Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Alex Music @alexmusicwrites.bsky.social · 7h

Writing for @scicommbites.bsky.social has been an amazing way to develop my science communication practice, and I strongly encourage other early career writers to apply!

SciCommBites @scicommbites.bsky.social · 8h

Exciting news! SciCommBites is officially accepting applications for authors for our 2026 cohort. Learn more below and apply by November 30! scicommbites.org/applications...

Applications open for 2026 SciCommBites authors! - SciCommBites

Apply by November 30 for the chance to be part of the SciCommBites 2026 Author Cohort!

scicommbites.org

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Héctor @hltorresvera.com · 7h

Dive headfirst into the latest research on how to communicate science effectively by writing for SciCommBites. Authors gain experience writing and peer-editing, while also contributing to a growing resource that reaches thousands. :) Win-win. See application details in the link below!

SciCommBites @scicommbites.bsky.social · 8h

Exciting news! SciCommBites is officially accepting applications for authors for our 2026 cohort. Learn more below and apply by November 30! scicommbites.org/applications...

Applications open for 2026 SciCommBites authors! - SciCommBites

Apply by November 30 for the chance to be part of the SciCommBites 2026 Author Cohort!

scicommbites.org

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NPR @npr.org · 7d

Today marks the first day in public media’s history without federal funding. And we’re not going anywhere.

Listeners like you keep our mission alive. Protect one of the last places where America comes together to hear itself.

Stand with us today. Donate at this link: n.pr/46wamAj

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NE Ohio Regional Sewer District @neorsd.org · 8d

I’m a sewage system. I also have a great personality.

Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD
@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social
I'm an epidemiologist. Sewage systems are sexy.

Dosco Jones @doscojones.bsky.social
I'm an engineer. Sewage systems are sexy.

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Dr. Johnathan Flowers, Blade Wielding Bisexual (Lordean arc) @shengokai.blacksky.app · 8d

"Alone, I have nothing but my sense of duty" might be one of the hardest statements I've read in a court statement.

Scott Santens @scottsantens.com · 8d

With alt text:

Post card dated June 19, 2025

(On file in Chambers)

19/JUNE 2025

TRUMP HAS PARDONS AND TANKS...

WHAT Do you HAVE?

Dear Mr. or Ms. Anonymous, Alone, I have nothing but my sense of duty.

Together, We the People of the United States --you and me --have our magnificent Constitution.

Here's how that works out in a specific case --

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 8d

This signature?

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Chenxin Li, PhD @chenxinli2.bsky.social · Jun 30

Matthiola incana. I would not have guessed this is in the Brassicaceae family. Such showy flowers.

Pictures from: mullerseeds.com/product/matt...

Recent genome assembly paper: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Picture of Matthiola incana ("hoary stock") - large pink flowers against white background.

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Héctor @hltorresvera.com · Jul 1

not the caption me muero

Héctor @hltorresvera.com · Jun 30

Truly he will be okay, I believe. It’s early on enough that it should be treatable—he’s definitely just on edge.

Fingers crossed for him. Thank you!

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Héctor @hltorresvera.com · Jun 30

@astrobites.bsky.social doing the thing we see you !

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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · Jun 30

"I’m sorry that you’re living in a world on fire, and that the forces around you, especially government forces around you, are arrayed against you. But they aren’t the only voices and there are millions of people who do care about you and do love you" -- Dr. Megan Pickett, astronomer 🔭🧪🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

Transgender in Astronomy: Interview with Dr. Megan Pickett

For Pride Month, Astrobites is interviewing one transgender astronomer every week. This week we interviewed Dr. Megan Pickett, an Associate Professor of Physics at Lawerence University!

astrobites.org

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Nick Walden Poublon @nwpinpdx.bsky.social · Jun 28

Today’s SCOTUS decision allowing parents to opt their children out of books with gay characters is a step backward.

Kids deserve to learn about the real world – and that includes #LGBTQIA+ people. Erasing our stories doesn’t protect children; it teaches them that some lives don’t matter.

