Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

e.i.mayorga @eimayorga.bsky.social · Aug 3

SEPTA, schools… state politics making it difficult for anything to marginally function www.inquirer.com/education/ph...

Philly schools are paying the price of a late state budget

The School District of Philadelphia, the state’s largest school district serving nearly 200,000 students, will not receive approximately $311 million in state funds for July and August.

www.inquirer.com

e.i.mayorga @eimayorga.bsky.social · Jul 30

Latino families say they feel left out of Philadelphia school district
www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia... @chalkbeat.org

Latino families in Philly say they struggle to navigate the school system

Spanish-speaking parents said they’ve missed crucial information from their schools and are struggling to engage with their children's education because of the language barriers and other problems.

www.chalkbeat.org

e.i.mayorga @eimayorga.bsky.social · Jun 10

www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia... Concerns grow over potential plan to close Philadelphia schools

Philadelphia community leaders ring alarm bells about school closure process

School district officials have pledged not to repeat mistakes that fractured communities and hurt students. But parents and community leaders involved in the district’s facilities planning process, wh...

www.chalkbeat.org

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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · Apr 16

WSJ EDITORIAL BOARD: “.. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the government may not use federal benefits or funds to coerce parties to surrender their constitutional rights. This is what the Administration is doing ..”

@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/opinion/dona...

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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · Apr 16

The IRS is making plans to rescind the tax-exempt status of Harvard University, CNN reports

IRS making plans to rescind Harvard’s tax-exempt status | CNN Politics

The Internal Revenue Service is making plans to rescind the tax-exempt status of Harvard University, according to two sources familiar with the matter, which would be an extraordinary step of retaliat...

www.cnn.com

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Vote In Or Out @voteinorout.bsky.social · Mar 18

Trump held a $1M-per-seat candlelight dinner at Mar-a-Lago with Elon Musk in attendance. Business leaders could secure a private meeting for $5M, raising concerns about pay-to-play politics and policy influence. #DonaldTrump #ElonMusk #MarALago #Fundraising #PayToPlay #CampaignFinance

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Vote In Or Out @voteinorout.bsky.social · Mar 26

After attacks from the #Trump admin, trans Americans & allies will gather in DC for #TransDayOfVisibility. Join the #ChristopherStreetProject rally on March 31, 4–6PM, Nat’l Mall. Celebrate trans joy, rights, & resilience. #CapitalPrideAlliance

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Vote In Or Out @voteinorout.bsky.social · Mar 26

#Tesla was founded in 2003 by #MartinEberhard & #MarcTarpenning. They built the Roadster prototype & secured funding before #ElonMusk joined in 2004. Musk didn’t start Tesla—he funded it, then took over & rewrote the story. #JoeRogan #JBStraubel #IanWright

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Spooky Back From the Dead Lazarus @jlazarus.bsky.social · Mar 25

Apropos of the today's executive order, here's my class slide which summarizes the results of vote audits over the past decade or so. To a pretty close approximation, individual-level voting fraud doesn't exist in this country.

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · Mar 24

Excuse the profanity, but this is absolutely fucking insane and such a clear overreach that I can't believe a magistrate judge authorized a warrant here. There is no plausible argument for a 1324 violation here. None at all. It's facially not relevant.

This seems a huge abuse of process.

60. On Thursday, March 13, 2025, between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., law enforcement agents executed search warrants at two residences on Columbia University’s campus, including Ms. Chung’s dormitory. 61. The search warrants sought documents relating to Ms. Chung’s affiliation with Columbia University, including any occupancy or lease agreements, travel records, and immigration records.12 62. The search warrant cited 8 U.S.C. § 1324, commonly known as the “harboring” statute. Based on its citation to this statute and the records sought, the warrant ostensibly stemmed from an investigation targeting Columbia University for “harboring” two noncitizen students that ICE was looking to arrest. Public statements by a Department of Justice official confirmed as much.13 63. Upon information and belief, these warrants were sought and obtained on false pretenses. The agents did not recover any documents from either search. The manner of execution suggests that the agents were searching for the two named students, including Ms. Chung, and needed a lawful basis to enter the residences in the hope of arresting the students on encounter.

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e.i.mayorga @eimayorga.bsky.social · Mar 19

Trump’s attacks on South Africa are a punishment for independence | Achille Mbembe and Ruth Wilson Gilmore

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Trump’s attacks on South Africa are a punishment for independence | Achille Mbembe and Ruth Wilson Gilmore

The US president’s cuts to health funding could lead to half a million deaths. They’re part of a strategy to condemn and isolate the country

www.theguardian.com

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e.i.mayorga @eimayorga.bsky.social · Mar 18

www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

First They Came for Columbia | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson

We must learn from the past. We cannot remain silent in the face of authoritarian attacks on our peers, even if they have not yet come for us.

www.thecrimson.com

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Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · Mar 15

ICE stripped a German green card holder naked, drove him from Boston to Vermont to Rhode Island, put him in a cold shower, deprived him of medication, sleep and food until he collapsed.

