Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Alan Henry

@halophoenix.bsky.social

Another day, another example of mediocrity demanding center stage before stopping to even think about context or importance.

Worst part, I could be talking about ANYTHING here, which is probably why I'm so tired.

January 20, 2026 at 9:12 PM

Alan Henry

@halophoenix.bsky.social

This is VERY MUCH the thing that worries me about the next several years. So many things have been dismantled that I'm not sure anyone has the will or power to reassemble. So many things have been lost that may not be replaced, as long as people treat all of this as just another political ball game.

Jeff Yang @originalsp.in · 4h

I think the thing that will prevent a restoration of “normalcy” even when/if Trump & MAGA are in the rearview mirror is literally how many of our key institutions *treat* this era as normal.

Media, markets and yes, much of the opposition party are just not reacting like this is a fascist takeover.

January 20, 2026 at 6:41 PM

Reposted by Alan Henry

Tim Carvell

@timcarvell.bsky.social

I like that the same day a guy was like “this place will never be Twitter” this thread gave us the most 2015 Twitter experience (complimentary) imaginable.

Musicology Duck @musicologyduck.bsky.social · 20h

I just woke up from a nap and somehow while I was asleep, everyone on the bus has figured out we are not going to the right place

January 20, 2026 at 4:38 AM

Alan Henry

@halophoenix.bsky.social

ICYMI: This went out on Friday!

In this edition, I'm going back to an old school Lifehacker tip - keeping a "Done" list, and why it's a great tool to keep momentum on the things you want to do, AND to stay accountable to yourself.

Read the whole thing here: buttondown.com/alanhenry/ar...

Yes, part of this is a reminder to slow down and savor your wins, because let’s be honest: we all can use both a) to slow down a little and b) to celebrate our successes, both large and small. But it’s also an opportunity to look at the progress you’re making toward your goals, not as a straight line from here to your destination, but as a growing mountain of blood, sweat, and tears you put into doing the things you’ve always wanted to do.

And that’s what this is really about. Keeping yourself accountable and on the right track. I’ve been making a lot of positive changes in my life lately, but keeping myself accountable and leveraging my momentum are the things that help me, for example, work out, cook instead of ordering takeout, or save money so I can ensure the rent is paid. And sometimes, accountability and discipline aren’t just about forcing yourself to go without, but about reminding yourself of how much you actually do and how much you’ve achieved.

January 19, 2026 at 7:37 PM

Reposted by Alan Henry

Iron Spike

@ironspike.bsky.social

Happy MLK day, gang! Martin was a Democratic Socialist, anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, thought white moderates were the bane of Black existence, and died on a trip to support a sanitation workers' strike!

Beware his sanitized and sanded-down edit!

Ryan Ken @ryankenacts.bsky.social · 1d

Happy MLK Day!

January 19, 2026 at 4:41 PM

Reposted by Alan Henry

leonardo da vinci

@ieonardodavinci.bsky.social

I am sorry 'The Last Supper' fans, 22 hours from now, I will take 'The Last Supper' down. I cannot take this anymore.

October 24, 1510 at 8:23 PM

Reposted by Alan Henry

Helen Rosner

@hels.bsky.social

Sometimes someone writes to my intermittent @newyorker.com advice column and sets me up in a manner resembling Payton alley-ooping Kent www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...

THE FOOD SCENE
HELEN, HELP ME: ON THE PHENOMENOLOGY OF CHEESEBURGERS
A New Yorker food critic answers questions about burger toppings, beef tallow, and the subjectivity of memory.
By Helen Rosner
January 18, 2026

How do you approach the sweetness of
pickle relish on a cheeseburger? Does it
complement or compete with ketchup? There was a legendary place in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that used to do mustard, relish, and ketchup, and I can't for the life of me decide if I loved it, or if I just loved being there in the middle of the night eating it. — Brian K., N.Y. C.

Honestly, I've never really considered pickle relish to be one of the hamburger's totemic toppings.
Sliced pickle rounds, certainly; spears on the side, without a doubt. But relish, that finely chopped, neon-hued, marmalade-textured stuff? To me, that's a hot-dog thing-which I mention here not to issue judgment but rather to illustrate how distinct my own personal associations are from your own. Herein, I think, lies the answer to your real question, which is not actually about the sweetness of the relish. The question of what toppings make a burger great, while we're eating it, is both technical and trivial, having to do with the nature of the patty and the bun, the mood of the establishment serving it, the sensibilities of the person eating it, even the time of day or night or life.

