Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Sarah Kendzior @sarahkendzior.bsky.social · 1h

AI is a dictator's dream, and it is being forced upon us in an unnatural way: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo1I...

The Dark Fraud Behind the Promise of AI: Sarah Kendzior

YouTube video by The Mark Thompson Show

www.youtube.com

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The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 30m

“We took the freedom of speech away,” President Trump boasted in his opening remarks at his “antifa roundtable” Wednesday.

It was a jarring admission—perhaps a Freudian slip—from a president who is, indeed, evidently intent on eliminating free speech. trib.al/6RZEOqc

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DevinCow @devincow.bsky.social · 30m

Why charge the American woman?

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 23h

Mike Johnson: "If you're a young, pregnant American citizen women who shows up in an ER and you get treated and they pay the hospital less for treating you than some illegal rabble rouser who came in from some South American country to do us harm, that is wrong."

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Charlotte Clymer @charlotteclymer.bsky.social · 30m

"Not least of all: this deal will certainly be exploited by Trump to attempt a further evasion of accountability for his role in a massive sex trafficking operation that targeted children."

charlotteclymer.substack.com/p/trump-does...

Trump Does Not Deserve Our Praise

Not for Gaza. Not for anything.

charlotteclymer.substack.com

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Gabe Ortíz @tusk81.bsky.social · 30m

“The only difference between me and other recently sworn-in members is that I am the 218th signer” of the Epstein petition, says Adelita Grijalva, who easily won her Congressional seat by nearly 40 points: english.elpais.com/usa/2025-10-...

Adelita Grijalva: ‘The first thing I’ll do is sign the petition for the release of the Epstein files’

Democrats claim the Arizona congresswoman’s swearing-in is being delayed to prevent the publication of documents related to the sex offender

english.elpais.com

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Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 30m

Across the US & Canada, cities are replacing aging library complexes with combined apartment + library buildings.

It's a promising way to fund new public facilities while adding housing.

A new database & details of best practices @urbaninstitute.bsky.social: www.urban.org/urban-wire/a...

We have documented several dozen examples of completed, under construction, and planned library + housing complexes across the US & Canada. They include more than 1,800 completed housing units and more on the way.

The Taylor Street Library and apartments in Chicago's Little Italy.

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Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 30m

The policy discourse around information integrity has a disconnect between democratic rhetoric and action, writes Research ICT Africa’s Scott Timcke. The dirty work of democracy online requires bringing ideological critique to bear on information integrity, he says.

Fighting Disinformation Demands Confronting Social and Economic Drivers | TechPolicy.Press

The dirty work of democracy online requires bringing ideological critique to bear on information integrity, writes Scott Timcke.

www.techpolicy.press

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Ryan J. Reilly “paints a vivid and urgent portrait of… disarray” @ryanjreilly.com · 56m

“What we don’t want to become the norm is where people think, ‘OK, there’s a new administration, now everyone in the old administration gets prosecuted. That’s an incredibly dangerous cycle where nobody wins.”

www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...

Experts fear impact of deepening polarization and perceived political prosecutions

Reforms enacted after Watergate to bolster public confidence in the impartiality of prosecutions are proving dated and ineffective, legal experts warn.

www.nbcnews.com

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Bruce Wilson @brucewilson.bsky.social · 46m

I am a *strong* supporter of Radley Balko's work. BUT here's a much clearer indication of GOP moral rot -> 47% of Republicans say they would still support Trump if he were officially tied to a notorious pedophile sex trafficking ring.

bsky.app/profile/did:...

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 2h

No clearer indication of the right’s moral rot than the swift evolution from angrily denying any association with buffoonish bigots like like Posobiec and Fuentes, to “there’s no harm in having a conversation,” to openly praising and promoting them.

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 3h

Not the least surprised by this. I’d hope it might finally wake up some mainstream libertarians to what Smith is really about. But it probably won’t.

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Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 2h

No clearer indication of the right’s moral rot than the swift evolution from angrily denying any association with buffoonish bigots like like Posobiec and Fuentes, to “there’s no harm in having a conversation,” to openly praising and promoting them.

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 3h

Not the least surprised by this. I’d hope it might finally wake up some mainstream libertarians to what Smith is really about. But it probably won’t.

