Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Joe Vilas @jhv.bsky.social · 11h

First hot toddy of the season — cognac, hot water, & demerara sugar in a warmed mug. No lemon peel, juice, tea, bitters, batters, butters, or anything else. Delicious wafts of vanilla from the aging & fruit from the cognac. Cheers. #cheers 🍸

2

Reposted by Joe Vilas

r o o @jakepaulsartre.bsky.social · 11h

I've always pictured any theoretical afterlife as this beyond-human-comprehension abstraction, like your brain during a k-hole but x1000

So it catches me so off guard whenever evangelicals are like "Yeah in heaven you'll own 7 or 8 dodge chargers & golden corral is ALWAYS open--"

Right Wing Watch @rightwingwatch.bsky.social · 18h

A tearful Kim Robinson reports that God showed her that Charlie Kirk was rewarded with a horse ranch in Heaven and she saw "Charlie riding on a horse, with Jesus."

7 2 54

Reposted by Joe Vilas

Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 12h

Jeffrey Epstein: Bad Pedophile starts... now.

The Onion Investigates: Jeffrey Epstein

YouTube video by The Onion

www.youtube.com

55 380 1.7K

Reposted by Joe Vilas

Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 18h

With SCOTUS set to legalize conversion therapy, I think it's important for states to get around this decision by implementing new legislation applying private rights of action to practitioners of conversion therapy by their victims with large damages and long statutes of limitations.

17 420 1.6K

Reposted by Joe Vilas

CaffeineIsLife @caffeineislife.bsky.social · 12h

NO pregnant persons ever "gobble" Tylenol. They take it in the times they need it to help cope with pain or fever that doesn't resolve on it's own. Because a pregnant person is already enduring enough physical strain and added strain of fever/pain isn't good and can lead to problems.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 18h

RFK Jr: "Somebody showed me a TikTok video of a pregnant woman at 8 months pregnant -- she's an associate professor at the Columbia Medical School -- and she is saying 'F Trump' and gobbling Tylenol with her baby in her placenta. The level of Trump Derangement Syndrome is now a pathology."

2 3 8

Reposted by Joe Vilas

Public Universal Fiend @publicuniversal.bsky.social · 12h

SK Winnicki, PhD 🏳️‍⚧️ @skwinnicki.bsky.social · 17h

When I saw a beanie baby owl in a shrub in the urban park behind my house I wondered if someone was trolling me, but then I saw the "Please don't touch, doing science" note an noticed the owl was above a tray of peanuts, with a predator-model-free (owl-less) tray nearby haha

Fluffy white beanie baby owl with large eyes and tiny colorful wings, tucked in the crook of a small sapling so it is over a tray of peanuts.

Half a sheet of notebook paper taped to a tree trunk. In very small, almost unreadable handwriting it says "Please don't touch doing sciences" in blue ink. Definitely could be written larger on the sheet; I had to use binoculars to read it from the path.

1 4

Reposted by Joe Vilas

spooky tim dewey @tjdfotographist.bsky.social · 15h

Free speech is when I encourage people to send you death threats; hate speech is when you tell me to stop.

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 15h

Can you hear the words coming out of your mouth, Megan?

Yes, the guy who received so many threats because of your own actions he had to flee to Europe isn’t the real victim. No. You are, because people called you out.

Megyn Doyle, a student at Rutgers and the treasurer for the Turning Point USA chapter who started the Change.org petition to remove Bray, told Fox News Digital in a statement that Di Filippo's petition is slanderous.
"The petition once again proves that Conservative students are always on the receiving end of hate when speaking about concerning issues," Doyle said.

6 170 650

Reposted by Joe Vilas

Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 12h

Donald Trump is not a king — and his administration is not above the law.

Today, the court confirmed what we all know: there is no credible evidence of a rebellion in the state of Illinois.

And no place for the National Guard in the streets of American cities like Chicago.

210 2.9K 11K

Reposted by Joe Vilas

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 12h

Further arrests made over ‘shocking’ arson attack on Peacehaven mosque

Four people have so far been arrested as part of police investigation into attack in East Sussex, which caused ‘significant damage’ Police have made further arrests over an arson attack on a mosque in East Sussex. The building in Phyllis Avenue, Peacehaven was badly damaged by the fire at about 9.50pm on Saturday. Nobody was injured, but police said “significant damage” was caused to the front of the building and a nearby vehicle. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

2 12 43

Reposted by Joe Vilas

Jose Pagliery @josepagliery.bsky.social · 12h

Quite the moment in that Chicago courtroom where a federal prosecutor tried to convince a judge that it's okay for the Trump White House to deploy Texas soldiers as an anti-crime force in Illinois.

Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 17h

Perry: "I agree with you about the seriousness of threats, generally, across the United States right now. I don't think there's a single public servant, really, who is not being subject to threats.

"Mine started about 10 minutes after I got this case."

1 18 29

Reposted by Joe Vilas

KM Apothecary @apothcarysees.bsky.social · Dec 20

Autism can be diagnosed at 3 months old. The vaccines falsely associated with autism are started at 6 months. The Lancet retracted the dubious study & the author lost his medical license, end this ridiculous myth once and for all.

