Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Rachel Martin

Barred and Boujee aka Madiba Dennie @audrelawdamercy.bsky.social · 5h

it is frustrating how much space NYT gives to people with nothing worthwhile to say

just an uninteresting man with stale, despicable views talking to a lazy man with no intellectual curiosity

like wow, a white Christian nationalist? is he just like the other ones? is he wearing a suit? fascinating

Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 8h

Ross Douthat treats this guy like they're having some deep conversation about the relationship of Christianity and the government, but the dude is a garden-variety dull, shallow, hateful, worthless bigot with nothing interesting to say, just endless riffs on "God hates everything/everyone I do."

Douthat: So that’s the first purpose of your political project, for America to stop making God angry.

Wilson: Yes. And most people think that when they are confronted with that project, they think that we want to get our tentacles into everything and start controlling everything. I actually think we need limited government. The government should be significantly smaller than it is, and we need to curtail a lot of the busybodyness that we have. That’s why I would call myself a theocratic libertarian. There is a true libertarian element in this, and yet, the transcendent grounding for what we’re talking about means that we acknowledge the authority of God.

We have racked up quite a body count of awful crimes, and I believe the only way out is for us to repent and turn to Christ. This would be things like no more Pride parades, no more drag queen story hours, no more abortion on demand, no more legalized same-sex unions — all of that, done. That’s the repentance part.

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Reposted by Rachel Martin

Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 8h

Ross Douthat treats this guy like they're having some deep conversation about the relationship of Christianity and the government, but the dude is a garden-variety dull, shallow, hateful, worthless bigot with nothing interesting to say, just endless riffs on "God hates everything/everyone I do."

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Reposted by Rachel Martin

Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 17h

Trump crudely mocks transgender people in front of Canadian Prime Minister, one of whose children is nonbinary. Keep it classy, America. @rikiwilchins.bsky.social

Donald Trump mocks transgender people in Oval Office meeting with Canadian PM, whose child is nonbinary

Mark Carney sat silently as the U.S. president went on an anti-trans diatribe.

www.advocate.com

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Rachel Martin @racheljo.bsky.social · 15h

Great question, this does seem to be an expansion of previous practices. Our alliances especially with Qatar and the Saudis speaks volumes about USA values, of profits over human rights and dignity. And of course the Trump family are always first in line at the trough.

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Rachel Martin @racheljo.bsky.social · 17h

Qatari AF to create training base at Mountain Home AFB. Singapore also trains at MUO.

#idaho

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Rachel Martin @racheljo.bsky.social · 1d

The Grinch thought he could steal Christmas, too, but it came all the same.

ghostly gwen howerton @kissphoria.bsky.social · 1d

San Antonio has no immediate plans to remove its Pride crosswalks, but Gina Ortiz, the city's first gay mayor, says that "We don't need crosswalks for pride, right? We don't need it, though they're nice to have, but that pride rolls on."
www.tpr.org/news/2025-10...

San Antonio: ‘No immediate plans’ to remove rainbow crosswalk or alter roadways amid TxDOT directive

“We are now working with TXDoT to understand the state’s specific areas of local concern. There are no immediate plans to make changes to any roadways, and any future changes will occur with City Coun...

www.tpr.org

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Reposted by Rachel Martin

Ida Bae Wells @nhannahjones.bsky.social · 1d

This was magnificent.

The Daily Show @thedailyshow.com · 1d

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

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Rachel Martin @racheljo.bsky.social · 1d

Being queer in the year of 2025 is expecting most discriminatory laws will pass, things will get much worse, and being a senior I will probably not live to see things get better.

And I'm a VERY optimistic person.

And still determined to fight for what's right and to live my life with JOY.

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Rachel Martin @racheljo.bsky.social · 1d

I am grandparent age and I LOVED Sanford and Son, but have to admit that reference went over my head! I love that he put that in there, thank you for pointing it out! ♥️

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Reposted by Rachel Martin

Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 1d

www.wweek.com/culture/2025...

Can you put into words what that purpose is? You and the frog have really become icons of this protest.

There’s been a nice overall whimsy that has shown up. The frog is amazing. We had a bunch of other inflatable people here last night, too. I saw people playing Twister the other day.

What they rely on is fear. So by coming out in an absurdist manner, it speaks to them, to some extent, that we’re actually not that afraid.

It also dismantles their narrative a little bit. When they try to describe this situation as “war-torn,” it becomes much harder to take them seriously when they have to post a video saying [U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security] Kristi Noem is up on the balcony staring over the Antifa Army and it’s, like, eight journalists and five protesters and one of them is in a chicken suit.

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Rachel Martin @racheljo.bsky.social · 1d

So true! This particular one, the DC-8-62 was the shortest of the -60 series, I believe. We operated three variants, the -61 (long fuselage, short wing), -62 (short fuselage, long wing), and -63 (long fuselage, long wing). And the four motors produced much less thrust than two motors now!

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Reposted by Rachel Martin

Julia Carrie Wong @joolia.bsky.social · 1d

From @jasonaw.bsky.social's excellent *reporting* on Wilson.

“a life of plenty, of simple pleasures, of food, clothes, and good medical care”

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/n...

