Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

DCCyclone @dccyclone.bsky.social · 2h

Yeah, that's how discovery works! Especially in a criminal trial, the government must disclose everything, or it's banned from trial.

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DCCyclone @dccyclone.bsky.social · 2h

Americans definitely are, in aggregate, corrupted psychologically by America's post-WWII superpower status in the world. That is unique in humanity in my lifetime. That doesn't make Americans inherently "worse," but worse in specific ways by conditioning.

Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 4h

no, the idea that America is the root of all evil in the world, or that Americans are uniquely greedy or whiny or materialistic or whatever, these are other ways of calling America exceptional. so much of the fringe left is just fixated on America in the mirror image of the way MAGA is

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Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 3h

This government is a well-oiled machine that’s definitely not suffering from internal power struggles hastily papered over as technical mistakes

The employees "were sent incorrect
notifications, which was fixed last night and this morning with a technical correction," a senior administration official said. "Any correction has already been remedied."

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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 2h

“ICE kidnapped a community member here,” reads one. “Never forget/no nos olvidamos,” says another.

The signs have appeared across some of D.C.’s heavily immigrant neighborhoods where federal immigration arrests have escalated.

Signs popping up around D.C. note: ‘ICE kidnapping happened here’

The signs range in style and mark numerous locations where people have been taken by federal agents.

www.washingtonpost.com

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DCCyclone @dccyclone.bsky.social · 2h

Local cops are trained and conditioned to acknowledge and respect rules of conduct EVEN IF they violate those rules to varying degrees. ICE agents, in particular the agents hired this year under Trump, are bottomfeeders who probably have criminal records themselves, given the behavior we see.

Joshua Holland @joshuaholland.bsky.social · 2h

Yeah, the cops are never your friends.

Everything is relative and I think local PDs have somewhat better training, a bit less animosity towards their communities and probably care more about optics than those ICE goons but the court cases are about defending federalism from a fascist gasbag.

Dave Byrnes @djbyrnes1.bsky.social · 4h

Telling the federal court that IL police can handle Broadview was part of the state's legal strategy against national guard being deployed here.

But it's hard to square that as for the good of protestors or Illinoisans as a whole, when IL police are perfectly willing to drag and beat them anyway.

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DCCyclone @dccyclone.bsky.social · 2h

No, the real problem with Mills is her positive appraisal of Collins and stated refusal to attack Collins. That's disqualifying to run for Senate......against Collins.

Charles Ghoul-ba ✡️ @charlesgaba.com · 7h

Excellent point.

Which means the only real reason to have a problem with Mills vs King is if you think she’d be out of her league as a rookie Senator…except that she’s a 2-term Governor whereas none of the others running have nearly that level of experience.

Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 7h

Also no one raised the age issue when Angus King, who is older than Mills, ran last year.

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Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social · 6h

Unconstitutionally taking money that the law says must be spent on one purpose & using it for something else—when it's to establish personalist control over the FUCKING MILITARY—is about as dangerous a constitutional crisis/failure as you can imagine

Via: www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...

The Office of Management and Budget sent a notification to Congress about their intent to use research and development funds to pay members of the military, two sources with direct knowledge tell NBC News.

A spokesperson for the OMB confirmed to NBC News that it plans to use the research and development funds and that there are two years' worth of funds available within the Department of Defense.

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Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 2h

The social aspect of Congressional GOP forfeiting Congress’ power is underestimated.

Standing for the Constitution against the cult won’t just lose them primaries. They’ll become objects of collective hate, shunned by many they know, get death threats, etc.

I have no sympathy. But it’s a factor.

James @gravitysra1nbow.bsky.social · 5h

It's incredible the extent to which Congress just utterly refuses to defend itself. You'd think for entirely self-interested reasons you would stridently oppose having the power of the purse arbitrarily ripped from you, ya know?

Why would you allow yourself to become the Roman Senate circa 27 BC.

Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social · 6h

Unconstitutionally taking money that the law says must be spent on one purpose & using it for something else—when it's to establish personalist control over the FUCKING MILITARY—is about as dangerous a constitutional crisis/failure as you can imagine

Via: www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...

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Asha Rangappa @asharangappa.bsky.social · 5h

If James visits the home regularly then it is available to her for personal use, which means it is not a “rental investment property” as defined by the mortgage rider…and therefore negates the central claim of the indictment

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 11h

NYT reports that Letitia James’s great niece lives in the home that is the subject of the indictment.

The niece reportedly testified before a *different* grand jury, telling them that she had lived there for many years without paying rent. James visits regularly.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...

Letitia James
Indictment
Read the Indictment
Timeline of Conflict
Indic
But in June, IMs. Thompson testified to a grand
jury in Norfolk that she had lived in the house for years and that she did not pay rent, a person familiar with her testimony said. She was not asked to testify again, and the grand jury that voted to indict Ms. James was not seated in Norfolk, but in Alexandria.
The specter of Mr. Trump's revenge campaign has so far overshadowed the facts of the case, given how he has pushed for Ms. James's punishment. For years, he has railed against her on social media, calling her a "crook" and
"corrunt" Last month. he also appointed Ms.

for a peaceful life after years of turbulence in several cities.
The family, Nakia Thompson and her children, have lived at the address ever since, according to two people familiar with the home, and until this week, the plan for a more lacid existence had largely gone as expected. Several times a year, the people said, a great-aunt who had purchased the house in 2020 with Ms.
Thompson in mind would come for an extended stay.
This week, with the filing of court papers some 200 miles north, the plan came to an abrupt end.
The great-aunt - Letitia James, the New York attorney general - was indicted by President Trump's Justice Department. The yellow house,

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DCCyclone @dccyclone.bsky.social · 2h

Trump et al. are fucking morons, as are all Trump voters.

shauna @goldengateblond.bsky.social · 2h

it actually offends me how sloppy and careless they are. anyone who’s ever been laid off knows the panic you feel when it happens. and while obviously it’s good that they backtracked, these are people’s fucking LIVELIHOODS they’re messing with.

