Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Elizabeth Le Fen @fenbeast.bsky.social · 2h

Dear Sam's Club Team:

It's sweet that you want my mother to rejoin Sam's Club in order to keep her $18.27 in Sam's Cash rewards.

Thing is, SHE DIED 3 YEARS AGO. So it's a bit late to be trying to offer her incentives.

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Elizabeth Le Fen @fenbeast.bsky.social · 3h

The "small part" of my premium that's covered by the enhanced tax credits is over $1200/month. Maybe that's "a little bit" to Thune, who gets paid approximately 3x what I do for his Senate gig and doesn't actually have to pay for insurance, but it's a substantial hit to my budget.

Elizabeth Le Fen @fenbeast.bsky.social · 3h

I haven't even looked at how much my premiums are going up because I know I won't be able to afford them.

I'm expecting AT LEAST a 200% increase, best case scenario. That means insuring my family will cost 2x more than housing does.

Have I mentioned that all four of us have autoimmune diseases?

Elizabeth Le Fen @fenbeast.bsky.social · 4h

We should've jailed Nixon over Watergate.

We should've impeached Reagan over Iran/Contra.

And yes: Clinton should've been, at minimum, fined for his perjuries.

No consequences --> no shame

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Elizabeth Le Fen @fenbeast.bsky.social · 4h

I'm hoping the "nothing" comes very soon and when it does, I will be LOUDLY advocating for harsh and punitive responses for anyone at the federal level who supported or instigated this mess. Including (especially!) asset seizure and reparations.

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Elizabeth Le Fen @fenbeast.bsky.social · 20h

Would like to know the same for Maine. We’re one of the oldest states in the nation and we’d benefit from having the support of this coalition.

Elizabeth Le Fen @fenbeast.bsky.social · 20h

Me too

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Elizabeth Le Fen @fenbeast.bsky.social · 20h

This is FUCKING AMAZING and it’s the kind of thing the science 🧪 feed brings me that gives me needed emotional boosts.

Holly Ober @sciwri.bsky.social · 1d

A blood stem cell gene therapy co-developed by UCLA’s Dr. Donald Kohn restored immune function in 59 of 62 children with ADA-SCID, a rare and fatal immune disorder, with no serious complications reported. Long-term follow-up shows 95% success rate in largest study to date. ucla.in/4ojUZke 🧪

A grid collage of 6 children who have healthy immune systems now thanks to a gene therapy developed at UCLA and UCL,

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Reposted by Elizabeth Le Fen

Silvia Pineda-Munoz, PhD - Climate Ages @climateages.bsky.social · 1d

The first fossilized butt drag was just documented.
126,000 years ago, a rock hyrax dragged its rear across sand in South Africa.
Those grooves became stone.
It’s hilarious AND scientifically important
showing us how extinct species behaved in daily life. 🦴
🧪 #SciComm

youtube.com/shorts/ykHKc...

Scientists Found a 126,000-Year-Old Butt Drag #paleontology #science #wildlife #biology

YouTube video by Silvia Pineda-Munoz, PhD — Climate Ages

youtube.com

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Reposted by Elizabeth Le Fen

kinesinmotors.bsky.social @kinesinmotors.bsky.social · 23h

🍃 🦠 🧪 Oral Rabies Vaccines This Fall for Raccoons in NYC

Gothamist @gothamist.com · 1d

NYC is dropping fish-scented rabies vaccine pouches for raccoons in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan https://gothamist.com/news/nyc-is-dropping-fish-scented-rabies-vaccine-pouches-for-raccoons-in-brooklyn-queens-and-manhattan

NYC is dropping fish-scented rabies vaccine pouches for raccoons in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan

A racoon jumps over a fence in almost deserted Central Park in Manhattan on April 16, 2020 in New York City. It’s part of an effort to stop rabies from spreading through city wildlife. [ more › ]

gothamist.com

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Reposted by Elizabeth Le Fen

Dr. James H. Gundlach @pecanjim.bsky.social · 22h

Here is a graph I intended to post about three months ago. It shows the death rates for ages 20-64 of all races by party by year from 2018 through 2023. 🧪💡☠️ #Sociology #Population #Think #News

The most interesting thing I find in the graph is the differences in changes from 2020, the first year of COVID which was without immunization, and 2021 the first year with vaccine. I guess I should look at that and provide some numbers by party. Let me know if you would like to that.

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Elizabeth Le Fen @fenbeast.bsky.social · 21h

This is precisely why I have the science feed.. it calms me down when I get too wrapped up in the doom.

Mellow Lugosi’s Dead 🧛🏻‍♂️ @flyingtrilobite.com · 21h

New to Bluesky? Welcome!

Choices on Bluesky go beyond reactionary politics and anger farming.

