Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Felicity M. Maxwell

Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 12h

Appears the Trump admin’s reduction in force has hit housing hard this evening.

Reports that all CDFI fund staff have been let go. HUD appears to have lost 442 staff.

Yet another federal cut that will make providing affordable housing in the US all the more challenging.

Reports that all staff of CDFI Fund have been let go

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Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 16h

SB 79 signed in CA? Looks like some 'texans' have new weekend plans 😂

a group of men riding horses in a field

ALT: a group of men riding horses in a field

media.tenor.com

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Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 16h

Same in Texas this June. When you achieve an amazing result like this, the moment makes no sense to most people but its something you'll remember forever. Congrats!

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Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 21h

Thank you for your service 🫡🫡

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Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 21h

Congrats to Max and the entire @cayimby.bsky.social team. This a tremendous victory for CA and for all the housing advocates who have tirelessly worked towards passing SB 79 and so many other great housing bills this session.

This Texan is calling it: Y'all won 🏆🎉🏘️

Max Dubler 🏳️‍🌈 @maxdubler.com · 22h

This bill I wrote is now law.

California YIMBY @cayimby.bsky.social · 22h

[VICTORY ALERT] Governor Newsom has signed AB 1154, which will make it faster, cheaper, and easier to add small accessory dwelling units to existing homes.

Our statement: cayimby.org/news-events/...

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Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 1d

Younger / less experienced / fewer kids: $15-$18
Older HS / more experienced, can handle multiple kids: $20-$25

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Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 1d

Legalizing "small" gets big results if we do it at scale.

Jonathan Berk 🏠 @berkie1.bsky.social · 2d

We don’t just need to build more, we need to embrace building small again.

Our zoning, building codes, permitting & financial systems wiped out the small-scale builders who once shaped great American neighborhoods.

It’s time to rethink how we make “small” possible again.

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Reposted by Felicity M. Maxwell

Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 1d

The Administration

- raised taxes on clean energy with one big beautiful bill

- is stopping or making clean energy projects harder to be built

- is raising prices on materials with tariffs

- all while AI is spiking electricity demand

They are stopping supply while demand goes up

It’s a crisis

jael holzman @jael.bsky.social · 1d

SCOOP: The Bureau of Land Management says the largest solar project in Nevada — the Esmeralda 7 mega-farm — has been canceled

The news was quietly dropped via a sudden website update with no public word from any of the companies involved or a statement from the agency

@heatmap.news

Esmeralda 7 Solar Project Has Been Canceled, BLM Says

It would have delivered a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power.

heatmap.news

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Reposted by Felicity M. Maxwell

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 1d

I know that some people see foreign aid as wasteful but limiting the spread of deadly diseases is in all our interests

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 2d

More than eight months after President Trump cut U.S. foreign assistance to Africa, health officials are reporting a rise in deadly infections brought on by a shortage of medical supplies, including a new Ebola outbreak in the Congo that has already killed several dozen people.

U.S. aid cuts are being felt across Africa. Here’s where.

How the abrupt withdrawal of U.S. aid has affected disease preparedness and response in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by Felicity M. Maxwell

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 2d

Pope Leo XIV has blasted how wealthy people live in a “bubble of comfort and luxury” while the poor suffer. In his first teaching document Thursday, Leo confirms that he is in perfect lockstep with Pope Francis on matters of social injustice.

Pope Leo blasts economy that marginalizes poor while wealthy live in bubble of luxury

Pope Leo XIV has blasted how wealthy people live in a “bubble of comfort and luxury” while the poor suffer.

bit.ly

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Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 2d

For kids in the 2010-2020 era (so slightly older than 13) they are absolutely going to say toy-sized because the "MLP: Friendship is Magic" cartoon & related toys were wildly popular. The show ended in 2019, so maybe thats the divide?

Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 3d

Also curious if all the "Not-Prime Day sales" roundups like this one actually generate better revenue / engagement for publications: nymag.com/strategist/a...

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Reposted by Felicity M. Maxwell

Alex Horowitz @alexhrwtz.bsky.social · 3d

Thanks! The fire-fatality disparities were wild. Fire-death rate 18x higher in pre-1970 single family than post-2010 apartment. But only new apartments (and occasionally townhouses) are getting stopped by fire-safety concerns.

