Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Dave McC

@mccdave.bsky.social

2.5K followers 1.8K following 5.3K posts

Law, health care, and running. Arsenal FC, Sacramento Kings, Chicago White Sox.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Dave McC @mccdave.bsky.social · Nov 26

Whenever I see doom-posts on here lamenting how all is lost before Trump is even sworn in, I think of this image, taken in February 2022 right after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began. Russia thought they’d take the country in 3 days. It’s been nearly 3 years and they’re no closer. Buck up people.

Zelensky saying “we are here” after Russia invades Ukraine

5 35 190

Dave McC @mccdave.bsky.social · 1h

Don’t really care about the “communist” stuff from Platner but throwing around the R word to insult people just sucks. No excuse for it.

Robinson Meyer @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social · 4h

Who cares about self-IDing as a communist, the real news in the Platner CNN story is that he was against building transmission to import zero-carbon electricity into Maine www.cnn.com/2025/10/16/p...

In one Reddit post in 2021 about Maine’s vote to block a power-transmission project between the US and Canada, Platner responded sharply to a commenter from Canada questioning the result.
“I have to ask, and I do mean this is the most charitable of ways, but are you retarded?” Platner wrote. “We shouldn’t have the eat the pain because you c*nts and Massachusetts couldn’t act like adults. F**k off and die, leave Maine out of your capitalist fantasies.”
The project had been a political flashpoint in Maine, where nearly 60 percent of voters opposed it in a 2021 referendum, with critics arguing it would cut through undeveloped forestland, offer little benefit to Maine residents and primarily serve to transmit electricity from Canada to Massachusetts.
Platner repeatedly used the word “retarded” to insult other Reddit users, including in one deleted comment that began, “I don’t want to be excessively insulting here … but are you retarded?”

Dave McC @mccdave.bsky.social · 2h

This is right. I’m curious where Mills and Platner come down on the filibuster, court expansion, and ICE but unless differences open up there, this fight is for the Mainers.

GuyWhoNeverWenttoEpsteinsIsland @ratelimitexceeder.bsky.social · 3h

My advice is that you should stop fixating on the Maine primary and unless giant policy differences develop between Platner and Mills you should let Mainers handle it.

Reposted by Dave McC

Ben McAdams Memorial Act. but on BlueSky @purrtah.bsky.social · 4h

Stats guy who doesnt look at polls when they disagree with his narrative

6 7 63

Dave McC @mccdave.bsky.social · 4h

I must not be following the big leftist accounts on here because most people in my feed are pretty excited about No Kings.

Will Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 4h

It's wild how the No Kings protests are a reliable Bluesky flashpoint - seemingly for the sole reason that the leftists who dominate discourse on here are deeply threatened by the idea that millions of old folks going and crowding the streets could better, without them so much as bombing a Wal-mart

Reposted by Dave McC

davidrlurie @davidrlurie.bsky.social · 5h

Trumpers are deeply frustrated that their violence is being met with nonviolence.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 5h

New in PN: Scenes from Portland's imaginary insurrection

"I’ve been taking images that are nowhere near this one conflict driveway — ones of puppies & kids playing, & families having picnics — b/c the idea that Portland is burned down & a war zone is just preposterous" — @timdickinson.bsky.social

Scenes from Portland's imaginary insurrection

"It would be funny if it wasn’t so f**king serious," Tim Dickinson says.

www.publicnotice.co

7 130 790

Dave McC @mccdave.bsky.social · 4h

I think this would have a better chance if at least two of the justices were thinking “oh no, this is not what we meant,” but their actions since then don’t give any indication that any of them regret what they’ve done.

Dave McC @mccdave.bsky.social · 4h

Yeah, those saying it glorifies left wing political violence weren’t paying attention to the movie. The revolutionaries fail 1/3 through the film. For the remainder of the film, resistance is about endurance, community, and love.

Reposted by Dave McC

Sean Casten @seancasten.bsky.social · 18h

Mike Johnson called us back from July 4 recess on 7/3 so he could gut Americans’ healthcare in the Big Ugly bill. Since then, he has only had the House in session for 19 of the subsequent 104 days. That’s how we ended up here.

56 980 2.8K

Reposted by Dave McC

Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 13h

15 US states and territories have formed a new Public Health Alliance, which will counter the absence of federal leadership by tracking outbreaks, issuing guidance, buying vaccines and more.

Members of the new alliance include CA, CO, CT, DE, GU, HI, IL, MD, MA, NJ, NY, NC, OR, RI, WA.

Map: Governors Public Health Alliance
* Guam is also a member of the alliance
Updated October 15, 2025
Map: @luckytran • Created with Datawrapper

560 4.3K 13K

Reposted by Dave McC

Samit Sarkar @samitsarkar.bsky.social · 14h

Having finally seen One Battle After Another today, I immediately looked for great writing about it. Glad I started with this one.

