Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Page Fortna @pagefortna.bsky.social · 2d

Go Portland! Using its notoriously pain in the ass permitting regime for good!

City of Portland will issue land use violation notice for ICE facility, triggering process to determine next steps at the site

The City of Portland believes the federal government violated detention conditions of its land use approval 25 times in a 10-month period, according to federal records. Next steps could include fines ...

www.portland.gov

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Page Fortna @pagefortna.bsky.social · 6d

Smart and beautifully written by a friend and colleague I’m proud to have.

Civil Society Institutions Under Authoritarian Encroachment

A broad range of views on democracy to help break the stalemate caused by partisan conflict.

democracyproject.org

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Page Fortna @pagefortna.bsky.social · 12d

This is next level “this meeting could have been an email”

Thanks, I Hate It @thanksihateit603.bsky.social · 12d

So this is obviously bad, but for the normies who don't pay attention to such things isn't this going to cost the US taxpayers like $30mm for a 40 minute speech that could have been a zoom call?

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Page Fortna @pagefortna.bsky.social · Sep 6

OMG, they are idiots down to the people who write the menus!

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Andrea Pitzer @andreapitzer.bsky.social · Sep 6

It was just block after block of people coming from Malcolm X Park headed downtown. Lots of energy despite the heat, and cheers from passersby, as well as church bells ringing in support.

16th Street in NW DC, the road filled with demonstrators carrying signs and marching, with the trees of Malcolm X Park visible in e background.

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Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · Sep 6

The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city.

This is not a joke. This is not normal.

Donald Trump isn't a strongman, he's a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.

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Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · Aug 20

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Page Fortna @pagefortna.bsky.social · Aug 17

1/10th of the population participating in the day’s protests is really remarkable

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Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · Aug 17

This is the TIO, they don’t exaggerate.

Organizers say nearly 500,000 at Tel Aviv rally, 1 million participated in day’s protests nationwide

www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_ent...

Organizers say nearly 500,000 at Tel Aviv rally, 1 million participated in day’s protests nationwide

* * *

www.timesofisrael.com

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Ken Schultz @kschultz.bsky.social · Aug 17

At just over 2 troops per 1000 inhabitants, the deployment to DC is larger per capita than the US deployment in Afghanistan except during the Obama surge 2009-13.

Nicholas Slayton @nslayton.bsky.social · Aug 17

Updated this story @taskandpurpose.com. Ohio and South Carolina are joining West Virginia in sending National Guard troops in DC. That brings the number of Guardsmen activated for this to ~1,500. taskandpurpose.com/news/west-vi...

3 states sending 700 National Guard troops to DC

At least 700 National Guard troops will be sent to Washington, D.C., nearly doubling the number of Guardsmen active in the capital.

taskandpurpose.com

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Page Fortna @pagefortna.bsky.social · Aug 17

Stop the war, stop the famine, bring the hostages home.

Israelis Join Nationwide Rallies to Call for Release of Hostages

www.nytimes.com

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Page Fortna @pagefortna.bsky.social · Aug 17

Trump and Netanyahu — united in their goal to starve children.

Jason "Red5" Lyall @jaylyall.bsky.social · Aug 17

These are crimes against humanity committed by Musk, Rubio, and Lewin.

The New York Times @nytimes.com · Aug 17

USAID funded roughly half the world’s supply of ready-to-use therapeutic food. The dismantling of the agency has disrupted the global supply chain that provides the packets, leaving thousands of malnourished children at risk of dying.

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Page Fortna @pagefortna.bsky.social · Aug 16

Holy hell. Nothing surprising but totally shocking.

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · Aug 16

Full video of federal agents violently arresting a DC delivery worker this morning (shared with me by a bystander):

FEDERAL AGENTS VIOLENTLY ASSAULT DELIVERY WORKER (WASHINGTON, DC 8/16/25)

YouTube video by Marisa Kabas

www.youtube.com

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Page Fortna @pagefortna.bsky.social · Aug 15

NYC the minute Adams is defeated by Mamdani

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Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · Aug 15

If you live in Washington DC or if you work for the DC police, National Guard, DHS, ATF, FBI, or any other relevant agencies and have any info or tips to share, please reach out via Signal premthakker.35

Your anonymity will be protected

If this doesn't apply to you, please boost so others can see

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Page Fortna @pagefortna.bsky.social · Aug 15

Well if you are scared of Black people, then yeah, DC would be kinda scary. Maybe he should find a job that doesn’t require him to spend time there. That’d be ok with me.

