Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Liz Dye

New York Attorney General Letitia James @newyorkstateag.bsky.social · 9h

This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.

I am not fearful — I am fearless.

We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights..

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Liz Dye @lizdye.bsky.social · 11h

Like a dad buying millions of dollars in poker chips to stop his son from defaulting on his casino loan

David Gura @davidgura.bsky.social · 12h

Secretary Scott Bessent says the U.S. has “directly purchased Argentine pesos,” and the Treasury Department has “finalized a $20 billion currency swap framework with Argentina’s central bank.”

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Liz Dye @lizdye.bsky.social · 13h

Oh, lord that Ninth Circuit hearing was bad. Let's console ourselves with this nice TRO out of Chicago blocking ICE from gassing peaceful protesters and journalists

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Temporary Restraining Order
Plaintiffs filed an Emergency Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order [21] against
Defendants. Having held hearings on October 6, 8, and 9, 2025, the Court finds that Plaintiffs
have met their burden to support the issuance of a Temporary Restraining Order. Accordingly,
the Court grants the motion and orders as follows:
1. It is hereby ORDERED that Defendants,1 their officers, agents, assigns, and all
persons acting in concert with them (hereafter referred to as “Federal Agents”), are temporarily
ENJOINED in this judicial district from:
a. Dispersing, arresting, threatening to arrest, threatening or using physical
force against any person whom they know or reasonably should know is a Journalist, unless
Defendants have probable cause to believe that the individual has committed a crime.
Defendants may order a Journalist to change location to avoid disrupting law enforcement,

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Terry J. Harris @trryjhrrs.bsky.social · 13h

The coming national horror is that if Portland's *truly* minimal level of protest justifies federalizing and deploying troops, they can and will be federalized and deployed anywhere the President wants and whenever he wants.

Gabriel Malor @gabrielmalor.bsky.social · 13h

My initial read on this argument: Judge Nelson is eager to disagree with his 9th Cir. colleagues that federalizing the NG is reviewable at all.

He's also eager to disagree with Judge Immergut that the Portland protests were small and under control.

Gabriel Malor @gabrielmalor.bsky.social · 13h

McArthur about the ICE protesters: "these are violent people." Says the president is entitled to say "enough is enough."

Asks for a stay pending appeal. Sits.

Argument is over.

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Allegra Kirkland @allegrak.bsky.social · 15h

Greg Bovino is the face of Trump's anti-immigration crackdown in blue cities, staging military-style raids to conduct civil immigration arrests.

“The level of violence has changed since he was put in charge,” Chicago alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez tells TPM.

talkingpointsmemo.com/news/greg-bo...

Greg Bovino Emerges as Trump’s Man For Conjuring Up a Blue-City Insurrection

Elected officials, activists, and at least one former high-ranking Department of Homeland...

talkingpointsmemo.com

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Democratic AGs @democraticags.bsky.social · 14h

The president cannot condition federal funding based on his political preferences. Which is why Dem AGs are fighting back in court. @oagmaryland.bsky.social

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Cristian Farias @cristianfarias.com · 15h

This is wild, via @jmetr22b.bsky.social of the Chicago Tribune:

From U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia Kendall in the Northern District of Illinois:

“At no point did I, nor the Building Security Committee, authorize or request the National Guard’s assistance to secure the Dirksen Courthouse.”

Press release from federal court in Illinois:

Statement from Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall

"Providing access to justice is at the heart of the Court's mission and critical for our democracy.
Maintaining access to the courthouse for anyone who seeks redress remains a top priority of the court. It is a core principle to promote our rule of law," said Chief Judge Virginia Kendall.

As the Chief District Court Judge in the Northern District of Illinois, I chair the Dirksen Courthouse Building Security Committee and work closely with the United States Marshals Service. During the past several weeks, I have received frequent updates on matters impacting the Court's operations to allow for proceedings to continue safely. Proceedings are and have been open to the public and the media.

The United States Marshals Service has jurisdiction over the interior and exterior security at the Dirksen Courthouse. While the Federal Protective Service has authority in most federal buildings, the United States Marshals Service has that primary responsibility at the Dirksen Courthouse. I trust and rely upon the men and women of the United States Marshals Service and the Court Security Officers to provide security at the Dirksen Courthouse; this includes the perimeter of the building. At no point did I, nor did the Building Security Committee, authorize or request the National Guard's assistance to secure the Dirksen Courthouse.
With my approval, additional security measures have been implemented to allow court operations to proceed, but those measures do not include the National Guard at the Dirksen Courthouse. The Courthouse remains open and accessible for all matters including hearings, jury trials, and naturalization ceremonies. The District Court Clerk's Office will be open during normal business hours, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, and in-person proceedings will continue as scheduled by the assigned judge.

