Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 44m

I’m taken aback to learn at the end of Matthew’s presentation that Judge Alison McKenna died at the end of last year. I did not know her well but met her on a few occasions and was struck by her kindness and the time she gave peers in the sector while pursuing an impressive career.

#RIP

Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 58m

Matthew Smith’s history of the charity tribunal is typically entertaining and insightful. There is a great deal to enjoy here - a highlight is his tale of a barrister representing an appellant in partial satisfaction of a community service order, having bitten a policeman.

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Reposted by Shivaji Shiva

World Bollard Association™️ @worldbollardassoc.bsky.social · 1d

LIVE SCENES FROM WALES
#WorldBollardAssociation 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 1h

There is plenty to think about here, given the collapsing business model for much print journalism and the honourable exceptions we know well.

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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 1h

Jonathan gives us a lively and persuasive argument for accepting that journalism is a public good, highlighting its role in holding public bodies to account and providing a forum for exploring the many concerns we share with neighbours even where we differ from them on national political issues.

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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 1h

Back to hear from Jonathan Heawood of the Public Interest News Foundation and Tom Murdoch about an interesting and topical question: How can Journalism possibly be charitable?

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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 1h

Thank you - I’ll take a look.

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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 1h

Great to catch up with friends from across the sector over a cup of tea, and enjoy the hubbub.

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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 2h

Next up, a session prompted by a new book: Landmark Cases in Charity Law.

Rebecca Fry opens explaining that the book was first conceived in a conversation at a conference like this one. John, Jonathan and Jennifer then describe their chapters in the book.

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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 2h

First up is Dr Priya Singh, chair of NCVO. She celebrates the sector and the Association - and highlights the role of so many charity lawyers as trustees themselves. She also calls for change to deliver sustainability, trust and partnerships in the sector.

Dr Singh at the podium before a slide saying ‘Dr Priya Singh, Chair, NCVO’

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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 2h

At BMA House for the #CharityLawAssociation Annual Conference, along with VWV colleagues.

#CLAConf2025
#Law #Governance #Charity

A room full of lawyers facing a stage displaying a banner announcing the 31st Annual Conference of the Charity Law Association.

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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 3h

Made it.

A folding bike on a luggage rack in a train.

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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 5h

Heading into London for the Charity Law Association conference this morning. The local train is delayed but I hope to make my connection.

The arrivals board at Bournville station showing that the 7:50 is running late. Fingers crossed!🤞🏾

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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 6h

This sounds interesting. Is there an online article or a book you can recommend?

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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 7h

Oops - ignore that final ‘them’.

Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 15h

This is an increasing issue for the charities I work with. Claims bolstered by superficially plausible sentences and unreliable lists of case law. Misguided and / or nuisance claims are nothing new of course but the impact of LLMs is making them even harder to manage them.

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Reposted by Shivaji Shiva

Lisa @lisasass.bsky.social · 1d

Doctor talking to patient, who is sitting on the exam table wife-eyed. Caption:
“"We're seeing a lot of patients with these symptoms. Have you been normalizing copious amounts of insanity?"

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Reposted by Shivaji Shiva

Kevin Maguire @kevmag.bsky.social · 1d

Unfair Britain

Lifetime of earnings not enough for UK workers to join wealthiest 10%

www.theguardian.com/inequality/2...

Lifetime of earnings not enough for UK workers to join wealthiest 10%, report says

Research finds it would take average worker saving all their earnings for 52 years to match wealth of richest 10th of society

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Shivaji Shiva

Blythe Goes Cycling 🚴‍♂️🚏🚍 @blythegoescycling.bsky.social · 1d

And we can guess where the incentives to produce this twaddle are coming from

Well actually, we don’t need to guess. I used to work in the local and national newspapers industry, they rely on advertising. The biggest advertisers? The car industry from manufacturers to retailers new and used

mark burge @markburge.ca · 1d

It is astounding how much negative ebike press has come out in the past few months, it almost as if they represent a real threat to the car industry.

