0:11
The teenage millionaire hacker from Tower Hamlets who took down TfL
It was the takeaway order to his family’s Tower Hamlets flat that proved to be Thalha Jubair’s undoing.
Last month the young Londoner pleaded guilty to taking down Transport for London’s computer systems in one of the worst cyberattacks in British history, an event which brought months of chaos to the capital’s transport network in late 2024.
Jubair thought he had covered his tracks through an elaborate system of amnesiac operating systems and virtual private networks.
0:49
The Courage to Be Cancelled: How to Deal With Hate
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I’m not sharing that for sympathy. Strange as it sounds, I’m sharing it to inspire you.
We’re in an odd moment. The country is about as divided as it’s ever been, and at the same time more connected online than it’s ever been.
It used to be that if someone didn’t like what you said, you could tune it out.
1:28
Antarctica: The World's Greatest Story of Cooperation
Claire Christian, who’s spent over a decade inside the Antarctic Treaty System, walks us through why that pact—born in the Cold War—still stands as a rare model of global cooperation. She explains how the treaty’s consensus‑driven approach both empowers scientists and slows decisive action, a tension that shapes every decision about the continent.
The episode then pivots to the science: Antarctica’s ice sheets, especially places like Thwaites Glacier, drive sea‑level rise, while the Southern Ocean’s krill underpins entire food webs. The Ross Sea recovery shows what focused protection can achieve, even amid a warming climate.
Claire shares personal moments from her field trips, from spotting delicate invertebrates to feeling the stark silence of the ice. Those experiences reinforce her belief that the continent teaches us how to respect nature’s limits.
Looking ahead, she envisions a future where the treaty evolves to meet climate challenges, keeping Antarctica a sanctuary for research and a benchmark for planetary health.
2:43
The Story of Westminster Cathedral
It’s hard to name a more famous church in London than Westminster Abbey.
So spare a thought for poor old Westminster Cathedral.
Built on the site of a prison and still incomplete after over 100 years, Westminster Cathedral is forever being ignored (or confused with its more popular neighbour).
It was even once mistaken for a mosque.
So this week’s post is an ode to Westminster’s other massive, wondrous church and a reminder that it’s well worth admiring this stripy brick beauty set back from Victoria Street
(you can read all about its history after this short message)
Click on the walk names to book. My website reflects live availability which might differ from what’s written below.
Sunday 12 July, 2pm - Quirky Bloomsbury - 2 spots left
Saturday 25 July, 2pm - Bankside Behaving Badly
Monday 31 August, 11am - Fleet Street SecretsMonday 31 August, 2pm - City Secret Gardens - SOLD OUT
Sunday 13 September, 11am - City: Power and Sacrifice - 4 spots left
Sunday 13 September, 2pm - Feminist Jack the Ripper
Sunday 20 September, 11am - A Tale of Two Deptfords
Sunday 20 September, 2pm - Wapping: Pioneers & Pirates - 3 spots left
Saturday 26 September, 11am - Smithfield: Guts & Glory - 3 spots left
Saturday 26 September, 2pm - Spirit of Spitalfields
Sunday 4 October, 11am - Women in the National Gallery
Sunday 4 October, 2pm - Sordid Soho
Saturday 10 October, 11am - Kings Cross: Wrong Side of the Tracks
Saturday 10 October, 2pm - Quirky Bloomsbury
Saturday 17 October, 11am - A Tale of Two Deptfords
Saturday 17 October, 2pm - Bermondsey: Off the Beaten Track
Saturday 7 November, 11am - Sinful Seven Dials
Saturday 7 November, 2pm - Belgravia: Behind the Facades
Sunday 15 November, 11am - Bankside Behaving Badly
Sunday 15 November, 2pm - Hidden Wonders of Waterloo
Westminster Cathedral is the largest Catholic church in the country and the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster.
After the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829 allowed Catholics to freely practise their faith and the Catholic hierarchy was re-established in 1850, 13 new diocese were established by Pope Pius IX and Nicholas Wise was appointed as the first Archbishop of Westminster then made a Cardinal (the first new Cardinal since the reformation).
It was in memory of Wiseman that a plot of land was bought and a Cathedral planned.
Though Westminster is a popular tourist destination today, back in the 19th century the area wasn’t a nice one at all, in fact it was known as the ‘Devil’s Acre’ and previously the site of Tothill Fields Prison.
The only surviving bit of the prison stands on Little Sanctuary by Westminster Abbey. You can learn more about that history here.
