Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · 2d

🧊 is actual Gestapo. No ID, masks, improper labels (they're not "police"). And worse - our police (the few that wanna help) can't actually force 🧊 to show ID. Why? Because if they are 🧊 then they're "impeding a federal investigation." They are tying the hands of police to actually protect citizens.

Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · 2d

Good start.

www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...

Illinois and Chicago sue to block Trump deployment of National Guard

The state of Illinois and city of Chicago are suing the Trump administration over their plans to deploy the National Guard.

www.cbsnews.com

Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · 3d

I cannot express how absolutely bull this is www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

Officials restrict Chicago airspace, citing 'credible threat' of attacks on agents

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed a temporary flight restriction was put in place “at the request of the Department of Homeland Security."

www.nbcnews.com

Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · 6d

Pretty soon, they're going to ban video altogether; they just haven't figured out how to. It will be labeled as a matter of "security"

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

FAA restricts private drones over Chicago as feds step up immigration arrests

The Federal Aviation Administration set the sweeping restrictions Wednesday at the request of the Department of Homeland Security.

chicago.suntimes.com

Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · 6d

To be honest I’m not even surprised about this considering everything else.

americanjournalnews.com/tumblr-linke...

Tumblr linked to Republican John Reid engaged with Nazi porn accounts

Reid denies ownership with the blog.

americanjournalnews.com

Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · 20d

Let me get this right… the “teachers are indoctrinating our kids” group is … creating a propaganda campaign to indoctrinate kids?

www.ed.gov/about/news/p...

U.S. Department of Education, AFPI, TPUSA, Hillsdale College, and Over 40 National and State Organizations Launch America 250 Civics Coalition

The U.S. Department of Education, alongside the America First Policy Institute, Turning Point USA, Hillsdale College, and more than 40 leading national and state-based organizations today announced th...

www.ed.gov

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Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · 27d

I’m tired of being upset and tired of all of this. You get DOGE to cancel stuff to fund a 300M ballroom and then destroy $10M birth control? This is the point. Distract.

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/h...

$10 Million in Contraceptives Have Been Destroyed on Orders From Trump Officials

www.nytimes.com

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Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · Sep 6

Exactly

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Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · Sep 6

What do you do when the President makes a threat of “war” to the city you live in? Asking for all of us. Can the Governor deploy the Illinois national guard to defend its residents against masked thugs?

www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...

Trump threatens Chicago with ‘Department of War’ and suggests ICE raids imminent

‘I love the smell of deportations in the morning…’ Chicago is about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,’ Trump’s TruthSocial post read

www.the-independent.com

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Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · Aug 29

The ignorance of how things work makes me facepalm constantly. WIKIPEDIA IS COMMUNITY GENERATED CONTENT! are they gonna “investigate” 4chan next? Maybe they should just read my open access book…

thehill.com/homenews/hou...

Republicans investigate Wikipedia over allegations of organized bias

Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee opened a probe into alleged organized efforts to inject bias into Wikipedia entries and the organization’s responses. Chair …

thehill.com

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Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · Aug 25

Yet again the party of “free speech” and “don’t tread on me”

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

Trump’s war on free expression could plant a burning flag on the Supreme Court steps

Trump is picking a fight he knows he can’t win, writes John Bowden. Does he want to provoke protests or merely rile up his supporters against liberal judges?

www.independent.co.uk

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Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · Aug 13

I mean we are all pretty tired of yelling “it’s like Hitler” but this is pretty intense. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Trump Has a New Definition of Human Rights

State Department reports portray Germany as more oppressive than El Salvador.

www.theatlantic.com

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Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · Jul 7

It’s funny that the administration wants to strip nonprofit status from orgs while groups like this remain fine with their tax exempt churches. www.newsweek.com/church-preac...

Church doubles down after preacher encouraged prayers for LGBTQ deaths

A preacher from the Sure Foundation Baptist Church in Indianapolis said LGBTQ+ people "deserve the death penalty."

www.newsweek.com

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Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · Jun 10

“If they spit we hit” - Violence as a reaction from an armed force as a response to protest is absolutely authoritarianism. www.axios.com/2025/06/10/l...

Unrestrained Trump flirts with Insurrection Act as Marines deploy to L.A.

Trump already has broken decades of precedent by federalizing California's National Guard without the state's consent.

www.axios.com

Reposted by Zach McDowell

Ryan Goodman @rgoodlaw.bsky.social · Jun 9

Major General Randy E. Manner, former Acting Vice Chief, National Guard Bureau statement to Fox News:

"This is an inappropriate use of the National Guard and is not warranted.”

Major General Randy E. Manner, former Acting Vice Chief, National Guard Bureau statement to Fox News: “The President's federal deployment of the National Guard over the official wishes of a governor is bad for all Americans concerned about freedom of speech and states rights. The governor has the authority and ability to respond to the civil disturbances with law enforcement capabilities within his state, augmented as necessary by requesting law enforcement assistance from other governors. There are over a million badged and trained members of law enforcement in this country for the governor to ask for help if he needs it. While this is presently a legal order, it tramples the governor’s rights and obligations to protect his people. This is an inappropriate use of the National Guard and is not warranted.”

300 7.3K 21K

Reposted by Zach McDowell

Jess Craven ❌👑 @jesscraven101.bsky.social · Jun 9

I am in downtown Los Angeles right now and it is completely surreal to hear that Trump is sending Marines here. We are listening to mariachi music. People have dogs. There are teenagers here. It is utterly and completely peaceful. Please tell your friends.

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Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · May 28

Nothing says freedom like state run media that publishes its own “facts”

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

RFK Jr threatens ban on federal scientists publishing in top journals

US health secretary calls leading medical journals such as Lancet ‘corrupt’ and pushes to create state-run alternatives

www.theguardian.com

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Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · May 27

Between this and the AI provision, this is a circus of nightmares. Im really not sure what stops thid outside of a full blown revolt.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

A hidden measure in the Republican budget bill would crown Trump king | Robert Reich

The bill could stop federal courts from enforcing their rulings, eliminating any restraint on Trump

www.theguardian.com

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Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · May 27

They've always been thinly veiled, but the audacity is really incredible now.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/27/u...

Trump Pardoned Tax Cheat After Mother Attended $1 Million Dinner

www.nytimes.com

Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · May 22

I was just about to post this. This is absolutely batty. This is from a President who ran a corrupt for profit “university” smh

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Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · May 18

This is getting perfectly Chicago?

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Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · May 15

If you don’t think people should take medical advice from you, the country’s top health official…. MAYBE YOU SHOULD STOP OFFERING IT. And also maybe stop influencing policy about it.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/u...

RFK Jr., the Health Secretary, Says Not to Take Medical Advice From Him

www.nytimes.com

Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · May 15

Agreed. Bernie is center left compared to much of Europe. His positions are mostly “moderate” in general and becoming increasingly middle of the road for many

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Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · May 14

this is the issue - the liberals have backed away and have been cast as incompetent and also just (probably rightfully so) lining the pockets of the rich. The right sells a different story. Bernie and those crew sell this story and people buy it - but then the dems blackball em

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Zach McDowell @zacharymcdowell.bsky.social · May 14

there's no "or not" - we are gonna have flesh eating maggots everywhere because of MAMA. Make America Maggot Again!

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