Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Taulby Edmondson @taulby.bsky.social · 1h

"No physical evidence connected Anthony Boyd to a 1993 murder. He was sent to death row on the word of a co-defendant who testified under the threat of capital punishment."

Lauren Gill @laurengill.bsky.social · 1h

Everything about this case shows how easy it is to send someone to death row.

Anthony Boyd was sentenced to death entirely on dubious eyewitness testimony. His lawyer had a month to prepare for trial. Alabama plans to execute him next week.

My latest @boltsmag.org:
boltsmag.org/anthony-boyd...

He Was Convicted Entirely On Clashing Eyewitness Testimony. Alabama Plans to Execute Him Next Week. - Bolts

No physical evidence connected Anthony Boyd to a 1993 murder. He was sent to death row on the word of a co-defendant who testified under the threat of capital punishment.

boltsmag.org

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Taulby Edmondson @taulby.bsky.social · 1h

Defending genocidaires by posing as realpolitik--Booker is awful.

Emissary Of Night | ليلى @diplomatofnight.com · 18h

Whereas Harris told MSNBC that she believes whether or not Israel has committed genocide is a fair and honest question to ask, Cory Booker explicitly said to the "I've Had it" podcast that he thinks addressing the question of whether Netanyahu has committed crimes would undermine resolving conflict.

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Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 16h

Literally nothing coming from the Pentagon, DHS, or DOJ should be considered credible unless backed up by an independent source outside of government. (This, for the record, is a huge problem!)

MFordTheRiver @prynnford.bsky.social · 16h

Of all the things that didn’t happen

Screen shot of ABC article with the headline “cartels issuing bounties up to 50k for hits on ICE and CBP agents, DHS says.”

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Alex Han @alexhan.bsky.social · 20h

Grateful to have outlets like @thetriibe.com on the ground and reporting the facts. ICE and federal agents are not deploying tear gas at "protesters" in Chicago. They are wantonly tear gassing entire neighborhoods and communities.

The TRiiBE @thetriibe.com · 21h

NEW — For the second time in less than a week, militarized federal agents deployed tear gas in a Chicago residential area.

Members of the media, Chicago police officers on the scene for crowd control, and the broader nearby community were also exposed to the tear gas.

thetriibe.com/2025/10/fede...

Federal agents gas Chicago’s East Side • The TRiiBE

For the second time in less than a week, militarized federal agents deployed tear gas in Chicago residential neighborhoods.

thetriibe.com

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the abbot of unreason (an archaeologist) @merovingians.bsky.social · 14h

@grayathena.bsky.social said it better

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Ian Boudreau @ianboudreau.com · 17h

The one good thing about them taking the horny restraints off ChatGPT is that we will never hear from some people again

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Taulby Edmondson @taulby.bsky.social · 19h

It is, but according to the highest court in the land, these killings are "official acts."

Senator Ed Markey @markey.senate.gov · 20h

Trump just bombed six more people in the Caribbean, for a total of 27 civilians who have been killed so far by the US military. It’s illegal for the military to target civilians who do not pose an immediate threat. This is murder.

U.S. Military Kills Another 6 People in 5th Caribbean Strike, Trump Says
In a social media post, the president said the people aboard a boat were suspected of smuggling drugs for an unspecified group his team had labeled terrorists.

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Taulby Edmondson @taulby.bsky.social · 20h

Give this a read. I grew up 10 minutes from Saltville, VA, where this takes place. It's a remarkable archeological site in the mountains and, in fact, recent evidence suggests that Virginia's documentary history begins in Appalachia, not the Tidewater.

Scott 🦇Cave🦇 @hellabarnes.bsky.social · 1d

Here is a fairly drafty first draft!

I am so thrilled to tell the story of these two Appalachian Indigenous women from the 16th century, a story that is just barely tellable. Please let me know if you use it!

www.scottcave.net/blog/2025/10/13/luisa-and-teresa-of-appalachia

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Taulby Edmondson @taulby.bsky.social · 17h

Yea I find it absurd to suggest that a solid of year of war crimes and a protest movement that both parties, very publicly, tried to suppress by force didn't matter much to the electorate. Of course it did. The people saying it didn't matter are mostly the people who defended it during the cycle.

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Taulby Edmondson @taulby.bsky.social · 18h

Reads like a tacit acknowledgement that her refusal to diverge from Biden's genocidal policies hurt her in the election. What she thinks once people are honest about the genocide question remains to be seen.

Emissary Of Night | ليلى @diplomatofnight.com · 19h

On MSNBC, Kamala Harris was asked if she agreed that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians.

“I will tell you that when you look at the number of children that have been killed [...] the refusal to give aid, we should all step back and ask this question and be honest about it, yeah.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris held back from labeling Israel's actions in Gaza a "genocide" on Sunday but said it was an appropriate question.
"A lot of folks in your party have called what's happening in Gaza a genocide. Do you agree with that?" correspondent Eugene Daniels asked Harris during an interview on MSNBC's "The Weekend."
"Listen, it is a term of law that a court will decide," Harris responded. "But I will tell you that when you look at the number of children that have been killed, the number of innocent civilians that have been
killed, the refusal to give aid and support, we should all step back and ask this question and be honest about it, yeah."