Trump Administration Is Bringing Back Scores of C.D.C. Experts Fired in Error

www.nytimes.com

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Dana Houle @danahoule.bsky.social · 2d

It’s OK to be afraid. One could argue that true courage can only happen in the awareness of fear. The question isn’t “can you be fearless,“ it’s “can you overcome your fears.”

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DCCyclone @dccyclone.bsky.social · 6h

I look forward to Trump et al. suffering humiliation from these prosecutions dying.

Dante Atkins @danteatkins.bsky.social · 6h

So the government's case against Letitia James is that she she bought a house for a family member to live in rent-free and visited said family frequently, but that she should have declared it as a for-profit rental to Fannie Mae? And they expect a conviction on that?

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...

In the Eye of a Political Storm, a Tiny Yellow House in Norfolk, Va.

www.nytimes.com

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Dante Atkins @danteatkins.bsky.social · 6h

So the government's case against Letitia James is that she she bought a house for a family member to live in rent-free and visited said family frequently, but that she should have declared it as a for-profit rental to Fannie Mae? And they expect a conviction on that?

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...

In the Eye of a Political Storm, a Tiny Yellow House in Norfolk, Va.

www.nytimes.com

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Sam Halpert @samhalpert.bsky.social · 6h

Dems floated a narrow bill to fund the military, which can’t move because the House isn’t in session. Meanwhile, DoD is now going to spend funds not appropriated by Congress to ensure military paychecks continue.

POTUS now both commands and provisions the military. Unconstitutional and SO dangerous

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emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 7h

Which means they’re away from their day jobs but not being paid.

Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 7h

In plain English:

Troops remain federalized for now, but cannot be deployed in Illinois.

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

Background: www.lawdork.com/p/the-trials...

The trials of litigating against Trump

As Trump troop deployments are blocked in Chicago, Trump appellate appointees push back on the order blocking deployments in Portland. And, another Trump target indicted.

www.lawdork.com

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Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 3d

Only the military remains outside Trump’s grip. Despite the firing of several top officers—and his threat to fire more—the U.S. armed forces are still led by generals and admirals whose oath is to the Constitution, not the president. But for how long?
www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

The Civil-Military Crisis Is Here

The leaders of the U.S. military may soon face a terrible decision.

www.theatlantic.com

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Jodi Jacobson @jljacobson.bsky.social · 7h

Intentional.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 7h

After decades of progress on closing the pay gap between men and women, it’s now widening. For the first time since the 1960s, the earnings gap between men and women has widened two years in a row, according to recent data from the Census Bureau.

Women are taking pay cuts as companies mandate return to office

Researchers are identifying several key factors behind why gender pay gap – which had narrowed steadily over the years – has suddenly widened.

wapo.st

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Kevin Reuning @reuning.bsky.social · 8h

Trump straight up murdering people in the Caribbean and the NYT writes this

The Trump Split Screen: A Peacemaker Abroad, a Retribution Campaign at Home

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cdubba.bsky.social @cdubba.bsky.social · 7h

It's crazy to think, but that's not even a complete exaggeration. They've thrown their lot in with the anti-vax movement. And most of those people think our immune systems should be exposed to these things in order to get stronger, rather than take vaccines. So more plague == good.

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Jeff @jeffhovis.bsky.social · 8h

So apparently CDC Disease Prevention and Controls efforts are "Democrat Programs".

So what are the MAGA Republican alternatives, Pestilence and Plague?

Didn't we try that route already in Trump Season 1, the Pandemic.

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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 8h

Per CDC source: At internal leadership meeting this afternoon, it was shared that 1,257 people were RIF'd at CDC. Number may not be final. Apparently, chief of staff was unaware that RIFs were going to occur so not clear who is making decisions. (Short 🧵)

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Dave Levitan @davelevitan.bsky.social · 8h

“We can give $20 billion to Argentina but we can’t afford the CDC’s measles experts” is a hell of an argument

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DCCyclone @dccyclone.bsky.social · 7h

Republicans are a violent terrorist cult, every single day.

rev. howard arson @theophite.bsky.social · 9h

this is fucking obscene

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Bondi: "We've been living through a horrific cycle of political violence in this country ... night after night antifa wrecks havoc on the streets of our cities. In Minnesota, a gunman murdered a state lawmaker and her husband."

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M. Tullius Cicero 🇺🇦 @tulliuscicero43.bsky.social · 7h

🧵

Mary @mfbrodie.bsky.social · 11h

Trump voters did vote for what we are seeing now.

We all know what we heard from Trump. He said he was going to do all that we are seeing.

Don't be gaslit.

A MAGA voter once told me, "Oh, the American people won't allow Trump to do those things."

Shocking then and now, with lots to unpack.

...

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DCCyclone @dccyclone.bsky.social · 7h

Republicans are a violent terrorist cult.

LongTime🤓FirstTime👨‍💻 @longtimehistory.bsky.social · 12h

ICE secretly kidnap autistic boy during bathroom break—never notify parents.

Mother reported him missing a week ago—turns out ICE had him detained the whole time.

He was helping sell fruit and asked to go to the restroom—by the time she was done helping a customer he was gone.

Houston, Texas