banner
LightNews
monalisazelf.bsky.social
Mona Smitte
@monalisazelf.bsky.social
2.4K followers 10K following 4.5K posts
Let's find out what happens next
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Pinned
monalisazelf.bsky.social
Mona Smitte @monalisazelf.bsky.social · Aug 9
#NP 🎶NeverSurrender🎶
open.spotify.com/track/4qdjWO...
Never Surrender
Dante Hart · Never Surrender · Song · 2020
open.spotify.com
1 11
Reposted by Mona Smitte
wired.com
WIRED @wired.com · 35m
Seems like a good time to share this too...

Turning on a VPN, using a privacy-focused mobile browser, and adding an ad blocker can all help reduce the location data you leak during mobile browsing.
I Tried Breaking the Best VPNs. Here Are the 5 That Survived
Every VPN says it’s the best, but only some of them are telling the truth.
www.wired.com
4 66 210
Reposted by Mona Smitte
tyleraking.com
Tyler King @tyleraking.com · 35m
With alt text:
•@CBSNews will not sign the Pentagon's press policy. See our joint statement with ABC News, CNN, Fox News Media and NBC News: "Today, we join virtually every other news organization in declining to agree to the Pentagon's new requirements, which would restrict journalists' ability to keep the nation and the world informed of important national security issues. The policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections. We will continue to cover the U.S. military as each of our organizations has done for many decades, upholding the principles of a free and independent press." - Joint statement from ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News Media, NBC News
3 8
Reposted by Mona Smitte
davidho.bsky.social
David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 34m
The wet tropical rainforests of Queensland are now a carbon source because CO₂ emitted from trees dying and decaying outstripped the CO₂ taken up by trees growing. 😕
Australia's tropical trees emit more carbon than they absorb: study
Climate change is killing trees faster than they can be replaced leading to greater carbon emissions, according to a new study.
www.abc.net.au
2 33 69
Reposted by Mona Smitte
atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 34m
Q: Are we in for a sustained trade war with China?

TRUMP: Well, you're in one now
53 63 270
Reposted by Mona Smitte
defensenews-poster.bsky.social
Defense News @defensenews-poster.bsky.social · 34m
General Atomics successfully tests next-gen artillery round - https://www.defensenews.com/land/2025/10/15/general-atomics-successfully-tests-next-gen-artillery-round/
General Atomics successfully tests next-gen artillery round
The winged, precision-guided artillery round is maneuverable while in flight and can conduct controlled descents to strike static and moving targets.
www.defensenews.com
1 1
Reposted by Mona Smitte
mattsteinglass.bsky.social
Matt Steinglass @mattsteinglass.bsky.social · 34m
The US might be headed for extended instability, but it could also return to stable governance. By Vance’s 4th term the ICE capo of Texas could be splitting the fentanyl and coke take with the Navy lord at Pensacola and with the jefes of Mexican cartels, all peaceful-like.
1 6
Reposted by Mona Smitte
boltsmag.org
Bolts @boltsmag.org · 33m
Residents of one rural Arkansas county have fought plans for a new prison in their community.

“They thought we were just white trash rednecks and that we would just roll over and take it and not say anything,” one resident says.
The Prison Next Door
How Arkansas’ secretive plan for a new state lockup angered people in a deep red corner of rural America—and changed how some see incarceration.
boltsmag.org
7 31
Reposted by Mona Smitte
kevinmkruse.bsky.social
Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 45m
Oh man, I wonder which party this congressman belongs to
zdroberts.bsky.social
Zach D Roberts @zdroberts.bsky.social · 47m
Capitol Police called to investigate swastika in GOP congressional office

An American flag altered to include an image of a swastika was found in Rep. Dave Taylor’s office.
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
Capitol Police called to investigate swastika in GOP congressional office
An American flag altered to include an image of a swastika was found in Rep. Dave Taylor’s office.
www.politico.com
22 110 520
Reposted by Mona Smitte
muellershewrote.com
Mueller, She Wrote @muellershewrote.com · 33m
The plan to force taxpayers to cover emergency medical costs for non-citizens is a law called EMTALA: signed into law by the infamous democrat Ronald Reagan.
atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 6h
Lisa McClain: "Democrats' plan forces taxpayers to cover the majority of emergency medical costs for all non-citizens. Another $28 billion tab for who? You guessed it, the American people."
68 240 640
Reposted by Mona Smitte
reptedlieu.bsky.social
Rep. Ted Lieu @reptedlieu.bsky.social · 33m
Coffee, beef, vegetables, and dairy – all more expensive.

Trump’s economy sucks, and Republicans are making it worse by shutting down the government and letting health insurance premiums double.

