Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Patrick De Klotz @patdeklotz.bsky.social · 15h

American citizen, read this. www.koin.com/news/portlan...

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Peter Gleick @petergleick.bsky.social · 1d

This is not normal, this is fascism. Never let it become normal.

Reuter headline "Trump calls for jailing Democratic leaders as troops prepare for Chicago deployment"

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 14h

The acting CDC Director has no knowledge, training or experience in science/public health. Trump has no knowledge, training or experience in science/public health.

Both are calling to make the MMR vaccine into 3 separate shots, which makes absolutely no scientific or public health sense.

Acting CDC boss wants to break up MMR vaccine into three shots

Jim O’Neill joins President Donald Trump’s call for three distinct measles, mumps and rubella shots, claiming a separation would ‘reduce the risk of side effects’ and ‘maximize parental choice’

www.independent.co.uk

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Gwen Snyder is undead @gwensnyder.bsky.social · 1d

ICE now very literally at war with Presbyterians

Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 1d

Gonna be thinking about this lede for a minute.

(RNS) — Last month, the Rev. David Black stood in front of a Chicago-area U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility and spread his arms wide. Adorned in all black and wearing a clerical collar, the pastor looked up at a group of masked, heavily armed ICE agents on the roof and began to pray.

“I invited them to repentance,” Black, a minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), said in an interview. “I basically offered an altar call. I invited them to come and receive that salvation, and be part of the kingdom that is coming.”

But when Black began to lower his arms a few seconds later, the agents responded to his spiritual plea by firing pepper balls, or chemical agents that cause eye irritation and respiratory distress, video footage shows. One struck Black in the head, exploding into a puff of white pepper smoke and forcing him to his knees. Fellow demonstrators rushed to his aid, and as the pastor rubbed his face in pain, the agents continued to fire.

“We could hear them laughing,” Black said.

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Brian Tyler Cohen @briantylercohen.bsky.social · 1d

This is Adelita Grijalva.

She was elected to Congress two weeks ago, officially making her the final vote needed to force the release of the Epstein files.

She has still not been sworn in because Mike Johnson refuses to do so.

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Caleb Crain @calebcrain.bsky.social · 1d

Chilling insight by @barbarafwalter.com: "Once citizens view their own government’s security forces as an occupying army, violence becomes inevitable. Trump’s team knows this… They’re trying to trigger the very unrest that would justify further crackdowns."

via www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/o...

Screenshot from a NYT article by Thomas Edsall, quoting Barbara Walter of UC-San Diego: "The quickest way to piss people off is to send soldiers into their neighborhoods especially when there’s no reason for them to be there. It’s inherently provocative, and Trump and his team understand this. Research by the political scientist Robert Pape shows that the single most powerful predictor of suicide terrorism is the presence of foreign troops on local soil. People hate, hate, hate that. They hate the humiliation, the powerlessness, the feeling of being occupied.

"Once citizens begin to view their own government’s security forces as an occupying army, violence becomes inevitable. Trump’s team knows this. In fact, that’s the point. They are not trying to restore order; they’re trying to trigger the very unrest that would justify further crackdowns. In the end, violence serves their ultimate end: They want to create the illusion of disorder so they can tighten control and stay in power indefinitely."

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Eric Michael Garcia @ericmgarcia.bsky.social · 1d

I've been banging this drum for the past four months or so: DOGE and Russ Vought broke the appropriations process. What's the point of going through the arduous process of crafting 12 spending bills, clearing them through committee and getting them through two chambers if Trump does rescissions?

Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 1d

If appropriations bills are not seen as enforceable contracts, why should any Member of Congress vote to fund any part of the federal government under Donald Trump? You're voting to provide money for lawlessness. www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/there-is-n...

There is no budget "deal" to be made

President Trump has so broken the constitutional framework as to make joint normal, responsible government impossible.

www.doomsdayscenario.co

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 1d

Gonna be thinking about this lede for a minute.

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Patrick De Klotz @patdeklotz.bsky.social · 3d

Dems need to make Miller a bigger deal the way that Musk became the face of things (and Miller in fact appears to be driving no small amount of the awful right now)

Rob Tracinski @tracinski.bsky.social · 3d

From now on, the Democrats' goal for government shutdowns is that Miller is fired and leaves DC.

They don't have the votes to remove Trump, but perhaps they can leverage their power to remove the real president.

