The government's plans to reform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system in England will "strip away" legal protections for children and young people needing support, a charity has warned
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
New post just out:
"Sovereignty for sale"
The UK is uniquely exposed to the power of US tech monopolies - from Palantir to AI and cloud services.
Why is it so dangerous? What are other countries doing? And what should we do?
(£/free trial)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/s...
The government's newly announced £1.6 billion inclusion fund 'won't go very far at all', leaders have warned
Why was I making a fuss about government footdragging on #PFAS (forever chemicals) this week?
Here's one more #PublicHealth reason
www.sciencealert.com/babies-are-e...
Ensuring #FoodSecurity - surely a crucial government responsibility on which Westminster has been failing for decades
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
UK competition watchdog investigates Hilton, InterContinental Hotels (IHG) and Marriott.
Suspicion of sharing “competitively sensitive” information to fix prices, boost profits.
Bug business ready and willing to construct harmful practices.
Yet neoliberals deregulate. Let corporations run amok.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres: “Military action carries the risk of igniting a chain of events that no one can control in the most volatile region of the world"
Biology is messy. It doesn't work like machine blueprints.
We have to #Unlearn so much reductionist, wrong thinking about our bodies and the world
www.livescience.com/health/inher...
Children with special needs will receive individual support directly from schools as part of overhaul of SEND provision in England - but concerns remain over plans to limit access to EHCPs at secondary.
💥Schools white paper coming this week…
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
"Widespread monocultures of genetically uniform crops.... have contributed to environmental degradation & increased plant vulnerability to disease."
We could - and must - break up these monocultures. In #biodiversity is resilience
theconversation.com/coffee-crops...
Romania has decoupled economic growth from pollution faster than anywhere else in EU. Its net greenhouse gas emissions intensity fell 88% between 1990 & 2023, so each euro’s worth of economic activity heats planet 10 times less. Emissions have plunged by 75%. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
EU tech law
European Commission begins investigation of Shein under the Digital Services Act - re sale of illegal products (child sex dolls), recommender systems, and addictive design
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Your body doesn’t need perfection.
It just needs movement.
Stop scrolling and move.
Move daily to cut health risks and unlock lifelong benefits.
The disruptive climate crisis makes hot weather hotter and cold, colder. This year, our overheated planet has been making some of our weather much colder and in Washington much snowier.
Both questionable (e.g. p-hacking) and open (e.g. pre-registration) research practices are prevalent in education research. We sought to understand the explanations given by educational researchers for why either should or should not be used. Two teams of researchers independently analysed open-ended survey responses from 1488 education researchers on their feelings about questionable and open research practices. Despite using different analytic approaches, all of the major categorizations of participant responses were similar or related across teams. Our findings suggest that although respondents believe that questionable research practices should not be used, they conceded there are systemic reasons some use them. Similarly, although respondents generally support open practices, they noted situations in which they were not appropriate or necessary for education research. These findings can serve as a catalyst for training and policy initiatives. #MetaSci #Methodology #EduSky #AcademicSky #OpenSci
“Our findings suggest that although respondents believe that questionable research practices should not be used, they conceded there are systemic reasons some use them.”
Open Acc: doi.org/10.1098/rsos...
BSky authors: @sarahcaroleo.bsky.social, @jesse-fleming.bsky.social, @bryancook.bsky.social
When analysing student survey data on the subject of belonging, it can be easy to find we are overwhelmed.
@hannahwilson.bsky.social’s advice: “Keep it simple. Less is more. See a DEIB survey or focus group as a pulse check...." uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/a-... 1/2
#BabyFormula - so long a product of massive exploitation, profiteering and #PublicHealth threat.
“The companies have demonstrated appalling negligence.”
www.ft.com/content/3711...
Oh, the irony.
"Artificial intelligence researchers are grappling with a problem core to their field: how to stop so-called “AI slop” from damaging confidence in the industry’s scientific work."
This is not "intelligence"
#AI #AISlop
www.ft.com/content/54e2...
If all these oligarchs named in the Epstein Files are totally innocent, surely they’d be in favor of an independent investigation into Epstein’s crimes.
Right?
Lady Gaga has put out a gorgeous anthem for Minneapolis.
youtu.be/e3o5FIXoK84?...
Watercolour drawing of the Royal Courts of Justice with people waiting for buses and walking by in the rain. I started this on the spot but took photos in order to carry on with it at home because of the rain. A few brown spots have developed in storage (foxing).
I mentioned earlier today that I had done a watercolour of the London Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand. This is it from 1993 (see alt text). I did several paintings wandering up and down the Strand and also in the Inns of Court.
#London #TheStrand #watercolour #ink
I blame the declining number of chocolate orange trees.
🔊 China posted a record $1 trillion trade surplus for the first 11 months of 2025. In today's Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how Beijing’s plan to make high-end tech goods has paid off, and why a US trade war could spoil the party reut.rs/3MOvudu
UK's Inocea Group eyes acquisition of Germany warship builder GNYK, source says reut.rs/4qfcgMr
EU rules out UK exemption from carbon border levy until markets link reut.rs/4oZmYFS
My dad abhors any negative comments about immigrants. Asked him recently why he’s so strong on it: ‘Because we’re always happy to take the rich and clever ones. Which means it’s not about disliking immigrants. It’s about disliking the poor and vulnerable. And that’s a bad human instinct.’
One more way in which the neoliberal university model is failing us
With @pcsunion.bsky.social hearing about its important report on social security, dispelling myths.
No, it is not generous by international standards, quote the opposite. And its level is stable, not "out of control"
We urgently need #ZanesLaw
#PublicHealth #PoisonedPlanet
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
UK budget Effects:
Economy to grow by 1.5% this year, down from 1.9%.
Productivity to rise by 1%, down from 1.3%.
Disposable income could rise by 0.5% a year.
Can't get economic growth when 24m people can't attain minimum living standard.
1% have more wealth than 70% of the population combined.
