Balloon Juice - Open Threads Archives

Friday Night Open Thread

by John Cole| October 10, 20259:21 pm| 39 Comments

This post is in: John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House", Open Threads

I don’t know the phase of the moon or if aries is fluffing aquarius or whatever it is the septum ring crowd talks about, but my cats are wound up as fuck tonight with some serious zooms and rambunctious parkour.

That’s it, really. That is all I’ve got. Had to drive to Pittsburgh to pick up some antique lamp that one of Joelle’s friends gave her, got some other stuff done, and now I am just waiting to go to bed.

Oh- picked the car up and it is driving like a champ. Noticeable difference with the new shocks- much firmer ride. I’m such a drama queen (you all know that) but every time I have an older car that needs work done for the entire time I am waiting to drop it off and hear from them on what I need, I put myself into a froth “I can’t afford a new car I have no money the end is near save the women and children” and then I pick it back up after the repairs and it feels good as new. I really hate myself some times.

Friday Night Open ThreadPost + Comments (39)

Balloon Juice Mailing List and Open Thread

by WaterGirl| October 10, 20256:34 pm| 47 Comments

This post is in: Balloon Juice, Open Threads

Hey everybody!

Remember the list we have to communicate with you guys in case of emergency?

Balloon Juice Mailing List Signup

If you’re already on it, then you’re all set.
If you’re not on it, click the link above.
If you’re not sure whether you’re on it, if you try to sign up again it will tell you that you’re already on it.

Open thread.

Balloon Juice Mailing List and Open ThreadPost + Comments (47)

Extremely Open Thread: World On Fire

by Anne Laurie| October 10, 20256:01 pm| 54 Comments

This post is in: Climate Change, Open Threads

We’re in the process of moving from the residential hotel where I’ve been posting for the last four months to a one-bedroom apartment on a six-month lease, so things right now are *fraught.* Especially since this post is being done on a phone hotspot wi-fi, and even when our apartment internet is turned on next week, it’ll be… Xfinity.

******
Unrelated story, for a change of topic:

Los Angeles firefighters lacked enough resources and struggled to communicate clearly in the first 36 hours of January’s devastating Palisades Fire, according to a report released Wednesday by the fire department.

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— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) October 8, 2025 at 8:28 PM

From the Atlantic, “A Surreal New Revelation About the L.A. Fires” [gift link]:

show full post on front page

The origin story of L.A.’s Palisades Fire, according to a criminal complaint announced yesterday, reads like a scene from an art-house film. Shortly before midnight on New Year’s Eve, a son of missionaries visits a scenic overlook near the Los Angeles coast. The clearing is known for the Buddha statues hikers leave behind in the hollowed-out stump of a power pole. The man listens to a French rap song about the malaise of modern life. Then, according to investigators, he starts a fire with an open flame, a combustible material, and malicious intent.

He dials 911 to report the fire, but his first few calls do not connect (presumably because this is coastal Los Angeles, and our cell service is terrible). He then begins screen-recording on his cellphone while he continues to dial 911. He asks ChatGPT if he might be criminally liable for starting a fire with cigarettes, possibly to cover up what he’s done. Then, the man films the flames on his iPhone as firefighters arrive.

By January 2, they determine that the fire is out. But it has in fact gone underground, smoldering in the root system of the hillside’s brush. Days later, strong winds travel from the desert to that same hillside and revive the blaze, which becomes the Palisades Fire. It levels more than 6,800 structures and kills 12 people. (Those structures included my childhood home, and those deaths included Arthur, a man who’d lived next door to that old house and whom I’d known and loved since I was born.)

