Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 5h

"We took the freedom of speech away," says the president

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 6h

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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Corey Rayburn Yung @coreyryung.bsky.social · 8h

Americans are being far too complacent about masked government agents in unmarked vehicles grabbing people and taking them to unknown destinations.

unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 9h

(shared with permission) ICE/CBP has been active on Chicago's northwest side this morning—and also met with rapid responders.

Agents reportedly abducted one man from this Dunkin at Belmont and Milwaukee around 9:30am before speeding off.

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 11h

Should elected officials be imprisoned for speaking out against an invasion of their cities? Hard to say. Very technical question. Really one for the lawyers to sort out.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11h

Q: Do you agree that the mayor of Chicago and governor of Illinois should be in prison?

MIKE JOHNSON: Should they be in prison? I'm not the attorney general. I'm not following the day to day on that

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The Ass is the father of the legs @internethippo.bsky.social · May 31

How embarrassing to work for the organized kidnapping ring known as "ICE." Rolling out of bed every day to be a brainless goon. You are lower than a worm to me

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Rob @rvsg1.bsky.social · 10h

Feel like an important political project right now is to get the average American voter to understand that without a radical change, this is the most likely way they will encounter the federal government in the future: a masked goon, pointing a loaded rifle at their face

Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 1d

I fear if things don’t change right now, this image is going to come back to haunt us

Laura Rodriguez, on Twitter:

A federal agent points a weapon at a woman who was recording them.

Jess, a U.S. citizen and member of a neighborhood patrol team that documents and shares ICE activity across the city, was filming when the incident occurred earlier today in the Berwyn area.

Rob @rvsg1.bsky.social · 12h

As a currently furloughed federal worker, home without a paycheck, 100% agree. While there is an enormous amount of good, normal government work not getting done right now, there should not be a single dem vote in favor of funding the fascist apparatus.

Meredith Shiner @meredithshiner.com · 14h

Bridging my current life in Chicago and my past life in D.C., I argue today at @newrepublic.com that Democrats should ~never~ vote to fund this government. Make John Thune blow up Senate rules and Republicans wholly own the U.S. extra-military military doing war crimes against us, funded by us.

The Case for the Forever Shutdown

Senate Democrats actually allowing the GOP to stop funding the government is only the first step. Now they have to make the case that Trump’s government is illegitimate.

newrepublic.com

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Rob @rvsg1.bsky.social · 17h

Don’t deprive yourself of the joy of canceling your subscription—you can still read this rag for free through the DC public library when you feel so inclined: www.dclibrary.org/research-and...

Washington Post Digital

Unlimited access to The Washington Post website and app.

www.dclibrary.org

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Jared Holt @jaredlholt.bsky.social · 2d

This really makes it sound like a Border Patrol agent tried to kill an anti-ICE activist in Chicago and DHS lied to cover for him

Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 2d

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 attorney claimed.
trib.al/9Sxu9IN

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 attorney claimed. A judge ordered Martinez and a co-defendant released pending trial.

trib.al

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Brian Beutler @brianbeutler.bsky.social · 2d

There is no sense in which the Enabling Act of 1933 would have become an acceptable piece of legislation if it had included a carve-out requiring Hitler to stabilize out-of-pocket health care costs. Same goes for the Enabling Act of 2025. www.offmessage.net/p/the-end-of...

The End Of Non-Sequitur Politics

Let's have more politics about the thing itself.

www.offmessage.net

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Brandon Friedman @brandonfriedman.bsky.social · 2d

Sending troops from Texas to forcefully occupy and suppress cities in Illinois and Oregon IN OPPOSITION TO THOSE STATES' GOVERNORS is literally a civil war and it's cooking my brain that Democrats are simply pretending it isn't happening

Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 2d

UPDATE: Hegseth today called up 400 members of the Texas National Guard, with Gov. Abbott's apparent permission, to be deployed "where needed, including in the cities of Portland and Chicago." www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

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Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 2d

Pretty clear Stephen Miller, Noem, Hegseth and Trump are trying to provoke a Civil War at this point. What's interesting is they want to do it now, because even though they're unpopular, they seem to believe this is the most popular they'll be ever again. We can't let them win.

Governor Gavin Newsom @governor.ca.gov · 2d

This is a breathtaking abuse of the law and power by the President of the United States.

America is on the brink of martial law.

Do not be silent.

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

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.

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Rob @rvsg1.bsky.social · 3d

Amsterdam ❤️

News Eye @newseye.bsky.social · 3d

NEW: Extraordinary scenes in Amsterdam this afternoon (Sunday, Oct 5).

An estimated 250,000 bring the city to a standstill; people all wearing red to show solidarity with Palestine 🇵🇸

(🎥 Ahmed Zantac)

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Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 4d

history teacher in 50 years: So in September, that’s when the president signed an executive order criminalizing anti-fascism and saying all resistance would be crushed

student: oh so that’s when the whole country realized they were living under fascism

teacher: haha what? oh no lol not at all. no.

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Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 4d

This is a declaration they will use federal resources to deploy violence against judges, prosecutors, and attorneys general. There's no other coherent interpretation of the phrasing, including "only remedy," "legitimate state power," and connecting those people with "terror networks."

