Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Laura Wenus

News Relay Network @newsrelaynetwork.bsky.social · 8h

For months, we’ve asked SF's Tenderloin what it needs in a newsroom.

What people said, surprised us:

- Community calendar
- Power to tell their own stories
- Articles offering ways to help people
- Some coverage intended for citywide readers
- Muckraking

newsrelaynetwork.org/changing-cou...

We’re changing course — not for the last time

Our Tenderloin newsroom is shifting due to public feedback.

newsrelaynetwork.org

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Reposted by Laura Wenus

Bolts @boltsmag.org · 1d

Yesterday, California adopted a law to raise the pay received by incarcerated firefighters when they’re fighting a fire from $1 to $7.25 per hour—meeting the federal minimum wage. Four other new laws also give new rights to incarcerated firefighters.

California's incarcerated firefighters to see a ‘historic’ pay increase in laws Newsom signed

Hundreds of California state prisoners worked to put out this year's deadly Los Angeles wildfires, inspiring new laws that will improve their pay and open other opportunities.

calmatters.org

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Reposted by Laura Wenus

TechCrunch @techcrunch.com · 5d

NSO Group confirmed to TechCrunch that an unnamed group of American investors has taken “controlling ownership” of the surveillance tech maker.

Spyware maker NSO Group confirms acquisition by US investors | TechCrunch

NSO Group confirmed to TechCrunch that an unnamed group of American investors has taken “controlling ownership” of the surveillance tech maker.

techcrunch.com

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Reposted by Laura Wenus

Ryan Mac 🙃 @rmac.bsky.social · 6d

Business Insider wrote up a story on how some of their past investigative work led to a new California law. The story is strangely unbylined.

The reason perhaps? The publication recently laid off the reporter behind that investigation, Matt Drange.

www.businessinsider.com/california-e...

California enacts law to prevent sexual abuse in K-12 schools following Business Insider investigation

The new legislation comes after a 2023 Business Insider investigation into sexual misconduct at a California high school.

www.businessinsider.com

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Laura Wenus @laurawenus.bsky.social · 7d

Takeaways from our listening session last week. I'm so glad we got to have this conversation!

News Relay Network @newsrelaynetwork.bsky.social · 7d

When we met with a large group of locals, we expected marching orders for topics that our newsroom should cover. What we got was much more meaningful.

Here’s what we learned. newsrelaynetwork.org/san-francisc...

SF Tenderloin’s vision for community-serving media

We met with a group of locals to find out what they would want from a neighborhood newsroom. Here’s what they told us.

newsrelaynetwork.org

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Reposted by Laura Wenus

Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 16d

Two journalists are set to be tried in Kentucky this week.

Their crime? Covering a protest of the immigration detainment of Ayman Soliman, who himself fled persecution for his journalism in Egypt. Soliman’s lawyer called it a “cruel irony.”

On trial for journalism in Kentucky.

Two months after their arrests while covering a protest, a pair of local reporters face criminal charges.

www.cjr.org

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Reposted by Laura Wenus

Tina Vasquez @tinavasquez.bsky.social · 21d

I want to do a little breakdown of this investigation I published today for @prismreports.org about gender-based violence in the H-2A agricultural visa program.

She managed to get a farmworker visa. Once in the U.S., she endured abuse.

A Prism investigation reveals that women are routinely shut out of the H-2A program. Those who get in report doing non-agricultural labor and facing sexual violence and trafficking

prismreports.org

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Laura Wenus @laurawenus.bsky.social · 21d

had no idea they were doing that, this thread is educating me!

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Laura Wenus @laurawenus.bsky.social · 21d

good points...
Are we thinking that the Meta glasses actually *look cool*? 🫢

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Reposted by Laura Wenus

Reo Eveleth @reveleth.com · 26d

Sorry a couple more I forgot:

@aftermath.site & @roguesite.bsky.social for video games

@newsrelaynetwork.bsky.social in SF modeling a really cool inclusive journalism model

@theautopian.bsky.social for car stuff

And there are still so many more I'm sure I'm forgetting!!

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Laura Wenus @laurawenus.bsky.social · 22d

who was that tho because I sort of felt like it was, idk like...anyone who encountered the concept

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Laura Wenus @laurawenus.bsky.social · 22d

1. yeah yikes so true
2. holy crap they're just handing these out?? To regular people???

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Laura Wenus @laurawenus.bsky.social · 22d

Can someone explain to me, an extremely uncool person, why Google Glass was was a resounding flop 10 years ago but Meta's video glasses are somehow cool? Or at least not getting the same intense rejection that Glass did?

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Reposted by Laura Wenus

Laura Bassett @lebassett.bsky.social · 22d

More than 1800 detainees are missing after the closure of Alligator Alcatraz. Their families and lawyers can’t find them and they’ve vanished from the ICE database. Feels like this should be a much bigger story www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...

