Lizbeth Barnard
@lizbethbarnard.bsky.social
Interpreter, writer. Follow geopolitics, European diplomacy & security, transatlantic relations, conflict resolution, the arts. Fletcher School & Oberlin alum.
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
No crypto! Just old-fashioned corruption
www.propublica.org/article/kris...
www.propublica.org/article/kris...
Firm Tied to Kristi Noem Secretly Got Money From $220 Million DHS Ad Contracts
The company is run by the husband of Noem’s chief DHS spokesperson and has personal and business ties to Noem and her aides. DHS invoked the “emergency” at the border to skirt competitive bidding rule...
www.propublica.org
November 15, 2025 at 10:03 PM
No crypto! Just old-fashioned corruption
www.propublica.org/article/kris...
www.propublica.org/article/kris...
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
Government agency accounts run by young racist white boy shitposters and meme lords, what could go wrong?
This is real. A government agency calling Americans performing their democratic right of protest “imbecilic morons.” This Trump regime is a poison and never should have gotten power. A total disgrace.
November 15, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Government agency accounts run by young racist white boy shitposters and meme lords, what could go wrong?
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
"300 agents stormed the building, rappelled from a helicopter, knocked down doors and hurled flash-bang grenades. Agents ziptied and detained many US citizens for hours..."
Prosecutors have not filed a *single* criminal charge against anyone arrested that night:
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
Prosecutors have not filed a *single* criminal charge against anyone arrested that night:
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
“I Lost Everything”: Venezuelans Were Rounded Up in a Dramatic Midnight Raid but Never Charged With a Crime
Authorities said Tren de Aragua “terrorists” had taken over the building. A ProPublica investigation found little evidence to back up the government’s claims. For the first time, the Venezuelans arres...
www.propublica.org
November 15, 2025 at 1:39 AM
"300 agents stormed the building, rappelled from a helicopter, knocked down doors and hurled flash-bang grenades. Agents ziptied and detained many US citizens for hours..."
Prosecutors have not filed a *single* criminal charge against anyone arrested that night:
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
Prosecutors have not filed a *single* criminal charge against anyone arrested that night:
www.propublica.org/article/chic...
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
And keep in mind that “criminal history” could be a 15-year-old DUI, which is what they used to deport a popular local restaurant owner with two American children in my town during Trump I. He employed 6 people and nothing has opened up in that space since.
DEVELOPING: The DOJs own data, provided as part of an ongoing lawsuit, appeared to show only about 2.5% of 614 people arrested by ICE on immigration violations in the Chicago area before Oct. 7 had criminal histories
Story here:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/14/o...
Story here:
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/14/o...
Only 2.5% on list of 614 ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ arrestees had criminal histories, DOJ records show
Meanwhile, the other 598 people on the list had no listed criminal history at all.
www.chicagotribune.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:50 PM
And keep in mind that “criminal history” could be a 15-year-old DUI, which is what they used to deport a popular local restaurant owner with two American children in my town during Trump I. He employed 6 people and nothing has opened up in that space since.
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
UPDATE: No redistricting (seat-stealing) for Indiana Republicans…
November 14, 2025 at 9:02 PM
UPDATE: No redistricting (seat-stealing) for Indiana Republicans…
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
Whereas previous US presidents tried to reconcile Woodrow Wilson’s idealism with Theodore Roosevelt’s realism, Trump merges both impulses into a single, volatile creed: exceptionalism without responsibility or restraint, writes Ana Palacio in @projectsyndicate.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/4i007Z7
https://bit.ly/4i007Z7
Trump’s Violent New Monroe Doctrine
Ana Palacio thinks US strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats are symptomatic of a dangerous shift in US foreign policy.
bit.ly
November 14, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Whereas previous US presidents tried to reconcile Woodrow Wilson’s idealism with Theodore Roosevelt’s realism, Trump merges both impulses into a single, volatile creed: exceptionalism without responsibility or restraint, writes Ana Palacio in @projectsyndicate.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/4i007Z7
https://bit.ly/4i007Z7
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
Maybe it's time to make more noise about this? Last spring a thousand agents frantically redacted all mentions of Trump's name in the Epstein files. How does that square with what can and will be released?
