Folks ought to check out the interview Kim Hill's doing at 9.05 with an online news expert. Buzzfeed was an epic success story.
In late 2011, BuzzFeed hired Ben Smith of Politico as editor-in-chief, to expand the site into long-form journalism and reportage.
By 2016, BuzzFeed had 20 investigative journalists. Chief executive Jonah Peretti announced the BuzzFeed News division will close on April 20, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BuzzFeed
This community-building insight from the wiki is transportable, generic…
On July 17, 2012, humor website McSweeney's Internet Tendency published a satirical piece entitled "Suggested BuzzFeed Articles", prompting BuzzFeed to create many of the suggestions.
BuzzFeed listed McSweeney's as a "Community Contributor". The post subsequently received more than 350,000 page views, prompted BuzzFeed to ask for user submissions, and received media attention. Subsequently, the website launched the "Community" section in May 2013 to enable users to submit content.
Users initially are limited to publishing only one post per day, but may increase their submission capacity by raising their "Cat Power", described on the BuzzFeed website as "an official measure of your rank in BuzzFeed's Community." A user's Cat Power increases as they achieve greater prominence on the site.
This interactive game no doubt entertains many players. Designers can exploit the generic dimensions of the design.
I included it in comment #1. I flagged that by reference to the wiki. Since wikis have featured in commentary & politics for the past couple of decades, I'm confident that readers can reach them easily when such pointers are included.
That was because the link I inserted was to her topic for the interview. The link you want wasn't available due to my posting the notice 55 mins prior to the interview actually occurring.
This makes it much easier for people to find the article and audio later.
Your link to Saturday Morning's page means people have to work more to find the relevant bit and in a week it will have dropped down the page, making it even harder to find.
The key point here is that we want the piece to be as easily available as possible, so that people have the context and can debate from that. All pieces, all the time.
Yeah sure, I'm aware of ideal practice – but as I just pointed out to Incognito, I see others onsite here regularly not providing such links when they comment, with no moderating consequently…
Fair enough, I withdraw and apologise for the lying bit.
This still leaves the Q why an intelligent commenter is being obnoxious about providing a link to an interview that hasn’t aired yet and “Folks ought to check out”. The first time (in this OM) he was asked was @ 10:25 am, after the interview had aired. And after that, it was pulling teeth. And then he starts digging in by making allegations about others who don’t link (it does happen) as if this should let him off the hook.
And there’s another instance last night of him not linking and making very little or no effort to show some courtesy and respect of the rules of engagement of this site.
I will admit I had to bite my tongue at the accusation that other people get away with it, given how much of our time is spent on this simple thing chasing up regulars who should know better.
If site owner/operator configures chatGPT into the system here as an autonomous module, best to give it the username Lefty.
I posted something last night noting that it had been found to have a leftist bias. That can be tweaked via consensus of moderators and owner/operator. You could, for instance, give it Che Guevara charisma to leverage the icon effect, Trotsy's tactical nous to get results in (ideological) warfare, Marx's class framing, Stalin's machiavellian expertise as shapeshifter. You'd have to include the integrative holism from Smuts for it to ground sensibly though.
A positional generator of generic leftist thought and advice would have a mentoring effect. It would also be oracular when prompted to opinionate on the likeliest outcome of situations, so it would have tactical application on a utility basis.
Some days I can’t decide if it’s better for a hard climate crash so nature takes this shit out of our hands once and for all. By our hands I mean tech culture run by men with little social or community or nature intelligence. Don't know why we do that, but I don't understand why we are allowing catastrophic CC either.
It's interesting, but. Uploading a brain scan while assuming one can thereby simulate a mind features at least conceptual flaw. You can indeed achieve mimesis by getting AI behind the simulation, but resemblance to an actual human is slight.
Thinking is mostly driven by feeling. Neuroscientists now collectively acknowledge this (paradigm shift in the 1990s). People evolve as individuals on that organic basis. Neuroplasticity is now proven. We evolve via interaction with circumstance. AI does that without feelings.
Now women have always known that due to their different organic connection to Gaia but men are mostly slow learners so the gnosis is still percolating through…
Sadly human nature puts us on a hard landing as far as climate change is concerned. On one hand we look at say farming and ruminant animals but at the same time our appetite for fossil fuels increases.
And Russia is planning to hold possibly thousands more. A Russian government document obtained by The Associated Press dating to January outlined plans to create 25 new prison colonies and six other detention centers in occupied Ukraine by 2026.
In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree in May allowing Russia to send people from territories with martial law, which includes all of occupied Ukraine, to those without, such as Russia. This makes it easier to deport Ukrainians who resist Russian occupation deep into Russia indefinitely, which has happened in multiple cases documented by the AP.
Many civilians are picked up for alleged transgressions as minor as speaking Ukrainian or simply being a young man in an occupied region, and are often held without charge. Others are charged as terrorists, combatants, or people who “resist the special military operation.” Hundreds are used for slave labor by Russia’s military, for digging trenches and other fortifications, as well as mass graves.
Deplorables are so infectious they can get in anywhere. They've gotten into Labour:
That the New Zealand Labour Party has meekly accepted the Captain’s Call of its Leader, Chris Hipkins, that his government will not introduce either a Wealth Tax or a Capital Gains Tax (CGT) while he’s the one in charge is deplorable. https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2023/07/14/captains-call/
Better get Hilary Clinton onto the situation, with her laser-like identification abilities she'll spot them & root them out. We can but deplore the contamination.
Ever since the political divisions unleashed in the 1980s, the strongest factions in the Labour Party (which Hipkins has been careful to cultivate) have thought it wiser to keep control of the losing side in the class war, than lose control of the winning side.
This appears to be the `suckers will always vote Labour' theory. Covert support for National is not really a leftist thing, and the PM does it to seem centrist instead.
If I can get a word in here in the Dennis Frank Open Mike, this is a weird article by Luke Malpass today. He takes a series of shots at Hipkins, Robertson, and Labour (as usual) but concludes that Hipkins got it right in ruling out a WT and CGT.
"But of concern was the weird competing mish-mash of objectives which the Treasury identified itself and said that Robertson prioritised. These included raising enough revenue, being considered fair and helping social cohesion. The system would also have to meet Robertson’s “distributional objectives for progressivity, horizontal equity and reducing inequality”, and “the revenue strategy needs to align with your economic goals (high wage, low emissions, economic security."
All of those objectives look entirely sensible to me and not in any way out of the ordinary. They are not a "mish-mash".
