Sign in

Rachel Lavin

@rachellavin.bsky.social
611 followers 190 following 68 posts

Data journalist at The Irish Times Investigations Unit. Formerly Bloomberg, The Sunday Times, The Sunday Business Post, The Sunday Independent & The Washington Ireland Program Opinions all mine Twitter @rachellavin

PostsRepliesMedia
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Yes, totally reasonable! I fleshed out all the ways it might go in the analysis, explaining how public opinion is rarely linear and can plateau and even reverse. The period after the 2008 financial crash is a good example of a sudden growth in support for remaining in the UK.
010
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
With just 1/3 in favour a united Ireland, the threshold for calling a border poll - 'a majority appearing likely' - has not been met - yet. But if the change since 2016 (+1.14% per year) continues, we could reach it by 2040. Read my full analysis here 👇 www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
irishtimes.com
When is the time to trigger a Border poll?
Irish unification stirs widespread debate but the decision for a vote on the matter falls to one person under the Belfast Agreement
210
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
When we average those polls over the previous three years here is the result: 🟠 48% remain in the UK 🟢 35% join a united Ireland ⚪️ 17% don't know/not sure www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
110
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Here is a poll of polls of every major poll asking the Northern Irish public their opinion since 1989. We plan to update our tracker regularly in the coming years as polling on this important subject continues... www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
120
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Today, The Irish Times launches an Irish Unity Tracker. Tracking every major poll of the Northern Irish public in the past five decades on whether or not they want to remain in United Kingdom or join a United Ireland👇 @irishtimes.com www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
irishtimes.com
Irish unity tracker: the poll of polls
What do polls say about NI’s view on whether there should be Irish unification? Is there enough support to trigger a Border poll?
131
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Appreciate the shout-out - thanks David!
010
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Thanks Shawn, that's really kind of you!
010
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
You can also read about the valiant effort of 400 ordinary Belfast locals (mostly women) who went out in their own cars on on the night of June 9 to rescue families form burning buildings and angry mobs. They shared their text messages here 👇 tinylink.net/gPei5
010
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Why did the Belfast riots get so bad? The far-right online, loyalist paramilitaries on the ground, the failed riot strategy of the PSNI? For a variety of views on the violence, and testimonies from the families, read our interactive investigation here: tinylink.net/gPei5
tinylink.net
After Belfast burned: What happened to immigrant families whose homes were attacked?
At least 88 families made homeless in June’s race riots – most have not returned home
111
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The rioters represent a small minority. Yet, post-Brexit, there has been a resurgence of anti-immigration views. And 20 years of polling data shows that indicators of prejudice are higher within the Protestant community than among Catholics. tinylink.net/gPei5
100
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
It's also happening in specific communities. A demographic analysis showed the majority of media reported incidents on the night that we analysed happened in protestant majority working class neighbourhoods. Why? www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...
100
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
And racism is peaking each Summer. Each time, a violent crime was publicly reported, allegedly involving an immigrant or person of colour – in Northern Ireland or elsewhere in the UK – and riots erupted, targeting the immigrant community as a whole. tinylink.net/gPei5
100
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Racism has risen rapidly in Northern Ireland in the last three years. Race-motivated attacks now outpace sectarian ones, according to PSNI data, a first in an era of relative peace following 30 years of sectarian violence during The Troubles. tinylink.net/gPei5
100
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
🟠 88 families were made homeless. 🟠 39 were rehomed in temporary accommodation. 🟠 The housing executive said it 'didn't have information' on the remaining 49. Many left the country, permanently or for the Summer, and now, as schools reopen, are unsure if they should come back...
100
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
New Investigation 🚨 What happened to the immigrant families burnt out of their homes in Belfast race riots at the start of Summer? At the Irish Times Investigations Unit, we tracked them down to find out 🗞️ tinylink.net/gPei5
130
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
"Their trade-off is explicit, in that they will exchange a smaller audience for the freedom to mean what you say in the place you actually live." www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2026...
irishtimes.com
The performance of Irishness for outside approval is finished
Kneecap, Sally Rooney and the comedian Vittorio Angelone ask a question the State has avoided for years: what is all of this for, if not for us?
010
Reposted by Rachel Lavin
Tom Février @handle.invalid · 24/06/2025
🇷🇺 ⚔️ A Russian attack on NATO is no longer unthinkable. Bloomberg Economics modelled how an invasion of the Baltic states might unfold — and what it would cost ⤵️ www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202... @jenniewelch.bsky.social @albertonardelli.bsky.social @jhjanicki.bsky.social
193
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
"Rather than yielding a quick win, the strikes have complicated the task of tracking uranium and ensuring Iran doesn’t build a weapon..." For more from Bloomberg's nuclear reporter Jonathan Tirone @virtualnomad.bsky.social read 👇 4/4 www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
bloomberg.com
Satellite Images Question Trump’s Claim Iran’s Atomic Sites Destroyed
The task of ensuring Iran doesn’t build a weapon might just have got tougher.
