Max Colbert

Crypto Donations Now Accepted by Three UK Parties as Concerns Grow Over Foreign Interference Threat Reform UK and the far-right Homeland Party are now both accepting cryptocurrency donations, as calls grow for Labour to use its elections bill to secure our democracy

🔴Crypto Donations Now Accepted by Three UK Parties as Concerns Grow Over Foreign Interference Threat

Reform UK and the far-right Homeland Party are now both accepting cryptocurrency donations, as calls grow for Labour to use its elections bill to secure our democracy
bylinetimes.com/2026/03/11/c...

Europe’s Waterways Under Threat from Mining Lobby The EU’s flagship water law is under threat amid a concerted lobbying blitz from the mining industry. New analysis by DeSmog reveals sector meetings with EU officials tripled in the year before the re...

Europe’s waterways are under threat as the mining lobby pushes for looser environmental protections.

New from me for @desmog.com 👇

www.desmog.com/2026/03/10/e...

Baroness Fox of Buckley.

Yup

See also, Baron Young of Acton, Baron Cruddas, and Baron Farmer.

Deeply unserious country.

Yes and should be impossible for anyone who was removed from the cabinet or had the whip removed for misconduct, or has ever lied, fiddled expenses or evaded tax.

Independent appointments could be better than an elected system, sure, it depends how it worked in practice.

You could (and should imo) easily say that no former MP, party donor, or SPAD is allowed to apply for appointment to the upper house.

Brexiter Arlene Foster who now sits in the House of Lords wants to cut welfare support and spend the money on defence instead

Brexit costs the UK £90 billion in lost tax income every year,if we didn't have Foster's Brexit we could keep supporting those in need while also ramping up defence spending

DOJ Sitting on Documents Involving 13-Year-Old Trump Accuser Pressure is increasing on the DOJ to declassify documents that detail interviews with a woman who accused President Donald Trump of sexually abusing her.

Dozens of documents detailing FBI interviews with an Epstein victim who accused Donald Trump of sexually abusing her as a high schooler are being kept under wraps.

It was a privilege to be in the chamber earlier to witness this incredibly powerful and effective speech from Charlotte Nichols.

100%. Also agree on removal of hereditary peers as well, but it's far from the place I'd have started at. The life peerage system is such a huge avenue for potential corruption it's unreal.

Agree. The hereditary peers were never the problem, though they're totally devoid of justification. The life peerage system is an absolute disgrace, especially the appointments made by disgraced/ousted PMs who've been brought down by democracy. And the peerages for MPs who lost at the ballot box.

The primary problem with peerages is, imo, political appointments in terms of handing them to donors, allies, and the general cronyism of it all, far more of a concern. We really still need a fully elected and much smaller second chamber, one free of party politics. I'd go so far as to ban donors.

War expands to central Beirut as Israeli strike kills Iranians in luxury hotel Israel's military says it targeted Quds Force operatives after a return to war with Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, but Iran says they were diplomats.

It’s telling that the IDF shows to the world it can carry out a very specific attack on the 4th floor of a hotel in Beirut. This begs the question: why did they have to level Gaza with 500lb bombs if their targeting systems were so precise?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Nigel Farage, cosplaying as a country gent, gets tetchy when asked by @bethrigby.bsky.social about Reform UK’s inconsistencies and flip-flopping over the Iran War.

Explosions, Black Rain, and Dead Birds: Waking Up to War in Tehran An Iranian citizen describes life on the ground in Tehran in the wake of the bombing of oil depots outside the capital city.

Explosions, Black Rain, and Dead Birds: Waking Up to War in Tehran www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol... via @rollingstone.com

It's nothing to worry about, IMO! It's just a choice Jay is making about how she wants to spend her personal energy—getting back to working on the tech rather than the business.

#HeritageNetwork, etc, etc

🚨🚨🚨🚨👇🏼👇🏼

MAPPED: 70 Percent of Trump’s Cabinet Tied to Project 2025 Groups

www.desmog.com/2025/06/02/m...

I get people telling me to write to my (Labour) MP lmao. I’ve written to him every week for 11 months now and he’s ignored every single letter. My local (Labour) councillors also wrote to him saying he should meet me and he’s ignored them too!

Jennifer Jacobs @JenniferJJacobs NEWS via @CBSNews : U.S. intelligence assets have begun to see indications Iran is taking steps to deploy mines in Strait of Hormuz shipping lane. Iran is using smaller crafts that can carry 2 to 3 mines each. While Iran’s mine stock isn’t publicly known, estimates over the years have ranged from roughly 2,000 to 6,000 naval mines of Iranian, Chinese and Russian-made variants, @JimLaPorta reports 2:13 PM · Mar 10, 2026 · 6,060 Views

Here we go

Fake AI Content About the Iran War Is All Over X X’s Grok is failing to accurately verify video footage from the Iran conflict and is sharing its own AI-generated images about the war.

"I see the proliferation of AI-based fake news pushing us over the edge of a fact-based world unless we enact change now."

Private jet used for Nigel Farage Chagos stunt linked to Reform mega-donor Exclusive: Plane that flew Reform leader to Maldives appears to be linked to billionaire Christopher Harborne

A private jet used for Farage’s Chagos stunt is reportedly linked to a billionaire donor who has given £12m to Reform

Huge money can buy political influence.

The #ElectionsBill must go further. Democracy shld be shaped by voters not the biggest cheque.

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

Extreme Heat Is Making Life Increasingly Unlivable The number of hours where it’s too hot for everyday activities has doubled since 1950, a new study found.

It's getting too hot to walk the dog or sweep the porch for a growing number of people.

1. Are you currently using an AI tool for work-related tasks or projects? * Yes * No, but I would like to (PLEASE SKIP TO QUESTION 7)

My employer asks me to complete a survey on AI usage for which this is the first question (required):

It's especially delightful that he couldn't be in court to receive news of yet another legal defeat because he was in custody in connection with an assault for which he has just been charged.

Proud to be a signatory to this letter. The proposals are a dangerous, authoritarian attack on individual liberty – when the proper solution is funding our courts.

‘A sobering preview’: extreme heat now affects one in three people globally, study finds Rising temperatures making it hard even for young, healthy people to safely do normal physical tasks in many regions Climate breakdown is shrinking the amount of time that people can safely go about their lives, according to a study that shows a third of the world’s population now resides in areas where heat severely limits activity. Rising temperatures, driven by the continued burning of fossil fuels, are making it difficult even for many young, healthy adults to do basic physical activities, such as housework or walking up stairs during daylight hours at the height of the summer, the report warns. Continue reading...

‘A sobering preview’: extreme heat now affects one in three people globally, study finds

I can't even bring myself to read the fucking article if I'm being real with you. It took me FIVE YEARS to get my first diagnosis and now I'm awaiting a second NHS one.
This is not for some fun personality quirk. ADHD is fucking horrible.

I say this every year, but:

The uni students I'm teaching are thoughtful, intelligent, will make everything they encounter better.

With a new addition for 2026:

They deeply hate AI.