As mentioned earlier, the plot of land for the Cathedral was purchased in 1885 and John Francis Bentley, a devout Catholic, was chosen as architect.
You can find a blue plaque to Bentley in Clapham Old Town.
After securing the commission from the newly appointed Cardinal Vaughan, Bentley travelled through Italy. He visited Rome, Ravenna and Venice but was prevented from seeing Hagia Sophia thanks to a Cholera outbreak in Istanbul.
Unbothered by this hiccup in the plan, Bentley claimed that a the book The Church of Sancta Sophia, Constantinople: A Study in Byzantine Building gave him all the information he needed!
Here’s a photograph of the interior of Hagia Sophia.
And the interior of Westminster Cathedral for comparison.
Inside there are even direct references to Constantinople in some of the mosaic decoration.
The final designs follows Bentley’s plan apart from one major change. He wanted two campanile either side of the entrance however Vaughan apparently said ‘one would be enough for me’!
Although newer construction methods like steel frames were available, it was built traditionally, entirely from brick (which was also an economical choice).
The completed building is a massive of striped brick and portland stone, one of the more striking buildings in London.
It took a while though, construction – after a couple of false starts – was only complete by 1903, with Bentley dying a year before its completion.
The Cathedral was consecrated in 1910, but the interior was still unfinished, a fact that Cardinal Vaughan had anticipated, knowing that decoration would be secondary to getting the actual structure complete.
The Cathedral is built as a massive Byzantine-inspired basilica (large, singe room or hall) and to enter the cavernous space for the first time is quite overwhelming.
Although some may feel that the bare walls give it a derelict look, for me the darkness makes the interior all the more atmospheric.
The giant hanging cross by the high altar is as long as a London bus!
The multi-coloured slabs of Italian marble stand out against the dark brick ceiling.
The side chapels, dedicated to various Catholic Saints or historic moments have been gradually decorated, like a colouring in book in progress.
Because of the ad hoc nature of progress, they’re quite an eclectic bunch.
8:19
Conflicting polls, Iowa angles on SCOTUS rulings, new state laws
I started Tuesday morning at a court hearing in a Libertarian ballot access case, went to see a Democratic Congressional candidate at midday, and attended a meet and greet with my colleagues in the late afternoon.
After the noontime round table organized by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott took questions from reporters about health care and cancer in Iowa. I posted the full "gaggle” video to my YouTube channel, along with a shorter clip about the trade-off between Medicaid cuts in the “big, beautiful bill” and the rural health care transformation fund.
Since more and more campaigns are paying for flattering social media content, I want to repeat for the benefit of newer subscribers: I never have and never will pay for access to a politician, nor will I ever accept payment from any politician, campaign, or interest group in exchange for posting about them. I share videos that I consider newsworthy—period.
With that, let’s get to the main order of business. The audio from the July 6 edition of “KHOI’s Capitol Week” is at the top of this post. Here’s the written version, for those who would rather read than listen. If your email provider truncates this message, you can read it without interruption here. What Spencer Dirks and I covered this week:
For the first time in a while, everyone acknowledges Iowa is in play. So we are going to see a lot more public polling of key races than we did in 2022 or 2024. Two polls released last week painted different pictures of how things look in Iowa’s races for governor and Senate.
The New York Times/Siena poll showed a very competitive landscape, with Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn virtually tied in the governor’s race, a 48 percent to 47 percent lead for Sand. Republican Ashley Hinson had a small lead over Democrat Josh Turek in the Senate race, 48 percent to 46 percent. I’m still waiting for some pollster to list the Libertarian Thomas Laehn as an option in the Senate race!
You can find all of the NYT/Siena toplines here, and the cross-tabs here.
President Donald Trump was well underwater: 44 percent of respondents said they approve of his job performance (31 percent strongly), which 54 percent disapprove (46 percent strongly). On every issue mentioned in the survey, the president’s approval was upside down:
cost of living: 37/60
immigration: 47/50 (those were his best approval numbers)
the war in Iran: 42/56
tariffs: 43/54
gas prices: 35/62
Both Senate candidates were in positive territory, but Turek had better numbers: 46 percent had a favorable view of him, 19 percent unfavorable, compared to 41 percent favorable/35 percent unfavorable for Hinson.
Asked whether they would like Republicans or Democrats to be in control of the U.S. Senate, respondents preferred GOP control by 50 percent to 45 percent. Also, 57 percent said the Democratic Party is too far to the left, while only 50 percent said the GOP is too far right. That suggests to me that Democratic messaging will focus on negatives about Hinson specifically, while Republican messaging will try to convince voters that Turek is just like the far-left wing of the Democratic Party.
