Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Zak Woodman

@zacharywoodman.bsky.social

660 followers 700 following 2.1K posts

Unapologetic neo-Pragmatist, Unterrified Hayekian, radical liberal. Podcast coordinator for @c4ssdotorg.bsky.social‬, Deputy Editor @NotesOnLiberty.bsky.social.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · Jun 11

This is a hilarious example of how conservatism's pretenses to limited government, skepticism of majoritarian rule, seperation of powers, and respect for the constitution was always bullshit. But Hillsdale College in particular is one of the most instructive examples of this phenomenon. A long🧵

1 18 64

Reposted by Zak Woodman

ben chambers 🏴 @benjaminchambers.bsky.social · 17h

too good that the most high profile "anarcho-capitalist" to date is a literal statist who went begging to the us government for a bailout, a government which has been taken over by cronyists, commissars, and a tribute-extracting rentier who seized for himself the power to tax and spend as he wills

5 10

Reposted by Zak Woodman

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 17h

Third Amendment reference!

Moreover, two of the Constitution's first ten Amendments articulate safeguards against the military: the Second Amendment-with its assurance that well-regulated militias would be prepared and armed to fight for the security of the states and the Third Amendment, with its prohibition on quartering of soldiers in times of peace.

6 37 290

Reposted by Zak Woodman

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 18h

Reading this now. It’s the opinion explaining the reason for granting a TRO (the order came out yesterday) against the National Guard deployment in Illinois. It begins with a quote from Alexander Hamilton in the Federalist Papers against the idea.

Big Cases Bot @bigcases.bots.law · 18h

New filing: "Illinois v. Trump (national guard deployment)"
Doc #70: memorandum opinion and order

Download PDF | View Full Case

#CL71559895

Thumbnail of page 1 of the PDF linked above.

Thumbnail of page 2 of the PDF linked above.

Thumbnail of page 3 of the PDF linked above.

Thumbnail of page 4 of the PDF linked above.

12 170 590

Reposted by Zak Woodman

Christopher Mathias @letsgomathias.bsky.social · 1d

“The truth is that antifa groups have been responsible for some of the most prescient & impactful organizing countering the far-right during the last decade”

Amazing corrective to liberal punditry abt antifa from Matthew Whitley (& basically the thesis of my book) theintercept.com/2025/09/27/t...

What Liberals Get Wrong About Trump’s Executive Order on Antifa

Liberals dismiss antifa as just an idea. That opens up the activists, researchers, and organizers to a real risk of persecution.

theintercept.com

3 55 120

Reposted by Zak Woodman

❀°。Der Siebenschläfer *.ﾟ✿ ⋆ @sababausa.bsky.social · 1d

The history books having to explain cartoon frog = fascist, inflatable frog = anti-fascist…

15 200 1.2K

Reposted by Zak Woodman

Melissa Ryan @melissaryan.bsky.social · 1d

After Pritzker and Newsom threatened to leave the NGA, the Republican Chair breaks with Trump. Pressure works. Keep it up!

Alex Wayne @aawayne.bsky.social · 1d

“Oklahomans would lose their mind if Pritzker in Illinois sent troops down to Oklahoma during the Biden administration.”

The Republican chair of the National Governors Association breaks with Trump.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/u...

Oklahoma’s Republican Governor Criticizes National Guard Deployment in Chicago

www.nytimes.com

21 440 1.7K

Reposted by Zak Woodman

Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 1d

U.S. District Judge April Perry says it comes down to a "credibility determination."

"I simply cannot credit [the Trump administration's] declarations to the extent they contradict state and local law enforcement. … DHS' perception of events are simply unreliable."

Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 1d

#BREAKING A federal judge say she will grant "in part" a request by the state of Illinois for a temporary restraining order against the deployment of National Guard troops into the state.

U.S. District Judge April Perry is still ruling and has not outlined the details of her order.

Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 1d

Perry: "I'm going to issue an oral ruling."

55 840 2.8K

Reposted by Zak Woodman

Jonathan Ladd @jonmladd.bsky.social · 2d

Kristi Noem should never have been confirmed after this. It ended up being a perfect representation of what she would do.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · May 20

HASSAN: What is habeas corpus?

NOEM: Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country

HASSAN: That's incorrect

100 790 3.6K

Reposted by Zak Woodman

Ian Bassin @ianbassin.bsky.social · 1d

Again, Trump has crossed a Red Line no president has ever crossed: personally ordering the criminal prosecution of an American he doesn't like despite DOJ not finding evidence of any crime.

If Trump can do this to the powerful, he can do it to you. That's not freedom, and its not America.

New York Attorney General Letitia James @newyorkstateag.bsky.social · 1d

This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.

I am not fearful — I am fearless.

We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights..

