Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Scholars Strategy Network-Maine @mainessn.bsky.social · 3d

One of Maine SSN’s newest members, Lucy Britt (Assistant Professor of Politics at Bates College), has a letter to the editor in the Bangor Daily News on why Q1 is about much more than voter ID—it would make absentee voting harder for many Mainers.

Letter: Save absentee voting

"Voting yes on Question 1 means voting to make it harder for elderly and homebound Mainers to get their absentee ballots."

www.bangordailynews.com

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Scholars Strategy Network-Maine @mainessn.bsky.social · 5d

Maine SSN's Amy Fried shows why Question 1 is about much more than “voter ID” — it would restrict absentee voting, eliminate phone requests, cut early-vote days, and more.
Read in the BDN: www.bangordailynews.com/2025/10/01/o...

Opinion: Question 1 is about much more than voter ID

“If the proponents wanted a referendum solely on photo ID, they could have written legislation accordingly. Instead, after getting the bill title they wanted for petitions, they added many absentee vo...

www.bangordailynews.com

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Scholars Strategy Network-Maine @mainessn.bsky.social · 5d

Maine SSN's @rlarochelle.bsky.social argues that the Trump administration is actively unraveling LBJ’s Great Society — cutting back on popular health, education, and social safety net programs built over decades.
Read his full op-ed in the BDN ⬇️
www.bangordailynews.com/2025/09/26/o...

Opinion: LBJ’s Great Society is being unraveled

"Johnson’s ambitious programs generated significant backlash. Ever since the 1970s, Republicans have tried to roll back many elements of his Great Society."

www.bangordailynews.com

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Scholars Strategy Network-Maine @mainessn.bsky.social · 5d

👏 Congrats to chapter member Mara Casey Tieken (Bates College) on being named a 2025–26 SSN Media Fellow! Casey Tieken's work focuses on racial and educational equity in rural schools.

She’ll work with mentors to sharpen media skills and enrich public conversations on these topics with research.

A picture of seven scholars from around the country who have been chosen by the organization Scholars Strategy Network to serve as "Media Fellows" in the 2025-2026 Academic Year. Circular cropped photos against a composite background of newspapers. For more information visit: www.scholars.org/media-fellowship

Scholars Strategy Network-Maine @mainessn.bsky.social · 5d

Our chapter member Amy Fried explains how Maine’s Question 1 would restrict voter access — from tighter mail ballot rules to fewer drop boxes. 📉

Read her op-ed in the @PressHerald: www.pressherald.com/2025/10/03/r...

Research shows Question 1 would harm Maine voters | Opinion

There's a lot more to the Nov. 4 referendum question than simply presenting identification to vote.

www.pressherald.com

Scholars Strategy Network-Maine @mainessn.bsky.social · 19d

The Maine Scholars Strategy Network has been named the 2025 “Best Chapter” Award winner by the national organization, chosen from 38 chapters nationwide. 🏆

Thanks to all our amazing members who make this work possible! 👏

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Scholars Strategy Network-Maine @mainessn.bsky.social · 24d

Maine @scholars.org member Daniel Bryant has a piece in the
@bangordailynews.bsky.social this week examining Maine's urgent need for a single-payer health care system. Check it out at the link below.

Single-payer system could help Mainers avoid rising health care costs

“Forty percent of Mainers struggle with medical debt, according to Consumers for Affordable Health Care.”

www.bangordailynews.com

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Scholars Strategy Network-Maine @mainessn.bsky.social · Aug 22

What do you call a group of loons? Maine @scholars.org co-leader Rob Glover and Amanda Sohns say it’s time to retire “asylum” and embrace something that captures their drama and grace: "opera."

Their @bangordailynews.bsky.social op-ed dives into the power of language, history, and why words matter.

Opinion: An opera of loons

"'Asylum' is not some quaint, Victorian word. It conjures up trauma of loved ones lost to systems that saw them as problems to be contained rather than people deserving of care."

www.bangordailynews.com

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Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · Jul 31

Wow. A group of top scholars at Harvard just sent a letter to its president, Alan Garber, warning against surrendering to Trump.

Signatories include Steven Levitsky, Dani Rodrik, Ryan Enos, Theda Skocpol, and Steven Walt.

Someone forwarded it to me. Read it here:

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Joshua Goodman @joshua-goodman.com · Jul 31

Now that the federal government is severely curtailing investments in science and education, state governments will need to step up.

This announcement from @massgovernor.bsky.social is a great development.

www.nytimes.com/live/2025/07...

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Scholars Strategy Network-Maine @mainessn.bsky.social · Jul 31

In today’s @bangordailynews.bsky.social, Andrew Hudacs of @umaine.bsky.social Cooperative Extension lays out why Maine should invest more in youth agricultural programs — not just to grow future farmers, but to build stronger, healthier communities.

Opinion: Maine can harvest more benefits from youth in agriculture

"Even if youth aren’t interested in an agriculture-based career, self employment for a few months or years can develop career-ready skills."

www.bangordailynews.com

Scholars Strategy Network-Maine @mainessn.bsky.social · Jul 29

Maine @scholars.org member Sandy Butler has an op-ed in @pressherald.com today which maps out the likely impact of Trump's budget bill on low-income and older Mainers.

Trump’s big bill is not the least bit beautiful | Opinion

In Maine, the impacts will be especially harsh for low-income and older adults.

www.pressherald.com

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Scholars Strategy Network @scholars.org · Jul 24

"Attacks on university research put at risk one of government's highest-return investments."

