Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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TommasinaResist⚜️🇨🇦🦋🐈‍⬛🇺🇦 @tommasinaresist.bsky.social · 1d

"This is the first time that I know in American history that a president has staged a fake riot," Merkley stated, citing local news media accounts showing federal agents provoking confrontations, including throwing tear gas & flashbangs at peaceful, protesters.
#USDemocracy #Voices4Victory

AUTHORITARIAN OCCUPATION Oregon Senators Decry Federal Troop Deployment as Constitutional Crisis

"MAGA" doubles down: "We voted for this!" 👇

open.substack.com

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Kathleen Clark @kathleenclark.bsky.social · 1d

A master class from MIT in responding to authoritarian overreach:

Your “premise … is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.
… America’s leadership in science & innovation depends on independent thinking & open competition for excellence.

Dear Madam Secretary,
I write in response to your letter of October 1, inviting MIT to review a "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education." I acknowledge the vital importance of these matters.
I appreciated the chance to meet with you earlier this year to discuss the priorities we share for American higher education.
As we discussed, the Institute's mission of service to the nation directs us to advance knowledge, educate students and bring knowledge to bear on the world's great challenges.
We do that in line with a clear set of values, with excellence above all. Some practical examples:
• MIT prides itself on rewarding merit. Students, faculty and staff succeed here based on the strength of their talent, ideas and hard work. For instance, the Institute was the first to reinstate the SAT/ACT requirement after the pandemic. And MIT has never had legacy preferences in admissions.
• MIT opens its doors to the most talented students regardless of their family's finances. Admissions are need-blind. Incoming undergraduates whose families earn less than $200,000 a year pay no tuition. Nearly 88% of our last graduating class left MIT with no debt for their education. We make a wealth of free courses and low-cost certificates available to any American with an internet connection. Of the undergraduate degrees we award, 94% are in STEM fields. And in service to the nation, we cap enrollment of international undergraduates at roughly 10%.

source:
https://orgchart.mit.edu/letters/regarding-compact

• We value free expression, as clearly described in the MIT Statement on Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom. We must hear facts and opinions we don't like - and engage respectfully with those with whom we disagree.
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.
Sincerely,
Sally Kornbluth

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sstrumello @sstrumello.bsky.social · 1d

Predictably, but with no peace outcome to speak of, the committee had nothing it could site as a reason for Trump to win one.

New York Magazine @nymag.com · 1d

The White House and Trump allies are attacking the Nobel Committee, which gave this year’s prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

Trumpworld Goes to War Over Nobel Peace Prize Loss

The White House and Trump allies are attacking the Nobel Committee, which gave this year’s prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

nymag.com

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Robert Califf @robcaliff.bsky.social · 1d

Thoughtful response to assertions that vaccines don't save lives (or prevent suffering).

www.statnews.com/2025/10/10/m...

RFK Jr. says vaccines don’t save lives. He’s wrong

Now RFK Jr. is claiming vaccines don’t actually save lives. Here’s the math to show what he gets wrong.

www.statnews.com

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sstrumello @sstrumello.bsky.social · 1d

With special carve-outs (naturally) for pro-Trump industries which lobby hard enough for it. TACO Presidency. Pharma and biotech take notice.

Reuters @reuters.com · 1d

VIEW Trump threatens 'massive increase' in China tariffs reut.rs/4haI02i

VIEW Trump threatens 'massive increase' in China tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he is calculating a massive increase in tariffs on Chinese imports, adding there was no reason to meet with President Xi JinPing in two weeks as planned, triggering a sell-off in the dollar.

reut.rs

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Kevin C Klatt, PhD, RD @kcklatt.bsky.social · 15d

So many papers are clearly written to sex up impact and claim translatability, at the expense of accuracy - that's a gift to pseudoscience. We need to be training the next generation of scientists to be honest and media literate.

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sstrumello @sstrumello.bsky.social · 1d

Not this year, Donald…

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 1d

BREAKING: For her work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela, María Corina Machado wins the Nobel Peace Prize.

María Corina Machado of Venezuela wins the Nobel Peace Prize

Opposition activist María Corina Machado of Venezuela has won the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel committee praised her as a key figure in unifying Venezuela's political opposition.

bit.ly

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Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · 1d

Every American who believes in the rule of law should see this for what it is: An attack on our democracy from a man who wants to rule, not serve.

