Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Kimberly Marten @kimberlymarten.bsky.social · 3h

Column by Thomas Edsall in the NYT is well worth reading—lots of political scientists with perspectives on the descent of the US under Trump towards possible civil war: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/o...

Opinion | Trump Is Not Afraid of Civil War. Neither Is Stephen Miller.

www.nytimes.com

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Kimberly Marten @kimberlymarten.bsky.social · 13d

Terrific new @meduza.io “Naked Pravda” podcast from @olyaoliker.bsky.social does the best job I’ve seen of laying out the strategic interaction implications of Russia’s airspace incursions and NATO’s possible responses: meduza.io/en/episodes/...

Here’s what you do when Russia won’t stay out of your airspace — Meduza

In recent weeks, Estonia, Poland, and Romania have reported breaches of their airspace by Russian aircraft. Just this week, Norway revealed that Russian aircraft have violated its airspace three times...

meduza.io

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Kimberly Marten @kimberlymarten.bsky.social · Aug 25

For anybody who wasn’t already boycotting Woody Allen movies:

meduza.io/en/news/2025...

Woody Allen headlines Moscow International Film Week — Meduza

American film director Woody Allen was a headline speaker at the Moscow city government’s International Film Week over the weekend.

meduza.io

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Kimberly Marten @kimberlymarten.bsky.social · Aug 23

Terrific new article by Mariya Omelicheva @warontherocks.bsky.social on the role of a huge number of semi-state forces in Russia’s war against Ukraine: warontherocks.com/2025/08/insi...

Inside Russia’s Shadow Military Sustaining the War - War on the Rocks

“The Nevsky Battalion is accepting volunteers.” This recruitment ad appeared on Russian social media in summer 2025 and is hardly a one-off. Swap out

warontherocks.com

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Kimberly Marten @kimberlymarten.bsky.social · Jun 10

Very interesting article by @radiofreetom.bsky.social: Trump is trying to provoke violence to excuse an authoritarian crackdown: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Trump Is Using the National Guard as Bait

Don’t give him the pretext he wants.

www.theatlantic.com

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Kimberly Marten @kimberlymarten.bsky.social · Jun 10

Thank you for doing this!

Reposted by Kimberly Marten

BenB 🇺🇦 @benborges.xyz · Jun 10

We archive 94 Ukrainian and 162 Russian Telegram channels. A permanent record of war, propaganda, and truth. Dive into the archive:

Telegram Archive

the Telegram Archive with Video and media files on the open web

osintukraine.com

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Kimberly Marten @kimberlymarten.bsky.social · Jun 10

Great article, Max—thank you for writing it!

Reposted by Kimberly Marten

Max Boot @maxboot.bsky.social · Jun 9

Far from facing a migrant invasion, the US has recently seen the lowest levels of border crossings in decades. Violent crime is also falling rapidly, including in LA. The only emergency is the one the Trump administration is creating by mandating that ICE make 3,000 arrests a day. bit.ly/4jGDpnS

Opinion | Trump is playing with fire by deploying troops to Los Angeles

The history of using the U.S. military domestically is not good. Using restraint in L.A. is essential.

bit.ly

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Reposted by Kimberly Marten

Elizabeth N. Saunders @profsaunders.bsky.social · Mar 14

🧵 Friends, a thread speaking just for myself. I joined Columbia in Jan 2024. A lot I still don't know, but some is crystal clear. Most important is what's not in the news: Columbia students and faculty show great capacity for respectfully and thoughtfully engaging difficult topics every day. 1/

Kevin Carey @kevincarey1.bsky.social · Mar 14

Everyone--EVERYONE--in higher education has to understand that this is Trump's plan for you, too: federal control over scholarship, curricula, discipline, admissions--everything. They want you to submit. Your only other option is to stand up, together.

Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · Mar 14

I’m told this is a real letter. It basically says, “We’ll destroy Columbia unless you destroy it first.”

