Daniel Lawler
@daniellawler.bsky.social
Science and health journalist at AFP
@en.afp.com
@en.afp.com
Pinned
Daniel Lawler
@daniellawler.bsky.social
· Feb 20
'We will save them': The quest to rescue nearly extinct rhino
Two rhinos munch serenely on grass as the sun rises over Mount Kenya, oblivious to the massive global endeavour to prevent them being the last of their kind.
www.france24.com
I met the two last northern white rhinos in the world, and dug into how many chances scientists will have to save the species.
My story for @afpnews.bsky.social
www.france24.com/en/live-news...
My story for @afpnews.bsky.social
www.france24.com/en/live-news...
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
Newsletter #2 is out today. This week, the politics and psychology of the massive and gross road that encircles Paris, and why it's so hard to do anything about it
millefeuilleparis.substack.com/p/should-we-...
millefeuilleparis.substack.com/p/should-we-...
Should we bury the périph like nuclear waste?
Next year’s elections have reignited a debate over what to do with the monstrous Paris ringroad.
millefeuilleparis.substack.com
December 2, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Newsletter #2 is out today. This week, the politics and psychology of the massive and gross road that encircles Paris, and why it's so hard to do anything about it
millefeuilleparis.substack.com/p/should-we-...
millefeuilleparis.substack.com/p/should-we-...
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
The toll in deadly flooding and landslides across parts of Asia climbed past 1,000 on Monday.
Hardest-hit Sri Lanka and Indonesia deploy military personnel to help survivors
u.afp.com/Shu6
Hardest-hit Sri Lanka and Indonesia deploy military personnel to help survivors
u.afp.com/Shu6
December 1, 2025 at 8:32 AM
The toll in deadly flooding and landslides across parts of Asia climbed past 1,000 on Monday.
Hardest-hit Sri Lanka and Indonesia deploy military personnel to help survivors
u.afp.com/Shu6
Hardest-hit Sri Lanka and Indonesia deploy military personnel to help survivors
u.afp.com/Shu6
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
"“OpenAI pays for its chips. It pays for its computers. It pays its programmers. But it steals the raw material for its [AI] products."
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/28/b...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/28/b...
Boston Herald, other news outlets sue OpenAI, Microsoft over alleged copyright violations - The Boston Globe
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in US District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeks more than $10 billion in damages.
www.bostonglobe.com
November 29, 2025 at 12:53 PM
"“OpenAI pays for its chips. It pays for its computers. It pays its programmers. But it steals the raw material for its [AI] products."
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/28/b...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/28/b...
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
The world's top wildlife trade organisation increased protections on Friday for more than 70 species of sharks and rays, in a move conservationists hailed as a "historical win" ➡️ u.afp.com/Shnz
November 28, 2025 at 12:12 PM
The world's top wildlife trade organisation increased protections on Friday for more than 70 species of sharks and rays, in a move conservationists hailed as a "historical win" ➡️ u.afp.com/Shnz
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
Chilling new opinion poll indicating that if France held a presidential election today, it would be won by far-right candidate Jordan Bardella. Crucially, he's not just leading first-round voting intentions — he'd actually win the runoff.
*But* there's a glimmer of hope for the Left in there too
*But* there's a glimmer of hope for the Left in there too
🗳️L'ensemble de la gauche est quand même entre 34,5% et 37% des voix dans ce sondage Odoxa, soit son meilleur score depuis... les régionales de 2015 (36% à l'époque), si ce n'est depuis les législatives de 2012.
November 26, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Chilling new opinion poll indicating that if France held a presidential election today, it would be won by far-right candidate Jordan Bardella. Crucially, he's not just leading first-round voting intentions — he'd actually win the runoff.
*But* there's a glimmer of hope for the Left in there too
*But* there's a glimmer of hope for the Left in there too
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
Want to come and work at The Local?
You'll be forced to pay attention to whatever the fuck is going on in 🇫🇷 politics, but other than that the job is a lot of fun - writing articles on a huge range of French subjects and being on Talking France podcast
Paris-based, CDI, details 👇
#journojobs
You'll be forced to pay attention to whatever the fuck is going on in 🇫🇷 politics, but other than that the job is a lot of fun - writing articles on a huge range of French subjects and being on Talking France podcast
Paris-based, CDI, details 👇
#journojobs
Job advert: The Local France is hiring a new journalist
Job advert: The Local France is hiring a new journalist
If you're interested in explaining the news and major changes in France to our audience of international residents and regular visitors and think you have what it takes to be a journalist for The Local France, then read on.
www.thelocal.fr
November 20, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Want to come and work at The Local?
