Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta

Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 3d

The Wa Post has issued an important story on an upcoming major SSA disability regulation that would especially affect older disabled workers: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
1/2

Trump plan would limit disability benefits for older Americans

Trump administration officials are considering eliminating age as a factor in deciding whether someone is capable of working.

www.washingtonpost.com

1 11 12

Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta @indivar.bsky.social · 12d

It's increasingly clear that the conservative SCOTUS majority "believes" that our laws do not require...the rule of law.

Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta @indivar.bsky.social · 12d

And every time I hear from you or read your work, I just want to learn more. I'm excited about this project, as it's hard to fix what we don't understand.

1 1

Reposted by Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta

Student Defense @studentdefense.bsky.social · 12d

AI is already starting to play a transformative role in higher education.

That’s why our brand new AI initiative will tap into top experts to advise on how to best deploy responsible uses of AI in colleges and universities across the country.

www.defendstudents.org/news/student...

1 1

Reposted by Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta

Brendan Duke @brendanvduke.bsky.social · 20d

The Trump Administration’s continued efforts to break the 2025 funding deal reached in March are seriously undermining efforts to reach a funding agreement for 2026 because lawmakers need to know if they reach a deal, it will be kept. 🧵

3 22 53

Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta @indivar.bsky.social · 24d

Will bring more receipts (though many are conversations including at this year's Urban Institute Budget Roundtable, with trade experts, etc...), but here's a quick one: Rethinking Tariffs: A Contrarian Case
www.linkedin.com/pulse/rethin...

Rethinking Tariffs: A Contrarian Case

In my career, I’ve rarely seen a more biased policy debate than the reaction to Trump’s trade agenda. Democrats want him to fail.

www.linkedin.com

1

Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta @indivar.bsky.social · 25d

This is exactly right, and it's time for economists to stop rationalizing the administration's disastrous economic policies and management. www.forbes.com/sites/harryh...

Trump’s Economics: The Long Run Effects Matter Most

While effects on jobs or interest rates in the short term get more headlines, Trump's longer-term effects on the economy will be more important

www.forbes.com

1 3

Reposted by Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta

John Horvick @horvick.bsky.social · 25d

For the last 50 years, what Americans heard about government economic policy was similar regardless of education. This started to break down during Trump's first term.

Now it has completely separated.

23 120 440

Reposted by Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 26d

Tens of thousands of people die while waiting for a disability decision. Others lose homes and marriages. Many go without health care or other basic needs.

www.ssa.gov/legislation/...

www.ssa.gov

2 6 13

Reposted by Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta

Jack Smalligan @jsmalligan.bsky.social · 25d

The Administration has taken credit for a substantial drop in the Social Security disability claims backlog. In this piece I explore the concerning factors behind this drop, including fewer new applications and more denials. www.urban.org/urban-wire/s...

The SSA Says It’s Reduced the Disability Claims Backlog. Fewer New Claims and a Higher Denial Rate Could Be Driving the Reduction

To better understand what’s driving a decrease in claims and increase in denials, the Social Security Administration could invest more in the research and st…

www.urban.org

5 38 54

Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta @indivar.bsky.social · 26d

Hard to imagine something more inefficient per dollar: $10 Million in Contraceptives Have Been Destroyed on Orders From Trump Officials www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/h...

$10 Million in Contraceptives Have Been Destroyed on Orders From Trump Officials

www.nytimes.com

1 3

Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta @indivar.bsky.social · 27d

Our trade and domestic support system was not working for American farmers, who often operate under precarious economic conditions and with slim net incomes. Somehow, Trump has made it worse: fortune.com/2025/09/09/s...

Farmer says 'we're in a very dire situation' ahead of harvest—with zero soybean orders from China, historically the largest buyer | Fortune

Caleb Ragland says his pleas to the Trump administration have fallen on deaf ears.

fortune.com

1

Reposted by Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta

Ben Casselman @bencasselman.bsky.social · 27d

A few quick charts. First, the big picture: Overall consumer prices were up 2.9 percent from a year earlier. Over the past three months, prices have risen at a 3.5 percent annual rate.
#NumbersDay

6 38 72

Reposted by Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · Sep 8

Even after Musk left, DOGE lives on at Social Security.

The commissioner embraces DOGE’s goals & methods.

DOGE operatives work in key roles.

SSA service is chaotic & slow.

SSA communications mislead & brag.

SSA’s career staff remain diminished & scared.

www.propublica.org/article/insi...

