Penny Posts that followed.“
Part 2. The Edinburgh Penny Post
Before the advent of the Edinburgh Penny Post, messages were carried around the city by your own servants or you could hire a Caddie (the town’s licensed class of porters and messengers) or pay a trustworthy child to run the errand. It was also the job of the Caddie to know everyone and everything, they acted as an informal news, communications and intelligence network.
An Edinburgh Caddie, by David Allan. Note the numbered badge of his trade, his licence to work, worn on the jacket breast. CC-by-NC National Galleries ScotlandThe first Penny Post was established in London by William Dockwra in 1680, but he quickly fell foul of the General Post Office (GPO) monopoly and the fact his service was thought to be carrying seditious letters, it was seized from him, his patent forfeit and was ordered to pay £2,000 compensation. But you can’t keep a good idea down, and in 1765 an act was passed (Postage Act 1765) permitting licensed Penny Posts in provincial towns and cities. Although Williamson established his post in 1773, it was not until 1776 that he was formally granted permission from the Postmaster General for his service. His network in the city operated from 9AM to 9PM each day and for an English penny (paid up front, or on delivery) you could send a letter or small packet within one English mile of the Mercat Cross, north, south, east or west, and to Leith. The service to the latter, the city’s port, operated 8 times a day in both directions, between 8AM and 7PM.
Williamson’s Penny Post stamps, for mail sent payment on delivery (left) or paid in advance (right). These stamps are thought to have been made by Williamson himself from his experience of his printing press.Four postmen were employed, who carried a hand bell to advertise their presence and wore a service cap with the name “Williamson’s Penny Post” painted or embroidered on it in silver and who were paid 4 shilling and 6 pence per week. The story goes that the caps were numbered 1, 4, 8 and 16 to make it appear as if the business was 4 times bigger than it really was. Knowing Williamson’s inventive abilities for self promotion, this does not seem that far fetched to be true. Of only one of the postmen do we have any sort of an insight, a highlander by the name of Donald Mackintosh who hailed from the vicinity of from near Blair Atholl and Killiecrankie. Mackintosh would have been in his thirties at this time and his task was described as a “his “useful though humble vocation”. He would later rise to prominence in his own right as an Episcopalian clergyman and a scholar of Scottish Gaelic.
Illustration by Will Nickless, 1962, purporting to show one of Williamson’s Penny Post men delivering a letter.It was not only the four postmen who collected letters, they could also be dropped off at a network of 18 “receiving houses” in the city and Leith, which were pre-existing shops that Williamson had convinced to act as post offices. His carriers would call at them on their rounds to collect any deposited letters for onward delivery. He listed these in the directory, making it relatively easy to plot them to a map. At this stage the New Town could be served by a single receiving house on St. Andrew Street, the Canongate and southern suburbs both each by a single house too. The 1775 directory had a slightly refined network, with the concentration in the centre of the High Street reduced, additional houses in each of the Canongate and Southside and an additional house in Leith.
Williamson’s network of receiving houses in 1773-74, as listed in his directory. The red triangle is the GPO on North Bridge. Overlaid on Kincaid’s plan of Edinburgh (1784) and Wood’s plan of Leith (1777), both reproduced with the permission of the National Library of ScotlandMuch of the business for the Penny Post came from the men of the law that Williamson was already ingratiated with – reflected in the concentration of receiving houses around the Parliament Square – as it was they who had a business need to communicate quickly and frequently across the city. They knew him well: he was both in their fold but an outsider in the city hierarchy; he had long overheard their intimate business discussions in his tavern and coffee house without making a nuisance of himself. He was therefore a man to be trusted with their secrets.
A letter sent by Williamson’s Penny Post, to Mr William Brodie at Mr Robert Donaldson’s, Writer to the Signet, New TownBut it was not just the city’s lawyers and merchants who found use for the Penny Post. It offered an important new opportunity to women, as for the first time they could begin to converse privately through writing, away from the prying eyes of the servants who up until that time would have been entrusted with carrying letters. One exceptional romance is recorded as taking place discretely though Williamson’s delivery network; that of Robert Burns and Agnes Maclehose, known either as his Nancy, or Clarinda. In all, this flourishing written courtship amounted to 88 letters, carried by the Penny Post, and what Sir Walter Scott described as “the most extraordinary mixture of sense and nonsense, and of love human and divine, that was ever exposed to the eye of the world“. Burns, bedridden at the time after injuring his leg, was lodgning near the St. Andrew Street receiving house in the New Town and Nancy was but a short distance from the branch on Chapel Street, just beyond the Potterrow. On some days the couple would exchange as many as two letters each, in both directions.
Mrs Agnes McLehose, c. 1840s, Artist unknown. CC-by-NC National Galleries ScotlandEven at this early stage, in a relatively small city, the correct addressing of mail was an issue for the Penny Post and Williamson had to print begging notices in his directories pleading for letters to be clearly and non-ambiguously addressed.
To The Public, a notice in Williamson’s directory asking for mail to be clearly addressedOne of Williamson’s receiving houses was the premises of John Wilson, a bookseller who had one of the shops in the colonnade in front of the Royal Exchange (now the City Chambers). Wilson also sold Williamson’s directories and happened to be his father-in-law. He is absent from the later versions of the list of Receiving Houses. This is with good reason; Williamson had separated for his wife – Jean Wilson – having accused her both of serial adultery and also of interfering with the Penny Post and misappropriating its profits. She had also cut him off from access to his children, including the eldest daughter who made a reasonable addition to the family income as a mantua maker (specialising in making ladies’ mantles) and with her father had set up a rival operation to try and run Peter out of business! But if the story so far has taught us anything, it is that when he was down, Peter Williamson was never out, and he would come back fighting. Once more he turned to his friends in the legal establishment and he built up an indestructible case against his wife. He cited nineteen different servants, doctors and lawyers as witnesses; she put up none in defence. She tried to get Williamson to pay for her legal defence, the court found that she had left him in forma pauperis (in the manner of a pauper; unable to pay) which further damaged her reputation. Williamson was granted divorce in his favour in March 1789 and regained control of his businesses and custody of his children. To recoup his losses from this case, he published a sensational account of his wife’s “crimes” against him, which having been proven in court he had no need to worry about being sued over.
In all, Williamson would run his Penny Post successfully for 19 years, it returning him on average a profit of £50 per annum (about £6,500 in 2023). However the reality was that he was ageing, and his energy for self promotion, fighting off the competition and keeping his postmen in check was waning. In 1790 Francis Freeling, the secretary to the Postmaster General, visited Edinburgh and observed the Penny Post in action. Suitably impressed, on his return to London he recommended to his superior that the GPO should take the service over and run it for itself. A younger Williamson may have tried to resist, but he sensibly acquiesced to authority and in 1793 the GPO took over the service. But true to form, he did not hand it over before overstating both his age and his financial dependence on the Post in a letter to the Postmaster General, ensuring he received a pension of £25 for life in return for relinquishing control.
A Victorian postman of the GPO in 1820, from the cover of the sheet music for a popular song “The Postman’s Knock”.We have also to beg your Lordships permission to authorise us to allow Mr. Williamson of Edinburgh £25 per annum, he having long had the profits of 1d. a letter on certain letters forwarded through his receiving house in Edinburgh, which he will lose by our having established a penny post there.
Passage from a letter from the Postmaster General to the Treasury, requesting Williamson’s pension, 17th July 1793The GPO quickly adapted the service to their own practices, cutting down both the number of receiving houses – from 18 to 9, the number of collections to 5 per day and the number of deliveries to 3; but at relatively fixed times of morning 98AM), early evening and late evening (7PM). They increased the number of postmen to 20 and by 1817 there were 30.
Part 3. Williamson’s Postal Directories
Williamson’s other great innovation in 1773-74 was the collation and publication of a postal directory for the city. (You can view this directory for yourself here, on the website of the National Library of Scotland.) He described it himself thusly:
An alphabetical list of the names and places of abode of the members of the college of justice; public and private gentlemen; merchants, and other eminent traders; mechanics and all persons in public business; where at one view you have a plain Direction, pointing out the Streets, Wynds, Closes, Lands and other Places of their Residence, in and about this Metropolis. Together with Separate Lists of the Magistrates, Court of Session and Court of Exchequer, the Constables of Edinburgh, Canongate and Leith, Carriers, etc.
Descriptive preface to Williamson’s first postal directoryThis was the first comprehensive directory of anyone who was anyone in the city, what they did and where they were based. Williamson also includes useful information such as the boundaries of parishes, the members of the town council, the constables, and lists of carriers, the days they depart and where they operated from and to, and of course a list of his own Penny Post receiving houses. He operated this as a vertically-integrated business; he gathered the contents, published and printed it on his own presses, used it to advertise his Penny Post system and sold it himself at his own bookshop.
An extract of the first 4 pages of entries under the letter A for Williamson’s first Postal Directory of Edinburgh, 1773-74. CC-by 4.0 National Library of ScotlandTo produce the publication, Williamson claimed to have visited every address in the city to compile details of the occupants and their professions. Many were suspicious of his motives and would not consent to give their details, which resulted in an incomplete listing that has a large appendix of late additions, which made it hard to use. A unique and cumbersome feature of the first directory was that within each letter of the alphabet, he sub-organised the contents by profession. While this makes it harder to find what you are looking for, it is a fascinating insight into the rigid social and professional hierarchies of the city at this time and perhaps the relative esteem with which Williamson himself held each class of profession. In all, the directory lists 3,914 individuals and 130 different occupations, some of which I have grouped together for convenience (e.g. shoemakers and clogmakers; barbers, wigmakers and hairdressers). The table below ranks professions with the the highest 15 and lowest 15 positions in the directory in the 1773-74 directory.
Rank“Highest 15” professionsRank“Lowest 15” professions1Advocates (barristers)15Baxters (bakers)2Clerks/ Writers to the Signet14Fleshers (butchers)3Lords’ and Advocates’ Clerks13Barbers, Wigmakers & Hairdressers4Writers (solicitors)12Candlemakers5Procurators (prosecutors)11Shoe & Clogmakers6Exchequer10Taylors & staymakers7Physicians9Weavers8Ministers8School masters, teachers, academics9Noblemen, Gentlemen, Ladies and Gentlewomen7Milliners & Mantua-makers10Bankers6Excisemen11Merchants5Stablers12Grocers4Engravers13Ship-masters3Bookbinders14Surgeons2Confectioners15Brewers1Room setters (letting agents) & boardersThe contents of this directory also allow us to easily total up the relative frequency of the different occupations amongst the entries and plot them as a chart (below). From this we can observe that a full quarter of the entries are for the Incorporated Trades (i.e. the officially recognised and established trade and craft associations of the city, such as bakers, butchers, goldsmiths, taylors, weavers etc.). A further fifth are the men of the law, and a tenth are the merchants. This is fully unsurprising for a city built upon the prosperity and power of these groups. We can see that the nobility, by volume, are a relatively small component, and while print, medicine and education are relatively small contributions, these are three industries that will flourish in Edinburgh in the next 100 years and that the city will become synonymous with.
There are no street numbers in any of Williamson’s Directories until 1784. Prior to this, locations are simple, relatively vague and purely descriptive such as “head of Baillie Fyfe’s Close” or “Grassmarket, south side“. The introduction of numbers at first was just for the New Town and small parts of the Southside of the city (Nicolson Street and Chapel Street), the exception being James’ Court, which at the time was an exclusive address.
Although he originally intended to produce only a single directory, in the end they were such a success that Williamson published them for 17 years. For his final directory, that for a two year period of 1790-92, he subcontracted the printing out to Campbell Denovan, but retained the rights to sell a certain volume of copies exclusively. From 1794 the Edinburgh directories would be published by Thomas Aitchison, and then again the Denovans in 1804 before the Post Office itself took over in 1805 (although the printing was still local in Edinburgh). These later directories conform very closely to the style and structure first set out by Williamson, a testament to his ability to bring a systematic and ordered approach to what was a very chaotic city.
Williamson exercised this latter talent in what is a remarkable document, known either as “Williamson’s Broadside” or “An Accurate View of All the Streets, Wynds, Squares, and Closes of the City of Edinburgh, Suburbs, and Canongate, on both sides of the High-street, from the Castle to Holyrood-house, agreeable to the names they are at present known by, together with those in the New Town and Leith.”. This large printed page was a comprehensive list of all the closes and streets of the city and Leith, and their relative order and position to each other and the principal landmarks. An invaluable reference then, it is even more so now for modern eyes interested in where the old streets and closes were located and what names were in use. Ever the man with an eye on business, the corners of the page advertise other products and services sold by Williamson such as his Penny Post, stamps for marking books and linen, printed funeral announcement cards, and a form of fortune-telling cards he printed.
Williamson’s Broadside, folded up. You can view the full sheet at the below link to the Book of the Old Edinburgh Club.You can view the full broadside for yourself in a chapter that starts on Page 261 of volume 22 (original series) of the Book of the Old Edinburgh Club, published in 1939, which is digitised online here.
With his Penny Posts in the hands of the GPO and his directories with Campbell Denovan, Peter Williamson retired with his pension and what was left of his profits from these businesses (he claimed his wife and father-in-law had robbed him of fully three quarters of the latter) and took up a tavern in the Lawnmarket. He died in January 1799, and was buried in “The full panoply of a Delaware chief” in the grave of Mr. J. Scott, some distance north-east of William Nicol, beneath a stone surmounted by an urn.
Part 4. Street Numbering and Re-Numbering
Street numbering in Edinburgh started in the early 1780s, Williamson’s directories first reflecting it in 1784. It progressed as the New Town itself expanded, and the practice slowly began to spread to other parts of the city. Streets with only one side were simply numbered in a series from one upwards. However at this time there was no agreed manner by which to number doors in streets with two sides (which was most of them!) Three principal methods existed and all were implemented and existed side-by-side with no consistent approach – indeed the New Town used all three!
- The first method used is that with which we are familiar today: one side of a street has even numbers and the other has odd numbers, and the numbers increase in series as you move along the street.
- The second method was a “there and back again” method, whereby numbering progressed in an increasing series of odd and even numbers from number 1, up one side of the street, to the end, and then back down the other side. This meant that the highest and lowest numbers of the street were opposite each other. Nicolson Street was one street that used this method of numbering.
- The third method was that of “northside / southside”. In this system, the street sides were named north and south (or east and west) and each side was numbered from 1 upwards in a continuous series. As a result, each number was duplicated, No. 1 North Side and No. 1 South Side were opposite each other, and without specifying which side of the street a letter was intended for or an advert was referring to one could easily end up with the wrong door.
