James Middleton
banner
jaimiddleton.bsky.social
James Middleton
@jaimiddleton.bsky.social
Freelance copy editor and proofreader working with authors, publishers and researchers
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimiddleton
Laurie Taylor explores the making of the modern companion animal, from working animals to pampered pets. Chris Pearson charts the changing fortunes of dogs as they moved from rural to urban. Mariam Motamedi Fraser asks if dogs belong with humans and the natural bond is less natural than we assume
BBC Radio 4 - Thinking Allowed, Dogs
Laurie Taylor on the history of keeping dogs as pets and the politics of dog-human links.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 30, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Insights from researchers, defence experts, philosophers, and policymakers on humanity’s ability to survive and recover from catastrophes – from nuclear winter and electromagnetic pulses to pandemics and climate disasters – exploring both threats and practical solutions
Rebuilding after apocalypse: What 13 experts say about bouncing back
80000hours.org
November 30, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Reposted by James Middleton
A petition demanding a full inquiry into Russian influence in UK politics has passed 100,000 signatures | East Anglia Bylines
Russian influence petition surges past 100,000 signatures
A petition demanding a full inquiry into Russian influence in UK politics has passed 100,000 signatures
eastangliabylines.co.uk
November 29, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Reposted by James Middleton
🎥: On the latest episode of the Prospect Podcast, Cory Doctorow joins @ellenhalliday.bsky.social and @aloner.bsky.social to discuss why tech platforms get worse over time—and how AI could supercharge this: prospectmagazine.sub...
November 29, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Nathan Gill was an MEP for the Brexit party and Ukip, and later became Reform UK’s leader in Wales. Now he has been jailed for 10 years for taking bribes to make pro-Russia statements. Luke Harding reports
How Nigel Farage’s ‘right-hand man’ in Europe was unmasked as a traitor – podcast
Nathan Gill was an MEP for the Brexit party and Ukip, and later became Reform UK’s leader in Wales. Now he has been jailed for 10 years for taking bribes to make pro-Russia statements. Luke Harding re...
www.theguardian.com
November 29, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales about the challenges the site is facing, including from right-wing influencers who claim it is biased, and AI chatbots that compete with its content
The Interview: How Wikipedia Is Responding to the Culture Wars
www.nytimes.com
November 29, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Reposted by James Middleton
🚨NEW EPISODE🚨 Loser takes it all? – How Trump's plan for Ukraine fell apart. @lukeharding1968.bsky.social joins @nndroid.bsky.social to explain why the plan was simply a Russian foreign policy offensive with Trump as its salesman. Listen now 👉 linktr.ee/bunker_pod
#trump #politics #putin #USPOL
November 27, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Reposted by James Middleton
NEW EPISODE:

A Beginner's Guide To #Russian Influence In UK Politics - to #Brexit and beyond.

@goldbergradio.bsky.social is joined by @peterjukes.bsky.social

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a...
A Beginners Guide to Russian Influence: Brexit and Beyond
Podcast Episode · Byline Podcast · 29/11/2025 · 31m
podcasts.apple.com
November 29, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Reposted by James Middleton
Booming or breaking? The truth about Russia’s war economy

youtu.be/qg5PWLfvlJw
Booming or breaking? The truth about Russia’s war economy
YouTube video by Channel 4 News
youtu.be
November 27, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Katy Fallon, talks to Seán Binder about the impact a trial in Greece has had on the assistance now offered to asylum seekers, the broader wave of asylum criminalisation taking place across Europe, and what may lie ahead for Europe, 10 years after the 2015 ‘migrant crisis’
The NGO worker on trial for people-smuggling in Lesbos
How is the criminalisation of asylum changing Europe? With Katy Fallon
www.theguardian.com
November 29, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Reposted by James Middleton
Today in The Bunker, @seththevoz.bsky.social talks to journalist and author Vicky Ward, who has reported on Epstein for over two decades, to see whether the files finally confirm any of the rumours or just pour more fuel on the conspiracy bonfire 👉 linktr.ee/bunker_pod
#epsteinfiles #podcast
November 26, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Reposted by James Middleton
Novels' sentences are much shorter than they used to be.

Part of this is about punctuation: we use periods as people used to use semi-colons. And shorter sentences aren't necessarily simpler to read, since jargon can condense complicated ideas.
November 28, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Reposted by James Middleton
In response to news of 25% staff cuts at FCDO
@petertaylor-uk.bsky.social, IDS Director says:

“We strongly urge the Government to pause these cuts, set out a coherent vision for UK development leadership, and ensure that decisions are driven by evidence rather than urgency."

shorturl.at/5XUVZ
Government must pause FCDO staffing cuts or risk exodus, Committee Chair says - Committees - UK Parliament
Plans to cut 2,000 UK staff at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) may breach the department’s obligations to its workforce and cause an exodus of staff, the Chair of the Int...
committees.parliament.uk
November 28, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Reposted by James Middleton
EU allies turn screws on Belgium over its tax income from Russia’s frozen assets
EU allies turn screws on Belgium over its tax income from Russia’s frozen assets
European governments are piling pressure on Bart De Wever to allow the Russian cash to go to Kyiv as a mega loan.
www.politico.eu
November 28, 2025 at 6:46 AM
Reposted by James Middleton
"How did a city built in a lake—and located in a part of the world without cows, sheep, pigs, or chicken—grow enough to feed quarter of a million people?"
Feasting with Montezuma: Food and Farming in a Floating City - Gastropod
What does it mean to eat like an Aztec, and can you still do it today?
gastropod.com
November 27, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Reposted by James Middleton
LITTLE GREY FOXES. Bushy tails. Tiny cute faces. Stinky butts.

I love them, and you will love researcher, fox friend, and storyteller Bill "The Fox Guy" Leikam of @uwrp.bsky.social.

It's Urocyonology, and it's an instant classic: www.alieward.com/ologies/uroc...
Urocyonology (LITTLE GREY FOXES) with Bill Leikam — alie ward
Bushy tails! Stinky butts! Faces so cute you weep! Let’s talk foxes – specifically the little grey ones you never knew you loved. Fox behavioral expert, researcher, conservationist, author of “The Roa...
www.alieward.com
May 28, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Reposted by James Middleton
It's time to be nice about the Budget.

The council tax surcharge is a good policy. Very compromised/imperfect, but still good policy.

This is why:
November 27, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Reposted by James Middleton
The National Crime Agency has exposed a billion-dollar money laundering network that bought a bank in Kyrgyzstan to help Russian actors evade sanctions and route payments connected to Moscow’s military ambitions.
ukdefencejournal.org.uk/nca-uncovers...
NCA uncovers billion-dollar Russian war laundering network
The National Crime Agency has exposed a billion-dollar money laundering network that bought a bank in Kyrgyzstan to help Russian actors evade sanctions and route payments connected to Moscow’s military ambitions.
ukdefencejournal.org.uk
November 23, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Reposted by James Middleton
I’m not much of a petition signer, but please consider signing this parliamentary petition and sharing it with your followers. If it gets to 100k, then there will be debate in parliament. Which is a start.

#Russia #Politicalinterference #UK
Sign and share if you're a UK citizen or UK resident!

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
November 26, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Reposted by James Middleton
Loved this characteristically thorough yuletide debunking by @monkemma.bsky.social
No, Tesco Hasn’t Cancelled Christmas
A myth-busting explainer on Tesco trees, ‘renamed’ cakes, and the real purpose behind these manufactured panics.
monkdebunks.substack.com
November 27, 2025 at 8:47 AM