You'll be forced to pay attention to whatever the fuck is going on in 🇫🇷 politics, but other than that the job is a lot of fun - writing articles on a huge range of French subjects and being on Talking France podcast
Paris-based, CDI, details 👇
#journojobs
You'll be forced to pay attention to whatever the fuck is going on in 🇫🇷 politics, but other than that the job is a lot of fun - writing articles on a huge range of French subjects and being on Talking France podcast
Paris-based, CDI, details 👇
#journojobs
"It’s hard out there for the people it’s easy for."
Hilarious stuff. If you're on bluesky you've probably read all the component parts already; read this anyways.
Hilarious stuff. If you're on bluesky you've probably read all the component parts already; read this anyways.
I wrote 4000 words about Nuzzi/Lizza/RFK, please read it before it gets taken down by HR
The Olivia Nuzzi and RFK Jr. Affair Is Messier Than We Ever Could Have Imagined
Inside the most important, and also least important, story of our time
www.theringer.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:17 PM
"It’s hard out there for the people it’s easy for."
Hilarious stuff. If you're on bluesky you've probably read all the component parts already; read this anyways.
Hilarious stuff. If you're on bluesky you've probably read all the component parts already; read this anyways.
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
NEWS --> BBC confirms to me that they did edit a line out of historian @rutgerbregman.com's speech. It called Trump "the most openly corrupt president in US history."
BBC also confirms this was done on the advice of lawyers. So Trump's threats worked.
New piece:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
BBC also confirms this was done on the advice of lawyers. So Trump's threats worked.
New piece:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
Trump’s Fury at BBC Gets Unnerving Results with Pro-MAGA Edit Stunner
First, British Broadcasting Corporation execs resigned after Trump complained about a segment. Now the BBC edited out a line from a historian that was critical of Trump. Where does this end?
newrepublic.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:10 PM
NEWS --> BBC confirms to me that they did edit a line out of historian @rutgerbregman.com's speech. It called Trump "the most openly corrupt president in US history."
BBC also confirms this was done on the advice of lawyers. So Trump's threats worked.
New piece:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
BBC also confirms this was done on the advice of lawyers. So Trump's threats worked.
New piece:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
Basilica emerges from lake, illuminating early Church life in Turkey.
Known as the Basilica of the Holy Fathers, it marks the site of one of the early Church's most important gatherings which took place in Nicaea 12 years after the Roman Empire legalised Christianity in AD 325
u.afp.com/Sh5e
Known as the Basilica of the Holy Fathers, it marks the site of one of the early Church's most important gatherings which took place in Nicaea 12 years after the Roman Empire legalised Christianity in AD 325
u.afp.com/Sh5e
November 24, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Basilica emerges from lake, illuminating early Church life in Turkey.
Known as the Basilica of the Holy Fathers, it marks the site of one of the early Church's most important gatherings which took place in Nicaea 12 years after the Roman Empire legalised Christianity in AD 325
u.afp.com/Sh5e
Known as the Basilica of the Holy Fathers, it marks the site of one of the early Church's most important gatherings which took place in Nicaea 12 years after the Roman Empire legalised Christianity in AD 325
u.afp.com/Sh5e
Reading this list just to get angry. No fans of these movies would rank them this way! Why is the Waterboy there? Where is Blues Brothers?
The movie listed at #1 is so incredibly misplaced that it calls into question the veracity of the entire list. It belongs on the list, yes, but SO MUCH further down. An absolute, credibility-wrecking flub. Boo, @variety.com! Boo!
variety.com/lists/best-c...
variety.com/lists/best-c...
The 100 Best Comedy Movies of All Time
Variety's list of the 100 best comedy movies of all time includes 'Annie Hall,' 'Pretty Woman,' 'Waiting for Guffman' and 'Young Frankenstein.'
variety.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Reading this list just to get angry. No fans of these movies would rank them this way! Why is the Waterboy there? Where is Blues Brothers?