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The Carter Center @cartercenter.bsky.social · Aug 8

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Page Fortna @pagefortna.bsky.social · Aug 9

I’m enjoying South Whittler, which is North of Whittler, and then South Whittier to the West

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Page Fortna @pagefortna.bsky.social · Aug 7

In case anyone thought agreements like the ones Columbia and Brown have reached were actually going to protect federal funding…

Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · Aug 7

The newest executive order makes major changes to federal grantmaking, including additional review by presidential appointees and prioritizing applications with lower indirect cost rates. To the extent that federal funding remains, this is a big deal.

(i) Discretionary awards must, where applicable, demonstrably advance the President’s policy priorities.

(ii) Discretionary awards shall not be used to fund, promote, encourage, subsidize, or facilitate:

(A) racial preferences or other forms of racial discrimination by the grant recipient, including activities where race or intentional proxies for race will be used as a selection criterion for employment or program participation;

(B) denial by the grant recipient of the sex binary in humans or the notion that sex is a chosen or mutable characteristic;

(C) illegal immigration; or

(D) any other initiatives that compromise public safety or promote anti-American values.

(iii) All else being equal, preference for discretionary awards should be given to institutions with lower indirect cost rates.

(iv) Discretionary grants should be given to a broad range of recipients rather than to a select group of repeat players. Research grants should be awarded to a mix of recipients likely to produce immediately demonstrable results and recipients with the potential for potentially longer-term, breakthrough results, in a manner consistent with the funding opportunity announcement.

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Steve Saideman @smsaideman.bsky.social · Aug 1

This drives me crazy as a stance towards Israel these days is really quite unrelated to attitudes towards Jews. We have anti-semites who are big fans and there are plenty of Jews and allies who are critics.

A stance towards a government and its policies is just that.

Leah Greenberg ❌👑 @leahgreenberg.bsky.social · Aug 1

I am quoted here so let me be totally clear on my take: Jonathan Greenblatt has made a calculated choice to aid the consolidation of authoritarian power by the MAGA movement in exchange for the suppression of criticism of Israel. And the consequences for American Jews will be devastating.

Noah Shachtman @noahshachtman.bsky.social · Aug 1

I spoke with 40+ sources for a look inside the Anti-Defamation League. Here’s some of what I found.

ADL’s gentle response to Elon Musk’s infamous salute was partially driven by his support of Israel. To ADL, that indicated he didn’t have “antisemitic tendencies.” (1/x)

nymag.com/intelligence...

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Page Fortna @pagefortna.bsky.social · Jul 31

If there’s a boycott,
I hope it’s strategic. The BoT and uni admin won’t know/care if you don’t give a talk, co-author, or write a tenure letter. They clearly care only about the financial health of the uni not its reputation. Boycott donations or tuition. And/or support StandTogetherForHigherEd

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Page Fortna @pagefortna.bsky.social · Jul 24

Believe me, a lot of us are thinking about whether/how we can leave. Easier said than done, but if you’re hiring, LMK.

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Page Fortna @pagefortna.bsky.social · Jul 24

Or as my colleague Suresh Naidu more eloquently put it:

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Page Fortna @pagefortna.bsky.social · Jul 24

Knew it was coming but still disappointed in my employer today. I have very little confidence that this will satisfy the staunchest defenders of Israel on campus or prevent the Trump from coming after us for more. Has the university admin never heard of a credible commitment problem, FFS?

Columbia Agrees to $200 Million Fine to Settle Fight With Trump

www.nytimes.com

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Page Fortna @pagefortna.bsky.social · Jul 16

Still have my grad school notebooks. I got my PhD in 1998. Have I ever looked at them since? No. Why do I keep them? I have no idea.

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