Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by John Vaillant

William Nomikos @wnomikos.bsky.social · 1d

Goosebumps watching this. Chicagoans fighting for this country. Mass collective action is the only thing that can keep fascism away.

Jacob Soboroff @jacobsoboroff.bsky.social · 1d

Michigan Avenue right now.

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CajunBlueAZ ⚜️🇺🇸 🇺🇦 @cajunblue.bsky.social · 1d

🚨🚨🚨Chicago - NOW!🚨🚨🚨
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John Vaillant @johnvaillant.bsky.social · 1d

#Russia has had its worst harvest in nearly 2 decades.
per @thetimes.com radio #FoodSecurity

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Wilderness Committee @wildernews.bsky.social · 1d

The study looked at the 200 most destructive fires from 1980 to 2023 — fires with the highest financial costs relative to a nation's GDP — and found their frequency had increased sharply since 2015.

#climatechange #wildfires

What insurance data reveals about how bad wildfires are getting | CBC News

Scientists tapped into 44 years of data to show how these societally destructive wildfires — ones that kill people and cause huge financial losses — are growing all across the world and are becoming...

www.cbc.ca

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Hannah Pumpkins 🎃 🍂 @hannahposts.bsky.social · 2d

Richard Scarry: Fury Road

A Richard Scarry illustration of a skeleton-bone dragster being driven by a little mouse

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John Vaillant @johnvaillant.bsky.social · 1d

An excellent and inspiring conversation between @petebuttigieg.bsky.social and @hcrichardson.bsky.social:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4diH...

American Conversations: Secretary Pete Buttigieg

YouTube video by Heather Cox Richardson

www.youtube.com

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John Vaillant @johnvaillant.bsky.social · 1d

Same look in his eyes as Krash Patel

Leia🇨🇴🇺🇸 @theswprincess.bsky.social · 1d

Look at his eyes - pure panic.

These "federal agents" are like clumsy mall cops with guns. No training, no control, no clue.

It’s a miracle they haven’t shot each other yet.

They're a danger to the public.

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Professor Euan Ritchie @euanritchie.bsky.social · 1d

Each day the upper management of different unis seemingly find new ways to disappoint those of us working at universities. I love what I do, it breaks my heart what's been allowed to happen to unis in recent decades. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10... Robodebt for university academic integrity? WT!

University caught out using AI to wrongly accuse students of cheating with AI

An Australian university has accused thousands of its students of cheating with artificial intelligence. The problem? Many have done nothing wrong.

www.abc.net.au

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John Vaillant @johnvaillant.bsky.social · 1d

Cheers, Amy!

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Reposted by John Vaillant

Dave Infante @dinfontay.com · 2d

"Why would OpenAI and Microsoft spend $23 million to give 'free training' on how to use AI to teachers? Because they love teachers? No. Because they want to get their products into public schools in an attempt to cultivate the education market." — @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social

Thinking of AI as a Social Problem

No need to know the unknowable. The knowable is bad enough.

www.hamiltonnolan.com

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John Vaillant @johnvaillant.bsky.social · 1d

!!!

Los Angeles Times @latimes.com · 1d

Authorities will announce an arrest in connection with the devastating Palisades fire, law enforcement sources said, and are expected to announce a cause of the blaze.

Arrest made in Palisades fire, sources say

Authorities will announce an arrest in connection with the devastating Palisades fire, law enforcement sources said, and are expected to announce a cause of the blaze.

www.latimes.com

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John Vaillant @johnvaillant.bsky.social · 1d

The esteem of one's favorite authors is truly the sweetest prize. @charlesmann.bsky.social (1491, 1493, etc.) is a maestro, and holy crap this makes my day!

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝙲. 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚗 @charlescmann.bsky.social · 1d

Last night I read again a chunk of "Fire Weather" by @johnvaillant.bsky.social to check my notes against his reporting and holy crap this is a superb book--a vivid portrait of one of the most fascinating, least known, most important places in North America: northern Alberta. Strong recommend.

