Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by David Welton

Sam @samd.bsky.social · 13h

“many prominent young republicans are actual Nazis” is a self-censoring fact at this point

normie swing voters will literally refuse to believe it and the media refuses to report it because it would call everything else they’ve done into question

BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 16h

while 'young republicans are literal nazis' is well known to folks here, the extent of it is surprisingly not that commonly known even in media and analyst circles, let alone normal people.

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 19h

a real water is wet scenario here

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Reposted by David Welton

GHOULLIKEHELLMACHINE @golikehellmachine.com · 8h

from my WIFL interview with @jdandeneau.bsky.social

I don’t know how many people have actually internalized this, but the vast majority of local Democratic operations are staffed and run by blue-haired little old ladies who have been doing this for 40 years and are funding it with bake sales, and are keeping the flame alive in a time when parties are as weak as they’ve ever been. If you are under the age of 50 and you show up and act normal for, like, 3 months, they will do whatever you want because they’re so excited to have a young person there. Parties are weak right now because of some factors that are outside of our control, but a lot of factors are within our control and the big one is that we just haven’t paid enough attention to the atomic-level units, and party infrastructure. If you strengthen those, then party identity as a whole will follow. Party strength as a whole will follow.

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Reposted by David Welton

GHOULLIKEHELLMACHINE @golikehellmachine.com · 8h

the future is yours if you’re willing to take it

Saganomics @saganomics.bsky.social · 8h

As an officer of a local party where about 70 of our 280 committee seats are filled, I cannot reiterate enough that the party is a creation of the people whose hands are on it. In too many places there aren't enough hands, or those hands are complacent or bitter. But they could be yours instead.

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Reposted by David Welton

Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 14h

Trump is saying the quiet part out loud: he sent a $20B taxpayer-financed bailout to help his far-right buddy Milei cling to power.

Meanwhile our government is shut down, public servants aren't getting paid & we're barreling toward a Trump-made health care crisis. Sounds like Argentina First to me.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 18h

Trump on Milei: "If he loses, we will not be generous with Argentina."

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Reposted by David Welton

Jeff Tiedrich @jefftiedrich.bsky.social · 19h

MAYBE "WINE-SOAKED" PETE KEGSTAND (BURP!) SHOULD WORRY MORE ABOUT BEING A CLOWNFUCKINGLY INCOMPETENT EMBARRASSMENT AND LESS ABOUT THE WEIGHT OF NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS IN CHICAGO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO MY VERY STRONG AND VERY POWERFUL POST. READ IT HERE: bit.ly/3KNMQGu

as military transport vehicles rolled onto the streets of Chicago, the worst people in the world all stood up and cheered — because fascists gonna fascist.

but there was one guy who was horrified by what he saw.

that one guy was Secretary of Defense Plastered Pete Kegstand, the five-time International Flip A Skateboard Into Your Own Nuts Champion.

was Piss-Drunk Pete horrified by Dear Leader’s fascist display of brutality? fuck no. he’s totally down with that shit. Pete loves hypermacho posturing almost as much as he loves guzzling champagne straight from the bottle.

Petey McFlipNuts was horrified because the troops who stepped off those transports in Chicago were not the lean, mean fighting machines of his dreams.

they were Meal Team Six.

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Reposted by David Welton

Stan Oklobdzija @stano.bsky.social · 11h

If you put ICE officers in jail, their names become a matter of public record. Then the public gets to see exactly how low standards have fallen with the recent hiring blitz.

Doesn't matter if the courts shut this down, you've won the PR battle by showing Nazis and Proud Boys wearing ICE uniforms.

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 14h

Good. Even if this doesn’t work, it’s time to go on offense.

www.newsweek.com/jb-pritzker-...

JB Pritzker looking at prosecuting ICE agents in Chicago

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has suggested that state prosecutors might examine the conduct of ICE agents.

www.newsweek.com

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Reposted by David Welton

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 13h

There is simply no equivalent, not even close, of this anywhere on the center or far left. There is no ‘both sides’ here, media.

