Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by NiluJ

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 13h

The mass layoffs of federal workers on Friday night swept up the top two leaders of the federal measles response team, even as the nation grapples with the most cases recorded since 2000, when measles was declared eliminated in the U.S.

C.D.C. Layoffs Included 2 Top Measles Experts Amid Rising Cases

Scientists who focused on other infectious diseases, like an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, also were let go.

nyti.ms

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Mitch Green @councilorgreen.bsky.social · 13d

Trump’s deployment of troops to Portland is a dangerous escalation of authoritarianism. Now is the time to find our own ways of standing up and fighting back to preserve our democracy. Fellow vets: we need you to muster. And those serving: you can refuse an unlawful order as you may receive it.

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Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 23d

This is the playbook, folks.

If you're not paying attention now and doing something about it, then you're going to have to sit down the rest of your life because democracy is being taken away.

Do not be quiet in this moment.

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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 27d

Yup.

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NiluJ @niluj.bsky.social · Sep 11

“Any serious desire to address the root causes of political violence must include electoral system reform. The body of literature makes clear that proportional representation can help make American democracy more resilient against the scourge of political violence.”

Proportional Representation Could Reduce the Risk of Political Violence in the U.S.

There is no single cause of political violence in democracies. But one critical source is often overlooked: electoral system design.

www.justsecurity.org

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Max Dubler 🏳️‍🌈 @maxdubler.com · Sep 6

“In one breath, we say we want to save American democracy from Trump. In the next, we insist on blocking the very thing—housing—that would help the state preserve its political clout and ensure the immigrants we say we want to protect can afford to live here.”

California YIMBY @cayimby.bsky.social · Sep 6

The San Francisco Chronicle makes the case for SB 79: "The bill would make it easier to boost California’s population in areas with the best infrastructure to support new residents, reinvigorate struggling public transit systems and help workers avoid soul-crushing commutes in gas-guzzling cars."

California will do anything to save democracy — except build housing

OPINION: Republican states like Texas are undergoing building booms and positioning themselves for a demographic takeover. Meanwhile, California dithers, the Editorial Board writes.

www.sfchronicle.com

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NiluJ @niluj.bsky.social · Sep 5

I am thinking about how much I love trees, as we breathe in the death of so many of them in Seattle today. 😢

Thoughtful density planning and expanded public transit is how we save not just trees… but forests.

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Raider @iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social · Aug 31

As our neighbors vanish daily, this serves as a meaningful way to honor them and highlight the extent of this issue throughout the city’s

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Bill McKibben @billmckibben.bsky.social · Aug 22

nextbigideaclub.com/magazine/no-...

No One Can Hoard Sunshine: Why Solar Means Safety and Peace

Author Bill McKibben shares 5 key insights from his new book, Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization.

nextbigideaclub.com

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Guy Oron @guyoron.net · Aug 21

Agents have detained Muhammad Zahid Chaudhry, a disabled U.S. military vet and outspoken critic of U.S.-led war, after his naturalization hearing today at the Tukwila, WA ICE office. His wife, Melissa Chaudhry, ran against Rep. Adam Smith last year on a pro-Palestine platform.

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Robert Cruickshank @robertcruickshank.com · Aug 16

The warming climate, not new infill housing, is the main threat to Seattle’s trees. In fact, the failure to allow infill housing and instead promoting sprawl is why we have a warming climate.

If you oppose infill housing in Seattle, you’re helping put our trees at risk.

Braeden 🎣🦀🌲🦅 @bvd100.bsky.social · Aug 16

That heat last week really took out a bunch of trees in city parks. The city needs to be aggressively managing our public trees if we’re gonna keep having these hot summers.

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NiluJ @niluj.bsky.social · Aug 16

I missed that you were on this journey. Love the curls! Sending hugs

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NiluJ @niluj.bsky.social · Aug 9

Democracy vouchers changed everything. Instead of spending my time calling people with money to ask them to donate, I knocked on thousands of doors and really got to understand my community’s needs better.

Bolts @boltsmag.org · Aug 9

Eight years ago, Seattle began distributing vouchers to residents that they could then use to donate to local candidates of their choice. Voters appear to have renewed the program for 10 more years.

boltsmag.org/seattle...

Seattle Voters Are Renewing Their Unique Approach to Public Campaign Financing

The democracy vouchers program hands residents $100 to donate to local candidates and it’s credited with broadening civic involvement. Voters on Tuesday appear to have extended it by 10 years.

boltsmag.org

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NiluJ @niluj.bsky.social · Aug 4

SeaMart

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David Roberts @volts.wtf · Aug 3

Everyone who thinks that voters are responding to their own lived experience needs to explain this graph.

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NiluJ @niluj.bsky.social · Aug 2

Gerrymandering is out of control—and now they want to redraw maps mid-decade. The Fair Representation Act has been reintroduced in Congress, offering a better path: multimember districts and proportional representation.

We can fix this—or keep clinging to a broken system eroding faith in democracy.

Lee Drutman @leedrutman.bsky.social · Aug 1

I wrote a one-act play about gerrymandering. Come for the trenchant analysis. Stay for the jokes.

GLAUCON: What's the Phenomenology Pilsner like?

WAITER: Hard to describe in words. You'll have to experience the thing-in-itself.

GLAUCON: Perfect. Two of those.

open.substack.com/pub/leedrutm...

Democracy in pieces: Did the Texas gerrymander just break the districting game?

Or was it already broken all along? A Socratic gastropub journey through America's most unsolvable political puzzle

open.substack.com

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Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · Aug 2

Almost half of Americans would
Struggle to afford an unexpected $500 expense.

Almost half.

25% have skipped meals just to make ends meet.

This is what the average American is going through while the rich get even richer

Luke Steuber @lukesteuber.com · Aug 1

Fuck the stock market reports, this is what real life is like

More than four out of five Americans, 83%, said they were concerned about the cost of groceries, with 46% saying they were very concerned. Some 47% said they were worried about being able to pay their rent or mortgage, 64% said they were worried about affording an unexpected medical expense.
About 48% said they believed they would have trouble affording an unexpected $500 bill without borrowing. One in four said it would be "very difficult"
A quarter of those surveyed said they spent at least three hours a day worrying about their finances and ability to afford basic necessities. Another 25% of respondents said they or someone in their household had skipped meals in the past year in order to make ends meet, and 26% said they had fallen behind on their monthly bills over the past year.

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NiluJ @niluj.bsky.social · Aug 1

Ok that was fun. :)

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