Grant W. Turner
grantwturner.bsky.social
Grant W. Turner
@grantwturner.bsky.social

Aspiring interdisciplinary international affairs scholar-practitioner
R. Assoc. @stimsoncenter.bksy.social
Analyst Jamestown Foundation

Bylines include RUSI, The Diplomat, Eurasia Daily Monitor

Shares, articles etc ≠ endorsement/reflect employer .. more

History 26%
Psychology 16%
Pinned
bsky.app/profile/did:...
#irsky #polisky think tank, policy, journal, department, news, journalism

Reposted by W Grant

Guy who remembers when "Trump Accounts" investment funds for children was a progressive Roosevelt Institute project called "baby bonds" www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
A Once Radical Idea to Close the Wealth Gap Is Actually Happening
How economist Darrick Hamilton brought baby bonds from Bed-Stuy to U.S. statehouses.
www.bloomberg.com

Reposted by W Grant

“They were very racist people,” Alberto Castañeda Mondragón said of his ICE attackers. “No one insulted them... It was their character, their racism toward us, for being immigrants.”
Man Beaten Nearly to Death by ICE Refutes Agency's Self-Harm Claim
“They were very racist people,” Alberto Castañeda Mondragón said of his attackers. “No one insulted them... It was their character, their racism toward us, for being immigrants.”
www.commondreams.org

Reposted by W Grant

Russian journal banned from writing on same-sex animal behavior without expressing disgust for it - buff.ly/NdoegQR

Reposted by W Grant

As investigators increasingly use the label “nihilistic violent extremism” to explain a wave of attacks, experts warn it risks obscuring real motives. As @wendyvia.bsky.social warns: “If we want to solve the problem, identifying the motivation correctly is important.”

By @peterwhoriskey.bsky.social
Killers without a cause: The rise in nihilistic violent extremism
Amid a burst of high-profile targeted violence, authorities have identified a new source of terror.
www.washingtonpost.com

Reposted by W Grant

One year after the adoption of the updated European Directive on Environmental Crime, Euronews takes stock with Lieutenant Colonel Ondrej Koporec, Slovakian environmental investigator and Chair of the European EnviCrimeNet network. #TheRoadToGreen
European enforcers ramp up the fight against environmental criminals
l.euronews.com

Reposted by W Grant

Crypto investors are buying up beachfront property.

Bukele's family is purchasing buildings in historic San Salvador.

Street vendors are being displaced and threatened.

75% of Salvadorans earn less than $500/month.

This is the Bitcoin miracle.
El Salvador: Bitcoin Country
In El Salvador, a government-backed economic elite is consolidating power and forging their own crypto paradise while workers struggle.
www.truthdig.com

Reposted by W Grant

RNS @rns.org · 22h
OPINION: In the United States today, the overwhelming threat to the church and Christian community is not protest of ICE, but ICE itself.
religionnews.com/2026/01/29/i...
Which threatens American Christianity more: ICE or Cities Church protesters?
(RNS) — American Christians need a more robust sense of sacred connection to one another.
religionnews.com

Reposted by W Grant

Europe has realized that engaging Tehran without leverage, interlocutors or credible pathways to change is unsustainable — it must not abandon everyday Iranians.
The EU’s IRGC terrorist designation marks a major shift on Iran
Europe has realized that engaging Tehran without leverage, interlocutors or credible pathways to change is unsustainable. But it should not abandon Iranians altogether.
www.chathamhouse.org

Reposted by W Grant

What could possibly go wrong?
Health Department will mine unverified vaccine injury claims with new AI tool
Experts worry it will be used to further Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine agenda.
www.motherjones.com
“We are rapidly approaching multiple Earth system tipping points." www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
There may be no turning back this climate crisis
As warming breaches a critical threshold, scientists fear cascading consequences.
www.motherjones.com

Reposted by W Grant

Foreign interference distorts both the information people rely on and the level playing field democracy depends on.

