Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Faine Greenwood @faineg.bsky.social · 2h

I think a lot of people don’t realize how insanely pervasive and coercive the early 2010s “the only way to make it as a young writer is to publish insanely confessional, raw online essays about your darkest secrets and trauma” culture was.

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Anna Phylaxis @quatoria.bsky.social · 1h

It is genuinely difficult to adequately emphasize how much this was the guidance and wisdom of the day. Not only was the trauma-focused personal essay omnipresent, it was specifically what was being solicited, what editors were asking for.

And it appeared *everywhere*.

Faine Greenwood @faineg.bsky.social · 2h

As a young writer in that era, I recall the pressure to publish DARK shit about your life as the price to recognition - ESPECIALLY if you were anything other than a straight white guy - was just overwhelming.

I never quite went there thank God, but I know so many who did. I feel awful for them.

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Molly Knight @mollyknight.bsky.social · 1h

“Fox 11 also claims she resigned as a board member of the Wisconsin branch of the Make a Wish Foundation.”

Molly Knight @mollyknight.bsky.social · 1h

Trump’s America: Brewers fan caught on video threatening to call ICE on Dodger fan because she was mad her team was losing. The man is a US citizen and military veteran: www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/mlb/ar...

Brewers 'Karen' fired for racist rant at war veteran in Dodgers game

One month after the infamous 'Phillies Karen' broke the internet, another female MLB spectator has earned the same unflattering tag after her racist rant towards a US citizen and war veteran.

www.dailymail.co.uk

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Shana Gadarian @sgadarian.bsky.social · 1h

One of the best parts of teaching is saying to a student, "I've never thought of it that way. That's a really good idea for a project." We are giving them skills to push past what we know into new areas of research.

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 2h

If you think that professors exist as repositories of knowledge that students ask for answers, you’re missing the entire point of a college education.

We’re here to teach students how to do research, how to analyze and argue, how to think for themselves — how to find the answers on their own.

Vlad 🐸 Țepeș @porcupunk.bsky.social · 15h

Wow. Just wow.

"Students pay premium prices for information that AI now delivers instantly and for free. A business student can ask ChatGPT to explain supply chain optimization or generate market analysis in seconds. The traditional lecture-and-test model faces its Blockbuster moment."

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PBS News @pbsnews.org · 2h

Originally scheduled for Wednesday, the 2024 Social Security COLA announcement will now be Oct. 24. https://to.pbs.org/4n5YhGQ

Social Security's cost-of-living announcement is delayed, yet another shutdown side effect

The postponement of the announcement has made it more difficult for people to plan out their finances.

to.pbs.org

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Zoomer Antimillenarian ♨️ @surcomplicated.bsky.social · 2h

The difference here, though, is that *every* warring faction among Republicans will be able to make their own 'authentic' AI Trump.

Alan Elrod @aselrod.bsky.social · 2h

Consider a future with an AI Trump endorsing future candidates, with the claim that this is indeed a replication of Trump’s actual thinking and personality

In an interview with Raluca Matei for Sunrise Geek, Dan Thomson, CEO of A.l. company Sensay, laid out his vision for how these technologies can enable a form of eternal life. Thomson's company works specifically on the creation of "digital clones. As he explained it to Matei, Sensay is building "Al replicas that don't just mimic responses, but actually capture someone's decision-making patterns, their wisdom, their personality."

Thomson is a true believer, having self-published a short book on the topic:
Immortality in a Digital Age: How we can live forever as digital copies of ourselves, and the benefits and issues that may come with it. It's a mouthful, even if it only clocks in at 97 pages. But he admits that the dream of A.l.-generated eternal life is still unrealized:

Thomson is a true believer, having self-published a short book on the topic:
Immortality in a Digital Age: How we can live forever as digital copies of ourselves, and the benefits and issues that may come with it. It's a mouthful, even if it only clocks in at 97 pages. But he admits that the dream of A.l.-generated eternal life is still unrealized:

Right now, we can preserve someone's expertise, communication style, and problem-solving patterns.