Patrick De Klotz @patdeklotz.bsky.social · 4d

Folks, Miller reposted that our whole state is in open rebellion against the government. The man is nuts

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 2d

🚨BREAKING: Republicans in Utah advanced a new congressional map favored to help their party retain total political control in the Beehive State. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

Utah Republicans Advance New Gerrymandered Congressional Map

Read more here.

www.democracydocket.com

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

🪾santiago, phd 🐈‍⬛ @santiagokique.bsky.social · 4d

Even though it's crisis #192308 in our current time, I don't think it's sufficiently sunk in with ppl in the academic community that getting federal funding for your research will primarily depend on whether Trump political appointees find you and your work useful
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Changes at NIH Give Political Appointees Greater Power To Fund or Block Research - KFF Health News

The National Institutes of Health’s long-held standard of peer review for grantmaking has been subverted by President Donald Trump and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, who gave unprecedented power to po...

kffhealthnews.org

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Kate Shaw @kateshaw.bsky.social · 4d

Great guide to what’s on the ballot in November - including three Democratic justices on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court up for retention

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 4d

for the weekend crowd: take a moment today to explore what's on the ballot next month!

it's not all about NYC, VA, and NJ: i put together a guide of the 180+ key races you should know about, across 32 states.

explore, & find the ones that interest you the most, here: boltsmag.org/whats-on-the...

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 4d

also, in keeping with Vance’s view of american identity, only white people are fully American with the right to critique or dissent. nonwhites must show proper gratitude (supporting Trump or marrying JD Vance) before they can speak critically of the country (in approved ways, of course)

Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 5d

Weaponized gratitude is a key tool in the abuser's toolkit. The goal is to convince the victim that they owe the abuser so much, they should feel guilty for wanting to complain.

Tweet from the VP:
Joy Reid has had such a good life in this country. It's been
overwhelmingly kind and gracious to her. She is far wealthier than most.
Yet she oozes with contempt.
My honest, non-trolling advice to Joy Reid is that you'd be a much
happier person if you showed a little gratitude

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 12d

Agree.

The current SCOTUS—openly corrupt (Thomas, Alito), nakedly unrepresentative (last Dem to appoint a Chief Justice=Harry Truman; GOP-appointed majority for 55+ years), cowering to Trump (John "Roger Taney" Roberts)—has failed to stand up for rule of law.

Needs to be central issue.

Murshed Zaheed @murshedz.bsky.social · 12d

If rebalancing and reforming this MAGA #SCOTUS is not at the top of the agenda of every Democratic candidates running for federal offices (including the big one) - not sure what are we even doing.

And it needs to be more than an issue page - they need to be campaigning on it.

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 12d

the question to ask the republican majority on the court is “what CAN’T trump do?”

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Aarón Cantú @aaroncantu.bsky.social · 7d

NEW INVESTIGATION

California predicts data centers will consume as much power as adding another LA to grid by 2030

A utility anticipates additional emissions equal to 21 gas plants

Some environmentalists see reducing gas power as “a lot less likely” due to AI capitalandmain.com/the-insatiab...

The Insatiable Energy Demands of Data Centers Could Increase Fossil Fuel Emissions in California

By 2030, the centers could consume the equivalent of adding another city the size of L.A. to the state’s power grid.

capitalandmain.com

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

David M. Perry @lollardfish.bsky.social · 6d

Trump: we will do project 2025
Harris: he will do project 2025
Public: oh that’s bad
Trump: I’m not gonna do it have never heard of it
Harris: he’s still gonna do it
Media: no one can predict the future 77 pinocchios

Parker Butler @parkerbutler.bsky.social · 6d

Last year, CNN ran a “fact check” of Kamala HQ that claimed we were lying for saying Trump’s plan is Project 2025.

Now Trump is outright admitting it’s his plan.

Legacy media failed the country.

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Christian Paulsen @christianspaulsen.bsky.social · 7d

An excellent article from @chrisgeidner.bsky.social about a powerful ruling by U.S. District Judge William Young.

This quote from Judge Young's ruling struck me in particular, that even if there is no legal consequence for illegal actions, we should not shy from calling them what they are.

A screenshot of a passage in an article by Chris Geidner, it reads:

Then, however, Young showed that he had a broader scope — that he saw the full picture here — noting, “The fact that the President is, for all practical purposes, totally immune from any consequences for this conduct, Trump v. United States, 603 U.S. 593 (2024), does not relieve this Court of its duty to find the facts.”

