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InteractivePolls
@IAPolls2022

@Polymarket - 2026 U.S. Senate (chance of winning)

NORTH CAROLINA
🟦 Democrat: 81% (flip)
🟥 Republican: 20%
—
MAINE
🟦 Democrat: 74% (flip)
🟥 Republican: 27%
—
ALASKA
🟦 Mary Peltola: 52% (flip)
🟥 Dan Sullivan: 47%
—
GEORGIA
🟦 Democrat: 82% (new high)
🟥 Republican: 17%
—
MICHIGAN
🟦 Democrat: 82% (new high)
🟥 Republican: 18%
—
OHIO
🟦 Democrat: 54% (flip)
🟥 Republican: 47%

https://x.com/IAPolls2022/status/2037580473677832287

Those are predictions, not polls.

And, it shows two very likely flips - Maine and North Carolina, and then two toss-ups.

For what it's worth, I think Maine will be an easy Dem gain: Susan Collins is nowhere near as popular as she used to be.

Alaska and Ohio are much harder prospects, I think I probably like Mary Peltola's chaces a little better than Sherrod Brown's. But you know what: the Dems have done a really good job of getting good quality candidates in those races.

@RossKempsell

The government confirms HMS DRAGON is now off Cyprus ready to defend British sovereign territory there that was hit with an Iranian drone

25 DAYS AGO

The drone came from Lebanon.

Hezbollah? IDF?

The wreckage was an Iranian drone with Russian components, apparently.

Probably Hezbollah - but could have been IRGC directly. They pretty much run Hezbollah as a wholly owned franchise.

[PB pedant mode on]

I thought the whole point about franchises is that you didn't own them?

[PB pedant mode off]

There's a variant where you franchise for tax/liability purposes, but wholly own the resulting separate companies

Was it Farage or the ex-Navy officer who got pissed as quickly as possible?

Farage. Drank like the Queen Mother on Derby Day apparently.

I've had a drink with Farage. After a Test at the Oval, he was sitting outside enjoying the evening sun and a pint

He was perfectly affable and civilised, and didn't fall over and vomit

I'd far rather drink with him than Starmer, Davey, or the boring Scots guy

Kemi might be fun but annoying (as a drinking partner). Zak might be amusingly mad

Zak doesn't drink.

God, he's so on brand with the Kidz, isn't he? The most boring, joyless generation in human history

"Badenoch considers burka ban

Tories understood to be ‘looking closely’ at merits of veto on face coverings as part of a review of Islamism"


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/03/27/kemi-badenoch-conservatives-burka-ban/

Poignantly, I saw a woman in a full burqa today, not far from my flat. I cannot know her inner state but her body language expressed great unhappiness. Weighed down by these hideous deathly black shrouds. I do not believe any woman under 60 - if any - would voluntarily wear these appalling garments, They are symbols of misogyny and TOOLS of misogyny

Kemi is right. Ban them

No, live and let live. If women, or men, want to wear a burqa why not ?

France and other European countries have implimented it not least for security issues

They are also banned or being banned in multiple Muslim countries - eg all the central Asian states. Because they know, better than us, the attitudes and politics that come with the burqa, and they are not good

https://timesca.com/kazakhstan-moves-to-ban-face-coverings-in-public/

I see doctors now take the hypocritic oath.

26% for me and 2.75% for thee:

Hundreds of British Medical Association employees are going on strike this weekend, accusing the “hypocritical” union of underpaying its own staff while demanding a 26 per cent rise for doctors.

Nearly 500 office-based employees at the doctors’ union will strike for 48 hours on Friday and Saturday, after being offered a below-inflation pay rise of 2.75 per cent for this year.

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcare/article/bma-union-doctors-staff-strike-pay-zxszc7lj9

I'm sure there is some justice in the doctor's case. But we all know that they'll finish up rich. My GP, who's a nice chap. often spends time in our consultations asking about my financial views. (Fair enough of course as I am very very very wise about such things. Well maybe.)

The doctor's case is very simple.

They want their pay today to be the same as it was before the Great Financial Crash Austerity, uprated by RPI.

Your opinion on whether this is justified will depend on your opinion of inflation index calculation, your opinion on whether doctors were overpaid prior to austerity, what has happened to averages wages since the Financial Crash, whether you think the country can afford well paid doctors, or maybe has to choose between more doctors and higher pay for doctors, etc.

I've been meaning to compare doctors pay to average earnings, etc, but haven't got around to it yet.

It's been done:

If you add in 2025 data though will look a lot different.
Thats missing i think a 22% rise over 24/25 and backdated for 23/24?

Full fact has a different take to the less than impartial one presented here.

https://fullfact.org/health/bma-resident-doctors-pay-hci/