By 1811 the system (if you could call it that) was in chaos, as not only was there no consistent methodology but demolitions, new buildings and subdivisions had caused numbering sequences to become haphazard and out of sequence. Something had to be done, and done it was. Despite a curious lack of historical record in either the City Archives or contemporary newspapers, on Whitsunday 1811 there was a wholesale and systematic renumbering of much of the City which had been numbered up to that point. The Caledonian Mercury contains one of the few examples evidencing this wholesale change:
Caledonian Mercury – Saturday 27 April 1811The new numbering system split the city into quadrants, using the east-west axis of the High Street and the north-south axis of the Bridges and St. Andrew Street (shown as the yellow line on the map below). Within each of these quadrants, streets with two sides would be numbered with odd doors on one side and evens on the other, and the number series would increase as you moved away from the axis (shown by the blue lines on the map below) – so in theory the numbers always increase as you move away from the centre point of the quadrants. The system placed the odd numbered doors on your right and the even numbered doors on your left as you walked along any street in the direction of increasing numbers.
The street re-numbering axes and directions of increasing numbers, overlaid on a map of Edinburgh by John Ainslie, 1804. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of ScotlandThere were of course exceptions to the system. The Grassmarket ran in the “wrong” direction, retaining its former door numbering order which increased towards the axis. The Cowgate passes underneath the South Bridge axis, so one half of it (the western end) was inevitably not going to be able to conform. The east west axis – the “Royal Mile” of the Canongate, High Street, Lawn Market and Castle Hill – was numbered in two sequences. The first was the Canongate, uphill from the palace of Holyroodhouse to old burgh boundary with Edinburgh at the Netherbow. The High Street, Lawnmarket and Castle Hill were numbered into one continuous uphill sequence from the Netherbow. It is for this reason that to this day, the Lawnmarket street numbers start at 300 (evens) and 435 (odds), and there are no numbers 2 to 298 or 1 to 433 Lawnmarket. Similarly the numbering on the Castlehill starts at 348 (evens) and 525 (odds). Other oddities include Great King Street, where the evens are on your right instead of the odds, and South Bridge, which retained the old “there and back again” numbering and still does to this day (this is despite the North Bridge and Nicolson Street, its northern and southern extensions, being re-numbered)
The street numbering of the South Bridge, on Ainslie’s Town Plan of 1804. The map has been rotated by 90 degrees for clarity. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of ScotlandThe First New Town of Edinburgh, that part planned out by James Craig and that existed prior to 1811, conforms almost perfectly to the rules of the 1811 numbering system. On the map below, the red arrows show the street numbers ascend in the correct directions. The squares of Charlotte and St. Andrew are ordered in a clockwise manner. The Northern or Second New Town, the section north of Queen Street Gardens was developed from 1800 onwards so conformed to the scheme too (with the exception of the already noted Great King Street). The “Moray Feu” extension of the New Town, shown in the blue arrows, was developed from 1822 and conformed with the 1811 scheme, with the anomaly of Great Stuart Street, which is interrupted by Ainslie Place, so you have to pass through the latter to get to the other side of the former.
Edinburgh map by Bartholomew, 1891. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of ScotlandThe West End (green arrows on the map above) was feud from the estate of Walker of Coates from 1813 onwards and took its own, haphazard approach as it developed in a piecemeal manner. Queensferry Street is numbered in a “there and back again” nature; the numbers on some streets ascend in the right direction, but with the odds and evens on the wrong sides; Drumsheugh Gardens increases in an anti-clockwise manner, and towards the Dean Bridge; the street is Lynedoch Place on one side and Randolph Cliff on the other, each with its own numbering sequence. Princes Street in the First New Town posed an interesting test for the system. We think of it as being only a street built on one side, but there is of course a single block built on the south side at its eastern end. This was originally individual properties and prior to 1811 these were numbered in their own series as “Princes Street South Side”. The principal, northern side of the street did not need the geographic qualifier.
The east end of Prince’s Street as shown on Kincaid’s Town Plan of 1784. Note numbers 1-5 on the south side, and 1 upwards on the north. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of ScotlandThe 1811 re-numbering decided to treat the street as if it had a single side, with numbers 1-9 allocated to the south side, and the northern side numbered from 10 upwards. This arrangement was broken in 1898 when the block to the south was demolished to make way for the North British Railway Hotel (now The Balmoral), which took the number 1; numbers 2 to 9 Princes Street have therefore never existed ever since.
East End of Princes Street, as shown on Kirkwood’s Town Plan of 1819. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of ScotlandIn 1826 it was reported in the local press that a wholesale renumbering of the “suburbs” has been completed, that street names had now been painted on the corners and that a move was being made to begin painting up the names of the closes of the Old Town. The considered order of this new system was not to last however. By 1826, properties on Princes Street were plagued with subdivision of the original houses into commercial premises, requiring the Town Council to approve the use of A, B, C etc. to distinguish each new door from its original number. By 1856, the Cowgate was said to be in “a most hopeless state of darkness” and in 1869 the Lawnmarket was “greatly confused and unintelligible”. However a systematic approach was never taken again, and renumbering thereafter took place on a case-by-case basis, approved by a special council committee. Exceptions and curiosities still prevail however. Summerhall Place, for instance, was re-numbered as 5 to 13 Causewayside in 1935. However the uproar this provoked in its residents caused it to be renamed back to Summerhall Place, but with the numbers in the Causewayside sequence retained: to this day the latter street still starts its numbering of odd doors at number 15.
Part 5. Street Naming and Re-Naming
Street names, even those we are most familiar with, do not always remain the same forever and some change before they are even built. An early copy of James Craig’s original printed plan of the New Town from 1767 has the streets we know now as Princes, George and Queen referred to instead as simply the South, Principal and North; the names were yet to be decided.
Copy of James Craig’s 1767 New Town Plan © City of Edinburgh CouncilA later copy of the same year, which James Craig apparently took to London, had named these streets as St. Giles Street (after the patron saint of the City), George Street (for the King, George III) and Forth Street, an unofficial innovation of Craig’s own doing, probably on account of the views it commanded towards that body of water. The magistrates of the city were unhappy with Forth Street and the King – who was shown the copy during Craig’s visit to London – was displeased with St. Giles, as he associated that name with the London district of the same name which had a reputation as a slum, hardly befitting his glorious new capital of North Britain.
A poor quality facsimile of an engraving of 1767 of Craig’s New Town Plan, showing unfamiliar street names. Thank you to Rob Ralston for helping to source this grainy copy in an 1971 paper in an obscure journal.The King’s Scottish physician – Sir John Pringle – sent a letter expressing the displeasure and making some suggestions for improvement to Lord Provost Laurie, and a new copy was made, with George Street central, flanked by Queen Street to the north, and Prince’s Street to the south for George, Prince of Wales. With the cross-streets including Hanover and Frederick (the second son), the King approved and this new trend of naming streets in the city – to the glory of the reigning dynasty – was instituted. Prior to this, nearly all the street names in the city had been functional, describing the builder, owner or principal occupant(s). . An old saying amongst Edinburgh schoolboys – to help them remember – went; “The Queen and the Prince, the Rose and the Thistle, and King George in the Middle”.
You may have noticed in these earlier maps that illustrate Princes Street that some use the form “Prince’s Street” and that others use the more familiar “Princes”. So which is it? The simple answer is both, but never Princes’ Street! The table below gives the varieties used for Princes Street and George Street from the first royally approved plans of 1767 to 1831. The matter was finally settled in 1846 for Princes Street when the GPO street directories finally abandoned the original form of Prince’s Street. That Princes Street was named for two Princes is categorically not the case, it is not a plural, it is a possessive case, it is one where the apostrophe has been lost over time; it was for Prince George and Prince George alone, his brother Prince Frederick got Frederick Street.
MapmakerYearForm of Princes Street UsedForm of George Street UsedJames Craig1767Prince’s GeorgeJohn Andrews1771 Princes GeorgeAndrew Bell1773 Princes GeorgesJohn Ainslie1780Prince’s GeorgeAlexander Kincaid1784Prince’sGeorge’sDaniel Lizars1787Prince’s GeorgeT. Brown & J. Watson1793 PrincesGeorge’sThomas Aitchison1794Prince’s GeorgeJohn Ainslie1804 Princes GeorgesRobert Scott1805 Princes GeorgeGPO1807Prince’s GeorgeRobert Kirkwood1817 Princes GeorgeThomas Brown1818 Princes GeorgesRobert Kirkwood1819 Princes GeorgeRobert Kirkwood1821Prince’s GeorgeRobert Scott1822 Princes GeorgeJohn Wood1823 Princes GeorgeJames Knox1825Prince’s GeorgeJohn Wood1831 Princes GeorgeTable showing the spelling of Princes and George Street used from 1767 to 1831 on maps of the city.Another change in the planned New Town streetnames affected the Northern explansion around 1806; the streets planned with the Latin names of Caledonia Street, Hibernia Street and Anglia Street were Anglicised to Scotland, Dublin and London Streets respectively before any shovels were in the ground. At the same time, a planned Albion Row was merged with the start of Albany Street and took the latter name.
Ainslies’ town plan of 1804 showing planned Caledonia, Hibernia, Anglia Streets and Albion Row. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of ScotlandAn opposite issue to renaming a street occurred in 1803, when Mrs Maxwell of Carriden (Mary Charlotte Bouverie) complained that her house was on a street with no name! She lived at the extreme west end of the First New Town, where the as-yet unnamed street to the west of Charlotte Square met Princes Street. A disagreement with the Moray Estate over land boundaries meant that the original planned street on the west side of Charlotte Square was never built, and what had been constructed had been given no name. This was resolved by Christening this portion Hope Street, after Charles Hope of Granton, Lord Advocate and the local MP (this is the explanation given by Stuart Harris. An explanation may be that it was for Admiral Sir George Hope of Carriden, a 2nd cousin of Lord Granton). The following year we find a Miss Blair in the Post Office directory for Hope Street.
Kincaid’s Town Plan (left) of 1784, showing the never built western side of Charlotte Square (then still planned as St. George’s Square) and Ainslie’s Town Plan (right) of 1804, showing the compromised updated designs for the west side of Charlotte Square, with the southwest portion now known as Hope Street. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of ScotlandAn idiosyncrasy of some Edinburgh streets is where the road has one name, but the street addresses along it have another. This is normally the result of a planned or pre-existing street being built along in a piecemeal, protracted manner. A good example of this is London Road, a planned new roadway into the city from the east formed around 1819, but where development along it took around 80 years to complete. Individual street blocks of houses were named by their landowner or builder, after themselves, family connections, royalty, battles, topography, pre-existing local names and more, with opposite sides of the same road frequently having different addresses. In its 1.4 mile Length, there are 19 different street addresses, with London Road itself being the address for relatively few premises.
1944 OS Town Plan of London Road overlaid with the street addresses of the premises along it. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of ScotlandAnother point in case is Leith Walk, a historic walking route between Edinburgh and its port that was only very gradually developed into a carriageway and built along. From the very top (the south or Edinburgh end) of “the Walk” – beginning at current Picardy Place, the facing “pairs” of places on opposite sides of the road went Union Place / Greenside Place; Antigua Street / Baxters Place; Gayfield Place & Haddington Place / Elm Row; Croall Place / Brunswick Place; Albert Place / Shrub Place; George Place / Crichton Place. At this point we reach the Leith and Edinburgh boundary at Pilrig Street.
The Leith end of Leith Walk, Pilrig Street north (down) towards the Foot of the Walk. From Old & New Edinburgh by James Grant.Continuing down into Leith, the historic addresses went Fyfe Place; Kings Place; Orchardfield / Heriot Buildings; Springfield; Ronaldson’s Buildings; Stead’s Place / Anderson Place; Allison’s Place; Whitfield’s Place / Macneill’s Place; Cassell’s Place / Queen’s Place. In 1933, the council street naming committee made a proposal to merge Leith Walk and Leith Street into a continuous numbering sequence and to remove all the older intermediate addresses. Options included calling the whole length simply “Leith Walk”; splitting it into a “Leith Walk South” and “Leith Walk North”; extending Leith Street north to London Road, with everything north of that being Leith Walk. This proposal was never taken forward, and it is only on the Leith half of Leith Walk (i.e. north of Pilrig Street) where the houses are named and numbered as Leith Walk. On the Edinburgh side, the traditional names remains to this day, even though the roadway itself is formally called Leith Walk.
Street renaming generally took place on a case-by-case basis, usually to remove a duplicate name. An exception was a wholesale renaming and de-duplication exercise undertaken in a systematic way between 1965-69 upon the introduction of Post Codes for sending mail. This caused an issue where the traditional use of the old post towns or burghs to disambiguate between streets in the formerly separate burghs of Edinburgh, Leith and Portobello was superseded by simply using “Edinburgh” and the post code. At least 56 streets were renamed in this period, with the general practice being that the Edinburgh name was kept and any duplicates in Leith or Portobello (or both!) were renamed. This resulted in 15 old Leith street names and 8 in Portobello being lost and changed. There were exceptions however, and 5 Edinburgh names were changed where they conflicted with Leith, 4 Leith names were changed where they conflicted with Portobello and 3 Portobello names were changed where they conflicted with Leith.
Amongst others, Edinburgh lost its Pitt Street (to Dundas Street), Duke Street (to Dublin Street), Chapel Lane (to Cathedral Lane), Mitchell Street (to Peffer Place). Leith lost its George Street (to North Fort Street), Queen Street (to Shore Place), Albany Street (to Portland Street), Bank Street (to Seaport Street). Portobello lost its Hope Street (to Rosefield Street), Ramsay Lane (to Beach Lane), Melville Street (to Bellfield Street), Pitt Street (to Pittville Street). The village of Newhaven lost its St. Andrew’s Square (to Fishmarket Square) to avoid confusion with St. Andrew Square in Edinburgh, and it lost its Parliament Square (to Great Michael Square) for the same reason. Across the city as a whole, multiple streets with “Church” or “Hope” in their name were also altered to avoid potential duplicates or ambiguity.
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A Letter to Cochrane’s Editor-in-Chief
By David Tuller, DrPH
This morning, I e-mailed the following letter to Dr Karla Soares-Weiser, Cochrane’s editor-in-chief, about the decision to abandon a planned update of a review of exercise therapy for ME/CFS. (I cc’d Toby Lasserson, Cochrane’s deputy editor-in-chief.) That decision was made public in an abrupt announcement dumped on the patient community right before the Christmas holidays. Cochrane appears to be oblivious to how its actions have harmed not only patients but its own reputation.
The subject line of the e-mail: “Request for withdrawal of review of exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome”
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Dear Dr Soares-Weiser—
In 2019, Cochrane published amendments to a previously conducted systematic review that recommended exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome. [1] Given that post-exertional malaise (PEM) is a core symptom of what is now generally called myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), recommendations to increase exercise can lead to serious relapses. [2]
When these amendments were published, you acknowledged some of the review’s shortcomings, noting in a statement that it was “based on a research question and a set of methods from 2002, and reflects evidence from studies that applied definitions of ME/CFS from the 1990s.” [3] The earlier ME/CFS definitions used in those trials did not require the presence of PEM, raising uncertainty about whether the study samples truly represent the patient population. To address these issues, Cochrane proposed a comprehensive process to produce an updated review.
