Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Zoë Schlanger @zoeschlanger.bsky.social · 8d

🥺 that is really nice to hear. please thank them both for me. jealous of your camping trip

Reposted by Zoë Schlanger

Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 19d

Worth noting that Khalil (and others) who have everything to lose, have shown more bravery and commitment to free speech than elites across academia, corporate America, culture and politics bsky.app/profile/josh...

Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 19d

Ben Smith: "What you saw with Mahmoud Khalil is that in some ways he is *less* vulnerable than Jimmy Kimmel. The people who are most vulnerable are the employees of big consolidated megacorporations—"

Chris Hayes: "Yeah, although he's about to get deported."

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Zoë Schlanger @zoeschlanger.bsky.social · 21d

even the inside cover

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Zoë Schlanger @zoeschlanger.bsky.social · 21d

I just got the Taiwanese edition of The Light Eaters in the mail. This is just elite book design

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Reposted by Zoë Schlanger

whet moser @whetmoser.com · 23d

“The BBC has documented at least half a dozen first-hand, devastating accounts in areas where USAID-supported clinics have shut down.” www.bbc.com/news/article...

BBC investigates Afghan maternal deaths after US aid cuts

The BBC hears devastating accounts of Afghan mothers and babies dying after US-backed clinics shut.

www.bbc.com

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Reposted by Zoë Schlanger

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 26d

Each year between January and April, a blob of cold water rises from the depths of the Gulf of Panama to the surface, playing an essential role in supporting marine life in the region. But this year, it never arrived. Researchers are trying to figure out why.

An Annual Blast of Pacific Cold Water Did Not Occur, Alarming Scientists

The cold water upswell, which is vital to marine life, did not materialize for the first time on record. Researchers are trying to figure out why.

nyti.ms

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Zoë Schlanger @zoeschlanger.bsky.social · 26d

Excellent reporting from @naveenasadasivam.bsky.social on post-disaster contractor scams grist.org/extreme-weat... "More than a third of people impacted by a disaster report experiencing fraud...contractor fraud has become a lucrative business."

First came the wildfire. Then came the scams.

As extreme weather becomes more frequent, so too have post-disaster contractor scams like excessive billing and shoddy repairs.

grist.org

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Reposted by Zoë Schlanger

David A. Graham @dgraham.bsky.social · 26d

Important piece by my colleague Gisela Salim-Peyer www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Authoritarianism Feels Surprisingly Normal—Until It Doesn’t

Life in Venezuela was deceptively mundane. Then everything collapsed.

www.theatlantic.com

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Zoë Schlanger @zoeschlanger.bsky.social · 27d

DHS is barring disaster-relief orgs that receive FEMA money from offering assistance to undocumented people. Shelters, food assistance, search and rescue. A lot of these groups are faith-based, which "could create constitutional concerns." www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025...

DHS moves to bar aid groups from serving undocumented immigrants

Disaster aid groups said the new contracts would make it harder for nonprofits to help the most vulnerable Americans in the aftermath of a disaster.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by Zoë Schlanger

Shannon Osaka @shannonosaka.bsky.social · Sep 4

For the last several months, I've been digging through endless scientific literature on what happens when pregnant mothers are exposed to plastic chemicals in their food, water, and everyday household products.

The result is this story.

I hope you'll take the time to read.
wapo.st/4g3ZoFc

The health risks from plastics almost nobody knows about

Researchers have linked phthalates, chemicals found in plastics, to premature birth, infertility and ADHD.

wapo.st

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Zoë Schlanger @zoeschlanger.bsky.social · Sep 4

Thank you for your excellent reporting!

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Reposted by Zoë Schlanger

The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · Sep 3

Following the Trump administration’s cuts to FEMA, many former staffers have begun to work for private contractors that states will have to rely on for disaster response—but not every state may be able to afford that, @zoeschlanger.bsky.social reports:

Goodbye FEMA, Hello Disaster Consultants

Pushing more responsibility for disaster response onto the states will mean depending more on private contractors.

bit.ly

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Zoë Schlanger @zoeschlanger.bsky.social · Sep 3

I wrote about how the the brain drain of emergency managers from FEMA and HUD is flowing directly into disaster consulting companies. It's probably time to talk about the privatization of American disaster response. Here's a gift link: www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...

