Sixteen-year-old Milly from Lancashire brought her best friend (a North Ronaldsay ram) to pick up her GCSEs, just months after the duo wowed the school prom in matching outfits. It’s not the first time sheep have stepped into classrooms — or headlines — and we’re taking you on a stroll through award-winning young shepherds, illegal lockdown pubs with livestock, and the French village where a flock of sheep literally saved a school.

Shepherd takes ‘therapy sheep’ to get GCSE results (BBC, Aug 21, 2025)

Sheep found as police raid Bacup drinking party (BBC, Feb 6, 2021)

Shear genius: French school enrols sheep to keep class open (Agence France-Presse, The Guardian, May 7, 2019)

Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast

condensedsoup@proton.me

*This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

Reading Rainbow is back, baby — and this time it’s got big hair and an even bigger smile. Beloved internet librarian Mychal Threets will host the new digital version of the iconic PBS show, launching October 4. The reboot honors the original format that made us want to read all summer long, while giving it a fresh lift for the next generation. We’ll revisit the legacy of LeVar Burton, the theme song wars (Chaka Khan vs. Tina Fabrique!), and why this show always felt like a field trip and a hug at the same time.

‘Reading Rainbow’ is back! Viral librarian Mychal Threets to host beloved series (Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, Sep 30, 2025)

‘Reading Rainbow’ returning after nearly 20 years; new host announced (Natalie Sierra, The Hill, Sep 30, 2025)

11 Educational Facts About Reading Rainbow (Stacy Conradt, Mental Floss, Aug 1, 2015)

Mychal Threets LinkedIn page (LinkedIn, accessed Sep 30, 2025)

Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast

condensedsoup@proton.me

*This episode was recorded in my bedroom.

You might think roundabouts are just confusing circles of doom, but it turns out they’re saving lives and city budgets all over the world. We’re talking about why they’re safer, cheaper, and surprisingly elegant once you know the rules. We’ll swing by Carmel, Indiana—the roundabout capital of America—and detour to France and the legendary Magic Roundabout in Swindon. And if you’re nervous about your first time, don’t worry. Practice makes perfect!

Over 50M pounds of Jimmy Dean, State Fair items recalled for possible wood contamination (Melina Khan, USA Today, Sep 29, 2025)

How to navigate a roundabout (Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today / Detroit Free Press, Sep 27, 2025)

Understanding Traffic Rules for Roundabout (Joey Rosenberg, FirstTimeDriver (dot) com, accessed Sep 29, 2025)

How roundabouts transformed Carmel (Robert Steubenville, Public Square: A CNU Journal, Nov 21, 2024)

Circling the Drain: Tackling Europe’s Strangest Roundabout (Mike Duff, Road & Track, Mar 12, 2024)

Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast

condensedsoup@proton.me

*This episode was recorded in my living room.