Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Penelope Wang

Dave Karpf @davekarpf.bsky.social · 4h

Everyone agrees that we're currently in a dotcom era-like AI bubble. People disagree what sort of bubble it is.

There are 3 stories one can tell about the dotcom crash: a startup story, a telecom story, and an accounting fraud story.

My take: it's giving Enron
open.substack.com/pub/davekarp...

It's Giving Enron

On the AI bubble, and the various echoes of the dotcom crash

open.substack.com

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Liz Szabo @lizszabo.bsky.social · 2h

Dozens of disability, civil rights and education organizations call for reversal of layoffs at department of education, saying they endanger special education and circumvent will of Congress.
autismsociety.org/department-o...

Department of Education Condemned for Ending Support for Students with Disabilities | Autism Society

Broad Coalition of Disability, Civil Rights, and Education Organizations Call for Reversal of Layoffs at Department of Education October 14, 2025, Washington, D.C. – A […]

autismsociety.org

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Tibor M. Kalman @kalmantibs.bsky.social · 3h

"Slender-billed curlews were striking birds. They stood proud with their long legs and slim, pointed, black bill. Their calls were sweet and whistling, but somewhat haunting. It is a sad fact that this bird will never be seen or heard again."

💔🌍🕊️

theconversation.com/slender-bill...

Slender-billed curlews are officially extinct – here’s why the loss of these migratory birds really matters

Why the loss of this species shines light on the global extinction crisis.

theconversation.com

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Josh Campbell @campbelljd.bsky.social · 10h

Key stat from @amandamull.bsky.social article "The richest 10% of US households—those making roughly $250,000 or more—now account for almost half the country’s consumer purchases, according to Moody’s Analytics"
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Inside the Credit Card Battle to Win America’s Richest Shoppers

The fierce fight between Amex and Chase is playing out over higher fees, extravagant events and every perk imaginable.

www.bloomberg.com

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Penelope Wang @pennywriter.bsky.social · 11h

Wall Street is seeking to push private investments and crypto into 401(k) plans, promising riches. But in a downturn, workers who seek to sell may find their money locked up. (gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/m...

The Rules of Investing Are Being Loosened. Could It Lead to the Next 1929?

www.nytimes.com

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Blake Leyh @earlofedgecombe.bsky.social · 3d

If you think you know why US newspapers died, this feature documentary now streaming for free on PBS might surprise you. It wasn't the Internet. Newspapers were specifically targeted by vulture capitalists.

I composed the score for the film, which features electric cello & Crowfoot guitars.

Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink

A handful of journalists rebel against a hedge fund that is gutting newspapers nationwide.

www.pbs.org

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Hamilton Nolan @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social · 1d

The amount of fragility being introduced into America's systems is alarming. We are getting less robust to all types of crises simultaneously.

www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/fragility-...

Fragility Is Getting Scary

The opposite of risk management.

www.hamiltonnolan.com

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southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 2d

The deportation order is based on Vedam’s conviction for murder—a crime he did not actually commit and for which he’s now been wholly exonerated. He entered the US at 9 months old and was a legal permanent resident before his conviction. We are so, so, so far from the light of justice.

Lynn Becker @cmgiulini.bsky.social · 2d

After spending 43 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, evidence hidden by the prosecution reversed his conviction. Rather than finally enjoying freedom, ICE abducted him for deportation

Depraved.

www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...

He was wrongfully imprisoned for 43 years. Moments after being released, ICE took him

Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam now faces deportation.

www.miamiherald.com

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Erin Fogg says Free Link @criminalerin.bsky.social · 2d

The closing 'graph is a real kick in the teeth

"In the likely absence of federal wraparound services for students with disabilities, Wright-Gallo recommended that parents and advocates start paying more attention to support systems at the local and state level."

USA TODAY @usatoday.com · 3d

The Education Department laid off nearly everyone at the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

Education Department wipes out special ed office in shutdown layoffs, union says

The Education Department laid off nearly everyone at the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

bit.ly

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Khashoggi's Ghost @urocklive1.bsky.social · 2d

Just a reminder that Wikipedia is the only remaining reliable source of information that right wing billionaires can't control. (Although they'll never stop trying.)

