Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Rachel Withers

Nick Feik @nickfeik.bsky.social · 19h

Reminder: Australia's only emissions reduction legislation - the safeguard mechanism - allows for unlimited use of offsets instead of requiring genuine cuts from polluters

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 1d

News that shocks no one: Carbon offsets do nothing for climate.

Carbon offsets fail to cut global heating due to ‘intractable’ systemic problems, study says

Analysis of 25 years of evidence shows most schemes are poor quality and fail to lower emissions

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Rachel Withers

stranger @strangerous.bsky.social · 21h

David Pocock asks Don Farrell some serious questions about why the govt has not implemented an important recommendation from the #RobodebtRC.
Farrell caught playing on his phone, not even paying attention.🙄 Pocock hasn’t the patience to try again & moves on. #Estimates

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Rachel Withers @rachelwithers.bsky.social · 17h

Party politics does strange things to people's minds

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Rachel Withers @rachelwithers.bsky.social · 17h

"I wish I had told you, before our dinners grew cold, that one day I would speak loudly. Not to wound, but because not speaking would betray everything I was taught... I have spoken not in spite of my Jewishness but because of it – in solidarity with Palestinians, but also out of love for you."

Sarah Schwartz @sarahschwartz.bsky.social · 18h

A letter to those who taught me my Jewishness, and who now sit on the other side of a deep chasm.

When you first heard me speak against this genocide, you heard my words as betrayal. But they were meant as love

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

When you first heard me speak against this genocide, you heard my words as betrayal. But they were meant as love | Sarah Schwartz

Not speaking would go against everything I was taught to honour: the righteous among the nations – those who refused to be bystanders to injustice

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Rachel Withers

Sarah Schwartz @sarahschwartz.bsky.social · 18h

A letter to those who taught me my Jewishness, and who now sit on the other side of a deep chasm.

When you first heard me speak against this genocide, you heard my words as betrayal. But they were meant as love

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

When you first heard me speak against this genocide, you heard my words as betrayal. But they were meant as love | Sarah Schwartz

Not speaking would go against everything I was taught to honour: the righteous among the nations – those who refused to be bystanders to injustice

www.theguardian.com

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Rachel Withers @rachelwithers.bsky.social · 18h

The fact Wong thinks she can just snark her way out of this is a sign of how normalised the relationships between politicians and lobbyists have become.

Like, of course the PM shouldn't be president of a registered lobby group that sells corporate members access to politicians? No shit??

Crikey @crikey.com.au · 21h

Independent Senator David Pocock and Labor's Penny Wong clashed in Senate estimates yesterday over whether the Parliamentary Sports Club could be considered a lobby group, as reported in Crikey last week. The club is registered as such, and lists Responsible Wagering Australia as one of its clients.

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Reposted by Rachel Withers

Jessie L @jessielilley.bsky.social · 20d

Tonight 7pm on Spin Cycle @3rrrfm.bsky.social we wrap up Radiothon. The rad @nataliesqrl.bsky.social joins us to look at the last week, and hasn't it shown us how vital independent news media is? So pls throw us your coin. With @rachelwithers.bsky.social @theshufflediary.bsky.social

SUBSCRIBE!

Triple R 102.7FM, Melbourne Independent Radio

Community media on 102.7FM, 3RRR Digital in Melbourne & worldwide via RRR Apps

www.rrr.org.au

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Reposted by Rachel Withers

Osmond Chiu (赵明佑) @redrabbleroz.bsky.social · 21d

A good little chart from the Parliamentary Library showing how almost all social spending by the Commonwealth is already means-tested #auspol

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Rachel Withers @rachelwithers.bsky.social · 22d

You nailed it!

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Rachel Withers @rachelwithers.bsky.social · 22d

Oh true, I forgot about the rapture

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Rachel Withers @rachelwithers.bsky.social · 22d

But to be 42 with young kids and feel that way? It boggles the mind — or bobbles the head 🙃

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Rachel Withers @rachelwithers.bsky.social · 22d

A perfect portrayal from @fionakatauskas.bsky.social. Smug little man child.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

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Rachel Withers @rachelwithers.bsky.social · 22d

Like, obviously the Right has been focusing on getting in young talent, but c'mon. You guys are presumably going to be around dealing with the consequences in 2050. Enough of this grift.

