Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Tom Joscelyn @tomjoscelyn.bsky.social · 1d

“I spent three nights and three days in federal custody. During that time, I was never told what I was charged with, was not allowed to shower despite being covered in tear gas and pepper spray, had no phone call to my family, and no access to an attorney.” - George Retes, U.S. citizen and veteran.

I’m a US citizen and a veteran. ICE arrested me for no reason.

Jailed for three days without an explanation or ability to notify anyone, George Retes argues the only path to healing starts with the government taking accountability for its actions.

newsletter.ofthebrave.org

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John Collins @logicallyjc.bsky.social · 14h

Speaker Johnson: "People’s faith in the government is at an all time low.”

Gee, I wonder why?

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Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 1h

Today’s “One First” looks at how #SCOTUS and its defenders have responded to criticisms of the Court’s behavior in Trump cases either by knocking down straw men or by attacking the critics—without meaningfully defending what the Court is actually *doing*:

www.stevevladeck.com/p/183-the-mi...

After all, maybe one can defend the Court granting emergency relief more often than ever before and in cases with far greater real-world (and structural) impacts. And maybe one can defend the Court altering (if not completely scrapping) the traditional balance of the equities in these cases. But does that defense extend to the Court doing so especially in cases in which President Trump is a party—and no others? And does it extend to the Court doing all of this without usually providing written explanations of what it is doing—or why? And even if the answer is somehow “yes,” does it also extend to the Court doing all of this, not usually explaining what it’s doing or why, and nevertheless accusing lower courts who fail to read the justices’ minds of “defying” the Court?

I have a very hard time believing that anyone can genuinely make it through even three of those sentences with a coherent defense of what the Supreme Court has done over the past seven months—let alone all five of them. I’d love to see such an argument, if it exists, but I haven’t been—and won’t be—holding my breath.

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Senator Scott Wiener @scottwiener.bsky.social · 8h

The level of kleptocratic corruption in this regime is breathtaking, e.g.:

—Selling off Freddie Mac & Fannie Mae to big banks

—Bribes from ABC & CBS

—TikTok sale to Ellison

—Everything Qatar: the plane gift, the Idaho military base

—Whoever has bribed him by buying his scam meme coins

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 16h

The future of the Democratic Party must be rooted in investing in the American people — not Wall St., corporations, and consultants.

Otherwise, Trumpism will continue to use cynicism, racism, and distrust to divide America.

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NPR @npr.org · 2h

Jimmy Kimmel's return to airwaves might just point the way forward for late night TV to prove its relevance to American audiences — and to itself. n.pr/4olWrD4

Media companies thought late night TV was irrelevant. Kimmel proved them wrong

Jimmy Kimmel's return to airwaves might just point the way forward for late night TV to prove its relevance to American audiences — and to itself.

n.pr

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Alisha Grauso (She/Her) @alishagrauso.bsky.social · 15h

The human mind is not equipped to deal with the constant onslaught of realizing that there are far more ignorant, genuinely sponge-dumb people in the world than you ever thought possible.

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George Conway 👊🇺🇸🔥 @gtconway.bsky.social · 9h

There is absolutely zero chance that a man who took $50,000 in cash in a paper bag from an FBI agent on camera would have been appointed to any position by any other president.

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Reconstructionist @unavaleable.bsky.social · 10h

okay one time talking about heaven is just a random thought word vomited into the world. This is what? the third or fourth time?

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 14h

Trump: "I don't think there's anything that's gonna get me in heaven. I think I'm not maybe heaven bound. I may be in heaven right now as we fly on Air Force One. I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to make heaven."

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 42m

Trump's speech to the Knesset is interrupted by a demonstrator

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Old English Wordhord @oewordhord.bsky.social · 5h

on-līhting, f.n: illumination, enlightening. (ON-lee’h-ting / ˈɔn-liːx-tɪŋ)
#OldEnglish #WOTD

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Home of the Brave @ofthebraveusa.bsky.social · 30m

On October 18th, millions of brave Americans will stand up and peacefully protest against the authoritarian disease metastasizing under Donald Trump.

No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings. @gtconway.bsky.social

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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 3h

Hamas has released all 20 remaining living hostages.

The Israeli military says it has taken custody of them and will transport them onward to Israel. Follow AP's live updates.

Live updates: Israel says Hamas hands over first 7 hostages to Red Cross as part of Gaza ceasefire

The key exchange follows a breakthrough ceasefire after two years of war. U.S. President Donald Trump was also arriving in the region along with other leaders to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans.

bit.ly

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Peter @notalawyer.bsky.social · 11h

the actual story here, which the media never talks about, is that police in this country have become a discrete right-wing political operation. the story isn't about cops leaving (they're lying about that), it's about the police trying to exert influence over elections.

Mark Misoshnik 🏴 @misoshnik.bsky.social · 1d

Lmao is this supposed to be a bad thing?