That's already revolutionary for businesses and legacy preservation...
True digital immortality-capturing emotions, creativity, intuition-is still 10 to 15 years away.

But if Thomson is too obscure and small a fish for you, consider that Elon Musk claimed back in 2022 that he'd uploaded his brain to the cloud. He has also stated his belief that humans could someday
"download" themselves-their memories and distinct characters—into new bodies.

What A.l. and digital technologies currently offer isn't immortality or reincarnation. It isn't even truth. But it is one of the most powerful propaganda tools we have ever seen.

The ability to replicate the look and feel of a person, while it hardly brings them back from the dead, can be used to create confusion over whether the things their artificial version is saying and doing were really said and done by the living, breathing person in question. As A.l. advances, we should be concerned that this will become an increasingly difficult distinction to make. And the claim that an A.l. image and voice somehow represent a continuation of a deceased person's thoughts and feelings is a dangerous form of techno-mysticism.

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WIRED @wired.com · 2h

Former GOP operative Scott Leiendecker just bought Dominion Voting Systems, giving him ownership of voting systems used in 27 states. Election experts have concerns.

One Republican Now Controls a Huge Chunk of US Election Infrastructure

Former GOP operative Scott Leiendecker just bought Dominion Voting Systems, giving him ownership of voting systems used in 27 states. Election experts have concerns.

wrd.cm

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The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 1h

If Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia thought he could hide from his constituents by hosting a virtual town hall, he was sorely mistaken.

“You’re a fake. You only answer questions you have pre screened. You are not looking out for all the people who depend on you to stand up for them." trib.al/AKMzRMW

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Dr. William Horne @wihorne.bsky.social · 1h

Weird that prominent GOP operatives using Nazi imagery & slogans seem not to know Johnson’s alleged “principles of the Republican Party.”

Weirder still that Musk—then in Trump’s inner circle—did a Nazi salute on Inauguration Day, to the delight of Republicans.

I guess Johnson did Nazi that stuff!

Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 1h

Johnson: That is not the principles of the Republican Party. You want me to articulate them? We fought the Nazis, we defended that evil ideology.

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Old White Nepo Hat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 1h

Ricardo Fosado, a Latino Dodgers fan and war veteran, is America. But bigoted entitled asshole Shannon Kobylarczyk is America, too, and we‘re in this fix in part because we like to pretend she’s not.

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Block Club Chicago @blockclubchi.bsky.social · 1h

Chicago's immigration committee chair warns "fascism is here" as he sends a plan to investigate the feds to City Council. blockclubchi.co/3KR5Kwd

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Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 11h

15 US states and territories have formed a new Public Health Alliance, which will counter the absence of federal leadership by tracking outbreaks, issuing guidance, buying vaccines and more.

Members of the new alliance include CA, CO, CT, DE, GU, HI, IL, MD, MA, NJ, NY, NC, OR, RI, WA.

Map: Governors Public Health Alliance
* Guam is also a member of the alliance
Updated October 15, 2025
Map: @luckytran • Created with Datawrapper

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Ari Berman @ariberman.bsky.social · 1d

John Roberts has been trying to kill Voting Rights Act since he was young lawyer in Reagan DOJ. Today SCOTUS will hear case that could dismantle what's left of VRA, turbocharge racial gerrymandering & rig House for GOP. Huge stakes for American democracy www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

The nation's landmark voting rights law just turned 60. It may not survive Trump.

“The long-term game is to repeal the Voting Rights Act.”

www.motherjones.com

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Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · 19h

Curious...what would be the South Korea, 1 million people surround the Capitol moment for U.S.?

