Author | Lightnews

Upswept @upswept.bsky.social · 5h

I have a big tree in the corner of my yard. It's tucked behind my shed so don't have a clear view of it from the house. I didn't realise that a huge branch snapped off in a storm last week, and fell into my neighbours yard. Now it's leaning over the other two neighbours so needs to be cut down 😢

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Upswept @upswept.bsky.social · 6h

I agree. And the insanely long professional tennis season that stretches over 11 months, has always taken a toll on players at this time of year. Put the two together and it's a recipe for exhaustion and injuries.

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Sirius Star 🍉 🍉 🍉 @siriusstar3.bsky.social · 17h

@australianlabor.bsky.social has failed on 6 of 7 fields: secrecy, jobs for mates, reining in lobbyists, parliamentary accountability, an independent public service & oversight of the executive branch of gov.

@albomp.bsky.social more secretive than the pathological liar.
We need Change.
#Auspol

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mr dog @firstdogonthemoon.bsky.social · 1d

Fiona the Precariously Employed Bettong has an important message for Australia www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Welfare in Australia is a cruel shambles. How about we actually try to help people not squish them | First Dog on the Moon

What should the government do? Damnation and mouldy figs to the lot of them

www.theguardian.com

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Upswept @upswept.bsky.social · 20h

And because Melissa is so slow-moving, parts of Jamaica are going to be stuck in the equivalent of an EF3 Severe Tornado for many hours, or even days. Then there's the rain and storm surge which may trigger extensive flooding and landslides 😢🙏

An Leavy @an-leavy.bsky.social · 1d

“An update from the National Hurricane Center reported maximum sustained winds of 160mph (260 kmh)”

Sky News @news.sky.com · 1d

'Life-threatening storm' set to strike Jamaica as hurricane Melissa strengthens to category 5

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The DILETTANTE @demwar.bsky.social · 1d

Not only is it shameful and short sighted but it is immoral and unAustralian.

The reason Australia can’t be a strong beacon of hope in our region is because people like Penny Wong are owned by the US.

Senator David Shoebridge @davidshoebridge.bsky.social · 1d

Penny Wong accidentally saying the quiet bit out loud - for Labor the US relationship is more important than the Australian environment. Who do this lot think they work for?

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James B Dorey @jamesbeedorey.bsky.social · 1d

This is just mental. I can’t imagine aligning strongly with an aspiring autocratic fascist. Let alone at the cost of our natural assets :(

Senator David Shoebridge @davidshoebridge.bsky.social · 1d

Penny Wong accidentally saying the quiet bit out loud - for Labor the US relationship is more important than the Australian environment. Who do this lot think they work for?

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Professor Euan Ritchie @euanritchie.bsky.social · 1d

For reference, @senatorwong.bsky.social.

96% of Australians believe that more action is needed to look after the environment

86% of Australians have expressed concern over the decline of native plants and animals

biodiversitycouncil.org.au/resources/20...

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Misfit Mental Health @misfitmh.bsky.social · Mar 2

Here are 50 reasons someone might be masking in 2025. None of them have to do with anxiety or criminal behavior, and not all of them about COVID. Use them in your accommodations requests or when advocating to protect the right to wear masks/prevent mask bans.

open.substack.com/pub/misfitme...

Why Are People Wearing Masks in 2025?

a mental health professional’s perspective

open.substack.com

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World Health Network @thewhn.bsky.social · 1d

Show off your COVID-Safe Halloween costume with us! Snap a photo in your respirator and costume, and you could be featured on our website.

Upload your COVID-conscious costume pic here: whn.global/mask-selfies/ (link at bottom of the page).

#COVIDConscious #COVID #PublicHealth #MaskUp

Mask Selfies - WHN

Check out some of the selfies our members have sent to us. Be safe, wear a mask. Upload Your Mask Selfie Here!

whn.global

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Todd (they/them) #AbolishThePolice @toddbohannon.bsky.social · 1d

“Hurricane Melissa could be one of the most intense & devastating hurricanes on record for Jamaica, & it’s rapidly becoming a textbook example of how climate change is making hurricanes more dangerous,” —Katharine Hayhoe, professor of climate science. www.commondreams.org/news/jamaica...

'Jamaica Will Be Unrecognizable After This': Hurricane Melissa Erupts Into Category 5 'Monster' | Common Dreams

One hurricane historian said the world is "witnessing history on satellite right now" as the people of Jamaica came under evacuation orders and braced for impact of a storm that threatens severe flood...

www.commondreams.org

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Upswept @upswept.bsky.social · 21h

A Jamaican friend once taught me the hurricane rhyme they learned as kids:

June too soon
July be wary
August get ready
September remember
October all over

35 years of climate change later and they're facing a devastating Category 5 storm at the end of October.

Jeff Berardelli @weatherprof.bsky.social · 1d

#Melissa is now the 3rd Cat 5 #Hurricane of the season! Only one other season, 2005, had as many (4).
Melissa has winds of 160 mph and pressure of 917 mb. Already impacting #Jamaica now and conditions will deteriorate through today and tonight.

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John Morales @johnmoralestv.bsky.social · 23h

"The NOAA aircraft left the storm early after
experiencing severe turbulence in the southwestern eyewall."