No one knows why he was detained.

Green card holder from New Hampshire 'interrogated' at Logan Airport, detained

Fabian Schmidt’s family said they are unsure of why he is being held. They said he has a recently renewed green card, and no active issues in court.

www.nhpr.org

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Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · Mar 16

This story about the Columbia urban planning student whose visa was revoked is worth reading in its entirety. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/15/n...

Just one thing that stood out is Columbia’s swift action and rapid eviction:

Confused, she emailed Columbia’s office for international students the following day seeking guidance. An official informed her that the revocation would take effect only if she left the country and that she could remain in the United States to pursue her studies for the time being, according to emails reviewed by The Times.

next day, Ms. Srinivasan received an email from Columbia saying that homeland security had alerted the university that her visa had been revoked and her legal status in the country had been terminated. Because she had to immediately leave the United States, the email said, her enrollment at Columbia had been withdrawn and she had to vacate student housing.

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Monique Morrissey @moniquemorrissey.bsky.social · Feb 6

ICYMI, @epi.org has two new resources for researchers and anyone tracking Trump actions:
data.epi.org
www.epi.org/policywatch/
#EconSky

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) shuts down USAID and State Dept. seeks to absorb parts of the agency and eliminate the rest

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk and a team of his followers, entered the offices of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), shuttering much ...

www.epi.org

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Nicole Chung @nicolechung.bsky.social · Feb 17

the rage I felt reading this as the parent of a disabled 14yo

Leah Greenberg ❌👑 @leahgreenberg.bsky.social · Feb 16

the richest man in the world has decided that your kids don't deserve special education programs

A screenshot of an email notifying Spotsylvania parents that funding for a program for youth with disabilities has been canceled

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Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · Feb 16

Letters went out to federal workers this morning stating they were fired due to poor performance. However, all employees had been rated as “exceptional” performers by their supervisors. Please keep these records and pursue wrongful termination claims. Let the lawsuits begin.

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e.i.mayorga @eimayorga.bsky.social · Feb 17

L.A.'s Asian immigrant communities prep for raids, brace for deportations - Los Angeles Times

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Dr. Nadine Gaab @gaablab.bsky.social · Dec 23

For Gen Alpha, learning to read is becoming a privilege www.businessinsider.com/gen-alpha-re...

For Gen Alpha, learning to read is becoming a privilege

Literacy rates are tumbling as kids' attention spans dwindle. Families are scraping together funds to move schools or get tutors, driving a societal divide.

www.businessinsider.com

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e.i.mayorga @eimayorga.bsky.social · Dec 23

Should Swarthmore students’ use of a bullhorn constitute assault? Tensions remain as discipline from pro-Palestinian protests continue.
www.inquirer.com/education/sw... via @inquirer.com

Should Swarthmore students’ use of a bullhorn constitute assault? Tensions remain as discipline from pro-Palestinian protests continue.

The college says it has evidence to support the claim that harm occurred to staff members from protesters’ use of a bullhorn. Students question that: “It’s pretty preposterous,” one said.

www.inquirer.com

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Education Law Center-PA @edlawcenterpa.bsky.social · Dec 23

Please enjoy this message from ELC board chair Kate Potalivo and family - and consider a year-end gift to the law center as we get ready to embark on our 50th year.
Click here: s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/public.elc-p...

Festive photo of Kate Potalivo and family

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WESA @wesa.fm · Dec 10

Thousands of children passed through the notorious Carlisle Indian Industrial School by the time it closed in 1918. They came from dozens of tribes under forced assimilation policies that were meant to erase Native American traditions so the children would better fit into white society.

Biden creates Native American boarding school national monument in Carlisle, Pa.

The White House announced the creation of the Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument on Monday as Biden hosted a summit for tribal leaders.

buff.ly

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Education Law Center-PA @edlawcenterpa.bsky.social · Dec 11

Enjoy our year-end art and message!

And please help support the Education Law Center this holiday season.
conta.cc/41wcW7n

A Happy Holidays card from the Education Law Center

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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · Dec 8

People who want to support Gates’s latest project should listen to her amazing podcast Gates Investigates! #StarTrek #Trek 🖖🏽

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/g...

Gates McFadden Investigates: Who do you think you are?

Personal Journals Podcast · 3 Seasons · Updated Weekly

podcasts.apple.com

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