Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 1h

Again, it is a full-blown federal felony crime for anyone in the White House or Executive Office of the President to order tax investigations into anyone.

And it's not just a crime to DO it, it's even a federal crime for an employee not to REPORT such an order to the Treasury Inspector General.

26 U.S. Code § 7217 - Prohibition on executive branch influence over taxpayer audits and other investigations
U.S. Code
Notes
prev | next
(a)Prohibition
It shall be unlawful for any applicable person to request, directly or indirectly, any officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service to conduct or terminate an audit or other investigation of any particular taxpayer with respect to the tax liability of such taxpayer.

(b)Reporting requirement
Any officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service receiving any request prohibited by subsection (a) shall report the receipt of such request to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

(c)Exceptions
Subsection (a) shall not apply to any written request made—
(1)to an applicable person by or on behalf of the taxpayer and forwarded by such applicable person to the Internal Revenue Service;
(2)by an applicable person for disclosure of return or return information under section 6103 if such request is made in accordance with the requirements of such section; or
(3)by the Secretary of the Treasury as a consequence of the implementation of a change in tax policy.
(d)Penalty
Any person who willfully violates subsection (a) or fails to report under subsection (b) shall be punished upon conviction by a fine in any amount not exceeding $5,000, or imprisonment of not more than 5 years, or both, together with the costs of prosecution.

(e)Applicable person
For purposes of this section, the term “applicable person” means—
(1)the President, the Vice President, any employee of the executive office of the President, and any employee of the executive office of the Vice President; and
(2)any individual (other than the Attorney General of the United States) serving in a position specified in section 5312 of title 5, United States Code.

52 1K 2.2K

Reposted

Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 6h

What do I know and I'm not saying it's a magic bullet or anything like that but it sure seems to me that Dems should run hard on the Argentina bailout. Not anywhere near the worst thing Trump has done, but i suspect it's unusually clarifying.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 9h

Jeffries: "It's perplexing to us that Rs refuse to spend a dime to protect the healthcare of the American people, but somehow the Trump admin found $40b to bail out a right-wing wannabe dictator in Argentina in ways that are also going to continue to hurt our soybean farmers in Iowa & the Midwest"

120 1K 4.4K

Reposted

Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 6h

“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

350 2.7K 5.6K

Reposted

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 5h

The Supreme Court’s majority right wing indicated in oral arguments that they think racism is over on the same day that the vice president defended the “I love Hitler” guy, and that the NYT reported that the current administration plans to accept only white, English-speaking refugees.

52 1.5K 4K

Reposted

Matthew Stiegler @matthewstiegler.bsky.social · 6h

Every time you see Mike Davis do Mike Davis things, think about Gorsuch reportedly helping land Davis a job at DOJ, then choosing him as a clerk when he was on the 10th Circuit, then choosing him as a clerk when he was on the Supreme Court.

Tom Joscelyn @tomjoscelyn.bsky.social · 8h

Hakeem Jeffries posted pictures of two Rep. Members posing with “Young Republicans” who were part of a racist text thread (as reported by Politico).

In response, Mike Davis (well-connected in Trump World & on the Hill) called Jeffries a “house slave” for George Soros - proving Jeffries’ point.

12 200 700

Reposted

southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 7h

Politico received an initial tip that a Taylor staffer had a swastika neatly pinned to his cubicle during a zoom call. When confronted, the congressman’s press office pretty implausibly sought to present the situation as a police matter, and Politico went along with that in its headline and lede.

Zach D Roberts @zdroberts.bsky.social · 7h

Capitol Police called to investigate swastika in GOP congressional office

An American flag altered to include an image of a swastika was found in Rep. Dave Taylor’s office.
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Capitol Police called to investigate swastika in GOP congressional office

An American flag altered to include an image of a swastika was found in Rep. Dave Taylor’s office.

www.politico.com

71 430 1.5K

Reposted

Santiago Mayer @santiagomayer.com · 8h

Holy shit. This is Angelo Elia, a legislative correspondent for Congressman Dave Taylor.

According to @rooster.info, during a Zoom meeting today, he had an American nazi flag displayed in the background.

230 1.5K 3.7K

Reposted

Jen Taub @jentaub.bsky.social · 9h

They are not children. These men are adults. If you care about children release the Epstein files.

26 130 800

khaake.bsky.social @khaake.bsky.social · 9h

There are reports that this bailout has been doubled - now $40 billion

1

Reposted

Jennifer Shutt @jennifershutt.bsky.social · 9h

NEWS: Judge Illston grants labor unions request for a temporary restraining order, blocking the Trump administration from moving forward with the Reductions in Force that began during the shutdown.

