Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by mjfrombuffalo

Sean Casten @seancasten.bsky.social · 19h

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.

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I-Scream Ridge @eileen4ever.bsky.social · 2h

My friend’s neighbor’s house fell off its foundation (old steel structure collapsed), and they just did the funniest thing.

Giant skeleton looking like it’s tipping over a house.

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Reposted by mjfrombuffalo

Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 2h

BREAKING from PP

We found immigration agents have held more than 170 *citizens*

The govt doesn't track citizens held. So we did. We tallied:

Nearly 20 kids, two w/ cancer

More than 20 citizens held for day or more, incommunicado

www.propublica.org/article/immi...

by @nicolefoy.bsky.social

More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days.

The government does not track how often immigration agents grab citizens. So ProPublica did. Our tally — almost certainly incomplete — includes people who were held for days without a lawyer. And near...

www.propublica.org

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mjfrombuffalo @mjfrombuffalo.bsky.social · 1h

ugggg

mjfrombuffalo @mjfrombuffalo.bsky.social · 2h

and people wonder why I'm not upgrading from Win10.

Tom Warren @tomwarren.co.uk · 5h

This is the future of Windows. Microsoft wants to rewrite Windows to turn computers into AI PCs that you talk to. It's now bringing AI features to all Windows 11 PCs today, in a bid to convince you to talk to your PC and let AI control it. Full details 👇 www.theverge.com/news/799768/...

Microsoft wants you to talk to your PC and let AI control it

Copilot Voice and Vision are now rolling out.

www.theverge.com

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mjfrombuffalo @mjfrombuffalo.bsky.social · 2h

My pain point is church. "AI wrote a sermon in no time!" No, AI plagiarized other pastors' sermons. "AI made a song!" No, AI stole from artists. "We can make website videos from our still photos!" No, we are not deepfaking the choir.

AND it's an Earth Care congregation so let's talk resource use...

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Reposted by mjfrombuffalo

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 15h

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.

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Reposted by mjfrombuffalo

Rep. Diana DeGette @degette.house.gov · 3h

It’s been over 3 weeks since Adelita Grijalva was elected — but Mike Johnson is still refusing to swear her in.

Could it be because she’s the 218th signature needed to release the Epstein files?

What's in those files anyway? 🤔

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Reposted by mjfrombuffalo

James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 3h

Where we stand, in long arc of history:

-Story on left, adding race as a factor when that favors white people.

-Story on right, banning race as a factor when that favors non-whites.

I often complain about NYT headlines and story-play. But these are strong. Including "If Court Guts 1965 Law."

Two headlines on front page of NYT.

First is "Trump Weighs Transforming Refugee Policy. White People Would be Given Preference."

Second is "Justices May Ban Race as a Factor in District Maps. Nation's Political Balance Could Shift If Court Guts 1964 Law."

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mjfrombuffalo @mjfrombuffalo.bsky.social · 4h

😆

mjfrombuffalo @mjfrombuffalo.bsky.social · 4h

“i was married, but i’m not married anymore. women don’t like the vehicle.”

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Reposted by mjfrombuffalo

Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · 5h

An important message to the people of New York City.

More information at zohranfornyc.com/birthday

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Reposted by mjfrombuffalo

Izzy Kamikaze @izzykamikaze.bsky.social · 6h

Marie McGowan, 89, has died 3 years after a brutal assault during which she was put headfirst into a rubbish bin. Her attacker, Alex Bailey, believed she was "a man dressed as a woman."

This is the world the transphobes are creating "to protect women."

RIP Marie. share.google/PFaI5YTh9tBw...

Woman, 80s, dies three years after Dublin attack

A woman in her 80s who was attacked in south Dublin just over three years ago has passed away.

share.google

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mjfrombuffalo @mjfrombuffalo.bsky.social · 16h

I really want to have a fun day, so let's go to the mall to shop for pants.

