Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 21m

He ruins everything he touches.

A tweet from The Washington Post reads: “Demolition crews have begun tearing down part of the White House to build President Trump’s long-desired ballroom — despite his pledge that construction of the $250 million addition wouldn’t ‘interfere’ with the existing building.” Below the text is a photo showing an excavator tearing into a section of the White House, with debris scattered and part of the structure partially demolished.

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 10h

😕

We are all paying for this vanity project

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Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 4h

"I don't know anything about that so I'm afraid I can't comment."

--Speaker Mike Johnson, repeatedly

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Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 49m

YES!!! Arizona isn’t playing.
Mike Johnson thinks he can hold democracy hostage, but Adelita Grijalva is done waiting for permission to get to work for her constituents.

Also: RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES

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John Fugelsang @johnfugelsang.bsky.social · 2h

The average age of U.S. homebuyers is now 56, up from 49 last year.

In 1981, the year trickledown economics began, it was 31.

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50501: The People’s Movement ❌👑 @50501movement.bsky.social · 9h

From the team that brought you friendseverywhere.network, we are launching a new effort to Boycott Home Depot!

Please use the website boycotthomedepot.network and the toolkit at bit.ly/boycotthomed... to spread the word! Use one of the images and post on social media.

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George Conway 🇺🇸🚫👑🐸 @gtconway.bsky.social · 8h

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 8h

America's Sleeping Giant roared when police attacked civil rights marchers.

And after tens of thousands of young Americans were killed in Vietnam.

And when Nixon tried to cover up Watergate.

Today it roars once more — at the tyrant in the Oval Office.

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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 28m

For years, the right has invented threats and crises to scare the public, but that strategy is losing its power. Trump and MAGA can no longer make their monsters appear real, and the American people are noticing. Could we be at a turning point?

Trump And MAGA Have Lost The Plot

Americans are no longer buying the fear-mongering and lies the right is selling

thinkbigpicture.substack.com

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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 2h

We all knew it wasn’t limited to just one rogue GOP group. The white supremacists are everywhere within their ranks. Like a fish, the rot starts at the head.

A tweet from Bill Madden reads: “How long are we going to keep pretending that the fascist Trump regime is not a cabal of Nazis? Texts from Paul Ingrassia, Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, reveal vile pro-Nazi and racist messages targeting Black people, Chinese people, and Indian people.” Below, a retweeted post from Kaivan Shroff says: “BREAKING: new racist Republican group chat has been leaked to Politico featuring texts from Paul Ingrassia, Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel. Ingrassia’s texts include vile pro-Nazi & racist messages targeting Black people, Chinese people, and Indian people.”

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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 5h

So much wasted on something so unworthy.

A tweet from Republicans Against Trump reads: “Where’s DOGE?” Below it, a retweeted post from the same account says: “The DHS bought two luxury Gulfstream private jets for Kristi Noem and other top officials at a cost of $172 million, per the New York Times.” Two images are shown: on the left, Kristi Noem wearing a “POLICE ICE” vest and a blue cap; on the right, the interior of a luxury private jet with cream-colored leather seats and wooden accents.

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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 4h

He’s doing his best to make us like one of his failed ventures.

A tweet from Jessica Riedl reads: “That it took the White House 9 months to figure this out is economic malpractice.” Below it, a tweet from Unusual Whales says: “BREAKING: The US is rolling back tariffs on ‘products that cannot be grown, mined, or naturally produced in the United States,’ per WSJ.”

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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 3h

If they truly believed their policies were popular, they wouldn’t try so hard to win by gerrymandering the maps everywhere.

A tweet from Wiley Nickel reads: “North Carolina Republicans are saying the quiet part out loud. Openly admitting to drawing a congressional map for Donald Trump. It’s not just politics — it’s corruption. North Carolinians deserve free and fair elections, not gerrymandered districts.” Below, a video still shows a man speaking at a podium with yellow caption text reading: “Republicans hold a razor thin margin in the United States.”

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What's Antifa? @thejeder.bsky.social · 5h

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George Conway 🇺🇸🚫👑🐸 @gtconway.bsky.social · 8h

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Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 8h

🎯🎯

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Rachel Maddow @maddow.msnbc.com · 7h

"Frivolity and absurdity are kryptonite to authoritarians..."

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/o...

Opinion | The Rise of the Inflatable Chicken Resistance

www.nytimes.com

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Freethinkers United @freethinkersunited.bsky.social · 20h

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Jessica Knaak @stormcat3.bsky.social · 6h

So far a lot of fish-based dishes, as the main story takes place on an island with a small fishing village.

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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 7h

Thank you to the millions of you across the country for keeping the protests peaceful and for demonstrating that we love the American ideals of democracy, equality, and freedom.

A tweet from Kaivan Shroff reads: “An entirely peaceful protest in the largest city in the country. 0 arrests. There goes that MAGA talking point.” Below, a retweeted post from NYPD News states: “The majority of the No Kings protests have dispersed at this time and all traffic closures have been lifted. We had more than 100,000 people across all five…” The post highlights that the large-scale “No Kings” protests in New York City ended peacefully without any arrests.

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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 6h

They are trying to normalize cruelty and violence. We cannot allow it.

A tweet from Alison Cook reads: “The kids are alright.” The attached photo shows a young woman sitting on public transit holding a protest sign. The sign reads: “WHEN CRUELTY BECOMES NORMAL, COMPASSION LOOKS RADICAL,” with the words “CRUELTY” and “COMPASSION” written in red and the rest in black. Sunlight streams through the train windows, showing a brick building and blue sky outside.

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Tori Foote @toriatheisttori.bsky.social · 1d

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Hemant Mehta @friendlyatheist.com · 9h

God loves billionaires!

That’s the message some megachurch pastors are preaching—and it’s not an accident.

A new study shows how white evangelical churches twist the Bible to defend wealth inequality.

www.friendlyatheist.com/p/how-megach...

How megachurches twist the Bible to defend billionaires and wealth inequality

A new paper looks at a decade's worth of sermons to discover how pastors reframe poverty to protect the wealthy

www.friendlyatheist.com

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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 7h

Meanwhile, government workers aren't getting paid.

DHS Blasted After Buying $172 Million Luxury Jets For Kristi Noem Amid Government Shutdown

www.comicsands.com

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🌊🏄BlueWaveSurfer🏄🌊 @bluewavesurfer.bsky.social · 7h

Reminder....

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