theintercept.com

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The Intercept is an award-winning news organization dedicated to holding mainstream views and misinformation.

Pro-Israel Advocates Are Weaponizing “Safety” on College Campuses

28 March 2024 @ 8:08 pm

Some schools are acting on the misbegotten notion that Palestinian freedom is a threat to Jewish safety. The post Pro-Israel Advocates Are Weaponizing “Safety” on College Campuses appeared first on The Intercept.

Kamala Harris Touts Secret Service Program Encouraging High School Spying

28 March 2024 @ 3:57 pm

The Secret Service program stresses more behavioral monitoring as well as students spying on other students. The post Kamala Harris Touts Secret Service Program Encouraging High School Spying appeared first on The Intercept.

Pentagon Ignores Law Calling for Report on How It Trained So Many African Coup Leaders

28 March 2024 @ 2:00 pm

The Defense Department blew the deadline for a mandatory briefing to Congress on coups by U.S.-trained African military officers. The post Pentagon Ignores Law Calling for Report on How It Trained So Many African Coup Leaders appeared first on The Intercept.

Anti-Abortion Doctors Struggle to Explain Mifepristone Harms Before Supreme Court

27 March 2024 @ 5:25 pm

The justices didn’t seem to buy the tenuous theory that would allow the doctors to sue the FDA over medication abortion. The post Anti-Abortion Doctors Struggle to Explain Mifepristone Harms Before Supreme Court appeared first on The Intercept.

Iran and U.S. Wage a Shadow War Behind Gaza Conflict

27 March 2024 @ 10:00 am

While Israel’s assault on Gaza continues, Iran supports a web of groups that have targeted Israeli and U.S. forces across the Middle East. The post Iran and U.S. Wage a Shadow War Behind Gaza Conflict appeared first on The Intercept.

Meta Refuses to Answer Questions on Gaza Censorship, Say Sens. Warren and Sanders

26 March 2024 @ 12:00 pm

In the days after October 7, Meta said it removed more than 2 million pieces of Hebrew and Arabic content, but didn’t break down the data. The post Meta Refuses to Answer Questions on Gaza Censorship, Say Sens. Warren and Sanders appeared first on The Intercept.

Government-Made Comic Books Try to Fight Election Disinformation

25 March 2024 @ 9:35 pm

Another federal government program to fight foreign disinformation falls flat. The post Government-Made Comic Books Try to Fight Election Disinformation appeared first on The Intercept.

Elon Musk Fought Government Surveillance — While Profiting Off Government Surveillance

25 March 2024 @ 4:16 pm

Musk made hay of his legal battle against secret surveillance but continued selling X user data to a company that facilitates government monitoring. The post Elon Musk Fought Government Surveillance — While Profiting Off Government Surveillance appeared first on The Intercept.

Squeezed by African Coups, Biden Cozies Up to the World’s Worst Dictator

25 March 2024 @ 2:11 pm

Famous for its repression and torture, Teodoro Obiang’s Equatorial Guinea got an aid delivery from U.S. Special Operations forces. The post Squeezed by African Coups, Biden Cozies Up to the World’s Worst Dictator appeared first on The Intercept.

Organizing Aid to Gaza Led Me to a Harsh Truth: Biden Is on Board for Ethnic Cleansing

23 March 2024 @ 10:00 am

I helped with airlifts in Afghanistan, aid to the Ukrainian front, and building roads in Rwanda. None of it prepared me for the challenges of Gaza. The post Organizing Aid to Gaza Led Me to a Harsh Truth: Biden Is on Board for Ethnic Cleansing appeared first on The Intercept.

smerconish.com

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Refreshingly Independent Politics – smerconish.com is to create a clearinghouse for non-ideological thinking. We want to give people a chance to contribute to, and consume media that isn’t predicated on the usual, extreme talking points of the polarized media. Instead, we aim to promote independent thinking and diversity of thought.

questioneverything.io

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To critically evaluate the global response to COVID-19 and present a series of responsible pandemic exit strategies to help ensure that total harms are minimised.

politics.co.uk

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Politics news from the UK.

