Author | Lightnews

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David Roberts @volts.wtf · 21d

The Atlantic, the NYT, the Post, the Free Press, Persuasion ... god, so many others ... they did it. They participated in the destruction of norms against bigotry & now bigotry is running rampant, out in the open, at the highest levels.

Great work everyone.

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Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 21d

Note: Mamdani leads by double-digit among Black and Hispanic voters, and by 48 percentage points among Asian respondents. White respondents go 39/37 for Cuomo.

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 21d

New Quinnipiac poll of New York City:

Mamdani 46%
Cuomo 33%
Sliwa 15%

(A month ago, it was Mamdani 45%, Cuomo 23%, Sliwa 15%, Adams 12%.)

One obstacle to Cuomo rising much higher: Mamdani's favorability rating is 43/35, but Cuomo's is 37/52.
poll.qu.edu/poll-release...

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Tiger Elephant Giraffe Hat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 21d

I’ve never seen anything remotely this petty charged as bank fraud.

Mayor of Halloween Town @joshuajfriedman.com · 21d

NEW: Here's the two-count indictment against NY AG Letitia James. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

INDICTMENT
October 2025 Term - at Alexandria, Virginia
THE GRAND JURY CHARGES THAT:
GENERAL ALLEGATIONS
At all times relevant to this Indictment:
1. Letitia A. James ("JAMES) was a resident of Brooklyn, New York, and the borrower on a
Fannie Mae-backed mortgage loan for the property located at 3121 Peronne Avenue,
Norfolk, Virginia.
2. OVM Financial (also known as Old Virginia Mortgage / AnnieMac) was a mortgage lending business located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, engaged in the business of originating and underwriting residential mortgage loans, including those backed by the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"). OVM Financial qualified as a "financial institution" within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. § 20(10).
3. Fannie Mae was a federally chartered corporation that purchased and guaranteed mortgages,
operating as a government-sponsored enterprise under the oversight of the Federal Housing

Finance Agency ("FHFA").
4. First Savings Bank was a state-chartered, FDIC-insured financial institution (Certificate
#29961), headquartered in Jeffersonville, Indiana, which acquired mortgage loans through assignment or acquisition. First Savings Bank qualified as a "financial institution" within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. § 20(1).
5. On or about August 17, 2020, JAMES, as sole borrower, purchased the three (3) bedroom,
(1) bathroom property located at 3121 Peronne Avenue, Norfolk, Virginia 23509 (the
"Peronne Property"), for approximately $137,000, financed with a mortgage loan of approximately $109,600 (Loan #4430025978) backed by Fannie Mae.
6. The loan was originated by OVM Financial under a signed Second Home Rider, which required JAMES, as the sole borrower to occupy and use the property as her secondary residence, and prohibited its use as a timesharing or other shared ownership arrangement or agreement that requires her either to rent the property or give any other person any control over the occupancy or use of the property.
7. Despite these representations, the Peronne Property was not occupied or used by JAMES as a secondary residence and was instead used as a rental investment property, renting the property to a family of (3).
8. This misrepresentation allowed JAMES to obtain favorable loan terms not available for investment properties, including a note rate of 3.000% (avoiding a 0.815% higher
comparable investment property rate of 3.815%, resulting in approximately $17,837 in rate savings over the life of the loan), a seller credit of approximately $3,288 (exceeding the seller credit for investment properties by approximately $1,096), for total ill-gotten gains of approximately $18,933 over the life of the loan.
9. JAMES' Universal Property application for homeowners' insurance indicated "owner-

occupied non-seasonal use," further misrepresenting the intended use of the property.
10. JAMES filed Schedule E tax forms), under penalties of perjury, treating the Perrone Property as rental real estate, reporting fair rental days, zero personal use days, thousand(s)
of dollars in rents received, and claiming deductions for expenses relating to the property, further contradicting the second home classification.
11. The loan was acquired by or assigned to First Savings Bank by March 2021, exposing it to risks associated with the misrepresented loan.
12. The acts described herein occurred within the Eastern District of Virginia.
COUNT ONE
(Bank Fraud - 18 U.S.C. § 1344)
13. The allegations in paragraphs 1 through 12 are re-alleged and incorporated herein.
14. From on or about August 7, 2020, through at least January 2024, in the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere, the Defendant, LETITIA A. JAMES, did knowingly execute and attempt to execute a scheme and artifice to defraud OVM Financial and First Savings Bank,
financial institutions, and to obtain moneys, funds, and credits owned by and under the custody and control of OVM Financial and First Savings Bank by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.
15. The scheme involved falsely representing the Peronne Property as a secondary residence to obtain favorable mortgage terms, while using it as an investment property with no intended
or actual personal occupancy or use by her.
(In violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344).
COUNT TWO
(False Statements to a Financial Institution - 18 U.S.C. § 1014)
16. The allegations in paragraphs 1 through 12 are re-alleged and incorporated herein.

