Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Traci Degerman 🇺🇲🌎🇺🇦 @tracidegerman.bsky.social · 7h

All those federal law enforcement officers, investigators, and lawyers who are/were fired for upholding their oath of office and the rule of law should join forces to counteract the Trump loyalists, essentially becoming the vanguard of the resistance against the increasingly unpopular MAGA cultists.

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 17h

Military/Paramilitary forces vary in their professionalism. Some, like the FBI and DOD have high professionalism and high commitment to rule of law. Some, like ICE, don't. So Trump is purging DOD/FBI in the hope that leaders will become more like ICE.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/purge-merg...

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 15h

We are less safe because of the omniforce. Other crime is still happening, even as more and more of the country's law enforcement is focused on rounding up non-violent immigrants. It’s a good time to be an American-born criminal,” says a former ICE official
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/purge-merg...

Now, if your views are fiercely anti-immigrant, maybe you support all of this. But lets be honest, the omniforce is worsening public safety. ICE has a quota, and it is not limited to violent criminals. It is any undocumented immigrant they can grab. As of September 21, 71.5% of those held in ICE detention have no criminal conviction.

If you think law enforcement mostly spends its time productively chasing down criminals, you should be very concerned about the opportunity costs of the omniforce. Within the FBI, the pursuit of child predators, domestic terrorism, corruption, fraud, corporate investigations, foreign influence are now all secondary to immigration enforcement.

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 16h

The omniforce is accountable only to Trump: they ignore state and local guidance, or court decisions. Forget about knowing the identity of the official. Now you may not know which agency he works for, or even if he is an agent of the state.

two men wearing American flag facemasks and tactical gear.
Look at the picture above. One of these is a member of a private militia that supports the President and was involved in an violent effort to overturn the election, the other is an agent of the state. Can you tell the difference?

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 16h

If you remember the Iraq war, you will remember The Surge: massing troops into key cities to establish control.

Trump is describing American cities as if they are Baghdad in 2007.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/purge-merg...

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 17h

The merging of the omniforce is happening via different mechanisms.
First, ICE has become a black hole consuming resources from other agencies. Those agencies are being told to send their people to support ICE. For example, nearly half of FBI field agents work on immigration enforcement.

According to an analysis by the Cato Institute, more than 28,000 law enforcement officials have been sucked into performing ICE’s mission. ICE has trained or is training more than 10,500 state and local police who are part of a task force that allows them to make arrests. In addition, “one in five US marshals (650 of 3,892), one in five FBI agents (2,840 of 13,700), half of DEA agents (2,181 of 4,620), over two-thirds of the ATF (1,778 of 2,572), and nearly 90 percent of Homeland Security Investigations (6,198 of 7,100).”

More recent data suggests that these numbers are increasing, with nearly half of FBI agents in major field offices, and about one-quarter of all FBI agents, now working on immigration enforcement.

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 17h

Military/Paramilitary forces vary in their professionalism. Some, like the FBI and DOD have high professionalism and high commitment to rule of law. Some, like ICE, don't. So Trump is purging DOD/FBI in the hope that leaders will become more like ICE.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/purge-merg...

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Reposted by Traci Degerman 🇺🇲🌎🇺🇦

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 17h

New, from me:
Trump's 3 step plan to create a military omniforce
1. Purge - those deemed disloyal
2. Merge - different parts of law enforcement/military
3. Surge - impose the omniforce on Dem cities; instigate unrest; assert dominance; silence dissent
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/purge-merg...

Purge, Merge, and Surge

Trump is creating a omniforce of armed loyalists to establish his police state

donmoynihan.substack.com

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Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 19h

Pope Leo quotes Hannah Arendt:

“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist."

www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...

Pope Leo calls for news agencies to stand as bulwark against "post-truths," lies and manipulation

Pope Leo XIV has encouraged international news agencies to stand firm as a bulwark against the "ancient art of lying" and manipulation.

www.cbsnews.com

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Adam Kinzinger @adamkinzinger.substack.com · 8h

Trump can’t even make up conspiracy theories correctly

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 8h

The 400 richest Americans are now worth a record $6.6 trillion.

The entire bottom 50% of America is worth just $4.2 trillion.

Read that back.

When 400 people control more wealth than half a country’s population, we have a very serious problem.

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Mark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 9h

The New York Times knows crime is not “out of control” in major U.S. cities — in fact, crime is way down from past years and decades — but NYT amplifies JD Vance’s lie without a fact check.
It’s journalism malpractice that helps the fascists.

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Senator Patty Murray @murray.senate.gov · 8h

Why doesn't Donald Trump remember that he was President on January 6th, 2021?

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Wajahat Ali @wajali.bsky.social · 9h

Follow ups and not tolerating lies and bullshit.

Imagine if corporate media did this for 10 years.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 16h

STEPHANOPOULOS: Did Tom Homan give the $50,000 back?

VANCE: He did not take a bribe. It's a ridiculous smear

STEPHANOPOULOS: You didn't answer the question

VANCE: Did he accept $50,000? I'm sure that in the course of Homan's life, he's been paid more than $50k for services.

(So, no, he didn't)

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RogueNOAA @roguenoaa.bsky.social · 8h

Here are links to learn about these critical #NOAA programs:

OR&R
response.restoration.noaa.gov

NMFS LE
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/about/office...

NOAA CORPS
www.omao.noaa.gov/noaa-corps/a...

