Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 1h

“Sir, Secretary Noem just hit the second dog.”

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Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 5h

Look, we can definitely agree that genital mutilation in children has to stop. But this is *not* the reason.

Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 8h

Besides linking Tylenol in pregnant women to autism, RFK Jr. now says circumcision is part of the reason why kids are autistic.

"Children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism, and it's highly likely because they're given Tylenol. None of this is positive..."

Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 5h

Incredible writing and worth sharing broadly

Liberal Currents @liberalcurrents.com · 15h

“There is no degree of acquiescence to Trumpism that will satisfy this administration or MAGA at large. All there is is a choice between offering a faint echo of the false reality they’re selling and creating dissonance by speaking the reality of the situation to the public.”

All In Our Heads: On Losing Our Democracy and Life Beyond Our Imaginations

Our language has to meet the moment, and we have to be relentless about dispelling the fiction MAGA is selling.

www.liberalcurrents.com

Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 23h

“Posse comitatus!” he cries, as the AI churns out another iteration of Muppet porn

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Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 1d

You don’t even need to go so far as libertarianism. Just be a liberal party. Like, stop with the postmodernist elevation of subjectivity and stand for something that isn’t “power powers power to powerfully power.”

Paul Gowder @gowder.io · 1d

This is really the quintessential failure of progressives, and the area where I think libertarians actually had a point (stopped clock and all): we have such a bad habit of getting fixed on the good things we want to do with government power that we forget that sometimes evil people get ahold of it

Sharon @sharonk.bsky.social · 1d

as Goldsmith points out, it's kind of insane no one thought that reigning this in during the Biden years was a good idea:

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Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 1d

Happy MPSA Deadline Extension, to all who celebrate

Michelangelo Landgrave @landgravephd.bsky.social · 1d

MPSA deadline extended. Who would have thought!?

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Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 2d

“So then what’s the monster’s name if it’s not Frankenstein?”

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Reposted by Adam Kunz

Robert Mackey @robertmackey.bsky.social · 2d

The Oregon Republican Party tried to help Donald Trump make the case for military intervention in Portland with an image of a fiery protest — but since Portland is calm, they had to fabricate one by merging old photos of police in Ecuador and protesters in Brazil www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Republicans post fake image of Oregon protest – using photos of South America

A federal judge had blocked Trump’s request to deploy California national guard to Portland

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Adam Kunz

William Adler @williamadler78.bsky.social · 3d

Here's why that's bad news for Joe Biden

Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social · 3d

Jake Tapper did a whole interview with Trump by text message? Which means he can't actually confirm it was him. And now everyone's asking even more than before very reasonable questions about the wannabe dictator's health.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

The CNN anchor did not explain how he verified that it was the president — not any of his aides — who authored the written responses to his questions.

He also did not explain whether he’d made any effort to speak with the president by phone, something that has become commonplace for reporters covering the second Trump administration because Trump has maintained use of his personal mobile phone since returning to the presidency and frequently uses it to contact reporters directly.

The president’s purported text message exchange with Tapper was also unusual because Trump is not known to be a frequent user of his phone’s text message capacity.

He also famously eschews email and other written forms of communication and during his first term he openly complained when attorneys working for his administration took notes during meetings.

Trump’s unconventional use of text-based communications to purportedly respond to Tapper comes as questions continue to swirl about the state of his health

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Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 3d

You just made me spit my tea.

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Reposted by Adam Kunz

Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 3d

Doctor: You have cancer, it's early and we can treat it.

You: It's obviously Stage 4 and in my liver, what's the point.

Doctor: It's not that and it's treatable.

You: Why are you so obtuse about what "cancer" means, you heartless quack

Jon Bershad @jonbershad.bsky.social · 4d

DOCTOR: I’m afraid you have cancer.

PEOPLE LIKE THIS: Um, if I really had cancer, then I’d be getting chemo right now. Since I’m not currently getting chemo, I can’t have cancer. Duh. You have no idea what ‘cancer’ really is.

DOCTOR: …what?

Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 4d

If we were living under fascism, none of you would be here daring to post things. You'd be erasing your social media accounts and keeping your head down; you'd know that peacocking your faux-bravery on a network would expose you to being disappeared.
You have no idea what "fascism" really means.

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Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 5d

This.