The suspect is a 29-year-old Florida man named Jonathan Rinderknecht, and the case against him is one that could be made only in an era of AI. To help establish intent, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives turned to Rinderknecht’s conversations with ChatGPT—not just his cigarette question, but also an exchange from months earlier in which he asked ChatGPT to generate an image of a “burning forest” next to a crowd of people “running away from the fire.” OpenAI declined to specify whether the company had handed Rinderknecht’s chat logs over to the investigators; a spokesperson for OpenAI told The Atlantic only that “following the Palisades fire tragedy, we responded to standard law enforcement requests related to this individual.” It was standard in the sense that tech companies comply with requests relating to criminal investigations all the time. But for an investigation to rely to this degree on a conversation with a large language model is new. The allure of a chatbot is that it’s a machine that will process your most private thoughts without judgment. Now it seems that those conversations can appear before a judge and jury. (A public defender for Florida’s Middle District told the Associated Press that the evidence against Rinderknecht is circumstantial; the public defender’s office did not immediately return my request for comment.)…

Extremely Open Thread: World On FirePost + Comments (54)

Fear Itself (Open Thread)

by Betty Cracker| October 10, 202511:28 am| 225 Comments

This post is in: Domestic Politics, Open Threads, Politics, Republican Stupidity

Speaker Mike Johnson, who radiates hypocrisy and perversion like a Ben Franklin stove radiates heat, is lying on TV again:

Mike Johnson: “We’re so angry about it. I mean, I’m a very patient guy, but I’ve had it with these people. The theory we have right now — they have a hate America rally that’s scheduled for October 18 on the National Mall. It’s the pro-Hamas wing and antifa people … “

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) October 10, 2025 at 8:28 AM

Near as I can tell, he’s lying for two reasons: 1) to shift blame for the shutdown on Dems by claiming they are the obstacle to reopening the government, whereas in reality, Johnson released his caucus for next week too, probably to avoid swearing in Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ), who will be the deciding 218th vote to release the Epstein files, and 2) to slander all Trump opponents as “pro-Hamas” and “antifa.”

Johnson references October 18, the date of the No Kings protests. More than 5 million people showed up at 2,100+ local No Kings protests in June. Indivisible says there are more than 2,200 rallies planned for October 18, and hopefully attendance will break the previous record.

I expect other Trump minions to join Johnson in slandering millions of patriotic Americans in advance of the protests. They hope to depress turnout and maybe, as a bonus, incite their frothing nut-bag supporters to commit acts of violence. Fuck that noise; I won’t be deterred, and I hope you won’t either.

***

Speaking of fascist suppression of free speech, here’s an excerpt from an Orlando Sentinel article (gift link) about heavily armed agents employed by the State of Florida who showed up to intimidate a citizen for mildly (and accurately) criticizing a DeSantis/Trump lackey via postcard:

Two armed men wearing bulletproof vests with the word “police” stenciled on them showed up Wednesday at the Largo home of Cathy O’Gara while she was getting her 11-year-old granddaughter ready for school.

Dogs were barking. There was a loud knock at the door. She greeted the men, who didn’t identify themselves or the agency they were with. They asked if her husband, James O’Gara, lived there and if they could speak to him about a postcard he’d sent to Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia with the brief message: “You lack values.”

It was a scary “big red flag moment” for the O’Garas, a retired couple who are politically active supporters of progressive candidates, vocal critics of President Trump’s immigration policies, and helped to organize a local No Kings anti-Trump demonstration in June.

“Anything is possible, if you can send a postcard and have this happen,” Cathy O’Gara said.

Huge red flag indeed. Also, O’Gara is 100% correct about Ingoglia, who is as vapid and simpering a sycophant as you’ll find outside of a Trump cabinet meeting. He was my statehouse rep and attracted criticism for his rabid partisanship even in this Trumpy-ass district.

Only now it seems he thinks criticism isn’t allowed. Commenter prostratedragon mentioned the incident in the morning thread here. I’ll reprint the address for Ingoglia’s office, in case anyone else would like to send him a postcard.

Blaise Ingoglia
Office of the Chief Financial Officer
Florida Department of Financial Services
200 East Gaines Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0301

I’ll include the return address on my postcard. I don’t think state agents would make it half way down my scary-ass swamp trail before deciding it’s not worth it to harass me for exercising my First Amendment right to call Ingoglia a corrupt fascist cockwomble.

