Els Torreele
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elstorreele.bsky.social
Els Torreele
@elstorreele.bsky.social
620 followers 660 following 130 posts

Interested in Shifting Powers towards Health Equity, Economic Justice, post-Finance Capitalism, Climate Justice, Equitable Access to Medicines and Vaccines, and a better future for all of us. Founding Director of æqua.

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Environmental science 28%
Economics 20%
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elstorreele.bsky.social
Els Torreele @elstorreele.bsky.social · Dec 5
As feared, the UK government remained blind and deaf to warnings from health advocates and scientific community to not give into US and Pharma demands for higher drug prices. @martinmckee.bsky.social and I explain how bad this surrender is for public health @bmj.com
www.bmj.com/content/391/...
Who are the winners and losers of the UK-US pharma deal—it depends which side you believe
Behind the UK’s “landmark” pharma deal with the US lies a costly surrender, with higher drug prices, weaker safeguards, and vague promises of investment, write Els Torreele and Martin McKee When the...
www.bmj.com

Reposted by Els Torreele

charleskeener.bsky.social
Charles Keener @charleskeener.bsky.social · 11h
www.counterpunch.org/2026/02/12/s...
Suffocating an Island: What the U.S. Blockade Is Doing to Cuba
Marta Jiménez, a hairdresser in Cuba’s eastern city of Holguín, covered her face with her hands and broke down crying when I asked her about Trump’s blockade of the island—especially now that the U.S....
www.counterpunch.org

Reposted by Dorothy Bishop, Els Torreele

martinmckee.bsky.social
Martin McKee @martinmckee.bsky.social · 12h
7/ Our analysis outlines what is at stake, and what Europe can do next. Read the full paper here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Geopolitics and public health: Europe under the shadow of the U.S. National Security Strategy
The 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy marks a major shift toward a narrowly defined “America First” agenda with significant implications for Europe…
www.sciencedirect.com

Reposted by Els Torreele

euobserver.com
euobserver — EU news that matters @euobserver.com · 1d
Competitiveness has become the most abused word in Brussels.

It is invoked to justify almost anything — except the one thing Europe actually needs: a strong industrial policy to build quality jobs, to safeguard and reinforce economic capacity in Europe and to achieve shared prosperity.
Corporate lobbyists push for deregulation while workers pay the price
Competitiveness has become the most abused word in Brussels. It is invoked to justify almost anything — except the one thing Europe actually needs: a strong industrial policy to build quality jobs, to safeguard and reinforce economic capacity in Europe and to achieve shared prosperity.
euobserver.com

Reposted by Els Torreele

hpg-odiglobal.bsky.social
Humanitarian Policy Group @hpg-odiglobal.bsky.social · 1d
"Narratives are not merely the words people choose to use. They are the stories that frame how societies understand the world."

Patrick Gathara & @benphillips76.bsky.social explore 🔟 ways to challenge existing narratives and foster a new story for humanitarianism’s future: buff.ly/nEPBoO6
Ten ways to build a new narrative for humanitarianism
Changing the narrative of an aid response system that is often blind to its inherent failings will be hard, but it is essential.
www.thenewhumanitarian.org

elstorreele.bsky.social
Els Torreele @elstorreele.bsky.social · 1d
👇 Big Tech firms that control the digital infrastructure of today’s societies are not afraid to weaponise it to advance their policy agenda. Having allowed companies to gain such market dominance, governments now find themselves hostages to it @somoamsterdam.bsky.social

www.somo.nl/big-tech-lob...
The Big Tech Lobby Playbook - Rewriting digital rules globally - SOMO
This series of articles by SOMO dives into specific examples of Big Tech lobbying and how they helped shape laws and politics in their favour.
www.somo.nl

Reposted by Daniela Gabor, Els Torreele

ehofferberth.bsky.social
ehofferberth.bsky.social @ehofferberth.bsky.social · 1d
If the aim of European policy was wellbeing of the people rather than merely competing against others, conclusions and solutions would probably diverge a lot from more and more #deregulation, and more and more military spending www.ft.com/content/53df...
EU needs a ‘big bang’ on regulation, says top official
European Council president António Costa blames national capitals for inertia that has left economy trailing China
www.ft.com

Reposted by Els Torreele

70sbachchan.bsky.social
Albert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 1d
“uneven and combined development”, GLP-1 edition @adamtooze.bsky.social

“Novo Nordisk’s India patent will expire in March. And the country’s colossal pharma production industry is gearing up to take advantage by selling generic versions.”

edition.cnn.com/2026/02/07/i...
Is India about to make Ozempic-like weight-loss drugs a whole lot cheaper? | CNN
On any given morning in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park, power-walkers circle the running track, fitness watches buzzing with every step. Minutes later, some drift toward nearby food stalls, where oil sizzles a...
edition.cnn.com

