Lucy Bailey

What has the ECHR ever done for us?

Quite a lot actually, and we wrote it too.

I thought I'd put the administration's proposed "compact" with universities in context, so I wrote the blog post below.

It's especially for journalists covering this story!

Many details about how the compact itself works and why the administration has retreated to this strategy.

Climate change is messing with global wind speeds, impacting planetary health Climate change is disturbing wind patterns across the globe in dramatic ways. And when combined with land-use change and desertification, these changes are spawning immense sand and dust storms that…

Climate change is affecting global wind patterns in multiple ways, many of which have direct implications for human health.

The very first statute authorizing domestic use of the military during domestic emergencies, enacted in 1792 by a Congress full of the same folks who wrote and ratified the Constitution, expressly provided for judicial review in certain circumstances *before* the President could even send troops.

Way past its prime: how did Amazon get so rubbish? Sick of scrolling through junk results, AI-generated ads and links to lookalike products? The author and activist behind the term ‘enshittification’ explains what’s gone wrong with the internet – and ...

This is so good from Cory Doctorow on all the tricks Amazon uses to get both consumers to pay more, and how businesses on the platform end up paying it 45-51 cents on every dollar.

Plus he rightly calls for regulatory change, not just individual consumer action
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Living with the planet LATE Tackle big questions and explore bold ideas about the future of our planet in this season’s British Academy Late. Immerse yourself in the sounds and music of the rainforests of Papua New Guinea; discu...

If you are looking for a thought provoking night out in London this week we are holding a free evening of talks, exhibits, performance and even zine making on Thursday. All on the theme of ‘Living with the Planet’. You need to book but tix are free
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/events/livin...

Impact of Trump tariffs is beginning to show in US consumer prices [FREE TO READ] Trade levies are starting to drive up costs for goods from cans of soup to car parts

Impact of Trump tariffs is beginning to show in US consumer prices - on.ft.com/3VMoz5Z

Screen cap of parodic version of William Blake's "The Tyger" that begins: Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright (Not sure if I spelled that right) What immortal hand or eye Could fashion such a stripy guy? What the hammer that hath hewn it Into such a chonky unit? Did who made the lamb make thee, Or an external franchisee?

In honor of National Poetry Day, the greatest parody rewrite of all time:

Paul Klee, Portal of a Mosque. 1931.

Couldn’t agree more with this para from @jonathanfreedland.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The government want more coercive powers for the state against protests, and the main opposition party wants more coercive powers for the state against migrants.

Our political-media culture continues in a loop where the response to every perceived problem is yet more coercive powers for the state.

Two glimpses of Conor Gearty A master in promoting the public understanding of law

Two glimpses of Conor Gearty

A master in promoting the public understanding of law

Substack: emptycity.substack.com/p/two-glimps...

Personal blog: davidallengreen.com/2025/09/two-...

‘Inspirational’ human rights lawyer Conor Gearty dies aged 67 President Michael D Higgins leads tributes for Longford-born law professor and author

On the 25th anniversary of the Human Rights Act, we remember Conor Gearty the recently deceased Irish human rights lawyer who fought for civil liberties

A law Professor at LSE, President Higgins described him as "a fine scholar and a principled activist"
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...

Conor Gearty · Unwelcome Remnant: Erasing the Human Rights Act The Supreme Court is quietly editing the Human Rights Act out of existence. In cases where human rights cannot be...

‘The​ current members of the Supreme Court, ten men and two women, all of them white, seem to regard the Human Rights Act as an unwelcome remnant of a past era.’

In his final piece for the LRB, Conor Gearty writes on the Supreme Court’s reinterpretation of the HRA: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Pope Leo rebukes climate skeptics after Trump calls warming a ‘con job’ The Illinois native’s comments come a week after the U.S. president derided the fight against climate change.

Pope Leo XIV denounced people who deny climate change today, arguing that they are contributing to the destruction of God's creation.

@labisiffre.bsky.social Dear Labi, BBC World Service radio's Newshour programme would love to interview you about "So Strong" and why you're telling Tommy Robinson to stop using it! 3 mnis via FaceTime or WhatsApp, and asap as we're on air at 15:00 Spanish time! I am lucy.bailey@bbc.co.uk

"no more superficial individual expression"

A 160-year-old campaign against civil rights heads to the supreme court Louisiana v Callais could roll back what remains of the Voting Rights Act, putting the future of America’s multiracial democracy at stake

My SCOTUS term preview for the Guardian - it focuses on the case challenging what remains of the Voting Rights Act (Callais), how that's part of a centuries-old campaign against Reconstruction, & how that's representative of several issues on the Court's docket.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...

Labour needs to do more to build ties with business After a series of policy decisions, dissatisfaction is building among some corporate leaders

"Foreign executives may be more optimistic about the UK’s prospects than those at home. An annual global CEO survey by PwC found the UK has risen to be considered the second-most attractive global destination for international investment, surpassing Germany, China and India" on.ft.com/3KokO4c

Geoengineering Won’t Save Us From Global Warming, New Study Says - Inside Climate News New research by a team of top ice and climate scientists debunks some speculative technological climate fixes for preserving the polar ice caps.

Geoengineering won't save us from an economic system that runs on greed and rampant overconsumption ...

Disinformation on Steroids: Climate Science Takes It on the Chin - Inside Climate News The fifth and final installment in our special Climate Week video series.

Interesting chat about climate disinformation coming from the top levels of the U.S. government with my @insideclimatenews.org colleagues, @vernonloeb.bsky.social and @mlavelle.bsky.social.

Trump’s Eruption of Rage at Texas ICE Shooting Hints at a Darker Story To Trumpworld, the Dallas shooting appears to provide the perfect pretext to start silencing wholly lawful advocacy groups—for inciting “violence and terrorism.”

News --> Steve Bannon tells me he fully expects Trump to use the Texas ICE office shooting as the hook to unleash law enforcement on liberal immigration groups by connecting political violence to anti-ICE rhetoric.

This is going to get ugly. 1/

(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2009...

On why Trump is wrong on climate, renewable energy, the next economic growth cycle, on powering data centres cost-efficiently, and on geo-economics. Very good by the FT‘s Gillian Tett.
on.ft.com/3KkjVcU

It is 20 years since Conor Gearty gave the Hamlyn Lectures on Can Human Rights Survive?
As a mark of respect following the dreadful news of his, Cambridge University Press & Assessment has made these lectures Open Access for the remainder of the year. You can find them here:
lnkd.in/e5Xrt2G5

New Jersey PBS shutting down in July - New Jersey Globe New Jersey PBS is expected to cease operations in July 2026 following WNET's decision not to renew its agreement, the New Jersey Globe has learned. The

“I love the poorly educated.”

— Donald Trump, 2016.

newjerseyglobe.com/media/new-je...

Some news.

In her recommendation, Bagdasarian stated, "Any person over the age of six months without contraindication who has not received a dose of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved or-authorized 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine may be considered to have an underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19 and is thus eligible to receive an age-appropriate dose."

I like this. Since under RFK Jr, Covid shots are now for people with underlying conditions that put them at risk, Michigan’s chief medical executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian states that not having the most recent Covid shot constitutes such an underlying condition.

www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/inside...

Aha, that works for me now! Thank you.

Hmm, 'Page Not Found' . . . any suggestions?

Good news the #EU will not come empty handed to the UN General Assembly on #climate - no new climate target yet but a statement of intent on their #NDC with a range of 66-72% reduction.

next step is agreeing the upper level but this provides some assurance

data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document...