The thing is, the fascists can’t shut us all up. To achieve the authoritarian state they desire, they’ll need our cooperation. We mustn’t give it to them.

Open thread!

Fear Itself (Open Thread)Post + Comments (225)

TGIFriday Morning Open Thread: Our Place Is In the Resistance

by Anne Laurie| October 10, 20255:42 am| 301 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Resistance to Trump, Trumpery

You talking about these two?

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— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 1:12 AM

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10 days until the biggest peaceful protests in modern American history. A No Kings Day event is likely happening near you wherever you are. Please join us to show we won’t cower in response to Trump’s authoritarian takeover: www.nokings.org?SQF_SOURCE=i… #NoKings

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— Indivisible ??? (@indivisible.org) October 8, 2025 at 8:10 AM

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The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.

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— The Daily Show (@thedailyshow.com) October 9, 2025 at 4:23 PM

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UPDATE: We filed for emergency relief to block the Trump-Vance admin's plot to facilitate illegal and inaccurate voter roll purges.
Any effort to tamper with election results by denying eligible people their right to vote is a serious threat to our democracy and must be met with swift legal force.

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— Democracy Forward (@democracyforward.org) October 7, 2025 at 5:09 PM

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I'm guessing this will involve a lot of requests for money.

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— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 2:53 PM

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Absolutely love what @gregpak.net has going on at his NYCC booth (he also has comics but this is great). Booth L-25 in Artist Alley!

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— Alex Zalben (@azalben.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 11:19 AM

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TGIFriday Morning Open Thread: Our Place Is In the ResistancePost + Comments (301)

Thursday Night Open Thread

by John Cole| October 9, 20259:20 pm| 114 Comments

This post is in: John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House", Open Threads

Let’s start with some cat pics since I went out for a pack of smokes the other night and never came home, but I am here now, so presents:

I have no idea what my brother did, but his cats do not approve. And then you know these two:

It does not matter that I feed him, provide him with shelter, pay for his vet bills, give him attention whenever he wants it, scoop his letter, dispose of dead presents and rescue live ones, it doesn’t matter at all. If he thought he could go live the sweet life with his boyfriend Gerald, he would. He follows him to the gate every time Gerald leaves. And every time he comes over he picks him up and says “I don’t even like cats” before the PDA from their bromance becomes too nauseating. On more than one occasion I have growled “Get a room” before leaving the area in a huff.

***

Had a nice podcast this morning with guest Gary Trauner. I felt super out of it and was not on my A game, I don’t think.

***

I am really pooped. I really have turned into such a delicate flower and am super impacted by the changing seasons and the different angles of the sun and and sunset being so much earlier. The temps are dropping a lot at night and I actually turned the heat on because it hit 56 and basically fuck that.

Picking up the car tomorrow. Had an oil change, tire rotation, new shocks, new underbelly protector thingamabob, new fuel cap, alignment, air bag sensor fixed and some other sensor went tits up, and she’ll be running like new and ready for the trip to Tempe. It’s a CRV and the interior is in great shape and the body has basic wear for a 2013 with 160k miles on it, but I feel like I can get another five+ years out of it. I really want my next car to be electric and am psyched about the next iteration of batteries.

I was thinking about my red ’97 Subaru outback (the one who met its resting place in the field), and just how much fun that thing was to drive. It didn’t have shit for power or pickup, but man, it just felt like a glove when I got in it. You just really felt like back when every car had their own real personality. Now they mostly all feel the same. Hell, the sound of the door shutting all sounds the same on mid level cars. Remember when every car had their own distinct door sound?

