Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Michael McAuliff

Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 6h

This arrest appears to be in direct violation of a temporary restraining order prohibiting DHS officers from arresting journalists. The officers here may well be subject to contempt of court. protectdemocracy.org/wp-content/u...

It is hereby ORDERED that Defendants,' their officers, agents, assigns, and all
persons acting in concert with them (hereafter referred to as "Federal Agents"), are temporarily
ENJOINED in this judicial district from:
a.
Dispersing, arresting, threatening to arrest, threatening or using physical
force against any person whom they know or reasonably should know is a Journalist, unless Defendants have probable cause to believe that the individual has committed a crime.

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Reposted by Michael McAuliff

Claudia Grisales @cgrisales.bsky.social · 8h

Senate Majority Leader John Thune responds to OMB head Russ Vought’s post “the RIFs have begun,” telling @jordainc.bsky.social and I:

“Well… I think they held off for as long as they could.”

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Reposted by Michael McAuliff

Kyla @boysek.bsky.social · 7h

www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/10/w...

WGN-TV producer detained during ICE enforcement action in Lincoln Square

A WGN-TV video editor and producer was roughly detained by two Border Patrol agents on Friday morning during a highly visible rush hour enforcement action in Lincoln Square.

www.chicagotribune.com

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Reposted by Michael McAuliff

Heartland Signal @heartlandsignal.bsky.social · 7h

BREAKING: Masked Border Patrol agents aggressively arrested WGN video producer Debbie Brockman in Lincoln Square Friday morning, supposedly for "obstructing justice." (Video via Josh Thomas on Facebook)

Follow @heartlandsignal for more.

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Michael McAuliff @mcauliff.bsky.social · 6h

Sen. Susan Collins "strongly" opposes Vought’s layoffs.
"Arbitrary layoffs result in a lack of sufficient personnel needed to conduct the mission of the agency and to deliver essential programs, and cause harm to families in Maine and throughout our country.”

Senator Collins’ Statement on OMB’s Attempt to Permanently Lay Off Federal Workers

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) attempt to permanently lay off federal workers:

“I strongly oppose OMB Director Russ Vought’s attempt to permanently lay off federal workers who have been furloughed due to a completely unnecessary government shutdown caused by Senator Schumer. Regardless of whether federal employees have been working without pay or have been furloughed, their work is incredibly important to serving the public. Arbitrary layoffs result in a lack of sufficient personnel needed to conduct the mission of the agency and to deliver essential programs, and cause harm to families in Maine and throughout our country.”

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Reposted by Michael McAuliff

tony romm @tonyromm.bsky.social · 8h

White House Signals Federal Layoffs Have Begun During Shutdown www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/u...

White House Signals Federal Layoffs Have Begun During Shutdown

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Michael McAuliff

STAT @statnews.com · 8h

The Trump administration is escalating its efforts to weaken a tech industry-funded group seeking to help shape the nation’s use of artificial intelligence in health care. www.statnews.com/2025/10/09/c...

Coalition for Health AI faces escalating attacks by Trump officials, loss of founding member Amazon

The Trump administration is escalating its efforts to weaken a tech industry-funded group seeking to help shape the nation’s use of AI in health care.

www.statnews.com

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Reposted by Michael McAuliff

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 9h

Three key points:
1) The admin has been planning mass firings to begin in October since February
2) The work necessary to carry out mass firings is illegal during a shutdown, violating the Antideficiency Act, which carries a criminal penalty
3) This harms America, ridding us of talent and expertise

Russ Vought v @russvought
The RIFs have begun.
12:27 PM • 10/10/25 • 15K Views

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KFF Health News @kffhealthnews.org · 10h

Senators are demanding answers from Deloitte and other companies about errors in eligibility systems for Medicaid, following a KFF Health News investigation exposing problems that resulted in people losing health benefits.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Senators Press Deloitte, Other Contractors on Errors in Medicaid Eligibility Systems - KFF Health News

As contractors position themselves to cash in on a gush of new business managing Medicaid work requirements, a cadre of senators has launched an inquiry into the companies paid billions to build eligi...

kffhealthnews.org

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Reposted by Michael McAuliff

Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 10h

Jeffries repeatedly dings House Republicans for being back in their districts, not in D.C., as Dems are here amid the shutdown.

"Republicans in the House have decided to remain on vacation," he said. "They're not serious about reopening the government."

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Reposted by Michael McAuliff

Steven T. Dennis @steventdennis.bsky.social · 10h

Heard the exact opposite talking points back in 2013 when House Republicans were holding government funding hostage in an effort to erase the ACA. Back then they were insisting that Barack Obama and Harry Reid negotiate and blamed them for the shutdown because they wouldn't.

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Reposted by Michael McAuliff

Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 10h

Speaker Mike Johnson, standing next to Emmer here, urged Democrats less than a month ago to "turn down their rhetoric," saying, "Nazis and fascists is not helpful."

As such, striking to see him stand quietly as a fellow Republican insists there is a "terrorist wing" of the Democratic Party.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11h

Emmer: "This is about one thing and one thing alone -- to score political points with the terrorist wing of their party, which is set to hold a hate America rally in DC next week."

