Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 3m

🚨🚨🚨A stalled Congress and threats to invoke emergency powers don’t just signal dysfunction—they create the conditions for one branch to seize control of the others. Under Trump who equates power with dominance, that’s a constitutional crisis in motion.

www.politico.com/live-updates...

Capitol agenda: The Senate stalls, ACA buzz builds

A look at the Obamacare policy menu under discussion and more updates as the shutdown enters Day 14.

www.politico.com

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 18m

The CDC isn’t collapsing—it’s being dismantled. Chaotic hires, conflicting orders, and leadership churn are the tools. This administration knows exactly what it’s doing: crippling America’s first line of defense against global threats.

‘Instability and confusion’ as CDC slashes 1,300 jobs before reinstating half

Entire offices erased at health agency in Friday move before Trump administration says 700 notices were sent in error

www.theguardian.com

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 22m

If a foreign adversary wanted to neuter the CDC, they’d do it like this: chaotic hires/rehires, mixed messaging, staff left unsure of priorities. That’s how you turn a life-saving agency into a hollow shell. Read the fallout. 🔗 www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

‘Instability and confusion’ as CDC slashes 1,300 jobs before reinstating half

Entire offices erased at health agency in Friday move before Trump administration says 700 notices were sent in error

www.theguardian.com

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 28m

They spent 50 years building the perfect information cage—where billionaires control the headlines and truth serves power.

They found the documents.
The Guardian has the preview.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Bari Weiss’s ascent at CBS News was 50 years in the making | David Sirota and Jared Jacang Maher

A half-century ago, CBS’s own president was boasting of his support for an antidemocratic political project. Our new book uses never-before-reported documents to tell the story of a scheme to undermin...

www.theguardian.com

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 13h

Mike Johnson: cheerleader-in-chief for Trump’s state-by-state punishments. Speaker of the House? More like mascot.

thehill.com/opinion/cong...

thehill.com

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 17h

This isn’t reform. It’s rot.
JD Vance is helping dismantle the last anti-corruption laws so billionaires — and politicians — can get rich unchecked.

www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

The Right's Secret Plan to Help Billionaires Buy Elections

J.D. Vance and other MAGA interests are working to get the Supreme Court to end restrictions on campaign-spending limits.

www.rollingstone.com

1

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 22h

Trump can’t have America. It belongs to all of us. Say NO on Oct. 18: www.nokings.org

No Kings

As the president escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS non-violent movement continues to rise stronger. We are united once again to remind the world: America has No Kings and the power ...

www.nokings.org

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 22h

Meet America’s real president: Stephen Miller. Unelected, unaccountable, and apparently running everything from troop deployments to lethal strikes at sea.

The guy hasn’t even been voted in—yet somehow calls all the shots. 🇺🇸

#WhoRunsAmerica

www.cnn.com/2025/10/11/p...

Stephen Miller emerges as key architect of Trump’s offensive on Democratic cities | CNN Politics

In the hours after a chaotic confrontation in Chicago last week that culminated with a federal agent shooting a local woman, top White House aide Stephen Miller delivered an urgent order to Department...

www.cnn.com

1

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 22h

Authoritarian overreach meets giggling protesters in animal suits.

It’s like Napoleon vs. Mickey Mouse.

Who wins? The one who can laugh.

#NoKings #MockTheStrongman

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 22h

Nothing screams ‘tyrant’ like sending federal agents to face off with people in giant duck costumes.

Keep the clown show coming, America. 🎪 #NoKings

www.thebulwark.com/p/can-democr...

Can Democrats Mock Trump Into Defeat?

As the president embraces strongman politics, Democrats are increasingly trying to make him seem little.

www.thebulwark.com

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 22h

Nothing screams ‘tyrant’ like sending federal agents to face off with people in giant duck costumes.

Keep the clown show coming, America. 🎪 #NoKings

www.thebulwark.com/p/can-democr...

Can Democrats Mock Trump Into Defeat?

As the president embraces strongman politics, Democrats are increasingly trying to make him seem little.

www.thebulwark.com

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 22h

Democracy bends, but it doesn’t break easily. From Nepal to Moldova to Brazil, citizens are proving that courage and collective action still move history. Once people taste freedom, they don’t give it up quietly. 🌍✊

www.brookings.edu/articles/glo...

