Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Janet Frick @jfrickuga.bsky.social · 1d

Everyone who works at, attends, or cares about American universities needs to read.

Siva @sivav.bsky.social · 1d

I can’t believe my life is being affected by the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment

newrepublic.com/article/2013...

Why This Essay Could Cause the University of Virginia to Shut Down

How Linda McMahon’s latest “compact” would do deep and permanent harm to American higher education

newrepublic.com

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Janet Frick @jfrickuga.bsky.social · 17d

Has he made any public statements criticizing the raid?

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Janet Frick @jfrickuga.bsky.social · 20d

This should be of great concern to all social science professors as well

ghostly gwen howerton @kissphoria.bsky.social · 20d

Welp: Texas A&M President Mark Welch just stepped down after pressure from Republicans over a video of a professor who taught about transgender people in a children's literature class

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J. Emory Parker 🏳️‍🌈 @jaspar.bsky.social · 20d

Maria Ressa won a Nobel prize in 2021 for her efforts to support free expression against the authoritarian regime of Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines.

Brian Stelter @brianstelter.bsky.social · 20d

This just in: Jon Stewart normally only hosts “The Daily Show” on Monday nights nowadays, but tonight he is returning to his longtime desk for one Thursday edition, Comedy Central says. His guest: Maria Ressa

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Janet Frick @jfrickuga.bsky.social · 28d

Boy. What a stunning turn of events. I need to read your book.

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Shannon Watts @shannonrwatts.bsky.social · 28d

The problem with allowing guns everywhere is that no one is safe anywhere.

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Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · Aug 31

This “explicit” is a weird editorial choice. The constitution gives the president no power over this at all. It’s not ambiguous.

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Anthony Moser @anthonymoser.com · Aug 27

I considered writing a long carefully constructed argument laying out the harms and limitations of AI, but instead I wrote about being a hater. Only humans can be haters.

I Am An AI Hater

I am an AI hater. This is considered rude, but I do not care, because I am a hater.

anthonymoser.github.io

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Alyssa Harad @alyssaharad.bsky.social · Aug 28

This is a hell of a letter. “The intentional eroding of trust in low-risk vaccines…will bring us to a pre-vaccine era where only the strong will survive and many if not all will suffer….Eugenics plays prominently in the rhetoric being generated…”

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · Aug 28

Full resignation letter from Demetre C. Daskalakis, a CDC leader, does not hold back.
"The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud."

My resignation letter from CDC.

Dear Dr. Houry,

I am writing to formally resign from my position as Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effective August 28, 2025, close of business. I am happy to stay on for two weeks to provide transition, if requested.

This decision has not come easily, as I deeply value the work that the CDC does in safeguarding public health and am proud of my contributions to that critical mission. However, after much contemplation and reflection on recent developments and perspectives brought to light by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., I find that the views he and his staff have shared challenge my ability to continue in my current role at the agency and in the service of the health of the American people. Enough is enough.

While I hold immense respect for the institution and my colleagues, I believe that it is imperative to align my professional responsibilities to my system of ethics and my understanding of the science of infectious disease, immunology, and my promise to serve the American people. This step is necessary to ensure that I can contribute effectively in a capacity that allows me to remain true to my principles.

The recent change in the adult and children’s immunization schedule threaten the lives of the youngest Americans and pregnant people. The data analyses that supported this decision have never been shared with CDC despite my respectful requests to HHS and other leadership. This lack of meaningful engagement was further compounded by a “frequently asked questions” document written to support the Secretary’s directive that was circulated by HHS without input from CDC subject matter experts and that cited studies that did not support the conclusions that were attributed to these authors. Having worked in local and national public health for years, I have never experienced such radical non-transparency, nor have I seen such unskilled manipulation of data to achieve a political end rather than the good of the American people.

It is untenable to serve in an organization that is not afforded the opportunity to discuss decisions of scientific and public health importance released under the moniker of CDC. The lack of communication by HHS and other CDC political leadership that culminates in social media posts announcing major policy changes without prior notice demonstrate a disregard of normal communication channels and common sense. Having to retrofit analyses and policy actions to match inadequately thought-out announcements in poorly scripted videos or page long X posts should not be how organizations responsible for the health of people should function. Some examples include the announcement of the change in the COVID-19 recommendations for children and pregnant people, the firing of scientists from ACIP by X post and an op-ed rather than direct communication with these valuable experts, the announcement of new ACIP members by X before onboarding and vetting have completed, and the release of term of reference for an ACIP workgroup that ignored all feedback from career staff at CDC.

