Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Mike Wagner @prowag.bsky.social · 19h

Incredibly important stuff from @lkfazio.bsky.social and @brendannyhan.bsky.social. The nature, significance, and acuteness of the threat to open scientific inquiry and free expression need to be understood in this context. www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...

Trump sent a 'compact' to our universities. They should reject this devil's bargain.

Any institution that yields to these broad and intrusive demands would forever be subservient to the whims of the government.

www.msnbc.com

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Mike Wagner @prowag.bsky.social · 4d

Photo of a fried egg, noting that this is your university if you sign.

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Michael Clemens @mclem.org · 5d

The deepest harm of arbitrary power isn’t any specific act, but the fact that no rules or laws constrain the next arbitrary act.

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 5d

And it's not a one-time capitulation. If DOJ ever says you violated the vague and unconstitutional terms, they will take back ALL federal funds from that year and you have to return ALL private funding from donors who want their gifts back from that year. It's a never-ending protection racket.

Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 5d

The Act of Capitulation that Trump is demanding that all colleges and universities are to sign surrenders authority over vast areas to Trump, as the Dear Leader. www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/u...

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Thomas J Wood @thomasjwood.bsky.social · 5d

The last time I posted the income relationship to presidential vote among White respondents to the @electionstudies.bsky.social ANES, people asked for additional estimates among all voters.

Updated estimates here:

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Mike Wagner @prowag.bsky.social · 14d

Kimmel’s monologue that defended free speech, attacked the president & the FCC, praised those of the right who stood up for him & praised Erika Kirk for forgiving her husband’s murderer surely grabbed ratings, but will dominate morning TV & social media clips tomorrow. Chance to start a conversation

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Mike Wagner @prowag.bsky.social · 15d

Good conversation between @uwchancellor.bsky.social and former Chancellor Donna Shalala today at Union South. Sec. Shalala noted how freedom of speech doesn’t require leaders to stay silent when speech they disagree w/ occurs on campus. Also fascinating how many uni issues from 1992 persist.

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Mike Wagner @prowag.bsky.social · 19d

Current mood: m.youtube.com/watch?v=9xOz...

Inspiring George Bernard Shaw quote (Jeff Goldblum on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert)

YouTube video by MykChiz

m.youtube.com

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Lisa Fazio @lkfazio.bsky.social · 20d

Three conversations I'm excited to be a part of this week 🧪:

1) Fri Sept 19th 2pm ET join me, @frankikung.bsky.social, Jon Freeman and Cynthia Pickett for an @spspnews.bsky.social virtual conversation on grant terminations and research funding challenges spsp.org/professional...

Networking Opportunities | SPSP

Advance your career and build community with SPSP through mentoring, events, and connections that strengthen professional growth in psychology.

spsp.org

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Institute for Diversity Science @idswisc.bsky.social · 27d

Consumption of partisan news reduces Americans' ability to compromise politically -- coverage of IDS grad fellow Yoo Ji Suh, @dvshah.bsky.social, and @prowag.bsky.social's recent paper in the Badger Project.

thebadgerproject.org/2025/09/09/u...

UW-Madison researchers: Partisan news sours consumers on political compromise

Right-leaning media users are less likely to support political compromise, a new study suggests. And in general, partisan media consumers tend to see political disagreements as right or wrong.

thebadgerproject.org

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Sarah J. Jackson @sjjphd.bsky.social · Sep 6

Just thinking about how fighting the Nazis in WWII was pretty woke

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Mike Wagner @prowag.bsky.social · Sep 6

The Prosperity Costco

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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · Sep 4

It’s vital to understand what is happening in this state and how it’s trying to reshape the whole system.

Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · Sep 4

This is a fascinating piece on how the proposed red-state public university accreditor came to be. It's well worth your time to read.

How UNC Led a First-of-Its-Kind Plan to Shake Up College Accreditation

Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, publicly announced the new six-state oversight body. Behind the scenes, the University of North Carolina system shaped the vision.

www.chronicle.com

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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · Sep 3

JUST IN: Harvard won summary judgment against the Trump administration with the court finding that the admin violated Harvard's 1st amend. rights. The court has vacated the funding freeze orders and termination letters and issued a permanent injunction.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

[cite_start]A screenshot of the first page of a court document from the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts[cite: 3]. [cite_start]The document is titled "MEMORANDUM AND ORDER" [cite: 43] [cite_start]and was filed on September 3, 2025[cite: 1].

The document lists two related civil actions:
* [cite_start]**Civil Action No. 25-cv-11048-ADB**: President and Fellows of Harvard College, et al., Plaintiffs, v. United States Department of Health and Human Services, et al., Defendants[cite: 4, 5, 14, 17, 21].
* [cite_start]**Civil Action No. 25-cv-10910-ADB**: American Association of University Professors - Harvard Chapter, et al., Plaintiffs, v. United States Department of Justice, et al., Defendants[cite: 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 36].

[cite_start]The order is from Judge Burroughs, D.J.[cite: 44]. [cite_start]The text begins by identifying the plaintiffs in the consolidated cases[cite: 45].

A screenshot of pages 81 and 82 from a court order, detailing the judge's rulings and the relief granted.

