Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Howard A. Rodman

Lynn Becker @cmgiulini.bsky.social · 7h

After spending 43 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, evidence hidden by the prosecution reversed his conviction. Rather than finally enjoying freedom, ICE abducted him for deportation

Depraved.

www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...

He was wrongfully imprisoned for 43 years. Moments after being released, ICE took him

Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam now faces deportation.

www.miamiherald.com

350 4.1K 7.9K

Howard A. Rodman @rodman.bsky.social · 19h

In a year of atrocious @nytimes.com headlines, this may be the worst. (And that’s a very high bar…)

MICHAEL HIRSCHORN

With Mamdani, the Left Finally Has Its Trump

5 MIN READ

1 1 10

Howard A. Rodman @rodman.bsky.social · 1d

Rx:

“Cardiac age 65,” to be taken with no more than one grain of salt.

Reuters @reuters.com · 1d

Trump, 79, has "cardiac age" of 65-year-old, doctor says reut.rs/4mZNZbu

Trump, 79, has "cardiac age" of 65-year-old, doctor says

Donald Trump was found to be in "exceptional health" in a medical evaluation, the U.S. president's doctor said in a memo released by the White House on Friday, with his "cardiac age" 14 years younger than in "chronological age."

reut.rs

3

Howard A. Rodman @rodman.bsky.social · 1d

Image of body-armored militarized police in formation in front of Randy's Donuts, done up as the cover image for the Penguin Classics edition of Karl Marx, CAPITAL VOLUME I.

1 14

Reposted by Howard A. Rodman

Barred and Boujee aka Madiba Dennie @audrelawdamercy.bsky.social · 1d

aaand we are officially in the hide-your-neighbors stage

Sophie Sherry @sophiesherry.bsky.social · 1d

During a military-style raid on a building in Chicago’s South Shore, one resident heard a knock on his door.   It wasn’t the feds — it was a mom and her 7-year-old daughter, pleading for help.

He let them hide in his unit for the next 3 days.

chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

Neighbor shielded 7-year-old during South Shore federal raid: ‘I didn’t want them to take her’

During the Sept. 30 raid one tenant protected a terrified girl and her mom. Remnants at the complex, including a detailed map of all the units, offer clues to what authorities may have known before th...

chicago.suntimes.com

290 7.6K 19K

Howard A. Rodman @rodman.bsky.social · 1d

Shot/chaser

María Corina Machado's peaceful resistance to tyrants and her ability to organize and lead a non-violent movement for democracy and human rights is exemplary. Her unwavering moral compass and commitment to democratic peace for her country and the region are an example to the world. She and the movement she created represents a stark contrast to the Maduro dictatorship and its supporters around the world who have helped him subdue, oppress and impoverish the people of Venezuela.
We hope that the Nobel Committee will recognize María Corina Machado's remarkable contributions and grant her the distinction she so rightly deserves.
Sincerely,
Rick Scott
United States Senator

Marco Rubio
United States Senator

Representative Mario Diaz-Balart
Member of Congress

Representative María Elvira Salazar
Member of Congress

The White House, which had been calling for President Donald Trump to win the prize, did not immediately congratulate Machado, but a spokesman, Steven Cheung, questioned the committee's motives.
"President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars and saving lives," Cheung said, adding, "The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace."

1 2 7

Reposted by Howard A. Rodman

emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 1d

Huh. Gonna be an awkward day for Secretary of State-National Security Advisor-Acting Archivist Marco Rubio.

www.rickscott.senate.gov/services/fil...

Part of a letter sent by a bunch of GOP members of Congress in favor of granting Maria Corina Machado the Nobel Peace Prize, which she won today.

The last three paragraphs, before Rick Scott and Marco Rubio's signature, reads:

The Maduro regime's abuses and assaults on the civil society and legitimate
political activity of Venezuelan citizens have caused millions to flee to other countries,
while millions more have had no choice but to remain in the prison Maduro has
imposed on them. The peace of the region has been greatly disturbed by Maduro’s
welcoming of some of the world’s worst actors, including terrorists and dictators who
support him.
It is our firm belief that María Corina Machado’s courageous and selfless
leadership, and unyielding dedication to the pursuit of peace and democratic ideals,
make her a most deserving candidate for this prestigious award. Her efforts not only
highlight the urgent need for international solidarity in the face of aggressive and
expansive authoritarianism but also serve as a reminder of the power of individual
bravery in the quest for justice.

