Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted

WatchYourRepsSC @watchyourrepssc.bsky.social · 6h

While Mike Johnson claims he doesn’t have a strategy, we know that’s a lie. His strategy: give tax breaks to billionaires and protect the predators since he won’t release the Epstein files. All while Americans suffer.
#TrumpsShutdownDragsOn

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Hunter @hunterub.bsky.social · 4h

There's literally no reason for Congress to exist if any random freak in the presidential orbit can nullify laws and seize federal funds. All of this is plainly illegal, but Mike Johnson leads the most corrupt Congress in US history (and by a wide margin.)

Reuters @reuters.com · 9h

White House budget director Vought plans to shut down CFPB within months, says it's no longer protecting consumers reut.rs/4qjMIyT

White House budget director Vought plans to shut down CFPB within months, says it's no longer protecting consumers

White House budget director Russell Vought said he wants to close the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and expects to do so within the next two to three months.

reut.rs

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mcvlc.bsky.social @mcvlc.bsky.social · 7h

Projection

mcvlc.bsky.social @mcvlc.bsky.social · 7h

Right, we should and did bail out Argentina for 20+ billion and they still need help.
We should fund Israel’s forever war killing and starving children
Not to mention, ballrooms, gilded offices, and presidential library planes🤨

mcvlc.bsky.social @mcvlc.bsky.social · 7h

Soy farmers would like a word🤨
People who buy groceries and cars, and appliances and…
would like a word

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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 16h

PA voters will cast their ballots in one of the most consequential elections of the year: the state Supreme Court race. With three Democratic justices up for retention, the outcome of this contest could flip control of a court that decides election laws. https://bit.ly/3JeB3Ax

Why Anti-Voting Activists Are Using the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Election to Spread Disinformation

Read about the fight for democracy from activists, elected officials, legal experts and others.

bit.ly

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John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 1d

To be clear:

LA County has declared a state of emergency BECAUSE OF the federal government.

The Feds, LA County is (correctly) saying, have CAUSED the emergency.

This is a striking political moment of internal collapse. Local govts feeling compelled to protect their ppl from … their own govt.

Los Angeles County declares state of emergency over immigration raids

Los Angeles County officials voted on Tuesday to declare a state of emergency over ongoing federal immigration raids.

abcnews.go.com

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Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 15h

By allowing for the dismantling of minority districts held by Democrats, a ruling against the VRA could give President Donald Trump and the GOP enough additional seats to lock in the party’s control of the House for a generation. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

Fair Elections — and Perhaps Control of Congress — at Stake as SCOTUS Hears Challenge to VRA

Read more here.

www.democracydocket.com

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Jonathan M. Katz @katz.theracket.news · 1d

It's good that the hostages are home and that the bombs have quieted. But rumors of peace are extremely premature.

New Racket.

theracket.news/p/this-isnt-...

This isn't peace

Israel is threatening the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, the occupation continues, and the real negotiations haven't started. But Trump wants the glory.

theracket.news

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Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 1d

Trump is no longer even pretending to have any kind of argument that his murdering of people in the Caribbean Sea has any kind of statutory validity. Just straight up declaring that he has quasi-unlimited power to execute people based on (nominal) suspicion.

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Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 1d

The entire first two months of the Biden administration were taken up by obsessive complaining about how he wouldn't do press conferences & wasn't taking policy questions (bsky.app/profile/mcop...).

This? Gone tomorrow. Totally different set of standards applied to two totally different parties.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Trump: "I don't take questions from ABC fake news after what you did with Stephanopoulos to the vice president of the United States."

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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 1d

We’ve lived 15 years under Citizens United, watching billionaires and corporations shape democracy with their wallets. Reform once seemed impossible. But now, a group in Montana is asking a radical question: What if states simply stopped granting corporations the power to spend in politics?

Could We End Corporate Money In Politics?

Backers of a referendum before Montana voters next year believe they’ve found a vulnerability on Citizen United

thinkbigpicture.substack.com

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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 2d

Nobel Prize given for showing the importance of investing in science for innovation and long-term economic growth. Basically the opposite of what the US is doing. 😭

Nature @nature.com · 2d

Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Pewter Howitt share economics prize for work that underlines the importance of investing in research and development.

go.nature.com/4hj9NNV

Economics Nobel prize won by researchers who showed how science boosts growth

Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Pewter Howitt share economics prize for work that underlines the importance of investing in research and development.

go.nature.com

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Nicholas Slayton @nslayton.bsky.social · 3d

The Texas Military Department confirmed to @taskandpurpose.com it had replaced some of the 200 National Guard troops sent to Chicago for not being "in compliance" with validation standards. This came after photos of heavyset NG members were widely mocked. taskandpurpose.com/news/texas-n...