Peter Gibson: ‘We must do more to achieve zero transmissions of HIV by 2030’

28 March 2024 @ 2:30 pm

Coming out as gay in the 1990s instantly put you in a high-risk category for HIV. Many friends lived in fear of contracting it and it was seen as a death sentence. I had two friends who died from AIDS and the waste of their young lives being lost still angers me over 20 years... Read more » The post Peter Gibson: ‘We must do more to achieve zero transmissions of HIV by 2030’ appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

‘Levelling up is a good ambition’ — Keir Starmer’s local elections campaign launch speech in full

28 March 2024 @ 11:20 am

Keir Starmer has delivered a speech in which he declared that “levelling up is a good ambition” for Britain. Speaking on Thursday morning at the Labour Party’s local elections campaign launch, he said that the past 14 years have been frustrating for him due to the “countless opportunities” that were missed to empower working people. He... Read more » The post ‘Levelling up is a good ambition’ — Keir Starmer’s local elections campaign launch speech in full appeared first on

Rishi Sunak: I inherited ‘worst hospital pass’ for a new PM in decades

28 March 2024 @ 9:44 am

Rishi Sunak has suggested he inherited the “worst hospital pass” of any new prime minister in decades when he took over from predecessor Liz Truss. However, Sunak said he was “entirely confident that there are better times ahead”. The comments came in a podcast interview published by The Times with Lord Hague, the former foreign... Read more » The post Rishi Sunak: I inherited ‘worst hospital pass’ for a new PM in decades appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

Sunak pledge tracker. Is the PM delivering on his ‘priorities’?

27 March 2024 @ 1:55 pm

After a difficult first few months as prime minister, Rishi Sunak undertook in January last year to define his time in Downing Street on the clearest possible terms with “five pledges”. He called on the doubting public to “trust” him as he rolled out five shiny new pre-election pledges: place your faith in me and... Read more » The post Sunak pledge tracker. Is the PM delivering on his ‘priorities’? appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

Labour has 99% chance of winning next election, says expert John Curtice

27 March 2024 @ 9:13 am

The Labour Party has a 99 per cent chance of winning the next general election, leading polling expert Sir John Curtice has said. The leading psephologist insisted that “the Labour Party will be in a much stronger position to negotiate a minority government than the Conservatives because, apart from possibly the DUP, the Conservatives have... Read more » The post Labour has 99% chance of winning next election, says expert John Curtice appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

Mel Stride’s approach to mental health is blissfully ignorant

27 March 2024 @ 8:00 am

In the search for controversy, Mel Stride has been blissfully ignorant. In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Stride – motivated by the UK’s worryingly turgid welfare bill – has claimed today’s approach to mental health risks going too far. But he couldn’t be more wrong. In fact, it was another of his comments that... Read more » The post Mel Stride’s approach to mental health is blissfully ignorant appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

Mapped: All the MPs standing down at the next election as Robert Halfon to quit

26 March 2024 @ 4:36 pm

Almost 100 MPs have now said they will stand down at the next general election. Out of the 99 MPs who have announced they will not fight their seats at the next election — which must take place by January 2025 — 63 of them are Conservatives. Politics.co.uk, together with the political mapping platform Polimapper,... Read more » The post Mapped: All the MPs standing down at the next election as Robert Halfon to quit appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

Minister Robert Halfon to quit at next election as Conservative MP exodus climbs to 63

26 March 2024 @ 4:10 pm

Robert Halfon has left his role as education minister after announcing he will be standing down from parliament at the next election. In a letter addressed to the prime minister and posted to X/Twitter on Tuesday afternoon, the Harlow MP said that is was “time for me to step down at the forthcoming General Election,... Read more » The post Minister Robert Halfon to quit at next election as Conservative MP exodus climbs to 63 appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

Politics@Lunch: Sunak gets grilled

26 March 2024 @ 2:33 pm

The below content first appeared in Politics.co.uk’s Politics@Lunch newsletter, subscribe here and never miss this daily briefing. As I write, prime minister Rishi Sunak is midway through his epic pre-recess questioning session at the hands of the liaison committee. The liaison committee is made up of the chairs of other select committees and nominally “considers the... Read more » The post Politics@Lunch: Sunak gets grilled appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

Michael Gove apologises to standards watchdog over failure to declare VIP football tickets