In December, five years into this process, Cochrane blindsided the ME/CFS community with an abrupt announcement that it was abandoning the update project, citing “insufficient new research.” [4] The same month, Cochrane republished the old, amended version with a 2024 date, creating the false impression that the review itself had, in fact, been updated. [5]
The argument about “insufficient new research” cannot be taken at face value. The promise to update the amended review had nothing to do with the presence or absence of new research. Cochrane committed to the update project because the organization’s leadership understood that the published review was inadequate for multiple reasons, among them that it contained limited information about potential harms. Despite having articulated such concerns in the past, Cochrane has now reaffirmed its support for this flawed document while revising nothing but the date of publication.
The amended exercise therapy review continues to pose a risk to people with ME/CFS, including those with Long COVID who meet diagnostic criteria. [6] It should be withdrawn. Failing that, the review should be prominently tagged with an editorial note making clear that it is out-of-date and should not be used for clinical decision-making.
Sincerely,
Nicola Baker
Physios for ME
School of Allied Health Professions and Nursing
University of Liverpool
Liverpool, England, UKLucinda Bateman
Bateman Horne Center
Salt Lake City, Utah, USJonas Bergquist
ME/CFS Collaborative Research Centre
Biomedical Centre
Uppsala University
Uppsala, SwedenHector Bonilla
Post COVID-19 Syndrome (PACS) Clinic
Division of Infectious Diseases
Stanford Medicine
Stanford, California, U.S.Robin Callender Smith
Centre for Commercial Law Studies
Queen Mary University of London
London, England, UKMario R. Capecchi
Department of Human Genetics
University of Utah School of Medicine
Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.Joan Crawford
Chronic Pain Management Service
St Helens Hospital
St Helens, England, U.K.Jennifer Curtin
Real Time Health Monitoring
San Francisco, California, U.S.Janet L. Dafoe
Child Psychologist (private practice)
Palo Alto, California, U.S.David Davies-Payne
Department of Radiology
Starship Children’s Hospital
Auckland, New ZealandRonald Davis
Departments of Biochemistry and Genetics
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford, California, U,S.Rae Duncan
Department of Cardiology
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals
Newcastle upon Tyne, England, U.K.Jonathan Edwards
Division of Medicine (emeritus)
University College London
London, England, U.K.Valerie Eliot Smith
Centre for Commercial Law Studies
Queen Mary University of London
London, England, U.K.Andrew Ewing
Department of Chemistry & Molecular Biology
University of Gothenburg
Gothenburg, SwedenMark Faghy
Biomedical and Clinical Exercise Science Research Theme
University of Derby
Derby, England, U.K.Keith Geraghty
Centre for Primary Care and Health Services Research
University of Manchester
Manchester, England, U.K.Paul Guyre
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Geisel School of Medicine
Dartmouth
Hanover, New Hampshire, U.S/Mady Hornig
CORe Community, Inc.
New York, NY, U.S.Brian Hughes
Department of Psychology
University of Galway
Galway, IrelandLeonard Jason
Center for Community Research
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
David Joffe
Respiratory and Sleep Medicine
Royal North Shore Hospital
Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaBinita Kane
Biomedical and Clinical Exercise Science Research Theme
University of Derby
Derby, England, U.K.David Kaufman
Center for Complex Diseases
Seattle, Washington, U.S.Douglas Kell
Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Systems Biology
University of Liverpool
Liverpool, England, U.K.Asad Khan
Consultant in Respiratory & General Medicine (medically retired)
Manchester, England, U.K.Steven Lubet
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.Ben Marsh
Consultant in Paediatric Neurodisability (medically retired)
Exeter, England, U.K.Robert Naviaux
Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Pathology
UC San Diego School of Medicine
San Diego, California, U.S.Chris Ponting
Institute of Genetics and Cancer
University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.Etheresia Pretorius
Department of Physiological Sciences
Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Systems Biology
University of Liverpool
Liverpool, England, U.K.David Putrino
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, New York, U.S.Peter Rowe
John Hopkins Children’s Center
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.Spela Salamon
Long Covid Expert Advisory Group
World Health Network
Leoben, Austria
Charles Shepherd
ME Association
Buckingham, England, U.K.Kristian Sommerfelt
Department of Clinical Science (emeritus)
University of Bergen
Bergen, NorwayNigel Speight
Consultant Paediatrician (semi-retired)
Durham, England, UKMichael Stingl
Neurology Department
Votivpark Specialist Medical Center
Vienna, AustriaJohn Swartzberg
Division of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology (emeritus)
School of Public Health
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California, U.S.Susan Taylor-Brown
Department of Pediatrics
University of Rochester Medical Center
Rochester, New York, USAKarl Johan Tronstad
Department of Biomedicine
University of Bergen
Bergen, NorwayMark Vink, MD
Family and Insurance Physician
Amsterdam, The NetherlandsWilliam Weir
Consultant in Infectious Diseases (private practice)
London, England, UKRob Wust
Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences
Vrije Universiteit
Amsterdam, The NetherlandsWenzhong Xiao
Ronald G. Tompkins ME/CFS Collaboration
Harvard Medical School Affiliates
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.David Tuller (corresponding author)
Center for Global Public Health
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California, U.S.**********
References
1. Larun L, Brurberg KG, Odgaard-Jensen J, Price JR. Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2019, Issue 10. Art. No.: CD003200. Accessed February 18, 2025, at: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD003200.pub8/full
2. Myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy)/chronic fatigue syndrome: diagnosis and management. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2021 Oct 29. Accessed February 18, 2025, at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng206/resources
3. Cochrane. Publication of Cochrane Review: ‘Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome.’ Cochrane website. October 3, 2019. Accessed on February 18, 2025, at: https://www.cochrane.org/news/cfs
4. Cochrane. Update on ‘Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome.’ Cochrane website. December 16, 2024. Accessed on February 18, 2025, at: https://www.cochrane.org/news/update-exercise-therapy-chronic-fatigue-syndrome
5. Larun L, Brurberg KG, Odgaard-Jensen J, Price JR. Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2024, Issue 12. Art. No.: CD003200. Accessed on February 18, 2025, at: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD003200.pub9/full
6. Vernon SD, Zheng T, Do H, et al. Incidence and Prevalence of Post-COVID-19 Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Report from the Observational RECOVER-Adult Study. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2025. Accessed on February 18, 2025, at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-024-09290-9
**********
Disclosure: My academic position at the University of California, Berkeley, is largely supported by donations to the university via the campus crowdfunding platform from people with ME/CFS, Long Covid, and related disorders. -
Miriam Makeba & The Skylarks – The Best of Miriam Makeba & The Skylarks (1956-59, South Africa)
As randomly chosen by survey[1] on Mastodon, our next spotlight is on number 227 on The List, submitted by platenworm.
The Skylarks were an all-woman South African jazz & jive vocal group, founded in 1956 by Miriam Makeba upon request of Gallotone/Gallo Records. Makeba had already recorded for Gallo both solo and as part of The Manhattan Brothers, a very influential band in South Africa that was most active during the 1940s and 50s. Gallo was wanting a “girlie group” to compete with rival labels that had successful Black woman vocal groups whose style was modelled on popular close-harmony American trios from the 30s/40s/50s (such as the Boswell Sisters, Andrews Sisters, and McGuire Sisters, white groups whose style, in turn, drew on Black American music). Starting as a trio named The Sunbeams, the group brought their own unique sound to the style, adding a fourth member to perfect their harmonies, mixing in South African melodies and other elements, and singing primarily in Southern African languages including Xhosa (but also in English), with songs addressing social and political issues caused by apartheid in South Africa.
Within a couple of years, The Skylarks were South Africa’s most popular group, and had recorded over 100 songs. But, in 1959, Makeba’s star power skyrocketed with her lead role in the wildly successful South African jazz musical called King Kong (alongside Hugh Masekela, who she would later be married to for a few years), followed by her cameo in the anti-apartheid film Come Back, Africa. After only 3 short years, The Skylarks disbanded [edit: or did they? see the footnote[2]] when Makeba left South Africa to further pursue her solo career; Makeba would not return to her home country for over 30 years, effectively exiled by the South African government due to her vocal criticism of apartheid.[3]
Makeba became an iconic, internationally-known figure, for both her solo music and her civil rights activism. It’s a giant, fascinating rabbit hole to go down to learn more about her, and I’m very much looking forward to jumping in. But first, many thanks to platenworm for highlighting these early recordings with The Skylarks.
- I can’t find this particular compilation on streaming services, but similar comps can be found at:
- Discogs: Miriam Makeba & The Skylarks – The Best of Miriam Makeba & The Skylarks
- The survey choices that initially led to this spotlight were “You’re just a sinner, I am told”, “Be your fire when you’re cold”, “Make you happy when you’re sad”, and “Make you good when you are bad”, following surveys that had “I’m not a woman, I’m not a man”/“I am something that you’ll never understand”/“I’ll never beat you, I never lie”/“And if you’re evil I’ll forgive you by and by cuz”, “You, I would die 4 U, yeah”/”Darling, if you want me to”/”You, I would die 4 U”, and “I’m not your lover, I’m not your friend”/“I am something that you’ll never comprehend”/“No need to worry, no need to cry”/“I’m your messiah and you’re the reason why”. The third option was the winning selection, and so the survey result was translated as picking the album in The List that contained a word in the phrase – in this case, “make”. ↩︎
- Edit: When updating The Index with the link to this post, I came across this obituary notice for Mary Rabotapi, which states that the group continued after Makeba left, and recruited Letta Mbulu as the new lead. It doesn’t indicate, however, if the band’s name changed. Discogs does list Mbulu as a band member, at any rate. ↩︎
- The line-up changed a few times and there’s conflicting info on the Internets as to who was all in the group, but it seems The Sunbeams/Skylarks at least at some point included: Miriam Makeba, Mizpah Makeba (? – unsure on last name, is Miriam’s half-sister), Johanna Radebe, Mary Rabotapi, Mummy Girl Nketle, Helen van Rensburg, and Abigail Kubeka, with additional vocals by Nomonde Sihawu and Sam Ngakone. Discogs also lists Letta Mbulu as a member – see above footnote for an explanation on that. I primarily got my info via this post on the Soul Safari blog, as well as the liner notes for this comp that are written by Rob Allingham, former archive manager for Gallo Records. ↩︎
#1950s #jazz #ListenToThis #MiriamMakeba #music #SouthAfricanJazz #SouthAfricanMusic #TheSkylarks
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Lazy Caturday Reads: Trump’s Racism and Epstein Fallout
Good Afternoon!!
Yesterday, Dakinikat wrote about Trump’s disgusting Truth Social post of a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. Trump left it up for at least 12 hours before someone at the White House finally deleted it. Of course Trump, who is a hateful and repulsive racist, won’t apologize.
The Washington Post: Trump refuses to apologize over video showing the Obamas as apes.
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — President Donald Trump declined to apologize for sharing a social media video that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, saying he did not realize the image of the former president and first lady was tacked on to the end of the clip.
The president said Friday that he had watched and passed along the video — which focused on claims of voter fraud until the final seconds of the clip — to unidentified “people” to post to his Truth Social account, but that he “didn’t see the whole thing,” including the brief portion that showed the heads of the Obamas edited onto the bodies of apes.
In response to a question from The Washington Post about whether he would heed the calls of some Republicans to apologize for posting the video, which was widely condemned as racist and offensive, Trump said he would not.
“No, I didn’t make a mistake,” Trump said on his way to Palm Beach, Florida, for the weekend. “I look at a lot of — thousands of things. And I looked at the beginning of it. It was fine.”
Trump referred to the controversial video, which was online for about 12 hours before being deleted, as “a very strong post in terms of voter fraud.” [….]
…[T]he pushback was swift, including from Sen. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), the chamber’s only Black Republican, who also serves as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Scott called the post “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” Several other GOP senators and House members joined Scott in condemning the video, with some calling on Trump to apologize….
Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One on Friday, Trump dismissed the notion that the post and his handling of it could hurt him with the minority voters he had made gains with during the 2024 election. He touted criminal justice reform legislation passed during his first term, as well as his efforts to ensure funding to historically Black colleges and universities.
We’ll see. I think Trump expects to be able to rig the 2026 election anyway.
Hanna Kiros at The Atlantic (gift link): The Obama Meme on Trump’s Truth Social Was Exactly What It Looked Like.
Donald Trump supercharged his political career by claiming that Barack Obama wasn’t American. Yesterday, 16 minutes before midnight, the president’s account on Truth Social posted a video that suggests Obama isn’t even human. It briefly shows the head of the first Black president and that of his wife superimposed onto the bodies of apes. They dance along to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
The video, which Trump’s account shared twice, seems to be a screen recording. Its first minute shows a clip promoting the lie that voting-machine tampering handed Joe Biden the presidency in 2020. Then, someone seems to swipe up, and the clip depicting the Obamas as apes flashes into focus. [The post was removed after about 12 hours.]….
In the interim, hundreds if not thousands of people responded to the clip with enthusiasm. Immediately after the video was first posted on Truth Social, the memecoin $APEBAMA was minted. Within 12 hours, more than $4 million worth of $APEBAMA had been traded back and forth. In an X group with the same name that now has hundreds of members, the pinned tweet implies that the meme stock will succeed because of how outrageous the video is: “this is pretty much on par with him calling Obama a nigga.” Some members posted their own depictions of Obama as a monkey or ape. The ape video’s apparent creator, the X user @xerias_x, reposted the full video to their X account early this morning. Besides the Obamas, the video shows a menagerie of Democratic politicians as animals, bowing down to Trump, who appears as a lion. It now has more than 1 million views. (@xerias_x also seems to be the originator of an AI-generated video Trump reposted in October that shows the president raining down what appears to be excrement on protesters from the sky.)
The “joke” that Trump’s account spread is plainly sinister. The idea that Black people sit somewhere between white people and apes has long been used to justify cruelty. In 1377, a historian wrote that Africans “have attributes that are quite similar to those of dumb animals,” meaning they “are, as a whole, submissive to slavery.” Cartoons circulated during the Civil War were printed with images similar to the one Trump posted: One labels a monkey holding a book upside down as a NEGRO-MAN; another depicts a Black man on all fours, accompanied by the words WHAR’S JEFF DAVIS. In 1906, a man born in what was then the Belgian Congo, Ota Benga, was displayed at the Bronx Zoo in a cage with an orangutan. In 1975, white teenagers harassed Black students desegregating a Boston public school with the chant “Two, four, six, eight, assassinate the nigger apes.”
