Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 15h

These guys have gotten incredibly rich by fleecing the government with subpar tech that was designed for rentseeking rather than performance. A smart Dem agenda item would be to build internal tech capacity. The fact that it would punish these guys is just a silver lining.

Mike Masnick @mmasnick.bsky.social · 15h

Being a billionaire must really fuck with your mind. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/u...

Marc Benioff Says Trump Should Send Guard Troops to San Francisco

www.nytimes.com

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Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 14h

Not today, Satan‼️

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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 13h

Law and order www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Nearly half of FBI agents in major offices reassigned to immigration enforcement

Data shows stunning shift in law enforcement priorities that has raised public safety concerns

www.theguardian.com

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Maryn McKenna @marynmck.bsky.social · 13h

Extremely bad news if true (and unlikely this reporter would run with it if not). The MMWR has been the earliest warning bell for outbreaks since it announced the first US cases, in 1981, of what was later identified as AIDS.

This will be a grievous shock to what remains of US public health.

Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 14h

BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at CDC. Doznes of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:

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Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 13h

So not for cause, or to address fraud, waste & abuse.

For partisan political pain.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 18h

Q: How many layoffs have you authorized?

TRUMP: It'll be a lot. And it'll be Democrat-oriented.

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Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 13h

Let the kids know where the holiday presents are coming from this year.

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Roy Edroso @edroso.bsky.social · 13h

This is a flex.

He know his rubes will believe any shit he tells them and he wants to see how far he can take it.

Next week he'll tell them everyone in Portland lives in caves now and eats brontosaurus ribs like the Flintstones.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 17h

Trump: "Portland, I mean -- every time I look at that place it's burning down. There are fires all over the place. When a store -- there are very few of them left -- but when a store owner rebuilds a store they build it out of plywood. They don't put up storefronts anymore. They just put wood up."

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Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 12h

Today in life under competitive authoritarianism

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 18h

Q: How many layoffs have you authorized?

TRUMP: It'll be a lot. And it'll be Democrat-oriented.

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Sarah Taber @sarahtaber.bsky.social · 22h

Farm bankruptcies are back in the news, so it's time to pull this chart out again.

Hey look they kept rising during Trump's first term. Then they went way down under Biden.

Now they're up again? So weird. Thanks Farm Bureau for the graphic

Screenshot from Farm Bureau article on farm bankruptcies. It shows farm bankruptcies climbing steadily 2014-2020, falling by half in 2021, & continuing to fall through 2023.

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 12h

This was today, and these guys knew they were going to fire their own employees because, says Trump, they are "Democrat oriented." bsky.app/profile/atru...

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 18h

Q: How many layoffs have you authorized?

TRUMP: It'll be a lot. And it'll be Democrat-oriented.

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Jason Karsh @jkarsh.bsky.social · 12h

Amazing thing about this isn’t even that none of it is true (none of it is), but that on Sunday morning, every news show will have Republicans on to soft-pedal some similar fiction to cover for the fact that ICE is literally kidnapping people in the streets and Republicans shutdown the government.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 17h

Trump: "Portland, I mean -- every time I look at that place it's burning down. There are fires all over the place. When a store -- there are very few of them left -- but when a store owner rebuilds a store they build it out of plywood. They don't put up storefronts anymore. They just put wood up."

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Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · 12h

Friday night massacre at the CDC per the New York Times.

Sheryl Gay Stolberg • @SherylNYT
X.com
BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at
CDC. Dozens of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:
I regret to inform you that you are being affected by a reduction in force (RIF) action. Please find attached a notice memorandum explaining the RIF and next steps. This RIF action does not reflect directly on your service, performance, or conduct. It is being taken solely for the reasons stated in the memorandum.
After you receive this notice, you will be placed on administrative leave and will no longer have building access beginning Friday, October 10, unless directed otherwise by your leadership. Additionally, please save this email and its attachments, or forward them to a personal email address, for your records.
Leadership at HHS appreciates your service.

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Patton Oswalt @pattonoswalt.bsky.social · 11h

I don’t know anything about the Nobel process so I’m asking sincerely — DO people openly campaign for the award? Was that a thing that ever happened?

