Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Michael Schwandt @michaelschwandt.bsky.social · 22h

Elephants for safer road speeds!

(Uganda chapter.✅)

#visionzero #roadsafety

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Michael Schwandt @michaelschwandt.bsky.social · 1d

👏🏽

Colin W. 🇨🇦 🇦🇺🇩🇪🌻 @grapemanca.bsky.social · 1d

The Secret to Vancouver’s Public Transit Ridership Recovery: Vancouver's #transit system, TransLink, bounced back from Covid even as other North American systems have struggled. Its leader explains why Vancouver has one of the best transit systems in North America.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

The Secret to Vancouver’s Public Transit Ridership Recovery

The Canadian city’s transit agency, TransLink, bounced back from Covid even as other North American systems have struggled. Its leader explains why riders returned.

www.bloomberg.com

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Reposted by Michael Schwandt

Colin W. 🇨🇦 🇦🇺🇩🇪🌻 @grapemanca.bsky.social · 1d

The Secret to Vancouver’s Public Transit Ridership Recovery: Vancouver's #transit system, TransLink, bounced back from Covid even as other North American systems have struggled. Its leader explains why Vancouver has one of the best transit systems in North America.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

The Secret to Vancouver’s Public Transit Ridership Recovery

The Canadian city’s transit agency, TransLink, bounced back from Covid even as other North American systems have struggled. Its leader explains why riders returned.

www.bloomberg.com

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Reposted by Michael Schwandt

Jeremy Caradonna @jeremycaradonnayyj.bsky.social · Sep 10

I really don’t like to criticize my fellow local governments, but I am OUTRAGED at this decision.

This week, Sidney rejected its one and only Extreme Weather shelter, which was aimed at the dozen or so homeless SENIORS in the town.

All paid for by BC Housing.
www.timescolonist.com/local-news/s...

Sidney rejects extreme-weather shelter after community opposition

The shelter would have run out of a community space in Wakefield Manor on Third Street.

www.timescolonist.com

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Michael Schwandt @michaelschwandt.bsky.social · 3d

Ah, I see! I had a bit of a fever dream that this was actually caught by speed cameras. 😆

The fact this wild speeding was recorded *by the vehicle (tracking) itself* somehow makes this feel even more boneheaded…

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Reposted by Michael Schwandt

Long Branch Mike (LBM) 🇨🇦 @longbranchmike.bsky.social · 4d

@lonrec.bsky.social

High Speed Rail Group @hsrailgroup.bsky.social · 4d

High-speed train links for travel to major European cities gets under way.

High-speed train links for travel to European cities gets under way

The High Speed Rail Network is expected to be completed in 20 years and a European study estimates the cost of implementation will be €546 billion.

www.euronews.com

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Reposted by Michael Schwandt

Owen Massey @bookllyfr.bsky.social · 4d

A parish council in Oxford has refused to install a bench on a quiet side street in case people sit on it and get hit by a car

www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/2552131...

#motonormativity

@apiln.bsky.social

Proposed 'eyesore' bench causes outrage among community

Plans for a new artistic bench that have been two years in the making have caused outrage among residents in Botley near an Oxford Brookes campus.

www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk

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Reposted by Michael Schwandt

James Thorniley @jamesthorniley.bsky.social · 4d

the response sheet does look like a good demonstration of "only people who are opposed to stuff fill in consultations"

Section of consultation responses, almost all negative. Text is

7/10/2025 23:33:59
7/11/2025 13:26:15No. These are really ugly
7/12/2025 13:50:27These honestly are terrible.
7/12/2025 13:52:56 TEXT REDACTED DUE TO ACCUSATORY
AND AGGRESSIVE TONE
7/12/2025 15:50:14No, these are all honestly terrible
7/13/2025 10:08:07
7/13/2025 10:25:50No, these are all honestly terrible
7/13/2025 10:26:59These are aggressively bad ��
7/13/2025 10:30:03
No. Funds have not been allocated for artistic
SEATING - you told us it was just for an art
installation of some kind. These bench designs
are really not good options
7/13/2025 19:47:24
7/13/2025 21:01:13
Yes. I like the simple ones that look like they're
planned, rather than the more elaborate
example
7/13/2025 19:29:24
7/17/2025 15:13:08No

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Reposted by Michael Schwandt

Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 4d

We have let cars break our brains. Seriously.

