Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Kevin Verhoff

James Downie @jamescdownie.bsky.social · 8h

It's always the people you most suspect.

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 8h

"30-year-old conservative lawyer and activist who is Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, which deals with federal employee whistleblower complaints and discrimination" cancelled his colleague's hotel room so she would be forced to stay with him.
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

In late July, Paul Ingrassia, the White House liaison for the Department of Homeland Security, arrived at a Ritz-Carlton in Orlando with a lower-ranking female colleague and others from their department. When the group reached the front desk, the woman learned she didn’t have a hotel room.

Ingrassia then informed her that she would be staying with him, according to five administration officials familiar with the episode. Eventually the woman discovered that Ingrassia had arranged ahead of time to have her hotel room canceled so she would have to stay with him, three of those officials said.

1 8 34

Kevin Verhoff @kevinverhoff.bsky.social · 18h

The CR the republicans want to pass will almost certainly make this woman's health insurance premiums higher. The democrats are saying, "We'll vote to reopen the government; just don't make this woman's health insurance more expensive"

3

Kevin Verhoff @kevinverhoff.bsky.social · 18h

Absolutely wild that the leftist response to people like this woman is: "Your family shouldn't have to live like this. We have a plan to make it better." and the republican response is: "Fuck you. We're never going to raise taxes on the rich" and for some reason the latter is the compelling message

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 20h

Republican C-SPAN caller to Mike Johnson: "As a Republican, I'm very disappointed in my party,and I'm very disappointed in you, because you have the power to call the House back. You refuse to do that just for a show."

4 40 160

Reposted by Kevin Verhoff

Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 19h

Today in life under competitive authoritarianism

Sarah Szalavitz💡 @dearsarah.bsky.social · 1d

Rutgers Professor @mark-bray.bsky.social, who studies & writes about Antifascism,Tries to Flee to Spain After Death Threats

By the time he & his family reached the gate, their tickets were cancelled.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/n... flagrantly & appallingly lawless. Hope he & his family are ok.

Rutgers Expert on Antifa Tries to Flee to Spain After Death Threats

www.nytimes.com

1 13 47

Reposted by Kevin Verhoff

yankee velo foxtrot @yankeevelofoxtrot.bsky.social · 1d

why would we design school zones to look safe and attractive with fun mobility for students when we can have this instead?!?!?

1 5 27

Kevin Verhoff @kevinverhoff.bsky.social · 20h

Party that has no interest in governing can't govern.

Aaron Fritschner @fritschner.bsky.social · 2d

“It’s true, all of it… it’s all true.”

Daily Beast: lol Republicans’ polls suck

3

Kevin Verhoff @kevinverhoff.bsky.social · 21h

And there are good affordable e-bikes out there, like this cargo bike for under $1500

1

Kevin Verhoff @kevinverhoff.bsky.social · 21h

E-bikes are a game changer. Almost all of our day-to-day travel is managed by bike between March and October. Those are miles that would have been in my car

1 2

Kevin Verhoff @kevinverhoff.bsky.social · 21h

But but but I thought it was bad to make light of political violence?

Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 22h

In which the managing editor of the Babylon Bee, a conservative Christian satire website whose suspension from Twitter in 2022 spurred people in Elon Musk’s orbit to urge him to by the platform, mocks the shooting of a pastor (Rev. David Black) in the head with a pepper ball by ICE agents.

Joel Berry
@JoelWBerry • 14h
•••
He's a professional communist Antifa agitator who professionally gets pepper-sprayed in the face while wearing clerical shirts for photo ops.
He's done this several times already.
ice sprays directly in the face the lead pastor for First Presbyterian in Chicago. This photo I believe will go down in history.
100
CENTRE ST
TRAN
23.1
465
Joel Berry
lolol
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @Reich... •22h
The video of this incident is just as bad as it sounds. The priest is standing there, not
0:25
doing anything remotely illegal, and without warning...
14.4K
18K
1l 519K
@JoelWBerry

A tweet from Joel Berry showing the moment a pepper ball struck Rev. David Black in the head, with the caption “lolol”

1

Reposted by Kevin Verhoff

Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 22h

In which the managing editor of the Babylon Bee, a conservative Christian satire website whose suspension from Twitter in 2022 spurred people in Elon Musk’s orbit to urge him to by the platform, mocks the shooting of a pastor (Rev. David Black) in the head with a pepper ball by ICE agents.

4 16 48

Kevin Verhoff @kevinverhoff.bsky.social · 22h

When people ask me if my e-bike was expensive, I like to tell them that it only cost a few car payments

A financing plan for the Ford Mustang e-bike. There are two options 12 months at 0% apr which comes to $365.83 per month, and 24 months at 15% apr which comes to $210.35 per month

1 5

Kevin Verhoff @kevinverhoff.bsky.social · 1d

Chick Tracts but not evil/racist/horrible

Monteiro @monteiro.bsky.social · 1d

This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever made. Except that’s an evergreen statement at this point.

A pile of zines called DONT BUILD THE TORMENT NEXUS!

1

Kevin Verhoff @kevinverhoff.bsky.social · 1d

These guys think the wrong side won WWII

Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 1d

Incredible.

Jack Posobiec references the earliest version of antifa -- the anti-fascists in the Weimar Republic who were opposed to the Nazi Party -- as the bad guys.

