Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 36m

#Politics #Trump

From #LATimes: Trump administration is considering the cancellation of $300 billion worth of clean energy projects.

www.latimes.com/environment/...

Leaked list shows Trump administration considering $15 billion in additional clean energy cuts

Projects promoting hydrogen, electric vehicles, carbon capture and direct air capture are among the list of potential cuts from the Department of Energy, according to a leaked list reviewed by The Tim...

www.latimes.com

Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 1h

#Space

If you're thinking "The Right Stuff" or "Apollo 13," don't get your hopes up. It's a horror film. You can tell #NASA didn't cooperate because they're using phony NASA logos.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF3g...

The Astronaut | Official Trailer (HD) | Vertical

YouTube video by Vertical

www.youtube.com

Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 16h

#Politics #Trump

From #WaPo via Archive.ph:

Trump has assigned nearly one-fourth of #FBI agents to immigration enforcement.

(Field day for bank robbers ...)

archive.ph/a4wUm

archive.ph

Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 17h

From #FloridaToday: The man arrested by #DOJ for starting the Palisades fire was living here in west Melbourne, #Florida. He received a traffic ticket in Palm Bay in August.

www.floridatoday.com/story/news/c...

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Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 20h

BREAKING from #DOJ ... The suspect arrested for starting the Palisades fire was from here, in nearby Melbourne, #Florida.

Why am I not surprised.

www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr...

Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 20h

BREAKING from #LATimes:

Authorities arrest a #Florida man suspected of having set the fire that rekindled and caused the Los Angeles Palisades fire.

www.latimes.com/california/s...

Uber driver accused of intentionally starting fire that destroyed Pacific Palisades

Authorities will announce an arrest in connection with the devastating Palisades fire, law enforcement sources said, and are expected to announce a cause of the blaze.

www.latimes.com

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Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 1d

#Politics From #CNN:

While they're working unpaid during the federal shutdown, #Trump has ordered #FBI employees to scour the agency for any records about ... Amelia Earhart.🤣 🤣 🤣

www.cnn.com/2025/10/07/p...

FBI employees ordered to immediately search for records related to Amelia Earhart, sources say | CNN Politics

The Trump administration has ordered FBI employees in Washington, DC, and New York to immediately search their workstations and digital media for any records pertaining to the disappearance of Amelia ...

www.cnn.com

Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 1d

#StarTrek

My latest Substack looks at "When HARLIE Was One," a 1988 book by David Gerrold about true artificial intelligence and its implications. I was fascinated by how well he predicted what's happening now with AI initiatives and their possible abuses.

www.thewrittentrek.com/p/book-revie...

Book Review: When HARLIE Was One (Release 2.0)

Author David Gerrold wrote a novel first published in 1972 that seems eerily prescient in 2025.

www.thewrittentrek.com

Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 1d

Contrary to evidence-free claims on the Internet, South Carolina law enforcement authorities say there's no evidence so far of arson as a cause of the explosion at a South Carolina judge's home.

www.counton2.com/news/local-n...

Preliminary investigation finds ‘no evidence’ that fire at Lowcountry judge’s home was intentionally set: SLED

EDISTO BEACH, S.C. (WCBD) — A preliminary investigation into a weekend fire at the home of a Lowcountry judge has not revealed evidence of foul play, according to the South Carolina Law Enfor…

www.counton2.com

Reposted by Stephen C. Smith

Your Internet Friend Tom Tomorrow @tomtomorrow.bsky.social · 2d

new toon: shutting down

www.dailykos.com/stories/2025...

Cartoon: Shutting down

Big news: my new Kickstarter is live! It’s been five years since my last book, which is too long (my usual schedule is every two to three years, but I’ve had bad luck with traditional publishers latel...

www.dailykos.com

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Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 3d

#Politics

From #Time: An explosion set afire the South Carolina house of a judge criticized by #Trump. The South Carolina chief justice said it's unknown if the cause was "accidental or arson."

time.com/7323442/sout...

House of South Carolina Judge Criticized by Trump Administration Set Ablaze

Authorities are investigating a fire at the home of a South Carolina judge who had reportedly received death threats in what could be the latest incident of political violence across the country.

time.com

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Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 3d

#Politics #Trump

OVERNIGHT from #NBCNews:

Federal judge (a Trump appointee!) blocks Trump from sending National Guard troops from any state to Portland, Oregon.

www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...

Federal judge blocks Trump administration from sending federalized National Guard to Portland

Earlier Sunday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would sue the Trump administration after it federalized 300 California National Guard troops.

www.nbcnews.com

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Reposted by Stephen C. Smith

CNN @cnn.com · 3d

Three hundred California National Guard members are on their way to Oregon on President Trump’s orders after a judge blocked his deployment of federal troops to Portland, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced. https://cnn.it/4h0sLJ4

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Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 4d

#Politics #Trump

BREAKING from #NBCNews: Federal judge (a Trump appointee!) temporarily blocks Trump from deploying the National Guard to Portland, Oregon.

www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...

