Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

akmk @akmk.bsky.social · 18h

What's rare is a healthy planet. We must care for our planet's health. Not for anyone's portfolio.

Trump’s Takeover Of Canadian Rare Earths Miners Raises Major Concerns

Washington doubles down on critical minerals, with the Trump administration buying stakes in companies like Trilogy Metals, MP Materials, and Lithium Americas.

finance.yahoo.com

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Red2Blue.org @red-to-blue.bsky.social · 21h

Pennsylvania voters - don't forget to flip over your ballot so you can vote YES to retain our PA Supreme Court Justices!

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akmk @akmk.bsky.social · 18h

Pennsylvania man pleads guilty in arson attack at governor’s mansion while Shapiro’s family slept

Under a plea deal, Cody Balmer was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison.

www.politico.com

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Seth Abramson @sethabramson.bsky.social · 18h

Sadists. Truly sick people.

ICE is thoroughly un-American.

Don't you want to know—as I do—how many of these armed, masked, warrantless, insignia-less, nameless, essentially untrained Big Government goons are Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Three Percenters and other J6 runoff? apnews.com/article/immi...

ICE's use of full-body restraints during deportations raises concerns over inhumane treatment

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have been using a full-body restraint device called the WRAP during deportations.

apnews.com

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akmk @akmk.bsky.social · 18h

What does this even mean?

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akmk @akmk.bsky.social · 18h

US generals and admirals now weighing how to respond when Trump issues illegal orders

Historian Sean Wilentz and former Clinton aide Sidney Blumenthal have some keen insights on the rapid deterioration of civil-military relations under Trump, in a YouTube video posted by Legal AF on Su...

www.dailykos.com

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akmk @akmk.bsky.social · 19h

Congress must step up. Creating a shutdown and not swearing in duly elected members just isn't going to fly.

Ex-Clarence Thomas clerk sounds alarm on expected Supreme Court move

Former Clarence Thomas clerk Caleb Nelson challenged the legal basis for expanding presidential power to fire federal officials.

www.newsweek.com

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akmk @akmk.bsky.social · 1d

Alaska must stop subsidizing fossil fuels, Zack.

Opinion: Why ‘all-of-the-above’ is the right energy policy for Alaska

The Trump administration’s war on wind and solar is a threat to our state’s economy and to our nation’s security.

www.adn.com

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 1d

Big roar for AG Letitia James at the ZOHRAN rally👇🏽

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

If you're able, please consider a donation to the Alaska Community Fund to help people in western Alaska impacted by ex-typhoon Halong even as winter is bearing down. All the money donated goes to the region. Quyana. #Alaska #AlaskaSky

alaskacf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/c...

Screen shot of the ACF Western Alaska Disaster Relief 2025 Fund:

"In response to recent severe storms, including Typhoon Halong, that devastated Alaska's western coast, local community organizations and regional partners have come together to establish the Western Alaska Disaster Relief Fund, housed at the Alaska Community Foundation.
Two major storm systems struck western Alaska in rapid succession, bringing record flooding, extreme winds, and extensive damage from Kwigillingok to Kotzebue. Homes have been damaged and destroyed, critical infrastructure compromised, and subsistence resources disrupted. The Western Alaska Disaster Relief Fund will provide support to affected communities for immediate relief, recovery support, and long-term resilience, including disaster preparedness initiatives. Distribution decisions will be guided by advisors including regional leaders and stakeholders, ensuring resources reach affected communities based on locally identified needs.

The Western Alaska Disaster Relief Fund brings together a growing list of local, regional, and statewide partners endorsing the fund, including:

Association of Village Council Presidents
Alaska Federation of Natives
Alaska Native Heritage Center
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
Bethel Community Services Foundation
Calista Corporation
Healthy Alaska Natives Foundation
First Alaskans Institute
Kawerak, Inc.
Native Peoples Action
Maniilaq Association

Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation"

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Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 1d

Trump’s threat to invoke the Insurrection Act isn’t new, but it’s getting louder and from all directions!

We had years of warnings.
He told us what he’d do. Project 2025 laid it out, but too many shrugged.

How much is “enough” for everyone to start getting loud with one voice before it’s too late?

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Shayne 👩🏻‍💻 @shayne.bsky.social · 1d

Please donate to Western Alaska disaster relief efforts to support the response to Typhoon Halong. I won't overexplain how displacement, underfunding and marginalization of Indigenous Peoples have devastated communities. But know this: Our Alaska Native friends and family need us to show up.

Western Alaska Communities Unite to Establish Disaster Response Fund Following Recent Storms - Alaska Community Foundation

In response to recent severe storms, including Typhoon Halong, that devastated Alaska’s western coast, local …

alaskacf.org

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akmk @akmk.bsky.social · 1d

"As of Monday morning, 51 people from Kipnuk and Kwigillingok had been pulled from flooded homes... U.S. Coast Guard crews rescued 34 people, the Alaska Army National Guard nine more, and the Alaska Air National Guard extracted eight people and two dogs."

Woman found dead, dozens rescued and over 1,000 displaced after storm devastates Western Alaska

Winds over 100 mph and record tidal surges pounded the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta on Sunday as the remnants of Typhoon Halong inundated some Bering Sea coast communities.

www.adn.com

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akmk @akmk.bsky.social · 1d

META is foul..

