Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 14h

Violence! Kinda surprising that no one else in the Middle East thought to try that out before.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 15h

President Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. could step in to disarm Hamas — “quickly and perhaps violently” — if the organization did not do so itself, a potential vulnerability in the ceasefire agreement.

Trump says U.S. will disarm Hamas if it does not do so itself

Hamas has not yet publicly agreed to or signed anything that specifies how it would disarm, but Trump suggested he had received verbal assurances the group would.

www.washingtonpost.com

Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 20h

About as accurate as his take on the Portland war zone.

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Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 22h

Republicans are ready to pass the torch:

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat

Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.

www.politico.com

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Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 2d

I'm planning to be at No Kings on the 18th. But I hear someone is handing out Cava bags of cash for attending. Where do we get that? (And do we have to report it on our taxes?)

Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 2d

A few days ago the Post ran a puff piece on the safety and necessity of coal mining.

"Down in a Pennsylvania Mine I Saw Coal's Future"

www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Today in NYT:

Coal Miners With Black Lung Say They Are ‘Cast Aside to Die’ Under Trump www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/c...

Coal Miners With Black Lung Say They Are ‘Cast Aside to Die’ Under Trump

www.nytimes.com

Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 2d

I wonder what is the count of fake-ICE incidents vs actual antifa violence over the past 9 months.

SayItToMyFace🚫👑 @sayittomyface.bsky.social · 2d

This isn’t surprising but without proper ID, I can easily see how it is happening. How do we, as citizens, ensure that proper ID and warrants are required by all Federal employees? I know some states are now requiring it.

ICE impersonator incidents rise during Trump’s second term | CNN

A CNN review has found two dozen incidents of people posing as ICE officers in 2025 – more incidents than during the prior four presidential terms combined.

www.cnn.com

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Reposted by Kurt Taylor Gaubatz

Judith A. Miller @1789jam.bsky.social · 3d

Destroying the knowledge economy.

Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD DSc(hon) @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social · May 30

No words

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Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 3d

Of course previous presidents thought bringing China into the global system would give them some balancing cards. Trump thought knocking over the table and yelling was the same as having the winning cards.

Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 3d

Well, maybe, except that we've known about the vulnerability on rare earths for twenty years. Maybe we thought the game was chess when it was really more like one of those Trump card games where we don't have the cards and presidents from both parties haven't made much of an attempt to get them.

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Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 3d

Trump says he is pruning the “Democrat” parts of the government. Good enough. Republicans and Democrats agree then that the Democrats are about controlling diseases. Should make some effective campaign ads.

Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 4d

BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at CDC. Doznes of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:

Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 4d

Well sure, but remember Letitia James may have pulled down $18,000 from the Norfolk house she bought for her grand-niece. And don't get me started on Hunter Biden.

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 4d

Imagine that

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Reposted by Kurt Taylor Gaubatz

Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · Apr 24

Who could have predicted that rare earths would give China significant leverage in a trade war?

Oh yeah, pretty much of anyone who reads the fake-news NYT.

China corners market in a high-tech necessity www.nytimes.com/2006/01/22/b...

China corners market in a high-tech necessity (Published 2006)

www.nytimes.com

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Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 4d

I'm trying to remember, what was the name of the court case that ensured American citizens like Francisco Miranda were guaranteed certain procedural rights when being arrested?

Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 4d

This is not a border crossing.
There’s no law that any of us have to show our papers on the interior.

This is a blatant civil rights violation. How is anyone supposed to know whether this man is a real ICE agent or just pretending to be one?!

Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 4d

And that is without any meat in my shopping cart. I suppose the price of soybeans should be coming down now that I'm not competing for them with 1 billion Chinese consumers.

Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 4d

N of 1 and not very scientific (working on the studies to prove it) but my average monthly grocery bill is up 24% this year compared to 2024.

www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Trump administration says immigration enforcement threatens higher food prices

U.S. farmers face labor shortages and potential food price hikes due to Trump’s immigration policy, the administration acknowledged in a Federal Registry document.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 5d

It’s pretty scary that Kristi Noem, The Secretary of Homeland Security, appears to be completely ignorant of the organizational differences between Antifa, TdA, and Hamas.

The Daily Show @thedailyshow.com · 5d

The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.

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Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 5d

This was a technique Saddam Hussein was said to use to test and enforce loyalty in the Republican Guards. Armed men would burst in to a barracks at night and say "we're going to overthrow Saddam, are you with us or against us?" In that case, the wrong answer was an immediate death sentence.

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Reposted by Kurt Taylor Gaubatz

The Economist @economist.com · 5d

Without immigrants America’s medal haul would be much smaller

Which countries breed Nobel laureates, and which import them?

Without immigrants America’s medal haul would be much smaller

econ.st

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Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 5d

Note to Pete Hegseth: FAFO, or was that just last month's strategic doctrine?

www.stripes.com/theaters/eur...

NATO’s most vehement Kremlin foes at forefront of dozens of drone incursions, report finds

Military bases and civilian infrastructure such as airports are among the locations where suspected Russian drone sightings have occurred, a report said.

www.stripes.com

Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 6d

Kristi Noem *Homeland Security* was just there. I'm sure she is reporting back to set him straight so they can move on to real problems.

Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 6d

I'm a bit tired of poll reports based on 51-53% of the population favoring something. Nice to know, but please wake me up when there is any consequential change in the states and districts that gave us Trump and his congressional majorities in 2024.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/u...

Voters Favor Deporting Those in U.S. Illegally, but Say Trump Has Gone Too Far

www.nytimes.com

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Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 7d

So now the failure by politicians to take action when law enforcement is under attack is a jailable offence. Let's talk again about that 187 minutes on January 6...

Picture of January 6 riot at the Capitol building.

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Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 7d

Now that she’s seen it in person, I’m sure she’ll be reporting back to Trump that it’s not so war ravaged as Fox News has led him to believe.

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 7d

Kristi Noem confronts enemy combatants in the Portland war zone today.

Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 8d

This sounds like a quick way to shut down all air traffic in the US.

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Kurt Taylor Gaubatz @kurttg.bsky.social · 9d

You can always count on Texas to stand strong against Federal overreach. . . Unless there is a chance for a photo-op with people in military uniforms beating on heathens and hippies.

Catherine Zoltan @catherinezoltan.bsky.social · 9d

Republicans should note. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas and Senator Mike Lee of Utah have endorsed Federal Occupation of States. These are both elected officials speaking on behalf of Texas and Utah. Valuable information! Please share! #Utah #Texas #FederalOccupation

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