Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Kristen Sager Cincotta @kscincotta.bsky.social · 4h

How 64% of independent voters say prices are the “most” important while 56% say it’s healthcare and 58% say it’s jobs?

That’s not how percentages work!

G Elliott Morris @gelliottmorris.com · 5h

Voters say Republicans aren’t focused enough on pocketbook issues www.gelliottmorris.com/p/independen...

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Reposted by Kristen Sager Cincotta

🎃 public HELLth guy 🎃 @publichealthguy1.bsky.social · 1d

that last line

Under Dr. Mermin’s leadership, new H.I.V. infections in the nation dropped by 36 percent, and resurgent sexually transmitted infections showed the first signs of a plateau nationwide.

He also directed health departments to spend the bulk of their money on prevention. It was “a very precise and scientific and logical approach” to make the biggest impact for the least money, said Greg Millett, who worked as a deputy for the Office of National AIDS Policy in the Obama White House.

Now, however, Dr. Mermin is spending his days at home with his chickens and his misbehaving cat. The fate of the H.I.V. division hangs in the balance, and he worries that lawmakers may not realize its importance. “What if no one cares?” he said.

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Kristen Sager Cincotta @kscincotta.bsky.social · 19h

If you lost your wallet with $200 in it, you’d be mad.

If you lost your wallet with $1000 in it, you’d be FURIOUS, to the point where if someone “found it” with $800 still in it, you’d be thrilled to have recovered most of it.

This is their entire RIF strategy and has been from Day 1.

Alt CDC (they/them) @altcdc.altgov.info · 19h

~1300 fired on a Friday, about half unfired the next day, due to an apparent “coding error”. But sure, your data will be secure.

They’re all in a competition for who can be the most maliciously incompetent. So much winning. Participation trophies for eveyone. Nobel Prizes in Nonsense.

CDC purge hits 600 workers in key offices despite reversals

The casualties include employees working on health statistics, injury and violence prevention, congressional outreach and human resources.

www.axios.com

Kristen Sager Cincotta @kscincotta.bsky.social · 21h

SO good.

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Kristen Sager Cincotta @kscincotta.bsky.social · 1d

Public health works!

Saskia Popescu @saskiapopescu.bsky.social · 1d

Maldives becomes the first country to achieve ‘triple elimination’ of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B

hq_who_departmentofcommunications.cmail19.com/t/d-e-gwgjl-...

Kristen Sager Cincotta @kscincotta.bsky.social · 1d

So appreciative of these efforts to help us be informed voters in our municipal elections!

Rough Draft @roughdraftatlanta.com · 1d

Atlanta Election 2025: Q&As with Atlanta City Council candidates

Rough Draft sent questionnaires to all the candidates who officially qualified for the City of Atlanta municipal election on Nov. 4. These are the responses we have received so far from the candidates running for Atlanta City…

Atlanta Election 2025: Q&As with Atlanta City Council candidates

Rough Draft sent questionnaires to all the candidates who officially qualified for the City of Atlanta municipal election on Nov. 4. These are the responses we have received so far from the candidates running for Atlanta City Council. This post will be updated if/when we receive additional responses. Early voting begins Oct. 14 and closes Oct. 31. See a list of early voting locations in both Fulton and DeKalb counties here. To check your voter registration, visit the GA My Voter Page. Post 1 At-Large Matt Rinker mattforatlanta.com…

roughdraftatlanta.com

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Adam Weinstein @adamweinstein.bsky.social · 1d

A consistent thing about Trumpists in power is how they want everyone else to believe that people only do things for money

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Sean Duffy: "The No Kings protest, Maria, really frustrating. This is part of antifa, paid protesters. It begs the question who's funding it."

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Alander Rocha @alander.bsky.social · 1d

Early voting starts tomorrow for two seats in the Public Service Commission, which is responsible for regulating utilities in the state. Republicans, who are fearful Dems may flip one or both seats, are turning to national, culture wars themes while Democrats are running on energy affordability.

Georgia Recorder @georgiarecorder.com · 1d

A unique off-year election for two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission, a body responsible for regulating utilities in the state, has Republicans vocally concerned, especially considering concurrent municipal elections that they worry could favor Democratic mobilization.

Georgia Republicans say they fear local elections could help Democrats in statewide utilities race • Georgia Recorder

The special election for the Georgia Public Service Commission seats has Republicans concerned about turnout, fearing local elections could favor Democrats.

georgiarecorder.com

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Kristen Sager Cincotta @kscincotta.bsky.social · 1d

I manage the comms for my son’s middle school. In order to compile the weekly newsletter, I have to check ~23 different sources (inboxes, messaging apps, webpages, FB pages, etc) to make sure I don’t miss anything. Objectively INSANE.

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Kristen Sager Cincotta @kscincotta.bsky.social · 1d

The value in many of these datasets is the ability to track longterm (multi-year and even multi-decade) trends. Even if a future administration reinstates them, there will ALWAYS be data gaps that weaken what can be learned.