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
🇬🇷 Divers haul abandoned 'ghost nets' from seabed off Greek island
Off the Greek island of Spetses, divers lift abandoned fishing nets from reefs in the Aegean Sea. The nets, known as ghost nets, continue to trap marine animals on the seabed for years before breaking down into microplastics.
Off the Greek island of Spetses, divers lift abandoned fishing nets from reefs in the Aegean Sea. The nets, known as ghost nets, continue to trap marine animals on the seabed for years before breaking down into microplastics.
November 24, 2025 at 10:20 AM
🇬🇷 Divers haul abandoned 'ghost nets' from seabed off Greek island
Off the Greek island of Spetses, divers lift abandoned fishing nets from reefs in the Aegean Sea. The nets, known as ghost nets, continue to trap marine animals on the seabed for years before breaking down into microplastics.
Off the Greek island of Spetses, divers lift abandoned fishing nets from reefs in the Aegean Sea. The nets, known as ghost nets, continue to trap marine animals on the seabed for years before breaking down into microplastics.
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
Stardust. The Israeli-U.S. company with a strange and totally real plan to block out the sun and reverse global warming.
Reporting this story involved a complete relearning of what I thought I knew about the climate future.
w/@corbinhiar.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/magazin...
Reporting this story involved a complete relearning of what I thought I knew about the climate future.
w/@corbinhiar.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/magazin...
The Strange and Totally Real Plan to Blot Out the Sun and Reverse Global Warming
A 25-person startup is developing technology to block the sun and turn down the planet’s thermostat. The stakes are huge — and the company and its critics say regulations need to catch up.
www.politico.com
November 23, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Stardust. The Israeli-U.S. company with a strange and totally real plan to block out the sun and reverse global warming.
Reporting this story involved a complete relearning of what I thought I knew about the climate future.
w/@corbinhiar.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/magazin...
Reporting this story involved a complete relearning of what I thought I knew about the climate future.
w/@corbinhiar.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/magazin...
Katy is great - subscribe to this and listen to the Europeans!
I've launched a newsletter! It's for Parisians and people who love Paris.
I’ll be covering the race to replace Anne Hidalgo, the policies shaping our city, and probably an audacious heist or two.
C'est parti :
millefeuilleparis.substack.com/p/a-newslett...
I’ll be covering the race to replace Anne Hidalgo, the policies shaping our city, and probably an audacious heist or two.
C'est parti :
millefeuilleparis.substack.com/p/a-newslett...
A newsletter for Parisians who are bad at local news
Here are some things that almost all English-speaking Parisians have in common: they move to Paris with lofty goals of perfecting their French; they end up hanging out in the anglophone bubble far mor...
millefeuilleparis.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Katy is great - subscribe to this and listen to the Europeans!
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
"Just as a mosquito requires stagnant pools of water in which to thrive, so their stagnant social circles provide the perfect breeding ground for increasingly toxic strands of bigotry."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... - my new article, if of interest please share.
I endured an English public school. But that’s not the only reason I’m unsurprised about the Farage allegations |
Let’s put aside the schooldays accusations and look, instead, at the Reform leader’s path since then. I think a pretty clear picture of the man emerges, says author and podcaster Musa Okwonga
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:56 AM
"Just as a mosquito requires stagnant pools of water in which to thrive, so their stagnant social circles provide the perfect breeding ground for increasingly toxic strands of bigotry."
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
Global wildlife talks open Monday, with debates set to take on questions ranging from protection of sharks, a bid to allow limited rhino horn sales and a push to restrict the trade in eels
u.afp.com/Sh5i
u.afp.com/Sh5i
November 24, 2025 at 6:57 AM
Global wildlife talks open Monday, with debates set to take on questions ranging from protection of sharks, a bid to allow limited rhino horn sales and a push to restrict the trade in eels
u.afp.com/Sh5i
u.afp.com/Sh5i
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... - my new article, if of interest please share.
I endured an English public school. But that’s not the only reason I’m unsurprised about the Farage allegations |
Let’s put aside the schooldays accusations and look, instead, at the Reform leader’s path since then. I think a pretty clear picture of the man emerges, says author and podcaster Musa Okwonga
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:03 AM
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... - my new article, if of interest please share.
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
Denton Loudermill Jr. was falsely accused online, including by politicians, of being the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade shooter and an undocumented immigrant.