I mean the thinking part of me just loves all the changes we have made with cars. So much safer, sturdier, more dependable, and I love all that. But at the same time I am nostalgic for when every care had real things you had to do or absolutely could not do. Like my buddy’s Ford Torino was an absolute joy but jesus you could really slide off the road and die on almost every WV curve. Or the way you could take curves and the way they felt in a Subaru wagon. That car handled absurdly well and it could take curves at a ridiculous clip- it had a softness to the stiffness that newer subaru’s it just feels stiffer and less safe and the wheelbase ain’t right.

I’m not a car guy so I don’t know the words. Maybe I guess what I mean is I miss when cars worked with you like the way I feel in something like an old subie wagon or mini cooper, and not doing it for you with minimal supervision like more modern cars do. Does that make sense?

Maybe I am a car guy? I think there are perfectly designed cars, like the old Jaguar etype, the 1970’s international harvester scout models, or the 83 porsche 911 cabriolet, the 87 saab 900 turbo, the 93 mk supra, the 97 subaru outback, and so on- there was a year of the CTS-V that I thought was pretty amazing and of course the mac daddy of the ideal vehicle, the late 2010’s Mercedes Benz AMG E-63. I would kill to have one of those as my daily driver as well as the money to maintain it the way it should be. Just thinking of that car makes me feel the same way I feel when I watch videos of otters.

Wow, I really babbled a lot. Good night.

Thursday Night Open ThreadPost + Comments (114)

War for Ukraine Day 1,323: Putin Long Tried To Control Ukraine’s Natural Gas Industry, Now He Seaks To Destroy It

by Adam L Silverman| October 9, 20258:36 pm| 17 Comments

This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Military, Open Threads, Russia, Silverman on Security, War, War in Ukraine

(Image by NEIVANMADE)

The cost:

On Sept 28, a russian drone killed nurse Oksana Katerusha from the Kyiv cardiology institute.

Following protocols, all patients and staff moved to the shelter when the air raid began. But one man’s condition deteriorated there. Oksana took the risk & went upstairs to help & there both were killed.

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— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 11:24 AM

Over a hundred Russian drones over Ukraine right now. Our night starts with Russian terrorism. Again.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 4:05 PM

❗️There are many Shaheds, new ones are constantly arriving: the main threat to Dnipro, Kremenchuk, Kyiv.

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— MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 (@maks23.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 5:30 PM

Russian strikes have destroyed more than half of Ukraine’s natural gas production capacity ahead of winter, Bloomberg reported; Ukrainian forces struck a Russian gas plant and an oil pipeline station in Russia’s Volgograd Oblast; and more.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) October 9, 2025 at 3:43 PM

From The Kyiv Independent:

Russian strikes have destroyed more than half of Ukraine’s natural gas production capacity ahead of winter, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 9, citing its undisclosed sources.

Ukraine’s gas network, which met the country’s needs before the full-scale war, has been repeatedly hit by missiles and drones, endangering millions of households that depend on gas for heating in winter.

Russian forces launched one of the largest barrages yet on Oct. 3, firing 35 missiles and 60 drones at gas facilities in Kharkiv and Poltava oblasts, according to state-owned energy company Naftogaz.

The strikes destroyed around 60% of Ukraine’s gas production, Bloomberg’s sources said. Naftogaz called the attack “the most massive” assault on gas infrastructure since the war began.

Ukraine’s largest private energy firm, DTEK, said it was forced to halt operations at its Poltava facilities following the strikes. Two days later, Russia launched another attack targeting infrastructure critical for residential heating, causing further destruction, Naftogaz said.

The strikes show Moscow’s strategy of targeting energy infrastructure to weaken civilian morale. Since 2022, Russia has repeatedly aimed to disrupt Ukraine’s heating and power systems with attacks.

According to Bloomberg, Kyiv appealed to its G7 partners for urgent equipment to repair damaged facilities and reiterated its requests for additional air defense systems to protect energy infrastructure.

More at the link.

Putin spent years controlling Ukraine’s natural gas industry through the Ukrainian oligarch and organized crime leader Dmytro Firtash. Firtash has spent years under house arrest in Austria as his extradition appeal slowly grinds through the Austrian court system. Firtash was also an important bridging node between Putin and Russian organized crime and Trump via Rudy Giuliani and Victoria Toensing.

