Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Andrew Exum

Peter Baker @peterbakernyt.bsky.social · 1d

A survey of the Washington legal establishment, evenly divided among Republicans and Democrats, captured almost universal fear and anguish over the transformation of the Justice Department into a tool of the White House. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/m...

‘Bow to the Emperor’: We Asked 50 Legal Experts About the Trump Presidency

www.nytimes.com

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Andrew Exum @exum.bsky.social · 2d

There is a bottomless pit of money out there for journalists willing to speak untruths to power. If you’re willing to soothe billionaires by telling them everything they want to hear, and telling them all of the criticism they face is misguided, the world is your oyster.

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Andrew Exum @exum.bsky.social · 4d

I know a lot of conservatives will say, “well, if they’re not on the Trump Train, good riddance” but I don’t think these people understand how labor markets work and dramatically overestimate how easy it will be to expeditiously attract competent legal talent to take the places of those leaving.

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Andrew Exum @exum.bsky.social · 4d

I don’t think people outside Washington, DC appreciate how bad the brain drain from the Department of Justice is. It’s in no one’s interests — neither the people’s, nor the Trump Administration — yet I do not know of a single lawyer at DOJ who hasn’t either left already or isn’t weighing leaving.

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Andrew Exum @exum.bsky.social · 4d

I hear it’s gotten bougie! Walthamstow Village was always like that, a little, but now apparently it’s all fancy? I moved away in 2008 and don’t think I would recognize it now!

Andrew Exum @exum.bsky.social · 4d

I make the same mistake each Saturday, starting with Life & Arts and then reading the hard news. By Sunday I’ve calmed down enough to read House & Home. But in seriousness, and from a former E17er myself, keep up the great work. Love your reporting and analysis.

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Andrew Exum @exum.bsky.social · 5d

Scariest, most depressing thing I have read today.

Katie Martin @katie0martin.ft.com · 5d

more than a whiff of self-censorship in markets at the moment. No-one wants to call BS on, ya know, everything, for fear of angering the president

on.ft.com/4pRyTHp

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Andrew Exum @exum.bsky.social · 5d

Me too. I filed a claim.

Molly Knight @mollyknight.bsky.social · 5d

Just confirmed I'm one of the author victims of the blood sucking company Anthropic that stole my book to train it's LLM. I filed a claim and it felt really good. If you're an author who may have been victimized, you can find out here:

secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/?_gl=...

Submit a Claim

secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com

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Reposted by Andrew Exum

Mina Kimes @minakimes.bsky.social · 6d

Great command of the language on display here

Pop Crave @popcrave.com · 6d

Former racecar driver Danica Patrick slams Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl 2026 halftime headliner:

“No songs in English should not be allowed at one of America’s highest rated television events of the year… not just for sports.”

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Reposted by Andrew Exum

BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 16d

big part of this is because they sent the health reporters, not the political reporters

Nick (derogatory) ✨ @slothropsmap.bsky.social · 16d

When is the last time you saw a push notification from the NYTimes that read like this?

Unproven Medical Advice
2h ago
In a rambling news briefing, President Trump promoted unproven ties between vaccines, autism and Tylenol use by pregnant women and babies.

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Andrew Exum @exum.bsky.social · 19d

You don’t need credentials to cover the military. There are four Starbucks within walking distance of the Pentagon.

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 19d

Breaking News: The Pentagon said it would require journalists to pledge not to use unauthorized information or risk losing credentials to cover the military.

Pentagon Introduces New Restrictions on Reporter Access

The Department of Defense will force reporters to pledge not to gather or use any information that had not been formally authorized for release, or risk losing their credential to cover the military.

nyti.ms

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Reposted by Andrew Exum

Mr. Nick Beaudrot @nbeaudrot.bsky.social · 19d

Congrats to the hosts of the All-In Podcasts, you are the biggest marks on the whole planet.

GHOULLIKEHELLMACHINE @golikehellmachine.com · 19d

the H1-B thing seems unlikely to withstand a court challenge, but it's still deeply funny that it's basically a nuclear warhead aimed at businesses and executives who've been grandiosely and publicly kissing his fucking ass for nine months

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Reposted by Andrew Exum

southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 19d

You almost certainly aren’t going to get out of the war crimes tribunal by producing a letter that you solicited because you were aware that the legality of your orders was questionable.

Department of Shoe @shoe.bsky.social · 19d

Dems ought to be telling people now these letters are worth absolutely nothing.

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Reposted by Andrew Exum

Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · 26d

This is how you drive talented people out of the force.

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 26d

“.. I can’t remember anyone ever telling me we can’t say anything critical about a civilian like this. He was not in our chain of command or anything,” the officer said.

@nbcnews.com
www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat...