000
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
IAEA inspectors, meanwhile, haven’t been able to verify the location of Iran's stockpile of near-bomb-grade uranium for more than a week. That uranium inventory is enough to make 10 nuclear warheads and could fit in as few as 16 small containers 3/4
101
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
But Iran's nuclear facilities are diffuse. Across Iran, there has been strikes on the various locations, and stages, of Iran's nuclear fuel cycle 👇 2/4 www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
100
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
🧐 For Bloomberg: Satellite images question Trump’s claim Iran’s atomic sites were destroyed We looked at the damage to Iran's most heavily protected nuclear site👇📡🗺️ Here we can see new craters, possible collapsed tunnel entrances and holes on top of a mountain ridge... 1/4
322
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
One reason why: "Without newcomers, the Spanish population is projected to shrink by 1/3 A low birthrate means labor shortages, which leads to less tax revenue to pay for a growing number of pensions and health care & ultimately, economic stagnation." 3/3 www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
bloomberg.com
Spain Bets on 1 Million Migrants to Keep Its Economy Growing
The country is bucking European trends with its most ambitious migration push to date, including a proposal for a “mass regularization” of undocumented foreign workers.
010
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
So far, Spaniards are feeling positive about it Over half of the population said that they feel immigration makes their country a better place to live 2/3 www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
110
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
Spain is bucking European trends by embracing migration 🇪🇸 Foreign-born residents are projected to more than double in the next 50 years 📈 Spain already saw one of the fastest demographic shifts in developed nations this century 1/3 www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
110
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
Musk "told people he was taking so much ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, that it was affecting his bladder." "He took Ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms. And he traveled with a daily medication box that held about 20 pills..." www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/u...
nytimes.com
On the Campaign Trail, Elon Musk Juggled Drugs and Family Drama
020
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
Smotrich said: "This time, the operational method is completely different: not raids, but rather occupation, cleansing and holding the territory until Hamas is destroyed. Along the way, we are destroying everything that is left of the Gaza Strip..." 👇 3/3 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Netanyahu Says Israel to Take Over All Gaza, Start Aid Flows
Israel will take over the entire Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday, as the military announced it would carry out an “unprecedented attack” on Hamas.
000
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
On Monday, Netanyahu said that, alongside the increased attacks, Israel would start allowing aid into Gaza again. Smotrich, who had in the past opposed restarting the aid, said there was no choice, “otherwise, the world will force us to stop the war.” 2/3 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
100
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
According to the Integrated Food Security Classification, one in five of Gaza’s population are now experiencing the most extreme level of starvation - famine 👇 1/3 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
110
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
"The sovereign grant that supports King Charles III and his family in carrying out their official duties increased by 53% in the last financial year ...£132 million - more than quadruple the £31 million of the initial grant introduced in 2012" www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024...
theguardian.com
King and Prince William’s estates ‘making millions from charities and public services’
Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster likely to make at least £50m from leasing land to services such as NHS and schools, according to investigation
000
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
This comes as Israel threatens to occupy the entire enclave if there is no breakthrough in mediated hostage talks But it has also signaled it will hold off until after Trump’s visit to the region next week Full story here 👇 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Israel Plans to Control Gaza Aid as International Pressure Grows
Israel plans to set up distribution centers in southern Gaza and move a large number of Palestinians there, as it tries to balance international outrage over a blockade of aid to the enclave with cont...
010
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
Israel is now proposing that aid centers will be established in the army-controlled buffer zone: "Heads of Palestinian families will be admited to distribution points to receive food packages, but anyone deemed to be a Hamas member will be excluded" 🗺️ for @bloomberg.com
140
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
Israel has blocked all international aid into Gaza for more than nine weeks now The UN says Gaza is experiencing “probably the worst humanitarian situation ever seen throughout the war." 📉👇for @bloomberg.com
88976
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
You can follow me, and my colleagues, here 👇
010
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
How AI is changing the battlefield: "Instead of dozens or even hundreds of soldiers supporting one $100 million system, one soldier using AI software could command dozens of cheap, autonomous weapons, whether they’re airborne, in space, on land or in the sea." 📈👇 www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...
bloomberg.com
Silicon Valley Is Coming for the Pentagon’s $1 Trillion Budget
The Trump administration wants startups to remake the US military, setting the stage for a battle over the world’s biggest defense budget.
