Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 1m

New York Attorney General Letitia James indictment comes on the heels of charges against another Trump critic, former FBI Director James Comey. A federal grand jury in the same jurisdiction, the Eastern District of Virginia, indicted Comey on charges of ...

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 3m

New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted by a federal grand jury Oct. 9 on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution, less than three weeks after President Donald Trump publicly called for her to face charges.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, a longtime target of Trump, indicted

New York AG Letitia James was indicted Oct. 9, less than three weeks after President Donald Trump publicly called for her to face charges.

www.usatoday.com

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 5m

Louisville Orchestra conductor Teddy Abrams gazes out at the crowd of nearly a thousand people who have gathered on a hill in the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Kentucky. Many are residents of Beattyville (population 2,125), while others have come from across Lee County (population 7,313)......

Can Music Help Bridge America's Divide?

In a time of extreme division, The Louisville Orchestra forges some common ground in Kentucky—and points a way forward for our embattled nation

www.americaamerica.news

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 6m

Each week, you’ll get to help decide what we cover. From immigration to owls to finding hope in heavy times, you’ll vote on the stories that matter most — and we’ll dive deep, together.

We’re always trying to innovate, and that means meeting our readers and viewers where they are, whether that’s...

I've been keeping a secret

And today I finally get to tell you what's next for The Preamble

thepreamble.com

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 7m

Trump explicitly said his administration had been cutting and would continue to cut “popular Democrat programs” during the ongoing government shutdown, an admission that his administration was wielding its power to punish his opponents.

“We’re only going to cut Democrat programs,” Trump said ... 🤔

Trump Says He’s ‘Only Cutting Democrat Programs’ During Shutdown

The president suggested he would make permanent cuts to blue-state programs.

www.notus.org

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 8m

The Trump administration has attempted to postpone at least nine challenges to its immigration policies during the government shutdown, including cases that could determine whether people can be held in detention centers without bail.

Federal judges have repeatedly said no.

DOJ Tries to Delay Immigration-Related Cases Against Trump During Shutdown

Federal judges keep saying no.

www.notus.org

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 9m

Three people familiar with the Biden pardon process told NOTUS that Comey was never seriously considered for a pardon. But two of those sources said that Comey did initially come up briefly in discussions by a tight group of high-ranking Biden aides after it was floated by an outside advocacy group.

Why Didn’t Biden Pardon Comey?

The former FBI director was briefly mentioned, but never seriously considered, before then-President Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons, sources told NOTUS.

www.notus.org

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 10m

At dawn on Monday, Feb. 10, acting U.S. Geological Survey Director Sarah Ryker awoke to an urgent request from one of her new superiors.

“Please provide an update by COB with a list of Federal and private sector maps that have been changed to the Gulf of America,” emailed Charlie Dankert...

Inside the Frantic Push to Change Online Maps to Say ‘Gulf of America’

The U.S. Geological Survey director oversaw the “chaotic” process of getting agencies and big mapping companies like Apple to change the name, according to emails obtained by NOTUS.

www.notus.org

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 12m

#Duffy said air traffic controllers, who are already facing short staffing and delayed paychecks due to the ongoing government shutdown, may not be paid if they call out sick repeatedly, could even be fired from their jobs. “If we have some on our staff that aren’t dedicated like we need ....”

Sean Duffy Says He Wants to Fire ‘Problem Children’ Air Traffic Controllers

“If we have some on our staff that aren’t dedicated like we need, we’re gonna let them go,” Duffy said.

www.notus.org

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 15m

Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears and her conservative allies have gone all in on anti-trans messaging in the Virginia governor’s race, launching more frequent attacks — and taking those attacks further — than Donald Trump’s campaign did in 2024.

It won’t be a one-off escalation.

Republicans Go All In on Anti-Trans Messaging

More than half of Republican ads in Virginia are focused on trans issues. Not everyone in the party thinks it’s the right political play.

www.notus.org

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 24m

In an interview with the BBC, #Dimon said he was "far more worried than others" about a serious market correction than his peers. While he declined to put an exact timeline on his bearish prediction, he said it could come anywhere from six months to two years from now.

Jamie Dimon has a warning about the stock market

The JPMorgan Chase CEO says he sees a 30% chance of a market correction, which is three times the odds his peers are giving

qz.com

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 26m

The D Brief:

- Senate passes NDAA
- US troops to monitor Gaza ceasefire
- Guard enters Memphis
- AUSA preview
= And a bit more

The D Brief: Senate passes NDAA; US troops to monitor Gaza ceasefire; Guard enters Memphis; AUSA preview; And a bit more.

www.defenseone.com

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 28m

You need to fix alarming mission-capability rates and rising sustainment costs for the Air Force’s F-35A fighter jet, senators told the service’s chief-of-staff nominee.

“The F-35 remains the most advanced fighter in the world, but too many of them are sitting idle on ramps. The readiness ...