Their desire to please a political base will result in death and disability of vulnerable children and adults. Their base should be the people they serve not a political voting bloc.

I have always been first to challenge scientific and public health dogma in my career and was excited by the opportunity to do so again. I was optimistic that there would be an opportunity to brief the Secretary about key topics such as measles, avian influenza, and the highly coordinated approach to the respiratory virus season. Such briefings would allow exchange of ideas and a shared path to support the vision of “Making America Healthy Again.” We are seven months into the new administration, and no CDC subject matter expert from my Center has ever briefed the Secretary. I am not sure who the Secretary is listening to, but it is quite certainly not to us. Unvetted and conflicted outside organizations seem to be the sources HHS use over the gold standard science of CDC and other reputable sources. At a hearing, Secretary Kennedy said that Americans should not take medical advice from him. To the contrary, an appropriately briefed and inquisitive Secretary should be a source of health information for the people he serves. As it stands now, I must agree with him, that he should not be considered a source of accurate information.

The intentional eroding of trust in low-risk vaccines favoring natural infection and unproven remedies will bring us to a pre-vaccine era where only the strong will survive and many if not all will suffer. I believe in nutrition and exercise. I believe in making our food supply healthier, and I also believe in using vaccines to prevent death and disability. Eugenics plays prominently in the rhetoric being generated and is derivative of a legacy that good medicine and science should continue to shun.

The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud. I am resigning because of the cowardice of a leader that cannot admit that HIS and his minions’ words over decades created an environment where violence like this can occur. I reject his and his colleagues’ thoughts and prayers, and advise they direct those to people that they have not actively harmed.

For decades, I have been a trusted voice for the LGBTQ community when it comes to critical health topics. I must also cite the recklessness of the administration in their efforts to erase transgender populations, cease critical domestic and international HIV programming, and terminate key research to support equity as part of my decision.

Public health is not merely about the health of the individual, but it is about the health of the community, the nation, the world. The nation’s health security is at risk and is in the hands of people focusing on ideological self-interest.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the opportunities for growth, learning, and collaboration that I have been afforded during my time at the CDC. It has been a privilege to work alongside such dedicated professionals who are committed to improving the health and well-being of communities across the nation even when under attack from within both physically and psychologically.

Thank you once again for the support and guidance I have received from you and previous CDC leadership throughout my tenure. I wish the CDC continued success in its vital mission and that HHS reverse its dangerous course to dismantle public health as a practice and as an institution. If they continue the current path, they risk our personal well-being and the security of the United States.

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Janet Frick @jfrickuga.bsky.social · Aug 28

Good to see this kind of work. More will be needed.

Follow @climate.us

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Ed Zitron @edzitron.com · Aug 25

Newsletter: My 16,000 word opus - How To Argue With An AI Booster, a comprehensive guide to arguing with AI boosters, addressing both their bad faith debate style and their specific (and flimsy) arguments as to why generative AI is the future.

www.wheresyoured.at/how-to-argue...

How To Argue With An AI Booster

Editor's Note: For those of you reading via email, I recommend opening this in a browser so you can use the Table of Contents. This is my longest newsletter - a 16,000-word-long opus - and if you like...

www.wheresyoured.at

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Janet Frick @jfrickuga.bsky.social · Aug 15

This is a great opportunity!

Jeff Zacks @jzacks.bsky.social · Aug 15

The Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences (@fabbs.org) is searching for a short-term technology policy fellow. Great opportunity for a new PhD interested in policy, maybe before a research postdoc or faculty position:
fabbs.org/news/2025/08...

We’re Hiring: Technology Policy Fellow – FABBS

Location: Washington, D.C. (hybrid) Salary: Approximately $7,000 per month Start Date: September 15, 2025 Duration: 3 months, with potential for longer Position

fabbs.org

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Janet Frick @jfrickuga.bsky.social · Aug 15

More important than ever for scientific societies to work together for advocacy and connection. Great to see this!

SANS @sansmeeting.bsky.social · Aug 6

Exciting news from SANS! We’re now a member of the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences (@fabbs.org).

FABBS advocates for the sciences of the mind, brain, and behavior - connecting researchers with policymakers and promoting evidence-based science in Congress and beyond.

FABBS – Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences

fabbs.org

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Janet Frick @jfrickuga.bsky.social · Jul 22

Super helpful thread.

