Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by laura olin

arosie from the dead 🪦 @rosiemck.bsky.social · 7h

breaking news

photo of margot, a little brown dog, propped up on a STACK of cushions so she can gaze out the window. it's giving princess and the pea (she's the princess and i'm the pea)

18 20 350

Reposted by laura olin

Aaron Bady @zunguzungu.bsky.social · 8h

Dolly Parton called a press conference to clarify formally that no weapon formed against her will prosper

9 420 2.3K

laura olin @lauraolin.bsky.social · 8h

The Swifties hate AI? It’s Joever

Kat Tenbarge @kattenbarge.bsky.social · 8h

So, as part of Taylor Swift's album rollout, there was a scavenger hunt involving videos that looked *really* AI-generated. So #SwiftiesAgainstAI became a thing and now the videos are impossible to find. Fandom outrage can be good!
www.wired.com/story/taylor...

Fans Call on Taylor Swift to ‘Do Better’ After Accusations of Using AI for Promo Videos

A scavenger hunt campaign to promote Taylor Swift’s new album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” resulted in a viral #SwiftiesAgainstAI campaign.

www.wired.com

1 1 9

Reposted by laura olin

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 17h

JUST IN: The Republican Mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska’s second biggest city, lost re-election last night to a Democrat.

Mayor David Pruhs is a conservative who fought protections for LGBTQ+ residents; he made comments this year drew condemnation this year from Alaska Natives. He lost to Mindy O'Neall.

110 1.8K 8.1K

laura olin @lauraolin.bsky.social · 8h

A “What are thooooose” for a new generation

TresTiffany @trestiffany.bsky.social · 12h

“What’s your barber name?” is crazy 😂

3 14

Reposted by laura olin

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 9h

genuinely think they are feeding him AI videos

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 10h

Trump: "I don't know what could be worse than Portland. You don't even have stores anymore. They don't even put glass up. They put plywood on their windows."

460 2.1K 12K

Reposted by laura olin

southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 9h

Everyone can set aside partisanship, psychologizing, pathologizing, whatever, and—I would hope—still see that it’s incredibly dangerous for a political leader to be this disconnected from the real conditions in the country.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 10h

Trump: "I don't know what could be worse than Portland. You don't even have stores anymore. They don't even put glass up. They put plywood on their windows."

270 1.3K 5.1K

laura olin @lauraolin.bsky.social · 10h

BASED

Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 12h

If you come for my people, you come through me.

1 13

laura olin @lauraolin.bsky.social · 11h

May she live a thousand years variety.com/2025/music/n...

Dolly Parton Posts Video Saying ‘I’m Not Dying!’ Amid Health Concerns: ‘Do I Look Sick to You?’

Dolly Parton has issued a statement assuring fans that she is doing fine, after her sister's public plea for prayer for her health set off alarm bells.

variety.com

3 29

laura olin @lauraolin.bsky.social · 11h

Spotted in Brooklyn: A sweatshirt with the words SMALL ARMS QUALIFIED on the back underneath a drawing of a Tyrannosaurus

1 1 30

Reposted by laura olin

Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 20h

- Grim that media barons are buying up mainstream media and making them fascism-enabling propaganda engines

- ULTAGRIM that so many of the big-name journalists escaping that fire are voluntarily leaping directly into a completely separate newsletter website trap set by the same fascists

Substack’s “Nazi problem” won’t go away after push notification apology

Substack may be legitimizing neo-Nazis as “thought leaders,” researcher warns.

arstechnica.com

8 140 300

Reposted by laura olin

Nick Kodama 🌲👻 @nickkodama.bsky.social · 1d

Should've used this photo

Guy in a frog costume facing ICE/police in Portland with the caption "analysis: what is the insurrection act"

34 470 2.7K

Reposted by laura olin

Goldy @goldy.horsesass.org · 1d

"Democratic strongholds" in this militaristic context makes it sound like we're terrorists or insurrections or warlords. I cannot express how angry I am at American journalism for enabling this moment.

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 1d

Hundreds of National Guard troops were expected soon in Chicago. The deployment is the latest in a series of military incursions in U.S. cities, particularly in Democratic strongholds. President Trump said he would consider invoking emergency powers to “get around” legal obstacles. Follow updates.

National Guard Troops Expected Soon in Chicago as Trump Considers Invoking Emergency Powers: Live Updates

The mobilization includes some 200 Guard troops from Texas. President Trump said he would consider invoking emergency powers to “get around” legal obstacles.

nyti.ms

15 150 510

laura olin @lauraolin.bsky.social · 1d

Unfortunately, "Let's do the fucking news" is instant cringe legend

max tani @maxtani.bsky.social · 1d

Bari Weiss introduced herself to CBS News staff today on the network's 9AM call, saying she wants to "win," which requires restoring trust to CBS. She also said she was excited for staff to get to know the Free Press, and ended her remarks by saying: "Let's do the fucking news."

8 5 74

laura olin @lauraolin.bsky.social · 1d

NPR could easily fill a desperately needed public service for trustworthy legacy media, and likely easily meet its own small dollar fundraising goals after having its federal funding pulled, by simply describing things as they are. But instead they choose to do whatever this is.

