Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Sarah Darer Littman

Christopher Mathias @letsgomathias.bsky.social · 24m

the admin that imprisoned and tried to deport a student over a pro-Palestinian op-ed, calling it anti-semitism, calls outrage over "I love Hitler" texts by young Republicans "pearl-clutching"

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 1h

Fascinating. Politico notes that when notified of the texts, many state-level Republicans fired or condemned these cretins. Now Vance emerges to excuse the racism, and calls the reaction to it "pearl clutching."

He seems determined to purge the party of its last enclaves of decency.

‘College Group Chat’: JD Vance Dismisses ‘Pearl Clutching’ Over Young Republicans Leak to Attack Jay Jones

Liberals hit back at Vance's blunt dismissal of racist, antisemitic and misogynistic messages leaked from a Young Republicans group chat.

www.mediaite.com

13 130 340

Reposted by Sarah Darer Littman

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 17h

Q: Politico reported on a group chat of young Republicans. Does this just reflect some bad apples?

HOCHUL: Some bad apples? These are the future of the GOP. This is so vile it's hard to find the words to put into context ... there's gotta be consequences ... this bullshit has to stop.

440 4.1K 14K

Reposted by Sarah Darer Littman

Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 18h

NEW: A federal judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit challenging Indiana’s student ID voting ban, marking a major win for young voters and pro-voting advocates who argue the GOP-backed law was designed to suppress student voting.

Federal Court Deals Major Blow to Indiana GOP’s Student ID Ban

Read more here.

www.democracydocket.com

6 140 540

Reposted by Sarah Darer Littman

Anne Lutz Fernandez @lutzfernandez.bsky.social · 1d

Amen.

we’ve heard more from Legacy media on the lies the right tells about the protesters and protests of 2025 then we hear from them about the protesters and why they are protesting.

The media is largely ignoring the trauma of millions. Here's why.

Plus: Watch George Stephanopolous pushes JD Vance with follow-up questions, cringe at Bari Weiss's pep talk to CBS journalists; and more

margaretsullivan.substack.com

2 9 40

Reposted by Sarah Darer Littman

Joel S. @joelhs.bsky.social · 23h

Really glad to see this much needed report. The Nexus Project is the moral voice we need against antisemitism and for democratic pluralism, at a time when too many other organizations have abdicated that role.

The Nexus Project @nexusproject.bsky.social · 1d

This just in: Today, we’re releasing our response to the weaponization of antisemitism by the Trump administration and Project Esther.

The Shofar Report is a new blueprint for combating antisemitism while defending democracy.

Project Esther created a blueprint for Trump to fight antisemitism. The ‘Shofar Report’ is a liberal response.

Sign up for Antisemitism Decoded, the Forward’s guide through the news and noise about Jewish safety, brought to you biweekly by investigative journalist Arno Rosenfeld.Most American Jews have taken a...

forward.com

16 55

Sarah Darer Littman @sarahdarerlittman.com · 1d

Pay attention to your local elections. Pay attention to your local elections. Pay attention to your local elections. See who is running for Board of Ed. Get involved!

Teela @teela.bsky.social · 2d

Will Moms for (not) Liberty start banning stair?

The ‘banned books’ staircase at the Newport Public Library.

1 2

Sarah Darer Littman @sarahdarerlittman.com · 1d

This made me laugh and laugh 😂

Tv with “becoming Led Zeppelin “ and subtitle “playlist slow, sludgy chords”

Reposted by Sarah Darer Littman

skellyton bones jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 2d

"Our libraries belong to the people. We fund them collectively. & they should serve everyone in our communities — without discriminatory viewpoint-based censorship."

An EXCELLENT column from Stephana at @flfreedomread.bsky.social about lies of "parental rights"

www.floridatoday.com/story/opinio...

Florida’s book bans aren’t about parents—they’re about control | Opinion

Opinion: Florida’s book bans aren’t about parental rights—they’re about controlling ideas. A local parent explains why this matters to all of us.

www.floridatoday.com

33 86

Reposted by Sarah Darer Littman

Authors Against Book Bans @authorsabb.bsky.social · 2d

Oh hey! Thank you, so much to the folks at Ignyte! We love this because fighting books really & truly is a practice of inclusion & equity. Really meaningful to be recognized this way. Good work team!

The Ignyte Awards @theignyteawards.bsky.social · 2d

And the Community Award for Outstanding Efforts in Service of Inclusion and Equitable Practice in Genre goes to @authorsabb.bsky.social
#2025IgnyteAwards

2025 Winner of the Community Award: Authors Against Book Bans

20 64

Reposted by Sarah Darer Littman

Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 3d

Exactly.

Emily Galvin-Almanza @galvinalmanza.bsky.social · 3d

Seriously, Judges *do no do things like this*

They don't give their opinion to the media

They don't criticize how SCOTUS works

This is them breaking the emergency glass, folks
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...