Owen Massey @bookllyfr.bsky.social · 4d

A parish council in Oxford has refused to install a bench on a quiet side street in case people sit on it and get hit by a car

www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk/news/2552131...

#motonormativity

@apiln.bsky.social

Proposed 'eyesore' bench causes outrage among community

Plans for a new artistic bench that have been two years in the making have caused outrage among residents in Botley near an Oxford Brookes campus.

www.thisisoxfordshire.co.uk

7 16 88

Michael Schwandt @michaelschwandt.bsky.social · 3d

Repeatedly hitting 160 km/h in a government vehicle? Nothing to see here! (OK, a guy who is very excited to drive 100 mph in a car provided by his work.)

In fairness to Ontario, that is one of a few provinces that actually has speed safety cameras in place to even identify this dangerous driving!

Leftbobgolfer @leftbobgolfer.bsky.social · 4d

How TF does this guy still have a job???

Has crossed the "Stunt Driving" laws threshold TWELVE times in a govt vehicle. (More than 50 km/hr over speed limit (30mph).

globalnews.ca/news/1146702...

Ford government vehicle recorded at stunt driving speeds on Ontario highways | Globalnews.ca

At least one cabinet-assigned vehicle was recorded driving more than 50 km/h over the speed limit multiple times in the past three years, according to documents.

globalnews.ca

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Reposted by Michael Schwandt

Granville Cat @catwithoutahat.bsky.social · 6d

Why are we making people with disabilities starve in Canada?
Unless a person with disabilities can work part-time or has very affordable or social housing, they will literally struggle to eat in this country. Why?
PWD live far below the poverty line!
www.disabilitywithoutpoverty.ca/en/take-acti...

CDB Clawback Map of Canada | Disability Without Poverty

Image

www.disabilitywithoutpoverty.ca

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Reposted by Michael Schwandt

Maple Mama @maplemama20.bsky.social · 8d

Here's a great video from Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew who is the first indigenous Premier dancing in his jingle dancer regalia for a every child matters gathering for Truth and reconciliation day 🧡 so powerful #EveryChildMatters

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Reposted by Michael Schwandt

Elle Ess @viamarsala18.bsky.social · 9d

Every time I’ve been to a hospital I’ve noticed incredibly passionate and professional immigrants at every level of care, from janitorial staff to nurses to midwives to MDs. I *quite literally* want my taxes to pay for people to be cared for and not die.

Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 9d

ER doc here! This is a lie. Wait times are up because the American healthcare system is an unsustainable business model and a for-profit national healthcare system just doesn’t work. These problems will continue to get worse until we change that system. It literally has nothing to do with immigrants

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 9d

Vance: "If you're an American citizen & you've been to the hospital in the last few years, you've probably noticed wait times are especially large & very often somebody who's there in the ER is an illegal alien. Why do those people get healthcare benefits at hospitals paid for by American citizens?"

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Reposted by Michael Schwandt

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 10d

RACISM COSTS EVERYONE, SHE SAID

WE ARE AT THE COSTING EVERYONE PART

www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/564989...

The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee: 9780525509585 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD • One of today’s most insightful and influential thinkers offers a powerful exploration of inequality and the lesson that...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com

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Michael Schwandt @michaelschwandt.bsky.social · 11d

‘Established in 2020, the Equity Office played a key role in building a strong foundation for equity, diversion, and inclusion across the organization. Over the past years, EDI has been embedded into training, policy and leadership...’

