Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Carole Hom

Prof Gavin Yamey @gavinyamey.bsky.social · 17h

In our new piece in @bmj.com, @michaeldgreen.com & I argue that diversity matters when it comes to medical school admission not only for fairness, equality, & equity but also because research shows that population health outcomes are better with a diverse medical workforce

A matter of life & death

HealthBegins @healthbegins.bsky.social · 18h

"[DEI] policies are not just about providing fair opportunities to all students. They are a matter of life and death."

Trump’s war on diversity in medical education could shorten Americans’ lives www.bmj.com/content/391/... by @gavinyamey.bsky.social @michaeldgreen.com via @bmj.com

www.bmj.com

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Reposted by Carole Hom

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 17h

Months before catastrophic floods swept through an Alaska Native village on Sunday, the Trump administration canceled a $20 million grant meant to protect the community from extreme flooding. At the time, the EPA administrator said he was eliminating "wasteful DEI and Environmental Justice grants."

E.P.A. Canceled $20 Million Flood Protection Grant to Alaska, Parts of Which Just Flooded

The remote village of Kipnuk planned to use the money to protect against flooding. On Sunday, it was inundated.

nyti.ms

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Carole Hom @clhom.bsky.social · 19h

Terry, I'm so sorry.

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Carole Hom @clhom.bsky.social · 1d

Jennifer Rubin lets fly. open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

Words & Phrases We Could Do Without

Removing Trump is the only way to get rid of real ‘waste, fraud, and abuse’

open.substack.com

Reposted by Carole Hom

Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · 1d

As expected, the first 9 compacts were a trial run.

They have now come for all of us.

And each of us, and all of us, should say no.

Scoop via @liamknox.bsky.social at Bloomberg:

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Trump Offers All Colleges Preferential Funding Plan Rejected by MIT

The Trump administration is inviting all US colleges to participate in a compact — initially rejected by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — that would grant preferential federal funding in re...

www.bloomberg.com

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Reposted by Carole Hom

Science Magazine @science.org · 1d

After the Spanish conquest, horses transformed Native American tribes much earlier than historians thought.

Learn more on #IndigenousPeoplesDay: https://scim.ag/3KGvYBs

Horse nations: Animal began transforming Native American life startlingly early

Sweeping new study based on archaeological evidence, chemical isotope analysis, and ancient DNA “totally changes the game”

scim.ag

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Reposted by Carole Hom

Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social · 1d

An unusually cold and strong early season storm will affect most of California over next 2 days. As rain sweeps southward, expect mountain snow, locally gusty winds, and a progressively higher chance of thunderstorms from north to south from SF Bay Area to LA region. #CAwx

Widespread rain (and mountain snow) will fall with this early-season storm in California, as depicted in this precipitation accumulation map from the ECMWF model. Widespread totals of one half to an inch are likely, with some local spots seeing double or more that amount where heavy downpours align.

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Reposted by Carole Hom

Tessa Hill @tessahill.bsky.social · 2d

I’d say this is a must read by @rahmstorf.bsky.social - and ends with a warning that this is not purely “an academic discussion without major consequences.” Completely agree.

Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf @rahmstorf.bsky.social · 3d

High resolution images from satellite and from eddy-resolving ocean circulation models point to an ongoing decline of the Atlantic overturning circulation, a key ocean current for our climate. Read more about it in my new blog article. 🌊
www.realclimate.org/index.php/ar...

RealClimate: High-resolution ‘fingerprint’ images reveal a weakening Atlantic Ocean circulation (AMOC)

The #AMOC is the reason for Europe’s mild climate. Evidence that it is slowing has been piling up over the years – it now is likely at its weakest in at least a millennium, and it may even be approach...

www.realclimate.org

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Reposted by Carole Hom

Tiffany Lowe-Power 🌱🦠 @tlowepower.bsky.social · 22d

Please repost -- The Univ. California Davis dept of Plant Pathology is hiring a Fungal biologist / Mycologist

Applications due Dec 1

Application portal: recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07339

