Author | Lightnews

J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 1d

Is anyone surprised by this?

FBI urges ICE to ID themselves as criminals impersonate officers

thehill.com/policy/natio...

thehill.com

J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 1d

This is not among the top 10 things I care most about today.

"... there is a 'high potential' that fecal matter and disease-causing organisms have entered the town’s infrastructure."

www.sfgate.com/renotahoe/ar...

Tahoe’s billionaire enclave might have a poop problem

A Nov. 3 notice cited a "loss of pressure in the distribution system."

www.sfgate.com

J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 2d

“It smelled of onions and mustard,” Lairmore said of the sandwich, which “exploded all over my chest.”

www.cnn.com/2025/11/04/p...

‘It smelled of onions and mustard,’ Border Patrol officer hit by sandwich in DC testifies | CNN Politics

The sandwich-throwing incident became a moment of resistance in the city, with spray painted posters popping up around the capital in the wake of the alleged assault.

www.cnn.com

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J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 3d

One of my instructors emphasized that finding yourself with an empty gun was, by definition, a failure. During his defensive pistol and shotgun training courses we practiced reloading before the mag ran dry under escalating levels of duress.

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J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 5d

"Pentagon orders ‘quick reaction force’ of 500 troops per state

"Each state also will be given '100 sets of crowd control equipment to be used to support this requirement,' such as Tasers, pepper spray, batons, and body shields."

thehill.com/policy/defen...

thehill.com

J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 5d

"This machine is a stark reminder that automation doesn’t ask for permission."

How many fast-food employees will this device replace? Most of them, I think.

www.yankodesign.com/2025/10/29/t...

This Massive Robot Wants To Replace An Entire Restaurant - Yanko Design

Inside a seven-square-meter glass enclosure, two robotic arms move with startling precision. One retrieves ingredients from climate-controlled silos, another works over a heating element, and within m...

www.yankodesign.com

J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 6d

“He is acclimating people to the notion that the military is his private army, unconstrained by law, unconstrained by norms, unconstrained by American traditions.”

www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

Trump’s Plan Is Now Out in the Open

It’s getting ever harder to avoid connecting the authoritarian dots.

www.theatlantic.com

J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 8d

"For years, the Senate eroded its own authority through silence and submission. Facing another turning point in U.S. foreign policy, its members now find they have no authority left to surrender."

thehill.com/opinion/cong...

thehill.com

J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 11d

Please check your facts. New Mexico is a solidly Democrat state.

J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 12d

"... former SpaceX intern" plans to offer a “sunlight on demand service" to “leading brands who want to bring a novel touch to their promotions.”

And you thought AI was the techno threat of the day.

futurism.com/space/scient...

Scientists Oppose Huge Array of Mirrors in Space That Shines Nighttime Sunlight on Wealthy Customers

The astronomical community is horrified at plans made by a for-profit company to flood the night sky with sunlight.

futurism.com

J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 12d

"By the time we agree that our minds are no longer our own, that we simply cannot think clearly without tech assistance, how much of us will be left to resist?"

This article makes some pretty profound observations.

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Are we living in a golden age of stupidity?

From brain-rotting videos to AI creep, every technological advance seems to make it harder to work, remember, think and function independently …

www.theguardian.com

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J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 12d

It appears that The Onion is watching southwest New Mexico.

The Onion @theonion.com · 13d

What To Know About Data Centers https://theonion.com/what-to-know-about-data-centers/

Q: How long does it take to build a new data center?

A: Approximately one closed-door city council vote.

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J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 13d

Please consider this as you decide what to pay attention to, what to ignore, and how to spend your money.

New Mexico Nomad @newmexiconomad.com · 13d

Random thought: many good articles are behind pay walls, while misleading or false content is free. As the economy deteriorates, access to information and facts can become a matter of disposable income.

