Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 2h

I was worried Newsom was going to get cold feet for a second.

Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 2h

Had to get all the way to Minnesota to feel fall weather.

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Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 3h

It's funny because even my most libertarian friends will agree that monitoring infectious disease outbreaks is one of the few things you need a government for and can't really privatize, and these guys just want to burn it all down, anyway.

Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 3h

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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Brian Beutler @brianbeutler.bsky.social · 6h

All nonsense, of course, but if the point were to “give[] the minority a say” then the logic would require them to negotiate with Dems, not shut down the government and force them to swallow GOP priorities whole.

ringwiss @ringwiss.bsky.social · 8h

“And that’s why we nuked it twice in the past month.”

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Department of Shoe @shoe.bsky.social · 14h

Republicans seem horny to stomp out the No Kings protest now. Which only shows why the protests are necessary.

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Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 6h

I’m so sorry, Ross.

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Congresswoman Gwen Moore @repgwenmoore.bsky.social · 11h

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Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 10h

I believe so.

Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 10h

There’s also no reason the traditional view of the antichrist would have changed between the 20th and 21st centuries. The potential power for technology to destroy didn’t change between then and now!

George Pearkes @peark.es · 14h

I couldn't believe this but it's true, Thiel can't decide whether the antichrist is Greta or Big Yud. Positively reeling.

(Washington Post) -- Tech billionaire Peter Thiel recently warned that Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and critics of technology or artificial intelligence are "legionnaires of the Antichrist" in private lectures on Christianity that connected government oversight of Silicon Valley to an apocalyptic future, according to recordings reviewed by The Washington Post.
In the four, roughly two-hour lectures, which began last month and culminated Monday at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, Thiel laid out his religious views to a sold-out audience told to keep the contents "off-the-record," according to an event listing. He argued that those who propose limits on technology development not only hinder business but threaten to usher in the destruction of the United States and an era of global totalitarian rule, according to the recordings.
"In the 17th, 18th century, the Antichrist would have been a Dr. Strangelove, a scientist who did all this sort of evil crazy science," Thiel said in his Sept. 15 opening talk, according to the recordings. "In the 21st century, the Antichrist is a Luddite who wants to stop all science. It's someone like Greta or Eliezer," he said, referring to Thunberg and Eliezer Yudkowsky, a prominent critic of the tech industry's approach to AI.

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Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 11h

Scott Wiener is one of the most impressive state lawmakers in the country. A monumental achievement.

Senator Scott Wiener @scottwiener.bsky.social · 12h

MAJOR NEWS: @GavinNewsom signed SB 79, my bill allowing more housing near public transit — rail, subway, rapid bus.

It’s a huge step for housing in California. It’ll create more homes, strengthen our transit systems & reduce traffic & carbon emissions.

Thank you, Governor!

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Adam Keiper @adamkeiper.com · 15h

NEW: The Washington Post has an editorial that blames the Democrats who prosecuted Trump (including Letitia James) for the attacks Trump has now launched against his foes.

That's bullshit, as my colleague @eggerdc.bsky.social brilliantly shows:
www.thebulwark.com/p/insidious-...

The Insidious Effort To Rationalize Trump’s Lawfare

This is not a president justified in going after those who went after him. It’s a person making a mockery of our justice system.

www.thebulwark.com

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Patrick De Klotz @patdeklotz.bsky.social · 15h

I am pretty conservative, at least in an older sense of the word. I was a Republican until right after the 2016 election. I love America and what it is supposed to stand for, and that’s why I’ll be out there on October 18th. Donald, with Mike’s help, has put the country in grave danger. No Kings.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 16h

Mike Johnson: "We're so angry about it. I mean, I'm a very patient guy, but I've had it with these people. The theory we have right now -- they have a hate America rally that's scheduled for October 18 on the National Mall. It's the pro-Hamas wing and antifa people ... "

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Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 15h

I am looking respectfully. Listening. Learning.