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Senator Patty Murray @murray.senate.gov · 18h

Republicans are pushing debunked anti-abortion propaganda as an excuse to rip mifepristone off the shelves and block women from getting abortion care.

100+ studies prove mifepristone is safe and effective.

SPEAK UP, we can't let them get away with this.

Nearly All GOP Senators Urge the FDA to Restrict Abortion Pills

The senators are asking the FDA to suspend its approval of generic mifepristone, which would heavily restrict access to abortion pills nationwide.

www.notus.org

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captain bleach @blainecapatch.bsky.social · 16h

can you imagine half-assing a last-minute ceasefire that won't last a week and still not getting the Nobel Peace Prize

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 23h

Thune: "If the Democrats had won the majority, they probably would've tried to nuke the filibuster. And then you'd have four new senators from Puerto Rico and DC, you'd have a packed Supreme Court, you'd have abortion on demand ... "

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JonBowzerBauman.bsky.social @jonbowzerbauman.bsky.social · 10h

Next step is No Kings 10/18.

Do NOT be intimidated. No FEAR either.

There are over 2000 rallies planned. Let’s go for 10 million people plus.

SHOW UP!!!

Skip Montanaro @smontanaro.net · 1d

www.nokings.org October 18th.

No Kings

As the president escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS non-violent movement continues to rise stronger. We are united once again to remind the world: America has No Kings and the power ...

www.nokings.org

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Ruth Ben-Ghiat @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social · 13h

A diseased population is easier to control

Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 14h

BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at CDC. Doznes of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:

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Olga Lautman 🇺🇦 @olgalautman.bsky.social · 14h

In case anyone missed this

Erdoğa said that Trump ended Halkbank’s criminal case after talks w him. He said that Trump told him “The Halkbank problem is finished for us.”

Halkbank was helping Iran evade taxes and launder billions.

Qatar and now this. The corruption is off the charts

Turkey’s Erdogan Says Halkbank US Case to End After Trump Talks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said state lender Halkbank’s legal case in the US is due to be resolved following recent talks with President Donald Trump, prompting bank shares to rise.

www.bloomberg.com

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CNN @cnn.com · 10h

President Donald Trump received a Covid vaccine and flu shot during his visit to Walter Reed Medical Center on Friday, his physician said in a memo released by the White House.

Trump received Covid vaccine and flu shot during second physical of the year | CNN Politics

President Donald Trump received a Covid vaccine and flu shot during his visit to Walter Reed Medical Center on Friday, his physician said in a memo released by the White House.

www.cnn.com

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Nikkolas Smith @4nikkolas.bsky.social · 19h

after millions of views and shares of my Portland Frog art. (thank you all🙏🏾) I got requests to highlight priests, and chickens, and Chicagoans, and T-Rexes, and more… all of us who refuse to bend the knee. so this is for US.
𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚃𝚊𝚕𝚕.
𝚆𝚎 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚆𝚒𝚗.

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montygibbon.bsky.social @montygibbon.bsky.social · 13h

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HTT- yeah, you prolly know me. @httorg.bsky.social · 11h

Seriously.
As a public health scientist?
I cannot stress enough how poorly prepared this administration is for an ultra deadly & infectious disease like Ebola to make landfall here in the USA.
The best defense for the USA is fast resolution of an outbreak overseas.

Alt CDC (they/them) @altcdc.altgov.info · 13h

RIFed:

Several CDC staff currently working on an Ebola outbreak overseas.

You know — the ones literally helping contain and prevent it from spreading. (Like, to the U.S.)

Trust us: dying from Ebola is a MISERABLE way to die.

Ebola disease

WHO fact sheet on Ebola: key facts, definition, transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, WHO response.

www.who.int

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Lizard Of Oz @lizardofoz316.bsky.social · 10h

This is a hair on fire situation.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...

Trump Administration Lays Off Dozens of C.D.C. Officials

www.nytimes.com

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Colin Jacobson @oatsdad.bsky.social · 1h

Dems are finally starting to show some sass and use social media to fight back against GOP.