Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

Gretchen Goldman, PhD @gretchentg.bsky.social · Aug 14

My new @science.org editorial on the role of scientists in defending democracy is out today. As authoritarianism takes hold in the US, we must fight for the democratic principles that enable a free society and scientists have a key role. I hope you'll join us.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Scientists’ role in defending democracy

The United States’ democratic leadership, commitment to freedom of expression, and investment in the pursuit of knowledge have long enabled its preeminence in science and technology. Yet today we are ...

www.science.org

10 260 560

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

David Roberts @volts.wtf · Aug 15

This is raw, ugly, lawless, violent racism and everyone with any power or voice should say so while they still can.

Seth Cotlar @sethcotlar.bsky.social · Aug 15

The White House’s official X account has a long thread in which they’ve posted pictures of people arrested during the feds’ occupation of the city. Every single person in the thread is a person of color.

The
WHITE HOUSE
The White House V*
@WhiteHouse
X.com
OPERATION MAKING D.C. SAFE & BEAUTIFUL
ARRESTED
CARRYING A PISTOL
WITHOUT A LICENSE
The WHITE HOUSE
2:01 PM • 8/11/25 • 1M Views

17 190 650

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

Katie Wilson for Seattle @wilsonforseattle.bsky.social · Aug 5

Bruce Harrell's campaign misleadingly sent out a text tonight that implies he's the only candidate endorsed by Democrats. In fact, our campaign has the SOLE endorsement of the King County Democrats and every single local Democrat group in Seattle.

The first Mayoral candidate to receive the endorsement of King County Democrats and EVERY Legislative District since at least 2001!

3 32 110

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · Aug 2

NSF and NIH cut off almost 300 grants to UCLA. Story by @dangaristo.bsky.social www.science.org/content/arti...

The suspensions landed perhaps most heavily in math. NSF suspended a $25 million grant for the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM), an international center at UCLA that hosts about 2000 visiting researchers every year for workshops and other programs. One of its stars, Terence Tao, a Fields Medal winner frequently named as one of the greatest living mathematicians, also had his only NSF grant suspended. The $750,000 award was in its first year and supported Tao’s own research and a handful of graduate students in developing tools to tell whether a set of numbers is structured or random. Tao says he now cannot offer research assistant opportunities during the academic year, and he calls the cuts to IPAM “quite disastrous.”

1 69 120

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

Dare Obasanjo @carnage4life.bsky.social · Jul 29

Things are slowly coming full circle

5 6 60

Hugh MacMillan @hughbob.bsky.social · Jul 5

1

Hugh MacMillan @hughbob.bsky.social · Jun 24

www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/1...

Another lost soul on enemy soil

This story was originally published in The Palm Beach Post on Dec. 28, 1994. New Year's Day, 1945. FBI agent Hugh MacMillan had been without sleep for 40 hours, struggling through dense stands of…

www.palmbeachpost.com

1

Hugh MacMillan @hughbob.bsky.social · Apr 25

NGAH

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · Mar 27

i think these people are in the grip of a genuine delusion www.nbcchicago.com/news/busines...

Bill Gates: Within 10 years, AI will replace many doctors and teachers—humans won't be needed ‘for most things'

Over the next decade, advances in artificial intelligence will mean that humans will no longer be needed "for most things" in the world, says Bill Gates.

www.nbcchicago.com

890 1.4K 12K

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

The Stranger @thestranger.com · Mar 27

Lelo Juarez Zeferino started organizing at 14, fighting for fair wages and protections for farmworkers in Washington. He helped secure heat protections, overtime pay, and basic dignity for those who put food on our tables. Now, ICE is trying to silence him. His crime? Defending his community.

ICE Detained Activist Farmworker Alfredo Juarez Zeferino

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained 25-year-old activist farmworker Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez Zeferino Tuesday morning while he was driving his partner to work at a tu...

www.thestranger.com

3 66 170

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

Randall Munroe @xkcd.com · Mar 27

Video of a student in my town who wrote a political op-ed being grabbed off the street by government agents bsky.app/profile/pale...

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · Mar 26

Video of the international student at Tufts being arrested by "federal authorities" in Massachusetts has been released and it's terrifying.

They're not even uniformed officers. Just secret police thugs in hoodies and masks.

