Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Seth Cotlar @sethcotlar.bsky.social · 17h

Who would have thought that 25 times as many people would be getting their daily news updates from a Boston College history professor (Heather Cox Richardson, who has 2.5 million subscribers) than from the Washington Post.

karl rove knausgård @uhactually.bsky.social · 1d

Lmao WaPo has fewer than 100K circulation now. It turns out “alienate your liberal subscriber base” is not a good strategy when the Republicans also hate you. www.forbes.com/sites/andyme...

The Washington Post Is Running Out Of Readers Willing To Pay

Once a titan of American journalism, The Washington Post now struggles to reach even 100,000 print subscribers most days.

www.forbes.com

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Mike Masnick @mmasnick.bsky.social · 18h

I seem to recall that it was the biggest 1st Amendment attack in American history when the Biden admin alerted social media companies to some content and said "hey does this violate your policies?" Will Matt Taibbi, Michael Shellenberger and (lol) CBS News Editor in Chief Bari Weiss call this out?

Tweet from Pam Bondi:

Today following outreach from
@thejusticedept
, Facebook removed a large group page that was being used to dox and target
@ICEgov
agents in Chicago.

The wave of violence against ICE has been driven by online apps and social media campaigns designed to put ICE officers at risk just for doing their jobs. The Department of Justice will continue engaging tech companies to eliminate platforms where radicals can incite imminent violence against federal law enforcement.

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wendyndavis.bsky.social @wendyndavis.bsky.social · 1d

Trump admin asks SCOTUS to overrule the "egregiously wrong from the start" decision in Humphrey's Executor, quoting Alito's language in Dobbs.

www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25...

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wendyndavis.bsky.social @wendyndavis.bsky.social · 5d

Meta trial over allegedly inflated metrics -- previously set to start 10/14 -- has been postponed.

Before judge postpone, Meta appealed order rejecting motion to arbitrate claims of class members who advertised between 5/25/2018 and 10/27/2021.

Meta w/drew appeal today.

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southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 12d

All that time we spent studying the Fourth Amendment and the Roberts Court just turns it off in the shadow docket

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Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 13d

Was so busy with the AI that makes fake crime videos that I missed the AI that extracts marketing data from your thoughts www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Meta to Start Using Chatbot Conversations to Target Advertising

Meta Platforms Inc. will soon start using interactions with its AI chatbot to more effectively tailor the content and advertising that people see on Facebook and Instagram.

www.bloomberg.com

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wendyndavis.bsky.social @wendyndavis.bsky.social · 13d

FTC stops work due to shutdown.

Tells court: "Absent an appropriation, FTC attorneys and other employees are prohibited from working, even on a voluntary basis, except in very limited circumstances..."

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Jeff (Gutenberg Parenthesis) Jarvis @jeffjarvis.bsky.social · 19d

"Shattered norms"? No, this shatters the rule of law: a prosecution based solely on the order of a dictator, not due process. The fascism is under your nose, #BrokenTimes
Trump Gets the Retribution He Sought, and Shatters Norms in the Process www.nytimes.com/2025/09/25/u...

Trump Gets the Retribution He Sought, and Shatters Norms in the Process

www.nytimes.com

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Casey Seiler @caseyseiler.bsky.social · 22d

For your consideration: the lost-dog scam. www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...

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wendyndavis.bsky.social @wendyndavis.bsky.social · 22d

SCOTUS blocks Slaughter return to FTC and orders briefing on issues including whether Humphrey's Executor should be overturned.

Kagan, Sotomayor and Jackson dissent.
www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...

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wendyndavis.bsky.social @wendyndavis.bsky.social · 22d

Judge rejects Meta's motion to dismiss claims it broke contract with users and violated duty of good faith in suit over fraudulent ads on Facebook.

prior coverage: www.mediapost.com/publications...

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wendyndavis.bsky.social @wendyndavis.bsky.social · 22d

VPPA class-action against @NBCUniversalclaims company discloses "private video viewing history with (PII) in the form of names, email addresses, and/or GPS location to third-party identity service providers through tracking technology embedded in each of the NBC Apps."

