Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Kyra Freestar

Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 6h

The Trump administration is apparently pulling some disability-related shenanigans and disability checks got pulled without explanation.

They’re in dire need and if you have the ability to help, the GoFundMe is here:

www.gofundme.com/f/help-shada...

Donate to Help Shada and Alexzavier Find a Safe Home, organized by Robert Niemeyer

Artists. Neurodivergent. Homeless. Deserving of So Much More. Meet Shad… Robert Niemeyer needs your support for Help Shada and Alexzavier Find a Safe Home

www.gofundme.com

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Reposted by Kyra Freestar

Dr. Johnathan Flowers, Blade Wielding Bisexual (Lordean arc) @shengokai.blacksky.app · 6h

Since Link is banned, his mutual aid Fridays have gone with him. This was one of the most altruistic things I’ve seen anyone on this site do.

In light of this, I’m gonna try to fill the gap.

Drop your mutual aid requests under this thread and I will repost them for as long as I can.

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 2d

I've been lucky enough to participate in past learning and reflection spaces hosted by these folks, and I highly recommend it!

Sign up by October 12 for early-bird pricing.

Brightly colored graphic advertising the Wholehearted Writers Week, January 12–16, 2026: "Come as yourself. Leave as community." Online at wholeheartedwriters.weebly.com

Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 2d

Do you write? (Any genre.) Do you wish you had time/space to reflect on your writing life, re-ground, and re-vision for the future?

You may be looking for the Wholehearted Writers Week, January 12–16, 2026.

wholeheartedwriters.weebly.com

Wholehearted Writers

What is Wholehearted Writers Week? This five-day-long online event is a writer’s retreat, a conference, a festival, a community space . It's also highly individualized and flexible. Your ...

wholeheartedwriters.weebly.com

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Reposted by Kyra Freestar

Ema@TheClarityEditor @theclarityeditor.bsky.social · 2d

It was great to start this up again! Hope more academic/research writers in these time zones join us. #AcademicWriting #Researchers #AsianTimeZones

Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 3d

Writing in Good Company for scholars in South/East Asia started up today — so happy to be co-hosting with @theclarityeditor.bsky.social and meeting writers from around the world.

#AcademicWriting

theclarityeditor.com/scholarly-ed...

Academic writing group in Asia | The Clarity Editor

Clear-language editing services for the social sciences and international development.

theclarityeditor.com

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Reposted by Kyra Freestar

Justin Zimmerman @jztidecat.bsky.social · 3d

That’s a lot of words for illegal.

NPR @npr.org · 3d

President Trump is bucking tradition and legal precedent in pushing to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-led cities like Portland, Oregon, and Chicago due to what he says is rampant crime and to support his crackdown on illegal immigration.

Trump's power to deploy National Guard, explained

President Trump is bucking tradition and legal precedent in pushing to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-led cities like Portland, Oregon, and Chicago due to what he says is rampant crime and to support his crackdown on illegal immigration.

n.pr

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 3d

What past participants have said:

"I really appreciate the intentionality and consistency."

"You have done an extraordinary job fostering a warm and encouraging place for writing to unfold."

"This group has just made a world of difference for me."

Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 3d

Writing in Good Company for scholars in South/East Asia started up today — so happy to be co-hosting with @theclarityeditor.bsky.social and meeting writers from around the world.

#AcademicWriting

theclarityeditor.com/scholarly-ed...

Academic writing group in Asia | The Clarity Editor

Clear-language editing services for the social sciences and international development.

theclarityeditor.com

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 3d

Writing in Good Company for scholars in South/East Asia started up today — so happy to be co-hosting with @theclarityeditor.bsky.social and meeting writers from around the world.

#AcademicWriting

theclarityeditor.com/scholarly-ed...

Academic writing group in Asia | The Clarity Editor

Clear-language editing services for the social sciences and international development.

theclarityeditor.com

1

Reposted by Kyra Freestar

Dr. Michael D. L. Johnson @copperbae.bsky.social · 4d

Figured people needed some good news today

newatlas.com/environment/...

