Francesca S.
@stefafra.bsky.social
Botanist, scientist, on a bike from A to B.🧫🧬🥼🥦
Likes plants and fungi, in the lab and in the kitchen.
European in UK:🇪🇺 🇮🇹🇳🇱🇨🇭
She/her
Likes plants and fungi, in the lab and in the kitchen.
European in UK:🇪🇺 🇮🇹🇳🇱🇨🇭
She/her
Reposted by Francesca S.
Accusing a wild game dish of being "gamey" is a bit like accusing beef of being beefy. When did gamey become a bad thing? Game should be like game.
November 11, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Accusing a wild game dish of being "gamey" is a bit like accusing beef of being beefy. When did gamey become a bad thing? Game should be like game.
Reposted by Francesca S.
Police have named the couple they’re looking for in connection to a racist incident on the tube and they’re wealthy Trump supporters and founders of an “anti-woke” PR firm.
Trump supporter and financier named as couple in Bond Street Tube ‘assault and racist abuse’ police appeal — The Standard
Philip Ostermann and Melissa Rein Lively have been named as the subjects of the British Transport Police appeal
apple.news
November 11, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Police have named the couple they’re looking for in connection to a racist incident on the tube and they’re wealthy Trump supporters and founders of an “anti-woke” PR firm.
Reposted by Francesca S.
the fun thing about the BBC story is that I can't actually read about it for more than couple of minutes at a time because it makes me feel too insane :)
The worst you can accuse Panorama of doing is making a misleading edit – and I’d dispute that! – to make *a point that was true*.
The programme aired without anyone seeing any issues with the edit. It was on iPlayer for a year without complaints. Donald Trump *did* incite Jan 6th.
The programme aired without anyone seeing any issues with the edit. It was on iPlayer for a year without complaints. Donald Trump *did* incite Jan 6th.
Tory culture spox demanding the BBC "grovel" to Trump is baffling. Who is this supposed to chime with?
Just a bizarre line that no one who doesn't use X would ever think.
Just a bizarre line that no one who doesn't use X would ever think.
November 11, 2025 at 9:53 AM
the fun thing about the BBC story is that I can't actually read about it for more than couple of minutes at a time because it makes me feel too insane :)
Reposted by Francesca S.
You may have missed this gem yesterday. From which we learn that:
1. Betting shops are really good for the mental health of isolated people.
2. Most drug-takers are not a problem.
3. Kids put tuppence in slot machines in the hope of getting rich.
4. Farage probably has a gambling industry donor.
1. Betting shops are really good for the mental health of isolated people.
2. Most drug-takers are not a problem.
3. Kids put tuppence in slot machines in the hope of getting rich.
4. Farage probably has a gambling industry donor.
November 11, 2025 at 10:08 AM
You may have missed this gem yesterday. From which we learn that:
1. Betting shops are really good for the mental health of isolated people.
2. Most drug-takers are not a problem.
3. Kids put tuppence in slot machines in the hope of getting rich.
4. Farage probably has a gambling industry donor.
1. Betting shops are really good for the mental health of isolated people.
2. Most drug-takers are not a problem.
3. Kids put tuppence in slot machines in the hope of getting rich.
4. Farage probably has a gambling industry donor.
Reposted by Francesca S.
The "appropriate response" is to broadcast everything that Trump did and said on that appalling day for American democracy and then to tell this moron to sling his hook.
I might be wrong, but this stinks of Pharage involvement.
November 11, 2025 at 8:03 AM
The "appropriate response" is to broadcast everything that Trump did and said on that appalling day for American democracy and then to tell this moron to sling his hook.
Reposted by Francesca S.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the 9/11 attacks:
I was only 19 years old at the time and did not have decision-making authority.
Furthermore, al-Qaeda was not present in my region. Therefore, you are speaking to the wrong person about this subject.
I was only 19 years old at the time and did not have decision-making authority.
Furthermore, al-Qaeda was not present in my region. Therefore, you are speaking to the wrong person about this subject.
November 11, 2025 at 7:52 AM
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the 9/11 attacks:
I was only 19 years old at the time and did not have decision-making authority.
Furthermore, al-Qaeda was not present in my region. Therefore, you are speaking to the wrong person about this subject.
I was only 19 years old at the time and did not have decision-making authority.
Furthermore, al-Qaeda was not present in my region. Therefore, you are speaking to the wrong person about this subject.
Reposted by Francesca S.
Oh look. There really are "no go areas" in England.
And they're marked by St George's flags
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
And they're marked by St George's flags
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
NHS staff who visit patients at home say St George’s flags can mean ‘no-go zones’
Black and Asian staff left feeling ‘deliberately intimidated’, according to chief executive of one NHS trust
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Oh look. There really are "no go areas" in England.
And they're marked by St George's flags
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
And they're marked by St George's flags
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Reposted by Francesca S.
I think if you’re gonna lament the loss of “Huguenot pubs” you should be legally-bound to go all the way and openly blame a Jesuit conspiracy as being behind it all.
November 10, 2025 at 7:28 PM
I think if you’re gonna lament the loss of “Huguenot pubs” you should be legally-bound to go all the way and openly blame a Jesuit conspiracy as being behind it all.