Fire Weather by John Vaillant: 9780525434245 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • A NEW YORK TIMES TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR • FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD IN NONFICTION • FINALIST FOR THE PEN/GALBRAITH AWARD FOR NONFICTION...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com

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John Vaillant @johnvaillant.bsky.social · 1d

Word of the day: Plenary
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

Plenary authority, the dictator phrase that caused Stephen Miller to stop talking

Miller suggests Trump wields absolute power over decisions to send in the National Guard, before suddenly stopping speaking in an awkward interview moment

www.independent.co.uk

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John Vaillant @johnvaillant.bsky.social · 2d

Fyi:

America the Beautiful @unitedresistance.bsky.social · 2d

The Insurrection Act and Posse Comitatus Act

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insurre...

Insurrection Act of 1807 - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

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Grist @grist.org · 2d

A guide to the 4 minerals shaping the world’s energy future.
To address climate change, we're going to need a whole lot of metal.

grist.org/energy/criti...

#Mining #Mines #Climate #Lithium #CleanEnergy #Renewables #EV #Cars

A guide to the 4 minerals shaping the world's energy future

To address climate change, we're going to need a whole lot of metal.

grist.org

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John Vaillant @johnvaillant.bsky.social · 2d

Got a good lawyer?

Reposted by John Vaillant

Wildlife Conservation Society @wcs.org · 2d

Launching today with partners: a campaign to protect sharks & rays.

At #CITESCoP20, govts will decide whether to grant whale sharks, oceanic whitetips, and manta & devil rays full Appendix I protections — a once-in-a-generation chance.

🌏 Sign the petition: only.one/act/cites-2025

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Ayana Elizabeth Johnson @ayanaeliza.bsky.social · 3d

Recording a special Jane Goodall episode for the What If We Get It Right? podcast. Coming your way tomorrow — subscribe wherever you get your pods 🎙️ www.getitright.earth/podcast

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Max Fawcett @maxfawcett.bsky.social · 9d

Imperial's parent company, ExxonMobil, announced its own layoffs the *next* day.

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Max Fawcett @maxfawcett.bsky.social · 9d

Here's ConocoPhillips, a Houston-based company, announcing layoffs of 20 to 25 per cent earlier this month.

Is this also Ottawa's fault?

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John Vaillant @johnvaillant.bsky.social · 2d

A terrific reality check. Thanks!

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Max Fawcett @maxfawcett.bsky.social · 9d

I could keep throwing up receipts here, but I think you get the point: this is a global phenomenon, not a product of Ottawa's supposed antipathy towards Alberta's oil and gas industry.

It's as I wrote, and said, here:

www.nationalobserver.com/2025/08/28/o...

The ‘de-manning’ of Canada’s oilsands sector

Canada's oil and gas industry has been getting less labour-intensive for more than a decade now. When will our elected officials finally acknowledge that — and its obvious implications for the future?

www.nationalobserver.com

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The Narwhal @thenarwhal.ca · 2d

From cancelling the carbon tax to pausing the electric vehicle mandate, Prime Minister Mark Carney is making sweeping changes to Canada’s environmental rules — and complicating Canada’s progress on climate change. thenarwhal.ca/mark-carney-...

How Mark Carney is complicating Canada’s climate progress | The Narwhal

From cancelling the carbon tax to pausing the EV mandate, Mark Carney’s government is making sweeping changes to Canada’s environmental rules

thenarwhal.ca

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Jacob Silverman @jacobsilverman.com · 2d

For The Nation, I wrote about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's time on an advisory board for an Israeli crypto company and the cash payout he might be eligible for this week.
www.thenation.com/article/poli...

Pete Hegseth’s Crypto History

Does the defense secretary have unclaimed earnings from a firm he formerly advised?

www.thenation.com

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Seth Klein @sethdklein.bsky.social · 3d

Comment: LNG start-up flaring is a public-health blind spot — and B.C. is ignoring it.
LNG terminals burn nearly three times more gas during their first two years of operation than afterward.

Recommended read by Drs @timtakaro.bsky.social and Laura Minet:
www.timescolonist.com/opinion/comm...

Comment: LNG start-up flaring is a public-health blind spot — and B.C. is ignoring it

LNG terminals burn nearly three times more gas during their first two years of operation than afterward.

www.timescolonist.com

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