Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Matthew Federman

Tim Lambert @timlambert-pa.bsky.social · 1h

"One of the fired FBI employees, a combat veteran who was months away from becoming eligible for retirement, was called back to the office after having left for the day and informed of the dismissal, a person familiar with the matter told NBC News."

Ryan J. Reilly “paints a vivid and urgent portrait of… disarray” @ryanjreilly.com · 8h

FBI fires special agents who worked on Jack Smith's probe into Trump

www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...

FBI fires special agents who worked on Jack Smith's probe into Trump

The three agents were fired after Kash Patel disclosed that Jack Smith's team obtained phone records of members of Congress, which the Smith report itself referenced.

www.nbcnews.com

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Matthew Federman @matthewfederman.bsky.social · 1h

Tech isn't the cause of any of our problems but it seems to be an accelerant to all of them.

niki grayson @nikigrayson.com · 8h

the city of los angeles burned in january in part because of a man who couldn’t stop generating images of burning cities on ChatGPT, and then after he lit the fire he asked if the fire he started was his fault

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Matthew Federman @matthewfederman.bsky.social · 2h

This would be good news but the words "Trump said" are cause for doubt in any sentence.

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 2h

Breaking News: President Trump said that Israel and Hamas reached an agreement for a hostage release and for a pullback of Israeli troops.

Live Updates: Trump Says Hamas Agrees to Release ‘All’ Hostages for Israeli Pullback

President Trump announced on social media that the two sides had hammered out an agreement in Egypt on a hostages for prisoners exchange and an Israeli withdrawal.

nyti.ms

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Reposted by Matthew Federman

Frank Conniff @frankconniff.bsky.social · 8h

One of the Trump Administration's most openly fascist moments and CNN edits it out.

Tells you everything you need to know about a news network that has a firm policy against telling you everything you need to know.

Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 21h

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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Reposted by Matthew Federman

Marco Foster @marcofoster.bsky.social · 12h

Jimmy Kimmel put together an amazing compilation of Donald Trump saying all the words from the birthday letter he wrote to his best friend Jeffrey Epstein

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Matthew Federman @matthewfederman.bsky.social · 1d

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Matthew Federman @matthewfederman.bsky.social · 1d

Crazy how this tech peaked like 15 years ago. Nothing has ever replaced the simplicity of its interface--all your shows in one spot! It all seems like a dream now.

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Bearcat Catbear @bearcat-catbear.bsky.social · 1d

I think it's starting to be forgotten that joining the National Guard was originally a commitment to to serve in unforeseen emergencies, almost always natural disasters. You might get called up every second or third hurricane season. The second Gulf War changed all that and now... now, what is this?

David M. Perry @lollardfish.bsky.social · 1d

How the national guard call-ups are screwing students who joined in hopes of.l being able to afford college.

copilot tormentor @hellonerds.bsky.social · 2d

I hate it here. From the college where I’m still technically faculty:

I hate it here and I don’t know what to do.

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Electrek @electrek.co · 2d

In a first, renewables generate more power than coal globally

Solar and wind power aren’t just keeping up with global electricity demand anymore – they’re pulling ahead. According to a new analysis from energy think tank Ember, solar and wind combined outpaced global electricity demand growth in the first half of 2025. That shift led to a drop in both coal and gas generation compared to the same period last year. For the first time ever, renewables generated more power than coal globally. more…

electrek.co

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Ro Khanna @rokhanna.bsky.social · 2d

We secured the 218th signature. The press conference was scheduled. Epstein’s survivors were ready to speak. So what did Republican leadership do?

They sent us home during a shutdown.

Bring Congress back. Swear @adelitaforcongress.bsky.social in. It’s time to vote to release the Epstein Files.

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Reposted by Matthew Federman

Chris Goodman @cbgoodman.co · 2d

This is literally the only interpretation of these things. Rs could end this in whatever time it takes to do a voice vote in both houses, but they chose not to (because they don't have the votes). None of that is the responsibility of the Dems to fix.

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 2d

Sounds like Republicans ought to get all the Republicans who form the Republican majorities in the Republican-led House and the Republican-led Senate together to pass the budget that Republicans wrote with the Republican White House and that Republicans now insist absolutely must be passed.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

Sean Duffy says the safety of the air traffic control system will start being impacted next Sunday if the shutdown continues

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Matthew Federman @matthewfederman.bsky.social · 2d

It's always so funny to me how they fetishize a place that was wiped off the map, and meanwhile Athens is still there.

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Reposted by Matthew Federman

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 2d

Abbott egged on the Jade Helm conspiracists, who claimed that a military training operation was actually Obama invading the state of Texas.

Now a U.S. president is deploying Texas troops to other states to dominate and intimidate those states, and Abbott is complicit.

Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 3d

I call on Governor Abbott to immediately withdraw any support for this decision and refuse to coordinate. There is no reason a President should send military troops into a sovereign state without their knowledge, consent, or cooperation.

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Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 3d

The media trots out the "deplorable" comment from a decade ago to castigate the left. Once a week now Trump implies that the military should destroy democrats, and it is just how things are.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 3d

Trump to the Navy: "We have to take care of this little gnat that's on our shoulder called the Democrats."

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Matthew Federman @matthewfederman.bsky.social · 3d

No idea what he's talking about here. There's no historical precedent for people who view everyone through a racial hierarchy fleeing to Argentina.

Senator Ron Wyden @wyden.senate.gov · 3d

They’re using American tax dollars to fund infrastructure in Argentina because that’s where they’re all going to flee when we kick them out of office

Ryan Grim @ryangrim.bsky.social · 7d

After announcing a $20 billion bailout of Argentina, the White House now says it's pausing $18 billion in funding for NYC infrastructure projects

Russ Vought would love nothing more than to tear this country down to its studs

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Matthew Federman @matthewfederman.bsky.social · 3d

When institutions keep bending the knee for a guy whose approval is underwater in every category, imagine how how bad things would be if the wannabe autocrat made any effort to actually be popular.

John Schwartz @jswatz.bsky.social · 5d

“No self-respecting university could ever accept something like this,” said Lee Bollinger, a First Amendment scholar and former Columbia University president. “Trying to protect conservative ideas against being ‘belittled’ — that’s about as violative of the First Amendment interests as you can get.”

Colleges weigh whether to sign onto Trump plan or forgo federal benefits

A new proposal from the Trump administration would give colleges funding advantages if they adopt conservative priorities.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Reposted by Matthew Federman

Charlie Stickney @charliestickney.bsky.social · 3d

Sometimes a project pops on Kickstarter. Sometimes, it's a slower crawl to funding. I'm lucky to have an amazing fanbase (built over time) who are basically my KS cheat code.
But that can take time to build. So let's help build it for a few projects that could use a few more fans. Starting with...

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Matthew Federman @matthewfederman.bsky.social · 3d

Not mine but my friend’s and the Dragon Prince was great so I’d love to see more of that world. www.kickstarter.com/projects/won...

The Dragon King

An epic new animated series from the creators of The Dragon Prince

www.kickstarter.com

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Reposted by Matthew Federman

Ariella Elm @ariellaelm.bsky.social · 4d

CALIFORNIANS!!!!

You’re gonna start getting your ballots. Vote YES for prop/ state measure 50, (it will be titled differently in different counties.)

Vote as soon as you get your ballot so that phone calls and texts can be directed to people who need more convincing.
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Matthew Federman @matthewfederman.bsky.social · 4d

I’ve noticed this trend as well, audiences rejecting the story that’s clearly being told for their own head canon version of the story they want. I’m thinking maybe creating an “On Demand” world with algorithms that further reinforce your priors has perhaps not been great for us as a species.

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Matthew Federman @matthewfederman.bsky.social · 4d

From the It’s About Damn Time files.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 4d

Democrats’ defiant approach to the current government shutdown reflects a party mood that has shifted dramatically as a growing number of Democrats inside and outside Washington are embracing all-out confrontation with President Trump.

Democrats’ defiance on shutdown shows a new, tougher approach to Trump

After eight months of getting battered by Republicans, the party has largely abandoned efforts at conciliation or outreach.

wapo.st

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Reposted by Matthew Federman

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 5d

Weeks before his death, you say?

Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 5d

Julius Caesar was the first Roman to put his own living face on coins, weeks before his death. It is one of the deepest cultural signifiers of something autocracies do and republics do not.

“Render unto Caesar.” A practice so notoriously arrogant Jesus himself dunked on it with snarky wordplay.

Treasury Department Has Plans To Mint Dollar Coin Featuring Donald Trump's Likeness | Defector

The United States Department of the Treasury has developed, to the brink of production, a dollar coin that features the face and likeness of President Donald Trump, according to a source within the Tr...

defector.com

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Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 5d

But for some reason, our media doesn't want to talk about it like that. Our political class, which considers things like "if you like your insurance you can keep it" to be five-alarm whoppers, acts like Trump has a mandate for Project 2025 and it must be respected.

Again: it polled at FOUR PERCENT.

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Joy-Ann Reid @joyannreid.bsky.social · 5d

Thread:

Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 5d

The story of 2024 is this: Trump had a plan to destroy American government called Project 2025, which had, literally, not a typo, a 4% approval rating. He lied constantly and said he wouldn't do it.

Then he entered office and immediately implemented AN EVEN MORE EXTREME VERSION OF IT.

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