We’re speed-running it over here.

One Thousand Days of Duolingo: jeffbell.blog/2026/01/24/one-thousand-...

Trump’s Illiberal Interventionism The president swore off building nations, not destroying them.

This is how I see it
foreignpolicy.com/2025/06/24/t...

Finished reading: Radicalized: Four Tales of Our Present Moment by Cory Doctorow 📚

These were four short stories. While originally published in 2019, they all feel extremely relevant in 2025.

My favorite was Unauthori... jeffbell.blog/2025/12/07/finished-read...

How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United … A pathbreaking history of the United States' overseas p…

"This was, not surprisingly, a controversial matter. During the war, during the congressional debates over the treaty with Spain, and during the heated election of 1900, the question of empire was argued at high volume.

In essence... jeffbell.blog/2025/11/27/this-was-not-...

Balloons Puff and Twist into an Elaborate Inflatable Ensemble by Masayoshi Matsumoto Masayoshi Matsumoto twists balloons into quirky and playful animal sculptures with incredible detail like claws and individual feathers.

Balloons Puff and Twist into an Elaborate Inflatable Ensemble by Masayoshi Matsumoto — Colossal

Stunning balloon animals.

I’m still trying to put the pieces back together too. I built my career around Central Asia, and now wonder if there will ever be anything there that can make ends meet. I have many meaningful relationships throughout the region that I don’t know how to nurture. Hang in there. It’s tough out there.

Civil War Memory | Kevin M. Levin | Substack Reflections on the History and Legacy of America's Bloodiest and Most Divisive Conflict. Click to read Civil War Memory, by Kevin M. Levin, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.

A Tale of Two American Cemeteries Bound Together by the Long History of American Racism

"Soldiers who had fought to destroy the United States and establish an independent slaveholding republic were given more respect and honor than the... jeffbell.blog/2025/11/15/a-tale-of-two...

Destruction in the Heart of Old Samarkand Forced evictions began in the spring in the neighborhood adjacent to the modest al-Maturidi mausoleum. Then the demolition began. 

Amazing reporting on forced demolitions in Samarkand from Katie Putz in the Diplomat. I hope someone picks up the corruption angle, but I understand how dangerous that is, particularly for the sources inside. The tie between construction and corruption is frequent. thediplomat.com/2025/11/destr...

With the passing of new anti-LGBTQ propaganda law in Kazakhstan (I think it’s a done deal and will be signed off on by the senate and President), we’re in a strange situation where Tajikistan has the least homophobic legislation in Central Asia.

Central Asia is adapting its entire ideological agenda to impress one man: Donald Trump.

The recent C5+1 summit was a new high point in US-Central Asian ties. But is this rapprochement real, or just risk? 🧵🧵🧵

A couple of good write-ups of Trump’s summit with Central Asian leaders by longtime journalists in this beat

www.rferl.org/a/central-as...

thediplomat.com/2025/11/when...

spider man meme where the three spider men are pointing at each other

nhc.no/en/central-asian-leade...

I'm not saying there aren't legitimate reasons to pursue critical minerals in the region too. There definitely are. I just hope someone will be following the money.

Trump Hosts Central Asian Leaders For More Mineral Diplomacy At High-Profile Summit US President Donald Trump will host Central Asian leaders in Washington on November 6 for a high-profile summit where the region’s vast deposits of critical and rare earth minerals are set to take center stage.

I wonder if there's any reason why this administration in particular would be interested in developing new business relationships in an extractive industry in a region known for very flexible business practices 🤔

www.rferl.org/a/trump-rare-ea...

THE YAED APPLE

Thanks, John! Love the book and my copy of it.

While we're asking for recommendations, can anyone recommend literature on the interplay between post-colonial conditions and kleptocracy? I'm thinking about finally going to grad school and want to follow some hunches. Central Asia-specific would be great, but I'm interested in anywhere.

DOPE SOZ Өткенді де, өзектіні де талқылайтын, атасымен әзілі жарасқан қазақ подкасы. Казахский подкаст о прошлом и настоящем,о важном и актуальном не без иронии.

For a less academic side of things, you can check out the Dop Soz podcast, which sometimes touches on this. I don't speak Kazakh, but the Russian-speaking guests are great. The way this podcast handles language is illustrative of the changes happening in Kazakhstan. www.youtube.com/@DOPESOZ/vid...

A lot of the good voices on this never made the switch from Twitter to Bluesky, since Bluesky still seems mostly a non-entity in Central Asia.

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The group that hosts the podcast, Bashtan Bashta, has been doing decolonization stuff in Kyrgyz and Russian since before the full-scale invasion, when it all really took off. www.instagram.com/bashtan_bash...

Подкаст «Yurt Jurt» Yurt Jurt - a podcast about decolonizing Central Asia and Beyond produced by Central Asian activists. Hosted by Dr. Diana Kudaibergen, Yurt Jurt dives deep into the decoloniality and decolonization of...

I was very focused on this while I was still at NED. I've had less time lately to focus on this, but it is still an issue I'm passionate about. The Yurt Jurt podcast is a really strong place to start, and I'm sure following the guest speakers will only lead you to good places. yurtjurt.mave.digital

Here’s How the AI Crash Happens The U.S. is becoming an Nvidia-state.

I can't decide if politics get a lot better or a lot worse when the bubble pops. Regardless, it will continue to be a wild ride.

www.theatlantic.com/technolog...

Anyway: it’s an American tradition. www.startribune.com/trump-admini...

Interpol Rejects Kyrgyzstan’s Request For Arrest of Journalist Amid a crackdown on the free press, Kyrgyzstan requested that Interpol issue a Red Notice against Rinat Tuhvatshin, co-founder of Kloop, in an apparent attempt to silence him abroad.

www.occrp.org/en/news/interpo...

www.404media.co/ice-and-cbp-a...

Questions remain about MPD’s work with ICE. Activists want lawmakers to step in They say the D.C. Council should publicly question MPD about cooperation on immigration enforcement.

In mid-August, 71% of D.C. residents said local police should not be assisting in federal immigration enforcement, as part of a @washingtonpost.com poll.

"People are feeling gaslit right now," @robertwhitedc.bsky.social says, when the extent to which MPD is cooperating is unclear to the public.

Leila Seiitbek, human rights activist: “Refugees from Central Asia have no support networks in Europe” - Freedom For Eurasia A discussion on human rights, European migration policy, and Central Asian dissidents Translation from Russian to English by Freedom For Eurasia. Original can be found pn Vlast.kz Almas Kaisar, Vlast Leila Seiitbek, photo from knews.kg Leila Seiitbek, a human rights defender and activist, fled Kyrgyzstan with her family in 2016, fleeing political persecution by the authorities. […]

@leilaseiitbek.bsky.social is such a hero, and it's so tragic to see the way the world is treating its refugees. The world needs many more people like her.

freedomforeurasia.org/leila-s...