Alt CDC (they/them) @altcdc.altgov.info · 2d

More CDC Cuts :: NCHS Edition 📊🔫

At least 1/3 of the staff at the National Center for Health Statistics has been cut (and remain cut). This is catastrophic for our nation’s health data.

Say goodbye to national health statistics that you can trust, healthcare surveys, NHANES and data systems.

Kristen Sager Cincotta @kscincotta.bsky.social · 2d

Aah!! Love seeing your faces. We had plans to go to the parade today but kiddo is aching from his vaccine shots yesterday. It’s such a beautiful day today, I wish we were there!!

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Kristen Sager Cincotta @kscincotta.bsky.social · 2d

Setting aside that all of this is highly illegal…

This is yet another example of this administration overtly stating that some people are more worthy and deserving than others and it is INFURIATING that people are not calling this out more.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

WELKER: During the 2019 shutdown when Trump was president, no federal workers were laid off. Why are these firings necessary?

VANCE: Who do we care more about- federal bureaucrats or the troops getting the payment they need?

WELKER: But layoffs are a priority?

VANCE: They have forced us to choose

Reposted by Kristen Sager Cincotta

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 2d

a key thing about vought — and all of these guys — is that they have a totally top down and hierarchical vision of the world. they believe that the cultural changes they hate can be turned off by destroying the federal government because they can’t imagine that they emerged bottom-up in society

Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 2d

What he’s railing against is a profound shift in culture, status… He’s obsessed with the idea that America is controlled by a leftist “ruling elite” - but “elite” isn’t defined socio-economically or by political power, it means something like: Getting to define “real America” and who gets to belong.

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Kristen Sager Cincotta @kscincotta.bsky.social · 2d

About fucking time.

Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 2d

Sens. Schumer, Merkley, Murray, and Peters are calling for the resignation of OMB Director Russell Vought.

"By impounding billions of dollars … and aggressively pursuing the illegal use of pocket rescissions, Vought has done everything in his power to gut the federal government piece by piece."

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Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD DSc(hon) @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social · May 30

No words

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Mark Histed @markhisted.org · 2d

So to summarize:

- There is a pattern where Vought makes the RIFs too wide, apparently to flood the zone with sh*t and see who will draw protests.
- They restore some people after outrage and work by us.
- But we are still left with many who remain fired at the end.

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Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 2d

All of the credit for the destruction of the CDC and the health and safety of the United States goes to the Republican Congress and the MAGA voters who elected them.

If they ever realize what they have done, it will be far too late.

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Kristen Sager Cincotta @kscincotta.bsky.social · 2d

Was waiting to hear about this. There are people at SAMHSA that are very important to me and I’m waiting on edge to hear what happened to them.

NPR @npr.org · 2d

EXCLUSIVE: Sources tell NPR that more than 100 employees have been laid off at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Agency. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had some cuts reversed late Saturday.

Trump slashes mental health agency as shutdown drags on

Sources tell NPR that more than 100 employees have been laid off at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Agency. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had some cuts reversed late Saturday.

n.pr

Reposted by Kristen Sager Cincotta

Rachel Hall-Clifford, PhD, MPH, MSc @rahallclifford.bsky.social · 2d

Our public health heroes don't deserve this rollercoaster of cruelty and incompetence

Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 2d

Update from @apoorvanyt.bsky.social Trump Administration Will Rehire Scores of Experts Fired in Error. Gift link: nyti.ms/48JjSSf

Trump Administration Will Rehire Scores of Experts Fired in Error

Friday’s layoffs swept up scientists involved in responding to the measles outbreak and running an influential journal. An official acknowledged the mistakes on Saturday.

nyti.ms

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Kristen Sager Cincotta @kscincotta.bsky.social · 2d

Vought has never, ever hidden his endgame.

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 2d

worth reading vought's 2022 essay where he lays this out, focusing on his complaint that congress can shape policy against the wishes of the president americanmind.org/salvo/renewi...

Renewing American Purpose

Statesmanship in a post-Constitutional moment

americanmind.org

Reposted by Kristen Sager Cincotta

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 2d

worth reading vought's 2022 essay where he lays this out, focusing on his complaint that congress can shape policy against the wishes of the president americanmind.org/salvo/renewi...

Renewing American Purpose

Statesmanship in a post-Constitutional moment

americanmind.org

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Reposted by Kristen Sager Cincotta

Senator Patty Murray @murray.senate.gov · 2d

Make sure everyone knows: these mass firings are NOT because of the shutdown.

Trump doesn’t have to fire any of these people—he’s choosing to do it as an intimidation tactic.

Difficult to overstate how stupid and reckless this is.

Mass CDC cuts hit staff dealing with measles, Ebola and disease forecasting

Another round of mass layoffs has struck CDC. The agency had already been cut during a reorganization this year, and more employees are now being shed amid the government shutdown.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Caitlin Rivers @cmyeaton.bsky.social · 2d

I can't get over how the CDC layoffs are coming less than two months after the attempted mass shooting. The agency is being taken apart brick by brick. The public servants there do not deserve this.

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Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 3d

There’s a March for Health and Science being organized in DC for Wednesday, November 5.

MARCH FOR HEALTH & SCIENCE
Washington DC, November 5@4PM

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