Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Kathleen (Katie) Ferris

Alex Gunderson @agunderson.bsky.social · Sep 11

New paper! PhD student Julie Rej found that invasive brown anoles are more aggressive than native green anoles across a wide range of temperatures. The difference is greatest when it's hottest, ie, heat amplifies the aggression of an invasive species!

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

High temperatures amplify aggressiveness of an invasive lizard toward a native congener

Invasive species cause major disturbances to endemic wildlife and often displace native species. Behavioral aggression can contribute to invasive spec…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Reposted by Kathleen (Katie) Ferris

Tea’s so happy being Teddy Roosevelt @teaberryblue.net · Sep 8

Just like anti-vaxers, people who dislike immigrants are a weird terrible fringe group and we should treat them like the weird terrible fringe group they are.

Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · Sep 7

Highest level of support since Gallup started asking this question a quarter century ago

Americans' Views on Immigration's Effect on the U.S.
On the whole, do you think immigration is a good thing or a bad thing for this country today?
— % Good thing - - % Bad thing
100%
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
79
17
2001
2005
2010
2015
2020
2025
The percentages who volunteer that the effects are "mixed" or who do not have an opinion are not shown.
GALLUP®

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Reposted by Kathleen (Katie) Ferris

Sky YB @drsrbayer.bsky.social · Sep 8

Hi everyone! I am looking for any #scientists (including grad students, post docs) that’d be willing to be interviewed about their research by my #SciComm students in October. Here is the form to fill out if interested! Our time zone is Alaska, FYI. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

BIOL 311 Sci Comm Fall 2025 - Interview Sign up!

Please fill out this form to be interviewed as part of BIOL 311's students project for the second half of the semester. One form per one participant is preferred, so if you have post-docs or graduate ...

docs.google.com

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Reposted by Kathleen (Katie) Ferris

Ian L Morgan @ianlmorgan.bsky.social · Sep 7

Today, I tried to get my COVID vaccine and was denied. Even after showing the pharmacist @govwesmoore.bsky.social 's statement that Maryland law says all Marylanders should have access to the COVID vaccine, I was still denied. They said they had to follow the box. This is RFK's fault. RFK must go.

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Reposted by Kathleen (Katie) Ferris

NPR @npr.org · Sep 7

The de minimis rule that allowed small packages worth less than $800 to be exempt from tariffs ended on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.

Postal traffic to US drops more than 80% after trade exemption rule ends, UN agency says

The de minimis rule that allowed small packages worth less than $800 to be exempt from tariffs ended on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025.

n.pr

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Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · Sep 8

Don’t say “Dems aren’t doing anything.” There’s just little attention to the courage of these Missouri Dems resisting the extreme gerrymandering of Republicans desigmed to increase Republican numbers in the House.
www.kfvs12.com/2025/09/05/m...

Missouri House Democrats plan to continue sit-in over weekend

Missouri Democrats have surpassed 24 hours of their sit-in on the House floor protesting a special session.

www.kfvs12.com

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Dr. Kat Napaaqtuk❄️ @napaaqtuk.bsky.social · Sep 8

Obligatory sharing of John Oliver's take on this administrations fight against research and Universities #academia

youtu.be/xk94il8L820?...

Trump vs. Higher Education: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

YouTube video by LastWeekTonight

youtu.be

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David Lowry @davidlowry.bsky.social · Sep 8

Super excited about this new Open Rank tenure-track faculty search for the MSU Plant Resilience Institute. We successfully hired two excellent new faculty in our last search and we are hoping to build on that success with this search. careers.msu.edu/jobs/assista...

Assistant/Associate/Full Professor Tenure System - East Lansing, Michigan, United States

Working/Functional Title Assistant/Associate/Full Professor Tenure System Position Summary The Plant Resilience Institute (PRI) at Michigan State University invites applications for multiple tenure-st...

careers.msu.edu

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Kathleen (Katie) Ferris @ferrisifolius.bsky.social · Sep 8

Chicago’s Mayor: The National Guard Isn’t What We Need www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/o...

Opinion | Chicago’s Mayor: The National Guard Isn’t What We Need

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Kathleen (Katie) Ferris

News Eye @newseye.bsky.social · Aug 28

BREAKING: Big moment as CDC staff stage a mass walkout.

They have lined the street outside its HQ to greet and salute the four top officials who have resigned in protest at RFK Jr’s attack on the agency’s science base.

(🎥 AP)

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Ana Bedoya @botana-bedoya.bsky.social · Aug 28

Convocatoria para PhD en New York Botanical Garden. Ayúdenme a compartir! Proyecto estudiando filogeografía de plantas de rio y modelos de conección de ríos luego del levantamiento del Istmo de Panama.
Interesados en evolución de plantas Neotropicales💦👇
anamariabedoya.weebly.com/opportunitie... 1/2

Opportunities

GRADUATE STUDENTS I will be recruiting a PhD student for Fall of 2026. This position is under an NSF funded grant for research in Panama, Costa Rica, and Colombia, aiming to investigate the timing...

anamariabedoya.weebly.com

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Reposted by Kathleen (Katie) Ferris

🎃 public HELLth guy 🎃 @publichealthguy1.bsky.social · Aug 28

RFK Must Go

#USAnotRFK

Three words.
Nine letters.
Say it and I'm yours

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Reposted by Kathleen (Katie) Ferris

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett @crockett.house.gov · Aug 28

62 years ago, Dr. King led the March on Washington with giants like John Lewis, Mahalia Jackson, A. Philip Randolph, and so many others.

