If you are posting on or engaging with content on X, you are working as a volunteer laborer helping this specific man earn money and political influence. Any person, group or organisation that is still there and helping keep you there: you have to make them get out, not give them reason to stay

There is probably plenty going on inside Bill Gates' head, but I reckon one of the most parsimonious explanations of why he's sagely pronouncing that climate groups need to stop worrying about short-term emissions targets can be found in the sustainability reports of the company he founded.

Trans and gender-diverse children deserve to thrive, not to be the target of political culture wars

“You see this a lot in German and British media,” he said. “The far right says something and everybody starts talking about it for one week. And everyone is shocked by it, but it is making headlines. Even if you’re countering it, you’re repeating it.”

"What has been learned in the past two years cannot be unlearned, despite all the energy that will be expended to make that happen," writes Nesrine Malik www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

This hits pretty hard, from the chair of the UN commission on Gaza www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/o...

New: A deep dive with some alarming new revelations on the silencing of one of the few remaining independent progressive voices in Australian media. Who killed Meanjin?

Kurt Campbell - a senior Biden administration official and AUKUS architect who has previously sounded dismissive about Australia’s sovereign control of any submarines it receives under AUKUS - is due to address the National Press Club in Canberra today. Here’s a short thread of his past statements.

Exclusive: Complaint letter emerges after the Royal Children’s Hospital decided to cancel a ‘children and war’ panel, angering staff www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Waiting for the Free Speech™ warriors to speak up about the cancel culture on display here... www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Given this is making some waves - here is the piece and you can judge for yourself. (I'm fine, there are no issues - right wing ecosystem just doing what right wing ecosystem does). Take care of you - it's rough out there! Ax amyremeikis.substack.com/p/charlie-ki...

So MUP claimed it was closing #Meanjin "on purely financial grounds" because it was "no longer viable" - but today it claimed that if a buyer offered cash to take ownership it would reject said cash ("The journal is not for sale"). This does NOT add up www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

This is terrible news. I’ve read so many things in Meanjin over the years I just never would have seen anywhere else.

So according to the Guardian, Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism has declined to comment on the neo-Nazis www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Starmer government now at 11% approval

Sad to see this

With enough creativity of an FOI decision maker, almost anything of substance could be interpreted to prejudice frank and timely advice or the orderly and effective conduct of govt

Good thread from someone who has looked closely at the Freedom from Information bill

The largest professional organization of scholars studying genocide said Monday that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

Across Europe, when centrist parties have adopted far right themes and sought to appease far right voters, they go down in flames. Why? Because: 1. They alienate their own base. 2. They tell other voters that the far right is correct. The determination not to learn this lesson is a wonder to behold.

Extremely important for everyone amplifying the neo-Nazis to bear this in mind: they crave this sort of coverage

"This was not a protest hijacked by the far-right, it was far-right from inception to execution," @osmanfaruqi.bsky.social writes. He warns: "It’s impossible to fight against white supremacists and the far-right by effectively doing their bidding." www.lamestream.com.au/how-mainstre...

Stop killing journalists #ProtectJournalistsInGaza #LetReportersIntoGaza

Again: this is not a drill

And there it is.

Australia is sending billions to the Trump administration to boost America’s own submarine production rates - but according to the govt agency we’re not allowed to know the payment schedule/any refund rules. New freelance piece for @deepcutnews.bsky.social www.deepcutnews.com/p/australia-... #AUKUS

The word 'lawlessness' used here by multiple practioners & experts incl @stevevladeck.bsky.social, to describe what #SCOTUS is presiding over & rewarding out of the DT regime. #US #law #USLaw www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...

I loved @vermontgmg.bsky.social's latest piece so much that I asked if I could republish it on The Handbasket and he so generously said yes. If you haven't read it yet, please do. It's essential:

“When you grow up, get married and have a daughter, name her Mariam after me” - Mariam Abu Dagga, 33, wrote in a letter to her son Ghaith. She was one of the five journalists killed by Israel last night. Yet another inexcusable attack www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

Significant news ... Australian govt says Iran was behind at least two antisemitic attacks: Melbourne's Adass Israel Synagogue attack from last December and Sydney's Lewis Continental Kitchen attack from last October; says Iran may also have been behind further attacks www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...

I promise I’ll sell my car to you but only on the condition that it won’t disappear when I want to drive it.

Also note language about assuring US “submarines sold to Australia would not DISAPPEAR if and when needed”. Very much in tune with Biden official Kurt Campbell's claim "it’s not like they’re LOST – they will just be deployed by the closest possible allied force". Doesn't sound like sovereign control

NEW: The federal government has refused to release details of billions in payments it is sending to the Trump administration to help the US boost its own naval shipyards. www.deepcutnews.com/p/australia-...

Strong piece from @amyremeikis.bsky.social today www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/politic...

Great story from @danielhurst.bsky.social on AUKUS payment secrecy. Why could Marles announce first payment in February but release under FOI somehow harms relations?? www.deepcutnews.com/p/australia-...

Australia is sending billions to the Trump administration to boost America’s own submarine production rates - but according to the govt agency we’re not allowed to know the payment schedule/any refund rules. New freelance piece for @deepcutnews.bsky.social www.deepcutnews.com/p/australia-... #AUKUS

“Critics call it extortion” www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/u...

Another must-read from @nesrinemalik.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

"Canberra is in the grip of Abundance fever, a virus that threatens to overwhelm public policy with a diagnosis of overregulation. For those afflicted, the treatment is to maintain the status quo, but with the sheen of progressivism." @amyremeikis.bsky.social www.thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2025...

Here's @ketanjoshi.co with a timely takedown of the Abundance agenda "brainworm" www.crikey.com.au/2025/08/18/l...

Love 2 FOI

One of the many devastating things about making this video was that we had to update it about three times during the making to account for further killings of journalists, including (you'll see at the end) a special mention of the 6 Al Jazeera journalists targeted by Israel. Please watch to the end.

Jacinta Allan rips into journo who repeats the “disgraceful nonsense” by The Australian & their attack on Victoria’s Respectful Relationships school program.🔥🔥 #auspol

Very important and powerful interview by @nourhaydar.bsky.social today on Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

The inevitable consequence of increasingly brazen anti-trans rhetoric and policy

What a banal way of describing the march toward fascism.

“Allowing the crisis in Gaza to deepen with apparent impunity undermines our messaging about the rule of law — our adversaries use this to accuse us of double standards.” A stark private warning in a DFAT document obtained under #FOI laws www.crikey.com.au/2025/08/06/d...

The Israeli govt has refused to allow international media into Gaza (with tightly vetted exceptions), so we are all dependent on Gaza-based journalists to be our eyes and ears. CPJ reports 186 journalists have been killed, incl at least 178 Palestinians killed by Israel cpj.org/2025/08/isra...

Very powerful. A must watch 2 minute clip.

Also, the FOI docs show DFAT recommended in June that the govt not give a direct answer to the question: “Do the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites breach international law?” The suggested response, if “pressed” to answer, was: “Not here to provide legal analysis.” www.crikey.com.au/2025/08/06/d...