Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 11h

And this is why guardrails that provide greater confidence that funds Congress provides on a bipartisan basis will reach the communities they are intended to assist are so crucial to resolving the 2026 funding impasse.

www.cbpp.org/research/fed...

New Proposal Shows Congress Can Enact Guardrails to Ensure a Deal Is a Deal for 2026 Funding | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Republicans in Congress should be willing to include proposals like these in a 2026 funding agreement to ensure it is implemented consistent with the deal they reach.

www.cbpp.org

5 17

Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 11h

Claims that the shutdown has forced their hand are false.

Nothing about a shutdown justifies these firings or makes them necessary. That’s why they haven’t happened in past shutdowns – including in the first Trump admin.

www.cbpp.org/research/fed...

Administration Plans for Mass Firings in a Shutdown Not Justified by Law or Prudent Management | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Raising the prospect of mass layoffs as direct retaliation if Democrats do not accede to the House Republicans’ short-term funding proposal is simply an Administration threat to hurt the American peop...

www.cbpp.org

1 5 22

Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 11h

Firing federal employees during a shutdown is not only illegal but must be seen for what it is: blatant extortion.

The Trump Administration is using working people and their families as pawns in a power play with no concern for who gets hurt.

4 40 100

Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 11h

Re-upping this piece on news that Vought is firing federal employees:
*Vought lying that shutdowns compel layoffs, never have before.
*Layoffs are a choice, the shutdown is an excuse.
*Comes on top of existing RIFs, will make restoring govt services harder post-shutdown.
substack.com/home/post/p-...

Shutdown hostage taking

Russ Vought's threatens more mass firings; SCOTUS blesses his de facto impoundment

substack.com

17 180 490

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 13h

4) you should follow Bobby for terrific analysis like this!

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 14h

Three key points:
1) The admin has been planning mass firings to begin in October since February
2) The work necessary to carry out mass firings is illegal during a shutdown, violating the Antideficiency Act, which carries a criminal penalty
3) This harms America, ridding us of talent and expertise

Russ Vought v @russvought
The RIFs have begun.
12:27 PM • 10/10/25 • 15K Views

1 5 18

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 14h

The CPI is used to calculate the Social Security COLA, so this will allow the COLA to be paid on time.

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 14h

CPI coming Oct 24, says BLS:

www.bls.gov/bls/092025-c...

September 2025 CPI Release Rescheduled

www.bls.gov

2 5

Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 14h

Republicans keep insisting that they’re pushing a “clean CR” while promising to unilaterally cut spending below agreed-to levels however they want with zero Democratic input.

Eleanor Mueller @Eleanor_Mueller
X.com
00 On this press call with the House Freedom Caucus, Johnson tells reporters: "We worked on rescissions, and there'll be more of that, we expect, in the days ahead."
11:12 AM • 10/10/25 • 28K Views

8 55 130

Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 1d

An artificial heart for children with congenital heart defects was almost finished. Families had waited for years it.

Then, Trump canceled billions in grants for universities — including the grant for this device.

The cruelty is endless. www.npr.org/2025/10/09/n...

This 4-year-old's heart is failing. A federal grant that might help him was canceled

A Cornell University researcher has been developing an artificial heart for children for more than 20 years. Now, his research is on hold and his lab is shut down.

www.npr.org

120 1.6K 3.1K

Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 1d

Utterly sinister and deeply threatening to democracy:

"plans to deploy America's counter-terrorism apparatus... as well as the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department against certain left-wing groups it accuses of funding and organizing political violence"

Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · 1d

President Donald Trump's threatened crackdown on the finances and activities of liberal non-profits and groups opposed to his agenda is a multi-agency effort with top White House aide Stephen Miller playing a central role, according to officials.

www.reuters.com/legal/govern...

www.reuters.com

49 110

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 3d

That's unhinged, Eric, and I love you for admitting it.

hot dogs > hamburgers

7

Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Matthew Cortland (they) @matthewcort.land · 3d

The majority of SSI and SSDI applications are denied at the initial stage. The majority of those denials are reversed on appeal - a process that takes years.

SOAR trains attorneys to do the kind of initial applications for homeless disabled people that can win at the first stage

1 12 50

Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Matthew Cortland (they) @matthewcort.land · 3d

The Trump Regime is killing SOAR

www.cbpp.org/blog/trump-a...

Access to the SOAR Works website ended August 18, 2025.

3 29 64

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 3d

New lawsuit alleging the Trump Admin used sensitive Social Security data “in secret, without the notice required by law and comment from the public or Congress, and without assessing the privacy implications or risks of error posed by repurposing the data in this way."

www.npr.org/2025/09/30/n...

