Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

jfern.bsky.social @jfern.bsky.social · 1d

Water drugs?

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Trump: "We call them the water drugs. The drugs that come in through water. They're not coming. There are no boats anymore. Frankly, there are no fishing boats. There are no boats out there period, if you want to know the truth. Does anybody go fishing anymore?"

jfern.bsky.social @jfern.bsky.social · 9d

Here's a real corker: the #wine industry employs more people than does the #coal industry

Dave Infante @dinfontay.com · 9d

US wineries *alone* (i.e., not including retail, distro, F&B, etc.) employed ~64k people in 2022, per BLS statistics. Probably down a bit more since. The coal-mining industry *overall* employs ~40k and falling, per FRED.

www.bls.gov/spotlight/20...
fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CES10...

Nearly 64,000 people worked in wineries across the United States in 2020
U.S. employment in the winery industry exceeded 60,000 for the first time in 2016. Aside from a small decrease from 2008 to 2009, employment increased steadily from 2001⸺when the data were first collected⸺until 2019. From 2019 to 2020, employment decreased from 70,596 to 63,820, or 10 percent.

The largest over-the-year employment net increase in the industry occurred in 2014, adding 4,493 jobs. The largest 12-month employment percentage increases occurred in 2003 and 2014, at 12.3 and 9.3 percent, respectively.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Release: Employment Situation
Units: Thousands of Persons, Seasonally Adjusted

Frequency: Monthly

Notes:
The series comes from the 'Current Employment Statistics (Establishment Survey).'

The source code is: CES1021210001

Suggested Citation:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, All Employees, Coal Mining [CES1021210001], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CES1021210001, September 29, 2025.

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Capital & Main @capitalandmain.bsky.social · 14d

Long-term improvement in statewide school nutrition could be especially important in poorer school districts and lower-income neighborhoods, where ultraprocessed foods are everywhere — and fresh, healthy food is harder to find or more expensive.

capitalandmain.com/california-m...

California Moves to Curb Ultraprocessed Foods in School Cafeterias

The bill before the governor could help address nutrition gaps in neighborhoods with limited access to fresh food — and be a model for the nation.

capitalandmain.com

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Capital & Main @capitalandmain.bsky.social · 15d

Immigrants in ICE custody are being transferred to facilities further away from family and their lawyers.

One group of detainees ended up in Alaska, where prison guards pepper sprayed them after one man asked for a phone call.

Story by @bgirledukate.bsky.social

capitalandmain.com/ice-is-trans...

ICE Is Transferring People in Its Custody Away From Family, Lawyers

One group ended up in Alaska, where prison guards pepper sprayed them after one man asked for a phone call.

capitalandmain.com

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jfern.bsky.social @jfern.bsky.social · 15d

Here's an interesting thing via @hcrichardson.bsky.social

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jfern.bsky.social @jfern.bsky.social · 21d

Wherein I interview a one-time #Texas oilman and learn about the massive mess left behind when his company collapsed.
It's also a glimpse into how oil wells get orphaned and how New Mexico may be on the hook for $1.6 billion in cleanup costs in coming years.

capitalandmain.com/new-mexicos-...

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jfern.bsky.social @jfern.bsky.social · 21d

In case you missed this earlier ...

The American Prospect @prospect.org · 21d

Speculators in New Mexico have left the state with a $1.6B bill to clean up their dry oil wells. Besides plugging wells, the state also has to deal with tons of contaminated soil and barrels of toxic chemicals. From @jfern.bsky.social with @capitalandmain.bsky.social: trib.al/4b9ZBJv

New Mexico’s Billion-Dollar Oilfield Orphans

A recent report says abandoned oil infrastructure could cost the state up to $1.6 billion in coming years. This is how.

trib.al

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jfern.bsky.social @jfern.bsky.social · 28d

Here's a thing...

Capital & Main @capitalandmain.bsky.social · 29d

After federal judges began pushing back on efforts to detain people at hearings, ICE has strapped ankle monitors to many immigrants leaving court in an apparent shift in policy to increase the surveillance of immigrants.

Story by @bgirledukate.bsky.social

capitalandmain.com/ice-is-putti...