26 March 2024 @ 10:57 am

Levelling up secretary Michael Gove has apologised “profusely” for failing to register VIP hospitality he enjoyed at three football matches between 2020 and 2022. Gove had been placed under investigation in February after he disclosed the hospitality provided by Queens Park Rangers following a report in The Guardian that he had failed to register the... Read more » The post Michael Gove apologises to standards watchdog over failure to declare VIP football tickets appeared first on Politics.co.uk.

theyworkforyou.com

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Keeping tabs on the UK’s parliaments & assemblies

TICTeC keynote speaker announcement: María Baron

25 March 2024 @ 9:03 am

We’re excited to announce the first keynote speaker for our 2024 Impacts of Civic Technology Conference (TICTeC)! Join us on 12 and 13 June  — in London or online — and you’ll hear from María Baron, founder and now Global Executive Director of Directorio Legislativo. This year, one of the major themes at TICTeC will…

“Don’t be afraid to copy” and four more highlights from the Scorecards Successes Conference

22 March 2024 @ 2:48 pm

To reach the UK’s 2050 net zero target, all local authorities need to take serious action across all of their operations. But what exactly should they do, and in what order? To get the most out of the brilliant data uncovered by the Council Climate Action Scorecards, Climate Emergency UK commissioned Anthesis to research and…

Creating datasets from FOI data

21 March 2024 @ 4:24 pm

Responses obtained from a widespread FOI project can be difficult to analyse, until they are sorted into neat datasets. This allows you to make valid comparisons, pull out accurate statistics and ultimately ensure your findings are meaningful. In our third seminar within the Using Freedom of Information for Campaigning and Advocacy series, we heard from…

Guest post: What are the questions MPs ask that don’t get answered?

19 March 2024 @ 5:21 pm

This blog post is part of our Repowering Democracy series. We are publishing a series of short pieces of writing from mySociety staff and guest writers who are thinking about how our democracy works and are at the frontlines of trying to improve it. This week, we’re re-publishing a blog post from Anna Powell-Smith at…

Council Climate Action Scorecards help councillor to get a sustainability motion passed

18 March 2024 @ 10:18 am

We were more than delighted when this news story crossed our radar, showing in detail how Cllr Andrew Murray, of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, used the Council Climate Action Scorecards to gain support from his fellow councillors for climate action. Cllr Murray’s proposed motion even referred to the Scorecards themselves: “This Council acknowledges…

Democracy month notes: February

12 March 2024 @ 1:42 pm

Previously: January! Gaza ceasefire blog post I wrote a blog post about the Gaza Ceasefire opposition day votes – especially focusing on how there ended up being no recorded votes.  This is the kind of responsive work we’d like to do more of. We don’t need to duplicating every explainer out there, but we want…

Climate monthnotes: January & February

6 March 2024 @ 9:31 am

It’s so tempting to start each of these with a clichéd “where did the time go?” or “how is it X month already?”, but in this case, it really does feel like 2024 is running away from us!  January kicked off with Louise, Alex and I heading to the Democracy Network conference, where the theme…

Telling stories with FOI data

29 February 2024 @ 9:44 am

In the second seminar of our Using Freedom of Information for Campaigning and Advocacy series, we learned how to use information from FOI requests to create stories and further your cause.  First, we heard the experience of two different campaign groups — Privacy International and Climate Emergency UK — in getting their stories into the…

Getting the most from FOI

26 February 2024 @ 1:56 pm

We are currently running a series of free, online seminars on Using Freedom of Information for Campaigning and Advocacy.  The aim is to upskill social change organisations, particularly those working with marginalised communities and with limited capacity. Attendees will come away from these sessions with the skills and understanding they need to support their campaign…

Gaza Ceasefire votes and voting records

22 February 2024 @ 12:50 pm

What happened? Yesterday in the House of Commons, there was an SNP Opposition Day debate about a ceasefire in Gaza. This meant that the SNP had an opportunity to put forward a motion for the House to vote on. The Labour Party’s preferred wording of a ceasefire motion replaced the SNP motion and was passed…

thefreedomcycle.com/pub/

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THE PEOPLE’S UNION OF BRITAIN
Taking back sovereignty through common law.

goodlawproject.org

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The Good Law Project is a not-for-profit campaign organisation that uses the law to protect the interests of the public. The Good Law Project fight cases that defend, define or change the law and we use litigation to engage and educate. The Good Law Project challenge abuses of power, exploitation, inequality, and injustice.

whocanivotefor.co.uk

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An updated list of candidates you can vote for the up and coming UK elections.

artsparty.org.uk

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Introducing arts thinking into politics and promoting creative, scientific and evidence based ideas that improve the lives of as many people as possible, while mindful of the few.