Get more F-35s in the air and don't break the bank, senators beg USAF chief nominee

Gen. Wilsbach declined to endorse the service’s ongoing reorganization to counter China.

www.defenseone.com

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 29m

BESSENT #oligarchy #kleptocracy

After the attacks of Sept 11, 2001, the government began cracking down on hidden transfers of wealth. The purpose was to prevent money laundering that might finance terrorism. Some of this was codified in the USA PATRIOT Act. After the financial collapse of 2008...

How Scott Bessent Enables Oligarchy

The Treasury secretary has gutted the most important anti-corruption reform legislation in a generation—the 2020 Corporate Transparency Act.

prospect.org

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 31m

Two years ago, Americans anxious about the forthcoming 2024 presidential election were considering the malevolent force of an election influencer: artificial intelligence. Over the past several years, we have seen plenty of warning signs from elections worldwide demonstrating how AI can be used...

AI Is Changing How Politics Is Practiced in America

Here’s what to expect in the midterm elections.

prospect.org

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 32m

As members of Congress scanned the skies for signs of bipartisan intervention amid an imminent government shutdown, the governor of Illinois called for President Trump to be removed from office. Though invoking the 25th Amendment was a rhetorical flourish—no executive-branch Republican would ...

Governors Plunged Into Constitutional Crisis

State power brokers step up as a paralyzed Congress bows out.

prospect.org

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 33m

AG #Bondi’s meager attempt at insult comedy in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this week is the kind of thing that many political observers call “dramatic,” when in reality it was boring deflection and obfuscation punctuated by lazy scandalmongering. But there was something interesting...

How Antimonopoly is Enduring Despite Trumpian Corruption

Public pressure and partisan attacks have yielded some new cases, and citizens are waking up to corporate power’s harms.

prospect.org

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 35m

You might expect crypto enthusiasts to look down their noses at landlording as an antiquated way to earn a fortune, not worth their time when they are busy democratizing money. But in finance, everything old is new again.

“Fractional ownership” of “tokenized real estate,” the latest #crypto ...

Crypto Bros Want to Create Micro Landlords

Crypto executives are selling investors fractions of buildings in yet another scheme to reinvent an existing activity and say rules don’t apply because it’s on the blockchain.

prospect.org

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 38m

I think we are on the same page. Just different approaches. 👍

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 40m

#Musk's target savings amount drastically shrank over time. Soon, the DOGE cut its target by half and settled on $1 trillion.

It later set its sights even lower: $150 billion. Now, after the end of the 2025 fiscal year, it turns out #DOGE didn't really move the needle.

The U.S. government ...

Was DOGE all for nothing? Here are the receipts

The U.S. government's 2025 fiscal year is done — turns out Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency didn't break a cycle of increased spending

qz.com

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 42m

Retail investors are buying stocks in force and pushing up stock prices — a dynamic that’s spooking some veteran Wall Street analysts and observers. According to data released this week, Citigroup’s index of stocks most favored by individual investors, which includes SoFi Technologies, Riot...

Retail investors buy stocks in droves, fueling Wall Street bubble fears

Is this the bull market's final act? As mom-and-pop investors pile in, Wall Street observers hear echoes of past bubbles

qz.com

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 43m

#Bayer must pay a $600 million MO court judgment that found its herbicide #Roundup causes #cancer, a ruling the company says could hasten a decision to stop making the popular product. The MO Supreme Court on Sept. 30 refused to hear an appeal in the Cole County lawsuit that initially ...

Missouri Supreme Court refuses to review $600 million judgment in Roundup cancer lawsuit • Missouri Independent

German chemical giant Bayer must pay a $600 million Missouri court judgment that found its herbicide Roundup causes cancer.

missouriindependent.com

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 45m

The families of 2 Utah teenagers have dropped their lawsuit challenging the state’s ban on #transgender players in girls’ sports.

The families and the Utah High School Activities Association agreed to the dismissal of the case with prejudice, meaning it can’t be refiled later on...

Families drop challenge to Utah trans student sports ban as US Supreme Court takes up similar cases • Utah News Dispatch

Two Utah families dropped their lawsuit challenging the state’s ban on transgender students in girls’ sports.

utahnewsdispatch.com

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 46m

WASHINGTON — Right-wing conspiracy theorist #AlexJones on Thursday asked SCOTUS to hit pause on an almost $1.5 billion defamation judgment that was imposed over his false claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax.

In a new filing, Jones said the court's immediate involvement ...

Alex Jones asks Supreme Court to block massive defamation judgment

Jones says the court must act immediately to prevent his site, InfoWars, where he has spread conspiracy theories, from being handed over to the satirical news site The Onion.

www.nbcnews.com

Desert Flower @crystal159.bsky.social · 47m

Trump and Abbott’s deployment of TX National Guardsmen to Chicago has hit a legal wall—for now. A federal judge in IL handed down an order Thursday night temporarily blocking the deployment, saying she had seen “no credible evidence that there is a danger of a rebellion in the state of IL.”

The Insidious Effort To Rationalize Trump’s Lawfare

This is not a president justified in going after those who went after him. It’s a person making a mockery of our justice system.

www.thebulwark.com