Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Logan Jaffe @loganjaffe.bsky.social · 1d

@robertloerzel.bsky.social did a fantastic deep dive into Dunning a while back. We went out to the former hospital site and did video interviews with people trying to keep the memory of the place alive.

www.wbez.org/curious-city...

The Story Of Dunning, A 'Tomb For The Living'

In both life and death, the people who ended up at the notorious asylum and poor farm were some of Chicago’s least fortunate residents.

www.wbez.org

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Logan Jaffe @loganjaffe.bsky.social · 1d

On Chicago’s NW side from 1854 to 1970 there was a “civil commitment and forced medical care” institution called Dunning Asylum, later the Chicago State Hospital.

People realized during construction in the 1990s they were building on mass graves of poor and mentally ill people.

There is precedent.

NPR @npr.org · 1d

President Trump says one part of the answer to homelessness is civil commitment and forced medical care. Some Democrats agree.

Some Democrats share Trump's goal of forcing more homeless people into medical care

President Trump says one part of the answer to homelessness is civil commitment and forced medical care. Some Democrats agree.

n.pr

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Logan Jaffe @loganjaffe.bsky.social · 2d

I just …

A trucker at the shop called 911 as workers frantically grabbed blue shop towels and patches to place on her wounds, the manager said. The shop manager called 911 and said, "Send somebody quick because this lady is bleeding profusely. ... I mean, it was instant puddles."
Police and paramedics showed up a few minutes later, he said. As paramedics placed tourniquets on Martinez's leg and arm, a bullet fell out of her arm and onto the shop's floor, the manager said. She left in an ambulance. FBI investigators then arrived and placed red tape around the area where Martinez had sat and around her car, the manager said.
They processed the scene for half an hour, then the shop workers cleaned up the blood, he said.

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Heather Cherone @heathercherone.bsky.social · 2d

Pritzker is also furious: “Should National Governors Association leadership choose to remain silent, Illinois will have no choice but to withdraw from the organization.”

Gov. JB Pritzker’s letter to the National Governors Association

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NEH Union - AFGE L3403 @nehafge3403.bsky.social · 7d

85% of the National Endowment for the Humanities' Council were abruptly fired this morning. Four members remain to weigh in on all grant recommendations. #NEH

"I just fear that there will not be that kind of discourse anymore. There will be one perspective." - Karen A. Stout

🎁: wapo.st/3IRQBdg

Jonathan L. Fischer @jonfischer.bsky.social · 7d

NEWS: White House fires much of the National Council on the Humanities www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...

White House fires much of the National Council on the Humanities

The White House appeared to fire all but four members of the National Council on the Humanities, an advisory board to the head of the government’s grantmaking agency.

www.washingtonpost.com

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The TRiiBE @thetriibe.com · 8d

NEW — An estimated 40 people were taken by federal agents in an overnight raid in South Shore, a predominantly-Black neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side.

A couple who live nearby said they were shocked to see the enormous militarized raid in their community.

thetriibe.com/2025/09/feds...

Feds detain dozens of immigrants in 'massive' South Shore apartment building raid in Chicago • The TRiiBE

An estimated 40 people were taken by federal agents in the course of the overnight raid in the predominately-Black neighborhood.

thetriibe.com

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Equal Justice Initiative @eji.org · 9d

In 1890, U.S. troops massacred over 250 women, men, and children at Wounded Knee. This week, the U.S. Secretary of Defense announced that the soldiers who carried out the massacre will keep their Medals of Honor, which many have said should be rescinded.

Dishonoring Native Americans in 2025

U.S. troops who massacred 250 Lakota to keep Medals of Honor.

eji.org

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Reposted by Logan Jaffe

Jesse Coburn @jessecoburn.bsky.social · 9d

New: four million people could be forced to leave public housing and other federally assisted housing under new plans from the Trump administration, according to experts who reviewed drafts of two unpublished rules obtained by @propublica.org.