The ape caricature still colors how Black people are received in America. But this morning, the administration played the video off for laughs. “This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in response to a comment request before the Truth Social posts were removed. (The Lion King features a monkey named Rafiki, but no apes appear in the film.)
There is absolutely no question that Trump is a vicious racist.
In other news, there are so many fascinating revelations coming out of the latest release from the FBI’s Epstein files. I haven’t had the patience to actually try searching through them myself, but I’ve been following what reporters are finding. Some of the latest examples:
Allison Quinn at The Daily Beast: Epstein’s Top Secret Relationship With Trained Russian Spy Revealed.
Jeffrey Epstein had a years-long relationship with an FSB-trained Russian official who sought his help connecting with a well-known hacker in 2016.
The late sex trafficker’s corresponJeffrdence with Sergei Belyakov is among the strangest revelations in the millions of case files released by the Justice Department last month.
Belyakov, a former deputy economic minister, helped Epstein secure visas to visit Russia, provided him with a dossier on a Russian woman Epstein had complained was trying to blackmail “a group of powerful businessmen,” and reported to Epstein about his work for the Russian government.
Epstein’s frequent bids to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov feature heavily in the newly released files—his assistant reminds him in one September 2011 email that he’d told his bodyguard he “had an appointment with Putin” coming up—but he appears to have had Belyakov at his beck and call.
In one January 2016 email under the subject, “My new position,” Belyakov told Epstein he’d started working at the Russian Direct Investment Fund–now led by Kirill Dmitriev, one of Vladimir Putin’s most trusted envoys, and a key player in ongoing peace talks with the Trump administration to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Much of their correspondence focused on investment opportunities and potential investors, though it’s unclear to what extent Belyakov involved Epstein in his work beyond the emails documented in the latest files.
The pair met several times in person over the years. In numerous email exchanges from 2014 through 2018, they reference personal meetings they had together, along with sporadic phone calls.
Epstein described Belyakov as a “very good friend” in a 2015 email to billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel as he tried to arrange for the pair to meet. Belyakov also apparently put Epstein in touch with other Russian officials, with emails showing he helped Epstein apply for a Russian visa in 2014 to meet with then-Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Storchak and Alexei Simanovsky, the deputy head of Russia’s Central Bank at the time.
There’s more interesting stuff at the link.
J Oliver Conroy at The Guardian: The Epstein files reveal that a vast global conspiracy actually exists – sort of.
The millions of Jeffrey Epstein files dumped last Friday by the US Department of Justice will provide journalists, conspiracy theorists and interested members of the public with months of reading. And what they will read is enraging.
What makes these files so infuriating, however, is not just Epstein’s horrific predatory behavior, which is well-known, but the more mundane examples of elite conduct that the documents continue to expose. They vividly illustrate a world whose existence many everyday people, whether fevered with visions of the Illuminati or just jaundiced by banal anti-establishment cynicism, already suspected exists: an informal global club of powerful, ultra-rich people who all seemingly know each other, help one another out, and protect each other from the consequences of their depravity.
The new files will probably not provide satisfying answers to questions about, say, whether any of Epstein’s famous friends participated in his sex trafficking, or if his death in custody in 2019 was truly a suicide, as authorities have said. But conspiracy theorists may still feel vindicated – and to some extent they should, Matthew Dallek, a political historian at George Washington University, said.
Although the documents may not expose an actual criminal conspiracy, he said, they confirm the belief behind most conspiracy theories: that elites “get special treatment, that they’re shielded from the rules that are supposed to apply to everyone equally, and that there is a kind of corruption in the broadest sense of the word”.
The new material is the largest, and possibly last, tranche of the so-called Epstein files, though the government is keeping as many as 3m more pages under wraps. Yet even the initial revelations of these files deepen the astonishing constellation of ties between Epstein and members of the global elite – including tech billionaires; a former US president; British, Norwegian and Saudi royalty or royal courtiers; current and former US cabinet secretaries and governors; and prominent business executives and academics….
[T]he files, especially Epstein’s typo-filled email and text-message correspondences, are fascinating – and ultimately grim – in what they show of how elites act in private, among themselves. At the least, many of Epstein’s powerful acquaintances remained friendly with him years after the notoriously lenient sweetheart bargain, in 2008, in which he pleaded guilty to soliciting an underage girl for prostitution, and as survivors continued to accuse Epstein of further crimes.
Again, there is lots more enraging material at the link.
AP: Epstein revelations have toppled top figures in Europe while US fallout is more muted.
LONDON (AP) — A prince, an ambassador, senior diplomats, top politicians. All brought down by the Jeffrey Epstein files. And all in Europe, rather than the United States.
The huge trove of Epstein documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice has sent shock waves through Europe’s political, economic and social elites — dominating headlines, ending careers and spurring political and criminal investigations.
Former U.K. Ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson was fired and could go to prison. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces a leadership crisis over the Mandelson appointment. Senior figures have fallen in Norway, Sweden and Slovakia. And, even before the latest batch of files, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of King Charles III, lost his honors, princely title and taxpayer-funded mansion.
Apart from the former Prince Andrew, none of them faces claims of sexual wrongdoing. They have been toppled for maintaining friendly relationships with Epstein after he became a convicted sex offender.
“Epstein collected powerful people the way others collect frequent flyer points,” said Mark Stephens, a specialist in international and human rights law at Howard Kennedy in London. “But the receipts are now in public, and some might wish they’d traveled less.”
The documents were published after a public frenzy over Epstein became a crisis for President Donald Trump’s administration and led to a rare bipartisan effort to force the government to open its investigative files. But in the U.S., the long-sought publication has not brought the same public reckoning with Epstein’s associates — at least so far.
Rob Ford, a professor of political science at the University of Manchester, said that in Britain, “if you’re in those files, it’s immediately a big story.”
“It suggests to me we have a more functional media, we have a more functional accountability structure, that there is still a degree of shame in politics, in terms of people will say: ‘This is just not acceptable, this is just not done,’” he said.
In other words, our media sucks and many of our politicians are shameless. I can’t argue with that.
A couple of Trump cabinet members captured in the files:
CBS News: Lutnick and Epstein were in business together, Epstein files show.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said he had “limited interactions” with Jeffrey Epstein, but documents show they were in business together as recently as 2014.
Lutnick and Epstein each signed on behalf of limited liability companies that agreed on Dec. 28, 2012, to acquire stakes in a now-shuttered advertising technology company called Adfin, documents released among the so-called Epstein files show.
Epstein and Lutnick’s signatures appear on neighboring pages in the contract, with Epstein signing for his Southern Trust Company, Inc. and Lutnick for a limited liability company called CVAFH I. The documents list nine shareholders in total.
Lutnick, the former chairman of the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald who at one point lived next door to Epstein, told the New York Post in October that he and his wife Allison had cut ties with Epstein in 2005, deciding after taking a tour of Epstein’s New York townhouse, “I will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again.”
However, it appears Epstein and Lutnick continued to maintain contact and emails show they arranged calls and planned to have drinks in 2011.
The following year, the couple and their four children planned a visit to Epstein’s island, Little St. James, emails show. Lutnick was invited for lunch on Dec. 24, 2012, and later, Epstein’s assistant wrote on behalf of Epstein, “it was nice seeing you.”
Their Adfin deal was signed four days later.
Lutnick is such a fucking liar.
Farah Tomazin at The Daily Beast: RFK Jr.’s Bizarre Trip With Epstein and Ghislaine Exposed in Files.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went hunting for dinosaur bones in the Dakotas with child sex traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, according to the latest tranche of documents released by the Justice Department.
As the fallout over the Epstein files continues, an email exchange between the two sex predators centers on the now-Trump Cabinet secretary, one of the many prominent people whose friendship the pair cultivated over the years.
The exchange took place in 2012, seven years before Epstein died in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial.
In one email, Epstein writes to Maxwell about a trip involving “dinosaur and fossill hunitng (sic) with jack horner on the ranch, found 90 million year old clams and fossils.”
“Right up your alley,” he adds.
The following day, Maxwell replies: “Love that – didn’t we go fossil hunting with him and Bobby Kennedy in N Dakota?”
“Yes,” Epstein replies.
Maxwell, a former British socialite now serving 20 years for her crimes, also disclosed the fossil hunt during an interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche last year, apparently catching him off guard when she said of Epstein: “Bobby Kennedy knew him.”
One more from Amelia Gentleman at The Guardian on women in the Epstein files: Sex and snacks, but no seat at the table: the role of women in Epstein’s sordid men’s club.
Pluck an email at random from the millions in the Department of Justice’s Epstein Library. It is a Saturday evening in February 2013, and Jeffrey Epstein is messaging Bill Gates’s assistant about guests for a dinner he wants to organise.’
“People for Bill,” the email begins. Epstein starts listing possible candidates: the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, the film director Woody Allen, the prime minister of Qatar, a couple of Harvard academics, the billionaire CEO of Hyatt hotels, a White House communications director, a former US secretary of defence.
He names 10 powerful men, before suggesting “Anne Hathaway (really)”. Epstein has to make it clear, with the bracketed word, that he is not joking when he proposes that a woman might join them at the table. The lists ends tentatively: “victoria secret models?” Epstein wonders: “Who on the list do you think he would enjoy the most?”
The Epstein files reveal a patriarchy in action. This is a world where the men are rich and powerful, and the women are not. The emails showcase the private behaviour of a male ruling class, as they network, joke and trade information. Women exist at the periphery, tolerated because they organise the diaries of the busy men, they arrange food, they grace a table, they provide sex.
A typical email from Epstein to a woman might say: “Take a selfie of your pussy and send.”
Spend three days rummaging through the chaotic, sprawling, sordid pit of information contained in the Epstein files, and you learn valuable lessons about how this modern global patriarchy operates: through flattery, the exchange of favours and occasional curt reminders of who owes what to whom.
For women, these files offer an unprecedented chance to eavesdrop on conversations from which they are usually excluded. They provide salutary insights into what a set of distinguished global figures think and say about women when they assume the women aren’t listening.
Read the rest at The Guardian.
I’ll end with a few tales of Trump idiocy:
Jonathan Karl at ABC News: Trump wants Penn Station, Dulles Airport named after him in funding deal with Schumer, sources say.
President Donald Trump last month told Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., that he would be willing to unfreeze $16 billion in funding for a major infrastructure project in New York if Schumer would agree to rename New York’s Penn Station and Washington’s Dulles Airport after him, two sources familiar with the conversation told ABC News.
The Hudson Tunnel Project — which would connect New York City and New Jersey — had already started. The project includes building nine miles of new passenger rail track and rehabilitating the North River Tunnel, according to the commission responsible for it.
Officials in New York and New Jersey said if the money isn’t freed-up by Friday, the project would stop, leaving approximately 1,000 construction jobs in jeopardy.
Sources told ABC that Schumer rejected Trump’s offer.
Daniel Dale at CNN: ‘I did that’: Trump takes credit for a prisoner release that happened before he even ran for president.
At the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, President Donald Trump spoke from prepared remarks as he discussed the persecution of Mariam Ibrahim. Ibrahim was unjustly imprisoned and sentenced to death in Sudan in 2014, in a case centered on her Christian faith, until she was released that same year following a global outcry.
Trump correctly said: “Believers all over the planet rallied to Mariam’s cause, prayed for her protection, and successfully pressured for her release.”
But then the president appeared to ad-lib – and claimed that he was the one who got Ibrahim freed.
“I did that. I did that. I did that with one phone call, actually,” he said. “And she had such support, it was so easy. And when I explained it to the powers that be: ‘Yes, sir, we will do it right away.’ I just wish I knew earlier. But it’s a big world with a lot of people.”
For years, Trump has told fictional stories that feature unnamed people referring to him as “sir.” This was another one.
Ibrahim was released in 2014, during the Obama administration. Trump did not become president until January 2017. He was not even a presidential candidate until June 2015. There has never been the slightest indication that a private citizen in the US, a businessman and celebrity at the time, was the person who convinced Sudanese authorities to let her out of prison.
A former Obama administration official who served on the National Security Council in 2014 told CNN on Friday: “I neither had at the time nor have now any knowledge of Trump’s involvement whatsoever. It’d be very surprising if he were.”
Jack Jenkins, a reporter for Religion News Service, first raised skepticism about Trump’s story on Thursday.
Robert P. George, a Princeton University professor who is a prominent conservative legal scholar, said in a Friday email: “As Chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in 2014, I advocated for Mariam Ibrahim. I do not recall Donald Trump being involved in the case or assisting our Commission’s efforts. Of course, he was not President at the time.
Jack Revell at The Daily Beast: Military Pressured to See ‘Melania’ Against Their Will.
Thousands of active-duty military personnel may have been “pressured” into seeing the Melania documentary at cinemas around the country, a watchdog has warned.
The $75 million Amazon film opened last week to $7 million at the box office—despite universally terrible reviews.
According to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, those numbers have been artificially inflated by pressure from MAGA-aligned officers leaning on their troops to buy tickets.
“People are scared,” Mikey Weinstein, president and founder of the MRFF, said. Weinstein said he has received letters from members of the U.S. military at eight facilities worldwide, complaining that their superiors encouraged or pressured them to see the film.
He told Business Insider. “They were pressured to see the movie. Your military superior, that’s not your shift manager at Taco Bell or Starbucks. They have complete and total control over you.”
The MRFF, a non-profit founded in 2005 to promote the separation of church and state within the military, has roughly 100,000 members.
“Nobody that I know wanted to go except for those that did not want to get jacked up by our unit commander for not attending,” one of those members told Weinstein in a letter seen by journalist Jonathan Larsen.
That’s it for me today. What stories have you been following?
#BobbyKennedyJr #DonaldTrump #DullesAirport #EpsteinFiles #GhislaineMaxwell #HowardLutnick #HudsonTunnelProject #JeffreyEpstein #MariamIbrahim #MelaniaDocumentary #PennStation #PeterMandleson #PrinceAndrew #Racism #USMilitary #VideoDepictingObamasAsApes #womenInEpsteinWorld -
#AnnaBrzezińska #Uwolnione z FB #Kaos #Bogowie #Ludie #Mity
Zanim porządnie obejrzałam „Kaos”, Netflix zdążył go skasować (Edit: czyli nie będzie 2 sezonu, 1. nadal można spokojnie oglądać), co mnie nie dziwi, bo losy „Firefly”, „Rzymu” oraz jogurtów cytrynowych – czy jestem jedyną osobą w tym kraju, która lubi porządnie kwaśne jogurt cytrynowy? – zaświadczają, że świat nie podziela mojego gustu. Szkoda. „Kaosu” też szkoda.
