Emma Yeomans

I can understand that. I think there is a case to be made for the harms being more significant, wide-reaching and lasting for children and therefore both easier politically, but also more impactful to address.

Yeah, I'm happy to be your N=2 here and say I'm pretty sure seeing a lot of 'Molly Russell" type content as a teenager had lasting ill-effects on the brain

But I think broadly we should be comparing the impact of social media with known childhood harms. Growing up with a parent with depression is given an ACE score of 1. So it's not unreasonable to me to think that growing up immersed in social media self-harm content has long-term implications too.

Yeah, we know from the lifetime impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences that potentially traumatic young experiences have lifetime impacts. But with the ubiquity of social media, I don't know how we study the impact on someone who sees violent porn age 12.

BREAKING:

The Metropolitan Police:

"Following this (Epstein) release and subsequent media reporting, the Met has received a number of reports relating to alleged misconduct in a public office. The reports will all be reviewed to determine if they meet the criminal threshold for investigation."

Lord Mandelson met Chinese official who oversaw ‘transnational repression’ The Labour grandee, who is set to serve as the UK’s representative in Washington, met a Chinese Communist Party official who oversaw alleged global attacks

The story in question was this

www.thetimes.com/article/d903...

Nice to be reminded that it's almost a year to the day since Peter Mandelson texted me to tell me to "stop bothering" him with "ridiculous nonsense"

There was a lovely woman at my old church who did the exact same thing, except with extremely blurry photos she had taken of plants. I don't think I figured out what more than 1/5 actually were.

Black Sea Crisis: Cargo Ship Razouk Attacked by Unknown | SeaNews The Razouk cargo ship was attacked near Turkey's Cide, raising alarms about maritime safety in the Black Sea on January 22, 2026.

This seems to be the same Razouk that allegedly got attacked last month: www.seanews.com.tr/article/horr...

Palau pledges cleanup of abuse-riddled ship-flagging system | Context by TRF President Surangel Whipps speaks with Context about the challenges Palau faces in regulating ships that sail under its flag

It's possible. The registry was nationalised recently and last summer its leader pledged changes - though I don't think anyone believed at the time he was serious: www.context.news/money-power-...

(Though, ironically, that day could be today as it is flat, mildly misty and with a wind pushing across the Channel towards the UK - the ideal conditions for the smugglers)

This week is mostly a weather effect. Sea state is abysmal. Normally when there are a few weeks of bad conditions, there'll be a spike on the first day the weather settles.

bsky.app/profile/did:...

France makes first interception targeting small boat crossings to UK The operation follows a change of tactics agreed amid growing pressure from the UK government to step up interventions.

Also, the beginning of French in-water interception probably has a bigger impact in winter as the places they can straightforwardly intercept are the most sheltered spots. In summer, smugglers have more options, and will spread themselves out along the coast more.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

In any given week, you can predict which days have crossings based on wave height and wind direction. Smugglers won't put boats out if they're likely to fail (it costs their business), and refugees won't cross if it looks too dangerous. There've been nearly no good days so far this month.

True, but also winter numbers are hugely lower. 0 crossings in the last week due to sea conditions, and I think there was only 1 day with arrivals the week before.

When conditions improve, there'll be a 1 or 2 day spike as people who were waiting cross though.

"Fico seemed to be 'traumatized' by his encounter with Trump, one of the European diplomats said. Fico characterized Trump as being 'out of his mind,' a diplomat said, using the words briefed to them by their leader, who was directly involved in the conversation."

Russia ‘putting all ships at risk’ by jamming navigation systems The UK and other countries have called for maritime bodies to recognise the threat to safe navigation of GPS jamming and position spoofing

Russia is putting "all vessels at risk" by jamming and spoofing satellite systems, according to 13 governments. Research by the Royal Institute of Navigation found, among ships impacted by interference, 14% ended up in an "illegal or unsafe" situation as a result
www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/a...

The secret fear of the morally depraved is that virtue is actually common, and that they’re the ones who are alone. In Minnesota, all of the ideological cornerstones of MAGA have been proved false at once. Minnesotans, not the armed thugs of ICE and the Border Patrol, are brave. Minnesotans have shown that their community is socially cohesive—because of its diversity and not in spite of it. Minnesotans have found and loved one another in a world atomized by social media, where empty men have tried to fill their lonely soul with lies about their own inherent superiority. Minnesotans have preserved everything worthwhile about “Western civilization,” while armed brutes try to tear it down by force.

No one writes like @adamserwer.bsky.social

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

This is unironically correct though

Statement from Michael and Susan Pretti Parents of Alex Jeffrey Pretti “We are heartbroken but also very angry. Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the ‘hero’ term lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman. The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He had his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down, all while being pepper sprayed. Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you.

Kare 11 local news just read, in full, this statement from Michael and Susan Pretti, the parents of Alex Pretti.

"Please get the truth out about our son."

This is the memes-to-murder pipeline in action.

A far-right influencer reignited a years-long scandal over welfare fraud, which led to Tim Walz to abandon a third term and to Trump to send in ICE. It all stems from that.

The stuff happening online has consequences. And it’s getting worse, fast.

I am watching what is happening in Minneapolis on Ali Velshi and one of the ICE officers (off camera) literally says, “It’s like Call of Duty. Pretty cool huh?” as they shoot whatever it is they are shooting. Agents walking around, guns unholstered for no reason. This is insanity

Iconic.

Meet the Alaska Student Arrested for Eating an AI Art Exhibit A conversation with Graham Granger, whose combination of protest and performance art spread beyond campus. “AI chews up and spits out art made by other people.”

I've been thinking about this story for days. Now @thenation.com has tracked down the student who ate another student's AI-generated art.

"That’s part of why I spat it out, because AI chews up and spits out art made by other people."
www.thenation.com/article/soci...

Russian warship escorts oil tanker through English Channel The General Skobelev has direct links to the Kremlin and took part in the ‘Syria Express’ route, delivering fuel to the Russian military

The Royal Navy confirms it sent out HMS Severn, HMS Mersey and Wildcat helicopter to monitor Russian warship Boikiy and tanker as they transited the English Channel on Tues

Pic of the Boikiy from last year by Eddie Mitchell, when he and I approached it by fishing vessel
thetimes.com/uk/defence/a...

Bravo @ben-cooke.bsky.social. Brilliant scoop, and hard to imagine a more important one.

“This government is hiding the true danger of climate change from the people”. Spooks don’t mess about when they leak.

www.thetimes.com/article/4a1c...

Britain sent HMS Dagger to monitor the Grinch as it passed through Straits of Gibraltar, and aided with intelligence gathering and tracking, Defence Sec John Healey says.

I've got a shadow tanker map, and among the suspicious names are Grinch, Sea Maverick and Mystery.

As an aside, spare a thought for the Grinch's crew. Its last safety inspection found many deficiencies with its lifeboats, crew working and living quarters. While the sailors may be detained, those working on false-flagged vessels endure truly dire conditions and are blacklisted for speaking out.

At this stage it does feel somewhat like a game of which European nation will nab a ship first. Germany turned away the zombie tanker Arcusat last week, but didn't quite seize it. British officials say they've found a legal basis for seizures... but haven't acted yet. Who'll be next?