17. From on or about July 28, 2020, through at least August 31, 2020, in the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere, the Defendant, LETITIA A. JAMES, did knowingly make and cause to be made false statements and reports for the purpose of influencing the action of OVM Financial, a Fannie Mae-backed lender, upon an application for a loan, in that JAMES represented and affirmed in uniform residential loan applications and related documents that
the Peronne Property would be used as a secondary residence, when in truth and fact, as JAMES then knew, the property was intended and used as an investment property with no intended or actual personal occupancy or use by her.
(In violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1014).
FORFEITURE NOTICE
Pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 32.2(a) and Title 18, U.S.C. §
982(a)(2)(A), upon conviction of the offenses in Counts One and Two, the Defendant, Letitia
A. James, shall forfeit to the United States any property constituting, or derived from, proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly, as a result of such violations, including but not limited to a money judgment in the amount of $18,933.
If any of the property described above, as a result of any act or omission of the Defendant: (a) cannot be located upon the exercise of due diligence; (b) has been transferred or sold to, or deposited with, a third party; (c) has been placed beyond the jurisdiction of the court; (d) has been substantially diminished in value; or (e) has been commingled with other property which cannot be divided without difficulty, the United States shall be entitled to a forfeiture of substitute property pursuant to Title 21, U.S.C. § 853(b), as incorporated by Title
18 U.S.C. § 982(b)(1).
(In accordance with Title 18 U.S.C. § 981(a)(1)(C) and 982(a)(1); Title 28, U.S.C. § 2461(c); and Title 21 U.S.C. § 853(p).)

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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 21d

I love people's creativity and the various ways they have found to support each other. I've seen several examples of people doing this in Chicago. If you know a local vendor, can you do the same for them? Sell their goods so they won't be vulnerable to ICE?

A Facebook post by Jaime Andrade promotes a tamales and champurrado sale for Ms. Maria on Thursday, October 9th, at Kedzie & Byron to support her family. The flyer features tamales, a mug, and contact/payment info.

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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 21d

The worst part about the AI bubble popping is how many average people will be affected by the economic fallout. People will lose their job, kids will go hungry, and families will lose their homes. Yet these billionaire bastards won't feel a thing other than a decline in their net worth.

Kat Tenbarge @kattenbarge.bsky.social · 21d

One of the crazy things about the AI bubble bursting is that consumer sentiment toward AI has always leaned skeptical to outright negative but it’s an industry propped up by pure billionaire greed, sycophancy, and childish fantasy

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Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 21d

The Attorney General of New York was just indicted by our tinpot dictator

Letitia James criminally charged in Trump’s latest effort to punish rivals

Prosecutor who sought charges was installed amid Trump frustrations with pace of investigations against rivals

www.theguardian.com

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Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 22d

“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.’

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dawneelizabeth.bsky.social @dawneelizabeth.bsky.social · 22d

apple.news/ABiFmXcCZTMy...
This is such good news for so many people 🙂

Scientists develop first ‘accurate blood test’ to detect chronic fatigue syndrome — Guardian US

Research could offer hope for ME patients – but some experts urge caution and say more studies needed

apple.news

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Annie Tan @annietan.com · Sep 28

"for fun" 😭

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digby @digby56.bsky.social · Sep 27

Nobody cares about the victims in the Dallas ICE shooting apparently. The first I've heard about one of them was on CNN today. He's fighting for his life in the hospital --- he was brought to the US when he was 13. He's 33 now. No criminal record.

I just don't know what to say anymore.

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Annie Tan @annietan.com · Sep 28

Y'all, my healthcare deductible has been met for the year 😭

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Annie Tan @annietan.com · Sep 26

Hope you all are okay bsky.app/profile/eman...

Eman Abdelhadi @emanabdelhadi.bsky.social · Sep 26

The moment ICE agents threw a flash grenade at protesters at the Broadview facility today.

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Eman Abdelhadi @emanabdelhadi.bsky.social · Sep 26

The moment ICE agents threw a flash grenade at protesters at the Broadview facility today.

