Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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stacy-marie ishmael @smi.bsky.social · 1h

'For some, the pain caused by the aid cuts has become so intense that death seems like the only escape...One day in June, as the family gathered for a meal, Eliyas began to cry.

The family did not realize he’d mixed poison into his rice.

He never said goodbye.'

apnews.com/article/myan...

Starving children screaming for food as US aid cuts unleash devastation and death across Myanmar

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly said “no one has died" because of his government’s decision to gut its foreign aid program.

apnews.com

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Reposted by Reyhan Harmanci

Daniel Knowles @dlknowles.bsky.social · 15h

Good reporting on the South Shore raid from South Side weekly here.

Confirms one thing I was told but didn't put in my own piece because I didn't have a second source and it seemed too insane: border agents segregated arrested residents by race

southsideweekly.com/federal-agen...

Federal Agents Storm South Shore Building, Detaining Families and Children

Families were woken by flashbangs and helicopters as hundreds of federal agents raided their homes. Days later, neighbors are still searching for the missing.

southsideweekly.com

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Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 16h

Man…man.

www.texastribune.org/2025/10/07/t...

“Why Sergio?”: Deportation ends 36-year dream for celebrated Waco chef

Sergio Garcia built a wide following for his regional Mexican cuisine over the decades, becoming a favorite of the White House press corps visiting Waco during the Bush presidency. Then in March, ICE ...

www.texastribune.org

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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 20h

The New York Times has interviewed more than 700 people in Gaza over the past two years. They have helped us see how the war has crushed those who have lived it. Nearly 100 people spoke to us, again, about what has happened to them since we first spoke. nyti.ms/3VQCXtZ

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Tim Murphy @timothypmurphy.bsky.social · 22h

honestly kind of amazing how hard they're working to completely invent a world in which Charlie Kirk was shot by anyone other than one random guy. They didn't even really do this with *Trump*

Robert Downen @robertdownen.bsky.social · 23h

Citing the “martyrdom” of Charlie Kirk, Texas AG Ken Paxton says his office is pursuing sweeping undercover investigations into “leftist” groups. “To those demented souls who seek to kill, steal, and destroy our country, know this: you cannot hide, you cannot escape, and justice is coming."

"Leftist political terrorism is a clear and present danger. Corrupted ideologies like transgenderism and Antifa are a cancer on our culture and have unleashed their deranged and drugged-up foot soldiers on the American people," said Attorney General Paxton. "The martyrdom of Charlie Kirk marks a turning point in America.
There can be no compromise with those who want us dead. To that end, I have directed my office to continue its efforts to identify, investigate, and infiltrate these leftist terror cells. To those demented souls who seek to kill, steal, and destroy our country, know this: you cannot hide, you cannot escape, and justice is coming."
The radical Left has incubated an environment where political violence is not only justified but celebrated and praised. In July, nearly two dozen armed leftists connected to various Texas-based Antifa-like groups ambushed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") facility in Alvarado, Texas. On September 10, 2025, a leftist assassin connected to the radical transgender movement murdered Charlie Kirk because of Kirk's bold support for truth, love of country, and unshakable faith. Two weeks later, another deranged leftist opened fire at an ICE facility in Dallas.
President Donald Trump has officially designated Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization and instructed his administration to "utilize all applicable authorities to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle any and all illegal operations — especially those involving terrorist actions — conducted by Antifa." Building on President Trump's bold actions, Attorney General Paxton has instructed his office to initiate sweeping investigations into radical leftist organizations engaged in or providing support to those performing political violence.

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David Gilbert @davidgilbert.bsky.social · 23h

NEW:

Last month Trump and RFK Jr announced the FDA was was recommending a new drug to treat autism — leucovorin

But they failed to provide any more information. So parents flocked to a Facebook group, that quickly filled with chaos, confusion and conspiracies

www.wired.com/story/chaos-...

Chaos, Confusion, and Conspiracies: Inside a Facebook Group for RFK Jr’s Autism ‘Cure’

A Facebook group set up to share information about leucovorin has been spammed by affiliate links and supplement companies trying to shame parents of autistic kids.

www.wired.com

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Lois Beckett @loisbeckett.bsky.social · 1d

There's plenty of complexity to the story of Ian Roberts, the Black Iowa superintendent arrested by ICE.

But the way the @nytimes.com chose to frame this article is racist and shameful.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/05/u...

The Superintendent’s Bio Seemed Too Good to Be True. It Was.

www.nytimes.com

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Reyhan Harmanci @harmancipants.bsky.social · 1d

let's do the fucking news!!!!

