Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Mary Ann Dimand

Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 1h

Don't forget to spend your FSA money. Lots of things that you can purchase using those funds will be of great use and interest to places like homeless shelters, domestic violence organizations, mutual aid groups & more.

Consider buying menstrual products for one thing.

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Rich Raho @richraho.bsky.social · 1d

Pope to Chicago Labor Leaders: “Please know of my appreciation for your welcome of immigrants and refugees, especially your support of food pantries and shelters….I encourage you to continue to advocate for society to respect the human dignity of the most vulnerable.” www.vatican.va/content/leo-...

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Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 9h

IMHO, LLMs will be an economic negative for years.

They'll do a worse job than humans,

but will still replace humans because they're cheaper for employers,

but really they're costlier, it's just that lots of costs get externalized to society by our horrible energy/tax policies.

Lose-lose-lose.

The Real AI Risk is ‘Meh’ Technology That Takes Jobs and Annoys Us All

While AI doomsday scenarios dwell on the risks posed by superintelligent robot overlords, one Nobel-Prize winning economist fears a more mundane possibility.

www.bloomberg.com

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Tade Thompson @tadethompson.bsky.social · Aug 13

We are not trivialising LLMs.

Copyright theft is not trivial.

Environmental damage is not trivial.

Unreliability is not trivial.

Risk to human cognition is not trivial.

Ignoring consent when shoving it into every fucking thing while making us pay our hard-earned money for it is not trivial.

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Mary Ann Dimand @maryanndimand.bsky.social · 10h

Transept arches and windows at Wakefield Cathedral, and a man in a puffer coat carrying a shopping bag.

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Mary Ann Dimand @maryanndimand.bsky.social · 10h

A view of Wakefield Cathedral’s pew carvings and arches from the quire.

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Reposted by Mary Ann Dimand

Robert Evans (the Only Robert Evans) @iwriteok.bsky.social · 5d

as the person who kicked off a lot of the modern "civil war 2" discourse i don't think we're past the point where that can be avoided. i do think we are already in a state of mass civil conflict. but many nations (see: Italy) have been through similar upheavals without war.

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the Mountain Goats @themountaingoats.bsky.social · 4d

they don’t want you to know how they treat prisoners because it will grieve you to know it, which is natural and human, and because of your normal human reaction you will want the system changed. It’s important to them that your natural aversion to how the system works not be engaged.

The News & Observer @newsobserver.com · 4d

A 2023 records request to get the Durham County Jail policy manual has spurred a years-long legal dispute.

NC nonprofit still pushing for Durham County sheriff to release jail policies

A 2023 records request to get the Durham County Jail policy manual has spurred a years-long legal dispute.

bit.ly

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Mary Ann Dimand @maryanndimand.bsky.social · 20h

Choir, lecterns, and organ at the Wakefield Cathedral

Mary Ann Dimand @maryanndimand.bsky.social · 20h

Mary Ann Dimand @maryanndimand.bsky.social · 21h

"Some Republicans on Capitol Hill have suggested that Vought’s threats of mass layoffs have been unhelpful to bipartisan talks."

Yuh think?

apnews.com/article/gove...

Firings of federal workers begin as White House seeks to pressure Democrats in government shutdown

Mass firings of federal workers have begun. That was the announcement Friday from the White House as Republicans worked to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers to end the government shutdown.

apnews.com

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Mary Ann Dimand @maryanndimand.bsky.social · 21h

@andrewti.bsky.social
@tawnynewsome.bsky.social

Loving the Trek pilot podcasts. Thanks!

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Gregory Pratt @royalpratt.bsky.social · 2d

ICE went after rideshare drivers at O’Hare today, according to statement from Illinois Drivers Alliance

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ICE must be destroyed 🏳️‍⚧️🏴 @miawong.bsky.social · 1d

No more fucking heroes we cannot be creating more heroes I don't want to see another person hitting a school shooter with a chair I do not want to see another person hiding a child from an ethnic cleansing I don't want to see more heroes

Moreover, ICE must be destroyed

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LongTime🤓FirstTime👨‍💻 @longtimehistory.bsky.social · 1d

ICE secretly kidnap autistic boy during bathroom break—never notify parents.

Mother reported him missing a week ago—turns out ICE had him detained the whole time.

He was helping sell fruit and asked to go to the restroom—by the time she was done helping a customer he was gone.

Houston, Texas

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Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · 1d

If this was happening in any other country you'd have journalists and analysts discussing risks of state failure

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Eric Levai @ericlevai.bsky.social · 1d

Writers Guild rightly tells members not to respond to Bari Weiss

https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/wga-cbs-news-staffers-not-respond-bari-weiss-memo-1236546038/

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Mary Ann Dimand @maryanndimand.bsky.social · 21h

@thecroftonshow.bsky.social I'm very much enjoying hearing you on Creature Feature.

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mivox is exHAUNTed 👻 @bs.mivox.net · 2d

Three people protesting outside the Portland, OR ICE facility, dressed in inflatable frog costumes, holding a small sign that says “Portland Frog Brigade”.

Over top of the photo is white text reading: “Exodus 8:2-6 "But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs... The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your officials."”

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Mary Ann Dimand @maryanndimand.bsky.social · 1d

That "we don't redistribute" is a presumed Good Thing has been exhausting me for decades.

Reposted by Mary Ann Dimand

Olivia Waite @oliviawaite.com · 1d

The problem with “virtue signaling” as a rhetorical framework was always that it pressed you not toward deeper and more sincere acts of virtue, but away from goodness as a goal at all.

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Chris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · 2d

now do jan 6th

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Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 2d

New blockbuster reporting on the secretive map drawing process in Texas. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

New Details Emerge in Federal Court About Texas’ Secretive Redistricting Map