Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Bryn Nelson @seattlebryn.bsky.social · 1h

👀

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 11h

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

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12h

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."

Reposted by Bryn Nelson

Riley Black 🦕 🏳️‍⚧️ @restingdinoface.bsky.social · 15h

I live by my writing. Pick up When the Earth Was Green for yourself or someone you know who could use a prehistoric nature walk. It helps me, helps indies, and today you can still get free shipping. 🌱

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Robert Mahon @bedform.org · 8h

There’s no way around this. They are calling the actual nazis good and the the anti fascists bad. Directly. Explicitly. On camera.

Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 11h

Incredible.

Jack Posobiec references the earliest version of antifa -- the anti-fascists in the Weimar Republic who were opposed to the Nazi Party -- as the bad guys.

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Reposted by Bryn Nelson

Jacob Grier @jacobgrier.bsky.social · 10h

Reading this post from a recently opened coffeeshop enclosed by surprisingly transparent plywood.

View from a coffeeshop with wall-length windows

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McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 13h

"WE MAKE NEWS LOUDER. IF STORY GOOD ON ONE SIDE, SHOW OTHER SIDE TOO. OTHER SIDE WRONG? OTHER SIDE WANT BLEACH IN VEINS? ANIMAL RUN BOTH. REPORT BOTH SIDES. EVEN WHEN ONE SIDE THINK HEAD MEDS MAKE QUIET BABIES."

“AAAGGGHHH!!!” A Memo from Animal, Your New Editor-in-Chief

“[Editor-in-chief of CBS News] Bari Weiss told network staffers in a morning editorial call that she wants to ‘win’ before delivering a rallying cr...

buff.ly

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 13h

I spoke to another pastor after publication, Rev. David Swanson.

He's only been to the facility once (last Friday), and wasn't shot w/pepper balls.

Instead, he says senior Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino just walked up to him — in full clerical garb — and began shoving.

He put it this way:

I've been at many protests in our city over the years for a variety of different things, in my clergy attire, desiring to be a presence for peace in situations that can get volatile, desiring to be a person who different sides can be able to approach and talk with and have conversations with. I do think this is one of the important roles that faith leaders can play in contentious public situations.

This was the first time that I felt like there was absolutely no regard and no respect for a person who was visibly associated with the faith tradition. It did not seem like it made one iota of difference.

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Bryn Nelson @seattlebryn.bsky.social · 15h

I love that the Mariners have not only embraced Cal’s “Big Dumper” nickname, but also given the royal treatment to the superfan who made his own “Dump [homerun] 61 Here”jersey, then caught it last night.

And underneath that jersey, he had “Dump 62 Here” all ready to go!

10/10 🤣
#GoMs

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Bryn Nelson @seattlebryn.bsky.social · 1d

The Big Dumper!

#goMs

#notapoopreference
#okmaybe

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Reposted by Bryn Nelson

Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 1d

So "soliciting" leaks is not protected newsgathering, according to this administration.

Do they think leaks grow on trees? Journalists aren't stenographers who wait for the government to tell them what they can print. We wrote about this here.

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Reposted by Bryn Nelson

Sam Levin @samtlevin.bsky.social · 2d

NEW: Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom "deceived" the Supreme Court + "profoundly misrepresented" LGBTQ+ research, according to scholars cited by ADF.

Quoted experts speak out about ADF's "distortions" + "false evidence" in major case, on deck tomorrow, to revive "conversion therapy"

Christian group ‘deceived’ supreme court about LGBTQ+ research, cited scholars say

Exclusive: Experts say Alliance Defending Freedom, arguing to revive conversion therapy, ‘profoundly misrepresented’ their work in case threatening trans and queer youth

www.theguardian.com

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PBS News @pbsnews.org · 2d

Rodrick Johnson, a U.S. citizen who was briefly detained, said agents broke through his door and placed him in zip ties.

“I asked if they had a warrant, and I asked for a lawyer,” the 67-year-old told the Chicago Sun-Times. “They never brought one.” https://to.pbs.org/4pWhXzN

Immigration agents become increasingly aggressive in Chicago

Activists, residents and elected leaders say increasingly combative tactics used by federal immigration agents are sparking violence and fueling neighborhood tensions in the nation’s third-largest cit...

to.pbs.org

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Lisa Fung @lisafung.bsky.social · 2d

‘The mainstream press is largely playing its usual “both-sides at fault” game, but Americans nevertheless do understand the reality.’

Via @sulliview.bsky.social

margaretsullivan.substack.com/p/partisan-b...

'Partisan bickering' is a media frame that fails the public

The government shutdown is producing an all-too-familiar barrage of performative neutrality

margaretsullivan.substack.com

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Reposted by Bryn Nelson

Zachary Schrag @zacharyschrag.bsky.social · 2d

“Forcing knowledge to pass through a political filter is a tactic adopted by the Soviet Union and other authoritarian states.”

American Council of Learned Societies @acls1919.bsky.social · 2d

ACLS has released a statement regarding the White House “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”: bit.ly/3IviMig

We call for the immediate rejection of the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”...No institution that is committed to the free pursuit of knowledge should submit to the degradation of autonomy and academic freedom contained in it. -ACLS Statement Regarding White House “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”

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American Council of Learned Societies @acls1919.bsky.social · 2d

ACLS has released a statement regarding the White House “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”: bit.ly/3IviMig

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 3d

“There’s a baby!”

Guns drawn. Windows smashed. With a 1 month old in the car. (They did this as he was coming home from an immigration court appointment— which is illegal in Colorado: coloradosun.com/2025/10/01/i...)

