Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Julianna

Sigrid Ellis @sigridellis.bsky.social · 8h

Quick cultural lecture time, from Sigrid Ellis:

As we are in Spooky Season, why do so many horror movies of the 80s and early 90s feature extremely creepy homeless people?

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Sigrid Ellis @sigridellis.bsky.social · 8h

However, Reagan won the 1980 election.

(Insert obligatory *fuck* Ronald Reagan.)

He was intensely focused on cutting government spending for social programs, and immediately reduced support for the MHSA. As part of the MHSA, the large and, frankly, vile and abusive asylums had started closing.

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Nowhere Girl @gwynnion.bsky.social · 8h

It's why they want aristocracy, not democracy, but most of them won't make it into that club either.

Kendra "Gloom is My Beat" Pierre-Louis @kendrawrites.com · 10h

I mean not getting into West Point allegedly broke Charlie Kirk's brain. They want elite trappings without having to compete for them.

Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 10h

The "anti-woke" backlash was always about white collar labor competition from nonwhites, not hr bullshit. bsky.app/profile/phil...

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ProPublica @propublica.org · 6h

Among the Education Department’s new appointees is Lindsey Burke, the lead author of Project 2025’s education section.

She envisions dramatic enrollment declines for public schools: “We’re going to have a lot of empty school buildings.”

By @megomatz.bsky.social @jsmithrichards.bsky.social

These Activists Want to Dismantle Public Schools. Now They Run the Education Department.

Under Trump, the Department of Education has been bringing in activists hostile to public schools. It could mean a new era of private and religious schools boosted by tax dollars — and the end of publ...

www.propublica.org

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Peter Chen @ptrchn1.bsky.social · 6h

New euphemism for blatantly violating the law just dropped

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 8h

President Trump on Wednesday signed a memorandum expanding his administration’s authority to repurpose unspent federal funds to pay members of the military during the government shutdown, escalating his challenge to the authority of Congress on spending matters.

Trump Signs Memo Expanding His Authority to Spend Federal Money

The president gave Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wide authority to repurpose funds to pay members of the military without approval from Congress, which has the sole constitutional authority to decide federal spending.

nyti.ms

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Governor Tim Walz @governorwalz.mn.gov · 7h

Purfeerst Farms is a fifth-generation, family-owned farm in Fairbault.

Tariffs are putting Minnesota farms at risk, with soybeans piling up as our trading partners look elsewhere.

They don’t want a bailout from the guy who caused the crisis. They want strong markets.

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Barred and Boujee aka Madiba Dennie @audrelawdamercy.bsky.social · 1d

"To put that in perspective: 97,000 is the sort of figure you’d expect to see from a mid-size regional paper like The Minnesota Star Tribune or The Seattle Times. Not from a globally recognized newsroom with multiple Pulitzers to its name"

average paid daily circulation hasnt been <100K in 55 years

karl rove knausgård @uhactually.bsky.social · 2d

Lmao WaPo has fewer than 100K circulation now. It turns out “alienate your liberal subscriber base” is not a good strategy when the Republicans also hate you. www.forbes.com/sites/andyme...

The Washington Post Is Running Out Of Readers Willing To Pay

Once a titan of American journalism, The Washington Post now struggles to reach even 100,000 print subscribers most days.

www.forbes.com

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Barred and Boujee aka Madiba Dennie @audrelawdamercy.bsky.social · 9h

my main takeaways from listening to the Supreme Court oral argument today are

-the writing is on the wall for the Voting Rights Act
-the Republican justices are now throwing racist spaghetti at that wall; they'll pass of whatever sticks as the opinion's rationale
ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/calla...

The Conservative Justices Have So Many Ideas For How to Kill the Voting Rights Act

The Republican justices already know where they’re going. They just have to figure out which route they’re going to take to get there.

ballsandstrikes.org

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Imani Gandy Corn 🎃 @angryblacklady.blacksky.app · 7h

The idea that the Reconstruction Amendments were for everybody is asinine.

They’re all lives matter-ing Reconstruction.

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 9h

would love to know where vought got the authority to shutdown a government agency established by statute

Reuters @reuters.com · 13h

White House budget director Vought plans to shut down CFPB within months, says it's no longer protecting consumers reut.rs/4qjMIyT

White House budget director Vought plans to shut down CFPB within months, says it's no longer protecting consumers

White House budget director Russell Vought said he wants to close the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and expects to do so within the next two to three months.

reut.rs

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Nero Wolfe @nero-wolfe.bsky.social · 7h

The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers

“The undertaking aims to install allies of President Trump at the IRS criminal-investigative division…to exert firmer control over the unit and weaken the involvement of IRS lawyers in criminal investigations”

Gift link: www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Exclusive | Trump Team Plans IRS Overhaul to Enable Pursuit of Left-Leaning Groups

The effort would install at the agency’s criminal unit an ally of President Trump who has drawn up a list of investigative targets.

www.wsj.com

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 17h

Trump is upfront in saying he will use the shutdown to punish Democrats, and here are the receipts. About $27.2 billion cut from Dem districts compared to about $0.7 billion in GOP districts.
We all complain about the media, but need this type of in-depth journalism.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Trump Halts Billions in Grants for Democratic Districts During Shutdown (Gift Article)

The Trump administration has frozen or canceled nearly $28 billion primarily located in Democratic-led districts, according to an analysis by The New York Times.

www.nytimes.com

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Julianna @julbee.bsky.social · 6h

bsky.app/profile/bill...

