Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Scott L Greer @scottlgreer.bsky.social · 53m

"This probable decision comes in the midst of an attempted autocratic takeover of the U.S. government in which elections are the only real recourse for the defenders of constitutional and democratic rule."

Will SCOTUS Rig the House?

I read a group email from Capitol Hill yesterday essentially predicting the...

talkingpointsmemo.com

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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 1h

This piece is an essential read. Andy Kroll: I spent nearly a year investigating Russ Vought, the Trump adviser and Project 2025 architect who wants to put civil servants "in trauma." I obtained new audio recordings & videos. This is the most definitive profile yet.

Russell Vought, Trump’s Shadow President

From the wholesale gutting of federal agencies to the ongoing government shutdown, Russell Vought has drawn the road map for Trump’s second term. Vought has consolidated power to an extent that inside...

www.propublica.org

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Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 4h

lol. this is our world now. The oligarchs rule, sorta. But the politics itself is unstable. And they’re casting around for the sweet spot of safety.

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 4h

Salesforce boss Benioff walks back Trump praise after widespread backlash on.ft.com/4ojL2n0

Salesforce boss Benioff walks back Trump praise after widespread backlash

Venture capitalist Ron Conway resigns from board of company’s philanthropic arm in protest at comments

on.ft.com

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emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 6h

Comey adds 3 people to his team, all from Cooley, one an appellate specialist, and asks for 45 pages for his selective and vindictive motion (as opposed to 30).

Rebekah Donaleski was on the Lev Parnas/Rudy G prosecution team at SDNY.

48 Oct 17, 2025 MOTION for Leave to File Excess Pages by James B. Comey, Jr. (Attachments: # 1 Proposed Order)(Carmichael, Jessica) (Entered: 10/17/2025) From RECAP with PACER fallback
49 Oct 17, 2025 Motion to appear Pro Hac Vice by Rebekah Donaleski and Certification of Local Counsel Jessica Carmichael (Filing fee $ 75 receipt number AVAEDC-10531167.) by James B. Comey, Jr. (Carmichael, Jessica) (Entered: 10/17/2025) From RECAP with PACER fallback
50 Oct 17, 2025 Motion to appear Pro Hac Vice by Ephraim McDowell and Certification of Local Counsel Jessica Carmichael (Filing fee $ 75 receipt number AVAEDC-10531175.) by James B. Comey, Jr. (Carmichael, Jessica) (Entered: 10/17/2025) From RECAP with PACER fallback
51 Oct 17, 2025 Motion to appear Pro Hac Vice by Elias Kim and Certification of Local Counsel Jessica Carmichael (Filing fee $ 75 receipt number AVAEDC-10531182.) by James B. Comey, Jr. (Carmichael, Jessica) (Entered: 10/17/2025) From RECAP with PACER fallback

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Lawyer dude @legalwombat.bsky.social · 6h

lol two AUSAs from EDNC versus Michael Dreeben is like Moldova trying to fight Russia

emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 6h

Oh, I'm sorry.

Did I say Comey added THREE people to his team?

In addition, he's adding MICHAEL FUCKING DREEBEN (one of the best appellate lawyers out there, and a member of both the Mueller and Jack Smith teams).

Motion to appear Pro Hac Vice by Michael Dreeben and Certification of Local Counsel Jessica Carmichael (Filing fee $ 75 receipt number AVAEDC-10531201.) by James B. Comey, Jr. (Carmichael, Jessica) (Entered: 10/17/2025)

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bobhall44.bsky.social @bobhall44.bsky.social · 9h

This is all Trump bull 💩. There will be no Tomahawks for Ukraine. He's on Putin's side. Always has been and always will be.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 9h

Trump: "We want Tomahawks also. We don't want to be giving away things that we need to protect our country."

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David Bonowitz @dbonowitz.bsky.social · 9h

JFC, even the countries WITH kings are doing it better than we are.

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bobhall44.bsky.social @bobhall44.bsky.social · 9h

A corrupt attempt to bail out Bessent's hedge fund pals, allowing them to close out their positions without loss. Bessent couldn't care less about Argentina.

U.S. Stakes Taxpayer Money on Big Argentina Bet www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/u...

U.S. Stakes Taxpayer Money on Big Argentina Bet

www.nytimes.com

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Krasnovian Commando @krasnoviancommando.bsky.social · 10h

Read Theory

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Wajahat Ali @wajali.bsky.social · 10h

Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 12h

Cops led us into the street as the new “protest zone” and then beat us repeatedly.

Got hit in the face with a baton. Leaving to pick up my friends who were arrested.

Stay safe out there.

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Mark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 11h

It's obvious that members of Congress plotted with Trump in his attempted coup. Any rational investigator would have sought to learn more about the lawmakers' actions. That's what Jack Smith did. MAGA fascists are going after Smith to rewrite history and cover up their treason.

"Abusive surveillance": House panel demands Jack Smith testify over Trump probe

Judiciary committee subpoenas Smith who investigated Trump's role in the Jan 6 Capitol attack.

www.axios.com

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W./E. Ⓥ🐣🌻🌐✌️🗽⚖️🇵🇸 @madonna816.bsky.social · 10h

@govpritzker.illinois.gov is out here trying to dunk on Trump for political points, meanwhile his own troops are helping Trump’s goons. Controlled opposition even at the state level. (Same with that fuckwit, @gavinnewsom.bsky.social)

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The People's Fabric @peoplesfabric.com · 13h

Police escalated the situation here in Broadview incredibly quickly. Saw multiple brutal arrests. ISP jabbing protesters with their batons like battering rams.