Stephen Miller
@StephenM
The issue before is now is very simple and clear. There is a large and growing movement of leftwing terrorism in this country. It is well organized and funded. And it is shielded by far-left Democrat judges, prosecutors and attorneys general. The only remedy is to use legitimate state power to dismantle terrorism and terror networks.
1:59 PM · Oct 4, 2025
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Matt Zoller Seitz @mattzollerseitz.bsky.social · 4d

ICE gassed members of the Chicago Police Department sent to protect them from protesters

Dave Byrnes @djbyrnes1.bsky.social · 4d

Continued video of feds gassing protestors and CPD alike. In the chaos one woman came to a CPD officer asking for help for a relative that she says feds just grabbed.

Officer response: "We just clocked in. We don't know what's going on."

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Daniel Knowles @dlknowles.bsky.social · 4d

I visited the apartment building ICE raided on Tuesday today. Story to come, but you can walk right in. Half of the apartments have no doors on them. Children's stuff abandoned in some flats. *Citizen* residents told me they were arrested and held for hours in zipties. This is America

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jeff computers @helldude.bsky.social · 5d

it's weird that a clown car full of freaks like stephen miller and jd vance feeding the populace a strict diet of state violence, austerity, and cringe are not getting more popular. bread and circus but there's no bread and the circus is one sclerotic monkey vomiting on his balls

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Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 5d

This is literally directly across the street from an elementary school.

Map showing the school directly adjacent to where the tear gas canister was thrown.

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Brandon Friedman @brandonfriedman.bsky.social · 5d

1. This is one of the most insane statements ever delivered by a presidential spokesperson in U.S. history. Totally disconnected from reality.

2. There is either going to be a civil war or abject Democratic surrender to autocracy. They are telling this you, to your face, in explicit terms.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 5d

Leavitt: "President Trump will end the radical left's reign of terror in Portland once and for all. The president has directed Secretary Hegseth to provide all necessary troops to protect war-ravaged Portland."

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Julian Sanchez @normative.bsky.social · 5d

Remember to thank the Dear Leader for illegally bribing you with the same money he illegally taxed away from you.

Reconstructionist @unavaleable.bsky.social · 6d

this is the kind of stuff that an authoritarian uses to consolidate power, and also clearly illegal without congressional approval

FinTwitter @fintwitter.bsky.social · 6d

TRUMP SAYS HE IS CONSIDERING TAXPAYER REBATES OF $1,000 TO $2,000 USING TARIFF MONEY

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Patrick Chovanec @prchovanec.bsky.social · 5d

Can we call them the Gestapo now?

Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 5d

NEW: ICE is planning to hire a team of nearly 30 people to surveil social media 24/7, build dossiers on people, and flag them for arrest and deportation. @dell.bsky.social has the scoop: www.wired.com/story/ice-so...

ICE Wants to Build Out a 24/7 Social Media Surveillance Team

Documents show ICE plans to hire dozens of contractors to scan X, Facebook, TikTok, and other platforms to target people for deportation.

www.wired.com

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Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 5d

so the US government just forced a tech company to delete an app it doesn’t like, which is totally normal stuff

www.404media.co/iceblock-own...

ICEBlock Owner After Apple Removes App: ‘We Are Determined to Fight This’

Apple removed ICEBlock reportedly after direct pressure from Department of Justice officials. “I am incredibly disappointed by Apple's actions today. Capitulating to an authoritarian regime is never t...

www.404media.co

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Rob @rvsg1.bsky.social · 6d

Hard to think of a better souvenir of a collapsed empire. Ideally a chunk with some fake gold decorations on it.

yblent.bsky.social @yblent.bsky.social · 6d

Was just talking with someone about this: wondering if one day people can get souvenir chunks of the new WH ballroom structure like you can get authentic pieces of concrete from the Berlin Wall.

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Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 6d

So at the time the admin bragged they were cartel drug runners, then they joked about killing fisherman, then it seems someone realized all of that proves it was simply murder, and now they're retroactively claiming it was an undeclared war.

Still just murder, still can't blow up civilian boats.

Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 6d

Spoke with @charliesavage.bsky.social about how the administration is trying to backfill a legal rationale for US strikes in the Caribbean.

Seems by "determining" there is an armed conflict—without any basis in fact or law—POTUS is giving himself a license to kill.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/u...

Trump ‘Determined’ the U.S. Is Now in a War With Drug Cartels, Congress Is Told

www.nytimes.com

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Preorder Read This When Things Fall Apart @mskellymhayes.bsky.social · 6d

We need a bigger national spotlight on this building raid, fam. Agents dropped from helicopters onto the roof. Citizens and non-citizens alike were dragged from their homes in the night. People who weren't kidnapped during the raid had their belongings seized after the fact. This is madness.

Preorder Read This When Things Fall Apart @mskellymhayes.bsky.social · 6d

"Jones, 27, is among the residents left at 7500 S. South Shore Drive who are trying to piece together what remains after an early morning, high-powered federal immigration raid led to the arrests of dozens of their neighbors at their South Shore apartment building."

Massive immigration raid on Chicago apartment building leaves residents reeling: 'I feel defeated'

The Department of Homeland Security said federal agents with Border Patrol, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested 37 people in the raid.

chicago.suntimes.com

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