Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Adam Kinzinger @adamkinzinger.substack.com · 10h

Russia took less than 1% of Ukraine since Nov 2023. Only cost them at least half a million soldiers.

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Rachel Maddow @maddow.msnbc.com · 10h

"A rival petition began circulating Sunday, calling on the Rutgers chapter of TPUSA to be disbanded, accusing it of inciting violence. As of today, that petition had several hundred more signatures than the petition calling for Dr. Bray’s firing..."

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/n...

Rutgers Expert on Antifa Flees to Spain After Receiving Death Threats

www.nytimes.com

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 11h

Bray is a historian at Rutgers who received death threats after landing on Turning Points USA's Professor Watchlist. As a result, he announced he was moving to Europe. And then this happened.

This kind of harassment and abuse of scholars is Charlie Kirk's legacy and it's only getting worse.

Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 12h

“Someone” cancelled my family’s flight out of the country at the last second.

We got our boarding passes. We checked our bags. Went through security. Then at our gate our reservation ‘disappeared.’

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Jennifer Smith Richards @jsmithrichards.bsky.social · 10h

To understand the Trump administration’s vision for American education, @megomatz.bsky.social and I studied dozens of hours of political appointees’ speeches and podcasts and essays. What emerged is a desire to dismantle the nation’s system of public schools.

These Activists Want to Dismantle Public Schools. Now They Run the Education Department.

Under Trump, the Department of Education has been bringing in activists hostile to public schools. It could mean a new era of private and religious schools boosted by tax dollars — and the end of publ...

www.propublica.org

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Zach Everson @zacheverson.com · 11h

Especially awk when you own the platform

Sean O’Kane @seanokane.bsky.social · 12h

WSJ is reporting that the Truth Social post where Trump told Pam Bondi to prosecute Comey *really was supposed to be a private message*

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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Sen. Adam Schiff @schiff.senate.gov · 11h

BREAKING: I just forced a vote with Senator Kaine to block the unauthorized boat strikes in the Caribbean.

In an important step forward, the vote was bipartisan, even if it fell two votes short.

Bipartisan measure to restrict Trump’s war powers fails in Senate

A bipartisan Senate resolution to restrain Trump’s ability to wage war against alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers failed in a 48-51 vote.

www.washingtonpost.com

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ProPublica @propublica.org · 11h

Texas AG Ken Paxton hired a former staffer to work on a recent case. As a state employee, her labor would have cost taxpayers $641.

As a private attorney, Paxton allowed her to bill $3,780 an hour, so that day of work cost taxpayers $24,570.

(Published July with @texastribune.org)

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Is Outsourcing More of His Office’s Work to Costly Private Lawyers

Despite having an office of hundreds of attorneys, Ken Paxton is frequently opting for private lawyers — many to whom he has personal or political ties — to argue on behalf of Texas. One attorney cost...

www.propublica.org

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David Corn @davidcorn.bsky.social · 10h

I have a friend who owns a restaurant. He says tourism and travel to DC in recent months has devastated many restaurants in DC. So, yes, Trump is lying. Again.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11h

Trump: "You can go and eat at the restaurants. The restaurants are booming. They were closing one after another and now they're booming, they're opening. Nobody has ever seen a transformation like they have in Washington DC. It's as hot as it can get."

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mountainsstars.bsky.social @mountainsstars.bsky.social · 10h

Those "performance value adjustments" on Nunes' Edward Jones account are really adding up.

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Zach Everson @zacheverson.com · 11h

Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes is sitting on $15M in campaign cash per new filing

FEC Disclosure Form 3 for DEVIN NUNES CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

docquery.fec.gov

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Mueller, She Wrote @muellershewrote.com · 2d

This is so Bizarre. I’ve had multiple conversations this week with several people about Ellis. He’s the guy that stashed the perfect phone call transcript in a code word classified system. And took over prepub review of Bolton’s book. Now this. 1/ www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/u...

C.I.A. Deputy Director Has Replaced Agency’s Top Legal Official With Himself

www.nytimes.com

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Asha Rangappa @asharangappa.bsky.social · 10h

I explained more on why you need to care about the military strikes on (alleged) drug cartels in my Ask Asha video this week. These strikes are coming to a street near you (if the Trump admin has its way) m.youtube.com/watch?v=kQPP...