In this op-ed, SSN Board Member Ian Simmons writes about the governments recent involvement in #HigherEd and how academic freedom is crucial for long-term economic growth.

Read more in @forbes.com. ⤵️

The Business And Economic Case For Academic Freedom

Academic freedom fuels U.S. innovation and economic growth. Political interference risks undermining our universities—and America's global competitive edge.

www.forbes.com

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Scholars Strategy Network @scholars.org · Jul 25

Gun violence is down, thanks in part to policies that address its root causes. In this No Jargon episode, @daniel-semenza.bsky.social (@njgvrc.bsky.social) explains what’s working, what’s at risk, and why cutting federal support could reverse progress.

🎙️ Listen now: scholars.org/podcast/drop...

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Scholars Strategy Network-Maine @mainessn.bsky.social · Jul 28

Maine @scholars.org member Amy Blackstone was featured on @wmtwchannel8.bsky.social (picked up by @MSN) discussing declining birthrates in the US and ways to address demographic decline that do not involve individuals having more children.
www.msn.com/en-us/health...

MSN

www.msn.com

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Miranda Yaver @mirandayaver.bsky.social · Jul 18

This NYT analysis of rising prescription drug denials by health insurers aligns closely w/ findings from my forthcoming book Coverage Denied. Prescription drugs were one of the two biggest categories of denials I observed, and many physicians spoke to recent increases www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/h...

Health Insurers Are Denying More Drug Claims, Data Shows

www.nytimes.com

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Scholars Strategy Network @scholars.org · Jul 18

"Trump revels in using U.S. power, but he doesn’t quite understand where it comes from."

In this op-ed, Hal Brands writes about #foreignpolicy under the #Trump administration and the three problems with it.

Read more in @pilotonline.com ⤵️

Column: Trump is opening a new chapter in US foreign policy

Hal Brands is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and the Henry Kissinger Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.

www.pilotonline.com

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Scholars Strategy Network @scholars.org · Jul 15

Gun violence rates are down across the U.S. In our latest No Jargon podcast episode, @daniel-semenza.bsky.social explains what's working to keep these rates down and what we stand to lose as federal support for violence prevention is rolled back. #GunPolicy

🎧 Listen. ⤵️
scholars.org/podcast/real...

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Scholars Strategy Network-Maine @mainessn.bsky.social · Jul 11

The @bangordailynews.bsky.social spoke w/ UMaine criminologist and Maine @scholars.org member Karyn Sporer about a digitally altered photo shared by Westbrook, Maine police department.

Maine police department to update social media policy after publishing edited photo

The department said it used a photo-editing app to add the department’s patch to the picture, which then altered other aspects of the photo.

www.bangordailynews.com

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Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · Jul 6

I’m not exactly sure how Ben finds the time to compile this and put it together every week, but I’m honored to be included!

Ben Railton @americanstudier.bsky.social · Jul 6

It’s appropriate that, on this especially fraught holiday weekend, my 232nd #ScholarSunday thread is my longest yet, full of so much public scholarly writing, podcasts, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Add more below, share widely, & enjoy! 🗃️

americanstudier.substack.com/p/scholarsun...

#ScholarSunday Thread 232

Published on July 6, 2025

americanstudier.substack.com

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Brad Johnson @climatebrad.hillheat.com · Jul 6

The Austin/San Antonio NWS warning coordination meteorologist, Paul Yura, was DOGEd in April.

"Yura’s final date of employment, April 30, comes just before severe weather season in Central Texas typically peaks in the month of May."

h/t @theiconoclast.bsky.social

Head of local weather warnings takes early retirement as NOAA cuts continue

Yura has over 32 years experience, spending more than half of his career at the NWS Austin/San Antonio office.

www.kxan.com

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Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · Jul 4

My colleague @mirandayaver.bsky.social has a new piece out in @thelancet.com Regional Health on Trump's first 100 days. Short form: it's a disaster for all of us. Keep writing. Telling the truth. History depends on us. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Trump's second presidency begins: evaluating effects on the US health system

The first hundred days of the second Trump administration was unprecedented, with the administration taking remarkably aggressive, often questionably …

www.sciencedirect.com

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Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · Jul 1

My incredible former student Kate Flynn and I have an article in TIME Magazine today about the importance of keeping the military out of partisan political battles, based on our research on Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen. A short thread: time.com/7296041/non-...

Why a Non-Partisan U.S. Military is Essential

When partisanship threatened to politicize the military, a Republican helped maintain the military’s legitimacy.

time.com

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Scholars Strategy Network @scholars.org · Jul 3

Millions of families are currently left out of the #CTC and #EITC and Congress’s budget bill could leave even more behind. In this op-ed, @kelleyfong.bsky.social explains why these tax credits are essential tools in the fight against child poverty.

Learn more in @thefulcrum-us.bsky.social:

Tax Changes in the Federal Budget Bill Are a Disaster for Many Orange County Families

Tax changes in the budget reconciliation bill currently under consideration by the U.S. Senate will exclude many Orange County children and families from vital tax credits—credits shown to improve…

thefulcrum.us

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Scholars Strategy Network-Maine @mainessn.bsky.social · Jul 1

In @time.com, Maine SSN-er Ryan LaRochelle and recent @umaine.bsky.social graduate Kate Flynn argue that keeping the military out of partisan politics is vital to democracy. They look back to Sec. Cohen during the Clinton era—and warn what Trump’s recent moves could mean.

Why a Non-Partisan U.S. Military is Essential

When partisanship threatened to politicize the military, a Republican helped maintain the military’s legitimacy.

time.com

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