Cała zabawa w tym serialu polega na tym, że jesteśmy na Krecie wkrótce po zakończeniu wojny trojańskiej, ale technologicznie jakoś w końcówce XX wieku. Pod rządami króla Minosa, upozowanego na szefa wojskowej dyktatury, ale tak naprawdę pod butem olimpijskich bogów. Prawdziwych, nie wyobrażonych. Ale spoglądamy na olimpijski panteon szeroko rozwartymi ze zdumienia oczętami widza z XXI wieku, czyli bez tych wszystkich filtrów, nałożonych na opowieści o barbarzyńskich Achajach przez niezliczone dzieła kultury, które przyzwyczaiły nas, że tak to już jest, że Zeus folguje sobie z nie zawsze chętnymi śmiertelniczkami, i zobojętniły na ich los, kiedy już wpadną w łapy zazdrosnej Hery.
W „Kaosie” nie ma toposów literackich o obłych krawędziach. Na pierwszy plan wydobyto ostre jak brzytwa, konstytutywne okrucieństwo greckiej mitologii. Jak mówi jeden z bohaterów, bogowie zrywają wszelkie więzi i niszczą wszelką miłość.
No więc to jest serial o miłości i o wolności. Oraz ich braku.
W „Kaosie” władza bogów jest szersza niż w oryginalnej greckiej mitologii. Rozciąga się nad życiem, śmiercią i samą materią mitu. Razem napisaliśmy mity i reguły obowiązujące we wszechświecie – mówi do Zeusa jego siostra-małżonka Hera. Oni stworzyli ten świat. I wraz z Prometeuszem spętali całą ludzkość.
Nie zawsze za postępkami olimpijczyków stoi jakaś wyrafinowana kalkulacja. Nie wszyscy są zresztą do niej zdolni. W zasadzie w mitologicznej familii „Kaosu” intelektem dysponują głównie boginie, Persefona – która podkreśla, że nie została porwana przez Hadesa, tylko się w nim zakochała, na granaty ma alergię i wszystko to zostało wymyślone – i Hera, przy czym w przypadku Hery nie jest to komplement. Zeus, brawurowo zagrany przez Jeffa Goldbluma, jest z kolei durniem. Megalomanem, który na podobieństwo oligarchy-multimiliardera z naszych czasów jest przekonany o własnej wyższości, zasłużonej oczywiście, wygłasza idiotyczne frazesy, terroryzuje wszystkich, nawet własną rodzinę, by zaraz potem zarzucać bliskim niewdzięczność i snuje się w dresach i szlafrokach po ociekających złotem i bezguściem pałacowych wnętrzach. Zeus nie zmusza się do głębokich refleksji. Coś tam czasami pojękuje o trudnym dzieciństwie. Generalnie jednak preferuje proste rozrywki. Na przykład kiedy jest sfrustrowany, morduje personel w swojej posiadłości.
Każe im skakać i strzela do nich jak do rzutków.
Nie da się od okrucieństwa bogów „Kaosu” zdystansować prostymi mantrami w rodzaju „takie to były straszne czasy”, bo czasy są prawie współczesne. Technologia istnieje i przyjemnie działa, lecz nie niesie ocalenia. Media, owszem, zmieniają świat, ale chyba na lepsze, skoro dzięki nim bogowie mogą obserwować mordy, wygodnie rozparci na kanapie przed telwizorem. Popkultura jest bezwzględna, wszak Mojry – boginie losu, cudownie przekoszone w podejrzanym barze – mają własny reality show, pozwalający na bieżąco śledzić losy Orfeusza, kiedy ten usiłuje wydobyć z zaświatów Eurydykę. Zbiurokratyzowane, kapitalistyczne przedsiębiorstwo, jakim jest Hades, drapieżnie eksploatuje cały świat i wysysa z niego (niemetaforycznie) dusze, nieuchronnie popychając wszystko ku zagładzie, a jego kadra, jak długo się da, ignoruje i ukrywa prawdę.
Oczywiście Zeus wcale nie chce o słuchać o katastrofie. Zresztą kto by chciał?
Dla równowagi ludzie nie chcą słuchać Kasandry.
Tak czy inaczej Zeus i reszta olimpijskiej ferajny realnie panują nad ludźmi. Bariera pomiędzy nieśmiertelnymi i śmiertelnikami jest nie do przebycia. Bogowie nie krwawią, nie umierają i nie kochają słabszych od siebie. Baw się z ludźmi, jedz z nimi, kochaj się, zaplataj im warkoczyki i rób co chcesz, ale pamiętaj, że nie jesteś jednym z nich, dobrze? – przestrzega Zeus swojego syna Dionizosa.
Notabene, Dionizos, uroczo i po młodzieńczemu nierozgarnięty, zdaniem taty ma w sobie nieco za dużo z człowieka. Przywiązuje się do kociaka i chciałby się zakochać. Sami rozumiecie, w tym świecie to kłopot. Ale cóż, synowie nieuchronnie buntują się przeciwko ojcom. Kto jak kto, ale Zeus powinien o tym wiedzieć.
Natomiast poddani króla Minosa niezbyt chętnie przeciwstawiają się bogom. Ostatecznie wojna trojańska się skończyła, na Krecie panuje spokój i dobrobyt, po prostu od czasu do czasu trzeba złożyć ofiarę z człowieka. Albo zabić własne dziecko. Ale co oni, biedni, mogą? Nie podejmujesz decyzji, bo ja mówię, co masz robić – tłumaczy królowi Minosowi Posejdon. Cóż za ulga. Większość śmiertelników zatem całkiem wygodnie mości się w tym świecie. Chodzą na zakupy do supermarketów i na koncerty rockowe, bo Orfeusz jest przecież gwiazdą popu. No, może uciekinierzy z Troi nie pałają zadowoleniem, bo oni są akurat traktowani jak uchodźcy.
Znaczy, jak podludzie.
Aż raptem grupka smarkatych niedobitków z Troi pod przywództwem królewicza Astyanaksa – wbrew pogłoskom nie został zrzucony z murów Troi – wpada na szczeniacki pomysł, żeby zamanifestować swoje niezadowolenie i stertą gówna popsuć podniosłe święto Olimpii.
A Zeus nie ma poczucia humoru.
W rzeczywistości jednak boska wszechmoc jest pozorna. Światem rządzi bowiem fatum ubrane w szaty przepowiedni. Każdy, bóg czy człowiek, ma własną przepowiednię i nie jest w stanie od niej uciec.
Choć oczywiście wielu próbuje.
Zeus na przykład usiłuje powstrzymać przepowiednię obiecującą upadek bogów i nadejście chaosu, co relacjonuje nam Prometeusz, zazwyczaj wprawdzie rzetelnie przykuty do swojej skały, ale okazjonalnie uwalniany przez Zeusa na pogawędkę i udzielający mu pokrzepiających, acz fałszywych porad. Zanim jednak bogowie upadną, przepowiednia rujnuje życie jeszcze paru ludzi. Przede wszystkim Eurydyki i Kajneusa. Po trochu także Ariadny i Orfeusza.
Wychowywałam się na mitologii greckiej, czytano mi Homera, zanim nauczyłam się składać litery, więc czułam się w „Kaosie” jak wśród starych przyjaciół. Trudno mi ocenić, czy niektóre z serialowych wątków są zarysowane w wystarczająco wyraźny sposób. Nie chodzi mi o takie drobiazgi, jak Dionizos, na widok Ariadny na ekranie telewizora mówiący: „Zakochałem się!”, czy Hera dzwoniąca z przydrożnego aparatu telefonicznego do synka z poleceniem, by zbierał wojska. Można się bez tego obejść. Ale na przykład tło dramatu Kajneusa vel Kajnis w społeczności Amazonek wydało mi się potraktowane nieco zbyt pobieżnie. Może ten świat z założenia miał być fragmentaryczny – stąd nieobecność całej masy bogów – i odsłaniany stopniowo, w kolejnych sezonach.
Tym bardziej szkoda, że ich nie będzie. Tymczasem jednak im więcej wiecie o mitologii, tym lepiej będziecie się bawili.
I wiecie, nie porwały mnie odniesienia do naszego świata. Zachwyciła mnie zabawa mitologią, żonglowanie motywami, przekształcanie ich, osadzanie w nowym kontekście i dodawanie elementów, o których się starożytnym Grekom nie śniło. Na przykład przemysłowe zabawy duszami. Albo tacytki, niema służba bezpieczeństwa Hery.
Choć bohaterowie też mi się podobali. Także ludzie. Nawet narcystyczny Orfeusz i łajzowata Eurydyka, swoją drogą warci siebie. Ich mit też „Kaos” wywraca na nice, pozwalając obydwojgu bohaterów jednej z najstarszych opowieści o miłości silniejszej niż śmierć odkryć, że w gruncie rzeczy nie definiuje ich miłość.
To zaskakujące, ale są w tym serialu prawdziwe emocje. Rozpacz i – jakże nieoczekiwanie – nadzieja. Bo Orfeusz ratuje i traci Eurydykę w najpiękniejszy możliwy sposób. Dając jej wolność.
Bardzo przyjemny, inteligentnie zrobiony serial.
Aż się prosił, żeby go skasować.
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SWANSEA: Council announces £11m investment in play areas and wheeled sports facilities
The investment was highlighted during a visit by Dawn Bowden, Welsh Government Minister for Children and Social Care, to Coed Gwilym Park in Clydach, which has benefited from both schemes.
£8m Play Area Programme Since Pandemic
The council says it has invested around £8 million in creating or refurbishing over 80 community play areas since 2021. The project was supported by an additional £5 million in Welsh Government funding this year to help create inclusive and accessible play spaces, according to the council.
At Coed Gwilym Park, the funding has helped secure a wheelchair seesaw and a wheelchair trampoline, which are currently under construction. A new natural play area and a zipwire are also being added.
Children enjoying the new play equipment at Coed Gwilym Park in Clydach, which has been upgraded as part of Swansea Council’s £8 million play area investment programme. Image: Swansea CouncilWelsh Government Minister Dawn Bowden said:
Welsh Government Minister for Children and Social Care Dawn Bowden (background left) and Swansea Council Cabinet Member for Community Services Cllr Hayley Gwilliam (background right) with local schoolchildren at the upgraded play area at Coed Gwilym Park in Clydach. Image: Swansea Council“It was great to visit Coed Gwilym Park and see how the local authority has been listening to the voices of children in developing play spaces. These improvements, supported by Welsh Government funding, will make a real difference to children and their families, providing opportunities to play and be active with friends.”
Andrew Stevens, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said the programme was inspired by the pandemic.
“When we came out of the pandemic, the council made a commitment to modernise community play areas that’s seen more than 80 of them improved over the last five years. It means no child is far from a local, safe place to play outdoors with their friends.”
£3m Wheeled Sports Investment
The council has also announced a £3 million investment to upgrade facilities for BMX, skateboarding, and other wheeled sports.
New plans announced by the council include:
- Coed Gwilym Park, Clydach: Dirt track and jumps
- Coed Bach Park, Pontarddulais: Dirt track
- Morriston Park: Pump track
- Heol Las Park, Birchgrove: Pump track
- Maesteg Park, St Thomas: Pump track
- Ynystawe Park: Skate park
- SA1 Prince of Wales Docks: Pump track
- A new regional skate park (location to be confirmed)
The council says upgrade work has already been completed on a new skatepark at Coed Bach in Pontarddulais and a skatepark at Parc Melin Mynach in Gorseinon.
Cai Bosch, Manager of the West French Skate Shop in Mumbles at Mumbles Skatepark (Image: Rob Kenning)Cllr Andrew Stevens said:
“We’re determined to make Swansea one of the best places in Wales for wheeled sports, and today’s announcement of further new locations shows the scale of our ambition. Our long-term aim is to create a connected, inclusive and high-quality network of wheeled sports facilities that support healthier lifestyles, youth engagement and stronger communities across Swansea.”
A public forum to discuss the plans will be held at the Guildhall on Wednesday, February 25, from 5pm to 6.30pm, according to the council.
Hayley Gwilliam, Cabinet Member for Community Services, said:
#BMX #CllrAndrewStevens #CllrHayleyGwilliam #Clydach #CoedBachPark #CoedGwilymPark #DawnBowdenMS #Gorseinon #HeolLasPark #MaestegPark #MorristonPark #ParcMelinMynach #Parks #playground #playgroundUpgrade #Pontarddulais #PrinceOfWalesDock #pumpTrack #SkatePark #skatepark #StThomas #Swansea #YnystawePark“The feedback we’ve had from children, their families and communities has been tremendous. The investment is one of the largest and most sustained commitments to outdoor play areas of this kind anywhere in the UK.”
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Ospreys legends unite to demand WRU rethink over club’s future
The move comes amid growing fears that the Ospreys could be cut from the top tier after the Welsh Rugby Union named Y11 Sport & Media — the club’s current owners — as the preferred buyer for rivals Cardiff.
The WRU wants to reduce the number of men’s professional teams in Wales from four to three. But former players say the proposals risk triggering a “downward spiral” and threaten the future of rugby across Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend.
In a statement signed by dozens of ex‑players, coaches and staff, the group praised current head coach Mark Jones and his squad for their “absolute commitment” despite the uncertainty — and warned that cutting a team “comes with no guarantee of success”.
“You don’t quit because you didn’t win,” the statement said. “You work harder, adapt, change and rebuild.”
The group includes Ryan Jones, James Hook, Barry Williams, Ian Gough, Richard Hibbard, Paul James, Tommy Bowe and former coach Sean Holley. They say the time is right to speak up — and they’re willing to meet the WRU to help shape a “positive future” for the sport.
They argue that Welsh rugby’s golden era — including six Six Nations titles and four Grand Slams — was built on four strong teams, and that removing one now would be a mistake.
“What the game needs is confidence, consistency and collaboration,” they said. “Not constant shifts in direction, where four teams, then two, then three are all presented as the ‘optimal’ solution within a single year.”
The statement also backs Swansea Council Leader Rob Stewart’s call to halt the process, warning that the redevelopment of St Helen’s is at risk and that support for the WRU’s proposals is “lacking across the wider Welsh rugby community”.
The group drew comparisons with Connacht, the Irish region once earmarked for closure in 2003. After public opposition forced a rethink, Connacht went on to win the league and recently celebrated the opening of a redeveloped stadium in Galway.
“It is not too late for the WRU to do the same,” the statement said. “Restoring Welsh rugby will take partnership, not imposition.”
Statement from Former Ospreys
As former Ospreys, we feel the time is right to speak up and show our support for the current players and staff during what is clearly a very difficult and uncertain time. It’s hard to imagine the pressure they’re under, yet they continue to perform with pride in the badge, and absolute commitment — just as we saw again on Saturday.
Mark Jones and his coaching team deserve huge credit for the way they are leading in the middle of all this uncertainty. Unfortunately, both the WRU and Y11 have provided very little clarity about their plans, and even now, after the announcement of a preferred buyer for Cardiff, there is still no real explanation of what this means for the Ospreys.
