Author | Lightnews

Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Your Local Epidemiologist @ylepidemiologist.bsky.social · 4h

The president demolished the East Wing to build a ballroom. It’s hard to think of a better metaphor for what’s happening to our health ecosystem—gutting Medicaid, weakening the CDC, and cutting SNAP. The symbolism isn’t subtle: luxury expands while the systems that keep people healthy contract.

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Brian Tyler Cohen @briantylercohen.bsky.social · 3h

“Nothing will be torn down.” — Karoline Leavitt

“It won’t interfere with the current building. It pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of.” — Donald Trump

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Ars Technica @arstechnica.com · 3h

An NIH director joins MAHA, gets replaced by JD Vance’s close friend

The NTP produced controversial studies on cellphone radiation and fluoride.

arstechnica.com

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Electronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 3h

Researchers won’t stand by as their work is cordoned off by inequitable publishing. Gatekeepers need to get on board or be left behind. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

Civil Disobedience of Copyright Keeps Science Going

Creating and sharing knowledge are defining traits of humankind, yet copyright law has grown so restrictive that it can require acts of civil disobedience to ensure that students and scholars have

www.eff.org

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Chris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · 3h

I joined my colleague, Senator Jeff Merkley, on the floor yesterday to help him explain how democracies die. There isn't one explosive moment - it is a slow consistent attack on opposition political speech until the rules are so rigged, only the regime can win elections.

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Lawfare @lawfaremedia.org · 5h

The U.S. once led the push for technical standards, but has fallen behind in both participation and influence compared to China. Laura Galante and Tal Feldman explain the importance of American influence in key international bodies that set these standards. www.lawfaremedia.org/article/tech...

Technical Standards: America’s Forgotten Tool of Statecraft

The AI race isn’t only about chips or tariffs. It’s also about who writes the technical standards shaping the world’s systems.

www.lawfaremedia.org

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Jeff (Gutenberg Parenthesis) Jarvis @jeffjarvis.bsky.social · 5h

Only the credulous #BrokenTimes is stunned as it carries out it's #MamdaniVendetta to the end.

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · 5h

We applaud Virginia Democrats for doing everything they can to help level the playing field and unrig the midterm maps. As Trump and his GOP allies try to grab permanent control of the House, blue states must continue to fight back — we urge Democrats in Illinois and Maryland to take similar action.

Virginia Democrats Plan to Redraw House Maps in Redistricting Push

www.nytimes.com

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Brian Pierce MD @mainedpcdoc.medsky.social · 5h

Not very helpful IMO. Gives primary contest polling for the Senate race but not hypothetical Collins vs Democtrats for the general election like it does for CD2's LePage vs Golden matchup.

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Portland Press Herald @pressherald.com · 5h

Fewer people made Maine their summer vacation destination in 2025

While the state saw a 6% dip in visitors this summer, the average length of out-of-staters' stays increased, an annual report indicates.

www.pressherald.com

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Maine Public @mainepublic.org · 5h

For nearly two months, Graham Platner’s bid for the U.S. Senate was marked by momentum and bravado as the political newcomer drew big crowds to his town halls and he channeled Democratic voters’ hopes for a newer, brasher kind of candidate:

Will Graham Platner's commanding polling lead falter amid stream of opposition research releases?

For nearly two months, Graham Platner’s bid for the U.S. Senate was marked by momentum and bravado as the political newcomer drew big crowds to his town halls and he channeled Democratic voters’ hopes...

www.mainepublic.org

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Maine Beacon @mainebeacon.bsky.social · 5h

This November’s ballot could shape Maine’s future on voting rights, gun safety, wages, and protection from toxic chemicals. Opinion columnist @strim.bsky.social breaks down why he says No on 1, Yes on 2, Yes on A, and No on the pesticide repeal. Click below to read his full piece!

Opinion: How to save absentee voting, make our state safer, raise wages and protect kids (spoiler: vote!) - Maine Beacon

Man, November is coming up soon, and with it my favorite day of the year – Election Day. So, as my personal public service, I offer you this quick voter guide to the biggest issues on the ballot this ...

mainebeacon.com

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 9h

“This decades-long process of an ever-closer economic relationship with the United States is now over. And as a consequence, many of our former strengths as a country … strengths based on close ties to America, have become our vulnerabilities." trib.al/KYXnXll

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Total Lowlife Hat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 9h

A key attribute of thug trash is pathological sensitivity to criticism and mockery.

Use it.

Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 10h

The DC ACLU is suing on behalf of a man who was arrested by a National Guardsman and MPD officers for playing the Imperial March (from Star Wars) as an act of protest. www.acludc.org/app/uploads/...