Struggle cinema

David Roth on 'One Battle After Another'

flaminghydra.com

1 4

Dave McC @mccdave.bsky.social · 12h

The film is doing well for an R-rated, non-franchise PTA film. WB probably should’ve just pushed DiCaprio to do it a discount (maybe he would’ve given he hadn’t worked with PTA) and it’d have an easier time making a profit.

Reposted by Dave McC

rev. howard arson @theophite.bsky.social · 13h

yeah it was probably a good idea for Texas to presume that all of their gains with Hispanics were permanent and to gerrymander themselves on that basis

Sky Marchini @sky.skymarchini.net · 13h

... i'm sorry, trump is 20pts under water IN TEXAS? www.economist.com/interactive/...

economist map showing turmp's net approval in texas is -19.3%

20 70 530

Reposted by Dave McC

Airship Chronos says TRANS RIGHTS @airshipchronos.bsky.social · 13h

Folks, she's good.

Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 16h

AOC: You're damn right that it's a Democratic priority to keep people from getting poisoned, from dangerous chemicals

You're damn right that it's a Democratic priority to bring down the cost of housing

If they want to say that that's a Democratic priority, they're right,

1 19 140

Dave McC @mccdave.bsky.social · 13h

Just incredible directing from PTA and top notch acting from everyone involved. Can’t recall a movie like that that just doesn’t let up ever. Gripping (literally) from start to finish.

Dave McC @mccdave.bsky.social · 14h

Just saw One Battle After Another and holy shit is that intense. Left theater and felt like I just drank a pot of coffee.

1 3

Dave McC @mccdave.bsky.social · 20h

I know that sounds really extreme, but look at where we are 9 months in and trend it forward without the pressure release of the midterms. Idk, seems like quite a gamble for the GOP.

Dave McC @mccdave.bsky.social · 20h

Maximalist moves like invalidating the VRA make it harder to beat fascism through regular means and make a color revolution more likely. The GOP really seems to be pushing us in that direction without considering that if we end up there, we’ll have a freer hand to lock them out for a generation

1 10

Reposted by Dave McC

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 20h

very funny that JD Vance has so little to do with his time that he goes on podcasts to defend 30-year-old men for saying how much they love Hitler

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

JD Vance dismisses Young Republicans who in a group chat said "I love Hitler" and joked about slavery and rape as "a bunch of kids" who "told stupid jokes" and adds that "most of the stupid things I did when I was a teenager and young adult, they're not on the internet."

220 1.6K 7.3K

Reposted by Dave McC

Eric Columbus @ericcolumbus.bsky.social · 22h

Yet again, a certain @theonion.com article — with a title not suitable for a family website — comes to mind.

Politico @politico.com · 23h

EXCLUSIVE: Capitol Police are investigating a swastika found in GOP Rep. Dave Taylor’s office.

“The content of that image does not reflect the values or standards of this office, my staff, or myself, and I condemn it in the strongest terms," Taylor said in a statement.

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

5 5 45

Dave McC @mccdave.bsky.social · 22h

Proud dad moment: a couple months ago, I slipped an extra copy of Kind of Blue in with my son’s records, and yesterday out of nowhere he was listening to it (Side 2, “All Blues”) and said “dad, this is really good!”

The kids still know the good stuff when they hear it.

Miles Davis - All Blues (Official Audio)

YouTube video by MilesDavisVEVO

youtu.be

Reposted by Dave McC

Shoe + @shoe.bsky.social · 23h

This guy won't be appeasing the US government or RW Catholics

Razzball @razzball.bsky.social · 1d

Someone in the crowd: “Go Cubs!”

Pope Leo XIV: “Han perdido! They lost!”

3 3 47

Dave McC @mccdave.bsky.social · 23h

White Sox fans are built different. We need to be given how little there usually is to cheer for.

Dave McC @mccdave.bsky.social · 23h

Bad behavior for Republicans can be excused as “youthful indiscretions” until they have a head full of white hair, and by that time, they can be written off as senior moments.

Blue Georgia @bluegeorgia.bsky.social · 1d

These are some of the leaked messages Young Republicans were sending in group chats.
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Dave McC @mccdave.bsky.social · 23h

A lot is going to depend on who the Dem POTUS is. A big attraction of Pritzker is that he seems attuned to the need for big structural reform in order to defeat fascism. A nominee with more traditional views would probably be too hesitant or deferential to Senate leadership to make it happen.

Dave McC @mccdave.bsky.social · 23h

If this scenario allows us to get and keep the House through 2030, we will need to do a new VRA and expand the Court to uphold it. Then the Cohn maps don’t happen. Drastic actions but the times are going to demand them.

1 1