Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Serena Larkin

Heather Cherone @heathercherone.bsky.social · 5d

Ald. Jessie Fuentes: “We have constitutional rights.”
Unidentified federal agent, whose badge is not visible: "No." @wttw.bsky.social

Chicago Ald. Jessie Fuentes Handcuffed by Federal Agents While Asking About Patient’s ICE Warrant at Hospital

Chicago Ald. Jessie Fuentes was detained by federal agents inside Humboldt Park Health, as tensions continue to rise between local residents and officials and immigration agents conducting enforcement...

news.wttw.com

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Serena Larkin @serenalarkin.bsky.social · 5d

all my chicago bike friends... let's? :))) www.axios.com/local/portla...

Naked bike protest planned as troops loom

Portlanders are planning a nude bike ride to protest the National Guard's expected arrival.

www.axios.com

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Serena Larkin @serenalarkin.bsky.social · 6d

waaaaant www.planning.nsw.gov.au/government-a...

front view of a two-story four-home building in cream with black trim, with green landscaping and trees around it

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Serena Larkin @serenalarkin.bsky.social · 6d

can you imagine if HUD were doing this instead of its website clownery?

Australia has a $1 solution for the global housing crisis: a pattern book of architecturally designed homes

The NSW Housing Pattern Book is part of a broader push to densify cities without resorting to high-rise towers – and it has struck a chord well beyond Australia

www.theguardian.com

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Serena Larkin @serenalarkin.bsky.social · 7d

they're coming for us at our bus stops, our homeless shelters, our school dropoffs and pickups

if you're a neighbor who feels safe documenting these abductions, guidance courtesy of NW Side Rapid Response:

A two-page flyer for Northwest Side Rapid Response, a volunteer network supporting immigrants in Chicago.

Left page: Titled “Remember S.A.L.U.T.E.” with icons and explanations to guide community members when reporting possible ICE or federal enforcement activity:

S – Size/Strength: How many agents/vehicles.

A – Activity/Action: What are they doing, e.g. making arrests, questioning workers.

L – Location/Direction: Exact intersection or nearby landmark.

U – Uniform/Clothing: What agents are wearing, identifying logos.

T – Time/Date: Exact time and date of sighting.

E – Equipment/Weapons: Any handcuffs, firearms, etc.
Text emphasizes documenting clearly and safely, staying calm, and sharing concise info.
Includes a hotline number: Family Support Hotline 855-435-7693 for deportation legal support, immigrant healthcare resources, and referrals.

Right page: Headed “What We Do.” Explains that volunteers respond quickly to possible ICE activity, verify enforcement, document violations, and share accurate info to reduce fear. States they collaborate with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). Encourages reporting to the Family Support Network hotline, with the message: “Stay informed. Stay connected. Stay safe. The people united will never be defeated.”
Footer invites people to follow @NorthwestSideRRT on Instagram and Facebook for verified reports and updates.

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Serena Larkin @serenalarkin.bsky.social · 7d

finished his latest book last week and highly recommend: www.simonandschuster.com/books/We-Are...

We Are Eating the Earth

From the author of New York Times bestseller The New New Deal, a groundbreaking piece of reportage from the trenches of the next climate war: the f...

www.simonandschuster.com

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Serena Larkin @serenalarkin.bsky.social · 7d

this guy continues to break my brain on food/ag questions, and i'm into it

Michael Grunwald @mikegrunwald.bsky.social · 10d

My latest effort to be super-popular in @nytimes.com: “Spraying Roundup on Crops Is Fine. Really.” Yes, the world’s most hated herbicide is way less toxic than caffeine. Here’s a gift link where you can leave all your supportive comments: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/28/o...

Opinion | Spraying Roundup on Crops Is Fine. Really.

www.nytimes.com

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Serena Larkin @serenalarkin.bsky.social · 7d

about to max out my library holds

Orion Magazine @orionmagazine.bsky.social · 7d

It’s October (!!), which means our reading list is resetting for fall. Here are 12 new-ish book recommendations to inspire you, inform you, and get you off the hellscape of the internet.

12 New(ish) Reading Recommendations - Orion Magazine

Orion approved books to kick off your fall reading plans

orionmagazine.org

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Reposted by Serena Larkin

Brad Johnson @climatebrad.hillheat.com · 7d

This is the first day that NPR and public media will function without federal funding in fifty years.

Michel Martin, NPR @michelmartinnpr.bsky.social · 7d

I never do stuff like this but what the heck ... it's the start of a new era in public media ..

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Serena Larkin @serenalarkin.bsky.social · 7d

i still can't get over the HUD website rn

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Reposted by Serena Larkin

Sightline Institute @sightline.org · 21d

We’re proud to sign on to the commonsense principles from @pewresearch.org to support housing affordability… and we’ll take the opportunity to brag about some recent Cascadian wins 😎 🔽

State Legislatures Make Bipartisan Breakthroughs on Policies That Promote Housing

In 2025, state legislatures enacted unprecedented reforms to improve the availability and affordability of housing, with lawmakers in Texas, Washington, and Montana leading the way with major successe...

www.pew.org

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Serena Larkin @serenalarkin.bsky.social · 21d

i'm SO excited for this housing option, esp in some of our most expensive and exclusive cities!

my colleague catie w 3 stories of housing hope:

Catie Gould @citizen-cate.bsky.social · 27d

TIMELINE CLEANSE

Residential dwellings <$100k are not just possible, they are being installed *right now* in Portland, Oregon, thanks to the 2021 legalization of homes-on-wheels.

www.sightline.org/2025/09/11/h...