FBI agents were told to 'flag' any Epstein records that mentioned Trump, Sen. Durbin says
President Donald Trump, bowing to days of pressure, asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to get grand jury testimony about Jeffrey Epstein unsealed.
www.cnbc.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Maybe it's time to make more noise about this? Last spring a thousand agents frantically redacted all mentions of Trump's name in the Epstein files. How does that square with what can and will be released?
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
The horror of the terrorist attacks of November 13th 2015 plunged the City of Lights into darkness. Ten years on, Paris is mostly itself again. Yet the trauma lingers: in lives ended, families broken, spaces shrunk and the long shadow of dread
economist.com/culture/2024...
economist.com/culture/2024...
The long shadow of the Paris terrorist attacks of 2015
November 13th shook the French capital—but has not changed it
economist.com
November 13, 2025 at 7:00 AM
The horror of the terrorist attacks of November 13th 2015 plunged the City of Lights into darkness. Ten years on, Paris is mostly itself again. Yet the trauma lingers: in lives ended, families broken, spaces shrunk and the long shadow of dread
economist.com/culture/2024...
economist.com/culture/2024...
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
The Trump administration is using a three-fold strategy to tackle immigration. The aggressive tactics have changed the way the state exercises power in American cities
See how Donald Trump is creating his own police force
Immigration agents are operating in cities with few legal constraints
econ.st
November 13, 2025 at 2:00 AM
The Trump administration is using a three-fold strategy to tackle immigration. The aggressive tactics have changed the way the state exercises power in American cities
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
Here’s a gift link (no paywall) to the article, “Catholic bishops condemn ‘indiscriminate mass deportation’ in rare statement”:
wapo.st/448fDw6
wapo.st/448fDw6
November 13, 2025 at 5:03 AM
Here’s a gift link (no paywall) to the article, “Catholic bishops condemn ‘indiscriminate mass deportation’ in rare statement”:
wapo.st/448fDw6
wapo.st/448fDw6
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
Corruption is a problem in Ukraine and part of the reason the country has not freed itself from Russia earlier. Now it appears the anti-corruption forces are about to win a major battle though. The news here is not that there is corruption. The news is that it's being brought to light and fought.
In July, Zelenskyy tried to gut Ukraine's anti-corruption bureau.
In November, it released wiretaps exposing his friend running a $100M kickback scheme at the state nuclear operator.
The agency survived—and struck back. Our deep dive into the scandal: euromaidanpress.com/2025/11/12/n...
In November, it released wiretaps exposing his friend running a $100M kickback scheme at the state nuclear operator.
The agency survived—and struck back. Our deep dive into the scandal: euromaidanpress.com/2025/11/12/n...
NABU survived Zelenskyy’s July purge to expose his friend’s $100M racket—now comes the harder test
Ukraine's justice system decides whether evidence by its top anti-corruption agency becomes convictions.
euromaidanpress.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:09 AM
Corruption is a problem in Ukraine and part of the reason the country has not freed itself from Russia earlier. Now it appears the anti-corruption forces are about to win a major battle though. The news here is not that there is corruption. The news is that it's being brought to light and fought.
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
🇺🇦 ⚖️Battlefield travails are one thing, but corruption remains one key challenge for Ukraine to overcome on its road to joining the EU. From the perspective of civil society work, yet another change of the MoJ means revisiting prior arrangements and slowdowns that could have been avoided.
Ukraine suspends justice minister amid energy corruption scandal – Europe live
Ukraine suspends justice minister amid energy corruption scandal – Europe live
Prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said that the decision to suspend German Galushchenko had been taken at an emergency government session
Ukrainian justice minister German Galushchenko has been suspended amid an alleged corruption scandal in the country’s energy sector, uncovered by the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, or SAPO.
