Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Juan Meza @mathsciprof.bsky.social · Aug 8

Some feel-good news on the science front. The excitement in the kids face on finding the anemone was inspiring www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/w...

A Starfish, a President and a Deep-Sea Frenzy in Argentina

www.nytimes.com

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Juan Meza @mathsciprof.bsky.social · Aug 4

One can only hope this is just a temporary setback but the parallels to other countries that have gone this route are just too close for comfort.

The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · Aug 3

The rapid decline of American science has few precedents in history, argues @rossandersen.bsky.social. We are witnessing an unparalleled act of self-sabotage:

How Scientific Empires End

And what it means for America

bit.ly

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Juan Meza @mathsciprof.bsky.social · Aug 4

“This is the kind of thing you would only expect to see in a banana republic,” Ms. Yellen said.

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/03/b...

Trump Fired America’s Economic Data Collector. History Shows the Perils.

www.nytimes.com

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Juan Meza @mathsciprof.bsky.social · Jul 18

Where there’s smoke there’s usually fire. @warren.senate.gov

Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov · Jul 18

CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump – a deal that looks like bribery.

America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.

Watch and share his message.

Reposted by Juan Meza

Peter Kuper @pkuper.bsky.social · Jul 18

@tomtomorrow.bsky.social @rubenbolling.bsky.social
First they come for the comedians, then the cartoonist. Kings fear being laughed at. We have a funny bone to pick with/without a smile on our faces #Colbert #Kimmel #SethMeyers #DailyShow

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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · Jul 18

Breaking news: “The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert will end in May 2026, CBS said in a statement.

The announcement came days after Colbert spoke out against the $16 million paid earlier this month by Paramount, the parent company of CBS News.

Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ canceled by CBS, to end in May 2026

CBS said in a statement that it was “purely a financial decision.” The show launched with Colbert as host, executive producer and writer a decade ago.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Kate Knibbs @knibbs.bsky.social · Jul 15

this is an absolute must-read story; after you read it, i recommend reading my story last week on how even the emergency food that the state dept has pledged to help distribute is also.... not getting distributed www.wired.com/story/usaid-...

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Alan Kotok @technewslit.journa.host.ap.brid.gy · Jul 15

NPR and PBS are national treasures. Let's keep them funded.

https://www.press.org/freedom-center

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Juan Meza @mathsciprof.bsky.social · Jul 15

When a Supreme Court Justice says, “the threat to our Constitution’s separation of powers is grave.” it should be a great cause for concern

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · Jul 14

Breaking news: A divided Supreme Court cleared the way for now for the Trump administration to sharply shrink the Education Department, one of the cornerstones of the president’s efforts to radically downsize the federal government.

Supreme Court allows deep cuts at Education Department for now

A lower-court ruling had prevented Trump officials from slashing about half of the Education Department’s more than 4,100 workers.

www.washingtonpost.com

Juan Meza @mathsciprof.bsky.social · Jul 14

Fingers crossed. Then again I’m just an eternal optimist 😁

Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · Jul 14

🧪 CRITICAL UPDATE: The House draft version is now out.

✅ Like the Senate's version, there's no cut to NASA's budget.

❌ There's a 23% proposed cut to NSF's budget.

8-page summary: appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-su...

Draft bill: appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-su...

Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · Jul 10

🧪 BREAKING (good news): Senate subcommittee says NO! to Trump's proposed slashes to NASA & NSF funding.

Today, the subcommittee said to keep NASA + NSF funding at $33.9 billion, the same as in FY24.

See 7:15 below. Full Senate appropriations committee meets tomorrow about it.

🧵 1/3

Reposted by Juan Meza

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · Jul 14

REMINDER - Pittsburgh, this is TOMORROW!

We hope to see you there!

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · Jul 12

📣PROTEST ALERT!📍Pittsburgh, join us TUESDAY, JULY 15 at Forbes & Bigelow blvd for a rally & march!

Trump & fossil fuel execs arrive at Carnegie Mellon for Energy & AI Summit, using CMU to boost their image while selling out PA’s future.

Students & locals say: not on our campus, not in our name.

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WIRED @wired.com · Jul 13

Disinformation around a “weather weapon” and cloud seeding is being widely promoted by everyone from anti-government extremists to GOP influencers in the wake of the Texas floods—leading to real-world consequences.

Conspiracy Theories About the Texas Floods Lead to Death Threats

Disinformation around a “weather weapon” and cloud seeding is being widely promoted by everyone from anti-government extremists to GOP influencers—leading to real-world consequences.

wrd.cm

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Juan Meza @mathsciprof.bsky.social · Jul 12

It’s good to see that one branch of the government is doing its job. Or at least trying to. Maybe there’s some hope.

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Opinion | ‘Egregious.’ ‘Brazen.’ ‘Lawless.’ How 48 Judges Describe Trump’s Actions, in Their Own Words

Dozens of judges, appointed by presidents of both parties, have stood up to the administration’s lawlessness.