120 680 2.1K

Reposted by Howard A. Rodman

Liz Dye @lizdye.bsky.social · 1d

They make up lies about paid agitators doing violence, and attach them to the name of a prominent Jewish person. This is antisemitism, and it infects every part of the GOP.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Sen. Roger Marshall: "October 18 is when the protest gets here. This will be a Soros paid-for protest for his professional protesters. The agitators show up. We'll have to get the National Guard out. Hopefully it will be peaceful. I doubt it."

92 710 2.6K

Reposted by Howard A. Rodman

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 1d

MIT President Sally Kornbluth just issued a statement to the campus community saying NO to Trump’s authoritarian compact

“And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”

Dear Madam Secretary,
I write in response to your letter of October 1, inviting MIT to review a "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education." I acknowledge the vital importance of these matters.
I appreciated the chance to meet with you earlier this year to discuss the priorities we share for American higher education.
As we discussed, the Institute's mission of service to the nation directs us to advance knowledge, educate students and bring knowledge to bear on the world's great challenges. We do that in line with a clear set of values, with excellence above all. Some practical examples:
• MIT prides itself on rewarding merit.
Students, faculty and staff succeed here based on the strength of their talent, ideas and hard work. For instance, the Institute
was the first to reinstate the SAT/ACT requirement after the pandemic. And MIT has never had legacy preferences in admissions.

• MIT opens its doors to the most talented students regardless of their family's finances. Admissions are need-blind. Incoming undergraduates whose families earn less than $200,000 a year pay no tuition. Nearly 88% of our last graduating class left MIT with no debt for their education. We make a wealth of free courses and low-cost certificates available
to any American with an internet
connection. Of the undergraduate degrees we award, 94% are in STEM fields. And in service to the nation, we cap enrollment of international undergraduates at roughly
10%.
• We value free expression, as clearly described in the MIT Statement on Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom. We must hear facts and opinions we don't like - and engage respectfully with those with whom we disagree.

These values and other MIT practices meet or exceed many standards outlined in the document you sent. We freely choose these values because they're right, and we live by them because they support our mission - work of immense value to the prosperity, competitiveness, health and security of the United States. And of course, MIT abides by the law.
The document also includes principles with which we disagree, including those that would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution. And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific
funding should be based on scientific merit alone.
In our view, America's leadership in science and innovation depends on independent thinking and open competition for excellence. In that tree marketplace of ideas, the people of MIT gladly compete with the very best, without preferences.
Therefore, with respect, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education.

As you know, MIT's record of service to the nation is long and enduring. Eight decades ago, MIT leaders helped invent a scientific partnership between America's research universities and the
U.S. government that has delivered extraordinary benefits for the American people.
We continue to believe in the power of this partnership to serve the nation.
Sincerely,
Sally Kornbluth
CC
Ms. May Mailman
Mr. Vincent Haley

4 130 430

Howard A. Rodman @rodman.bsky.social · 1d

Dear USC,

If MIT can flat out reject the educational “compact” offered by the Trump administration, so can we.

It has never been clearer: either we stand with higher education and its independence, or we try and “negotiate” a deal for ourselves.

One path is honorable. The other: craven.

Regarding the Compact | MIT Organization Chart

orgchart.mit.edu

3 7

Reposted by Howard A. Rodman

Dave Itzkoff @ditzkoff.bsky.social · 1d

Donald trump can still win the Nobel Peace prize if Mike Pence has the courage

38 390 2.6K

Reposted by Howard A. Rodman

Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 2d

WAKE UP, AMERICA!

