Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Lil Kalish @kalish.bsky.social · 9h

hell yeah, that's awesome

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Lil Kalish @kalish.bsky.social · 10h

love this! also did not know your rodeo teen lore

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Orion Rummler @oriion.bsky.social · 1d

Miss Major was known as many things in her community — a caretaker for other Black trans women, a defender of the homeless and the incarcerated, and a Stonewall veteran who did not want the past to be used as an excuse for inaction.

Read our full obituary here:

Legendary transgender activist Miss Major dies at 78

Known as a surrogate mother of her community, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy leaves behind a legacy as a fierce advocate for trans and LGBTQ+ rights.

19thnews.org

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paris martineau @paris.nyc · 1d

my latest investigation for @consumerreports.org is based on months of reporting and 60+ lab tests of leading protein supplements

we found that most protein powders and shakes have more lead in one serving than our experts say is safe to have in a day (🧵)

www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein...

Protein Powders and Shakes Contain High Levels of Lead - Consumer Reports

CR tests of 23 popular protein powders and shakes found that most contain high levels of lead.

www.consumerreports.org

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Parker Molloy @parkermolloy.com · 1d

I wrote about trans visibility in a time of rising transphobia for @theverge.com www.theverge.com/cs/features/...

How trans visibility became a trap

People who have documented their lives online are discovering the dark side of digital permanence.

www.theverge.com

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Clay Jackson @clayjak.substack.com · 4d

www.cnbc.com/amp/2025/09/...

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The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 5d

His slip of the tongue reveals who’s really in charge. trib.al/mIvP0yE

“Illinois governor says we’re provoking actions that are unlawful,” Miller said on CNN. “If I put federal law enforcement and National Guard into a nice sleepy Southern town, is anyone gonna riot?”

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Christopher Mathias @letsgomathias.bsky.social · 8d

Solidarity with @mark-bray.bsky.social, a fantastic, thoughtful, and generous scholar whose work about antifa is so important in this moment.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Rutgers professor moving to Europe after threats over antifa accusations

Mark Bray says threats intensified after a Turning Point USA petition accused him of promoting political violence

www.theguardian.com

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Susan Rinkunas @susanrinkunas.com · 7d

Here's the complaint filed in the Western District of Louisiana. ADF lawyers—led by Erin Hawley—seek to end telemedicine prescriptions for medication abortion. Missouri's suit goes even further, targeting 2016 change allowing Rx thru 10th week of pregnancy
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Garnet Henderson @garnethenderson.com · 7d

NEW: It’s… another abortion pill lawsuit against the FDA, this time filed by Louisiana and an individual plaintiff, who argue the FDA should reinstate an in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone.

And if you guess Alliance Defending Freedom might be involved here, you guessed correctly.

Louisiana et al v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration et al 6:2025cv01491 | U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana | Justia

Other Statutes: Administrative Procedures Act/Review or Appeal of Agency Decision case filed on October 3, 2025 in the Louisiana Western District Court

dockets.justia.com

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kate conger @kateconger.com · 7d

Jonathan Rinderknecht, a white man, was charged with starting the Palisades Fire. But on X, the company's news summary tab shows a photo of a black man.

Screenshot depicting posts on X, one showing the suspect accused of starting the Palisades Fire, a white man. The X news tab reports on the suspect's arrest, but shows a photo of a black man instead.

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Lil Kalish @kalish.bsky.social · 8d

I didn't have Alito suggesting that states can't rely on medical consensus for standards of care bc it's been "politicized" or "taken over by ideology" in the past—and then immediately citing SCOTUS' forced sterilization case on my bingo card.

My rundown on today:
www.huffpost.com/entry/suprem...

Supreme Court Appears Poised To Hand The Religious Right Another Win

The case could have sweeping implications for LGBTQ+ youth and the regulation of health care across the country.

www.huffpost.com

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Lil Kalish @kalish.bsky.social · 8d

incredible pov

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Anna Merlan @annamerlan.bsky.social · 8d

NEW: I talked to scholars who study political contagion about how America’s freefall could affect the rest of the world. They are… concerned. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Is America contagious?