AFP reported that the authorities alleged that Galushchenko was involved in a $100m corruption scheme orchestrated by Timur Mindich, an ally of president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and personally benefited from the plot. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 12, 2025 at 11:20 AM
🇺🇦 ⚖️Battlefield travails are one thing, but corruption remains one key challenge for Ukraine to overcome on its road to joining the EU. From the perspective of civil society work, yet another change of the MoJ means revisiting prior arrangements and slowdowns that could have been avoided.
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
“Bottom line: partisan sources + lobbying conflicts + a choreographed leak = a weaponised attack on public-service journalism.”
#BBC #journalism #Trump
#BBC #journalism #Trump
🧵On our revelations today about the BBC Coup and the Prescott Dossier.
The leaked ‘BBC Bias’ memo Trump used to attack the BBC was authored by Michael Prescott — a Hanover lobbyist paid by US tech/media giants tied to Trump. Full story: bylinetimes.com/2025/11/11/b... 1/12
The leaked ‘BBC Bias’ memo Trump used to attack the BBC was authored by Michael Prescott — a Hanover lobbyist paid by US tech/media giants tied to Trump. Full story: bylinetimes.com/2025/11/11/b... 1/12
'BBC Bias' Memo Was Authored by Lobbyist Tied to Pro-Trump Tech Giants
The leaked memo that fuelled Trump’s attack on the BBC was written by a lobbyist at a firm paid by US tech giants tied to the President
bylinetimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:41 PM
“Bottom line: partisan sources + lobbying conflicts + a choreographed leak = a weaponised attack on public-service journalism.”
#BBC #journalism #Trump
#BBC #journalism #Trump
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
Important to note that Trump was able to collect the IEEPA tariffs during litigation (no TRO/PI, no shadow docket, etc) because DOJ told the lower courts that the Treasury could refund everyone if they lost the case.
November 11, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Important to note that Trump was able to collect the IEEPA tariffs during litigation (no TRO/PI, no shadow docket, etc) because DOJ told the lower courts that the Treasury could refund everyone if they lost the case.
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
Federal Data Exposes Border Patrol's Extreme Use of Force
Investigative reporting by POGO shows Greg Bovino’s leadership linked to disproportionate use of force during high-profile immigration operations in Chicago and Los Angeles. migrantinsider.com/p/federal-da...
Investigative reporting by POGO shows Greg Bovino’s leadership linked to disproportionate use of force during high-profile immigration operations in Chicago and Los Angeles. migrantinsider.com/p/federal-da...
Federal Data Exposes Border Patrol's Extreme Use of Force
Investigative reporting by POGO shows Greg Bovino’s leadership linked to disproportionate use of force during high-profile immigration operations in Chicago and Los Angeles.
migrantinsider.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Federal Data Exposes Border Patrol's Extreme Use of Force
Investigative reporting by POGO shows Greg Bovino’s leadership linked to disproportionate use of force during high-profile immigration operations in Chicago and Los Angeles. migrantinsider.com/p/federal-da...
Investigative reporting by POGO shows Greg Bovino’s leadership linked to disproportionate use of force during high-profile immigration operations in Chicago and Los Angeles. migrantinsider.com/p/federal-da...
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
The Trump administration is pushing to strip language from a resolution that affirms the country’s territorial integrity and condemns Russia’s occupation of Crimea and other regions, according to two people familiar with internal UN discussions.
www.kyivpost.com/post/63999
www.kyivpost.com/post/63999
November 11, 2025 at 1:17 PM
The Trump administration is pushing to strip language from a resolution that affirms the country’s territorial integrity and condemns Russia’s occupation of Crimea and other regions, according to two people familiar with internal UN discussions.
www.kyivpost.com/post/63999
www.kyivpost.com/post/63999
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
NEWS: The UK is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes the attacks are illegal, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. edition.cnn.com/2025/11/11/p...