Ohio National Guard member Sgt. Devon Beck was not amused by this satire. On
September 11, 2025, Mr. O’Hara saw Sgt. Beck, along with several other Guard members, walking
in uniform in the Logan Circle neighborhood, near the intersection of 14th and R Streets NW. Mr.
O’Hara calmly walked behind the Guard members, began playing The Imperial March aloud on
his phone, and started recording. In less than two minutes, Sgt. Beck turned around and threatened
to call D.C. police officers to “handle” Mr. O’Hara if he persisted. Mr. O’Hara continued recording
and playing the music. Sgt. Beck contacted the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Defendant
MPD Officers Brown, Campbell, Reyes-Benigno, and Lopez Martinez came to the scene and, in
essence, did what Sgt. Beck had threatened, putting Mr. O’Hara in handcuffs and preventing him
from continuing his peaceful protest.

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 9h

“What, you ask, will that grand structure be called? Did you have to ask? According to the pledge agreement sent to donors, they’ll be contributing to the construction of ‘The Donald J. Trump Ballroom at the White House.’”

www.thebulwark.com/p/our-house-...

Our House Was a Very, Very, Very Fine House

Trump views the physical history of the White House much as he views the nation’s laws: something to be swept aside at will.

www.thebulwark.com

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Institute for the Study of War @thestudyofwar.bsky.social · 9h

NEW: Kremlin-appointed Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova continues to personally implicate herself in the deportation and re-education of a Ukrainian teenager. 🧵(1/9)

Read more: isw.pub/OccupationUp...

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 8h

Oz’s explanation does not back up the president’s impossible numbers, nor does it reflect reality.

Meanwhile, health care costs will go up significantly if Affordable Care Act tax subsidies expire at the end of the year, an issue at the center of the current government shutdown. trib.al/ShlUyk9

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Dan Kennedy @dankennedy.net · 8h

For those who don't know, the Anglican Church in North America split from the Episcopal Church so they could keep hating on LGBTQ folks.

Kate Glenn @findingtangle.bsky.social · 8h

“A church that can’t do right by victims of sexual abuse should not exist.”

U.S. Anglican Church archbishop accused of sexual misconduct, abuse of power — The Washington Post

An attempted kiss, cash payments and other allegations roil the Anglican Church in North America.

apple.news

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Total Lowlife Hat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 8h

Kid3 is going to another city for a mock trial tournament with her college team this weekend. Just found out that the hotel they are using is housing an ICE team. She’s got her passport card, which establishes she’s a citizen (since adoption, by law). Hope that’s enough. Fuck ICE scum.

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Ars Technica @arstechnica.com · 8h

Beyond profitability, Tesla has another looming headache in the courts as it faces potentially expensive lawsuits from angry customers in the US, China, and Australia.

Tesla profits fall 37% in Q3 despite healthy sales

A loss of regulatory credits and increased expenses didn’t help.

arstechnica.com

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

The Maine Monitor @themainemonitor.org · 8h

Voters in #Maine will recognize the surnames of some of the candidates running to replace Gov. Mills next year, but there’s a twist. These aren’t the candidates most people may think of. They are those candidates’ relatives. Read more from our new D.C. correspondent at the link below.

The familiar last names of Maine's gubernatorial candidates

This race is full of relatives of high-profile politicians, but it’s only one example of the political bug biting several members of the same family.

themainemonitor.org

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Mike Brock 🇺🇸 @brockm.bsky.social · 8h

INSANE CORRUPTION.

Molly White @molly.wiki · 8h

Donald Trump has pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao. Binance has been a major supporter of Trump's crypto projects, and Trump has already made millions after Binance accepted a $2 billion investment from an Emirati fund denominated in the Trump family's USD1 stablecoin.

WSJ headline: Trump Pardons Convicted Binance Founder

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 7h

Republicans had always been much worse at managing the economy. trib.al/C5oLJfR

It was hardly coincidence that Herbert Hoover was president at the start of the Great Depression, Ronald Reagan at the start of the savings and loan crisis, and George W. Bush at the start of the 2008 financial crisis.

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

Bangor Daily News @bangordailynews.bsky.social · 11h

The governor may shockingly be the underdog in the primary despite her past electoral success. www.bangordailynews.com/2025/10/23/p...

Graham Platner has huge lead over Janet Mills in Democratic Senate primary

The governor may shockingly be the underdog in the primary despite her past electoral success.

www.bangordailynews.com

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Reposted by Brian Pierce MD

The Maine Monitor @themainemonitor.org · 10h

Hancock County #Maine Sheriff Scott Kane ordered a criminal investigation that led to a dismissed charge against Nina Milliken of Blue Hill, a Democratic lawmaker accused of illegally campaigning at a polling place. Milliken called her prosecution politically motivated.

Sheriff directed investigation into lawmaker's electioneering charges

Rep. Nina Milliken called her prosecution politically motivated and has history with Hancock County Sheriff Scott Kane.

themainemonitor.org

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