Scholars in political extremism are documenting the global spread of right-wing populism.

www.motherjones.com

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Lil Kalish @kalish.bsky.social · 9d

jfc

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QueerAF @wearequeeraf.com · 13d

This Saturday after painstaking research and FOIs by @clairestranstalks.bsky.social with @whatthetrans.com, we'll publish 'The Gender Clinic Files' in our newsletter:

A new investigative series exposing deep structural issues with UK Transgender healthcare

Sign up 👉 www.wearequeeraf.com/subscribe/

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Lil Kalish @kalish.bsky.social · 9d

Second, as more than half the country has passed bans on best practices for gender-affirming care, conservatives, like RFK Jr. are pushing so-called "exploratory therapy" as an alternative to puberty blockers and HRT. LGBTQ+ advocates have warned that this is "conversion therapy" under a diff name.

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Lil Kalish @kalish.bsky.social · 9d

Chiles v. Salazar is significant for a number of reasons. In recent years SCOTUS has handed the ADF several wins, including allowing Christian cake makers and wedding website designers to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people all in the name of religious freedom.

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Lil Kalish @kalish.bsky.social · 9d

I also spoke with Ryan Kendall, who was subjected to conversion therapy as a teen, and shared his story as part of an amicus brief to protect CO's law.

The case is personal to Kendall who spent his 20s advocating for conversion therapy bans. "They could wipe out my life's work in one court case."

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Lil Kalish @kalish.bsky.social · 9d

Today, 23 states and Washington D.C. have bans prohibiting conversion therapy practices -- and these laws have received bipartisan support.

Major medical institutions have found that "conversion therapy" leads to high rates of suicidality, depression, and anxiety -- and obviously doesn't work.

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Lil Kalish @kalish.bsky.social · 9d

This isn't the first time the ADF or conversion therapy advocates have tried to bring a case like this to the highest court. ADF argues that 1A protects Chiles' speech even in a professional context - tho CO's law is about protecting youth and regulating the care administered by licensed therapists

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Lil Kalish @kalish.bsky.social · 9d

Chiles, who denied any desire to offer such counseling, says she fears getting fined or losing her license due to this law. So TL;DR she wants to be able to offer therapy to kids who want to...detransition or stop being gay

This is another classic ADF hypothetical scenario.

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Lil Kalish @kalish.bsky.social · 9d

CO's law bars therapy practices that attempt to change a minor's gender identity or sexual orientation.

Plaintiff Kaley Chiles says the ban restricts her ability to properly counsel minors who want "to resist same-sex relationships or align the client's sense of identity and biological sex."

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Lil Kalish @kalish.bsky.social · 9d

The Supreme Court will hear arguments about Colorado's conversion therapy ban tomorrow. In Chiles v. Salazar, a Christian therapist - repped by the Alliance Defending Freedom - claims that CO's 2019 ban on conversion therapy infringes on her freedom of speech.

www.huffpost.com/entry/suprem...

Supreme Court To Hear Major LGBTQ Case That Could Have Devastating Effects On Youth

A Christian therapist is challenging Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy, claiming it violates her right to free speech.

www.huffpost.com

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Kristina Cooke @kristinacooke.bsky.social · 11d

I spoke to a Venezuelan woman who was arrested in this raid and later released with her 4yo son. She said agents broke down their door, pointed guns at them and made sexualized remarks about Venezuelan women. When she returned to her apartment it was boarded up and all her possessions were gone.

Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 11d

US Border Patrol raid sweeps in citizens, families as Chicago crackdown intensifies, w/ @reneehickman.bsky.social @kristinacooke.bsky.social www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...

US Border Patrol raid sweeps in citizens, families as Chicago crackdown intensifies

U.S. Border Patrol agents deployed to Chicago led a late-night raid on an apartment building this week, rappelling from helicopters onto rooftops and breaking down doors in an operation authorities said targeted gang members but which swept up U.S. citizens and families.

www.reuters.com

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southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 12d

The Heritage Foundation’s right-wing publication is reporting that the Kash Patel FBI has terminated its longstanding relationship with the Southern Poverty Law Center, one day after severing its relationship with the ADL. www.dailysignal.com/2025/10/03/b...

BREAKING: Kash Patel's FBI Cuts All Ties to Southern Poverty Law Center

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed to The Daily Signal that the bureau has cut all ties to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

www.dailysignal.com

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