Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Wes Marner @wesmarner.com · Feb 27

Positively revolting press release in my inbox from the US Department of Education today: Opening a public portal for anyone to snitch on DEI activities in public schools via a website called "EndDEI"

Keep resisting in all ways you can.

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Wes Marner @wesmarner.com · Feb 25

Powerful testimony by @moonsledges.bsky.social at @mdibiolab.bsky.social about the power of biomedical research to provide the gift of time - and the risk of ending support for research.

Continue to call your elected representatives. Tell them to halt any cuts to the NIH.

mdibl.org/the-power-of...

The Power of Science, The Gift of Time

mdibl.org

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Reposted by Wes Marner

Morgridge Institute for Research @morgridgeinstitute.bsky.social · Feb 20

Early-career scientists are essential to the Morgridge mission, and the majority have some level of competitive support from NIH. Several researchers share thoughts on how federal funding supports their mission to conduct high-impact research.

Read their stories: morgridge.org/story/the-am...

The American investment in research is about people - Morgridge Institute for Research

Early-career scientists are essential to the Morgridge mission, and the majority have some level of competitive support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Here, early-career researchers sha...

morgridge.org

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Wes Marner @wesmarner.com · Feb 20

"Science" doesn't discover new medicines, develop new diagnostic tools, or save lives

Scientists do that

Decades of taxpayer support for biomedical scientists have returned countless discoveries to the American People

What does that funding mean to those scientists?

morgridge.org/story/the-am...

The American investment in research is about people - Morgridge Institute for Research

Early-career scientists are essential to the Morgridge mission, and the majority have some level of competitive support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Here, early-career researchers sha...

morgridge.org

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Reposted by Wes Marner

L.D. Burnett @ldburnett.bsky.social · Feb 9

for pity’s sake, I am BEGGING university leaders to stop framing this issue in terms of what this will cost the university. people dont care!

EXPLAIN WHAT THIS WILL COST THE PUBLIC: closed hospitals and clinics, skipped treatments, loss of access to experimental drugs, unemployment, recession

sreenshot from the new york times reporting that Stanford University’s provost is talking about how the loss of funding from national institutes of health funding will cost the university $160 million. that’s not the way to get this changed — the people think “stanford is rich; no big deal.” leaders need to talk about what this will cost the public

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Nicole Rust @nicolecrust.bsky.social · Feb 5

Let's talk about the effects all the political goings on in the US are having on science trainees (to raise awareness).

A whole gen has been told that STEM is important. They invested their lives in that pursuit. And now:
www.eenews.net/articles/sci...

What are you hearing from them?

Science funding agency threatened with mass layoffs

National Science Foundation staff heard the plans at a meeting Tuesday.

www.eenews.net

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Reposted by Wes Marner

Greg Pak @gregpak.net · Feb 1

I just signed up for this @indivisible.org call. They're literally our best bet right now for traditional political/electoral action, imo. Please consider joining me. mobilize.us/s/0x5dTb

We Choose To Fight: Action Call · Indivisible

This Sunday night, February 2 at 8pm ET/5pm PT, you’re invited to join Indivisible, MoveOn, Working Families Party, and a coalition of other organizations for an action call. During the call, you will...

mobilize.us

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Reposted by Wes Marner

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · Jan 31

It's amazing how badly most congressional Democrats are misreading the mood of their base.

On the bright side, if you're ever considered running for Congress, the 2026 Democratic Party primaries are going to be a prime moment for "throw the old guard out" insurgents.

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Leah Greenberg ❌👑 @leahgreenberg.bsky.social · Jan 28

This is a great morning to call all your elected officials and ask them to absolutely lose their shit

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BWJones @bwjones.bsky.social · Jan 28

Does anyone have an example they can share of good leadership from their institutions with respect to the federal changes and their impact on higher education and science/research?

Cuz I’m mostly hearing crickets.

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Reposted by Wes Marner

Amy Feldman @amyfeldman7.bsky.social · Jan 22

If you’ve been directly impacted by a pause or cancellation of an NIH study session, we @forbes.com would like to talk to you

Jane Liebschutz, MD MPH (she/her) @liebschutz.bsky.social · Jan 22

All NIH study sections canceled indefinitely. This will halt science and devastate research budgets in universities.

