Michelle Obama to Barack Obama: You were doing the people's work. Rescuing our economy. Expanding healthcare. Ending a war. Ordering the Bin Laden raid. Saving the auto industry. Winning a peace prize. Keeping us safe from Ebola. Regulating the banks. Standing up for marriage equality. Listening to science. And comforting an entire nation. And you did it all with such grace, and class, and cool.

🚨🗣️New: Thierry Henry reacts to the Brazil, Morocco, and Netherlands press conferences, where questions in Spanish were reportedly not permitted for Hakimi, Vinícius Jr., and Frenkie de Jong: “I have covered World Cups for years, and this situation makes absolutely no sense to me. You’re telling me a World Cup co-hosted by Mexico can stop journalists from asking questions in Spanish? That’s like hosting a Formula 1 race and banning cars from using their engines. We saw it with Hakimi. We saw it with Vinícius. Now we’re hearing similar stories involving Frenkie de Jong. The players understood the questions. The journalists spoke one of the most widely spoken languages on the planet. Yet somehow the language became the problem. Gianni Infantino talks about inclusion, diversity, and bringing football to everyone. Fine. Then explain this contradiction. How can FIFA celebrate diversity in every promotional video and then create headlines because Spanish journalists are being told to switch languages at a tournament hosted by Mexico? Spanish isn’t some obscure dialect spoken by a handful of people. It’s the language of hundreds of millions across the Americas and beyond. If a journalist from Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Colombia, or anywhere else asks a question in Spanish and the player understands it, why is football creating barriers where none existed? The irony is unbelievable. FIFA keeps telling us football belongs to everyone, but this controversy has many fans asking whether some voices are more welcome than others. Maybe there’s a logistical explanation. Maybe it’s a translation issue. But perception matters. And right now the perception is terrible. Because what fans are seeing is simple: a World Cup hosted partly by a Spanish-speaking nation, players who understand Spanish, journalists who speak Spanish, and officials telling them not to use Spanish. If that’s progress, somebody needs to explain it better. Because from the outside, it looks like football’s governing body is tripping over its own message.” “FIFA wanted a celebration of diversity. Instead, they’ve handed the internet a controversy that won’t stop being discussed.”

huffpost.com/entry/released-… “At least 15 cases of sexual assaults, including rape. Shot with rubber bullets at close range. Tens of people’s bones broken,” organizers of the Global SumudFlotilla posted on the Telegram social media app. “While the world’s eye is trained on the suffering of our participants, we cannot emphasize enough that this is a mere glimpse of the brutality Israel imposes daily on Palestinian hostages.”

As Meghan heads to Switzerland at the WHO’s invitation to speak, brace for the inevitable British tabloid onslaught. We have seen this playbook countless times: a deluge of sneering coverage, not because her work lacks merit, but precisely because it succeeds so compellingly. Contrast Kate’s recent Italy trip, hyped as a triumph, yet the one public speaking moment was so awkward that even her loyal media buried it in silence. James O’Brien nails the double standard here with forensic precision: the vitriol isn’t about substance, it’s ENVY. Harry and Meghan are simply better at this. Watch the clip, then watch the predictable script unfold again this week. The pattern is unmistakable. 👇👇👇

For 20 years, the journalist in me has been fascinated by the politics of #Eurovision. But in this piece for The Guardian, I write from the fan perspective - about why things have crossed a line and so many of us won't be watching this year. theguardian.com/commentisfre…

CARNEY: "There are some who say there's no need for a comprehensive plan. They believe we should wait it out in the hope that the United States will return to normal. That the good old days will come back. But hope isn't a plan and nostalgia is not a strategy."