We support the call made by Swansea Council Leader Rob Stewart for the WRU and Y11 to pause the current process and rethink their approach. What is being proposed puts at risk the future of professional rugby across Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend and the redevelopment of an historic rugby venue at St Helen’s.
It is also important to recognise how little support these proposals appear to have across the wider Welsh rugby community. In particular, Ospreys and Cardiff supporters are united in their opposition and their concern about the future for their respective teams.
Following the restructure in 2003 Welsh rugby enjoyed an incredible period of success, a golden era that compares to any other. Six Six Nations titles, four Grand Slams (more than any other nation in this period) and sustained international competitiveness were built on four strong teams. Three of the four professional teams have lifted major trophies, and only Leinster have won the Celtic League more times than the Ospreys.
Sport always goes in cycles. There are highs and lows, good years and tough years. No team wins everything, all of the time. You don’t quit because you didn’t win. You work harder, adapt, change and rebuild. The challenges are what make the successes more special.
A lack of long-term investment and clear planning by previous regimes has left Welsh rugby in a difficult place. But real progress will only come through working together. Change is needed, but it must be built through partnership, not imposed by one side alone.
Cutting a team comes with no guarantee of future success. We believe it more likely to lead to the opposite scenario, with Welsh rugby caught in a downward spiral.
For many of us, it was impossible not to notice the scenes in Galway at the weekend, where a record crowd celebrated the opening of Connacht’s redeveloped stadium. That happened because when presented with the same challenges the IRFU listened to the weight of public opinion, paused, and changed direction. It is not too late for the WRU to do the same.
We know the road ahead will be bumpy but we firmly believe that Welsh rugby can recover if there is a clear, stable and shared vision. What the game needs is confidence, consistency and collaboration — not constant shifts in direction, where four teams, then two, then three are all presented as the “optimal” solution within a single year.
Between us, we have decades of experience at the highest level of the game and a deep connection to the Ospreys, our community clubs and the national team. We are ready to meet with the WRU, individually or collectively, to share that experience and help shape a positive future for Welsh rugby.
Our Blood Is Black
The Ospreys are currently eighth in the United Rugby Championship and preparing to face Ulster in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup.
More Ospreys News
Swansea Council and Ospreys confirm talks over St Helen’s return
Discussions underway about bringing the region back to its historic home.Rugby ‘civil war’ as Ospreys boss blasts council
Tensions erupt over claims the region has no long‑term future.Jones frustrated with Lions result but proud of Ospreys
Head coach praises his side’s fight despite a tough defeat.MPs accuse WRU of ‘stitch‑up’ as pressure grows
Political scrutiny intensifies over the region’s uncertain future.Swansea Council blasts WRU over threat to Ospreys
Council leaders warn the shake‑up risks wiping out the region.Ospreys chief breaks silence after WRU confirms Cardiff sale plan
Y11’s move sparks fresh questions about the region’s future.WRU confirms plan to sell Cardiff Rugby to Y11
#AlunWynJones #BarryWilliams #CllrRobStewart #Connacht #Galway #GavinHenson #IanGough #JamesHook #Ospreys #PaulJames #RichardHibbard #Rugby #RyanJones #ShaneWilliams #StHelensStadium #Swansea #TommyBowe #WRU #Y11
Announcement deepens uncertainty for the Ospreys beyond next season. -
“The empathy just oozes from this one. Hurricane Helene was apparently wet.” John Buss, @repeat1968
Good Morning, Sky Dancers!
The signs of the results of lousy decision-making based on greed and mythology are everywhere. Hurricanes are no longer coastal phenomena but can make their way 300 miles inland and hold a Cat 2 status. You would think enough people in this country have critical thinking skills and conscience to vote the pols out who are doing this to us. It would help, of course, if the press were still on the side of democracy instead of creating clickbait to earn a buck for stockholders and top management. But, here we are deeper down the rat hole of “The Medium is the Message published in 1964.” McLuhan understood clickbait before just about anyone.
The title “The Medium Is the Massage” is a teaser—a way of getting attention. There’s a wonderful sign hanging in a Toronto junkyard which reads, ‘Help Beautify Junkyards. Throw Something Lovely Away Today.’ This is a very effective way of getting people to notice a lot of things. And so the title is intended to draw attention to the fact that a medium is not something neutral—it does something to people. It takes hold of them. It rubs them off, it massages them and bumps them around, chiropractically, as it were, and the general roughing up that any new society gets from a medium, especially a new medium, is what is intended in that title”
This is more true than ever. We have more than a few TV channels, newspapers, and radio to influence us these days. Most people treat their news and information more like boutique shopping, where they can find the look that suits them every time. Substack is one medium where I have seen public intellectuals. I feel comfortable reading a lot of people there, and I must admit that it’s because they are a lot like me. They write about things that bug them about the institutions and country that house them and likely educated them. However, they do bring reasoned thought and data with them. But anyway, enough of that rabbit hole. Let’s just say I’m not beyond shopping my own boutique. Also, the positive thing about the web is that you have access to authentic information and don’t have to spend days in dark, moldy library stacks to find it. The negative thing is that not all people want to be challenged. They want to feel good about what they already think is real.
Margaret Sullivan’s Substack–aptly called American Crisis–has this headline today. “The three phases of normalizing Trump’s attack on Harris in Wisconsin. The media did what it always does, and it’s not good enough.” Trump is so far off the sanity scale these days that it is indeed frightening.
- The use of neutral language. If you merely read about Donald Trump’s deeply offensive rally this weekend in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, you probably thought it was about immigration. And about Trump up to his usual tricks of disparaging his rivals.
Here the lead of the report from Axios, for example:
“Former President Trump, in a self-described ‘dark speech,’ told a rally in Wisconsin yesterday that his opponent, Vice President Harris, is “mentally impaired’ and “mentally disabled.’”
Axios, which favors bullet points and boldface help for the tuned-out, let us know “Why It Matters”: “Even for Trump, it was weird, nasty and nonsensical — when he needed to be swaying ‘national security moms’ and other undecideds.”
Or here’s the top paragraph of the Washington Post report: “Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump criticized Vice President Harris’s mental capacity Saturday, falsely claiming she was born ‘mentally impaired’ and comparing her actions to that of a ‘mentally disabled person.’ The remarks prompted criticism from advocates for people with disabilities.”
Here’s the Associated Press’s headline: “Trump lists his grievances in a Wisconsin speech intended to link Harris to illegal immigration.”
But if you watched the speech, or even snippets of it, you saw something quite different — an absolutely ugly and brutal attack on Kamala Harris, full of lies and racist misogyny. In case you missed it, watch a bit of it here.
Sullivan has written two more of them and a lot of examples to follow. Please go read it.
- The lack of substantial followup. Once the outrageous rally was over, and the stories with their neutral language written, the political media was ready — more than ready — to move on. The media does know how to follow up, as you may recall from, for instance, President Biden’s bad debate this summer. But in the case of Trump’s unhinged and ugly attack on Harris’s intelligence, the spot-news coverage was about it. I did not see countless outraged opinion pieces; I did not see days of stories examining every aspect of this. It was just, cover the speech and let’s get out of here.
- The pivot to safety. Like waves rushing to the shore, the media relentlessly returns to the familiar. The thinking seems to go something like this: Whew, that was a pretty crazy rally, but let’s leave that behind and get back to what we’re good at. When in doubt, cover the horserace. One thing I did see after Saturday’s rally were many, many, many stories about polls. A New York Times headline Sunday rendered it this way: “Harris and Trump are Neck and Neck in Michigan and Wisconsin, Polls Find.” And that’s about as horserace-oriented as it gets.
This New Yorker’s The Lede, published three days ago, has similar warnings. It’s written by Clare Malone. “Is There a Method to Donald Trump’s Madness? The former President’s appeal has always been his sui-generis persona and politics—take him as he is—but, this year, the campaign seems more devoted to fan service than anything else.” Why try to make sense out of acts stemming from severe Personality Disorders and likely advanced dementia? Are the lessons from Journalism school to just blandly report the unspeakable? Was there ever a method in madness?
Vance is now a historically unpopular Vice-Presidential nominee. Mainstream Republican contenders, such as Senator Marco Rubio or Governor Doug Burgum, might have appealed to the sort of Nikki Haley voters that can’t stand Trump. Rubio, who is Cuban American, might have been a good pick to attract Latino voters, who, polls showed, were less interested in voting Democratic this year. Instead, Trump’s selection of Vance and all that he brings with him emphasized a doubling-down on MAGA culture. It could end up being politically ill-advised, but it’s not without its logic. Trump’s team knows that America is a hyperpartisan country. Polls show that just four per cent of voters are undecided in this election, the smallest share of the electorate in any U.S. contest this century. For the Trump campaign, the theory goes: Why expend all your energy trying to convince people to vote for one of the most unpopular Presidents in American history? Work to amp up your base and find Trump fans who don’t usually vote and make sure they turn out on November 5th.
The Trump campaign calls these voters “low-propensity,” and they’re working to turn them out in swing states like Arizona, where a canvassing effort is being run by the conservative group Turning Point USA. An Elon Musk-backed PAC is doing the same in Nevada and Michigan. Some Republicans have expressed reservations about the strategy, but it’s not a new idea in Trumpworld. In 2016, when I was a reporter at FiveThirtyEight, I obtained a Trump campaign memo written during that year’s primaries that explained the unusual practice of targeting low-propensity voters. “Our candidate commands unheard amounts of earned media,” the memo read, calling the strategy “more akin to evangelization than persuasion.” The job, then, was to teach Trump fans how to become Trump voters. “These are people who may not know where to vote, whether or not they are eligible to participate, and what the hours are,” the memo read. “They may have to work on the actual election day and are unaware of early voting opportunities on Saturdays. Many of them may have simply never been asked for their vote.” Turning Point’s focus this year—one of its employees told Semafor—is on small groups of thirty thousand to forty thousand potential voters in swing states, a testament to the slim margins of 2024.
Trump’s appeal has always been his sui-generis persona and politics—take him as he is—but, this year, the campaign seems more devoted to fan service than anything else. Steven Cheung, Trump’s top spokesman, recently retweeted a three-minute tongue-in-cheek hard-rock music video titled “MAGA ENERGY,” which nicely captured the movement’s aesthetics. It features lyrics like “Our world is frightening / Globals want to burn it down,” images of American flags and Trump’s face overlaid on that of a lion, and a montage of the jiggling, mostly bare bottoms of women shooting automatic weapons. Trump, a marketer to his core, has also built a promotional flywheel that he hopes his voters will get stuck in: If you like Trump’s crazy persona, you might go to your first Trump rally. If you go to enough rallies, you might like Trump’s digital trading cards—collect enough and you’ll get a physical piece of the suit that he wore to his debate with Biden (really!). If you like the trading cards, maybe you’ll buy Melania’s new book (she stands by her nude photos). Somewhere in there, Trump and company are hoping their low-propensity supporters register to vote and do so early.
The purpose of Trump’s campaign is to bolster his ego and keep him out of jail. Then, he’ll likely be replaced either by death or the 25th Amendment, and Vance will put the entire 2025 plan into play. Because all the players will be set up in the Federal Government. Additionally, all the work of Pat Robertson and others from the Reagan administration to enslave us to White Christian Nationalism will come to fruition.
Yesterday, I read this article from Mother Jones where one of the so-called Christians in that movement finally realizes that what he was doing wasn’t very ‘Christ-like,’ has repented, and is now trying to reverse the hell they bring to the political system. The title is “Confessions of a (Former) Christian Nationalist. When religion is placed at the service of a political party, it corrupts both.” and it’s written by The Reverend Rob Schenck. Anyone who read the history of the Roman Empire and its use of Christianity to conquer Northern Europe should know this by now. The story on how they captured SCOTUS is even more interesting than the narrative on capturing members of Congress.
Federal judges and especially Supreme Court justices, unlike politicians, never need to shake hands across a rope line. Accessing their world required creativity. I found it through the little-known Supreme Court Historical Society. Founded by the late Chief Justice Warren Burger, the independent nonprofit holds an annual dinner hosted by the chief justice and attended by most associate justices. Tickets are strictly controlled. By establishing a close relationship with the society’s staff, I managed to secure seats each year for several of my donors, whom I would coach on how to connect with the justices attending the event. As a result, two of my most active participants, Don and Gayle Wright of Dayton, Ohio, ingratiated themselves with the Alitos, Scalias, and Thomases.
When I trained my donors to interact with conservative justices on the court, I told them to reinforce for their powerful new friends how important their decisions were to the country’s future, and how critical Judeo-Christian values are to America’s success. I encouraged them to underscore how millions of citizens thanked God for their presence on the top court.
In a notable instance, the Wrights were tipped off about a pending decision before it was announced to the public. As I later told the House Judiciary Committee, “Gayle relayed that she had learned the outcome of the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby case while at the meal with the Alitos, that it was in Hobby Lobby’s favor, and that ‘Sam is writing it.’” The ruling would affirm that companies with religious objections were not required to provide contraceptive coverage in their health insurance packages. I also told the House committee that Gayle had shared the news with me and that I told the president of Hobby Lobby, Steve Green—his parents were donors to my organization—that they had won the case. The Green family found themselves in the enviable position of using the advance notice to prep their spokespeople so they could be ready at the microphone outside the court following Alito’s reading of the majority opinion. They could shape the public narrative, a distinct advantage over their opponents.
When word of our campaign eventually broke in the New York Times, Justice Alito responded, “I never detected any effort on the part of the Wrights to obtain confidential information or to influence anything that I did in either an official or private capacity, and I would have strongly objected if they had done so.” He added, “I have no knowledge of any project that they allegedly undertook for ‘Faith and Action.’” Gayle Wright denied obtaining or passing along any such information. Steve Green declined to comment to the Times, and his mother told the paper he hadn’t been notified in advance. Let’s just say this is not how I remember what had happened.
It took years for the scales to fall from my eyes. A major turning point occurred when I took a leave of absence from Faith and Action to pursue a late-in-life doctorate. Part of my research involved the German Christian movement of the 1930s, which supported the Nazi Party. One of the most respected Bible scholars of that period, Paul Althaus, declared Hitler’s ascent to the chancellorship to be a “gift and miracle from God.” I began to suspect that we evangelicals were similarly allowing our faith to be co-opted for political purposes. Devastating consequences seemed inevitable for evangelicalism and for our country.
These fears were reinforced when I attended a tribute banquet for Pat Robertson around 2010. Virtually every evangelical luminary was there. When Robertson introduced his guest of honor, Donald J. Trump, I was shocked. In Bible college, my preaching instructor had suggested that the New York playboy was a perfect illustration for what it meant to not live as a Christian. I asked a friend of Pat’s why Trump was there. They both were “members of the billionaires’ club,” he explained. “Besides, he may make a good president someday.” Trump worked the room, filled with the biggest names on the religious right, garnering hearty applause.
