Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇 @maralina.bsky.social · 12h

Vote for people and policies, not parties. And for heck’s sake get money out of politics.

Put people over party and profit in the midterms - Opinion

With all three branches of the government controlled by the Republican party, there is no denying who bears the primary responsibility for the lawlessness and terror (never mind the complete governmen...

www.smilepolitely.com

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Reposted by Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇

Meredith Shiner @meredithshiner.com · 17h

“Let Republicans have the literal blood of American citizens on their hands—and make that the central issue of the shutdown. Otherwise, enjoy having your health care subsidy debate in the gulags these people would happily send us all to. I hear that poll-tests great.”

The Case for the Forever Shutdown

Senate Democrats actually allowing the GOP to stop funding the government is only the first step. Now they have to make the case that Trump’s government is illegitimate.

newrepublic.com

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Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇 @maralina.bsky.social · 17h

And you’re helping amplify the perception that it’s biased by reporting that it’s news rather than ignoring it as the whining of an anti-education, ignorant jerk who is vocally supporting pedophiles and authoritarianism.

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Reposted by Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇

Karly Kingsley @karlykingsley.bsky.social · 1d

All these headlines saying “Bondi Goes on the Attack.” Really? She wasn’t in the octagon, she’s a public servant who was at an oversight hearing. Her job was to answer questions. She refused to do her job. Stop glamorizing and whitewashing this moronic, performative bullshit.

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John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 1d

Um, ICE just coldly shot an unarmed PRIEST in the head w a pepper ball when he (and everyone around him) clearly posed no threat.

For the crime of … complaining about government policy.

Core 1A speech.

With cameras rolling, they’re sniping priests for sport.

Kurt @flglchicago.bsky.social · 1d

Here’s video of the incident

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Joyce White Vance @joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 1d

Looking for one thing you can do right now to help protect the right to vote? It will only take a few minutes, and you can share it with all of your friends. joycevance.substack.com/p/a-thing-yo...

A Thing You Can Do Right Now To Help Protect The Right To Vote

The U.S.

joycevance.substack.com

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Biodiversity Heritage Library @biodivlibrary.bsky.social · 1d

We're going a bit batty in celebration of #BatAppreciationMonth. Archibald Thorburn's "British Mammals" (1920-1921) contains some of our favorite bat #SciArt in #BHLib. Check it out thanks to #FieldMuseum
➡️ www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48418555 #BatMonth 🦇 🧪

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Reposted by Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇

Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 1d

Someone should start asking why we’re hearing and seeing Stephen Miller so much all of a sudden.

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Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇 @maralina.bsky.social · 1d

Our bat of the day is the fancily named Pipistrellus etula, a species only recently discovered by PhD student Laura Torrent at the BiBio Research Group. The name "etula" honors the inhabitants of its native Bioko Island and means "god of the island" in Bantu, the local language. tinyurl.com/pipetula

Photo of a small brown bat clinging to a piece of wood. Bat has darker brown wints and ears and a fuzzy body.

Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇 @maralina.bsky.social · 2d

a young boy says he is a butthead in a netflix advertisement

ALT: a young boy says he is a butthead in a netflix advertisement

media.tenor.com

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Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇 @maralina.bsky.social · 2d

big bird is riding in a carriage pulled by a horse .

ALT: big bird is riding in a carriage pulled by a horse .

media.tenor.com

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Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇 @maralina.bsky.social · 2d

We really need a law that makes it illegal for elected officials to knowingly lie. And for media calling itself news that is actually opinion be forced to carry a warning label as such. I’m all for free speech but disinformation has gotten so out of hand and there seems to be no legal recourse.

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Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇 @maralina.bsky.social · 2d

Today's bat photo comes from The Hindu newspaper and features a tree with my favorite of all bats-- the Indian Flying Fox! Because I'm sure I'll share more photos today's extra tidbit is that I used to see them flying at dusk outside my flat in Kolkata and they do look like chihuahuas with wings!

Photo of a tree from The Hindu newspaper featuring large bats roosting upside down in the branches.