ICE Is Putting Ankle Monitors on People Who Show Up for Immigration Court Hearings

After federal judges began pushing back on efforts to detain people at hearings, Immigration and Customs officials implemented a strategy that tracks immigrants and makes them feel like criminals.

capitalandmain.com

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Capital & Main @capitalandmain.bsky.social · 29d

After federal judges began pushing back on efforts to detain people at hearings, ICE has strapped ankle monitors to many immigrants leaving court in an apparent shift in policy to increase the surveillance of immigrants.

Story by @bgirledukate.bsky.social

capitalandmain.com/ice-is-putti...

ICE Is Putting Ankle Monitors on People Who Show Up for Immigration Court Hearings

After federal judges began pushing back on efforts to detain people at hearings, Immigration and Customs officials implemented a strategy that tracks immigrants and makes them feel like criminals.

capitalandmain.com

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jfern.bsky.social @jfern.bsky.social · Aug 20

Lost in the desert?

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Capital & Main @capitalandmain.bsky.social · Aug 19

One of Los Angeles’ most polluted stretches of land will soon be cleared for new development, and a full accounting of the ground’s degradation will be left largely to an oil company.

In some areas, the contaminated underground layer is 16+ feet thick.

capitalandmain.com/theres-a-lak...

There’s a ‘Lake’ of Oil Under L.A.’s Soon-to-Close Refinery. Who’s Going to Clean It Up?

Climate policies could lead to future refinery closures as Californians transition to electric vehicles.

capitalandmain.com

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Capital & Main @capitalandmain.bsky.social · Aug 8

The National Weather Service was hit hard by DOGE-related cuts earlier this year.

Now, key weather forecast offices in California will remain “criminally understaffed” while new hires get on board this fire season, former NWS meteorologists warn.

capitalandmain.com/national-wea...

National Weather Service’s Plan to Hire Crucial Staffers After Mass Layoffs Will Be Too Late for Wildfire Season

Key California weather forecast offices will remain

capitalandmain.com

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jfern.bsky.social @jfern.bsky.social · Aug 9

Thinking about a Venn diagram for Space Force/Deportation Force employees...

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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · Jul 30

National Weather Service Grand Forks explaining there’s no threat for tsunami impacts in North Dakota, a landlocked state

“There is no threat for tsunami impacts in North Dakota.

If you are in a coastal area under threat however check tsunami.gov for up to date information and with local officials for any evacuation orders”

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Randall Munroe @xkcd.com · Jul 22

iNaturalist Animals and Plants

xkcd.com/3118/

Comic. The Most-Observed Animal and Plant in Each State on iNaturalist. (Not the most common species in the state, just the one people have reported the most times.) [labeled map of the US] WA: Mallard/Western Sword Fern. OR: Mule Deer/Western Ponderosa Pine. CA: Western Fence Lizard/California Poppy. HI: Green Sea Turtle/‘Ōhi’a Lehua. ID: Mallard/Big Sagebrush. NV: Common Side-Blotched Lizard/Creosote Bush. MT: White-Tailed Deer/Common Yarrow. WY: American Bison/Sticky Geranium. UT: Mule Deer/Utah Juniper. AZ: Ornate Tree Lizard/Saguaro. CO: Mule Deer/Great Mullein. NM: Mule Deer/Creosote Bush. AK: Moose/Fireweed. ND: American Bison/Prairie Rose. SD: American Bison/Hoary Vervain. NE: American Robin/Common Milkweed. KS: Ornate Box Turtle/Amur Honeysuckle. OK: Pond Slider/Eastern Redcedar. TX: Northern Cardinal/Pinladies. MN, WI, IL: Common Eastern Bumble Bee/Common Milkweed. IA, MI: White-Tailed Deer/Common Milkweed. MO: Brown-Belted Bumble Bee/Amur Honeysuckle. AR: Three-toed Box Turtle/Chinese Privet. LA: Green Anole/Baldcypress. IN: American Robin/Amur Honeysuckle. OH: Eastern Pondhawk/Virginia Springbeauty. KY: Common Box Turtle/Amur Honeysuckle. TN: American Robin/Christmas Fern. MS: Northern Cardinal/Pale Pitcher Plant. AL: Gulf Fritillary/American Sweetgum. GA: Green Anole/American Sweetgum. FL: Brown Anole/White Beggarticks. NY: Eastern Gray Squirrel/White Snakeroot. PA: White-Tailed Deer/Garlic Mustard. WV: White-Tailed Deer/Great Rhododendron. VA: White-Tailed Deer/Eastern Poison Ivy. MD: White-Tailed Deer/Wineberry. DE: Fowler’s Toad/American Pokeweed. NC: Eastern Gray Squirrel/Christmas Fern. SC: Northern Cardinal/American Sweetgum. NJ: Spotted Lanternfly/Common Mugwort. VT: Common Eastern Bumble Bee/Eastern White Pine. NH: White-Tailed Deer/Eastern White Pine. MA: Common Eastern Bumble Bee/Eastern White Pine. CT: Common Eastern Bumble Bee/Striped Wintergreen. RI: American Herring Gull. ME: American Herring Gull/Canadian Bunchberry.

