Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Nate Ela

@nateela.bsky.social

2.2K followers 630 following 770 posts

Law prof + sociologist at @TempleLaw. Property, land, cities, democracy. Philly (no longer quite so) newbie. nateela.net | SSRN: bit.ly/ElaSSRN (Views are mine, not those of any institution.)

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · Nov 15

Here’s a piece on how we could get from here to multiparty democracy in the U-S-A, via state courts. Revising some this month, all ears 👂if you have thoughts… papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

A Path to Multiparty Democracy

Americans are sick of the two-party system. Yet in almost every state, a crucial ballot access restriction denies them any meaningful alternative. A century ago

papers.ssrn.com

3 16 48

Reposted by Nate Ela

Jonathan Harris @jonathanfharris.bsky.social · 7h

When I wrote this 2021 law review article on TRAPs (Training Repayment Agreement Provisions), I had no clue that it would spark a nat'l movement that today culminated in CA banning them: ssrn.com/abstract=364.... Respect to the advocates & workers for making it happen @borrowerjustice.bsky.social

2 9

Reposted by Nate Ela

Ian Carrillo @iansociologo.bsky.social · 10h

Du Bois basically did a version of this in his bibliography in Black Reconstruction

BIB L I OGRAPH Y
STAN DARD - A N TI-NEGRO
(These authors believe the Negro to be sub-human and congenitally un-
fitted for citizenship and the suffrage.)
Burgess, John W., Reconstruction and the Constitution, 1 866-1 876.
Coulter, E. Merton, Civil War and Reconstruction in Kentucky.
Davis, William W ., The Civil War and Reconstruction in Florida.
Dunning, William A., Reconstruction, Political and Economic .
Eckenrode, F. Hamilton, Political History of Virginia During Reconstruc·
tion.
Fertig, James Walter, The Secession and Reconstruction of Tennessee.
Ficklen, John R., History of Reconstruction in Louisiana.
Fleming, Walter F., Civil War and Reconstruction in Alabama.
--, Documentary History of Reconstruction, 1 906, 1907.
Hamilton, Joseph G. de R., Reconstruction in North Carolina.
Hollis, John Porter, The Early Period of Reconstruction in South Carolina.
Lonn, Ella, Reconstruction in Louisiana after 1 868 .
Ramsdell, Charles W., Reconstruction in Texas .
Rhodes, James F., History of United States from the Compromise of 1 850.
Scott, Eben G., Reconstruction During the Civil War.
Staples, Thomas S ., Reconstruction in Arkansas .
Studies in Southern History and Politics . Inscribed to William Archibald
Dunning.
Carpet-Baggers in the United States Senate. By C. Mildred Thompson.
The Literary Movement for Secession. By Ulrich B. Phillips.
Negro Suffrage in the South. By W. Roy Smith.
Some Phases of Educational History in the South Since 1 865. By Wil-
liam K. Boyd.
Southern Legislation in Respect to Freedmen, 1 865- 1 866. By J. G. de
Roulhac Hamilton.
The Federal Enforcement Acts . By William Watson Davis.
The New South, Economic and Social . By Holland Thompson.
Grant's Southern Policy. By Edwin C. Woolley.
Taylor, Richard, Destruction and Reconstruction.
Thompson, Clara M., Reconstruction in Georgia, Economic, Social, Po-
litical, l 805-1 872.
Wooley, Edwin C., The Reconstruction of Georgia.

16 230 1.2K

Reposted by Nate Ela

Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · 13h

On Saturday, we wear yellow. ❌👑

130 600 1.4K

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 12h

Remembering all those numbers was actually pretty easy before our brains got gummed up with microplastics

bleary @bleary.off-the-records.com · 17h

If anyone needs me I will be in the museum, lying down next to the bog bodies.

Did people really memorize phone numbers before cell phones, or is that just a movie thing?
2? Questions
I was watching some old shows from the 90s and noticed people would just dial numbers from memory - like they'd call their friends or family without looking anything up.
Made me wonder if that was actually normal back then? Did people genuinely have all their important numbers memorized, or did most folks keep a little address book or written list nearby?

1 3

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 12h

Dispiriting to see that the Prez axing a tenured prof for off-campus speech is (was?) a sociologist who self-describes as “steadfast in ensuring that all are welcome, all belong, and all are heard.”

8 18

Reposted by Nate Ela

Kieran Healy @kjhealy.co · 14h

A couple of parking signs for anyone who wants to print them out for this coming Saturday.

Parking Signs

If you want to print out a poster for October 18th, here are two; fully-guaranteed countrywide but maybe especially suitable for in and around New York. No King Anytime sign ...

kieranhealy.org

43 630 2K

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 15h

A seat here, a seat there, pretty soon you’re talking real antidemocracy

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 15h

North Carolina Republicans announced today they’re going to pass a new congressional map to draw a Dem out of Congress; they already did last cycle, going from 7-7 to 10-4. Thus would be 11-3. t.co/XLJIhe8vZn

4 14

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 2d

At a workshop this afternoon the main feedback on my paper was “do you have a normative theory of production?”

And I was like 🤔 “yeah, I need one...”

As a staring point, maybe: Not this 👇

Mark Lemley @marklemley.bsky.social · 2d

And this:
92% of the growth in the entire country this year has been data centers. And some of that is "circular deals" that dont involve actual money

fortune.com/2025/10/07/d...

Without data centers, GDP growth was 0.1% in the first half of 2025, Harvard economist says | Fortune

Is a U.S. without data centers a country without GDP growth?

fortune.com

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 2d

The calls for a circular economy have been answered.

Except it’s a game of telephone and they didn’t understand.

Mark Lemley @marklemley.bsky.social · 2d

And this:
92% of the growth in the entire country this year has been data centers. And some of that is "circular deals" that dont involve actual money

fortune.com/2025/10/07/d...

