Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 2h

The public can legitimately ask if knocking down half the White House to build a ballroom is an essential government function that legally qualifies as an exception during the shutdown.

Greg Greene (he/him/his) @greene.haus · 7h

Behold: Republican permitting reform.

The White House photographed from the driveway between it and the Treasury building, with the facade of the East Wing gutted. I don’t think the caretakers of the property pulled all the proper permits before starting work!

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 2h

In which Trump's one-time personal lawyer and aide, now turned personal prosecutor, attempts to bully a legal journalist to influence their tweets about the charges against Letitia James. The tweets explained how information in a NYT story about a key witness was likely.exculpatory.

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 8h

EXCLUSIVE: One Saturday afternoon in October, my phone lit up with a notification.

I glanced down at the message.

“Anna, Lindsey Halligan here,” it began.

So began my text exchange with the woman who is prosecuting the president's perceived political enemies.

www.lawfaremedia.org/article/anna...

"Anna, Lindsey Halligan Here."
Anna Bower
Monday, October 20, 2025, 5:40 PM
Share On: f X inK My Signal exchange with the interim U.S. attorney about
the Letitia James grand jury.

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 10h

In the next breath that same Trump appointee criticized Portland authorities for a decision they made on how to board up windows.

Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 10h

At oral argument one of the Trump appointees to the appellate court expounded on the near-impossibility of assessing whether Trump's declaration of Portland needing federal troops was tethered to reality due to its lack of knowledge. But the trial court had conducted a near full trial on this.

Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 11h

As indicated at oral argument the Trump appointees are conducting a de novo factual review, brushing aside any deference to the trial judge, who is herself a Trump appointee. Highly unusual but consistent with the Supreme Court's actions.

Adam Klasfeld @klasfeldreports.com · 11h

Two Trump-appointed judges of the Ninth Circuit let Trump send the troops into Portland, pausing another Trump appointee's TRO.

The only non-Trump appointee denounces the "political theater" behind the deployment, calling for an en banc review to stop it. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 10h

They always leave out that not infrequently the intermediate appellate courts reverse or limit those lower court rulings, narrowing the need for the almost inevitable reversal by the Supreme Court.

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 11h

As indicated at oral argument the Trump appointees are conducting a de novo factual review, brushing aside any deference to the trial judge, who is herself a Trump appointee. Highly unusual but consistent with the Supreme Court's actions.

Adam Klasfeld @klasfeldreports.com · 11h

Two Trump-appointed judges of the Ninth Circuit let Trump send the troops into Portland, pausing another Trump appointee's TRO.

The only non-Trump appointee denounces the "political theater" behind the deployment, calling for an en banc review to stop it. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

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Reposted by Eric Lisann

Steve Herman @newsguy.bsky.social · 15h

President Trump's White House is already the second most-blocked account on Bluesky, just days after joining the platform. The only account ahead of it on the block list? It belongs to VP Vance. www.mediaite.com/media/news/t...

The White House Is Already the 2nd-Most Blocked Account on BlueSky — After JD Vance

President Trump's White House is already the second most-blocked account on Bluesky, just days after joining the platform. The only account ahead of it? It belongs to Vice President JD Vance.

www.mediaite.com

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 14h

The government still benefits from that presumption where it matters most - the Supreme Court.

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 1d

That's the difference between Gandalf and Saruman. Ultimately Gandalf was forced to confront Saruman in war.

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 1d

Trump is Putin's flying monkey.

www.ft.com/content/7960...

Trump urged Zelenskyy to accept Putin’s terms or be ‘destroyed’ by Russia

US president tossed aside maps of Ukraine frontline in volatile White House meeting

www.ft.com

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 1d

The alleged dangerous drug smugglers who purportedly were menacing national security and were the target of lethal US military strikes but survived, are released because detaining them meant they could have challenged the legality of their attempted murder. The White House considered that a threat.

Keith Boykin @keithboykin.bsky.social · 2d

The Trump administration has decided to return the two survivors of the recent US airstrike to their home countries, Colombia and Ecuador, instead of prosecuting them or holding them in detention.

But if they were so dangerous that Trump had to blow up their boat, why are they being released?

U.S. to Repatriate Survivors of Its Strike on Suspected Drug Vessel

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Eric Lisann

Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 1d

See the difference? 👀

#NoKings

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 1d

And they said Michael Dukakis looked ridiculous in a tank. And Obama in a tan suit.

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 1d

CBS, the former network of Edward R. Murrow and icon of an independent American media institution, is following fellow oligarch-owned institution the Washington Post into the dustbin of history.

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 1d

No Kings. Striking how the last time a ruler imposed the exact conditions of today patriots drafted the foundational document of the United States - and literally went to war against that ruler in a true revolution.

Thom Hartmann @hartmannreport.com · 2d

The Declaration of Independence:

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Thom Hartmann @hartmannreport.com · 2d

The Declaration of Independence:

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 1d

Johnson falls back on the House is not in session- because he has closed it though he blamed Democrats here unchallenged in his firehose of lies - so he can not swear in Grijalva. He is just making that up, and he swore in 2 Republicans himself when the House was not in session. Blatant lies.

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 1d

Jonathan Karl follows up here on the absurd lying response to his question better than most of his mainstream colleague for sure, but ultimately stll lets Johnson off the hook. Grijalva has been eligible and present to be sworn in for weeks, seeking and demanding this. Arizona has filed a lawsuit.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

KARL: I mean, you could swear in Adelita Grijalva tomorrow, right?

MIKE JOHNSON: No, not tomorrow. We couldn't. We wouldn't.

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 1d

Baseless Mike Lee

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 1d

You are saying ProPublica and the other journos on your contact list wouldn't cover this?

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 2d

If Columbia was the US they would invade Palm Beach, storm Mar-a-Lago, seize Trump and detain him for trial in Bogota. (If they didn't terminate him on sight.) And they would file a civil suit against John Roberts for enabling it all and seize billions in American assets passing through their banks.

MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 2d

🚨 NEWS: Colombian President Gustavo Petro accuses U.S. government officials of murder and violating Colombia’s sovereignty and says the Trump-ordered strike of a boat in the Caribbean killed a fisherman named Alejandro Carranza.

Screenshot of a post on X from Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s verified account. The post reads: “US government officials have committed a murder and violated our sovereignty in territorial waters. Fisherman Alejandro Carranza had no ties to the drug trade and his daily activity was fishing. The Colombian boat was adrift and had its distress signal up due to an engine failure. We await explanations from the US government.”

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Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · 2d

This is what democracy looks like. #NoKings

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 2d

Assuming they really were drug smugglers they are released back into the wild. Otherwise their detention would have led to an examination of whether this is a constitutionally-permissible war. Apparently even the White House knows it is not.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/u...

www.nytimes.com

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Eric Lisann @ericlisann.bsky.social · 2d

Not just a king but a fat and mad one.
"They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview airing early Friday, before he departed for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. super PAC fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago."

PBS News @pbsnews.org · 2d

Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people gathered Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “ No Kings ” demonstrations — what the president’s Republican Party is calling “Hate America” rallies.
https://to.pbs.org/3KPclY7

WATCH LIVE: 'No Kings' rally in DC on nationwide day of protests against Trump administration

Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people gathered Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “ No Kings ” demonstrations — what the presid...

www.pbs.org

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Alejandro Alvarez @aletakesphotos.bsky.social · 2d

Giant copy of the Constitution being carried down Pennsylvania Avenue.

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