Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

arknet @arknet.bsky.social · 3h

Whatever else comes out of this crisis, the idea of white male dominance being preferable to DEI should be dead dead dead.

Wajahat Ali @wajali.bsky.social · 12h

"Affirmative Action for Incompetence"

The Trump Administration is purging the government of qualified, competent individuals, indicting his enemies, and replacing them with the world's most mediocre conservatives on Earth.

open.substack.com/pub/thelefth...

Affirmative Action for Incompetence

The Trump Administration is purging the government of qualified, competent individuals, indicting his enemies, and replacing them with the world's most mediocre conservatives on Earth.

open.substack.com

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arknet @arknet.bsky.social · 3h

He hates everybody and they hate him, so that's more of a challenge. Mocking and belittling seems to be the most effective, based on AOC's efforts.

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Ariella Elm @ariellaelm.bsky.social · 4h

So Steven Miller is obviously the president. Trump is yet again, second in command, kind of, more like the comms director.

Does he have any companies or anything that we can protest in front of? Cause that worked really well with kicking Musk out of the government and maybe it would work here?

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Noah Berlatsky @nberlat.bsky.social · 7h

there's one reason and one reason only that the Rs aren't nuking the fillibuster right now—they don't have the votes.

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Wajahat Ali @wajali.bsky.social · 16h

Trump is weak and Republicans know it.

You're going to see more cracks and dissent.

Epstein Files is the major weakness; the economy, national guard overreach, and support for Israel are the other ones.

But Epstein is the main fissure that they can't hide forever, and they know it.

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arknet @arknet.bsky.social · 4h

Thank God for independent journalism and internet to get these stories out. If we were still dependent on legacy, corporate and even local media owned by national conglomerates, we'd be completely unaware. We need to share these everywhere, because unless they see it themselves, people do not know.

Ashton Pittman @ashtonpittman.bsky.social · 9h

ICE left David, a 17-year-old boy, stranded on the side of Interstate 20 after pulling over his immigrant father, Hector, in Mississippi.

David began running in the scorching sun after the car and watched as it disappeared from sight—soon headed to a Louisiana ICE prison.

Here's their story.

ICE Stranded a 17-Year-Old on I-20 After Arresting His Father. The Mississippi Dad Now Faces Deportation.

A 17-year-old watched as ICE arrested his immigrant father, Hector, on I-20 in June. The family faces mounting legal fees and the risk of deportation.

www.mississippifreepress.org

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arknet @arknet.bsky.social · 4h

Does Ms. McLaughling understand any potential presidential immunity does not apply to her?

Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 13h

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughling is now claiming that Debbie Brockman was arrested for "assault on a federal law enforcement officer" because she was throwing objects at a Border Patrol agent.

Chicago Tribune @chicagotribune.com · 14h

A WGN-TV video editor and producer was roughly detained by two Border Patrol agents on Friday morning during a highly visible rush hour enforcement action in Lincoln Square.

arknet @arknet.bsky.social · 4h

Some true wealthy philanthropists need to step up in these troubled times and lift up efforts of people to improve everyone's lives in this country in various ways, from public schools, to libraries, to art, etc. The few who step up to do that will be remembered long after Bezos and Thiel.

Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 16h

Donald Trump ended the National Blue Ribbon Schools program this year.

But, I believe that educational excellence should be celebrated — and it's why we're picking up where they've dropped the ball.

I’m recognizing 28 schools in IL as the 2025 Governor’s Blue Ribbon Schools.

Governor Pritzker speaks behind the podium.

Governor Pritzker shakes hands with employees of Glen Oaks Elementary.

Governor Pritzker takes photos with principals and superintendents.

arknet @arknet.bsky.social · 4h

I love these little tuffies that say the same things in the same way. I bet they were hell in seventh grade.

arknet @arknet.bsky.social · 5h

The viewership and reputation isn't gonna come back. It really doesn't matter what the government does to them.

