Academic flees Turkey abt a decade ago (bc of political pressures), settles down in New School, and now advocates the firings of his colleagues www.nytimes.com/2026/08/05/n...

Just a few years ago, Turkey and Erdoğan were labeled an exceptionally belligerent country and an authoritarian leader. Now it's clear that this regime has been enabled, encouraged, and strengthened by Western countries, which are also charting their own autocratic tactics in domestic politics.

Bilge Yesil@bilgeyesil.bsky.social · 4w ago

Remember the political prisoners languishing in jails and millions of ppl crushed under economic crisis as you watch NATO leaders receiving a grand Ottoman greeting at Erdogan’s 1000-room palace

Remember the political prisoners languishing in jails and millions of ppl crushed under economic crisis as you watch NATO leaders receiving a grand Ottoman greeting at Erdogan’s 1000-room palace

They say an author is "pregnant" with a book. As a new mum, I can confirm the analogy doesn't stop there: books have a postpartum period too — copy-edits, page proofs, sleep deprivation and all. Anti-fascist Economics has reached the final pass at @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social! Out in October!

Egypt has never been so robbed since the British Museum left the country

Today I learned the hard way that icloud has stopped backing up files and remains a "syncing" service only. I was scolded by an Apple engineer on the phone for not backing up my files on four different hard drives and not reading terms carefully (!) What kind of scam is this?

Fourteen episodes later @ekoshy.bsky.social and I are taking a break until fall! Our season finale reflects on the term "democratic backsliding" and we discuss how useful (or not) the concept is for making sense of global authoritarianism itallhappenedbefore.substack.com/p/episode-14...

Episode 14: On Rethinking the Words We Reach For (Season Finale)

For our final episode, we sat down without a guest to ask ourselves the questions we usually put to others.

itallhappenedbefore.substack.com

and they found that the recipe for success is "be a dick!"

Dave Karpf@davekarpf.bsky.social · last mo.

Shocker: a group of Silicon Valley types, self-selected for believing their intelligence and rationality made them fundamentally better than the rest of humanity, concluded that the most important puzzle was to “crack the code” on what makes genius-founders like Elon BETTER than everyone else.

Fourteen episodes later @ekoshy.bsky.social and I are taking a break until fall! Our season finale reflects on the term "democratic backsliding" and we discuss how useful (or not) the concept is for making sense of global authoritarianism itallhappenedbefore.substack.com/p/episode-14...

Episode 14: On Rethinking the Words We Reach For (Season Finale)

For our final episode, we sat down without a guest to ask ourselves the questions we usually put to others.

itallhappenedbefore.substack.com

NATO denies accreditation to 'non-pro-government media' ahead of Ankara summit Following criticism, NATO said it took the decisions "based on the host nation's assesments" and were in contact with Turkish authorities on the issue. bianet.org/haber/nato-d...

NATO denies accreditation to 'non-pro-government media' ahead of Ankara summit

Following widespread criticism, NATO said it took the decisions "based on the host nation's assesments" and were in contact with Turkish authorities on the issue.

bianet.org

This is great! That said, having spent nearly two weeks in London, I'm genuinely surprised by how patchy the bandwidth is. I ended up testing this map on several different connections (mobile data, home internet, cafe wifi, etc.) before I could load the whole thing.

Helen Czerski@helenczerski.bsky.social · last mo.

Londoners, there is a webpage for you to see where your nearest "cool spaces" are when the extreme heat hits - places with water, air-conditioning & shade. Have a look and spread the word, especially to those who may need this but might not think to look for it: apps.london.gov.uk/cool-spaces/

The top frame is from 2015, when French meteorologists did a “forecast” from a #climate heated August 2050 - a warning on what could possibly happen in 35 years time. Bottom frame: well, it’s happened in barely a decade, only it’s already *much* worse than predicted. It’s a runaway train.

What does Brazil's fight against Bolsonaro teach us about resisting authoritarianism? This week @ekoshy.bsky.social and I talk with @karabekir.bsky.social about Lula's return and the fragile politics of a "rainbow coalition" itallhappenedbefore.substack.com/p/episode-13...

Episode 13: We've Seen the Story Turn with Dr. Karabekir Akkoyunlu

As we explore the various forms of authoritarianism around the world these days, it can feel like there’s no end in sight.

itallhappenedbefore.substack.com

What does Brazil's fight against Bolsonaro teach us about resisting authoritarianism? This week @ekoshy.bsky.social and I talk with @karabekir.bsky.social about Lula's return and the fragile politics of a "rainbow coalition" itallhappenedbefore.substack.com/p/episode-13...

