Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Elisabeth R. Anker

@libankerdc.bsky.social

7.8K followers 710 following 660 posts

Professor: Political Theory & US Culture. Author: UGLY FREEDOMS & Orgies of Feeling: Melodrama and the Promise of Freedom (both Duke). Coeditor: Theory&Event Next Book: “Every Man a Sovereign” Libby to my peeps Web: https://tinyurl.com/Elisabeth-Anker

tinyurl.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Elisabeth R. Anker @libankerdc.bsky.social · Feb 6

Just dropping this piece I wrote here. This entire administration is the ugliest of ugly freedoms: www.nytimes.com/2022/02/04/o...

2 7 39

Reposted by Elisabeth R. Anker

David Sirota @davidsirota.com · 8h

Remember just a few years ago when the entire press corps ridiculed Bernie Sanders for politely suggesting that billionaires have influence over the media properties they own?

And remember how none of them ever apologized or admitted he was absolutely right?

Good times.

9 79 280

Elisabeth R. Anker @libankerdc.bsky.social · 8h

EVERY DAY THIS WEEK

Elisabeth R. Anker @libankerdc.bsky.social · 20h

Just another day on my university campus

1 2 6

Reposted by Elisabeth R. Anker

Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 22h

It doesn't surprise me that Indiana University is going after the student newspaper. The IDS has played a key role in holding the university administration accountable.

Including by reporting on the administration's investigation and intimidation of faculty 1/

specials.idsnews.com/steve-sander...

The pursuit of light and truth

Law Professor Steve Sanders’s battle with IU over reporting on presidential search process

specials.idsnews.com

4 63 370

Reposted by Elisabeth R. Anker

All In with Chris Hayes @allinwithchris.bsky.social · 21h

WATCH: A new Politico report reveals young GOP leaders across several states trading racist, antisemitic, and hateful messages in leaked private chats. “People who are running the Republican Party at the ground level are immersed in this cesspit of bigotry,” says Chris Hayes.

‘I love Hitler’: Leaked texts EXPOSE Young Republicans’ racist chat, Politico reports

YouTube video by MSNBC

www.youtube.com

15 100 230

Reposted by Elisabeth R. Anker

Ify Nwadiwe @ifycomedy.com · 3d

I think we really should stop using antifa and just fully say anti-fascist and get them saying they are against anti fascism. Using antifa is giving them some distance and I genuinely think some of their base don’t even know that’s what it stands for.

450 6.4K 21K

Elisabeth R. Anker @libankerdc.bsky.social · 5d

They be trying to conjure a bipartisan bill on minor housing subsidies for people in the 47th-61st tax brackets

1 1

Reposted by Elisabeth R. Anker

bort @crushbort.bsky.social · 5d

is it not weird that every day there’s a new video of anonymous masked men having the time of their lives beating/shooting/disappearing people and the dem response from the top down is “republicans want to double your health insurance premiums”

13 1.1K 4.8K

Reposted by Elisabeth R. Anker

Stephen Nuñez @socio-steve.bsky.social · 5d

THANK YOU. THIS IS WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY EVERY BILLIONAIRE IS A POLICY FAILURE. IT'S THE INSTABILITY LARGE CONCENTRATIONS OF POWER CREATE. NOT THE LOST REVENUE.

Liberal Currents @liberalcurrents.com · 5d

“The problem with billionaires isn’t that they’re hoarding money that would otherwise pay for a Scandinavian social utopia. It’s that their money has become a source of wildly distorted political power that allows a few men with extremist views to wreak havoc on the rest of us.”

Billionaires Are Hoarding Power, Not Money

Billionaire money has become a source of wildly distorted political power that allows a few men with extremist views to wreak havoc on the rest of us.

www.liberalcurrents.com

7 98 420

Elisabeth R. Anker @libankerdc.bsky.social · 5d

Hell YES MIT 🙌 this is how you do it

Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 5d

MIT's response to the Trump admin's proposed "compact" is excellent and should be a model for other universities. orgchart.mit.edu/letters/rega...

1 2

Reposted by Elisabeth R. Anker

James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 5d

Adventures in framing:

Headline presenting this as a real-world question. Rather than as another sign of deepening vortex of narcissistic delusion and detachment from reality.

Headline: Trump Has His Eyes on Nobel Prize. Will He Get It?

