Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 22h

Like, we really should not ignore how impactful the Epstein angle has been on this entire saga. Mike Johnson running away from a vote on releasing the Epstein files is making it significantly more difficult for Congress to do the most basic aspects of its job in a moment of deep national crisis.

5 7

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 22h

A version of this has been true for every Republican government shutdown for the last 15 or so years, but the US government is currently being held hostage by a rogue element beholden to a fascist movement and acting primarily to protect numerous powerful pedophiles from being held accountable.

1 1 6

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 22h

Absolutely wild that the OMB director thinks that you can just move government money around like you're doing a mobile transfer from your savings to your checking account. God help the auditors who inherit the mess Russ is about to make because good lord, that's gonna take years to fix.

Charlie Thomas @cthomasjamh.bsky.social · 23h

apnews.com/article/trum... OMB says the money for the troops is going to be covered by R&D but we’re back at how does DFAS color that money (like legally how does it use that pot) and distribute it properly over a holiday weekend to meet a Wednesday suspense.

Trump directs the Pentagon to use 'all available funds' to ensure troops are paid despite shutdown

President Donald Trump says he's directed the Defense Department to use “all available funds” to ensure that U.S. troops are paid on Wednesday despite the government shutdown.

apnews.com

1 3

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 1d

It's always people who look like this who have the loudest opinion about how others look/dress/act, as if this clown doesn't play dress up and go by a goofy stage name. It's a free country. Mind your own fucking business, Robert.

Robert James Ritchie in a ridiculous red jumpsuit in the Oval Office.

RJR in another ridiculous fur coat holding a cane

1 5

Reposted by Ed

James @gravitysra1nbow.bsky.social · 4d

The person posting this isn’t a journalist or a reliable source of information and I haven’t seen anyone credible corroborating this video as an incident involving ICE.

It seems way more likely he's just telling a random motorist to turn around.

10 12 120

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 4d

How tf did liberals win Zach Bryan in the national divorce

4

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 4d

It is their fault if they voted for Trump. Lmao They're getting what they voted for.

2

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 4d

Voting for the guy whose entire platform was "I'm going to do everything in my power to destroy your business."

No sympathy for grown adults deciding to shove a fork into an electrical outlet.

1 2

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 4d

Look, I am firmly against reducing the stability of the food supply under any circumstances.

But holy hell, these guys need to reap the whirlwind. I'm so tired of listening to farmers whine about the consequences of their actions and then beg for a bailout.

Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 5d

Soybean Farmer: So now I've got a tariff war that's killing my market. I don't have any money from grain we're sending to other countries for USAID. I mean, I've got a compound problem. I don't know how you plan for next year because we don't know where we're at.

1 4 10

Reposted by Ed

Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 6d

“it is the unrelenting focus on refineries which is doing most to change the narrative about the war, even appearing to help change Donald Trump’s mind about Ukraine’s prospects.”

Ukraine’s hellfire is intensifying the Kremlin’s fuel crisis
economist.com/europe/2025/...

Ukraine’s hellfire is intensifying the Kremlin’s fuel crisis

Almost half of Russia’s refineries have been hit by drones and missiles

economist.com

3 26 140

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 6d

80% of modern war is logistics and economics, and Hegseth's operator ethos is a fantastic way to lose the economic battle before the first shot is fired. The push to "trim the fat" of the DOD is a damn good start at losing the logistics war. Guess where that leaves us?

1 2

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 6d

The economics of making every soldier an operator are just stupid. Ukrainian SOF are arguably some of the best in the world—or at least some of the most experienced—and, when used to do things like clear trenches, they aren't 5x more efficient. Stupid, creates bloat, and is a recipe to lose wars.

rev. howard arson @theophite.bsky.social · 6d

pete hegseth's basic idea of the military is that our military would be five times better if every private were five times better at their job. this is the basic idea behind special forces thinking.

rev. howard arson @theophite.bsky.social · 6d

the thing about special forces is:

(a) if the plan only works if 99th percentile guys do it, it is a bad idea.