Murshed Zaheed @murshedz.bsky.social · 19h

"Together, the messages reveal a culture where racist, antisemitic and violent rhetoric circulate freely — and where the Trump-era loosening of political norms has made such talk feel less taboo among those positioning themselves as the party’s next leaders."

Can't call them fascists?

‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat

Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.

www.politico.com

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Reposted by David Welton

M. Nolan Gray 🥑 @mnolangray.bsky.social · 14h

"By reducing minimum lot sizes, builders can construct more homes on less land and increase supply and affordability for everyone. Reducing minimum lot sizes helps families achieve the American dream of homeownership."
www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-e...

Florida is facing a shortfall of 486,000 of homes. So let’s reduce lot sizes | Opinion

Families should be able to purchase homes that fit their individual budget and lifestyle | Opinion

www.miamiherald.com

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Reposted by David Welton

Mark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 19h

If we write off all news media, we’re playing into Trump’s hands. Some outlets are doing well while others stink.
In this installment of my free Stop the Presses newsletter, I give letter grades to major media outlets. See if you agree.

I’m handing out pro-democracy grades to the media

The Guardian gets an A, the NY Times gets a C, CBS gets an F

www.stopthepresses.news

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Reposted by David Welton

Bryn Davidson - Lanefab @lanefab.com · 17h

“Today, the income gains made by a labourer moving to the city are wiped out by higher housing costs. City mobility is a filter that filters out lower income residents and traps them in place.”

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Reposted by David Welton

Upzone the coastal elites @aboutdave.bsky.social · 17h

Update post Newsom's signature on sb79, which Larry Gross, California Democratic Party regional leader unsuccessfully opposed.

He's now blocked me for highlighting his blatantly misleading propaganda.

Upzone the coastal elites @aboutdave.bsky.social · 10d

I think Larry Gross is being very misleading.

While sb79 allows demolition of rent controlled duplexes, state law requires relocation fees and right of return if there are low income tenants present.

LA also specifically requires the replacement homes to become rent controlled.

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Reposted by David Welton

Stephen Frost @sfrost.bsky.social · 17h

New study from Melbourne finds reducing residential speed limits from 50km/h to 30 km/h on local roads would protect cyclists from danger, make riding less stressful and get more people cycling while not causing traffic delays for cars.

Switching 50km/h speed limits to 30km/h would protect cyclists while barely affecting commutes, research finds

One expert says a cyclist hit by a car travelling 50km/h has about a one-in-ten chance of surviving, while at 30km/h it was a nine-in-ten chance

www.theguardian.com

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David Welton @davidwelton.bsky.social · 17h

I need help visualizing this - can you get it to generate an image of you throwing something across the room?

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Reposted by David Welton

Asheville For All @ashevilleforall.org · 18h

The NC Senate returns next week, and HB369, which will end parking mandates statewide still has a chance to pass this year!

Read more about why it matters and how you can help:

ashevilleforall.org/parking-nc-s...

Text reads: NC Senate is going back in session! Take action today to end costly parking mandates statewide.

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Reposted by David Welton

Bend YIMBY @bendyimby.bsky.social · 18h

Nice small-scale win here in Bend. Mary Hearn, a local infill home builder, had an empty lot she wasn't able to use. Now a few people have a safe, stable place to live.

Via @jheylin.bsky.social

www.bendsource.com/news/localne...

New tiny home village in Bend welcomes first resident amid celebration and complaints - The Source - Bend, Oregon

The tiny homes on the corner of Franklin Avenue and 5th Street in Bend went up quietly enough. The lot was cleared with the help of several local Eagle Scouts, and preparations were underway in May. F...

www.bendsource.com

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Reposted by David Welton

Emily Hamilton @ebwhamilton.bsky.social · 18h

If you want to really feel the housing crisis, browse the Census microdata for LA households with lots of people in them. About 16,000 houses in LA County have three bedrooms and 8+ people.

