Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

substack.com/profile/3003...
@rachelbitecofer.bsky.social @davidpepperoh.bsky.social @leahgreenberg.bsky.social

November 23, 2025 at 8:36 PM

fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

@fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

HO HO HO Special Holiday Show - FridayPowerLunch.com - December 12 with @David Pepper @Rachel "The Doc" Bitecofer 📈🔭 and Leah Greenberg @Indivisible - more “gifts” coming your way!

What Ms. Piggy taught us about fighting back. Let's talk the news and upcoming guest in December.

November 21, 2025 at 5:49 AM

fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

@fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

What Ms. Piggy taught us about fighting back. Let's talk the news and upcoming guest in December.
open.substack.com/pub/fridaypo...

‼️ FRIDAY POWER LUNCH CREW IS ON BREAK UNTIL DECEMBER 5, 2025. Tune in for our first Substack LIVE - Sunday, November 23 at 7pm EDT.

Finale's Hot Takes Episode 41 - Nov 14 "From Kings to Authoritarianism"

November 21, 2025 at 4:59 AM

fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

@fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

Call your reps folks! Leah will be on the FridayPowerLunch.com on Dec. 12! Our special HO HO HO Holiday show!

November 18, 2025 at 12:28 AM

fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

@fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

Finale's Hot Takes Episode 41 - Nov 14 "From Kings to Authoritarianism" @equalityalec.bsky.social @aftynbehn.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/fridaypo...

Finale's Hot Take

substack.com/profile/3003...

November 18, 2025 at 12:27 AM

fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

@fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

Why Tennessee matter! Special election with @Aftyn

In a Win for Voters, Wisconsin Judge Withdraws Anti-Voting Order on Proof of Citizenship

November 16, 2025 at 10:52 PM

fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

@fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

Never signal weakness - especially w. a dangerous admin. Don't go to war unless you mean to win it.
GOP figured out our weakness - we care.

We will be held hostage every time the MAGA monsters ransom the most vulnerable. It rewards depraved behavior.

It is bad for our brand. Emboldens evil.

November 11, 2025 at 1:53 AM

Reposted

Democracy Docket

@democracydocket.com

WIN: A Wisconsin judge vacates his previous order requiring mass citizenship checks for voter registration, after both parties agreed to its withdrawal. The ruling means there will not be a new citizenship verification requirement ahead of the 2026 elections.

Read more here.

www.democracydocket.com

November 10, 2025 at 11:12 PM

Reposted

Indivisible ❌👑

@indivisible.org

“After a year spent organizing to try to convince the Democratic Party to unify and oppose this regime, here’s where I am: The time for convincing is over. We need new leadership.” - @ezralevin.bsky.social

Demand that your Dem senators call on Schumer to step aside: indivisible.org/resource/cal...

November 10, 2025 at 11:22 PM

Reposted

Blue Virginia

@bluevirginia.bsky.social

Superb article by @markjacob.bsky.social - "How news coverage eases us into tyranny; When the media act like things are normal, they don’t reassure us – they gaslight us" bluevirginia.us/2025/11/mond...

uperb article by Mark Jacob - "How news coverage eases us into tyranny; When the media act like things are normal, they don’t reassure us – they gaslight us"

"News outlets rarely 'hit the total button.'"
"Major media have surrendered to the liars."
"Everything seems to have the same volume."
"If only the media acted more like frogs."

https://www.stopthepresses.news/p/how-news-coverage-eases-us-into-tyranny https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1ede16c3359b111bdfabc85a1056dc1f5bcdce8096c42a9382ec2a956c755a11.jpg

November 10, 2025 at 11:45 PM

fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

@fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

The spring vote sealed the fate we are in right now. Schumer has to go and should have been walked out the door a long time ago.

Amy Siskind @amysiskind.com · 15d

I said the same thing when the Senate Democrats caved in the spring: you must never capitulate to dictators, it only emboldens them (and it did).
Rinse, repeat. The cowardice is heartbreaking. Tough to be a Democrat sometimes.

November 11, 2025 at 1:25 AM

fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

@fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

We deserve better.

Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · 15d

After yesterday’s surrender, we’re launching the largest Democratic primary program that we’ve ever run.

We will not back any Senate primary candidate unless they call for Schumer to step down as Minority Leader.

If you’re as pissed as we are, join this campaign to rebuild the Democratic Party. 👇

Democratic leaders have failed us again. It's time to get new leaders.

After yet another capitulation by Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats, it's clear we need new leadership capable of mounting a serious opposition to Trump's authoritarian regime. We're launching our la...

www.indivisible2026.org

November 11, 2025 at 1:25 AM

Reposted

Jess Piper

@piperformissouri.bsky.social

If you're close to Edwardsville tomorrow, come see me!

November 11, 2025 at 12:05 AM

Reposted

Blue Virginia

@bluevirginia.bsky.social

Former VA Del. Mark Levine (D): "I’m really surprised a Senator I know personally and have long respected is this naive. Kaine isn’t stupid. But his justification for bowing down to King Donald is so illogical that it insults any thinking Virginian." bluevirginia.us/2025/11/sen-...

