No Pasaran

I like to think of myself as fairly well-informed, but even after seeing many of the terrible things done by Trump's ICE goons, I still don't think that I appreciate how utterly terrifying it must be to be...well, anyone who isn't a MAGA supporting moron in the US today.

Vance is such a vile, racist piece of shit.

We had strong nominations this year for Ty Bannerman, who started the controversial podcast "The Telepathy Tapes," which claims that autistic and non-verbal children are gifted with telepathy, the ability to talk to the dead, and magic powers. In one episode, they claimed a child could pick up a book and instantly know what's written inside, as long as the person judging had already read the book. It's an astounding illustration of how confirmation bias can lead to wild conclusions. In reality, what we're seeing are adults projecting onto those children what they wanted to be true, rather than accepting what those children actually are. We've seen real-world harms, with parents persuaded by that podcast believing their kids don't have special educational needs—they have superpowers. Also on the shortlist was Danny Robbins, host of the BBC Uncanny podcast and live tour, for breathing life back into the paranormal industry. We're now seeing ghost-hunting groups springing back up around the country, following Ouija boards and table-tilting and all-night sleepovers in the name of science. The BBC has commissioned copycat shows and comedians are doing the same thing. Somewhere, Yvette Fielding is dusting off a night vision camera and saying a silent prayer of thanks to Danny Robbins. There was a strong case to be made for the Free Speech Union and their sister organisation, the Daily Sceptic, who for more than five years have been a clearing house for conspiracy theories about vaccines and denialist misinformation about climate change. They frame themselves as the unbiased defenders of free speech, but in practice, the freedom of speech they seem to care most about is the freedom to intimidate people at abortion clinics or to create incitement to violence towards refugees or trans people. But exercise freedom of speech to, for example, call for a ceasefire in Palestine, and they'll be notably silent. It was particularly galling to see the Centre for Science partner w…

Here's part of Skeptic editor Michael Marshall's speech at the QED conference on Saturday, where he discussed others who were on the shortlist for the 'Rusty Razor' misinformation / conspiracy theory award.

It's pretty cutting (fittingly) on Toby Young's Free Speech Union...

Reform UK Just Won Britain's Least-Prestigious Award – For 'Promoting Pseudoscience' Nigel Farage's party were recognised for “their widespread embrace of climate change denialism and antivaccine misinformation.”

Reform UK has received an award for being the organisation that engaged in the “most prolific promotion of pseudoscience” during 2025 - @bylinetimes.bsky.social
bylinetimes.com/2025/10/29/r...

Reform UK Just Won Britain's Least-Prestigious Award – For 'Promoting Pseudoscience' Nigel Farage's party were recognised for “their widespread embrace of climate change denialism and antivaccine misinformation.”

🔴 Reform UK Just Won Britain’s Least-Prestigious Award – For ‘Promoting Pseudoscience’

Nigel Farage’s party was recognised for “widespread embrace of climate change denialism and antivaccine misinformation.”
bylinetimes.com/2025/10/29/r...

Vintage photograph of a couple standing side by side, dressed in early 20th-century attire, against a painted backdrop of trees. The man on the left is wearing a suit with a tie, and the woman on the right is in a buttoned dress with a headpiece.

29 October 1904 | Polish Jew Chaim Sznajder was born in Warsaw. He emigrated to France.

On 25 June 1942 he was deported from #Pithiviers to #Auschwitz.
No. 42586
He perished in the camp on 12 August 1942.
His wife Marjam survived the war.
--

No One "Deserves" to Starve SNAP funding is set to expire at the end of the month, meaning 42 million Americans will go hungry. A large percentage of those on SNAP are disabled, and many won't be able to stand in a bread line.

Who knew saying “no one deserves to starve” would be so controversial.

I’ve never received this much hate for an article.

Folks are really comfortable saying with their full chest that they’re fine if certain people starve.

The disabled. Poor kids. Marginalized people. Immigrants. The elderly.

How a radical experiment to bring a forest into a preschool transformed children’s health In Finland, kindergartens are exposing children to more mud, wild plants and moss - and finding changes to their health that show how crucial biodiversity is to wellbeing

How a radical experiment to bring a forest into a preschool transformed children’s health

Danny Kruger heading policy.

James Orr as key advisor.

Towler writing Farage has ‘found God’.

Reform UK is becoming an American style fundamentalist Christian party.

It’s a cynical use of faith.

Vintage black and white photo of a man, engrossed in writing at a small desk.

29 October 1913 | A Dutch Jew, Alexander Pach, was born in Amsterdam. A clerk.

In #Auschwitz from 17 July 1942.
No. 48310
He perished in the camp on 10 August 1942.
---

Online lesson about Jewish prisoners at KL Auschwitz: https://lekcja.auschwitz.org/29_zydzi_en/

The pandemic has, and continues to have, significant effects on global politics. I am certain that in the future entire books will be written on this subject, but these effects can be distilled to one concept: the vast majority of people have normalised that which is abnormal.