Hundreds of Alligator Alcatraz detainees drop off the grid after leaving site

As of the end of August, the whereabouts of two-thirds of more than 1,800 men detained at Alligator Alcatraz during the month of July could not be determined by the Miami Herald.

www.miamiherald.com

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Reposted by Laura Wenus

Rainesford Stauffer @rainesford.bsky.social · 23d

Must-read by journalist Mario Guevara for @bittersouth.bsky.social: "On the afternoon of Saturday, June 14, 2025, my life changed completely. Just as I was doing a regular news coverage, I was arrested by the police in the state of Georgia."

Journalist Mario Guevara Speaks - Letter from ICE DETENTION FACILITY — THE BITTER SOUTHERNER

The only journalist detained by ICE on US soil, sends a letter to The Bitter Southerner.

bittersoutherner.com

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Reposted by Laura Wenus

Ida Mojadad @idamoj.bsky.social · 26d

there’s a lot going on but this seems uh extremely bad. our duterte era spreading its wings www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/u...

NYT headline:

Draft Bill Would Authorize Trump to Kill People He Deems Narco-Terrorists

Potential legislation circulating in the executive branch and Congress would grant President Trump sweeping military powers.

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Laura Wenus @laurawenus.bsky.social · 26d

I don't mean to put a happy face on a neighborhood where truly bad things happen and really, deeply affect people. But events like Recovery Day showcase the hard work, care and wisdom of the community. We should give that its proper attention, too.

newsrelaynetwork.org/the-tenderlo...

The Tenderloin you don’t see

There’s more going on in this neighborhood than crime and drugs — like resilience and recovery.

newsrelaynetwork.org

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Reposted by Laura Wenus

Mia Ives-Rublee @seemiaroll.bsky.social · 29d

A second mass shooting of a homeless encampment in Minneapolis. Five more people died. Meanwhile, congress is working on passing the ability to jail homeless people for up to 30 days or charge them $500. It bans camping on public property. abcnews.go.com/US/people-hu...

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Reposted by Laura Wenus

skellyton bones jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · Sep 15

Classroom #2. This one needs $530 to finish giving this South Dakota high school a rad collection of diverse and banned books: www.donorschoose.org/project/book...

Bookshelves, {Some} Banned Books, and {Lost} Books, Oh My!, a project from Mrs. Gall

Help me give my students new books to choose from in my classroom library! For years, books have been banned or challenged because of different or unpopular ideas. It is so important that students ...

www.donorschoose.org

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Reposted by Laura Wenus

skellyton bones jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · Sep 15

Here's where you come in. If you can throw a few bucks to the classroom, that's rad. If you can't give money, that's okay, too. *Share* the projects as they come up and share this thread. That makes a difference, even if it doesn't seem like it does.

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Reposted by Laura Wenus

Jamison Foser @jamisonfoser.bsky.social · Sep 15

If the journalists and news companies you rely on did not make clear prior to last year's election that these were the stakes in last year's election, I would urge you to reconsider your media diet.

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · Sep 15

White House Officials Vow Vast Crackdown on Liberal Groups
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/09...

Open authoritarianism. Happening right in front of us.

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Laura Wenus @laurawenus.bsky.social · Sep 15

AGREED. Also clearer than "in accordance with our policy [hyperlink nobody wants to read] on anonymous sources"

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Laura Wenus @laurawenus.bsky.social · Sep 15

love the way @nuala.bsky.social explains quoting unnamed city workers in this @coyotemedia.org piece on street health teams. I think it's so important to talk about how opaque cities have become and what it does to accountability when workers can't talk publicly and press statements are vague.

SF Streamlined Its Street Teams. Now, Fewer People Are Getting the Help They Need

Street medicine outreach workers describe a new, expensive, and disorganized program that lacks clear objectives.

www.coyotemedia.org

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Laura Wenus @laurawenus.bsky.social · Sep 15

They did it!! They've brought back the alt-weekly!! As a worker-owned collective and for the whole Bay Area no less.

AWOOOOO!

COYOTE @coyotemedia.org · Sep 15

❤️🔥 HOT OFF THE PRESSES! 🔥❤️

COYOTE Media Collective is live!! We’re so incredibly proud of this smart, fierce, unapologetic Bay Area media project. Dive in, see what we’ve been building, read our stories, and join the pack! coyotemedia.org

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Reposted by Laura Wenus

unraveled @unraveledpress.com · Sep 14

Thinking a lot this morning about how the dispersed nature of these kidnappings over such a broad area makes it so easy for them to avoid making bigger waves. The surface can appear totally calm while they're grabbing neighbors, and most people have no idea until/unless something flashy happens

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