Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Austin Ramzy @austinramzy.bsky.social · 14d

RIP Jerry Cohen. A hugely important figure in U.S.-China relations who was always willing to help reporters make sense of it all

www.wsj.com/world/china/...

Jerome Cohen, the First American to Practice Law in China, Dies at 95

An expert on China—and a sometime critic—Cohen defended companies and dissidents.

www.wsj.com

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Austin Ramzy @austinramzy.bsky.social · Sep 6

Impressive cloaking technology for Taiwan and the Philippines

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Austin Ramzy @austinramzy.bsky.social · Aug 28

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to join Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a grand military parade in Beijing next week, in a show of unity and defiance of the West

www.wsj.com/world/asia/k...

Kim and Putin to Join Xi in Show of Unity at Beijing Military Parade

The meeting will provide powerful optics as Beijing asserts itself as a leader of countries seeking to upend the U.S.-led international order.

www.wsj.com

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Reposted by Austin Ramzy

Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · Aug 27

BREAKING:

Democrat Catelin Drey has pulled off a victory in a special election for the Iowa Senate, flipping a Republican-held seat and breaking the GOP's supermajority in the chamber for the first time in three years. www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/p...

Democrat Catelin Drey wins Iowa Senate special election, breaking Republican supermajority

National and state support from Republicans and Democrats poured into the race for Iowa Senate District 1 with the GOP supermajority in the balance.

www.desmoinesregister.com

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Reposted by Austin Ramzy

Finbarr Bermingham @fbermingham.bsky.social · Aug 22

Zelensky on Russia's suggestion of China as a security guarantor

“We don’t need guarantors who don’t help Ukraine, and didn’t help Ukraine at the moment when we really needed it...we need security guarantees only from those countries that are ready to help us.”

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Zelenskiy Rules Out China as One of Postwar Security Guarantors

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy pushed back against Russia’s idea to add China as a security guarantor in the event of a ceasefire.

www.bloomberg.com

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Reposted by Austin Ramzy

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · Aug 20

Incredible chart from Goldman’s desk:

“.. construction on data centers is poised to surpass general office construction, having been only 20% as large as offices less than three years ago.”

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Reposted by Austin Ramzy

Kevin Rothrock @kevinrothrock.me · Aug 19

The White House Twitter account shared this photo of Trump on speakerphone with Putin today. You can see the map of Russia's territorial gains in Ukraine off to the right.

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Reposted by Austin Ramzy

WarTranslated (Dmitri) @wartranslated.bsky.social · Aug 17

Chinese drones during preparations for the military parade in Beijing.

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Reposted by Austin Ramzy

Brad Heath @bradheath.bsky.social · Aug 15

After all of that, a federal magistrate judge released the confessed sandwich-thrower on his own recognizance.

amanda moore 🐢 @noturtlesoup17.bsky.social · Aug 15

The White House posted an insane video of the police arresting the sandwich guy in a safe and wealthy neighborhood.

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Austin Ramzy @austinramzy.bsky.social · Aug 15

Tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees in the U.S. will begin losing legal protections Friday without action from the Trump administration, leaving them vulnerable to possible arrest and deportation

www.wsj.com/us-news/ukra...

Ukrainians Who Fled War Are Losing Their Legal Status to Stay in the U.S.

The Trump administration is letting a makeshift Biden-era program lapse.

www.wsj.com

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Austin Ramzy @austinramzy.bsky.social · Aug 15

But in October on the Hugh Hewitt show he said exactly that, adding that Lai would be "easy to get out." In the latest interview Trump also seemed to endorse Beijing's view of Hong Kong in 2019, describing "a very nasty period of time in the history of China."

hughhewitt.com/former-and-f...

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Austin Ramzy @austinramzy.bsky.social · Aug 15

Trump in an interview with Fox News on Thursday said he would "do everything I can to save" Jimmy Lai. But there was some backpedaling. Trump denied ever saying he would get Lai freed: "I didn’t say 100% I’d save him."

radio.foxnews.com/2025/08/14/p...