Arts Party Conference 2019

16 August 2019 @ 9:30 am

The Arts Party welcomes it’s first party conference from the heart of where water meets dirt, Brighton. We will be hosting debates for purposes of socialising, conversation and recreation. Located in Camelford Street, Brighton, BN2 1TQ, United Kingdom. All are welcome to attend, please use the contact form below to register your interest. [Fully booked] The post Arts Party Conference 2019 appeared first on ARTS PARTY.

Dinner for few

9 June 2019 @ 12:41 pm

A short and stark reminder of the state of play in politics today/yesterday. Thanks to a Dinner for a few, award winner from Nassos Vakalis. DINNER FOR FEW from Nassos Vakalis on Vimeo. The post Dinner for few appeared first on ARTS PARTY.

Scotland takes steps to put culture at the forefront of policy-making

6 July 2018 @ 9:31 am

A CULTURE STRATEGY FOR SCOTLAND – reflecting the past, challenging the present, shaping the future . The strategy seeks to stimulate a step change that will bring about a shift in how society and government view and value culture. It aims to build collaborative alliances that will help to realise the full potential of culture … Continue reading "Scotland takes steps to put culture at the forefront of policy-making" The post Scotland takes steps to put culture at the forefront of policy-making appeared first on ARTS PARTY.

Arts teachers in decline

5 July 2018 @ 9:35 am

As well as a fall in teaching hours, the arts has lost almost a quarter (9000) of teachers working in secondary schools in England since 2011. Sourced from https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/news/arts-teacher-numbers-plummet-almost-quarter The post Arts teachers in decline appeared first on ARTS PARTY.

Why the Arts Matter

12 May 2018 @ 7:11 am

We’ve come across a great graphic that really sums up why the Arts matter – enjoy! The post Why the Arts Matter appeared first on ARTS PARTY.

Creativity and politics

17 April 2018 @ 11:19 am

Heather McGhee talks about the influence that music, film, and other arts can have on social change. https://thecreativeindependent.com/people/heather-mcghee-on-creativity-and-politics/ The post Creativity and politics appeared first on ARTS PARTY.

Why is creativity the most important political concept of the 21st century?

17 April 2018 @ 11:15 am

There is no concept more politically important today than creativity. I’ll give four reasons why but first a definition. ‘Creative’ has narrow, broader and even broader connotations in English. It’s the last of these we should be most interested in. The narrow meaning immediately leads one to think of activities directly associated with the arts. … Continue reading "Why is creativity the most important political concept of the 21st century?" The post Why is creativity the most important political concept of the 21st century? appeared first on ARTS PARTY.

Arts can help children avoid a lifetime of gang crime

14 April 2018 @ 11:05 am

Andria Zafirakou, who won the $1million title in Dubai last month, said subjects such as art, music and drama can transform the lives of vulnerable young people and give them the confidence to walk away from gangs. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/arts-can-help-children-avoid-a-lifetime-of-gang-crime-says-1m-prizewinning-teacher-a3813071.html The post Arts can help children avoid a lifetime of gang crime appeared first on ARTS PARTY.

Creativity and the arts in decline

1 February 2018 @ 11:34 am

Creative arts subjects are being cut back in many secondary schools in England, a BBC survey suggests. More than 1,200 schools responded – over 40% of secondary schools. Of the schools that responded, nine in every 10 said they had cut back on lesson time, staff or facilities in at least one creative arts subject. … Continue reading "Creativity and the arts in decline" The post Creativity and the arts in decline appeared first on ARTS PARTY.

Drawing the Future

20 January 2018 @ 10:34 am

A report launched by Education and Employers and found that children’s career aspirations only marginally differ from age 7 to age 17. It also showed that some sectors vital for economic health look set to be badly under-resourced in future. In the biggest survey of its kind, primary school children aged seven to 11 were … Continue reading "Drawing the Future" The post Drawing the Future appeared first on ARTS PARTY.