Barry

@barry---b.bsky.social

Pope Leo has joined those condemning escalating Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, as settlers and soldiers continue to attack civilians, besiege families and block aid.

Billionaire Google Co-Founder Pumps $102m To Oppose California Wealth Tax, 5% On Assets Above $1bn. Imagine if they did the same to fight poverty. All over the world, Super-rich buy politicians, collect subsidies, lax laws, dodge taxes, cause most pollution. It is People v the Super-Rich.

Billionaire Google Co-Founder Pumps $102 Million Into Fighting California Wealth Tax | Common Dreams

"Sergey Brin would rather spend $100 million to fund a shady opposition campaign than simply pay his fair share in taxes so millions of Californians don’t lose their healthcare."

commondreams.org

Trump went into Venezuela illegally, took control of their oil - and now he’s handing out contracts. One of those is an offshore to BP of “deep water explosion” fame. The other is to the Qataris, who gave him the $1bn golden jet - in a contract brokered by his daughter & Jared Kushner.

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Don't worry about Data Centers. Don't worry about Climate Change. Don't worry about Mass Surveillance. Don't worry about Billionaires becoming Trillionaires. Worry about immigration, imaginary invasions and pensioners and people on benefits being too rich. That's the lie they expect you to swallow

Benji Nethanyahu has called the UK the "Islamic Republic of Great Britain". Says we're "the first Islamist country to have nukes!". Sounds like he has a problem with British arms! Can't imagine he'll be wanting anything else from BAE Defence Systems for the time being then.

England's water companies to hike customer bills by an extra £3.4bn. Over a trillion litres of water lost to leaky pipes Sewage dumped in rivers No new reservoirs since 1989 Exec pay and dividend bonanza Over 1,200 criminal convictions Still allowed to trade Captive customers fleeced.

Water bills set to rise for many after firms permitted extra funding

Ofwat has given provisional approval for 13 water companies to charge customers more to pay for investments.

bbc.co.uk

Left: Sky News report that PM Andy Burnham has called a COBRA meeting today, August 12th, during what is the 5th heatwave of the year so far Right: Your reminder that @zackpolanski.bsky.social called on PM Burnham to hold a COBRA meeting on July 30th, during the 4th heatwave, almost two weeks ago

Last week Zack Polanski and the Green Party held a press conference with Chris Packham, the BBC did not play full clips of it This morning, Nigel Farage and Reform UK held a press conference, since, the BBC have continued to play full clips from it

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Companies linked to deforestation, corruption and human rights received “sustainability-linked” loans. Over 100 banks gave them $31bn. Barclays, HSBC, Standard Chartered, Crédit Agricole, Rabobank and Bank of China profiting. Govts do nothing but will bail them out

Major banks’ providing billions in "sustainable" loans to deforestation-linked companies

Global Witness found companies linked to deforestation and human rights violations still able to access “sustainability-linked” loans

globalwitness.org

I'm delighted to hear that BP doubled their profits, making £4.2bn in just 3 months. Not that I have any vested interest in it, other than the £50,000 given to us by the wife of former senior BP executive James Hay.

Eight of the world's biggest oil companies made a combined $93bn in just three months as the Iran war sent oil prices soaring. Europe and the UK are literally on fire from climate change caused by their product. And yet conservatives and right wing media view them as heroes. 🧵 #r4today

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Shell’s quarterly profits up from $4.3bn to $9.8bn, jump in price of oil/gas due to wars . Customer bills hiked, industries crippled, economies damaged, planet burns from fossil fuels pollution, corporations profit from catastrophies. Another $3bn share buyback. Must levy 100% windfall tax.

Shell’s profits more than double after jump in oil and gas prices

Environmentalists renew calls for windfall tax to support households after Q2 earnings rise to almost $10bn

theguardian.com

If Palestinians had targeted and blown up a synagogue in Israel it would be one of the lead stories on every UK news channel. But Israel targeting & blowing up a mosque in Gaza? It doesn't get a mention.

Barclays Bank is Europe's biggest funder of fossil fuels. Pushing climate change, El nino, crop failures, hunger as profit opportunity, urging investors to speculate on price of food, fertilizer, commodities. Prices and food bills will rise. Profiting from destruction that banks financed.

Barclays spots a chance to profit from extreme weather crisis

Europe’s biggest funder of fossil fuels urges investors to see an opportunity in ‘super’ El Niño that could leave millions starving

thebureauinvestigates.com

Left: Yvette Cooper introducing Labour's initiative to address social care Right: Your reminder that Yvette Cooper's policy as Home Secretary was initially deemed unlawful by the UK's High Court, and has resulted in over 2,500+ elderly people being arrested for holding up signs

Oooop, Byline just published another scoop. Farage’s boy, George Cottrell, had a fake Swiss passport and operates in the same company block, shares staff with a guy whose Montenegro wealth simply cannot be explained. So much MURKY Russia adjacent shit coming out. When’s the smoking gun?

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No independent, free reporters are allowed into Gaza. What is Israel hiding in Gaza? Any country would already open the borders after years of war, to Journalists at the very least What is Israel hiding? 🫣

Starmer’s goodbye gift to UK: a £44.7bn US pharma deal that could be more lethal than Covid. Pushes up the cost of NHS drugs, boosts US corporate profits. Secret contract, no debate in parliament. The next PM must renegotiate, produce drugs at home wherever possible.

Starmer’s goodbye gift to Britain: a US pharma deal that could be more lethal than Covid | Aditya Chakrabortty

The deal on medicine imports will cost the NHS billions and take funding away from doctors, nurses, cancer scans and the rest, says Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty

theguardian.com

lsrael is currently invading Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria. But you wouldn't know because the Western Media never uses the word invasion and always pretends Israel is 'defending itself' fromo some kind of war against enemies who are trying to invade Israel.

#GMB: "Royal accounts also show that the sovereign grant, which is of course the money that we as tax payers give to the royal family to do their job of being Royal essentially, well that sovereign grant is going to soar, jump to £100m a year, which is almost double what it was 3 years ago"