So job done, a wrap for the program that drove this forward?

Michael Schwandt @michaelschwandt.bsky.social · 19d

😬 🤦

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Reposted by Michael Schwandt

The Editorial Board @editorialboard.bsky.social · 25d

Read this. www.ndsmcobserver.com/article/2025...

What Charlie Kirk got wrong about Black women

“His racist remarks are inevitably a part of his legacy, and should be consequently painted into the picture of his character.”

www.ndsmcobserver.com

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Reposted by Michael Schwandt

Andrea Woo @andreawoo.bsky.social · Sep 10

My two favorite stories this week, and maybe this year:

1. @akurjata.ca’s TikTok on Prince George man busted for driving tiny Barbie car:
vt.tiktok.com/ZSDeDjtPk/

2. @mikehager.bsky.social’s inexplicable deep dive on water beds: www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

Canada’s last waterbed salesmen still try to make waves in a dozing industry

After marketing made them a cradle of countercultural kink, the beds fell out of style in the 1980s. But a Don Quixote of dozing has hope the masses will embrace them once again

www.theglobeandmail.com

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Reposted by Michael Schwandt

Andrea Woo @andreawoo.bsky.social · Sep 10

Among the many, many things I learned from @mikehager.bsky.social’s exhaustive look at water beds: Waterbed enthusiasts refer to normal beds as “dead beds.”
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

Canada’s last waterbed salesmen still try to make waves in a dozing industry

After marketing made them a cradle of countercultural kink, the beds fell out of style in the 1980s. But a Don Quixote of dozing has hope the masses will embrace them once again

www.theglobeandmail.com

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Michael Schwandt @michaelschwandt.bsky.social · Sep 9

This morning I had to fill out a form with the dates for a planned project, and this project being five years long the closing date read... _2030_.

My brain may have glitched a bit at this. Not as much so as when dating things '2000' for the first several times. But still.

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Reposted by Michael Schwandt

Asawin Suebsaeng @swin24.bsky.social · Sep 9

Looks, accent, skull shape; it’s all relative

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Sep 9

GEIST: What is 'reasonable suspicion'? Is it an accent, a tattoo, a job?

TOM HOMAN: A lot of those things combined. We don't arrest people just based on their looks, but it's myriad of factors.

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Reposted by Michael Schwandt

Veronica Lewis, M.Ed. 👩‍🦯 @veron4ica.com · Nov 19

I have low vision and I rely on alt text and image descriptions to provide context about images on platforms like BlueSky. If you don’t know how to write #AltText yet, I have several guides on my website that can show you how— take the #AltTextChallenge! veroniiiica.com/how-to-write... (1/10)

How To Write Alt Text And Image Descriptions

The ultimate guide on how to write alt text and image descriptions for the visually impaired, written by someone with low vision who uses alt text

veroniiiica.com

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Reposted by Michael Schwandt

Veronica Lewis, M.Ed. 👩‍🦯 @veron4ica.com · Nov 29

Want to learn more about how to write your own alt text? Check out this thread of resources from my website! bsky.app/profile/vero...

Veronica Lewis, M.Ed. 👩‍🦯 @veron4ica.com · Nov 17

I have low vision and I rely on alt text and image descriptions to provide context about images on platforms like BlueSky. If you don’t know how to write #AltText yet, I have several guides on my website that can show you how— take the #AltTextChallenge! veroniiiica.com/how-to-write... (1/10)

How To Write Alt Text And Image Descriptions

The ultimate guide on how to write alt text and image descriptions for the visually impaired, written by someone with low vision who uses alt text

veroniiiica.com

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Michael Schwandt @michaelschwandt.bsky.social · Sep 8

"If they don't like the data in your graphs / they'll just turn the lights out on your lab."

Dr. Wendy Bohon @drwendyrocks.bsky.social · Sep 6

👏👏👏 👏👏