The below is particularly interesting, and should boost the Green's party vote:
"Polling seen by Stuff and commissioned by the Green Party before the revelation of Labour’s abandoned tax plans, did show potential Green voter reaction to a tax-free threshold. More than 87% of potential voters sitting on the fence whether to switch to Green were favourably inclined towards a tax-free threshold (or zone as Robertson called in on Thursday) and 68% of the same group were keen on a wealth tax."
But Malpass is off-beam below because TPM has ruled out going into a coalition that contained ACT. (The Coaltion of Cu*ts)
"What will be worrying Labour a lot more is the fact that Te Pāti Māori is now more or less assumed to need to be part of the mix for Labour to win power again in virtually all polls, while National and ACT will not necessarily need the party if the numbers fall the right way."
What's the theory about Labour worring about needing TPM? The kinds of concessions post-election? Or losing votes as the election campaign period shows TPM as necessary?
His main point is that past polls had given Labour hope that they would have been able to govern with just the Greens for support, but now the polls are showing that they will need both the Greens and TPM to govern.
Some people may prefer not to vote for a coalition that includes TPM, but then other people (just as many, if not more IMHO) will prefer not to vote for a coalition that includes ACT.
It is the nature of MMP that small parties get outsized influence on Government – think about NZ First’s three-time being the kingmakers.
National will be pressing hard on the fact that a vote for Labour is a vote for the Greens or Te Pāti Māori. This isn't a racist dog whistle, but recognises the fact that both of these parties sit at the political edges.
Labour and the Greens will be saying the same thing about ACT and National.
So Alan, you are by inference saying Act and National are more aligned? Tui
Luxon won’t want to share.
Black Adder(Luxon)” I am leader!!”
Baldrick (Seymour) “I have a cunning plan”.
Southern states of Australia, such as Victoria and South Australia, which already experience the country's hottest heatwaves, could see hot days become hotter by up to 4C. These conditions, which often occur during an El Niño, can lead to reduced rainfall, higher temperatures and a greater risk of bushfires. Across Europe, heatwaves may become hotter by up to 10C and some heatwaves will last up to two months by the end of this century. In just the next 20 years, the US will experience three to five more heatwaves every decade compared to the second half of the 20th Century.
A Royal Commission initiated after Australia's Black Summer fire disaster pointed to an urgent need to improve disaster management capabilities in order to respond to more frequent, intense, complex and costly fires under a changing climate. This can be done in all of three ways: first, limit the vulnerability of communities and ecosystems to fire; second, limit communities and ecosystems exposure to fire; third, limit the fire itself.
That's their operational triad strategy for firestorms. Reportage of these globally ought to hone in on an analytical framing based on regional vulnerability flagged by repetition.
Too soon, I assume. Think we're in the transitional phase, the switch-over of the oscillation. Remember that's driven by an immense ocean current. Inertial.
We're still in a bit of a limbo between La Nina and El Nino. Climactic changes on a world-wide scale take time to bed in.
What we can look forward to in NZ is a much drier summer than the last one (phew) but with slightly cooler temperatures and westerly quarter winds, The big stand out will be the west coast of the Sth. Island which will have a higher than normal rainfall.
Thanks Anne….my timing was probably off, though I could have sworn I heard El Nino would influence the weather and bring snow this year. Maybe they readjusted their forecasts.
BTW (you will hate me for this) it was an incredibly dry and lovely summer down here in Wanaka. Even the farmers aren't too bothered when it is so hot and dry these days as they have large-scale pivot irrigation in place.
I was one of the thousands of Aucklanders whose home was flooded. Fortunately I'm two-storied so was able to continue to live upstairs but it hasn't been pleasant – at times stressful. Finally after a six month wait the rebuild downstairs has begum in earnest and should be completed soon.
I can count myself lucky because the workload is so enormous they will still be repairing and rebuilding for another year or two – and that is just Auckland.
Periods of unusually warm air aloft in the mid latitudes have limited new snowfall and partially destroyed what has fallen earlier. Very poor for snowmaking as well. Forget trying to forecast by using historical seasonal snowfalls. It's a new paradigm.
Hope they get a couple of one-off events to get things going.
The levels detected in the new GNS study in groundwater and streams around Pukekohe and Bombay are as high as 19mg per litre, eight times the 'national bottom line' in rivers.
It also shows just how long nitrates hang around: Even if all polluting stopped tomorrow, they would not be gone from groundwater till as late as 2080.
Who will care for our water…if NAct get control? I fully get that things ARE bad now. I know some, are fighting to undo many generations of poisoning our water. A very hard road.
But, IMO, the Nats…led by Act (and Groundswill et al) will just ignore any and all danger signs. Climate Change, Nitrates in water, River Health…all will be dismissed as "unnecessary distractions" !
And on that….if those creeps do scrape in….who will care about this?
DOC managing over 300 contaminated sites on West Coast
Some of the identified landfills include old dumps previously used by the small communities scattered along the 650km West Coast.
A well known example is the former Westland District Council Fox Glacier dump which spilled into the Fox River in March 2019 during a weather bomb – sparking a major environmental disaster.
The dump's contents were strewn down 21km of the Fox riverbed through the Westland Tai Poutini National Park and then along 64km of coastline.
The subsequent massive clean-up cost over $3.3 million.
It also shows just how long nitrates hang around: Even if all polluting stopped tomorrow, they would not be gone from groundwater till as late as 2080.
Buckets are not in Wayne’s job description, apparently.
His mandate is to ‘fix Auckland’. Indeed, he’s been very busy neutering local democracy reporting and slagging off democratically elected Councillors. Luckily, he’ll be gone long before those nitrates.
Please read the linked article before you pollute this site with your high levels of nonsense.
"It also talks about the fact that it is partly coming from horticultural land … and the Auckland Council itself says that those horticultural systems are often over-fertilised."
[…]
"We're obviously very aware that the urban development into the South Auckland area will also have a bearing on some of the sort of outcomes for water."
And those who eat that flesh pontificating about nitrate pollution..and ignoring what they do that directly causes that nitrate pollution..
You’re barking up the wrong tree.
And some of these nitrates comes from over fertilised councils parks..?
Who’s bleating on about cognitive dissonance? Read the article, the linked study in it, and the comments and switch on your brain!
The study said: "Market gardening dominates the Pukekohe and Bombay basalts, which are subject to nitrate loss into groundwater… High nitrates from the springs dominate nitrate concentrations in receiving streams."
The council was sending the study to mana whenua and growers, and Allen said it would help them discuss what to do together about it, including regulatory and non-regulatory responses to land use.
Take your hobby horse somewhere else instead of hijacking the conversations of others.
Julian Batchelor came to town yesterday, accompanied by provocateur Lee Williams, who stalked about trying to encourage bad behaviour amongst the counter protestors, shoving cameras into their faces and filming constantly .