340 5.4K 12K

Howard A. Rodman @rodman.bsky.social · 2d

Vidal actually said, “pro-crypto-Nazi.” To which Buckley responded "Now listen, you queer, stop calling me a crypto-Nazi or I'll sock you in the goddamn face and you'll stay plastered.”

How quickly ‘erudite conservatism’ returns to its bully-boy roots.

1 1

Howard A. Rodman @rodman.bsky.social · 2d

And to the larger point: if you have issues with someone being antifascist, what does that make you?

Howard A. Rodman @rodman.bsky.social · 2d

Dear @nytimes.com,

One cannot 'belong' to Antifa, any more than one can belong to populism, or existentialism. It's not a party or an organization. But in your headline, you chose to accept the TPUSA characterization. Why?

The New York Times

Rutgers Expert on Antifa Tries to Flee to Spain After Death Threats

Mark Bray was teaching courses on antifascism. Turning Point USA accused him of belonging to antifa, which he denies. His flight to Spain was canceled abruptly on Wednesday night.

1 2 8

Howard A. Rodman @rodman.bsky.social · 2d

Dear @nytimes.com,

One cannot 'belong' to Antifa, any more than one can belong to populism, or existentialism. It's not a party or an organization. But in your headline, you chose to accept the TPUSA characterization. Why?

3 12 70

Reposted by Howard A. Rodman

emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 2d

Stephen Miller is murdering Venezuelans and Colombians in cold blood bc he believes it helps his propaganda campaign to paint Latinos as dangerous.

www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

Stephen Miller views the air strikes as an opportunity to paint immigrants as a dangerous menace, according to one of the White House officials.

520 4.3K 12K

Reposted by Howard A. Rodman

Ted McCormick @tedmccormick.bsky.social · 2d

A striking thing about articles I’ve read claiming to “study the effects” of generative AI on student writing skills and consumption of information is that (1) they nearly always find the effects are negative and (2) most “conclusions” are still written assuming that we must use AI, for some reason.

28 580 1.8K

Reposted by Howard A. Rodman

Oliver Willis @owillis.bsky.social · 2d

we've had two democratic presidents obsessed with turning the page and all it did was give the gop time to sharpen their knives before plunging it in our collective backs.

8 38 190

Reposted by Howard A. Rodman

Max Dubler 🏳️‍🌈 @maxdubler.com · 3d

Huge support to the inflatable frog costume person in Portland for both embarrassing the regime and reclaiming frog imagery from the internet right.

pumpkin spice amb 🎃 @amb.fyi · 3d

The Portland protest frog has done more to protect American democracy and fight fascism than all but the tiniest handful of elected officials

5 320 1.9K

Reposted by Howard A. Rodman

emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 3d

Discount Goebbels: Don't call us fascist.

Also Discount Goebbels: Can I introduce you to my buddy who thinks the Nazis were the good guys?

Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 3d

From Donald Trump's Roundtable on Antifa just now —
"Antifa has been around in various iterations for almost 100 years in some instances, going back to the Weimar Republic in Germany."
— special guest Jack Posobiec

22 180 590

Reposted by Howard A. Rodman

EdwardMO @emo777.bsky.social · 3d

Mon Oncle, the second Monsieur Hulot movie and the first colour film directed by Jacques Tati #botd, a satire on mechanized living and the consumer society, won him the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

"A masterpiece..." — David Lynch

4 12

Howard A. Rodman @rodman.bsky.social · 2d

Truth.

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 3d

GOV. PRITZKER: “This is a convicted felon threatening to jail me? He’s an unhinged, insecure wannabe dictator. Come and get me.”

1

Reposted by Howard A. Rodman

Seth Abramson @sethabramson.bsky.social · 3d

340 6K 22K

Reposted by Howard A. Rodman

Constant Scream @ajaxsinger.bsky.social · 3d

It's interesting seeing the different ways resistance has formed in different cities. Los Angeles Organized, Chicago Radicalized, and Portland Got Weird as Fuck. All 3 have had success unifying their respective cities.

I guess my point is there are multiple paths to ungovernability.

43 420 1.7K

Howard A. Rodman @rodman.bsky.social · 3d

Houston Street

2