Erin A. Snider
@erinsnider.bsky.social
IR, Middle East political economy, democracy aid, & development • Egypt she/her • Author, Marketing Democracy: http://bit.ly/3j8sN8k
The U.S. is undergoing one of the biggest changes to its social safety net in recent history, with huge numbers of people getting dropped from the government’s food assistance program. Nowhere has this been more dramatic than in Arizona. Listen as we explain why and its implications on "The Daily."
Arizona’s Food Stamp Crisis Is Coming for the Rest of the U.S.
The number of people who receive nutrition assistance in Arizona has dropped significantly in a matter of months.
nyti.ms
Abdul El Sayed's open-mindedness on the question of how to actually resolve the question of Palestine is one of the best indicators of his overall intelligence and sincerity. Policymakers in DC should adopt a rights-based approach which prioritizes ending the occupation and apartheid systems.
Ron Skolnik@ronskolnik.bsky.social · yesterdayEl-Sayed: "I believe in equal rights to peace, dignity, and self-determination, for Palestinians and Jewish Israelis alike... If that’s 2 states, I’m for it. If it’s 1 state, I’m for that. If it’s this 'land for all' model, ... or whatever they decide." www.newyorker.com/news/the-new...
Damn he gets it:
Ron Skolnik@ronskolnik.bsky.social · yesterdayEl-Sayed: "I believe in equal rights to peace, dignity, and self-determination, for Palestinians and Jewish Israelis alike... If that’s 2 states, I’m for it. If it’s 1 state, I’m for that. If it’s this 'land for all' model, ... or whatever they decide." www.newyorker.com/news/the-new...
I tried to bring the focus back where it needs to be: "Whatever the strategic (mis)calculations behind this crisis, what is indisputable is that on any given day, there are thousands of young people in Morocco who are willing to risk everything for a chance to live in Europe." tinyurl.com/mpeyzavu
The Makings of a Mass Crisis
Unless Morocco’s government provides better jobs, education, healthcare, and human rights to young people, the crisis we witnessed this last week will happen again.
tinyurl.com
I have a theory that a big chunk of the socialist fear mongering by liberals is really about the fact that it’s perceived as a youth movement and godforbid the young exert political power
Dan O’Sullivan@osullyville.bsky.social · yesterdayNope, nice try. Not doing this to myself. You'll have to kill my ass
BREAKING: We're suing Texas A&M over the university system’s unconstitutional censorship policy. Administrators are canceling or restricting courses that discuss race, gender, and sexual orientation. Public universities are meant for sharing knowledge — not banning it.
Is the news here that taxpayers subsidize the things the government does? Because yeah, that's how it works. What's more expensive, five grocery stores with discounts in NYC, a la military PXes (which taxpayers subsidize) or treating people for health problems caused by food insecurity?
USA TODAY Opinion@usatodayopinion.usatoday.com · 3d agoOpinion: Mamdani's idea may sound appealing, but it's NYC taxpayers who will take the hit, subsidizing discounts they may never even use.
A family that would still be alive but for one man’s war on a whim. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/w...
Evidence Indicates U.S. Dropped Bomb on Residential Area in Iran, Killing 3 Civilians
The weapon, one of the largest in the U.S.’s arsenal, struck a house in a heavily populated area, according to a Times analysis.
nytimes.com
"Saudi Arabia’s economy shrank by 4.8 per cent in the second quarter compared with the same period last year, the steepest quarterly decline since the Covid-19 pandemic, as the US-Iran war takes its toll on the Arab world’s largest economy."
Saudi economy shrinks as Middle East conflict takes heavy toll
GDP contracted by 4.8% in second quarter compared with same period in 2025
giftarticle.ft.com
NEW: #China cuts deals with Yemen’s Houthis as Iran-US war drags on • Chinese 🚢going thru Red Sea • Direct talks w Houthis • Offloading Iranian oil in Malaysia • Adjusting to long war • Buying Saudi oil while arranging security w Iran. More: www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...
China cuts deal with Houthis, adjusts for long US war with Iran
China is cutting its own deals and gaining wartime leverage as the Trump administration scrambles to contain the war and reopen Hormuz.
al-monitor.com
RIP to the magnificent Glen Hansard.
Glen Hansard (2015): KCRW Live From Apogee
YouTube video by KCRW
youtu.be
"A drone hit a U.S.-owned gas storage tanker at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta, British maritime security firm Ambrey said in an initial assessment on Wednesday, in a potential spread of the Middle East war."
Drone hits storage tanker at Egyptian port on Mediterranean, security firm Ambrey says
By Jana Choukeir and Ahmed TolbaDUBAI/CAIRO, July 29 (Reuters) - A drone hit a U.S.-owned gas storage tanker at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta, British maritime security firm Ambrey said in an...
al-monitor.com
"Hundreds of Jordanian political, legal and other figures signed an open letter last week calling for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Jordan in a rare public challenge to the government, which has long cracked down on free speech and dissent."
