Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

John Horgan

@johnhorgan.bsky.social

4.5K followers 1.7K following 1.8K posts

Distinguished University Professor of psychology who studies terrorism, school safety, and a few other things📍Atlanta, GA. Recipient of the 2024 FBI Director's Community Leadership Award. This is a personal account. Author of TERRORIST MINDS. .. more

Videos

John G. Horgan is a Distinguished University Professor of Psychology at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. He studies involvement and engagement with terrorism, with a focus on disengagement and deradicalisation from terrorist movements. He has been described by the European Eye on Radicalization research group as the "world’s most distinguished expert in the psychology of terrorism". Since 2019, Horgan has been leading a team of researchers funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to research the incel subculture. .. more

Political science 30%

Medicine 30%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 19h

US anti-fascism expert blocked from flying to Spain at airport

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

US anti-fascism expert blocked from flying to Spain at airport

Rutgers University professor who published book on antifa was informed at boarding gate that his trip was cancelled

www.theguardian.com

5 10

John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 20h

Sending Saska all good thoughts from the crew here!

John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 20h

The Tackymeter. Available now.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 21h

Trump Watches commercials are now running regularly on Newsmax

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, John Horgan, Andrew Scott , and 5 more Brendan Nyhan, John Horgan, Andrew Scott, Diane Ravitch, Alan Richardson, Robert B. Reich, Sam Kamin, David Darmofal

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 21h

Trump Watches commercials are now running regularly on Newsmax

540 430 1.5K

John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 22h

Absolutely. Fairly small selection I'd heartily recommend right now, but that will hopefully change in time.

Reposted by Nathan P. Kalmoe

John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 1d

Reading a lot recently on the intersections of gaming, violent extremism, extreme violence, and politics. Still so much we don't know about even the most elementary processes and functions. This is of the better books I've come across so far. Great starting point for anyone wanting to learn more.

Cover of the book Gaming Democracy, by Adrienne Massanari.

2 17 67

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 1d

#WarRavagedPortland

1.3K 11K 36K

Reposted by John Horgan

Elizabeth Pearson @lizzypearson.bsky.social · 2d

Tomorrow 9 October @vox-pol.bsky.social launches this excellent new report by @antoniavaughan.bsky.social Researching the Far Right Safely in Academia.

I'm chairing, @audreygagnon.bsky.social is discussing. Do come along!

Sign up below. Webinar - 9 October - 6pm BST 🕸️

voxpol.eu/events/new-v...

New VOX-Pol Report Online Launch - VOX - Pol

09/10/2025 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm - VOX-Pol is publishing a new report titled Researching the Far Right Safely in Academia: Current Practices and Constraints by Dr Antonia Vaughan on Thursday 9 October 2...

voxpol.eu

15 21

John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 2d

"bucking tradition"

NPR @npr.org · 2d

President Trump is bucking tradition and legal precedent in pushing to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-led cities like Portland, Oregon, and Chicago due to what he says is rampant crime and to support his crackdown on illegal immigration.

Trump's power to deploy National Guard, explained

n.pr

5 13 90

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Jan W. Mueller, John Horgan , and 6 more Anna O. Law, Jan W. Mueller, John Horgan, David Rothschild, Jon Green, Joseph Schafer, Greg Linden, Matthew P. McAllister, Nathan P. Kalmoe

NPR @npr.org · 2d

Trump's power to deploy National Guard, explained

n.pr

920 65 220

John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 3d

The meme-ification of political violence

Very thoughtful discussion here

www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/m...

The meme-ification of political violence

It's less ideology than the internet — what the media and Trump don't understand about the current wave of shootings.

www.msnbc.com

3 5

John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 4d

Good morning

Daniel Knowles @dlknowles.bsky.social · 5d

I visited the apartment building ICE raided on Tuesday today. Story to come, but you can walk right in. Half of the apartments have no doors on them. Children's stuff abandoned in some flats. *Citizen* residents told me they were arrested and held for hours in zipties. This is America

470 7.5K 18K

John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 5d

Well said.

John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 5d

escaping reality for a while

2 1 25

John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 6d

Yes. It almost reads as satire.

1 1

John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 6d

American Association of University Professors: Universities Must Reject Trump Admin "Loyalty Oath" Compacts

www.aaup.org/news/univers...

