Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Sharita Gruberg @gruberg.bsky.social · 4h

Detaining and surveilling people waiting for a decision in their immigration cases has been big business. I shudder to think what happens now that Congress gave ICE an unprecedented budget

www.americanprogress.org/article/how-...

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Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 5h

Vought is at war with large swaths of the population, with the very idea of a society defined by democratic pluralism. If you have correctly identified that this guy is now in a really powerful position, that people like him are in control of the government, how is that not the main story?

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Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · 1d

UNTIL IT’S DONE, Ep. 4: Sylvia Rivera

In the 1970s, queer New Yorkers had been pushed to the margins of NYC. Our trans neighbors faced immense cruelty. But in Sylvia Rivera, they found a champion.

As we combat Trump’s politics of darkness, her legacy can light the path forward.

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Sharita Gruberg @gruberg.bsky.social · 1d

Talking to an air traffic controller whose worked back to back 10 hour shifts with no pay as I’m with a friend waiting to hear if her husband, who works on Alzheimers research, lost his job at HHS. All because the GOP had to take health care from people to pay for their billionaire donors’ tax cuts

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 2d

Three key points:
1) The admin has been planning mass firings to begin in October since February
2) The work necessary to carry out mass firings is illegal during a shutdown, violating the Antideficiency Act, which carries a criminal penalty
3) This harms America, ridding us of talent and expertise

Russ Vought v @russvought
The RIFs have begun.
12:27 PM • 10/10/25 • 15K Views

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Sharita Gruberg @gruberg.bsky.social · 1d

New senators is only a bad thing if you think Black and brown people voting is a bad thing

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

Thune: "If the Democrats had won the majority, they probably would've tried to nuke the filibuster. And then you'd have four new senators from Puerto Rico and DC, you'd have a packed Supreme Court, you'd have abortion on demand ... "

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Sharita Gruberg @gruberg.bsky.social · 2d

These monsters tore the pants off a reporter to humiliate her just for trying to cover their terror campaign

Chicago Tribune @chicagotribune.com · 2d

A WGN-TV video editor and producer was roughly detained by two Border Patrol agents on Friday morning during a highly visible rush hour enforcement action in Lincoln Square.

WGN-TV producer detained during ICE enforcement action in Lincoln Square

A WGN-TV video editor and producer was roughly detained by two Border Patrol agents on Friday morning during a highly visible rush hour enforcement action in Lincoln Square.

trib.al

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Asha Rangappa @asharangappa.bsky.social · 3d

As I observed in my Substack Round Up this past week, the endgame of the military strikes against drug cartels in international waters is to lay the groundwork to use lethal military force against Americans at home. Pay attention open.substack.com/pub/asharang...

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The Century Foundation @tcfdotorg.bsky.social · 4d

Amazon is a behemoth, delivering over 1.6M packages a day. Delivery workers are absolutely essential to this $2 trillion company, yet many struggle to get by and face extreme levels of surveillance.

@juliesulabor.bsky.social explores a major new survey of delivery workers for @msnbc.com.

Opinion | Amazon promises ‘big deals’ — but not for its delivery workers

“Prime Big Deal Days” offer lower prices to customers, but Amazon offers few benefits or protections for the people delivering the packages.

www.msnbc.com

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David Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 4d

So this is funny.
The administration just issued a rule slashing foreign agricultural worker wages. And to justify it, in a public filing, Trump's Labor Department alleges that Trump's immigration enforcement has devastated the Ag workforce and caused a "risk of supply shock-induced food shortages."

Trump Labor Department Says His Immigration Raids Are Causing a Food Crisis

In a filing in the Federal Register, the Labor Department argues there are “immediate dangers to the American food supply” due to a lack of migrant agricultural workers.

prospect.org

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Raj Nayak @rdnayak.bsky.social · 4d

Fantastic report by the SHIFT Project team + @profsheenalives.bsky.social and @juliesulabor.bsky.social

Amazon Drives Low Wages: The Unraveling of Workplace Protections for Delivery Drivers - The Shift Project

Read the Full Article Amazon has revolutionized shopping and challenged traditional brick-and-mortar retail. But at the heart of this logistics […]

shift.hks.harvard.edu

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 4d

Gonna be thinking about this lede for a minute.

(RNS) — Last month, the Rev. David Black stood in front of a Chicago-area U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility and spread his arms wide. Adorned in all black and wearing a clerical collar, the pastor looked up at a group of masked, heavily armed ICE agents on the roof and began to pray.

“I invited them to repentance,” Black, a minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), said in an interview. “I basically offered an altar call. I invited them to come and receive that salvation, and be part of the kingdom that is coming.”

But when Black began to lower his arms a few seconds later, the agents responded to his spiritual plea by firing pepper balls, or chemical agents that cause eye irritation and respiratory distress, video footage shows. One struck Black in the head, exploding into a puff of white pepper smoke and forcing him to his knees. Fellow demonstrators rushed to his aid, and as the pastor rubbed his face in pain, the agents continued to fire.

“We could hear them laughing,” Black said.

