Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Tina Bessias

Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social · 1d

Unconstitutionally taking money that the law says must be spent on one purpose & using it for something else—when it's to establish personalist control over the FUCKING MILITARY—is about as dangerous a constitutional crisis/failure as you can imagine

Via: www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...

The Office of Management and Budget sent a notification to Congress about their intent to use research and development funds to pay members of the military, two sources with direct knowledge tell NBC News.

A spokesperson for the OMB confirmed to NBC News that it plans to use the research and development funds and that there are two years' worth of funds available within the Department of Defense.

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 1d

Reminder: Trump vaccinates himself 👇🏽

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ProPublica @propublica.org · 1d

A policy expert described Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s push in favor of private schools as a “great American heist,” funneling money from public schools: “It’s a strategic theft of the future of our country, our kids and our democracy.”

By @megomatz.bsky.social & @jsmithrichards.bsky.social

These Activists Want to Dismantle Public Schools. Now They Run the Education Department.

Under Trump, the Department of Education has been bringing in activists hostile to public schools. It could mean a new era of private and religious schools boosted by tax dollars — and the end of publ...

www.propublica.org

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Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 1d

👇🎯 Congrats again to Chief Keyser Söze, whose greatest trick was convincing the world that actual John Roberts doesn't exist

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Tina Bessias @tbessias.bsky.social · 21h

Bravo President Kornbluth and Trustees of MIT!

Reuters @reuters.com · 2d

MIT refuses to accept White House terms for funding, other schools still mulling reut.rs/471tkNZ

MIT refuses to accept White House terms for funding, other schools still mulling

Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth on Friday said she "cannot support" a memo that the White House sent to nine elite U.S. universities last week detailing policies they should follow to get preferential consideration for federal funding.

reut.rs

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✨ A Goddess has NO KING ✨ @the-goddess-speaks.bsky.social · 1d

Citizens demanding transparency and lawfulness from their public servants.

📢This is the way.
#ChicagoStrong

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Rachel Maddow @maddow.msnbc.com · 3d

www.stepupspeakout.org

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Pete Buttigieg @petebuttigieg.bsky.social · 4d

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Tina Bessias @tbessias.bsky.social · 10d

Beautiful. See subsequent post, too.

Dr. Elizabeth Sawin @bethsawin.bsky.social · 10d

The path between here and a just and livable future is not a smooth curve of managed transition any more (if it ever was). It's white water, surprises, confusion, advance, retreat, learning, messing up, grieving, celebrating, experimenting, truth telling, pausing in the beauty.

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Reposted by Tina Bessias

derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 10d

Matthew 15:29-31: And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them after verifying their citizenship status.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics @ameracadpeds.bsky.social · 10d

Currently, millions of children are unable to access COVID-19 vaccines through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, a program that provides free vaccines to families that are unable to afford them. Read the full story in AAP News. publications.aap.org/aapnews/news...

Pediatricians express frustrations over delay in COVID vaccines for children in federal program

Millions of children are unable to access COVID-19 vaccines through the Vaccines for Children program because federal health officials have not finalized recommendations on who should get vaccinated.

publications.aap.org

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Reposted by Tina Bessias

zensoul.bsky.social @zensoul.bsky.social · 10d

#ProudBlue Fair elections, made in California, decided by voters.

Vote YES on Prop 50 on November 4th to stop Republicans from rigging the 2026 midterms.
#YesOnProp50

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Reposted by Tina Bessias

Gabe Ortíz @tusk81.bsky.social · 11d

The legendary Jane Fonda “has relaunched the Committee for the First Amendment, the McCarthy-era initiative started by her father, Henry Fonda ...” www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oc...

Jane Fonda relaunches free speech group started by her father during the McCarthy era

In wake of the Trump administration’s censorship threats, the actor re-established the Committee for the First Amendment with A-list support

www.theguardian.com

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Tina Bessias @tbessias.bsky.social · 11d

Following in the footsteps of Francis, (Pope) Leo called on "everyone in society ... [to] put pressure on governments to develop and implement more rigorous regulations, procedures and controls" to fight climate change and protect the environment.” www.politico.eu/article/pope...

Pope Leo rebukes climate skeptics after Trump calls warming a ‘con job’

The Illinois native’s comments come a week after the U.S. president derided the fight against climate change.

www.politico.eu

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Tina Bessias @tbessias.bsky.social · 11d

Yes! Rep. Dean is telling it straight. Dems need to should this from the rooftops and ask every Republican what they’re going to do about it.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11d

MADELEINE DEAN: The president is unhinged. He's unwell

JOHNSON: A lot of folks on your side are too

D: Oh my god, please. That performance in front of the generals?

J: I didn't see it

D: It's so dangerous! Our allies are looking elsewhere. Our enemies are laughing. You have a POTUS who's unwell.