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 5d

There’s no rule of journalistic neutrality that requires you to say something is “unclear” when that is objectively untrue. It would be illegal. There’s absolutely zero ambiguity about that fact. Saying it’s unclear is making a false statement in your reporting.

Eric Lipton NYT @ericlipton.nytimes.com · 5d

It is not clear that Mr. Trump’s image can be featured on a coin. An 1866 law enshrined a tradition that only deceased people could appear on U.S. currency to avoid the appearance that America was a monarchy. Trump admin is planning to do it anyway.
By Alan Rappeport

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/b...

Treasury Plans to Mint $1 Commemorative Trump Coin

www.nytimes.com

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Bryn Nelson @seattlebryn.bsky.social · 5d

Yup. “Not clear” is doing a lottttt of heavy lifting here.

Ted McCormick @tedmccormick.bsky.social · 5d

on the one hand, the law is clear. on the other hand, Trump said something. so the law is not clear. I am very objective

Eric Lipton NYT @ericlipton.nytimes.com · 5d

It is not clear that Mr. Trump’s image can be featured on a coin. An 1866 law enshrined a tradition that only deceased people could appear on U.S. currency to avoid the appearance that America was a monarchy. Trump admin is planning to do it anyway.
By Alan Rappeport

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/b...

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Bryn Nelson @seattlebryn.bsky.social · 5d

Amen. Basic human decency.

BK. Titanji @boghuma.bsky.social · 5d

Speaking for all physicians and healthcare providers here. When we see patients in need of care especially in an emergency room we do not leave them for dead. We do not care about their immigration status, we treat them because that is what we took an oath to do and is also basic human decency.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 5d

Leavitt: "When an illegal alien goes to the emergency room, who's paying for it? The American taxpayer."

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Reposted by Bryn Nelson

@NewsJennifer (Jennifer Schulze) @newsjennifer.bsky.social · 5d

ICE is out of control in Chicago. Now just tossing tear gas canisters out of the car in the middle of one of our neighborhoods as kids are walking home from school, people out going grocery shopping.

chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/10...

News
Masked federal agent throws chemical irritants outside Logan Square grocery store: 'My eyes are burning'
Video taken by several witnesses captured the moments where the agent can be seen dropping a canister from a white SUV.

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Bryn Nelson @seattlebryn.bsky.social · 5d

The Oregonian @oregonian.com · 5d

Federal officer blasts chemical spray into vocal but nonviolent Portland protester, video shows

The interaction illustrates how federal law enforcement officers do use aggressive tactics against protesters who yell and needle officers but don’t appear to present clear physical threats.

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Reposted by Bryn Nelson

Jenny Cohn @jennycohn.bsky.social · 5d

“Another ABC7 interviewee ducked upon hearing flash bangs detonate, and was then distressed by the sight of children detained. ‘They was bringing the kids down too, had them zip-tied to each other,’ she said.” 10/2/25 newrepublic.com/post/201258/...

ICE Zip-Ties Children in Horrific Raid on Chicago Apartment Building

ICE agents forced everyone out of a Chicago apartment building in the dead of night.

newrepublic.com

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Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 5d

Trump told NBC on Sunday that he saw some Portland riot footage on Fox and thought it reflected current events.

It didn't. It was 5 years old, from the George Floyd aftermath.

And we learned that due to the diligence of a local TV reporter, who got the transcript.

www.cjr.org/laurels-and-...

Trump referenced a weekend conversation with Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, and he alluded to being told by Kotek that the reality in Portland is different from what’s being portrayed to him.

“I spoke to the governor, she was very nice,” Trump said. “But I said, ‘Well wait a minute, am I watching things on television that are different from what’s happening? My people tell me different.’ They are literally attacking and there are fires all over the place…it looks like terrible.”

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Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 5d

Oracle employees who expressed support for Palestine were "referred to internal mental health resources."

Oracle is about to own TikTok.

Eli Clifton @eliclifton.com · 5d

Execs at Oracle, the likely new owner of TikTok, are VERY outspoken in Israeli media about the company's "mission to support the State of Israel" & "unequivocal support for Israel."

Insufficiently pro-Israel Oracle staff receive mental health counseling. responsiblestatecraft.org/oracle-tikto...

Oracle execs: Love Israel or maybe this isn't the job for you

Employees who disagreed were reportedly referred to company mental health services

responsiblestatecraft.org

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Olivia Messer @oliviamesser.bsky.social · 5d

On Bari Weiss, corporate media’s capitulations to trump, the rise of fascism — and why we need independent journalism more than ever.

thebarbedwire.com/2025/10/03/b...

Bari Weiss Doesn’t Want You to Read This

Bari Weiss’s reported hiring at CBS News is the latest example of corporate media capitulating to Trump.

thebarbedwire.com

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Bryn Nelson @seattlebryn.bsky.social · 5d

Just as a simple matter of economics, providing basic emergency care prevents greater harms: to personal health, to productivity, and to the economy. Plus it’s the decent, right thing to do. This shouldn’t be hard, as even President Reagan understood.

Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 5d

This is due to a law signed by Ronald Reagan and has nothing to do with this shutdown fight.

But consider this...

Emergency Medicaid spending in 2023 cost $3.8 billion — just 0.4% of total Medicaid spending.

Now what about the $20 billion taxpayers are giving to Argentina?

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 5d

Leavitt: "When an illegal alien goes to the emergency room, who's paying for it? The American taxpayer."

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