(b) sometimes you need your 99th percentile guy unexpectedly. if he might be in some random unit, that's helpful. if he's in barracks because JSOC doesn't need him right now, a problem.

1 1 2

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 7d

It is something that the media is apparently unwilling or incapable of touching, but I suspect that there might be a sort of soft coup developing in the US right now and some of the worst people in the country are at the heart of it. They're doing the Biden "Weekend At Bernie's" conspiracy on Trump.

2

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 7d

There's a compelling trail of evidence online, including from the President's own social media activity, suggesting that:

1.) His mental capacity is severely diminished

2.) His senior advisers are feeding him AI videos, fake news, and organized disinformation to push certain agendas.

Hunter @hunterub.bsky.social · 7d

This feels like evidence Trump's aides are deliberately gaslighting him, which is unfortunately very easy to do with dementia sufferers (Trump did it to his father) and which aides are using to seize control of the US military for their own purposes.

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 7d

The protests are on one block. Nothing is burning down. His justification for sending in troops is all based on lies.

1 1 3

Reposted by Ed

AdotSad @adotsad.bsky.social · 8d

FBI agents have proven to be more ethical than almost every institution in the country

Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 8d

Breaking on MSNBC:

An FBI agent in the Washington field office has been fired for refusing to arrest and perp walk James Comey.

This news was first reported by Reuters.

4 7 67

Reposted by Ed

Kraut @derparrot.bsky.social · 10d

Never forget that CodePink supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine, denied Russian war crimes, and organised pro-Russian rallies. I don't care if you like their Palestine takes. These people are vatnik trash.

6 63 260

Reposted by Ed

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 10d

speaking of being mean, striking to see someone whose racism is directly proportional to their resemblance to sloth from the goonies

80 190 2.4K

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 10d

Brilliant idea. Do fascist thug stuff while 1/3 of the country watches you. Better yet, let's do it in such a way that we ruin one of, like, 4 days of the year that the country allows itself to take its mind off of the bucket of shit we're soaking in.

The Daily Beast @thedailybeast.bsky.social · 10d

Trump advisor Corey Lewandowski has threatened that ICE agents could potentially deport attendees at Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show.

Trump Goon Threatens ICE Activity at Bad Bunny Halftime Show

The Puerto Rican singer previously said he wouldn’t tour in the U.S. for fear of ICE agents.

trib.al

2 3

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 11d

When the poets write their tales of 21st century America, they'll speak of a judicial system headed by a council of judges who can best be described mostly as strict adherents to one thing and one thing only: the graft economy.

1 3

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 11d

"But Mr. President, if you take away the independence of the Fed and ruin the economy, who will be left to pay us our bribes?"

1 1 3

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 11d

Why is it always Arizona

QuoProQuid @quoproquid.bsky.social · 11d

would danica patrick become the first nickelodeon kids choice award recipient to be a candidate for federal office?

would she become the first elected us politician to be "slimed"?

1

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 12d

An 85 year old Reagan-era appointee taking it upon himself to do the judicial speak equivalent of calling the President a tyrannical, illogical, destructive asshole is a plot line so Sorkinian that Sorkin himself wouldn't even write it.

1 6

Reposted by Ed

Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 12d

The ruling itself is remarkable, but it closes with something I've never seen: a 12-page assessment of Trump himself as an ignorant bully, braggart and threat to free speech and the republic writ-large. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

43 1.1K 3.8K

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 12d

You know you're about to get your shit wrecked when the district judges start quoting Lincoln at you. Genuinely remarkable stuff going on here.

Quinta Jurecic @qjurecic.bsky.social · 12d

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Each day, I recognize (to paraphrase Lincoln again) that
the brave men and women, living and dead, who have struggled in
our Nation's service have hallowed our Constitutional freedom
far above my (or anyone’s) poor power to add or detract. The
only Constitutional rights upon which we can depend are those we
extend to the weakest and most reviled among us.

3

Ed @peaceandpaine.bsky.social · 12d

What the actual fuck did I just watch

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12d

This is one of the most demented things Trump has posted

1 1 4