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Sunkissed Peaks @sunkissedpeaks.bsky.social · 3d

🤪

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Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇 @maralina.bsky.social · 3d

Today’s bat pic comes from the Nevada Department of Wildlife and features the super speedy Mexican Free-Tailed Bat. Eat your heart out cheetahs, these lil friends can reach speeds of up to 100mph on wing power alone. If you ever visit the Bracken Bat Cave you’d see 15-20 million of them 😍

Photo from the Nevada Department of Wildlife showing a Mexican Free-Tailed Bat. Bat is brown and facing camera with wings mostly open. His mouth is open and he has large, prominent ears.

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Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇 @maralina.bsky.social · 4d

Meanwhile in the US the President is declaring war against…America? On the one hand using all our resources against ourselves makes us vulnerable to foreign adversaries. On the other hand they don’t need to attack us because we’re already gonna kick our own ass thank you very much. ‘Murica.

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Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇 @maralina.bsky.social · 4d

That’s no bat that’s a North American Jackkkass and I’m going to need a content warning to have such an odious face appear in my feed.

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Mychal Threets @mychal3ts.bsky.social · 4d

Reading Rainbow… is back! 🥹

This LeVar Burton/Reading Rainbow raised human is feeling all of the library joy. We hope your kids believe they belong in books, just like you ✨

Take a look, it’s in a book 📚🌈🦋🌌
youtu.be/gHAIjSkmnYI?...

No Cats In The Library 🐱📚 | Reading Rainbow 📖 🌈 | Full Episode | @Kidzuko

YouTube video by Kidzuko

youtu.be

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Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇 @maralina.bsky.social · 4d

Today we appreciate one of Illinois’ native bats, the little brown bat. They eat lots of insects. Sadly, due to the spread of white-nose syndrome the population has decreased by over 90% putting them at risk. Read about some cool research at Illinois to save these cuties. tinyurl.com/lilbrownbat

Photo of a little brown bat from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Shows a bat with wings outspread, flying in front of a black background. Bat somehow looks determined.

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Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇 @maralina.bsky.social · 5d

And he brings a background as an Army Veteran and a cancer researcher from the University of Illinois. And most importantly, he apparently has three dogs?!? Anyway guess I’ll get over my aversion to strangers and maybe go with a group to knock on some doors and help out.

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Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇 @maralina.bsky.social · 5d

But also I really liked Dylan. His platform prioritizes people over corporations and profit. He talked about taxing billionaires, getting money out of politics, and standing up for immigrants and trans/LGBTQ rights. He spoke directly and thoughtfully.

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Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇 @maralina.bsky.social · 5d

I like this model of campaign event - sort of a cultural salon on a pressing issue with a local expert. Apparently these will be monthly and I’m excited to attend more and learn. Also who doesn’t love an excuse to go to The Lit?

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Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇 @maralina.bsky.social · 5d

Attended a talk on People > AI at my local indie bookstore which was also a campaign event for a progressive, grassroots candidate @dylanthomasblaha.bsky.social to primary against the very disappointing Nikki Budzinski for Congress in my district. 🧵

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Reposted by Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇

Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 5d

NEW: ICE is planning to hire a team of nearly 30 people to surveil social media 24/7, build dossiers on people, and flag them for arrest and deportation. @dell.bsky.social has the scoop: www.wired.com/story/ice-so...

ICE Wants to Build Out a 24/7 Social Media Surveillance Team

Documents show ICE plans to hire dozens of contractors to scan X, Facebook, TikTok, and other platforms to target people for deportation.

www.wired.com

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Mara Thacker 🏳️‍🌈🦇 @maralina.bsky.social · 5d

It's Bat Appreciation Month! To celebrate, I'm gonna try to share a bat a day. I'm three days late, but better late than never. Plus, I appreciate bats 24/7, 365. First up, here's a great image of bats from the Biodiversity Heritage Library which is currently directed by @treiceratops.bsky.social!

Drawing of bats from 1870 from the Biodiversity Heritage Library collections. There are three large bats in the foreground, hanging upside down and then several smaller bats in background. Drawings are in black. Bat in the middle has wings cutely closely around his body, the top bat is sort of climging a branch, and bottom most bat looks like he's scratching an itch.

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