Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 1h

Nobel Peace Prizes have often been awarded to people who fight autocracy. Maria Corina Machado fits right into that tradition

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Why María Machado Deserved the Nobel Peace Prize

The Venezuelan opposition leader shows why participation matters.

www.theatlantic.com

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Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 1h

JB Pritzker has also been emphatically placing Trump's mental decline squarely on the agenda. On our pod, he adds a new element: People around Trump are using his decline to manipulate him, so they're less likely to intervene. More Dems should say this. 1/

newrepublic.com/article/2016...

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gentlystream.bsky.social @gentlystream.bsky.social · 1h

Trump’s “national security”memo shows an “administration less interested in combating “political violence” than it is in cracking down on liberal institutions and on nonviolent, protected speech that Trump and his people do not care for.”
open.substack.com/pub/zeteo/p/... @govpritzker.illinois.gov

Inside Trump’s Plot To Terrorize Chicago

Sources in the administration tell Zeteo that Trump is also seriously discussing invoking the Insurrection Act with his top advisers.

open.substack.com

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Jacqueline Sweet @jsweetli.bsky.social · 1d

NEW: A MAGA X account often shared by Senator Mike Lee and House Republicans like Nancy Mace--that often alleges Democrats encourage voting fraud-- is run by a man who not only has never stepped foot in the US, he also illegally donated to an American campaign.

www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

The Viral MAGA Accounts Run by a Man Who Has Never Been to America

Two influential MAGA social media accounts are run by Rumen Naumovski, a Macedonian who may have illegally donated to a U.S. election.

www.rollingstone.com

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Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov · 20h

@vanhollen.senate.gov and I met with federal workers who were unnecessarily fired — and we talked about what's at stake in this government shutdown.

Here's the short of it: Democrats will not stop fighting to save health care and lower costs for families.

ChrisVanHollen and I met with federal workers who were unnecessarily fired.

YouTube video by Senator Elizabeth Warren

youtube.com

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Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 1d

Nothing remotely resembling an insurrection is happening anywhere in the country. Any violence associated with protest has been isolated, mild, and, in nearly every case, instigated by federal law enforcement. If we let Trump get away with calling dissent an insurrection, our republic is over.

BREAKING: Trump Admin 'Seriously' Considering Using the Insurrection Act, Reports NBC

President Trump is "seriously" considering invoking the Insurrection Act in order to more easily deploy National Guard troops to major cities as part of crime crackdown, NBC reported on Wednesday

www.mediaite.com

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gentlystream.bsky.social @gentlystream.bsky.social · 23h

“We Are Elated by the Gaza Ceasefire News. Now, the World Must Hold Israel to Account for 2 Years of Genocide”—a deservedly reserved response @zeteo.com @ayman.msnbc.com @katmabu.bsky.social @jvp.bsky.social @ruwaforgeorgia.bsky.social @reprashida.govpeeps.us
open.substack.com/pub/zeteo/p/...

We Are Elated by the Gaza Ceasefire News. Now, the World Must Hold Israel to Account for 2 Years of Genocide

In an emotional essay, former Palestinian negotiator Diana Buttu reacts to the ceasefire announcement, what it means for Palestinians, and what still worries her.

open.substack.com

gentlystream.bsky.social @gentlystream.bsky.social · 1d

Per this NY Times story, the family has been re-booked on a flight tomorrow.

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 1d

Bray is a historian at Rutgers who received death threats after landing on Turning Points USA's Professor Watchlist. As a result, he announced he was moving to Europe. And then this happened.

This kind of harassment and abuse of scholars is Charlie Kirk's legacy and it's only getting worse.

Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 1d

“Someone” cancelled my family’s flight out of the country at the last second.

We got our boarding passes. We checked our bags. Went through security. Then at our gate our reservation ‘disappeared.’

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gentlystream.bsky.social @gentlystream.bsky.social · 1d

See also Dr. Bray’s reporting this evening about his family’s flight to Spain mysteriously thwarted at the airport. @melissjpeltier.bsky.social @profmmurray.bsky.social @karenattiah.bsky.social @weissmann.substack.com

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Brave New Films @bravenewfilms.bsky.social · 1d

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gentlystream.bsky.social @gentlystream.bsky.social · 1d

@maddow.msnbc.com See this (below) from tonight, re Dr. Bray’s thwarted exit to safety. Since you cited this NY Times story: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/n... cc @sarahkendzior.bsky.social @andreachalupa.bsky.social @warren.senate.gov @raskin.house.gov @aclu.org

Bluesky entries describing Dr. Bray and family finding their flights out of the US mysteriously cancelled at the last minute.

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Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 1d

You’ve gotta be kidding me.

This WaPo editorial presents a misleading revisionist history of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s criminal cases against Trump.

Then it has the gall to compare that to Trump’s overt targeting of his perceived enemies.

