Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · 11h

Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · 22h

It is a strange situation that now the best liberal news and commentary podcast featuring a NY Times columnist as a host is not an in-house NY Times podcast. And it doesn't seem like it could be brought in-house under their aforementioned somewhat opaque podcast norms. /2

Reposted by Jonathan Ladd

Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · Nov 11

I'm on team Theda Skocpol/Hahrie Han on this. www.thenation.com/article/poli...

The US Is a Civic Desert. To Survive, the Democratic Party Needs to Transform Itself.

The party should jettison its consultant class and move toward a local-membership model that would help to rejuvenate civic life across the country.

www.thenation.com

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Reposted by Jonathan Ladd

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 20h

"They put me on suicide watch and they put me in the cell, I'm naked, in like a hospital dress and just a concrete bed with like a mattress, like a thin mattress and, they leave the light on 24/7."

@timmiller.bsky.social talked to a veteran who ICE wrongly detained and brutalized

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Reposted by Jonathan Ladd

CAHSR's Strongest Soldier @emoscientist.bsky.social · 18d

A really striking thing about the US is how it feels like everyone is constantly trying to rip you off. You have to hold constant vigilance against scam. Absolutely corrosive to social trust and a core part of our current political problems.

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Reposted by Jonathan Ladd

unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 1d

Some clergy are begging to be allowed closer to the detention center to perform communion.

"You are preventing our religious freedom," someone in the crowd shouts.

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Reposted by Jonathan Ladd

The Upshot @upshot.nytimes.com · 5d

The decline is occurring as the Trump administration has delayed visa processing, instituted travel bans or restrictions for 19 countries, threatened to deport international students for pro-Palestinian speech, and heightened the vetting of student visa applicants.

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Nearly 20 Percent Fewer International Students Traveled to the U.S. in August

The data shows the steepest decline in August international student arrivals since the pandemic.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Jonathan Ladd

Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 3d

Thanks, New Yorker

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Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · 22h

It is a strange situation that now the best liberal news and commentary podcast featuring a NY Times columnist as a host is not an in-house NY Times podcast. And it doesn't seem like it could be brought in-house under their aforementioned somewhat opaque podcast norms. /2

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Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · 22h

Overall, the NY Times is an outstanding journalistic institution. I'm a daily print and digital subscriber. That does not mean I never have criticisms. One thing I do find strange is their implicit quotas and rules around the ideologies of the podcasts they run under their banner. /1

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Reposted by Jonathan Ladd

Kevin Collins @kwcollins.bsky.social · 1d

Cint and other marketplaces like it are also the underlying infrastructure for the political message testing industry, which should give some people a lot of pause.

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Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · 1d

Let’s give him a Dundie.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Rep. Buddy Carter: "Donald Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. That's why I'm introducing a resolution today that will honor him with the Nobel Peace Prize."

(It doesn't work like that lol)

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Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · 1d

This ad for a local public library hits hard. www.instagram.com/p/DPWwMWOErlF/

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Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · 1d

It just seems like all of these are good causes. Making them stronger makes America better, which makes the world safer. The Trump era has underlined the tremendous importance of civil society as an immune system against tyranny. It's why Trump so wants to crush the power of civil society.

Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · 1d

It's in some ways amusing how Mackensie Scott giving her fortune away to nonprofits and local community organizations to build American social capital, and to community colleges and HBCUs to improve educational opportunities, drives the EA people into a rage.

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Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · 1d

I'm sure that's probably true.

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Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · 1d

Too long for a post. But briefly: 1) That the strength of local, state, and national social capital is not essential. 2) That what is happening to humans now is less important than what they imagine will be happening to humans centuries from now in space.

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Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · 1d

Because the EA people are wrong. But I try to keep a positive attitude about it.

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Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · 1d

It's in some ways amusing how Mackensie Scott giving her fortune away to nonprofits and local community organizations to build American social capital, and to community colleges and HBCUs to improve educational opportunities, drives the EA people into a rage.

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Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · 1d

If you liked fivethirtyeight, here is a very worthy replacement.

FiftyPlusOne.news @fiftyplusone.news · 1d

new polls website just dropped fiftyplusone.news

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Reposted by Jonathan Ladd

Rachel Porter @rachelporter.bsky.social · 1d

Just published at PNAS (@pnas.org): “Electing amateur politicians reduces cross-party collaboration”

We show that districts electing first-time members of the U.S. House experience substantial declines in bipartisan representation in the subsequent Congress.

🧵1/4

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Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · 2d

Kristi Noem should never have been confirmed after this. It ended up being a perfect representation of what she would do.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · May 20

HASSAN: What is habeas corpus?

NOEM: Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country

HASSAN: That's incorrect

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Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 2d

President Donald Trump's threatened crackdown on the finances and activities of liberal non-profits and groups opposed to his agenda is a multi-agency effort with top White House aide Stephen Miller playing a central role, according to officials.

www.reuters.com/legal/govern...

www.reuters.com

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Dannagal Goldthwaite Young @dannagal.bsky.social · 2d

In which Harvard’s Enos & Levitsky call on Harvard to lead the way, coordinating with other universities in fight for academic freedom. Our civil institutions will need to learn that power is harnessed through coordination. Protecting oneself will never be enough.
www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

Harvard Must Take a Stand Against Trump’s Compact | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson

Harvard, rather than quietly pursuing its own appeasement strategy, should lead the way to preserve academic freedom and democracy.

www.thecrimson.com

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Reposted by Jonathan Ladd

Ryan Enos @ryanenos.bsky.social · 2d

Harvard (and all universities) must take a stand against Trump's extorionary "compact". Enos and Levitsky.
www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

Harvard Must Take a Stand Against Trump’s Compact | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson

Harvard, rather than quietly pursuing its own appeasement strategy, should lead the way to preserve academic freedom and democracy.

www.thecrimson.com

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Reposted by Jonathan Ladd

Quinta Jurecic @qjurecic.bsky.social · 2d

he's going to come after you either way, so you might as well act with integrity

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