The latest Fox News poll showed better results for the Democrats, with Sand leading the governor’s race by 53 percent to 44 percent and Turek ahead of Hinson by 50 percent to 46 percent. You can find the toplines here and the cross-tabs here.
Fox News polls are a collaboration between Republican and Democratic pollsters, so whatever you think of the Fox News reporting side, their polling operation has political balance.
Why did Fox News find such different numbers from NYT/Siena, even though both polls were in the field around the same time? It could be random chance, but more likely it’s connected to how they sampled and weighted their results. Also, Fox News surveyed registered voters, while NYT/Siena screened for “likely voters.” (Many pollsters don’t deploy their likely voter screens until after Labor Day, because this early, it’s hard to discern who is and isn’t likely to participate in an election.)
I reached out to the Fox News pollsters, but they declined to give me an aggregate number for how their poll sample voted in the 2024 presidential election. Among participants in the NYT/Siena survey, 47 percent said they voted for Donald Trump and 39 percent for Kamala Harris.
Here is the statement I received from Fox News, which highlighted that they had more Republicans than Democrats in their sample:
“The FOX News poll publicly shares the breakdown of respondents by party identification, capturing what people consider themselves instead of official party registration.
13:37
The Guy With the Nazi Tattoo Wasn't Your Only Option
It shouldn’t surprise me anymore, but here we are: the idiot progressives who spent the better part of a year carrying water for Graham Platner still don’t get the point. These people could have picked literally anybody else. Anybody who was anti-genocide. Anybody who was pro-Palestine. Anybody who checked every single box on their ideological Christmas list without also showing up with a Nazi-adjacent tattoo, a Reddit history of race-baiting, and enough alarmed ex-girlfriends to qualify for a group discount on therapy.
They didn’t have to dumpster dive for their candidate. Maine was not experiencing some catastrophic shortage of left-wing politicians. There were other progressives. There were other anti-war candidates. There were other pro-Palestine candidates. They somehow bypassed all of them and landed on the guy whose background looked like it had been assembled by a BuzzFeed quiz called “Which Future Political Scandal Are You?”
And yet, in their retelling, none of this is actually a Platner problem. No, somehow it’s an establishment problem. A media problem. A Democratic Party problem. Mercury must’ve been in retrograde. The vibes were off. The deep state sneezed. Anything—absolutely anything—except the painfully obvious possibility that maybe, just maybe, they personally vouched for the wrong damn guy.
Take Kyle Kulinski, whose response to Jenny Racicot’s allegation was less an argument than a witness protection program for the actual subject. Instead of grappling with what Racicot alleged happened between her and Graham Platner, Kyle immediately grabbed the political Etch A Sketch, shook it as hard as he could, and suddenly we were talking about Bill Clinton, Neera Tanden, Gaza, Congress, and the entire post-Cold War foreign policy establishment. By the end of the segment, I was halfway expecting him to blame the fall of the Roman Empire and the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs. Anything but the guy with the Nazi-adjacent tattoo standing in the middle of the conversation.
Kulinski reminds viewers that Bill Clinton was accused of rape and all sorts of other misconduct, then tells Neera Tanden she doesn’t get to discover her conscience now because she once worked for Clinton. After that, he zooms out even further, arguing that Congress routinely funds what he calls genocide while no senator is forced to resign over those votes.
That’s fascinating. It is also about as responsive to the allegation against Graham Platner as explaining inflation when someone asks why your dog bit the mailman. You can believe Bill Clinton is a sexual predator. You can believe Congress has enabled horrific civilian deaths abroad. You can believe both at the same time. Congratulations—you’ve still managed to avoid answering the only question anyone actually asked. It’s the political equivalent of being asked what two plus two equals and responding, “Well, have you considered the Crime Bill of 1994?”
The whole performance felt like watching someone try to extinguish a kitchen fire by giving a TED Talk about climate change. Interesting topic. Wrong emergency.
Bill Clinton being a sexual predator—something I’ve said for years—has exactly as much bearing on whether Graham Platner assaulted Jenny Racicot in 2021 as my cholesterol numbers. They’re different men, different allegations, separated by roughly thirty years. Pointing at Clinton doesn’t make Platner disappear. That’s not an argument; it’s the political version of a toddler yelling, “Yeah, well, what about him?” after getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The accusation doesn’t vanish just because you found another terrible person to point at. It’s a distraction dressed up as analysis, a magic trick where the magician keeps yelling, “Look over there!” because he forgot to bring the rabbit.