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Coach Finstock @coachfinstock.bsky.social · 19h

So like this is funnier and more offensive than anything anyone else said about Kirk that got them fired

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 19h

Trump at the Charlie Kirk memorial event: "They fired sniper rifles at ICE agents, and me. But I made a turn at a good time. I made a turn at a good time. Charlie couldn't believe it, actually."

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Taulby Edmondson @taulby.bsky.social · 19h

Imagine what a woman with 18 fingers and an extra arm will add to the experience.

Matt Burgess (WIRED) @mattburgess1.bsky.social · 23h

Oh good, ChatGPT is getting "erotica for verified adults" later this year

We made ChatGPT pretty restrictive to make sure we were being careful with mental health issues. We realize this made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems, but given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right.

Now that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to safely relax the restrictions in most cases.

In a few weeks, we plan to put out a new version of ChatGPT that allows people to have a personality that behaves more like what people liked about 4o (we hope it will be better!). If you want your ChatGPT to respond in a very human-like way, or use a ton of emoji, or act like a friend, ChatGPT should do it (but only if you want it, not because we are usage-maxxing).

In December, as we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our “treat adult users like adults” principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults.

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Taulby Edmondson @taulby.bsky.social · 19h

It is, but according to the highest court in the land, these killings are "official acts."

Senator Ed Markey @markey.senate.gov · 20h

Trump just bombed six more people in the Caribbean, for a total of 27 civilians who have been killed so far by the US military. It’s illegal for the military to target civilians who do not pose an immediate threat. This is murder.

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Taulby Edmondson @taulby.bsky.social · 19h

Saltville really is nuts. It's a small town in the holler sitting on ancient salt deposits. Archeologists have found preserved Woolly Mammoths and giant sloths, conquistadores buried in the hills, and two notable Civil War battles were fought there, including a race massacre of US Coloured Troops.

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Taulby Edmondson @taulby.bsky.social · 19h

I am definitely adding to my collection of primary sources for Appalachian Studies. Lots of interesting questions raised, and perfect for students to analyze.

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Taulby Edmondson @taulby.bsky.social · 20h

Give this a read. I grew up 10 minutes from Saltville, VA, where this takes place. It's a remarkable archeological site in the mountains and, in fact, recent evidence suggests that Virginia's documentary history begins in Appalachia, not the Tidewater.

Scott 🦇Cave🦇 @hellabarnes.bsky.social · 1d

Here is a fairly drafty first draft!

I am so thrilled to tell the story of these two Appalachian Indigenous women from the 16th century, a story that is just barely tellable. Please let me know if you use it!

www.scottcave.net/blog/2025/10/13/luisa-and-teresa-of-appalachia

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Joshua Eaton @joshuaeaton.bsky.social · 21h

If you’re a man in the room and a public official says this about your female colleague, you don’t continue as if nothing happened.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 21h

Trump ignores a question from a woman reporter but says, "I just like to watch her talk. Good job. Thank you darling."

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ProPublica @propublica.org · 3d

WATCH: ProPublica obtained records from the Department of Agriculture that detail the 94 million pounds of food, down to the number of eggs, that never reached food banks because of the Trump administration’s cuts to The Emergency Food Assistance Program.

➡️ Read more: https://propub.li/4odsKnn

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Taulby Edmondson @taulby.bsky.social · 21h

The opposition of Democratic leadership to the oysterman is an endorsement. Do you want to continue on with Schumer's uselessness or take a shot on someone with fire in his belly?

Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 21h

Strong evidence for the democrats hate winning thesis.

Give it to the oyster guy.

Janet Mills, 77, jumps into race to challenge Susan Collins for Senate

Mills, Maine’s popular governor, must first defeat populist newcomer Graham Platner in next year’s Democratic primary

www.the-independent.com

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Taulby Edmondson @taulby.bsky.social · 22h

I've been beating this drum for years now, but it's very true. These are the aspiring leaders of the Republican Party and the conservative movement that fuels it.

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Scott 🦇Cave🦇 @hellabarnes.bsky.social · 1d

Here is a fairly drafty first draft!

I am so thrilled to tell the story of these two Appalachian Indigenous women from the 16th century, a story that is just barely tellable. Please let me know if you use it!

www.scottcave.net/blog/2025/10/13/luisa-and-teresa-of-appalachia

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Taulby Edmondson @taulby.bsky.social · 22h

bsky.app/profile/jswe...

Jacqueline Sweet @jsweetli.bsky.social · 22h

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ElieNYC @elienyc.bsky.social · 23h

Not that anybody comes to me for Maine politics, but the fact that the Democrats successfully convinced a 77yo Governor to primary the 41yo progressive, is today's example of why the Democrats fucking stay failing.

Susan Collins is 72 and if Schumer gets his way, she'll be the YOUNGER choice!

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Taulby Edmondson @taulby.bsky.social · 22h

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

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Taulby Edmondson @taulby.bsky.social · 22h

I've been beating this drum for years now, but it's very true. These are the aspiring leaders of the Republican Party and the conservative movement that fuels it.

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