Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Tracy O’Connell Novick

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 17m

When the students at this Maine high school got detention, they would sit in a classroom for a few hours after school.

A counselor had the idea to offer students an option to hike instead. After their first hikes, they found it improved their moods.

School offers hikes instead of detention. Teachers are seeing results.

“People seem really different in a good way at the end,” said Leslie Trundy, a Maine high school counselor and avid hiker.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Bisexual Kaiju @bisexualkaiju.myatproto.social · 1h

Just a reminder that anti-queer and anti-trans policies aren't actually popular.

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 5h

JUST IN: The Republican Mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska’s second biggest city, lost re-election last night to a Democrat.

Mayor David Pruhs is a conservative who fought protections for LGBTQ+ residents; he made comments this year drew condemnation this year from Alaska Natives. He lost to Mindy O'Neall.

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Tracy O’Connell Novick @tracynovick.bsky.social · 26m

I WAS! I hope that was great, whatever it was!

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Tracy O’Connell Novick @tracynovick.bsky.social · 29m

I was not, but if you went, I hope you had a good time!

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Tracy O’Connell Novick @tracynovick.bsky.social · 33m

A few weekends ago, I was going through downtown, and there were lots of people dressed in enthusiastic amounts of black, heading to a concert that sounded to me like Tyrannosaurus Rexes fighting, and I thought, “isn’t it great that we have things like this for people who enjoy that?”

Kath Barbadoro @kathbarbadoro.bsky.social · 18h

I love living in a city full of immigrants and tons and tons of people who are not at all like me and not like each other. It makes us all better and it makes our city better. I know I’m preaching to the choir by saying this on the lib app but I sometimes just get so overwhelmed by how special it is

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Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 3h

I love how Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House and #2 in line for the presidency, is always like, “What? News?! I never read or hear anything that happens in the world, anywhere. I’m totally offline. What even is ‘social media’? They play news all day on TV!? Wow! That’s a surprise!”

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 4h

Q: Do you agree that the mayor of Chicago and governor of Illinois should be in prison?

MIKE JOHNSON: Should they be in prison? I'm not the attorney general. I'm not following the day to day on that

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Ruth Zakarin @ruthz.bsky.social · 1h

“This is not the first time Trump has tried to have a Black man unjustly arrested. I’m not going anywhere.” - Mayor Brandon Johnson

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Don Jenver @donjenver.bsky.social · 4h

if you're willing to sacrifice some groups for your personal safety, i'm going to assume you'll sacrifice anyone. Either we all get humanity and rights or none of us will. Because nobody is voting for another centrist Dem trying to move the party right. that shit is over.

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Heidi MacDonald @comixace.bsky.social · 1h

"That's the point – the smudge, the rough line, the hesitation - that's what makes my work come alive." - Jim Lee talking about why DC will never use AI storytelling. "AI doesn't dream, feel or make art, it aggregates it."

@jimlee.bsky.social speaking very passionately at Retailer Day. #nycc

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Kelsey Atherton @atherton.bsky.social · 3h

Free healthcare to all residents of the US regardless of immigration status would rule, actually. Universal benefits for universal problems (having a body that can get sick or hurt)

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Worcester Magazine @worcestermagazine.bsky.social · 4h

“We believe a library should have something for everyone,” WPL Executive Director Jason Homer said. “Just because you don't want that book doesn't mean other people don't, and we have over 860,000 titles.”

'A library should have something for everyone': Library sets events for Banned Books Week

In honor of "Band Books Week," the Worcester Public Library will celebrate “the freedom to read” all afternoon on Oct. 11.

www.worcestermag.com

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 4h

The elimination of USAID is a moral atrocity and all involved made a choice to enable, and then lie about, ending the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in the world.

MAE SOT, Thailand (AP) - Mohammed Taher clutched the lifeless body of his 2-year-old son and wept. Ever since his family's food rations stopped arriving at their internment camp in Myanmar in April, the father had watched helplessly as his once-vibrant baby boy weakened, suffering from diarrhea and begging for food.
On May 21, exactly two weeks after Taher's little boy died, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sat before Congress and declared: "No one has died" because of his government's decision to gut its foreign aid program. Rubio also insisted: "No children are dying on my watch."
That, Taher says, "is a lie."

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Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 5h

twice a year the entire U.S. press becomes a marketing extension of a single billionaire-owned retailer, and nobody in any position of editorial power thinks it's weird or gross

photo of Google News search results for Amazon Prime Day (the second this year)

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WBUR @wbur.org · 4h

Massport said Tuesday there has not been "any impacts to operations at Logan or Worcester Regional due to the federal shutdown." But this is despite claims from the FAA that staffing issues caused delays at Boston's airport earlier this week.

Massport: Logan flight delays unrelated to government shutdown

Massport said Tuesday there has not been "any impacts to operations at Logan or Worcester Regional due to the federal shutdown." But this is despite claims from the Federal Aviation Administration tha...

www.wbur.org

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John Bull @garius.bsky.social · 4h

🔽🔽🔽

Hannah Rutherford (she/her) @lomadiah.bsky.social · 4h

Please signal boost, it's for a good cause! 🙏

Hey folks - I'm working with an MS (multiple sclerosis) charity to find streamers to support fundraising in November. It's retro gaming themed, so if you're interested in more info - or you know someone who would be amazing - please chuck me a reply 💚

a young boy covering his face with his hands while a man says please say yes behind him .

