Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 3h

The question is… who is he golfing with? What special deals are being made on the links but off the record?

Reposted by Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D.

Mark Peifer (He, him) @peiferlabunc.bsky.social · 8h

The place where the first report of Kaposi's sarcoma and pneumocystis pneumonia in a cohort of gay men revealed the disease that came to be called AIDS

Diasporic Minnesotan @diasporaminnesotan.bsky.social · 8h

They killed MMWR.
They killed MMWR.
They killed MMWR.
They killed MMWR.
They killed MMWR.
They killed MMWR.

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Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 3h

Not collapse — self-destruction.

China had its Cultural Revolution sixty years ago, from which it took decades to recover.

We started ours in January.

Kevin Roberts declared that Project 2025 is “the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless — if the left allows it to be.”

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Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 3h

Well, he _did_ promise lower prices! Those who have been smoking from his pipe will cheer this as “promises made, promises kept.”

But OJ processors and orange growers are just like soybean farmers. They too will be bankrupted by the loss of exports… and they too will need to be bailed out.

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Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 3h

It seems like time, once again, to post the link to this 84-year-old article that has grown increasingly relevant to the US political climate over the past nine months:

harpers.org/archive/1941...

Who Goes Nazi?, by Dorothy Thompson

harpers.org

Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 4h

So… Trump has ordered Hegseth to re-assign DOD funds originally allocated from some unnamed purpose to pay military salaries. This violates congressional intent and is thus illegal. It is no different from his re-allocation of DOD funds to building the southern border wall in his first term.

Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 4h

The one-two punch — electing Finebaum to the Senate and Tuberville to the governorship.

Then there are all the down-ballot races.

FFS.

Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 4h

“Hypocrisy… the city is rank with it.”
— Gothmog

Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 6h

Barbara McClintock gave a seminar at my undergraduate institution in 1979. She had more energy than everyone else around — even us 20-year-olds!

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Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 6h

Positional gene cloning by chromosome walking & jumping (Bender, Spierer & Hogness)

Steroid regulation of gene expression (Ashburner et al.)

Circadian clock genes (Konopka, Rosbach, Hall, Young)

Transposable element vectors for germline transformation (Spradling, Rubin, Bellen)

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Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 6h

Drosophila melanogaster:

The chromosomal basis of sex determination (Bridges)

Linkage mapping (Sturtevant)

Homeotic gene complexes (Lewis)

The overall program of genomics research (Hogness, 1972 NSF grant application)

Gene hierarchies regulating body plan (Nusslein-Volhard & Wieschaus)

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Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 6h

Escherichia coli: the lac operon.

"What E. coli does, elephants do, only moreso."
— attributed to either Jacob or Monod

"All the rest is commentary, now go learn!"
— attributed to Rabbi Hillel

Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 7h

Because… measles containment & prevention “is not aligned with the Trump administration’s political agenda.”

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Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 7h

Because… measles containment & prevention “is not aligned with the Trump administration’s political agenda.”

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 9h

The CDC official who was leading the measles response and was RIFd has more than 28 yrs experience as the senior USG official leading outbreaks on Ebola, Marburg virus, and mpox. 2/4

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Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 7h

"After reading today's news, I think you need a bath."

#caturday #tabbies #orangecats #catsofbluesky

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Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 8h

Ever since Musk fed USAID into the wood chipper people have been dying — in Africa.

With the destruction of #CDC, it’ll be Americans who die… and not only “the right sort of people who need killing,” to paraphrase Emperor Vought, Kapo Miller and the rest of this ghoulish regime.

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Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 8h

“Hypocrisy… the city is rank with it.”
— Gothmog

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Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 8h

“Hypocrisy… the city is rank with it.”
— Gothmog

Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 19h

Trump got his COVID19 vaccine today.

He will always have access to everything he needs to maintain his health while denying others the same.

White House memo that says MEMORANDUM
October 10, 2025
TO: KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
PHYSICIAN TO THE PRESIDENT CAPTAIN, U.S. NAVY
SUBJECT: President Donald J. Trump Completes Comprehensive Follow-Up Evaluation at
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
President Donald J. Trump successfully completed a scheduled follow-up evaluation today at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The visit was part of his ongoing health maintenance plan and included advanced imaging, laboratory testing, and preventive health assessments conducted by a multidisciplinary team of specialists. These evaluations were performed in coordination with leading academic and medical consultants to ensure optimal cardiovascular health and continued wellness.
Comprehensive laboratory studies performed in conjunction with the visit were exceptional, including stable metabolic, hematologic, and cardiac parameters.
In preparation for upcoming international travel, President Trump also received preventive health screenings and immunizations, including annual influenza and updated COVID-19 booster vaccinations.
President Trump continues to demonstrate excellent overall health. His cardiac age-a validated measure of cardiovascular vitality via ECG-was found to be approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age. He continues to maintain a demanding daily schedule without restriction.
SUMMARY: President Donald J. Trump remains in exceptional health, exhibiting strong cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, and physical performance.

Reposted by Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D.

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 11h

My quote of the day

Nobody ever thanks you for saving them from the disease they didn't know they were going to get.

William Foege

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Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 1d

They voted in favor of a stack of blank sheets of paper.

How perfectly on-brand for this regime.

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Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 1d

Jen — the photo gallery should definitely include Leahy, Arnold, Nimitz, and Eisenhower, among others. I’m a bit on the fence WRT MacArthur though.

Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 1d

Isn’t this… foreign interference in an election?

A lot of us got bent out of shape in 2016 when Wikileaks & Putin sabotaged Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Those who benefited, resented the accusation that they needed (and got) help. Why else the near-decade of shrill denials.

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Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 1d

Isn’t this… foreign interference in an election?

A lot of us got bent out of shape in 2016 when Wikileaks & Putin sabotaged Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Those who benefited, resented the accusation that they needed (and got) help. Why else the near-decade of shrill denials.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 1d

The Trump administration confirmed that the U.S. bailed out Argentina.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he had directly bought Argentine pesos in global currency markets in a bid to relieve pressure on the nation’s embattled President Javier Milei, a supporter of President Trump.

The U.S. just bailed out Argentina, Treasury Secretary confirms

The US Treasury has finalized a $20 billion financial rescue of Argentina, including a currency swap arrangement with the country's central bank.

www.washingtonpost.com

Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 1d

Work backward to Nobels won by Americans whose parents were immigrants, and count back several more decades. The lists for both would grow substantially, I expect.

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Mark D. Garfinkel, Ph.D. @mdgarfinkel.bsky.social · 1d

A true return to the 19th century would mean eliminating municipal water-purification & sewer systems & restoring horse-drawn carriages as a primary mode of transportation, with all the resultant urban manure accumulation.

Gives new meaning to the term “enshittification.”

Make Cholera Great Again!