Goodbye FEMA, Hello Disaster Consultants

Pushing more responsibility for disaster response onto the states will mean depending more on private contractors.

www.theatlantic.com

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Reposted by Zoë Schlanger

Sarah Sax @sarahlsax.bsky.social · Sep 2

Unsurprisingly, deforestation contributes much, much more to drought and rainfall changes in the Amazon than previously thought www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/c...

Scientists May Have Identified a Culprit Behind Declining Amazon Rains

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Zoë Schlanger

Clare Fieseler, PhD @fieseler.bsky.social · Aug 29

SCOOP: Revolution Wind employed 80 fishermen over the past 2 years, paying out $9.5 million to captains, deckhands, and fishing boat owners. Trump's pause means he just put Trump-voting fishermen out of work.

When Trump paused Empire Wind, the fishermen stayed quiet.

This time, they spoke to me.👇

‘It’s madness’: Trump-voting fishermen oppose Revolution Wind halt

The Rhode Island offshore wind project, now nearly finished, employed 80 fishermen to help with construction. With Trump's pause, they are losing vital…

www.canarymedia.com

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Zoë Schlanger @zoeschlanger.bsky.social · Aug 29

Who wants this? I can't imagine Republican voters want this. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/w...

Pediatric Brain Cancer Group to Lose Federal Funding

www.nytimes.com

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Zoë Schlanger @zoeschlanger.bsky.social · Aug 28

In the early weeks of this administration I thought PFAS was a rare environmental issue it miiight take seriously, based on Lee Zeldin's time as a NY rep. I was wrong! www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/c...

An Industry Insider’s Changes at the E.P.A. Could Cost Taxpayers Billions

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Zoë Schlanger

Somini Sengupta @sominisengupta.bsky.social · Aug 28

A Casualty of Trump’s Tariffs: India’s Nascent Solar Industry www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/c...

A Casualty of Trump’s Tariffs: India’s Nascent Solar Industry

www.nytimes.com

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Zoë Schlanger @zoeschlanger.bsky.social · Aug 28

"It is unusual for federal border agents to make arrests during the fighting of an active fire, especially in a remote area."
This is wild.

www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

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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Zoë Schlanger @zoeschlanger.bsky.social · Aug 27

what a duo!

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Zoë Schlanger @zoeschlanger.bsky.social · Aug 27

"The U.S. government is now holding a massive fire sale for mosquito nets, water towers, printers, iPads, chairs, generators, defibrillators, textbooks, agricultural equipment, motorbikes, mobile health clinics, and more." by @hana-kiros.bsky.social www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...

Inside the USAID Fire Sale

Around the world, defibrillators, motorbikes, and water towers are being donated, sold, or simply abandoned.

www.theatlantic.com

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Reposted by Zoë Schlanger

Clare Fieseler, PhD @fieseler.bsky.social · Aug 26

"Don't worry. The states will still lead on climate action."

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Reposted by Zoë Schlanger

Brooke Jarvis @brookejarvis.bsky.social · Aug 26

For @nytimes.com Magazine, I visited the Palisades burn scar to write about fire and resilience www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/m...

In the Scars of L.A.’s Wildfires, Ecological Lessons Bloom

www.nytimes.com

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Zoë Schlanger @zoeschlanger.bsky.social · Aug 25

Your dental fillings? Plastic. Your aligners? Plastic. Your floss, your toothbrush, your night guard?? Anyway the dentists are talking about it now so thought I'd mention it too (gift link) www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...

Modern Dentistry Is a Microplastic Minefield

Dentists and orthodontists depend heavily on plastics and are beginning to weigh the tradeoffs.

www.theatlantic.com

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Reposted by Zoë Schlanger

Damian Carrington @dpcarrington.bsky.social · Aug 25

Air pollution from oil and gas causes 90,000 premature US deaths each year, says new study

Story by @dharna.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Air pollution from oil and gas causes 90,000 premature US deaths each year, says new study

Study analyzed health impacts of fossil fuels from exploration to end use, and found communities of color bear brunt of harm

www.theguardian.com

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