Meta AI adviser spreads disinformation about shootings, vaccines and trans people

Critics condemn Robby Starbuck, appointed in lawsuit settlement, for ‘peddling lies and pushing extremism’

www.theguardian.com

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akmk @akmk.bsky.social · 1d

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akmk @akmk.bsky.social · 1d

The boondoggles are GOP Congress, ICE, DOGE, and Trump.

Mike Johnson slams Obamacare funds as a 'boondoggle' as shutdown drags on

Johnson also addressed conservative calls to repeal Obamacare, whose enhanced tax credits form the main dispute between the two parties that led to the funding impasse.

www.nbcnews.com

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akmk @akmk.bsky.social · 1d

gizmodo.com/elon-musks-b...

Elon Musk’s Boring Company Accused of Nearly 800 Environmental Violations on Las Vegas Project

Nevada could’ve fined the company more than $3 million, but regulators are seeking a reduced penalty of $242,800, citing an “extraordinary number of violations.”

gizmodo.com

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Craig R. Brittain @craigbrittain.com · 1d

Knesset member Ofer Cassif on his protest of Trump: "He is not a savior. He is complict in the genocide that Israel carried out for over 2 years. He said Gaza is going to be cleansed. He is responsible for the hostages that people celebrate as if he saved them."

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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 1d

This is a great, detailed piece of work. There is really no secret here: OpenAI fully intend to use fossil gas to power their data centres.

All the crap about fusion, dyson spheres etc is misdirection. This is what they're *actually* doing:

www.desmog.com/2025/10/13/o...

John McCarrick, the company’s new head of Global Energy Policy, was a senior energy policy advisor in the first Trump administration’s Bureau of Energy Resources in the Department of State while under former Secretaries of State Rex Tillerson and Mike Pompeo.

As deputy assistant secretary for Energy Transformation and the special envoy for International Energy Affairs, McCarrick promoted exports of American liquefied natural gas to Europe in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and advocated for Asian countries to invest in natural gas.

The choice to hire McCarrick matches the intentions of OpenAI’s Trump-donating CEO Sam Altman, who said in a U.S. Senate hearing in May that “in the short term, I think [the future of powering AI] probably looks like more natural gas.”

It also aligns with the company’s early moves toward powering new data centers, huge warehouses full of linked-up computers that require enormous quantities of water and electricity, to run with gas. OpenAI’s U.S. Stargate Project site in Texas, which is slated to become one of the largest data center sites in the world, is already installing off-grid gas turbines to power its operations.

“Big Tech’s collusion with the Trump administration’s fossil fuel agenda for artificial intelligence is evident in their massive investment in methane gas power infrastructure — as well as pro-gas political operatives like McCarrick,” Tyson Slocum, director of consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen’s Energy Program, said.

The “solution” of powering AI with gas is part of Trump’s AI energy policy platform. In a July speech to announce a $96 billion AI and energy funding package, Trump lauded fossil fuel and coal-powered data center development while flanked by oil and gas executives.

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Krassensteins @krassenstein.bsky.social · 1d

BREAKING: The NYT fights back!

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Sparty® @young-spartacus.bsky.social · 1d

'No Sweat'

For today's #BirdOfTheDay of #Wings & #Droplets I have a double bill.

This handsome chap came swanning out of the shade for his profile shot after his shower.

Sparty 🦢

#EastCoastKin #Photography #Art #Nature #PhotographersofBluesky #BlueSkyPhotography #BlueskyArt #ArtYear #UKBirding

The image is a striking, close-up, and slightly low-angle portrait of a mute swan, a species easily identified by its orange beak with a prominent black knob at the base. The swan is facing forward, looking directly into the camera, with a dark, blurred background that isolates the subject.

The beak is a distinct feature, with a bright orange colouration that contrasts sharply with the black knob at its base. A small, subtle ridge runs down the center of the upper beak.

The bird’s white plumage is visible, particularly on the head and neck. The feathers on top of its head appear wet and have a textured, almost rippled appearance, with small water droplets still clinging to them. The feathers on its body appear soft and smooth.

The swan's eye is small and dark, almost blending into the black border around the beak, creating a concentrated, intense gaze.
The long, curved neck of the swan is visible, and the overall impression is one of elegance and grace, even in this detailed close-up.
The lighting in the photograph appears to be focused on the swan's head and neck, highlighting its features and creating a sense of depth against the dark background. This focus on the subject and the use of the blurred background create a powerful and artistic portrait of the bird.

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Jenn🦋Anne💙Miller😷 @jennannemiller.bsky.social · 1d

🤬🤯 www.instagram.com/p/DPvELXKjRco/
#UnfitForAnyOffice #SaveScience
FYFYV FYFNV
Misdiagosis is already similar to 1960 levels
We need to progress, not regress
#TheyWantUsToDie #HeDoesntCareAboutYou

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akmk @akmk.bsky.social · 1d

so much for fiscal responsibility and our personal security..

akmk @akmk.bsky.social · 1d

Rescue and recovery efforts underway as remnants of Typhoon Halong hit western Alaska | Alaska Beacon

Rescue and recovery efforts began Sunday in western Alaska as a major storm caused by remnants of Typhoon Halong hit coastal communities with massive storm surge, flooding and hurricane-force winds up...

alaskabeacon.com

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akmk @akmk.bsky.social · 2d

Thank you, ADN, for highlighting this story.

Inside the Tacoma ICE detention center, where you could be held for days or years

The Northwest detention center’s surging population is putting a strain on the facility, exacerbating long-standing complaints and generating new ones, according to people held there, court declaratio...

www.adn.com

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