Exclusive: UK suspends some intelligence sharing with US over boat strike concerns in major break | CNN Politics
The United Kingdom is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes ...
edition.cnn.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:06 PM
NEWS: The UK is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes the attacks are illegal, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. edition.cnn.com/2025/11/11/p...
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
Now I'm a dummy but it really feels to me like there has to be an entire relatively broad-based winning politics based around being in opposition to *just this one sliver* of what the Trump administration is doing right here www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/b...
November 11, 2025 at 4:26 AM
Now I'm a dummy but it really feels to me like there has to be an entire relatively broad-based winning politics based around being in opposition to *just this one sliver* of what the Trump administration is doing right here www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/b...
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
this was a good convo - not just anger (totally warranted) - but potential solutions too
November 10, 2025 at 10:53 PM
this was a good convo - not just anger (totally warranted) - but potential solutions too
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
This is a good piece of analysis, one that doesn’t give into doomerism
November 10, 2025 at 6:13 AM
This is a good piece of analysis, one that doesn’t give into doomerism
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
November 10, 2025 at 4:44 AM
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
“The Heritage Foundation, the intellectual engine behind the 922-page blueprint that has become the key policy manual for Trump’s second term, is partnering with a constellation of European nationalist far-right movements to export its playbook for countering progressive policies.”
11/10/25 … 1/
11/10/25 … 1/
The Heritage Foundation goes from MAGA to MEGA — Make Europe Great Again
On the agenda: pro-natalism, freedom of expression, opposing trans rights and fighting Chinese influence.
www.politico.eu
November 10, 2025 at 4:50 AM
“The Heritage Foundation, the intellectual engine behind the 922-page blueprint that has become the key policy manual for Trump’s second term, is partnering with a constellation of European nationalist far-right movements to export its playbook for countering progressive policies.”
11/10/25 … 1/
11/10/25 … 1/
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
Ed Martin seemed to explicitly link the pardons to his “No MAGA left behind” mantra—tweeting the news in reply to a post that said exactly that.
In addition to his role as pardon attorney, Martin leads the Weaponization Working Group, which probes alleged “politicization” of the Justice Department.
In addition to his role as pardon attorney, Martin leads the Weaponization Working Group, which probes alleged “politicization” of the Justice Department.
November 10, 2025 at 5:41 AM
Ed Martin seemed to explicitly link the pardons to his “No MAGA left behind” mantra—tweeting the news in reply to a post that said exactly that.
In addition to his role as pardon attorney, Martin leads the Weaponization Working Group, which probes alleged “politicization” of the Justice Department.
In addition to his role as pardon attorney, Martin leads the Weaponization Working Group, which probes alleged “politicization” of the Justice Department.
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
Among Hungary, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, it was Hungary that exited Moscow's grip in 1990 with the highest GDP per capita.
The Russian-backed Orban regime has since looted the country to the point that it's now the lowest.
The Russian-backed Orban regime has since looted the country to the point that it's now the lowest.
November 9, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Among Hungary, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, it was Hungary that exited Moscow's grip in 1990 with the highest GDP per capita.
The Russian-backed Orban regime has since looted the country to the point that it's now the lowest.
The Russian-backed Orban regime has since looted the country to the point that it's now the lowest.
Reposted by Lizbeth Barnard
It’s not just strategic enablers:
Look what you made us do: How to realise a European-led NATO
ecfr.eu/article/look...
Look what you made us do: How to realise a European-led NATO
ecfr.eu/article/look...
Look what you made us do: How to realise a European-led NATO
America’s gradual retreat from European security under the current Trump administration is reshaping NATO’s centre of gravity. To keep the alliance credible and united, Europeans not only need to…
ecfr.eu
November 9, 2025 at 12:41 PM
It’s not just strategic enablers:
Look what you made us do: How to realise a European-led NATO
ecfr.eu/article/look...
Look what you made us do: How to realise a European-led NATO
ecfr.eu/article/look...