Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 8h

We're spending $20B to bail out Argentina, but they cut USAID down to the bone, causing deaths around the world. The entire budget of USAID, the whole agency, was $21B last year. Shameful.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 9h

The Trump administration confirmed that the U.S. bailed out Argentina.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he had directly bought Argentine pesos in global currency markets in a bid to relieve pressure on the nation’s embattled President Javier Milei, a supporter of President Trump.

The U.S. just bailed out Argentina, Treasury Secretary confirms

The US Treasury has finalized a $20 billion financial rescue of Argentina, including a currency swap arrangement with the country's central bank.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Papa Rides A Bike @paparidesabike.bsky.social · 8h

Yow.

But over the past month, federal agents have shot at least two people, killing one; repeatedly tear-gassed protesters and first responders; shot rubber bullets at protesters; detained U.S. citizens, including children; handcuffed a Chicago alderperson in a hospital; smoke bombed and tear-gassed a Chicago street; fired a chemical weapon at a TV reporter and detained a journalist, among other incidents.

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Ariel Cheung @missprint.bsky.social · 17h

If City Bureau hosted a mental health session for journalists, organizers and others involved in responding to ICE raids in Chicago, would you want it to be:
1. During lunch
2. After 5 p.m.
3. On a weekend
4. Wouldn’t matter, would not be able to attend.

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The People's Lobby @peopleslobbyusa.bsky.social · 1d

Fighting authoritarianism requires action! And organizers need the space and training to learn how to fight back. Join us at Part 2 of our Fighting the Authoritarian Playbook series!

📅 Thurs, Oct 9
📍 Oak Park (Address Upon RSVP)
⏰ 6:30–8:30 PM
https://ow.ly/pAOG50X6miR

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Ariel Cheung @missprint.bsky.social · 1d

It’s so easy to not use Amazon you guys.

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

NEW: I spoke to clergy and faith leaders who've joined protests at the Chicago-area ICE facility.

Three say they've been shot with pepper balls, sometimes while praying.

All say ICE is also violating their religious freedom, and one is arguing it in court. religionnews.com/2025/10/07/i...

Religious protesters say ICE threatens religious freedom in Chicago

(RNS) — Despite potential danger, religious leaders and faith activists have been a visible presence at Chicago-area ICE protests, some waving signs with slogans such as ‘Love thy neighbor’ and ‘Who w...

religionnews.com

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Dave Weigel @daveweigel.bsky.social · 2d

The View segment where Whoopi asked how ordinary people could read SCOTUS opinions was revealing.

They're free. They're online. They're much easier to read than legislation. Conquer your imposter's syndrome, you are smart enough to read a decision and know if it's bullshit.

Tom Scocca @tomscocca.bsky.social · 2d

It's not just that they're going to strike down a law against conversion therapy, it's that they're going to do it on behalf of made-up claims from a straw plaintiff who can't honestly show the law affected her at all

Tom Scocca @tomscocca.bsky.social · 2d

One thing about American's widespread distrust and disapproval of the Supreme Court is that mainstream news coverage mostly doesn't dwell on stuff like standing, so people don't even begin to grasp how rigged the Court truly is www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10...

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 2d

500 hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics are at risk of closing because of the Trump-Republican big, ugly bill. Many are in rural areas.

Meanwhile, Republican-held US House districts and states Trump won in 2024 rely more on ACA coverage.

They're selling out their own voters.

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Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 2d

The First Amendment explicitly guarantees:

-the right of the people peaceably to assemble
-to petition the Government for a redress of grievances
-the free exercise of religion
-freedom of speech

If this priest had also been press, ICE would have violated all five 1A freedoms at once.

Kurt @flglchicago.bsky.social · 2d

Here’s video of the incident

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I'm Margaret! I'm the best! Blah Blah Blah! @vt-vagabond.bsky.social · 2d

There’s a lot in here that deserves a pull quote, but this is the most egregious. I need people to recognize the gravity of the situation here in Chicago;

SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY
Donate

"The ones that are getting out are coming home to no home," Watson said.
According to her, after the raid occurred, building management stole or threw out residents belongings, including visas and important documents.

ICIRR is still trying to determine the identities of all the people detained in the raid. Castro said that the organization usually can do that by following up with family members or loved ones. "In this instance, there was nobody left to work with," she said. The only detainee name they're sure of is that of a person who passed their Venezuelan passport to a neighbor as they were being taken away.

