Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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

1 2 4

Vampire S. O'Possum @virginiaopossum.bsky.social · 4h

Bluesky is not The Public Square. It's a bunch of parties. You're entitled to walk away from boors at a party. Don't be a boor.

2 1

Vampire S. O'Possum @virginiaopossum.bsky.social · 4h

Reminds me of times when negotiating kinks and the man is soooo disappointed that my fantasies involve role-playing and setting, not acrobatics.

1 1

Reposted by Vampire S. O'Possum

Paul Waldman @paulwaldman.bsky.social · 6h

Instead of "This is inappropriate!" Democrats - especially those who might run for president - should say right now "Anyone who participates in this should know: You are committing a crime, and in the next administration you will be prosecuted."

That will change the frame of the story.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 16h

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.

22 400 1K

Reposted by Vampire S. O'Possum

David Corn @davidcorn.bsky.social · 17h

It's going up to $40 billion.

USAID's budget last year was $28 billion.

Joe Walsh @walshfreedom.bsky.social · 18h

68 940 2.6K

Reposted by Vampire S. O'Possum

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 21h

the extent to which media elites treat liberal americans as if they do not count in the body politic is a real problem

Perry Bacon @perrybaconjr.bsky.social · 22h

I read the piece. You shouldn't. He dismisses the "No Kings" protests as liberals in blue cities. He invokes Rosa Parks, as if rural white people in the 60s loved everything that the movement then was doing. "We need a movement but not this one" is a core centrist tact these days.

Ezra Levin ❌👑 @ezralevin.bsky.social · 23h

Is this a joke. www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...

100 1.3K 7.2K

Vampire S. O'Possum @virginiaopossum.bsky.social · 7h

My boss can be a nuisance but he went to the last No Kings protest so at least I probably won't get fired for attending.

Reposted by Vampire S. O'Possum

The Editorial Board @editorialboard.bsky.social · 7h

The Democrats are now in a position in which accepting health insurance subsidies, if that’s what Trump offers, might mean surrendering the last bit of leverage they have in preventing constitutional collapse.

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 23h

Trump and Vought are now breaking both sides of spending law. They’re illegally not spending where the law requires them to spend, and they’re illegally spending where they don’t have the money to spend.

What we have is an appropriations king.

Spending “deals” are meaningless under that setup.

1 5 18

Vampire S. O'Possum @virginiaopossum.bsky.social · 8h

Yeah, pain is my chief memory of braces. too. Crossing my fingers for you that orthodontia has advanced some since those days.

Vampire S. O'Possum @virginiaopossum.bsky.social · 8h

Maybe your experience can help you make it easier for him? Sometimes protecting people helps me resolve my trauma.

1 3

Reposted by Vampire S. O'Possum

Dr Ian McCormick @wokestudies.bsky.social · 8h

Celebrating the publication of Charlotte Brontë's novel, Jane Eyre (1847).

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”

“Do you think I am an automaton? — a machine without feelings?"
#English #Literature #film

JANE EYRE (film) Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga
United Kingdom, 2011. "After a bleak childhood, Jane Eyre goes out into the world to become a governess at Thornfield House, an isolated and imposing residence, property of the cold and mysterious Mr Rochester. While Jane finds herself falling in love with him, she discovers he is hiding a terrible secret."

1 18 45

Reposted by Vampire S. O'Possum

Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 15h

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

590 4.5K 13K

Reposted by Vampire S. O'Possum

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 1d

some colleagues have suggested to me that shame is irrelevant because the people on the "other side" don't know or care what "we" (on whatever "this side") think of them. I have...not gotten that impression

Kurtbert Barlowko @albertburneko.bsky.social · 1d

"disliking me is persecution" describes so incredibly many people's entire outlook these days defector.com/free-press-r...

Free Press Reporter Discovers That Being An Amoral Dickhead Can Cost You Friends | Defector

It can be hard to maintain friendships as an adult. People move to new cities, start families, and experience all sorts of other life events that make it difficult to keep in touch. Sometimes, you end...

defector.com

66 450 2.6K

Vampire S. O'Possum @virginiaopossum.bsky.social · 17h

There should be an alt subtext mode for regular posts.

Vampire S. O'Possum @virginiaopossum.bsky.social · 17h

Am having the most Cambridge, MA week. Last night had a condo meeting that's left me feeling traumatized and needing yard signs from the most pro-density, pro-affordable-housing-overlay city council candidates and today drove around for 20 minutes looking for a parking space on the odd side. IYKYK.

Reposted by Vampire S. O'Possum

unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 19h

Seen in Chicago

Handmade label sticker on street pole

The scariest thing this Halloween is ice terrorizing our communities

15 350 1.4K

Reposted by Vampire S. O'Possum

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 21h

That’s $5 billion more than the entire annual USAID budget. All to one country. To rescue one friend of the president’s.

Ilhan Omar @ilhanmn.bsky.social · 22h

Trump found another $20 BILLION to give to Argentina, totaling their bailout to $40 BILLION.

Yet we can’t afford to prevent millions of Americans from losing their healthcare.

Shame.

67 1.3K 3.2K