Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ben @gridlock.bsky.social · 59m

You can now set a different default navigation app on iOS. But only if you’re in Europe. And the UK isn’t.

Reposted by Ben

Matthew Cortland (they) @matthewcort.land · 4h

It's **not at all hard** to imagine how this happens.

Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 5h

100s of #CDC employees were notified Friday they were being fired — RIF'd. The firings cross multiple parts of the agency, endangering its core mission of keeping Americans safe.
Saturday, some were informed they were RIF'd in error.
Hard to imagine how this happens www.statnews.com/2025/10/11/c...

CDC battered by government shutdown firings, while some are rescinded

The White House’s mass firing of CDC staff on Friday has decimated offices related to injury prevention, respiratory disease surveillance, and chronic disease, according to four people familiar with t...

www.statnews.com

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Reposted by Ben

Aaron Stewart-Ahn @badideas.bsky.social · 5h

Legendary interview moment with the director of Morbius about Jared Leto’s behavior on the set of Morbius

uproxx.com/movies/morbi...

I heard a story about filming and I want to see if this is true. Someone told me that Jared Leto was so committed to playing Michael Morbius that even when he had to go to the bathroom, he would use his crutches and slowly limp to get to the bathroom. But it was taking so long between for pee breaks, that a deal was made with him to get him a wheelchair so someone could wheel him there quicker and he agreed to that. Is this true?

Yes.

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Ben @gridlock.bsky.social · 10h

If i were umm lets say putin, I’d probably want the cdc and cisa gutted too

John Skiles Skinner @skiles.blue · 1d

I don't know if there's such a thing as a "world cyberwar" but I think we are in one? and the US is determined to lose it. 🧵

Today the admin is mass-firing the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the nation's cybersecurity protection across all levels of government.

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Reposted by Ben

Kathryn Salamander @transsalamander.bsky.social · 16h

Jenny Nicholson tweet continues to not miss

@JennyENicholson

How come major film studios keep being like Jared Leto may have allegations, but at least he looks weird, stars in box office bombs, and is not a good actor

9:09am - 9/9/2025 180K Views

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Reposted by Ben

Akshay @aksh.ai · 17h

“The US is the only country in history to allow a seditionist to run unpunished. Even Hitler went to prison in between his putsch and presidency. But “scholars” of American politics have refused to ask why this unique disaster happened here.”

Sarah Kendzior @sarahkendzior.bsky.social · 1d

New Q & A answers are up! Readers sent in thoughtful questions on city raids, digital surveillance, the disappearing internet, and much more: sarahkendzior.substack.com/p/panopticon...

PanoptiCon Artists: Your Questions Answered

On digital surveillance, ICE city raids, the need for new parties, and more.

sarahkendzior.substack.com

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Ben @gridlock.bsky.social · 19h

I think the description of him as "Clinton's travelling companion" and "good friend of the Duke of York" are also worth mentioning.

Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · 20h

What horrifies me about this is that it is highly unlikely intelligence services etc didn’t know about Epstein’s activities long before this which means that child abuse is just something to turn a blind eye to (see also Cyril Smith, Al Fayed etc etc)

Guardian story - Tony Blair
Tony Blair met Jeffrey
Epstein in No 10 on advice of Peter Mandelson, documents reveal
National Archives papers show how then MP pushed for 2002 meeting between PM and
'young and vibrant' financier

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Ben @gridlock.bsky.social · 20h

What's under the hat, if anything, sir,

Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 1d

Kid Rock: Do you know what is stupid… these chicks running around on campuses with blue hair, five nose rings.

Reposted by Ben

Rhodri Marsden @rhodri.biz · 21h

I don’t want a surprise.

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Ben @gridlock.bsky.social · 23h

Reform voters are the dumbest motherfuckers

Reform Party UK Exposed @reformexposed.bsky.social · 23h

Greater Lincolnshire Mayor under fire for £74k plans for new offices

www.lincsonline.co.uk/spalding/new...

Mayor under fire for £74k plan for new office

Greater Lincolnshire’s new mayoral authority has come under fire over plans to spend £74,000 on new offices.

www.lincsonline.co.uk

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Ben @gridlock.bsky.social · 1d

Still don't know why Soros doesn't have a thousand lawyers protecting his reputation

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Sen. Roger Marshall: "October 18 is when the protest gets here. This will be a Soros paid-for protest for his professional protesters. The agitators show up. We'll have to get the National Guard out. Hopefully it will be peaceful. I doubt it."

