Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Allison Lirish Dean

@ear2thepavement.bsky.social

590 followers 310 following 810 posts

Urban planner + journalist writing about the intersection between planning, bureaucracy, and democracy. I’m also working on the green transition in Rhode Island. www.allisonlirishdean.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Allison Lirish Dean @ear2thepavement.bsky.social · Aug 21

To defeat Trumpism, the administrative state must once again become a powerful force for good in ordinary Americans’ lives. My latest for @currentaffairs.bsky.social www.currentaffairs.org/news/make-bu...

Make Bureaucracy Great Again

In the past, the administrative state was a powerful force for good in Americans’ lives. To defeat Trumpism, it needs to become one again.

www.currentaffairs.org

2 7 16

Allison Lirish Dean @ear2thepavement.bsky.social · 15h

It’s not a “peace plan.” Listen to the corresponding segment here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...

Behind the News, 10/2/25

Podcast Episode · Behind the News with Doug Henwood · 10/03/2025 · 53m

podcasts.apple.com

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Current Affairs @currentaffairs.bsky.social · 15h

We must take this stuff seriously. Please, none of this “he just has some controversial opinions” stuff. Don’t call him “America’s most canceled man” or something.

If you are going to interview Fuentes, it’s unforgivable to set aside his neo-Nazism.

www.currentaffairs.org/news/the-ris...

The Rise of Nick Fuentes Should Horrify Us All

A neo-Nazi is trying to fill the void left by the failures of the two major parties. Unless Americans are offered a visionary alternative, Fuentes’ toxic ideology may flourish.

www.currentaffairs.org

1 12 52

Allison Lirish Dean @ear2thepavement.bsky.social · 15h

Source?

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 22h

Cities are developing a new approach to developing housing: Integrating it into mixed-use library projects. These investments improve neighborhood vitality, add housing & improve services.

In new research @urbaninstitute.bsky.social, I create a database of such projects & point to success stories ⏬

Aging Libraries Could Offer Cities a Unique Opportunity to Build New Housing While Improving Public Services

Since 2000, more than 1,800 apartment units have been built in combined library-housing developments. These projects not only address local housing needs but…

www.urban.org

8 59 230

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Current Affairs @currentaffairs.bsky.social · 22h

Even the smallest sea slug feels pain. That means we have a responsibility not to inflict it.
www.currentaffairs.org/news/why-all...

Why All Animals Are Sentient, and Machines Will Never Be

Even the smallest sea slug feels pain. That means we have a responsibility not to inflict it.

www.currentaffairs.org

1 7

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Brandon Friedman @brandonfriedman.bsky.social · 3d

Judge Diane Goodstein crossed the Trump administration last month. Yesterday, her home burned, her husband was injured and it's being investigated for arson.

www.postandcourier.com/news/crime/s...

Judge blocks South Carolina from giving DOJ millions of voters' data
Sep. 3, 2025

130 2.7K 5.2K

Allison Lirish Dean @ear2thepavement.bsky.social · 3d

Feeling distraught about everything? Phonebank for Mamdani! @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social volunteer.zohranfornyc.com/phonebank-fo...

Phonebank for Zohran! - Zohran For NYC

volunteer.zohranfornyc.com

1 1

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Doug Henwood @doughenwood.bsky.social · 7d

A portrait of people at risk of being kicked off Medicaid because of work requirements. Lots of them are in poor health. E.g., 41% have three or more chronic conditions.

jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

1 10 19

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Nathan Kalman-Lamb @nkalamb.bsky.social · 6d

“Fuck them kids.”

That’s literally what an ICE agent said when ICE, the FBI et al. raided an apartment in Chicago, including with a Blackhawk helicopter, separated children from their parents, and zip-tied them to each other.

abc7chicago.com/post/ice-chi...

bangs.

"They was terrified. The kids was crying. People was screaming. They looked very distraught. I was out there crying when I seen the little girl come around the corner, because they was bringing the kids down, too, had them zip tied to each other," Watson said. "That's all I kept asking. What is the morality? Where's the human? One of them literally laughed. He was standing right here. He said, 'f*** them kids.'"

Watson said trucks and military-style vans were used to separate parents from their children. Other neighbors said agents destroyed property to get in the building.

"They had a big, 15-inch chainsaw with round blade on it, cutting this fence down," said witness Darrell Ballard. "We're under siege. We're being invaded by our own military."

370 4.4K 7.9K

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Dave Weigel @daveweigel.bsky.social · 6d

You know what you call a mayor who wins with less than 50% of the vote? The mayor.

(Given the big miss in the primary polls I'm not even convinced he'll stay under 50.)

NY Times Pitchbot @nytpitchbot.bsky.social · 6d

No mandate for Mamdani

14 39 550

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Doug Henwood @doughenwood.bsky.social · 6d

How Hegelian! The wound inflicted by Trump can only be cured by the hand of Trump.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 6d

Joni Ernst: "Unfortunately, our farmers do need that assistance. They don't like it. They consider it welfare. They want trade, not aid. So we really need to see some of these new markets opening up around the globe ... but if there's anybody that can make a deal, it's President Trump."