Global democracy is more resilient than you may think | Brookings

Despite global backsliding, recent research shows that democracy remains resilient. Learn how pro-democracy movements are shaping its future.

www.brookings.edu

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 22h

They’re openly plotting to end democracy, criminalizing protest, and shrugging off corruption — all while pretending to “protect freedom.” What they’re really protecting is their power.

newrepublic.com/post/201660/...

Republican Rep Claims Everyone at “No Kings” Protest Is a Terrorist

This is how the Republicans begin to dismantle the First Amendment.

newrepublic.com

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 1d

There’s nothing like standing shoulder to shoulder with people who see the same dangers you do. Feeling the fear, the anger, the hope — together.

This October 18th, rise. March. Speak. ✊🔥

#NoKingsDay — because change only happens when we make ourselves impossible to ignore.

www.nokings.org

No Kings

As the president escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS non-violent movement continues to rise stronger. We are united once again to remind the world: America has No Kings and the power ...

www.nokings.org

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 1d

Not only is it your civic duty — it’s cathartic. ✊

Standing with people who see what you see and feel what you feel can change governments.

Make your voice count. #NoKingsDay protest — October 18th. 🔥🇺🇸

www.nokings.org

No Kings

As the president escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS non-violent movement continues to rise stronger. We are united once again to remind the world: America has No Kings and the power ...

www.nokings.org

1

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 1d

Among those wrongly dismissed were the top two leaders of the federal measles response team, those working to contain Ebola, the Epidemic Intelligence Service, and the team that assembles the C.D.C.’s vaunted scientific journal, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...

Trump Administration Is Bringing Back Scores of C.D.C. Experts Fired in Error

www.nytimes.com

1

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 1d

Americans are not just disappointed with how he has handled bread-and-butter issues such as inflation and the economy.

They also don’t like his approach to issues that were central to his appeal, like immigration and crime.

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 1d

The president's net approval rating is -16%

It’s like watching a storm forming. Each dip in approval is a silent warning: power demands legitimacy.

When Trump’s ’s support is shaky, attempts to seize control—forcibly or legally—get more dangerous.

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 1d

265 days into Donald Trump's term

The president's net approval rating is -16%,
down 0.7 points since last week. 📉

39% approve, 56% disapprove, 4% not sure

www.economist.com/interactive/...

2

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 1d

The president's net approval rating is -16%

It’s like watching a storm forming. Each dip in approval is a silent warning: power demands legitimacy.

When Trump’s ’s support is shaky, attempts to seize control—forcibly or legally—get more dangerous.

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 1d

265 days into Donald Trump's term

The president's net approval rating is -16%,
down 0.7 points since last week. 📉

39% approve, 56% disapprove, 4% not sure

www.economist.com/interactive/...

Donald Trump’s approval rating

Follow our presidential approval rating poll tracker to see how favourably Americans view Mr Trump

www.economist.com

1

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 1d

265 days into Donald Trump's term

The president's net approval rating is -16%,
down 0.7 points since last week. 📉

39% approve, 56% disapprove, 4% not sure

www.economist.com/interactive/...

Donald Trump’s approval rating

Follow our presidential approval rating poll tracker to see how favourably Americans view Mr Trump

www.economist.com

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 2d

Protest song: Threat Level Orange

Sample lyric: Due to unprecedented civil unrest
All forms of protest are now classified as acts of terrorism
This is not a test
This is not a test
Coward
Traitor
Liar
Foe
Grab a tyrant by the toe
Fuck a fascist puppet

x.com/buckynosebes...

Bucky on X: "Protest song: Threat Level Orange Sample lyric: Due to unprecedented civil unrest All forms of protest are now classified as acts of terrorism This is not a test This is not a test Coward Traitor Liar Foe Grab a tyrant by the toe Fuck a fascist puppet https://t.co/gWdxwGqig1" / X

Protest song: Threat Level Orange Sample lyric: Due to unprecedented civil unrest All forms of protest are now classified as acts of terrorism This is not a test This is not a test Coward Traitor Liar Foe Grab a tyrant by the toe Fuck a fascist puppet https://t.co/gWdxwGqig1

x.com

1

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 2d

5/
The problem isn’t just Trump.
It’s a Supreme Court that’s abandoned restraint, transparency, and respect for coequal judges.

