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Starmer To Ban Under-16s From 10 Social Media Apps, Including X,
Topic: Children and Family
Source: Daily Sceptic
.in addition, he will introduce daily curfews for 16 and 17 year-olds, going further than Australia’s restrictions. The Times has the story: Teenagers will be banned from certain social media platforms and have their daily usage curbed under sweeping reforms to be announced by Sir Keir Starmer on Sunday. The ban will go further than the one imposed by Australia in December by targeting technology deemed harmful to children, including chatbots and certain features on gaming apps. Under-16s in Australia have been banned from using ten platforms: TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Twitch and Kick. It is understood that the UK will follow suit by raising the minimum age on social media to 16, from the average of 13, for the same ten sites. Curfews for older teenagers will be introduced. Daily social media use will be restricted for 16 and 17 year-olds in a move designed to curb unhealthy late-night scrolling habits.

Exposed: UK Govt Has A 'Thought Police' Unit
Topic: Political Correctness
Source: Zero Hedge
To Control Mass Migration Narrative. Former MI6 operatives caught briefing police to brand concerned citizens as “unsympathetic thugs”... A secretive Home Office propaganda outfit founded by a former MI6 officer is actively working to control narratives around incidents involving migrants and rising tensions, a bombshell report reveals. The Research, Information and Communications Unit, or RICU, has been exposed advising police on how to portray protesters and intervening in the aftermath of brutal attacks by migrants to prevent statements that might inflame public anger over mass immigration failures. This comes as fresh confirmation of suspicions raised after the attack on vulnerable special needs man Stephen Ogilvie in Belfast. Sources now confirm the unit's role in managing family liaison and messaging in such cases. The pattern fits a broader shift where government "nudge" operations once focused on enforcing COVID compliance have pivoted to shielding open borders policies from scrutiny - and are now being hardened into formal crisis powers.

BBC Halts ‘Doctor Who’ Indefinitely
Topic: Political Correctness
Source: AOL
After “Woke” Storylines Turn Into “Toxic” Disaster And Ratings Nightmare. Doctor Who's future is suddenly in doubt after a shock BBC decision sent fans into meltdown. On June 10, the BBC officially confirmed that a planned Christmas special had reportedly been scrapped, with no immediate plans for future installments. After more than six decades on screen, the iconic sci-fi franchise now faces one of the biggest crises in its history amid a major behind-the-scenes exodus. Despite a lucrative partnership with Disney, many viewers criticized the show's recent seasons for their divisive storylines. Insiders close to the production are now speaking out about how the British pop-culture institution fell into decline.

Idaho, Minnesota universities stonewall public records requests
Topic: Political Correctness
Source: The College Fix
...for controversial course syllabi. The University of Idaho and University of Minnesota denied requests for course syllabi from the American Accountability Foundation, claiming syllabi are protected as intellectual property or trade secrets under state laws. The AAF argued that the universities' justifications for withholding the syllabi misinterpret state laws and the definition of trade secrets, which require economic value and reasonable secrecy efforts. Both universities offered limited alternatives, such as in-person inspection of the documents, which the AAF deemed insufficient based on previous court rulings affirming the public's right to access such records.

Stepson of Norway’s crown prince convicted of rape
Topic: Violence Against Women
Source: CNN
sentenced to 4 years in prison. The stepson of Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon has been found guilty ?of two counts of rape, one count of domestic violence and other crimes and is sentenced to four years in ?prison, an Oslo ?court ?ruled on Monday. Marius Borg Hoiby, 29, who joined the ?royal family when his mother Mette-Marit married ?Haakon ?in 2001, was ?acquitted on two other accounts of rape. He had pleaded not guilty to ?the most severe accusations against ?him, including those of rape, while admitting to some lesser ones, and can appeal the ?verdict.

With Aussie Social Media Ban for Kids, 'Nothing Changed'
Topic: Children and Family
Source: esafety gov au
Older children who were booted still find their way back on, but ban may help keep younger kids off Australia's first-of-its-kind bid to kick under-16s off social media isn't exactly going to plan. Six months after the island nation's ban took effect, surveys suggest that most young teens are still on the major platforms, with kids easily dodging age checks by using phony dates of birth, finding their way in via family accounts, or even tricking facial-age scans, reports the New York Times. "I don't know a single person who's lost an account," says one mother. A 15-year-old in Canberra reports that for her and most friends, "nothing changed on that day," with even those who were booted from the app mostly able to find their way back on. Yet some parents and experts say the real impact may show up with younger children who are now unable to get on the apps in the first place.

