Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Paul Bland

@fpbland.bsky.social

7.2K followers 6.9K following 780 posts

Public interest lawyer, music fan, dad/granddad/husband

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · Jun 6

The Big Bad bill will cost over 10 million people their health insurance, will significantly accelerate climate change, is a huge suck of money upwards in an already inequitable economy, and will burden future generations

But hey, let's focus on the feelings of the world's richest man

12 130 380

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 16h

Hey @NBA.com, you make it impossible to sign in with League Pass, you take $ but I can't get through, no consumer contact. And then it's impossible to cancel

You know, many states have good consumer protection laws about this kind of thing

1 1

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 17h

All the way back in 2005 I handled a case against a payday lender that went to the US Supreme Court, and Katie Porter did a fabulous amicus brief for us. She has been fighting for consumers for decades. And I have seen tons of male politicians get testy now and then, she's getting mistreated

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 21h

Vance is smart enough to see that part of his Master's power derives from his voters thinking he's funny. But Vance's idea of humor is like a 5th grader shouting "four eyes" at a kid with glasses, he doesn't have the knack

1 3

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 23h

If voters pick a Democrat, Johnson's effectively refusing to acknowledge and implement the result of the election. This is profoundly undemocratic and disrespectful to voters.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

FOX: You said last week that you would swear in Grijalva whenever she wants. She has written a letter to your office. You have not sworn her in. Doesn't your resistance add fuel to the fire that this is about Epstein?

MIKE JOHNSON: No. This is another partisan manufactured thing

1 3

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 23h

He never had any plausible argument for some principle of federal law that the jury verdict violated, and the plaintiffs' lawyers were wildly better. Plus him being the least sympathetic person in the country probably hurt his chances

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 1d

So many stories of ICE agents acting like there are no rules, no laws that restrict them

Tom Joscelyn @tomjoscelyn.bsky.social · 3d

“I spent three nights and three days in federal custody. During that time, I was never told what I was charged with, was not allowed to shower despite being covered in tear gas and pepper spray, had no phone call to my family, and no access to an attorney.” - George Retes, U.S. citizen and veteran.

I’m a US citizen and a veteran. ICE arrested me for no reason.

Jailed for three days without an explanation or ability to notify anyone, George Retes argues the only path to healing starts with the government taking accountability for its actions.

newsletter.ofthebrave.org

1 3

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 1d

In FOX's narrative, no people actually disagree with Trump, so if there are protests against him, they must be the creation of paid agitators. Whether this is the product of delusion or intentional lying, it's untrue and profoundly disrespectful of the huge number of people who disagree w/the regime

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 4d

Gee, if only someone could have predicted this.... Oh wait, all serious economists did

Reposted by Paul Bland

Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 4d

BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at CDC. Doznes of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:

860 8.5K 15K

Reposted by Paul Bland

🇨🇦Patrick "Grizzly Dad" Major 🌻Heroyam Slava! Slava Ukraine! @grizzlydad.bsky.social · 4d

Trump knows fuck all about fuck all

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 4d

Trump: "AI is based on information. I hope they're right about information. I don't know. You've gotta make a lot of money to-- there's gotta be a lot of information out there, but that seems to be pretty hot. We're leading the world on information on AI."

2 1 5

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 4d

Susan Collins consistently takes actions to let Trump do absolutely everything he wants to do, and then later explains that she opposed all the parts that are unpopular with her voters. I wish her actions occasionally met her words

CHBstills @chbstills.bsky.social · 4d

GOP senator 'whacks' Trump's White House budget chief amid mass federal purge

www.rawstory.com/russ-vought-...

GOP senator 'whacks' Trump's White House budget chief amid mass federal purge

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) thumped Russ Vought, the White House budget chief, amid a planned mass purge of the federal government.The Trump administration said Friday it began "substantial" layoffs of ...

www.rawstory.com

1 3

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 4d

Stephen Miller is the most powerful White House aid in memory because Trump is the weakest and most befuddled President we've seen

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 4d

Key thing here is the idea that Stephen Miller and others are absolutely thrilled that Trump has lost a step, since it makes him easier to manipulate:

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 4d

Pritzker to @gregsargent.bsky.social: "Trump says a lot of crazy things. I genuinely think there's something wrong with him. I wish his family would intervene... I don’t think anybody around is going to do it bc they’re benefiting from his dementia"

Full interview: newrepublic.com/article/2016...