110 450 2.2K

Reposted by Elisabeth R. Anker

George Conway 🇺🇸🚫👑🐸 @gtconway.bsky.social · 5d

650 960 3.5K

Reposted by Elisabeth R. Anker

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 5d

practically a requirement for this administration to be a sex pest

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 5d

"30-year-old conservative lawyer and activist who is Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, which deals with federal employee whistleblower complaints and discrimination" cancelled his colleague's hotel room so she would be forced to stay with him.
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

In late July, Paul Ingrassia, the White House liaison for the Department of Homeland Security, arrived at a Ritz-Carlton in Orlando with a lower-ranking female colleague and others from their department. When the group reached the front desk, the woman learned she didn’t have a hotel room.

Ingrassia then informed her that she would be staying with him, according to five administration officials familiar with the episode. Eventually the woman discovered that Ingrassia had arranged ahead of time to have her hotel room canceled so she would have to stay with him, three of those officials said.

79 1.1K 5.2K

Reposted by Elisabeth R. Anker

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 6d

Yup. Now.

Simon Rosenberg @simonwdc.bsky.social · 6d

We are witnessing the most lawless behavior by a leader in American history, just daily, extraordinary abuses of power. National Democrats must speak out in a loud and clear voice against Trump's escalating authoritarianism. It is time now.

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 6d

The Guardian reports that Letitia James has been indicted

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

15 170 800

Reposted by Elisabeth R. Anker

Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 6d

New statement from AG James:

"This is nothing more than a continuation of the president's desperate weaponization of our justice system.

"I am not fearful — I am fearless."

86 1.1K 5.2K

Elisabeth R. Anker @libankerdc.bsky.social · 6d

8 24

Reposted by Elisabeth R. Anker

Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 6d

It is pretty galling that the Supreme Court spent four years telling Biden "you can't do that without Congress" then allowed Trump to seize a once-unthinkable amount of power from Congress within nine months and concentrate law-making authority almost entirely in the executive branch.

220 2.6K 9.8K

Reposted by Elisabeth R. Anker

CUIMC Stands Up @cuimcstandsup.bsky.social · 6d

🎙️ Last week, a group of Columbia professors — most of them Jewish — took a stand. Risking reprisal, they publicly rejected the university’s recent incorporation of a controversial definition of antisemitism. Their statements, excerpted here, can be read in full at cu-standsup.org/events/free-....

1 34 110

Reposted by Elisabeth R. Anker

Ben Gerstein @bwgerstein.bsky.social · 6d

Per the Trump playbook, Jews who do not adhere to fascist tendencies are categorized as "bad Jews" alongside the enemy "other." Investigating these Jewish orgs. also tracks the targeting of JVP featured prominently in the Heritage Foundation's Project Esther: lpeproject.org/blog/how-the...

3 9 11

Elisabeth R. Anker @libankerdc.bsky.social · 6d

Such a pleasure to be part of this conversation!

Elisabeth R. Anker @libankerdc.bsky.social · 6d

This is the kind of answer I come to blue sky for! But also maybe it needs two dupers

Reposted by Elisabeth R. Anker

J. Michelle Coghlan @jmcoghlan.bsky.social · 6d

Grateful for the inspired and inspiring talks that @libankerdc.bsky.social @posypoet.bsky.social @mbpearl.bsky.social gave at today’s “Resistance in the Age of Trump 2.0” roundtable today & for the great student turnout!

1 2 6

Elisabeth R. Anker @libankerdc.bsky.social · 6d

thanks Michelle, and you know exactly why I am writing this 🤣!

Reposted by Elisabeth R. Anker

WIRED @wired.com · 6d

At the airport, after scanning their passports, getting boarding passes, checking bags, and clearing security, Bray says he and his family were denied boarding. When they arrived at the gate, their reservations had vanished from the United Airlines system.

Read more: www.wired.com/story/mark-b...

He Wrote a Book About Antifa. Death Threats Are Driving Him Out of the US

Rutgers historian Mark Bray is trying to flee to Spain after after an online campaign from far-right influencers was followed by death threats. He was turned back at the airport on his first attempt.

www.wired.com

8 69 140

Elisabeth R. Anker @libankerdc.bsky.social · 6d

boring work question for academics: when you give a talk that is virtual, how do you list that on your CV?