Wednesday 19 August, 2026

Come on in A hibiscus flower seen on an evening walk. And a bee who accepted the invitation and covered itself in pollen! Quote of the Day ”The political problem of mankind is to combine three things: economic efficiency, social justice and individual liberty.” John Maynard Keynes Musical alternative to the morning’s radio news Schubert | Impromptu No. 4, Op. 90 | Evgeny Kissin Link Long Read of the Day Employment tribunals are being overworked by a surge in AI-aided claims My latest Observer column: ‘How AI is breaking the British state” screamed a recent headline in the Economist, a magazine that traditionally prides itself on its sobriety. Citizens, it reports, are “turning to artificial intelligence to file objections and appeals, and claim their dues. The resulting deluge of complaints, and demands, will overwhelm bureaucracies built for the age of the post and the telephone. Too little is being done to prevent the state from drowning.” So which part of the British state is…