Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Gerry Arthurs @gerryarthurs.bsky.social · 19h

I'll keep an eye out for you to rock the stage, Springsteen-like, at some author event! Best of luck.

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Gerry Arthurs @gerryarthurs.bsky.social · 20h

This should be a great read!

David McCullagh @mcculld.bsky.social · 20h

Exciting morning in our house - my new book, “From Crown to Harp”, has arrived. In bookshops from Thursday!

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Gerry Arthurs @gerryarthurs.bsky.social · 20h

Best of luck with publication! Any signed copies available anywhere?

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European Movement Ireland @eumovementireland.bsky.social · 20h

🗞️In today's Cork Echo @eumovementireland.bsky.social
examines the next steps for the EU-Mercosur Trade Deal.

Together, the EU and Mercosur represent a market of more than 720m people and nearly a quarter of global GDP.

Learn more 👉https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-41723571.html

Cork Echo Article on EU Mercosur Trade Deal

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Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 1d

* Over 20,000 Palestinians killed since January
* 100s starved to death, including kids
* Congress bypassed to send more & more bombs to Israel
* US citizens murdered in the West Bank

I hope this ceasefire holds & I am glad the hostages are free, but this is Trump’s *actual record* so far.

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 1d

Just in case the dramatically low Leni Riefenstahl-style angle was too subtle, they used a word from her most famous movie

Time magazine cover featuring a photo of Trump from a dramatically low angle

HIS
TRIUMPH
by ERIC CORTELLESSA
THE LEADER ISRAEL NEEDED
by EHUD BARAK
HOW GAZA HEALS

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Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 1d

This latest scandal also brings to the fore Von der Leyen's lack of judgment; her repeated failure to sanction rogue behaviour and violations of Commission's code of conduct in addition to her contempt for the European Parliament
www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/docume...
cc @alemanno.bsky.social

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Laurent Pech 🇺🇦 @profpech.bsky.social · 1d

Varhelyi has repeatedly acted in breach of relevant EU rules with Von der Leyen repeatedly ignoring his rogue behaviour as well as ignoring the European Parliament's request in *2023* to investigate Varhelyi when he was busy doctoring rule of law assessments to please Orban's autocratic buddies...

Alberto Alemanno @alemanno.bsky.social · 2d

What can the EU do NOW to address the Varhelyi’s affair:

1. Von der Leyen can compel resignation
2. Refer to CJEU for compulsory retirement (precedent: Cresson case)
3. Leave post UNFILLED until 2029—deny Hungary replacement

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Raider @iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social · 3d

This Is Fascism

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Kate from Kharkiv @kateinkharkiv.bsky.social · 3d

Estonia has urgently closed part of its border with Russia following the appearance of armed "little green men," ERR reports‼️

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Gerry Arthurs @gerryarthurs.bsky.social · 3d

Very interesting read here on role of political scientists at times of democratic and political stress

Journal of Democracy @jodemocracy.bsky.social · 3d

When Israel’s democratic safeguards came under attack, Israeli political scientists felt they had a duty to spread a shared, nonpartisan understanding of the dangers of democratic backsliding. Here is how they organized and reached the public.

muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...

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Gerry Arthurs @gerryarthurs.bsky.social · 3d

Really good piece by @naomiohreally.bsky.social in The Irish Times on Michael D Higgins’ presidency. The activist in the Áras: How Michael D Higgins shaped the presidency

www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

The activist in the Áras: How Michael D Higgins shaped the presidency

What some criticise as an outspokenness overstepping the bounds of his office, others see as the outgoing President’s knack of speaking to ‘the beating heart’ of Irish public opinion

www.irishtimes.com

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David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 4d

Between 2019 and 2024 in real terms EU exports grew by 11%.

UK exports also grew. By 0.89%.

That's the total. Goods exports were lower in real terms in 2024 than in 2014.

Centre for European Reform @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social · 4d

@antonspisak.bsky.social of the @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social, a think-tank, observes that, after Brexit took effect at the end of 2020, Britain’s goods exports have grown less than those of any other economy in the G7 club of rich countries.

A dangerous post-Brexit world

Britain risks being an unwitting victim of EU-US trade wars

buff.ly

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Filipe Campante @filipecampante.bsky.social · 4d

It might be hard to convey to people outside economics just how seismic this is. The Trump effect has most certainly arrived to US academia.

Florian Scheuer @florianscheuer.bsky.social · 4d

I am delighted to share that Nobel laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee will join our Department of Economics @econ.uzh.ch at the University of Zurich on July 1, 2026, as Lemann Foundation Professors of Economics.

