Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Zee Roth @zeeroth.bsky.social · 50m

Should Dems make the shutdown about democracy?

"Affordable health care is important, but it is not more important than refusing to normalize this government...enjoy having your health care subsidy debate in the gulags these people would happily send us all to. I hear that poll-tests great."

The Case for the Forever Shutdown

Senate Democrats actually allowing the GOP to stop funding the government is only the first step. Now they have to make the case that Trump’s government is illegitimate.

newrepublic.com

Reposted by Zee Roth

Matt Ortega @mattortega.com · 12h

This is wild.

A video posted to social media by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) portrayed the raid at 7500 S. South Shore as a military-style operation to capture young brown men. In reality, federal agents detained nearly every resident of the 130-unit building—including children and babies—placing them in zip ties and separating them by race into vans for more than two hours early Tuesday morning.

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Zee Roth @zeeroth.bsky.social · 14h

I listened to a version of this NPR story today and felt like something was a bit off about the too-cheery framing of the federal deployment. Grateful for Wonkette's snarky-and-truthful perspective!

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Zee Roth @zeeroth.bsky.social · 15h

The always-great Wonkette's critique of an NPR story: "Sure thing. Let’s make lemons out of Donald Trump’s Gestapo. You bet... Somewhere in there NPR manages to brush up against the suggestion that actually a lot of 'Memphis' is fucking pissed and horrified by this, but only lightly."

DO BETTER NPR

Evan Hurst @evanhurst.substack.com · 19h

NPR Says Memphis 'Sees Opportunity' In Trump's Fascist Invasion, So It's All Good, We Guess!

Oh for gods sake

www.wonkette.com/p/npr-says-m...

NPR Says Memphis 'Sees Opportunity' In Trump's Fascist Invasion, So It's All Good, We Guess!

Oh for God's sake.

www.wonkette.com

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Reposted by Zee Roth

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 23h

Just as a reminder, Bondi’s origin story in Trump world is that she said she was going to investigate Trump University, Trump sent her a $25K check and the investigation disappeared. She later became Trump’s personal defense lawyer. So yeah, don’t challenge her integrity.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 23h

Bondi to Blumenthal: "You lied. How dare you? I'm a career prosecutor. Don't you ever challenge my integrity. Do not question my ability to be fair and impartial."

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Zee Roth @zeeroth.bsky.social · 1d

This is often the case, I've found—the awful framing of the headline doesn't do justice to the otherwise fair reporting (alas, sometimes it's weak framing all the way through). And it's a major problem because so many folks will never read past a headline, due to paywalls, lack of time or interest.

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Zee Roth @zeeroth.bsky.social · 1d

Support independent media!

Mark Igra @markigra.bsky.social · 1d

The @nytimes.com minimizing the unconstitutional assault on US cities so much that it didn't appear on the "front page" even on my big screen monitor. Had to export a pdf to capture the tiny headline. Truly atrocious. Does any major US news org care at all?

Screen shot of NYTimes online front page with tiny headline about Emergency powers circled in red. Red text on yellow saying "Unconstitutional invasion of us cities way down here!!! WTF NY Times." Another text saying "But at least I know where to find a tree house with rustic vibe" referring to NYT headline near top saying "6 Tree Houses You can Rent for Glamour With a Rustic Vibe"

Zee Roth @zeeroth.bsky.social · 1d

Part of the post-MAGA reconstruction has to include journalistic reform. Our constitutional rights depend on a free press that speaks truth to power. But we've got cowardly corporate media and both-sides-ing media and whatever the NYT has turned into...

Reposted by Zee Roth

southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 1d

Do you even hear yourselves?

NPR @npr.org · 1d

President Trump is bucking tradition and legal precedent in pushing to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-led cities like Portland, Oregon, and Chicago due to what he says is rampant crime and to support his crackdown on illegal immigration.

Trump's power to deploy National Guard, explained

President Trump is bucking tradition and legal precedent in pushing to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-led cities like Portland, Oregon, and Chicago due to what he says is rampant crime and to support his crackdown on illegal immigration.

n.pr

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Zee Roth @zeeroth.bsky.social · 1d

WHY IS AMERICAN MEDIA SO BAD AT THIS

Zee Roth @zeeroth.bsky.social · 1d

When a Guardian reporter pointed out on social media that the image was not a genuine photograph of the generally small and tame protests outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Portland, the Oregon Republican Party’s X account replied: “We’re not reporters, just bad memers.”

Republicans post fake image of Oregon protest – using photos of South America

A federal judge had blocked Trump’s request to deploy California national guard to Portland

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Zee Roth

Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 1d

So Weiss will remain editor in chief and CEO of The Free Press and editor in chief of CBS News, so they’re not hiding the conflict here? The head of CBS News, supposedly impartial and nonpartisan, will also simultaneously be running a highly partisan site.

