Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

We the Builders @wethebuilders.org · 4d

We're excited for this conference put on by @aigadc.bsky.social and will be there to represent.

Early registration is open, so join us!

dotgovdesign.org

AIGA DC DotGov 2025

Design is a critical part of government — it touches services and experiences that are crucial to all of us as citizens. But it's hardly without challenge. Rules and regulations, antiquated technologi...

dotgovdesign.org

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Reposted by We the Builders

Christopher Whitaker @civicwhitaker.com · 5d

You can print these here! www.ilrc.org/community-re...

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Reposted by We the Builders

Alt US Digital Service @altusds.altgov.info · Aug 2

🛠 We the Builders need some rest.
Read more: bit.ly/45hINsI

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Reposted by We the Builders

Alt US Digital Service @altusds.altgov.info · Jul 31

What the FORK?! 🍴
Federal workers were blindsided by a late-night message that upended their jobs, their unions, and their sleep. It was panic-inducing, and it was by design.

Read the latest installment of "Tired, But Still Here" open.substack.com/pub/altusds/...

Black-and-white photo of construction workers lying down on a steel beam high above New York City, echoing the famous “Lunch atop a Skyscraper” image. Over the photo, large neon-yellow text reads “TIRED.” A black-and-pink bar across the middle says “But Still Here: a Federal Worker’s Story.” In the bottom right corner, small text reads “Installment 04.”

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We the Builders @wethebuilders.org · Jul 29

Religion is a deeply personal topic. Federal workplaces should be neutral. But a new Trump memo blurs that line, big time.

Prayer groups, supervisor-led faith convos, and no guardrails?
What could go wrong?

🛠️ More here: bit.ly/44QqkV1

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We the Builders @wethebuilders.org · Jul 17

After years of telework, the order came: full-time return to office. No desks. No chairs. No soap. The contracts were gone. The union was gutted. And the workers who held it all together? Being pushed out.

Read Installment #3 of Tired, But Still Here ⤵️

open.substack.com/pub/altusds/...

A vintage-style painting of a red-haired woman in a long black dress lying on a green couch, looking exhausted with one arm stretched out and a book resting in her other hand. Bold neon yellow text across the bottom reads “TIRED.” A pink stripe runs through the middle with the subtitle “But Still Here: a Federal Worker’s Story” in smaller text. In the lower right corner, it says “Installment 03.” The tone is both dramatic and weary, matching the exhaustion expressed in the article.

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We the Builders @wethebuilders.org · Jul 15

We wrote about this in April too. Check it out here: www.wethebuilders.org/posts/risks-...

@altusds.altgov.info

Sharing taxpayer data with ICE: The risks to Americans are greater than they appear | We the Builders

ICE is already deporting people to El Salvador and claims it can't retrieve people it sent there in error. Any errors they make in matching records here could result in the wrong people being sent to ...

www.wethebuilders.org

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We the Builders @wethebuilders.org · Jul 15

This new article from @propublica.org is chilling.

www.propublica.org/article/trum...

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We the Builders @wethebuilders.org · Jul 12

Day 1: hiring freeze
Day 2: civil rights disintegrated

'Tired But Still Here' is the story of a federal worker watching their life’s work get erased, and refusing to stop serving.

These aren’t headlines. They’re real people.

Read Installment 2:
open.substack.com/pub/altusds/...

Tired, But Still Here: A Federal Worker's Story

Second installment

open.substack.com

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We the Builders @wethebuilders.org · Jul 10

When disaster strikes, real people show up. We talked with veteran FEMA staff about Texas flooding, the politics of disaster response, and why fewer resources + more pressure = more risk for everyone.

Their insights are sobering & essential
open.substack.com/pub/altusds/...

@roguefema.altgov.info

When Disaster Strikes, Who Shows Up?

Inside FEMA’s mission, the growing challenges, and the people who refuse to give up.

open.substack.com

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We the Builders @wethebuilders.org · Jul 8

For those affected by flooding in Texas, FEMA and the federal government are offering assistance.

➡️ There’s a $750 grant for affected households in Kerr County
➡️ You may be eligible for further relief
Visit fema.gov/disaster/4879#help-families or call the number below.

@roguefema.altgov.info

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We the Builders @wethebuilders.org · Jul 4

Fireworks feel hollow this year? You’re not alone.

America was founded on big ideas and deep contradictions. But people have always chosen to fight for something better.

Grit. Resistance. Hope. That’s worth honoring too. Read more:

open.substack.com/pub/altusds/...

Grit and Contradiction

America has always been complicated

open.substack.com

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We the Builders @wethebuilders.org · Jul 4

🐟 @altfws.altgov.info @altdoi.altgov.info
🪖 @rogueva.altgov.info
👩‍💻 @altusds.altgov.info
🤝 @altusaid.altgov.info
📺 @altnih4science.bsky.social
🏥 @altcdc.altgov.info
👷‍♀️ @alt-dol.altgov.info
⚖️ @altscalesofjustice.altgov.info

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We the Builders @wethebuilders.org · Jul 4

This 4th of July, fired federal workers from 16 agencies recite the Oath of Office they took on day one.

Their jobs were ended or undermined beyond recognition. They chose integrity over compliance.

To every public servant: Thank you. 🇺🇸

🎥 Watch: youtube.com/shorts/mn11E...

I, Your Fired Fed, Do Solemnly Swear

YouTube video by Friends of USAID

youtube.com

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Reposted by We the Builders

P. Orin Zack @gznork26.bsky.social · Jun 5

The latest post at the @wethebuilders.bsky.social website is an essential read.

It describes how one person can experience normality even as their neighbor is subject to a police state. Between the lines, it also reveals how we've been living in a dual reality for years. 🧵

Are we living in a police state? | We the Builders

Living in a police state might not feel any different if you aren't being targeted. It might not feel oppressive if you have the right to due process. You may not feel repressed if you still exercise ...

www.wethebuilders.org

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We the Builders @wethebuilders.org · Jun 7

This is why we do what we do. Help us keep going:
givebutter.com/WTB

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Reposted by We the Builders

An-ghoul-a Colter 🎃 @angelacolter.bsky.social · May 18

This seems like a perfect task for @wethebuilders.bsky.social

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · May 17

A Path Forward to Save American Bio-Medical Research talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/a-pat...

A Path Forward to Save American Bio-Medical Research

Over the past four months, I’ve spoken to dozens of biomedical researchers...

talkingpointsmemo.com

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We the Builders @wethebuilders.org · May 25

The numbers speak for themselves. We’re tracking what matters, filling in what’s being erased, and building what comes next.

🔥 If you value our work, help us keep going: givebutter.com/WTB

#WeTheBuilders #NoKings #CivicTech

Alt US Digital Service @altusds.altgov.info · May 25

Three months. 41 posts. 16 newsletters. 20 timeline events. Thousands of readers. And we’re just getting started.
Here's what we've built—and where we're headed next: https://bit.ly/3SjAzKo

#WeTheBuilders #CivicTech #BuiltToServe #AltGov

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We the Builders @wethebuilders.org · May 15

If RFK Jr. won’t fight for public health, we will. But we can’t do it without your help.

👉 givebutter.com/WTB

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