J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 15d

"Three years from now you’ll be getting ChatGPT to give you a bullet-pointed precis of an AI-generated criticism of a show that was presented by AI-generated hosts, while you dig in the dirt for worms to feed your family."

www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

Joke’s on you, fleshbag! Channel 4’s first AI presenter is dizzyingly grim on so many levels

The AI-generated host of Dispatches raises worrying questions about Channel 4’s environmental impact. She’s also a dead-eyed host who might leave Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Kevin McCloud fearing for the...

www.theguardian.com

J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 16d

If you're not sure what this is all about, watch this video explanation from U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico.

"What checkers, a ladder, and the Supreme Court have in common."

youtu.be/k83zMfnVO1k?...

SCOTUS News

YouTube video by U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich

youtu.be

J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 16d

"That appeals court decision protected access to more than 3.5 million acres of public lands in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Kansas, and Oklahoma, with implications for an estimated 8.3 million acres across the West."

www.backcountryhunters.org/news/details...

Supreme Court Declines to Hear Corner-Crossing Case, Protecting Millions of Acres of Public Lands

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 20, 2025 Contact: [email protected] Supreme Court Declines to Hear Corner-Crossing Case, Protecting Millions of Acres of Public Lands Ruling highlig...

www.backcountryhunters.org

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J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 18d

Very proud of our little town.

And it was very fun to be there yesterday. I didn't see any hostile behavior at all.

halfsou.bsky.social @halfsou.bsky.social · 19d

From the front lines of War Ravaged Silver City, New Mexico

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J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 19d

Some really pretty country up that way.

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J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 20d

Welcome to the neighborhood! One of our favorite places, close to home.

1

J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 20d

"The government’s cases are sometimes so muddied that it’s unclear why agents actually arrested a citizen."

www.propublica.org/article/immi...

More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days.

The government does not track how often immigration agents grab citizens. So ProPublica did. Our tally — almost certainly incomplete — includes people who were held for days without a lawyer. And near...

www.propublica.org

J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 22d

"... a new parent searching for 'baby thermometers' might find pricier products on the first page of their results than a nonparent would. It’s not surprising that many people think this is unfair."

theconversation.com/in-defense-o...

In defense of ‘surveillance pricing’: Why personalized prices could be an unexpected force for equity

Fans of redistribution may find something good in the latest AI-powered development in pricing.

theconversation.com

J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 22d

I think this is worth your time.

www.democracynow.org/2025/10/10/c...

“Enshittification”: Cory Doctorow on Why Big Tech Sucks, Keeps Getting Worse & What to Do About It

Writer Cory Doctorow returns to Democracy Now! to discuss his new book Enshittification, which explores the term he coined in 2022 to describe how online platforms like Facebook degrade over time as c...

www.democracynow.org

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J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 23d

"Social movements are bigger than political parties, and focused on more than just passing bills in Congress. They push for change on civic, cultural, institutional, and legislative fronts all at once. They change the climate of the age."

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...

America Needs a Mass Movement—Now

Without one, America may sink into autocracy for decades.

www.theatlantic.com

J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 23d

I've been lax about putting a photo of myself up on my profile. I'll get around to it, at some point.

Meanwhile, here's me, with my partner, Val.

Southwest Art Towns @southwestarttowns.bsky.social · 23d

Hi, friends! In case we haven't met you yet in our travels talking about this project, we're Val & J.—founders of Southwest Art Towns. We're based in Silver City, NM and we're looking forward to getting to know all of the great art communities and creators in the southwest through this adventure.

Man and woman wearing baseball caps and motorcycling gear with desert and mountains in the background.

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J. Brandon @jcbrandon.bsky.social · 23d

"... how will the American people find out what is being done at the Pentagon in their name, with their hard-earned tax dollars, and more importantly, the decisions that may put their sons and daughters in harm's way?"

www.npr.org/2025/10/14/g...

Opinion: Why I'm handing in my Pentagon press pass

Tom Bowman has held his Pentagon press pass for 28 years. He says the Pentagon's new media policy makes it impossible to be a journalist, which means finding out what's really going on behind the scen...

www.npr.org