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Andrew Exum @exum.bsky.social · 25d

Great to see the WSJ challenging the NYT on the Fake Trends beat. www.wsj.com/lifestyle/wo...

How the Sauna Became the Hottest Place to Network

Sweating in elite new supersize saunas like Othership and Bathhouse—with anywhere from one to 90 other people—produces a unique sort of connection.

www.wsj.com

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Andrew Exum @exum.bsky.social · Sep 6

My guy’s entire schtick for at least a decade has been all about how we have to make hard choices to confront the threat from China — it’s been his response to Ukraine, the Middle East, everything. And now … this. It’s perfectly fine to not invite this guy to your think tank panels or whatever.

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Andrew Exum @exum.bsky.social · Sep 6

This is yet another reminder that Elbridge Colby believes in nothing so much as he believes in Elbridge Colby’s career, and it’s been okay to not take him seriously since January 6, 2021. www.politico.com/news/2025/09...

Pentagon plan prioritizes homeland over China threat

This marks a major departure from the first Trump administration, which emphasized deterring Beijing.

www.politico.com

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Reposted by Andrew Exum

ian bremmer @ianbremmer.com · Sep 4

not being talked about enough: the biggest financial success for the president’s family since the inauguration

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Andrew Exum @exum.bsky.social · Sep 4

There is a bottomless pool of capital available to those willing to entertain and promote the idea that the views of the wealthiest, most privileged people in America are, in fact, unfairly underrepresented in the discourse. Our guy is dropping $200m on an “investment” with no real expected returns.

Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · Sep 4

"[T]his isn’t about financial prudence. It’s about politics. Ellison is paying not for a strong business asset, but to send a signal to the anti-mainstream media crowd that CBS News is being reshaped," writes @oliverdarcy.bsky.social about the pending Bari Weiss deal with New Paramount...

The Weiss Price

David Ellison vowed not to politicize Paramount—yet his first big move at CBS News is a major bet on Bari Weiss, one of the most polarizing figures in media.

www.status.news

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Andrew Exum @exum.bsky.social · Sep 3

I have been teaching my three oldest the principles of both marksmanship and firearms safety with a Tikka T1x in .22LR. It’s honestly not any different than how I was trained by my father. Great little rimfire rifle.

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Andrew Exum @exum.bsky.social · Sep 3

I grew up in Tennessee and remember guns both omnipresent yet not fetishized. It was not uncommon for a shotgun or rifle to be propped up in a corner, i.e. not in a safe. The proliferation and fetishization of AR-15s and handguns since makes teaching firearms safety an urgent and necessary task.

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Andrew Exum @exum.bsky.social · Sep 3

My controversial position is that since we have made the decision as a nation to arm ourselves to the hilt, almost without restrictions, we need to teach our children basic firearms safety. My three oldest kids all know what to do if they come across a firearm and the fundamentals of gun safety.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · Sep 3

Kindergartners across the country are filing into classrooms where they can expect lessons on the alphabet, numbers and patterns.

In Tennessee, they will also learn to identify a trigger, a barrel and a muzzle as they’re introduced to gun safety.

New school year brings mandatory gun safety lessons for students in some states

All students in Tennessee public and charter schools must begin annual firearm safety lessons after the state became the first to pass a law requiring the training.

wapo.st

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Andrew Exum @exum.bsky.social · Sep 3

!!!

Thomas Hegghammer @hegghammer.net · Sep 3

Body seen in secret mortuary could solve 50-year mystery of vanished religious leader
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Musa al Sadr: Body seen in Libyan mortuary could solve 50-year mystery of vanished religious leader

Compelling evidence to suggest Lebanese Shia leader Musa al-Sadr was killed in Libya is uncovered by BBC.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Andrew Exum

Soren Spicknall @sorenspicknall.bsky.social · Sep 1

People are melting down at a Tribune article about CHSD 230 considering adding Arabic to its language learning electives. I wasted time in the comments, which I normally avoid doing since it's useless and awful, but it led to possibly the funniest thing anybody's ever said to me about France.

A screenshot of Facebook comments. The first, from somebody named Marcella, says "Wake up America! The encroachment is insidious and dangerous to our ideals and beliefs."

In reply, Soren says "That's why we turned French when they started offering French classes, right?"

Replying to Soren, somebody named Ken says "The French don't have a record of colonizing and conquering countries; and forcing their culture on the natives. Arabs do."

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Andrew Exum @exum.bsky.social · Aug 25

It’s the first day of school here in DC, and if your children are feeling a little nervous about the day, I find it’s helpful to borrow this motivational speech from Paul O’Connell. youtu.be/Bhgt2pnSywI?...

Paul O'Connell - Manic Aggression

YouTube video by Mark Conroy

youtu.be

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