In the early 2000s, Wilson received criticism over a book, Southern Slavery as it Was, which he had co-written in the previous decade with J Steven Wilkins. Wilkins is a Louisiana pastor who was a co-founder of the neo-Confederate organization, the League of the South. His church is a member of Wilson’s congregational umbrella group, the CREC.

The book depicted slavery in the antebellum southern United States as “a relationship based upon mutual affection and confidence”, and argued that the enslaved enjoyed “a life of plenty, of simple pleasures, of food, clothes, and good medical care”.

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Reposted by Rachel Martin

Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 1d

A fringe group wants the field of psychiatry to regress back to the days when stereotypes and prejudices resulted in mental illness diagnoses for marginalized populations.

In a new reported piece, @evanurquhart.bsky.social examines Genspect's call for the re-psychopathologization of trans identity.

Hate Group Calls for Re-Labeling Transness as Mental Illness — Assigned

A fringe group with no expertise pushes the field of psychiatry to regress to a pre-scientific, prejudice-soaked view of trans people. It coincides with the far-right political agenda.

www.assignedmedia.org

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Reposted by Rachel Martin

ACLU of Idaho @acluidaho.bsky.social · 2d

The government's recent action that cut Planned Parenthood out of Medicaid reimbursements is a serious attack on reproductive freedom in Idaho. We applaud Planned Parenthood's commitment to providing equal access to health care for all, regardless of income, gender, immigration status, or zip code.

‘We aren’t going anywhere:’ Idaho’s last Planned Parenthood plans to stay open despite federal cuts • Idaho Capital Sun

Despite federal cuts from the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," Idaho's last Planned Parenthood clinic is here to stay, its health workers say.

idahocapitalsun.com

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Rachel Martin @racheljo.bsky.social · 2d

Even better, she's trans 🙄

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Reposted by Rachel Martin

Cheryl Lynn Eaton @cheryllynneaton.bsky.social · 2d

I don't know how to convince people that trans rights aren't some unique and special thing. It's literally just about healthcare, security, and identity. If America decides it can deny medication to Lisa because of who she is, then it can deny care to anyone.

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Reposted by Rachel Martin

Cheryl Lynn Eaton @cheryllynneaton.bsky.social · 2d

Trans rights are civil rights. If you aren't willing to die on the hill of trans rights, then you aren't willing to die on the hill of Black rights. Of Jewish rights. Of disabled rights. Of gay rights. Of anyone's rights. Human rights.

the tallest stone @talleststone.bsky.social · 2d

I hate to say it but the majority of the country is not going to die on the hill of trans rights. We can’t protect ANY groups if we can’t win a national election, so purity tests only serve to make specific groups feel triumphant. That’s not “erasing” them; it’s long-horizon strategy.

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Rachel Martin @racheljo.bsky.social · 2d

I’m a pretty innocuous poster (at least I think I am), but still it feels like as a queer person I could get booted from here at any time. So I’ve also created a myatpro.social and likewise really grateful they’re offering that.

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Reposted by Rachel Martin

Barred and Boujee aka Madiba Dennie @audrelawdamercy.bsky.social · 3d

I've written my analysis of today's grim Supreme Court oral argument in the conversion therapy case:

As far as the Court's concerned, imaginary medical uncertainty gives states the authority to hurt queer kids, and takes away states' authority to protect them

ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/chile...

The Conservative Justices Don't Trust Any Science That Supports LGBTQ Kids

States that want to facilitate discrimination against LGBTQ people have the Court's blessing. States that want to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination do not.

ballsandstrikes.org

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Rachel Martin @racheljo.bsky.social · 3d

It was a relatively short adventure in my career! In those years everyone started at ABX as an FE, but advancement to FO came pretty quickly, in less than a year. The FE license is a separate one and was getting rare in the late 90’s. It was a pretty cool job and a fun challenge!

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Rachel Martin @racheljo.bsky.social · 3d

And, argh 😖 just noticed the typo… this accident happened in *1968* not 62.

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Reposted by Rachel Martin

Rudy wants revolution. @rude1.blacksky.team · 3d

I hear and see your concerns. Over the weekend, a couple users hosted on Blacksky's PDS were banned from the Bluesky app and thus the Bluesky API servers. This was a weakness of our system I've been aware of and hoped we had more time to address before any kind of public incident. 1/11

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Reposted by Rachel Martin

Mark the Bronco @markthebronco.bsky.social · 3d

The 75th anniversary book just arrived the day it went on sale. Written by my favorite popular culture historian and biographer, Mark Evanier. Hard to believe that Good ol' Charlie Brown is 75-years-young.

#Idaho #Peanuts #CharlieBrown #ComicBooks #ComicStrips #Schulz #MarkEvanier

The Essential Peanuts 75th Anniversary book, featuring Good ol' Charlie Brown...

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Rachel Martin @racheljo.bsky.social · 3d

Yes! It later flew passengers again before migrating to freight 😊

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Rachel Martin @racheljo.bsky.social · 3d

Wiki has a pretty interesting account of the salvage operation here in the “Aftermath” section! I agree, it must have been a pretty smooth touchdown! I recall being told the water was quite shallow there, too, might have somehow made a difference.

Japan Air Lines Flight 2 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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