And Kulinski isn’t out here alone. One widely shared post argued that progressives dropped Platner within a single news cycle while centrists stuck by Andrew Cuomo through his own set of allegations, as though that comparison somehow un-happens the Racicot story. Joseph Geevarghese of Our Revolution — Bernie Sanders’s own organizing arm — withdrew the group’s endorsement, sure, but paired it with a warning that this is not your opening for the Democratic establishment, framing the entire allegation as a turf war over who gets to pick the next nominee rather than an actual accusation of rape. Ryan Grim spent months arguing Democrats need people like Platner to reckon with the country’s sins at home and abroad, then when the allegation broke, simply noted that Platner had lost his base and moved on, without ever engaging what Racicot actually said happened to her.
18:55
Never Mind: Heather Cox Richardson Isn't Running for Senate
Here’s her statement:
Amended transcript:
The word out of Maine is that Graham Platner is in the process of being forced out of the race. Even Bernie Sanders wants him gone. That’s great news for Democrats.
Republicans are claiming that Democrats are forming a circular firing squad. Wrong. Pretty much anybody that Democrats nominate will have a very good chance against Susan Collins, much better than Platner.
So the question is, who is it going to be?
Will it be a Maine politician? Or an exciting progressive outsider who doesn’t have political experience? The Maine Democratic Party will be inclined toward the former; politicians don’t like tapping outsiders for their club. But voters are very interested in the latter, which is why so many liked Platner.
I think Democrats there should try a brilliant outsider with three million Substack subscribers. When Maine’s party leaders meet this week or next, they should make a smart, bold choice and nominate Heather Cox Richardson for the U.S. Senate. Would she do it? We don’t know yet, but it’s worth asking.
Hard to believe, but there’s plenty of time for Richardson to win. Campaigns in other countries often last only six to eight weeks. Kamala Harris did well and she had less time and the whole country to cover. If the party chooses Richardson, she’ll have the money and political support she’d need to run a strong campaign in a small state.
Now, as you likely know, Heather Cox Richardson is a whip-smart American historian, but also a very clear voice in criticizing Donald Trump and explaining what’s at stake in this election. She wouldn’t have any problem crushing Collins in a debate.
We’ve had intellectuals before in politics. Think New York Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a brilliant man. Or Illinois Sen. Paul Douglas, a University of Chicago economics professor whom old Mayor Daley was smart enough to back for the Senate in 1948. Wouldn’t it be great if we got a senator like that? That’s what Richardson could be.
Mario Cuomo was called the American Cicero. I’m writing a book now about Julius Caesar, and Cicero—senator, orator, historian—provided much of the intellectual heft necessary for the establishment of our own republic. Cuomo made politics stimulating. So would Richardson. And from watching her on TV, I think she’d be an effective candidate.
There’s been talk of picking Jared Golden, a very good congressman who is not seeking reelection to the House. But a lot of Maine progressives would feel betrayed if Golden, who’s a little on the conservative side, were to get the nod. (I have no idea whether he’s even interested). Why risk having Platner voters stay home?
Richardson is progressive but also reasonable, and extremely well-informed on the problems facing her state. Picking her would be the kind of bold stroke that people no longer expect from Democrats. Do it.
Indicate in the Comment section below if you think HCR should run. Get your friends to do the same (and subscribe!) and we can get a draft going.
22:21
Platner, Progressives, and The Civil War within the Democratic Party
An ex-girlfriend just told the Washington Post that Graham Platner used to remove condoms during sex without consent. Yesterday, Politico reported a credible accusation of sexual assault. This is on top of his Tottenkomp tattoo, history of infidelity, and troubling online comments.
How could Maine Democrats not vet such a troubled candidate? Why did Mainers decide to go for Platner over Janet Mills? Was there anyone else in Maine who could have run except these two? Who is to blame?
If you’re the Democratic Establishment, then the clear villain is anyone who is “the left” or “progressive, because they certainly have never backed compromised candidates or lost numerous winnable elections. For many progressives, they are blindsided by the sexual assault allegations, assuming that the NYT story was truly the last skeleton in Platner’s closet.
