Ben Eltham
@beneltham.bsky.social
đ€ 12874
đ„ 1789
đ 2147
Writer, journalist, researcher, trade unionist
pinned post!
RALLY TO SAVE MEANJIN Thursday 11 Sep 9am Outside the Melbourne University Publishing office, 715 Swanston St, Carlton. A number of Australian writers and editors will speak in support of this vital cultural institution
5 months ago
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John Lubbock
about 3 hours ago
Fake and AI generated 'experts' are being quoted in articles in the UK press. "Out of a sample of 250 expert-quoting articles published in The Sun, Daily Express, Mirror, Daily Mail and Daily Star in 2025 and late 2024, 28 experts do not exist".
pressgazette.co.uk/news/faces-o...
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Faces of fakery: More fake and AI generated experts con their way into media
New research from Press Gazette has uncovered a fresh tranche of likely fake and AI-generated experts making their way into UK publications.
https://pressgazette.co.uk/news/faces-of-fakery-more-fake-and-ai-generated-experts-con-their-way-into-media/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
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dag
about 5 hours ago
NEW Three reasons why the Mandelson disclosure exercise will be a shock for the government Ministers and officials usually are in control of disclosure exercises - but here they will not be - and why that matters A detailed post by me:
emptycity.substack.com/p/three-reas...
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Tobias Wilson-Bates
about 15 hours ago
Melville: I hope you enjoyed that bloody action-packed chapter! But now, a moment to consider obscure technicalities about where everyone sits in the boat, how the boat is constructed, and my personal critique of current assigned seating practices.
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Ben Phillips
1 day ago
Plans to invade Greenland have just been cancelled after this
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Just a reminder, the âIâ stands for intelligence
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about 9 hours ago
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"I helped a young girl who had been pepper sprayed in the face and collapsed into a seizure on the pavement. She was convulsing, incapacitated. As she lay there on the ground, police sprayed her again in the face." Eyewitness account by Andrew Brown
michaelwest.com.au/this-was-pla...
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This was planned. And Chris Minns owns it. - Michael West
NSW Police have assaulted dozens of peace protestors who gathered to protest the visit by Israeli president Isaac Herzog to Australia.
https://michaelwest.com.au/this-was-planned-and-chris-minns-owns-it/
about 16 hours ago
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Chris Minns and the NSW Police running lines about "the crowd really took part in some type of contagion of groupthink" and "small videos being put up ... out of context"; but somehow despite the "rolling melee of violence" there were no injuries to police
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...
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Live: Minns admits clashes 'don't look good' but defends police after Herzog rally clashes
Twenty-seven people were arrested, including 10 for assaulting police, on Monday night at a demonstration against Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit to Australia.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-10/nsw-officer-defends-police-sydney-protest-israeli-herzog/106324050
about 16 hours ago
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Nicholas Grossman
about 21 hours ago
âCollection of Handwritten Letters from Children in Detention Centerâ sounds like an exhibit in the Holocaust Museum.
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I was looking at the TV feed of Herzogâs media conference today and I thought, âgood work by the bodyguard to hold an umbrella up.â It was Chris Minns
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1 day ago
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CAMERON WILSON
1 day ago
NEW: A Queensland software engineer has been in a four-and-a-half year long battle with Services Australia to get a look at a MyGov app's source code. He says we should be able to scrutinise it to make sure it's secure. Services Australia says it's a national security risk.
www.crikey.com.au/20...
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Shelley Hepworth
1 day ago
Guardian Australia reporter Jordyn Beazley filmed this video not long ago of police moving towards protesters down Elizabeth Street in the Sydney CBD following the rally at Town Hall.
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NSW Cops đ¶ đ”
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sOcIaL coHEsiON
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1 day ago
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Maria OâSullivan
1 day ago
My explainer on today's NSW protest challenge 'Isaac Herzog visit: protesters lose challenge to sweeping special police powers. What now?'
#protest
#auslaw
theconversation.com/isaac-herzog...
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Isaac Herzog visit: protesters lose challenge to sweeping special police powers. What now?
NSW Supreme Court decision suggests a balance must be found between the right to protest and the need to protect public order.
https://theconversation.com/isaac-herzog-visit-protesters-lose-challenge-to-sweeping-special-police-powers-what-now-275436?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=bylineblueskybutton
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Brent Staples
1 day ago
Bad Bunny has a consulting historian.
news.wisc.edu/pop-star-bad...
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Pop star Bad Bunny needed a Puerto Rican history scholar. UWâMadison had just the one.
