Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

J. Brian Houston @jbrianhouston.bsky.social · 3d

“if democracies learn to articulate a more ambivalent narrative — one that acknowledges loss, confronts vulnerability, redefines progress and pursues resilience — they may paradoxically renew themselves.” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/05/o...

Opinion | The West Is Lost

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by J. Brian Houston

WHAT A FUCKING RECORD @whatafuckingrecord.bsky.social · 26d

50

3 29

J. Brian Houston @jbrianhouston.bsky.social · Aug 27

Beautiful essay on consciousness, existence, and attention. bigthink.com/business/bra...

What brain surgery taught me about the fragile gift of consciousness

After the trauma of brain surgery, Big Think writer Eric Markowitz discovered a kind of consciousness that lives in presence.

bigthink.com

2

J. Brian Houston @jbrianhouston.bsky.social · Aug 27

"Contrary to much popular opinion, college is not in the information transfer business; we are in the identity formation business." www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/o...

Opinion | Students Hate Them. Universities Need Them. The Only Real Solution to the A.I. Cheating Crisis.

www.nytimes.com

1

Reposted by J. Brian Houston

NPR @npr.org · Aug 22

For 60 years, TRIO has helped millions of people along the path to a degree, but the administration says it is no longer needed. n.pr/4mWcQgK

These programs help poor students with college. Trump wants to pull the funding

For 60 years, TRIO has helped millions of people along the path to a degree, but the administration says it is no longer needed.

n.pr

15 100 200

J. Brian Houston @jbrianhouston.bsky.social · Aug 14

China is well on its way to becoming the world’s first electrostate. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

How China Went From Clean Energy Copycat to Global Innovator (Gift Article)

A surge in high quality research and patent applications has cemented China’s dominance in the industry.

www.nytimes.com

1

J. Brian Houston @jbrianhouston.bsky.social · Aug 13

‘Complete nightmare’: Student veterans, advisers say VA cuts are derailing their educations hechingerreport.org/complete-nig...

Student veterans, advisers say VA cuts are derailing their educations

Already slow, the process of getting GI Bill benefits has gotten even slower since cuts to government staffing, veterans and their advocates say. Some student veterans are dropping out.

hechingerreport.org

J. Brian Houston @jbrianhouston.bsky.social · Aug 11

How short-term thinking is destroying America www.nytimes.com/2025/08/11/o...

Opinion | How Short-Term Thinking Is Destroying America

www.nytimes.com

J. Brian Houston @jbrianhouston.bsky.social · Aug 11

This is an excellent article on the state of the US economy (and culture) kyla.substack.com/p/how-ai-hea...?

How AI, Healthcare, and Labubu Became the US Economy

The Three Americas and aspirational displacement

kyla.substack.com

J. Brian Houston @jbrianhouston.bsky.social · Aug 5

As I get older I think about all the physicality we miss these days a lot. Not just ciagarettes but casettes, newspapers, videotapes, etc. Many things are gained in our digital world but certainly some sort of rooting in the moment and environment is lost. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/05/o...

Opinion | Cigarettes and Our Quest for Embodied Pleasures

www.nytimes.com

3

J. Brian Houston @jbrianhouston.bsky.social · Aug 4

College isn’t in the plans for many rural students despite stepped-up recruiting efforts apnews.com/article/rura...

College isn't in the plans for many rural students despite stepped-up recruiting efforts

America’s rural high school students are less likely to go to college than their urban and suburban peers.

apnews.com

Reposted by J. Brian Houston

The New York Times @nytimes.com · Jul 30

No one is ever truly ready for a disaster, but the stories here — told in the survivors’ own words — show that any preparation is better than none.

Extreme Weather Survivors Share the Tools That Helped Them Get Through Disaster

There’s no formula for recovering from a natural disaster, but some items help more than others. Nine disaster survivors share what got them through the storm.

nyti.ms

1 10 52

J. Brian Houston @jbrianhouston.bsky.social · Jul 28

The Secret to Reindustrializing America Is Not Tax Cuts and Tariffs. It’s Regulated Competition. washingtonmonthly.com/2025/06/01/t...

The Secret to Reindustrializing America Is Not Tax Cuts and Tariffs. It’s Regulated Competition. | Washington Monthly

From airlines to energy, America became a capitalist superpower in the 20th century based on careful market rules. It can do so again.

washingtonmonthly.com

Reposted by J. Brian Houston

ProPublica @propublica.org · Jul 21

NEW: Over the years, Texas legislators have declined to pass at least three bills that would create siren or alert systems, a tool that Kerr County officials tried to secure for years before the July 4 flooding.