"As of right now the TRO is in effect."

1 50 160

Reposted

Senator Bernie Sanders @sanders.senate.gov · 9h

Trump wants to DOUBLE Argentina's bailout to $40 billion to save his political ally.

Yet he is doing nothing to prevent 15 million Americans from losing their health care and 20 million from seeing a doubling in their premiums.

Is this what Trump means by America first?

95 500 1.7K

Reposted

Jose Pagliery @josepagliery.bsky.social · 9h

"The flag was placed so that it would touch me. When it fluttered and touched me, they shouted ‘Don’t touch the flag’ and kicked me in the side. After a while, my hands were tied with cable ties, very tightly. A bunch of guards lined up to take selfies with me while I was sitting like that."

Christine Binzel @christinebinzel.bsky.social · 11h

Horrific testimony by Greta Thunberg

www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/25...

Greta Thunberg: “They kicked me every time the flag touched my face”

– Greta Thunberg on her days in Israeli captivity Beating, kicking, and threats of being gassed in cages. Greta Thunberg and several others from the flotilla ar

www.aftonbladet.se

1 14 17

khaake.bsky.social @khaake.bsky.social · 10h

I guess my main problem with it is that it is the *default* behavior, and it really shouldn’t be

2

Reposted

Jeff Yang @originalsp.in · 11h

ICE arrested comedian Robby Roadsteamer for singing a parody of Rod Stewart’s “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” in a Jeffrey Epstein the Giraffe costume outside their facility.

He sings “If you hate brown people / and you are a Nazi” and ICE thugs grab him and drag him into detention. No violence—just speech.

130 1.6K 3K

khaake.bsky.social @khaake.bsky.social · 10h

It’s a real issue. I’d like to know why these companies do it. Are they getting paid by someone to serve up this low quality crap?

1 3

khaake.bsky.social @khaake.bsky.social · 11h

If the last decade shows nothing else, it is that we find ourselves in a post shame world

2

Reposted

Kristin Wilson 📎 @kristin-wilson.bsky.social · 12h

Would seem to me that a Congressman beating his girlfriend and having a judge order a restraining order against him is "really serious..."

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 13h

Q: This has been reported for a while. Cory Mills was accused of beating a girlfriend in his DC apt. Are you concerned about these allegations?

JOHNSON: You have to ask Rep. Mills about that. He's been a faithful colleague. I don't know the details. Let's talk about things that are really serious

49 210 980

Reposted

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 12h

PORTLAND — Robby Roadsteamer grabbed by ICE for singing… 🎵

860 3.9K 7.8K

Reposted

Governor Tim Walz @governorwalz.mn.gov · 12h

Trump’s police force is terrorizing school pick-up lines and throwing tear gas at local police. He is not making the country safer.

chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

Feds ram SUV after chase down residential street in Chicago, then tear-gas crowd

The crash happened late Tuesday morning near 105th Street and Avenue N in the East Side neighborhood. Two men being pursued were arrested as were two bystanders. The crash drew dozens of neighbors who...

chicago.suntimes.com

55 410 1.3K

Reposted

Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 13h

Bottom line: Perry says that clerk will no longer be working on this case, going forward.

Neither side made a motion based on this disclosure, but I didn't hear anyone rule it out, either.

Either way, hearing adjourned.

1 3 57

Reposted

Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 13h

Perry called everyone in to make a disclosure. After listening to 9th Circuit oral arguments on Nat Guard over the weekend, Perry says one of her clerks realized the government had taken a position there "inconsistent" with what had been said in Perry's courtroom.

4 12 57

Reposted

Adelita for Congress @adelitaforcongress.bsky.social · 1d

Speaker Johnson, you ready to swear me in?

860 9.6K 32K

Reposted

Stand Up for Science! @standupforscience.bsky.social · 13h

THIS WEEKEND! Join us for No Kings Day nationwide, across 50 states, in DC and Puerto Rico, and internationally! We're standing up for science and democracy, and in solidarity with fired federal workers.

#standupforscience #nokingsday

1 36 110

khaake.bsky.social @khaake.bsky.social · 13h

Doing what? I mean, really. What the fuck has he been doing?

Reposted

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 14h

NEW — I dug into the story of ICE abducting a 13-year-old boy in Massachusetts and moving him 500 miles across state lines without notifying his mother, local cop's complicity, and how the federal government's justification for such cruelty is already falling apart:

ICE took a 13-year-old they said had a gun. Local cops say he didn’t.

Now he's detained 500 miles away from his Massachusetts home.

www.thehandbasket.co

110 2.7K 6.4K