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Juan Meza

George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · Jul 11

Recently, my book THEY CALLED US ENEMY was banned – again – in Tennessee. Book bans are out of control. Huge parts of American history are being restricted. To join me in standing up for the freedom to read, go to pen.org/action. @penamerica.bsky.social @topshelfcomix.bsky.social @idwpublishing.com

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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · Jul 10

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said Thursday that the “state of our democracy” keeps her up at night, echoing a theme that has animated some of her recent public appearances and fiery dissents from recent decisions.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson says she fears for U.S. democracy

The justice has emerged as one of the court’s sharpest critics, issuing more dissents than any colleague during the Supreme Court term that ended last month.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Brian Piercy is caffeinated for your safety. @brianpiercy.bsky.social · Jul 9

“the Weather Service employee whose job it was to make sure those warnings got traction — Paul Yura, the long-serving meteorologist in charge of “warning coordination” — had recently taken an unplanned early retirement amid cuts pushed by DOGE. He was not replaced.”

Opinion | As the Texas Floodwaters Rose, One Indispensable Voice Was Silent

www.nytimes.com

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Juan Meza @mathsciprof.bsky.social · Jul 11

Nice piece on the dangers of LLMs. I liked the description as “plausibility engines” and not “truth seekers” or “reasoning machines”

zeynep tufekci @zey.bsky.social · Jul 11

I wrote about Grok going "MechaHitler" over at X, and the need to view LLMs correctly: as remarkably powerful plausibility engines.

Their AGI marketing and the strong inclination to project human qualities to anything that can speak is misleading us.

NYT gift link:

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/o...

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Juan Meza @mathsciprof.bsky.social · Jul 6

Another nice piece by Prof Strogatz, this time on the connection between triangular numbers and CAT scans.
How a Puzzle About Fractions Got Brain Scans Rolling www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

How a Puzzle About Fractions Got Brain Scans Rolling

A story of bowling pins, patterns and medical miracles.

www.nytimes.com

Juan Meza @mathsciprof.bsky.social · Jul 2

Let’s not pretend any more that the GOP is the fiscally conservative Party.

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/u...

Republican Bill Puts Nation on New, More Perilous Fiscal Path

www.nytimes.com

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Juan Meza @mathsciprof.bsky.social · Jun 26

Really nice article on the history of the recent events in LA and the use of the National Guard to quell demonstrations, to quote "the militarization of policing in Los Angeles opens important questions about democracy and state violence." theconversation.com/the-use-of-f...

The use of federal troops to quell Los Angeles protests recalls militarized law enforcement during the Civil Rights Movement

During Jim Crow segregation, political leaders used domestic military power to preserve the interests of racial authoritarians.

theconversation.com

Juan Meza @mathsciprof.bsky.social · Jun 26

One small step for man. One large step for science.

Science Magazine @science.org · Jun 25

Breaking news: The National Institutes of Health has ceased terminating grants on politically sensitive topics after a federal judge ruled last week that the cancellations were illegal.
scim.ag/4l9MO8Y

Following court order, NIH ceases new terminations of politically sensitive grants

After a judge told agency to restore hundreds of killed grants, NIH backs off plans to cancel more existing projects

scim.ag

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LorennaCleary.bsky.social @lorennacleary.bsky.social · Jun 26

In Washington protesters fighting to save their #Medicaid were arrested today.

Story in next post/

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Juan Meza @mathsciprof.bsky.social · Jun 26

Well so much for transparency: “The scale of canceled or withheld funds remains opaque.”

Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · Jun 26

Beyond today's annexation of the NSF building, this new budget detail in WaPo is also 🤯 and needs investigation:

"So far this year, [NSF] has received only $6.5 billion of the congressionally appropriated $9 billion that it is supposed to spend on research"

www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Since Trump’s inauguration, the National Science Foundation has awarded about half as many grants as it did in the same period in 2024, according to a Post analysis of the NSF database. The agency has terminated about 1,700 grants in the past few weeks and slowed new funding to a trickle, according to public records, internal data obtained by The Post and an employee familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

So far this year, the agency has received only $6.5 billion of the congressionally appropriated $9 billion that it is supposed to spend on research, according to the employee and the records. No money at all has gone into a “facilities” spending account that is supposed to contain $230 million for fiscal 2025, the employee said and the records show. Because of the halt in funding, new research in areas including environmental science and neuroscience is not getting underway, the employee said.

The agency is also mostly not giving out awards this year, the employee said. The Office of the Director will not “release money into our accounts to do anything,” the employee said. “Essentially, money has been vaporized.”

Juan Meza @mathsciprof.bsky.social · Jun 25

Heard a rumor about this last night, but now I guess it's official. Makes me so sad to hear that my former colleagues at NSF are being so badly treated
www.scientificamerican.com/article/trum...

Trump Administration Ousts National Science Foundation from Headquarters Building

Employees at the National Science Foundation say they’ve been blindsided by a plan for the Department of Housing and Urban Development to take over their offices

www.scientificamerican.com

Juan Meza @mathsciprof.bsky.social · Jun 25

Just attended the @aaas.org LSEN Community Learning Forum Webinar on Building Relationships with Policymakers. Highly recommended to anyone interested in helping advocate for science.

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