Screenshot shows part of the job posting (with alt-text of the same text)

he Department of Plant Pathology at the University of California, Davis is seeking applications for a fulltime, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Mycology, with a focus on plant pathogenic, symbiotic,
or mycotoxigenic fungi and fungal-like organisms (e.g., oomycetes). We are looking for a highly
motivated and creative scientist with a strong background in mycology and/or the biology of fungi and
fungal-like organisms that interact with plants. The successful candidate will be expected to develop a
world-class, externally funded research program that integrates both fundamental and applied aspects
of fungal biology within the context of plant pathology. We welcome applicants pursuing a wide range
of research topics related to plant-associated fungi, including but not limited to mechanisms of fungal
pathogenesis or symbiosis with plants, population genomics and evolution of fungal plant pathogens,
plant-associated fungal microbiomes and plant-microbe interactions, and/or one health approaches to
fungal diseases and antifungal resistance. Applicants working in other relevant research areas involving
pathogenic, symbiotic, or mycotoxigenic fungi or fungal-like organisms that affect plant health are also
encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will have significant opportunities for collaboration with
faculty in plant pathology, microbiology, genomics, and agricultural sciences, and to contribute to
addressing issues of importance to California’s agricultural and natural ecosystems.
The appointee primary teaching responsibilities will be teaching Introductory Mycology, an upperdivision lab class, and SAS 30, Mushroom, Molds & Society, a general education class for non-majors.
Additional graduate and undergraduate teaching responsibilities may be assigned based on
departmental needs and the candidate’s expertise. The department offers modern instructional
facilities, including a newly renovated teaching laboratory.

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Reposted by Carole Hom

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 4d

I know Trump and his minions all have sneering contempt for kids with special needs, but trust me when I say that their parents will absolutely fucking destroy anyone who messes with the special education supports to which they are entitled by law.

Sara Partridge, PhD @sarapartridge.bsky.social · 4d

There are reports that the *entire* office of special education at the US Dept of Education has been cut. These hardworking folks ensure kids with disabilities get equal access to a quality education.

America’s children deserve better than this.

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Reposted by Carole Hom

Dave Levitan @davelevitan.bsky.social · 3d

“We can give $20 billion to Argentina but we can’t afford the CDC’s measles experts” is a hell of an argument

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Reposted by Carole Hom

Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 4d

BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at CDC. Doznes of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:

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Carole Hom @clhom.bsky.social · 4d

Good game.

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Reposted by Carole Hom

Senator Ron Wyden @wyden.senate.gov · 5d

Thoughts and prayers to Cosplay Cop Kristi who had to brave the dogs, farmer’s markets, capybaras, and marathon runners of Portland this week.

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Dustin Mulvaney @dustinmulvaney.bsky.social · 5d

A park employee, who spoke with SFGATE on the condition of anonymity to protect their job, said they know of only one wilderness ranger working the entire park. And technically, that person is not even a ranger, the employee said, but a volunteer.

SFGATE @sfgate.com · 5d

"It's the Wild Wild West."

Squatters, illegal BASE jumpers invade Yosemite amid federal shutdown

"It's the Wild Wild West."

bit.ly

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Carole Hom @clhom.bsky.social · 5d

Op-ed on CRISPR as potential therapy for rare diseases, written by Celena Lozano, a PhD candidate in neuroscience at @ucdavisnews.bsky.social, NSF GRFP fellow, and alumna of PREP@UC Davis. www.statnews.com/2025/10/09/c...

Parents of children with rare diseases ask: How long until our CRISPR miracle?

How to better manage expectations around gene editing drugs for families of children with rare diseases.

www.statnews.com

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Reposted by Carole Hom

Dave Baltrus 🦦 @surtlab.bsky.social · 6d

As coding gets more plug and play, it becomes IMPERATIVE for us as educators to teach fundamentals about what the statistical tests are comparing and assumptions.

