Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

April Thomas @aprilthomas.bsky.social · May 20

Science funding is on the line, which jeopardizes life-saving research and research that helps improve our communities. Please read this post for action steps you can take to help #savescience, before it is too late. #SaveNIH #SaveNSF

open.substack.com/pub/fromthes...

The Fight for Science

Thoughts and Actions to Take From My Visit to Capitol Hill

open.substack.com

Reposted by April Thomas

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · May 15

Over 90% of Americans rely on federally funded science, But only 10% are worried about losing access to it.

That’s a dangerous disconnect.

Help us close the gap. Join our #SummerFightForScience and help spread the word about how essential science is to everyday lives.

www.npr.org/2025/05/06/n...

Most Americans use federal science information on a weekly basis, a new poll finds

Most Americans frequently use federal science information. But few are concerned that cuts to federal science spending could affect their access to such information, a new poll finds.

www.npr.org

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Reposted by April Thomas

Juvenile Law Center @juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social · May 15

On this anniversary of the Supreme Court Gault decision establishing children have the same due process rights as adults, we celebrate the victory but recognize the ongoing fight to realize its true promise.

Celebrating Gault, But Still Fighting | Juvenile Law Center

Today is the 50th Anniversary of In Re Gault, the U.S. Supreme Court case that granted children the right to counsel and other key due process protections when facing delinquency charges in juvenile c...

jlc.org

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April Thomas @aprilthomas.bsky.social · May 14

I made my calls today to advocate for the importance of NSF funding! Did you? Make your calls today to #SaveNSF

Society for the Study of Evolution @sse-evolution.bsky.social · May 8

Join the tri-society Week of Action for NSF! Get started with our Media Tool: shorturl.at/i7WfU

Share why NSF is important using #WithoutNSF #SaveNSF #SupportNSF

@asn-amnat.bsky.social @systbiol.bsky.social @ssegrad.bsky.social

SSE, SSB, and ASN logos. Text: Tri-societies Week of Action for NSF. Science under siege: Over 1000 NSF grants have been terminated by political appointees- threatening the foundation of American innovation and education, and more cuts loom; entire research programs are being erased without explanation. What’s at stake? STEM education for K-12 students, jobs and infrastructure in rural communities, support for veterans in research and education, cybersecurity and national defense innovation, global leadership in science and technology. Join the week of action: Contact Congress: Switchboard: (202) 224-3121, tell them to protect NSF. Share your story: Post on social media #WithoutNSF #SupportNSF #SaveNSF, engage local media; use our media tool to reach out to local reporters and newspapers; engage others: communicate the importance of NSF to colleagues, friends, and family.

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Reposted by April Thomas

Prof Sarah-Jayne Blakemore @sjblakemore.bsky.social · May 14

Unpaywalled version

www.removepaywall.com/search?url=h...

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April Thomas @aprilthomas.bsky.social · May 14

Research shows juveniles differ from adults in ways that are meaningful for their criminal responsibility (i.e., impulsivity, susceptibility to peer influence, and ability to consider the future - including thinking about consequences of potential actions), thus warranting less harsh punishment.

Juvenile Law Center @juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social · May 13

Really appreciate the way Straight Arrow News frames its stories. Our own Marsha Levick spoke to them for this piece. Harsher treatment of children doesn’t make communities safer.

san.com/cc/rethinkin...

Rethinking juvenile justice: Should kids face harsher penalties for crimes?

The debate over punishing juveniles is back, with calls for harsher penalties. In the 1990s, youth offenders were labeled "super-predators."

san.com

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Reposted by April Thomas

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · May 13

For the first time in nearly 30 years, the EPA under Trump failed to release the U.S.’s annual greenhouse gas emissions report.

So a nonprofit did it instead.

Facts don’t disappear just because the government refuses to print them.

Read their findings below ⬇️
www.cbsnews.com/news/greenho...

The EPA didn't release its annual U.S. greenhouse gas emissions report, but we got the data. Here's what we found

The Environmental Defense Fund published the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks after filing a Freedom of Information Act request last month.

www.cbsnews.com

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Reposted by April Thomas

Juvenile Law Center @juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social · May 8

Don't miss a beat. Sign up for our email list and get the latest on our fight for youth rights and justice, and how you can help. jlc.org/newsletter-s...

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Reposted by April Thomas

Juvenile Law Center @juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social · May 1

This is devastating. It will cause immense harm and make communities less safe. We know that youth justice programs like these benefit everyone. We condemn this cut to critical funds. imprintnews.org/justice/juve...

Trump Delivers Massive Blow to Youth Justice Programs | The Imprint

Trump administration cuts to federal grants threatens organizations with programs to prevent gun violence, protect runaways and more.

imprintnews.org

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Reposted by April Thomas

Juvenile Law Center @juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social · May 1

NEW BLOG ALERT!
Check out the newest entry on our blog from Kate Burdick where she dives into the many educational challenges youth face when their lives are disrupted by the family regulation & juvenile and criminal legal systems.

Read below!
#50for50
jlc.org/news/50-year...

50 Years of Disrupting the School to Prison Pipeline | Juvenile Law Center

Over and over again, the juvenile legal, criminal legal, and family regulation/child welfare systems pull children out of school and then deny them a quality education. Since its founding in 1975, Juv...

jlc.org

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Reposted by April Thomas

Jen Woolard @jlwoolard.bsky.social · Apr 18

The science that we do can matter.

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · Apr 18

NEW: In a landmark ruling, Michigan's supreme court has struck down mandatory life without parole sentences for youth up to age 21.

What this means: Nearly 600 Michiganders who expected to die in prison will now get a shot at a different outcome.