The misinformation sent the father of three into a year-long spiral of paranoia. Then he died.
www.barrons.com/news/grievin...
The misinformation sent the father of three into a year-long spiral of paranoia. Then he died.
www.barrons.com/news/grievin...
November 20, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Denton Loudermill Jr. was falsely accused online, including by politicians, of being the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade shooter and an undocumented immigrant.
The misinformation sent the father of three into a year-long spiral of paranoia. Then he died.
www.barrons.com/news/grievin...
The misinformation sent the father of three into a year-long spiral of paranoia. Then he died.
www.barrons.com/news/grievin...
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
Very good stuff here
November 18, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Very good stuff here
I think this makes the key point about this sensationalist British TV show suggesting Hitler had a micropenis, ADHD, autism etc off little evidence:
'At the very heart of the Nazis’ so-called “race science” was the idea that our blood is where our destiny lies.'
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
'At the very heart of the Nazis’ so-called “race science” was the idea that our blood is where our destiny lies.'
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
Did Hitler really have a ‘micropenis’? The dubious documentary analysing the dictator’s DNA
Was the wartime chant about his solitary testicle correct? Did he have Jewish ancestry? New documentary Hitler’s DNA is trying to answer these, and more contentious, questions – but should it have gon...
www.theguardian.com
November 14, 2025 at 9:13 AM
I think this makes the key point about this sensationalist British TV show suggesting Hitler had a micropenis, ADHD, autism etc off little evidence:
'At the very heart of the Nazis’ so-called “race science” was the idea that our blood is where our destiny lies.'
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
'At the very heart of the Nazis’ so-called “race science” was the idea that our blood is where our destiny lies.'
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
Quite the intro
Last year, Apollo Quiboloy staged a dramatic two-week siege as he resisted FBI warrants for his arrest. Now he stands accuse of running a vast criminal empire, and igniting an explosive rift between the Duterte and the Marcos dynasties for control of the country.
asteriskmag.com/issues/11/ki...
asteriskmag.com/issues/11/ki...
Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Name Above All Names, Inc.—Asterisk
Apollo Quiboloy — according to his followers — is the appointed son of God. He’s also at the center of a criminal empire, an explosive rift in the government of the Philippines, and a shift in the mak...
asteriskmag.com
November 13, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Quite the intro
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
'We're already living in science fiction': The neurotech revolution.
From translating thoughts into words to allowing paralysed people to walk, the field of neurotechnology has been quietly surging ahead, raising hopes of medical breakthroughs -- and profound ethical concerns
u.afp.com/SnNs
From translating thoughts into words to allowing paralysed people to walk, the field of neurotechnology has been quietly surging ahead, raising hopes of medical breakthroughs -- and profound ethical concerns
u.afp.com/SnNs
November 12, 2025 at 7:42 AM
'We're already living in science fiction': The neurotech revolution.
From translating thoughts into words to allowing paralysed people to walk, the field of neurotechnology has been quietly surging ahead, raising hopes of medical breakthroughs -- and profound ethical concerns
u.afp.com/SnNs
From translating thoughts into words to allowing paralysed people to walk, the field of neurotechnology has been quietly surging ahead, raising hopes of medical breakthroughs -- and profound ethical concerns
u.afp.com/SnNs
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
Here we go. Just an entirely pointless thing to investigate, literally meaningless, and will only be used by bad-faith actors to attack the COP process and climate action in general www.eurekalert.org/news-release...
COP webpages emit seven times more carbon than average sites
Websites produced for COP conferences emit up to 10 times more carbon than average internet pages, new research suggests.
www.eurekalert.org
November 11, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Here we go. Just an entirely pointless thing to investigate, literally meaningless, and will only be used by bad-faith actors to attack the COP process and climate action in general www.eurekalert.org/news-release...
Reposted by Daniel Lawler
This piece is as good as people say it is. Read it to appreciate that writing isn't just about content, but style. AI can't do this.
Maybe Don’t Talk to the New York Times About Zohran Mamdani
It’s remarkable, the people you’ll hear from. Teach for even a little while at an expensive institution—the term they tend to prefer is “elite”—and odds are that eventually someone who was a studen…
lithub.com
November 9, 2025 at 11:10 AM
This piece is as good as people say it is. Read it to appreciate that writing isn't just about content, but style. AI can't do this.