Ben Thompson

Senior content writer @supercarblondie. All opinions my own. Email: [email protected]

[Rowland Manthorpe @rowlsmanthorpe]

More than 170 criminals, including a woman wanted for more than 20 years, were arrested during a six-month trial of live facial recognition in south London

We are entering a new era and one of its features is that it will be much harder to hide

[GOV.UK @GOVUK]

🚨 5 key changes for tenants from 1st May 2026 🏠

The new Renters' Rights Act means:

1. Landlords can no longer evict tenants through no-fault evictions - they need a valid reason.

No more bidding wars - landlords can’t ask for more than the advertised rent price.

Landlords can only ask for a maximum of one month’s rent upfront.

Landlords can’t just say no to pets - they must consider requests reasonably.

No more fixed-term tenancy contracts. Rolling contracts will give more flexibility.

Find out more at https://t.co/kpTuP2az0j

[Karen Vaites @karenvaites]

One year into cell phone bans, Dallas schools see 24% increase in library book checkouts.

👏👏👏

"Public school districts in Texas are almost one school year into the first statewide cellphone ban, and a North Texas school district is seeing positive impacts.

Dallas ISD officials said that, district-wide, they have seen a significant increase in library book checkouts, which they largely attribute to students no longer having cellphones with them during the school day.

"I started hearing, 'Oh, I'm so bored. I can't get on my phone after I do my work or during lunchtime,'" Hillcrest High School librarian Nina Canales said. "Once they lock into these stories, they don't seem to care about their phones at all."

From the first day of school to March 31, 2026, the district reported an increase of more than 200,000 additional books checked out compared to the previous year.

A look at the library checkouts for the previous year:

2025-2026 Total Circulation (1st day of school to March 31, 2026) – 1,084,837
2024-2025 Total circulation (1st day of school to March 31, 2025) – 872,430

Total library book checkout increase: 24.35%

At Dallas ISD's Hillcrest High, students are following this trend.

Canales said there were roughly 500 books checked out in the first nine weeks of the 2024-2025 school year. This school year, that number spiked to about 1,800 books.

"That floored me," Canales said. "I had to re-do the report again because I was like, 'What, are you kidding me?'"

Students felt the impact too.

"Now that I'm busy with a bunch of work and college, I don't find myself missing my phone that much, even at home," said Yamilet Jimenez, 9th grader."

By @laceybeasnews.

@JonHaidt @safe_screens

[Channel 4 News @Channel4News]

A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life after a fire at an LGBT+ nightclub in Milton Keynes.

Thames Valley Police received reports at 2 am on Sunday that the Pink Punters venue in Milton Keynes was on fire.

[Martin Lewis @MartinSLewis]

Oh shit. The scammers are now using QR codes. If you see this please report it - lets together try and stop people being ripped off.

(Just to be clear the image is a deep fake and nothing to do with me)

[YouGov @YouGov]

The government has launched an ad campaign to encourage the public to invest their money rather than save - but 55% of Britons say they are unwilling to put their savings into stocks and shares

Link in replies

[The Londoner @_TheLondoner]

This is footage of an e-bike exploding at a home in Catford.

It's just one of 556 e-bike fires in the last three years in London.

The infernos are toxic, spread within seconds and are almost impossible to put out.

And they've killed half a dozen Londoners since 2023.

[Ben Thompson @BOThompson98]

@curryinahurry22 Or even just as an overflow room or for storage, if you live alone.

[LBC @LBC]

Income tax will be dead within five years as AI jobs crisis grows, says Monzo founder https://t.co/HZqExJNQGh

[BBC News (UK) @BBCNews]

Work begins on nuclear power station that promises 8,000 jobs https://t.co/1LkcG1kZjy

[Press Gazette @pressgazette]

The Times says a strategy of publishing “fewer, better stories” has led to three consecutive months of record-breaking global audience growth - including Google traffic increases

The Times has gone from publishing more than 200 stories a day to about 150 – a 25% cut

[courtney @csmallllll]

I must speak my truth. Coke Zero is astronomically better than Diet Coke

[Ben Thompson @BOThompson98]

Coming back to X after a long Easter weekend to see everyone arguing about pensions...

[Ben Thompson @BOThompson98]

'Rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated'

[BBC News (UK) @BBCNews]

World’s oldest known tortoise still alive, as reports of death revealed as hoax https://t.co/9kY6HZcVaa

[Ben Thompson @BOThompson98]

McDonald's need to stop messing around and make a vegetarian Egg McMuffin

[Mukhtar @I_amMukhtar]

The Metropolitan Police are looking to identify this driver and have appealed to the public for information after a Muslim woman was targeted in a hit and run.

It happened in Harrow Manorway, in Abbey Wood, London, around 4PM Sunday.

Her condition is not life-threatening.

[YouGov @YouGov]

It's International Women's Day on Sunday, but our poll of notable women's rights figures finds founder Clara Zetkin is barely known in Britain

% with a view on...
Florence Nightingale: 90%
Emmeline Pankhurst: 69%
Malala Yousafzai: 38%
Millicent Fawcett: 13%
Clara Zetkin: 5%

Results link in replies

[Ben Thompson @BOThompson98]

This is wildddddddddddd

[YouGov @YouGov]

As schools across the country celebrate World Book Day, our study last year found that 40% of Britons hadn't read a single book in the past 12 months - the median Briton had read 3 books in the preceding year

[YouGov @YouGov]

How strong is county identity in England?

Cornwall: 53% have very strong attachment
Cumbria: 44%
Northumberland: 42%
Devon: 42%
Tyne and Wear: 41%
North Yorkshire: 41%
Merseyside: 38%
Dorset: 38%
West Yorkshire: 37%
South Yorkshire: 36%
Bristol: 36%
Norfolk: 36%

[Robert Colvile @rcolvile]

'At this point, 'building housing reduces rent' is as close to a scientific law of the housing market as we’re likely to find' - @Noahpinion