It’s not a legal crisis anymore.

It’s a constitutional one.

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 2d

4/
Let that sink in:
Federal judges are breaking their silence — risking professional backlash — because the Supreme Court’s secrecy is eroding democracy from within.

This isn’t normal.

It’s not healthy.

And it’s not sustainable.

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 2d

3/
Judges across the country told The New York Times these orders are “mystical,” “demoralizing,” and “a slap in the face.”

One judge said it feels like “a war zone.”
Another: “We’re in a judicial crisis.”

Forty-two judges said these rulings have directly harmed public faith in the judiciary.

1

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 2d

4/
Let that sink in:
Federal judges are breaking their silence — risking professional backlash — because the Supreme Court’s secrecy is eroding democracy from within.

This isn’t normal.

It’s not healthy.

And it’s not sustainable.

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 2d

3/
Judges across the country told The New York Times these orders are “mystical,” “demoralizing,” and “a slap in the face.”

One judge said it feels like “a war zone.”
Another: “We’re in a judicial crisis.”

Forty-two judges said these rulings have directly harmed public faith in the judiciary.

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 2d

2/
SCOTUS has been quietly using its “shadow docket” — fast, unsigned, often unexplained orders — to green-light Trump’s most extreme policies:
• mass deportations
• purging federal workers
• firing transgender service members
• slashing federal spending
All without full hearings or explanation.

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 2d

3/
Judges across the country told The New York Times these orders are “mystical,” “demoralizing,” and “a slap in the face.”

One judge said it feels like “a war zone.”
Another: “We’re in a judicial crisis.”

Forty-two judges said these rulings have directly harmed public faith in the judiciary.

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 2d

2/
SCOTUS has been quietly using its “shadow docket” — fast, unsigned, often unexplained orders — to green-light Trump’s most extreme policies:
• mass deportations
• purging federal workers
• firing transgender service members
• slashing federal spending
All without full hearings or explanation.

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 2d

1/
🚨 Unprecedented warning from inside the courts:
Dozens of sitting federal judges — including many appointed by Trump — say the Supreme Court itself is now causing a “judicial crisis.”
They accuse the justices of issuing secretive, unreasoned orders that damage trust and destabilize the law.
🧵👇

1

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 2d

2/
SCOTUS has been quietly using its “shadow docket” — fast, unsigned, often unexplained orders — to green-light Trump’s most extreme policies:
• mass deportations
• purging federal workers
• firing transgender service members
• slashing federal spending
All without full hearings or explanation.

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 2d

1/
🚨 Unprecedented warning from inside the courts:
Dozens of sitting federal judges — including many appointed by Trump — say the Supreme Court itself is now causing a “judicial crisis.”
They accuse the justices of issuing secretive, unreasoned orders that damage trust and destabilize the law.
🧵👇

Federal Judges, Warning of ‘Judicial Crisis,’ Fault Supreme Court’s Emergency Orders

www.nytimes.com

3 1

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 2d

1/
🚨 Unprecedented warning from inside the courts:
Dozens of sitting federal judges — including many appointed by Trump — say the Supreme Court itself is now causing a “judicial crisis.”
They accuse the justices of issuing secretive, unreasoned orders that damage trust and destabilize the law.
🧵👇

Federal Judges, Warning of ‘Judicial Crisis,’ Fault Supreme Court’s Emergency Orders

www.nytimes.com

1

Elizabeth @elizathewell.bsky.social · 2d

Ghastly, immoral, terrifying: @KristiNoem shared an AI video set to “Love Boat” showing innocent civilians blown up by the U.S. government, calling it patriotic.

This is state-sanctioned dehumanization, and it’s being normalized for public consumption.

x.com/kristinoem/s...

Kristi Noem on X: "President Trump LOVES the American people. That is why drug traffickers and narco-trafficking boats will no longer be allowed to transport deadly drugs into American territory. Thank you, @POTUS Trump for protecting our shores! https://t.co/q2kDrZEovZ" / X

President Trump LOVES the American people. That is why drug traffickers and narco-trafficking boats will no longer be allowed to transport deadly drugs into American territory. Thank you, @POTUS Trump for protecting our shores! https://t.co/q2kDrZEovZ

x.com