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Liz Dye @lizdye.bsky.social · 16h

Let's play Where Is DOJ Getting No-Billed TODAY?

with @andrewtorrez.bsky.social

www.lawandchaospod.com/p/where-is-d...

Where Is DOJ Getting No-Billed Today?

Hint: We will celebrate with a shot of Malört.

www.lawandchaospod.com

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Liz Dye @lizdye.bsky.social · 17h

Trump thinks he banned flag burning by rebranding it as incitement.

Oddly no one at the DOJ seems interested in testing out this spiffy new legal theory.
youtu.be/elBEEq5gwRQ?...

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 19h

New in PN: Trump is the insurrection

"It’s a wild assault on state sovereignty, bringing us ever closer to the brink of civil war. This is despotism, & whatever chaos & violence is about to be unleashed lies squarely on the robed shoulders of Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, & Barrett."

Trump is the insurrection

And the Supreme Court's conservatives are his shock troops.

www.publicnotice.co

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Kathryn Tewson @kathryntewson.bsky.social · 1d

The bros are at it again! and make no mistake, they are LITERALLY calling it "Vibe Lawyering"

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P. Andrew Torrez @andrewtorrez.bsky.social · 1d

BREAKING - 9TH CIR ADMINISTRATIVELY STAYS ORDER TO PROTECT TROOPS "FEDERALIZED BUT **NOT** DEPLOYED** TO PORTLAND

1/ A 9th Circuit panel with 2 Trump appointees (Bade, Nelson) just entered an administrative stay of Judge Immergut's FIRST TRO issued 10/4.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

In the circumstances here, granting an administrative stay will best preserve the status quo. Prior to the October 4 temporary restraining order, Oregon National Guard members had been federalized but not deployed. The Memorandum authorized federalization of the Oregon National Guard members. An administrative stay of the October 4 temporary restraining order will maintain the federalization of Oregon National Guard members, because that order prohibits implementation of the Memorandum. Additionally, the second temporary restraining order has not been challenged or appealed, and it prohibits the deployment of National Guard members in Oregon. Thus, the effect of granting an administrative stay preserves the status quo in which National Guard members have been federalized but not deployed. Administrative Stay GRANTED.

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Liz Dye @lizdye.bsky.social · 1d

Motion for Summary Judgment vs Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings

GO!

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Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 1d

twice a year the entire U.S. press becomes a marketing extension of a single billionaire-owned retailer, and nobody in any position of editorial power thinks it's weird or gross

photo of Google News search results for Amazon Prime Day (the second this year)

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 2d

Gonna be thinking about this lede for a minute.

(RNS) — Last month, the Rev. David Black stood in front of a Chicago-area U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility and spread his arms wide. Adorned in all black and wearing a clerical collar, the pastor looked up at a group of masked, heavily armed ICE agents on the roof and began to pray.

“I invited them to repentance,” Black, a minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), said in an interview. “I basically offered an altar call. I invited them to come and receive that salvation, and be part of the kingdom that is coming.”

But when Black began to lower his arms a few seconds later, the agents responded to his spiritual plea by firing pepper balls, or chemical agents that cause eye irritation and respiratory distress, video footage shows. One struck Black in the head, exploding into a puff of white pepper smoke and forcing him to his knees. Fellow demonstrators rushed to his aid, and as the pastor rubbed his face in pain, the agents continued to fire.

“We could hear them laughing,” Black said.

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Paul Gowder @gowder.io · 2d

From the end of an email I sent to a reporter about Trump's war on Chicago. See alt text for full relevant part

We have to understand what is happening here in the context of everything else that is going on, like the military-style attack ICE carried out on the apartment building in the South Shore---an attack that was stunningly unconstitutional, by the way, as it seems like they kicked in the doors of over 100 private residences without a search warrant and then detained hundreds of people for extended periods without even a reasonable suspicion that they were unauthorized immigrants---giant, unprecedented, police-state style violations of the fourth amendment---and then made a propaganda video about it! At the same time, Trump is making political attack after political attack on the city and state, using the government shutdown as a pretext to cut off all kinds of federal funds, like for CTA projects---it's obvious what he is doing. He doesn't like to have political opponents, because he and the people around him like Miller and Vance believe that he is entitled to rule by decree like a dictator. But dictatorship only functions through intimidation, through heavily armed bully boys roaming the streets ready to hurt anyone who questions the regime. ICE is already serving that function, but Mr. Trump evidently doesn't think that's enough and wants full-fledged military occupation to make the message perfectly clear.

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Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 2d

Old: Embedding with US forces occupying the war zone of Iraq.

New: Embedding with US (DHS) forces occupying the "war zone" of Portland.

Repeating history as farce and as authoritarian theater.

