Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Chris

@chris-hhh.bsky.social

1K followers 3.1K following 6K posts

state tax guy 🧾 | former #mnleg -er 🏛 | @minnesotaacs.bsky.social leader ⚖️ | @swaempls.bsky.social rabble-rouser 🪧 opinions ≠ my employer's

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Chris @chris-hhh.bsky.social · Jan 25

I just donated some $$ to folks I thought were doing the best at pushing back lately.

If you can, maybe think about doing the same?

Each day brings more news -- where will we be at in a month or two? Those doing the most now need the most resources -- so they can lead when things are more dire

David Nakamura @davidnakamura.bsky.social · Jan 25

Breaking: Trump fires at least 12 independent inspectors general in late-night purge www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Trump fires at least 12 independent inspectors general in late-night purge

The dismissals could clear the way for the president to install loyalists in the crucial role of identifying fraud, waste and abuse in the government.

www.washingtonpost.com

3 6

Chris @chris-hhh.bsky.social · 10h

w all the annual checkups, maybe trump 2.0 has actually lasted years and we're stuck in some sort of time loop

Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 11h

New — White House says Donald Trump will visit Walter Reed Medical Center on Friday.

"On Friday morning, President Trump will visit Walter Reed Medical Center for a planned meeting and remarks with the troops. While there, President Trump will stop by for his routine yearly check up. He will then return to the White House. President Trump is considering going to the Middle East shortly thereafter." - White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt

1 1 3

Reposted by Chris

Steve, Uncle to the Dead @the-barely-jew.bsky.social · 12h

They killed JFK. The least we can do is trade Aaron Judge to the Marlins for cash considerations.

Parker Molloy @parkermolloy.com · 12h

What www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

POLITICO
"They killed Charlie Kirk — the least that we can do is go through a legal process and redistrict Indiana into a nine to zero map," Sen. Jim Banks, the Republican of Indiana, told POLITICO last month.

3 28 360

Chris @chris-hhh.bsky.social · 14h

mueller time part 98237372

Race Bannon @racebannon.bsky.social · 16h

"It’s coming to an end guys. I’ve spoken to a lot of House Republicans this week and they’ve confided that Trump’s movement/support is fading,. As one told me, ''this Epstein bomb is about to drop and no want wants to defend a pedo-protector. It’s just a matter of time.'"

Rep. Eric Swalwell

1 11

Chris @chris-hhh.bsky.social · 14h

someone needs to aggregate these heroic stories and reenact them on a youtube channel or something

Kathleen Clark @kathleenclark.bsky.social · 15h

Eboni (Ebony?) Watson sure sounds like a hero:

‘As Watson questioned agents about warrants and the legality of their raid, neighbors pleaded with her to be quiet for her own safety. She refused to back down.
"You claim you have warrants, but do you have a warrant to seize the entire building?”’

Eboni Watson, a neighborhood resident who filmed the hours-long raid of the apartment building, told the Weekly she had just gone to bed and closed her eyes when she heard a loud
'bang', followed by the distinct buzzing of drones, a sound she had come to recognize after noticing them hovering near her home for the past three or four weeks.
A moment later, Watson's phone lit up with a notification from the Citizen app that said there'd been a car accident outside. The buzzing grew louder. She grabbed the phone and got out of bed to look out the window.
southsideweekly.com

As Watson questioned agents about warrants and the legality of their raid, neighbors pleaded with her to be quiet for her own safety. She refused to back down.
"You claim you have warrants, but do you have a warrant to seize the entire building?" she asked the agents. "Do you have warrants to detain the entire building?" According to Watson, two federal agents told her that they were taking all detainees' photos to check them against databases for visas or warrants.

When Watson walked around the block to capture footage of the ongoing raid, she noticed federal agents were using the parking lots of Excel South Shore Academy—a CPS contractor school-to load residents into vans. In them, Watson saw Black U.S. citizens, women, and children. Grabbed from their beds, they hadn't been allowed to dress themselves before they were zip-tied and brought down to the waiting vans.