A tweet from Bari Weiss that says “"It's shaken me to my core," a lieutenant said of Mamdani's unexpected victory in June. "The absolute dread I feel is palpable.
"
Today in @TheFP our @Olivia_Reingold talks to the cops who say they will walk if Zohran Mamdani is elected in November:”

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Dr. Jack Brown @drjackbrown.bsky.social · 8h

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 20h

Pritzker: "If the Constitution means anything -- and I guess we all are questioning that right now -- the Insurrection Act cannot be invoked ... they just want troops on the ground because they want to militarize especially blue cities in blue states."

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George Conway 👊🇺🇸🔥 @gtconway.bsky.social · 9h

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Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 8h

Border Patrol “attempted to arrest a plumber working inside a Logan Heights home but left empty-handed after the homeowner refused them entry.

The homeowner told agents she would not allow them inside because the warrant they presented did not include her address and lacked a judge's signature.”

Federal immigration operations target San Diego neighborhoods, sparking community resistance

Federal immigration agents conducted operations in Logan Heights and Southeast San Diego on Friday, with community members capturing footage of the enforcement actions.

www.10news.com

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Michael J. Kramer @michaeljkramer.bsky.social · 11h

Why are there so few (none?) news stories about individual ICE agents themselves? Who they are, what motivates them, any moral dilemmas they face? Why aren’t protesters trying to get some to speak out?

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Meredith Shiner @meredithshiner.com · 9h

It’s impossible to overstate how much “abolish ice” is the normie position now here in chicago — just countless random moms at toddler soccer on a park district field asking me where I bought my anti-ice t-shirt. average people don’t like our neighborhoods being terrorized.

laura olin @lauraolin.bsky.social · 15h

A friend ran the Chicago marathon today and said he couldn’t count the number of FUCK ICE signs along the way.

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NPR @npr.org · 14h

A Cornell University researcher has been developing an artificial heart for children for more than 20 years. Now, his research is on hold and his lab is shut down.

This 4-year-old's heart is failing. A federal grant that might help him was canceled

A Cornell University researcher has been developing an artificial heart for children for more than 20 years. Now, his research is on hold and his lab is shut down.

n.pr

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Adam Cohen (My Personal Views Only) @axidentaliberal.bsky.social · 10h

Truly disgusting

ICE detained an autistic 5 year old girl in Leominster, Mass

Using this child-a US citizen-as bait to lure her father-who has lived in the country for 20 years-out so they could arrest him

How do these people live with themselves

www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8AmrWut/

A Leominster family who has lived in the United States for more than 20 years said federal immigration agents held their 5-year-old daughter, who is a US-citizen and autistic, in custody outside their...

TikTok video by The Boston Globe

www.tiktok.com

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David Corn @davidcorn.bsky.social · 9h

Omg. Send in another battalion.

WuTangIsForTheChildren @wutangforchildren.bsky.social · 13h

A new Portland character has entered the chat at the ICE facility….meet The Unipiper!

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Luigi de Guzman @ouij.bsky.social · 9h

The fact that protests now feature people who don’t normally have to worry about what might happen to them in an adverse encounter with security forces is a HUGE DEAL.

It means that the “real” victims don’t have to suffer alone. It means that some people care about something more than themselves

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 12h

Someone in my mentions is upset because these people haven’t suffered the worst at ICE’s hands and therefore they shouldn’t be praised for being out on the streets?

Yeah, no. To push back on these people we need everyone — especially those with relative privilege — to get up and get involved.

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 14h

Portland, you magnificent weirdos

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George Conway 👊🇺🇸🔥 @gtconway.bsky.social · 9h

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Adam Cohen (My Personal Views Only) @axidentaliberal.bsky.social · 12h

I can’t wait for Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem to tell us that this 13 year old boy was a very dangerous member of Tren de Aragua

Caitlin G. DeAngelis @caitlindeangelis.bsky.social · 14h

ICE kidnapped a 7th-grader with a pending asylum claim and spirited him out of state without notifying his parents, seemingly with the cooperation of the local police in Everett, MA.

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/12/m...

Everett 13-year-old arrested by ICE and sent to Virginia detention facility
By Marcela Rodrigues Globe Staff,Updated October 12, 2025, 44 minutes ago

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A 13-year-old boy was arrested by ICE in Everett and sent to a juvenile detention facility in Virginia.
A 13-year-old boy was arrested by ICE in Everett and sent to a juvenile detention facility in Virginia.
A 13-year-old boy was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Everett after an interaction with members of the Everett Police Department and sent to a juvenile detention facility in Virginia, according to his mother and immigration lawyer Andrew Lattarulo.

The boy’s mother, Josiele Berto, was called to pick her son up from the Everett Police Department on Thursday, the day he was arrested. After waiting for about an hour and a half, she was told her son was taken by ICE, Berto told the Globe in a phone interview.

“My world collapsed,” Berto said in Portuguese.

From the police department, the boy was taken to ICE’s holding facility in Burlington on Thursday evening, where he spent a night before being transferred by car to the Northwestern Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Winchester, Va., on Friday morning, his mother said. The juvenile facility is more than 500 miles away from Everett.

The boy is a 7th-grader at Albert N. Parlin School in Everett, his mother said. The teen and his family, who are Brazilian nationals, have a pending asylum case and are authorized to work legally in the United States, Lattarulo said.

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