The article is long and can make you angry, but it gives you more insight into that influential movement. Know Thy Enemy.
The New York Times finally read the writing on the wall today and endorsed Kamala Harris for President. I’m using the Politico analysis rather than trying to get into the NYT again, so you can notice the subheading, which says a lot about Politoco as a source. “NYT endorses Harris as ‘the only choice’ for president. The editorial board has not backed a Republican for president since Dwight Eisenhower in 1956.” The analysis also says something about the New York Times.
The New York Times editorial board on Monday endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, calling her “the only patriotic choice for president” while painting a grim picture of a second term for former President Donald Trump.
Rather than praise for its preferred candidate, the board led its endorsement of Harris by listing off disqualifying arguments against Trump. “It is hard to imagine a candidate more unworthy to serve as president of the United States,” the Times editorial board wrote.
“This unequivocal, dispiriting truth — Donald Trump is not fit to be president — should be enough for any voter who cares about the health of our country and the stability of our democracy to deny him re-election,” the board, made up of 14 opinion journalists, wrote. “For this reason, regardless of any political disagreements voters might have with her, Kamala Harris is the only patriotic choice for president.”
The endorsement of Harris is unsurprising — the editorial board has not backed a Republican for president since Dwight Eisenhower in 1956 — though still important given the paper’s influence. In July, 10 days before President Joe Biden left the race (and after the board called on him to do so), the board published a five-part, scathing editorial against Trump that struck many of the same chords as Monday’s story.
Okay, enough of that. Trump has become utterly void of self-censoring, even when it’s something that would behoove him to hide. This is from MSNBC and Steven Benen. “On overtime pay, Trump slips up by accidentally telling the truth. Donald Trump admitted that he concocted a private-sector scheme to avoid paying his employees overtime compensation. So much for his “pro-worker” pitch.”
Five of the most interesting words in Donald Trump’s rhetorical repertoire are, “I shouldn’t say this, but…” While it’s obviously impossible to read the former president’s mind, whenever the Republican uses the phrase, it’s an apparent acknowledgement that he knows the rest of the sentence will be politically problematic, but he’s simply unable to help himself.
As his first year in the White House came to an end, for example, Trump declared, “I shouldn’t say this, but we essentially repealed Obamacare.” He was, of course, lying, but the comments served as a reminder of his anti-health care vision. About a year later, campaigning in Montana, the then-president publicly praised Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte for physically assaulting a journalist who asked a question the governor didn’t like.
“I shouldn’t say this [but] there’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Trump said in reference to the violence.
Six years later, the Republican is still stumbling into inadvertent moments of candor. HuffPost reported:
Former president and current GOP nominee Donald Trump on Sunday admitted he ‘hated’ to pay his staff overtime and would instead replace them with other workers to avoid doing so. Trump’s confession came during a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, after promising to deliver ‘gigantic tax cuts’ via his pledge to end tax on tips, on overtime and on social security benefits for seniors.”
“I know a lot about overtime,” the Republican candidate boasted. “I hated to give overtime. I hated it. I’d get other people, I shouldn’t say this, but I’d get other people in. I wouldn’t pay.”
The public comments stood out for a few reasons.
Right off the bat, there are still some political observers who like to pretend that the former president is some kind of ally to working-class Americans. It’s against that backdrop that Trump thought it’d be a good idea to admit that he, as a boss, deliberately took steps to deny his own employees overtime compensation to which they were entitled.
Meanwhile, the DonOld Cult is up to more domestic terrorism. This is from Raw Story. “Trump-supporting Ohio businessman gets MAGA death threats for defending Haitian workers.” This analysis is by Brad Reed.
A Trump-supporting Ohio businessman is getting major blowback from fellow Trump supporters after he publicly defended the honor of the Haitian immigrants he has hired to work for him.
The New York Times reports that Jamie McGregor, a lifelong Republican who twice voted for former President Donald Trump and owner of the McGregor Metal manufacturing shop, has been hit with “death threats, a lockdown at his company and posters around town branding him a traitor” because he praised the Haitian immigrants who work at his company.
In fact, McGregor says the situation as gotten so scary that he’s arming both himself and his family members to defend against would-be MAGA assailants.
“I have struggled with the fact that now we’re going to have firearms in our house — like, what the hell?” he told the Times. “And now we’re taking classes, we’re going to shooting ranges, we’re being fitted for handguns.”
McGregor decided to hire newly arrived Haitian immigrants in recent years because he had trouble finding dependable workers, and he has praised them for having a strong work ethic that has benefitted his business.
McGregor’s home city of Springfield, Ohio has become the focus of MAGA anger in recent weeks after former President Donald Trump made false claims about Haitian immigrants there eating locals’ dogs and cats.
When confronted with evidence debunking this claim, Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), have doubled down on attacking the Haitian immigrant community.
It’s beginning to feel like Lord of the Flies in Trumplandia. I wonder if said businessman will vote for Trump again? Has that book been banned yet in Florida?
Oh, and now we get to speak of The Purge. They filmed the TV series at the Abandoned Navy Base down the block from me, which was weird enough. I didn’t see the movie or the series, but I know enough of the franchise to recognize it in Donald’s speech. This is from Politico. “Trump says ‘violent day’ of policing will end crime. The remarks at a campaign rally Sunday did not amount to a policy proposal allowing police retaliation, the former president’s campaign said.” Adam Wren reports the story.
Former President Donald Trump on Sunday called for “one real rough, nasty” and “violent day” of police retaliation in order to eradicate crime “immediately.”
The remarks — delivered by Trump at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, just 36 days before the election — did not amount to a new policy proposal, according to a Trump campaign official.
Asked whether the former president’s idea amounted to a new proposal and how such an operation would work, a campaign official said Trump was “clearly just floating it in jest.”
“President Trump has always been the law and order President and he continues to reiterate the importance of enforcing existing laws,” Steven Cheung, the campaign’s communications director, wrote in a statement to POLITICO. “Otherwise it’s all-out anarchy, which is what Kamala Harris has created in some of these communities across America, especially during her time as [California] Attorney General when she emboldened criminals.
The best analysis of what’s ahead and what’s happened is by Marcy at EmptyWheel. “As Kamala Harris Passes the Two-Thirds Mark, Trump Adopts Apocalyptic Language.”
Back on August 17, I laid out six things that could destabilize the race. We’ve gotten versions of four of those, though without yet serious impact on the race.
- There were no mass protests at the DNC. Neither, however, was there someone speaking for Palestinian people from the Convention podium.
- With the assassination last week of Hassan Nasrallah and Israel’s expanding operations against Iranian proxies in Lebanon and Yemen, we have seen unforeseen escalation in the Middle East. Joe Biden seems incapable of understanding that Bibi Netanyahu was never a good faith negotiator. On top of the instability this will bring (and the ongoing threat of Iranian violence targeted at Trump), I worry that Harris’ choice to prioritize Republican endorsements over Palestinian speakers could harm her in Michigan (as Elissa Slotkin issues warnings about Michigan).
- We did get a superseding indictment in Trump’s January 6 case (though without any new charges), but Trump succeded in delaying sentencing in his NY case. We may find out this week whether we’re going to get to see a redacted version of Jack Smith’s argument that Trump is not immune; indeed, given how Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a deadline for noon tomorrow, we may even see the argument itself this week. If we do, Trump’s attacks on Mike Pence will be at the center of the argument. Remember: Trump’s increasing fascistic language over the weekend has come after he got a first look at Smith’s argument, and his lawyers seem terrified of some of the claims made by witnesses that could get unsealed.
- Kamala Harris did have a historically successful debate, but it has done little more than bump polling, slightly. That said, her campaign continues to goad Trump to make him look weak, most recently in a national ad and plane advertisement at the Alabama-Georgia game yesterday. Whether or not Harris pushes him to accept a second debate, the continued goading seems to keep him unbalanced. In recent campaign appearances, Trump has denied he fell into her trap at the debate, directly addressed rally-goers who were leaving (denying they were leaving), and freaked out about a fly.
- Whatever the cause, Trump is increasingly unhinged in public appearances, though much of the press continues to sanewash his coverage. More and more, his rants adopt fascist language, such as yesterday when he either endorsed The Purge or Kristallnacht. Donald Trump looks weak and Donald Trump looks violent, but that is not yet a persistent news coverage theme (indeed, in his polling update, Nate Silver claims there’s nothing “like Joe Biden’s deteriorating public performances” that might be affecting the race in ways polling is not accounting for). If the press does begin to capture Trump’s weakness and violence, it may impact the race — but I’m not holding my breath.
- Trump’s right wing running mate has drummed up terrorist threats against his own constituents in Springfield, OH, and more recently drummed up threats against a beloved Pittsburgh restaurant (while trying to tamp them down). We have not yet gotten right wing violence, neither localized nor mass. But understand that the far right Christian nationalists that Trump has been cultivating, most notably with JD Vance’s appearance with Lance Wallnau, have been an absolutely central factor in past political violence, including January 6. When Donald Trump mobilizes Christian imagery, he does so not because he believes in any of it, but because he believes in power, and he knows he can get people who mistake him for the Messiah to go to war for him. (An Evangelicals for Harris group just rolled out an ad interspersing Billy Graham warnings of the anti-Christ with clips of Trump.) We have not yet seen political violence against marginalized groups, but Trump is doing everything that has fostered it in the past. Nevertheless, most horserace journalists are ignoring that, just like they and their colleagues dismissed the risk of political violence in advance of January 6.
In my earlier post, I said we should be unsurprised by a Black Swan event (I suggested all-out war was one possibility, and given the escalation in the Middle East, it remains one).
The floods caused by Helene could be another. Right wingers are already trying to ensure this works like Katrina did for George W Bush. And whatever else, the flooding disproportionately affected the rural areas that Trump needs to win North Carolina (though North Carolina voters can forego voter ID requirements under an emergency exception). That said, the Helene response may also highlight two things — FEMA and NOAA — that Project 2025 aims to defund. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s attempt to forgo federal help may provide a contrast that shows how Federal help can make a difference in a catastrophe. And a whole bunch of conservative people just got bowled over by the impact of climate change, hundreds of miles from the nearest coast. If the Feds can respond to the damage on I-40 like they did to the I-95 or the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster, it may convince people in North Carolina that the government can too do something good.
As for the flood, Biden promises the Federal Government will stay until the work is done. This is from USA. Today.”Biden on Helene disaster: ‘We’re not leaving until the job is done.'” Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy reports the story.
President Joe Biden assured communities reeling from Hurricane Helene that the “nation has your back,” and that help was on the way in a speech Monday from the White House.
“We’ll continue to serve resources including food, water, communications, and lifesaving equipment will be there,” Biden said. “I mean it − as long as it takes to finish this job.”
He also said he’s committed to travel later this week to affected communities.
“I’ve been told that it would be disruptive if I did it right now,” he said.
Authorities are dealing with the storm’s aftermath, which saw caused widespread devastation and power outages across the Southeast and killed at least 100. Biden, who said he’s been in touch with governors, mayors and local leaders, said 600 people were still unaccounted for.
I remember Hurricane Katrina all too well and while I loved spending time with Anderson Cooper et al, I’d rather no one have to live through that again. So, why don’t we keep going with renewable energy, develop a workable immigration plan, and continue to fund a government that works for the people? I’m tired of seeing billionaires and grifting politicians get the goodies.
Cheer up folks! Coach Tim debates J Dank Vance tomorrow night!!
What’s on your reading and blogging list today?
https://skydancingblog.com/2024/09/30/mostly-monday-reads-the-final-meltdown/
#Repeat1968JohnBuss #DonaldSDankPennsylvaniaRally #HurricaneHelene #TheMediaAndTrump #TheMediaSUCKS #TheMediumIsTheMessage
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Lazy Caturday Reads: Trump’s Racism and Epstein Fallout
Good Afternoon!!
Yesterday, Dakinikat wrote about Trump’s disgusting Truth Social post of a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. Trump left it up for at least 12 hours before someone at the White House finally deleted it. Of course Trump, who is a hateful and repulsive racist, won’t apologize.
The Washington Post: Trump refuses to apologize over video showing the Obamas as apes.
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — President Donald Trump declined to apologize for sharing a social media video that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, saying he did not realize the image of the former president and first lady was tacked on to the end of the clip.
The president said Friday that he had watched and passed along the video — which focused on claims of voter fraud until the final seconds of the clip — to unidentified “people” to post to his Truth Social account, but that he “didn’t see the whole thing,” including the brief portion that showed the heads of the Obamas edited onto the bodies of apes.
In response to a question from The Washington Post about whether he would heed the calls of some Republicans to apologize for posting the video, which was widely condemned as racist and offensive, Trump said he would not.
“No, I didn’t make a mistake,” Trump said on his way to Palm Beach, Florida, for the weekend. “I look at a lot of — thousands of things. And I looked at the beginning of it. It was fine.”
Trump referred to the controversial video, which was online for about 12 hours before being deleted, as “a very strong post in terms of voter fraud.” [….]
…[T]he pushback was swift, including from Sen. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), the chamber’s only Black Republican, who also serves as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Scott called the post “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House.” Several other GOP senators and House members joined Scott in condemning the video, with some calling on Trump to apologize….
Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One on Friday, Trump dismissed the notion that the post and his handling of it could hurt him with the minority voters he had made gains with during the 2024 election. He touted criminal justice reform legislation passed during his first term, as well as his efforts to ensure funding to historically Black colleges and universities.
We’ll see. I think Trump expects to be able to rig the 2026 election anyway.
Hanna Kiros at The Atlantic (gift link): The Obama Meme on Trump’s Truth Social Was Exactly What It Looked Like.
Donald Trump supercharged his political career by claiming that Barack Obama wasn’t American. Yesterday, 16 minutes before midnight, the president’s account on Truth Social posted a video that suggests Obama isn’t even human. It briefly shows the head of the first Black president and that of his wife superimposed onto the bodies of apes. They dance along to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
The video, which Trump’s account shared twice, seems to be a screen recording. Its first minute shows a clip promoting the lie that voting-machine tampering handed Joe Biden the presidency in 2020. Then, someone seems to swipe up, and the clip depicting the Obamas as apes flashes into focus. [The post was removed after about 12 hours.]….
In the interim, hundreds if not thousands of people responded to the clip with enthusiasm. Immediately after the video was first posted on Truth Social, the memecoin $APEBAMA was minted. Within 12 hours, more than $4 million worth of $APEBAMA had been traded back and forth. In an X group with the same name that now has hundreds of members, the pinned tweet implies that the meme stock will succeed because of how outrageous the video is: “this is pretty much on par with him calling Obama a nigga.” Some members posted their own depictions of Obama as a monkey or ape. The ape video’s apparent creator, the X user @xerias_x, reposted the full video to their X account early this morning. Besides the Obamas, the video shows a menagerie of Democratic politicians as animals, bowing down to Trump, who appears as a lion. It now has more than 1 million views. (@xerias_x also seems to be the originator of an AI-generated video Trump reposted in October that shows the president raining down what appears to be excrement on protesters from the sky.)