#highered #academicsky

Universities Must Reject Trump Admin "Loyalty Oath" Compacts

The AAUP and AFT warn that the Trump administration’s offer to give preferential treatment to colleges and universities in exchange for allegiance to a partisan ideological agenda is entirely corrupt.

www.aaup.org

5 14

Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 6d

NEW: ICE is planning to hire a team of nearly 30 people to surveil social media 24/7, build dossiers on people, and flag them for arrest and deportation. @dell.bsky.social has the scoop: www.wired.com/story/ice-so...

ICE Wants to Build Out a 24/7 Social Media Surveillance Team

Documents show ICE plans to hire dozens of contractors to scan X, Facebook, TikTok, and other platforms to target people for deportation.

www.wired.com

790 4.9K 6.5K

Reposted by Ken Caldeira, Tom Clark, John Horgan , and 11 more Ken Caldeira, Tom Clark, John Horgan, Leo Lucassen, Megan L. Ranney, Rosemary A. Joyce, Sanford F. Schram, Michael Kevane, Laurent Pech, Robert B. Reich, Anne Norton, Claire L. Adida, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Beth Tellman

Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 6d

According to eyewitnesses, armed ICE agents dragged kids out of their beds in the middle of the night, zip tied them and put them in rented vans while raiding an * entire apartment building* on the South Side of Chicago.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOXO...

‘F--- them kids’: ICE agents drag children out of bed, ransack Chicago building

YouTube video by MSNBC

www.youtube.com

1.2K 7.2K 14K

Reposted by John Horgan, Steve Peers, Cameron Campbell , and 4 more John Horgan, Steve Peers, Cameron Campbell, David Rosnick, Manisha Sinha, Dan Immergluck, Dunlap

NPR @npr.org · 7d

As President Trump ramps up efforts to send federal officers and troops into cities, criminologists are watching closely. Are the feds doing this in a smart way?

National Guard presence may deter crime, but experts warn of the long-term costs

As President Trump ramps up efforts to send federal officers and troops into cities, criminologists are watching closely. Are the feds doing this in a smart way?

n.pr

1.2K 110 420

Reposted by John Horgan

Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 7d

"Armed federal agents in military fatigues busted down their doors overnight, pulling men, women and children from their apartments, some of them naked, residents and witnesses said."

www.wbez.org/immigration/...

Jones, 27, is among the residents left at 7500 S. South Shore Drive who are trying to piece together what remains after an early morning, high-powered federal immigration raid led to the arrests of dozens of their neighbors at their South Shore apartment building.

Armed federal agents in military fatigues busted down their doors overnight, pulling men, women and children from their apartments, some of them naked, residents and witnesses said. Agents approached or entered nearly every apartment in the five-story building, and U.S. citizens were among those detained for hours.

When he got home from work, Jones said he entered his unit to find all of his electronics and furniture missing, and all of his clothes and shoes thrown on the floor. Jones said he had no idea who took his belongings and hadn’t received answers from Chicago police.

“I’m pissed off,” Jones said. “I feel defeated because the authorities aren’t doing anything.”

On Wednesday, toys, shoes and food were still in piles in the building’s hallways. Property managers were seen throwing mattresses and broken doors into dumpsters.

76 700 1.4K

Reposted by John Horgan, Mary L. Dudziak, Kevin Jon Heller

Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 7d

Spoke with @charliesavage.bsky.social about how the administration is trying to backfill a legal rationale for US strikes in the Caribbean.

Seems by "determining" there is an armed conflict—without any basis in fact or law—POTUS is giving himself a license to kill.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/u...

Trump ‘Determined’ the U.S. Is Now in a War With Drug Cartels, Congress Is Told

www.nytimes.com

15 67 140

John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 7d

👇👇👇

Ashton Kingdon @ashkingdon.bsky.social · 7d

I am Excited to be Editing a Special Journal Issue Titled Terrorism, Radicalisation and Social Order: Perspectives on Emerging Threats and Responses. If You Have Something to Say about the Future of Terrorism/Extremism Research Check Out The CFP 👇https://www.nature.com/collections/ejdcaehbha

2 7

John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 7d

Gun Violence, Major Crime Rates Reach Record Low In New York City

abcnews.go.com/US/trump-cal...

As Trump calls for military crackdown on crime, New York City sees record-low numbers

There were fewer shootings in New York City during the first nine months of the year than in the same time period of any prior year.

abcnews.go.com

1 4

Reposted by John Horgan

Ashton Kingdon @ashkingdon.bsky.social · 7d

11 28

John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 11d

So distinguished...

John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 12d

🤙🏻