Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

David Pearce @medavep.bsky.social · 2d

I'm down with this

Prime Minister Kier Starmer in a suit and glasses is speaking at a podium against a solid red background. Three text captions appear across three panels: "Nicking a pint glass from a pub, calling a kebab shop owner 'boss man'.", "Or simply shouting 'you can't park there mate' when someone crashes their car.", and "That is real Britain." The overall style mimics a humorous internet meme about British culture.

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David Pearce @medavep.bsky.social · 3d

I am shocked. Shocked I tell you

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 3d

Reform likely to raise Kent council tax after cost-cutting drive falters on.ft.com/4pTvJ62

Reform likely to raise Kent council tax after cost-cutting drive falters

Nigel Farage’s party promised to revive local authority finances by slashing wasteful spending

on.ft.com

Reposted by David Pearce

dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 4d

Freedom is just another name for “a gap in the law”.

Paul Brand @paulbrand.bsky.social · 4d

Home Secretary tells Sky News that “there is a gap in the law” when it comes to frequent, repeated protests on the same issue. Hence she will be giving police greater powers to move them to another location or time.

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David Pearce @medavep.bsky.social · 5d

Nice of those "conservative Christians" to remind us how out of touch they are, in particular on same sex marriage, by accusing the ABC of : "unbiblical and revisionist teachings regarding marriage and sexual morality"

Kriszta Satori @fulelo.bsky.social · 5d

#BBCNews - Conservative church group condemns choice of female Archbishop of Canterbury
www.bbc.com/news/article...
#SarahMullally

Sarah Mullally: Choice of new Archbishop of Canterbury met "with sorrow" by conservative group Gafcon

The group, Gafcon, says that its followers believe "the Bible requires a male-only episcopacy".

www.bbc.com

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David Pearce @medavep.bsky.social · 5d

The OP ain't wrong, while the US goes back to drilling oil, China has embraced the future of renewables.

This is from the Observer this week:

Screenshot:

A different story. China, meanwhile,is ramping up its spending on renewables. Last year its clean energy investments reached $940 billion, almost as much as the global spend of $1.12 trillion on fossil fuels. The renewables sector is now driving a quarter of China's economic growth and it is by far the world's leading supplier of batteries, solar panels and electric vehicles.

Short-term thinking. Oil and gas demand is set to peak by the end of this decade, as more renewable energy sources come online, and will decline to 45 per cent below today's level by 2050 if national climate pledges are kept.

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David Pearce @medavep.bsky.social · 5d

Feels like all that NFT hype was just something for the big tech nazi dudes to kill time creaming over while they waited for AI hype to turn up.

Mekka Okereke @mekka.mekka-tech.com · 5d

The biggest barrier to the widespread adoption of renewables, is the fact that the richest, least intelligent, most self-important, fashiest 50 dudes in the US, wasted the low interest rates of the 2010s investing in monkey jpegs instead of solar cells and battery production.🤡

Now they fear China.

Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · 5d

"Solar energy is anticipated to be the world’s main source of energy by 2050" hell yeah

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Reposted by David Pearce

Mekka Okereke @mekka.mekka-tech.com · 5d

The biggest barrier to the widespread adoption of renewables, is the fact that the richest, least intelligent, most self-important, fashiest 50 dudes in the US, wasted the low interest rates of the 2010s investing in monkey jpegs instead of solar cells and battery production.🤡

Now they fear China.

Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · 5d

"Solar energy is anticipated to be the world’s main source of energy by 2050" hell yeah

Solar: main source of EU electricity in June with 22%

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David Pearce @medavep.bsky.social · 5d

Google have also really ballsed up the camera software, the migration from Nest to Home was a big step backwards.

My old cameras on Nest are superior to my one disappointing new one on Home.

Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · 5d

Wake to find an email announcing that Google is more than doubling the price of the Nest camera subscription, and that to get it I'll be forced to buy the AI service that they obviously can't persuade anyone to pay for.

David Pearce @medavep.bsky.social · 5d

a bald man sitting in a chair pointing at something with the words $ 1 million dollars written below him

ALT: a bald man sitting in a chair pointing at something with the words $ 1 million dollars written below him

media.tenor.com

David Pearce @medavep.bsky.social · 5d

Olivia, Liam, Sophia, Noah, Emma, Oliver, Ava, Elijah, Isabelle, William, Mia, James, Charlotte, Benjamin, Amelia, Lucas, Henry, Harper, Alexander, Evelyn, Mason, Ella, Logan, Lily, Ethan, Grace, Jacob, Chloe, Michael, Emily, Daniel, Scarlett, Matthew, Aria.

YOU OWE ME $1 MILLION!

The Times & Sunday Times @thetimes.com · 5d

Meet the woman who will name your baby — for $30,000 ⬇️

Meet the woman who will name your baby — for $30,000

www.thetimes.com

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David Pearce @medavep.bsky.social · 5d

Solidarity goes out to my Japanese brothers at this difficult time.

www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bbc....

Japan faces Asahi beer shortage after cyber-attack - BBC News

The drinks giant said this week that the attack had a major impact on its domestic operations.

www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org

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David Pearce @medavep.bsky.social · 6d

Justce for Kent Witches now!

www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/news/...

