The Union: What a State

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 25 January 2019 > In the News

It’s a January fixture in the U.S. calendar: the President’s State of the Union speech, delivered to the joint houses of Congress, and broadcast directly to the nation. This year’s was scheduled for 29 January but has been postponed because of the federal shutdown resulting from the struggle between President Trump and Congress over the … Continue reading “The Union: What a State”

Brexit Chaos

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 16 January 2019 > In the News

Britain’s Conservative government suffered a historic defeat on 15 January as Parliament massively voted against the deal for Brexit negotiated with the EU. As the clock ticks relentlessly towards the 29 March deadline for leaving, there seems no clear way forward. The government had been forced to agree to a “meaningful” vote on Brexit and … Continue reading “Brexit Chaos”

Word of the Year: Single-Use

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 12 December 2018 > In the News

Language is constantly changing and every year British dictionary publishers Collins likes to look back and see which words have dominated the national conversation. Not necessarily new words, but ones that have come to the fore. The Word of the Year 2018 is… “single-use”. It’s been in the news as more and more campaigners have … Continue reading “Word of the Year: Single-Use”

Running Dry

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 06 December 2018 > In the News

Australian water activist Mina Guli has undertaken a gruelling physical challenge to draw attention to the growing global water crisis. From November till February she is attempting to run 100 marathons in 100 days. The United Nations estimates that there will be a 40% shortfall between demand and supply for water globally by 2030. Increasing … Continue reading “Running Dry”

Marvel Superheroes Creator Stan Lee Dies

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 14 November 2018 > In the News

The Marvel-verse of superheroes are orphans. The man who created some of the most enduring characters in popular culture has died at age 95. Stan Lee co-created Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, Daredevil and the Fantastic Four: superheroes with a good dose of human frailty. Stanley Lieber was born in Manhattan in 1922, the son … Continue reading “Marvel Superheroes Creator Stan Lee Dies”

Shock: an Election that Went as Predicted

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 07 November 2018 > In the News

Political pundits were very guarded in their predictions for the U.S. midterm elections after the surprise victory of Donald Trump in 2016. Pundits and polling organisations also got their predictions wrong in the Brexit referendum and last U.K. election. So it was almost a surprise that the midterm results were pretty much as expected. The … Continue reading “Shock: an Election that Went as Predicted”

Saving the Magna Carta

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 31 October 2018 > In the News

On 25 October, a man was arrested in Salisbury Cathedral in England. He was trying to steal the cathedral’s copy of the Magna Carta, a major symbol of democracy. The Magna Carta (1215) is one of the most important documents in British, not to say world history. It represents the first time a British monarch … Continue reading “Saving the Magna Carta”

Billboards for Citizens

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 31 October 2018 > In the News

With the midterm elections approaching, the U.S.A. is being inundated with political advertising. But a group of artists wants to take back the country’s billboards for non-partisan, thought-provoking messages. Following a crowdfunding campaign they are putting up messages on billboards in all 50 states. For Freedoms was created in 2016 by artists Hank Willis Thomas … Continue reading “Billboards for Citizens”