Mainers, however, revealed they are sick and tired of the status quo and were willing to back a candidate with numerous red flags if he committed to shaking up the system. For better - and worse - this is the stage of American politics in 2026 when a convicted criminal, rapist, and violent insurrectionist could ascend to the White House a second time without accountability. People are willing to look over many sins if it means the candidate will champion a populist agenda and fight the Epstein Class that is drinking their milkshake.
Thankfully, sexual assault is still a bridge too far for Democrats. Platner is deciding his next moves, but there’s a stable bench of Maine Dems who can step in and still defeat Collins. The fight remains for the soul of the party that is seen as weak, feckless, and lost. The major bellwether will be Michigan, where Abdul El-Sayed still hasn’t received the establishment support despite leading in the polls and being very competitive against Republican Mike Rogers.
I get into all of this with Adam Green, co-founder of Progressive Change Campaign Committee, and Bhavik Latia, a progressive consultant from Michigan who worked on the 2024 Harris campaign.
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25:08
Bless You, Friend, for Your Attention
From a reader:
My inbox is so full of newsletters, information, etc. etc. that I am on a minimalist mission of unsubscribing, however, your daily sharing is a kind of balm for me. I can’t adequately explain why I find your writing so affecting but I do know that you fall in the “friends” category as I continue to simplify my life.
Dear friend,
I can’t tell you what your words mean to me, how they echo in consciousness like a shout in a deep cave. I get almost teary with gratitude. This is the intimacy I dream of as I write. Popularity, yes, on occasion persuasion, but more than these, a sense of being together caringly, curiously, on our earthly stroll.
I write, I’m pretty sure, to reassure myself there’s a good reason to exist. I often return to Santayana’s understated defense of existence: “That life is worth living is the most necessary of assumptions, and, were it not assumed, it could not be proved.” I enjoy being but too often my vacillating temper wonders, “Why bother? To what end?” This question, having no good answer, conduces to gloom. Then I write. From a shapely phrase or two arises — like Aladdin’s genie — a vision of a reader reading – you, say – smiling – and I am happy again, to have gladdened another’s life, if only for a moment.
Being is hard work when taken seriously. If sensual satisfaction satisfies, life is not so hard. That’s dog-pal Henry’s outlook, best I can make out. Food, shelter, exertion, affection – “the sun in the morning and the moon at night” – what’s not to like! It’s the search for significance that sinks the spirit into the oft-cited “slough of despond.” We want our world bettered for our being here – but proof is scant. For parents of young people, importance is easier to perceive; the little ones would be worse off without us. But old, one becomes superfluous – welcome, with any luck, but inessential. And these days the world we’d hoped to improve seems to be collapsing. If the Nameless One is where my generation landed America, shame on us.
But if I can gladden another’s life, induce a smile, solace a sorrow, that’s an inarguable good. How to accomplish that with words I have no idea, but since others worked the trick on me, why not try? I lack the invention of a storyteller or the enchantment of a singer, but I can schmooze, listen, amiably care, maybe spark a thought or crack a lame joke, and if these efforts hearten, I’ll have added a fillip to my hour.
Tracking the statistics of these missives, I guess that’s occurring, but insecurity is every maker’s lot, and unless somebody tells me, I can’t know. If my product were explicitly helpful like an economist’s or historian’s or investigative journalist’s, I might congratulate myself on producing something patently worthwhile, “moving the needle,” as the saying goes. But another’s pleasure is my only deliverable. I’ve nothing to preach or teach – and yes, plenty to screech, but anguish gets wearisome. My aim is art’s – to engage, endear, befriend.
I too have been purging my inbox to make room for loved ones and secure my calm. Many the voice I might delight in I delete for want of time. Everybody wants a piece of me – just a tiny piece – and I wish them well – but oh, my mind’s a blur. That you spared me the great purgation – and took the time to tell me – makes me glow. Being together is the only good reason for being. I look forward to our strolls.
29:00
Ezekiel Wilson-Porter on the New World Screwworm
A New World Screwworm outbreak has been confirmed in Texas, with cases already reported in cattle, goats, and at least one dog. If the parasite spreads north, American cattle ranchers could lose billions of dollars this year. Researchers estimate the US needs 500 million sterile flies per week to stop the spread, but labs can only produce 100 million.
The parasite was eradicated from the US in the 1960s through a joint USAID-USDA program that dropped sterile flies along the border. However, the Trump administration's cuts to USAID eliminated the programs monitoring screwworm populations in Central America.
As a result, the US is now struggling to contain the outbreak. The author, Ezekiel Wilson-Porter, argues that restoring these critical programs is essential to preventing further spread.
