Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Peter Howitt

@peterhowitt.bsky.social

2.7K followers 7.6K following 4.2K posts

AI optimist (Iain M Banks / James Lovelock variety). Full time lawyer, part-time poet and fumbling philosopher - "if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought" https://compossible.blog/

compossible.blog

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Peter Howitt @peterhowitt.bsky.social · Jun 25

I have republished 'Canto for David' (10 poems about Israel & Palestine) in one place on my newer blog platform. compossible.blog/2025/06/25/c...

Canto for David

Canto for David – 10 poems about Israel and Palestine

compossible.blog

4 5 14

Reposted by Peter Howitt

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 17h

🏆 How does a comedy show have the best news research team? @thedailyshow.com

680 5.2K 14K

Reposted by Peter Howitt

Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 16h

I can’t believe I have to say this, but historically, masked men who kidnap families in the middle of the night are usually not the good guys.

820 6.8K 26K

Reposted by Peter Howitt

Stephan Geering @stephangeering.bsky.social · 2h

I don't know how you can look at the famous pale blue dot photo and think: Yes, our planet is possibly the only place with intelligence in this vast universe, so what it needs is more grievance-based division and less global governance.

Pale blue dot picture: a photograph of Earth taken in 1990, by the Voyager 1 space probe from a distance of over 6 billion kilometers. In the photograph, Earth's apparent size is less than a pixel; the planet appears as a tiny dot against the vastness of space, among bands of sunlight reflected by the camera.

1 1 1

Reposted by Peter Howitt

Saul Staniforth @saulstaniforth.bsky.social · 4h

"Israelis are aware of the damage the conflict has caused to their countrys image.. [&] aware of the countrys growing isolation"

The world has watched for 2 years as Israel has committed genocide. Its a brutal apartheid regime & its isolation is only going to grow.

4 16 58

Reposted by Peter Howitt

Robert Heinze @rheinze.bsky.social · 3h

„The girlfriend of one of the founders of Antifa“

2 9 38

Peter Howitt @peterhowitt.bsky.social · 3h

"the girlfriend of one of the founders of Antifa"

1 3

Reposted by Peter Howitt

Michael @therightarticle.bsky.social · 3h

Almost 55,000 children in Gaza acutely malnourished, Lancet study estimates www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Almost 55,000 children in Gaza acutely malnourished, Lancet study estimates

Study shows clear link between Israeli restrictions on aid entering Gaza and levels of malnutrition among children

www.theguardian.com

7 6

Peter Howitt @peterhowitt.bsky.social · 3h

"The girlfriend of one of the founders of Antifa"

Photo of Mildred Harnack: "Mildred Fish-Harnack was the only American woman to die by Adolf Hitler's direct order for spying on Germany during World War II... During the rise of Hitler and the Nazi regime, Fish-Harnack and her husband joined a small resistance group, which the Nazi secret police — or Gestapo — would later call the Red Orchestra." "On December 19, after a four-day trial before the Reichskriegsgericht ("Reich Military Tribunal"), Mildred Harnack was initially sentenced to six years in prison, but Adolf Hitler refused to endorse the sentence and ordered a new trial, which resulted in a death sentence on January 16, 1943. She was beheaded by guillotine on February 16, 1943. While she was imprisoned, Fish-Harnack translated the poem Vermächtnis (transl. "Bequest") by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.Her last words were purported to have been "Und ich habe Deutschland auch so geliebt" ("And I, too, so loved Germany")."

2 12

Reposted by Peter Howitt

Birmingham Green Party @brumgreens.bsky.social · 23d

This is how blatantly the #BBC and other news favours Reform.
This is appalling and unbalanced and needs addressing NOW.
www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/how...

Reform, with 0.7% of all MPs, featured in 25% of BBC's recent 10pm news bulletins

Astonishingly, a party with 18 times as many MPs as Reform has received one-third less coverage on BBC News at 10.

www.thelondoneconomic.com

20 280 520

Peter Howitt @peterhowitt.bsky.social · 3h

www.bbc.com/news/live/cx...

Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to first phase of Gaza peace deal, paving way for ceasefire

Israel agrees to withdraw troops

www.bbc.com

Reposted by Peter Howitt

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 17h

Johnson: "He has defunded our education system. He has defunded our transportation system. He's firing black women across this country. He's defunding our healthcare system. This president is absolutely out of control... Chicago is going to stand firm in protecting humanity."

410 6.8K 23K

Peter Howitt @peterhowitt.bsky.social · 12h

Just to clarify: Hirsh's argument is that alleging genocide against Israel is anti-semitic even if it's true. Astonishing, racist and dangerous. Wrong in law and on the history of genocide.

Raphael Lemkin and the Quest to End Genocide - Google Arts & Culture

Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

artsandculture.google.com

Peter Howitt @peterhowitt.bsky.social · 12h

"Carlos, who requested anonymity to speak freely, admitted that his first task was training Sudanese recruits, most of whom were children."

