Rachel R

New Zealand is walking again, but our streets aren't keeping up - Greater Auckland This is a guest post by Tim Jones, President of Living Streets Aotearoa. By profession, Tim is a writer, editor and anthologist, and his latest book is the poetry collection Dracula in the Colonies. N...

"In 2024, 82% of people in New Zealand walked for transport at least once a week, a significant increase from 64% in 2023."

So why isn't investment in walkability keeping pace?🚶🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️

Guest post by @timjonesbooks.bsky.social of @livingstreetsnz.bsky.social:
www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2025/11/27/n...

Justice Committee recommends passing Electoral Amendment Bill with some amendments The bill would prevent same-day enrolments, ban prisoners from voting, and tighten up the rules around treating.

This Bill could invalidate the votes of enough people to swing the next election in favour of the current government for no reason other than that they failed to fill out the correct piece of paper by the "proper" time (as defined by the people who benefit from the rule change).

Women 'working for nothing' from this week Although the country's gender pay gap improved this year, campaigners say there's more to be done to bring pay equality for Kiwi women.

Women 'working for nothing' from this week www.rnz.co.nz/news/busines...

There's a stark contrast between Living Streets Aotearoa in Auckland, a useful advocacy group for pedestrian infrastructure, and Living Streets Aotearoa in Wellington which seems to exist only to complain about e-scooters and has never found a project they actually like.

A vintage black and white photo of a young boy in a sailor suit.

26 November 1937 | French Jewish boy, Samek Erlich, was born in Paris.

He was deported to #Auschwitz from #Drancy on 16 August 1942. He was murdered in a gas chamber after the arrival selection.
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The first two gas chambers created near Auschwitz II-Birkenau: https://youtu.be/Rr6lF75fDmU

On this day in 1925, a Czech Jewish girl was born. On the 8 Sep 1942 she was deported to Theresienstadt with her mother and sister (14) and on the 23 Jan 1943 to Auschwitz with their father where they all perished. Her name was Eva Lauscherová

Support @Auschwitz

On this day in 1890, a Czech Jewish woman was born. On the 7 May 1942 she was deported to Theresienstadt with her husband where she perished on the 20 Jul 1943. Her husband perished in Auschwitz. Her name was Irma Fürstová

Capital gains tax poll reveals option with most support: How it differs from Labour policy The Taxpayers' Union-Curia polling was conducted from November 2-6.

TL;DR: TPU says people want profit adjusted for inflation.

Inflation, in the context of property, really just means "the housing market" — it's a measure of market cost.

People invest in property because they hope the market will go up (inflate) and they can profit.

Inflation *IS* the profit.

Monday's Chorus: Performative politics on KiwiSaver & social housing PM's first election policy designed to look like Australian-type KiwiSaver bonus, but actually costs Government nothing & disguises further real cuts; Social Housing policy also disguises real cuts

In my Chorus podcast/email newsletter today…PM's first election policy designed to look like Australian-type KiwiSaver bonus, but actually costs Government nothing & disguises further real cuts; Social Housing policy also disguises real cuts #nzpol
thekaka.substack.com/p/mondays-ch...

Twitter accounts are based in Russia. BlueSky accounts are based in homes with, frankly, too many books, plants, obsolete cables, and pieces of rustic pottery, that could do with a bit of a tidying up, to be honest.

Climate change affects EVERYTHING. It’s mad that the issue has become left-coded when it should be just reality-coded

Vintage black and white portrait of a woman with a confident expression, featuring an autograph at the bottom.

18 November 1910 | A Czech Jewish woman, Lota Kleinová, was born in Prague.

She was deported to #Auschwitz from #Theresienstadt ghetto on 15 May 1944. She did not survive.
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Women at Auschwitz

Lesson: https://lekcja.auschwitz.org/2022_kobiety_en/
Podcast: https://youtu.be/ijTxtbNlJO8

New Zealand “wins” unenviable climate inaction award at COP30  - Greenpeace Aotearoa New Zealand has been presented with the ‘Fossil of the Day’ at COP30 in Brazil over recent backtracking on methane targets.

PRESS RELEASE: New Zealand “wins” unenviable climate inaction award at COP30  www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/pre... #nzpol

Greens pledge to revoke fast-track consents for coal, hard-rock gold, seabed mining projects "We will revoke them, even if consents are issued," said the Greens' resources spokesperson Steve Abel.

'On notice': Greens pledge to revoke fast-track consents for coal, hard-rock gold, seabed mining projects www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

Thank you Greens. Can Labour + Te Pati Maori step up and pledge this too? Today I filed my submission against the shameful Fast-track Approvals Amendments Bill.

Studies call for state accountability for state harms University of Otago, Wellington – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Pōneke researchers believe the Government is breaching the rights of imprisoned and recently released Māori.

Two Otago studies examining the experience of imprisoned and recently released Māori have led researchers to believe the Government is breaching their rights. They found Māori were consistently undercounted while in prison, and had unmet needs in primary care services after release. Read more here ⬇️

#nzpol
The minimum wage increased by 1.5% this year. Data today from Stats NZ shows annual increases of:

- Food prices up 4.7%
- Fruit up 11%
- Beef up 17.4%, Lamb up 32.2%
- Bread up 11.4%
- Cheese up 14.8%
- Eggs up 16.2%
- Electricity up 11.8%

Laser-focused on the cost of living

Vintage black and white portrait of a boy wearing a striped jacket. The image has a faded background.

