Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Sam Pfeifle @sampfeifle.bsky.social · 9h

It's also just ... petty. Using one of Zach Bryan's songs because he dared to cast them in an unflattering light. Rubbing his (and ours!) nose in the fact that they'll do what they want. Really sickening stuff. That people would celebrate it is so depressing.

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Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 13h

twice a year the entire U.S. press becomes a marketing extension of a single billionaire-owned retailer, and nobody in any position of editorial power thinks it's weird or gross

photo of Google News search results for Amazon Prime Day (the second this year)

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Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 16h

Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.

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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Sam Pfeifle @sampfeifle.bsky.social · 13h

It's all a metaphor, remember.

Jessica Tarlov @jessicatarlov.bsky.social · 13h

Republicans will say he’s just joking. Media will say it’s just Trump. But if it was any other President, we’d taking him seriously, and we should here too.

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Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 22h

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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John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 1d

Um, ICE just coldly shot an unarmed PRIEST in the head w a pepper ball when he (and everyone around him) clearly posed no threat.

For the crime of … complaining about government policy.

Core 1A speech.

With cameras rolling, they’re sniping priests for sport.

Kurt @flglchicago.bsky.social · 1d

Here’s video of the incident

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 1d

Gonna be thinking about this lede for a minute.

(RNS) — Last month, the Rev. David Black stood in front of a Chicago-area U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility and spread his arms wide. Adorned in all black and wearing a clerical collar, the pastor looked up at a group of masked, heavily armed ICE agents on the roof and began to pray.

“I invited them to repentance,” Black, a minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), said in an interview. “I basically offered an altar call. I invited them to come and receive that salvation, and be part of the kingdom that is coming.”

But when Black began to lower his arms a few seconds later, the agents responded to his spiritual plea by firing pepper balls, or chemical agents that cause eye irritation and respiratory distress, video footage shows. One struck Black in the head, exploding into a puff of white pepper smoke and forcing him to his knees. Fellow demonstrators rushed to his aid, and as the pastor rubbed his face in pain, the agents continued to fire.

“We could hear them laughing,” Black said.

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Sam Pfeifle @sampfeifle.bsky.social · 1d

Awesome. "Hench" was fantastic.

Sam Pfeifle @sampfeifle.bsky.social · 1d

This is objectively very funny.

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 1d

From @theathletic.com: The NFL has fined Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones $250,000 for flashing his middle finger to the crowd during Sunday’s game against the New York Jets. Jones, who can appeal the fine, said that he actually meant to signal a thumbs-up.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says middle finger was accidental: ‘The intention was thumbs-up’

Jones said his middle finger gesture was “unfortunate" and not intended during the Cowboys' win against the Jets.

nyti.ms

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Sam Pfeifle @sampfeifle.bsky.social · 1d

All of this is intellectually bankrupt.

NPR @npr.org · 1d

NPR's Juana Summers talks with Mayci Neeley of Hulu's The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives about how her traumatic college days have shaped her relationship with her religion.

'Mormon Wives' star Mayci Neeley shares her complex life in new memoir

NPR's Juana Summers talks with Mayci Neeley of Hulu's The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives about how her traumatic college days have shaped her relationship with her religion.

n.pr

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James Myall @jamesxmyall.bsky.social · 1d

“The [Appropriations] Committee, chaired by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), writes the legislation that allocates federal funds to the numerous government agencies, departments, and organizations on an annual basis.” - Senate website #mepolitics

www.pressherald.com/2025/10/06/s...

Sen. Susan Collins criticizes Democrats for shutdown, Trump for layoff threats

Maine's Republican senator said Monday that she has asked the Office of Management and Budget not to pursue mass layoffs of federal workers, something the White House has threatened.

www.pressherald.com

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Sam Pfeifle @sampfeifle.bsky.social · 1d

Good for Houlton.

Bangor Daily News @bangordailynews.bsky.social · 1d

“I really feel insulted by this for all victims,” Rebecca Zyskowski said, referring to Cameron Clark remaining in the town manager role. www.bangordailynews.com/2025/10/07/a...

Houlton residents push to recall councilors in town manager fallout

A proposed ordinance would allow voters to unseat elected town officials for a variety of reasons, including indictment or conviction of felony crimes.

www.bangordailynews.com

Sam Pfeifle @sampfeifle.bsky.social · 1d

And maybe he said, "I don't know," to a bunch of those questions, but just reporting "listen to everybody" as though that's some kind of actual answer and then moving on just doesn't really do anything. It's box checking.

