Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 5h

pOPuliSm

Screenshot of New York times post

It shows a photo of Treasury secretary Scott Bessent in the oval Office, with a headline that reads"Big investors await a windfall from Trump's Argentina bailout"

Reposted by Stephen West

Leon Jackson @drleonj.bsky.social · 11h

Archival Name of the Day is Lord Wellington Gentleman (that’s his first, middle, and surname), carpenter, of Boston.

Source: Boston Police Court Docket, 1835. 🗃️

3 4 38

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

I had forgotten this bit about Noem, which indeed makes it awesomer

Eric Columbus @ericcolumbus.bsky.social · 1d

Trump (1) reveals he doesn't know what habeas corpus is and (2) punts to Noem, who famously revealed her own ignorance at a Senate hearing when she defined habeas corpus as "a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country."
www.npr.org/2025/05/20/n...

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Q: Have you given any more thought to possibly suspending habeas corpus?

TRUMP: Suspending who?

Q: Habeas corpus

TRUMP: I don't know. I'd rather leave that to Kristi.

1 3 23

Reposted by Stephen West

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

Abe strokes chin furiously

Photograph of Donald Trump and others sitting around a large U-shaped table. On the wall behind Trump is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, chin in hand

The caption on the screen reads, "Have you given any more thought to possibly suspending habeas corpus to not only deal with the insurrectionists across the nation"

3 3 15

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

Yes on the Expos merch - see below!

The Harper merch is on clearance - not so much retro as "it's been 7 years but we still haven't managed to sell all this stuff."

The men's t-shirt seems available only in multiple XL/doubles as a tent sizes

www.mlbshop.com?query=expos&...

Search Results - mlbshop.com

www.mlbshop.com

1 3

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

because I am procrastinating, I can tell you that the Washington Nationals online store is still selling merch with the name and number of Bryce Harper - a Phillie since 2019

www.mlbshop.com/washington-n...

t-shirt bearing the name and number of byrce harper, for sale in the nationals section of the mlb shopping website

2 5

Reposted by Stephen West

Stephen Totilo @stephentotilo.bsky.social · 1d

SCOOP: Last year, Ubisoft cancelled an Assassin's Creed game set during Reconstruction. Was to feature a Black Assassin who, among other things, fought the rise of the Klan

Sources: Leadership nixed it over concerns re: U.S. political climate, backlash to Yasuke

www.gamefile.news/p/scoop-ubis...

Scoop: Ubisoft cancelled a post-Civil War Assassin’s Creed last year

Company leadership deemed the project too controversial for the moment, sources tell Game File

www.gamefile.news

200 990 3.5K

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

Dead for 160 years and still suffering so many indignities

2

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

I'm not saying Pam Bondi is a good lawyer, but I think she at least knows what habeas corpus is - which likely puts her ahead of the other two

2 10

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

"Suspending who?" is a pretty funny response - as is Trump turning to the Secretary of Homeland Security (not a lawyer) and suggesting that she answer the question

1 12

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

Abe strokes chin furiously

3 3 15

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

civility in political discourse, whatever happened to it?

www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commo...

image of political cartoon entitled "The Political Barbecue / Going the Whole Hog," from the collections of the Boston Public Library

From the website's description/transcription:

Andrew Jackson is roasted over the fires of "Public Opinion" by the figure of Justice in a cartoon relating to the controversy surrounding Jackson's removal of federal deposits from the Bank of the United States. Jackson, with the body of a pig, is prone on a gridiron over a stone barbecue oven. The fire is stoked by former Secretary of the Treasury William Duane, at lower right, while Jack Downing, lower left, splits kindling. Jack Downing: "I jest split a little kindleying wood, so Amos can jest make Broth for all hands &c." Duane: "I am opposed to Removing the Deposits, as I was when I was Secretary, but prefer gently Stirring them up." Five men, opponents of Jackson's bank program, stand behind the barbecue. They are (from left to right) Senators Henry Clay, Daniel Webster (holding a knife), William B. Preston, Bank president Nicholas Biddle, and an unidentified fifth man. Vice-President Martin Van Buren, as an imp, flies off to the right with a sack of Treasury Notes over his shoulder. Clay: "Dan this is what they call in Kentuc our High Game to their Low Jack." Webster: "In Massachusetts they call it Roasting." Preston: "In South Carolina t'is called Barbecue only he wants a little more Basteing." Biddle: "In Pennsylvania we find it difficult to find a home for the animal but have concluded to call him Nondescript pertaking of the General, Hog, Man and Devil." Fifth man: "We think he pertakes strongly of the Rooter, for he has rooted our treasures all over the country and was squeeling for the Pension-fund when Clay caught him and put a ring in his nose, and we've all given it a twist." Van Buren: "T'is my business to get folks in trouble and their business to get themselves out."

1 5

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

if by serious they mean, "Stephen Miller brays loudly," then yes

2

Reposted by Stephen West

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence."

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 1d

#WarRavagedPortland

1 10 28

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

just typed "the mid nineteenth century" and am now reflecting on the importance of hyphens

1 18

Reposted by Stephen West

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

This is an extraordinary exchange.

Pressed on how racism factors in Trump's anti-immigration politics, Gladden Pappin calls racism a "self-fulfilling prophecy."

If immigration opponents are racist, it's only because they were accused of being racist and so decided, "yeah, whatever."

Many on the left accuse opponents of immigration of racism, whether or not that is the motivating factor.

Maybe it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, and by constantly trying to delegitimize the immigration restrictionist standpoint as racist, then I think you’ve unfortunately begun to see the phenomenon where some young people’s response is: Yeah, you’re right. You’ve just been telling me my entire life that I have a moral obligation to accept mass immigration, and if I don’t accept it, then I’m ipso facto a racist — so, yeah, whatever.

4 6 18

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

if unicorns can invade our country and violently dance in its streets, do we even have a country any more

1 10

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence."

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 1d

#WarRavagedPortland

1 10 28

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

Seems like a job for Isaac Chotiner, is what I'm saying.

4

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

The interviewer being David Leonhardt, who counts himself very brave for having this conversation in the first place, there is no follow-up.

Opinion | Trumpism After Trump: The Future of the Right

www.nytimes.com

1 4

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 1d

This is an extraordinary exchange.

Pressed on how racism factors in Trump's anti-immigration politics, Gladden Pappin calls racism a "self-fulfilling prophecy."

If immigration opponents are racist, it's only because they were accused of being racist and so decided, "yeah, whatever."

4 6 18

Reposted by Stephen West

John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 2d

They said on-line isn’t real life, and Bluesky is a niche social media site.

But here is @akalhan.bsky.social getting “Kavanaugh Stops” into the Boston Globe!

With a pic of Kav looking a little petulant too (but then when doesn’t he?).

Glad to see this is sticking to him.

Critics of Trump’s immigration crackdown are using the term ‘Kavanaugh stop.’ Here’s what it means. - The Boston Globe

The phrase, is "a window into where [the administration] can go next," some advocates say.

www.bostonglobe.com

18 220 860

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 2d

Good to include this info - but what a grammatically weird way to do so.

Canada’s Tariff Burden

Mr. Trump has imposed a general 35 percent tariff on Canadian exports based on his claim, which is refuted by data, that Canada is a significant source of migrants and fentanyl for the United States

6

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 2d

It's what fall tasted like, before the whole pumpkin spice thing.

5

Reposted by Stephen West

Jordan Barab @jbarab.bsky.social · 3d

Logging, mining, firefighting, confined space, lightning, highway construction, crushed by stone slab, vehicle incidents and shootings. On average, over 100 workers are killed every week in the United States due to traumatic injuries suffered at work: The Weekly Toll
jordanbarab.com/confinedspac...

Weekly Toll: Workers Killed on the Job - Confined Space

On average, over 100 workers are killed every week in the United States due to traumatic injuries suffered at work. Here are how a few died last week.

jordanbarab.com

1 7 13