Homes on Wheels Are Filling a Big Gap in Portland | Sightline Institute

Three personal stories show how these small, affordable, flexible homes provide big solutions for families.

www.sightline.org

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Serena Larkin @serenalarkin.bsky.social · Aug 28

Today TODAY!

Sightline Institute @sightline.org · Aug 25

More road-tested tips from @trufahey.bsky.social via @parkingreform.org this Thurs!

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · Aug 26

congratulations Chicago

Steven @stevevance.net · Aug 26

one month from today: no more parking mandates in 74% of Chicago

Map showing a boundary of Chicago within which a purple area cover 74% of the city representing where the parking mandates will no longer apply as of September 25, 2025. Map made by Michael McLean.

Big outcomes include:
Eliminates the requirement to get an "administrative adjustment" for properties in CTA transit-served
locations (the purple area on the map below)
The option to provide less parking, including being able to provide no parking, is extended to RS and RT zoning districts for the first time (where the majority of detached houses and 2-to-6 flats get built)
The ordinance, SO2025-0015577, will go into effect during the September 25, 2025, City Council meeting. Learn more about our parking reform efforts in Chicago and in Illinois.

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Reposted by Serena Larkin

Emily Moore @emilymoore.bsky.social · Aug 28

A new low every day.

The Seattle Times @seattletimes.com · Aug 28

Federal agents showed up northeast of Lake Cushman to check identification of crew members fighting Washington's largest active wildfire.

Federal agents arrest firefighters working on WA wildfire

Federal agents showed up northeast of Lake Cushman to check identification of crew members fighting Washington's largest active wildfire.

www.seattletimes.com

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Reposted by Serena Larkin

Joseph Miscimarra 🇺🇸 @jmisci.bsky.social · Aug 26

⚠️ ACTION ALERT! ⚠️

We are 1 month away from the next opportunity for Chicago City Council to lift their citywide ban on accessory dwelling units, or ADUs. We need your help to make sure that they follow through!

Here’s a thread about why you should care, and what you can do:

Photo of accessory dwelling unit coach houses from alley, with red arrows and text that says “THESE ARE ALL ILLEGAL”

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Serena Larkin @serenalarkin.bsky.social · Aug 22

i obviously need this

(the publisher name alone!)

Dude, Where’s my Duplex? – Ope! Publishing

ope.pub

Reposted by Serena Larkin

Steven Lucy @slucy.bsky.social · Aug 22

"Why does everyone drive?"

Star:Line Chicago @starlinechicago.bsky.social · Aug 22

Sweet

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Steven @stevevance.net · Aug 21

in 4 weeks, Chicago City Council will vote on whether to end the ban on ADUs citywide.

sign this petition (once!) in support of allowing ADUs citywide, please – actionnetwork.org/petitions/su...

Support ADUs citywide in Chicago

What's going on? Currently, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are only legal in five pilot areas in Chicago, which were established May 1, 2022. Since the pilot areas were established, 106 permits tota...

actionnetwork.org

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Serena Larkin @serenalarkin.bsky.social · Aug 21

for all the chicagoland '90s kids, the only car content you need today, feat. @onetailatatime.bsky.social

Block Club Chicago @blockclubchi.bsky.social · Aug 21

Eagleman returns in One Tail At A Time’s viral new ad: "Look at those rescue pups!" blockclubchi.co/4lHAuMF

Serena Larkin @serenalarkin.bsky.social · Aug 20

cool cool cool very good signs for the health of our democracy and such

Voting officials are leaving their jobs at the highest rate in decades

Some 2 in 5 of all the local officials who administered the 2020 election left their jobs before the 2024 cycle, new research has found.

www.opb.org

Serena Larkin @serenalarkin.bsky.social · Aug 20

more of this pls yes

The Rise of Slow Biking Culture in a World Obsessed with Speed

On any given morning in cities like Amsterdam, Paris, Montreal, or Portland, you’ll find a growing number of cyclists coasting—not racing—through the streets.

momentummag.com

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Serena Larkin @serenalarkin.bsky.social · Aug 19

me in every work meeting

a cartoon character is holding a cat in front of a computer screen .

Alt: inspector gadget villain dr claw's hand petting his cat next to his computer screen

media.tenor.com

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Serena Larkin @serenalarkin.bsky.social · Aug 15

i'm just saying.. she's not NOT relatable

“I’ve been called ‘an old lady who has access to a computer,’” she said. “That’s kind of, I guess, how I’m viewed, and OK … I guess that’s OK.”

OPB @opb.org · Aug 14

Irene Gilbert, a retired 76-year-old state employee from La Grande, spends much of her time tilting at windmills. Though sees herself as an environmentalist, she also sees turbines and transmission towers as a blight on the landscape. Her critics see her as a gadfly standing in the way of progress.

How one Oregon activist is using a decades-old liberal policy to stall green energy projects

Irene Gilbert is a 76-year-old retired state employee on a mission, fighting energy projects like large wind farms in Oregon’s rural communities. Renewable energy advocates treat activists like her as gadflies who should be stopped.

www.opb.org

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Serena Larkin @serenalarkin.bsky.social · Jul 15

digging thiiiiiis

"... I did not have a gun.
I have a mind that operates like one."

High Country News @highcountrynews.org · Jul 14

It had nothing to do with augury.
I held the cell phone high into moonlight,
playing the cry of a tawny owl. Merlin obliged,
but it also had nothing to do with magic.

✍️ A poem by Page Hill Starzinger.

The Cry - High Country News

A poem by Page Hill Starzinger.

buff.ly