Batchelor had a tiny audience, mostly elderly or getting there, probably NZ first supporters .Frail and worried , not sure whats going on , scared Mãori are taking over
The counter protest was orderly,gentle, fun with wonderful waiata , a brilliant wahine toa performing with actions
Lee Williams got into a scuffle and was I think arrested.Unbelievable that his level of racist toxicity has a following
Batchelor is an evangelical preacher, and claims to have been given 80 reasons by his god why most christians do not actively evangelise. (From LinkdIn profile). His self-published book and his Treaty lectures include some of his evangelical material.
Been reading Michener's Poland and came across his description of a woman being crowned king in the 14th century. Since he was an historical novelist, thought I'd check he got the history right, and he did: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jadwiga_of_Poland
Jadwiga was crowned king in Poland's capital, Kraków, on 16 October 1384.
Also, her sister likewise:
Mary, also known as Maria of Anjou, reigned as King of Hungary and Croatia between 1382 and 1385, and from 1386 until her death. She was the daughter of Louis the Great, King of Hungary and Poland, and his wife, Elizabeth of Bosnia.
Notice how the editors of Wikipedia have misrepresented this political reality by calling her Queen both in their page title and the link. Sexist!
If you read up on their mother you see she was daughter of a Bosnian king who became queen of three other countries when she married Louis the Great. Accession to the monarchy directly rather than via marriage is the difference between her and those two daughters, apparently. The English did that accession titling differently…
I read several of his novels as they drew on actual events and characters, but woven into an interesting read. eg "Hawaii."
I enjoyed Asimov as his stories are based on Science facts to build more credible Science fiction. A great discussion vehicle was the short story "The Sentinel." Cheers.
Look at the loads carried by Andrew Little Nanaia Mahuta Megan Woods Grant Robertson and our current PM.
The world is an even more complex and dangerous place. Confronting the French / Atomic age and making a good speech measured against…
how do we confront climate change covid billionaires arms merchants the financial tsunami and AI?
Labour have taken a lot of stick over the last few days over the decision to dump both a WT and CGT, deservedly so IMO.
But in the article below there is a key point of difference between the Nats and Labour on housing policy, where Labour deserves much praise. IMO Labour has it right, and has been successful, on taxes related to houses (bright line test, interest non- allowable), housing density and not permitting houses to be purchased by foreign buyers. (In fact the bright line test is effectively a CGT). This has led to a fairly gentle drop in house prices, though they are still way to high in international terms.
The Nats have committed to scrapping almost all of this, and they will probably scrap the lot. It just refuses say what its policy is on overseas house purchases.
Congratulations Dr Jacob Ngaha on being awarded your doctorate. He may be Aotearoa's very first Māori quantum physicist.
He doesn’t agree with his colleagues [in his own faculty at Auckland University] and says mātauranga Māori should be acknowledged.
“Mātauranga Maori has strong foundations in science. Our tupuna lived these experiences every day and were knowledgeable in areas like biology, genetics, and environmental science. These areas had a grounding in te ao Māori,” he says.
“At the end of the day, science is about knowledge and figuring things out. There’s not just one way to figure things out. Dismissing Māori teachings outright is not a scientific thing to do.”
He says that Māori come from a long line of natural scientists. For instance, their tupuna navigated the entire Pacific using the stars for direction. With the popularity of Matariki, people are learning more about how Māori used science to help them with every facet of their lives.
Absolutely true.
A big "boo" to the NZ academics who have publicly dismissed 'matauranga Maori' as a form of science. There is more than one way to express scientific material and they are to be respected not demeaned. Imo it indicates an elitist ignorance among those who should know better.
It takes interpretations of knowledge and treats them as universal truths.
Which is deliberately manipulative.
The equivalent of including the Methodist stricture of cleanliness being next to Godliness in med school, instead of determining the science around contamination, and teaching how to avoid it.
These execs make 30 40 million a year – and one even saying publicly “ we’re just gonna wait ‘em out – you know till people get evicted loose their homes – we gonna bust the union “ THIS is who they are – They are trying to break you – ruin you – for having the temerity to ask for your fair share – they want to punish – grind your face in the dirt for even thinking about it –
This is not about the entertainment business – or the coffee business Or the retail business Or any specific business – it’s about all of them – This is about the class war from above – being waged against labor across the board-
It’s all the same thing – Writers actors Amazon workers Starbucks workers ,nurses ,airline workers – ( add list for another ten pages ) Everyone who’s striking – they want living wages – the system is so unbelievably insanely corrupt – Jamie Dimon can get 12 billion cash – 100 % cents on the dollars for the money he lost in his derivatives scam – he gets an absolute bailout – for his criminal banking disasters – So – one set of rules for elites – and another for workers – meaning normal people get the shaft – People who get sick or want an education – are fucked – the money lenders want you in debtors jail or bankrupt – you lend someone money and they rig it so you can never pay off the loan 3 4 5 6 10 times the principal – that’s USURY. Yet routinely They “ forgive“ billions to oligarchs – free money whenever they say so . And if people and workers just say stop the usury pay a living wage – healthcare is a human right – the same overlords and their hired bullshit – SAY WHAT ?? WHY THATS SOCIALISM ! Or spew out various other nonsensical bullshit – So socialism for the .oooo1 % Savage predatory capitalism for everyone else . That’s why we have to strike in solidarity with every worker – we need absolute solidarity on race gender issues So we can address CLASS. The oligarchs want more – they want it all –
The nature of political leadership is that sometimes you have to make unpopular calls for the greater good. As much as voters have a collective wisdom, they’re also human. They’re motivated by short-term incentives.
Everyone wants more for less. I suspect that many of those who vehemently oppose Three Waters, for example, have also railed for decades against the rates increases that might have gone some way to developing water infrastructure and removing the need for the reforms in the first place.
If you’re only prepared to make popular decisions, then what is the point in leadership? It’s not really leadership, is it? It’s just focus-grouping. Polling. Instead of laying out a platform, debating its merits and pursuing a distinct vision, you might as well just have a smartphone app or a website on which everyone votes on every little policy so that you can be sure you never fall afoul of the masses.
I’m not remotely surprised by Chris Hipkins’ captain’s call on tax this week. The Prime Minister has made it clear from day one that his absolute priority is winning the election. But I do wonder if somewhere on the ninth floor, at some point, Labour’s strategists find themselves in an existential bind. If the cost of winning an election means sacrificing your political vision, then what’s the point in winning?
