Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Heather Walter-McCabe @profwaltermac.bsky.social · 12h

Live theater is one of my favorite things in life. Very grateful to have a BFA acting kid who constantly keeps me going to shows. Hope you enjoy some much needed relaxation and joy!! Well deserved!

Heather Walter-McCabe @profwaltermac.bsky.social · 1d

Hey Dems - this is how it’s done. It’s not controversial. It’s human. Stop making easy things hard.

Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · 1d

UNTIL IT’S DONE, Ep. 4: Sylvia Rivera

In the 1970s, queer New Yorkers had been pushed to the margins of NYC. Our trans neighbors faced immense cruelty. But in Sylvia Rivera, they found a champion.

As we combat Trump’s politics of darkness, her legacy can light the path forward.

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Heather Walter-McCabe @profwaltermac.bsky.social · 1d

This is incredibly concerning if you care about the rule of law.

Leah Litman @leahlitman.bsky.social · 1d

More judges speak to the press (the NYT) about what a disaster the Supreme Court (specifically the shadow docket) has been - “incredibly demoralizing & troubling”; a “judicial crisis”; a “slap in the face to district courts.” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...

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Heather Walter-McCabe @profwaltermac.bsky.social · 1d

Have a great time!!

Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe

Dimitri Drekonja, MD, MS @dimitridrekonja.bsky.social · 2d

The people getting laid off are some of the highest-trained and most specialized people in healthcare. They don’t just get replaced by hiring some new people when a sane administration takes over. This is a huge loss for America.

Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 2d

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:

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Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe

KFF Health News @kffhealthnews.org · 2d

Senators are demanding answers from Deloitte and other companies about errors in eligibility systems for Medicaid, following a KFF Health News investigation exposing problems that resulted in people losing health benefits.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Senators Press Deloitte, Other Contractors on Errors in Medicaid Eligibility Systems - KFF Health News

As contractors position themselves to cash in on a gush of new business managing Medicaid work requirements, a cadre of senators has launched an inquiry into the companies paid billions to build eligi...

kffhealthnews.org

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Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe

Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 3d

With SCOTUS set to legalize conversion therapy, I think it's important for states to get around this decision by implementing new legislation applying private rights of action to practitioners of conversion therapy by their victims with large damages and long statutes of limitations.

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Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe

Anna O. Law @unlawfulentries.bsky.social · 4d

Trump fired a bunch of Immigration Judges + Board of Immigration Appeals members so that he could stack those orgs with loyalists. Our NSF funded research confirms the work background of IJs and BIA members predict their rate of asylum denial. See also our description of the immigration bureaucracy.

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Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe

Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 2d

1400 colleges and universities large and small spoke out together on this coercive power grab. 10/ www.aacu.org/newsroom/aac...

AAC&U Statement on the Trump Administration’s “Compact for… | AAC&U

AAC&U Statement on the Trump Administration’s “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”

www.aacu.org

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Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe

Sheryl Weikal and the colorful Parrotlegals @leftistlawyer.com · 9d

If you're in Illinois and facing criminal charges from protesting ICE, or if you were attacked by ICE or law enforcement supporting them, I might be able to represent you pro bono. Email me at [email protected]. As always, I will take as many cases as I can.

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Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe

Daniel S. Goldberg @profgoldberg.bsky.social · 13d

Important!

#PublicHealthLaw #PHLaw #ReproLaw #HealthLaw #LawIsASDoH #LawIsATechnicalField #HealthLawRocks

H/t @lynettemartins.bsky.social

Lindsay Wiley @lindsaywiley.bsky.social · 13d

New from me in @statecourtreport.org @brennancenter.org:

Because Texas’s default judgment against Dr. Carpenter aims to punish her for the protection of public morality & future pregnant patients, embryos & fetuses, NY courts aren’t obligated to recognize it.

statecourtreport.org/our-work/ana...

New York Courts Should Reject Texas’s Attempt to Enforce its Abortion Ban Beyond its Borders

Precedent supports the refusal to enforce out-of-state civil judgments that punish an individual in the name of protecting the public.

statecourtreport.org

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Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe

SLU Law Center for Health Law Studies @sluhealthlaw.bsky.social · 16d

Prof Heather Walter-McCabe (@profwaltermac.bsky.social) will present at IU McKinney’s Virtual Grand Rounds on medical evidence in court challenges to anti-LGBTQ policies on Thurs. Oct 2 at 1 p.m. EDT.

Register for the webinar here: mckinneylaw.iu.edu/events/curre...

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Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe

Hex Anderson @dexanderson.com · 16d

What's so remarkable about this is how it acknowledges Sanger's turn into eugenics, and explicitly rejects it, and then pushes for alternative caregivers like doulas and midwives. As someone deeply interested in how male politicians talk about bodily autonomy, this is REMARKABLE.

Hex Anderson @dexanderson.com · 16d

Cuomo could never.

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Heather Walter-McCabe @profwaltermac.bsky.social · 17d

As others have pointed out, this outcry is also needed in other areas - see health care access for trans folks.

Thinking Person's Guide to Autism @thinkingautism.com · 18d

“When officials in [US] agencies are so blatantly no longer relying on the actual evidence base to make policy, we have to assume that ‘data’ from them is so tainted that none of it can be fully trusted—and audiences need to know that.” @tarahaelle.bsky.social:

healthjournalism.org/blog/2025/09...