Tomorrow MPs will debate Russian interference in our democracy. This is why a full inquiry remains necessary.
citizensreunited.substack.com/p/britain-st...
Britain still hasn't looked
A democracy that won’t investigate its own weaknesses - is a weak democracy. Let’s make sure Parliament doesn’t look away again.
citizensreunited.substack.com

Reposted by W Grant

Saif al-Islam wielded little influence in Libya's governance. But his presence was still a political threat to his rivals — and the symbol of an alternative Libya. bit.ly/4ayBb8S
The killing of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi is the end of a political era in Libya
Saif al-Islam wielded little influence over the current running of the state. But his presence was still a political and potentially military threat to his rivals.
bit.ly

Reposted by W Grant

The $305 million raised by the main super PAC supporting President Trump comes almost entirely from megadonors: 96% of its funds are from donors giving $1 million or more.
bit.ly/4t8PBDU
Pro-Trump Super PAC Raises Record-Breaking $305 Million
MAGA Inc. has relied on multimillion-dollar donors to raise an unprecedented amount in support of a lame duck president.
www.brennancenter.org

Reposted by W Grant

The convicted sex criminal was obsessed with other high-profile abuse cases, offering commentary, advice, and even financial help.
When Jeffrey Epstein was the world’s leading expert on getting away with it
The convicted sex-criminal was obsessed with other high profile abuse cases, offering commentary, advice, and even financial help.
www.motherjones.com

Reposted by W Grant

The reopening of the Rafah crossing will restore one small freedom for Palestinians – but will anger Israel’s far right ahead of elections later this year. bit.ly/4tqss00
The reopening of the Rafah crossing provides some hope for Palestinians, but can it be sustained?
The crossing’s return will restore one small freedom for Palestinians – but will anger Israel’s far right ahead of elections later this year.
bit.ly

Reposted by W Grant

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson lays out how his city is fighting back against Trump's campaign of terror against immigrants and citizens alike.
Chicago Mayor Directs Local Cops to Investigate ICE Agents Who Break the Law
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has signed an executive order directing Chicago police to investigate reports of illegal activity conducted by ICE and other federal immigration agents. The move came in ...
www.democracynow.org
In an all-too-familiar story for working women, Super Bowl cheerleaders are victims of low pay, long hours, zero benefits and near-impossible standards of sexiness and appearance not applied to male-dominated jobs.
msmagazine.com/2021/02/04/s...
'A Woman's Work': The Film the NFL Doesn't Want You to See
Super Bowl cheerleaders are frequently forced to work long hours for no benefits and illegally low wages, while experiencing sexist discrimination.
msmagazine.com

Reposted by W Grant

As China continues to expand its nuclear capabilities, and Russia and the U.S. walk away from arms control, the future is terrifying: a new nuclear arms race, with more players, and less predictability. buff.ly/XoWnUeu

Reposted by W Grant

“What we know is that there was an attack on the federal government workforce … and the vast majority of [the jobs lost] were held by women."
Trump-Era Federal Layoffs Hit Black Women Hardest
In 2025, hundreds of thousands of Black women lost their federal government jobs due to DOGE cuts and layoffs via the Trump administration.
msmagazine.com

I tried raising the issue at a right-wing religious think tank event, where American Enterprise Institute's Matthew Continetti was speaking, and absolutely no one could understand what I was talking about. That was even with concrete examples of Christian hierarchy from recent US history

Don't just take my word for it--listen to one of the most influential MAGA theologians (in terms of influence over leadership):

Doug Wilson: "Yes, that is correct. So for example, a Catholic, a Roman Catholic could not hold political office in South Carolina."