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Jesse Coburn @jessecoburn.bsky.social · 9d

The rules from the Department of Housing and Urban Development would allow major changes to public housing and Section 8 vouchers:

- full-time work requirements
- 2-year time limits
- stripping aid from whole families if one member is in the country illegally

www.propublica.org/article/trum...

Millions Could Lose Housing Aid Under Trump Plan

Drafts of unpublished rules obtained by ProPublica detail plans that would open the door to full-time work requirements, two-year limits on living in federally supported housing and stripping aid from...

www.propublica.org

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Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 12d

New:

Kristi Noem fast-tracked millions in disaster aid to Naples, Florida tourist attraction after campaign donor intervened

www.propublica.org/article/kris...

w/ @josh-kaplan.bsky.social @amierjeski.bsky.social

Kristi Noem Fast-Tracked Millions in Disaster Aid to Florida Tourist Attraction After Campaign Donor Intervened

The DHS chief has been widely criticized for slowing down FEMA’s response after natural disasters. Texts and emails obtained by ProPublica point to an effective way to get help faster: have one of Noe...

www.propublica.org

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Robert Loerzel @robertloerzel.bsky.social · 13d

3 School Districts to Lose $65 Million Over Gender and D.E.I. Policies. The federal Education Department accused New York, Chicago and Fairfax, Va., of discrimination and said it would pull federal funds from their magnet schools. (gift link) www.nytimes.com/2025/09/25/n...

3 School Districts to Lose $65 Million Over Gender and D.E.I. Policies

www.nytimes.com

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The TRiiBE @thetriibe.com · 14d

NEW — Video footage posted to Facebook shows an arrest outside of the Cook County criminal courthouse in Chicago at 2650 S. California Ave.

The video shows federal agents stuffing a person in a vehicle as their feet kick in distress.

thetriibe.com/2025/09/prot...

Feds stuff man in SUV during arrest outside of courthouse in Little Village • The TRiiBE

Here’s a roundup of federal agent sightings today, Sept. 24.

thetriibe.com

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Logan Jaffe @loganjaffe.bsky.social · 14d

📣 Our training on how journalists can use history research skills is tomorrow (Thursday 9/25) at 1 pm central time! We have 100+ RSVPs, which thrills me.

Still time to register and submit questions.

Logan Jaffe @loganjaffe.bsky.social · 29d

Hello! I’m co-leading a free virtual training with Laura Kebede-Twumasi on September 25 for journalists and storytellers who want more insight into how to effectively use history in your work. Come? Let’s meet the moment together.

RSVP:
tinyurl.com/y4ztpmb7

In collab w/
@raceandequityproject.org ✨

A graphic with an event title and two headshots of reporters/public historians invites the public to join a training September 25 about how journalists can use history in their work.

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Logan Jaffe @loganjaffe.bsky.social · 15d

➕ the story tip page as advertised: www.propublica.org/tips/

How to Contact ProPublica or Send a Tip Securely — ProPublica

Our job is to hold people and institutions accountable. To do that, we need evidence.

www.propublica.org

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Logan Jaffe @loganjaffe.bsky.social · 15d

Hell yes. And if you want to get @propublica.org’s next big story directly, subscribe to our Big Story newsletter:

💌 www.propublica.org/newsletters/...

Chris Bing @chrisbing.bsky.social · 15d

Seen on the DC metro:

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 15d

-cutting 10s of millions of $s for more than 50 autism-related studies

-rolling back protections from air pollution, which studies link to autism

-reversing bans on chemicals, including TCE, also linked to autism

-Ending her autism research & gov career 👇

www.propublica.org/article/rfk-...

RFK Jr. Vowed to Find the Environmental Causes of Autism. Then He Shut Down Research Trying to Do Just That.

While touting a $50 million initiative to identify the causes of autism, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is helping lead an administration that is rolling back protections against pollution and toxic chemicals,...

www.propublica.org

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 15d

Trump repeatedly expressed his concern about autism yesterday when he told pregnant women not to take Tylenol.

The research on Tylenol is mixed, some studies show an association, some don't.

It's worth noting how his administration has undermined autism science

www.propublica.org/article/rfk-...

