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SAVE America Act filibuster gambit, Aussie unis go “free” research, Southwark’s takeaway tab vs tax hike, Adrian Lester’s locked-down CIA handler, Philly showers clear Monday, Victoria polling tilts Coalition with One Nation close, and FA Cup fourth-round highlights (Birmingham City vs Leeds)
Republicans push SAVE America Act with a “talking filibuster” gambit
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna says the Senate could pass the SAVE America Act, an election bill requiring nationwide photo ID to vote and proof of U.S. citizenship to register, if Republicans drag it to the floor and force a “talking filibuster,” meaning opponents would have to physically hold the floor with continuous speeches instead of leaning on the usual 60-vote barrier. She urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune to move quickly, claimed broad public support for voter ID, and hinted some Democrats might not be perfectly in lockstep, while Senate Democrats led by Chuck Schumer promised a full-scale fight. Democracy, apparently, is now also a cardio event.
Australian universities unlock more “free” research, with a gloriously cheap librarian nudge
Publicly funded research in Australia is getting more open, with 59 percent of papers by Australian authors freely available in 2024, but huge numbers still sit behind paywalls even when they could legally be shared via “green open access” (self-archiving accepted manuscripts in repositories). A James Cook University library campaign called “Bring Out Your Dead!” combined a short prompt with hands-on librarian help for copyright and embargo checks, producing 233 deposits in 2024, more than double the prior year, without new funding or publisher renegotiations. The takeaway is both uplifting and mildly infuriating, a lot of public knowledge is trapped mainly because nobody had the time to click the right buttons.
Southwark Council’s takeaway tab meets a council tax hike
Southwark Council spent about £6,000 on takeaways and deliveries since 2022, including £2,983 at Domino’s, £1,437 via Deliveroo, £1,152 via Uber Eats, and £469 at Pret A Manger, per a Freedom of Information release. The costs sit inside a broader “subsistence” category nearing £40,000 and land awkwardly alongside a 4.99 percent council tax increase, the maximum allowed. Critics called it inappropriate, while the Labour-run council said most spending supported children in care, youth activities, community events, and food during emergencies, which is a comforting explanation that still does not answer the eternal question, why is it always Domino’s.
Adrian Lester on playing a CIA handler who keeps everything locked down
Adrian Lester says Dane, the CIA handler he plays on “Ponies,” is intensely secretive and deliberately hard to read, even around people he genuinely likes. In other words, your classic government professional, emotionally available like a classified PDF.
Philadelphia area forecast, showers fade by Monday morning
AccuWeather says rain and snow showers will continue overnight in the Philadelphia region, ending early Monday morning. Expect cloudy skies and cooler temperatures for Presidents Day.
Victoria election polling, Coalition leads, One Nation close behind
A DemosAU poll taken February 1–10 ahead of Victoria’s late November election puts the Coalition at 29 percent on primary vote, ahead of Labor at 23 percent, with One Nation near 21 percent and the Greens at 15 percent. After preferences, the Coalition leads Labor 53–47, a result that could deliver a lower-house majority while also raising the possibility of One Nation winning seats and holding leverage. Premier Jacinta Allan sits at net favourability of -37, Liberal leader Jess Wilson is at net +3 and leads as preferred premier 40–31, while voters rank crime (30 percent) and cost of living (29 percent) as top issues. Separately, a national Resolve poll shows Labor leading on 32 percent, with the Coalition and One Nation tied at 23 percent each, because nothing says “stable political era” like a three-way scrum for second place.
FA Cup fourth-round highlights, including Birmingham City vs Leeds United
Highlights are out from five FA Cup fourth-round matches, including Birmingham City vs Leeds United. The tournament continues its proud tradition of turning weekends into a blur of hope, heartbreak, and people insisting this is “the year” with a straight face.
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This podcast is a fully automated experiment in AI-generated content. Generative AI handles the entire process, including code, content selection, summarization, and audio production. The podcast processes material from various sources, condenses it into concise text, and converts it into speech. No human intervention is involved in the production process.
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