Lemmy NZ

Summary

Donald Trump spent election night at Mar-a-Lago with Philipp-Anders Rau, a far-right German politician from the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, which is classified as a “suspected extremist” group by German intelligence.

Rau, convicted of theft and accused of appearing in pornographic films (which he denies), praised the meeting with Trump on social media.

The AfD has promoted extremist policies, including mass deportation.

Despite Rau’s controversial history, he was allowed entry due to a formal invitation.

Maboula Soumahoro is a renowned French scholar and public intellectual. The holder of a PhD earned through studies both in France and at Columbia University in the US, she is an associate professor at the University of Tours, a specialist on the African diaspora, and one of France’s foremost academics when it comes to race relations.

So when the European parliament decided to invite her to an internal event last month as part of a dialogue to discuss ways to “promote equality and inclusion in the workplace”, it made perfect sense.

But the event never happened. First, the French far-right MEP Mathilde Androuët wrote to Roberta Metsola, the president of the parliament, seeking the cancellation of the event on the basis that Soumahoro had made statements with racist undertones and casting doubt on her expertise. Then the French far-right MEP, Marion Maréchal, formerly a member of the National Rally, led by her aunt, Marine Le Pen, weighed in, stepping up the pressure with a post on X that denounced Soumahoro in even more forceful terms as “an anti-White speaker”.

Maréchal’s criticisms would be laughable if they had not been so successful. In less than 24 hours the far right had, according to the French news organisation Mediapart, managed to have the event cancelled.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/20808219

Labour is considering capping political donations by individuals and private companies amid reports Elon Musk will hand a $100m donation to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

The Tesla tycoon is said to be plotting the £79m donation, which would be by far the largest in British electoral history, via the British arm of his social media firm X.

According to The Sunday Times, leading businessmen and Conservative Party officials believe Musk could hand over the cash as a “f*** you Starmer payment” in his ongoing feud with the prime minister.

It would give Mr Farage’s insurgent Reform a significant financial advantage over Labour and the Conservatives and be enough to fund a near-endless barrage of attack ads against the government.

But the government is considering recommendations in an upcoming report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank that would cap individual and corporate political donations at £100,000 a year.

The Guardian reported that officials have asked for more details on the proposals, though work is at an early stage and any changes would unlikely be made until late in the parliament.

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The potential donation cap comes as Mr Musk and Mr Farage grow increasingly close, with the Reform leader describing the billionaire Trump ally as “my new friend” last week.

https://t.me/censor_net/61339

🇰🇷 Clashes between police and protesters are taking place near the South Korean parliament in Seoul

The opposition and the military are trying to break through to parliament, because according to the Constitution, martial law can be abolished by a vote.

The Ministry of Defense ordered the army to be ready to respond to emergency situations, and reservists to go on duty.

It also became known that the leader of the opposition Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, said that the president is no longer legitimate and called on citizens to leave the walls of the parliament.

https://t.me/astrapress/69671

The South Korean parliament voted to lift martial law, gaining 190 votes in favor.

UPD: The military has left the South Korean parliament building, Yonhap reports. The country's parliament speaker declared martial law invalid after the vote.

Experience Earth, our solar system, nearby asteroids, the universe, and the spacecraft exploring them with immersive real-time 3D web-based apps. Start exploring your solar system now!

Sir Chris Wormald will become the new head of the civil service and Cabinet Secretary later this month.

The career civil servant, who has headed the Department for Health and Social Care since 2016, will be the most senior official adviser to the prime minister and Cabinet.

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The prime minister said delivering the government's priorities would mean "re-wiring" the British state to deliver reform, and said Sir Chris's brought "huge experience" to the role.

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He will take up the post on 16 December, when the PM said he would be responsible for the government's "five missions", which are at the heart of Labour's plan for reform.

The PM said he brought huge experience to the role, adding: "From breaking down silos across government to harnessing the incredible potential of technology and innovation, it will require nothing less than the complete re-wiring of the British state to deliver bold and ambitious long-term reform."

Sir Chris said that work would mean civil servants learning new skills in order to match the government's ambition, adding: "That will require each and every one of us to embrace the change agenda in how the British state operates."

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Some civil servants responded with incredulity at the appointment, especially given the prime minister’s claim that Sir Chris would drive the “complete re-wiring of the British state to deliver bold and ambitious long-term reform.”

One said he had “failed upwards” after he led the department for health through not only the Covid pandemic but years of preparation beforehand. Another said it was a “farcical” appointment. Several officials involved in NHS reform said they were “baffled”.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/22719421

Summary

Billionaires like Marc Andreessen, Elon Musk, and Vivek Ramaswamy are spreading false claims to discredit the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal agency protecting consumers from fraud and abuse.

Andreessen falsely accused the CFPB of politically motivated “debanking,” despite no evidence.

This rhetoric aligns with the “DOGE” project, led by Musk and Ramaswamy, which aims to slash government regulations and programs under the guise of efficiency.

Critics warn this effort will harm public services, benefit billionaires, and push privatization at the expense of ordinary Americans.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/22727635

Disney's 'Moana 2' dominated the U.K. and Ireland box office with a $15.2 million debut, marking a strong start for the animated sequel.

'Cunk on Life,'s a new Netflix special centered on Diane Morgan's comedic creation Philomena Cunk, is set to premiere in January.

‘Sweetpea', penned and EP’d by' Pure' writer Kirstie Swain, has been renewed for a second season at Sky/Starz.

https://t.me/pravdaGerashchenko_en/36188

https://t.me/gostrikartuzy

Artist: Pro-P | pixiv | twitter | danbooru

Full quality: .jpg 3 MB (2144 × 2807)

OP Opinion: I don't like the article title.

TLDR: What does focusing on DNA have to do with bathrooms? An academic & too polite "use your brains dumb asses"

Samantha Rosenthal is Associate Professor of History at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia, and Visiting Assistant Professor of American History at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. She is the author of two books, most recently Living Queer History: Remembrance and Belonging in a Southern City. She is co-founder of the Southwest Virginia LGBTQ+ History Project, a nationally recognized queer public history initiative. Her work has received recognition from the National Council on Public History, the Oral History Association, the Committee on LGBT History, the American Society for Environmental History, and the Working Class Studies Association.