Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Zahra Hirji @zhirji.bsky.social · 6d

Trump's EPA is looking to extend deadlines to comply with rules to switch to cleaner refrigerants. The proposal applies to everything from residential air conditioning to retail food refrigeration and semiconductor manufacturing.

Story @bloomberg.com (gift link): www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

EPA Wants to Roll Back HFC Super Pollutant Rules

The agency is proposing delaying the phaseout of chemicals used in ACs and refrigerators that can release highly potent greenhouse gases.

www.bloomberg.com

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Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 6d

Even Jon Brodkin, who is generally good on telecom, doesn't clarify to readers why this free school kid Wi-Fi program was really killed: big telecom doesn't like the precedent set by government offering people cheap or free broadband.

FCC chairman leads “cruel” vote to take Wi-Fi access away from school kids

FCC Republicans kill funding for Wi-Fi hotspot lending and Wi-Fi on school buses.

arstechnica.com

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Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 7d

when criticism of tech giants started to spike around 2010 there was a parade of furrow-browed people in tech and tech media who believed criticism went overboard

now every single day you see evidence that these companies are actually WAY worse than the most hyperbolic criticism implied

Murshed Zaheed @murshedz.bsky.social · 7d

"Google appears to have blocked AI search results for the query “does trump show signs of dementia” as well as other questions about his mental acuity, even though it will show AI results for similar searches about other presidents."

Google is blocking AI searches for Trump and dementia

With Biden, AI Mode will provide a summarized answer.

www.theverge.com

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Sarah Lazare @sarahlazare.bsky.social · 7d

ICE is terrorizing immigrants—and being used as a tool to discipline labor. A witness in a wage theft case was detained. Immigrant warehouse workers face discrimination. Day laborers and street vendors are being targeted, and so are rapid response networks. My latest.

How ICE Terror Campaigns Are Used to Discipline Labor

While Chicago sees a surge of ICE detentions, workers are facing retaliation as immigrants when they advocate for their rights.

prospect.org

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Patriotic Millionaires @patrioticmillionaires.org · 10d

The Jimmy Kimmel suspension was more than a headline, it was a warning. When five corporations, owned by billionaires, control 90% of American media, free speech is always at risk. Inequality doesn’t just break our economy; it threatens our democracy.

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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 7d

"This isn't a 'study,' it's purchased propaganda...This is a fantasy study," @jcbradbury.bsky.social tells the Chicago Tribune.

J.C. Bradbury @jcbradbury.bsky.social · 7d

A new Bears stadium absolutely would NOT generate billions of dollars. No stadium has ever done this before, ever. The for-hire consultant's report is complete horseshit, but here it is being put forth as a reasonable estimate on the front page of a major newspaper.

New Bears stadium in Arlington Heights would generate billions, but could cost taxpayers $855M for infrastructure

In order to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights, Chicago Bears officials say the team would need substantial taxpayer support for infrastructure improvements.

buff.ly

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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 7d

Data centers "don’t need billions in tax breaks and they have no right to treat communities like roadkill when it comes to land use, water supply, air quality, noise, and the price of electricity," Greg LeRoy writes in the Arizona Capitol Times.
azcapitoltimes.com/news/2025/09...

Dracula Deals: A new species of development project that demands action | Arizona Capitol Times

Its time to acknowledge the need for Dracula Deal laws that empower communities to protect their health, their quality of life, and their pocketbooks.

azcapitoltimes.com

Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 7d

Wisconsin's current data centers tax exemptions drained $70 million in two years - most went to Microsoft.

But that isn't enough for Big Tech, whose leaders are pushing to get even more of the public's money.

www.thecentersquare.com/wisconsin/ar...

Wisconsin could add to data center sales tax exemption that cost $70M in 2 years

(The Center Square) – A group of Wisconsin lawmakers are looking to expand the amount of data center spending eligible for sales tax exemptions despite the fact the current exemption

www.thecentersquare.com

Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 7d

"According to a @bloomberg.com analysis, wholesale electricity now costs as much as 267% more for a single month than it did five years ago in areas located near significant data center activity."
www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...

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Sunshine Gerry @gconnolly314.bsky.social · 8d

“Extractive, predatory mega-projects like data centers, microchip fabrication plants, electric-vehicle & EV battery factories — projects that consume huge amounts of land, water & electricity — are so disruptive & costly they require new rules”
@goodjobsfirst.org
azcapitoltimes.com/news/2025/09...

Dracula Deals: A new species of development project that demands action | Arizona Capitol Times

Its time to acknowledge the need for Dracula Deal laws that empower communities to protect their health, their quality of life, and their pocketbooks.

azcapitoltimes.com

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American Economic Liberties Project @econliberties.bsky.social · 8d

"You have three corporate executives who the federal government has alleged to have taken $1.5 billion from the pockets of consumers, getting away with what amounts to a legal parking ticket."

@bedoyausa.bsky.social on the FTC's settlement that essentially let Amazon executives off the hook.

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Roosevelt Institute @rooseveltinstitute.org · 12d

Congress is rewriting the rules of crypto.

The next “market structure” bill could shift oversight from the SEC to the CFTC—gutting investor protections and risking another financial crisis. Brad Lipton with the explainer you need 👇: rooseveltinstitute.org/blog/w...

