Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Maurice Meilleur @mauricemeilleur.bsky.social · 8h

Again: don’t tease me with a good time

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 13h

Thune: "If the Democrats had won the majority, they probably would've tried to nuke the filibuster. And then you'd have four new senators from Puerto Rico and DC, you'd have a packed Supreme Court, you'd have abortion on demand ... "

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Maurice Meilleur @mauricemeilleur.bsky.social · 8h

@adamserwer.bsky.social‬ from 1 October: ‘i don't understand conservative toughness, which involves being scared shitless of everything but also talking about how tough you are’

hannah gais @hannahgais.bsky.social · 10h

Those are three people in inflatable frog suits.

@MrAndyNgo
Now that the local and national press have started to cover the Portland ICE area round-the-clock in reaction to the President, Antifa have devised a plan where they are encouraging one another to come in animal costumes.

The costumes serve the function of masking the violent extremism to make the direct action appear like a family-friendly gathering on camera, and to whitewash the past ultraviolence.

In 2019, Antifa devised a similar plot by giving out free "milkshakes" at a protest. But they couldn't contain their bloodthirst and nearly killed me when they saw me. In 2020, they mobilized a fake "Wall of Moms" where female Antifa supporters and members wore yellow shirts to act as human body shields while violent rioters behind them hurled projectile weapons.

photo of three people in inflatable frog costumes

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Maurice Meilleur @mauricemeilleur.bsky.social · 1d

Marc Thiessen is Milton Waddams, if Initech decided to relocate the front entrance through his cubicle instead of moving him to the basement and taking his stapler

James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 1d

A columnist still at WaPo.

Headline: "Yes, Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize."

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Reposted by Maurice Meilleur

Jeff Tiedrich @jefftiedrich.bsky.social · 1d

from Thursday’s post, on the batshit White House ‘anti-antifa’ roundtable that featured Donny Convict, ICE Barbie, and a fetid fucktangle of MAGA halfwits and hangers-on.
you can read the whole thing in all its glory here: bit.ly/4mSP3Ol

Chris Wray — who had been appointed FBI director by Donny — had it exactly right. antifa isn’t an organization. it’s a belief — that fascism is bad.

pro tip: if you’re against the idea of antifascism, you’re on the wrong fucking side.

this is something that Pizzagate Jack and his buddies don’t seem to realize.
fast forward to today. Chris Wray is gone, replaced by Krazee-Eyes Kash. Donny no longer has adults in the room.

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Maurice Meilleur @mauricemeilleur.bsky.social · 1d

JFC, whatever for? Unless it's to make the same riding-the-tiger point about Strauss that Norman Jacobson made about Machiavelli in Pride and Solace. And which contemporary Strausses/Machiavellis are going to listen?

Reposted by Maurice Meilleur

Matt McManus @mattpolprof.bsky.social · 1d

Written version is here

www.currentaffairs.org/news/ben-sha...

Ben Shapiro’s Latest Book Adopts a Horrifying “Creators vs. Parasites” Worldview

Supposedly, the world is divided into good, noble “lions” and evil, grasping “scavengers.” Guess which one Ben thinks he is?

www.currentaffairs.org

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Reposted by Maurice Meilleur

Matt McManus @mattpolprof.bsky.social · 1d

Video version of our review of Ben Shapiro's new book is out with @currentaffairs.bsky.social

youtu.be/_M7FcvSpv_I?...

Ben Shapiro's New Book Is a Total Embarrassment

YouTube video by Current Affairs

youtu.be

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Maurice Meilleur @mauricemeilleur.bsky.social · 1d

I estimate 2 of 3 papers I wrote in college I wrote inside 24hrs of the due date & time. Many inside 12hrs; all fueled with nicotine and caffeine; more than a few with alcohol. Except for my 5th year, all on a typewriter. With corrections. And in time to make clean photocopies. A– GPA. Fuck your AI.

Popehat Agitates And Irritates @kenwhite.bsky.social · 1d

I wrote my take-home final for Law of War at 4 a.m., still half-drunk. It was due at 9 a.m. I got a B, which was my school's equivalent of taking you behind the barn and shooting you. It dropped my honors one level. My father was perturbed.

Dane 🔜 NYCC AA L-34 @monkeyminion.com · 2d

I wrote a 15 page report on heraldic symbolism in medieval armor and weapon design for my art history class the night before it was due (8am class). Made up 90% of it (only found one book for reference) and got an A. GenAI could fucking never.

