Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Margaret E. Ward

@margareteward.bsky.social

1.6K followers 3.2K following 500 posts

Human. Boat rocker. Leadership consultant. Journalist. NYer in Ireland. Sharing trusted news sources & experts reporting on breakdown of US Democracy. #ireland #irish #leadership #business #democracy #resist #american #democrat #irishbluesky #broligarchy

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Margaret E. Ward @margareteward.bsky.social · Feb 14

The end of US democracy didn’t happen overnight…It’s a 60 year plot by America’s wealthy to destroy the middle class. Inspired by Irishman Edmund Burke! #democracy #autocracy #broligrachs #anerica #ireland #irish open.substack.com/pub/thomhart...

The GOP’s 60-Year Conspiracy to Kill Our Democracy: None Dare Call It Treason—But I Will

It all traces back to billionaire-backed fearmongering in the 1960s—weaponizing panic around socialism and communism to crush unions, cut taxes, and hoard profits...

open.substack.com

2 7

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 1d

Paris Fashion Week introduced clothes that hid, confined, muzzled or even erased the women beneath. Some off-putting, sometimes cruel designs left our fashion critic wondering: What is the purpose of women’s fashion? nyti.ms/3W2ZfJ0

A model walks down runway in a blue and white top, wearing a mouth guard accessory that stretches her mouth open.

100 71 370

Margaret E. Ward @margareteward.bsky.social · 16h

bsky.app/profile/news...

NewsCurrentNow @newscurrentnow.com · 17h

Gavin Newsom: “What more evidence of authoritarianism do you need? These guys aren’t screwing around. We can no longer screw around. It’s all at stake. People need to wake up. We can’t continue to play by the old set of rules.“

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 1d

This is like disbanding your military during World War Two.

The Trump regime is firing many of the 2,540 employee of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) during the ongoing government shutdown. Why? CISA dismissed Trump’s allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Cybersecurity agency that clashed with Trump one of the first hit with federal firings due to government shutdown

CISA plans to keep just 889 employees on duty during a shutdown while furloughing 65% of its workforce.

nypost.com

16 130 320

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 1d

I don’t know who needs to hear this but the CDC is being eviscerated right now. America is not going to have any kind of outbreak response capacity after tonight. Americans’ health data is no longer secure. Say goodbye to federal public health in any capacity. It’s a disaster. We won’t recover.

520 6.2K 14K

Margaret E. Ward @margareteward.bsky.social · 1d

open.substack.com/pub/thejackh...

THE SURVIVOR BLUEPRINT: 20 Laws for Staying Unbreakable in an Unraveling America

If you can keep your head while everything around you is cracking, you don’t just survive...you win.

open.substack.com

Margaret E. Ward @margareteward.bsky.social · 1d

ICE targeting priests now too substack.com/@thedangerou...

The Dangerous Ones (@thedangerousones)

We really need to spread this everywhere. This story is breaking through, even to MAGA folks. ICE is out of control, waging indiscriminate violence. Even on members of the clergy.

substack.com

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 2d

As the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, some Norwegians worried how President Trump would react to the decision and if there would be any potential repercussions to the country.

Norwegians worry about backlash as Trump misses out on Nobel Prize

After the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, the White House said the committee had placed “politics over peace.”

www.washingtonpost.com

54 13 61

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

Zeteo @zeteo.com · 2d

"Inside Trump’s Plot To Terrorize Chicago"

Sources in the administration tell Zeteo that Trump is also seriously discussing invoking the Insurrection Act with his top advisers, reports @swin24.bsky.social.

READ: zeteo.com/p/inside-tru...

Inside Trump’s Plot To Terrorize Chicago

Sources in the administration tell Zeteo that Trump is also seriously discussing invoking the Insurrection Act with his top advisers.

zeteo.com

5 23 72

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

Nicholas Thompson @nxthompson.bsky.social · 2d

“At this moment, when citizens in many of the world’s most successful liberal democracies are giving up, Venezuelans fight violence with nonviolence and oppose corruption through bravery.”

Congratulations to Maria Machado on her Nobel Peace Prize. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Why María Machado Deserved the Nobel Peace Prize

The Venezuelan opposition leader shows why participation matters.

www.theatlantic.com

2 2 6

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

The Daily Show @thedailyshow.com · 2d

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

1.9K 23K 55K

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

ProPublica @propublica.org · 2d

Kristi Noem, while governor of South Dakota, supplemented her roughly $130,000 salary by secretly accepting $80,000 donated to a political nonprofit she was affiliated with, records show.