Criticism as Reform-led council set to spend £75,000 on new flags The council says union jack flags will be flown in 82 locations in a bid to foster

Where’s the efficiency saving here? 🧐
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Labour squandered a golden opportunity to do good. Instead they went to town on pensioners, environment, Gaza, workers. Sucked up to trump, israel & reform.
Green has made sense for years but local backing has struggled. Maybe the tide is turning on stuff people care about & not media rhetoric.

Starmer warned of ‘Green wave’ exodus over Reform obsession Labour may soon be ‘haemorrhaging’ left-wing voters to the Green Party, which is surging in polls, amid disillusionment with the party’s shift to the right

"Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that Labour is being deserted by a so-called Green wave of left-wing voters who are disillusioned with the party’s shift to the right on welfare, migration and transgender rights."

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Reform UK mayor pulled up for 'hypocritical' attack on solar farms Reform mayor Andrea Jenkyns has a solar farm plaque with her name on it - but now she's attacking...yep, you guessed it, solar farms

Reform UK mayor pulled up for ‘hypocritical’ attack on solar farms

Exactly, Labour is only legitimising there views in their attempt to outfarage Farage. And it’s a generous interpretation of what they are doing

Chancellor says she ‘can’t leave welfare untouched’ this parliament as budget looms Rachel Reeves understood to be eyeing cuts to Motability scheme as she tries to plug hole in country’s finances

Two features of fascism are persecuting LGBTQ ppl & ppl with disabilities [PWD]. The UK govt is erasing trans ppl & hellbent on making PWD suffer. Some 30% of UK PWD live in poverty already. The difference between Labour & the far right Reform & Torys is cosmetic:

Labour is now just legitimising these view with their anti immigration stance not far removed from Reform, thus reducing differentiation from Reform

‘Suck it up’: leaked video exposes bitter infighting at Reform UK’s flagship Kent council Exclusive: Footage reveals Kent leader berating councillors amid rows over budgets and bullying claims

Watch this👇🏼👇🏼👌🏼

Leaked film of Reform leader of their flagship Kent County Council swearing at other councillors, demonstrating management skills akin to Hitler..

She’s furious it’s been leaked so for God’s sake don’t Repost it 👍🏼

KCC is Reform proving they’re ready to run the UK… into the ground❗️🤦🏼‍♂️

You cannot out Farage Farage, but you will end up smearing yourself with muck in the process. And this is what’s happening. It only reinforces Farage’s message making it more palatable to those who may support it

Treated social media images of pictures of Nadia Sass with Nathan Gill and separately with Nigel Farage

The TV host, the web of influence and the trip booked to Moscow

Ahead of a critical Welsh by-election for Reform next week, part two of @carolecadwalla.bsky.social's investigation for the Nerve into disgraced former Ukip MEP and Reform UK politician Nathan Gill

Given how much the China spy case has dominated headlines, it really does beg the question: why is our political-media class so uninterested in Nathan Gill, his Russian bribes, his once close associate Nigel Farage, and Reform UK?

Our new Byline Times edition investigates what the media won't 👇

Wage war on nature to build new homes: that’s Labour’s offer, but it’s a con trick | George Monbiot The government’s new planning bill is tearing down environmental protections to benefit developers. This nation of nature lovers won’t stand for it, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

Today's column is about the government's huge, unprecedented assault on nature ... and about the eerie, astonishing silence of the big nature groups. The RSPB, National Trust, Wildlife Trusts have 7.5m members between them. A vast force, completely unmobilised. 🧵
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

They lie about the ECHR.
Just like they lied about Brexit. Claiming if we just got rid of that ‘European’ thing, we’d be free, we’d have control, all our problems solved…
It’s NOT TRUE.
We’d inflict more chaos on ourselves and torch our own human rights framework for NOTHING.
For liars.
Again.

Some of it is not very well known and some I will dig deeper to understand but some of the changes in planning and already implemented are draconian and undemocratic. Their education policy is particularly harsh, uninclusive and marginalises SEN children.

Take a look at Farage's grovelling "Happy Birthday Mr. President" tweet. He's even holding a bottle of Trump wine.

Farage is no proud patriot. He's a creepy fascist sycophant who parrots Russian lies and thinks Andrew Tate is an important voice for men.

‘Massive’ Russian attack on Ukraine capital triggers blackouts and sets high-rise alight Powerful blasts reported in Kyiv as missiles and drones target energy infrastructure, injuring nine

‘Massive’ Russian attack on Ukraine capital triggers blackouts and sets high-rise alight. Powerful blasts reported in Kyiv as missiles and drones target energy infrastructure, injuring nine.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

After pointing out that she's an immigrant Joanna Lumley asks why we don't fix the problems that create asylum seekers and address climate change

Even now?

Lord Heseltine, "Brexit is now having a debilitating effect on the UK.. It will be reversed, not it, when..The deception of Brexit has exposed Britain"