“Nearly 200 private colleges borrowed from restricted endowments in 2025, [sometimes without the donors’ knowledge].” www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...

The Struggling Colleges Raiding Their Endowments to Pay the Bills

It’s the last resort for institutions on the brink: tapping restricted funds from donors to keep the lights on.

wsj.com

FIFA’s already very prone to corruption. Infantino’s plan to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup & other FIFA competitions to private investors would create even more rent-seeking. UEFA is right to object. When public goods are governed by private interests, profit trumps accountability.

Russell England @russellengland.bsky.social · last wk.

UEFA is considering a boycott of FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup and the Club World Cup Because the non-profit FIFA wants to hand over influence to private investors There are 55 members in UEFA

Well, this is a first! EU Parliament calls for sanctions on Turkey’s justice minister. www.turkishminute.com/2026/06/17/e...

European Parliament adopts report urging EU sanctions on Turkey’s justice minister - Turkish Minute

The European Parliament on Wednesday adopted a report urging the European Union to consider human rights sanctions against Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, naming the former İstanbul chief public...

turkishminute.com

Academic research now confirms what many of us already suspected: Brands can easily post promotional content on platforms such as Reddit, Quora, Wikipedia, etc. and use it to manipulate the outputs of AI tools.

Jason Koebler@jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 2mo ago

New: Researchers have quantified how easy AI search is to manipulate. Just 13 words buried in a random Reddit comment can poison AI search results. They suggest this is not easy to stop: "The way you can attack these systems is so much dumber than you think it is" www.404media.co/it-is-trivia...

There’s been debate over which chant would be used to support Turkey’s national team at the World Cup. I think that debate is now over. The Turkish Football Federation has just shared the national team anthem prepared at the instruction of President Erdoğan.

Apparently, this was not as clear as I thought: The ESN group and the ESN party are different entities. The possible ban would apply to the party only and cut off EU funding(~€2 in 2026). Far-right MEPs would still keep their seats in the European Parliament. www.politico.eu/article/eu-w...

Brussels watchdog moves to ban Alternative for Germany’s EU party

The far-right Europe of Sovereign Nations could lose its funding and its right to be a political party.

politico.eu

TI report below suggests concerns about ineffective rule of law reforms in Albania are still very real since I posted this (bsky.app/profile/mert...) back in November:

Transparency International EU@transparency-eu.bsky.social · 2mo ago

We've been monitoring the progress EU enlargement countries have made in the EU's 2025 Rule of Law Reports.

After years of institutional paralysis, the otherwise obscure Authority for EU Political Parties has finally discovered its monitoring mandate. The target? The AfD. The EPP's biggest headache in Germany. A mere coincidence? substack.com/home/post/p-...

POLITICO Europe@politico.eu · 2mo ago

EXCLUSIVE: The far-right Europe of Sovereign Nations party — home of Alternative for Germany — could be outlawed for failing to uphold EU values.

The decision to shut down Bilgi has been reversed. The president of Turkey’s Higher Education Council says the initial move was a “mandatory legal procedure,” but that President Erdoğan later acted “sensitively” toward the concerns of students, families, and university staff.

Mert Kartal@mertkartal.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Istanbul Bilgi University, which I am proud to have graduated from, has been shut down.

Past experience suggests a much harsher crackdown may be coming. Those resisting would be detained. It’d not be surprising to ultimately see efforts to strip Özgür Özel of immunity for inciting public hatred & hostility. And given where we’re, noone would be shocked to see Kılıçdaroğlu support it.

Mert Kartal@mertkartal.bsky.social · 2mo ago

In case anyone outside Turkey still cares, today marks another turning point for Turkish “democracy.” A major threshold has been crossed.

The shit that we insisted was going to happen in Turkey finally happened just as we predicted. The only difference is that, ten years down the line, barely anybody outside of Turkey even cares anymore...

The EU now has another Orbán-like leader.

POLITICO Europe@politico.eu · 3mo ago

Slovenia’s National Assembly today handed nationalist politician Janez Janša his fourth term as prime minister.

Hard to overstate how sharp Turkey's descent into unvarnished authoritarianism is right now; at one point this would be major news, a cause of consternation in Brussels and Washington. Today, it seems to barely cause raised eyebrows.

In case anyone outside Turkey still cares, today marks another turning point for Turkish “democracy.” A major threshold has been crossed.

Sinem Adar@sinemadar.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Protagonist: Kemal Kilicdaroglu, enabled and emboldened by Ankara. Instruments: Lawfare, crude force, and stigmatisation of the CHP, Ankara's Aim: Regime survival by degrading adversaries to the extent that their reconstitution is impossible or difficult,

A Turkish court today removed the head of the country's main opposition party, clearing the way for his predecessor to return. His predecessor already lost to Erdoğan in an election in 2023 – and is viewed as a far more convenient opposition leader for the Turkish president.