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Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 3h

Not the least surprised by this. I’d hope it might finally wake up some mainstream libertarians to what Smith is really about. But it probably won’t.

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Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke.bsky.social · 51m

To paraphrase @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social, if we want to have any sort of democratic society there needs to be some real social and political costs to this kind of blatant lying. Thune knows what he's saying isn't true. It's just a means to an end.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1h

Thune: "The president would like to overhaul Obamacare and give people health insurance that is higher quality and more affordable."

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Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 2h

It is simply accurate to call this regime segregationist.

Trump Fires Black Officials From an Overwhelmingly White Administration

www.nytimes.com

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Brennan Center @brennancenter.org · 51m

The Supreme Court has been reluctant to constrain the imperial presidency, but if it fails to act now, it could put American democracy itself at great risk. bit.ly/3IWUMED

There Is No Insurrection

Troops are for national defense, not displays of presidential power.

www.brennancenter.org

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Fred Guttenberg @fredguttenberg.bsky.social · 3d

Years ago the Current Occupant of the White House, during his debate with Biden, said "Proud Boys stand back and stand by."

As they are now filling vacant ICE roles, Americans are facing more violent danger than ever before.

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 21h

CARTOON OF THE DAY 😕🇺🇸

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Oliver Willis @owillis.bsky.social · 53m

this is funny but i would put trump in the middle here. he consumes fox news bullshit and shits it out to maga to consume. trump is not a creator here, he's a puppet.

paulpro @mariopro.bsky.social · 58m

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Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 56m

We need to talk about Russell Vought – But Properly

Why certain mainstream outlets insist on sanitizing Vought as a devout “small government” conservative – and what actually animates his war against pluralistic democracy.

Some thoughts from my new piece:

🧵

We need to talk about Russell Vought – But Properly

Why certain mainstream outlets insist on sanitizing Vought as a devout “small government” conservative – and what actually animates his war against pluralistic democracy

steady.page

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#TuckFrump @realtuckfrumper.bsky.social · 2h

GOP lawmakers privately 'frustrated' by Trump's shutdown moves as Dems refuse to give in

www.rawstory.com

GOP lawmakers privately 'frustrated' by Trump's shutdown moves as Dems refuse to give in

twp.ai

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Steven Beschloss @stevenbeschloss.bsky.social · 1d

Finally, a clear message explaining what’s worth fighting for against Trump Republicans and their cruel, sociopathic cuts.

Charlotte Clymer @charlotteclymer.bsky.social · 1d

"So, Democrats have three words for this: no fucking way. It's literally life or death. We will not let Republicans blow up our health care system."

This is, hands down, the best comms work Chuck Schumer has done in YEARS. Surprisingly good.

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Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 2h

But that is precisely the situation right now according to SCOTUS itself. They are constantly deciding major issues via the shadow docket, without any reasoning or final order, to ensure those rulings are *not* legally binding and can be reversed whenever they feel like it. That is illegitimate.

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David Rothschild @davmicrot.bsky.social · 6d

Three key differences between US 2025 & Germany 1935, Trump: (1) really unpopular (2) really incompetent (3) rather than using state to employ & build & pull out of recession/inflation, Trump deliberately undermining employment & infrastructure & pulling US into economic stagnation/inflation.

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Grudgie the Whale @grudgie.bsky.social · 1h

Yes. But it really does seem like Miller has studied what they did and is using it as a roadmap.

David Rothschild @davmicrot.bsky.social · 6d

Three key differences between US 2025 & Germany 1935, Trump: (1) really unpopular (2) really incompetent (3) rather than using state to employ & build & pull out of recession/inflation, Trump deliberately undermining employment & infrastructure & pulling US into economic stagnation/inflation.

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Collins Watch @collinswatch.bsky.social · 1h

How many votes does @dunlapforcongress.bsky.social need to beat Jared Golden in the CD-2 Dem primary?

In 2018 (last competitive primary) it was +/- 20,000.

Now with semi-open primaries the number probably rises. (25K? 30K?) Still not many. A retail politics race. One voter at a time. #MEpolitics

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Desarrayed @desarrayed.bsky.social · 1h

"fuck them kids"

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1h

Sen. Lankford: "We're now at a critical moment. The president is using tariff dollars to be able to prop up the women, infants, and children fund that's out there."

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