Ryan Mac 🙃 @rmac.bsky.social · 1d

let’s do the fucking news

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Reposted by Reyhan Harmanci

Katie Drummond @katie-drummond.bsky.social · 1d

This week for @wired.com Big Interview pod, I talk to Patreon CEO Jack Conte, who wants to carve a different path in this era of IP theft and AI slop.

"We're sending rockets into space; we got self-driving cars. We should figure out how to get creative people paid for their work."

Patreon CEO Jack Conte Wants You to Get Off of Your Phone

The man who cofounded Patreon is tired of influencers making content to get clicks. He’d rather creators earn lifelong fans—and he has a plan for that.

www.wired.com

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sarah jeong @sarahjeong.bsky.social · 1d

ok I didn't mention this in my piece on friday but one of the things the judge asked about was whether the guardsmen were going to get paid during the shutdown

the doj was like "idk"

the state of oregon was like "we looked into it and the answer is no"

Reyhan Harmanci @harmancipants.bsky.social · 1d

I keep forgetting the government is shut down bc Trump admin is so focused on sending troops to US cities

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Reyhan Harmanci @harmancipants.bsky.social · 1d

I keep forgetting the government is shut down bc Trump admin is so focused on sending troops to US cities

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Noah Shachtman @noahshachtman.bsky.social · 2d

Musk's grip on the US military's space efforts keeps getting tighter. The Pentagon on Friday announced that 5 of its next 7 launches are going to SpaceX.

arstechnica.com/space/2025/1...

Reyhan Harmanci @harmancipants.bsky.social · 6d

It matters who owns space www.wired.com/story/elon-m...

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Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 3d

A WILD ONE: A man broke his leg during an arrest by ICE at a car wash south of L.A.

ICE has held him under 24/7 guard at a hospital, registering him under a pseudonym, for *37 days* without telling him why.

A judge has ordered his immediate release.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

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Kristina Cooke @kristinacooke.bsky.social · 4d

I spoke to a Venezuelan woman who was arrested in this raid and later released with her 4yo son. She said agents broke down their door, pointed guns at them and made sexualized remarks about Venezuelan women. When she returned to her apartment it was boarded up and all her possessions were gone.

Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 4d

US Border Patrol raid sweeps in citizens, families as Chicago crackdown intensifies, w/ @reneehickman.bsky.social @kristinacooke.bsky.social www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...

US Border Patrol raid sweeps in citizens, families as Chicago crackdown intensifies

U.S. Border Patrol agents deployed to Chicago led a late-night raid on an apartment building this week, rappelling from helicopters onto rooftops and breaking down doors in an operation authorities said targeted gang members but which swept up U.S. citizens and families.

www.reuters.com

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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 4d

A Spanish-language journalist who lived and worked in Georgia has been deported to El Salvador.

Spanish-language journalist arrested while covering protest near Atlanta deported to El Salvador

A Spanish-language journalist who lived and worked in Georgia has been deported to El Salvador. Mario Guevara was detained in June while covering a protest near Atlanta.

bit.ly

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Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 5d

Journalism, the job where when someone powerful lies you describe it as "not strictly true" because describing facts would be bias bsky.app/profile/atru...

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 5d

DOKOUPIL: Republicans says what you're really fighting for is taxpayer dollars for illegal aliens. I know that's not strictly true--

ELIZABETH WARREN: Excuse me, not strictly true? It is a flat out lie!

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Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 5d

NEW: ICE is planning to hire a team of nearly 30 people to surveil social media 24/7, build dossiers on people, and flag them for arrest and deportation. @dell.bsky.social has the scoop: www.wired.com/story/ice-so...

ICE Wants to Build Out a 24/7 Social Media Surveillance Team

Documents show ICE plans to hire dozens of contractors to scan X, Facebook, TikTok, and other platforms to target people for deportation.

www.wired.com

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Nathan Kalman-Lamb @nkalamb.bsky.social · 5d

USC is selling bodies that were likely donated to the university for medical training to the US Navy to literally train the IDF, seemingly without family consent.

This is per reporting by USC’s own journalism school.

t.co/lZ5jmQoZ1t

Near the end of 2017, the United States Navy filed a notice of intent to begin purchasing human cadavers from the University of Southern California. The purpose: Use dead bodies in trauma surgery training for the Israeli Defense Forces.

Since that notice, the Navy has paid USC more than $860,000 for at least 89 “fresh cadaver bodies,” 32 of which were used specifically for IDF training at Los Angeles General Medical Center.

One contract is still ongoing. The Navy has already paid USC over half a million dollars, but the most recent contract allows for an additional $225,000 worth of cadavers to be purchased at the Navy’s discretion, which would bring USC’s total earned for the last seven years to nearly $1.1 million.