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Andrea Thompson @andreatweather.bsky.social · Jun 27

RFK Jr's handpicked panel has reversed longstanding recommendations on flu vaccines because of a long-debunked claims about the preservative thimerosal. This piece by @tarahaelle.bsky.social explains why the mercury in thimerosal isn't dangerous the way mercury in, for example, tuna is. 🧪 (1/2)

What Is Thimerosal? Why Most Vaccines Don’t Contain Mercury Anymore

Thimerosal, which contains an organic compound of mercury, has mostly been phased out as a preservative for vaccines. Here’s how we know it is safe and why we still use it in some vaccines given to ad...

www.scientificamerican.com

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Amanda Litman @amandalitman.bsky.social · Jun 28

Zohran Mamdani’s win has inspired over 3400 young people to raise their hands to run for office just since Tuesday. It’s now @runforsomething.net’s biggest candidate recruitment moment since the election.

A new generation of leaders is here.

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Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · Jun 27

is this really the world you want your children to live in, and your children’s children,

a screencap of a news report that has a pocutre of Zohran Mamdani and the title "Zohran Mamdani's sociality promises" and then next to him it says "Monsters in hotpants and Squid Facts for All"

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Héctor @hltorresvera.com · Jun 27

Maybe I’ll do a plant tour on here soon I’d like that

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Héctor @hltorresvera.com · Jun 27

Got some showy milk weed seeds going

Cross your fingers for me pls

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Parker Molloy @parkermolloy.com · Jun 27

Ah, the ol' "My massively Islamophobic rant was just me misspeaking" defense

talia jane ❤️‍🔥 @taliajane.bsky.social · Jun 27

Update: Following public backlash, Gillibrand says she “misspoke” when accusing Zohran Mamdani of supporting “global jihad.”

www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

N.Y. Senator 'Misspoke' When She Falsely Claimed Zohran Mamdani Condoned 'Global Jihad'

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s office walked back her suggestion that the New York mayoral nominee had supported “global jihad.”

www.rollingstone.com

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Molly Coleman @mollycoleman.bsky.social · Jun 27

“No right is safe in the new legal regime the Court creates.” –Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

One of the most chilling sentences I have ever read.

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Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · Jun 27

"I can hardly ask the authors of junk-science papers and greedy legal consultants and sleazy official spokespeople to stop what they’re doing. But I can ask the rest of you to stop tolerating it." - statistician Andrew Gelman, also on Team Stop Lying

statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2025/06/24/r...

Reckless disregard for the truth coming from cops, doctors, and scientists: A rant. | Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science

statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu

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Héctor @hltorresvera.com · Jun 27

Sonia Sotomayor the boricua excellence that you are I hope you are doing well te veo

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Claire Zagorski, MSc, EMT-P @clairezagorski.bsky.social · Jun 27

I need universities to:

- refuse to roll over to absurd and unconstitutional demands from our pet despot. It doesn’t even work.

- start borrowing against their embarrassingly giant endowments to replace funding that was removed for ideological reasons.

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Ms. Magazine @msmagazine.com · Jun 26

A new quilt commemorating survivors of forced sterilization in California prisons exposes a long, ongoing history of reproductive and medical violence against incarcerated and marginalized women.

Quilt Honors Survivors of Forced Sterilization in California Prisons: 'Together We Rise'

A new quilt commemorating survivors of forced sterilization in California prisons exposes a long, ongoing history of reproductive and medical violence against incarcerated and marginalized women.

msmagazine.com

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Héctor @hltorresvera.com · Jun 27

No way to end Pride month tbfh. Shameful.

San Francisco Chronicle @sfchronicle.com · Jun 27

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the U.S. Navy has renamed a ship honoring slain gay rights icon Harvey Milk, replacing it with the name of a World War II hero.

Harvey Milk name erased from Navy ship during Pride Month

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the U.S. Navy has renamed a ship honoring slain gay rights icon Harvey Milk, replacing it with the name of a World War II hero.

bit.ly

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Héctor @hltorresvera.com · Jun 27

Ah okay so talking to members of your community and asking for mentorship is actually really good for you mental health because boy are things tough but we’ve got each other so we’ve got it !!

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