Some Jordanians Dare to Speak Out Against U.S. Troop Presence (Gift Article)
Hundreds of political, legal and other figures signed a public letter warning that Jordan’s close alliance with the United States poses a risk.
nytimes.com
As a shaky US-Iran ceasefire has unravelled, the UAE has made a bold gambit: tentatively reactivating diplomatic and economic channels with Iran while doubling down on military ties with Israel and the US ft.trib.al/4ZJBUW9
People who think Emily Wilson is being mean have clearly never presented a paper at an academic conference
Two mosques have been set on fire in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in an apparent Israeli settler attack following a spate of deadly violence that killed four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers.
2 mosques in the West Bank are set on fire during a deadly surge in settler violence
Two mosques have been set on fire in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in an apparent Israeli settler attack following a spate of deadly violence that killed four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers.
bit.ly
"Xi Jinping’s flagship overseas infrastructure programme the Belt and Road Initiative boosted its green energy financing to a record $20.1bn in the first half of 2026 as the US war in Iran fuels demand for cheaper renewable power."
China pours funding into green energy deals as Iran war hits oil demand
Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative takes advantage of rise in appetite for renewables as Middle East conflict drags on
giftarticle.ft.com
There should be no doubt: What we are witnessing in West Bank is a sustained ethnic-cleansing campaign that exploits every incident to escalate, as the world is preoccupied with the threat of economic ruin from another war initiated by Israel and the US. www.haaretz.com/west-bank/20...
Israeli settlers burn, vandalize two mosques in West Bank, reports say
Palestinian reports said heavy damage was caused to a mosque in Qusra, where settlers also vandalized and stole property from residents; footage and reports also showed settlers setting fires to farml...
haaretz.com
This is the latest one that I can't believe doesn't have legs. They listed all the grants by whether the states they were in went for Harris or Trump and whether they had at least one republican Senator. All grants in Harris states w/o a republican Senator were canceled.
Trump Administration Admits Canceling Grants to States That Did Not Vote for Him (Gift Article)
Federal officials said in court documents that they halted billions of dollars in funding for energy projects to states “based solely” on whether they backed President Trump in the 2024 election.
nytimes.com
"It turns out that would-be authoritarians don’t need to staff their regimes with ideological true believers, offer extreme enticements or impose draconian punishments in order to make successful power grabs.They just need to figure out how to target their ideal labor pool:the frustrated & mediocre"
Actually, Democracy Dies in H.R. (Gift Article)
New research sheds light on how mediocre employees help would-be authoritarians maintain power.
nytimes.com
Musk still relying on conspiracy theories and lies when it comes to USAID. "USAID was the biggest funder of regime change. Also, its funding was not stopped it was moved to the State Department." "There were claims [that programs were shut down]. These claims were false, nonsense."
Jonathan Harris@jonathan-a-thon.bsky.social · 2w agoHe's quite possibly one of the worst people to have ever lived.
"There was no immediate response from Saudi Arabia to Trump’s comments. The kingdom’s state news TV channel highlighted a post by the US president about punishing Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Iran but appeared to ignore his statement about the nuclear deal, posted a few minutes earlier." 🫠
Trump says Saudi nuclear deal depends on relations with Israel
Crown prince has insisted any rapprochement with Israel will depend on steps towards establishing Palestinian state
giftarticle.ft.com
"The agreement includes two secret side letters reached with the Saudis. The administration is expected to argue they contain proprietary business information and deal with sensitive national security issues" I'm sure nothing dodgy is at play, nor any profiteering by administration officials...
Erin A. Snider@erinsnider.bsky.social · 2w agoSome real art of the deal genius. To get this deal with MBS, Trump had to agree to terms that would limit international inspectors from going to sites they think could be a pathway to diverting fuel to weapons projects.& Saudis may be allowed to enrich uranium or reprocess plutonium on their soil.
Some real art of the deal genius. To get this deal with MBS, Trump had to agree to terms that would limit international inspectors from going to sites they think could be a pathway to diverting fuel to weapons projects.& Saudis may be allowed to enrich uranium or reprocess plutonium on their soil.
Saudis Reach Deal With U.S. That Could Let Them Enrich Nuclear Fuel (Gift Article)
U.S. lawmakers and Israeli officials have expressed opposition to such a plan, to be announced Wednesday, fearing that the kingdom could use a civilian nuclear project to develop nuclear weapons.
nytimes.com
he posted this while Hegseth was telling the senate today that the Iran war (he called it a war repeatedly) has been going on for 47 years with thousands of Americans killed
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2w agoTrump offers sales pitch for his war: "Afghanistan War: 20 years, 2,000 DEAD. Iraq War: 9 years, 4,600 DEAD. Vietnam War: 19 years and 5 months, 58,220 DEAD. Korean War: 3 years and 1 month, 36,574 DEAD. Venezuela War: 1 day, 0 DEAD. Iran Military Conflict: 4 months, 18 DEAD."
"Kuwait has been targeted by nearly 1,400 missile and drone attacks, according to INSS, second only to the United Arab Emirates — and has borne the brunt of renewed strikes since a fragile weeks-long ceasefire between Washington and Tehran broke down this month."
The Gulf nation that became Iran’s softest target
Kuwait, still scarred by the 1990 Iraqi invasion, has been repeatedly attacked by Tehran and its allies
giftarticle.ft.com
The Javier shot I needed! Bravo Spain!!!🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸
Willy’s Wonderlando@landopoe.bsky.social · 2w agoYESSS! #WorldCup2026