Here ISP lifts @katmabu.bsky.social by her feet to flip her over a concrete barrier.

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Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 9h

Niall Ferguson, the Gulf Princes and Their Man, Donald Trump talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/niall...

Niall Ferguson, the Gulf Princes and Their Man, Donald Trump

I first encountered Niall Ferguson in a real way when I was...

talkingpointsmemo.com

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emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 14h

One way you beat fascism is to get 3.5% of the population out protesting.

Here are some details on what is bringing people out in Trumpland.

And for those coming out in Trumpland on Saturday? Stay safe!!

wagingnonviolence.org/2025/10/resi...

Indeed, numerous counties that voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2024 have featured significant participation, in relative terms. Over 80 percent of the voters in Edmonson County, Kentucky voted for Trump in 2024. In March 2025, organizers reported that 150 people attended a protest at Mammoth Cave National Park as part of the Resistance Rangers protest against national park worker layoffs and federal cuts to national parks. This was the first action at Mammoth Cave National Park during either of Trump’s terms.

Meanwhile, over 86 percent of voters in Hardin County, Texas voted for Trump in 2024. The county seat of Kountze, with a population of 2,125, also saw a protest in March 2025 at Big Thicket National Preserve as part of the Resistance Rangers day of action. Organizers reported that 25 people attended, constituting 1.2 percent of the town’s population.

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In Harlan County, Kentucky, some 88 percent of ballots were cast for Trump. The town of Harlan saw one protest in July 2025 against the “Big Beautiful Bill,” with an estimated 20-30 participants, or between 1.1 percent and 1.6 percent of the town’s population. One counter-protester was arrested after pointing a gun at protesters.

Trump similarly won about 88 percent of the vote in Campbell County, Wyoming. The county seat of Gillette has seen at least two protests so far in 2025: one on April 5 (Hands Off) with an estimated crowd of 75, and one on June 18 (No Kings) with an estimated crowd of 175 — about 0.5 percent of the city’s population. A group of counter-protesters showed up during the No Kings protest; some heckled speakers while others hailed Hitler and chanted “Trump is King.”

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Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 14h

We’re back at the Broadview Processing Center protesting ICE this morning.

The good news? They tore down the unlawful fence we demanded come down.

The bad news? We’re still lacking accountability, transparency, and our First Amendment rights.

Join us today at 1930 Beach Street. See you soon.

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Evan Bernick, a finite mode with a smol hooman and a lorg floof @evanbernick.bsky.social · 14h

I think it is about time that Democrats started familiarizing themselves with Lincoln’s response to Dred Scott instead of accepting the tacit premise that whatever a bare majority of the Supreme Court decides, dictates our constitutional fate

Larry Glickman @larryglickman.bsky.social · 16h

Segregationists spoke of the “long civil rights movement” as the “Second Reconstruction” and for inspiration turned to the Redemptionists, who declared war on the first Reconstruction and after many decades of legal and extralegal efforts Installed
Jim Crow regimes.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/u...

Parties Brace for a Political Future Without the Voting Rights Act

www.nytimes.com

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Antifa Princess™️🗿💖🌻⛵️✨ @tleighb.bsky.social · 14h

Racist, religious zealots' plan to rewrite history is the reason why I was in my 50s before I heard the name Emmett Till.

They've been forcing their Bible into every facet of American society since Brown v. Board of Education.

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Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 16h

He first threatened sanctions on Jan 19 if Russia didn’t cease fire. He has threatened to impose them many times since then. It is now Oct 17. He has done nothing.

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paulpro @mariopro.bsky.social · 16h

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emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 15h

A lot of people are rightly furious about this--but she and Stephen Miller say shit like this all the time.

Few people are pointing out THEY ARE THE PARTY OF CRIME.

Trump incited 1000s of people to attack the Capitol. 100s chanted Hang Mike Pence. He pardoned 100s of cop assailants.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Leavitt: "The Democrat Party's main constituency is made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens, and violent criminals."

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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 15h

Just sent out this free post. Trump is tormenting the Ukrainians, by giving them hope of helping them in ways that he never will (Tomahawks). I talk about why, and why the media needs to stop helping him do so much damage. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...

Trump Is Tormenting Ukraine

The least the media can do is not help him

open.substack.com

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Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 15h

This fiasco has gotten much worse. Some highlights from my pod talk with ranking Armed Services Dem Adam Smith: First, he says SouthCom Commander Alvin Holsey was likely pushed out over the illegal boat bombings and that he's heard stuff to this effect from inside:

newrepublic.com/article/2019...

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Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 16h

Mike Johnson has now had the House adjourned for 74 out of the last 86 days.

They have worked 12 days in 3 months.

Epstein Shutdown.

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John Collins @logicallyjc.bsky.social · 21h

The pendulum swings.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Pritzker: "Stephen Miller is clearly ordering people to break the law. So he should know that yeah, it may be three years from now that he is held accountable, but I think it's important for them to know that whatever they do now, it's not like we're going to forget."

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