A table titled "What's Regulated" with two rows and three columns. The top row headings are "Security," "Regulatory Scheme," and "Commodity." The bottom row contains descriptions: under "Security," a list including stocks, bonds, and investment contracts; under "Regulatory Scheme," details about the regulatory regime of the SEC, including disclosure, enforcement, and investigations; and under "Commodity," a statement about nearly any agreement for something promised to be delivered in the future and deals with lighter CFTC regulations and proving wrongdoing.

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Groundwork Collaborative @groundwork.bsky.social · 14d

Las Vegas casinos & resorts are using dynamic pricing schemes to gouge consumers in lobby shops.

“These prices aren't going up because Caesars Palace is running out of sunscreen or running out of beer. They are charging you more because they think they can.”

Watch @lindsayowens.bsky.social 👇

What is dynamic pricing, and how does it affect Las Vegas tourism?

If you have visited the Las Vegas Strip lately, you might have seen or paid for dynamic pricing.

news3lv.com

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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 14d

For example, in the space of just 23 months, Texas revised its FY 2025 cost projection from $130 million —to $1 billion.
Read the full report:
goodjobsfirst.org/cloudy-with-...

Cloudy with a Loss of Spending Control: How Data Centers Are Endangering State Budgets - Good Jobs First

goodjobsfirst.org

Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 14d

The @nytimes.com wrote about what we found into data center impacts on state budgets: at least 10 states have lost more than $100 million per year to data centers.

True costs are much higher - many states fail to disclose losses.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/20/b...

What Wall Street Sees in the Data Center Boom

www.nytimes.com

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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 14d

For State Affairs, Greg LeRoy argues we need a new legislative
process to deal with a dangerous new species of development — projects that consume huge amounts of land, water and electricity (hi, data centers).
pro.stateaffairs.com/AZ/opinion/d...

Legislative Safeguards Proposed for Disruptive Mega-Projects

New safeguards are needed for mega-projects that consume resources and disrupt communities, with a focus on empowering local residents.

pro.stateaffairs.com

Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 16d

"According to Good Jobs First...at least 10 states so far have lost more than $100 million per year in tax revenue to data centers. But...Over one-third of states that offer tax incentives for data centers do not disclose aggregate revenue loss."
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/20/b...

What Wall Street Sees in the Data Center Boom

www.nytimes.com

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Center for Media and Democracy @exposedbycmd.bsky.social · 19d

Shocking violence against journalists and observers at anti-ICE protests in LA threatens all of our rights.
#protest #LAProtests #PressFreedom #ProtectJournalists

Freedoms Under Attack: DHS Violence Against Journalists, Observers, and Protesters (short version)

YouTube video by The Center for Media and Democracy

youtu.be

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Tax Justice UK @taxjusticeuk.bsky.social · 27d

🚨 Breaking:

The UK could lose up to £5.2bn if it scraps the Digital Services Tax on Big Tech – enough to pay for training 128,000 new NHS nurses.

Polling shows 67% back enforcing laws on Big Tech, even if it strains relations with Trump.
taxjustice.uk/blog/digital...

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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 28d

Virginia's HQ2 deal with Amazon shows how economic development deals can be structured to protect public dollars-and how overstated "economic impact" claims can be. Amazon promised so many new hotel stays its cut would be $2.5M/yr. Instead, it's getting $81,000
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...

Amazon to receive first public dollars from Arlington for HQ2

The Northern Virginia county’s subsidies were set up with the expectation that Amazon would boost hotel tax revenue. That didn’t happen until this year.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · 29d

Economic development proven to work.

KRQE News 13 @krqe.com · 29d

Governor announces New Mexico will now provide free universal child care

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – New Mexico is becoming the first state in the U.S. to offer free early childhood education to every family in the state. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a universal ch…

www.krqe.com

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Reinvent Albany @reinventalbany.bsky.social · 29d

Check out our new report with @goodjobsfirst.org: New York IDAs’ Reckless Assault on Public School Funding

More harm to NY schools from industrial development agencies’ property tax breaks multiplied by flawed tax cap law

buff.ly/uGNkmxX

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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · Sep 5

All of these billionaires benefited from massive taxpayer subsidies.
"Since 2020, the Ilitch family’s net worth grew from $3.8B to $4.8B. Stephen Ross’ fortune jumped by more than $10B. And Dan Gilbert’s wealth quadrupled from $6.5B to a whopping $27.8B."
www.mlive.com/news/2025/09...

How billionaires tap a lucrative tax incentive to reshape Michigan’s biggest cities

Some of Michigan's wealthiest people are using their fortunes to fund massive downtown developments. And they're leaning on tax dollars to do it.

www.mlive.com

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Reinvent Albany @reinventalbany.bsky.social · Sep 5

Top National Expert on NY’s $11B in Corporate Subsidies: "Forget the Mega-Deals." Greg LeRoy of @goodjobsfirst.org says to focus on spending taxpayer 💰 only on things that provide a bigger public bang for the buck

Check it out: buff.ly/wzZoQa6

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Good Jobs First @goodjobsfirst.org · Sep 4

So you hear a data center wants to come to town...here are questions to ask from the get-go:
#DataCenters #AI
goodjobsfirst.org/what-to-ask-...

goodjobsfirst.org

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