From WCVB: youtu.be/PuFIs7OkzYY

170 1.4K 6.6K

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

Brian Beutler @brianbeutler.bsky.social · Mar 25

Not the main thing here, but EVERY TIME one of these white shoe lawyers comes in for criticism for representing evil or rapacious clients, they fall back on the cliche that everyone is entitled to vigorous representation, and the entire profession races to their defense. Now look:

Law firms refuse to represent Trump opponents in the wake of his attacks

The result is an extraordinary threat to constitutional rights of due process and representation and a far weaker effort to challenge Trump’s actions in court than during his first term.

www.washingtonpost.com

36 480 1.7K

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

David Roberts @volts.wtf · Mar 21

Here's a letter to the American public from (anonymous, out of fear of retaliation) current & former employees of EPA, earnestly -- and somewhat heartbreakingly -- explaining how important their work is & what a tragedy is is that Trump's destroying it.

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

"This is not about defending our paychecks. This is about protecting the health of our communities."

www.ehn.org

8 260 550

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

Asha Rangappa @asharangappa.bsky.social · Mar 18

People need to be crystal clear about something: The requirement that the government ANSWER to a court on the legal basis for detaining someone is literally the core liberty right (habeas corpus). If the government says they don’t have to do that bc “national security,” YOU can be disappeared.

270 7.6K 22K

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · Mar 17

250 Venezuelans have been disappeared into one of the worst prisons in Central America based on Trump’s invocation of a law only used 3 times in our history - the last time resulted in the Japanese-American internment. These men have had no due process. It’s monstrous.

nypost.com/2025/03/16/u...

First 250+ migrant gang members from US arrive in El Salvador — where they’ll be held in a notorious mega-prison

The US has flown more than 250 accused migrant gang members to El Salvador, where they were sent to a notorious mega-prison — in direct defiance of a federal judge’s ruling against the Trump admini…

nypost.com

63 640 1.8K

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · Mar 16

We are only 19 sign-ups away from the highest number of paid subscribers we've ever had: 35,000. It's a great time to read everything we publish and support our dogged, hard-working team! talkingpointsmemo.com/memberships?...

Talking Points Memo | Breaking News and Analysis

Much to the base’s chagrin, a handful of Senate Democrats voted to advance the...

talkingpointsmemo.com

31 130 690

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

The Seattle Times @seattletimes-rss.bsky.social · Mar 16

Young scientists see career pathways vanish as schools adapt to federal funding cuts

Reductions to federal support for research at universities and other institutions under President Donald Trump are dimming young scientists’ prospects, cutting off pathways to career-building projects and graduate programs.

www.seattletimes.com

1 8 18

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · Mar 11

We've heard a lot about DOGE canceled contracts with the Fed govt. But hearing increasing number of example of non-payment of outstanding bills owed to contractors. There's a law that's supposed to keep govt on 30 day payable regime. But this sounds like DOGE-force freeze on payments past work.

31 100 430

Hugh MacMillan @hughbob.bsky.social · Mar 7

1

Hugh MacMillan @hughbob.bsky.social · Mar 6

Pair w/ story that cuts are subject to individual exceptions clawed back by senators and members of congress through back room phone calls to Musk.

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · Mar 6

2/ who do this work as culture/political enemies. So they want to destroy the ecosystem where that community exists. Destroy the ecosystem, destroy the community. Once that's done you can figure out what the plan is about helping people not die of cancer. Maybe.

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · Mar 6

Everybody (me included) is getting bogged down on the details of events at NIH et al. Fatal mistake. The big picture is Musk/Trump are trying to shut down all gov-funded Medical/Disease research in the US. Have to understand that to have any hope of stopping it. talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/act-now

Act Now

I may do a longer, maybe several longer versions of this post....

talkingpointsmemo.com

29 250 700

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · Mar 5

They’re forcing federal workers back to offices that are going to disappear.

Why?

Because they’re shutting the government down. Permanently. People made fun of me for saying this a month ago. But here we are.

www.politico.com/news/2025/03...

GSA prepares to sell over 400 federal properties

A new list of “non-core assets” includes the FBI and DOJ headquarters in Washington.

www.politico.com

22 270 880

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · Feb 22

Nervous Musk, Trump, Vance have all been outclassed in public arguments these last few days. Government failure, stock market crash, and dictatorial alliances are not popular. People are starting to realize that there is no truth here beyond the desire for personal wealth and power. (2/2)

650 6K 32K

Reposted by Hugh MacMillan

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · Feb 23

I want to address a related point to the one I raised in this thread. A couple years ago the Times did a really strong package about the power of SpaceX. Not only is SpaceX. Not only is it now one if not the preemptive orbital delivery company in the world it also has a fleet of ...

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · Feb 23

In the era that I studied when I was still part of the academic world one recurrent topic was that of "over-mighty subjects". This referred to subjects of the Crown who were themselves so powerful that they threatened the sovereign power of the Crown itself. In the US we have no sovereign, or ...

20 160 530

Hugh MacMillan @hughbob.bsky.social · Feb 14

was that to-go box in your wallet?

1