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jfern.bsky.social @jfern.bsky.social · Jul 22

New story up @capitalandmain.bsky.social about old oil wells being used as water wells on the #Navajo Nation. And the #EPA has known about them for years.

Check out the photos below if you're in a hurry...

capitalandmain.com/on-the-navaj...

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Capital & Main @capitalandmain.bsky.social · Jul 21

Old oil wells on the Navajo Nation reservation continue to spew chemical-laden water. Federal agencies have done little to honor treaty obligations to clean them up.

#NewMexico #NavajoNation
capitalandmain.com/on-the-navaj...

On the Navajo Nation, the List of Mystery Wells Continues to Grow

Old oil wells on the reservation spew chemical-laden water. The feds have done little to honor treaty obligations to clean them up.

capitalandmain.com

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Capital & Main @capitalandmain.bsky.social · Jun 27

#LAPD arrested journalist Anthony Orendorff while he was documenting an immigration raid. This is part of a larger trend that could spell more trouble for press rights.

Producers: Maison Tran, Jeremy Lindenfeld, Cerise Castle
Cameras: Maison Tran, Jeremy Lindenfeld
Editor: Jeremy Lindenfeld

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jfern.bsky.social @jfern.bsky.social · Jun 26

#Supersexymagafauna get a win in #Senegal

news.mongabay.com/2025/06/firs...

First elephant sighting in 6 years sparks hope for species’ return to a Senegal park

For the first time in six years, an elephant was seen in Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba National Park. Grainy black-and-white footage shows Ousmane, a bull 35 to 40 years old named after a park ranger, in the...

news.mongabay.com

jfern.bsky.social @jfern.bsky.social · Jun 24

Just - holy cow.

And yet, these stories keep coming and coming.

capitalandmain.com/heres-whats-...

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Jun 24

Powell says the Fed was prepared to keep cutting interest rates until Trump implementing tariffs that will increase inflation

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Capital & Main @capitalandmain.bsky.social · Jun 17

Since 1970, more than 75,000 miners have died of black lung disease. But the researchers working to prevent those deaths received layoff notices after Trump took office.

capitalandmain.com/a-coal-miner...

A Coal Miner’s Daughter Takes on DOGE to Protect Miners’ Health

Since 1970, more than 75,000 miners have died of black lung disease. Now, researchers working to prevent those deaths get layoff notices.

capitalandmain.com

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jfern.bsky.social @jfern.bsky.social · Jun 17

A week ago I wrote about NM's Gov declaring an emergency without declaring an emergency:
capitalandmain.com/new-mexicos-...

Today she actually declared an emergency:
www.governor.state.nm.us/wp-content/u...

For the record, this emergency-emergency is happening b/c of the things I wrote a week ago

www.governor.state.nm.us

jfern.bsky.social @jfern.bsky.social · Jun 14

Something to read and ponder as some protest and others prostrate themselves.
A lot of presidents left a lot to be desired:
nativenewsonline.net/currents/us-...

US Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians

Editor's Note: This article was previously published in Native News Online on prior Presidents' Days. It was updated to include works concerning American Indians made by the current president of the U...

nativenewsonline.net

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