‘It feels like persecution’: Witches’ anger after church bans event from village hall

A coven of witches is disappointed at being told a psychic fair could not happen in a village hall just six days before it was due to take place.

www.kentonline.co.uk

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Reposted by David Pearce

Shiv Ramdas Mens Rice Activist @nameshiv.bsky.social · 7d

American Christians deciding the Pope doesn't know the Bible because he said immigrants are human is the perfect summary of the evangelist movement

worm @rfksbrainworm.bsky.social · 7d

really enjoying all the people trying to explain the bible to the pope today

Pope Leo XIV
Today, more than ever, we must return to the heart, the center of feeling and emotion, the locus of freedom. Though it includes reason, the heart transcends and transforms it. Only by returning to the heart can we undergo a true ecological conversion that transforms our personal

Austin
I reject this whole heartedly. What you fail to see Mr Pope, the Bible says

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Reposted by David Pearce

Simon Kendler @simonzev.bsky.social · 7d

Oh look, a policy worked…

NO2 has reduced to the legal limit for the 1st time ever, something that wasn’t seen as feasible as little as 6 years ago.

bbc.in/4o4ymAx

#ULEZ #Pollution #CleanerAir

London Ulez reduced nitrogen dioxide to legal limit, mayor says

The mayor of London says the fall in airborne toxins is due to the Ultra low emission zone expansion.

bbc.in

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Reposted by David Pearce

Liam Thorp @liamthorp.bsky.social · 9d

Very good stuff from Sadiq Khan at the Labour Irish society event. He said there are two reasons he loves coming to Labour Conference.

“One is the reception at the Labour Party Irish Society reception.

“The second is to get away from all the Sharia Law in London”

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David Pearce @medavep.bsky.social · 11d

Think I'll give the Riyadh comedy festival a miss tbh

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Reposted by David Pearce

Sara Fox @saraf0x.bsky.social · 11d

#Margate Counter-Protest against racism today!
We outnumbered them again. Ukip had 9 people on their side 😂☠️
#StandUpToRacism
@standuptoracismuk.bsky.social

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David Pearce @medavep.bsky.social · 11d

On far right rallies: "It’s just same old, same old. I wish the media would stop talking about this as an unprecedented movement. There’s nothing unprecedented about it. Anyone who has even the slightest knowledge of 20th-century history should know that.”

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Something inside so wrong: Labi Siffre tells Tommy Robinson to stop using anti-apartheid anthem

Exclusive: UK singer, 80, says it is ‘absurd’ as a ‘positive atheist, homosexual black artist’ for far right to claim his work

www.theguardian.com

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David Pearce @medavep.bsky.social · 11d

They are terrible on the environment and workers rights, it's a weakness that needs exploiting

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David Pearce @medavep.bsky.social · 11d

This feels like a significant insight:

"anti-immigration voters see Labour’s pivot as inauthentic mimicry....For them, if immigration is the defining issue, Reform or the Conservatives will always be the more credible option, no matter what Labour do"

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Our research makes it clear: by capitulating to the right, Labour is driving voters to Reform UK | Tarik Abou-Chadi and Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte

Mimicking Farage on immigration is senseless. Labour voters feel betrayed; anti-immigration voters see through the ruse, say academics Tarik Abou-Chadi and Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by David Pearce

Tarik Abou-Chadi @tabouchadi.bsky.social · 13d

For the Guardian, @turnbulldugarte.com and I discuss our research that clearly shows one thing: Labour's anti-immigration strategy will only strengthen Reform and weaken its own electoral prospects. It won't win voters back but ultimately normalizes the far right

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Our research makes it clear: by capitulating to the right, Labour is driving voters to Reform UK | Tarik Abou-Chadi and Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte

Mimicking Farage on immigration is senseless. Labour voters feel betrayed; anti-immigration voters see through the ruse, say academics Tarik Abou-Chadi and Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by David Pearce

Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 12d

I love this paragraph, from this depressing article about tech oligarchy.

Also this:

"To break the rules — and very often the laws — in order to have an impact on the problems that plague their voters: this is the promise of the political miracle."

Free link:
on.ft.com/4nQDqIm

Clearly, decisive action alone is not enough to produce the miracle of power. It must also be a reckless act, for what would be the value of an action that simply responded rationally to necessity? It would be little more than the act of a technocrat, one of those grey and cruel public officials who act in the name of higher obligations, claiming to be the only ones able to master them. The essence of power lies in precisely the opposite. Goethe tells the story of the old Duke of Saxony, an original as well as stubborn man, whose advisers urge him to reflect and ponder before making an important decision. “I want neither to reflect nor to ponder,” he replies, “otherwise why would I be the Duke of Saxony?”

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David Pearce @medavep.bsky.social · 13d

This is not good.

Looks like Trump is going to be able to influence the TikTok algorithm on an ongoing basis in the USA.

That'll ruin it/make it Twitter for vertical video.

A smartphone screenshot of an Observer email article discusses Donald Trump's deal to facilitate the sale of TikTok and prevent its ban in the US. It notes the deal gives majority ownership of TikTok to a consortium of American investors, closely linked to Trump and including tech and media moguls. The article highlights concerns about free speech, the influence on US media, and the app's popularity among younger Americans. Bullet points mention the deal's impact and raise legal and national security issues related to ByteDance's data access. The law section states Congress previously voted to ban TikTok unless sold to US owners and mentions Trump extending the sale deadline several times.

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Reposted by David Pearce

Peter Thal Larsen @petertl.bsky.social · 15d

New argument against AI regulation just dropped. Checkmate, atheists.
www.wsj.com/tech/peter-t...

For about a year now, Thiel has been publicly laying out his understanding of biblical prophecies and the potential for the rapid advance of technology to bring about an apocalyptic future.

In a lecture Monday, he encouraged an audience to continue working toward scientific progress, whether in AI or other forms of technology. Fearing or regulating it, or opposing technological progress, would hasten the coming of the Antichrist, Thiel said, according to people who attended.

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Reposted by David Pearce

Naomi McAuliffe @naomimc.bsky.social · 15d

Sadiq Khan bringing Sharia Law to London like

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