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Bård Harstad @bardharstad.bsky.social · 19h

Note the wording.. Ms. Machado receives the prize for:
- promoting democratic rights
- struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition
- At a time when democracy is under threat
- where democracy is in retreat
- more and more authoritarian regimes are challenging norm
www.nobelpeacecenter.org/en

Nobel Peace Center | Museum of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway

The Nobel Peace Center in Oslo is the museum of the Nobel Peace Prize. Experience our exhibitions, events and guided tours inspired by the ideas and work of the Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

www.nobelpeacecenter.org

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Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 16h

Me (also Anglican):

a man wearing a hat and an orange shirt says " get her jade "

ALT: a man wearing a hat and an orange shirt says " get her jade "

media.tenor.com

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Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 16h

I'll just say I'm with Dov on this. I'm aware that opposition figures aren't necessarily pure.

Drow Paweł Włodkowic 🇺🇦🇱🇹🇵🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @dov.bsky.social · 18h

I dont really know much about Machado's work but I fundamentally do not believe you get to judge what links dissidents in Venezuela build abroad unless you are Venezuelan

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Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 16h

I'm more offended that he sent these texts to Republicans than anything else.

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Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 17h

You know we can just record ourselves, right?

Schools Week @schoolsweek.bsky.social · 23h

Exclusive: Teachers will use 'deepfake' technology to create an AI avatar of themselves to deliver catch-up lessons for pupils who have missed school

Watch one of the school’s ‘deepfake’ teachers in our story below

schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-trus...

'Deepfake' teacher avatars to help pupils catch up

Academy trust staff to use AI generator to introduce resources for pupils returning to school

schoolsweek.co.uk

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Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 17h

Just to show this site’s range, I was expecting this to be a response to a clip from the Abigail Spanberger debate.

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Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 17h

Really weird response considering they just gave the Nobel to an ally the administration reportedly wants to coup Maduro for.

Dale Smith @journodale.bsky.social · 18h

Totally normal official response.

Steven Cheung

President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives.

He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will.

The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace.

Quoting The Nobel Prize:

BREAKING NEWS
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2025 #NobelPeacePrize to Maria Corina Machado for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.

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ProPublica @propublica.org · 18h

NEW: Venezuelan immigrants signed up for a Trump-promoted app called CBP Home, which promised a safe and easy way to leave the country, and prepared to leave on their given departure dates.

Those dates have come and gone.

They’re still stuck here.

“I Don’t Want to Be Here Anymore”: They Tried to Self-Deport, Then Got Stranded in Trump’s America

Venezuelan immigrants signed up for a Trump-promoted app called CBP Home, which promised a safe and easy way to leave the country, and prepared to leave on their given departure dates. Those dates have come and gone. They’re still stuck here.

www.propublica.org

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Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 18h

This was totally deserved: she leads a peaceful movement and refuses to leave Venezuela. It at least gives her physical security from a brutal regime repressing millions of Venezuelans and now undermining regional peace by threatening the annexation of Guyana's Essequibo. Felicidades!

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 19h

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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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 22h

Private Eye offers up an excellently scornful commentary on the relentless polling. It’s become ridiculous and has oversimplified our politics to dangerous levels of stupid and irresponsible.

SHOCK POLL:
NIGEL FARAGE WILL BE PM TOMORROW
IN an amazing poll conducted
by The Pointless Polling Company, it was revealed that voters' intentions
may well change over the next three and a half years and at present it's 100 percent impossible to guess what the next government might look like.
However, 99 percent of journalists
agree that it would be much more fun if we had an election tomorrow and everybody resigned and everything was chaos and Farage had a go at being PM, just for the hell of it, because it was so much fun when
Brexit happened and then the government kept falling every five minutes and we could write endless pieces about (cont. p94)

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Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 1d

I genuinely do not know why people think buying a property and just leaving it vacant somehow makes you wealthier. Most investors want to sell or rent their properties for obvious reasons.

We have enough housing. We just let it sit empty to keep billionaires rich and happy.

This is stupid fucking post.

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Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 1d

I believe North Carolina’s townships used to operate more similarly to those up north, but their powers and governments were transferred to counties and municipalities over time.