Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Melanee Thomas

Carrie Tait @carrietait.bsky.social · 6d

Alberta records first measles death -- an infant -- since outbreak www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... By @alannasmith.bsky.social

Alberta records first measles death since outbreak

Premature baby who contracted disease in utero has died, first death associated with provincial outbreak of nearly 2,000 cases

www.theglobeandmail.com

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Melanee Thomas @melomas.bsky.social · Aug 1

Same same same. I'm here for more good days defined by this

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Sara Hastings-Simon 🇨🇦 @shastingssimon.bsky.social · Jul 28

I was today days old when I learned that a major use of restrictive covenants in Calgary (and elsewhere) was maintaining “community character” by prohibiting specific races from buying in a neighborhood and I feel naive but also why is this not part of the news stories?

Clement @cheechlaw.bsky.social · Jul 27

Started seeing these signs pop up in some fancier neighbourhoods. Thoughts: 1. Restricting how your land can be used will hurt your land value down the line. 2. You want to fight homes for more people in a housing crisis? 3. Remember what restrictive covenants were originally for (racism). #yyc

Lawn signs in front of houses that read "I have a Restrictive Covenant. I am helping my neighbours!"

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Jennifer Koshan @jenniferkoshan.bsky.social · Jun 27

"The evidence shows that singling out health care for gender diverse youth and making it subject to government control will cause irreparable harm to gender diverse youth by reinforcing the discrimination and prejudice that they are already subjected to.” www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... 👏

Alberta judge grants temporary injunction blocking a transgender health-care bill | CBC News

Judgement puts on hold a provincial law that bans doctors from providing gender-affirming care to youth.

www.cbc.ca

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Heather Campbell @thatheatherc.bsky.social · Jun 27

This is an amazing moment. We will see how much the government wants to make trans kids suffer if they continue to fight this decision in any form or fashion. We will also have a metric for their cruelty. #ableg #abpoli #transrightsarehumanrights

Dr. Kristopher Wells @drkristopherwells.bsky.social · Jun 27

BREAKING NEWS. Alberta Court of King’s Bench grants injunction preventing Alberta Government from banning gender-affirmative care for minors citing “irreparable harm will be caused if the Ban comes into force.”

A victory for human rights and trans youth! 🏳️‍⚧️

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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · Jun 27

The authoritarian assault on higher education claims its second victim after Columbia - a coercive attack on academic freedom that deepens the threat to democracy and the rule of law www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/u...

University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration

www.nytimes.com

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Senator Paula Simons 🇨🇦 @senatorpaulasimons.bsky.social · Jun 25

Alberta as we know it today simply would not exist without the millions of immigrants and refugees who built it, who loved it, and who were proud to call it home - including my grandparents and my mum. This bitter xenophobia is as unAlbertan as it’s possible to be. I’m ashamed. I’m disgusted.

Courtney Theriault @ctheriault.bsky.social · Jun 25

Alberta Next survey asks if province should withhold social services for immigrants

www.rmoutlook.com/alberta-news...

Alberta Next survey asks if province should withhold social services for immigrants

CALGARY — Whether Alberta should withhold social services from immigrants is among the issues Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is tabling for debate this summer when she travels the province to consult ...

www.rmoutlook.com

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Melanee Thomas @melomas.bsky.social · Jun 25

"An enterprising opposition party (ahem!) might ... launch a parallel ... exercise, focused on what we here in Alberta might do to improve our economy, our standard of living, our health, our public services, our environment, and our sense of community." #abpoli

open.substack.com/pub/lisayoun...

Less Ottawa, More Alberta

What Alberta needs next

open.substack.com

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Heather Campbell @thatheatherc.bsky.social · Jun 25

Okay Alberta. This is your moment. Each time something egregiously racist happens in this province y'all say, "oh, this isn't who we are...". Now is the time to prove it. Show up at every town hall. Answer every horrible survey question. Get up, stand up. Protest. Do not normalize this ugliness. ✊🏾

Jack Farrell @jack-farrell.bsky.social · Jun 25

Despite what the Premier said today, sure seems like the panel knows exactly what it plans to workshop this summer.

From @mattscace.bsky.social today: Alberta Next survey asks if province should withhold social services for immigrants

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/prairies_bc/...

Alberta Next survey asks if province should withhold social services for immigrants

CALGARY - Whether Alberta should withhold social services from immigrants is among the issues Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is tabling for debate this summer when she travels the province to

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca

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Politics & Gender @politicsgenderj.bsky.social · Jun 18

📢New issue of #PAG21 is out!📢

The June 2025 issue of P&G is out now! The issue features new research on pandemic leadership, the "anti-woke academy" and feminist institutionalism among others, as well as a Critical Perspectives collection on the 2024 🇺🇸 election.

buff.ly/AlU5N7h

Latest issue | Politics & Gender | Cambridge Core

Politics & Gender

www.cambridge.org

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Euan Thomson @drugdatadecoded.ca · May 15

🧵 This is a big story and I’m not seeing it get around so take a sec with me here.

Clearview AI is a big deal if cops can use it. Basically lets them figure out who anyone anywhere is based on social media and internet facial recognition scraping. Protests, you name it. 1/

Jack Farrell @jack-farrell.bsky.social · May 15

News from me today: Alberta's personal information protection law ruled partly unconstitutional

Even so, Alberta judge upholding an order from privacy commissioners to stop US company from scraping pics for facial recognition database

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/politics/alb...

Alberta's personal information protection law ruled partly unconstitutional

EDMONTON - Parts of Alberta's personal information protection legislation have been ruled unconstitutional.

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca

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Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · May 13

"Women are PIs on 58% of the canceled grants, although they are PIs on only 34% of all active NSF grants.