Rice Univ offers Taylor Swift course analyzing ‘nationalism,’ ‘whiteness,’ & gender
Topic: Political Correctness
Source: Campus Reform
The private Texas university offers multiple courses examining Taylor Swift's lyrics and cultural influence. This comes as students are facing an estimated $97,000 yearly cost of attendance. Rice will offer “COLL 118 Mastermind: The Taylor Swift Eras” this fall, in which students will analyze Swift’s albums as “primary texts” and examine “how a single artist can shape global culture and shift industry standards.” “We will decode the history, narrative themes, and lyrical depth of each distinct ‘Era’ to understand how she builds a cohesive universe through her work,” the course description reads. [Ed: altho itis private, almost every private university receives gov. funds and must rely on gov accreditation.]

"American Diabetes Association Ejects Researchers
Topic: Political Correctness
Source: The Volokh Conspiracy
Aaron Terr (FIRE) reports, based on accounts from various publications. Some excerpts: "The incident occurred outside a conference hall where Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, was scheduled to deliver a keynote address. The Washington Post reports that a small group of researchers quietly handed out printouts of a recent editorial in Diabetes Care criticizing Trump administration policies affecting biomedical research. One of the researchers is the journal's editor and co-authored the piece. Security staff and police escorted them out of the conference at the request of event organizers. Video captured the confrontation."

Berries are America’s top-selling fruit and every parent’s grocery bill nightmare
Topic: Children and Family
Source: Hustle
Berry spending topped $12B in the last year. Many parents felt like their own kids accounted for all of it..We surveyed 237 parents about their fruit-buying budgets, and berries represent a significant and terrifying expense.
--The average amount spent on berries per month (including strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries) is $53.
--Many respondents report spending $200 or more per month on berries.
--32% of respondents said their kids typically eat a carton of berries in a single day.

Kids in One Nation Boast the Best Mental Health
Topic: Children and Family
Source: UNICEF
Independence, phone-free schools, strong social ties boost Dutch kids' well-being, per UNICEF. The Dutch are topping global charts when it comes to children's well-being. A new UNICEF report—which measured life satisfaction at age 15, as well as teen suicide rates—ranks the Netherlands No. 1 in the world for kids' mental health among more than 40 higher-income countries. Experts say there's no single magic ingredient behind the phenomenon, however. Instead, it's a mix of strong community ties, family time, independence, and broad social policies that seem to give children room to thrive, per Nice News. "Where Dutch children really stand out is that they have very good social relations," says Utrecht University researcher Margreet de Looze, pointing to consistent support from relatives, friends, and teachers.

Doctors Without Borders Releases Grim Report on Own Staff
Topic: Violence Against Women
Source: AP News
International aid group found pattern of abuse, sexual exploitation by workers in Chad, near Sudan. The international aid group Doctors Without Borders found a pattern of abuse and sexual exploitation by some local and foreign staff working in Chad along the Sudanese border, in some cases targeting underage girls or trading food or jobs for sex with refugees, according to a confidential internal memo obtained by the AP. The Doctors Without Borders report—completed in July and first reported Saturday by the AP—found 59 allegations of abuse and said 18 staff members were dismissed and barred from future employment. In some cases, the group told the AP, the allegations couldn't be verified or the perpetrators IDed. The report also said some of the repeated exploitation suggested potentially organized "sexual trafficking."

Mamdani proposes massive cut in NYC school safety agents
Topic: Children and Family
Source: The Post Millennial
...despite spike in felony assaults.New York City socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani has proposed eliminating 264 school safety agents in the upcoming fiscal year, raising concerns from parents amid rising reports of violence in public schools. The staffing reduction was included in the mayor’s preliminary budget and was highlighted on Monday during a Fiscal Year 2027 hearing by New York City Council Education Chair Eric Dinowitz.“The DOE savings plan calls for a vacancy reduction of 264 school safety agents, meaning that schools would not be able to fully staff SSAs if desired,” Dinowitz said during the hearing.[Ed: yet he is prioritizing tax-funded gender changes.]

Constitutional challenge launched over compelled disclosure
Topic: Individualist Feminism
Source: Justice Center for Constitutional Freedoms
of sensitive personal information in 2026 census. The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announces that lawyers funded by the Justice Centre have filed an application for judicial review in Federal Court challenging certain portions of the 2026 long-form census questionnaire, arguing that Canadians are being compelled under threat of penalty to disclose highly personal information that exceeds the lawful scope of the census and violates Charter-protected privacy rights. The application was filed on behalf of Bradley and Linda Osborne, a married couple from Foothills County, Alberta, whose household was selected to complete the mandatory long-form census. The application challenges a series of questions requiring disclosure of highly personal information, including health conditions, daily activities, commuting habits, housing circumstances, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

LGBT activists with bullhorns protest outside Sunday church service
Topic: Political Correctness
Source: Christian Post
Congregants show Christ's love. [Ed: apparently thought sign saying "Ditch Pride; Embrace Humility" attacked Pride Month] Several demonstrators gathered outside a small Iowa church Sunday to protest a sign declaring, “Ditch Pride. Embrace Humility!” But the church’s pastor says the message was not intended to target anyone or spread hatred. The demonstration took place outside Fort Des Moines Church of Christ in Des Moines... Despite the tensions, Demastus said several members of the congregation brought doughnuts to the protesters, who accepted them. He also said the church prayed for the demonstrators during its worship service.

