Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Jennifer Mach (she/they) @jennifermach.bsky.social · 16h

If this doesn't win an #IGNobel next year, I'm calling foul. Chicago 🧪 for the win. Thanks to the every-informative @aaas.org newsletter for this gem. www.science.org/content/arti...

Chicago’s beloved ‘rat hole’ was actually made by a squirrel

Scientists reopen the case of “splatatouille”

www.science.org

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Gracie Ann (she/her) @ladyofflies.bsky.social · 15h

a recent graduate from UofA helped me make a video about my research. i love my team and then work that i get to for my PhD 🦟🩸🐦‍⬛ #westnilevirus #diseaseecology #wildlifeconservation #onehealth #publichealth #medicalentomology #womeninstem #arizona

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Gracie Ann (she/her) @ladyofflies.bsky.social · 8d

at the very least- how can an administrative body expect a student to to do their best work (and pull in grant money) if they’re struggling to pay rent and buy groceries?

Reposted by Gracie Ann (she/her)

Jason Shepherd @jasonsynaptic.bsky.social · 8d

#goals

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Michael Mechanic @michaelmechanic.bsky.social · 9d

Administrators of the @uofcalifornia.bsky.social can let the Trump administration pick off campuses one by one.

Or they can stand together, resist this abomination, and win the gratitude and support of their state and their >2 million living alumni.

CC: @governor.ca.gov

Why elite colleges aren't pushing back on Trump, and why silence is dangerous

Their caution, one expert notes, is "potentially fatal for the university as we know it."

www.motherjones.com

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Reposted by Gracie Ann (she/her)

The Boulet Brothers Dragula @bbdragula.bsky.social · 9d

Join us TONIGHT for the premiere of The Boulet Brothers Dragula Titans S2 only on Shudder and AMC+!

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Gracie Ann (she/her) @ladyofflies.bsky.social · 11d

it’s criminal that the norm for graduate student yearly income is below the federal poverty line

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FANGORIA @fangoria.bsky.social · 13d

FYI: Monsters return in the sickening new trailer for THE BOULET BROTHERS' DRAGULA: TITANS Season 2, hitting Shudder this October.

Monsters Return In New Trailer For THE BOULET BROTHERS’ DRAGULA: TITANS Season 2

Monsters return in the sickening new trailer for THE BOULET BROTHERS' DRAGULA: TITANS Season 2, hitting Shudder this October.

dlvr.it

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Reposted by Gracie Ann (she/her)

worm @rfksbrainworm.bsky.social · 14d

really enjoying all the people trying to explain the bible to the pope today

Pope Leo XIV
Today, more than ever, we must return to the heart, the center of feeling and emotion, the locus of freedom. Though it includes reason, the heart transcends and transforms it. Only by returning to the heart can we undergo a true ecological conversion that transforms our personal

Austin
I reject this whole heartedly. What you fail to see Mr Pope, the Bible says

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Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 14d

After a four-year court battle, which saw Kennedy file multiple lawsuits for libel, RFK’s legal team refused to deny the central premise of the reporting during summary judgment: that the HHS secretary had indeed appeared alongside neo-Nazis at the event protesting public health measures in Berlin.

The Daily Beast @thedailybeast.bsky.social · 15d

The health secretary once appeared onstage at an anti-vax rally in Berlin organized by the far-right.

RFK Jr. Loses Libel Lawsuit Over Neo-Nazi Party Ties

The health secretary once appeared onstage at an anti-vax rally in Berlin organized by the far-right.

trib.al

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Reposted by Gracie Ann (she/her)

Taylor McKinnon @publiccarbon.bsky.social · 14d

This is unprecedented partisan politicization of a public land agency website. I admit chuckling at the sinister irony of “three cheers for volunteers” amidst a shutdown. Lack of agency staff - like for endangered species critical habitat enforcement - risks real to harm our most vulnerable species.

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Reposted by Gracie Ann (she/her)

Susan Rinkunas @susanrinkunas.com · 16d

Here is the statement from Planned Parenthood Arizona announcing that it will no longer provide healthcare services to patients with Medicaid insurance.

(Note the use of the verbs “force” and “restrict” when we know that PPWI made a different decision)

Screenshot 1/3 from email sent on Monday, September 29, 2025
Trump Administration's 'Defund Planned
Parenthood' Effort Forces Planned Parenthood Arizona to Suspend Medicaid Services
PHOENIX - Today, Planned Parenthood Arizona announced that due to the ramifications of the Trump administration's 'defund' effort, it has made the incredibly difficult decision to suspend providing essential health care services to patients insured through Medicaid. The suspension in care has been directly caused by the Trump administration's retaliatory megabill, H.R. 1, that targets Planned Parenthood health centers. The decision will take effect on October 1, 2025 and means Arizonans insured through Medicaid will no longer be able to access basic care, such as cancer screenings, STI tests, and birth control. Planned Parenthood Arizona Interim President & CEO April Donovan released the following statement providing more clarity to this decision

Screenshot 2/3
Statement from Planned Parenthood Arizona
Interim President & CEO April Donovan:

"Following anti-health care extremists in Congress passing Trump's H.R. 1, it was Planned Parenthood Arizona's hope that we would be able to continue to serve all of our patients. However, it has recently become clear that due to the retribution and retaliation agenda being aggressively pursued by the Trump administration and its backers, Planned Parenthood Arizona must make the heartbreaking decision to suspend providing essential health care services to our patients insured through Medicaid. This will begin on
October 1, 2025.
This callous effort by politicians to "defund"
Planned Parenthood is an unconstitutional act that is now eliminating critical care from Arizona's most vulnerable patients - namely, STl and cancer screenings and treatment, birth control, and other family planning services.