Reposted by Michael E. Mann, Nandita Sharma, Richard B. Aronson , and 8 more

acyn.bsky.social
Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 2d
Jayapal: To the survivors in the room, if you are willing, please stand. And if you are willing, please raise your hands. If you have still not been able to meet with this DOJ. Please note for the record that every single survivor has raised their hand.

elstorreele.bsky.social
Els Torreele @elstorreele.bsky.social · 2d
This 👇
"In the name of ‘necessity’ and ‘urgency’, choices about defence, industry, trade, and strategic autonomy are being made at a break-neck speed, often with minimal debate and limited scrutiny." - We need a "European Spring" euobserver.com/202382/europ...
@alemanno.bsky.social @euobserver.com
Europe’s democratic winter — How EU leaders impose deregulation, bypassing citizens and MEPs
At their 'leaders' retreat', we are seeing the curtailing of EU democracy in the name of saving Europe’s economy. They should be unleashing citizens' demand for a stronger, independent Europe.
euobserver.com

Reposted by Els Torreele

truthout.org
Truthout @truthout.org · 2d
Children are falling ill inside ICE’s massive family detention center in Dilley, Texas, where the jailed population has nearly tripled since October amid overcrowding and unsafe conditions.
Children Are Getting Sick Inside ICE’s Massive Family Jail in Texas
The number of people held at the notorious Dilley immigration jail has nearly tripled since October.
truthout.org

elstorreele.bsky.social
Els Torreele @elstorreele.bsky.social · 2d
Maybe a tipping point? www.offmessage.net/p/trump-has-...
Trump Has Lost The Culture
And his greediest collaborators are awakening to the fact that they made a terrible bet.
www.offmessage.net

Reposted by Els Torreele

brianbeutler.bsky.social
Brian Beutler @brianbeutler.bsky.social · 3d
The political dynamics of 2025 were shaped by Democrats and Republicans over-reading Trump's victory in the same way. That turns out to be a problem for a LOT of rich and powerful people who made a very large bet on the theory that MAGA had won the culture war. www.offmessage.net/p/trump-has-...
Trump Has Lost The Culture
And his greediest collaborators are awakening to the fact that they made a terrible bet.
www.offmessage.net

Reposted by Els Torreele

jwgoudriaan.bsky.social
Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 3d
As industry gathers with @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu in Antwerp 11th to celebrate the bonanza of Omnibus laws proposed by the Commission, sometimes to claw back and demolish what was only agreed by the European Parliament a year or 2 ago, trade unions and many in civil society are critical
2/

Reposted by Els Torreele

owenjones.bsky.social
Owen Jones @owenjones.bsky.social · 3d
Wes Streeting has confessed that his government broke the law on Gaza.

He didn't mean to - but that's what he has done.

New post 👇

www.owenjones.news/p/wes-street...

elstorreele.bsky.social
Els Torreele @elstorreele.bsky.social · 3d
Timely pointed piece on why governments must finance health R&D for the common good, rather than to de-risk private pharma that will then turn against us by charging high prices and blocking knowledge & technology sharing @healthlawadamh.bsky.social @srinmurthy.bsky.social @mattherder.bsky.social

Reposted by Els Torreele

electricbluesfan.bsky.social
RichardJR @electricbluesfan.bsky.social · 3d
10/10 Read the full report
by Ken Harbaughin in The Atlantic:
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
Does America Really Want to Pick a Fight With Greenland?
Remote, frigid, desolate, and armed to the teeth: Greenland isn’t planning on submitting to Donald Trump.
www.theatlantic.com

Reposted by Els Torreele

cyrilpedia.bsky.social
Thiago Carvalho @cyrilpedia.bsky.social · 3d
'Their analysis of nearly 1,000 AI-enabled medical devices, or AIMDs, approved by the FDA found an alarming trend: Devices from publicly traded companies are far more likely to be recalled, and many hit the market without being tested on real people.'
hub.jhu.edu/2025/10/30/i...
Investor pressure may be driving risky AI medical device launches
Study finds an association between publicly traded companies and recalls of AI-based medical tools
hub.jhu.edu

Reposted by Els Torreele, Georg Weizsäcker

transparency-eu.bsky.social
Transparency International EU @transparency-eu.bsky.social · 3d
THE 2025 CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX IS OUT

It's that time of the year again. And this year, once again, the EU's score remains 62. No improvement has been made on last year's score.