Ben @gridlock.bsky.social · 1d

I think we need to insist Facebook brings back fact checking and misinfo curation before we all die

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Ben @gridlock.bsky.social · 1d

Black dog barking like a motherfucker today

Ben @gridlock.bsky.social · 1d

Definitely unrelated to Israel's Hamas hit

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

Nothing says “America First” like letting another country put an Air Force base in Idaho

Ben @gridlock.bsky.social · 1d

So glad this guy has NHS contracts

Josh Sternberg @joshsternberg.com · 1d

"Peter Thiel 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 gov oversight of Silicon Valley to an apocalyptic future"

www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

Inside billionaire Peter Thiel’s private lectures: Warnings of ‘the Antichrist’ and U.S. destruction

In leaked recordings of private lectures by tech billionaire Peter Thiel he argued that “the Antichrist” is likely to take the form of a critic of technology.

www.washingtonpost.com

Reposted by Ben

Kashana @kashana.blacksky.app · 1d

Very much enjoying the inflatable frog segment of the civil war.

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Ben @gridlock.bsky.social · 1d

In my experience the people with 'good mental health' tend to be the fucking sickos

Paul Bassett Davies @thewritertype.bsky.social · 1d

It’s World Mental Health Day and if you’re fortunate enough to be in good mental health today please show your gratitude by refusing to stigmatise those who happen not to be.

Ben @gridlock.bsky.social · 1d

Brought their Freedom Sticks™ too

unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 1d

Several Illinois state troopers out here now with pepper ball launchers of their own.

Reposted by Ben

Sam Missingham @samatlounge.bsky.social · 1d

Most impressive politician around, it’s a low bar to be fair, but can tell Zack is going to irritate all the ‘right’ people.

Michael @therightarticle.bsky.social · 1d

Zack Polanski schooling a right-wing BBCQT panel was a brilliant lesson in how to beat propaganda www.thecanary.co/trending/202...

Zack Polanski schooling a right-wing BBCQT panel was a brilliant lesson in how to beat propaganda

The BBC arranged an all-right-wing panel to challenge Green leader Zack Polanski on Question Time last night. But he schooled them all.

www.thecanary.co

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Ben @gridlock.bsky.social · 1d

Feels good man

James Hell Brooks @kleinman.bsky.social · 1d

We have reclaimed the humble frog from the right

The Oregonian @oregonian.com · 2d

Things are happening at Portland's ICE facility tonight.

Read more of our protest coverage here: www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/1...

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Ben @gridlock.bsky.social · 1d

Valley of the day

Reposted by Ben

flyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 1d

In what kind of country do political journalists withhold very consequential key facts that they all know about politicians, without having to be told they should keep them quiet, only occasionally alluding to things everyone has always known? A very transparent, democratic one, I’m sure.

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Reposted by Ben

flyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 1d

I again note that all the lobby hacks appear to have known McSweeney and Starmer were a Peter Mandelson production, and they seem to have known very well that the incoming Labour government would be a Tony Blair Institute enterprise. And it looks like they kept this largely to themselves.

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Reposted by Ben

flyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 1d

To be fair, I was expecting the business suit and briefcase tactical squad to go straight into Number 10 the day after the election, rope-swinging down from Tony Blair Institute For Change helicopters, just to underline yet again that Fuck you, Britain is not a democracy: you get what *we* want.

Starmer accused of pushing out some of last progressive allies in No 10 shake-up

Exclusive: PM reorganising key parts of government to give chief secretary Darren Jones more Whitehall control

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Ben

flyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 1d

Me: (awesomely smart) let’s give the prize he wants to a notable opponent of that government the Trumpers have been very loudly talking about toppling and replacing (high fiving each other, minds visibly expanding, quivering with intellectual capacity) What’s the worst that could happen

Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsk... • 12m
The Nobel Peace Prize committee's decision to honour someone who has tirelessly campaigned against dictatorship is both worthwhile and welcome, and objectively very funny.
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Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.... • 5m
That said, giving it to someone who opposes noted Trump foe Maduro is also quite clever.

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