Students might not need to understand how to code things up, but they should understand what the snippets are doing and why

Terry McGlynn @hormiga.bsky.social · 6d

Y'all. I just got ChatGPT to do everything in R for this manuscript. I mean EVERYTHING. And it's all legit and reproducible. I'm shook.

How are we mentoring our trainees in statistics now? Who needs to learn coding in R line by line, and who doesn't?

scienceforeveryone.science/statistics-i...

Statistics in the era of AI

How do we mentor, teach, and do stats when AI can do so much of the work?

scienceforeveryone.science

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Reposted by Carole Hom

Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 7d

I take issue with calling POTS a heart rhythm disorder… but it’s certainly something you don’t want.

Covid can have devastating effects on your cardiac and vascular system.

POTS can be utterly debilitating, difficult to diagnose and treatments are merely bandaids.

Wear a mask.

Nearly 1 in 3 adults with severe long COVID have rare heart-rhythm disorder, data suggest

www.cidrap.umn.edu

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Reposted by Carole Hom

Daniel Bolnick @danielbolnick.bsky.social · 6d

This:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Absolutely yes. And I'm proud that @asn-amnat.bsky.social has led the way on this with requiring code and data editors checking code for about five years now!

Stop treating code like an afterthought: record, share and value it

Scientists, research institutions, funders, libraries and publishers must all improve software practices.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Carole Hom

Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social · 6d

New blog post out just before my 3pm PT YouTube livestream! Hurricane Priscilla moisture to bring big rain event to AZ/SE CA later this week, but significant NorCal rain event also possible next week (blame recurving West Pacific typhoon!). #CAwx #CAfire

Hurricane Priscilla remnants to bring widespread Southwest rain/thunderstorms (including far SoCal); more widespread precipitation possible with colder NorCal system by mid-Oct - Weather West

An very mild September across CA, but humidity & some unusual rainfall kept fire risk low September 2025 was yet another "strange" weather month along the Pacific Coast. In California, multiple episodes of precipitation (and a fair bit of thunderstorm activity) brought wetter conditions to much of the state--particularly across central and southern California. Serious,

weatherwest.com

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Reposted by Carole Hom

Melanie D’Arrigo @darrigomelanie.bsky.social · 7d

I feel like this photo of masked, armed men pepper spraying a pastor protecting his community is going to be a defining picture of this moment in America for a long, long time.

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Reposted by Carole Hom

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 10d

It's bad enough if President Trump is demanding authoritarian powers in violation of the Constitution ...

But if his unelected aides are manipulating him to get their own authoritarian policies in place, that's sort of a bigger deal.

Hunter @hunterub.bsky.social · 10d

This feels like evidence Trump's aides are deliberately gaslighting him, which is unfortunately very easy to do with dementia sufferers (Trump did it to his father) and which aides are using to seize control of the US military for their own purposes.

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 10d

The protests are on one block. Nothing is burning down. His justification for sending in troops is all based on lies.

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Heather Cox Richardson (TDPR) @hcrichardson.bsky.social · 9d

October 5, 2025

On Friday the Minnesota Star Tribune reported a conversation on the messaging app Signal between one of Stephen Miller’s top deputies, Anthony Salisbury, and a senior advisor to Secretary of Defense P...

heathercoxrichardson.substack.com

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Kathleen Clark @kathleenclark.bsky.social · 9d

#KavanaughStop of US citizen-veteran

Anil Kalhan @akalhan.bsky.social · 9d

"[A]gents engulfed my car in tear gas, smashed my driver-side window, and pepper-sprayed my face.... I spent three nights and three days in federal custody. No explanation. No charges. No apology. One day, I was just told, 'you’re free to go.'" #KavanaughStop

I’m a US citizen and a veteran. ICE arrested me for no reason.

Jailed for three days without an explanation or ability to notify anyone, George Retes argues the only path to healing starts with the government taking accountability for its actions.

newsletter.ofthebrave.org

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Reposted by Carole Hom

Andrea Junker @strandjunker.com · 10d

“Terrible things are happening outside. Poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart. Men, women, and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared.”

Diary of Anne Frank
January 13, 1943

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