Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Scott Robeson

Norm Charlatan @normcharlatan.bsky.social · 1d

This is what every Democratic state needs to do, tell its state university leaders that they will lose all state appropriations if they sign the compact. Take the decision out of feckless college administrators’ hands.

Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 1d

Virginia State Senate Dems just brought down fire and fury regarding the “Compact,” notifying the President and Rector that UVA would lose ALL STATE APPROPRIATIONS if it signs and cedes the University to “federal political control.” Notably, their letter directly restates points made here by @siva.

Siva @sivav.bsky.social · 1d

The “compact” for higher ed is an unserious document written by unserious people from a position of spectacular ignorance. No one should take it seriously. Sadly, my bosses are taking it seriously.

newrepublic.com/article/2013...

1 250 1.1K

Reposted by Scott Robeson

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 1d

In a very real and practical sense, the elimination of USAID occurred because a) civil servants who followed the law were pushed out, b) unaccountable amoral people were given power, and c) SCOTUS let it all happen.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-death-...

In addition to mass firing of public servants, Musk's team executed a takeover of the Treasury payment system. David Lebryk, the civil servant who was acting Treasury Secretary, pushed back against the Musk official, Tom Krause, who demanded control over the payment system and specifically to pause USAID payments. Lebryk informed Krause that Treasury could not legally stop payments, and recommended to work through USAID instead. Krause then threatened Lebryk: “I would also recommend you consider an equal alternative liability.” By the next week Lebryk announced his retirement, and Musk announced he was shutting down the agency.

It was later revealed that the other DOGE official who had sought to take control of Treasury spending, Marko Elez, was a self-avowed racist with a record of making disparaging remarks about foreigners, including “I would not mind at all if Gaza and Israel were both wiped off the face of the Earth.” After he resigned, Musk led a successful campaign to bring Elez back into government, even as he pushed out those doing actual life-saving work.

7 110 440

Reposted by Scott Robeson

Silvia Secchi @profsecchi.bsky.social · 1d

Another EWG 🎯, read the 🧵
“the top 4 practices that would generate the largest reductions in GHG emissions on continuous corn […] are: riparian forest buffers, tree or shrub establishment, hedgerow planting & windbreak establishment”
Note how these are all PERMANENT practices,unlike cover crops.

Anne Schechinger @anneschech.bsky.social · 1d

New @ewgofficial.bsky.social analysis released today from me and @albine14.bsky.social. We found that just under 15 million cropland acres across Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin are used for continuous corn, representing 20% of the total harvested cropland. 1/4 www.ewg.org/research/fer...

Fertilizing ‘continuous corn’ drives major source of farm greenhouse gases, but conservation can help

Millions of acres in four major Corn Belt states are used to grow "continuous corn” on the same fields year after year, requiring significant use of

www.ewg.org

3 10 15

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 1d

The letters I get usually have an offer and reference the parcel ID. I assume it’s somewhat automated and they’re mining the county databases. The texts are more exploratory.

1

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 1d

Definitely feels predatory, given how much below market the offers are (although they've been rising steadily lately).

1 2

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 1d

Interesting. I thought it was land speculation (most of mine are for three vacant lots), but seems to be real estate more broadly.

1 3

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 1d

You two are making my morning!

1 3

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 1d

We don’t own that much land and I get texts and letters every week asking to buy our property sight unseen.

1 1

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 1d

Rewilding opportunity for some of that farmland

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 1d

“.. If a deal with China isn’t reached soon, Hill said, the soybean market ‘might be a bloodbath.’”

@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/economy/trad...

3 6 24

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 2d

The goldenrods have faded but the view was still pretty sweet this afternoon

A valley in southern Indiana in the late afternoon

7

Reposted by Scott Robeson

Melanie D’Arrigo @darrigomelanie.bsky.social · 2d

The health insurance industry doesn't care who you voted for — only how much money they can extract from you.

Insurance premiums are set to double, and Republicans shut down the government to make sure it happens.

Now is the time to demand universal healthcare with Medicare for All.

6 78 160

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 2d

I will look for this next time I'm in Vancouver. It looks like it's carried at some of the places where I regularly shop (e.g., City Market on Commercial Drive).

1

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 2d

Perfect! Thanks for sharing.

1 2

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 2d

Very good idea -- in cardboard, like these.