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Rachel Withers @rachelwithers.bsky.social · 22d

Something weird about these early 40s white men insisting we ditch net zero and fuck the consequences.

The pig-headed, nihilistic disregard almost made sense for Abbott (67), Joyce (58), Morrison (57).

But Hastie/Duniam are 42. Millennials who might've led the Coalition into the 21st century...

6 News Australia @6newsau.bsky.social · 23d

#BREAKING 🚨 Andrew Hastie has threatened to quit the opposition frontbench if the Coalition does not end its support for net zero

Speaking to the ABC, Hastie says he would think about quitting – or be sacked by Sussan Ley – because he wants the climate target scrapped

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Rachel Withers @rachelwithers.bsky.social · 23d

Perhaps whoever at The New Daily wanted this taken down might heed that message...

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Rachel Withers @rachelwithers.bsky.social · 23d

"Kirk represented everything we should be pushing back against. And if you are worried that saying so will trigger more violence, and a further slide into authoritarianism, then you have already ceded the space."

@amyremeikis.bsky.social bang on as always:
amyremeikis.substack.com/p/charlie-ki...

Charlie Kirk died in the America he wanted

I mourn the loss of human life. I feel compassion, empathy and grief at an inexcusable killing. But I find nothing to lionise in his legacy.

amyremeikis.substack.com

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Reposted by Rachel Withers

Charlie Lewis @theshufflediary.bsky.social · 27d

Following today's rally, we are going on Spin Cycle by the wonderful @evelynaraluen.bsky.social to discuss the closure of Meanjin, Australia's shrinking public square and much more after a monstrous week of news.

Join @jessielilley.bsky.social @rachelwithers.bsky.social and I on RRR from 7pm!

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Rachel Withers @rachelwithers.bsky.social · Sep 4

Feels like only a matter of time before the word "Palestinian" is deemed antisemitic by the people who put together this list
www.deepcutnews.com/p/watermelon...

Watermelons deemed an antisemitic symbol at pro-Israel mayoral summit

A leaflet shared at Gold Coast summit includes a bizarre list of 'antisemitic' items

www.deepcutnews.com

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Rachel Withers @rachelwithers.bsky.social · Sep 4

while his comments about simultaneously "oppos[ing] Netanyahu’s vicious regime" would probably be considered antisemitic under the conference's own definition:
www.deepcutnews.com/p/watermelon...

Watermelons deemed an antisemitic symbol at pro-Israel mayoral summit

A leaflet shared at Gold Coast summit includes a bizarre list of 'antisemitic' items

www.deepcutnews.com

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Rachel Withers @rachelwithers.bsky.social · Sep 4

Worth noting that Darcy Byrne's justification for going to the conference *directly contradicts* Segal's claim that the March was not relevant to the conference...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Failure to tackle antisemitism should see organisations’ funding cut like subpar childcare centres, special envoy says

At a Gold Coast conference, Jillian Segal declined to address the presence of neo-Nazis at Sunday’s anti-immigration marches

www.theguardian.com

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Rachel Withers @rachelwithers.bsky.social · Sep 4

Sounds like she should be calling for her own funding to be cut

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Reposted by Rachel Withers

Ben Eltham @beneltham.bsky.social · Sep 4

Weirdly specific denial in this Guardian article that Melbourne Uni’s board didn’t play any role in killing Meanjin

Dr Ingrid M @ingridm.bsky.social · Sep 4

in which the chair of MUP denies that UMelb Council, chaired by Mark Leibler, had any formal role in the MUP decision to close down Meanjin.

www.theguardian.com/books/2025/s...

Decision to close Meanjin criticised as act of ‘utter cultural vandalism’

Shutting long-running literary journal, which published emerging writers as well as the cream of Australia’s literary talent, described as ‘enormous loss’

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Rachel Withers

Jonathan Green @greenj.bsky.social · Sep 4

The little Meanjin collection that I helped bring into the world as editor. Just a fragment of its 85-year catalogue. What an act of bone-stupid arrogance to kill it.

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Reposted by Rachel Withers

Nat Osborne she/her @drnatosborne.bsky.social · Sep 4

Meanjin has (had 😭) two - TWO - part time staff members.

I'd be willing to bet my dinner that the cost of supporting Meanjin is less than what a single top 15 executive at Uni Melb makes in a year

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