Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Joanna Kenty

Sara Nović @novicsara.bsky.social · 1d

Mainstream news has entered the chat. Hello and welcome abcnews.go.com/Politics/spe...

Special education staff decimated after Trump administration shutdown firings: Sources

The nation’s special education services have been significantly damaged after Fridays’s mass layoffs within the Department of Education, sources told ABC News.

abcnews.go.com

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Joanna Kenty @jokenty.bsky.social · 1d

Thoughts and prayers for the panicking historians of the Roman Republic…

Sam Halpert @samhalpert.bsky.social · 1d

Dems floated a narrow bill to fund the military, which can’t move because the House isn’t in session. Meanwhile, DoD is now going to spend funds not appropriated by Congress to ensure military paychecks continue.

POTUS now both commands and provisions the military. Unconstitutional and SO dangerous

The Office of Management and Budget sent a notification to Congress about their intent to use research and development funds to pay members of the military, two sources with direct knowledge tell NBC News.
A spokesperson for the OMB confirmed to NBC
News that it plans to use the research and development funds and that there are two years' worth of funds available within the Department of Defense.

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Reposted by Joanna Kenty

Aparna Nair @disabilitystor1.bsky.social · 1d

Literally why bother?
Why bother doing for an MD/PhD program?
Or any graduate program!?
Why waste everyone’s time cheating?
Just give up and give the space to someone capable of original thinking and willing to do the hard work.

Mike Nitabach @mnitabach.blackskycomra.de · 1d

Some of this cycle Yale MD/PhD program applications have essays that definitely seem generated by LLMs...

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Le Sigh @auntie-social.bsky.social · 1d

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home... Thousands of protesters march through central London to mark two years of war in Gaza | The Independent

Tens of thousands of pro-Palestine protesters in London to mark two years of war

The demonstration comes after Hamas and Israel agreed a ceasefire and hostage release, expected to take place in the coming days

www.independent.co.uk

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Sonja Drimmer @sonjadrimmer.bsky.social · 1d

I would throw money at a t-shirt that says in all caps “TAKE A LOOK, IT’S IN A BOOK” over a rainbow.

Sarah J. Jackson @sjjphd.bsky.social · 1d

I’m not trying to give @pbs.org ideas for raising money—but I am. I would buy women’s fit T-shirts of all my favorite childhood shows. Reading rainbow, 321 contact, square one, zoobiliee zoo. I feel like two generations will run to donate even more money for shirts with Levar Burton on them…

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◥◤Kriston Capps @kristoncapps.bsky.social · 1d

HUD laid off so many fair housing investigators on Friday that it shuttered the regional offices that oversee discrimination cases in 9 states: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

HUD Issues Layoff Notices, Targeting Fair Housing Staff With Deep Cuts

Fair housing staffers who investigate claims of housing discrimination at field offices nationwide were among the hundreds of HUD staffers who received layoff notices.

www.bloomberg.com

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Joanna Kenty @jokenty.bsky.social · 1d

Yikes

The Renovator @the-renovator.bsky.social · 1d

And some financial news from @northdakotamonitor.com: North Dakota is using the Trump admin's Genius Act rules to launch a state Roughrider stablecoin (a less volatile type of cryptocurrency, but still potentially a vehicle for fraud), promising to help local businesses and banks.

Bank of North Dakota to launch state’s first stablecoin known as Roughrider coin • North Dakota Monitor

The Bank of North Dakota announced Wednesday plans to launch the Roughrider coin, the state’s first stablecoin.

northdakotamonitor.com

Reposted by Joanna Kenty

The Renovator @the-renovator.bsky.social · 1d

New roundup of news about democracy at the state level! The shutdown looms large: Maine and N Dakota roll out loan programs for furloughed workers, while Iowa and Penna workers lose food assistance. h/t @mainemorningstar.com @statesnewsroom.com @iowacapitaldispatch.com @penncapital-star.com

Democracy in the States: Weekly Roundup

Updates on campaigns, policy changes, obstacles and successes for democracy renovation at the state level.

therenovator.substack.com

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Reposted by Joanna Kenty

Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 1d

The only way this sort of thing makes sense is if they are against the entire concept of a “public good.” That is, something paid for by the public via taxes, owned by the public via government, and benefitting the public as a whole.

