Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

Gravel Influencer @gravelinfluencer.bsky.social · 5h

They continue to eviscerate the public health machinery that has quietly kept Americans, and others around the world, safe and healthy for decades.

The staff of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the journal that reports on health trends and emerging infectious threats, was also laid off. The publication’s storied history includes a June 1981 report that five previously healthy gay men were treated for an unusual pneumonia — the first hint of the AIDS epidemic.

Roughly 70 Epidemic Intelligence Service officers — the so-called “disease detectives” who respond to outbreaks around the globe — received layoff notices, according to a person familiar with them. The service was spared during an earlier round of layoffs in February.

6 190 540

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 10h

The editors of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) were apparently fired today.

The precursor to MMWR began in 1878 to address emerging public health threats rapidly.

We are not “great” without it. We are vulnerable to threats from sporadic foodborne illness to bioterrorism.

52 780 1.6K

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 20h

This arrest appears to be in direct violation of a temporary restraining order prohibiting DHS officers from arresting journalists. The officers here may well be subject to contempt of court. protectdemocracy.org/wp-content/u...

It is hereby ORDERED that Defendants,' their officers, agents, assigns, and all
persons acting in concert with them (hereafter referred to as "Federal Agents"), are temporarily
ENJOINED in this judicial district from:
a.
Dispersing, arresting, threatening to arrest, threatening or using physical
force against any person whom they know or reasonably should know is a Journalist, unless Defendants have probable cause to believe that the individual has committed a crime.

110 1.3K 3.1K

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

Laurasaurus @laurasaurus.bsky.social · 1d

It is frankly strange to be this obsessed with college if you no longer attend one and do not work in education. More people in legacy media need to be told that.

Dan Sinykin @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social · 1d

And who is the author of this op-ed? The billionaire CEO of an asset management firm who helped author the compact.

36 340 1.9K

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

Katie Bergh @katiebergh.bsky.social · 23h

This decision means SNAP participants who live in areas where jobs are scarce in CA, CT, DC, GU, IL, KY, MI, MT, MN, ND, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OR, RI, VI, and WA will be at risk of being cut off SNAP by the program's harsh & ineffective work requirement even earlier than anticipated.

Ty Jones Cox @tyjonescox.bsky.social · 2d

The megabill limited states’ ability to request waivers of this work requirement in areas with few jobs. But citing no legal authority, USDA announced on Friday that they will be revoking previously approved waivers in 30 days, accelerating this harsh policy in many states.

19 31

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

elias isquith @eliasisquith.blog · 20h

rightist plutocrats are doing politics. liberal plutocrats are doing charity. it’s an entirely different mindset.

6 64 450

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

elias isquith @eliasisquith.blog · 20h

it has a lot to do with incentives.

to rightwing plutocrats, a D admin is an intolerable threat to their wealth & power, so writing blank checks for agitprop makes sense and is in fact honorable self-defense.

to their lib counterparts such a thing would be gauche, a social capital-negative

ae @aelkus.bsky.social · 20h

this has been a periodic complaint for decades and I'm curious what is standing in the way of fixing it

Matthew Sheffield @matthew.flux.community · 20h

It's basically impossible to earn a living as an independent commentator on the left.

By contrast, Fox and its imitators *constantly* elevate new voices and encourage people to get involved.

They pool their resources. They recycle their dollars and keep them in-network. They crowdfund like crazy.

2 36 310

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 22h

Three key points:
1) The admin has been planning mass firings to begin in October since February
2) The work necessary to carry out mass firings is illegal during a shutdown, violating the Antideficiency Act, which carries a criminal penalty
3) This harms America, ridding us of talent and expertise

Russ Vought v @russvought
The RIFs have begun.
12:27 PM • 10/10/25 • 15K Views

230 2.3K 6K

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 22h

Reminder that there is a government shutdown right now while these guys focus on the important stuff

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Rep. Buddy Carter: "Donald Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. That's why I'm introducing a resolution today that will honor him with the Nobel Peace Prize."

(It doesn't work like that lol)

9 47 230

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

G Elliott Morris @gelliottmorris.com · 1d

A majority of adults oppose Trump’s use of the National Guard in America cities www.gelliottmorris.com/p/a-majority...

A majority of Americans oppose Trump sending the National Guard to Democratic-run cities

The president is defying the will of the people, federal judges, and the Constitution

www.gelliottmorris.com

4 96 320

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

jael holzman @jael.bsky.social · 1d

SCOOP: The Bureau of Land Management says the largest solar project in Nevada — the Esmeralda 7 mega-farm — has been canceled

The news was quietly dropped via a sudden website update with no public word from any of the companies involved or a statement from the agency

@heatmap.news

Esmeralda 7 Solar Project Has Been Canceled, BLM Says

It would have delivered a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power.

heatmap.news

130 1.1K 2.1K

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

mtsw @mtsw.bsky.social · 1d

When prices were going up under Biden there was a constant deluge of news stories about it because the media did not like Biden and wanted him to lose. Under Trump there is not a constant deluge of news stories about coffee prices because they like Trump and want him to win

delrayser @delrayser.bsky.social · 1d

everything is on fire these days, sure, but how is it that 50% of all news stories are not about how I just spent $20 on a bag of store brand coffee at fucking costco

45 1K 4K

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 1d

This is good, from Hakeem Jeffries. More of this please, in every conceivable forum:

"Sycophants who aid and abet the President’s vengeful schemes will not be able to hide from the serious legal consequences of their behavior. They will be held accountable."

