Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Nancy Kanwisher @nancykanwisher.bsky.social · 8h

Soft secession? Hell yeah!
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

How blue states can use their economic clout to stand up to Trump’s agenda—starting with California.

www.motherjones.com

Nancy Kanwisher @nancykanwisher.bsky.social · 11h

3. What we will say to ourselves, our friends, and our family, when asked: When the US was falling into fascism, what did you do about it?

Please add your own reasons!

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Nancy Kanwisher @nancykanwisher.bsky.social · 11h

2. Although protests may not change many minds, they show that this regime is vulnerable. Many people and institutions support the regime out of fear. If they see that it could collapse, they may start to worry about their reputation, and their legal liability, after the regime falls.

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Nancy Kanwisher @nancykanwisher.bsky.social · 11h

1. Erica Chenowyth’s research shows that authoritarian governments are defeated when 3.5% of the population gets out in the streets. The US is 340 million people which means we need 12 million people out there. This is not impossible - we already had 5 million protesting on No Kings I on June 14.

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Nancy Kanwisher @nancykanwisher.bsky.social · 11h

I wanted to share my reasons why I think it is of paramount importance to attend a No King’s protest on October 18, and to make the case to everyone you know to do the same.
a thread...
www.nokings.org

No Kings

As the president escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS non-violent movement continues to rise stronger. We are united once again to remind the world: America has No Kings and the power ...

www.nokings.org

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Nancy Kanwisher @nancykanwisher.bsky.social · 19h

A beautiful piece by Bernhard Nickel.
"Surround yourself with the right people. Stand in solidarity with them. ... Figuring out what to do isn’t something any of us needs to do alone...
Remembering this fact...has been a deep well of hope."

Kirsten Weld @kirstenweld.bsky.social · 20h

“Figuring out what to do isn’t something any of us needs to do alone.”

My dear colleague Bernhard Nickel on the importance of solidarity and bravery (and AAUP!) in these grim times:

www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

I’m a Non-Citizen Professor. Here’s Why I Testified Against Trump. | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson

I am glad that I could re-learn this crucial lesson. Surround yourself with the right people. Stand in solidarity with them. Courses of action will make themselves known to you, along with the resourc...

www.thecrimson.com

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 20h

My quote of the day

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 1d

Everything Trump is doing now is a preamble for his regime's real goal: to invoke the Insurrection Act.

I don’t want to unduly alarm you, but you need to be aware of this imminent danger. It’s unfolding very rapidly. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/trumps-plan

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Adrienne Wood @adriennewood.bsky.social · 1d

Over 400 faculty and staff from the #uva College of Arts and Sciences convened for an emergency vote. 97% of eligible voters endorsed a resolution demanding President Mahoney refuse to consider the Trump admin's Compact for Academic Freedom!!

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Nancy Kanwisher @nancykanwisher.bsky.social · 1d

I am proud of MIT, where our branch of AAUP has voted unanimously to endorse this statement urging MIT leadership and the MIT Corporation to reject the Compact wholesale
docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Letter Regarding Compact

MIT Chapter of the American Association of University Professors October 6, 2025 Statement on the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” MIT has been invited by the federal governmen...

docs.google.com

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United Farm Workers @ufw.bsky.social · 2d

"Juan" traveled from CA to harvest blueberries in OR. "The fields are in bad condition-so overgrown I can barely walk. I was to get paid 40 cents/lb, but the labor contractor who brought us here doesn't want to pay us sometimes. I'm not protected by a union contract." #WeFeedYou

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Joey Fishkin @fishkin.bsky.social · 3d

I thought I'd put the administration's proposed "compact" with universities in context, so I wrote the blog post below.

It's especially for journalists covering this story!

Many details about how the compact itself works and why the administration has retreated to this strategy.

Balkinization: The Art of Replacing the Law with the Deal

A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics

balkin.blogspot.com

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Nancy Kanwisher @nancykanwisher.bsky.social · 2d

yes, i just came back to post about it and saw your note. totally agree!

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Nancy Kanwisher @nancykanwisher.bsky.social · 2d

This piece is also excellent:
balkin.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-...
"That’s the point of the compact... It is about control. Specifically it is about turning existing federal law, over which the administration has limited control, into terms of a “deal” that offers the government much more control."

