Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

HitPlay Productions @hitplayproductions.bsky.social · 12d

#EnvironmentMassachusetts is screening our doc Last of the Right Whales at the Rockport Public Library on October 18! Learn about these gentle giants, the lethal threats they face from us, and what we can do to help them thrive. Reserve your spot now for FREE: environmentamerica.org/massachusett...

Film Screening: Last of the Right Whales at the Rockport Public Library

Join us to watch Last of the Right Whales, to learn about right whales, the challenges they face, and what you can do to save them.

environmentamerica.org

2

Reposted by HitPlay Productions

Wet Tribe @wettribe.bsky.social · Aug 20

Entanglement in fishing gear is a major threat to North Atlantic right whales, with over 85% of the population experiencing entanglement at least once, leading to serious injuries and even death. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #WhaleWednesday #RightWhales #Entanglements

7 15

Reposted by HitPlay Productions

Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · Aug 15

Today marks four years since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan.

It's a somber anniversary for millions of Afghans who face oppression and fear — but it's also an anniversary of broken promises made by Western democracies, such as Germany.

Afghan Women Are Resisting the Taliban—Germany Should Show the Same Courage

Today, August 15, marks four years since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan. It is a somber anniversary for me and for the millions of fellow Afghans whose daily reality is marked by hunger, op...

www.hrw.org

1 41 100

Reposted by HitPlay Productions

Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · Aug 15

Today, Afghanistan faces one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

The fourth anniversary of the Taliban takeover is a grim reminder of the serious and widespread abuses in Afghanistan, but it’s also a call for action ⤵️

4 30 58

Reposted by HitPlay Productions

The Walrus @thewalrus.ca · Aug 20

In Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, telling the truth is a crime, and journalists are the criminals—especially women reporters. Once the backbone of the country’s journalism, 84 percent have been forced out of the profession entirely. thewalrus.ca/reporting-afghan...

2 8 13

Reposted by HitPlay Productions

UNICEF Afghanistan @afghanistan.unicef.org · Aug 19

On #WorldHumanitarianDay, UNICEF Afghanistan honours women like Sakina and all frontline workers in #Afghanistan.
“I’m responsible for 100+ households,” says Sakina. “The nearest clinic is 9km away, so I have to bring health care to many of my Neighbours.”

Read more👇
🔗 unicef.link/3HxiQxq

Bringing health care home

Sakina, an experienced Community Health Worker, bridges gaps in rural healthcare for her neighbours – one home visit at a time.

unicef.link

3 3

Reposted by HitPlay Productions

Cheryl in Nova Scotia 🇨🇦🍁🍁 @minibubbly.bsky.social · Jul 21

Spotting rare right whale off #Newfoundland had this tour guide 'Out of my skin excited'

World Wildlife Fund estimates only 366 North Atlantic right whales left in the world

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Spotting rare right whale off Newfoundland had this tour guide 'Out of my skin excited' | CBC News

There are less than 370 North Atlantic right whales left in the world — and a local man spotted one off the southern Avalon Peninsula earlier this month.

www.cbc.ca

1 52 220

Reposted by HitPlay Productions

Blue Planet Society @blueplanetsociety.bsky.social · Jul 30

A U.S. congressman & several fishing groups are asking for a 10-year delay on rules designed to protect North Atlantic right whales.
🐳

The whale population (370) declined by 25% between 2010-2020. Further delay would be extremely harmful to their survival.
apnews.com/article/righ...

Fishing groups push to postpone protections for endangered right whale to 2035

A Maine congressman and several commercial fishing groups are getting behind a push to delay rules designed to protect a vanishing species of whale for 10 years.

apnews.com

1 13 15

Reposted by HitPlay Productions

Patrick Lynch @patrlynch1.bsky.social · Aug 23

North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis). From my book "A Field Guide to Cape Cod," Yale University Press. a.co/d/eK4A0sd
🧪🐡🌿🌎 #wildlife #scicomm #sciviz #wildlifeart #illustration #scientificillustration #natureart #visualscicomm #sciviz #scicomm #whales #RightWhales #CapeCod

A field guide page spread on how to identify Right Whales at sea.

1 6 34

HitPlay Productions @hitplayproductions.bsky.social · Aug 15

It’s been 4 years since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, and the situation for women and girls continues to deteriorate. Gender equality agency UN Women runs down exactly where things stand below ⬇️ news.un.org/en/story/202...

#ForAllWomenAndGirls #EndGenderApartheid

Four years on, here’s what total exclusion of women in Afghanistan looks like

In 2021, an Afghan woman could have run for president – although none did. Spool forward to 2025, they can’t even speak in public. There is an edict from the Taliban which labels public speaking by wo...

news.un.org

HitPlay Productions @hitplayproductions.bsky.social · Aug 3

Watch our award-winning documentary Last of the Right Whales on streaming! Discover the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, the dangers posed by human activity, and the people fighting to save them. See it on Apple TV, CBC Gem, Vimeo & Prime Video: lastoftherightwhales.com/screenings/

1

HitPlay Productions @hitplayproductions.bsky.social · Jul 30

The @nytimes.com has released their list of the top films of the 21st Century, but how many docs made the final cut? Not enough!

We took some time to pull together our picks for some of the best non-fiction and social justice features from the past 25 years.

Which docs would make your list?

HitPlay Productions @hitplayproductions.bsky.social · Jul 25

Paco Calvo, a professor at the MintLAB in Spain, speaks with journalist Rob Waugh about plant consciousness and how they communicate with each other through chemicals, solve problems, and even appear to have memories. Learn more in our upcoming doc, #SeeingGreen. www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/...