25 210 660

Reposted by Joe Vilas

@NewsJennifer (Jennifer Schulze) @newsjennifer.bsky.social · 12h

"no credible evidence that there is danger of rebellion in the state of Illinois."

It's mind boggling than in 2025 a federal judge in Chicago just uttered these words in court case between against the President of the United States. My god.

Perry: "I have seen no credible evidence that there is danger of rebellion in the state of Illinois."

8 150 620

Reposted by Joe Vilas

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 13h

Yup. Now.

Simon Rosenberg @simonwdc.bsky.social · 15h

We are witnessing the most lawless behavior by a leader in American history, just daily, extraordinary abuses of power. National Democrats must speak out in a loud and clear voice against Trump's escalating authoritarianism. It is time now.

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 15h

The Guardian reports that Letitia James has been indicted

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

14 160 770

Reposted by Joe Vilas

Jay @j37hr0.bsky.social · 12h

@andrewfleer.com making PB model for a heating pad

1 2

Reposted by Joe Vilas

David Ingram @davidingram.bsky.social · 13h

ANOTHER update on my earlier reporting: NHTSA said today they're investigating Tesla over how FSD handles rail crossings. www.nbcnews.com/tech/elon-mu...

2 10 22

Reposted by Joe Vilas

Rhuta Bhayga @rhutabhayga.bsky.social · 16h

DON'T buy into #MikeJohnson's pathetic excuse for not swearing in duly-elected #AdelitaGrijalva.

Elected official CAN be sworn in during a government shutdown.

Want some precedent?

The full House was sworn in during a government shutdown when a new Congress started in January 2019.
#EpsteinFiles

Swearing-in ceremonies are not halted by a shutdown, because they are constitutional or statutory duties, not discretionary spending activities.

A government shutdown affects agencies and programs that rely on annual appropriations, but Congress itself and the offices of elected officials (federal, state, or local) usually remain operational for essential and constitutional functions.

For example:

Members of Congress can still take the oath of office even if parts of the federal government are closed. Congressional operations are funded separately under permanent appropriations.

Presidents are sworn in on January 20th regardless of any shutdown. The inauguration is a constitutional event that cannot be postponed by funding gaps.

State and local officials are likewise sworn in per their state constitutions or laws — those events are governed by state authority, not federal funding.

8 74 130

Reposted by Joe Vilas

Prism @prismreports.org · 14h

Jennyfer, a restaurant worker in FL, reported to police that her manager sexually assaulted her. Within weeks, she was charged with a DUI & deported to Nicaragua. The criminal legal system, in tandem with immigration enforcement, is built to disappear vulnerable people, @alexmar.bsky.social reports.

Deported after reporting sexual assault: A worker’s fight for justice

Jennyfer told police that her manager assaulted her. Within weeks of reporting, she was charged with a DUI and deported to Nicaragua

prismreports.org

1 50 69

Reposted by Joe Vilas

reggie seidman @ennui.org · 13h

Well, they were right, just not the way they thought.

Gregory Hays @aristofontes.bsky.social · 14h

Gonna go out on a limb and predict dead silence from all the centrist pundits who told us that charging Trump with crimes would be the end of the Republic.

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

1 2

Reposted by Joe Vilas

Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 15h

Has anyone ever asked this man to explain what the is wrong with being Palestinian? Seems like a simple follow up question. bsky.app/profile/atru...

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 18h

JD Vance describes Chuck Schumer as "one of the most famous Palestinians in the world"

50 330 2.1K

Reposted by Joe Vilas

C.A. Pinkham @eyepatchguy.bsky.social · 14h

I’m not kidding when I say these weird ass costumes and antics are actually an extremely effective tactic from a media standpoint bc when enough people do them, the media can’t fully scrub them out

The Daily Show @thedailyshow.com · 15h

The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.

28 950 2.9K

Reposted by Joe Vilas

Rick Hasen @rickhasen.bsky.social · 14h

I believe that should be REEKING

Politico @politico.com · 14h

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 37 290

Reposted by Joe Vilas

Popehat Agitates And Irritates @kenwhite.bsky.social · 13h

He really didn’t have to hit the piñata that hard for all that candy to come out.

13 15 1K

Reposted by Joe Vilas

Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 14h

👨‍🍳💋

240 610 7.3K

Reposted by Joe Vilas

Elizabeth Sandifer @eruditorumpress.com · 13h

I've just spent fifteen minutes on a 150 word section describing the crime scene photo of Mary Kelly's dismembered body. It was legitimately some of the least pleasant writing work I have ever done. At exactly zero points in the process did I think, "gosh, I wish I could get AI to do this for me."

Faine Greenwood @faineg.bsky.social · 14h

there’s this weird idea a lot of people seem to have about how all of us writers and artists must secretly want to use AI and are merely resisting temptation for ethical reasons, and like, no, it’s not hard for me to resist drinking the bowl of Piss With Glass In It actually

1 13 91