Countering false and misleading claims about Tylenol and autism from the top

Journalists must rely on evidence, medical societies and experts to counter misinformation from federal agencies about Tylenol and autism.

healthjournalism.org

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Heather Walter-McCabe @profwaltermac.bsky.social · 18d

Absolutely true.

Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 18d

The way the NYT covers this, while they helped to create a similar moral panic that preceded Skrmetti, might be the thing that drives me mad.

Wednesday, September 24 5:45
'Autism Doesn't Need a Cure'
The Trump administration's unproven claims of a link between Tylenol and autism has sown deep mistrust among those living with the disability.

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Heather Walter-McCabe @profwaltermac.bsky.social · 20d

Keep speaking up. Keep creating community. We must work together to stop this.

Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 20d

Under pressure from Texas government officials, Angelo State University in Texas is banning all discussion or mention of the existence of trans people along with banning the LGBTQ pride flag from campus and forced misgendering of trans people.

conchoobserver.com/2025/09/19/a...

Alt text: Screenshot of a document outlining a new university policy. The bullet points state:

No discussion of transgender topics or anything suggesting more than two genders.

All information in syllabi about transgender topics must be removed.

Instructors must use students’ given names, not preferred names.

Safe-space stickers, LGBTQ flags, etc. are banned and must be removed.

Employees must remove pronouns from email signatures.

The university will not support faculty who teach or discuss these topics in class.

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Heather Walter-McCabe @profwaltermac.bsky.social · 20d

Some hope this morning!

Jess Piper @piperformissouri.bsky.social · 20d

I watch the pollination in real time. I watch people step up without support. I see the red state Democrats rally. I see them blossom. I witness the fruit of their work ripen.

Magic.

open.substack.com/pub/jesspipe...

How 'Bout Them Apples

My name is Jess and I was a high school Literature teacher for 16 years until I decided to run as a Democrat in a rural, red district in Missouri. I bring you news and politics from Missouri and beyon...

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe

Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 20d

The @washingtonpost.com story on Tylenol & autism leaves out a MAJOR 2.5M sibling-controlled study of children in Denmark, which "found no evidence that acetaminophen use during pregnancy was associated with children’s risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disability." jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children’s Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability

This nationwide cohort study with sibling control analysis examines the association of acetaminophen use during pregnancy with children’s risk of autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability.

jamanetwork.com

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Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe

Dorit Reiss @doritreiss.bsky.social · 22d

Mandatory vaccination and democratic rights: thank you, Dr. @benjaminmateus.bsky.social, for discussing these issues with me. www.wsws.org/en/articles/...

Mandatory vaccination and democratic rights: An interview with law professor Dorit Reiss

Dorit Reiss is a law professor specializing in the legality and necessity of school vaccine mandates.

www.wsws.org

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Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe

ElieNYC @elienyc.bsky.social · 23d

A white man killed another white man, but Black people are catching death threats.
So, instead of talking about white feelings again, I explored my own death threats, and tips for others who are unused to white America.
My latest in @thenation.com
www.thenation.com/article/poli...

Threatening Vulnerable People Is No Way to Mourn Someone Who Was Murdered

Those who had nothing to do with the violence against Charlie Kirk are being menaced—just like always.

www.thenation.com

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Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe

APHA @apha.org · 23d

When people are sheltering together during a disaster, it's not a good idea to be unvaccinated. APHA's Benjamin weighs in what could happen if hurricanes and low vaccination rates collide in Florida: www.eenews.net/articles/how...

How hurricanes and falling vaccine rates could collide in Florida

Public health experts say diseases are more likely to tear through crowded storm shelters after the state canceled vaccine mandates.

www.eenews.net

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Reposted by Heather Walter-McCabe

Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 23d

4:30 p.m. on a Friday, and there are *5* emergency applications from the Trump administration pending at #SCOTUS:

1) Slaughter (FTC removal);
2) Global Health Council (pocket rescissions);
3) Cook (Fed Board removal for "cause");
4) Orr (gender identity on passports); and
5) Noem (Venezuela TPS).

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Heather Walter-McCabe @profwaltermac.bsky.social · 23d

A newer Civ pro teacher here. Now we know.

Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 23d

When we get to pleading in my first-year Civil Procedure class, my students often ask me just how over the top a complaint would have to be for a judge to strike it without even being *asked* to do so.

Thanks to President Trump, we have an answer:

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

storage.courtlistener.com

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Heather Walter-McCabe @profwaltermac.bsky.social · 23d

@doritreiss.bsky.social is a great follow for information on ACIP meeting and vaccines generally. Grateful her work.

Dorit Reiss @doritreiss.bsky.social · 23d

ACIP does not have authority to change the vaccine information statement off the floor. There is a detailed process for that. It is not within your power to just rewrite it.

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Heather Walter-McCabe @profwaltermac.bsky.social · 23d

It’s finally here! Thrilled to be hosting our 2025 Health Law Scholars at @sluhealthlaw.bsky.social this weekend. Looking forward to lots of great scholarship and discussion.

Picture of coffee mug with health law scholar pictures on it and pens and name badge in the meeting room.

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