I'm a scientist - and I believed plants are CONSCIOUS

A scientists studying plant intelligence and problem-solving shared signs that he believes proves plants are conscious similar to humans and animals.

www.dailymail.co.uk

HitPlay Productions @hitplayproductions.bsky.social · Jul 22

A rare sighting of a North Atlantic right whale off the coast of Newfoundland! They don't usually travel that far north, but then again, these critically endangered cetaceans (whom we spotlighted in Last of the Right Whales) like to keep us on our toes. Read more now: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Spotting rare right whale off Newfoundland had this tour guide 'Out of my skin excited' | CBC News

There are less than 370 North Atlantic right whales left in the world — and a local man spotted one off the southern Avalon Peninsula earlier this month.

www.cbc.ca

HitPlay Productions @hitplayproductions.bsky.social · Jun 21

We're highlighting the incredible talent of Indigenous storytellers on #NationalIndigenousPeoplesDay with one of our favourite docs from the past year: The inspiring story of #WilfredBuck by Anishinaabe filmmaker Lisa Jackson.
It's currently available to stream on @cravecanada.bsky.social! #NIPD2025

HitPlay Productions @hitplayproductions.bsky.social · Jun 18

Fisheries and Oceans 🇨🇦 has located the entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, last spotted at the end of May. They are working with the Campobello Whale Rescue Team to respond and help the 4-year-old male. Learn more about the situation ⬇️ www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/pri...

Entangled North Atlantic right whale spotted near P.E.I.

An entangled North Atlantic right whale that was last seen in the St. Lawrence Estuary has been re-sighted near Prince Edward Island.

www.ctvnews.ca

Reposted by HitPlay Productions

Oceana @oceana.bsky.social · Jun 6

This year’s North Atlantic right whale calving season brought 11 new mom-calf pairs — including 4 first-time moms! 🐳💙

Each calf is a win for this critically endangered animal. Learn how Oceana is fighting to protect the #RightWhaleToSave: oceana.ly/43Ywsdb

3 15

HitPlay Productions @hitplayproductions.bsky.social · Jun 12

[email protected] continues its series on the critical state of the North Atlantic right whale population & measures to protect them.

In this entry, they look at the 2024-25 calving season & why 70 reproductive female whales are giving hope to scientists www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/scien...

Can motherhood help North Atlantic right whales to rise again? Latest calving season offers reasons for hope

Females of reproductive age make all the difference between a species that can bounce back and one that can’t

www.theglobeandmail.com

HitPlay Productions @hitplayproductions.bsky.social · Jun 5

The film is a powerful testament to one child’s remarkable capacity for change and a stinging indictment of the U.S. penal system. A system that has condemned thousands of children to die in prison.

Watch it now on @kanopy.com, Apple TV and Tubi. (3/3)

HitPlay Productions @hitplayproductions.bsky.social · Jun 5

...for armed robbery. In 2010, a U.S. Supreme Court decision ruled that life sentences for youth who haven’t killed were unconstitutional. Our team followed Young as he fought to prove his rehabilitation in a Florida courtroom amid a legal battle for his freedom. (2/3)

1

HitPlay Productions @hitplayproductions.bsky.social · Jun 5

As part of our #HitPlayRevisited series, we're spotlighting and encouraging you to watch past documentaries that still pack a punch today. In the spotlight this June is "15 to Life: Kenneth's Story".

At just 15 yrs old, Kenneth Young received four life sentences... (1/3)

1

HitPlay Productions @hitplayproductions.bsky.social · Jun 5

Suzanne Simard, 1 of the 3 scientists at the centre of our upcoming feature doc #SeeingGreen, guests on The Science of Happiness podcast. The B.C.-based expert helps us discover the unexpected ways trees communicate, share resources & support us. Listen now: greatergood.berkeley.edu/podcasts/ite...

What Humans Can Learn From Trees (Encore)

Trees aren’t just competing for sunlight and soil—they’re also looking out for one another. Scientist Suzanne Simard reveals the unexpected ways trees communicate, share resources, a...

greatergood.berkeley.edu

HitPlay Productions @hitplayproductions.bsky.social · May 18

Our next doc as part of our #HitPlayRevisited series is #RoadToMercy, which documents chronicles Canada’s first legal doctor-assisted deaths and peers into the extreme boundaries of this practice. Watch now on Apple TV & @primevideo.bsky.social #HitPlayRevisited hitplayproductions.ca/films/road-t...

HitPlay Productions @hitplayproductions.bsky.social · May 11

For the first time in history, North Atlantic right whales have been seen in The Bahamas! Curlew (#3940) & Koala (#4190) were spotted in the waters off the Caribbean country on April 15. Find out more about the amazing encounter from the @newenglandaquarium.bsky.social: www.neaq.org/about-us/pre...

For the first time ever, North Atlantic right whales are seen in The Bahamas - New England Aquarium

In an extremely unusual sighting, divers have captured footage of two North Atlantic right whales in The Bahamas, the first time the species has ever been seen in this country.

www.neaq.org

HitPlay Productions @hitplayproductions.bsky.social · May 9

Paco Calvo, renowned cognitive scientist & philosopher of biology, talks with the Behind Greatness podcast in ep. 212 about his groundbreaking research in the field of plant cognition and intelligence. See more from Paco in our upcoming doc, #SeeingGreen. behindgreatness.org/episode/dr-p...

Dr. Paco Calvo · Behind Greatness

behindgreatness.org