Sara Partridge, Ph.D. @sarapartridge.bsky.social · 1d

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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Joanna Kenty @jokenty.bsky.social · 1d

❤️

Mark Harris @markharris.bsky.social · 1d

Mamdani talking lucidly and passionately about trans rights and history in a video that should frankly shame every politician who has hemmed and hawed and triangulated and said, "Well, but sports..." It's not that hard to tell the truth and stand for what's right. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEvV...

Until It's Done: Sylvia Rivera

YouTube video by Zohran Mamdani for NYC

www.youtube.com

Joanna Kenty @jokenty.bsky.social · 1d

There is a straight line between Penn’s censorship of student protests against genocide and the Trump compact. No surprise.
🎁

The Billionaire Behind Trump’s Deal for Universities

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Joanna Kenty

Pam Herd @pamherd.bsky.social · 2d

An early career philosopher turning down a tenure track job at a large R1—when there is not another job waiting. That’s how bad things have gotten at A&M.

Eric Goldman @ericgoldman.bsky.social · 2d

"The message is clear: Texas A&M does not permit teaching LGBT topics. Politicians, not professors, decide what is taught in Texas classrooms. Anyone who crosses this line may be fired on flimsy pretext"

www.chronicle.com/article/why-...

Why I Withdrew From My Dream Job

At Texas A&M, politicians, not professors, decide what is taught in classrooms.

www.chronicle.com

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Reposted by Joanna Kenty

Steven W. Thrasher is finishing The Overseer Class @thrasherxy.bsky.social · 2d

Feel bad for students back on campus whose professors have NOTHING to say while THIS is happening, who are tacitly being taught that the way to be a successful journalist is to be silent when your colleagues are beaten or killed

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Anna E. Clark @annaeclark.bsky.social · 2d

I wrote about the divide between high school and college English, and what we might do to bridge it, for @publicbooks.bsky.social—part of an excellent roundtable on higher ed under Trump organized by @dennismhogan.bsky.social

www.publicbooks.org/toward-the-h...

Toward the Higher- and Secondary-Ed Alliance! - Public Books

The influence of K-12 policy and pedagogy on higher ed can perhaps be seen best in the trickle-up effect of the standards of the Common Core.

www.publicbooks.org

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Reposted by Joanna Kenty

Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 2d

The higher education sector is failing autistic students. To turn things around, we all need to innovate, writes @corabeth.bsky.social www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/three... #Academia #HigherEd #AcademicChatter #Autism #AcademicSky #EduSky

Three easy tweaks to make your teaching autism-friendly

Autistic students have the highest university dropout rate of any disability group. What can teaching staff do about it?

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Susan Rinkunas @susanrinkunas.com · 2d

New from me on @autonomynews.co: The popular abortion pill resource Plan C relaunched this week with a new design that better displays the many, many options for medication abortion in all 50 states

Autonomy News @autonomynews.co · 2d

The online abortion pill guide @plancpills.bsky.social has been redesigned to make it even easier to learn where to get pills, including at no cost. The redesign comes as state officials have threatened investigations and potential lawsuits against the organization.

An Autonomy News exclusive:

Exclusive: Plan C Doubles Down on Abortion Pill Info Amid Political Attacks

The online abortion pill guide has been redesigned to make it even easier to learn where to get pills, including at no cost.

www.autonomynews.co

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Reposted by Joanna Kenty

Matt Gabriele @profgabriele.com · 3d

I know this case is all over - & it should be - but Turning Point USA has waged a harassment campaign against faculty for more than a decade. I know of at least a half dozen other faculty, personally, who have received death threats and several of those who felt so unsafe they too left their homes

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 3d

Are we great yet?

Mark Bray, a Rutgers University professor and expert on anti-fascist groups, is fleeing to Spain with his family due to death threats that stem from a campaign by Turning Point USA and other conservative groups to get him fired, falsely labeling him as an antifa member.