Regarding the substance of the burger itself, the same accoutrements that might show a slim, lacey-edged smash patty in its best light—a little slick of mustard, a few circles of raw onion, and a melty cap of American cheese, say-might be too flimsy against the brawny heft of a half-pound bar burger that can sustain degrees of sweetness, richness, and piquancy (your barbecue sauces, your secondary meats, your nontraditional cheeses) that would suffocate a smaller patty. But what you're really asking, I think, is what makes a burger great not as it's being eaten but as it lives on in memory.
Or, more to the point, how can we know that our memories of happiness are true? I spend an inordinate portion of my professional life creeping around in my own psyche, untangling knots of nostalgia and pleasure and, god, so many emotions, not least self-love and self-loathing, all of them unavoidable colorants of any bite I take. I give myself the task of locating some sort of unassailable, uncontaminated truth: that this dish of dumplings, or that cocktail, or such-and-such restaurant is actually, inarguably, wonderful. It's impossible, of course, and more than a little absurd, but it's so irresistible, isn't it, to attempt to discharge the burden of our own experience?

Was that burger you ate from the Tasty, in Harvard Square? I think it must have been, and it's been nearly thirty years since that perfect little sandwich shop closed forever. I imagine it was a simple construction: a bun, a patty, a slice of cheese, ketchup, mustard, relish. But you created it, just as much as the white-capped guy standing at the grill did. The mouth and brain and cascade of sensations were yours. There is no true burger per se, lurking behind your experience of it; it didn't become the burger you ate until you ate it.
It's a ludicrous idea, this notion of an objective culinary truth, but it's even more ludicrous that we're so quick to doubt our own taste in pursuit of it. Just as I go looking for proof that my rapture— or, at times, misery—at a given meal has nothing at all to do with me, here you are wondering whether you should append an asterisk to your reminiscence of a long-ago cheeseburger, one that you could never eat again, even if the Tasty were still up and running. Why question a recollection of sweetness, even of the pickle variety? You did love the relish. And you love the person you see in your memory: a young man, awake in the middle of the night, a burger topped with relish in his hands.

January 19, 2026 at 12:30 AM

Alan Henry

@halophoenix.bsky.social

If anyone would like to take this man out lmk

Riley MacLeod @rcmacleod.bsky.social · 2d

I've decided to try to understand rugby and I think I get the basic rules but I cannot tell if this is a serious phrase

The score from a rugby match between Wales and New Zealand, with a penalty for "taking out the man"

January 18, 2026 at 10:12 PM

Alan Henry

@halophoenix.bsky.social

That last part, especially.

That and knowing a bunch of these people will never acknowledge that a bunch of folks tried to sound the alarm YEARS AGO and were punished for it

Imani Gandy @angryblacklady.blacksky.app · 2d

That David French NYT op-ed people are raving about is the problem with white punditry. Talking about the Nazi dual state without ever mentioning that Nazis learned from white America and its treatment of Black people. Jesus Christ it is painful waiting for y'all to catch up

January 18, 2026 at 8:54 PM

Alan Henry

@halophoenix.bsky.social

Not for nothing, but the snow in New York today is really beautiful. Stay safe to anyone who has to be out and about in it.

January 17, 2026 at 5:04 PM

Alan Henry

@halophoenix.bsky.social

Sheryl, in all her legal judgement, says "fascinating."

I, in my lack of legal judgement but ability to shitpost on the internet, say "Keep reading bc this is wild and the tea is PIPING"

Sheryl Weikal, still saying Free Palestine @leftistlawyer.com · 3d

This is fascinating. I haven't seen an alienation of affection lawsuit like this since law school. Basically Kyrsten Sinema is being sued for what we lawyers call "tortious interference," but instead of a business relationship ora contract, it's a marriage.

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

Complaint – #2 in AMMEL v. SINEMA (M.D.N.C., 1:26-cv-00038) – CourtListener.com

VERIFIED COMPLAINT with JURY TRIAL DEMAND against KYRSTEN SINEMA, filed by HEATHER AMMEL. (State Court Document originally filed in Moore County Superior Court on 9/30/25, case number 25CV001930-620 l...

storage.courtlistener.com

January 16, 2026 at 11:05 PM

Alan Henry

@halophoenix.bsky.social

We're TWO WEEKS into Jan and let's see...yup, infosec world is on fire. Cool, cool, cool.

pcmag.com @pcmag.com · 4d

The biggest thing you might notice, though, is that cybercrime is big business now.

From AI Coding to QR Code Scams, 2026 Is Already a Security Nightmare

The biggest thing you might notice, though, is that cybercrime is big business now. You’re less likely to be hacked by an individual in their mom’s basement than you are to get duped by a convincing phishing attack originating from a cubicle farm somewhere across the globe. Criminals operate entire offices full of workers deploying ransomware on any system they can access, sending thousands of phishing texts (here’s how to put a stop to those), or, as we reported this week, stuffing emails with malicious QR codes to convince you to hand over sensitive information.

bit.ly

January 16, 2026 at 7:01 PM

Reposted by Alan Henry

Eric Ravenscraft

@lordravenscraft.bsky.social

this is dead on, and I can't express how widespread this mindset is

I've sat in meeting for global media companies where outside consultants with expensive powerpoints say things like "we should have author bios" and "photos are good"

don't pay for expired advice!!
bsky.app/profile/jake...