22 230 890

Reposted by Zak Woodman

Leah Litman @leahlitman.bsky.social · 1d

Brett Kavanaugh: “The Govt sometimes makes brief investigative stops …”

140 1.2K 2.7K

Reposted by Zak Woodman

George Conway 👊🇺🇸🔥 @gtconway.bsky.social · 2d

So yesterday a reporter asked Donald Trump about the writ of habeas corpus, and he had no idea what it was.

"I don't know," he said. "I'd rather leave that to Kristi."

Well, It turns out Sen. Hassan asked Kristi Noem about it in May, and this was Noem's response:

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · May 20

HASSAN: What is habeas corpus?

NOEM: Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country

HASSAN: That's incorrect

300 2K 5.8K

Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 2d

Yeah, didn't see that this was even a thread at first, tbh. That one is wrong.

Reposted by Zak Woodman

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 2d

Bray is a historian at Rutgers who received death threats after landing on Turning Points USA's Professor Watchlist. As a result, he announced he was moving to Europe. And then this happened.

This kind of harassment and abuse of scholars is Charlie Kirk's legacy and it's only getting worse.

Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 2d

“Someone” cancelled my family’s flight out of the country at the last second.

We got our boarding passes. We checked our bags. Went through security. Then at our gate our reservation ‘disappeared.’

130 3.1K 8.1K

Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 2d

This is a fascist dictator announcing that he is going to murder political dissenters without any trial.

The tree of liberty thirsts.

Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 2d

My gosh. After the US bombed multiple boats in the middle of the ocean, murdering people on grounds that they were allegedly "carrying drugs," the US Attorney General says "Just like we did with cartels, we're going to take the same approach, President Trump, with Antifa."

2 3

Reposted by Zak Woodman

The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 2d

This is not just unconstitutional action—it is anti-constitutional. Trump is attempting to erase the constitutional order itself.

Trump Is Destroying the U.S. Constitution and Amassing Unprecedented Powers by Sending Federal Troops to Invade American Cities

Lincoln faced a real insurrection and still did not go as far as this president

www.theunpopulist.net

1 9 21

Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 2d

As always, fascists are projecting their own malevolent desires on everyone else when they accuse any and all perpetration of right wing violence of being a false flag.

Matthew Sheffield @matthew.flux.community · 2d

The very first riot after a George Floyd protest was started by a white supremacist nicknamed "Umbrella Man."

He spraypainted "free shit" on an AutoZone, broke the windows, and encouraged others to come in. abcnews.go.com/amp/US/man-h...

Man who helped ignite George Floyd riots identified as white supremacist: Police

A masked umbrella-wielding man helped incite riots and looting in the immediate aftermath of George Floyd's death, police said.

abcnews.go.com

1 3

Reposted by Zak Woodman

The-Autistic-Artist 🥥 🎃 🏳️‍🌈 Halloween Era @theautisticart.bsky.social · 2d

The White House just announced that Trump would be going to Walter Reed on Friday for his annual physical.

Except... Trump already had his annual physical in April.

10 25 88

Reposted by Zak Woodman

Eric Columbus @ericcolumbus.bsky.social · 2d

Trump (1) reveals he doesn't know what habeas corpus is and (2) punts to Noem, who famously revealed her own ignorance at a Senate hearing when she defined habeas corpus as "a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country."
www.npr.org/2025/05/20/n...

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

Q: Have you given any more thought to possibly suspending habeas corpus?

TRUMP: Suspending who?

Q: Habeas corpus

TRUMP: I don't know. I'd rather leave that to Kristi.

71 420 1.7K

Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 2d

As profoundly stupid as he is evil.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

Q: Have you given any more thought to possibly suspending habeas corpus?

TRUMP: Suspending who?

Q: Habeas corpus

TRUMP: I don't know. I'd rather leave that to Kristi.

Reposted by Zak Woodman

Scott Shapiro @scottjshapiro.bsky.social · 2d

We are ruled by criminal morons

50 400 1.7K

Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 2d

The worst one for me is I can never hear Abba's Dancing Queen without hearing it in Barney Frank's voice singing "Banking Queen"

Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 2d

I thought that first down call was a designed draw play?

Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 2d

Most of the people who I would consider my closest friends, including my Fiance, were either relationships that started and/or only maintained becauae of social media.

Willing to bet this is true for a plurality of those under the age of 35

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · 3d

Has anything great happened in your life because of social media?

Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 2d

Wasn't it like 41 plays in a row when Michigan played PSU in 2023? (Although there was one pass play in there that was called back for defensive PI)

1 4

Reposted by Zak Woodman

Kelly² @anarchakelly.bsky.social · 2d

And now your argument is that we have to let the conservatives construct this alternate reality where up is down for the sake of some hypothetical alternate reality where SCOTUS didn’t just already rule that trans people are second class citizens? What are we doing here?

1 1 1