Maurice Meilleur @mauricemeilleur.bsky.social · 1d

Don’t tease me with a good time

The Verge @theverge.com · May 26

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

buff.ly

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Maurice Meilleur @mauricemeilleur.bsky.social · 3d

Old joke: kill your parents and plead for mercy because you’re an orphan

New joke: provoke disagreement/protest/resistance and plead for help because it worked

Kye @gxldsociety.bsky.social · 4d

PAY ATTENTION: ICE is filing fake 911 calls in Chicago, weaponizing emergency services to provoke local police.

Ordinary citizens would be charged with a felony. ICE calls it strategy.

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Reposted by Maurice Meilleur

Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 3d

Or... clip.cafe/grosse-point...

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Maurice Meilleur @mauricemeilleur.bsky.social · 3d

The only way you could get the conservative reading of Anderson’s film is by not watching it. Or, watching it while stupid.

Rolling Stone @rollingstone.com · 3d

Paul Thomas Anderson's celebrated family drama and political thriller is far from the "apologia for radical left-wing terrorism" its conservative critics claim it is.

Right-Wingers Are Getting Mad at (and Misunderstanding) 'One Battle After Another'

Conservative critics and commentators like Ben Shapiro are complaining about, and misunderstanding, Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another."

www.rollingstone.com

Reposted by Maurice Meilleur

Pat Bagley @bagleycartoons.bsky.social · 3d

Thugs

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Maurice Meilleur @mauricemeilleur.bsky.social · 3d

It was an even tighter circle in Operations Desert Shield and Storm, 1990/91—there the troops were their own justification for deployment 🎗️

Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 3d

Thanks, New Yorker

Reposted by Maurice Meilleur

Shannon Mattern @shannonmattern.bsky.social · 4d

"We must work [twd] direct control of universities. If we do, we’ll be of real use to our knlwdg allies—gov't scientists, public health advocates, local... jrnlsts, community rschrs, theater company directors, et al.—in bldg the self-governing knwldg systems we need to block authoritarian implosion"

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Maurice Meilleur @mauricemeilleur.bsky.social · 4d

108/365

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Reposted by Maurice Meilleur

Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 4d

Someone looking at all this with a cold eye might say that Miller and Hegseth are seeking control over the power ministries before a Vance ally invokes the 25th Amendment.

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Maurice Meilleur @mauricemeilleur.bsky.social · 4d

9. journalists that tremble as if they were mad,
10. innumerable journalists,
11. journalists drawn with a very fine camelhair brush,
12. other journalists,
13. journalists that have just broken a flower vase,
14. journalists that from a long way off look like flies.

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Maurice Meilleur @mauricemeilleur.bsky.social · 4d

1. journalists that belong to the Emperor,
2. embalmed journalists,
3. journalists who are trained,
4. suckling journalists,
5. Megyn Kelly,
6. fabulous journalists,
7. stray journalists,
8. journalists included in the present classification,
…

Ian Gordon @idgordon.bsky.social · 4d

The NYT's Michael Grynbaum reported that this is the note that Bari Weiss sent to CBS News staffers this morning (1/2)

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Maurice Meilleur @mauricemeilleur.bsky.social · 4d

Bad ideas presented well fail eventually.

Good ideas presented poorly fail immediately.

… And, apparently, bad ideas presented poorly succeed indefinitely.

New chief editor Bari Weiss wants CBS News to hold both parties ‘to equal scrutiny’

‘Journalism that holds both American political parties to equal scrutiny,’ Bari Weiss wrote in her first email to staff as CBS News’ top editor, sharing her ‘core journalistic values.’

www.the-independent.com

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Maurice Meilleur @mauricemeilleur.bsky.social · 4d

‘Where everybody lies about everything of importance, the truthteller, whether he knows it or not, has begin to act; he too, has engaged himself in political business, for, in the unlikely event that he survives, he has made a start toward changing the world.’ —Hannah Arendt

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Reposted by Maurice Meilleur

Typotheque @typotheque.com · 5d

People perceive thickness of letters very individually, and that’s why we are conducting Font Weight Survey to understand the regional preferences of font weight. Could we ask you for 10 min of your time? The findings will be published publicly once we have some results.
tptq.com/weight

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Maurice Meilleur @mauricemeilleur.bsky.social · 5d

👑

KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 5d

Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.

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Reposted by Maurice Meilleur

KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 5d

Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.

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Maurice Meilleur @mauricemeilleur.bsky.social · 7d

Hello I would like to report a dismemberment

Popehat Agitates And Irritates @kenwhite.bsky.social · 7d

Chappelle: Y’all are more free than we are

Riyadh crowd: Wooooooo

Chappelle: Like if I tell jokes about trans people at home people say shit about me

Riyadh crowd: booo

Chappelle: but you guys clap

Riyadh: [applause]

Chappelle: you see THAT’s free speech