The Guardian · 9 Sept, 05:00
A report by the Compass thinktank has called on UK leaders to tackle inequality with policies including a wealth tax, universal free personal social care, and public ownership of energy networks. The report provides 70 policy options to help achieve this goal.
The Compass thinktank has published a report titled 'Ending Business as Usual' which outlines 70 policy options to help tackle inequality in the UK. The report, compiled by 15 left-wing thinkers, suggests introducing a wealth tax on net assets over £10m, universal free personal social care, and bringing energy networks under public ownership. The report also proposes a £50,000 cap on political donations, abolition of the House of Lords, and an immediate cost of living package.
Why it matters: The report's proposals are significant as they aim to address the issue of inequality in the UK and provide an alternative to neoliberalism. The policies suggested could potentially raise billions of pounds in revenue and make significant changes to the UK's tax system and social care policies. The report's authors argue that the UK government can govern from the left of centre and that it is essential to take bold action to address inequality.
£10m, £24bn, £11.3bn, 90,000, 1%, £8bn-£9bn, 23%, 40
There are a wealth of alternatives. As Burnham knows, the public is disillusioned with politics and angry with their politicians. He does not have long to prove to voters that, when he says he wants to end business as usual, he means it.
The Guardian · 9 Sept, 06:00
New research suggests that datacentres in the UK will create only 25% of the jobs predicted by the tech sector, with 10,400 direct jobs expected compared to 40,000 projected by TechUK. The datacentres will consume vast amounts of energy, raising concerns about their environmental impact.
According to research by environmental thinktank Verdant, datacentres in the UK will create 10,400 direct jobs, which is a quarter of the 40,000 jobs predicted by TechUK. The thinktank analysed 20 datacentre projects and found that already built datacentres have created fewer than 4,400 jobs. Verdant argues that future datacentre projects will be larger and less job-intensive, potentially creating as few as 1.6 permanent positions per megawatt of energy. The research also highlights the significant energy consumption of datacentres, with 8.6 jobs created per megawatt of power used, compared to 400 in a car plant and 3,600 in a hospital.
Why it matters: The findings are significant because they challenge the tech sector's claims about job creation and raise concerns about the environmental impact of datacentres. The research comes amid growing public scepticism and criticism from environmental groups, who argue that the government is rushing to support datacentre development without adequately considering the costs to local communities and climate ambitions.
10,400; 40,000; 4,400; 8.6; 43.7; 1.6; 400; 3,600; 43,500; 40,000
“We’re being rushed into supporting a frantic pace of datacentre buildout on very flimsy economic grounds. “Clearly artificial intelligence and related technologies have great potential. But vast new datacentres arrive at significant real costs to local communities and even our climate ambitions, and their use case has to be made by the government and industry – rather than assuming we can build first and then work out why we did later.” - James Meadway, Verdant’s co-director
The Guardian · 9 Sept, 05:53
Liberal MP Andrew Hastie has accused One Nation leaders Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce of being 'lying cowards' over a cartoon that portrayed him as a traitor.
Andrew Hastie, a Liberal frontbencher and SAS veteran, has publicly clashed with One Nation leaders Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce over a cartoon that allegedly portrayed him as a traitor for giving evidence against Ben Roberts-Smith in a defamation case. The cartoon, posted by Hanson on social media, has been viewed over 145,000 times on YouTube. Hastie has denied that he was called a traitor by Hanson and Joyce, who have both denied making such claims. The conflict escalated after Hastie threatened to take legal action against Hanson and her strategist James Ashby.
Why it matters: This public spat between Hastie and One Nation leaders highlights the ongoing controversy surrounding Ben Roberts-Smith, a Victoria Cross recipient accused of war crimes in Afghanistan. The conflict also underscores the tensions between Liberal MPs and One Nation, which has become a significant force in Australian politics.
145,000, 2009-2012, 47
I would say that Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce are lying cowards, and I'll say it again, so there's no ambiguity
Ars Technica · 8 Sept, 21:23
GOG is offering downloadable 3D models and printable packaging scans for a selection of PC games, allowing players to create their own "big box" game packaging. The initiative, called "Printable Big Box," currently includes five games.
GOG has introduced a new feature called "Printable Big Box" which provides downloadable 3D models and printable packaging scans for a selection of PC games. The feature currently includes five games: Armikrog, Descent, Hitman: Codename 47, Myst, and Star Trek: 25th Anniversary. Players can download a ZIP file containing a 3D object file and a flat printable template in various formats, allowing them to create their own game packaging.
Why it matters: This initiative aims to bring back the nostalgia of "big box" PC game packaging and preserve the visual aspect of game collectibles. By providing printable packaging scans, GOG is allowing players to recreate the physical experience of owning a game in its original packaging, even if the physical media itself is no longer available or has been lost over time.
"Physical media doesn’t survive the way software can—boxes get lost, crushed, thrown out. Scanning them, and letting you print your own, is preservation in a different shape: the same mission that keeps these games running on modern PCs, applied to the objects they used to come in."
Ars Technica · 8 Sept, 20:06
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has reached an agreement with the Department of Defense to use part of its budget to fund research at the Department of Defense. The agreement, which will run for a decade, will see the NIH transfer money to the Department of Defense to fund staff and projects related to medical countermeasures against pandemic threats and emerging infectious diseases.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has reached an agreement with the Department of Defense to use part of its budget to fund research at the Department of Defense. The agreement, which was signed roughly a month prior to its release, sets up a system where the NIH would transfer money to the Department of Defense to fund staff and projects that would support the advanced development of medical countermeasures against pandemic influenza, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, and emerging infectious diseases. The money will come from the budget of the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which has been allocated $6.6 billion in 2026. The exact amount of the NIAID budget that will be spent on Defense projects is unspecified, but it is reportedly around 10 percent.
Why it matters: This agreement is significant because of the existing budget disparities between the two parties involved and the fact that the money will be used for projects that the current NIH leadership has explicitly rejected. The deal has been announced at a time when the NIH has been struggling to issue sufficient grants to use the money that Congress allocated to it, and the Department of Defense is facing budget strain due to the conflict with Iran.
10 percent, 6.6 billion, 1 trillion, 2026, a decade
Ars Technica · 8 Sept, 19:50
The Supreme Court has ruled that broadcast TV stations must offer discounted election ad rates to political parties and joint fundraising committees, in addition to individual candidates.
The Supreme Court issued an order on September 4, forcing broadcast TV stations to cut prices of election ads purchased by political parties and joint fundraising committees. This ruling came in response to a petition filed by the National Republican Congressional Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee. The order requires TV stations to offer their lowest ad rates, known as the 'lowest unit charge' (LUC), to political parties and joint fundraising committees, in addition to individual candidates. This is significant as it coincides with a 60-day period before the election, during which broadcasters are required by US law to offer ad discounts to individual candidates.
Why it matters: This ruling is significant as it allows political parties and joint fundraising committees, which face fewer limits on fundraising and spending, to purchase election ads at discounted rates. This could potentially impact the dynamics of the election by enabling these committees to air more ads. The ruling aligns with a US law that requires licensed stations airing election ads to charge the lowest price for 'the use of any broadcasting station by any person who is a legally qualified candidate for any public office in connection with his campaign.'
NPR News · 9 Sept, 05:20
Summary not available.
NPR News · 9 Sept, 05:41
Summary not available.
NPR News · 8 Sept, 20:17
Summary not available.