Alister: Welcome to the 21st century! The gov’t is looking to rollout new nuclear power stations. We need nuclear to help us reach net zero goals by 2050. So this initiative should get those small reactors up and running faster.

MERIDYTH: I’m sorry, who are you and what have you done to Alister? Think about the waste! There’s 250,000 tonnes of radioactive nuclear waste globally. Storing (either encasing in steel & concrete or burying deep underground) requires a significant investment in materials, labour, and time - almost a century of maintenance, if not longer.

Alister: I get it, but the gov’t has created a Nature Restoration Fund to handle environmental obligations properly from nuclear energy. With new focus and technology, the fears of yesterday will be limited.

MERIDYTH: Long-term stability and safety have yet to be fully tested. While only 3% of nuclear waste is considered long-lived, meaning it remains highly radioactive for thousands of years, that’s over 7,500 tonnes (heavier than the Eiffel Tower) potentially seeping into our environment!

Alister: The 3% is just a small concession for a safe, energy dense source with no greenhouse emissions. It’s also among the safest energy sources, right up there with solar and wind.

MERIDYTH: Oh sure, what could possibly go wrong? It's not like we've ever had any nuclear disasters in history…

🇬🇧 No squabble required

📉 Rates fall to 4.5%. The Bank of England (BoE) cut interest rates by a quarter point. Good news? Not exactly. Don’t expect mortgages rates to come down, as most providers will have already adjusted for it. Plus, the UK’s growth forecast was cut in half. Yikes. 😬

⛪︎ New Ofsted ratings proposed. After much criticism over single labels (e.g. “Outstanding” and "Inadequate”) to describe a school’s performance, Ofsted has finally proposed a new rating system… that uses single labels. 😕🤔 A consultation period is in effect until Autumn.

🍺 Tearing down Grenfell Tower. A deeply sensitive decision has been made to demolish the tower, currently a memorial of the 72 people who died. While letting it continue to stand poses a hazard, the victims’ families have criticised the gov’t for its insensitivity in its handling of the decision.

🅧 “Social media ‘cancer’” Even the UK’s head of counterterrorism is calling for a ban on social media for Under-16s! Apparently, there’s been a rise in the country’s youth within MI5’s casework for counterterrorism policing, which he attributes to social media and online radicalisation.

🌎️ The rest of the world… according to us

🇺🇸 Rundown of Trump’s Executive Orders. We need a break this week from reporting on this guy. It’s too much and quite honestly, a bit depressing. But if you want the latest, The Guardian maintains a list of his executive orders here.

🇸🇪 Sweden’s worst school shooting. At least 11 people were killed and five more wounded at Risbergska School in the city of Örebro, about 125 miles west of Stockholm. 😢 The 35yo suspect was among those who died.

⚖️ Punishing Nazis. How nostalgic! Australia has passed some new anti-hate crime laws with a minimum of 12 months in prison for even just displaying hate symbols, including performing a Nazi salute.

🤦🏻‍♀️ Speaking of hate… It wasn’t just the Grammys where his wife bared all that made the news. Ye (aka Kanye West) took to social media and declared himself a Nazi, while also claiming “dominion” over his wife. Should someone tell him he’s black?

🍎 Part of your ‘5 A Day’

⚽️ So how does that make you feel? In England, 1 in 4 people suffer from a mental health issue each year. So in Leicestershire, a handful of local footballs clubs have joined a mental health initiative to offer support to all in the community. I’ve got the warm and fuzzies.

👋 I repeat, wash your hands! We keep saying this. Why again now? There’s been a surge in norovirus cases, as the NHS reports hospitals are nearly at capacity, as a result. Lather, rinse your hands, and repeat, if necessary.

💨 I think I’ve got the black lung, pop. (Quoting Zoolander) Experts claim that air pollution is to blame for over 1,100 cases of lung cancer per year. Time to finally buy that air purifier in my Amazon basket!

🧦 The odd sock

🗑️ Binning £21,000. Well almost. A first edition of Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone was set to be tossed, but ultimately saved and auctioned for £21k! Time to dig through your own rubbish? 😅

🚫 Walking back a promise. Google’s AI ethics policy used to contain a promise that its AI technology won’t be used for weapons and surveillance. But in its updated version, it was removed to allow for companies, governments, and organisations to work together and support national security. Uh-huh.

🔭 IRL Armageddon? On 22 December 2032, an asteroid will pass Earth and will have a one in 67 chance to hit us. In preparation, the European space agency is coming up with ideas on how to avoid this fate, including blowing it up before it gets too close. I wonder where they got that idea?

⭐️ Recommendations

from Meridyth

Who watches Taskmaster? If so, you don’t want to miss Taskmaster: The Live Experience. The immersive event is in its final days - with less than 2 weeks left to book your tickets!

A couple months ago, Alister got me and his gf tickets to try our luck. As an American expat, I had never heard of Taskmaster. I was told it was kind of like an escape room. Wrong!

I was grossly underprepared for the fun, nonsensical hi-jinx that ensued. I don’t want to ruin it for you, but it’s very much like the comedic panel game show with video cameos from Greg Davies and Alex Horne, the Taskmaster house, and of course… tasks.

I’ve now been binging every hilarious episode on Netflix! 😂

🤣 What do you meme? 

How do you like them eggs!

The U.S. is experiencing egg-flation. The cost of eggs has been rising for awhile, but they’ve skyrocketed recently because of bird flu outbreaks.

It’s gotten so bad, thieves in Pennsylvania have stolen 100,000 eggs (about $40k worth). And social media is now poaching fun at the egg-traodinary heist. Ba-dum-bum. 🥁

Whew, you made it!

We’re sick and tired of the horrible weather this winter. Anyone else? Please commiserate with us for next week’s Squabble!

Alister & Meridyth