Really embarrassing stuff.

But the mere fact that a legal tool might be available does not mean it should be used. The
current rage over Grassley's revelation shows why. Smith showed little restraint in his pursuit of a former president. He charged Trump for official acts he took as president. He sought a gag order to limit Trump's ability to criticize the prosecution. He tried to accelerate the case to try a leading presidential candidate before the 2024 election.

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Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 2d

Folks, it's happening.

We're releasing Jeffrey Epstein: Bad Pedophile this Thursday at 7 p.m.

Mark your calendars. Get excited to know even less about Jeffrey Epstein.

The Onion Investigates: Jeffrey Epstein

YouTube video by The Onion

www.youtube.com

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Prof. Eliot Jacobson @climatecasino.net · 1d

My latest animation of the global surface temperature anomaly, 1851 - 2025 (current through September).

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gentlystream.bsky.social @gentlystream.bsky.social · 1d

These Horrific Numbers Show the Scale of Israel's Genocide in Gaza Two Years On… 99% of households food insecure, 1.9 million displaced… and all the deaths @wck.org @unrwa.org @msf.ca @arwadamon.bsky.social @nickkristof.bsky.social @premthakker.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/zeteo/p/...

These Horrific Numbers Show the Scale of Israel's Genocide in Gaza Two Years On

The figures speak for themselves.

open.substack.com

gentlystream.bsky.social @gentlystream.bsky.social · 1d

This information was in the public domain during the summer of 2016 and the mainstream press did nothing to stop the election of brutal, predatory Trump to the US presidency. Twice. @katiephang.bsky.social @jenpsaki.msnbc.com @lawofruby.bsky.social @warren.senate.gov @crockett.house.gov

Caffeine 🇺🇦 @caffeine.fellas.army · 2d

I personally wit Where Mr. Trump forced 13 year-old Katie Johnson and a 12 year old female name Maria to perform oral sex on him and witnessed his physical abuse of both minors when they finished the act

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TizzyWoman @tizzywoman.bsky.social · 2d

Chris Murphy, the ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, served a brutally honest #CupOfJoe to Cosplay Barbie, aka, Kristi Noem at a hearing on the administration’s fiscal 2026 budget. 💥

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Its ruaa @itsmeio.bsky.social · 3d

Resistance to genocide is not terrorism.

The genocide itself is terrorism.

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gentlystream.bsky.social @gentlystream.bsky.social · 2d

😂😑

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 2d

We are in late-stage authoritarian media takeover.

Fox and CNN are owned/controlled by rightwing billionaires.
Twitter and Truth Social
WSJ and WaPo
CBS and ABC
Newsweek, Sinclair, now Tegna; TikTok getting close.

We are far along in the Putin-mold media takeover plan.

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gentlystream.bsky.social @gentlystream.bsky.social · 2d

THIS. Pam Bondi sacrificed integrity long ago to team Trump. @whitehouse.senate.gov @joycewhitevance.bsky.social @durbin.senate.gov @schiff.senate.gov @arimelber.bsky.social @lawrenceodonnell.msnbc.com

southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 2d

I’m a career prosecutor who took a $25,000 check from an affiliated entity of Donald Trump’s while investigating Trump University and later left my lobbying firm to become Donald Trump’s personal impeachment lawyer, White House aide, and Attorney General. So don’t you DARE question my integrity.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

Bondi to Blumenthal: "You lied. How dare you? I'm a career prosecutor. Don't you ever challenge my integrity. Do not question my ability to be fair and impartial."

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Prasad Jallepalli, MD, PhD @prasad.bsky.social · 2d

grateful to hear him say this out loud — too few institutions have this decency and courage

AFP News Agency @en.afp.com · 2d

"It is going to be disastrous if this continues"

Nobel Prize physics laureate John Clarke says Trump cuts will 'cripple' US scientific research

u.afp.com/SmAy

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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 2d

Monstrous.

"federal agents detained nearly every resident of the 130-unit building—including children and babies—placing them in zip ties and separating them by race into vans for more than two hours early Tuesday morning."

Daniel Knowles @dlknowles.bsky.social · 2d

Good reporting on the South Shore raid from South Side weekly here.

Confirms one thing I was told but didn't put in my own piece because I didn't have a second source and it seemed too insane: border agents segregated arrested residents by race

southsideweekly.com/federal-agen...

Federal Agents Storm South Shore Building, Detaining Families and Children

Families were woken by flashbangs and helicopters as hundreds of federal agents raided their homes. Days later, neighbors are still searching for the missing.

southsideweekly.com

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Rachel Bitecofer @rachelbitecofer.bsky.social · 2d

Country legend Zach Bryan has released a song that puts country over his own bank account.

The backlash from country fans will be massive- they’ll force him off country radio like they did to the Dixie Chicks but he doesn’t need radio access anymore

American hero 🇺🇸

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