Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 10h

Same energy.

The Simpsons. Ralph Wiggums talks to his parents and says MRS. KRABAPPEL AND
PRINCIPAL SKINNER WERE IN THE CLOSET MAKING BABIES AND I SAW ONE OF THE BABIES AND THE BABY LOOKED AT ME

Reposted by Daniel Malmer

Drew McKevitt @drewmckevitt.bsky.social · 10h

Years ago I was teaching my gun history class and at the end of the quarter one of the students said that he was in the campus TPUSA chapter and they put him up to taking the class to spy on me but he felt bad about that because he loved the class and learned a lot and had a great time

28 240 1.7K

Reposted by Daniel Malmer

Ben Taylor @vox-dei.bsky.social · 13h

This is pretty crucial to consider now. Imagine what happens if Farage, Badenoch or Jenrick decides to go down the same route as Trump on science.

Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 18h

🧵🚨

The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.

Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...

1/11

UK’s arm’s length public bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation

Seven in ten Britons say it is important for top scientific institutions to be independent in exclusive new polling.

www.ucl.ac.uk

1 28 40

Reposted by Daniel Malmer

Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 12h

Performative public lying is a hallmark of far right authoritarian parties

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 21h

Thune: "The president would like to overhaul Obamacare and give people health insurance that is higher quality and more affordable."

11 42 240

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 13h

Bluesky's got the juice!

1

Reposted by Daniel Malmer

Gabe Ortíz @tusk81.bsky.social · 14h

Last month, ICE’s own investigators found that Texas’ massive Camp East Montana had subjected detained individuals to conditions that have violated _at least 60 federal standards_.

Detained individuals have been “held virtually incommunicado from the outside.” www.npr.org/transcripts/...

33 93

Reposted by Daniel Malmer

Open Measures @openmeasures.bsky.social · 14h

After the White House endorsed poorly supported claims that Tylenol is linked to autism last month, Truth Social users began to parrot the claims and engaged with posts that supported them more frequently. The topic was obscure and unpopular on Truth Social before that.

Trump Admin Briefing Sparks Wave of Tylenol-Autism Posts on Truth Social - Open Measures

Open Measures builds accessible and transparent products to contextualize the spread of harmful online information that impacts public discourse and global events.

openmeasures.io

3 11 33

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 14h

And South Korea, for some reason!

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 14h

And we know what they mean by "American."

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 15h

Turning Point USA announced it will host counterprogramming to the Super Bowl halftime show, called “The All American Halftime Show,” as MAGA critics have been enraged over the selection of Bad Bunny as the 2026 headliner.

MAGA rage over Bad Bunny at Super Bowl sparks an alternative show

Counterprogramming hosted by the group that Charlie Kirk founded spotlights the growing political polarization surrounding one of the biggest events of the year.

www.washingtonpost.com

2 13

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 14h

There's plenty of room for legitimate discussion, but some of the Intactivists are extremely vitriolic. As far as I'm concerned, even strongly held opinions on this is fine, but some of them get really nasty and seek out people to harass.

2

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 14h

Absolutely! When I was looking into this, it seemed the medical community conceded that there were risks and benefits and it should be up to the parents. And, it's primarily a religious rite everywhere other than the US and South Korea, I believe.

2 2

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 14h

It's been living rent-free in my head for forty years.

2

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 14h

This reminds me of Dana Carvey's flying napkin fish and its "quintet of detachable penii."

Dana Carvey as Jacques Cousteau - Saturday Night Live

YouTube video by Saturday Night Live

www.youtube.com

1 2

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 14h

It's wild! I probably spent a month digging into it. Some people just get an idea in their head and can't let go of it. Some are earnest and I think acting out of genuine concern for babies, but some others are not very nice. Some of them are very vulnerable to being exploited by the far-right.

1

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 15h

Mark and his family are leaving the country because of death threats. I've contributed. Please consider joining me if you're in a position to do so. You can also help by sharing this or Mark's post.

Literally wrote the book on antifascism, btw. Probably the first book I read on the topic.

Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 16h

Friends and comrades made a crowdfunding page for my family.

It’s really hard to post this. I know that there are a lot of other important issues asking for money but things have gotten to the point where we need to open ourselves up to your support.

Thank you for your consideration.

"Help us leave safely" on FreeFunder

Click here to support "Help us leave safely" by Dara on FreeFunder!

www.freefunder.com

2 7

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 15h

"Yet-to-be-named" and "the implementation plan still needs to be developed" (all bold) is really something.

1 1 5

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 15h

And, although it's a small community, I'm sorry to any Intactivists who happen to come across this thread. I know there's more to this topic than you can fit in a couple hundred words. But y'all really should be aware of the MRA/white nationalist adjacency. Police your community, folks.

11

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 15h

"We want to emphasize: Faculty, staff and students will be engaged throughout."

Except in the whole "deciding it's a good idea" part.

1 6

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 15h

I don't know how to end this thread, but it kind of reminds me of the "lower taxes" folks who are happy to tolerate white nationalists because lower taxes is their entire personality.

1 2 14

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 15h

The comic was extremely racist, Islamophobic, and antisemitic, featuring the hero punching a caricatured Rabbi, an Imam, and an African tribal leader. It might have only lasted seven issues because he ran out of ethnic groups to stereotype.

'Foreskin Man' Anti-Circumcision Comic Called Anti-Semitic; Could Sway San Francisco Vote

"Foreskin Man," a controversial comic by one of San Francisco's anti-circumcision proponents, has driven away would-be supporters of a proposed ban on the practice of removing the foreskin of boys und...

abcnews.go.com

1 1 11

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 15h

During a 2011 San Francisco debate over a proposed anti-circumcision law, an Intactivist created a comic series called Foreskin Man. I have all seven issues somewhere. They're surprisingly well-done and must have cost a fortune to produce.

Comic book hero who looks like a blonde Superman. He is labeled Foreskin Man.

2 5 10

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 15h

Intactivists are often lonely, since it's not easy to find others who want to hear about it 24/7. Their identity is very wrapped up in their beliefs about circumcision, so they're sometimes willing to overlook the reprehensible beliefs of MRA's and neo-Nazis who support their cause.

2 2 6

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 15h

MRA's because they see circumcision as a torture inflicted upon men by women.

Neo-Nazis because it's a way to effectively outlaw Jewish and Muslim people.

Intactivists sometimes share those beliefs, but mostly are hardcore anti-circumcision activists.

1 8

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 15h

Finally, something I'm qualified to talk about!

Before I start, I understand there's legitimate debate about circumcision. But…

Once in a while, a city talks about an anti-circumcision law. There are three groups who cheer that: Intactivists (I swear I'm not making that up), MRA's, and neo-Nazis.

Greg Greene (he/him/his) @greene.haus · 15h

The people who just low-key denounced circumcision are investigating Harvard and UCLA for … (*re-checks notes*) antisemitism? Do I read that right?

Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 17h

Besides linking Tylenol in pregnant women to autism, RFK Jr. now says circumcision is part of the reason why kids are autistic.

"Children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism, and it's highly likely because they're given Tylenol. None of this is positive..."

2 10 19

Daniel Malmer @malmer.com · 16h

"Legislation aimed at eliminating antisemitism in California schools — without defining the term — was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday."

Gifted:

Newsom signs bill targeting antisemitic speech in California classrooms

Legislation aimed at eliminating antisemitism in California schools, while using a controversial definition of the term, was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday.

www.sfchronicle.com

1 6