Stephen Ryan | Lightnews

Stephen Ryan 🌻🍉 🌍 Stiofán Ó Riain 🌻🍉 🌍

@stephenryanrathlin.bsky.social

180 followers 320 following 300 posts

Dubliner living on Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim.

Recovering academic. Politics, history, sociology, music, Liverpool FC and some photos of an island.

Was never a member of The Stars Of Heaven, sadly.

#WeAreHopeDespiteTheTimes .. more

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Communication & Media Studies 28%

Psychology 24%

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Stephen Ryan 🌻🍉 🌍 Stiofán Ó Riain 🌻🍉 🌍 @stephenryanrathlin.bsky.social · Jun 29

A couple of my photos from my first time seeing R.E.M. which was somehow 40 years ago #OTD.

@remhq.bsky.social @michaelstipe.bsky.social @millsish.bsky.social @bertisdowns.bsky.social @remonthisday.bsky.social

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

R.E.M. on this Day @remonthisday.bsky.social · 11h

Filmed on this day in 1984. Live vocals by Michael.

R.E.M. - So. Central Rain (Official Music Video)

YouTube video by REMVEVO

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11h

Trump: “I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (Over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!

DONALD J. TRUMP
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

StrictlyChristo 🇺🇦🌻🚫👑 @strictlychristo.bsky.social · 13h

ICE kidnapped 4 members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, released one, and now "can’t locate" the other three.

America is at a legally impossible state where Native Americans aren't even considered Americans by ICE anymore.

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 15h

Trump's advisors are finally worrying about all the Butt Crack and Beer Belly spectacle that Stephen Miller's invasions create.

And they've got private polling showing what @gelliottmorris.com keeps pointing out: Trump is losing on immigration and ICE.

www.axios.com/2026/01/16/t...

President Trump's team recently reviewed private GOP polling that showed support for his immigration policies falling. The results, reflected in public surveys, bolstered internal concern about the administration's confrontational enforcement tactics.

Now, as the chaotic scenes from Minnesota play out around the clock on TV and social media, Axios has learned that some Trump advisers quietly are talking about "recalibrating" the White House's approach — though it's unclear what changes Trump would embrace, if any.
Why it matters: The worries in part of Trump's brain trust are the first signs of internal second-guessing his controversial ICE enforcement tactics.

The private polling suggested a rupturing of the coalition of independent, moderate and minority voters who were key parts of Trump's victory in 2024. Such voters will play a big role in determining whether Republicans keep their slim House majority in November's midterms.
If Republicans lose the House, Trump will head into his final two years in office as a lame duck who, he acknowledges, could face a third impeachment.
Zoom in: To the degree they support a more constrained approach, some advisers are playing to the president's occasional misgivings about the optics of some ICE tactics.

"I wouldn't say he's concerned about the policy," a top Trump adviser told Axios. "He wants deportations. He wants mass deportations. What he doesn't want is what people are seeing. He doesn't like the way it looks. It looks bad, so he's expressed some discomfort at that."
"... There's the right way to do this. And this doesn't look like the right way to a lot of people."

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · 16h

"I don't think Nigel is the bloke that you want to have running your kids schools or running your local hospital or trust, your savings, your pension, your small business too."

I couldn't agree more Robert...

Stephen Ryan 🌻🍉 🌍 Stiofán Ó Riain 🌻🍉 🌍 @stephenryanrathlin.bsky.social · 19h

Also true. Didn't spot that one.

Stephen Ryan 🌻🍉 🌍 Stiofán Ó Riain 🌻🍉 🌍 @stephenryanrathlin.bsky.social · 19h

In 1943 actually, which is mind bogglingly worse.

Reposted by Patrick Dunleavy, Steve Peers, Tim Bale , and 7 more Patrick Dunleavy, Steve Peers, Tim Bale, Richard Hall, Mary Corcoran, Alan Stewart, Stephen Ryan, Mary Margaret McCabe, John Paul Newman, Lorna Hughes

Carl Maxim @carlmaxim.bsky.social · 19h

"And we now have María on the line who would like to swap a Nobel Peace Prize for the presidency of Venezuela..."