Without data centers, GDP growth was 0.1% in the first half of 2025, Harvard economist says | Fortune

Is a U.S. without data centers a country without GDP growth?

fortune.com

3 13

Reposted by Nate Ela

rachelruysch.bsky.social @rachelruysch.bsky.social · 2d

There is no arsonist to blame—just deepening, widening uncertainty. The private home insurance market in California is not functioning. "The math doesn’t work,” @scrawford.bsky.social
susanpcrawford.substack.com/p/california...

California's insurer of last resort seeks 36% rate hike

As authorities solve one mystery—who set the fire that devastated Pacific Palisades—another deepens: how to make the math work for home insurance in California

susanpcrawford.substack.com

3 5

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 2d

The End of History

Aman Batheja @amanbatheja.bsky.social · 2d

This is the line to get into the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History, which will close in a few hours and not reopen until the shutdown ends

Long line of people waiting to get through security at the museum

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 2d

This news (and thread) has now been seared into my memory

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 2d

Important caveat to my angrypost…

(Still, tho, the opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration probably remains)

Matt Weiner @mattweiner19.bsky.social · 2d

I was going to angrypost about this, but the underlying story seems to be "rando says something stupid"? Can Trump even appoint people to the TikTok board?

I mean it still absolutely sucks, but this looks like "UK papers will say anything"
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

Donald Trump’s 19-year-old son, Barron, could be in the running for a top job at TikTok, according to the president’s former social media manager.

Trump has previously claimed that he “saved” TikTok and that users now “owe” his government for allowing it to remain available in the US.

Jack Advent, the president’s 22-year-old former social media manager, joined in by saying that Trump should give his teen son a position on the social media platform to broaden its appeal for young people.

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 2d

The comparative politics folks have a name for this type of government, right? Great opportunity for coauthoring with a US corporate governance person.

Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 3d

Trump said he deserved a cut for brokering the TikTok deal, and at once there was agreement that his son Baron would have a top executive slot... though he hasn't asked for it, and has no apparent qualifications to hold it. This is how Trump 2.0 works. www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025...

Barron Trump tipped for top TikTok job

US president’s 19-year-old son could be appointed to the app’s board

www.telegraph.co.uk

1 3 4

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 2d

This is horrible.

Sara Partridge, PhD @sarapartridge.bsky.social · 2d

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.

2 1

Reposted by Nate Ela

Tyler King @tyleraking.com · 2d

The leadership of the measles outbreak response was fired in the RIF spree while RFK JR attempts to completely dismantle measles vaccine access for children.

Measles (Rubeola)
MENU V
As of October 7, 2025, a total of 1,563 confirmed* measles cases were reported in the United States. Among these, 1,542
measles cases were reported by 42 jurisdictions: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, lowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. A total of 21 measles cases were reported among international visitors to the U.S.
There have been 44 outbreaks** reported in 2025, and 87% of confirmed cases (1,355 of 1,563) are outbreak-associated. For comparison, 16 outbreaks were reported during 2024 and 69% of cases (198 of 285) were outbreak-associated.

5 150 220

Reposted by Nate Ela

erin pineda @erinrpineda.bsky.social · 2d

“individuals participating in a public expression activity in this area are subject to discipline and/or arrest” is a delillo-level dystopian sentence

Miriam Posner @miriamposner.com · 3d

Found this just incredibly depressing, more than anything.

An easel sign reads, “UCLA
ATTENTION
No events are permitted in this area today. Per Policy 852, this location is NOT designated for public expression activities.
Individuals participating in an event or a public expression activity in this area are subject to discipline and/or arrest.
Scan for policy information.”

3 18 65

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 3d

This is horrible

Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 3d

Appears the Trump admin’s reduction in force has hit housing hard this evening.

Reports that all CDFI fund staff have been let go. HUD appears to have lost 442 staff.

Yet another federal cut that will make providing affordable housing in the US all the more challenging.

Reports that all staff of CDFI Fund have been let go

2 6 22

Reposted by Nate Ela

Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 3d

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:

860 8.5K 15K

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 4d

I started watching my first Phillies game of the season two outs before the end of the Phillies season. I have a feeling I may be the one to blame, not the pitcher.

Reposted by Nate Ela

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 4d

A rare poll of Pennsylvania's supreme court races!

Among likely voters, a new F&M poll finds... a lot of uncertainty, though "yes" to retention is ahead for all 3 Dem justices.

The yes leads the no 39/29, 39/22, and 38/25. But that's a ton of voters who say they don't know for each one.

12 64 220

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 4d

National Guard: Nice federal court you’ve got there, would be a shame if something happened to it.

N.D. Ill.: Uh, we didn’t ask for this.

[In background, Insurrection Act and Stephen Miller ominously loom]

Gregory Pratt @royalpratt.bsky.social · 4d

Chicago federal court chief judge says she has not requested National Guard for courthouse

1 1

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 4d

Be careful!

a close up of a woman 's face with the words movieclips.com visible in the corner

ALT: a close up of a woman 's face with the words movieclips.com visible in the corner

media.tenor.com

Reposted by Nate Ela

Jamal Greene @jamalgreene.bsky.social · 4d

This is the courthouse where the TRO hearing on the National Guard deployment will be held later today. This is extremely disturbing.

Gregory Pratt @royalpratt.bsky.social · 4d

Chicago federal court chief judge says she has not requested National Guard for courthouse

9 86 180

Reposted by Nate Ela

Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 4d

Chief Judge Kendall's statement comes as last night an Army commander told a federal court that DHS had so far made two requests for National Guard deployments in the Chicago area: (1) at the Broadview ICE facility, (2) at the Dirksen Courthouse on Friday. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

11 180 450