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Austin Ramzy @austinramzy.bsky.social · Aug 15

Robert Pang, one of Lai's lawyers, said his client had "episodes where he felt like he was collapsing" and heart palpitations. These were exacerbated by trips to and from court. Lai is now being held at the Lai Chi Kok Reception Center

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Austin Ramzy @austinramzy.bsky.social · Aug 15

Closing arguments in Jimmy Lai’s national security trial in Hong Kong were postponed once again. The court wanted him to receive medicine and testing for a heart condition before they proceeded. So the trial will resume Monday

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Reposted by Austin Ramzy

Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · Aug 14

Out of the blue, Trump called the Norwegian finance minister to ask when he would get the Nobel prize suggesting he would impose tariffs if he did not www.dn.no/politikk/fre...

Kilder til DN: Trump tok opp nobelpris i tolltelefon med Stoltenberg (+)

Ut av det blå, mens finansminister Jens Stoltenberg gikk på gaten i Oslo, ringte Donald Trump fra Det hvite hus. Han ville ha Nobelprisen – og diskutere toll.

www.dn.no

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Reposted by Austin Ramzy

Joel Chan @kjoules.org · Aug 14

A little bit of an update

(Chart by @kjoules.org) Hong Kong Red and Black Rainstorm Warnings Hoisted, 1998-2025.
We're up to 20 red & black warnings for 2025

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Austin Ramzy @austinramzy.bsky.social · Aug 14

Hearing has been postponed because of the rain

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Austin Ramzy @austinramzy.bsky.social · Aug 14

140 mm of rain this morning at Stanley, where Jimmy Lai is being held at Stanley Prison. They might not even be able to get him to the court today if roads are flooded

bsky.app/profile/trip...

Aaron Busch @tripperhead.bsky.social · Aug 14

Stanley and Shek O have already received over 140mm of rain this morning up to 8am.

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Reposted by Austin Ramzy

Aaron Busch @tripperhead.bsky.social · Aug 14

Stanley and Shek O have already received over 140mm of rain this morning up to 8am.

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Austin Ramzy @austinramzy.bsky.social · Aug 14

The hearing will be postponed for today if black rain signal continues past 11 am. The trial started in December 2023

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Austin Ramzy @austinramzy.bsky.social · Aug 14

Line of people waiting outside the West Kowloon Courts in Hong Kong to see closing arguments of Jimmy Lai’s national security trial. The city just announced a black rain signal, the highest. Mercifully everyone was let into the building shortly after this

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Reposted by Austin Ramzy

Wesley Morgan @wesleymorgan.bsky.social · Aug 13

Their presence patrols appear to have a minimum personnel requirement of about 5 (are they worried about being overrun??) plus a token local partner force member

Not quite community policing…more like what US COIN patrol must’ve looked like to residents of a nice Baghdad neighborhood like Karada

Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · Aug 13

FBI, DEA and other law enforcement recorded in Georgetown walking around

“There’s not much going on around here… maybe they’re practicing”

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Reposted by Austin Ramzy

Rolling Stone @rollingstone.com · Aug 13

A senior administration official, as well as other officials, told Rolling Stone that it is a priority of Trump that these kinds of military deployments -- in times of relative calm -- become normalized in American political culture.

More: rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

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Austin Ramzy @austinramzy.bsky.social · Aug 13

Lots of posts in recent days on Chinese social media supporting the Chinese Navy and Coast Guard crews whose ships collided, blaming the Philippines and highlighting US Navy accidents at sea. Still no official word on any casualties

AI modified image of Chinese coast guard cutter damaged in collision with PLA Navy ship. The image was originally posted on Weibo

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Austin Ramzy @austinramzy.bsky.social · Aug 12

SCMP: Hong Kong man who allegedly placed several bottles of Coke and 7-Up contaminated with his urine among other goods in a supermarket attended a court hearing on Tuesday wearing an “Enjoy Coca-Cola” T-shirt

www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...

Urine-spiked drinks suspect wears ‘Enjoy Coca-Cola’ T-shirt to Hong Kong court

Franklin Lo, 63, remanded in custody after allegedly doctoring bottles of soft drinks with his urine and leaving them in supermarket.

www.scmp.com

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