Josh Pasek @joshpasek.com · 5d

Just a reminder that the right response is trying to reclaim the flag such that it becomes a symbol of protest against the administrations anti-American actions.

Help it become something they are uncomfortable with.

Spooky Scott Kelley Ernest, BSPH 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ #mtpol @mxscottkernest.bsky.social · 5d

Trump says American flag burners will be ‘immediately arrested’ under executive order
www.foxnews.com/politics/tru...

Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 7d

Note that this was done by individual Mormons, who also held a fundraiser to support the families of those who were affected by Sanford’s hate.

The Mormon *Church*, however, has done zilch except send its least empathetic leader to do a photo op of him hugging his wife outside the ruined chapel.

NBC News @nbcnews.com · 7d

Multiple fundraisers have emerged over the past several days in the wake of the Michigan church shooting where four people were killed and eight others injured in a gunman’s rampage.

Online campaign raises nearly $300K for Michigan church shooter's family

Dave Butler, a Mormon who organized the fundraiser, said the donations show that church members "believe the Bible and try to live by the Bible."

nbcnews.to

Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 7d

Floating Petri dishes. That’s all they are.

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Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 7d

That’ll show ‘em.

Raw Story @rawstory.com · 7d

Activists in Portland, Oregon, plan to hold an "emergency" nude bike ride to "stand up for justice" against President Donald Trump as he pushes to bring National Guard troops to the Pacific Northwest town.

'Emergency' nude bike ride planned to 'stand up' to Trump

Activists in Portland, Oregon, plan to hold an "emergency" nude bike ride to "stand up for justice" against President Donald Trump as he pushes to bring National Guard troops to the Pacific Northwest town. An offshoot organization of the World Naked Bike Ride group announced the ride on Wednesday, T...

bit.ly

Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 8d

This is a real notice on the USDA Forest Service website. www.fs.usda.gov

A screenshot of the USDA Forest Service website with a outage notice that reads: “The Radical Left Democrats shutdown the government. This government website will be updated periodically during the funding lapse for mission critical functions. President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people.” Taken at 4:30 pm Central on 10/1/2025

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Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 8d

Every second is a fresh nightmare.

Sky Marchini @sky.skymarchini.net · 8d

unfortunately, I don't make stuff up on the internet.

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Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 8d

Late post-modernity is one hell of a time to be alive.

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Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 8d

For Frodo…

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Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 9d

Love it!

Reposted by Adam Kunz

The American Prospect @prospect.org · 9d

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder, the right has posited themselves as champions of free speech, while their leader in the White House cracks down on First Amendment rights. From Robert Kuttner:
trib.al/gQw2LIU

Left, Right, and Free Speech

With the martyrdom of Charlie Kirk, the right pretends to champion free speech while the left supposedly promotes censorship. It’s a classic Big Lie.

trib.al

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Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 9d

My guild and I have been in a homebrew cosmic horror campaign for about 18 months. It’s a very low magic campaign, which has been a unique experience playing as a bard. Our DM’s world-building has been excellent!

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Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 9d

I completely agree with this. We can talk politics AND show we’re human (both are a form of resistance, fwiw).

So, where are my fellow D&D nerds? Tolkien fans? Native gardeners? Board gamers?

Andrew Sinclair @jandrewsinclair.bsky.social · 9d

A theory. Everyone who cares about politics on bluesky ALSO needs to make a habit out of posting about their other interests and hobbies. Making bluesky work for many communities of interest will increase the political reach of the experts here.

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Adam Kunz @adamkunz.bsky.social · 10d

Go with a simple code phrase. “Converse (1964)” is a good one.

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Reposted by Adam Kunz

ProPublica @propublica.org · 10d

The Flex Loan, a new type of payday loan pioneered by Advance Financial in Tennessee, allows residents to borrow up to $4,000 at a 279.5% interest rate.

It has burdened low-income borrowers while generating huge profits for lenders.

(Published May with @tennesseelookout.com)

This Lender Said Its Loans Would Help Tennesseans. It Has Sued More Than 110,000 of Them.

The Flex Loan, a type of payday loan pioneered by Advance Financial, has burdened low-income borrowers while generating huge profits for lenders. Tennessee lawmakers declined to rein in the lending bu...

www.propublica.org

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