These men and women are not being paid due to the US government shutdown. Not to mention that according to AOML's director emeritus Robert Atlas, they are down 40-50% staff. #Melissa

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Harry @harro93.bsky.social · 14d

Yet another thing that I thought would be impossible for Albanese to do worse at than Morrison.

#auspol

David @daverino.bsky.social · 14d

“CSIRO will embark on further cost-cutting to research units to repair a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall, as Aust’s national science & research agency reckons with an ongoing decline in funding..funding as a percentage of GDP..is now at its lowest since 1978”
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Albanese urged to ‘secure the future of science’ as CSIRO reckons with ongoing decline in funding

CEO Doug Hilton says the agency’s budget allocation ‘has not kept up with the cost of doing science’

www.theguardian.com

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Chronic Illness Humor @chronicillness.bsky.social · 3d

As she gets worse and worse, she exclaims, "At least my labs look great!"

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Dr David Joffe MB BS(Hons), PhD, FRACP @davidjoffe64.bsky.social · 2d

This is the most important paper to demonstrate the endless capacity of COVID to stuff your immune system.

The #Leonardi_Effect is real 🙏🏻

www.frontiersin.org/journals/imm...

Frontiers | Distinct characteristics of T cell receptor repertoire associated with the SARS-CoV-2 reinfection

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, represents one of the most profound global public health challenges in modern history. While T cell immunity is ...

www.frontiersin.org

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Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 2d

Stonepeak is a private equity firm founded by two Australian billionaires, Michael Dorrell and Trent Vichie.

Dorrell owns the only private island in Palm Beach, Florida.

Vichie’s company, Everwind Fuels, claims to be a developing “green” energy alternatives.

Now they’re human traffickers.

Gillian Brockell @gbrockell.bsky.social · 2d

This ICE removal operated by Omni Air International is now making its second stop, in Sri Lanka. So far, migrants onboard have spent 34 hours in handcuffs, leg irons and a waist chain. There may be more stops.

Omni and its parent company were purchased in April by private equity firm Stonepeak.

An ADSBx map of South Asia showing the flight path of Omni aircraft N819AX. It flew east, landed in New Delhi, then flew south and is approacing Colombo, Sir Lanka.

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Upswept @upswept.bsky.social · 3d

I showed my pride this ACE Week with clothes, brooches and mask covers in the colours of the Asexual flag. It's not the most inspiring colour combination, in fact it's a bit 'meh', but while fifty shades of grey does nothing for me, I can definitely get into fifty shades of purple!

Woman wearing a FloMask with a cotton cover with a black background and purple, grey and white butterflies on. She is also wearing a purple sweater with a Bee Proud pin with the asexual Flag on, and a brooch with black cat reading a purple and white book titled 'How to train your human', made by Cherryloco jewellery.

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New Scientist @newscientist.com · 8d

Record-breaking ocean temperatures have caused widespread bleaching and death among warm-water corals, which could have far-reaching consequences

Coral reefs are at a tipping point after surging global temperatures

Record-breaking ocean temperatures have caused widespread bleaching and death among warm-water corals, which could have far-reaching consequences

www.newscientist.com

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David Steel @steelyseabirder.bsky.social · 16d

Welcome to Super Seabird Sunday where we ask you to share photos, videos & artwork of seabirds to brighten up timelines. To get us started here are thousands of Puffins on the Isle of May #SuperSeabirdSunday

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Ify Nwadiwe @ifycomedy.com · 16d

I think we really should stop using antifa and just fully say anti-fascist and get them saying they are against anti fascism. Using antifa is giving them some distance and I genuinely think some of their base don’t even know that’s what it stands for.

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Denis - The COVID Info Guy @thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social · 17d

Last week, COVID levels found in wastewater continued to rise in many European countries, reaching moderately high levels in some.

Trends in Covid activity as measured by wastewater monitoring by European country: Week ending Jan 5, 2024 to Oct 2, 2025.

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

A chart titled “Last week, Covid levels found in wastewater continued to rise in many European countries, reaching moderately high levels in some.”

Subheading reads: “Trends in Covid activity as measured by wastewater monitoring by European country: Week ending Jan 5, 2024 to Oct 2, 2025.”

Six line graphs show wastewater trends for:

Germany: Large early 2024 spike (~150K), dip mid-year, rising again by Oct 2025.

Netherlands: Multiple peaks (~1.8K), renewed climb late 2025.

Denmark: Sharp surge to ~7.2K by Oct 2025.

Sweden: Repeated small waves up to ~12.

Austria: Moderate peaks near ~330, trending upward.

France: Very high early-2024 peak (~9.3K), rising again later 2025.

Source: Bob Hawkins Substack, data from National Wastewater Monitoring Sites, created with Datawrapper.
Link: https://bhawkins3.substack.com/p/covid-situation-report-oct-9-2025

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Denis - The COVID Info Guy @thecovidinfoguy.bsky.social · 17d

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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Upswept @upswept.bsky.social · 17d

Had an absolutely shit week, as did many of my colleagues, but I managed to summon the will and energy to shower, dress, and leave the house today. Car battery was flat again due to so little use lately. Buying a jump start battery has proven a great investment. I've had to use it a lot recently!⚡

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Rob Arnol @robertarnol.bsky.social · 21d

Do not discount Aboriginal oral histories. They are often the only record of historical events like these, volcanoes and other major disruptions to life in Australia before colonisation, and can go back thousands of years with an accuracy that is unknown elsewhere.

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