NPR @npr.org · 1d

President Trump is bucking tradition and legal precedent in pushing to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-led cities like Portland, Oregon, and Chicago due to what he says is rampant crime and to support his crackdown on illegal immigration.

Trump's power to deploy National Guard, explained

President Trump is bucking tradition and legal precedent in pushing to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-led cities like Portland, Oregon, and Chicago due to what he says is rampant crime and to support his crackdown on illegal immigration.

n.pr

9 69 230

Reposted by laura olin

Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 2d

There is an escalation ladder here and he understands how that is the absolute last step, one you don't touch until all else has failed and you've done a lot of laying the groundwork. Things are bad, heading that way, it's deadly serious. But we're not there yet and he is right to not say it now.

Peter Sagal @petersagal.bsky.social · 2d

As Gov. Pritzker says in his opening statement, ICE and CPB are attempting to provoke a reaction by their actions in Chicago. And as he says -- more or less -- at the time stamp below, he won't order state police to physically confront them, b/c he can't.

Laur-eeeeee😱 (spooky scream) @laurie-merrell.bsky.social · 2d

If you still know anyone who imagines that Pritzker or Johnson will order police under their command to arrest federal agents, you can send them this (1hr12min42sec timestamp). They are explicit that they will not and they view courts as only venue for enforcement.

www.youtube.com/live/vqP4YFV...

17 150 710

Reposted by laura olin

Sen. Pumpkin Gogurt @ugarles.bsky.social · 2d

a huge sign of overconfidence is letting Miller talk on camera. a uniquely revolting presence in an administration of sentient red flags.

33 230 1.5K

Reposted by laura olin

jadehawk "FREE ŁINK" @jadehawk.bsky.social · 2d

added to vocabulary

Esther Schindler @estherschindler.bsky.social · 2d

I just saw someone use the abbreviation “AI;DR” and I’ll be laughing for a while.

1 15 74

Reposted by laura olin

Elise Wang @elisewang.bsky.social · 2d

One of the more incredible stories out of LA this year has been how a taco review blog became the best on-the-ground coverage of ICE raids in the city.

They do a dispatch every day, follow-up on the kidnapped people (which almost no media outlet has done), and fact-check government claims.

Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 2d

@lataco.bsky.social first began as a blog documenting local Mexican cuisine. Now, it’s an essential reporting powerhouse to the city as Trump’s mass deportation plot unfolds.

Check out the latest from our friends at Reveal: tinyurl.com/4cm2bsdr

20 1.9K 4.8K

Reposted by laura olin

Heather Cherone @heathercherone.bsky.social · 2d

Pritzker is also furious: “Should National Governors Association leadership choose to remain silent, Illinois will have no choice but to withdraw from the organization.”

Gov. JB Pritzker’s letter to the National Governors Association

270 4.4K 15K

Reposted by laura olin

derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 2d

this is the jacket's breast pocket lining pulled up to make it look like a pocket square

Stephen Miller in a gray suit, white shirt, and gray tie.

850 2.4K 16K

laura olin @lauraolin.bsky.social · 2d

In addition to being a sign of terrible political instincts, this is also a sign that Hakeem Jeffries cannot think a single step ahead. Trump will 100% send troops to NYC, either as soon as Mamdani is elected in November or when he takes office in January. Unity among NYC Dems is going to matter.

Lina Srivastava @linasrivastava.bsky.social · 2d

Hanging out with my Dad who's watching MSNBC. I just saw Hakeem Jeffries, my fellow law school alumm fail yet again to endorse Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for NYC Mayor. And then he shanked a direct question about whether he will *vote* for him. Incredible. This is unacceptable.

4 11 58

laura olin @lauraolin.bsky.social · 2d

I've only been to a handful of protests over the last few years (the first March for Our Lives, a couple BLM rallies) but I'm making a point of going to No Kings Day on October 18 because there's a chance it'll make a difference in the country's authoritarian trajectory. Don't RSVP, just go.

1 9 57

laura olin @lauraolin.bsky.social · 2d

I find this encouraging, from @indivisible.org:

A defining feature of an emerging authoritarian regime is that it makes the opposition feel like shit on a daily basis. Every day, there is some new atrocity committed; some new institution attacked; some new democratic norm demolished. Some of it -- much of it -- we have little ability to stop in the moment.

But that’s not how to measure the health of an anti-authoritarian movement. Instead, we should measure it this way:

Are we more unified than we were before?
Are we bigger than we were before?
Are our tactics proliferating?
Is the regime’s popularity falling?

5 170 530

Reposted by laura olin

Jamison Foser @jamisonfoser.bsky.social · 2d

please bear with us we are just a small family-run general store. there are but three of us, and sister susie is out with the flu so we are stretched quite thin.

gabriel &
@GabrielPeterss4
0...
we are working hard on fixing unnecessary content violations on sora 2!!
bear with us, we are a small team!

gabriel &
@GabrielPeterss4
sora research at @OpenAl,

OpenAl generates $4.3 billion in revenue in first half of 2025,

OpenAl expects business to burn $115 billion through 2029,

2 33 140