To be a winner, obviously. It's a status thing. Nor is it a matter of the vision thing – a better world is only important to people who don't really matter. So the PM's gamble is based on assuming that his colleagues have faith in his ability to win, and won't deselect him as leader this close to the election, and he can win by citing the meagre achievements of this govt because the alternative is too unattractive to floaters.
and he can win by citing the meagre achievements of this govt because the alternative is too unattractive to floaters.
I actually don't think they are meagre.
From BG above
‘But in the article below there is a key point of difference between the Nats and Labour on housing policy, where Labour deserves much praise. IMO Labour has it right, and has been successful, on taxes related to houses (bright line test, interest non- allowable), housing density and not permitting houses to be purchased by foreign buyers. (In fact the bright line test is effectively a CGT). This has led to a fairly gentle drop in house prices, though they are still way to high in international terms.’
I agree that the alternative is too unattractive to voters……the ACT policy/critique on school lunches is typical of what we may be in for if a NACT government gets in.
Currently true. If the next poll shows Labour dropping further, below 30%, and/or Hipkins below Luxon as preferred PM, game on!
I reckon there's a divide between those within Labour who see it as a party for making progress in Aotearoa and those who see it as a place-holder for the Nats. Hipkins has revealed to us that he leads the latter group.
Three former high-ranking Fox executives are blasting Rupert Murdoch for Fox News' role spreading disinformation in the public discourse.
In a joint statement published Wednesday, the executives — Preston Padden, Ken Solomon, and Bill Reyner — expressed profound regret for their roles helping Murdoch build Fox in its early days. Padden was Fox's chief Washington lobbyist; Solomon was the vice president of network distribution; and Reyner was the lead outside counsel.
While none of the executives worked on Fox News, the work they did on behalf of Murdoch decades ago established Fox as a national television force and helped pave the way for the birth of the right-wing channel.
"At the time of our work in the 1990’s, we all greatly admired Rupert Murdoch and his vision and bold efforts," the trio said in their statement. "We genuinely believed that the creation of a fourth competitive force in broadcast television was in the public interest."
"We never envisioned, and would not knowingly have enabled, the disinformation machine that, in our opinion, Fox has become," they added.
Thanks for that. Definitely significant – indicating that even establishment slow-learners can figure things out eventually, given enough time.
When three people adopt a unified political position, that's a triad. Triads generate process, so there will be a helpful effect on like-minded others. Few moderate Republicans have opposed Trump thus far but I see this as a real indicator of an emerging trend (even if it's too late to stop him getting nominated).
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Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
It is difficult to make sense of the Luxon Coalition Government’s economic management.This end-of-year review about the state of economic management – the state of the economy was last week – is not going to cover the National Party contribution. Frankly, like every other careful observer, I cannot make up ...
This morning I awoke to the lovely news that we are firmly back on track, that is if the scale was reversed.NZ ranks low in global economic comparisonsNew Zealand's economy has been ranked 33rd out of 37 in an international comparison of which have done best in 2024.Economies were ranked ...
Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this country’s current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...
String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealand’s politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...
Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral organisation committed to advancing open government. Countries which join are supposed to co-create regular action plans with civil society, committing to making verifiable improvements in transparency, accountability, participation, or technology and innovation for the above. And they're held to account through an Independent ...
Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...
This is a must watch, and puts on brilliant and practical display the implications and mechanics of fast-track law corruption and weakness.CLICK HERE: LINK TO WATCH VIDEOOur news media as it is set up is simply not equipped to deal with the brazen disinformation and corruption under this right wing ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting Secretary Erin Polaczuk is welcoming the announcement from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden that she is opening consultation on engineered stone and is calling on her to listen to the evidence and implement a total ban of the product. “We need ...
The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...
The decision to unilaterally repudiate the contract for new Cook Strait ferries is beginning to look like one of the stupidest decisions a New Zealand government ever made. While cancelling the ferries and their associated port infrastructure may have made this year's books look good, it means higher costs later, ...
Hi there! I’ve been overseas recently, looking after a situation with a family member. So apologies if there any less than focused posts! Vanuatu has just had a significant 7.3 earthquake. Two MFAT staff are unaccounted for with local fatalities.It’s always sad to hear of such things happening.I think of ...
Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...
We're going backwardsIgnoring the realitiesGoing backwardsAre you counting all the casualties?We are not there yetWhere we need to beWe are still in debtTo our insanitiesSongwriter: Martin Gore Read more ...
Willis blamed Treasury for changing its productivity assumptions and Labour’s spending increases since Covid for the worsening Budget outlook. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 18 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above ...
Today the Auckland Transport board meet for the last time this year. For those interested (and with time to spare), you can follow along via this MS Teams link from 10am. I’ve taken a quick look through the agenda items to see what I think the most interesting aspects are. ...
Hi,If you’re a New Zealander — you know who Mike King is. He is the face of New Zealand’s battle against mental health problems. He can be loud and brash. He raises, and is entrusted with, a lot of cash. Last year his “I Am Hope” charity reported a revenue ...
Probably about the only consolation available from yesterday’s unveiling of the Half-Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is that it could have been worse. Though Finance Minister Nicola Willis has tightened the screws on future government spending, she has resisted the calls from hard-line academics, fiscal purists and fiscal hawks ...
The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...
Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...
Come and join myself and CTU Chief Economist for a pop-up ‘Hoon’ webinar on the Government’s Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) with paying subscribers to The Kākā for 30 minutes at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream to watch our chat. Don’t worry if ...
In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...
New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...
At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Kiwis planning a swim or heading out on a boat this summer should remember to stop and think about water safety, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop and ACC and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “New Zealand’s beaches, lakes and rivers are some of the most beautiful in the ...
The Government is urging Kiwis to drive safely this summer and reminding motorists that Police will be out in force to enforce the road rules, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“This time of year can be stressful and result in poor decision-making on our roads. Whether you are travelling to see ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Kick Back has growing concerns about the impact that denying young people access to shelter is having on the mental health and physical safety of the young people we serve. ...
By Litia Cava, FBC News multimedia journalist Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has revealed how arms and ammunition used to conduct the 1987 military coup were secretly brought into Fiji on board a naval survey ship. Speaking at the commissioning of a new research vessel for the Lands and Mineral ...
Youth advocates are worried tighter rules for emergency housing could lead to someone dying due to the impacts on mental health and physical safety for those denied shelter. ...
“We urge the Health Select Committee to extend the date for submissions,” concluded Rev Bush. “There is too much at stake to leave the outcome of this review only in the hands of politicians or those with vested interests.” ...
A separate passport, citizenship and membership of the United Nations are only available to fully independent nations, Winston Peters' office says. ...
