Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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ProPublica @propublica.org · 2h

1,000+ people currently imprisoned in Louisiana were convicted by split juries — ruled unconstitutional in 2020.

Yet the state Supreme Court has declined to grant new trials, and lawmakers have repeatedly denied a reexamination of their cases.

With @veritenews.org

An Unconstitutional “Jim Crow Jury” Sent Him to Prison for Life. A New Law Aims to Keep Him There.

Five years ago, the Supreme Court decided that nonunanimous jury verdicts are unconstitutional. But for this Louisiana prisoner — and hundreds of others — “tough on crime” state leaders have ensured t...

www.propublica.org

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Paige Perriello @paigeperriello.bsky.social · 13h

“Secretary Kennedy is entitled to his views. But he is not entitled to put people’s health at risk. He has rejected science, misled the public and compromised the health of Americans.”

Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · 20h

“Never before have we issued a joint public warning like this. But the profound, immediate and unprecedented threat that Kennedy’s policies and positions pose to the nation’s health cannot be ignored.”

Opinion | Six surgeons general: It’s our duty to warn the nation about RFK Jr.

We took an oath to declare dangers when we found them. We’re doing that again today.

wapo.st

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johnedwinmason @johnedwinmason.bsky.social · 13h

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 !!

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100 years ago news @100yearsagonews.bsky.social · 23h

Oct. 7, 1925: The vice chancellor of Oxford uses his annual convocation address to deplore the student trends of drinking coffee and driving cars. Most offensive of all to Joseph Wells are the men's trousers known as Oxford bags, "more barbarian than any the Dacians wore of old."

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johnedwinmason @johnedwinmason.bsky.social · 13h

Another radical idea, then & now (more than then). bsky.app/profile/100y...

100 years ago news @100yearsagonews.bsky.social · 19h

Oct. 7, 1925: The Lutheran Church refuses to endorse blue laws to restrict recreation and business activity on Sundays. It adds: "No ecclesiastical body worthy of the name Christian has the right to call on the state for assistance in carrying out the mission of the church."

Cartoon by Reginald Marsh: "Hey, take your arm down, don't you know today is a Sunday?"

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Hyperallergic @hyperallergic.com · 19h

Sister Corita Kent juggled duties as an art teacher, Roman Catholic nun, left-wing advocate, and artist — much to the dismay of Los Angeles’s conservative Cardinal James Francis McIntyre, who frequently clashed with her over her activist artwork and reform beliefs.

Sister Corita Kent Found the Sacred in the Profane

An installation of the artist’s never-before-seen photographs accumulates meaning through association rather than argument.

hyperallergic.com

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johnedwinmason @johnedwinmason.bsky.social · 13h

Radical idea, then & now.

100 years ago news @100yearsagonews.bsky.social · 19h

Oct. 7, 1925: Lord Willingdon, the former British governor of Bombay, warns a council of the Church of England that ideas of "color superiority" are damaging to the West. "The white races must realize the necessity of treating all colored men in a spirit of absolute equality."

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Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 4d

Most American Jews are antisemitic, according to right wing gentiles who are constantly employing anti semitic dogwhistles www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Many American Jews sharply critical of Israel on Gaza, Post poll finds
Most Jews say Israel is committing war crimes — and 39 percent say genocide — while often distinguishing between the country and its leadership.

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Ethan Hein @ethanhein.bsky.social · 2d

Someone on r/musictheory has questions about the intro to this Hugh Masakela track and I guess I do too but it sounds incredible youtu.be/QurZ7rKqG6I?...

Hugh Masekela & Letta Mbulu- Mahlalela

YouTube video by morpolopitan

youtu.be

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Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 1d

Will I be the first to suggest the carbon offsets worked exactly as planned: they delayed real action for another 25 years

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1d

Carbon offsets fail to cut global heating due to ‘intractable’ systemic problems, study says

Analysis of 25 years of evidence shows most schemes are poor quality and fail to lower emissions The failure of carbon offsets to cut planet-heating pollution is “not due to a few bad apples”, a review paper has found, but down to deep-seated systemic problems that incremental change will not solve. Research over two decades has found “intractable” problems that have made carbon credits in most big programmes poor quality, according to the study. While the industry and diplomats have made efforts to improve the system, it found much-awaited rules agreed at a UN climate summit last year “did not substantially address the quality problem”. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Pavel @spavel.bsky.social · 21h

Flying cars are the perfect example of a point solution: trying to solve a systemic problem (traffic) with an individual product (fly over the traffic).

