Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Razzball @razzball.bsky.social · 3d

Zohran Mamdani hops on a Citi Bike and a woman heckles him, shouting “communist!” He responds, “That’s cyclist”

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Naomi Alderman @naomialderman.bsky.social · 5h

British English often uses diminishers as intensifiers.
"I'm upset about that" = I am moderately upset
"I'm just a tiny little bit upset about that" = I am very upset

it's related to understatement, very English since Beowulf: poetryfoundation.org/education/gl...

Litotes

Poems, readings, poetry news and the entire 110-year archive of POETRY magazine.

poetryfoundation.org

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Greg Jenner @gregjenner.bsky.social · 5h

You may call it ‘Chatfishing’, but I shall only refer to it as ‘Cyrano de Berger-App’
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder

Where once people were duped by soft-focus photos and borrowed chat-up lines, now they have to watch out for computer-generated charm. But it’s one thing to use a witty phrase – another thing entirely...

www.theguardian.com

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Rob Delaney @robdelaney.bsky.social · 5h

In all the horrible news Israel & the US generate when they work together, it is instructive that I learn that Israel’s strike on Qatar didn’t even kill the Hamas officials it was allegedly targeting *from an article about how Trump will personally profit from the ceasefire.*

Mohamad Bazzi @mbazzi.bsky.social · 19h

An underreported aspect of the Gaza ceasefire: The business deals that Trump's family made with Gulf Arab states gave Trump a personal stake in restraining Netanyahu — my piece @theguardian.com | www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

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Steven Sheil @scsheil.bsky.social · 14h

RIP to the great Diane Keaton. If you can find it, her book on Clown Paintings - for which she curated a large selection of flea market amateur clown portraits -mostly fantastically creepy - accompanied by the thoughts of famous people regarding clowns - is well worth a look.

Diane Keaton standing in front of of an impressive array of creepy clown paintings

Dusne Keaton’s book ‘Clown Paintings’ which features an ultra close up view of a clown’s jeering face.

A portrait from the book - an incredibly creepy black-eyed clown

John Waters on clowns, with the headline ‘Clowns are usually assholes’

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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 21h

A library director in Wyoming who was fired two years ago because she refused to remove books with sexual content and LGBTQ themes from a library's children and young adult sections has just been awarded $700,000 in a settlement. t.co/EA5L1kOZfV

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/us/wyoming-library-settlement-book-bans-terri-lesley.html?smtyp=cur&smid=fb-nytimes&fbclid=IwdGRjcANWLXdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHhlnY6nKj_j4zuP3VjNSstXWBaV1t8-sPQ5C3b_jS6WN...

t.co

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Sarah B @flythehighlife.bsky.social · 7h

White bread.
Spider-Man.
Tie between the two worst songs ever written: Life is a Highway /The Logical Song

Sarah B @flythehighlife.bsky.social · 7h

This year’s Bathurst 1000 is like the motor racing equivalent of Black Hawk Down, it is absolutely crazy

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LESams @lsam22.bsky.social · 1d

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Jenna Price @jennaprice.bsky.social · 8h

How is everyone not sharing this?😍

Jeremy Conescu @conescu.bsky.social · 10h

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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 10h

An HHS source says admin also RIFed entire Office of Population Affairs last night.
“Not a single staff person to run our nation's family planning program or the evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention program. The Office of Adolescent Health which nested within OPA functionally ceases to exist”

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Julia Métraux @juliametraux.bsky.social · 10h

This article I had published at @motherjones.com in January feels very relevant with federal special ed office layoffs. Project 2025 targeted disability education services. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Project 2025's plan to dismantle public education—and screw over disabled kids

Nearly nine million students rely on DOE-backed disability accommodations.

www.motherjones.com

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Sara Partridge, Ph.D. @sarapartridge.bsky.social · 21h

There are reports that the *entire* office of special education at the US Dept of Education has been cut. These hardworking folks ensure kids with disabilities get equal access to a quality education.

America’s children deserve better than this.

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AEW Scotland @aewscotland.bsky.social · 1d

This is fucking excellent.

Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 2d

www.wweek.com/culture/2025...

Can you put into words what that purpose is? You and the frog have really become icons of this protest.

There’s been a nice overall whimsy that has shown up. The frog is amazing. We had a bunch of other inflatable people here last night, too. I saw people playing Twister the other day.

What they rely on is fear. So by coming out in an absurdist manner, it speaks to them, to some extent, that we’re actually not that afraid.

It also dismantles their narrative a little bit. When they try to describe this situation as “war-torn,” it becomes much harder to take them seriously when they have to post a video saying [U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security] Kristi Noem is up on the balcony staring over the Antifa Army and it’s, like, eight journalists and five protesters and one of them is in a chicken suit.

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Sarah B @flythehighlife.bsky.social · 1d

Well well well well well well WELL.

US says Qatar to build air force facility in Idaho

The facility in Idaho will be used to train Qatari pilots to fly F-15 fighter jets, the US defence secretary says.

www.bbc.com

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Tyler King @tyleraking.com · 1d

I regret to inform you that you are being affected by a reduction in force (RIF) action. Please find attached a notice memorandum explaining the RIF and next steps. This RIF action does not reflect directly on your service, performance, or conduct. It is being taken solely for the reasons stated in the memorandum.
After you receive this notice, you will be placed on administrative leave and will no longer have building access beginning Friday, October 10, unless directed otherwise by your leadership. Additionally, please save this email and its attachments, or forward them to a personal email address, for your records.
Leadership at HHS appreciates your service.

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Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 2d

The Nobel Peace Prize committee's decision to honour someone who has tirelessly campaigned against dictatorship is both worthwhile and welcome, and objectively very funny.

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Lorcan Roche Kelly @lorcanrk.bsky.social · 2d

How long will Rubio keep his job after his boss finds out he put his name to this letter supporting Maria Corina Machando for the Nobel Prize? www.rickscott.senate.gov/services/fil...

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Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 2d

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has won the Nobel Peace Prize.

The committee said she had resisted death threats to fight for democracy in opposition to President Nicolas Maduro - widely considered a dictator who's cheated elections

news.sky.com/story/nobel-...