She never disclosed this income on federal ethics forms.

(Published June)

Kristi Noem Secretly Took a Cut of Political Donations

A dark money group paid $80,000 to Noem’s personal company when she was governor of South Dakota. She did not include this income on her federal disclosure forms, a likely violation of ethics requirem...

www.propublica.org

1.3K 7.5K 17K

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

Miss Ann Thrope 🇬🇧🇹🇹 @ltellenripley.bsky.social · 2d

11 130 280

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · 2d

He's a mathematician!

"The Portland Chicken—Jack Dickinson, 26, of Portland—started out protesting at the Tesla dealership, also on South Macadam Avenue, in February but has switched to the ICE building."

Willamette Week @wweek.com · 2d

Jack Dickinson, 26, says “we’re winning this.”

An Interview With the Portland Chicken

Rachel Saslow

www.wweek.com

3 20 80

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

Rachel Maddow @maddow.msnbc.com · 2d

"...including while she was praying with her eyes closed and hands lifted, wearing a clerical collar and stole."

religionnews.com/2025/10/07/i...

360 4.7K 13K

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 3d

Pope Leo XIV has blasted how wealthy people live in a “bubble of comfort and luxury” while the poor suffer. In his first teaching document Thursday, Leo confirms that he is in perfect lockstep with Pope Francis on matters of social injustice.

Pope Leo blasts economy that marginalizes poor while wealthy live in bubble of luxury

Pope Leo XIV has blasted how wealthy people live in a “bubble of comfort and luxury” while the poor suffer.

bit.ly

530 5.1K 20K

Margaret E. Ward @margareteward.bsky.social · 2d

Democracy leader wins Nobel Prize for bringing her people together after an authoritarian regime. www.rte.ie/news/world/2...

Venezuelan opposition leader awarded Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Venezuela's opposition leader and democracy activist Maria Corina Machado, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.

www.rte.ie

Margaret E. Ward @margareteward.bsky.social · 4d

Inside Stephen Miller’s Secret Plan to Normalize Trump’s Dictator Rule newrepublic.com/article/2014... via @newrepublic.com

Inside Stephen Miller’s Secret Plan to Normalize Trump’s Dictator Rule

He wants to supercharge searing civil tensions to get low-information voters to embrace their inner authoritarian. Exactly two Democrats appear to fully grasp this.

newrepublic.com

Margaret E. Ward @margareteward.bsky.social · 4d

Trump Is Not Afraid of Civil War. Neither Is Stephen Miller. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/o...

Opinion | Trump Is Not Afraid of Civil War. Neither Is Stephen Miller.

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

Daniel Knowles @dlknowles.bsky.social · 4d

Good reporting on the South Shore raid from South Side weekly here.

Confirms one thing I was told but didn't put in my own piece because I didn't have a second source and it seemed too insane: border agents segregated arrested residents by race

southsideweekly.com/federal-agen...

Federal Agents Storm South Shore Building, Detaining Families and Children

Families were woken by flashbangs and helicopters as hundreds of federal agents raided their homes. Days later, neighbors are still searching for the missing.

southsideweekly.com

140 3K 5.8K

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

Brad Batt for TN State Sanity ✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾 @bradbatt.bsky.social · 4d

Shoutout to my comrades in “war-ravaged” Portland

8 36 100

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 4d

This strikes me as pretty bad

2.1K 9.2K 23K

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 5d

How the Far Right Project 2025 is going to be brought to the UK through the Reform Trojan horse.

Project 2025: The UK Edition (Part 2)

A Cambridge academic, a YouTube influencer, and Reform UK’s old HQ - the ingredients for our own Project 2025 are already mixed.

open.substack.com

18 190 340

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

Courtney Vaughn @courtneyvaughn.bsky.social · 4d

Streets are still closed off in front of the Portland ICE facility at 8:30pm. Protesters have gathered on a side street. Dance party in progress.

790 5.2K 22K

Reposted by Margaret E. Ward

Melanie D’Arrigo @darrigomelanie.bsky.social · 4d

I feel like this photo of masked, armed men pepper spraying a pastor protecting his community is going to be a defining picture of this moment in America for a long, long time.

1.7K 21K 56K

Margaret E. Ward @margareteward.bsky.social · 4d

A message if humour & hope from the late Jane Goodall - substack.com/@poemz/note/...

Amy King (@poemz)

Dr. Jane Goodall recorded this interview in March 2025, with the understanding that it would be released only after her death. #drjanegoodall

substack.com