1 3

Reposted by Chris

Block Club Chicago @blockclubchi.bsky.social · 15h

Chicago neighbors are forming watches near schools to protect students and guardians from ICE. blockclubchi.co/42v94TN

96 240

Chris @chris-hhh.bsky.social · 15h

"In other words, tech companies don’t stop with 'It’s not a crime if we do it with an app.' They also say, 'It’s a crime if you fix our app to defend yourself from our crimes.'"

Chris @chris-hhh.bsky.social · 15h

"[C]ompetition keeps the companies within a sector from all telling the same lie to its regulators [and it] erodes companies’ profits & thus starves them of the capital they need to overpower or outmaneuver their regulators" lithub.com/how-american...

How American Tech Cartels Use Apps to Break the Law

The death of competition spells doom for regulation. Competition is an essential component of effective regulation, for two reasons: First, competition keeps the companies within a sector from all …

lithub.com

Chris @chris-hhh.bsky.social · 15h

How American Tech Cartels Use Apps to Break the Law

lithub.com

Reposted by Chris

Jeff (Gutenberg Parenthesis) Jarvis @jeffjarvis.bsky.social · 17h

20 240 800

Reposted by Chris

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 18h

Relatedly, this @brianbeutler.bsky.social idea of the "median experience of tyranny" is a good way to say that while majorities oppose the lawbreaking/abuses of power, Miller is banking on the middle lacking deep conviction about all of it (as I suggest)

www.offmessage.net/p/the-median...

7 88 380

Reposted by Chris

Brian Beutler @brianbeutler.bsky.social · 17h

Watching so many people in high places go through the motions of polling and median-voter whispering can make you feel like you're in Bodysnatchers. It's worth a reminder that the typical experience of tyranny is...basically normal life. Which means we have to will ourselves to fight harder.

The Median Experience Of Tyranny

If the politics of tyranny were self-discrediting, we wouldn't need mantras like "never again."

www.offmessage.net

13 140 480

Chris @chris-hhh.bsky.social · 17h

www.ft.com/content/fe47...

a man in a leather jacket and tie is saying cool cool cool cool cool cool cool

ALT: a man in a leather jacket and tie is saying cool cool cool cool cool cool cool

media.tenor.com

Chris @chris-hhh.bsky.social · 17h

yes please put lee greenwood in the halftime show with a chyron noting it was trump and johnson's decision

variety.com/2025/music/news/house-speaker-johnson-bad-bunny-super-bowl-halftime-1236542862/

House Speaker Johnson Calls Bad Bunny at Super Bowl ‘a Terrible Decision,’ Says It Should’ve Been Someone With ‘a Broader Audience’ — Like Lee Greenwood

House Speaker Mike Johnson says it is 'a terrible decision' to book Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl, saying Lee Greenwood would have been a better pick.

variety.com

Chris @chris-hhh.bsky.social · 20h

Not true -- at my kitchen table, we are constantly saying

"Why can't Dems make life under despotism more affordab-- [*secret police kick down door and deport me to Sudan*]

Anthony Michael Kreis @anthonymkreis.bsky.social · 21h

Once again, I’m wondering why Democrats aren’t running with a straightforward message of “despotism is un-American and unaffordable” right now and all the way into the midterms.

Reposted by Chris

Meredith Shiner @meredithshiner.com · 21h

Bridging my current life in Chicago and my past life in D.C., I argue today at @newrepublic.com that Democrats should ~never~ vote to fund this government. Make John Thune blow up Senate rules and Republicans wholly own the U.S. extra-military military doing war crimes against us, funded by us.