Dave Weigel @daveweigel.bsky.social · 3d

So, imagine a 2028 that ends with a normal election and a Democratic president.

Does that president punish CBS? Does he kick it out of the Brady room's front row? Does his FCC go after its licenses? Does his FTC probe the Skydance deal?

No, probably not. No fear of reprisal if power shifts back.

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 3d

Do CBS News executives understand that MAGA will not be in power forever? I genuinely think this is lost on a lot of people. They've gotten scammed by bad actors into believing Trump's 2024 win represented something seismic and even permanent. I predict they'll look back on this as a serious error.

arknet @arknet.bsky.social · 5h

I hope @wgntv.com sues these liars directly. DHS budgets are getting way amped up and they are incapable of attracting competent professionals to work under such pathetic leadership, so employed thugs need to understand they are individually responsible for what they do or allow to happen to people.

CJ Ciaramella @cjciaramella.bsky.social · 13h

UPDATE: In emailed statement to me / @reason.com, DHS alleges that WGN-TV producer Debbie Brockman "threw objects at Border Patrol’s car and she was placed under arrest for assault on a federal law enforcement officer."

Screencap of email from DHS public affairs: Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin:

“U.S. Border Patrol was conducting immigration enforcement operations and when several violent agitators used their vehicles to block in agents in an effort to impede and assault federal officers. In fear of public safety and of law enforcement, officers used their service vehicle to strike a suspect’s vehicle and create an opening. As agents were driving, Deborah Brockman, a U.S. citizen, threw objects at Border Patrol’s car and she was placed under arrest for assault on a federal law enforcement officer.

“This incident is not isolated and reflects a growing and dangerous trend of illegal aliens violently resisting arrest and agitators and criminals ramming cars into our law enforcement officers. These attacks highlight the dangers our law enforcement officers face daily—all while receiving no pay thanks to the Democrats’ government shutdown.”

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arknet @arknet.bsky.social · 5h

I'm just going to say this. I'm probably wrong, but it just strikes me as odd how these billionaire bros are starting to display the same kind of weirdness, like maybe they're mood enhancing themselves the same kind of way.

max tani @maxtani.bsky.social · 10h

Great kicker. Marc Benioff’s PR team wanted him to do an interview about philanthropy. Instead he sounded off on a bunch of Trump policies he supports and called for the White House to send troops to SF.

Doesn’t seem like the comms team was pleased with how the interview went..

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Joe Walsh @walshfreedom.bsky.social · 6h

Who are these ICE agents? Who are these masked federal agents acting like the dictator’s cruel, lawless thugs? No really, who are they? We took a deep dive. Have a read.👇 open.substack.com/pub/socialco...

Who Is ICE?

That’s the problem—we don’t know.

open.substack.com

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Nikkolas Smith @4nikkolas.bsky.social · 12h

after millions of views and shares of my Portland Frog art. (thank you all🙏🏾) I got requests to highlight priests, and chickens, and Chicagoans, and T-Rexes, and more… all of us who refuse to bend the knee. so this is for US.
𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚃𝚊𝚕𝚕.
𝚆𝚎 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚆𝚒𝚗.

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arknet @arknet.bsky.social · 7h

With Manchinema none of that was gonna happen. It won't with Fetterman either. But the Republicans probably moved Democrats quite far to the left for next time, so it will likely be a different ball game.

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 15h

Democrats has a trifecta in 2021 and did not do any of these things. Maybe Dems should be taking notes on power politics here.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 16h

Thune: "If the Democrats had won the majority, they probably would've tried to nuke the filibuster. And then you'd have four new senators from Puerto Rico and DC, you'd have a packed Supreme Court, you'd have abortion on demand ... "

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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 18h

I don't think it's going to work out in the way they think because what they are doing is to actually promote the protest and the date in a way that the organizers can't on their own. So lots of people will now be searching: October 18 protest who would have had no clue before.