By Lexi Churchill & @lomikriel.bsky.social, w/ @texastribune.org

Texas Lawmakers Largely Ignored Recommendations Aimed at Helping Rural Areas Like Kerr County Prepare for Flooding

Texas lawmakers’ inaction on flood prevention often hits rural and economically disadvantaged communities the hardest, experts said.

www.propublica.org

290 2.3K 5.6K

J. Brian Houston @jbrianhouston.bsky.social · Jul 19

“One reason the U.S. economy had such a good Cold War was that the American university had an ever better one” www.nytimes.com/2025/07/17/o...

Opinion | Trump Is Winning the Race to the Bottom

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by J. Brian Houston

ProPublica @propublica.org · Jul 17

The National Weather Service sent urgent alerts about potentially life-threatening danger hours in advance of the flash floods, leaving time to try to evacuate those in harm’s way.

In Texas, some local officials did just that. But others did not.

Read @jenniferberryhawes.bsky.social's story:

Some Texas Officials Didn’t Respond to Flood Alerts, Echoing the Tragedies of Hurricane Helene

Weather warnings predicted devastation from both the Texas floods and Hurricane Helene. But in both disasters, people were left in harm’s way.

www.propublica.org

8 67 230

J. Brian Houston @jbrianhouston.bsky.social · Jul 14

We rewatched “The West Wing” recently and it was basically nonsensical what constituted a political crisis/scandal in the early 2000s.

23

Reposted by J. Brian Houston

The Associated Press @apnews.com · Jul 13

Over the last decade, an array of Texas state and local agencies missed opportunities to fund a flood warning system intended to avert a disaster like the one that killed dozens of young campers and scores of others in Kerr County on the Fourth of July.

A decade of missed opportunities: Texas couldn't find $1M for flood warning system near camps

Over the last decade, an array of local and state agencies have missed opportunities to fund a flood warning system intended to avert the type of disaster that swept away dozens of youth campers and others in Kerr County, Texas.

bit.ly

47 84 270

J. Brian Houston @jbrianhouston.bsky.social · Jul 12

Yes. Was there too.

Reposted by J. Brian Houston

NPR @npr.org · Jul 10

An Oklahoma City TV station says it's weather radar was damaged by an individual and that an anti-government militia took responsibility, claiming that radar is used to control the weather. (via @kosuradio.bsky.social)

News 9 radar damaged in apparent attack by anti-government militia group

Oklahoma City television station News 9 is reporting an anti-government militia group targeted its weather radar system.

n.pr

200 610 1.8K

Reposted by J. Brian Houston

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · Jul 10

Powerful story from Kate Zernike from the NYT

Covers the diversity of young scientists targeted by the anti-DEI BS. Definitely worth a read and a share.

[Gift link]
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/u...

The Surprising Scientists Hit by Trump’s D.E.I. Cuts

www.nytimes.com

4 33 64

J. Brian Houston @jbrianhouston.bsky.social · Jul 10

As Texas Flood Raged, Camp Mystic Was Left to Fend for Itself www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/u...

J. Brian Houston @jbrianhouston.bsky.social · Jul 10

Camp Mystic Cabins Stood in an ‘Extremely Hazardous’ Floodway www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Camp Mystic Cabins Stood in an ‘Extremely Hazardous’ Floodway (Gift Article)

An analysis of flood maps shows that several buildings, including those where children were sleeping, were in known hazard zones. A $5 million expansion in 2019 did nothing to alleviate the problem.

www.nytimes.com

1

J. Brian Houston @jbrianhouston.bsky.social · Jul 9

At NWS “the long-serving meteorologist in charge of ‘warning coordination’ — had recently taken an unplanned early retirement amid cuts pushed by (DOGE). He was not replaced.” www.nytimes.com/2025/07/09/o...

Opinion | As the Texas Floodwaters Rose, One Indispensable Voice Was Silent

www.nytimes.com

1

Reposted by J. Brian Houston

ProPublica @propublica.org · Jul 9

NEW: The Texas Flash Flood Is a Preview of the Chaos to Come

Climate change is making disasters more common, more deadly and far more costly, even as the federal government is running away from the policies that might begin to protect the nation.

By @abrahm.bsky.social

The Texas Flash Flood Is a Preview of the Chaos to Come

Climate change is making disasters more common, more deadly and far more costly, even as the federal government is running away from the policies that might begin to protect the nation.

www.propublica.org

25 160 470