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Reposted by Kimberly Marten

Elizabeth N. Saunders @profsaunders.bsky.social · Mar 14

And for a more eloquent and thorough statement, please read this excellent article, grounded in social science as well as moral decency, from @ryanenos.bsky.social & @stevelevitsky.bsky.social 7/7 www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

First They Came for Columbia | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson

We must learn from the past. We cannot remain silent in the face of authoritarian attacks on our peers, even if they have not yet come for us.

www.thecrimson.com

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Kimberly Marten @kimberlymarten.bsky.social · Mar 3

“The new [US] administration is rapidly changing all foreign policy configurations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, state television reported Sunday. “This largely aligns with our vision.” www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

Washington now ‘largely aligns’ with Moscow’s vision, Kremlin says

Tension between the United States and Ukraine, laid bare in the Oval Office meeting of Trump and Zelensky, is seen in Moscow as a “gift.”

www.washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by Kimberly Marten

Encyclopaedia Britannica @britannica.com · Feb 12

Encyclopædia Britannica will continue to use ‘Gulf of Mexico’ for a few reasons:

-We serve an international audience, a majority of which is outside the U.S.

-The Gulf of Mexico is an international body of water, and the U.S.’s authority to rename it is ambiguous.
🧵⬇️

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Reposted by Kimberly Marten

WeRateDogs @weratedogs.com · Feb 7

Here are The Top 10 Dogs of the week!
youtu.be/5LOSDbB3GUo

How Did This Happen???

YouTube video by WeRateDogs

youtu.be

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Reposted by Kimberly Marten

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · Feb 7

In a memo released Thursday, the Federal Highway Administration ordered states to halt a $5 billion program to build fast EV chargers on highways nationwide — an initiative that President Donald Trump cited as an example of the “Green New Deal.”

Trump administration orders states to halt EV charging programs

Trump officials are targeting a $5 billion program to build EV chargers along highways.

wapo.st

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Reposted by Kimberly Marten

ae @aelkus.bsky.social · Feb 7

The underlying problem with US national security at this point is actually really simple. If the entire US-led world order can be undone because ~120,000 people in a few states are unhappy about burger prices then there is very little stability for any coherent natsec policy

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Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · Feb 6

After all that Marko Elez was the first taker on the resignation program.

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Kimberly Marten @kimberlymarten.bsky.social · Feb 7

For those who may not know: the biggest recipient of USAID funds is Catholic Relief Services, which is now in crisis mode: www.ncronline.org/news/exclusi...

Exclusive: Catholic Relief Services lays off staff, cuts programs after USAID shakeup

An internal email says CRS is likely to be cut in half this year from Trump's freeze of U.S. foreign assistance. Cuts will "cost people's lives and livelihoods," a former bishops' conference official ...

www.ncronline.org

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Kimberly Marten @kimberlymarten.bsky.social · Feb 7

Bravo to @jimgoldgeier.bsky.social and @profsaunders.bsky.social for this necessary and brilliant article! www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

Does DOGE Pose a National Security Risk?

Uncertainty about access and authority will worry allies and tempt adversaries.

www.foreignaffairs.com

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Reposted by Kimberly Marten

Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · Feb 7

A major new lawsuit asks a federal court to halt the Trump/Musk shutdown of USAID, reopen the building, reactivate the website, restore all grants and funding, and recall furlough notices to workers: fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldoc...

PRAYER FOR RELIEF
WHEREFORE, plaintiffs pray that this Court:
a.
Declare unlawful and set aside the decision to shut down USAID as
arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in
accordance with law under 5 U.S.C. § 706(2)(A), contrary to constitutional right, power, privilege, or immunity under 5 U.S.C. $ 706(2)(B), and in excess of statutory jurisdiction, authority, or limitations, or short of statutory right under 5 U.S.C. § 706(2)(C);
Issue a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction directing defendants to immediately cease actions to shut down USAID's operations in a manner not authorized by Congress and directing to them to take the following actions:
i. Appoint an independent Acting Director of USAID; ii. Reopen USAID buildings;
il. Restore all USAID computer systems and webpages;

