Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Reverend Jesus "H" Christ @reverendjesus.com · 23h

Blessed are the frogs, for they keep making authoritarians look incredibly stupid

Three persons in inflatable frog costumes. One of them is holding a nicely painted sign with two little cartoon frogs holding hands, below the text "FROGS TOGETHER STRONG"

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Carol Drinkwater @carol4olivefarm.bsky.social · 2h

I've been blocked from here for weeks! Good to be back.
Tomorrow, Sunday, 12th October, I'm appearing at the Henley Literature Festival (Gower Cottage Brownies stage, Town Hall) 4pm with Larry Lamb. Please come along and see us. We will be talking books and acting. Wine on offer!
@HenleyLitFest

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Chris Packham @chrisgpackham.bsky.social · 5h

Lanky , leggy , and beautiful ! Your #FoxOfTheDay shared by @mawgdn

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Denis - The COVID Info Guy @thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social · 12h

England is now experiencing a significant COVID wave, after 10 months of relative quiet.

"If someone says they are in bed with flu, it’s almost certainly COVID, given that the number of people admitted to hospital for COVID last week was 50 times higher than the number admitted for flu!"

The chart shows weekly hospital COVID admissions per 100,000 population in the UK from May 2023 to September 29, 2025, based on UKHSA data.

Autumn 2023 peak reached around 6 per 100k.

Winter JN.1 peak followed early 2024 (~5 per 100k).

Several 2024 peaks occurred mid-year before dropping.

A 10-month stretch of low, stable levels lasted through late 2024 to mid-2025.

A new Sept 2025 wave shows a sharp upward climb approaching prior peak levels.

Source: UKHSA weekly surveillance report
.
Chart by @chrischirp.bsky.social.

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Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 23h

After a long pause, I've just done another England Covid & NHS update as we head into the autumn/winter season.

TLDR: we're in a significant Covid wave now, the NHS is stretched, get boosted if you're eligible.

christinapagel.substack.com/p/england-is...

England is now experiencing a significant Covid wave, after 10 months of relative quiet

The latest Covid situation in England and a look at where NHS services are as we head into winter

christinapagel.substack.com

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Basketball Jones 🏀🦁 @shawnjohn.bsky.social · 1d

Viva La Portland Frog Brigade !!! #WarRavaged #Portland #Frog

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Dr Penny Bradshaw @drpennybradshaw.bsky.social · 17h

One of the highlights of the year: our MA student visit to The Armitt Museum and Library, to study the extraordinary mycological watercolours produced by Beatrix Potter in the 1890s as part of our engagement with the development of children’s literature in the Lake District 🍃📚🍄🍄‍🟫

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Seth Rudy @sethrudy.bsky.social · 23h

Meanwhile in #Portland

Kermit faces off with Hopper in The Muppet Movie

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Humanists UK @humanists.uk · 1d

BREAKING: A man who burnt a Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in London has had his conviction for religiously motivated harassment, alarm, or distress overturned on appeal by Southwark Crown Court. A huge victory for free speech and a blow against the revival of blasphemy laws. 🧵

Victory on appeal: peaceful anti-religious protesting is not a crime.

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chira 🎋 @artofchira.bsky.social · Jun 1

whenever i encounter people who say they can't understand shakespeare verses I always send them this clip from the 2019 Shakespeare in the Park production of Much Ado About Nothing

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The Daily Show @thedailyshow.com · 1d

The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.

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Trish Greenhalgh @trishgreenhalgh.bsky.social · 1d

Head hits desk.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

RFK Jr on Tylenol and autism: "It is not proof. We're doing the studies to make the proof."

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Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 1d

Exactly this 👇👇

Melissa Jo Peltier @melissjpeltier.bsky.social · 1d

As an American watching our best & most crucial institutions crumble in less than a year under Trump, I suggest you make as many of these changes now, while you can.
We didn’t, obviously.

