Thread on the beauty of our planet to celebrate Earth Day 🧵

1. Meteor over Mount Fuji by H. Manabe

We should send rockets not at each other, but rather to the stars

🚨Update on the government’s plan to roll out facial recognition surveillance across the UK ⬇️

We’re planning the biggest possible fight back… join us?

StopFacialRecognition.org

“OJ Simpson is dead.

Just like the two people murdered by OJ Simpson.”

Just absolutely amazing that Speaker Johnson admits that he completely changed his view on the need for the FBI/NSA's warrantless spying powers -- after vocally opposing it -- because he went to get a classified briefing and they convinced him.

That's how DC works.

The #spycops inquiry has started publishing documents for Friday's preliminary hearing. So far it's submissions from the Met Police & BBC, as well as a note from the counsel to the inquiry. They give an idea of some likely topics that'll be covered tomorrow, let's take a look 🧵

Whatever one might think of ⁦ALASTAIR CAMPBELL⁩ or ⁦Rory Stewart⁩, this ⁦The Rest Is Politics⁩ episode with former heads of MI5 and MI6 is astounding. Insights and candour on difficult and important subjects. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/lea…

Cheers @ElonMusk for just giving me a free Blue Tick!

I'm honoured you see me as a good member of the X community. Thank you! 🥰

WHAT'S IN THE TIKTOK BILL?

I've read H.R. 7521 (the 'TikTok bill') carefully. Here's a summary of the operative provisions:

(1) The bill prohibits 'foreign adversary controlled applications' from operating in the U.S. The prohibition applies not just to the app itself but to…

It certainly looks as if the only people who might be caught out by the government's new extremism definition are ... the government themselves.
Their attack on liberal democracy could put them on the banned list.
(I must explain that to them in the House when I get the chance.)

theguardian.com/politics/2024/…

“Prevent” is the UK government's counterterrorism policy many don't know about - but we can't afford to look away any longer.

“Prevent” is dangerous for all our human rights 📣

Join us to help scrap it ✊🏾 amn.st/6019kywW7

“Prevent” explained in less than 2 mins ⬇️

Media outrage that anti-fascism, socialism & environmental activism have been added to the government’s #Prevent list. Anyone aware of the #spycops inquiry will know that this is exactly what UK political police have been targeting for the past 50 yrs.
theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/m…

'How many more women will die as UK police forces ignore sex offenders in their ranks?'

ow.ly/RENw50QLsnn

The Prevent /CVE policy is based largely on COINTELPRO.

'On this day in 1968, the FBI formed COINTELPRO, a 'counterintelligence program' against Black American Nationalist groups. '

'Findings from the Open Rights Group report has revealed a lack of oversight surrounding the data retained by the Prevent programme, and the particular harms against children this could cause.'

Our report shows the urgent need for a rethink of Prevent.

digit.fyi/is-the-uks-pre…

'ORG’s report reveals the systemic abuse of data... and emphasises the urgent need to prioritise individual rights, particularly children’s rights, over speculative pre-crime interventions.”

🗣️ Dr Layla Aitlhadj for PREVENT Watch UK

Find out more now ⬇️ openrightsgroup.org/press-releases…

It’s finally done and sent off to the printers. My debut book, ‘For Love of Country: Leave the Democrat Party Behind’ is coming soon!

Pre-order your copy today!

amazon.com/dp/1684514851?…

RIP Navalny 💔

Not just a tragedy for Russia but a chilling message for the West. The question is whether we’ll hear it.

theguardian.com/world/2024/feb…

🚨BREAKING: Charles McGonigal, the ex head of counter intelligence at the FBI, and Peter Strzok’s boss, who was also in charge of my “case,” has just been sentenced to an additional two years in prison for scheming with Albanian intelligence officials.

This raises his sentence…