Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 57m

The first time I saw this image, I knew I had to write about this piece of Kentucky history. Sonya Lea’s new book is a bracing, deep look into a troubling case and an invitation to think deeply about the justice system in our country.

Kentucky Public Radio @kentuckypublicradio.org · 5h

A new book from a Kentucky native details the last public hanging in the United States, which took place in Owensboro in 1936, examining it through the lens of lynching culture in America. From @doperle.bsky.social at @wkmsfm.bsky.social

20,000 people watched a Black man hang in Owensboro 90 years ago. A new book looks at why

A new book from a Kentucky native details the last public hanging in the United States, which took place in Owensboro 1936, and examines it through the lens of lynch culture in America.

www.wkms.org

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Allegra Kirkland @allegrak.bsky.social · 1h

The Trump admin is considering targeting orgs including the Open Society Foundations, ActBlue, Indivisible, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace.

talkingpointsmemo.com/news/big-tal...

Big Talk: Treasury Secretary Declares New War on Terror Against the Left

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday that his department is in...

talkingpointsmemo.com

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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 1h

BREAKING: A federal judge just temporarily blocked the Trump admin's plans to lay off thousands of federal workers during the government shutdown — siding with unions, which have argued that the dismissals were illegal.

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Rainesford Stauffer @rainesford.bsky.social · 5h

There's a lot happening that impacts young people, so going to keep sharing: Student + earlyish career journalists and writers in Appalachia, pitch! If you're an organizer, involved in your community, etc. & have an opinion you want to write about, please pitch, too. DMs are open for questions!

Rainesford Stauffer @rainesford.bsky.social · 20d

Student + early career journalists in Appalachia (or young folks who want to write): pitch 100 Days! Looking for stories w/ angles on young people, related to education & what's happening on campuses, politics, life & identity, & more. Rates start at $150 for opinion, $200-$400 for reporting.

100 Days in Appalachia's Call for Pitches

100 Days in Appalachia began as an experimental pop-up publication, designed to candidly narrate the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s presidency from within the heart of a region dubbed “Trump Country...

www.100daysinappalachia.com

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Kat Tenbarge @kattenbarge.bsky.social · 1h

I wish more people knew that there’s virtually no way to prove media or text is AI-generated unless you created it yourself. “AI detectors” aren’t proof. Among other glaring issues, this makes it more difficult for journalists to report on media being AI-generated even when it seems obvious

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Sara Luterman @slooterman.bsky.social · 9h

“Keisha and Sean became determined to fill this resource gap. They’re among a growing group of Black parents who are building a support network.”

No one was helping Black transgender youth. So these parents stepped in.

A new nonprofit provides resources to Black families of transgender and nonbinary youth at a moment of heightened political hostility.

19thnews.org

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Kentucky Public Radio @kentuckypublicradio.org · 4h

University of Louisville student cited for disorderly conduct in campus protest after Students for Justice in Palestine chapter suspended. From @sylviaruthg.lpm.org

UofL student cited in campus protest after Students for Justice in Palestine chapter suspended

Citing the institution’s “use of grounds” policy, University of Louisville President Gerry Bradley placed the Students for Justice in Palestine on an interim suspension.

www.lpm.org

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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 6h

A Chicago teacher said tear gas deployed by ICE drifted toward a school playground, forcing students and recess indoors.
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

Chicago teachers say immigration enforcement near schools is scaring kids and disrupting class

Staff members are reporting ICE activity and patrolling areas around their schools and, in some cases, escorting families to and from school.

www.nbcnews.com

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Lex McMenamin (they/them) @leximcmenamin.com · 6h

new @teenvogue.com: students at the 9 colleges invited to Trump's "college compact" have been pushing their universities to reject it.

+ a bit of a scoop: @sunrisemvmt.bsky.social tells us that they're launching a national coalition to support students pushing their schools to fight the Trump admin

College Students and Faculty Resist Trump’s “Free Speech” Funding Scheme

Nine universities across the country were given a test of loyalty from the Trump administration. Now, students are demanding their schools not sign the president’s 10 point compact agreement.

www.teenvogue.com

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Rainesford Stauffer @rainesford.bsky.social · 5h

There's a lot happening that impacts young people, so going to keep sharing: Student + earlyish career journalists and writers in Appalachia, pitch! If you're an organizer, involved in your community, etc. & have an opinion you want to write about, please pitch, too. DMs are open for questions!

Rainesford Stauffer @rainesford.bsky.social · 20d

Student + early career journalists in Appalachia (or young folks who want to write): pitch 100 Days! Looking for stories w/ angles on young people, related to education & what's happening on campuses, politics, life & identity, & more. Rates start at $150 for opinion, $200-$400 for reporting.

100 Days in Appalachia's Call for Pitches

100 Days in Appalachia began as an experimental pop-up publication, designed to candidly narrate the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s presidency from within the heart of a region dubbed “Trump Country...

www.100daysinappalachia.com

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Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 17h

Here is the students' @idsnews.bsky.social report out of Indiana University, where the student media director was fired today. www.idsnews.com/article/2025...