The “joke” that Trump’s account spread is plainly sinister. The idea that Black people sit somewhere between white people and apes has long been used to justify cruelty. In 1377, a historian wrote that Africans “have attributes that are quite similar to those of dumb animals,” meaning they “are, as a whole, submissive to slavery.” Cartoons circulated during the Civil War were printed with images similar to the one Trump posted: One labels a monkey holding a book upside down as a NEGRO-MAN; another depicts a Black man on all fours, accompanied by the words WHAR’S JEFF DAVIS. In 1906, a man born in what was then the Belgian Congo, Ota Benga, was displayed at the Bronx Zoo in a cage with an orangutan. In 1975, white teenagers harassed Black students desegregating a Boston public school with the chant “Two, four, six, eight, assassinate the nigger apes.”
The ape caricature still colors how Black people are received in America. But this morning, the administration played the video off for laughs. “This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in response to a comment request before the Truth Social posts were removed. (The Lion King features a monkey named Rafiki, but no apes appear in the film.)
There is absolutely no question that Trump is a vicious racist.
In other news, there are so many fascinating revelations coming out of the latest release from the FBI’s Epstein files. I haven’t had the patience to actually try searching through them myself, but I’ve been following what reporters are finding. Some of the latest examples:
Allison Quinn at The Daily Beast: Epstein’s Top Secret Relationship With Trained Russian Spy Revealed.
Jeffrey Epstein had a years-long relationship with an FSB-trained Russian official who sought his help connecting with a well-known hacker in 2016.
The late sex trafficker’s corresponJeffrdence with Sergei Belyakov is among the strangest revelations in the millions of case files released by the Justice Department last month.
Belyakov, a former deputy economic minister, helped Epstein secure visas to visit Russia, provided him with a dossier on a Russian woman Epstein had complained was trying to blackmail “a group of powerful businessmen,” and reported to Epstein about his work for the Russian government.
Epstein’s frequent bids to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov feature heavily in the newly released files—his assistant reminds him in one September 2011 email that he’d told his bodyguard he “had an appointment with Putin” coming up—but he appears to have had Belyakov at his beck and call.
In one January 2016 email under the subject, “My new position,” Belyakov told Epstein he’d started working at the Russian Direct Investment Fund–now led by Kirill Dmitriev, one of Vladimir Putin’s most trusted envoys, and a key player in ongoing peace talks with the Trump administration to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Much of their correspondence focused on investment opportunities and potential investors, though it’s unclear to what extent Belyakov involved Epstein in his work beyond the emails documented in the latest files.
The pair met several times in person over the years. In numerous email exchanges from 2014 through 2018, they reference personal meetings they had together, along with sporadic phone calls.
Epstein described Belyakov as a “very good friend” in a 2015 email to billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel as he tried to arrange for the pair to meet. Belyakov also apparently put Epstein in touch with other Russian officials, with emails showing he helped Epstein apply for a Russian visa in 2014 to meet with then-Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Storchak and Alexei Simanovsky, the deputy head of Russia’s Central Bank at the time.
There’s more interesting stuff at the link.
J Oliver Conroy at The Guardian: The Epstein files reveal that a vast global conspiracy actually exists – sort of.
The millions of Jeffrey Epstein files dumped last Friday by the US Department of Justice will provide journalists, conspiracy theorists and interested members of the public with months of reading. And what they will read is enraging.
What makes these files so infuriating, however, is not just Epstein’s horrific predatory behavior, which is well-known, but the more mundane examples of elite conduct that the documents continue to expose. They vividly illustrate a world whose existence many everyday people, whether fevered with visions of the Illuminati or just jaundiced by banal anti-establishment cynicism, already suspected exists: an informal global club of powerful, ultra-rich people who all seemingly know each other, help one another out, and protect each other from the consequences of their depravity.
The new files will probably not provide satisfying answers to questions about, say, whether any of Epstein’s famous friends participated in his sex trafficking, or if his death in custody in 2019 was truly a suicide, as authorities have said. But conspiracy theorists may still feel vindicated – and to some extent they should, Matthew Dallek, a political historian at George Washington University, said.
Although the documents may not expose an actual criminal conspiracy, he said, they confirm the belief behind most conspiracy theories: that elites “get special treatment, that they’re shielded from the rules that are supposed to apply to everyone equally, and that there is a kind of corruption in the broadest sense of the word”.
The new material is the largest, and possibly last, tranche of the so-called Epstein files, though the government is keeping as many as 3m more pages under wraps. Yet even the initial revelations of these files deepen the astonishing constellation of ties between Epstein and members of the global elite – including tech billionaires; a former US president; British, Norwegian and Saudi royalty or royal courtiers; current and former US cabinet secretaries and governors; and prominent business executives and academics….
[T]he files, especially Epstein’s typo-filled email and text-message correspondences, are fascinating – and ultimately grim – in what they show of how elites act in private, among themselves. At the least, many of Epstein’s powerful acquaintances remained friendly with him years after the notoriously lenient sweetheart bargain, in 2008, in which he pleaded guilty to soliciting an underage girl for prostitution, and as survivors continued to accuse Epstein of further crimes.
Again, there is lots more enraging material at the link.
AP: Epstein revelations have toppled top figures in Europe while US fallout is more muted.
LONDON (AP) — A prince, an ambassador, senior diplomats, top politicians. All brought down by the Jeffrey Epstein files. And all in Europe, rather than the United States.
The huge trove of Epstein documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice has sent shock waves through Europe’s political, economic and social elites — dominating headlines, ending careers and spurring political and criminal investigations.
Former U.K. Ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson was fired and could go to prison. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces a leadership crisis over the Mandelson appointment. Senior figures have fallen in Norway, Sweden and Slovakia. And, even before the latest batch of files, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of King Charles III, lost his honors, princely title and taxpayer-funded mansion.
Apart from the former Prince Andrew, none of them faces claims of sexual wrongdoing. They have been toppled for maintaining friendly relationships with Epstein after he became a convicted sex offender.
“Epstein collected powerful people the way others collect frequent flyer points,” said Mark Stephens, a specialist in international and human rights law at Howard Kennedy in London. “But the receipts are now in public, and some might wish they’d traveled less.”
The documents were published after a public frenzy over Epstein became a crisis for President Donald Trump’s administration and led to a rare bipartisan effort to force the government to open its investigative files. But in the U.S., the long-sought publication has not brought the same public reckoning with Epstein’s associates — at least so far.
Rob Ford, a professor of political science at the University of Manchester, said that in Britain, “if you’re in those files, it’s immediately a big story.”
“It suggests to me we have a more functional media, we have a more functional accountability structure, that there is still a degree of shame in politics, in terms of people will say: ‘This is just not acceptable, this is just not done,’” he said.
In other words, our media sucks and many of our politicians are shameless. I can’t argue with that.
A couple of Trump cabinet members captured in the files:
CBS News: Lutnick and Epstein were in business together, Epstein files show.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said he had “limited interactions” with Jeffrey Epstein, but documents show they were in business together as recently as 2014.
Lutnick and Epstein each signed on behalf of limited liability companies that agreed on Dec. 28, 2012, to acquire stakes in a now-shuttered advertising technology company called Adfin, documents released among the so-called Epstein files show.
Epstein and Lutnick’s signatures appear on neighboring pages in the contract, with Epstein signing for his Southern Trust Company, Inc. and Lutnick for a limited liability company called CVAFH I. The documents list nine shareholders in total.
Lutnick, the former chairman of the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald who at one point lived next door to Epstein, told the New York Post in October that he and his wife Allison had cut ties with Epstein in 2005, deciding after taking a tour of Epstein’s New York townhouse, “I will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again.”
However, it appears Epstein and Lutnick continued to maintain contact and emails show they arranged calls and planned to have drinks in 2011.
The following year, the couple and their four children planned a visit to Epstein’s island, Little St. James, emails show. Lutnick was invited for lunch on Dec. 24, 2012, and later, Epstein’s assistant wrote on behalf of Epstein, “it was nice seeing you.”
Their Adfin deal was signed four days later.
Lutnick is such a fucking liar.
Farah Tomazin at The Daily Beast: RFK Jr.’s Bizarre Trip With Epstein and Ghislaine Exposed in Files.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went hunting for dinosaur bones in the Dakotas with child sex traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, according to the latest tranche of documents released by the Justice Department.
As the fallout over the Epstein files continues, an email exchange between the two sex predators centers on the now-Trump Cabinet secretary, one of the many prominent people whose friendship the pair cultivated over the years.
The exchange took place in 2012, seven years before Epstein died in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial.
In one email, Epstein writes to Maxwell about a trip involving “dinosaur and fossill hunitng (sic) with jack horner on the ranch, found 90 million year old clams and fossils.”
“Right up your alley,” he adds.
The following day, Maxwell replies: “Love that – didn’t we go fossil hunting with him and Bobby Kennedy in N Dakota?”
“Yes,” Epstein replies.
Maxwell, a former British socialite now serving 20 years for her crimes, also disclosed the fossil hunt during an interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche last year, apparently catching him off guard when she said of Epstein: “Bobby Kennedy knew him.”
One more from Amelia Gentleman at The Guardian on women in the Epstein files: Sex and snacks, but no seat at the table: the role of women in Epstein’s sordid men’s club.
Pluck an email at random from the millions in the Department of Justice’s Epstein Library. It is a Saturday evening in February 2013, and Jeffrey Epstein is messaging Bill Gates’s assistant about guests for a dinner he wants to organise.’
“People for Bill,” the email begins. Epstein starts listing possible candidates: the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, the film director Woody Allen, the prime minister of Qatar, a couple of Harvard academics, the billionaire CEO of Hyatt hotels, a White House communications director, a former US secretary of defence.
He names 10 powerful men, before suggesting “Anne Hathaway (really)”. Epstein has to make it clear, with the bracketed word, that he is not joking when he proposes that a woman might join them at the table. The lists ends tentatively: “victoria secret models?” Epstein wonders: “Who on the list do you think he would enjoy the most?”
The Epstein files reveal a patriarchy in action. This is a world where the men are rich and powerful, and the women are not. The emails showcase the private behaviour of a male ruling class, as they network, joke and trade information. Women exist at the periphery, tolerated because they organise the diaries of the busy men, they arrange food, they grace a table, they provide sex.
A typical email from Epstein to a woman might say: “Take a selfie of your pussy and send.”
Spend three days rummaging through the chaotic, sprawling, sordid pit of information contained in the Epstein files, and you learn valuable lessons about how this modern global patriarchy operates: through flattery, the exchange of favours and occasional curt reminders of who owes what to whom.
For women, these files offer an unprecedented chance to eavesdrop on conversations from which they are usually excluded. They provide salutary insights into what a set of distinguished global figures think and say about women when they assume the women aren’t listening.
Read the rest at The Guardian.
I’ll end with a few tales of Trump idiocy:
Jonathan Karl at ABC News: Trump wants Penn Station, Dulles Airport named after him in funding deal with Schumer, sources say.
President Donald Trump last month told Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., that he would be willing to unfreeze $16 billion in funding for a major infrastructure project in New York if Schumer would agree to rename New York’s Penn Station and Washington’s Dulles Airport after him, two sources familiar with the conversation told ABC News.
The Hudson Tunnel Project — which would connect New York City and New Jersey — had already started. The project includes building nine miles of new passenger rail track and rehabilitating the North River Tunnel, according to the commission responsible for it.
Officials in New York and New Jersey said if the money isn’t freed-up by Friday, the project would stop, leaving approximately 1,000 construction jobs in jeopardy.
Sources told ABC that Schumer rejected Trump’s offer.
Daniel Dale at CNN: ‘I did that’: Trump takes credit for a prisoner release that happened before he even ran for president.
At the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, President Donald Trump spoke from prepared remarks as he discussed the persecution of Mariam Ibrahim. Ibrahim was unjustly imprisoned and sentenced to death in Sudan in 2014, in a case centered on her Christian faith, until she was released that same year following a global outcry.
Trump correctly said: “Believers all over the planet rallied to Mariam’s cause, prayed for her protection, and successfully pressured for her release.”
But then the president appeared to ad-lib – and claimed that he was the one who got Ibrahim freed.
“I did that. I did that. I did that with one phone call, actually,” he said. “And she had such support, it was so easy. And when I explained it to the powers that be: ‘Yes, sir, we will do it right away.’ I just wish I knew earlier. But it’s a big world with a lot of people.”
For years, Trump has told fictional stories that feature unnamed people referring to him as “sir.” This was another one.
Ibrahim was released in 2014, during the Obama administration. Trump did not become president until January 2017. He was not even a presidential candidate until June 2015. There has never been the slightest indication that a private citizen in the US, a businessman and celebrity at the time, was the person who convinced Sudanese authorities to let her out of prison.
A former Obama administration official who served on the National Security Council in 2014 told CNN on Friday: “I neither had at the time nor have now any knowledge of Trump’s involvement whatsoever. It’d be very surprising if he were.”
Jack Jenkins, a reporter for Religion News Service, first raised skepticism about Trump’s story on Thursday.
Robert P. George, a Princeton University professor who is a prominent conservative legal scholar, said in a Friday email: “As Chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in 2014, I advocated for Mariam Ibrahim. I do not recall Donald Trump being involved in the case or assisting our Commission’s efforts. Of course, he was not President at the time.
Jack Revell at The Daily Beast: Military Pressured to See ‘Melania’ Against Their Will.
Thousands of active-duty military personnel may have been “pressured” into seeing the Melania documentary at cinemas around the country, a watchdog has warned.
The $75 million Amazon film opened last week to $7 million at the box office—despite universally terrible reviews.
According to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, those numbers have been artificially inflated by pressure from MAGA-aligned officers leaning on their troops to buy tickets.
“People are scared,” Mikey Weinstein, president and founder of the MRFF, said. Weinstein said he has received letters from members of the U.S. military at eight facilities worldwide, complaining that their superiors encouraged or pressured them to see the film.
He told Business Insider. “They were pressured to see the movie. Your military superior, that’s not your shift manager at Taco Bell or Starbucks. They have complete and total control over you.”
The MRFF, a non-profit founded in 2005 to promote the separation of church and state within the military, has roughly 100,000 members.
“Nobody that I know wanted to go except for those that did not want to get jacked up by our unit commander for not attending,” one of those members told Weinstein in a letter seen by journalist Jonathan Larsen.
That’s it for me today. What stories have you been following?
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