Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Michael Meir Saltzman

Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 8h

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.

74 2.3K 7.7K

Reposted by Michael Meir Saltzman

William B. Fuckley @opinionhaver.bsky.social · 5h

12 10 170

Reposted by Michael Meir Saltzman

beetle moses @beetlemoses.bsky.social · 15h

14 730 4.6K

Michael Meir Saltzman @saltzman.bsky.social · 8h

(Jewish parent voice) Yes, but did you know his brother’s a doctor?

22

Reposted by Michael Meir Saltzman

Brennan Lee Mulligan @brennanleemulligan.bsky.social · 9h

Tonight’s #CriticalRole begins in about an hour!

From the candescent light of the Villa Aurora to the arcane libraries of the Penteveral, Dol-Makjar reels from the execution of Thjazi Fang, as our heroes unravel the plot that sealed his fate... join us!

twitch.tv/criticalrole

CriticalRole - Twitch

Welcome to Critical Role! This is the live home for a bunch of nerdy ass voice actors and all of their debauchery.

twitch.tv

6 38 450

Reposted by Michael Meir Saltzman

Willow @rockshrimp.bsky.social · 9h

Well I don’t think any of us expected that.

Senate Press Gallery @senatepress.bsky.social · 9h

Senate adopted by voice vote: Kaine amendment #3337 to repeal the authorizations for use of military force against Iraq.

2 5 29

Reposted by Michael Meir Saltzman

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 11h

The media coverage of Gaza in the US is already massively out of step with almost any other country you might visit.

max tani @maxtani.bsky.social · 11h

New: Bari Weiss booked Hillary Clinton, Mike Pompeo, and Antony Blinken for a roundtable on Gaza, her first major move at CBS.

Notably on a CBS call today in which the panel was floated, one producer also repeatedly emphasized the need to hear from Palestinians in Gaza (Weiss did not respond).

4 41 220

Reposted by Michael Meir Saltzman

Popehat Agitates And Irritates @kenwhite.bsky.social · 11h

I’ve never seen anything remotely this petty charged as bank fraud.

Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 12h

NEW: Here's the two-count indictment against NY AG Letitia James. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

INDICTMENT
October 2025 Term - at Alexandria, Virginia
THE GRAND JURY CHARGES THAT:
GENERAL ALLEGATIONS
At all times relevant to this Indictment:
1. Letitia A. James ("JAMES) was a resident of Brooklyn, New York, and the borrower on a
Fannie Mae-backed mortgage loan for the property located at 3121 Peronne Avenue,
Norfolk, Virginia.
2. OVM Financial (also known as Old Virginia Mortgage / AnnieMac) was a mortgage lending business located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, engaged in the business of originating and underwriting residential mortgage loans, including those backed by the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"). OVM Financial qualified as a "financial institution" within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. § 20(10).
3. Fannie Mae was a federally chartered corporation that purchased and guaranteed mortgages,
operating as a government-sponsored enterprise under the oversight of the Federal Housing

Finance Agency ("FHFA").
4. First Savings Bank was a state-chartered, FDIC-insured financial institution (Certificate
#29961), headquartered in Jeffersonville, Indiana, which acquired mortgage loans through assignment or acquisition. First Savings Bank qualified as a "financial institution" within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. § 20(1).
5. On or about August 17, 2020, JAMES, as sole borrower, purchased the three (3) bedroom,
(1) bathroom property located at 3121 Peronne Avenue, Norfolk, Virginia 23509 (the
"Peronne Property"), for approximately $137,000, financed with a mortgage loan of approximately $109,600 (Loan #4430025978) backed by Fannie Mae.
6. The loan was originated by OVM Financial under a signed Second Home Rider, which required JAMES, as the sole borrower to occupy and use the property as her secondary residence, and prohibited its use as a timesharing or other shared ownership arrangement or agreement that requires her either to rent the property or give any other person any control over the occupancy or use of the property.
7. Despite these representations, the Peronne Property was not occupied or used by JAMES as a secondary residence and was instead used as a rental investment property, renting the property to a family of (3).
8. This misrepresentation allowed JAMES to obtain favorable loan terms not available for investment properties, including a note rate of 3.000% (avoiding a 0.815% higher
comparable investment property rate of 3.815%, resulting in approximately $17,837 in rate savings over the life of the loan), a seller credit of approximately $3,288 (exceeding the seller credit for investment properties by approximately $1,096), for total ill-gotten gains of approximately $18,933 over the life of the loan.
9. JAMES' Universal Property application for homeowners' insurance indicated "owner-

