Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 15h

Or just take a walk in a random forest. Either one.

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 15h

May be time to identify grass solely by touch?

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 18h

This tweet oversells what the story does IMO.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 18h

Exclusive: A Post investigation reveals widespread fraud at the Department of Veterans Affairs’s $193 billion disability program, with veterans faking injuries for money.

The program’s reliance on an honor system makes it vulnerable to exploitation.

VA’s disability program is an ‘honor system.’ These veterans are defrauding it.

Post investigation finds VA’s $193 billion disability program has turned into a rich target for fraudsters. Some fake blindness or paralysis to get as much as $1 million.

wapo.st

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Reposted by Steve Koczela

Jarrett Walker @humantransit.bsky.social · 1d

US public transit has plenty of good-news stories! www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/mbta-bo...

How Boston transit leaders fixed a failing transit system

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority recovered from safety lapses that prompted the Federal Transit Administration to oversee the agency’s transit rail system in 2022.

www.smartcitiesdive.com

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 2d

That may have been my error.

Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 2d

It's still life Pac-Man

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 2d

When you start multiple generational wars AND recognize actual physical and mental impacts, it costs a lot to care for the vets. You don't want to pay? Don't start wars.

Also (of course / obviously) as with every government program in recorded history, there are bad actors.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 2d

Exclusive: Military veterans are swamping the U.S. government with dubious disability claims that are exploiting the country’s sacred commitment to compensate those harmed in the line of duty, according to a Post investigation.

How some veterans exploit $193 billion VA program, due to lax controls

The Department of Veterans Affairs spends billions on dubious and even fraudulent disabilities benefits. Meanwhile, some deserving cases wait.

wapo.st

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 2d

It’s called “Boardwalk.”

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 3d

"Become a pollster," they said.

"Wait for a slow news period to get a stable read," they said

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 3d

“Become a courts reporter,” they said.

“You’ll get weekends off,” they said.

“Because there won’t be any hearings on the weekend,” they said.

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 3d

COMING UP: Judge Immergut has set a hearing for 10 pm ET tonight (!) on Trump's effort to circumvent her temporary restraining order re: Oregon national guard deployment by calling up the federalized California national guard.

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 3d

Great news for IVR pollsters.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 3d

As more parents steer their children away from screens and social media, the landline phone — a mainstay of Gen X- and millennial-generation childhoods — is having a renaissance.

Parents are bringing back the landline

Looking to steer kids away from screens and social media, more families are going analog.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by Steve Koczela

Sahil Kapur @sahilkapur.bsky.social · 6d

POLLS: Who do Americans blame for the gov't shutdown?*

WASH POST
47% blame Trump/GOP
30% blame Dems

MARIST
38% blame GOP
27% blame Dems

NYT/SIENA
26% blame Trump/GOP
19% blame Dems

MORNING CONSULT
45% blame GOP
32% blame Dems

[*all taken b/w late Sept & Oct 1]

www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...

Early polls show Trump and GOP taking more blame than Democrats for shutdown

The national surveys taken in the final days of September and the first day of the shutdown find that voters are more inclined to blame Trump and his party. But many are uncertain.

www.nbcnews.com

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 6d

Speaking from some experience on the matter, cordon and search is an the occupation tactic that alienates local populations more than almost anything else, including people who may otherwise be sympathetic.

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 7d

“ABC7 spoke to Pertissue Fisher, a woman who lives in the building. She said ICE agents took everyone in the building, including her, and asked questions later….’They was bringing the kids down, too, had them zip tied to each other.’”

It can’t happen here, you say. But it is happening.

ICE agents raid South Shore apartments; Trump says Chicago could become military training ground

ICE agents raided a South Shore apartment building overnight as the city braces for a possible military deployment.

abc7chicago.com

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Reposted by Steve Koczela

The Horse Race @thehorserace.bsky.social · 6d

This week, AI is coming to (or for?) local journalism; @cwbeacon.bsky.social's Chris Lisinski on how the shutdown will impact Massachusetts; and goodbye, dial-up internet soundcloud.com/user-7275171...

A Shutdown Showdown (ft. Chris Lisinski)

Today on The Horse Race, Jenn and Steve talk AI's new role in local political reporting. Then Chris Lisinski, reporter for Commonwealth Beacon, joins the program to discuss his latest reporting on the

soundcloud.com

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 7d

These #MASen polls often require a bit of squinting and placing alongside other poll numbers to see what they are telling us. The Markey reelect numbers definitely square with other polls we've seen. People like him (positive net favs) but a substantial portion think it's time to hang it up.

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 7d

Markey reelect question is framed around age and comes before the actual horserace questions which is a little dubious ordering. With this ordering, Markey down by 8 to Moulton and 2 to Pressley among Dems. Just 36% say he should run again. assets.nationbuilder.com/fiscalallian...

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 7d

New Mass poll from The Fiscal Alliance Foundation. Some issues questions that I'd take with pretty many grains of salt. But the elections / approval stuff is interesting. Healey 59% approve / 33% disapprove. Healey +11 over Kennealy, +15 over Shortsleeve. assets.nationbuilder.com/fiscalallian...

assets.nationbuilder.com

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 7d

Partisan politics in the VA newsletter I just got. “Unfortunately, Democrats are blocking this Continuing Resolution in the U.S. Senate due to unrelated policy demands.”

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 8d

Rules of engagement are what lets you come home after the war and look your mother in the eye.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 8d

Hegseth: "We unleash overwhelming and punishing violence on the enemy. We also don't fight with stupid rules of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt, and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement."

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Reposted by Steve Koczela

Philip Bump @pbump.com · 8d

It is undeniable that this moment is being shaped by people who marinated for years in an informational environment where reality was not only demoted but actively disdained. It took a while for that bubble to become impermeable but it did and now we have a chunk of people who know nothing but.

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 9d

This may be the most dystopian post on any social media site ever.

Politico @politico.com · 9d

EXCLUSIVE: The U.S. nuclear arsenal needs more plutonium.

Trump might divert some to power AI.

Trump’s nuclear power push stirs worries about US weapons stockpile

The scramble to build new reactors to supply power to AI data centers may include plutonium from the nation’s nuclear deterrent.

www.politico.com

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 12d

Lemme tell you how much soldiers love pointless formations.

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 12d

“One of the main goals of the gathering, which military officials and historians said was without precedent in size and scope, is to ‘get our fighters excited” about the new posture of the department…”

Summoned U.S. Military Officers Are Expected to Hear a ‘Rally the Troops’ Message

www.nytimes.com

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 13d

This is a litmus test for supporting our troops. You can’t both support our troops and support crushing the VA, they are mutually exclusive. No overlap.

CNN @cnn.com · 13d

Hundreds of current and former VA doctors, nurses and other caregivers have issued a warning to the Department of Veterans Affairs about the negative impacts of the agency’s recent staffing cuts and other policy changes. https://cnn.it/46ViRoz

Hundreds of VA doctors and caregivers warn that cutbacks, policy changes threaten veterans' care | CNN Politics

Hundreds of current and former VA doctors, nurses and other caregivers have issued a warning to the Department of Veterans Affairs about the negative impacts of the agency's recent staffing cuts and other policy changes.

cnn.it

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 13d

We have reached the platonic idea of the "experts say" dodge. The art can be refined no further.

Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 13d

"experts say"
www.cnn.com/2025/08/11/b...

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Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 13d

You could satirize the entire pod world in maybe 10 mins of content.

Steve Koczela @skoczela.bsky.social · 13d

I am sure somewhere on some website I've experienced negative impacts from clicking "reject all cookies," but none so great I've noticed.

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