Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

What to know about government shutdowns

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Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · 8d

What to know about the government shutdown. From social security checks to ICE, national parks and unpaid government workers. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

From social security checks to ICE, national parks and unpaid government workers.

Last words: What Washington is losing with the demise of Crosscut • Washington State Standard

Reposted by Donna Blankinship

Washington State Standard @washingtonstatestandard.com · 14d

What Washington is losing with the demise of Crosscut:
As a nearly two-decade venture in nonprofit news comes undone, it underscores the precariousness of public service journalism. washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/09/24/l...

COMMENTARY | As a nearly two-decade venture in nonprofit news comes undone, it underscores the precariousness of public service journalism.

Last words: What Washington is losing with the demise of Crosscut • Washington State Standard

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Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · 14d

Last words: What Washington is losing with the demise of Crosscut. As a nearly two-decade venture in nonprofit news comes undone, it underscores the precariousness of public service journalism. My latest column for the Washington State Standard: washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/09/24/l...

COMMENTARY | As a nearly two-decade venture in nonprofit news comes undone, it underscores the precariousness of public service journalism.

The U.S. Constitution was a second draft

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Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · 15d

The U.S. Constitution was a second draft. The nation really struggled with the first, which governed the nation from 1781 to 1789, the first years after the Revolutionary War. An American history guest post by Jim Schlueter. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

The nation really struggled with the first, which governed the nation from 1781 to 1789, the first years after the Revolutionary War.

Hate speech is protected speech

Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · 22d

You’ve probably been reading that the U.S. government is coming after hate speech. But hate speech is protected from government interference by the First Amendment. That doesn’t mean you should indulge. But it probably won’t land you in jail. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

But should you indulge?

A guide to navigating the immigration court system in WA state

Reposted by Donna Blankinship

Cascade PBS Newsroom @cascadepbsnewsroom.bsky.social · 28d

Immigration court is and can be complex.

To help you make sense of the system, Cascade PBS spoke with immigration attorneys and advocates in Washington to answer questions regarding recent federal changes and our region’s unique challenges.

How do you locate someone in ICE custody? Who has the right to an immigration hearing? Attorneys and advocates answer common questions.

www.cascadepbs.org

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Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · 28d

WA U.S. Sen. Patty Murray is blocking the Trump administration’s nominee for U.S. attorney in Eastern Washington. Few U.S. attorneys have ever been confirmed without the blessing of a state’s two U.S. senators. (By Nick Geranios for @crosscut @cascadepbs)
www.cascadepbs.org/politics/202...

Murray seeks to block Trump nominee for Eastern WA U.S. Attorney

The senator says she’ll use “every legislative tool” she has to thwart the permanent appointment of former Pasco Mayor Pete Serrano to a federal post.

www.cascadepbs.org

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Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · 29d

The fabulous perks of serving in Congress: From a generous pension to perks that continue after retirement (or death). It’s a great job if you can win it. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

The fabulous perks of serving in Congress

From a generous pension to perks that continue after retirement (or death), it’s a great job if you can win it.

Congress is back in D.C. Your summer break is over.

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Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · Sep 3

Congress is back in D.C. Your summer break is over. (Except for those who never took a break). How to call your lawmakers, update your voter registration, keep track of legislation and get involved.

open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

How to call your lawmakers, update your voter registration, keep track of legislation and get involved.

The No. 1 problem facing Washington farmers • Washington State Standard

Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · Sep 2

The No. 1 problem facing Washington farmers … is
an issue that predates the Trump administration.
My latest for @washingtonstatestandard.com

washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/09/01/t...

COMMENTARY | News coming out of the other Washington is concerning, but the industry’s top issue is labor, and as has been for years.

Constitutional law for beginners: the First Amendment

Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · Aug 27

Constitutional law for beginners: the First Amendment. And all the ways the Trump administration is taking aim at free speech. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

And all the ways the Trump administration is taking aim at free speech.

What's a gerrymander and when was the political species discovered?

Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · Aug 20

What’s a gerrymander and when was the political species discovered? Digging into the government, politics and history of gerrymandering. Explaining how redistricting is supposed to work. substack.com/home/post/p-...

