Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 1h

🎁🔗: Where Trump Is Vulnerable and How to Act on It >>> "The best defense against this weapon is solidarity among groups who disagree ferociously on many questions, but who agree on the need to keep America democratic ..." h/t @ryanlcooper.com www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...

Opinion | Where Trump Is Vulnerable and How to Act on It

www.nytimes.com

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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 1h

They act with impunity. It's as if they have all been assured they will be pardoned regardless of any action they take in service to this president. h/t @premthakker.bsky.social

Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 7h

My gosh. After the US bombed multiple boats in the middle of the ocean, murdering people on grounds that they were allegedly "carrying drugs," the US Attorney General says "Just like we did with cartels, we're going to take the same approach, President Trump, with Antifa."

ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 1h

🎁🔗: Retribution Is Here >>> "Trump rages about how his guilty verdict is sure to be mentioned way up high in his obituaries." www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

Retribution Is Here

The president’s threats of revenge are no longer bluster.

www.theatlantic.com

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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 3h

Texas Companies Threatened with Boycotts Amid National Guard Deployment h/t @psychopete.bsky.social www.chron.com/culture/arti...

‘Good luck’: Consumers organize boycott against Texas companies

Protests against the deployment of the National Guard may hurt these brands' pockets.

www.chron.com

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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 3h

Well, that's all folks ... #ETTD

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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 3h

🎁🔗: Inside the Justice Department Where the President Calls the Shots >>> "Privately, Trump has acknowledged that he believes Blanche is a solid lawyer and Bondi appears great on TV, but has continued to complain to aides about the pace of the cases ..." www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Inside the Justice Department Where the President Calls the Shots

The president has executed a wholesale transformation of the Justice Department, taking control in ways he could have only dreamed of in his first term.

www.wsj.com

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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 7h

Trump Administration Officials Seriously Discussing Invoking Insurrection Act, Sources Say www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat...

Trump administration officials seriously discussing invoking Insurrection Act, sources say

A decision is not expected to be imminent, one source said, but debate within the administration has shifted recently to more deeply exploring how and when the act might be invoked.

www.nbcnews.com

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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 8h

🎁🔗: The American Experiment www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...

The American Experiment

At 250, the Revolution’s goals remain noble and indispensable.

www.theatlantic.com

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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 8h

🎁🔗: Health Care Politics Bolster Democrats in Shutdown Fight >>> "Even President Trump has conceded that he and his party could face political pain from rising premiums, stiffening Democrats’ spines as they demand a subsidy extension." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/u...

Health Care Politics Bolster Democrats in Shutdown Fight

www.nytimes.com

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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 8h

🎁🔗: The Myth of Mad King George www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...

The Myth of Mad King George

He was denounced by rebel propagandists as a tyrant and remembered by Americans as a reactionary dolt. Who was he really?

www.theatlantic.com

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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 12h

Starving Children Screaming for Food as US Aid Cuts Unleash Devastation and Death across Myanmar apnews.com/article/myan... #ETTD

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

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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 14h

ICYMI: Trump Says America’s Oil Industry Is Cleaner Than Other Countries’. New Data Shows Massive Emissions From Texas Wells. www.propublica.org/article/texa...

Trump Says America’s Oil Industry Is Cleaner Than Other Countries’. New Data Shows Massive Emissions From Texas Wells.

The oil industry touts Texas as a success story in controlling climate-warming methane emissions. The state’s regulator, however, grants nearly every request to burn or vent gas into the atmosphere.

www.propublica.org

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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 14h

✋ #StrongerTogether We must work harder than ever now to spread truthful information; to get the word out that democracy is at stake. TY for all you do @bluestormcomin1.bsky.social 💙🌊💙

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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 14h

Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI): lying liars who lie; always the victim; no shame. h/t @danielsgoldman.dg4ny.co

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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 14h

Some good news. Democrats continue to do well in unexpected places. h/t @taniel.bsky.social 💙🌊💙

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 15h

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.

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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 14h

Central Witness Undermines Case against James Comey, Prosecutors Concluded: Sources >>> "Justice Department officials have privately expressed that the case could quickly unravel ..." abcnews.go.com/US/central-w...

Central witness undermines case against James Comey, prosecutors concluded: Sources

Ex-FBI Director James Comey is set to be arraigned Wednesday, but prosecutors investigating him determined that a central witness would prove "problematic," sources say.

abcnews.go.com

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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 15h

Plenary authority: full, complete, or absolute, describing authority or proceedings that are unrestricted in scope; a person with plenary authority has final power over all aspects of a matter. h/t @cwebbonline.com #dictatorship

Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 23h

Stephen Miller said the quiet part out loud. Trump has “plenary authority,” then suddenly went silent. Their plan wasn’t to be public yet. Clearly, someone hit the panic button in his earpiece.

It gets weirder: CNN uploaded the interview with the “plenary authority” comment edited out.
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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 15h

Inside Stephen Miller’s Secret Plan to Normalize Trump’s Dictator Rule newrepublic.com/article/2014... via @newrepublic.com

Inside Stephen Miller’s Secret Plan to Normalize Trump’s Dictator Rule

He wants to supercharge searing civil tensions to get low-information voters to embrace their inner authoritarian. Exactly two Democrats appear to fully grasp this.

newrepublic.com

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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 1d

Trump's Off-script Comments Cause Shutdown Headaches for GOP www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Trump's off-script comments cause shutdown headaches for GOP

President Donald Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune are straining to project a united front against Democrats.

www.politico.com

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ljconrad @ljconrad.bsky.social · 1d

Problem solved the Republican way: OMB Deletes Reference to Law Guaranteeing Backpay to Furloughed Feds from Shutdown Guidance www.govexec.com/pay-benefits...