Screenshot 3/3
Let's be clear, the people who will be most hurt by the administration restricting us from caring for patients with Medicaid coverage are those who already face hurdles to getting the care they need: Black and Latino communities, LGBTQ+ people, people who live in rural or medically underserved areas, and people who have low incomes.
For several decades, Planned Parenthood Arizona has been committed to ensuring patients can access quality, nonjudgmental, continual care from a trusted provider. While this administration's interference in public health and ongoing attacks against Planned Parenthood are eroding that opportunity, we are resolved to stand with our patients and continue fighting for the care our patients need. Arizonans seeking information on service options and health insurance coverage should reach out to our health centers by calling 1-800-230-PLAN so we can help you get the care you need.
Every Arizonan, no matter where they live, what kind of care they need, or how much money they have, should be able to get high-quality affordable health care.

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Gracie Ann (she/her) @ladyofflies.bsky.social · 19d

i got to help work on a Sin Nombre hantavirus project this week! 🐀 🐭 🩸 it felt great to don some PPE again and collaborate with my old workplace (CDC)!

#diseaseecology #wildlife #wildlifeconservation #womeninstem #arizona #publichealth #onehealth #cdc

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Nature @nature.com · 25d

Brazil hopes to turn the tide of dengue with a home-grown vaccine and an army of mosquitoes

go.nature.com/4pveeJf

How billions of hacked mosquitoes and a vaccine could beat the deadly dengue virus

Outbreaks of dengue are killing thousands of people in South America each year and getting worse. Brazil hopes to turn the tide with a home-grown vaccine and an army of mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria.

go.nature.com

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Reposted by Gracie Ann (she/her)

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · Sep 14

We often worry about the wrong things.

People killed annually by
Sharks 10
Elephants 100
Hippos 500
Snails 10,000
Dogs 25,000
Snakes 50,000
People 475,000
Mosquitoes 725,000
🧪

This graphic, created for Bill Gates' website, shows that diseases transmitted by mosquitoes are responsible for vastly more human deaths than other animals. While sharks inspire fear in many, they kill few people.

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Gracie Ann (she/her) @ladyofflies.bsky.social · Sep 14

19/20 🥳

Sean Mullen, Ph.D. @drseanmullen.bsky.social · Sep 11

Test your COVID BS detector. Adaptive exam; difficulty shifts with your answers. Results may surprise you (even PhDs). Take it: seanmullen.com/covidcompete...
Post your badge if you ace “Epidemiologist’s Nightmare.”

@rachelhoopsick.bsky.social

COVID Competency Exam

seanmullen.com

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Reposted by Gracie Ann (she/her)

Chise @sailorrooscout.bsky.social · Sep 14

“I trust my immune system. I don’t need a vaccine.”

Ok, I trust mine to protect me too. Which is why I trained it extensively on what the virus looks like so it can handle it.

Boxers don’t enter the ring without a plan. It’s the punch you don’t see coming that knocks you out.

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The Associated Press @apnews.com · Sep 9

Researchers have confirmed the presence of an invasive species of tick in Maine for the first time, marking the farthest northeast in the United States the pest has been discovered.

Invasive, disease-carrying tick found in Maine, the farthest northeast it has been spotted

Researchers say they have confirmed the presence of an invasive species of tick in Maine for the first time, marking the farthest northeast in the U.S. where the pest has been discovered.

bit.ly

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Gracie Ann (she/her) @ladyofflies.bsky.social · Sep 8

STRETCH YOUR WRISTS, LABORATORIANS! carpal tunnel before 30 y.o. sucks

Gracie Ann (she/her) @ladyofflies.bsky.social · Sep 8

did three hours of lab work and now i’ll be sleeping with my wrist brace on tonight…

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Gracie Ann (she/her) @ladyofflies.bsky.social · Sep 4

#CurrentlyReading The Starving Saints by @caitlinstarling.com

Gracie Ann (she/her) @ladyofflies.bsky.social · Sep 3

Yesterday, I was grateful to be welcomed onto the Tohono O’odham Nation to assist with a mobile rabies vaccination and tick removal clinic. Thank you to the Gu Vo community for allowing me onto your land and to be part of caring for your wonderful dogs. #onehealth

Reposted by Gracie Ann (she/her)

Mother Jones @motherjones.com · Sep 3

The state's surgeon general claimed that every last vaccine is "wrong and drips with disdain and slavery," during a news conference on Wednesday.

Florida's surgeon general just said he will eliminate "all vaccine mandates"

Including those for shots that prevent catastrophic diseases like polio and measles.

www.motherjones.com

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Reposted by Gracie Ann (she/her)

Alt CDC (they/them) @altcdc.altgov.info · Aug 28

The cognitive dissonance required to be anti-abortion (“saving” babies) and anti-vaccine, risking children’s lives and health through exposure to vaccine-preventable diseases is staggering.

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Gracie Ann (she/her) @ladyofflies.bsky.social · Aug 28

Arizona undergrads…. please learn how to properly use public transit…. i am begging you..:.