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Tom Scocca @tomscocca.bsky.social · 5d

It's not just that they're going to strike down a law against conversion therapy, it's that they're going to do it on behalf of made-up claims from a straw plaintiff who can't honestly show the law affected her at all

Tom Scocca @tomscocca.bsky.social · 5d

One thing about American's widespread distrust and disapproval of the Supreme Court is that mainstream news coverage mostly doesn't dwell on stuff like standing, so people don't even begin to grasp how rigged the Court truly is www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10...

Supreme Court Live Updates: Justices Seem Set to Rule Against Colorado’s Ban on Conversion Therapy

www.nytimes.com

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Sharita Gruberg @gruberg.bsky.social · 5d

Not surprised. Homan has always treated rules governing basic standards for humans in ICE custody with extreme disdain.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 5d

Exclusive: The Trump administration said immigration enforcement will “remain unchanged” through the government shutdown.

But at least one team at ICE isn’t going into work: the office that ensures detention centers meet federal safety standards.

ICE kept most offices open in shutdown — but not the one inspecting detention centers

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s entire Office of Detention Oversight has been placed on furlough, despite surging numbers of detainees.

wapo.st

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Zack Ford @zackford.bsky.social · 5d

These Supreme Court oral arguments on conversion therapy are going to be painful. No matter what is said, know that trying to force someone to be what they're not is psychological torture with measurable negative consequences, and anyone trying to defend such efforts is a bigoted monster.

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Sharita Gruberg @gruberg.bsky.social · 5d

Everyone in DC reacting to the Brook Pinto fundraising text went

a man in a white shirt is pointing at something in front of a crowd of people .

ALT: a man in a white shirt is pointing at something in front of a crowd of people .

media.tenor.com

Sharita Gruberg @gruberg.bsky.social · 5d

apparently that Brook Pinto fundraising text went to folks who’ve moved from DC too and I’ve gotten texts from friends begging those of us still in DC to for the love of god not let her back into elected office. Don’t worry, we hate her too

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Old White Nepo Hat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 5d

It’s important to flood social media and news channels with news about how ICE lies, so that potential jurors see it.

Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 5d

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government’s claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed.
trib.al/9Sxu9IN

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims officer said 'Do something b-----' before shooting

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government's claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed. A judge ordered Martinez and a co-defendant released pending trial.

trib.al

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Jared Holt @jaredlholt.bsky.social · 5d

This really makes it sound like a Border Patrol agent tried to kill an anti-ICE activist in Chicago and DHS lied to cover for him

Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 5d

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government’s claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed.
trib.al/9Sxu9IN

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims officer said 'Do something b-----' before shooting

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government's claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed. A judge ordered Martinez and a co-defendant released pending trial.

trib.al

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Andrew Weinstein @andrewjweinstein.com · 7d

ICE admits that up to 50% of arrests in its Chicago raids are "collateral.” These aren't statistics. They are parents taken from their children, neighbors taken from our communities. When does a "collateral" U.S. citizen child's trauma matter? This isn't law enforcement; it's a campaign of terror.

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Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 7d

As bad as this headline is, the details are worse. Russel Vought is trying to roll back SS for the elderly, the disabled, the widowed and orphaned and FURTHER cut food stamps. Make sure to read and share this gift link: wapo.st/4qa8yoq

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Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 8d

important for us in the US to note: even a solidly right wing government can't ignore this.

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 8d

Over 2 million people across Italy have rallied in more than 100 cities for a one-day general strike.

2 million rally in Italy for Gaza as general strike halts key services

Over 2 million people across Italy have rallied in more than 100 cities for a one-day general strike.

bit.ly

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Queer Hand Luke @lfschleusener.bsky.social · 8d

Firing someone for having a Pride flag sends a chilling message. Leaders who allow fear to replace trust damage morale and weaken our national security.

Out In National Security @outinnationalsecurity.org · 8d

Bigotry weakens national security. We will secure accountability for those who weaponize it, because trust, talent, and service are too important to lose. #OutInNatSec

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Kate Gallagher Robbins @kfgrobbins.bsky.social · 9d

Good day to read this @chabeli.bsky.social piece on how women of color are impacted when there is no new jobs report. #numbersday

Chabeli Carrazana @chabeli.bsky.social · Aug 15

Trump’s pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggested a pause of the monthly employment reports, the only timely economic measure of how women of color are faring in the economy.

19thnews.org/2025/08/susp...

Suspending monthly economic reports would be really bad for women of color

Trump’s pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggested a pause of the monthly employment reports, the only timely economic measure of how women of color are faring in the economy.

19thnews.org

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Greg Lipper @theglipper.bsky.social · 9d

Extremely gross. www.macstories.net/linked/apple...

Apple Removes ICEBlock and Similar Apps From the App Store Under Pressure From the DOJ

Late yesterday, Apple pulled ICEBlock and similar apps from the App Store under pressure from the U.S. Department of Justice, according to Fox Business News. ICEBlock is a crowd-sourced app used to tr...

www.macstories.net

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