Putin ultimately failed to take control of Ukraine’s natural gas industry, so he’s decided to destroy it to both further his attempt to terrorize the Ukrainians into submission and to remove Ukrainian natural gas from the European and world markets. His intention in achieving the latter is that it will both raise the price of natural gas and make the European states have to start buying Russian natural gas again. An additional effect is to burden Ukraine with more debt that will make it harder to secure the post war peace.

Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.

show full post on front page

The Task Now Is to Be Significantly More Active in Everything Related to the Preparation and Execution of Long-Range Sanctions Against Russia – Address by the President

9 October 2025 – 19:43

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

The main points for today. Military issues. We discussed in great detail with the military leadership the employment of our long-range weapons – the use of our missiles, the use of our drones. Some issues concerning production, delivery to the armed forces, and crew training. The task now is to be significantly more active in everything related to the preparation and execution of long-range sanctions against Russia. The more effective Ukraine is in long-range capabilities, the sooner we will be able to achieve peace. The quality of Ukrainian long-range weapons is becoming substantially higher – we are working on this constantly, and we have already provided many different opportunities specifically for production, the necessary funding, and all the support required. We must also substantially scale up their employment. We have clear plans for this in the coming months. Everything must be implemented. Ukrainian precision is already evident, it needs to increase further. This is absolutely fair that Ukraine strikes back with precise, targeted attacks, and unlike Russia, we know exactly what we aim to achieve. Peace, of course. We are not waging war for the sake of war, as Russia does. Even Hamas shows deal-making acumen, but not Putin. For now. Together with our partners, we are creating the conditions to compel Russia to peace. And it will happen. We support all global diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving peace in the Middle East, and we strongly expect that just pressure on Russia will bring peace to Ukraine and to our entire region as well. It is important that the leadership of the United States continue to be effective.

Today, I held a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the diplomatic team of the Office to discuss the drafts of our resolutions and documents in international organizations that are to be adopted later this year. I instructed them to engage partners to the fullest extent possible, our key partners, to ensure continued global support for our initiatives. This concerns, in particular, such sensitive issues as the return of Ukrainian prisoners, all those held in Russia. And we know of people who have been in captivity since 2014. This also concerns the children abducted by Russia – time is passing far too quickly, and it is not just every year but every month that matters for each child separated from their family and from their native environment – from Ukraine. We know a lot about Russia’s utterly totalitarian programs to re-educate children so that they are willing to fight even against their true homeland, against their real home. Thousands of such Ukrainian children are in the occupied territories and in Russia. And I thank everyone who is working with us to bring them home. These are many different countries – from Canada to Qatar – that are helping us. Our coalition for the return of our Ukrainian children already includes more than 40 countries, as well as the European Union and the Council of Europe. And it is important that our joint efforts yield results. I have also scheduled a meeting for tomorrow to audit all of this year’s agreements with our partners: what has been achieved, what has been implemented, and what still needs to be implemented. Ukraine’s foreign policy in recent years has been significantly more active than ever before. And we must ensure that every meeting and every agreement delivers real results for Ukraine, and that everything we agreed on with leaders is actually carried out at the level of our teams. As a result of this foreign-policy audit, there will be corresponding conclusions and directives for the next three months. Arms for Ukraine, financing, support for the energy sector, all forms of pressure on Russia, and the negotiation track – these are the key priority areas. I expect a report from each institution: the Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, the Office, and the NSDC.

Today, I also held a meeting with the Prime Minister of Ukraine, the Minister of Energy, and the head of NJSC Naftogaz on the main issues of our preparations for winter and, of course, on recovery in the regions after the Russian strikes. Each morning brings new tasks for our energy workers and repair crews. Russian strikes do not stop. Civilian infrastructure, energy infrastructure are the Russians’ primary targets. We will counter them. We are countering them. And it is important that our partners are ready to help us. We determined who to contact and what exactly must be achieved in the coming weeks. Work at the community and regional level must also be carried out by everyone. Otherwise there will be conclusions regarding the performance of the responsible leaders.