Fmr. VA Del. Mark Levine: "Last night, Senator Tim Kaine caved to Trump. He snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
Just two days before the Supreme Court would have been forced to make a landmark ruling on whether Trump could personally order tens of millions of Americans to be denied food in advance of Thanksgiving….
It would have gone down in the history books.
Either Trump and the Supreme Court would have been exposed for their willingness to force anti-Christian suffering so great that even some Christian evangelicals might have awakened to Trump’s cruelty. Or (less likely) the high Court would have defied our wannabe dictator and shown kindness where Trump wanted cruelty, and we would then learn whether Trump would willingly disobey a Supreme Court order in order to force a starvation plan on tens of millions of hungry Americans. Just two more days and the stakes would have been clear. But now, thanks to Kaine, the Supreme Court will dismiss “Trump v. Twenty Million Hungry Americans” as moot.
If, after Trump had been exposed for his massive cruelty, Kaine had then stepped in to save Americans from starvation by giving into the demands of sadistic Republicans ruthlessly taking tens of millions of Americans hostage for political advantage, at least Kaine would have had some reason to do so. (Or perhaps Republicans would have ended the filibuster. Unlikely but something Democrats could use later on if Americans ever regained confidence in our party.) Instead of waiting just two more days, Kaine protected Trump’s back at the expense of Americans’ health care. And got nothing in return. Absolutely nothing.
Kaine funded subsidies for a full year for rural American Trump voters by appropriating for agriculture but got nothing for the Northern Virginia federal workers who support Democrats except a two-month reprieve that Trump will likely violate anyway.
We had the moral high ground. Americans who had long lost confidence in the Democratic Party were just …

"But Trump broke the law anyway and when lower courts said he couldn’t, the Supreme Court ruled that these congressional laws could be ignored.
Doesn’t Kaine understand that Trump believes he has the right to ignore all laws and the Constitution? And when the Supreme Court won’t hold him accountable, it is up to our Senator to do so?
What will Kaine do when Trump violates this deal and does a RIF despite promising not to?
What will Kaine do when Trump — despite a second law requiring the same thing the first law does — denies back pay again?
It’s a serious question.
Will Kaine try to pass a third useless law? A fourth? Will be stomp his feet and scream? Or will he finally one day do what we elected him to do?
Will Kaine sue to enforce the no RIF clause? Then find out his case won’t be heard by the Supreme Court before January 30? And then finally realize Kaine’s “laws” and Republican promises are not worth the paper they are printed on? Will Kaine ever realize that the Democrats’ only weapon available under the Trump proto-dictatorship is the one he just threw away?
Then will Kaine finally promise to stop voting to cave to Trump and the Republicans when they cheat him yet again? Or is it always Lucy with the football against the craven Democrats who cry “please don’t hurt me anymore”?
My entire life I’ve been a proud progressive Democrat. I’ve opposed the Leftists who would tear our system down. I’ve argued we can still get necessary progressive reforms non-violently through the current framework of our massively flawed constitutional republic. But now Leftists say the Democrats are useless. They say democracy is useless. And Kaine’s actions last night make it very hard to defend Democrats or democracy.
Kaine’s vote has been cast. But I beg the Senator that when Republicans yet again double cross him for the umpteenth time, he finally one day stand firm and say “enough is enough.” Please make this the last time he capitulates to our pronto-dictator. Pleas…

November 10, 2025 at 4:43 PM

fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

@fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

Finale's Hot Take on November 7th FPL "Time to Talk Elections, Politics, and Power"
open.substack.com/pub/fridaypo...

Finale's Hot Take on November 7th FPL "Time to Talk Elections, Politics, and Power"

My Hot Take (Some thoughts above)

We fought F-king hard. Why can't Senate Dems?

November 10, 2025 at 6:08 PM

fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

@fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

We fought F-king hard. Why can't Senate Dems?
open.substack.com/pub/fridaypo...

Time to hit the phones.

November 10, 2025 at 3:53 AM

fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

@fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

substack.com/profile/3003...
The Senate appears to have a reached a deal to open the government… but Warner and Kaine are split.
Senator Warner needs to know - that we see him and understand the game.
We want a real deal - not a promise.

tinyurl.com/4ccubsad

The Senate appears to have a reached a deal to open the government… but Warner and Kaine are split. Senator Warner needs to know - that we see him and understand the game. Tim Kaine is running cover...

November 10, 2025 at 2:03 AM

fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

@fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

substack.com/@networknova...

@simonwdc.bsky.social on C-Span - a MUST listen and Simon always delivers.

@Simon Rosenberg on CSpan. Listen in.

November 8, 2025 at 9:38 PM

fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

@fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

substack.com/@networknova...

@marcussimon.com is my favorite Delegate - there I said it. Tune-in to listen to the whole interview - Simon has so much knowledge and knowhow - it is a never miss convo!
tinyurl.com/3dwuf7yr

Delegate Simon on what it is like being in the minority in the VA General Assembly - Reps are at 36 seats! Dems with 64 (37 women)!

🎥 Recording: Episode 40 - 🌊 “Time to Talk Elections, Politics and Power” - RECAP with Action links!

November 8, 2025 at 9:36 PM

fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

@fridaypowerlunch.bsky.social

🎥 Recording: Episode 40 🌊 “Time to Talk Elections, Politics and Power” - RECAP with Action links!
open.substack.com/pub/fridaypo...

Great takeaways from the BIG BLUE WAVE election!