4 6

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 4d

Incredibly important thread here

NACDL @nacdl.org · 5d

Post 1/5
Nation's Defense Bar Condemns Apparent Politicization of Justice in the Letitia James Indictment.

NACDL "unequivocally condemns the federal indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James," calling it an "untenable breach of institutional independence."

3 5

Reposted by Paul Bland

Jacob Shamsian @jayshams.bsky.social · 5d

I've been wondering why Dominion Voting Systems suddenly reached settlements with Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and One America News.

Turns out, it's been purchased by a Republican-owned election tech firm that insisted on it, per Axios.

www.axios.com/2025/10/09/d...

130 1.5K 2.9K

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 5d

Agreed.

"Don't Look Up" comes to Portland

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 5d

Trump's literally having a conversation with a guy who thinks the people who opposed Hitler were the problem, and it's just airing on US TV like this is normal

David Corn @davidcorn.bsky.social · 6d

Remember, Posobiec co-wrote a book that declared progressives were "unhumans" and that praised Franco and Pinochet for their murderous war on leftists. That is, the guy who promoted Pizzagate essentially endorsed political violence. I wrote about that here:

www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

1 4

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 6d

My theory is that when Bezos watched Succession, he said to himself "I want to be more like Logan Roy," and he's acting on it

Dave Jorgenson @davejorgenson.bsky.social · 7d

The Post laid off seemingly the remaining of their liberal-leaning staff members on Opinion last Thursday, when some of them were observing Yom Kippur.

from @oliverdarcy.bsky.social for Status
status.news/p/washington-post-opinion-cuts-adam-oneal

Reposted by Paul Bland

George Conway 🇺🇸🚫👑🐸 @gtconway.bsky.social · 8d

Love this. Superbly done. Please send this far and wide. @donwinslow.bsky.social

810 15K 23K

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 7d

So SCOTUS is leaning towards recognizing the First Amendment right to drive children to harm themselves? In the post-expertise world, we're just going to ignore the vast weight of professional medical opinion?

1 3

Reposted by Paul Bland

Yodamonkey @yodamonkey2.bsky.social · 7d

You're in here Paul. Remember to repost so everyone makes new friends. Linda💞🧑‍🦼💞 go.bsky.app/2oCvZ7y

1 1

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 8d

Yes

1 1

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 8d

A principal difference between lying on FOX News and lying to a court of law is that the court looks to the lawyers to produce actual admissible evidence. Trump making up a fictional Portland doesn't pass muster in court

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 8d

Trump's tweet that Portland is "war ravaged" just backfired. A Trump-picked judge cited it in blocking National Guard deployment to Portland, declaring him "untethered from facts."

On the pod, Oregon AG Dan Rayfield illuminatingly explains the ruling and what's next:
newrepublic.com/article/2014...

Trump’s Own Tweet on Portland Backfires as Judge Deals Him Harsh Loss

As a judge’s blunt ruling blocks Trump from deploying troops in Portland, Oregon’s Attorney General tells us in an interview that Trump’s lawless threats are working against him—and discusses what com...

newrepublic.com

1 8

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 8d

It's remarkable how he's just blatantly lying, imagining a Portland that has no relationship to reality, and his people all just nod as if the emperor had clothes.

2 2 43

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 9d

While Trump whines about how the left is the only side engaged in political violence, it appears that his folks just engaged in terrorism against a sitting judge. Imagine if FOX gave this 10% of the coverage it gave to Kirk.

Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 9d

David Gilbert @davidgilbert.bsky.social · 9d

Over the weekend, Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller repeatedly attacked judges, calling them part of an "organized terrorist attack" on the US government....

On Saturday, the home of a judge who ruled against Trump, went up in flames

time.com/7323442/sout...

1 4

Paul Bland @fpbland.bsky.social · 9d

I just watched the film Children of Men with my daughter. An incredible film, a top five of all time for me.

I think Steven Miller may have seen this and thought the fictional England in the movie had a desirable approach towards immigration.

1 3