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

Kristi Noem tours Portland Ice facility with Maga influencers in tow

Oregon governor, Tina Kotek, accuses Ice of antagonizing protesters with teargas and by inviting influencers to film

www.theguardian.com

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Liz Dye @lizdye.bsky.social · 2d

Starting to see a pattern here

Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 2d

JUST IN: Federal prosecutors in Chicago move to dismiss "without prejudice" the charges against Huburt Mazur, who faced a misdemeanor charge stemming from ICE protests in Broadview.

Mazur's preliminary hearing was set for Wednesday morning.

Background: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

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Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 2d

Two thoughts on this reporting on the SASC hearing for confirmation of the DoD/GC:

1) I participated in a similar interagency lawyers group advising on the use of force when I was in government.

I never in a million years would have signed off on these lethal strikes in the Caribbean. 1/n

The official nominated to be the US Army’s general counsel, Charles Young, told lawmakers on Tuesday during his confirmation hearing that the OLC opinion was created with input from lawyers across the US national security establishment.

“Senator, the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel opinion was derived through an interagency lawyers working group with the CIA, the State Department, White House counsel, Department of Justice, Department of Defense general counsel, chairman’s legal uniformed judge advocates were part of that decision, and the Office of Legal Counsel has issued an opinion on that, ma’am,” Young told the Senate Armed Services Committee in response to a question from Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

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scott topics™️ @scottpb.bsky.social · 3d

Join ICE today!! 🤡🎯

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madison! @madepn.bsky.social · 2d

here is my first rendering of the bread scale of triviality (any suggestions welcome; I love thinking about bread)

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P. Andrew Torrez @andrewtorrez.bsky.social · 2d

All the latest on Trump’s efforts to invade Portland & Chicago, the gov’t shutdown & our own lawsuit against the administration for lying to the courts about Judge James Boasberg!

With @lizdye.bsky.social

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/l...

Law and Chaos

Government Podcast · Updated Weekly · Ignorance of the law is no excuse! That’s true for a traffic stop, and it’s true if you want to participate in whatever’s left of American democracy. If the event...

podcasts.apple.com

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Anthony Michael Kreis @anthonymkreis.bsky.social · 3d

A small problem with Bluesky is that there is a critical mass of users who miss Twitter because they want to yell at those who disagree with them and be combative with people in power, but absent that, they decide to nitpick with their allies and making annoyingly obvious comments to feel something.

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Mark Zaid, Esq @markzaidesq.bsky.social · 3d

Federal Judge today ORDERED #JamesOKeefe to reveal the name of his undercover operative as part of our lawsuit against him (and her).

He has seven days to comply with our discovery requests.

Mark Zaid, Esq @markzaidesq.bsky.social · Sep 8

And we couldn't pursue these cases against O'Keefe & his undercover operatives without the help of the public so please consider donating.

This type of behavior should not be condoned.

www.gofundme.com/f/help-jamie...

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Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 3d

Ro recap: In July, DOJ filed a misconduct complaint against Judge Boasberg. It was based on alleged comments he made at a judicial conference.

"Attachment A" was the only source cited as evidence of the comments.

But, per @lizdye.bsky.social, DOJ never even bothered to file the attachment...

Chief Judge Boasberg's Violations of Judicial Canons The Judicial Conference is the policymaking body of the federal judiciary. It operates strictly as an administrative body, focusing on policy matters related to court operations rather than substantive legal issues or specific cases. Its proceedings are designed to maintain the judiciary's institutional integrity by addressing only systemic administrative concerns that affect the federal court system as a whole, carefully avoiding any discussions that could compromise judicial neutrality or create the appearance of bias toward particular litigants. Common topics of discussion at these meetings include court security, budget, administration, facilities, and issues regarding
probation and pretrial services. On March 11, 2025, at one of the Conference's semiannual meetings, Judge Boasberg disregarded its history, tradition, and purpose to push a wholly unsolicited discussion about "concerns that the Administration would disregard rulings of federal courts, leading to a constitutional crisis."? By singling out a sitting President who was (and remains) a party to dozens of active cases, Judge Boasberg attempted to transform a routine housekeeping agenda into a forum to persuade the Chief Justice and other federal judges of his preconceived belief that the Trump Administration
would violate court orders.
Judge Boasberg's actions not only breached his duties, but they also defied reality and the law. First, the Trump Administration has complied with every court order-including the unlawful orders that appellate courts have subsequently stayed or reversed. Second, federal courts must begin from a "presumption of regularity"-the settled doctrine that executive officials "have properly discharged their official duties" absent clear evidence otherwise. By predicting non- compliance, Judge Boasberg turned that presumption on its head, contradicting both the evidence of past compliance and the governing law. These comments to …

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