Add the SciArt Feed 🐡 to your skyline, and you’ll see:

🎨 Hundreds of artists
🧪 Science-focused
🥳 No NFTs or gen AI
✨ Inspiration every day

🧡 Pin & Like here:

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Reposted by Elizabeth Le Fen

Jacqueline Antonovich @jackiantonovich.bsky.social · 1d

As a historian, I can certify that we are in the bad times. But bad times eventually end.
In the meantime:
• Figure out a small way to help someone
• Figure out a small way to fight back
• Figure out a small place to find joy
• Figure out a small way to grow and thrive

And do it often.

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Reposted by Elizabeth Le Fen

Rebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 21h

We prevail through solidarity. Much organizing is behind this decision by Brown U to not cave, on the day that the Pentagon press corps walked out in unison rather than submit to censorship. In the year that so many non-immigrants showed up to stand with immigrants. #nokings

Kate Shaw @kateshaw.bsky.social · 1d

Brown rejects the compact!

President Paxson’s letter references the views of stakeholders - & I know as an alum how activated the Brown community was while the school considered its response - an important reminder of how much organizing matters

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 1d

Breaking News: Brown University became the second college to reject a White House deal offering preferential treatment for federal grants.

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Reposted by Elizabeth Le Fen

Maple Mama @maplemama20.bsky.social · 21h

Incase anyone wants the to fund me link

www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-fi...

Donate to Help Us Fight Back Against Online Exploitation of My 8-Year-, organized by Caelie Wilkes

My name is Caelie , and I’m a mother fighting for justice and… Caelie Wilkes needs your support for Help Us Fight Back Against Online Exploitation of My 8-Year-

www.gofundme.com

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Elizabeth Le Fen @fenbeast.bsky.social · 21h

My husband just now: “They have no intentions of opening the government back up. They’re shooting their whole load.”

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Reposted by Elizabeth Le Fen

Holly Anderson 🍇 @hollyanderson.bsky.social · 1d

you fucked around and now the Episcopalians are doing memes. are you happy now. are you

Screenshot of a Facebook post featuring three of the Portland protesters wearing inflatable frog costumes with the following text:

Episcopalians on Facebook
Elizabeth Rose Elrod • 22h •
Exodus 8:2-6
"But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs...
The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your officials."

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Reposted by Elizabeth Le Fen

A.J. Bauer @ajbauer.bsky.social · 1d

US political elites have spent the better part of a decade obsessed with "civility" and purported threats thereto but politics is increasingly about raw power.

What does public debate even matter if the lines are drawn to all but guarantee right-wing political outcomes?

NYT infographic. What could happen without Section 2 of the voting rights act. Current map shows mostly red (Republican) districts but some blue (Democrat) districts among Southeastern United States. Then a plausible scenario map that shows nearly all red.

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Elizabeth Le Fen @fenbeast.bsky.social · 1d

PLAY THE ROLE YOU TWAT. YOU WANTED IT, YOU NABBED IT, NOW STOP PHONING IT IN.

And yes. This is indeed the most petty and whiny of my reasons for despising this man but the up-from-under-his-chin photo TIME magazine produced just sent me over the edge.

Carry on.

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Elizabeth Le Fen @fenbeast.bsky.social · 1d

For better or worse (all right, just for worse), he is. He attends functions with all the dignitaries of the world. He has enriched himself to ridiculous levels via corruption of his office, yet he doesn't even have someone who can ensure his clothes fit, which is just aggravating.

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Elizabeth Le Fen @fenbeast.bsky.social · 1d

Now, **I** can be a slob.

I'm perfectly content to be in my house with my pre-owned, bleach-stained, flannel shirt with 2 missing buttons and denim capris that started as regular jeans and only became capris because I wore out the hems & re-hemmed them rather than buy new ones.

But I'm not POTUS.

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Elizabeth Le Fen @fenbeast.bsky.social · 1d

It's one thing for the Emperor to have no clothes.

It's another thing for him to have suits that hang on him like a fucking potato sack.

If you have imperial ambitions, DRESS THE GODDAMN PART.

It's already embarrassing enough that he's such a crude, small-minded arse without also being a slob.

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Elizabeth Le Fen @fenbeast.bsky.social · 1d

So full disclosure, I'm no fashionista, I wear mostly pre-owned clothing that often doesn't fit correctly and I do not care under most circumstances...

...but...

...and I know this is petty and low-priority...

...but...

it bugs me to NO END that Trump's suits fit so poorly.

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Elizabeth Le Fen @fenbeast.bsky.social · 1d

He’s going to have to prove himself against Mills. His communications so far have been superb. But he’s going to have to debate her in a way that proves he’s not a carefully crafted image. I like what I’ve seen but I need to know it’s not smoke and mirrors.

Elizabeth Le Fen @fenbeast.bsky.social · 1d

Guess who still had jalapeño oil on her fingers when she took her contact lenses out. Go on, guess.

a woman in an orange fur coat is saying oh ! my eyes ! my eyes !!!

ALT: a woman in an orange fur coat is saying oh ! my eyes ! my eyes !!!

media.tenor.com

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