The Case for the Forever Shutdown

Senate Democrats actually allowing the GOP to stop funding the government is only the first step. Now they have to make the case that Trump’s government is illegitimate.

newrepublic.com

39 380 1.2K

Chris @chris-hhh.bsky.social · 20h

One weird thing about illegal impoundments by the Executive Branch is that it further incentivizes Congress to use tax credits to fund things

Chris @chris-hhh.bsky.social · 1d

k I just had a panic attack at the thought of further defending chuck schumer

a man in a suit and tie stands at a podium with his hands in the air

ALT: a man in a suit and tie stands at a podium with his hands in the air

media.tenor.com

Chris @chris-hhh.bsky.social · 1d

Yeah it's childish and needy and weird but also, that was maybe the 97th thing I thought when watching a video where Schumer didn't look and act like he was 103

1 1

Reposted by Chris

Courtney Vaughn @courtneyvaughn.bsky.social · 1d

Streets are still closed off in front of the Portland ICE facility at 8:30pm. Protesters have gathered on a side street. Dance party in progress.

780 5.2K 22K

Chris @chris-hhh.bsky.social · 1d

"binds but does not protect" never misses

Chris @chris-hhh.bsky.social · 1d

apart from the MTG-ness of it all, the shadow primary w ambitious GOPers -- after a seeming lifetime of Trump -- will be amazing

Common Dreams @commondreams.org · 1d

"Not a single Republican in leadership... has given us a plan to help Americans deal with their health insurance premiums DOUBLING!!!" said MAGA firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. "Here's reality breaking through," said Rep. Greg Casar.

‘Reality Breaking Through,’ Says Casar, as MTG Scolds Fellow Republicans Over Healthcare

"Not a single Republican in leadership... has given us a plan to help Americans deal with their health insurance premiums DOUBLING!!!" wrote MAGA firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene.

www.commondreams.org

Reposted by Chris

Murshed Zaheed @murshedz.bsky.social · 1d

"The Supreme Court is not our friend. It has been corrupted and weaponized and functions as an antidemocratic enforcement mechanism of the Republican political agenda." - @elienyc.bsky.social with the grim preview of this coming term.

The Supreme Court v. Democracy

The Nation’s justice correspondent previews the court’s coming term—and explains why it will never stand up to Trump.

www.thenation.com

1 8 17

Reposted by Chris

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 1d

Just as a reminder, Bondi’s origin story in Trump world is that she said she was going to investigate Trump University, Trump sent her a $25K check and the investigation disappeared. She later became Trump’s personal defense lawyer. So yeah, don’t challenge her integrity.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Bondi to Blumenthal: "You lied. How dare you? I'm a career prosecutor. Don't you ever challenge my integrity. Do not question my ability to be fair and impartial."

210 1.7K 5.8K

Chris @chris-hhh.bsky.social · 1d

"If I told you I would eventually focus my platform on giving Nazis a place to share their real-time thoughts on Disney movies, you wouldn’t believe it."

www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/hi-...

Hi, I’m an Early 2010s Tech CEO

I wear the same T-shirt every day, and I have a relatably unkempt haircut. I remind you of the smart kids from high school, so I give you hope that...

www.mcsweeneys.net

Reposted by Chris

Elizabeth Lopatto @lopatto.bsky.social · 1d

please read my memo www.theverge.com/business/793...

Memo to Bari Weiss Re: CBS News: You’re doomed

Bari Weiss has sold her company, The Free Press, to manage the decline of broadcast news at CBS. How many ways can it go wrong?

www.theverge.com

36 500 2.2K

Chris @chris-hhh.bsky.social · 1d

It's the logic of authoritarian regimes to reward usefulness over talent

Professions w independent standards--journalists, lawyers, academics, etc--often face repression because their ethical duties can conflict w regime interests

It's frustrating when success depends on compliance, not competence

Corey Walker: The vitriol against Bari Weiss is just thinly-veiled jealously by people who rejoiced at "cancelling" her in 2020 and are furious she managed to get fabulously wealthy in an infamously brutal and low-paying industry