Please donate to them whenever you can. Even a little bit helps.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 2d

About a month ago, the Trump administration got rid of the de minimis exemption, whereby packages valued under $800 could slide in without import duties. Now there's a backlog as the government can't process all of this paperwork, leading to UPS just destroying packages

Business Insider headline reads: UPS is telling customers that their packages coming to the US are marked for destruction.

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Mark Histed @markhisted.org · 3d

Seeing a lot of celebration of this as a win.

But at NIH we have seen this exact play before.

It looks like it is the Vought strategy -and to stop the lawless firings we have to see the bigger picture.
A 🧵:

Trump Administration Will Rehire Scores of Experts Fired in Error

www.nytimes.com

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 3d

BREAKING: Some of the layoffs at CDC are being REVERSED.
Here is my updated story.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

More than 1,000 CDC staff receive layoff notices during government shutdown

Another round of mass layoffs has struck CDC. The agency had already been cut during a reorganization this year, and more employees are now being shed amid the government shutdown.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 3d

I know Trump and his minions all have sneering contempt for kids with special needs, but trust me when I say that their parents will absolutely fucking destroy anyone who messes with the special education supports to which they are entitled by law.

Sara Partridge, PhD @sarapartridge.bsky.social · 3d

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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Madalsa @madalsa.org · 17d

At the Nicholas Roerich Museum, since I can’t go to the Himalayas.

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Melissa Ryan @melissaryan.bsky.social · 3d

This one will hit the red states especially hard. Blue state systems will for the most part work to ensure kids with special needs have access to public education. The red states will leave families to sort it for themselves.

Sara Partridge, PhD @sarapartridge.bsky.social · 3d

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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Disability Rights Watch (US) @disrightswatch.bsky.social · 3d

Breaking: per internal sources, the entire Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), including OSEP and RSA beneath them, was RIFed last night at the Department of Ed. Developing story. DoEd union says may take 1-2 days for all affected employees to receive official notice.

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Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 3d

The CDC official who was leading the measles response and was RIFd has more than 28 yrs experience as the senior USG official leading outbreaks on Ebola, Marburg virus, and mpox. 2/4

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Penelope Wang @pennywriter.bsky.social · 3d

The telehealth and in-home hospital care programs were both temporary options for Medicare recipients, allowing providers to bill Medicare for care generally only available in facilities. The shutdown has prevented Congress from extending them.
www.newsfromthestates.com/article/shut...

Shutdown forces Medicare patients off popular telehealth and hospital-at-home programs

The federal government shutdown is forcing a reckoning for two remote health care programs because they automatically expired Oct. 1. The telehealth and in-home hospital care programs were both tempor...

www.newsfromthestates.com

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Hyperallergic @hyperallergic.com · 4d

Bob Ross created thousands of paintings on PBS’s ”The Joy of Painting.” Now, 30 of his works are being sold at auction to benefit public broadcasters suffering under President Trump’s federal funding cuts.

30 Bob Ross Paintings Head to Auction to Support Public Media

The happy little fundraiser will benefit broadcasters affected by Trump’s funding cuts.

hyperallergic.com

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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 3d

Trump’s immigration crackdown is risking higher food prices for Americans, according to the Trump admin itself.  DOL warned in an obscure document last week that “near total cessation of the inflow of illegal aliens” is threatening “stability of domestic food production and prices for US consumers.”

Trump administration says immigration enforcement threatens higher food prices

U.S. farmers face labor shortages and potential food price hikes due to Trump’s immigration policy, the administration acknowledged in a Federal Registry document.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Matthew Dowd @matthewjdowd.bsky.social · 3d

happy bday Eleanor Roosevelt, b.1884, NYC.

“I believe that democracy is based on the ability to make democracy serve the good of the majority of the people. If it can’t do that, then it should not survive.”

“If silence seems to give approval, then remaining silent is cowardly.”

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Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 3d

I don’t know who needs to hear this but the CDC is being eviscerated right now. America is not going to have any kind of outbreak response capacity after tonight. Americans’ health data is no longer secure. Say goodbye to federal public health in any capacity. It’s a disaster. We won’t recover.

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Rabih Alameddine @rabihalameddine.bsky.social · 5d

Shoda Koho, Canal Under the Moonlight, 1930

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Cathy Gellis @cathygellis.bsky.social · 3d

Behold an extremely timely Techdirt post...

(just went up)

www.techdirt.com/2025/10/10/i...

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