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Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 9h

This man is being Gorilla Channel'd with a rotating selection of AI slop riot porn by several known white supremacists who are secretly running the government.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11h

Trump: "Portland, I mean -- every time I look at that place it's burning down. There are fires all over the place. When a store -- there are very few of them left -- but when a store owner rebuilds a store they build it out of plywood. They don't put up storefronts anymore. They just put wood up."

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Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 11h

You’ll never guess who is in charge of the Homeland Security Council….

(Miller. It’s Stephen Miller.)

Jordan Fischer @jordanonrecord.bsky.social · 13h

NEW: A senior ICE official testified today the WH Homeland Security Council — and not the State Department — informed him Uganda was the deportation target for Abrego Garcia.

DOJ then asserted presidential privilege over any other details about the call. www.wusa9.com/article/news...

DOJ asserts presidential privilege over details about how Uganda was selected in Abrego Garcia deportation case

A senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official said third-country designations are typically made by the State Department.

www.wusa9.com

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arknet @arknet.bsky.social · 9h

We're not numb to it. We're paralyzed by our system, & Republicans having long been infiltrated by extremists enabled by corporatism & archaic structures carefully exploited by the likes of Mitch McMonnell & a fanatic supreme court to form an oligarchy. Whether they can hold it is another question.

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 10h

The president says there are very few stores left in Portland, Oregon, and the ones that are left are made of plywood.

I know we’re numb to this, but in any other time he’d have been removed by the 25th Amendment by now

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11h

Trump: "Portland, I mean -- every time I look at that place it's burning down. There are fires all over the place. When a store -- there are very few of them left -- but when a store owner rebuilds a store they build it out of plywood. They don't put up storefronts anymore. They just put wood up."

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Senate Judiciary Democrats 🇺🇸 @judiciarydems.senate.gov · 12h

BREAKING: Sens. DURBIN, DUCKWORTH were just denied entrance to the Broadview ICE Facility in Illinois, unable to conduct constitutional role of oversight.

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Arkansas Democrats @arkdems.org · 11h

Arkansas Democrats respond to Gov. Sanders’ NEWEST Special Election Scandal in House District 70🚨

Chair and Col. Marcus Jones (Ret.): “This has gone so far beyond Democrat or Republican; this is about right and wrong. Gov. Sanders is wrong.”

www.arkdems.org/arkansas-dem...

Arkansas Democrats Release Statement on Gov. Sanders’ Newest Special Election Scandal in House District 70 - Arkansas Democrats

NORTH LITTLE ROCK— The Governor’s proclamation calling the House District 70 special election is another blatant violation of her statutory requirement to fill vacancies within 150 days which will unc...

www.arkdems.org

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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 12h

The MSM does not interview community organizers. It's part of why they miss so much of what happens at the local level.

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arknet @arknet.bsky.social · 11h

#mississippi #ice
It's here in red states and has been, but now it's undeniable and unavoidable.

Donna Ladd said what she said. 😘 @donnerkay.bsky.social · 11h

It’s up: READ. See what this family has gone through and continues to go through. #immigration #ICE

*** Teenage-written ***

@youthmediaproject.bsky.social

www.mississippifreepress.org/a-long-way-f...

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Sharon @sharonk.bsky.social · 13h

it'd be funny if Trump II gave us the rebirth of the social gospel and a woke Great Awakening

☀️ Starshine @starshine.bsky.social · 14h

I have friends (of christ) everywhere

unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 19h

Chanting, "we are the body of Christ! The body of Christ will be free!"

This crowd has swelled considerably. Few hundred here now.

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arknet @arknet.bsky.social · 11h

It's starting to seem like he might be attempting to pull something as a means of abetting this attempted coup. @hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social @robertgarcia.bsky.social @rokhanna.bsky.social

Sahil Kapur @sahilkapur.bsky.social · 15h

Speaker Johnson just declared the House will remain in recess all next week. This will mark a full month off; the chamber has not been in session since September 19.