Charly Salonius-Pasternak

In today’s Vatnik Soup, made together with chef invité @martinlaineolen.bsky.social , we discuss the extensive links between pedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and Russian officials and intelligence operatives, and how Western politicians reinforced these links.

1/23

I am not a computer security expert. Can someone explain to my why every AI agent (Claude Code, whatever) with read/write/execute privileges is not a gigantic security vulnerability for every computer on which it is installed?

NSS: "We seek... peaceful commercial relations with the nations of the world without imposing on them democratic or other social change..." www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...
"The US state department is set to fund Maga-aligned think-tanks and charities across Europe..." www.ft.com/content/f869...

Tell me again about that brilliant idea of states "investing in" bitcoin and its ilk...

...especially since states w powerful central banks could create far superior and stable digital currencies themselves.

--> Value halved since October 2025 and dropped from 80k to 50k in three weeks.

Perfect.

Art, human expression is … what makes us individuals in a collective, able to learn from and feel kinship with others.

No machine nor technology could ever do this. Ever.

This required courage, knowing there is something more important than your ‘social standing’ - taking a stand (and many glorious swipes at) against power when it is wronging the people.

Thank you, great thread!

Perhaps just me, but should Europeans actually lead on this and make this be costly to China?

Breaking: Washington Post gutting its climate team Clean energy dies in darkness. Courtesy of Jeff Bezos.

I don't say this often but: I'm so proud to be a climate and environment reporter. We cover an issue that is vitally important to humanity and the natural world. 14 of my climate colleagues at the Post were laid off today and I'm devastated.

www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/washington...

A staggering statement from former Washington Post editor Marty Baron: "This ranks among the darkest days in the history of one of the world's greatest news organizations."

For the first time in half a century the two largest nuclear powers in the world, United States and USSR/Russia have no agreements in force regarding nuclear weapons.

This is a failure of American and Russian leaders, but blame must also be apportioned on China.

The world is worse off.

"It was the nukes that caused Japan's post-WWII development trajectory..." -Hegseth, Vance or Miller?

In which I get to say the word "orgies" several times on French television, while discussing the intersection between economic sociology of elites--my field of research--and the Epstein files.

Muistutus, että joku Suomalaisessa byrokratiassa on päätynyt johtopäätöksen, että kannattaa siirtää kriittistä kansalaisten dataa firmalle (Amazon/AWS) joka todistetusti ei välitä yksityisyydestä, ja jonka omistaja näkee vapaan lehdistön ongelmana (Jeff Be$os).

Voisiko harkita uudelleen?

Fortunately 🇺🇦 suffering will not occur in info-darkness as independent journalists and national broadcasters like Finland’s Yle ensure that it’s not only locals like @kyivindependent.com and @kyivpost.com on whom the burden of documenting & telling us what is happening.

PS WaPo killed its 🇺🇦 dept

Bezos isn't destroying the Washington Post because it isn't profitable. He's destroying the Washington Post because he's calculated that a robust free press threatens the ability of his class to warp society around their interests

always bears repeating that this is NOT a financial decision. jeff bezos is worth over 250 billion dollars. he can afford to lose many millions and never even notice it. this is, at its core, a political and personal decision by bezos to destroy the post

Couldn’t find my Springsteen or Public Enemy concert shirts, so picked another artist who has engaged w US politics over the years. Soon on MTV (🇫🇮) to talk about nexus of US music/artists and politics + protest songs.

YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Lyric Video)

Tänään jotain erillaista mediassa (MTV Viiden jälkeen) mutta sydäntä lähellä: musiikin ja politiikan risteys, tällä kertaa liittyen Yhdysvaltoihin.

Puhutaan mm Bossin uudesta biisistä 👇🏼, Bad Bunnysta ja Taylor Swiftistä.

youtu.be/GDaPdpwA4Iw?...

Dear media, stop acting like Trump means what he says Whether over "a deal" on Greenland or a "pivot" on ICE, we need far more skepticism

"The news media doesn’t seem to know how to bring anything other than wide-eyed credulity to Trump's utterances, even after all the lies and deceit of the past decade."

Great @sulliview.bsky.social takedown of coverage of "pivot" on ICE and Greenland:
margaretsullivan.substack.com/p/dear-media...

On what basis does the END of a conflict see chaos and mass unguided movement?

Presumably those civilians returning home(ish) will understand there are UXOs (and will be told/reminded by authorities). Obviously some unfortunate and tragic civilian deaths… ultimately blame is on attacker.

Finland reintroduces anti-personnel mines…

…remember training to do this 👇🏼, including “build your own” variants out of plastic soda bottles, detonator, explosives and assorted shrapnel like stuff.

And no, they will not be placed anywhere during peace time = no civilians harmed.

Hallituksen niksi-Pirkka ehdotus saada talous kasvuun 😅😉🤣

The US and Russia’s nuclear weapons treaty is set to expire. Here’s what’s at stake Letting New START expire would signal that the world’s largest nuclear powers are abandoning restraint.

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty will expire this week. If it does, it will mark the first time since the 1970s that there will be no legally binding limits on US and Russian strategic nuclear forces.

Florida will not be last US state to end vaccination mandates.

Thus, EU should begin to require vaccination certificates from Americans. If you want to be a plague carrier, you have no business visiting Europe as a tourist or for biz.

YEESH. Brutal. But very well-written.

Must hand it to the Swedes: They've produced a handbook FOR COMPANIES that riffs of the decade old (since updated) "If crisis or war comes" handbook for individuals.

Reminder that innovation often comes from those that have catching up to do but are motivated!

www.mcf.se/sv/publikati...

Never Fight Alone Anyone who would denigrate the service of our NATO allies clearly never spent a day in uniform.

My high school friend Bill McRaven offers the day's essential read: Anyone who would denigrate the service of our NATO allies clearly never spent a day in uniform,” and “if we continue to show disdain for our allies … we may find ourselves fighting alone someday www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

I teach First Amendment, and I heartily endorse this message

Blow for OpenAI in Germany as court rules song lyrics used illegally A German court ruled on Tuesday that OpenAI violated copyright on nine popular songs in a lawsuit that marked another attempt to prevent the free use of artists' content online. The Munich Regional Co...

This is encouraging: OpenAI loses court case, as it's clear ChatGPT doesn't just learn from stolen material but stores it and uses it to generate outputs. This pressure must be kept up.

www.yahoo.com/news/article...