Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

@tathompsonks.bsky.social

280 followers 450 following 3.1K posts

Tech, national security, and public policy with a side of aviation, sports, and hot takes Views are my own.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

TT @tathompsonks.bsky.social · Jan 26

I've seen a lot of "what can I do to stop this" over the last few days.

I want to take a minute to talk about how you engage with your Member of Congress to create change.

Tldr: Call. Don't email, don't tweet, don't fax, don't write. Call.

3 48 92

Reposted by TT

David Roberts @volts.wtf · 2h

Imagine the media reaction if a single Democrat ever said anything like this ever once in history.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2h

After bragging about permanently cutting "Democrat programs," Trump says "we're not closing up Republican programs."

71 430 1.7K

TT @tathompsonks.bsky.social · 3h

In the years since I left, I think a lot of offices started getting populated by rich kids who grew up 4chan-adjacent.

Dumb and assholes. It's a bad combo.

TT @tathompsonks.bsky.social · 3h

Lots of Hill offices hire rich kids of donors who become staffers. You can spot them from a mile away.

Lucky to have not experienced this in our office, who hired almost exclusively Kansans and kids from both parties. Don't know that there's another office on the Hill that does that.

utopia deferred @utopia-defer.red · 3h

I also know guys on the hill who said that they basically had to start avoiding common spots because republican staffers and conservative think tankers all become raving freaks who rant about insane shit.

karl rove knausgård @uhactually.bsky.social · 3h

You might think Ryan is exaggerating but I used to go to a regular dinner that gradually got taken over by young Republican staffers and I promise you he is not.

1 2

TT @tathompsonks.bsky.social · 3h

If they win, WGAF

Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 3h

🚨 The DSCC — led by Kirsten Gillibrand, Mark Kelly, Adam Schiff, and Lisa Blunt Rochester — has formed a joint fundraising committee with Janet Mills.

Mills, running against Graham Platner in the Maine Democratic Senate primary, would become the oldest freshman (79) ever elected, to a 6-year term.

TT @tathompsonks.bsky.social · 17h

Gonna be pretty interesting when the shoe is on the other foot with these executive power plays

TT @tathompsonks.bsky.social · 17h

Understand that some services front-load paychecks, but I can't imagine them doing so in this situation without an actual transfer in flight

1 2

TT @tathompsonks.bsky.social · 17h

I'm very confused by reports ACH is hitting some accounts and not others.

1 2

Reposted by TT

Mike Black @mikeblack114.bsky.social · 18h

also leadership teams are failing personnel right now because I've seen more than one screenshotted statement that either implies or outright states they can plan on getting paychecks for the duration of the shutdown

Either FM is planning on doing very big boy outright fraud crimes, or that's a lie

Mike Black @mikeblack114.bsky.social · 18h

since there's reports on social media of money hitting accounts worth reiterating that this is illegal and unconstitutional as shit, it's not a close question, and while I don't expect anyone on H/SASC or H/SAC will do anything, anyone performing this 'reprogramming' should face criminal penalties

Mike Black @mikeblack114.bsky.social · 2d

It's also worth reiterating that absent this reprogramming authority being written into law it would be not just illegal but flatly unconstitutional for DoD to expend money in any fashion not explicitly specified (by both type/use and quantity) by Congress in an appropriations bill

3 25 180

Reposted by TT

Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 20h

NEW: A stunning new study finds that satellite transmissions—from calls and texts on T-Mobile to US and Mexico military communications—were sent unencrypted for any snoop to grab. @agreenberg.bsky.social and @mattburgess1.bsky.social have the scoop: www.wired.com/story/satell...

Satellites Are Leaking the World’s Secrets: Calls, Texts, Military and Corporate Data

With just $800 in basic equipment, researchers found a stunning variety of data—including thousands of T-Mobile users’ calls and texts and even US military communications—sent by satellites unencrypte...

www.wired.com

8 160 350

Reposted by TT

John Sipher @johnsipher.bsky.social · 1d

Push-up boy is a snowflake.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/b...

Inside Hegseth’s Effort to Limit Press Access at the Pentagon

www.nytimes.com

11 38 180

TT @tathompsonks.bsky.social · 1d

I find your lack of agile disturbing

Reposted by TT

Ira 'Bluebeard Homer' Goldman @kdbyproxy.bsky.social · 1d

The House and Senate each has an Office of Legislative Counsel that drafts/help draft bills for members and committees. This is from House LC's guide to legislative drafting re the difference btwn:
> "[phrase] means A, B & C."
vs
> "[phrase] includes A, B, & C."

legcounsel.house.gov/holc-guide-l...

1 1 3

TT @tathompsonks.bsky.social · 1d

If we had a functioning SEC, he'd be in jail

Reposted by TT

J.M. Berger @jmberger.com · 1d

👀

Jacob Shamsian @jayshams.bsky.social · 1d

The Wall Street Journal reports that Ghislaine Maxwell had a meeting with an unknown person in her new prison camp, during which the entire prison was on lockdown.

Inmates say she's getting unusually favorable treatment by the prison.

9 29

TT @tathompsonks.bsky.social · 1d

What happened in Kansas was we nearly bankrupted ourselves. The pin that got pulled was we had to balance a budget, and we were looking at a $2b+ shortfall because of their fake economic models for tax policy.

Watching the LtGov sign that fix was 😍

1 1

TT @tathompsonks.bsky.social · 1d

Fucking gross.

Reposted by TT

EM Simpson @emsetc.bsky.social · 1d

A republic...if you can keep it.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Bessent: "No Kings means no paychecks. No paychecks and no government."

1 2 10

Reposted by TT

Bradley P. Moss @bradmossesq.bsky.social · 1d

We are officially saying we need a King now?

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Bessent: "No Kings means no paychecks. No paychecks and no government."

33 99 430

TT @tathompsonks.bsky.social · 1d

I think it lends itself to them knowing something is up and keeping their heads down until it happens

Reposted by TT

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 1d

Border Patrol “attempted to arrest a plumber working inside a Logan Heights home but left empty-handed after the homeowner refused them entry.

The homeowner told agents she would not allow them inside because the warrant they presented did not include her address and lacked a judge's signature.”

Federal immigration operations target San Diego neighborhoods, sparking community resistance

Federal immigration agents conducted operations in Logan Heights and Southeast San Diego on Friday, with community members capturing footage of the enforcement actions.

www.10news.com

250 3.9K 13K

Reposted by TT

Bill Amend @billamend.bsky.social · 1d

Tonight’s dumb napkin cartoon…

19 110 900

TT @tathompsonks.bsky.social · 1d

Study what happened in Kansas 2010-2018ish. It was run by a lot of the same morons who are doing this right now.

1 7

Reposted by TT

The Onion @theonion.com · 5d

Bored National Guard Goes Door To Door Asking If Chicagoans Have Any Order They Need Restored https://theonion.com/bored-national-guard-goes-door-to-door-asking-if-chicagoans-have-any-order-they-need-restored/

230 2K 8K

TT @tathompsonks.bsky.social · 1d

Making JD own this legacy is the best thing that can happen because he, unlike Trump, wants to have a political future after this term.

1 27

TT @tathompsonks.bsky.social · 1d

The correction is going to be horrendous.

I parallel his term to what Sam Brownback did to Kansas, and the best thing that happened for Dems here was he got appointed to an ambassadorship mid-term and his R Lt. Gov had to sign the biggest tax increase in Kansas history so they owned the mistake.

2 1 22