Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Douglas M. Charles, PhD

@dmcharles.bsky.social

1.7K followers 5.7K following 9K posts

Professor of history, Tae Kwon Do black belt, poker player, bicyclist, skier, travel, animals. I’ve written 4 books on the FBI, currently finishing a history of the FBI, 1908-1945. Also working on a history of Tae Kwon Do in North America.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 5d

My latest comparative historical OpEd is out! A lot of research went into this.

Kash Patel vs FBI Director L. Patrick Gray (1972-73).
theconversation.com/history-is-r...

History is repeating itself at the FBI as agents resist a director’s political agenda

FBI director Kash Patel says he is making the bureau more accountable. Critics charge him with purging it of anyone not perceived as loyal to President Trump.

theconversation.com

2 1 7

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 11h

The biggest FBI shift in agents was with the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Thousands of agents were moved from criminal to counterterrorism investigations.

The second biggest shift, from what I can tell, is this thing with Trump.

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 11h

After J. Edgar Hoover's death, big white-collar crime was seen as being ignored. The FBI devoted more resources towards it under President Carter so that by 1980 nearly 25% of FBI agents worked financial crime.

That decreased steadily under pro-business Reagan until Bernie Madoff's crimes.

1 1

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 11h

Just to give a standard example: when Reagan became president, his priority was his War on Drugs. FBI personnel in its Documents Section -- handing anti-obscenity cases -- were transferred; one to drug records.

The FBI would work more closely with the Drug Enforcement Administration.

1 1

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 11h

This is very bad.

While it is not unusual for the FBI to shift resources to meet any president's priorities, this is nuts and dangerous.

Something will slip through.

www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

A quarter of FBI agents are assigned to immigration enforcement, per FBI data

Nearly a quarter of FBI agents are currently assigned to immigration enforcement, with the number climbing above 40 percent in the bureau’s largest field offices.

www.washingtonpost.com

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 12h

www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcn...

FBI fires special agents who worked on Jack Smith's probe into Trump

The three agents were fired after Kash Patel disclosed that Jack Smith's team obtained phone records of members of Congress, which the Smith report itself referenced.

www.nbcnews.com

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 12h

The Trump-Patel FBI purge is nonstop
theconversation.com/history-is-r...

History is repeating itself at the FBI as agents resist a director’s political agenda

FBI director Kash Patel says he is making the bureau more accountable. Critics charge him with purging it of anyone not perceived as loyal to President Trump.

theconversation.com

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 14h

I've parked there! LOL

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 15h

Pittsburghers follow the Pirates in the World Series (this game in Washington, DC) on a magnetic score board.

I couldn't find anything that this world series was on the radio. 1922 was, I think.

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 15h

Pittsburgh

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 15h

Farmer Mr Howes is my new 1925 hero!!

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 15h

#OTD October 8, 1925 . . . a century ago.

1 1

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 23h

You get what you voted for.

In many ways that Americans knowingly re-elected him is more concerning

Meidas Sassy™ 🐬 @filosia.bsky.social · 1d

This is your daily reminder that the President of the United States is a convicted FELON ‼️

1 4

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 1d

Search their workstations and DIGITAL media for 88 year old records? 🙄

🤡 Keystone Kash 🤡

CNN @cnn.com · 1d

The Trump administration has ordered FBI employees in Washington, DC, to immediately search their workstations and digital media for any records pertaining to the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, a law enforcement source told CNN.

FBI employees ordered to immediately search for records related to Amelia Earhart, source says | CNN Politics

www.cnn.com

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 1d

Pam Bondi actually asked a senator, in response to their legitimate question, if they had a law degree.

Their response should’ve been: didn’t you go to a third rate law school?

Reposted by Douglas M. Charles, PhD

Sanho Tree @sanho.bsky.social · 1d

Gasoline sells at a DEEPLY subsidized rate of 12.3¢ per gallon in Venezuela, but costs more than $4 per gallon in Trinidad which is just six miles away from the coast of Venezuela. There’s a much greater chance that Trump murdered people bootlegging gas than drugs.

globalpetrolprices.com
C
①
GlobalPetrolPrices.com
Countries
Gasoline prices
Diesel prices
LPG prices =
Venezuela Gasoline prices, liter, 01-Sep-2025
Venezuela Gasoline prices
Liter
Gallon
VEF
0.840
3.180
USD
0.035
0.132
EUR
0.030
0.114
Venezuela: The price of octane-95 gasoline is 0.84 Venezuelan Bolivar per liter. For comparison, the average price of gasoline in the world for this period is 30.93 Venezuelan Bolivar. The chart below shows the price of gasoline in the country relative to other countries.
Use the drop menu to see the prices in gallons. On the graph, the prices for the countries indicated with a * are updated on a weekly basis. The prices for the other countries are updated on a monthly basis because these countries have regulated fuel markets and prices do not change frequently.
The subsidized price of 0.1 USD on the chart is for the first 120 liters a month only for people with a valid Fatherland Card. Purchases above 120 liters per month are charged at 0.50 USD per liter. Also, the price listed on this page is the official gasoline price. However, during times of fuel shortages in Venezuela, there is a black market for fuel with prices that can exceed substantially the average international price levels.
Download data
API
Forecast

5 62 150

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 1d

Blackshirts

Pat Bagley @bagleycartoons.bsky.social · 1d

Thugs

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 1d

I would think a lot of Trump’s recent outrageous behavior is also rooted in distracting from this. All indications really are that there is something quite stunning in there.

Dan Nelson @thenelsonclan.bsky.social · 2d

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 1d

The corrupt radical Catholic activists on the court are going to do what now? “Shocker.”
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10...

Supreme Court Live Updates: Justices Seem Set to Rule Against Colorado’s Ban on Conversion Therapy

www.nytimes.com

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 1d

It rhymes with schism

Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 1d

What's happening in Chicago is not normal.

The arrest of Alderperson Fuentes is just the latest example of how far Noem and Bovino are willing to go to ignore the rule of law. We must all speak up.

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 1d

Why didn’t she just say “Of course there were no photos”?

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

NOTABLE -- Pam Bondi refuses to answer direct questions about if the FBI has incriminating photos of Trump with half-naked young women, but instead deflects from them by attacking Sen. Whitehouse

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 1d

She thinks the Senate hearing room is in Virginia

Reposted by Douglas M. Charles, PhD

1945 News @80yearsago.bsky.social · 1d

[October 7th, 1945] The first postwar Cadillac, a Series 62, rolled off the assembly line, signaling the resumption of civilian car production after World War II.

8 14

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 1d

Clearly Republicans in the Senate -- "the most deliberative body" 🤡 -- are no less clowns than in the House.

Douglas M. Charles, PhD @dmcharles.bsky.social · 1d

Christ, she's a clown.