4

Reposted by Kevin Verhoff

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

I will not back down.

Trump is now calling for the arrest of elected representatives checking his power.

What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?

Donald Trump Truth Social Post: Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also.

1K 7.6K 26K

Reposted by Kevin Verhoff

Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 1d

“Millions of dead children” will be in the first line of Marco Rubio's obituary.

Nice that the only State Department comment here is that “the U.S. 'continues to stand with the people of Burma.'” Myanmar hasn't been called Burma since 1989, but since Trump is forever stuck in 1983, that checks.

Nathan Kalmoe (he/him) @nathankalmoe.bsky.social · 1d

apnews.com/article/myan...

Starving children screaming for food as US aid cuts unleash devastation and death across Myanmar

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly said “no one has died" because of his government’s decision to gut its foreign aid program.

apnews.com

5 32 72

Kevin Verhoff @kevinverhoff.bsky.social · 1d

Good call - Dayton also has its own unique vibe

Kevin Verhoff @kevinverhoff.bsky.social · 1d

I grew up in the Great Lakes and lived in the Heartland for college and some time after. Totally different vibes. In a lot of ways, Cleveland has more in common with Newark, NJ than with Columbus, OH

2

Kevin Verhoff @kevinverhoff.bsky.social · 1d

Ohio being split into 4 is accurate.

William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 2d

This is the most accurate depiction of the Midwest to date. Wichita has always felt like the last Midwest city while also being the first plains city.

2 3

Kevin Verhoff @kevinverhoff.bsky.social · 1d

Having cars be our main source of transportation is not optimal, but since we're here, making them electric is a massive improvement.

Kevin Verhoff @kevinverhoff.bsky.social · 1d

Shift everything to electric.

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 1d

we charge our hyundai ioniq 5 around once every two to three weeks at a muncipal charger and i’d say it runs about $9 for 250 miles of range.

How Much It Costs to Drive an E.V. and a Gas Car in Every State

www.nytimes.com

1 1

Kevin Verhoff @kevinverhoff.bsky.social · 1d

E-bikes!

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 2d

i recently got a great deal on a barely used folding ebike and i have to say it has revolutionized my train travel. i can get from my front door to the amtrak station in a little less than 5 minutes!!!

4

Reposted by Kevin Verhoff

Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 2d

Yeah what’s remarkable about Trump’s tariffs is that he’s both implementing them by executive fiat and then spending them by executive fiat, both of which are profoundly, extremely, couldn’t-be-more unconstitutional

Micah @rincewind.run · 2d

I am not a constitutional scholar but I am pretty sure “the president my personally levy taxes and choose what they fund” is not in fact what the founders intended

George Pearkes @peark.es · 2d

Well that's not how appropriations work at all

*WHITE HOUSE TO TRANSFER TARIFF REVENUE TO FUND WIC: LEAVITT

7 130 520

Reposted by Kevin Verhoff

Renee DiResta @noupside.bsky.social · 2d

“Who was president in 2020?” is the question of our time

Senator Jim Banks V
@SenatorBanks
Follow g..
The 2020 Census was a fraud. The Biden admin used a shady "privacy" formula that scrambled the data and miscounted 14 states.
It included illegal immigrants and handed
Democrats extra seats. Americans deserve a fair count and l'm fighting to fix it.
Zinited Statcs SScnate
MASHNORON DEYNN
October 6, 2025
an. Thow arewutn
Socretary
U.S. Department of Commerce Washington, DXC 20230
Dear Secretary Lutaick:
I urge you to investigate and correct erroes from the 2020 Census that handed disproportionntd political power to Democrats and illogal alicns. The Census Burcau adoptod a now and opaque
voting districts. As preparod by the Biden administration, the 2020 Censas roports miscountod the population of fourteen states, ' wrongly allocating six congressional scats aod Electoral
xx conwuu tmora uy, toc taroro tu mot đoo tnn Cunu lc pung t imber of votine districts. And the reoorts de aniovety inchaded ilecnl nhens widhout track those aliens' citiz enship status, If left uncorrected, these erroes will coetinue diluting the political power of American citizens.
Consus data plays a crucial role in allocating political roprescntation and goverment funding
Under the Constitution, cach state gets Congressional represcotutives and Electoeal College votes- based on "the whole number of persons" within the state." The number of persoes is in
tum clabaabod by a consttubocalty-mandalcd dcccacaal ccavas. Pcual agcco nely on census data to allocate billions of dollars in federal funding, much of which hinges ee opulation. And states use consus data to deaw congrossicnal and voting districts, »hich the
The it eiy of tie soaren alie n tor dur at ce hor inc ae oam toy ee n
nght wilbout statsica ly signilicant ciroo.
Diffcrcntial privacy is opaque and liable to mistakcn count totals. Sure cnough, the 2020 Ccnsus ovarocunted the noculation in cicht states and undercounted it in six." Tihe most extrcmi andercount was Arkansas, at 5.04%, and the larg…

150 1.4K 6.2K

Kevin Verhoff @kevinverhoff.bsky.social · 2d

I suspect that if there was evidence that the shooter was a leftist we would have heard all about it

2

Kevin Verhoff @kevinverhoff.bsky.social · 2d

It’s weird how the shooting of detainees at an ICE facility two weeks ago has completely fallen off the radar.

1 2