I took a few days to write about what's next:

Another State Restricts Life Sentences for Young Adults - Bolts

Michigan’s supreme court created new protections against life sentences for people up to 20, pushing the line for who gets second chances beyond age 18.

boltsmag.org

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April Thomas @aprilthomas.bsky.social · May 7

#WithoutNSF @caitcavanagh.bsky.social and I wouldn’t have been able to study the short and long-term effects of juvenile incarceration on youth development and future offending, or examine how the COVID-19 pandemic affected justice-involved youth. #SaveScience

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · May 2

(2/3)
MAKE NOISE:
1. Share your story. Post how NSF funding has impacted your research or your life. Use #WithoutNSF to raise your voice.

2. Share your story on the Federal Freeze Tracker to help lawmakers and the public understand what’s at stake:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Federal Funding Freeze: Share Your Story

Trump's funding freeze is causing chaos and harming Americans. Share your story to build the movement.

docs.google.com

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Reposted by April Thomas

Johan Van Weyenbergh @johanvawe.bsky.social · May 6

Sad, Sad, Sad, and shocking:
U.S. scientists’ lives and careers are being upended. Here are five of their stories @science.org @standupforscience.bsky.social www.science.org/content/arti...

U.S. scientists’ lives and careers are being upended. Here are five of their stories

As the second Trump administration sends U.S. science into upheaval, countless researchers are fighting for their futures

www.science.org

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April Thomas @aprilthomas.bsky.social · May 6

What does this mean for those working with justice-involved youth? The benefits of social connection are even greater for justice-involved youth, suggesting a need for more opportunities for such youth to engage in social contact, even if that contact is only possible through phone or video calls.

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April Thomas @aprilthomas.bsky.social · May 6

Social connection with others is a critical need - particularly during sensitive periods of development, like adolescence. These findings reveal the potential power for social connection to enhance well-being for particularly vulnerable youth, specifically those who are justice-involved.

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April Thomas @aprilthomas.bsky.social · May 6

We found that justice-involved youth especially benefitted from social connections during the pandemic, as they had better self-conceptions and stronger feelings of social connection (although more loneliness as well) on days with virtual social contact.

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April Thomas @aprilthomas.bsky.social · May 6

New article alert w/ @caitcavanagh.bsky.social and others! In this daily diary study, we explored how virtual social interactions (i.e., via phone or online) affected the mood and mental health of justice-involved and community adolescents across the first year of the pandemic.

t.co/DxOa8NwMC0

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00938548251336784

t.co

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Reposted by April Thomas

Dr. Cait Cavanagh @caitcavanagh.bsky.social · May 6

Last week was Youth Violence Prevention Week! Here's an op-ed I wrote about violence prevention efforts in Michigan.

cj.msu.edu/news/2025-ca...

Preventing Youth Violence in Michigan | School of Criminal Justice | Michigan State University

For Youth Violence Prevention Week, Dr. Cait Cavanagh wrote this op-ed discussing preventing youth violence in Michigan.

cj.msu.edu

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April Thomas @aprilthomas.bsky.social · May 6

👏👏👏

Reposted by April Thomas

Ethan @drbeef.bsky.social · May 2

Spencer Foundation joins Kapor Foundation, the William T. Grant Foundation, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to launch a rapid response bridge funding program (up to $25,000) for education scholars impacted by the abrupt grant cancellations by the National Science Foundation (NSF)!

#AcademicSky

Rapid Response Bridge Funding Program

In the face of recent abrupt shifts in federal funding for education research, including large-scale terminations of National Science Foundation (NSF) research grant awards, we have developed a rap...

www.spencer.org

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Reposted by April Thomas

Ed Hagen @edhagen.net · May 4

Want to up your game on vaccination to inform family members, neighbors, friends, or students (or yourself)? This in-depth review covers a lot of ground, including the history of vaccination, vaccine technologies, and public health benefits 🧪 #AcademicSky www.frontiersin.org/journals/pub...

Frontiers | Two centuries of vaccination: historical and conceptual approach and future perspectives

Over the past two centuries, vaccines have been critical for the prevention of infectious diseases and are considered milestones in the medical and public he...

www.frontiersin.org

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Reposted by April Thomas

Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · May 3

President Donald Trump and his administration have gutted science agencies, terminated research programmes and cancelled billions of dollars in grants to universities. A feature in Nature examines the long-term impacts for the US and the world. #Academicsky 🧪

Will US science survive Trump 2.0?

President Donald Trump and his administration have gutted science agencies, terminated research programmes and cancelled billions of dollars in grants to universities. What are the long-term impacts for the United States and the world?

go.nature.com

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Reposted by April Thomas

Rutgers Juvenile Justice and Youth Development @rutgersjuvjustice.bsky.social · May 5

The May 2025 Juvenile Justice Bulletin is here!
This month's newsletter from the Rutgers Juvenile Justice & Youth Development Certificate Program issues a call to action on behalf of justice-involved youth in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.

Download at adobe.ly/4cZG0ro

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Reposted by April Thomas

Ashley Batastini, PhD @drashleybatastini.bsky.social · May 6

In association with the @ap-ls.org's Corrections Committee, we have officially launched the Correctional Psychology Forum--a respectful online space to make connections, generate healthy discussions, and share evidence-informed resources related to correctional psychology issues. #corrections

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Reposted by April Thomas

Beth S Linas, PhD, MHS @bethlinas.bsky.social · May 4

Remember the awesome COVID-19 dashboard Hopkins created and populated during the pandemic? They are back but this time tracking measles

Measles Outbreak Response | Center for Outbreak Response Innovation

cori.centerforhealthsecurity.org

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