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This opinion piece argues that Europe should "shut down recommender algorithms" of the big US social media platforms - Facebook, X, Instagram, etc. - because the author believes that these algorithms are undermining European democracy.

The most obvious example of such an algorithm is on X, where Musk can manipulate the algorithm to boost European far-right parties, like AfD. But the author argues that other social media CEOs, like Zuck, are beholden to Trump's anti-liberal agenda - for example, Trump "openly threatened to throw Mark Zuckerberg in jail for the rest of his life". Therefore: "It is reasonable to assume that tech oligarchs will do what [Trump] tells them", which may include the Trump administration pressuring US social media companies to recommend more right-wing content.

So the author says: "The EU must immediately switch off the tech companies’ algorithms on its soil, at least until they are proven safe for democracy". Do you agree with that?

This article says that the UK might be willing to sign up for a youth mobility scheme with the EU (for 18-30 year-olds) because it could boost economic growth: "by some estimates, it could do more for growth than planning reform and housebuilding combined".

However, the article also says that the UK government thinks it would be a mistake to get too close to the EU, because this could serve the narrative of right-wing populists:

Downing Street believes that part of the appeal of both Trump and our homegrown [British] strain of rightwing populism lies in how institutions like the EU became too detached from the people they were meant to serve. In short, [the UK government is] determined not to be seen defending the status quo.

Thoughts?

In a statement from China’s Ministry of Finance, which we’ve translated using Google, the country says that any further tariffs from the US side would “no longer make economic sense,” and that the US “will become a joke in the history of the world economy.”

China says that at the new tariff rate of 125 percent there is no longer any “market acceptance for US goods exported to China,” so there’s no sense in raising tariffs further. “If the US continues to play the tariff numbers game, China will ignore it,” the statement says.

China isn’t ruling out other forms of retaliation, however, ending the statement with a warning: “If the US insists on continuing to substantially infringe on China’s interests, China will resolutely counterattack and fight to the end.” Yesterday the country announced it was reducing the number of Hollywood films it would permit to release, and over the last week it has also restricted import and export rights for a number of US companies.

Some people don't like Blink-182 but I like them. I thought this interview was interesting.

This article is about how the US is turning its back on free trade, which has actually made the US very rich.

Trump wants to get trade deficits with other countries to zero, but the author of this article says "there is no inherent reason why these numbers [trade surpluses and deficits] should be zero".

As the author explains, "different countries are better at making different products, and have different natural and human resources". One country might grow lots of food, and another might have large iron ore deposits. These differences can create trade surpluses and deficits between countries, which aren't necessarily a bad thing.

But as the author says: "according to the White House, the act of selling more goods to the US than the US sells to you, is by definition 'cheating' and is deserving of a tariff that is calculated to correct that imbalance".

I found this mini-article interesting. It talks about the development of GTA from its early days in Scotland, in the UK.

Many people probably assume that GTA is an American game series, and sure it is ultimately owned by American companies (Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive).

But GTA was originally made in Scotland, and Rockstar North, which I think is still the lead development studio for GTA, is still based in Scotland.

GTA must be one of Scotland's most important exports of modern times. The website of Rockstar North clearly shows their Scottish heritage with a Scottish flag on the left-hand side:

One doctor thinks that Booker's 25 hours without urinating means he needs to see a urologist:

“I think [Booker] needs to see a urologist,” says Dr Rena Malik, urologist and pelvic surgeon. “He probably has some real bladder dysfunction. That’s not normal. A normal person can’t do that.”

The 55-year-old Booker said that he stopped drinking in the lead up to the speech, so he wouldn't need to use the toilet. Another urologist said this sort of dehydration isn't a good idea:

“Dehydration can have serious consequences, particularly for older adults,” says Dr Bashir Al Hussein Al Awamlh, a urologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian.

Was Booker's speech worth the medical risks? I think it's pretty impressive that he managed to do it.

The fate of boys “is a defining issue of our time”, according to the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, as she calls for more men to become teachers to combat “toxic” behaviours.

since 2010 the number of teachers in our schools has increased by 28,000 – but just 533 of those are men

Do you think this is an issue? Decades ago, boys would have been taught by male teachers, so today's female teachers are a change from the past.

Source can be downloaded from the EU website: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/api/deliverable/download/file?deliverableId=97983

It's linked to on this page (near the bottom in the "infographics" section): https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/3492

The article title is a bit of a misnomer because apparently they only surveyed western Europeans rather than people across Europe. But still it's interesting.

These survey results appear in the article:

This article is about Germany rapidly increasing defence spending, and also the fact that they're considering conscription. I also found this interesting:

A recent YouGov poll showed that 79% of Germans still see Vladimir Putin as "very" or "quite" dangerous to European peace and security. Now 74% said the same for Donald Trump.

Thoughts?