Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

David A. Weinberg @davidaweinberg.bsky.social · 13h

"To the extent that there is civil instability in Chicago it has been caused by Trump’s surge of federal agents into the city and their lawless assault on the citizens of Chicago." www.thebulwark.com/p/emergency-...

Emergency Triad: The Chicago Rubicon and What Comes Next

We aren’t at the worst-case scenario yet. But if you squint, you can see it looming out there, just over the horizon.

www.thebulwark.com

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Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 14h

If you come for my people, you come through me.

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Senator Patty Murray @murray.senate.gov · 14h

Every Congressional Republican needs to answer: Do you support the President's call to imprison the Governor of Illinois and Mayor of Chicago?

Trump is not a king. This is not acceptable. Do Republicans want a dictator or a President?

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Senator Patty Murray @murray.senate.gov · 1d

The letter of the law is as plain as can be—federal workers, including furloughed workers, are entitled to their backpay following a shutdown.

Another baseless attempt to try and scare & intimidate workers by an administration run by crooks and cowards.

The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 1d

A draft White House memo, reported by Axios, reinterprets the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, or GEFTA, to stiff federal workers on furlough amid the longest shutdown in U.S. history. trib.al/fWCjnLQ

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The Borowitz Report @borowitzreport.bsky.social · 3d

Pretty sure you can't win the Nobel Peace Prize if you make California invade Oregon

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David A. Weinberg @davidaweinberg.bsky.social · 19h

Is Portland burning? No, no it is not. You can see for yourself here: isportlandburning.com

Is Portland Burning?

No. See real-time Portland cameras, PulsePoint incidents, and sourced fact checks.

isportlandburning.com

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David A. Weinberg @davidaweinberg.bsky.social · 19h

It doesn't constitute "justice" when our federal government's investigative and prosecutorial powers are being nakedly exploited as a tool of vengeance and political advantage:

stevelevitsky.bsky.social @stevelevitsky.bsky.social · 19h

They are not Trump's enemies. They are critics and opponents. He sees them as enemies, because that's how autocrats perceive their critics. NYT should not repeat and normalize authoritarian discourse.

How Trump Is Using the Justice Department to Target His Enemies www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

How Trump Is Using the Justice Department to Target His Enemies

President Trump has long spoken of seeking vengeance against his political enemies. Here’s a list of whom he is targeting.

www.nytimes.com

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stevelevitsky.bsky.social @stevelevitsky.bsky.social · 19h

They are not Trump's enemies. They are critics and opponents. He sees them as enemies, because that's how autocrats perceive their critics. NYT should not repeat and normalize authoritarian discourse.

How Trump Is Using the Justice Department to Target His Enemies www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

How Trump Is Using the Justice Department to Target His Enemies

President Trump has long spoken of seeking vengeance against his political enemies. Here’s a list of whom he is targeting.

www.nytimes.com

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David A. Weinberg @davidaweinberg.bsky.social · 19h

Source link for this gut-wrenching photo of excessive force being used against Rev. David Black of the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago: chicago.suntimes.com/archived/ice...

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David A. Weinberg @davidaweinberg.bsky.social · 19h

If weaponization of our government against Christians is a thing, then this is surely it: religionnews.com/2025/10/07/i...

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Tom Joscelyn @tomjoscelyn.bsky.social · 20h

Here’s Trump calling for the jailing of the mayor of Chicago and the governor of Illinois.

Totally normal. Just an ordinary day in the Trump regime.

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Melanie D’Arrigo @darrigomelanie.bsky.social · 1d

I feel like this photo of masked, armed men pepper spraying a pastor protecting his community is going to be a defining picture of this moment in America for a long, long time.

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 1d

NEW: I spoke to clergy and faith leaders who've joined protests at the Chicago-area ICE facility.

Three say they've been shot with pepper balls, sometimes while praying.

All say ICE is also violating their religious freedom, and one is arguing it in court. religionnews.com/2025/10/07/i...

Religious protesters say ICE threatens religious freedom in Chicago

(RNS) — Despite potential danger, religious leaders and faith activists have been a visible presence at Chicago-area ICE protests, some waving signs with slogans such as ‘Love thy neighbor’ and ‘Who w...

religionnews.com

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 1d

Wanna learn more about the pastor in this photo?

I talked to him yesterday.

He's currently part of a lawsuit against DHS, in part due to this exact moment: religionnews.com/2025/10/07/i...

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 1d

Gonna be thinking about this lede for a minute.

(RNS) — Last month, the Rev. David Black stood in front of a Chicago-area U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility and spread his arms wide. Adorned in all black and wearing a clerical collar, the pastor looked up at a group of masked, heavily armed ICE agents on the roof and began to pray.