Trump GAMBLES with WAR POWERS as He TESTS International LAW

YouTube video by Legal AF

m.youtube.com

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Asha Rangappa @asharangappa.bsky.social · 11h

As I observed in my Substack Round Up this past week, the endgame of the military strikes against drug cartels in international waters is to lay the groundwork to use lethal military force against Americans at home. Pay attention open.substack.com/pub/asharang...

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Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 11h

The acting CDC Director has no knowledge, training or experience in science/public health. Trump has no knowledge, training or experience in science/public health.

Both are calling to make the MMR vaccine into 3 separate shots, which makes absolutely no scientific or public health sense.

Acting CDC boss wants to break up MMR vaccine into three shots

Jim O’Neill joins President Donald Trump’s call for three distinct measles, mumps and rubella shots, claiming a separation would ‘reduce the risk of side effects’ and ‘maximize parental choice’

www.independent.co.uk

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Eric Columbus @ericcolumbus.bsky.social · 11h

Quite a headline
www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...

Trump to get a 'routine yearly' medical check-up — his second in 6 months

The White House said Trump would be at Walter Reed Medical Center and undergo a checkup after a planned meeting with service members in the facility.

www.nbcnews.com

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Dave Byrnes @djbyrnes1.bsky.social · 16h

The judge finds that because "defendants' conduct likely violates the First Amendnent," factors weigh in favor of entering a restraining order against them.

She will not limit the order to the Broadview facility, but will limit it to the northern (court) district of Illinois.

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Dave Byrnes @djbyrnes1.bsky.social · 16h

Ellis highlights the attacks Reverend David Black has suffered at the Broadview facility, finding plaintiffs have sufficiently alleged that the feds' use of force against praying people "substantially burdens their excercise of religion."

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Dave Byrnes @djbyrnes1.bsky.social · 17h

Back in federal judge Sara Ellis' courtroom in Chicago for a second day of discussion on a proposed restraining order to rein in federal immigration agents' violent behavior.

Debate began on this issue on Monday, and ended without the court entering a formal order.

Dave Byrnes @djbyrnes1.bsky.social · 2d

@unraveledpress.com & other press have been threatened, shot with less-lethals and arrested while reporting on federal immigration activities in Chicagoland and on the resulting protests at Broadview.

I'm now at a hearing asking the federal court to rein ICE & co in. I'll let you know how it goes.

unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 2d

Well, yeah, we're suing ICE.

This wasn't really a hard decision. As little faith as we have in institutions, we recognize the value of drawing visible lines in the sand. We drew ours personally a while ago, but better late than never.

May every protester be freed and may this occupation end.

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Zach Halper @zanath.bsky.social · 16h

"We took freedom of speech away" should be in every campaign ad moving forward.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 17h

Trump: "We took the freedom of speech away because that's been through the courts and the courts said you have freedom of speech, but what has happened is when they burn a flag it agitates and irritates crowds."

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mountainsstars.bsky.social @mountainsstars.bsky.social · Sep 4

Mike Johnson met his Black "son" at Young Life, a Christian organization that been covering up sexual abuse of children for years. bsky.app/profile/moun...

mountainsstars.bsky.social @mountainsstars.bsky.social · Jul 22

New Yorker article says the evangelical youth camp where Mike Johnson met his "son" was run by Young Life.
2021 CS Gazette article: "More Young Life victims allege sexual misconduct involving Colorado Springs-based Christian ministry" www.newyorker.com/magazine/202... gazette.com/news/more-yo...

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Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 19h

I can’t believe I have to say this, but historically, masked men who kidnap families in the middle of the night are usually not the good guys.

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 19h

Pritzker: "This guy is unhinged. He's insecure. He's a wannabe dictator. And there's one thing I really want to say to Donald Trump. If you come for my people, you come through me. So come and get me."

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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 19h

❤️👑

HELLO! Canada @hellocanada.bsky.social · 19h

“I ain’t dead yet!” says Dolly Parton after her sister’s Facebook post asking fans to pray for her health went viral following her hospitalization.

📷: #DollyParton

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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 18h

Brutal.

Stephen Miller's Cousin Reveals Family Disowned Him After He Became The 'Face Of Evil' In Resurfaced Viral Post

www.comicsands.com

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Ryan J. Reilly “paints a vivid and urgent portrait of… disarray” @ryanjreilly.com · 18h

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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