Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

felinecannonball

@felinecannon.bsky.social

1.3K followers 7.3K following 4.6K posts

“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something... but it is not always quite the something you were after.” Pseudonymous geologist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Signed up for too many starter packs.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

felinecannonball @felinecannon.bsky.social · Feb 2

he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed

2 1 21

Reposted by felinecannonball

Julian Sanchez @normative.bsky.social · 6h

ICE is an armed gang, and they’re only going to get worse. www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...

Opinion | The Chicago raids send a worrying signal about the ideal ICE agents in Trump's America

The agency is on a hiring spree. But we know what that kind of breakneck expansion of the workforce can result in because we’ve seen it before.

www.msnbc.com

8 86 230

Reposted by felinecannonball

Cheryl Rofer @cherylrofer.bsky.social · 9h

A confrontation is building between the Supreme Court and the lower courts.

Federal Judges, Warning of ‘Judicial Crisis,’ Fault Supreme Court’s Emergency Orders

www.nytimes.com

3 26 96

felinecannonball @felinecannon.bsky.social · 14h

of course anyone else in a similar situation would have difficulty seeing this post …

felinecannonball @felinecannon.bsky.social · 14h

Anyone else having trouble with this site the last couple of days?

No longer works with my home wifi/ethernet on any device — web or app version. Only loads frames with no content. But loads normally with VPN, cellular, other local wifi hotspots.

New type of inadvertent ban.

felinecannonball @felinecannon.bsky.social · 23h

Maybe someone can draw up plans for a home sewn version. Complete with a fake air intake that returns any chemical spray back at an assailant.

Reposted by felinecannonball

Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 1d

Washington Supreme Court Justice Mungia has an extraordinary opinion condemning "the underlying racism and prejudices that are woven into the very fabric" of SCOTUS opinions about Native people.

"We must clearly, loudly, and unequivocally state that was wrong.”
www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf...

MUNGIA, J. (concurring)—I concur with the majority’s opinion.1
And yet I
dissent. Not from the majority’s opinion, but I dissent from the racism embedded in the
federal case law that applies to this dispute.
FEDERAL INDIAN LAW IS A PRODUCT OF THE RACIST BELIEFS ENDEMIC IN OUR SOCIETY
AND OUR LEGAL SYSTEM
While it is certainly necessary to follow federal case law on issues involving
Native American tribes and their members, at the same time it is important to call out that
the very foundations of those opinions were based on racism and white supremacy. By
doing this, readers of our opinions will have no doubt that the current court disavows, and
condemns, those racist sentiments, beliefs, and statements.

Since the founding of our country, the federal government has characterized
Native Americans as “savages”: They were “uncivilized.” They had little claim to the
land upon which they lived. At times, the federal government attempted to eradicate
Native Americans through genocidal policies. At other times, the federal government
employed ethnic cleansing by forcibly removing children from their parents’ homes to
strip them from their culture, their language, and their beings.2
Federal Indian case law arises from those racist underpinnings.
The majority correctly cites to Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, 30 U.S. (5 Pet.) 1, 8
L. Ed. 25 (1831), which is one of the foundational cases involving tribal sovereignty.
That opinion is rife with racist attitudes toward Native Americans. Chief Justice John
Marshall, writing for the majority, describes a tribe’s relationship to the federal
government as one of “ward to his guardian.” Id. at 17. In effect, the opinion presents
tribal members as children, and the federal government as the adult. That theme would
follow in later opinions by the United States Supreme Court—as would the theme of
white supremacy.
Cherokee Nation began with the premise that Native American tribes, once strong
and powerful, were no match for the white race and so found themselves “gradually
sinking beneath our superior policy, our arts and our arms.” Id. at 15. The white man
was considered the teacher, the Native Americans the pupils:

Meanwhile they are in a state of pupilage. Their relation to the United
States resembles that of a ward to his guardian.
Id. at 17.
This characterization of superior to inferior, teacher to student, guardian to ward,
was repeated in later United States Supreme Court opinions.
In Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock, 187 U.S. 553, 23 S. Ct. 216, 47 L. Ed. 299 (1903),
often characterized as the “American Indian Dred Scott,”
3
the Court used that rationale to
justify ruling that the United States could break its treaties with Native American tribes.
These Indian tribes are the wards of the nation. They are communities
dependent on the United States. Dependent largely for their daily food.
Dependent for their political rights. . . . From their very weakness and
helplessness . . . there arises the duty of protection, and with it the power.
Id. at 567 (quoting United States v. Kagama, 118 U.S. 375, 383-84, 6 S. Ct. 1109, 30 L.
Ed. 228 (1886)).
Our court also carries the shame of denigrating Native Americans by using that
same characterization: “The Indian was a child, and a dangerous child, of nature, to be
both protected and restrained.” State v. Towessnute, 89 Wash. 478, 482, 154 P. 805
(1916), judgment vacated and opinion repudiated by 197 Wn.2d 574, 486 P.3d 111
(2020).
3 See A

Returning to Cherokee Nation, Justice William Johnson’s separate opinion was
less tempered in how he considered the various Native American tribes:
I cannot but think that there are strong reasons for doubting the
applicability of the epithet state, to a people so low in the grade of
organized society as our Indian tribes most generally are.
Cherokee Nation, 30 U.S. at 21. Native Americans were not to be treated as “equals to
equals” but, instead, the United States was the conqueror and Native Americans the
conquered. Id. at 23.
In discussing Native Americans, Justice Johnson employed another racist trope
used by judges both before and after him: Native Americans were uncivilized savages.
[W]e have extended to them the means and inducement to become
agricultural and civilized. . . . Independently of the general influence of
humanity, these people were restless, warlike, and signally cruel.
. . . .
But I think it very clear that the constitution neither speaks of them as states
or foreign states, but as just what they were, Indian tribes . . . which the law
of nations would regard as nothing more than wandering hordes, held
together only by ties of blood and habit, and having neither laws or
government, beyond what is required in a savage state.
Id. at 23, 27-28.
This same characterization was used by Justice Stanley Matthews in Ex parte KanGi-Shun-Ca (otherwise known as Crow Dog), 109 U.S. 556, 3 S. Ct. 396, 27 L. Ed. 1030
(1883). Justice Matthews described Native Americans as leading a savage life.

3 180 540

Reposted by felinecannonball

Zoe Tillman @zoetillman.bsky.social · 1d

NEW: The White House says it is making good on threats to fire thousands of federal workers amid a government shutdown: buff.ly/wgQdZk1

Announcement comes hours before a judge's deadline for DOJ to submit info on the status of layoffs, previously: buff.ly/kDrhgP6

9 69 120

Reposted by felinecannonball

Hylke Dijkstra @hdijkstra.bsky.social · 1d

I can totally see the Nobel go to the International Criminal Court

1 1 6

Reposted by felinecannonball

The Oregonian @oregonian.com · 1d

Things are happening at Portland's ICE facility tonight.

Read more of our protest coverage here: www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/1...

580 6K 19K

Reposted by felinecannonball

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 1d

The Trump administration confirmed that the U.S. bailed out Argentina.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he had directly bought Argentine pesos in global currency markets in a bid to relieve pressure on the nation’s embattled President Javier Milei, a supporter of President Trump.

The U.S. just bailed out Argentina, Treasury Secretary confirms

The US Treasury has finalized a $20 billion financial rescue of Argentina, including a currency swap arrangement with the country's central bank.

www.washingtonpost.com

140 320 560

Reposted by felinecannonball

San Francisco Chronicle @sfchronicle.com · 1d

A man has been arrested in connection to a Highway 24 shooting Thursday afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol.