Reposted by Francesca S.
Fascinating to break this down and understand what stage of brainworms the Spectatorati are at now.
November 10, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Fascinating to break this down and understand what stage of brainworms the Spectatorati are at now.
Reposted by Francesca S.
Petit moet vertrekken.
ON-grootgraaier Raisa Blommestijn is veroordeeld vanwege racistische taal die ze kent uit de colleges van Cliteur.
Een onderzoek van de Universiteit Leiden móest de racist Cliteur vrijpleiten.
We zijn extreem tolerant voor uiterst rechts.
www.mareonline.nl/opinie/vaarw...
ON-grootgraaier Raisa Blommestijn is veroordeeld vanwege racistische taal die ze kent uit de colleges van Cliteur.
Een onderzoek van de Universiteit Leiden móest de racist Cliteur vrijpleiten.
We zijn extreem tolerant voor uiterst rechts.
www.mareonline.nl/opinie/vaarw...
November 11, 2025 at 6:56 AM
Petit moet vertrekken.
ON-grootgraaier Raisa Blommestijn is veroordeeld vanwege racistische taal die ze kent uit de colleges van Cliteur.
Een onderzoek van de Universiteit Leiden móest de racist Cliteur vrijpleiten.
We zijn extreem tolerant voor uiterst rechts.
www.mareonline.nl/opinie/vaarw...
ON-grootgraaier Raisa Blommestijn is veroordeeld vanwege racistische taal die ze kent uit de colleges van Cliteur.
Een onderzoek van de Universiteit Leiden móest de racist Cliteur vrijpleiten.
We zijn extreem tolerant voor uiterst rechts.
www.mareonline.nl/opinie/vaarw...
Reposted by Francesca S.
Whole fucking thing makes me sick to my stomach. An abject fucking liar, a man who lies as easily as he fucking breathes, threatening an organisation which strives for truthfulness. And plastic patriots like the Mail and Farage urging him on. Jackels.
November 11, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Whole fucking thing makes me sick to my stomach. An abject fucking liar, a man who lies as easily as he fucking breathes, threatening an organisation which strives for truthfulness. And plastic patriots like the Mail and Farage urging him on. Jackels.
Reposted by Francesca S.
I reckon a reasonable test of someone’s patriotism might be if they want to see the end of an historic national institution that is trusted and respected worldwide because they don’t like everything that institution does.
November 11, 2025 at 7:14 AM
I reckon a reasonable test of someone’s patriotism might be if they want to see the end of an historic national institution that is trusted and respected worldwide because they don’t like everything that institution does.
Reposted by Francesca S.
I do not understand the Labour government's reticence over defending the BBC and social media regulation. Their long-term survival basically depends on it. Their cowardice in the face of it may be the single thing they are most remembered for.
on.ft.com/3JVxC1Z via @FT
on.ft.com/3JVxC1Z via @FT
BBC faces ‘existential’ threat after exit of top executives
Broadcaster’s deepest crisis in recent history comes amid fresh questions over its future role in British society
on.ft.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:35 AM
I do not understand the Labour government's reticence over defending the BBC and social media regulation. Their long-term survival basically depends on it. Their cowardice in the face of it may be the single thing they are most remembered for.
on.ft.com/3JVxC1Z via @FT
on.ft.com/3JVxC1Z via @FT
Reposted by Francesca S.
1945 the British made sure that Germanys public broadcasting system would never be taken over by an authoritarian leader again by creating a complicated federal system.
They didn’t see to that at home which has left the BBC vulnerable.
This needs to change now.
They didn’t see to that at home which has left the BBC vulnerable.
This needs to change now.
Well, this is quite a serious allegation. I do hope the BBC shows true impartiality and investigate whether or not some of its Board members are systemically biased. www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...
BBC board member with Tory links ‘led charge’ in systemic bias claims, say insiders
Sources say Robbie Gibb amplified criticisms of Trump, Gaza and trans rights coverage, and had ‘a lot of oxygen in the room’
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:40 AM
1945 the British made sure that Germanys public broadcasting system would never be taken over by an authoritarian leader again by creating a complicated federal system.
They didn’t see to that at home which has left the BBC vulnerable.
This needs to change now.
They didn’t see to that at home which has left the BBC vulnerable.
This needs to change now.
Sign this petition if you are interested in plant biology, plants feed us
c.org/xFrcgJ4NgT
c.org/xFrcgJ4NgT
Sign the Petition
Reconsider the potential suspension of Plant Biology Courses at UoN
c.org
November 10, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Sign this petition if you are interested in plant biology, plants feed us
c.org/xFrcgJ4NgT
c.org/xFrcgJ4NgT
Reposted by Francesca S.
What you’re witnessing is a populist assault on the BBC.
This is not an institutional scandal in any meaningful sense of the word. It is an attack on public service broadcasting.
iandunt.substack.com/p/extra-edit...
This is not an institutional scandal in any meaningful sense of the word. It is an attack on public service broadcasting.
iandunt.substack.com/p/extra-edit...
November 10, 2025 at 10:52 AM
What you’re witnessing is a populist assault on the BBC.