If you’ve ever wondered what you’d be doing during the Civil Rights Movement, this is your test. (1/2)

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Casey Dunn @caseywdunn.bsky.social · Aug 28

I hope to take a PhD student in 2026 to study siphonophores. Please reach out if you are interested in applying this fall. For examples of recent lab projects see www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... and academic.oup.com/gbe/article/...

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Reposted by Kathleen (Katie) Ferris

Matthew Facciani @matthewfacciani.bsky.social · Aug 28

Outside the CDC, people are chanting “USA, not RFK.” They are fed up with having one unqualified person dictate the nation’s health. #USANotRFK

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Karolina Heyduk @kheyduk.bsky.social · Aug 27

Friends! Today is the day! Please consider giving to the Botanical Society of America's fundraiser to help us meet our goal & to continue to support our amazing community!

Hear about all the amazing things the BSA does here: day-for-bsa.botany.org/2025

Donate here: crm.botany.org/civicrm/cont...

Botanical Society of America @botsocamerica.bsky.social · Aug 27

Thanks to everyone who’s donated to the '#ADayforBSA' Endowment campaign! We’ve already reached 20% of our $15,000 goal.

Every gift matters and helps support students, publications, and the Botany Conference. Haven’t given yet? There’s still time: crm.botany.org/civicrm/cont...

#IamaBotanist

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Sophia, MPH @sophiacbess.bsky.social · Aug 27

“Prasad overruled dozens of career scientists to limit Covid vaccine approvals three times in the past few months”

🎃 public HELLth guy 🎃 @publichealthguy1.bsky.social · Aug 27

breaking

FDA issues narrower approvals for Covid boosters, revokes emergency authorizations

The end of Covid vaccine emergency authorizations may limit the availability of shots for young, healthy kids.

www.statnews.com

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Reposted by Kathleen (Katie) Ferris

Alex Gunderson @agunderson.bsky.social · Aug 26

The work of @basicbiologist23.bsky.social on lizards and lead in Nat Geo!
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...

These lizards can survive (and thrive) on a lethal dose of lead

Small lizards in New Orleans have an “unprecedented” tolerance for the toxic heavy metal. How are they even alive?

www.nationalgeographic.com

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Reposted by Kathleen (Katie) Ferris

Alex Gunderson @agunderson.bsky.social · Aug 26

Some more nice coverage of the lead work

Picture of a lizard attached to a pencil with text saying that researchers have found that lizards in New Orleans are so full of lead you can write with them

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Reposted by Kathleen (Katie) Ferris

NOLA.com @nolanews.bsky.social · Aug 22

Brown lizards in New Orleans carry more lead in their blood than any other animal on record — levels that would kill humans — yet they seem unfazed, according to new Tulane study.

Lizards in New Orleans have highest blood-lead levels ever recorded, study finds

Brown lizards in New Orleans carry more lead in their blood than any other animal on record — levels that would kill humans — yet they seem unfazed, according to new Tulane study.

bit.ly

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Kathleen (Katie) Ferris @ferrisifolius.bsky.social · Aug 22

Check out this amazing study on lizard lead tolerance by @agunderson.bsky.social and colleagues!! It's already been featured in www.popsci.com/environment/... !!!

Kathleen (Katie) Ferris @ferrisifolius.bsky.social · Aug 20

Such a cool new study from @agunderson.bsky.social 's Lab!!!! What a great evolutionary biologist...is he taken? ;)
news.tulane.edu/pr/lead-resi...

Lead-resistant lizards in New Orleans could hold clues to combating lead poisoning

Tulane University News and Press Releases

news.tulane.edu

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Reposted by Kathleen (Katie) Ferris

Kathy Roberts Forde @krforde.bsky.social · Aug 11

The University of California system is publicly mobilizing against federal attacks. That’s historic.

It's time for ALL of us in US #highered to act.
Join our movement at standtogetherhighered.org.

#academicsky #highered #standtogether

🔗 universityofcalifornia.edu/get-involved/stand-up-for-uc

Stand Together

standtogetherhighered.org

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Stacey D. Smith @iochromaland.bsky.social · Aug 11

Big news! We are recruiting a postdoc to work on tomatillo evolution: jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDeta.... The clade containing tomatillos and its allies (ca 300 spp) has evolved lantern fruits at least 25 times - we want to know why! Join us @rociodeanna.bsky.social & @caschenck-bio.bsky.social

Postdoctoral Fellow in Tomatillo Evolution

jobs.colorado.edu

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Morgan Mouchka @morgan-mouchka.bsky.social · Jul 21

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong walked on the surface of the moon for the first time. This was an incredible feat fueled by the scientific innovation of NASA. On the heels of this anniversary, please support our colleagues and the core mission of NASA by signing the Voyager Declaration! 🧪🚀

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · Jul 21

🚨BREAKING NEWS! 🚨

🚀 the Voyager Declaration has LAUNCHED.

NASA employees join a growing rebellion against Trump’s anti-science, anti-American agenda.

🧵(1/4)

A faux newspaper front page with a space shuttle launching into a blue sky. A burnt paper overlay reads “THE VOYAGER DECLARATION HAS LAUNCHED!” Below, bold text says “NASA JOINS THE RESISTANCE,” and a subhead reads: “NASA scientists join a growing rebellion against Trump’s science cuts.” At the bottom are the words: DISSENT, BRAVERY, RESISTANCE.

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