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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 2d

Monstrous.

"federal agents detained nearly every resident of the 130-unit building—including children and babies—placing them in zip ties and separating them by race into vans for more than two hours early Tuesday morning."

Daniel Knowles @dlknowles.bsky.social · 2d

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

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Kendyl Hanks @kendylhanks.bsky.social · 2d

[lolsob emoji]

New Yorker cartoon showing people mingling at a party. The quote at the bottom reads: “ I read this article and it said that, apparently, there was a time in our history when we didn’t all stagger around in horrified disbelief.

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Denise Wheeler @denisedwheeler.bsky.social · 2d

Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst noticed that Bondi flipped open a file during the Senate hearing and he zoomed in.

Inside were her crib notes for attacking the senators.

The GOP now practicing Cliff's Notes Fascism

In other words, under oath Bondi was purely a performance.

Bondi senate hearing had a folder full of notes for attacking the senators

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Oliver Darcy @oliverdarcy.bsky.social · 2d

Last week, new WaPo opinion editor Adam O'Neal quietly carried out another purge of staffers, cutting editors and major names like Marc Fisher and David Hoffman, among others.

Meanwhile, he welcomed three conservatives to the section.

Details in @status.news: www.status.news/p/washington...

Post Traumatic Disorder

Adam O’Neal says he’s bringing “intellectual diversity” to The Washington Post’s opinion pages—but the moves he’s making behind the scenes tell a different story.

www.status.news

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Melanie D’Arrigo @darrigomelanie.bsky.social · 2d

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.

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Nina Metz @ninametz.bsky.social · 2d

In a general sense, this is a good thing

Also worth checking out the Netflix documentary “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed" which paints a complicated story of the company that has no connections with (or obligations to) Ross’ surviving son

www.chicagotribune.com/2021/08/24/b...

Bob Ross died in 1995, which means there haven’t been new episodes of his show, “The Joy of Painting,” in more than 25 years. And yet his celebrity might be bigger than ever. On Amazon, you can buy Bob Ross cupcake wrappers printed with his smiling face. The product includes this promotional fodder: “We suggest attempting to style your cupcake topper icing to look like a Bob Ross Afro. Color with food coloring to match his brown hair color.”

So, who profits if you plunk down money on Bob Ross merchandise, be it paint supplies or kitschy items like cupcake wrappers? That would be Bob Ross Inc., a corporate entity that has no connections with (or obligations to) Ross’ surviving son, Steve. Whether or not that’s a fair turn of events is a central question of the Netflix documentary, “Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed.”

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Ariel Cheung @missprint.bsky.social · 2d

There’s a subreddit for this! r/BarbaraWalters4Scale

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Amanda Kaschube @amandakaschube.bsky.social · 2d

this is fine.

Staffing issues cause ground delay at O’Hare amid government shutdown

The O’Hare ground delay was slated to last from 6 p.m. to 10:59 p.m. Tuesday evening, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

www.chicagotribune.com

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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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Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 2d

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Harebrained @harebrained.bsky.social · 2d

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Soren Spicknall @sorenspicknall.bsky.social · 2d

For those unaware, the Nava settlement sets requirements for warrantless ICE arrests and traffic stops) nationwide and, crucially, provides a path to immediate release for anyone detained under circumstances that violate the settlement in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kansas, Kentucky, and Missouri.

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Conrad Benner @streetsdept.bsky.social · 3d

Nearly done posting the videos I’ve created about my 10-day trip to Copenhagen this August. But one of the biggest things that is sticking with me is just how different a place can look and feel when its third spaces are actually invested in. From public transit to parks to street infrastructure.

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ProPublica @propublica.org · 2d

Heather Honey, a high-profile denier of Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 election, was appointed to a senior DHS position in which she’ll help oversee election security.

“DHS now appears poised to become a primary amplifier of false election conspiracies pushed by our enemies,” one expert said.

She Pushed to Overturn Trump’s Loss in the 2020 Election. Now She’ll Help Oversee U.S. Election Security.

Heather Honey has been appointed to a senior position in the Department of Homeland Security. State election officials and voting experts are concerned.

www.propublica.org

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Jessica Lussenhop @jlussenhop.bsky.social · 2d

Well, today @deldeib.bsky.social has a very helpful explainer. Here's what an external review is, how it works, and how you can use it to help to get coverage of your own medical care: "Appeal, appeal, appeal, appeal... That’s all you have." www.propublica.org/article/heal...

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