16 November 1929 | A Czech Jewish boy, Ivan Klein, was born in Plzeň.

He was deported to #Auschwitz from #Theresienstadt ghetto on 20 January 1943. He was murdered in a gas chamber after the selection.
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Children at Auschwitz: https://youtu.be/aYKx_zpLSqA

'Embarrassing’: International climate expert at COP30 scorns NZ’s methane target A veteran climate scientist says it's "unbelievable" that New Zealand has gone to the annual climate summit with a weaker target as global temperatures continue to rise.

Why hasn’t Luxon gone to COP 30?

Oh..

New Zealand’s adoption of a 'no additional warming' target, rather than pursuing more ambitious reductions, was "an embarrassing and humiliating capture by industry". Says a climate expert at #COP30 in Brazil.

www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Prescott himself doctored Trump quote in his anti-BBC report A report alleging Panorama broadcast misleading Trump quotes contains misleading quotes itself

The remarkable story we discussed this morning. (No paywall but do consider subscribing.) www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-e...

Carbon Catch-Up: Climate change, greenhouse gas emissions of NZ's largest companies under microscope New Zealand’s largest listed companies are facing changing requirements to reveal their carbon footprints – and BusinessDesk’s latest Carbon C...

Nearly half of NZ top 50 companies increased their climate pollution. Biggest increase from the biggest polluter - Fonterra businessdesk.co.nz/article/poli...

A mugshot registration photograph from Auschwitz. A man with a shaved head wearing a striped uniform photographed in three positions (profile and front with bare head and a photo with a slightly turned head with a hat on). The prisoner number is visible on a marking board on the left.

13 November 1889 | A Polish Jew, Jakób Ziarek, was born in Radomsko. A baker.

In #Auschwitz from 16 October 1941.
No. 21669
He perished in the camp on 20 October 1941.
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Online lesson about Jewish prisoners at KL Auschwitz: https://lekcja.auschwitz.org/29_zydzi_en/

this is brilliant satire:

“Given what I took to be the anti-Trump nature of the Sketch, I of course assumed there would be a similar, balancing Sketch discussing the possibility that the Capitol building had attacked the rioters....."

I mean, what kind of legal action would this be exactly? Defamation? I would truly love to see it. 'They made it look like I instigated a coup during my very well recorded coup attempt.'

This, from OUSA's President, is very good and warrants reading:

"For decades, governments of every stripe have treated universities as businesses to be managed rather than institutions of learning and curiosity. ... Students are rebranded as customers, research, degrees and graduates as outputs."

Black and white portrait of a woman wearing a dark jacket and a light-colored blouse, with wavy hair styled around the face.

10 November 1926 | Norwegian Jewish girl, Sylvia Annie Markus, was born in Elverum.

She arrived at #Auschwitz on 1 December 1942 and was murdered in a gas chamber after arrival selection.
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The first two gas chambers created near Auschwitz II-Birkenau: https://youtu.be/Rr6lF75fDmU

The local residents and ratepayers group I belong to just voted to donate to Resene Workers. Are you or an organisation you belong to able to donate? If you can please do. #nzpol

That the Free Speech Union's conference audience is applauding the suggestion of basically banning non-Christian religions should pretty much put an end to their being taken seriously by media as a voice for principled free speech advocacy.

But it won't

If you'd told me that a speaker at the Free Speech Union conference would call for banning non-Christian public expressions of faith to an applauding crowd, I would have said yes, obviously that is going to happen newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/10/t...

I want you to understand what it is like to live in Chicago during this time. Every day my phone buzzes. It is a neighborhood group: four people were kidnapped at the corner drugstore. A friend a mile away sends a Slack message: she was at the scene when masked men assaulted and abducted two people on the street. A plumber working on my pipes is distraught, and I find out that two of his employees were kidnapped that morning. A week later it happens again. An email arrives. Agents with guns have chased a teacher into the school where she works. They did not have a warrant. They dragged her away, ignoring her and her colleagues’ pleas to show proof of her documentation. That evening I stand a few feet from the parents of Rayito de Sol and listen to them describe, with anguish, how good Ms. Diana was to their children. What it is like to have strangers with guns traumatize your kids. For a teacher to hide a three-year-old child for fear they might be killed. How their relatives will no longer leave the house. I hear the pain and fury in their voices, and I wonder who will be next. Understand what it is to pray in Chicago.

“I want you to understand what it is like to live in Chicago during this time.”

aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...

NION Women Rejects Anti-Trans Narrative at Kenwood Ladies Pond Image of women swimming in the wild

🏊‍♀️The women who swim at Kenwood Ladies Pond have already made their decision.

In 2024, almost 900 members voted to keep their trans-inclusive policy - a policy that has worked peacefully since 2019.

Now, a small campaign group is seeking to overturn that democratic decision through the courts.

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