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Chris Pickett @chrispickett5.bsky.social · Jan 22

Two things concerned scientists can do:

1. Call your members of Congress and explain how disruptions in funding would be disastrous for jobs and research in their district/state.

2a. Call your dept. chair and express your concern. The goal is to end the convo w/…

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Wes Marner @wesmarner.com · Jan 16

First skeet (did I use that right?) from my institution! I'm proud to lead a group that develops the next generation of fearless scientists!

We're always hiring...check out our website (morgridge.org) for info.

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Reposted by Wes Marner

Mark E. Griffin @marvelousmarks.bsky.social · Jan 15

Great quote here that I wish was in every story about publicly owned or operated spaces like parks, transportation services, and libraries. They're not supposed to make money! They're designed to serve the public.

Quote: Rinks in many cities provide a valuable community service, Franzen-Elmer said, but rely on subsidies from local governments.

“We offer ice for community types of programs. Our high schools utilize these facilities for high school hockey,” Franzen-Elmer said. “It's important to the community to keep them going.”

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Wes Marner @wesmarner.com · Jan 15

I spotted him on the feed right after I asked. Thanks

Wes Marner @wesmarner.com · Jan 15

Bless you for sitting through that public comment (do it for the kids!). Did Tishler attend tonight?

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Wes Marner @wesmarner.com · Jan 14

What’s the motivation for the city to allow consolidation of the lots to build one house anyway?

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Wes Marner @wesmarner.com · Jan 10

It's unfortunate that the situation didn't work out for anyone to run against Tishler in District 11. He's a status quo guy that needs to change.

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Wes Marner @wesmarner.com · Dec 20

I went to one of these segregation academies for 6th-9th grade. Let me tell you that it took a long time to undo the damage and the insidious prejudice that the school installed. We shouldn’t be sending public money to private schools.

ProPublica @propublica.org · Dec 19

A new ProPublica analysis shows a stark pattern across the Deep South: Alongside about 200 majority-Black public school districts are private academies filled almost entirely with white students.

@jenniferberryhawes.bsky.social,
@natlash.bsky.social, @mrsimon22.bsky.social
propub.li/3BFytzN

The Story of One Mississippi County Shows How Private Schools Are Exacerbating Segregation

A new ProPublica analysis shows a stark pattern across states in the Deep South: Alongside majority-Black public school districts, a separate web of private academies are filled almost entirely with white students.

propub.li

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Wes Marner @wesmarner.com · Dec 18

I wish we could identify someone to run in District 11, too.

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Wes Marner @wesmarner.com · Dec 17

I and many in HigherEd have experience so much of this behavior. Mentors wield so much power over #postdoc and #gradstudent careers that calling out monstrous mentors is essential. Let's prepare not-monstrous mentors with tools to encourage the best behavior.

www.chronicle.com/article/what...

What Do We Do With Monstrous Mentors?

It’s time for a reckoning.

www.chronicle.com

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Reposted by Wes Marner

Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · Dec 16

What if they just periodically had to sit in their office closets while someone simulated being a shooter in the corridor, like my grade school children do?

Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · Dec 16

“New York state is considering creating a special hotline exclusively for CEOs to report perceived threats”

New Crisis Hotline for CEOs?

Governor of New York wants to protect CEOs

www.kenklippenstein.com

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Wes Marner @wesmarner.com · Dec 17

Today’s mass shooting in a school happened in my town, just a few miles from where my kid goes to school. People have asked me if we were afraid because it was “so close to home.” The answer is no, I’m afraid because “close to home” is EVERYWHERE now. No one is safe anymore. #ItsTheGuns #GunControl

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Rep. Mark Pocan @pocan.house.gov · Dec 16

Thoughts and prayers without action means more school shootings, more dead kids.

More ACTION is needed by our elected officials.

And more BACKBONE to stand up to gun manufacturers.

This is uniquely a United States problem that doesn't have to happen.

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Wes Marner @wesmarner.com · Dec 16

It's infuriating that we continue to allow guns to permeate our schools and society like this.

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