Judge temporarily blocks use of National Guard in Portland

The ruling is a setback for the Trump administration as it seeks to use military troops in some Democratic-run cities.

www.nbcnews.com

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Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 4d

#Space #Russia #NASA

"The Russian Right Stuff" was a 1991 PBS Nova three-part documentary series about the Soviet space program. Part 1, "The Invisible Spaceman," was about the early years, including Sputnik 1, which launched 68 years ago today.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUcv...

The Russian Right Stuff: The Invisible Spaceman, PBS Nova, February 26, 1991

YouTube video by Space SPAN (Space Policy and News)

www.youtube.com

Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 4d

#Space #Russia #NASA

68 years ago today, the USSR launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite.

Both the US and USSR had announced they would launch satellites for the International Geophysical Year. It wasn't a "race" until US media proclaimed it such.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWR7...

1957: Sputnik I (Universal News)

YouTube video by International Astronautical Federation

www.youtube.com

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Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 5d

#StarTrek

My latest Substack is about our visit last Saturday to the Star Trek set replica tour in Ticonderoga, New York. The tour was led by David Gerrold, known in Trekdom as the writer of "The Trouble of Tribbles."

Read about the tour for free at the link.
www.thewrittentrek.com/p/a-visit-to...

A Visit to the Enterprise

The Star Trek tour in Ticonderoga, New York features replicas of the NCC-1701 sets, which were used in the "New Voyages" fan series.

www.thewrittentrek.com

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Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 5d

#Politics #Trump

From #CNBC: The US Treasury is preparing to mint a $1 Trump coin to honor him on the nation's 250th anniversary.

www.cnbc.com/2025/10/03/t...

Treasury weighs minting $1 coin with Trump's face for U.S. 250th anniversary

U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach confirmed in a social media post that the draft coin depicting Trump is real. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent shared Beach's post.

www.cnbc.com

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Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 6d

#Space #NASA

This showed up in email ... Federal law requires that president to prepare an annual Aeronautics and Space Report. This NASA webpage has every report going back to the first one in 1959, by Eisenhower.

You might have fun rummaging through the years.

www.nasa.gov/history/hist...

Aeronautics and Space Report of the President - NASA

The annual "President's Report" is a summary of the Government's aerospace activities each year and includes data on spacecraft launches and budget figures.

www.nasa.gov

Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 7d

#Politics #COVID

I can't get a COVID vaccine in Florida because of quack surgeon general Ladapo.

I'm in New York state on vacation. I just went to the local CVS. They gave me a COVID vaccine, no problem.

The pharmacist was appalled to hear about Florida.

In any case, I outwitted MAGA.

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Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 8d

#Space

#NASA was born 67 years ago today, out of the old National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.🎂

This is a film sent to NACA employees from the outgoing NACA director and the incoming NASA administrator explaining the transition.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5ur...

Message to Employees of NACA, Circa October 1, 1958

YouTube video by Space SPAN (Space Policy and News)

www.youtube.com

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Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 8d

#Politics

Because #Florida ... From #FloridaToday:

Palm Bay city council member calls for all Indian-Americans to be deported, uses Nazi rhetoric about Jews.

www.floridatoday.com/story/news/l...

Palm Bay residents speak out against councilman's anti-Indian American remarks

Chandler Langevin called for the deportation of all Indian Americans. Many called his comments racist and asked for his removal.

www.floridatoday.com

Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 9d

I just published a short #Substack article about my experiences with #Tesla Autosteer, a simplified version of Full Self-Driving. The verdict -- not ready for prime time.

Read for free without subscribing, although please consider signing up for free.

weboughtatesla.substack.com/p/unsupervised

Unsupervised

Full Self-Driving remains far from perfect. The same is true for its less capable sibling, Autosteer.

weboughtatesla.substack.com

Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 15d

#Space #SpaceCoast

#SpaceX will launch the #IMAP heliophysics mission for #NASA this morning from #KSC Pad 39A, targeting 7:30 AM EDT. Watch live on the NASA YouTube channel at the link.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNRr...

Three New Missions Launch to Track Space Weather

YouTube video by NASA

www.youtube.com

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Stephen C. Smith @wordsmithfl.bsky.social · 15d

#Politics #Trump #Ukraine #Russia

I've watched enough pro wrestling to know not to believe for one second when a heel claims to have turned face.

Trump is now pro-Ukraine and pro-NATO and wants NATO to shoot down Russian fighter jets over Europe?

From #CBSNews

www.cbsnews.com/news/zelensk...

Zelenskyy says he's "a little bit" surprised after Trump argues Ukraine can win back all its territory from Russia

President Trump said Ukraine is "in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form" — a shift that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said took him by surprise.

www.cbsnews.com

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