Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Billionaire Trump Donor Paulson Scores Windfall Thanks To Government’s Investment In Trilogy Metals

Vince Beiser @vincebeiser.bsky.social · 5d

John Paulson, a close Trump pal, made $70 million yesterday when the administration announced it was investing in a company in which Paulson owns a ton of stock. www.forbes.com/sites/hanktu...

One of Donald Trump’s earliest supporters on Wall Street owns a stake in the tiny mining business that tripled overnight on news of the government’s investment.

www.forbes.com

Vince Beiser | 'The Wire Of Empire' Copper, Power & the Race to Mine the Future

Vince Beiser @vincebeiser.bsky.social · 5d

The Wire of Empire…

open.spotify.com/episode/5HQs...

open.spotify.com

The Reason Not to Boycott Israeli Films

Vince Beiser @vincebeiser.bsky.social · 8d

Why *not* to boycott Israeli films. Well argued by @gershomg.bsky.social :
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

Cinema is a vital source of artistic dissent in a country at war.

www.theatlantic.com

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Reposted by Vince Beiser

Writers' Trust of Canada @writerstrust.bsky.social · 11d

Announcing finalists for the 2025 #BalsilliePrize for Public Policy — congratulations to:

◢ @vincebeiser.bsky.social

◢ @vassb.bsky.social & @denisehearn.bsky.social

◢ Pamela Cross

◢ Stephen J.A. Ward

$70K winner announced Nov 25 at a live event in Toronto bit.ly/4g8wCDv

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Vince Beiser @vincebeiser.bsky.social · 8d

@theatlantic.com on "Extraction", "Power Metal" and other worthy critical metal books...
#powermetal #criticalmetals #criticalminerals #batterymetals #transitionmetals #sustainability #recycling www.theatlantic.com/books/2025/1...

There Is No Green Transition Without Consequences

A new book argues that simply replacing fossil-fuel extraction with critical-mineral mining is no way out of the climate crisis.

www.theatlantic.com

Reposted by Vince Beiser

Tim Dickinson @timdickinson.bsky.social · 8d

When the first amendment meets pepper spray to the face....

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Vince Beiser @vincebeiser.bsky.social · 9d

Rare Earth Mining is Imperiling One of Asia’s Most Important Rivers
Plus, 'Frontiers of Green Capitalism,' big award announcement, and more. #powermetal #criticalmetals #criticalminerals #batterymetals #transitionmetals #sustainability #recycling powermetal.substack.com/p/rare-earth...

Rare Earth Mining is Imperiling One of Asia’s Most Important Rivers

Plus, 'Frontiers of Green Capitalism,' big award announcement, and more about the real costs of renewable energy and digital technology—and how we can do better.

Trump administration spending $625m to revive dying coal industry

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Vince Beiser @vincebeiser.bsky.social · 11d

Deeply honored! Congrats to my fellow finalists.

Writers' Trust of Canada @writerstrust.bsky.social · 11d

Announcing finalists for the 2025 #BalsilliePrize for Public Policy — congratulations to:

◢ @vincebeiser.bsky.social

◢ @vassb.bsky.social & @denisehearn.bsky.social

◢ Pamela Cross

◢ Stephen J.A. Ward

$70K winner announced Nov 25 at a live event in Toronto bit.ly/4g8wCDv

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Reposted by Vince Beiser

Michael Mechanic @michaelmechanic.bsky.social · 12d

Your tax dollars at work...

White House allocating 13.1m acres of public land to coal mining, which has been on rapid decline over past 30 years

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Vince Beiser

Senator Ron Wyden @wyden.senate.gov · 15d

Taken just a few minutes ago outside the ICE facility in Portland that Trump claims is under siege. My message to Donald Trump is this: we don’t need you here. Stay the hell out of our city.

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Vince Beiser @vincebeiser.bsky.social · 17d

Bullet Metals vs Salmon Habitat
Plus: Copper vs Ocean Fish, Sea Mining Update, and I Metalli del Potere! #powermetal #criticalmetals #criticalminerals #batterymetals #transitionmetals #sustainability #recycling powermetal.substack.com/p/bullet-met...

Bullet Metals vs Salmon Habitat

Plus: Copper vs Ocean Fish, Sea Mining Update, and I Metalli del Potere!