Similarly, Blacks are PIs on 17% of the terminated grants, although they make only 4% of the total pool. Hispanic PIs and those with disabilities were twice as likely to lose a grant."

David Malakoff @davidmalakoff.bsky.social · May 13

Another scoop from Jeff Mervis (@policyhound.bsky.social): NSF's ~1400 grant terminations have disproportionately affected PIs from groups underrepresented in science: women, racial & ethnic minorities, & those with disabilities. 1/3
www.science.org/content/arti...

Trump officials take steps toward a radically different NSF

Efforts to shrink staff, budget, and focus have alarmed members of Congress

www.science.org

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Ghouly Hoye 🇨🇦 👻 @hollyhoye.bsky.social · May 13

Alberta isn’t culturally distinct, but we sure are cruelly distinct.

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Carrie Tait @carrietait.bsky.social · May 10

Alberta is violating its own freedom of information laws by using illegitimate reasons to withhold records, watchdog finds
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... By @tomcardoso.bsky.social and @robyndoolittle.bsky.social

Alberta government violated freedom of information laws, information watchdog finds

Investigation by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner concludes province is ‘non-compliant’ with access to information law

www.theglobeandmail.com

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Melanee Thomas @melomas.bsky.social · May 9

I keep coming to the same conclusion, and I'm sorry for it.

I don't get why someone would strive to get ahold of leadership, only to then destroy the thing they ostensibly lead. But I suspect the Premier and I have very different values.

Jared Wesley @jaredwesley.ca · May 9

I'm often asked: What motivates Danielle Smith to do the radical things she does?

After all, many of her actions fly in the face of public opinion, the constitution, conservative ideology, and her own public commitments.

I used to equivocate.

I'm about ready to call it.🧵

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Melanee Thomas @melomas.bsky.social · May 8

I might be listening to that audiobook right now.... (great minds, etc)

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Melanee Thomas @melomas.bsky.social · May 8

London, but a real stretch (but a great read): books.google.ca/books/about/...

A Darker Shade of Magic

A Darker Shade of Magic, from #1 New York Times bestselling author V.E. SchwabKell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White...

books.google.ca

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Rachit Dubey @rachitdubey.bsky.social · Apr 17

🚨 New in Nature Human Behavior! 🚨

Binary climate data visuals amplify perceived impact of climate change.

Both graphs in this image reflect equivalent climate change trends over time, yet people consistently perceive climate change as having a greater impact in the right plot than the left.

👇1/n

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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · Apr 25

Advance vote in Calgary, Edmonton and the rest of Alberta.

Colour scheme is consistent across all three maps:

• Purple = more votes than Alberta average

• Rust = fewer votes than Alberta average

Calgary Centre 22163
Calgary Confederation 27918
Calgary Crowfoot 33743
Calgary East 17771
Calgary Heritage 26408
Calgary McKnight 16435
Calgary Midnapore 26291
Calgary Nose Hill 25827
Calgary Shepard 22845
Calgary Signal Hill 27963
Calgary Skyview 23203

Edmonton Centre 17351
Edmonton Gateway 20592
Edmonton Griesbach 15787
Edmonton Manning 18391
Edmonton Northwest 20343
Edmonton Riverbend 23579
Edmonton Southeast 15459
Edmonton Strathcona 17809
Edmonton West 22846

Airdrie—Cochrane 25833
Battle River—Crowfoot 14434
Bow River 21974
Foothills 26309
Fort McMurray—Cold Lake 16486
Grande Prairie 19434
Lakeland 3343
Leduc—Wetaskiwin 24796
Lethbridge 17291
Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner 17144
Parkland 26172
Peace River—Westlock 17655
Ponoka—Didsbury 27715
Red Deer 21733
Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan 30205
St. Albert—Sturgeon River 30250
Yellowhead 27666

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Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · Apr 25

New NYT/Siena Poll:
—Trump's approval rating is 42% vs. 54% disapprove
—59% of voters think Trump's 2nd term in office is "scary"
—54% say Trump is "exceeding the powers available to him"
—Trump has negative approval in all policy areas

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/25/u...

42% of voters approve of Trump's job as president, versus 54% who disapprove

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Mikæla @crashannburn.bsky.social · Apr 14

I am now very specifically pissed I can’t travel to the US because it means I will never see what very well may be the best version of my favourite play, ever ever ever.

Dude, bogus

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🇨🇦 CPSA ACSP 🇨🇦 @cpsa-acsp.bsky.social · Apr 4

#OpenAccess from the latest issue of
@cjps-rcsp.bsky.social
Voice Through Text, Tradition and Community - cup.org/3XFKoFG
"Employing autoethnography to examine two sets of texts, I present an understanding of voice politics"
@genevievefuji.bsky.social
#FirstView

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Courtney Theriault @ctheriault.bsky.social · Apr 7

New report from ACWS finds nearly 32,000 people were turned away from Alberta shelter's due to a lack of space last year, with 40% of them being children.

That's a new provincial record.

#yeg #yyc #ableg

acws.ca/strength-in-...

Strength in Numbers 2024 - Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters

acws.ca

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Drew Anderson @drewanderson.bsky.social · Mar 20

I spent months (and thousands of The Narwhal's dollars) digging into who actually owns the many small companies which the Alberta Energy Regulator says aren't paying their orphan well levies or minimum cleanup quotas. Some of the names might surprise you. #ableg thenarwhal.ca/alberta-oilp...

The prominent Albertans behind delinquent oil and gas companies | The Narwhal

A former prime minister, a major philanthropist and a host of developers emerge from a tangled web of corporate ownership in the oilpatch

thenarwhal.ca

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Carrie Tait @carrietait.bsky.social · Mar 13

Statement from Athana Mentzelopoulos, former AHS CEO.

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