From the WTF department:

"a conspiratorial group of extreme Brexit lobbyists with high-level political, commercial and intelligence connections, [...] attempted to have [the magazine] Nature and its staff put under surveillance and investigated by MI5, MI6, the CIA, Mossad, and Japanese and Australian intelligence agencies."

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366553435/Top-science-journal-faced-secret-attacks-from-Covid-conspiracy-theory-group 

 By 2021, #Elsevier and its parent company RELX were aware that new fossil fuel projects were incompatible with the Paris warming target—and that most known reserves must stay in the ground to ensure a safe transition and healthy planet. Yet, as it's done for decades, Elsevier assists the fossil fuel industry's development of new resources, activity the UN considers a violation of UNGP human rights commitments. https://www.climaterightscoalition.com/issues

#climate 

 This is a nice article on changing the academic journal publishing system:

https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.15252/embr.202358127

It's full of good ideas, astute observations and thoughtful insights. And yet, it is very similar to many articles like these written ~20 years ago. See, e.g., this one:

https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.0040401

That's how little has changed in 20 years. 

 There is still a chance to stop the Elsevier #DEAL:

"With the opt-in procedure of this DEAL contract, every institution is now faced with the choice of whether to position itself for or against this consensus in science. "

https://bjoern.brembs.net/2023/09/no-evilsevier-deal/ 

14 reasons to stop the DEAL with Elsevier!

#openaccess 

 14 reasons to avoid a DEAL contract with Elsevier in Germany:

https://bjoern.brembs.net/2023/09/no-evilsevier-deal/

#openaccess #transformation #openscience 

 My blog posts are now on the fediverse:

@71a39a12 

 The conclusions of the EU-Council on "high-quality, transparent, open, trustworthy and equitable scholarly publishing"

https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-9616-2023-INIT/en/pdf

now have a long list of supporters:

https://www.coalition-s.org/open-science-stakeholders-welcome-european-efforts-towards-publicly-owned-and-not-for-profit-scholarly-communication/

(EUA, Science Europe, LIBER, ALLEA, AERG, MCAA Eurodoc, cOAlition S, OPERAS, ANR)

https://www.dfg.de/en/service/press/press_releases/2023/press_release_no_16/index.html
(DFG)

https://www.coar-repositories.org/news-updates/coar-welcomes-the-council-of-eu-conclusions-on-high-quality-transparent-open-trustworthy-and-equitable-scholarly-publishing/
(COAR)

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.230206
(10 experts from different fields)

https://blog.pensoft.net/2023/08/21/pensofts-statement-on-the-european-unions-conclusions-on-oa-scholarly-publishing/
(open access publisher)

Anyone know of any more?

#openscience 

 YES! Our repositories are such a natural solution for what the EU science ministers have asked for:
"COAR represents a strong and extensive international coalition of research organizations and national networks whose vision aligns with the Council’s Conclusions."
https://www.coar-repositories.org/news-updates/coar-welcomes-the-council-of-eu-conclusions-on-high-quality-transparent-open-trustworthy-and-equitable-scholarly-publishing/

#openscience #openaccess 

 Not surprisingly, but importantly, COAR, the coalition of open access repositories, also supports the conclusions of the EU-Council:

https://www.coar-repositories.org/news-updates/coar-welcomes-the-council-of-eu-conclusions-on-high-quality-transparent-open-trustworthy-and-equitable-scholarly-publishing/

By now, pretty much everyone with a modicum of expertise supports these Conclusions:

https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/05/23/council-calls-for-transparent-equitable-and-open-access-to-scholarly-publications/

That tells you something about the few who have voiced opposition thus far!