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southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 22d

What are the names of the U.S. Navy officers carrying out these orders to serially bomb civilian boats that pose no threat to their own vessels, killing everyone aboard? Surely they’ll want to take personal credit for this honorable service and perhaps wear a little campaign medal on their chest.

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Evan Bernick, a finite mode with a smol hooman and a lorg floof @evanbernick.bsky.social · 25d

I know the case law. I also think the language of “jawboning“ makes this more complicated than it should be. everyone knows what coercion means. threatening to do X or else is coercion. if the government coerces people into shutting up or shutting others up, it’s a free speech problem.

Julia Barton @bartona104.bsky.social · 26d

'Carr’s threats against ABC appear to be “a pretty clear-cut case of jawboning.” Jawboning refers to a type of informal coercion where government officials try to pressure private entities into suppressing or changing speech without using any actual formal legal action' www.wired.com/story/brenda...

Brendan Carr Isn't Going to Stop Until Someone Makes Him

In the wake of Jimmy Kimmel's suspension, experts say the FCC commissioner's conduct is flatly unconstitutional. They also expect him to keep going.

www.wired.com

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Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 26d

Do not mock Supreme Leader Trump.

Supreme Leader Trump sensitive snowflake.

Supreme Leader Trump must be worshipped, revered and shown proper respect.

We will come after you.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

- Regime of the Golden Age & Delicate Flowers

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Barack Obama @barackobama.bsky.social · 26d

After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.

Let’s be clear about what happened to Jimmy Kimmel

Trump’s most brazen attack on free speech yet.

www.yahoo.com

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Old White Nepo Hat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 26d

/9 I previously described Kimmel’s potential case as “plausible,” which on reflection was too arch to be clear — based on Carr’s explicit threats and the sequence of events I’d say it’s a very strong case of violation of the First Amendment through coercion.

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Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 26d

It's not just the authoritarianism — it's how shameless, how *gleeful* this administration is about it

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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 27d

"There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect."

wendyndavis.bsky.social @wendyndavis.bsky.social · 27d

Carr's views as of October 2024:

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Rebecca Tushnet @rtushnet.bsky.social · 28d

The lawsuit is a statement of contempt for truth, the American public, the judicial process, & everything that deserves our respect in the American tradition. To assess its legal defects (eg complaints about Fred Trump—a man who cannot be defamed) ignores its purpose: to suppress criticism of Trump.

Barred and Boujee aka Madiba Dennie @audrelawdamercy.bsky.social · 29d

This lawsuit is so fuckin embarrassing for everyone involved

Also great job orgs that were like yeah we'll just pay him the bribe I mean uh settlement and surely he'll go away and leave us alone and not develop an even larger appetite, no I've never read If You Give a Mouse Cookie what's that

Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 29d

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

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 27d

Sinclair is demanding that Kimmel apologize to the family (?) and also "make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA"

Are you fucking kidding me? It's not enough they got him fired, they want him to grovel and send money to these anti-free speech grifters?

TheDesk.net @thedesk.net · 27d

#BREAKING: Sinclair says it will air a one-hour tribute to Charlie Kirk on its ABC-affiliated stations in the time slot that is usually occupied for "Jimmy Kimmel Live." The special will air on Friday, per a Sinclair spokesperson.

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wendyndavis.bsky.social @wendyndavis.bsky.social · 27d

Carr's views as of October 2024:

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Old White Nepo Hat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 27d

/2 However, I think ABC firing Kimmel following Carr’s threats makes a plausible case for a First Amendment violation. It should survive a motion to dismiss at least.

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 27d

This is extortion and censorship. Brendan Carr is turning into a mob boss: “the easy way or the hard way,” really?

What about the American way? The constitutional way?

Shame on ABC for capitulating and on Nexstar for greedily aiding and abetting this farce.

Jamie Gangel @jamiegangel.bsky.social · 27d

New: FCC chair threatens ABC and Disney over Jimmy Kimmel’s remarks about Charlie Kirk
www.cnn.com/2025/09/17/m...

FCC chair threatens ABC and Disney over Jimmy Kimmel’s remarks about Charlie Kirk | CNN Business

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr warned. “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take actions on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

www.cnn.com

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Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 27d

this is quite genuinely insane, and I want to believe the backlash to this will be severe

ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel Off Air for Charlie Kirk Comments

www.nytimes.com

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