Everywhere But the US, Renewables Are Rising

Vince Beiser @vincebeiser.bsky.social · 23d

Everywhere But the US, Renewables Are Rising. New Power Metal, featuring my first-ever reader survey! Please take a minute to fill it in. It's easy, I promise. powermetal.substack.com/p/outside-th...

And please take a minutes to answer my first-ever reader survey. It's easy, I promise.

Reinstate Jimmy Kimmel and stop caving to authoritarian censorship!

Vince Beiser @vincebeiser.bsky.social · 23d

Sign this petition! Kimmel wasn’t fired for his remarks on Kirk—he was fired for using his platform to expose and critique our government. Enough! We especially need large corporations, with the money and influence they have, to fight back. sign.moveon.org/petitions/ki...

Kimmel wasn’t fired for his remarks on Kirk—he was fired for using his platform to expose and critique our government. Enough! We especially need large corporations, with the money and influence they ...

sign.moveon.org

Ottawa is counting on copper to be a nation builder — and Canada has to play catch-up | CBC News

Vince Beiser @vincebeiser.bsky.social · 29d

CBC today with a nice quote from me: Canada is "a major mining power, and copper is one of the most important natural resources of this century... " www.cbc.ca/news/busines...

Ottawa's list of fast-tracked "nation-building" projects includes the development of two Canadian copper mines as global demand soars — and supply challenges persist — for one of the world's most impo...

www.cbc.ca

If The Thieving AI Company Can Survive The Legal Settlement, Then It Is Not Big Enough | Defector

Vince Beiser @vincebeiser.bsky.social · Sep 12

Exactly right: If The Thieving AI Company Can Survive a $1.5 billion Legal Settlement to authors, Then the Settlement Is Not Big Enough - defector.com/if-the-thiev...

There is an easy answer to the question “How long does it take to write a book?” but it is not a true one. The easy answer is the duration between when you actually start putting your pen down on the ...

defector.com

Can America Build Better Batteries?

Reposted by Vince Beiser

Dave Pell @davepell.bsky.social · Sep 12

Trump says we should be more like China and have quick trials.

I sort of agree with him when it comes to insurrection cases.

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Vince Beiser @vincebeiser.bsky.social · Sep 11

Can America Build Better Batteries? And more in the latest Power Metal: #powermetal #criticalmetals #criticalminerals #batterymetals #transitionmetals #sustainability #recycling powermetal.substack.com/p/building-b...

The US is finally investing in potentially cleaner, cheaper batteries. Plus: What's Critical? and Reader Writes

American Samoa says no to deep-sea mining. The Trump administration might do it anyway.

Reposted by Vince Beiser

Grist @grist.org · Sep 4

American Samoa says no to deep-sea mining. The Trump administration might do it anyway.

grist.org/indigenous/a...

#Islands #Climate #Politics #Policy #Mining #AmericanSamoa #Samoa #PagoPago

The CEO of a seabed mining startup says the decision about mining leases will be made in Washington, D.C.

grist.org

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Vince Beiser @vincebeiser.bsky.social · Sep 4

America is throwing away billions of dollars worth of critical metals each year. Plus more in the latest Power Metal:
powermetal.substack.com/p/america-th... #powermetal #criticalmetals #criticalminerals #batterymetals #transitionmetals #sustainability #recycling

America Throws Away Billions of Dollars Worth of Critical Metals Each Year

And more about the human and environmental costs of renewable energy and digital technology—and how we can do better.

Facing Voter Pressure, Swing-State Democrat Swears Off AIPAC Cash

Reposted by Vince Beiser

jean-b-anderson.bsky.social @jean-b-anderson.bsky.social · Sep 4

Would love to see something like this on the Fraser River in Vancouver someday...

𝚃𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚜 𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚎 🚇 @taras-grescoe.com · Sep 3

I recently discovered my city, #Montreal, has an urban transportation system that carries 300,000 passengers/ year.

It links a half dozen communities to downtown on 8 regular routes, you can access it with an OPUS farecard (the same one you use on the bus), and you can take a bike on board...

⛴️🧵

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Reposted by Vince Beiser

Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · Sep 3

Um, I was told that tariffs would bring the American manufacturing back

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Vince Beiser @vincebeiser.bsky.social · Sep 4

Facing Voter Pressure, Swing-State Democrat Swears Off AIPAC Cash
theintercept.com/2025/08/29/a...

Rep. Deborah Ross became the latest Democrat to swear off AIPAC amid pressure to hold Israel accountable for its genocide in Gaza.

theintercept.com