Reposted by Els Torreele

euractiv.com
Euractiv @euractiv.com · 3d
Inside Euronews: How Europe’s broadcaster became an influence network
Inside Euronews: How Europe’s broadcaster became an influence network
Conceived as Europe’s answer to CNN, the EU-funded channel has become a platform for authoritarian regimes
dlvr.it

Reposted by Els Torreele

gavinyamey.bsky.social
Prof Gavin Yamey @gavinyamey.bsky.social · 3d
The aim of the ad was to persuade viewers to adopt RFK Jr’s new food guidelines—which advise eating more saturated fat, red meat, beef tallow, & full fat dairy

Half the guideline authors have financial ties to the beef or dairy industries

The ad was funded by the MAHA Center, run by Tony Lyons
Who Is Behind the Mike Tyson Super Bowl Ad? New nonprofit MAHA Center is led by an RFK Jr. backer and key figure in the MAHA movement

Reposted by Els Torreele

prof-yadav.bsky.social
Prashant Yadav @prof-yadav.bsky.social · 3d
For more on pregnancy testing using Xenopus @edyong209.bsky.social 's 2017 article @theatlantic.com
www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...
How a Frog Became the First Mainstream Pregnancy Test
In the 1950s, if a woman wanted to know if she was pregnant, she needed to get her urine injected into a frog.
www.theatlantic.com

Reposted by Els Torreele

healthydebate.bsky.social
Healthy Debate @healthydebate.bsky.social · 3d
These parliamentary studies are low-profile but have implications for access to medicines

healthydebate.ca/2026/02/topi...
These parliamentary studies are low-profile but have implications for access to medicines - Healthy Debate
Two studies by Parliamentary Standing Committees each have potentially serious implications for medical innovation, pandemic preparedness and access to medicines.
healthydebate.ca

Reposted by Els Torreele

charleskeener.bsky.social
Charles Keener @charleskeener.bsky.social · 3d
popularresistance.org/oxfam-report...
Oxfam Report Highlights How Billionaires Rig Politics - PopularResistance.Org
Oxfam’s latest global inequality report, released during the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 19, reveals how billionaires use their extreme wealth to keep profiteering and maintain an infrastructure of sympathetic politicians, media and bureaucracies in place. Resisting the Rule of the Rich. Protecting freedom from billionaire power found that, globally, billionaire wealth rose by more than 16% last year — reaching a record $18.3 trillion. One of the report’s more alarming statistics is that, last year, “billionaire wealth increased three times faster than the average annual rate over the previous five years”.
popularresistance.org

Reposted by Els Torreele

rbreich.bsky.social
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 3d
The heads of Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, and Tesla all joined Trump at his inauguration.

Since then, largely thanks to Trump's Big Ugly Bill, their companies have reaped $51B in federal tax breaks — paid for by huge cuts to our social safety net.

This is what oligarchy looks like.

Reposted by Jocalyn Clark, Els Torreele, Dana Howard

gavinyamey.bsky.social
Prof Gavin Yamey @gavinyamey.bsky.social · 4d
🌐I’m delighted to join @jocalynclark.bsky.social and the team @bmj.com as a guest editor of a new series on Global Health Geopolitics!

The call for papers is now published:
www.bmj.com/content/392/...

Please do submit Commentaries (800 words) or Analysis pieces (2,000 words)

1/n
Geopolitics of global health: a call for papers
External factors are forcing change to the global health architecture, demanding creative reform amid an uncertain future If 2025 marked the dismantling of the global health architecture, then 2026 m...
www.bmj.com

elstorreele.bsky.social
Els Torreele @elstorreele.bsky.social · 4d
The limits of tolerant democracy... allowing anti-European, anti-democratic, blatantly lying extremists to voice their untruths and undermine public trust and our social fabric @the heart of Europe's democratic institutions...
Paid for by our tax payer money.

Reposted by Els Torreele

epsu.bsky.social
EPSU @epsu.bsky.social · 4d
“Made in Europe” sounds simple. But it could decide who gets billions in public money - and on what conditions.

As EU leaders gather to discuss the label, @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social explains why it must come with strong social, labour and tax rules.

Read more 👇 www.socialeurope.eu/made-in-euro...
Pop-art style illustration of a woman with red lipstick looking surprised beside a yellow speech bubble reading “MADE IN EUROPE”, on a blue starry background.

Reposted by Raffaella Ravinetto, Els Torreele

aljazeera.com
Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 4d
This is a breaking news story.
Two babies among 53 people dead or missing after boat capsizes off Libya
Shipwreck brings number people reported dead or missing on Central Mediterranean route this year to at least 484.
www.aljazeera.com

Reposted by Els Torreele

ka81.bsky.social
Caroline @Ka81 @ka81.bsky.social · 4d
In case you missed it this ⬇️ It is still going on. Weirdly in a era where people are asking if a machine can be a person whilst simultaneously treating people like machines. Having to ask questions about both.

It's weird times guys.

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
‘It’s destroyed me completely’: Kenyan moderators decry toll of training of AI models
Employees describe the psychological trauma of reading and viewing graphic content, low pay and abrupt dismissals
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Els Torreele

eastangliabylines.co.uk
East Anglia Bylines @eastangliabylines.co.uk · 4d
A senior MoD official helps shape defence strategy, then joins Palantir.

Months later, Palantir lands a £240m MoD contract without tender.

No laws broken – just the revolving door doing what it does best.
The great Ministry of Defence-to-Palantir pipeline
Senior defence officials are moving into Palantir roles as the company secures ever-deeper footholds across government
eastangliabylines.co.uk