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Els Torreele

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.

Environmental science 28%

Economics 20%

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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...

Reposted by Els Torreele

Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 16h

Over 100 artists for Palestine back UN’s Albanese after resignation calls https://aje.news/5f2oy6

Over 100 artists for Palestine back UN’s Albanese after resignation calls

Reposted by Els Torreele

Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 20h

At the opening of the 39th summit of the African Union, the Chairman of the Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said the "extermination" of the Palestinian people must end.

Reposted by Els Torreele

Mike Eckel @mikeeckel.bsky.social · 1d

Statement from Britain, Sweden, France, Germany and The Netherlands on Alexei Navalny's poisoning:

Reposted by Els Torreele

Dr Paul Dorfman @drpauldorfman.bsky.social · 1d

#nuclear #SMR
SMRs will produce more costly power.
academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...

Small modular nuclear reactors for developing countries: Expectations and evidence

Abstract. Many developing countries have shown interest in acquiring nuclear power plants, particularly small modular reactors (SMRs). By analyzing present

academic.oup.com

Reposted by Els Torreele

Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 1d

This Valentine

Maybe time for the @ec.europa.eu ??

Reposted by Els Torreele

Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 1d

Big news as UK judges rule ban of Palestine Action is unlawful

Government appeals

Sad for governments to violate human rights to protect Israeli government accused of genocide and ordered by ICJ to stop its war in Gaza

UK Palestine Action ban ruled unlawful, in humiliating blow for ministers

Thousands arrested for supporting group since proscription are now in legal limbo as Mahmood says she will appeal

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Els Torreele, Brian Keegan , and 4 more Anna O. Law, Els Torreele, Brian Keegan, Mark Rice, Larry W. Hunter, Raúl Pacheco-Vega, Jesse R. Lasky

Aaron Clauset @aaronclauset.bsky.social · 1d

My employer, Univ. Colorado will pay OpenAI $2M/year under the banner of “equity”. That’s 54 full scholarships / year. Plus, our IT will be able to read our chatGPT logs, and our chats can be requested under public records law. No thanks. Surveillance is not equity

www.axios.com/local/boulde...

CU signs $2M OpenAI deal for ChatGPT access

Students and faculty will gain access to ChatGPT Edu starting in March under a three-year deal.

Reposted by Els Torreele

Charles Keener @charleskeener.bsky.social · 2d

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

Martin McKee @martinmckee.bsky.social · 2d

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 — EU news that matters @euobserver.com · 2d

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.

Reposted by Els Torreele

Humanitarian Policy Group @hpg-odiglobal.bsky.social · 3d

"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

Els Torreele @elstorreele.bsky.social · 3d

👇 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.

Reposted by Daniela Gabor, Els Torreele

ehofferberth.bsky.social @ehofferberth.bsky.social · 3d

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

Reposted by Els Torreele

Albert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 3d

“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 Els Torreele

Albert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 3d

15/ Tech oligarch Elon Musk calls Spain’s socialist Prime Minisfer Sanchez a “a true fascist totalitarian”

tech oligarchs trying to interfere in Spains elections…
www.politico.eu/article/spai...
bsky.app/profile/did:...

Reposted by Michael E. Mann, Nandita Sharma, Richard B. Aronson , and 8 more Michael E. Mann, Nandita Sharma, Richard B. Aronson, John McLaren, Alan Richardson, Els Torreele, Jason Lyall, Olivier Mannoni, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Guy Dewsbury, Timothy D. McBride

Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 3d

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.

Els Torreele @elstorreele.bsky.social · 4d

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.

Reposted by Els Torreele

Truthout @truthout.org · 4d

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.

Els Torreele @elstorreele.bsky.social · 4d

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

Brian Beutler @brianbeutler.bsky.social · 4d

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

Jan Willem Goudriaan @jwgoudriaan.bsky.social · 4d

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

Owen Jones @owenjones.bsky.social · 5d

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...

Reposted by Els Torreele, Dolly Jørgensen, Raúl Pacheco-Vega

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 5d

New OA article just out on "assetizing academic content" led by @jkom.bsky.social with me, @keanbirch.bsky.social & Klaus Beiter, exploring how academic materials are turned into value-generating digital assets by HE institutions, edtech platforms, and AI companies link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Assetizing academic content and the emergence of the ‘assetizen’: education platforms, publisher databases, and AI model training - Higher Education

Higher Education - Academic content, such as teaching materials and academic publications, has become an economic resource. This has occurred through assetization as the key economic regime in...

link.springer.com

Els Torreele @elstorreele.bsky.social · 5d

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

Healthy Debate @healthydebate.bsky.social · 5d

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

RichardJR @electricbluesfan.bsky.social · 5d

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

Thiago Carvalho @cyrilpedia.bsky.social · 5d

'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

Reposted by Els Torreele, Georg Weizsäcker

Transparency International EU @transparency-eu.bsky.social · 5d

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 @euractiv.com · 5d

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

Reposted by Els Torreele

Prof Gavin Yamey @gavinyamey.bsky.social · 5d

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

Prashant Yadav @prof-yadav.bsky.social · 5d

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