1 1 16

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Eric Reinhart @eric-reinhart.com · 5d

ICE just blatantly violated the law and arrested sitting Chicago Alderperson Jessie Fuentes while seeking to illegally arrest a patient in a hospital. Fuck these fascists.

850 4.7K 9.8K

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Doug Henwood @doughenwood.bsky.social · 4d

I don't think Making America Great Again can hold a candle to this.

Some of this infrastructure consists of transportation systems, such as roads, railways, and ports. Over the last 30 years, China has built a national expressway network twice the length of the American interstate system, a high-speed train network with more miles of track than the rest of the world combined, and a formidable network of ports, the largest of which, in Shanghai, moves more cargo in some
years than all U.S. ports put together.

2 5 32

Allison Lirish Dean @ear2thepavement.bsky.social · 3d

He’s a psychopath

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

nullifie @nullifie.bsky.social · 7d

The year is 2003.

17-year-old Stephen Miller is sitting in the back of a school bus talking about torture, as in “Torture is a celebration of human life and dignity."

Miller looks directly into the camera and describes the torturing Iraqis in gruesome detail, as his peers laugh uncomfortably.

390 1.2K 2.2K

Allison Lirish Dean @ear2thepavement.bsky.social · 3d

I like Robin but this was at least in part a very good PR move. Ezra sucks. He’s part of the problem.

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Karl (sad trombone noise enthusiast) @brainnotonyet.bsky.social · 3d

“Karl stop calling the federal government Nazis you’re being hyperbolic”

The federal government:

Shane Burley (Blue Sky Edition) @shaneburley.bsky.social · 4d

For those lucky enough to not know this is a neo-Nazi meme normally found on TRS and the Daily Stormer being shared by the official DHS account.

3 62 190

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Dr. Genevieve Guenther (she/they) @doctorvive.bsky.social · 3d

absolute heroes. may I be half so courageous if I ever see ICE kidnapping someone off the street.

Cristian Farias @cristianfarias.com · 3d

This video of Chicagoans intervening to save a man from being abducted off the streets by ICE is making the rounds on Instagram.

Community action works.

Source: www.instagram.com/reel/DPZL2AL...

1 6 39

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 3d

ICE is hog tying protesters in Portland and removing them on Dollies.

This is dangerous and could cause serious injury.

The Department of Homeland Security thinks it’s a joke.

They’ve shared this video with the tagline “Refuse to Walk? We’ll give you a ride”.

Stay strong Portland.

180 1.4K 3.1K

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Mark Thompson @sonofathomp.bsky.social · 3d

Sure to NOT produce any media hand wringing. Nope, constant attacks on the folks on the left ARE NOT the result of a President calling us scum and terrorists, or any other violent rhetoric from the right. All is nominal.

Raider @iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social · 3d

Liberal South Carolina
Judge Diane Goodstein's home is burning to the ground after an explosion. SLED is investigation as arson and refer attack as Judge Goodstein had been receiving multiple threats.

31 210 460

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

David Roberts @volts.wtf · 5d

How many Americans know that Taylor Swift put out a new album

vs.

know that the president just told the military that he was going to unleash it on "the enemy within" shortly after his SecDef told it that it was going to become more brutal & lethal, with fewer restraints?

What's the ratio? 10/1?

33 70 390

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Second Ave. Sagas @2avesag.as · 5d

Pretty crazy how we just accept it as a given that the president will be openly hostile to investment that will have a material positive impact on the country at large just because it’s focused around a city that dislikes him personally. It’s insane and inane.

THE CITY @thecity.nyc · 5d

New York officials pledged Thursday to fight to keep the Second Avenue Subway’s path to East Harlem on track — even as it faces funding threats from Trump.

“It is a major error by the White House to try to stop the funding for this important project.”

City Leaders Rip Trump DOT for Pausing Billions for Second Avenue Subway

“This is retaliation, plain and simple,” said one representative of East Harlem.

buff.ly

1 5 50

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Doug Henwood @doughenwood.bsky.social · 5d

More people in Republican districts rely on Obamacare subsidies than in Dem districts.

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

5 36 120

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 6d

At Climate Week NYC, the message was clear: progress is underway. While none of us can do this alone, the number of people who are committed to tackling climate together is growing every day.

Read on Mailchimp: shorturl.at/yXmnn
Read on LinkedIn: shorturl.at/bssRq

Climate action can't wait

NYC Climate Week: The world leans in, the U.S. checks out, and how to SHIFT into action

www.talkingclimate.ca

3 52 170

Reposted by Allison Lirish Dean

Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 5d

Having visited Portland this summer, I can confirm it's ravaged... by great neighborhoods, good food, and nice people

Penny Rosenberg @pennyrosenberg.bsky.social · 5d

We have a reporter who lives in Portland. A fact-checking article was a no-brainer. Interesting to hear the impressions of more local readers only an hour(ish) away.

Is President Trump right when he calls Portland war-ravaged?

The city is still weird, still peaceful, but immigrants fear for their future. Here's a fact-check of the city to the north.

democratherald.com

1 2 25