🧵 1/7

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 5d

An artificial heart for children with congenital heart defects was almost finished. Families had waited for years it.

Then, Trump canceled billions in grants for universities — including the grant for this device.

The cruelty is endless. www.npr.org/2025/10/09/n...

This 4-year-old's heart is failing. A federal grant that might help him was canceled

A Cornell University researcher has been developing an artificial heart for children for more than 20 years. Now, his research is on hold and his lab is shut down.

www.npr.org

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Gerry Arthurs @gerryarthurs.bsky.social · 5d

Fantastic news for @dublincityuni.bsky.social Well done to the faculty and wider community at DCU.

John Doyle @johndoyle.bsky.social · 5d

A terrific result for @dublincityuni.bsky.social 3rd ranked among the Irish universities, and top ranked in Ireland for Research Quality. We have increased our global position by more than 400 places since 2020. A great platform to have even greater impact, in transforming lives and socieites.

Dublin City University @handle.invalid · 5d

Great news! DCU is now ranked in the top 350 universities in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings @timeshighered.bsky.social, its highest position ever.
DCU is 1st in Ireland for Research Quality.
Read more here: launch.dcu.ie/3L2XCIQ

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Gerry Arthurs @gerryarthurs.bsky.social · 6d

Worth reading this thread, as always, from @peterfrankopan.bsky.social

Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 6d

Belarus rarely makes Western headlines — but it should this week.
A quiet move by the Trump administration has just handed Alexander Lukashenka, and indirectly Vladimir Putin, an unexpected gift.
🧵👇

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Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · 6d

via @waterfordwhispers.bsky.social

Maria Steen Turning Up At Gates Of The Áras Refusing To Leave Until She’s Made President waterfordwhispersnews.com/2025/10/08/m...

Maria Steen Turning Up At Gates Of The Áras Refusing To Leave Until She’s Made President

A WOMAN who has never been a presidential candidate or appeared on a ballot paper has taken up residence outside the gates of Leinster House, vowing never to leave until she is made president of …

waterfordwhispersnews.com

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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 6d

EU Commission proposes safeguard legislation to protect EU farmers from possible effects of EU/Mercosur trade deal ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Commission proposes safeguards to strengthen protections for EU farmers in EU-Mercosur deal

The Commission today proposed a Regulation to strengthen protections for EU farmers in the context of the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement (EMPA).

ec.europa.eu

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Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 6d

I will not back down.

Trump is now calling for the arrest of elected representatives checking his power.

What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?

Donald Trump Truth Social Post: Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also.

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Prof John O Brennan @jobmaynooth.bsky.social · 7d

Social Media apps and smartphones are doing enormous damage to young people everywhere.

I’m glad to see some governments are really grasping the nettle and taking serious action.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Denmark plans social media ban for under-15s as PM warns phones ‘stealing childhood’

Mette Frederiksen links social media use to anxiety, depression and lack of concentration

www.theguardian.com

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Andrew Weinstein @andrewjweinstein.com · 8d

It really is staggering to see so many people willing to abandon our 249 year experiment in democracy for an increasingly unstable criminally convicted reality show charlatan.

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Gerry Arthurs @gerryarthurs.bsky.social · 8d

Absolutely shocking - my heart goes out to @booksupstairs.bsky.social

The Irish Times @irishtimes.com · 8d

‘Really shocking’: Independent Dublin bookstore damaged in arson attack

Books Upstairs manager hopes to partially open the D’Olier Street store later on Monday

www.irishtimes.com

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Donnacha Ó Beacháin @donnachadcu.bsky.social · 8d

Thirty years ago, we celebrated Eastern Europe’s democratisation

Now democracies are autocratising

The real threat isn’t only external. It’s the cancer of authoritarianism growing from within

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Liz Carolan @lizcarolan.com · 8d

If nothing else, Jim Gavin withdrawing is a financial hit to FF

They'll have banked on him getting 12.5% & his expenses back, €250k worth

MDH spent €75k on posters last time out; €53k on leaflets, Sean G. spent €18k on photos, plus staff, all those drones...

Nothing back now #Aras25

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News Eye @newseye.bsky.social · 9d

NEW: Extraordinary scenes in Amsterdam this afternoon (Sunday, Oct 5).

An estimated 250,000 bring the city to a standstill; people all wearing red to show solidarity with Palestine 🇵🇸

(🎥 Ahmed Zantac)

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