Digging into the government, politics and history of gerrymandering: a collaboration from Civics for Adults and Civics & Coffee Substack.

substack.com

Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · Aug 13

How immigration and crime are definitely (not) connected

Immigration, both authorized and not, grew tremendously over the past four years. Crime went down.

open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

How immigration and crime are definitely (not) connected

Immigration, both authorized and not, grew tremendously over the past four years. Crime went down.

Which is more concerning: The economy or censorship of economic statistics?

Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · Aug 6

New post from my Civics for Adults newsletter.

Which is more concerning: The economy or censorship of economic statistics?

An explanation of how the U.S. government has tracked jobs numbers since the 1880s.

open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

An explanation of how the U.S. government has tracked jobs numbers since the 1880s.

Experiments in American democracy

Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · Jul 30

Experiments in American democracy. From Democracy Vouchers to ranked-choice voting: Seattle is an election petri dish. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

From Democracy Vouchers to ranked-choice voting: Seattle is an election petri dish.

The real tragedy of NPR & PBS budget cuts

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Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · Jul 23

The real tragedy of NPR & PBS budget cuts. City dwellers are pitching in to help their local public media stations after Congress cut federal funding. Who is going to bail out rural broadcasters? open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Urban dwellers are pitching in to help their local public media stations after Congress cut federal funding. Who is going to bail out rural broadcasters?

Homeless people visited ER less after moving into King County’s hotels

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Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · Jul 21

What’s the solution to homelessness? Housing. It saves people AND money, according to new study. Seattle Times: Homeless people visited ER less after moving into King County's hotels

www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

King County had two goals when it purchased more than a dozen hotels to convert into housing for people living on the streets — end homelessness for a bunch of people and improve their health. Officia...

www.seattletimes.com

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Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · Jul 16

How to get your hands on federal and state government documents like a boss (because as an American you are the boss). open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

FOIA like an American who has a right to government documents

How to get your hands on public records and track your government

What if Kamala actually won in 2024?

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Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · Jul 9

What if Kamala actually won in 2024?

Is there still a way to overturn the election?

The answer comes from the Constitution, the nation’s history and our current political reality.

open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Is there still a way to overturn the election?

Political actions to celebrate Independence Day

Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · Jul 3

Democracy is a participatory sport. If you hope for a better future, you need to contribute toward that goal. Don’t spend Independence Day worrying and complaining about what is happening in the United States.
Do something. 6 political actions to take right now. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Call your lawmakers, update your voter registration, help your neighbors, run for office, put more protests on your calendar, support civics education.

Political actions to celebrate Independence Day

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Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · Jul 2

In addition to grocery shipping for the 4th. Political actions to celebrate Independence Day: Call your lawmakers, update your voter registration, help your neighbors, run for office, put more protests on your calendar, support civics education. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

Call your lawmakers, update your voter registration, help your neighbors, run for office, put more protests on your calendar, support civics education.

Despite federal ruling, trans Seattleites can’t update passports

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Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · Jun 27

Despite federal ruling, trans Seattleites can’t update passports. A judge temporarily blocked an executive order on ID gender markers, but transgender citizens are still waiting for officials to comply. (By @jcohenwrites.bsky.social @cascadepbsnewsroom.bsky.social) www.cascadepbs.org/politics/202...

A judge temporarily blocked an executive order on ID gender markers, but transgender citizens are still waiting for officials to comply.

www.cascadepbs.org

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Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · Jun 26

Trump is stress testing the nation’s courts. The judiciary may be the only thing preventing the collapse of our democracy. A commentary for @washingtonstatestandard.com washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/06/26/t...

Trump is stress testing the nation’s courts • Washington State Standard

COMMENTARY | America’s court system may be the only thing standing between us and the collapse of our democracy.

Presidents have been going to war without Congress since at least 1898

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Donna Blankinship @dgblankinship.bsky.social · Jun 25

Presidents have been going to war without Congress since at least 1898. While Trump's order of an attack on Iran was definitely shocking, there's plenty of historical precedent to show it probably wasn't illegal and unconstitutional. open.substack.com/pub/dgblanki...

While Trump's order of an attack on Iran was definitely shocking, there's plenty of historical precedent to show it probably wasn't illegal and unconstitutional.