Glory to Ukraine!

First Lady Zelenska participated in the International Medical Partnership Forum today. Video followed by the English language write up.

Ukrainian and Foreign Medical Institutions Established Eight New Partnerships – Olena Zelenska

9 October 2025 – 16:35

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska took part in the International Medical Partnership Forum, which this year was held under the theme “From Doctor to Doctor.”

The event brought together over 150 participants from 19 countries, including leading Ukrainian and foreign doctors representing hospitals that have joined the First Lady’s International Medical Partnership initiative, as well as representatives of government agencies and embassies from partner countries.

The First Lady thanked Ukrainian and foreign doctors who are saving lives in Ukraine.

“Your work has long gone beyond treatment — it has become a humanitarian mission that strengthens solidarity and humanity in the world. The International Medical Partnership that brought us together today is a clear example of this. This project is especially close to my heart because it was during the 2023 Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen that it was launched, and the first memorandums were signed,” said Olena Zelenska.

Since the initiative’s launch, 71 partnerships have been established, bringing together 37 Ukrainian and 45 foreign medical institutions from 24 countries. Thanks to this cooperation, over 700 Ukrainian doctors have undergone training abroad, and about 150 joint surgeries have been performed.

Forum participants also shared stories of successful international cooperation. Doctors from the National Cancer Institute, the Regional Family Health Medical Center, and their partners from Sweden and Lithuania shared their experience in saving patients and introducing new medical approaches.

“We can now say with confidence that the medical partnership not only helps Ukraine — it enriches all participants with new knowledge. The experience of Ukrainian doctors in saving people with war-related injuries is now the largest in the world — unfortunately. But this very experience can save many more lives in other circumstances and countries,” Olena Zelenska emphasized.

During the forum, eight new partnership memorandums were signed between Ukrainian and foreign medical institutions, expanding cooperation in oncology, rehabilitation, highly specialized care, and perinatal medicine.

The new partnerships were established by: the National Cancer Institute and the Gustave Roussy Institute (France); Kremenchuk City Hospital “Pravoberezhna,” Kremenchuk Hospital of Intensive Care, Kremenchuk Perinatal Center, and the Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital (France); Chernihiv Regional Children’s Hospital and Lille University Hospital (France); the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ); Dnipropetrovsk Regional Clinical Hospital named after I. I. Mechnikov and Razom for Ukraine (USA); Dnipropetrovsk Regional Clinical Hospital named after I. I. Mechnikov and Kaunas Clinic of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (Lithuania).

From now on, medical institutions will be able to implement joint clinical practices, organize internships for Ukrainian doctors in foreign hospitals, exchange expertise, and carry out projects that strengthen the resilience of Ukraine’s healthcare system.

GIZ brings together 17 German medical institutions within a single partnership network, bringing the total number of partnerships to 95.

Foreign delegations also visited three Ukrainian hospitals actively involved in the International Medical Partnership initiative: the National Cancer Institute, the National Children’s Specialized Hospital “Okhmatdyt,” and the Feofaniya Clinical Hospital.

Georgia:

“Side by Side” — Protests continue. Day 316.

#GeorgiaProtests

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 1:15 PM

Day 316 of uninterrupted, nationwide protests in Georgia. Protesters are marching towards Rustaveli Avenue. 🇬🇪

“Freedom for Zviad Ratiani,” they chant — referring to the renowned Georgian poet sentenced to two years in prison today.