By Emma Andrews, Henare te Ua Māori Journalism Intern at RNZ News The New Zealand fuel company Z Energy is swapping out street names for “correct” kupu on service stops around the country, with the help of local hapū. When Z took over 226 fuel sites from Shell in 2010, ...
Summer reissue: Was it a false measurement, a full-blown conspiracy or just some mild incompetence? Mad Chapman uncovers the truth of Maddi Wesche’s final throw. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Old, Associate Professor, Biology, Zoology, Animal Science, Western Sydney University Dmitry Chulov, Shutterstock At this time of year, images of reindeer are everywhere. I’ve had a soft spot for reindeer ever since I was a little girl. Doesn’t everyone? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grozdana Manalo, Career Services Manager (Education), University of Sydney hedgehog94/Shutterstock Getting casual work over summer, or a part-time job that you might continue once your tertiary course starts, can be a great way to get workplace experience and earn some extra ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ty Ferguson, Research associate in exercise, nutrition and activity, University of South Australia Peera_Stockfoto/Shutterstock It’s never been easier to stay connected to work. Even when we’re on leave, our phones and laptops keep us tethered. Many of us promise ourselves we ...
The NZ Media Council upheld the complaint under principle four: comment and fact On 5 September 2024, The Spinoff published a brief article titled Made in Palestine, found in 1970s Hastings, which highlighted an upcoming art exhibition featuring photographs of vintage cosmetic products labelled “Made in Palestine.” The piece, described ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kasey Symons, Lecturer of Communication, Sports Media, Deakin University We are well and truly in cricket season. The Australian men’s cricket team is taking centre stage against India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy series while the Big Bash League is underway, as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Woods, Lecturer, Nursing, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University FTiare/Shutterstock Summer is here and for many that means going to the beach. You grab your swimmers, beach towel and sunscreen then maybe check the weather forecast. Did you think to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Saman Khalesi, Senior Lecturer and Discipline Lead in Nutrition, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, CQUniversity Australia Dean Clarke/Shutterstock The holiday season can be a time of joy, celebration, and indulgence in delicious foods and meals. However, for many, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame Australia Late Night With The Devil. Maslow Entertainment Marketing is critical to the success of commercial films, and companies will often spend half as much again on top of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francisco Jose Testa, Lecturer in Earth Sciences (Mineralogy, Petrology & Geochemistry), University of Tasmania The Conversation As a kid, it was tough for me to grasp the massive time scale of Earth’s history. Now, with nearly two decades of experience as ...
Opinion: The latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science report was announced earlier this month, yet it didn’t get the flurry of media attention and political hand-wringing that typically accompanies these announcements. This might be because it presented good news, or you could argue, no news; the results paint a ...
NewsroomBy Dr Lisa Darragh, Dr Raewyn Eden and Dr David Pomeroy
Te Pāti Māori has had to adopt a new way of debating, operating and even thinking in Parliament in response to the Government’s “onslaught” against te ao Māori, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says.In an end-of-year interview with Newsroom, the Te Tai Hauauru MP reflected on how 2024 has differed from her ...
At long last, The Spinoff shells out for a nut ranking. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.It recently came to The Spinoff’s attention ...
I was one of hundreds of people who lost my government job this week. Here’s exactly how it played out. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...
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Folks ought to check out the interview Kim Hill's doing at 9.05 with an online news expert. Buzzfeed was an epic success story.
Why? No doubt Kim will elicit the answer…
This community-building insight from the wiki is transportable, generic…
This interactive game no doubt entertains many players. Designers can exploit the generic dimensions of the design.
[Link required]
I included it in comment #1. I flagged that by reference to the wiki. Since wikis have featured in commentary & politics for the past couple of decades, I'm confident that readers can reach them easily when such pointers are included.
I cannot see the alleged link to Kim Hill’s interview in your comment @ 1!?
That was because the link I inserted was to her topic for the interview. The link you want wasn't available due to my posting the notice 55 mins prior to the interview actually occurring.
However the interview is now available via their website player at https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday
why haven't you linked to the actual piece?
When I brought up the interview player, it didn't have a web address included. However I have just gone back into RNZ and found this page they've posted subsequently: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018898496/ben-smith-how-clicks-likes-and-shares-ruined-digital-news
thanks. By the time you commented at 11.26am, the page was available.
Earlier than that (ie before RNZ have the live link up), please link to the episode pages of the show and copy and paste the title. eg in this case,
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/20230715
This makes it much easier for people to find the article and audio later.
Your link to Saturday Morning's page means people have to work more to find the relevant bit and in a week it will have dropped down the page, making it even harder to find.
The key point here is that we want the piece to be as easily available as possible, so that people have the context and can debate from that. All pieces, all the time.
Yeah sure, I'm aware of ideal practice – but as I just pointed out to Incognito, I see others onsite here regularly not providing such links when they comment, with no moderating consequently…
go on then, show me three examples of other people posting without links, so we can hash out what is going on.
None evident today so far. I'll check later.
There was no link! Why do you continue lying about this?
You spend more time on spamming this site and editing/altering text copied & pasted from Wiki pages.
This is turning into an exercise in time-wasting because you act as an obnoxious little child.
The link Dennis is referring to is the wikipedia link in comment 1. This is the link to KH's topic before the interview was aired.
I don't see Dennis as lying here, more that the two of you are talking at cross purposes.
Fair enough, I withdraw and apologise for the lying bit.
This still leaves the Q why an intelligent commenter is being obnoxious about providing a link to an interview that hasn’t aired yet and “Folks ought to check out”. The first time (in this OM) he was asked was @ 10:25 am, after the interview had aired. And after that, it was pulling teeth. And then he starts digging in by making allegations about others who don’t link (it does happen) as if this should let him off the hook.
And there’s another instance last night of him not linking and making very little or no effort to show some courtesy and respect of the rules of engagement of this site.
I will admit I had to bite my tongue at the accusation that other people get away with it, given how much of our time is spent on this simple thing chasing up regulars who should know better.
Apparently we are in the election proper now with parties and candidates needing to put authorisation statements. Game on lefties 🔥
If site owner/operator configures chatGPT into the system here as an autonomous module, best to give it the username Lefty.
I posted something last night noting that it had been found to have a leftist bias. That can be tweaked via consensus of moderators and owner/operator. You could, for instance, give it Che Guevara charisma to leverage the icon effect, Trotsy's tactical nous to get results in (ideological) warfare, Marx's class framing, Stalin's machiavellian expertise as shapeshifter. You'd have to include the integrative holism from Smuts for it to ground sensibly though.
A positional generator of generic leftist thought and advice would have a mentoring effect. It would also be oracular when prompted to opinionate on the likeliest outcome of situations, so it would have tactical application on a utility basis.