400 3K 10K

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 1d

"30-year-old conservative lawyer and activist who is Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, which deals with federal employee whistleblower complaints and discrimination" cancelled his colleague's hotel room so she would be forced to stay with him.
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

In late July, Paul Ingrassia, the White House liaison for the Department of Homeland Security, arrived at a Ritz-Carlton in Orlando with a lower-ranking female colleague and others from their department. When the group reached the front desk, the woman learned she didn’t have a hotel room.

Ingrassia then informed her that she would be staying with him, according to five administration officials familiar with the episode. Eventually the woman discovered that Ingrassia had arranged ahead of time to have her hotel room canceled so she would have to stay with him, three of those officials said.

300 1.9K 4.6K

Sam G. Howard @samghoward.riliberator.com · 1d

Those guys who run around with their crotches painted red must be celebrating.

2

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

Brendel @brendelbored.bsky.social · 1d

Drake sitting there reading about how good the judge thought the song was and how everyone really enjoyed it

The song contains lyrics explicitly accusing Drake of being a pedophile, set to a catchy beat and propulsive
bassline. "Not Like Us" went on to become a cultural sensation.

38 550 2.8K

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

Ryan Mac 🙃 @rmac.bsky.social · 1d

Business Insider wrote up a story on how some of their past investigative work led to a new California law. The story is strangely unbylined.

The reason perhaps? The publication recently laid off the reporter behind that investigation, Matt Drange.

www.businessinsider.com/california-e...

California enacts law to prevent sexual abuse in K-12 schools following Business Insider investigation

The new legislation comes after a 2023 Business Insider investigation into sexual misconduct at a California high school.

www.businessinsider.com

6 80 280

Sam G. Howard @samghoward.riliberator.com · 1d

Goddammit.

A Post-Literate Society is a Too-Literal Society

Directness is a virtue and subtlety is lost

musgrave.substack.com

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

William B. Fuckley @opinionhaver.bsky.social · 1d

I am under 35. All of my higher-ed teaching experience was within grad school so fairly recent. I am not some crusty boomer. And I have seen this. It has gotten worse! Far worse!

15 21 320

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

Joel S. @joelhs.bsky.social · 1d

There's nothing at all wrong with being Palestinian, and using "Palestinian" in this way is deeply racist against Palestinians, but it is also antisemitic, because it defines Jewishness as something that can be granted and removed for political reasons.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

JD Vance describes Chuck Schumer as "one of the most famous Palestinians in the world"

9 130 440

Sam G. Howard @samghoward.riliberator.com · 1d

The political divide on which states are facing recession or not seems important!

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 1d

MOODY’S: Twenty-two states are either in a recession or on the precipice of a downturn. 👀

@axios.com 🇺🇸
www.axios.com/newsletters/...

1 1 5

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

JLRay @jlray.bsky.social · 2d

The latest at YMRI: Think sports gambling is bad? Wait until you see how political prediction markets are targeting young men - and eroding trust in civic participation

youngmenresearchinitiative.substack.com/p/political-...

Political Prediction Markets are Dangerous for Young Men and Democracy

And possibly, our democracy

youngmenresearchinitiative.substack.com

6 15

Sam G. Howard @samghoward.riliberator.com · 2d

(The other "Estates" in America don't bow to loss of advertising revenue.)

A free press is essential to democracy, but it is not inherently a defender of democracy.

Sam G. Howard @samghoward.riliberator.com · 2d

Particularly at the local level, I think we don't discuss the fundamental tension between journalists' conception of themselves as "the Fourth Estate" and most of their workplaces either being a business in pursuit of profit and/or reliant on the noblesse oblige of an extraordinarily wealthy owner.

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 2d

Bezos liked the idea of owning the Post, but has no principled belief in the role of media in a democracy. As soon as the Post did not align with is evolving worldview/business interests, he degraded it. And now it's core base of readers are also losing trust in it! bsky.app/profile/donm...

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · Jul 5

Incredibly grim to learn that Jeff Bezos and his wife, in addition to hanging out with the Trump family, are huge fans of The Free Press, and see it as the future of media.
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

1 1 4

Reposted by Sam G. Howard

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 2d

Hard not to see parallels of attacks on public institutions and the traditional media. Both have limitations but served an essential function. Take Weiss at CBS now. She railed against MSM, created an outlet that absolutely failed to match it's quality, and will now be paid to degrade it.

8 43 260