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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 1d

Astonishing advance by the Greens, astonishing implosion of Labour. When will Starmer's government get the message that it is destroying its base with deeply unpopular, rightwing policies?

By chasing Reform, it legitimises the far right while delegitimising itself.

Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 1d

Latest poll puts Greens just two points behind Labour. When I said we weren't here to be disappointed in Labour but to replace them, I meant it.

Join us and let's make hope normal again.

join.greenparty.org.uk

Poll from find out now showing greens on 15 and labour and Tories on 17. Reform on 32.

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Humanists UK @humanists.uk · 2d

Humanists are non-religious people who shape their own lives in the here and now, because they believe it’s the only life they have. Many people share humanist values without even knowing the term. Maybe you’re a humanist! Find out by taking our quiz! humanists.uk/quiz

How humanist are you?

Take our quiz and find out. Many people are humanists without even knowing it. If you are non-religious and look to science, reason, empathy, and compassion in order to live an ethical and meaningful ...

humanists.uk

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Kate Evans @cartoonkate.bsky.social · Feb 10

Jane Austen with a very apposite quote

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Duncan Mackay @theduncanmackay.bsky.social · 2d

Carrawburgh Mithraeum, Hadrian’s Wall; the shyest member of the contu-baaa-nium
#RomanFortThursday

A sheep pokes its head out around a Roman altar in the ruins of a Roman temple.

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Colin Murray @colinmurray.bsky.social · 2d

Great to see that Beckett is still winning.

Lux "Nightmare" Alptraum @luxalptraum.com · 2d

TFW you paid $1400 to see Beckett’s most famous work without knowing anything about it

One Star Review of Waiting for Godot on Broadway
I recently attended Waiting for Godot on Broadway and spent over $1,400 for two Row C seats (103 and 104). I'm a longtime admirer of Broadway productions and even hold a season pass for Shea's Performing Arts Theatre, so I came in with genuine enthusiasm and high expectations. Unfortunately, this show was unlike anything ! have ever experienced —and not in a good way.
What I encountered was not the artistry, music, or emotional storytelling I usually associate with Broadway, but instead what felt like an endless cycle of nonsensical conversation between characters who seemed trapped in their own madness. I tried-truly tried-to find meaning, symbolism, or even a thread of emotional resonance. I stayed through the first half hoping the second would offer clarity. But by intermission, it was clear: this was a waste of both time and money.
Keanu Reeves is an actor I respect greatly, but I cannot fathom why he would agree to participate in such a disjointed, inaccessible production. His talent was lost in a performance that defied reason rather than provoked insight.
To anyone considering attending: unless you are drawn to highly abstract, nearly incomprehensible theater, I strongly caution you against this show. For the average, educated, thoughtful theatergoer, it is far more frustrating than fulfilling. In my opinion, this was the single most disappointing Broadway experience I've ever had - an unfortunate waste of money and, more importantly, of time.

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Shirley @shirleyrl.bsky.social · 2d

Dangerous times for human rights in the UK

Colin Murray @colinmurray.bsky.social · 2d

A pure example of BBC balance. On the one side, on the other, all the way through. This leaves a really superficial account of what's at issue with leaving the ECHR and accepts, doe-eyed, that Policy Exchange had a "really detailed proposal" on the GFA, not a hot mess:

share.google/qGXg9rHZYfPL...

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Shirley @shirleyrl.bsky.social · 2d

www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...

Dolly Parton addresses health concerns in new video: ‘I ain’t dead yet!’

Country music star shares buoyant video on social media after rumors swirl about her health

www.theguardian.com

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Duncan Mackay @theduncanmackay.bsky.social · 7d

Well, as the storm swings in and the world falls to pieces, I’m remembering this lovely rendezvous in the summer when Asterix found #PlaymobilÖtzi in the high alps, exchanging survival tips & non-prescribed potions. A truly (pre)historic collision of worlds & eras
#PlaymobilInfestation