Turkish court ruling removes head of main opposition party

Ruling annuls 2023 CHP leadership contest and deposes Özgür Özel, the face of opposition to Erdoğan

theguardian.com

Istanbul Bilgi University, which I am proud to have graduated from, has been shut down.

Özgür Özel: “The regime is offering me the chance to sit in opposition for 30 years as long as I don’t disturb it. This country doesn’t need party leaders who enjoy sitting in opposition until they’re 80 years old. It needs a leader who builds a government capable of solving the people’s problems.”

This is going to be minority opinion but I see the likelihood of an early election lower today than yesterday. CHP under KK leadership might act aligned with the AKP, but this might have the reverse effect of antagonising its own base.The US/Israel-Iran war makes economic repair more difficult.

Sinem Adar@sinemadar.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Lurking underneath the accelerating yet enduring repression against the CHP is the transformation of the logic of party system: from representing citizens to elite bargain over resources. This transformation, in my opinion, is also the biggest obstacle to winning an election without major fraud.

www.sozcu.com.tr/iktidarin-pl... predicts the following: 1.Kilicdaroglu removes current CHP leadership 2.Erdogan calls a snap election later this year 3.Kilicdaroglu reshapes CHP’s candidate lists, which further divides CHP 4.Erdogan raises wages and gets DEM’s support by giving“status” to Ocalan

İktidarın planı bu: Bundan sonra bunları bekleyin - Sözcü Gazetesi

Yargı eliyle CHP’yi dağıtma planında bir eşik daha aşıldı. Kılıçdaroğlu “Kimse susmamı beklemesin” diyerek parti içi muhalefet bayrağını açtı. ‘Butlana hazırım’ mesajı verdi.

sozcu.com.tr

AI use rising, Canvas getting hacked, students' final work unavailable just as grades are due... The old analog options, in-person examples, offline gradebooks, are starting to look more attractive than ever.

I get nervous whenever the EU lends money to member states or external partners. Without effective monitoring and enforcement, we know aid incentivizes rent-seeking and corruption. It's always safe to assume anyone can be corruptible when the right checks and balances are not in place.

Ursula von der Leyen@vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu · 3mo ago

Over the next two days, Poland and Lithuania will be the first countries to sign SAFE loan agreements. These two plans alone are over €50 billion, to close critical capability gaps and keep our Eastern flank safe.

Over the next two days, Poland and Lithuania will be the first countries to sign SAFE loan agreements. These two plans alone are over €50 billion, to close critical capability gaps and keep our Eastern flank safe.

To fight the far right, we need to learn the right lessons. Do not make them look stronger than they are, but also don’t write them off because one of them loses an election. My new op-Ed in the Guardian makes a couple of points 🧵

Trump may be toxic and Orbán is gone, but Europe’s far right is not in decline | Cas Mudde

Let’s not draw the wrong conclusions from Hungary’s election or the US president’s troubles, says political scientist Cas Mudde

theguardian.com

Hungary's pushing the EU to release the full €10b in frozen EU funds. Yes, Magyar's election is reason for optimism, but the Commission should take a slower approach tied to governance reforms. Given past traumas under Orban, unfreezing the entire €10b without meaningful progress could be a mistake.

For the love of God, having "black friends" does not mean you are not racist. Having "Jewish friends" does not mean you are not antisemitic.

a woman is talking about having black friends .

ALT: a woman is talking about having black friends .

media.tenor.com

Aid to Ukraine passed after the reopening of the Druzhba pipeline carrying Russian oil through Ukraine to Slovakia & Hungary. That repair somehow took months and “somehow” wrapped up soon after Hungary’s election. A few notes: 1.Ukraine repays the no-interest loan only if Russia pays reparations…

Kaja Kallas@kajakallas.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Deadlock over. The EU just cleared way for the €90-billion-loan for Ukraine and the 20th sanctions package. Russia’s war economy is under growing strain, while Ukraine is getting a major boost. We will provide Ukraine what it needs to hold its ground, until Putin understands his war leads nowhere.

Quite aside from them cutting dozens of mostly liberal arts majors, apparently, "Syracusing" is a common verb amongst admissions staff at SLACs. It refers to SU poaching admitted students with last minute additional financial aid to ensure that they go to Syracuse rather than another college.

Turkish hive mind: I'm looking for intensive Turkish lessons in Istanbul for a fifteen year old this summer. Any suggestions for schools?

The US and Iran repeatedly failing at bargaining over the last few weeks is clearly very unfortunate. On the bright side, I now have a fresh case study for teaching Fearon’s rationalist explanations for war in my IR class this fall.

Me on why it is important that the UK understands where the EU is on Brexit inews.co.uk/news/world/e...

Europe doesn't care about the UK - we're deluded

The story of Brexit has, in part, been one of Britain misunderstanding the European Union

inews.co.uk