1 4

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 2d

Hope not, but you never know

1 1

Reposted by Scott Robeson

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 2d

News that shocks no one: Carbon offsets do nothing for climate.

Carbon offsets fail to cut global heating due to ‘intractable’ systemic problems, study says

Analysis of 25 years of evidence shows most schemes are poor quality and fail to lower emissions

www.theguardian.com

21 370 920

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 2d

I shudder to think what a certain president of a large Midwestern public university would do if presented with this offer

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 2d

US universities must reject Trump’s ‘compact’. It is full of traps | Jan-Werner Müller

The administration is trying to make nine universities an offer they seemingly cannot refuse

www.theguardian.com

1 1 4

Reposted by Scott Robeson

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · 3d

International student arrivals to the US dropped 19% this year, the biggest drop on record aside from the 2020 pandemic low.

The Upshot @upshot.nytimes.com · 3d

The decline is occurring as the Trump administration has delayed visa processing, instituted travel bans or restrictions for 19 countries, threatened to deport international students for pro-Palestinian speech, and heightened the vetting of student visa applicants.

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Nearly 20 Percent Fewer International Students Traveled to the U.S. in August

The data shows the steepest decline in August international student arrivals since the pandemic.

www.nytimes.com

11 70 130

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 3d

It's been a wet year-to-date (over 40"), but we have plateaued recently. My CoCoRaHS station (black) on the right below. #INwx #drought

Drought monitor map of Indiana. Most of the state is in some type of drought condition with severe drought covering Monroe County in south-central Indiana, where Bloomington is located.

Cumulative precipitation at a location in southern Indiana for the last three years compared to averages

4

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 3d

Link:

Data Science: an Action Plan for Expanding the Technical Areas of the Field of Statistics

An action plan to enlarge the technical areas of statistics focuses on the data analyst. The plan sets out six technical areas of work for a university department, and advocates a specific allocation...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 3d

It was very specific, with suggested percentages allocated to general areas of study. I'd say Data Science now has much more emphasis on "Computing with Data" and "Models and Methods of Data" than suggested. And most Statistics departments have continued to emphasize "Theory".

The six areas and their percentages are the following:

(25 %) Multidisciplinary Investigations: data analysis collaborations in a collection of subject matter areas.

(20%) Models and Methods for Data: statistical models; methods of model building; methods of estimation and distribution based on probabilistic inference.

(15 %) Computing with Data: hardware systems; software systems; computational algorithms.

(15 %) Pedagogy: curriculum planning and approaches to teaching for elementary school, secondary school, college, graduate school, continuing education, and corporate training.

(5%)Tool Evaluation: surveys of tools in use in practice, surveys of perceived needs for new tools, and studies of the processes for developing new tools.

(20%) Theory: foundations of data science; general approaches to models and methods, computing with data, teaching, and tool evaluation; mathematical investigations of models and methods, computing with data, teaching, and evaluation.

1

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 3d

Down the rabbit hole yesterday to find out that, in 2001, a well-known statistician coined the term "data science"

Screenshot of an article entitled "Data Science: an Action Plan for Expanding the Technical Areas of the Field of Statistics" authored by William S. Cleveland

1 2 5

Reposted by Scott Robeson

Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 5d

Universities are in a tough spot. On the one hand, universities that sign away their futures for the possibility of some short-term gains deserve nothing but contempt, ridicule, and reputational destruction. There is no other hand here.

Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 5d

Unless I’m misreading, this short statement actually seems equivocal or at best a placeholder. It does not say they are refusing, and to the contrary seems to hold the door open.

Dear Dartmouth community.
As many of you know, Dartmouth was one of nine universities asked by the White House to give feedback by Oct. 20 on a draft of its "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education."
SHARE THIS f x»
I am deeply committed to Dartmouth's academic mission and values and will always defend our fierce independence.
You have often heard me say that higher education is not perfect and that we can do better. At the same time, we will never compromise our academic freedom and our ability to govern ourselves.
Best,
Sian Leah Beilock
President

3 11 70

Reposted by Scott Robeson

Virginia Gewin @virginiagewin.bsky.social · 4d

The Portland marathon hosted thousands of runners today—the route went right by the ICE facility—without incident.

Virginia Gewin @virginiagewin.bsky.social · 4d

Portlander here. This city is NOT “burning to the ground”. What a lie!

3 22

Scott Robeson @indianaclimate.bsky.social · 4d

William S. Cleveland would like a word with you

1 1