The Untold Saga of What Happened When DOGE Stormed Social Security

DOGE has ignored urgently needed reforms and upgrades at the Social Security Administration, according to dozens of insiders and 15 hours of candid interviews with the former acting chief of the agenc...

www.propublica.org

7 130 210

Reposted by Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · Sep 5

> @rollingstone.com

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

470 3.1K 8.1K

Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta @indivar.bsky.social · Sep 5

Stunning: "The Black [unemployment] rate of 7.5% is up 1.5 percentage points just since May." econjared.substack.com/p/august-job... from @jaredb-econ.bsky.social

August Jobs Report: Another Weak Jobs Report Shows Low/No Hiring Nudging Unemployment Up

At 4.3%, the jobless rate is at its highest since late '21. The Black rate of 7.5% is up 1.5 percentage points just since May.

econjared.substack.com

1

Reposted by Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta

Erika McEntarfer @erikamcentarfer.bsky.social · Sep 5

The larger-than-usual downward revision last month was in large part driven by a negative skew in the job growth distribution among late reporting firms. That’s unusual, but it’s happened before when the pace of job growth slows rapidly. This print is more evidence that was the case

Ben Casselman @bencasselman.bsky.social · Sep 5

U.S. employers added 22,000 jobs in August and the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.3 percent.
Data: www.bls.gov/news.release...
Live coverage: www.nytimes.com/live/2025/09... #NumbersDay

Employment Situation Summary - 2025 M07 Results

www.bls.gov

9 140 390

Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta @indivar.bsky.social · Sep 5

All it took was Trump and the Congressional GOP's anti-middle class anti-working class agenda that undermine public services, raise prices, balloon deficits to unprecedented levels, and shower the wealthy with tax cuts that actually lower our living standards over time.

Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta @indivar.bsky.social · Sep 5

Joe Biden had a continuous 48-month streak of monthly job growth that the Trump Administration managed to end in under 6 months.

Daniel Zhao @danielzhao.bsky.social · Sep 5

Another weak #jobsreport for August:

-Payrolls grew by just 22,000, well below expectations
-June revised down to -13,000, ending the streak of consecutive job gains at 53 months (Jan '21–May '25)
-Unemp rises to 4.3%

#NumbersDay 1/

1 2

Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta @indivar.bsky.social · Sep 1

Making American Burn Again: www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...

Border Patrol arrested firefighters as they were battling a wildfire

Veteran firefighters worried a DHS raid on the Bear Gulch fire in Washington could make it more difficult to find contractor crews.

www.washingtonpost.com

1

Reposted by Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta

Timothy McBride @mcbridetd.bsky.social · Aug 29

Newsom: Crime is a larger problem in GOP-led areas than Democratic-led ones www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Newsom: Crime is a larger problem in GOP-led areas than Democratic-led ones

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Trump’s law enforcement surge to Democratic-led cities is “blatant hypocrisy,” when, he says, there are higher crime rates in some Republican-run places.

www.washingtonpost.com

5 8

Reposted by Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta

Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · Aug 26

DOGE staff at Social Security have put the sensitive data of hundreds of millions is at "high risk," which could have “catastrophic impact,” according to internal SSA docs.

This was not only foreseeable, but widely predicted.

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/u...

DOGE Put Critical Social Security Data at Risk, Whistle-Blower Says

www.nytimes.com

21 260 650

Reposted by Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta

Economic Speakers Bureau @econspeakers.bsky.social · Aug 20

From airfare to rent, companies are using your data to jack up prices.

With your help, ESB experts @bedoyausa.bsky.social and @dohamekki.bsky.social will join @groundwork.bsky.social's @lindsayowens.bsky.social at @sxsw.com to break down these deceptive pricing practices and how to fight back.

1 5 4

Reposted by Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta

Raj Nayak @rdnayak.bsky.social · Aug 21

Great op-ed from Seema Nanda on the DOL's attack on the homecare workers -- stripping wages from workers in one of the hardest jobs out there.

Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta @indivar.bsky.social · Aug 21

Seema Nanda documents what's not getting enough attention as the Trump Administration assault on workers rights and women workers continues by undercutting care at home: msmagazine.com/2025/08/20/t...

Over a Million Women Are at Risk of a Pay Cut Under a New Trump Rule

Care workers were deemed 'essential' during COVID-19. The Trump Department of Labor wants to strip away their most basic wage protections.

msmagazine.com

1 4

Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta @indivar.bsky.social · Aug 21

Seema Nanda documents what's not getting enough attention as the Trump Administration assault on workers rights and women workers continues by undercutting care at home: msmagazine.com/2025/08/20/t...

Over a Million Women Are at Risk of a Pay Cut Under a New Trump Rule

Care workers were deemed 'essential' during COVID-19. The Trump Department of Labor wants to strip away their most basic wage protections.

msmagazine.com

2 7