While the three contracts in question make up less than 1% of USC’s 367 contracts with the Navy, Annenberg Media was unable to locate any other U.S. university that had similar contracts involving the IDF. (See the other contracts here and here.)

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Aura Bogado @aurabogado.bsky.social · 5d

Shelters that house unaccompanied minors are bracing for "Freaky Friday," the start of an ICE operation that will first issue letters to children, seeking to pressure them to return to the countries they've fled in exchange for a cash payment. If they decline, their parents will be targeted by ICE.

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🎃 public HELLth guy 🎃 @publichealthguy1.bsky.social · 5d

no one deserves to die outside the ER doors because they’re undocumented or anything else (like miscarrying). i hope sen. gallego understands the importance of EMTALA, why it was signed into law, and why republicans want it gone so badly

Dave Weigel @daveweigel.bsky.social · 5d

My fav quote in here is from Sen. Gallego:

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Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 5d

Israeli forces attacked Doctors Without Borders workers—who were all wearing marked medical vests.

They killed Omar, a 42-year-old occupational therapist and sole provider for his family.

He was killed at a bus stop, on his way to take care of other people bombed by Israel.

This morning, 2 October 2025, an attack carried out by Israeli forces killed Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) staff member, Omar Hayek, and seriously injured four others.
The attack took place on a street where our teams were waiting to take a bus to the MSF field hospital in Deir al Balah, Gaza. All staff were wearing MSF vests, clearly identifying them as medical humanitarian workers.
We express deep sorrow and outrage over the killing, which occurs less than two weeks after another MSF colleague, Hussein Alnajjar, was killed by the Israeli forces in Deir Al Balah.
Our thoughts are with Omar’s family and colleagues at this tragic time. Omar, 42 years old, is the fourteenth MSF colleague to be killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023.
Omar was a quiet man of profound kindness and utter professionalism. Since June 2018, he had worked as an occupational therapist at an MSF clinic in Gaza City, dedicating his life to restoring strength and dignity to thousands of patients.
He remained in Gaza City before finally evacuating south on 13 September due to relentless attacks and forced displacement from Israeli forces, who claimed people would find safety there. Instead, he was killed at a bus stop on his way to work.
Omar was the sole provider for his family since his father passed away and his young brother was killed.
Multiple healthcare workers, MSF family members and MSF staff were also seriously injured in the attack this morning, including a physiotherapist, orthopaedic surgeon, supply officer and a finance assistant. One of our staff is in critical condition with shrapnel wounds.
In the moment of the attack, our colleagues were on their way to work amidst the ongoing relentless Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Health workers in Gaza have been killed, threatened or detained, including Dr Mohamed Obeid, an MSF surgeon still in detention with no formal charges.
While hundreds of thousands of people continue to be pushed from north Ga…

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Jessica Pishko @jesspish.bsky.social · 5d

This raid is disgusting, abominable behavior, traumatizing children and families in their homes.
abc7chicago.com/post/ice-chi...

"They was terrified. The kids was crying. People was screaming. They looked very distraught. I was out there crying when I seen the little girl come around the corner, because they was bringing the kids down, too, had them zip tied to each other," Watson said. "That's all I kept asking. What is the morality? Where's the human? One of them literally laughed. He was standing right here. He said, 'f*** them kids.'"

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Jahd Khalil @jahd.bsky.social · 5d

ICE detains lawfully present Richmond father as son waits for school bus www.vpm.org/news/2025-10...

ICE detains lawfully present Richmond father as son waits for school bus

Silviano Mora Vera's U visa should have insulated him from detention.

www.vpm.org

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Louise Matsakis @lmatsakis.bsky.social · 6d

For Made in China this week, I wrote about China's new K visa program, which launched right as the US made H-1Bs dramatically more expensive. Sign up for the newsletter here: www.wired.com/newsletter

WIRED @wired.com · 6d

The Chinese government unveiled a program to woo foreign talent just as the US cracked down on H-1Bs with a $100,000 fee. The move immediately provoked xenophobic backlash.

China Rolls Out Its First Talent Visa as the US Retreats on H-1Bs

The Chinese government unveiled a program to woo foreign talent just as the US cracked down on H-1Bs with a $100,000 fee. The move immediately provoked xenophobic backlash.

wrd.cm

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Reyhan Harmanci @harmancipants.bsky.social · 6d

Devastating

Will Oremus @willoremus.com · 6d

Horrific and evil. Everyone should feel safe in their place of worship, on holy days most of all. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...

Attack at synagogue on Yom Kippur leaves two dead in England

Officers shot a suspect who had rammed a car into some victims and stabbed others outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation, police said.

www.washingtonpost.com

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