The Future of The Free Press

The Free Press is joining Paramount.

www.thefp.com

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Reposted by Zee Roth

Gillian Brockell @gbrockell.bsky.social · 1d

Claim: 10 cars rammed ICE
Truth: No cars rammed ICE

Claim: She boxed ICE in
Truth: ICE boxed her in

Claim: She shot a rifle at ICE
Truth: She did not have a rifle

Claim: ICE returned fire
Truth: Only ICE fired

Claim: She drove herself to the hospital
Truth: Paramedics found her

Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 1d

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government’s claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed.
trib.al/9Sxu9IN

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims officer said 'Do something b-----' before shooting

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government's claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed. A judge ordered Martinez and a co-defendant released pending trial.

trib.al

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Zee Roth @zeeroth.bsky.social · 1d

Do I really think a tyrant will suddenly stop acting like a tyrant? Of course not.

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Zee Roth @zeeroth.bsky.social · 1d

I'm not sure what you mean? This is an economic resistance strategy.

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Zee Roth @zeeroth.bsky.social · 1d

This article presents a good overview of what might be possible.

Zee Roth @zeeroth.bsky.social · 1d

It's not, writes Substacker Chris Armitage, 'the violent rupture of 1861, but something else entirely. Blue states building parallel systems, withholding cooperation, and creating facts on the ground that render federal authority meaningless within their borders.'"

It’s time for soft secession

How blue states can use their economic clout to stand up to Trump’s agenda—starting with California.

www.motherjones.com

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Zee Roth @zeeroth.bsky.social · 1d

Great news!

Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 1d

THE CHICKENS ARE FINALLY COMING HOME TO ROOST

Ryan Walters is out & the investigation floodgates just opened. The Oklahoma AG launched a full audit of Walters’ entire tenure as Superintendent, and it’s about damn time.

Also the education dept website’s being scrubbed of his culture-war nonsense.
🧵

Zee Roth @zeeroth.bsky.social · 1d

Important thread.

Rachel Levinson-Waldman @rlevinsonwaldman.bsky.social · 1d

These orders & the new proposal suggest ICE is gearing up to use social media to collect and weaponize a wealth of information on anyone who's expressed views the administration doesn't like – a task that will be even easier with ICE’s massive funding boost. 10/ www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Big Budget Act Creates a “Deportation-Industrial Complex”

The result will be a lopsided, enforcement-only machine that will be hard to dismantle.

www.brennancenter.org

Zee Roth @zeeroth.bsky.social · 1d

Yes our economy is #4 now. Our population is bigger than so many entire countries, we have the two busiest ports in the US, and we're the biggest agricultural producer. Soft secession isn't an impossibility.

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Reposted by Zee Roth

Heather Cherone @heathercherone.bsky.social · 1d

Pritzker is also furious: “Should National Governors Association leadership choose to remain silent, Illinois will have no choice but to withdraw from the organization.”

Gov. JB Pritzker’s letter to the National Governors Association

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David Roberts @volts.wtf · 1d

The GOP has done nothing on healthcare in the 21st century other than stop Dems from improving it. Literally nothing.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

Mike Johnson: "Let me look right into the camera and tell you very clearly: Republicans are the ones concerned about healthcare. Republicans are the party working around the clock everyday to fix healthcare. This is not talking points for us: we've done it."

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Reposted by Zee Roth

Joey Politano🏳️‍🌈 @josephpolitano.bsky.social · 1d

In any other administration this would be considered insane policy uncertainty and rank incompetence. "TRUCK TARIFFS START IN ONE WEEK" only for the deadline to lapse uneventfully and then be followed up by "TRUCK TARIFFS START IN ONE MONTH"

Joey Politano🏳️‍🌈 @josephpolitano.bsky.social · 12d

Every day, Trump wakes up and thinks “what product should I make arbitrarily more expensive today?”

Truck tariffs means drivers pay billions more for vehicles, companies/consumers pay more for shipping, & the benefits to truckmakers get outweighed by costs to other manufacturers

In order to protect our Great Heavy Truck Manufacturers from unfair outside competition, I will be imposing, as of October 1st, 2025, a 25% Tariff on all “Heavy (Big!) Trucks” made in other parts of the World. Therefore, our Great Large Truck Company Manufacturers, such as Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, Mack Trucks, and others, will be protected from the onslaught of outside interruptions. We need our Truckers to be financially healthy and strong, for many reasons, but above all else, for National Security purposes!

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Zee Roth @zeeroth.bsky.social · 1d

I had to look this up. Yikes.

Dr. Oz apologizes for saying reopening schools is an "appetizing opportunity" because it would only kill 2-3% more people

"Any life is a life lost," he said on Fox News. "But to get every child back into a school... with a theoretical risk on the backside, it might be a tradeoff some folks would consider."

share.google

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Zee Roth @zeeroth.bsky.social · 1d

Right? I was trying to make sense of his statements here and if I'm hearing him correctly, he's describing a net savings from people who never use insurance they're supposedly unaware of.

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Reposted by Zee Roth

Denise Wheeler @denisedwheeler.bsky.social · 1d

This is the 84 yr old sister of a friend of mine.

She was attacked this weekend by federal agents in front of the ICE building in Portland.

They had marched from the park to the bldg and were just standing there when Trump's thugs rushed out and battered them.

Sprayed with chemicals and beaten.

Peaceful proster beaten in Portland by federal agents

Peaceful protester beaten in Portland by federal agents.

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