‘War is a business’: the Colombian mercenaries training Sudan’s child fighters to ‘go and get killed’

A soldier of fortune tells of lucrative contracts, the siege of El Fasher and training child fighters to ‘go and get killed’

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Peter Howitt

Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg @theradr.bsky.social · 15h

Chicago, motherfuckers.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 15h

Pritzker: "This guy is unhinged. He's insecure. He's a wannabe dictator. And there's one thing I really want to say to Donald Trump. If you come for my people, you come through me. So come and get me."

3 26 150

Peter Howitt @peterhowitt.bsky.social · 16h

Environment
National security threatened by climate crisis, UK intelligence chiefs due to warn

National security threatened by climate crisis, UK intelligence chiefs due to warn

Report by joint intelligence committee delayed, with concerns expressed that it may not be published

www.theguardian.com

2 1

Reposted by Peter Howitt

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 19h

The Atlantic is edited by a former Israeli prison camp guard and has a senior columnist/contributor who is accused of writing secret speeches for the Israeli ambassador to the UN.

The state of the elite US media when it comes to Palestine.
zeteo.com/subscribe

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 1d

According to hacked emails obtained by @dropsitenews.com, 'journalist' Douglas Murray was allegedly writing secret draft speeches for the Israeli ambassador to the UN while also pretending to be an independent 'journalist'.

David Frum, Douglas Murray Secretly Drafted Speeches for Israeli Ambassador

Leaked emails from former Israeli UN Ambassador Ron Prosor show David Frum, Douglas Murray offering to write his speeches and a CNN producer fundraising for Israel’s Iron Dome during Israel’s 2014 war

www.dropsitenews.com

20 180 650

Reposted by Peter Howitt

Maryam Aldossari @maryamaldossari.bsky.social · 19h

What’s Behind Saudi Arabia’s Surge in Executions? ‘after the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the crown prince learned to get rid of critics by going through the judiciary, instead of through extrajudiciary means.’
www.thenation.com/article/worl...

What’s Behind Saudi Arabia’s Surge in Executions?

Activists believe that authorities are abusing the justice system to silence dissent and chill speech.

www.thenation.com

1 2

Reposted by Peter Howitt

Konsyse @konsyse.com · 19h

Researchers at Google revealed the median text prompt used in its generative AI tool Gemini in May 2025 required 0.24 watt-hours of electricity, produced 0.03 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent, and consumed 0.26 mm of water. This is roughly equivalent to 5 drops of water or 9 seconds of TV viewing.

A Single Google Gemini Prompt Uses 5 Drops of Water and is Akin to 9 Seconds of TV — Konsyse

Google discloses the environmental footprint of a single Gemini AI prompt.

www.konsyse.com

1 5 5

Reposted by Peter Howitt

Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 19h

Omar won! He won! 🤩 So wonderful!

From Palestinian refugee to Nobel glory: Omar Yaghi’s incredible journey

Born in Amman to refugee parents, Yaghi rose from humble roots to reshape modern chemistry

gulfnews.com/world/americ...

26 59

Reposted by Peter Howitt

Gregory Pratt @royalpratt.bsky.social · 19h

The President of the United States is calling for the mayor of Chicago and governor of Illinois to be jailed.

120 310 930

Peter Howitt @peterhowitt.bsky.social · 19h

"He was convicted on trumped up terrorism charges for posts in which he criticized the Saudi King and Crown Prince and Saudi’s foreign policy, called for the release of detained religious clerics and protested increased prices"
www.amnesty.org/en/documents...

Saudi Arabia: Further Information: Death Sentence for Social Media Posts Commuted: Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi - Amnesty International

On 24 September 2024, the appeals chamber of Saudi Arabia’s Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) commuted Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi’s death sentence for his social media posts, resentencing him to 30 ...

www.amnesty.org

Peter Howitt @peterhowitt.bsky.social · 19h

Greta Thunberg - Nobel Peace Prize 10.12.2025

Images of Greta Thunberg and the Nobel Peace Prize medal with the date of the prize and the caption 'Noble Greta'

Reposted by Peter Howitt

@dlp. @umadlp.bsky.social · 20h

James Brown at Home in Curlers, Queens, NY, by Diane Arbus, 1966.

8 24

Reposted by Peter Howitt

European Commission @ec.europa.eu · 20h

Freedom to love. Freedom to be.

Today, we've adopted our new LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026–2030, focusing on protecting people from violence, ensuring equal rights, and advancing equality for all.

Because equality and freedom are at the heart of Europe.

More ↓
link.europa.eu/dDRf4r

7 58 190

Peter Howitt @peterhowitt.bsky.social · 21h

"I feel that the four big AI CEOs in the U.S. are modern-day prophets with four different versions of the Gospel ..telling the same basic story that this is so dangerous and so scary that I have to do it and nobody else.”

(Max Tegmark