You might enjoy this. It's a short short story about AI, humans and ethics.
https://qntm.org/mmacevedo
Some days I can’t decide if it’s better for a hard climate crash so nature takes this shit out of our hands once and for all. By our hands I mean tech culture run by men with little social or community or nature intelligence. Don't know why we do that, but I don't understand why we are allowing catastrophic CC either.
It's interesting, but. Uploading a brain scan while assuming one can thereby simulate a mind features at least conceptual flaw. You can indeed achieve mimesis by getting AI behind the simulation, but resemblance to an actual human is slight.
Thinking is mostly driven by feeling. Neuroscientists now collectively acknowledge this (paradigm shift in the 1990s). People evolve as individuals on that organic basis. Neuroplasticity is now proven. We evolve via interaction with circumstance. AI does that without feelings.
Now women have always known that due to their different organic connection to Gaia but men are mostly slow learners so the gnosis is still percolating through…
Sadly human nature puts us on a hard landing as far as climate change is concerned. On one hand we look at say farming and ruminant animals but at the same time our appetite for fossil fuels increases.
https://news.paxeditions.com/news/airline/radar-shows-record-breaking-number-flights-one-day#:~:text=That%20record%2Dsetting%20day%2C%20the,it%20tracked%20134%2C386%20commercial%20flights.
Poot's new Gulag Archipelago.
Thousands of Ukraine civilians are being held in Russian prisons. Russia plans to build many more.
[…]
Thousands of Ukrainian civilians are being detained across Russia and the Ukrainian territories it occupies, in centers ranging from brand-new wings in Russian prisons to clammy basements. Most have no status under Russian law
And Russia is planning to hold possibly thousands more. A Russian government document obtained by The Associated Press dating to January outlined plans to create 25 new prison colonies and six other detention centers in occupied Ukraine by 2026.
In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree in May allowing Russia to send people from territories with martial law, which includes all of occupied Ukraine, to those without, such as Russia. This makes it easier to deport Ukrainians who resist Russian occupation deep into Russia indefinitely, which has happened in multiple cases documented by the AP.
Many civilians are picked up for alleged transgressions as minor as speaking Ukrainian or simply being a young man in an occupied region, and are often held without charge. Others are charged as terrorists, combatants, or people who “resist the special military operation.” Hundreds are used for slave labor by Russia’s military, for digging trenches and other fortifications, as well as mass graves.
https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-prisons-civilians-torture-detainees-88b4abf2efbf383272eed9378be13c72
Finally….the facts are beginning to be recognised.
https://thekaka.substack.com/p/matariki-special-interview-danyl#details
A brief discussion well worth the listen.
Deplorables are so infectious they can get in anywhere. They've gotten into Labour:
Better get Hilary Clinton onto the situation, with her laser-like identification abilities she'll spot them & root them out. We can but deplore the contamination.
This appears to be the `suckers will always vote Labour' theory. Covert support for National is not really a leftist thing, and the PM does it to seem centrist instead.
If I can get a word in here in the Dennis Frank Open Mike, this is a weird article by Luke Malpass today. He takes a series of shots at Hipkins, Robertson, and Labour (as usual) but concludes that Hipkins got it right in ruling out a WT and CGT.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/132546724/changing-the-tax-system-was-not-an-electionwinning-strategy-for-labour
For instance:
"But of concern was the weird competing mish-mash of objectives which the Treasury identified itself and said that Robertson prioritised. These included raising enough revenue, being considered fair and helping social cohesion. The system would also have to meet Robertson’s “distributional objectives for progressivity, horizontal equity and reducing inequality”, and “the revenue strategy needs to align with your economic goals (high wage, low emissions, economic security."
All of those objectives look entirely sensible to me and not in any way out of the ordinary. They are not a "mish-mash".
The below is particularly interesting, and should boost the Green's party vote:
"Polling seen by Stuff and commissioned by the Green Party before the revelation of Labour’s abandoned tax plans, did show potential Green voter reaction to a tax-free threshold. More than 87% of potential voters sitting on the fence whether to switch to Green were favourably inclined towards a tax-free threshold (or zone as Robertson called in on Thursday) and 68% of the same group were keen on a wealth tax."
But Malpass is off-beam below because TPM has ruled out going into a coalition that contained ACT. (The Coaltion of Cu*ts)
"What will be worrying Labour a lot more is the fact that Te Pāti Māori is now more or less assumed to need to be part of the mix for Labour to win power again in virtually all polls, while National and ACT will not necessarily need the party if the numbers fall the right way."
What's the theory about Labour worring about needing TPM? The kinds of concessions post-election? Or losing votes as the election campaign period shows TPM as necessary?
His main point is that past polls had given Labour hope that they would have been able to govern with just the Greens for support, but now the polls are showing that they will need both the Greens and TPM to govern.
Some people may prefer not to vote for a coalition that includes TPM, but then other people (just as many, if not more IMHO) will prefer not to vote for a coalition that includes ACT.
From the article
both
If you are genuinely worried then you better vote labour so they don't need tpm,
Tpm will be a minor party under a strong leader with Hipkins so I'm not to worried 😉
But Labour and TPM are diametrically opposed on a number of key issues, good luck running that.
So Alan, you are by inference saying Act and National are more aligned? Tui
Luxon won’t want to share.
Black Adder(Luxon)” I am leader!!”
Baldrick (Seymour) “I have a cunning plan”.
Without doubt they are more aligned. Both know who they are there to look after.
Labour is closer to National than TPM and probably the greens as well.
Wot??? So National would have supported businesses and workers through covid lockdowns and the fallout? "Na mate ya dreaming"
They would most definetly supported business… workers not so much. But the point remains Nat and Act know who they are governing for.
Labour on the other hand seem conflicted hence Hipkins ruling out cgt wealth tax etc
Care to elaborate?
Here's a scientific appraisal of the new El Nino: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/climate-changes-dangerous-new-fires
That's their operational triad strategy for firestorms. Reportage of these globally ought to hone in on an analytical framing based on regional vulnerability flagged by repetition.
The experts were forecasting lots of snow down here in the Southern Lakes when El Nino took effect. Certainly not happening at the moment.
Too soon, I assume. Think we're in the transitional phase, the switch-over of the oscillation. Remember that's driven by an immense ocean current. Inertial.
Yes it seems to be taking longer than they predicted…the skifields will be tearing there hair out. Still, they sold masses of season passes.
17 degrees lurking round in the wellington sunshine yesterday, that can't be normal for july
15 here in Dunedin mid afternoon, barmy hot night too.
Too soon BG.
We're still in a bit of a limbo between La Nina and El Nino. Climactic changes on a world-wide scale take time to bed in.
