Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Kim Bellware @bellwak.bsky.social · 1h

I appreciate that Comey is drawn to scale

Reposted by Kim Bellware

Chris Morran @themorrancave.bsky.social · 13h

NEW: As Linda McMahon guts the Dept. of Education, she’s operated in what she calls “a parallel universe” to radically shift how future kids will learn -- seeking to dismantle the public school system in favor of private and Christian schools or homeschooling.

These Activists Want to Dismantle Public Schools. Now They Run the Education Department.

Under Trump, the Department of Education has been bringing in activists hostile to public schools. It could mean a new era of private and religious schools boosted by tax dollars — and the end of publ...

www.propublica.org

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Kim Bellware @bellwak.bsky.social · 2d

In light of everything happening with immigration enforcement, I’m reminded of this development from March 2025:

www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...

DHS shuts down internal watchdog agencies that advocated for immigrants

The three agencies had about 300 employees and investigated complaints, including about detention conditions and delays in processing green-card and citizenship applications.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Kim Bellware @bellwak.bsky.social · 3d

Today’s story: www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...

Trump authorizes National Guard in Chicago as ICE, protesters clash

A woman was shot, sparking protests Saturday. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker warned that 300 National Guard troops are being activated against his wishes.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Kim Bellware @bellwak.bsky.social · 4d

Now on a normally quiet residential street in BP where federal agents have fired chemical irritants at least three times in the past 15 min

Kim Bellware @bellwak.bsky.social · 4d

💯

Kat Stafford @katstafford.bsky.social · 4d

Journalism that fails to infuse a historically informed lens is akin to covering the smoke but never asking who lit the fire. History-centered journalism should be the framework within every newsroom.

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Kim Bellware @bellwak.bsky.social · 4d

I’m aware. www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...

Videos of fatal ICE shooting in Chicago raise questions about DHS account

DHS said an officer was “seriously injured” by an undocumented immigrant who hit and dragged him with his car. Video indicates the officer suffered minor injuries he dismissed as “nothing major.”

www.washingtonpost.com

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Kim Bellware @bellwak.bsky.social · 4d

Headed back to 35th/Cali where residents were protesting immigration agents after they detained someone at an auto garage. Not clear if Feds were simply ready to scat or the protesters chased them out, but they left the scene after being repeatedly confronted

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Kim Bellware @bellwak.bsky.social · 4d

A few moments after that video, agents launched at least one chemical round. From 100 feet away, there was no clear provocation, just heckling. People ran, coughing and retching

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Kim Bellware @bellwak.bsky.social · 4d

Scene at 40th and Kedzie where armed federal agents have blocked the street after a reported shooting

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Reposted by Kim Bellware

Scott Clement @sfcpoll.bsky.social · 4d

NEW: What American Jews think about the Israel-Gaza war, according to a Washington Post poll
Story with Naftali Bendavid & @emgusk.bsky.social , a project also led by The Post's sage religion reporter @michelleboorstein.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Many American Jews sharply critical of Israel on Gaza, Post poll finds

Most Jews say Israel is committing war crimes — and 39 percent say genocide — while often distinguishing between the country and its leadership.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by Kim Bellware

Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 4d

The National Security Agency ‘expedited’ a FOIA request — then took 1,827 days to process it.

The Defense Department ‘expedited’ another — it took 1,119 days.

Now, Trump wants requesters to pay $50k if a court expedites a FOIA lawsuit?

No way.

Expedite a FOIA lawsuit? Trump administration wants $50K first

Pay-to-play comes for Freedom of Information Act litigation

freedom.press

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Reposted by Kim Bellware

jenn m. jackson @jennmjacksonphd.bsky.social · 4d

This all makes more sense when you realize a lot of folks just don't care about what happens to people who don't look, love, or live like them.

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Reposted by Kim Bellware

Ashley C. Ford @smashfizzle.bsky.social · 4d

Disassociation ain’t hittin' like it used to.

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Reposted by Kim Bellware

Lynda Lopez @lyndab08.bsky.social · 5d

I’m so struck by this video. A regular day in Logan Square in front of a grocery store and ICE pulls up and tear gassed people. Funston Elementary School is right across the street as well. This is a major corridor in Logan Sq. No concern for human safety

Video from: www.reddit.com/r/chicago/co...

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Reposted by Kim Bellware

John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 5d

There are 10,000 things we need to fix and change after all this.

But one are laws—at the fed, state, and local levels—massively limiting when cops can hit US streets like they’re Marines charging into Falluja in 2004.

These sorts of intimidation tactics are deeply anti-democratic.