We will not be intimidated or silenced. We stand with democracy and against tyranny. Let’s make it clear there are still NO KINGS in the USA. #NoKings

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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Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · 1d

Letitia James is being criminally charged for the ‘crime’ of holding Trump accountable. This indictment is the clearest sign yet that Trump’s project isn’t just corruption — it’s monarchy. He’s using the power of the federal government to punish his public servants and protect himself.

New York Attorney General Letitia James charged in fraud case after pressure campaign by Trump

New York Attorney General Letitia James has been charged as part of a mortgage fraud investigation aggressively pushed by the Trump administration.

apnews.com

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Reuters @reuters.com · 2d

US weekly jobless claims increased again, JPMorgan estimates reut.rs/48jHn3W

US weekly jobless claims increased again, JPMorgan estimates

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits increased again last week, JPMorgan estimated on Thursday, hinting at some early layoffs related to the U.S. government shutdown.

reut.rs

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Philadelphia Inquirer @inquirer.com · 2d

Lower Merion Township’s effort to use zoning to limit where guns are sold violates state law, Commonwealth Court ruled Thursday.

Pennsylvania court tells Lower Merion it can’t use zoning to regulate how gun shops do business

A split Commonwealth Court ruled that a Lower Merion's requirements on gun shops were preempted by state law. "It is a gun regulation, not a zoning regulation," Judge Matthew Wolf wrote.

www.inquirer.com

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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 2d

New York Attorney General Letitia James calls fraud case "baseless," and decries "weaponization of our justice system."

New York Attorney General Letitia James indicted on fraud charge, AP source says

A grand jury has indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on a fraud charge, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Thursday.

bit.ly

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New York Attorney General Letitia James @newyorkstateag.bsky.social · 2d

This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.

I am not fearful — I am fearless.

We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights..

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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 2d

AG JAMES: “.. This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system. He is forcing federal law enforcement agencies to do his bidding, all because I did my job as the New York State Attorney General.”

@newyorkstateag.bsky.social

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HuffPost @huffpost.com · 2d

The Democratic lawmaker alleged Patel “clearly chose to protect and defend Donald Trump,” rather than Jeffrey Epstein’s victims.

Eric Swalwell Has Brutal Reaction To ‘Unserious’ Kash Patel's Hearing Notes

The Democratic lawmaker alleged Patel “clearly chose to protect and defend Donald Trump,” rather than Jeffrey Epstein’s victims.

www.huffpost.com

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Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · 2d

The difference between Democrats surrendering in March and fighting back now is us. We’re building a unified opposition party that stands up to Trump’s regime and its enablers. Let’s encourage Democrats to keep fighting to protect healthcare for millions of Americans: indivisible.org/campaign/sto...

Axios headline: “Mike Johnson faces growing internal revolt over shutdown”

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Marion Nestle @marionnestle.bsky.social · 2d

The National Food Museum’s collection of short food videos

The National Food Museum, is a project of Michael Jacobson, former founder and director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (I'm on its Advisory Council). It is currently still virtual, but provides all kinds of resources,…

The National Food Museum’s collection of short food videos

The National Food Museum, is a project of Michael Jacobson, former founder and director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (I'm on its Advisory Council). It is currently still virtual, but provides all kinds of resources, short videos among them. The Museum organizes them into several categories. I took a look at the category of "kids (and others)." Three examples, from among many:

www.foodpolitics.com

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Reuters @reuters.com · 3d

Updated COVID shot led to less severe illness, fewer hospitalizations last year, US study finds reut.rs/3KEOvOE

Updated COVID shot led to less severe illness, fewer hospitalizations last year, US study finds

Last year's updated COVID-19 vaccines helped prevent severe outcomes including hospitalizations and deaths, according to data from a large study of U.S. military veterans published on Wednesday.

reut.rs

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Merrill Goozner @gooznews.bsky.social · 3d

Grand jury refuses to indict Chicago protesters carrying legally registered guns who were arrested by ICE as "armed rioters." "Less evidence than a ham sandwich," judge says.

blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/08/f...

