Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jenna Somers @jennasomers.bsky.social · 3h

Democracy dies in WaPo’s drivel.

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 5h

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.

Reposted by Jenna Somers

Jeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 19h

With all the caveats about anonymous posters, this is still staggering, a revelation of what a sliver we see reported across mainstream & alt media combined; and this itself is obviously just a sliver. www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/...

From the AskReddit community on Reddit

Explore this post and more from the AskReddit community

www.reddit.com

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Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 1d

Remember, it was the Washington Post who gave Bondi a thumbs up to be confirmed. Democracy Docket made clear from day one that she was an election denying sycophant.

No surprise at their coverage of today. Support independent, pro-democracy media today. hubs.ly/Q03M8rql0

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Jenna Somers @jennasomers.bsky.social · 1d

Any normal person would be embarrassed by this, but MAGA lacks shame, so nothing they do embarrasses them.

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 1d

Kristi Noem confronts enemy combatants in the Portland war zone today.

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Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 1d

This strikes me as pretty bad

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Melanie D’Arrigo @darrigomelanie.bsky.social · 1d

I feel like this photo of masked, armed men pepper spraying a pastor protecting his community is going to be a defining picture of this moment in America for a long, long time.

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

"This is supposed to be an oversight hearing" -- Schiff helpfully ticks through all of the incriminating questions -- and there are many of them -- that Bondi refused to answer during today's hearing

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Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 1d

I know it's tiresome to play the "imagine if the parties were reversed" game, but thinking about how Republicans (and right-wing media) would be reacting if a Democratic-controlled House was refusing to swear in a newly elected *Republican* member may be the apotheosis of this particular meme.

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Preorder Read This When Things Fall Apart @mskellymhayes.bsky.social · 2d

I’m. So. Tired.

I don’t just want you to pay attention to Chicago because I want you to understand our plight. I want you to see how hard people are fighting and know wtf you’re made of. We’re not just fighting for this place. This is for all of us.

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Jenna Somers @jennasomers.bsky.social · 2d

Every damn “moderate” “independent” person who voted for this (and yes, they voted for this) needs to really sit down with themselves before the next election and figure out what their actual values are and vote those, not the damn price of eggs.

Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 2d

CHICAGO (AP) — Storming an apartment complex by helicopter as families slept. Deploying chemical agents near a public school. Handcuffing a Chicago City Council member at a hospital.

apnews.com/article/chic...

Using helicopters and chemical agents, immigration agents become increasingly aggressive in Chicago

Activists, residents and elected leaders say increasingly combative tactics used by federal immigration agents are sparking violence and fueling neighborhood tensions in the nation’s third-largest cit...

apnews.com

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Rep. Ilhan Omar @repilhan.bsky.social · 2d

If you ever wondered what Republican “governance” looks like, this is it.

A government shutdown.
Federal workers who don’t get paid.
A President who golfs during a shutdown.
National guards and ICE deployed to attack and arrest Americans.
Millions of Americans losing their healthcare.

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Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 2d

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government’s claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed.
trib.al/9Sxu9IN

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims officer said 'Do something b-----' before shooting

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government's claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed. A judge ordered Martinez and a co-defendant released pending trial.

trib.al

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Molly Jong-Fast @mollyjongfast.bsky.social · 3d

This from @govpritzker.illinois.gov on @cnn.com

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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...

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CajunBlueAZ ⚜️🇺🇸 🇺🇦 @cajunblue.bsky.social · 6d

🚨 “They put black people in one van and immigrants an another… Trucks and military style vans were used to separate children from their parents.” THIS. IS. HAPPENING. People need to see this. We all need to see it. Nobody gets a pass here. Please share with your networks. 1/2

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Governor Gavin Newsom @governor.ca.gov · 6d

Today, I'm signing legislation to safeguard our elections and the voice of every voter.

It's now illegal to use contests or payments to get people to register to vote.

And in the 2026 election, voters have the chance to repeal our state's ban on the public financing of elections.

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Jenna Somers @jennasomers.bsky.social · 7d

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/u...

Trump Administration Asks Colleges to Sign ‘Compact’ to Get Funding Preference

www.nytimes.com

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Jenna Somers @jennasomers.bsky.social · 7d

Release the Epstein files!

www.c-span.org/clip/senate-...

User Clip: Ted Cruz Saying "Let's Stop Attacking Pedophiles" - Trump Admin. Response To Crime in Cities 9/30/25

Ted Cruz Saying "Let's Stop Attacking Pedophiles" during a Trump Admin. Response To Crime in Cities aired on CSPAN 9/30/25 Time marker 1:49:53-1:50:10 https://www.c-span.org/program/senate-committee...

www.c-span.org

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Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · 7d

@drdemetre.bsky.social, former director of the CDC Nat'l Cen. for Immunization and Respiratory Disease for @sciam.bsky.social.

ALL our agencies are facing death by a thousand funding and staff cuts. It costs us expertise and manpower. In an emergency, we will feel this loss — from CDC to FEMA.

Screenshot of article text which reads: "So Mpox is a syndemic—that means interacting epidemics that when they touch each other make themselves much worse. And so Mpox is an epidemic, HIV is an epidemic, homelessness is an epidemic, drug use is an epidemic, so all of those things converged to actually create a really bad Mpox outbreak. So what I was able to do in Mpox was bring together mental health providers, housing providers, HIV prevention, HIV treatment in a way that generated an effective response.

So these people who are pulling CDC and the federal government apart don’t understand that. What you’re doing is taking away, like, the limbs of a response. So maybe the infectious disease sort of work is, like, the heart or the brain, but it’s not the arms and legs. The arms and legs means you need all of those things to work together.

And so as you see CDC being torn apart, 2,000 people who are no longer there, years of experience, centers that are being demolished, we are sorely unprepared for the next thing, even if it’s not so big. And I’m sitting here as an expert not only in infectious diseases but in outbreak and emergency response, I’m looking at this saying, like, “The people who are tearing apart your public health endeavor have no idea how to do this.”

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Dave Min @daveminca.bsky.social · 8d

Hegseth and Trump brought all our generals to DC, risking our national security and costing taxpayers millions, all so they could urge them to violate international law and betray the Constitution.

These are not patriots, they are un-American thugs. And we must stand up to them.

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Jenna Somers @jennasomers.bsky.social · 8d

When Hegseth says that even generals and admirals will be subject to PT tests twice a year, know that he plans to purge intellect, which is critical in those roles. I’d take a fat, smart general any day over a buff moron. Intelligence in the military leadership is more important. Seems obvious.

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Jenna Somers @jennasomers.bsky.social · 8d

www.npr.org/2025/09/30/n...

Trump defends use of the U.S. military against the 'enemy within'

Earlier, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the purpose of the department would exclusively be "war fighting."

www.npr.org

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Santiago Mayer @santiagomayer.com · 9d

I cannot express just how painful it is to see Kamala Harris continue talking about how she cares about and admires Gen Z.

We could’ve had someone who truly cared about lifting up our generation — instead we’re stuck with a guy shutting down the government to rip away our healthcare.

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Brendan Cantwell @cantb.bsky.social · 8d

We are approaching a situation where working or enrolling in public higher ed means that the state wields inordinate power to control your speech and impose partisan rules on your conduct. What do we do when higher ed is a special site of state oppression?

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Edzard Ernst @edzard.bsky.social · 10d

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