Balkinization: The Art of Replacing the Law with the Deal

A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics

balkin.blogspot.com

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Nancy Kanwisher @nancykanwisher.bsky.social · 2d

This is the best piece I have read on the Compact:

Genevieve Lakier @genevievelakier.bsky.social · 4d

The Trump Administration’s “Compact of Excellence” for Universities is... far from excellent! Indeed, it’s unconstitutional. In this post, let me count the ways.

blog.dividedargument.com/p/the-uncons...

The Unconstitutional Conditions Doctrine and the Compact for Excellence

Members of the Trump administration love to say that federal funding is a privilege not a right and therefore something that can be granted or withheld based on changing administrative priorities.

blog.dividedargument.com

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Patrick Jackson @pehjackson.bsky.social · 4d

UVA Faculty Senate passed a resolution strongly opposing the Trump “Compact.” We, at least, remain committed to the historic values and mission of the university.

Resolution Opposing the "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education"
WHEREAS the United States Secretary of Education has requested that the University of Virginia enter into a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”, and
WHEREAS the Compact contains provisions antithetical to the mission and traditions of the University, and
WHEREAS the Compact contains provisions which endanger the independence and integrity of the University, and
WHEREAS the compact likely violates state and federal law, and infringes upon the constitutional rights of members of the University community, and
WHEREAS the University of Virginia exemplifies American academic values of the highest standard, including universal right to free speech and the cultivation of academic freedom; therefore
BE IT RESOLVED that the Faculty Senate of the University of Virginia firmly opposes this Compact as written and calls upon Interim President Mahoney and the Board of Visitors to also reject this Compact outright as well as any similar proposal compromising the mission, values, and independence of the University.

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 3d

Powerful and important piece by an outstanding physician, scientist, and human being @kaminskimed.bsky.social

pdf:

jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.g...

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Yair Wallach @yairwallach.bsky.social · 3d

Israel killed 66 Palestinians in Gaza TODAY.

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Nancy Kanwisher @nancykanwisher.bsky.social · 3d

Thank you Dartmouth!

Daniel P. Moriarity @dpmoriarity.bsky.social · 3d

Dartmouth response to the Trump Administration Compact

president.dartmouth.edu/news/2025/10...

Response to the ‘Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education’ | Office of the President

president.dartmouth.edu

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Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 3d

"I believe that Americans would agree that the government can’t just make people disappear without any process or explanation. Second, because I want to give the government a chance to admit that they were wrong.

So far the government has not done so."

newsletter.ofthebrave.org/p/im-a-us-ci...

I’m a US citizen and a veteran. ICE arrested me for no reason.

Jailed for three days without an explanation or ability to notify anyone, George Retes argues the only path to healing starts with the government taking accountability for its actions.

newsletter.ofthebrave.org

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Nancy Kanwisher @nancykanwisher.bsky.social · 3d

Interesting argument: "Democrats are negotiating about policy when they should be negotiating about power."
www.thebulwark.com/p/democrats-...

www.thebulwark.com

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Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 3d

Here’s a gift link to my New York Times piece on what Dems can learn from bad bunny

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/04/o...

Opinion | What Chuck Schumer Can Learn From Bad Bunny

www.nytimes.com

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Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 3d

Seems a bit weird that a position held by about 2/3 of american jews (israel is committing war crimes against palestinians) can get you fired for antisemitism

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Shibley Telhami @stelhami.bsky.social · 3d

Wow: 61 percent of Jewish Americans say Israel committed war crimes in Gaza and about 4 in 10 say the country is guilty of genocide against the Palestinians, according to a Washington Post poll. Jewish Americans, not surprisingly, are like other Americans.

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Many American Jews sharply critical of Israel on Gaza, Post poll finds

Most Jews say Israel is committing war crimes — and 39 percent say genocide — while often distinguishing between the country and its leadership.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Archon Fung @politicsprof.bsky.social · 5d

“I swear fidelity to the King… and to the Fascist regime, and I swear to respect the [National Fascist Party’s] Statute…, and to fulfill my teacher’s and all academics’ duties … of preparing industrious and righteous citizens, patriotic and devoted to the Fascist regime”

Ryan Enos @ryanenos.bsky.social · 5d

blognostrumuva.wordpress.com/2017/04/11/t...

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