Ocean CO2 becomes sustainable plastic, thanks to modified microbes

Not-so-fun fact: our oceans hold 150 times more carbon dioxide than the Earth's atmosphere. Adding to that causes ocean acidification, which can disrupt marine food chains and reduce biodiversity.

newatlas.com

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 4d

Read banned books!

(Of this list, I've already read one; I'm about to read another that's been on my TBR; and the others are new to me and look amazing!)

Kelly Lynn Thomas @kellylynnthomas.bsky.social · 4d

And here is a helpful list of Banned and challenged books by living marginalized authors!

Bisexual Kaiju @bisexualkaiju.myatproto.social · 4d

So you want to support living marginalized banned authors but your local banned books week displays and events are full of famous dead people?

Not to worry: your helpful non-binary bookseller is here to help!

A thread!

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 4d

Also, reading is resistance — read banned books!

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 4d

Best/most useful terms from today's writing group:
- Good rejections
- Comfort drinks

#WritingInGoodCompany #AcademicWriting

bridgecreekediting.com/a-call-to-ac...

A call to academic writing practice — September 2025 edition | Bridge Creek Editing

bridgecreekediting.com

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 4d

Young people anywhere in the country can check out ebooks and audiobooks from the Seattle Public Library.

www.spl.org/programs-and...

#BannedBooksWeek #BooksUnbanned

Books Unbanned

Teens and young adults ages 13 to 26 living anywhere in the U.S. can access our entire collection of e-books and audiobooks.

www.spl.org

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 8d

I have friends everywhere.

Our friends are everywhere.

Please, let’s remember that.

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 8d

I have friends who are women—in their teens, in their thirties, in their fifties and sixties and eighties.

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 8d

I have friends who are trans. I have friends who are straight and friends who are queer. I have friends of many genders. I have friends who are Jewish, and Muslim, and Christian, and Baha’i, and atheist and agnostic. I have friends who are disabled.

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 8d

I have friends whose friends and family members live in Africa, in Asia, across the crossroads of the Mediterranean, in Europe and Australia, in North and Central and South America, and on the islands of Iceland and Taiwan and Hawai’i and Hong Kong.

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 8d

I have friends who are immigrants with visas and without visas, with citizenship and without citizenship. I have friends who are the children of immigrants of every legal status.

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 8d

I have friends whose ancestors immigrated to this continent, who built the infrastructure of this nation. I have friends who immigrated here themselves to join in the project of building a better nation.

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 8d

I have friends whose great-grandparents were US citizens and friends whose great-grandparents were kidnapped and brought here and brutally prevented from citizenship. I have friends whose great-great-great-grandparents were here before the US was an idea in anyone’s head.

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 8d

I have friends who work for restaurants and rideshare companies, for tech companies and nonprofit organizations. I have friends who study the health of the oceans and the health of Americans. I have friends who study history and philosophy and science and science fiction.

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 8d

I have friends who are poets, artists, dancers, writers. I have friends who are editors and librarians. I have friends who are massage therapists and nutritionists and nannies. I have friends who are schoolteachers; I have friends who staff operating rooms.

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 8d

I have friends who work for the Department of Homeland Security in DC. I have friends who work for the National Park Service in Rhode Island. I have friends who work for the National Forests and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 8d

I live in Seattle.

I have friends who live in Washington DC.

I have friends who live in Los Angeles.

I have friends who live in Alaska and Oregon, California and Colorado, Ohio and New Jersey, Massachusetts and Montana, New York City and New York state, Utah and Arkansas.

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Kyra Freestar @kyrafreestar.bsky.social · 8d

While at Worldcon in Seattle in August, I saw a woman walk by wearing a gray T-shirt with just four words on it:

"I have friends everywhere."

It's something I'd been thinking about for a while. We—all—have friends everywhere. So let’s talk about THAT.

bridgecreekediting.com/we-have-frie...

We have friends everywhere | Bridge Creek Editing

bridgecreekediting.com

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