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS: IU fires student media director after he refused to censor the IDS

Indiana University directed the IDS to stop printing news.

www.idsnews.com

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Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 20h

Indiana University has fired the staff director of the student newspaper, after disputes in which university leadership tried to pressure him to prevent students from publishing news.

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should be scared by this blatant attack on someone
standing up for what's right," student Editors-ln-Chief
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Indiana University fires IDS
adviser amid push to control
student newspaper's content

The director of student media at Indiana University was fired amidst a dispute between university leadership and editors at the Indiana Daily Student over what content gets printed in the student newspaper.

As director of student media, Jim Rodenbush did not directly oversee or have any say over the content published in the IDS, per a charter between the IDS and the university. But he told IndyStar his firing follows a series of meetings with IU Media School leadership in which it grew increasingly apparent they were expecting him to officially prohibit students from publishing news.

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Rainesford Stauffer @rainesford.bsky.social · 20h

"The Indiana Daily Student will continue fighting for our right to publish and report the hard stories, even if administrators want to stop us."

Indiana University fires IDS adviser amid dispute over student newspaper's content

The director of student media was fired after he pushed back against a university directive over what gets printed in the Indiana Daily Student.

www.indystar.com

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Rainesford Stauffer @rainesford.bsky.social · 20h

“But he told IndyStar his firing follows a series of meetings with IU Media School leadership in which it grew increasingly apparent they were expecting him to officially prohibit students from publishing news.”

Indiana University fires IDS adviser amid dispute over student newspaper's content

The director of student media was fired after he pushed back against a university directive over what gets printed in the Indiana Daily Student.

www.indystar.com

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Rainesford Stauffer @rainesford.bsky.social · 20h

Agreed

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Nicole Chung @nicolechung.bsky.social · 1d

"Gonzalez-Garcia is 15 but has the cognitive ability of a 5-year-old, Espinosa said... 'We want to push back on the narrative that HPD has said that during these 4 hours, they determined that Emmanuel was an unaccompanied minor because he told them. Emmanuel cannot hold a conversation for 4 hours.'"

Houston Chronicle @houstonchronicle.com · 1d

A missing Houston teen with autism remains in immigration custody and is set for appendix removal. His mother doesn't know when he'll be released to her care. bit.ly/3JbwHdt

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Politico @politico.com · 1d

EXCLUSIVE: Thousands of leaked messages show leaders of Young Republican groups joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape in a private Telegram chat.

Inside rising GOP leaders’ racist chats — obtained by POLITICO and spanning more than 7 months👇

‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat

Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.

www.politico.com

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Ashley C. Ford @smashfizzle.bsky.social · 1d

Indianapolis! We're looking for a public editor! Is it you? www.poynter.org/news-release...

Poynter launches public editor project to serve news audiences in Indianapolis - Poynter

Partner newsrooms will publish the editor’s independent analysis of local news coverage across the market.

www.poynter.org

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Jared Holt @jaredlholt.bsky.social · 1d

One of the craziest stories I've seen in a long time. If you think Trump and his administration are extreme and depraved, just wait until you learn about the young guns who are positioning themselves to take over the reigns in the next few decades

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat

Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.

www.politico.com

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Rainesford Stauffer @rainesford.bsky.social · 1d

This is one of the most vile things I've read in a long time...and that is really saying something.

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 1d

'“Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers don’t fit the Hitler aesthetic,” Joe Maligno...wrote'

'Many of the chat members already work inside government or party politics, and one serves as a state senator.'

‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat

Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.

www.politico.com

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Allegra Kirkland @allegrak.bsky.social · 1d

Emboldened by the Jan 6 pardons + reinstated on X by Elon Musk, senior figures in the Proud Boys are mulling getting more involved in traditional politics + bragging about their members joining ICE.

More from @hunterw.bsky.social

talkingpointsmemo.com/news/in-the-...

In the New Trump Era, the Proud Boys Are ‘Not Apologizing Anymore’

To hear him tell it, Gavin McInnes’ recent return to the site...

talkingpointsmemo.com

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Rainesford Stauffer @rainesford.bsky.social · 1d

This is exactly it!

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Sara Luterman @slooterman.bsky.social · 1d

If you’re a parent of a child with a disability, you’re worried about how your family will be impacted by SpecEd Department of Education layoffs and you want to talk to a journalist about it, please DM, email (sluterman at 19thnews dot org) or Signal (slooterman.18).

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Tanvi Misra @tanvi.bsky.social · 1d

his summer, I went to Panama and met Jharana, a 33-year-old from Nepal who had been deported there in a group of 300 others — the 1st group to be sent to a third country. I wrote about what happened to her and others over the year for
@nymag.com -->

nymag.com/intelligence...

What Happened to The Migrants The U.S. Dumped In Panama?

Nearly 300 people were sent to a country they’d never lived in. The journey didn’t end there.

nymag.com

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Julia Métraux @juliametraux.bsky.social · 2d

“This is absolutely a violation of federal law.”

For @motherjones.com, I reported about how reduction-in-forces in the Office of Special Education Programs will lead to disabled kids' needs not being met, as funding may not be distributed. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Trump's new layoffs hurt disabled kids

"This is absolutely a violation of federal law."

www.motherjones.com

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