CHP arrests man suspected of a shooting on Highway 24

Contra Costa County CHP officers found the suspect’s vehicle crashed in the center divide of Interstate 680 near Olympic Boulevard in Walnut Creek.

bit.ly

1 5

felinecannonball @felinecannon.bsky.social · 1d

I may be used to west coast agriculture where we’ve had a lot of industry concentration from the ground up with potatoes, carrots, nuts, dairy, etc. Maybe soybean industry is more concentrated with respect to suppliers and processing.

felinecannonball @felinecannon.bsky.social · 1d

A lot fewer than once did.

Didn’t mean to be absolutist, but I’d like to see a breakdown of payments and local reporting on how they do or do not assist workers, suppliers, distributors, …

felinecannonball @felinecannon.bsky.social · 2d

Guess it’s Schiff’s turn in the ham sandwich labeling machine.

Reposted by felinecannonball

David Noll @david.noll.org · 2d

I'm guessing they figured that since they found a grand jury credulous enough to indict Comey, they shouldn't sleep on it.

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 2d

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

2 7 26

felinecannonball @felinecannon.bsky.social · 2d

Feel for the old man. Gotta come back slow. I have some exercises I can recommend.

NBA Daily News @fantasynbanews.bsky.social · 2d

LeBron James to miss at least 3-4 weeks with sciatica on his right side.

Reposted by felinecannonball

Rick Hasen @rickhasen.bsky.social · 2d

I believe that should be REEKING

Politico @politico.com · 2d

REAKING: New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Trump foe, is indicted by Trump’s DOJ.

She has been charged with one count of bank fraud by the same U.S. attorney who brought charges against James Comey.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Trump foe, is indicted by Trump’s DOJ

She has been charged with one count of bank fraud by the same U.S. attorney who brought charges against James Comey.

www.politico.com

7 39 300

felinecannonball @felinecannon.bsky.social · 2d

Most of the money would undoubtedly go to megacorps, hedgefunds, and banks.

Suppliers, truckers, longshoremen, and people who actually work in the dirt tilling, planting, spraying, irrigating, harvesting aren’t going to get any trickle-down pennies.

Reposted by felinecannonball

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 2d

Good time to read @mollyroberts.bsky.social:

“It’s hard to imagine a worse case than the one against James Comey—until you see the one against the attorney general of New York.”

www.lawfaremedia.org/article/next...

Next Up: Letitia James
Molly Roberts
Monday, October 6, 2025, 9:59 AM
Share On: f X in $
It's hard to imagine a worse case than the one against James Comey-until you see the one against the attorney general of New York.

67 580 1.9K

felinecannonball @felinecannon.bsky.social · 2d

The web version is loading normally on cellular but not on my home wifi. They are messing with something.

Reposted by felinecannonball

Julian Sanchez @normative.bsky.social · 2d

Brett Kavanaugh assures me this is the sort of minor inconvenience that shouldn't disturb anyone.

CollinCountyDems @collincountydems.bsky.social · 2d

This is terrifying!

ICE breaks into this woman’s car in the pick-up line at West Loop Elementary school in Chicago and detains her before she can pick her kids up from school. (They were eventually let go after showing their documents)

This is Trump’s America.

8 460 1.4K

Reposted by felinecannonball

Michael Cruickshank @cruickshank.bsky.social · 2d

Some images from today’s outing on Ilha das Flores.

1 9

Reposted by felinecannonball

David Burbach 🌹 @dburbach.bsky.social · 2d

And in Chicago, DOJ -- pressed twice by the judge -- say it is irrelevant if the situation justifying the use of troops was provoked by, even deliberately provoked by, the federal government

9 38

Reposted by felinecannonball

Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 2d

It is pretty galling that the Supreme Court spent four years telling Biden "you can't do that without Congress" then allowed Trump to seize a once-unthinkable amount of power from Congress within nine months and concentrate law-making authority almost entirely in the executive branch.

220 2.6K 9.7K

felinecannonball @felinecannon.bsky.social · 2d

Some good news, but for me phase two or three or four will be the ones to watch. We’ve had ceasefires. I don’t feel compelled to hand it to anyone who played any roll in making last 2+ years what it was.

I am curious if Trump will have an aneurysm when the Nobel goes to someone else tomorrow.