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Reposted by David Welton

Gravel Influencer @gravelinfluencer.bsky.social · 18h

The potential for shit like this is one reason why groups like LUCE in Massachusetts urge people to report sightings to them so they and their partners can directly warn people. A decentralized network is a lot harder to shut down. No big tech company will be in ally in the fight against ICE.

Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 18h

At the request of the U.S. Department of Justice, a Facebook group used by nearly 80,000 people to report sightings of federal immigration agents in the Chicago area has been taken down by the social media giant Meta, Facebook’s parent company.

Facebook suspends popular Chicago ICE-sightings group at Trump administration’s request

The group, "ICE Sighting-Chicagoland," has been increasingly used in the last five weeks of President Donald Trump’s intense deportation campaign to warn neighbors that federal agents are nearby.

trib.al

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Reposted by David Welton

Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 19h

Turns out your assumptions about what republican group chats are like is correct www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat

Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.

www.politico.com

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Reposted by David Welton

David Roberts @volts.wtf · 20h

"The richest man in the world and the owner of the most influential social media site in US politics is a nazi who openly supports and amplifies other nazis" would, on its face, seem to be rather newsworthy!

Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 20h

Hey news people: I know you like to pretend this doesn't exist, but you need to pay attention to the Nazi drama on Twitter. Basically, it seems as if Elon just restored two major neo-Nazi accounts that were banned by his product head, and might be about to fire the product head for banning them

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Reposted by David Welton

un Américain perdu à Paris @paris75009.bsky.social · 20h

Paris has achieved the goal of more than 300 “school streets”.

Lots of before & after pictures in this latest October 2025 update.

#paris #schoolstreets #15minutecity #urbanism #school #safety #safestreets #children

www.paris.fr/pages/57-nou...

Plus de 300 « rues aux écoles » dans Paris

Expérimentées dans le cadre du déconfinement pour lutter contre la pollution, améliorer la qualité de l'air et végétaliser la ville, les « rues aux écoles » se multiplient à Paris. Ces piétonnisations...

www.paris.fr

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Reposted by David Welton

Michael McLean @mclean.bsky.social · 20h

Mask off moment for Edgewater NIMBYs

This morning, a trans person at the zoning committee told their story about being displaced from Missouri, and how we need to build more housing for other people like them who will seek refuge in Chicago. They were heckled by the crowd.

Chicago 🏳️‍⚧️🌱 @chicagotrans-plant.bsky.social · 21h

Says they need to add more housing or rents will only continue to climb and people will not be able to move here and be safe as they need to be.

An audience member yells at Alison to "leave Edgewater alone" and is escorted out of the room.

The only trans speaker was heckled by far the most.

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David Welton @davidwelton.bsky.social · 20h

Good luck!

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Reposted by David Welton

Jonathan Maus @jonathanmaus.bsky.social · 21h

Thank you OPB For covering this. As these right-wing media personalities grow their platforms, it's vital that folks understand what they are doing and what they are really all about. Media literacy is so important right now.

OPB @opb.org · 3d

Right-wing media influencers are now being welcomed into the federal government to promote its messages. This kind of media access shows a deepening alliance between the Trump administration and an online world willing to misrepresent facts if it means furthering political goals.

Right-wing influencers shape nation and Trump’s understanding of Portland protests

Social media personalities, conservative media outlets and the Trump administration itself are blending online content to serve the administration’s policies.

www.opb.org

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David Welton @davidwelton.bsky.social · 21h

They look like the Addams family - but much more likely to kill a bunch of Americans by ripping away their health care

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David Welton @davidwelton.bsky.social · 21h

You mentioned a lot of uncontested races in a recent post. Maybe it'd be better to have less of that even if it means An Old running?

Perhaps people can learn those skills even if they won't ever be the best at them