In other words, “I see what you’ve done, Mr. Chief Justice, but I will still do my job.”

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Colette Delawalla @cdelawalla.bsky.social · 7d

THIS IS THE WAY.

Everyone gets their knickers in a twist when I say we can’t sci-comm our way out of this mess…but maybe you’ll listen to the more eloquent and measured @edyong209.bsky.social!

This isn’t happening because people don’t appreciate the brilliance of the double helix structure.

Science Vs @sciencevs.bsky.social · 8d

This moment from our latest episode with science writer @edyong209.bsky.social is 🔥

We asked Ed — how do we talk up the benefits of science in the face of government cuts? He told us that's the wrong approach. 🧪

Listen wherever, or watch on Spotify 👇

open.spotify.com/episode/7Evh...

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Science Explorer (SciX) @scixcommunity.bsky.social · 9d

What is #SciX? Think of it as your one-stop platform for exploring #research across #EarthScience, #EnvironmentalScience, and #SpaceScience, including #PlanetaryScience, #Heliophysics, #Geology, #Geophysics, #AtmosphericScience, and #Oceanography. Watch our new video! bit.ly/WelcomeToSciX

Welcome to SciX - Powering Discovery Across Earth and Space Sciences

YouTube video by Science Explorer (SciX)

youtu.be

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Cian 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ (he/him) @cbdawson.bsky.social · 8d

Do NOT act like feds just got a bonus paid vacation. It is NOT relaxing!

They have to be ready to return to work the morning after any agreement is reached. They don't know when they'll get paid again. They are political cannon fodder, with their life's work being being publicly derided.

a can that says sorry out of office with a sad face on the label

Alt: Animated gif: a can with a purple penguin in it, shaking their head. Can label says sorry out of office with a sad face

media.tenor.com

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Bill Madden @maddenifico.bsky.social · 8d

This is a clear and concise explanation of what the government shutdown is about: Dems want to reverse Trump's barbaric Medicaid cuts, which will literally bankrupt and kill Americans, and Republicans want to protect tax cuts for their billionaire donors. This is not complicated.

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Roxane Gay @roxanegay.bsky.social · 9d

If any other president in all of history said the military should use American cities as a training ground he would be removed from office that same day. The hardest thing to tolerate in all this is how relatively silent elected democrats are. It’s ridiculous.

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Dr. Jonathan Foley @globalecoguy.bsky.social · 9d

We often get asked, "What can *I* do to help climate change on a personal level?"

Here is a great resource, grounded in science, that tailors recommendations for *your* personal situation.

Check it out!

drawdown.org/news/project...

Project Drawdown and climate scientist Kimberly Nicholas, Ph.D., introduce SHIFT, a science-based guide to individual climate action

SHIFT is the go-to guide for climate-concerned individuals ready to take the most effective, science-backed personal climate action

drawdown.org

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 9d

Even if you knew that Russ Vought was a bad dude with a very specific plan, and you knew the contents of that plan (which is a pretty high level of policy literacy), don't kid yourself that you knew exactly what was going to happen.
*Vought* did not know that.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/u...

Russell T. Vought, the White House budget director, was preparing the Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal this spring when his staff got some surprising news: Elon Musk’s cost-cutting team was unilaterally axing items that Mr. Vought had intended to keep.

Mr. Vought, a numbers wonk who rarely raises his voice, could barely contain his frustration, telling colleagues that he felt sidelined and undermined by the haphazard chaos of the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, according to six people with knowledge of his comments who, like others interviewed for this article, spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.

“We’re going to let DOGE break things, and we’ll pick up the pieces later,” Mr. Vought told his staff during one flash of irritation, according to three of those people. Mr. Vought’s spokeswoman, Rachel Cauley, denied that he made those comments, and that he felt frustrated by Mr. Musk.

This had not been Mr. Vought’s plan.

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Reposted by Heather, Ph.D

Brian Romans @clasticdetritus.bsky.social · 9d

This better be giant, all-caps type in headlines on every news outlet in the country for days. This is our government literally declaring war on it's own citizens. This isn't nuanced or ambiguous, he is saying it very clearly.

But I have zero confidence in our national media to meet this moment.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 9d

Trump: "The ones that are run by radical left Democrats -- what they've done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles. They're very unsafe places & we're gonna straighten them out one by one. This is gonna be a major part for some people in this room. That's a war too. It's war from within"

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