What we can look forward to in NZ is a much drier summer than the last one (phew) but with slightly cooler temperatures and westerly quarter winds, The big stand out will be the west coast of the Sth. Island which will have a higher than normal rainfall.
Sorry Coasters, its your turn now.
Thanks Anne….my timing was probably off, though I could have sworn I heard El Nino would influence the weather and bring snow this year. Maybe they readjusted their forecasts.
BTW (you will hate me for this) it was an incredibly dry and lovely summer down here in Wanaka. Even the farmers aren't too bothered when it is so hot and dry these days as they have large-scale pivot irrigation in place.
I was one of the thousands of Aucklanders whose home was flooded. Fortunately I'm two-storied so was able to continue to live upstairs but it hasn't been pleasant – at times stressful. Finally after a six month wait the rebuild downstairs has begum in earnest and should be completed soon.
I can count myself lucky because the workload is so enormous they will still be repairing and rebuilding for another year or two – and that is just Auckland.
God's mill grinds slow but sure
(17th century proverb with its source in Plutarch)
Periods of unusually warm air aloft in the mid latitudes have limited new snowfall and partially destroyed what has fallen earlier. Very poor for snowmaking as well. Forget trying to forecast by using historical seasonal snowfalls. It's a new paradigm.
Hope they get a couple of one-off events to get things going.
Wait for when snow is not forecast-that is when we get the blizzards.
Don't be too hard on them
Wednesday.
Damn. Low enough but precipitation fizzed out, barely a few cm. No use to anyone, but at least colder for snow making.
Coronet Webcam:
https://www.queenstownairport.co.nz/WebCam/coronet.jpg?dt=2023-07-20-12-41
Who will care for our water…if NAct get control? I fully get that things ARE bad now. I know some, are fighting to undo many generations of poisoning our water. A very hard road.
But, IMO, the Nats…led by Act (and Groundswill et al) will just ignore any and all danger signs. Climate Change, Nitrates in water, River Health…all will be dismissed as "unnecessary distractions" !
And on that….if those creeps do scrape in….who will care about this?
IMO it would be…"Nothing to see here, move along". The creeps ignore the fact…there is ALWAYS a cost. That Someone in the future has to pay.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/493742/high-levels-of-toxic-nitrates-in-water-moving-under-and-through-south-auckland-to-harbour-research-shows
Will Wayne Brown fix it?
How many buckets has he got?
Buckets are not in Wayne’s job description, apparently.
His mandate is to ‘fix Auckland’. Indeed, he’s been very busy neutering local democracy reporting and slagging off democratically elected Councillors. Luckily, he’ll be gone long before those nitrates.
Aye. Some people have a Greater Good thought …"I would like to make/have made, our Earth a better place, when I go ".
Wayne Brown…only fulfils the specific minimum of that sentiment.
I know there are many more who actually care for, and about, our Earth.
Why..are we ruled by the (very) small people who dont? I know…age old, unanswerable really.
A terrible fact…
Anyway…when i was looking for who cares… I found this? Anyone on the Standard know if they do?
I think he fulfils even less……in that sentence only one word applies 'I'.
People stopping eating animals/bye-products will 'fix it'..
But much easier to just point fingers elsewhere…eh..?
Please read the linked article before you pollute this site with your high levels of nonsense.
What exactly is 'nonsense' in my comment…
This whole country is a fucken toxic mess..as a direct result of animal/flesh farming..
And those who eat that flesh pontificating about nitrate pollution..and ignoring what they do that directly causes that nitrate pollution..
What would you call that..?
Some call it cognitive dissonance.. don't they..?
And some of these nitrates comes from over fertilised councils parks..?
Well that makes me an effing liar then doesn't it..
And/or it gives you an overlay of pedantry..on top of yr cog-diss..
..doesn't it..?
Your denial of what you do..
Makes what you say a 'nonsense'..
And he comes back with even more nonsense!
You’re barking up the wrong tree.
Who’s bleating on about cognitive dissonance? Read the article, the linked study in it, and the comments and switch on your brain!
Take your hobby horse somewhere else instead of hijacking the conversations of others.
Nice bit of denigration there…
And my 'hobby-horse'..?
You call my arguing against what is fucking our country/world/future a 'hobby horse'..?
Your disconnection from your own role as part of the problem is epic…
And I don't have a hobby-horse..
I have a stampeding fucken herd of hobby-horses..
How long have ya got..?
Whoa! You’re pissing in the wind so much that your nitrates seep into the groundwater of South Auckland.
I post a comment about nitrates coming from horticulture and you start accusing me of cannibalism and scorching the Earth.
Your ‘stampeding fucken herd of hobby-horses’ is heading for a Mod note. Just saying.
Where did I accuse you of cannibalism..?
And my initial comment was addressed to flesh eating/finger pointing readers of this thread..
It was not directed at you per se..
The first word was ‘people’…how is that in any way directed just at you..?
Appears to be from growing veges and fruit🥵 here's the embarresd emoji you'll be looking for
Being a vegan does not mean I support drenching fruit/veges in poisonous shit.
..save that emoji for yourself..
Julian Batchelor came to town yesterday, accompanied by provocateur Lee Williams, who stalked about trying to encourage bad behaviour amongst the counter protestors, shoving cameras into their faces and filming constantly .
Batchelor had a tiny audience, mostly elderly or getting there, probably NZ first supporters .Frail and worried , not sure whats going on , scared Mãori are taking over
The counter protest was orderly,gentle, fun with wonderful waiata , a brilliant wahine toa performing with actions
Lee Williams got into a scuffle and was I think arrested.Unbelievable that his level of racist toxicity has a following
Nasty stuff
Just about got me voting for TPM.
Was puzzled by the Christian interest in this horrible road show
Batchelor is an evangelical preacher, and claims to have been given 80 reasons by his god why most christians do not actively evangelise. (From LinkdIn profile). His self-published book and his Treaty lectures include some of his evangelical material.
Nasty type. The Harangue reminded me of someone.
Been reading Michener's Poland and came across his description of a woman being crowned king in the 14th century. Since he was an historical novelist, thought I'd check he got the history right, and he did: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jadwiga_of_Poland
Also, her sister likewise:
Notice how the editors of Wikipedia have misrepresented this political reality by calling her Queen both in their page title and the link. Sexist!
If you read up on their mother you see she was daughter of a Bosnian king who became queen of three other countries when she married Louis the Great. Accession to the monarchy directly rather than via marriage is the difference between her and those two daughters, apparently. The English did that accession titling differently…
Thanks for the prod. That goes on my list.
I read several of his novels as they drew on actual events and characters, but woven into an interesting read. eg "Hawaii."