OAMO
www.omao.noaa.gov/about

About OMAO | Office of Marine and Aviation Operations

The NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) manages and operates NOAA's fleet of 15 research and survey ships and 10 specialized environmental data-collecting aircraft.

www.omao.noaa.gov

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RogueNOAA @roguenoaa.bsky.social · 8h

This is a great article. It highlights NOAA’s lesser known missions. NOS’ Office of Response and Restoration responds to oil spills, etc. Fisheries has law enforcement. There is NOAA Corps and OAMO. There is much collaboration with the USCG. All of these programs are targeted by this administration.

Fluid Studios @fluidstudios.bsky.social · 10h

The U.S. ocean agencies that keep us safe, informed, and resilient — NOAA and the Coast Guard — are being pulled in opposite directions.

Read & subscribe on substack → davidhelvarg.substack.com/p/why-the-co...

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sp-fxx.bsky.social @sp-fxx.bsky.social · 10h

Miller’s in charge of everything related to the police state: law enforcement, DOJ, FBI, CIA and immigration. Vought is destroying everything the federal government does well, CDC, NIH, NOAA, EPA, FDA among others.

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Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 8h

The Supreme Court’s 2025 term will decide critical election and voting rights cases that could reshape American democracy. I explain what is on their docket and what cases deserve your attention.

Please watch and share.
youtu.be/0iKo6YdLxhA

Supreme Court's SHOCKING New Agenda Revealed!

YouTube video by Democracy Docket

youtu.be

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JeffTrnka @jefftrnka.bsky.social · 8h

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Rachel Maddow @maddow.msnbc.com · 8h

tell me more about republicans being the pro-business party.

www.nbcnews.com/business/bus...

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Traci Degerman 🇺🇲🌎🇺🇦 @tracidegerman.bsky.social · 8h

This is my whistle of choice, scratched up from years of hanging from my backpack or work vest. Loud enough to scare off a bear. I recommend it if the Aztec Death Whistle isn't your thing.

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Faine Greenwood @faineg.bsky.social · 11h

Imagine, if you will, fifty protesters in inflatable animal costumes converging on ICE agents while blowing Aztec Death Whistles.

(You can 3D print death whistles and there’s tons of free designs - we have already printed off a few and are printing more for No Kings).

Aztec Death Whistle: The Sound That Terrifies

YouTube video by Aztec Death Whistle

youtu.be

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Molly Knight @mollyknight.bsky.social · 14h

Whistling when ICE is about to kidnap someone for no reason is incredibly effective. They know what they are doing is wrong and will scatter in the wind when too many witnesses gather.

FORM A CROWD
STAY LOUD
PROTECT EACH OTHER
CODE I:
ICE NEARBY
BLOW QUICKLY IN A BROKEN RHYTHM:
PRE-PRE-PRE!
→ ALERTS THE COMMUNITY THAT ICE AGENTS ARE IN THE AREA.
ROGERS PARK WHISTLE PROTOCOLS
WHY A WHISTLE? ON THE STREETS
• A SIMPLE TOOL FOR FAST ALERTS.
• LOUD.
RECOGNIZABLE.
IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE.
• OUR VOICES ARE
STRONGER TOGETHER.
WHISTLES GUIDE
PEOPLE TO:
• FOLLOW ICE CARAVANS
• CATCH UP WITH THE CROWD
• ALERT NEIGHBORS
TO JOIN IN
NOISE = VISIBILITY.
CODE 2:
CODE RED
BLOW THREE LONG BLASTS:
PREEEE-PREEEE-PREEEE!
→ ICE IS DETAINING SOMEONE.
FORM A CROWD, STAY LOUD.
DON'T STAY SILENT. STAY NONVIOLENT.
WHY IT WORKS
• INSTANT ALERT
SYSTEM
• FASTER THAN SOCIAL MEDIA
• TURNS SILENCE INTO COMMUNITY
ACTION
ORIGINAL FLYER CREATED BY:
WHAT YOU CAN DO
• WEAR YOUR WHISTLE AROUND YOUR NECK
TEACH FAMILY
EIGHBORS TH
CODES
• USE IT WHEN ICE IS
SPOTTED
• PROTECT EACH OTHER, ALWAYS
TOGETHER, WE KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
FORM A CROWD, STAY LOUD.
THIS FLYER DISTRIBUTED BY:
PROTECT RP
• @PROTECTRP_

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Heather Cherone @heathercherone.bsky.social · 9h

A federal judge ordered federal agents last week to issue two warnings before using tear gas.

Witnesses said they heard no warnings and none can be heard on videos, @chicago.suntimes.com reports

Heather Cherone @heathercherone.bsky.social · 9h

Federal agents deployed tear gas after Albany Park residents protested to their attempts to detain a resident of the Northwest Side neighborhood, @vimiller.bsky.social reports for the @chicago.suntimes.com

Feds deploy tear gas in another Chicago neighborhood: 'We chased federal agents out of Albany Park today'

A federal judge’s temporary restraining order requires federal agents to issue two warnings before using riot control weapons such as tear gas. Witnesses says they didn't get any warning.

chicago.suntimes.com

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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 8h

Coral reefs, ice sheets and Amazon rainforest approaching a tipping point due to global heating, report says

Unless global heating is reduced to 1.2C ‘as fast as possible’, warm water coral reefs will not remain ‘at any meaningful scale’, a report by 160 scientists from 23 countries warns * Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here The earth has reached its first catastrophic tipping point linked to greenhouse gas emissions, with warm water coral reefs now facing a long-term decline and risking the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people, according to a new report. The report from scientists and conservationists warns the world is also “on the brink” of reaching other tipping points, including the dieback of the Amazon, the collapse of major ocean currents and the loss of ice sheets. Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as a free newsletter Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Thomas Long @rayosunlong.bsky.social · 8h

Gosh, I said this four months ago and I’m not a scientist… I just pay attention.

bsky.app/profile/rayo...

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