Mitchell Orenstein
morenstein.bsky.social
Mitchell Orenstein
@morenstein.bsky.social

Prof @uofpenn. Senior Fellow @fpri

Political science 71%
Economics 13%

My article on how the European Union is adapting to security threats was just published online by Journal of European Public Policy. For all you EU nerds out there. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com

@upenn.edu officially very jealous of Villanova today for producing a great world leader.

Take a look at my new article on how the EU has responded to new security threats since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Journal of European Public Policy. For you EU nerds out there.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Securitisation of EU policy: how Russia's invasion of Ukraine is changing Europe
Defying expectations of EU integration scholars, Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine did not spur the European Union (EU) to create an army or new territorial defence capabilities. While t...
www.tandfonline.com

Unfortunate conclusion from yesterday: MAGA is a pro-Russian quasi-fascist movement, similar to AfD in Germany.
The sudden arrival of Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate in Florida has alarmed women’s rights groups and women who say they have been victimized by the brothers. Here is what to know.
In U.S., Tate Brothers Are Met With a Mixed Reception
Their arrival has upset their accusers and alarmed women’s rights groups. Conservatives were divided.
nyti.ms
⚡️ 🤝 Former Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko, backed Zelenskyy after his clash with Trump and J.D. Vance at the White House. Once a fierce critic, Poroshenko now stresses unity as Zelenskyy defends Ukraine’s position while Washington debates more aid.

“Ukraine needs unity,” he says.

The cowardice of the GOP has been astounding 👇

#TraitorTrump
American analysts tend to underestimate the degree of anger over here in Europe. Seen from here, 🇺🇸 isn’t behaving like an angry ally — it’s behaving like an adversary, willing to undermine gov’ts in order to achieve zero-sum aims.

/5
"The White House is staking the U.S.’s global position — and thus its security and prosperity — on the bet that values, alliances, soft power and trustworthiness are unimportant." Piece by me in @themoscowtimes.com
#OpEd It is no longer safe for other NATO members and Ukraine to treat the U.S. as an ally or a trustworthy intelligence partner, let alone a security guarantor. But some governments are still clinging to the idea that it is, argues @ruthdeyermond.bsky.social.
Welcome to Trump and Putin's Brave New World - The Moscow Times
Opinion | This has been the week when everything changed.  From U.S.
www.themoscowtimes.com
Hard to think of a more dangerous moment for European security since the height of the Cold War. It’s brutally clear US is now indifferent if not actively hostile to Ukraine in the war. It’s not clear if the US would aid Europe if Russia were to expand that war...
“Zelensky doesn’t need Trump’s help to give Putin four regions, downsize the army, and abandon NATO aspirations. If he wanted to surrender to Putin, he would have gone to Moscow, not Washington.”
Via Sławomir Dębski

Why attack USAID? It supports democracy around the world, angering autocrats.
Just imagine what would happen if universities decide to compensate for lost NIH overheads by deep cuts to their Division 1 football and basketball teams. Yeah, I know, unthinkable because modern research universities know what's the more essential component of their mission
Does “Golden Age” refer to a time when planes keep crashing, eggs cost $10–15 a dozen, the U.S. is being booed and protested by all our allies, workers are losing their jobs, and Americans’ personal data is being rummaged through by unelected oligarchs and their strange crew of 20-something incels?
The White House is slashing funding for National Institutes of Health grants, a “catastrophic” hit to science research
Trump Administration Orders 'Catastrophic' Funding Cuts For Science Research
Scientists and medical experts said the move to effectively slash NIH grants will interrupt research across the country.
www.huffpost.com
Hamas released three Israeli hostages on Saturday in exchange for 183 Palestinians jailed by Israel. Hamas fighters prodded the hostages to give short speeches, thanking the militants who had held them captive for 16 months.
Hamas Makes Gaunt Israeli Hostages Thank Captors Before Release
The scenes at the latest hostage release in Gaza angered Israelis and created even more uncertainty surrounding the next steps in a phased cease-fire deal.
www.nytimes.com
Just learned from NPR that the federal government is the largest employer in the great Kansas City area, for example. I found it helpful to be reminded that, of course, this isn’t just about people who work and live in DC. Federal employees are in all of our communities.
These great research institutions in red states are slated to lose about $1B in NIH research dollars
Essay in Libération on Trump's governance so far: autocratic legalism, but also strong doses of plain illegality, chaos, and self-sabotage.
Entre stratégie du chaos et concentration du pouvoir, Donald Trump trace la voie du «légalisme autocratique»
A l’image des populistes d’extrême droite européens, comme Viktor Orbán en Hongrie, le président américain use des procédures formelles autorisées par la législation tout en violant l’esprit des norme...
www.liberation.fr
The neoliberal dream of fossil fuel billionaire Charles Koch was always the destruction of US democracy and the elimination of government (except for its repressive organs police, courts, prisons, military ofc), and now he has won.
What now? A 🧵.
1/
t.co/FKxxmLyfce
Anti-Islam activist Salwan Momika, who sparked outrage and riots in Muslim-majority countries over his repeated Quran burnings in 2023 in Sweden, was killed on late Wednesday evening at his home, local media reported.
Man who sparked protests over his Quran burnings shot dead in Sweden
Salwan Momika was set to stand trial over hate incitement charges on Thursday.
www.politico.eu
A firefighter battled flames only to find his own home in ruins after an airstrike. His 10-year-old son survived with burns, but his wife, Inna Zamiesova, did not. Russia’s assault brings only death, tearing families apart. No one should suffer the agony of watching their world turn to ash.
"Ukraine is a fictional state, its division between neighboring states is inevitable," - pro-Russian presidential candidate of Romania Georgescu

Earlier he also promised to stop military aid to Ukraine and ban the export of Ukrainian grain.
Elon Musk, who has not been elected or officially appointed to any office, successfully pushed the FAA Administrator to resign 9 days ago.
had to look this up to make sure it was real

www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/...
🚨BREAKING: Months before tonight's fatal DC plane crash, lawmakers brushed off dire safety warnings & passed an industry-backed bill adding more flight traffic at the airport.

"Increasing slots at this airport undermines safety," an opponent pleaded.
Before D.C. Airport Collision, Lawmakers Brushed Off Warnings And Boosted Flights
Despite midflight near-misses and dire pleas, airline-bankrolled lawmakers recently expanded flight traffic at Washington’s busy airport.
buff.ly
The University of Michigan will no longer require diversity statements as part of faculty hiring, promotion and tenure decisions, the school announced on Thursday, marking a major shift at one of the country’s leading public research institutions.
University of Michigan Ends Required Diversity Statements
The school, a bastion of D.E.I., will no longer require the statements in hiring decisions and is considering a broader shift in its policies.
www.nytimes.com

Rainmaker, a 1997 movie with Matt Damon and Danny DeVito about a lawyer that takes on and destroys a fraudulent health insurance company for denying claims, seems super relevant to watch right now. Great film.
In the days leading up to the 13th sanctions package, Hungary reportedly withheld its support because of the envisaged sanctions on certain Chinese companies.

(CC @rdanielkelemen.bsky.social and @morenstein.bsky.social's work on "Trojan horses" within the Council).

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www.ft.com/content/53f2...
Why Hungary is again blocking the latest round of Russia sanctions
Also in this newsletter: Drug violence spills on to the streets of Brussels
www.ft.com