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Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 3d

As an long time EV owner, I've been glad to see better access to public chargers across Texas. Unfortunately, those "fast" EV chargers are pricey & that makes longer trips more expensive esp. when gas prices are so low. More charger competition would help, otherwise its a barrier to higher EV sales.

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Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 3d

If you get an EV, get the tire plan!

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Reposted by Felicity M. Maxwell

Tom Scocca @tomscocca.bsky.social · 3d

It's not just that they're going to strike down a law against conversion therapy, it's that they're going to do it on behalf of made-up claims from a straw plaintiff who can't honestly show the law affected her at all

Tom Scocca @tomscocca.bsky.social · 3d

One thing about American's widespread distrust and disapproval of the Supreme Court is that mainstream news coverage mostly doesn't dwell on stuff like standing, so people don't even begin to grasp how rigged the Court truly is www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10...

Supreme Court Live Updates: Justices Seem Set to Rule Against Colorado’s Ban on Conversion Therapy

www.nytimes.com

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Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 4d

Really great summary and very glad to hear about lessons learned from the excellent @parkingreform.org network! Also eager to see your polling results - hopefully a stepping stone to more collaboration in the future!

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Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 4d

Older piece (2018) here from his uncle: www.politico.com/magazine/sto...

Stephen Miller Is an Immigration Hypocrite. I Know Because I’m His Uncle.

If my nephew’s ideas on immigration had been in force a century ago, our family would have been wiped out.

www.politico.com

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Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 4d

Such a great example of this in Derrick Thompson's response to claims about Dallas home construction oligopolies bsky.app/profile/dkth...

Derek Thompson @dkthomp.bsky.social · Jul 31

Antitrust critics of Abundance claim homebuilding oligopolies are holding back supply and driving up prices, esp in Texas.

I did something really simple. I called up their sources.

Everyone I spoke to told me the same thing: Their claims are bullshit.

www.derekthompson.org/p/the-anti-a...

The Anti-Abundance Critique on Housing Is Dead Wrong

Antitrust critics say that homebuilding monopolies are the real culprit of America’s housing woes. I looked into some of their claims. They don’t hold up.

www.derekthompson.org

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Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 4d

Electing renters to City Councils works! @runforsomething.net alums @paige-ellis.bsky.social @zoforaustin.bsky.social & others CMs were renters when they were elected & their lived experience helped get critical housing reforms passed in Austin! If you are renting, & want to run, register for this:

Run for Something @runforsomething.net · 7d

Rent due again?
Time to flip the script. Renters deserve a real say in housing policy and that means running for office. Join our Renters Call on October 9 (8pm ET).
RSVP: bit.ly/Oct9thRenters

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Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 4d

Please Munich my municipal park!

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Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 4d

Also interesting to me that certain cultures intentionally ignore celebrities and/or create norms where by famous people are acknowledged but not harassed - ask Matt Damon why he loved loving in Dublin during Covid!

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Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 4d

And playgrounds! And benches! And beer gardens!

Of course we need open green space + more trees in urban parks, but efforts to move to a more "natural" state focusing on "re-wilding" likely leads to less park usage by local residents and visitors vs. having more amenities that everyone loves.

Daniel Trubman @danieltrubman.bsky.social · 4d

There were definitely some people hanging out in the sun in the middle of the Sheep Meadow yesterday, but A LOT of the visitors to Central Park were spending time in the shade.

A little bit of open space is fine, but honestly most American urban parks just need more trees.

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Felicity M. Maxwell @cityjane.bsky.social · 7d

Housing! And if she views broader infill development as a climate mitigation strategy.

Home values in Seattle - $759K median list prices, $885K median home price - ouch!

Reposted by Felicity M. Maxwell

Sam @samd.bsky.social · 7d

one little thing you can do to make a difference this Friday is calling @gavinnewsom.bsky.social and telling him to vote yes on SB79

916-445-2841 is his number, call now or use the link below

Matthew Lewis is ready for progressive federalism @mateosfo.bsky.social · 7d

We are not out of the woods on SB 79.

Los Angeles NIMBYs have lost their minds over the prospect of more homes being built near taxpayer-funded transit stations.

Sadly, the Governor might be listening to them.

Please make the call: cayimby.org/call-sb-79/

Call the Governor to sign SB 79!

Please call the Governor and urge him to sign SB 79!

cayimby.org

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