www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D...
Christian Nationalism: Biblical or Dangerous? Doug Wilson vs Mike Bird
What does Christian political witness look like in a plural, polarized democracy and should Christians ever aim for a “Christian nation”? In this episode of Premier Unbelievable?, John Nelson hosts a frank and high-stakes conversation on Christian nationalism, secularism, and the future of liberal democracy. Doug Wilson, pastor of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, argues that nations are moral agents accountable to God, and defends a vision he calls “theocratic libertarianism” - limited government, but explicitly Christian moral foundations. Dr. Michael Bird, biblical scholar and Anglican priest, and host of the Ask NT Wright Anything podcast [https://www.premier.plus/ask-nt-wright-anything/p/bonus-content] agrees politics is never neutral, but warns that certain models of Christian nationalism risk disenfranchising minorities, repeating Europe’s religious conflicts, and undermining the freedom required for genuine faith. From immigration and pluralism to abortion, marriage, and religious liberty, this conversation asks: Can secularism actually protect Christian society? Who gets full civic rights in a “Christian republic”? Is Christian nationalism a renewal of moral order or a road to coercion? How should Jesus’ model of leadership reshape political ambition? Join us as we dive into one of the most contested questions in public Christianity today. 00:00 – Intro: Christian witness or “Christian nationalism” 01:11 – Definitions: nationalism, theocracy, Christendom 01:37 – Doug’s core claim: states are moral agents 02:38 – “Theocratic libertarianism” explained 03:56 – Bird: why CN is often “more than that” 05:33 – Doug: “Mere Christendom” and Christendom 2.0 08:53 – Bird: “Which Christianity?” and minority rights concern 11:05 – Bird: secularism as peace mechanism 12:31 – Doug: pluralism/immigration changes the nation 18:46 – Scripture: Doug (Exodus 18) and limited government 21:26 – Scripture: Bird (Romans 13) and liberal and democracy 35:45 – Civic rights: can non-Christians vote/hold office? 37:14 – Doug: human rights vs citizen rights (“vote? no”) 51:50 – Test case: ectopic pregnancy legality 56:33 – “White nationalism?” and race/ethnicity debate 1:12:18 – Closing: Jesus, power, service and final hypothetical • Support us: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://www.premier.plus/unbelievable • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PremierUnbelievable/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/premierunbelievable - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@premierunbelievable - X (Twitter) https://x.com/unbelievablefe - Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/unbelievablefe.bsky.social
www.google.com

What most Christian and other GOP voters don't understand is they've empowered a group that views them as at best misguided and in need of a strong hand, and, at worst, as evil heretics.

The white Christian nationalist movement will impose a hierarchy of the right and wrong kinds of Christians.

Reposted by W Grant

Only 27 percent of respondents say they support all or most of Trump’s policies, down from 35 percent when he took the oath of office. Nearly all of that decline is attributable to *Republicans.*
How Big Is MAGA, Really?
Trump is governing like he has a huge mandate. The numbers disagree.
lnk.thebulwark.com

Reposted by W Grant

When you hear of a billionaire losing money on a pricey hobby or side business — whether it's a race horse or a newspaper — remember that those losses can actually create huge write-offs that let the ultrarich get away with paying little or no income tax.

(Published 2021)
When You’re a Billionaire, Your Hobbies Can Slash Your Tax Bill
Thoroughbred horses, auto racing, massive ranches, luxury hotels. The hobbies and side businesses of the ultrawealthy create huge write-offs that can let them get away with paying little or no income ...
www.propublica.org

Reposted by W Grant

The archbishop of Santa Fe takes on Speaker Mike Johnson theologically corrupt justification of Trump's secret police tactics against immigrants: " it is deeply concerning when theological language and sacred texts are used to diminish the fundamental dignity of human beings created in the image of

Reposted by W Grant

Access a decade of peer-to-peer professional writing with the sole purpose of developing the next generation of leaders
in strategy, national security, & military affairs ==>

thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge-i...

Reposted by W Grant

An experiment with superconducting qubits opens the door to determining whether quantum devices could be less energetically costly if they are powered by quantum batteries
Fast-charging quantum battery built inside a quantum computer
An experiment with superconducting qubits opens the door to determining whether quantum devices could be less energetically costly if they are powered by quantum batteries
www.newscientist.com

Really persuasive and insightful reflection by a former Black Panther on the importance of non-violence, strategy, community, and winning hearts and minds in the current struggle against oppression and fascism, and for the soul of the US.

Part of a longer series.

youtu.be/Z7MEUt03a6A?...
#polisky
How We Stop This Without Tearing America Apart
YouTube video by FORMER BLACK PANTHER SPEAKS: CAN AMERICA BE SAVED?
youtu.be

Reposted by W Grant

“Religious freedom” is being used as a Trojan horse. This #Hatewatch article breaks down how the International Religious Freedom Summit continues to partner with anti-LGBTQ+ hate groups and now adds a sponsor tied to Hungary’s hard right.