Some Texas National Guard troops replaced in Illinois after failing to meet standards

An unspecified amount of Texas National Guard troops were replaced in Chicago, shortly after photos of their appearance were mocked.

taskandpurpose.com

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Rex Huppke @rexhuppke.bsky.social · 2d

This is what I was getting at in today’s column. Republicans won’t do anything without Trump’s permission. Period.

“GOP will brutalize voters with spiking health care costs unless Trump says to stop.”

www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...

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Tom Joscelyn @tomjoscelyn.bsky.social · 2d

The longest federal government shutdown so far came during Trump’s first term - lasting 35 days.

As the Republicans continue to blame Democrats for the shutdown, remember that.

Shutting down the federal government is one of the Trump Party’s favorite moves.

www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...

Shutdown 'barreling toward' one of the longest ever, GOP leader says

Lawmakers on both sides braced for a longer shutdown as the Senate prepares for another vote Tuesday to reopen the government.

www.usatoday.com

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Casey @mamasissiesays.bsky.social · 2d

Plagiarized Peace Plan
—new band name, I call it!

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PBS News @pbsnews.org · 2d

A Republican attack on a core provision of the Voting Rights Act that is designed to protect racial minorities comes to the Supreme Court this week, more than a decade after the justices knocked out another pillar of the 60-year-old law.
https://to.pbs.org/42GW5hU

LISTEN LIVE: SCOTUS hears redistricting case that could reduce representation for Black voters

In arguments Wednesday, lawyers for Louisiana and the Trump administration will try to persuade the justices to wipe away the state's second majority Black congressional district and make it much harder, if not impossible, to take account of race in red...

www.pbs.org

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Governor Gavin Newsom @governor.ca.gov · 2d

California is proud to congratulate FIVE California university-affiliated scholars among this year's Nobel laureates.

From quantum computing to clean energy and medical breakthroughs, these trailblazers reflect the strength, innovation, and creativity that define our state.

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Joyce White Vance @joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 2d

There are hard questions we need to ask ourselves right now. But no matter what this administration is planning, we know who we are—we love democracy & plan to fight (peacefully) for it. In a moment where knowledge is power, here is what you need to know. open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...

Are We the Nazis Now?

How do we meet this moment?

open.substack.com

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

"There is, however, one big difference between Trump’s trade policy and China’s. Namely, the Chinese appear to know what they’re doing."

How Trump Is Making China Great

Why we’re going to lose the trade war, and much more besides

paulkrugman.substack.com

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Steven Beschloss @stevenbeschloss.bsky.social · 2d

A brief comment on this beautiful day in the Middle East--and the whiplash caused by Donald Trump being hailed as a peacemaker while he expands his warmongering against America and Americans. www.americaamerica.news/p/cognitive-...

Whiplash on A Day of Peace

Watch now | Got a Minute or Two? Mad Hattery and Other Outrages

www.americaamerica.news

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CREW @citizensforethics.org · 2d

President Trump was just caught on a hot mic talking with the president of Indonesia.

He may have been talking about his business interests in the country–which would be exactly the kind of conflict of interest we’ve been warning about for years. 🧵

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

Trump's conversation with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is caught on a hot mic. Hard to tell exactly what they are talking about, but Subianto asks Trump about meeting Eric Trump and Don Jr, who supposedly have nothing to do with government while they run the family business.

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MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 2d

Davis: In [Mike Johnson’s] mind, how can one be a good Christian while at the same time want to take away health care?

Former fundamentalist Levins: Mike Johnson is a beta male in a patriarchal structure. He knows that he’s got to be obedient to his authority, who is Donald Trump—who to him is God.

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Atti 17.11 @atti1711.bsky.social · 2d

This is Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY). He wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Over 63,000 of his constituents to lose health insurance, if the ACA was repealed.

RETWEET to let New York know that RepMikeLawler wants to take away their health care!
👇👇👇👇

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