RFK Jr. Vowed to Find the Environmental Causes of Autism. Then He Shut Down Research Trying to Do Just That.

While touting a $50 million initiative to identify the causes of autism, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is helping lead an administration that is rolling back protections against pollution and toxic chemicals,...

www.propublica.org

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Adam Isacson @adamisacson.com · 21d

The Trump-Miller administration's single-minded focus on migration is starting to impact the availability of drugs in the US, according to this detail from a very good investigation @wsj.com published today.

www.wsj.com/world/americ...

Oseguera caught another break from the Trump administration. The president’s campaign to deport immigrants in the U.S. illegally has taken federal agents away from drug-traffic interdiction. In Arizona, two Customs and Border Protection checkpoints along a main fentanyl-smuggling corridor from Mexico have been left unstaffed. Officers stationed there were sent to process detained migrants. A senior administration official said the U.S. border is more secure than it has ever been.

Colombia is producing records amounts of cocaine, and the volume of the drug arriving in the U.S. is driving down prices, the people familiar with cartel operations said.

Cocaine prices have fallen by nearly half to around $60 to $75 a gram compared with five years ago, said Morgan Godvin, a researcher with the community organization Drug Checking Los Angeles. “The price of pure cocaine has plummeted,” Godvin said.

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Lauren FitzPatrick @bylaurenfitz.bsky.social · 23d

Man fatally shot by ICE in Franklin Park had just dropped off his child at school, Rep. Delia Ramirez says chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/09...

Man fatally shot by ICE in Franklin Park had just dropped off his child at school, Rep. Delia Ramirez says

Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez was formally identified Saturday by the Cook County medical examiner's office. Ramirez and others are demanding an investigation into what happened.

chicago.suntimes.com

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Logan Jaffe @loganjaffe.bsky.social · 23d

“ARC has previously told the government to not reveal to the public where this passenger data came from, which includes peoples’ names, full flight itineraries, and financial details.”

Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 23d

New from 404 Media: airlines are selling *5 billion* ticketing records to the government for warrantless searching, per new docs we obtained. ARC is a data broker owned by United, American, Delta, etc. Then sells peoples' travel info to ICE, Secret Service, FBI etc www.404media.co/airlines-sel...

Airlines Sell 5 Billion Plane Ticket Records to the Government For Warrantless Searching

New documents obtained by 404 Media show how a data broker owned by American Airlines, United, Delta, and many other airlines is selling masses of passenger data to the U.S. government.

www.404media.co

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WBEZ @wbez.org · 25d

From "What if ICE comes to my workplace?" to "What parents should know about sending kids to school?" we've assembled a series of explainers to help you make sense of what’s happening in Chicago.

What to know about immigration enforcement in Chicago: Explainers and resources

As the Sun-Times and WBEZ report on this moment in the Chicago area, we’ve assembled a series of explainers to help you make sense of what’s happening. This collection will be updated as new reporting is published.

trib.al

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Logan Jaffe @loganjaffe.bsky.social · 24d

This is such a great and helpful response. Thank you. I’ll be sure to include these distinctions between libraries and archives! Also, wait, dumpster dived negatives?! Sending you all of the luck and patience

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Logan Jaffe @loganjaffe.bsky.social · 25d

Archivists: what are some things you wish journalists better understood about archives and about your work?

Putting together a training in a couple weeks.

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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 27d

abcnews.go.com/amp/US/multi...

Multiple HBCUs under lockdown after receiving threats amid rising campus security concerns

At least six historically Black colleges enacted lockdowns after receiving threats, amid heightened concerns following recent campus violence at Utah Valley University.

abcnews.go.com

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Logan Jaffe @loganjaffe.bsky.social · 29d

Hello! I’m co-leading a free virtual training with Laura Kebede-Twumasi on September 25 for journalists and storytellers who want more insight into how to effectively use history in your work. Come? Let’s meet the moment together.

RSVP:
tinyurl.com/y4ztpmb7

In collab w/
@raceandequityproject.org ✨

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