Democrats are back in DC today to stop this insanity.
Wall Street Journal article titled “Grocery Prices Keep Rising. Frustrated Consumers Are Trying to Adapt.” Below is a graph showing the prices of coffee, beef, and bananas increasing.
4 57 140
Reposted by Mona Smitte
wajali.bsky.social
Wajahat Ali @wajali.bsky.social · 46m
Maybe it's time for the pathetic and cowardly Democratic Leadership to FINALLY ENDORSE ZOHRAN MAMDANI?
29 82 590
Reposted by Mona Smitte
malwaretech.com
Marcus Hutchins @malwaretech.com · 34m
Oh and I guess another relevant point: addicts have extremely high tolerances to opioids, so are at a lesser risk of dying from fentanyl relative to non-opioid users. The people most likely to die are their kids who encounter contaminated drugs, not the "addicts" they desperately want to kill.
1 1 22
Reposted by Mona Smitte
malwaretech.com
Marcus Hutchins @malwaretech.com · 44m
Even if the boats did also carry fentanyl, it'd just increase the cost of all drugs, making fentanyl still the cheapest option by far (and perhaps the only affordable one). Basically, the only outcome is more people dying from fentanyl. But, voters are irrational and want simple solutions. 5/5
1 1 23
Reposted by Mona Smitte
malwaretech.com
Marcus Hutchins @malwaretech.com · 44m
But more importantly: Fentanyl is 50x stronger than Heroin, and a lot cheaper to produce. So by blowing up random boats (which aren't even carrying fentanyl), it just increases the cost of other drugs, causing more and more dealers to substitute them with fentanyl to maintain profit margins. 4/5
1 3 25
Reposted by Mona Smitte
malwaretech.com
Marcus Hutchins @malwaretech.com · 44m
Fentanyl is fully synthetic and made in a lab. The precursor chemicals use to make it aren't controlled, so they aren't hard to obtain. Which refutes the idea of "fentanyl boats", because why would they mail the chemicals to Venezuela, just to have to ship the final (illegal) product 3000 miles. 3/5
1 2 22
Reposted by Mona Smitte
malwaretech.com
Marcus Hutchins @malwaretech.com · 44m
Fentanyl is an economic problem. Most of the safer drugs it replaces (heroin, prescription opioids, some other depressants) are extremely costly to produce & traffic. Opioids are derived from Opium, which requires someone to hide a gigantic field of Opium poppies, which is actually pretty hard. 2/5
1 1 25
Reposted by Mona Smitte
malwaretech.com
Marcus Hutchins @malwaretech.com · 44m
A common theme of right wing politics is gravitating towards the overly simple and easy sounding solution, which actually does the opposite of what they want. Too many drugs? More drug enforcement. Has this ever worked? No. Will it ever work? No. Do voters understand why it doesn't work? Nope. 1/5
atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1h
Eric Trump: "Now every single time a boat goes out of Venezuela it's getting blown up into a million pieces. That's exactly what's happening every single day. I personally have 4 friends who have lost children to fentanyl."
3 11 70
Reposted by Mona Smitte
kaine.senate.gov
Senator Tim Kaine @kaine.senate.gov · 1h
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. But for many small business owners, the Affordable Care Act is the only way they can afford care for themselves and their families. Republican attempts to weaken the ACA will hurt our economy and our competitiveness.
3 19 58
Reposted by Mona Smitte
pocan.house.gov
Rep. Mark Pocan @pocan.house.gov · 1h
Speaker Johnson has given the House GOP four weeks straight of paid vacation. House Democrats are here in D.C. fighting for your healthcare!
2 30 68
Reposted by Mona Smitte
mattortega.com
Matt Ortega @mattortega.com · 1h
Republicans caught acting racist in private.

Prominent Republican rushes to their defense by acting racist in public.

It's full mask off now. Mike Davis isn't some internet rando. He was a rumored attorney general or U.S. attorney at one time. It's deeply connected within GOP circles.
tomjoscelyn.bsky.social
Tom Joscelyn @tomjoscelyn.bsky.social · 1h
Hakeem Jeffries posted pictures of two Rep. Members posing with “Young Republicans” who were part of a racist text thread (as reported by Politico).

In response, Mike Davis (well-connected in Trump World & on the Hill) called Jeffries a “house slave” for George Soros - proving Jeffries’ point.
Mike Davis racist smear
3 4
Reposted by Mona Smitte
mariopro.bsky.social
paulpro @mariopro.bsky.social · 1h
@claybennett.bsky.social
1 7
Reposted by Mona Smitte
bbkogan.bsky.social
Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 1h
Taken to the extreme, and taken alongside impoundments, Trump’s ADA violations renders Congress completely irrelevant for spending.

The president is claiming the ability to not spend even if Congress makes him spend, and also the ability to spend even if Congress doesn’t let him spend.
3 15 44
Reposted by Mona Smitte
citizensforethics.org
CREW @citizensforethics.org · 1h
NEW: We sued the Department of Homeland Security for violating the Federal Records Act and FOIA by failing to preserve text message data, and the National Archives and Records Administration for not enforcing the law.

Transparency matters.
CREW sues DHS and NARA for failing to preserve text messages - CREW | Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
CREW is suing DHS for failing to preserve text messaging data and NARA for its failure to initiate enforcement against these violations.
www.citizensforethics.org
34 120
Reposted by Mona Smitte
csis.org
CSIS | Center for Strategic & International Studies @csis.org · 1h
The AI infrastructure and governance frameworks being built right now will shape development trajectories for decades. Whether that transformation is designed with the Global South or merely delivered to it will depend on decisions being made now.

Read more: www.csis.org/analysis/div...
From Divide to Delivery: How AI Can Serve the Global South
As the World Bank and IMF meet on global resilience next week, a question looms: Will the AI revolution be shaped with the Global South, or simply imposed on it? The choices on infrastructure, governance and localization made now will define development for decades.
www.csis.org
1
Reposted by Mona Smitte
thebulwark.com
The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 1h
"People want what they want and I don’t see how we can make Republican voters not want fascism. @sarahlongwell25.bsky.social would say that sustained electoral defeats might cure Republican voters. Or bad real-world outcomes. But I’m not so sure." Discuss.
All the Pretty Little Nazis
The shape of things to come.
www.thebulwark.com
12 16 72