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Michael McAuliff @mcauliff.bsky.social · 10h

Point I'm not hearing in the debate about passing a CR to open government:
Congress just could go ahead with regular appropriations, no special deals needed. Just do the work, pass the bills, go to conference.

Michael McAuliff @mcauliff.bsky.social · 10h

And votes in the House for Tuesday are now cancelled.

Michael McAuliff @mcauliff.bsky.social · 11h

Clearly talks to reopen the government are going well.
They are gone till Tuesday, and House Republican leaders just now said Democrats are holding a "hate America rally" on Oct. 18, and the Democrats' goal with the shutdown is to "score political points with the terrorist wing of their party."

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Reposted by Michael McAuliff

The Niskanen Center @niskanencenter.bsky.social · 11h

🚨🚨The Senate has passed the bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act as part of the NDAA!

This is a historic level of bipartisan cooperation to expand Americans' access to housing.

@aarmlovi.bsky.social, @awjustus.bsky.social, and @rohanaras.bsky.social unpack what's in the 310-page bill. ⬇️

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Reposted by Michael McAuliff

Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · 11h

A measured but firm 'No' from MIT against the Trump administration's compact.
orgchart.mit.edu/letters/rega...

These values and other MIT practices meet or exceed many standards outlined in the document you sent. We freely choose these values because they’re right, and we live by them because they support our mission – work of immense value to the prosperity, competitiveness, health and security of the United States. And of course, MIT abides by the law.

The document also includes principles with which we disagree, including those that would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution. And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.

In our view, America’s leadership in science and innovation depends on independent thinking and open competition for excellence. In that free marketplace of ideas, the people of MIT gladly compete with the very best, without preferences. Therefore, with respect, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education.

As you know, MIT’s record of service to the nation is long and enduring. Eight decades ago, MIT leaders helped invent a scientific partnership between America’s research universities and the U.S. government that has delivered extraordinary benefits for the American people. We continue to believe in the power of this partnership to serve the nation.

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Reposted by Michael McAuliff

chuckcbpp.bsky.social @chuckcbpp.bsky.social · 11h

New Paper:
CBO finds $1 invested in federal non-defense R & D yields $11.50 over 30 yrs, i.e. wow
Meanwhile, the Trump Admin proposes a 21% cut in non-defense R & D funding– while targeting top universities– posing a threat to future living standards
www.cbpp.org/research/fed...

Administration’s Proposed Cuts to Non-Defense R&D Pose Long-Term Risk to Rising Living Standards | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

New, high-quality research quantifying the powerful impact of federal non-defense research and development shows why the dramatic cuts to non-defense R&D funding proposed by the Trump Administration w...

www.cbpp.org

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Michael McAuliff @mcauliff.bsky.social · 11h

Clearly talks to reopen the government are going well.
They are gone till Tuesday, and House Republican leaders just now said Democrats are holding a "hate America rally" on Oct. 18, and the Democrats' goal with the shutdown is to "score political points with the terrorist wing of their party."

Reposted by Michael McAuliff

Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 21h

Picture how big the Hoover Dam is. An absolute unit. The Hoover Dam has a power capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW).

The solar farm that the Admin just cancelled could have produces 6.2 GW of power. That's more than 3 Hoover Dams.

jael holzman @jael.bsky.social · 22h

SCOOP: The Bureau of Land Management says the largest solar project in Nevada — the Esmeralda 7 mega-farm — has been canceled

The news was quietly dropped via a sudden website update with no public word from any of the companies involved or a statement from the agency

@heatmap.news

Esmeralda 7 Solar Project Has Been Canceled, BLM Says

It would have delivered a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power.

heatmap.news

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Reposted by Michael McAuliff

Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 1d

Immigrants have been awarded 40% of the Nobel Prizes won by Americans in chemistry, medicine and physics since 2000. nfap.com/research/new...

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Michael McAuliff @mcauliff.bsky.social · 3d

Patty Murray's reaction to the new OMB memo: "The letter of the law is as plain as can be—federal workers, including furloughed workers, are entitled to their backpay following a shutdown. Another baseless attempt to try and scare & intimidate workers by an administration run by crooks and cowards."

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 3d

Johnson: "It's true that in previous shutdowns, many or most furloughed employees have been paid for the time they were furloughed, but there is new legal analysis - I don't know the details, I just saw a headline - but there are some legal analysts saying that might not be appropriate or necessary"

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Reposted by Michael McAuliff

ringwiss @ringwiss.bsky.social · 3d

If Thune just moved to proceed to the House bill and walked off the floor (and the chair enforced the rules properly), the shutdown would probably end tomorrow.

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Reposted by Michael McAuliff

Gideon Lukens @gidlukens.bsky.social · 3d

Georgia’s 2026 ACA marketplace window shopping began October 1, meaning people are already seeing next year’s premiums spike because of expiring tax credit enhancements. A typical 60-year-old couple making $85,000 in Georgia will face a $24,900 increase in annual premiums. (1/4)

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Reposted by Michael McAuliff

YouGov America @today.yougov.com · 3d

A stacked bar chart of YouGov polling data with the headline: "Approval and disapproval of Trump's job performance."

The chart's sub-headline is: "Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as President? (%)."

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Reposted by Michael McAuliff

Phoenix Calida @phoenixcalida.bsky.social · 5d

ICE is pepper spraying CPD (Chicago police)

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