🚨ZELENSKYY - we are advised not to mention Tomahawks to the Americans. Not to spoil their mood. “No one is even talking about it, but Russian missiles and Shaheds are still here, and we still have the coordinates of the factories where they are made. Today, they target Ukraine. Tomorrow, it could be any NATO country. And here in Europe, we are advised not to mention Tomahawks. Not to mention Tomahawks to the Americans? Not to spoil their mood? And we are told not to bring up Taurus missiles. When the subject is Turkey, diplomats say, "Don't offend Greece." When it's Greece, they say, "Be careful with Turkey." In Europe, there are endless internal arguments and things left unsaid that stop Europe from uniting and speaking honestly enough to find real solutions”.

Extraordinary words by Sir John Major on #Brexit at LSE last night: 🧵 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 1. “In an act of collective folly, the United Kingdom voted to lead to European Union across the world, our enemies celebrated and our friends despair.” “We left Europe on a minority vote of 37% of the election after a referendum campaign that was packed with misinformation and misjudgment, it left our country poorer, weaker and divorced from the richest free trade market that history has ever seen. National interest was brushed aside by false hopes and promises”. “False hopes and promises that even a cabinet dominated by front line Brexit enthusiasts was unable to deliver the promises they made, […] while the forecast damage of leaving the European Union has become only too apparent. The nation saw Project Fear become Project Reality very easily. It's no consolation that the majority of the public now overwhelmingly recognizes that it was mislead in their moments of triumph.” “Brexiteers predicted other countries would follow their lead and leave the European Union. None have. All saw only too clearly that Brexit was packed with disadvantages, as we meet far from others leaving the European Union, as we meet nine further nations now wish to join the European Union, which is an apt comment on how the world saw Britain's decision.” “United Kingdom once reveled, not long ago, within the memory of everyone present in this room, once reveled in being a leading member of the European Union with half a billion citizens and the undoubted first ally of the United States, the world's most eminent superpower. Today, we know we are neither, and so does the world”.

SNL nailed it: The Property Brothers give the White House a Trump makeover. How long before Trump declares SNL “illegal,” like he just did with Seth Meyers?

The Trump Administration’s war on free speech has both individual and collective consequences. We need to bear both in mind. Ashley’s story deserves a wide audience. The implications of Trump’s assault on decency & human rights are grave. I am, proudly, Ashley Jamieson. 💙⚖️💙

Since the colonial era, the United States has oscillated between authoritarianism and democracy. Today, American democracy finds itself at a nadir—and it is far from certain whether the nation still has the will or the means to restore it. open.substack.com/pub/theint…

Dear media, I know challenging Trump spokespeople is virtually not existent these days, as are direct follow ups or challenging false declarative statements but I wanted to provide you with some facts that your producers, associates and interns routinely fail to brief you on:

“What America is witnessing is a remaking of the American presidency into something closer to a dictatorship,” @petermshane argues. That project is the work of Chief Justice John Roberts: theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv…

Music industry contributes €1bn to Irish economy - IMRO rte.ie/news/ireland/2025/070… via @rte

🚨IMPALA’s 12-Point Playbook to Boost Revenues & Diversity in Music🎵 With indies behind 80% of Europe’s new releases, it’s time for bold action. 📣 This is a call to EU leaders to put music & culture at the heart of Europe’s growth. 🔗Full plan: tinyurl.com/4dkbcmcj

I’m at the EU Parliament to confront MEP @Fidias0 about his disgraceful Kremlin lies. People need to know the truth about who he is and why he went to Moscow. Wish me luck 🫡

The suffering in Gaza is unbearable. Children are starving, hospitals are collapsing and the humanatarian situation is catastrophic. With colleagues from 21 countries and the EU, I urgently call again for immediate & unhindered humanitarian aid and for the killing to end.

Powerful words by Mike Ryan, speaking for all right thinking people! History will judge us so harshly for not finding a way to stop this senseless slaughter & mutilation of thousands of children. linkedin.com/posts/lorcanowe…

Thank you @BillyKelleherEU for your ongoing support of the creative industries. It is critical that the EU supports and protects creators and ensures a properly functioning licensing market @authorsocieties @fiannafailparty @NiamhSmythTD