Federal Judges, Warning of ‘Judicial Crisis,’ Fault Supreme Court’s Emergency Orders

www.nytimes.com

32 580 1.8K

Sarah Darer Littman @sarahdarerlittman.com · 3d

I loved listening to the shipping forecast when i loved in the UK!

NPR @npr.org · 3d

For a century, the BBC has broadcast the weather report for the seas around the UK. "The Shipping Forecast" has informed and lulled generations who tune in to hear it.

Opinion: 'The Shipping Forecast' reminds us of the power of the human voice

For a century, the BBC has broadcast the weather report for the seas around the UK. "The Shipping Forecast" has informed and lulled generations who tune in to hear it.

n.pr

1 2

Sarah Darer Littman @sarahdarerlittman.com · 4d

The loss of lives and the trauma for those who remain…

2

Sarah Darer Littman @sarahdarerlittman.com · 4d

I know. 😢 Ive been following satellite analysis and its complete destruction. Rubble clearing alone will cost billions. Heartbreaking 💔

1 2

Reposted by Sarah Darer Littman

Brooke Harrington @ebharrington.bsky.social · 4d

What Thiel is saying about tax havens = what Altman is saying about copyright:

"I can't be rich unless you let me steal from you."

This is how Broligarchs differ from oligarchs of yore: the latter tried to hide their thievery; the Broligarchs trumpet their entitlement to steal as a natural right.

75 620 1.5K

Reposted by Sarah Darer Littman

NightMar on Hicks Street, Part 4: The Rabbit’s Revenge @histoftech.bsky.social · 4d

The Virginia Senate just told UVA it’s not getting state funding if it accepts the compact since UVA exists to serve Virginia, its residents, & their interests—not be a tool of the federal govt. Scoop from our student newspaper, who’ve been doing vital reporting www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2025...

39 1.1K 3.8K

Sarah Darer Littman @sarahdarerlittman.com · 4d

It's not just you. We heard non-stop about Biden's health. But they are only just now hinting at possible mental and physical decline, despite behavior that anyone who has lost a loved one to Alzheimer's or dementia has recognized for a very long time.

Sarah Darer Littman @sarahdarerlittman.com · 4d

The right-wing extremists in the Israeli flaunt their piety and yet they are clearly not acting as the Torah instructs us. (Neither am I by posting this on Shabbat, but I don't claim to be super observant. Yet despite my imperfect Jewishness, I think abt these issues deeply.

1 2

Sarah Darer Littman @sarahdarerlittman.com · 4d

In light of this: theconversation.com/gaza-we-anal...

Gaza: we analysed a year of satellite images to map the scale of agricultural destruction

Most of Gaza’s olive trees, citrus trees and greenhouses have been destroyed.

theconversation.com

1 1

Sarah Darer Littman @sarahdarerlittman.com · 4d

I was thinking about this over Rosh Hashanah and YK - Deuteronomy 20:19: "When in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down."

1 2

Reposted by Sarah Darer Littman

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 4d

This week, MAGA figures claimed Kristi Noem "stared down" violent antifa protesters in Portland. Turns out they were talking mostly about a guy in a chicken suit.

This episode opens a window into how MAGA propaganda works and MSM failure to handle it. 1/

(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2016...

MAGA Implodes over Kristi Noem’s “Stare Down” with Man in Chicken Suit

A good New York Times piece on Portland nevertheless demonstrates how the conventions of objective reporting fail to accurately capture the bad faith driving pro-Trump propaganda.

newrepublic.com

280 1.5K 4.5K

Reposted by Sarah Darer Littman

Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 6d

Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE

nyti.ms

140 1.8K 4.7K

Reposted by Sarah Darer Littman

Prof Dynarski @dynarski.bsky.social · 7d

This is where I get my books

They have an ebook shop

Bookshop.org @bookshop.org · 7d

$41 million: The amount of money we’ve raised for indie bookstores since 2020.

$0: The amount of money Amazon has raised for indie bookstores since 1994.

1 9 64

Reposted by Sarah Darer Littman

Melanie D’Arrigo @darrigomelanie.bsky.social · 7d

I feel like this photo of masked, armed men pepper spraying a pastor protecting his community is going to be a defining picture of this moment in America for a long, long time.

1.7K 21K 56K

Sarah Darer Littman @sarahdarerlittman.com · 8d

Book bans waste tax dollars, silence stories, and hurt students.

We need more books, not fewer. 📖

#BannedBooksWeek #FreedomToRead via @everylibrary.bsky.social

action.everylibrary.org/bookbanpledge

Pledge to Protect the Freedom to Read

This Banned Books Week (October 5–11, 2025), join EveryLibrary and We Believe in standing up for every reader’s right to read and access every story.

action.everylibrary.org

1 1

Sarah Darer Littman @sarahdarerlittman.com · 8d

Unless you’re @jonathanlarsen.bsky.social , that is…

1 1 4