Emily Myers @emilymyers.bsky.social · Jul 22

It's promotion letter writing season for academics in the US. As I'm going through my batch I thought I'd share a few things I did *not* know when I started doing this.

(I've served on dept and college's PTR committees, but institutional norms may differ--I'd be interested to hear other takes!)

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Janet Frick @jfrickuga.bsky.social · Jul 22

No UGA students were suspended or expelled for protesting Vietnam. Students who OCCUPIED A BUILDING to protest our ban on undocumented students were disciplined by... wait for it... being required to write an essay.

Green Hombre @greenhombre.bsky.social · Jul 22

Thousands of us protested for and won divestment from South Africa and nobody was kicked out of university.
And apartheid was 1/10 as bad a the crimes Israel is committing.
How sad what the USA has become.

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Janet Frick @jfrickuga.bsky.social · Jul 22

Yay for promoting student free speech! (eye roll)

Erin Fogg says Free Link @criminalerin.bsky.social · Jul 22

"Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), a student group advocating for the university to divest its ties to Israel, stated that nearly 80 students were informed on Monday afternoon that they would be suspended for one to three years or expelled for participating in the May protest."

Columbia University disciplines at least 70 students who took part in campus protests

The crackdown ranges from probation to degree revocations and expulsions.

www.nbcnews.com

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Janet Frick @jfrickuga.bsky.social · Jul 15

Sad news from UGA Psychology, former faculty and later Principal Deputy Director at the CDC, Dr. Ileana Arias, passed away. She was a member of our faculty from 1985-2000 and was a beloved mentor to many students in our Clinical program. She will be missed. www.lordandstephens.com/obituaries/i...

Ileana Arias Obituary July 11, 2025 - Lord & Stephens Funeral Homes

View Ileana Arias's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

www.lordandstephens.com

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Janet Frick @jfrickuga.bsky.social · Jun 28

The idea that you would have to “switch accreditors” is a new and (imho) not great law that NC legislators snuck through. That’s not the norm. SACS accreditation has been the gold standard and this, it seems to me, is about the state exerting greater control over universities.

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Melissa Murray @profmmurray.bsky.social · Jun 28

History lesson: Before and during the Civil Rights Movement, folks actually made religious arguments against integration and interracial marriage. Indeed, in the decision that gave rise to Loving v VA, the VA trial court said that God put the races on different continents to prevent race mixing.

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Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · Jun 28

Meredith has always been a G, but it's still exceptionally weird and very refreshing hearing from a tech exec who can see through all of this AI bullshit for what it is at its foundation: a backdoor surveillance tool.

Keith Fitzgerald @keithfitzgerald.bsky.social · Jun 26

Worth a watch:

Head of Signal, Meredith Whittaker, on so-called "agentic AI" and the difference between how it's described in the marketing and what access and control it would actually require to work as advertised.

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Janet Frick @jfrickuga.bsky.social · Jun 28

This was such a bad call. You don’t fight “for your job.” You fight to prevent the gradual authoritarian takeover of higher ed!

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Lisa Fazio @lkfazio.bsky.social · Jun 28

"This should be obvious, but let’s be clear: Neither the White House nor the U.S. Department of Justice has the authority to hire or fire university presidents. But if you claim a power and everyone acts like you really have power, you totally have that power."

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Janet Frick @jfrickuga.bsky.social · Jun 27

This part. Fighting is the *only* way forward.

Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · Jun 27

I have seen Jim's resignation letter and I still do not believe that him resigning will do anything to protect anybody else's job (I appreciate that he sees things differently). Columbia has not gotten their grants back. There is no proof they won't just keep punishing UVA.

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · Jun 27

In Tommy Tuberville's home state of Alabama, 23% of all personal income comes from transfer payments from the federal government.

Alabama is the tenth most dependent on federal funding, getting $1.80 in spending back for every $1 its citizens pay in taxes.

www.al.com/politics/202...

Tuberville says ‘inner city rats’ live off the American taxpayers: Trump should send them ‘back home’

"These inner city rats, they live on the federal government," Tuberville said in the interview.

www.al.com

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Janet Frick @jfrickuga.bsky.social · Jun 27

This article from @insidehighered.com is not encouraging.

www.insidehighered.com/news/governa...

DeSantis Announces Launch of New Accreditor

Officials say it’s an effort to reduce costs and boost student outcomes, though the Florida governor wants to take down the “accreditation cartel.”

www.insidehighered.com

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