d.
f.
iv. Restore funding pursuant to the terms of all grants,
cooperative agreements, and contracts, consistent with the
terms of the agreements and any relevant statutes and
regulations;
v. Refrain from placing any additional workers on
administrative leave, or continuing the leave of those previously placed on administrative leave, unless such leave
is authorized by this Court after giving legitimate, non-
arbitrary, and particularized reasons;
vi. Recall furlough notices to affected workers unless specifically
authorized to do so by this Court after giving legitimate, non-
arbitrary, and particularized reasons;
vii. Recall mandatory evacuation orders.
Order Defendants to file a status report with the Court within 24 hours of entry of a temporary restraining order, and at regular intervals thereafter, confirming compliance with these orders.
Issue a permanent injunction barring executive agencies and agency
heads from taking any action to dissolve USAID absent the authorization of Congress;
Award Plaintiffs their costs, reasonable attorney's fees, and other disbursements as appropriate; and
Grant such other relief as the Court deems necessary, just, and proper.

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Kimberly Marten @kimberlymarten.bsky.social · Feb 7

The 25-year-old who was taking over all the Treasury data is gone. Turns out he was an open racist, outed by (believe it or not) the WSJ: www.wsj.com/tech/doge-st...

Exclusive | DOGE Staffer Resigns Over Racist Posts

A staffer for Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, whose access to Treasury payment systems was approved by a judge, has links to a deleted social-media account that advocated for racism a...

www.wsj.com

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Reposted by Kimberly Marten

Simon Rosenberg @simonwdc.bsky.social · Feb 3

Reminder - shuttering USAID may cause millions of people to die throughout the developing world in the next few weeks. Whatever else he thinks he’s doing madman Musk may about to become a mass murderer.

open.substack.com/pub/simonwdc...

"The U.S. President Is Quietly Killing So Many Lives" - Holding Trump To Account For The Chaos, Disruptions, Recklessness And Malevolence

We need to keep fighting The Unacceptable 4 - Gabbard, Kennedy, Patel, Vought

open.substack.com

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dell cameron @dell.bsky.social · Feb 1

NEW: USAID source says staff are scrambling to save archived copies of US regulations before they're gone & are being actively locked out of systems, including a publicly available database of USAID documents.

WIRED has built software to systematically check the status of 1,374 government domains.

US Government Websites Are Disappearing in Real Time

A growing number of US government websites have gone offline as of Saturday, including several related to USAID and others focused on youth programs, Africa, and more.

www.wired.com

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It's Going Down @igd.bsky.social · Feb 3

Workers in DC are fighting to block Musk's minions.

"About 100 Federal employees and supporters...blocked the doors to...‘data miners’....The small group of young men eventually left without entering after the protesters would not let them near the front doors." dcmediagroup.us/2025/02/02/f...

Federal Workers Block Doors of Admin Building Over Elon Musk Data Breach - DCMediaGroup

Nearly 100 Federal employees took part in a protest now into its second day of a takeover by Elon Musk surrogates of the high administration arm of the Federal government. Photo: DCMediaGroup Washingt...

dcmediagroup.us

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Atul Gawande @agawande.bsky.social · Feb 3

USAID being unlawfully dismantled. DOGE member has closed HQ. New tranche of workers cut off email.

Staff tell me, "It is frightening being inside USAID right now. Our checks and balances failed. Congress has abdicated its responsibilities.”

And Sec. Rubio has abdicated his.

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · Feb 3

New — USAID staff received an email just a few minutes ago letting them know HQ would be closed to all personnel Monday. It’s likely some employees will miss the overnight email, show up and be turned away.

It was sent by Gavin Kliger, one of the young guys at DOGE doing Musk’s bidding.

To all personnel:
At the direction of Agency leadership, the USAID headquarters at the Ronald Reagan building in Washington, D.C. will be closed to Agency personnel on Monday, February 3, 2025. Agency personnel normally assigned to work at USAID headquarters will work remotely tomorrow, with the exception of personnel with essential on-site and building maintenance functions individually contacted by senior leadership. Further guidance will be forthcoming.

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