James Raftery
jpraft.bsky.social
James Raftery
@jpraft.bsky.social
Reposted by James Raftery
This -official Conservative policy - is essentially identical to the Reform policy that the Prime Minister described as "racist and immoral" and would "rip out country apart".

Would be good if media and politicians pointed this out .
Lam's proposal is to refuse future grants of ILR but to cancel past grants of permanent status to anyone who is not likely to be a fiscal net contributor, and anyone "who has accessed state support" once they got permanent status. That will revoke pledges to those told this was their permanent home.
October 19, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Reposted by James Raftery
Whinchat with Stonechats on the meadow at Titchfield Haven, and Great White Egret still on the Frying Pan. Good to have some Brent Geese back with a small group offshore. #HantsBirds #LowCarbonBirding
October 7, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Reposted by James Raftery
Sometimes the bluntness of the tabloids is what's needed. Very rarely so, but this is one such occasion.
A British newspaper (The Mirror) reacts to Trump’s speech.
September 24, 2025 at 2:28 PM
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Increasingly I feel that what once was considered the political mainstream in the U.K. has completely lost its moral compass. When did the question about concentration camps and mass deportations become one of practical feasibility?
August 27, 2025 at 7:36 AM
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Bingo
April 3, 2025 at 7:32 PM
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Disappointed that I haven't yet seen a single commentary given the title "It's the stupid economy".
April 3, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Reposted by James Raftery
Reposted by James Raftery
The NIHR has published an evidence map for MECFS research.
Summary: generally low quality observational studies, outdated definitions, mostly from high income countries, very few focussed on treatments.
March 30, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Reposted by James Raftery
The frequently used medical term "heart failure" is awful and needs to be replaced
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.... @nejm.org
March 26, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Reposted by James Raftery
Nearly a quarter of US Marine recruits infected with COVID in 2020 developed Long COVID: Porter et al, “Clinical and functional assessment of SARS-CoV-2 sequelae among young marines – a panel study”, The Lancet Regional Health (2024), www.thelancet.com/journals/lan... 23/33
Clinical and functional assessment of SARS-CoV-2 sequelae among young marines – a panel study
In this population of healthy young adult US Marines with mostly either asymptomatic or mild acute COVID-19, one fourth reported physical, cognitive, or psychiatric long-term sequelae of infection. Th...
www.thelancet.com
March 14, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Reposted by James Raftery
Harrowing description of lack of basic medical care or dignity for women prisoners (and presumably men too). Well done to this woman for spending the time teaching other prisoners to read.
March 23, 2025 at 7:30 PM
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Wow—RFK Jr just endorsed the measles vaccine… with no disinfo mentioned. He also emphasizes good nutrition—I’ll take it!

✅“Vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons.”
March 4, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Reposted by James Raftery
When the polycrisis hits the omnishambles, what comes next?

www.programmablemutter.com/p/when-the-p...
When the polycrisis hits the omnishambles, what comes next?
We're set to find out
www.programmablemutter.com
February 21, 2025 at 3:42 PM
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Google Maps has now bent the knee. We live in a terrible timeline #GulfOfAmerica
February 11, 2025 at 10:43 PM
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Why they really shuttered CFPB paulkrugman.substack.com/p/springtime...
Springtime for Scammers
Financial predation now has friends in high places
paulkrugman.substack.com
February 11, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Reposted by James Raftery
OH NO DIVERSE MICROBES
"Many of my good friends have their funding withdrawn or frozen based on the DEIA wording such as 'diverse microbes'" a scientist reliant on federal research grants told me, adding NSF proposals with terms including 'disabilities' and 'female' have been put on hold
February 8, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Reposted by James Raftery
I have run out of patience with the apparent silence of most US science institutions (and not just US) in the face of Trump & Musk's rampage. There are of so many facets of that, but in this column for @chemistryworld.com I talk about the assaults on inclusion.
www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/scie...
Scientific institutions have a long history of anticipatory obedience
Societies should learn from this and speak up to support inclusion
www.chemistryworld.com
February 7, 2025 at 3:02 PM
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New cover of Time magazine. Trump must hate this so much.
February 7, 2025 at 2:11 PM
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The eight most terrifying words in the English language: We're from DOGE and we're here to help.
February 7, 2025 at 2:23 AM
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America led the world on public health. MAGA is destroying it. And those going along will have blood on their hands. paulkrugman.substack.com/p/rfk-jr-and...
RFK Jr. and the MAGA Death Trip
The war on science is turning deadly
paulkrugman.substack.com
February 6, 2025 at 12:02 PM
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the true cognoscenti know that Alex never got better than his "The movie Parasite is akshually an Ayn Rand parable about virtuous capitalists and the moochers downstairs" review-essay. The Onion could not have done it better. It is sensational marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevo...
February 5, 2025 at 8:32 PM
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Turns out that Rick Rubin book on creativity contains some, uh, unsettling medical advice
February 5, 2025 at 7:29 AM
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In which I unpack what it means to keep calm & carry on, remember A.V. Hill's calls for science internationalism in the 1930s, & challenge the Cochrane Collaboration to return to its values as a matter of urgency.
A Balancing Act
This tree stopped me in my tracks a few years ago, when my life was torn apart by grief. "Life goals," I thought, seeing the way it had found new footing and strength after such devastation. I craved that recovery of internal balance, and the steadiness of it. It came, though it took time. I think this is why there is so much power in the iconic KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON poster.
hildabastian.wordpress.com
February 5, 2025 at 5:47 AM
Reposted by James Raftery
Anyone still keen on joining a Musk-led Mars colony?
February 5, 2025 at 9:01 AM