Bill Nemacheck @billnemacheck.bsky.social · 13h

Here's a helpful infographic....

The four ages of white innocence:
Too young to understand
Made a youthful mistake
Listening and learning
From a different time

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Bill Nemacheck @billnemacheck.bsky.social · 13h

Here's a helpful infographic....

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Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 8h

These. Were. Men. In. Their. 30s.

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

No one in the GOP Hitler chat was a "kid"

We checked. Sorry, JD Vance.

www.motherjones.com

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Emily L. Hauser (she/her) ❌👑 @emilylhauser.bsky.social · 8h

"The period of time during which White youth are not expected to be fully responsible for their actions can extend well into their late 20s. By contrast, Black children are often treated as adults by age 13, if not well before."

[2/2]

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MelBee @melissafisherbrown.bsky.social · 8h

This includes the “boys will be boys” crap. This js why frat boys and male athletes get away with rape.

Emily L. Hauser (she/her) ❌👑 @emilylhauser.bsky.social · 8h

"The period of time during which White youth are not expected to be fully responsible for their actions can extend well into their late 20s. By contrast, Black children are often treated as adults by age 13, if not well before."

[2/2]

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The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 1d

After mass firings—and un-firings—current and former CDC officials said they are feeling demoralized. Half a dozen current and former workers spoke with Tom Bartlett about the botched downsizing.
https://theatln.tc/yqulrLlU

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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 10h

“The Defense Department has confiscated the badges of the Pentagon reporters from virtually every major media organization in America,” the Pentagon Press Association said

Oct. 15, 2025
PENTAGON PRESS ASSOCIATION
STATEMENT
Today, the Defense Department confiscated the badges of the Pentagon reporters from virtually every major media organization in America. It did this because reporters would not sign onto a new media policy over its implicit threat of criminalizing national security reporting and exposing those who sign it to potential prosecution.
The Pentagon Press Association's members are still committed to reporting on the U.S. military. But make no mistake, today, Oct. 15, 2025 is a dark day for press freedom that raises concerns about a weakening U.S. commitment to transparency in governance, to public accountability at the Pentagon and to free speech for all.
PPA

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The Library Faery is on "Vacation" @libraryfaery.bsky.social · 10h

Woman with a book in front of her, he finger marking a passage as she rests her face on her other hand, staring off into the distance.

Text reads" "It's a tough time to be well versed in history and possess strong pattern recognition skills."

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Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 7h

Five alarm fire that's illegal and impeachable. Newsrooms and electeds should be yelling this.

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 8h

President Trump on Wednesday signed a memorandum expanding his administration’s authority to repurpose unspent federal funds to pay members of the military during the government shutdown, escalating his challenge to the authority of Congress on spending matters.

Trump Signs Memo Expanding His Authority to Spend Federal Money

The president gave Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wide authority to repurpose funds to pay members of the military without approval from Congress, which has the sole constitutional authority to decide federal spending.

nyti.ms

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Keith Boykin @keithboykin.bsky.social · 7h

After weaponizing the Justice Department to go after his enemies, Trump now plans to turn the IRS on them as well. This is one of the abuses of power cited in the July 1974 articles of impeachment against Richard Nixon.

Exclusive | Trump Team Plans IRS Overhaul to Enable Pursuit of Left-Leaning Groups

The effort would install at the agency’s criminal unit an ally of President Trump who has drawn up a list of investigative targets.

www.wsj.com

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Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg @theradr.bsky.social · Jul 4

Please believe me when I tell you:

Double the fuck down on your spiritual practice now.

You are going to need it.

And no, that doesn't have to be a prayer-god thing.

The thing that sustains and nourishes you.

That makes you more alive to yourself, the world, others.

More present.

More:

fortify inside

why spiritual practice matters during the rising authoritarian tide

www.lifeisasacredtext.com

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Julianne McShane @juliannemcshane.bsky.social · 8h

NEW @motherjones.com: Nobody in that GOP group chat praising Hitler or making racist comments was a “kid,” as JD Vance claimed today

I tracked down their ages. (Weirdly, it seems nobody else did.)

Eight of the 11 in the group chat range from 24 to 35. Ages of others are unclear.

But… no “kids”!

No one in the GOP Hitler chat was a "kid"

We checked. Sorry, JD Vance.

www.motherjones.com

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Chris Mirasola @chrismirasola.bsky.social · 8h

I can’t overstate how entirely untethered to the constitution and past practice this unilateral move to repurpose funds to pay for military pay is. The commander-in-chief clause has precisely 0 bearing on the ability to expend funds. Here’s a list of authorities that do:

National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-8

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF WAR THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET SUBJECT: Use of

www.whitehouse.gov

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