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

The Daily Mash @the-daily-mash.bsky.social · 19h

Roll up, roll up, come see my collection of shitheads the public hates, says Farage buff.ly/1BjUg96

Reposted by Patrick Dunleavy, Stephen Ryan

Reposted by Philip N. Cohen, Stephen Ryan

Adrian Daub @adriandaub.bsky.social · 1d

Old enough to remember when asking for proof of vaccination to enter a hospital was considered tyranny

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 1d

“Noem: U.S. Citizens Should Be Prepared To Show Proof.”

Did you vote for a “Show Me Your Papers” society?

Screenshot of Fox News from Jan. 15, 2026 with picture of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and chyron: "Breaking News: Noem: U.S. Citizens Should be Prepared To Show Proof."

Reposted by Peter Holmes, Stephen Ryan, Christina Pagel

Adam Schwarz @adamjschwarz.bsky.social · 1d

Hours before Trump is due to meet María Corina Machado, the Nobel Peace Center restates:

"A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot."

Nobel Peace Center post: t measures 6.6 cm in diameter, weighs 196 grams and is struck in gold. On its face, a portrait of Alfred Nobel and on its reverse, three naked men holding around each other’s shoulders as a sign of brotherhood. A design unchanged for 120 years.

Did you know that some Nobel Peace Prize medals have been passed on after the award was given? A well‑known case is Dmitry Muratov’s medal, which was auctioned for over USD 100 million to support refugees from the war in Ukraine.

And the medal displayed at the Nobel Peace Center is actually on loan and originally belonged to Christian Lous Lange, Norway’s first Peace Prize laureate.

But one truth remains. As the Norwegian Nobel Committee states: “Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time.”

A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot.

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

Peter Whitewood @pwhitewood.bsky.social · 1d

Good stuff

Reposted by Steve Peers, Tom Griffin, Stephen Ryan , and 1 more Steve Peers, Tom Griffin, Stephen Ryan, Christina Pagel

Moley𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕄𝕠𝕝𝕖 @moleymole.bsky.social · 1d

And worryingly, as you highlight, it would be extremely naive for us to assume the well funded right wing “think tanks” haven’t already worked out exactly how to dismantle what protections remain at blitzkrieg speed, should they gain power.

Extract from DAG link article:-
One would not be surprised if certain
"thinktanks" are not already collating all the existing discretionary powers of ministers.
Perhaps somewhere there is already a spreadsheet listing statutory provisions with proposals for the mischief that can be done with each of them. And just as Trump had a raft of executive orders ready to issue in his first days in office, an incoming illiberal and radical government in the UK would have the same.

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 1d

BREAKING: Robert Jenrick has officially joined Reform UK, becoming their 6th MP

Reposted by Peter Holmes, Stephen Ryan, Ben Rosamond , and 1 more Peter Holmes, Stephen Ryan, Ben Rosamond, Ian Loader

James Ball @jamesrball.com · 1d

Incredibly, no-one on Nigel Farage’s team has got round to deleting this post. It’s still live as Robert Jenrick gives his big defection speech.

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

The Journal @thejournal.ie · 1d

Millions of euro worth of international aid meant for people starving in Gaza is expiring in warehouses in Jordan.

At the Al-Ghabawi facility, aid workers have described the situation as “death by bureaucracy”, with lifesaving supplies sitting unused.

jrnl.ie/6927034

Stephen Ryan 🌻🍉 🌍 Stiofán Ó Riain 🌻🍉 🌍 @stephenryanrathlin.bsky.social · 1d

Amazing story of the power of music.

www.theguardian.com/culture/2026...

My cultural awakening: Losing My Religion by REM helped me escape a doomsday cult

I had been a member of the Children of God for two decades, but was growing disillusioned with its controlling behaviour and worrying sexual practices. Then I heard Michael Stipe’s lyrics and was set ...