Antifa expert at Rutgers University says he is moving to Spain because of death threats

An expert on anti-fascist groups who teaches at New Jersey’s flagship state university is moving his family overseas.

apnews.com

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Susan Rinkunas @susanrinkunas.com · 3d

Eight of these Senators represent states that directly voted post Dobbs to codify abortion access in their constitutions, or blocked anti-abortion measures. But now they’re demanding federal restrictions

(KS: Marshall, Moran; MO: Hawley, Schmitt; MT: Daines, Sheehy; OH: Moreno, Husted)

Susan Rinkunas @susanrinkunas.com · 3d

NEW: 51 Senators urge RFK Jr. and Marty Makary to end telemedicine prescriptions of the abortion drug mifepristone— and to suspend its distribution as an "imminent hazard" under Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Collins and Murkowski only GOP members not to sign
justthenews.com/sites/defaul...

screenshot of letter dated 10/9/25
Today, your agencies have all the information they need to bring an end to previous Democrat-administrations’ abortion drug regulations while a comprehensive review is conducted. As a starting point,
we recommend the following:
1. Suspend the approval of any new generic versions of mifepristone pending the outcome of the REMS safety review;
2. Commit to ensuring that all generic versions of mifepristone are included in the ongoing reevaluation of prior REMS approvals;
3. Reinstate the in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone and all its generic versions;
4. Suspend the distribution of mifepristone and all generic versions as an “imminent hazard” under Section 505(e) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA); and
5. Withdraw FDA guidance permitting pharmacy distribution of mifepristone and all its generic versions.

We are committed to continuing to work together to give a voice to the voiceless and protect women from the dangerous effects of unregulated access to chemical abortion drugs. The life, safety, freedom, and health of millions of Americans, born and unborn, depend on it.

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Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · 3d

Trump's dictatorship is time for making moral choices

I talked to the top climate scientist, Penn's Michael Mann, about his great new book - and why he sacrificed a key university post in order to keep speaking the truth against anti-science lies

My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/scie...

Science is under siege. How Penn’s top climate scientist is fighting back | Will Bunch

Michael E. Mann's new book, and the sacrifice this Penn scientist made to fight the war against climate disinformation.

www.inquirer.com

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Reposted by Joanna Kenty

AAUP @aaup.org · 3d

Over 100 Brown U students & 20 faculty members gathered outside
the campus today to demand that the university reject Trump’s loyalty oath compact. Professors & students taped their mouths shut to symbolize the compact’s threat to free speech, #academicfreedom & diversity of thought.
#DefendHigherEd

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Joanna Kenty @jokenty.bsky.social · 3d

Well, yet another article I wish I’d read as a grad student instructor! “How to use (five) curriculum design principles to align authentic learning environments, assessment, students’ approaches to thinking and learning outcomes”

How to use (five) curriculum design principles to align authentic learning environments, assessment, students’ approaches to thinking and learning outcomes

In this article, we articulate five principles of curriculum design and illustrate their application in a third‐year undergraduate course for environmental and ecological scientists. In this way, w...

www.tandfonline.com

Reposted by Joanna Kenty

More Perfect Union @moreperfectunion.bsky.social · 4d

Microsoft has withdrawn its proposal for a data center in a Milwaukee suburbs after community pushback.

After opposition from area residents and elected officials the 244 acre Caledonia project will not proceed.

Microsoft drops Caledonia data center after facing opposition. Company looking for new site

Outcry from residents and elected officials caused Microsoft to drop the Caledonia plan. But the company is seeking an alternative site.

www.jsonline.com

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The Renovator @the-renovator.bsky.social · 6d

No, seriously. Hear Danielle out.

Why I’m Excited About the White House’s Proposal for a Higher Ed Compact

Now we have a chance for collective action

therenovator.substack.com

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Joanna Kenty @jokenty.bsky.social · 6d

This is…actually promising?
“one purpose of sending the letter to multiple schools was to help solve their collective action problem. The goal, she said, was to make it possible for schools to act “in things that are not hard decisions, but they are hard to go at it alone.”

The Renovator @the-renovator.bsky.social · 6d

No, seriously. Hear Danielle out.

Why I’m Excited About the White House’s Proposal for a Higher Ed Compact

Now we have a chance for collective action

therenovator.substack.com

Joanna Kenty @jokenty.bsky.social · 10d

I’m reading about academic integrity for Humanist and came across this ethics curriculum. Many students don’t know what counts as cheating, which should be something institutions address, but they often don’t. This is a free tool to help address cheating out of ignorance:

givingvoicetovaluesthebook.com

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