Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 5h

Yeah, didn't see that this was even a thread at first, tbh. That one is wrong.

Reposted by Zak Woodman

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 8h

Bray is a historian at Rutgers who received death threats after landing on Turning Points USA's Professor Watchlist. As a result, he announced he was moving to Europe. And then this happened.

This kind of harassment and abuse of scholars is Charlie Kirk's legacy and it's only getting worse.

Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 9h

“Someone” cancelled my family’s flight out of the country at the last second.

We got our boarding passes. We checked our bags. Went through security. Then at our gate our reservation ‘disappeared.’

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Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 7h

This is a fascist dictator announcing that he is going to murder political dissenters without any trial.

The tree of liberty thirsts.

Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 12h

My gosh. After the US bombed multiple boats in the middle of the ocean, murdering people on grounds that they were allegedly "carrying drugs," the US Attorney General says "Just like we did with cartels, we're going to take the same approach, President Trump, with Antifa."

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Reposted by Zak Woodman

The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 7h

This is not just unconstitutional action—it is anti-constitutional. Trump is attempting to erase the constitutional order itself.

Trump Is Destroying the U.S. Constitution and Amassing Unprecedented Powers by Sending Federal Troops to Invade American Cities

Lincoln faced a real insurrection and still did not go as far as this president

www.theunpopulist.net

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Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 7h

As always, fascists are projecting their own malevolent desires on everyone else when they accuse any and all perpetration of right wing violence of being a false flag.

Matthew Sheffield @matthew.flux.community · 13h

The very first riot after a George Floyd protest was started by a white supremacist nicknamed "Umbrella Man."

He spraypainted "free shit" on an AutoZone, broke the windows, and encouraged others to come in. abcnews.go.com/amp/US/man-h...

Man who helped ignite George Floyd riots identified as white supremacist: Police

A masked umbrella-wielding man helped incite riots and looting in the immediate aftermath of George Floyd's death, police said.

abcnews.go.com

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Reposted by Zak Woodman

The-Autistic-Artist 🥥 🎃 🏳️‍🌈 Halloween Era @theautisticart.bsky.social · 10h

The White House just announced that Trump would be going to Walter Reed on Friday for his annual physical.

Except... Trump already had his annual physical in April.

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Reposted by Zak Woodman

Eric Columbus @ericcolumbus.bsky.social · 7h

Trump (1) reveals he doesn't know what habeas corpus is and (2) punts to Noem, who famously revealed her own ignorance at a Senate hearing when she defined habeas corpus as "a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country."
www.npr.org/2025/05/20/n...

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12h

Q: Have you given any more thought to possibly suspending habeas corpus?

TRUMP: Suspending who?

Q: Habeas corpus

TRUMP: I don't know. I'd rather leave that to Kristi.

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Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 7h

As profoundly stupid as he is evil.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12h

Q: Have you given any more thought to possibly suspending habeas corpus?

TRUMP: Suspending who?

Q: Habeas corpus

TRUMP: I don't know. I'd rather leave that to Kristi.

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Reposted by Zak Woodman

Scott Shapiro @scottjshapiro.bsky.social · 8h

We are ruled by criminal morons

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Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 8h

The worst one for me is I can never hear Abba's Dancing Queen without hearing it in Barney Frank's voice singing "Banking Queen"

Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 8h

I thought that first down call was a designed draw play?

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Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 9h

Most of the people who I would consider my closest friends, including my Fiance, were either relationships that started and/or only maintained becauae of social media.

Willing to bet this is true for a plurality of those under the age of 35

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · 1d

Has anything great happened in your life because of social media?

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Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 9h

Wasn't it like 41 plays in a row when Michigan played PSU in 2023? (Although there was one pass play in there that was called back for defensive PI)

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Reposted by Zak Woodman

Kelly² @anarchakelly.bsky.social · 9h

And now your argument is that we have to let the conservatives construct this alternate reality where up is down for the sake of some hypothetical alternate reality where SCOTUS didn’t just already rule that trans people are second class citizens? What are we doing here?

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Reposted by Zak Woodman

Kelly² @anarchakelly.bsky.social · 9h

Now they’re trying to have their cake and eat it too. The state can intervene and stop GAC talk therapy but not “conversion” talk therapy?

Complete and utter nonsense. And their argument is that “speech is not conduct.” Can we at least acknowledge that that argument sucks?

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Reposted by Zak Woodman

Kelly² @anarchakelly.bsky.social · 9h

Wrong. They discussed this in the arguments today. They’re constructing,with the help of the Alliance Defending Freedom, a one way street where freedom of speech only applies to conservatives.

They JUST ruled in Skrmetti the states can ban GAC. That’s already the law!

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Reposted by Zak Woodman

Kelly² @anarchakelly.bsky.social · 9h

Also it sucks that you basically just regurgitate Gorsuch’s questions without giving any space to the liberal’s line of questioning. For those that care this write up was solid.

slate.com/news-and-pol...

With One Damning Question, Ketanji Brown Jackson Defined the Supreme Court’s New Term

The justice stripped the veneer of constitutional principle from the court’s latest blatant culture war.

slate.com

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Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 11h

Michigan has loads of these: Mackinac, Bois Blanc, Charlotte, Sault Ste. Marie, etc. Most of it is becauae we are wildly inconsistent on whether we pronounce French-spelled named in a French way or whether we heavily Anglicize them (e.g., Detroit is Anglicized Mackinac is not).

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 13h

What’s the word where you’re from that, when pronounced exactly as it looks, identifies a tourist immediately?

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Reposted by Zak Woodman

David Bier @davidjbier.bsky.social · 12h

ICE brought a videographer to record its criminality.

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Reposted by Zak Woodman

amanda moore 🐢 @noturtlesoup17.bsky.social · 12h

Hi, actual journalist here! I would never "rescue" a flag of any type from a protester at an event I was covering. Because I'm a journalist, not an activist.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 13h

SORTOR: I took this flag from the man that was burning it in the street

TRUMP: Do you know who he is?

SORTOR: Oh yeah

TRUMP: So why don't you give it to Pam. Give it to the attorney general and we'll start prosecutions

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Reposted by Zak Woodman

Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 12h

This is the President not only purporting to arrogate unto himself the ability to “take away free speech rights,” but also to do so for speech because it “aggravates and irritates.”

The bottom line is these people running our country are literally foreigners to the concept of democracy.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 13h

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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Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 12h

Look at this warzone.

Unironically, this sort of joyful defiance might be the best strategy at this moment.

Courtney Vaughn @courtneyvaughn.bsky.social · 1d

Streets are still closed off in front of the Portland ICE facility at 8:30pm. Protesters have gathered on a side street. Dance party in progress.

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Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 12h

If we applied even a fraction of the standard for illicit incitement to violence to Trump and his fascist goons as they are applying to the left, they would all be rotting in prison for the rest of their completely worthless lives.

Once again, it is always projection with authoritarian trash.

Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 12h

Do you know what else "agitates and irritates crowds?" Telling them the election was stolen, gathering with them and telling them to "fight like hell" and then sending them to the Capitol chanting "hang Mike Pence."

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 13h

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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Zak Woodman @zacharywoodman.bsky.social · 14h

ICE agents are vile, sadistic goons.

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

WATCH: Trump’s lawless Ice goons shoot an unarmed priest in the head with a pepper ball. Completely out of control.

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