Sam Pfeifle @sampfeifle.bsky.social · 1d

"What sorts of crime are you focused on? Have you researched any methodologies for reducing crime? Do you support direct cash payments? Do you support increased social worker support? How are housing and crime related in your mind? Are the police doing anything to reduce crime, in your mind?"

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Sam Pfeifle @sampfeifle.bsky.social · 1d

Like, this BDN piece is *fine*, but here's the point.

"What would you do?" isn't really a follow up question.

www.bangordailynews.com/2025/10/06/b...

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Sam Pfeifle @sampfeifle.bsky.social · 1d

City council candidates, Bangor/Portland/wherever, say things like, "We need to reduce crime," and sure thing.

But "crime" is a very broad category and the methodologies for addressing it are both well-known and routinely ignored by these types of candidates.

Can someone ask a follow up or two?

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Col. Boozy Badger @boozybadger.lawyersandliquor.com · 1d

Dunno man, seems a little misleading to write an article about Trump describing activity in Portland and Chicago as “insurrection” with a 33 year old photo of a burning donut shop taken in the 1992 LA Riots (sans caption explaining that) as the header on all your posts about it.

The picture from
The article with a picture of an armed men standing in front of a burning donut shop. You must click through to read the caption “
Two National guardsmen stand guard outside a burning donut shop in Los Angeles on April 30, 1992.
The National Guard was called in to aid police during the second day of rioting in the city.”

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Chibdm @chibdm.bsky.social · 2d

Robin Williams' daughter has some quality thoughts on AI slop

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Mike Sowden @mikeachim.bsky.social · 2d

Damn. This is amazing. £325 per week, paid monthly, for 3 years - and the result was a profit for the Irish economy:
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employmen...

Post from Threads user rodneyowl: "Ireland has declared the Basic Income for Artists scheme permanent. This will be officially announced in tomorrow’s budget. Details to follow. Congratulations to all who fought for it and the present and future artists of all sorts in Ireland. That includes me 👌We’re just comin to the end of a 3 year pilot scheme. It’s been a roaring success. For every €1 paid out to the 2000 participants, the government got €1.46 back. Can’t argue with that. Other countries are already taking note."

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Sam Pfeifle @sampfeifle.bsky.social · 2d

Angus agrees with us that all of Trump's policies are terrible, but, whelp, there's really not much to be done.

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Sam Pfeifle @sampfeifle.bsky.social · 2d

It's really weird because LOTS and lots of people are doing what he suggests — cleaning their timelines, not posting, keeping their heads down, hoping no one notices they used to be "liberals." Like everyone who works in DC has been doing that for a year now.

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Sam Pfeifle @sampfeifle.bsky.social · 2d

It is almost like they don't actually care what really happened.

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Sam Pfeifle @sampfeifle.bsky.social · 2d

Indeed. It's all so dumb. But lots and lots of people are howling mad about these ballots in an Amazon box, so I guess it worked.

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Book Shop of Beverly Farms @bfbookshop.bsky.social · 2d

You read this yet, or what?

Hannah Harlow @hhharlow.bsky.social · 3d

For Banned Books Week, I wrote a piece about reading dragon books with my 13yo and how things got…complicated.

www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/...

Banning books is never the answer. Talking about them is

The first week in October is Banned Books Week, and it prompted Hannah Harlow to reflect on her younger son’s love of dragons, how following his interest helped him gain a foothold in reading, and the...

www.wbur.org

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Sam Pfeifle @sampfeifle.bsky.social · 2d

Did the Maine Wire really think they'd get away with, "oh, man, can't believe these ballots turned up in an Amazon box. Guess we'll never know what happened, but it calls into question our entire electoral system!!!"

Bangor Daily News @bangordailynews.bsky.social · 2d

Ellsworth reported that it was missing 250 ballots on the same day a Newburgh woman alleged she found that many in her Amazon package. www.bangordailynews.com/2025/10/06/m...

Ballots went missing the same day a woman reportedly found 250 in an Amazon package

Maine election officials are investigating missing absentee ballots and potential interference in ballot distribution.

www.bangordailynews.com

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