“I invited them to repentance,” Black, a minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), said in an interview. “I basically offered an altar call. I invited them to come and receive that salvation, and be part of the kingdom that is coming.”

But when Black began to lower his arms a few seconds later, the agents responded to his spiritual plea by firing pepper balls, or chemical agents that cause eye irritation and respiratory distress, video footage shows. One struck Black in the head, exploding into a puff of white pepper smoke and forcing him to his knees. Fellow demonstrators rushed to his aid, and as the pastor rubbed his face in pain, the agents continued to fire.

“We could hear them laughing,” Black said.

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Robert Mackey @robertmackey.bsky.social · 1d

When Noem appeared on the roof of the Portland ICE facility, flanked by influencers and DHS hype video makers, the protesters below tried to spoil her photo-op in the "war ravaged" city by blaring the Benny Hill theme.

Robert Mackey @robertmackey.bsky.social · 1d

Maga influencers have been descending on Portland's small but persistent protest outside an Ice office to pick fights and glean content. So naturally, the cabinet member Trump cast for her on-screen presence showed up today with a trio of influencers in tow www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Kristi Noem tours Portland Ice facility with Maga influencers in tow

Oregon governor, Tina Kotek, accuses Ice of antagonizing protesters with teargas and by inviting influencers to film

www.theguardian.com

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Charlotte Clymer @charlotteclymer.bsky.social · 1d

"So, Democrats have three words for this: no fucking way. It's literally life or death. We will not let Republicans blow up our health care system."

This is, hands down, the best comms work Chuck Schumer has done in YEARS. Surprisingly good.

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Arthur Delaney @delaneyrules.bsky.social · 1d

Trump admin makes brazenly illegal threat not to pay furloughed workers.

Would violate law Trump himself signed.

w/ @jbendery.bsky.social

www.huffpost.com/entry/govern...

Trump Administration Threatens To Buck The Law, Not Pay Furloughed Federal Workers

Except that Donald Trump himself signed the current law requiring federal employees to get back pay.

www.huffpost.com

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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 2d

Not happening somewhere else. Here. In America. Right now.

Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 2d

CHICAGO (AP) — Storming an apartment complex by helicopter as families slept. Deploying chemical agents near a public school. Handcuffing a Chicago City Council member at a hospital.

apnews.com/article/chic...

Using helicopters and chemical agents, immigration agents become increasingly aggressive in Chicago

Activists, residents and elected leaders say increasingly combative tactics used by federal immigration agents are sparking violence and fueling neighborhood tensions in the nation’s third-largest cit...

apnews.com

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David A. Weinberg @davidaweinberg.bsky.social · 2d

"Court judge Diane Goodstein... had reportedly received death threats for weeks related to her work". "[A]t least three members of her family, including her husband... and their son, have been hospitalized with serious injuries." time.com/7323442/sout...

House of South Carolina Judge Criticized by Trump Administration Burns Down

Authorities are investigating a fire at the home of a South Carolina judge who had reportedly received death threats in what could be the latest incident of political violence across the country.

time.com

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Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 3d

NEW: Second, expanded TRO issued in Oregon case challenging Trump's National Guard deployment to the state bars any state or D.C. National Guard being deployed to Oregon.

Update at Law Dork: www.lawdork.com/p/judge-bloc...

[Update, 11:45 p.m.: By Sunday night, a second temporary restraining order was issued in the case, barring the Trump administration from sending any National Guard federalized under 10 U.S.C. 12406 to Oregon from any state or D.C. The move followed actions by the Trump administration overnight to send members of the California National Guard to Oregon and plans to do so as to the Texas National Guard as well.

At a hastily called hearing on Sunday night, Immergut harshly questioned the Justice Department lawyer before her, Eric Hamilton, asking him — while noting that he is an officer of the court — “Do you believe this is appropriate way to deal with my order?”

Issuing the second TRO in as many days in the case, Immergut called the Trump administration’s actions in apparent response to her first order “in direct contravention” of it.

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Seth Cotlar @sethcotlar.bsky.social · 3d

Guys. I just had a crazy idea. What if the President DIDN’T deploy troops in American cities. Just a thought. Have we tried that before?

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ProPublica @propublica.org · 3d

In 2020, Oregon sued Tom Dundon’s former company for allegedly preying on Oregonians through high-interest car loans they couldn’t afford in a case involving more than 265,000 borrowers nationwide.

With @opb.org

Portland Trail Blazers Buyer Tom Dundon Built His Fortune on Subprime Loans

In 2020, the state sued Santander Consumer USA for allegedly preying on Oregonians through high-interest car loans they couldn’t afford in a case involving more than 265,000 borrowers nationwide.

www.propublica.org

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 7d

Oh nothing just the president reposting “Qanon76”

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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 7d

File this under “essential function.” 🤡

#Shutdown
abcnews.go.com/Politics/liv...

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