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Reposted by Tina Bessias

Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 12d

Lisa Murkowski
Susan Collins
Thom Tillis
David Valadao
Bryan Steil
Etc.

Every day, the entire National Conversation is laser-focused on What Democrats Must Do, & these supposedly "moderate" Republicans get total free passes. They're the ones who can end it all. Find them. Ask the hard questions.

Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 13d

It is incredibly difficult to get folks to understand that there are literally 20-30 people in DC who could end all of this tomorrow, & all of them are Republicans in Congress, & no one in the National Conversation seems interested in paying attention to that.

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Reposted by Tina Bessias

Asha Rangappa @asharangappa.bsky.social · 12d

I can’t believe I’m watching interviews of city mayors talking about how they are coordinating with other mayors to discuss how to protect their residents FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

I know we are “used to it” but it is absolutely insane

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Tina Bessias @tbessias.bsky.social · 15d

You go, @michaelabarnett.bsky.social

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 17d

WATCH: “I’m running for Congress in East Tennessee against a guy whose takes… they’re… I’ll just show you. 😬Please help me beat this guy.”

Michaela Barnett shows a few of @RepTimBurchett’s greatest hits 🤦🏻‍♂️ as she runs against him.

Her site: www.MichaelaForTennessee.com

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Tina Bessias @tbessias.bsky.social · 15d

Fascinating thread! Could we also say that true education (as opposed to indoctrination) is anti-fascist?

Dr. Sandra Steingraber 🏳️‍🌈 @ssteingraber1.bsky.social · Nov 9

A little thread: Science is defiantly anti-fascist because it pursues truth, is necessarily collaborative, and relies on open communication. And because its falsifiability is incompatible with the cultism, faith-based belief systems, disinformation, and propaganda of Christian nationalism.

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Reposted by Tina Bessias

Dr. Sandra Steingraber 🏳️‍🌈 @ssteingraber1.bsky.social · Nov 9

A little thread: Science is defiantly anti-fascist because it pursues truth, is necessarily collaborative, and relies on open communication. And because its falsifiability is incompatible with the cultism, faith-based belief systems, disinformation, and propaganda of Christian nationalism.

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eileen chengyin chow @chowleen.bsky.social · 15d

The South Korean Ministry of Defense has awarded medals of merit to 11 officers for disobeying direct orders of superiors during the martial law fiasco, orders that they deemed to be contrary to the constitution and endangerment to democracy.
www.chosun.com/english/nati...

National Defense Ministry Honors 11 Soldiers for Refusing Illegal Orders

National Defense Ministry Honors 11 Soldiers for Refusing Illegal Orders Honored for rejecting illegal orders during martial law, Marine death probe

www.chosun.com

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Tina Bessias @tbessias.bsky.social · 15d

Isn’t opposition to fascism (“Antifa”) a synonym for patriotism?

Reposted by Tina Bessias

Gabe Ortíz @tusk81.bsky.social · 15d

“In Michigan, the oldest daughter of four reportedly scrapped plans to attend college in the fall so she could raise her three younger siblings after their widowed father was detained.”

Gabe Ortíz @tusk81.bsky.social · 15d

One CNN investigation has identified “more than 100 US citizen children, from newborns to teenagers, who have been left stranded without parents because of immigration actions this year …”

America's Voice @americasvoice.bsky.social · 16d

new from @tusk81.bsky.social:

At a recent shadow hearing led by @jayapal.house.gov, Mimi L. shared the harrowing story of four U.S. citizen kids nearly deported alongside their mother after ICE agents swooped in during a family picnic.

Their one ask, "please help our parents come back home to us."

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Reposted by Tina Bessias

Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 15d

We have allowed the lazy, grifting Silicon Valley charlatans into the front door, & in doing so, we have learned just how many of our own colleagues & administrators simply are not interested in the actual business of education. It's incredibly demoralizing.

bsky.app/profile/mcop...

Erin Lockwood @erinkaylockwood.bsky.social · 15d

Thanks so much for your reporting on this, Ben. I just got an email from my campus's IT office triumphantly advertising free student access to four different AI models -- at the same time as we have a hiring freeze, caps on grad enrollment, and a 7% budget cut -- and wanted to scream.

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Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 15d

I thought we might put up a fight in defense of actual education. I guess I should have known better.

Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · Sep 5

Just sat through a session where it was suggested that one potentially effective use of AI is to have students feed their illegal, non-consensual, undisclosed recordings of my lectures into the giant plagiarism machine to provide summaries of class sessions, & I am going to become The Joker 🤷‍♂️

Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · Aug 5

Again, this - not the fascism, or the budget cuts, or the neverending bureaucratic creep - is what will eventually drive me & many others out of academia/into retirement

bsky.app/profile/mcop...

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