Tag: history

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Affluent Washington State refuses to fund even starting the replacement of 50 year-old plus ferries and considers return of one at nearly 70!

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From the Washington State Standard: Budget writers in the Washington Legislature on Monday declared their intent to eventually buy more hybrid electric ferries to modernize the state ferry fleet.  But newly unveiled House and Senate transportation spending proposals left at the dock a $1 billion borrowing request from the governor to pay the tab, raising doubts about when and how a new shipyard order might happen. The budget plans would also further pause the conversion of existing diesel ferries to electric power. Washington State Ferries urgently needs more vessels — and more reliable vessels. The average age of the fleet is 35 … Continue reading Affluent Washington State refuses to fund even starting the replacement of 50 year-old plus ferries and considers return of one at nearly 70!

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‘Everyone who dies on this street dies of cancer’ – why do only German researchers agree with locals who say this kind of thing?

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From the New Hampshire Bulletin, yesterday: In the late 1970s, when Seabrook resident David Wright was about 9 years old, his father began bringing him along to protest the construction of a nuclear power plant across the marsh from their family home. Some locals were fired up. “They didn’t want a reactor in their backyard,” Wright said. Thousands who shared that sentiment turned out in the Seabrook area for a series of acts of civil disobedience during the plant’s construction, culminating in the May 1, 1977, detention of more than 1,400 protestors. At the time, Rolling Stone reported, the event ranked … Continue reading ‘Everyone who dies on this street dies of cancer’ – why do only German researchers agree with locals who say this kind of thing?

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‘Almost a decade after Grenfell’ and six Scottish tower block fires contained on one floor, every flat is safe here

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BBC Scotland, today, repeating the same misunderstanding. Impressively titled but otherwise not so much, Angus Cochrane ‘Senior political journalist, BBC Scotland‘, has not thought to look a the history of tower block fires in Scotland, building and inspection standards, before and after Grenfell, to see if, in the very country in which he lives, that might be informative. His report is a passive acceptance of the views of one unqualified person. Here it is the actual evidence again. First, for the time-pressed a short video: Second, the full story with sources: Scotland’s SIXTH tower block fire contained on one-floor further … Continue reading ‘Almost a decade after Grenfell’ and six Scottish tower block fires contained on one floor, every flat is safe here

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How can violent crime by children and adolescents fall so much in last 20 years yet school violence be increasing?

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There’s a constant narrative across all of of the media in Scotland that won’t go away and that is being ramped up in the hope that it might save Anas Sarwar in May. I’m not for a minute saying that violence in schools is not a serious problem which has to be dealt with and I’m agreeing fully that teaching can be a very challenging job but the idea that it is increasing dramatically trigger cognitive dissonance. Why? It’s in my title question. We don’t have any hard evidence of increasing violence in schools, only mostly anecdotal accounts. Again, I’m … Continue reading How can violent crime by children and adolescents fall so much in last 20 years yet school violence be increasing?

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BBC Radio 4 Today on school leaver destinations ignores Scotland’s 96% success rate and England’s 40% higher youth unemployment

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Thanks to Frances McKie, once more for noting and researching this one. BBC Radio 4 Today this morning have been discussing today, the GOV.UK publication of: A major youth employment drive backed by £1 billion will help create 200,000 jobs for young people, alongside the biggest transformation of apprenticeships in a decade. It comes as apprenticeships starts amongst young people are down 40 percent in the last decade and almost one million young people are not earning or learning – a rise of 248,000 between 2021-2024. To be announced today (Monday) in a speech by Work and Pensions Secretary Pat … Continue reading BBC Radio 4 Today on school leaver destinations ignores Scotland’s 96% success rate and England’s 40% higher youth unemployment

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As two large English police forces still arrest women for ‘illegal’ abortions it is effectively de-criminalised in Scotland

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In the Guardian today: Vulnerable women in England still being arrested over suspected illegal abortions – Nottinghamshire and Met police made arrests in past year, despite MPs voting to decriminalise in England and Wales. Vulnerable women in England still being arrested over suspected illegal abortions Nottinghamshire and Met police made arrests in past year, despite MPs voting to decriminalise in England and Wales. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/15/women-arrested-suspected-illegal-abortion-england-police Has any woman been arrested for taking part in an ‘illegal’ abortion in Scotland? No, there is no public record or reported case of a woman in Scotland being arrested for participating in or procuring an … Continue reading As two large English police forces still arrest women for ‘illegal’ abortions it is effectively de-criminalised in Scotland

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Twice as many have NHS dental care in Scotland, hundreds queue for care in England but the Herald lets the British dentists’ trade union and the least trusted pollster YouGov tell us we have a problem as a failed dentist faces a near extinction event for his party

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The Herald front-paging a survey paid for by the British Dental Association, the dentists’ trade union and carried out by YouGov, the pollster which can never find a Yes majority and proven most likely to downplay SNP leads. In the Guardian last week: Almost a third of people in England now use private dentistry, with a sharp rise in the number of poorer households forced to pay for fillings and extractions. The scarcity of NHS care means the proportion of people turning to private dental services jumped from 22% in 2023 to 32% late last year, the health service’s patient watchdog found. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/mar/09/nhs-dental-crisis-private-dentist-patient-incease-england We’re hearing … Continue reading Twice as many have NHS dental care in Scotland, hundreds queue for care in England but the Herald lets the British dentists’ trade union and the least trusted pollster YouGov tell us we have a problem as a failed dentist faces a near extinction event for his party

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Some people need to think more about what they are singing when they sing ‘God save the King

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  Jimmy Saville was also a favoured celebrity of Margaret Thatcher, the former Tory PM, as it was reported that they had a “close, friendly relationship during the 1980s, which included Saville visiting her at Chequers, her country residence, on multiple occasions”. (Saville’s charity work and his celerity popularity made him a magnet for politicians like Thatcher and also some others to try to leech of and so then try to benefit from his ‘fame’ and his assumed public popularity, his ‘charity’ work being an obvious cover to try to hide his unsavoury, despicable and salacious behaviour that he subjected … Continue reading Some people need to think more about what they are singing when they sing ‘God save the King

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Why is a £5.75m Scot Gov investment not newsworthy at all but a £0.25m Lottery Fund grant is?

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By stewartb The main Scotland page of the BBC News website today (Saturday 14 March) has a story with this headline: ‘Historic Borders bridge secures £250,000 for restoration project’. It’s been ‘elevated’ from the South of Scotland local news page and reports on the awarding of a National Lottery Fund grant. The Scottish Government issued a press statement on Friday 13 March with the heading: ‘Driving growth on Scotland’s islands – Funding to create jobs and strengthen local economies.’ This is not reported on the main Scotland page of the BBC News website. Indeed it doesn’t even figure in the local Highlands & … Continue reading Why is a £5.75m Scot Gov investment not newsworthy at all but a £0.25m Lottery Fund grant is?

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‘Thousands of opioid deaths missed off official figures’ in England & Wales thanks to errors ‘not present in Scotland’

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON By Liz S (S for Smoakinnn! these days?) Anas Sarwar now knows his election campaign in Scotland is crumbling , mainly because it was all built on a foundation of lies, that as a strategy , is one that was not sustainable as an ongoing plan that would generate support for him to be the next FM in Scotland. Labour in Scotland need to now stop using people as political pawns to try to gain a political advantage … Continue reading ‘Thousands of opioid deaths missed off official figures’ in England & Wales thanks to errors ‘not present in Scotland’