Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jack Kessler

@jackkessler.bsky.social

8.3K followers 1.9K following 2.3K posts

I write the newsletter, Lines To Take, bringing you one big story of the day, every day. Sign up for free: https://www.linestotake.com/ I like human rights and French cuisine.

www.linestotake.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · Mar 14

What it's like to go horribly, horribly viral.

That time I incurred the wrath of a continent (and the Daily Mail).

My new newsletter, Lines To Take, out now.

What it's like to go horribly, horribly viral

I incurred the wrath of a continent (and the Daily Mail)

www.linestotake.com

4 7 31

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 4h

"I voted to inflict pain on others, not myself."

3 9

Reposted by Jack Kessler

Jemima Kelly @jemima.bsky.social · 5h

For this week's column I wrote about the way that the countercultural intellectual energy of the right - and lack thereof on the left - is drawing in young people, esp men, who would once have been drawn to radical leftist thinkers

on.ft.com/3L72ug5

The fashion for the young: turn to the radical right

The intellectual energy of new rightwing movements is drawing in young people

on.ft.com

3 10

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 6h

Thanks, David!

Reposted by Jack Kessler

David Higham @oldtrotter.bsky.social · 11h

Jack’s a really good writer and his newsletter is always interesting and insightful.

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 2d

My newsletter, Lines To Take, is changing.

Here’s what’s next — and why I hope you’ll join me.

✍️ www.linestotake.com/p/this-newsl...

Music was blaring, lights strobing, bodies gyrating. There was glitter everywhere. Welcome to Daybreaker, an early morning dance movement based in 33 cities around the world, where people come to “sweat, dance and connect with ourselves and each other”. It is also how I ended up in a nightclub at seven in the morning, sober and alone, approaching strangers to ask if they were having a good time.

I suppose I should consider myself lucky. My editor at the time had initially (and a little too cheerily, I felt) suggested I go walking with wolves somewhere in the Lake District. Back in 2019, Daybreaker was a noisy example of what seemed like a striking shift in our consumption habits. The so-called “experience economy” was booming then and — following the Covid-19 interruption — has come back with a vengeance

“The history of economic progress,” Joseph Pine II, who helped coin the term “experience economy” told me (and many others, I suspect, given the rhyme), “is paying a fee for what used to be free.”

Can you see where I’m going with this?

1 1 3

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 18h

TW: earnestness

This seems like a perfectly reasonable use of AI? Lots of people don't know what to say to people they like. Lots also lack confidence in their writing skills. Sadly, lots also don't have friends they trust to ask what their next move should be.

C. Buckthorn @cbuckthorn.bsky.social · 19h

This is amazing. I laughed out loud www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

As 32-year-old Rich points out, though, "it's not like using ChatGPT guarantees success".
When he met someone in a bar one Friday night and swapped social media handles, he asked AI what his next move should be.
ChatGPT discerned that sending an initial message on Monday midmorning would set the right pace. "Then it gave me some options for what the message could be," says Rich.
"Keep it light, warm, and low-stakes so it reads as genuine interest without urgency," the bot advised. "Something like: Hey Sarah, still laughing about [tiny shared moment/reference if you've got one] - good to meet you!" Rich went back and forth with ChatGPT until he felt they'd hit upon exactly the right message ("Hey Sarah, it was lovely to meet you") but sadly she never replied, he says. "It's been two weeks now."

4 9

Reposted by Jack Kessler

James O'Malley @jamesomalley.co.uk · 18h

It's almost exactly four years since Tim Shipman's notorious "Boris Johnson squats like a giant toad" tweet.

Seems like important context given how we often talk as though the next election – four years away – is a done deal.

19 78 280

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 1d

The presidency?

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 1d

They don't want to exercise their power. Because they're ideologically aligned with Trump, or they fear political violence of his supporters. The framers (who didn't foresee political parties) thought the different branches would protect their own powers. And they were right for a really long time!

1 3

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 1d

A lot of the 'Article I powers? I don't know her' comes from the massive turnover in Congress. Most members of the House arrived in Washington in 2017 or later — so they’ve served only in the Trump era.

Great piece on this by the great @pbump.com.

Opinion | Trump finally slapped his brand on a quality product: America

The Republican establishment — and much of the country — exists only in the context of Trumpism.

www.washingtonpost.com

1 3

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 1d

I think we're all with you on the latter!

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 1d

Roughly two-thirds of the 20th century is pretty embarrassing for Labour, even discounting the first couple of decades.

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 1d

Thanks!

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 1d

The funniest part is that Nato is 1. a *defensive* alliance and 2. comprised largely of nations who, given the choice, would spend virtually nothing on defence!

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 1d

When will they learn @sarahoconnorft.ft.com?! edition.cnn.com/2025/09/30/u...

A distracted controller, along with a supervisor trying to fix a broken printer, led to two planes nearly colliding in 2023, a new report from the National Transportation Safety Board found.

1 6

Reposted by Jack Kessler

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 2d

My newsletter, Lines To Take, is changing.

Here’s what’s next — and why I hope you’ll join me.

✍️ www.linestotake.com/p/this-newsl...

1 3 10

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 2d

In a similar vein, did pre-June 2016 Brexit uncertainty drag much on the UK economy, or was the presumption of a Remain victory enough to dispel it?

1 1

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 2d

Step 1. These tax rises are Farage's fault because of Brexit. Which we still won't say is bad because good grief we don't want to alienate Leave voters!

Step 2. Large tax rises

Step 3. ???

Step 4. Re-election

1 2

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 2d

I don't scare easily on this stuff. For context, I watch air crash investigation videos to relax/fall asleep.

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 2d

And of course by the early 2020s Tory election night defensive lines included: look, it’s just really tough to win in places like Putney.

1 1

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 2d

And interest rates were nil! But it didn't fit with Northern Powerhouse and as far as the political project went, they concluded 0.7% of GNI on aid was sufficient to keep the liberals onside.

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 2d

Fair! I suppose I'm fascinated by the *intensity* of reaction Ganesh engenders.

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 2d

What with Pickles strangling onshore wind, the Coalition had a really strange relationship with low-carbon generation.

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 2d

You think it can't be *that* bad, there are so many redundancies etc and then you read it and it's like, hmm, yeah, five minutes of fuel left, that's really not... good.

Yikes: Ryanair Boeing 737 Comes Dangerously Close To Running Out Of Fuel

A Ryanair Boeing 737 had a close call during a recent storm, as the plane had to circle for nearly two hours, nearly running out of fuel.

onemileatatime.com

2 3 6

Reposted by Jack Kessler

Robert Shrimsley @robertshrimsley.bsky.social · 3d

Thatcher once said her greatest achievement was Tony Blair and New Labour, because she forced her opponents onto her agenda. Today's new right begs to differ.

www.ft.com/content/49ec...

The battle to dismantle Blair’s Britain

Conservatives’ biggest mistake was the adoption of the liberal agenda, the new right believes

www.ft.com

6 7 16

Jack Kessler @jackkessler.bsky.social · 2d

All I know about CCS is Osborne canceling a £1bn grant in 2015. Did this matter? Can I finally relinquish this insane bit of trivia?