Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Mehdi Hasan

@mehdirhasan.bsky.social

600K followers 350 following 2.2K posts

Editor and CEO, Zeteo Author, ‘Win Every Argument’ British-American

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · Jul 20

I debated 20 far-far-far-right conservatives (racists? fascists?) on Jubilee's 'Surrounded.'

Here are some of the highlights of them unable to answer my basic questions or rebut the simplest of points. Not sure whether to laugh or cry.

Here's the full 'debate': www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S-W...

1.4K 2.9K 13K

Reposted by Mehdi Hasan

Zeteo @zeteo.com · 12h

US Attorney General Pam Bondi was left speechless while testifying about whether the FBI had found photos of Trump with naked, possibly underage girls among Epstein’s possessions.

Subscribe to zeteo.com for more.

40 130 610

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 6h

According to hacked emails obtained by @dropsitenews.com, 'journalist' Douglas Murray was allegedly writing secret draft speeches for the Israeli ambassador to the UN while also pretending to be an independent 'journalist'.

David Frum, Douglas Murray Secretly Drafted Speeches for Israeli Ambassador

Leaked emails from former Israeli UN Ambassador Ron Prosor show David Frum, Douglas Murray offering to write his speeches and a CNN producer fundraising for Israel’s Iron Dome during Israel’s 2014 war

www.dropsitenews.com

43 240 780

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 6h

"Pentagon Leakers Practice Beating Polygraphs Amid Trump's 'Idiotic' Leak Crackdown"

Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are waging a war on leakers – but ‘this stuff only works if you let it get to you,’ one Pentagon official tells Zeteo.

Absolute must-read from @swin24.bsky.social:

Pentagon Leakers Practice Beating Polygraphs Amid Trump's 'Idiotic' Leak Crackdown

The president and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are waging a war on leakers – but ‘this stuff only works if you let it get to you,’ says one Pentagon official.

zeteo.com

25 150 740

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 11h

Netanyahu openly says he "supports the idea of a 'Greater Israel,' which is a batshit crazy idea, which some people used to say was a conspiracy theory on the far right."

Me to Piers Morgan on his show today.

Full show: youtube.com/watch?v=Kmdm...

43 210 980

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 13h

"As one of the few Jews on [the flotilla]...they asked me if I was Jewish...threw me in front of the Israeli flag... we were strip-searched & zip-tied & blindfolded, & sent to this detention camp."

Horrifying testimony to Zeteo from freed activist David Adler:
zeteo.com/p/exclusive-...

25 420 1.1K

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 14h

How did I miss this? Trump thinks Portland is on fire and is justified in sending in the troops because he watched a five-year-old clip on Fox? Are you kidding me? We are so in 25th Amendment territory. Biden never did anything close to this:

How Trump gets and processes information

How Trump is making potentially lethal decisions

robertreich.substack.com

110 510 2.1K

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 15h

I had a moving, heartbreaking, powerful discussion with 2 Israelis who lost family members to Hamas on Oct. 7th, 2 years ago today, on the power of 'radical forgiveness' & on standing up to the Israeli government that abandoned their family members.

Full interview: zeteo.com/p/israel-gaz...

12 120 610

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 16h

"This is the pro-Israel looking after one of its own. This is DEI for pro-Israel folks. This is, 'How do we help Bari Weiss and how do we help ourselves control CBS News?'"

Me on 'Ask the Editor' yesterday on CBS's purchase of The Free Press.

Full show: zeteo.com/p/dei-for-pr...

7 69 340

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 17h

Notice her non-answer.

This is explosive. Should be explosive. The US AG who said she had the Epstein files on her desk cannot say whether or not the FBI has pix of Trump with half-naked women, which one witness who knew Epstein has said he has seen.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 18h

NOTABLE -- Pam Bondi refuses to answer direct questions about if the FBI has incriminating photos of Trump with half-naked young women, but instead deflects from them by attacking Sen. Whitehouse

140 870 2.9K

Reposted by Mehdi Hasan

southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 17h

I’m a career prosecutor who took a $25,000 check from an affiliated entity of Donald Trump’s while investigating Trump University and later left my lobbying firm to become Donald Trump’s personal impeachment lawyer, White House aide, and Attorney General. So don’t you DARE question my integrity.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 17h

Bondi to Blumenthal: "You lied. How dare you? I'm a career prosecutor. Don't you ever challenge my integrity. Do not question my ability to be fair and impartial."

240 1.8K 6.6K

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 17h

Freed flotilla activist David Adler is live with Zeteo right now:

EXCLUSIVE: Flotilla Activist David Adler LIVE Hours After Being Released From Israeli Prison

YouTube video by Zeteo

www.youtube.com

2 85 320

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 18h

Zeteo has the exclusive first interview with David Adler, the Jewish American flotilla activist and journalist who was just released from illegal detention by Israel.

Join us as he tells his story to @premthakker.bsky.social live at 11.15am ET and takes your questions, too.

EXCLUSIVE: Flotilla Activist David Adler LIVE Hours After Being Released From Israeli Prison

YouTube video by Zeteo

www.youtube.com

4 110 410

Reposted by Mehdi Hasan

Oliver Darcy @oliverdarcy.bsky.social · 1d

Inside CBS News, there is a mood of wary resignation as the long-awaited Bari Weiss era begins. “Trepidation,” in the words of one staffer.

Meanwhile, David Ellison's news philosophy is showing major cracks under scrutiny.

My full report in @status.news: www.status.news/p/bari-weiss...