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Till Eckert @tilleckert.com · Sep 26

6/ This isn’t the first time ProPublica has reported on ICE under Trump 2.0 acting in unprecedented ways. In July, my colleagues @mckenziefunk.com and @nicolefoy.bsky.social documented ~50 incidents of officers shattering car windows to make arrests.
projects.propublica.org/trump-ice-sm...

“We’ll Smash the Fucking Window Out and Drag Him Out”

We’ve documented nearly 50 incidents of immigration officers shattering car windows to make arrests — a tactic experts say was rarely used before Trump took office. ICE claims its officers use a “mini...

projects.propublica.org

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Till Eckert @tilleckert.com · Sep 26

1/ I’m Till Eckert, a ProPublica reporter. For the past 2 weeks, I’ve been going to the same NY immigration courthouse.

Nearly every time, I see ICE agents arresting immigrants. Today, a woman was slammed to the ground after begging officials not to take her husband away.

Thread 👇

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الكسندرا ميراي @lexialex.bsky.social · Sep 26

Rest In Power ✊🏼

"Nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them."
-Assata Shakur

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Adam Schwarz @adamjschwarz.bsky.social · Sep 26

A mass walkout of the UN General Assembly as Netanyahu prepares to speak.

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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · Sep 26

The news is out before the family has had a chance to say anything. Unfortunately it's true.

I'll be offline for a few days.

Sending everyone who loved her care.

Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · Sep 26

Assata Shakur has "died in Havana, Cuba, as a result of health conditions and her advanced age."

She was 78.

Assata Shakur, political activist and ex-Black Liberation Army member, has died

Assata Shakur “died in Havana, Cuba, as a result of health conditions and her advanced age,” according to Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

www.whatimreading.net

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Clarkisha Kent @clarkishakent.blacksky.app · Sep 26

“I have advocated, and I still advocate revolutionary change. I advocate an end to capitalist exploitation, the abolition of racist policies, the eradication of sexism, and the elimination of political repression. If that is a crime, then I am totally guilty.”

- Assata Shakur

Assata Shakur, sitting cross-legged, stairs at the camera. She has a book in her hand/lap and is wearing a multicolored garment. Her hair has been twisted.

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Gwen Snyder is undead @gwensnyder.bsky.social · Sep 24

I know I keep going on about this but

1) yes

2) it has DEEPLY embarrassed the media people who kept trying to pretend that this regime can be treated as legitimate, and

3) we absolutely cannot let them forget it

darth™️ @darthbluesky.bsky.social · Sep 24

even for an unhinged presidency this week has been pretty fuckin unhinged tbh

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Joshua Erlich @joshuaerlich.bsky.social · Sep 24

if you can look at it without catching poster’s madness, the list of who actually gets engagement here is pretty interesting. somewhat dire at the top but quickly it’s real and high quality posters.

bluefacts.app/top-reach

The Top 1000 Engaging users of the last week (updated daily) | BlueFacts

View the most engaging users on Bluesky by total number of likes and reposts, updated daily.

bluefacts.app

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Annie Tan @annietan.com · Sep 24

Fully agree, and I'm grateful Vincent wrote and had the sense to publish this. I know so little about Uncle Vincent besides his murder, as do most of my family who immigrated or were born after Vincent's murder, so I'm grateful he documented.

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Josh Sternberg @joshsternberg.com · Sep 23

NJ PBS shutting down next summer.

“15yrs ago Gov. Christie ended 4 decades of state funding for public TV, forcing them to find a new funder. The state cut $750k in funding this yr, but that was hardly the fatal blow; that came from the end of federal funds.”

newjerseyglobe.com/media/new-je...

New Jersey PBS shutting down in July - New Jersey Globe

New Jersey PBS is expected to cease operations in July 2026 following WNET's decision not to renew its agreement, the New Jersey Globe has learned. The

newjerseyglobe.com

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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · Sep 23

lolololol

Allisha Gray's Accent @beuliteu.bsky.social · Sep 23

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · Sep 23

Seems bad for our society when you can’t make racist terrorists the villains

Vulture @vulture.com · Sep 23

Apple has pulled The Savant, its series starring Jessica Chastain’s about hunting down white supremacist cells across America, from its immediate release schedule.

Apple Pulls The Savant From Its Release Schedule

Apple has pulled The Savant, its series starring Jessica Chastain’s about hunting down white supremacist cells across America, from its immediate release schedule.

www.vulture.com

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