Bad Bunny collaborated with UWâMadison history professor Jorell MelĂ©ndez-Badillo on Puerto Rican narratives that accompany the new album âDeBĂ TiRAR MĂĄS FOToS.â
https://news.wisc.edu/pop-star-bad-bunny-needed-a-puerto-rican-history-scholar-uw-madison-had-just-the-one/
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Ingrid M
1 day ago
the police presence at Town Hall is unfuckingbelievable. They are deep inside the station, stopping and searching people at the top of the stairs from the platform. Absolutely off the charts I have never seen anything like it and I have protested for over 40 years.
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Fiona Katauskas
1 day ago
I have many, many favourite Kudelka cartoons but this, from 2011, is possibly one of the best Aus pol cartoons ever drawn.
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Fiona Katauskas
1 day ago
2021
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Fiona Katauskas
1 day ago
Kudelka from when Gillard's portrait was unveiled (sorry, no alt text.)
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Fiona Katauskas
1 day ago
Kudelka 2024
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The Saturday Paper
1 day ago
Vale Jon Kudelka (1972-2026). He was one of the sharpest political cartoonists this country has ever produced. He saw through the folly and cant but never let it dim his own warmth or decency. Thoughts are with his family. You can read his essay on cartooning here:
satpa.pe/fZGzqRE
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Lessons from political cartooning
After being diagnosed with an inoperable glioblastoma, The Saturday Paperâs editorial cartoonist took time to consider what really matters â and it is not politics.
http://satpa.pe/fZGzqRE
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Liam Hogan
1 day ago
Youâll hear it said that Jon Kudelka was a genuinely wonderful and generous man, this was undeniable, and the interactions I had with him bore that out, he was also a fucking punisher of hypocrites, he adored fighting bad people, and he had picked some quality enemies
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Fiona Katauskas
1 day ago
Kudelka on 18c from 2017
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Fiona Katauskas
1 day ago
Kudelka 2013
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Jess Harwood Art
1 day ago
I canât express how outrageous this whole thing is, but Iâve given it a go!
#auspol
For shame
@albomp.bsky.social
@chrisminnsmp.bsky.social
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Fiona Katauskas
1 day ago
Vale to an amazing man and legendary, brilliant cartoonist. The cartooning community is in mourning today.
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One of the best people
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Here, on the ABC, is an entire article on Victorian bushfires ... with not a single mention of climate change
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...
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Why Victoria is prone to 'some of the scariest fires' in the world
Some of the world's most destructive bushfires take place in the southern state. Its unique mix of fierce winds, high fuel loads and rugged terrain are to blame.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-09/why-does-victoria-have-so-many-bushfires/106274422
1 day ago
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David
1 day ago
âThe research pointed to the former Morrison governmentâs job-ready graduate scheme as directly relating to the decline. Implemented in 2021, that scheme substantially increased the cost of arts & creative courses to cheapen Stem coursesâ
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
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Australia in danger of becoming an âartless countryâ as enrolments in creative courses collapse
Research suggests surging costs under Morrison governmentâs job-ready graduate scheme and axing of dozens of subjects largely to blame
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/09/australia-in-danger-of-becoming-an-artless-country-as-enrolments-in-creative-courses-collapse?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
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Rusty Foster
1 day ago
My theory that AI maximalists donât know how to use a computer remains undefeated so far
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Andy Fleming
3 days ago
'Under the new legislation, public use of the controversial phrases "globalise the intifada" and "from the river to the sea" to cause menace, harassment or offence will be banned, with a maximum penalty of two years in prison.'
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...
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New Queensland hate speech laws to ban slogans and symbols
The laws to be introduced in parliament this week will ban the phrases "globalise the intifada" and "from the river to the sea", as well as offensive symbols.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-08/government-announces-hate-speech-reforms-antisemitism/106318730
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Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts
3 days ago
When I say I wonât read your Substack this is what I mean:
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Revealed: How Substack makes money from hosting Nazi newsletters
Exclusive: Site takes a cut of subscriptions to content that promotes far-right ideology, white supremacy and antisemitism
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/07/revealed-how-substack-makes-money-from-hosting-nazi-newsletters
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Tom Cox
3 days ago
I enjoy the way that in this photo our cats look like a hip-hop duo quite a lot of people quite liked in 1996 who have made a comeback record, done an interview with a broadsheet newspaper and are attempting to prove they are still serious and relevant.
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Apart from anything else, Craven saying this stuff out loud is really handy for students who might decide to fight against dubious disciplinary proceedings in court
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2 days ago
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Kelly
2 days ago
Former Washington Post journalists have launched a GoFundMe to help repatriate fired staff members who are effectively stranded in foreign countries. One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didnât even pay to ensure they got home. Abolish the billionaire class:
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Donate to Support for Washington Post international employees, organized by Michelle Lee
Among the hundreds of journalists laid off by The Washington Post on ⊠Michelle Lee needs your support for Support for Washington Post international employees
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-washington-post-international-employees
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Eoin Higgins
3 days ago
Jeff Bezos is more responsible than anyoneâeven Will Lewisâfor the job cuts at the Washington Post. The billionaireâs decisions led the paper to its current predicament (one he could pay for in perpetuity for a fraction of his wealth).