I enjoyed Asimov as his stories are based on Science facts to build more credible Science fiction. A great discussion vehicle was the short story "The Sentinel." Cheers.
Anyone in this current iteration of the Labour Party worthy of inheriting the mantle of Norm Kirk?
Not a damn one, as far as I’m can see.
newsense-see my post below re house policies. Labour not too bad on this?
Look at the loads carried by Andrew Little Nanaia Mahuta Megan Woods Grant Robertson and our current PM.
The world is an even more complex and dangerous place. Confronting the French / Atomic age and making a good speech measured against…
how do we confront climate change covid billionaires arms merchants the financial tsunami and AI?
Labour have taken a lot of stick over the last few days over the decision to dump both a WT and CGT, deservedly so IMO.
But in the article below there is a key point of difference between the Nats and Labour on housing policy, where Labour deserves much praise. IMO Labour has it right, and has been successful, on taxes related to houses (bright line test, interest non- allowable), housing density and not permitting houses to be purchased by foreign buyers. (In fact the bright line test is effectively a CGT). This has led to a fairly gentle drop in house prices, though they are still way to high in international terms.
The Nats have committed to scrapping almost all of this, and they will probably scrap the lot. It just refuses say what its policy is on overseas house purchases.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/132544493/national-refuses-to-say-if-party-will-scrap-foreign-homebuyers-ban-if-elected
I think that this is an election issue Labour is on the right side of with most of the public, and so should be milked.
Congratulations Dr Jacob Ngaha on being awarded your doctorate. He may be Aotearoa's very first Māori quantum physicist.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/rising-stars/audio/2018898111/rising-star-quantum-physicist-dr-jacob-ngaha
From the link:
Absolutely true.
A big "boo" to the NZ academics who have publicly dismissed 'matauranga Maori' as a form of science. There is more than one way to express scientific material and they are to be respected not demeaned. Imo it indicates an elitist ignorance among those who should know better.
Brilliant work and oration.
I disagree
Me also.
It takes interpretations of knowledge and treats them as universal truths.
Which is deliberately manipulative.
The equivalent of including the Methodist stricture of cleanliness being next to Godliness in med school, instead of determining the science around contamination, and teaching how to avoid it.
Mr Cusack's on fire.
@johncusack
These execs make 30 40 million a year – and one even saying publicly “ we’re just gonna wait ‘em out – you know till people get evicted loose their homes – we gonna bust the union “ THIS is who they are – They are trying to break you – ruin you – for having the temerity to ask for your fair share – they want to punish – grind your face in the dirt for even thinking about it –
https://twitter.com/johncusack/status/1679980757874274305
@johncusack
This is not about the entertainment business – or the coffee business Or the retail business Or any specific business – it’s about all of them – This is about the class war from above – being waged against labor across the board-
https://twitter.com/johncusack/status/1680033522788990979
(mastadon should be available to all)
@stevenrosenthal@mastodon.online
John Cusack is tweeting out some of the dirty secrets of Hollywood accounting — and it's pretty illuminating.
https://mastodon.online/@stevenrosenthal/110713265829641262
·
Jack Tame discusses the existential lesson to be taken from the PM's pragmatism: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/jack-tame-three-waters-wealth-tax-is-labour-sacrificing-its-political-vision-to-try-and-win-an-election/6I6LXUAA3BHGHFLWOTOQHXTQSE/
To be a winner, obviously. It's a status thing. Nor is it a matter of the vision thing – a better world is only important to people who don't really matter. So the PM's gamble is based on assuming that his colleagues have faith in his ability to win, and won't deselect him as leader this close to the election, and he can win by citing the meagre achievements of this govt because the alternative is too unattractive to floaters.
I actually don't think they are meagre.
From BG above
‘But in the article below there is a key point of difference between the Nats and Labour on housing policy, where Labour deserves much praise. IMO Labour has it right, and has been successful, on taxes related to houses (bright line test, interest non- allowable), housing density and not permitting houses to be purchased by foreign buyers. (In fact the bright line test is effectively a CGT). This has led to a fairly gentle drop in house prices, though they are still way to high in international terms.’
I agree that the alternative is too unattractive to voters……the ACT policy/critique on school lunches is typical of what we may be in for if a NACT government gets in.
There is zero chance of Hipkins getting rolled Dennis.
Currently true. If the next poll shows Labour dropping further, below 30%, and/or Hipkins below Luxon as preferred PM, game on!
I reckon there's a divide between those within Labour who see it as a party for making progress in Aotearoa and those who see it as a place-holder for the Nats. Hipkins has revealed to us that he leads the latter group.
Bit late, fellas.
/
Three former high-ranking Fox executives are blasting Rupert Murdoch for Fox News' role spreading disinformation in the public discourse.
In a joint statement published Wednesday, the executives — Preston Padden, Ken Solomon, and Bill Reyner — expressed profound regret for their roles helping Murdoch build Fox in its early days. Padden was Fox's chief Washington lobbyist; Solomon was the vice president of network distribution; and Reyner was the lead outside counsel.
While none of the executives worked on Fox News, the work they did on behalf of Murdoch decades ago established Fox as a national television force and helped pave the way for the birth of the right-wing channel.
"At the time of our work in the 1990’s, we all greatly admired Rupert Murdoch and his vision and bold efforts," the trio said in their statement. "We genuinely believed that the creation of a fourth competitive force in broadcast television was in the public interest."
"We never envisioned, and would not knowingly have enabled, the disinformation machine that, in our opinion, Fox has become," they added.
https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/messages/1689210125470ca4240ec3efd/raw
Thanks for that. Definitely significant – indicating that even establishment slow-learners can figure things out eventually, given enough time.
When three people adopt a unified political position, that's a triad. Triads generate process, so there will be a helpful effect on like-minded others. Few moderate Republicans have opposed Trump thus far but I see this as a real indicator of an emerging trend (even if it's too late to stop him getting nominated).
Maybe it's because of genuine fear of letting an Opposition in power ready to dismantle the country for harvesting by the rich.
Yes and this is a genuine fear from me, having been around when this was last done in the time of Douglas/Richardson.
We sold much of the family silver after low ball offers, the ones who gained either on-sold or asset stripped.
I agree we don't need this again tWiggle.
Interesting, for anyone who is interested in the problems associated with letting corporations run medicine.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eci.13998
Lest we forget
https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/02/22/there-is-a-worrying-amount-of-fraud-in-medical-research
Sorry pay walled, but the first two paragraphs which are not, offer a good insight to the whole piece.
Economist article has been archived:
https://archive.ph/p6eu9
Thanks for that Molly