occupied non-seasonal use," further misrepresenting the intended use of the property.
10. JAMES filed Schedule E tax forms), under penalties of perjury, treating the Perrone Property as rental real estate, reporting fair rental days, zero personal use days, thousand(s)
of dollars in rents received, and claiming deductions for expenses relating to the property, further contradicting the second home classification.
11. The loan was acquired by or assigned to First Savings Bank by March 2021, exposing it to risks associated with the misrepresented loan.
12. The acts described herein occurred within the Eastern District of Virginia.
COUNT ONE
(Bank Fraud - 18 U.S.C. § 1344)
13. The allegations in paragraphs 1 through 12 are re-alleged and incorporated herein.
14. From on or about August 7, 2020, through at least January 2024, in the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere, the Defendant, LETITIA A. JAMES, did knowingly execute and attempt to execute a scheme and artifice to defraud OVM Financial and First Savings Bank,
financial institutions, and to obtain moneys, funds, and credits owned by and under the custody and control of OVM Financial and First Savings Bank by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.
15. The scheme involved falsely representing the Peronne Property as a secondary residence to obtain favorable mortgage terms, while using it as an investment property with no intended
or actual personal occupancy or use by her.
(In violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344).
COUNT TWO
(False Statements to a Financial Institution - 18 U.S.C. § 1014)
16. The allegations in paragraphs 1 through 12 are re-alleged and incorporated herein.

17. From on or about July 28, 2020, through at least August 31, 2020, in the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere, the Defendant, LETITIA A. JAMES, did knowingly make and cause to be made false statements and reports for the purpose of influencing the action of OVM Financial, a Fannie Mae-backed lender, upon an application for a loan, in that JAMES represented and affirmed in uniform residential loan applications and related documents that
the Peronne Property would be used as a secondary residence, when in truth and fact, as JAMES then knew, the property was intended and used as an investment property with no intended or actual personal occupancy or use by her.
(In violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1014).
FORFEITURE NOTICE
Pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 32.2(a) and Title 18, U.S.C. §
982(a)(2)(A), upon conviction of the offenses in Counts One and Two, the Defendant, Letitia
A. James, shall forfeit to the United States any property constituting, or derived from, proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly, as a result of such violations, including but not limited to a money judgment in the amount of $18,933.
If any of the property described above, as a result of any act or omission of the Defendant: (a) cannot be located upon the exercise of due diligence; (b) has been transferred or sold to, or deposited with, a third party; (c) has been placed beyond the jurisdiction of the court; (d) has been substantially diminished in value; or (e) has been commingled with other property which cannot be divided without difficulty, the United States shall be entitled to a forfeiture of substitute property pursuant to Title 21, U.S.C. § 853(b), as incorporated by Title
18 U.S.C. § 982(b)(1).
(In accordance with Title 18 U.S.C. § 981(a)(1)(C) and 982(a)(1); Title 28, U.S.C. § 2461(c); and Title 21 U.S.C. § 853(p).)

170 960 4.4K

Reposted by Michael Meir Saltzman

Faine Greenwood @faineg.bsky.social · 12h

I also firmly believe that creative kids who are forced to find other collaborators for their weird little nerd projects learn immensely valuable skills like “successful collaboration” and “working with weird assholes” in the process

Faine Greenwood @faineg.bsky.social · 12h

some people claim that using AI for creative work makes sense because it can complement your own skills and theoretically I guess

BUT I grew up on the 2000s nerd and art kid internet and finding a creative collaborator for your weird little unpaid projects is REALLY NOT VERY HARD

3 9 75

Reposted by Michael Meir Saltzman

DIO @danielirizarri.bsky.social · 19h

I think what's impressive about TRON is that, visually, it's still so much more interesting than any of it's sequels. It's crazy that they tried update this digital world by making it as 'realistically rendered' as possible. It's a complete misunderstanding of the original's charm.