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The Bloodbath at Washington Post Is All Jeff Bezosâs Fault
Billionaires like Bezos have no real use for the free press, particularly when it runs the risk of alienating Donald Trump.
https://theintercept.com/2026/02/07/washington-post-layoffs-jeff-bezos/
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Fascinating story by Charlotte Grieve about the persecution of a country doctor with a history of treating substance abuse, pursued without evidence by rogue medical regulator AHPRA
www.theage.com.au/national/thi...
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This doctor treats patients who others wonât touch. AHPRA wanted him gone
From heroin addiction to outback medicine, this doctor has treated Australiaâs most vulnerable. Now, the regulator has almost pursued him out of the profession.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/this-doctor-treats-patients-that-others-won-t-touch-ahpra-wanted-him-gone-20260112-p5ntf0.html
3 days ago
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Subscribe to Radio Free America (link in bio)
3 days ago
We are the warrior elite, and as such we are required to watch two hours of a woman trying on dresses
www.businessinsider.com/us-military-...
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Religious freedom group says US military members were 'pressured' by commanders to see 'Melania'
An active-duty enlisted member of the US military said their unit was "pressured" into seeing Amazon's "Melania" documentary about the first lady.
https://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-members-pressured-to-see-melania-documentary-mrff-2026-2
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Jake Grumbach
3 days ago
US elite institutions be as ethical as Burning Man challenge via
@henryburke.bsky.social
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David Roberts
3 days ago
An observation I've been thinking about: Around 2020, we were told that US political & corporate elites had been gripped by "wokeness" & thus become obsessed with climate change & diversity. This wokeness was alleged to be so severe & monomaniacal that it threatened the entire culture & economy.
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Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
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3 days ago
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Victor Ray
4 days ago
This week at Group Threat, I spoke with
@grundrza.bsky.social
about Florida's censorship regime, teaching under authoritarianism, and how folks are coping (or not).
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What's the Matter with Florida? An Interview with Zachary Levenson
A discussion about Florida's censorship of sociology and teaching under authoritarianism
https://groupthreat.com/p/what-s-the-matter-with-florida-an-interview-with-zachary-levenson
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Martin Shaw
3 days ago
What has got rather lost in all this: Disobedience by Randa Abdel-Fattah is by all accounts a great novel. Here,
@peterdonoughue.bsky.social
calls it "brilliant and profound". No wonder she gets programmed for writers festivals...
notaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2026/02/rand...
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Randa Abdel-Fattah, Discipline
- This brilliant and profound novel dives deep into what it means to be a Muslim in Australia in our current traumatic times. Randa Abdel-...
https://notaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2026/02/randa-abdel-fattah-discipline.html
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Scott Patrick, PhD
4 days ago
This is bleak: Jes Staley, currently CEO of Barclays, reassuring Epstein that popular revolt against financial elites is unlikely because capitalism and pop culture have defanged social movements, leaving people more invested in consumption than justice.
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Solar farms with big batteries that feed in to the grid in the evening peak are coming online. This is really, really bad news for fossil fuel generators
reneweconomy.com.au/first-solar-...
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First solar-battery hybrid sends power into evening peak, heralding radical changes for Australia's main grid
The first solar-battery hybrid has begun sending power into Australia's main grid in the evening. Dozens of bigger projects are will follow, changing the game for old fossils.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/first-solar-battery-hybrid-sends-power-into-evening-peak-heralding-radical-changes-for-australias-main-grid/
3 days ago
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Beautiful capsule history of storied LA small press Black Sparrow Press, in the LARB.
lareviewofbooks.org/article/blac...
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And I Never Looked Back | Los Angeles Review of Books
Tracing the California lineage of Charles Bukowskiâs publisher, Black Sparrow Press, and its passionate founder, John Martin.
https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/black-sparrow-press-bukowski-john-martin-history/
3 days ago
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Philip Bump
4 days ago
Lots of time spent on âis Trump fascistâ and âis Trump racistâ debates that have now been settled quite conclusively.
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â©ïž đ«đđđđ đđ đŻđđđđđđ â©ïž
4 days ago
â
#Art
by Hook Hope
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So good
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4 days ago
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Tim Onion
4 days ago
Once again, it turns out âfully autonomousâ means âa guy in the Philippines.â
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It Turns Out Waymos Are Being Controlled by Workers in the Philippines
During a Congressional hearing, Waymo's chief safety officer, Mauricio Peña, was grilled over the company's reliance on overseas workers.
https://futurism.com/advanced-transport/waymos-controlled-workers-philippines
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