Feds Had 'Less Evidence Than A Ham Sandwich' In Dismissed Armed Protester Case, Lawyer Says

In a rare move, a federal grand jury refused to indict a couple arrested while legally carrying firearms in Broadview. Prosecutors also abandoned charges against a third protester arrested on Sept. 27...

blockclubchicago.org

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sstrumello @sstrumello.bsky.social · 3d

Look, there are ageist parties who say Mills is too geriatric to run. How old is Sen. Chuck Grassley? (he's 92). The Senate is full of fossils. We need a candidate with potential to unseat Susan Collins, and Janet Mills can likely do it. Unseat Collins first—worry about age later.

Axios @axios.com · 4d

Scoop: Maine Gov. Janet Mills is poised to jump into Maine Senate race

Scoop: Mills poised to jump into Maine Senate race

Gov. Janey Mills' entry into the race would set off another complicated Democratic primary.

trib.al

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Science Blog @scienceblog.com · 3d

Bacteria Store Sunlight to Clean Polluted Soil at Night

The ground beneath our feet is doing something strange. Somewhere in the opaque depths of saturated soil, where sunlight never reaches, bacteria are powering chemical reactions with energy they stored hours earlier, when the sun was still up.…

Bacteria Store Sunlight to Clean Polluted Soil at Night

The ground beneath our feet is doing something strange. Somewhere in the opaque depths of saturated soil, where sunlight never reaches, bacteria are powering chemical reactions with energy they stored hours earlier, when the sun was still up. Scientists have now figured out how they do it, and the answer reads like something from science fiction. Researchers at Kunming University of Science and Technology and the University of Massachusetts Amherst discovered that common soil bacteria can team up with iron minerals to form what amounts to a biological capacitor.

scienceblog.com

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David Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 3d

I mean read this, the Trump administration in an official document is saying that Americans won't ever pick crops and America won't have enough food to eat because of ICE raids!
prospect.org/politics/tru...

As a result, employers are facing significant economic harms, the filing claims. And incredibly, given the administration’s unceasing rhetoric to the contrary, the Labor Department definitively rejects the idea of Americans replacing the missing workers. “The Department does not believe American workers currently unemployed or marginally employed will make themselves readily available in sufficient numbers to replace large numbers of aliens,” the filing states, adding that agricultural work involves “a distinct set of skills and is among the most physically demanding and hazardous occupations in the U.S. labor market.” (For what it’s worth, nearly half of all agricultural workers are native-born, and significantly more than half are U.S. citizens, according to Department of Agriculture data.)

The Labor Department even claims that broadly advertising agricultural jobs, which is required under the H2-A rules, has not led to a boost in applications from U.S. workers. This is a bit of a fiction; workers who apply often do not receive jobs, and nobody is really checking to see if applications are coming in. “The system isn’t set up to prove that there’s a labor shortage of U.S. workers,” said Costa, of EPI.

In the end, the Labor Department concludes, the only way to protect agricultural employers from disaster and consumers from rising prices and food shortages is to slash wages in the H-2A program to make it more viable to bring in workers. This is an odd response to a workforce crisis, since cutting wages across the sector will likely drive existing workers to look elsewhere for jobs. In fact, farm employers in Florida fear that H-2A foreign workers won’t apply for these jobs anymore because the wages are so low. (There were 384,900 H-2A applications last year.)

But the filing states, “Without swift action, agricultural employers will be unable to maintain operations, and the nation's food supply will be at risk.”

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David Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 3d

So this is funny.
The administration just issued a rule slashing foreign agricultural worker wages. And to justify it, in a public filing, Trump's Labor Department alleges that Trump's immigration enforcement has devastated the Ag workforce and caused a "risk of supply shock-induced food shortages."

Trump Labor Department Says His Immigration Raids Are Causing a Food Crisis

In a filing in the Federal Register, the Labor Department argues there are “immediate dangers to the American food supply” due to a lack of migrant agricultural workers.

prospect.org

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The Lancet @thelancet.com · 3d

The treatment of type 1 diabetes is entering a transformative era.

A recent Review explores three paradigm-shifting developments poised to transform type 1 diabetes treatment: tinyurl.com/2834ymk7

Figure showing the production and transplantation of β cells derived from embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells. Copyright: 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. CC BY 4.0.

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The Economist @economist.com · 3d

American politicians have long railed against high health-care bills, and point to big pharma as the main culprit. The reality is more complex, as these charts show

Does big pharma gouge Americans?

In the bloated health-care system, others are the real money-makers

econ.st

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