1) SCOTUS strikes down Voting Rights Act
2) Trump invokes Insurrection Act ahead of election, troops at blue polling places
3) A modern Kent State-style shooting
4) Something else
5) Absolutely nothing

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Ari Berman @ariberman.bsky.social · 18h

SCOTUS decision killing what’s left of Voting Rights Act could cost Dems 19 House seats, eliminate every majority-minority district in South, eviscerate 14th/15th Amendments & fulfill John Roberts 40-year crusade against country’s most important civil rights law www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Republican justices appear poised to destroy what’s left of the Voting Rights Act

The results will be "catastrophic."

www.motherjones.com

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Mrs. Detective PikaBOO, Esq. @clapifyoulikeme.favrd.social · 12h

He’s just a young lad of 65 how could he possibly be expected to know anything about the Republican Party’s views on healthcare

Sky Marchini @sky.skymarchini.net · 12h

what did he think trump was gonna do, exactly. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Longtime Florida insurance agent Alan Reynolds, 65, predicts many of his customers will allow their policies to lapse when the price hikes become clear. An independent who leans conservative, Reynolds, of Port St. Lucie, called the Affordable Care Act flawed but said he favors the continuation of the enhanced subsidies “and not pulling the rug out from under people.”

His family is also affected. The loss of his wife’s subsidy means she is likely to pay about $1,200 or more each month, up from about $500 in 2024, he said. “I voted for Trump,” Reynolds said. “I didn’t expect this.”

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Philip Gourevitch @pgourevitch.bsky.social · 12h

They’re not kids, and nazism is no joke, you odious parasite.

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 21h

🎯

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The New Voice of Ukraine @english.nv.ua · 1d

Russian forces have suffered more than 1.1 million battlefield casualties, more than 250k troops killed, a representative of NATO leadership told reporters at the alliance’s headquarters on condition of anonymity.

NATO estimates 1.1M Russian battlefield casualties, 250K fatalities

Russian forces have suffered more than 1.1 million battlefield casualties, more than 250k troops killed, a representative of NATO leadership told reporters at the alliance’s headquarters on condition of anonymity, European Pravda reported on Oct. 15.

english.nv.ua

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RandomMinutia @randomminutia.bsky.social · 12h

If Harry Enten was covering the 1919 World Series, he’d say the Reds will win the World Series because Chick Gandil let him come to a meeting with his teammates at the Ansonia.

RandomMinutia @randomminutia.bsky.social · 12h

Yes, Harry. The odds of the red checkers have a better chance of winning when THE PLAYER WITH THE BLACK CHECKERS IS BEING PHYSICALLY RESTRAINED FROM MOVING.

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RandomMinutia @randomminutia.bsky.social · 12h

…I’m sorry, but does CNN’s “Senior Data Journalist” not understand the concept of analysis when he tweets something?

You’re reporting on odds based on from your data points being…

*checks your data*

The Overthrow of the Democratic Voting Institutions by States Illegally redistricting.

Matt Binder @mattbinder.bsky.social · 23h

CNN is covering prediction market odds from an online casino as if it’s actual polling data

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Reconstructionist @unavaleable.bsky.social · 23h

Dawg _what_

Matt Binder @mattbinder.bsky.social · 23h

CNN is covering prediction market odds from an online casino as if it’s actual polling data

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Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 19h

Glad to see this from Brown. Let's hope other universities follow the example set by Brown and MIT. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/u...

Brown University Rejects White House Deal for Special Treatment

www.nytimes.com

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POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 12h

China’s intelligence services carried out espionage operations that threatened the UK economy and security, a senior British government official has told prosecutors in a collapsed alleged spying case that sparked a heated political row in Westminster.

China conducted ‘large scale espionage operations’ against UK, top official warned in collapsed spy case

Deputy national security adviser also emphasized Britain’s pursuit of “positive” ties with Beijing, according to evidence released in response to an escalating political row in We…

www.politico.eu

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Pwnallthethings @pwnallthethings.bsky.social · 13h

Also the second charges in the impeachment articles drafted against Nixon listed five abuses of power, the first of which was literally this

The second article, offered in amended form by Representative William L, Hungate, Democrat of Missouri, accused Mr. Nixon of conduct, dating back to the first year of his Administration, that allegedly violated. the rights of citizens to privacy, interfered with the proper administration of justice and used various agencies of the Government, The omnibus charge focused' specifically on the following) allegations against the government:

Attempts to use the Internal Revenue Service to initiate tax audits or obtain confidential tax data for political purposes.

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