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 12:23 PM

1/ “My conscience was troubling me, that I was sleeping in my bed, working on my unnecessary texts, surrounded by the care of the woman I love. I do not consider the slap I gave as something to be proud of, nor as something shameful, nor as a crime”. – The poet said.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 3:50 PM

2/ Zviad Ratiani was arrested on June 23 in Tbilisi, near the Parliament, during an anti–Georgian Dream protest. Ratiani faced four to seven years in prison for slapping the officer in the face. However, when delivering the final verdict, the judge reclassified his charge.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 3:50 PM

3/ He admits to slapping the officer but does not consider it an assault. In court, he said that it was a symbolic act – a protest in support of teacher Nino Datashvili and journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, who were imprisoned after slapping a public official.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 3:50 PM

“Freedom to the prisoners of the regime!”

Georgia, a country of less than 4 million, now has 100+ political prisoners.

Day 316 of uninterrupted, nationwide #GeorgiaProtests.

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 12:38 PM

Rustaveli Avenue is blocked for the 316th night in a row. ✅

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 12:47 PM

The Georgian Dream regime has arrested 72-year-old academic and pediatrician Prof. Gogi Chakhunashvili — the father of active protester Konstantine Chakhunashvili.

The total number of people arrested over the Oct 4 protests has now risen to 44.

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 2:56 PM

⭕This is how the 71-year-old pediatrician Giorgi Chakhunashvili was arrested at his home by Georgian Dream police. The MIA of Georgia arrested 8 more people today in connection with the October 4th protest case.

Video: Levan Zazadze

#TerrorinGeorgia

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 2:51 PM

Ia Darakhvelidze, an art director who has served at several prominent creative agencies in Georgia, has also been detained tonight.

She’s one of 44 people arrested in the past days in connection with the Oct 4 protest.

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 4:43 PM

🔴 Georgia’s imprisoned journalist Mzia Amaglobeli has been named one of the 2025 World Press Freedom Heroes.

#FreeMzia
#JournalismIsNotACrime

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— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) October 9, 2025 at 12:07 PM

The US:

Smart 👀

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 9, 2025 at 12:34 PM

The best part of this is that President Zelenskyy knows that the award committee chose the finalists for the peace prize weeks ago and chose the winner this past Monday.

The PRC:

⚡️Leaked files show Russia secretly bought Chinese electronic warfare systems to jam Starlink and shoot down Ukrainian drones.

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— UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com) October 9, 2025 at 9:18 AM

From United24 Media:

Internal leaked Rostec documents show Russia has been importing and trialing Chinese electronic-warfare (EW) systems to blunt Ukrainian drone attacks, with some kits already reported in service, hacker group Black Mirror reported on October 8.

According to the leak, the equipment was tested at the Alabino range and placed on combat duty at Shaykovka airfield, where it “gained combat experience” on August 21, 2023—including an incident in which “a drone was detected and suppressed at a distance of 2 km.”

The files say the collaboration advanced at the direction of Moscow’s defense ministry and included joint development, serial-production planning, and logistics coordination between Russian entities and a Chinese consortium.

The documents describe Chinese work on counter-UAV and counter-satellite capabilities: “Chinese researchers are solving tasks for the development and production of devices to detect and destroy UAVs controlled on the 4G cellular band, as well as tasks to counter the American satellite system Starlink.”

Leaked technical lists showcased a modular EW suite demonstrated at Army-2023: a wideband UAV scanner covering 300–6,000 MHz; a radar claimed to detect very slow, low-flying drones; a five-band jammer able to suppress UAV control channels across multiple 200 MHz bands; an optical gimbal for automatic target tracking; and GPS-spoofing equipment.

“A king is only a king if we bow down.” – Rev. William Barber

Republicans cannot even be trusted with their own money.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Fight them, without becoming them!

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

This blog will pay for itself.

America is going up in flames. The NYTimes fawns over MAGA celebrities. No longer a real newspaper.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

I might just take the rest of the day off and do even more nothing than usual.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

How stupid are these people?

Fear and negativity are contagious, but so is courage!

Oh FFS you might as well trust a 6-year-old with a flamethrower.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

“Perhaps I should have considered other options.” (head-desk)

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?