Mamdani’s temporary, partial surrender on gender transitions for children
Topic: Political Correctness
Source: The Washington Examiner
Globally, the tide has turned against sex changes for children, with multiple countries rolling back such policies. Even New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani can’t bring himself to transition children at his new taxpayer-funded gender clinic. City health officials under Mamdani are planning to open a “gender-affirming care clinic.” This state-run facility will use taxpayer money to encourage people to reject their actual gender and start them on the irreversible journey of cross-sex hormones and permanent surgical alterations. According to City Health Commissioner Alister Martin, this is a grand step for transgender progress, “one of the first times that the public health department has ever taken that step.”

Kathy Ruemmler's Rewrite of History
Topic: Violence Against Women
Source: The Epstein Files by Julie K. Brown
At least one Epstein survivor denounced the NYT for giving Epstein's fixer an unchecked platform to rationalize her association with the sex predator. Usually when a controversial figure wants to “tell my side of the story,” it is the role of journalists to put that story into context — in other words, to balance the subject’s desire to rewrite history or present themselves in a positive light by presenting facts and context so that the reader can decide whether the figure is being genuine and truthful. In this case, Kathy Ruemmler, the top lawyer at Goldman Sachs and former White House counsel under President Barack Obama, was given a wide birth in the New York Times Thursday to explain her role in associating with Jeffrey Epstein and advising him how to handle the public fallout of his sex trafficking scandal.

Are Many College Students Losing the Ability to Read?
Topic: Children and Family
Source: Futurism
in a new essay for The Chronicle Higher Education, university-level literature and writing instructor Tyler Jagt recalls how not a single one of his students could get through an assigned 20-page article, something that he had read "without complaint" as an undergraduate a decade ago. One student confessed that the reason they didn't finish was that they kept losing track of what the paper was about. And there's no doubt that they're not alone. Jagt cites the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress reading assessment results released last year. It showed that 12th grade reading scores were at the lowest level since the assessment began in 1992. Nearly a third of those 12th graders scored below the assessment's "basic" level in reading, meaning they likely "cannot draw general conclusions based on concepts presented explicitly in a text." Younger children aren't better off: a recent report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that 70 percent of fourth graders, or around two million kids, can't read at a proficient level

“Dangerous Precedent of Censorship and Sanitization”
Topic: Political Correctness
Source: Jonathan Turley
Judge Enjoins Removal of Slavery and Climate Displays.While there are good-faith reasons why some have objected to the removal of slavery and climate change exhibits from national parks and monuments, this is not about the merits but the authority to make such changes. Kelley’s recent injunction smacks of judicial excess rather than measured review. While there are good-faith reasons why some have objected to the removal of slavery and climate change exhibits from national parks and monuments, this is not about the merits but the authority to make such changes. Kelley’s recent injunction smacks of judicial excess rather than measured review.

The Data a Flemish TV Network Didn't Want You to See
Topic: Political Correctness
Source: The Quillette
How I read a confidential memo on live television—and what it reveals about ideological bias. Last month, I was invited onto Flemish public television to discuss a survey on rising intolerance among young people. Before going on air, I obtained an internal presentation prepared by the broadcaster’s research department. Buried in the margins was a note that was never meant for my eyes: journalists had been instructed not to report some of the most striking findings in the dataset. Some background. The public broadcaster of Dutch-speaking Belgium—called VRT, roughly the Flemish equivalent of the BBC—periodically conducts a survey called De Foto van Vlaanderen (“The Picture of Flanders”) to take the social temperature of the region. This year’s edition produced wall-to-wall coverage across VRT’s news outlets, centred on a set of ostensibly shocking findings about kids these days: growing intolerance of LGBT people and a resurgence of conservative values. The headline figures were certainly arresting: 17 per cent of Flemish adolescents aged 12–17, and 16 per cent of those aged 18–44, agreed that there are circumstances in which a man is permitted to hit a woman. One in three young people said they would not want a transgender person in their circle of friends.