You've been kidnapped
What do you post on socmed to alarm your followers

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Reposted by mjfrombuffalo

Tom Joscelyn @tomjoscelyn.bsky.social · 18h

The headline & text of this piece don’t do enough to describe the Trump regime’s extreme immigration agenda.

It’s called white nationalism. Or white Christian nationalism. Or Christian nationalism. Pick one. Only one quote in the piece starts to describe it.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/u...

Trump Considers Overhaul of Refugee System That Would Favor White People

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by mjfrombuffalo

City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 17h

If every time the White House changes hands, every state who didn't vote for the victor has its public works grants cancelled, we're literally never going to get anything built in this country again.

Absolute insanity. -- www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/n...

"The White House referred questions to the Office of Management and Budget, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Steve Sigmund, spokesman for the Gateway Development Commission, which oversees the tunnel project, declined to comment on the president’s remarks.

John J. McCarthy, the chief of policy and external relations at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is building the Second Avenue Subway extension, said his office had not been contacted before Mr. Trump’s comments."

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City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 18h

From “DEI probe” to…
“Trump Says $16 Billion Hudson River Tunnel Project Is ‘Terminated’:
It was not immediately clear what the president meant and whether the project, known as Gateway, had already been stripped of federal funding.”

In ~two weeks — www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/n...

Trump Says $16 Billion Hudson River Tunnel Project Is ‘Terminated’

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by mjfrombuffalo

Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 18h

"a memorandum expanding his administration’s authority"

The phrasing you're looking for is that he's suspending parts of the Constitution by decree.

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 19h

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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mjfrombuffalo @mjfrombuffalo.bsky.social · 19h

They were white so they were still babies, unlike 14yo Black girls or boys who are clearly adults and should act as such.

/sarcasm

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mjfrombuffalo @mjfrombuffalo.bsky.social · 20h

I have a meeting tonight and I am happy to report I hit the points you make in Segment 1!
My struggle is with people who complain meetings go on too long but don't read the agenda before the meeting, don't stick to the agenda, and text through the whole thing.

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Reposted by mjfrombuffalo

Zach Everson @zacheverson.com · 1d

"Why No One Really Knows How Much Money The Trumps Are Making Right Now"

Oh.

@danalexander21.bsky.social for @forbes.com

Why No One Really Knows How Much Trump Is Making Right Now

A crypto company has taken in more money than almost any other entity in the president’s empire. But thanks to a secretive agreement, it remains unclear who is really receiving the cash.

www.forbes.com

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mjfrombuffalo @mjfrombuffalo.bsky.social · 21h

"... the best advice I have to give is to ask: 'in what way is this argument founded in the premise that some people matter and other people don't?'"

A.R. Moxon @juliusgoat.bsky.social · Aug 24

Today I wrote about a general tendency to accept atrocious premises, and the need to reject fascism's false choices in order to find expansive and imaginative paths forward.

Breaking the premise, embracing the obstacles, pursing everything.

www.the-reframe.com/there-is-no-...

There Is No Trolley Problem

We actually aren't constrained into atrocious premises by thought exercises. Obstacles are a reason to fight, not an excuse to quit. Our friends and neighbors aren't distractions..

www.the-reframe.com

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Reposted by mjfrombuffalo

Laura Bassett @lebassett.bsky.social · 23h

WHAT THE FUCK FENTANYL IS NOT EVEN COMING FROM VENEZUELA

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 23h

Eric Trump: "Now every single time a boat goes out of Venezuela it's getting blown up into a million pieces. That's exactly what's happening every single day. I personally have 4 friends who have lost children to fentanyl."

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mjfrombuffalo @mjfrombuffalo.bsky.social · 21h

Related, these damned kids better get off my lawn

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mjfrombuffalo @mjfrombuffalo.bsky.social · 21h

And the touchscreens to do common things!
I can change the radio station, lower the volume, turn on the fan, adjust where the air's coming from, and adjust the temperature without looking because my 2007 Saturn Ion has KNOBS. Rental car with a touchscreen? Gotta pull over just to turn on defroster.

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