**Rulings:**
* **For Harvard's case:** The court grants Harvard's motion for summary judgment on several counts, including violations of the First Amendment and Title VI. It grants in part Harvard's motion regarding the "Freeze Orders" and grants in part the defendants' motion regarding the "Termination Letters," citing a lack of jurisdiction.
* **For the Organizational Plaintiffs' case:** The court grants the plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment on their First Amendment claims and denies the defendants' cross-motion on several counts. The ruling on the "Freeze Orders" and "Termination Letters" mirrors the one in Harvard's case.

**Ordered Relief:**
1. The court vacates and sets aside the Freeze Orders as arbitrary and capricious.
2. The court vacates and sets aside the Freeze Orders and Termination Letters as violations of the First Amendment.
3. The court vacates and sets aside the Termination Letters as violations of Title VI.
4. The court permanently enjoins the defendants from implementing the Freeze Orders, Termination Letters, and their unconstitutional conditions.

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Mike Wagner @prowag.bsky.social · Sep 3

Except on the first warm day of spring. Then you roll the windows down and play Shiny Happy People real loud. That’s canon.

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Kate Klonick @klonick.bsky.social · Sep 3

I watched the DSA and OSA "Censorship" Hearing in the House Judiciary Committee today so you don't have to.

I have some questions.

A 🧵 of my internet lawyer, free speech expert, First Amendment scholar ponderings, to no no one in particular:

Why are we here?
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Rebekah Tromble @rebekahtromble.bsky.social · Sep 3

Nigel Farage missed today’s session of UK Parliament to serve as witness in this Congressional hearing. But now he’s skipped out that, too, leaving before all members could complete their questions.

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ariel hasell @arielhasell.bsky.social · Sep 3

UMich Dept of Comm and Media is hiring this fall for next year! Open rank, social science or humanities, applications due Sept 8.

careers.umich.edu/job_detail/2...

ASST/ASSOC/PROFESSOR - Media Industries | U-M Careers

careers.umich.edu

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Mike Wagner @prowag.bsky.social · Sep 2

🚨Prof. Nyhan is not prone to hyperbole.

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · Sep 2

At some point, you have to defend democracy, not just pivot to talking points, or there won't be fair future elections to win www.cnn.com/2025/08/31/p...

What I told @ronbrownstein.bsky.social (joking/not joking):

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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · Sep 2

At some point, you have to defend democracy, not just pivot to talking points, or there won't be fair future elections to win www.cnn.com/2025/08/31/p...

What I told @ronbrownstein.bsky.social (joking/not joking):

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Christina Wolbrecht @cwolbrecht.bsky.social · Sep 2

Notre Dame is investing in democracy research in lots of exciting ways, including these hires. Happy to talk to senior folks about working at Notre Dame and living in South Bend. (Spoiler: There are lots of good reasons I've spent my entire career here).

Rachel Porter @rachelporter.bsky.social · Sep 2

Notre Dame’s Department of Political Science is hiring *multiple* senior folks (assoc/full prof) working on democracy broadly (institutions, political behavior, CP, AP).

I’m not on the committee (hiding on research leave), but I'm happy to chat / answer questions!

👉 apply.interfolio.com/172986

Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio

apply.interfolio.com

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Mike Wagner @prowag.bsky.social · Sep 1

This is an excellent choice (and not only because it is also mine!)

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Tomás Dodds @tomasdodds.bsky.social · Aug 29

I did a small Q&A with my new colleagues at the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication about what students can expect to learn in my classes, why I chose to come to Madison, and what I was doing for four weeks in Tenerife! Check it out here ⤵️

journalism.wisc.edu/news/new-fac...

New Faculty Q&A with Assistant Professor Tomás Dodds

Journalist and researcher Dr. Tomás Dodds joins the School of Journalism and Mass Communication as an assistant professor.

journalism.wisc.edu

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · Aug 28

I have never seen so many public servants protest the mismanagement of a government. Trumpists will point to this as proof of the deep state, but the reality is that these are professionals who are desperately trying to get the public to understand how bad things are.

Dan Murphy @bungdan.bsky.social · Aug 28

AP live feed of the CDC walkout in Atlanta. www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ7Q...

LIVE: CDC staff plan walkout at Atlanta HQ after Trump firings

YouTube video by Associated Press

www.youtube.com

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Institute for Diversity Science @idswisc.bsky.social · Aug 12

New article: How Partisan Media Influences Aversion to Political Compromise, from IDS Grad Fellow Yoo Ji Suh, Affiliate @dvshah.bsky.social, and @prowag.bsky.social

www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcomm...

How Partisan Media Influences Aversion to Political Compromise | Article | Media and Communication

Yoo Ji Suh, Dhavan V. Shah, Michael W. Wagner

www.cogitatiopress.com

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Christina Wolbrecht @cwolbrecht.bsky.social · Aug 10

Shout out to the colleagues who ask why I bother studying a settled issue like women’s suffrage.

People For the American Way @peoplefor.bsky.social · Aug 8

Pete Hegseth shares a clip saying women shouldn’t have the right to vote, the 19th Amendment should be “repealed,” and women should “submit” to their husbands: “All of Christ for All of Life”

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