Episode 13: We've Seen the Story Turn with Dr. Karabekir Akkoyunlu

As we explore the various forms of authoritarianism around the world these days, it can feel like there’s no end in sight.

itallhappenedbefore.substack.com

Is there hope amid democratic backsliding ? @baykurt.bsky.social and I talk about Brazil (and Turkey, US and more) with @karabekir.bsky.social —Lula, Bolsonaro, coup convictions, and what coalition-building across polarization might teach us about fighting back. itallhappenedbefore.substack.com

It All Happened Before | Burcu Baykurt | Substack

A podcast co-hosted by Ekin Yaşin and Burcu Baykurt. Click to read It All Happened Before, a Substack publication.

itallhappenedbefore.substack.com

This week's newsletter is coming from Cape Town and reflects on a wonderful panel I chaired on challenging authoritarianism, which was also the theme of our podcast episode with Dr. Maria Repnikova #ica26 @acsj-ica.bsky.social itallhappenedbefore.substack.com/p/what-does-...

What does challenging authoritarianism look like?

Everyday activism, diaspora memory, and what South Africa can tell us about the long game

itallhappenedbefore.substack.com

Fabulous from @baykurt.bsky.social. Her recent post unpacks the quiet, sometimes boring, stages of resistance. These less-shiny periods of horizontal "muscle-building" can be formative, even essential, for later vertical challenges. Check it out: itallhappenedbefore.substack.com/p/what-does-...

What does challenging authoritarianism look like?

Everyday activism, diaspora memory, and what South Africa can tell us about the long game

itallhappenedbefore.substack.com

If you're still in Cape Town tomorrow, join me at the African Centre for Cities at 1 pm for a conversation on smart cities, test-beds, and urban inequalities #ICA26

Burcu Baykurt@baykurt.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Folks going #ICA26 in Cape Town: if you’re still around on June 9th, please join me at the African Centre for Cities where I will talk about Smart as a City @icahdq.bsky.social

If you're still in Cape Town tomorrow, join me at the African Centre for Cities at 1 pm for a conversation on smart cities, test-beds, and urban inequalities #ICA26

Burcu Baykurt@baykurt.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Folks going #ICA26 in Cape Town: if you’re still around on June 9th, please join me at the African Centre for Cities where I will talk about Smart as a City @icahdq.bsky.social

I don't normally advertise each panel, but this is a special one. If you're around #ICA26 at noon today, please come join @acsj-ica.bsky.social panel on reflecting on activism/activist scholarship at ICA as a one-year-old division 🥳

#ICA26: Please take a few minutes to support efforts to create an ICA Urban Communication Interest Group www.TinyURL.com/ICA-UrbanComm

International Communication Association

tinyurl.com

#ICA26: Please take a few minutes to support efforts to create an ICA Urban Communication Interest Group www.TinyURL.com/ICA-UrbanComm

International Communication Association

tinyurl.com

Folks going #ICA26 in Cape Town: if you’re still around on June 9th, please join me at the African Centre for Cities where I will talk about Smart as a City @icahdq.bsky.social

From Russian journalists in exile to Chinese journalists who never left, @ekoshy.bsky.social & I talked with Dr. Maria Repnikova this week about what political action looks like when it walks around autocratic obstacles instead of confronting them itallhappenedbefore.substack.com/p/episode-12...

Episode 12: We've Been Walking Around Obstacles with Dr. Maria Repnikova

When we talk about resistance, we tend to picture it: marchers in the street, dissidents with megaphones, confrontation made visible.

itallhappenedbefore.substack.com

From Russian journalists in exile to Chinese journalists who never left, @ekoshy.bsky.social & I talked with Dr. Maria Repnikova this week about what political action looks like when it walks around autocratic obstacles instead of confronting them itallhappenedbefore.substack.com/p/episode-12...

Episode 12: We've Been Walking Around Obstacles with Dr. Maria Repnikova

When we talk about resistance, we tend to picture it: marchers in the street, dissidents with megaphones, confrontation made visible.

itallhappenedbefore.substack.com

Love that the book is coming to Cape Town! Can't wait to see you soon @katiemontalbano.bsky.social

katiemontalbano.bsky.social@katiemontalbano.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Plane-ready with @baykurt.bsky.social

Folks going #ICA26 in Cape Town: if you’re still around on June 9th, please join me at the African Centre for Cities where I will talk about Smart as a City @icahdq.bsky.social

In this post, I am also announcing the launch of the Data Center Policy database, which my incredible team of RAs and I have been working on for the past 9 months or so. We hope you find it useful: www.datacenterpolicy.com

My latest in @techpolicypress.bsky.social on data center policy trends. “While the era of unchecked growth fueled by tax breaks is waning, the new regulatory regime is fragmented, reactive, and heavily contested.” www.techpolicy.press/the-state-of...

The State of Data Center Policy in the United States

The DIGS Lab at the University of Virginia reviewed more than 700 federal, state, and local policies related to data centers, writes Dr. Lauren E. Bridges.

techpolicy.press

When political transformation happens to large populations, we try to make sense of it — from up close and from a distance. Why has this happened? Has it happened before? If so, why now, or again? What is the story? open.substack.com/pub/itallhap...

What Are Stories For?

On Hansen, Hochschild, and the Limits of Understanding Authoritarianism

open.substack.com