Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by October Witch Chick

Robert Cruickshank @robertcruickshank.com · 10h

Biden's domestic agenda was 100% correct. The problem was his inability to sell it, due to old age and lack of understanding of mass communications in the '20s. (Also, his foreign policy handed Trump the election.) Efforts to force Dems back into a '90s-'00s agenda are both wrong and unnecessary.

Freedom Of Speech painting by Rockwell: man in a workshirt and jacket stands and speaks in a crowd

12 28 270

October Witch Chick @celticdragon1.bsky.social · 2h

I see we're back to 12 year old boys parroting fascist talking points. That was a big thing about 15 years ago

1

October Witch Chick @celticdragon1.bsky.social · 2h

'cause when you
Lie down with the dogs
You always get the fleas!

1 1

Reposted by October Witch Chick

Popehat Agitates And Irritates @kenwhite.bsky.social · 16h

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

Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 17h

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).)

170 1K 4.7K

October Witch Chick @celticdragon1.bsky.social · 3h

I agree with Grotesquely Medium: I very much do NOT approve of false surrender perfidy for uniform military services. I DO like clever spy guns you hide up your sleeve.

Sucks if you're regular military. Fucks hard if you're OSS.

1

October Witch Chick @celticdragon1.bsky.social · 10h

I didn't know that was a thing. I guess I know now.

2

October Witch Chick @celticdragon1.bsky.social · 10h

Exactly. No fucking *forgive and move on* from this

2

October Witch Chick @celticdragon1.bsky.social · 10h

Bingo

Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 17h

They are going to lose control of the country. They have the debased billionaire class, they have a small army of violent bigots. But they don’t have most Americans. They absolutely don’t have enough guys and they know it

1 6

Reposted by October Witch Chick

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 17h

Could not be more clear the president wishes he had unilateral power to imprison people, like in an absolute monarchy

He doesn’t so instead he’s forcing the govt to bring charges against his enemies because he wants vengeance

Nakedly corrupt, the sort of thing that necessitates removal from office

29 330 1.2K

October Witch Chick @celticdragon1.bsky.social · 10h

@queerarmorer.bsky.social
Uh oh

Juliette Rihl @julietterihl.bsky.social · 21h

I don’t usually cover breaking news, but this story is truly wild.

A pastor in central PA brought an AR-15 to church and pointed it at people during his sermon. Gun safety experts and internet commentators are, predictably, not happy!

(Paywall free link below)

www.pennlive.com/news/2025/10...

Dauphin County pastor under fire for pointing assault-style rifle during sermon

In a move experts called a serious safety violation, he pointed the unloaded weapon at churchgoers, while asking for a 'violent action of faith.'

www.pennlive.com

1 3

Reposted by October Witch Chick

ghost malone ergo propter malone @proptermalone.bsky.social · 20h

new snakehandling just dropped

Juliette Rihl @julietterihl.bsky.social · 21h

I don’t usually cover breaking news, but this story is truly wild.

A pastor in central PA brought an AR-15 to church and pointed it at people during his sermon. Gun safety experts and internet commentators are, predictably, not happy!

(Paywall free link below)

www.pennlive.com/news/2025/10...

Dauphin County pastor under fire for pointing assault-style rifle during sermon

In a move experts called a serious safety violation, he pointed the unloaded weapon at churchgoers, while asking for a 'violent action of faith.'

www.pennlive.com

15 36 230

October Witch Chick @celticdragon1.bsky.social · 11h

Ballet pic of the day
.Kali Kleiman, “…throes of increasing wonder"

Photographer Angela Sterling

3

October Witch Chick @celticdragon1.bsky.social · 12h

Had something similar in HS youth group at our church in 1984. Only we had a couple of real LE pretend to be the ones arresting the youth pastor for unauthorized religious doctrine and we are all going to be taken into state custody. Supposed to show us Christians are still persecuted

2

Reposted by October Witch Chick

Simon Rosenberg @simonrosenberg.bsky.social · 17h

"It’s hard to think of a more clear example of an authoritarian regime than a political enemy being charged with crimes simply because the president wants him to be. As Peru's fascist leader General Óscar Benavides famously said: 'For my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law'.” #TrumpTyranny

Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 17h

Jim Comey was first, but let's be clear: Donald Trump is coming for the rest of us too. www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/we-are-all...

1 39 140

Reposted by October Witch Chick

Shannon Heffernan @shannonheffernan.bsky.social · 16h

Signs of the times in Chicago today: My daughter's school went on soft lockdown because of reports of ICE. Volunteers showed up at the nearby H.S. to escort people who didn't feel safe. Walking around, I saw lots of orange whistles around people's necks.

21 210 730

October Witch Chick @celticdragon1.bsky.social · 17h

Yeah

Reposted by October Witch Chick

Juno Rylee Schultz @junoryleejournalism.com · 1d

David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)

SHAPIRO: OK, so you've spent your career creating television without Al, and I could imagine today you thinking, boy, I wish I had had that tool to solve those thorny problems...
SIMON: What?
SHAPIRO: ...Or saying...
SIMON: You imagine that?
SHAPIRO: ...Boy, if that had existed, it would have screwed me over.
SIMON: I don't think Al can remotely challenge what writers do at a fundamentally creative level.
SHAPIRO: But if you're trying to transition from scene five to scene six, and you're stuck with that transition, you could imagine plugging that portion of the script into an Al and say, give me 10 ideas for how to transition this.
SIMON: I'd rather put a gun in my mouth.

310 8K 25K

Reposted by October Witch Chick

K. Chen @tznkai.bsky.social · 20h

A lot of the injunction is basically "don't do cop violence without justification" but this popped out at me

2. It is further ORDERED that all Federal Agents, excepting those who do not wear a
uniform or other distinguishing clothing or equipment in the regular performance of their official
Case: 1:25-cv-12173 Document #: 42 Filed: 10/09/25 Page 4 of 6 PageID #:838
5
duties or are engaged in undercover operations in the regular performance of their official duties,
must have visible identification (for which a unique recognizable alphanumeric identifier sequence
will suffice) affixed to their uniforms or helmets and prominently displayed, including when
wearing riot gear

1 11 33

October Witch Chick @celticdragon1.bsky.social · 20h

No. The amendments weren't enforced because of lack of will and a reactionary SCOTUS.

There is no legal apparatus that is self enforced.

Reposted by October Witch Chick

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 20h

"It's very funny when the government gets to decide who is a Real Jew and who is not! We are all laughing. It is funny, yes."

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 21h

JD Vance describes Chuck Schumer as "one of the most famous Palestinians in the world"

100 490 2.4K

October Witch Chick @celticdragon1.bsky.social · 20h

The drafters were doing something that was entirely new in human history and they honestly thought that subsequent generations would debug constitution 1.0 and release improved constitution 2.0.

Unfortunately we didn't.

1 1

Reposted by October Witch Chick

Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 21h

NEW: A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order barring Chicago-area fed agents from several violent actions they’ve taken against journalists, activists and “religious practitioners” protesting ICE — including Rev. Black, a plaintiff in the case. www.courtlistener.com/docket/71559...

5 190 550

October Witch Chick @celticdragon1.bsky.social · 21h

I can't say what I would do to these fascist thugs because I don't want to fed post and get banned

1

Reposted by October Witch Chick

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 23h

CHICAGO — Outside an elementary school during dismissal… horrifying. What have we become?

2.8K 10K 17K

October Witch Chick @celticdragon1.bsky.social · 21h

Note: attached *to* the RAN as the only remaining friendly command structure after the war

1