Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 10h

"Halligan presented the case against James to a grand jury in Alexandria. It is unusual for a top politically-appointed U.S. attorney to present a case herself and could suggest that the office struggled to find a career attorney willing to take on the assignment."

wapo.st/4mZgm9F

Justice Department indicts N.Y. attorney general

Justice Department wins indictment against New York Attorney General Letitia James, accusing her of committing mortgage fraud in 2023.

wapo.st

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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 11h

Dominion Voting Systems has been sold to the former GOP director of elections in St. Louis -- will now be named Liberty Vote.

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

Dominion, voting firm targeted by false 2020 election claims, sold to new owner

Company, which reached $787.5m defamation settlement with Fox News, becomes new entity called Liberty Vote

www.theguardian.com

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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 12h

"Anything in English"

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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 13h

Besides linking Tylenol in pregnant women to autism, RFK Jr. now says circumcision is part of the reason why kids are autistic.

"Children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism, and it's highly likely because they're given Tylenol. None of this is positive..."

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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 14h

Traffic to Bari Weiss' site was up 44 percent in the month before she was announced as CBS News' editor-in-chief.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

Traffic to Bari Weiss’ The Free Press soared before she was named CBS editor-in-chief

Besides its 44 percent bump last month compared to September 2024, the Weiss-founded site was up 134 percent compared to the same month in 2023.

www.independent.co.uk

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Reposted by Justin Baragona

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 14h

TRUMP: “Gaza’s gonna be slowly re-done. You have tremendous wealth in that part of the world.”

Sure sounds like that giant real estate deal coming together, like he (and Smotrich) have openly said. Anyone wanna bet Trump’s family gets a nice piece of the action?

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Reposted by Justin Baragona

Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 14h

A military spouse caller on C-SPAN today directly begged Speaker Mike Johnson to pass a bill to ensure U.S. troops keep getting paid as the government shutdown drags on, condemning his “audacity” for saying he doesn’t support doing it. www.huffpost.com/entry/mike-j...

Military Spouse Caller On C-SPAN Begs Mike Johnson To Pay Troops Amid Shutdown

“As a Republican, I’m very disappointed ... in you, because you do have the power to call the House back,” a Virginia woman fumed at the speaker.

www.huffpost.com

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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 14h

Trump: "You can’t even find any boats in the water anymore. Like a subway train loaded up with drugs. Every boat -- every single boat that you see getting taken out kills 25,000 Americans. Think of that. It’s pretty tough stuff. But it kills 25,000 Americans."

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Reposted by Justin Baragona

Hunter Walker @hunterw.bsky.social · 15h

I was today years old when I realized Bari Weiss' website has been quietly rehabbing Mark Halperin. He's gonna do great on her "debate" show. Can't wait to find out if he thinks MeToo might have gone too far. www.thefp.com/p/mark-halpe...

Mark Halperin on Comey, Government Shutdown, and More

The journalist and editor-in-chief of 2WAY joins the Free Press editors for a conversation about the hottest items in the news.

www.thefp.com

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Reposted by Justin Baragona

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 16h

Marjorie Taylor Greene on polls showing Republicans are getting blamed for the shutdown: "I'm not putting the blame on the president. I'm actually putting the the blame on the Speaker and Leader Thune in the Senate. This should not be happening ... we control the House & Senate & have the WH."

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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 15h

Following MTG's lengthy CNN sitdown interview, Wolf Blitzer tells her:

"You‘re a courageous politician, but more important, a loving mother. Thanks very much for coming in. We hope you‘ll come back here in the Situation Room."

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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 16h

Here we have MTG slamming her Republican colleague Ted Cruz on CNN:

"Well, first, that was an extremely ridiculous thing for Ted Cruz to say... So that was unbelievably low for a sitting US senator to say that."

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Reposted by Justin Baragona

Philip Bump @pbump.com · 1d

I spent more than a decade at The Post. It was good to me and I was proud to work there. I’ve largely refrained from being critical since I left. But this framing of the special counsel probe is embarrassing and flatly wrong. Stunning, but not. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Opinion | Jack Smith’s lawfare and James Comey’s arraignment on pathetically weak charges

Good people will be deterred from public service if they see a meaningful risk of winding up in jail afterward.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 18h

Shut Up And Pray

Michelangelo Signorile @msignorile.bsky.social · 18h

Womp womp.

Sounds like the "just focus on acting" manta when it's Hollywood figures they don't like (while hold up the Mel Gibson and Jon Voight)

WashPost: As Pope Leo riles conservativew, some say "just focus on the church"

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Reposted by Justin Baragona

Herb Scribner @herbscribner.bsky.social · 18h

Fake Protest Videos Are the Latest AI Slop to Go Viral in MAGA World

Trump supporters are doubling down on AI sadism.

gizmodo.com

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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 18h

I'm old enough to remember that Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire and hostage release in January, which was the first part of a three-phase plan to end the war and begin reconstruction of Gaza.

That was announced to fanfare with celebrations in the streets -- and then what happened?

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Reposted by Justin Baragona

Sahil Kapur @sahilkapur.bsky.social · 1d

FBI director gets a label slapped by X on this post saying he delivered on transparency

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Reposted by Justin Baragona

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 1d

If this deal holds, if it goes beyond the 1st phrase, if all of the hostages on both side are released, if Israel withdraws its troops & doesn't resume bombing, if aid gets in, then I'll give Trump credit.

But I count 5 "ifs" above. Let's see. Trump always tends to disappoint.

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 1d

BREAKING: Israel and Hamas reach agreement on "first phase" of plan to stop fighting, release hostages and prisoners, Trump says.

Israel, Hamas agree to 'first phase' of plan to end fighting, release hostages, Trump says

President Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first Phase” of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners.

bit.ly

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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 1d

"Who?"

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Q: Have you given any more thought to possibly suspending habeas corpus?

TRUMP: Suspending who?

Q: Habeas corpus

TRUMP: I don't know. I'd rather leave that to Kristi.

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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 1d

This White House antifa roundtable wouldn't be complete without some January 6 trutherism.

"There has been very compelling proof that antifa did infiltrate on January 6, dressed up like Trump supporters and incited violence. Is that something you would like the J6 committee to look into?"

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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 1d

Trump hints that he's going to give Andy Ngo, Pizzagate Jack, and others at the antifa roundtable the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

"You have been amazing, you have been brave. You are real patriots. At some point, we will look into rewarding you with very important medals and honors."

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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 1d

Looks like the MAGA grifters at the "antifa violence roundtable" are looking to get Trump to list DSA as a terror group as well.

Brandi Kruse: "They're basically the same thing. There's a lot of Democratic Socialists of America out there in black block hiding their faces."

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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 1d

Trump once again says the quiet part out loud when it comes to David Ellison and CBS:

"I think ABC is very bad. I think NBC is very bad. And CBS has a new owner, so we have hope for CBS. CBS has a great new owner, in my opinion."

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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 1d

Incredible.

Jack Posobiec references the earliest version of antifa -- the anti-fascists in the Weimar Republic who were opposed to the Nazi Party -- as the bad guys.

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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 1d

Brandi Kruse at today's "antifa violence roundtable" at the White House: "This is one of the reasons I recovered from it. By the way, it’s much better to not have TDS. I’m happier, healthier, more successful. I even think I got a little more attractive after I got rid of my Trump Derangement System"

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