This is not an institutional scandal in any meaningful sense of the word. It is an attack on public service broadcasting.
iandunt.substack.com/p/extra-edit...
This is not an institutional scandal in any meaningful sense of the word. It is an attack on public service broadcasting.
iandunt.substack.com/p/extra-edit...
Reposted by Francesca S.
A very useful analysis that give the bigger picture.
👇👇
👇👇
The BBC is in a fight for its survival
The BBC only has itself to blame for its handling of a serious error in a documentary on Trump. But its demise—as the US media landscape shows—would l...
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 10:53 AM
A very useful analysis that give the bigger picture.
👇👇
👇👇
Reposted by Francesca S.
California Governor Gavin Newsom makes the right call on the government shutdown deal negotiated by two rank-breaking New Hampshire Democratic senators and a Maine independent.
November 10, 2025 at 9:56 AM
California Governor Gavin Newsom makes the right call on the government shutdown deal negotiated by two rank-breaking New Hampshire Democratic senators and a Maine independent.
Reposted by Francesca S.
A good day to listen to our proud, joyous history of the BBC: One of the greatest British inventions of the 20th Century. An institution which, even at its worst, is far better than its detractors podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
podcasts.apple.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:02 AM
A good day to listen to our proud, joyous history of the BBC: One of the greatest British inventions of the 20th Century. An institution which, even at its worst, is far better than its detractors podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
Reposted by Francesca S.
Reposted by Francesca S.
Reposted by Francesca S.
This is very clear, sensible and balanced.
What I would add is that they also need a much more convincing explanation of how government will use money to make people's lives better. Just saying we will spend eleventy-squillion on the NHS is not enough...
What I would add is that they also need a much more convincing explanation of how government will use money to make people's lives better. Just saying we will spend eleventy-squillion on the NHS is not enough...
Breaking the tax pledge is the right call...and politically sulphurous. Reeves must argue, far more forcefully, that taxes are *the* essential downpayment we all pay for a fairer society.
Patrick Diamond and I wrote for @renewaljournal.bsky.social. Key points in 🧵 👇
renewal.org.uk/blog/if-labo...
Patrick Diamond and I wrote for @renewaljournal.bsky.social. Key points in 🧵 👇
renewal.org.uk/blog/if-labo...
If Labour want a fairer society, they must argue for it
Labour must make the political argument: taxes are the critical downpayment we all pay to live in a fairer society.
It now seems all but certain that direct taxes will rise in the forthcoming Budget...
renewal.org.uk
November 10, 2025 at 8:38 AM
This is very clear, sensible and balanced.
What I would add is that they also need a much more convincing explanation of how government will use money to make people's lives better. Just saying we will spend eleventy-squillion on the NHS is not enough...
What I would add is that they also need a much more convincing explanation of how government will use money to make people's lives better. Just saying we will spend eleventy-squillion on the NHS is not enough...
Reposted by Francesca S.
The BBC - for all its flaws - remains the greatest news and broadcasting service in the world.
It is everything Donald Trump and his cabal of nasty little nobodies will never be and we need to defend it.
It is everything Donald Trump and his cabal of nasty little nobodies will never be and we need to defend it.
Donald Trump Slams 'Corrupt' BBC After Tim Davie Resigns Over Bias Row
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/donald...
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/donald...
Donald Trump Slams 'Corrupt' BBC After Tim Davie Resigns Over Bias Row
The US president said the corporation's behaviour was "a terrible thing for democracy".
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 9:00 AM
The BBC - for all its flaws - remains the greatest news and broadcasting service in the world.
It is everything Donald Trump and his cabal of nasty little nobodies will never be and we need to defend it.
It is everything Donald Trump and his cabal of nasty little nobodies will never be and we need to defend it.
Reposted by Francesca S.
Incredibly bittersweet to be published in Teen Vogue this weekend after devastating layoffs, including my editor for this piece. It’s about how beauty influencers have fallen into and become part of the alt-right pipeline targeting girls and women
www.teenvogue.com/story/womano...
www.teenvogue.com/story/womano...
The 'Womanosphere' Is Coming for Teen Girls
How beauty and wellness influencers are part of a misinformation ecosystem pushing traditional values on girls.
www.teenvogue.com
November 9, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Incredibly bittersweet to be published in Teen Vogue this weekend after devastating layoffs, including my editor for this piece. It’s about how beauty influencers have fallen into and become part of the alt-right pipeline targeting girls and women
www.teenvogue.com/story/womano...
www.teenvogue.com/story/womano...
Reposted by Francesca S.
“with a grin”
(Steven’s reporting in this thread and the gift linked article is the most detailed I’ve seen.)
(Steven’s reporting in this thread and the gift linked article is the most detailed I’ve seen.)
Senate Democrats are meeting behind closed doors to discuss the emerging deal. “Stay tuned,” Schumer tells us with a grin.
November 9, 2025 at 10:25 PM
“with a grin”
(Steven’s reporting in this thread and the gift linked article is the most detailed I’ve seen.)
(Steven’s reporting in this thread and the gift linked article is the most detailed I’ve seen.)