But traffic is not a technology problem; it's a social problem. Remote work, congestion fees, and dense transit-connected housing solve it better.

ae @aelkus.bsky.social · 22h

which then begs the question of why you want flying cars instead of whatever mass transportation equivalent you imagine

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Ethan Hein @ethanhein.bsky.social · 16h

If you need some effortless, laid-back groove, may I recommend Mississippi John Hurt youtu.be/85BvT5X6WSo?...

Mississippi John Hurt - You Got To Walk That Lonesome Valley (Live)

YouTube video by JOHNHURTVEVO

youtu.be

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vijay iyer @vijayiyer.bsky.social · 14h

“There is no justice in America, but it is the fight for justice that sustains you.”

--Amiri Baraka (10/7/1934-1/9/2014)

(blurry photo by me)

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 16h

NEW: I spoke to clergy and faith leaders who've joined protests at the Chicago-area ICE facility.

Three say they've been shot with pepper balls, sometimes while praying.

All say ICE is also violating their religious freedom, and one is arguing it in court. religionnews.com/2025/10/07/i...

Religious protesters say ICE threatens religious freedom in Chicago

(RNS) — Despite potential danger, religious leaders and faith activists have been a visible presence at Chicago-area ICE protests, some waving signs with slogans such as ‘Love thy neighbor’ and ‘Who w...

religionnews.com

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Mondoweiss @mondoweiss.net · 18h

Many in Gaza believe that Trump's "peace" plan is a ploy to get the Israeli captives released and then resume the genocide. But despite the deep skepticism, desperation to end the war is outweighing everything else.

mondoweiss.net/2025/10/they...

#Palestine #Israel

‘They’re all liars’: Gazans react to Trump’s ‘peace’ proposal and potential ceasefire

Many in Gaza believe that Trump’s “peace” plan is a ploy to get the Israeli captives released and then resume the genocide. But despite the deep skepticism, desperation to end the war is outweighing...

mondoweiss.net

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johnedwinmason @johnedwinmason.bsky.social · 17h

* As mad as a hatter.

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johnedwinmason @johnedwinmason.bsky.social · 17h

This made me smile. He's mad.*

San Francisco Chronicle @sfchronicle.com · 18h

President Trump slammed the NFL’s decision to name Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny as the 2026 Super Bowl halftime act, following a wave of conservative backlash to the league’s recent announcement.

Trump lashes out at NFL over Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl show: ‘It’s crazy’

His comments come amid conservative backlash and remarks from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem suggesting ICE agents would monitor the Bay Area event.

bit.ly

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johnedwinmason @johnedwinmason.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, you were speaking out of sheer ignorance. Don't do that. Especially about my department.

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johnedwinmason @johnedwinmason.bsky.social · 1d

You clearly don't know our department.

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Nathan Kalmoe (he/him) @nathankalmoe.bsky.social · 1d

I guess we’re at the “desegregation was bad” op-Ed’s in NYT stage of MAGA’s campaign to create Jim Crow II.

Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 1d

This oped is actually pretty bad. Caldwell claims that “the military of the 2020s has been as overburdened by the imperatives of progressivism as schools were by the duties of racial integration in the 1970s” and that Hegseth “outlined a nuanced vision of the military’s purpose” in his speech.

Opinion | That Hegseth Speech Was Actually Pretty Good

www.nytimes.com

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johnedwinmason @johnedwinmason.bsky.social · 1d

My first three cas were old Beetles. Manual everything & no AC, of course. Then I moved "up" to a Carolla station wagon. Still all-manual & no AC. 😄

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Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 1d

Peace plans cannot solely be relied on to address grave abuses in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. 30+ years of escalating repression of Palestinians as "peace processes" played out made that clear.

Trump's plan is no substitute for urgent action in Gaza.

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Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 1d

Governments urgently need to take concrete action to protect Gaza’s over two million Palestinians and the Israeli hostages.

Read more from HRW:

Israel/Palestine: States Should Act to Halt Atrocities

US President Donald Trump’s “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict,” announced on September 29, 2025, is no substitute for the urgent action governments need to take to protect civilians and sup...

www.hrw.org

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johnedwinmason @johnedwinmason.bsky.social · 1d

😄

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 1d

President Donald Trump and other high-ranking Republicans claim Democrats forced the government shutdown fight because they want to give free health care to immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

That's not true. Here are the facts.
buff.ly/chEhHMc

Fact Check: No, the Shutdown Isn't About Immigrant Health Care

President Donald Trump and other Republicans claim Democrats forced the government shutdown over giving free health care to immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

www.mississippifreepress.org

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