62513
Reposted by Rachel Lavin
Zoe Tillman @zoetillman.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
NEW: President Trump's policies and actions have been stopped by US courts more than 200 times. We've been tracking lawsuits from the moment he was sworn in, identifying at least 320+ by the start of May -- and more keep coming. A deep, deep dive into the data: www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...
bloomberg.com
Trump Has Been Stopped By Courts More Than 200 Times
A Bloomberg analysis of more than 325 court cases involving challenges to President Trump’s executive actions reveals the stress test on the balance of power taking shape.
191017392
Reposted by Rachel Lavin
Dónal Griffin @donalgriffin.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
Every week during the years before its collapse, Stenn sent granular emails to its Wall Street backers listing its biggest clients, line by line. Yet all was not as it seemed... www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-04-23/stenn-collapse-how-citigroup-bnp-paribas-missed-fintech-s-warning-signs
bloomberg.com
Wall Street Missed Warning Signs Ahead of $1 Billion Fintech Implosion
Big banks like Citigroup and Natixis thought they were backing a $1 billion fintech darling. But when Stenn blew up, most of its supposed partners said they had never worked with the company.
133
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 03/05/2025
See how the Australian election count is unfolding amid "Albo's" forecasted win... 🗳️📊👉 bloomberg.com/graphics/202...
000
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
The exact cause of Spain's blackout is still unknown... www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
001
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
"Trump has said repeatedly he wants a deal or will resort to military action. Iran has said it won’t respond to threats and would only agree to indirect talks." Read full analysis here 👇https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-12/iran 3/3
bloomberg.com
Iran to Continue US Talks Next Week After ‘Constructive’ Meeting
Iran said the first formal talks with US President Donald Trump’s administration over its nuclear program were “constructive” with both sides agreeing to meet again next week.
000
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
Iran's nuclear sites are spread across the country, ranging from uranium mining to military testing. 2/3 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
100
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
With US-Iran talks getting underway today, these are the highest-level talks since 2022. Here is how Iran's production of highly-enriched uranium has surged since then... www.bloomberg.com/news/article... 1/3
100
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
"Some experts in and outside Israel say the new approach is the result of a failure to eradicate Hamas. And they point to numerous foreign occupations — Israel’s in Lebanon, the US in Vietnam and Afghanistan — as blood-stained calamities." Full analysis👇 tinyurl.com/ntry4xv4
tinyurl.com
Israel’s Advance Into Gaza Lays Ground for Full-Scale Occupation
Evidence of the plan is in plain sight, with Israel now controlling more of the enclave than at any point during the war
110
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
A return to occupation will likely come at a heavy human cost. More than 50,000 Gazans have been killed already 📊👇 2/3
110
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
"Israel controls more of Gaza than at any point during the war, part of a plan that officials increasingly describe as leading to a full military occupation." See how the IDF's 'buffer zone' has expanded 👇 🗺️Map w/ @TomFevrier 1/3 tinyurl.com/ntry4xv4
43720
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
"The world’s richest people added $304 billion to their combined net worth, the largest one-day gain in the history of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, after Trump pledged to pause tariffs for some countries." 📊 by my colleagues @bloomberg.com bloomberg.com/news/article...
000
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
"Netanyahu’s government says it will seize land within Gaza — creating more buffer zones — and is urging hundreds of thousands of civilians to move, yet again, away from battle areas. The death toll is mounting." 📊 @jasonkao04.bsky.social @bloomberg.com www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
010
Reposted by Rachel Lavin
Julianne McShane @juliannemcshane.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
"Fifteen Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers, including at least one United Nations employee, were killed by Israeli forces “one by one” and buried in a mass grave eight days ago in southern Gaza, the UN has said." www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...
theguardian.com
Israel killed 15 Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers one by one, says UN
Workers on a mission to help colleagues were buried in mass grave in southern Gaza, says humanitarian office
38580371
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
Some of the international flight routes diverted this morning after #Heathrow's closure 👇 The world's fourth busiest airport is expected to be shut until 11:59 p.m. (GMT) tonight. For more @bloomberg.com update: www.bloomberg.com/news/live-bl...
000
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
"The companies behind the inauguration attendees’ fortunes have been some of the biggest losers, dropping a combined $1.39 trillion in market value..." 📊Brilliant reporting by my colleague Dylan Sloan 👇 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
020
Rachel Lavin @rachellavin.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
On Western 'tripwires' and why only the US can lay them... By the ever brilliant @andreaskluth.bsky.social (free to read)👇 bloom.bg/4irNVPJ
bloom.bg
Real Ukraine Peace Talks Require a Real US Security Guarantee
For negotiations to succeed, security assurances to Ukraine must be credible, and for them to be credible they must be backed by the US.
010