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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 1d

Ouch. Hope that heals fast.

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Reposted by Shivaji Shiva

Max Dubler 🏳️‍🌈 @maxdubler.com · 1d

Electric bicycles, and shared electric bicycles in particular, are a revolutionary transportation technology. Forward-looking cities should be building out the infrastructure necessary to make cycling safe and convenient for everyone who wants to do it.

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 1d

i recently got a great deal on a barely used folding ebike and i have to say it has revolutionized my train travel. i can get from my front door to the amtrak station in a little less than 5 minutes!!!

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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 1d

beyondthekerb.org.uk/at-the-going...

At The Going Down of The Sun and In The Morning

There is something that happens twice a day, every day. It has done so since before life existed on Earth and it will do so until the seas boil and life ceases to exits. So reliably does it happen …

beyondthekerb.org.uk

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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 1d

Makes sense …

Bookshop.org @bookshop.org · 1d

Can’t decide what to buy on Prime Day?

Try: absolutely nothing, and then go support indie bookstores instead 📚

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Reposted by Shivaji Shiva

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 2d

Nice chart from @ourworldindata.org showing the contrast between what Americans die of (heart disease and cancer) v what the US media reports on (homicide and terrorism). This naturally leads to it being trickier to build a fact based world view
ourworldindata.org/does-the-new...

What Americans die from
and the causes of death the US media reports on
Causes of death in the US in 2023
Heart disease (29%)
Cancer (26%)
Accidents (9.5%)
Stroke (6.9%)
Lower respiratory diseases
(6.2%)
Alzheimer's disease (4.8%)
Diabetes (4.0%)
Kidney failure (2.4%)
Liver disease (2.2%)
Homicide (<1%)
Terrorism (<0.001%)|
COVID-19 (2.1%)
Influenza/Pneu
monia (19%6)

Media coverage of these causes of death in 2023 in...
The New York Times
The Washington Post
Fox News
Heart disease (2.8%)
Heart disease (2.9%)
Cancer (4.1%)
Cancer (4.7%)
Accidents (5.9%)
Cancer (3.8%)
Accidents (6.1%)
Accidents (9.7%)
Suicide (4.1%)
Suicide (3.3%)
COVID-19 (6.0%)
COVID-19 (7.9%)
Suicide (3.8%)
COVID-19 (5.3%)
Drug overdose (7.5%)
Drug overdose (9.8%)
Drug overdose (9.5%)
Cancer (26%)
Accidents (9.5%)
Stroke (6.9%)
Lower respiratory diseases
(6.2%)
Alzheimer's disease (4.8%)
Diabetes (4.0%)
Kidney failure (24%)
Suicide (2.1%0)
COVID-19 (2.1%0
Homicide (42%)
Homicide (52%)
Homicide (46%)
Terrorism (18%)
Terrorism (12%)
Terrorism (11%)
Homicide (<1%)
Terrorism (<0.001%)
Note: Based on the share of causes of death in the US and the share of mentions for each of the causes in the New York Times, the Washington Post and Fox News. All values are normalized to 100%, so the shares are relative to all deaths caused by the 12 most common causes + drug overdoses, homicides and terrorism. These causes account for more than 75% of deaths in the US.
A "media mention" is a published article in one of the outlets which mentions the cause (e,g. "influenza) or related keywords (e.g. "fu") least twice.
Data sources: Media mentions from Media Cloud (2025): deaths data from the US CDC (2025) and Global Terrorism Index.|
CC BY

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Shivaji Shiva @shivajishivalaw.bsky.social · 2d

Agreed.

Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 2d

This is shocking racism from Jenrick and Badenoch should sack him immediately.

No further comment necessary.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Robert Jenrick complained of ‘not seeing another white face’ in Birmingham neighbourhood

Shadow justice secretary criticised for suggesting he could tell how integrated Handsworth was based on short visit

www.theguardian.com

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