26 220 830

Reposted by Michael Meir Saltzman

Daniel Kibblesmith @kibblesmith.com · 13h

Everyone just close your eyes

Take a deep breath

In

Out

and let the racing thoughts and crippling anxieties grip onto your face and pull you down like little demons into hell

5 14 110

Reposted by Michael Meir Saltzman

Parker Molloy @parkermolloy.com · 14h

I genuinely loathe this pudding-brained freak

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 14h

Trump: "I also did a cognitive exam. Which is always very risky because if I didn't do well, you'd be the first to be blaring it and I had a perfect score. And one of the doctors said he's almost never seen a perfect score. I had a perfect score. That made me well good ... not the easiest test."

18 38 700

Reposted by Michael Meir Saltzman

spooky boolantro @rickycilantro.bsky.social · 13h

it takes guts to come out and admit to the entire world that you are an abject moron

bendwalsh.bsky.social @bendwalsh.bsky.social · 15h

wtaf are you talking about

4 29

Reposted by Michael Meir Saltzman

Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 15h

President Abbas met this afternoon in Ramallah with dozens of Israeli peace activists, Jews and Arabs, representing organizations including Peace Now, Women Wage Peace, the Parents Circle–Families Forum, as well. Underscoring the importance of such encounters in building bridges of trust

Standing Together @standing-together.bsky.social · 15h

Members of Standing Together's national leadership met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah today as part of the delegation of peace groups called “It’s Time.” (1/3)

8 22

Reposted by Michael Meir Saltzman

The Onion @theonion.com · 15h

Israel Agrees To Go Back To Killing Palestinians On Less Frequent Basis

CAIRO—As part of a historic ceasefire agreement with Hamas following two years of war, the Israeli government reportedly agreed Thursday to go back to killing Palestinians on a less frequent basis. “I...

theonion.com

62 1.3K 4.8K

Michael Meir Saltzman @saltzman.bsky.social · 15h

As it is said in Ecclesiastes:

Whatever your hands find to do
Do with all your AI
Now you don’t have to do it anymore

Sign up now at Sheol dot com for a month free trial and 500 generation credits

8

Reposted by Michael Meir Saltzman

Anne Kosseff-Jones @annekosseffjones.bsky.social · 17h

Since I'm talking about this, does anybody need line editing or copy editing on their books or movement resources? I would love to help nurture your works about making change or understanding the current moment and its history. I've got 20 years of experience and I will never ever use "AI"/LLMs.

Anne Kosseff-Jones @annekosseffjones.bsky.social · 1d

I made a connection that has helped me shift my career to align more closely with my values in ways that are life-changing for me.

37 83

Michael Meir Saltzman @saltzman.bsky.social · 15h

Every 12 year old Jewish kid:

1

Michael Meir Saltzman @saltzman.bsky.social · 15h

It really was.

4

Michael Meir Saltzman @saltzman.bsky.social · 15h

Look at the Talmud and try to tell me most of those people were neurotypical with a straight face

7

Michael Meir Saltzman @saltzman.bsky.social · 15h

In seriousness, I bet someone’s done some interesting writing on Jewish culture and neurodivergence and now I want to read it

1 9

Michael Meir Saltzman @saltzman.bsky.social · 15h

It’s so fucked up to falsely accuse Jews of being responsible for increasing rates of autism especially since we’re actually responsible for ADHD.

1 11

Reposted by Michael Meir Saltzman

Michelle 🪷🇲🇽🇺🇸🌵 @chicana74.bsky.social · 1d

This headline 🤣🤣🤣

130 1.1K 3.7K

Reposted by Michael Meir Saltzman

Dr. Rebecca J. Epstein-Levi @rjelevi.bsky.social · 16h

NO SERIOUSLY I DIDN'T NEED YOU TO SO OBVIOUSLY DEMONSTRATE THE LINK BETWEEN ANTI-JUDAISM AND NEUROABLEISM. AT LEAST LEAVE ME A *LITTLE* WORK TO DO.

nb: there is actually a serious conversation to be had re: circumcision and bodily autonomy (that I DON'T WANT in my relplies). This...ain't it.

Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 16h

Besides linking Tylenol in pregnant women to autism, RFK Jr. now says circumcision is part of the reason why kids are autistic.

"Children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism, and it's highly likely because they're given Tylenol. None of this is positive..."

1 12 49

Michael Meir Saltzman @saltzman.bsky.social · 16h

People do understand that this is an antisemitic dog whistle, right?

1 10