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Steve Peers, Stephen Ryan

Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · 1d

Helpful explainer from an ex-Bundeswehr officer

Reposted by Steve Peers, Juan Cole, Nicholas Birns , and 2 more Steve Peers, Juan Cole, Nicholas Birns, Stephen Ryan, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 1d

This is incredible: 81% of working class and 83% of young voters have seen video of Renee Good's killing, per new data I've obtained. Majority of working class disapproves of ICE enforcement. ICE brutality is breaking through big time.

Some thoughts on this here:

newrepublic.com/article/2052...

Reposted by Edgar Morgenroth, Stephen Ryan

Gavan Reilly @gavreilly.com · 1d

For the record: as of right now, the Grok app is still doing all the things they’ve said it is stopping, for users with free/unpaid accounts.

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

Max Berger @maxberger.bsky.social · 2d

This is fucking insane and the kind of thing that could only happen under a corrupt, idiotic tyrant.

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

GylesNaMopaleen @gylesnamopaleen.bsky.social · 2d

if you know you know. #speirgorm #Spéirghorm

a mash up of an image from father ted, where Father Ted Crilly is falsely branded a racist after a series of escalating misunderstandings and unfortunate coincidences.....depicting Asian nationals in the grounds of the white house, mashed up with the image of trump, seemingly suffering from dementia, wandering over to the window in the middle of a big meeting looking out.

in this particular scene of father ted there's a block of dirt on the window, that aligns, depending on angles, and appears like a square hitler moustache when father ted is looking out the window.

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

R.E.M. @remhq.bsky.social · 2d

On This Day: Filming for the “Turn You Inside-Out” video, directed by Jim Herbert, took place at the 40 Watt Club (previous location on Clayton) on January 14, 1989.

youtu.be/TBS6N1k4FsQ?...

R.E.M. - Turn You Inside-Out (Official Music Video)

YouTube video by remhq

youtu.be

Reposted by Will Jennings, Ramón López Facal, Stephen Ryan , and 3 more Will Jennings, Ramón López Facal, Stephen Ryan, Umut Özkırımlı, James Cameron, Marini Marini

Dave Keating @davekeating.substack.com · 2d

It's finally happening.

The Swedish prime minister just announced that a pan-European force is arriving in #Greenland as we speak.

No word yet on whether UK forces are among them.

Reposted by Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Jacob T. Levy , and 2 more Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Jacob T. Levy, Stephen Ryan, Samantha Brennan

auonsson @auonsson.bsky.social · 2d

Denmark is underway to move more troops to Greenland in cooperation with undisclosed allies.

Preparatory staff are in place to solve logistics for potential larger Danish forces.

Details are sparse but dr.dk reports that first plane landed 2 days ago.

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, David Rothschild, David R. Miller , and 3 more Brendan Nyhan, David Rothschild, David R. Miller, Stephen Ryan, Alfie Kohn, Federico Finchelstein

Christopher Mathias @letsgomathias.bsky.social · 2d

telling the secret police they have immunity to harm & kill citizens really lays bare the hollowness of decades of right-wing GOP screeching about encroaching Big Government - it was never a problem they had with government per se, just that it wasn't being used to harm the people they wanted to

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

John Fugelsang @johnfugelsang.bsky.social · 3d

What's the difference between most of us and Donald Trump?

When someone screams "pedophile protector," most of us know it's not directed at us.

Reposted by Steve Peers, Mark D. White, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 12 more Steve Peers, Mark D. White, Rosemary A. Joyce, American Library Association, Guy Grossman, Silvia Secchi, Beatriz Gallardo Paúls, Stephen Ryan, James Goodwin, Alfie Kohn, Daniel Kuehn, Christina Pagel, Kate Jackson, Nathan P. Kalmoe, David Darmofal

Media Matters for America @mmfa.bsky.social · 3d

Fox News' Will Cain: “There's a weird kind of smugness... in the way that some of these liberal white women interact with authority”

Reposted by Stephen Ryan

Everyone Hates Elon @everyonehateselon.bsky.social · 3d

Elon Musk’s X is helping people create indecent images of KIDS. His response to outcry this week? He doesn’t give a f*ck.

Imagine his face if millions get the f*ck off of X though. Join millions deleting their accounts.

Link in bio to download this poster for free and spread this worldwide.

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