Preorder Read This When Things Fall Apart @mskellymhayes.bsky.social · 5d

Snapped this pic of DHS conferring with the IL state police just before ICE attacked the crowd, while state and county police assisted them. ICE said, "This is your first and only warning" and then instantly attacked. We were not in the road at that time. They just wanted to assault us and film it.

A DHS leader confers with a state of IL cop at a protest.

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Reposted by Kim Bellware

Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 5d

NEW: ICE is planning to hire a team of nearly 30 people to surveil social media 24/7, build dossiers on people, and flag them for arrest and deportation. @dell.bsky.social has the scoop: www.wired.com/story/ice-so...

ICE Wants to Build Out a 24/7 Social Media Surveillance Team

Documents show ICE plans to hire dozens of contractors to scan X, Facebook, TikTok, and other platforms to target people for deportation.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Kim Bellware

Chip Mitchell @chipmitchell1.bsky.social · 7d

Gregory Bovino, commander-at-large of the U.S. #BorderPatrol, claims a @wbez.org/@chicago.suntimes.com report about his comments Sunday in downtown #Chicago was "grossly inaccurate" and taken out of context. So we've posted the interview's unedited AUDIO and TRANSCRIPT:
www.wbez.org/immigration/...

Transcript: Gregory Bovino says arrestees in downtown Chicago chosen partly based on ‘how they look’

WBEZ reporter Chip Mitchell spoke with U.S. Border Patrol commander about a deportation blitz downtown and in the upscale River North neighborhood. Here is the transcript and unedited audio interview.

www.wbez.org

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Reposted by Kim Bellware

Gillian Brockell @gbrockell.bsky.social · Aug 23

The Coast Guard works for ICE now.

Coast Guard planes previously used for search and rescue have done hundreds of secret ICE flights in recent weeks, including two I watched from a public parking lot near BWI.

My exclusive for Rolling Stone:

www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

ICE Is Constantly Using Coast Guard Planes to Move Immigrants

Donald Trump’s deportation henchmen appear to have dramatically increased the use of Coast Guard aircraft to transport immigrants.

www.rollingstone.com

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Reposted by Kim Bellware

NPR @npr.org · 8d

Federal employees across the government reported seeing similar messages. Experts say the messages may violate ethics laws meant to keep partisan politics out of day-to-day governing.

Trump administration uses taxpayer dollars to blame Democrats for government shutdown

Federal employees across the government reported seeing similar messages. Experts say the messages may violate ethics laws meant to keep partisan politics out of day-to-day governing.

n.pr

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Reposted by Kim Bellware

Lora Kolodny @lorak.bsky.social · 8d

Please - stop doing the screenshot no link thing on Bluesky. This platform does not punish you for posting a URL. You picked up the habit from Meta apps? Stop doing Mark Z's bidding. Link ESPECIALLY to authors, reporters, bloggers, etc. where you quote the work.

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Reposted by Kim Bellware

Ashley C. Ford @smashfizzle.bsky.social · 8d

I’m becoming more and more concerned that people at high levels of public discussion cannot identify the difference between a genuinely viral conversation vs a bunch of bots making noise.

Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 8d

“Bots or likely bots authored 44.5% of X posts mentioning Cracker Barrel in the 24 hours after the new logo gained attention on Aug. 20, according to research for ⁦‪@WSJ‬⁩ by PeakMetrics. That number rose to 49% among posts calling for a boycott.”

Bot Networks Are Helping Drag Consumer Brands Into the Culture Wars

AI tools have made coordinated attacks targeting corporations much more common, researchers say.

www.wsj.com

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Reposted by Kim Bellware

John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 8d

Here’s a depressing fact abt the US:

We are prob the only developed country that (1) has dueling defs of “mass shootings” and (2) had to actually codify one in law.

GVA has broadest, at 4+ shot (other than shooter). Congress is 3+ killed.

No other country has to debate the def at all.

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Reposted by Kim Bellware

Kat Tenbarge @kattenbarge.bsky.social · 9d

The real generational divide is people who refuse to watch a video if it could be an article versus people who refuse to read an article if it could be a video

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Reposted by Kim Bellware

whet moser @whetmoser.com · 12d

“They might as well rename this shit the Back Taxes Tour.”

Brandy Jensen @brandyjensen.bsky.social · 13d

you gotta admit that Saudi Just For Laughs is a very funny concept

All Your Favorite Sellouts Will Be At The Riyadh Comedy Festival | Defector

The existence of a Saudi Arabia comedy festival has been on the periphery of my mind for a few weeks, but there’s no more ignoring it. It’s finally here. The Riyadh Comedy Festival kicks off on Friday...

defector.com

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