Jake @jake.sooscreek.productions · 4d

Honestly at this point if you're thinking about SEO as a strategy you're way, way behind the curve already. It can be *part* of a strategy, sure. Far down the list of priorities, and never a thing you rely on

Eric Ravenscraft @lordravenscraft.bsky.social · 4d

if you are an outlet building your aud dev strategy around search traffic—and especially if you are giving SEO broad authority over your strategy—you are shooting yourself in the foot and have been for a while

Google is not your friend

January 16, 2026 at 5:54 PM

Alan Henry

@halophoenix.bsky.social

Here's my op-ed pitch that will never be accepted (and has never been accepted in the history of law enforcement murdering innocent people):

"People are being shot in the streets and your primary concern is language? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

The Kansas City Star @kansascity.com · 4d

That kind of vile, dehumanizing language has no place at a nonviolent demonstration. | Opinion

F-bombs at KC Plaza ICE protest spoiled our peaceful message | Opinion

That kind of vile, dehumanizing language has no place at a nonviolent demonstration. | Opinion

bit.ly

January 16, 2026 at 4:09 PM

Alan Henry

@halophoenix.bsky.social

Totally normal democracy things

Kate Knibbs @knibbs.bsky.social · 4d

🆒

January 16, 2026 at 4:03 PM

Alan Henry

@halophoenix.bsky.social

Man remember when we were hoping for stuff like student loan relief?

[pours another double shot]

January 15, 2026 at 10:39 PM

Reposted by Alan Henry

Olivia Messer

@oliviamesser.bsky.social

“This much is clear: Our rights do not matter. Our citizenship does not matter. Our lives do not matter. And how do we contend with that?”

The Barbed Wire @thebarbedwire.com · 5d

“How do we live alongside a violent, paranoid agency that sees everyday people as a threat, under an administration that will tell us not to believe what we see when they step out of line?” asks contributor @catcardenas.bsky.social

thebarbedwire.com/2026/01/15/a...

A 5-Year-Old Disappeared in Austin. A Mom Shot Dead in Minneapolis. How Much More Violence Will It Take to ‘Abolish ICE’?

50% of American women support the abolish ICE movement.

thebarbedwire.com

January 15, 2026 at 10:18 PM

Alan Henry

@halophoenix.bsky.social

A real convo I just had: "What's the plural of bimbo? Bimbos? Feels like it should be bimboes?"

[long pause]

"Bimbii? Bimbopodes?"

January 14, 2026 at 11:33 PM

Alan Henry

@halophoenix.bsky.social

First newsletter of the year incoming: Some simple tips to stay accountable this year but also celebrate your wins (because we all need some joy right now.)

Up NOW for Patreon subs: patreon.com/halophoenix
Out free for everyone on Friday: buttondown.email/alanhenry

January 14, 2026 at 5:25 PM

Reposted by Alan Henry

Electronic Frontier Foundation

@eff.org

We stand to lose a lot as governments push to age-gate the web. That's why EFF is pushing back. You can learn more about these age-gating laws and even ask us questions during our livestream on Thursday at 12 PM PT: eff.org/livestream-age

EFFecting Change: The Human Cost of Online Age Verification

Age verification mandates are spreading fast, and they’re ushering in a new age of online surveillance, censorship, and exclusion for everyone—not just young people. Age-gating laws generally require

www.eff.org

January 12, 2026 at 3:58 PM

Reposted by Alan Henry

Karen K. Ho

@karenho.bsky.social

Every journalist of color I know was taught or told to avoid making themselves the story; and were even punished for drawing attention to themselves and their work on social media.

Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 7d

I cannot emphasize how much “be the news” is the opposite of what I was taught about how to be a good journalist and strikes me as an excellent way to churn out elite solipsism that has nothing to do with the public interest and everything to do with self promotion www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/b...

‘We Need to Be the News’: Inside Bari Weiss’s Bumpy Revamp at CBS

www.nytimes.com

January 13, 2026 at 5:43 PM

Alan Henry

@halophoenix.bsky.social

Boy I sure feel some kind of way about seeing ads on TV that say "celebrate MLK Jr Day....WITH THESE GREAT NBA GAMES"

I mean....given everything else, I just...whatever man

January 13, 2026 at 2:34 PM

Reposted by Alan Henry

Andrew Couts

@couts.bsky.social

NEW: We break down how to prepare yourself for the day ICE shows up in your area. @lhn.bsky.social, @regret.bsky.social, and @mattburgess1.bsky.social report. No paywall. www.wired.com/story/what-t...

What to Do If ICE Invades Your Neighborhood

With federal agents storming the streets of American communities, there's no single right way to approach this dangerous moment. But there are steps you can take to stay safe—and have an impact.

www.wired.com

January 13, 2026 at 12:19 PM

Reposted by Alan Henry

Genie Lauren

@moreandagain.me

White people on this platform are WAY too fucking comfortable talking to black people (ESPECIALLY black women) any kind of way, over any fucking thing.

And, there are a whole bunch of white people calling themselves "allies" but the replies to the person talking crazy to us be nothing but daps.

January 13, 2026 at 12:24 AM