Weiss and Shine

The Bari Weiss era has begun at CBS News, and David Ellison’s push to reshape the storied network has staffers holding their breath about the future of the outlet—especially as the mogul's talking poi...

www.status.news

41 100 490

Reposted by Mehdi Hasan

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 1d

crazy that one of the most storied institutions in american journalism is going to be run by two people with basically no experience to do it

Exclusive | CBS News taps Adam Rubenstein — once ostracized at NY Times for liking Chick-fil-A — as new deputy editor

Sources expect Rubenstein will effectively run the Free Press now that Weiss will be busy steering the editorial direction of shows like “60 Minutes,” “Face The Nation” and …

nypost.com

380 1.6K 8.3K

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 1d

2002 Netanyahu:

67 130 770

Reposted by Mehdi Hasan

Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social · 1d

Jake Tapper did a whole interview with Trump by text message? Which means he can't actually confirm it was him. And now everyone's asking even more than before very reasonable questions about the wannabe dictator's health.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

The CNN anchor did not explain how he verified that it was the president — not any of his aides — who authored the written responses to his questions.

He also did not explain whether he’d made any effort to speak with the president by phone, something that has become commonplace for reporters covering the second Trump administration because Trump has maintained use of his personal mobile phone since returning to the presidency and frequently uses it to contact reporters directly.

The president’s purported text message exchange with Tapper was also unusual because Trump is not known to be a frequent user of his phone’s text message capacity.

He also famously eschews email and other written forms of communication and during his first term he openly complained when attorneys working for his administration took notes during meetings.

Trump’s unconventional use of text-based communications to purportedly respond to Tapper comes as questions continue to swirl about the state of his health

140 630 2.3K

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 1d

"Whether you're in the US or UK or Germany... democracies are tearing up their own civil liberties, their own constitutions, the First Amendment in the US!, for the sake of a foreign country: Israel. That is insane!"

My mini-rant on Zeteo's 'Ask the Editor' show today.
zeteo.com/p/dei-for-pr...

33 250 1.1K

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 1d

😳

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims officer said 'Do something b----' before shooting

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government's claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorn...

chicago.suntimes.com

170 1.2K 4.2K

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 1d

“Yet as a public figure, it appeared her newest allies were mostly billionaires”

How Bari Weiss Won

www.nytimes.com

60 100 710

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 1d

So Weiss will remain editor in chief and CEO of The Free Press and editor in chief of CBS News, so they’re not hiding the conflict here? The head of CBS News, supposedly impartial and nonpartisan, will also simultaneously be running a highly partisan site.

The Future of The Free Press

The Free Press is joining Paramount.

www.thefp.com

120 710 2.4K

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 2d

Stephen Miller said last year this was the plan. They said it out loud. Some of us highlighted his remarks at the time and warned how dangerous they were. Most of the media missed them and/or moved on from them. It’s happening:

@NewsJennifer (Jennifer Schulze) @newsjennifer.bsky.social · 2d

Red states sending troops to blue states is a really bad idea.

‪Governor JB Pritzker‬
‪@govpritzker.illinois.gov‬
· 32m
This evening, President Trump is ordering 400 members of the Texas National Guard for deployments to Illinois, Oregon, and other locations within the United States. No officials from the federal government called me directly to discuss or coordinate.
‪Governor JB Pritzker‬
‪@govpritzker.illinois.gov‬
· 32m
We must now start calling this what it is: Trump’s Invasion. It started with federal agents, it will soon include deploying federalized members of the Illinois National Guard against our wishes, and it will now involve sending in another state’s military troops.
‪Governor JB Pritzker‬
‪@govpritzker.illinois.gov‬
· 32m
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.
‪Governor JB Pritzker‬
‪@govpritzker.illinois.gov‬
· 32m
The brave men and women who serve in our national guards must not be used as political props. This is a moment where every American must speak up and help stop this madness.

110 1K 3.6K

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 2d

"‘What the F**k?’ CBS News Insiders Prepare for Takeover by Self-Described ‘Zionist Fanatic’"

Exclusive Zeteo reporting from @premthakker.bsky.social on Bari Weiss and taking over CBS News, as employees worry her new role will bring a pro-Israel bias and more censorship.
zeteo.com/p/bari-weiss...

‘What the F**k?’ CBS News Insiders Prepare for Takeover by Self-Described ‘Zionist Fanatic’

Bari Weiss is expected to be announced as editor-in-chief of CBS News, as employees worry her new role will bring a pro-Israel bias, more censorship, and lower editorial standards.

zeteo.com

130 470 1.7K

Reposted by Mehdi Hasan

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 3d

Free Greta Thunberg and the rest of the illegally detained flotilla activists.

450 7.9K 24K

Reposted by Mehdi Hasan

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 3d

"This Week in Democracy – Week 37: Trump Goes Full Fascist and Denounces 'Enemy From Within'"

Another week of Zeteo's project to document the growth of authoritarianism in Trump's second term.

This Week in Democracy – Week 37: Trump Goes Full Fascist and Denounces 'Enemy From Within'

Another week of Zeteo's project to document the growth of authoritarianism in Trump's second term.

zeteo.com

41 410 1.6K

Reposted by Mehdi Hasan

Perry Bacon @perrybaconjr.bsky.social · 2d

This piece is just an essential, important and excellent intervention as Coates' Vanity Fair essay was. One NYT column isn't that important, but an accommodationist mindset has spread in center-left elite circles. And it should be rejected forcefully. democracyamericana.com/posts/c5d024...

Where Is the Line?

On Ezra Klein, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and the struggle to define the boundaries of what is acceptable in America

democracyamericana.com

19 160 670