A lawsuit tries to block the Trump administration's efforts to merge personal data

A class action lawsuit argues that the administration's efforts to combine databases of personal information on Americans violate privacy laws and the Constitution.

www.npr.org

1 15 32

Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 7d

On the echoes of refrigerator mothers in MAHA policy: Tiffany Hammond @fidgetsandfries.bsky.social "sees the focus on Tylenol and vaccines not only as a way to blame moms, but as a way to distract from Trump’s cuts to the services and supports families like hers need."

19thnews.org/2025/10/refr...

This isn't the first time moms have been blamed for their kids' autism

One of the earliest theories of autism is centered on “refrigerator mothers.” Echoes of it can be found in plans to Make America Healthy Again.

19thnews.org

2 17 46

Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities @centeronbudget.bsky.social · 4d

The Trump Admin abruptly ended federal support for SOAR, a program that helped disabled people experiencing homelessness access vital disability benefits. Congress should direct the Admin to restore this highly effective, low-cost support. www.cbpp.org/blog/trump-a...

Trump Administration Abruptly Cut Off Highly Effective Support for Disabled People Experiencing Homelessness | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

The Trump Administration abruptly ended federal support for a highly effective intervention that helps disabled people experiencing or at risk of homelessness access benefits to help them stabilize...

www.cbpp.org

2 8 17

Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Social Security Works @socialsecurityworks.org · 4d

Another cost of the Trump shutdown:

"If the shutdown continues and more workers aren’t brought back within a month, the Social Security Administration’s work of calculating the percentage adjustment and notifying recipients of their benefit increases could be delayed."

Furloughs Could Delay Social Security’s Cost of Living Adjustments

Just one employee at the Bureau of Labor Statistics is left to put together the data needed for Social Security increases.

www.notus.org

5 54 95

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 4d

The Trump Admin abruptly ended federal support for a highly effective program that prevents homelessness among disabled people, including veterans. This will mean more people living on the streets, unable to access housing, health care & other supports.

www.cbpp.org/blog/trump-a...

Trump Administration Abruptly Cut Off Highly Effective Support for Disabled People Experiencing Homelessness | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

The Trump Administration abruptly ended federal support for a highly effective intervention that helps disabled people experiencing or at risk of homelessness access benefits to help them stabilize...

www.cbpp.org

2 41 69

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 4d

This unprecedented arrangement cries out for meaningful oversight to ensure that each agency adequately serves the public, conflicts of interest are resolved, and our most sensitive data are protected.

2 21 140

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 4d

Reportedly DOGE is working on a “data lake” that uses sensitive data from IRS & SSA “to track and surveil undocumented immigrants.”

www.wired.com/story/doge-c...

DOGE Is Building a Master Database to Surveil and Track Immigrants

DOGE is knitting together data from the Department of Homeland Security, Social Security Administration, an IRS that could create a surveillance tool of unprecedented scope.

www.wired.com

5 48 140

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 4d

So why would the Trump
Admin put the same man in charge of both IRS & SSA?

We know that from the beginning they’ve been trying to bulldoze protections of the sensitive data that each agency holds. Early this year, acting heads of both SSA & Treasury were both pushed out over data access.

2 49 180

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 4d

Running SSA & running IRS are two daunting jobs, each made more so by the harmful actions of the Trump Administration.

Both have lost a staggering number of staff this year because of DOGE cuts & are struggling to serve the public.

1 32 150

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 4d

If the Trump Admin asked for the Senate’s advice & consent, would they really want the same person running the government’s biggest program AND overseeing the implementation of the extraordinarily complex new tax law?

1 26 150

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 4d

Bisignano is being tasked with day-to-day IRS operations, a role normally performed by a Senate-confirmed commissioner. Treasury Secretary Bessent will technically serve in this role on an acting basis.

IRS “CEO” is a made-up job that bypasses the Senate confirmation process.

2 71 240

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 4d

Alarming news this morning that Social Security head Frank Bisignano has been named “CEO” of IRS, a move that raises 3 major concerns:

www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Bessent Picks Social Security Chief Frank Bisignano as IRS CEO

The Social Security head will do double duty at the tax agency while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent retains his formal title as acting IRS commissioner.

www.wsj.com

12 190 310

Reposted by Kathleen Romig

Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 5d

This paper provides more context: www.urban.org/research/pub...
2/2

Updating Social Security Disability

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is preparing a proposed rule that could significantly reshape how disability eligibility is determined for two major…

www.urban.org

2 7