Alt: a young boy crossing his fingers and screwing up his eyes, saying please say yes

media.tenor.com

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Alex Tomlinson @alextomlinson.com · 1d

Flat illustration of a Wood Pigeon, Magpie, and Robin in a parade-line stride holding autumn leaves up high with their beaks! (UK birds as I am there right now on vacation!)

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John Bull @garius.bsky.social · 6h

When you could code silly quizzes on Facebook, it was FULL of "what would you be in medieval times?!" etc.

I made one that nearly always answered "died as a child", "died in childbirth", "lived and died as a servant"

People got SUPER mad with it.

Everyone assumes they'll be at the top of the tree

William Carruthers @williamcarruthers.bsky.social · 6h

The subtext of ‘we should be more like Dubai’, beyond the obvious racism, is ‘I should have a servant’.

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David M. Perry @lollardfish.bsky.social · 6h

I really believe that huge majorities of Americans don’t want masked soldiers shooting priests in the street. They don’t want naked children ripped out out of their apartments in the middle of the night and handcuffed. We win by making sure these stories get told.

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 6h

The same people who insisted devout Catholic Joe Biden was leading a “war on Christianity” are now cheering Trump on as his armed goons assault clergymen.

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 7h

WATCH: Trump’s lawless Ice goons shoot an unarmed priest in the head with a pepper ball. Completely out of control.

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Tracy O’Connell Novick @tracynovick.bsky.social · 6h

smidge of a blog post from me who-cester.blogspot.com/2025/10/repo...

Report on school construction from Mass Inc and WRRB

This was released yesterday How great is the clever title? A building foundation...the foundation budget? The upshot is that if Shrewsbury ...

who-cester.blogspot.com

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Tracy O’Connell Novick @tracynovick.bsky.social · 7h

it's a very good case where "equal" isn't equitable, and tying it straight back into the MA Constitution's charge for the *state* to carry education is really appropriate here.

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Tracy O’Connell Novick @tracynovick.bsky.social · 7h

New #MAEdu report released yesterday from Mass Inc and our Worcester research bureau, looking at what happens when you have a set up where districts get one school (and a bit) at a time, plus the underlying funding of municipalities is so uneven.

(thread has press links)

Massachusetts Association of School Committees @mascschoolcomm.bsky.social · 7h

Report from @massinc.bsky.social and @wrrbureau.bsky.social : Fixing the Foundation: Uneven Access to Modern Schools and a Blueprint for a More Equitable Future

massinc.org/research/fix...

Fixing the Foundation: Uneven Access to Modern Schools and a Blueprint for a More Equitable Future - MassINC

This report examines disparities in school facility conditions across Massachusetts and their implications for student learning.

massinc.org

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Doug Mack @douglasmack.bsky.social · 13h

the most delightful version of logging on to see what news you've missed

Dr Ramsdell, whose phone had been on airplane mode when the Nobel committee tried to call him, told the BBC's Newshour Programme that his first response when his wife said, "You've won the Nobel prize" was: "I did not."

To which Ms O'Neill replied that she had 200 text messages that suggested he had.

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Rich Raho @richraho.bsky.social · 8h

‪Pope Leo was also presented with letters fr migrants in the US who are living in fear.‬

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Tracy O’Connell Novick @tracynovick.bsky.social · 8h

Repost for the morning:

Tracy O’Connell Novick @tracynovick.bsky.social · 16h

#mapoli

who-cester.blogspot.com/2025/10/dear...

Dearest Legislators,

It has come to my attention that you plan to override Governor Healey's July veto of nearly $20M in charter school tuition reimbursement. As this represents millions of dollars to some of the most needy districts in the state1, this is very helpful. Thank you!

Many of you are no doubt under the impression that this money goes, as is intended by state law, to the school districts themselves. This is, however, is the case only for regional school districts. For municipal school districts, because charter school tuition reimbursement isn't designated as going to schools "without additional appropriation," the money goes to the city or town general fund.

Cities and towns have long since passed their budgets. Unless someone takes additional action, these funds you intend for schools will not go to schools.

Were it possible for you to pass these funds with language so designating them, that would be most useful.

If not, perhaps you could ensure that the Department of Revenue generates updated cherry sheets, and you could ensure the cities and towns in your districts are aware of where the money should go?

With very sincere thanks,

Someone who wants to ensure the Worcester Public Schools gets their $2M

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👻madeline boOoOoOodent👻 @oldenoughtosay.com · 9h

I really hate the dogwhistle "would you leave your front door open for anyone to come in" question. That's the wrong question.
The real analogy is "If a stranger knocked on your door and asked you for help, would you help them?"

and for me, the answer is yes, in a heartbeat. every time.

Cllr Dr Max Morris @maxmorris.bsky.social · 9h

Very proud of my fellow Green councillors for proposing this motion. "We are a rich tapestry, we are strengthened by our diversity, and we must stand up as a council and as a city for that diversity, unite against the far right and the divisive narratives of them." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Oxford City Council backs city's minority communities in vote

A Green party motion called on Oxford City Council to oppose far right rhetoric.

www.bbc.co.uk

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